#the first shot is probably my new favorite i've taken in the game

[mattodore]

attilio's still in denial after getting kicked out, so he's pretending he's on a seaside retreat rather than accepting the reality that he's now living in the shell of his late grandmother's home with no internet access and a cut-off phone. he doesn't even have his beloved blow dryer... the horrors™.

[just-jordie-things]

omg i love the way u write jjk characters! i was reading ur work and had a scenario that i thought would be so fun to read from you if you like the idea! i was thinking abt if you got drunk with them at the school (like maybe all the students sneak to one persons dorm or something), how they would act drunk, how they would treat u, what would happen etc. my favs are toge and yuji but you could do whoever ofc!

ok idk if this is exactly what you were looking for but since i've wrtten a few fics now where drinking/partying was the theme, i'm gonna assign the jjk crews their party night roles lolol so enjoy

ITADORI YUUJI is the life of the party, obviously. he's the type to bring jello shots to the function and if no one wants them, he'll eat em all himself. he's the guy that you dare to do stuff as the night goes on. he's the guy that somehow, at the end of each party, is missing a shirt. did he go swimming? did someone spill on it? did he spill on it? (most likely) everyone laughs but no one really complains about it. he's always got a fun plan or game in mind to keep the night going, and everyone's happy to have him there.

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI is the shy-at-first guest. he's slow when he first gets there, and always claims he doesn't want to get too fucked up. he's got a never ending amount of excuses up his sleeve as to why he can't take that shot with you, or be your partner for beer pong. but give him an hour to warm up. he'll spend that time lining up a fire playlist and semi-mingling. the trick to getting him to loosen up? just a quick smoke first. don't jump on him with it, but if he sees a joint being passed around, he can't resist just a couple puffs. what's the harm, right? a couple puffs and he's giving in to whatever other party shenanigans come his way.

KUGISAKI NOBARA is in charge of the photography for the evening. everyone's instagrams and snapchat stories are well taken care of when she's around. in the early parts of the evening they're casual photos, fit checks, some candids of the laughing group as they play games or eat pizza. she's quite good with lighting and angles, and no one complains when she shoves her phone in their face. as the night goes on, she probably documents more than she should- toge drawing on yuuta's face while he's passed out, yuuji shirtless and covering himself in whipped cream on a dare- but it's always too funny to go through them the next day and delete half the evidence.

PANDA is the dancer. if he's drinking, he's dancing. it doesn't matter how many drinks are in his system. it doesn't matter if the music is particularly fun- or even playing. he's got too much excitement from hanging out with his friends and is down for a good time. he's also easy to coerce into pranking someone.

INUMAKI TOGE is the coercer of pranks. if someone passes out, he's always got a marker on him. he always has the best dares for truth or dare, and isn't afraid when others want to get their revenge. he's that class-clown energy at the party. sometimes it's annoying, but it's always undeniably funny. he definitely likes those tacky party favors from spencers. especially the big dick shaped syringes for taking shots. he's got a lot of sus 'party decorations'. but let's be real it's really fucking funny when he breaks out the newest one. also if he gets too drunk he will use his cursed speech for the sake of humor.

ZEN'IN MAKI is the bartender and general caretaker of the group. she's the best at mixed drinks and knows everyone's favorite, but always has something new to try. as the designated bartender she's also the one subtly making sure everyone is on a good track for the night. most of the time it just meant keeping an eye on yuuji and toge, reminding them to have some water every once in a while went a long way. and she's not afraid to cut you off if you're getting sloppy. i also think she'd roll the fattest, cleanest joints when she's not mixing drinks.

OKKOTSU YUUTA is the first to fall asleep. he's a good time, don't get me wrong. he loves the games and the dancing and the goofing around, but he's an overworked boy and... a bit of a lightweight. motherfucker takes two hits and is shaking his head the rest of the rotation. it's kinda cute that his eyes get all red after so little before he raids the snack table. maki knows he has a five drink limit before he either needs to drink water or rally or... as usual, he's slumped into the couch and snoozing away. it's a miracle that he can sleep so hard when the music is blasting and everyone has to yell to be heard- especially when it's itadori yelling. by the end of the night, someone's thrown a blanket over him, and toge's vandalized his face with permanent marker.

[haylanmakesstuff]

Gaming Table

This customized gaming table was probably one of the more challenging things I've ever taken on; I had no experience doing anything similar and there was A LOT to learn during this process. It was made as my BFF's wedding gift.

Finished Product:

It functions as a normal coffee table until you take the top off. Inside is a fully felt lined gaming table, complete with the tabletop becoming a giant chalkboard.

First, this required thrifting a suitable table that met my needs. Here is the as-is table before any alterations:

First, we had to take the top off. Wooooo, Spring Break!

Next, and the worst and longest part, was sanding. Sanding, sanding, sanding. and more sanding.

What's happening here? I have no idea. I apparently felt it was necessary to take 6 similar pictures posing like this though.

You can see we have now built in the new bottom of the table, and added the sides. This took a lot of math that I have wiped from my memory.

Of course, the paintjob was my jam. Emerald green and black are her favorite colors.

The felt gaming surface was the last piece added, after a good protective coating. Now a shot of the finished table with the top off you saw earlier!

[jeannahas]

Pathfinder Ancestries - From a First Timer!

Ok: I have to say - I love the sparks of creativity firing as I read the pathfinder ancestries. I've never looked at or opened Pathfinder 2e, but back when I first started to get into RPG's back in 2012-2015, I was introduced by means of Pathfinder 1e, and My brothers and I (Who never played an actual game) spend countless hours making character after character, checking it against the rules, and comparing builds and backstories.

Well, with this whole Debacle that's pushed me away from 5e DnD, I've delved back into Pathfinder with 2e, and oh am I enjoying myself already!

I just wanted to talk about some of my favorite ancestries:

First and Foremost - The ANADI!

I love Anansi, and I love the fact that this ancestry seems like a homage to that legend - Spiders, who become people! I cannot tell you the sheer number of role-play and storytelling options that come to mind with a race that learned how to shapeshift specifically so they could be less terrifying to other inteligent species in order to interact with the wider world - and their ancestral feats are fun, thematic, and fit in great! I have made two characters for Pathfinder 2e in preparation for some games, and one of them is and Anadi Gunslinger- this is going to be fun. Tons of options to customize your shapeshifting abilities, spider and human forms, and your abilities in both.

LESHY - Adorable! If I ever played one, I would love to play as a group of Leshy's out to tackle the world. Lots of tiny, cute plant-people trying to survive a wider world without dying - it would be a hilarious one / four shot.

NAGAJI - Yuan-ti ish, but not evil? Fascinating! I love the philosophical bent of this group of snake-people - they have a lot of the things I enjoy about the Yuan Ti, but the fact that their culture is completely unfamiliar, means that encountering them would be a novel experience for me - I don't know if I would rather play one, or play a normal character running into them, but I would love to explore the implications of this culture.

ANDROID - Always been a favorite of mine. When I took up DnD in 2018 I was sad they didn't have androids, and Warforged just didn't scratch the same itch - mostly but not quite humanoids trying to survive a world that doesn't understand technology? With a mind that uploads and then downloads a new soul every so often? Fascinating implications if your character's body was an adventurer as well, and you run into someone who "Knows" you.

FLESHWARPS- I AM SO EXCITED THIS IS AN ANCESTRY OPTION. I was low key obsessed with the flesh warping process in Pathfinder 1e, and the dark elves experiments, the fact that they could create entire other creatures by dunking people into their warping pits. I love that this is intentionally a very customizable class, and just...super creepy. Comes with automatic backstory too - if your character is a Fleshwarp, what were they before? How have they taken to their twisted transformation? I would love to explore these themes someday.

GHORAN - PLANT PEOPLE! They remind me of one of the magical races from the Beyonders Series by Brandon Mull - plant-people with a seed that they can regrow from, giving them functional immortality so long as they can re-plant and grow the seed they stem from. A bit of personality shenanigans when they regrow too, which could be run to role-play if your character's personality shifts a little after "Dying" and being re-planted. I'd probably home-brew them a little bit to be more humanoid in some ways... but I'd have to play them as is first before making any changes.

KASHRISHI - RHINO BUG SURVIVALISTS! Hyper adaptable stubby rhino-people, which a magical ability to adapt to their environment with each generation. These guys would be cool to see, or role-play, I'd love to give it a try someday.

That's all, Might post on this topic randomly later. :D

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #207

Would you ever become a fan of a team you hate to please your spouse? I have absolutely zero interest in sports and also lying about my interests to please my partner.

Can you handle scary movies? Yes, I enjoy horror movies.

Once a cheater, always a cheater? No. People grow and change.

What word describes your last relationship? Prior to the one I'm in now? Hm. It sounds bad, but... delusional. I thought then I was in love with her, I really did, but after truly experiencing that with Girt again, I know I wasn't. The sensations I've had for Jason and Girt were very different from what I felt with Sara. There was a lot of lying to myself about her shitty political beliefs, too.

Do you have a fake I.D.? I never have.

Would you date someone 5 years older than you? Yeah.

Have you ever been to California? Did you like it? No.

Does it matter to you if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? Yes. I absolutely fucking refuse to date anyone who drinks more than rarely, and I would NEVER date an angry drunk. If they knew they got angry drinking, they better never fucking touch it if they want me around.

Do you like deviled eggs? Hell fucking no.

What is your favorite horror movie? The Blair Witch Project.

Has a little kid ever fallen asleep on your lap before? Yes.

What is the last thing you googled? Why anoles here change colors from brown to green. My mom asked me.

Have you ever jumped off a high dive into a pool? No. As a child I think I got all the way up once but backed down.

What foods can you absolutely not eat? Beans are one of many, many options.

Do you like hot, cold, or lukewarm showers? Between lukewarm and hot. Probably more towards hot.

Have you ever taken part in a threesome? No, not into the idea for me.

Where did your mother and father meet for the first time? Work.

What is your oldest sibling’s middle name? Kathryn.

Have you ever been to Disneyland or Disney World? Disney World, as a child. I'd love to revisit as an adult.

Do you feel bored with your life? My biggest depression symptom is anhedonia, severe anhedonia, take a guess.

Who's someone you miss that you haven't talked to in years? Alex.

What's the most physically painful thing you've ever experienced? Having an infected pilonidal cyst drained. I was given morphine and numbing shots and yet I was still in so much pain that I was screaming and cursing on the top of my lungs. I don't know how scientific this is, but I theorized that they gave me an inadequate dose of the numbing agent, I'm guessing because I'm obese. I wonder if my size just outweighed the effects of the shots. To this day I don't know how I didn't faint, the pain was unfuckingdescribable. It was a bad infection; I delayed going to the ER because initially I didn't even understand what I had going on.

What's the worst level of emotional pain you've ever experienced? A traumatic breakup and its year+-long severe effects.

What was the last thing that made you angry? News about my sister's shitty MIL being a disrespectful and irresponsible twat.

Have you ever been the victim of a crime? Yeah technically, we had a basketball hoop stolen off our property once, when I was a kid. We also had an attempted break-in while my sister was home with only her friend, but I thank whatever powers they may be that their attempt failed. All we know is it the was Bloods gang because they left a flag outside our door.

What is the most beautiful landscape you have ever seen? The mountains driving from NC to Tennessee.

What colour are your brother’s eyes? Blue.

Have you ever played a drinking game? Which ones? No.

How many friends do you have on Facebook? 113. I'm picky with who I add.

Do you regularly check anyone’s profile online? Nope.

Are you any good at drawing? I mean, there are people worse than me. But there are also people leeeaaagues better than I am.

Is there anything unusual about your house? Um, I don't think so. Nothing truly "unusual."

Have you ever met anyone with Multiple Personality Disorder? No, not to my recollection.

What is your favourite type of cookie? Just a nice gooey chocolate chip one is grand.

Have you ever taken care of a newborn baby? No, I do NOT have the confidence for that.

How old were you when you got your ears pierced? I really don't remember.

Do you snore when you sleep? Apparently I do, and I'm very self-conscious of it.

What is your favorite breakfast food? Waffles, probably. With butter and not very crispy. Lots of syrup. Or just nice buttery biscuits that are nice and pillowy.

Who do you (romantically) love? Girt.

Where was the last place you kissed someone? My bed.

Do you work any holidays? I don't work.

What would you say if your parents said you were moving away? I literally cannot envision this with my mother, she would never, in a million years, move away from my sisters and I and Ashley's kids. She's bored it into our heads to never leave each other, so SHE never would. If my dad moved away, I mean honestly it wouldn't affect me much, I barely see him. I'd still be sad though, of course.

Do you wish you could go back and change anything about your childhood? I wish my dad was a better dad. I wish I lived in a safer neighborhood.

Have you ever been overseas? I have not, tragically. I praaaay that changes one day, I want to experience more of the world. I know so little of it.

What would your mom do if you told her you were pregnant? Probably fuckin faint.

Do you think you have nice feet? No; first things first I hate feet, but my feet are also obscenely calloused from when I used to walk all the time, and I've never managed to keep the callouses from growing back, even when I loss fucking muscle mass from NOT moving. My big toe on each foot is the absolute worst.

Where did you get your name? My mom just liked Brittany. "Marie" as a middle name runs in my maternal family.

What are you currently worried about? My colonoscopy prep day. I'm not concerned about the procedure, it's just the damn prep.

What was the last new and exciting experience you’ve had? Uhhhh let's see. New AND exciting? That disqualifies an ambulance ride, I was certainly not excited haha. I suppose my last visit to Girt's could count; he hasn't like me in his room only because he's self-conscious of "the mess" (that he's cleaned up a lot), but this time we chilled in his bed and played a game on his big TV. I got so into it that I didn't realize it was like 9 PM 'til I looked out the window and it's pitch black lmao. Point is, I was happier he seemed more at peace, me being in there and just hangin' out.

What's the most unique or exotic food you've tried? Uh, I suppose some genuine Chinese or Japanese cuisine my entire class tried in the 4th grade. I liked literally nothing but the rice haha, very on brand for picky me.

What change or new experience would you like to have in your life in the next year? A stable job.

When was the last time you were part of a large gathering? Easter. My mom and I joined Girt's family for dinner; Girt made steaks and I'm so proud of him, he wants to learn how to make them like his dad did and he did amazing for a second try. They were too salty, that was everyone's opinion, but they were perfectly edible and to me pretty good, and I'm very picky with steak.

What makes social gathering enjoyable for you? Everyone being welcoming, conversations being friendly and interesting, people including each other, sharing humor, that kinda stuff.

Is there anything/anyone/any place you now actively avoid in order to keep your inner peace? Any of Sara's online accounts. I don't care how curious I may be on how she is, I'm not looking, because I've absolutely learned it in no way benefits me, a person who's trying to learn to love and be kind to herself.

Did the last guy/girl you kissed have any piercings? No.

What is your favorite type of cat? Oriental shorthair.

Are you part Native American? I am not.

Who was your first online friend? I only knew her as Kat.

What’s a condition you have that you haven’t been officially diagnosed with? I am 100% convinced I'm a high-functioning autistic. I did get a legit evaluation, and the conclusion was I very likely am, but apparently a proper diagnosis requires a longer period of examination.

What band has the power to make you cry by splitting up? Rammstein haha, I'll cry when they simply retire.

Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex? No, I'm pan and have done it before, so it's not something I'd feel funny about.

Can grills be sexy on a guy? In my own personal opinion, they can't be sexy on anyone.

What’s your favorite comic book/graphic novel? I don't have one.

Who is the lead singer of your favorite band? Till Lindemann. Ozzy is obviously the vocalist of his own band.

Do you expect to be married in the next 2 years? I suppose it's possible, but I doubt it.

Who IMed you on Facebook last? My friend Baylee.

What kind of natural disaster is most common where you live? Hurricanes.

If you’re not straight, who was the first person you came out to? Sara.

Did you enjoy high school? I enjoyed certain parts of it.

Who was your favourite musical artist when you were 15? Do you still listen to them? Ozzy Osbourne. Duh lol

When was the last time you ate at a food court and what did you get? Oh wow that's a really good question, I have no idea.

Were you mean to anyone in high school? No, I was a good kid. I minded my own business.

Who is your favourite coworker? You can tell me about one from your past if you don’t have one right now. I don't work now, and I've never worked long enough previously to have a favorite at past jobs.

Do you know anyone who’s adopted a child? Yes; my sister's husband legally adopted Aubree (her eldest daughter) when she was still very young, because her biological father has absolutely nothing to do with her and he's a worthless bag of shit. Nick IS "Dad" to Aubree; she has no idea that's not her biological dad. Ashley plans on telling her one day, but Nick really doesn't want her to, but I pray Ash doesn't listen to him. Every child deserves to know this stuff.

What was the last video game or board game you purchased? Uhhhh I wanna say it was Amnesia: Rebirth because Girt gifted me a Steam giftcard.

Are any of your siblings taller than you? My brother certainly is, Ashley is, and I think Katie is slightly.

Is there any part of your sexual/romantic history that you have not told your current significant other about or that you will not tell future partners about? No. I think it is very, very important to be very open about your sexual history with your partners.

How many relationships have you been in that actually got sexual? Three-ish.

Who’s the most romantic person you ever went out with? Jason.

Do any of your family members have an upcoming birthday? My dad, towards the end of this month. Also my brother, on Earth Day.

Have you ever changed in front of the last person you kissed? No. I don't care what he's already seen of me, I hate more than the default amount of my body being shown to literally anyone.

How many siblings does your significant other have? One older sister.

What was the last zoo you visited? Aloha Safari Park.

[cha-melodius]

Guess who rewatched TMFU last night???

I feel inspired to talk about the end of the movie and our favorite spies' first mission as UNCLE. Caveat that these are all just my interpretations/headcanons, and aren't the only ones out there! I've been thinking about this recently because of Hard to be Soft, Tough to be Tender, which I set very early in their partnership. Namely, we get this moment, where they all look, as @heytheredeann always so accurately puts it, entirely victimized by the news that they have to keep working together:

Now this comes not long after this little moment, where Illya allows his fondness to slip out in that tiny smile, and then realizes what he's done and immediately hides behind his glass of Scotch.

They're having a moment here, one where they both let their shields down just a little, precisely BECAUSE they're sure they're never gonna see each other again. There is little risk in letting that fondness show, because the other person is unlikely to have a chance of exploiting that in the future. Then Waverly comes in and says surprise! We're keeping the team together! Which is frustrating to Napoleon and Illya especially because they were ready to go back to working alone and put this whole experiment and these feelings out of their minds. Now they're going to have to deal with them, or more likely shove them deep down where they can't be a problem, and I can see both of them initially closing themselves off again a bit more because of it.

By the end of Istandbul, though, I think we see some opening up, at least on Napoleon's part, in part because of the first of these two photos from the credits:

Obviously Napoleon and Gaby are getting along swimmingly by this point. I may prefer them as besties to romantic partners, but it's clear that they are relaxed and affectionate around each other. I guess you could argue maybe this was a cover for the mission, but the body language speaks for itself. Napoleon has a lot of masks, but for the first time he's letting little glimpses of himself show to his partners.

Now as for Illya's role in these shots: most of the credits photos don't really have a particular mood or feeling, by which I mean they're pretty much just standard covert shots, maybe taken by Waverly (except the one of him, obviously). But these two are so different. I headcanon that Illya took these photos, and probably he didn't intend anyone to see the negatives or prints but him. That one of Napoleon alone is so artistic and practically oozes longing. I can just imagine Illya seeing him there like that and thinking about how beautiful he looks, lit up by the sunset, and needing to capture it only for himself. I guess I see Illya as super conflicted by the end of this mission, maybe aware of his growing feelings and maybe not, and probably actively convincing himself that they're not those kind of feelings either way.

More about how the team relates to each other post-canon below the cut.

As to growing pains they might have as a real team in Istanbul, well, I'd say some are inevitable. I actually think Gaby's betrayal is a much bigger deal for her than it is for the boys. She clearly feels guilty about it in her last scene with Illya, and I imagine that guilt stays with her despite the fact that they don't seem to hold it against her. For Napoleon and Illya, though, I'm pretty sure they forgave her pretty quickly. She may have betrayed them, but she was acting as an agent for another country, and as Waverly says, it was the only way to keep the mission going. (Side note: It took me a while last night to realize that the reason that Gaby had to betray them to stay in the game was because Rudy & Victoria knew Illya wasn't just a Russian architect after he took his anger out on the Italian guys in the bathroom. Smoothly done, Peril, as Napoleon would say.) Napoleon and Illya have been in the spy game for a lot longer, and I'd wager they each spent the entire time in Rome expecting the other one to betray him. Gaby's betrayal was upsetting to them at first because it was unexpected (and, I'd argue, ego-bruising), but as soon as they know she's also a spy, it's understandable to them.

That brings me to Waverly, which I'd been thinking about while watching because of this ask. One would assume the same leeway applies to him, and I think it does, to an extent. I'm going to focus on what happened to Napoleon, because while Waverly all but apologizes to Illya for selling him out, he never says a peep about Napoleon's near-death experience. To Napoleon, I think he'd see this as business as usual. Of COURSE his senior officer would leave him to die. I don't think anyone doubts that Sanders would do it in a heartbeat. Napoleon had to become the CIA's most effective agent to save his own goddamned life. So Napoleon would neither expect any acknowledgement from Waverly about that, much less an apology, nor would he expect one. But that of course leaves Waverly as no better than Sanders, and I don't think many people in this fandom are fond of that idea. I think it takes Waverly a while to win any measure of real trust from Napoleon, and Napoleon is definitely the last of the three to give it. Beyond Istanbul, even. Maybe in Istanbul it starts, Waverly does something unexpected that makes Napoleon reevaluate things, but I don't think he's going to be taking kindly to any figure of authority any time soon. Napoleon is definitely the type to have issues with authority, unlike Illya IMO (the duality of Illya as the Good Soldier who disobeys orders based on his own sense of justice is an essay for another time, though).

What I think is interesting is Waverly's role in the Istanbul mission.

Maybe he's just there smoking hookah and giving them a run down on the mission, like Sanders and Oleg in Berlin, but maybe he takes a more active role. He was in the field in Rome, after all. The idea that this team is a foursome and not a threesome is an intriguing one, though, and not one I can remember seeing explored (though I read almost exclusively napollya fic, so if it's in one tagged with another relationship, I'd have missed it). I feel like Hugh Grant might have had a bigger role in the sequel movie, so it's possible that at least for this first mission they have a different dynamic in that as well.

Anyway, if you've read all of this, thank you for indulging me! And feel free to send asks with headcanons or aus or questions or if you want my thoughts on anything, because I am raring to talk about this movie lol.

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 4 for the first time. Random thoughts.

I never said anything about it before but I love Shadow Weaver's DCAU Batman eyes. They're so expressive.

Episode 1: Okay...I wasn't expecting Catra to do that. I mean, it makes sense. If she has leverage over Hordak then she's basically in charge of the Horde and that's what she's wanted (or at least believes she wants) since episode 1. It's an aspect that made her a good antagonist, that she's not blind to the evil of the Horde, she just doesn't care as long as she herself is secure. Which naturally begs the question, when the rebellion and the princesses are crushed, when the Horde is on top, when Adora is dead, when Catra finally has everything she's ever wanted...will she actually finally be happy? Somehow, I have my doubts.

I definitely feel for Glimmer in this. When you go through as big a loss as she did you need to be able to feel and vent if you're ever going to get through it. It doesn't have to be right away but everyone doing everything in their power to avoid the topic entirely can make you feel like you're going crazy. It'a especially bad for her since it unintentionally makes it feel like everyone is acting like it doesn't matter that Angela is gone when it clearly means everything to Glimmer.

Episode 2: I actually had a potted cactus plant once. Accidentally forgot about it and left it outside for an entire winter. Once the snow was gone the cactus looked like it had melted.

I kind of want to see what an interaction between Double Trouble and Clayface from the Harley Quinn animated series would look like. I'm guess Catra was just testing how good Double Trouble was as a doppelganger because it doesn't seem like she did anything while Adora was being distracted, though I suppose that could be a reveal in a later episode.

Not much to say except that I love how buff Huntara is while still clearly being a woman. Like, women can have a variety of different body types, as this series and Steven Universe show, and Huntara's build isn't just, like, Bow's body with lipstick and ponytail and the animators calling it a day. No, she looks like a freakin' jacked adult woman.

Episode 3: I didn't figure out the Flutterina = Double Trouble twist until a minute before it was revealed, so good job there. Before that I was wondering if Flutterina was some fan's original character where they won some contest where their OC got to be in the show for an episode. She was giving off some weird self-insert vibes. That twist made it all work though. It's honestly not a bad plan. Shapeshifters haven't really been a thing in the series before now so there's no reason to suspect it. Even if they did they'd probably be expecting it by way of magic or technology, while Double Trouble's seems to be a natural ability.

I like that even though Bow is definitely the goofier one of the trio he is still consistently shown as competent. That's never in question. He was very heroic and reassuring to the villagers this episode. I get why those kids idolize him so much.

Catra's having guilt over what she did with the portal and to Entrapta and her response is basically to just double-down. She doesn't know any other way to be. Not going to lie, I am kind of hoping we get another moment in the show where Adora just completely overwhelms Catra with the sheer power of She-Ra. I'm not saying like brutalize her or anything but just something where Catra is made to realize just how powerful Adora is and that she could just destroy Catra if she had a mind to do so.

Episode 4: Well, I was saying I wanted Adora to do it but I guess I don't mind Glimmer being the one to get some good shots in on Catra. Like I predicted, Shadow Weaver's moving in to become her teacher like she was with her father. Honestly I like that that was more Adora's problem than Glimmer using her as bait, which she seemed to get over pretty quick. Yeah, it was kind of a heartless thing to do but it was an understandable tactic and she clearly outright told Adora that she did it and why afterwards, which at least means she's still being honest.

It occurs to me that Glimmer and Catra may be the ones running parallel right now. Both are basically leading their respective sides of the war. They both have lost someone very important to them. And both are trusting someone they probably shouldn't. Both even have outfits that've been updated in the intro. The difference is Glimmer's just trying to deal with a bad situation while Catra's is entirely self-inflicted.

Minor thing but I like Glimmer's new outfit this season. I'm sure this is the intention but it makes her look older and more mature. A little more muscular in some shots too.

Episode 5: Heart of Etheria project. No idea what that is but assumedly whoever's a part of it doesn't like Light Hope and Mara being friends. Sounds like it's very much interested in She-Ra being just a warrior, and perhaps a tool, for the greater good. It does make me wonder though how much Light Hope remember from when she was rebooting. Even if she deleted the Mara memory she could potentially still have the memory of her and Adora watching the Mara memory, as well as Adora asking to be her friend.

Episode 6: Yep. Scorpia; definitely favorite supporting character. There is something kind of funny about her whole "Scorpions are loyal" line when you remember the story about the Frog and the Scorpion, where it stings the frog despite it meaning death for itself as well simply because that is its nature. But finally we're having someone go save Entrapta, and I can only assume at some point Scorpia's going to access the power of the Black Garnet.

The parallels between Catra and Hordak are definitely at their max here with that speech of hers to him. She's basically trying to convince herself that she doesn't need anyone, the timing of which is appropriate since she just drove away Scorpia and now truly doesn't have anyone. Not that I blame Scorpia, obviously. Like Adora before her, however good you believe someone can be and that you can help them, at some point you just have to cut the toxic people out of your life. You have the right to be happy too.

And man, Bow is just the best. He saw something was wrong between Adora and Glimmer and defused the situation like (snap) that, pushing them to talk like any sane person would.

Episode 7: I'm sure it is just because I've seen way too many TV shows and movies (both animated and live action) that don't do it but it is just such a relief to have a show where the characters just TALK and LISTEN to each other. It doesn't solve all their issues but they're at least not being stupid and freakin' petty. It helps the drama feel a lot less forced and contrived.

Episode 8: A little bit of amusement in Bow thinking at first that Glimmer and Adora didn't even notice he was gone despite them coming to his rescue very shortly afterwards, given Catra is only now realizing Scorpia has left and assumedly she did so a while ago. Bow and Sea Hawk hadn't been gone for that long so it's not unreasonable Glimmer and Adora wouldn't be worried about their absence (Bow was literally talking about "me time" when they last saw him), while Catra is only noticing Scorpia's absence now and it was because she wanted something. Like Scorpia said, she's a bad friend.

Kind of ironic given that a lot of Catra's issues are the direct result of Shadow Weaver giving her very little love growing up but it does seem this tough love is probably what'll get through to Catra the best. She might finally stop making bad decisions and lashing out if she's forced to live with the consequences of them, like Adora told her last season.

Glimmer gets a bit of slack from me since she suffered through a huge loss, that being her mother, and then was immediately thrown into being queen right after. It'd be hard for anyone to be 100% on their game and well-adjusted in a situation like that, and I buy that she was on some level resentful of Adora for coming back instead of her mother, even if unintentionally so. What definitely helps is that Glimmer very clearly and immediately regretted what she said to Adora. Like Catra she's lashing out but unlike Catra Glimmer recognizes some of the damage she's doing and knows, at least in this case, that she went too far.

Episode 9: Now that I can see the design in color I definitely prefer Mara's She-Ra with pants to Adora's She-Ra with shorts. Honestly, while the differences are pretty minor, I do think Mara's She-Ra design is overall a lot better than Adora's. Sharper shoulder guards. Bigger cape (especially the cape, I love capes). I don't know, there's just a lot that clicks with it and I wouldn't mind Adora getting a similar outfit later.

Madam Razz definitely had a Yoda feel this episode. I was very much expecting her to start wacking Mara with a stick over the sugar like Yoda did with R2. Though while that was Yoda acting crazy, for Razz it's because she experiences time out of order, and I don't think I've ever seen that concept taken to this extent, or at least done this way before. There are characters like River Song from Doctor Who, Professor Paradox from Ben 10, or even the Reverse-Flash who interact with other characters in time out of order but those characters are still on a linear path from their own perspective, even when travelling through time. Razz is just bouncing around her own timeline, seemingly not even any real reason or cause to it like Subaru from Re:Zero. Clearly she's not just remembering things oddly because her talk about things of the present are heard by people in the past and have an effect. I wonder if maybe the reason why is because Razz was at ground zero of Mara's actions and this is a side-effect of pulling Etheria away from the rest of the universe.

Bringing more Star Wars into this, it basically sounds like the Heart of Etheria project has turned Etheria into a magic Starkiller Base; storing power that'll be unleashed to destroy whole planets. And jeez, I think this was the first time I really felt creeped out by Light Hope when she was talking to Mara.

I'm looking forward to seeing what it means that the First Ones only made the sword and that Etheria made She-Ra. If that's the case, why is only the sword able to bring out the She-Ra form? Is it like MCU Thor's hammer and the weapon was just meant to help him control the power he already had? Or is what we think is She-Ra not actually She-Ra and that form that Adora and Mara take is just a stand-in for the real thing?

Episode 10: It didn't even occur to me until now but Double Trouble's capture is another blow to Catra's circle of "friends" too. They were at least able to make her laugh. One less person for her to talk to and just...really just distract her from her thoughts.

It's a good dilemma this episode presents about what to do with the Heart of Etheria. The safest and probably best option is to just dismantle it, like Adora and Bow want, since it could easily lead to the destruction of the entire planet if it goes off. Not the mention there's so little they know about it and what it was intended for and the one person who can potentially tell them, Light Hope, they were warned not to trust. But it's not hard to understand where Glimmer is coming from in wanting to use that power to fight the Horde. They're already losing the war and now she knows Hordak Prime and his FAR more powerful forces are on the way. Tapping into the Heart is a huge risk but she's not seeing any other paths for the rebels to win. It's a really good dilemma, with good arguments presented from both sides, and I buy this widening the schism between Adora and Glimmer.

Episode 11: I have mixed feelings on King Micah still being alive. On the one hand there's a lot of good potential interactions we can now have with him, primarily between Glimmer and Shadow Weaver, and he is a fun character. But on the other I can't help but wonder if this kind of lessens the impact of what Angela gave up to overcome the false reality. Part of what made it so emotional was that she had to accept the person she loved was dead and not coming back...except now we see that he wasn't dead and now he is coming back. Yeah, their family lost out on years together and that does still carry some emotional weight but I was already also half-expecting Angela to come back later in the series because she's stuck between dimensions, meaning there's a chance she could still be alive. If both Glimmer's parents come back then that really feels like it takes a lot of weight out of her story. But I guess we'll see what happens.

Also, why did the Horde exile him to Beast Island? Why not just kill him?!

Episode 12: So the Horde exiles Micah to Beast Island instead of killing him. The First Ones protect their secrets by sending their bad tech to Beast Island. Does no one know how to just destroy things in this world?

Ohhh, I am so looking forward to next episode. While it's debatable whether Glimmer should be going through with her plan she is at least being smart with how she's going about it. Double Trouble was being paid by Catra to work for the Horde, not out of any sense of loyalty. Glimmer has the resources of Bright Moon at her disposal so it's reasonable she could pay them more to switch sides. Double Trouble was very good at sabotaging even a group as tight-nit as the heroes, so Hordak and Catra are probably easy pickings with all their issues.

Episode 13: ....WELL THAT AIN'T GOOD!

I'll admit, I had a little bit of an unintended laugh. After all we've heard about Horde Prime, like this shadowy all-powerful monster, I wasn't expecting the fabulous flowing dreadlocks and smoothness. Credit where it's due, man has charisma and charm, which goes a long way in helping your big evil world conqueror not be a very flat character, because it's doubtful he's going to have the same kind of sympathetic motivation as Hordak or complexity as Catra to keep him elevated.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Double Trouble kicking at Catra while she's down. Adora and Scorpia were honest but they never wanted to hurt Catra. Not so much with Double Trouble and they just shove reality into her face. Everyone leaves Catra because of Catra. She's the common factor. It's her fault and no one else's. Again, I don't know for certain if Adora and Catra get together at the end (Catra would have a LOT to make amends for regardless) but Double Trouble was definitely implying Catra had feelings for her with the way they put Catra's hand on "Adora's" cheek while talking about how she left her.

I like that we see Glimmer's plan actually working at first. The princesses get a massive power boost and decimate the Horde forces. But the minute it starts going wrong she immediately admits Adora was right and she tries to stop the energy flow. I imagine having her there with Catra was intentional by the writers. Despite some parallels, Glimmer can actually accept her failures and work to try and fix things. Unlike Catra, she didn't blame Adora for things going wrong.

So the sword allows the First Ones to control She-Ra and the energy she'd be absorbing from the planet. Assumedly that means there are at least some parts to She-Ra that have nothing to do with the First Ones and thus maybe Adora can still use some of those powers without the sword.

Season 4 verdict: Yeah, the show keeps getting better, though I will admit last season's finale had me more emotional, but that's a bit of an unfair comparison given everything that happened in that finale vs. this one. This is definitely the series hitting its darkest hour, where it feels like EVERYONE lost. Not just the rebels but the Horde as well. The sword and Light Hope are gone and She-Ra (for now) along with them. Glimmer and Catra are basically prisoners. Hordak's probably going to have his personality stripped away. The Fright Zone is in ruins. The only one who's gained anything is Prime.

Really looking forward to what the final season has in store, especially since there seems to be the implication that Catra just saved Glimmer's life.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o1j5gk/going_in_blind_watching_season_4_for_the_first/

[bonestructureandcontempt]

Well, there's a new Justice League coming out and it's got me thinking about the DCEU movies that have come before it and Tiermaker is my new favorite way to waste time online so I decided to rank the movies. My opinions of some of these have changed over time, probably BvS being the biggest example, but just running them down:

Birds of Prey: The pinnacle. A movie I would recommend even to non comic book/superhero fans. Just a great movie.

Aquaman: A movie I absolutely adore. You know, a lot of superhero movies these days like to play with genre and break outside of their normal conventions and Aquaman I feel does it the most successfully. It feels a little bit like a Stephen Sommers adventure flick in the vein of The Mummy. This and Wonder Woman also do a great job at taking the sort of aesthetic and film language of Zack Snyder's films and sorta doing their own spin on it.

Wonder Woman: I love this movie for a lot of the same reaons I love Aquaman. It breaks out of the normal conventions of a superhero movie with its WWI setting, Gal Gadot and Chris Pine just have infectious chemistry, and there's really spectacular set pieces. Patty Jenkins really knocked it out of the park directing her second ever feature film.

Batman Vs Superman: Yeah, this is probably gonna be the part that surprises people. It's taken me years to come to this, but I don't think BvS is a bad movie. In fact, I think it's actually a pretty decent movie AS LONG AS YOU'RE WATCHING THE ULTIMATE EDITION. Do not under any circumstances watch the theatrical cut, it removes actual vital context for why things are happening as well as whole scenes that humanize Clark Kent or remove him saving people as Superman at a critical moment. Batman killing people doesn't bother me anymore, it makes sense in the story they were trying to tell even if Snyder's bombast kinda cranks it up to absurd levels. He is a villain, a fallen hero. Superman not being the most cheerful guy also makes a lot of sense in context. You have to understand, this movie serves not only as a sequel to Man of Steel, but a means to address some of the criticisms people had with it within the fiction of the movie itself. And by george, I think it does a good job of it. The Knightmare scene is still a very awkard interlude. I realize it's supposed to be a sequel hook but in the middle of the movie, Zack?

Shazam: Very fun and funny, I appreciate seeing the same universe as some of the darker movies but through a child's eyes. And of course it would be more lighthearted in tone. Also appreciate it embracing some of the weirder aspects of the DC universe as shown in Shazam's early comics. I mean for heaven's sake, Mister Mind shows up. A literal sentient caterpillar.

Wonder Woman 1984: You know this movie caught a lot of flack for some very valid reasons, but I know that Patty Jenkins wanted to make a sort of throwback to the Richard Donner style and I think she succeeded and I enjoyed watching it. Once again, Gal Gadot and Chris Pine's chemistry shines through, Kristen Wiig is great and Pedro Pascal alone is worth watching the movie for. I thought it was funny how the first quarter of the movie could easily be mistaken for a movie about sweet nerdy Barbara Minerva falling in love with the classy, confident Diana Prince. Almost wish that was the movie instead.

Man of Steel: So you know how I said how Batman killing people doesn't bother me because it makes sense in the context of the story? I'm just gonna go ahead and say the same about the thing everyone thinks about when it comes to this movie. It makes sense in context. He clearly doesn't want to, but he feels like there's no other option so he just acts. Anyway, my biggest problem with this movie is the editing. By which I mean the sequencing of scenes doesn't make a lot of sense and it makes the movie seem really disjointed and like it's being played out of order, particularly in the scenes where Clark Kent and Lois Lane interact. I don't think Henry Cavill is a bad actor and I've warmed up to him as Superman for this cinematic universe. However, the face he makes when he takes flight for the first time haunts me to this day and I just wanna know what his direction was when they shot it. And just as a sidenote, Henry Cavill's hair is the best in this movie. I hate that it's slicked in BvS, It makes him look scary and mean. I also like how weird and alien Krypton looks. Russell Crowe is a great Jor-El and Michael Shannon is a great Zod. But overall this movie is pretty mid to me, a stepping stone to the vastly improved BvS: Ultimate Edition

Justice League: I almost didn't include this because I wanted to wait for the Snyder Cut but I figure what the hell, I'll grade the theatrical cut on its own merits because I've seen it a couple times. It's probably not a good thing that I only found the CGI tolerable on a TV screen. It really does look like a PS3 game in its big action set pieces. The differences between the material shot by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon is like night and day and I'll tell you I have had my fill of Whedonisms. You can just keep that shit in the early Avenger flicks. The only reason I can say it kinda sorta works is the cast of the League have great chemistry that sells it.

Suicide Squad: An irredeemably bad movie. The absolute worst. Looks like shit, badly edited, story makes zero sense. Much like I consider MoS to be a stepping stone to the vastly superior BvS, this is that to BoP, but like, MORE. Which is a shame because it has a talented ensemble cast but it does not save this one.

[freespiritdani]

"But I didn't mean for this to happen..." Part 2 of 2

NOTE: I teach AP English at a high school in the USA. When I began this class this semester, I gave my class an assignment to write a fan fiction essay based on their favorite story, movie, show, or game. All but one of my students are Choices fans and wrote accordingly, Two of them (my daughter and my daughter-in-law) decided to team up and write one 2-part story. They gave me permission to share it here. You've already read Part 1 (I hope), now...submitted for your approval, here is Part 2.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaitlyn stepped off the Gulfstream at a little tiny airport just outside Northbridge. Ryan Summers, actor and fellow Hartfeld alum, had let Kaitlyn borrow his jet and pilot when Zack called her and told her about finding Alex dead.

She had slept fitfully during the cross-country flight. Alexandra Day and Kaitlyn Liao had been best of friends from the moment they met on their first day at Hartfeld. They were also lovers for a short time during freshman year. The memories of all the good times they had together was all that was helping Kaitlyn keep it together right at the moment.

Zack was waiting on Kaitlyn when she entered the terminal building. He ran up to her and gave her a bear hug, then he began to cry.

"I'm sorry I called you last night, but I didn't know who else to call," Zack said. "I went over to check on her like you or I have always done ever since she started drinking....and....and...she was lying on the couch, eyes open....not...not breathing...and..." Zack started sobbing.

Kaitlyn had started crying by now. She patted Zack on the back and said, "Don't apologize, Zack. Somebody had to let me know."

"And, Bec--" Zack started, but stopped abruptly when Kaitlyn's phone went off. She pulled it out of her hip pocket and checked it. A puzzled look came across her face.

"What the.....an email from Alex???" Kaitlyn asked, confused. She clicked on it and read it. "Ohhhhhhh myyyyyy god..." she said under her breath. "Alex, you little fool..." She bowed her head and slumped down into a seat in the lobby.

"Are you all right?" Zack asked.

Kaitlyn reached her phone to Zack. "She sent this at seven last night and queued it so I wouldn't get it until this morning after it was too late to do anything about it."

Zack read the email, then plopped down in the chair beside Kaitlyn and sighed. "Well, dear Alexandra," he said with a tone of resignation in his voice, "you're in good company, girlfriend."

"Zack Zilberg, the is the most inconsiderate thing I have ever heard you...." Kaitlyn paused, then it dawned on her that Alex's suicide wasn't the only bad news. "Is there something else you need to tell me?" she asked slowly.

Zack bowed his head. "Yeah," Zack said quietly, "there is. It's what I started to tell you when Alex's suicide note email came in. Becca committed suicide last night, too. Jumped off the eighteenth floor of the Hyatt here last night."

Kaitlyn's mouth dropped open. "Why? Did she leave a note?" she asked.

"No need. Madison was with her when it happened," Zack answered, then he proceeded to tell Kaitlyn what Madison had told him about the events of the night before.

Kaitlyn looked toward the ceiling, then began to cry. Zack silently reached over and held her to comfort her, as much for his own benefit as it was for hers. After a few minutes of this, Kaitlyn composed herself and stood up.

"Zack," Kaitlyn whispered, "I need to see them. Will you take me to them?" Zack opened his mouth to object, but Kaitlyn quickly continued, "Please, I beg you....I have to see them...I gotta do this for my own peace of mind."

Zack rose from his seat. "Okay," he said, trying to smile at his friend, "let's go."

An hour later, Zack and Kaitlyn were standing in the mortuary lobby, looking at the board listing all the bodies there. Kaitlyn found what she was looking for:

ROOM 2: DAY, ALEXANDRA J.

And a little farther down:

ROOM 8: DAVENPORT, REBECCA L.

They walked down to Room 2 and looked in. Near the coffin containing Alex's body, Kaitlyn spied a blonde woman standing and looking somberly in the coffin. No, it can't be! she thought. It's not possible! Then she remembered the girl in psychology class that went to Braidwood Manor and what she found. Or is it possible?

"Zack....would you mind waiting in the lobby? I need to be alone right now..."

Zack replied shakily, "Frankly, I want to get out of here, period. After finding her last night, right now I...I...I can't...can't see her...her..."

Kaitlyn put her hand on his shoulder. "If you want to leave me here and go, that's okay," she told Zack. "I understand. I'll be okay, and once I'm done here, I'll go get some rest and meet you back at your house at four. Okay?"

Zack put his hand on Kaitlyn's and smiled weakly. "Okay. Thank you."

Kaitlyn watched Zack leave, then she turned and walked to where Alex's body lay. She gently stroked Alex's cheek. "She's so beautiful," Kaitlyn whispered, then said in a normal voice, "Why'd you do it?"

The blonde said plaintively, "I didn't mean to! I didn't mean for this to happen.... I didn't want her to die...I just wanted to make things right between us..."

Kaitlyn turned and faced the blonde. "I know you didn't want her to die," she said gently. "I want to know why you wanted you to die, Becca. Why did you take that dive off the balcony?"

"Because my...." Becca paused. "Wait a second... You know I'm here? You can hear me? Because you're the first person who's even acknowledged my presence since...since...I landed on the street...."

"Kinda surprised me to see and hear you too," Kaitlyn replied, chuckling. "Then I remembered Hannah and her girlfriend and took the chance I wasn't hallucinating. So, I still wanna know: why did you jump?"

"Because..." Becca hesitated, looked in Alex's coffin, then said, "Because she's now dead and I caused it. She drank herself to death because of me...I know it. She drank herself to death because I was a selfish bitch that let my pride get the better of me."

Kaitlyn asked, confused, "How do you figure that?"

"You remember the blowup and breakup after I got accepted to transfer to Hawg," Becca replied. "Well, after it all went down, I knew the way I went about it hurt her....I'd made her cry....I was afraid to chase after her because I didn't want to make her cry again....so I threw myself into my studies, got my J.D., worked my way up to become the youngest District Attorney in California history....there's even talk -- scratch that, there WAS talk -- of me running for Attorney General next year....but...Kaitlyn....all that success, all that that glory...was hollow. It didn't fill the void that Alex left in me when we split up. All that I have -- had -- achieved...meant and means nothing without her... As each day went by...that empty feeling kept getting bigger, kept gnawing at me....It got worse every time I saw her on TV being interviewed after each best-seller she wrote, because she looked so happy without me....Finally, I'd had enough. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to talk with her and try to make things right...you know the rest....so, yeah, I killed her. I didn't mean for her to die .."

Kaitlyn sighed. "You didn't kill her, Becca. She killed herself. She sent me a suicide note by email," she said.

Becca was puzzled. "If I wasn't what caused her to take her own life, what was?" she asked.

"Well, technically, you were," Kaitlyn answered, "but not in the way you think. It wasn't anything you'd done, but something she'd done. According to her note."

"But...she never did anything to me! She was nothing but good to me!"

A voice came from behind them. "Yes I did, Becs. I did something bad to you. Three times."

Kaitlyn and Becca spun around. "ALEX!!!" Becca cried out.

"The first time was when I acted like a spoiled brat and walked out on you during the law school blowup," Alex continued. "The second time was last night when I gave you hell and walked out on you a second time without giving you a chance to talk....I screwed us both over with that one...had I taken the time to talk and listen, we probably wouldn't be in this situation..."

Kaitlyn looked at Becca. "She got you there, Davenport," Kaitlyn said, then looked at Alex and continued, "but you said three times. That's only twice."

Alex chuckled slightly and said, "Considering that my corpse is in this room, and that Becca's is three doors down because I made the one in here a corpse, number three is kinda obvious, don't you think?"

Becca looked at Kaitlyn and said, "She got you there, Liao."

"Oh, shut up!" Kaitlyn shot back.

Alex walked over and looked at her own body lying in the coffin. "I wish I could take it back, Becca," she said, regret and remorse showing in her voice. "The woman I loved, the woman I longed for, the woman I wanted to hold in my arms again, the woman I wanted to come back to me and take me and make me her wife...came back to me wanting to make things right between us....and I fucked it all up, ruining any chance of that happening...I couldn't take it. My life was over because I couldn't go on another day without her...so I sent Kaitlyn a suicide note via email, grabbed two bottles of tequila, guzzled both down in two minutes flat and...next thing I know... I'm standing up, sober as I can be, looking down at my dead body....".

Alex looked at Becca. "I died needlessly by my own hand. And because I did, you took your own life, also needlessly," she said ruefully. "I killed us...I'm ultimately responsible for both our deaths. Our blood is on my hands...and I can't do anything to make up for it and make it right...and...." She looked at Becca with sorrow and regret in her eyes. "...I have to deal with that for all eternity....I can't take back what I've done...I've condemned us to...to this....and...now...I have to face the fact that..that I caused us to never be together, ever...I'm so sorry, Becca...I never meant for it to be like this...."

"Are....Are you saying you don't love me anymore? You don't want to be with me anymore?" Becca asked dejectedly.

"I love you very much, Becca! I never stopped!" Alex replied. "But... we're dead. All we are now is a pair of ghosts. That sorta puts a stop to being with each other, doesn't it?"

Kaitlyn interrupted. "Umm, Alex... If Eleanor being a ghost didn't stop her and Hanna from being in love and being together, why would it stop you two?"

Alex thought, then looked at Becca. "After all I've done, after all the damage I've caused,":Alex asked nervously, "can you ever find it in you to forgine me?"

"I forgave you a long time ago, my love," Becca said gently. "Can you forgive me?"

Alex put her arms around Becca and kissed her tenderly. "I already have."

Becca put her arms around Alex and returned the kiss passionately. "Will you stay with me and be my woman?"

Alex smiled and looked Becca in the eyes, a deep love replacing the pain and regret that had been there earlier. "I'm yours for all eternity, my love! For all eternity!"

Kaitlyn smiled. It wasn't the way she wished it was, but her friends were back together at last.

[not-so-secretly-alexandra]

Unicorn Obsession

Summary: Steve and Bucky brought you to a theme park. They loved bringing you everywhere and seeing you happy. But what happens when you become all gloomy?

Prompt: "That's it, we're going back for that unicorn."

A/N: Sorry my entry is delayed. I have no excuse. @mal-functioning-writer , it's still for you though... #Mals3kStash

Word count: I have no idea I'm sorry

This is my first time writing. + I've been a perfectionist. So, I hope you enjoy it!

This is as close as I could get to what I imagined... ⬇⬇⬇

"Hey, (Y/N)! What do you wanna do next?" Bucky gleamed. 

You were at the theme park. Steve had gone to buy some snacks while you and Bucky tried out every booth you could come across.

You were like a little sister to Bucky and Steve. They loved hanging out with you. They loved making you happy. They basically adopted you after meeting you. They found you in one of Stark's foundations and they became sort of the ones who take care of you now. 

***

You've never been to one, so they found a local carnival for you to go to. 

You rode the carousel. Watched the both of them play balloon pop and that hammer game, which ended up leaving a little competition between Steve and Bucky.You enjoyed watching because, you had to admit, you had a crush on both soldiers. But you were merely a teenager. So that didn't really matter a lot. You were having the best time. 

...

You practically begged for Steve to try face painting. You loved trying out new things, and you loved doing it with them. But in all his seriousness, all you got was 'no'. 

"I'm gonna go get us food." The super soldier said as he, kind of, ran off to avoid being done to him what you have been begging him about for the last 5 minutes. 

"Umm... wow. Is getting your face painted really that bad?" You asked Bucky who only hummed back, he wasn't really paying attention to you. He was enjoying the brush strokes, the wet paint that felt cold against his skin. You chuckled at his response. 

"Wow you really find that relaxing, huh?" You muttered under your breath, "Meanwhile, the other guy wouldn't even--" 

"W-what? You said something?" He flinched, startling the person who was putting on the paint. They huffed. They're  probably intimidated by now. You've been nudging Bucky's arm every now and then and it's become annoying. 

You shrugged and shook your head. You wanted to rant about how Steve was being uptighter than uptight lately. But the artist seemed too pissed, and just wanted to get it over with, you didn't bother. They were already scary beforehand. You took a step back but repeated the question anyways,"Is it really that bad? I mean, what's so bad about getting a little paint on your face?" 

They did your face first, then Bucky's. You had a little unicorn painted on your cheek. You specifically asked for the unicorn because it was your favorite animal. You didn't care that people thought you were weird because you still believed it was real.  You loved it, let them deal with it.  

"No, not at all. It's fine it's just..." Bucky replied once they were finished with his face. "He's just afraid, maybe,"

"Afraid of what? His face swelling? Welts?" You side-eyed him before turning to face him. "... is he afraid he won't be able to say anything patriotic because..." you held your breath up to your cheeks to make it look bloated and brought your hands up to your face, which only made you look more like a zombie. 

"Hey," you were cut off by Bucky giving you a 'don't even think about it' face. You giggled at that. He continued on answering your question, "he's afraid of not being taken seriously."

The paint on Bucky's face was made him look like a sweet little bunny.

"Then, why are you okay with it?"

"I'm used to it. And with what already happened, people will never take me lightly."

Bucky smouldered as he said that and you chuckled, finally realizing the sight in front of you. Never have you thought the winter soldier could look so innocent, ever. 

He had little bunny ears drawn on his temples, whiskers were drawn by the nose up to his cheeks and below his lip was white paint with black outline resembling chompers. It was hilariously contradicting to what he just said you wheezed. 

"What?" He looked so confused it only made you guffaw at the ex-assassin who was actually a sweet little bean bun. You never thought you'd see anyone purer for the rest of your life. 

"You're- you're so cute!" You managed to say as you tried to stop. 

But you couldn't stop laughing so Bucky just grabbed you by the back of your shirt and dragged you as he went on crossing out the list of rides for you to go. 

***

You played tons of games, went to tons of rides with them, but there were still tons more to explore. 

"Knock the bottles, win a prize!"

"Ooh, look! a unicorn!" You were making lovey dovey eyes staring at it. You pointed at the booth with a specific 24-inch sized plushie, "How 'bout we play that one, Buck?"

His eyes darting to the game then back to you, "You know I'm not good at this stuff..."

"Can you at least try?" You looked up at him with hopeful eyes. 

"We should probably wait for Stev--"

"Please," you pleaded before looking over the stuffed animal again, "it's so fluffy I'm gonna dieeee!"

"Fine, doll." Bucky went to pay and play the game.

...

You and Bucky were staring at the abyss while you were at the bench. Your head was on his lap, your eyes were red from crying. 

"I've been looking all over for you! Where have yo-- woah, are you okay?" It was Steve. He looked so worried as he cupped your face to see if you were hurt. "What happened?" 

***

"Arrgh!" Bucky groaned as he made his last shot, still not hitting the bottles thrown with his right hand. He threw his head up and sighed in frustration before he hung it low and turned to look at you, "I'm really sorry, doll. I'm out of bucks."

He laughed dryly whilst you chuckled at his attempt to make a joke. It made him feel better to see you at least enjoyed his company. 

You reached behind and took your money and stretched your hand to give it to him. "Let's go again?"

***

You explained only parts of what happened but mostly told him, "it's okay because you're here now." 

You somehow left the part out where the prize was a unicorn. And you never told him you used all your money. 

Both you and Bucky stood from the bench, taking the food with newfound hope. You gave him a toothy grin. Steve was here, he could totally win that unicorn.

"Thanks, Steve." Bucky gave a wide tight-lipped smile after biting on the corn dog.

"Bucky... you got- you got... buck tee-nevermind." Steve realized what was painted on Bucky's face. Steve couldn't believe his eyes. What was happening? Okay, so the soldier finally feels unimpeded. He looked free and happy for once. It really matches his personality when he's just not the brainwashed Winter Soldier. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Hey, Steve, thanks!" You said as you realized you were famished. If Bucky couldn't do it, Steve can. He's been winning prized toys since the beginning of time. You chuckled at the thought and continued with your cotton candy.

You were about to ask Steve when he said, "Sorry to cut our time short, but work called. We gotta get back to the compound. Tony said to meet him there." 

Your face dropped. You were going home. But we didn't get the unicorn yet.

"Wait, we didn't get that plushie yet." Bucky tried to reason. "Steve..."

"I'm sorry, Buck, but we gotta be there in an hour. It's important." He sounded as apologetic as he could. 

Bucky gave in, he knew he wouldn't be able to hit that target any time soon. And Steve, he was the one who really was needed there. Bucky was just backup. 

You had just used up your money. All you wanted was that unicorn. You couldn't just give it up, but you couldn't do it by yourself either. You wanted Steve to play.

Where you were standing, you could see the unicorn clearly. Steve didn't seem to have noticed your eyes on the thing as he took your hand and walked to the automobile, basically making you run, trying to catch up to him. He was in a hurry, you could tell. His 6 and a half being, dragging your barely 5 ft. height, made it hard for you to keep up. He was literally sweeping you off the floor. 

"But Steve, you could do it."

"Whatever it is, we can come back for it. Alright?"

You looked to see Bucky right behind. He looked to you and saw the tears threatening to spill your eyes. He mouthed an 'I'm sorry' and hung his head, eyes on his feet. 

"But, Steve--" 

"What?" Steve stopped in his tracks.

"...nothing." you said as you wiped your tears that were already falling.

"(Y/N), what's wrong?" he said seeing you already crying. Concern laced in his voice. He wiped the tears on your face. "I'm sorry. What's wrong, sweetie? You still wanna play? I could give you a-"

You shook your head and mumbled an,  'It's not that.'"We should go. You need to drop me off now. Mr. Stark is probably waiting for you now," you gave him a weak smile and motioned for all of you to get into the car. 

...

You didn't notice but the conversation you just had worried Steve greatly. You always gave way for them, even when there was something you wanted. You always just tried to let it go. But of course you had to mourn first.

The car was quiet as Steve drove. You sat in the back. You hid your face behind Bucky's seat, silently sobbing. You accidentally whimpered. You shot up before wiping more of your tears and pretended to hum innocently. 

But it was already too late because Steve heard you, and he wasn't having any more of this. "Alright, that's it. (Y/N), what's really going on? You've been quiet the whole ride!"

"It's nothing, really!" You nearly screamed telling him you were okay. "I'm fine, Steve!"

"You don't seem fine," Steve was raising his voice. "If you wanted to play more, I could have given you a couple more minutes!"

"It's not that, Steve! I told you it's not that!" you sobs were uncontrollable now that you were facing the situation. You never liked it, it gets you emotional over the smallest of things. Plus, the suspense in the little vehicle was too much.

Bucky took the popcorn from the bag of food that Steve bought. He wanted to help you make Steve understand this, but not this way. He figured it's time for you to explain things yourself. 

"Then what is it about?!"

"It's nothing, really!"

"Nothing?! Then, (Y/N), why are you crying?"

"You have to get back the the compound. Mr. Stark is waiting." You turned to face the window.

"(Y/N), just tell me what happened." He said, a little more gently. "What is this really about?"

"I didn't get that prized unicorn." You sniffed. 

"What?" Steve asked, completely confused. You wiped your remaining tears and giggled as the face he made reminded you of Bucky earlier. 

You sighed as you finally told him, "The prize for that game... the prize of the game Buck and I were playing, was a unicorn plushie. And I really wanted it." 

"Is that it? Is that what this is all about?" "Yes, but I really wanted it. And Buck tried to get it for me but you know that it's literally the only thing he can't do, even in the 40's."

Steve now understood everything. He knew how you loved unicorns. He also knew what trouble you would go through just to get another one for your collection. And a unicorn like that, he knew you weren't kidding.

Steve glanced at Bucky and scoffed, "You couldn't have used your metal arm for it?"

"Shut up. You're the one who keeps on talking about being fair all the time! I guess you rubbed it off on me..."

"And now you're broke."

"I was just trying to acknowledge my other arm for still being here. I wanted to show that it still has its use."

The car was silent again for a moment. Steve contemplated. He felt guilty for not spending more time with you and pay attention to you more. 

"That's it," suddenly, the car drifted, you heard the wheels screech, you were on the other side of the road.

You and Bucky gave him looks of bewilderment. Steve gave Bucky a look that he understood right away. You still looked ever so puzzled. 

Bucky flashed Steve that wide grin of his again and made him laugh and shake his head once more. He won't be able to move on until he washed his face. 

Steve said, with his game face on. "...we're going back for that unicorn."

Taglist: (people I'd like to give credit to for helping me and supporting me)

@maladaptive-ninja-returns @tarithenurse @dangertoozmanykids101