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murfpersonalblog · 6 months

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Lestat in Ep5: Louis as a Believable Victim

Although I responded to comments in the post I made last night when the trailer dropped, IRL got in the way, so I had to wait to talk at greater length about this WILD shot of a bloody Lestat, presumably during the Ep5 fight, which we also see in the trailer.

The Injuries

I wasn't the only one who saw Lestat's bloody face in the trailer and was like Ok, we're off to the races now! Cuz this implies SEVERAL things, some I'm more interested than others:

Lestat being bloody in and of itself doesn't surprise me--as seen in the film, even Claudia cut Les hard enough to made him bleed (more on that below). And we know there were MULTIPLE times Loustat physically fought, where Lestat (deservedly, he admitted) caught Louis' hands. However, I'm most curious about how long it took Les to HEAL.

AMC frustratingly does not follow a lot of the diehard Rules(TM) of AR's vampire universe (daywalking, being awake b4 sunset, smoking/drinking/eating/etc, Louis having the Fire Gift, etc).

How impervious they are to physical injury is another large point of contention, particularly when it comes to Ep5 & Ep6, when we see the full extent of Louis' injuries at Lestat's hands; and then see Louis get his payback after the hate-sex.

Especially cuz in the books/film, these kinds of open wounds/bruises shouldn't actually be a thing! Vamp skin/flesh is VERY tough & resilient--we know as early as TVL & QotD that old/strong vamps are darn near hard as stone, though ofc it's not until PLatRoA that we learn WHY (cuz of the Luracastria in their/Amel's blood). It's quite the feat to hurt them; hence why AR vamps often bite/cut their own flesh to help their mortal lovers drink their blood, as human teeth/nails can't pierce it. And any wounds they DO get heal very rapidly.

At the end of Ep5 Lestat floats down into the courtyard with a perfectly clean face. (Although his mouth was all bloody in the sky from having bitten Louis.)

But in their bedroom (BEFORE Lestat dragged them into the courtyard) Lestat's forehead and nose/mouth are bloody.

Until shown otherwise, I'm most willing to assume that Lestat was bloodied up, then his wounds rapidly healed & the blood evaporated, a la the film. What took Lestat mere minutes to recover from took Louis MONTHS on end. Cuz this was 1930/31, at the very peak of Louis' depression when he wasn't taking care of himself AT ALL. When Louis doesn't eat he is physically WEAK. But in his righteous indignation over Lestat choke-slamming Claudia, Lou's Papa Bear instincts/adrenaline allowed him to STAND UP & fight Les off of her.

There are MANY IRL cases where smaller/weaker people have been able to beat the crap out of much bigger/stronger opps--particularly if the opp isn't expecting it, or underestimates how serious/motivated their victim is (*cough* Ike vs Tina *cough*).

And ESPECIALLY if said opponent's deliberately HOLDING BACK and LETTING themselves get beat up. As we KNOW Lestat did!

This is the very heart of Loustat's power imbalance. No matter how strong Louis is/gets, Lestat is still stronger, & more experienced. Just cuz Lou managed to smack some sense into Les, doesn't mean Les was EVER in any real danger from Louis (esp. since AMC!Lou never even set Les on fire 😔). AMC's been demonstrating over & over how the game was rigged from the start. Lestat, the "finest ACTOR to ever walk our stage," OFTEN played with his food and PRETENDED to to be weaker, stupider, or more vulnerable than he REALLY was, Monsieur "Did I Not Tell You I Was Bad At Cards?" de Lioncourt. In Ep6, Lestat WANTED Louis to get mad at him, and did NOTHING to defend himself when Louis went FERAL on him.

I think Lestat was all bloodied up when they got back to NOLA cuz this was 1937. It's 6 years after Ep5, after Louis went through physical therapy so he could see & walk again--finally strong again--enough to swim the entire Mississippi River. That's what Lestat wanted most of all for Louis: healthiness & STRENGTH.

If letting Louis vent & feel empowered by beating him up would get Louis to crawl out of his passivity, Les would do ANYTHING for Louis--including playing along (a la the house rules w/ Claudia).

So like I said, until we're told otherwise, I hesitate to give Les a pass, cuz the show's literally been weaving a narrative that presents Lestat as the oppressor and Louis & Claudia as the oppressed. Oh, Les' pretty face got bloody? GOOD! Serves the narcissist right; it'll build character! 🤣

Traumatized Victims: Believable =/= Reliable

The other side of the argument, pointing out the contradictions between Ep5 & the trailer, inevitably goes back to the dreaded question of Louis' reliability as a narrator & believability as a victim.

Louis' 2022 recollections are FLAWED, not LIES (a la the petty AF skulldragging he did in 1973).

IMO, Louis' sincerity in seeking the TRUTH is what makes him 100% believable, even though he's OBVIOUSLY not 100% reliable. His memories are compromised, yes, but I DO NOT believe he is deliberately lying to Daniel in 2022. And it's already been established that book!Lestat VERIFIED that even when book!Lou contradicted himself, got details wrong, etc, his overall tale still captured the atmosphere of everything that went down, even at his utmost pettiest.

The ONLY outright "lie" Dubai!Lou tells Daniel is the whole "Rashid" ruse--but I strongly suspect that has WAY more to do with ARMAND and Devil's Minion (and AMC tryna throw us off the scent), than anything to do with Louis himself.

So yeah, regardless of Louis/Claudia getting it right about Lestat's face being bloody or not, S2 revisiting Ep5 I think will STILL capture the atmosphere of the toxic environment they were all living under, that culminated in what was obviously a REAL fight that DID happen, that was BAD enough that whatever happened to LOUIS--EFF Lestat, really, ffs--officially made Claudia mad enough to hate Lestat; and Louis guilty enough to go along with her Murder Plot.

#interview with the vampire #loustat #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #iwtv tvc metas

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matan4il · 8 months

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Hi lovely @newnitz!

Regarding your ask, I'll be honest, I don't go around refuting anti-Israel posts, because I believe it is counterproductive to give them even more attention. Not only does it feed their egos, it can also help make their posts more visible, pushing them onto the dahsboards of more Tumblr users. But I've seen people take screenshots, and share them in their own posts while replying to the hateful false claims, I think that's a good way to go about it.

So here's a screenshot of the post you sent me, which was made 5 days ago, and yes, every line of this reeks of anti-Israel propaganda:

"Forced to withdraw... due to the losses" -> The IDF has said this war will last many months, and it is managing its fighting force accordingly. The article this post's screenshot is taken from (which isn't directly linked by OP, I wonder why) states the IDF has pulled out just 1 of 4 divisions deployed in Gaza, meaning most of the forces are still inside, and the IDF has been talking about rotating its forces. That's not what a military retreat due to losses looks like.

"Their government's plan to fight Lenanon" -> Hezbollah is not Lebanon, and Israel has been trying a diplomatic solution since Hezbollah started attacking it, shortly after Hamas massacre on Oct 7.

The two statements (from the IDF and the Israeli newspaper) do not actually contradict each other. If Hamas is believed to have at least 30,000 terrorist fighters (according to one Hamas senior back in Oct, they have over 35,000 terrorists), and the IDF estimates 9,000 were killed, that leaves 21,000 of them still alive, which is indeed the majority of Hamas militants in Gaza. And it also tells you why this war will be long, just as the IDF predicts, and does require management of the fighting forces. Something this post leaves out is that thousands of additional terrorists have been wounded or arrested, so the number of Hamas terrorist killed alone is not the only factor in figuring out whether the IDF is on its way to finishing Hamas off or not.

Then OP goes on to make another claim, which is both unsourced in the post itself, and (as far as I can tell) is based on accepting Hamas figures as is, when we know that Hamas lies regarding fatalities...

The way the post is presented (the two screenshots together make up the entire thing), it implies that somehow the contradiction (the one which I explained is not actually a contradiction) somehow shows that the IDF counts civilians as terrorists. There is NOTHING in that conclusion in the second part of the post, that is actually derived from the "contradiction" presented in the first part.

I can only assume OP uses the idea that the number of women and kids which Hamas reports amounts to roughly the number of total deaths Hamas reports minus the IDF's estimate of how many terrorists it killed, so OP is making the assumption that the IDF is simply counting all men killed in Gaza as Hamas terrorists. The issues with this is that, as I said, it requires believing Hamas' figures on how many women and kids, and total Gazans were killed, it ignores the fact that we already know Hamas does recruit women and teenagers, and it also ignores that the IDF is basing its estimate on reports from face to face battles and airstrikes, where the kills are more or less confirmed (as much as they can be in battle conditions), as evidenced by the fact that the IDF has said it has a hard time determining the number of killed terrorists in cases where that happens in underground terror tunnels (rather than in face to face battles). The latter is the reason why, if the IDF's number of terrorists killed is off, then it's likely to be an underestimate.

I hope this helped? Hope you're well! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

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lucillele · 2 years

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬

Shuri x Black!fem!reader

warning: probably too long, cute/sappy stuff as usual 🥰🥰

A/N: happy new years!! i know im not active but idk what to post other than fics anyway i had a little writers block so some parts may not be the best or not fit, also i was listening to the ways when i was writing this so i just thought it fits

@flrboyd so sorry this took so long

translations: usana - baby, sthandhwa - my love,

Out of anyone in the Jabari tribe, you were the most explorative and open to new things. You still believed in keeping traditions alive but you weren’t far from modernization either. The other tribes and all of your country’s technological advancements had intrigued you, especially the person behind it.

You had come across Shuri working in her lab while you were on one of your long walks that were really just excuses to get out and observe how everybody else lived. She was always working on something, infatuated with something new every few days. She had looked so ethereal when she was focused on something but you were careful not to look for too long to avoid making her feel uncomfortable and risk being spotted.

You could usually go from place to place without being noticed by most but Shuri had noticed you lurking long ago. In fact, she looked forward to seeing you in hopes that she could talk to you one day. She had learned about you as much as she could when you came around. She learned you were very kind to others even when it came at your expense or discomfort despite being a loner. Still, you weren’t one to be underestimated, you had the problem-solving skills and the initiative to take control of situations when it was needed.

Eventually, on one lucky day, she was able to catch up to you and talk to you. She’d found out that you were Jabari long ago, but she didn’t care. You had proved every stereotype that she had in her mind wrong as you did with everyone that you met. From that day, you two would often sneak away and just talk for as long as you could about anything that was on your minds. She told you about anything you wanted to know, loving how open you were to learning and with people. No one knew you were close friends, much less sneaking away together for hours. At first glance it seemed like it just wouldn’t work, she was the lead scientist behind many of Wakanda’s tech and the princess and you were a part of the Jabari which was against everything she stood for. Over the past few months, you two had proved all of that wrong.

It didn’t long for your feelings to develop and it showed. You were getting clumsy with your excuses and people were starting to get suspicious of where you were going almost every day. Even when you were at home, you couldn’t get your mind off of what you would say to Shuri or what new thing you might learn about her the next time you two met up.

It was starting to show in Shuri too. She was getting bolder to hide how flustered you made her. She was also distracted in the lab and wasn’t making fun of her brother as much as she usually would. Everyone knew something was up but they couldn’t put their finger on it.

You had never told her how you felt out of fear that it wouldn’t end up well and would ruin the relationship and she never told you either, thinking that you didn’t feel the same. It still showed between the longing stares between you two when there was silence or the increasing displays of affection and touches that lasted way too long between two “friends.” You both said nothing, but you were both getting tired of holding back and meeting in secret, not being able to confide in anyone else about how you felt about each other.

When her father was killed, she came to you for comfort, not caring about who saw or not. There were times when it was just silence and you were just in each other’s space and times when she just poured her heart out to you. She became so grateful for you and vowed to never let anything come between you.

On the day of T’Challa’s ceremony, you snuck out to watch from afar in support of T’Challa, being very careful not to get caught. There was no saying what reaction you would get being caught considering the Jabari already didn’t like you getting out so much but couldn’t keep you in the mountains.

You couldn’t help but smile as you saw all of the tribes together, cheering T’Challa’s name. It was the first time you had seen anything like it with the last ceremony being early on in your life. You stepped closer, waiting to hear if someone would challenge. Your smile grew wider as you heard Shuri’s voice, wanting the ceremony to be over. However, your smile dropped when you heard a familiar chant getting closer. The Jabari would like to challenge.

It felt like you had got caught even though they were nowhere near you. You watched with wide eyes as M’Baku stepped up to Zuri and T’Challa. You had zoned out, thinking of what people would think of the Jabari after this and if it would make things worse. At this point, any hope that the tension between Jabari and every other tribe would eventually phase out had dissolved.

“We have watched and listened from the mountains! We have watched in disgust as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child! Who scoffs at tradition.” M’Baku said, referring to Shuri before turning to T’Challa. You had stopped listening to whatever else he said, too focused on if your relationship with Shuri was in danger.

You felt yourself step closer and closer as the fight got more intense and it wasn’t looking good for M’Baku. You breathed out a sigh of slight relief when M’Baku yielded, glad to still have a leader but anxious about the future. You made eye contact with M’Baku before quickly leaving.

As soon as the ceremony was over, you scurried to get back to the mountains and act like nothing happened. It worked at first until M’Baku called your name as you walked past him, you stopped in your tracks, not turning around to meet his eye. “Where have you been, child?” He asked as if he didn’t know, getting up from his spot.

He had taken sort of a big brother role since you lost your parents. You were grateful but there were times when he was hard on you but in his defense, you often gave him a hard time with your stubbornness. Of course, over the years you had tended to just let him speak and ask for forgiveness later rather than permission.“I was helping-” Before you could even get it all out, he interrupted you, causing you to turn around to face him. “T’Challa became King today.” He said, leaning on his cane. “I know.” You said, looking down. “You saw.” He said, sitting back in his chair. “You think I don’t know where you go every day?” He said, tilting his head and looking at you skeptically.

You opened your mouth, ready to defend yourself and Shuri but opted not to say anything. If he found out, it was better to not speak and let him tell his speech but surprisingly he didn’t have one. You were so in your head wondering about what the aftermath of all this would be that you didn’t realize that he was now asking you a question. You never said you were going to listen. “What interests you so much about these other tribes, hm?” He asked, leaning back.

You had just snapped out of your thoughts to register what he said and took a while to try to think of an answer that wouldn’t make the situation worse but he continued speaking before you could utter anything. “Whatever it is, let it go. Everything you need is right here.” He said as if it was final. You couldn’t decide whether he knew about you and Shuri but you nodded and walked away with all types of conclusions swirling around in your head.

You solemnly walked to the spot you and Shuri usually met at. It was facing where you two would usually watch the sunrise or sunset but leave before you could see all of it to get back home in time. You assumed after everything that happened today, she would want to talk to you about it and all the ideas she had. You were right, seeing Shuri’s figure in your peripheral vision.

Her face immediately lit up when she saw you and sat down next to you. “What are you so happy about?” You grinned, poking her cheek as you pulled your legs up to your chest and rested your hands on top of them. “I can’t just be happy?” She said, trying to contain her wide smile. “Well, your brother became king. There’s a lot to be happy about I assume but there’s another reason isn’t there?” You said, smiling back at her.

“And I’m with you.” She said, her smile falling into a more serious but content expression. You returned her look with a shy smile before turning away to look at the stars. You really didn’t want to ruin her night with asking her to help you decide on the fate of your friendship or whatever it was turning out to be. You held out your hand and felt her immediately intertwine her fingers with yours.

“Something wrong?” Shuri said, rubbing her thumb back and forth on your hand while looking at you for any type of explanation as to why you were so quiet today. You shook your head. “No, I just want to listen today. You seem to have a lot to tell me.” You said, moving to face her. “I bet you already know it all, don’t you?” She said, grabbing both of your hands, holding them, and resting them in the space between you two. “I’d still like to hear it.” You said, watching as Shuri kissed your hands. And with that, it didn’t take long for you to forget about what other people thought or whoever suspected what. It didn’t matter when you were with her.

It didn’t take long for you to find out that a stranger had made his way into Wakanda, offering up the cadaver of the very man that killed many Wakandans in the pursuit of vibranium. You decided to lay low, knowing that he was not a direct threat to you but to your country. You wanted to help in some way but you knew you couldn’t so you just hoped that everything would turn out ok even if it was too optimistic.

You were in denial when you first heard the news. Immediately your mind jumped to Shuri and her mother. Were they ok? What happened to them? Where would they go? You couldn’t stop the pacing, the fidgeting, or the staring at the walls. You couldn’t relax to go to sleep and could only go to sleep out of pure exhaustion. You were a dreamer, an optimist that wasn’t naturally built for confrontation but over the years you had learned to put on a tough demeanor and faked it till you made it. And it was tested in times like this.

You caught a glimpse of Shuri with her mother, Nakia, and the man she had told you about, Everett Ross. It eased your nerves to know that they were okay so you allowed yourself a breath of relief. You stuck around too long though, long enough for Shuri to catch your eye. You knew Nakia had noticed you as well but all you could think about was holding her. You could tell she needed you but now wasn’t the time, not in front of her mother or Nakia, and sure as hell not in front of M’Baku. Nakia was watching the whole thing, not sure what to make of it. She started to say something to Ramonda but Shuri squeezed her hand, eyes pleading for her to let it go. Her eyes focused back onto you, not breaking eye contact until you disappeared out of her sight.

You spent another night in your room, not sleeping. The look Shuri gave you was the main thing on your mind, she needed you and you were thinking about what other people would think. You told yourself it was because you didn’t want her to be bothered with having to explain why she was friends with you. The harsh reality was you were protecting your heart from possibly getting broken if she were to leave you. It was an illogical, pure emotional possibility that you had come with out of your own insecurity. You loved her too much to hide it from her but you were scared of what seeds would other people plant in her head after it would come out that you had been meeting up with her.

You paced all around Jabariland, hoping to find something that would distract you or give you some type of peace. You walked by a room, seeing Ramonda, Shuri, Nakia, and T’Challa. You had to hold back the gasp you were about to let out before you realized that you weren’t supposed to be snooping. Hearing T’Challa ask for a moment alone with M’Baku, you took the opportunity to leave before anyone had pointed you out. You were interrupted by a cold hand grabbing your wrist, making you jump before turning around and seeing Shuri. You immediately wrapped your arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug which she instantly reciprocated, squeezing you tighter. She took in a breath, taking note of the light fragrance you always used that instantly calmed her.

“Shuri?” You whispered, hands still holding her waist. You saw the way her eyes teared up and immediately pulled her back into you, this time squeezing tighter than you had before. It had been a few seconds of you rubbing circles on her back, listening as she took deep breaths.

“I’m so sorry about everything.” You said quietly, rubbing her cheek as Shuri stepped away from your hug to look at you.

“Do you need anything? I want to help.” You asked, leading her to a more private room where you could talk. You sat down on one of the chairs in the room, Shuri doing the same and scooting closer to you when you held out one of your hands for her to hold. She looked down at your hands on top of hers and then looked up at you. “I just want you to be here. With me.” She said.

This sent your mind into a frenzy of trying to determine if this was real or some cruel daydream your brain had worked up. She must’ve seen the way the cogs were running in your brain because she squeezed your hand to bring you back from your mind. “I don’t care about what others think and I don’t want you to be either. I don’t want to sneak around to see the woman I love.”

Your eyes widened. “I don’t want to either.” You said, scooting closer to Shuri. “I’m not..ashamed of you, I’m just scared. What if they get in your head?”

“Nothing anyone says will change how I feel about you. Have some faith in me, will you?” She said softly. Before you could reply Shuri’s name was called. She turned around to see Nakia standing at the doorway, eyes shifting between you and her. Shuri stood and looked back at you, not wanting to leave you. You got up to kiss her cheek and left the room to give her and Nakia a moment alone.

Though you kept a calm composure, inside you felt like you were in some type of daydream your mind cooked up to comfort you. It felt selfish to be focused on your love life while the fate of Wakanda and other countries was uncertain but you couldn’t help it. Though you kept a calm composure, inside you felt like one of those teen girls in the American movies Shuri talked about sometimes. It felt childish and partly selfish to be focused on your love life while the fate of Wakanda and other countries was uncertain but you couldn’t help it. Your current relationship with Shuri had been a constant thing on your mind the last few months and in seconds she had debunked any doubts that you’d thought up.

Though knowing how Shuri felt about you gave you some solace, the threat that Killmonger faced still worried you. It made it worse that Shuri was going out to fight and would possibly encounter a fight with him. He had his name for a reason and based on what Shuri had told you about him, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who was in his way. Shuri had tried to assure you that she would be as careful as she could but it didn’t stop your mind from going to the worst possibility.

You walked to where M’Baku sat on the throne, not able to let it go. You tried to push down your irritation and worry to be respectful and greeted him with the little patience you had. “Lord M’Baku, isn’t there something we can do to help them fight? There are plenty of Jabari warriors that can h-“ He interrupted you with just a raise of his hand, making you press your lips together into a thin line out of annoyance.

“I will not give lives of the Jabari to a fight that does not concern us,” M’Baku said, staring at you with a critical look. He waited a moment to continue talking, probably to make you think about what you were asking him to do. “I told you to let go of whatever it was guiding you from out of this mountains, hm? And you disobeyed me.” He said leaning up closer to his cane.

“But this isn’t about me. This is about protecting Wakanda from that man destroying our country, if not the continent or the world!” You said stepping closer only to be stopped by the two men M’Baku always had beside him, causing you to huff and hesitantly step back. The more time went by the more you felt your patience dissolving.

“I understand that you are worried about your lover but I will not let that dictate how I,” He said, emphasizing the “I” and getting up, slowly walking towards you. “choose to lead.” You looked up at him, almost as if you were silently challenging him.

The unofficial staring contest went on for a little bit before you broke the silence. “Out of everything that has happened, this is the one thing we can’t sit out on.” You said before walking away.

At this point, pacing had become your go-to stress reliever if you hadn’t reverted to mindlessly walking and letting yourself end up where your legs took you. Although this time, your subconscious had taken over and led you to the spot where you and Shuri had talked earlier.

You sat down in the exact same spot you did, breathing into your hands before smoothing them over your hair. Resting your elbow on your bouncing knee, you had no idea what to do to pass the time. There was nothing you could or anything Shuri would let you do, but you couldn’t just relax like there was nothing wrong either. You couldn’t help but worry when it came to her especially with Killmonger having had enough time to prepare weapons for himself and to ship out.

Your eyes opened when you sensed someone’s presence, hearing unfamiliar footsteps and smelling a comforting but unknown scent. Your eyes widened as you recognized Ramonda, making you immediately stand up. She slightly chuckled as she adjusted her Basotho blanket as she sat down, gesturing for you to sit back down.

You sat back down and it didn’t take long for your knee to bounce again and for your hands to find each other. “You are not the only one struggling to live with all of this.” She said, tucking her blanket closer around her. If you were this anxious over what the outcome of this fight would be, you couldn’t imagine what she was feeling with both of her children out there fighting.

“It’s hard to not think of the worst.” You said quietly, moving your hands to clutch the sides of your arms. “I know. We just have to hope for the best and believe that they will come home safe to us.” Her wording made you wonder how she found out about you and Shuri or if she actually did find out and you were just assuming.

“I am thankful for the way that you love my daughter.” She said, making you look from the ground to her. “I’ve known for a while, I just didn’t know who. Then I saw the way she looked at you when she thought I couldn’t see it.” She chuckled probably at the effort we put into keeping it a secret only for her to already know.

You laughed with her, thinking about the lengths you and Shuri went to just to keep it a secret. It was funny, really. You spent the next few seconds laughing together, happy to think about something else for a minute. “I know that me and Shuri’s backgrounds are different and so are our beliefs but I admire that. It’s part of what I love about her. I intend to not let that get in the way of our relationship”

“I know. I see how happy you make Shuri.” Ramonda said, smiling. You smiled back, still a bit bashful at how obvious you had been all these months.

The sound of multiple footsteps in unison made you look up, seeing Jabari warriors running out of Jabariland. You got up to watch just how many of the Jabari were running out onto the field. Ramonda, also shocked at the Jabari getting involved for the first time in a long time, got up to look too. You slightly smiled, satisfied with the fact that you were able to do something.

Your pacing was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping around your waist, causing you to gasp before realizing it was Shuri. “Shuri! Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Turning around, you immediately grabbed one of her arms, checking for any scratches or cuts. As you put the one down, Shuri placed the other in your hand, watching as you ran your hand over her smooth skin. “Were you worried?” She said, pressing her thumb against the space between your eyebrows to stop you from frowning.

Shuri got nothing but a look from you as you pulled her into the tightest hug she had probably ever had. There was hesitation in hugging you back and rubbing small circles on your back. The both of you breathe and breathed out in a big huff, relaxing into the hug. You laughed at just how unreal the past few days have been. “I love you.” You said, pulling back from her embrace to look at her. The way Shuri smiled widely in response made you want to freeze time and take a picture of this exact moment. “I love you too, sthandhwa.” She said, pulling you back against her.

“Come with me.” She said suddenly, making you look up at her in confusion. “Where?” You asked. “Home. I want everyone to meet you.” She said, grabbing your hand and starting to guide you to the aircraft she had parked just outside of Jabariland. She looked towards you for your approval. You put your hand up to your chin, acting like you were still thinking about it. “Okay.” You said, smiling, making Shuri immediately pep up and practically run into the aircraft. You hesitantly stepped in, looking at how thought-out everything seemed. This was just another product of Shuri’s beautiful mind. “Is something wrong?” Shuri asked, grabbing onto your hand to help you get in. You shook your head, looking around in awe. “Just admiring your work.” You said, making Shuri laugh as she rested her hands on your waist. “Take your time, usana.”

#shuri udaku x reader #shuri x black!reader #shuri x you #mcu fanfiction #shuri fanfiction #shuri fluff #shuri x y/n #marvel fic #shuri x reader #shuri fic

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runabout-river · 1 year

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@asnodt11

From this post about what Sukuna will do after his defeat. Also read my analysis on chapter 235.

From the presentation of the last panels + Sukuna's own admission that he won't be able to tank another Hollow Purple + the break next week that had stubbornly been delayed until now:

I'm 99% certain that this fight is over and that Sukuna lost. The next chapter will get a new title because the Shinjuku showdown is finished.

But why? How did it come to this? What did Sukuna do wrong?

In my analysis on this, Sukuna made two mistakes that jeopardized his victory and that was

underestimating Gojo, and

not staying true to his own nature

I don't mean that prioritizing the 10 Shadows was a mistake. Sukuna needed a way to get around the ultimate defense and as we've seen, Domain Battles and Domain Amplification wasn't enough for this. Mahoraga was, all things considered, the correct choice against Gojo but here comes the actual first mistake from Sukuna:

Underestimating Gojo, not preparing for this fight better and allocating some of his aces to the students he would fight later.

Sukuna thought that his current self was strong enough to defeat Gojo and that he had the freedom to keep some other techniques for later.

This Sukuna is different than the Sukuna Uro spoke about. That Sukuna gave every fight his all, so much so, that others saw him as a calamity that rolled over everything in his path because he didn't stop for anything. That Sukuna wouldn't have divided his energy for future battles, he would've fought with 100% of his might in all of his battles until he dropped dead.

The old Sukuna would've disregarded everyone other than Gojo, including the students and including himself.

Looking we're at Mahoraga real quick. It's slash attack that cut off Gojo's arm is most likely Sukuna's Dismantle. Mahoraga displayed that attack for the first time last chapter. Why?

Why didn't Sukuna train Mahoraga on that and other attacks in the past month when he had the opportunity to do so unhindered? Why did he wait for this evolution of Mahoraga's abilities until this fight?

Because Sukuna treated Gojo as he did Yorozu: as a test run for his new toys.

Not to disparage Yorozu; she was on the level of a Special Grade sorcerer but we, the audience, knew that Gojo was still several leagues higher than her. Sukuna though, treated them the same. For him, there wasn't much of a difference because of his steadfast belief that he is the strongest being to ever exist on this earth.

And technically that might actually be true. If Gege were to say that Sukuna is actually the strongest character in JJK I would believe that because the power system and the fights in this manga are constructed in such a way that someone weaker can defeat someone stronger through the right techniques, plans, intelligence and so much more.

People need to understand that many different aspects of a fight will lead to victory and it isn't something as simplistic as a character's power level being 234 and the other character's power level being 321 so the second character wins.

Sukuna operated on a huge ego and consequently he was blindsided by his hubris. That's why I'm expecting some crashing down to earth from him next chapter. Maybe he'll become unhinged or maybe we'll get a glimpse at the old Sukuna who still had this unshakable drive to fight to the death regardless of anything else.

What we'll get at the end of the manga though, is another fight with him where he will only use his own techniques and he will be even deadlier then before because he'll fight like his old self where every attack is at 120% output at all times, causing as much destruction as possible.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #sukuna #satoru gojo #ryoumen sukuna #meta

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atonalginger · 8 months

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WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tag @fangbangerghoul. I think you got everyone so I'm turning the tag to anyone who sees this and thinks, "hey I got something I think I want to share."

picking today's bit was difficult because lately I've been sharing sneak peeks a lot on the discord so it's hard to remember what's been seen, I've just been so excited xD

anyway today's wip is an upcoming chapter for Ranger and the Deputy:

“You say we’re stepping but you did a lot more than just step,” Helga chewed on her cheek.

Emily was practicing the first step, her foot angled as she landed and her pivot too snappy, but considering her age Del was impressed she managed it. The little blonde looked to Helga, “I mean we are supposed to be going around the partner so the turns aren’t surprising.”

“Yeah, I suppose maybe when I have a partner it’ll make sense,”

Helga stepped straight out, no turn to her foot, and pivoted her body with more grace than Emily but still more aggressive than necessary, “Can you show us one more time?”

“Sure!” Kitty repeated the steps out loud while she moved, her steps clean, her black open toed heels barely touching the floor as she slide her foot with the side steps. Del couldn’t help but smile as he admired her confidence as she moved.

As she led the others in their practice Del thought back to the night he met her a month and a half ago and how bashful she’d been in those first few hours. How timid she was for the first few dances at the Hitching Post, different style but that didn’t matter. She was overwhelmed then, new place, new people, bad news, everything was happening all at once. A lot had changed and that was clearest in how she carried herself now. She could command the attention of any room she walked into and with a warm smile and gentle voice. She’d even sweet talked information out of Duncan down at the Trade Authority as a favor for Diego last week.

Kitty was a force of nature that so many underestimated. But not Delgado, no he’d noted that fact way back during the hostage negotiation. That didn’t mean there wasn’t risk involved, he reminded himself as she motioned for him to join her, “I think our lovely followers have their steps down so now it’s your turn to show our leaders their job.”

Delgado pushed off the bar and looked to Annie and Diego. Annie was already up and standing with Emily while Diego was still sitting in his chair. Del ticked his tongue at his old friend and snapped his fingers while pointing at the ground next to Helga, “Move it, old man.”

“Who you calling old man?” Diego scoffed as he picked up the pace, “I didn’t sign up for this.”

“Neither did Del but you don’t see him complaining,” Kitty replied with a smile. Helga covered her mouth as she started to laugh.

“Quit complaining,” Blake called over, “you’re helping the team.”

“With what? The rangers going to start dancing with our marks?” Diego was fussing with his bun, delaying the lesson.

The Marshal explained, “Helga and Kitty both just got cleared for active duty today and this is a good fitness test for them. Success would also be a morale boost so stop complaining and focus.”

“You got cleared too?” Diego’s face lit up as he looked to Helga, “congrats, mi hermana!”

“Yeah, finally!” Helga flexed and laughed before breakout out in a coughing fit, muffling the sound with her sleeve while waving any worry in the room away. She quickly recovered and looked around,

“Mary said I’ll be that way for a while but I’m fine. Just got to be careful.”

“Can we do something?” Annie whined.

“Annie, I will send you home if you don’t curb that attitude,” Emma warned.

“You won’t like this very much then,” Del teased, “leaders don’t actually move during a giro, not like their partner.”

“Seriously?” Annie made a face and huffed.

“Shall we?” Del held out his left hand and waited for Kitty to join him.

#starfield #starfield fanfiction #fanfic #atonalginger writes #wip wednesday #starfield Delgado #Ranger!Delgado #Kitty Lincoln #yeah sure Marshal it's team building

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sapphicsmaximoff · 2 years

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earth-326 (pt. 4) - wanda maximoff

a/n: i’m back! finally a free weekend, and i’m posting now. i’ve also finished ease into it, and i’ll post that and the new regal ties chapter soon🤦🏽‍♀️

i ii iii iv

“So…you’re blind?” The girl asks softly, eyes curious as she analyzes your cloudy eyes and tired face. “It’s temporary. I had a brother who could do it too, but his didn’t react the way mine does. It burns the inside of my eye.”

Wanda frowns, feeling guilty about how she led you to use it twice. “I’m sorry.” You smirk. “Don’t be. It happens more often than you think. When I get angry, it bursts. I sometimes pass out.” You chuckle. “That’s horrible.”

“It’s more of a blessing than a curse, keeps people from underestimating me.”

Right now, you were furious.

Wanda begs for you to calm down as you pace the room. “They’ve denied my request twice! How the hell am I supposed to keep up with payments in a reduced teacher’s salary?! No, Jane. I can’t-Ten thousand?! Fucking great.” You look over to Wanda, sighing.

“I’ll call you back.” You hang up the phone, sighing. “That was-That was a friend. She said the owner of a private hospital we took you to for maybe two months because they were doing renovations here, they’re trying to charge with interest, which is fucking illegal! I think.” Wanda frowns as tears fall from your eyes, a faint blue hue in them.

“Just calm down.”

“How?! They’re trying to swindle us out of money!” She curled her fingers, and you blinked hard. Shaking your head, you sigh. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I was so mad.” You didn’t seem to notice her tendrils calming your brain as you sat in a huff.

The action felt natural. It reminded her of WandaVision.

Yes, despite her love for you, she chose Vision. But she made a way. Of course, since Thanos ripped your wings and killed you right in front of her, it was jarring. Reanimating you was definitely regretful.

But the way she could control you felt good, and it seemed like this Wanda did that too. It wasn’t of her own mind to ease yours. “Um…” You couldn’t think, your last few seconds of thought forgotten. “How are you today?” You smile.

“Fine.”

“That’s good.”

“How’s Tommy?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Is he mad at me?” Yes. She already knew the answer, but you became furious again. You were angry that the boy had feelings you couldn’t handle.

He wasn’t there when you were holding Wanda’s bloody body in you arms as you flew away. He didn’t feel your pain. “I don’t know.”

You two didn’t have many arguments, but it was obvious how upset you’d become about Wanda going off by herself. “You can’t just leave us, and make decisions that could get us all hurt!”

“We got the job done.”

“You got shot!”

“You’re the one that wanted to do this mission, Y/N!”

“I get that. And that…” She watches you point directly to her bullet wound. “Is exactly why I regret it!” She groans loudly, not noticing her red tendrils flowing from her fingers,

“JUST STOP!” The outburst caused you to stumble, her magic filling the room. You shook your head, sniffling. Frowning in confusion, you watched your girlfriend who was just as confused and concerned.

“Oh.” You rub your eyes, and stand up straight. “I’m sorry. What were you saying? I don’t-“ She frowns. “What?”

“What were you saying?” Wanda frowned as she saw the tendrils disappear from your eyes. “Nothing. We were talking about relaxing all day, right?” You look around, just as confused. “Yeah. I guess. I don’t remember.”

So it seemed this Wanda was better at manipulation that she was. She was shocked when she got you to calm a few days ago. It had been so effortless.

It’s not like she hadn’t done it in the hex, but it was harder to maintain hundreds of minds at a time, and that was why she’d shut some off to release the weight. Trying to hold Vision was hard enough.

Then she searched this mind for clues of what else you couldn’t remember. That argument she dreamed of. The fact that she left you for Vision was something she erased too. As memories came back, small ones surrounded that big memory.

Erasing your memory when you fought seemed like an addiction for this Wanda. “Wanda.” She was taken out her thoughts by your voice. “They said you can leave if you want, or get extra treatment. I mean they said you were fine, so-” You scratched the back of your neck as you kept your eye on the boys running around the hallway.

“Guys! Slow down, thank you.” They slow down as you look back at your wife. “Yeah, I’ll be fine going home, I can walk now.” She notices your glare as your ear moved towards the sound of your sons running around.

“Hey.” She grabs your hand. “Focus on me.” You take a deep breath, and look over at her. “I’m sorry.” She smiles, cupping your cheeks. “It’s okay.”

The ride back was quiet. Wanda watches everything as you pass through the streets. It was about an hour into the ride, and although you’d let the twins bring their tablets, they fell asleep halfway through.

“The house is little different, a little less decoration. I know you like that stuff, but I haven’t had time.” She looks over at you as you place your foot on the brake at a light. “That’s fine, I don’t really-”

“The house is clean though, I swear. Like...I know I was messy when we moved there, but-”

“Y/N.” You stop breathing hard, and look over at her for a second before continuing to drive. “I’m sorry.” She chuckles.

“You have to stop apologizing.” She spares a glance at the boys. “Obviously, you’ve done a great job. I could care less about decorations.” You look at her with a smile, before turning back to the road.

She seemed different, more in her head. She also seemed calmer. Maybe it was the years in solitude, you’d never know.

You pulled up to the house, and your wife hadn’t lasted too long before falling asleep as well. You parked the car, nervously looking around your car to make sure everything is okay before you wake everyone up.

You were right about no decoration, which Wanda didn’t mind. The house was real like it was on the other Earth and when she created it in her head. When you both walked upstairs to put them down, the room looked the same.

The boys, particularly Billy, said goodnight to their mom. Tommy did say goodnight, but tried to avoid her kiss. Instead of letting him go, she held onto his arm and pulled him close. “I’m sorry.” She whispers. He stares at her for a second, but it’s like the boy sees something in her eyes.

You watched in amazement as he almost smiled for the first time in the last two months. “Night, Mom.” She smiles back wider, letting him walk over to her bed. “I’m so happy you’re back.” Billy beams. “Me too.”

You shut off their light, and closed the door as Wanda beelined towards your room, but you were set on walking downstairs to your study. “Where are you going?” She asks. “Oh, I-I have papers. I let my students do online until you were set, but my boss is urging me to come back or they might find a replacement.” She frowns.

“I’m sorry.” You chuckle.

“Who’s the one apologizing now?” She smirks, and you look around. “Unless... You want to convince me to just do it in the morning?” A smirk finds her lips, and she shakes her head. “I don’t know... It sounds like important work. Plus, do we even know if I’m ready for...that.” Your smile widens, and you place your arms around her waist. “We could test it out.”

“Kinky. Tell me...do your wings still burst out of your back when I blow your mind?” You gasp, backing away. “I can’t believe you remember that, I’m going.” You smile, turning around to walk away.

“I was kidding!” She yells in a whisper. You turn around, softly jogging to her, and picking her up. She bursts out in a low giggle ad you carry her to the room. “I know.”

Tags:

@nikkinss @justyourwritter69 @lizlil @reddishmei @marvelogic @an-evergreen-rose @lattayhottay16 @mymommawanda

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #marvel #wanda maximoff au #wanda x y/n #wanda x you

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chaisshitposts · 11 months

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thanks for reminding me i can manifest them to be chill- i way too used to my strict parents lmao

THE JOJO REFERENCES GOES HARD FR

i haven't catched up with hxh manga but i did finish the anime and basically killua split up to protect alluka and gon wanted to meet his father so they technically couldn't stay together, there's a possibility that they won't appear in the manga again :((

don't blame me😭 the first thing i saw about kny was that episode and nezuko (there was so many nezuko edits oml), but first episode was like a 50/50 for me?? i'm pretty sure it's because i used to watch like really dark magical girls animes when i was younger and my cousins always made me watch the final destination series with them🧍🏻

OML TOJI I REMEMBER READING THE MANGA AND WANTING HIM AND MEGUMI TO MEET SDCNKSDJFBS and yuta is the literal definition of looking like a cinnamon roll but can actually kill you

I DON'T BLAME YOU ABOUT THE PROMISED NEVERLAND CUz Isabella's jumpscare in the first episode was😭😭🖐🏻 and yES PLS GIVE BUNGO STAY DOGS A CHANCE!

KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN?? I HAVEN'T WATCHED IT YET BUT MY COUSIN WATCHES IT A LOT

there's something so scrumptiously delicious about main characters who are weak but are actually strong and just humbles the people who underestimates them, like, sLAY

my sister recommended me mashle! it's on to watch list since i'm planning on binge watching animes in my waiting room and PLS TELL ME THAT ZOM 100 IS FINALLY COMPLETED, I'VE BEEN WANTING TO BINGE WATCH IT SINCE LIKE LAST LAST MONTH

i'm currently watching the apothecary diaries! It's so refreshing because the female lead is so smart and pragmatic, like she doesn't give a sht about the male lead and just loves medicine and poison tasting so much😫 the only thing i dislike is how she's being forced to be the male lead's partner but the plot is still good heheh

🐧anon

no problemo 🕵️ gotta help the homies out. everything in life is a jojo reference, even jesus.

oml nO wait I watched the whole HXH manga and know they split up I was just acting delusional 😭 and uGh I hope the manga gets finished one day... The creator has bad health-- wait a damn minute I can just manifest his health back wtf am I sayin' 🧐

PFFFTTT what a wild read— and oh god no don't even talk about final destination to me, I cannot drive on the freeway normally sometimes bc of that shit, everytime I see a truck with like oversized loads (especially the fuckers with the big ass steel poles on the back of them) I always get chills, even though I know nothing is gonna happen to me cause I said so 🧍

toji didn't even remember he had son.... deadbeat dad type beat. yuta and rika deserve better ngl

isabella and that other maid... they are nightmare fuel. and yes!!!!!! I will absolutely give it another chance for the adorable tiger boy with the fruity little haircut!!! bingeing anime in yer waitin' room??? bruh that's literally so big brain wtf I low-key wanna shift to all my favorite animes one of these days 🕵️ but I have this underlying worry about the version of myself being left behind to do my dirty work lmfao

also- katekyo hitman reborn! is super good, but I will say that I have been rewatchin' it for a sense of nostalgia on and off whenever I have time and god the first like--- 20 episodes are fuckin' cringe but the main character's awakenin' is satisfying 😭 he's like the og deku

I have no idea if all the eps have been posted for zom 100 !!!! I will check for you today if I remember--- I haven't had time to check after watching like the first three episodes on crunchyroll—

OooOo an anime with a strong female lead!?!?! I would absolutely eat that shit up oml gobble gobble gobble— ew that plot sounds cringey. man, I really want an anime with a stoic, underestimated female lead whos like majorly asexual... wait 🧍 hold on, I basically just described saiki k... I NEED A FULL THIRD SEASON OF THE DISASTROUS LIFE OF SAIKI K.

#— chai's asks. !! ~#— 🐧 anon. !!~

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ultfreakme · 10 months

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Who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love them...

Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Hi Anon!! Hope you're doing well! OOOOH this is a tough one, I have so many ships I enjoy, I think I change pairings and find new ones every few months. But if I had to pick........

AkaFuri (Akashi x Furihata from Kuroko No Basuke): I've shipped them the longest, I'm pretty sure my writing got better through writing and researching for fics of the ship. I also transitioned from traditional to digital drawing through drawing this ship, so yay it's them! I love them because Furihata was someone Akashi and everyone underestimated but Furihata defied everyone's expectations, conquered his fears and managed to stand up against him. Kuroko and the Seirin basketball team changed Akashi's opinions and made him see everyone as equals, but Furihata sorta kickstarted that.

ItaJun (Itadori x Junpei from Jujutsu Kaisen): I actually shipped them back when JJK was first airing! So that's three years with them dear god. I made a post about them but to summarize, I love the potential they had & loved how they clicked together!

Zukka (Zuko x Sokka from Avatar The Last Airbender): This one's relatively new but they got me obsessed enough to write a 300k word for for them and made me go on an unstoppable and frankly unhealthy drawing spree for months (I have a callous on my hand...unsure if it's because of just them but they definitely didn't help). I love their dynamic, they play off each other well, make up for each other's weaknesses and their interactions are always funny to watch. They're very cute to me.

JonJay/JayJon (Jon Kent x Jay Nakamura from DC Comics): A CANON COUPLE!!! They're very adorable and I enjoyed watching the way they helped each other get to their goals in their introduction comic as a couple(Superman Son of Kal El). Watching Superman be bi and have an Asian bf was just, very inspiring. The way Jon's heroism and ideals are defined by Jay's ideals is so cool.

I have a lot more which I can put as honorable mentions: Korrasami (The Legend of Korra), SatoSugu(Jujutsu Kaisen), Stucky (the Captain America Trilogy was awesome and the only part I like from the MCU), KiriBaku(I think I'm pretty much over them now unless I get back into BNHA), Calliette(bring back First Kill please please PLEASE), XiCheng(Jiang Cheng x Lan Xichen from MDZS), BingQiu & MoShang (both from Scum Villain Self-Saving system).

These are the ones I remember. There's probably some crucial formative ship for me that I'm missing but rn I think this is it.

My qualifications for being obsessed with a ship are:

HAS to be gay

They should be complementary in some way

The franchise they come from needs to have a plot that isn't their relationship, but their relationship, or just the character's motivation is sorta woven into the overarching theme of the story. Example; In AkaFuri, Furihata is instrumental in defeating Akashi and his team because Furihata isn't there to exactly take down Akashi. He CAN'T. But if he works with everyone else on his team, he stands a chance and can make a difference. The ultimate theme of KNB is that we should value friendship, teammates and should lift each other up rather than view the world as enemies to defeat. Korra and Asami are seemingly polar opposite with Korra being a representative of spirits while Asami is a representative of human technological advancement. TLOK is about harmony between these two aspects of the world, and Korrasami's relationship is a representation of that. I think pretty much all my ships can work like that (Jiang Cheng is too cynical, never lets anyone close and is prone to conflict, Lan Xichen is too trusting and too complicit, never wanting conflict and therefore not really confronting anything and BOTH of these flaws of theirs are to their detriment, etc etc).

I think I like ships which I can use to examine the themes of the main story, and see how the union of two people could influence the meaning of the canon.

And, I'll be honest, it's also about how aesthetic they are together and how good the smut potential is. It's shipping in the end, and I can write thousand-word meta essays but also be going gaga over their smut lmao.

Hope this was an adequate reply!! Also please don't apologize, I hadn't answered this before I think? haha i keep forgetting what i write.

#riki asks #shipping

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mixes-archive · 2 years

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I just saw your recent post, and you said you wish people would request other characters, especially fem characters, so it’s my time to shine🤩. I would like to request a NSFW fic with "Kleo" from COD; she’s an operator. I don’t have any specific ideas for the plot, so you can go crazy! I really wish people would write for her more.

Kleo x fem! Reader NSFW

Tags: p with a little bit of plot, mild angst with lots of fluff, making out, miss girl is unable to keep her hands to herself, fingering and oral (both reader receiving) and breastplay

Dear Gods I need this woman I need her I NEED HER TO CALL ME HER LITTLE PRINCESS AND RUIN ME WOOF WOOF GRRRR BARK WO-

I hope you enjoy :)

Summary: Your home felt emptier without her, no matter how many pictures of you together decorated the walls or how much exorbitant furniture filled every room. Dancing makes you feel just a little less alone, or maybe that’s just the shadowy figure watching your performance?

It was always quite lonely without Kleo around. Of course, she’d warned you about this multiple times before getting into a serious relationship with you, but you hadn’t thought much about it back then.

It didn’t make you think less of her, not at all! But you just wish she’d be here a bit more. Of course, when she did get time off, it would almost always be a few days at least, which you always made sure to keep free.

But it had been two months. No visits, no calls, no texts. Just a monthly check, making sure you didn’t have to bear the burden of bills alone.

You were scared to check your mail now. Every time a call came in, you were scared this would be the one. Some of your older neighbors had talked about it once they found out about Kleos job, warning you of the heartbreak that came with it.

,We’re sorry miss, but unfortunately Kleo…‘

No. You couldn’t bear to think about it. By now you should know not to underestimate your girlfriend like that. Still, you needed something to drown those thoughts out.

Where most would’ve reached for alcohol or drugs, you reached for an old, beat up and sticker covered iPod. Kleo had gifted it to you on your first birthday together, you still have it after all these years.

Memories of her teaching you how to put music on that damn thing made you giggle as you connected it to the speakers in the living room. They were massive and yet another gift of hers. This one she gave you because ,she felt like it‘.

Everything just reminded you of her. Even the music.

You played a song you danced to together at one of her many family gatherings. It was slow, and now that you’re actually listening to the lyrics, also a bit sad. How ironic.

Yet you found yourself getting lost in it. Closings your eyes and rhythmically spinning to the music, magically avoiding every piece of furniture that could stand in your way. You had the steps memorized, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, back and forth and back and forth.

You could almost see her dark, curly hair bouncing with every step or how her bright green eyes attentively followed your every move.

Around halfway through the song, tears started to form in your eyes.

Around the end, when the orchestra was dying down and the vocals repeated, until they slowly melted away along the rest of the melody, a pair of arms wrapped around you. Ones your knew all too well.

„Amazing performance, κούκλα“

„I thought you were dead.“

Kleo wrapped her arms around you, her abnormally tall stature leading to your head falling into her neck. She kissed your temple.

„But I’m not. Let’s dance a bit, yeah?“ It was an order more than a question, her hands weaving into yours while spinning you around to face her.

Had she not looked so exhausted, you would’ve likely forced her to talk about what happened. But those bags under her eyes and the fresh scars on her Face told you all you needed to know: ‚I physically can’t talk about it right now.‘

Along with the next song, you both swayed and span, bumping into significantly more furniture than you did on your solo performance. It made you both giggle every time.

Not many words were exchanged during the whole ordeal, not even when her hands dipped to your hips and lower back. Kleo tended to get a bit… touchy whenever she returned from missions.

It was nice. To have her warmth back after all this time had finally stopped your racing brain and intrusive thoughts. You were the first to stop dancing, choosing to embrace her instead. The laugh she let out at that made her chest rumble, and yours with it.

It didn’t catch you off guard when her hands moved to your ass, slowly massaging the soft flesh between her calloused fingers.

„God I missed this.“ She let out a dramatic sigh and let herself fall onto the couch, taking you down with her.

„So you do only love me for my ass! How superficial of you! And here I thought you liked me for my charming personality…“

„Shut up and kiss me you goofball.“

You did just that and gods… did it feel right. That missing piece was finally back. Your house finally felt like home again.

Her lips were just as soft as you’d remembered. She must’ve taken your complaints to heart last time she came back with cracked lips and actually continued to use the chapstick you always had to replaced for her.

She licked at yours lips. „Cherry?“, she asked. „A bit cliché, don’t you think?“

„I know it’s your favorite so shut up.“

To hear her laugh again, so unbothered and loud as always made your stomach fuzzy, or maybe that could’ve also been her hands on your thighs.

Kleos strength always shocked you, especially when she flipped you over without any type of warning. Her arms trapped your head beneath hers.

„Hey there gorgeous!“

„Do that again and I just might die of a heart attack.“

„Oww nwooo, want mwe two kwiss it betta?“ She mocked you, but you didn’t have the strength in you to send a snide remark back. The look she was giving you told you that one, you should shut up, and two, that you either back out now or get fucked so hard you can’t walk even after she returns from her next mission.

You weren’t a pussy, so you smashed your lips into hers. Immediately, she returned the kiss with just as much force. Kleo pried your lips apart with her tounge and you gladly let her in.

Just as you really started to get into it, she pulled away. A string of saliva connected you together for a second more, until it broke.

Her hands reached down to your shirt, carefully unbuttoning it.

„No bra? What a nice surprise.“

„Wasn’t really much of a point in wearing one if there isn’t anyone around to protect them from.“

„How rude. I always treat you boobs with utmost respect.“

Your mention of how she tended to do the exact opposite was cut short by a breathy sigh. Her lips connected to your nipple and suddenly you realized that sexual gratification of any kind other than this would take another eternity to achieve.

Once she sucked on your nipples, it would be impossible to get her off. You were almost convinced she thought that milk would come out of them if she tried hard enough.

Despite your complaints, she was damn good at playing with your breasts. Harshly biting, then softly licking over your tender flesh. Neither of you could ever get enough of it.

Soft moans left your mouth as her tounge rediscovered your chest. You had been deprived of this sensation for so long, it made it feel all the more intense. Your hands could never even hope to compare to the gentle way she licked around your areola, only to then aggressively attacked your nipple with sucks and bites. The other was always treated just as well with her hand, massaged and fondled with in ways that had you seeing stars.

It hadn’t been that long, yet you were already melted into the cushions below you, unable to let out anything other than „I love you“s and garbled versions of her name. Kleo could come from the look on your face alone, begging her for more as she slowly let go of your breasts.

„Let’s move to the bed, yeah? Makes for easier cleanup.“

The wet blanket of a human that was you got picked up by her strong arms. She carried you upstairs and gently dropped you onto the bed without breaking as much as a drop of sweat.

Almost teasingly slow, Kleo removed all your clothes down to your panties, only pausing briefly when she realized they were one of her pairs. A smirk made it’s way to her face as she, even slower than before, removed the last bit of cloth on you.

„I’d say you missed me.“

„You really think I’d miss you?“

„Would be a bit weird of you to soil my underwear if you didn’t atleast somewhat like me.“

Even if you had a response to that, your need for some kind of physical attention was absolutely killing you. You grabbed one of her hands and put them on your body, signaling to her that she should shut up and get on with it. But alas, she was still a tease to the core.

„Be a good girl and tell me how much you missed me.“ Lord knows you would’ve smacked that grin off her if you could, but you had long melted into her unmoving hand. Left with no choice, you followed her orders.

„I thought of you every day.“ Kleo smirked and started massaging your hips.

„Sometimes, I would wear some of your clothes.“ Her hands moved down lower.

„I had to hug your pillow to sleep well.“ Ever so gently, she was prying apart your thighs.

„I tried, but no matter how big or expensive the toy, I couldn’t get off without you.“ That seemed to do it for her.

Large, calloused hands massaged your thighs, as she moved to be in between them. Her eyes were all over your body, as if studying a map.

„You poor thing“, she cooed. „Didn’t have an orgasm for a whole two months?“ Although her tone was teasing, she truly did feel bad. A whole two months would be absolute torture for her.

„I came to the thought of you squirming under me almost every night. God you made my fingers cramp up so much.“ Her voice was dropping lower and her giggles seemed almost sensual as she moved her head towards your pussy.

„My poor princess, I’ll make it up to you, alright? Just be good and let me hear your pretty little noises.“

Her mouth was on you before you could think and gods did it feel good. Her tongue gently licked at your clit, speed growing with fervor at every moan that slipped past your lips. The unholy slurping noises Kleo made would’ve made you giggle under different circumstances, but your brain had ceased all thoughts.

Occasionally, she would give your clit a break to stuff her tongue into your hole, licking your juices up as if her life depended on it. Every time she pulled out to catch her breath, praises of how good and how loud you were being left her, only to then immediately return to your body to keep those noises going.

Being depraved of touch for so long, you were already close to the edge, but then she added her fingers to fully concentrate her efforts onto sucking your clit.

Her fingers were rough, but your wetness more than made up for it. Effortlessly, she moved them in and out, a loud squelching sound coming with every thrust of her thick fingers into you.

Teeth were on your clit, biting down the tiniest bit, her tongue then immediately following after, gently caressing the small bundle until the only words you could form were „Kleo“ and „more“.

She thrived in your pleasure, looking almost as fucked out as you must’ve. Her eyes were dark and her face sweaty. Still, her relentless pace continued, finally giving you what you had craved for so long.

Your thighs clenched around her head as you felt your orgasm coming, and it made her pace even more brutal than before, fingering you at what should be impossible speeds while sucking on your clit much harder than before.

As it all got too much, you finally let go. Cumming on her eager tongue, she licked every last bit of your essence she could get out of you until you were wiggling away from her.

Kleo held eye contact with you as she licked her fingers clean, a lewd moan leaving both of you.

„Princess, why don’t you come back here? We got another 60 days to make up for.“

#call of duty x reader #cod x reader #kleo x reader #nsft #wlw nsft #fem x fem #female reader #fem reader

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melodygordon · 11 months

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My 100 Day Project and 5 Tips To Do Your Own

Last week, I finished my 100 Day Project - one new digital drawing everyday for 100 days straight.

I learned a lot and wrote a bit about that here:

This post is more about how I did it and if someone else is interested, how they can do it and be successful at it.

So! My 5 best tips if you want to complete a 100 Day art challenge:

Identify Your Goals: Why do you want to draw (or paint or sketch or whatever) for 100 days? For me, I had A LOT of goals. But the main goal was to develop my style and create a large body of work I could use for marketing, my portfolio, and social media. I think having that very specific goal - and being passionate about my goal - helped tremendously.

Know Your Parameters And Stick To Them: I chose to work with a limited color palette, a very specific subject, and only a handful of design elements or "special effects" within Photoshop to make every picture. It forced me to be more creative since I had to work within these borders. Let the challenge of your 'rules' push you to think more creatively.

Find Accountability: I posted each new picture to Instagram every evening before midnight. I told my boyfriend, my parents, and my therapist. The more people know, the more they can encourage you, check in on you, and provide feedback and words of support. It felt like I really had to follow through and keep my word. Also - don't do this in complete isolation. Working in secret makes your artwork feel like a secret. Give others the chance to be proud of you.

Make The Time: In the beginning, I had no idea how much time I would need to commit to this project for it to be successful. I underestimated the amount of energy needed each day to complete a picture. I was surprised by how many hours I would spend on a piece, how difficult it was to do two pictures in one day, and how exhausted I was by the end. Whatever amount of time you think you will need, double it. Maybe even triple it if you're a procrastinator or a perfectionist, like me.

Accept Your Limitations: There were some days I simply couldn't produce the kind of art I wanted to make, no matter how hard I tried. You will have off days, sick days, and low energy days. This is essentially a three month long project. I wasn't always satisfied by what I made. Some days the picture was ugly. Some days I wanted to start over but didn't have the time. Shit happens. You don't have to love every piece. The better you are at accepting things the way they are, the more successful you'll be in the end.

In short, every picture wasn't a masterpiece. Every day wasn't perfect. But I finished it. And a week later I'm still riding the high of accomplishing such a challenging and ambitious goal for a 'new' artist.

I already have the next 2-3 projects planned out in my head. That's the best thing of all when completing a project like this: I have this abundance of energy and confidence. It's like, if I could do 100 drawings in 100 days, then why can't I do _?

This blog will be getting a facelift soon and I'm going to try to post more art quotes this month. I have the time now! Until next time.

#arttips #100days #100dayproject #100daysofart #blackartist #smallartist #artblog #artadvice

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creatiview · 2 years

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[ad_1] By Sean Tinney December 5, 2022 Learn how to write a sales email that effectively promotes your product and wins you more business. Email is your most powerful digital tool for sales. Wait, really? Yes! 60% percent of consumers have made a purchase as a result of an email they received from a brand. That beats out sales from social and direct mail, making email your most effective sales tool. But there’s more to it than just sending an email with a product or service you want to sell. There’s a strategy for creating a sales email that actually gets results. Not sure how to create an effective sales email? After reading this post, you’ll know how to write a sales email that gets opened, gets clicks, and gets sales. Jump to a section: Create catchy sales email subject lines Each element of your sales email is important. But unless you capture your subscribers’ attention with a strong subject line, nothing else matters. So how do you create a catchy sales email subject line? By being direct. Don’t get cute with your subject line. Most people are going to open your sales email for one of three reasons, so make sure you’re catering to those reasons: 1 – You’re addressing a pain point This example from Advance Auto Parts addresses a potential pain point for many of their customers – making sure your car’s engine is protected during the winter months. 2 – You’re offering them something they need or want Sometimes the timing of your email is what matters most. Like with this email from Dormify: It was sent in August, just as college students are preparing to go back to school. Dormify addressed a timely need right in the subject line. 3 – You’re providing them a discount or special offer Everybody loves a good sale. If you have a promotion going, mention it in your subject line. Here’s an example from Gap where they add the promotion to the subject line. Create a sense of urgency and scarcity Don’t underestimate the power of FOMO. Adding a sense of urgency encourages subscribers to take advantage of offers while they still can. If they don’t act quickly, they might miss out on a great opportunity. To create this effect in your emails, try subject lines like these: “Act fast! Limited quantity available” “24% off for 24 hours” “We don’t want you to miss this” “Deals expire tonight. These savings will be gone in a flash.” I love how Pura Vida grabs your attention with “Congratulations,” then teases that you’ve reached their next tier level. Shutterstock follows a similar approach but teases about surprise savings. STARZ creates urgency with their offer by putting a time limit at the beginning of their subject line. Write sales email copy that gets a sale When writing the copy for your sales email, keep these principles in mind: Be influential and helpful In your emails, you want to present yourself as someone who is helpful and an industry thought leader. But you also want to do this in a way that influences subscribers to purchase. So how do you achieve this perfect balance? Influence comes from uncovering and delivering what other people need and/or want. So rather than telling readers about your product, try helping them realize what they need, and how your business satisfies that. Keep your content personal and aim to solve the problem of each individual you’re reaching out to. Communicate like a human and a friend, not an automated marketing robot. Even though you’re writing an email, you want your content to feel like it was written by a human who’s speaking to other humans. Some email copywriters imagine their ideal reader sitting across from them as they write. Here’s a great example of this from Miracle-Gro. They’re adding additional value to their sales email by including landscaping tips. Don’t add too much “salesy” language When you’re writing your sales email, try not to think of it as selling.

Instead, think of it as helping your readers solve a problem. Just focus on the value your product or service brings to people. If you can show how your product solves their problem, then give them a clear reason to buy from you now, the sales will take care of themselves. I love this promotional email below from Brooklinen: When I first saw it, I thought, “Ooh, I want better zzzzs!” I didn’t feel overwhelmed by a sales pitch. Focus the content in your emails around the solution, not the product features alone. Use phrases like “to improve your…” and “to help you do…” Clear and powerful headlines While you’re focusing on being kind and helpful, don’t sell yourself short. You’ve got awesome things to offer… so make sure that’s clear throughout your content, especially in your emails’ headlines. Headlines and subheaders are one of the first elements your subscribers will see in your emails. If you’re offering a coupon or promotion, some effective headlines include: “Scroll to the bottom for a special deal” “We promise, this is worth the scroll” “Good news for your wallet” “Our way of saying Thank you!” “Just for you” If you’re including testimonials from actual customers, here are a couple of headlines to include as well: “Don’t just take it from us” “Here’s what people are saying about [insert product name]” Avoid marketing jargon As you write the best sales email ever, be sure to use appealing words that don’t scare readers off. Avoid marketing jargon and acronyms (like CRM and CTA), unless you plan on defining these terms in your message. Focus on the benefits Think about what makes you buy. Is it the versatility of the product? Can you imagine yourself using the product and how it will make your life better? What about it matters most? Is it free shipping and returns? The more benefits-focused you can be, the more intrigued your reader will be. This email from Public Lands is awesome. At the top of the email it lists two benefits – free shipping or one-hour curbside pickup. Right from the start of the email, they’re focusing on the convenience of ordering with them. Offering exclusive discounts or freebies like an ebook is a great way to capture a subscriber’s attention – but it’s the benefits that will influence them to take action. Add some testimonials Let your customers speak for you! Testimonials are an amazing way to give that extra push and encourage readers to buy. People are often more willing to trust information from a fellow consumer than a business. Your testimonials should answer “what-if’s” and squash objections. Think about the questions that potential customers might have. Maybe they want to know what makes your product different from other products. Or they’re wondering about the primary benefit of what you offer. Here’s a great example of how to use a customer testimonial from an email we sent promoting our 24/7 Email Marketing Master Class. Drive action with a stand out call-to-action At the end of the day, it’s important to keep in mind that this is still a sales email. It has one goal: Make a sale! So if your call-to-action (CTA) button is hidden or non-existent, take it out of hiding! Make it impossible to ignore. This email from Design Within Reach makes use of multiple CTAs scattered throughout the email to catch you at various points of interest. Get the timing just right with segmentation Try to send your sales emails when it makes the most logical and/or economic sense for someone to buy something from you. This is a best practice, but it can be tricky to pull off. Every subscriber is unique and some may take a bit more convincing than others. That’s where segmentation comes into play. Consider segmenting based on your subscriber’s unique interests, as well as previous engagement with your emails (e.g., if they opened a previous email or clicked a specific link). Related: 7 simple steps to get started with segmentation

Time to create your sales email Now it’s your turn. Take what you learned and apply it to your next sales email. We’d love to hear about your results in the comments. (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.0&appId=189473471148265"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); [ad_2] Source link

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cjsinkythoughts · 3 years

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Suits, Dresses, and Heels

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 4000

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, More Mentions of PTSD, Gun Violence, Slight Mentions of Drinking, Club Dancing (You’re all gonna hate me for that part, but I’m not sorry)

A/N: Here’s Part 4.2 - The Second Part to Episode 3 - as requested. This is a little more scene-by-scene, but there are some off-screen moments. I’ll be posting Part 4.3 (which will have the rest of the episode) later tonight.

There’s a bit more information on Reader, but not as much as the last chapter. Sharon comes in during this part, so you get to see her and Reader’s relationship.

Also, I have mixed feelings about Zemo at this point. Not in the story, the Reader’s not a fan as you learned previously, but for me personally, he’s surprised me a couple times by coming back and helping.

Anyways! Thank you so much for reading! This isn’t beta’d so excuse any mistakes! Check out my other parts before you read! Thank you again! Stay tuned, loves!

FATWS MASTERLIST

cjsinkythoughts MASTERLIST

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

The dress was far too tight for your liking, and showed way too much skin. Not that you didn’t like being a tease every once in a while, but for this mission, you’d rather have more cover and movement.

You had to admit though; Zemo had nice taste. The dress fit deliciously - which made you wonder how he got your size. The color and cut was devastatingly flattering. Plus, he let you do your own makeup.

Being the only female, you were in a separate area of the jet getting ready. Once you were done, you made sure to knock, even though you’d walked in on Sam changing too many times to count while on the run and had seen Bucky answer the door in nothing but a towel. It was mainly for Zemo’s sake, just a warning that you were walking in whether or not they were ready.

“Damn, girl! You clean up nice!”

You rolled your eyes at Sam, painted lips quirking up as you studied him, shooting him a wink. “You should try a mirror, Sammy.” You turned to Bucky to find him staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at you. “What do you think, Buck?”

His mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat, eyes exploring the dips and curves your body. “You…” He blinked once. Twice. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his intense eyes making you heat up, before he shook his head. “You look good.” He rushed out, before spinning on his heel shoving past Sam who was snickering.

“Where’s Zemo?” You noticed he wasn’t in the main area of the plane when you walked in.

“Rearranging our ride once we get there.”

You huffed, fixing your hair. “Oh God. We’re really doing this.”

“Yup.”

“Okay.” You looked down at yourself before looking up at the boys. “Something’s gonna go wrong, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely.”

“No doubt.”

Giving a slight groan at their simultaneous answers, you nodded. “Let’s try not to screw up too badly, boys, alright? I at least want to live long enough to see Peter graduate.”

Sam rolled his eyes with a scoff. “That kid’s a punk.”

“You’re a punk.” You shot back.

Bucky raised his hand. “I second that punk thing.”

“For which one?”

“Both of them.”

You chuckled as Sam gaped at Bucky, who shrugged innocently. The former assassin tilted his head in your direction to shoot you a grin and a wink, making you laugh more. Shaking your head, you go to make a joke when Zemo walked in.

“It’s time. We’re landing now.”

And just like that, the teasing atmosphere dissipated, leaving you anxious and regretful.

*******************

You walked by Bucky, arm linked with his metal one, listening as Zemo told Sam about his “character” he was to play.

“He’s a known womanizer - always has a gorgeous lady on his arm.” Zemo gestured towards you. “It’s the only way they’d let in a woman.”

“Aren’t we going to see a woman?” You questioned, gently patting Bucky’s metallic bicep when his hold on you tightened.

“Which makes it more imperative that you don’t act threatening. Women don’t make the same mistake men do; they don’t underestimate other women.”

You nodded. He had a point there. Bucky faced you, a frown on those pretty lips. “I don’t like this.” He mumbled.

“You think I do?” You whispered back. “With you being him again? Even if it’s just pretend? And need I remind you whose idea this was?”

“I know, I know. Just…” He sighed. “Promise me you won’t get hurt on purpose.”

Your forehead creased. “Why would I-?”

“To protect people. You always do. And I get it, I do. It’s why you started this in the first place, but…save yourself first, this time, okay?”

“Buck-”

“Promise me.”

It wasn’t often you could see the fear in his eyes, hear it in his voice, but you could then. Unable to do anything else you nodded, a soft, “okay” falling from your lips. He nodded back, pressing a kiss to your head, before letting you go as a car approached.

Bucky helped you in - the heels you were wearing were no joke - before sliding in himself, Sam getting in on the other side of you. “And you two can’t be…” Zemo gestured to the two of you as the car started moving, eyeing your still connected hands. “Doing that.”

“This isn’t my first theater production.” You snapped at him. “We’ll be fine.”

He raised his hands in surrender, turning back to look out the windshield. Once you arrived, you gave Bucky’s hand one last squeeze, before accepting Sam’s hand to get out on his side, linking your arm with his like you were doing with Bucky earlier.

“I finally get to see one of your performances, baby.” Sam grinned at you.

You smirked back. “Best seats in the house, too, Smiling Tiger.” He groaned at your jest, nudging you playfully with his elbow as you giggled.

“This way.” Zemo cut in, jerking his head in the direction you’d be going. You took a breath, steeling yourself, before the three of you nodded at each other and followed his lead.

You found the fellas reactions amusing, their heads turning to study and scan everything they could see. You were more subtle in the way you analyzed your surroundings, feeling a bit more at home in this situation than, say, fighting super soldiers on top of semi trucks.

Your jaw tightened, as did your grip on Sam’s arm, when Zemo started speaking Russian, the four of you pushing through a crowded bar. Sam ran his fingers over your arms, giving your hand a little squeeze, silently reassuring you.

It was a bit obvious Sam hadn’t done much undercover work, put he stayed in character and you were impressed. Especially when the bartender started cutting up the snake, which you had to look away for because if there was one thing you couldn’t do…it was snakes. You nearly gagged when Sam reluctantly downed the drink.

Bucky eyed you, lips pursed in a way you recognized as him trying to hold in a smile. That made you feel a little better, hiding your own smile by turning into the crook of Sam’s neck. “Not. Funny.” He growled through clenched teeth, lips not moving.

“Kinda is.”

He grumbled under his breath, before the two of you tuned into the conversation between Zemo and a thug that came up, learning about the apparent power broker of Madripoor, which you a bit of from your time undercover there.

Sam held you tightly when Zemo turned to Bucky, knowing what was about to happen.

You didn’t like it. You didn’t like how easily aggressive he became. You didn’t like the little smirk Zemo gave as Bucky attacked. You didn’t like the cellphones being pointed in his direction. You didn’t like it.

“Didn’t take much for him to fall back into form.” You gave Zemo a warning glare, a shaky breath leaving you.

He’d been doing so well. At least, for someone who had been through what he had. Especially considering it’d only been a few months since he’d been pardoned - half a year since everyone came back. You knew bringing Zemo on board had been a bad idea, but-

A squeeze to your hand pulled you out of your thoughts. You let out an inaudible sigh of relief as Zemo allowed Bucky to let the man he was choking go.

“Selby will see you now.”

One step down. You hoped that would be the hardest part, but you knew it most definitely wouldn’t be.

“You good?”

Bucky sniffed, giving you two a curt nod, before following Zemo. You bit your lip. “That wasn’t really an answer, was it?”

Sam shook his head. “No. No it wasn’t.”

Selby wasn’t exactly what you were expecting, but you’d come to expect that. You stayed on Sam’s arm, giving the guards coy smiles and playing with the fake nails you had on in faux-boredom.

When she purred at the man besides you, you and Bucky glanced at each other, with you resisting the urge to scrunch up your nose. “And who is this gorgeous creature?”

Your eyes snapped back to Selby, giving her a slightly bashful smile. “Celeste Addams. Pleasure.”

“Trust me, dear. The pleasure is all mine.” Alright, you thought as she scanned you with a smirk. She was swinging for both teams. You could work with that. “What’s the offer?” She looked back to Zemo.

Zemo gave her the offer - information about the super soldier serum for the Winter Soldier and the code words to control him. Your blood boiled as Zemo touched Bucky, fingers grabbing his chin. You swore, once this whole thing was over, you would kick Zemo’s ass. You should make a list, just to keep track of all the things he’d done, and no doubt would do, to piss you off. That way he’d know why exactly you were beating his ass.

A name came up, Dr. Wilfred Nagel, along with the knowledge that the super soldier serum was, in fact, in Madripoor. You and Sam met eyes. Second step down.

But before they could get anything else, Sam’s phone buzzed. You ducked your head, closing your eyes, mumbling “fuck” when you saw it was Sarah. Sam’s responses just made you inwardly cringe even more.

“The bank, yeah. We laundered so much mo-” He chuckled nervously. “Yeah. They’ll come around.”

Is he fucking serious? For the love of God, Sammy…

And then she called him Sam. Next thing you knew, Selby was shot and you, Bucky, and Sam were taking out a guard each, you growling at the fact that you couldn’t use your legs because the dress was too damn tight.

You had no choice but to trust Zemo’s lead, but word traveled very quickly here, and less than a minute after walking outside, you were getting shot at.

“C’mon!” Bucky grabbed your arm, pulling you besides him.

“Can you not right now?!”

“I can’t run in these heels!”

You glared at Sam, the killer six inchers on your feet feeling like hell. “Hell no! You did not just say that in front of me!”

“You started it!” You scowled at him, following Bucky into an alley, only to duck as shots rang out. Chest heaving, you looked around for the source of the bullets that killed the men chasing you. Your “guardian angel” as Zemo put it.

She soon appeared in all her stunning, blonde badass glory. “Sharon?”

Sam quickly explained the situation, trying to get her not to shoot Zemo who she had a gun pointed at.

“I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass,” she pointed the gun at Sam, then Bucky, “so that you could save his ass, from his ass.” And the gun was back on Zemo. She shot you a smile. “And your ass is looking beautiful as always.”

You grinned back. “Thanks. You’re not looking too bad yourself.”

As she spoke, your lips turned down. You had tried calling her after Germany, but it always went to voicemail. First thing you did when you got back was try to get everyone pardoned, but it was a process. And then you found out about Wanda and ever since…

Sharon was your first real friend. She was only a couple years younger than you and had been one of your first partners during your time with SHIELD. And the fact that she’d been on the run for years now, even with the Blip, her family not having seen or talked to her since…that was exactly why you couldn’t take a break. She was family and you found there was nothing more important than family. But when she needed you, you were out searching for someone who didn’t want to be found.

How were you supposed to choose between two sisters? How could you cope with the fact that you chose the wrong one?

“Sharon, we need your help.” She laughed at Bucky’s statement. “Please,”

She glanced at you and you nodded. “I’d appreciate it, Share.”

She gave a sigh before nodding. “This isn’t over. I have a place in High Town. You should be safe there for a while.”

She turned and started walking, and you were about to follow, when you remembered something.

Spinning around, your fist connected with Zemo’s cheek, Sam and Bucky shouting in surprise while the man stumbled back. “Don’t you fucking dare touch him like that ever again, or I will break every bone in your body.” You threatened, your expression twisting into a scowl as you grab his hand and bend it awkwardly. He grunted but didn’t move, knowing one wrong turn would break his wrist. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” He ground out.

You pushed a little more, making him wince, before letting go and rounding back to Sharon, who was smirking at you. “Let’s get moving.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She jerked her head back over her shoulder to where a car was waiting, leading them over.

You quickly followed after her with Bucky on your heels and Sam dragging Zemo along. Speaking of heels, as soon as you got in the car - getting shotgun for the first time ever at Sharon’s insistence - you prodded the stupid shoes off your feet.

“Nice kicks.”

“Yeah.” You scoffed. “Unless you’re trying to kick.”

“Did you rip the dress?”

“I was tempted to.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you in something more comfortable. And you’ll look just as good. Not that you wouldn’t look good in literally anything.”

You chuckled, giving her a look. “Let’s not test that theory.”

She smiled back, nodding. “Fine. I’ll let you pick something out.”

Sam huffed, crossing his arms best he could, being squished with the two other fully grown men in the back seat. “Women.”

The two of you exchanged looks, rolling your eyes at the three pouting guys. “Men.”

*****************

“I’m gonna go check on the boys. But I’ll be right back.”

You nodded, looking through her closet. No dresses. And absolutely no heels. Flats, if you had to, but you’d definitely prefer sneakers right now. You decided on shorts and an off-the-shoulder blouse, grateful for the looser clothing.

“They’re idiots.”

You laughed and looked over at the door as Sharon entered. “Yeah. I know.”

“Cute.” She commented on your outfit, sitting on her bed. “They explained the situation. Sam said if I help, he’d clear my name-”

“Sharon.” You sighed, biting your lip. “I tried. I really did. I-”

She shook her head, smiling at you reassuringly. “No, I know. It’s why I’m not mad at you. Sorry I didn’t call back. How’ve you been?”

You shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“Even with the whole ‘Cap is back’ thing.”

“Walker’s the government’s pet. He’s not Captain America. He’s not…”

“Steve?”

Looking up at her from the ground, you nodded. “Yeah.”

“Do you miss him?”

You smirked, wagging your eyebrows at her. “Do you?”

She rolled her eyes, tossing a pillow at you. “It’s kinda weird now, isn’t it?”

“Maybe a little. But I can’t blame you. Have you seen him shirtless? Good God.”

Sharon laughed, shaking her head as you joined her on the bed. “How come it’s always you getting wrapped up in these things?”

“I have no clue.” You chuckled, crossing your legs underneath you. “First I’m answering a phone call from Bucky at five in the morning and next thing I know, I’m being kicked off of semi trucks, breaking criminals out of prisons and running in six inch heels.”

“You answer Bucky’s calls at five in the morning?”

You gave her a look. “Sharon-”

“No, no. Hey. That’s cool. Some girls like bad boys, some like jocks, others like nerds. You like super soldiers from the 40’s. Everyone’s got a thing.”

A playful shove turned into a pillow fight, which turned into a sparring session, during which you pin her on her back. “You’re getting better.” You complimented, getting up.

She glared at you, taking your outstretched hand and letting you pull her up. “I guess that’s why you’re an Avenger.”

“That’s still weird to say.”

“Why? You’ve been an Avenger since, what? Ultron?”

You nodded, straightening your clothes. “Officially, anyways.”

“Right. Because you were there for the Battle of Manhattan as the secret seventh superhero.”

“Yeah…I miss it. The anonymity. I’m pretty sure I’m one half the Senators’ speed dials.”

Sharon frowned, brows pinching together. “What about the other half of the OG? Where are they?”

“Thor’s in space, Bruce is MIA - which I can’t really blame him for - and Clint’s retired with his family.”

“You think he’s gonna stay retired?”

You shrugged. “I hope he does. He’s been trying to retire for years. He deserves it. Knowing him, though…probably not.”

Sharon crossed her arms, nodding at you. “So that leaves you.”

“Yes it does.”

“Do you ever think of taking a break?”

You gave a half-sigh, half-groan, making her smirk in amusement. “It’s…come up a lot recently. I dunno. I think I’m burning out, anyways.”

“What makes you say that? I was watching you guys with Selby. You’re still one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

“I-I’ve been having…problems.”

Her eyes narrowed, her hands setting on her hips like a mother about to scold her child. “What kind of problems?”

“Just flashbacks. Of different things. It happens at random times. Certain triggers; something someone says or does, or something I smell or hear.”

“PTSD?”

“Something like that.”

“Has it affected you in the field?” Hesitating to answer was answer enough and she nodded. “Then…maybe it’s time you do start considering retiring.”

You snorted, shaking your head. “At 36? There’s no way.”

“C’mon. It’s not too late for you to settle down. Go one a few dates. Meet someone. Maybe have a couple kids-”

“Woah, woah. Slow your roll.” Your features scrunched up in incredulity. “Pump your breaks. No one said anything about marriage or kids.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying…think about it. I heard even Bucky’s been on a few dates.”

It was your turn to narrow your eyes at her, hearing the suggestive tone in her voice and seeing the eyebrow raise. “Yeah. He has. A few. I told him to. Told him it might be good for him to, I dunno, get back out there.

“Or, you could just…go out there with him.”

“Not you too! Have you been talking to Sam?”

“Is it Steve? Is that what’s stopping you? Because you know he’d just want you to be hap-” She stopped as he phone vibrated, grabbing it and reading the text. “Company’s arriving.” She pointed a finger at you. “You got very very lucky. This conversation isn’t over. I’m not dropping this.”

You bit your cheek and nodded. “Alright, mom. Can we go party now?”

She breathed out a laugh and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go party.”

**********************

“Hey, gorgeous! There you are!”

You smirked at the boys as they met you near the top of the stairs, eyeing Sam and Bucky appreciatively. Damn, could Sam pull off a turtleneck. And Bucky in black and skinny jeans? Sharon sure had good taste. “Today’s the day for attractive outfits, huh, gentlemen?”

“I’ll say.” Bucky hummed, glancing at your own outfit. “You look beautiful, doll.”

“You look very dashing yourself, Barnes.” You grin, pulling at the lapels of his black blazer and fixing the collar. You smoothed your hand down the front of his shirt, looking up at him with an eyebrow raised when he caught your wrist, keeping your palm over his heart.

He clenched his jaw, taking a breath, before letting it out, almost dejectedly, and letting your hand go. “Um,” He cleared his throat, hand falling down by his side. “Did, uh, did Sharon say anything more about these friends of hers to you?”

“Nope.” You shook your head. “Just told me to enjoy the party.”

“I guess we should go enjoy the party, then.” Sam nodded towards the stairs, where the music was floating up, her guests already pouring in.

You made your way downstairs, looking around the room. Sharon sure did know how to throw one, that’s for sure.

People were pushed together, dancing to the beat of the music, drinking, with colored lights flashing every which way. Bucky’s hand found yours almost instantly, and you smiled at him. “C’mon.”

“What?” His eyes were wide as you dragged him towards the groups of people dancing.

“Dance with me.”

He shook his head violently. “I-I can’t.”

“I thought you used to be a dancer?”

“Used to. And I was a swing-dancer. Not…” He gestured around to the people bobbing up and down, moving their bodies with each other.

You waved dismissively, pulling him closer. “All you need to do is feel the beat. I’m sure you can do that, can’t you, Mr. Tough and Scary Assassin?”

He licked his lips, looking around nervously. You brought his hands to your hips, making his eyes snap back to yours, your own arms winding around his neck. You started moving rhythmically, nodding your head to the music, smiling up at him and giggling at the adorable concentration on his face.

“You, uh, you go to parties like this a lot?”

“I specialized in undercover operations, remember? I practically lived at these places for some of them.” He licked his lips, his grasp on your hips tightening. “Loosen up a little.” You laughed, catching his jaw between your fingers and making him look at you instead of the crowd surrounding him. You scratched at the scruff, speaking softly, but loud enough for him to hear. “It’s just me.”

He nodded and, slowly, a bit hesitant, started moving his body with yours, relaxing his tense muscles the longer you two danced.

“Nice hit, by the way. With Zemo earlier.”

You shrugged, turning in his arms, biting your lip when he pulled you closer, your back to his chest. “I didn’t like the way he grabbed you. It was unnecessary. I was thinking of making a list, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Your arms wound around his neck again, your head falling back to his shoulder. “Of things he’s done so far that warrant’s me beating his ass once this is done.”

He chuckled, warm breath tickling your cheek, thumbs tracing circles on the bare skin just above the waistline of your shorts. Your own fingers had found home in his hair holding his head where it was, his lips centimeters away from your ear. “Share it with Sam. I’m sure he has a few things to add.”

Your breath hitched as his metal fingers danced along your bare navel, arm tightening around your waist. “I’m sure he does…I thought you said you can’t dance.”

“I guess I just needed to warm up. I’m a bit rusty after eighty years.”

“Don’t seem that rusty to me.” You breathed out, turning your head to look at him. His tongue ran across his lips again, his eyes glancing to your own.

“Hey, guys!” The world and your situation came crashing down on you, the music you didn’t realize you’d been tuning out, along with the crowd’s boisterous laughter and cheers, rushed back to yours ears. The little bubble with just you and Bucky shattered. You both stepped away from each other; you cleared your throat and pushed down the heat that had nothing to do with the hundred bodies in the one room, while Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, the tips of his ears red with no help from the colored lights. Both of you were panting lightly, avoiding eye contact with the other three staring knowingly at you. Sharon nodded her head, gesturing behind her. “I found him.”

Sam nudged Bucky - who was staring at you, his jaw ticking and his throat tightening as he swallowed thickly - before jabbing his thumb in Sharon’s direction. “Here we go.”

You nodded, eyeing Bucky with a small smile. “Here we go, Buckaroo.”

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mt-words · 3 years

Text

Can we get some dream smp fandom positivity posts? As someone who posts mostly analysis and has never once had someone say anything rude in response, I think we perceive the fanbase as more toxic than it is because of a few outspoken individuals. Y'all are pretty chill and I like you.

In no particular order-

I love that Eret’s fans come up with such cool theories, I swear she could give you two sentences of lore and I could see three five page essays on what it could mean about their character within an hour and each of them is unique, intricate, and makes logical sense.

I love the compilations Foolish fans make of him doing ridiculous things on stream, he’s a fun guy that never fails to make me laugh and everything I see from them embodies that energy to me.

I love how creative Hannah’s fans are, you take the awesome ideas she has and turn them into the most amazing designs and concepts.

I love that Techno’s fans might write a ten page essay about his character or just say they enjoy watching him do crime, and you never know which it will be because both come from the same people.

I love how Philza’s fans embrace everything he does with so much enthusiasm. His chat is a flock of crows? Excellent, they can work with that, you will see fifty incredible pieces of art and a hundred theories in the first hour and they’re just getting started.

I love that Niki’s fans are so careful to pay attention and not miss any details. It has been ages and I still see occasional mentions and theories about the “Dear Friend” letter.

I love that Fundy’s fans are very empathetic, they love to find and elaborate on the connections between characters and that’s pretty cool!

I love Tommy’s fans for their energy. They seem passionate about making things right and hopeful that no matter what your situation is things can get better. I’ve seen so many breathtakingly emotional art pieces from this side of the fandom.

I love that George’s fans unapologetically simp for him but then catch me off guard by making deep insights about his character.

I love how Bad’s fans are as genuinely sweet as he is, they’re willing to really look at everything that makes up a character and see the tragedy of it and have compassion about things. And some just want to see an egg rule the server, c'mon, it would be funny.

I love the running gag with Skeppy fans of making Skeppy critical posts, y’all are hilarious.

I love how Purpled fans play up his lack of lore as him being an incredibly powerful cryptid, and they’re right. He totally carried the wither fight on Nov 16th.

I love the balance Quackity fans have between a love of humor, justice, and darker topics. I think like Quackity they are often underestimated and thought of as the jokester side of the fandom to an extent, and then I start reading things they write and it’s well thought out and insightful.

I love that Tubbo’s fans love chaos, cute things, or both to an unhealthy extent. Seeing anything from them reminds me of princess unikitty in all the best ways, and then they turn around and throw a super in depth meaningful analysis at me in the next breath.

I love everything about Sapnap’s fans. Y'all are perfect. The writing and art from the born in fire line? Gold.

I love how Jschlatt fans are generally chill and just enjoy whatever they want to. Their favorite Manburg president was the one who publicly executed his right hand man and gave Dream a resurrection book for firepower, and he looked good doing it.

I love that Callahan has fans. You people are dedicated and I respect it. The fact that Callahan was one of the first names to pop up when everyone was trying to figure out who Harpocrates was even though he rarely involves himself with plot? Your influence knows no bounds.

I love that Alyssa’s fans are simply too powerful. She hasn’t played on the smp since way before I started watching and there are still people defending her barn and drawing pictures of her.

I love that Antfrost’s fans have taken so many ideas and just ran with them and made them awesome. Like him practicing magic? Perfect, he now carries potions and gets a wizard hat.

I love that Dream fans look at a character who has been portrayed as pure evil from many points of view and understand that Everyone has motives based on their situation, even if it isn’t handed to us in an easily understood way.

I love how Jack’s fans are so ready to support any action he takes. Crawling out of hell? Incredible. Killing a child? Good for him! Go team Rocket. Grieving the same child? Learning healthy coping, he’s the coolest.

I love that Connor eats Pants fans are the most reasonable people in this fandom. This is terrifying. Thank you for your service, you always make me smile.

I love that Punz fans unapologetically just love their capitalist mercenary. As they should, his presence always tips the scales and everything he does brings more depth to the characters and plots he interacts with.

I love how much Ranboo fans love complexity. Most of them aren’t afraid to admit that their favorite characters are flawed, because aren’t those flaws what make them interesting and relatable?

I love the variety of Hbomb fans. Half of them may be embracing the cat maid bit while the other half goes on about how impactful and cool L’cast is, but they’re all super chill.

I appreciate that Puffy fans take the time to understand so many perspectives. So many posts I see involving her tie in lore from other characters and find interesting ways to connect them and build them together, kind of like Puffy herself.

I love that Wilbur fans seem to approach the story like they’re solving a puzzle, carefully piecing together details from months apart to figure out how and why everything goes down.

I love how hard Ponk fans work to spread awareness of how awesome he is. Ponk says and does wonderful things and is very fun to watch. I never would have tried his content without them.

I love that Karl fans saw him wanting to be involved and started coming up with such cool ideas around his character that they actually made them canon. Correct me if I’m wrong, wasn’t the time traveler thing a fan theory at first?

I love the creativity Sam fans have with his design and their willingness to discuss complex moral issues. Sam is involved in some heavy lore stuff but he and his fans keep things entertaining and calm.

I’m sure I missed some things, please feel free to add on!

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