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spinoff-antithesis · 1 year

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[@distinguished-turtle-enjoyer ]

i actually have not stopped thinkin bout your bb!edit like,,,, its so good and scratches my brain right

how long have you been doin edits for? do have any tips for someone, who hypothetically, wants to start doin edits too? what programs do you use? how did you do the cool animated bits?

im so sorry for all the qustions 😭😭 i just think youre very talented and inspirational and i hope you have a good day ^_^

hi firstly oh my gosh you're literally so sweet i am gently shaking you i love you so much /p. secondly, i apologize for the long answer! (it's all under the cut. this got away from me. i'm so sorry apparently i have a lot to say.) (also you're so good about the questions i would constantly be asking one of my professors questions during class to the point where she said i didn't have to go "i have a question" every time i approached her)

i've been editing since 2016! around march/april, i think? loved it so much i went into film & video production in college as a major so i could do editing for a living. (i have done more motion graphics for my classmates than i have done edits outside of class assignments, BUT!)

the program i use is after effects - i started learning it when covid first hit the united states because i had nothing better to do with my time (other than music theory but i failed that bc my professor focused more on the history aspects than the actual theory soooo) and my ipad kept giving me the "no more storage" whenever i tried to use videostar lmao. (vs has, apparently, gotten a LOT of good updates, so if you're looking to start editing and have an ios system, i'd look into it! only downside is you have to pay for some of the cool stuff).

also the program i use for masking (i think i explain this later dwdw) is superimpose. i've been using it since 2014 and it's SO nice bc i can use my fingers to erase backgrounds & stuff instead of hoping i can get it to work correctly in ae or photoshop (photoshop my DETESTED i'll use it but i'll complain the entire time).

for people who want to start editing: tutorials on how your program works and how to do specific transitions are gonna be your best friend when you're first figuring things out! i forced a friend to literally walk me through how after effects worked when i was first figuring it out, and when i had swapped to videostar back in 2017/2018(?) i had watched a Lot of tutorials. that and played around a lot and figured things out on my own - which is also always a good way to start!! it's also totally valid to look at other people's edits for inspiration - most editors don't really care, as long as you don't flat-out remake their edit (some people don't like that!). i have a style insp folder on instagram where i save edits that i like so if i need transition ideas or i'm doing a different style, i can look there for inspiration. at the end of the day, as long as you're having fun with it that's all that matters!

also, starting simple is always okay!! my edits for a year were just me slapping gifs & video segments together on a timeline in cute cut pro bc imovie didn't load them lol & it'd crash every time i breathed. ++ it never hurts to ask people for feedback/constructive(!!!) criticism/etc! (also not to sound like everyone else but practice? good. it's so good. if i showed my 14/15y/o self some of the edits i can make now they would've passed out on the spot bc i was still trying to figure out transitions back then. programs can also sometimes make a difference in edits, but usually it's not super noticeable until you start getting to the Complicated Shit.)

a lot of popular programs i've seen are ones like video star (ios only), alight motion (android only), after effects (i recommend 🏴‍☠️ing it tbh, i only use it legally bc i had to use adobe programs for school), capcut, and i think some people still use sony vegas pro & maybe cute cut pro (i've heard it may have actually gotten better since i last used it in 2018)? i have no idea. programs also depend on whatever device you're using to edit on! since i've been using my laptop, i'm able to use after effects (it's computer-only), but when i used my phone/ipad to edit i used ccp & vs.

for the animation - it's a lot of cutting up the image and masking! more complex animations, like the one i had of leo walking down that red 'hallway' have several different layers that have been masked. (i removed the background & filled in the spot where leo originally was in two different apps - superimpose (taking leo out) & photoshop (filling in the bg)) in after effects, the way i've done this was mask out the specific thing i wanted to move (like an eye) and then put that mask on what i've called a "base" (not animated), and then stick a solid behind the base to match the color of the object. (some of my layers are not named appropriately; base 2 is the left arm & the four "SIX_[...]" layers are the mask/bandana tails)

an example of this would be for any of the eye blink animations i did! this (above) is the same shot, with and without the eye - since it's masked out and i have the background solid behind it, it doesn't look too unnatural/have a black outline/mass where his eye should be.

what it looks like without the solid layer behind it ^ (the red lines are from the null layers - ignore that)

this is what my timeline looks like if it's a more simplistic animation - the only five things being animated here are leo & raph's eyes. (there's only this many layers bc it's two characters in one shot & i was also animating their pupils - typically, an eye-blink animation is about 4-6 layers for me (solid, base, mask, & null to animate with, 6 if i'm animating both eyes & 4 if just one))

in after effects, there's this really cool tool called the puppet pin that one of my friends (lovingly) yelled at me for not knowing about - which. yeah fair she wasn't wrong it's SUPER useful in animating, provided you chop up your image first. if you don't it's a mess.

(separated by layer vs i should've really put the mask tails & leo's head on separate layers and didn't bc that was the 2nd to last animation i had to do and i was losing my mind bc i wanted to be done with the edit lmao)

the way people animate depends all on their style (there's two common ways to do blinking animation - having the anchor point at the bottom of the eye, or the middle of it) and the program they use. it's been a while, but i could probably tell you how to do some basic animations on videostar still even though i've been doing them in after effects for about 2-3years now. ALSO the best way to have an animation be noticeable is to over-exaggerate it/make them Big - which, yes, can mean 'breaking bones' and having the limbs be a little wonky at the start. (if you want it to be realistic though go Just to the point where it looks uncomfortable lmao)

uhm. again i am so sorry that this is so long i THINK this is everything? if not: my inbox/dms are always open if you ever want to ask more questions, wanna follow up on something, etc etc!! (also if you ever start editing please send me your edits!!! i'd love to see them <3)

#this got away from me im SO sorry (just put this in google docs out of curiosity. 1255 words. i am so sorry for the essay.)#uhm. ANYWAY YES like i said if you have any other questions feel free to reach out!!! i am always alway willing to help people out #with stuff like this!!! i can talk your ear off though if this wasn't enough proof of that /j #if nothing makes sense it's bc i'm responding to this at like. 5am my time. so. my bad if there's typos i'm so sorry #like i think i saw this ask at 4:40ish am and i'm still making sure i've got everything covered and its like 5:32am LMAO #me when i dont sleep bc i have no routine now #ask box pals #art creds in the screenshots to trubblegumm !! <- tagging to be safe #still in shock at the amount of positive feedback im getting from my bb!leo edit like oh my god you guys are incredible ilysm /p #sorry i discovered in the middle of typing out my tags that you can edit them now after you've hit enter where am i.#also this is offtopic so its down here but i am Not complaining about doing more motion graphics than actual editing.#a bitch has won two awards for their motion graphics at festivals and i've been doing them for a YEAR #(laughs in the first time i ever did a real one i won a student award. idk how. but i DID and i won the pro category this year <3)#it would be nice tho to do more editing for short films tho :( had a professor tell me i was good at it.#i should rly start using my camera and shoot my own stuff and edit it huh. maybe i will eventually i have a few ideas.#anyway. i need to stop rambling abt my experience as a film student and go to bed i apparently need to be up in the morning but idk WHEN

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iridescentides · 3 years

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INFLUENTIAL EDITORS: ARIANNA (@seance)

hey friends! in honor of my two year gif-iversary, i’ve compiled a list of the 5 people on tumblr who i feel have impacted me the most as a gif maker. these people make this site brighter not only with their editing talents, but also with their kindness, supportiveness, and creativity. each person on the list will be honored on my blog with a post explaining their impact, a day-long “takeover” where i reblog their gifs to recognize their talent, and a spot on my influential editors page. please join me in celebrating these creators by checking out their blogs and reblogging their edits.

today is dedicated to arianna, whose edits can be found here.

i found arianna’s blog at some point when my fixation on the umbrella academy was at its peak. i was admiring her gifs before i even learned how to gif. it was so amazing to see someone creating so heavily for a show i loved so much, and when i first started out i would compare my tua colorings to hers to try and improve. to this day i am floored every time i see one of her magnificent tua edits in my tag.

arianna is an influential editor to me because she is literally one of a kind. i tried to mimic her style this week for the gmpmeme, and in trying to get in her head i was reminded just how unique and special her creations are. her gifs are incredibly detailed, intricate, and well thought out. each of her sets is a full Experience. her meticulous dedication to her many fandoms is a gift for all of us on here who get to experience her creations for free. her passion shines through in every single work. she forges her own path, putting her visions and ideas into action. and on top of being an incredible gif maker, she is also a very sweet and kind person to talk to, and it’s clear that she is well-loved on this site. i’ve seen her mentioned frequently in other people’s appreciation posts, insp links, shoutouts, etc. because we can all agree that she is absolutely incredible. it is undeniable that her skills, passion, and personality are cause for celebration, admiration, and appreciation.

recent edits you should see:

shadow and bone: fear is a phoenix

the umbrella academy + loneliness

shadow and bone: grisha orders

#2yrgif #seance #influential editors #influential editors: arianna

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murfeelee · 3 years

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Without Fail tag - Simblr Style

Rules: List five things that you, WITHOUT FAIL, weave into or explore in your stories, whether it be specific themes or tropes, character archetypes, allusions to other literary works, what have you! It really can be anything that you consistently include in your narratives for whatever reason. Then invite others to share theirs by tagging them!

I saw @drawing-way-outside-the-lines do this here for OC writing inspiration, but I liked the idea of thinking about the question in terms of things I always incorporate into my simming gameplay:

5 things I include in my gameplay WITHOUT FAIL

Fandoms

Multicultural representation

LGBT+ representation

Fantasy genres

Occult lifestates

MY THOUGHTS (and MINI RANT, oops)

1): Fandoms:

My gameplay is nowhere near original. It is 100% derivative, as I am always inspired by my current/favorite tv/film, anime & video game fandoms, that I try to recreate in The Sims 3.

I’ve stuck with some fandom recreations longer than others--not necessarily because I like one more than the other, but often because I need the right CC to get the look & feel of the particular show or game. And most of the time, there’s eff all being made by anyone in the community that suits my needs, unless I make the dang CC myself. And that gets tiring, to the point that I don’t even have the energy to keep certain gameplays going anymore, and I lose my inspiration/willpower and move on to something else.

2): Multicultural representation:

I am bored to death of EA’s monotone obsession with upper middle class straight white American suburban contemporary worlds, sims and stories. I wish every Sims game could be Bon Voyage or World Adventures, where we got THREE (3!) new culturally inspired worlds with every release (especially considering the tiny AF “worlds” that come in TS4, jeeze).

Asia and Africa are the largest continents on the whole dang planet, yet all we keep getting are China, Japan and Egypt? We have yet to get an African Congo, or Indian/Cambodian jungle (eff Mt Komorebi, let’s climb the Himalayas!), or anything even acknowledging Australia. (You know how many awesome exotic pets we could’ve had by now!? I want peacocks, DARNIT!) Likewise, we keep getting South/Meso American content, but not a drop of anything Caribbean--no Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, nothing, even though they constantly include voodoo dolls & dreadlocks in every game, like wow.

And the second we DO get some cultural content, you racist hypocrite mofos start complaining about the game generating too many Asian names in the Asian-inspired city of San Myshuno WTF, or how IRL Shinto religion is offensive in a Shinto-inspired Japanese village I CAN’T EVEN with y’all; this is why we can’t have nice things.

Rant over, I’m done.

But yeah, I just want my gameplay & sims to include a wide array of different time periods and cultural backgrounds, because the world is NOT California, EA, eff what Hollywood tells people.

3:) LGBT+ representation

I like loving & wholesome representation of the LGBTQIAP+ rainbow spectrum. Contrary to what Tumblr thinks, gay culture and NSFW content are mutually exclusive, as you CAN post LGBT+ content that is family friendly without flagging every effing post that has anything to do with homosexuality. I’m STILL bugging over how Tumblr flagged everyone’s Pride posts a few years ago, before people got on their case!

4): Fantasy genres:

My favorite genre is fantasy. I tend to think of fantasy 3 main ways: magical, horror, or sci-fi, and depending on my mood, my gameplay can bounce around from month to month between something creepy/goth, or futuristic, or high/low fanciful. Sadly, very rarely do I ever find gameplay inspo that hits the sweet spot between all three.

5:) Occult Lifestates:

My households always include at least one occult sim. My avatar sim Sakura Rain has been a faery since day one. Before we got Supernatural, I had her decked out in these pointed ear accessories, then the pointed ear sliders, etc, until we finally got official content. Even in Nagron from my Spartacus insp gameplay, in the most "normal" household I have, Nasir is still a hedgewitch, and Agron is a werewolf.

_________________________________________________

So yeah, that’s the 5 things I always include in my TS3 gameplay, without fail.

Thanks for reading!

#simblr #questionnaire #sims 3 gameplay #the sims 3 #ts3 #mini rant

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sunshinesukuna · 4 years

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hogwarts school of sorcery and sweethearts

✨pairing : magic!kuroo x magic!reader

✨genre: fluff

✨tw: light swearing

✨ insp: adore you - harry styles, samaras - debbie morena, tt - twice

✨ do y’all just find an amv with a song that slAPS but the song lyrics are just so weird?? so you’re searching through google like ‘indicocoa huhaa’ or other shit like ‘bacardi blowjobs’ or smtn like that? haha lol. anyway, enjoy 3.5k of kuroo simpin’ over you.

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 | 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐢: 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧) | 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢: 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 (𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧)

Sorceress Saeko’s Guide to Helpful Herbs and Plants

The Laughing Lily is a species of magical plant native to Eastern to Southeastern Asia, but was introduced to western shores circa 1500 AD by magical merchants. Characterized by brilliant flowers and stems and leaves that move quite like snakes, these plants have been known to be lethal if not handled properly. It is advised to strike up a mutual respect with them before handling. Their namesake “laughing” is not actually laughing, but more of the sound their flowers make to attract pollinators, both magical or not. Known pollinators include Blast Ended Skrewts, Flobberworms, and Nifflers.

Kuroo didn’t know where to look anymore. Out of all the books in the library, years of Professor Sprout’s teaching expertise, and everyone that he asked, no one could explain to him how the hell mandrake respiratory systems work. And there was going to be a test on Wednesday? Well now he was thoroughly fucked.

Kuroo put his head on the table. Every inch of the desk he was working on was covered in parchment and books. He cast a simple arranging spell, and the books flew into a neat stack on top of one another. If possible, he mussed up his already messy hair. It now looked like a swarm of Blubbering Humdingers had taken residence in his black locks.

"You've been moaning and groaning all week, Kuroo,” Kenma said. Kenma put his legs on the other side of the couch. He fiddled with his wand.

"It's nothing. I just can't wrap my head around mandrake respiratory systems, you know?" Kenma sighed as he flipped through Kuroo’s books.

"This is third-year material, Kuroo,” Kenma said, not looking up from one of Kuroo’s textbooks. “Is Quidditch the only thing that's inside your head?" Kuroo scoffed.

“Hey! I’m good at Transfiguration, okay?”

“Well it looks like this was the trade off.”

“You think so?”

“Hm. Well maybe someone in your year could help you.” Kuroo’s ears instantly perked up at the suggestion, but he slouched back in his seat again once he realised what Kenma was implying

“And you think I haven’t asked everybody to help me?” Kuroo asked. He raised his hands in defeat. The volume of his hair seemed to deflate along with his ego.

“No.” Kenma gave him a blank stare. His pupils dilated before the candlelight, reflecting the flame in his dark eyes. He shrugged.

“So who should I—”

The Fat Lady’s boisterous laughter waned from the inside as you closed the door behind you. Even though it was already dark in the middle of January, sweat dripped off of you like dew on morning grass. A large clay pot was balanced in between your arms, holding a plant with magnificent neon flowers that buzzed around in the air like angry bees.

Kenma pointed his chin to your wobbling form that was stumbling up the stairs, obviously having a hard time with the heavy weight between your arms.

“(Y/N)?” Kuroo asked. Kenma nodded and went back to his book, not saying another word.

To say that you and Kuroo were friends was an exaggeration. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to you, it was more like he couldn’t. Whenever he found the time or energy to strike up a conversation with you, one of his friends would always whisk him away to do something else. The most you had exchanged were simple nods and pursed-lip smiles.

Kuroo sucked on his teeth as he thought about how to approach you. He couldn’t just knock the girl’s dorm door and say, “Hey, (Y/N) I need your help and I’m doomed if I don’t get it.” Nor could he plop down right next to you and suddenly ask about your favourite Quidditch teams in the hope that you would reply. He didn’t want to startle you.

Kuroo clicked his tongue. “Do you perhaps have someone else in mind?” Kuroo asked Kenma.

Kenma shrugged half-heartedly. Kuroo massaged the space between his eyebrows in frustration.

This was a new problem altogether. He could have just asked Professor Longbottom, but his constant paranoia that Kuroo wouldn’t understand the subject made Kuroo even more confused than he was before meeting him.

Opportunity struck the next morning at breakfast. Amidst the stacks of various breakfast foods, you were perched on a bench near your friends. A copy of the Daily Prophet in hand, you seemed to pay no mind to the magical flowers that— quite literally— slithered their way around your head. They didn’t even seem to bother you one bit. You must be invincible in tickle wars, Kuroo thought.

He shook off any unnecessary thoughts in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he marched off to where you sat. Kuroo sat down next to you.

“Good morning,” you said, looking up from the newspaper. “Oh, hi Kuroo!” Kuroo gave you the warmest smile he could muster. He hoped that he didn’t look like that Slytherin second year when he smiled. What was his name again? Kagetora? Koganegawa? Kageyama?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden lunge from one of your flower-snakes on your head. Startled, Kuroo raised his hands to defend himself. He did not account for the glass of pumpkin juice in his hand. It landed with a magnificent splash on both of your robes.

“Stop that!” you cried. The plants on your head stilled with a flick of your wand. You looked down at the wet puddle on your pants. Kuroo muttered a Hot-Air Charm to dispel it.

“I’m sorry, I just—” Kuroo apologized.

“No, no, it’s not your fault,” you interrupted. “Professor Sprout gave me these Leaping Lilies to take care of for the week, and,” you peeled a stray leaf off your hair, “I haven’t yet found out how to tame them exactly.”

“Ah.” What was he supposed to say now? Should he risk being seen as too straightforward and directly ask for your help? Or should he stretch it out a bit? No, breakfast time was almost over.

“Um, (Y/N),” he said. His eyes were suddenly looking at the two of yours. There was an expectant look in your eyes that derailed Kuroo’s train of thought.

“Can you do me a favour?” You cocked an eyebrow.. The Leaping Lilies around your head seemed to glare at Kuroo. He shook off their stare and started to formulate his words.

“What’s up?” you asked.

“Do you know how Mandrakes work? Their organs, diet, habitats, all that?” You nodded. “Could you maybe… study with me sometime? I’m struggling a lot with them.”

You parted your lips a little. Did you think he was being a little overbearing? Did he say something wrong?

"If you explain it to me,” Kuroo sputtered, ”I'll save you premium seats on our match against Slytherin next week." You simply threw your head back and laughed.

Suddenly, it seemed someone shocked his left shoulder with a bolt of electricity. Kuroo looked at his shoulder. You had put your hand on it, like Kuroo wasn’t just an acquaintance you had bumped into several times prior, or had spilled a cup of pumpkin juice on you earlier.

Had your positions been switched, Kuroo would have just given you a dirty stare and slipped a dose of diluted Shrinking Solution in your orange juice. Thank goodness you were nice.

"It’s okay, Kuroo. Mandrake anatomy is much more complicated than that of other various magical herbs and fungi."

Kuroo sighed. Ok. Mission completed. You removed your hand from his shoulder, brushing his collarbone in the process. Saliva pooled in his mouth, but not from the food in front of him. You surely hadn’t put much thought into the touch, but he was starting to get goosebumps from mere skin on skin contact. Aroused or afraid, he didn’t know.

“Although, those premium seats don’t sound too bad,” you said. “I’ll see you later tonight at the common room?” Kuroo nodded. Once you were gone, he pumped his fist in the air and hissed a quiet “Yeah!” under his breath. He had just scored himself a study date.

The roof of the Great Hall twinkled in reflection of the stars above. Classes had ended with few to none mishaps, save for Kuroo’s Hiccuping Solution blowing up in Bokuto’s face. No mind, nothing that Madam Pomfrey couldn’t fix.

He spotted you sitting down the table eating with your friends. You had discarded your robes in favour of some more casual clothes, like Kuroo hadn’t caught you in sweatpants and an old T-shirt out of the corner in his eye in the common room before.

This was the first time he was actually paying attention though. Kuroo hesitated to call it ‘staring’, but what else would it be? His eyes flitted between the friendly banter in front of him and the… rather attractive specimen that he was due to spend time with later. Kuroo focused his willpower on the mashed potatoes in front of him than the fork in your hands.

Supper went on without a hitch. Kuroo refused to touch pumpkin juice, the innocent beverage evoking memories from that morning that he would like to forget as soon as possible.

Kuroo spotted you walking out the hall with your friends once supper was over. He caught your eyes and pointed his chin back to the dormitories. You muttered a quick excuse to your friends and joined him as you walked back to Gryffindor Tower together.

“So…” Kuroo said, “how’s it going with those Laughing Lilies?” You furrowed your eyebrows. Shit. What was the name of those plants again? Kuroo specifically remembered that they were lilies that tried to attack him, nothing else.

“Oh!” you exclaimed. “You mean the Leaping Lilies.” Ah, shit. You were going to think that he was a rude fool that couldn't even remember the names of a simple plant. Not to mention that you were that passionate about them. But you shrugged instead. “They’re doing alright.”

You made small conversation with him on the journey back. Talks about Quidditch, annoying professors, and the newest wizarding discoveries in the field of Herbology. The little eye-twitch you did whenever you laughed made Kuroo giggle like a lovesick schoolboy. Hey, who was he to talk? Maybe he was one after all.

The common room was filled with the usual hustle bustle of the Gryffindors. Kenma sat in his usual armchair near the fireplace. Upon seeing you enter besides Kuroo, he raised an eyebrow. Kuroo gave him a wink. Kenma sighed and went back to his book wordlessly.

Kuroo's books were already out on the table when you went upstairs to get yours. the result of half an hour of contemplation over which books to put on the top of his stack to make him seem knowledgeable enough. He allowed himself to slouch back and close his eyes. When he opened them, you were standing in front of him with a dark green book in your hand and your lips too close for comfort. Kuroo snapped to attention right then and there.

“If you’re tired, we can do this another time, you know?” you said. Kuroo waved his hand.

“No, I’m alright," he replied. You opened your book in front of him.

“Okay,” you replied, your voice tinted with uncertainty. You pulled a strand of your hair back as you took out your quill and parchment.

"So a Mandrake has six main organ systems..." you started.

Was it wrong to say that Kuroo studied your mannerisms more than the mandrakes? Bumping into your hand when reaching for a new piece of parchment. His attention not on the diagram you were holding, but on your lips that were explaining. Kuroo could feel Kenma roll his eyes from behind him. Surely, your smile was the devil’s whisper leading him astray from the topic at hand.

And it wasn’t just the way you looked either. Your words flowed with both a confidence and passion that sprouted from your love of the theme. Unlike the previous people he had come to for help, you spoke in your own words. Layers of textbook unclarity dissipated beneath your understanding, and for a second, Kuroo caught himself marvelling at how passionate you were at this. That and your constant checking on Kuroo; making sure that he had understood every section you went over, made him fall harder and harder.

Kuroo felt like skydiving; the gravity of your smiles pulling him farther and farther away from the clarity of his mind that was long forgotten in the skies above. Free falling through the clouds had never felt this good before. He would do it every waking second of his life if it meant he could experience the dopamine and adrenaline coursing through his brain like this.

“Thank you so much, (Y/N),” he said, when you two were finally done. You had been kind enough to lend him your notes and observations to help him with Professor Sprout’s subject.

“It’s no problem, Kuroo.” None of you dared talk, afraid to disrupt the quiet cooperation that you had slowly built up over the last four hours. Your books were in hand, ready to accompany back to your dorms. As were Kuroo’s.

“You could-" you adjusted a stray lock of hair, “you could come to me again for help if you need it, you know?”

“Sure.” Kuroo bobbed his head, excitement coursing through him at the thought of another one of these meetings with you. “Think I will.”

The day of the match rolled around faster than Kuroo thought it would. It seemed just like an hour had passed between getting his test back from Professor Sprout (marked with a bright ‘Outstanding’, thank you very much) and gearing up for the fifth game of the season.

Kuroo’s crimson robes fluttered in the wind as he waited for you to come. Thirty more minutes before the match was due to start, and you were nowhere in sight. A steady stream of students had began coming down by now, some asking why Kuroo was shooing them away from perfectly empty, usable seats. Sweat trickled down between his palms and the leather gloves he wore.

He let out a breath of relief, then sucked it back in in anticipation when he saw you arrive on the bleachers. You ran as quickly as you could to take the seats which had been so faithfully saved for you.

"Thanks for the seats, Kuroo," you said. Kuroo pursed his lips and nodded.

"No problem."

An awkward silence blanketed the two of you. You balanced between the balls and the heels of your feet, not knowing what to say next. One of your friends clapped you on the back and called you to come sit down.

"I'll be with my friends, yeah? Good luck." And there it was again. That tantalizing touch of yours that made Kuroo want to ditch the game in favour of a boring class or a lazy night, given that it was with you. Your touch lingered on his arm as you retreated back to the safety of your close friends.

"Y-yeah. See ya," Kuroo said, not realizing that you had left by now. As he went back to the dugout, he found himself stroking the spot on his arm where your hand had been just moments ago. January afternoons weren’t supposed to be this hot, were they?

"Oya? Is that the girl that Kuroo's been seeing?" a voice asked behind him. Owl-Boy’s shock of black and white hair, frozen in its place by constant flying gave him a nice greeting.

"Wha— I'm not dating her, Bokuto!" Kuroo said. Bokuto’s other owl-eyed friend was hot on his heels with his own comeback.

"You sure look like you are from the way you give each other googly eyes," Akaashi said. Bokuto laughed at the bright red slowly creeping up Kuroo’s face.

“Shut it, Akaashi,” Kuroo rebuked. “Back me up here, Kenma.”

“You did look kinda lovestruck when she was in front of you, you know?” Kuroo whipped his head back, a hand over his heart over-exaggerating his betrayal.

“I’m shocked! Oh, to be stabbed in the back by someone you called a dear friend!” Kuroo moaned. Kenma and Akaashi rolled their eyes. Bokuto, however was at his friends’s side immediately.

“Who stabbed you in the back?” Bokuto asked. His eyes were filled with genuine panic. “Was it a Levitating Charm? Should we get Madam Pomfrey?”

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi’s calm voice called. Akaashi shook his head. Bokuto pouted, standing back up.

“Akaashi’s right though, you know?” Kenma muttered. “Your eyes go kinda like—" Kenma stretched out his eye sockets with his fingers; he looked like a corpse that had been given a rude awakening. Kuroo scoffed.

The joking was cut off by a loud bell outside, signalling that the players would need to get ready. The Gryffindor players circled around Kuroo.

“Alright, let’s do this, Gryffindor!” Kuroo said. Friendly Schoolboy Kuroo had switched his place with Quidditch Captain Kuroo. “What’s our plan this time around, Kenma?”

Kenma looked up. “Um, if any of the Bludgers could land a hit on Kageyama and MIya Atsumu, that would be great. Other than that… playing normally shouldn’t be a problem.” Kuroo put his hands on his hips, in his best rallying stance.

“Alright you all!” The Gryffindor Quidditch Team put their hands in the middle of the circle. “We are the blood that flows smoothly and circulates oxygen, so that the brain can work normally.” With a strong “Let’s go!” they marched onto the field.

With the screech of the whistle, they kicked up into the air.

Kuroo flew like he had never flown before. He would like to say that adrenaline coursing through his veins was from the cheering of the crowd below; but he would be lying once he caught sight of you. A Gryffindor banner was in your hands, the enchanted red and gold glitter blinking from the glare of the sun. You joined the other Gryffindors in support of their house players. His heart swelled in pride when you shouted his name a little louder than the rest.

The game felt like a fanciful daydream his mind would cook up when he was bored during History of Magic. Kuroo’s feet semed to kick through soft clouds as he warded the Quaffles away from the hoops. Sure, some of them occasionally went in, but it was enough of a point gap to let them relax a little. Someone had definitely slipped in a little bit of Felix Felicis into his orange juice that morning.

Even the Slytherin chasers—who had been hailed as the best chasers Slytherin House has ever seen in a decade— seemed to have a rough time getting through Kuroo. It went without saying; Kuroo felt invincible.

Bokuto caught the Snitch, accompanied with shrieks and wild applause from the crowd. He pumped it into the air, making sure that everyone in the audience would be witness to Gryffindor’s victory. Half-hearted handshakes and enthusiastic claps on the back were exchanged. Kuroo almost revelled in the defeat on the Slytherin’s faces.

Kuroo’s heart was almost close to bursting. His little victories over the past week were proving too much for his heart to take. Little did he know, he would bag another one soon.

“We should bag some cakes from the house elves later!” Bokuto suggested as he changed back into his robes.

“Like the rest of them haven’t gone and done that already,” Kuroos said. It was a Gryffindor tradition to go and ask the house elves to cook up a feast every time they scored a Quidditch victory.

“Kuroo,” Kenma said from the outside of the locker room, “you’ve got a visitor.” Kuroo walked out into the frigid January air to see your shivering form waiting outside on the benches.

“Aren’t you cold there?” he asked. You perked up at the sound of his voice. It was kind of cute how you waddled over to where he was standing. Kuroo cast a simple heating spell between the two of you. “What brings you over? Aren’t the others already on their second bottle of butterbeer by now?”

You giggled. Kuroo felt his heart almost collapse with his second victory of the day; the first being quidditch, this being the second.

“I lost the game of rock paper scissors, so the others sent me down to give this to you all,” you said. From your pocket, you conjured an empty saucer. With a wave of your wand, a plate of crudely decorated pastries emerged. “Great game, by the way.”

Kuroo’s stomach rolled a little at the sight of the pastries. You nudged the plate in his direction. “Go on, try one!” Tentatively, Kuroo reached for the least-threatening one. A small cupcake with red an yellow icing.

His stomach did a backflip when he bit into it. But definitely not one of glee. The punch of cinnamon in his nose made him cough up a little bile. The icing stung his tongue with overpowering tones of sea salt and… pepper?

Nevertheless, Kuroo scoffed the entire fist-sized cupcake down. “These are amazing, you know?” he asked.

“Really? I made some of them myself, you know?” Ah. Well there had to be a trade off for having such an amazing green thumb, Kuroo thought.

“Well they’re really good,” Kuroo said. He pretended to still be chewing so you wouldn’t force another one upon him.

“I’ll see you back in the Tower?” you asked. Kuroo pretended to swallow them, nodded his head.

“Sure thing.” Once he was sure you were out of sight, Kuroo stuffed the pastries into his robe pockets. He even ate another one, a giddy smile on his face.

“Goes to show how much people are willing to do for love,” Akaashi muttered. He gestured to Kuroo who was happily skipping away back to the dorms, the taste of salt and pepper cupcakes still on his tongue.

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 | 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐢: 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧) | 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

taglist: @yeet-these-hoez @differentballooncollection

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tentatechnologies · 3 years

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its so funny to me when you can spot the joast insp in someone’s art style

#nonsense tag

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solarwriting · 4 years

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Road Trip {Gina Porter}

summary: the musical was over and spring break has begun; the gang has decided to go on a roadtrip while y/n and gina try and deny their feelings

characters/ships: Gina Porter x fem!Reader; Rickey Bowen x Nini Slazar-Roberts; Ashlyn Caswell x Big Red; Carlos Rodriquez

song insp.: this entire playlist Teenager In Love - Madison Beer, What I Need - Hayley Kiyoko

word count: 1.6k

note: Gina is a wlw you can’t tell me otherwise | send requests!

part 1 | part 2

The gang finally had a break from musicals, school, and drama. Spring break was upon them and there were no pressures of an upcoming musical to stress them out. As far as Y/n could tell no one had any plans so she took it upon herself to make plans for them.

Y/n told Ricky, Nini, Carlos, Big Red, Ashlyn, and Gina to meet her at her house in the garage. When they arrived Y/n told them what she wanted to do, and they all thought she was crazy.

“Um, I just looked it up and it’s an eleven hour drive.” Ricky explained, motioning to his phone.

Ashlyn jumped in, “And it can’t be cheap.”

“You see, I already have that figured out, my uncle has a friend who can give us tickets, so that’s covered. We just need to stop at one hotel on the way there and back, so we don’t have to drive in the dark.

“If we go to cheaper motels and only stop in three cities, one on the way there, one once we get there, and one on the way back. Then we will have spent almost no money. Besides gas but that’s okay.”

“Are we really going to see Beetlejuice: the Musical?” Carlos exclaimed with an excited squeal.

Everyone looked around at each other before smiling and cheering.

The day had come, the gang was going to San Francisco to see Beetlejuice: the Musical - the off-off-Broadway version but a musical nonetheless. Y/n was the first up to drive, it was her van after all. She picked up Gina and Ashlyn first, Gina sat in the passenger seat and Ashlyn sat in the seat directly behind her. Y/n Picked up Big Red and Ricky who was already at Red’s house. Red sat next to Ashlyn and Ricky sat in the far back directly behind him. Y/n picked up Nini next, who sat next to Ricky. Carlos was picked up last who took Big Red’s spot while Red moved to sit next to Nini, right behind Ashlyn.

Everyone packed as little as possible, trying to fit a lot in the van’s small trunk was one challenge they couldn’t pass by.

“Hey, Carlos, sorry Seb couldn’t come.” Y/n said, glancing at Carlos through the rear view mirror.

Carlos sighed, “It’s okay, he had to help on the farm.”

A comfortable quiet fell on the van as music played sofly from the speakers. everyone stuck in their own little conversations. Gina looked over at Y/n who’s eyes were focused on the road. Y/n looked at Gina, catching her stare. The two girls’ faces heated up both of their eyes averting back to the road.

“You know,’ Y/n started, motioning to her phone resting on the center console, “You can change the music, if you want.”

Gina smiled and grabbed the phone, scrolling through Y/n’s playlist titled ‘Roadtrip!’ before settling on a song. She played the song and turned the music up with a smile, She by Harry Styles began streaming through the speakers, a favorite between the group.

Everyone soon started to sing along,

She lives in daydreams with me She's the first one that I see And I don't know why I don't know who she is

The first few hours flew by and soon everyone needed to stretch their legs, use the bathroom and get snacks and gas. Y/n put the gas in the van wile the others were in the station most likely getting snacks. Ricky and Nini were the first to walk out of the small building, Y/n tossed Ricky the keys.

“Your turn to drive, I need a break.” Y/n explained as she inserted her gas card into the machine. She hopped into the van, sitting in far back on the same side as the driver. Gina was the next to enter the van, Ricky and Nini already sat up front ready for everyone to load up.

Gina sat next to Y/n passing her a bag of her favorite snacks and her favorite drink, “Thanks, Gina.”

Gina smiled, slightly embarrassed, “It’s not a big deal, I figured you were busy with gas and stuff.” Her cheeks were warm and she shrugged it off before buckling herself next to Y/n, Carlos on her other side.

Ashlyn and Big Red sat in the middle row lost in their own conversation. Since Nini was sat upfront everyone was subjected to listening to the soundtracks from her favorite musicals for the next couple of hours.

“Where did we even end up?” Gina asked Y/n who was taking a sip of her drink.

Y/n looked out the window trying to remember, “Elko, I think.” She looked at Gina with a small smile.

Y/n wasn’t sure why she felt the way she did around Gina, they had been friends ever since she transferred right before their sophmore year a few moths ago. Y/n would find herself annoyed when ever Gina spent too much time with EJ or Ricky. Y/n got particularly angry with EJ during the dance he took Gina to. Y/n didn’t know why she felt hot while Gina sat so closely to her. Y/n kept her hands in her lap awkwardly, her knee sometimes knocking against Gina’s.

Y/n was lost in her thoughts and soon her snack and drink were soon forgotten as she drifted off, the three hours she spent driving taking its toll on her. Her head fell to the side, colliding with Gina’s shoulder.

Gina’s eyes widened at the sudden weight her her shoulder but smiled to herself when she saw Y/n sleeping peacefully against her. Gina blushed and returned to her conversation with Carlos.

A few hours had passed and the sun had begun to set by the time Y/n had woken up, her head still lying on Gina’s shoulder, who had been careful to not wake her. Y/n’s eyes fluttered open, her brows furrowed as she looked around before she realized she was on someone. Her head shot up, eyes widened as she looked at Gina with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry.” Y/n mumbled to Gina.

Gina smiled and leaned close to Y/n and boldly whispered into her ear, “I didn’t mind.” Shivers ran down Y/n’s spine, feeling Gina’s breath on her neck like that.

Gina sat back, her cheeks rosier than usual. Y/n’s face not so different as she tried to hide behind her hand as she rested her arm on the arm rest and looked out the window.

Music still played softly, this time it was some sort of soft hip-hop or rap only he and Big Red really knew, but no one complained. Everyone was fairly tired, sitting in a car for about seven hours could do that to a person.

At some point Nini took over driving and Ricky was in the passenger seat, explaining why his music was playing. Y/n yawned and stretched as best as she could.

Y/n looked out the window finally noticing the beautiful sunset that graced the horizon. The highway wasn’t so beautiful but the mixture of oranges, pinks, reds, and yellows made up for it. Y/n sighed contentedly and pulled out her phone snapping a few pictures before choosing one to share on her story.

She flipped her phone’s camera, nudging Gina getting her’s and Carlos’ attention taking a picture while the golden light was still kind to them posting this image with the caption ‘road trip going strong’ adding a small heart next to it.

Y/n and Gina began talking about their future plans how Gina wanted to go to a preforming arts college and how Y/n hoped to get into art school. Y/n was unsure about getting accepted but Gina reassured her, “You’ll definitely get in, they’d be crazy not to have you, plus that’s two years away.”

Y/n smiled, “Yeah,” She chuckled, “Maybe we’ll end going to school near each other.”

Gina blushed at that comment, “Yeah, maybe.”

The two continued to talk as the van continued to barrel down the highway, the sun slowly sinking behind the horizon. Soon Nini pulled into a small motel that lay just of the highway. The motel was small and slightly sketchy but they didn’t mind as they all clambered out of the van and pulling their bags out of the cramped trunk.

Ricky went ahead to rent a room for the night, Y/n told him two rooms each with two beds would be the most convenient for everyone. The couples could be in one room and share beds and the three singles could each sleep alone, one of them on the couch.

The six waited outside for Ricky with the keys, the entrances to each room being outside. Ricky walked out with a frown on his face, “They only had one room but it has two beds and a pull-out couch.”

“Ricky and I get a bed!” Nini called as she followed her boyfriend towards their room. “Big Red and I can share a bed too, if that’s okay with you, Red.” Ashlyn said softly.

“You and Gina can sleep on the pull-out, the floor would probably be better on ,y back anyways.” Carlos offered as he followed the group up stairs leaving Y/n and Gina in the back both of them sharing embarrassed faces.

What a cliche.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts imagine #ricky bowen x reader #ricky bowen x nini salazar roberts #gina porter x reader #big red x ashlyn #ashlyn hsmtmts #ashlyn caswell #ej caswell x reader #ricky x ej #this was lowkey inpired by papertowns?? maybe?

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lvlcurrent · 4 years

Note

(same anon) i was thinking about that post when i wrote to you! honestly, other artists are more technical and detailed but, that’s them and you’re you. and i love both of you, but i have such a soft spot for YOUR art. you have a v unique style and capture emotion and dialogue so well! your versions of the characters are dynamic + i can recognize them as yours. on top of all of that, youre funny and ur music taste, [chef’s kiss]. in conclusion 🥺🥺🥺 love u i hope your bday is still going great!

aaaaaaa omg😭😭💖💖💖!!!! thank you!! seeing others art be all perfectly rendered is nice but i honestly don’t have time for all of that with every idea that comes into my head lol/// i wouldn’t call it being impatient but i feel like as long as i can get my ideas across i’m content 😚

++ all these compliments i’m so grateful you feel this way about me and my work (+also never thought anyone paid attention to the music insps omg 😳) i had a fantastic birthday so thank you very much!!!🥰✨💞

#Anonymous #ask.

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officialisbeth · 4 years

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SET ME FREE is the debut mini album of Korean soloist LISBETH, the album has two title tracks, being those NO LIMITS and HURT. The album was released both digitally and physically on July 11, 2018. Lisbeth described the lyrical theme of this album as being about "a growing dependence over something or someone".

[may be triggering for others as it talks about an obsession over something unspecified, skip the lyrics breakdown if this applies to you]

TRACKLIST.

1. No Limits [Insp. Tove Lo's Cool girl].

Lyrics: Lisbeth.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

The first title track kickstarts Lisbeth's story as she allows to introduce herself both to the listener and to what would turn out as the obsession described in the next songs. No Limits is a catchy electropop song that talks about nothing but Lisbeth's own personality before everything starts to fall down as the story goes.

2. Hurt [insp. Tove Lo's True disaster].

Lyrics: Lisbeth, Park Jinjoo.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

While No Limits introduces Lisbeth, Hurt introduces what fans started to call the Obsession, as of Lisbeth's point of view. The lyrics talk about willing to do anything to know more about what the Obsession shows, knowing that they're going to get hurt in the end. Sometimes, it can be confused as a love song, as it seems like Lisbeth is talking to a person. Hurt is a song that mixes synthpop and electropop, keeping a slightly slower pace compared to No Limits, but still as upbeat as the other.

3. Loveless City [insp. Tove Lo's This time around].

Lyrics: Lisbeth, Park Jinjoo.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

The fans reached to an agreement that this song describes a dialogue between Lisbeth and the mysterious man seen in the Hurt music video. Lisbeth asks: what am i doing in this loveless city? As her dependence grows and she starts to think nothing else matters besides the thing she wants the most.

4. getoutofmyhead [insp. Charlotte Lawrence's Why do you love me].

Lyrics: Lisbeth.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

In this song, Lisbeth has a minute of realization and tries to fight the Obsession before it's too late, having a lot of contradicting lines to support this point. The song grows darker and, even, slightly creepier until it reaches the end, suggesting that she couldn't run away from her own wishes and that her obsession finally won her, even if they meant her downfall.

5. plz answer me [insp. Dean's Bonnie & Clyde].

Lyrics: Lisbeth.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

The song starts with the sound of an unanswered phone call. The story progresses and, whatever is the so called Obsession, it seems like it's getting away from Lisbeth, but, since she's already in such a heavy stage, she's not happy with it and wants it back, the lyrics describe these feelings using methaphors with missing calls.

6. Better without u [insp. Suzy's Les Préférences].

Lyrics: Lisbeth.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

Better without u is a slower, softer songs that talks about Lisbeth's questionings as she gets more and more aware of her current situation, asking herself if it's really worth it to keep going and that maybe she's better off without concentrating with that. Is the song that concludes the theme Lisbeth wanted to talk about in this album.

7. Hopes and dreams [insp. Lorde's Homemade Dynamite].

Lyrics: Lisbeth.

Production: Park Jinjoo.

A song that doesn't apply to the storyline described in the album, Hopes and Dreams has a self explanatory title and is, overall, a lighter song, describing Lisbeth's dreams and goals as of becoming an idol. The album, in general, even if it has a way deeper meaning, can be applied to a lot of trainees' feelings about their dream and the hardships and confusion they experience in their journey, Lisbeth wants to bring a message to multiple people and permit that they interpret her lyrics to their own situation, making it the most relatable as possible.

ERA HIGHLIGHTS.

Babygirl finally debuted, yay!

She was so happy with her debut, really. In her first stage with Hurt, she had to concentrate a lot because she wanted to smile, that contributed to her gaining a fame of duality between her fans as they thought about how could she be such a sweetheart and write those type of lyrics and perform the way she does.

No first win this time, sadly, but she gained a spot on the heart of a lot of people around their 16-24, if it had to create average, as her songs fitted the sound and lyrics a lot of younger people in South Korea like to listen, specially k-hiphop/rnb fans, as it got close to the sound they like.

Her personal youtube channel Days with Liz opened, and she got to contact a lot with fans through that and vlives.

When talking about achievements, she was average and had a solid debut, peaking at #8 in the Gaon Album Chart and she had more than 10.000 physical copies sold.

Let's not even talk about her first fansite, FleurDeLiz, that person is truly privileged and the love of her life, Lisbeth gives a lot of attention and poses a lot for them in events as they were her first, but tries to treat them all equally.

Fans also became curious about the model in Hurt's Music Video, he got known as 'the boy with a pretty smile' since his face never fully showed up, not even in the behind the scenes video where he and Lisbeth are seen playing around in the recording, because his face was blurred there. Fans started speculating that maybe he's a trainee for an upcoming debut.

ERA STYLING.

Lisbeth had light purple hair for the entire promotions of the album.

The styling for both songs was pretty casual, actually, but the concept itself didn't fit outfits with a lot of details and patterns.

No Limits' styling was fresh and free, she wore a lot jeans and skirts. There was also a performance where she whore the sleeveless jumpsuit and sports top outfit she wore in the MV, which had mixed opinions of netizens as some thought of it as too revealing, but she remained unbothered.

What is this miracle? Female idols stylists being smart and giving outfits they can actually move in? Yes.

Since Hurt's choreography was more complex and needed more movement, the styling was restricted to pants and shorts, no dresses or skirts where worn.

The color palette was different compared to No Limits' styling, as the latter focused on lighter colors, Hurt went for a theme that reminded night.

#kocsociety #kumokocnet #lisbeth.discography #era.setmefree #fake kpop idol #idol au #idol oc #kpop oc #kpop oc soloist #kpop rp #kpop scenarios #oc soloist #oc #fake kpop group

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tabdabble · 4 years

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Ok so I adore your oc the Slinger, and I want to know literally anything you can tell me about them

At the time of joining the team, she’s in her late-30′s-early-40′s, and she’s around 5′8″ish (bw engie and pyro)

Thank you so much! Prepare for a wave of info! (edit- ‘read more’ cut isn’t working, sorry)

She’s been riding horses for her whole life, western-style. She thinks English-style is glamorous but uncomfortable- preferring the laid-back style she grew up with. (She’s also proficient at bareback riding and thus can crush watermelons with her thighs).

She doesn’t really like using draft horses as much as thoroughbreds and their crosses, as draft horses can’t go nearly as fast and are not as agile. She’s also partial to Arabians- they’re smaller but extremely hardy and spirited.

She’s had a lot of good horses throughout her life, but her most recent horse (a grulla-pinto cross) is her favorite. Slinger called her Speedy. Unfortunately, Speedy couldn't accompany her to the gravel pits but Slinger had wanted to keep her out of combat anyway. Speedy is working at the ranch right now, but Slinger still keeps a photograph of them riding together.

She’s been competitively quick-drawing since her late teens, and her weapon of choice is a 32-30 Colt Single Action Army revolver (insp. by Bass Reeves- an ex-slave, the first African-American US Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River, and a lawman claimed to have over 3000 arrests!) She’s extremely fast, and with close to two decades of experience, has deadly accuracy!

While she’s only had to legitimately duel to the death on one occasion and does gunslinging purely for recreation, she always did dream about doin’ the vigilante thing and going rogue to bring in outlaws. Unfortunately, though, she was born a little late for that lifestyle and had to become content with just being a non-vigilante cowboy that shoots targets really accurately.

Slinger graduated from college, beginning in the study of animal science and changing her major to animal husbandry with a minor in business. She took a lot of physical fitness classes but didn’t major or minor in it. (It was at college that she met Engineer while he was getting his 11 PhD’s- they both had a passion for horse-riding and the ranching lifestyle, and became great friends!)

She now owns a large cattle ranch in South Texas, and though the expanse of it required her to hire hands, she still prefers working the ranch on Speedy with the other cowboys to being inside at a desk.

It was one such day working the cattle that Slinger spotted a wizard trespassing on her ranch. She caught him spiriting away some of the steers (the best steers) for either a wizard barbecue or as a blood sacrifice to some applewood smoking god (his stories were inconsistent). He claimed to not be able to recall the cattle to this plane, so Slinger offered him a choice- getting steer-jerked, hog-tied, and taken to the nearest police station (a two-hour horse ride), or giving her $500 and a sick, permanent magical ability.

He chose the former when he started running.

Halfway through the ride to the police station, he managed to speak past the gag and agreed to give her some magic and the money. Unfortunately for him, the price had gone up to $1000, but after another half hour of bouncing up and down across the horse’s rear-end, he agreed to that too.

She asked for the ability to use her hands to shoot instead of a gun. She also made sure to specifically ask that this gift not blow up her phalanges from the inside or anything loophole-wise like that. (Her business/contractural skills came in very handy).

So after dropping by his house to acquire the 1K, he gave her the ability to gunsling by finger-gunning, and the rest is history-

Engineer suggested she apply after hearing the news (he’d already been working for the Team for a year or so). Slinger thought about it and realized that she’d become just a little unsatisfied with her life- it was very enjoyable, but it was all she’d ever known! (not to mention her dream of being a vigilante gunslinger for real). She appointed a stand-in manager at the ranch, as well as an heiress should things go south, and decided to give this mercenary thing a try!

Mann Co., seeing the potential for a close-range assassin, (not to mention the perk of not having to spend money on ammunition or weaponry), hired her immediately.

As with some of the other team members, her name is confidential, but she’s soon given a rather fitting nickname now used interchangeably with her title- “Saint”.

I haven’t figured out exactly how the finger-gunning would work with in-game mechanics, but I do know that her melee would be a cattle-prod and her secondary would be a pump shotgun version of her finger-guns! (she “pumps” her forearm and shoots with all five fingers at once) :)

I took inspiration from her hat from Clint Eastwood, and the shadow from it is almost magically dense- her eyes are obscured nearly all the time, except when she dispenses a blood-curdling death glare or younno, glances surreptitiously at a certain other merc . . .

that’s about everything I’ve thought of right now :) I hope you enjoyed all that extra info :D

(This is legit my first OC ask- you’ve made a bad day into a much better one for me :) )

#the slinger #tf2 oc #tf2 10th class #asks #tabdabble #dabtabble #fanart #my art #fanchars

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minyoongisjiminie · 5 years

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"let's forget everything until this moment passes..." (myg)

[cr to whoever made this gif! sadly I couldn’t find the og gifmaker :( ]

ship: yoongi x reader

genre: smut, angst

warnings! : cussing, explicit sex, oral (female receiving), heart breaking end (i'm sorry)

short summary: you and yoongi were together for two years but realised that it won't work out anymore. you guys broke up. it was hard for both you and you didn't talk to each other for a good amount of time. but you eventually needed to take your things out of his apartement.. and you couldn't avoid him..

insp song/matching song: house of cards - bts

word count: 2k

a/n: hello ^^ this is actually my first time writing an oneshot, and it’s actually quite fun! I’m used to writing a full series so that’s a new experience! hopefully you’ll like it, and please understand that english is not my first language <3

You never thought that you would take your things and just leave him and his world, easily like that. Just like that. Like nothing ever happened between you guys.

It hurt you so deeply to stand in front of his apartement. You looked upon to the window that you were sure, was belonging to his room. You breathed out and used the key, that you still had, to get into the main floor.

It was now nearly a month since you guys broke up. You knew that it was needed, you both weren't happy anymore and so caught up in your work that you didn't realise that when you met, you basically were just fighting or hurting each other with knife-sharp words. Even though both of you deeply loved each other... You also knew it needed to be done. Neither of you would slow down with your job nor risking it.

You put the key in the lock and went in.

The smell.. was painfully familiar. Your legs seemed to give in. But you needed to resist this. As long as you're here.

You prepared yourself to quickly get your things and leave. Even though Yoongi clarified that he wouldn't be here while your packing, you were still afraid that he might chime in.

You entered his bed room. The bed still had the same bed sheets as the last time you slept there. As you realised that he was nice enough to put your stuff in a little cotton bag, you couldn't stop but to look over his room.

Yoongi's room didn't change at all, everything was the same as before. When your hand stroked over his mahagoni desk, you also recognized that the pictures of you were still intact. Pictures of weird selfies you took of yourself as well as little polarids that you took along with Yoongi. You would always force him to make these stupid grimaces..

Your feelings blew up in a second and you could feel how your tears were forming, ready to fall down. Before you guys broke up, his room wasn't as covered with your pictures as it was now. Back then there were some but not as many as now. This just showed that he missed you as much as you missed him. And now you had your answer: he was as sore, these couple of weeks as you. Maybe even more?

You were so caught up into the polaroids that you didn't realise that someone put the key in the lock and entered the apartement. The footsteps on the tile were getting louder and louder, but you couldn't hear anything else than your fast beating painful heart.

"Oh.. You're still here?"

You faced the familar voice. There he was. He wore some skinny ripped jeans and a black stüssy hoodie. You instantly remembered that you bought it for him. His black hair was messy, probably because of the rain outside.

"Uhm.. yes. Sorry, I'll be gone in a few." You showed him your back again and fastly rubbed your eyes, trying to hide your wet red-ish eyes.

"You okay?" He came closer towards you. Your back still facing him. His scent made you dizzy and you couldn't think properly. Before you could even reply he pressed your shoulders, slightly. Your heart stopped a beat. "What are you..." He was holding your shoulder and moved you, so could face him. "Gosh.. You don't know how much I missed you.." He looked deep into your eyes and put his forehead on yours. It was all so dream like.

Your break up was messy, hurtful and you both lost so much respect towards each other. But this moment seemed like nothing of all that really happened. You started to tear up again. It was hard for you to breathe, you felt like you would collapse in his arms.

"Shh. Let's forget everything until this moment passes.."

You nodded slightly and were about to wipe away your tears again, but Yoongi stopped you from it. He held your hands in his, preventing you to do anything with them. While still holding your hands he kissed your tears away. Slowly and neatly.

After kissing your tears away, he moved to your nose leaving little wet kisses all over it. He did it with every inch of your face till he reached your lips. The kiss became hungrier and longer than normally. You were grabbing his hair, while he already move to your neck. "Yoongi..." You moaned slightly. "Do you really think we should do this?" He stopped, went back into holding your small face and his lips formed into the gummy smile that you adored so much. "I need you right now. But just when you feel the same..?"

Of course you needed him as much as he did. Your heart and body was still belonging and crying for him. How could you ever escape that need?

"Yess.. I do.."

These simple three words were enough for him.

He easily carried you, bridal style, and put you gently on the bed. His lips were already on yours, kissing you passionately like you were the only water fountain that existed. Your hands were back to where they were, his beautiful fluffly messy hair. His kisses moved again, from your face to your stomach. He did it diligently and softly, he knew what he did to you.

When he finally reached your core, he stopped and looked at you. His eyes sparkled full of both love and hunger. They alone wondered if he could take the opportunity. You nodded and caressed some of his tiny hair away from his face.

Soon your pants were off, and he started to tease you with his index finger. "Gosh.. What. Are. You. Doing!" You remembered how good he was at teasing and at the same time pleasuring you. He knew you were his. "Making you ready for me. That's what I'm doing.." He used his middle finger along with his index one, moving them upwards and downwards into your clit, making you moan strongly. It turned him on, to hear your little moans. He also begins to realise that you were holding back with your sounds of pleasure so he went in harder. "Yoon!!! Ahhhh!" Your voice getting louder abruptly.

He smiled slightly. "That's what I wanted to hear.." - "Gosh.. How are you so good at it?" He ignored your question and looked at your palm that was already full of little sweat drops, so he licked them. While still hammering into you with his fingers.

"I think you're just ready for me, princess." - "You haven't called me like that for.." He pulled his fingers out and licked them thoroughly. "A whole eternity. It seems like it, right?" You nodded as response. Both of your smiles turning tristful. "As I said, let's forget everything. We're in our little universe, for this moment." He pulled you closer to him and kissed your palm lightly.

Shortly afterwards, he took your underwear down and put his mouth fully on your center. Firstly, licking his way through the start. Your hands were still on his hair moving a bit of the few tiny skeins away, so he wouldn't get distracted. He suddenly stopped, licked his lips and closed his eyes. "Ah, you're still so delicious.." Your face turned red. Even though all of this was nothing new to you, you still blushed very easily when he complimented you during sex. More than a simple compliment for your dress or look. "Then continue, Sir." Was all you could reply. You never wanted him to see how easily you turned red.

He went back to your core. Now eating you out heavily. You were indeed a mouning mess. It didn't last long, and you came into his mouth. "My beautiful princess as always." He replied, while licking your juice from his lips.

You were already a bit tired. But you also wanted more of this, because it would be probably the last time you would see and interact with him like this. "Now it's my turn, isn't it?"

You raised your eyebrows and tried to look as intimidating as he did. But before you could grab onto his pants he stopped you from it. "It's okay, y/n." You looked at him surprised. He would never refuse a blow job easily like this. "I just want to touch you, feel you.. It's enough for me if I can make you scream my name." You smiled. And he smiled as response.

Yoongi went back into kissing you, slightly biting your underlip. He knew that you loved it, even though he wasn't that much into it. While still kissing you hungrily, he took a condome from the table. He just showed it to you. You kissed him as a response, taking it from his hands.

Easily you opened the plastic wrap with your teeth, and put it onto his cock. You laid back and closed your eyes while Yoongi covered you fully with wet kisses. Arriving at his favorite spot, your neck. Biting and sucking on the skin so visibly, that everyone could see that your his. While doing that he easily found your entrance. Teasing you with the tip of his cock. Your soft moan made him tingly and he already moaned back as response. That made you crazy.

Suddenly, he ripped your shirt off, the buttons falling down on the tile. You gasped, loving the way he was so into it.

He couldn't hold back anymore, un-clipped your bra and looked right into your eyes.

"Say that you want me." He bit his lips while looking at your exposed breasts. "I want you. I want you so bad." You replied, pushing his head down to your breasts. He licked your nipples to tease you first, and then started to bit slightly on them following to suck them. He wouldn't stop until he marked his territory. Leaving hickeys all over your breasts.

He couldn't hold back any way longer and roughtly thrusted into you. He wasn't even preparing you or anything but went all in. You screamed out his name, and that made him just realise more how much he wanted you. You moved your hands away from his hair and dugged your nails into his back. "Ahh, you're so tight.." You both came approximately at the same time. He pecked your lips quickly afterwards and fell next to you.

"Ahh, princess. You're still the same." You both faced each other. Both of your faces and bodies sweating intensly.

He started to play with your hair, a habit he also practised during your relationship . "You know maybe, we are meant to be?" He said while still playing with your tiny hair near your ear.

You really wished to agree to that. But you couldn't.

You weren't meant to be.

If you were, you wouldn't have easily broken up like that. You wouldn't have destroyed each other so deeply, that night.

A tear of yours started to fall onto the bed sheet and Yoongi's smile dropped. "Wha... Don't cry, Princess.." He caressed your cheek, coming closer to you. "We can go through it, together.. If we -"

"No, we can't!" You literally screamed out these words. Yoongi stopped touching you. "I'm not your princess anymore, Yoon. We can't act like nothing happened between us."

He pulled back from you and closed his eyes. Letting out a deep sigh. "Do you still love me?" He asked while looking at the ceiling. You also laid on your back and looked at the ceiling. "Yes." You could feel his eyes burning into your flesh, from the corner of your eye. "Then what's the problem?" You put your hands onto your eyes so you couldn't see him at all. "I don't want to be with you. Not anymore. It doesn't make any sense." You stood up from the bed and reached for your bra and clothes that were still wearable. You slightly looked to the bed side where Yoongi was sitting. He didn't move at all. The tears kept falling down on his cheeks. He was deeply hurt by your words. But you couldn't lie to yourself or to him.

You both deserved better than each other.

#bts drabble #bts smut #daeguboynet #bangtanarmynet #hyunglinenetwork #bts scenario #yoongi smut #yoongi drabble #min yoongi #myg #suga bts #bts fanfic

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swiftwind3 · 5 years

Text

Everything We Lost

ao3 link here

Ahem endgame who

So, Infinity War destroyed my crops, murdered my family and spat in my face. So, I tried relieving myself with this sadkdfkshs. I don’t read the comics so,,,beware you hardcore ultras.

Also disappointment about how no one's torn The Winter Soldier theme from CATWS apart FNAF style is ruining my life as well. Heavy dialogue (i think) and lots of hyphens lmaoo. Enjoy. and don’t plagiarize of course

Summary: Bucky wakes up in the Soul Stone.

Insp: Nothing Lasts by Taska Black ft. Pauline Herr

Back to the other end, when we fell down

We could not believe we would lose it all

Now the dreams are gone, and faith has drowned

Everything we lost and we never found

Uh, Steve…?

Bucky had been expecting one of two things: either the scorching flames of punishment and retribution or the gentle white of warmth and peace, maybe even forgiveness. Definitely not orange. Definitely not a reflective, watery floor under a similarly hued sky that radiated a gnawing hunger and desolation. At least, that was the aura this realm gave off to him.

The sky was full of arriving ashes. They swirl and plummet, becoming people. So many people. So much noise.

The crowd swells around him, people flickering in and out of sight like glitching ghosts. Some cry while hugging themselves. Others stare at their limbs; Bucky having done the same once he stood up. Their cries and shouts drill into his head, and for a weird minute, he thought he was in Hell.

"Cassie, where—Cassie!"

"Darcy! Jane!"

"Bill? Bill, what's happened—where are you?"

"Harley?"

"Excuse me—"

Before he can start his own calls, he whirls to face an elderly woman.

Like him, she seems dazed, eyes wide and watery.

"I'm looking for my husband, I—"

He chokes on a scream. She dissolves into ash, his own being following suit.

There's no description for being pushed out of existence, but that's how he would word it.

Time freezes, and it was like he didn't have to breathe, he couldn't. He couldn't see, or hear, or feel and it felt bad. But how could he be sure of that if he couldn't feel at all? Yet, in a split second, it was seemingly…over. He stands, palpable as ever. He almost heaves over the poor woman, holding her slash leaning on her.

"My God," she wheezes. "What was that?"

"I'm…not sure. But, sorry about that," he shakes his head. "What, uh—does your husband look like?”

Stuttering, she catches her breath. Her eyes flick past him and widen. "Ava!"

A younger woman bursts through the crowd, spinning almost comically. "Yes? Bill?"

The elder woman raises her arm and the girl freezes, recognition steadying her face. "Van Dyne..."

The woman looks her over frantically. "Are you okay? Are you alright? Are you in any pain?"

"No, not exactly. What's happening?"

"I'm not...sure."

"Janet," an elderly man shoves through, held by a young woman. “Janet!”

"Mom?"

"Hank! Jellybean," she cries. Before bolting, she places a hand over Bucky's. "Found them. Thank you."

He tries his best to smile. "No problem."

Ducking his head, he tries to move away, eyeing the sky, the people.

Ashes clump and disassemble, and he remains silent, calling no one. He only stares as he pushes through the groups of people, tripping to a stop before he ran over a poor man as he plummeted just in front of him. Muttering a few 'excuse mes', the world seems to shift. Again, his being, along with everyone else, crumbles into ash. His lungs disappear, and he chokes in momentary oblivion.

Yelping makes him spin.

A girl falls to her knees next to him, her voice hoarse. “What—what—no—what’s—Brother?"

Bucky’s stomach vanishes. “Princess.”

Large, wet eyes snap up to him, revealing the stricken face of Shuri Udaku.

“Bucky?”

Her orange blouse almost camouflages with the light, torn in a few spots. Her trembling hand rises, and he meets it, helping her up.

They hold each other as they crumble into nothingness. When they reform, she sobs.

“What is happening? What is going on?”

“I don’t know,” he rubs her back gently. “Are you okay?”

“No, I—I’m sorry—this is all—insane,” she hiccups. “First, those things got in while I was working on Vision and I got hit, so I pretended to stay down—”

“Wait, they got to Vision?”

Her head shakes. “He—he escaped. I shut down the extraction. I couldn’t get it out in time. My guards couldn’t take the—the thing that got to us and I had to leave it in. I tried fighting back, but I got hit. I heard the window shatter—and then, when I tried hiding, everyone started turning into this and—”

She jumps at him again with a cry.

Silence rings in their minds, the whisper of air hissing in their ears as they resurface. Falling back down into actuality, they gasp for air.

“We really need to get out of here,” they chorus.

With a wet chuckle, she holds his left hand. “Are you okay? I’m sorry—there’s…a lot going on.”

“Yeah, I’m having trouble processing all this, too,” he glances around. “And I’m…okay. For the most part. Got blown back by Thanos, but I lived.”

She nods with a hum, turning his hand. “Working okay?”

He smiles, squeezing her hand lightly. “Perfect. Even…wherever the Hell this is.”

As the ashes rise around them, he tries to hold them both together, failing spectacularly. But as they came back together, he accidentally made them stumble back into someone.

"Man, watch where you're going..."

He wheezes, red goggles and a flight vest intruding his vision. "Wilson?"

“Falcon,” Shuri’s grip is tight.

Dark eyes brighten. "Princess. Barnes," Sam pants. "Just my luck. Guess this is Hell. Well, maybe not since she’s here, but."

Bucky smirks. "Too bad. Was really looking forward to take a dip in a lake of sulfur.”

"Hilarious—"

The air hisses into a deafening silence as they fell apart again. They tried latching to each other, ice overriding their senses as they dissipated in one another's grasp.

The cluster of people phases and glitches. With a crack, their forms break into ashes and reassemble hauntingly.

"Man, what the hell is going on?" Sam stumbles into him. Shuri helps steadying him as he hugs himself for a moment, rubbing his arms roughly. "What the hell is this place?"

"Beats me," he grits.

“It’s not Earth, I think.” Shuri trembles. “I don’t have any of my scanners on me—”

She gasps, whirling. They crane their necks just as the air hissed and hacked above again. Ashes rose, voices becoming distant. Snapping back into arrangement, two women in red appeared before them.

A Dora Milaje holds the hand of another collapsed, young woman, shouting into the air.

"Ayo," Bucky and Shuri chorus.

The warrior turns, startled.

"White Wolf, Falcon—Princess!"

The young woman on the ground peers dejectedly over her shoulder, conceding to Ayo's pulling.

They speed to each other, staring warily at the sky.

"Well, I'm not quite sure if it is safe to say that I'm glad to see you here," Ayo addresses, dried tear tracks on her face. She cups Shuri’s face, bringing her in for an embrace.

"Well," Sam glances around. "It's not exactly Hell, so I think we're safe. You haven’t found Banner or anybody else?"

“Yeah, maybe he could tell us where this is.” Bucky nods. “Or what is this.”

"We are far from that," the young woman's voice is thick. "Hell, that is. And Banner’s…not here."

"Maximoff," Sam says gently. "You know what it does?"

"I know some of what it can do. This is the Soul Stone. I'm closer to the Mind Stone, but I know that this," she lightly spins her hand, churning ashes. "Is just the start of its work."

"In any case, I don't want to be here when it finishes its warm-up, " Ayo snorts. She turns and lets out another call, listening, hoping.

"What else can it do?" Sam leans forward.

"Nothing,” she shrugs. “At least, I think that’s it. The Soul Stone grants its user control over all souls in the Universe. We’re inside the pocket dimension inside it. Like a storage facility.”

"Got it," he says. "Anything on Vision?"

She flinches. "He’s…his consciousness is in the Mind Stone. He won't be anywhere in here."

"So, this is the Soul Stone. It eats souls basically," Bucky provides. "And it’s not going to use us to amplify its power or anything, right?"

"That’s the Power Stone," she shrugs again, weakly. “And…it might. Using our souls to amplify the other Stones’ powers doesn’t sound too absurd.”

He sighs through his nose. She’s lost a lot. All of them have, and he lets his heart ache momentarily.

The tired, perplexed look on Steve face flashes across his mind and he blinks it away.

“Don’t give it any ideas, Barnes.” Sam mumbles.

Bucky hears it, along with the manic whispers of some guy walking behind him.

“It’s okay, Sebastian. You just got a little bit too drunk. God, I just hope I don’t get mugged…”

He wishes he could live with that level of ignorance, for a little while longer anyway. His desire got swept away as a blobby…elf…person landed tripped beside him and immediately stumbled to its feet, resuming its foreign yelling.

"Well, one thing's for sure. This ain't no afterlife." Sam stares after it. "Pretty sure all languages would be mutually intelligible under Father God's roof."

“So, we know what’s happening,” Shuri hugs herself. “But the only why I can think of is…the worst.”

Wanda rubs her eyes. “Yeah. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”

All of them flinch when a wave of ash crashes above them, assembling into human shapes.

“O Great Bast,” Ayo almost doubles over. “We’ve lost.”

"Okay, okay, but let’s keep it together,” Sam goes to help her. “If Thanos did this with the gauntlet, then I’m assuming the only way to reverse it is doing the same thing. But…I don’t how he did this.”

“He snapped his fingers,” Wanda glared at her watery reflection. “I saw him do it. Thor landed his ax in his chest, but the bastard was still alive and—"

They freeze at the sound of roaring and trumpets filling the air and Bucky frowns at the massive cloud above.

"Wanda,” Bucky utters. “When you said all souls—”

Shuri follows his gaze. “Oh, Bast.”

“No,” Sam breathes. “Is that—are those—"

Bucky snatches Shuri, practically tearing Sam’s arm off. “Move, move, move!”

Animals fall from the ashes.

People scream and scatter.

With red light at her fingers, Wanda dissuades the lions, wolves, bears, hippos, and cassowaries that run too close. Elephants were the most obvious, and the roars from lions and tigers were loud enough to tell anyone where not to run.

She and Ayo run at a crowd, the water rippling from the stampede of horses and wildebeests people parted to let through.

“Make a force field,” Ayo yelled. “Sayefa! Sayefa!”

“I’m tired, you know,” a wall of red still rises, her face wincing. “I might hurt them…”

“They might hurt us,” Sam pants behind them, rolling his shoulder before clutching his knees. “Almost tore my arm off…”

“Sorry,” Bucky sets Shuri down.

"It's raining cats and dogs," his voice breaks with a bitter wheeze, gaping at the cascade of hooves around them. "Man, this place is something else."

As more people and animals appear, Bucky feels the air.

It’s not becoming...crowded. There definitely are a lot of people here, but there's also a lot of space. Too much.

A series of distant trills rise into the air, echoing.

"Sayefa! Ha hoo! Sayefa! Ha hoo!"

Shuri gasps, whirling as Ayo lets out a sharp sigh. "Oh, thank Bast.”

“Wakandaaa!"

"Sayefa! Ha hoo! Sayefa! Ha hoo!"

Bucky stumbles back as the atmosphere snaps again. His ashes fly in a brief, stormy sea.

The neighing and groaning of the animals was distant, as if he were underwater. And then, the roaring of humans was loud enough to startle him back into clarity.

Wanda and Sam flank him firmly. Wanda's hand grips his arm, face pale, perturbed.

Ayo wanders out of the shield as they see T'Challa emerging from a crowd, his warriors, along with some Jabari, following closely.

With a holler from T’Challa, a group of them charged, blanket shields flickering. Together, using nothing but their bodies and voices, they herd the poor beasts into small groups.

A few mares, foals, and stallions break away, only to be met with more men and Dora Milaje. Even the hollering of some civilians rises into the air as they seemed to join them. Expertly, they dodge both species’ bucking and rearing, their shouts scattering as they corralled them.

Crowds of people cheer and clap from a distance, relief warming Bucky’s chest.

The King commands, “Yibambe!”

“Yibambe,” they all echo.

“Yibambe!”

Shuri bolts in his direction and Bucky barely makes out the King’s soft, “Oh, no.”

"My King," Ayo calls, tailing the Princess.

T'Challa takes them for a brief embrace, and Bucky hears the clicks of isiXhosa.

"You fought well, Dora. You fought well for me and your country. We must now regroup. Find out what we can do. Be strong. Bast’s presence and power reside in me still. However, it feels...different. She is closer, but She is farther."

"Do not lose Her, Your Highness," Ayo pleads. Her arms cross over her chest, head bowed.

"Your Highness," Sam holds out his hand.

"I am not quite sure if I am glad to see some familiar faces in this place," T'Challa takes their hands in a strong shake. "But I suppose it tells us what we all feared," he looks around, face saddening at the sight of his warriors. "We have lost. And we are in a place beyond our current understanding."

"I am Groot," an odd, tree stump-like head appears behind him. It blinks at them with large, dark eyes.

Bucky was sure he'd seen it all after spinning a bipedal raccoon like Julie Andrews on the mountains to shoot a barrage of aliens. Said raccoon trying to buy his gun and his arm afterward. But now, he was completely sure he was done. Apparently, the talking tree from Pocahontas was real, too.

"And here is something else beyond my understanding," T'Challa sighs. "I don't know what it's saying."

"I am Groot," it seems to complain.

“Yep,” nods Sam. “Not an afterlife.”

“Wow, Brother,” Shuri smiles wetly. “You were meeting aliens without me? That’s unfair. Hello, Groot?”

"I am Groot," The tree nods at her and proceeds to poke T'Challa's suit. "I am Groot."

"Uh, it is vibranium,” the siblings chorus. “It is a very strong metal."

The tree points at Bucky. "I am Groot?"

"That is vibranium as well," the king's lip twitches.

"I am Groot," it taps his suit, gesturing and shrugging. "I am Groot. I am Groot." It looks at Bucky again, pointing at its own arm. "I am Groot?"

Bucky's head shakes. "I'm sorry?"

"I am Groot?"

"I'm sorry—your name is...Groot?"

The tree face deadpans at him. And he has to stomp on the embarrassment as everyone else also throws him blank looks.

The tree roars, "I am Groot!"

Sam pushes his shoulder. "Man, stop pissing off the tree alien!"

"Don't touch me—look, I don't know what it's saying, I just wanted to make sure—"

"I am Groot," Groot sighs exasperatedly. "I am Groot." It points at his arm and Sam's wings. "I am Groot. I am Groot."

"I'm—I'm Bucky." Confusion trickles through him.

The stump head shakes. "I am Groot. I am Groot. I—am—Groot."

"He's warning you about your arm and your wings," Wanda blinks with a small frown. She steps away, breathing shakily. "He says Rocket will try to buy and steal them."

"I am Groot,” it—he, apparently—gasps. “I am Groot—I am Groot!"

"I am, but this landscape is—it's amorphous. They could be at the very ends of it for all we know. I can't even sense how far it reaches."

The tree sags. "I am Groot..."

"Who the hell's Rocket?" asks Sam.

"The raccoon," it clicks in Bucky's head. "We helped each other out a while ago. And," he takes a breath. "He already tried."

Groot shakes his head again. He seemed to be smiling with what Bucky thinks is fondness. "I am Groot."

Sam gives him a glare he'd gotten used to. "Think I missed you fighting aliens with a rodent."

He shrugs. "Fine. Don't believe me."

"I am Groot," Groot chastises.

"Not a rodent, " Wanda's lips twitch. "Got it."

The air shakes violently and they cling to each other.

"I am Groot," he shrieks. "I am Groot!"

"I wouldn't want to die a second death either," she grits. "But—"

Around them, the shape of people flickers briefly, ash crashing in waves. They break and fall apart. And when they come back, on the watery surface, a small pagoda appears in the middle of them all, a rectangular, shimmering, translucent wall encasing it.

"What now?" Sam growls.

"There's…someone there," Bucky narrows his eyes.

Wanda leans forward. "A little—girl?"

"I am Groot? I am Groot! I am Groot!"

"’It’s Gamora’?" She stutters. "Who’s Gamora?"

Ash falls, and then, people were in front of the structure, yelling the name inside. A man's yell rises above the rest.

"Gamora—Gamora, it's me! It's Quill! Sweetheart, please..."

"Quill, you will not get to her," a woman with large eyes and antennae pulls on his arm. "There's too much pain—I can't do anything about it!"

"Mantis, come on, please—"

The little girl only stays with her back turned to them.

And then, Groot was yelling and running. "I am Groot! I am Groooot!"

"Groot," a larger man turns.

At least, Bucky thinks it’s a man.

Biped, broad, skin color wasn’t human though. Different culture, maybe?

Regardless, that man spins, looking in all directions. Red eyes land on the running flora-alien and his hand rises, pointing in their direction.

"Groooot!"

Wanda starts at a fast pace. T'Challa shouts an order to his soldiers and keeps pace with her as Shuri, Bucky and Sam follow.

"The large man," Wanda sniffs. "Is Drax. The woman is Mantis. And the man is Quill."

"And the other dude in red?" Sam cranes his neck.

"He didn't say."

"What dude?" Bucky frowns.

"He's," Sam stutters. "I just saw—man, this place is messing with my tech, too! There was another guy. Right there…Princess, do you think you check these out? I know you don’t have tools or whatever, but maybe you can figure out the wiring maybe?”

“Uh, sure,” Shuri squints as his goggles, pouting slightly. “How come you got to keep your tech…”

"Sorry,” his lip twitches. “I don’t know. But I guess we got more allies?"

Bucky shrugs again.

"Let us hope so," T'Challa says.

Groot sprints ahead of them. "I am Groot! I am Groot!"

Quill spins, sprinting with Drax and Mantis. "Groot? Oh, my God!"

"Groooot!"

Bucky relaxes his fist as Groot collides with them in a large embrace. Their questions drown each other's, and it occurs to him that this was a family.

"My God, what happened—"

"—I am Groot—"

"—Are you okay—"

"—Where is Thor—"

"—What about Rocket—"

"I am Groot! I am Groot!" Groot sobs, clinging to the man Wanda called Quill.

"Man," he breathes. "What the hell is happening?"

"That's the million-dollar question," Bucky says.

Quill looks up and narrows his eyes. He glances between him and the rest as they approach, a faint recognition lighting up his face.

"Quill, right?" Sam tries, sticking out his hand. The man eyes it for a moment before eyeing his goggles. "Name's Falcon. I also go by Sam."

The man in the red coat peers over his group and the woman Bucky noted was Mantis smiles, nodding.

With another quick once-over, he takes Sam's hand. “Yeah, I'm Quill. Let me guess. You guys are the Avengers, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Sam pulls him up.

"Don't sell yourself short," Bucky shakes his hand next. "Everybody who fought today might as well be an Avenger, too. Name's Bucky."

Quill once again blinks rapidly, frowning at his prosthetic. "Thanks. And sorry about lookin' at you like that. That's—that's just gnarly to look at. Oh, wait is gnarly an insult now? I don’t know. I meant to say your arm's cool and stuff—God, sorry, Buck. But, nah. See, my group here, we got our own thing. That's Drax, and Mantis, and I guess you've already met Groot."

"We," Drax gestures. "Are the freaking Guardians of the Galaxy."

"We kick names and take ass," Mantis puts a proud arm around Groot.

Bucky elbows Sam when he snorts, stepping away with a blank face as the man's eyes narrow dangerously.

Quill winces as he finishes taking Wanda's hand and takes T'Challa's. "Jesus, she's working on that. But, quick question. Did Thor, Groot, and Rocket ever make it to you guys?"

"Yes, they did." T'Challa nods. "And they made quite the entrance, too. They all fought valiantly alongside us. I am T'Challa, King of Wakanda."

"Whoa—King?" He stiffens. "Do I—do we gotta bow or something?"

"I am Groot—"

"—We don't do that," they chorus.

"Of course Thor fought valiantly," Drax sighs, crossing his arms and looking forlornly to the sky. "To underestimate that sculpture of a man is an act of utmost sacrilege."

Bucky glances at Sam, the other man's brows knitting together and studying the air.

"Technically, he's a god but—you know what, okay. Aight. That's fine."

"Rocket tried to buy my arsenal," Bucky mutters, glancing down.

"Yeah," Quill's lips twitch again. "He does that—"

"I am Groot! I am Groot!"

"Yeah, but I don’t really know what that is. Say it again; vibra—what? Vibrium?”

"I am Groot," Groot shrugs. "I am Groot. I am Groot."

Quill stares at T'Challa. "Huh, that’s cool. He says your suits made out of it but—" He glances between Bucky's arm and T'Challa. "They look so different. Rocket’d kill to get his hands on this stuff. ‘course, he’d usually just steal them when you’re not looking—oh, wait. Avengers. Hey, Spider-Man! Spider-Man, come back! We found your Avenger buddies!"

"Spider..." Bucky stiffens.

"Wait, Avenger bud—he's not..." The words die in Sam's mouth as the lanky figure makes its way out of the crowd, the white patches widening.

"Hey, look who's here." Quill points. "You know these guys? And did you find him?"

"Uh, no, nah, I—I didn't see him anywhere," the voice broke, clearly shaken. "And Quill, I couldn't find a way in. I even tried digging—"

"'ey 'ey 'ey, relax. Calm down," Quill grabs his shoulder, glancing at the pagoda. "We'll get to her, too, eventually. We just gotta…we just gotta cool it. Steady, alright? We'll get her. But, uh, here. Here's Falcon—Sam, and Bucky and King T'Challa, his little sister Shuri and Wanda. Did I get that right?"

They all nod and he elbows Spider-Man. "Better at names than you are. By the way, don't you have a cool, superhero name, too, Wanda?"

"Scarlet Witch," she choruses with Spider-Man.

The Spider manages a weak chuckle. "Hey...Mr. Barnes. Mr. Wilson."

"Eh, just Sam's fine, man."

"Yeah, just Bucky's fine." Bucky holds out his hand.

The guy takes it, grip light.

It sort of freaks him out, and he didn't know why. Until his mask retreated downwards, and Bucky remembers.

The tear-stricken face of a young boy meets his eyes.

"Just Peter's fine for me, I guess."

With a shared glance, Bucky and Sam's gazes soften.

"Oh, so I share my name with the Footloose hater?" Quill shoulders him again gently.

Peter forces another smile, wiping away tears. "I thought your name was Star Lord? Or...Quill?"

"My real name, or earthen name, or whatever, is Peter. Peter Quill. You can just...you can just call me Quill. That way, no one gets confused."

"Yeah," Peter nods, sniffling. "Good idea."

"So, you got roped into this, too, huh?" Sam crosses his arms. "Was it Stark again?"

Peter's eyes water even more, and he shivers. "I—"

He falls into ashes and the rest follow suit.

"Damn it," Peter grits, clinging to Quill. "Damn it, I hate this place."

The girl under the pagoda answers him. "I hate it, too," her voice is small and sad. It cracks, but booms over the billions and billions of people they were trapped with. “But we can only leave if someone outside sets us free. Try as much as you want to use whatever magic you have, try to dig as much as you want, but you’re not getting anywhere. Thanos was granted control over our souls, and he trapped us here to fulfill his plans. Half of all life in this universe has been removed and placed where we are now. We’re trapped. And there is no escape. This Stone does not have cracks. And it will not release a single soul, no matter how far you wander, or whatever wall you try to reach. You're better off where you stand.”

"Oh, Gamora," Quill says forlornly. "What did he do to you..."

The little girl merely looks up at him, a darkness far too painful in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Quill. Nothing can really hurt you here."

Quill shakes his head. "I'm already hurting, sweetheart..."

The Guardians flank him, squeezing his hands, and his shoulders.

“What did she mean by this universe,” Bucky turns to Wanda.

“I’ve…never denied the possibility, but she might have been referring to the multiverse.” She pouts. “It’s more of a theory than anything concrete, I think.”

Shuri chimes in. “The multiverse? What does that have anything to do with here?”

“She just said this universe. I thought it was weird. Do you believe it?”

“I don’t exactly dispute it,” she gazes at the ground. “That’s not my area. But thinking that our universe is just one of an infinite number with infinite variations in between is sort of fun to think about every now and then. At least, to me. Maybe we can try asking her?”

“You can go,” Wanda shakes her head. “I’m still…I’m still trying to get my grip on things.”

Sam sighs again. "Spider—whoa. Peter. What can you tell us on Stark?"

Lead weighs in Bucky’s chest as the kid's eyes darken. It was a look no child should have on their face.

"Mr. Stark..." His head shakes. "I... We... I didn't mean to—"

"Peter," a female voice interjects. "I think Ned and MJ are here."

"Ned and...MJ? How—how do you know?"

"I picked up Ned's biometrics when he first found out you being a superhero. I picked up MJ's during the elevator incident."

"Oh. Where are they then?"

"South of here, behind Barnes."

They all turn.

"Ned?"

Ashes flying into the air before falling back down and another two teenagers stumbling past the crowd.

"Holy—MJ. MJ, look—there," a boy shakes the arm of the girl next to him. "I told you he'd be here—Pete!"

"Ned!" The boys crash into a hug, Peter wrapping his legs around the other boy.

"Hey, asshole, " the girl waves, sauntering. She starts conducting with her middle fingers and Sam snorts.

"Jesus," Wanda blinks. "So vulgar."

"What'd you do to her?" Bucky mutters.

"Nothing! She's—she's just like that—MJ!"

"She really is just like that, Mr. Winter Soldier, sir." The round-faced boy peers up at him, eyes wide, but not necessarily frightened. "You kinda get used to it."

"You really do," says MJ, coming up and clapping her hands slowly. "Way to go, champ. A for effort."

"For—what?" Peter tilts his head.

She nods her head. "You're Spider-Man, right?"

Ned freezes and Peter's eyes blow wide. "What—no—"

"—He's not—"

"—These aren't—these—"

"—That's not his—"

"—Yeah—no, these are—this is—these are just—"

"—his PJs!"

"My PJs."

MJ presses her lips together. "So…You brought your Spidey-PJs with you...for the trip?"

"Yep,” he hums.

"Come on, MJ. We're seniors."

"It's not weird. I—I'm allowed to have a thing for superheroes."

Sam coughs while Bucky bites his lip and MJ's eyebrows go up.

"Oh, okay."

"Nope," Peter shakes his head. "That’s not how it was supposed to come out..."

After a moment of odd glancing, she shrugs. "Alright then. Honestly, if anyone had half my mind, they'd just assume what you were up to by the third week of school."

"Nobody just assumes somebody's Spider-Man, MJ."

"You know what theorizing is, Ned, come on. It wasn't hard putting two and two together anyway."

"What do you mean?" says Peter.

"You weren't even trying to hide it, were you?"

"I was," he pouts. "Um...I think I was pretty subtle about it actually."

"Yeah, but you can't really call doing the most clichéd secret superhero shit in history subtle."

Peter splutters, blinking. "What—how was I being cliché?"

She counts her fingers. "Disappearing whenever there's aliens around, leaving your best friend at the party that's bound to boost your popularity, and blowing off your date, literally the prettiest girl in school, at homecoming prom because of something really important. Just those three pretty much fit the bill, but if you don't think so...go off, I guess."

Ned winces.

"Not to mention, you jumped out of the bus, probably thinking everybody was distracted and or apathetic enough to not notice you jumping out of a damn window," she shrugs. "It's pretty amateur stuff, Parker. I've seen better porn."

Peter sags as Ned coughs out a laugh.

"Damn, she has a point..."

"Also, you talked about stealing Captain America's shield during PE once. I was sitting," she pops her lips, rolling her eyes. "Right behind you."

“You were reading,” adds Ned.

“Said who,” she smirks.

Ned lets out a grunt while Peter winces.

"Now, that's just being reckless," Sam snorts quietly.

Bucky's mouth twists and Wanda twitches beside him, a weak smile on her face.

"What, you think you could do better or something?" Ned shakes his head, suddenly defensive.

"I could," she replies easily. "I can beat you at lying. That’s no contest."

Ned gives up. "That's fair."

“Well, sorry,” Peter rolled his eyes before flinching. "I—no. I really am sorry, you guys—I couldn't—we failed—"

"Whoa, hey, whoa whoa whoa. Relax. I'm chill." Ned shakes his head.

"Same,” she smiles. “And literally, we couldn't have done any better, Parker. If I'd put that thing on, I'd probably die instantly. That is, if Stark programmed it to your biometrics—ooh, hang on, can I try it?"

Peter steps back. "What—no."

"Buzzkill," she clicks, strolling up to Bucky.

"You're the Winter Soldier, right?" She holds out her hand. "Michelle Jones, or just MJ."

"Nice to meet you," he says automatically.

"You can still feel temperatures and fabrics with it, right?" She eyes his arm and Bucky smiles. He liked her forwardness.

"To a lesser extent than a regular arm, but yes. I can also still feel pain."

"Oof," she blinks. "That's still cool though. Does it bother you it can't produce body heat? Learned some stuff about trauma in my AP Psych class."

Holding it out, he shakes his head. "It used to? I didn't exactly have enough time to process the trauma. Nor did I let myself really. But she’s the one that can catch you up on the technological details," he nods at Shuri. “She knows better than me.”

“You made this,” MJ’s eyebrow quirks.

“Sure did,” Shuri smiles.

“Lit.”

She presses her fingertips against his and he smiles. He notes her eyes aren't exactly pitiful. They're more...annoyed.

"Nice. Oh, and thanks for your service, by the way. You, too, Falcon."

"You're welcome," they chorus.

“You’re quite relaxed for having technically died,” Sam smirks. “You done this before?”

“No,” she chuckles. “I think I’m just still in shock or something to be honest.”

Bucky nods. “Yeah, join the club.”

Ned trembles, tugging on her. "MJ, quit distracting the Avengers—I'm so sorry, Mr. Winter Soldier, sir, she has no self-control—MJ, you're going to get us killed."

"She's fine, man," Sam shrugs. "Not like we got any leads on what the hell we should be doing."

"You guys got anything?" Bucky smirks.

Ned stutters and MJ shrugs.

"Not the slightest fucking clue. We're just plebs. It's a hard-knock life for us," she sings. "It's a hard-knock life for us—"

"—'Steada treated," Ned joins.

"We get tricked," Peter’s voice is thick, but he joins with a wet chuckle.

"'Steada kisses,” the taller teen beams.

"We get kicked, it's a hard-knock life," the three of them finish.

"How did we get kicked, by the way? What exactly happened?" MJ peers up at Bucky. "Or is that—you know, classified?"

"Uh," he glances with a sigh. "Would you believe me if I said some purple alien overlord wanted to erase half the universe by getting six magic stones and succeeded?"

Her eyes glance away with a tentative hum and her lips press together.

It was an amusing thought when said aloud, and Bucky was afraid she’d straight up shut him down, but after a moment, she shrugged.

"Probably," her eyes flick to Peter. "You're more trustworthy than some people.”

"Hey," he complains.

"Alright, kids," Sam claps his hands with a large grin. He steps besides MJ and chokes on his own amused chuckle. "Let's not try and start fights here. I don't think the school nurse is gon' like the idea that Falcon couldn't keep some rowdy kids under control."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Wilson. We can both take down Ned instantly," MJ provides. "Peter would probably just knock me out or something—"

"MJ, no."

"MJ, yeah, sure, why not? By the way, is your suit different or something? I've seen videos of you—yeah, it's definitely different."

"Yeah, it is," Bucky says. "The one you had in Leipzig was—I don't know, softer?"

Sam hums, nodding. "This one's shinier."

"Yeah, uh, Mr. Stark. He...he made it for me." His voice quiets. The white patches shrink and removes his mask again, revealing the tears falling down his face.

“Oops, hit a nerve.” MJ nods while Peter bows his head, Ned putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We, um...God. God, why...why didn't I listen to him?"

His shoulders shake and Bucky taps Sam's arm, averting his gaze.

He nods, giving yet another sigh. "Look, Peter—"

"Peter!" The horror-stricken shriek makes them whirl around. "Peter Parker!"

"Oh, shit," MJ bolts behind Bucky. “Ned,” she hisses. “Hide!”

“What, why—"

Bucky almost falls with the breath of the stone this time, feeling his being split apart and drift back together. He picks up MJ before she crumples to her knees, letting her lean on Shuri.

A woman in a cream apron bursts out of the crowd.

"May..." Peter's tears fall without restraint as he stumbles forward. "May!"

"Oh, my God! Pete!" May's arms wrap tightly around the boy. Peter could only let his sobs go as he shook and shook, sobbing and blubbering May's name.

"I was so scared, May...I was so scared."

May presses kisses to his head, muttering reassurances before hugging him to her chest.

"Ugh, I'm going to kill that Stark," she snarls, rubbing Peter's hair.

"No—no, May, please, it's okay..."

"I would strongly advise against that, Miss Parker."

Bucky tenses again as a man walked up behind them, the red cloak on his shoulders hovering behind him.

"I understand your concern, but our fates rest with that Stark now."

“What—who are you?” May glares.

"Dr. Strange..." Peter sniffles. "What—what was it that you saw?"

"I tried to see as many paths to victory as fast as I could," the sorcerer answers as he grabs a woman's hand behind him, pulling her gently to his side. "I saw one."

"Stephen, did we—did we just die?" The woman frowns up at him, a hand around his waist.

"Not yet really, Christine. Not quite that lucky either."

"What was the one?" Sam pipes up.

Stephen takes him in, tilting his head. "Oh, more Avengers made it in here. Oh, boy. You're Sam Wilson, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And you must be Bucky Barnes. You must desperately miss the forties, no doubt."

Bucky sighs. "You have no idea."

Stephen smiles. "Your Highness, King T'Challa Udaku."

"Doctor," T'Challa nods.

"Sorry opening the borders brought you into the heat of things. I suppose power attracts chaos."

"That is very true—"

"Straaange!" Drax roars as he speeds back to them. He descends on the man, swinging. "Why—did you—give Thanos—the Stooone?"

The cloak on Stephen's shoulders rises. It wraps around Drax's fist when he jumps, pulling him away.

"You again? The Blanket of Death! I'll tear you at the seams—"

"—Drax, no! We're not fighting anyone here—"

Quill slams into his front, having Mantis jump on him from behind.

"Sleep! Sleep!"

"I will not sleep here, Mantis," Drax spits. "Both the man and his blankie are in serious need of retribution!"

"First of all, why did your buddy Star-Lord start attacking Thanos right when we were almost had it? And second of all, what if I told you that the reason I gave Thanos the Stone was so that we could win? More specifically, so Stark could win? So he could get us out of here?"

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't shoot me with your magic," Quill holds his hands up, wincing. "But how the hell is that even going to work?" he pants, pushing Drax back as he attempted to stomp forward. "Stark's still on Titan. And he's with Nebula! Who knows what she'll do to him?"

"She'll probably kill him," Mantis cries as she swayed with Drax.

"I am Groot—I am—Groot!"

MJ moves a little way apart where May is prodding Peter. “You know all these people?”

“Sort of,” he croaks sheepishly. “I don’t know Quill or all the alien guys that well yet. I met them in one of Thanos’s ships while heading to Titan with Dr. Stranger and Mr. Stark and—"

“Wait wait wait. Stark took you to an alien planet?” May shrieks. “Without telling me—no, that’s crossing too many lines, Peter—”

“Aunt May—May, please—”

“—insane—Peter Parker, I’m supposed to be protecting you—”

“I know, but—”

“—looking out for you—under my watch—”

“I know and I’m sorry!”

His sudden volume increase calls even the attention of nearby crowding civilians.

He gasps and bows his head, voice cracking. "God, I'm sorry. I am so sorry. He told me to go home but I didn't listen—and then I blamed it on him and I tried to take it back and—and—he warned me, May,” his hands hold hers tightly. “And he said that he didn't want my death on his conscience and now it is and you can't be mad at him, you can’t,” his voice breaks, tears streaming down. “He was trying to protect me, too. All the way to the end!"

May holds him close again, glaring flatly. "Okay—okay…fine," she sighed. "I won't—I won’t sue him or anything, alright? But he’s still getting a piece of my mind.”

Peter lets out a wet chuckle, hugging her tightly. "That's...that's better, I guess. But wait—" he wipes his face. "Will Nebula really kill him?"

“No, she won’t,” Stephen looks at him and May gently. “What I saw was the best outcome: all of us back, with minimal sacrifice. And Nebula won’t kill him because number one: she has no reason to. They’re fighting on the same side. Against Thanos. Two: they’ve both lost to him and now that they’re stranded together, they’re going to use each other to find a way of Titan and back home. And three: Nebula has no reason to lay off a human and waste energy when she knows a human body will just off itself after food and water deprivation.”

"You better elaborate on that, sorcerer. Director Fury's going to want to hear all about that."

A woman in a dark uniform appears behind them, hair in a neat bun.

"Agent Hill," Sam greets, voice dry. "Not glad to see you here."

"Likewise, Falcon." She smirks bitterly. "You must be Bucky Barnes."

Bucky smiles, holding out his hand. "You're with SHIELD, right?"

"That's right," she grabs his hand. "I'm Agent Maria Hill, second-in-command to Director Nick Fury. More detailed introductions can wait until we're out of here. First and foremost, on my agenda right now's gathering intel."

"Well, we can give you all the intel we have," T'Challa bows his head.

"Your Highness," she nods.

"—fucker, son of a bitch, what the hell happened this fucking time—"

"Good Lord..." Maria jumps a foot in the air as she bumps into none other than SHIELD Director Nick Fury.

Snorts come from the kids, meanwhile Bucky dampens his own chuckle as Agent Hill helps him stand.

"Hill—you're here? What the hell's going on—"

Fury takes in the faces of the Avengers, the sorcerer, and the Guardians. Rubbing his face, he sighs, settling down on the rippling floor.

"What?" Maria's smirk widens. "Thought Hell'd be nicer?"

"No, Agent Hill," Fury huffs with no venom, resigned. "This is much worse."

Wherever the Hell Bucky was, something in him loosens, his shoulders relaxing.

The shock was fading, people were getting their grips on things.

While everyone wasn’t here, they were still in one piece. For the most part. As long as it stayed that way, he could let himself relax. Just a little bit.

18 notes · View notes

a-splash-of-stucky · 6 years

Text

I Know This Game | Eleven

Pairings: Bucky x Foster!Reader

Summary: You’ve won the ultimate prize

Warnings: Implied smut? This is pretty PG, fam. Just some much-needed fluff.

Notes: Chapter title and some of the dialogue was inspired by Halsey’s ‘Now or Never’. Visual insp for this part [x] [x] [x] and [x]. Bucky’s suit and hair.

This is the ‘end’ end of my first-ever foray into the world of Bucky Barnes fanfiction. IKTG is how I met many of you lovely people — and y’all know who you are 😉 — so for that, this fic will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for sticking around with me, my darlings, you’re the best. I dedicate this final chapter to you ❤️

side note: props to you if you get where the ending line comes from ;)

IKTG Masterlist

To say that you’re nervous right now would be more than a little bit of an understatement.

When Bucky asked you if you were nervous earlier this morning, you’d told him that you weren’t — and to some extent, that statement still holds true. You’re not nervous.

Well. You are a little bit nervous. It’s complicated.

You’re not nervous about the fact that in about fifteen minute’s time, you’ll finally be able to call Bucky your husband and know that there is nothing, no force in this entire universe strong enough to keep the two of you apart from each other.

You are nervous about having to walk down the aisle and say your vows in front of all those people, though. Sure, ‘all those people’ literally means no one besides your family and your closest friends, but still. The thought of having to say something momentous and profound in front of them is rather nerve-wracking. You want to be married to Bucky, of this you have no doubt; you just don’t know if you’re ready to get married to Bucky, right now.

Why did you turn down the idea of eloping, again?

It is at this point that the door to your dressing room opens and Jane steps inside. She looks wonderful, swathed in a tea-length burgundy tulle dress with her hair pulled back into an elegant bun.

“Hey there, sis,” she murmurs, coming to sit beside you on the couch. “How’re you feeling?”

“I don’t know,” you admit. “Like—I do kinda wish mum and dad were here.”

“Yeah,” Jane sighs, “Takes dedication to work to a whole new level, huh?”

You shrug. “At least we’re used to it,” you mutter.

Your parents are currently somewhere in the depths of the Congo rainforest, tracking down some rare species of beetle previously thought to be extinct. Because their funding is due to run out in about a month’s time, they’d had no choice but to go now. Sure, it would’ve been nice to have them around for your big day, but you’re not particularly close with them, anyway. Their absence is not that big of an issue for you.

“But you’re okay?” Jane prompts, nudging you with her elbow.

You release a heavy sigh as you nod your head. “Yeah…besides that…I just wanna get this over with,” you say, turning to flash her a tired smile. “Don’t get me wrong — I’m happy and excited, and all of that good stuff, but—,”

“You just wanna skip to the part where you’re Mr and Mrs Barnes, huh?” Jane finishes, chuckling as you nod your head fervently. “Well, in that case, are you about ready to get out there and get married?”

“No,” you say sharply, a sudden rush of panic bubbling up your throat. “Janie, I feel like m’gonna be sick,”.

“Y/N,” Jane sighs, taking both of your hands and pulling you to your feet, ignoring your weak protests. “Everyone says that. What’s gonna go wrong, huh? You love Bucky, Bucky loves you, and both of you wanna get married to each other. Where is the issue in all of this?” As she speaks, Jane reaches up to straighten the delicate lace headband in your hair.

“Jane I…I don’t know, okay?” you huff frustratedly. Jane snorts, grabs your hand and leads you out of the room.

“Are you ready for this?” she asks, turning to look at you over her shoulder. Jane’s voice is firmer this time.

“I don’t know!” you squeak, allowing yourself to be dragged out of the room and down the corridor, “I just—I’m allowed to be nervous, okay? I’m the bride. It’s my day,”.

You can practically hear Jane rolling her eyes in amusement. It’s possible that she says some choice words under her breath. The two of you walk in silence until you get to the double doors at the end of the corridor. Once there, Jane stops, turns around and puts her hands on your shoulders, levelling you with a stern, but loving, gaze.

“Sis, trust me. Everything’s gonna work out. You just need to relax and enjoy yourself, okay? I’m not gonna sit here and lecture you about love and your future with Bucky — I’m probably the least qualified person around to do that — but what I do know is that you’ve been through hell and found each other again. Now, I don’t believe in fate, but something tells me that the universe clearly wants you two to be together. So, we’re gonna get out there, you’re gonna walk down the aisle like you own it, and then you’re gonna make him your husband, you get me?”

“Jane,” you breathe, stunned by her sudden outburst of emotion. “I—,” instead of finishing your sentence, you throw your arms over her shoulders and squeeze her in a suffocatingly-tight hug.

“Love you. Thank you,” you whisper fiercely.

“Okay, okay,” Jane laughs, patting your shoulder awkwardly. “You ready now? Wanna do this?”

You step back, shake out your hair snd roll your shoulders. Jane snorts at your dramatics, but bends down to fluff out the skirt of your dress nonetheless. “You look gorgeous,” she murmurs adoringly, flashing you one last smile before taking your hand and looping it around her elbow.

Perhaps it is a tad bit unconventional to be given away by your little sister, but then again, ‘conventional’ is a word with little meaning to you, nowadays.

The two of you wait in front of the door for what feels like an eternity, before you finally hear the opening bars of the hauntingly beautiful piano melody that you’ve chosen as your procession song. It’s a piece with a name you can’t pronounce, written by some obscure Russian composer — Nat had suggested it to you and you’d fallen in love with it the moment you heard the first notes.

Right on cue, the doors swing open with a dramatic flourish.

After sparing one last glance at each other, you and Jane step out onto the rooftop. You’d come out here earlier this afternoon to see how the set-up was getting on, but at that point, most of the decor had only been half-finished.

Now, your eyes widen in wonder as you take in the beauty of the setting. Fairy-lights and lanterns are strung over the aisle in a sort of ethereal canopy, flickering and twinkling merrily above everyone’s head. In the distance, the setting sun paints the sky in a burnished orange hue, its glowering rays bathing the entire rooftop in a soft, warm glow. Red and blue — the colours of your wedding — decorations complete the scene.

The next few seconds past by in a blur. You dimly register Jane taking a step forward and prompting you to follow her lead. You feel like you’re in a daze. Your eyes roam over the assembled crowd. It’s small; only your family members, your closest friends, plus a few colleagues dotted here and there. Everyone is smiling, and a lot of people already have tears in their eyes. You make eye-contact with a beaming Pepper, who’s looking gorgeous in her pale pink shift dress, one hand resting protectively over her baby bump. You owe so much to her — not least because you have a strong suspicion that she had a large hand in vetoing a lot of Tony’s more extravagant ideas.

You spot Nat, Wanda and Peggy to the left of the flower archway at the end of the aisle; your three best friends decked out in red dresses, each one in a slightly different style to accentuate their best features. Sam is standing underneath the archway, hands crossed in front of him, smiling at you like he’s the world’s proudest dad. Steve looks like he’s barely holding himself together. When his best friend had asked Steve to be his best man, Steve — in true Steve fashion — had said yes with tears brimming in his eyes.

And then, your eyes land on him.

Time slows right the way down.

Bucky looks fucking spectacular. His hair is groomed back into a neat man-bun, emphasising a stunning jawline which is covered in the faintest dusting of stubble. His navy blue suit fits him like a goddamns glove, the deep colour perfectly complimenting his complexion. As much as you like him in the suit, you also can’t wait to get him out of it.

You find yourself wishing that the aisle was shorter.

Bucky’s grinning from ear to ear, practically bouncing on his feet with excitement. In the blink of an eye, you find yourself standing in front of him, taking his hand in yours and waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Sam waits for everyone to settle back into their seats before clearing his throat and beginning.

“Now, I know that Y/N and Bucky have prepared their own vows,” he starts, “And I’m willing to bet that they’re dying to get this show on the road, but first, I’ve got a couple of things I’d like to say,”.

He pauses, looking between the two of you with fondness in his eyes. “I don’t pretend like I know everything about love and relationships. But, I’ve seen people get in them, I’ve seen people fall out of them and I’ve seen all manner of strange arrangements in between. And from all of this—well, I’ve made a few observations. I’d like to share one of them with you today, if I may,”.

Sam raises both hands and gestures towards you and Bucky, as he addresses the crowd. “If you’ve seen these two together, you’ll know that this here? This is love. All love. Right here. Bucky and Y/N have been through hell on this earth — for Bucky, I mean literal hell — but they found each other, and most importantly, found safety and happiness with each other. And y’all? That is what love is. That’s what’s important when two people get married — the love they have for each other, that undying, unyielding force. I know these two love each other more than any one of us can hope to understand, and that they respect each other and want to keep each other happy, so…yeah,”.

Sam nods his head as his voice trails off, pleased with the way his little spiel turned out. He’s somehow completely oblivious to the fact that he’s just left you completely speechless.

“Now,” Sam says brusquely, clapping his hands together. “Your vows?”

You and Bucky catch each other’s gaze and burst out into hysterical laughter. “I don’t know if I can follow up from that, Sam,” you chuckle.

“Yeah, you kinda set the bar high there, Wilson,” Bucky adds.

You shake your head in amusement as you turn to face your husband-to-be.

You’re a complicated mess of emotions right now. Tears are threatening to spill from the corners of your eyes, your pulse is roaring in your ears and you feel like you’re about to projectile vomit the cereal you had for breakfast at any second. In your peripheral vision, you can make out the silhouettes of your closest friends and family, all gathered here to celebrate one of the most momentous days of your life. All eyes might be on you right now, but you only have eyes for one person.

Bucky Barnes, the love of your life. The man who will officially become your husband, in just a few short minutes.

If you can get through this ceremony, that is.

Noticing your hesitation, Bucky reaches out and takes hold of your other hand, squeezing it reassuringly. You take a deep breath, slowly count to three in your head, before opening your mouth to recite the words that you’ve written, scratched-out and re-written countless times in the last month.

“Bucky—,” your voice comes out shaky and a little croaky, so you clear your throat noisily before trying again. “Sweetheart, I never thought this day would get here. And…now that it’s here…I kind of feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I know you don’t like thinking about…the past, but sweetheart, we’ve been through it all. We’ve…we’ve been through really tough patches, and really good patches, and that’s probably how it’s gonna be for the rest of the time we have together,”

Bucky chuckles softly, nodding his head in agreement.

You pause to take another deep breath. “I just…I just want you to know that I’ll be your biggest cheerleader, your solid rock, your shoulder to cry on, your best friend—your home to come back to. I promise to support you and all the choices you make, believe in your dreams and most of all, love you unconditionally,”.

A fat tear rolls down Bucky’s cheek. You’re pretty sure you’re not faring off much better yourself but you forge on, nonetheless.

“I know it’s taken us a while to get here, and I am glad that we are where we are, but at the same time—I wish we’d done it sooner. You’re it for me, sweetheart. No one else gets me the way you get me. Not a day passes by without me thinking just how goddamn lucky I am to have you in my life. You make me happy. So happy, just—in general,” you chuckle wetly.

“My point is, well—I want you to love me now, forever, and always, because that’s the only way you’re gonna be able to keep up with me, darlin’, with the amount of love I got for you. I wanna hold you down, wanna keep you around forever, because there’s no one else I can see myself spending forever with, sweetheart. I love you, and I’m gonna keep on loving you for as long as we have together, and maybe a little bit beyond that, too,”.

Practically everyone at the ceremony is openly bawling now. Bucky brings both of your hands to his mouth and gently grazes his lips over your knuckles; tenderness, vulnerability and raw, unbidden love are all apparent in his expression. “I’m gonna keep on loving you too,” he vows quietly, flashing you a watery smile.

Bucky straightens up and clears his throat. “Wow,” he says, “You done good, sweetheart. Remember I said something about you being a writer if the whole clinic thing doesn’t work out, once upon a time? This is exactly why,”.

A titter of laugh ripples through the crowd. Bucky shakes his head fondly, squares his shoulders, then locks eyes with you, looking at you like you’re the only thing keeping him sane.

“Y/N—,” and that’s as far as he gets before his voice gets all choked up. Bucky tips his head forward to rest his forehead against yours. You rub small circles on the back of his hand with your thumb in an attempt to soothe him. He takes another, shakier breath, then tries again.

“Y/N, first off, I’d like to say this: you little shit,”.

A startled laugh bubbles out of your throat.

“How the fuck am I supposed to follow up to that masterpiece? Why did I agree to go second? Why did we even want to write our own vows in the first place? Hindsight is a fucking son-of-a-bitch, man,” Bucky huffs. You giggle weakly in agreement, as the audience erupts into uproarious laughter.

“I have a confession to make,” Bucky admits, as everyone attempts to compose themselves. “I don’t actually have a speech prepared,”. At your arched eyebrow, he elaborates, “Winging it is more my thing, anyway. I—yeah, sure, I’ve been trying to write a speech, but I don’t have one because…well…I didn’t know what to say. Not—not because I don’t have anything to say, but because I have so much I wanna say. Sweetheart, there’re so many crazy good things about you, I didn’t even know where to begin. So many reasons why I love you, why you’re the greatest person I’ve ever met, why you’re the only girl I wanna spend the rest of my life with — there are so many reasons why I wanna stay with you. Forever,”.

Bucky takes a deep breath and squeezes your hand a little tighter, like he needs to ground himself. “I never knew how much I needed you in my life until…until you weren’t in it. I know we both hated those six months, but—well, now I know I need you ‘round with me,” he huffs.

“Yeah, it’s like you said. You’ve been through the ups and the downs with me. You’ve—god, you’ve done so much for me, stuff you probably don’t even know you’re doing. I’m so fucking happy that this day’s here because now…now I know that you’re mine. Forever,”

“Always gonna be yours, Buck,” you breathe.

Bucky laughs breathlessly. “I love you, sweetheart. That’s…that’s kinda why we’re here, right? Don’t you worry about me having problems keeping up with you, sweetheart—,”

“Super serum takes care of a lot,” you hear Nat mutter behind you.

“—I got a whole lot of love and I…I want to be able to love you for the rest of my life, Y/N. I want to always be there for you, the way you’re always there for me. I mean sure, sometimes you’re the pain in my ass, or the chip in my shoulder, but the point is, I never want to be apart from you, ‘cause I can’t get enough of you as it is,”. The audience erupts into a chorus of tearful ‘awws’ at that.

“I promise to make sure that you know that I love you, every second of every day. I’ll say those three words until you’re sick of them,”.

“That’ll never happen,” you swear, twisting one hand free of Bucky’s grip so you can brush away the tears staining your cheek. The corner of Bucky’s lips twitch up into a smile.

“Even when we’re mad, or upset, or on opposite sides of the world…we’re gonna make it work. Because you’re worth it, sweetheart. I love you, I love our life, and I’m gonna try my damn hardest to make every day that we spend together a million times better than the day before. So…marry me already, will ya?”

The rings are exchanged. It’s possible that Sam says something along the lines of “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” but in all honesty, your brain has blocked out all other stimuli, in favour of focusing solely on Bucky. He winks impishly, then wraps his arms around your waist and leans in close, brushing his lips against yours. Distantly, you register the audience bursting into joyful applause, but nothing else matters, nothing else exists besides you and Bucky and the little bubble you’ve created for yourselves.

You and Bucky remain intertwined until Sam obnoxiously clears his throat, looking like he’s trying hard to hold in his laughter.

“Save it for the honeymoon suite, guys,” Steve mutters fondly.

———————————

The rest of the evening passes by in a series of flashes — snapshots of wonderful, intimate and at times, downright hilarious moments. You’re giddy with excitement, floating in Bucky’s arms as he spins you around the dance floor. Like a butterfly in a flowering meadow, you’re fluttering between conversations, trying to make sure that you’ve said hi to everyone that’s turned up. The white-gold wedding band on your finger is a foreign, but strangely comforting weight.

There’s plenty of laughter, a whole lot of alcohol-drinking, and Steve surprises exactly no one when he starts choking up in the middle of his best-man speech. It’s quite endearing, actually.

Everyone whoops and hollers when Bucky enthusiastically scoops you into his arms and whisks you off to the honeymoon suite. You throw your arms around his neck and pepper soft kisses along his jawline as he scampers towards the lift like an excited puppy. Once he’s stepped into the lift, you find yourself trapped between the wall and Bucky’s warm body, his lips passionately locked onto yours.

“I know the rings don’t really make anything different between you and me,” says Bucky in between kisses, his eyes sparkling with exhilaration, the corners crinkling with excitement. “But sweetheart, I sure am glad you said yes,”.

You’re silent for a minute, looking at him adoringly as you catch your bottom lip between your teeth. Bucky cocks his head to the side in curiosity as his flesh hand comes up to cup your jaw.

“What is it, darling?” he whispers, stroking his thumb back and forth over your shin. You tip your head to the side, pressing into the comforting touch.

“Nothing,” you murmur, “I’m just the luckiest girl in the world. You know why?”

Bucky arches one eyebrow as if to say what?

“Because I’ve finally finally won the game,” you husk, curling your fingers into the lapels of his jacket and drawing him close. Bucky’s dark, musky scent enshrouds you, making you feel safe and loved and turned on, all at the same time. “And not only did I win this game, I hit the jackpot, baby. I got the ultimate prize,”.

“Oh sweetheart,” Bucky croons, hooking his finger under your chin and tipping your head back so that he can gaze into your eyes. “I’m the lucky one here. What’d I ever do to land a girl like you, huh?”

Your smirk at that. “Yeah? Well, either way, I want my trophy,” you breathe, looping your arms around his neck as you press a coy kiss to the corner of his lips. “Gimme that gold,”.

--------------------------------- Condensed tags: @feelmyroarrrr @valkyeries @hollycornish @buckingoffthebed @moonbeambucky @sanjariti @in-winchester-we-trust @badassbaker @retroasgardian @lostinspace33 @waywardpumpkin @jurassicbarnes @buchonians @katielu-blog @alohabucky @sarahmatthews7 @i-should-probably-be-asleep-rn @toongtii @barnesdeservestheworld @amrita31199 @amour-quinn @ugh-supersoldiers

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagines #bucky barnes fluff #my writing #i know this game

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