#Boss Thinks They're Above The Law

[stardustdreams-andcaffeine]

More | Bucky Barnes (Mob AU)

mob!bucky barnes x f!reader ✧ oneshot

Summary: You're the secretary to one of the most powerful mob bosses in the country, and that's what he was supposed to stay—your boss. The heart often has other plans. Now, you're in a race against time to save the life of James Barnes, the mob boss who has become so much more.

A/N: Longer one today, just as angsty as I'm used to. I write better with the more angst I do and you can't tell me any different. As always, let me know if you have any requests or comments because I love you all! Keep those dreams alive 🤍

Warnings: mob!bucky, vioence, angst, fluff throughout (because I'm really trying here), secretary!reader, mentions of past abuse in relationship, protective bucky

Word Count: 13,122

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I have to make it. I have to.

"Come on, come on, come on," I breathe out, drumming my nails nervously against my steering wheel and peering around the car in front of me.

He's not answering his phone. I have to make it in time.

I take my lip between my teeth, the anxiety in my chest only rising as each second ticks by. Finally I swear under my breath and swerve around the car before me, slamming the gas pedal to the floor. A chorus of honks rises around me but I don't care. All I know is that he's going to die.

My boss is going to die if I don't make it.

You may be wondering to yourself, how did a meagerly-paid secretary end up breaking traffic laws and nearly crashing her boss's brand new Tesla just to get to him in time? Why would I even bother? Why would his life be in danger in the first place?

Well, to understand that, I'm going to have to take you back to where my life of crime began.

If my mother ever heard I had a life of crime, she'd kill me herself, so let's keep this one between us.

|||

2 Years Prior

"I'm sorry sir, but you don't have an appointment and Mr. Barnes is full for today," I repeat, quickly losing my ever-bearing patience with the brash business man before me.

His eyes dart around my desk and to the office of my boss, CEO James Barnes. I've only worked here for a few months and yet being his personal secretary is proving more difficult than I imagined.

"Look sweetheart, just let me through and I won't take but a few minutes of his time," the man pushes, not even sparing me a glance as he walks around my desk. I shoot to my feet and step in his way, not hearing the office door open behind me.

"You can either see yourself out, or I can have someone help you. Either way, sir, you're not seeing Mr. Barnes today." I assert, my heart pounding and blood boiling in indignation.

If there's one thing I've learned in my time working in Corporate America, it's that most rich and powerful men think they're so far above the rest of the world that they're entitled to open doors wherever they go. Thankfully, my boss is one of the better ones.

Definitely better than this tool in front of me. I almost scoff in disbelief when the man goes to step around me again.

"You don't scare me, sweetheart. I'm just gonna-"

I step directly in front of his path, my eyes flashing with anger.

"Either you leave right now, or I'll personally make sure you'll never get a time slot with my boss. And it's Ms. Y/L/N, not sweetheart" I grit out, standing my ground and leveling my glare at the man.

"Who do you think you-"

I feel the warmth of his presence before he even says a word.

"Do you feel a need for career-suicide, or are you just incompetent?" A dark, rough voice sounds behind me, cutting off the business man.

As my boss steps beside me, the heat of his presence washes over me and I don't even need to look over to know that his menacing face is on display. I can see it's impact in the business man's sudden desire to leave.

"Uh, I-I am so sorry sir. I'll be on my way."

As he scurries to the elevator, I feel my cheeks heat as I look over at James. His dark hair is cut short but is left long enough to be perfectly messy. His bright blue eyes are already piercing into my exhausted ones.

"Sorry for the commotion, sir. I'll try to handle them quicker next time," I start, but my nerves are lessened by the slightly impressed look upon James' features.

"I've never seen you get angry before," my boss notes, making more heat crawl up my neck.

"Yeah well, I used to let everyone use me as their doormat, but I don't let people walk all over me anymore." I respond with half of a laugh. He hums at that, his eyes trained on me.

I break the contact first, turning around suddenly to my desk to avoid the way his eyes seem to burn the air between us to nothing.

"Miss Y/L/N, can I have a word with you in my office?" He speaks again after a few agonizing moments of silence. My hands freeze and I slowly turn around to find his gaze inquisitive.

"Of course, boss" I reply, clasping my hands together to hide the way they tremble slightly. James Barnes is quite possibly the most terrifying person I've ever met, and yet the more time I spend in this job the less he scares me.

When follow his gesture to walk before him to his office, he slips his hand to the small of my back as I enter and I swear my skin sets on fire. I hurry away from his touch and into a chair as fast as I can. There's a slight hint of amusement upon his features as he settles back in his massive chair, eying me from across the desk.

"Is...is everything alright, sir?" I question after a minute of the thick silence. He sits straighter at this, leaning his forearms on his desk and clasping his hands together.

"Do you have a criminal record, Miss Y/L/N?"

His question startles me so much that it takes me a moment to respond.

"I'm...sorry?" I question, not understanding where this is going.

"Anything at all," James continues as if I didn't say a word, "Petty theft, aggravated assault, murder-"

"Sir I definitely don't have a criminal record," I cut in, my heart beginning to increase in speed. James nods, his blue eyes pinning me to the spot.

"Good, that makes you unsuspecting," he states, only heightening my confusion, "In order for you to be of best use, not to mention safe, it's best if you know exactly what it is that I do."

I sit completely dumbstruck and left with no response at all. My mouth opens and closes as I search for words, but I can't seem to find any.

"You've got a backbone and you're an honest, hard worker. That, you've proven. And, against my better judgement," Barnes pauses, his gaze taking on a somewhat softer, almost vulnerable gaze, "I trust you, Y/N."

My heart leaps into my throat and something stirs within me when he says that...that word. Y/N. My name. He said my name for the first time since he hired me. I don't know why it has such an effect on me, but it does.

Before I can stop myself, I blurt "I trust you too."

I do? When did I make that decision? And why did I just say it out loud?

Something in my boss's face shifts at my words, but he masks it with his usual cool, calm demeanor. He sits again in silence for a moment, taking in me and my response before he nods.

"The business I run is more lucrative than what the surface shows. I need someone on my side on the surface level, an associate who can assist me in matters at this office."

"This office?" I repeat, my brows furrowing together as my heart begins to race again. What does he mean by lucrative? And why is there excitement bubbling in my gut?

What he says next would change my life forever.

"I'm the White Wolf, Y/N." my boss's low voice rumbles, his eyes bright and clear, "I'm the-"

"King of organized crime, ruler of the New York mob," I interrupt, my eyes wide and my entire being not comprehending what's happening. I should leave. I should quit this job and call the police and leave. I should be terrified. But there's something in those eyes...

What I say next would start that life of crime I mentioned earlier, and quite frankly I still don't fully understand where it came from within me.

"Sure," I simply say, and the shock that splays on James' face must mirror my own.

"Sure as in..." he trails off, waiting for me to elaborate and clarify what we both know I mean. I swallow down my nerves and go with the decision my entire head is screaming against but my entire gut yells louder for.

"I'm in," I say, this time with more confidence, "Like I said before, I trust you. And I get the feeling you'd kill me if I said no."

Humor traipses across his features as he sits back in his chair in surprise. He plays with the ring in his finger, nodding slightly to me.

"That went better than planned," he murmurs, and I don't know why but I feel like smiling. My entire body is buzzing and my head is swimming, but something deep inside of me is waking up.

I've been walked all over my entire life. That's just the way it's been. I didn't know the difference between being nice and being a doormat for people's convenience until I was well into my life. As much as I hate to admit it, there's something about James Barnes that I trust, there has been since the day I met him. I felt it pull deep in my soul and now, knowing what he does and who he is...

It's time I control my fate, time that I grab my destiny and force it into motion. It's time that I stop letting people walk all over me and be the person who has a voice and a say and...and power. I've heard of the White Wolf as long as he's been around. He may be ruthless but he is not cruel. He's always looked out for the city, taken the scum off the streets and done the things the politicians refuse to. I trust James. And something deep within me is shouting that this is right, that this my destiny, that this is the strings of fate pulling.

And I know when to listen.

"Welcome, Ms. Y/L/N," James announces, standing and keeping his gaze burning down on mine, "To the real business."

|||

Seven months later.

One night, about seven months after the conversation that absolutely changed my life, I'm working overtime in the office.

My hands are dug into my hair and my eyes droop closed. I release my hold on my hair to knock back the last of an energy drink, but the liquid has little effect. I desperately read through the computer screen, hoping to solve the legal entanglement before me.

James informed me when I came into work this morning that some over-righteous beat-cop was looking too much into the business we hide behind our Property Management company. I've been here all day long trying to figure out how to file all the necessary forms to make this disappear and seem a joke. That's taken longer than I expected, though, and at nearly midnight, James and I are still here working.

"God, this is awful," I groan, dropping my head to rest on my arms upon my desk, my forehead seeping in the cool of the wood. I hear my boss's office door open but don't even bother moving. Eventually, a soft laugh sounds that makes me drag my head up and look over to its origin.

"You look absolutely pitiful" James comments, his tired eyes dancing with a humor that seeps into my own features slowly. A small smile tugs at my lips as I sit up fully.

"Thanks, that's what I was going for," I quip sarcastically.

He coughs out a laugh that makes my chest tighten slightly and some of the exhaustion part. Over the months working for the White Wolf of crime, we've become...friends. Well, as close to friends as a mob boss and his secretary can get.

"Come on, let's take a break. We've been at this for too long, I don't even know how you can think straight," James mentions. I shake my head, blinking a few times before turning back to the computer screen.

"No, I've almost got this loophole figured out and we'll be golden if I can just-" I'm cut off abruptly by a strong, calloused hand gently gripping my chin and turning it up so I'm looking at James. My heart gallops suddenly and it takes every ounce of strength to keep my composure against the charge coursing through me.

"Y/N, take a break," he mumbles so soft that a shiver runs down my spine. We stay locked like that for a moment until I nod and pull myself out of his grip by standing.

"Alright" I murmur, breaking the tense, charged moment by pointing a finger at him.

"But if you bring out alcohol on the job, so help me James Barnes I'll turn you in to the police myself," I threaten emptily. He laughs genuinely this time, and it warms my spirit.

"Come on, doll. I've got an idea" he urges, walking out to the massive open save before my desk. I eye him warily and step to it, hoping that the sudden skittering and tripping of my heart at that nickname doesn't show. He's never called me anything but my name, before. Now, it's almost too easy to forget that I work for him.

"You might wanna take your heels off," he suggests, which only heightens my confusion. Nonetheless, I slip the footwear off and walk barefoot in my pant suit to my boss.

"Should I be concerned?" I ask, bringing another humored glint to those beautiful steel eyes.

"No," Barnes says simply, my eyes darting to his forearms as he rolls up the sleeves of his button-up, "I've actually been meaning to do this for a while. You're working for me in a very dangerous business, and although your involvement is kept a secret, I want you to be able to defend yourself if anything goes wrong."

His words settle over me heavily as I shrug my  close-tailored suit jacket off and lay it on my desk. This is actually a smart idea. I sure don't want to be helpless should the time come and, lets be honest, it inevitably will.

"Okay," I reply, walking warily in front of my boss who's practically made of muscle, "Teach me."

Something dark floods his eyes that he blinks away quickly before holding his hands up in a fighting position, gesturing for me to do so. I oblige, putting my fists up in the best way I can. He walks over to me, slowly taking a few steps around my body to inspect my stance.

"Not bad," Barnes announces before stepping close to my side and placing those large hands against my torso and turning it slightly, "There, like that you can use the power you have against someone who might have a lot more than you."

His touch muddles my mind and I can't help but feel that his burning hands linger for a second longer than necessary before he steps away and back in front of me. Even as he does, I instantly feel like I'm missing something without his warmth. It's been that way since I began working here, though. Every little touch here and there has gotten me irrevocably addicted to the feel of him.

I'm so startled by the thought that it almost shows on my face. That train of thinking is...is highly unprofessional.

"Now, punch me" he orders. I hesitate, but don't lower my fists.

That's also unprofessional, and yet look at us.

"Are you sure?" I ask, and he simply nods. I shrug, "Alright then."

I throw the best punch I've got, but he dodges it easily and grabs my fist in his hand. Before I know what's happening, his leg hooks around my vulnerable one that I stepped with and he throws the momentum of my punch back at me so that I crash to the ground. I know that if he'd done that little move fully my back would've slammed into the ground along with my skull. Instead, he follows me to the ground and wraps an arm around my waist, breaking my fall and easing me to the ground as he hovers above me.

I know he means to say something, but words must die for him too when the all too small space between our bodies is realized. I can barely breathe and it's as if time itself has stopped. I watch his fingers flex on the floor by my head, almost as if he's going to reach out to me but chooses against it. All too soon, the moment is broken when James stands and extends a hand down to me. I take it and let him pull me up to standing, disappointment and relief mingling in my stomach.

"That move can save your life, especially against someone bigger than you." James says, a little bit more distantly than he was before.

I thank him quietly and watch him clear his throat and walk back to his office. He pauses when he reaches the door and looks back over at me.

"Y/N, I want you home in an hour tops." He orders. I nod, still slightly breathless.

"And if I stay longer?" I taunt, not even knowing where the words come from. He tilts his head at me, a challenging gaze taking over.

"Then I'll throw you over my shoulder and walk you out myself."

I almost think he means it from the mischief lingering in his gaze.

Sure enough, I go home an hour later.

|||

Five months later

It wasn't until about a year after I joined in on the mob business that I realized how well I was beginning to know James.

And how much more he was becoming to me.

"Y/N, can you get me-"

I cut off my boss by setting down two steaming coffee cups.

"Two triple espressos with low fat cream," I announce, before fishing the folder out from underneath my arm and setting it on the desk before him, "And the monthly finance report. The guys in finance weren't finished when I came by yesterday, so I made sure they had it done for this morning's meeting."

James stares up at me in shock for a moment. That shock is still lingering when he says, "And the meeting schedule?"

"Already in your computer, I emailed it to you last night. I also sent it out to everyone who's coming and made sure to tell Mr. Martinelli 10:30 instead of 11:00 so he arrives on time." I respond, clasping my hands before me and giving my boss a light smile.

"Oh," I exclaim, turning around suddenly and picking up the package I left by his door, "And this gift basket came with a heartfelt apology from Mr. Lankov. It did have an assortment of toffee-filled chocolates which I went ahead and removed for you."

Mr. Barnes reaches over and slides the basket I set down on his desk towards himself before looking up at me. He looks almost impressed, which is high praise enough.

"Will that be all, Mr. Barnes?" I ask when he just stares at me for another minute. I feel my entire body burning under his gaze and, as usual, the air is thick and palpable whenever we're in a room alone. His gaze hardens again into the cold, meticulous mob boss he is and he nods once

"That'll be all, thank you Ms. Y/L/N."

I nod and turn to walk out only to be stopped by his voice calling out to me again.

"Y/N?" James announces, making me turn to him again. I don't know what I expect him to say, but it certainly isn't what comes from him, "I think you are too close of a friend to be calling me James and Mr. Barnes by now."

My heart stutters, but I keep the emotion that surges from his words from splaying all across my face. He considers me a close friend, not just his secretary. When did it ever become more?

When did I ever convince myself it wasn't more.

"What would you like me to call you?" I ask, and the question seems all too formal. The corner of his lips tug up and the movement makes my stomach flip.

"Most of the people closest to me just call me Bucky," he informs, and a rush thrills my entire body as I nod and try to keep my smile small.

"If you need anything else let me know, Bucky." I reply, and something darkens in his gaze.

I'm frozen for another moment, his stare binding me to where I am. Phantom electricity skitters across my limbs and I realize how much I have to restrain myself from walking closer to him. It's almost as if he's the Earth and I'm the moon, caught in his gravity and unable to pull away, All at once I come to my senses and leave his office quicker than usual. I make sure the door is shut behind me before I press my back up against the cool surface.

My heart is pounding in my chest. That was too personal, that was all too personal and wildly unprofessional. Nothing that was said was but the way he looked at me, the way I melted in my spot at that gaze. It was all consuming, and I didn't think I could breathe in that room. He's a mob boss, my mob boss, and I'm his secretary. James...Bucky is naturally a brooding, intense sort of person so the way he looked at me wasn't unusual. The way my entire being reacted was.

And he's so much more than my boss, no matter how much I may try to ignore it.

As the day goes by, I try to rationalize it all. In the end, I know everything there is to know about him—what he likes and dislikes, his routines, his daily patterns. It's my job to, but he doesn't know that about me.

If he did he'd know that today is my...

I think that same thing over and over to comfort myself that everything is normal and okay, but it only just makes a part of me sink. It's almost as if the thought that I'm not more to him has the potential to break me.

You can only be broken by things that hold you.

I'm jarred from that thought when Bucky's voice sounds over my business phone speaker.

"Y/N, my office" He says simply, his voice holding that natural authority and sharp edge that it usually has.

I get up and am walking into his office moments later. Once I'm inside, I take notice that Bucky's hard at work on some document before him and doesn't even spare me a glance until the door clicks shut behind me. At this sound, he looks up and sets down his pen. He stands slowly and adjusts the cuffs of his suit jacket. That small movement sends my entire body into a downward spiral.

"You tried to hide something from me, Y/N," Bucky rumbles, and my stomach hits the floor.

I did? What did I try to hide?

"Sir, I'm not entirely sure what-"

My word die out as he stalks around his desk and up to me. My entire body is trembling, but not from fear, when he stops before me and stares at me so deeply that I feel like he's taken my heart straight from my chest with his bare hands. I'm not so sure he hasn't.

"It was a valiant effort, really," he muses, and I still have no idea what he's talking about, "But even if I only know you half as well as you know me, there was no way you could've hidden it."

My brows are furrowed when he finally reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out an envelope.

"Happy birthday, Y/N," My boss whispers, and the moment feels all too intimate as he hands me the envelope.

He knew it was my birthday. That thought sends a thrill through me that I wish I could forget. I look down at the envelope and back up at Bucky who stares at me with the hint of a genuine smile on his lips.

"You didn't have to..." I whisper, but he gives me a 'really' sort of look.

"You do everything for me, and I'm pretty sure my world would fall apart without you. Now open it."

That only makes my heart race harder and I can't keep away my smile as I open the envelope. Everything seems to fade away when I pull out what's inside. There's no card, just a single slip of paper. When I flip that paper over, I realize that I'm in love with him.

Because it's a round-trip ticket to Kinsale, Ireland. A place I mentioned only once months ago that I've always wanted to go to.

I look up at him, my eyes wide and already filling with tears that I refuse to let go.

"How did you know?" I breathe.

"You said it was one of your dreams to go, and it's hard to forget when you speak about something so passionately." Bucky's reply softer than I've ever heard him be.

I've seen him kill people, torture criminals, and threaten politicians. I've seen him command his mob and rule with certainty and ruthlessness. And yet here he is, giving me one of my dreams because I mentioned it once.

I love him. I know it then, and I don't think I'll ever escape it. I've loved before, but never has it felt like this. This is encompassing and devouring and scary. It's real and deep and world-shifting. How much in love I realize I am with him is the kind of love I never thought I'd get. And yet...

I know it's unprofessional, but I can't stop from stepping forward and getting on my tip toes to wrap my arms around his neck in a sudden hug. He freezes, and for a moment I wonder how long it's been since he's been hugged. Bucky gives in almost instantly and wraps his strong arms around my torso, tugging me closer to him. I decide in this moment that this is my favorite place to be. Kinsale might have been one of my dream places, but this, in his arms, has just as quickly topped the list.

All too quickly I realize the intimacy of this position and pull away, no matter how much it leaves me feeling cold and alone.

"Thank you," I whisper, clearing my throat and taking a step back, "No one's ever done anything like this for me before."

Bucky just stares at me with that all-encompassing gaze.

"Then they're all idiots," he murmurs, and my traitorous heart surges again.

This man is my boss. He's the most powerful person in this city and the last thing he'll do is care about someone as powerless as me. And yet...and yet, and yet, and yet. I can't stop.

|||

Eleven months later.

Eleven months later and I'm still just as totally screwed.

I can't stop the feelings that bubble through me, that take me over and encompass everything I am and hoped I could escape. I tried convincing myself he was nothing, tried to fall for someone else, anyone else, but I can't.

James Bucky Barnes is intoxicating in the most wonderful and awful way. And I can't quit him.

That's why I'm here at Angel's Fall, the bar every corporate associate and beat cop or detective in our slice of town finds themselves at after work. I haven't been in a while, not much liking the smell or taste of alcohol, but after spending nearly ten straight hours with Bucky that serve as a reminder that I'll never have him, I needed to take the edge off.

"Anything else I can get for you, babes?" The bartender asks as she takes a stop in front of me, giving me a friendly smile. I return the gesture and let out a long sigh, finishing out the last of my whiskey sour.

"Scotch, straight," I request, giving her a tired smile, "Thanks."

"Sure thing," she replies, instantly beginning to make my drink, "You seem like you've had a long day."

I scoff, running a hand through the hair that I freed from my low bun, "Long few months."

"That bad, huh? Well I'll keep these going till you say when, sweetie," she replies, sliding my drink to me. I give her another quiet thanks before she leaves to her job.

"Y/N? Y/N is that you?"

I furrow my brows, not putting the voice to a face. I turn towards the sound of the man to find him standing beside me. Once my eyes land on his features, my entire being runs cold. Instantly what little alcohol I had in my system sobers out and my blood freezes in my veins. It's as if I've been dunked in ice water and I find it hard to draw in breath.

"Ian. It's been ages" I comment, my voice thankfully not trembling like I expected it to be. Ian laughs before me, leaning on the bar and drinking me in with his eyes. I squirm under his gaze, which only serves to make me uncomfortable.

"Damn right," he comments, smirking at me lazily with that smile that wrecked my life nearly three years ago, "I've missed you, baby."

I bristle at the nickname, my heart flinching even if my body doesn't. I know he's probably missed me, I had to move to a new state to escape him the first time. I thought I'd done good, too. I'd gotten settled here for a while and then worked my way up to a job at Bucky's company. The past almost two years in Bucky's business have been so good for me that I almost forgot my life before it, the reason why I was so ready to take on the life of organized crime.

The reason stands before me, proof that our demons never die. They just hide away until we're vulnerable again.

"What are you doing in New York?" I ask, trying to make polite small talk and avoid the obvious elephant in the room.

The elephant being that the last time I saw him, I smashed a lamp over his head before I scrambled out of his apartment and to the nearest cab that whisked me far far away, leaving behind all of my belongings except for a wad of twenties and my cellphone.

"I got a transfer to a firm a few blocks from here not too long ago. God, you look great Y/N," Ian averts. He says my name again, almost as if he can't believe I'm standing before him. I nod, wringing my wrists and shoving my forgotten drink away from me.

"That's great, Ian." I keep it simple, knowing that if I talk too much I'll lose myself again. I spend my mental energy searching the thickening crowd of people for a way out. I even consider signaling the bartender that I need an escape.

I'm barred from my thoughts when his hand, a hand I'll never forget, skims over my arm. I jerk my attention back to him, ripping my arm away from him as fast as I can and taking a step back.

"Woah, calm down baby. No need to be so jumpy" Ian placates, that same easy, manipulative smile that would bring me crawling right back to him every time stretching across his features. It makes my blood turn to ice and my stomach roil.

"Do not touch me," I command, surprised at the strength in my tone. It's a strength I didn't have before I got this job, "You lost that right long ago."

Ian's shock is not easily hidden. He realizes in that instant that I'm not the same girl I was three years ago when he broke me and used me and ruled my emotions. I've grown and gotten stronger because someone saw the potential in me to handle power with ease, to be a part of something bigger and stronger than anything I'd been in before. It may shatter me to be around Bucky every day, but he still saved my life in ways he'll never know.

I used to see the world as good and evil, black and white. Now, after my work in the mafia, I know it's gray. There's evil in the good and good in the evil. No one is ever truly both, and sometimes the ones you think are the villains are truly the heroes.

"I-" Ian cuts himself off with a surprised laugh, his eyes incredulous upon me, "I'm sorry, when did you convince yourself of that lie?"

"What lie?" I grit out, and I almost slap myself for indulging him. I'm quickly unhinging, though, and I know that if I stay in this conversation much longer I'll break back into a remnant of who I was. I try to swallow my bile at the thought. I refuse to do that.

"The lie that you're strong. The lie that you can survive in your own, the lie that you'll be anything or anyone without me," Ian seethes, his words sickly sweet like unsuspecting poison. His words cut me so deep that I almost shatter right there as old wounds I thought had scarred over rip open. Instead, I remind myself of the strength and control I've garnered these last two years working for Bucky Barnes.

And then I slap my ex so hard across the face that my hand stings.

"I am not some helpless little girl that's still in love with you," I grit out, my tone sharper than I've ever heard it before, "You broke me once, you are not going to do it again."

His shocked eyes are so wide upon me that I almost don't register his hand raising to strike me back until my head whips hard to the side and pain explodes across my cheek. When I snap my gaze back to him, my eyes brimming with tears of rage and instability, I see him open his mouth to say something. His words don't make it out.

Not before the crowd of patrons splits and a hand closes around Ian's throat so fast and with such force that his back is slammed into the bar.

Oh, I must've forgotten to mention this before. The Angel's Fall is one of the bars the White Wolf owns.

And here the wolf is himself.

I'm so shocked by Bucky's sudden intrusion that I'm left speechless as his grip tightens on Ian's throat and he brings his face that's flooded with an icy rage close to Ian's clearly terrified one. No one lifts a finger to protest or stop my boss, because they all know who this place belongs to.

"You touch her again and I'll kill you," Bucky growls lowly, and Ian is smart enough to believe him as he nods quickly.

Something warm and bright twists in my chest at his words, even when I know any normal person would be screaming or calling the cops. I've never seen Bucky like this before, not about me at least. About his business, sure. But not me.

"When I let go, you're going to leave this bar and this city," my boss commands, his tone leaving no room for negotiation, "If I ever see you again, I will not hesitate to slit your throat."

Ian whimpers, a sound that I hadn't realized would bring me so much wicked joy, a sound that satisfies the thirst for vengeance that I hadn't even realized I held.

"Now, thank me for my mercy and apologize to Ms. Y/L/N," Bucky orders, his grip loosening enough on Ian's airways to let him gasp out the commanded words.

Once he does, Bucky lets him go. His hand isn't off of Ian's neck for two seconds before my ex-boyfriend is scurrying out of the bar. The noises resume as usual, everyone carrying on as if a man's life was not just threatened. Bucky turns his gaze, still filled with that icy rage, towards me and it softens in a way that melts me.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

I avoid the question completely, hoping he'll forget to inquire about it again.

"Thanks for that," I manage out, ignoring the burning of my now very tender cheek, "I honestly thought I had it under control but then I just had to go and slap him."

"That gives him no right to lay a hand on you," Bucky asserts, taking a step closer to me and running a gentle, calloused hand over my hurt cheek. The simple motion sends electricity surging through my entire body and I somehow feel empty when he clenches his jaw and drops his hand.

"You didn't answer my question. Are you okay?" Bucky asks again, not taking a step back.

My heart is pounding and my body is overrun with so many different emotions that I don't know what to focus on or how to stop it all. I may be looking directly into those steel blue eyes, but I'm miles and years away. Memories of Ian and a version of me I often try to forget flash through my mind and I can't stop them.

"Who said you could parade yourself around like a whore when you are mine?" Ian growls out, making me flinch back and wrap an arm around my torso.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

My head whips to the side with the force of his hand. The sting sets in with the silence for a few moments, suffocating me and drowning me in my own pain. Then I hear him sigh and walk up to me, his hands now gentle as he turns my face up to his.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to do that, can you forgive me?" His words are sweet and his eyes genuinely sad. I look up at him warily and almost pull away when that breathtaking smile tugs onto his lips.

"For me, baby? I promise I'll never lay a hand on you again. I don't deserve you"

"Okay" I whisper, letting him kiss my lips and then the cheek that he'd hit again and again and again and as long as I'd keep forgiving him.

I don't even realize I'm not at the bar anymore until there's a soft click of a door behind me and I register a warm, strong hand encasing my own as Bucky leads me into what looks to be an office in the back of the bar.

I hadn't even realized I'd zoned out. I haven't done that in...in a very long time.

He lets go of my hand only to capture my face in his surprisingly gentle hold. When my eyes meet his, everything seems to quiet in the blue of his irises. Still, my mind is aching to send me back to three years ago, to broken bottles and shattered hearts patched with false kisses and pretty words.

"You're safe," Bucky assures, his face softer than I've ever seen it, "You're safe and you're here. I don't know where you went just now but I need you to come back to me, okay?"

Bucky's soothing voice brings me back to reality and grounds me to the moment until all that's left is this room and him and me.

"That's it, there you go, doll. Stay right here with me," he breathes, making my heart flutter. We stand in silence like that for a few moments that stretch for eternity, with his thumbs running across my cheeks until the consciousness returns to my gaze.

"You gonna tell me what happened?" Bucky asks, taking a step back and pulling his hands from my face. I almost make a noise of protest at the loss of contact, but stop myself. Instead, I just shrug.

"It was nothing, really. Just an ex of mine who doesn't know boundaries," I respond, but I can tell that he doesn't buy a word of it.

Bucky takes a slow step towards me again. This time when I tilt my head up to keep his gaze, something tender and almost tangible crackles in the air between us, tugging and pulling and yanking us together. In the steel of his eyes is a dichotomy of emotions, ranging from a breaking softness to a stifled rage that I don't think is directed at me. It sends shivers racing down my spine.

"Y/N," he starts, and my knees almost turn weak at that one utterance, "I think you're not telling me because you know what I'll do. But I need you to understand something before you leave this room and we go back to our daily routine."

One of his hands hooks under my chin, and his thumb grazes ever so lightly over my lip and so swiftly that I almost think I imagined it.

"I don't care who I have to kill or what I have to do. I will do anything if it means protecting you. Anything." He vows, that rage still lit in his eyes. But when I look closer, it seems to be fueled by something so much deeper, so much richer.

I don't know why the words slip past my lips but it does before my mind can stop them.

"Ian manipulated me for years," my voice is trembling and unsure and so unlike every other time I've spoken with him, "He'd use me as his punching bag and then cry on his knees for me. I was stupid then, I always came crawling back. It wasn't until this job that I learned to stand up for myself."

Bucky's entire body is as rigid as a board and I know that look in his eyes. It's the look that appears when he grows unhinged and closer to losing himself to the rage and carnal violence. His jaw clenches and he seems to compose himself.

"What do you want me to do to him?"

It's a simple question, but in his eyes I can see what Bucky wants to do. I can see it as clear as day and it sets my entire being on fire. I choke up, though, because as much as I want to open my mouth and ask for him to kill him, I can't seem to. He sees my hesitancy and nods, taking a step back from me and adjusting his suit.

"Just let me know, Y/N," Bucky states, sounding more professional again as he turns and heads towards his office door.

A sudden sense of urgency overtakes me and I dart forward, grabbing a gentle but insistent hold of his arm that makes Bucky freeze and turn back to me. His arm is in my grasp and I realize that I'm holding on to it for a sense of stability as I try to get the words out. I think he realizes it too because Bucky lets me hold his arm, his eyes boring into mine and that professionalism dropping for a moment. I open my mouth, but close it again, my entire being trembling as flashes of every horror I endured with Ian overtake me.

"I want him gone," I finally manage out, my voice barely more than a whisper, "Please,"

Bucky's eyes search my face for a moment before a certain softness overtakes his gaze. I can see in his eyes that he knows exactly what I mean, even if I can't say the words out loud. He pulls his arm from my grasp only to take a hold of my hand and bring it to his lips. My heart nearly explodes from my chest when he places a kiss to the top of my hand. My skin is ignited where his lips touched it and I almost can't think straight.

God, I'm so in love him. I love him so much it hurts.

"Done." Bucky vows, his eyes never leaving mine.

Ian's mutilated body turned up in an alleyway the next morning.

|||

Two weeks later

I don't know how everything could have gone so wrong only a few weeks later. It all just happened so fast.

"Yes sir, the catering should arrive about 7:00 pm...yes sir, thank you sir. See you then,"

Once the phone is hung up, I take the pen from behind my ear and check off the catering company from my list of gala preparations. In just a few days, the company is going to be holding its annual Employee and Beneficiary Gala. My last few days have been consumed with making sure it runs seamlessly.

"Excuse me, miss. I have a 3:15 with Mr. Barnes." A man's voice I don't recognize calls out to me.

I look up from my paper, smiling warm at the business man who stands before me. My smile falls slightly when I see that he doesn't seem all too happy at the moment, but I set it aside.

"Yes, Mr..." I pause, looking over at my computer screen and scanning for his name, "Stark?"

"That's me." Mr. Stark responds.

"Alright. I'll let Mr. Barnes know that you're here and you should be right in," I inform, giving the man a polite nod before calling Bucky. While I inform him that his appointment is here, I can't help the uneasiness in my chest at Mr. Stark's grave expression.

"You can go on in," I inform once I get off the phone, giving the man a quick smile before turning back to my work, my entire being crawling for some reason.

The meeting's normal for the first few minutes, but pretty quickly their voices begin to raise.

"You need to be careful, Barnes! Pierce and his men are looking for any in to attack our organization."

Alexander Pierce, that's the boss of Bucky's largest rival—Hydra.

"Trust me, Stark. I am careful and perfectly capable of taking care of my business." Bucky grits back. I lift my hands off my keyboard, my attention slipping to listening to the words.

"No, you're not, you're being reckless. You're getting too close and you know it! She is a weakness!" Stark practically shouts. I hear a sudden screech of chair legs on the floor and a brief silence.

Whatever is said next is too hushed for me to hear, but I'm able to catch the last few words.

"I'll take care of it. You know I will," Bucky says, and the office door opens.

"I know you will, buddy. I just needed to get you there," Stark replies, shaking Bucky's hand before turning and walking past my desk without so much of a glance.

"Have a nice day to you too," I whisper beneath my breath.

"Ms. Y/L/N, my office" Bucky says abruptly from his office. His tone seems...almost cold, unfeeling. And he called me Ms. Y/L/N.

With furrowed brows, I get up and make my way into his office, closing the door behind me per his request. I settle down in one of the chairs before his massive desk, an inexplicable worry washing over me. Nonetheless, I ignore the feeling and carry on as normal. Thinking this to be one of the many previous briefings we've had on the gala, I begin to give him my report.

"The catering company is all set for Saturday as is the decorating committee and half-orchestra. All that's left is to-"

"I'm letting you go." Bucky interrupts suddenly, his voice so nonchalant and his gaze so flippantly down on the papers before him that I almost don't register his words.

As in...he's...firing me?

"I'm...sorry?" I question, to which his jaw clenches tightly.

"You are formerly fired, Ms. Y/L/N. Effective immediately," Bucky clarifies, and it feels as though the floor's been ripped out from underneath me.

I can barely breathe let alone hear over the sudden roaring in my ears. He's firing me, after all this time?

"Bucky, I don't-"

"Sir," he interrupts, finally snapping his gaze up to mine. His tone and glare are so ferocious that I almost think he'll pull a gun on me anytime soon.

That one simple correction makes my heart shatter. He hasn't been 'sir' in I don't even know how long. And the way he's looking at me right now...it's almost like he couldn't loathe anyone more in the moment. Like he doesn't even know me. Like he didn't just kill a man for me.

Like he didn't let me fall in love with him.

Tears burn my eyes as I steel my face and straighten up in the chair, clenching my hands so hard together in my lap that they turn white.

"Sir," the word is bitter on my tongue and I feel sick to my stomach more so than I ever have, "May I ask why?"

"Your work is sloppy and your intentions with my business, both legal and not, are undecipherable. I have decided that the best intention for me and my business is to part ways irrevocably with you, Ms. Y/L/N."

It takes everything within me to not let my mouth drop open in shock. The hurt that flashes through me is so piercing and raw and real that it arrests my chest. I can't...I don't know what I did wrong.

"You're just going to let me walk away," I breathe, my jaw clenched tightly, "With everything I know about you and your mob. You've killed people for less."

His cold, calculating eyes study me for a minute before he leans back in his chair, his features the picture of nonchalance.

"You won't tell anyone. You and I both know I wouldn't hesitate to kill everyone you love and then you." Bucky informs blatantly.

That's when my heart splinters. Because I can see in his eyes that he means every single word. Emotion blocks my throat as I simply stare back at him, no longer working to hide my shock or pain. I nod once and I stand, smoothing out my silk blouse.

"I've lost everyone I love, you're out of luck there."

The lie burns so strongly on my tongue that it nearly makes me physically sick. I say it to make it true, to trick my mind and heart into believing it. I should hate him. I should loathe him with every fiber of my being. But I just...can't.

With tears that I refuse to let fall swimming in my eyes, I stare down at the man who changed my life, who stole my heart and is now breaking it.

"Whatever it is that you've been relentlessly pursuing these past years, whether it's power or money or blood," I whisper, not daring to bring my voice above it for fear that it will shake, "I hope you find it."

Bucky's gaze bores into mine, something unreadable that's nearly akin to conflict flashing through his eyes. Without a word, I turn and leave, stopping only at my desk to grab my things before leaving. Leaving this office, leaving the mob, leaving him.

And as I drive home with silent tears streaking down my cheeks, I can't ignore the gaping, pain-filled hole in my heart. I hadn't realized how much I needed that business, that man. But I have to move on. I have to.

And yet, I have this awful feeling that I'm not going to be able to.

|||

A few days later

It's the day of the gala, and it's all I can do to keep myself composed.

I've been an emotional wreck the last few days, and as much as I've tried to deny it I can't any longer. I'm in love with Barnes, I have been for a while and as bad as I want it to, it's not just going to go away. Losing the job was like losing Bucky, and I hadn't realized how much I leaned on him until he was ripped away.

"Oh come on, you stupid computer," I grumble, shoving my laptop aside as it launches into an update I didn't ask for.

When I woke up today, I decided it was time I start looking for another job. No matter how much it hurts, I have to move on if I have any chance of continuing on with my life. I was job searching when this piece of junk laptop started to reboot.

My attention is glued to my television and the show I have playing while I wait for my laptop to finish the update. I get so engrossed in the show that I almost miss it when the screen goes bright and it turns back on.

"Finally," I breathe, pulling it back to me and typing in my password.

As soon as it opens to my desktop, my laptop begins to pop up a bunch of random windows from my most used apps, just like it usually does whenever it's powered down and back up suddenly. I close them out with mild irritation, but freeze when my spreadsheet window opens up, displaying the spreadsheet I was working on last.

The guest list for the gala.

My heart stutters. I'd done so good all of today avoiding thoughts of the event only for my stupid laptop to bring it to the forefront of my mind. My heart wrenches as I can't stop myself from scrolling briefly through the list of invited guests. Near the end, I notice my name and stifle the sudden rise of emotions that inundate me.

With hasty, almost frantic fingers, I rush to delete my name from the sheet. Before I can erase my name, my eyes catch on four names at the bottom below mine. Strange. My name was the last one added. I know because I edited and set up this spreadsheet and only added myself when I had double and triple checked that everyone had been added.

Maybe Bucky found four more to invite. I try to accept the thought, but my curiosity takes the better of me and I can't stop myself from pulling up the internet on another window and searching up the first of the four names.

Xavier Taft. 34 years old, works for a bouncer service...wait. Criminal record.

My heart stutters again. With events like this, we're always so careful to keep the criminals down to only our own, and I've never seen this man's name in our regiment before. With furrowed brows, I search up the next one.

Lance Salone. Bouncer. Criminal record.

My heart is racing when I search the third.

Amanda Vice. No criminal record.

I frown, my adrenaline seizing a little bit. Maybe I was too hasty, maybe those two were just-

Oh my God.

My entire body freezes when I notice an article underneath Amanda Vice's search. She's a personal assistant, like me. But she works for Pierce Enterprises, the cover business for-

"Hydra," I whisper beneath my breath, feeling as though someone's taken the world and spun it around me.

With trembling fingers, I navigate back to the spreadsheet and look to the fourth name. I don't even need to search it up to know.

Alexander Pierce.

My heart is in my throat as I fly my cursor up to the top of my spreadsheet and check to see the editing history. My eyes scan the hundreds of entries by me until they rest in the last entry, one done by an email I don't recognize.

One I never gave permission to edit the document.

"They hacked it," I piece together aloud. Nothing seems real as I throw my laptop off of me and shoot to my feet, the world still spinning. The two bouncers, obvious muscle with the clear ability to kill.

I know I should hate Bucky, I know that I shouldn't give a damn what will go down tonight at the gala, but I can't stop myself from reaching for my phone and dialing the number I saved to my phone of the weapons dealer Bucky's mob used. The man I spoke with on Bucky's behalf many a times picks up on the third ring.

"Y/N. I haven't heard your voice in so long, how are you?" the dealer, a man by the name Nick Fury, asks.

"Nick, this is going to sound so random but I need to know if there's been any movement from Pierce or his men in the last week or so," I rush out. There's a beat of silence on the other end before Nick speaks again.

"What's this about? I thought Bucky fired you," he points out skeptically. My desperation is taking the better of me and I nearly snap.

"Damn it, Nick I just need to know! Has Hydra done anything unusual lately that you know about? If anyone would know it would be you," I practically beg. He must hear the urgency in my tone because he doesn't question me again.

"I caught word they were hanging around upstate earlier this week, they're not usually over there," Nick announces. I furrow my brows.

"Where upstate?"

"Some place called The Sky Palace. Heard they were there for a good bit of time snooping around before they got booted out," Nick answers, pausing for a moment, "Y/N, what's going on?"

I can barely breathe, let alone work up a response. The phone nearly slips from my limp fingers.

"Y/N, are you-"

"That's where the gala is tonight" I whisper, an aching, yawning sort of sensation ripping in my chest at the sudden realization that slams into me.

They're going to kill him. They're going to kill Bucky Barnes and they're going to make a move on our mob.

"I have to go," I rush out, my voice trembling and my stomach roiling with nausea, "Thank you, Nick"

"Of course."

I end the call, rushing to grab my purse and throw on the first pair of shoes I can find. As I rush out of my apartment and into the streets of New York as the sun sets low behind the buildings, I no longer think about the betrayal or hurt. I don't ruminate that I'm fired or that Bucky doesn't care for me like I do him. All I can think about is that my family isn't safe tonight, and I have to do everything in my power to protect them. All of them.

As I whistle for a taxi, my phone is already pressed to my ear and ringing as it tries by I reach my ex-boss. The call goes unanswered as I sit inside the cab.

"Where to?" The driver asks.

I almost say the venue, but pause. I set up Bucky's schedule for today, he should still be at his mansion upstate getting ready. He always did like to make grand entrances. Even if I'm wrong, it's only a ten minute drive to the venue. I give the driver Bucky's address and dial his number again as the driver speeds off.

"You've reached the voicemail box of-"

"Oh come on!" I groan out, pulling my phone away and ending the call. My heart is racing so fast that I can practically feel it trying to run out of my chest. I feel utterly powerless right now knowing that Bucky could die and I can help. What if I don't make it in time? What if he's already gone?

Tears blur my vision and sudden heart ache seizes my chest at the thought. I shove it all down and keep myself composed as I try his number again, but to no avail. Thankfully, we're pulling up to his mansion now. I pay the driver and rush out, putting in the gate code and sprinting to his front door. I don't even waste time knocking, knowing he's probably in the garage or his room, and dig up the spare key from its hiding spot to let myself in.

"Bucky!" I shout as soon as I'm in, slamming the door behind me.

There's no response.

"Bucky please! Are you here?" I shout again, but the silence rings in my ears.

One quick check of his room shows he's not here and when I sprint into the garage, I see one of his twenty cars missing.

I missed him. He's already gone.

I curse, checking my phone to see that he's running fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, something he never does. Of all days to be more punctual to his own event, tonight was probably the worst. I hesitate for only a moment as I ponder what to do.

"You'll forgive me later," I mutter to myself before I spin on my heels and jog to the key rack by the door. I swipe the first set I find and press the button only to find his brand new, cherry red Tesla lighting up.

If things weren't so dire, I'd squeal in excitement.

I don't waste time with giddiness, though, and sprint to the car. I'm inside and have the engine running in record time. Not one minute later, I'm peeling out of the garage and onto the road with screeching tires. I press the gas pedal nearly all the way to the floor, the engine roaring in my ears as I whip into the traffic.

I have to make it. I have to.

|||

And here we are, all caught up.

I hope you understand now more than you did before why I'm so desperate to get to Bucky in time. I hadn't realized it fully in the moment before, but now that I just might lose him, I know that he's everything to me. I wouldn't be half the woman I am without him and his constant assurance that I was strong and skilled and perfectly able to stand up for myself.

I can't lose him, not when he's so much more than a boss to me. So much more.

I cut the ten minute drive to the gala down to four. My headlights cut thought the pitch black night as I swerve up to The Sky Palace that's teeming with cars and richly dressed guests. The Tesla screeches as I grind to a halt before a group of gasping patrons and a wide-eyed valet.

His eyes grow wider when he sees me step out of it in a pair of jeans and a hoodie.

"Don't scratch this car if you want to live," I advise as I toss the young valet the keys. He must think I'm joking because his gaze flashes with humor.

He doesn't realize I'm being dead serious.

I don't care a modicum about the horrified, disgusted looks I'm getting from the elite who are still making their way to the Palace's entrance nor do I care about their cries as I break into a sprint and shove past them all.

I can't let him die, I can't let Pierce hurt my family. I can't.

I only stop running when I reach the two men guarding the front entrance with iPads to check in guests. I know them both, since both happen to be members of Bucky's mob. Their eyebrows furrow once they see me approaching them.

"Y/N?" One asks, his eyes nearly popping from his head, "Boss won't like it that you're here."

"Let me in, Sam," I order, my chest heaving with breath, "He's in danger, you're all in danger."

The two men's eyes widen and they share a look for a moment before glancing back to me.

"Y/N," the other begins, but the panic is getting too much and I cut him off.

"Listen, you're all in trouble. The business is in danger of being thrown into chaos, and your boss-" my voice cuts off with sudden emotion, tears swimming in my gaze, "Your boss is going to die if you don't let me in right now."

They only hesitate a moment longer before they step aside. Relief like I've never known it crashes through me. Just before I walk in, though, Sam catches my arm.

"I don't know what the hell's going on, but we're already falling apart without you. We...he needs you, Y/N," Sam whispers.

My heart tugs painfully in my chest and that same hole opens again. I miss them all, I miss the mob and the meetings where we'd all mess around like kids. I miss Bucky.

And with that last thought, I give Sam a nod before turning and jogging into the Palace.

Classical music wafts into the air, broken up only by soft chatter, laughter, and the clinking of glasses. The gala is classy and elegant and beautifully well-done, but I don't take time to admire any of that. Instead, I race through the room in search of Bucky.

I receive more than one disgusted glare and scoff at my apparel and messy, unkempt hair. I don't give one damn as I try to blend in as much as possible to not alert Pierce or his men while searching for Bucky.

I stop when I reach the grand staircase that leads to an upper balcony, taking the advantage of the steps and climbing a few to see the room from a birds eye view. It only takes me a few seconds to spot Bucky near the center of the room. My heart squeezes in my chest and I almost sob in relief to see him alive and safe. Just before I move to rush down the stairs and towards him, I hear a click from the top of the stair case.

I whip my gaze up in time to see one of the two bouncers from the list, Xavier Taft, begin setting up a sniper rifle atop the dimly lit balcony that no one but him stands atop.

My heart stops. Time freezes. My stomach hits the floor and all I can think about is that I can't lose him.

"No," I breathe, snapping my gaze down to see the gun trained on Bucky.

When I look at him, I see Sam at his side and speaking in rushed tones, probably about me. Knowing I don't have many options left, my mind works in overdrive to figure out the best way possible to do this. I need to cause a distraction, one to catch Xavier's attention long enough for me to finish climbing the stairs and get that gun away from him. At the same time, though, I need Bucky to see it happen, I need him to know his life is in danger so Lance Salone, the other bouncer, doesn't surprise attack him.

Bucky's just snapped his head towards Sam, his brows furrowed and his jaw tight when I make my move, my nerves humming.

"BUCKY LOOK OUT!" I shout, my voice piercing and carrying out over the room. Instantly, Bucky's head snaps up to where I am on the stairs and his entire body goes rigid.

I don't waste time watching him any longer and begin to sprint up the last of the stairs and towards Xavier who curses. He wasn't ready to shoot yet, I timed it perfectly. Beneath me, Bucky sees the gun trained at him and he sees Xavier, who now has his gaze on me. Bucky's entire body changes again into a mode of desperation, but I don't see it. I'm focused on closing the distance between me and the gun that's almost ready.

"Y/N!" Bucky roars, but I'm barely listening over the chaos in my brain.

"Bitch!" Xavier growls, cocking the rifle hastily and wrapping his finger around the trigger. He's too late, because I finish bounding up the stairs and crash into him, knocking him off of his feet and shoving the gun off balance enough so that the bullet he intended for Bucky slams into the roof instead.

Xavier's body slams into the marble tile as I tackle him, but he quickly overpowers me, flipping us over so I'm beneath him. Below us, I can hear screaming and glass shattering, but above the panic I swear I can hear a voice bellowing my name.

I scramble out from underneath Xavier before he can pin me, shooting to my feet and sprinting to the sniper rifle still sitting on the balcony. Just as I hear Xavier get up behind me, I knock the rifle over and send it careening down into the panicking crowd.

"I'll kill you for that!" I hear Xavier spit from behind me, and I whirl just in time to see him throwing a fist at me.

Time suddenly slows, and it's like I'm back in the office that day ages ago where Bucky tried to teach me self-defense. My body remembers the way he grounded me from my punch before my mind does, and I snap back to reality just in time to dodge Xavier's punch. Just like Bucky did to me then, I hook my leg around his and use his momentum to shove him to ground. I crash down on top of him and practically feel the slam of his head into the marble below him.

"Y/N!"

My entire body jumps at Bucky's voice, now close to me. I snap my head around to see him bounding up the stairs, blood splattered across his tuxedo as if he killed a man himself down there during the chaos. I almost sob in relief. He's okay. I melt beneath his gaze that bores down into me as he stoops down to reach out to me.

His hand is inches from me when his eyes snap up to something behind me and horror flashes through his face a millisecond before a hand wraps around my waist and wrenches me to my feet and away from Xavier's unconscious body. I gasp, and the world suddenly goes very still and very quiet as the cool of a gun presses underneath my chin, forcing it up slightly. My stomach hits the floor and I hardly find it in me to breathe.

Bucky stands ever so slowly in front of me, his jaw clenched and his eyes spelling murder.

"Leave her alone, Pierce," Bucky orders, and sudden fear clamps over me.

Alexander Pierce has me at gun point.

"Why? I'm actually quite taken with your girl," Pierce responds, tightening his hold on my waist. I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment at the disgust and fear rolling through me before looking back at Bucky. He catches my slight movement and his fury heightens.

"Pierce, I swear to God if you kill her I will skin you alive," Bucky growls.

"See, now we're getting somewhere," Alexander announces, but I can hear the annoyance in his voice. This isn't what he wanted to happen, "What are you willing to give for her life?"

Immediate tears spring to my eyes and I meet Bucky's gaze again.

"No," I beg immediately, not daring to shake my head because of the gun beneath it, "Let me die. I'd rather die."

Bucky works hard to keep the cold exterior upon his face, but I can see between the cracks that he's...he's terrified.

It's only when Alexander moves his arm that restrains me to cover my mouth that I realize my slim window of opportunity. Without thinking, I slam my free hands into the gun that Pierce holds to the underside of my chin hard enough that it knocks his hand away. His hold loosens in sudden shock and I rip away at the same moment that Bucky darts forward and grabs ahold of me, ripping me to him and immediately crushing me into his side for protection as he rips out his own guns and shoots before Pierce can even recover.

The bullet finds its target perfectly, right between his eyes, and it's over.

My entire body is trembling so violently that I cling to Bucky, scared that my knees will give way from the adrenaline. I've never been in a situation like that before, never been so close to death. Bucky drops the gun from his hold and switches his full attention to me, probably realizing just how pale I've turned and how badly I'm shaking.

Keeping one arm secured around my waist, he runs the other through my hair, his steel blue eyes taking in every feature of mine.

"You saved my life," Bucky murmurs, his hold on me so tight in the most protective sort of way, almost as if he's just as terrified as me, "Even after I fired and threatened you."

I shake my head, tears of relief pooling in my eyes.

"I couldn't let you die."

Bucky's jaw clenches and before he can react I throw my hands around his neck, hugging him close to me. He reacts instantly, wrapping both massive arms around my waist and pulling me close to him, holding me tighter than I ever have been.

"Don't ever do that again, doll," Bucky mumbles into my hair, clenching my hoodie in his fists, "Don't be willing to die for me. I don't deserve it."

I don't know why tears are gathering in my eyes but I find I can't blink them away. I only tighten my grip, nuzzling my head into his neck.

"I don't think I can promise that," I breathe, and my next words come out before I can even stop them, "You'll always be deserving."

Bucky pulls away so fast that my heart lurches into my throat. His eyes examine mine so frantically, so dangerously, so desperately as he holds me out from him. His chest is heaving, almost as bad as mine.

"I did it to protect you, you have to know that. Everything that happened before, it was all to keep them away from you," Bucky swears, and my heart stutters at the look in his eyes, as if the police and ambulance sirens filling the air alongside the shouting don't exist.

"Why?" I breathe, hoping on everything he'll say what I think he will. Bucky brings a hand to cup my cheek, shaking his head at me with something almost close to tears in his eyes.

"You're my only weakness, Y/N, and they know it. Everyone knows it," Bucky murmurs and I swear I stop breathing, "If it came to you or the world I'd pick you every time."

My chest is so tightly constricted that I can hardly draw in any breaths. My chest is moving just as fast as his and butterflies are pressing into my stomach in anticipation for whatever is thick in the air between us.

"Don't ever fire me again," I order, and a low chuckle leaves his lips. My humor drains in a second though, and suddenly it's hard to speak without my voice trembling, "I don't think I'll survive it."

Something breaks in his gaze, softens it and turns it so tender and passionate that my skin tingles. He brings his other hand to cup my face to, so I feel completely under his control.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asks carefully, his eyes searching mine, "This life will never slow down. Someone will always want to take you from me."

"I'm sure," I whisper, not even hesitating.

His lips are on mine before the words are even fully out of my mouth. My heart leaps out of my chest as I melt into him, pulling him closer as our lips move in perfect harmony. My entire body feels like liquid and lightning all at once and he's the only thing left in the world. One of his hands finds their way into my hair, leaving me completely at his mercy. When he finally pulls back, he leaves a breath of a kiss on my nose and then my forehead before tilting my chin up to meet his gaze.

"You've been more to me for a long time now, doll" Bucky breathes, and a shiver rushes down my spine. He's so beautiful. A smile twitches onto my lips as I caress his stubble-covered cheek.

"I think how I feel is pretty obvious, considering I did tackle a fully grown man for you," I remark, and a surprised laugh rumbles out of him. The sound nearly turns me weak.

"And it was probably the scariest and hottest thing you've ever done," Bucky assures. This time I laugh and kiss him again, but we're both more serious after it.

"This life may not be safe," he begins, his thumb running over my lip, "But you always will be. As long as I'm here, you'll always be safe."

"I love you, Bucky" I whisper, my words a promise. He freezes, something new and bright flashing through his gaze. I don't think he's ever heard those words before.

"I've always loved you, and I always will," he swears, and for a moment my life is completely and totally content.

It doesn't matter what's happening around us, it doesn't even matter that I nearly died a few times in one day. With Bucky by my side, I feel invincible, I feel strong and capable.

"I don't think I can be your secretary any more," I whisper, and his smile is back, turning my insides to butterflies.

"No, I've got a better idea," he smirks, kissing me quickly.

The next day, Bucky would introduce me to the mob as his equal partner.

The King and Queen of crime.

And it would stay like that for the rest of our time.

I don't know when exactly Bucky Barnes became more than my boss, maybe it was always. Maybe I should have known I was in trouble from the beginning, but it's the best kind of trouble. So, if you ever get the chance to do something a little crazy, maybe something you never thought you would, but it just feels right, then you need to do it.

You never know who will become more to you in the process.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #angst #oneshot #au #bucky oneshot #bucky x reader #bucky #mob!bucky x reader #mob!bucky oneshot #mob!bucky #mob bucky barnes #mafia!bucky x reader #mafia au #mafia bucky #mafia!bucky #fluff #avengers #bucky barnes angst

[teecupangel]

For your consideration: mongoose!Desmond. They're small, cute, stealthy, and fully down to throw hands qiwth a lion if need be. Hides in the hood of whichever Assassin he's accompanying at the time and jump out for attack at the most unexpected moment. Alternatively, Altair gets reincarnated in modern time as Desmond's mongoose, and just takes down the whole Abstergo facility when they dare to kidnap Desmond.

It was illegal to keep a mongoose as a pet in the United States.

That was one of the few laws that Desmond knew he was deliberately breaking.

It wasn’t like he had planned to do it from the start.

It had been a strangely freezing morning. Desmond was walking back to his apartment after a grueling 2 hours overtime that he was sure his boss wouldn’t include in his paycheck, citing some shit like “it’s because you’re too damn pretty that those drunks tried to beat each other up for your ass, Derek.” and tell him that it’s only right that he be the one to clean up the mess those two had done after hearing last call.

If he didn’t knew that his boss had the sex drive of a corpse and liked the company of dogs more than people, he would have considered his words as sexual harassment instead of the usual way his boss spoke.

But Desmond knew him long enough and has already made plans to be 2 hours late for his next shift. He’s going to tell his boss that “you don’t need to pay me for my 2 hours overtime since I deducted it from this shift” and his boss wouldn’t have the grounds to dock his pay.

Yes.

It was the ‘perfect’ revenge for his stingy rude boss.

Desmond had just rounded the corner that would lead to the back of his apartment, preferring to enter through the back than the front due to both the stairs being nearer there and also because the back door was less conspicuous.

Years away from the Farm and he still held the paranoia trained into him.

God, he was pathetic.

At that moment, Desmond looked up as he sighed.

And got smacked by some kind of falling fur.

He named the mongoose Altaïr.

To be more exact… the mongoose named himself, using the letter magnets Desmond placed on his small ref. There was only one ‘A’ so the mongoose had to drag the ‘A’ at the start of the name to the empty space between T and I repeatedly. He even went as far as use the ‘:’ magnet to form those two dots above the ‘I’.

Desmond had to look up on his phone how to properly pronounce his name.

Desmond had never had a pet nor did he even know that Altaïr was a mongoose.

He had assumed that Altaïr was some kind of really intelligent pet that someone in his apartment stole from some rich family or something. (No one in this apartment complex would have the money to buy an intelligent pet like Altaïr)

He tried to ask Altaïr who his masters are or if we can remember where he was taken from.

The bland unimpressed look Altaïr gave him made Desmond realize two things:

(1) he was being stupid asking a complicated question to Altaïr regardless of how smart he was and

(2) Altaïr was an asshole

That was fine by Desmond to be perfectly honest.

Altaïr stayed in his apartment and did his own hunting for food. He seemed to only slip inside the small opening on the window that Desmond purposely left for him whenever he wanted to relax or… use Desmond’s computer.

… not that Desmond saw Altaïr use it.

He just had a feeling that Altaïr was using his old wheezing whenever it was turned on laptop that he got for cheap from his bootlegged DVD dealer at the back of the nearest Seven Eleven from his apartment.

Desmond could probably check if Altaïr was truly using it by checking the browser history or something but…

Ignorance was bliss.

Desmond really didn’t want to find out just how scarily smart Altaïr was and suffer the consequences.

So really…

When the power was cut in the Abstergo facility where he was being held, he didn’t immediately think of Altaïr.

Honestly, he had this weird feeling that his ‘roommate’ Altaïr might be his ancestor Altaïr but that was crazy talk.

So he ignored that gut feeling.

Then Vidic got a call from someone who told him that someone had locked down the security room AND all the exits.

Then everything went silent.

He was still strapped in the Animus. He didn’t even know that the Animus had cuffs that could slide around his wrists and ankles (and fucking neck, what the fuck, Vidic) until Vidic pushed something in the Animus itself the moment the blackout happened and Desmond was still groggy from being forcibly kicked out of the Animus.

He heard Lucy whisper that someone was using the emergency sleeping gas and it was spreading throughout the facility.

Desmond was just going “???” because who the fuck added sleeping gas in their goddamn building as an ‘emergency’???

Then…

The laptop on Vidic’s station started making this beeping sound and Vidic walked towards it.

He had a moment to say that someone had taken over their computers (Desmond thought they were having a blackout??? What the ever living fuck was happening???) before the computer exploded and the shards from his monitor hit Vidic on the face and neck.

Desmond wasn’t sure if it was life threatening or not but Lucy was panicking as she rushed towards him.

And Desmond heard the soft sound of something creaking. He looked at where the sound came from and noticed the vent on the floor was now open.

And Altaïr the freakishly intelligent mongoose quietly scampered towards the Animus, looking over Desmond for a moment before scuttling towards the section of the Animus where-

The cuffs keeping Desmond still slid off and Desmond sat up.

They both stared at each other.

And Desmond finally sighed as he admitted, “Okay… you’re no ordinary animal, are you?”

Altaïr gave him the same bland unimpressed expression he had given him all those years ago.

And Desmond realized that it looked exactly how his ancestor would look whenever he heard something stupid from one of the novices.

Well…

Shit.

#if you gave me the option to make a mongoose altaïr #i will take it nonny XD #the derek is not a typo #as usual of my pre-canon desmond ideas #his go to fake name is derek milton #assassin's creed #ask and answer #teecup writes/has a plot #fic idea: assassin's creed #desmond miles #altaïr ibn la'ahad

[06sunnybunny06]

Part 2 (Aren't we friends?)

♡♡♡♡

The next morning, when the sun was just rising above the horizon. You went on a treasure hunt. Why Child could control you so easily by playing his weird games. He seems to be quite good and looks like a good guy. It's just that Childe is your friend. That's the whole conversation.

The ancient map of Li Yue differs significantly from the modern one. Many buildings, at the moment, have turned into ruins. There may be a whole story behind a broken column. In fact, you are now watching the ghosts of the past. It would be interesting to move back in time and compare "before" and "after".

Come to think of it, you've never traveled outside of Li Yue. Before that, your home was a small village, hidden from prying eyes. The parents weren't bad, they just tried, as if they were hiding from something. The villagers loved to live the old-fashioned way. Thanks to them, you had a good childhood, but one question haunted you all the time.- "Why live in such a wilderness if there is a big city nearby?". No one tried to answer. You were greeted only with meaningful stares, as if you were asking stupid questions. As someone who grew up in the wilderness, far from crowded places, you wanted to see a different life. In the city, everything was different: the houses were tall, the rhythm of life was faster, even the people were completely different. My parents didn't really approve of the decision to move, but there was nothing they could do.

- Okay, we didn't break up on the best note, but so that we wouldn't even send a single letter all the time? And what is that supposed to mean?! Did they just forget about me?!

While unpleasant thoughts were wandering in my head. There was a crunch a few steps away. You were hiding behind the trees nearby without thinking. No matter how beautiful nature and ancient structures are, this world is still dangerous. Any evil spirits can appear from anywhere.

Two figures appeared in the distance, looking like masked soldiers. If one of them is a little taller than you, then the other is quite huge. They also seem to be armed. The first one has a gun sticking out behind his back, and the second one has a gun...what is it? A huge hammer?! Just don't tell me that these are the fatuis that are not pleasant rumors about.

"How long do we have to stay here?" - you flinched when one of them started grumbling.

- Until the harbingers finish their work in Li Yue. Our task is to look for traitors, if you haven't forgotten.

A heavy sigh followed. - "Our work is hard in itself. You can simply be sent to another country and not be brought up to date for a long time. Some stay because they are simply forgotten! Fatuis are not liked by everyone anyway. What should we do then? Wait for the locals to devour?"

The soldier with the hammer turned his head. "Watch your mouth. If anyone finds out, you will be executed on the spot. Submission to the Queen is the law. It's better not to say too much."

- And yet I feel sorry for these people. They lived as if they didn't exist. Oh, I would also like to settle in a quiet village to meet my old age in peace, but that's all.

The second soldier nodded. - "Yes..."

- Considering who our boss is, we're not going to get it. They say he's a real psycho.

Their voices could be heard for some time, until they completely subsided behind the dense foliage. After waiting for some more time, you got out of your hiding place. Everything seems to be calm. They're gone. It was eerily scary to even move. Who knows what they are capable of?

You've looked around the area again. The map shows the way from point A to point B and nothing superfluous. It seems that you are close to your "treasures". Whatever it is.

As the journey continued, the familiar surroundings attracted attention. You've seen this place before. I'm just remembering when it was. "This can't be happening." - The legs walked faster. A familiar sight opened up on the hill. It was your native village. Is this really the destination? You were already suffocating from the strain. Childe couldn't have known about this place…

When you went downstairs, the familiar house of an elderly woman appeared around the corner. She used to look after you when your parents were away on business. Today she has been dead for a long time. Someone had to occupy an empty house. But there wasn't a soul on the street. The wind walked alone between the houses, leaving a void in its wake. Now you're really scared.

You found yourself near your house. It became so quiet that even the creaking of the stairs underfoot seemed like a thunderclap. When the hand reached for the handle, the door opened quietly. The house is not only empty, but also as if no one has lived here for a long time. Mom would never have allowed such a layer of dust, knowing her cleanliness.

You were trying to find at least some signs of life with your eyes when you noticed a piece of paper lying on the table. It seemed to have been placed in a prominent place on purpose. The piece of paper was quickly in your hands. A message was written in it:

"Hello, my dear. Congratulations to you! You've won our little game! I would like to see your smile, but there were some difficulties, so I couldn't come in person. I'm sorry, and I promise, this is the last time! A gift is waiting for you in your room!

With love, your friend is Childe.

You were in shock. How the hell does he know?! How does he know this place? Where are all the residents, and most importantly, where are your parents?!

The head turned towards the door. A little girl used to grow up behind her. The walls of the room remember a lot of emotions - from loud laughter to bitter tears. There was a small box with a bow on the bed. His hands trembled as he opened it. There was a silver ring inside. It wasn't just a decoration. It belonged to your mother. Fingers gently pulled it out of the box. Something else was born. Tears rolled down your cheeks when you noticed the dried maroon spots. The legs immediately rushed to the exit. Maybe they were running away from something, or it was all a bad dream. In the morning you will wake up in a cold sweat, not thinking about him anymore.

When you ran out of the house, a sharp pain pierced your head. The unconscious body collapsed to the ground. You distinctly heard someone say the word "damn." The tears continued to flow until my mind completely shut down.

You woke up in a dark room. Although there was a lamp on the bedside table, some dark areas were still difficult to see. The pain was sharp in the back of the head. You tried to sit up when a familiar voice rang out. "Are you finally awake?"

Your body is numb. It was Childe. He was waiting for your answer. You could barely squeeze out a couple of sentences in a painful voice. - "Yes. My head hurts terribly."

The guy almost purred when he heard your voice. So you're more than okay. "One of my soldiers underestimated his strength. He hit you on the head, but don't worry. I punished him personally." He sighed, suppressing his anger. Some fool dared to harm you. Tartaglia made it clear that you needed to be caught and disabled, not knocked out with all your might. Fortunately, he is no longer a tenant.

- A soldier? "there are memories behind the transparent veil. How did you come to an empty village, how did you find your mother's ring in the house..."

His right hand rose involuntarily, revealing a silver ornament on his index finger. You've always admired him. The image of the snowflake accurately conveyed the connection with its owner. Your mother, like you, had the vision of a Cryo. There was a midnight jade in the core, which shone with a blue light in the dark. My father gave it to me for their anniversary. This time it was completely clean.

- Why do I have my mother's ring on my finger?

Chade shuddered. He sighed heavily, sitting down next to her on the bed.

- The fact is that... I don't think there's any point in lying to you. Since you're in danger, it's better to find out everything at once.

You looked at him expectantly as he began his story.

"I am the eleventh harbinger of Fatua, and it is my duty to do the Queen's will. She is the ruler of the Snow Kingdom. Each fatui must take an oath of allegiance, entrusting his life to her. If the oath is not fulfilled for one reason or another, the person will die. Those who shirk their duty become traitors and face the same fate. I have nothing against your parents, but they were previously from Fatua, and I think you know how it ended....

You didn't believe his words. More precisely, they didn't reach you. - "No. This is your stupid joke again, isn't it? Are you lying to me as always?" "You didn't even notice yourself when you started crying again. Everything fits together very well. The puzzle is coming together. Their caution was always infuriating. It seemed to you that a free person should be happy and not be afraid of anything. But they were trapped in their fears from the very beginning. The Fatuis were hunting for them. As a result, they are no more. And whose fault is it? "Are they dead? Did you kill them?"

Childe began to shake his head negatively. "I wouldn't dare. You know, I have a family myself..."

You sobbed, burying your face in the blanket. What's going to happen now? How to live with the thought of the death of your family now. You didn't even have time to say goodbye.…

Childe hugged you. His heart hurt more with every tear that fell out of your eyes. If there was an option not to cripple your psyche..

- You know, I helped you with something.

You lifted your head, wiping away the remnants of your tears. - "What are you talking about?"

"You would have suffered the same fate if I hadn't intervened. The authorities wanted to get rid of all the recalcitrants, but you were not in Fatui when they escaped.

You nodded, and the guy smiled with satisfaction. "I have an idea. In order not to attach you to this dangerous organization as another unfortunate soldier. So I decided to marry you.....Ta-da!"

Your eyes widened and stared at him, but Childe continued. "The Queen has approved our marriage. It turns out that you were born in Snezhnaya. This means that it will be right to return you to the embrace of your native land. My family is waiting for my return. They will be glad to meet you."

"Are you saying that our marriage is my salvation?"

The guy nodded. "I personally buried your parents in another place. It seemed to me that it would be better than lying in a mass grave. Your mother's ring will be our bond. It will be difficult to accept their death, but nothing can be done. I'll be there to help you deal with everything."

You were grateful for his help. Although this is not the life you planned, it's still better than serving a dangerous organization.

Your face brightened, and you nodded approvingly. Childe could barely restrain himself from grabbing you and kissing you. He must not spoil this moment. Everything is going too well.

"I'd like to see the graves." I need to say goodbye to them at least like that.

Tartaglia nodded at your wish. -"Of course dear. You need to visit them so they don't worry about you. Then you will definitely be free." - He took you in his arms again. This is the best day of his life, and it will be even better when you get married....

#yandere #genshin #genshinimpact #tartaglia #genshin_impact #Genshin impact #childe #genshinheadcanons #headcanons #childe x reader #yandere tartaglia x reader #yandere childe #yandere tartaglia

[gorbalsvampire]

On the Proxy Kiss

I wrote this in an attempt to do a plain English explanation for someone on Reddit. Maybe you'll find it useful?

The Giovanni and their associate families used to have a very formal Embrace procedure, overseen by the elders of the Giovanni family itself.

Let's make up a character: call her Alessandra Giovanni. Before Alessandra can be Embraced, she's got to spend time as a ghoul, proving she's worth it. She will be ghouled by someone who is NOT going to Embrace her, and might not even be from the same family. They call it the Proxy Kiss.

The idea is that every new "Giovanni" vampire has gone through an apprenticeship and shown they can cope with the family's activities. Each has bonds to at least two Kindred – the one who ghouled them and the one who Embraced them. Everyone has divided loyalties, and nobody gets to choose their own childer and build up a power base.

If Alessandra has two Giovanni parents, she's a prestigious ghoul. Single blooded. Stronger necromancy. That's what they believe, anyway. Also, as a Giovanni, if she gets sired by someone who isn't a Giovanni, that makes her look bad – like she didn't deserve the family blood and name.

Now let's make up another character: Bruno Puttanesca. Bruno Embraces Alessandra when he feels like it; he doesn't wait for the elders' permission, he doesn't wait for the big family meeting on the 4th of April (when Embrace rights and Proxy Kisses are traditionally assigned). He just goes for it.

This annoys everyone. Alessandra's regnant has lost her ghoul. Alessandra's sire to be has lost his future childe. The Giovanni elders have been disobeyed. And it's Bruno's fault. Alessandra was just THERE.

Why is it Bruno's fault? Because he knows the rules. Because the Giovanni do follow the Camarilla's Traditions (it's part of the Promise, their whole neutrality deal with the Camarilla).

One of those is the Tradition of Progeny – you need permission from your elder to Embrace. Normally this is the Prince, but Giovanni are strictly discouraged from being Princes. They get to do things internally, instead; their own elders decide who gets Embraced.

Another is the Tradition of Accounting. A sire is responsible for the actions of their childe. A childe cannot be responsible for anything. Under vampire law they're basically not a person yet. So even if Alessandra asked for it, manipulated Bruno into Embracing her, he should know better than to say yes.

So Bruno has annoyed the Camarilla as well, by breaking their rules and threatening the security of the Promise.

Bruno is probably going to be punished by someone. It might be the Giovanni, internally, or they might turn him over to the Camarilla and say "this one broke the law, and it's your law: what do you want done with him?"

Alessandra might be killed by the Camarilla – she's not really a person yet, she's a mistake – so the Giovanni will probably deal with it themselves. They're likely to make the vampire who was supposed to Embrace her Blood Bond her instead, or maybe she'll be passed to an elder because nobody else can be trusted.

All that's from the Revised Edition of Clanbook Giovanni. In V5, after the Family Reunion, things are a bit different.

The Giovanni aren't the boss of everyone any more, and the other families are more free to Embrace internally, and local domain law matters more. That said, it's only been a few years, and vampires are slow to adapt.

We don't know exactly when the Reunion happened (it's deliberately vague so Storytellers can do what's best for their game), BUT I think we can use the date of Revised Edition ending as a cutoff point. If Alessandra was Embraced before 2005, the rules above would have been followed.

#vtm #vampire the masquerade #clan giovanni #meta #god I love the Proxy Kiss

[qqueenofhades]

Speaking of Jack Smith and the indictments, follow up questions if you feel like answering! What do you think the chances of a conviction before the 2024 elections are? And (more worryingly to me), how much will convictions matter given they don't actually stop Trump from running or potentially being elected?

I've been following the investigations pretty closely, until I figured out last night that there are no laws against running for president from prison, and nothing stopping an imprisoned president from pardoning themselves. @_@ And while no one running for president from prison has ever gotten much of the vote, I have a terrible feeling that's one of those terrible firsts Orange-kun could pull off.

The thing with all this is that it is, for America, completely unprecedented political and legal territory. As such, while we can speculate and infer from what has happened thus far and what would normally be on schedule to happen next, we simply can't be sure. As I have said and as we all need to prepare ourselves for, Trump WILL be the GOP nominee at the time of the 2024 election, and if you thought he and his deranged cultists were dangerous to American democracy before, that's nothing compared to what they would be now. Which means we have the obvious task of all working as hard as we fucking can to get Joe Biden re-elected and given back full Democratic control of Congress. That is and remains Job Number One.

Next, Trump's only play is to delay, delay, delay as long as possible, in hopes of miraculously winning and canceling all the charges against himself like a proper banana-republic Autocrat-for-Life. That is obviously a terrifying idea, so see above: need to make sure it doesn't happen. The good news is that Biden beat Trump last time and if we do our part, he can do it again. Democrats are over-performing their 2020 margins by an average of 7+ points in the last 20 special or off-cycle elections, and while this isn't a sign to think we've got it in the bag and can just relax, it also means that the electoral trends are overall much better for Team Blue than they are for the Group Of Pfascists over there, especially since state-level Republican parties are basically bankrupt after throwing away so much money on pointless Big Lie challenges. Trump and his entire vindictive fascist apparatus is, again, terrifying. But it is not genuinely popular or in the actual majority, and we need to approach it like something that can and must be defeated, and not some unstoppable demonic force.

As such, we also need to recognize that even if Trump does go on trial and get convicted on any number of things before November 2024, which is still something of a long shot just because Merrick Garland dragged his feet on this for so long, he will try every bullshit delay tactic and appeal that he possibly can, in hopes of elevating it to a Trump-appointed judge and/or SCOTUS (he will try AS HARD AS POSSIBLE to get it to SCOTUS, since like every good mob boss, he thinks he owns them and they're obliged to bail him out). We don't know the timeline on that or what the effects will be, but as I noted last night, the benchmark for "progress on holding Trump accountable" constantly shifts and doesn't seem to be acknowledged, even when we are in the realm of the unprecedented for any former American president. And yet we do continue to make progress, and as I say whenever there's a development on that front, the LAST thing we should do is pre-emptively throw up our hands, despair about how it still doesn't mean anything, or just won't work. I know pessimism is easy and hopelessness feels like our default setting; the last almost-decade has kicked the absolute SHIT out of us and I won't pretend otherwise. But nonetheless, this is still happening. We just have to hang in there and do our part.

If we do that, and trust that Jack Smith and co. do theirs (as they have been doing so far), then things will probably, in fact, be okay. We cannot ever make the mistakes of 2016 again, which is why it's so maddening that a significant minority of leftist-identifying people seem determined to do exactly that, but it's certainly not as if all hope is already lost and the indictments will be a magic wand to speed Trump back to the White House (again, God forbid). We have to keep that in mind and our eyes on the goal, so yeah. We can do it and we must, and that's about all there is to it.

#anthropicmoose #ask #politics for ts #the giant orange monster

[brainrotdotorg]

Do you have any more thoughts about hardie boys piss and fuck

THROWS MY HANDS IN THE AIR. YES I DO INDEED

i think they joined the hardies after trying and failing to join the SKULLs. maybe they talked with cindy about potentially "setting up and interview" (fuck's words) with the local SKULL contingent and she just flat out said. listen. theyre not gonna take you. youre not cut out to be gangsters. don't try you're just going to get your feelings hurt. run along little boys. and they were extremely bummed out about it but cindy took pity on them and was like. well if you still want to find another little boy band to be a part of, my friend lizzie works with the hardies. maybe you could join the union instead of bothering me. ill ask her to put in a good word.

piss and fuck at first are like. ugh no way theyre psuedo-cops! all the debardeurs must be narcomaniacs if they're the de facto law in martinese. what a bunch of losers they dont want to fuck around with them.

and then they learn more and more shit about the hardies and the union in general. the call me manana guy seems cool. titus doesnt take any shit from anybody. oh shit that alain guy was in solitary confinement and has a history in crime?? the union deals in the drug trade?? evrart is basically a fucking mob boss?? the union is an above the board crime syndicate- this is way more advanced than graffito and carjacking. actually, hold the phone, maybe they do want to become union boys. there are a couple of openings since some of the last guys died anyway. (going w the best possible tribunal outcome where only angus, glen, and theo die iirc) cindy puts in a word with lizzie and lizzie gets them kind of an interview. love the idea of piss and fuck being like. we can bring sooooo much to the table. (they cant)

I think at first the two get put on dumb duty. like theyre the equivalent of patrol/junior officers, bottom rung, total grunt work. basically do everything together too of course theyre gonna be attached at the hip. the hardies think theyre a little annoying at first- "kid, dont wear that fucking jacket"- but they warm up to them eventually. fuck drinks his first beer his first night after work in the union box and almost throws up because he tried to down it all at once and look cool and shanky laughed so hard he nearly pissed himself

the hardies dont call them piss and fuck, they call them eric (canon name) and raul (my headcanon for what his name is) instead. piss doesnt wear his union beanie often but fuck does. fuck tried to flirt with lizzie once and he learned very quickly that HE SHOULD NOT DO THAT . theyre the youngest hardie boys by about a decade and because of that titus has a similar kind older mentor dynamic like he had like with angus. fuck will bitch about his nomme de plume about fucking the world and love being dead and someone will laugh and tell him hes too young to be that jaded. garte is annoyed at the new juveniles in the union box but doesnt say anything about it

the boys like being part of a group. to contribute to something. to work together. it isnt exactly a paying job but they live in a shipping container together that evrart lent them ("You're part of the union now! And union fellows stick together, isn't that right?") (he has already fucking measured out every single way he can wring every last drop of usefulness out of these boys including access to fuck's la delta lawyer dad)

sometimes is titus gets a little too drunk and sees piss from behind, he calls him glen. nobody addresses it when it happens. piss knows better than to ask about it .

#disco elysium #im gonna think about this more because i love this idea #but i dont fully know what specific things the hardies do. lmao #piss and fuck

[ginnymoonbeam]

Top 5 couples of this year and all time!

This was a fun ask because it really got me thinking about the difference between a favorite couple and a favorite story. For example, The End of the World With You is my #2 BL of the year, but Ritsu and Masumi were never even contenders for this list. This list is all pairs where I both love each character and love the quality of their relationship.

Top 5 Couples of 2023

Han Baram/Im Hantae, Sing My Crush

gif by wanderlust-in-my-soul

We'll see a lot of "they're best friends AND lovers" on this list because that's the kind of relationship I love the most. I'll never be over how much Im Hantae loves Han Baram, long before he realizes his feelings are romantic.

Gun/Cher, A Boss and a Babe

gif by firstmix

Their dynamic charmed me from the very beginning. I love how playful they are, how they dance back and forth across each other's boundaries in a way that feels mutually beneficial for two stubborn, locked-up people. I love how they each become the person the other one can lay down his burdens for.

Kawi/Pisaeng, Be My Favorite

gif by wanderlust-in-my-soul

Their love is important even in the timelines where they never get together. The closer they come to each other, the wiser and happier they each are. It's beautiful to see.

Tinn/Charn, Laws of Attraction

gif by maxescheibechlinichacheli

This is by far the least grounded, most unhinged pair on this list, but even they keep to the theme of making each other better. And their chemistry had me by the throat for eight full episodes.

Jim/Wen, Moonlight Chicken

gif by itsallaboutbl

One thing I love about their relationship is how attentive Wen is to Jim. He sees the role he plays in the community, he sees how hard he works, and he does what he can to ease the burden. They take care of each other through difficult moments, and in the end, they become one another's home.

Top 5 BL Couples of All Time

For my own sanity, I excluded 2023 from this list. Maybe some of the above would make it onto the total top 5 list, nudging out some of the below, but that is a question for Future Ginny.

Nuea/Toh, Secret Crush On You

gif by nammminn

One thing I love about SCOY is that it never attempts to address the question of why Nuea loves Toh. "Why shouldn't he?" is the answer baked into the very bones of the story. These two beautiful freaks are obsessed with each other and that's all you need to know.

Pat/Pran, Bad Buddy

gif by sunsetandthemoon

They're best friends, they're rivals, they're star-crossed lovers. They fight, they make music, they play horny wrestling games. They're irreplaceable to each other, and to me.

Tang Yi/Meng Shaofei, HIStory 3: Trapped

gif by atthapans-archived

I love how deeply they know each other before they even consider each other friends: that's what a good enemies-to-lovers is all about for me. I love how Meng Shaofei's direct, open affection blasts right through the Tang Yi's protective shell. I love how damn fond Tang Yi is of Meng Shaofei. (And yes, they've been reunited, I wrote a fic about it so it's real as far as I'm concerned.)

Cake/Seeiw, My Only 12%

gif by yourstype

It may be clear by now that I love a longstanding, bedrock kind of relationship. Cake and Seeiw are each other's other half their whole life, four years and an ocean notwithstanding.

Payu/Rain, Love in the Air

gif by piningintrovert

Don't let the kink and the overwhelming hotness fool you into thinking this is an unserious pair: by the end of the show these two have developed a solid relationship of reciprocal support and caretaking. Watch Rain develop from a wide-eyed baby deer with no idea of the signals he's broadcasting, to a confident, self-aware brat who knows exactly how to use those big eyes and pouty lips - whether it's to get the *ahem* attention he's after or to help his man calm down. They're a perfect fit and I'm so glad they found each other.

Ask me my Top 5 Anything BL 2023!

#ask game #best of bl 2023

[licncourt]

ive been thinking about your modern au claudia for days.. do you have any crumbs about Her by any chance

Claudia my baby girl 🩷 I always have thoughts about her!!

Little Claudia is her parents' baby genius, partly because she has two uppity micromanagers for dads. She knows piano and violin, speaks perfect French, reads Latin and Greek, took classical voice training, art lessons, and ballet, and sees a tutor twice a week to make sure she gets straight A's through all her schooling.

She's not as much of theater geek as Lestat, but she takes pretty quickly to ballet. Claudia is a beautiful dancer, but she has her dads' competitive streak (times two) and is constantly on the edge of pushing her competition down the stairs. Though even if she did, Louis and Lestat wouldn't hear a single bad word about their baby anyway.

Despite the fact that she's a mini Lestat, Louis is Favorite Dad (and default parent). He's her book reader, Ken doll operator, snack maker, game player, and everything else. There is no rest for the wicked or for the Louis EXCEPT when it comes to her hair and outfits. Only Lestat is allowed to dress her and touch the curls.

Above all she's daddy's little girl and gets whatever she wants whenever she wants it. Her childhood bedroom is filled with princess dresses, dolls, jewelry, stuffed animals, blankets, and every shiny thing she ever saw. A pink pony that farts rainbows? Sure, why not. They'll do their best.

Starting at puberty, she gets a little boy crazy (emphasis on the crazy). She's the tiktok of the girl who threw dead birds at her crush's window when he was with anyone else. Lestat understands this intimately and helps her social media stalk her men when she's old enough.

She's kind of a bully until Louis makes her Be Nice (her one weakness is her papa's disappointment). She definitely gave some kid an eating disorder first though.

As a teenager she's a pageant girlie (Lestat would’ve had her in there way sooner but Louis put his foot down). This is the best possible outcome for Lestat and even when she's mad at him she has him do her hair just like when she was little. Louis doesn't love the whole thing but deep down he enjoys that everyone knows HIS daughter is the prettiest, smartest, and most talented.

She studies law in college and gets into an top university as Louis' nepo baby (she's a star anyway though). She becomes a very unscrupulous but well paid criminal defense lawyer. Louis is very proud.

The boy she ends up with is a sweet guy, golden retriever bf with his tiny, angry wife who tells the server he asked for no pickles. He gets along well enough with Loustat but tbh Claudia wouldn't give that much of a shit if he didn't. They're not the boss of her. No grandbabies either. Claudia didn't like kids even when she was a kid.

#answered #vc #human au

[littleeyesofpallas]

Stupid exercise in futility but trying to nail down some sense of order within the Gotei 13.

Squad 1 as best as we ever knew was Yamamoto, Sasakibe, and Okikiba, three old men... Maybe they're all old because they've all just been at it for just as long a time, but I like to think that squad 1 is just the retire to a desk job squad for the gotei, so it's full of retirees.

But then Shunsui and Nanao get thrown in there to resume capt. and lt. duties basically just by way of Shunsui's senority. He definitely steps up to the task given the needs of the plot, but it would have been nice to see more of a total shift in personality once slacking off ceases to be a real option.

So as far as we know this squad is largely administrative and political. Whatever it is that unites the other 12 squads, and gives the Gotei as a whole direction comes from Squad 1. Presumably Squad 1 also directly negotiates relations with the Central 46 and the Royal Families.

We also know Genryusai is the founder of the Shinigami Academy that trains new shinigami, but it's unclear if he still had any direct interaction himself.

Squad 2 we know was initially just a "militia" which makes sense as a top priority in the Gotei's formation. But Yoruichi's ascent to head of her family, her family's secret police, and 2nd squad captain merged said militia with the Shihouin Family's special forces. The special forces seem to thus recruit from/thru the 2nd Squad now.

They consist of what are basically ninja police, patrolling, surveilling, arresting, and detaining. I kind of hate that they exist the way they do because they seem to just be a giant redundancy within the Gotei; various things the gotei would sensibly have specialized departments for that might be squad specific duties, the onmitsukido seem to have their own subdivisions handling already...

Squad 3 we have no damn clue about.... They're really never elaborated on in any meaningful way under any particular captain...

Squad 4 is all medical. Thank god this one's nice cut and dry. We know they have both nurses in dedicated medical facilities within the seireitei as well as field medics in 14 different subdivisions. It is not clear if those subdivisions have any specialized roles. They attend to prisoners as well as active duty shinigami that they follow out into the field. It is questionable if they offer any services to the souls in the rukongai, although Jidanbo's complete neglect would suggest not.

Squad 5 has no explicit roles or duties shown throughout the series. But there is some suggestion that they could be the gotei's liason with the academy, or otherwise something like HR, dealing with assigning incoming shinigami to squads and filling squad needs for personel.

We know Aizen had a hand in shuffling Renji, Kira, and Momo around in their early days with the Gotei, but it's unclear if those were attributable to his Captain rank in general, or if he did so in his capacity as 5th captain specifically.

Alternatively it could be something that would cover the information and resources that facilitated Aizen's specialized research into hollows, but there's not a lot to go off of there.

Squad 6 also has no clear roles.

They went to the human world to apprehend Rukia, but that feels more in line with Byakuya's personal responsibilities than his squad's.

The position appears to have been passed down several generations in the Kuchiki family.

We also know they have their own jail cells, and its not made clear if that's something every squad has although it very well might be. But given Byakuya's fixation on law, it's possible the 6th Squad is specialized in some form of law enforcement: tracking down, apprehending, criminal shinigami like Rukia, and detaining insubordinates like Renji.

Squad 7 is yet another super vague one. All we really know is that Komamura and Tetsuzaemon operate akin to a yakuza boss and underling, and that Komamura values loyalty above all else. Between Tetsuzaemon's name, his predecessor Jinnemon's name(which both refer to "gates" and contribute to the yakuza aesthetic) and Komamura's affinity for heavy armor, it's possible they are a defensive focused group. But what kind of actual responsibility that would entail under normal circumstances is super unclear.

No idea what Love lends to any of this.

Curiously, the Gate Guardians would presumably be part of a squad if they aren't their own independent force, but it's not clear whose squad they'd belong to if they belong to any at all. But Jidanbo's little brother Jirobo was part of 7th Squad. (Although once they brought up the that walls and gates surround the King's Realm normally... which makes very little sense anyway... it would suggest the Gate Guardians hang out up in the Royal Realm under normal circumstances???)

Squad 8's responsibilities are also just never really addressed.

Whatever it is the squad does, Nanao's the one doing it, so possibly something fitting her bookish demeanor more than Shunsui's?

With Shunsui's slacking there's no reason to suspect that any part of the squad's duties particularly suit him. And whatever Nanao did as his lt. Lisa had done before her, and resumed doing as new captain once Shunsui moved to 1st squad. But then Lisa's demeanor is, superficially at least, identical to Nanao's. So that doesn't really add any clues.

Squad 9 has some clues, but none that really add up.

We know they run the cultural magazine on the side.

We know Kensei ran them like a biker gang in the past.

We know they were the ones sent to investigate when shinigami disappeared in the rukongai.

So it's possible they could be the vanguard? Either like scouts or as the first line of defense? Feels redundant with Squad 2's spec.ops. patrol squad though, but again most of 2nd squad's existence as a partially independent organization suggests they just internally do all the same things the gotei does more broadly...

The biker gang thing would sort of suggest high mobility as a specialty skill/group tactic?

Squad 10 unclear.

Hitsugaya's got a whole boy detective thing going on in the SS arc, but that might be circumstantial to the conspiracy plot and not related to his duties as 10th captain. Plus more of a personal character quirk than a job role.

Matsumoto does not appear to be an asset to these duties in any case.

The late addition of Isshin also does not make clear much of anything.

We know they received some kind of casualty reports but it seems like they weren't reports from their own squad. (the reports were filed late due to Isshin and Rangiku's shirking, but if their own squad members had been dead and missing for months surely they'd have noticed.)

We know Hitsugaya was the supervising captain in the Karakura stakeout after the first Arrancar attacks. But it's super unclear what the process there really was; he may have opted into it as a personal matter wanting to deal with Aizen's affairs, and it sounded like the other team members had been selected first and independent of his command. So not clear if any of it really aligns with his squad duties even remotely...

Squad 11 is nice and simple. The fighters of the Gotei wind up here. But notably not the formal militia that make up squad 2, even before the incorporation of the shihouin spec.ops.

Given the general thuggishness and wild demeanor of the most of the squad it's possibly these are categorized by kill count or otherwise fight record and not by qualifications of formalized training. That or their overall tone is a result of Zaraki specifically being their captain and previous iterations didn't necessarily have the same delinquent vibes.

Squad 12 is Research & Development. Nice and simple.

Given Hikifune's role as creator of the Soul Candies prior to Urahara's remodeling of the squad, and her subsequent focus on food as part of the Royal Guard, it sounds like they were always a group outfitted for mass production of synthetic goods, Urahara just happened to modernize their process from what was likely a more traditional arts kind of focus into something more industrial.

Given the importance of food and hunger as correlated to the emergence of spirit powers in Soul Society that kind of role within the gotei is actually a lot more important than it sounds. I again turn to my tangential speculation and head canon that specialized food in soul society relates to size relates to spirit power, as exhibited in Hacchi's inhuman size(over 8 feet tall) and themes of food in parts of his name and powers, which in turn points back to the gargantuan gate guardians.

Despite being one of the squads with the most intimate focus, Squad 13 is yet another super unclear one.

We know they deployed Rukia, afro guy, and Ryuunosuke & Shino to Karakura.

We know Ukitake gave Ichigo the substitutes badge, and that Ginjo seemed to know Ukitake personally, likely thru the substitute shinigami position as well.

Together those facts might suggest they're specifically the ones in charge of human world activities; whether that's something that would be focused on slaying hollows, rescuing humans and ghosts, or delivering ghosts to Soul Society first with the others as incidental responsibilities is unclear.

Also the Royal Guard were presumably all previous captains of Yamamoto's earliest iteration of the Gotei 13, which suggests that whatever role they filled then were the basis of the squads going forward.

So is there a squad that specializes in clothes that Shutara had founded? (i want to say 8th personally)

One in charge of distributing the asauchi to new shinigami that had been Ohetsu's old squad?

Kirinji seems to have implicitly been the original 4th captain while Unohana had been 11th.

And what about Ichibee's prolific set of skills? His knowledge of true names, theme of rakugo wordplay, theme of calligraphy, and joining theme of artisan monks all seem to suggest he was the original Kido specialist, turning truth into words into poems/chants into magic. But his name also means "military commander" which could suggest he ran the standard militia at the time before they were merged with Shihouin special ops.

edit: right i guess this whole bit has been debunked since the random release of the original gotei roster

And on the subject of the Royal Guard, what is up with their random subordinates, whom I assume live with them on the big city plates in the Royal Realm? Are they shinigami? Are they considered part of the Royal Guard? And is the Royal Guard still part of the Gotei? The Captains are clearly of a higher authority, as is the group itself, but the captains were "promoted" from within the gotei, and share the captain coats, as well as the Gotei diamond insignia. Which begs the question, are the inhabitants of the Royal Realm thus also elevated Gotei members? Or is it an entire literally stratified upper class, (somehow even above the royals and lesser nobility that inhabit the seireitei) who have families and children and communities within the Royal Realm without ever having the go through the academy or gotei service?

(I think the obvious answer is that Kubo did not think it through and that the contradictions just need to be ignored)

Also the Kidou Corps is in there some place outside of the gotei proper yet apparently still abiding a capt.+lt. system of command...(although that feels like a half assed addition of the TBtP more than anything sensible) They have their own jailers that handled Rukia and Aizen, and a separate type of uniformed member that handled the execution ceremony after Rukia was delivered from her cell.

Their uniforms are different from standard shinigami and distinctly monk and even nun like which would have suggested they functioned not dissimilarly to the warrior monk and general buddhist temple during warring states era, where they were considered autonomous from the military caste structure of the samurai and imperial court.

They also supposedly operate the gates to the human world.

And then the late addition of Tessai and Hacchi in formal captain & lt. roles introduced a set of totally different uniforms that are just a coat and mantle over basic shihakusho. Again this feels like a crappy halfbaked idea rather than something that adheres to the established aesthetic of the kidou corps at all.

And the Central 46 all wear shihakusho, despite their apparent nonmilitary role in Soul Society, and autonomous structure outside the Gotei.

Aizen also seemed to suggest that it's possible for Gotei captains to be promoted to the Central 46, and we've seen several of them are elderly, so it's possible the previous captains from Yamamoto's generation are/were among them. Curiously, the Central 46 aren't specifically all elderly when we see the aftermath of Aizen's slaughter, but in the TBtP sidestory the few we see the faces of are specifically much older than basically any other shinigami we see outside of Yamamoto and squad 1.

Yhwach also distinctly calls out the Gotei as having grown weak in peace time since his original invasion 1000 years prior, which suggests that there wouldn't be much cause for casualties among the captains in that time, save the Kenpachi in squad 11 killing eachother in succession. So, the turn over of captains might be accounted for by Central 46 promotions.

#bleach #bleach meta #pointless ramblings #excuses to crop stuff into little portrait jpgs

[utilitycaster]

I feel like something so many ppl just don’t get is it’s improv. I’ll see ppl be like “I hate this arc” or “this dragged on” I’m like?? If you want to watch a curated tight fantasy story with a normal beginning middle and end maybe don’t watch long form improv media? Also maybe I’m just fundamentally misunderstanding what ur post is about. I’ll constantly think and say “it’s their game” not as a “they’re above criticism” way but more in a “cmon it’s not like this is a script that’s being poured over by ten ppl sitting in a room debating whether this 30 seconds drags or not”. Like I love Play it By Ear from Dropout but I’d never hold it to the same standard as like Six the musical or whatever. Improv/normal media requires a completely different rule set for criticism imo

Hey anon,

So here's the thing - I agree with this in terms of formal, published criticism (Ebert's Law, if you will) where you are, to an extent, grading on a scale; you should be judging on what the work is trying to achieve and not some abstract ideal that applies equally to all works regardless of provenance.

However, for personal discussion (including your own personal Tumblr blog)? This is totally irrelevant. You're allowed to dislike things, whether it's a 30 minute improvised musical or whether it's the Marriage of Figaro, for any reason. It is 100% valid for someone to look at the Mona Lisa and say "eh, doesn't do it for me," and, moreover, it's just as valid for them to say "it doesn't do it for me because I don't care for representative art and prefer abstract, modern works, but Da Vinci's sfumato technique is indeed masterful" as to say "It doesn't do it for me because it's fucking weird to me that she doesn't have eyebrows." People's enjoyment of a work is not necessarily reliant on effort put in or how much the artist cares about - it should be based on how much the art appeals to them.

It's fine if people hate an arc. If they hate it so much that they aren't able to enjoy watching, then I think they should probably stop watching...but that's a choice for them to make, and as someone who loves complaining, I've talked about arcs dragging and had it interpreted by total strangers as "you clearly seem to hate this" when really it was just a case of me...not liking some aspects of a larger whole, and choosing to talk about that because I had things to say. Like, I do think the early Campaign 3 pacing was deeply frustrating, and I do think that this wouldn't be the case if it weren't improv, but there have been many improv actual plays that I felt had great pacing, and also it was still frustrating to me and I wanted to express that.

In fact, what I was getting at in my post is that if you're trying to provide a counterpoint to other people's criticism, you need to focus on the points they're making; and if you're trying to defend something in general, you need to be talking about what you find good that is specific to that thing, rather than making excuses like "the cast likes it" or "it's improv".

To give an example: I love the Aeor arc, which was, to an extent, divisive. Here's two responses I could have:

"I think the Aeor arc built up to a satisfying and emotionally charged final boss fight that was thematically resonant with the Mighty Nein as a group. I think the path there had a good balance of adventure, combat, and RP scenes, especially given its position as the final arc of the campaign and the one in which many of the character romances were realized. Eiselcross was a fun and well-crafted environment that was challenging for a party of their level, and Aeor provided new insight into the Calamity, which at the time had not been explored in depth, while also providing a lot of opportunities to tie into the arcs of the various individual characters, notably Caleb and Caduceus. I also personally am a big fan of exploring fallen technologically advanced civilizations in a fantasy setting as a trope."

2. "Well, it's the cast's table, and it's improvised."

Both are true, but the first one lets people know what I see in that arc and why I love it. The second one ends the conversation, is true of almost everything Critical Role does, probably doesn't address anyone else's complaints, and doesn't even explain why I like it. And for what it's worth I don't think meta needs to address anyone's complaints - you're allowed to look at the Aeor arc and say "cool, I think it took too long and dragged and was too stressful" and we can part ways knowing we are different people with different tastes. But if I were, hypothetically, passionately trying to defend the Aeor arc and were openly resentful towards people who disliked it, the first option is obviously superior to the second option, which makes me look like someone who cannot come up with a single specific reason why this thing I allegedly love is good, and who is whining because I lack the maturity to accept that my opinions are not universally shared by all.

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag

[egg-emperor]

What do you think Eggman would prefer to be called by his subjects/slaves? "Master"? "Sir"? "Emperor"? Or just "Doctor"?

I think he'd enjoy literally any title that asserts that he has power and control over others. Like doctor, sir, boss, master- to lord, emperor, king, god, etc. He can own them all because when he takes over the world, he will be the only one allowed to be in those positions and go by any of those titles at all.

As long as it's acknowledging that he's the best, most powerful, and in control then he'll enjoy whatever he's called. And he'll demand they always refer to him using at least one of them or they'll be punished for not constantly acknowledging his place above them and addressing him appropriately!

Being addressed with any of the sort will never fail to put a big smug grin of pride and confidence on his face, even when he has to force them because he waited so long for it to be required by law and for people to be afraid not to in his presence. Anything to remind everyone the world is his and he's in charge!

Towering high above his slaves/subjects while they're on their hands and knees in bowing for him below him where they belong, having to look up to him and addressing him with any of those high status titles of superiority, really boosts his already enormous ego and brings him a great feeling of exhilaration 💜

#...daddy by a lucky few too hehehe #dr eggman #eggman #dr robotnik #dr. eggman #headcanons #asks #my post #titles

[mentally-illenial]

We're getting ready to hit the road to Arizona today... Last minute packing, cleaning, and a check up on the car.

We have to leave the pups in Dallas with the in-laws, which is an ideal setting since they will be well taken care of and cared about there, but it makes me so sad 😭. I'm such a big baby, I hate leaving them just to go to work. I especially hate leaving them for any extended periods of time. I'm always worried they're going to think we abandoned them lol.

But in crazy farm life news, the insane divorce between the two owners finally settled. That meant for me that I inherited twice the duties that I already had to help pick up the reigns as the wife is no longer owner or employee. Again, I'm crash-coursing myself through self-led tutorials for upper management skills way above my pay grade lol.

Or at least, it was! I convinced the boss to get me on salary with a significant raise yesterday! I must have caught him in a good mood lol. He also handed out bonuses yesterday; first bonus I've ever had in my life. It's exciting but also so scary to feel so financially successful for the first time ever. Quite literally don't know what to do with myself.

I'm definitely going to be able to enjoy the vacation more ❤️

#2023 me #2023me

[milesmentis]

I saw @turbulentpumpkin43 do this for Ariadne and thought, why the hell not ... I always love a chance to talk about my Most Archetype of All Time Guy! 💗

(More below, but the rows basically line up to his looks, themes, and personality in that order)

Boromir (Lord of the Rings) - From the start, Daren's whole concept was "what if Boromir escaped his tragedy?" [Daren's relationship with Alistair is basically a direct inversion of Boromir and Aragorn]. I love Sean Bean to death and when I needed a comfort character to recreate "just for fun" of course it was going to be him. I have him to thank for Daren's tenacity, protectiveness, and stunning profile (and for teaching me how to love my nose by proxy).

Peter Pevensie (Chronicles of Narnia) - The character I used to temper him on Daren's second playthrough! He's the source behind his idealism, dry humor, and faithfulness. I had just rewatched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at Christmas for the first time in several years and reimprinted on Peter like a baby duck. If I was going to play a noble, I couldn't think of anyone nobler. Also they're both big brothers ... which is why I NEEDED to make Maeve Cousland canon.

Odysseus (The Odyssey) - I love Love LOVE giving characters classical mythology parallels, before or after the fact. This is a more recent inspiration ... I used to say he was my Achilles because of his struggles with rage and PTSD, but that didn't feel quite right. Then I realized his propensity for lying, bargaining, and above all enduring made him a perfect Odysseus. All he wants is his home and family back, and that's his reward after a harrowing journey, but it's changed and so has he. You can never truly go back :) .

Eliot Spencer (Leverage) - This slot was up in the air and for a while I strongly considered putting Murtagh or Jaime Lannister here, because I really felt like this list needed a villain. And specifically one that was charming yet had a very particular relationship with violence. But in the end I chose Eliot, because he has the exact right mix of self-aware control, gentleness, and absolute ruthless brutality. For Daren, this applies to both his battle prowess and political/social clout and he can wield both as equally deadly weapons. He knows how dangerous he is, so he's content letting the people around him forget from time to time.

Horace Altman (Ranger's Apprentice) - Just like Daren, Horace is a secondary protagonist and serves as the strong arm and reliable ally to the titular hero. He's a champion, a prodigy when it comes to warfare, and head-over-heels for the princess. While he started as a lunkheaded bully, he grew into an honorable, thoughtful man. I'm finally reading the last book in the series where he is in his late 30's and I realized that he and Daren got the exact same ending. All the way down to saving the world, marrying the queen, and having a precocious adventure-seeking daughter. Way to go, fellas.

Clark Kent (Superman) - I have been obsessed with Lawful Good Paladin-coded Heroes since I started reading Justice League comics at the age of 5. Although he has more internal ethical struggles than Clark (usually) has to deal with, they both respond to injustice with the same open, uncomplicated desire to save people and Do The Right Thing. Daren is, under all his stoic responsibility and PTSD, just a big fat goober who tries to hide his feelings so his friends never worry about him. He's used to being the strong one, the reliable one, and his most important and deepest bonds form with people who make him feel safe to be vulnerable and see the toll that shouldering the weight of the world takes. Also, they both love women who boss them around.

#whoo this took longer than I expected #character inspo #tag game #daren cousland #da oc #moodboard #I fucking love archetypes

[sparatus]

Sparatus? 🙂

🥺👉👈

Sexuality Headcanon: painfully bisexual. somebody please stop surrounding this old man with hot people his heart can't take it. also very much not xeno in the slightest

Gender Headcanon: turian gender stuff is complicated and doesn't fit into human binaries, so while he's generally understood to be and is fine with being perceived as a cis man because he's perfectly happy with the body he was born with, a closer approximation is masculine nonbinary, just... not the way humans understand nb to be

A ship I have with said character: i mean. [gestures vaguely to entire internet presence] do i even have to specify teia at this point.

aside from the obvious, sparatus/quentius is also a fave, i do so love boss and loyal dragon dynamics, and the two of them are that plus a flip side out of work where they're just best mean girl friends hanging out being catty old men together. plus for bad end it makes it so much juicier that not only was sparatus quentius's friend but also a sometimes-lover, bad end hurts but it's so so deliciously messy

plus also @thetrashbagswasteland put sparatus/desolas in my head and it bops around from time to time, just like, suave but chaotic military man with the personality of a mob boss "you wanna fuck me so bad it makes you stupid" vs prickly by-the-book law boy "i hate that you're actually as charming as you think you are you charismatic asshole" i think it would be fun okay someday ill write it teia and abrudas can also get in on it for fun or they can bang on the side it's fine

A BROTP I have with said character: sparatus & quentius, for reasons listed above. the more i dabble around the more sparkyteia and quentilea are becoming just a platonic polypile, oopsie, they're all good friends. also quite fond of sparatus & saren, because saren is very well-trusted and the council's golden boy and not every spectre is going to have shepard's experience with the council so it only makes sense for saren to have that sort of loyal right hand kinda dynamic with sparky. sparatus & valern is also fun for my usual political intrigue reasons but we don't have time to get into the complicated bullshit fueling the turian-salarian alliance rn

A NOTP I have with said character: sparatus/shepard, for reasons i should hope are obvious by now. guys idk how to explain this but sometimes characters just hate you without secretly wanting to fuck you. he has legitimate criticisms of shepard and ill die on this hill, there's no ust he isn't into you and mad about it he just doesn't like your fucking attitude. and you can't convince me your shepard somehow turns it around into genuine love, i don't fucking believe you, it's ooc some characters will simply never grow to truly Like you more than respecting your ability and that's fucking okay and normal

also sparatus/saren, because while i adjust saren's age in my work to bring him up to 70 in me1 (and closer to sparky, 76) the main works i know of for that ship have sparatus more than twice his age (in his 60s while saren was EIGHTEEN) and taking advantage of the age gap and saren's emotional turmoil after his brother's death to groom him into the perfect partner, which... oh my god no. and it was presented as romantic! as saren's first real love before nihlus!! i am calling the police!! and pretty much everyone ive seen who talks about that ship got it from that fic so. yeah that author is my parasocial enemy

A random headcanon: despite how closely they have to work together, and sparky being a prosecutor pre-politics (thus allegedly on the side of the cops), he and pallin have a rather... antagonistic relationship, mostly because of how sparky responds to pallin's complaints about spectres ("i'll let them know" which usually means nothing will be done and the spectres will continue treating civil misdemeanors and traffic violations like a game) but also because sparky himself has personal beef with like 7 different prominent cops, is from a "fuck the cops they're imperial shills we can police ourselves" background, and is so so good at being pedantic and annoying when he's feeling petty which is any time pallin isn't talking about an actual serious issue. he wants pallin to stop bothering him about traffic stops. pallin wants to fuck the smug look off his face. they're not allowed to have face-to-face meetings without quentius present because they WILL go straight to childish squabbling.

General Opinion over said character: he's my grandpa. he's Me. nobody in this fandom deserves him y'all need to remove the main character pov blinders and think about shit from his perspective and stop just assuming he's racist and stupid because he tells you no. the man has his position for a reason, and if you listen to what he's actually saying he's DEEPLY empathetic and concerned with how the public at large will be affected, he fucking cares about people it's canon it's canon it's CANON he literally goes behind his colleagues' backs to try to help you save palaven and stop the war right away that's not what a selfish heartless bureaucrat who only cares about his own small circle does i have ESSAYS dammit

.... oops i care about this old man So Much

send me a character

#press conference #ierian sparatus #thanks j!!!

[destinyc1020]

At the end of the day Law is an employee and Z is his boss. Even in the real world sometimes people get upset and just up and quit their jobs. It’s not common, but it does happen. And Law’s always liked attention, this isn’t a new part of his personality. Not everyone is gonna be like Darnell and be super loyal and put Zendaya’s needs above their own. I kind of think he did it spur of the moment and made it public cause he didn’t want anyone to talk him out of it. Law acted impulsively and publicly and I don’t doubt that he burnt some bridges, maybe even with Zendaya, but it seems like he wanted to. He really seems to be done with celebrity styling. Zendaya and Law were lucky to have each other and put a lot into that relationship and maybe he’ll regret it later when he feels better, but it seems unfair that when someone is saying they’re very unhappy and struggling that you guys are acting like he deliberately tried to hurt Zendaya. Law can’t replace his dead nephew. Zendaya can find another stylist.

At the end of the day Law is an employee and Z is his boss. Even in the real world sometimes people get upset and just up and quit their jobs. It’s not common, but it does happen.

Yea, but MOST ppl inform their bosses that they're quitting before it becomes public knowledge to everybody else. You see what I'm saying?

Nobody is saying that Law didn't have a right to quit. He has a right to do whatever he wants! All we're saying is that he should have given his clients the common courtesy of informing them of his decision before he posted on Instagram. That's all we're saying. 🤷🏾‍♀️

You just don't just do ppl like that, especially NOT to ppl who are in the public eye, who you've known and worked with for like 15 years, and who you view as a "sister". 🥴 Like to me, he should have informed ALL of his clients beforehand as far as I'm concerned.... but ESPECIALLY the one he viewed as "family". Jmho 🤷🏾‍♀️

To me that's just Common Courtesy 101, but maybe I was raised differently than most ppl I guess lol 😅

I kind of think he did it spur of the moment and made it public cause he didn’t want anyone to talk him out of it. Law acted impulsively and publicly and I don’t doubt that he burnt some bridges, maybe even with Zendaya, but it seems like he wanted to.

But he literally could have texted his clients right before he hit "send" on his IG post. 🥴

He really seems to be done with celebrity styling.

And that's perfectly fine! 🤷🏾‍♀️ But instead of going out like THIS, he could have gone out under far more favorable circumstances as far as I'm concerned.

I'm actually now starting to wonder if he's just purposely building drama for his upcoming future book release lol. 👀 🤔

I can think of a number of (BETTER) ways this could have been handled lol 😆

Zendaya and Law were lucky to have each other and put a lot into that relationship and maybe he’ll regret it later when he feels better, but it seems unfair that when someone is saying they’re very unhappy and struggling that you guys are acting like he deliberately tried to hurt Zendaya.

Again Anon, nobody is saying that he didn't have a right to quit.... I don't even think most ppl are saying that he DELIBERATELY sought out to hurt Zendaya (I'm not going to go THAT far👀, because that's def making negative assumptions), but saying that a situation could have been better-handled isn't "shade" to Law... it's just a FACT! 🤷🏾‍♀️

Law can’t replace his dead nephew. Zendaya can find another stylist.

But that's why you TALK and communicate with your clients.

Tbh I'm not even thinking this is all about his dead nephew. I'm sure the grief from that unexpected tragedy didn't help, but his decision sounds like it's a culmination of a LOT of things over the years imo. 🥴

[fand0mh03]

Ahs Coven incorrect quotes

Queenie: Oh, here’s my award for the most rules broken!  Cordelia : That’s not an award, it’s an angry letter from our boss.  Queenie, hanging it on their wall: Well, it has the word ‘most’ in it, so I’m calling it an award!

Misty: Let’s watch Sharkboy and Lavagirl.  Cordelia : Okay.  Misty: And make out during the scary parts.  Cordelia : Th-  Cordelia : The scary parts.  Cordelia : Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

Cordelia : Misty, can you help me? All of my clothes keep disappearing for some reason.  Misty , wearing a hoodie that's 5 times bigger than their size: Spooky.

Misty: Wanna get out of here and grab a bite to eat.  Madison: I don’t usually eat with losers.  Misty: Neither do I but I asked you, didn’t I?

Queenie: Hello friends!  The Squad:  Queenie: You might be wondering why I’m taped to the ceiling

Madison: Do you care if I take the skin off this Furby?  Madison: I want to make him a god. Once he is free of his sinful flesh, he can begin a path towards enlightenment. He will take care of us.  Cordelia : I literally could not care less but never say anything as frightening as that ever again.

Zoe : Go fuck yourself.  Maddison : Come over here and fuck me yourself you coward!

Cordelia: Alright, listen up you little shits. Not you Mallory . You’re an angel and we’re thrilled you’re here.

Maddison: I can’t believe all these people are wearing black. black is supposed to be my thing, they’re all just posers.  Zoe: Maddison, for the last time, we’re at a funeral.

Madison: If looking good was a crime, you’d be a law abiding citizen.

*at a zoo*  Zoe : What are they in for?  Cordelia : Zoe , this isn't prison.  Zoe : So they can leave?  Cordelia : No, but-  Zoe , pointing at a meerkat: I bet that one murdered someone.

Cordelia: Did you buy eggs like I asked?  Mallory: Even better!  Cordelia: What the fuck did you-  Mallory: *holding up a chicken* Her name is Fluffy.

Queenie: That shirt looks great, Maddison.  Maddison: Thanks.  Queenie: But I bet it would look even better on Zoe 's floor.  Zoe : Are you hitting on Maddison... for me?

Cordelia: Truth or dare?  Misty: Truth.  Cordelia: How many hours have you slept this week?  Misty:  Misty : Dare.  Cordelia: Go to sleep.  Misty : I don't like this game.

Zoe : Are you the big spoon or the little spoon?  Misty: I'm a knife.  Cordelia , from across the room: They're the little spoon

Misty: When I get murdered, can you make sure I become an unsolved case? 

Zoe : wHat? 

Misty: I want to be on Buzzfeed Unsolved. 

Zoe : Can we go back to the part when you said "when I get murdered"? 

Mallory: *Takes a sip of milk and gags* 

Mallory: Oh my god, is this expired? 

Mallory: *Takes another sip of milk* 

Mallory, to the Squad: I’d die for you. 

Queenie: Then perish. 

Zoe : You will. 

Cordelia : Please don’t. 

Maddison: Cool. 

Misty: I’d die for you first. 

Misty: Remember, Madison, don't do anything I wouldn't do. 

Madison: I think I crossed that line when I got a date. 

Zoe : I have a new hoodie. 

Maddison: Wrong. 

Maddison: We have a new hoodie. 

Madison: Don't joke about murder. I was murdered once and it offends me. 

Madison: Hopefully Queenie has learned a lesson about respecting other people's feelings. 

Queenie: Oh, shut up and die Madison. 

Mallory: Do you know the ABCs of first aid? 

Queenie: A. Bone. Coming out of the skin is very bad. 

Misty: Welcome to Fucking Applebees, do you want apples or bees? 

Zoe : Bees? 

Misty: THEY HAVE SELECTED THE BEES! 

Zoe : Wait- 

*Mallory approaches, shaking a jar of bees menacingly* 

Mallory: Misty... Why did you draw a pentagram on the floor? 

Misty: Your text told me to satanize the house before you returned. 

Mallory: 

Mallory: I wrote sanitize, Misty. 

Misty: If you got arrested what would be the charges? 

Madison: Theft. 

Cordelia : Disturbing the peace. 

Queenie: Aggravated assault. 

Mallory: Arson. 

Zoe : All of the above. In that order, probably. 

Madison: There's no way they like me back. 

Queenie: Zoe  would throw themself in front of a moving car for you. 

Madison: Zoe  would throw themself in front of a moving car for fun. 

#Ahs #ahs fanfic #ahs coven #ahs fandom #american horror story #queenie #madison montgomery #zoe benson #cordelia goode #misty day #mallory