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amandaoftherosemire · 3 years

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And Hell is Just a Sauna -- Part One

Fandom: Marvel/MCU

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff, OMC Joseph

Author: @amandaoftherosemire

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 6,121

Format: Short Series (Complete)

Warnings: Language, violence, references to captivity, implied abuse, angst.

Summary: You meet Bucky Barnes upon your mysterious and deadly escape from a power obsessed cult leader and his followers. Though you carry a secret in addition to the wariness of trauma, you can’t help your attraction to Bucky and his irascible demeanor. As for Bucky, he is drawn to the light he sees in you while he fears the things you’re hiding. Can you trust him with your secrets, and your life? Will you have a choice?

A/N: I haven’t posted anything in five months, so this may be a little on the odd side. I guess I’m working through some stuff?

This takes place in between Black Panther and Infinity War but is not consistent with MCU canon because I do what I want.

I used my old taglist, but only as a way to let y’all know I’m posting again. As always, feel free to ignore me. 😊 Heads up, future parts will get smutty.

Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four

And Hell is Just a Sauna -- Part One

The first time Bucky saw you, you were literally on fire. Not just a little flame, either, but a full-on conflagration engulfing your entire body and crackling with cheerful menace. You’d turned to him, your eyes blazing white in a face painted in flame, and intoned with a voice that both popped and roared.

“Are you a god?”

Bucky’s eyes widened over the barrel of the gun he continued to keep trained on you despite his uncertainty that it could do any good should you decide to attack. Unsure how to prevent that decision, but wanting to try, he responded slowly. “I have no idea how to answer that.”

From the woods around him, Bucky heard a shout. He stood at the edge of a clearing in which you stood at the center, a scatter of charred bodies surrounding you. He went no closer, not willing to discover the hard way what your range was.

Sam was yelling as he walked closer, “Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a god, you say, ‘Yes!’”

Bucky was fascinated to see blue flames dance along your teeth as you smiled. He couldn’t explain it, but something about the way the flames whipped and whirled around you was unbelievably beautiful. It was also incredibly terrifying, but Bucky had needed to survive horrors best left undefined, so had long since learned to find the beauty in terror. In the next moment, Sam was stepping into view on the other side of the clearing, his own gun out and ready.

You turned, and with a happy, surprised sob, cried, “Sam!?” The next moment, the fire was flickering into nothing and you were just a lovely woman wearing nothing more than the ash from what had once been a long white dress.

Sam immediately holstered his gun and ran forward. “Y/N? We knew there were prisoners but--"

"Sam," you whispered brokenly as you stumbled on knees turned to jelly toward the concerned face of your friend and former colleague. You hadn't seen him since before your abduction, not long after that last doomed mission in Lagos. When he'd gone on the run with Captain America after the fallout over the Accords, you'd been nothing but happy to hear that he was alive and free. His face was one of the last you’d expected to see upon your escape, but the sight of Sam was a joyous relief.

"What are you doing here?" Your teeth chattered on the question, reaction and your own nakedness leaving you freezing and shaking. You didn't see where the silver emergency blanket came from, but Sam was nevertheless wrapping you in it and then in his own arms, to your everlasting gratitude. You'd never been anything more than friends, but he'd always been a true and loyal one, with a giving heart and wicked sense of humor.

You let him comfort you, the bone-shattering terror of your ordeal hitting you now that it was over. Now that someone you knew and trusted held you, the sick horror of what you'd endured sent tears flooding into your throat. The exhaustion of everything you'd done that day turned your muscles to water and so you didn't resist when Sam bent and slid his arm behind your knees to lift and carry you out of the clearing where you'd hurt so many. Instead, you buried your face in the crook where his neck met his shoulder and let the tears fall.

"Do me a favor and tell the others I've found Y/N Y/L/N and that I'm taking her back to the jet."

Bucky had lowered his weapon when the fire had flickered out with your recognition of Sam, but his eyes were still narrowed with a hint of suspicion. He was pretty sure you weren't a danger to Sam, at least, but that didn't mean he thought you harmless. He nodded slowly and lifted his microphone to his lips to report in even as he fell into step behind Sam as he headed back the way they'd came.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Sam said gently as he walked briskly back to the jet, "but do you know who is in charge of all of this?"

"Joseph." Your voice was a rasp with the tears that still shivered out of you, but all of the emotion had left your tone. "I don't think he survived."

Bucky glanced back at the clearing where they'd left a half dozen charred bodies and figured he knew how Joseph had met his end. When he turned back, you were peeking over Sam's shoulder at him, to his admitted consternation.

"I'm sorry about the dumb joke." The emotion was back, remorse in your eyes and tone as you looked at him. "I wanted to either make you laugh or scare you. I just didn't want to hurt anyone else." With that, you buried your face back in Sam's throat and started crying again.

Bucky tried to resist but his heart throbbed in sympathy, with understanding. He knew all about being forced to do things he didn't want to, both by cruelty and circumstance. He'd be the last to blame another for what they'd done to escape. He was concerned about your apparent propensity for bursting into flame, but he understood why you'd done so, since you could.

"He probably hasn't seen Ghostbusters, sweetheart." You lifted your head, a frown on your tear-streaked face to glare with narrow-eyed suspicion at Bucky, who was at a complete loss as to what the two of you were even talking about. Sam laughed when he saw your face and went on. "This is Bucky Barnes."

Your face cleared in understanding and Bucky wondered who you were that you recognized his name so quickly. "Welcome back, Sergeant," you said softly, with a shy smile that Bucky couldn't help but find charming even as he wondered who you were and how you seemed to know so much about him when he'd never heard your name before.

"At least now I know why we're here," Sam called back to Bucky, his voice cheerful as he tramped back towards the jet. "Nat's got a soft spot for this one; I'm willing to bet she had an idea we'd find Y/N."

Bucky murmured as he kept his eyes on yours from where they peeked over Sam's shoulder at him. "I didn't know we were looking for Y/N."

"I was part of the supply chain." You didn't like the wariness with which this man watched you, but you could hardly blame him, considering your introduction. You weren't normally so dramatic, but he couldn't know that. "Natasha would have noticed when I disappeared."

Sam shook his head with a smile and moved toward the edge of the forest, now in sight. "Why am I not surprised? Were you Nat's secret source?"

"Of course." You couldn't seem to stop looking at the man following you and Sam with such deadly grace and aloof readiness. You'd never seen anyone look so dangerously bored. You were damned if you didn't find it sexy as hell. "She asked me if I wanted to help and I said yes. The Accords are a human rights violation."

Bucky's eyes flicked to yours and warmed as the corner of his mouth lifted just a little. Your heart skipped in the first beat of attraction as Sam laughed out loud. The sound had you smiling even as he replied, "Like I said, not surprised." He turned his head to call over his shoulder, "Bucky, this is Y/N. She used to be support staff for the Avengers, was one of the researchers there. She helped me when Steve and I were looking for you."

Bucky bent his head in acknowledgement and smiled fully for the first time. Now that he had more of a handle on things, he could roll with them. And he'd ever been the sort willing to go the extra mile for a pretty woman. "Pleasure to meet you," he rumbled, and sounded like he meant it.

You thought about the sacrificial dress you'd been wearing when the fire had blown through and carried you out of the building, remembered the fear in the eyes of the henchmen sent to recapture you as they'd circled you like a pack of wild dogs. "Believe me. The pleasure's mine."

As Sam broke through the tree line where the quinjet that had brought them sat, the little bottle blonde assassin behind the controls, he turned to catch your eye. "So, Y/N, are you gonna tell me how you're a firestarter now?"

Natasha turned in her chair at the sound of his voice as they mounted the ramp into the jet. "Good, you found her," she said briskly with a gentle smile for you. You smiled weakly back as Sam set you down in one of the chairs. Natasha turned back around and continued, "Strap in. Steve and Wanda are almost back and I want to be in the air five seconds after that."

Bucky's eyes flicked to you in puzzlement at the sound of a soft hiss, like that of a snake, followed by a crackle or a popping noise. He may have looked elsewhere, but you'd made a soft shushing noise that drew his eye.

That shushing sound was followed by a tired sigh when Sam lifted a brow at you as he went about helping you rearrange the blanket so you could strap in but remain covered. "I wish I knew, Sam," you replied to that lifted brow and Bucky wished he knew why he didn't believe you.

You sat in the sand and watched the ocean crash against the shore, letting the sound soothe you. Feeling hot and itchy most days, thanks to your experience at the hands of the weird cult that had abducted you, this was often the only peace you could find. Most days saw you driving down from the house in the mountains to sit here and let the wind and the waves ease your mind and soothe the soul.

Today, however, you couldn’t seem to settle, upset by the conversation you’d had with Steve that morning. He’d wanted to apologize for overstaying their welcome, and assure you they’d be moving on soon.

After your rescue, they had come to stay with you in the house you’d inherited from your uncle. Tucked away in the heavily forested mountains of Oregon’s Coastal Range, it was big, secluded, and ideal for hiding five fugitives. You’d simply been happy to help, to give them a safe place to rest.

Now you were dealing with the fact that you didn’t want them to leave. You were chilled, sick at the thought of rattling around in the big house with nothing for company but your thoughts and the memory of what had happened in a house in upstate New York. You may have traveled three thousand miles to escape what had happened that night, but you couldn't escape what was now yours, whether you'd wanted it or not.

The soft hiss in your ear warned you that someone was approaching, but you were surprised when that someone flopped onto the cool sand next to you with a huff of irritation. "Huh. What a shitty day at the beach."

Damned if you knew why the surly bitch did it for you, but Bucky Barnes had charmed the fuck out of you by not being the least bit charming.

He wasn't mean, or rude, not by a long shot. He was unfailingly kind and polite and genuinely grateful for the shelter. You could see the good man underneath the pissiness, but Bucky was perpetually baffled and annoyed by most of the world around him. He never complained, really, but he regarded everything with a vaguely hostile skepticism. You could not understand why you thought him adorably sexy, the big, grumbly bastard.

"Good thing we’re not at the beach," you replied with a laughing sneer, your habitual attitude towards him as it prompted that ridiculous half-smile. You fucking adored that sly smirk. "We’re on a beach. We’re at the coast."

Bucky gave you his amused disgust face and made you melt. He picked up a handful of sand and held it up to let it run through his fingers in a rather accusatory fashion. You waved him away. "I would think a Broody McBrooderface like yourself would immediately get this."

You gestured at your surroundings, a lonely beach on a winter day in the Pacific Northwest. Clouds covered the sky and boiled over the sea, turning the waves into a stormy bluish gray that reflected in the eyes of the man that watched you with a reluctant fascination. The wind whipped around you both, tumbling his hair around his sculpted face and making you think of the covers of trashy romance novels from an earlier era. Moody and bleak, a cold winter day at the coast was made for Bucky Barnes.

A long, charged pause as he stared at your profile in disgusted astonishment.

"What?"

You couldn't stop the snort at the sound of pure stupified horror in his voice. You didn't know which part of what you said he found objectionable, but the insult of something clearly offended him. You didn't usually get this much reaction out of him, so you had to assume it was the new nickname.

"The beach," you replied snottily, "is where you go to relax in the sun or swim in the ocean." You tilted your head to fix him with an intense stare. "But we’re in the ring of fire, Bucky, and the ocean doesn’t play with the shore here. We’re at the coast, where the sea meets the land with force." You gestured out at the dark waves as they continued to crash and pound on the sand, curls of violent energy breaking upon the shore. "The beach is for fun; the coast is where you go to brood."

With that, you uncrossed your arms and placed your hands at your sides on the cold, dry sand behind you, bracing yourself as you leaned back, a smirk on your lips. You loved informing him of opinions as though you had just bested him with facts. The way his lips tightened when he was holding back laughter made your heart gallop.

Your breathing joined your heart in its race and sped as well when Bucky's eyebrow quirked in addition to the happiness that gathered in the corners of his lips. "Broody McBrooderface?" he asked, doubt collecting in his eyes and his furrowed brow. His voice was still rich with the disgust that had characterized his earlier question. The combination made you sputter with mirth before giving up and dissolving into a fit of laughter. You fell back onto the sand to wrap your hands around your middle and hold on as you cackled and snickered.

When you calmed enough to look at Bucky, he'd shifted so that he was leaning on one arm, turned towards you to grin delighted at your laughter. He was so pretty, white teeth against the dark brown of his beard, thick hair tumbled in the wind around him. You hoped you didn't look as starry eyed as you felt. Some days it was harder than others to not bodily tackle the man, but it seemed tacky, not to mention gross, to accost a houseguest.

His satisfied smirk turned into a look so hot with promise you could feel it in your toes. "So you don't wanna go skinny dipping?"

You laughed even as you cringed, your body tightening at the memory of underestimating the Pacific Ocean's wilder moods on visits to your uncle during your childhood. You shook your head as a chill at the thought ran down your spine. "I double-dog dare you to jump in that water." Bucky crooked another brow and then surprised you by leaping to his feet in a move shockingly graceful in its deadly arc. He was off in a run in the very next second towards the waves. You sat up to shout after him but he was faster than you'd thought possible. "But don’t say I didn’t warn you about the FROSTBITE!"

If he hesitated for a second, you didn't see it. Fully clothed in the athletic wear he’d donned to run down to the beach, he leapt over a terrifying curving beast of a wave into the now dark gray and, you expected, freezing cold water. You got to your feet to follow him to the edge where the sea lapped at the shore, a little wary to find out how the grumpy super-soldier would react to the Pacific's bite.

The two of you argued all the way back to your car.

"The least you could do is give me a ride back to the house." Bucky didn't seem like the water had really fazed him beyond pissing him off. He wasn't shivering, his teeth weren't chattering, but his jaw was set in severe irritation and his eyes blazed with banked anger. He was so fucking hot it made you crazy.

"My seats will get soaked." You couldn't help it; he was so sexy when he looked like he wanted to murder the world. You didn't know what was wrong with you, but the way he was striding up the beach toward the parking lot where you'd left your car made you shudder with lust. You had to fuck with him a little more, irritate him just that little bit extra. Maybe it was because of what had happened to you, but you needed to toss a little more gasoline on the fire. "I only brought a towel for sand, not for swimming. Besides, I told you it was cold as fuck; you jumped in anyway."

"I can't run home like this, I'm fucking freezing." The look Bucky shot you was so vicious, your heart kicked in response, but in desire rather than fear. He was perfectly bristly and annoyed now, his bright blue eyes blazing and his sculpted cheeks flushed with temper. You could eat him alive.

"You should have thought of that before you jumped in an ocean that is obviously not into your shit right now.” You deliberately kept your tone and demeanor casual as you stopped at the water fountain at the top of the beach to rinse the sand off your feet. “It's not like I would have thought less of you if you'd stopped when I warned you about how cold it was."

Mostly clean and aware based on experience that mostly clean was the best you were going to do, you dropped the rubber flip-flops in your hand and slipped your wet feet into them as Bucky glared at you.

“I would have thought less of me,” he replied with a sneer that made you want to lean in and bite his plump lower lip. “I took a dare. I'll finish a dare.”

Unable to help yourself, you burst into delighted laughter, throwing your head back in the pure enjoyment of him as you nearly stumbled down the sidewalk toward your car. Bubbling and cheerful, the warm chuckles poured out of you until Bucky was grinning at you, albeit reluctantly.

You were somewhat calm by the time you got to your car. You turned to Bucky with a sparkling smile, the laughter still trembling on your lips and Bucky’s heart kicked in response this time.

“You’re fun, Bucky.” You leaned against the driver’s side door and grinned at him over the roof of the car. “A little bonkers, but fun.” Shooting him a sassy wink, you opened the door and slid in. “Fine, get in the car."

“I know this is a big ask.”

Bucky was sweating, but he was determined not to let you see that. He was asking a lot of you and he knew it. If he didn’t believe it was important, for you as well as himself, he’d never have had the courage.

“I’m really more confused.” Bucky made himself stop watching the way your lips shaped the words when you spoke, your eyes wary and your brow furrowed. “If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you want to go with them?”

He didn’t think you’d noticed how he watched you, fascinated by the curving whip of your movements, like flame had become part of you. He couldn’t help but focus on you, obsessed with both the magic and mystery of you. How could he stop himself when he could also hear your mutters under your breath? He was concerned yet intrigued by the admonishments to behave yourself.

He’d had numerous fantasies about misbehaving with you.

Bucky’s attention moved to the way your fingers fidgeted with the book in your lap. He couldn’t explain why, but he loved to watch you move. There was a grace and beauty there that he’d rarely seen and always treasured. He’d seen too much ugly and cruel to take anything as pretty or as kind as you were for granted. He'd made a study of you because it soothed him somehow to do so.

Your hands weren't fidgeting in agitation, concern, or fear; all of which he'd seen and memorized. Through trial and error he'd learned how to distract you from whatever had you picking at your cuticles in anxiety and, sometimes, something that looked perilously close to panic, but he could see that wasn't necessary now. You were fidgeting absently, the same way you had been for the entire conversation, not in response to his request.

Bucky was still a little struck by his daring in asking if he could stay when the others moved on. He hadn't known if he'd have the nerve when he walked to the little library where you often sat in the window seat so you could read with your face to the mountain air coming through the open window. But when you'd looked up with a smile when he'd poked his head in and asked for a minute, he'd known even if you said no, he could trust you to be gentle.

"I don’t want to fight anymore."

By the way your eyebrows flew up and your lips parted before you paused, Bucky could see that you were as surprised by the blunt honesty of his answer as he was. But he was asking a lot of you and he knew it. Harboring an international fugitive was only the least of it. You knew his reputation, and that it was based on fact, yet you'd welcomed him into your home. He had to be honest with you if he was going to ask anything more than that already unimaginable kindness.

He smiled at you, but he couldn't stop the sadness, the exhaustion of a century's worth of years from quivering around his mouth. Your eyes, scanning his face under those expressive eyebrows, softened and your lips twisted with wry sympathy. "Of course you don't. Why would you?"

Bucky relaxed back into the plush little sofa where he'd taken the seat you'd offered when he started this conversation. He now knew it was going to be reasonably painless. Something about you almost always put him at ease within only a few minutes in your company. Maybe it was the way you listened to him, both the things he said, and the things he could only speak around.

Somehow he always ended up saying more than he'd intended.

"I didn’t volunteer, you know." You tilted your head in question, so he continued, not sure where the words were coming from. "Not like Steve, who wanted in so bad he kept trying to get past the physical. I was drafted." Bucky laughed a little and lifted his hands to rub them over his face, dragging them through his hair before threading his fingers together behind his head. "I just wanted to settle down to a normal life and try to keep my best friend from dying from one of the thousand things trying to kill him. Instead…" As he trailed off he shrugged and noticed your eyes drop to his chest in what he would swear was appreciation.

The corner of Bucky's mouth was lifting in a crooked half-smile when your eyes flicked to his. Bright and intense, he felt pinned by your gaze as the still forming grin fell from his face. "Instead you got to be a prisoner of war for sixty-odd years," you said, your voice full of the wry sympathy that still lived in the slight curve to your lips, "only to discover that things are still trying to kill your best friend?" In the next instant, that searing stare was gentle with understanding, your eyes warm with concern. "You're a little fucking tired?"

Bucky huffed out another of those little laughs, the only kind he really had these days. A little fucking tired was an understatement if he'd ever heard one, but the fact that you saw that so easily explained why he was even asking this of you. "You get it," he said, that half-smile coming back in a sweeter form. "That's why I'd like to stay here, actually." Your lips had started to curve in response to the little half-laugh, even that much heard only occasionally, when the warmth in his face sparked an answer in yours, charming you with the little glimpse of sweetness under all the salt.

Bucky's breath caught a little at the look on your face, the way the movement of your hands had smoothed as you absently toyed with the hardback still in your lap. He could see you relax by degree in his presence and wondered if you were as soothed by his company as he was by yours. "I don't want you to think you have to say yes," he heard coming out of his mouth, more honesty he couldn't help, but he didn't want you to feel pressured. "I'd rather stay here in the States, but I'm not homeless if it doesn't work for you. If it's a no, I promise, no hard feelings. I have another option lined up. I understand if you don't want to stay alone with a man you barely know."

He was starting to worry based on the soft, gentle look that remained on your face. You normally smirked and teased him, poking at his gruff exterior with a playfulness that had charmed him completely. You may not have known it, but you had him firmly wrapped around your fingers. This tenderness made him afraid you were about to let him down easy. He braced himself for rejection.

"Alright," you murmured thoughtfully, your eyes kind if shrewd as they rested on his face. He wondered what you saw when you looked at him, how much you saw beneath the surface. "If you wanna stay, we'll have to have a few ground rules, a couple of understandings."

Bucky's face lit up in surprised delight as his heart began to pound. He hadn't really expected you to say yes, and so hadn't prepared for the rush of excitement and satisfaction that ran through him at the prospect of getting to know you without feeling like he was being watched by his friends. His heart speeding a little, a hot shudder of anticipation working through him at the prospect, he shot you a bright and reckless grin. "I was afraid you were gonna say that."

Something dark and hungry moved in a flash over your face. Bucky's heart raced in answer despite his uncertainty that he'd even seen the lightning fast emotion. He wanted to be your friend first, but he couldn't deny he'd found inside himself a well of desire for you so deep he'd yet to find the bottom. He could only hope you felt some fraction of that for him.

"First and most important understanding," as you spoke your eyes flattened and your mouth tightened, your gaze on his face reminding him of the first time he'd seen you, "I am not afraid of you." The words were a warning, not a threat, but the hair on the back of Bucky's neck stood up. "If you're going to live here for the foreseeable," you continued, your face softening again into something lonely and sad, "I need to be clear on this point. I have no reason, whatsoever, to be afraid for my own safety. Not anymore."

The hollow tone to your voice was a chilling counterpoint to the fingers wrapped in white-knuckled terror around your book. Bucky could see you were trying to tell him that you were still dangerous, despite how deceptively harmless you looked when not bathed in flame.

"The fire?" Bucky didn't know he still had that much tenderness inside him for anyone, but he could hear the gentle sympathy in the two words clearly. By the tentative smile teasing the corners of your mouth, you could hear it, too.

"I would tell you if I thought you weren't safe." You looked sick with worry that he'd reject you and Bucky could see that he was right; the two of you needed each other. You went on in a little rush, your eyes dipping to your hands still clutching the book in your lap. You frowned as you spoke and he watched you deliberately uncurl your fingers as though you were carefully calming yourself. "I don't believe you're in any danger here. I will absolutely tell you if that changes."

Bucky always preferred when people were matter of fact in their questions about him and his issues. He figured he should start there and see how you responded. "Can you control it?" he asked, his voice unconcerned, his posture unchanging from his easy sprawl against the corner of the couch.

Apparently, you also liked plain speaking as you smiled a little more, this time with a wry exasperation that piqued his interest. "Some. More persuade."

Bucky's heart throbbed as he asked the question he knew you'd least like to answer. He wished he didn't feel like he had to, but he needed to know how not to incite the blaze. His voice soft as a whisper, as tender as a touch, "What set it off that night?"

The look on your face sent a chill down Bucky's spine, your eyes empty and cold and nothing like the warmth he'd come to expect and adore. Your voice as hollow as he'd ever heard it, you answered with just enough information to somewhat explain. "Joseph was going to hurt me."

Upon your recovery from the forest surrounding the house in upstate New York where you'd been held against your will, it had become clear that you'd been snatched up by one of the occult offshoots that often split from HYDRA. As HYDRA was itself founded as an occult offshoot of the Nazi war machine, it wasn't really a surprise that it so often shed more of the same. The one that had taken you, however, had apparently been particularly weird and cultish, the leader, Joseph, convinced of his own superiority and seeking the power he believed to be his due. You hadn't spoken much of what had happened to you while held captive by them, by him, but Bucky could recognize pain and trauma when they were right in front of him.

"Since I won't be hurting you," he said gently, the words both reassurance and promise, "it shouldn't be a problem." When your eyes, blurred with memory, focused back in on his face, Bucky's lips curved slightly, the smile sweeter than any he'd given you yet.

Your lips curved in response as a soft sigh that didn't come from you whispered at the edge of Bucky's hearing. His ears perked even as he kept his eyes on yours, his expression betraying nothing but the warm appreciation he always had for you. The next moment, however, his attention was caught and held by the grin you flashed, sparkling and friendly. "That's what I was thinking," you chirped and looked happier than he'd ever seen you.

The sight had his body tightening in lust even as his heart squeezed. Bucky had always been a romantic with a love of making a pretty girl smile. Being able to make you smile like this made him feel like he was getting another piece of himself back. Still, he wanted you to know that you could trust him with more than just your physical safety.

"Do you wanna tell me about it?" he offered, his voice gentle again.

"Maybe," you said, and Bucky cursed himself when your smile dimmed. You shrugged and looked back down at your hands where they'd tried to tense around the book. "I might need to. You gonna tell me about you?"

"Some." He answered quickly, without hesitation, though he grinned sheepishly when your eyes lifted to his in suspicion. "Probably."

When your eyes remained narrowed on his even as the corners of your mouth twitched with suppressed humor, Bucky narrowed his eyes back at you. To his surprised delight, that sparkling smile came back. You stretched the denim clad legs you'd had curled under you out and relaxed into the pillow at your back.

"Then rule number one," you said cheerily, an interesting heat in your eyes, "is that you continue to be your usual hostile self. It revs my engine." The cheer on your face took on a darker edge, your smile more like a dare. Bucky's eyes narrowed once again, but this time his gaze glittered with desire, with the urge to take that dare.

"Does it?"

You bit your lower lip as his voice rumbled through the air and into you. Bucky could swear he saw goosebumps erupt over the skin of your arms when he spoke, the desire riding him clear in that quiet question.

You laughed, a little breathless, and grinned at him, a cheeky taunt all over you. He was dazzled by the flash of your smile, the sparkle in your eyes, the whipping movements of your hands as you gestured while you spoke. "Rule number two is that you make yourself at home." You pointed a mock stern finger at him and made him smile. "Don't be a houseguest or stand on ceremony. I want you to be genuinely comfortable. If you have to stay under house arrest for now, you should be able to do so as painlessly as possible."

There you went being sweet and kind in addition to being sexy and adorable. Bucky didn't know if he could take it. He was beginning to think he was in over his head but he couldn't find a thing not to like about it.

"Steve keeps me in line." Bucky smirked as he teased. "Once he's gone I'll make you regret that."

You looked delighted with him and Bucky could have wept with gratitude. Spending time with you was helping him remember parts of himself he'd thought long dead, like the boyish flirt he'd once been, but he was equally grateful that he seemed to be good for you, too.

"Okay," you purred as you smirked back at him, "in case Steve has kept you in line in other ways, rule three is you clean up after yourself. I will be very annoyed if you start leaving dirty dishes or clothes around once he's gone." One eyebrow lifted in mock warning and Bucky could have cuddled you.

"He’s the slob, actually." Bucky huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "You're making this too easy, doll."

He couldn't be sure, but for a moment you looked shy and a little vulnerable. Bucky's heart squeezed again as he quivered with the conflicting desires to both ravage and protect. When you glanced at him from under bashful lashes, he felt torn between.

"Am I?" The murmur of your voice was rich with something dark and exciting, something that lit up his ear and made his stomach tighten.

Bucky's voice was husky on his reply as he offered both clarification and escape route. He wanted everything on the table before the negotiations came to a close. "Any other rules?" His face spread in a hot, almost feral grin, one that left no doubts as to what rules he was asking about. "Any other lines you don’t want crossed?"

The corner of your mouth lifted in a grin equally hungry, equally reckless. "Nothing comes to mind." Your eyes reminded him of sultry whispers, heated words. "I think we can play it by ear from there."

Bucky felt his heart race in exhilaration and wondered what he'd gotten himself into. He couldn't wait to find out. "I’m happy to dance to your tune."

Part Two here >>

Taglist:

@hellzzzbelle @bucky-the-thigh-slayer @cheekygeek05 @lbouvet @diinofayce @bibliophile1773 @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @miraclesoflove @nerdy-bookworm-1998 @destiel-is--endgame @irritated-bisexual @peaceinourtime82 @badassbaker @walkingtravesty97 @fashionworld12 @readermia

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky x reader #bucky fanfiction #bucky fanfic #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic #mcu fanfiction #mcu fanfic #and hell is just a sauna #pantswrites #short series

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crazyspookies · 4 years

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ZRS7M33-34

Ah yes, RECAPS, IMPRESSIONS, OPINIONS, THEORIES click here to get ur fix ---->

M33

1) SAM YAO: Okay, Five, you’re approaching Pittaway Farm. It was a fungus farm owned by Comansys, the company Moonchild used to run. So yeah, sorry. With this and the Glass Protocol, it’s been like a revisit of your greatest life traumas. But we think Moonchild’s gone now, right? Or just along for the ride.

TRip down memoery lane eh. But Honestly if it were me i would have asked her to call herself a different name and change her voice?? I know we players like moonchild in a way but lets be fair, if brain moonchild says she’s not like the original one anymore then im pretty sure it would be much less damaging to have her in Five’s mind as a new person and not, you know, a constant, inescapable direct connection to their trauma. The literal voice of the source of their trauma.

Like, i’ve always imagined this whole thing with brain moonchild to be the worst thing they could have done to five when it comes to moonchild? And even if your five still hears her for trauma reasons, like they’ve heard sarah before, they at least would have the knowledge that its their own head playing tricks. But in this case? There’s a literal, alive entity inside five’s head. and she still can just, control their body if she really wants to! The threat that their autonomy could be taken away at any moment by the voice of their abuser. Imagine being unable for your very thoughts to be private ever again. I dunno, i think it was a really shitty thing to do.

2) Obviously, I saw that present he sent you, Five. Amazing! Heart’s desire stuff. Did you know he sent Janine Field Marshall Montgomery’s actual desk to say sorry for rogue ANNIE? [laughs] She can’t fit it in her office, so it’s sitting in the greenhouse now.

The idea that valmont sent us presents is so weird and not in a good way. Don’t trust a bitch.

3) MOONCHILD: Five, I never like to interrupt. I’m a very peaceful person, but -

4) MOONCHILD: Those lights are going to erase some of your memory.[...] The bulbs burn out every six days, so someone else has set them up here recently

WELL, GREAT. As i don’t have enough people i suspect with no evidence except extremely vague clues i have never felt so undecided about.

6) an enormous AK-47-style Nerf gun? MOONCHILD: Sorry about that, Five. When we get that memory retrieval device, you’ll understand why you’re holding it.

(can we all just take a moment how dope and funy going around with an ak-47 NERF GUN is because i def would want one)

7) There are 12 levels of that building, Five,

Oh my god. It’s like a videogame. Each level is different, nice pixel art, whole building filled with spores and shit, five with a ak-47 nerf gun dealing with the things they find in the building and the weird things they encounter that are part of it.

8) MOONCHILD: [...] are hallucinogenic if I know my shrooms, and you know I do.

9) "If you knew what you’d seen here, you’d want to remember it.”

WELL YES IM SURE I WOULD HOW CONVENIENT THAT YOU CAN’T TELL ME. Why Can’t she tell us though? Did the thing that just happened mess with our minds in some indescribable way with the effect of messing moonghost up? Or was it the UV lights that had that effect instead? That would be weird, moonghost can rememebr and know things five can’t so i don’t see what could interfere with Her process...does it mena there could be a way to render her mute for good?

10) “But that one is still thick as two short ones. It’s going to walk straight into that spilled liquid”

Nononononononono we shouldn’t be ANYWHERE close to that thing this is a bad idea why do we always do this

SAM YAO: And there it goes, into the puddle! Oh crap, Five. Five, you have to get out of there.

NO SHIT HONEY

SAM YAO: Yes! It’s killing the V-type. Wait, no. No, it’s not. But the V-type definitely doesn’t like it. It’s recoiled like a cat when you spray it with water

WEll at least that’s useful??? Could come in handy later. Also if we keep in mind the thing about the giant fans veronica found out, maybe we could use something like that as a weapon to slow v-types at some point in open field.

M34

1) COLONEL SAGE: Thank you, Sam. It’s good to be back in the field and running alongside you, Runner Five.

He’s...so nice and polite......maybe....im wrong about him.....

2) Jones asked me to pass on his sincere and heartfelt apologies for being taken in by that rogue element in the ANNIE device. He has good in his heart, but he’s suspicious where he should be open and trusting where he should be cautious. I’ve had a chance to talk with him as he works on the cliff excavations, and I think he’s understood where he went wrong. I’m sorry you went through that, Five. I’m pleased to see you.

I mean. The man IS a bit of a wild card...a bit too instense...could have been a trap..or not???? But it COULD. I’m usually so sure about who is a villain but this time i keep goig back and forth not being sure. Like, the whole annie thing felt SO much like being herded towards a death row like sheep to the slaughter by jones it was uncanny....But Sage always sounds so considerate of other people...hnggg. Jones is so intense that maybe he just sounded creepy?? Sage’s way of thinking is useful but something that could so easily be turned into cult blabber. So, either a) Sage is deceptivly nice and actually a cult leader and told Jones to do it, b) Jones was acting by himself twisting what he learned from Sage , c) They are both innocent and something else is to blame (meh).

3) SAM YAO: Still, lots to celebrate today. Veronica’s got some good leads on the V-type problem. The country’s coming together at last, and the Exmoor Militia are welcoming the Undaunted home.

AwWww They deserve it, its been so long and they’ve had such a hard time, it’s nice that they’re finally together :’) Not that there won’t be trouble, of course... Like, there’s only 2 options: cute fluffy mission where you enjoy the party and the problems are minimal like, ohno the champain’s beens stolen! or it will be the kinda missino that goes oh no there’s assassin’s on the roofs!. We’ll see.

4)COLONEL SAGE: Yes, and I -

JULES: Five, good to see you. As for your company, any friend of Abel’s is… allowed within our borders.

safsdafsfsdafsd is it bad that i felt so smug about this lol. The game has been trying to make me love sage and everyone has been singing praises of his numerous kindnesses and i’ve been both charmed and been a bitter peter about him but it just feels terribly funny that jules is completley unaffected by him and is like“move over My Friend FIVE is here and we don’t know you or care much about you” and it’s so terribly delicious i feel like an old rich woman being shown favoritism and being all smug about it

#zombies run #zrs7 #zrs7 spoilers #fennel's zr recaps #i always forget i have these in my drafts #mostly because i forget Drafts EXIST

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waterlilyvioletfog · 6 years

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Why Reading ASOIAF Made Me Dislike Game of Thrones- An Open Letter to David Benioff and D. B. Weiss

Hey dudes. Your show sucks.

Since October, 2016, when I decided to start watching Game of Thrones, I have been slowly reading the book series you are adapting it from: George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, which is a fantasy series that sets out to examine the genre of fantasy itself, humanity, morality, ethics, climate change, and our collective reality through the lens of morally grey, intelligent characters, living in a medieval fantasy world fifteen years after a two year long civil war called Robert’s Rebellion rocked the core of the continent/country of Westeros, some of whom are self-aware, some of whom are really, really not.

There. That’s the spoiler-free series summary.

It didn’t occur to me while I was reading book one, it niggled in the back of my head while I was reading book two, but it stuck with me while I was reading book three, A Storm of Swords, the very simple thought that yo.

Your show is far. Far. FAR worse than the books you set out to adapt.

People go up to me and ask “What are you reading, Vi?” because that’s how you start a conversation with someone who doesn’t want to talk to you. I show them the book title, they see the banner at the top reading “GAME OF THRONES- A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES FROM HBO” and say, predictably, unfailingly, “Oh, Game of Thrones!” and I have to take the time to put the old, worn receipt I use as a book mark in my place to inform the uninformed, “The books are a hundred thousand times better than the show. And that’s not even me being a book snob. Read the books, don’t watch the show.” You don’t know how exhausting that is.

You will find no shortage of people on this site who are fans of the books and/or your TV show. Many criticize you, many criticize GRRM, some unrepentantly scream into the Void that you and/or GRRM are God, and deserving of nothing but veneration, unquestioning love, and sainthood. I have reblogged and liked posts from all three sorts of people. Never doubt that I enjoy both stories. Your television series has some really good acting, plenty of nice aesthetics, and some damn nice costumes.

And yet, I vastly prefer the books. Reading the books, reading metas about the books, reading fanfiction about the books, reading metas about the show, and seeing the general discourse in both fandoms has all brought me to the conclusion that I prefer GRRM’s story.

Lady Stoneheart and Young Griff are the two major storylines that you cut out in your book-to-screen adaptation, to the utter detriment of your show, and the fact that you removed them tells me a lot about what you do and do not understand about ASOIAF.

Lady Stoneheart, the reanimated corpse of the late Catelyn Tully Stark, is a character only introduced in the epilogue of A Storm of Swords, and I can understand why, at first glance, you would think that your decision to cut out her narrative is acceptable. You murdered Catelyn’s story within her own story, after-all. You forgot that Robb is not the center of the Northern Rebellion; Catelyn is. She is the eyes and ears, and it is her mistakes that both start the war, end it, and prolong it.

Lady Stoneheart’s story effects Brienne of Tarth’s story, and Jaime Lannister’s story, and GRRM’s examination of knighthood, honor, redemption and loyalty through them. It relates to Gendry, Sandor Clegane, and Podrick Payne, and their themes of loss of identity, as well as Sandor’s themes of redemption and mercy. LSH’s own actions work to the detriment of her daughter Sansa, and the themes of her story mirror and accentuate those of her younger daughter, Arya, whose story is about psychological trauma, justice, mercy, death, and why you should not join death cults. By cutting out Lady Stoneheart, Sansa’s story becomes that of her poor, forgotten friend, Jeyne Poole, and Arya becomes a terrorist instead of a girl struggling to find her identity and wander home.

Lady Stoneheart, in GRRM’s broader examination of the genre of fantasy, is an examination of the trope of the reanimated dead. Catelyn is resurrected as LSH after three days of slowly decomposing in a river, her torn cheeks and slashed throat still draining blood. When Beric Dondarrion sacrifices herself to save her (yes, Beric is dead in the books) he does not bring back the loving mother who knew the name of every stablehand in Winterfell, he brings back the screaming woman who “clawed her face to bloody ribbons” when she witnesses her last living child die before her eyes. He brings back a demon, intent on bringing death to anyone she views as remotely related to those who have done her wrong. This is GRRM’s examination of why people don’t just come back from death. They are changed, they are different, they are a bit mad. LSH is a zombie, every bit as much as the wights, she’s just a zombie forged of the other end of the spectrum: fire.

Aegon VI Targaryen, or “Young Griff” is the perfect prince. He is introduced during the fifth book, even later than Lady Stoneheart. You would think exempting him would be even more acceptable, and yet, once again, you would be wrong.

Young Griff’s story relates to Arianne Martell, another character who is utterly cut out of the television show, as well as to the Sand Snakes and their plot with Myrcella Baratheon, who they were intending to crown as queen, not murder. Young Griff, by extension, relates to Doran Martell and poor, poor Quentyn Martell, and to Daenerys Targaryen, Ashara Dayne, Varys, Illyrio Mopatis, and, crucially, CRUCIALLY, Tyrion Lannister, who has become a background character ever since his escape from King’s Landing in Season Four. Young Griff is planning on invading Westeros using the Golden Company, which will probably effect the remainder of Arya’s stint in Braavos before she runs into Jeyne Poole and Justin Massey, and the actual invasion will greatly affect Brienne of Tarth because of where the island of Tarth is located. Brienne is her father Selwyn’s only heir, and he’s probably going to die before the end of TWOW, leaving Brienne as the Evenstar.

In GRRM’s broader discourse, Young Griff’s role, as @poorquentyn talks about quite a bit in his metas, is to deconstruct the fantasy genre as a whole. Young Griff is the Perfect Prince in exile, Varys’s guaranteed A+ Political Science thesis project, complete with badass army, misfit mentors, sassy nun, and a hot future wife waiting for him. And yet, Young Griff is actually a tragedy because he is not Aegon VI Targaryen, he is not the Once and Future King, he is not the savior, he is not Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell’s son. Young Griff is most likely the biological son of the hedonistic pedophiliac opportunistic Illyrio Mopatis, and a kid who would have been content to sail up and down the Rhoyne with his motley crew for the rest of his life, but no, he was told that he is the only living child of Rhaegar Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne. GRRM uses Young Griff to explain Dany’s story and Jon’s story. Don’t you see how unsatisfying it would have been, he asks, if Jon had been Young Griff? Don’t you see how much more interesting Jon’s story is with Val and Ygritte and Sam and Gilly and Monster and Mance and Donal Noye and Satin and Craster? Don’t you see how much better fantasy can be?

You see, my good sirs, you have missed the entire point of ASOIAF in your hit television show: what can fantasy be?

Arya does not have to be merely the plucky tomboy, an assassin with a sad backstory who Is Not Like Other Girls. Arya can be the plucky tomboy who looks up to her mother, is jealous of her sister, and is abused by her teacher. Arya can be a girl who admires other women, who wishes she were pretty, who loves to learn languages and is good at math. She can be the girl who wargs into Nymeria and the cats of Braavos, who leaves Sandor Clegane to die because he would not let her kill herself trying to save her mother.

Jon Snow does not have to be merely the Male Action Hero Who Will Save the Day and Get the Hot Chick. Jon can be a flawed man, too young, too brilliant, too radical, too kind to live. He can be the adopted son of a good man, he can be intelligent and still make mistakes, he can be kind and still show Gilly profound cruelty, he can be a leader and be best at leading when he is negotiating marriages and panes of glass and who works where when. He can be impartial to who sits the Iron Throne and still get himself killed for loving his baby sister too desperately. He can be a good leader, and still be killed. Jon is not important because he is Rhaegar’s son, he is not important because he is the Ice to Dany’s Fire; he is important because he is Aragorn’s Tax Plan.

D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, your story fails in the face of the might that is ASOIAF because your story fails to be profound. Your story fails to contribute anything to The Great Struggle. Your story fails to innovate, your story fails to evolve. Your story fails to understand the core of its own characters, it fails to understand its own themes and messages.

Your story fails because it is not a compelling story.

I hope you are capable of understanding that.

Best Wishes,

A Teenage Girl Who You Can Call Vi

#open letter #my metas #asoiaf #got #anti got #grrm #db weiss #david benioff #themes #complexity #failure #young griff #aegon vi targaryen #lady stoneheart #game of thrones

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scarffile0-blog · 5 years

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Every New Character Coming to the Arrowverse This Season

We are just one month out from The Flash's fifth season premiere marking the return of all of The CW's Arrowverse shows and not only can fans look forward to new adventures for some of their favorite DC heroes, but there are a lot of new characters to look forward to as well.

All four shows -- Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow -- have announced some of the new characters who will come on board as enemies and allies to the heroes this fall. And while some of the announced characters are pretty big and exiting, such as Batwoman, some are a bit more obscure. Still others are completely original and, in at least one case, it's a familiar character being teased in a whole new way.

With so many new characters headed to the Arrowverse, we've decided to make a list of all of the new characters confirmed for the upcoming season. However, before we jump into the list we do have a few points to note. For starters, we're not going to get into characters who have been teased in casting descriptions but haven't yet had official announcements. We're also not going to break down characters for Black Lightning. While Black Lightning is a DC Comics-inspired show on The CW, it technically takes place in its own universe -- not the Arrowverse. We're also not going to detail, with one exception, characters returning after a few seasons absence as is the case with a few of the foes Oliver Queen will be facing on Arrow.

As with any list, it's possible that we've missed someone along the way so if there's a character that we don't mention that you think we should have, please let us know in the comment section at the end.

Are you ready to see what characters are coming to the Arrowverse? Then read on for more!

Slide 1 of 14'Supergirl': Agent Liberty

Best known by DC fans from his role as Smallville's Davis Bloome/Doomsday, Sam Witwer will be playing Agent Liberty. The character is said to be "the ruthless and terrifying leader of the Children of Liberty, a human-first hate group" and is described as "a brilliant orator in the guise of a family man", who can easily convince people that he's right."

The character may be a take on the comic iteration of Agent Liberty, who first debuted in 1991. Also known as Benjamin Lockwood, Agent Liberty is an ex-CIA agent who becomes disenchanted with the goverment, forming his own paramilitary group. Liberty eventually sees the error of his ways, separating from the group and assisting Superman and Justice League in the years that follow.

Slide 2 of 14'Supergirl': Mercy Graves

Lex's former bodyguard Mercy Graves will be a recurring threat on the new episodes, played by Rhona Mitra.

According to the report from Deadline, Graves has come into her own as a growing name in National City now that her former employer Lex Luthor is in prison. She becomes the face of the growing "human first" movement, teasing that the series will echo the current political climate in real life.

Given the fact that she used to be Lex's bodyguard, she's very lethal. But she'll also be very cunning, making her a threat to Supergirl on multiple levels.

Slide 3 of 14'Supergirl': Colonel Haley

April Parker Jones will play Colonel Haley, a character described as a hardline career military woman who lives and dies by the orders of her commanding officers. Haley's dedication ot her country leads her to always act in its best interest, even if that means acting against her own.

The character "Colonel Haley" doesn't have an exact DC Comics counterpart, but there are a couple characters the series could be drawing from, including Lauren Haley. A lieutenant in the United States Air Force, Lauren first appeared in Wonder Woman #325 from 1985 where she was rescued from the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca by Wonder Woman. However, Lt. Haley was erased from existence during the collapse of the original Multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Slide 4 of 14'Supergirl': Manchester Black

(Photo: DC Comics)

David Ajala is joining the cast as DC villain Manchester Black.

Black is a dangerous and manipulative psychic and telekinetic, and as the head of a team of self-styled superheroes called The Elite, he sought to upstage Superman and the Justice League in his first appearance. The story, titled "What's So Funny 'Bout Truth, Justice, and the American Way?," is widely considered one of the best Superman comics in the last 25 years.

Black was created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke, and a loose adaptation of "What's So Funy..." happened in the feature-length animated film Superman vs The Elite.

On the show, Black is the type of guy who brings a knife to a gunfight and still walks away the winner. With a dark past, he easily deflects the brutality of his mission with his charm and sense of humor.

Slide 5 of 14'Supergirl': Nia Nal

Also joining Supergirl this season is Nia Nal, a transgender superhero known as Dreamer who will be played by Nicole Maines.

According to her official character description, Nal is the newest addition to the CatCo reporting team. A soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others, Nia’s journey this season means fulfilling her destiny as the superhero Dreamer (much like Kara came into her own as Supergirl).

The Dreamer becomes the first transgender superhero on TV, played by Royal Pains veteran Maines, a trans actress.

Nura Nal, the Legion of Super-Heroes member known as Dreamer in the comics, was an alien with precognitive abilities. The character was created by Edmond Hamilton and John Forte as Dream Girl in 1964, although the Dreamer identity debuted in 1996 in a story by Tom Peyer, Tom McGraw, and Lee Moder.

Slide 6 of 14'Supergirl': Agent Jensen

Almost Human and Witches of East End veteran Anthony Konechny will play Agent Jensen, a DEO agent recruited by Alex (Chyler Leigh) who struggles to find his footing at the DEO. His character will be introduced in the season premiere on Sunday, October 14.

Given that bio, it would not be hard to imagine him turning against the DEO, especially since Agent Liberty as the leader of a human supremacy group sounds like the setup for a season-long spy-vs-spy between his group and the DEO itself. That would track with a "more topical" season four, as has been teased in interviews.

Slide 7 of 14'Arrow': Roy Harper

(Photo: The CW)

Yes, Roy Harper isn't exactly a new character. However, it's been teased that while the Roy fans get this fall will absolutely be the real, Earth-1 Roy, the character is coming back in a way that actor Colton Haynes called "the craziest idea".

“I got a call from Greg Berlanti, and he said ‘Hey’." Haynes told ComicBook.com during San Diego Comic-Con. "I was shooting [American] Horror Story at the time. And he said ‘If you want to come back, you’re welcome to come back. We have a great idea.’ And it’s the craziest idea. Roy Harper’s coming back in a way that no one is going to understand. It’s amazing, and I was like ‘I can’t wait to be around my friends and my family!’ And so I, of course, jumped at that opportunity.”

Slide 8 of 14'Arrow': Longbow Hunters

(Photo: DC Comics)

Red Dart, Kodiak, and The Silencer will be joining Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) in terrorizing Star City while Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) spends time behind bars at Slabside Maximum Security Prison for crimes committed as Green Arrow.

Red Dart, who will be played by Holly Elissa, first appeared as a member of the team in Green Arrow (Vol 5) #31 in 2014. The character, whose real name is unknown, is known for her use of trick darts and was part of The Longbow Hunters in comics.

Kodiak, played by Michael Jonsson, was the leader of Shield Clan, one of the eight Clans of The Outsiders. In comics, he had something called the Shield Totem, which granted its owner immortality and true enlightenment. Joining Kodiak and Red Dart, The Silencer will be played by Miranda Edwards. In comics, The Silencer, aka Honor Guest, was Talia al Ghul's most trusted assassin. The association may be a hint that Diaz could have ties with Talia on Arrow as well, which could provide an opening for the return of Colton Haynes' Roy Harper.

Slide 9 of 14'The Flash': Cicada

(Photo: The CW)

Chris Klein (American Pie, Election, Oz) has been cast as DC Comics supervillain David Hersch/Cicada. Described as "a grizzled, blue-collar everyman whose family has been torn apart by metahhumans, Cicada now seeks to exterminate the epidemic -- one metahuman at a time".

This description varies a little bit from Cicada's comic book origins, but hints that he will be an equally terrifying foe. Hersch, who was first introduced into the pages of The Flash in 2001, was a Catholic preacher who became consumed by guilt after abusing and murdering his wife. On the brink of committing suicide, Hersch was struck by a bolt of lightning, and was essentially given the power of immortality -- as long as he absorbed the life-forces of others.

This led Hersch to become consumed with his powers, ultimately forming a cult and taking on the moniker of Cicada. The cult of Cicada became committed to one goal, which was to use lightning bolt daggers to murder those who were saved by The Flash. The Wally West incarnation of The Flash tussled with Cicada for several issues, as Hersch resurrected his wife before ultimately being captured by the police.

Soon after, Cicada was put onto death row at Iron Heights, where his immortality proved to be a bit of a problem. He then escaped from jail as part of the Flash: Iron Heights miniseries, briefly joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains as part of Infinite Crisis, and was ultimately banished to the villain planet Salvation.

Slide 10 of 14'The Flash': Spin

Kiana Madeira has reportedly been cast in a recurring role for The Flash's fifth season. Madeira will be playing Spencer Young, a genderbent version of the DC Comics villain Spin.

Madeira is known for her role as Angel on Sacred Lies, as well as Dark Matter and Wynonna Earp.

In the comics, Spin is known only by the name of Mr. Auerbach, a journalist whose father owns a media company. Auerbach is eventually given control of the company, which he runs while moonlighting as the villain Spin. Auerbach keeps Edwar Martinez — a metahuman with the ability to turn people's fears into a reality — locked in a basement, using his powers to be able to manipulate public perception around The Flash.

Madeira's iteration of the character is a bit of a departure from her comic origins, described as "a young aspiring social media influencer who seizes the opportunity to make herself famous when she discovers there is a new hero in Central City."

Slide 11 of 14'Legends of Tomorrow': Charlie

Maisie Richardson-Sellers will be playing an entirely new role in Season 4 of Legends of Tomorrow. After previously playing Amaya Jiwe/Vixen on the hit The CW series, Richardson-Sellers will return as a new character named Charlie.

Charlie is British, and described as a "rebel without a cause" with ties to the mysterious portal of magic that the Legends opened. Apparently, the Legends stumble upon her and are unsure if she's a friend or foe. Either way, she will definitely shake up the ship again.

Slide 12 of 14'Legends of Tomorrow': Alaska Yu

(Photo: WB/Sergio Garcia)

Legends of Tomorrow has cast Ramona Young in its upcoming fourth season, as was revealed on the show's San Diego Comic-Con panel. Young will be playing Alaska Yu, a character who does not have a clear DC Comics counterpart.

Alaska is described as "a typical twentysomething easily swept up by romantic notions and fantasy novels, she’s something of an expert in the world of the magical creatures that the Legends encounter in season four. In the company of the Legends, she soon learns to get her head out of the clouds to become a kickass superhero."

Slide 13 of 14'Legends of Tomorrow': Hank Heywood

Tom Wilson, the comedian and actor best known for playing Biff Tannen (and his ancestors and descendants) in the Back to the Future trilogy, has been cast as Nate Heywood's father on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

Wilson will recur as Nate’s (Nick Zano) father, Hank Heywood. With a lifetime in the military and Dept. of Defense, Hank is part of a long line of Heywoods to serve the country. Charming and charismatic, he’s left big shoes for Nate to fill — and it doesn’t help that Nate can’t tell him he’s secretly a Legend!

Slide 14 of 14Arrowverse Crossover: Batwoman and Lois Lane

Ruby Rose has been tapped to play Kate Kane/Batwoman, the first openly lesbian superhero to appear as a main hero on television, for The CW's Batwoman. Her character will debut in the upcoming Arrowverse crossover event on the network in December and a Batwoman series is currently in development.

Also coming to the Arrowverse crossover is Lois Lane. She will be joining Superman in the upcoming Arrowverse crossover event this December.

Source: https://comicbook.com/2018/09/09/arrowverse-new-characters-confirmed-fall-2018-/

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hermanwatts · 5 years

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Fantasy New Releases: 28 September, 2019

In this week’s fantasy new releases, two litRPG heavy hitters team up, Orson Scott Card plays with micropowers, and a classic of wuxia makes its English language premier.

Bibliomancer (Completionist Chronicles: Wolfman Warlock #1) – James Hunter and Dakota Krout

The vaunted power of the Mage’s College. Unbounded freedom among the Wolfmen. The best of both worlds.

Recent college grad Sam King was hoping for a backpacking trip across Europe as a graduation present. Instead he’s going to get a different kind of trip: a three-month stint in the ultimate immersive gaming experience. As a lifelong geek, gamer, and outsider, it’s a better gift then he’d ever dreamed.

But when he jumps feetfirst into the world of Eternium, run by CAL, the Certified Altruistic Lexicon, it’s not exactly what he expected. All he wants is to quest, game, grind some levels, and get his hands on awesome loot. You know, have fun! But the Mage’s College seems to have a very different definition of fun, one involving study, blisteringly strict regulations, aristocratic hierarchy, and tons of pay to play.

Sam crosses the College and finds himself running for his life with a back-talking book that is far more than it seems and a class that no one has even heard of. If he can navigate the deadly College politics and the looming war with the barbaric Wolfmen, he might just find the fun and adventure he was looking for.

Born of the Shade (Viventium #1) – D. O. Thomas

West London has always been known as the quieter part of the city. That’s true… for a human. But in reality, the streets are home to those that rule over the supernatural world.

Werewolves have their gated communities. Vampires reside within a subterranean utopia. And the magic-wielding wizards, witches, and warlocks study their arts right under the noses of general public. It has always been that way, and because of this, there has always been peace.

But when a rare blue moon settles in the sky, everything changes.

Noir, a West London information broker with his fingers in every supernatural pie, sets out to discover what the blue moon means and finds something beyond belief. With his discovery, comes the realization of a prophecy that spells disaster for the supernatural world.

He must do everything in his power to stop the actualization of this dark future that might mean the end for the peace between species that keeps his world intact.

Cirsova Magazine (Volume 2, Issue 2) -presented by Cirsova Publishing

The newest issue features eleven new tales of thrilling adventure and daring suspense.

Seeking out the Burning Fish for a client, Mangos and Kat instead find a strange cult of folk devoted to a simple life—who would kill before giving up their secrets!

An anthropologist seeks to solve the mystery of Chalchihuitlan’s “grinding woman.” What’s her significance? What is it that she grinds? For what does she wait?!

Slayer-Of-Wolf’s hunting party is alarmed when a mysterious fire falls from the sky—stranger still is the mysterious blue woman he finds where the fire has landed!

The colonists of Titan have been a fierce and independent lot since breaking away from Earth—some with a grudge might even resort to murder to stay independent!

…and more!

A Hero Born (Legends of the Condor Hereos #1) – Jin Yong

A fantastical generational saga and kung fu epic, Jin Yong’s A Hero Born is the classic novel of its time, stretching from the Song Empire (China 1200 AD) to the appearance of a warlord whose name will endure for eternity: Genghis Khan. Filled with an extraordinary cast of characters, A Hero Born is a tale of fantasy and wonder, love and passion, treachery and war, betrayal and brotherhood.

And then a hero is born…

After his father, a Song patriot, was murdered, Guo Jing and his mother fled to the plains and joined Genghis Khan and his people. Loyal, humble and driven, he learned all he could from the warlord and his army in hopes of one day joining them in their cause. But what Guo Jing doesn’t know is that he’s destined to battle an opponent that will challenge him in every way imaginable and with a connection to his past that no one envisioned.

With the help and guidance of his shifus, The Seven Heroes of the South, Guo Jing returns to China to face his foe and carry out his destiny. But in a land divided by treachery and war, betrayal and ambition, he’ll have to put his courage and knowledge to the test to survive.

The Last Templar: The Blood of the Martyrs – Steven Savile and William Meikle

The Brotherhood is endangered, the Templars betrayed.

Their only hope lies with two twins, separated at birth and raised worlds apart, each with an unbreakable will to discover the secrets that have been kept from them. One is destined to wield the dagger of the martyrs, the blade of an ancient order of assassins, the other the last templar.

An epic tale of betrayal and loss, of sacrifice and commitment.

And of ties that, once forged, can never be broken.

The Last Templar is an epic historical fantasy novel in the grand tradition of David Gemmell’s Rigante and Troy novels, steeped in war, tinged with magic and wonder.

Lost and Found – Orson Scott Card

“Are you really a thief?” That’s the question that has haunted fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast all his life. But he’s not a thief, he just has a talent for finding things. Not a superpower—a micropower. Because what good is finding lost bicycles and hair scrunchies, especially when you return them to their owners and everyone thinks you must have stolen them in the first place? If only there were some way to use Ezekiel’s micropower for good, to turn a curse into a blessing. His friend Beth thinks there must be, and so does a police detective investigating the disappearance of a little girl. When tragedy strikes, it’s up to Ezekiel to use his talent to find what matters most.

Master storyteller Orson Scott Card delivers a touching and funny, compelling and smart novel about growing up, harnessing your potential, and finding your place in the world, no matter how old you are.

The Truth of Shadows (The Nightfall Wars #2) – Jacob Peppers

Three strangers chosen by the gods.

A castle-servant who can bend fire and light to his will. A musician whose song can soothe even the wildest of hearts. And a nobleman with the gods’ own luck.

Three strangers gifted with powers beyond that of normal mortals stand against the armies of shadow. But there are other gods, other powers lurking in the darkness, and they too will find their champions.

Hunted by mortal and immortal enemies alike, Alesh and his companions flee south to the Ferinan lands. There, they will search for help they desperately need, those who might stand with them against the coming darkness.

A nobleman without hope.A musician to whom every song sounds like a funeral dirge. A castle servant at risk of being consumed by an evil greater than any he has faced.

They have set themselves against the coming Ever Dark. But shadows are not easily conquered, and no matter how many are cut down, more rise in their place.

For the truth of shadows is that they are not born.

They are made.

War of Men (The Buried Goddess #5) – Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

As men squabble amongst themselves, the Buried Goddess makes her move.

Torsten Unger marches east in the name of the Glass Kingdom to put an end to Drad Mak, eliminating the Drav Cra threat once and for all. But can it be that simple—or is he just another pawn in the Buried Goddess’ game?

After discovering that Nesilia has possessed Sora’s body, Whitney Fierstown has a plan to get her back. All he needs to do is find a way to contact his old friend Kazimir, who as an upyr, knows the secrets of existence between worlds. It won’t be easy, but when has it ever been?

Having won the Tal’du Dromesh, Mahraveh is now an afhem, and with her new fleet, she has the power to save her father. Muskigo has been cut off and surrounded by the Glass Army, but the time has come to bring the fight to them and for her to win this war between men.

Fantasy New Releases: 28 September, 2019 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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New Release Roundup, 3 November 2018: Science Fiction

This week’s roundup of the newest releases in science fiction features the return of many beloved series–Starship Grifters, The Four Horsemen, Renegade Star, The Frontiers Saga, and more!

Anomaly (Legacy War #7) – John Walker

Humanity has unlocked the secrets of the Orbs but the race to collect another of the powerful devices has put them on a collision course with their enemy, the terrorist group known as the Tol’An.

One final Orb remains at large in the wild and the Gnosis is dispatched to get it. Lost somewhere in a space station on the edge of civilized space, early intelligence reports suggested it would be a milk run…until a team of Pahxin technicians went missing there. Altering their mission parameters to include rescue, they load up an extra team of marines and head off on the mission.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, AIA operative Christina Dawson closes in on the traitor selling out humanity to the Tol’An. Her people have located an old military base currently occupied by the mercenary group responsible for attacking Gamma Alpha. She gathers a former marine and newly appointed AIA agent to investigate in person.

Deliverance (Forgotten Colony #1) – M.R. Forbes

The war is over. Earth is lost. Running is the only option. It may already be too late.

Caleb is a former Marine Raider and commander of the Vultures, an elite search and rescue team that’s spent the last two years pulling high-value targets out of alien-ravaged cities and shipping them off-world.

Now he’s on the last starship out, under orders to join forty-thousand survivors on their journey to a new home. It’s not the mission he wants, but it’s a mission he’s doing his best to accomplish. When Caleb meets the colony’s head sheriff, she represents an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to leave his old life behind for good…

Only the mission will be harder to complete than either of them realize.

And the colonists will need the old Caleb more than he ever imagined…

Devastator (AI Fleet #2) – Isaac Hooke

Jain thought he’d never go back.

Ten years had passed since he last had dealings with humans and their machines. He was happy. He’d built a base for himself and his Void Warriors around the barren moon of a gas giant, where they planned to live out their immortal days in peace.

And then humanity came looking for them.

Hunting them.

Now they have no choice but to return.

But what they find waiting for them in human territory will make them wish they’d never left their new home.

The Lost Star Gate (Lost Starship Series #9) – Vaughn Heppner

The Swarm is coming!

This time, enemy science vessels study us as Hive Masters gather hundreds of thousands of starships for an avalanche invasion.

Instead of facing massed bug fleets in hopeless battle, we have a desperate plan: use a Builder nexus, create a hyper-spatial tube and send suicide-ships thousands of light-years into Swarm territory. There, our ships must find and destroy the nexuses that are the only way back home, all in order to stop the bugs from using the nexuses to reach Human Space.

Despite the grim mission, Captain Maddox is determined to bring his people back. But deep in the Sagittarius Spiral Arm, disaster strikes. All alone in the stellar night, the crew must face a primordial alien that even the Builders feared and the Swarm avoids.

Now begins a deadly battle as Maddox, the crew and Galyan are pitted against a horror of legendary evil as a Swarm battle fleet waits to annihilate the victor.

Luck is Not a Factor (Four Horsemen Tales #6) – edited by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey

It’s the Twenty-Second Century. The galaxy has opened up to humanity as a hyperactive beehive of stargates and new technologies, and we suddenly find ourselves in a vast playground of different races, environments, and cultures. There’s just one catch: we are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain.

What do you do when the odds are stacked against you? Mercs plan, strategize, and sometimes even scheme, but there is one thing they all believe—luck is never a factor.

Unless it is.

Enter the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates Humans from the majority of the other races. Edited by bestselling authors and universe creators Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey, “Luck is Not a Factor” includes all-new stories in the Four Horsemen universe by a variety of bestselling authors—and some you may not have heard of…yet. The nineteen authors take on various aspects of the universe, giving you additional insight into a galaxy that isn’t at war…but definitely isn’t at peace. There’s only one thing for sure—anything’s possible for a fistful of credits!

Nameless: A Renegade Star Story – J.N. Chaney

Abigail and Clementine were just a couple of orphans looking for a home.

But when the two girls witness something terrible, they have no choice but to leave their orphanage and go into hiding. The only person willing to take them in is a man named Mulberry, but his home isn’t the safest place for two innocent children.

Abigail and Clementine quickly discover that their new caretaker is the head of a guild of assassins, and the two are thrown into a whole new life of danger. To survive, they’ll need to adapt to a world they can barely comprehend, all without losing who they are along the way.

Discover intrigue, death, and contract killers in this exciting new scifi series from J.N. Chaney. If you’re a fan of Black Widow, Cowboy Bebop, or Altered Carbon, you’ll love this new adventure in the Renegade Star universe.

Retaliation (The Frontiers Saga: Rogue Castes #10) – Ryk Brown

A ship unable to defend itself…

A captain determined to revive her…

Worlds dependent on them both to survive…

An enemy bent on their destruction…

With the Aurora unable to fight, the Karuzari Alliance must find a way to not only repair their flagship, but to make the enemy pay dearly.

Sometimes, you just have to make do with what you’ve got.

The Roundabout (The Only City Left #3) – Andy Goldman

The Roundabout has given Earth one week to deliver to it the members of the Fifth House or face planetary destruction. In an abandoned city the size of a planet, and facing off against god-like opponents, this will be no simple task for our three groups of heroes.

Allin and Copper are captives of the four remaining members of the Fifth House. To fight them, they must first work together against the Roundabout.

Tyena is joined by a ghost, a treasure hunter, and the mind of her worst enemy inside a cat’s body. This unlikely group will need to navigate through and across the planet before they can even try to rescue Allin and do the Roundabout’s bidding.

Emperor Tumble’s first duty is to keep his citizens safe as they flee the Invasion of Pudlington. Saving the planet comes in at a distant second on his list of priorities.

Above all their heads hovers the fleet of Roundabout daggerships, waiting to see if Earth can save itself or must be annihilated.

Rumors of War (Stellar Main #2) – Richard Tongue

After destroying the pirate flagship Fortuna, Captain Victoria Carter and her crew were hailed as heroes across the Stellar Main, but though a great battle was won, she knows that her private war is far from over.

The leaders of the criminal gang escaped, fleeing into deep space to a hidden base lost somewhere among the stars, plotting their revenge against those who drove them into exile, and fermenting a conspiracy that could shake all of human space to its foundations, and launch a civil war that could destroy the Commonwealth forever.

With untold millions of lives at stake, Captain Carter and the crew of Pandora must assemble a rag-tag battle fleet and face off the pirates, or watch as the galaxy collapses into chaos and anarchy…

Seeds of Gaia – Rick Partlow

Revenge is heading to Earth at the speed of light…

The Gaia probes left a dying Earth millennia ago in a bold effort to spread life to a lifeless universe.

Unfortunately, not all of those worlds were uninhabited…

The aliens watched their world die to swarms of nanite terraformers, but with their last breath they launched a terrible, unstoppable weapon to kill those who’d stolen their home.

Patrol Captain Sam Avalon is the first human to encounter it, a missile the size of an asteroid, tearing through anything in its path, destined to impact Earth in four years and leave nothing but ashes. Together with the mysterious government operative Priscilla and the cyborg soldier Telia Proctor, they do their best to unite old enemies in a desperate attempt to save the cradle of humanity from the sins of their fathers…

Wrath of Cons (Starship Grifters #3) – Robert Kroese

Interstellar con man Rex Nihilo and his long-suffering robot sidekick Sasha are back, and they’re neck-deep in their most outrageous scam yet: selling black market planets!

Terraforming uninhabitable planets and selling them to criminals right under the nose of the repressive interstellar Malarchy is good work if you can get it, but there’s a price: as the pair’s profits soar, they find themselves on the run from… well, pretty much everybody. With the Malarchy breathing down their necks, the malevolent cult known as the Sp’ossels hot on their heels, and the Ursa Minor Mafia out for their cut, Rex and Sasha hop from planet to planet, with nothing but their wits and a motley crew of loyal friends to keep them alive.

But when their antics draw the attention of an ancient intelligence determined to wipe humanity from the galaxy, they put their moneymaking plans on hold–and team up with their biggest rival–to save the galaxy once again.

Your Life Is Forfeit (Judge, Jury, & Executioner #4) – Craig Martelle

Red has a price on his head. Rivka is determined to find those who put it there.

Criminals commit crimes. Career criminals do it in secret. They are good at hiding.

Rivka’s latest case has her hunting fugitives. Red is on a mission to find them and make them pay for what they’ve done.

Her search leads her through dark warrens of political intrigue and ecological disasters. All the while, Rivka is swinging the scales of justice, judging the guilty, and delivering punishment.

Villainy and scum have toe-holds throughout the galaxy, but Rivka doesn’t mind stepping on their toes even when she’s not judging them. She considers it her job because no one is above the law.

Is Rivka’s search sanctioned or has she gone rogue? Will the Federation back her play?

Magistrate Rivka Anoa is the legal eagle you want on your side. No better friend. No worse enemy.

New Release Roundup, 3 November 2018: Science Fiction published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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