#as you can see I'm still lurking around :P

[sunkissed-zegras]

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 ─ PB⁵

౨ৎ ─ summary | request -> "helloooo! can you write something about reader suspecting paige and azzi’s friendship to be more than a friendship (r and paige are a situationship or sum like that) and just paige reassuring her and saying that she has eyes only for her etc… (paige is literally obsessed with r)? thank you so much 💖💖💖💖💖"

─ word count | 1.3k

─ warnings | hurt to comfort, paige being sassy, reassurance and so much cute fluffy, a singular kiss

─ taglist | @xocherishxo @iienstein @yazmunson @euphternal @boiliatfu and here's a link to my taglist if anyone would like to join!!

YOU AND PAIGE had been friends for a while now, but it was just recently you'd been friends... and a little more.

It was something new, something fun and something secret. The only person who knows was KK only because she'd walked in on the two of you kissing, and now she swears she's "traumatized."

The secret relationship (of some sorts) between you and Paige added an exhilarating edge to your friendship. It was a thrill, the stolen glances, the secretive rendezvous, the whispered conversations laden with double meanings. You found yourselves drawn to each other in a way that went beyond friendship, yet you both reveled in the secretive nature of your relationship.

KK's discovery of your secret sent a ripple of panic through both of you at first. But unsurprisingly, she was more supportive than expected, despite her initial shock. After the initial awkwardness wore off, she became your confidante, the one person you could trust with your affair. She teased you both mercilessly, of course, but it was all in good fun.

But beneath the excitement, there was also a hint of panic. Keeping your newfound romance a secret added an element of danger, a thrill that was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. The fear of being discovered lurked in the background, heightening every stolen moment and making each encounter feel all all the more precious.

Yet despite the risks, the connection between you and Paige only seemed to grow stronger. The shared laughter, the stolen kisses, the quiet moments of intimacy — they all served to deepen the bond between you, creating a private world that was uniquely yours.

But of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing.

──

"What do you mean?" Paige's tone had an annoyed edge to it as she sent you a glance. She pulled off a side of her headphones as she kept her eyes glued on the computer screen.

You sighed exasperatedly, sitting up on her bed as you sent her a glare. "What do you think I mean?"

Paige hated when you spoke like that, so secretive and cryptic, like you wanted her to say the wrong thing. She liked things laid out plain and simple, while you preferred to dance around topics, especially ones that felt too vulnerable.

"I don't know, that's why I asked." Paige's voice didn't soften as she spoke, her eyes glancing at you every once in a while. She just had the most tiring practices and the last thing she wanted to do was argue with you.

You huffed, feeling frustrated. "I feel like Azzi has a crush on you or something. I see the way she looks at you, it's like when I look at you — all heart eyes, and shit."

Paige's lips curved into a smirk. "Aww, are you saying you have heart eyes for me?"

"I'm being serious, P." You were frustrated. You hated when you felt insecure, especially in relationships. While Paige never gave you any reason to doubt her, she was just naturally enticing and that's what pulled you to her in the first place.

But that's also why others were so captivated by her. The looks she gets, the way people spoke about her and now the whole TikTok obsession wasn't helping. You hated it — you wanted everyone to know that she was yours, and vice versa.

"Okay, okay." Paige's expression was still very much amused as she glanced toward you. "You know me and Azzi are just friends, we're just really close. I promise you, I'd know if she had a crush on me."

"I have eyes, Paige." You shot back, frustration bubbling in your voice.

You couldn't shake the feeling of insecurity gnawing at you, no matter how much you trusted Paige. The thought of someone else vying for her attention filled you with a sense of unease that you couldn't shake. You also knew that there was still that boundary, you weren't her girlfriend and had no valid reason for you to be jealous.

Paige's eyes widened at your tone. You never called her just by her name, it was some kind of nickname or pet name. She sighed as she pulled her headset off and set it down, turning to face you.

"Hey," Paige began gently, reaching out to take your hand in hers. "You have to believe me when I say there's nothing going on between me and Azzi. She's just a really good friend and she's not into me, and even if she is,"

She paused as she shook her head in amusement at the mere thought. "I don't want her, I want you."

You sighed, still feeling frustrated. "I want to believe you, P. I really do. But it's hard, you know? Seeing how close you two are, and... and knowing that I don't have any claim over you."

She squeezed your hand reassuringly, offering you a small smile. "I know it's not easy, especially when we haven't defined what we are yet. But that doesn't change how I feel about you."

You looked up, meeting her gaze, searching for any sign of deceit. But all you found was sincerity in her eyes.

"I care about you, more than I can put into words," Paige continued softly. "And I want you to feel secure in what we have, even if it's not official. You mean a lot to me."

You couldn't help but feel a flutter in your chest at Paige's words. Despite your doubts, her sincerity shone through, washing away some of your insecurities. Her hand in yours felt warm and comforting, grounding you in the present as you allowed yourself to bask in the affection she offered.

"I trust you, Paige," you admitted, a small smile tugging at your lips. "And I care about you too, a lot."

"Besides," Paige continued, her tone playful as she leaned in closer, her breath warm against your ear. "Who needs Azzi when I've got you? You're the one I can't stop thinking about, the one who drives me crazy in the best possible way."

You couldn't help but chuckle at her words, feeling a rush of affection for the girl sitting beside you. As you leaned in to press a soft kiss to her cheek, Paige's expression shifted, a teasing glint entering her eyes.

"And uh, speaking of claims," she began, her tone teasing as she traced a finger along your jawline. "You know, I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Can't seem to get you out of my head."

Your breath caught in your throat as you felt a blush creep up your cheeks. "Oh, really? And what exactly have you been thinking about?"

Paige leaned in closer, her lips brushing against yours as she whispered, "Just how lucky I am to have you in my life. And how much I want to make you mine, officially."

Your heart skipped a beat at her words, warmth spreading through you at the intensity of her gaze. In that moment, any lingering doubts melted away, leaving only the affection you'd felt for Paige.

"But not right now 'cus this isn't as romantic as I want," she continued as you scoffed playfully. You leaned away slightly only to be pulled back by the blonde.

Paige's playful smirk widened as she pulled you back towards her. "Hey, don't pout. I promise when the time comes, it'll be unforgettable."

"So, you're really going to make me wait?" you teased, a grin spreading across your face as you leaned into her touch.

Paige smirked, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I want it to be perfect, baby. But for now," she added, leaning in to press a soft kiss to your lips, "just know that I'm all yours."

The warmth of her lips against yours sent a shiver down your spine, igniting a spark of desire within you. "I'll hold you to that," you murmured against her lips, feeling a surge of affection for the woman in front of you.

Paige smiled against your lips, her fingers tangling in your hair as she deepened the kiss, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

#wcbb x reader #wcbb #ncaaw #uconn huskies #uconn #uconn wbb #uconn women’s basketball #paige bueckers #paige buckets #paige bueckers x reader #paige x reader #paige bueckers fanfiction #paige bueckers fluff #paige bueckers smut #paige bueckers x oc #paige bueckers headcannons #paige bueckers fic #ncaa women’s basketball #ncaa wbb

[nollatooru]

Okay this new picture confused me enough to post about it.

It's lovely, love the cat. But I'm confused, what exactly are they're going for here? I'm supposing this:

But the problem is they didn't bring Saito's arm and the cat actually in front of Okita (btw Okita's referring to this). All three of them are depthwise on different level, though Okita's finger is too perfectly close to look like he's touching the kitten's nose. Yet being on different levels they're all staring at different things!

I mean this is the supposed side view of that picture.

#hakuouki #okita souji #saito hajime #neko #cat #offical art #this picture reminds me of the impossible triangle #if I look up I see one thing #if I look down I get confused because it doesn't match #nevertheless love the kitten #as you can see I'm still lurking around :P #I finally read my hakuouki art book #I love kazuki yone's comments #and I guess now I'm even more critical of the new art than before #I'm fine with few wonky pictures but I wish they wouldn't go too ooc with them.. #I forced my half broken tablet to draw this one #if I get the scanner work too I might post doodles somewhat soon #since I'm finally getting back to drawing #fan art #edit: I fixed the ladder and added some lines for okita and saito

[tonixe]

goverment hooker..

a/n: I'm back again, there is no surprise. I'm feeling devious so I might post again, wowzers. Also, the sped-up version of the government hooker sound so fire, like it feels like I'm in one of those edits, anyways lemme stop rambling. I hope y'all enjoy, reblogs, and comments will be also appreciated.

warning: smut, penetrating, p in the v, unprotected sex, creampies. proofread (?)

pairing: Young!Coriolanus Snow x reader

word counter: 1.4k

What appeals to you to most men, maybe it was your cute antics, your siren eyes that attracted anyone toward you, or your body, sculpted with your delicate curves, and a perky bosom to match the appeal of your young face that can lull a man to sleep.

Or was it how you talked, deliberately making a slur of your words, with your ribboning voice, that can make anyone feel safe and warm with you. You fooled some powerful men, their hearts were already tainted and covered in greed, easy to control someone with their needs. You were in command of it, you made them your pawn, you played the cards, and made a charade of it.

Every time you talked or did anything, you automatically moved your chess piece forward never back. But..what were you doing in a low district as a 'prestigious' woman like yourself, doing in the slum like this. Well, these 'slums' they would call, these 'desperate streets' were your home, even though you won't admit with your own mouth, your words, it still was your home...

Trying to lift yourself from the slums called your homes, to a place where it is much safer than here, maybe to Capitol, but you would need a ticket in. They wouldn't allow just anyone, would they?

But here you were standing in a speakeasy, in a tight little red dress, with a lacey red lining. It was odd to see polished women like you in a bar in District 12, you looked like you were for the Capitol, but all things you see and hear aren't what it seemed. Drinking up on the cheap liquor they offered, looking at the scene in front of you with the happy and dancing couples on the floor, as live music played. The 'Covey' they called them, and the main star, Lucy Gray. Staring at the stage, as she sang into the mic, playing her guitar.

She was familiar to you, the only reference you saw was when she was fighting in the Hunger Games, it was a surprise seeing her still living, breathing, and standing up there, but needless to say, she was still good at what she did. You waving your body to the relaxing music, fixing yourself on the stool, swaying to the music. "What is a lady like you sitting in here" You turned your head to the gentleman talking to you, staring at him.

"I'm just sitting here, enjoying the show," You said, taking a sip of the alcoholic liquid, "How about you" you tilt your head to the side.

"Just enjoying my show" He gestured to your form, and you giggled at his compliment as he sat on the stool beside you. You really got to see the man that was next to you. He had a handsome face and a chiseled face, he wore a blue open-collar shirt and a blondish-white buzz cut, He seemed like one of those Peacekeepers lurking around the district. "Do you do this every girl you see?" You were amused by the blonde man who sat beside you. You wouldn't lie that he was indeed attractive in your eyes. Scanning his frame, his body, his face. "Not to every woman, but to the ones that look beautiful like you my dear" You couldn't help to smile at him, "━And your not bad-looking as well" You admitted, crossing your legs together. As you deliberately lean towards him, revealing a white lacey bra.

Pouting your lips together, "An attractive man indeed" giving him a sultry look, with your eyelids drooping down slightly. "So, what is your name, handsome" You took a sip from your drink, "Coriolanus.." He took your hand and kissed it, "Y/N" you smirked taking your hand gently away from him,

"Should we..take our business elsewhere for a private scene?" You whispered into his ear with a suggested look on your face.

Your hands were with his as you walked in the night street, your body already feeling hot. "Where are we going?" He was amused with your antics, as you batted your eyes at him, "A place, special" you gave him a smirk, your heels clicking down on the wet cement road. A neon sign coming into view, a little motel still opened near the bar. As you opened the door, walking down the lobby of the motel, the clerk managing the reception, "A room for one" The clerk nodded his head, and gave you the keys, "room 9" He said, as you walked away with his hand with yours. Your hips sway sensually, your heels stepping into the room and opening it.

Turning yourself on your heels, stepping closer to the man, "So..what are we going to do?" You pouted, your eyes dilating feeling the feeling of being aroused.

Feeling his hands on your lower bottom, as you hoof your legs around his hips, wrapping your arms around his neck, as you both leaned into a kiss, feeling his hands groping your body. Feeling him moving, as he withdrew from you, your chest heaving. "You do know how to make a man crazy, don't you" He groaned, Feeling him putting your body onto the bed gently,

His body touching you recklessly, his hands going under your dress, slowly taking off your red lacey panties, discarding it on the floor. Biting your lip down in excitement, crossing your legs together covering yourself. Staring at him, taking off his pants and his boxers, feeling yourself getting aroused, as your cunt pulsed.

As his dick sunk into you, the pain writhing through your body, feeling the pain in your lower abdomen. Feeling your cheeks getting flushed, as you groaned in pain. His hips push into you, slowly before increasing his pace.

The bed rocked with your back on the bed, your skirt flipped and your legs being held up with his arms. Your sinful moans came out of your lips, his cock splitting your open, as you bit your lip down. His hands massaging your waist down, "F-fuck" stuttering out of your lips, your lipstick already messed up, smeared on your cheeks.

Your skin felt sticky, your lacey dress sticking onto your skin. "C-corio—" You were cut off from his hips smacking into your pelvis, your hands gripping on the sheet, holding down for support, leaning back in pleasure and relief, feeling a rush of pleasure.

Your slick lubricating his dick, makes him slip inside you easier. Your face burning up, fixing your legs on his around his waist. Your cunt clenching down around him making him groan in your ear. Feeling lips and your crashing into each other, into a hungry kiss. His tongue abused your mouth, making you moan against him, before you withdrew for air, your chest heaving, up and down.

Feeling his cock reaching to your cervix, "Hmm" You whined, your eyelids getting droopy in the process, feeling his slender fingers rubbing the nub of your clit, your legs wrapping around his waist tighter, "Corio, I'm sensitive" You whined, his hips grinding onto yours, with his unrelenting pace, arching your back. His hands on your hips tilting up, plummeting into you.

"Don't be greedy, darling" He asserted, harshly rubbing on your clit, making you scream in bliss. His body leaning toward you, his dick still throbbing inside of you, making you go crazy. His mouth sucked onto your flesh, as the blooming mark left your neck.

Your body getting overstimulated, as your body trembled, skin prickling and your cunt dripping out.

Feeling a wave crashing down on you, clenching down around his cock. The pace of his hips getting slower, feeling his hands on your waist, gripping down making you wince. "I'm close" He groaned into your ear. You wrapped your arms around his neck, and your legs, "Inside" you mewled, feeling his hips stuttering against yours. His dick pulsed inside of you, as he thrust into you one more last time, painting your walls white, as your cunt fluttered around him. Your body feeling tired.

Falling down on the bed. Feeling his warm essence leaking out of you, feeling himself still inside you. "Don't leave...please" You whimpered, feeling his soft lips on your lips, before he withdrew, looking at him, pursing your lips gently. His hands lift your chin up, "I have to.." He looked at your lips, scanning your face. Taking your appearance from your smeared lipstick to your ruined makeup, before he drew you into another kiss, a longer, more passionate one. For the first time feeling your heart swell with a man you slept with once at a bar, "Please.." you said, breathlessly.

"I'll be back" he gently traced the shape of your lips with his finger, his voice was tender to your ears, lulling you to an endless abyss. As drowsiness took over your body, your eyes shut and closed.

#coriolanus snow imagine #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus x you #coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus snow #tbosbas #ballad of songbirds and snakes #president snow x reader #president snow #coryo snow #tbosas fanfiction #tbosas x reader #tbosas movie #tbosas #tbosas x you #tbosas imagine #hunger games x reader

[joelswritingmistress]

You Scare Me, Professor: Chapter 29

Summary: The reader is taking graduate classes at a local university in the wooded upstate New York. She is drawn to her professor, Dr. Joel Miller, though she is also inherently aware that he has something dark about him that she can't quite put her finger on. As the reader's attraction grows deeper, she has to decide whether to endure the danger or run away as fast as possible.

Pairing: Professor Joel Miller x f!reader

Tori and I met up on my lunch break the following afternoon. I filled her in about the mishap with James the night before and she visibly cringed.

“Ouch.” She made a face. “That was a bold way to shoot his shot.”

“I felt so bad,” I admitted, “I still feel bad.” I twirled a French fry in ketchup and popped it into my mouth.

“Did you tell Joel?”

I nodded. “The night before I had gotten a card that was left on my car with no name. I thought it was this creepy guy Trevor from class.”

“Who’s creepy Trevor?”

“He's just this brown noser type of guy. I saw him lurking behind the building one night when I left and then he, like, popped out of the library stacks at me out of the blue.”

“Red flag, red flag.” Tori made invisible check marks in the air with her finger. “What if he's the lady killer?” That's what the papers and news outlets had branded the person responsible for the two dead women.

“Lately, I think everyone is the lady killer.” I huffed a laugh and shook my head. I changed the subject. “Are you and Derek doing anything for Valentine's Day tonight?”

“We’re going to see an early movie and then going out for cocktails and some apps.”

“Sounds fun.”

“Where’s Mr. Gold Coins taking you?” She asked with a laugh as she forked a bite of chicken from her salad, “Paris?”

I laughed. “We’re going to a place called Lake Kora.”

“Where's that?”

I shrugged and reached for the second half of my turkey wrap and took a hearty bite.

“You didn't Google it?”

I shook my head and continued to chew.

“Do I have to teach you everything?” Tori eyed me and began typing away on her phone. “How do you spell it?”

“L-a-k-e,” I began, smirking at her as she flicked my hand.

“Smartass, I know how to spell ‘lake'. What about the second part?”

“K-o-r-a.”

Tori eyed her tiny screen and began flicking her finger until she seemed satisfied. “Hmm..”

“What?” I arched my neck and she turned her phone part way.

“Looks nice.” She scrolled through photos. “Is he going to put, like, rose petals all over the bed? Feed you chocolate covered strawberries?”

I nearly spit the bite of my sandwich out and the two of us began laughing, drawing looks from other customers in the little sandwich shop.

“Sorry,” Tori whispered with a hand up, still chuckling as she took a sip of her iced tea to compose herself.

“Maybe we can double date some time soon,” I suggested.

“I gotta get a feel for this guy,” she nodded in agreement and poked around through her lettuce in search of a crouton. “What's going on next weekend?”

“His sister is getting married. We’re going to Vermont for the long weekend.”

Tori raised her eyebrows. “Wow.”

I nodded. “I was nervous to go but I met her recently and we hit it off, so..” I shrugged.

My friend pointed her fork in my direction. “If this guy ends up breaking your heart, I'll break his neck.” Tori paused, “Well, I’ll get someone to do it because I probably wouldn't be able to.”

I have a closed-mouth smile. “I hope this is all what it seems; because I'm totally caught up.”

“I know you are.” She nodded, “I've never seen you like this.”

“I know.” I ate another French fry and sipped on my Diet Dr. Pepper. “It's a little scary.”

Tori gave a genuine smile. “I guess life should be about taking chances.. and following your heart.” She raised her styrofoam cup, “To the next step?”

I tapped my cup against hers. “To the next step.”

The ride to ‘up-upstate’ with Dr. Miller late that afternoon had me excited for the weekend ahead. We took the truck, loaded up with snacks and even stopped at a little hockey store to purchase two pairs of ice skates. I couldn’t wait to go ice skating. It had been so long since I’d been but I was sure I’d pick it up again - like second nature.

“Want a coffee?” Dr. Miller motioned to a little shop beside the hockey store, “Or hot chocolate?” He grinned and took my hand when I nodded. We wandered into the shop and the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans hit me like a wave.

My eyes scanned a chalkboard with an endless array of choices. There were your typical French Vanilla flavors and Hazelnuts. And then the list trickled down to pistachio, white chocolate almond, blueberry and peppermint mocha.

“I’ll do a medium black coffee with a shot of espresso,” Dr. Miller ordered. “And a package of the chocolate covered espresso beans.”

When I spotted a banana mocha chocolate espresso, I was sold. Half hot chocolate, half coffee with the sweetness of the banana. Sign me up.

Dr. Miller smiled at me and gently squeezed the back of my neck as I ordered. I leaned into him and our hands found one another’s again after getting our orders and walking out.

“I can’t wait to get up there,” I told him when we got back in the car. I sipped my drink after giving the entrance to the cup a gentle blow and then set it in the cup holder. When Dr. Miller reached for my hand again, I squeezed his. I loved how he had to touch me at all times - whether holding my hand, squeezing my neck, or resting a hand on my knee as he drove.

He popped open the little bag of espresso beans and then reached over, prepared to place one in mouth.

I accepted, purposely sucking the pad of thumb for an extra second and Dr. Miller smiled at me. I almost giggled, thinking about Tori’s comment about the chocolate covered strawberries but I just grinned and looked out the window, relinking my hand with his.

Honestly, I didn't want the car ride to end. Until it did, and the A-frame lake house we would be staying in came into view.

Okay, I'm ready for the car ride to end.

The frozen lake stretched out, what looked like, for miles as he pulled down the long, rocky driveway.

Dr. Miller pulled the truck up beside the house and I got a glimpse of a hot tub on the front deck. He turned to glance at me and I couldn't help but smile.

“Come on.” He nodded his head toward the cabin and opened his door.

I eagerly trailed him up to the rental property. Neither of us bothered to grab our belongings yet. The sting of the cold weather felt refreshing on my cheeks on the short walk to the front door.

Dr. Miller punched a code into a little black box beside the door and a silver key popped out as the front of it opened.

“Do you own this house, too?” I had to ask, but he smiled and shook his head.

“I know as much about it as you do.” He slipped the key into the lock and opened the door, pulling me inside by the hand as he flipped on the main lights. It was like something from Pinterest or “hashtag cabin” on any number of social media outlets.

An oversized television sat above a stone fireplace to the right. A small collection of couches and chairs faced it, only split up by a shag throw rug. Above it hung a giant rustic chandelier. Overlooking the living room area was a loft that was accessible by a winding staircase and beneath the loft, straight ahead, was a cozy, modern kitchen with low ceilings.

“What do you think?” Dr. Miller put his hands on my shoulders from behind, and I reached up and placed one hand over his.

“I think we should stay here for a week.”

“Or two,” he added.

“Or two.” I nodded in agreement and looked over my shoulder at him. “Thank you. This is amazing.. again.”

“Let's get our bags.”

I followed him back to the car and he carried as much as he could, leaving me with just the ice skates that I set down on the couch in the living room area. We unloaded the little bit of food we’d brought up for the short stay and then towed the suitcases up the windy stairs to the lofty bedroom.

“Feel like some dusk ice skating?” Dr. Miller asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Is it safe?”

“I've been checking the weather all week,” he explained, “It's been in the teens and twenties.” Dr. Miller nodded, “There were some people out there when we drove up. Should be frozen solid.”

“Well, then, I can't wait.” My hands fell down into his and I bent at the hip to kiss him firmly on the lips. When I slowly dropped to my knees in front of him, working at the buckle of his belt, Dr. Miller looked down at me with a half, closed-mouth grin.

He sighed and arched his hips so I could shove his pants down to his ankles before closing his eyes as he stood back up. “Alright,” he agreed with a second deep breath.

“Unless you want to get right out onto the ice..” I teased.

Dr. Miller opened his eyes again and looked down at me. “It'll still be there in five minutes.”

“Five?” My hand wrapped around him now and I took him partway into my mouth. I guessed longer.

He groaned and smiled with his eyes closed. “Maybe three.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

@untamedheart81 @suttonspuds @cesspitoflove @michilandcof @grogusmum @morallyinept @akah565 @brittmb115 @magpiepills @poodlebae @gobaaby-blog-blog @mermaidgirl30 @mandijo17 @shotgun-shelby @itscatrodriguez-thepearl @macaroni676 @acciowolfstar1 @smolbeanzzz @sarcasm-theotherwhitemeat @bandluvr97

#pedro pascal #joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller x y/n #joel miller x you #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x reader #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal x you #joel miller x oc #joel miller the last of us #joel miller fic #joel miller x fem reader #joel miller fanart #joel miller x f!oc #joel miller fanfic #joel miller gif #joel miller tlou #joel miller x original character #joel miller x female oc #joel miller x female reader #pedro pascal x ofc #pedro pascal x f!reader #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro pascal x oc #pedro pascal x reader #tlou x reader #joel x oc #joel miller professor #professor joel

[cherrychilli]

18+

AFAB reader, P in V sex, shower sex, fluff and smut

A/N: So I'm having one of those days where you wake up feeling like shit but you don't know why? There's this thing I do sometimes that helps clear my mind so I wanted to write about it. And I threw in some sex of course.

It's back.

Like every other time, you're not sure what caused it but it's here again. You can feel it curling around your ribs like wilting vines, it's browned, brittle leaves breaking off to fill your stomach with the weight of decay.

Melancholy. You wake up with it and it makes a home inside your bones as you lay in your sheets. Unmoving. Morning slipping by. But you're not going to stay there. You have a plan. A routine you conjured one day by chance when you let your feelings guide you. So you lay there until you're able to scrape together enough energy to break away for the soft confines of your bed and head for your shower.

You pass by the bathroom mirror, no time to spare a glance at your reflection as you step inside, fingers seeking the shower handle. A normal shower would have you stripping off your oversized t-shirt and panties first but this wasn't that kind of shower. You step underneath the stream when it shifts to the right temperature, still clothed in what you'd gone to bed in. The t-shirt that usually hid your form under its billowing size rushed to cling to you underneath the water. The shape of your body emerges as the fabric soaks and sticks to you, the slope of your breasts and stomach and the curve of your ass and hips evident now. Its powder blue color turns translucent too, revealing your peaking nipples, your belly button and the floral print of your cotton panties underneath.

Gazing down, the ripples of pinched material remind you of the way sculptors carved the illusion of draped fabric onto veiled figures of marble, soft folds and creases expertly etched all over. Despite the fleeting similarity you feel far from a timeless work of art to be revered. Though, when you glide your finger over your thigh you sense something just as cold and rigid as the same smooth stone lurking beneath your skin.

The melancholy made you feel that way. Cold and hard but the way your wet clothes clung to you felt like an embrace. Warm and tight. The sound of water falling against your clothed body had begun to soothe you too, reminding you of rain pelting against the top of an open umbrella. That gentle pattering helped drown out your thoughts, making them fade until they went mute inside your head.

You don't hear the bathroom door open and click shut, too wrapped up in the sound but you don't startle either when the foggy shower door inches open. You're calm now. You feel a little more like yourself.

"You know you're supposed to take those off before you get in, right?"

You can feel the vines begin to recede when you see Steve's face, a sunny kind of smile only reserved for you curving his pink lips. You can see his eyes roam your wet body, clothed but not concealed and you feel the same arousal you see spark in his eyes becoming embers in your belly. You reach out and pull lightly at the front his shirt, smiling and speaking for the first time that day. "Get in?", you asked softly.

He glances over his fully clothed self for a moment before looking to you again. "Like this?", he raises his eyebrows and gives you a breathy little laugh. You're smiling a little harder now.

You nod, shrugging a second later because it didn't matter if he was clothed or not. You just needed him in there with you. He considers it for a moment before toeing off his shoes but leaving on the rest, sweatpants and sweatshirt and hair soaking quickly under the running water.

"You're right it's kinda nice", he admits when your collective giggling begins to die down, pulling you against him. The embrace you'd sought out in your wet clothes and shower doesn't compare to the heat of the real thing as he wraps his arms around you and squeezes lightly. You melt into it, listening to his heart beat until you can't ignore the spitting flames inside you any longer.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you fuck me, please?"

You ask it with more sweetness than necessary even though you knew you never had to say 'please'. Not with Steve.

You get your answer when he releases you, a quick kiss warming your lips before moves to carefully peel off your panties. He deposits the dripping garment into your laundry basket but leaves your sopping shirt on. Something about the way you looked in it made his cock throb and his throat feel tight.

You turn around, tits pressed against slick tiles, palms and cheek pressed there too as he seeks your hip with one hand and pulls his cock free from his sweats with the other, teasing your waiting entrance with his tip until you whine out for him all pretty and pleading.

"Need me to fuck it out of you huh?", he notices, a playful patronizing tone to his question but there's genuine concern behind it too. "Need me to make it all better? That what you want, pretty girl?", he coos again, precum smearing you between your legs.

You arch your back a little more, moaning when he slips his length between your folds to tease at your clit. "Mm- yes... need you now", you rock your hips forwards gently until he's lined up with your hole again, pressing back gently to urge him in.

It started sweet and slow like that. Languid strokes, lingering touches, soft sighs and praise when he sinks into you and then it gets a little needier. A little wilder. More teeth and nails scratching exposed skin. Positions changing. Breath quickening.

It ends with Steve on his back on the shower floor, you on top, frantic and no longer quiet as you bounce on his cock, water beating down your back. All of your clothes had been shed before you made it into this position, a soggy, messy pile on your bathroom floor. You don't have it in you to care about right now, too busy chasing your climax.

"That's it baby- fuck- good girl. You're so close I can -Christ- I can tell", he grunts out, fingers digging into your thighs. Your knees ache terribly against the tiles but that pain goes unnoticed when you finally cum with a half choked scream of his name, nails raking down his chest.

He spills into you not long after, hot ropes of cum flooding your channel when you squeeze his twitching length over and over in waves, taking all that he has to give you.

It's already dripping out of you by the time you manage to pull off of his softening cock, knees protesting to remind you of the pain there once more. He sees it, your combined arousal trailing thick down your inner thigh. He'd like to keep you like that, so full of him that it has to come back out but he chooses to be tender with you instead, offering to help clean you up.

You accept the offer, giving yourself to him in a different way as he washes you clean of his spend and rifles through your body wash and shampoo, set on having you relax while he takes care of you.

You're back in bed after all the careful pampering. Both of you, naked and clean, fingers tracing bare skin, lips finding new places to kiss.

He's here now and that melancholic ache's gone away.

#steve harrington smut #stranger things smut #stranger things #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fluff

[missvelvetsstuff]

The Wrong One

Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Reader meets Steve while he's on the run and sticks by him. Until he sees Peggy Carter again.

7. The Calm

Warnings: swearing, angst, dirty thoughts

"I want her contact information yesterday"

Steve's attempt to yell gave him a coughing fit, Sam gave him some water and rubbed his back until the coughing calmed.

Once he was sure Steve was alright, Sam shook his head "No Steve, I can't give you her info. She doesn't want to talk to you."

Steve looked at him sadly "But it's my kid, Sam. Even after what happened I still deserve-"

"By what happened you mean how you left her for Peggy? What about what Y/N deserves? Did she deserve to be left like that? Without even a warning? You know I'm not good with what you did."

Sam got up to leave "I shouldn't have told you. You already had your happily ever after, at her expense. Just forget about her and enjoy your retirement."

"Fine Sam, just go. I'll get it out of Bucky." Steve called out weakly.

Sam swore and called Bucky as soon as he got in his car but got his voicemail and left a brief message.

Y/N was trying to build the crib she had bought, and wasn't doing great at it, when she heard a knock at her door. Her stomach dropped, like it did every time she heard someone at the door since she saw Bucky.

She wasn't thrilled to see Bucky now but was relieved it wasn't Steve. "What do you want Bucky? I'm busy."

"Hi Doll. I wanted to see how you were doing."

She scoffed "Obviously I'm fine so you can leave now."

Bucky shook his head "I'm so sorry. I had to come warn you. I didn't mean to but I messed up and told Sam that I saw you. I told him to keep Steve out of it but you know how he is."

Her eyes grew wide "You did what?!" She screeched and slapped him "What the Hell is wrong with you? I can't deal with him."

Her chest tightened and felt like she couldn't get enough air and she started hyperventilating "P p please Bucky. She's mine!"

Bucky caught her as her knees buckled, smoothly sitting on the couch and pulling her into his lap "Hey, hey it's ok doll. I've got you. I'll help, however you need me. I'm here. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" he whispered into her hair and rubbed her back gently until her breathing calmed.

Y/N tried to get up but between Bucky's hug and her own growing body, could barely move. She tugged on his jacket "You can let go, I'm alright."

Bucky reluctantly eased his grip "Please just let me know what I can do. I'll help you move away or whatever you need."

She shook her head "I can't leave, I'm carrying a super soldier baby and need a doctor with experience with enhanceds. Besides, the only friend I have left is Pepper."

She glared at him "I wish I could say I can't believe you told Sam or that Sam would tell Steve but I can't. I'm pretty sure the three of you share a brain."

She thought for a moment and sighed "Are you any good at putting things together? I've been fighting with that damn crib since yesterday."

Bucky grinned "I'm pretty handy, lead the way."

"Don't get cocky, I'm still pissed at you and if Steve does show up you get to fight him off for me."

Bucky smirked "I guess that means I'm staying here for now."

She stopped and he almost bumped into her "I don't think so, Barnes. I don't need you lurking around my home. Pepper and Happy made sure I have the best security money can buy, I'd be pretty impressed if Steve or even you, could get past it."

"How am I supposed to keep Steve away from you if I'm not with you? You know I-" he stopped when her phone rang.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen 'Sammy'. She shook her head "Oh look, it's Curly. $20 says he told Moe."

She took a deep breath and answered "Hey Sammy, what's up?"

"Hey Y/N, is the cyborg there? He's not answering his phone."

She snickered "Of course Larry is here, Curly. I take it you told Moe? You three are worse than teenagers.

What do you need, Sam?"

Sam sighed "I screwed up, I'm sorry. I think Steve deserved to know but I refuse to give him your contact info."

Y/N scoffed "Yeah, how did you get my contact info? You guys really suck at respecting boundaries, you know? And I'm full up on whatever the great Steve Rogers deserves. I appreciate you not giving him my info but you aren't the only spy he knows. He will find a way."

"I know, I was trying to do the right thing. Still am."

"Right by who, Sam? You know, it doesn't matter. It's done now. I just need to figure things out."

She hung up the phone while Sam was still talking and went to check on Bucky and the crib. She scoffed when she saw he was almost done and it actually looked like the picture.

Bucky looked up at her and grinned before tightening the last screws "How's it look?"

She sighed "Like the picture, asshole. Don't forget to clean up your mess here."

He laughed "That mess was already here when I got here but I'll take care of it anyways."

Y/N left the room grumbling under her breath. "Mister fuckin smart ass super soldier fixes shit I spent all morning on Telling his asshole friends my business and thinks we're all good now."

"To be fair I'm not the one who told Steve and I-"

"Are you sure that's the hill you want to die on? Your actions led to him finding out and that's more stress on this already very high risk pregnancy, so don't fucking nit pick on me."

Bucky put his hands up in surrender "Ok, ok, ok. You're right. I'm sorry, I fucked up. What else can I help you with?"

She lowered herself into a cushioned rocking chair and stretched her legs out. "Well" she thought for a moment, making Bucky nervous "Why don't you bring my foot stool over so I can put my feet up. I'll order lunch. Pepperoni pizza ok? Good."

Bucky found her foot rest, brought it over and gently set her feet up on it, noticing that they were pretty swollen. He sat on her coffee table, gently picked up one foot and started massaging it.

It tickled at first and she tried not to giggle but then he hit the aching arch of her foot and she couldn't hold back a moan, jerking her foot back when she realized.

Bucky smirked and gently pulled the foot back into his lap "It's ok doll, I won't judge. You have any lotion?"

She pointed at the coffee table behind him, he grabbed the lotion, put some on his hand, warmed it up and got back to work.

He didn't mention how touching her skin, feeling her warmth and hearing that moan made him twitch, figuring she wouldn't appreciate it.

After a few minutes, he took her other foot and she looked at him curiously "I'll probably regret asking but where did you learn foot massage? Some kind of Hydra torture method?"

Bucky laughed out loud, throwing his head back and her core clenched at the sound. She noticed how he scrunched up his nose and wanted to touch his face. Or his-. She stopped that train of thought, convincing herself it was just pregnancy hormone induced desire, any man could cause it.

When his laugh calmed she looked away and he cleared his throat "When I was a kid around 10, and my mom was pregnant with my sister Rebecca, she had to work at a drug store after my dad died. Being on her feet all day while pregnant was rough, especially in the later months. I would have dinner ready when she came home and after we ate she would read to me while I rubbed her feet." He choked up a little "She said that our evenings together and those footrubs helped her keep going when things got bad. After Becca was born we kept the routine. She loved reading."

Y/N looked at him sadly and tried to lean forward to wipe a tear off of his face but couldn't reach past her belly and started laughing at herself. A little hysterical. Laughing at him, herself, Sam. She tried to breathe and calm down but it only got worse.

Bucky was beaming, her laugh was beautiful and he promised himself he would do everything he could to make her laugh every day.

He couldn't help but laugh too until he saw her glaring at him again and stopped. "What?"

"What the Hell Barnes? You laughing because the fat pregnant lady can't reach you? That's fucked up."

Buckys face paled and he panicked, they were doing so well. His heart raced "Nn no nonono, doll I wasn't laughing at you, I was- I mean I'm sor-" he looked down.

She poked his leg with her toe and when he looked up her smile was blinding "Gotcha!" and laughed out loud.

Bucky grinned "That's not playing fair, honey. I can't get back at a pregnant woman."

Y/N shook her head "Nope. Don't you even pull that 'fair' crap on me. You owe me big time Barnes and I'll joke on you whenever the mood strikes."

He nodded "Fair enough. I'll be your metaphorical punching bag for now."

She laughed and gently punched his right arm "Who said it would be metaphorical?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the next few weeks Bucky spent more time at Y/N's brownstone in Queens than his own apartment. He had put together all the baby furniture, painted and helped her organize the babys room, ran all her errands except doctors appointments that he took her to, cleaned and cooked plus rubbing her feet and lower back every night.

Sam came over a couple of times and brought offerings for the baby plus flowers and chocolate for Y/N.

It was a fragile sort of peace that all three of them knew couldn't last. Something was bubbling up and when it boiled over things were going to get messy.

Bucky still hadn't spoken to Steve and didn't really want to. Steve called him a couple of times but Bucky never picked it up or responded to any messages.

Steve started off refusing Sam's calls, then blocked him and when Sam stopped by, Steve's live in nurse always insisted he wasn't feeling well.

Y/N tried not to think about it too much, the pregnancy itself was stressful enough. She had to get check ups every week to be sure and catch any problems early. Judging by her size, weight gain and ultrasound pics Helen Cho figured the baby was over 7lbs already, lungs fully developed, and Y/N was only technically 6 months along. If the baby went over 9lbs they would deliver her by c-section.

She also tried not to think about how handsome Bucky was or how helpful and 'fatherly' he was being. Or how long it had been since she had sex. Or wondering if the serum had enhanced him like it had Steve. If she let herself think about it she would daydream about begging him to ruin her, about going for hours until she begged him to let her rest. She failed to not think about him fucking her into her bed and had too many dreams where he did just that but she always woke up before she finished.

They went for walks through the park to make sure she got her exercise, holding hands and receiving all the compliments on her glow, congrats on the baby, etc.

She was fine until someone commented on what a handsome couple they made and she felt the butterflies moving again, shaking her head.

Bucky just squeezed her hand and thanked them for the compliment.

They were so caught up in each other, without realizing it, that they didn't notice the person following them, taking pictures.

They definitely didn't notice the scowl on that persons face or the growl when he saw they were holding hands and how they looked at each other.

They didn't hear much over the sounds of kids playing outside. Like a bottle hitting a wall and breaking across the street as they went back into her home.

Chapter 8

#steve x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #james bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #angst with a happy ending #the wrong one

[dandylovesturtles]

This is 2AL Propaganda

I bring you propaganda for the @rottmntpeepawpolls advocating for 2 Arms Left Leo by @intotheelliwoods in the form of another fanfic drabble! Please go check out their comic series, it is extremely good. And vote for 2AL Leo in the poll tomorrow!!

(Also Ell I'm sorry if I get f!Leo and p!Donnie's relationship wrong I TRIED

ALSO I PROMISE THIS ISN'T ANGST

also also this is set still somewhat early in his recovery time OK NOTES OVER)

...

"I can feel you lurking."

Leonardo looks up from his phone and locks eyes with Donnie, currently peeking through the crack in the curtain to his train car. He disappears from view and a moment later waltzes his way inside like he hadn't just been hiding.

"I have a question for you," he announces.

Leo sits up and drops his legs over the edge of the bed. "Shoot."

Donnie hesitates. He looks anxious, and Leo tenses in anticipation.

"It's about your timeline."

Leo's heart drops.

He'd known this would come eventually, but he'd been hoping it would be later rather than sooner. Of course they would want to know eventually, though. What happened to them. How things in his time had... ended.

He just isn't prepared for it. He isn't sure if Donnie is prepared for it, either. He's still so young. Should he really be hearing this now? What kind of damage does that cause on a young mind?

His mouth is draw when he says, "What's your question?" He scrambles to prepare answer, some way to put it off, or maybe to soften the blow, or-

"Did you still have the Lair Games in the future?"

-gape at Donnie like a fish because what?

"What?"

"Did you still have the Lair Games in the future?" Donnie repeats, a little louder as though that were the issue here.

"...We were a little busy with the whole alien apocalypse situation."

"Scoff." Donnie waves a hand. "As if a little apocalypse could stop this family from being competitive."

He has him there. Leo can't help but snort in amusement. "You're right. But it was less formal and more like... bragging about how many Krang hounds we could kill."

"Ah, I see... Well, we're lacking in those, so... goodbye."

He turns on his heel to leave.

"Hey, wait wait wait! Why the sudden interest?"

Donnie turns back around. He still looks anxious, but now Leo realizes it's more embarrassed than upset like he initially thought.

"Well, as you know, I am the current champion of the Lair Games."

"Heh, as if you'd let me forget."

"And I'm very eager to defend my title! And especially after his-slash-your nefarious tricks last time, I'm ready to grind Nardo to dust." He rubs his palms together with an unhinged glee, and Leo winces internally. Yikes. "But..." and there he stops, "Leo seems... reluctant to participate. We did not design the events with... one of us missing a limb in mind."

Ah, right. Hard to do a Handstand Hillbomb with only one arm. Even if they put things off until Leo's port and prosthetic were ready, he probably still wouldn't be experienced enough with it to do anything too taxing.

Leo could already imagine his younger counterpart had waved it off with a smile and a, "You guys have fun," and, "I'll be cheering for you." He would swing by his room later to check on him; for now he had another kid to deal with.

"So that's why you came to me?"

"I was hoping you might have some ideas for alternative events."

"Hmmm... I might be able to think of some." He grins. "On one condition."

Donnie looks wary. "What?"

"I get to play, too."

"What, so you can twist both my ankles this time!?" Donnie shakes his head. "Oh no. One of you is enough."

"Come on! It'll be fun."

"Doubt! And besides, the bylaws state that we can't add anyone to the competition."

"Ah-ah." He waves a finger. "The bylaws state that the competition is between Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, and..." He trails off, putting a hand on his plastron with a smirk.

Donnie's eyebrows are furrowed so hard they're at risk of smudging. "...You have out loopholed me, sir."

"Don't worry, I'll give you guys-"

"Do not."

"-a handicap."

"Groan! Why didn't I send Mikey to do this instead?"

"'Cause you love me." Leo gets up from the bed, walks over and catches Donnie in an affectionate headlock before he can flee. "Alright. Let's get brainstorming!"

#dandy fanfiction #2 arms left #2al propaganda #rise donatello #rise leonardo #future leonardo #lair games my beloved #not enough lair games shenanigans in rise fics #not that this is really that but anyway #VOTE FOR 2AL THE MOST WHOLESOME PEEPAW #I straight up did not proofread this so sorry if there are mistakes

[lamonnaie]

bad buddy fandom getting-to-know-you meme!

Thanks for the tag @fiercynn !! This is a really lovely idea :)

note: i consider "fanworks" to pretty much everything people create related to a fandom, including but not limited to meta/analysis/discussion, gifs, fanvids/edits/fancams, filk, fanart, fanfic, fan food, fan crafts, etc. please include this note with the meme unless you have a different definition!

name and whatever you want to share about yourself hi i'm mars, i use she/her pronouns, i live in australia and i've been into thai/asian bl for a little over a year now. i mostly just lurk and mass rb on tumblr lol, but i'd definitely like to get to know more people !!

when did you watch bad buddy/join the fandom? I was actually trying to track down the exact date recently (i failed), but i watched it for the first time around mid-september 2022, ended up binging it in a day and been a part of the fandom since

favorite ship(s) patpran <3

favorite character(s) pat !! he's one of my favourite characters from any media ever. I just love how selfless he is and how he transforms through the show, and how bright he is but knows when to stand his ground. i could wax poetics about him fr <3

favorite episode(s) Whenever i watch/rewatch bad buddy i tend to binge it so i can never distinguish betweens episodes lol. In general, ep 12 is definitely one of my favs because i feel like it ties things up nicely and i like seeing them happy :) i can probably give a better answer for favourite scene...

favorite scene(s) ...which is why it's great that this is the next question!

In no particular order: the staircase proposal scene, the bus stop roleplaying scene, the post-curtain bench hand holding scene (specifically that one face pat/ohm makes which imo is the single most most heartbreaking frame in the entire show), the ep 12 post-credits scene (wait was it actually post-credits, i don't remember ajksdjf), the screaming on the rocks at the zero-waste village scene, and the rooftop kiss (ofc)

Basically i just like to see them happy (most of the time) :)

one thing you would change about the show if you could the whole making-it-up-to-wai arc was not it for me. WHY was pran the one apologising and going after him??? still makes me mad to this day, but i think i'd have a lot more animosity towards wai if ep 12 didn't exist (also all the wai redemption arcs in fanfics have made me warm up to him :P)

what are your some of your favorite fanworks made by other people? ahhh so many!! joy of stanning a show that's finished is that it stays going through fanworks, but also now there's too many that i absolutely adore to remember in the moment, sp here's some:

we both know you're my only dream (fic) by @fiercynn: one of my favourite fics ever that i constantly go back and reread whenever i'm having a bad day (or not)

yield strength (fic) by @dulosis: the physics analogies do something to my brain /pos

10 things i hate about you (fic) by @nobodynobodyno: this one's so cute and i reread it all the time

this fmv to tujh mein rab dikhta hai by @transpat: desi moots, iykyk. but fr this holds such a special place in my heart, the lyrics are so patpran and the editing and clip choice is just *chef's kiss*

this fmv to dandelions: IT'S SO GOOD. all the parallels, the dialogue overlaying is just perfect, and the TRANSITIONS (the one at 1:28 especially)

every single one of @hereforlou's art: i'm literally obsessed, i don't always see everything on my dash so i'll literally check their tumblr every couple days. is this stalker behaviour? possibly, but if you've seen their art i think you'd understand.

Also special mention to this one gifset of the staircase proposal scene which was my first ever exposure to bad buddy, it made me watch the show to begin with, but i didn't rb it when i first saw it so now it's lost to the times 😭😭

I have an insane amount of fanfic i wanted to put here but for the sake of length of this post, i restrained myself ajskdjf

(if you create fanworks) what are your favorite fanworks that you’ve made? i do not (yet 👀)

a song that makes you think of bbs (the ones in the show don’t count lol) pretty much every fmv/edit that i've rewatched a couple times set to a song will make me thing of bbs lol, so some are tujh mein rab dikhta hai and dandelions from above, emily by Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler because of this amazing fic, and gorgeous by Taylor Swift because of this gorgeous edit (y'all please go watch it it's amazing).

idk anything else you want us to know? It's the perfect timing for this because these are my nails right now ):)

honestly not super sure who of my mutuals are bbs moots so i'm just gonna tag some people, feel free to ignore this if you've already been tagged/don't want to do it! :)

@nobodynobodyno @dropthedemiurge @justafriend-ql @cornflowershade @hometothecanyonmoon @7nessasaryevils

If you see this and you want to do it, this is is me tagging you as well !!

#bad buddy #bad buddy fandom meme #bad buddy the series #me #lamonnaie stuff

[beauleifu]

heyo, can I request something with swk or mayor x reader? something fluffy for all the nightmares I've been having lately <3/p

Awwwww hugs for you 'cause them nightmares need to leave you alone <3

Hope this helps, roughly 2k oneshot!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAYOR X READER

Lego Monkie Kid

Context: You wake up from a terrible dream, and accidentally catch the Mayor's attention. Luckily, he's experienced in the field of nightmares and decides to lend a hand.

TW: Panic attack

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

"Ah!"

Black. That's all you see, as you stare around with wide, wild eyes.

Thrashing around, you tear at the fabric wrapped around you, suffocating you slowly and awfully. Gasping for breath, you try to find the seam, tears blurring your eyes. It's not like you need them to see, anyways. It's not like you need to see the object of your nightmare, the cause of your emotional outburst-

Finally you locate the edge of the blanket and tug harshly south, allowing your head to escape the darkness and into fresh air.

Breathe.

Your room is bathed in shadows.

Just breathe.

There's nothing to see, even in the real world. You're alone, terribly alone, with merely your thoughts to keep you company.

"No . . . n-no . . ." You sit there for a moment, breathing raggedy. It hitches whenever you think you catch movement, but it turns out your mind is just playing tricks on you. Nothing helps. Your heart is still hammering.

Tears. They cascade down your face unnoticed until you're rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

There's no way you'll fall back to bed in the state you're in. No point in trying. You simply sit in your bed and try to calm down. But whenever your eyes close, flashes of the nightmare surface. It's not much better otherwise; your room is dark and quiet, no signs of life except for you. If you had to take a guess, you'd say it's around 3 in the morning.

Your hands find your face. They shake so badly that it just makes your panic worsen. There's no way you'd be able to defend yourself if your nightmares came to life. No way to deal with it.

Hiccupping a sob, you let the darkness swallow you.

Calm down.

Faintly, you remember that you're not the only one present. Somewhere outside your room a dangerous entity lurks, but he won't bother you. He doesn't care much for nightmares and he's never cared much for you, except for the usual greeting and-

Your heart lurches. What if-

No.

No, you can't bother him, you can't.

Your thoughts are at war with each other, and it just seems to make you cry. The tears won't stop, won't leave you alone.

Sucking in a deep, halting breath, you hold it. No sense in disturbing whoever might be within earshot.

Hands wet with tears, you exhale slowly. It's not working.

It's not working.

Your nightmare hits you hard again. No no no-

"(Y/N)?"

Your sobs come to a staggering halt, an occasional wet gasp being the only indication of how upset you are. Eyes wide, you raise your head, hands frozen mid-air. Standing in the doorway to your room, silent and observant, is the Mayor. His lifeless white eyes are fixed calmly on your face, his own expressionless.

Heart leaping frantically, you hurriedly gather yourself to the best of your ability. "M-Mayor?"

The bone demon's eyes flick about your room as though clearing it of any danger. He doesn't move from the doorway, merely tilts his head strangely. "Apologies. I simply heard something undesirable."

Yes, the screams of your poor soul.

Guilt floods your chest when the surprise washes away. "Oh . . ."

You can't meet his eyes. With shaking hands you glare at the blankets bunched up on the bed, grabbing a few fist-fulls and twisting them malevolently. Eyes blurry with tears that drip down your cheeks, you suck in a quiet breath in hold it. Part of you wants to wish the demon away, tell him to leave you alone to deal with your nightmares. But the other part . . .

"I-I'm sorry," you say, voice clogged with emotions.

The Mayor blinks at you, smile fading somewhat. It's always there, permanent and everlasting, but there have been times where it vanishes.

"Whatever do you have to be sorry for?" He asks, voice low as though talking to a frightened animal.

You might as well fit that description.

"N-Nothing!" You whisper frantically, eyes wide as you meet the Mayor's soft gaze. It would be nice to have someone care for you, but the guilt you feel for waking the Mayor outweighs your desire to be comforted. Besides, he doesn't care for you.

An eyebrow shoots upwards, and Lady Bone Demon's henchman lets out a long, thoughtful hum. "Are you certain?"

He's taking small steps towards you. Inching his way closer.

Your panic shoots through the roof. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay, I'm fine, p-please-"

Hands out to ward the Mayor off, you provide excuse after excuse, your words jumbling together. The ability to speak properly has forsaken you when he suddenly takes your wrists gently in his hands and lowers himself onto the bed. Sitting somewhat on the edge, he locks eyes with you, smile nonexistent. There's just a simple frown there, full of confusion and concern. But why??

"I'm okay," you whisper, eyes wide.

The Mayor's eyes slide down to your trembling hands. He can probably feel your pulse with the way his thumb presses lightly on your wrist. There's no mistaking your anxiety.

His eyes stare straight into your soul.

"Nightmare."

There's something hidden in that single word, too deep to break apart at the moment. You gape at him, at a loss for words. As you should be; you're exhausted, afraid, skin slick with sweat and your heart skipping beats like there's no tomorrow.

But he's looking at you in a way . . . like he understands.

And he wants to help. That . . .

You sigh. "Maybe."

There; his smile is back, lips tilting slightly upwards as he gives your wrists a gentle squeeze. The Mayor keeps his voice soft, the baritone soothing your body as he tilts his head again. "What about?"

"Nothing."

"Then, nothing is the cause of your panic?" He murmurs, thumb brushing your wrist. Eyes darting to the tears staining your cheeks, he continues; "Your dreams consisted of . . . nothing?"

You frown when he releases you, hands going back to fisting the blankets. "Yeah. . . . I-I'm fine."

Clearly, though, you're anything but.

The bone demon is bound to see through your terrible attempts to dissuade him. However, for the moment, the Mayor seems content to watch you try and pull yourself together. It's a sloppy attempt on your part; your breath still hitches, the goosebumps haven't yet faded, and your thoughts won't leave you alone.

In the end, he decides to pity you. After what feels like forever, the Mayor smiles. "Let's do an experiment, shall we?"

"W-What?" You say quietly, glancing up.

The Mayor blinks calmly, undeterred by your confusion. "Let's see if you can match my heartbeat."

"But . . . you don't have one?"

"How do you know?" He hums, then plants his hands firmly on the bed. "Scoot over, all right? Let's do this now, while you're still awake."

You falter, at a loss for words. "B-But . . . but I-"

Your friend merely waves his hands, wordlessly requesting you to retreat. His features are relaxed, gentle eyes coaxing you into a grudgeful submission. Sighing, you do as your told, making a small space for him to situate himself. The Mayor then sits with his legs crossed on the bed, the blankets bunching around him. You notice just then that he's fully dressed in his signature clothing, while you are in your pajamas.

Well.

He's just weird.

The thought seems to calm you down somewhat, but your heart is still jumping from the close proximity. In fact, your hands have begun to shake again.

The nightmare tentatively resurfaces.

Oh no.

Oh nononono-

"Here," the Mayor says suddenly, distracting you from the onslaught of panic. He must've noticed.

With that single word, he takes one of your hands in both of his, tugging you gently closer. Frowning, you lean forward, stiffening when the Mayor places your hand on his chest. Your fingers are spread wide, right over where his heart should be.

Instantly, you try to pull away, but his grip, albeit gentle, is firm.

"I-I don't think this-"

"It's all right," the Mayor murmurs, eyes fixed on you. The blank white color is full of patience and concern. It makes you stutter in your defiance. "I won't hurt you."

"That's not what I was afraid of-"

He holds up a hand for silence, and you snap your mouth shut.

"Listen."

Brow furrowed uncertainly, you bite your lip and focus on your hand above the Mayor's heart. Okay.

Okay . . .

Oh.

You do feel something. Faint and slow, but you catch it beating against the palm of your hand. Your eyes light up. "Huh . . . I-I guess you do have a heart."

"See?" The Mayor says warmly, smile back with a will. "Now. Try to match the pace."

"Um. How . . . how?"

He releases you up to the point where you can sit straight, but holds your arm out in between you both and presses his thumb lightly to your wrist. "Breathe," he says gently, hooded eyes locking with yours. "It's so very simple."

You stare skeptically back. There was a time where you'd laugh at the absurdity of it all, but you're too nervous to do so right now.

It's dark, the only light being the white of the Mayor's eyes.

Strange how they glow.

It's so dark. There's nothing to lose by abiding your companion's soft request - nothing wrong with it, either.

"What might you be thinking of, my dear?" The Mayor asks softly, voice calculating and slow as though he were tasting his own words.

Eyes darting down to his fingers around your wrist, you shake your head. "Nothing."

"Are you breathing?"

Oh. He still wants you to go along with the 'experiment'. With a sigh, you nod, brushing away any residue tears staining your cheeks with the blanket. You might as well indulge the bone demon sitting in front of you. So with a small intake of breath, you concentrate hard to hold it.

The Mayor lets out a deep chuckle. "No, darling, not like that."

"I-I just started-"

"And I thank you for listening to me," he interrupts patiently, eyes twinkling with amusement as he leans forward. "But let's try it a different way. . . . Take a deep breath in until I tell you to stop."

You stare, expression probably mutilated by the shadows covering the room.

Perhaps there's a part of you that's soothed by how attentive the Mayor is behaving. How he noticed you were upset and devised a plan to calm you down. It's touching, and, to be fair, no one's come to your aid after a nightmare in awhile.

It's rare to see someone make an effort.

And to have it come from someone most unlikely to display an ounce of emotion, well, it means a lot.

So you meet his eyes, your own full of anxiety and residue sorrow. Following his instructions, you take a deep breath in.

"Good. . . . Now hold it for a few seconds," the Mayor continues, peering closely at you. Just a curious entertainee observing your features relaxing, your eyes closing.

"Now breathe out. Slowly."

You do so, breath shaking faintly. With your eyes shut, you don't notice the Mayor's smile soften, his mind put at ease at his plan working so well. With his thumb pressing gently to your wrist, he can feel your heartbeat slow almost instantly, and it's noticeable to you as well. Fascinating how the body works, and thinking about it is a wonderful distraction.

When you've exhausted all your air, you repeat the process a few more times.

Then you open your eyes.

It's incredibly dark, but you can make out the Mayor within the shadows. Nervously, you meet his smile with one of your own, albeit yours is smaller.

"Thank you."

He gives your wrist a light squeeze before letting go. "So it worked?"

You nod.

"Well, how do you know for sure?" The Mayor asks, his smile suddenly strange. You know exactly what he's asking, and you let out a small sigh. Reaching forward, you tentatively place your hand against his chest, eyes narrowed as you search for that familiar heartbeat.

There. Slow and faint, so much so you almost miss it.

Yours obviously can never be that slow, but it's close enough.

You close your eyes for a moment. The soft beat against your hand is a nice reminder that you're not alone, and after a bit all the panic fades.

"Darling."

The Mayor's baritone hum drags you back to reality. You miss the amusement playing on his tone as you open your eyes and look up. The bone demon tilts his head, wearing a wide, closed-mouth smile. "Better?"

A smile. "Much."

"Is there anything else you need?"

You take your hand from his chest, lacing your fingers together in your lap. "Um . . . N-Nothing. Thanks."

The Mayor easily plucks out the lie in your statement. "Perhaps you'd prefer I stay until you fall asleep?" He guesses, his expression saying everything. He knows. Of course he does, and he probably understands more than you realize.

It's strange to hear such words from the Mayor, such displays of concern. However, warmth fills your soul at the gesture.

Good.

You're glad he'd realized your unspoken needs.

"If you want . . ." You breathe.

The bone demon nods silently, standing up as you situate yourself back under the blankets. You watch, arms folded behind your head on the pillow, as he pulls up a chair. A book materializes in one hand as he settles down.

You blink. "Isn't it too dark for you to read?"

"Thankfully, light isn't mandatory for a bone demon," the Mayor remarks casually.

"Ah. . . . Lucky."

"Indeed."

#Cheers love! The cavalry's here! #lmk #lmk story #lego monkie kid #lmk mayor #mayor x reader #fluff #panic attack #fluff/comfort #comforting the bb #you are the bb #mayor is the cavalry here to save your poor sad soul #oneshot #i prolly ended this too soon #midnight gremlin has delivered #thanks for the ask!

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP, hi

I choose to ask you this because you’re one of the most sane voices here. I got into BTS and KPop very recently (2022 Dec) and was consuming all kinds of available content (Run BTS, fancams, concert videos, shipper narratives) and fell in love with Jungkook and Jimin. You can say I am double bias.

From what I saw in the content I consumed, both JK and JM are very popular but JM was more popular (Idols bible, face of Kpop being some titles given to him). But then, I started seeing him diminish around dynamite era? And I have lurked on few blogs here who think the same. They think that the company forced Jimin to step back.

After what I’ve seen happen to Jimin during and post Face release, I am inclined to believe that the company actually never wanted him but only retained him because they also could see his power. Now that BTS are the best boy band in the world, Jimin doesn’t really matter and it breaks my heart so much to see that. I am Happy for Jungkook getting all these opportunities but it leaves such a sour taste in the mouth because everything evil that was hurled at Jimin is kind of what could apply to JK (I’m really not saying he should be targeted, I love Jungkook. but his fans literally collaborated with pinks to hate on Jimin).

Sorry, this is turning into a long ask/vent post. I have no hope that Jimins second album will get any kind of support and he will still get as much hate and it makes me wish he wasn’t a part of BTS, a group I got to love.

***

Sigh Anon,

You say you're a new fan so I'll skip most of what I want to say and be extra brief. I'll ask you three questions.

Did you know that until very recently, many people in the fandom, solos and not, were absolutely convinced PDogg had it out for Jimin? Yeah, P - "Park Jimin will end k-pop in 2023" - Dogg. They somehow reached the conclusion that BTS's main producer secretly hated Jimin and sabotaged him with hard-to-sing lines or hatefully prevented Jimin from singing at all. You'd often see them cite PDogg refusing Yoongi's offer of gifting People to Jimin for him to sing as a solo track. I've lost count of how many PJMs hated PDogg's guts based on those theories who are now singing PDogg's praises (though a faction still hate him for the autotune use, because we know Jimin had absolutely no say in the creative process and it certainly wasn't his idea, based on his interviews /s). I wonder what you think about that fan theory now and if that tells you anything about how fan theories are made.

With the little you've seen and know of Jimin so far, do you think he would sign up (a second time) for a work situation and relationship which is hostile to his growth as an artist and as a person? You say you've been following the FACE promotions so I wonder if you've watched all Jimin's interviews where he talks about the process and how the company/producers got involved.

Are you old enough to work in a corporate setting? Because even watching BTS's official content might not be enough for some people to get the full picture if they have little understanding of what healthy team dynamics look like in a work relationship to begin with. I think it's unlikely you're in this bracket of people Anon, but I'm asking just in case because most of the questions, theories, or concerns about mistreatment and favouritism in BTS can be dismissed just on the knowledge of how teams work. This ask I responded to on the 2022 Festa Dinner shows as much.

Feeling discontent with Jimin’s roll-out is totally valid. But it’s also possible you’ve found your way into the fandom spaces that traffic in mistreatment theories for the members you bias, typically solo stan and manti spaces, that new fans tend to fall into. I suggest you spend more time listening to Jimin, not his stans and not me. (But if you have follow-up questions I’ll try to answer.)

Goodluck.

#bts #fandom behaviour #fandom theory #bts fandom #bts army #jimin #pdogg #park jimin

[charonarp]

You know what I'm surprised about? (this is D&D related, so if not interested, you can ignore :p)

Also, like...I talk about functions in Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation, sooo....yeah. No want spoils? You no read.

I'm honestly surprised that, when a character dies, the players aren't offered a choice on if they want to switch or not. Like, if they die, it's always "oop, you died, oh well. Make a new character", or whatever.

Personally, I don't like that very much. My reason being is that...well, players tend to like their characters! You can add so much depth and plot to a character if they have to go through some strange experience before coming back from the dead.

Tomb of Annihilation, for instance. That game is centered AROUND death, and people avoid it because of how challenging it is and the fact that once you're dead, you're dead. No magic can bring you back. Well...that place has an actually curse that, if you died before, you begin to rot. That can introduce a REAL CHARACTER CHANGE, but people tend to take that one rule so literally, that it drives people away...

Honestly, Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation, in my honest opinion, are very good settings to take this custom function and twist it into something horrific. I may have only DM'd once or twice, but if a player loves their character, and their death makes them sad, at least give them the choice of either moving on with a new PC, or to continue their own. That way there's no waste on potential story lines and gives you the chance to make things more dire for your players.

In Curse of Strahd, it's easier to do this because souls can't leave that place. So, the party could do a whole side thing to try to get their companion back to life, or the player could go through some type of ordeal with the devil Strahd himself, or some other entity that lurks within the mist of Barovia.

Tomb of Annihilation is tricky, and I've personally never got to play it myself. I've been wanting to play this game for YEARS (I want that damn ring so badly), but everyone refuses to DM or play that game because it's "difficult", and "dungeon crawly". The thing is, because that game is complex, people tend to not think about taking things into their own hands and changing it to their liking.

I think the main reason it's so complicated is because players (normally) start at LEVEL ONE, which is a fucking death wish ngl, and the setting is very tough on its players (as far as I'm aware), and it's stated that you can't bring people back from the dead. Well...why not change that up a bit? Perhaps magic can't bring them back, but something else could? You make a deal, you find some other source to bring them back, something that could work should that player want to keep going. Being revived from the dead already has its consequences in that setting, so I personally don't see any harm in this alternative.

Again, I've never played the setting. The curse only really works if the character is dead-dead, not knocked down making death saving throws and brought back before some final failure.

These are my personal thoughts on the function of death in games, and it's not just limited to these two settings. I'm a newbie DM, and this is honestly how I'd like to work with my players should one die in some manner, especially at lower levels. Just because they died doesn't mean they can't contribute in some way. Maybe, while the party works to bring them back, that one player is able to find some things that were otherwise blind to mortal lives, or they're able to still be with the party, just unable to interact with the physical world.

If a player loves their character, and wants to keep playing them, you shouldn't have to punish that player just because "it's part of the rules". DMs are storytellers, and you can make your own rules. It's stated in the playbook that rules are not absolute, but are guidelines, and I think that gets forgotten a lot by many DMs for various settings.

Sorry for the ramble, I just had a sudden longing to play ToA and got reminded as to why people I've asked to play it with have refused in the past. Honestly, it's the same reason people in the past have refused to DM CoS too! All because it's "too difficult".

Honestly, sounds like a personal issue to me, but I can understand if someone is intimidated by something that, by book, is complicated to mess with.

But hopefully...hopefully I'll get that beloved cursed ring...I love that thing so much-

#dnd #dnd rant #vent #dungeons and dragons #curse of strahd #tomb of annihilation #ramble #rant #personal thoughts

[lolotheparagon]

I'm just imagining a bad thunderstorm happens in Gotham and one of the ponies (let's say Scootaloo) goes running to hide under Scarecrow's coat. When questioned she reveals that she's scared of thunder, but she doesn't have to worry because she knows Scaredad will protect her. Cue the tears.

Riddler teases him about his own daughters being terrified of a measly storm but not the Fear Doctor himself. Scarecrow tells him to go die, but they both know he doesn't mean it.

Scarecrow: Go away before I make you perish, Edward

Riddler: Ha! I know you cant hurt me! Dont want to traumatise the poor kids, now do we? Thats not Father of the Year material, isnt it?? (snickers)

Scarecrow: Ah, yes, how is your father doing? Still absent from your life?

Riddler: (embarrassed) S-shut-s-stop wasting your breath , Crane! Middle school insults do nothing on me! A-and we all know your mothing without your fear toxins!

Scarecrow: (darkly) I may not have my fear toxins on hand, but I can still illicit fear in OTHER WAYS

Riddler: Oh really? Prove it

Scarecrow: Let me start with some (snaps fingers that eeriely cues the lightning strike again. Slight whispers echoing around him. The room grows dark, Riddler notices Crow's lurking behind him. He turns around to see Crow now a towering figure looming over him with glowing yellow eyes and smoke seeping out of his etched mouth, as the Scarecrow finishe his sentence in an echoed, reverbrated tone)

P R E S E N C E !

(Cue Riddler running away screaming. Scarecrow reverts back to his normal form and walks back to Toola Roola, now longer afraid of the storm outside)

Scarecrow: Heheh, still got it.

Toola Roola: Wow!! That was so cool! Scary, but cool! I still have goosebumps!

Scarecrow: That is scientifically impossible, but I appreciate the sentiment (headpats the pony)

[blackjackkent]

Time to party with the tieflings!

We have a new camp location - no longer in the ruins but somewhere out on the road, and there is nice music playing. c: This is nice.

Time for more social interaction!

Rather concerningly, the first thing I notice is this, lying on a table in a side tent:

????

There's no indication of who it belongs to and no option to follow up on it. This seems...like something we should be more concerned about. Hopefully Zevlor hasn't been putting a massive trick over on us this whole time.

Anyway, onwards...

The tieflings are all very happy and very drunk, and it's cute. They're being nice to Hector too and it's really doing a lot to brighten his mood; after everything that happened in the temple he was starting to feel way out of his depth, but this - he helped these people. That means something. A bard tiefling offered to write a song about him but Hector dissuaded her; so far he's proved very uninterested in being memorialized.

Companion circuit, starting with Halsin:

"Go on now. Don't waste a night like this talking to me. We'll discuss your problem tomorrow."

Poor Halsin is still covered in goblin blood.

The game (perhaps left over from the early access, when I believe Halsin was not a companion option but just a dude you could help and also flirt with) mostly only gave options to be super direct - "There's other things we could do besides talking..." - and even when I thought I was saying I just wanted to get to know him it ended up turning out that Hector was trying to come onto him. I think we can all safely assume Hector is not at that point yet. So I had to reload this conversation a few times. :P

"Take your own advice, why don't you? Go on - mingle a little."

"Later, perhaps. Don't worry about me. A night under the stars amidst nature's creation is just what I need after being locked up in the goblins' dungeon. Go on. Enjoy yourself. Seek out some wine before it runs dry - there are a lot of thirsty people around here."

---

Wyll, apparently, has been sort of lurking off to the side of the party.

He's depressed because, no matter what we did to help these tieflings, they're still going to be in danger because of Karlach and other monsters of the world. Hector didn't necessarily disagree, but tried to cheer him up a bit, which did seem to work.

(It seems as if all these conversations might be the initial entrance point for romance, because Hector had the option to ask Wyll to dance. Hopefully I'm not cutting myself out of anything by not taking any of these options right now.)

---

Gale...uh. offered to show us something magical.

Hector, assuming he meant some spell, agreed. "I like the sound of 'magical'. What do you have planned?

"A lesson. And trust me when I say - few have experienced the pleasure I offer to teach. However, it's something best experienced in more...intimate surrounds, once the revelry has ended and the stillness of the night has been restored."

Um. What did I just agree to?

I am legitimately unsure whether this was flirtatious or if Gale is ACTUALLY talking about some magic ability. Given Hector's general lack of facility with the nuances of conversation, I think he is taking this completely at face value. I almost reloaded, but you know what, we're going to lean into it. Come the end of the night, we'll see what was actually intended, I guess.

---

Astarion is not having a good time:

"You know, I never pictured myself as a hero. Never thought I'd be the one they toast for saving so many lives. And now that I'm here..."

"...I hate it. This is awful."

Hector, in spite of himself, grins. "You did a good thing," he says, lounging back on his heels. "Suck it up and enjoy yourself."

"Enjoy myself?! There's a worm in my brain, I'm surrounded by idiots, and all I've got to drink is wine that tastes like vinegar."

"Relax, all your problems will still be there in the morning."

"That means I have to survive tonight. And this party. All I want is a little fun - is that so much to ask?"

"That had better not mean 'I want to kill something'."

"Not at all! I was hoping for companionship and - well, maybe a little death. Figuratively speaking."

"Not with you, just to be clear. I mean...can you imagine? Ugh. No."

Lmao. God. I really went into this game being like "I am sure Astarion's fine but I don't imagine I will get the MASSIVE hype around him" but you know what. This is a great character. His dialogue has so much personality, his voice acting is on point, he should be completely insufferable but I am grinning every time I talk to him, and even with the scraggly hair which is not normally my thing, that jawline does wonders for his attractiveness. Even Hector doesn't seem to fully dislike him and by all accounts he really should.

And there's most definitely more lurking under the devil-may-care facade. I am 100% romancing him on a different playthrough.

For now, though, Hector will be satisfied with making sure he stays in camp and doesn't go completely off the rails.

---

Oh my god. Moving on to Lae'zel, who is looking at Hector with an entirely new expression that resembles nothing so much as a dog staring down a piece of meat.

"I have seen the kith'raki tear a screaming neogi's legs from its belly to fashion into blades. Yet they could not match your nerve today. It was enough to drive me to madness."

"A pity for us you have promised your body to Gale. I've no doubt he is as seductive as he is succinct."

:LKJSD;fljkaS;LDKJFAPOSIHDFPOAISJDFPAOISJDFPOIASJDFPOAISJDPFOJIE WHAT

Okay first of all - Hector is all O.O because he seriously thought Gale was going to show him a magic trick. Second of all - you weren't even THERE while Hector was showing all this nerve. Third of all - we have GOT to get you a better outfit to have these conversations in. And fourth - a;lsikjdf;aslokjdf;paolsdikjf;ap.

Help. My face hurts.

Hector, as awkwardly as humanly possible, squeaks out, "I"m grateful for your aid. You really are a gifted warrior."

She sneers at him. "Vlaakith demands of me no less." Her eyes sweep over him and a twitch of frustration tugs a muscle in her jaw. "Mm. If only I might lay claim to my proper trophy. Come morning, you will wonder. You will wonder how my lips might have tasted. How my fingers on your skin might have felt. Oh, but do enjoy yourself this night. I intend to, myself. Wyll looks particularly tempting."

a;lskjdf;alsdjkf;alsjdf;asldkjfds;sjd MA'AM?!?!?!?

Hector staggers away from this conversation feeling a little dazed, his skin about four shades darker, and not sure how to meet anyone's eyes.

---

Shadowheart is kneeling in apparent prayer in a completely different part of the map, way off from the party. She may be a Shar cleric and he's not sure how to talk to her, but at least it's quiet over here.

She smirks slightly, looking up at him, and raises a glass of wine from where it's sitting at her side.

"Everyone seems to be in high spirits. I saw you with Gale. You two looked...cozy. Far be it from me to judge. Blood must still be running a little hot, after everything."

Oh my god. Apparently EVERYONE except Hector knew what was going on in that conversation. Poor boy is definitely BRIGHT red now and flustered as hell.

They actually had a nice little conversation - Shadowheart talked about how she wouldn't have expected to care about the refugees (and Shar wouldn't approve of anything that distracted from her worship). And Hector had a drink with her.

"There - some liquid courage. And try to get some rest too if you can; tomorrow's another day."

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle #lolololololololololl oh my god this did NOT go the way I expected it to #i am fucking dying #poor confused hector #i'm leaning into it but omg #also this is incredibly long and i'm not apologizing for it anymore :P

[ode-on-a-grecian-butt]

You know, I think I should just tell you something funny about what following you for me entailed, because you're certainly the person that I have the weirdest reason to keep following.

I have no idea of why I started following you however I am certain it wasn't because of the NSFW. It was probably a funny post or something like that. It's not that I hate NSFW content I just don't usually go out of my way to find it and my blog is definitely not centered around anything NSFW (even if there are some written posts here and there that I reblog that are).

But what I know is that after discovering who was putting anime badonkas on my dash I decided to keep following, and you know the main reason why? It was the time where those were definitely not allowed. I was following you similarly to a scientist studying a bug under a microscope. I knew that Tumblr wanted to ban content like the one you were posting from the platform, and the fact that I knew a NSFW blog, one that I didn't even remember that I followed, was super interesting.

So I kept following and not saying anything. Everyone was complaining about the lack of porn and I felt like a person looking from the sidelines quietly drinking coffee. I knew where to find the female presenting nipples.

I was actually seeing if you could get away without ever being marked as mature. When you finally were I was so disappointed. But I think the fact that Tumblr started allowing sexual themes again not long after you were marked as mature was hilarious to me. You managed to go unnoticed for years. I was oddly proud of you for managing that long, and happy that you finally got to post what you liked without being too restrained by Tumblr's guidelines.

That being said I'm not gonna sit here and pretend there isn't good content on your blog, because even sexual art is art, and it's frankly annoying how demonized it is by the mainstream culture. And the other posts are also good or I wouldn't ever have reblogged anything from you (which I definitely have).

To finish this I wish you a lovely day and have fun looking at all the boobs, ass and thighs you desire :P

I will keep lurking probably, but I felt like even without knowing people can still think about you, and it doesn't have to be something bad. Sometimes people silently enjoy seeing you every day 💜

That last paragraph of yours really means a lot to me. Tumblr is the only social media I use/enjoy. And having ppl one follows/follow me for years, you do feel an attachment to them (even if I wouldn't recognize them irl nor ever meet.) So when I read that last sentence, it really did hit me in the heart. It means a lot to me. More than you know. So honestly from my heart-of-hearts, thankyou. I wish you happiness, peace and contentment in life. Im glad you like my non-NSFW posts. I always feel sheepish when I post NSFW stuff too because I know theres are ppl that follow me that aren't into that stuff at all. I try not to overdo it.

Idk if this is a sad thing to share or not. But I still have the email that got me unbanned.

#thanks for the ask #this really made my day #it was just really really nice

[mcgeeki]

Resident Evil - Liberation Fanfic

Hi! First time publishing my work from AO3 here. Disclaimer: English is not my first language and I have no one that could proof read. :-) It's the first part of my fanfic that I published years ago. Enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Resident Evil - Liberation

Prologue

Autumn 2013

The Arklay Mountains - the last remains of Raccoon City or rather the last thing that reminded you of the wiped-out city. For the two BSAA agents Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine it was a strange feeling to be back at the place where bioterrorism originated. Before their eyes they could still see the old villa in Raccoon Forest, whose memory would haunt them forever. "Jill, we should keep moving," Chris suggested. His partner, however, was still looking at the crater where a town stood a few years ago. She had barely made it out of the city then and can hardly believe her luck until today. Who could escape from a B.O.W. that was especially fixated on S.T.A.R.S members? "I...", she began to speak, but she was missing the words. Fifteen years just wasn't enough or did her incarceration make the subject of Raccoon City worse? "I'm sorry, I still can't believe we lived there back then... in that crater."

"Hardly likely in that crater," he tried to lighten the mood with humor. "But yes, it's crazy." Chris sighed. He could understand her. Jill was literally going through hell while he was on 'vacation' in Europe. "Hey..." He put his hand on her shoulder while she was still looking at the crater. "We really should move on and not let the past stop us, huh?" Jill turned her head slightly in his direction. "You're right. We need to check a dead, completely destroyed environment to see if there are any infected people walking around." She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm going to assume that no infected person has survived, if you can even speak of surviving." She pointed to the crater and looked at Chris with a raised eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that. They just don't want to burden you completely yet," he replied. "Chris, I've been back on the job for a year. They must be beginning to realise that I'm resilient." Jill followed her partner, who decided to move on. While she watched the surroundings. You could reasonably see that nature was trying to recover from the bomb. "Shh," he whispered to her and took cover. She did so immediately and hid behind a big fallen tree trunk together with him. He pointed a little further away at a figure limping around. "Impossible," she breathed.  When she tried to get up carefully, he pulled her down again. "I think we should stay under cover. I have a bad feeling about that joker over there." Not a second later, the two agents saw the Horde following the single figure. "No..." she shook her head in bewilderment. You gotta be kidding me. How did the infected get into the Arklay Mountains? The bomb was supposed to get everyone. "Okay...we should approach slowly and maybe throw a grenade into the mass," Jill suggested, but then she noticed a follow-up problem. "We don't know if there are more."

"Right. I suspect there are more of those things lurking around the bay." He put on a thoughtful face. "There's a huge stone over there. Maybe we can get a better view there," he suggested this time, whereupon his partner nodded. On his signal they ran for cover to the stone. "A house?", Chris asked in surprise after he had gained an overview. Suddenly, a zombie appeared behind Jill and grabbed her. He quickly pulled out his knife with the ulterior motive of not making any noise and rammed it into the infected person's head. "Probably lost his way," he said as he pulled the knife out of the infected man's head. A startled thank you from Jill followed. "Oh...bloody hell. It's getting more and more. We can't deal with them alone," Chris cursed. He closed his eyes to find possible solutions.

"Shall we go back?" Jill asked quietly.

" Good idea, but it's getting dark soon and we actually have to go to the meeting place with the Alpha team."

"You're not seriously thinking about going into that house. It screams "Villa à la Infected." She looked over the edge of the stone and watched the infected. There were just more zombies forming a huge horde. They wouldn't make it to the house unnoticed. They'd rather be dinner for those monsters.

"The only possibility. We'll go to the dogs out here after dark. My plan: I throw a grenade near the horde, but so far that it must move away. That gives us time to run to the house. Agreed?"

"Okay." Jill pondered for a moment. What if that moment was the last one with Chris? Should she confess her feelings to him? Of course, that was an absurd thought in such a situation, but since she had escaped from Wesker's captivity, she thought differently. "Chris, there's something I have to tell you," she began to stutter slightly.

"Jill, tell me when we get to that house over there." At that very moment he threw the grenade, which ignited a few seconds later. "Go!" he shouted during the explosion that attracted the zombies. Jill, on the other hand, stayed behind the stone for cover. "What are you doing? What are you doing? Come on!" She sat there petrified. Angrily he pulled her with him towards the house and into the house. "Jill...Jill." He shook her out of her trance with an angry expression. Perplexed, she shook her head. "That's why you should only go on this mission," he hissed in horror at her approach. She didn't even draw her gun to secure the house. Instead, Chris had to do it, nodding to assure her that the house was safe. "Damn it, Jill. What the fuck was that?" He was no longer angry, but worried. Something was bothering his partner.

"I... don't know," she replied embarrassed.

"Why didn't you pull your gun? Why did you stay behind the rock?"

"It was all... it was all so fast... and..."

"Jill!" Chris became louder because he was convinced that they were alone. "Damn it! Stop stammering to make up an excuse!" He knew his colleague too well for that. She stared at Chris with an open mouth.

"Chris, I'm sorry," she apologized. What kind of idiot does that, she thought, and looked at him embarrassed.

"What's gotten into you?" Chris' expression didn't change a bit.

"I don't know!" she drove nervously through her hair, obviously embarrassed. Things were going pretty well for them at first.

"How do you not know? You sound just like Jessica!" What did he just say? Did he really just compare her to that traitor? She countered, "How dare you compare me to this traitor?"

"No... oh, boy... Jill." For a brief moment he turned around for a deep breath of air. Not knowing what to say, he suddenly changed the subject. "You try to contact the BSAA, I'll see if we're safe here for the night," he sighed and left. Not only did he leave the problem there, but so did Jill, who couldn't cope with his reaction.

"Oh God. You really want to close your eyes with the situation out there? Wow..." Jill shook her head in bewilderment. Chris came back just a moment later to face her with his arms crossed in front of her chest. "At least I'm not going out there in the dark. They have an advantage that puts us at a disadvantage." Good point. Still, it made her feel uncomfortable. What if the monsters out there realized that they were in the house? That would be a death sentence for Chris and Jill. "Now, may I barricade the windows and doors? Thanks." He rolled his eyes in annoyance and went to work. Meanwhile, Jill contacted the BSAA.

"Parker, we have a problem," she started talking to her old colleague Parker Luciani.

"I know that. Alpha team has not confirmed your arrival. What happened?" he asked with his usual Italian accent.

"We encountered a horde. Distracted them with a grenade. We don't know if it will last long, though."

"What? I thought it was just a joke about the infected. I didn't think the satellite image would confirm the suspicion. Are you all right? Is anyone hurt?"

"Yes, we're housed in an old wooden shack. Located in a bay in the middle of the Arklay Mountains."

"Jill...ca...u...ple...rep." Reception got worse and worse. The former S.T.A.R.S. member fiddled with her radio.

"Parker?"

"Where r...u...-" You were cut off. "Shit!" Jill accidentally cursed out loud. Carefully she looked out the window to make sure that no infected person out there had noticed anything. For a moment she closed her eyes to think. "Chris." After a moment of calm, she went back to search for her partner. When she found him, she looked at him with a questioning look. He was rummaging through the cupboards in the kitchen. If you could even call it a kitchen. She had come down, there was rotten food on the table and the smell was unbearable. "What is it?" he asked and continued his investigation. "I need your radio. Mine seems to be broken." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Why wouldn't he look at her? Of course, she had made a big mess earlier, but punishing her with such behaviour was not nice. "What are you doing? It's just a run-down old wooden shack."

"In the middle of a mountain." He stopped rummaging through the cupboards for a moment and looked at his partner. "What does this tell us?" he sighed.

"That we should stop searching this shithole? "Not that we're gonna attract those things out there."

"The barricade is up. Let them come."

"You're not serious, Chris. That old thing will never stand up to a mob."

"Hm." He turned away from his partner again. To be honest, he didn't feel like talking to Jill anymore, because she didn't seem to be herself anymore. "What huh?" she went and took a few steps closer. "Here take this... shit, I lost my radio." Chris searched his pockets again and did not find it. "If we go out there now, we are the found dinner. Give me yours, I'll check it out." A few minutes later he had also found the problem. Apparently, there was a signal that disrupted communications. "Your radio is not broken. Something's interfering with the communication. Come on, let's check for a possible source of interference." The two-member team left the kitchen and looked at the other rooms. For a house that looked so small on the outside, it was quite big on the inside. They were in the study when they heard a clattering noise in the entrance area. They both looked at each other at the same moment and drew their weapons. Carefully Chris looked around the corner and gave his partner a signal that they could go on. Soon they were able to locate the cause of the problem. A zombie had broken the window and tried to get into the house. However, he impaled himself on the remaining glass. The BSAA agent slowly approached the infected person and killed him with his knife. He then carefully checked to see if any of the Horde had followed the infected man. Terribly, other zombies had indeed followed the zombie. As quietly as possible, he returned to his partner, who gave him cover from the hallway. "And?" she whispered. "Four infected are still outside the house. We should avoid noise as much as possible. I have no idea if these are normal infected or modified." He pushed his partner back into the study to continue her investigations. Quietly he closed the door behind him and turned his flashlight on again. Of course, they could have switched on the room light, but they didn't know if that would cause an additional source of noise.

"Chris, here's surveillance footage of us." She showed her colleague the photos she had found in a drawer of the desk. "This is before Africa." He looked at Jill in disbelief, almost embarrassed, because one of the pictures showed him drunk in a bar at the time. Most likely shortly after Jill was declared dead. "And that's..." He stopped. He was actually being shadowed at the time without him knowing it. This picture just went too far. Incredible, he thought and shook his head in horror. This is a picture of him at Jill's funeral. He then hugged his sister Claire, who wiped the tears from his face. "Chris... I didn't know that..." She too paused. Words failed her. She had already heard from Barry that Chris was in a pretty bad way, but it was hard for her to realize that now. He was usually the confident, controlled BSAA agent. But in this picture he was anything but controlled or confident. A few seconds later, pictures of Jill came up, "Is that you and Wesker?" He stared at her in shock. In the picture, his partner was wearing a tight red dress. Her former captain put his hand around her waist and grinned mischievously into the camera. "Chris," she began, but her partner turned away from her once more. "By then he had already drugged me. "It's not my fault I'm there in his arms." Not again, she thought and sighed softly. They had already chewed over the subject several times. Chris never got over the idea that Wesker was still influencing her. "Chris...," she sighed again, but the brown-haired BSAA agent searched the bookshelf instead of listening to his partner. She walked toward him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I swear to you I never did anything for Wesker voluntarily."

"Then tell me exactly what he did to you. If you don't tell the BSAA already."

"Chris... I can't." She hated herself for saying that, but she still couldn't talk about it. What Albert Wesker had done to her then was just too deep in her and couldn't get out. Thanks to him, she had nightmares every day and lived through this time over and over again in her mind. "It's been four years, Jill." He turned to her and looked at her sadly. Yes, it was an asshole move, but he couldn't stand that excuse for long. At that time, he still understood. Who would question a freshly traumatized person about the event? Of course, the BSAA, but Chris had campaigned after Africa for the BSAA to leave Jill alone for now. Later on there were interviews, but they understood that Jill did not want to talk explicitly about the events.

"Yes, four years. Can you talk about the time I disappeared?"

"Jill...not that way." he admonished her with a threatening undertone.

"Why? "I'm just asking you about your past... now you know how it feels. You have to feel ready to talk about it." She crossed her arms in front of his chest and looked at him disappointed. "I know you mean well, but please be patient. Maybe one day I can talk about it, but not here and now. Raccoon City... and... this... is just too much. Please understand that," she asked him and relaxed her attitude again. "Now let's keep looking for suspicious things," she smiled sadly. Chris nodded and then continued his search discontentedly. He would so much like to help Jill get over the troubling memories, but even after four years she was still not willing to talk about what happened with him. He just wanted to have his old partner back, but in reality, this was not possible anymore. Wesker had done so much damage to her that could not be repaired.

"So? What do you think happened here?" Chris asked to ease the tense mood.

"I have no idea. Judging by the kitchen, there hasn't been anybody here for a long time. And to be honest, I have a bad feeling about this room. It looks very familiar," she said. She really had the feeling that she knew this room as if she had been in it before.

"Umbrella?"

"Yes," she pursed her lips and thought. If she was already in the room, it must have been before she was freed. That means there must be a laboratory here. "Search for switches. Try the bookcase. Take a good look at the titles. If one doesn't fit, it should be a secret lever. I'm looking at the other shelf." No sooner said than done. Jill searched the books, and no title caught her attention. Was she wrong in her hunch, because Chris hadn't found anything either. Sighing, the brown-haired agent looked at the room again. Something had escaped her notice. Every secret entrance to an Umbrella lab had a specific feature that had to be noticed. Her gaze wandered to the bust on the desk she had previously searched. If it wasn't the bookshelves, it was definitely the bust.

"Jill?"

"In a moment," she said quietly, ignoring Chris' questioning gaze. She carefully examined the bust. It wasn't long before she found a switch that revealed a secret passage in the wall. She looked again at her partner, who gave her an impressed look. Now the question arose whether they should explore the passage or rather find the source of the interference signal. "Now what?"

"We should-" he began to speak but was interrupted by a dull thud. It didn't take them long to figure out what it was. Apparently the infected had found a way in and were now looking for a snack. Quickly they looked for an object, which they placed as quietly as possible in front of the door. It was only for safety, to protect themselves from further attacks. "Well, I guess we'll have no choice but to explore the passage," he sighed and pursed his lips. What would she expect in the darkness?

#resident evil fanfiction #chris redfield x jill valentine #chris redfield #biohazard

[unseededtoast]

Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Part 5/37 | Part Four, Part Six

Summary: I've lived every day for the past five years looking over my shoulder. I knew they'd come for me, it was inevitable. I was foolish to think I could outrun my past. It's followed me everywhere I go, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Never would I have anticipated that the shadows would lead me to the light.

Bucky Barnes x OC

Series Warnings: Discussion of human trafficking, alcohol consumption, graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

a/n: Hi everyone, thank you for checking this out, I appreciate any and all support! This series is also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad if you prefer those formats/platforms! This is a completed series, and it's going to take some time for me to transfer it to Tumblr, so please bear with me!

"It can be easy to let an idea turn into an obsession, how do you think the Winter Soldier came to be? My father was obsessed with the idea of bringing the Winter Soldier back. I watched my mentor die in front of me because of it."

I spend the rest of the day writing out some notes and ideas. I need to have some sort of game plan, I can't just wing this. Doing this also helps me brainstorm possible contingencies. The overall idea is that this will help keep my thoughts organized so I'm not handling this recklessly or on the fly. I only get one shot at this, I cannot risk messing it up.

 Not only does the programming need to be undone, but he's also going to need structure and support throughout the process. Undoing the programming is the most daunting part of it all. It was never designed to be undone, only intensified or reset. When I created this program I had never anticipated the need to reverse it. I tap the pen on the table as I brainstorm possible solutions, there has to be a way. The lab door opens, but I stay concentrated because I don't want to lose this train of thought. 

"Do you have any updates?" I look up and see Steve staring at me with hopeful eyes. I show him the paper and explain everything the best I can. Steve's eyebrows scrunch as I explain.

"So what you're saying is that Bucky is still in there?" His big takeaway was not the complications that stand in my way, but the fact that his best friend is still there. It's heartwarming to see he cares so much about someone who's only been taken advantage of for the past several decades. I place a hand on his shoulder,

"I am confident that he is. The programming only made him obedient to the handler and to suppress his free will. His memories were never erased." I tell him, laying my pen down on the table. Steve nods and taps his hand on the table.

"Well, I'm sure if there's anyone who can do it, they're in this lab right now." He looks between the three of us.

 I know Steve is slightly hovering around me because he wants his best friend back, but I can't help but wonder if he's just trying to keep an eye on me, if he's buying into Tony's idea that I might be a spy. I push the thought to the back of my mind and re-read what I have so far. There's no point in worrying about their opinions, I can't change those for them. But I can help Bucky, so that's what I focus on.

My plan is simple, kind of. It's based on building a foundation of trust. Without a bond made through trust, the entire process will be very difficult for him because he will lack a support system, and I have a feeling he isn't going to want to cooperate with me very well. It's hard telling how the resurfacing memories will affect him and I want to be sure I'm prepared to deal with anything and everything that may happen. 

I'm not entirely sure how this process is going to go, I've never seen the reversal of the programming and my plan is entirely ideal and hypothetical. In a perfect world the memories will resurface and he will be able to handle them without issue, but this world is far from perfect and I have to assume that this process will follow that pattern as well.

I sigh, putting the cap back on the pen and placing the papers inside the red leather-bound book. This book is older than I am and holds so much history, though the history is dark and left a long trail of blood. 

"What's in the book?" Bruce asks, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows as he approaches me. 

"This book is responsible for countless deaths and the corruption of the mind. It's the key to what most would consider brainwashing and it is wanted by every member of Hydra. It's dangerous." I say tapping the front of the book.

"Well that's comforting. Would you mind if I take a look at it? I'll see if there's anything useful for Tony's research." He asks.

 I'm apprehensive to hand this book over knowing that the contents in the wrong hands can lead to a lot of damage. I know we're a team now but I can't risk things, and I've only just met these people. On the other hand I don't want Tony to have another reason to despise my presence. Reluctantly, I hand him the book and decide I'll just stay in the lab until they're finished with it. Tony joins Bruce and the two open the book. Tony immediately rolls his eyes. 

"This is all in Russian." He states the obvious in an annoyed tone.

"I can translate it for you if you want." I offer. 

Bruce nods his head, accepting my help. I translate the pages for them, having most of the science memorized by now. I go through the pages and speak the Russian before reciting the same line in English. It's time consuming but if I have more brilliant minds on this case then it gives us the highest chance of being successful, if I end up needing their help for this project. I know Tony is just interested for his own research, but I'm looking at it as a step in the right direction for the team as a whole. 

"Wait, so what you're telling me is that memories can be resurfaced, right?" Tony interrupts and I nod in confirmation, surprised he's bothering to ask me a question.

"Yes, depending on how long they were suppressed it can take longer for them to resurface." I explain,

"So, in theory of course, could you implant false memories deep inside someone's mind and have it resurface like an authentic memory?" I take a moment to consider his question. I've never considering placing false memories in someone's mind, I think it would be quite difficult to do.

"In theory, maybe. It would be extremely difficult though. You would have to create the artificial memory and find a way to place it in the mind. I think if it can be achieved it would take a lot of time, money, and patience." I offer him my opinion. 

"Piggybacking, what if we could take a memory, a true one, and we were able to change the details of it?" Tony's hand rest on his chin.

"I think if you were to alter a true memory and embellish it with falsehood, nothing good could come out of it. Then the person wouldn't be able to distinguish reality from artificiality and that becomes a very difficult thing for anyone to handle. The same can be said for implanting artificial memories." I say, hoping my answer leads him away from pursuing this. He stays silent after my answer and I look over to Bruce, who looks as if he's deep in thought. 

"Tony what if you meshed that idea with your augmented reality project. You can take true memories and manipulate it through augmentation, then the person knows the memories aren't true, yet you can still experience the desired thing." Bruce says and the idea catches me off guard. His idea isn't awful. It would be interesting to see how they would accomplish that. Tony thinks for a moment before jumping up and out of the lab, leaving Bruce and I alone. 

"He's been trying to find a way to avoid therapy about a lot of things. He thinks creating new memories in place of the old is the answer. I told him it wasn't a good idea but once he gets something in his mind he can't let it go." I nod my head, understanding Tony's obsession. 

"It can be easy to let an idea turn into an obsession, how do you think the Winter Soldier came to be? My father was obsessed with the idea of bringing the Winter Soldier back. I watched my mentor die in front of me because of it." I say and stand from my seat, grabbing the book. I'm ready to call it a day and mull over my thoughts, maybe a bright idea will come to me. I walk through the halls and back to my room, feeling a slight headache forming at the base of my skull. 

I turn the corner to enter the hall where my room is, and am ready to collapse, the past two days have been entirely exhausting. Although, I'm eager to start my plan in the morning. I've seen him once, I know what to expect. I won't cry anymore, there will be a time for tears when this is all over. I open my door and place the book on the nightstand before getting into bed. 

"Adalyn, are you in there?" I blink my eyes open and look to the tiny clock on my bedside table. My eyes widen as I jump up,

"Yeah, I'm here just give me a moment." I say and panic. I run my fingers through my hair and decide to keep the uniform from yesterday on, there's no time to squeeze myself into a fresh one. I grab the book and open the door, seeing a well-put together Steve in the doorway. 

"Rough night?" He asks, looking me up and down. I grimace and push some hair behind my ear,

"Yeah, something like that." I say and close my door. We walk the familiar path downstairs as I describe to him my plan.

"Do you think it'll work?" He asks and I nod my head.

"I do, but it's not an overnight process, a lot of it has to be done naturally. I think you can play an integral part in it as well. Once I get a proper assessment it'll be easier to see where we're at." I say and he nods, opening the door to the hallway. Unlike yesterday, I'm more level-headed. Steve takes him off of sedation and just like yesterday, I give him ample time to wake up and become accustomed to his surroundings. While he's adjusting to his environment, I mentally hype myself up. I've been around him before, numerous times. I can do this.

I open the door and enter, seeing the Soldier right where he was yesterday. I approach the glass and see him stare at me. I offer him a warm smile, which goes unreturned. 

"I'm Adalyn, it's nice to see you again. I'm going to perform an evaluation on you today. It's completely painless and pressure free. You don't have to answer anything you're uncomfortable with." I muster up the courage and begin the process. 

In an odd way, this is like being reunited with an old friend. It's still surreal to me how we both ended up here at the same time, I never would have guessed that I would ever see him again let alone get the chance to undo everything I put in his mind. Many things about this scenario remind me of our time back in Russia, but this time things aren't as somber. However, just like back then, there's still a lot on the line. He glares at me and I proceed.

"Can you tell me what your name is?" I start off simple. He remains silent and uncooperative, which I can't say is surprising considering he likely remembers me from our Hydra days if he remembers anything at all. He's probably confused and scared because of the unfamiliar environment let alone possible memories that might be coming back to him. I lick my lips, trying to find a way to sweeten the deal for him and begin to establish our foundation of trust. 

"I know I said you didn't have to answer anything you're uncomfortable with, and that's true. I also want you to know that the more you can give me, the quicker you can be released. I know you don't want to be in there, I don't want you to be in there. I'm here to help you." In reality, I have no idea if I have the authority to be making this deal, but if it helps him cooperate, then I'll figure the rest out later.

He makes eye contact with me and I can tell he's weighing his options. I can also tell from his facial expressions that he is not currently the activated Soldier, he has life in his eyes. I've only seen the life in his eyes once before, and that was short lived.

"My name is Bucky." He says and I nod, happy with the small victory. 

"Bucky, it's nice to be working with you. Can you tell me what you remember? No detail is too small." I encourage him. He takes a deep breath,

"I remember you. I remember what you did to me, you were the one who put this stuff in my head." He glares harshly. I nod with a quiet sigh knowing this is to be expected.

"Bucky, I remember you too. I want you to know I left Hydra about five years ago. They found me and wanted me back. They didn't get me, and now I work for Shield. Please believe me when I tell you I am not with them anymore, and I am sorry for everything I've ever done to you." I offer him amends. I know this won't erase anything that happened, nor is it enough to even begin apologizing for everything that has happened, but it's a step towards our fresh start. This is something we are going to have to work through together. His eyes soften a touch as he processes what I've said to him. He tilts his head,

"Adalyn Averina." He says and my eyebrows raise a little in surprise, he remembers my full name. I smile,

"Yeah, that's my name." I confirm to him and he nods slightly, as if to confirm to himself he was right. 

"How long have I been here?" He asks me,

"About two weeks total, though I'm told you've been sedated for a majority of that time." I answer. He stays silent and I take the opportunity to encourage him to reveal anything else.

"Do you remember what happened before you came here?" I ask in curiosity. 

"I was on a highway, there was a fight." He keeps his answer short and simple, and I see that he looks confused, or almost like he's struggling to remember. 

"You're right. Do you know who you were fighting?" I ask, pushing my limits to see how much I can get. 

"He had a shield." He simply answers, not giving me a name. It's entirely possible he doesn't know he was fighting Steve. I decide he's given me enough answers, and it's my turn to offer him some. I don't want him to be overwhelmed with not being able to remember things he wants to and need to avert some of his attention.

"Is there anything you want to know from me?" I ask, offering him the same level of vulnerability he offered me. 

"Why did you leave?" He asks, meeting my eyes. I see hurt, sorrow, and curiosity in his gaze, which is a stark contrast from what I remember. I wasn't expecting that question, but I give him the truth.

"I left because Hydra is a corrupt, evil organization. It ruins people and rewards atrocities. I left because I couldn't stand hurting you anymore. I thought that if I left they wouldn't be able to get to you, but it's obvious now that I was wrong." He stays silent. 

"Your father was the one who led the program, right? He had short hair and wore glasses." He describes my father vaguely, yet accurately.

"Yes, he took over the program once Zola was gone and retained leadership for many years. I believe he is dead now, though." I say, hoping to offer him some comfort with my father's death. 

"How did you get out?" He questions after a moment of silence. I recall the day perfectly.

"It wasn't easy. I grabbed everything that I thought was important, said goodbye to my father and his friend, and then I ran. Eventually, I was brought to the United States by a trafficker, and the rest is history." I say, remembering the faces of the children I travelled with over to the United States. They were sold by their families to repay their debts, or voluntarily offered themselves up in hopes of a brighter futures; and I was willingly smuggled. One day maybe I'll tell him the full story but not right now, it's not the right time or place to delve into it.

"Who took over after I left?" I ask him, dreading the answer, if he has it. I have an uneasy feeling that I know who took over, and the thought still makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. 

"Dane Winthrop." He answers and I note that he can remember some things, mainly related to Hydra. He hasn't mentioned anything about his pre-Hydra life, and I think that if he stays un-sedated that they may begin to resurface in the near future; although I won't know until it actually happens.

"He was always a vile person." I say and Bucky meets my eyes. I can tell he's still wary but there's something else there I can't quite identify.

"That would be an understatement. After you left and he took over, they started reprogramming me every week, after every mission." He says, voice becoming softer and raspier at the end of the sentence. I realize now that by fleeing I unintentionally set him up for a nightmare.

"Bucky, I really am sorry for everything. I couldn't stand hurting you anymore, I didn't know they would reprogram you every week, I didn't even know they'd understand how to work with you." I say with the utmost sincerity. He remains quiet. 

I've assessed his condition, and I don't see any reason to believe he will randomly slip into being the Winter Soldier, his mind seems to be stable enough. I don't think he will act out unless he's provoked by something. I feel like I owe him something, anything that I can convince Shield to agree to, and come up with an offer I may not be able to fulfill and for some reason, the words just come out of my mouth before I can think about it.

"I think you're stable enough to be let out of here, you don't seem to be phasing between the Soldier and yourself. Let me talk to some people and I'll get back to you, okay?" I offer and he nods, 

"Thank you." I smile back at him and bow my head before I make my way out to the hallway with Steve. 

"What do you think?" He asks and I take a deep breath. I'm just relieved he hasn't scolded me for making that offer. But, I think Steve is on board for it, I don't think he wants to see his best friend tied up and miserable for much longer. Perhaps his alliance will be more helpful than I originally thought.

"I think he still has a long way to go. But things are better than I anticipated." I answer, knowing that my work is going to be cut out for me. However, I think that the memories and things he can recall right now are a great indicator that other memories are still in his mind.

Steve and I walk out of the room, and discuss a plan on how to get him out of that cage as quickly as possible. I don't like the fact he's been in that cage, it reminds me too much of the way he was kept at Hydra's base and it's likely he feels the same way. I never want him to be reminded of that place ever again, it's about time he starts getting the treatment he deserves and I will do everything in my power to make sure he's treated well and with respect.

#bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes x oc #bucky barnes #bucky fanfic #winter soldier #steve rogers #the winter soldier #james bucky barnes