#i'll make a text post real quick in between actually

[testingthewatersss]

Hi! I'm still figuring the difference between messages/inbox tbh but as long as you send in the request I'll get to it. I'm trying to keep all requests anonymous when posted so sometimes I'll message a link to whoever sent it. If it's anonymous I might start replying to the message so the sender is notified (assuming that works)

thank you for the request, I hope you enjoy <;3 (last disclaimer- I'm British so my only context for 1940s America is from movies and anecdotes)

Date Nights Trigger warnings for?nothing v v lighthearted fluff? Bucky Barnes x F reader Oneshot 1500 words fluff & comfort 18+ MDNI

Bucky tells you what your dates would've been like in the 40s.

"I'm tellin' you, Buck" Y/N beams, "if it's got food and candles, it counts as a date night."

Barnes is still tugging at his boots in the door way, looking apologetic as ever, like him being late off a Quin-Jet is something he could've prevented.

Her eyes roll, "It's fine- you text me to let me know you where behind schedule, the pizza has been here for ten minutes, and- you've finally got your boots off-"

He cuts her off with a kiss, dipping her back dramatically like hoping that the corny gesture might add to the romance.

The feeling of her laughter against his lips makes him smile so hard that his cheeks ache, and then they're eating and drinking red wine that is too good to have with stuffed crusts from Albie's.

and that's when his mind wonders again,

to dance halls and evening walks in formal jackets and what it might be like to push her on a rope swing in a pretty sun-dress-

"what are you day dreaming about?" Y/N chuckles, quirking a brow at the pinkness in his cheeks.

"…date nights" is the reply he settles on after a minute, pressing a kiss against her cheek before settling back onto the couch.

"wow" she says, laughing again, "that's impressive even for you, sweetheart, can you even get sweeter than fantasising about date night while you're literally havin' a date night?"

He rolls his eyes, before melting down into her lap. Smiling almost smuggly as she recieves him more than eagerly, discarding her wine glass to card through his hair with her fingers.

"Wait" she says teasingly, "Before you get all this fussin'- the person you were with in this daydream was me wasn't it? because if it was Steve your puppy dog eyes are goin' to be about 12% less effective"

"88% is still pretty good" he says playfully, before shaking his head in response to her mock look of hurt, "of course it was you, darlin' it just that back in my day-"

"Back in my day?" Y/N mimics, beaming down at him like he's the best thing she's ever seen, "Did you really just say that, outloud?"

Her teasing is tempered with unwavering affection, but still it makes him laugh, a true soft chuckle bursting through his chest when he realises how it sounds.

"Still" he murmurs, feigning grouchiness, "goin' on a date meant somethin' different back then, it was more of an event..."

"Oh, yeah?" Y/N presses, seeing the trace of nostalgia in his eyes, "tell me about it?"

He blinks at her, before looking away, genuinely bashful again;

"You don't wanna hear me dronin' on about ancient history, Sugar-"

"Actually" she objects, "After missin' you for 2 days because you've been galivanting across Russia, I think that's exactly what I want."

He paws at his jaw before sighing, surrendering to the arm your holding him by snuggling into your front.

"Well, they didn't usually include this much touchin' for a start"

"Is that a complaint?" Y/N quips, raising a brow in genuine curiosity.

"No- never-" he's quick to tell her, "I just don't really know where to start, doll. It's all real different now."

She just smiles down at him again, letting her thumb brush his temple as his eyes flutter shut.

"What would our first date have been like, d'ya think?" she asks, "and don't just rattle off some Grate-Gatsby story, I know you and Rodgers didn't eat Caviar in tuxedos when you took girls out for the night"

"God" he scoffs dreamily, smile firmly on his face now, "Gatsby was more my ma's era, darlin'… I'd have probably taken you out for a walk first, asked you when I could pick you up and spent a couple of hours gettin' myself ready… I'd have brought flowers, -I might've had to pick them from the garden-" he allows, "-but I'd have brought ya' something, and then I'd knock for ya'…"

"And would I be wearin' one of those pin-up style dresses, victory curls and red lipstick style?"

"No" he snorts, "All the dames back then wore sweat pants"

"You're gettin' sassy in your old age" Y/N is quick to tease, "I meant for a walk… since that's where you said you'd be takin' me… is that the kinda thing ladies got all dolled up for back then?"

He's grinning like a fool as he hums, picturing exactly the kind of thing she might've been wearing.

"It'd probably have been some kind of dress" he allows, shyly at first "somethin' nice but not, not the whole nine yards unless you wanted me to be fightin' all the other men in town away all night."

It's her turn to laugh then, it swims through his head like music, making his chest flutter happily.

"We'd probably spend a while just talkin', darlin', and I'd have asked you for a second date before I took ya' home."

"Is that when you'd have asked me if I had any friends for Steve?"

He chokes on a breath as he realises that's exactly when he'd have done that.

"and I'd have said "sure, but don't be late"… and then, you'd have arrived together at least 10 minutes after we'd arranged, but- you'd have been so charmin' that I wouldn't have minded one bit."

"Maybe" he murmurs, not wanting to tell her just how well she's got him figured out.

"And where would this double date be?"

"Probably dancing" he says surely, "I got tired of trying to take girls to the pictures with Rodgers. He could never stay out of trouble."

"He still hasn't figured that out"

He grins again, eyes still shut but as her hands go back to soothing his muscles, she notices that they're definitely relaxing.

"You'd have been more dressed up for dancing- but so would I, it'd be full uniform, sugar" he murmurs, "and you might've even found some stocking with seams if you'd thought I was worth the trouble…"

"Oh, you're definitely worth the trouble" she whispers, loving the dreamy quality his voice has taken on, it seems so sweet, how content he is just talking about all this, "I'd have done my hair too, and put on that lipstick"

He smiles at her description, picturing it so vividly in his mind that he could reach out and touch her lips and his fingers would come away red.

"And my pretty friend would be takin' care of Steve…" she tells him decisively, "so what would we be doing?"

"I'd get us drinks, doll…" he says, "the band would be playing, not through speakers like now, but they'd have a singer, and a whole set up, we'd ditch our glasses and I'd ask you to dance… there were always so many people there, sugar, the room was so warm- and we'd be laughin' and I'd pretend that I didn't… but if it was you in my arms I'd have forgotten all about Steve by the time the music stopped."

The fingers in his hair are like magic, drawing every facet of tension from his body as she untangles the strands with ease. He hadn't even notice how tense he'd been before. The mission had been quick and easy and without complication until the end, when Tony's "un-freezable" engine had frozen, needing 30 minutes to warm back up before they could head home. He'd been wracked with guilt for the entire flight, hating having to tell you he was going to be late for date night. The date night he'd been looking forward too all week.

"I'd have taken you for a bite on the way back to your place" he continues, clinging to the fantasy like a blanket in the cold, "I'd have wanted more time with ya'- so I'd have insisted on a diner instead of a hot-dog stand or somethin'… I wouldn't have let you drink to much, we'd have gotten cokes in the glass bottles- I swear, it tasted so much better than it does now, even with the rationing-"

"Is that when I'd steal your hat and put it on over my pretty curled hair?" she asks cheekily.

"hat?" he asks, opening his eyes to look at her curiously,

"You said you'd be in uniform- I've seen the pictures."

"Well, yeah, but-"He blinks, still not understanding "Why would you take it, doll?"

"Isn't it like cowboys?" Y/N presses warmly, still carding through his hair

"Cowboys?" Bucky echoes, confused.

"Mhmm" she hums in confirmation, "plus, if I ran away with your hat, you'd definitely follow me home wouldn't ya?"

"I'd have walked you home anyway, m-maybe even kissed ya' at the door if I was feelin' brave" he stammers, still caught up in the mental image of the most beautiful girl in the world wearing an outfit that would've put Marilyn Monroe to shame and his hat.

"Well, yeah" she agrees, "but this way you'd have to chase me inside."

Suddenly, a flush fills his cheeks as the imagined dress vanishes, leaving him with a fantasy that does more than make his face hot.

"It's your birthday in March" Y/N says coolly, "I'll see what I can do".

Masterlist

#bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barns x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes angst #bucky x you #bucky x female reader #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky fanfic #the winter soldier x you #fluff #x reader #drabble #bucky barnes imagines #40s bucky #request #requests are open #james bucky buchanan barnes

[acfan120]

average pro-ai guy response tbh. "Hey Maybe don't use AI" "Drown, die, even" come on bro... get real... so sorry for he horrors

FR though. Like, with the first dude, I was pretty much fucking around with my responses, (like who would take genuine insult to being called a hog or ai slut), but then everyone kept taking it so damn personal, like I put a curse on their favorite dog.

And people genuinely want me to type out a whole, nuanced take on the difference between using generated images vs asking a discord to draw for you. As if wayne wouldn't be pissed about something typing up a whole fuckin essay in their post, and as if any of those AI schmucks would read it. Like I know you need to type base words in a generator to have a creative thought, but use your damn head!

At this point there's no ethical consumption or use of image generation anymore, because it only empowers the whole damn problem; it makes the process better, making it harder to detect AI imagery, it overbloats things with how easy and quick things can be made, it's primarily being used to target people who don't know better and scam them, and it'll only give companies more reason to not hire artists, and instead just use image generation.

Anything done ironically or for jokes *will* eventually give room for doing it legitimately. Bigots and Nazis do it to be hateful under the guise of "I'm just joking man." NFT pricks did it because "Oh it's just a monkey picture, lighten up". Fox News fucking does it with "Well no one would actually take our news seriously." (That one is real; they went to court over it). Call it an overreaction, but that's the world we live in, and I'll be damned if people are going to ever treat AI bullshit as legitimate anything other than legitimate trash.

And this is just image generation; text generation has already caused way more issues than image generation ever will. It's just a bad problem all around.

#text post #me ranting #rtvs

[anonymousad]

Shelterwood: a follow-up and apology

someone reached out to me after publishing my Shelterwood crowdfunding post with some very valid stuff that I want to address. they mistakenly sent it non-anonymously (something I confirmed with them before just responding to the Ask), so in the spirit of keeping things unidentifiable around here I am going to screenshot the entire message (so you can know I'm not selectively cutting anything out) and then I'll respond to it in chunks:

A Genuine Apology

so let's start with the first chunk of text:

I'm going to be straight with you: while there were absolutely some points you made about the Shelterwood crowdfund that I agreed with, like how unreasonable the goal seemed for a show produced by a novice showrunner, something's really sticking out here. That thing is that Stephen Indrisano and Nigel McKeon are both young, white, non-binary novice showrunners who secured some high-billing talent and picked unreasonably high crowdfunding goals, but you treated one of them with a lot of grace and understanding... and then turned around and not only accused the other of essentially being the problem with the current state of podcasting, but also called them cis in the process despite having acknowledged their pronouns earlier in your write-up. That was... certainly something. It's almost like you had a specific point you wanted to make, so you just sort of conveniently forget that Stephen is non-binary to make it. That or you don't actually think Stephen is non-binary and were engaging in some passive-aggressive gatekeeping, which also sucks, just in a different way.

this is 100% something I fucked up on, I will readily admit that. my accidental erasure of Stephen's identity as a non-binary person is not okay, intentional or not.

I wrote the initial post gradually over the course of just over a week, top to bottom, and then did a quick skim of it at the end to make sure things were still up-to-date in accordance with any updates to the campaign itself. a result of this is that between when I started the post (where I included Stephen's pronouns of "he/they)" and when I was writing some of the later parts I had forgotten this. I think part of the reason is that the campaign is not really about Stephen, so it isn't like there are consistent references to him as an individual. in the few places there are, such as the intro section of the main text and the FAQ, "he" is used exclusively, which I think mistakenly put that in my mind as Stephen having a male gender identity because I hadn't seen a self-identification as being non-binary on their website or Twitter. but someone deciding to use a specific set of pronouns in the text of something like this (to avoid confusion or for any other reason) does NOT invalidate their use of other pronouns elsewhere. similarly you don't have to outwardly proclaim your gender identity for it to be respected and not assumed as cis.

I am genuinely very sorry about this, it was a mistake and I am in the process of editing the original post to reflect Stephen's proper gender identity.

now then.

let's talk about the difference between Nigel (Among the Stacks) and Stephen and the way I approached them, because you're right that there was a difference.

I think a key way that these two projects differ is that one of them was very clearly made by someone who didn't know what they were doing and was in over their head. Among the Stacks was a clear trainwreck from the moment they started revealing how bloated the cast and crew were. I had many conversations with other creators during that early time where we were all wondering how this thing could function with so many cooks in the kitchen, and how you could have a coherent story with that many characters. it was clearly a product of someone new and over-excited who didn't have a real idea of how to do what they were dreaming of.

in contrast, Shelterwood seems to be genuinely well-thought out and approached like it was created by someone who has done their research and been part of the community for a while. it has a full concept with a clearly outlined size and goals and is a very realistic sounding first project. if it weren't for the goal and the rewards we wouldn't be talking about it at all. as a pitch it is perfectly reasonable.

I went a bit easier on Nigel because just from looking a lot of us could tell that Among the Stacks was going to end in disaster. we didn't know when or how, just that there was no way a project like that could actually succeed. I also knew from interactions between Nigel and other people that she was not very good at taking critique or hearing other people out on stuff that they didn't agree with. I went into that post with the intention of being harsh but fair, because I wanted Nigel to hear what I had to say and LISTEN. not just brush it off as "someone is jealous of my amazing idea and so they are being mean". I was still a bit mean in that post at some parts, I will admit that. my tone can swing a bit far on the sarcastic side, especially the longer I spend on a given post digging into things.

Shelterwood is full of people who should know better, something that it makes a point to brag about. it isn't just one person's dream project that they don't know how to wrangle, Stephen is clearly a proficient showrunner to have pulled all of this together (and I do genuinely find the show's concept to be interesting, even if I didn't really communicate that in the post as much as I could have). Stephen has ALSO been around the block a few times in regards to working on audio dramas, whether or not they have helmed their own. this means that from the start my expectations for them were higher.

my goal was not to accuse Stephen of being "the problem", but I think that this campaign is INDICATIVE of a lot of the "the problems" going on right now with audio drama crowdfunding.

I did seriously think about pulling the last section into a completely separate post, but what I wrote applies to the context of this campaign and so I felt it was important to have that connection. if I had been able to fully communicate my thoughts on it before now, say for the Arden campaign, it would have been part of that post. but it took me a lot of time to get those words down in a way that actually communicated what I think the problem is.

I know having it as part of the Shelterwood post has an implication, and the implication is correct that this campaign is PART of the problem, but it isn't the whole problem.

It's also very weird that you lumped Shelterwood, Arden, Among the Stacks and Afflicted in with The Magnus Protocol, which was on an entirely different level. They're not comparable. Not a single one of those first four shows actually made their crowdfund goals. In Afflicted's case, the all or nothing state of the crowdfund means 100% of that money was returned to backers. The Among the Stacks crowdfund was cancelled. Which means that for 50% of your given examples, literally none of that money ended up tied up in those shows rather than being contributed to other, smaller shows. This is not comparable with The Magnus Protocol crowdfund situation, and I think you know that.

it's 100% true that The Magnus Protocol is on a whole other level than these other campaigns, I said as much in my write-up. it is not comparable and I wasn't attempting to compare nearly $1 million USD to $26,000.

what I was attempting (and may have failed) to do was to point out that what Rusty Quill did was change the playing field for the worse. when looking at those two numbers you can much more easily make attempts to justify the high goals being asked for here, because in comparison that's downright reasonable to what they raised.

as a note: TMP had a funding goal of £15,000 (approx. $19,500 USD). so they weren't actually asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars to make 3 seasons of a show. in fact, what they asked for is less than the campaigns I'm trying to call out here. that Kickstarter has a lot of things that were suspect about it and felt slimey and exploitative, but the asking price was not really one of them.

however.

just because they didn't ASK for that much money doesn't mean they didn't know it would happen (maybe not to that extent, but still). this still had the same impact, which from what I can tell is making some people think that audio drama crowdfunding is for making a profit.

as for the next point about none of the shows except for TMA 2 hitting their goals:

the amount they are walking away with isn't really the point.

at the end of the day, it's about the fact that the more stuff like this happens, the more it is NORMALIZED. and these kinds of goals getting normalized is harmful.

as an example, in the world of video games there is something called "microtransactions". for anyone who doesn't know, these are additional, small purchases you make in a game that you often have already paid upwards of $60-70 USD for. in the beginning, they were marketed as "just cosmetic" and not going to impact gameplay. and so people didn't fight back too hard when EVERY game started implementing them. but of course, what that did was move the bar. it normalized people paying extra money on top of their purchase for something that used to be included for free with a game. and so the companies started pushing the needle further. and further.

now, this isn't a direct parallel for a lot of reasons, but when greed is being put forward as normal again and again (even when it continues to result in failure) it starts to cement it as something "normal". something to be expected.

the larger problem here is that these are unsustainable amounts of money to be trying to get out of the community.

which connects to this next section:

Speaking of The Magnus Protocol, there's also an assumption being made here that someone deprived of the option of helping one of these shows reach their crowdfund goal is automatically going to donate to another show... and I need you to remember that The Magnus Protocol's final tally was something stupid like 4000% of their original goal. Lower crowdfunding goals don't stop people from contributing once that goal has been reached. People just keep donating to that project. None of those people were donating to make sure the thing got made- they were donating because they liked The Magnus Archives, and the hard to swallow pill here is that that doesn't mean they would've contributed to other crowdfunds otherwise. I have my own issues with The Magnus Protocol thing. But the statement that that crowdfund snatched money out of the pockets of smaller shows by having an unreasonably high goal just straight-up does not hold water. That's nothing. It's 4000% less than nothing. You're allowed to be mad that that campaign got such a ridiculous amount of funding when so many smaller shows are struggling. You don't need to couch it in pseudo-logic to justify feeling that way. We're all mad about it. It's okay.

this is definitely a good call-out, this person is right that someone not donating to one campaign does not mean that money will go to another. in a lot of cases, the only reason someone sees a campaign is because it is being promoted by the things they already like (in The Magnus Protocol's case that obviously being The Magnus Archives), and that means they probably aren't going to be choosing between every campaign that is out there and deciding where their $5 is going to go. they might just as easily pocket it and buy a nice coffee the next day.

and that absolutely sucks, because it would be nice for the love that some people have towards specific shows to be something that extends to the whole medium.

but I do think there's something to be said for feeling like even a small donation is making an impact. I would feel kind of bad to only be able to give $20 towards a $10k+ goal, it isn't even a drop in the bucket towards what is needed and if I care enough to donate to something I do want it to succeed. but that same $20 to a campaign only asking for $3000? that's a lot more tangible of an impact. enough so that I could feel good about splitting that $20 between two projects maybe.

that isn't 100% the point of what you were saying, I know that. the reality is that not everyone in this community has a general investment in the success of others.

I think where that becomes the biggest problem is when some people only seem to have an investment in themselves, and no one else. that's where these things become problems, when the larger needs of the community are ignored for the sake of a few who repeatedly succeed.

I'm kind of bleeding a bit into my response to the next part, so here that chunk is:

And do I agree that we as a community need to start talking about what is and is not realistic when it comes to crowdfunding? Yeah, absolutely. You have a point there. That's a valuable and timely observation and I'm glad somebody said it. Unfortunately, the value of that point was absolutely buried by the extremely obvious fact that this time, in this case, something about this project is personal for you. I don't know what it is specifically, but I do feel the need to ask: You are aware that Tal Minear is involved in the show as a graphic designer and minor actor, right? They have nothing to do with the crowdfund or the rest of production. Their name being attached doesn't mean they're secretly running the show. This is not Tal's show. They'd be credited as a producer if they were that involved. So why do you feel the need to keep bringing them up? Anyway, it's extremely difficult to take your analysis in good faith when it's so transparently motivated by some sort of personal distaste for somebody/the people in the project, and that's a shame, because some of the things you're saying have value.

I certainly didn't shy away from pointing a bit of a finger at Tal Minear for promoting this ideology, among others. their clear involvement in this project makes me immediately more suspicious, because Re: Dracula was a self-admitted cash grab. and that stain on their character is not going to go away for me.

it's less that it's "personal" for me, and more that this is a figure in the community that I have repeatedly seen presented as an expert that MUST be listened to. including by themself. ESPECIALLY when it comes to the matter of crowdfunding.

now, if I were friends with someone like that AND they were involved with my project that was about to have a campaign, would I not lean on that resource? even just for advice on how to put it together and what needs to be included. Tal just wrote a small little article for Descript that has some very generic crowdfunding tips, so they are arguably the most knowledgeable person involved in the campaign to go to for advice and feedback.

I know for a fact that Tal has given crowdfunding advice unsolicited to people running campaigns, usually in the form of asking why crew is not being paid appropriately (a valid question in most cases where actors tend to get a huge portion of the budget). so I can't imagine a world where they didn't give at least a little input to a friend for a show that they are actively involved in.

I don't think they are running anything behind the scenes, no, Tal is not part of some audio drama Illuminati. but I do recognize the high esteem to which they are held by MANY community members.

my goal was to call out the culture that has grown around audio drama crowdfunding, and the ways that I've seen it hurting most people who attempt to do it. I have noticed that Tal is a big part of what has normalized that.

as for the ways in which I brought them up, yeah I like to be a bit snide and I probably laid it on a bit thick. it's easy to get carried away in these things, especially towards someone that I am admittedly not a huge fan of.

that is the extent to which it could be considered "personal" for me, but I understand if you don't believe that or if that still had too much of an impact on taking the rest of what I said seriously. that is your choice and I respect it, it's just very difficult for me to separate out their involvement given what I know outside of this.

You're just completely undercutting that value by surrounding it with so much pointless nitpicking and snideness. What happened to "#but actually my intention is to be thoughtful and not mean"? You claim to be acting in the interest and defense of the community, but as the creator of a small podcast that nets me absolutely zero profit, I'm not feeling it. This feels like it's about you, not the rest of us.

this is absolutely fair.

I am just one person at the end of the day. I've talked to others, discussed the situation surrounding this campaign and others like it with them, but I am the one typing it down and inserting my voice and my take on it.

as such, I am not going to be a perfect mouthpiece for everyone's thoughts about this stuff.

I WANT to be one that is largely beneficial, however.

sometimes I lean a bit heavy into the snideness for the sake of keeping things interesting; these write-ups are LONG and as a writer I recognize you have to do something to keep people engaged so they actually absorb what you are saying.

is that the right approach? probably not for everyone, but it is part of a reflection of my own voice that it comes out like this.

"#but actually my intention is to be thoughtful and not mean" is something I wrote, something that I still want to keep in mind but sometimes I fail at that. in this case, I found it hard to stick to.

repeatedly seeing campaigns like this is disheartening to me, it wears me out. there is an amount of what a lot of people might see as "bitterness", but it's not really about any specific project or person.

I think my massive fucking rant at the end of that post about capitalism ruining audio dramas with the need to make money unsustainably says a lot about how I feel about the current financial state of the world. a lot of that "bitterness" is from this deep rage towards to the system, directed outwards where it can be. maybe the flow of it was a bit strong on this one, but it is still an accurate reflection of the way that I see things.

note, an accurate reflection to ME. it's okay if it isn't accurate to you, that's part of why the conversations need to happen.

part of why I do the math breakdowns for the budget is to help myself try and get a grasp on what those numbers mean. the human brain is not really formatted to understand large quantities of things, especially something that is usually intangible in those high amounts like money. I also do it because I want to give someone the opportunity to say "actually, you're wrong because this does add up. you are just missing part of the picture."

I know the way I approached this might come off as defensive, that's not my intention. I decided to break it down like this so that no one would think I'm trying to skip over feedback or ignore certain points that make me look bad.

everything that this person said to me is a valid response to what I wrote, including the things I pushed back on.

I am very grateful that they reached out to me, and I want to continue the conversation. ESPECIALLY if they feel that I did not hear them here.

my responses are just that. a response. they are not a claim of being right or these reactions being unjustified. we are all only in our own heads, and the conclusions we come to are usually based in rationality. my mind is open to being changed, I want to see as full a picture as possible.

if you disagree with what I've said, that is fine.

if you agree with what I've said, that is fine.

if you aren't sure, that is also fine.

we're talking about something complex and nuanced and just because I'm the one bringing these things up doesn't mean I have the RIGHT opinion or that I am the person who SHOULD be saying it.

there is a reason that I am anonymous here, and it's mostly because the conversation is more important than who is speaking.

as always, my inbox and Asks are open.

feedback welcome, I mean that.

#anonymous ad #crowdfund tips #shelterwood crowdfund #Stephen Indrisano #Tal Minear #among the stacks crowdfund #The Magnus Protocol crowdfund #“but actually my intention is to be thoughtful and not mean” is something I will do better to keep in mind #at the end of the day I do want this to make us a better community #sorry that capitalism ruins everything as per usual

[chucktaylorupset]

I'm late but do u have any other unhinged (or hinged, I'm desperate) essay writing methods you've heard of? Please and thank you

Based on the word desperate I am going to act while assuming the worst.  So if there is indeed a deadline stalking you like a predator animal through the bush while you are an innocent three legged and zero word count gazelle, you will be as quickly and well armed as you can to meet the challenge. 

This is the quick version, the meandering funny version can come later, either I'll reblog this or put it in a new post.

Here is what you do.  Get a speech to text app or failing that a voice memo.  You can default to whatever is preinstalled in your phone, especially if you have very little time. 

Start a new file.  Say words in order into the microphone about what you plan to write about.  Summarize your general intro and thesis, explain your body paragraphs, bullshit like you have a conclusion.  If you do not have body paragraphs and this is a research essay, summarize each of your sources in turn.  Then try to say how at least two relate to each other, but ideally you do this for as many sub groupings as possible.  When you are done, make sure to save.

If you have a voice memo, you will need to play back and transcribe this.  When you're done, you should have a bunch of raw words. 

Ideally you do as many steps as you have time for, but if it's real bad and you are out of time, you can turn this in right now.  You should probably follow this up as soon as possible with an email to the teacher/professor.  This can be scary, so I will give you a form.

Dear [PROF NAME. REMEMBER TO CHANGE THIS TO THE ACTUAL NAME]. 

I hope this message finds you well.  Regrettably, I do not have a final draft for [ASSIGNMENT REMEMBER TO CHANGE THIS PART TOO].  I'm sorry this is last minute and I know your late policy is [YOU KNOW THE DRILL] but I was wondering if there was anyway to get an extension.  I know that this is not my best effort, and if at all possible I want to do better.

Thank you for your time,

[YOUR NAME].

If looking up the late policy stresses you out, delete that section of the sentence.�� Make sure the email has sent.

You then should get yourself a glass of your preferred beverage and maybe a snack and then go to sleep or nap, depending on your deadline time.  School is stressful.  Writing deadlines are stressful.  You are expending a lot of energy working very hard and being very brave and this should be rewarded.

These next steps can be taken immediately, if you have enough time, or after an answer on the potential extension, if you did not.

It is editing time.  Take those bunch of raw word vomit and pretty it up a bit. If speech to text then you need to fix all the words that the program transcribed wrong.  Sometimes there's the rare app that will leave you with both the audio and the transcript and you can reference the former to fix the latter.  Make sure to check for homophones, machines are still learning the difference between "write" and "right."  In the machines defense, writing is very difficult.

Put in evidence and quotations that are much harder to verbalize on the fly.  Maybe in your summarization you have already marked where this evidence should go.  Reword sentences to make them appropriate to written format instead of voice. Feel free to expand your ideas.

You now have a bunch of words that you can turn in.  Congratulations!  Do that, check to make sure you have a receipt of your submittal as I have fucked myself that way many a time.  Revisit the step of hydrate/refuel/hibernate.  Rejoice.

Remind yourself that you have done some very hard important work.  Hopefully this method has made that easier.  If it has not, I hope it at least has not made it worse, especially if you are already stumped.  From reading your ask, I'm not certain that's the situation at all but I'm playing it safe.

Do not feel bad if this method did not work.  I myself benefit from it by being a very particular person.

Mileage varies.  This method gave me a 1,200 rough draft after speaking into a microphone for eight minutes and forty-one seconds.  Which made me very, very angry, particularly at my mother, but that is a story for another day.

#my post #ask and answer #i answer #worst ways to essay

[travelling-on-the-octopath]

any headcanons / favorite things / silly ideas you have about dimivain? 👀👀 either romantic or platonic or everything in between, it's just always a delight to find a fellow connoisseur who loves these two trucks

[I'm gonna cite some cute little dialogues between them from Three Hopes, so tread gently if you're trying to go into the game absolutely blind.]

Okay these two make me deranged. Like as individuals they fucking rot my brain. Self-destruction in different genres; unwavering loyalty that's bone-deep; a view of themselves that's so damaged that there's no choice but to follow through on behaviours they think suit the worst they have to offer--and then they get SLAPPED TOGETHER and HOO BOY do they hurt!! Oh god the lads!! The dudes!! Agony!

I very much like to read romances that are devoted in nature. They're smitten, they're gone on each other, wrapped around each other like a braid of distinct colours; still their own entities, but woven together in a way that lets them both shine. These two? Oh boy. It's them. It's the dudes.

Because like. Hear me out here. Sylvain flat-out loves Dimitri. I take no criticism on this because there has always been evidence to that effect. And what's great about them is that it's just. Sort of always there? It's quiet but it's always there, showing in little ways the great way they care for each other. So allow me to compile a list of all my favourite dimivain moments.

Spoiler. It's all of them.

Dimitri before the Lions fuck off to tell Miklan to get good: "House Gautier is Sylvain's home. It would be nice of you to check on him as well."

Sylvain while everyone is trying to parse out Dimitri's breakdown: "I knew he'd been carrying the burden of that tragedy. I understand his thirst for revenge. His family and closest friends...all massacred right in front of him."

Dimitri feeling safe comfortable enough to say, "Will you never let that rest?! It was many years ago! Perhaps a good knock on the head will help you to finally forget about it..." and not have it be an outright threat/ruin the mood with Sylvain.

Sylvain being the one of Dimitri's only friends to use his name regularly (interchanged with "Your Highness")

And it's so goofy but like the fact that their dynamic shows in part in their support when Sylvain is all "Relax, Your Highness. Relax. I'll sort this whole thing out, real easy. [...] You just wait right there, and I'll fix everything."

and the VINDICATION i feel whenever I think about their Three Hopes interactions. Oh god. Spoilers are in tiny text

Sylvain, post-chores: "See, even I can be useful sometimes! I probably could've gotten away with doing less, actually ;)." Dimitri, post-chores: "I've never once doubted your utility, Sylvain :( Do not be so quick to belittle yourself."

Sylvain, in-battle: "That's our king! ;) Wherever you go, we'll be right there with you." (THIS ONE . . . HOO BOY IT FUCKED ME UP. I had to pause the battle and set down my damn controller.)

Also the sheer difference of Dimitri's Sylvain introductions between Hopes and Houses gljdflkgj like "He's a good person, even if he's a bit of a whore" and "he's a slut, and he's smarter than all of us combined. i would know" is just such a wild range for talking about someone for the first time that I'm forced to confront how well Dimitri really does know Sylvain.

Sylvain reminding Dimitri to stay calm when they march on Enbarr <//3

The AGONY of "Striking down the Empire is my offering to His Highness."

Everything about the Tailtean Plains to be honest. Like getting to Dimitri inherently means going through Sylvain first. Sylvain is a Gautier, at the end of the day, and he does it well; the crown doesn't walk into hell without a Gautier watching their back, picking off the threats that aren't close enough to be an immediate danger.

And, of course, my favourite: "I don't feel like I can just forget all the awful stuff he's done...But if His Highness is owning up to his past, and trying to move forward...I figure I can give him that chance. We've been friends since we were kids. I'm gonna be there for him all the way to the end." (i teared up reading through this on the datamine. they're fucking insane. i love them.)

I mentioned this in the tags of my recent post, but the dynamic between House Gautier and House Blaiddyd is an untapped gold mine, at LEAST as far back as Lambert (though that may be expanded upon with Three Hopes, if word on the street is to be believed). Gautier's responsibility is to protect and defend; Blaiddyd's duty is to bear a crown worth protecting. They're so tightly woven that it makes me dizzy. Sylvain, for all intents and purposes, is a defender. He's cited to have come in in clutch and saved his friends over and over again, and that combined with his complex relationship with his destiny as margrave/his destiny that's only as awful as he lets it be lends itself to a man that fights for one thing and one thing only: what he loves.

What's also wild is that like. Plonk them into any AU and it simply works. Tortured souls in the form of overly empathetic gentleman and self-deprecating clever manwhore is just so universal. Organized crime is a personal favourite of mine; I'm also partial to a sugar daddy AU. Absolute TRAVESTY that there seems to be only one fic per each of those AUs for these two. I will be rectifying this personally. Like they're so elegant in their own ways but they're so STUPID that I want to see them love the worst and best in each other.

These two have such intimate understandings of each other that jealousy is just. not a factor at all. Sylvain will make some dumb flirtatious comment and Dimitri will just wait patiently for a tender cheek kiss he knows is coming. An apology, an I love you, a thank you for not turning away at the hard-to-break habits. Sylvain reads books whenever Dimitri wakes them both with a particularly bad nightmare. Sometimes he'll read them aloud; others he'll be utterly silent so Dimitri can focus on things like their breathing and the wind.

It's less that they're little and big spoon and more . . . interwoven forks. There's never a night where they don't want to both hold and be held, so limbs are all over the place and faces are buried into whatever warmth they're closes to, but it's so good. It's so them.

Dimitri calls Sylvain beautiful--thanks him for trusting such careless hands with a heart so tender. Sings his praises and kisses him softly and fumbles the cheesy romantic stuff, but it's so much sweeter for it. Sylvain cries sometimes, but it's a good cry.

Sylvain does not leave Dimitri's side, even when his psychosis eats up the better part of his week, or the stress of trying to negotiate peace wears him down. Dimitri will try to bury himself into Sylvain's very soul, because that's always where he'll feel safest. Sometimes that manifests in sexual intimacy; sometimes it's just Dimitri pressing them together, head to toe. Their similar heights and builds are good for it.

Dimitri wears an eyepatch whose stitching is Gautier-teal. Sylvain accepts a gift from the blacksmiths specially employed by House Blaiddyd to craft weapons to withstand their strength; a promise that everything in Dimitri's power will be used to protect Sylvain as Sylvain's protected him. It's peacetime now, but a child of Faerghus knows a weapon better than most know the pen. It's a lovely gift regardless, and a little better than a dagger with the rising sun.

Byleth marries them, and the ceremony is limited to the Lions and whichever of the Academy's students/staff are free. Sylvain cracks jokes the whole way through, even when they both start crying, and Dimitri is so annoyed and so in love and when they tie together little ribbons of their regions' colours, cutting the newly woven rope in two to tie around their wrists, he whispers a quiet vow only for Sylvain's lips, his heart.

Once it becomes public knowledge that the Saviour King and his margrave are more than allies and friends, they decide to adopt a pair of siblings who were orphaned by the war. Neither really thinks themself incapable of being a good father, but they both have a fair deal of hangups over it. Sylvain knows he has to usher in peace, but teach their children when it's right to refuse to budge. Dimitri imparts to them the knowledge of both bodily and mental strength, all without forfeiting their heart.

Anyway. It's 4AM. I've been thinking about them for three hours. I'll probably wake up with more thoughts of them but this is all the dimivain word vomit I can manage in one go. Thank you so much for the ask though! I love thinking about them in any capacity.

#gangsters!dimivain . . . . #gangsters!LIONS actually . . . #Sylvain's so well-suited to it to #making any threats to the boss cower #mm yes delicious #fe #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem warriors: three hopes spoilers #fewth spoilers #dimivain #sylvain jose gautier #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #s responds #fe3h (the remix) #nugylienshyd

[swashbucklery]

May I ask what the caveats are on your recommendation of Stolen Focus?

Oh yes!

So, I'll say I loved about 80% of the book, and think it does a good job of starting an important conversation about the ways that structural factors in society are making individual attention broadly worse, and the reasons why that matters not just on an individual level but on a societal rise-of-fascism and stopping-climate-change level.

It is an overview, and not actually a super long read - about 286 pages once you take out references and cited sources - and I would have liked to see more depth on each chapter. However, the pace and level of depth also made it super approachable and quick to read and the aim of the book is really to provide an overview of his premise rather than fully examine all the causes as a definitive text, so I see why it was the way that it was.

I do like his handling of evidence overall; he cites primary sources clearly and has audio of his full interviews posted on his website to provide context for his claims, which is quite thoughtful and very thoroughly done.

There are two chapters near the end of the book where he tackles the rise in diagnosed ADHD and early childhood environment, that have attracted some criticism. I think that I would say that a lot of the arguments in, say, the Goodreads comments, are quite reductive and don't line up fully with my reading of the text. A generous reading I think is that his chapter attempts to make connections between the ways that our current society + societal relationship to technology are confounders that might be falsely inflating the current rates of ADHD diagnosis. He also makes some reasonable points about the fact that the current environment of children (more structured + supervised than even a couple of decades ago) is much more demanding in terms of the base level of focus required to "function" as a child.

However, I do think that the way that he structures the chapter doesn't do enough justice to the complexity of the topic, and has the end result of - like, he's clear that he thinks ADHD is a real diagnosis but the ways that he presents arguments undermines that, so that it comes across as though he doesn't? It's ultimately a very muddy section which is a shame because the rest of the book is really great.

So I think like, if you're able to approach that with a grain of salt and just take the gems and leave the problematic bits, it's well worth reading for the other chapters and the broader thesis. If that's going to be damaging to you to read, I'd say give it a pass.

#books i like books #mostly it's not about adhd #mostly it's about how being interrupted every 0.5 seconds with the horrors of the universe #here to bother you #is uhh bad for your brain #but i like that it's not preachy he doesn't attempt to say and here's how you can fix it if you're perfect enough #he's actually quite mindful to be like look this is actually something that requires broad advocacy because there are limits #to what you can control #and i think is a very valuable take #i just wish he hadn't touched the medical components as a non-medical person #but alas

[hypolimnions]

/ˌhīpəˈlimnēän / noun : the lower layer of water in a stratified lake, typically cooler than the water above and relatively stagnant.

open starters. memes. wanted plots. wanted opps. inspo.

guidelines :

be 18+. minors & personals please do not interact.

this blog fluctuates from low-medium activity with possible periods of absence. writing is a hobby & i try to let myself be relaxed about it.

i ship based on chemistry. i need to get a feel for the dynamic between our muses first! also, many of my muses are on the ace spectrum. please respect that.

i'm not comfortable writing smut on tumblr. a fade-to-black works fine.

i use small text & photo line-breaks. many of my muses are gifless. i truly don't care how you format. this extends to xkit — i cut my posts, but it's not a big deal if you don't. i'm more concerned with writing than aesthetics.

banned fcs : anyone who has passed away, is under 18 in the source, or has explicitly said they don't want to be used. beyond that, if i have a concern i'll approach you.

mun :

i'm rudy. 22, they/it, cst timezone.

i also write oliver quick from saltburn @fawnworked.

feel free to ask for my discord if we're mutuals!

muses :

canons :

brian lackey. mysterious skin. 19. cis male, he/him, sex-repulsed asexual. community college student, mama's boy, blossoming small-town rebel who looks like an incognito boy scout. trying to find an identity outside of his trauma, which sometimes means making questionable decisions. easily plied with liquor &/or chocolate cake. sweet as pie, usually. fc: brady corbet.

tommy gnosis (to family & the government, thomas speck). hedwig and the angry inch. 21. cis male, he/him, struggling with internalized homophobia. up-&-coming pop-rock superstar, alleged plagiarist & perpetual tabloid headline, formerly devout christian going through a very public crisis of faith. self-destructive habits are just part of the "tour lifestyle", okay? fc: michael pitt.

dexter morgan. dexter. 35. cis male, he/him, demisexual. blood spatter analyst with the miami metro PD, hobby bowler & sport fisherman, friendly neighborhood serial killer with a moral-superiority slant. adopted as a toddler; doesn't know what happened to his birth parents. has his own boat, the slice of life. fc: michael c hall. gifs by firetfly.

amalthea. the last unicorn. ageless. cis female, she/it, unlabelled. traveling in search of her long-lost family, finding her footing as a newly transfigured human woman along the way. believes she is actually a literal real-life unicorn & will talk candidly about it. aloof, naive, otherworldly. not prone to indulging in earthly pleasures, unless you count rolling around in the grass. fc: devon aoki.

alan zaveri. russian doll. 32. cis male, he/him, bisexual. ball of anxiety white-knuckling it through life, getting by on sheer determination. well-meaning & sweet but tightly wound with little interest in fun. fundamentally unsatisfied, prone to existential crises and depression spirals. reconsidering everything. fc: charlie barnett. gifs by hannahcommissions.

fandomless ocs :

elliot (ell) winslow. 29. nonbinary, he/they, demisexual. grocery store assistant manager, avid hiker, indie acoustic singer-songwriter struggling to break out. dual US & UK citizenship; was born in england & grew up there until their parents' amicable divorce when he was 12. has a (spoiled) rescue dog, louise. fc: caleb landry jones.

megan tilki. 21. cis female, she/they, straight. liberal arts student, barista, ‘cool aunt’ friend. recent big-city transplant originally from rural minnesota; transferred to a private university in the city in search of independence. really into fiber crafts. close with dax, her older sibling. fc: shannyn sossamon. gifs by stannyramirez.

dax tilki. 25. agender, any pronouns, queer & polyamorous. librarian, zine hound, musician playing basements & friend's houses. vested interest in finding & building local community, whether that be through the underground music scene or the queer scene. quiet but genuine. fc: will toledo.

andrea (andy) edfeld. werewolf. 24. nonbinary, she/it, lesbian. comes from old money owing to a successful family distillery. wanders the country on its parents' dime despite not being on speaking terms with them. non-committal, emotionally volatile. loves westerns, high fashion, & getting into pointless fights. hates full moons, old men, & anything minty. fc: mia goth. gifs by jofridapettersen.

arthur cox. vampire/flesheater (original composite lore). appears mid 30s, actually 1000+. cis male, he/him, unlabelled. ancient malevolent entity incapable of remorse & empathy. given to wild debauchery, positively brimming with joie de vivre for someone without a heartbeat. originates from ancient roman italia. can turn into an eagle-owl at will. fc: jude law. gifs by stannyramirez.

[itsclydebitches]

I kinda wonder, what could bakugou do (hori write bakugou to do) to make him less popular with the "anti" crowd. Like He was a horrid child no doubt and people who try to put blame on Deku or lessen the terrible shit bakugou did aren't great. But as we don't rly see it, we have to assume bakugous behaviour wasn't stopped, we only ever saw his mum "punishing" him when he was being rude after getting kiddnapped. Nothing will excuse what bakugou did, but he has stopped? He's overall a harsh person but he's not harrassing and bullying people anymore, specifically not deku, he's trying to attone for what he did to deku and has now apologised for it. His behaviour was never viewed as justified or good in the series, he's a scary figure in middle school, we're not meant to like his behaviour, so the series itself hasn't justified his actions.

As someone who relate to both bakugou and deku more than I'd like to admit (never told someone to jump tho, that's fucked lol) so I can 100% understand not liking or even hating bakugou but as someone who's not 15 anymore, looking back I also made a lot of really shitty decisions and like bakugou have tried to make up for it, and like deku I was 'friends' with people who hurt me.

Is there anything he can do for the "antis" to just dislike him rather that be "anti"?

(I'm very sorry if you've talked about this somewhere, you can just tell me to look for it if you have, I'll continue to look for your posts on the subject)

Hey there, anon! I think I’ve spoken about this only tangentially and/or in my main Bakugo meta, which is too big for anyone sane to read. So yeah, let’s chat here!

For me personally—and that’s all I can ever do: speak personally. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there is no single solution to please the “anti” crowd. Each fan will be looking for something slightly different in Bakugo’s character, much of which might contradict what a “stan” is currently enjoying. Given how charged a character he is, I'm not sure it's possible to get the entire fandom to like him—what I’m looking for hinges on having a different reading of the story than you seem to. Meaning, I think the series does justify his behavior. Not in any overt, super obvious way like having all the characters go, “Wow, Bakugo! I sure do love how you threaten people all the time. That’s super cool and heroic!” Things are rarely that straightforward. Rather, it’s in a more subtle, but consistent manner that paints a rather conclusive picture across hundreds of chapters.

Simply put, Bakugo is continually rewarded for his actions. Or, if not outright rewarded, his actions are ignored in a way that implies silent acceptance. Characters may not always like what he does... but they're willing to let it slide because Bakugo's heroism was always treated as a given, not something he had to earn and prove.

With the ever necessary disclaimer that I’m not fully caught up yet, here’s a list of some of the things that stood out to me in the first half of the series:

Bakugo’s bullying made him the most popular kid in school.

Bakugo’s bullying was ignored by/outright supported by the teachers.

Bakugo’s bullying did not hinder him from getting into U.A., one of the most prestigious hero schools around.

Despite acting horribly throughout his time at U.A. too, this behavior was continually ignored by the teachers and other authority figures around him.

Bakugo’s struggle to realize that other people aren’t “trash” doesn’t hurt his achievements in any way. He still gets top scores, still wins the tournament, etc.

Bakugo’s behavior gets him special attention from All Might, the greatest hero and Bakugo’s personal idol.

His behavior doesn’t make others dislike him in any manner that’s taken seriously. Everybody is still willing to not just put up with Bakugo, but—in time—start treating his behavior as a quirk (no pun intended lol) that they’re secretly fond of, rather than something he should legitimately be striving to change. Kirishima is the most overt example of this.

This is compounded by his behavior constantly being framed as humorous. Much like with Mineta’s perverted actions, characters might superficially go, “No, that’s bad!” but the story never demands any significant development because then we’d lose the “joke” of Bakugo screaming in rage at the slightest inconvenience, threatening to murder someone over nothing, constantly belittling everyone around him in a “funny” manner, etc. When fans talk about development of a manga character as archetypal and extreme as Bakugo, most don’t really want to see significant change to his base personality. Because then that would result in someone who doesn’t look like the “real” Bakugo: someone nicer, more even-tempered, more mature, etc. But for those of us who were never drawn to that personality in the first place, the continued acceptance of his rude, egotistical, and violent behavior is discomforting. The easiest comparison I can draw is between this and Bakugo’s mother slapping him. That slap is meant to be another “joke”—we see it constantly in shonen anime, something "humorous" you shouldn’t take too seriously because haha, it's just an overprotective mother—but many fans do take it seriously, using it as the basis for a whole “Bakugo was abused and this explains his behavior” reading. Well, I take the “joke” of Bakugo’s threats and insults seriously, especially in a story that starts with something like telling Izuku to jump off the roof. In the same way that many fans want others to treat Bakugo’s mother as a serious topic that has had a negative influence on his development, I want the series to take Bakugo’s everyday actions seriously as a negative influence on… well, everyone around him. But it doesn’t. His base personality is grudgingly adored.

The above two points are seen most overtly in Izuku, who never wavers in his respect for Bakugo despite how Bakugo treats him. Not just prior to U.A., but during their training too. Izuku, as the protagonist, is the emotional heart of this tale, so when he talks about how inspiring Bakugo is, it encourages the reader to see his behavior as inspiring too. Rather than, as said, something that needs to change. Izuku's continued friendship with Bakugo, his adoration of him, and his acceptance of the way he's treated has severely warped how the entire story sees Bakugo's actions. After all, if #pure Izuku can see the good in Bakugo, why can't everyone else? He must not be that bad after all.

I could get into detailed analyses of all the above—like how Bakugo was the one comforted after attacking Izuku outside the dorms at night and how the messed up relationship he has with Izuku is upheld as something to nurture; how the remedial courses he had to take were made to be rather silly, thereby undermining their supposed importance to his development; how Bakugo’s kidnapping had nothing to do with his flaws, but much of the fandom uses it as a way to dismiss any appropriate consequences because, “Hasn’t he suffered enough?” etc.—but in the interest of keeping this within a readable length, I’ll leave it at that. The point is that Bakugo has always been privileged when it comes to his behavior, resulting in others either outright praising it, ignoring it, or demanding that he change a miniscule bit, which always keeps him far below the standards of both his peers and the expectations of a hero. Everyone in 1-A must learn to be even better than the good people they already are... Bakugo needs to learn that other people aren't dirt at the bottom of his shoes. It's never been a particularly impressive development when pit against the rest of the class. All of which can make something like an apology feel pretty hollow. Yes, he’s apologized and I say with all seriousness that that’s great! But how does that apology stack up against 300+ chapters of content? As Bakugo’s words highlight, he's been a really awful person up "until now": he was consumed by Izuku being “miles ahead of [him],” he “looked down on [him]” because he didn’t have a quirk, he “didn’t want to recognize that,” he “hated that,” “grew distant,” “tried to beat you down,” “opposed you and tried to show my superiority over you,” and ends it all with, “it probably doesn’t mean anything telling you all this” before finally getting to the “I’m sorry.” This is basically a laundry list of how horrible a person Bakugo has been for the entire series, with an acknowledgement that this apology is coming really, really late. This is the moment where I could START to like Bakugo, depending on how he acts form here on out, but that pivotal moment arrived after six years of content and in the final arc of the story. It’s too late. Bakugo needed this kind of self-reflection and positive action 250+ chapters ago so he could (hopefully) grow into a better person across the story, not at the story's end. What we got instead is 322 chapters of him being a really horrible person, but the story going out of its way to excuse or even praise that behavior the majority of the time.

As a quick comparison to end on, I think what Bakugo needed was what Soo Jin got in True Beauty. You don’t need to have seen the drama to follow along. The tl;dr is that she has a lot of the core qualities of Bakugo: an all-consuming drive to win that was created due to abusive parents with high expectations, resulting in her bullying a peer to a pretty horrific extent. The difference between them is how the story frames their actions. When Soo Jin becomes the bully she loses everything. Rather than succeeding academically, her grades plummet, making it clear that this anxiety and self-doubt (things the fandom keeps insisting Bakugo is struggling with, but that rarely ever show up in the text) is actually impacting her day-to-day life. Her best friend drops her because she’s not going to support her choices. The boy she likes rejects her. She’s eventually forced to start over somewhere new - which importantly separates her from the girl she was bullying - and get some distance from her parents, resulting in the growth needed to become a healthier, happier, good person again. So when Soo Jin apologizes to the girl she hurt, it feels earned. The story continually recognized how horrific her actions were and put her into a place where she either had to change, or continue losing at everything else that was important to her. Bakugo? Bakugo doesn’t lose. Oh, he claims he does because he’s comparing himself to Izuku constantly, but that’s just him thinking in extremes. He still wins academically. Still wins many battles. Still wins at having friends. Still wins by maintaining the prestige of being a U.A. student. Still wins by getting All Might’s attention. Still wins by receiving Izuku’s respect and an agreement to maintain this rivalry that Bakugo is so obsessed with. Bakugo comes out well 99% of the time, he just thinks he's "lost" because he can't stand not being the absolute best.

For me, the story needed to have Bakugo face consequences for his behavior, not receive rewards and/or have others ignore it, and that revelation/apology needed to come way, way sooner. For me the issue is not a specific action that Horikoshi can have Bakugo do in the next chapter and them bam, I like him now. The problem is Bakugo’s entire concept, how he’s received by the entire cast, and his run across this entire series. "Entire" is the key word there. Which is why the “But he’s apologized. What more do you antis want?” reactions don’t sit well. What we wanted is a better written redemption arc across those 300+ chapters, not a single scene that’s meant to have us forget all the other problems inherent in the story. At this point it’s a far more complicated situation than, “Bakugo just needs to do X, Y, and Z and then we’re golden.” At the end of the day, Horikoshi failed to make me like him as a person and I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to change Bakugo enough to make him likable to me. Bakugo was never the sort of character I’d be inclined towards without a serious, nuanced redemption arc, but sadly, a core, crucial part of that redemption arc took six years to arrive. At this point there’s no way to change the problems in Bakugo’s writing for that huge chunk of the series and not enough time left in the series, it seems, to do the work we should have seen across the entire run. Honestly, idk if the Bakugo we'll get going forward is someone I can just dislike as opposed to being really uncomfortable with, but my money is on there being too little story left and too much investment in upholding Bakugo's base personality for that to happen. I could absolutely be proven wrong! But I think the problems are structural and needed to be better dealt with from page one, not hastily patched over in the final hour.

#BNHA #My Hero Academia #anti bakugo

[mighteeone-manager-lee]

You mentioned Quentin reminding you of Moon-Soo and NO-SPIN, would it be alright to ask about the other members?

"That should answer your question. I would say more, but... as you can imagine, it's a very raw subject. This is what came to my head. Maybe I'll articulate it better in the future if there's a follow-up question."

|| The mun is back!! Yes, I designed and wrote headcanons for an entire boy group in my absence, so hopefully that makes up for it. I've been, as previously stated, immensely busy with traveling and university preparation. Tack on my tackling this much bigger prompt and switching to CSP and you've got a recipe for a mini unannounced hiatus! I missed you all ♡ I still can't believe we hit 100 followers while I was away, so thank you again! || Once again, none of these are canon takes seeing as NO-SPIN hasn't been elaborated on beyond there being five members. I took full artistic liberty with these designs and the lore. That being said, other ask blogs/artists are free to reference/use/draw/write about my interpretation of NO-SPIN with CREDIT! Please tag me if you do; I’d love to see people’s takes on them! And the last panel is intended to represent the day of the fire in case it wasn't clear.

|| I've added more headcanons about each member under the cut if that interests you all! Again, I am not Korean and am new to the KPop scene, so please DM me for any cultural misrepresentations and I'll correct them quickly. I intend on representing the industry and Korea as faithfully and respectfully as possible. You're welcome to ask more about them, even OOC! I may just answer with text posts to be quick about it unless asked to Yun-jin specifically.

Updated as of September 2022

SEA — Leader | Main Vocalist | 27 upon death

★ real name = Seung-hyun | The first member of NO SPIN and the leader, the group was built around the dynamic between him and Yi-eun: his close trainee relation ★ His stage name is based on the first character of his given name: Seung. ‘Sea’ sounds like the letter ‘C’, taken from the ‘Se’ in Seung. Furthermore, 㴍 (one of the characters that can be used to indicate ‘Seung’, though not that used in his name) is used in the name of a body of water. As a bonus, he grew up on the Busan seaside. ★ Has a degree in theater: an excellent actor who guest-starred in a fairly popular K-Drama prior to Ji-woon joining NO SPIN in an attempt to help gain face for the group ★ Stood at 5’7” prior to his death ★ The so-dubbed smart/sensible member of the group. The fans weren’t incorrect to distinguish him as such— he often offered Yun-jin his counsel in the marketing of the group, well aware that they weren’t doing well ★ Made a serious attempt to connect with Ji-woon to ease Yi-eun’s concern and to serve as a good leader ★ His representative emoji was 🐬

YI-EUN— Mathyung [Eldest Member] | Main Rapper, Lead Dancer | The Visual | 28 upon Death

☆ Did not trustJi-woon. Didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him; his otherwise very positive, respectful relationship with Yun-jin was jeopardized by her adamant defense of the new member. However, he was also good at turning on the charm for the cameras and acting just as positive towards Hak as he did the others. Them having a subtle 'rivalry' became a point of endearment to the fans because "it wasn't serious". ☆ Known for his "sexy" aloofness by fans, a pretty smirk, and his ‘princely’ laugh. In actuality, he was very protective and caring towards the younger members ☆ Tallest member! Stood 5’11.5” at his prime ☆ Second member to join the group; NO SPIN was built around his relationship with the leader as the two of them were trainees together ☆ University-educated with a masters in Political Science at the time of his death ☆ Ambassador/model for multiple luxury brands ☆ His representative emoji/animal was 🐆

MOON-SOO — Maknae Line [ Second Youngest ] | Sub Rapper, Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist | 22 upon death

☆ Perhaps the most popular member of the group before Ji-woon’s arrival, Soo was doted on often by the fans who regarded him with deep endearment. He reciprocated their sweetness and made frequent livestream appearances to appease them ☆ Well-known for his constantly unnaturally colored hair (admittedly was a bit jealous that Yun-jin matched with Ji-woon when she had rarely if ever done so with him). Once Ji-woon joined, he elected to stick to pastel and soft colors to maintain his aesthetic but not step on Hak’s toes ☆ On the topic of Ji-woon, he warmed up immediately to the newcomer and tried his absolute hardest to connect with him genuinely (fans were simply obsessed with their juxtaposing energies). He was extremely genuine with and even tailed the new inductee at appearances, seemingly attached to Hak with little reason for it. Moon-soo wanted him to feel welcome. The older members often put aside arguing with Ji-woon to satiate Moon-soo. ☆ stood at 5’9” prior to his death ☆ exceptionally talented in sports! A very proficient tennis and baseball player as well as a trained ballet and hip-hop dancer. Incredible gymnastics skill; would have been an international competitor if not for idolhood. ☆ A good person. Resting smile and desperate to keep everyone sensible and together. ☆ Also a frequent brand ambassador/model! ☆ His representative emoji/animal was 🐶

U-EON — Producer, Lead Rapper | 25 upon death

★ real name = Min-ho; his stage name is a mostly phonetic spelling of 우연 (‘uyeon’), meaning ‘chance’ or, less positively, ‘accident’. It is a reference to his sense of good fortune for being where he is after his past. It is also a reference to his love for his fans— ‘U’ refers to the audience and ‘Eon’ (a time period of a billion years) to the amount of time he said he would love them for ★ Widely perceived as ‘shy’ (which he very much is; Yun-jin had her doubts when she assumed NO SPIN), he has a powerful, shocking, and alluring stage presence. It’s like two very different people are performing or anywhere else ★ He was originally a producer for Mightee One, which is how he met Sea and Yi-eun; he was creating pre-debut tracks for them and was ultimately assimilated into the group they were building around them when they just clicked as a trio! ★ crafted an independent mixtape released by Mightee One. While fairly commercially successful, it was decided that his energy should be diverted to the group ★ a notably talented songwriter, he worked on a lot of tracks released both before and after Ji-woon’s arrival. The jokes about him being Yun-jin’s ‘co-producer’ died pretty quickly (she didn’t like them), but she will acknowledge his consistent contributions. It was difficult for him to adjust to the new sound Ji-woon brought to the group as U-EON’s best genre was ballads (second best was rap) ★ His representative animal/emoji was 🐹 

And, as a bonus, I headcanon that JI-WOON was a main dancer and lead vocalist upon joining the group. People began to debate as to whether or not he was the group's new visual member despite a formal change never being made; Hak was extremely appealing to thousands of new fans. He was immediately made NO-SPIN's center and appeared front and, well, center in the new wave of promotional material and at performances. NO SPIN was seriously lacking a main dancer (while Moon-Soo and Yi-eun were talented, they weren’t as good as other groups’ mains. All members can dance as expected by the industry, but the leads were not to par with other boy groups’ mains), so Ji-woon was also cleverly hired by Lee to compensate that. The group's color was neon pink (the hue the hangul characters in the DLC trailer/logo are written in, specifically). Thank you kindly for reading if you did this far! ✰

#response #dbd ask blog #yun jin lee #the trickster #ji woon hak #dead by daylight #dbd headcanons #all kill #my art #Thank you for the ask! #sorry for my extended absence; I'm actually posting this while out of the country! #It was a hell of a project to work on #And I switched to Clip Studio Paint #so another layer was added to the adventure! #It's positively lovely to be back ♡ #oh and please pretend like I didn't accidentally hyphenate no spin multiple times um #DbD #bury a friend || no spin ☆★♪ #Things We Lost in the Fire || NO SPIN ♪

[imaginationintowords]

Folklore [song series]

my tears ricochet

Modern Day AU! Bucky Barnes x Natasha Romanoff; Steve Rogers x OC!Reader

Plot: Inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album Folklore. The story follows the timeline of Bucky and Elizabeth’s life throughout the years

[warnings: death, and funeral]

word count: 4829

[a/n: sorry for such a long wait. I've been busy. I thought once I was done for the semester I would have a lot more time to work on my stories, but if anything my summer break has been more hectic. Just because I haven't been posting, doesn't mean I haven't been working on them. Just know that I am working on the new chapters for this and for TKWBA, just need a bit of patience from you all. Also thank-you for the continue love and support on all my work]

Series Masterlist

Tag list info here [if you want to be tagged please read this]

Age: 21

Year: Sep. 2015

Location: Brooklyn, NY & Stanford, CA

Elizabeth was sat at her desk doing her homework. She was anxiously waiting for Steve's call about the baby arriving. He had called her two hours prior to let her know that Natasha had gone into labor, and they were at the hospital. Steve told her that he'd call her as soon as he heard the news. She tried her hardest to focus on her homework, but she found herself constantly checking her phone for any updates.

Suddenly her phone started going off. She instantly picked it up and answered the call.

"Is the baby here?" She immediately asked.

"Liz," Steve choked out.

"Steve, what's wrong?" She could hear the distress in his voice.

"Natasha, she," he tried to say but the words got caught in his throat, and she could hear the soft cries.

"Steve, breathe," she tries to calm him down the best she could without actually physically being with him.

Elizabeth was simultaneously trying to keep herself calm, and not rush into any assumptions.

"She died," he said after calming himself down enough to tell her what happened.

"She died?"

"I guess there were complications, he tells her, still unsure of what exactly happened.

Steve hadn't thought to ask further into what exactly happened when Bucky's mom called to tell him the devastating news. He couldn't wrap his head around what she was telling him. He just never imagined that this would be the outcome of his best friend welcoming his first child into the world.

Steve clears his throat trying to force the lump back down.

"I'm catching the next flight out to New York," he tells Elizabeth, "I just gotta be there for Bucky."

"Yeah, of course," she says, completely understanding.

"I know you can't exactly fly out now, without letting your professors know, so as soon as I find out all the funeral," his throat catches at the word, he takes a small breath, "all the funeral information I'll let you know."

"Okay that works," she agrees.

"Okay. I haven't to pack real quick and get to the airport within the next hour," he tells her.

"Okay, I'll let you go."

"Wait, Steve," she calls out before he could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"I love you," she says with a shaky voice.

"I love you too, so much," he says, "I'll text you when I board the plane."

After one final goodbye, Steve hangs up the phone.

The flight seemed like Steve's longest one he's ever been on. As soon as he landed he quickly grabbed his carry on, the only thing aside from his backpack that he brought with him. Elizabeth had messaged him letting him know that she could bring more of his stuff once she flies out.

Steve made his way out of the airport to find his mom waiting for him by her car. He quickly made his way towards her and wrapping his arms around her.

On the drive to Bucky's apartment Steve sent Liz a text letting her know he landed. He then called Bucky's mom to let her know he was on the way.

"Thank-you for coming out Steve," Winnie thanks him, "The baby is just about to get discharged, we should be at the apartment before you get there."

"Of course, I'll see you guys soon," he says hanging up the phone.

Steve then sends a quick email to his boss and professors explains his absence and why he'll most likely be gone for a couple of weeks.

An hour later Steve's mom was stopping outside of Bucky's building.

"Let them know I'm here if they need anything," his mom tells him before he exists the car, "I'll come back at noon with lunch for everyone."

"Thanks Mom," he says leaning over to kiss her cheek.

Steve exists the car leaving his bags with his mom. He takes one final breath before walking to the front doors. Steve presses the call button for Bucky's apartment and was immediately buzzed in.

As soon as he reaches Bucky's door, he knocks quietly. The door opens and he's welcomed by Rebecca. He takes in the sullen face on the teenage girl.

"Hey Bec," he says.

"Hi," she quietly says, as they hug each other in the door way.

When they pull apart she steps aside letting him inside.

"It's just my parents and I here. Bucky didn't want to deal with a lot of people right now," she explains to Steve.

"Steve," he hears from his left, Keith, Bucky's stepdad makes his way out of the small kitchenette over to him, and embracing him, "Thank-you so much for coming. We know you're a very busy person."

Before Steve could respond Bucky's mom Winnie walks into the living room.

"Oh Steve," she immediately wraps her arms around him.

"Thank-you so much for coming on such a short notice," she says. Steve could hear the shakiness in her voice. He could tell she was trying to keep it together. No doubt the last 12 hours being the most stressful and emotional she's ever been.

"There's no need to thank me. This is where I need to be," he tells them.

"Let us at least pay you back for the flight," Keith says.

"No, don't worry about that," Steve waves him off, "I had a lot of miles that needed to be used."

"Well, thank-you again," Keith nods his head, understanding where Steve was coming from.

"You can go on ahead Steve. Bucky is waiting for you in the nursery," Winnie tells him, giving him an assuring nod, he nods back making his way towards the nursery.

The short walk seemed like it was much longer. Steve has never felt so nervous in his life. When he approaches the closed door, he softly knocks on it.

"Come in," Bucky calls from inside.

Steve walks in, closing the door behind him. He's immediately greeted by Bucky sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, feeding his newborn daughter.

"Hey," Steve softly says, not sure what to say.

"Hey," Bucky greeted Steve with a sad smile.

It had been 12 hours later and it still didn't feel real to Bucky. The hospital had even offered the chance for him and Poppy to stay a couple of days, but all Bucky wanted to do was to go home and get away from the hospital. But now being back in the apartment without Natasha was surreal. He was trying his best to keep it all in, at least while the baby is awake and needs him.

He was determined in being the one that cared for her, even when his mom offered to take care of her for a few hours while he gets some rest. He assured her that he needed to do this. He had to do it alone, because he knew that soon enough it would just be him and Poppy.

Bucky was very grateful when he heard Steve was flying out. He felt like Steve was the only one he could really talk to about everything going on.

Steve was still standing by the door, just watching his best friend be a dad for the first time. He had no idea what to say in this kind of situation. The words were caught in his throat the moment he actually saw Bucky.

"Thanks for coming," Bucky says breaking the silence. Steve immediately looks away from the baby to meet Bucky's eyes.

"You would've done the same thing," Steve says, "And like I've said before, I'll always be here for you."

"I don't care how far, I'll always be on that first flight to you," Steve continues, he glances down at the now sleepy baby, "You're my brother Buck."

There was a moment of silence between the young men. Both understanding what the other one means with such few words.

Steve watched as Bucky gently placed the sleepy baby on his shoulder to burp her.

"It suits you," Steve quietly remarks.

"What?" Bucky looked up at him confused.

"Fatherhood, it suits you," Steve says again, stepping closer to his friend.

"You think?" Bucky looks back down at the now sleeping baby.

"Yeah. I know it's only been less than a day, but you look natural. Make it look easy."

"Thanks," Bucky smiled, getting up for the he chair and walking over to the crib to gently place Poppy in.

Steve walked over, standing next to Bucky, watching the little one sleep peacefully.

"What's her name?" Steve whispered, realizing that he hadn't found out what the name of the baby was.

"Poppy James Barnes," Bucky proudly says.

"That's cute," Steve commented, he placed his right hand on Bucky's left shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Bucky looked over at Steve and they both nodded their heads in agreement, before falling into an embrace.

"I am so sorry," Steve quietly says.

"It happened so quick, she barely even got to see the baby," Bucky quietly cried into Steve's shoulder, "I never even thought of this would be the outcome. I never imagined I'd be coming home solo with the baby."

Steve tightened his embrace on Bucky, just listening to his friend.

"I don't know how I'm going to do this Steve. I don't know how I'm going to raise her without her mom. I'm trying to keep it together to not worry my mom, but fuck Steve, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm scared I'll screw this all up. I'm scared I'll screw her up.

"I'm so scared Steve," Bucky cries.

"It's okay to be scared," Steve tries his best to comfort Bucky, "I'd be more concerned if you weren't scared. This is entirely new territory for you. You're raising a child, a child who unfortunately no longer has her mother. That alone is a fucking terrifying thing to go through.

"It's not going to be easy. There's no point in lying to you, and saying it will. You and I both that won't be the truth. But if there's anyone I know who could do this, it's you Buck. You're the strongest person I know. Whatever has happened before this doesn't matter. The only thing that matters now is that little girl. And I know damn well you're going to give her the best life she will ever have," Steve pulls away from Bucky and holds onto his shoulders.

"And you're not alone in this. You have a lot of people who care about you, and now Poppy. You will never be alone. You'll always have someone to call, someone to help you. You're crazy to think we would ever leave you to do this alone. We're here, and we're not going anywhere. You and Poppy will never have to be alone. She might not have her mom, but she's got you, and I know damn well you won't ever let her wonder what being without one parent truly feels like.

"You've got this Buck," Steve assures him, "And we're here every step of the way."

"Thanks Steve," Bucky sniffles, wiping the tears away.

"No need to thank me," Steve smiles, "Now why don't you go take a nap. Get some rest. We're here if Poppy wakes up."

"Yeah I could use some sleep," Bucky yawns, his adrenaline from the last 12 hours fading away.

Steve walks Bucky to his bedroom and watches as he gets into his bed, and quickly falls asleep. He quietly closes the door behind him, with the baby monitor in one hand checking to make sure Poppy is still asleep.

He walks back into the living room, placing the monitor by the tv for everyone to see and hear.

"They're both asleep," Steve announces to the room.

"Oh thank goodness," Winnie sighs, "James hasn't taken a moment to rest since everything happened."

"Knowing Bucky, we'll probably have to be forcing him to rest for the next couple of weeks," Steve says.

"I just got off of the phone with Natasha's father," Keith said walking back inside the apartment.

"What did he say?" Winnie asked.

"He said that the funeral is all up to us," Keith sighs, "Something about how Natasha made her own path with getting pregnant, and that once she left she was no longer his responsibility."

"He really said that?" Winnie asked mortified.

"I'm afraid so," Keith sighed, "I tried reasoning with him saying we would handle everything financially and he can come to the funeral but he said no."

"What kind of father doesn't show up to his own daughter's funeral," Winnie shakes her head in complete disbelief.

"Explains why Natasha was the way she was," Rebecca whispered, so that only Steve could hear her.

He reluctantly agrees.

Two weeks later

Elizabeth was helping Steve with his tie in his childhood bedroom. She had flown in yesterday for today's funeral services. Elizabeth had gotten in late last night, so she still hasn't seen Bucky or Poppy yet. She was a let to get a week off of work and her professors gave her an extension on her assignments when she explained to them what happened.

"I still can't believe Natasha's dad isn't going," she says as she straightens out Steve's tie.

"Bucky's mom is still holding out hope that he shows up," Steve says.

"What does Bucky think of it all?" Elizabeth asks.

"He's not worrying about it," Steve explains, looking over himself in the mirror, "His only concern right now is Poppy and only Poppy. If Nat's dad shows up then he does. But as of now Bucky has made the decision that he will not be in Poppy's life. Not until he proves himself."

"That's very mature," she says grabbing her purse.

"This Buck is like a whole new one you've never seen before. Fatherhood has made him a thousand times more grown up these last couple of weeks."

"That's good."

"Ready to go?" Steve asked her, grabbing the keys to his mom's car.

"Yup," Elizabeth says following Steve out.

Bucky had asked Steve to pick him and Poppy up, and Steve had of course agreed.

They arrived to Bucky's apartment in fifteen minutes. Walking up to Bucky's door they could hear a lot of commotion coming from inside. Steve used the key Bucky gave him to let himself and Elizabeth in.

As soon as they walked in they were greeted by the sounds of a baby crying.

"Buck?" Steve called out.

"We're in here," he calls from the nursery.

They go to the nursery to find Bucky looking frazzled while trying to change Poppy's diaper.

"I'm so sorry. I'm running so behind," Bucky tells them, glancing over his shoulder quickly,

"Poppy didn't sleep well last night. And nothing I've tried has been working."

"It's okay Buck, just take your time," Steve calmly says.

"I still need to shower, shave, and get dressed," Bucky rambles, "She's going to need another change of clothes because she spat all over herself, and my mom only bought this one outfit for today."

"Hey Bucky, calm down," Elizabeth calmly spoke up, placing her hand on his back, "Take a breath."

Bucky felt the warmth and comfort from Liz's touch. He listens to what she says and takes a deep breath.

"Okay good," she says, "now you go get ready. Steve and I got this."

"Okay," he nods his head, handing the baby over to Elizabeth, "thank-you."

"Of course," she softly smiles at him, "now go get ready."

Bucky quickly makes his way out of the room and into his own to get ready.

Elizabeth looks down at the small baby in her arms. She could see so much of Bucky in the baby with hints of Natasha. It was a little strange for her to be holding Bucky's baby and it not being her baby as well. Not that she ever wanted to get back together with Bucky, because she didn't. There was just a little voice in her head, that of her teenage self, saying how it was supposed to be them, doing this together.

She quickly shut the voice down.

Elizabeth was incredibly sympathetic of Bucky's situation. All she wanted to do was be there for him, as a friend. She wanted Bucky to succeed as a father, and she would do what she could to make that happen.

Steve silently watched Elizabeth watching Poppy. He couldn't really read her expression. He hates to admit it to himself, especially with everything going on, but he was slightly worried about how Liz would react to all of this. He had faith in their relationship, of course he trusted her immensely. But he still couldn't help but feel like she might decide to leave him for Bucky. Elizabeth turned around to see Steve looking at her with a distant look in his eyes.

"You good?" She gently asked, breaking him from his self-destructive thoughts.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," she nods her head, handing the baby over to him, "I'm going to try and find her a new outfit.

"Okay," Steve says sitting down with the baby.

"I love you," Liz quietly says to Steve, knowing what could possibly going through his mind, if hers was also wandering.

"I love you," Steve replies back, finding himself relaxing at just hearing those three words, any doubt slipping away.

30 minutes later Bucky was ready to go. He walked out to the living room where he found Steve and Elizabeth sitting with each other holding the baby. He paused for a moment taking in the scene in front of him. He felt a sense of warmth and low flow through him as his closest friends admire his daughter. In that moment he knew he had made the right decision in what he would tell them next.

Steve glanced up to see Bucky leaning against the frame of the hallway.

"Ready?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, but I actually wanted to ask you two something before we go," Bucky says walking over and sitting on a chair next to the couch.

"Sure, what's up?" Steve leans forward, leaning on his knees, giving Bucky his full attention.

Elizabeth tears her eyes away from Poppy to also give Bucky her full attention. She smiles at him, letting him know he could continue on.

"I first and foremost just want to thank you Steve, for what probably is the hundredth time," Bucky says, "I know you have a lot going on with work and school. So I really appreciate everything you've done for me and for Poppy. And you too Elizabeth, I know you're incredibly busy especially with law school prep. And with everything that's happened between-"

"Don't," she stopped him, "What's past is past."

"Well anyways, thank-you," Bucky says, "Now here comes what I wanted to ask you two. There's no other two people I wouldn't trust more with Poppy. So I wanted to ask if you would be her godparents?"

"Really?" Elizabeth asked taken back by Bucky's request.

"Yes," he nods his head, "There's no one else I wouldn't trust with her if anything happens. It'll help me sleep better knowing she'll have two people who'll love her like I would. Two people who have so much love between them, that I know will always be together."

Both Steve and Elizabeth were taken back by Bucky's last statement. They knew Bucky had accepted their relationship, but to actually have him not only say it out loud but to practically give them his blessing, it meant the world to the couple.

Steve and Elizabeth both share a look with tears glistening in their eyes. Elizabeth nods her head.

Steve turns back to Bucky, "We'd be honored to be Poppy's godparents."

Elizabeth and Steve stood up to hug Bucky. All filled with a wide range of emotions. Bucky felt a huge sense of comfort after asking Liz and Steve to be Poppy's godparents. He knew he made the right decision, and he knew he could now sleep better at night knowing his daughter would be taken care of. And by two people he knows can love her the way he does.

After what happened with Natasha, Bucky just wanted to make sure Poppy would be taken care of. If she couldn't have her parents, then she would have the closest thing to having parents. And Bucky knows Steve and Elizabeth would be amazing parents.

That alone allowed him to be at peace for whatever may happen.

Arriving to the funeral location Bucky felt his nerves start to spike. He sat in the backseat looking out the window at the familiar faces walking into the chapel.

"You okay?" Elizabeth asked turning in her seat, after Steve parked the car.

"I don't know if I can do this," he mutters, glancing towards the sleeping baby in the car seat next to him.

"We'll be right next to you along the entire way," Liz calmly says.

"If you feel too overwhelmed we'll leave whenever you want," Steve tells him, "We won't stay if you absolutely can't handle it. No one will hold it against you."

"Okay," Bucky takes a deep breath.

"Stay here, I'll get the stroller out," Steve says, getting out of the car.

"No one is expecting you to be brave, Buck," Elizabeth says, "You're allowed to be vulnerable. You're allowed to show emotions."

He nods his head, taking in what she's telling him.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small necklace. Clutching onto it as if his life depended on it.

Elizabeth catches the small 'N' on it, realizing that that was the necklace Natasha wore everyday since she was 13.

Bucky takes one final deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Okay, I'm ready," he tells her.

"Okay, let's do this."

Bucky was grateful that they arrived only minutes before the service started. Everyone was already seated in the pews.

He slowly walked down the aisle pushing the stroller, Steve and Elizabeth walking right behind him.

Bucky tried his best to avoid any eye contact with everyone. He couldn't bare to look at the pity in their eyes.

He caught sight of his family siting in the second row. He also noticed a man sitting alone in the first row.

He instantly knew who it was.

Once Bucky reached the first row, the man made to movement to greet Bucky.

Bucky cleared his throat, "Mr. Romanoff."

The older man looked over at Bucky, then at the stroller.

"James," he stiffly said, turning his attention back to the front.

Bucky awkwardly sat down placing the stroller next to his legs, away from Natasha's father, while Steve and Elizabeth sat next to Bucky.

The service was going smoothly up until the priest announced that Natasha's father would be making a speech, catching everyone off guard.

Bucky looked at the older man as he walked up to the stand. He turned around to face his mom, "Did you know this?" he whispered.

"No I didn't," she shook her head.

Right as Mr. Romanoff was about to start speaking, Poppy began to cry. Bucky quickly went to get her out of the stroller, while Steve quickly went to grab a bottle to help him out.

As soon as the baby calmed down Mr. Romanoff began to speak.

"First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for coming," he begins, "I really appreciate it. Natasha would be eternally grateful for all of you."

Bucky started to get annoyed by the beginning of Mr. Romanoff's speech. As if the man didn't turn down the invitation for the last two weeks. Now he's trying to act like the perfect father, as if he didn't kick her out and cut off his pregnant daughter.

"Natasha was a kind hearted person. Only wanting the best for those closest to her. She was the most selfless person you would have ever met," he continued on with his speech.

Elizabeth couldn't help but be confused by Mr. Romanoff's speech. She hated thinking ill of the dead, but that man had no idea who his daughter truly was.

"Natasha was so smart, earning her way into Yale. She was only months away from graduating. I was so incredibly proud of her. If only we would've gotten the opportunity to watch her walk across the stage.

"Other than leaving an everlasting impression on all of us, she also left behind a part of her. Her last moments on Earth was spent bringing in another Romanoff," he says.

Bucky's head snapped up to Mr. Romanoff, then towards Steve.

"Romanoff?" Bucky whispered, "This man has the fucking nerve."

"Ignore him," Steve whispered back, trying to calm Bucky down, "He's just saying all of this to make himself look good."

"Natasha brought her daughter into the world," Mr. Romanoff continued, forcing fake tears to fall, "I remember being by her side as she was in labor."

Bucky clenched his jaw, forcing himself not to call Mr. Romanoff out on his lies.

"As she was dying," Mr. Romanoff paused for dramatic effect, "Her only request was to name her daughter after her."

Steve paled his hand on Bucky's shoulder, trying his best to calm him down. It was too late, Bucky was already placing Poppy in Steve's arms.

"What a fucking lie," Bucky stood up shouting at Mr. Romanoff, causing everyone to gasp.

"James," Mr. Romanoff said through gritted teeth, as a warning.

"How could you just lie to all these people?" Bucky shouted, "How could you lie as if you didn't disown Natasha months prior when she told you she was pregnant. Or when my parents kept inviting you to the funeral, you kept saying no and how Natasha's decisions led to their death. How dare you say you were in the delivery room. As if you didn't have her number blocked.  My mom and I were there when things took a horrible turn. We were there when the doctor walked out and told us Natasha didn't make it. Not you! Us!

"Then you go on to make some shitty story about Nat's last words. Which is completely false. Natasha never wanted to name the baby after herself, you'd actually know that if you were actually present in her life. But you weren't. And you sure as hell will never be a part of your granddaughter's life."

Bucky turned to Steve and Liz, "Let's go."

They nodded their heads and helped put Poppy in the stroller. They followed Bucky as he walked out of the chapel.

After leaving the funeral services, Steve was able to calm Bucky down. Winnie had called Elizabeth to let her know that the burial services the next day were officially going to be private. Liz agreed that that'd be best for everyone involved. Especially with what happened during the funeral services.

The burial service was only attended by Bucky, and his family, along with Elizabeth and Steve.

Everything went along smoothly. Everyone giving Bucky the safe space to grieve.

After the burial, everyone gave Bucky a few moments alone at the grave site so he can say his final goodbyes.

"Hey Nat," he pauses taking a deep breath, "these last two weeks haven't been the easiest. But boy have they been amazing. I may be more exhausted than I've ever been, but boy is she worth it.

"She may only be two weeks but I can already tell she's going to be the most amazing person ever," he softly cries, "You would've loved her so much. But like I promised back at the hospital, she'll never not know who her mother was. I will always make sure she knows who you were. Always."

"Goodbye Natasha," he whispered, before walking away to join his family waiting.

Age: 26

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Year: 2020

"Daddy, what's this?" Poppy calls out to her father from his bedroom.

"What's what petal?" He asked walking into the room, finding her surrounded by boxes, as they prep for their move uptown.

"This," she holds up the small necklace with the 'N'.

Bucky kept that necklace in a small box in his nightstand. He kept it at the bottom of his nightstand for safe keepings. Planning on one day to give it to his daughter. He always planned to wait until she was 16, but he figures now is as good as ever.

"That was your mommy Natasha's," he said walking over to her, and sitting next to her on his bed, "She got it when she was 13, and wore it every day up until when she died."

"It's pretty," she says admiring it in her hands.

"It is isn't it," he smiles at his little girl, "It's now yours."

He grabs the necklace from her little hands. He unclasps it, then gently moves her dirty blonde hair to the side. He places the necklace around her neck, and clasps it shut.

"Thank-you daddy," she smiles brightly at her father, admiring the necklace that now lay on her chest.

Bucky smiled at his daughter, watching as she kept admiring the necklace. It was a little big on her, but he knew she would grow into it.

"Anything for you baby," he kisses the top of her head, "Anything."

#folklore song series #my tears ricochet #my tears ricochet folklore song series #bucky barnes x natasha romanoff #buckynat #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fanfiction #steve rogers x oc #original character series #steve rogers x original character #original female character #steve rogers x original female character #angst #steve rogers angst #bucky barnes fluff #natasha romanoff fanfiction #natasha romanoff angst #modern day au #bucky barnes modern day #bucky barnes modern day au #bucky barnes modern au #folklore taylor swift #avengers modern day au #mcu modern day au #steve rogers fluff

[citadelspires]

P1 - Given how great you're track record's been for doing hypothetical interactions of Amphibia kids with the Duck kids and Owl House kids, let's try doing the Duck kids meeting the Owl House kids and who they'd like the best. I'll exclude Violet for this for the sake of evenening things out 5 to 5. I'd assume Luz would get along best with Dewey (both jump into adventure), King with Louie (could see em teaming up for a scheme), Willow with Huey (eh, more leftover interaction but can work)

Screenshot of second half of the ask provided. Text: P2 Gus with Webby (would totally ask each other lots of questions about their species), and Amity with Lena (both got abusive figures they stood up to and would totally talk about their crushes on Luz and Webby LOL). Would love to see you take on Duck kids and Owl House kids interactions.

First of all I’m very pleased to hear you find my track record on these posts good, they’ve been really fun to write and it makes me really happy people like them! Second I am so sorry it’s taken so long to get to this ask, it’s a really in depth one and it took a long time to write, I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait!

Aight! Oh and one last thing real quick before I get into it. I hope you wouldn’t mind me adding Violet back in, partially due to the fact I love her, but mostly because there’s actually another owl house character I think works significantly better with Louie than anyone else and I really want the chance to talk about that. Saving that one for last hehe. This’ll be another long one, writing below the cut.

Luz and Webby So I do like a lot of the possible interactions brought up by your suggested grouping but my mind went in a few different directions. I’ll start with Luz, who would fit in best with another excitable adventuring partner, as pointed out, but I think the best fit for her in that regard would actually be Webby. While Dewey would no doubt get along great with Luz, there’s a special element to the potential relationship between Luz and Webby that really elevates the potential of their friendship to another level, that being: they both want to eat a hamburger.

An aspect of Webby I wish the later seasons of the show got into a little more, but is definitely something I would consider a core part of her character, is the fact that she got held up in the mansion her whole childhood, with no opportunities to interact with the world around her, have all the adventures she wanted, and most importantly to just be seen as the kid she wanted to be. And while Luz was technically able to go out into the world, the place she found wasn’t one that was willing to see her, or give her any of the chances she longed for. Both Webby and Luz fully understand that feeling of being trapped in your own life, of finally getting the chance to break out and just doing your best to make the most of it. I think there’s a lot the two could gain from spending some time together.

(Also, to borrow the bit about gushing about their crushes but from the other end, these two would totally get sidetracked talking about their respective crushes and also trying to play wingman for each other. It’s a massive comic disaster in both cases, but somehow both Lena and Amity manage to find it endearing).

Amity and Violet Okay wait lemme explain. While the two of them don’t have a whole lot in common at first glance, I think they would genuinely get along extremely well. While a lot of Amity’s focus on school came at the force of her parents, you cannot honestly expect me to believe that girl isn’t a studious nerd on her own anyway. Heck even outside the realm of studies she throws her full dedication into literally every single thing she does. Remind you of anyone? Beyond just being extremely intelligent Violet is clever and ready for anything. She takes everything in stride and always has a plan, she can go from “we were sleeping over and you said everybody get on the plane, so we got on the plane” to “I brought an axe” in a minute flat.

I like to think the two of them would have a mutual respect for each other based on their respective intellects upon first meeting, but as they become closer friends they find they can move from more serious respect to a casual enjoyment of each other. I would go as far as to say that both of these characters really value dependability in a friend, and that they each provide a lot of that. To wrap back around to the stuff about intelligence I think Violet could provide a lot of insight to Amity as far as showing her that pursuing studies and academic heights of her own volition can be something that she can just do because she wants to, and that’s no excuse for unhealthy parental relationships. Getting along so well with someone like Violet only to see that her parents are actually really loving and supportive, that would be really eye-opening for Amity I think. For Violet’s part she could get a lot of help from Amity as far as her pursuit of the secrets of magic goes. I suspect Amity would be much more interested in the study of her magic than Violet would be able to get Lena to tolerate lol.

Bonus Round: Amity would absolutely be a senior junior woodchuck and she would love it you cannot convince me otherwise. She starts quoting the JWGB around the owl house kids and they all look at her like she’s crazy.

Lena and Willow I feel like this one might seem a little out there at first but trust me on this one. Initially Lena doesn’t think too much of Willow, being as close as she is to Webby she knows liking flowers and cute things doesn’t mean Willow is automatically to be taken lightly but she feels like she’s got a good read on her that she generally prefers to avoid trouble and turns down opportunities for violence, which isn’t really Lena’s deal. Over time Lena figures she was right about her first impressions as Willow doesn’t seem to take many opportunities to expose some hidden power, even when Lena knows the people around her kinda deserve it.

She learns to adjust her opinion when she finally does get the chance to see Willow in action and realizes that girl is more powerful than any of the other kids she’s met in the boiling aisles bar none(yes this is my genuine opinion of willow if you don’t think she could kick your ass you’re wrong). It’s at that moment where she starts to pay more attention to Willow and notices a lot more of the strength she puts into all the little things, how much she cares for everyone and everything, and it does a great deal to show Lena that maybe having super strong magic powers isn’t mutually exclusive with being kind and gentle. And maybe gentle isn’t her thing but still, it’s nice to know.

For Willow’s part she’s just happy to make more friends. Especially if the opportunity arises, as I like to think it would, when they’re close enough friends, that Lena would start to hint around asking questions about how Willow remains so casual and nice with the ability to do so much damage, and Willow takes the chance to help Lena figure out her magic a bit more, and learn how to better appreciate it as an aspect of herself she doesn’t have to be scared of. (I mean come on Lena never really learned how to do any of it except barely kind of from Magica of all people she could really  use something like that).

Huey and Gus Now there are some certain things about Gus that would drive Huey absolutely nuts. His lack of primary and reliable sources for any of his information being a big one, but at the end of the day I think he’d enjoy Gus’ desire to learn in the first place. Gus would probably be a little dubious about Huey’s “sources” and “citations” but if it helped him get more info on the human realm he’d certainly go for it in the end. In that way the two balance each other out pretty well. Gus is studious and intelligent but he’s a little off the wall, he’s got a big creative streak, and he’s really excitable. Huey is really really good at facts and analysis but he lacks the strength in imagination that Gus has. Huey is able to take all the grandiose concepts Gus is able to think up and help make them actually happen. Gus has that specific brand of an adventurers soul matched up with the fact he’s not actually the type to get into danger and fights, meaning he’s able to drag Huey out of his comfort zone a little and help him reach new heights with his mind that his struggles with creativity prevent him from reaching, while managing to not make him feel like he’s actually in danger. I actually believe the two of them together could get some really incredible stuff done.

What I’m saying is that with Huey’s help Gus could absolutely complete his tunnels under Hexside.

Dewey and King Now this, this is the pair who would go incredibly well together, at the detriment of literally everyone around them. If there is one person King “I Will Rule Everything” Clawthorne should not be exposed to its Dewey Duck. Within minutes of meeting each other the two of them would immediately have so many bad ideas. Between Dewey’s insistence on being the best and most daring adventurer while putting his name on everything and going down in history & King’s trying to rule everything and everyone, the attempts to raise the stakes would be constant and the two would spend literal hours endlessly trying to one-up each other. All in one day they search for legendary treasure, discover an entirely new civilization, try to take over said civilization, create a new species just to name it after themselves, and build statues of themselves in the middle of Bonesbourough. And that’s all before lunch.

Louie Here it is. The one I waited till the very end for out of sheer excitement. I even kept the second name out of the heading thing. That’s how secretive I’m trying to be about this. See, there’s one character in the owl house that works so well with Louie it’s practically canon. Their interactions have so much potential, they each bring so much to the table, I just couldn’t Not talk about it. And yeah, I know this ask was specifically asking about the owl house and ducktales kids, but I just couldn’t resist talking about the relationship between Louie and Eda.

A con artist from another world who was so successful she became nationally famous? There’s no way Louie would pass up an opportunity like that. For his part I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already managed to set up another underworld identity in the boiling aisles, or at the very least that Eda could totally have been to the ducktales realm and heard of his one there.

Either way I’m convinced the two of them would start planning a heist as soon as they figure out who each other are. Eda is a little prideful and wants to show this kid he can’t out-con her, but Louie knows what he’s doing just as much. Honestly with the two of them combined Eda wouldn’t have to worry about losing her stand for a long time. Over the course of their planning and seeing Louie in action Eda begrudgingly gains some respect for the  kid, and while Louie was definitely just using her as a learning/profit opportunity at first, he’s pretty susceptible to getting attached.

For Louie, it’s the fact that she actually respects him for being good at what he does. Even back with his family who all love and care about him and all that he still feels like most of them don’t really get what he does or see what’s special about him, so having someone who made a whole life of it be even a little proud of him feels really nice.

And of course, at the end of their heist when they finally have the money in hand, and Eda just casually hands over his half, he stares at her like she’s crazy.

“You’re just.. Giving it to me?!”

“Well, yeah. That was the deal wasn’t it kid? I mean if you really want I definitely have a few ideas for it.”

“No! Uh, no, thanks, I’ll keep it. It’s just that you really remind me of someone, I guess I was expecting something else.”

#Ducktales #The Owl House #man I have not written ducktales in so long #and I haven't really written the owl house that much ever #this was a lovely breath of fresh air #Huey Duck #Gus Porter #Dewey Duck #King Clawthorne #Violet Sabrewing #Amity Blight #Lena Sabrewing #Willow Park #Webby Vanderquack #Luz Noceda #and most importantly #Louie Duck #Eda Clawthorne #Those two are literally just au scheme team #don't think I didn't notice #we love the scheme team here #they mean so much to me #thanks for the ask! #again I am so sorry this took so long #so sorry #writing #citadel writes #spire of librarys

[tirednotflirting]

and I'll make a cup of coffee, with the right amount of sugar (how you like it)

prompt: A sitting next to me in the library has been grinding on an assignment all day (like i’d have been in the library from 10-3 with breaks in between for classes but they’d been sitting there the whole time) and B would come in every few hours, put down food or coffee on their table, kiss the top of A’s head, and walk away without a word

meg: look at these prompts me: i want to? write these? meg: || totally not why i sent these ||

prompt adapted from this post.

this isn’t too long at all but if you wanna read on ao3, link is here

for @kaleidoscopeminds, the Hot Wine Mom of The Club <3

Luke is very stressed.

He has been stressed for the better part of the last two weeks. Classes were over and he’s only got one real final this semester and it’s in this Advanced Number Theory course he decided was a good idea to take. He was the only junior in the course and had just barely been scraping by and he needs a B on this exam if he wants to pass the class.

So on the day of the exam, he marches his way to campus at 9am to find his usual spot on the silent study floor where he has decided he will stay until the exam begins at 7pm. It might be a little overboard and Ashton’s concern with the plan was obvious from the way he pouted at Luke from the bed as he got ready to leave that morning (which Luke suspects was a strategy since on a normal day, if Luke saw Ashton pouting in bed, he would immediately toss his bag to the ground and crawl back under the covers to cuddle until he stopped). But Luke knows that if he had stayed back at their apartment to study instead, he would be distracted and barely touch more than one practice exam. 

So the quiet study floor, on the coldest day so far that winter, it is. 

He spends the first three hours pouring over his notes to decide what needs to go on the index card he’s being allowed to take into the exam. He adds sticky notes to the pages of the three different notebooks he’s filled for the course, using a color coded system to decide what is ‘Probably Maybe Important’ and ‘If You Don’t Spend At Least Half an Hour Staring At This One Page You Will Forget About This Thing’. It’s a very chaotic system and if he had the time, he would probably question how it’s worked for him so far during the last three years. But there is no time and he is very stressed and the library is cold, so he keeps up organizing.

It’s around noon when Luke jumps just slightly as a coffee cup from the shop near his apartment and a to go bowl appear in front of him. He doesn’t lift his face from the table but hears some rustling and then a plastic spoon is left on top of the bowl. A warm hand is placed against his shoulder and he can feel a kiss being placed against the top of his head. 

Ashton mumbles something soft against his hair, his hand squeezing Luke’s shoulder before heading off. For just a moment, Luke feels some of the tension in his back lift off, as though Ashton’s touch were able to pull some of that away. He turns just slightly, a small smile pulling at his lips, and watches Ashton head back in the direction of the elevators, likely heading to his job in the advising center.

Luke knows his stomach will start growling soon if he does not eat and he really likes to avoid being that guy so after taking a sip from the coffee (its one of those winter-y lattes he likes but Ashton hates), he opens up the little bowl. It’s one of those soups from the campus dining hall (the good one not the freshmen one). Luke giggles softly to himself as he tries to picture Ashton making his way around the part of campus he usually tends to avoid just to buy the soup he knows Luke likes. As he takes a bite, he can’t tell whether he feels more warm from the food and drink or the love from the boy who just brought him some study snacks without any prompting.

*

It’s around 3 when Luke starts actually shivering from how cold the library is.

He’s just taken a short walk around the floor (a girl from his stats class showed up nearby so she offered to watch his things), thinking it might help warm him up but if anything he was somehow colder than before. He could put his coat back on but then the sleeves would get in the way of his writing and basically, Luke is frustrated and cold and regretting ever making the choice to study this horrible subject.

He’s on question four on his third practice exam when he hears quiet footsteps approaching his corner spot. He lifts his eyes in a daze as the lights actually sting his eyes some after staring at paper and ink for so long. Once his vision clears up, he sees the gentle smile of his boyfriend, the Thermos designated specifically for his favorite herbal tea in his hand. 

Luke only blinks up at Ashton as he sets the tall blue container on the table since he’s not really sure what his voice would sound like after not speaking for the last six hours. Ashton pulls off his backpack and quietly unzips the main compartment and pulls his favorite, dark green sweater out. He places it in Luke’s lap and lets his hand drop to cup the blonde’s cheek for a moment. Luke can’t help the way he leans into the touch, Ashton’s warm and rough palm being an instant comfort. The hazel eyed boy’s smile grows some more and he leans down, pressing his lips to Luke’s forehead briefly. 

Then he steps back, zips the backpack up, and once again, heads off in the direction of the elevators. Luke takes a deep breath and sighs as he watches his boyfriend turn the corner. His brows rise in surprise when he hears the quiet cooing of the girl who had watched his things earlier. He turns to face her and finds her smiling, her hand against her heart. Luke feels himself blush, the intimacy of the silent exchange he had just had with Ashton being one that made him forget they had been in such a public setting. He smiles and shrugs, unsure of how to respond. 

He reaches for the sweater and pulls it over the longsleeve he had thrown on before leaving that morning. The sweater is thick and worn in, providing him an instant warmth that he knows will aid the rest of his studying. (Plus it doesn’t hurt that Ashton must have worn it recently, the collar smelling like a mix of his body wash and cologne.) Luke takes a quick sip from the tea (noting the honey that was added) and picks up his pen to keep going.

*

It’s 6pm and Luke feels okay. It’s not the best he’s ever felt about a final but it’s also not the worst, so he figures there’s a positive in there somewhere.

He likes to arrive at his exams about a half hour early and it doesn’t take too long to get to the math building, so he decides there’s time to do a few more problems. The floor he’s on is nearly deserted. It’s the last day of finals and his exam is during the last time block. He figures there’s probably only about four people left in the building. 

He’s checking the solution to the problem he’s just finished when he hears footsteps approaching once again. A coffee cup from the same shop as the one dropped off to him at noon appears in the corner of his eye and a warm hand cups the back of his neck before a pair of lips peck gently at top of his head. Luke lets his eyes close, a brief moment of calm before the storm it seems like as he feels Ashton’s hand gently run through the curls at the back of his head. He feels a chill when the hand drops and then the footsteps pick up to leave him in his cozy corner.

Ashton’s just turned the corner when Luke suddenly gets to his feet, abandoning his study materials to chase after his sweet boy. He runs in the direction of the elevators, his socked feet (he had kicked off his shoes around 2) oddly loud against the carpeted floor. He turns the corner and Ashton is still there, pulling a beanie over his head when Luke lands in front of him. He pulls Ashton toward him by the waist and bends his neck just slightly, letting their lips meet for just longer than a moment. The elevator ding breaks them apart and as the doors opens, Ashton steps back so his body keeps them from closing. Luke is certain the blush he can see on Ashton’s cheeks must match the one painting his own. “Thank you for today, I don’t know how I got so lucky with you.”

“Text me when you’re leaving campus afterwards so I can make you something warm to drink for when you get in, okay?” Ashton instructs with a gentle grin and Luke nods his understanding, his bottom lip pulling between his teeth. “And make sure to put your hat on when you’re walking back, I don’t want you to get a cold.”

“Love you, Ash.” Luke wonders if he looks as lovestruck as he sounds.

Ashton steps back into the elevator to allow the doors to close. “Love you too, Luke. You’re gonna kill it.”

(When Luke gets back from the exam, his smile is bright and his nose is red from running all the way home because he felt really really good about how he did and really really wanted to get home to tell Ashton all about it. He’s treated to cuddles on the couch and a movie after changing into sweats and a different one of Ashton’s sweaters. Luke spends the rest of the night with one hand holding a mug of hot chocolate and the other holding his love. Ashton let him pick the movie so Luke knows he should be paying attention, but his head is a mix of numbers and equations and the thoughts of how all he wants is to spend the rest of his life with someone who will bring him disgustingly sweet coffee and their sweater on a cold winter day.)

*

#lashton #lashton fic #we said soft lashton is sweaters in the library Rights in the chat #thank you meg for sending that post this was a fun way to Chill for 90 min after work lol

[talldecafcappuccino]

Title: Between Close Friends

Rating: General Audience

Chapters: 1/1

Relationship: Ted Lasso/Rebecca Welton

Summary: Ted is bad at social media, but is that a bad thing?

Ted, what the fuck are you doing????

Ted peers at his phone, rubbing sleep from his eyes and reads the message again.

He scrolls down and sees he has twelve more texts and three missed calls all from Keeley Jones. He turns off his nighttime notifications with a few exceptions for emergency contacts, so it’s not surprising he slept through the messages.

He scratches at the stubble along his cheek and checks his clock. It’s seven o’clock here in Kansas, so it must be . . . early afternoon in London. He thinks through the last day, but he can’t remember anything interesting enough to have Keeley on the case.

Henry came over to his extended-stay hotel, they went to an American football game, got a late dinner in downtown Wichita, and watched a movie before bed.

They did make it on the Jumbotron for the Lasso-off, the team’s half-time dance contest, but his moves weren’t especially embarrassing. At least not in his opinion. Unless one of the moves was actually an insult to the English in which case, oh jeeze, he needs to get on this quick.

The call barely connects before Keeley’s voice echoes in his ear.

“Oy! Ted!”

“Keeley, I am so sorry for whatever I did to offend the great people of the United Kingdom. I am ready to make a statement and an apology tour as soon as you tell me which dance move I need to retire immediately.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I need you to log out of the AFC Richmond Instagram account. Like, now.”

That stops Ted in his tracks.

Does he even have access to that? He remembers a post-it note of accounts and passwords from Beard on their first day with Richmond.

There was an account run by the previous manager, but Keeley had taken it over long ago, converting it to the official team account. She had also made Ted a personal Instagram for his own use and brand development, but he never posted publicly.

He puts her on speaker phone and opens the Instagram app. She’s right. He’s logged into the team account with all 25 million followers. Well, shoot.

There are about a dozen stories posted from last night. All of Ted and Henry’s day together. There’s puns (“having a cow” at dinner with an image of Henry holding up a beef rib and screaming his head off), Ted and Henry singing at a dueling piano bar, the two brushing their teeth together in the bathroom mirror.

“No offense, but I think this may delay the Tom Ford deal you asked me about.”

“Yeah. I get that.”

“It’s just, you know, dads aren’t quite their brand. Or our brand. I mean we’re not anti-dorky dad, but you know with the whole comeback narrative during the season hiatus . . .”

“No I get it. You’ve put a lot of work into rebranding this team and I just undermined that.”

She sighs, but it’s fond.

“Sorry, Ted. It’s not like what you posted was bad, it’s rather sweet actually. It’s just a little different from the posts I had scheduled.”

Ted nodded. It wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to him, but he felt bad for making Keeley’s job harder than it needed to be.

“No, I’m sorry Keeley. I swear, it won’t happen again.”

****

“Can you believe what Ted did last night? I’ve never seen someone so bad at social media.”

Rebecca has no idea what Keeley is talking about when she walks into her office. She flops onto the couch, feet splayed on the coffee table, clearly exhausted by whatever Ted has done from 4,438 miles away.

“So many puns. Which, don't get me wrong, I love word play more than most people. But I don’t think it’s right for the team right now.”

Rebecca shuts her laptop.

“You’re right about puns not being part of the team plan, but what’s this about Ted? What did he do, exactly?”

Ted hasn’t posted anything in at least 24 hours. Not that Rebecca is keeping track.

“Oh he managed to switch to the team account on Instagram and posted about his entire evening out with Henry. It was quite sweet, actually. The ones that made sense,” but then she pulled a face.”He’s like, really, really bad at social media.”

Oof. Well that isn’t great, but Rebecca doesn’t think there’s anything particularly terrible about Ted’s social media use normally.

“But everything seems under control? No big PR actions needed.”

“It’s fine. I had him log out and wrote a post about Coach Lasso’s surprise social media takeover from America.”

Rebecca nods. Okay, so it was all sorted. Keeley has things totally under control.

But she reaches for her phone anyway. She opens Instagram, taps through the AFC Richmond stories, and snorts at the image of Henry with the rib as big as his head.

“Are people at least being kind?” Rebecca hopes Ted logged out without seeing any messages about Henry. Not that she could see any reason for it, but people were shitheads on the internet.

“Well, wanker is still the most common response. But many of them are wanker with a little heart at the end, so I think it’s fine. We actually got a lot of responses, proper engagement and all that,” she looks up at the ceiling, considering it for a moment before rolling her head to look back at Rebecca.

“If we weren’t trying to present the team as a badass phoenix rising from the ashes, I’d say a Ted takeover isn’t a bad idea. He just needs some supervision. Maybe a phone with a better camera.”

Rebecca is only half listening as she taps to the next story.

“Aw, they went to dueling piano night. That must have been fun for Henry.”

She’s smiling at her phone when Keeley asks, “Dueling piano night?”

“Yeah, you know at Jim Bob’s Bar.”

Keeley is looking at her blankly.

“Fine. I know it’s not really Jim Bob’s bar. It’s probably not even a bar if Henry’s there. But I can’t remember the real name off the top of my head.”

She’d looked it up once, after Ted first posted about the dueling pianos. For some reason she started calling it Jim Bob’s. Ted didn’t seem bothered and had even started calling it that himself.

When she looks up again, Keeley is staring at her, eyes narrowed.

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you mean?”

“How do you know so much about some bar in Kansas?”

That gives Rebecca pause. She isn’t sure what Keeley means by the line of questioning.

“It’s not some totally random bar. Ted posts about it whenever he goes for dueling pianos.”

If he gets to the bar early or she has a particularly late evening, Rebecca catches the story before going to bed. When she does, she always asks him to put in $5 for Wannabee by the Spice Girls. She owes him a small fortune by now, but it’s worth it to see the bar explode with cheers and jeers.

Some nights she misses the story, but he puts money in anyways and she wakes up to a shaky video of, Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.

Rebecca thinks this is a good enough explanation, but Keeley is still staring at her.

“I’ve literally no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Keeley, you know social media is not my thing. All I know is that sometimes Ted posts about this bar on his tiny friends list thing,” she waves her hand around, trying her best to describe it. “The one with the green ring around it.”

Keeley leaps to her feet, eyes wide.

“Am I not on Ted’s Close Friends list??”

Before Rebecca can say a word, Keeley is halfway out the door, texting furiously.

“Roy, better not be on there, if I’m not on there. Ted knows how I feel about being left out!” she shouts over her shoulder. “Sorry Rebecca, I need to do some investigating, asap.”

Oof. She may have just created a problem. It’s probably best to give Ted a heads up before Keeley gets through interrogating Roy.

She drafts a text once, twice, then deletes it and presses call instead.

“Hey Boss, let me guess. Keeley got a hold of you?”

It’s been a while since they’ve chatted, what with the time difference. It’s bizarre how familiar his American accent has become.

“She just left my office, yes.”

There’s a loud crack in the background and a metal clang.

“Where are you?”

“Oh, just the batting cages with Henry,” he says, cheering loudly. “Hey, do you guys have a sport called baseball that has nothing to do with American baseball? You know, like football and football?”

She chuckles, “I don’t believe we do. However there is always cricket.”

He hums, considering it.

“Now Ted, I think there’s something you should know.”

“Lay it on me Boss. I know I caused a headache this morning, what’s the damage? What do you need me to do? I am at your disposal or I’ll lay really, really low as long as you need me to.”

“It’s not that Ted. It’s Keeley.”

“Keeley?”

“Yes, she’s on a bit of a mission at the moment. It seems you left her off your Close Friends list? I think that’s right. On Instagram?”

“Huh. How did that come up?”

“I was telling her about Jim Bob’s. Apparently she had never heard of it and realized you had a whole social media life she was unaware of.”

“Right . . .”

“So do what you will with that.”

“You haven’t talked to anyone else about this yet, have you?”

Rebecca is confused by this new direction.

“No. Why? Ted, is something wrong?”

It takes a long moment for Ted to respond.

“What can I say, I’m just really bad at this social media stuff.”

It's a non-response and an overly folksy one at that. But Rebecca can’t be fooled by the aw shucks routine—not anymore. She tries again.

“Ted. Who is on your close friends list?”

“Uh. Not a lot of people.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“What can I say?” He huffs, a little frustrated. She would feel bad for prying, but she can't help herself. “The list of people I want to share silly life things with is small.”

“How small?” she wonders.

“Very small.”

The line goes silent and Rebecca swears she lost him. But then she hears him take a deep breath.

“It’s you. You’re the list.”

Rebecca feels flush. That’s not where she was expecting this conversation to go.

“I know that might be a lot. You don’t have to say anything. I just, that’s the honest truth and I’d like to get ahead of it before Keeley harangues the entire team.”

It’s a lot to take in, but it makes sense. Sometimes when she’s watching his posts, she wonders about his audience. Who else cares about his biscuit recipe improvements or Broadway Sundays (a recent development that’s turned into a shared movie night.)

“Rebecca?”

She realizes she’s been quiet for a while. The moment feels tenuous and she worries about saying the wrong thing, sending him running faster than Keeley during a social media snafu.

Finally she settles on, “You know, you’re welcome to text me silly life things. It wouldn’t be a bother.”

She brushes invisible crumbs from her desk, listening carefully to his breathing on the other end of the line.

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Maybe I can send some, too?”

Rebecca can hear his smile from across the Atlantic.

“Well, alright then.”

****

That night, Ted’s phone pings and he rolls over to see a text message from Rebecca. It’s a picture of the sun rising over her garden wall.

Something silly to start the day.

But it doesn’t feel silly. Not at all.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fic #some fluff #because a plot bunny got in the way of what I planned to write this weekend #I blame the Easter bunny #ted x rebecca

[stoopsbookstore]

Christmas in July

Synopsis- How did Hoshi, Taeyong and Y/N end up into bed together? Was it too many shots of whisket and eggnog Hoshi had? The flirty touches between Y/N and Taeyong as they helped set up a fake Christmas tree? Or Taeyong ruining an intimate moment?

Warnings - (Sort of a) Threesome, mentions of Christmas before Summer is even over, Light Bondage (pun possibly intended), Filmed sex, Unprotected sex, not really drunk sex

"You look so gorgeous tied up in those lights. Too bad after this weekend, we have to wait until actual Christmas to do this," Hoshi wrapped the string of lights around Y/N's calves, the only source of light in the room illuminate her body.

"Should we get her wrists?," Taeyong rubbed his covered bulge, his boxer adorned with a Rudolph cartoon, "I think we have more lights."

"I thought we were supposed to be setting up for the Christmas in July party for tonight," Y/N moaned as Hoshi kissed her chest, her bra the only barrier, "I promised we would have the light set up by 5 and it's 4:15 right now."

"We texted Woozi and Taeil, they're going to be late, about 5:15, 5:30 they said," Taeyong, amazed by the lights, lingered his touch along the wires around Y/N's legs, "I asked them to bring more eggnog and whiskey, seeing as we drank most of it."

Taeyong and Y/N had just finished putting up the tinsel and flat ornaments on a post-it notes, Hoshi placing a small bin of pens and sharpies on a side-table next to it.

"This was a really cute idea, Y/N, Christmas in July knowing that we're going to be touring or promoting. Thank you," Taeyong gave a side-hug to Y/N "No problem, I thought we would do something, and what better than early Christmas?"

"I think I'm going to go mix up the eggnog," Hoshi tensed up at Taeyong touching Y/N, excusing him to the bathroom, "Did Johnny bring the liquor?"

"Yeah, but only a bottle," Y/N followed him to the kitchen, "they'll bring more later."

Hoshi grabbed the bottle of golden liquor, pouring all the contents into a bowl as Y/N grabbed the eggnog from the fridge, stunned at the pace Hoshi poured the liquor.

"Whoa, whoa, hey, aren't you supposed to do the eggnog first, and then add the liquor? It's supposed to be spiked, not eggnog-flavored booze," Y/N chuckled as she grabbed a new bowl, pouring one carton of eggnog, "you're supposed to do it bit by bit, can you hand me a shotglass?"

Hoshi stammered, reaching for a tiny glass as Y/N stirred the liquid. Impure thoughts filled his head at her innocent actions. It was just Y/N's hand stirring, but the wooden spoon she was using, Hoshi couldn't help but imagine it was his shaft she was holding.

"Hey!" Hoshi came out of his daydream as Y/N grabbed the shotglass, measuring out 3 shots before throwing them in the eggnog, mixing it together, "here, try this one."

Hoshi threw back the shot, the liqour burning, the eggnog soothing it, "it needs a bit more."

He grabbed two more shotglasses, scooping up some liqour and downing it in one fluid motion.

"Whoa, Soonyoung," he lurched at the use of his real name, "you haven't eaten yet, that's going to hit you quick."

"It's all good, gotta save some space for pizza tonight," Hoshi scooted closer to Y/N, slamming another shot as Y/N tested the mixture, "now you don't get too fucked up either. I need someone to help me when Mingyu gets too hype. Or distract me when Taeyong gets too handsy with you."

Another shot.

"What?" Y/N dropped the spoon on the floor, "are you jealous because Taeyong hits on me?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," Hoshi scooped more liqour into the eggnog bowl, "I think there's enough booze in there now."

"No changing the subject, you're jealous!" Y/N chuckled, stepped towards Hoshi, their shoulders touching, "we've talked about it, but we decided to be friends since I had feelings for someone else."

Hoshi noticed the closeness between the two as Y/N reached for a red solo cup, filling it up and downing it, Hoshi grabbing the back her of neck and bringing her in for a messy kiss. He pulled her closer, his hands cupping her ass and her hands pulling his shirt up. Hoshi walked Y/N over to the island counter, backing her into it.

"Take your shorts and underwear off," Hoshi commanded as Y/N was working on the buttons of his dress shirt, "let's go in the hallway."

Y/N and Hoshi snuck by Taeyong, who was filling out his post-it for the paper tree. Y/N's shorts in Hoshi's arms while she took off her underwear, sticking them in Hoshi's back pocket as he gently pushed her against the wall.

"Those lights make you look so gorgeous. I wonder how you would look like tied up in them, the glow of the colors highlighting yo-" "Holy shit! Sorry! Fuck!" Taeyong shielded his eyes with a box, "I thought you guys were in the kitchen, I was going to finish hanging these up."

Hoshi chuckled as he reached over and opened the door leading to Y/N's room, "it's all good dude, why don't you join us? Seeing as you have the lights I need."

"Holy shit, I need to get a picture of this, Hoshi move," Taeyong grabbed his phone from the nightstand, opening the camera and snapping a picture of Y/N tied up in the lights as they shined against her skin, "I think I may make that my homescreen."

Y/N laughed, Hoshi moving her on top of his lap, and kissing her neck "why don't you just film it since I look so good?"

"I just might," Taeyong sat on the end of the bed, Hoshi teasing Y/N, rubbing his fingers up and down her slit, "I'll make sure just to get the good parts. Do you ha-"

"I'm on the pill, it's fine. Just hurry the fuck up please!"

Taeyong slipped his hand into his festival boxers, holding the camera in his free hand. Hoshi slipped in Y/N, moaning at the tightness as his hand went up to her breasts. Taeyong pulled out his cock, pumping as fast as he could as Hoshi begun thrusting. Hoshi put his face into Y/N's neck, containing his moans, Y/N throwing her head back.

"Rub her clit, dude. Have you never fucked a girl before?" Taeyong continued to try and balance filming the couple and his own pleasure, his hand pumping his cock in time with Hoshi and Y/N.

"Oh, fuck off," Hoshi took one of his hands off of Y/N's boobs, reaching for her clit, "you wish you could fuck her."

"Go harder, please, fuck me harder."

"Oh look Kwon. I guess we have our own porn star here," Taeyong rolled his hips as some precum leaked out, helping his hand glide up and down.

"Fuck, it's so hot," Hoshi felt his high coming in as Y/N turned her head to bring Hoshi in for a kiss.

"Lemme get that in here," Taeyong leaned over as he filmed the hectic kissing, Y/N moaning out loud as Hoshi's fingers kept rubbing her clit, her orgasm hurrying.

Taeyong didn't realize his own orgasm came until he saw the white liquid covering Y/N's thighs, barely missing the decorative lights. Hoshi's thursts became more erratic as he came in Y/N, the cum leaking out as Taeyong lifted Y/N's legs on his shoulder to get a better angle.

Hoshi's fingers continued to play with Y/N's clit as she begun to shudder from the pleasure, Hoshi's cock still in her.

"That was hot as fuck," Taeyong placed Y/N's tied legs back on the bed as he stopped the recording, "this is definitely going to help on tour."

"Don't be thinking about my cock fucking my girl," Hoshi pulled out as Y/N laid down on the bed, catching her breath, "and I want that footage too."

"What else is he supposed to think about? His cock in me or Your cock in him?" Y/N raised a good point as Taeyong laughed, throwing his phone aside, Hoshi pouting at the statement.

"Here, let me help you," Hoshi reached for the plug of the lights as Taeyong got Y/N untied, "maybe I can film you two one day, but after that, no touching, only looking."

"Who said we were together yet?!" Y/N joked as she cuddled into Hoshi, the pout still prominent on his face "Kidding, but I want a date before we make it offical-offical."

After throwing the string of lights to the side, the younger male stretched as Taeyong put his pants on and threw Y/N her panties, putting them back on before she stood up. Y/N walked over to Hoshi, kissing his cheek.

"We should probably get cleaned up, party's going to start soon," Taeyong opened the bathroom door, Y/N slipping by him, "Hey!"

"I need to pee!" Y/N shouted, slamming the door in the older boy's voice, "use the guest room shower."

Now both clothed and Y/N getting cleaned up in the shower, Hoshi patted Taeyong's back, walking out to the kitchen, staring at the semi-empty bowl of eggnog.

"Maybe I should make a weaker batch next time."

#nct #nct 127 #nct au #nct imagines #nct scenarios #seventeen #seventeen au #seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #hoshi #taeyong #kwon soonyoung #lee taeyong #10:10 boi #Sinnamon roll #nct taeyong #seventeen hoshi #my writings

[onebatch2batch]

I wanted to pop in to tell you how much I adore and value all your writing for this little fandom. You are sincerely one of my favorite writers of the Kastle ship. Also, I don't know if you're still accepting drabble prompts from that list, but if you are, could you please write something for 59. "Tell me to go and I will, but if you ask me to stay I'll never leave you again."

Hi!!! Thank you so much for this sweet message. I love this fandom so much, everyone is so kind and welcoming and I’ve very happy to be a part of it. For those of you who are waiting for me to answer prompts, I am working on them and they will get done–just not all right away. Thank you for the patience and love xoxo

59. “Tell me to go and I will, but if you ask me to stay I’ll never leave you again.”

Kastle, post-canon

The the bell above Johnnie’s Hardware’s door jingles happily as Frank steps through, a blast of cool air hitting him in the face. Sarah Lieberman sighs gratefully as she follows him in. He grabs a basket and shoots her an amused look.

“Y’know you didn’t have to come, right?”

Sarah huffs, following him towards the back of the store. “Pete, if I don’t learn this stuff, no one will. And then what will we do when Leo goes off to school? Trust David?”

He chuckles, eyes scanning the shelves. “You got some time before we gotta resort to that. And I’m a good stand-in.”

She hums, adjusting the strap of her purse. “Maybe so. But no way in hell I was staying in that furnace of a house. At least the van has AC. Might as well keep you company.”

Frank shakes his head, stopping before the shelves carrying the parts needing for her air conditioning system. It had gone out the day before and, due to the intense summer, the handyman had a list of clients will the same problem. After a full twenty-four hours of sweltering heat, David had called asking for his help. Frank was glad to do it and while David was at work he’d gone to survey the problem and picked up a tag-along into town.

Said tag-along is currently staring at the shelves critically. She leans forward to read the little labels underneath the parts and Frank steps over, picking up what he needs. He explains each part, what it’s called and what it’s for. Her blank stare tells him she’s regretting her decision to be included, and eventually he huffs. “Alright, that’s it. Ready?”

“I actually wanted to look at shower heads. Do you mind? The kids broke theirs–somehow.” Her frustrated sigh reminds him painfully of one of Maria’s after the kids had caused trouble. He gives her a tight nod and leads her to the opposite side of the store, turning the corner and stopping short.

Sarah collides into his back with a small yelp, and the woman scanning the shelves in front of them turns to look, jolted.

“Frank,” Karen says, eyes widening.

There aren’t many thing that scare a man like Frank Castle, anymore. Standing here with Karen Page in her shorts and tank top, a baffled and hurt expression on her face, is absolutely one of them. “Karen,” he says, but it comes out on a choke.

Her eyes fall to Sarah and the change in her is immediate. Her surprised hurt turns to a polite but confused smile. She lifts her basket on her hip and glances at Frank. He can see the panic in her eyes, and it takes him a moment to realize it’s because she’s said his real name in front of a woman she doesn’t know. Always protecting him, even when she’s hurt.

Sarah steps forward excitedly. “Karen? As in Karen Page? I’ve heard so much about you–I’m Sarah Lieberman. It’s nice to put a name to the face!”

She blinks, digesting the information, and then relaxes slightly. “Oh, hi. It’s nice to meet you.”

Frank shifts awkwardly. It’s been nearly six months since they’ve been face to face. After the carousel and the hospital, he’d sent her a text (I’m fine, it’s over. I need some time.) and then retreated into himself much like before. It had taken weeks and months of group sessions with Curtis, dinners with the Lieberman family, and working as Pete Castiglione for him to work up the nerve to approach her. By that time it had been long enough he was sure she wouldn’t want to see him–she had stopped sending texts and calling weeks before.

He meets her gaze. “What’re, uh, what’re you doin’ here?”

She yanks her hair behind her ear and turns back to the shelves in front of her. It’s a familiar gesture that makes his chest ache. “My stupid sink is clogged and my super is a creepy asshole.”

Sarah’s elbow jabs him in his ribs and he blinks, realizing he’s been staring. “Uh. D’you need some help?”

Karen turns to him with sad, frustrated eyes. She looks like she’s debating on saying no. “If you have better things to do–”

“Oh, he doesn’t.” Sarah grins, plucking the basket from his hand. “Leo should be home from school soon. She can help me. Pete, why don’t you go help Karen?”

Frank feels a familiar panic blossom in his chest as both women look at him, waiting. He nods, a quick jerk of his head. Sarah squeezes his arm and smiles at Karen. “Nice to meet you, Karen! Maybe one day we can get some lunch.”

Karen returns her smile and this time it’s a little softer, a little more genuine. “Thanks, Sarah. I’d like that.”

Sarah waves and walks off towards the shower heads, and Karen’s gaze lands on him again. The air between them is stale with unsaid words, and he eventually looks away at the tools. “You know what kinda leak?”

She describes the problem and he grabs the appropriate parts for her, trying to keep himself busy. Soon enough they’re out the door and into the wet summer heat towards her place.

Her apartment is just as he remembers. Same eclectic bookshelf, same tiny kitchen and same beers pulled from the fridge. It gives him deja vu, taking the bottle from her outstretched hand as she looks at him with searching blue eyes. He lowers his head and mutters, “I should take a look at that” and then he’s under the sink and out of sight. Karen sits on the island opposite him, her flip-flop clad feet swinging into view everytime he looks down the length of his body. Her toes are painted a deep red. He turns to the task at hand.

“Is it fixable?” She calls after a moment.

“Yeah. Easy fix,” he grunts back, tightening and loosening and doing everything he can to keep his mind off the woman not three feet away. When he finishes and stands, he flicks on the tap and washes his hands slowly. It works fine.

Her gaze burns holes in the back of his head. He stares down at the suds on his hands and forces the words out. “…sorry I haven’t been around.”

Karen huffs, half amused and half…something else. Something he can’t quite name. Something close to betrayal, but not quite. “Yeah, well, I guess I should be used to it by now.”

He turns, drying his hands on a towel. The label of her beer bottle is peeled away methodically; scraps of paper fall onto the floor. “What’s that mean?”

She glances up, catches him watching and straightens her spine. She cocks her head, considering her words with an unwavering stare. “It means you and Matt and everybody else I care about seem to think they can just come in and out of my life and I’ll just keep letting them do it.” She pauses, looking away, and then says quietly, “…letting you do it.”

Shame fills him up until he feels like he’s going to drown in it. It’s taken weeks and months of searching to find out who he is, after everything was over. He’s still not entirely sure he knows, but he knows he’s not someone who can just let the people he cares about think he doesn’t. He twists the towel in his hands, then tosses it aside. He runs a hand through his hair and waits until her eyes came back. “I wanted to come back here. Almost did, a couple of times.”

She’s a little taller than him, perched on the counter like she is. She stares down at him, surprised at the admission. “Why didn’t you?”

“I had to get my shit straight.” Frank rubs his neck. He’s getting that feeling at the base of his skull—nervous, on edge, awkward—it’s the same thing he feels every time he opens up in group. “And I couldn’t drag you back into it, y’know? You—you did so much for me. It’s not fair to expect you to clean up this.” He gestures vaguely to his head, scowling. She doesn’t say anything so he looks away, energy draining with one long sigh. “I’ve been goin’ to group, and workin’, yeah? But I wanted to come back and be—…”

Her toes wiggle in his peripheral when he trails off. She shifts. “Be what?”

“…fuck, I don’t know, worthy?” He looks up and catches her raised brows. “I know, shit’s corny but…You’re one of the best people I know and I–…if I were lookin’ in on all this from outside, I’d want me to get my shit together first. Yeah? You’re worth the wait–that’s all.”

He hasn’t been so honest since that first afternoon in group. When he’d looked around the circle of women and men with the same exhausted defeat on their faces and said I’m scared. He’s a little surprised with himself now, if he’s honest, but there’s a gentleness settling in the soft slope of her lips so he can’t regret his candidness too much.

“What are you trying to say, Frank?”

He exhales slow, bracing himself. “I’m sayin’ tell me to go and I will…but tell me to stay and I’ll never leave again.”

Karen gives him a measured look, but her cheeks are lifting into a wide smile. She holds out a hand and he takes it, marvels at the smooth skin there and the beauty mark on her index finger. She tugs him closer, pulls his hand to rest on her thigh and covers his chest with her own. He peers up at her looking wrecked and star struck all at once.

“Promise?” she asks quietly. “Because Frank…I can’t watch you walk away again.”

His hand comes up to cup her face, thumb brushing her cheekbone. Gentleness bleeds out of his eyes, buzzes around her skin. He leans forward and presses his temple to her own, the quietness of the kitchen filling the air around them.

“Promise.”

tagged (if anyone wants to be added let me know!)

@kastleandcoffee @emanationman @frank-castle-loves-karen-page @babsiechap @darknesseyez @marinefrank @tuntematonkorppi @ohmypreciousgirl @killorbekillcd @nina2406 @iamacolor @princesshaleyeve

#answered #anonymous #kastle fic #kastle #kastle ff #mine #my writing