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bucky-hues · 3 years

Text

stucky fic recs

here are some stucky fic recs! as always, be sure to read the warnings for each fic <3

one shots

finding home | @thedamageofherdays

cap steve x modern bucky

After he is caught in a terrible rainstorm while hiking, Bucky is glad to find shelter at the cottage Steve shares with his daughter and his dog. Bucky ends up finding so much more than just a safe place to spend the night.

x | @dreadlockholiday

steve x bucky

Request: Bucky looking through a glossy magazine and saying something like "God, can you imagine being paid for just looking cute?" And without thought Steve replies, "you'd be a millionaire" and Bucky just blushes furiously while Steve's all like 😳 *oh no, I just said that out loud*

x | @dreadlockholiday (18+)

steve x bucky

Bucky finds his BFF Steve's sketchbook... and it's full of nothing but sketches of Bucky... naked.

sweethearts | @musette22

steve x bucky

Steve confesses his feelings to Bucky using sweethearts

my moon, my man | @musette22 (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

AU meet-cute. Strangers on a Train, but with less murder and more sexual tension.

make it till you fake it | AggressiveWhenStartled (AO3)

steve x bucky

“Ned,” Peter said, like a drowning man sighting land. “Ned. Captain America and the Winter Soldier are fake dating right now and it is the most painfully awkward and obvious thing I have ever seen, all of us want to die, Ned.”

things my heart used to know | Nightwing11 (AO3)

steve x bucky

In a world where soulmates can communicate telepathically with their partners, Steve Rogers has always had Bucky Barnes with him, a calming voice in a sea of turmoil. And, when Bucky falls off the train during World War II, Steve experiences deafening silence for the first time.

Now, after crashing a plane in the Arctic to save the world and being frozen for 70 years, Steve’s still trying to figure out how to live without Bucky there. His new friends are trying to help him adjust, to move on. And he thought he was doing better, he really did.

So, why is he suddenly hearing Bucky’s voice again?

catfish | @buckmebxrnes (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve Rogers is a famous movie star, known for his role as Captain America. Bucky Barnes is a bored law student who drinks too much wine. Bucky gets on match.com to boost his confidence. What he doesn't expect is a guy using Steve Rogers' pictures on a dating profile. Bucky decides to mess with the guy. After all, what idiot uses Steve Rogers' pictures on a dating site?

Not like it's really him, right? Bucky may need more wine.

let's go have fun | @sebastanbucky

steve x bucky

“Nat wanted me to-” Nat clears her throat and he rolls his eyes. “I wanted to tell you something.” He looks at Steve with a look he hopes says ‘play along’. “Okay. What did you want to tell me?” Bucky has to take a deep breath to keep from laughing again, it helps with his performance as Nat nods encouragingly at him. “I’m gay.” He says, making his voice sound shaky and weak.

the way you came around | sokaless (AO3)

steve x bucky

After a while, Bucky says, “You know, this song sounds like it was written for you.” “That's funny,” Steve remarks. “I chose it because it reminded me of you.” Steve gives Bucky an iPod full of his favourite songs from the 21st century to help him deal with his nightmares. Bucky has a new mission- to find out who Steve is in love with, because there are a few too many unrequited love songs on that iPod.

stuck on you | wearing_tearing (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

“Bucky? You don’t look so hot.”

Bucky makes a tiny little sound in the back of his throat, only to start coughing. Of course he doesn’t look hot. He’s sick and he’s dying and Steve obviously isn’t attracted to him.

you have the place next to my place | justanotherStonyfan (AO3)

cap steve x modern bucky

prompt: “We live in adjacent apartments and our bedrooms are on opposite sides of a very thin wall and one night I heard you crying and talked to you through the wall” AU

Captain America helps the Vet next door.

you’ve got (30) new matches | williamkaplans (AO3)

steve x bucky

When everyone finds out Steve's bi thanks to Bucky's recovering memories, Natasha kicks up her match-making into high gear. Steve has zero luck, but Natasha won't give up, especially when Sam (jokingly) suggests online dating. It isn't long before Steve finds someone, a someone who seems eerily familiar.

perfectly right wrong number | melonbutterfly (AO3)

cap steve x modern bucky

It all starts because Steve is too dumb to handle his smartphone.

A wrong number AU in which Bucky Barnes doesn't enter Steve's life (meaning: Bucky wasn't born until the eighties, but Steve is still Captain America) until Steve accidentally dials the wrong number. Wherein there is a lot of texting, some advice via Natasha and Darcy, a bit of pining, and a first date in an amusement park. Oh, and on top of being a disabled veteran, Bucky is a professional catwalker. Literally.

put your number in my phone | MacksDramaticShenanigans (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve tucks his phone back into his pocket and turns back to the computer. He only has to click a few times before he finds the link to the questionnaire and opens it, inputting the participant number before hitting next. The beginnings of the consent form fills the page, and all Steve has left to do now is wait for the participant— one James Barnes, according to the website— to show up.

Thankfully, Steve doesn’t end up having to wait very long. James Barnes shows up ten minutes early and knocks on the door before cracking it open and peeking in.

“Oh, hi,” he says, when he spots Steve sitting at the desk. He pushes the door open all the way and steps into the room just as Steve spins in the chair to face him.

“Um, I’m, uh, a bit early, but I’m here for the decision making study,” James continues, clear blue eyes flickering around the room before landing on Steve again. The skin between his eyebrows crinkles up a little, and god, Steve probably shouldn’t find his uncertainty as cute as he does. “Am I in the right place?”

wouldn’t it be nice | MacksDramaticShenanigans (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

"You are never going to believe what just happened," Bucky bemoans, shaking his head. He's at Steve's side in a moment and doesn't bother to give any warning before he dramatically falls into Steve's lap. Steve just barely manages to save his book from getting squashed.

"What is it?" Steve asks, matching Bucky's dramatic tone. "What am I not going to believe?"

"I just got off the phone with Natasha," he starts. "She cancelled on me!" Bucky throws his arms up, nearly smacking Steve in the face in the process.

Steve carefully places his hand on Bucky's forearm and lowers it away from his face.

"You're kidding," he says, a frown curving onto his lips at the news.

"I wish I was," he sighs. Bucky presses his lips together into a disappointed line and deflates against the back of the couch, slinking down Steve's thighs a little. "Who goes to Coney Island alone? How pathetic is that?"

Steve snorts, earning a glare from Bucky, and pats Bucky's thigh. "Aw, don't be such a sourpuss, Buck," he says. "Who said anything about going alone?"

all jokes aside | darksknight (AO3)

steve x bucky

"Before we know it Banner’s gonna be makin’ insinuations.” (Everyone "jokes" about Steve and Bucky being in a relationship until, eventually, they admit that they are.)

barnes & rogers and the goddamn truth

steve x bucky (teacher au)

There are three well-known facts at Shield High:

1. The history teacher Mr. Barnes is a stone-cold terror, and it’s not even because he only has one arm. 2. The other history teacher, Mr. Rogers, is a mysterious enigma, and it’s something to do with the body of a Greek God and contradicting stories of his past. (They’re all rumours, anyway.) 3. Mr Barnes and Mr Rogers hate each other.

Bucky wouldn’t have it any other way.

in the shadows | DragonWannabe (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky

Five times they thought they were almost caught, one time someone found out, and one time they didn't have to hide.

OR:

Bucky and Steve grew up in a time when people like them went to jail.

single and looking | Jaiden_S (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky

"Bucky held his place with his index finger and turned the magazine over to check the date on the cover. It was brand new, just out this month. An unexpected cord of anxiety tightened in Bucky’s chest. Single and looking? Frantically, he flipped back to the article. What exactly was Steve looking for? According to the article, Steve’s dream girl should be intelligent, altruistic, well-versed in current events and have a wicked sense of humor. Oh, and he had a thing for high heels and red lipstick. Bucky’s stomach churned as he re-read the article. Was that really what Steve wanted? Make-up and stilettos?"

A slightly sappy tale of two utterly besotted super-soldiers who excel at miscommunication.

these american dreams (ain’t no white picket fences left for me) | kariye (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky

In which Bucky has a house, a dog, an herb garden, and a serious case of insomnia. Welcome to Havensport, Indiana (population 8,294), where Tom’s Neighborhood Grocer stays open all night, little old ladies call the car shop to get their refrigerators repaired, and the heat of summer days and the length of summer nights can make you think that this perfect world will last forever.

i’ve been careless with a delicate man | paraxdisepink (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky

Steve lets SHIELD think he and Bucky were boyfriends so they’ll let him see the Winter Soldier in medical.

knock on wood | 74days (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve Rogers lives a quiet, steady life, until his next door neighbour moves in and starts having incredibly energetic sex every night. All Steve wants is for him to move his bed away from the wall so the damn headboard doesn't knock a hole through his wall.

progressively bigger keys | spinawren (AO3)

steve x bucky

“A very little key will open a very heavy door.” ― Charles Dickens, Hunted Down

Steve and Bucky, it appears, have less need for a key and more use for a battering ram in trying to come out of the closet.

(The one where Steve tries to do one thing (one thing!) without causing a national ruckus, but the press are determined to see Bucky as Steve's best friend. And nothing more.)

stucky discover gay rights | Alicia_Borealis (AO3)

steve x bucky

“Then, why-” Steve stopped himself and looked at Bucky, who had tears rolling freely down his cheeks. “We’re- we’re not sick?”

“Wait, what?” Tony asked.

“Being a homosexual, it isn’t… wrong?”

The story of how Steve Roger's loved and lost Bucky, then how he got him back and then how he realised he was allowed to love him after all.

thursday nights with bucky barnes | Ellessey (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve has a comfortable, well-worn routine for his Thursday nights, until the old man who runs the laundromat breaks his hip.

Then Steve has Bucky instead.

to seek a nood-er world | jehans (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky

Send noodz

Steve has been staring at his phone for the last six minutes, eyes narrowed so much they’re almost closed at this point, trying to figure out what the hell Bucky means. Noodz? What the fuck are noodz?

Listen, Steve is at least marginally aware of modern pop culture. He’s heard of nudes — not that nudes are exactly a modern invention; artists have been creating them for millennia — and he does know that people tend to misspell words to be cute or funny. They did that when he was young, too. Because time is a flat circle, apparently.

But, wait—does that mean…?

No. Not possible. Bucky isn’t asking Steve to send him…nudes.

Right?

tied ‘round your throat | sleepypercy (AO3) (18+)

police officer steve x serial killer bucky

Steve's a small-town police officer trying to track a serial killer who's been in Steve's bed the whole time.

much tattoo about nothing | Deisderium (AO3) (18+)

cap steve x modern bucky

Steve Rogers gets a lot of email requests, but never one like this: James Barnes wants to use his healing factor to practice tattoos.

Turns out tattoos give Steve boners.

the perfect man | Ellessey (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Setting up a dating profile is decidedly not in Bucky's skill-set, but against all odds he manages to connect with someone who makes the one-night stand he thought he wanted feel like not nearly enough.

kiss me and take off your clothes | steveandbucky (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve Rogers is dared to send a dick pic to a blog which critiques dick pics (run by none other than Bucky Barnes). Hilarity ensues.

i can’t dare to dream about you anymore | steveandbucky (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve considers himself to be a pretty open-minded guy, which is why he can't quite understand why he feels so uncomfortable whenever he sees his gay roommate kissing guys. He's not homophobic, but how else can he explain the way his stomach twists at the sight?

It takes him a while to catch on.

exam room b | steveandbucky (AO3)

modern steve x nurse bucky

“Wait, what do you mean he asked for me?”

“He asked if the cute male nurse with the ponytail was working today. I assume he meant you.”

kickstart my heart | Kalee60 (AO3) (18+)

doctor steve x modern bucky

Bucky’s Wednesday wasn’t off to a great start. Not only did he wake up in a hospital with his annoyed best friend staring down at him, his treating Doctor just happened to be way too familiar, and the reason for that was slightly mortifying.

With misunderstandings in the air, a snarky nurse who is a pain in his butt and the ugliest neck brace known to man attached to his body. There was no way his Wednesday was ever going to improve. Could it?

you make me feel.. | kalika_999 (AO3) (18+)

cap steve x modern bucky

All Steve wanted was to take a breather, decompress after a mission and go out for a jog in the rain. He wasn't expecting to hide out in a bookstore filled with new and used books or that the employee that worked there thought he was an absolute loser and didn't even realize he was insulting Captain America.

nothing in the world that could stop it | rainbow_nerds (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Bucky just wanted to send his best friend a picture of his cat being an idiot while he was taking a bath. Was it really his fault for forgetting the full length mirror right opposite the tub?

rescue me and hold me in your arms | 74days (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Bucky is on the worst date of his life, and what he really needs of for this waitress to get the message he's sending her with his mind to rescue him. She doesn't, but she does send someone to extract him from a night of torture...

odd ways | peterbparker (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

“And it would have been an amazing night with my son if he wasn’t distracted by the hot guy on the other side of the room,” Sarah sighed, shaking her head. “He’s been looking over at you for the past fifteen minutes.”

Bucky choked on the mouthful of beer he had just taken.

“What?” he croaked. Things were starting to make a little more sense now.

“Right?” Sarah said, waving her hand towards her son. “He completely ignored my garden stories because he’s been making eyes at you so I decided to come over and introduce myself.”

series

rare is this love (keep it covered) | @musette22 (18+)

cap steve x modern bucky

It’s 2014. Captain America has been out of the ice for three years and is trudging along, saving the world and trying to get used to living in the future. Steve thinks he knows how the rest of his life is going to pan out – a life of duty, which he chose when he signed up to be Erskine’s science experiment. But then, he meets Bucky Barnes: the out-of-this-world-gorgeous mechanic and war vet, who turns Steve’s life upside down and makes him question everything he thought he knew. Slowly, Steve comes to realize there is more to life than duty and punching Nazis. Just one problem though: how on earth does a 96-year-old virgin who only just realized he may not be entirely straight make the transition from crush to relationship? Cue healthy amounts of self-doubt, awkward flirting, pretty blushing, existential crises, emotional growth, and maybe, possibly, a sexual awakening.

coming up easy | @musette22 (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

“Listen, I was just thinking,” Steve says, his face open, eyebrows raised in a tentatively hopeful expression. “Why don’t you come stay at my place for a while? I’ve got an office that I barely use, and a change of scenery might do you good, right? Help you beat that writer’s block?” With a crooked smile, he adds, “I promise I’m not a serial killer.”

While Bucky would normally crack a joke about how that’s exactly what a serial killer would say, right now, all he can do is blink at Steve in surprise, heart tripping over itself in his chest. Steve wants him to come and stay at his place. In Massachusetts. Just the two of them.

"Oh," Bucky croaks. "I- Wow."

“I mean, no pressure,” Steve says hastily. “Totally fine if you don’t wanna. I just thought I’d offer, in case it might help, y’know?”

“Yeah.” Bucky ignores the little voice in his head that sounds an awful lot Nat and Becca, telling him he’s setting himself up for heartbreak. “I mean, if you’re sure, that would be amazing.”

4 minute window | @cesperanza

steve x bucky

"Look, if they catch me," Bucky muttered, "they're either going to kill me or they're going to put me in a box with a little window and—Steve, I can't."

swapped | writeonclara (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

if u wanted my number u couldve just asked

u didnt have to steal my whole phone ;)

Steve stared down at his phone, confused. He didn't recognize the number – except, oh wait, he really did. That was his number. On his phone.

He flipped the phone over, then slid one hand down his face. Not his phone.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

[stupid fucking] brooklyn hipster bros | relenaflanel (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Bucky's mother gives him an ultimatum. Bucky doesn't respond well.

All Barneses are stubborn assholes, Steve observes, as though he doesn't see the irony of calling someone else stubborn. Or an asshole.

And Bucky can't even deny he is a total asshole for lying to his mother about dating Steve just so he doesn't have to bring someone else to her wedding, but damn if he's not going to give the lie everything he has.

brought to brightness | eyres (AO3)

cap steve x modern bucky

Army veteran Bucky Barnes has fallen in love with Steve, a guy he met online a few months after he returned from Afghanistan. Only problem is, he doesn't know Steve's last name or even what he looks like.

When his sister helps him send his story into MTV's Catfish, he's hoping they can help him meet Steve or, at least, let him move on with his life if Steve isn't real. Little does he know, Steve and Captain America have more in common than just a first name.

slide to answer | relenaflanel (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

"What do I do?” Steve appealed into the phone. “I’m freaking out.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. It lasted so long that Steve pulled the receiver away from his ear and frowned at it. Pay phones were old. Maybe this one wasn’t working despite the obvious dial tone when he picked up.

“Ok,” a stranger’s voice said over the phone. “First acknowledge the fact that you dialed the wrong number, but be quick about it because my cab is a few blocks away from my own plans and I’m about to drop some truth bombs on you.”

how to woo the winter soldier | writeonclara (AO3)

steve x bucky

“I think I’m ready to date again,” Steve said.

“What,” Natasha said.

“What?” Clint said, lowering his binoculars. He blinked at the dumbstruck look on the Captain’s face, then followed his gaze to where he was staring dopily at—at the Winter fucking Soldier.

“Steve, no,” Clint groaned.

Or: Steve courts the Winter Soldier.

all these things that i’ve done | @not-withoutyou

steve x bucky

Steve was the patron saint of waiting too long. Bucky was atoning for his sins. Maybe they’d both been forsaken, abandoned by the light. Maybe they’d find a way back to each other again.

Post civil war, if things had gone differently.

find a way (to make it back home) | belwrites (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky (college au)

Fresh off a year abroad, Head Resident Assistant Steve Rogers finds his senior year of college to be full of changes, and he's not just talking about the growth spurt. He's more concerned with the fact that his best friend...isn't talking to him? Is dating his ex? May or may not be missing an arm?

In which Steve has no fucking clue what's going on, but he's trying, Bucky learns how to communicate with his best friend again, and everyone quietly panics about the future.

is it pretending if i already want you? | OhCaptainMyCaptain (AO3) (18+)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Based on prompt: Pretend Boyfriends AU where one of their families is always wondering why they're never in a relationship, so the other offers to pretend to be their boyfriend for some family event

the roommate | layersofart, Niitza (AO3)

cap steve x modern bucky

In which Steven G. Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, gets a roommate. Who rapidly turns into his "roommate"—in the euphemistic sense of the word.

It takes SHIELD and the rest of the Avengers an absurd amount of time to notice.

dear mr. postman | odetteandodile (AO3)

steve x bucky (modern au)

Steve and Bucky revive an old friendship, get married (but totally just as friends, for reasons), and navigate a few of the many trials of the heart that come with falling in love with your best friend.

fate will play us out | steveandbucky (AO3) (18+)

cap steve x modern bucky

Bucky has landed himself a job with Stark Industries. He doesn't know yet that the job is actually being the PR manager for the Avengers.

Bucky has also started dating Steve Rogers. He also doesn't know yet that Steve is Captain America.

Bucky's life is about to get a whole lot more exciting.

the avengers hate club | notebooksandlaptops (AO3)

pop star steve x modern bucky

Bucky falls hopelessly for Steve and starts an Avengers hate club with the lead singer of the Avengers.

songbird | chicklette (AO3) (18+)

modern steve x musician bucky

At 43, James Barnes is a washed up old man. He’s got a dozen Grammys in the hall closet, an agent that can’t get him a deal, a decade-old case of writer’s block, a moody teen-aged daughter, and the gorgeous actress Natasha Romanova for an ex-wife. Well, one of them anyway. He’s a man who’s given up on finding joy in his life, and if it wasn’t for his kid, he’d have probably found a way to quit the world a long time ago.

Enter Steven Grant Rogers, struggling twenty-something, orphan, and someone who has no idea who Barnes is, other than some musician his mom liked a lot. The two men meet by accident, doing nothing more than passing the time in a quiet bar. But when a pap gets a shot of the two men embracing, Bucky takes it as a chance to finally come out as bisexual, and his agent makes him a proposition: Ten new songs and one very sweet boyfriend will get him a new record deal that will maybe, just maybe put him back on top.

Now all he has to do is write the songs, convince the kid, and not fall in love. Should be easy, right?

the right partner | LeeHan (AO3) (18+)

cap steve x ws bucky

Steve meets a beautiful man with a bright laugh on a sunny day in Italy. Captain America meets the elusive Winter Soldier moments later.

Date Bucky Barnes. Defeat the Winter Soldier. Bring down Hydra. How hard could it be?

#stucky fic #stucky fic recs #steve x bucky #steve rogers x bucky barnes #stucky #bucky barnes #steve rogers

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cardentist · 3 years

Text

I haven’t been in the star trek fandom for very long (I’ve only just started binging the series in the last couple months), so it’s been pretty surprising to find out just how negative the perception of the reboot movies are.

this isn’t coming from the perspective of someone who grew up with the series, so it hit different for me than it might for people with a different relationship to TOS, but I thought it was genuinely clever and Respectful with how it was handled.

To quote leonard nimoy: “Well the alternative timeline gives them license to escape from canon concerns. I can’t see people saying ‘they shouldn’t do that because…’ or ‘that doesn’t tie in to such and such’ because it is a different time and place. Am I right about that?” [Link]

the entire Premise is that the original series happened as it was presented in TOS, but an event late in Spock’s life caused the creation of a parallel universe in which everyone’s lives were significantly altered through two key changes to the timeline. this gives them the freedom to Both revel in fanservice And explore different facets of the characters and their relationships.

the destruction of vulcan Vastly impacts the characters and the plot moving forward, and its a detail that a lot of people take issue with. but the emotional impact of sarek admitting Directly to spock that there is value in his humanity, that his feelings Aren’t wrong, that sarek married amanda because he Loved her cannot be understated. you can read all of these things into sarek as he was in the original series, but he Never had an open conversation about these things with spock. this creates a Believable and Rewarding change in their relationship, where we get to see a different facet of them Because of the changes made. and that’s exactly the appeal. showing us pieces of these characters that we never got in TOS that are nevertheless undeniably Them.

everyone is Different yes, but they’re also fundamentally the same people at their core and that matters.

kirk’s personality obviously takes the biggest change, with him experiencing trauma at a young age, losing his father, and having an implied abusive father figure after that point. he has a harsher personality in reaction to harsher conditions, he’s spikier and harder to love. but he’s also still fundamentally a Good person whose willing to risk everything to help people. he still has what made kirk prime a good captain and a good friend.

I’m not gonna say that it’s the most nuanced story in the world, but it explores a version of kirk that was born from even Less fortunate circumstances than kirk prime, exploring a kirk brimming with potential who learned to bite back after he was kicked down. exploring those themes of trauma and loss, of insecurity and growth, and coming to the conclusion that Fundamentally He Is Capable Of Good isn’t a Bad thing. you don’t have to like it, but his growth into a better person is The Point. they deepened his flaws (all of which were present in a less exaggerated form in TOS) To Show That Growth.

and then of course there’s his relationship with spock.

people are totally justified in not liking that they had a rough start to their relationship, I usually don’t like to see that kind of thing in reboots or hollywood adaptations either, but the way people talk about it is just unfair.

Yes kirk and spock and bones have a very strong relationship in TOS, they also already know each other by the time the show starts. to look at them having to learn to get to know and trust each other when they first meet and say that it’s Bad because they were already full on ride or die for each other in the og series is silly. TOS kirk and spock had to meet and fall in love with each other too, it didn’t just happen over night kings.

secondly, the entire point of the first movie is that Even With reality itself being altered to pull them apart they are fundamentally compatible people that are Bound to each other. they meet each other on bad terms because of circumstances outside of their control, and yet they’re still pulled into each other’s orbit and find the other slotting into place next to them as if they always belonged. one of the first things that spock prime says in the movie is “I am and always will be your friend,” spock and jim are Meant for each other and the movie goes out of its way to explain that. which is what makes it so Weird to see people complaining about how they don’t like each other.

it’s a Different relationship, but it’s absolutely no less steeped in yearning or queer subtext.

speaking of queer subtext ! some people are Very unhappy with spock’s relationship with uhura.

first thing I wanna say is that making the argument that they’re doing anything that the original series hasn’t done is just, completely untrue. kirk has fallen in love with more girls in the og series than he knew what to do with, leonard nimoy was a heartthrob in his time (and he deserves it, awooga) and spock reflects that ! Spock usually turns the women who come onto him down (or when he doesn’t it’s because a plant has literally altered his mind), but there are exceptions to even that. all of three of the main boys have plenty of romance subplots, it happens. if that takes the possibility of them being queer off the table for you (which it shouldn’t, m-spec people exist) then I’m sorry to say that TOS is not exempt.

now, I can understand why Specifically This Relationship could rub people the wrong way or being disappointed that they didn’t outright depict kirk and spock as having a relationship (if not in the first movie then in the following ones after they’ve gotten to know each other), but even in that context the way I’ve seen people talk about it comes off as insensitive.

no, the relationship did not come out of nowhere. they considered having spock and uhura date each other in the original show (and you can see signs of this in the earlier episodes, where uhura very obviously flirts with him and they spend time together in their down time) before they decided against it, and spock was originally going to kiss uhura until shatner insisted that he wanted to do it (because it was the first interracial kiss on tv). [Link 1, Link 2, Link 3]

nichelle nichols was asked about this exact thing (spock and uhura’s relationship in the movie), you can read the interview in full here [Link] but I’d like to highlight this paragraph in particular:

“Now, go back to my participation in Star Trek as Uhura and Leonard (Nimoy) as Spock. There was always a connection between Uhura and Spock. It was the early 60’s, so you couldn’t do what you can do now, but if you will remember, Uhura related to Spock. When she saw the captain lost in space out there in her mirror, it was Spock who consoled her when she went screaming out of her room. When Spock needed an expert to help save the ship, you remember that Uhura put something together and related back to him the famous words, “I don’t know if I can do this. I’m afraid.” And Uhura was the only one who could do a spoof on Spock. Remember the song (in “Charlie X”)? Those were the hints, as far as I’m concerned.”

the film makers looked at the fact there were Hints for uhura and spock, that they were Interested in exploring an interracial couple for the first time (both before and immediately after interracial couples won the right to legally get married) but Couldn’t because of the circumstances of the times and decided to Make that depiction. you don’t have to Like their relationship just because of that fact, but it’s Incredibly reductive to play down it’s significance as just a No Homo cop out. explicitly queer relationships are not the only progressive or culturally important relationships in fiction.

moreover, if you can’t imagine polyamory in the communist utopian future that’s on you.

moreover, this perception that this was a soulless cash grab is just, unfounded.

leonard nimoy returned to the role as spock for the first time in 16 years (since 1991) and this was Entirely because of the respect they had for nimoy, spock as a character, and the franchise as a whole.

Lets look at some quotes from nimoy in interviews regarding the film:

Leonard Nimoy: When I first read the script (...) I immediately contacted J.J. and said “I think it is terrific…I think you guys have done a wonderful job. There is still work to be done, but it is very clear that you and your writers know what you are doing and you know how to do this movie and know what it should be about….and I am very interested.” Then as time went by we worked things out with Paramount, but the most important things were J.J. and the script. (...) I am very pleased about that and I am very comfortable with where this is going. I think the writers have done a terrific job. They have a real sense of the characters and the heart of Star Trek and what it is really all about.

(...)

TrekMovie.com: Now in the case of the new movie you have been retired from acting for years. What was it about this one that made you want to act again and go through the make up again? What was it that made you say ‘I really want to do this?’

Leonard Nimoy: You are right, this is a special situation. First it is Star Trek and so I have to pay attention. I owe that to Star Trek. Second place is that it is J.J. Abrams who I think very highly of, he is a very talented guy. Then came the script and it was very clear that I could make a contribution here. The Spock character that I am playing, the original Spock character, is essential and important to the script. So on the basis of those three elements it was easy to make the decision. So those three things: Star Trek, J.J. Abrams, and an interesting Spock role.

[Link]

Praising the cast playing younger versions of characters from the original 1960s TV series, he [Leonard Nimoy] said: “Let me take the opportunity to say this. Everybody at this table [the cast] are very, very talented and intelligent people.”

“They found their own way to bring that talent and intelligence to this movie, and I think it shows. (...) When Karl Urban introduced himself as Leonard McCoy and shook hands with Chris Pine, I burst into tears. That performance of his is so moving, so touching and so powerful as Doctor McCoy, that I think D. Kelley would be smiling, and maybe in tears as well.”

“The makers of this film reawakened the passion in me that I had when we made the original film and series. I was put back in touch with what I cared about and liked about Star Trek, and why I enjoyed being involved with Star Trek. So, it was an easy way to come on home.”

“[In this Star Trek] they said things and showed me things, and demonstrated the sensibility that I felt very comfortable with, and I think that shows in the movie. I like it.”

[Link 1, Link 2]

again, you don’t have to like it just because leonard nimoy did, you don’t have to Agree. but the idea that nobody working on the film Cared is provably false. near everyone working on the project was already a fan of the series or were excited to be involved and did their homework. it’s genuinely a Miracle just how much of a labor of love this was, and in my opinion you can feel that through the movie itself. I’d highly recommend looking into interviews and behind the scenes details about the movies. they had a respect not just for the source material, but for leonard nimoy as a person.

there’s definitely more I Could say about this, but it’s 4 am now so I’m gonna shelve it jklfdsa

that said! it’s Fine to not like the movie, not everything is going to be suited to everyone’s taste, but the specific criticisms I’ve seen feel very off base

#star trek #kirk #spock #uhura #nichelle nichols #leonard nimoy #star trek aos #aos #star trek tos #tos #meta #long post #hello followers I write essays about star trek now

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stariwrites · 3 years

Note

👀👀👀👀 Ship your moots

Alright I’m putting this under a readmore because I’m going to try and include all of my moots so let’s see how I do. They’re going to be split up half and half so this is the first half. I’m determined also I may have gone overboard but it’s chill

Edit: adding more here!

@dabitdabi Keigo for sure, they’d be so powerful it would be insane😩, he’d be so cute and flustered and Cheshire is such a sweetheart he’d practically drop everything for her if she needed it. The type of couple who compliment each other, she’d remind him to take care of himself and make sure he knows that shes somebody he can depend on/talk to at the end of the day. And he’ll take care of her too, make sure he remembers her favorite food, flower, blanket you name it he’ll remember.

@sleepyrintaro (ik you’re on a hiatus love but I wanted to include you too) Kuroo, another absolute unit. When I tell you they’re both geniuses and when they’re together they’re either the most intelligent people or have one brain cell shared and there’s no in between, there’s no in between. Rin is amazing and is so kind/has such a big heart the two of them would have so much fun together and be so fun to be around. Kuroo would love hearing about psychology and it would basically turn into talking about hyperfixations going back and forth.

@rukunas Sukuna hands down. Rue is so sweet and has the best vibes and I feel like Sukuna would be drawn to that. The soft but only for you trope definitely comes into play here. Sukuna would look so intimidating and tease Rue but then get flustered half way through. King of curses or not he can be really intimidating one minute but as soon as you need him he’s instantly like ‘what’s wrong baby what happened?’ (Basically the Gordon Ramsey with kids vs with adults comes into play here).

@kkodzvken Dabi or Toga, Lune is a sweetheart and I feel like both Dabi and Toga would look at them and instantly think ‘I want to protect them.’ This relationship would be very cute in its own way because they’d all watch out for each other. Dabi would smile so fondly it would be a crime, but if he’s ever called out on it he would 100% deny it and you can’t convince me otherwise. He’d let Lune wear his coat around if they wanted to. With Toga, she’d do skin care (if you wanted to) and would adore shopping dates! Loves cuddling and just snuggling up to you too!

@katslutski I cannot stress this enough: Nanami Kento. They both value independence and Nanami would take care of you if you needed it. He’d love chilling and watching movies or reading quietly with Kat and nobody can convince me otherwise. Slow dancing in a kitchen would be a must at least once. They’d have separate apartments but spend a lot of time at the others. He’d send texts from time to time asking how she is and would enjoy making dinner together with her. Nothing relaxes him more than the time they have together. Kat is so fun to talk to and is honestly amazing and so is Nanami so they would for sure have the best convos too.

@pupimouto Chuuya hands down. Babi is honestly amazing and Chuuya would be so enamored. He’d also have the thought of ‘Must protect.’ Adores her, the red and pink aesthetic for sure. He’d get into a fight if anybody looked at her the wrong way. If there’s a bad day he’d be there to hold her close to her and reassure her and if she kisses him or holds his hand/tells him she loves him? Gone he has ascended, he’ll smile for the rest of the day.

@oilivia Oikawa. Liv deserves the best and who is Oikawa if he doesn’t provide? Their relationship is super fun, he’d listen to her playlists and playfully tease her a bit but it’s all in good fun. (He makes sure not to go too far and cross a line) the type of relationship where they both bicker playfully, but also have really deep convos. They also balance each other out and help each other to either break out of their shell or relax and just focus on the present. Communication between them is amazing, they make it look so easy. Both of them are able to confide in the other knowing it’s a safe space and there will be no judgement. Oikawa also loves to fluster her in public by calling her cute pet names.

@bakugohoex Jean Kirschtein, they’re able to be independent but also comes together. The best friends before being lovers type of thing. Ria is amazing and Jean would be there to hang out with her and makes sure to call her beautiful everyday. He adores the little domestic moments the most and would love hearing about her day and would check in throughout the day with ‘Hey baby how are you doing?’ Attentive and he’s a very good listener. They’d both work so well together! He seems like the type to theorize movies and so they’d both exchange their own and see who’s closer to what’s actually going on.

@chaos-night *deep inhale* ATSUHIRO SAKO please they’d be so perfect I’m not even kidding! He’d take up ballroom dancing lessons so they could dance in the kitchen and their relationship would be so soft and wholesome. Chaos is a wonderful person and is a great listener as well as fun to talk to so they would both revel in each other’s presence. Atsuhiro would shower her in praise all the time. He’d adore her so much and everyday would fall a little more in love with her. King of romantic dates whether it’s extravagant or just hanging out and watching movies either way he adores it. Will hold her close to his chest as they sleep whispering how much he loves her and how lucky he is to be with her.

@raes-still-rambling the sweetest I can’t even articulate. Tamaki Amajiki they would work so well together. He’d find so much comfort in them. His favorite would be if they just cuddled together and watched a movie. He isn’t big on romance but he’d put his all into it regardless. Loves holding their hand and would smile softly whenever he sees her. They’d definitely have a cuddling playlist and he’d show them he loves them through small actions

@m-mortimer Christa and Ymir 100%. Izzie has such a big heart and I feel like she’d fit into this dynamic so well! They’d both take care of her, Ymir has strong mommy dom energy and would make sure both her girls are doing well. They would all live the cottage core lesbian dream I guarantee you. Would dance around and just have a lot of laughs together, making flower crowns would be an absolute must. They’d all take care of each other and would help if any of them got into a bad headspace. This relationship would feel like a home.

@deludedimagines Levi Ackerman, Sorcha has to be one of the coolest people ever and who better to match that energy than Humanity’s Strongest. Their relationship would be comfort. Both of them would find solace in each other whether it be making tea late at night to playing games in the morning. The two of them would work so well together, completely content to dwell in the comfortable silence they’ve created. They’d also clean together with soft music playing in the background and Levi can’t get enough of it. Their relationship is full of understanding one another. The phrase/lyrics “Life is not the things that we do it’s who we’re doing them with” very much applies here.

@fuwushiguro Toji Fushiguro no questions asked. The most interesting and fun relationship ever, Venus is a goddess and is so kind/compassionate Toji would start out being like ‘I have no intention of falling in love’ and then before he knows it he’s in love. Would protect her no matter what, they would have amazing stories. Their life would be like a movie. He’d hold her and in the soft moments tell her how much he loves her and how he feels complete with them together. He’s the type to use action instead of words so if he sees her sad? He’s off to get ice cream and put on her favorite comfort movie. He grumbles about her making him soft but when she just gives him a smile and says he likes it he can’t help but smile fondly, he can’t argue with that.

@fushigurocockslut Mahito, they too have a fun relationship. Tessa is one of the chillest people I’ve ever had the joy of knowing and her and Mahito would be so chaotic im living for it. They share one brain cell and it’s to wreak total havoc, both of them have the friendship dynamic down to the point where people have to ask if they’re dating or just close friends. Mahito loves spending time with her and they both would absolutely prank the hell out of Nanami. Also they’d find/have the coolest hang outs to chill and listen to music, eat snacks and vibe. Although they may be chaotic they’d also have really chill moments where they would just relax and stargaze. The two of them could talk about everything and anything.

@doinmybesthere Shoto Todoroki. Emme has a huge heart with so much love and she deserves to receive all that love back and more. Shoto is not big on pda, but behind closed doors he loves intimacy. In the quiet moments of just waking up he’d kiss her forehead with a groggy ‘Good morning love’ their dynamic is ‘Two sweethearts in a room they might love each other unconditionally’ and then they did. Slow dancing in the kitchen? Absolutely. Shoto is also attentive and adores Emme’s beautiful singing voice, on bad nights he loves nothing more than to feel her fingers in his hair and hear her voice as he drifts off. If the roles are reversed he holds her to his chest and hums softly while rubbing soothing circles against her back. Their relationship is wholesome and they bring out the best in each other.

@izukine Takemichi for sure. Both would try and protect the other and they’d both be flustered by the other since they’d both of the thought process of ‘Theyre so cute my heart feels like it’s about to burst’ Liyah is so friendly and awesome and I feel like Takemichi would be drawn to that. Whether it be walking around or just chilling both of them would just like the time they spend together. Every time Takemichi sees her he instantly perks up and has a cute smile on his face. Their relationship holds solid communication and trust.

@cupcake-rogue Bakugou Katsuki without question. King of making sure Star is taken care of and has a soft spot for her. Everybody makes fun of him for it, but he doesn’t care. Star would mean the world to him and knowing that he comes home to see her face would relax him and keep him calm. He loves holding her in his arms and if she runs her fingers through his scalp he’s gone. Instantly falls asleep. Uses actions over words so he’ll make sure he has her favorite foods/drinks stalked in the fridge. If he notices it’s a bad day he’ll ask how he can make it better. The two of them would have a relationship that’s all about care.

@nomadmilk Kirishima Eijirou both of them take care of each other and have so much fun together. Matching outfits? Sure. Cute couple photos? Absolutely! They’re the definition of couple aesthetic/goals. Love being affectionate, it doesn’t matter if they’re in public or not. Kirishima will constantly praise Noma and be like ‘that’s my baby!’ Whenever you do something. He loves supporting you and if you ever comfort him/do the same he’ll be so happy. Loves to hold and cuddle Noma a lot. Both of them together would radiate so much love they both deserve wonderful things.

If I didn’t get to you this round just you wait cause tomorrow is part 2

#starianswers #beautiful anons

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ill-skillsgard · 3 years

Note

Another goth out here - Can I ask for hc's of all the Bill boys you write for with a goth girl, please?

Why, yes! I’d love to. After all... Everyone needs a cute goth GF, right? You know it’s true.

Axel Cluney

He steals her fishnets. They just look good on him. Axel likes to show some skin and he’s not a fan of real shirts. Only garments with holes in them, and she happens to have a lot of those. Axel will convince her to do a clothing swap with him until she gets fed up sacrificing her clothes and brings him to a goth market where he can buy his own stuff.

They compare tattoos. She has some meaningful and dark tattoos and Axel is covered in ink he let his friend put on him as “practice”...That friend is now in jail tattooing convicts, but Axel insists they’re not prison tats.

He shows her new music. Everything she loves, Axel loved when he was a kid, and makes it a point to remind her of his refined taste by bringing her mix CDs which she can’t play because who even owns a CD-player anymore? (He buys her one from the local pawn shop so they can listen to Smashing Pumpkins together.)

Axel contemplates dying his hair black. He loves hers, so why not his?

Roman Godfrey

She has a crush on him first, thinking he’s the closest thing to the local “goth” boy, then realizes he’s not goth at all. She might think he’s a poser. After much back and forth, she decides he’s just a fashion guy, but he already has his sights set on her. He wears all the black in his closet and then buys more to assimilate.

Roman’s idea of a first date is bringing her to a forest where he smokes cigarettes and talks about being an outcast. She makes fun of him only a little bit, then steals his scarf. He lets her keep it, saying it looks better on her anyway.

He asks her if she knows any witchcraft or spells; if she believes in spirits and all that. It surprises her to hear these questions and she answers, “why? You wanna put a hex on someone?”

Roman has found a match for his attitude. He thought he was the world’s biggest brat until he meets her. It’s a huge turn-on for him to have a girl that doesn’t put up with bullshit.

Henry Deaver

She scares him. Like a lot. But it’s hot...Right? He doesn’t know if she hates him or not, but he’ll find out once he summons the courage to talk to her.

He’s wildly afraid of coming off as unimpressive, but he doesn’t know what these kinds of girls like. So he buys up a bunch of old-school horror movies, some of them truly god-awful, and hopes she’ll want to watch one of them. Oh, and he has to keep the lights on, and no, he won’t explain why. He just likes to watch movies with the light on. Yes, there’s a glare on the screen, and no, it doesn’t bother him.

She figures out Henry is jumpy and will lurk in the shadows to pop out at him at any chance. He screams and clutches his chest the first couple of times, then spends the rest of their time together peering around corners and assessing where she is at all times.

He will not make the first move. She kisses him first, under a full moon, and Henry practically melts.

The Kid

He’s the only man that kind of freaks her out. He’s tall, dark, quiet, and not in the typecast way. This guy looks like a dead tree. He kind of sits there all stiff and wide-eyed like ghosts are talking to him. Until he cracks his first gentle smile, she’s not even sure he has a pulse.

The Kid knows all the best scary movies, and we’re not talking Friday the Thirteenth and A Nightmare on Elm Street. He has a stash of the freakiest underground film that makes even her feel uncomfortable watching, and she grew up on this shit.

She likes to wear dark lipstick, and he’s the only one who doesn’t make snide or “clever” comments. He likes the way she dresses and does herself up. It reminds him of a little porcelain doll. A cursed doll, but cute nonetheless.

To her surprise, he kisses her first. He’s not the most vocal guy, but he can read body language, and he knows it’s the right time. When he pulls away, the smile on her face turns his icy insides to liquid.

Henry Pearl

They meet at a midnight art showing in the middle of the town’s square. Her booth is set up with her spooky dolls and sinister paintings, sculptures and metaphysical crafts of bone and crystals. Henry gravitates toward her when he hears people whispering about her weird art.

She begs him to teach her some painting techniques, as she’s intrigued by his skill, and he obliges, but only later at night.

He makes her breakfast at night, explaining that nine PM is the perfect time for pancakes. She doesn’t mind since she’s a night owl by nature.

After they see each other for a few weeks, Henry paints a portrait of her and gets his first kiss as a result. It rocks his entire world. After the kiss, all he ever wants to paint is her face.

Mickey

He tries a little too hard to get her attention at first. She doesn’t know whether she finds him pathetic or if it’s kiiinda cute how he follows her around like a puppy.

They bond over music one day in Mickey’s car, which is NOT the car she first saw him driving. He lights up when metal plays, croons to power ballads, gets emotional over the break-up songs. She can see he’s a genuine dude who wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Mickey brings her flowers he stole from various gardens. He had a vision of buying her a bouquet of black roses, but they wanted 60 bucks at the store, so he improvises by prowling the garden district with a pair of shears.

Her black collars excite him. He asks if they mean anything or if they’re just fashion. She teases him and tells him if he wants to find out, he’ll have to prove himself. So he spends the rest of the week acting like the perfect boyfriend, though they’re not “official”, they are in his mind and he doesn’t have eyes for anyone else.

Merkel

Maybe the only guy who might be more goth than her. He likes black, wearing make-up and knows all the best underground clubs where they play dark industrial and everyone dresses like her.

He asks if he can dress her one day. To her surprise, Merkel has trunks of clothes he’s taken from fashion shoots. He styles her and stages his own photoshoot with her as his muse. The pictures are strikingly editorial, and she has the best time.

Merkel talks about hanging out with all her idols. She listens with heart-eyes and a smile to rival a sunrise to the stories of Gordon’s travels through Europe.

Invites her over to his place one night for wine and black-and-white movies, but all she wants to do is check out his handcuff collection and put them to use. With a coy look, he escorts her to his studio apartment, asking, “do you have your own safeword, or should we decide on one now?”

Willard Russell

He doesn’t understand all the black, but he wants to because he thinks she looks beautiful. He’s never seen a girl like her before. Maybe she’s an angel, maybe she’s the opposite... All Willard knows is he wants to talk to her.

She understands his melancholy, and he doesn’t feel like he needs to put on a happy mask when she’s around. It’s a breath of fresh air to feel like he can be himself in front of someone who doesn’t try to change him.

Her intelligence baffles him, and she doesn’t speak like the folks he grew up with. She’s different in every way, and he falls in love with her quickly.

Willard makes her a tree swing in the forest where they like to go to be alone. She finds this incredibly sweet and kisses him on the cheek before taking a seat on the wooden plank. His skin heats from where her lips touched, and he spends the rest of the evening with her in a lovestruck daze.

#Bill Skarsgard hc #Bill Skarsgard imagine #Bill Skarsgard drabble #Bill Skarsgard fanfiction #Roman Godfrey #Axel Cluney #Henry Deaver #The Kid #Henry Pearl #Mickey Villains #gordon merkel #willard russell

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127-mile · 3 years

Text

Bots and books.

Pairing: Artificial intelligence Ten x female reader.

Genre: AI, bookstore | Fluff, angst.

Warnings: Ten thinks robots are superior to humans.

Plot: When your boss asked you to train the new employee, you didn’t think you would end up with a robot freshly out of the factory.

Word count: +5.3k.

A/N: This is part of the AI project #14320 collab hosted by @pastelsicheng.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

When you hear Taeil's voice behind you, you drop the book you were holding, and when it crashes on your foot, you pursed your lips so as not to be vulgar when so many customers are in the store. "Oh boy, I'm sorry, I should have warned you that I was here." Taeil whispers, and when you look over your shoulder, you notice that he doesn't look embarrassed by the situation, or ashamed, on the contrary, he looks amused.

"I feel like you are trying to hurt me, am I wrong?" you ask, squinting, and he shrugs. At least he bends down to pick up the book and put it where it was supposed to go. "Maybe I'm just trying to get you to go home because you're spending too much time here, maybe I didn't do it on purpose, who knows." If he wasn't your boss, you would have insulted him, but you care about your job, and you like being able to pay your rent every month without having to ask your parents for help.

“I don't spend too much time here, I even think that I don't spend enough time here. But getting back to what caused you to come bother me, yes we can talk. What do you want?" you turn completely towards him, and you tilt your head to the side. "We're going to have a new employee tomorrow, and I was wondering if you could take care of him, show him how the bookstore works, show him how to use the cash register, you know, everything that I taught you when I hired you."

"Aren't you supposed to take care of it, as the boss?" you ask, and he takes his hands out of the pockets of his pants when a client approaches, he smiles at her, and when she disappears, he regains his slumped position. "Are you listening when I'm talking to you?" you know it's a rhetorical question and yet you shake your head, you're not going to lie, you tend to stop listening when he talks for too long. Can he blame you? He has a soft voice that lulls you to sleep.

"I vividly remember telling you last week that I had to go away for a few days. I have an appointment in another city for my next book." oh yes, you remember hearing him mention a new book, an appointment with his publisher, and other people who might help him, but you don't remember hearing him mention the date, or how long he would be gone. "Am I going to have to spend weeks putting books away with your head on the cover? I better get a raise for that!"

"Why would you get a raise, you should be happy to see my face on books!" you could tell him that yes, it's an honor to work with a famous writer, but you don't want to give him that pleasure. "So if I have to take care of the new employee, does that mean that I will also be the boss until you come back from your vacation?"

"It's not a vacation," he mumbles, and you smirk, it's so easy to annoy Taeil, and that's why you like him so much. "but yes, you will be in charge of the store until I return. So are you okay with that?" you know you don't have a choice, that you are the only person working here that he trusts enough to entrust his shop, his baby. "Of course I agree! I won't miss an opportunity to turn a new employee against you."

"Maybe I'll take this opportunity away from the store to find a new employee, to replace you. I've had enough of you!" you're very happy that customers are around, otherwise he certainly would have shouted to sound more dramatic. "You can't fire me, because I'll ruin your business, and you love me way too much, you'll be bored without me. Do I also need to remind you that you wouldn't have a manuscript for your editor to read if I hadn't been there to force you to write?"

Rather than respond, Taeil walks away muttering something between clenched teeth, and if a client wasn't calling for your help to find a book, you most likely would have laughed at his behavior.

Night has fallen for an hour or so when you finally lock the bookstore door behind you, and when the cold wind caresses your cheeks, you sigh deeply. You like this place, it's a bit of a second home for you, but good god, you want to be at home, even if you have to deal with your roommates' antics until you fall asleep.

"Excuse me?"

Your blood freeze in your body, you should have checked that no one was around the store when you went out, because Taeil is already gone, and he won't be there to help you if a drunken idiot, or a little too pushy keeps you from coming home. You take a deep breath, but it hitches in your throat when you turn on your heels. "Can I help you?" you ask in a voice that you hope is not too shaky.

The young man stays silent for a while, and you frown when he tilts his head a little too slowly not to look like a killer straight out of the horror movies you love so much. You clear your throat, and he seems to take notice of the question put to him, so he nods, extending a hand to you. "You dropped that." in his hand, you see the notebook that you always keep in your bag, bag that you have thrown over your shoulder without even taking the time to close it.

The lump that had formed in your throat is disappearing as quickly as it came, and you refrain from sighing in relief. "Oh, thank you very much!" you take the notebook that you put in your bag before closing the zip. "Thank you?" the young man answers, but before you can open your mouth he walks away from the shop.

You happen to meet strange people, but this is the first time you've met someone like him, someone who seems surprised to have been thanked for something as mundane as returning a notebook. Taeil would say that this is a person's first life on earth. Him and his writer mind.

Even though the stranger didn't look dangerous, you make sure he got far enough away to walk in the direction of the stairs leading to the underground metro. If you're not a fan of this place, you like being there at this late hour, because it's not so crowded, and it's easy for you to find a seat in the metro. You push your headphones into your ears, and you look up at the screen near the sliding door.

You roll your eyes when you see the ads for LSM going on. If you were to earn $10 every time you saw it on TV, or heard it on the radio, you would have enough to pay your rent for at least six months without needing to work. This really isn't an exaggeration, the company really wants everyone to know about what they are offering, new updates on their bots, and how excited they are to have sent the most of their new robots in the world for work, for study, or for entertainment.

You have nothing against robots, you just think it's a shame to take jobs from people who genuinely need to work, but apparently: "robots aren't here to replace you, they're here to make it easier for you. Do not be scared, technology is good, we need it." You're not sure if you're okay with that, and you'll let it know when the robots take over the world.

Lost in your thoughts, you almost forget to get up to get out of the metro, these damn robots will end up making you miss your stop. Yes, sometimes it's much easier to blame the robots than it is to accept your responsibilities.

"Johnny, if you don't get out of the bathroom in a minute, I swear to god I'll make you swallow your camera!"

you growl, and you open your eyes. Why do you always have to wake up regretting all the decisions that brought you here, living with two roommates who are ready to tear their heads off at the first opportunity offered to them. "And I'll make you eat your books back if you do that!" you hear Johnny respond, and you wonder why the neighbors haven't filed a noise complaint yet. You would have done it since day one.

"Doyoung, you don't work Saturdays, why are you already up?" you ask in a voice loud enough to be heard, and what you didn't want to happen happens. The door opens, and your gaze meets Doyoung's, he has furrowed brows and dark circles, since when has he not slept? "For your information, young lady, I would be sleeping if Johnny hadn't knocked on my door at six in the morning to ask me for the time!"

"Not that I want to stand up for him, but you looked for it by setting his alarm clock to go off at five the other day." you answer, and he rolls his eyes as he walks into your room to drop into the bed, and you groan when his back blocks your legs. "Doyoung, I have to go to work, so if you could move that would be very nice." he doesn't move, and you wiggle your legs until you can free one. "As soon as I convince Taeil to give me a raise, I'll find myself another apartment and I won't have to deal with you anymore." you mumble, and Doyoung chuckles.

"Even if he agreed to give you a raise, which he won't do until he has published two more books, you won't leave. You don't like silence, and you will miss us too much after the first day." he's not wrong, but you could always find a new roommate. "It's okay, I'll find someone else. Someone who doesn't make me want to throw myself out the window every morning."

"If you need help finding a new roommate, ask us, we'll be happy to help." you sigh when you hear Johnny, and when you turn your head, you roll your eyes. Johnny is in the doorframe, a towel hanging low around his hips, and drops of water falling from his hair. "We'll find you someone good. Or someone worse than us, Doyoung and I will have to talk about it before we decide."

Before Doyoung can react, you free your second leg, grab your clothes for the day, and head to the bathroom, not without pushing Johnny out of the way. "Y/n, I'll make you eat your fucking books!" Doyoung growls as he straightens up, and you laugh. You know he can do it, but before that, he'll take the time to find the worst book in your book shelves to do it, so you'll have plenty of time to run away, change your identity and be forgotten.

You need less time than Johnny to shower, and to be ready to go. When you come out of the bathroom, you notice that the two boys are still in your room, and they are chatting as if they hadn't threatened each other less than twenty minutes ago. "Are you going to stay in my bed? Don't you have bedrooms, or a couch where you can talk?" Doyoung looks up, and he smirks. "Your bed is much more comfortable. We're talking about what to do with this room when you're gone." little shit.

"Well, since I'm apparently the only one working here, I'm going to go. See you tonight, or never." you get your bag that you throw on your shoulder and you stick your tongue out at Johnny who waves to you without moving from your bed, the sheets are going to be damp because of him, and you want to hit him for that, but that might make you late for work.

You leave the apartment, and like the day before, you quickly find the stairs leading to the underground metro, and unlike yesterday, it's more difficult to find your way through the students, workers and partygoers who have just returned from a party the night before. You concentrate on your breathing to avoid letting yourself be overwhelmed by the different smells of perfume, sweat, and alcohol.

When the doors slide open, you quickly get out of the train, and you find the outside. You never thought you would miss the clean air as much as since you started taking the subway to work. Since Taeil is away, the shop is still closed, and it takes you at least five minutes to find the keys in your bag, and for a second, you wonder if you haven't left them at home, but you sigh with relief when your fingers come in contact with the cold surface of a key.

You unlock the door, and walk into the store smiling at the familiar scent of old books piling up in part of the store. When you started working here, you asked Taeil what the old books were for, that they would never be sold, but now you see the charm of the old book with the damaged binding, the sound of the pages, and you wouldn't do without them. You put your bag on the counter, and you turn on the lights.

Taeil must have gone to the store before leaving, because you can find the boxes already behind the counter. You could have taken care of the delivery, but Taeil likes to check that everything is there, even if he might be late for an appointment that could really change his writing life, even if in your opinion, he is already quite popular and doesn't need more help.

You sit up when you hear the door open, and you open your mouth. "We're not open yet, sorry." you say, and if you expected the door to close, it stays open, and when you look at the person, your eyes open wide. This is the man who gave you your notebook back last night, and once again, he tilts his head far too slowly not to be awkward to watch.

“I'm LC27296,” he begins, but he shakes his head with a certain vigor that you would never have at this time of the morning. "I'm Ten, I'm going to work here." your mouth opens, but no sound comes out. For a minute, you forgot that you were supposed to take care of the new employee. "Taeil told me to come before the opening to make it easier." oh he did that?

"Before I introduce myself, I have a question for you. What were you doing here last night?" you ask and he suddenly seems nervous. "I- I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to make sure of how long it would take me to get here, so that I wouldn't be late for my first day." you hum, not sure you believe it, but it's not like you can accuse him of something without having any proof whatsoever. "Alright. I'm Y/n, I'll take care of teaching you how the store works until Taeil comes back in a few days. You can shut the door."

Ten does, and he approaches the counter, he doesn't seem in his element, but if Taeil hired him it's because he saw something in him. "Why did you give me numbers when I asked you for your name?" you suddenly ask, curious.

"Oh! It's my serial number, but I was told I had to introduce myself with my name, it makes it easier to fit in." a serial number, what the hell? You frown as you take your phone from the pocket of your jacket, and you open up the conversation with Taeil.

To Taeil: A serial number, what's wrong with the guy you hired?

Taeil must still be in the car, or on the train, since the answer is not long in coming. You shouldn't ignore Ten, but you need an answer before you decide whether you want to be locked up with a stranger all day, or not.

From Taeil: Ten is a robot. LSM sent me a letter a few weeks ago asking if I wanted to take any of them, and I said yes.

To Taeil: And you didn't find it useful to tell me that I was going to have to train a robot? And besides, aren't they already programmed to know how to do everything, why should I waste my time training him? Is this your way of telling me that I'm fired and that you will only hire bots from now on?

You don't get a response, which shouldn't surprise you, so you put your phone on the counter, and you meet Ten's gaze, who hasn't moved an inch. Did he himself on pause while you were busy? "So you are a robot?" you ask in a small voice, and he nods. "Yeah, you didn't know?" honestly no, even though LSM has some amazing quality robots you would expect to see them with bolts and metal.

"It's my first day away from the factory, and I'm very happy to be here!" he adds, and you roll your eyes, if he's happy that's the main thing, but you're not sure you are. "You can think of me as a human being like any other, no need to make a difference because I am superior to you." you gasp at him, but you can't help but smile, stunned. "Just because you're made of metal doesn't mean you're superior to us. I'm sure if I throw water at you you'll rust and stop working, so in a way, I'm superior."

"You can try, but it won't work! That would be stupid to think we fear water, or fire, or anything for that matter, right?" oh, it might get hectic if he continues. "How about I show you how the store works? Because if we talk any longer, I might look for other ways to turn you off, and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" he shakes his head, a worried look on his face. Perfect.

You're going to have a serious conversation with Taeil, you think, showing him where the books go, how the cash register works, and where the storeroom is, storeroom that is also used as a rest room.

"For starters, you're going to go to the storeroom, and you're going to sort all the books alphabetically while sorting them by genre, can you do that, oh you superior robot?" you ask, tilting your head, and he shrugs his shoulders. "Of course I can do it!" Taeil never asked that the books in the storeroom to be sorted, since most are unsold books that will be donated to associations or the city library, but you don't want to have him in your legs when the first customers arrive.

You take your phone, and you send one last message to Taeil before turning on the light in the storefront indicating that the store is open.

To Taeil: This robot is an idiot, and if he pisses me off too much, I'm going to fire him whether you like it or not.

To make sure you don't receive an answer, you turn off your phone before throwing it in your bag before starting to put away the new books. And surprisingly, the morning goes off without a hitch. Ten comes out once or twice to ask you for advice on an unfamiliar book, the few customers who come in don't need your help, so that's nice.

When the time comes to close the shop for the next two hours, you enter the storeroom. Ten is sitting on the ground, and he's surrounded by books that should have been put away for a long time now, but the robot seems way too deep in reading to do the job you asked him to do. You frown. "Do you know that reading is not part of your contract?"

Ten doesn't react, he just turns the page and laughs at something he just read. "Taeil buys LSM magazines, I'll go check if I can't find an article on how to deactivate a robot if it becomes threatening." you say, and immediately Ten lifts his head to look at you. "But I'm not threatening!" he exclaims, like a petulant child would.

He may be a robot, but he has typically human reactions, which is strange in itself. At least for you. "They won't have to know when I throw your body in front of the factory you came from." you answer in a slow voice, and Ten finds himself on his feet, not without slipping a bookmark in his book so as not to lose his progress. "Sorry, I found this book, and it's so interesting I couldn't help myself."

You look at the title, and you smirk. You hide in the storeroom when you don't feel like coming home, and it's one of the books you've read. "If you don't want me to tell you who the killer is, you're going to finish putting those books away, and then I'll give you time to read until the store closes tonight, do we have a deal?"

He mumbles something between his teeth, but ends up nodding. You walk away from the room before remembering that you had a question for him, so you go back. "Do robots eat?" you wouldn't want to deprive him of his lunch break and end up with some sort of robots protection squad on your back for mistreatment. "Yes, we eat. I told you, we are like you."

"It's break time so you'll finish tidying up later." Ten passes over a pyramid of books, and he leaves the room, not without taking his book with him. "So, what are we going to eat?" he suddenly asks, and you want to take his book and hit yourself with it. "What do you mean, we?"

"Taeil told me you would take me out to eat with you so I wouldn't be alone in the store." Taeil should remember to tell you when he decides something, because you can't continue to be surprised every time he opens his mouth. "Did he say that?" a nod. "Great. I'm going home to eat, so I think you're going to meet the two most annoying people on this planet after you."

He squeals with delight and you roll your eyes as you pick up your bag. You exit the store by locking the door behind Ten, and you head for the subway train. "I love meeting new humans, you are all so fascinating!" you wonder what can be fascinating about humans, but for a robot, everything has to be. "What fascinates you so much about us?" you ask going down the stairs, being careful that Ten keeps following you, you don't feel like looking for a lost robot in the streets.

"We can feel emotions, but they're programmed for us, so it's not as real as when you feel them." human emotions are difficult to understand, humans are confusing. "I think it's pretty nice to be programmed to feel certain things, it's probably easier, less confusing."

"You're wrong," Ten starts to say, following you in the subway, he sits next to you not without looking at a little dog with stars in his eyes, as if he had never seen a dog in real life, so much so that you wonder if there are robot dogs, you'll have to ask him one of these days. "We're forced to feel the emotions, so we don't understand them. Being programmed doesn't mean we understand what's going on."

It's pretty sad, you think.

"Do you have a program that allows you to kill us if we becomes threatening for you?" you ask in a low voice so as not to attract the attention of the students around you. Ten's eyes widen and he chuckles. "No, we can't do that. We're not here to hurt you, just to help you." it's a shame, you would have needed it with Johnny and Doyoung.

"This is where we come down." Ten follows you to the door of your apartment. You can smell Doyoung's food already. He might be annoying, but when he's not working he always makes a snack for you for when you come home from work during the break, and that's very nice. "I live with two people, Johnny and Doyoung, they can be weird, and they might ask you tons of questions, so be prepared."

When you put your hand on the doorknob, Ten puts his hand on your wrist to stop you. "Wait, wait. Are they going to hurt me? Some humans can be mean when in the company of a robot." oh, he didn't sound so nervous earlier, but in a way you can understand that. "They're not mean, and they're quite fascinated by LSM's robots, so you have nothing to worry about, they won't do anything to you."

You open the door when he seems to be relaxing, and you sigh when you hear the loud voices that most likely come from the kitchen. "Johnny, how many times have I told you not to set foot in my kitchen? You're a walking hazard, you'll manage to set some water on fire if you wanted to! Get out!"

"Guys, I'm here. And I'm not alone, so if you could behave like normal people that would be really nice." you say and immediately Johnny's head pops out of the kitchen door jamb and you roll your eyes. "Oh hello mister stranger, who are you, are you our beloved Y/n's secret boyfriend?"

"I-" Ten seems unable to speak, and Johnny throws his head back when he notices the blush on Ten's cheeks as he lowers his head. "Oh, he's blushing! Adorable! He's in love but he hasn't had the courage to tell her yet. Doyoung, come see!" you should have known that they were going to mess with him. You should have warned them before you got home, threatened them, or promised to pay for the next pizza night.

"Shut up, big idiot! He's the new bookstore employee, we met this morning." you respond by swinging your bag in a corner of the apartment after removing your shoes. Ten does the same, and he follows you into the living room. You're pointing your index finger at the boys. "Johnny, Doyoung, this is Ten. He works with me."

"Oh, I didn't know Taeil was okay with hiring bots." Doyoung says, stunned. "How do you know it's a robot?" were you the only one who didn't have a clue? The only one that can't tell the difference between a robot and a human?

"It shows! And he's got LSM's name tattooed behind his ear." You'll have to go see the ophthalmologist to get glasses, because you didn't notice the black ink behind his ear. "Taeil didn't really hire me, it's just a contract for a couple of months to see how quickly I adapt to a new environment. Next time I'll be in a new place." oh, that's a detail you didn't know either, you thought Ten was here for good, at least until you got fired, or left.

"And can't you ask to stay at the bookstore for good?" you ask, sitting down in a chair, and Ten shrugs. "Why, have you already become attached to me? You refuse to see me go?" you could get up and hit him, but you don't want to break your fist if he is made of metal inside. "I said that because I wouldn't say no to less hours of work, dont think I appreciate you."

"She never introduced anyone to us, even casual employees, so you must be special." Johnny says winking at Ten, and you refrain from leaning over the table to hit him. "Taeil asked me to take care of him, what was I supposed to do, lock him in the storeroom with a piece of bread and a glass of water?"

"That's what you would have done with us, so yeah." he's not wrong, that's what you would have done if you had had Johnny and/or Doyoung as a colleague. "Anyway, we don't have all day, so if you could just leave Ten alone so we can eat." you mumble, but Ten shakes his head, apparently he doesn't mind being the center of attention. At least he knows that emotion, and he understands it, that's a good thing.

When it's time to go back to work, you almost have to pull Ten out of the apartment. "But why? I was having fun with your roommates!" of course he was having fun. "You can come back and see them if you want." you answer by going down the stairs. You have a little over thirty minutes left before you have to open the store, so rather than locking yourself in a subway train, you decide to walk.

"Really, you would let me come back?" you shrug your shoulders. "Why wouldn't I want to?" Ten plays with the hem of his hoodie, and you frown, he doesn't look like the type to be surprised or even slightly nervous over something as futil. "Because I wasn't very nice to you when I arrived this morning. But like I told you, some humans don't want us to fit in and want to harm us, and I heard so many stories that I defended myself if you ever decided to be like them."

"I don't understand robots, I don't understand LSM's motivation, but that doesn't mean I would hurt any of you. You should have waited, and you would have known it."

"I'm sorry Y/n, and I promise I'll do my job well until the end of my contract!" he exclaims, his smile back on his face. His beautiful face, moreover, you did not miss this detail. "I hope so, otherwise I won't give you time to read before closing." he gasps, but he laughs, and you have no choice but to laugh with him.

#nct #wayv #nct imagines #nct scenarios #wayv imagines #wayv scenarios #ten imagines #ten scenarios

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antipodeanpineapplelump · 3 years

Text

WIP... Tuesday?

Just in case anyone was wondering what useless novelty project I’m spending my time on now, may I introduce:

Or more accurately: “Shisui Uchiha and the Saga of the Overly Complex Movie Poster that’s Taking Up all of the Author’s Writing Time.”

Or: “Shisui Uchiha and the One-off Story that Accidentally Turned Into a Trilogy, much to the Author’s Total Lack of Surprise.”

So anyway, I have 30,000 words (3/9 chapters of the first part) so far and as usual, no timeline for completing this story. But I’m definitely in too deep to back out now! My new approach to stories is to write the whole thing, then post week by week. So this one is still probably several months away at least...

But here’s a quick preview:

The list of things Shisui Uchiha regrets in his life is pretty small.

A handful of ill-considered one night stands, several embarrassing bets with members of his family, the summer he decided to turn emo, oh—and one particularly notable fuck-up early in his career that very nearly ended it prematurely. But, for the most part, it’s been smooth-sailing.

Sure, maybe the odd rival takes a pot shot at him here or there. Ancient booby traps try to kill him, or the local wildlife steps in where they’ve left off. He and spiders are categorically never going to get along. But he’s never had cause to regret his career itself. He loves everything about treasure hunting—the adventure, the danger, the intellectual challenge of it all. The way his heart races when he finds some ancient artifact supposedly lost for good.

So, all in all, his current position—perched twenty feet up a silk cotton tree in India, surrounded by about two-dozen armed thugs personally out for his blood—well, that’s just another day at the office.

Two of the men walk below Shisui’s hiding place and he holds his breath, watching. They’re thick-built meat-heads; improbable amalgams of every jackbooted thug to ever grace a movie screen, with jawlines Chuck Norris could break a fist on, and brows that would make a Neanderthal proud. Supressing the snicker that threatens to escape him at the thought, Shisui wonders where Gato keeps finding these idiots. Some sort of steroid-fuelled body building conference maybe…

Comfortable they’re far too stupid to realise he’s here, he swings his legs back and forward, checking his bag to make sure his prize is still undamaged. Thankfully, despite having beaten a hasty retreat through the crowded city streets, the jewel-encrusted golden elephant winks up at him like a winning lottery ticket. One that’s going to pay for fancy canapes, champagne and extra leg room on Shisui’s flight home. Then a lot more afterwards.

But karma, as they say, is a bitch.

And karma, for Shisui, makes itself known in the form of a fluffy grey creature that plops down onto the branch beside him, joined in short order by half a dozen other partners in crime. At first, the macaque just fixes its intelligent gaze on Shisui, as though assessing what to do with him. Then, one very pregnant pause later, after the apparent realisation that no food is immediately forthcoming, the ringleader opens its mouth and screams. Loudly.

Shit.

“No, shhh…” Shisui orders in a loud whisper. “Oh come on, don’t be an asshole.”

The screaming continues, soon swelling to a cacophony as the others join in.

“Shoo!” he pleads, waving his arms around to try and scare them off. “I’ll buy you bag of bananas or something when I get down from here, just please shut up…”

But the little bastards don’t stop and, if anything, Shisui’s heated objection only seems to be pissing them off more. Which is fantastic, because truly the last thing he needs today is to catch rabies or—

From the bottom of the tree, someone clears their throat. “Ahem.”

Or that.

It’s smug, officious, and quite frankly, about the last voice Shisui wants to hear right now. Every part of him sinks. On reflection, maybe it was a bit arrogant to think he wouldn’t have been followed to the temple. To think he was just going to walk in, pilfer a several-centuries old treasure, and walk out again, a comfortable five-figure sum the richer for it.

But then, it wouldn’t be the first time.

Sighing, he looks down to see his least-favourite human approximation of a turd. “Gato.”

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favourite globe-trotting Uchiha. Fancy seeing you here,” Gato says, appearing inordinately pleased. His trademark sunglasses sit awkwardly atop his bulbous nose, straddling a pencil moustache that looks like a worm met its unfortunate end on his face some years ago, and he never bothered to wipe it off.

For reasons he can’t currently articulate, it annoys the shit out of Shisui. Possibly because if there’s anything he hates more than someone getting the better of him, it’s someone who’s as much of a fucking waste of space as Gato getting the better of him.

“Yeah well, you know how it is,” he says, glancing around for a quick exit. “Ancient treasures to find, damsels in distress to rescue…”

But unfortunately, the crowd of highly armed men around Gato is growing by the second, and Shisui’s options are looking somewhat thin on the ground. At least, all the ones that don't end with him riddled in bullet holes. Damn macaques…

Gato grins. In the pre-monsoon heat, sweat rolls down his neck and spreads like an oily stain across his collar. “Oh, I’m well aware of how you operate... You’re a businessman, just like me. Always taking jobs for the highest bidder.” Before Shisui can open his mouth to disagree, Gato holds up a hand, adding, “I know, I know… you don’t see yourself that way. Moral code or whatever it is you like to call it. But in reality, the only difference between us is that you have the air of legitimacy that comes with an academic backing, whereas I’m willing to admit what I really want.”

“And what do you want, Gato?” Shisui asks flatly, already knowing the answer. The tired old game they’re playing here.

“That trinket you have in your bag.” Gato licks his lips, as though he can taste the champagne he’s going to be drinking once he returns the statue to whoever hired him, to disappear into some private collection, never to see the light of day again.

“What do I get in return?” Shisui asks, even though it’s obvious from Gato’s expression that he’s not going to like it, whatever it is.

A mirthless laugh assaults his ears. “I’ll let you live to cross paths with me another day.”

As offers go, it’s not very believable. But as much as Shisui hates to admit when his luck’s run out, even he can see the writing on the wall. Today really isn’t his day. Sure, he might trust Gato about as far as he could throw him, but even Gato isn’t stupid enough to shoot him on a main street, in broad daylight. Probably…

Retrieving the golden elephant from his bag, Shisui tosses it carefully down.

Turning the trinket over in his hands, Gato lets out a hum of appreciation. “Very nice. My client will be pleased.” He hands it off to one of his many thugs to box up, then peers back through the branches, looking more like a slug than Shisui would ever have thought possible. Reinforcing the impression, his lips twist with a slimy smile. “Well, as always, it’s been nice doing business with you Shisui. But I think, unfortunately, you’ve caused me trouble for the last time.”

Far too pleased for Shisui’s taste, Gato steps back, raising his hand in a gesture that looks awfully like it’s intended as a final farewell. Or a smug ‘fuck you.’ Either way, the message is perfectly clear.

Shisui rolls his eyes, mentally scratching off another predictable villainous turn on his treasure hunting bingo card. “All right,” he calls after Gato’s retreating back. “Nice doing business with you too! See you next time...” Under his breath he mutters, “Asshole…”

Truly, Gato doesn't have an original bone in his body. It's like he once read The Idiots Guide to Being a B-Grade Movie Villain, then internalised it on the spot to make up for a lack of anything remotely resembling a personality. But, pathetic imitation of a villain or not, his bullets are still effective.

The leaves around him shred beneath the pop, pop of gunfire as Shisui sucks in a rushed breath, bracing himself for what he’s about to do. The branch wobbles precariously beneath his feet as he races along it, pushing off into air that rushes past, disconcerting and empty. The slender gap to the building seems to widen to the span of a gaping abyss—

He hits the rail of the apartment with thud, clambering quickly over it to fall on his back on the balcony, winded, but mercifully unharmed. A macaque peers over the guttering at him, with a leering grin that clearly threatens more screaming.

“Don’t you start,” he warns, waggling a finger at it.

But there’s barely a moment to catch his breath before the sound of splintering wood below indicates another problem. Or an extension of the same one. Bounding to his feet, Shisui scoops up his hat, settles it back on his head, and checks over the railing. A bullet clips the plaster nearby—a pretty good indication that Gato’s men have every idea where he’s gone. That, combined with the way they’re currently pushing through the lower doors to the complex probably doesn’t mean anything good for him.

“Shit,” he announces to no one in particular. It’s times like these he really wishes he carried a gun…

Forcing his way into the mercifully empty apartment off the balcony, Shisui slips quickly through it. Cracking open the door on the far side, he checks the coast is clear. It is.

Of course, it doesn’t stay that way for long. Halfway along the open air corridor, there’s a cry of discovery from his pursuers, followed by more shooting. Seriously, why are the bad guys always bringing guns to Shisui’s knife fights?

Ducking, he runs faster, bursting into another apartment filled with hazy cigarette smoke and shocked faces before finally making it to an exterior stairwell on the far side. Looking at the next building over, it’s immediately apparent the gap is way too far for him to use the same trick he did before. But with Gato’s men advancing on him from below, maybe he can just make it to street level and bypass them altogether…

A thicket of power cables criss-crosses the span between the buildings, with one nearby running almost to the level of the shop awnings below. Sending a rash of silent prayers to whatever gods take care of Indian power line maintenance, Shisui detaches a length of rope from his belt and flings it over the wire, gripping each side like a makeshift zipline. Holding his breath, he pushes off into empty space. To his surprise and considerable delight, the line holds.

It sweeps him across the street, picking up more and more speed, until the side of the other building is rushing at him like—

Shit.

He impacts it with his shoulder, coming to an uncomfortable and jarring stop. Pain shoots down his arm and he lets go of the rope, crashing through a fabric awning and landing ungracefully in a huge stack of bagged flour. Dust floats down around him and Shisui groans, moving each of his limbs in turn. By some miracle, nothing seems broken. Not even his tantō in its leather holster at his back.

Oh well. Fall down seven times, stand up eight…

Apparently his exit was none too subtle though, because Gato’s men are leaning over the stairwell railing, yelling and pointing at the mess he’s made. Dragging himself to his feet, Shisui evades an angry store owner, brushes flour off of his clothes and resumes running for his life.

Never let anyone say archaeology is boring.

As he emerges back onto the main street, searching for quick and easy exit, the sound of screeching brakes and angry honking carries from the road. Cutting a wild path through traffic is an old open-top olive-drab Jeep with several gold charms dangling from its rear-view mirror. It jerks to a stop just before hitting Shisui, both side wheels riding up on the curb.

“Need a ride?” the female driver asks, grinning.

Her windswept hair hangs past the fashionable silk scarf tied at her neck. Unmanicured nails wrap around the slender metal of the steering wheel, like they couldn’t be more at home there. They’re a stark contrast with the cream suit linen she’s wearing, rolled up neatly to her elbows. Speckled with dirt, it looks like she’s probably travelled halfway across the country to be here, and been up to her elbows in the grease of the Jeep’s engine at some point to do it. She’s a walking contradiction—albeit one Shisui is delighted to see.

“Izumi!” he exclaims happily.

Eyes sparkling, she waves. “Hey.”

“I thought you were practicing on the course in Reno this weekend… What’re you doing here?”

A shot rings out, kicking up dust near one of the tyres. Glancing behind him, Izumi rolls her eyes, reaching across to throw open the door. “What am I always doing? Saving your ass, you idiot... Now get in before one of us gets shot, or I have to find out whether my rental insurance covers illegal firefight damage.”

#uchiha shisui #uchiha izumi #future shisuita #new story #my art #really having fun writing this one #I'm such a sucker for adventure movies #and snarky team banter #and this combines both #aaaaand we've just been thrown into another covid lockdown #so more writing time here I come!#Shisui Uchiha and the Lost Treasure of Asura

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lyssismagical · 3 years

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I love your stories, but i kinda wanna see something from you: whatever lingual Peter. Also Parkner because why not. Do whatever you want just tag me if you do end up doing it💕🌼

{Idk if this is what you meant, but this ft Peter who can speak like six languages but specifically French!Peter bcs I’m kinda bilingual}

Coming from a small town like Rose Hill, they barely even offered a decent English class, let alone any foreign language classes. Harley still doesn’t even know how to use commas or spell most words longer than six letters. But he knows how to fix a car up, he knows tons about biology and engineering and chemistry, he just couldn’t write an essay to save his life.

Which is why meeting Peter is so strange. He goes to a school that teaches three foreign languages, all of which Peter had taken, and he’d learned Italian from May, not to mention that Delmar kept him sharp in Spanish.

It was strange for him to meet someone so linguistically intelligent.

Peter was capable of writing essays without a second thought, able to formulate ideas not only in English but in six other languages as well.

Harley normally stumbled over everything he tried to say, getting excited and tripping over his words, and mumbling. But Peter was a wizard with words when he was trying, as long as he wasn’t too excited or tired.

When he was trying, Peter could string together sentences Harley couldn’t even begin to understand, and it just made him fall head over heels even faster in love with him.

“Je t’aime, mon amour,” Peter will murmur into his chest late at night.

“Ti vedrò stasera,” he’ll tell May when they’re leaving his apartment.

“¿Cómo estás?” he’ll say to Delmar at lunch.

It makes Harley’s heart swell, despite only knowing some of the things he says.

Sometimes, of course, it makes him feel left out, confused, like an outsider. May and Peter will argue in Italian, Peter will converse with Delmar and other Queens friends he has in Spanish, he’ll murmur French endearments, he’ll talk to Ned in quick Filipino, he’ll whisper in Russian to himself under his breath. And Harley can sometimes barely hold an English conversation.

It sometimes makes him feel stupid, like he’d never be smart enough to understand Peter, never be able to catch up with him intellectually.

But Peter’s never once talked down to him, never once skipped a beat when repeating phrases in English or when editing his papers, fixing all his grammar without blinking an eye.

“It’s not like it’s a big deal. It’s all just because of people I know. May taught me Italian, Natasha taught me Russian, Ned taught me Filipino. I’m sure if you had family from elsewhere, you would’ve learned to communicate with them too,” Peter says, always simple and easy in his solutions.

“But I know you,” Harley points out. “You’re like family, I love you, why haven’t I learned all these languages so I can communicate with you?”

Peter shakes his head, curling a little bit closer to Harley on the couch where they’d just finished watching a movie. “It’s not like that. You can communicate with me just fine.”

“I know, I just can’t help but feel a little stupid when I can’t understand half the things you say.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more conscious of it. It doesn’t make you stupid, either, you’re the smartest person I know, Harls. And if it really makes you feel bad, I’ll teach you, alright?”

And it’s dropped from there, pushed aside, forgotten.

It takes until a simple Friday night that Harley really realizes his feelings about Peter’s fluency in other languages.

Peter had barely slept all week, worked himself half to death between university classes and homework, his internship with Tony, patrolling as Spider-Man, and ending the week off with a gruelling thirty-six-hour long mission out of country. He was clearly exhausted, slurring his words, eyes half-shut.

“C’mon, honey, let’s get some food in you before you pass out for the night,” Harley murmurs, one arm keeping Peter upright as they head to their cramped kitchen.

Peter smiles sleepily, “Tu m’as tellement manqué. Je ne pouvais pas arrêter de penser à toi et à notre vie ensemble.”

Harley has no idea what that means but he smiles anyway because Peter, voice all rough and sweet as honey, murmuring all these French words to him, it makes his chest feel all tight and warm with love.

“Il n’y a rien que je ne ferais pas pour toi. J’espère que tu sais. Tu est mon univers. Je veux t’épouser assez tôt. J’aimerais pouvoir être ici toujours, dans tes bras, ressentir ton amour. J’aurais aimé que nous n’ayons aucune responsabilités. Qu’il n’y avait que toi et moi, ici, toujours. Seulement nous.”

“I don’t know what you just said, but I love you,” Harley says in response. “I forgot the last time we talked about it, but French is a love language and god, I love it when you speak French like that.”

Peter grins a little brighter, leaning tiredly against the counters. “Parfois, je ne peux pas croire que tu m’as choisi.”

“C’mon, I can’t even guess what you’re saying to me.”

“C’est le but, mon cher.”

Harley passes over the dinner he’d left in the microwave while awaiting Peter’s return and he grins, shaking his head. “You’re a cheater. You could be telling me that I’m a dumbass, and I’d be over here complimenting you and saying I love you.”

“Je t’aime, chéri.”

“I know that one!” Harley exclaims, planting a kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead. “You taught me that! I love you too.”

Harley wraps his arms around Peter, and he sways them while Peter eats up quickly, and when he finishes, they leave the dishes for the morning.

They head to bed, Peter just collapsing into the mattress and letting Harley peel the suit off him and tuck him in, staying limp and pliant.

Harley tucks Peter into his chest, peppering kisses over his face and shoulders and hands, murmuring soft endearments to him.

“Je ne sais pas si je pourrais te le dire sit u comprendrais mais je t’aime plus que les mots ne peuvent le décrire. Je mourrias pour toi. Je tuerais pour toi. Je ferais n’importe quoi pour toi. J’aimerais pouvoir expliquer à quel point vous comptez pour moi. Je t’aime, Harley, plus que tout.”

“Sweetheart-”

Peter smiles, eyes already closed, looking like an angel with his curls a mess around his pale face, freckles splattered across his cheekbones, mouth curved up into a smile. God, Harley loves him.

“I just love you is all,” he whispers, voice so vulnerable and gentle. “So much. More than words in any language could describe.”

Harley kisses him, pulling the blanket tighter around them, their little safe haven. “Imagine how I feel. I only know one language, and trust me, English doesn’t have the words.”

“Mon amour,” Peter responds quietly, baby browns gazing up at Harley. He curls just a little closer, letting Harley protect him from the world. “Il mio amore. Mi amor. Mahal ko. моя любовь. Iubirea mea. Min elskede. My love.”

“Je t’aime,” Harley says, nearly stumbling over the pronunciation. “Beaucoup.”

Peter lights up, pressing a kiss to Harley’s collarbone. “Goodnight, mon bel ange.”

“Night, darling.”

Taglist: @littlemissagrafina @fancyxparker @romeoandjulietyouwish @c-artara @shadedrose01 @likeaphoenix13 @misskirkstark @you-get-killed-walk-it-off @kitkatwinchester @emo-girl10 @hold-our-destiny @imalivebecauseirondad @spiderman-peterman @dykeragee @maryserrao @heeeyitskay @parknerandirondad @lilacsandlilies4 @loveliestdisappointment @joyful-soul-collector @genderfluid-and-confuzled @fallenstar07 @gyurolls @sdottkrames {Lemme know if you wanna be added or removed}

#lyss writes #lyss answers #parkner #parkner fic #parley #harley keener x peter parker #peter parker #spiderman #harley keener #sorry if there's mistakes in the other languages lmao i did use google translate for some #the french is on me tho like i should know that after like twelve years of learning french

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jocia92 · 3 years

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When Alma, an archaeologist who spends her days studying ancient worlds, agrees to test a humanoid robot designed to be the perfect mate, she does it unenthusiastically, mostly to appease her boss and help fund her studies. Played by Maren Eggert in the new film “I’m Your Man,” Alma is resistant to the charms of Tom, even though he is programmed to match her needs and desires. Also, he looks like Dan Stevens.

Stevens, the British actor who rose to fame in “Downton Abbey” and has since starred in “Legion,” manages to capture Tom’s precise, programmed manner and his gradual transformation into someone more human that the audience can root for — even as we might worry that specimens like this might one day replace us.The German-language film, directed by Maria Schrader (“Unorthodox”) and released on Sept. 24, is set in Berlin. Stevens, who also speaks fluent German and French, was adopted as a baby, and he says he has always seen himself as something of an outsider, which has often informed the roles he has chosen.

Stevens spoke recently via Zoom about the character, artificial intelligence and dancing the rhumba. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q. Looking at your roles in “The Guest,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Legion,” “Night at the Museum” and now this, one wonders, are you, in fact, human? Seriously, though, is there something about these roles that draws you in or is there something about you that makes directors want you for these roles?

It’s funny how people start to see patterns in things not deliberate on my part. I’m certainly an odd human being, maybe that helps. They’re outsiders and outsiders make for very interesting roles.

Q. How do you try to get inside your character’s mind when he’s a constructed humanoid?

You’re still trying to get inside the process of the mind, looking at what Tom is thinking about. He’s a very mission-oriented character. It’s all programming, where he thinks, ‘This isn’t working, how can I change this behavior to make it function better.’ Tom tries traditional romantic routes with Alma, then realizes that’s not the way to go and takes another path.

Q. When he reorganizes her apartment, it’s so perfect and neat, which makes sense to a machine but her way was better for her, and a symbol of the messiness of our lives.

His version looked good for Instagram. But it’s not for Alma. He had learned according to a different set of rules. That’s common in human relationships. By making Tom a robot, we get to see those beats in any relationship — there’s an evolution in how we behave, how we think, how we learn from our other half. Charting that with Maria was great.

Q. You talk with your hands, but Tom is much more constrained. You also changed the way you carried your body, like the posture of your head and shoulders. How important was that?

Physical preparation is a big part of character discovery for me. There was constant discussion in pre-production about how much of a machine do we want to see in Tom at any given point and how much do we want to see him evolve, learning human mannerisms and characteristics.

The first time we see Tom he’s moving more robotically — he’s dancing the rhumba, which, I discovered while learning it, is a very precise dance. It feels almost robotic.

But Tom evolves. So we wanted to show that he started with pre-programmed mannerisms: He’d come into a room and put his hands on his hips because that’s what a guy does or sit on a sofa and just [Stevens demonstrates manspreading]. Why do we do these things? Why do we put our hand on our chin when we’re thinking, it makes no sense; it has zero contribution to the thought process but it’s what we do.

I think about those things anyway, so I was lucky to find a job that focused on that. The film is gently, or not so gently, suggesting how weird humans are.

Q. There are the things we know or understand and then the things we desire, sometimes despite what we know and understand. Alma really doesn’t want to fall for Tom. Are we all just suckers, but in the best way possible?

That’s definitely true where love is concerned — against your better judgment and all of your intellect, you’ll still fall for this person and there’s no logic behind that. What’s funny about the dynamic is that Tom’s the ultimate logician yet it’s a totally illogical relationship.

Q. Unlike a movie like “Ex Machina,” “I’m Your Man” has a benevolent, almost humane view of these creations… even as it never lets us forget what makes our humanity so vital through Alma’s concerns and behavior. What’s your take on our future with humanoids?

That question has been around since we had any technology and taps into people’s fears about the future.

Technology is only as benevolent as the people who develop it make it, whether it’s an app or a humanoid. Usually, the things we’re afraid of turn out not to be the things we should have been worried about. When Twitter started, many people said, ‘This is a wonderful new democratic thing.’ There were some concerns, but I don’t think anyone dreamed of the problems it would cause.

There’s a scene in the movie with an angry guy in a crosswalk that reminds us that while we have this fear that humanoid robots will on us, we’re already doing that to ourselves just fine.

#ich bin dein mensch #i'm your man #dan stevens #the press-enterprise #interview #long post

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archangelbelletti · 3 years

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So your mc is a straight fighter girl?

Then avoid writing that she...

Falls in love with an ugly monster

Why do so many movies in which a human falls in love with a monster it's always a straight girl who has a crush on a male monster (Beauty and the beast, The shape of water, etc)?

This narrative reinforces the idea that women have to be pretty but men ... don't, and this wrong for many reasons: 1) men end up feeling bad for wanting to be pretty and take care of their looks, 2) people will think that being pretty is mandatory for girls, 3) a man is ENTITLED to be with a girl and demand she take care of her appearance while he doesn't do the bare minimum.

Of course these stories are not the source of all evil, but you can see patriarchal culture filtering through these stories!

With that being said, you can still write a story where a beautiful girl falls in love with a male monster if: the monster learns how to be softer, take care of themself, take care of her without being possessive or violent.

Never cries...

Not expressing emotion and being dramatic at it will make your character look like they're pretending to be someone else in a way that's pretty unbelievable.

Instead of making her stoic and self-destructive, try making her explore a path of self-improvement by recognizing that not expressing her feelings makes her feel worse!

... or cries way too much

She's a fighter, right? She can't cry when she bruises her elbows or when her boyfriend acts mad, lmao! If she has guts, she will keep having them even during an argument.

Impulsively does something that f*cks up their plan

Apart from the fact that plans that get f*cked up by mindless ocs is just lazy writing in my opinion, let's talk about girls being portrayed as impulsive.

It's an old stereotype of women: the crazy girl, the one who can't think straight under pressure, the woman who can't handle fighting or ruling because she will lose her temper.

Try writing something fresh: she keeps her head, she helps her comrades focus, she plans everything in detail.

Her plans can fail, but only if she's outsmarted by a much more clever villain *winks*.

Is a hero just because everybody else isn't able to do basic things

Being the only fighter in the village when they're starving while her family does nothing but criticize her doesn't make her a hero, sadly.

The definition would be martyr, in my opinion, because she's literally putting herself in terrible danger (to provide food for her family, protect them, or save them).

Try writing her being supported, opening up about her struggles, if you want to rewrite Katniss, Fayre, or Mare Barrow.

Instead, if you want her to be a real hero, she could be elevated from a group of already excellent fighters because she's actually stronger and more skilled than the others!

Swears like a sailor to establish dominance

We get it, she's Not Like Other Girls. Okay.

But 1) other girls are perfectly fine being who they are, 2) this feels pretty fake, a play put on just to intimidate others or to fascinate someone (even if I don't know who besides the mc's love interest in Nevernight would be fascinated by profanity).

I remember not being able to finish Nevernight because of how many times I eyerolled during a single line by the mc (whose name I can't remember).

Your mc can be strong and independent without aggressively swearing!

Nb: I'm totally okay with ocs swearing in books, but everything has to be done with a sense of measure! Swearing a little is okay, using a string of obscenities that would make an assassin blush is just ew to me :/

Has a tiny appetite (even though she fights all day)

This is just pure physics, come on. How? Just... how? She HAS to be hungry! Let he feast with food, have a healthy relationship with it, eat lots and lots of whatever she likes best.

Enough with portraying skinny cishet girls who skip meals when they're a little stressed as okay. It's not!

(Of course this doesn't apply to ocs who have ED!!)

Always has to be saved by Big Beautiful Cishet Male OC

While they are BOTH powerful people, somehow she's always in danger and he has to save her, she's the one who gets caught, who has nightmares of the past and needs reassurance, who is scarred, and (fucking hel!), she's the one who gets sexually ass*ulted, but ... do not fear! Brave Cishet Male is here to save!

Please, don't. If your oc is a heroine, let her fight WITH him. Let her save him, instead. Let her win the battle and the war, conquer the castle, sign the peace treaties, shake hands with rulers, discuss war with powerful people. Let her do whatever he does, too.

Is said to be powerful, actually does nothing but fall

So your mc is a soldier, a thief, the best of her platoon. But somehow she always trips on her feet, she gets caught, she can't escape, she's always out of breath, and people have to save her.

If you say an oc is powerful, show it!

When I read Dance of Thieves, I noticed the author saying many times that the mc was skilled, but her skills where shown only in little things: juggling, stealing oranges, stealing small objects. She was said being a strong fighter, but she isn't, is she? If she is, why does she always lose?

Her strength lies in being sarcastic (but not when she has to fight for herself)

She has a quick tongue when she's with her friends or minor enemies, but when she should talk herself out of a life or death situation she just ... loses her quirk, or it becomes stupid.

Why? Why doesn't this character think of something clever to say to distract the enemy's attention, to buy herself more time, to make them reveal their plan to her? Why doesn't she trick them into saying vital things that will destroy them?

All of this, remember, while staying intelligent, clever. Stop making her judge the enemy's appearance, insulting their group/family/nationality, telling them they're going to lose, making jokes that will make them angrier or trigger them into hurting her! This shit is just dumb, come on.

The world is oversaturated with sarcastic ocs, make some sarcastic, okay, but also clever!

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huihuiheart · 3 years

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Hongjoong’s Angels - Hongjoong w/ f! Yeosang + f! San

-req by @pirate-hongjoong

Pairing: Platonic Hongjoong (Speaking in italics) + f! Yeosang + f! San + Female Reader (ft. the rest of Ateez)

Summary: The angels are about as elite as they come, but all of them are at risk now. For a mission that they would have assigned a dozen angels to, it comes down to just three. Would that be enough to prevent their whole world from falling apart though?

Warnings: Spies, violent themes, espionage, guns, suggestive themes, seduction, kidnapping, breaking and entering, fight scenes, tasers, explosions, lies, missiles, betrayal, some member x member themes (the couple is a secret to prevent spoilers), death.

Word Count: 8,086

Note: I still have not watched the most recent movie and this is an original piece, so please don’t give me backlash for it. I was very excited to do this though, because the original Charlie’s Angels movies were my childhood, so this seemed very fun.

“Once upon a time there were three very different little girls....”

“I’m sorry the only spot we have open is for a mascot.” The head cheerleader mocked, but Yeosang simply smiled, her braces on full display.

“Oh my god, that’s great though! It’ll be so much fun! And I still get to dance!” Yeosang practically bounded out of the hall, tripping over her own feet at the entrance and falling flat on the ground.

---

“Ladies and Gentleman, that does it. Your winning rider is Choi San on her prized horse Blue Ballad. The youngest yet to win this competition.” The announcer called over the sound system. Choi San standing proudly on the podium for photos with her horse standing behind her, taking in the applause.

---

“Y/L/N Y/N! You get in here right now young lady!” The principle called from her office, you smirking as you walked in and plopped down opposite her, “ Would you explain to me why we have you on camera spray painting the school wall?”

You snickered as she showed you the film they had, “Oh look that’s my favorite part.” You muse as you watch the clip of you giving the camera the bird before spray painting over it.

---

“Who grew up to be three very different women...”

Yeosang held the little hairless kitten in her arms, giggling at it as people gave her strange looks in passing.

“Maybe you should put that one down Yeosang, no one’s gonna adopt...it....”

“Awe, but there’s nothing wrong with her. Besides she’s so cute...and she doesn’t do that...”Yeosang counters gesturing to one of the hairballs from the other cats in the shop.

---

“Prep OR3 and tell them I’m on my way. We have to move people, this is life or death! Now scrub me in!” San huffs, washing her hands, as one of the assistants puts the gloves and scrubs on for her. San opening the door to the operating room with her back to not contaminate anything.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

---

“Hi, welcome to Good Burger. What can I get for you today?” Y/N droned over the drive-thru headset in the same monotone voice you did everyday, with a huff.

The car pulling up moments later, a rambunctious group of young men in the car, “Hey sweetheart, why don’t you give us a show with that meal?”

You gave them a deadpan look, before holding up the paper bag with their order in it and shaking it, throwing it into the window of their car before closing your drive-thru window with a fake smile and walking away.

“What they have in common is that they’re brilliant, they’re beautiful, and they work for me. My name is Hongjoong.”

“Good morning, angels.”

“Good morning Hongjoong!” You three replied in unison, sitting on the couch across from the little speaker. The device is your only connection to the mystery man that was your boss.

“So Hongjoong, what do you have for us today?” San questions, hugging your arm slightly as she sits to your right, eager to get a new assignment.

“Well, angels, we’ve recently been hired by Jeong Yunho, CEO of Jeong Technologies. They’re currently the largest private technology and information firm around. Their lead engineer Song Mingi was kidnapped, there’s footage of three assailants taking him from the front of Jeong Technologies science building the other night and there has been no sign of him since.”

“There any leads so far? Anyone who wants to see Jeong Technologies fall?” You ask, looking over the tape on the screen one last time, watching the poor engineer get shoved into the van by some masked men.

“Bosley hasn’t given you the files yet, has he?” Hongjoong chuckles over the speaker, “Where has my good friend gone off to now?”

“Bosley? I thought you told me your name was Wooyoung?” Yunho’s brows furrow as he walks in with the man in question.

“It is my name is Wooyoung. I’m simply in the Bosley family....it’s a term of endearment at this point.” Wooyoung shrugs, gesturing for Yunho to sit on the couch opposite of you, “I was just greeting our guest Hongjoong, no need to rush anyone.”

“Well, angels, it looks like you’re in capable hands. If you need anything, Wooyoung will provide you with it. I’ll be in touch.” With that, the speaker was off, and Wooyoung was handing you each of your respective files on the case. Almost identical, but each with slightly unique details based on your unique skill sets.

“So, you’re Jeong Yunho then?” Yeosang looks at him while offering her hand, each of you following suit and flustering the young, shy CEO who shakes your hands.

“I-I am. I-I just want to say that whatever you girls need to get him back, I’m happy to help. Mingi is more than an employee, he’s also a friend.” Yunho is flustered at first, but slowly it changes to concern for his missing friend.

“If you don’t mind me asking then, is that why he is so special? I mean, a kidnapping is usually handled by the police, so what about this makes it a better fit for us?” San inquires, barely looking up from the file finding bits of information that might prove useful.

“Not exactly. You see, we’re a private firm, but we recently landed a government project, and that’s what Mingi was working on. The intelligence involved in this project cannot get out, but Mingi’s the only one who currently knows how to access it or lock it down. Which is why we need to get him back before they can get it out of him.” Yunho explains, catching the attention of all the angels.

“What kind of information are we talking about here?” You finally dare to ask, not sure you’d like any answer that he would give you.

“Potentially limitless information. The program is designed to screen through all sources public and private without interfering with people’s privacy. What I mean is no person is scouring through people’s information. It uses facial recognition and voice recognition software to track people internationally based on the specs you give it. That person’s trail. With hopes of finding the most wanted criminals who have fallen off the face of the earth. When it pings with that, all the computer saves is the clip with their voice or face. Then it shares that with those who need to find that person. Without sharing private information about the person whose device it was with said investigators. Like an anonymous tip phone call of sorts, but it also provides a location. However, in theory, those safeties can be removed and you could potentially access any information on anyone from anywhere in the world.” Yunho worries his lip between his teeth as he explains the purpose of their latest program.

“And Mingi is the only one who knows the system well enough to do anything with it? To allow or prevent that from happening?” Yeosang sucks in a breath at the sorrowful nod that Yunho answers her with.

“Who would have the most to gain from kidnapping Mingi? People who knew of this program? Of its potential? Or, just have something to gain by taking him?” You look for the page you know you saw when skimming the file, the one that listed off Yunho and Mingi’s enemies.

“Honestly, we kept a tight lid on the information flow only those working on the project and myself knew. Everyone was very adamant about not discussing it outside of the work area for safety reasons, so unless someone got that information elsewhere, I don’t know. However, there is one person I have in mind...Park Seonghwa. My leading competitor, he’s been known to send spies into our staff to steal ideas and information. I wouldn’t put it past him to kidnap our lead engineer in hopes of getting ideas to put out before us.” Yunho shakes his head, “That man never gives up, I’m telling you.”

The angels nod in unison, turning to Wooyoung and handing back the files.

“Yunho we’re going to need access to your building. We’re gonna see if they left anything behind where they took Wooyoung.” San explains, to which Yunho immediately agrees.

“Also, we’ll need to check your systems to see if anyone did get in and access confidential information,” Yeosang added before the two looked at you.

“Then we’ll check Park Industries too, just in case. Though before that, we should probably make sure your home is secure, for all we know they could be after you too.” You try not to worry Yunho too much while still telling him the reality of the situation.

“Alright, angels, let’s move.” Yeosang jumps up, catching the keys that Wooyoung tosses to her so that the four of you can head out to Jeong Technologies to start unraveling this mystery.

“Find anything in here?” Yeosang asks, joining you and San from checking out the scene where Mingi was finally grabbed.

“Good luck, angels! I’ll be checking in!” Wooyoung calls after you before sighing as he sits down again, left all alone now.

“I’m not seeing any immediate signs of someone snooping around, but not that we’re in. I'll have the computer at the base run a more thorough analysis and let us know,” San responds, looking to you and Yunho.

“I haven’t found any bugs or signs of forced entry if there was something here, it would have to be moving in and out on an employee. I say we check them out, just to be safe.” Your suggestion is met with nods from the other two, “What about out front?”

“Ah, I found a few things...our van had some specialty tires on it based on the treads it left behind. We could look for suppliers and cross-reference based on that to find who’s van it is. Also, there was some debris left I’m assuming when the kidnappers jumped out of the van. We’ll see if these little plants can tell us anything about where they were before being here.” Yeosang proudly beams, holding up her prize.

“Okay, why don’t you two get those back to the base and Wooyoung. I’ll go check out Yunho’s house and make sure it’s safe for him there.” You insist, causing the two to roll their eyes slightly at you.

“Please, you just want to go with him because you think he’s hot,” Yeosang mumbles, making San chuckle while you fluster and throw a glare at her.

“Not my fault, the yummy CEO hired us! Now get out of here.” You hiss quietly at the two before shooing them as they laugh. Before turning to Yunho, who was flustered and blushing after watching that exchange.

“C-Come on, I’ll drive us.” He offers leading the way out of the building and to his car so that he can drive you to his home. Of course, solely for professional reasons. Pulling up to a large modern home after not too long, it somewhat secluded in the woods. Yunho welcomes you in and helps you with your jacket, offering you something to drink while you immediately set to work and stumbling across an interesting photo.

“Isn’t this Park Seonghwa with you?” You question holding the photo up to Yunho, who nods in response, only further intriguing you, “I thought you two were rivals?”

“We are now, but things weren’t always that way. In fact, I’d prefer if they still weren’t.” Yunho sighs softly, holding out a glass to you, “We went to school together growing up, even picked the same university to attend. Honestly, he was more like a brother to me than anything. Until he tried to steal my final during our last year...he was found out and kicked out of the school, but money spared him most of the consequences. He blamed me for what happened, though, and now it seems he wants to get me back in any way at all.”

You nod, placing the picture back down, feeling worse for the Yunho now, “So you lost one close friend already, and now the other is missing...that must be tough.” When Yunho nods, you reach out to gently squeeze his arm in reassurance, “Don’t worry, we’ll get Mingi back, and we won’t let anything happen to you. The house is clean, and I’m leaving you this panic button. If anything is wrong, you just press it, and the closest one of us will come right away.”

“So if I pressed it right now, that would mean you would come, right?” Yunho asks, stepping closer as you start to step away, flustering you some.

“Well, yes, but I just checked the whole house Yunho and nothing wrong.” You chuckle despite being shy, thanks to him.

“Yes, there is.” Yunho blurts, a little too quickly, making you raise a brow in question, “W-What if I don’t feel safe being here all alone? I-I think you should stay for a bit...y-you know just in case.”

He was so impossibly close right now, standing right before you. Not even letting you respond, though, before the two of you were kissing. Your coat slipping out of your arms again as you slipped them around his neck, not letting him go again.

Yunho pouts, hearing your phone ring, and you chuckle, answering it.

“Y/N, we need you back here, we’re going to regroup and talk to Hongjoong. How far out are you?” San asks over the phone, and she and Yeosang finish up in the lab, looking over their results again.

“Not too far, I’m just at Yunho’s.” You answer before cursing internally at giving that away, while the CEO besides you blushes.

“Still? Why? Was something wrong?” San’s voice is teasing, but you know she genuinely wanted to know in case there was an issue, and you just hadn’t gotten the chance to ask for their help yet.

“N-No, nothing’s wrong...I-I’m heading over now.” You quickly hang up before she can question you anymore, giving Yunho an apologetic look, “Well, duty calls. If anything happens, though, hit the panic button, alright?”

Yunho nods, slipping his arm around your waist and pulling you in for another kiss, “ Be careful out there, okay? If you have to leave me, then at least come back in one piece.”

“I will.” You give him one last kiss before slipping out of his grasp to leave, knowing there was still plenty to do before Yunho would be safe and have his friend back.

San and Yeosang, smirking at you as you walked back into the base, their looks suggestive, now armed with the knowledge that you had spent the night at Yunho’s place. You sighed with a soft blush and brushed them off, taking your seat with them for yet another morning. Wooyoung, laughing, and accepting the incoming call.

“Good morning, angels.”

“Good morning, Hongjoong!”

“Do you girls have an update on the situation?”

“We looked into the tires, and it leads back to Park Industries. They have an arrangement with one of the shops they like this specific brand on all their trucks and vans. They also have vans matching the make and model of the van that was used in the kidnapping.” San closes her file on the track report, having nailed Park Seonghwa or at least his company to taking Mingi the question now was just where.

“The plant material was interesting, it allowed me to narrow down to a fifty-mile area where they had been before, the only problem was that any way we cross-referenced things, in that area we found no connection to Park Industries at all, whether directly or otherwise.” Yeosang added with a shrug, “Unless they’ve managed to keep that hidden very well from us.”

“The computer didn’t come up with anything either. It looks as though Park Industries never got into Jeong Technologies computer.” Wooyoung continues before looking at you, now that they had pretty much covered all the leads before speaking up for you, “Oh, and Yunho’s house has been cleared.”

“It seems like whoever is hiding those details from us is doing a very good job of it. Get into Park Industries and see if you can find the last few things that you need to find Mingi, we might not have a lot of time left before they get that information.”

“We’re on it, Hongjoong!”

“So what’s the play then, angels?” Wooyoung inquires, leaning across the desk and smiling at you, “And what do you need for it?”

“You know...we could actually use your help on this one, Wooyoung.” You smiled at him, “How would you like to play a young, up and coming CEO? Willing to give Park Industries exclusive access to specialty supplies?”

“I’ll be your assistant, there to help you if anything happens and seduce Seonghwa enough to get the key for San to get in with.” You reassured Wooyoung as you three pull up the building specs.

“I’ll distract the others around, so San will just have to worry about security making their rounds and cameras on the outside. Once inside the room, though, there is a laser grid, moving, very high end. The code to disable them changes every five minutes. so it’s not likely we’ll be able to get that unless Y/N can manage it in Seonghwa’s office somehow.” Yeosang added before looking to San.

“I’ll be in and out with what we need before you even know it.” San nods looking at Wooyoung, “So what do you say Woo, you in?”

“Well...whatever the angels need, the angels get.” Wooyoung shrugs before chuckling softly, “I’m in.”

Sitting in your van outside of Park Industries and doing final preparations, San spotted something watching the building for any last-minute security changes. She couldn’t be sure, though, until she pulled up a still from the kidnapping video.

“Guys, I just realized something we’ve been missing.” San turns to the rest of you, showing the clip where a snake tattoo is visible on the kidnapper’s ankle, “We should have run with this from the start.”

“Well, what good does that do us now? We can’t call this mission off.” Yeosang frowns softly and San tsks, shaking her head.

“We won’t, we just would have gotten here sooner.” San zooms in on the building security guard from the camera hidden in the side of the van, “Considering this is the tattooed man.”

You look at the screen before initiating the facial recognition software and grabbing molar mics for you and Wooyoung, “When you figure it out, let me know. I’m meeting Wooyoung now.”

You slipped out of the side of the van that faced away from the building, sneaking a few blocks away to where Wooyoung was waiting in the driver’s seat of a black Lamborgini Huracan. Smoothing over your dress one last time, you get into the passenger seat, handing him his mic and earpiece before putting on your own.

“Ready, Mr. Jung?” You smirked softly at Wooyoung, who chuckles in response, starting up the car.

“Honestly, if it means getting to do stuff like this and driving nice cars all the time, I might just have to tag along more.” He drives off to head towards the main entrance of Park Industries, you two needed to be the first to go in.

“Y/N, we got a match over facial recognition. His name is Choi Jongho, he hasn’t been working for Seonghwa long, but they have a history. We better keep an eye on him though, he has a pretty remarkable rep. Numerous fighting styles mastered, history in dealing with arms. Keep an eye on him, don’t let him catch you off guard.” You hear San over the mic, knowing Wooyoung does too as you notice him tense while driving.

“Relax Wooyoung, just act natural, and nothing will go wrong. Besides, even if it did, you have the three of us there to protect you.” You assured him, leading him to take a breath and relax slightly, as he pulled up. Parking the car and the both of you got out. Showing Jongho your identification in passing, him eyeing you both up for a moment before opening the door to let you through.

“We’re in, work your magic girls.” You whisper, before taking over at the front desk, “Hello, we’re here for the meeting with Mr. Park. His 2 o’clock.”

The lady raised a brow at you, clearly not impressed until Wooyoung spoke up, “Is there a problem here? I’m a busy man, but I made the time to meet with CEO Park out of professional courtesy, I’d appreciate it if you made it happen, doll.”

She flusters, stuttering a bit behind her desk, “O-Of course CEO Jung, my apologies. It won’t happen again.”

“Good work Wooyoung!” Yeosang cheered over the mic as the lady led the way for you both through the building. That being her cue as she slipped out of the van next. Heading up to the building with a blinding smile as she stopped in front of Jongho.

“Hi, I think I’m supposed to go in here, yes?” Yeosang fumbles through her bag for show, before finding her company id for him, “It’s my first day, so I’m just a little lost.”

Her helpless giggle and clueless innocent nature must have done the trick, Jongho scanning her id and even giving a small smile back before getting the door for her. San drove the van around to the back, preparing to make her entrance.

“Let me know when we’re good, Yeosang.” She says, grabbing her ‘delivery’ and going in through the service entrance, before slipping into a bathroom to change into professional clothes, hiding her face from cameras the entire time.

“Give me five minutes,” Yeosang responds, stumbling into the room where the various cubicles were by the mainframe, blushing and giggling as people start to stare. Yeosang works her charms, pouting softly and twirling her hair, “I’m new, and I think I managed to get lost. Do any of you think you could help me?”

Yeosang played further into the act as they scrambled over each other to get to her, and show her the various areas of the building. More than eager to be around a beautiful woman after being cooped up at their desk for hours without end. Giving her verbal cue to San who slipped out after the group had passed and headed in the opposite direction as them, just waiting for the key to be dropped off.

“You make a very appealing deal, Jung Wooyoung. Draw it up and send it to me, I’m more than interested in it.” Seonghwa smiles from his spot across from Wooyoung.

“That won’t be necessary, my assistance already drew it up. I hope it meets your liking?” Wooyoung gestures you forward. You round the desk and lean forward to place and open the drawn up papers on the desk, letting Seonghwa see your form in the process. It is a good distraction as your free hand slipped the key card off his desk, before taking your spot besides Wooyoung again. Slipping the card into his hand as Seonghwa reads and signs the document, Wooyoung signs afterward before collecting up the document, as his phone rings.

“If you’ll excuse me, I forgot I have another appointment. However, my assistant can stay to discuss anything else about the contract with you.” Wooyoung shakes Seonghwa’s hand before answering the fake call and stepping out of the room to hand the card off to San and get out of the building. The exchange, going successfully.

“Just keep him occupied for me Y/N.” San moves towards the room, hiding her face from view as she slips in to look for access. The easy part passed now just came the harder part of slipping through the lasers.

You trailed your fingertips over Seonghwa’s desk as you moved back to the same side as him, “Is there anything I can help you with, anything at all?”

Your hands, moving to massage his shoulders, noticing something sitting proudly on his desk that you hadn’t the first time. The same picture you had seen at Yunho’s house, of the two of them together.

“Oh, angel, as enticing as that sounds coming from such a beauty, I’ll have to pass. After all, I’ve got so much to do you know...with kidnapping people and all.” Seonghwa grabs your wrist-twisting you around and pinning your front to the desk beneath him. The others heard what happened clear as day.

“I’ll get Wooyoung out, you just finish up getting what we came for San and then help Y/N if necessary.” Yeosang is already in the ladies' room, slipping up and into a vent to make her way out without being swarmed again, dropping out and finding Wooyoung, but too late as Jongho pulls him through a door and shoves him into a van, while a man blocks Yeosang.

“Jongho got Wooyoung.” She announces, flipping a switch in all the angels. None of them were happy that their Wooyoung had been taken.

“San get that stuff back to base, we’ll clean up here.” You say before twisting enough to elbow him in the face. Still, missing something, though, as Seonghwa tased you in the side. The world, going black and leaving the mission up to the other two for the time being.

Slowly you come too, eyes shifting around for any sign of Wooyoung or Mingi as you do. Instead, you hear someone tsking, followed by footsteps, drawing your attention forward and away from the dirtied surroundings. Yunho before you, as he leans down towards your face, pinching your jaw between his thumb and forefinger to make you look at him instead of at Seonghwa behind him.

“I may have underestimated you, girls...I thought it would be easier to snatch all of you at once. The others got away, though, with something that belongs to us, and you’re going to help us get it back, angel.” Yunho’s glare only hardens further when you smirk at him, feeling the molar mic still in your mouth, even if they took your earpiece, knowing it’d help Yeosang and San even more.

“See that was your problem, you underestimated us. Besides, there are more than just three angels, a lot more.” You shrug, leaning back in your chair, knowing it was only a matter of time before help showed. Not that you couldn’t break out of the chair if you wanted to, but it was more fun letting them think they’d won and spilling everything to you while you learned everything about their security from the inside.

Seonghwa stepped over and joined Yunho, slipping his arms around Yunho’s waist and resting his chin on Yunho’s shoulder, “Oh, we know Y/N. After all, once an angel always an angel, right? And there are quite a few from what we can tell.”

Seonghwa tilts Yunho’s body away from you, letting you see the monitors working on trying to break into Hongjoong and the angel’s database, not able to get much more than the number of angels at this point. You knew security was the best there was.

“If only there were a way to get access to their personal information, though? You know...so anyone who wishes could get revenge on the angels...oh wait, we have this.” Seonghwa tauntingly waves Wooyoung’s phone in front of your face, “Almost like when Hongjoong calls, we can use his voice to gain access to the system or something of the sort.”

Your heart races, knowing that was the one way to gain access to everything there, even to information on angels who retired, “Why would you want to do that to the angels? Just money? There’s plenty of easier to access information you could sell than this.”

Yunho scoffs, rolling his eyes, “No angel, this one is personal. Seonghwa’s sister was an angel, on a team much like yours...only her team didn’t bring her home. So we’re gonna teach the rest of you a lesson.”

“Once I find the two that left my sister, though...I’ll handle them myself.” Seonghwa hisses before letting Yunho go, gripping on your chair as his gaze darkens, “Now let me guess, they took what they got from me back to your little base and are going to try and find us?”

“Try?” It’s your turn to scoff now, “Don’t tell me you’re already underestimating us again, they won’t try...they will find us. And then breaking into the database would be the easiest challenge you’d have to overcome today.”

Yunho clicks his tongue, pulling a gun out of the back of his pants before putting it up to your temple, the click of the safety echoing in the room, “Just answer the question, or we won’t let you see any more of what we have planned. Which would be a real shame considering things are just now starting to get interesting.”

You sigh softly, gaze shifting to Yunho for a moment, before back at Seonghwa, “Yeah, that’s what they would do.”

Seonghwa smirking as he leans back, “See angel, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?” His eyes flick over to Yunho now, “Come on, babe, put the gun away. The little angel is cooperating now, and we want her to see just what’s happening, don’t we love?”

Yunho rolls his eyes, putting the gun away again, pulling out the duck tape and toying with it some, “ I hope you know, you won’t be able to depend on Yeosang and San much longer...they’ve got their own problems to deal with.”

He nods to Seonghwa, who pulls up the coordinates of your base, turning to you again, “I’ll give you a moment to look and say goodbye, they’re about to get quite the bang.”

“Wha-” Your statement is cut off by Yunho putting the duck tape over your mouth and putting a finger over where your lips would be, shushing you.

“Shh, isn’t that much better?” Yunho chuckles as Seonghwa clicks enter on the keyboard, launching a missile straight at the coordinates of your home base. Leaving, you to hope that Yeosang and San heard enough to know to get out by now, but not quite sure if they did.

“We gotta move fast San, who knows what that could mean,” Yeosang calls, snatching one of the bags of supplies from the base and slinging it over her shoulder so they could have something while they rushed out.

“I know, I’m shutting this down now. I’ll be right behind you.” San responds, finishing up, before grabbing her bag and rushing out behind Yeosang. The two almost at the car by the time the missile hits the base, the force of the blast throwing them tumbling to the ground. Thankfully, though, with little more to worry about than a few scratches.

“Yep, they definitely want us dead.” Yeosang grunts, picking herself up off the ground with a groan and dusting off.

“Well, unlucky for them, I know where they are now...Seonghwa didn’t have any buildings in that radius, but Yunho does...that’s where we’re going.” San pulls herself off the ground too, before getting in the car and putting the location in. Letting Yeosang drive as they head towards the location, and parking a safe distance away from where they wouldn’t be seen.

“Security looks pretty tight, we won’t be able to just storm our way in without help...”Yeosang sighs, shaking her head as she lowers the binoculars she was using to get a better view of the front entrance.

“So, we’ll just have to make our own way in then.” San shrugs, “Come on, I have an idea.”

Seonghwa spotted the tear that rolled down your face before you could spot it and chuckled, “Aw, who knew angels could cry~”

He mocked you before having Jongho bring Mingi in and shove him into the chair in front of the monitors before going back to guard Wooyoung until he was needed, “It’s almost time, Mingi. I’m going to need you to get us set up. Or there’s gonna be consequences.”

Yunho smirks playfully, brushing a finger over your cheek and collecting the tear, “You know you were rather pretty that night...but I think I prefer you this kind of broken.”

You glared at him, pulling away from his touch, which only made him chuckle. Until Jongho brought Wooyoung in. Seonghwa handed him the phone that was hardwired to the headset he handed Yunho, and the computer.

“You’re going to call Hongjoong for us.” Yunho demands of Wooyoung, pointing the gun at him. Wooyoung looks at you, with big frightened eyes. You nodded as you spotted a flash of Yeosang’s blonde hair in the security camera for the attic of the building. Seonghwa noticed the same thing and sent Jongho to deal with it. Wooyoung dials Hongjoong’s number, but when there’s no answer his hands shake, going to call again until Seonghwa stops him.

“Let Hongjoong call back, it’ll work better for our plan.” Seonghwa insists watching and waiting until the phone rings again, gesturing for Yunho to answer and Wooyoung to keep his mouth shut.

“H-Hello? This is Yunho.” He puts the front on again, despite grinning wickedly at you, “Wooyoung can’t come to the phone this second.”

“Oh, hi Yunho, this is Hongjoong. Are you with the angels again?”

“Yeah, they had a lead, and since they weren’t sure where it was secure, they just had me go back to the base and hang out with Wooyoung. I think he went to the kitchen or something though, he shouldn’t take too long, hopefully, that’s okay.” Yunho watches Seonghwa and Mingi for the signal saying they got enough to use, to get into the system.

“That’s perfectly fine, Yunho. I’m glad you can be someplace safe right now. I don’t mind waiting for a few moments. Have the angels been doing alright?”

“Oh, the angels are perfect. Thank you so much for all the help, I honestly don’t know what I would do without you guys.” Yunho answers, and you here Hongjoong give an intrigued hum.

“Wonderful...you said you were at the base with Wooyoung, right?”

“That’s right, I think I hear him coming back right now if you want to wait. Or I can take a message for you?” Yunho licks his lips as Mingi tells Seonghwa that they need just a little bit more.

“That’s interesting cause I thought I heard that the base just blew up.”

Your eyes widen, Wooyoung prepares to yell for Hongjoong to get help, but not quick enough as Yunho hangs up, “You’re gonna have to make that work Mingi, and fast. I don’t think we have a lot of time.”

“I-I don’t know if I can...”Mingi’s hands shake with fear as he works at the computer, Yunho huffing, impatiently as he puts the gun to Mingi’s head now.

“I don’t believe that was a question, Mingi. Now do it.” Yunho insists, taking over and making Seonghwa chuckle with a smirk.

“You’re so hot when you’re pissed.” Seonghwa winks at the other man, the pair cocky until Yeosang drops down from the roof, behind Seonghwa, cocking a gun at his head.

“Put it down, Yunho.” She glares at him, Yunho grumbling, but doing as she asks, only because it’s for Seonghwa, “Now kick it over to Wooyoung...Wooyoung I want you to take the bullets out.”

Wooyoung is obviously scared out of his mind. He does as he’s told, though, knowing that right now Yeosang has the upper hand. The girl chuckling afterward, the three of you from the agency, knowing something that the others didn’t...angels don’t use guns. Wooyoung quickly moved to undo your ties before they had a chance to get the upper hand again, so at least the odds would be a bit more even.

“How did you get past Jongho, though?” Yunho asked, only further infuriated by the current situation. Yeosang’s brows furrowing at the question.

“What do you mean, I never saw...”Her words fade out, glancing at the security cameras to see Jongho making it up to where Yeosang had come in. Her eyes, widening knowing that San was up there right now. Seonghwa, taking the opportunity to grab her wrist that held the gun and twisting it around until she dropped it, picking it up and pointing it at Yeosang.

“That was a mistake. You should have just run away, little angel.” Seonghwa hisses before pulling the trigger, thrown off by the click sound that it gave instead of going off.

“Wow, for having a sister as an angel, you don’t know much hm?....angels don’t use guns.” You smirk, expecting a fight, but you don’t get one. Seonghwa simply snatched the drive with the locations from the angel’s database on it and clicked enter again.

“That one’s special......that one’s Hongjoong’s.” He growls before running off, with Yunho rushing behind him.

“Wooyoung, get Mingi out of here and call Hongjoong to try and warn him in time. Y/N and I are going after them since San is trying to get to the angels and warn them if she can...plus she has her hands full with the henchman.” Yeosang tells him before you and Yeosang are racing after the two men who hold the key to all the angels’ past and present, confidential information.

San was linked into the satellite they had been using to access the angels’ database, not there in time to stop them, but able to copy and document everything they had gotten. That way, they could get to or warn the angels at risk before the information got out if they weren’t able to stop Yunho and Seonghwa. Seemingly clueless to the fact that Jongho was coming up behind her. Only noticing something when he pulls out a knife, the metal reflecting sunlight flooding in from the window in front of her, sending a glare over her laptop screen.

San noticed and spun to sweep Jongho’s leg, knocking him over in surprise and dropping the knife over the edge of the floor, dropping floors below. She’s quick to close the laptop and secure it in the case, slipping the strap around her form, where it could safely sit on her back. Jongho flips back onto his feet, to find her tying a knot into a rope hanging from one of the beams in the roof. Stopping her from going anywhere, by grabbing her hair and pulling her back so harshly she stumbles back and out of his hold with a yelp. It is a miracle she didn’t crush the laptop, but obvious that Jongho wasn’t going to let her get away without a fight.

San slipping on her gloves, getting an idea. When Jongho surges forward to get her again, she slips between his legs, sliding across the ground and grabbing the rope. It was supposed to be her way down, as the other end was secured to a sandbag. If Jongho didn’t want to let her slip away so easily, though, maybe he’d rather take that trip instead.

“You really can’t stay still, can you? You’re a real pain.” Jongho frowns, that turning to agitation when San smirks at him.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so slow.” She taunts back, hoping to get the response she wants of him. Knowing she’d need an opening to be able to get the rope in place. Jongho gives her just that when he turns and kicks, aiming for her face. Only San ducks, the hand with the rope slipping around his foot, before pulling the knot tight as she rolls out of his way. Moving quickly to get on her feet again, jumping up and grabbing onto one of the beams before swinging and kicking full force at Jongho’s chest with both legs.

Jongho spills over the edge, plummeting stories down. San, bouncing off the edge after him and grabbing the bag as it reaches the top, now having to use Jongho as a counterweight.

Wooyoung and Mingi, stopping abruptly and shrieking when Jongho is suddenly hanging upside down in front of them before suddenly heading back up where he came from, soon replaced by San. The pair have paled in shock and fear, trembling as they look at San with shaky eyes.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to join you, girls, on missions anymore.” Wooyoung’s voice is soft as he blinks at San. The whole experience, proving to be far more than he was used to or expecting.

San giggles and kisses his cheek, handing him the laptop bag, “You’re doing amazing, Woo. Take this and warn the other angels, I’m going to help Y/N and Yeosang. I’ll see you soon.”

With that, she runs off, leaving Wooyoung and Mingi to take the laptop and bolt for one of the cars while security was preoccupied with helping Yunho and Seonghwa out. Easily snatching one of their cars, Wooyoung hands Mingi the laptop bag.

“Hold on to that! We have some angels to save.”

Wooyoung pulls up to the carnage remaining at Hongjoong’s house, the whole place gone. He chews on his lip, uncertain where to go now. Until he gets a phone call, answering with furrowed brows.

“I’m sending you an address Wooyoung, meet me there...we’ll have everything we need to help our girls.”

Seonghwa and Yunho closed a door behind them and secured it so that Yeosang and Y/N couldn’t get through. Even as they tried to bust it down, the pair cursed as they can’t get it open, even together.

“Hold on! I’m coming.” San yells, watching the struggle from where she races to meet them, the trio trying again together now. It finally being enough to breach the barrier. The guards, turning along with Yunho and Seonghwa.

Yunho pushed Seonghwa towards the car that had been started right before the angels got through, “I’ll take care of them, just go get your revenge.”

“Yunho’s mine.” You tell the girls, eager to finally be able to pay back the man for the way he’d played you since the beginning of this entire involvement.

“I’ve got the guards, Yeo you go get Seonghwa,” San tells the other, who quickly snatches a motorcycle from one of the guards, slipping on a helmet and chasing after Seonghwa before anyone can stop her from doing so. Leaving San to handle roughly five guards unless you could finish Yunho quickly and get there to help her.

“Awe, is the little angel angry? That’s too bad.” Yunho jabs, evidently not at all fearful of you or the threat you pose to him, “After I kill you, I’m going to join Seonghwa in taking out each and every angel...painfully.”

“Show me your worst then, tough guy, cause I’m not going down without a fight.” You taunt right back, waiting for him to come closer. Though thrown off as his foot tosses a board up, kicking it in your direction, instead of coming straight for you. It's something you can easily deflect, but it hides Yunho’s form long enough that you aren’t prepared for him to be at you, metal chain in hand, and quickly wrapped around your throat. Leaving you gasping and squirming, barely able to turn around before he presses you against the wall, your hands gripping the metal tightly, trying to pull it off your neck enough to get a breath.

You’re lucky to get a foot on the wall, using the leverage and walking up the wall to flip over Yunho. The chains now in your hand instead of around your throat. You twist, pulling the chain, and Yunho along with and onto the ground. Hovering over him before landing a hard punch to knock him out, while he was still stunned.

“You okay, San?” You question hearing the sounds stop from the other group, the girl huffing as she flips her hair out of her face with a soft chuckle, before approaching footsteps.

“Yeah, just a normal day on the job. You good too?” She asks, watching you secure Yunho with the chains with a nod. Doing it on the off chance, he regained consciousness before someone came to get him. She laughs at his state, “Was it really necessary to leave a mark like that?”

“Yeah...it was.” You shrug, backing away from him to head towards another motorcycle sitting there and grabbing a helmet, “Come on, let’s go help, Yeo.”

Seonghwa spotted Yeosang in his rearview mirror as he drove away, the latter quickly working to close the gap between the two of them. Seonghwa moving to take a more public road now, weaving in and out of cars hoping Yeosang wouldn't spot one before it could hit her. It didn't matter, though, as she reached his Jeep, jumping off the bike, to grab onto the back of it. Yeosang holds on tightly as Seonghwa made a sudden turn trying to throw her off. Yeosang hanging on long enough to be able to pull herself up and into the back, though.

Just because Yeosang no longer had to worry about the risk of being flung off the car immediately, didn't mean she had time to catch her breath. She was quick to climb up, punching Seonghwa and trying to gain control over the wheel, though he was not thrown off for long, before shoving her back off him. Yeosang slamming back into the car door on the opposite side. It popped open just as she grabbed the frame of the car to pull herself back in. Shutting the door behind herself, but getting an idea from what had happened.

Yeosang grabbed the frame of the car, kicking across the center console to throw Seonghwa against the door on his side. It popped open like the other one had his grip on the wheel the only thing keeping him inside until she did it again at least. Seonghwa rolled out of the car as Yeosang hopped into the driver's seat and safely pulled it over and to a stop. You and San, reaching them as Seonghwa pulled himself back up.

"Hongjoong is gone and your base is gone. What can the three of you do to stop me at this point? You're alone and don't have anything." Seonghwa continues to refuse the fact that he didn't stand a chance. Rejecting defeat until the very end.

The three of you standing, side-by-side in front of him, in the signature angels ass-kicking pose. You shake your head, "You're wrong, Seonghwa. You're the only one here who's alone."

"Besides, once an angel, always an angel." A voice calls from behind Seonghwa. More angels, currently, and returned surrounding him down, "You picked the wrong fight."

The three of you looking at each other and smirking, before knocking Seonghwa out while he was distracted. Wooyoung and Mingi driving up, the former immediately jumping out, still frantic.

"I see you girls got reinforcements. Did I do alright? You're all fine, right?" Wooyoung questions looking over you girls, making you chuckle and nod, to which he breathes a soft sigh of relief.

"What about Hongjoong, is he okay?" Yeosang asks, voicing your worries. Wooyoung smiles, pulling out his phone and clicking the button.

"Hello, angels. Good work on another successful mission. I think you girls have earned yourselves a vacation... don't get too comfortable though, it's only until you get a new base."

"Thank you, Hongjoong! We're glad you're okay."

Wooyoung hangs up, turning back to the car as Mingi flusters and opens the door shyly for Yeosang. His cheeks tinted a bright pink, smiling softly at her as his eyes sparkle.

"T-Thank you for saving me." Mingi looks her right in the eyes, "M-Maybe I could make it up to you...o-over dinner sometime? U-Unless you're seeing someone?"

"Yeah." Yeosang smiles, before seeing his face fall and realizing how that sounded, "I-I mean, yeah, I'd love to do dinner or something... I-I'm not seeing anyone."

You and San roll your eyes, laughing softly. Before you finally speak up, "Come on you two, get in the car."

"Yeah, Hongjoong's giving us a vacation, and I want to soak in as much beach time as I can get before we're off again," San adds, Wooyoung rolling his eyes at your antics and getting in the driver's seat once more to drive the whole group of you off.

The vacation on Hongjoong this time, it being the least he could do to take care of his angels.

#ateez #ateez imagines #ateez oneshot #hongjoong oneshot #hongjoong #pirate-hongjoong #yeosang #yeosang imagines #yeosang oneshot #san oneshot #san #san imagines

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godkilller · 3 years

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@izzabizz139

I wanna hear you rant about the Gin vs Hitsugaya anime fight bc I love seeing your pov and you clearly write better than whoever extended that scene :) pretty please

out of character. DON’T ENABLE ME SO MUCH !! No but I cackled when I first saw this ask because oh my god, clearly you saw a taste of my annoyance about the anime adaptation -- no, adaptation implies it was accurate, I’ll say the anime’s take was “inspired by” the manga’s quick run-in. I’ll start by saying this moment is supposed to be a bit important considering, via the audience’s point of view, THIS IS THE FIRST WE SEE OF TWO CAPTAIN-RANKED SHINIGAMI CLASHING. The only other captain-involved fight we’ve seen thus far in the manga is Kenpachi ( who is an outlier and should not be counted... no, I joke... but, still, Ichigo was not an equal to him, his sword was sliced through like butter. ) The whole reason I enjoyed this encounter between Toshiro and Gin was simply this; it wasn’t some fancy multi-chaptered fight. IN THE MANGA, THERE ARE ONLY TWO BLOWS MADE. One, by Toshiro, to begin the fight. The second, to end it, is Gin’s strike.

I want you to know that I’ve rewatched this specifically to answer this ask, and only due to this, as I wouldn’t have ever sought it out otherwise. HONOR MY SACRIFICE.

Read more for length. I’m merciful.

In the anime, they monologue at each other, and it’s mostly a combination of Toshiro making three separate death threats ( he starts this off by saying “I’ll kill you before Hinamori arrives” and then goes on rewording it each time, and then also repeats the death-threat he gave Gin prior to this conflict about “I’ll kill you if Hinamori bleeds” ) and then also Gin and Izuru talking about how truly powerful and amazing Toshiro is -- no, this isn’t me being bitter or petty, I literally shit you not, Gin has a line that is legit “AS EXPECTED FROM HITSUGAYA TOSHIRO, CAPTAIN OF THE TENTH DIVISION, A CHILD PRODIGY OF TH' SORT THAT ONLY COMES ALONG ONLY ONCE EVERY FEW CENTURIES. HOW VEEEERY DANGEROUS. YOU’RE SERIOUS, AIN’T YA?” like don’t get me wrong, love a good sarcastic little shit comment like that, but the amount of times the anime pumps Toshiro up like he’s their shinest new cash cow ( and he is, at this point, it is not even 50 episodes into the series and they’ve realized everyone likes him and he’s jumped to high ranks in popularity polls... earning him filler spotlights, and eventually his very own non-canon movie ) so everything coming out of Gin’s mouth feels like more bullshit than necessary. Izuru’s already literally monologued, internally, how powerful and amazing Toshiro is anyways. Why this ?

Not to mention that, prior to saying that long-winded shit, Gin’s haori changed length three times ( and once it was longer than his entire body by several feet, and no not in a ‘to show motion’ way ) and most importantly Shinso was drawn, consistently, at katana-length for the duration of their little spat where the following, too, happened: Gin frog-leaps after doing a backflip, Toshiro gives Gin two (2) haircuts, Gin ruins some floorboards and gives Toshiro at least one splinter in his arm, Toshiro whilst wearing socks lands on Shinso’s blunt edge and pushes the sword down with his footsie because that’s how that works, there’s another backflip somewhere in there that Gin doesn’t need to be doing, twirl, twirl, and ballet, Gin’s face elongates until his chin is bigger than his face, Gin spends ten+ seconds purely dodging very close strikes to his face as Toshiro is the only one making breathy growly and ‘tsuuaaah’ sounds, there is a brief moment of no gravity as Toshiro keeps hacking at Gin midair and Gin blocks it over and over again but they still stay in the air but they’re not standing or jumping or using reiatsu they’re just like, momentum-locked I don’t fucking know, Gin frowny faces as he blocks because like somehow this kid who doesn’t even have more reiatsu than him, whose arm strength should not be an issue, is like. making him nervous?? as sword sparks fly. if you know me at all you know I hate when they fuckin’ firework sparkler-ify swords clashing.

Anyways, all of this happens whilst Shinso is the wrong length and Gin’s hair is getting purpler by the second and this entire thing is somehow a big jack-off to Toshiro’s immense strength even though he’s screaming and wailing at Gin like a child and Gin’s just a vessel at this point to Enhance Toshiro, which, fine, okay, but at least be more accurate with it god damn. ANYWAYS,

THEY JOUST. They literally run at each other, swords centered, and run past / to the side of one another. Jousting. “Cause that’s how that works. No slashes, no cutting motion. Just swords centered, because the animators were like “no worries guys I know swordfighting basics that’s a legit pose” yeah it is WHEN STATIONARY. Not rUNNING IT DOWN.

And then Gin’s sleeve is cut, somehow, from the Jousting, because wow Toshiro wow wow wowowowow, and then Toshiro comes back and starts wailing at Gin again and Gin blocks it, again, and it’s all very annoyingly repetitive, and Gin’s frowning and sparks are flying and Gin’s using Shinso, the katana-length wakizashi I guess, with two hands because like I said, the animators knew basics and basics are “katana are used two-handed” like. Okay, you’re not wrong, but I cannot stress this enough: SHINSO IS NOT A KATANA. It’s shorter and meant to be used single-handed!!!! sTop!!! So then Gin rips off the tattered part of his sleeve and throws it at Toshiro, who swipes it away from his face using his Zanpakuto because that’s intelligent and a piece of cloth was definitely threatening enough to use your sword to bat it away ( btw, Hitsugaya wasn’t holding his sword with two hands at this precise moment, so he could have just... used his other hand ) and then Gin goes in for the classic “stabby stabby rapidly at you while the animation gets a little breather because we repeat this cycle a few times with flashy bgs and phew money made” ... WE ARE FOUR MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS INTO THIS FIGHT BY THE WAY. Gin does this for seventeen (17) agonizing seconds straight. Yes, I counted. That was sixteen and a half too many seconds for me, personally.

Toshiro somehow lassos Shinso whilst Gin is stabby stabby-ing with Hyourinmaru’s chain component. I say component like it’s somehow some type of beauty guru’s lipstick holder, but really am I that wrong ? When else has he ever used this feature ? Anyways, he lassos Shinso because yeehaw I guess, god I’m falling apart at this point can y’all tell????? I need a drink.

and so, because now Toshiro has Gin’s sword somehow trapped with chain even though it’s just looped around it, he backflips over Gin for a cool trickshot, no blow issued, just vibes, and Gin uses a big brain moment to tug Shinso and the chains slide off. okay now what. We’re past five minutes into this fight, nonstop.

SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TIME FOR GIN TO PAUSE AND APPRECIATE TOSHIRO AGAIN! “I see, I shouldn’t have underestimated you, HItsugaya Toshiro” I’m starting to have a feeling Gin’s VA was told to just wing these lines because the amount of times he fills silences / Gin’s mouth movements with Toshiro’s long-ass name is astounding, he’s definitely drawing blanks here but he sure as hell knows one thing: that damn ice-boy’s name. He continues by saying “I suppose I’ll end up regretting it afterwards.”

Toshiro says that’s not enough, and it’s really dramatic and cool. His eyes even glow all icy and blue and pretty, like his flowy reiatsu. Aesthetic points were gifted entirely to Toshiro’s animations in this scene. Gin was finished in MS Paint and each new scene they had to draw Shinso from memory and try to remember what hue of purple his hair was at gunpoint. Toshiro lets off a big wave of reiatsu and then it vanishes, and he jumps up reaaaally high. like this guy’s flying. his eyes arent glowing anymore that’s sad. Bring Back Glowing Eyes For Strong Shinigami 2k21.

Toshiro releases his Shikai, and it’s badass, the sky darkens, Izuru looks distinctly more worried than usual, and Gin’s frowning with his teeth out like Bugs Bunny’s having a bad day, all is right in the world. Toshiro and his released Shikai have a nice moment for the Pics, and a big epic freeze frame blur moment happens with it all coiled and swirling around him. Wrow! ( click the ‘wrow’ it’s a link to my exact reaction ) Izuru narrates for the third time about how powerful Toshiro is, his reiatsu, his Zanpakuto being a deity who is only unlocked every few centuries. The strongest ice-type sword. Pardon the pun, but that’s... you could say, so cool.

It can even control the weather. So hey, next time it’s rainy, cold, icy, or snowing and you’re unhappy, it’s time to direct a big fuck you at Toshiro.

Gin dodges the first dragon, and blocks the second with Shinso because blocking water and ice with a sword makes sense right? This actually takes a solid amount of seconds as Gin cuts through the entire length of this ice dragon noodle. Things dissipate, and pause, too, to really drag this out. Surprisingly, this reveals that Gin’s made a boo-boo, his left arm’s frozen, which doesn’t even mean anything because Gin is right-handed, and Toshiro teleports himself behind Gin in true fighty fashion.

We have arrived at seven minutes and just under twenty seconds of this fight, and Gin turns, DOES THE UNTHINKABLE, gasp! He opens his eyes. His red, dull, evil, gray-eyebrowed with purple hair eyes, and shoots Shinso through its hideout spot behind his haori. This nearly takes off Toshiro’s eye and upwards of his head, but the little guy dives down fast. The rest happens in slow motion, supposedly, because it takes an eternity and people talk entire full sentences in its span of time.

Gin asks Toshiro if he’s sure he’d like to dodge that ( it’s a little late for that ) and says that Momo’ll die if he does. SHINSO SCRAPING ALONG AGAINST HYOURINMARU STRANGELY MAKES NOT A SINGLE SOUND. Mute. Even though before they had no problem animating and adding sounds to them smacking blades earlier. There are soundless sparks though, so there’s that. Yay. Can you tell how exhausted this’s made me? I need a nap.

Shinso is already more than halfway towards Momo, still unconscious, she most definitely has a serious concussion via Toshiro backhanding her midair consider she’s been unconscious for longer than ten minutes. Toshiro has time to get up off the floor where he dropped to dodge, realize with a shocked gasp, turn, shout her name, and watch as Rangiku arrives in a random glow of gold which never happens ever again and blocks the attack with Haineko. Haineko almost cracks on the impact, and continues growing in damage as Rangiku holds Shinso there, implying that she’s stopped it from reaching one-hundred sword’s lengths to pierce Momo. Yes I’m including that implication / note in here because we love to see Rangiku succeeding in life and being Not-Helpless, all while potentially damaging Haineko severely if it wasn’t able to hold him off. Yikes, Gin!

Rangiku threatens to join the fight if he doesn’t withdraw his sword. Gin smiles, withdraws it, and then Shunpos away.

Whatta mess. Oh, and the anime fight was pretty fucked up, too.

This is a long post, but here’s the manga version:

Toshiro leaps into the air,

This is where the fight actually starts between them:

And end.

Five pages. Two blows. Does not equate to ten minutes of non-stop fighting and monologues. Sometimes, and I mean this in the most unbiased way possible, less is more.

#[ out of character ] masquerade; hide your face #me: i wanna reply to things!!#also me with eyes glowing red: no.#long post #LOOOONG POSTTTTT...#4 pages.#of text.#im so sorry.

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everyhowlmarksthedead · 4 years

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“IT WORTH IT”

Ezequiel “Ez” Reyes x Coco's sister!reader

Anon asked: if it’s okay for you could you write a ez Reyes x coco’s sister!reader ?

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: soft physical abuse and smut.

Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. English isn’t my first language, I’m sorry if I have some mistakes with grammar. The gif isn't mine.

Thanks to my lovely @starrynite7114 for helping me reading it before posting, looking for mistakes.

Tag list: @starrynite7114 @chibsytelford @dazzledamazon @mara-mpou 💥 (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

When Coco founds you and told you he killed your mother, you started to laugh uncontrollably. You couldn’t believe it was true. That bitch, and never better said, forced you to ‘work on the streets’. Besides, every dollar you earned, she kept it. Your brother had a serious gesture in his face, telling you without words that he wasn’t joking. Your eyes started to cover in tears, setting up a knot in your chest. Hell was over. You hugged him, putting your arms around his waist, letting all the pain out of your body. Took some seconds to Johnny to do the same, holding you in his arms next to his body. It was time to go back home.

You slept non-stop for the next two days, getting up off the bed only when you were needing to eat something or go to the bathroom. Coco took care of everything. He paid the debts your mother left in your name and also gave you some money to buy decent clothes to wear. While Letti was recovering her life too, going to high-school as a girl of her age, your brother found you a new job. It wasn’t your favorite thing on earth, but it was a decent job.

Felipe was Angel and EZ’s father. An old man with a strange past, like Coco said, who needed some help with his carnicería. From Monday to Thursday, he hired you to serve the customers in the morning. At first, you thought that could be boring, but that man was really funny, kind, and intelligent. When everything was calmed and there wasn't any client to attend, he used to talk to you about books and the kind of poetry his deceased wife loved. An old and wise man who understood that you were forced to destroy your life, and now you were looking for a second chance.

After some months working there, Felipe trusted you more than his children and for that he asked you to close the shop Friday night. You didn’t asked, you never did and you’ll never do.

It’s almost ten when the last customer left the place, closing and locking the door, sighing as you did. You leave the apron hanging in the wall coat rack, before washing your hands with soap and disinfectant. Then, you’re ready to count the money and keep it safe in the warehouse. You write down in the notebook an orders summary of the day and how much was the total, as your boss showed you to close the day. After leaving everything clean and changing your clothes, you go out through the back door to the alley, locking it with the keys he gave you. Coco told you to go to the MC where they’re having a party, but the only thing you wanna do is go home, eat something, watch a movie and sleep.

You walk down the empty avenue with hands inside your pocket and your eyes looking straight ahead, but you’re not paying attention to anything that is happening around you, thinking in your own business. Because of that, you don’t see it coming. Long fingers grab your hair, pulling you back. The scream, that you utter falling down to the floor, finishes when your head hits it. A sharp beep settles in your ears, when you see blurry. A man lays on top of you and starts to punch you. One fist goes to your cheek making it burn in pain. You try to set yourself free, moving desperately behind him. The second fist goes to your mouth, breaking your inner lip and leaving the metallic taste of blood runs down by your throat. It hurts. It hurts too much. You ask for help, but you know how Santo Padre works. If a chulo is hitting one of his bitches, anybody is gonna separate him from you. But you’re not that shit anymore. And you try to fight.

When you’re pretty sure the third fist is gonna leave you knocked out, the arm stops raising in the air. Coco is there. Angel, Gilly, Creeper and EZ too. The youngest Reyes helps you to get up, wrapping in his strong arms guiding you to his bike. The guys are fucking up the man that dared to mess with you, after being paid with a huge amount of money. You’re crying harder, hiding your face against EZ’s chest till he makes you sit on his motorbike.

“Hey, hey… Look at me.” He took your cheeks between his big hands, having a look of your face to know if you’re okay. But they’re not gonna bring you to the hospital, they’re gonna take care of you by themselves. He hugged you again in the warmest way, giving you a kiss on top of the head, before Coco could walk next to you. He kisses you too, feeling protected when the men stuck around you.

“Probably will send some of his men tomorrow.” Creeper said looking at the guy laying on the ground unconscious.

“Eh, boy scout, could she stay with ya’ tonig’? She will be safe in the roulotte, near the ' ‘clubhouse”. Coco doesn’t want him to do it, he wants to protect you. But Johnny knows he must burn the fucking place where that man locked you once.

“I’ll take care of her. Rest is yours”. EZ nodded, helping you to fasten the helmet, before driving away.

He presses the wet cotton in alcohol against your inner lip, after cleaning the blood that was running through your jaw and neck. He’s doing it softly without wanting to hurt you more, while you're holding a bag of frozen peas on your check. The pain is fading, but you know well that tomorrow you’re gonna have some bruises in your face. EZ is very concentrated in his task, doing it slowly till seems better.

“I’m sorry”. You finally say with your eyes down, trying not to cry again.

“Why?” He looks confused, putting apart the cotton. He gets up off the small bed to bring you some water.

“You were having fun, I just… I ruined it”.

“No, you didn’t, (Y/N)”. He shakes his head, taking a seat in front of you, more close than you can really notice. “Coco thinks that should be fun if you come with us and Letti. And Angel was worried about you closing the shop alone. He wasn’t wrong.”

EZ simply shrugs. He knows you. He knows you well, ‘cause the time he isn’t with the MC, he visits you and his father in the carnicería. He also is always recommending you books to read in your free time, to talk about them after you finish them. He was kind to you since you met him, everybody is, but he does the most. So, you’re not sure when you decided it was a good idea to kiss him. But there you are with your hands supported in his knees, pressing your lips against his. At first, he can’t react, keeping his eyes open. And you’re about to put yourself away when he pushes you into him with his hands on your waist. Sitting on his lap, the kiss goes deep. Even the pain in your mouth doesn’t stop you to receive his curious tongue looking for yours. It feels good. It’s not your first one, but it’s the first time you do it ‘cause you want it without being forced.

As the seconds go by, it gets more passionate and needy. You two have been avoiding it because of Coco, but you’re about to die or something worse. His hands run over your hips, your back and your breast, letting him strain a hand under your dress looking for your panties. When he slices it down your legs, the next move is put down the zipper. He's hard, more than you could feel when your hips were dancing on top of him seconds ago. You do when he rams you without expecting it. Your groan meets his roar in your pressed lips against his. He doesn't make another move, waiting to you to feel comfortable with his hardness invading your narrowness. It's not your first time, he knows. But it's been a long time since your last and, of course, it's not the same.

You want please EZ and he wanna do you the same. Maybe it's not about love or maybe it is. But you two feel the desire running in your veins. And you want to do it before Coco arrives and kills you both. You start to move your hips, from up to down, slowly. Enjoying for the first time with your hands on his nape and his on your waist. You move faster according to, to feel more pleasure, forehead against forehead, with his light brown eyes on yours to not miss a single detail. He loved the way you whispered his name, moaning against his lips, once and again.

“You like it… uh?” He asks in a whisper, knowing what he is referring to.

“Ye-Yes. I really do, EZ”. You nod with your chin before get kissed slowly than the moves of your hips do by inertia.

The youngest Reyes smiles softly, feeling how the heat begins to focus in his cock. He doesn't know how he should ask you, but you were with more men that you wanna remember and you feel it. No words needed. You want him to do it, so pull him out it's not an option. Moving faster, your moans meets again, you can't avoid it. Both are sweating and you're tongues are fighting inside his mouth. Feels so good. And you think you can touch the sky when he finally cums inside you, with a fury roar drowned in his throat. Your orgasm comes too a few seconds later with his full name going out your lips.

The only things that break the silence inside the roulotte are your heavy breathing and some complicit laughs.

“Do you... know is the first time someone… ‘do it’? You whisper with a low tone in your voice, trying to make him know that never before anyone cum inside you, nor make you come to an orgasm.

His proud smile appears from nowhere, giving you some short kisses without moving an inch.

“When I get the patch, I'll ask Coco for you”. He confesses laying his back against the wall to have a better view of you. “Will you wait for me?”

It's a question you don't expect. At least, not in a moment like this. But, yes. You're going to wait as long as it takes.

#mayans mc #mayans mc imagine #mayans mc x reader #mayans x reader #ez reyes x reader #ez reyes #ezekiel reyes x reader

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rachelbethhines · 4 years

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Tangled Salt Marathon - Rapunzel and the Great Tree Part 2

Continuing on with the midseason finale of season two.

Part 1 is here https://rachelbethhines.tumblr.com/post/628826170657570816/tangled-salt-marathon-rapunzel-and-the-great

Summary: After Adira saves Rapunzel and the group from the hurt incarnation, Cassandra makes her suspicions of Adira known which causes a falling out between her and Rapunzel. Meanwhile Hector uses the dormant power of the tree to try and attack everyone.

Cassandra’s Motivation Doesn’t Aline With Her Later Actions

If you’re going to have a character do a complete 180 from her original goal, than you need a better reason than just mommy issues; or validation issues, or career problems, or just simply having a falling out, or jealousy, or a ghost girl whispering in your ear, or whatever the fuck they’re trying to do with Cassandra.

Going from ‘protect’ to ‘murder’ is a huge moral alignment shift that needed clear and reasonable justification. Cassandra is never given that. Instead they just throw everything at the wall that they can think of in the hope that something sticks.

Only it never does because her original story was re-written at the last minute.

Well That Was Pointless

Max and Pascal wind up saving Eugene and Lance from the man eating plant. Which adds nothing to the story. It happens and is then never brought up again. It’s just an excuse to write Eugene out of the Cass and Raps conflict and not an extension of either his or Lance’s own narratives.

That’s a problem, because Eugene should be a main character and Lance an important supporting side character. Instead Eugene is regulated to side character status while Lance is unimportant comic relief. Not only does this ignore that fact that Eugene was the protagonist of the movie same as Rapunzel, but it also ignores the basic writing rule of ‘don’t add in characters who don’t serve a purpose in the story’.

Adira Just Saved All of Your Asses, Cass

Boy does Adira put up with a lot of bullshit in this show, and 90% of it comes from Cass being a little bitch.

She has no biases for this argument. Adira hasn’t done anything to warrant this accusation. In fact she’s proven herself time and time again only for Cass to lash out like a spoilt teenager with an inferiority complex.

And Cassandra is 23!!!

The young adults on this show are constantly written like pre-teens while the only actual teenager is constantly forced to be the most mature person in the show.

It’s mind boggling.

Rapunzel is In the Right Here, But the Show Wants Us to Sympathize with Cass Instead?

Oh No! Raps raised her voice at Cassandra and made her feel bad, you guys. Feel sorry for the poor paranoid baby who who’s acting like a jealous brat for no reason.

Bull Shit.

Cassandra not only has nothing to back up her accusation but the narrative never goes on to prove her right either. Adria is on the up and up, and always had been according to Destinies Collide. For all the show’s efforts to make Cass seem reasonable by having Adira mysteriously pop in and out, it all falls flat once you know where everything is heading.

Plus, even if she were magically right about Adira that wouldn’t excuse her bossing Rapunzel around and insulting her intelligence. Had she done that to me I’d be telling her something a lot harsher than just to knock it off.

Oh, But I Thought You Said Flashbacks to Corona Would Be Too Confusing?

So one of the writers, Ricky, has gone on record stating that they did originally have plans to show flashbacks to Corona to show what was going on with Rapunzel’s parents, Varian, and the Saporians. He then said they dropped them because they feared that it would be too confusing for the audience.

Yet we get this pointless scene thrown into the middle of the mid-season finale.

And by the looks of it it’s before even Beginnings, or maybe after Beginnings, who knows; so it’s not just a change of scene, it’s also a change in time as well. A point in the timeline that’s not been firmly established enough. So it not only has less reasons to exist then a Varian flashback would, but it’s also potentially more confusing than what a simple single episode set in Corona would have been.

I don’t know who to blame for this poor decision making, if it’s just Chris, Chris and Ben, or a shared blame with all of the writers, but while the buck does stop with Chris, much of what Ricky has said online doesn’t reflect very well on his writing skills. Cause that’s a huge and utter bullshit excuse.

So What Does This Add, Exactly?

Cass gives Rapunzel this purse as a gift. A purse that’s not been shown to be all that important before and isn’t made significant again. Then Raps launches into this speech about how good a friend Cass is and how lost she’d be without her.

I understand what the thought process for this was; it’s to show how far Raps and Cass have grown apart recently and what Cassandra herself liked about being friends with Rapunzel to being with, which was the validation boost of being useful and needed; but there’s a lot of problems with including it here.

For starters, lack of validation isn’t enough to suddenly switch into ‘kill mode’ which is where all of this is eventually leading.

Validation shouldn’t be the foundation of any long term relationship and so rather than proving how good of a friend they are to each other, you’ve only given futher reason for why they’re toxic together.

You needed to be building them up all throughout season one before launching into this break up plot. This scene is too little too late because we’ve spent too many episodes tearing Raps and Cass down for this plot to have the effect that they wanted it to.

Cassandra is just doing her job. She’s suppose to show Rapunzel around and help her with shit, that’s what a lady in waiting does. Cassandra’s friendship with Rapunzel shouldn’t be so tied to her career trajectory to begin with. Not only is it unhealthy but it then is used to victim-blame Rapunzel for all of Cassandra’s problems. Even though the only thing actually holding Cass back is herself, as proven in season three.

Timeline Confirmed

So it is indeed six months since Secret of the Sun Drop, give or take a few days to organize stuff before the trip. Meaning we’re now a year out from Before Happily Ever After. I point this out now, in order to prove something later on.

This Logically Should Have Been the End of the Argument, But the Writers are Dragging Things Out Needlessly

You know what I hate more than a ‘lack of communication causes drama' trope? Characters taking the time to communicate and still missing the bloody point and not resolving anything.

Technically, Rapunzel is still in the right. She is an autonomous person capable of making decisions for herself, and Cass does need to get over herself and treat Rapunzel as such and stop getting butt hurt over not being the one in charge.

But then we have to ruin that message by throwing in this line.

Like, yes you’re technically in charge here Raps, but making decisions shouldn’t mean walking all over someone's feelings either. Being a leader is just as much about listening as it is about taking charge and neither of these characters understand that yet.

And they never will, cause the writing for them is shit.

When I first saw season two I honestly believe that this would tie into Rapunzel’s previous conflicts regarding responsibility and hypocrisy. I thought they had an arc here about learning to balance assertiveness and personal boundaries, with genuine compassion and respect for others. Had they went through with that then this could have been something truly special, but they go and throw it all away come season three. Now its just heartbreak and frustrating to watch.

Also Stupid ‘Sisters’ Plot Foreshadowing

More on this later, but just know if you hate the idea of calling Raps and Cass sisters then blame Chris.

This Song Underlines The Core Problem With Cassandra's Arc

There’s no stakes.

I’ve already discussed at length now about how Cassandra’s goals and motivations are inconsistent, and how her actions don’t line up. But the reason the writers are struggling so hard to find something that fits her, is because the story has grown past her.

We’ve already seen characters who struggle with poverty, homelessness, neglect/abuse, and oppression. There are now tons of people in the story who are fighting just for survival, and they’re all regulated to either supporting roles, one off appearances, or are background characters.

So with that in mind what is there to justify Cassandra getting focus over them? What is she struggling with here that deserves more screen time and attention than, Eugene, Varian, Lady Caine, or even Adira?

Cassandra isn’t poor. She lives well off in the castle and has high ranking connections. She’s not even struggling with a job she hates anymore because we’ve already seen her promoted to the one she wanted by this point.

Cassandra isn’t homeless, she once again lives in the castle and if she chooses to leave she has plenty of opportunities waiting for her, as evidenced by Goodbye and Goodwill and Beginnings. Plus she’s shown to be capable of supporting herself both in this season and the next.

Cassandra isn’t oppressed. She can leave anytime she wants to. She can defy the king's orders in SotSD because she’s the princesses’s bestie. She doesn’t face jail or hanging just because she and Raps has a fight now and then.

The only thing going for her is possibly neglect/abuse, but that’s not been introduced into the story yet and isn’t what she’s discussing here. It also contradicts what was previously established between her and Cap in season one when it does come into play.

Validation Alone is Not Enough to Connect With Most of the Audience

Even the stanchest of Cassandra supporter often has to heavily project onto her in order to connect with her. Which isn’t a bad thing in of itself. Everyone projects to some degree or other when exploring media, that’s part of being human. But the problem is that because she’s so thinly written you’re left with little else but projection. And so you’ll hear excuses like, well she’s fighting the class system, she’s an abuse survivor, or she deserves to lash out over not getting what she wants when she’s worked so hard for it. But none of those excuses are actually presented on screen.

Cassandra doesn’t fight against the class system. If she did she would be fighting for everyone. She’d be singing about everyone’s problems not just her own.

Cassandra’s past abuse is just slapped on at the last minute and then disregarded when convenient. It doesn’t actually factor into the decisions she makes later on.

Also, you don’t deserve anything just because you ‘work hard’ nor because you just really, really want it.

It’s that point that I really take issue with.

On the surface Cassandra should be the most relatable person in the show. I mean what young adult or teen living in this post apocalyptic nightmare of a capitalist dystopia not ever felt disappointed over not getting the job they wanted or not being given enough positive validation while crushed underneath mounting unrealistic expectations. It’s the main reason why so many of her supporters are teenagers and LGBT+.

But all of those worries stem from something deeper than just a lack of positive reinforcement.

You know why I had to give up on my career as an animator?

It didn’t pay benefits.

I had medical issues and needed health insurance, but since most animation is commissioned and/or contract based, particularly if you live/work on the east coast, then you’re not going to get that most of the time. And this is after spending the majority of my time in college homeless, living out of my car, crashing on friends and families couches. I did this for three fucking years because I didn’t want to wind up in a textile mill or a carpet factory like everyone I else knew growing up, and I was told my whole life that if I went to school and worked hard enough I could have a well paying job that I enjoyed and got me away from my abusive home life.

People like me, we’re bitter over not getting the jobs we wanted or the support we needed, not because we believe we’re special and therefore deserve it or some such bullshit, but because our very lives are dependent upon it! We’re victims of a class system that lets you starve if you don't find work. Where you’ll be trapped in abusive situations cause you can’t afford a home on your own. Where simply being yourself can be dangerous as there are people who vocally want to deny us rights and even kill us.

Cass is an entitled whiny brat in canon because she doesn’t have any of those underlying issues. She doesn’t face real discrimination, oppression, poverty, or the looming threat of death hanging over her. She’s just throwing a temper tantrum.

Once Again Adira is Saving Your Butt Cass

Adira is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in the marathon. I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate her more when I first watched the show.

Also, I’m Sorry I Didn’t Recognize the Awesomeness That Is Hector Until Now Either.

Like this is a good conflict. They both have legitimate reasons for what they do. They’re both in the right here. That’s what makes them interesting.

They’re both fighting for something. They’re home and the belief that they can fix things, vs the fate of the world and their loyalty to both the cause and their family. All on top of having their own relationship issues.

Hector so should have been the main villain of season two, because he just has the most reason to be opposed to the mains’ goal.

That’s more than whatever Cass and Raps are fighting about. The only thing at stake there is their friendship, which isn’t that big of deal when you compare it to the lives and safety of billions of people.

Plus Hector’s just flat out entertaining.

Why is Everybody Just Standing Around Doing Nothing Here?

Fucking do something you lugnuts!!!

You’re all capable fighters. You’ve all taken down much harder enemies than one lone guy and two bearcats. Why aren’t you helping Cass fight back? Or heck, if you wanted Cass to face Hector alone then have her be a distraction so that the others can escape. Anything but having them just stand there and be useless!

Yet Again I Have to Ask Why Should Cass Care?

Or rather why should the audience care?

Cass isn’t a lady in waiting just because some random jerk who's already taunting her and trying to kick her ass calls her such. Hector’s not from Corona and has no knowledge of Cassandra’s life beyond what he may have heard repeated by Adiria (who is also not from Corona) or what Cass herself said in her very metaphorical song. Nor does either them have a say in how Cass’s career goes.

If you want to push the narrative that Cass is still a lady-in-waiting and a maid, despite having earned Cap’s approval and being appointed by the king to guard Rapunzel, then you damn well need to establish that among the mains.

Or you know, stop trying to go back on what you’ve set up in season one.

So How Is This Suppose To Work?

So from the backstory that we get on both the Tree and Zhan Tiri herself, this shouldn’t happen. Like Zhan Tiri is currently trapped in another dimension and according to season three she has no possession powers herself.

Now the tree itself is said to be sentient and that Zhan Tiri took control of it, but how? How is a tree sentient? Why is it sentient? How did Zhan Tiri bend it to her will? Why is it still under her control while she’s been trapped in another dimension for hundreds of years? Why and how does the spear keep it dormant? Why does the tree itself have possession powers when Zhan Tiri has none? Is there any connection between this Great Tree and the cursed tree that was suppose to free Zhan Tiri back in Painter’s Block? If so then why are these things never brought back into play during season three?

Give me answers damn it!

Now This is a Good Conflit, Shame It’s Never Resolved

Both have valid reasons to do what they do. Both are neither right nor wrong. Both however wind up getting in the way of each other because neither will listen or trust the other.

Rapunzel thinks that this will stop Hector, and she is right it does, but more importantly she chooses this route because it gives everyone else a chance to run away. The problem is that she can’t control it, but from her point of view that’ll only put her and Hector at risk if everyone else will just do as she says and leaves.

Cassandra thinks the spear will stop it because it’s done so before, and that’s a logical assumption. It also means that Rapunzel herself won’t be in any danger, though the others might. Cass can’t free everyone at once like Rapunzel can. It’ll also be a threat to herself, and there’s the risk that tree will stop her before she can deal the final blow.

So what’s happening on a personal level is that Rapunzel thinks taking charge means that everyone needs to follow her say without question. Cassandra thinks Rapunzel should listen to her more, not because Rapunzel needs to listen better in general, but because she doesn’t feel Rapunzel is mature enough to make big decisions and that she herself should be in charge of the group. Both girls feel superior to the other and above other people as well, because they’re convinced they’re always right.

Had this been the actual conflict that they went with in season three, had they actually had both characters held accountable for their actions and learn something, and hadn’t dragged innocent people into their bullshit with so much as a ‘by your leave’ or ‘I’m sorry’; then this might have been a decent story. Perhaps not as impactful as Varian’s, but still meaningful, thoughtful, and well, coherent.

But that’s not what they did, and we’ll see no real resolution to this disagreement.

So Why Is No One Affected By the Hurt Incantation This Time?

Eugene here was injured by the tree earlier, that’s why he’s past out, but everyone else remains unharmed by Rapunzel’s singing. Even though just last episode everyone around her were dying from it, and again in the season finale everyone dies from said incantation. But here and in Rapunzel’s Return, Rapunzel can use the incantation without harming anyone nearby so, how does that work?

Some people have suggested that when Rapunzel focuses her hair on a target like the tree here or the amber later, that it doesn’t spread to other people, but that’s never stated on screen so it’s still a flaw.

Well This Goes Nowhere

I think the writers just like throwing in shocking ‘twists’ and moments like this just for the sake of looking edgy and ‘deep’ but then they never actually follow through on the impact of such moments on the characters nor consider the more troubling implications of including them.

I grew up on Gargoyles, Batman the Animated Series, the 90s X-Men Cartoon, and The Pirates of Dark Water. I’ve seen far more shocking and edgy stuff than this when I was six years old. In many ways the american animated tv landscape has regressed since the early 2000s when it comes to more mature cartoons, and no that’s not a complaint about modern cartoons being bad; some are good some are bad, just like its always been; but that culturally we’ve shied away more from darker moments like this and we’ve having to push for them all over again in media.

But the difference between Tangled and those 90s cartoons I’ve mentioned is that Tangled’s darker moments are misplaced. It clashes horribly with the more comedic route that the series usually takes and as such they don’t get the focus that they need too.

After season two is done, Cass’s hand will never be mentioned again. It does not tie into her later motivations at all nor influences her actions. Throughout the series she’ll be able to use it easily without consequence. We don't even get any on screen confirmation if it’s healed by grabbing the moonstone, by the sundrop incarnation in the finale, or if she just forever has a burnt arm. That’s how little importance it is to the story.

This Also Goes Nowhere

Hector calls out this warning but it’s then never followed up on. Adira is proven not to be a liar at all and nobody in the group is actually doomed. Yes the wider world is put in jeopardy, but that’s Cass’s fault not Adira’s.

The writers were too focused on making Adira the red herring for Cassandra that they forgot to make her an actual person, with wants, feelings, desires, goals, and a life beyond her mission. She’s never shown helping her family and barely interacts with them, she’s never given a reason for why she keeps disappearing, and the idea that she’s doing this to save her home is just supposition on my part because otherwise she has no reason. The series never gives us one.

And ‘Destiny’ Is Not A Fucking Reason!!!

Oh, So Adira Will Help Hector But Not Quirin or Varian?

If Hector and Adira consider each other siblings because they’re both in the Brotherhood, than logically Adira would consider Quirin her brother as well, and Varian would be her nephew.

She was around long enough to see the final battle in SotSD. That’s why she appears at the end of that episode, how she knows Rapunzel is the sundrop and has ‘seen her power’, and how she knows that the group has met both Quirin and Varian before now.

She knows that Quirin is trapped in amber. She knows her nephew has been arrested by a kingdom with a poor track record of punishing orphaned teens and poor people with overly harsh sentences. So why didn't she do anything there?

We find out during season three that the black rocks can cut through the amber, and its established that Adira’s sword can cut through the rocks, so clearly she didn’t even try to save Quirin has just given him up for dead. But there’s no reason why she couldn’t have broken Varian out of the prison and taken her with him.

In fact Adira hiding Varian from the rest of the group during season two would have been an actual reason for her disappearance and an actual reason not to trust her. That would have upped the stakes and given Cass reasons for what she does. Plus more time for Varian’s redemption, more chances to call out Rapunzel and Fredric on their BS, and ties seasons one and two together better.

Seriously leaving Varian out of season two was the dumbest decision in television. Putting Varian back in actually fixes everything in the show.

The Real Reason for the Burnt Hand is a Costume Change for Cass

I don’t know if she even got merchandise for this costume.

Conclusion

Much like season one’s arc episodes, The Great Tree held a lot of promise that was then completely wasted by season three. It’s also one of the very few episodes in the season to have actual stakes and conflict so it easily jumps to the top of the pile. But what it sets up is then never resolved or expounded upon, making it a waste.

Next up we’ll have the mid season recap.

#tangled #anti-tangled #anti-cassandra #anti-rapunzel #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #adira #hector #the brotherhood

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