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james-joyces-right-eyeball · 3 years

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Absolute Favorite Books I’d Recommend to Anyone

This is a list of my top-tier favorite books that I would recommend/talk about endlessly to pretty much anyone (in no particular order). I know people probably don’t care but I just like talking about books I love so here we are.

Beloved - Toni Morrison

~ Based off the real story of Margaret Garner, a slave woman who escaped slavery and when captured killed her child in order to prevent them from ever being enslaved again, Beloved tells the story of a mother named Sethe, born in slavery who eventually escaped and is haunted by the figurative demons of her trauma and the literal (arguably) ghost of her dead daughter, who she herself killed. It is an excellent exploration of the horrors of slavery and of the haunting legacy of the institution for those who were subjected to it.

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

~ If you’ve been on Tumblr for a while, you probably know what Lolita is. The story of the predatory Humbert Humbert who lusts after, rapes, and kidnaps the “nymphet” Dolores Haze. An excellent construction of how predators, unreliable narrators in their own right, hide behind fabrications, almost-believable excuses, and pretty words to make their actions seem maybe not so bad. In the words of the book itself, “You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style.”

Ulysses - James Joyce

~ Notoriously one of the most difficult books in the English language, Ulysses lifts its structure from Homer’s Odyssey to tell the story of a common man, Leopold Bloom, as he goes about his day. Yes, this book takes place over the course of only one day. We follow Bloom as well as Joyce’s literary counterpart Stephen Daedalus through their thoughts and actions, gathering details of their lives previous throughout. It’s a book that, in my own words, “is life”. It is sad, funny, strange, vulgar, disgusting, beautiful, revelatory, sensual, and nonsensical all at once. Joyce aimed to create a reflection of life through his stream-of-consciousness style which some people might find confusing, but I personally find absolutely beautiful and honest and realistic. The prose is also gorgeous, but that could be applied to everything Joyce wrote.

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

~ The classic gothic book that tells the tale of Heathcliff and his ultimately destructive love of Catherine Earnshaw, whose eventual marriage to someone else and the general mistreatment of him by her family drives Heathcliff insane and he spends the rest of his life trying to take revenge by abusing and torturing the next Earnshaw and Linton (the family into which Catherine marries) generations. If I’m being honest, I like this book mostly because of how wild and dark it is, but the writing is also genius and beautiful. I think the book also carries an interesting view of the destructive nature of revenge, overzealous love, and othering.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

~ A coming-of-age story at the turn of the century that tells the story of Francie Nolan, a young bookish girl growing up in a lower class family in New York City. It tells about her father’s struggles with alcoholism as well as her mother’s struggles to deal with that and at the same time raise Francie and her brother. Francie is confronted with a strange, uncertain world as a young girl, but tries to face it with bravery throughout childhood

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

~ Another coming-of-age story, this time about four young sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. You are probably familiar with this book already; it’s had more movie adaptations then I can possibly remember off the top of my head. It’s the story of four sisters as they try to navigate growing up, love, and loss during the mid to late 1800s.

The Color Purple - Alice Walker

~ A novel that tells the story of Celie, a young black woman who is raped and then married young to a man who will go on to use and abuse her, through her letters to God. Throughout the novel she meets Shug Avery, a woman with whom she eventually falls in love and begins a relationship with. Through this and her eventual freedom from her abusive husband, she is able to gain at last her own sense of self and take back control over her life, a life no longer ruled by the abusive men around her.

The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison

~ The tragic story of young black girl Pecola Breedlove, who wants nothing more than to have blonde hair and blue eyes just like the women she sees in the movies. Both a deconstruction of the whiteness of beauty standards as well as how these standards can utterly destroy vulnerable young girls, it is also an exploration of the people who allow these sorts of things to happen, including Pecola’s mother and father. The Bluest Eye, I think, showcases one of the aspects of Toni Morrison that I like the most, that I aspire to the most: her ability to enter the minds of all people, even people who you might despise at first. Her characters, especially Cholly in The Bluest Eye, are ones you might not entirely sympathize with, but they will always be ones you understand.

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

~ Based off of the author’s own experiences as a young college student, The Bell Jar tells the story of Esther Greenwood, whose depression over her place as a woman in a patriarchal society as well as her inability to choose a life path for herself leads to a suicide attempt and a subsequent stay in a mental hospital. A very nuanced portrayal of mental illness, especially anxiety and depression, The Bell Jar is an extremely moving and relatable story for me and clearly is as well for others. It is a classic for a reason.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

~ A memoir of Angelou’s childhood, this book tells the story of her experiences living as a black girl in the south with her grandmother and brother as well as her later years living with her mother. It also tells of how she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend when she was around eight or nine, and how she struggled to live with that and find her voice, both literally and figuratively. A wonderful book about overcoming struggles and the power of words and literature in such times.

Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

~ Ellison’s novel tells the story of a young black man, never getting a name in the text, and his feelings of invisibility and his struggles to find a place in society to belong. His struggles only lead him further into despair, until he decides to “become invisible” as people seem not to see him as a person anyway. Invisible Man is an exploration of American mid-century racism and the isolation it causes to those subjected to it. Not only that, but it is surprisingly relevant to our times now, especially on the subject of police violence. (Personal anecdote: When I first read this book, when I got to the aforementioned police violence part it was right in the middle of the BLM resurgence last summer and I cried for a good twenty minutes while reading that chapter over how nothing had changed and it still hurts me to think about it. Embarrassingly, my dad walked in on me while I was crying, and I had to quickly explain it away.)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce

~ The title basically says it all lol. This book tells of the coming-of-age of Stephen Daedalus (the same one from the later-written Ulysses). His sensitive childhood, his awkward and lustful adolescence, his feelings of Irish nationality and Catholic guilt, and his struggles to fully realize himself, both as an artist and a human being. It is a very hopeful story, and one that I love mostly because I relate so much to Stephen Daedalus as an artist and as a person.

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

~ A magical-realist intergenerational family drama, Marquez’s book traces the various lives and loves of the Buendia family over the course of (you guessed it!) one hundred years. A beautifully written, at times extremely emotionally moving and chilling masterpiece, Marquez in a way retells the history of Colombia, of its colonization and exploitation.

Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

~ A classic Russian novel of society and love, Tolstoy tells the story of Anna Karenina, married, wealthy woman with a child she adores. However, she falls in love with another man, Count Vronsky, and comes to a tragic end for her love. The parallel story of the novel is that of Konstantin Levin, a wealthy landowner who also struggles to find fulfillment in his life and understand his place in society.

The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner

~ A novel that features an entire family of unreliable narrators, The Sound and the Fury details the fall of a once-prominent southern Compson family and always-present place of the past. There are four different narratives: Benjy Compson, a mentally disabled man who is unsure of his surroundings and of time and only knows that he misses his older sister Caddy; Quintin Compson, the eldest son and a Harvard man both obsessed with his sister retaining her “purity” and the fact that she failed to do so and had a baby out of wedlock, going as far to claim it is his baby in an attempt to preserve something of the family reputation; Jason Compson, who is the caretaker of Caddy’s daughter and believes her to be going down her mother’s “sinful” path; and Dilsey, the black maid of the Compson’s who unlike the people she cares for is not weighed down by their history. The narratives take place in different time periods and is in a stream-of-consciousness style. It’s a deeply dark and disturbing novel about the haunting nature of the past, a common theme in Faulkner’s work (see Absalom, Absalom! for more of this).

Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison

~ It is the story of Milkman Dead, a young black man growing up in the south and his relationship with his very complicated family. To say anymore would be to spoil the novel, but I will say that it is an excellent book about family, self-fulfillment in a world that tries to deny you that, and, like The Bluest Eye, exhibits Morrison’s excellent character work.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams

~ A play which takes place on the patriarch of a family’s birthday in the oppressive heat of the midsummer south, Williams’ play explores lies, secrets, and how repression only results in anger, frustration, and sadness. It’s a tragic but brilliant play that I think was very ahead of its time. If you’ve read it (or do read it) then you know what I mean.

Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin

~ This book tells the story of a young man and his love of another man named Giovanni while he is in Paris. It is a book about love, queer guilt, and has what I would call an ambiguous ending. There is uncertainty at the end, but there does seem to be some kind of acceptance. It is a bit of a coming-out story, but more than that it is a story of personal acceptance and at the same time a sad, tragic love story.

HERmione - H.D.

~ An underrated modernist masterpiece, HERmione is a somewhat fictionalized account of the author, Hilda Doolittle’s, experience as a young aspiring poet dating another poet (in real life Ezra Pound in this book named George Lowndes) who is a threat to her both physically and emotionally. It explores her own mental state, as she considers herself a failure and falls in love with a woman for the first time (Fayne Rabb in the book, Frances Gregg in real life).

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

~ People think about going to a lighthouse. They do not. A couple years and a war passes then they do. That may seem like a boring plot, and you may be right. However, To the Lighthouse is not much about plot. It is more about the inner lives of its characters, a family and their friends, on two different occasions of their lives: one before WWI and one after WWI. Woolf explores in this novel the trauma that results from such a massive loss of life and security. Not only that, she also explores the nature of art (especially in female artists) in the character of Lily Briscoe and her struggles to complete a painting. It’s a short novel, but it contains so much about life, love, and loss within these few pages.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers

~ A southern gothic novel about isolation and loneliness in a small town. Every character has something to separate them from wider society, and often find solace and companionship in a deaf man, John Singer, who himself experiences a loneliness that they cannot understand. There are various forms of social isolation explored in this novel: by race, disability, age, gender, etc. A wonderful, heart-wrenching book about loneliness and the depths it can potentially drag people to.

The Waste Land - T.S. Eliot

~ A modernist masterpiece of a poem, Eliot describes feeling emptiness and isolation. The brilliance of it can only be shown by an excerpt:

“Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, Looking into the heart of light, the silence.”

“The river’s tent is broken: the last fingers of leaf Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed. Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song. The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers, Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends Or other testimony of summer nights. The nymphs are departed. And their friends, the loitering heirs of city directors; Departed, have left no addresses. By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept . . . Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song, Sweet Thames, run softly, for I speak not loud or long. But at my back in a cold blast I hear The rattle of the bones, and chuckle spread from ear to ear. “

(My personal favorite line from this poem is, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”)

The Trial - Franz Kafka

~ The protagonist of the novel, Josef K., wakes up one morning to find that he has been placed under arrest for reasons that are kept from him. Kafka creates throughout the novel a scathing satire of bureaucracy, as K. tries to find out more about his case, more about his trial, but only becomes more confused as he digs deeper. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the world he lives in, and the more tries to explain it the further the more that proves to be the case. An excellently constructed novel and a great one to read if you would like to be depressed about the state of the world because, though Kafka’s work is a satire, like a lot of his other work, it manages to strike a strangely real note.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard

~ An absurdist play that is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet from the perspective of minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who in the broad overview of the original play, do not matter. Throughout the play, they question their existence and the purpose of it and through that Stoppard dissects not only the absurdity of life, but how fiction and theater reflect that absurdity inadvertently.

As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner

~ The novel details the journey the Bundren family makes after the death of the family matriarch, Addie, to bury her. Each chapter offers a different narrative from the family members and those who surround them, revealing some ulterior motives to them “going to town” to bury Addie. The patriarch Anse desires a pair of false teeth, and the daughter Dewey Dell is pregnant and needs an abortion, as there is no way for her or her family to support it. It’s about the powerlessness of people in the impoverished south. The Bundrens are constantly subject to forces beyond their control, struggles which would be easily solved if they had the money to spare for it. There is more to the book, but that is my favorite reading of it, that of class. Faulkner’s ability to create distinct voices for every one of his characters shines through here.

And, last but not least:

The Collected Poems - Sylvia Plath

~ All the poems Plath wrote during her tragically short lifetime. The best way to demonstrate or summarize the book’s brilliance is just to show you. This is her poem “Edge”, which appears in the book:

“The woman is perfected. Her dead Body wears the smile of accomplishment, The illusion of a Greek necessity Flows in the scrolls of her toga, Her bare Feet seem to be saying: We have come so far, it is over. Each dead child coiled, a white serpent, One at each little Pitcher of milk, now empty. She has folded Them back into her body as petals Of a rose close when the garden Stiffens and odors bleed From the sweet, deep throats of the night flower. The moon has nothing to be sad about, Staring from her hood of bone. She is used to this sort of thing. Her blacks crackle and drag.”

HOPE YOU ENJOYED! HAPPY READING TO ALL!

#dark academia #books and literature #toni morrison #james joyce #tennessee williams #virginia woolf #william faulkner #sylvia plath #plays #poetry #can you tell i like southern and modernist lit lol?

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quillsink · 3 years

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FIRE AND THE FLOOD BY VANCE JOY: How it relates to John Laurens’s love life

This post is entirely for me to ramble and I doubt any of y’all are gonna read it but here you go because I needed to fucking write this shit down

TW - Death, internalised homophobia, implied sex

I was only walking through your neighborhood

Saw you out loud honey in the cold I stood

Anywhere I go there you are

So now we have three POVs and I’m going to walk you through each one of them

1. JOHN

Okay so let’s imagine this is John’s view. We have John and Alex’s relationship finally starting, and John is walking through camp with Alex, and it’s cold, it’s in the snow, but there’s a black-haired soldier and Alex’s hand brushing his and all he can think of is Francis. Or, second option, we have Francis switching sides and going to Washington’s headquarters, and there we have John, with “Saw you out loud honey in the cold I stood//Anywhere I go there you are” and Francis is in the SC House of Representatives and votes for John to go to France, so it’s almost like Kinloch is haunting him. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE HIS KID BEING NAMED FRANCES :)))

2. FRANCIS

Okay now let’s go to Francis’s POV. After the breakup, we have the same Francis going to Washington’s headquarters and we have the first “Anywhere I go there you are.” But for the second one, we have the whole him voting for John to go to France, then we ALSO have his wife dying close to John’s death date (or birthday I forgot lmao) AND WE HAVE HIM GETTING ON A SHIP CALLED THE JOHN AND FRANCIS.

3. ALEX

Holy shit this is getting long and it’s only the first verse. So here we have after John dies, and Alex is like, haunted by his ghost? Idk lmao. He also sees the Laurens name everywhere when he corresponds with Henry over the matter of a slave, and whenever he hears of abolition he thinks of John, then he names his kid John Church Hamilton for fuck’s sake we all know he was thinking of Laurens even if it was technically after Angelica’s husband.

NEXT VERSE!

I been getting used to waking up with you

I been getting used to waking up here

Anywhere I go there you are

There you are

1. JOHN

PART 1 (laurloch) - So he and Francis have just started their relationship, and John is weird about it cuz internalised homophobia shit. He keeps seeing him around Geneva, the first verses apply for the “Anywhere I go there you are.”

PART 2 (lams) - He and Alex have just started their relationship, and John had to get used to seeing him in the corner of his eye, everywhere he is since the aides are in such close quarters. OR, this can be interpreted as Francis still haunting him during lams.

2. FRANCIS

Same as with John, basically just getting used to their relationship.

3. ALEX

Same as with Francis, getting used to dating John.

Next!

You're the fire and the flood

And I'll always feel you in my blood

THIS. THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVOURITE FUCKING LINE IN THE WHOLE ASS SONG. I LOVE IT.

1. JOHN

Okay now we have John dating Alex. So first “You’re the fire.” This. This refers to Alexander motherfucking Hamilton. His hair is fire, his ambition is fire, he is a fire, he’s always compared to one—so can his relationship with John, cuz love is like fire idk

NEXT. THE FLOOD PART.

So John and Alex are dating and everything is great, except for one thing—he’s haunted by memories of his relationship with Francis!! Because I love to torture John in my headcanons. Anyways, he’s haunted by this.

So this- these memories are the flood. The memories of Francis are the flood that douses the “fire” that is his love for Alexander—every time he wants to kiss Alexander, touch him, talk to him, ignite that “fire,” the flood that is his memories of Francis douses that.

2. ALEX OR FRANCIS

Now if we’re looking at this from Alex or Francis’s POV, you can compare John to fire because of how they cared for him at some point or another, and again love can be compared to fire.

AND THE FLOOD IN THIS CONTEXT—the flood is John’s internalised homophobia, his reluctance to be in a relationship because he’s scared of “sin” or whatever. That’s the flood that douses the love that is fire in this context!

NEXT!

Everything is fine

When your hand is resting next to mine

Next to mine

You're the fire and the flood

Okay so, this can be interpreted as John when he’s having an anxiety attack or some shit, self hate, self harming, depressed, generally mentally fucked up, but Alex or Francis is there to help him calm down. Fire and the flood, see above for my fangirling.

Since we met I feel a lightness in my step

You're miles away but I still feel you

Anywhere I go there you are (anywhere)

Anywhere I go there you are

1. JOHN

PART 1 (laurloch)—he’s happy when he starts the relationship with Francis because he feels like he’s finally worth enough for someone to want him, and this gives our boy a major self esteem boost. Then, the miles away, because John moved to London later and Francis was still in Geneva.

PART 2 (lams)—happy because of the relationship because again, self esteem boost. Again, they’re always far apart but “I still feel you”

2. FRANCIS OR ALEX

Same, happy because of the relationship but constantly apart.

Late at night when you can't fall asleep

I'll be lying right beside you counting sheep

So Alex or Francis have trouble sleeping and John helps them sleep, or John has trouble sleeping and Alex or Francis helps him sleep

Next!

Anywhere I go there you are (anywhere)

There you are

You're the fire and the flood

And I'll always feel you in my blood

Everything is fine

When your hand is resting next to mine

Next to mine

You're the fire and the flood

Just a repeat of the lyrics here, already analysed

Now listen here she said

Boy when you know you'll know

And I know

NOW THIS WILL BE FUN TO INTERPRET BITCHES

1. JOHN

So this can be interpreted as little John being curious and asking Eleanor questions about love and relationships. OR. THE MORE HEARTBREAKING OPTION. HE HAS A BREAKDOWN AFTER HE MARRIES MARTHA AND IS LIKE “I DON’T KNOW IF I LOVE YOU OR NOT” AND SHE’S LIKE “When you know you’ll know” AND SHE FINALLY ACCEPTS THAT JOHN WILL NEVER LOVE HER.

2. ALEX

Now this. This can be little Alex asking Rachel about love and relationships. Or. Or it can be him asking Kitty or someone I don’t know but Rachel is the more heartbreaking option tbh.

You're the fire and the flood

And I'll always feel you in my blood

Everything is fine

When your hand is resting next to mine

Next to mine

You're the fire and the flood

Now this is just another repeat, and so the song ends!

Anyways that was my fangirling over dead gays, hope you liked it-

#ink rambles #john laurens #lams #hamilton #alexander hamilton #laurloch #francis kinloch

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destieltropecollection · 4 years

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Destiel Trope Collection 2020 Day 5: Case Fic

Fearful | @deansrightfulangerissue

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1430 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Universe, IT Crossover, Angst Summary: It comes for children, it feeds on their fears. Dean and Cas arrive to end its reign of terror.

He Wanted More (WIP) | @becky-srs

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1621 Main Tags/Warnings: #HeWantedMore #Destiel Summary: After years of self-denying and depressing Dean realized he's in love with Cas. Cas loves him too but this two morons won't see it, until Sam takes of with Eileen to a romantic vacation and put Dean and Cas on a case with a monster who kills gay couples what takes them to be an undercover couple... may the cover fall and revel their true feelings?

Curse me | @notfunnydean

Rating: General Word Count: 3099 Main Tags/Warnings: Dean loves balett!! Summary: Dean had always loved ballet, even though he never told anyone about that. When he and Sam find cursed ballet shoes, Dean can’t resist and tries them on anyway. He gets surprised in more than just one way.

Lost and Found | @unforth & @deansrightfulangerissue

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 4885 Main Tags/Warnings: Horror, Ambiguous Ending, Memory Alteration Summary: Dean and Sam's hunt in a haunted forest was bullshit from the moment the fog rolled in. And then the ghost silenced the world.

On This Night | @mittensmorgul

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 5688 Main Tags/Warnings: case fic, djinn, fluff, dean knows his tropes Summary: Something goes terribly wrong while hunting a djinn. Newly-human Cas had never considered what the effects of djinn poison could be for a human, and struggles to remember why everything seems just so slightly off when he wakes up back at the cabin he and Dean had been staying in during the hunt. The cabin has been transformed with holiday decorations, and Cas wonders just how long he'd been unconscious. Only when he tries to get answers from Dean, reality comes crashing back in on them both, in the best of all possible ways.

Heavenly Flavor | @songbird211

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 7190 Main Tags/Warnings: First Time/Fluff/lust monster/Sam Ships It/Anal/Blowjobs/Nipple Play/Top Dean/Top Cas/Bottom Dean/Bottom Cas/Voyeurism/Wing Kink/Love Confession Summary: During a case involving college men going missing Dean and Cas are taken by the creature responsible. This creature loves having sex with humans, hence the kidnappings, but this time she wants to fulfill her fantasy of watching two men have sex and she thinks Dean and Cas will do nicely.

The Unexpected Consequences of Amnesia | @pray4jensen

Rating: Mature Word Count: 10539 Main Tags/Warnings: Casefic, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jealousy, Secret Relationship, Miscommunication, Dubious Consent Summary: When a spell backfires and results in Sam losing a year’s worth of memories, Sam’s really not that worried. After all, Dean reassures him that he hasn’t missed much and for the first time in a long time, the supernatural world’s at peace. Except then Dean and Cas exchange a look. Except then Sam keeps seeing them sneak around at night, into each other’s bedrooms, or whispering stealthily into each other’s ears whenever they think that he’s not looking. So naturally, Sam just has to investigate. Or the one where Sam obliviously and almost single-handedly brings about the collapse of Dean and Cas’ marriage in the span of one week.

Angeleech | @noiproksa

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 14457 Main Tags/Warnings: Canon Compliant, Team Free Will, Hugs, Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Castiel, Banter, Platonic Cuddling, Sharing a Bed, Case Fic Summary: It was supposed to be an easy hunt, but then everything goes sideways. Dean and Sam have to take care of an injured Cas and find out what is going on with the angel before it is too late. (Intended as gen, but can be read as Destiel pre-slash.)

Ten Inch Hero | @banshee1013

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16689 Main Tags/Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Canon Compliant, Case Fic, Season/Series 15 Spoilers, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Hurt Dean Winchester, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Witch Curses, Castiel/Dean Winchester in the Men of Letters Bunker, Researching Sam Winchester, No Archive Warnings Summary: After returning from Purgatory the second time, Castiel and Dean were just beginning to explore the new direction of their relationship, when on a case involving missing hunters, Dean is struck by a witch's curse and turned into a ten-inch plastic figurine. Can Sam find a way to revert the effects of the curse and return Dean to himself before the tiny spark of life Cas detects in him fades away? Or will Cas lose Dean just as their relationship has begun?

Trouble in Paradise | @its-funnier-in-klingon

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 1746 Main Tags/Warnings: canon divergence, human!Cas, post 14x09, Hawaii, case fic, bed-sharing, ghosts, mutual pining Summary: Sam finds a case where gay couples are being tormented by a ghost in a resort in Kauai, Hawaii. Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jack embark to the resort where Dean and Cas must go undercover to take down the ghost, all while trying to sort through all their own personal issues.

Unthought Known | @noiproksa

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 18337 Main Tags/Warnings: Temporary Amnesia, Profound Bond, Team Free Will, Banter, Canon Compliant, Hugs, Case Fic, Soul Bond Summary: Dean wakes up in an abandoned mental institution with no memories and two strange guys, ‘Sam’ and ‘Castiel.’ They have to work together if they want to find out who they are and what happened to them. And what the hell is this profound bond he seems to share with Castiel? * Dean woke up with a pounding headache on the floor of a bright white, windowless room and no recollection of how he got there. What the hell was he doing in what looked like some sort of psych ward? Before he could get his bearings, he heard moaning coming from behind him and got to his feet, swiveling around, ready to fight whoever was in the room with him. ‘Whoever’ turned out to be two someones. One man with abnormally long hair and one guy in a trench coat who had a ‘tax accountant’ vibe to him. Who were these clowns? (Intended as gen, but can be read as Destiel pre-slash.)

Suck It, Judy Garland | @midrashic

Rating: Mature Word Count: 20116 Main Tags/Warnings: N/A Summary: It had to be St. Louis. Or, the one where Sam and Cas get fake married for a case, and Dean loses his mind.

Making it Up as We Go | @Foxymoley

Rating: Mature Word Count: 24439 Main Tags/Warnings: Case fic, ghost, Angel!Cas, choose your own adventure Summary: A choose your own adventure story! The Winchester's catch a case—an ordinary salt and burn—but Dean's decisions along the way are up to you!

The Memory Remains | FriendofCarlotta (AO3)

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 28408 Main Tags/Warnings: Case fic, post-canon, POV Dean Winchester Summary: With Chuck defeated, Dean's trying hard to get his head back in the game. What he needs is a bit of peace and quiet, and maybe a nice, straightforward hunt. What he most definitely doesn't need is this thing about monsters trying to summon some kind of hermaphroditic goat person. Or dealing with Cas, whose powers are still failing and who is acting more human in increasingly disconcerting ways.

Human Error | @jemariel

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 33435 Main Tags/Warnings: Alternate season 9, case fic, wendigos, human Castiel, Cas in the bunker, miscommunication, drunk sex, top!Dean, bottom!Cas, 69 (sex position), bedsharing Summary: Cas is human now, and things aren't going to plan. (Not that Dean had a plan. Nope. No plans of any kind.) Anyway, what's a Winchester to do when everything he tries seems to blow up in his face? Go hunting. Obviously.

Fade to Hell | @alisuwink **Also in English**

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 37549 Main Tags/Warnings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel, Sam Winchester,Alastair (Supernatural), Bobby Singer, Slow Burn, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Universe, Season/Series 05, Fanart, Action/Adventure, Violence, Dark, Humor, Hell, Tortured Dean Winchester, Madness, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester Summary: It didn’t seem to be enough with Lucifer wandering free and the Apocalypse up our asses. Of course not! Now, Sammy’s soul has ended in fucking Hell, and I have no choice but to go down to that fucking hole with Castiel. When we rescue Sam, he is going to be buying me beers for the rest of his damn life. *Note: the fic is finished in Spanish, I'll have it in English by June.

Highway 9 | @ellis-park

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 38909 Main Tags/Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, mutual pining, suicide attempt Summary: Dean Winchester is a private investigator working what should be an open-and-shut vandalism case on an isolated stretch of rural highway. Except it’s not an open-and-shut case, because whatever is happening on Highway 9 isn’t vandalism — it’s something far more sinister and unnatural. And if Dean is going to get to the bottom of this case, he’s going to have to rely on the one person he’s learned he can’t rely on for anything — his ex-best friend, Cas Novak.

Someone Who’s Feeling for Me | @ellis-park

Rating: Mature Word Count: 45876 Main Tags/Warnings: Mutual pining, case fic, canon universe Summary: Dean sees her for the first time in nearly six years in some no-name town in Idaho, and it's panic at first sight. Lisa Braeden, the one woman Dean ever actually had a shot at a real life with, back from where he buried her in his mind. And her hand is on Cas's arm like it's no big deal, like it belongs there. Cas, Dean's dorky, sweet, badass, angelic best friend, and he's just standing there next to Lisa and not moving her hand away. Dean feels the jealousy rising, and it's not directed where he expected it to be. Because it takes this exact moment for Dean to realize he's in love with his best friend. He's in love with his best friend, and Lisa is looking at Cas like he's the best thing since automatic rifles, and Dean is utterly fucked.

Silver and Cold | @pomegranatedaffodil

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 64851 Main Tags/Warnings: Case Fic, Hunter Castiel, Small Town Setting, Religious Themes, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Injuries, Minor Character Death,Tragic Backstory, Nightmares, Angst with a Happy Ending, Switching Summary: The death of a young man in an apparent animal attack brings hunter Cas Novak to the small town of Sydnam, Maine. It doesn’t take long for him to realize he’s tracking a werewolf, but discovering the killer’s identity is no easy task. All signs point towards Dean Winchester, a lonely recluse who lives in the middle of the woods and whose antagonistic behaviour does little to lessen Cas’ suspicions. As the investigation drags on, their mutual distrust gives way to a wary alliance. Cas’ instincts warn him that Dean is hiding something, but as he uncovers the man beneath the mystery, his professional interest becomes far more personal. Praying his faith in Dean isn’t misplaced, Cas races to catch the killer before the next full moon rises and another life is abruptly cut short.

#destiel trope collection 2020 #destiel trope collection #Destiel #case fic #day 5

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warsmith-38 · 3 years

Text

How I would do RWBY pt. 7

War Arc.

Season Seven.

The Cabal is standing room only and Salem is enraged at recent turn of events.

Complains loudly to Myrmidon.

Myrmidon assures Salem that the current plan is not only progressing smoothly but Ozpin still has no idea what it is.

Salem calms down and her mind turns to Cinder. Particularly the fact that Ozpin has captured Cinder.

Salem wonders if she ever told Cinder about the current plan.

She realizes that, yes, yes she did.

Salem is once again angry.

RWBY and JN(P)R are enjoying relative peace as next moves are planned.

Neo is the most cooperative with authorities out of team CEMN.

Due to being, more or less, just hired help she isn’t all that helpful.

Emerald and Mercury are in a similar situation due to being Cinder’s direct underlings and not Salem’s.

All they know is what Cinder told them, which was only just enough to keep them compliant.

Cinder is the one that would have information but is quite tightlipped about things that aren’t insults.

Ozpin wants answers but Ironwood draws the line at out and out torturing a teenager.

Cinder is just waiting in her cell with one arm cuffed to a chair.

WBY and JN(P)R all have a go at trying to make her talk. (Ruby isn’t allowed near her)

Blake tries empathizing with her situation, formerly being one of the bad guys herself.

Cinder says that Blake was an easily swayed idiot who didn’t know what she was actually doing.

Ren and Nora try good cop bad cop.

Cinder calls both of them morons.

Weiss tries bribing her with money and medical help for her missing bits.

Cinder tells her to eat shit.

Jaune tries a ‘you’re a deranged psychopath, prove me wrong’ approach.

Cinder taunts him by talking about killing Pyrrha.

Not only does Jaune have to be pulled out of there, Ren and Nora have to be talked down from cutting the cameras and shank-rushing her.

Ironwood offers her a plea bargain. Spill on Salem and don’t get hanged for heinous war crimes.

Cinder rebukes all of it to varying degrees of profanity.

Penny’s turn.

Penny doesn’t ask her any questions or try anything.

All she says is that she forgives Cinder, that someone should even if no one else ever would.

Cinder is a little unnerved but remains uncooperative.

Everyone calls it quits for the day.

Ruby sneaks into Cinder’s cell when no one is looking.

Cinder almost has a heart attack out of fear of what Ruby will do to her.

Gives her an emotional speech on how Cinder and Salem ruined her life and the worst part is that it was her new best friend that did it.

Ruby is found and escorted out of the cell.

Cinder, having slightly awakened her long ignored heart, says that she did consider Ruby a sort of friend.

Ruby tells her to go to hell.

Yang notices that Cinder’s veneer is peeling.

Decides to take her shot.

Yang surmises that Salem was involved, to a degree, in raising Cinder.

Cinder confirms but also is insulting.

Yang talks about how she knows a little something about parental figures who don’t give a crap.

Cinder gets angry, says that she knows that Salem cares about her.

Yang says that if Salem cared then why did Cinder have to go to Atlas to try and get her attention again?

Cinder starts flinging insults about unloving mother figures.

Yang flings back better ones.

Cinder brags that they’re all dead anyway.

Says that Salem’s big plan is to set off a special bomb-like grimm that will turn another chunk of the planet into grimm land just like the territory around her sanctum.

Ensuring a lack of stability that will force the rest of the world to adapt and evolve.

She doesn’t know where Salem is planning to set it off though.

Everything across the previous seasons was trying to maximize chances of it going off without a hitch.

Weakening potential target areas, providing distractions, eliminating threats, things like that.

That or it was just another attempt to kill Ozpin. Sometimes both. Mostly both.

That’s when she realizes that she just told Salem’s master plan directly to her greatest opposition.

Says that her talking won’t matter and will enjoy watching Salem kill all of them.

Yang tells her to stop being such a chuunibyou.

Ozpin’s Council (Him, Ironwood, Glynda, Qrow, Winter, RWBY, JN(P)R, Ciel, mad scientist) start trying to deduce where Salem will set off the grimm nuke.

Atlas is too militarized, even with the troubles there. Vacuo is too close and wouldn’t provide much strategically. Menagerie and Mistral are both too out of the way to be of use.

The target is Vale. A centralized zone that still has yet to completely recover from the events of the school arc and will further fragment the free peoples of the world.

Not to mention that it’s Ozpin’s personal favorite kingdom. Just another insult on a very long list.

Everyone packs up and heads to Vale for a very somber return home.

Emerald, Neo, and Mercury offer to properly switch sides on the grounds that they had no idea about the whole ‘fuck over the world’ thing.

They only signed on to cause a little trouble and get paid.

They want to help stop Salem now, especially if they’re probably considered expendable collateral.

Offer is appreciated but the handcuffs stay on.

Upon arrival in Vale, Ruby and Yang are immediately accosted by Tai.

Tai is upset with Ruby for running off and not doing so much as ever calling him and he’s upset with Yang just for not calling ever.

He’s proud of his girls for doing so much to help the world, but still.

Raven is there too and offers Ruby a hug from her new stepmother.

Tai and Raven reveal their wedding rings, showing that they have in fact tied the knot (Tai’d the knot).

Yang BSODs for a moment.

Raven has a moment with Yang and Ruby, saying that she took the scolding to heart and realized that, yes, she was a piece of shit.

Came back to Tai to try and start making up for things.

It took a little work but Tai is no longer a depressed, overprotective, neglectful, sad sack of crap, so maybe it’s not the worst thing that she’s back.

She’s also given all the intel she acquired while part of the Cabal.

R+Y are skeptical but intend to burn that bridge when they cross it later.

Cinder sneaks out of her cell.

Tries to bust EMN out too.

They rebuke her, saying that they would rather not help permanently fuck over a continent and by extension the world for no real reason beyond ‘because you said so’.

They would rather live in the world, not destroy it.

Cinder leaves them to rot, finds her gear, and steals a new robo-arm for her trouble, doing everything she can to stay under the radar while she thinks of what to do next.

RWBY + JN(P)R have trips down memory lane as they walk through the ruins or the rebuilt versions of their old haunts.

Remembering the good times and the bad.

The trials and tribulations as well as the warm memories that they keep dreaming about returning to.

Then they get to work.

They scour the recovering city of Vale first for any sign of anything grimm or Salem related.

Team CRDL, who stayed in Vale as volunteer workers and security, say that aside from a few more grimm raids, nothing special has happened in months.

CRDL assist as much as a team of jobber jabronis can.

Surprisingly, they don’t act like cunts.

Ozpin realizes that the only places that haven’t been searched were the places he’s kept secret.

Reveals his illuminati style cave with monitoring equipment that has tabs all over the world.

It has cameras and stuff in places that Ozpin has absolutely no right or need to know about.

Low and behold, grimm have tunneled into it.

Myrmidon is in there, checking up on things.

She introduces herself to the main characters and then cheeses it, leaving a distraction force of grimm.

After they’re dealt with, they turn their attention to the big fucking elephant in the room.

Massive, bulbous, monster of a centipede grimm is right in the center of the chamber. The grimm nuke.

They’ve found it, sure, but now what do they do?

The Council has a brainstorming session to try and come up with a solution.

Can’t just kill it, it’ll go off.

Raven’s portals only go to people she’s bonded with in some way and it would still fuck up wherever it was teleported to.

It’s a living thing so disarming it like a conventional bomb is not exactly possible.

EMN are questioned on what they might know about it but aren’t able to help much.

This is when they realize that Cinder is gone.

Search effort begins to stop her from fucking everything up.

Yang and Jaune eventually find Cinder.

Keep up the browbeating even as they fight her.

Cinder says that even if she wanted to help, Salem would kill her if she did.

Yang calls Salem a bitch.

She says that Salem’s about to kill her anyway when the thing goes boom.

Cinder relents and says that she’s not sure but Ruby’s white fire is probably the key.

Salem had Summer killed out of fear of her semblance potentially interfering with this exact plan.

Cinder about to am-scray while Yang and Jaune are distracted by putting plan together.

Jaune stops her.

Punches her in the face, hitting the side that can see.

Says that that was for Pyrrha.

Cinder runs off rubbing her jaw.

Begin white fire surgery.

They cut small, precise, holes in the grimm and Ruby burns the resulting goo deluge.

Plan is working shockingly well. Grimm is losing explosive fuel by the truckload.

Takes some time, but eventually all that is left is the monster itself and the explosive trigger.

Trigger goes off in a pathetically emaciated whiff.

Everyone celebrates.

Then they realize that they still have a massive centipede grimm monster that is in the top ten largest ever recorded grimm underneath Vale.

Said massive centipede grimm turns on default mode. Default mode being rushing towards the nearest living thing and killing it.

Said grimm bursts into downtown Vale with more grimm coming behind it.

Right when they had just finished cleaning it up.

Season final boss time.

RWBY, JN(P)R, CRDL, EMN, and the living elements of STRQ fight the grimm.

Professors of Beacon are also helping as well as The Council in general.

Cinder, in her attempt to get out of there, gets caught in the fighting too.

Fuck it. CFVY and SSSN show up from Mistral on Ozpin’s request for backup.

All. The. Warriors.

EVERYONE gets a hit or two in on the grimm.

Big final hit with everyone involved.

Grimm is dead.

Salem is back in her sanctum watching this on a crystal ball or whatever.

Her own rage and frustration at what happened spawns a whole new horde of grimm.

Screams loud enough to break all the glass in her sanctum.

Ruby and Cinder have stare-down after grimm is dead.

Both silently decide that there are bigger fish to fry and go their separate ways.

Big celebration party. World saw RWBY kick absolute ass.

Cinder is out of options so she is now on her way back to Salem.

Myrmidon is sharpening her spear/sword/rifle.

She can’t wait.

Season seven done.

#RWBY #Rewrite #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #Team JNPR #Cinder Fall #Emerald Sustrai #Mercury Black #Neopolitan #Ozpin #Salem #Myrmidon #How I would do...

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inevitably-johnlocked · 4 years

Note

i think you’ve realised some lists, but could you link your friends to lovers lists? 💞 thank u so much !

ABSOLUTELY NONNY!

God It’s euphoric being in a great mood!! It’s felt like 80 years since I’ve felt this happy. It’s gonna go away the second it rains again, but ANYWAY.

YOU KNOW WHAT? I’m feeling generous so I’ll post this today and I’ve had the list “ready to post” for a few months. Here’s a part 2 list to my other list since I’ve enough to do it :D

FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS Pt. 2

See also:

T-RATED Pt. 1: Friends To Lovers Fics || [MOBILE LINK]

Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Friends to Lovers Pt. 1 [FULL POST] || [MOBILE POST]

Closeted by Sexxica (E, 2,762 w., 1 Ch. || Trapped in a Closet, Panicking Sherlock, Hand Jobs, Coming in Pants, Awkward Conversations, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Fluffy Ending) – An improvised hiding spot and a bit of accidental voyeurism leave John and Sherlock in an awkward position.

Better Late Than Never by sussexbound (NR (T), 3,021 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4 / TFP Doesn’t Exist, Sherlock POV, Love Confessions, Drunk Sherlock / Sober John, John Takes Care of Sherlock, First Kiss, Jealous Sherlock, Emotional Turmoil) – He suddenly wants John Watson out of his bedroom, out of his flat, out of his life, because he has been lying to himself these last few months, he realises. He doesn’t want John here, not with the way things are. He doesn’t want 221b Baker Street to be nothing more than rest stop John returns to on his journeys between women. He doesn’t want to play co-parent if Rosie is going to be snatched away from him and placed in the arms of whatever nameless woman du jour John lands on next. He doesn’t want to keep being so careful, so generous, so, so…

The General Idea by agirlsname (T, 3,022 w., 1 Ch. || Retirement, Promise of Forever / Proposal, POV John, First Kiss, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Soft Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Crying / Emotional Sherlock, Love Confessions) – After twenty years of friendship, John is used to Sherlock acting weirdly. But the news Sherlock finally brings himself to deliver change the carefully built dynamics between them, and John realises it's time to act.

Nothing So Sweet by alexxphoenix42 (E, 5,275 w., 1 Ch. || Shopkeeper AU || Beekeeping, Sussex, Alternate First Meeting, Awkward First Time Sex, Self-Consciousness / Body Insecurity, Fluff, Hand Jobs) – In an alternate universe, Sherlock is busy keeping to himself, tending his bees, and selling lovely jars of honey when a soldier limps into his life quite unexpectedly. Part 1 of The Sweetest Things

Caffeine and Adaptive Programming by DemonicSymphony (E, 5,540 w., 1 Ch. || Androids AU / Bond Fusion || Android Sherlock, Coffee Shop AU, Pining John Hinted Bond / Q, Toplock) – Sherlock is a coffee shop android slowly falling for a regular customer. But he's not supposed to be able to feel emotions.

My First, My Only, and My Forever by vintagelilacs (E, 6,220 w., 1 Ch. || Post-ASiB, Virgin Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock’s Bum, John’s Scar, Sherlock POV, Body Worship, Fingering, Bottomlock, Promise of Forever / Proposals, Misunderstanding, First Kiss/Time, Loss of Virginity, Virginity Kink, Seduction) – Sherlock narrowed his eyes. He was missing a vital piece of data, he was sure. John had been looking at him oddly ever since they left Buckingham Palace, and the ensuing incident with Irene Adler had only exacerbated his erratic behaviour. What was it? Why would he care that Sherlock was a virgin? There was nothing reminiscent of mockery or pity in his gaze. And then it hit him. John Watson was aroused.

An Interpretation of Viewing Habits by akitsuko (E, 6,653 w., 1 Ch. || Porn Watching, Masturbation, Anal, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Jealous Sherlock, Fantasizing, John in Denial / Internalized Homophobia, Bottomlock, Pining Idiots, Sherlock Has No Boundaries, Cockblocking Sherlock) – John watches porn. It's a perfectly normal thing to do.If every video he watches happens to feature actors with remarkable physical similarities to his flatmate, well, that's no one's business but his own. Or: John is in denial, until his infatuation with Sherlock is impossible to deny anymore.

Sometimes When We Touch by kedgeree (M, 7,755 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Kiss/Time, Inappropriate Giggling, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Virgin Sherlock, John Whump, Touching) – John might be touching Sherlock a little more often than is strictly necessary. Sherlock probably hasn't even noticed. Right...?

Just Like That by sussexbound (E, 8,442 w., 1 Ch. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, French Kissing, Anal, Emotional Lovemaking, Enthusiastic Consent, Tenderness, Crying John, Bathing/Washing, Insecure John, Toplock) – John doesn’t want to talk anymore. He wants. Oh dear god, how he wants. For the first time in what feels like years he WANTS.

The Haunting of 221B Baker Street by earlgreytea68 (M, 10,388 w., 2 Ch. || Post TRF, Halloween / Ghosts, Pining Sherlock, Ghost Sherlock, Stroppy Sherlock, Sherlock POV, First Kiss/Time, Angry Sex, Ghost Sex, Love Confessions, Open / Ambiguous Ending) – In which Sherlock Holmes is a ghost.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

Kintsugi by distantstarlight (E, 14,772 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Regret / Remorse, Loneliness, Separation, Drug Use, Healing, Protective John, Sad Sherlock, Dev. Rel., Complicated Relationships, Love, Angst With Happy Ending, Sherlock is Called Freak, John’s Penance, Voyeurism, Doctor/Caretaker John, Guilty John, Detox, Fingering, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Slight Non-Con Turns Enthusiastic Consent, Virgin Sherlock) – Sherlock Holmes becomes estranged from the man he had once considered his best friend after John lets him down horribly in public. It seems that the world's only consulting detective will be on his own once again...or will he?

The Burning of the Leaves by blueink3 (M, 15,915 w., 3 Ch. || Post S4, Angst, Reichenbach, Parentlock, Past Jolto, Idiot John, Sherlock’s a Mess, Puppies, Fluff, Possessive / Jealous Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, Matchmaker Sholto, Melancholic Feelings, Emotional Sherlock, Domesticity, Love Confessions in the Rain, Kissing in the Rain, Pet Names, Panic Attack) – After the events of series 4, Major Sholto invites John and Sherlock to lunch one day. It nearly proves to be too much for their tenuous relationship as the past haunts the present, putting the future that Sherlock so desperately wants at risk.

A Silver Sixpence by _doodle (NC-17, 16,400 w., 2 Ch. || LJ Fic || For a Case / Case Fic, Fake Relationship, Humour, Romance, Marriage Proposal, Awkward Idiots, Cuddling, Touching, Kissing, Love Confessions, Bed Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fake Until It’s Not, Schmoop and Fluff, Bottomlock) – “John, we need to get married. It’s for a case, not any romantic notions on my part pertaining to our partnership,” Sherlock said, with brutal honesty, and without even looking up.

The Palmyra Atoll by elwinglyre (E, 16,609 w., 3 Ch. || TSo3 Divergence / Episode Fix-It, Stockholm Syndrome, Kidnapped John Watson, John Whump, Evil Mary, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Toplock, Limited 3rd John POV) – As John's preparing for the wedding, Sherlock is preparing to have his heart broken, and Mary is prepared to do the unthinkable. Intervention required. Enter Sherlock. Set before Sign of Three with a far different outcome. John is drugged, kidnapped, and left on an island, but not just any old island.

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Pining Sherlock, Frustrated Wanking, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Kiss/Time, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Bum Appreciation, Hanging out with the Yard) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can't be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade's team and something happens that will change everything about their lives...

The Kepler Problem by kinklock (E, 24,270 w., 1 Ch. || Sci-Fi AU, Alien Sherlock, Space Repairman John, Alien Biology, Horny John) – Working in uncharted space exploration was not as exciting as John had hoped, especially when it turned out to be mostly bot maintenance on uninhabited planets. However, the mystery of the repeated, unexplained malfunctions on planet BAK 2212 might turn out to be exactly the kind of adventure he'd been craving.

Silhouettes by allonsys_girl (E, 28,585 w., 7 Ch. || Canon Compliant, POV John, Heavy Drinking, Sad/Depressed John, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reunion, Foot Jobs, Blow Jobs, Infidelity, Cheating, Drug Use/Abuse, Anal, Switchlock, Rimming, Parentlock) – Sherlock and John find comfort in each other's arms, but as ever with these two, it's not your typical relationship. It's fluffy at the beginning, gets deeply angsty in the middle, gets porny at the end.

A Home for Us by sussexbound (M, 30,581 w., 12 Ch. || Scars, Bedsharing, Grief, Doctor John, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Implied/Referenced Torture, Sherlock POV, Pining Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation, Heavy Emotions, Clingy Sherlock, Hallucinations, Disassociation, Emotional Turmoil) – He has been on the road for two years, and he is exhausted. He’s almost accepted that he will never see London (John) again—almost. But then there are nights like tonight, where he is weak, and all he can think of is the warmth of the flat they once shared, the crackle of the fire in the hearth, the teasing smile playing at the corner of John’s lips, the boxes of half-eaten Chinese takeaway balanced precariously in their laps. He aches at the memory of it, at the realisation that it is something he may never experience again.

The Whore of Babylon Was a Perfectly Nice Girl by out_there (E, 32,897 w., 1 Ch. || Past Drug Use, Blowjobs, Toplock, Mentions of Switching, Rough Sex, Background Cases, Sherlock’s Past, Sherlock’s Sexual History, Experienced Sherlock, Past One Night Stands, Fingering, Cuddling, Possessive Sherlock, Paris Holiday, Bed Sharing, Naked Lie-Ins, Bathing Together, Confessions, Worried Sherlock, Laying in Bed All Day, Meddling Mycroft, Naked Lazy Day) – Sherlock walks into a room and takes all the space right out of it. He does the same inside John's head.

carrying up his morning tea by darcylindbergh (E, 34,504 w., 5 Ch. || Post S3, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Wakes/Funerals, Estranged John, Pining Sherlock, Depression/Insecurity, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Pain/Injury, Reconciliation, Awkwardness, Loneliness, Scars, Angst With Happy Ending) – His fingers tremble as he dials and he can’t force them steady. Familiar number, even though he hasn’t used it in two years. He isn’t even sure he should be calling it now, but she’d asked. She’d made him promise.

Guidelines by WithLoweredVoices (M, 43,018 w., 15 Ch. || Winglock || Angels, Fantasy, Angst, BAMF! John, War, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Jealous John, Falling in Various Ways, Needy Sherlock, Wings) – The Good Soldier, one of the oldest and strongest of the fallen, is offered a bargain: to live as John Watson and to Guide a fledgling archangel so that he will stay on the path of good. Of course, Sherlock Holmes has different ideas about his destiny. Fantasy AU. Warnings for violence, occasional gore, and a whole load of hurt and angst.

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w., 68 Ch. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case ... and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

One Little Change by jadztone (E, 58,312 w. || ASiB Divergence, Fake Relationship, Bed Sharing, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bi John / Gay Demisexual Sherlock, Switchlock, Alternating POV, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Case Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Emotional Love Making, Butt Plugs, Cuddles) – Our story begins right after John and Sherlock's first meeting with Irene Adler in September. It splits off into an AU that imagines them taking a case where they act as bait to hook a killer targeting closeted gays in secret relationships. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many things happen that have our boys wondering if maybe they have a chance with each other. Then Irene fakes her death on Christmas Eve, and things get a lot more complicated - especially since they still have a killer to catch.

Hell Sent, Heaven Bound by ConsultingHound (M, 64,381 w, 16 Ch. || Angels / Demons AU || Fallen Angel Sherlock / Angel Cop John, Alternate First Meeting, Slow Burn, Case Fic, John & Lestrade are Friends Before Sherlock, BAMF John, Mind Palace John, Friends to Lovers, John in Denial, Sherlock Picks Out John’s Clothing, Clubbing / Dancing, Mildly Jealous John, Awkwardness, Kidnapping, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Sacrifice, Worried / Anxious Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Immortal to Mortal) – Ex-War healer and current angelic guard John Watson is not having the best day. He overslept, he’s underpaid, and now there’s someone tagging the Council’s building walls. However things may be about to get interesting: there’s an unusual stranger hanging around (the definition of tall, dark, and handsome), a literal underground cult is brewing, and rumblings are coming from hell. Can he keep his neighbourhood safe, how and why is he being connected to all this, and who the hell is Sherlock Holmes?

White Knight by DiscordantWords (M, 69,840 w., 13 Ch. || S4 Compliant/Post S4, Marriage For a Case, Jealous John, Pining John, Janine / Sherlock Fake Relationship, Serial Killers, Case Fic, Undercover as a Couple, Weddings, John is a Mess, Misunderstandings, Wedding Planning, Jealousy, Drunkenness, Love Confessions, Angst with Happy Ending) – Green. The word green was used to convey a great many things. Illness. Envy. Inexperience. Standing there amidst Janine's chattering bridesmaids, watching Sherlock furrow his brow and study fabric swatches, watching him smile and simper and flirt, John thought it a remarkably apt colour choice. Because he felt quite sick to his stomach, he feared the source of said sickness might very well be jealousy, and he had absolutely no idea at all what to do about it. Or: Sherlock needs to fake a relationship for a case. He doesn't ask John.

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w., 18 Ch. || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sickfic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

The Summer Boy by khorazir (T, 94,706 w., 6 Ch. || Post S3/Post TAB/Alternate S4, Friends to Lovers, Flashbacks, Sussex, Bullying, 1980′s Kid Sherlock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Inexperienced Sherlock, Grief/Mourning, Pining Sherlock, Background Case Fic) – About half a year after the fateful events at Appledore, Sherlock and John embark on a private case in Sussex. For Sherlock, it’s a journey into his past, bringing up memories both happy and sad that he has locked away for almost thirty years. For John, it means coming to terms with the present – and a potential future with Sherlock. Part 1 of the The Summer Boy series

Given In Evidence by verityburns (M, 97,884 w., 19 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Angst, Drama, Case Fic, Romance, BAMF!John, Submissive Sherlock, First Kiss, Humour) – Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing... rebuilding a friendship quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same...

A Study in Winning by Jupiter_Ash (E, 106,658 w., 11 Ch. || Tennis AU || John POV, Dirty Talk, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Happy Ending, Sherlock Speaks French, Switchlock, Wimbledon) – John and Sherlock are professional tennis players and it’s Wimbledon. One is a broken almost was at the end of his career, the other an arrogant rising star tipped for greatness. It should have been a straightforward tournament. It really should have been. How were they to know that a chance encounter would change everything? Part 1 of Tennis

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w., 23 Ch. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Hand / Blow Jobs, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose... is it a pirate's life for him?

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w., 37 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel., Possessive/Obsessive Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Body Appreciation, Depression, Closeted Sexuality, Family, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Ogling Each Other, Anxious Sherlock, Panic Attack, Drunkenness, Talk of Forever, Big Feelings™) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it's a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

Performance In a Leading Role by Mad_Lori (E, 156,714 w., 24 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Hollywood / Actor AU, Secret Relationship, Falling in Love, Slow Burn, Romance, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, Pining) – Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world? Part 1 of Performance in a Leading Role

Gimme Shelter by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (E, 159,368 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || 70′s Surfer AU || Period Typical Homophobia, Hawaii, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Professional Surfers, Gay John / Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John was a Sailor, Misunderstandings) – All John Watson wants is the feeling of a freshly waxed surfboard under his feet and the hot California sun baking down onto his back. To finally go pro in the newly formed world of professional surfing and leave the dark memories of his past behind him as he rips across the face of a towering blue barrel. To lounge beside the beach bonfire every evening with an ice cold beer tucked into the cool sand beside him and listen to Pink Floyd and the Doors while the saltwater dries in his sun bleached hair. That's all he wants, that is, until the hot young phenom taking Oahu and the Hawaiian shores by storm steps up next to him in the sand in the second round of the 1976 International Surf Competition. (PUBLISHED AS ‘The Sea Ain’t Mine Alone’)

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #friends to lovers #my fic recs #fic rec sunday #Anonymous

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axwalker · 4 years

Text

Tears in heaven 6: Friends

Synopsis: Alexis O’Brien is about to get married but memories of her old life are coming back to haunt her.

MASTERLIST

Pairings: Liam x MC Drake x MC (TRR)

Warnings: NO ONE UNDER 18 should read this story. This is an 18+ blog.

This story will deal with very dark subjects such as death, severe depression and suicide attempt (among others) if you’re triggered by any of those issues, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS STORY

N*SFW

A/N: The story will go back and forth between three different periods of time (2010 / 2015 / 2019). In this chapter, the flashbacks cover an extended period of time.

A/N: I’m well aware that Drake would want to name his kid Jackson. But as this is an AU, where something very sad happens, I decided to no not give this little boy, the name of one of their canon babies.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Word count: 6,200 (sorry!!)

Songs inspiration: Tears in heaven by Eric Clapton

THANKS TO: @burnsoslow for beta reading so thoroughly, editing, correcting so many English mistakes, and help me to figure out some parts of the storyline. TE QUIERO MUCHO. ❤️

@pedudley I appreciate your feedback so much. I LOVE YOU ❤️

September 2009- June 2017

Liam had been in love with Alexis for more than eight years.

It had started after that day at the Derby. Drake and Alexis had spent one Sunday with Liam in Valtoria watching Indiana Jones movies, drinking whiskey, and exchanging anecdotes. From that day on, the three of them started to spend a lot of time together. And, with time, Alexis and Liam became good friends. She always listened to him and gave him sensible advice; she knew better than anyone what it meant to have a demanding father like Constantine. She was funny, witty, and passionate. She made him laugh and encouraged him to work less and spend more time doing the things he loved. She seemed to understand, to see the real him.

He started to notice that she was always in his mind. Something would happen and he’d think about her; he’d hear a joke and ask himself if she’d laugh at it. Soon, the longing became more urgent, more difficult to bear.

He still remembered the night when they had agreed to go to the movies together. Drake had to cancel at the last minute, but Alexis and Liam were good friends, so they went together anyway.

Big mistake. The Wolfman had been the longest movie of his life. He had spent 119 minutes longing to kiss her, to take her hand -- dying to caress her tanned thighs.

Everything about her fascinated him, and he realized that he was head over heels for her. The worst part was to witness how crazy she and Drake were about each other, how much his best friend loved her. So he tried to stay away. He tried to keep himself busy and was never available when Drake invited him to eat or drink with them. But it was impossible to avoid her completely, and the moments he spent with them were a form of torture. He craved her company, her laughter, but he also felt intensely guilty towards Drake.

He started to sleep around with different women. He was rich, handsome, and very good in bed. He had absolutely no difficulty finding beautiful women to go back to his apartment with him; he was a generous lover and usually had a good time. But it was nothing more than a pastime. Those women would never be enough to calm his yearning for her. A lot of those nights, he pictured Alexis’ pretty face looking at him, her body under his, writhing, panting, moaning his name.

Drake and Alexis’ wedding day had been one of the worst days of Liam’s life. He had been obligated to stand next to Drake and be the witness of their vows, their love. To watch her look at Drake, completely enraptured. His heart broke at the realization that she would never be his. His only consolation was to know how happy she was with Drake. How good his best friend was for her.

When Drake had called him to tell him that Alexis was pregnant, he had been overwhelmed by happiness for them. He knew how badly Drake wanted to start a family, and she would be a great mother. But he couldn’t avoid feeling insanely jealous too. And that jealousy disgusted him; it made him feel petty and disloyal. So he had finally decided to leave Cordonia for a while -- anything to avoid betraying his best friend, his brother. He moved to Italy and started to control his family’s businesses in the Mediterranean countries.

After one year in Sardinia, he had met Giulia Ferrante at a business meeting. She was a tax attorney in the firm that represented the Rhys in Italy. Giulia was a tall and beautiful blond, with magnetic blue eyes. She was worldly, sophisticated, ambitious, and utterly fascinating. Completely opposite to Alexis in every possible way. After a few romantic months, he was over the moon; Giulia had agreed to come back to Cordonia with him. He couldn’t deny that some of his old feelings had resurfaced when he saw Alexis again, but he was convinced that Giulia would help him to fully eradicate them.

All his friends, and even Constantine, had welcomed his girlfriend with open arms. They got engaged and then married in an elegant ceremony that most magazines had called “The Wedding of the Year.” During the first months of their marriage, they were happy, but soon, they started to have a lot of trouble. Giulia was controlling, insecure, and jealous of any woman that came close to him, especially Alexis. She demanded that Liam stop seeing Drake and his wife. The truth was that Giulia loved Liam madly, but he wasn’t capable of giving her what she desperately needed from him. This caused them to fight constantly and intensely.

One day, he came home after work to discover that Giulia had gone back to Sardinia; Liam sadly realized that he was more relieved than anything else. He began working late, drinking with Leo, and hanging out too many nights at Alexis and Drake’s cabin. Tom was three years old and had Liam wrapped around his little finger. His godson was a bright and happy child, the perfect mix of both his parents. Liam loved to spoil him and play with him.

When the little boy had died, Liam ignored his own grief and did everything he could to be there for Drake. For both of them. It killed him to watch their destruction. He tried to make Drake talk, but his walls had doubled since the accident. He drank heavily, and nothing that Liam did or said seemed to help.

One night, Drake had called him and had asked him to take care of Alexis. Without further explanation, he told Liam that he needed to leave, but that he couldn’t do it without being sure that someone would look out for Alexis. Liam tried to convince him to stay, but Drake had left anyway.

The first months after his departure had been hellish -- not only for him, but for Liv and Max too. Alexis’s depression had gotten worse since Drake had left; nothing made her feel better. Liam felt powerless until that horrible day when she had tried to kill herself and he had saved her life.

He had tried to contact Drake, but apparently, he wasn’t in Andalucía anymore. Savannah assured Liam that her brother was all right, but he wasn’t going to come back any time soon. Liam tried to understand his best friend’s behavior, but it was getting more and more difficult every day. In any case, he couldn’t help Drake anymore, so he decided to focus his attention on Alexis. He convinced her to get help, so she was committed to a specialized clinic. He visited her every single weekend, on both days that visitors were allowed.

The first months were extremely difficult. It hurt like hell watching Alexis unsuccessfully fight her depression. She was barely capable of eating or leaving her bed. She refused to participate in any group activities, and speaking of Drake and Tom was off-limits; any mention of them, and she crumbled all over again. She didn’t want to face her new reality, to accept that all the happiness she had felt had simply evaporated.

Her sorrow broke Liam’s heart. He stayed with her every chance he could, and she had cried in his arms more times than he could count. He would have given anything to help her; he felt powerless, a useless face to her grief. Liv and Maxwell visited, too, but not with the same frequency and dedication that Liam did.

Four months after Alexis was committed, she started to get a little better. She began to participate in some group activities and talked to her therapist about Drake and her son, though she was still unable to pronounce his name.

She and Liam started to take long walks together and discovered that they had a lot more in common than they thought. He was determined to give her back her will to live, her old love for life. She was very interested in art, a subject that he was passionate about; he brought her his favorite books so she could read them in her spare time. They spent hours talking about painters and techniques. He promised her he would take her to Paris so she could see “Starry Night” in person. Little by little, she seemed to heal -- or at least improve.

Around December, she demanded to be allowed to leave the clinic. Her therapist wasn’t convinced: Even after 15 months, she couldn’t say Tom’s name or talk about the accident. But she was functional again, and the doctor knew that she would have to face real life sooner or later. So she had finally authorized Alexis’ release for the beginning of February.

One cold morning, 15 days before Alexis was to be discharged, Liam was in the reception talking to her doctor when he saw Drake entering the clinic’s hall. Liam felt a surge of rage. How did Drake dare to come back after all those months without even a phone call? Liam was sure that Drake knew about Alexis’ suicide attempt because Maxwell had told Savannah. The fact that Drake hadn’t bothered to come back even then infuriated Liam. Where the hell was Drake while Alexis cried her heart out every night? When she had called his name again and again after a nightmare? When she had to be sedated? Committed in that clinic? Even if Liam knew that Alexis’ sorrow was the consequence of Tom’s death, he realized that Drake’s departure had been her breaking point. He didn’t doubt for a second that if Drake had stayed, Alexis wouldn’t have attempted to take her life. So Drake didn’t have any right to come back now that she was doing better. Liam knew that seeing Drake was going to bring all the memories back; the recovery she had fought for so hard would be jeopardized because of his return. It wasn’t fair to her. Liam needed to protect her.

When Liam confronted him, Drake didn’t give him any explanations. He had asked for Alexis, in an almost-desperate tone, but Liam was too angry at his friend to care about him anymore.

Liam needed time to think about the best way to proceed. He had asked Drake to come back the next day. That night, Liam analyzed all the risks and possible consequences and realized that his own priority was Alexis. More than that, he was sure that Drake would do the same thing if he was in Liam’s shoes.

The next day, he told Drake that Alexis didn’t want to see him anymore. Drake was devastated; he had insisted on hearing it from Alexis herself, but Liam had coldly convinced Drake that the best thing to do was to leave again. Alexis was healing; she needed time and space, and Liam knew Drake -- he wasn’t going to stop looking for her. So Liam repressed his guilt and, without telling Alexis, had given Drake her suicide letter. Drake realized how much his mistakes had damaged her and had returned to Spain the next morning.

When Alexis was discharged, Liam had helped her to look for an apartment; she got a job teaching Spanish at an Adult Language School and enrolled in college to get a master’s degree in translation. She already spoke Spanish and French, so it would only take her a year to obtain the degree. Her dream of writing had died with her son.

That year, Liam and Alexis became best friends. She never talked about the past, so Liam learned to respect her memories. They created new ones. They went to museums and art exhibits. She tried to make him taste something more exotic than his beloved baklava, and he tried to make her love the opera. They spent hours next to each other reading or working. She teased him relentlessly about his addiction to work so he would loosen up a little. He helped her study for her tests and do homework. Their friendship was an oasis for Alexis, who was desperate for some stability in her life. It was hope for Liam, who had never stopped loving her. She frequently had bad moments, days where she drank too much and couldn’t get out of bed, but Liam would never let her give up.

A year later, Alexis graduated as a certified translator. Liam threw her a small dinner party on his rooftop with Olivia, Max, and their friends -- the first party she had had since the accident. Though she was nervous at first, she tried to bury her old memories and managed to have fun. At the end of the party, only she and Liam were left. Liam was sitting in an armchair watching her while she leaned over the railing gazing at Cordonia’s skyline. She was wearing a short summer dress that showed her long legs. The music was still playing, and she was unconsciously swaying her hips to the rhythm. Liam’s heart skipped a beat, and he realized that he couldn’t wait another second. He had loved her more than eight years; he was sure that he could make her happy if she gave him a chance. He stood up and leaned on the railing next to her. He chose his words carefully; he knew how vulnerable she was, and he didn’t want to pressure her or scare her off.

“I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you, Alexis.” He paused -- it was now or never. “Always. But I can’t hold this any longer. I need to tell you how I feel. How you make me feel.” He turned to watch her; she was still staring at the city lights. “If you don’t want me to keep talking, I won’t,” he added gently.

Alexis wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t want to lose him; he had become the most important person in her life. And she loved how she felt when she was with him; he made her feel things that she thought were not possible anymore. He made her forget that she was alone, that Drake would never come back.

She took a step in his direction, placing her hand on his shoulder. She turned her eyes to him before she said shyly, “Keep talking.”

That small phrase pushed Liam over the edge. He cupped her face and kissed her softly, almost afraid of breaking the spell. He had waited eight years for that kiss.

He spoke in a low voice. “I’ve loved you for so long, Alexis. I would do anything to make you happy.”

Alexis decided to be honest with him. “I don’t know how I feel yet, Li; I don’t even know if I will be able to truly love again. The only thing I know for sure is that I will never want to be a mo-” her voice cracked, “-- to have kids again.”

He pulled her close to him, his embrace safe and warm. “I understand, darling. I do. We’ll take things slowly. I’ll be patient, my love,” he said, tenderly stroking her face.

She nodded against his chest. He raised her chin towards him and kissed her again, deeper this time. He would spend all the time in the world waiting for her.

She kissed him back, promising herself that she would do anything she could to make him happy too. He was her future.

August 2011-May 2015

Alexis’s pregnancy had been an easy one. Except for a few days of morning sickness and constant fatigue, she had been lucky.

The childbirth had been more difficult; after 14 hours of pain, promises of celibacy, and some heavy cursing from both his parents, their baby had been born, only three days after Alexis’ own birthday. Drake and she were both bursting with happiness. Drake never thought he could love someone that much; his wife and son were his entire world. Alexis’ favorite book was Tom Sawyer, so Drake had suggested naming the baby Tom Walker. Alexis had agreed with tears in her eyes.

The first months were blissful chaos. Tom hated to sleep, so he kept both his parents up almost all night. They didn’t care; he was a sweet baby and they were both crazy about him.

Alexis had taken a semester off college, but she was determined to come back in September. Savannah was a stay-at-home mom, and she had a lot of help at Ramsford, so they decided that she was going to take care of Tom during the day. Every day around 5:00, one of them went to Ramsford to pick Tom up.

Lexie felt guilty; her little baby was too young. Maybe she should’ve stayed at home with him, but she knew that if she didn’t go back to school then, she would never do it.

Drake reassured her; Tom was a happy, loved baby, and they were giving him everything they could. He had graduated in June, and thanks to his excellent grades and references, he already had some clients and worked part-time for Liam’s stables. He was able to manage his own time, so he was usually the one that picked Tom up from Savvie’s house. He loved the moments that he spent alone with his son, but he was never happier than when Alexis arrived home, too. She was a great mom, sunny and playful. Drake felt extremely proud of his little family.

Their baby grew in the blink of an eye. Tom was joyful and easygoing; he had learned to speak and melted his parents with his wit and laughter. He had Drake’s eyes, the same chocolate shade and shape. His bright grin was all Alexis; the room lit up for Drake when one of them smiled at him.

His practice had taken off; every farmer and private clinic in the county called him when they needed a vet. Alexis was about to finish her English degree. She wanted to write, but she knew she needed to start earning money, so she was going to look for a job in a publishing house.

----------

Soon Tom turned three years old. As they did every year, they had invited their closest friends to celebrate both birthdays together. It had been one of the happiest days their family had ever celebrated.

Alexis decorated their courtyard with posters and figurines of Shrek’s different characters, while Drake prepared his famous chocolate cake with Tom. When she was finished decorating, she entered the kitchen. Her heart melted when she saw them together. Tom was sitting in his high chair with a little apron; Drake had given him a wooden spoon and a plastic container so he could “help”whip some cake batter.

“Uh, Drake. I think someone licked the bowl,” Alexis said with a teasing smile when she saw Tom’s little face covered in chocolate.

The little boy giggled as he shook his head no. Drake chuckled. “Well, apparently it wasn’t Tom, Lexie.” Drake looked at his son with a conspiratorial smile. “Maybe Mom licked it and is saying it’s you, eh, little man?”

“Yes! It was Mom!” The toddler covered his face to hide the chocolate stains.

Alexis tickled him until the little boy roared with laughter. “Aha! This is the proof I needed!” she screamed when Tom uncovered his face. She kissed his little nose before talking to Drake.

“I’ll take him upstairs for a quick nap, or he’ll be sleeping at his own party,” she said as she got him out of his chair.

Drake saw his son’s sleepy face and nodded, smiling. “You are right, baby -- just come here first.” He cupped her face and kissed her, then he placed a soft kiss on the top of Tom’s head. She gave him the flirty smile that made him crazy before going upstairs with their son in her arms.

Two hours later, the guests arrived. They all settled in the courtyard where Drake had placed some chairs and tables.

The party was a success; it was the first birthday Tom fully appreciated. He ran around and played with all his little friends from the playground.

“He’s so similar to you, man. I can’t get over it,” Liam said as he watched Tom play with one of his friends.

Drake opened beers for each of them as he spoke. “What are you talking about, Li? He’s all Alexis.”

“The same smile, yes. But the rest is you. The eyes are exactly the same … and he’s going to be trouble -- I can tell.” Liam teased.

Drake watched his friend look at his wife and son with a nostalgic expression on his face. Sometimes Drake wondered if Liam had loved Giulia at all; he didn’t seem to miss her.

Liam stood up and took Tom in his arms; the boy giggled when Liam carried him on his shoulders.

“Let’s take this little man to his gifts,” Liam said. Tom clapped excitedly, making Liam laugh.

Liam gave him a tricycle, Maxwell a game of Hungry, Hungry, Hippos, and Olivia a set of wooden swords.

Liam and Max played with the boy and his friends all afternoon as Drake and Alexis served the food and got the cake ready.

They all sang to both of them; Tom was over the moon. It was a perfect birthday.

At 8:00, all the guests had left. Drake took Tom to bed while Alexis cleaned up the house.

Half an hour later, with their son sound asleep upstairs, and the baby monitor in his left hand, Drake went looking for his wife.

He watched her through the glass door. She had put some music on her phone and was wearing her earphones, so Tom wouldn’t wake up. He couldn’t hear the song, but just seeing her dancing and singing made him smile. He had heard that sometimes, kids added stress to a marriage, that some couples with children drifted apart. But he was even crazier for her than he had been five years before. He wanted all of her, all the time. And he knew she felt the same about him.

“Hi, baby!” He touched her shoulder and she startled; she hadn’t seen him come into the garden.

“Shit, Drake, you scared me!” she exclaimed laughing.

“I haven’t given you your gift yet.” He took her hand and led her to one of the garden chairs. He sat in one of them, thinking she would sit on his lap, but she straddled him instead.

He arranged a strand of chocolate-colored hair behind her ear. The sight of her elegant neck and the smell of her cherry perfume were too much for Drake. He pulled her towards him and kissed her. She was wearing an orange halter dress with a lace-up back. He had been dying to untie that lace since he had seen the dress that morning. He roamed her back with his hands and slowly undid the knot, leaving her chest exposed.

He admired her bare figure for a few seconds. “You’re so fucking gorgeous. I can’t believe you’re all mine.” He peppered her collarbone, her neck, her chest with kisses. Her nipples were erect for him, and he groaned before softly biting them. She gasped, but he put a finger on her lips.

Pointing to their son’s room upstairs, he growled in her ear, “Don’t make a noise, Lexie. Or I’m going to have to stop, and I’m guessing,” he stroked her folds over her dampened underwear, “that you wouldn’t like that.” He smirked at her.

She swallowed hard but nodded furiously. Drake’s fingers slid under the fabric. He focused on stroking her skin and teasing her nub. He easily plunged one finger inside her and then a second one, pumping slowly at first and then mercilessly as she arched her body, barely whispering his name.

“Good girl,” he whispered, kissing her collarbone. She shivered, and her body convulsed with an intense orgasm while he watched her, mesmerized.

She rested her head on his shoulders. He tied up her dress again as he gave her time to recuperate, kissing her temple softly and rubbing her cheek. She raised her head to look at him.

“Was that my gift?” she teased him.

He answered her, a cocky smile on his lips. “Please, Lexie, that was barely a taste of all the things I will do to you later in our room.”

She bit her bottom lip. “I can’t wait.”

He took out an envelope from his back pocket and gave it to her. “This is your gift.” He was adorably excited about it.

She opened it; it was a picture of an RV and a map of Europe. Alexis looked at him, puzzled.

He gently stroked her thigh as he spoke. “I know how much you want to travel, baby. And I know that we don’t have a lot of money, and traveling with Tom can be complicated, but with an RV, things could be easier. We won’t need hotels or planes. And we can manage our own time. I did some research; a lot of families do it.” He grinned at her. “As for the countries, you get to choose them -- it’s your birthday gift.”

The knot in her throat didn’t let her speak. He was right; it was her dream to travel, and she absolutely loved the idea of doing it in an RV. It was a little crazy, a little bohemian. It suited them perfectly.

Drake looked at her expectantly. “What do you think? Do you like it?”

She cupped his face, looking at him with tears in her eyes. “I don’t like it; I love it, Drake. It’s the most perfect gift.”

“Hey, don’t cry,” he said as he wiped one happy tear. “I didn’t want to make you cry, baby.”

“I can’t believe how happy you make me.” She gave him a long, fervent kiss.

When they parted, breathless, they heard Tom calling them through the baby monitor. Drake smiled at her as they came up to read him a story and put him back to sleep.

April 2019

“Actually, Alexis, I would like to speak a moment with Drake. If he doesn’t mind.”

Drake smirked, “Of course I don’t, Li. Why wouldn’t I want to catch up with such an old and loyal friend?”

Alexis threw them a worried look but left them alone. For better or worse, they needed to talk.

After his sarcastic remark, Drake’s rage had lessened a little. He sat on the steps of the garden as he took a flask out of the inside pocket of his jacket. He took one swig and passed the flask to Liam, who was sitting next to him.

They drank quietly for a while until Liam decided to break the silence. “I’ve been in love with her since we met.”

Drake laughed bitterly. “You seriously think I didn’t know? You think I didn’t notice how you looked at her sometimes?” He took another drink from the flask before speaking again. “Please, Liam, you were like my brother. A part of me has always known.”

It was a warm spring night; Liam took off his tuxedo jacket. “Why did you never say anything?”

Drake shook his head. “I started to really notice it just before our wedding, but I knew you wouldn’t do anything about it. I thought that if I said anything, it would ruin our friendship. And then you left and came back with Giulia.” He stroked his beard pensively. “Plus, I thought Lexie and I were unbreakable. I thought she loved me as much as I loved her.” He paused before adding resentfully, “Obviously, I was wrong.”

Liam sighed, sadly. “Please, Drake. You and I both know that I’ll never share with her what you did. I won’t pretend otherwise.”

“I don’t understand why you’re together. I don’t understand either of you anymore,” Drake stated with a gravelly voice.

Liam furrowed his brow. “I tried everything, Drake. I tried to convince myself that I only saw her as my friend, as your wife. When I noticed that my feelings only got deeper, I left. I lived in Italy for a year. Hell, Drake! I even married Giulia. But when I came back, my love for her was still here waiting for me, intact. She drove me crazy.” He took a sharp breath. “I just want you to know that I never tried anything while you were together. Never.”

“No, of course not. You’re a gentleman. You waited until my marriage blew up in a million pieces before making your goddamn move.” Drake tried to calm himself, but there were some things that he couldn’t leave unsaid. “Our son had died, Liam. She was destroyed, and you took advantage of that.”

Liam toyed with the flask; he didn’t want to fight with Drake, but his old friend was twisting the truth. “You’re rewriting history. I helped her because she was alone. She needed me. And, frankly, you have no right to judge us, Drake. You left her and me here to deal with everything. You have no idea how she was. She was destroyed, completely broken.” His eyes watered at the memory. He turned to watch Drake, who had gone pale. He gave him the flask, and Drake took a long swig. “I had to fight really hard to bring her back to life. And we fell in love. I’m sorry, Drake.” Liam wanted to apologize for his behavior that day at the clinic. “I’m sorry about that day at the clinic. I know I was a real jerk, but I just wanted to protect her.”

Drake felt his chest tighten. He should have been the one protecting and loving her, not Liam. But in spite of his pain, he understood the position Liam had been in that day. “Yes, you were a real jerk at the clinic. But you were right, too. She was the priority, not me. My presence would have hurt her.” Drake didn’t see the point in explaining to Liam the reason why he hadn’t come back that year. It didn’t matter that he had been in prison. The reality was the same: She needed him and he wasn’t there. He tried to push the painful memory out of his mind. Her rejection that day still hurt like hell. That fucking letter still hurt like hell.

Liam gulped the rest of the whiskey. He might have to tell Alexis what he had done one day, but he wasn’t ready yet.

Drake took the empty flask and stood up. He looked at Liam one last time before leaving. “I don’t think I’ll ever be truly over her.” He took a sharp breath before speaking. “But I know we don’t belong together anymore.” Admitting it out loud only made the pain more excruciating. “Please take care of her, Liam. And make sure she talks about Tom. She might hide it, but she needs it.” He patted his ex-best friend on the back before leaving the gardens.

-------------------------------------------------------

Several days later Drake was about to enter Starbucks when he saw Alexis. She was in line, waiting for her turn.

He hesitated for a few seconds before approaching her. She was wearing a pair of jeans with a beige blouse, a gray vest, and her old leather satchel -- a very different outfit from the short dresses and tennis shoes she used to wear all the time. She still looked beautiful, but more serious, less carefree.

“Hi,” he said casually.

She blushed, surprised to see him there. “Hi. What are you doing here?”

He smirked. “Same thing as everyone in the line, I think. I want coffee.”

She couldn’t suppress a smile. “As funny as usual.”

He shrugged. “Some things don’t change.”

She bit her bottom lip and nodded slowly, unsure of how to proceed. The last time they had seen each other, things hadn’t ended well.

He didn’t want to say goodbye so soon, so he kept talking. “You’ve always loved to work in cafes,” he said as he pointed at her satchel.

“Yeah, that was the plan, but this place is packed. There aren’t any free tables available.” She attempted to hide her nervousness behind a small smile. He noticed it anyway and his heart tugged; her vulnerability was his weakness. He would do anything to make her feel comfortable with him.

“Look, someone is leaving.” He nodded at a couple of teenagers who were putting their coats on. “What do you say I pick up the coffees and you go take the table?”

She knew she shouldn’t. Her instincts were shouting at her not to do it, but she couldn’t help it. “Okay, I’ll get a …”

He raised his hand, interrupting her. “A tall mocha, white chocolate …” He snapped his fingers, trying to remember. “... double-espresso, extra whipped cream, right?”

She smiled at him, impressed. “That’s exactly it.”

“I’ll be at your table in five minutes,” he said, smiling back.

He came to the table 10 minutes later and gave her the drink. Their fingers grazed for a few seconds, producing a jolt of electricity in both of them. She withdrew her hand nervously, but neither of them said anything. He sat in front of her with his coffee still in his hand.

She had to admit that he looked great: manlier and even more rugged than before. His usual denim shirt looked amazing on him; he had rolled his sleeves so she could see his strong, veiny arms … the same arms that had held her so tightly so many nights in the past. She turned her eyes, blushing.

He saw the pretty blush coloring her cheeks. “Is there a problem?”

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

Drake was curious about her new life. He wanted to know if she was happy. He needed to make sure that she was all right before letting her go. The problem was that he didn’t know how to address the subject without making her run, especially after their last exchange at Savannah’s party.

“How about a truce, Lexie?”

Her old nickname on his lips had the effect of making her heart race in her chest. “What do you mean?”

“I just want to know how you’re doing; we don’t have to talk about the past.”

She’d be lying if she said that she wasn’t very curious about him. “I’m in.”

“Do you still write?” he asked before carefully taking a sip of his hot coffee.

“No. I don’t.” She didn’t mention the reason, but they both understood. He would have given anything to grab her hand, but he knew that she would be out the door in less than 10 seconds, so he settled for giving her an understanding smile. “Anyway, I’m in translation now,” she added.

“Well, I’m not surprised, you always loved languages. What kind of literature?”

She drank from the straw before she answered, “None. Legal documents.”

His eyes widened. “Legal documents?

“Yes. Is that a problem, Drake?”

He was about to change the subject to avoid a fight, but he couldn’t contain himself. “There’s no problem. It’s just … that is the kind of thing you hated before.”

“Before being the operative word. I love it now,” she answered defensively.

He leaned on his chair. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Look, it’s not my dream job, but it turns out I’m pretty good at it. And I actually enjoy it.” It was an exaggeration; she barely tolerated the mountains of boring documents she had to translate every day, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of accepting that he still knew her so well.

He smiled at her. “I’m happy for you, Lexie.” When he saw her unconvinced look, he added, “I really am. I’m so sorry that I’m such a judgmental prick.”

She laughed before saying, “Admitting the problem is the first step, Drake. All you have to do now is to sign up for the meetings.”

He chuckled. He hadn’t seen that coquettish light in her eyes for a long time. It was still as devastatingly attractive as it was five years ago. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Did you move to Valtoria?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Walker. It’s a two-way street.” She had a lot of questions for him too. “Are you still working as a vet?”

“Yes and no. I was in Spain for a while, but I couldn’t use my degree there. That’s one of the reasons I came back.” He didn’t dare admit that the need to see how she was doing had been the main reason. “I’m starting a new job in a clinic next week. I’m actually very happy about it.” He smiled at her with his real smile, the one that showed his dimples and weakened her knees. “So you live in Valtoria?” he asked again, intrigued.

She put her hair behind her ear. “Not yet,” she stated simply. She didn’t want to specify that she would be moving there right after their wedding next month. “How long have you been dating Kiara?”

“A month.”

She had to know the truth, as painful as it would be to accept. “Are you in love with her?”

He arched his brows. “I think it’s my turn, Lexie.” His piercing eyes looked intently at her. “Are you sure you want to be a duchess?”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t want to be one.” He was about to interrupt her, so she raised her hand to stop him. “But I’m sure about Liam, Drake. It may seem like a huge sacrifice to you, but you have no idea what he’s willing to do for me.”

“I know he loves you, Lex.” He took an excruciating breath; his next words physically hurt. “And I know you love him, too. I wasn’t trying to criticize. I’m happy if you are.” He looked at her, trying to memorize how gorgeous she was.

She swallowed hard. It shouldn’t bother her so much that he didn’t care if she loved Liam or not. She flipped her hair, making a strand fall over her eyes. Without thinking about it, Drake took the strand of hair and placed it behind her ear. They locked eyes with each other as the tip of his fingers gently rubbed her ear, then slowly moved over her cheek and grazed her face. Her heart was about to explode. She stood up, almost knocking over the table. His touch still had the amazing power of making her lose her senses.

“I have to … I have to go.” Her phone rang; she saw a name on the screen and answered the call. When she hung up, she took her vest and satchel. “That was Rashad. Our court appointment is on May second.” She threw him a sad look; everything between them would be over soon. “I’ll see you then, Drake.” She left the coffeehouse as fast as she could.

Drake’s stomach flipped. The date set by the judge was only one week away, two days before Tom’s birthday.

PERMATAG: @mskaneko @pedudley @pug-bitch @burnsoslow @ac27dj @twinkle-320 @kimmiedoo5 @marshmallowsandfire @loveellamae @lauzales @ravenpuff02 @debramcg1106

TIH: @ao719 @yukinagato2012 @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @cordonia-gothqueen @bebepac @nomadics-stuff @hopefulmoonobject @gardeningourmet @cordonianroyalty @msjr0119 @axwalker

#axwalker writes #tw depression #tw death #+18 #n*sfw

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toughaqua777 · 5 years

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Weird (& Disturbing...?) DQXI AUs

So…I have 2 (3?) AU ideas but I’m not writing them because I’m still writing an AU story and I don’t got the time to start another one. Spoilers for Dragon Quest XI Postgame and the story in general!!!

So, I had a really stupid idea.

Y’know Calasmos? What if when the majority of his power was sealed and all that was left of him was that Tockle, he lost his memories in the process? Like, I dunno, he knew his name and the strange hatred of Morcant/Mordegon. Along with the theory that he needed to find this “Luminary,” whoever tf that was.

Then the shit in Dundrasil happens, and somehow, the little fucker snuck into the Luminary’s shadow, thus getting stuck with him forever, and while they don’t interact often, he’s actually kinda helpful all the way through, gaining his memories as they go along their eventual adventure (using his string appendages and somehow growing bigger, even able to take hits for the kiddo) and, through sheer luck and stealing Jasper’s Orb (Calasmos’ appendages) prevents Act 2 from happening.

Then Calasmos remembers, “Wait o shit I’m supposed to kill him” and goes “Aw hell na” but after Mordegon goes deaded, his full power (w/out the shit in the Lantern), he starts to lose himself and leaves quietly without disturbance, allowing the Luminary to finish what they started when they met in the previous life. Eleven is NOT okay with this when he finds out.

OR AN ALTERNATIVE

Calasmos never lost his memories, but still managed to end up in the hero’s shadow, intending to keep him safe so that he can grow to kill Mordegon. He refuses to get attached to the boy (which may or may not happen anyways), but he still helps out, pretending to be an ally.

Again, prevents Act 2 from happening, but after Mordegon dies, he tells the Luminary they need to go to the desert immediately, but when he does, he attempts to force the Luminary to bring down the Lantern: the Darkspawn would be created! Just in time, Eleven resists, somehow separating himself from the dark god and getting tf outta there, warning his friends. This would still happen if Calasmos got attached to the Luminary, there would just be hesitation that he would despise (o fuk I got attached 2 the mofo how tf shit fuk).

SPEAKING OF DARKSPAWN

Darkspawn Luminary.

This idea has been floating around everyone’s head, I’m sure. What would happen if he was the Darkspawn? And how would that work? Well, some aspects of the story would have to change for the worse, the darker, the torturous, all aimed at the hero’s psyche, eroding it until his mind snaps. Here’s what would have to happen, though:

1) When Heliodor locks him up in the dungeon, he would be chained and beaten pretty bad by a few of the knights. This will cause him trauma and become terrified of the knights, and if I know anything, fear is usually the first step into darkness. On the flipside, Erik calls out the knights before they break anything, and Erik doesn’t find out that Eleven is the Luminary until he unchains him and sees the Mark.

2) Hendrik didn’t stop Jasper at Cobblestone. Remember, it was because of the former that everyone from there survived. But what if he didn’t show up? What if Jasper went through with his plan? Then there would be bodies littered throughout the burning town…and all Eleven can do is look around at all those he cherished and realize: Heliodor murdered them. And it’s all his fault. Despair, and perhaps rage; two more steps into darkness.

By this point, Eleven is just depressed and haunted, but there’s a part of him burning up, a part of him that wants Heliodor to pay. But he had to remember Chalky’s words. He had to…

3) Events in Gondolia got worse. Erik gets captured still, but while Eleven and the party tried to rescue him, Jasper was torturing him; he even took out an eye, the eye being the one Erik would have an eyepatch over in his pirate getup. By the time the party gets there, he’s bleeding and unconscious. And Eleven’s pissed. More rage, losing faith that there’s any humanity in Jasper…or even all of Heliodor. It doesn’t help that he found out that Jasper cursed Placido and (basically) hired a monster to stop his companions.

At hearing that last bit, he found himself thinking that he should’ve finished Jasper off when he had the chance; whether or not that’s an intrusive thought or not depends on preference of writer.

4) Dundrasil. Just. Dundrasil. It was destroyed…Rab lost everything…Jade lost everything…so many people died…and the only person Eleven knew to blame was himself. Hendrik attacking Jade because she associated herself with him did not help. Hearing about Mordegon didn’t help either; he probably wouldn’t have attacked Dundrasil if he wasn’t born there, or so he believes.

This is where his mind accuses him of actually being the Darkspawn (intrusive or not). And he actually considers the words stated. Are…are they right? Should he really become what everyone claims him to be? Would it be better than the agony of being the Luminary? These thoughts continue…and they’re scaring him. Yet…a part of him wants to keep thinking about it. Which is even more frightening.

5) Phnom Nonh was another nail to the coffin for the dimming Luminary. Bazza and the others who go to the mural are pushy (Bazza literally; he pushes Eleven out of the way at the entrance into Phnom Nonh and in the mural), and he takes offense at their hypocrisy and single-mindedness. For example: “Stop tryin’ to hog all the good luck, ya selfish so-and-so’s!” Says the guy hogging the area along with the others. “We deserve a chance to get rich too!” What is it with people and their greed? This is where he starts to lose faith in not only Heliodorians, but humanity as a whole; people actually think like this? Did they even deserve a Luminary?!

The whole thing with Dora did nothing to help; as a little girl, Dora took advantage of people’s innate greed and selfishness, and for those few people who didn’t have that, she manipulated their kind natures with pity/sympathy. Like his. Like his friends. And he does not take that well.

By this point, he’s either gone or barely hanging on to whatever light is still left. If he’s not gone, dark (perhaps intrusive) thoughts keep replaying through his head over and over again. Emotions keep flowing through him over and over again. And he hates it; he had to hold on, there was still good in the world. He had to hold on for dear life He didn’t want to be the Luminary…but he doesn’t want to be the Darkspawn either. But he’s become so fragile in heart, mind, and soul. One last push and his light could wink out. Or perhaps a dark spell would do the trick…

But if he was pushed to the breaking point…that’s it. The light has faded from his eyes, his heart, his mind, his very soul. And from there…who knows what could happen next?

In either scenario, the party will more-than-likely notice his turmoil throughout the entire time. They attempt to reach out to him, calm him, soothe him, literally anything to keep his light from shattering. Does it work? …Maybe. But who can say when he’s suffered so much in such short time with little time to grieve?

im gonna take a fukin nap probs wont remember typin this

#dragon quest #dragon quest 11 #dragon quest xi #dqxi #dq11 #dq11 au #dqxi au #dragon quest xi au #dragon quest 11 au #alternate universe #spoilers #major spoilers #dqxi spoilers #dq11 spoilers

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creativity-is-rebellion · 5 years

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Top 10 Favourite Movies I Have Seen (So Far)

How to Make an American Quilt (1994)

I’m not sure exactly why, but I have always had a thing for intergenerational movies that go back and forth in time, which I think that this movie does superbly. You get to know each of the character’s backstories, and it is also a coming-of-age film where the main protagonist must choose a path and be happy with the one she goes down. This was a film I would watch again and again as a teenager when I was sad (movie marathons were always the cure for my blues back then). More recently, there are other reasons why this movie appeals to me; I can relate to Finn’s thesis-writing (I know it’s frustrating and easy to distract yourself from), and I can also relate with her dilemma in choosing what kind of future she will have. Also, Winona Ryder can do no wrong. Winona forever.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

Another intergenerational film, I think it does a great job of juxtaposing the difference between parents who immigrate to another country and their children who do not really understand the sacrifices they have made to actually get there, which can cause rifts and divides. It does this specifically with the Chinese culture in mind, which is fascinating in its own right, and quite different to the US, which is where they immigrate to. The daughters who try to understand their mothers are able to bridge the divide when they are able to empathise with where their parents are coming from, by the parents telling them tales of their origins. My favourite character is hands-down Ying-Ying St. Clair, whose backstory is definitely the most tragic. In China, Ying-Ying was happily married to Lin-Xiao (Russell Wong) with a baby boy in China until Lin-Xiao abuses her and abandons her for an opera singer. Overwhelmed by her depression, Ying-Ying begins to dissociate and accidentally drowns their baby son in the bathtub during one of these episodes, which haunts her ever afterwards. Years later, she has emigrated to America and suffers from trauma of her past, worrying her new family, including her daughter Lena. When she is able to get Lena find her voice and to leave her own abusive husband, Harold. I have nothing but love for this film, which breathes life into Amy Tan’s equally beautiful novel. This film adaptation does the novel proud; It’s well-acted, well-told, and simply just heart-warming.

Sinister (2008)

I love myself a good horror movie, and Sinister flips the script by starting out as a crime mystery before going bananas and introducing Mr. Boogie (or Bughuul), a pagan demon who manipulates the lives of children, having them kill their families, until he can consume the child's soul. Ethan Hawke, who both directs and stars in this film, does a phenomenal acting job as washed-up crime author Ellison Oswalt, who moves his family into one of the homes which was the scene of one of the ‘crimes’, where a whole family has been massacred and one child is missing. It isn’t long until he finds a bunch of 8mm tapes in the attic, which represent the equivalent of snuff films, detailing previous family massacres occurring elsewhere. Seriously, some of these 8mm tapes are both difficult but strangely thrilling to watch, due to their haunting quality. It takes him a while before he becomes aware of Bughuul, who he discovers hiding in the corner of one of the tapes, and who he is able to get to know about with the help of a rookie cop and a professor. The ending is also a delicious twist, and indicates the inevitability of not being able to escape evil. Seriously, it’s a must-watch, as it breathes rare new life into the tired horror genre.

Insidious, Chapter One (2010)

Another worthy 21st century horror addition, the Insidious franchise (especially the first film) delivers some great twists, and creates a rich universe way beyond any ordinary haunted house or child-plagued-by-demon trope, by introducing some genuinely scary characters (The Lipstick Demon, Doll Girl, and the Bride in Black, anyone?!), and also introducing The Further, a dark and timeless astral world filled with tortured dead souls and nightmarish spirits. I love the twist that the end of this movie delivers, and also the appropriate jump-scares throughout. It is yet another horror movie that breathes life into a somewhat tired genre. 10/10, I highly recommend this movie, even if The Lipstick Demon looks kinda like Darth Maul, lol.

Reality Bites (1994)

Although it’s kind of aged badly, due to advancing technology, this movie was one of the first to introduce the idea of reality television, whilst also capturing the zeitgeist of Generation X, with it’s rather nihilist message about life after college, and the trials and tribulations of growing up. Some of the characters (especially Lelaina and Troy) are self-indulgent, immature, intellectually snobby and navel-gazing, but you root for Lelaina to succeed because she is played with enough sympathy by the amazing and incomparable Winona Ryder that we believe she deserves better. This is one of the reasons I hate that she ends up with Troy, even if he is the broody bad boy we are all expected to swoon over. Seriously, he treats Lelaina so badly that I just want to punch him in the face. It also has some great side characters, like Vicky, who works at The Gap, but is scared to find a real job, and Sammy, who is gay and afraid that he may have HIV. It is also relatable for me as a Millenial who graduated from university when the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) hit, making it complicated to find a good job, mirroring the recession that these characters graduated into. I love that it talks about pivotal Generation X issues, as well as universal issues that encompass growing up and moving into adulthood. Also, again, Winona forever.

Candyman (1992)

Candyman is a horror film that subverts horror movie expectations whilst still managing to deliver some great scares. Being set in the long-gone notorious Chicago housing projects Cabrini Green, a name synonymous with vice, violence and murder, and a place which instils non-supernatural horror in an individual all on its own, tells the story of thesis student Helen, who is researching urban legends, and through her participants, she learns the story of Candyman, a vengeful rendition of the classic Bloody Mary, who will split you from groin to gullet with his hook for a hand if you say his name five times in the mirror.

The people who recount this legend go on to recount a notorious murder that has taken place recently in Cabrini Green which has been attributed to Candyman, and Helen chooses to investigate the claim. Helen rationalises that the residents of Cabrini Green use the legend of Candy Man to cope with their stressful daily lives. Before visiting Cabrini Green, Helen and her research associate decide to test the theory by saying ‘Candy Man’ five times in a mirror, but nothing happens, at least not yet. In real life, the murder rate in Cabrini Green peaked in 1992, the same year that Candy Man was made. Candy Man himself (played with great aplomb by the legendary Tony Todd) doesn’t show up until around 44 minutes into the movie, but when he does, he steals the show with his dangerous charisma.

In total, Candy Man subverts 3 horror rules: Number one, that you need to have a high body count to keep audiences engaged. By doing so, it stretches out the tension for as long as it can. Number two, there is a Black antagonist. There were some issues addressed by Black critics that this depiction played into some racist stereotypes, such as the idea that Black people need a White saviour, that Black people are especially superstitious, and that Black men prefer to pursue White women. But one could say that Candy Man is more a depiction of the White fears associated with Black poverty, and specifically, White Liberal fears that Black poverty can’t be helped, despite their best efforts. Helen doesn’t mean any harm (some may even call her an ally), yet she dies anyway.

By making the antagonist Black, the film becomes about so much more than just visceral horror, it is about societal, racial and historical horror as well, albeit told from a White perspective. It also plays into the fear that Black people, through no fault of their own, could be killed for no reason at all but panicky neighbours. Finally, number three, this film is more sad than scary; sadness tends to be the most common negative emotion that I experience, so I am drawn to movies that have something to say about it. The only reason Candy Man gives for wanting to kill Helen is that she demystified him, which seems pretty petty and vindictive. She is also supposed to resemble his long-lost love that got him killed in the first place. When Candy Man kills the psychiatrist in the movie, it is literally the only on-screen proof we have that Candy Man isn’t just a figment of Helen’s imagination. Candy Man, like my most favourite horror film, The Shining, begs the question: Are there really supernatural elements at play here, or is the main character simply going insane? Phew, this was more than I planned to write, but I guess this film is complex enough to warrant it. See it for yourself.

Final Destination (2000)

As time wore on, the Final Destination franchise became more well-known for its gruesome deaths (and tired plot) than anything else, but the first addition was a fresh take on the inescapability of death, and the vengance Death Itself may take if you screw with his Design. The first 15 minutes of the film are truly thrilling through the main character Alex’s premonition, and the wait after the gang have been kicked off the airline for the plane to blow up without them on board. Seriously, that scene gave me aerophobia more than any Air Crash Investigation episode. What follows are some truly twisted, macabre domino-like deaths that prove that Death has a wicked, dark sense of humour. That every character in this franchise dies eventually is kind of disappointing, and definitely places Death in this franchise as possibly the most diabolical villain in all of the horror genre (move over, Jason and Michael and Freddy). The mysterious undertaker played with delightful maliciousness again by Tony Todd adds to the mystery of understanding Death’s Design. and the reality that no matter what the survivors do, Death will eventually come for them, really adds to the overall hopelessness and nihilism of the whole situation. The way that the last film of the Final Destination franchise, which is really a prequel to the first film, rounded out the franchise really well, and provided a twist as good as the original film was epic. If you are going to watch any of the films in this franchise, I cannot recommend the first and last film enough.

Now and Then (1996)

I love this film more for the cheesy, feel-good memories of my childhood it gives me. Christina Ricci is also one of my all-time favourite actresses (I absolutely loved her as Wednesday Addams), which just bolsters this movie in my eyes. Thora Birch does a good job as well. But seriously, I can pop this movie on any time and it’ll just make me instantly happy for a simpler era. Even if I wasn’t born in the 60′s or 70′s, there is a lot to relate to about bridging the gaps between childhood and the inevitable teen cross-over. I mean, who didn’t have seances in graveyards with their friends as a 12-year-old girl? No-one?! Just me then. OK. Ahem. I think my favourite character was hands-down Gabby Hoffman’s Sam, who is trying to cope with her parent’s divorce in a town and time when divorce is unheard of. I like that her grown-up character played by Demi Moore is a successful writer, and is also the narrator of the entire movie. If you want to watch a truly feel-good movie that promotes feminist ideals, this movie is for you.

IT: Chapter One (2017)

Since I watched the 1990 TV miniseries in 1992 at the tender age of 7 (my parents never monitored what I watched - which sometimes led to some gnarly nightmares), I have been waiting for a worthy remake. I, like most of the aficionados that watched the miniseries, loved Tim Curry’s rendition of the demonic entity of IT, but weren’t quite happy about the spider ending. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean. You may be asking why I haven’t included Chapter Two that came out this year (2019), and the reason is, despite Bill Hader’s wonderful performance as the grown-up Ritchie, a cameo by Stephen King himself, and more screen-time for Bill Skarsgaard’s scary clown, the ending here was also disappointing. IT’s true form just doesn’t seem to translate well onto screen. It was adequate. Meh. Anywho.

IT Chapter One, however, is awesome. Instead of jumping back-and-forth in time like both the mini-series and the book did, it focuses on the well-acted ‘Loser’s Club’ as kids, and is truly scary like this story should be. The bully Henry Bowers is truly sociopathic, and Bill Skarsgaard as IT truly nails the fact that IT is so much more than just a killer clown. The death scene with Georgie at the beginning of the film is quite subversive and daring, as it actually shows you the death of a child in all its gory detail. My verdict? Watch the first with gusto, but do not expect anything great from Part Two. Part Two has to exist for continuity, but the first film outshines the second installment in every way possible.

Lady Bird (2017)

For an Indie sleeper film, this story is fantastic as both a coming-of-age film and a depiction of separating from your parents and becoming your own person. Ladybird’s mum is overprotective, and Ladybird needs to break free, whilst also trying not to cause a permanent rift. She’s a different kind of gal, sensitive, intelligent, artistic, and so not meant for a dead-end small town. Her transition toward independence is extremely relatable to me, as I grew up with an over-bearing, interfering mother myself. Also, it’s set in 2002, the year I graduated, with adds to my feelings of nostalgia. It’s the relatablity of Ladybird that makes it so re-watchable to me. I grew up in a dead-end town, was creative and different to my peers, and went to a fancy private school that I didn’t fit into as well. So Ladybird is a cinematic delight as you see her progress to something more hopeful in the future. A must-watch.

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alluringcliche · 5 years

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let me try to remember my buffy/angel episode feelings as i rewatch because i have a bad memory -- one-two sentences per ep @ezrisdax @feelsandotps

I started at 1x12, skipped most of 1. Btw my faves are still Cordelia & Buffy, and my problematic fave is Spike, there it is. I felt like S3 was my fave, but I really appreciate the Spike in S4, so there’s that -- I think 4 has some great eps and 2 of course does as well.

SEASON 1

12. Prophecy Girl - Buffy dies, ouch, but Xander has a heroic moment (?), I think Buffy’s already depressed and it’s S1.

SEASON 2 1. When She Was Bad - See, Buffy’s already depressed and angry but everyone should cut her some slack SHE DIED, SHE’S TRYING. 2. Some Assembly Required - Oh I already forgot about this one, but it was fun because they tried to kill Cordelia and she was great and I adore Cordelia 3. School Hard - SPIKE is here and Spike/Dru are amazing. Also parent teacher night honestly Joyce&Buffy so far is ouch in general. 4. Inca Mummy Girl - This one’s the other kind of ouch like you did a pretty bad job with portraying people who aren’t white, come on. 5. Reptile Boy - Oh the one with the demons in the frat boy basement, nice team scenes, nice metaphor for the patriarchy (yeah I’ve been listening to Buffering the Vampire Slayer, did I mention that). 6. Halloween - Def a S2 favorite they all turn into their costumes Buffy’s helpless, Cordelia’s normal, Xander’s in the army, the whole Willow ghost thing, Spike’s there, it’s great. 7. Lie to Me - The one with the cult who wanted to be vamps. Not much memory of this one except like...the guy had cancer which was sad, not a fave. 8. The Dark Age - First Ripper stuff so that’s fun! 9 & 10. What’s My Line, Part 1/2 - Kendra! Angel tied to a cross! Spike! A fun plan where we save them as a Team. What’s not to like? 11. Ted - Ah, Joyce’s robot boyfriend. Odd, but memorable and like...really dark...when she gets arrested. 12. Bad Eggs Oh yeah, there’s like a monster under the school and everyone’s possessed. Joyce&Buffy is still ouch. 13. Surprise I like when Cordelia jumps out of the cake...but anyway...this is a good though PAINFUL arc, not a Bangel fan. 14. Innocence Ouch Angelus and sad Buffy, but they use a rocket launcher in a mall which is cool. 15. Phases Oz! I never realized he got bit by like his baby cousin? LOL. Touching arc in this ep though! 16. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered Everyone loves Xander, I liked that there was a Cordy focus. 17. Passion OUCH. JENNY. 18. Killed by Death The kind of out-of-normal-context one where Buffy’s in the hospital with ghostly kids! Well done though, has Cordelia’s “tact is just not saying true stuff line” 19. I Only Have Eyes for You I was creeped out by the fact that it was a teacher student relationship and no one cared? Good writing though. 20. Go Fish Haha, Xander and the swim team. I like Cordelia’s monologue about Xander. 21. Becoming, Part 1/2 KENDRA :( BUFFY :( Oh also some great Spike scenes (with Joyce). And of course the ENNNND ouchhh. I’m not fine.

S2 Faves: Halloween, School Hard, Becoming, Passion (ouch!)

SEASON 3 1. Anne - BUFFYS DEPRESSED SOME ONE HELP HER 2. Dead Man’s Party - BUFFY’S DEPRESSED STOP BEING MEAN TO HER 3. Faith, Hope and Trick - Hi, Faith. Didn’t like Faith as much last time, she’s grown on me. 4. Beauty and the Beasts - Another good expansion of Oz’s arc and some Bangel emotions. 5. Homecoming - GREAT I love Buffy and Cordelia and they are together and it’s amazing. Cordelia’s speech at the end is quality. 6. Band Candy - GREAT I mean Joyce and Giles and Snyder as teens it’s so funny and well-paced, nice. 7. Revelations -- This one has an evil British watcher and Xander/Willow (plus Xander being kind of a jerk), not a fave. 8. Lovers Walk -- GREAT. Painful ending. Love Spike & Willow. GREAT. SPIKE/BUFFY/ANGEL WORKING TOGETHER I LOVE THIS. 9. The Wish - GREAT. Ouch. Alt!Buffy. NICE. 10. Amends -- Like, Angel’s past is kind of awful? Give me Angel-the-show dorky Angel please! 11. Gingerbread -- Haha the one where the Sunnydale people try to kill witches I mean again @Joyce&Buffy, ???? not the greatest relationship ??? 12. Helpless GREAT OUCH GREAT...the Watcher’s Council tests Buffy, GILE’S DILEMA, BUFFYS BETRAYAL ouch 13. The Zeppo I mean I like Xander’s arc about believing in himself more, despite him not being great all the time, I still like him overall, glad he got a chance to shine. 14. Bad Girls Faith stop corrupting Buffy! This show has more like very heavily implied Faith/Buffy than I remembered. OUCH @ the ending. 15. Consequences OUCH @ the whole episode with Faith, especially the Xander bit, rougher than I remembered 16. Doppelgangland VAMP!Willow. Willow trying to be vamp!Willow was funny. Another one where I remember good team stuff. 17. Enemies OUCH I totally forgot and thought Angel was really Angelus. Heartbreaking and well done. 18. Earshot I love this one! Jonathan! “Are you planning on killing anyone tomorrow? It’s for the yearbook.” 19. Choices Everyone should let Buffy live basically! 20. The Prom Xander/Cordelia is nice, but isn’t Xander poor? Wesley/Cordelia is creepy? WILD HORSES. BUT YEAH THE UMBRELLA AND I CRY. 21. Graduation Day, Part 1/2 I LOVE THE WHOLE SCHOOL COMING TOGETHER NICE NICE

S3 Faves: Homecoming, Band Candy, Lover’s Walk, the Wish, Helpless, Earshot, Prom, Graduation Day...and a few more I also like a lot, that’s why I really like this season

SEASON 4

1. The Freshman - Buffy's having a hard time in college someone help her! 2. Living Conditions - Buffy’s roommate is a demon, a bit overdone but pretty fun! 3. The Harsh Light of Day - Like the Spike/Buffy banter is great but Parker is awful and honestly Spike is awful too, some of the end fight scene comments are BAD. Also Spike should treat Harmony better. 4. Fear, Itself - Haunted house fears, nice Halloween ep. 5. Beer Bad - I honestly like drunk!Buffy it’s fun! 6. Wild at Heart - Ouch, Oz & Willow OUCH. 7. The Initiative - Buffy/Riley really had a whole fight and didn’t recognize each other? Still I don’t hate Riley so far. 8. Pangs - Look there were some problematic things but I thought the dialogue and episode arc was SO well done and so funny. And they made an attempt to address something, they did a bad job but they tried. Team!Thanksgiving is <3 and perfectionist!Buffy and Spike tied to a chair, Xander/Anya etc. etc. lots of good stuff, I think it’s still a s4 favorite. 9. Something Blue - Ah, cursed!engaged Spuffy NICE.

SEASON 1 ANGEL

1. City Of Look I LOVE ANGEL tbh just the opening and the noir tone and CORDELIA it’s great it’s nice AND DORKY angel and cordelia knows the guys a vamp it’s great! DOYLE.

2. Lonely Heart I don’t love Kate and this demon was weirdly like an STD as well.

3. In the Dark Cordy/Doyle got to feature, and Spike. Not really sure why Angel destroyed the thing (makes him more tortured?)

4. I Fall to Pieces That was actually a pretty creepy stalking episode. Well done bringing attention to how violence against women can be overlooked.

5. Rm w/ a Vu Love this one! CORDELIA IS AMAZING. CORDELIA. IS AMAZING. Dennis is nice too!

6. Sense & Sensitivity I love dorky!Angel, I love when dorky!Angel has to speak his feelings! Poor Kate!

7. Bachelor Party Doyle/Cordy were so close! Definitely a fun one with everyone working together. I’m just having a lot of Angel&Cordy&Doyle feelings

8. I Will Remember You Look I skipped this one for now tbh, I’m just not in a Bangel mood, haha.

So yeah I looked up the next episode and...I thought that was the S1 finale?? That’s...ouch.

#rewatching buffy #btvs #gpoy #personal

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1358456 · 5 years

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Review Response, Destiny #043

The count reached past 10, so here it is. Even with one review being for a chapter that does not exist (???), the count is still past 10. So... yeah!

1) You really made a bitch cry during this chapter, like damn I already guessed it but all my Hoenn favs lost in the waves. Just thinking about what happened to Tate and Liza who are even younger than emerald just haunted me. I had said in a previous review that emerald was gonna lose all his loved ones(by that I mean the ones closest to him) and that’s what happened. One can only pray that there’s even a hint of an ethnically Hoenn population left after this entire ordeal As for everyone else Red and Blue lost their bestie’s and brother but have each other, the Johto kids gained nothing and lost everything, Sinnoh kids are traumatized but otherwise fine, Black and White have each other, and X is probably a level of depressed incomprehensible for the human mind. This story was a fun emotional roller coaster and I’m happy I could be apart of the ride.

Ah, the review for a chapter that does not exist. Given the buggy nature of this, I will consider this review to be for chapter 43.

Emerald has indeed, lost everyone. In fact, if the epilogue scene played out like a video game and you could explore around, on the skeleton around “Emerald Gate”, you’d find a secret chamber containing a lot of worn out journals and two Soul Dew. ... Ouch, huh? And yes, there would be Hoenn population left, having evacuated to the other regions. While most of Hoenn cities have catastrophic casualties, the towns and cities near the fringes but away from the calamity (such as Fallarbor and Rustboro) would have most of their dwellers alive, just evacuated.

Red and Blue are happy (in fact, the popular “rivals” for that pairing are all dead) and will have their own happy ending sooner or later, the Johto folks got a doom ending, the Hoenn folks got a doom ending, Sinnoh got a happy ending, Unova got a happy ending, and Kalos got a doom ending. 3:3. BALANCE!

2) The chapter title honestly reminded me of Avengers: Endgame XD

And thank you as well! It's fun writing Ruby and Sapphire so I don't wanna miss the opportunity. Thank you again! TwT

(Still don’t know anything about the Avengers or whatever)

Thanks so much, Cap! I really love what you did for that segment, and I really appreciate it. I hope we can do something similar once again!

3) That was a great way to end,can’t wait for the other stories to unfold!

Thank you very much. Legacy will certainly get interesting later on!

4) Damn, pretty much all of Hoenn is gone. That's death on a far grander scale than anything I was expecting. Still, the ending is oddly satisfying. Hmm, not sure how else to word that.

Anyway, this entire story is awesome! Kinda wish there was a bit in the epilogue as to what happened with the surviving dex holders, but oh well. Amazing writing as always~

Destiny has the highest death count of all the stories I’ve ever written. Even in terms of named character deaths, SA has the most, since everyone notable in Hoenn are gone. ... It’s a good thing Emerald never got confirmation... “... Even the Shoe Store Guy...”

I was originally going to put in some stuff for the survivors, but they were kind of out of place and incorrect in terms of timeline, as Emerald would seal his two friends and a few days later, the survivors would’ve returned home for their happy endings or whatnot. And thank you!

5) Jeez, what an incredible story. I've been following this since 2014 & all I can really say is damn. Looking forward to keep reading your other stories.

Thank you very much!

6) Why have a cliffhanger ending without a sequel? It's not a horror movie.

Because it’s FUN! Hehe. In truth, I always liked the concept of a teaser ending, especially a teaser ending that shows a new threat/event that it not going to be elaborated on. At least not by the original creators, anyways. Besides, I did this once before back in SA. Never created SA2, you know. Same deal here. Hehehe...

7) Wow...

That was...

Let's just say, I was NOT expecting that.

At all.

Hehe... then it was as intended. Huhuhu...

8) Both of the Unova casts survived?! What is this blasphemy! Hooray for finishing Destiny, really good work. Cya at your other stories.

What a shocker! Black and White lived!!

Ahem. Okay, to be REALLY fair, I did intend to kill White in Destiny. In fact, the “fake Destiny” short story I made years ago (Short Story - Mercy) was supposed to happen exactly in the actual story. White gets mind controlled and convinces Black to kill her to spare her from the torture and to stop her from bringing Unova into ruin by pissing off Kyurem. I just decided to not go with it at the last moment to show some mercy, and because the Kyurem issue will be brought up in another story later on and I didn’t want a repeat. So... now you know! Hehehe...

9) As Ethan Kironus said, "Why have a cliffhanger ending without a sequel? It's not a horror movie." I freakin' hate when someone do that. I'm disappointed and will not read this story, and I regret I ever followed it.

I’m so glad you decided to not read the story after you followed and read it all the way to the very last chapter. Well done.

10) Heheh. You and your cliffhanger endings. They almost always end like that which perfectly sets up for a sequel. Then you never make it to leave us in suspense forever.

Okay. I feel really bad for emerald. Everybody he loves is gone. Like Ruby and Sapphire, he has nothing left. He chose the hard thing to do, however, and spend the rest of his life guarding the orbs. It’s pretty noble, and pretty depressing. At least the others got a somewhat of a happy ending...except for X.

Whats this? Black and White actually lived through a full story?! I didnt think it was possible!

I think this is the most people you killed in a story since everyone in an entire region died.

Anyway, great job with this fic! Its been a very enjoyable one, and I’m glad I got to read it! There truly aren’t enough good stories that involve the dex holders!

Hehehe... them teaser endings!! Though to be fair... I only did it once before with SA. But in terms of “plot based, long story”, there are... 3. SA, Destiny, Legacy. So... with 2 of those stories finished, and 2 teaser endings... 100% rate thus far. Ha!

Poor Emerald indeed. Lost Crystal. Lost Gold. Lost Ruby and Sapphire. Lost even the Trick Master. And later on, loses Latias and Latios. Poor boy. Curious that no one thus far had said “poor Sapphire”. And yes, X had a horribly sad ending too. Because he gets to go home and “bury” Y in Vaniville Town, which means he also has to talk with Y’s mother and tell her of Y’s death. Ohh...

Hehe. About Black and White... To be fair (again), the... er... misconception that I tend to kill Black and White a lot started with how I kind of... tossed them away in SA. And I only had them die in SA because they were post-plot-plan additions. Generation V as a whole debuted after SA started and its plans fully set. So the two did not have a place in the finale thus were thrown away. While it’s true that I bullied the crap out of them in DE, I didn’t really kill them much. ... I think. Ahem. Now, similarly, Sun and Moon both debuted after Destiny began. Which means if I decided to include Sun and Moon in Destiny, they both would’ve died in the final battle to increase the death count. And the misconception that I bully and kill the Alola cast will begin. Maybe. So... yeah. ... That said, I do find a bit of amusement in torturing Black & White, but... hehehe...

Not everyone in Hoenn died, but pretty much everyone. I think the population focused cities are Lilycove (doomed), Slateport (doomed), and Mauville (doomed), so... yeah. A LOT of deaths of faceless nameless people.

Thank you so much! I’ll see you at the other stories!

11) Sorry to give another review, but...

Yeah...

Like I said, wasn't expecting the ending.

The destruction of Hoenn was pretty much the death-wish I asked for. Thanks.

Can't be a 135 story without a cliffhanger ending, can it?

Anyways, as many others have said, the Unovan cast surviving was very surprising.

To end this off (for now), all I can say is that I'm glad I read this. Thanks for giving us a story that can make us feel so many different emotions. There aren't as many out there as there used to be, but you pulled through and that's what mattered.

And to the people who say that the cliffhanger ending was unnecessary... What did you honestly expect? It's a 135 story. Whenever you read one of those, you're always going to be left with one of them. And people actually can LIKE cliffhangers. I'm one of them. No hate to those who disagree with me. I'm just stating my opinion.

(To 135): I'll be back eventually.

You aren't getting rid of me just yet.

Thanks for the story.

You made the “death wish” years after I decided to obliterate Hoenn and its population. So... hehehe. Nice. Works out, eh?

Can’t be a 135 story without one? ... Ehh... maybe. I mean, I guess all the post-endings in SE/DE kind of do that too. Hehehe...

Yeah, yeah. Unova cast... the “usual” targets, apparently.

Thanks for the compliments!

And looking at it strictly, the loose ending is technically unnecessary. And do not cause disputes, s’il vous plait.

“I’ll be back”. ... Do not drive a vehicle through a building? (REFERENCE!)

Well then. I will wait. Thank you!

#qna #destiny

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rosezure · 6 years

Text

Marvel Masterlist

Trigger Warning - ☢

Angst - ☁

Comedy - (◔ ◡ ◔)

Fluff - ☼

Light Angst - ☂

Light Smut - ❤

Requested - ✔

Smut - ♤

Avengers

Overbearing – Peter Parker x Avengers ☼ ☂ (◔ ◡ ◔) ✔

Summary: Being the youngest Avenger has its disadvantages.

Warnings: Some swearing, mentions of injury and wounds.

Avengers x OC

Angel of Darkness ☢ ☁ ☼

Summary: A year after the Accords fiasco, Tony reaches for the phone Steve had given him and dials the number he had memorized during sleepless nights. As much as he hated to admit it, only he could help them now. A new threat had appeared and he knew they would need all the help they could get.

☢ TW AHEAD

☢ Warning: Swearing, violence, mentions of rape and molestation, blood and gore, mentions of panic attacks, depression, suicide, and anxiety. It’s a bit gruesome, if I do say so myself. ☢

Pt.1|Pt.2|Pt.3|Pt.4|Pt.5|Pt.6|Pt.7|Pt.8| (Finished)

Bucky Barnes

Dancing - Female Reader ❤ ☼ (◔ ◡ ◔)

Summary: (Pyrokinetic!Reader) You’re the team’s newest recruit but you’re extremely closed off and stoic. One day, the team catches you dancing and singing around the kitchen.

Warnings: Language maybe? Dancing? I don’t know, really.

Once Upon a December - No Pairing ☢ ☁

Summary: Bucky’s nights are never quiet. The memories keep plaguing him.

Warnings: Angst, lots of it, it’s my first try at it actually. Gore like blood, murder, description of anxiety and perhaps some depression. Yup, it’s pretty bad. Read at your own risk. (Not a warning, but if you look closely there’s a bit of Stucky in this.)

Rain Kisses ❤ ☼ ✔

Summary: Homesickness can be quite harsh. But Bucky knows just how to cure it.

Warnings: Maybe some swearing, making out, other than that I think it’s safe.

True Colors - Female Reader ☢ ☁ ☼

Summary: Karaoke can be inspiring. Trust me.

Warnings: Maybe some angst, alcohol (cause it’s a club duh), mentions of dark thoughts- If any of you guys want someone to talk to, someone to listen to you, I’m here -and maybe some Bucky fluff.

Steve Rogers

Captain Babysitter ☼ (◔ ◡ ◔) ✔

Summary: “You hear that? That’s the sound of my awesomeness.”

Warnings: Children,- no, really, they can be evil little things, I swear!- light swearing, blood. If I forgot anything, just warn me!

Captured - Female Reader ☂ ❤ ✔

Summary: You’re the Avengers’ newest member and you all get along splendidly. Except for a certain blonde haired Captain. Steve Rogers, a.k.a Captain America, seems to hate you. But does he?

Warnings: Language, torture, violence, blood and gore in general, mentions of death perhaps.

|Pt.1|Pt. 2|

Haunted - Female Reader ☼ (◔ ◡ ◔) ✔

Summary: Haunted houses aren’t so bad after all.

Warnings: Language.

I like like you - Female Reader ☼ (◔ ◡ ◔) ✔

Summary: Clint and Laura need a break and you offer to babysit for them while they go out. There’s only one problem: You have no idea what you’re doing! It’s up to Steve to save you.

Warnings: Language, fluff, lots of it.

Little Spitfire - Female Reader (◔ ◡ ◔) ☼

Summary: Steve Rogers gets stitched up and tries to be flirty. Key word: Tries.

Warnings: Wounds and mentions of blood.

|Pt.1|Pt. 2|

T’Challa

Cupcakes and Kisses - Female Reader ❤ ☼ ✔

Summary: Reader is self-conscious because of her plump body and decides to do something about it. T'Challa doesn’t really think she needs to but helps her anyway.

Warnings: Mentions of body image problems. You’ll probably get a tooth ache from all the sweet and pure fluff in this. Also, expect a lot of kissing and making out. Implied smut, I think? I’m not sure, tell me if I forgot anything!

Cursed - Female Reader (◔ ◡ ◔) ☼ ✔

Summary: No animals allowed on the rides. But who cares?

Warnings: Swearing, scary attractions.

Exs and Ohs - Female Reader ❤ (◔ ◡ ◔) ☼ ✔

Summary: A dinner with the ex sounds like a good idea, right? Yeah, Right...

Warnings: Groping, heavy making-out, awkward conversations, ex-boyfriends, jealous!T’Challa.

Hot, hot, hot - Female Reader ❤ ☼ ✔

Summary: Summer lovin’, happened so fast!

Warnings: Half naked Avengers, I guess. Swearing. That’s about it. Just message me if I forgot anything!

#ourinfinitespectrum marvel masterlist #marvel masterlist #marvel fanfiction #avengers x reader #avengers x oc #avengers fanfiction

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imaginetonyandbucky · 7 years

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Prompt: Bucky forgetting Tony and his anniversary because he spends all his time with Steve.

Tony knew he didn't really have any right to complain. Considering the number of times he had forgotten Pepper's birthday or any other important date they'd shared, he actually deserved to be at the other end of the equation for once. The thing was just that he'd made an effort this time. He had decided, at the very start of his and Bucky's relationship, that he would do better.

Nowadays, Tony made sure to mark every important date in his calendar and asked JARVIS to remind him well enough in advance that he could plan gifts or make reservations — whatever seemed suitable for the occasion. Tony was determined not to make the same mistakes as he had with Pepper. The sheer number of times he'd made her feel ignored or forgotten would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he didn't blame her in the slightest for breaking up with him.

So, when his and Bucky's one-year anniversary rolled around, Tony was prepared. He'd finally learned that unnecessarily bombastic gifts usually weren't the way to go — another thing Pepper had had to suffer through — and had settled for buying Bucky a new, fancy leather jacket and a pair of headphones. Both were of expensive brands, granted, because Tony didn't know how to buy things cheap, but they were also things Bucky genuinely wanted. That hopefully made them better gifts than an obscenely large stuffed bunny.

Bucky's favorite place to eat didn't really require reservations, but Tony had made sure to call ahead to warn them that two Avengers would be dropping by and had politely requested a table in the back, if possible. When Tony had explained that it was for an anniversary dinner, they had been more than happy to help — and offered their well-wishes.

Everything was set. Tony had even made sure he was free from SI and Avengers obligations the entire day, intending to focus solely on Bucky. That had been one of the main problems in all of Tony's previous relationships; his work and projects always came first. In general, Bucky seemed to have nothing against that — he was surprisingly uninterested in changing Tony — but their anniversary, of all days, shouldn't be like that. Tony wanted Bucky to know just how much he loved him, even if he didn't always manage to say it with actual words.

Disappointingly, the day didn't turn out at all like Tony had planned.

(Mobile readers, watch out for the break)

First of all, he woke up alone. That wasn't entirely unexpected — he and Bucky kept different schedules — but he had hoped Bucky might sleep in on account of what day it was. Usually, Bucky loved to cuddle in bed, but his morning run with Steve must have held more appeal.

Tony pushed his disappointment aside, telling himself that didn't matter. There were still plenty of hours left in the day; Bucky would have time for him later.

Except when Bucky and Steve returned from their run and stopped by the kitchen for a water bottle each, all Tony got was a quick smile and a chaste kiss from Bucky before both super soldiers disappeared in the direction of the gym. Tony stood frozen on the spot, bereft, coffee cup in hand and unspoken words dying on his lips. He had wanted to ask Bucky what his plans for the day were, but Tony supposed he already had his answer.

Tony told himself not to be so greedy. He couldn't expect Bucky to always have time for him. Being too demanding was another reason for the rift between him and Pepper — the way she'd put Tony's needs before hers, time and time again. It was both selfish and cruel.

If Bucky wanted to spend his day with his best friend, who was Tony to stop him?

Tony swallowed and quickly gathered up his composure. If Bucky was busy, Tony might as well get some work done on his numerous projects. Bucky would come find him sooner or later, and then they could make arrangements for when to eat dinner.

Tony clung to that thought as he headed for his workshop, but there was no denying the lump of dread growing in his stomach. He had a feeling this day would turn out to be the opposite of what he had hoped.

---

A gentle kiss was pressed against Tony's temple and he felt himself smile, a shiver of delight running down his spine. He looked up from his soldering and was met by Bucky's grinning face.

"How are you, doll?" Bucky's words were soft and drawling, intimate in a way that never failed to make Tony's heart skip a beat. Bucky ran his hand through Tony's hair, as if he just couldn't resist the temptation to touch him.

This was what Tony had pictured their anniversary to be like.

"I'm good." Tony put his tools down and turned his chair around, pulling Bucky closer by his belt loops. "You?"

Bucky's hair was still a little wet from the shower he'd taken after his workout and Tony was pleased to note that Bucky was now wearing that lovely red Henley of his. It was one of Tony's favorites.

"Right now? Absolutely perfect," Bucky murmured with a fond smile, before leaning down for a proper kiss. Tony got so caught up in it — the warmth and taste of him — that he almost missed the words Bucky whispered against his lips as soon as the kiss ended. "I just wanted to see you before Steve and I head out again."

Tony stiffened, blinking in surprise. "Out?"

"Yeah." Bucky straightened and combed his fingers through Tony's hair once more, though this time it didn't feel particularly comforting. "The baseball game, remember? Steve got us tickets months ago."

"Oh. Right." Tony felt his heart sink, cold realization beginning to spread through his veins.

Had Bucky forgotten what day it was? Or did he just not care about celebrating anniversaries? Or maybe Tony had assumed their relationship was a bigger deal than it actually was? Perhaps Bucky saw what they had as something more casual, and therefore didn't want to acknowledge that they'd been dating for a year?

The thought made Tony's throat tighten.

"You okay?" Bucky was frowning, his voice full of concern.

Tony couldn't tell him. He'd either make a fool out of himself or make Bucky feel guilty for prioritizing spending time with his best friend. Tony and Bucky hadn't actually agreed to do anything special for their anniversary — they hadn't even mentioned it, in fact — so he shouldn't feel disappointed that Bucky had other plans.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tony faked a smile, even if he knew that Bucky could probably see right through it.

Unsurprisingly, Bucky wasn't convinced. "You sure? You look..." Bucky didn't finish the sentence, obviously not sure how to catalogue whatever look was on Tony's face.

"I'm just tired," Tony deflected. "I didn't get much sleep."

It was a flimsy excuse. Bucky seemed to agree, judging by the frown he was wearing.

"Do you want me to stay in tonight?"

"No." Tony shook his head, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to say yes, but that wouldn't be fair to Bucky. He and Steve had obviously started planning their evening months ago — even before Tony had started making his preparations. "What good would that do? I probably won't be good company anyway. I'd rather see you go out and have fun with Steve."

"Are you sure?" Bucky asked.

"Absolutely." Tony wasn't even lying. He would only feel bad if Bucky stayed at home because Tony had asked him to, knowing he'd rather be at the game.

Bucky still looked concerned, but relented. "Okay, but let me know if you change your mind."

This was outright torture. Tony's chest felt heavy with disappointment and what could, quite possibly, be grief. He was fairly certain this meant Bucky had forgotten — he wouldn't be this oblivious if he was just uninterested in celebrating their anniversary — but that option was no less depressing. Bucky didn't consider the date notable enough to remember.

"I will." Tony's stomach was a tightly clenched ball of misery, but he managed a smile. "Now get going, before Steve leaves without you."

Bucky smiled too, his thumb stroking Tony's cheek. "See you when I get back?"

Tony nodded, not sure if his voice would carry without cracking. He returned the kiss Bucky gave him, but he could admit his heart wasn't in it. As he watched Bucky leave the workshop, on his way to spend the evening with Steve, Tony was almost a little surprised by how much it hurt.

Was this how Pepper had felt? If so, he didn't know how the hell she'd held out for as long as she had. It was excruciating to know his and Bucky's anniversary had been forgotten by the one other person who should remember it.

As soon as the elevator slid shut behind Bucky, Tony could feel his eyes begin to burn. He had no right to feel hurt, he knew that — he had treated Pepper way worse during their relationship — but he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. Bucky had always been so caring and considerate that the possibility of him forgetting their anniversary hadn't even occurred to Tony as an option. It seemed like the kind of thing Bucky would remember even if they had been in the middle of an Avengers mission.

Tony gritted his teeth and looked up at the ceiling, blinking the tears away. He was just overreacting, that was all. They hadn't said the day was special and, just because Tony had, for once, made an effort, that didn't mean he should fault Bucky for not doing the same. Bucky already put up with so much when it came to Tony, so if he wanted to go to a baseball game instead of having dinner with Tony, then he'd certainly earned that.

"JARVIS." Tony cleared his throat to get rid of the telltale tremble in his voice. "Let the restaurant know we're not coming."

"Of course, Sir."

Tony tried to convince himself that wasn't pity in JARVIS's voice, but he wasn't particularly successful.

---

As much as Tony tried to pretend that everything was fine in the days following their anniversary, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of disappointment. He stuffed Bucky's presents into one of the drawers in the workshop, praying he'd forget about them entirely, and did his best to smile like nothing was wrong.

It wasn't a big deal that Bucky had forgotten. Tony had no right to complain about something he had done so many times himself. A part of him wanted to get passive aggressive about it, sure, but Bucky deserved better than that. Tony was trying so hard not to fall back into old, childish patterns.

He was a little stiffer than usual, though, and found himself spending more time in the workshop, unfairly trying to spare himself the stab of hurt he felt whenever seeing Bucky. Tony just couldn't let it go, even if he knew he should. Whether or not they celebrated their anniversary didn't make or break their relationship. Tony might feel a painful clench in his chest whenever he thought about it, but he could learn to ignore that.

If Bucky noticed something was wrong, he never said anything.

---

Tony woke to gentle fingers stroking his hair and a soft kiss against his forehead. If the purpose was to make him eager to get out of bed, it was a poor tactic; tenderness of that kind only made him want to stay in bed longer.

"I brought coffee," Bucky whispered fondly.

Reluctantly, Tony cracked open one eye. "Are you bribing me?" he asked, mock-suspicious.

Bucky laughed and kissed his cheek. "I might be." He straightened and gestured towards Tony. "Come on, sit up."

Tony rolled his eyes but did as told, failing to suppress a wide yawn. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand — 9:13 AM — before getting distracted by the breakfast tray standing on fold-out legs next to the bed.

"You brought breakfast?" It was a stupid question since Tony could see for himself that Bucky had — toast, pancakes, sliced fruit, juice, and the aforementioned coffee. He wasn't displeased, just a little surprised.

"Nothin' gets past you, does it?" Bucky replied teasingly as he lifted the tray off the floor and placed it in front of Tony instead. Only then did Tony notice the rose lying next to the juice pitcher — rich, dark red with gold glitter along the edges of the petals.

"That's for you," Bucky said, obviously having noticed where Tony's gaze had strayed. Bucky picked up the rose and held it out to Tony, his smile breathtakingly sweet. "I know it's a little cheesy, but I figured you wouldn't mind."

Truth be told, Tony had trouble swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. He was pretty bad at romantic gestures and perhaps not overly fond of showing heartfelt emotions, but he couldn't not like it when Bucky was being so sincere. This was why Tony had wanted to do something special for their anniversary — he knew Bucky valued these kinds of things.

"You dork," Tony whispered, albeit fondly. He accepted the rose with one hand and pulled Bucky down for a kiss with the other. Bucky hummed against Tony's lips but soon drew back, grinning proudly.

"Let's eat." He was unusually eager, even for a hungry super soldier, and Tony couldn't help laughing when Bucky crawled over Tony's legs to settle next to him, propped up against the pillows. As soon as Bucky was in place, he leaned in to kiss Tony's cheek. "I love you."

Tony's throat closed up. He knew he was being ungrateful, but why couldn't Bucky have done this on their anniversary instead? This was exactly the kind of thing Tony had expected to share on that day, but instead Bucky had been off spending time with Steve. Of course Tony still appreciated the attention he was given now, but he'd been carrying the disappointment for days and it wasn't any easier when knowing just how considerate Bucky could be.

"I love you too," Tony replied, even if his voice sounded a little choked. Hopefully, Bucky would take it as Tony being touched instead of a tiny bit heartbroken.

To give himself some time to gather his composure, Tony picked up his coffee and took a sip. Immediately, Tony could tell Bucky had prepared it himself. It was quite endearing that no matter how many times Tony explained that he had appliances that could grind the beans and make the actual coffee, both Bucky and Steve occasionally insisted on doing it the old-fashioned way. Tony would be lying if he said it wasn't terribly flattering that Bucky wanted to spend that kind of time and effort on Tony's coffee, though.

Tony cleared his throat, careful not to meet Bucky's gaze. "So, what are we celebrating?"

While Bucky was a whole lot better at romantic gestures than Tony, they usually had a purpose of some kind.

Bucky laughed. "It's our anniversary, sweetheart."

Tony froze, coffee cup halfway to his lips. He turned his head and stared at Bucky, feeling a sickening roll in his stomach. "No, it's not," he said.

Their anniversary had been five days ago — Tony was sure of it.

His heart clenched when Bucky reached out and took his free hand, raising it to his lips to kiss Tony's knuckles. "Yes, it is." Bucky smiled, thumb stroking Tony's fingers. "And it's okay if you've forgotten — Pepper warned me that you might."

Tony's throat clicked and he hastily looked down at the breakfast tray in his lap. He hadn't forgotten. For once he hadn't forgotten, but he understood if everyone assumed he had — it was how he usually operated, after all. He wasn't sure how they'd mixed up the days — Tony trusted JARVIS with his life, and he would never have given the wrong date — so the fault must lie with Tony.

That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

"Okay." He swallowed and carefully placed his coffee cup back on the tray. "I'm sorry." Even he could hear that his tone was too flat.

"Tony?" Bucky sounded concerned — maybe even a little sad. "I mean it. It's okay if you don't—"

"I should get to work," Tony interrupted. He pulled his hand back from Bucky and grabbed the handles of the tray, preparing to lift it to the side. "I have a lot to—"

"No, wait!" Bucky took hold of Tony's wrist, not tightly enough that Tony couldn't break free, but still enough to make him freeze in place. "Tony, what's wrong?" There was outright panic in Bucky's voice now. "Was it something I did?"

Tony quickly shook his head, but he didn't let go of the breakfast tray or look up at Bucky. "No, you're wonderful. This is wonderful. Everything is fine, I just need to—"

"Please don't lie to me."

Tony shut his mouth with a clack. Lying never helped a relationship, Tony knew that much. Bucky deserved better than lies.

"Tony, please. Talk to me." There was so much pleading sincerity in Bucky's voice — Tony didn't have the heart to deny him.

It still wasn't easy, though. Tony sat quiet for long, agonizing seconds before he gathered enough courage to speak. Bucky's fingers remained wrapped around Tony's wrist the entire time, as if he was afraid that Tony would leave as soon as he let go.

"I didn't forget," Tony said, gaze fixed on the cooling pancakes. He licked his lips. "I just thought it was five days ago, that's all."

There was a stunned silence.

"You did? Why didn't you say anything?"

Tony refused to reply to that, and he also refused to meet Bucky's gaze. He couldn't quite decide if he felt depressed or just stupid — perhaps both.

"Five days ago was—" Bucky cut himself off, sucking in a sharp breath. "Oh Tony, no." He sounded devastated. "That's why you looked so sad when I said I was going to the game with Steve."

Since it wasn't a question, Tony saw no reason to reply.

"I could tell somethin's been off these past couple o' days," Bucky continued softly, "but I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it."

Tony closed his eyes when Bucky touched his cheek, breathtakingly gentle, as always.

"Please look at me."

Tony sighed but did as asked — there were few things he could deny Bucky — and wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw the pained look on Bucky's face.

"I would never do that to you." The amount of conviction in Bucky's voice was rather comforting, but Tony still felt a pang of sadness. "I would never force you to spend our anniversary alone. Not even for Steve."

"I know." Tony did know that. Bucky wouldn't knowingly be that cruel to someone he cared about, and Bucky did care about Tony. It had taken a while to get used to the thought, but Tony eventually had. "I just figured you'd forgotten."

Tony tried to sound nonchalant but he was fairly certain that he failed.

Bucky cupped Tony's cheek. "I would never forget somethin' as important as that." He swallowed, his smile faint. "And I'm sorry I assumed you had."

"Hey, it's okay — it's what I do." Tony shrugged, gaze skittering to look at the wall behind Bucky's shoulder. "You're right to expect the worst—"

"Tony, no." Bucky's words were gentle but the look in his eyes was firm. "I'm sorry. I know you've been tryin' really hard and I shouldn't have doubted you. That wasn't fair. Please accept my apology?"

Tony frowned. "I still got the wrong date so I don't see why you should apologize for—"

"Tony."

"Fine!" Tony exclaimed, both exasperated and a little bit fond. He felt a reluctant smile twitch at the corner of his lips. "I accept your apology."

"Thank you." Bucky leaned in for a soft kiss, clearly relieved. He bumped their foreheads together. "Are we good?"

"Yeah." Tony closed his eyes, soaking up the comfort of having Bucky close — their breaths mingling, Bucky's warmth pressed against his side. "We're good."

Bucky hummed and gave Tony another quick kiss. "In that case, I suggest breakfast."

Tony snorted but saw no reason to protest. A lot of the tension he'd been carrying the past couple of days was gone. Sure, he'd still gotten the date wrong, despite his best efforts, but at least this meant Bucky hadn't forgotten about their anniversary.

"I'm sorry I mixed up the days," Tony said, settling back against the pillows before taking another sip of coffee. "I still have the presents I got you, but I haven't made any dinner reservations."

Bucky picked up a piece of toast and smiled. "That's okay — I have."

Tony grinned back and was a little surprised when JARVIS interrupted the sweet moment — he usually had enough tact not to.

"Sirs, if I may?"

"Sure, JARVIS," Tony replied, reaching for one of the forks. "Go ahead."

"You were not mistaken about the date."

"JARVIS, it's not your fault." Tony used the side of his fork to cut a decent piece of pancake for himself, slapping Bucky's fingers away when he tried to steal it. "I just gave you the wrong date to keep track off. No harm done."

"No, Sir, you were right. All of my logs — and your credit card receipts — confirm that it was one year and five days ago that you and Sergeant Barnes had your first outing."

Both Tony and Bucky froze, then turned to look at each other in surprise. Bucky couldn't be the one who had gotten the date wrong, could he? Tony was pretty certain that was his job.

"Wait, you count from the first date?" Bucky asked, frowning.

"You don't?"

"No?"

It was Tony's turn to frown. "Then what anniversary are we having today?"

"Our first kiss." Bucky looked a little hesitant. "I mean, isn't that technically when we got together?"

"I..." Tony was beginning to feel hesitant too. "I don't know?"

There was a brief silence, Bucky and Tony staring at each other in confusion.

"Both dates are milestones within your relationship," JARVIS helpfully cut in, "so neither of you are necessarily wrong. They are both anniversaries."

If Tony hadn't been so stunned, he would probably have found the situation quite hilarious. But at least he was beginning to understand why they said that communication was key in any relationship.

"Perhaps, in preparation for next year, you should agree on a date together?" JARVIS kindly suggested. "To avoid further misunderstandings."

Bucky let out a short laugh, his shoulders relaxing. "Yeah, that's probably for the best."

"Let's go with today in that case," Tony decided. "A first kiss is more fun to celebrate than a first date."

"Sounds good to me," Bucky replied, a soft smile on his lips.

Tony just had to lean in and give him a quick kiss which, unsurprisingly, ended up being everything but quick. Once Tony managed to pull back, he wasn't ashamed to admit that he felt slightly lightheaded, his entire being tingling with happiness and contentment.

He cleared his throat while trying — and failing — not to smile. "JARVIS, rearrange the schedule and mark today as our anniversary instead."

"Certainly, Sir."

JARVIS reply was partly lost to Tony since he was busy returning the next kiss Bucky pulled him in for — a deep and needy thing that made his heart rate spike and toes curl. There was a flutter of warmth in Tony's chest, growing steadily stronger, and he reveled in the closeness — the feeling of belonging and the sizzle of desire pooling low in his stomach.

Bucky made him feel all kinds of wonderful things.

For the first time in five days, Tony was able to let go of the worry he'd been carrying and simply enjoy Bucky's company.

It was, after all, their anniversary, and what better way to spend it?

_____________

- Amethystina

#winteriron #tony x bucky #tony stark #bucky barnes #misunderstandings #anniversaries #angst #fluff #prompts #stick with me to the end and I promise it will be worth it #this is a lot happier than the prompt might suggest #Amethystina

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shark-myths · 7 years

Text

I was tagged by @beckettsthoughts, which, thank you. <3 <3 <3

RULES: Always post the rules. Answer the questions asked, then write 11 new ones. Tag 11 people to answer your questions, as well as the person who tagged you.

THEIR QUESTIONS

1. What is something you’ve seen in person that you never thought you’d see in person? (E.g. rare or bizarre wildlife, a dream destination, a celebrity)

Literally in a parking lot I saw a raven using salsa. It was dipping its fucking parking lot scavenge food in a little paper cup of SALSA. What the ACTUAL fuck???

2. What book/movie do you keep saying you want to read/watch but know you probably never will?

Let��s be real, I am never going to get through The Silmarillion, I am a low person of low quality

3. What song will you forever associate with school dances or discos?

GET LOW! And also, um, the Cha-Cha Slide. I’m old.

4. What’s your favourite supermarket to shop at? Why is it better than all the others?

Trader Joe’s. It is the fucking best in all ways. They have a lot of random delicious items that I’m in love with, they have the best chocolate, they have my favorite wine and it’s under $4 a bottle, they have dorky cute house brands like “Trader Jose’s” for their Mexican food, I like their red quinoa and dried pineapple and sweetened coconut chips and maple cookies, and there are always samples and you can get produce there that actually has flavor, is affordable, and is not ROTTEN like all the produce in Mississippi. Also a favorite is ALDI, which is super cheap and offers pantry staples $2-3 cheaper than anywhere else and has a lot of types of food that are no longer accessible to me now that we live somewhere without one—like, who can pay $8 for a pack of pancetta for her pizza sauce? Not this dude. At ALDI that shit was $3. The working poor need dried Italian meats too.

5. Do you have any local myths or legends?

CUBA ROAD. It was just this creepy road and if you went down it at midnight you would like, either not come back at all or come back horribly changed. It was Haunted. No one I know who braved it ever saw anything but I also only knew like, one person who dared try. I certainly didn’t.

6. How did you meet your best friend?

ON THE INTERNET READING FANFICTION, that’s actually how I meet almost all of my significant relationships. not even joking. I just give my home address and phone number to strangers on the internet, it’s been working out pretty well the past 14 years

7. Think of the best teacher you ever had at school, what were they like and why were they the best?

to be honest with you, I have completed 24 years of formal fucking education and I have had so many teachers, trying to pick the best one is shredding my heart! I had one teacher for Anatomy who was really passionate and gave us these embarrassing activities like doing autopsies on pickles (she had dressed them up and given them wounds, like toothpick splinters and ball-bearing bullets) and hypothesizing about cause of death; I had an amazing ball-buster history teacher who yelled at me in class once for working on homework for another teacher and from that moment on I adored her; I had a really intelligent professor with really high standards who taught psychopharmacology and I worked the hardest I ever have to do well in his class because I respected him so much; I had a really excitable professor from Luxemborg who I took a “gender benders” in lit and history class with who was amazing and kind to me even though at that point I was too anxious to ever speak; I recently took Medical Anthropology with a greek woman who shouted about politics and biomedicine daily and just thinks about things as a hobby and I want to be her when I grow up and she let me write my entire term paper on how mad I was at sexism in my field of study.

The trends in what I like are: passion/enthusiasm; having high standards; not being nice to me to try to get me to like them. because I’m broken in strange and interesting way the quickest thing a teacher can do to lose my respect is try to make me like them. Like, be kind of a dick to me and then praise me for killing myself on papers to win your approval, that’s all I want.

8. Have you ever had any funny holiday/vacation mishaps?

once when I was interviewing for a graduate school program I was given a hotel room by the school, which was pretty decent of them—they had this weird on-site hotel—and I was all prepared to settle in, had my shit spread all over both beds, when in came the OTHER APPLICANT I was apparently sharing the room with. This was terribly embarrassing. I had an anxiety disorder at the time, was easily embarrassed & soooooo behaviorally inhibited. Anyway, long story short, I forgot to pack pajamas so instead of saying that like a normal person, I just… pretended really casually like I always slept in the same sweater I’d worn all day and wormed out of my jeans under the covers

9. Speaking of holidays and vacations, what are the best and worst holidays you’ve ever been on?

best: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for my honeymoon, a spring break trip to Toronto, a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard, going to Boulder for the first time and spending a week with @simplydalektable and the way everything was made of sunshine and gold and I didn’t need food or sleep or anything but her

worst: when I was 15 and my parents took me and my half-brothers to a remote cabin in the wilderness with no internet and it was during the days when texting and phone calls like, existed but you had to pay tremendously to enjoy them so they were Outlawed and everyone was tense and mad at each other and bored because like, we are not equipped to socialize who would think locking us all into one room was a good idea; once when I was depressed at Disney World with my mom and all I could think about was how I was supposed to enjoy it more and everyone was mad at me because I was an Angsty Adolescent; these are pretty mild horrors, my life is pretty good

10. Do you collect anything? Did you collect anything when you were younger?

I used to collect comic books with great seriousness! Now I collect band shit and copies of Lord of the Rings, my favorite anything ever. I have 4 editions currently, which is not nearly enough. I collect books in general with fervency.

11. What led you create a tumblr blog, however long ago that may be?

oh my god this is the most me thing ever, but there was an art festival in the town I was living in and some old fucking white dude entered a project that was Commentary On The Youths or some shit and used the selfies of young girls that he took from the internet to criticize millennials for being shallow???? Like, that is a form of cultural appropriation, these girls are growing up in a society that allows them some modicum of control over their own image and they’re using it to explore and define themselves and own their own selves for one fucking moment in their lives, and You, some Gross Old Dude, are just putting your slimy hands in there and like, trying to make a Point about something you can’t possibly understand????? And I was so angry I decided I was going to do my OWN selfie project (I’m in year 2 now; I was daily in year 1 but I’ve been slacking the last six months), so I made this blog, and for the first year I used it only for posting my daily selfies. like every fucking other thing in my life, I created this blog out of pure rage. (someday I will tell you the story of how I became so mad at the field of clinical psychology that I decided to become a clinical psychologist, and somehow powered through 8 years of torturous education on that anger alone)

And for the second part of this, I tag @xabjectlessonsx @crhiscornell @syndestruction @time-less @immoral-crow @we-are-the-weirdos-mister @oceanjade345 and any of you lovelies who would like to!

MY QUESTIONS

1. What is the sickest you’ve ever been and why?

2. What is your favorite thing to drink?

3. What song do you use to deal with your emotions? How does it work—does it suppress them or let you express them?

4. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, it would be:

5. Favorite myth, legend, or fairy tale?

6. If you had a perfectly self-centered wish you could make, what would you wish for?

7. Tell me about your pets.

8. In your opinion, what is the most perfect record ever made? (Doesn’t have to be your favorite)

9. What’s your favorite thing about space?

10. What are you nostalgic for?

11. List 5 words you think everyone should start using more.

#ask #ask meme #about me #tag a friend

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