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dracosaurusrex · 4 years

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Notebook - Draco Malfoy x reader

Here’s Part 2!

Summary: In which admiration takes the form of notebooks, handwriting, and smiles

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Gryffindor!reader

A/N: I caved into an attempt to write this after reading so many fanfics haha. That being said, this is my first fic. Tbh, I’m not exactly satisfied, but I hope it brings you joy anyway. Feedback is very much appreciated! Thank you!

Draco Malfoy was known for many things. To the vast majority, it was his menacing behavior, characterized by his high pride and brash comments. You were aware of this. You even witnessed him in action when he and Harry would clash. Did you approve of it? Definitely not. However, you also took notice of small moments where slivers of kindness were shown by the platinum-haired boy, and for a short instance you saw a warm heart behind his notorious reputation. Because of that, you couldn’t help but reserve a soft spot for him in your heart.

With the exception of being paired for several assignments in the classes you shared, you weren’t particularly close to Draco. This, however, didn’t stop you from admiring him from afar. It was a known fact that he was one of the most attractive guys in Hogwarts. Despite his questionable personality, he actually had quite the number of admirers. How could he not? His chiseled features were emphasized by his alluring eyes and a handsome smile to match. You would consider yourself lucky to be present whenever a rare laugh left his lips. It made your heart skip as you catch yourself smiling privately in response.

This was the case for potions today: Crabbe had mixed up several of his ingredients, resulting in the concoction exploding in front of him. No injuries occurred, but the incident drew attention to him as a thick layer of soot covered his shocked expression. After a pause, you turned at the sound of Draco and Blaise releasing a laugh as the rest of the class followed. You couldn’t help but laugh out loud yourself once the situation had registered completely. Your gaze, which was initially focused on Crabbe shifted to the blonde boy behind him. Your eyes locked. He stopped laughing, but his smile remained plastered on his face as he kept his sight focused on you. The class eventually calmed down, but you felt your heart beating rapidly against your chest as the connection lingered on for a few more seconds.

Your good friend, Hermoine, took notice of your dazed expression, and waved her hand in front of your face.

“Y/N! Earth to Y/N! Are you okay? What are you even looking at?” She turned her head so it was directed toward the same angle as yours. You snapped your head forward as you tried to hide the blush that spread across your cheeks.

“It’s nothing! Let’s get back to work, shall we?” You frantically said as you took her shoulders to turn her around. You didn’t want her to know about the feelings you had managed to keep well-hidden.

Your attention went back to completing the potion at hand, hoping that she didn’t catch on to your behavior. However, you couldn’t stop thinking about the boy and the slight interaction you both shared.

‘It was nothing. That was insignificant.’

You were constantly reminding yourself to keep your emotions in control, oblivious to the fact that the sound of your own laughter and the sight of your sparkling eyes had tickled Draco’s heart as well.

The scene continued to rewind itself as you tried to carry on with your day. After your classes, you found yourself studying in a secluded part of the library, trying to refine your notes for potions. You could keep up with the class just fine, but it took you more effort to do so in contrast to your other subjects. At least it was interesting and challenging enough to make you enjoy it.

You were 20 minutes into your study and your mind was desperately trying to make sense of the text in front of you. Your senses became overloaded. Your knee bounced up and down, you began to twirl your quill in between your fingers, and your eyebrows furrowed in hopes that it would make your brain do a better job in processing the information. The feeling of frustration soon built up, and to add to that, you couldn’t seem to get Draco out of your head. Controlling your feelings had never been this difficult before.

Throwing the thought of him to the back of your mind proved futile, as you heard a chair screeching beside you.

“Too much tension in your face is going to give you wrinkles, Y/L/N.” Your eyes widened at the familiarity of the voice. When you looked up, you were met with platinum blonde and the scent of mint. Draco was smirking at you.

“Draco. Can I help you?” You spoke out, trying to sound annoyed while you allowed yourself to submerge your face into your hands. The beating in your chest was quickening just as it did in potions. ‘Why is he here?’ you thought to yourself.

He shrugged, “Probably not. Besides, I don’t think I’m the one who needs help.” His eyes scanned your workspace. Pieces of parchment were scattered everywhere, and your book was filled with make-shift tabs along with paragraphs decorated with desperate markings and annotations. It takes you a second to realize what he was talking about as you lifted your head to follow his line of sight.

You rolled your eyes and sighed. “If you’re here to pick on me, right now is not the time.” You mentally slapped yourself as the words rolled with harshness out of your mouth. In your defense, you really were trying to make sense of everything. The conflict between your feelings and your studying was not helping you at all. You proceeded to cover your face with your hands again.

Suddenly, a green notebook was plopped on top of your scattered mess. You peeked in between your fingers to examine the object.

“I don’t care whether you use it or not. Just give it back before our next class.” You looked up to see him walk off, stunned that he gave you any attention at all.

Once he disappeared from your sight, you picked the notebook up gingerly, running your fingers across his name, which was debossed on the cover. Draco was also known to be exceptionally intelligent, only falling short of Hermione. This thought made your heart race even more all while the heat began to fill your senses again. You couldn’t help but feel relieved, happy, and intimidated all at the same time. ‘Oh great. I’m swooning again.’

Your features softened as your fingers traced its edges, keeping the thought of the owner in mind. ‘This is his notebook.’ You smiled as you mentally embedded the recent scenes into your memory. With a grateful heart, you began to flip through the pages. You were surprised with the neatness of his penmanship, even more so with how thorough and organized the information was. More relief overtook you as you came to the pages that had the content you were frustrated with. You began comparing the content in your textbook to the notes in front of you, finally making sense of the topic.

“Oh!!” You exclaimed in triumph, happily writing down your newfound understanding into your own notes. The feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment had replaced the frustration you felt earlier as you finished up your studying to head to dinner. As you packed up your belongings, you glanced at the green notebook before picking it up. Suddenly, an image of his focused expression filled your mind as you pictured him writing on the surface of the paper. You envisioned his piercing silver eyes and slightly furrowed brows, accompanied by slightly parted lips. His perfect posture, you pictured, was emphasized by the sleekness of the familiar black suit. His fingers were slender, wrapping themselves delicately around a quill. You silently thanked his mother for giving birth to the work of art that is him. Another blush rushes in and thoughts of Draco started to invade your mind again, but this time you happily granted permission for them to engulf you. With another smile, you placed his notebook in your bag.

Once you were gone, Draco came out from one of the shelves, closing the book he was using to hide his face. He glanced at your retreating figure then turned his gaze back to the table you were sitting at. He took a seat and placed his hand against his chest, feeling himself fall for you more as he recalled the loving expression that was plastered on your face when you caressed the notebook. He couldn’t wait for the next time you had potions.

Part 2

A/N: I originally had 3/4 of the fic written out, but after reading it, I just wasn’t satisfied with the way things were going. I felt that this was a nice stop for now, so that I can think of something more...sufficient for the vibe. Thanks for reading! Once again, feedback is very much appreciated! <3

#draco malfoy #draco malfoy imagines #draco x reader #draco x y/n #draco malfoy x you #draco malfoy fanfiction #slytherin #slytherin imagines #gryffindor #gryffindor imagines #hogwarts #hogwarts imagine #harry potter imagine #harry potter fanfiction

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kipakyousee · 4 years

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7 Gaslighting Phrases Malignant Narcissists, Sociopaths and Psychopaths Use To Silence You, Translated

By Shahida Arabi, Bestselling Author

Last updated: 18 Nov 2019

~ 10 MIN READ

Gaslighting is an insidious erosion of your sense of reality; it creates a mental fog of epic proportions in the twisted “funhouse” of smoke, mirrors, and distortions that is an abusive relationship. When a malignant narcissist gaslights you, they engage in crazymaking discussions and character assassinations where they challenge and invalidate your thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and sanity. Gaslighting enables narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths to exhaust you to the point where you are unable to fight back. Rather than finding ways to healthily detach from this toxic person, you are sabotaged in your efforts to find a sense of certainty and validation in what you’ve experienced.

The term “gaslighting” originated in Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play, Gas Light, where a manipulative husband drove his wife to insanity by causing her to question what she experienced. It was further popularized in the 1944 film adaptation, Gaslight, a psychological thriller about a man named Gregory Anton who murders a famous opera singer. He later marries her niece, Paula to convince her she is going crazy to the point of being institutionalized, with the agenda of stealing the rest of her family jewels. According to Dr. George Simon, victims of chronic gaslighting can suffer from a wide array of side effects, including flashbacks, heightened anxiety, intrusive thoughts, a low sense of self-worth, and mental confusion. In cases of severe manipulation and abuse, gaslighting can even lead to suicidal ideation, self-harm, and self-sabotage.

Gaslighting can take many forms – from questioning the status of your mental health to outright challenging your lived experiences. The most dangerous culprits of gaslighting? Malignant narcissists, who, by default, use gaslighting as a strategy to undermine the perception of their victims in order to evade accountability for their abuse. These perpetrators can use gaslighting callously and sadistically because they lack the remorse, empathy, or conscience to have any limits when they terrorize you or covertly provoke you. Gaslighting by a malignant narcissist is covert murder with clean hands, allowing the perpetrator to get away with their mistreatment while depicting the victims as the abusers.

I’ve spoken to thousands of survivors of malignant narcissists who have shared their stories of gaslighting, and below I include the most commonly used phrases malignant narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths employ to terrorize and deplete you, translated into what they really mean.

These phrases, when chronically used in the context of an abusive relationship, serve to demean, belittle and distort the reality of abuse victims.

1. You’re crazy/you have mental health issues/you need help.

Translation: You’re not the pathological one here. You’re just catching onto who I really am behind the mask and attempting to hold me accountable for my questionable behavior. I’d rather you question your own sanity so you believe that the problem is really you, rather than my own deceptiveness and manipulation. So long as you believe you’re the one who needs help, I’ll never have to take responsibility for changing my own disordered ways of thinking and behaving.

Malignant narcissists play the smirking doctors to their victims, treating them like unruly patients. Diagnosing their victims with mental health issues for having emotions is a way to pathologize their victims and undermine their credibility; this is even more effective when abusers are able to provoke reactions in their victims to convince society that they are the ones with mental health problems. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, some abusers will even actively drive their victims to the edge to concoct proof of their instability. The Hotline estimates that around 89% of their callers have experienced some form of mental health coercion and that 43% had experienced a substance abuse coercion from an abuser.

“Most survivors who reported their abusive partners had actively contributed to mental health difficulties or their use of substances also said their partners threatened to use the difficulties or substance use against them with important authorities, such as legal or child custody professionals, to prevent them from obtaining custody or other things that they wanted or needed.” – The National Center on Domestic Violence and the Domestic Violence Hotline

2. You’re just insecure and jealous.

Translation: I enjoy planting seeds of insecurity and doubt in your mind about your attractiveness, competence, and personality. If you dare to question my numerous flirtations, affairs, and inappropriate interactions, I’ll be sure to put you back in your place in fear of losing me. The problem, as I’ll convince you, isn’t my deceptive behavior. It’s your inability to remain confident while I perpetually put you down, compare you in demeaning ways to others, and eventually cast you aside for the next best thing.

Manufacturing love triangles and harems are a narcissist’s forte. Robert Greene, author of The Art of Seduction, speaks about creating “an aura of desirability” which stirs a frenzied sense of competition among potential suitors. In abuse survivor communities, this tactic is also known as triangulation. It grants malignant narcissists a depraved sense of power over their victims. They actively provoke jealousy in their intimate partners in order to control them and paint them as unhinged when they finally react. When a victim calls out a narcissist’s infidelity in any way, it is common for them to label the victims insecure, controlling, and jealous to avoid suspicion and to continue to reap the benefits of multiple sources of attention, praise, and ego strokes.

Remember: to someone who has something to hide, everything feels like an interrogation. Narcissists will often lash out in narcissistic rage, stonewalling, and excessive defensiveness when confronted with evidence of their betrayals.

3. You’re too sensitive/you’re overreacting.

Translation: It’s not that you’re too sensitive, but rather that I am insensitive, callous, and unempathic. I do not care about your emotions unless they serve me in some way. Your negative reactions provide me stimulation and pleasure, so please, do keep going. I enjoy putting you down for having legitimate reactions to my abuse.

According to Dr. Robin Stern, one of the effects of gaslighting include asking yourself “Am I too sensitive?” a dozen times a day. Claiming that victims are overreacting or oversensitive to emotional abuse is a popular way for malignant narcissists to override your certainty about the severity of the abuse you experienced.

Whether or not someone is a sensitive person is irrelevant when it comes to cases of psychological or physical violence. Abuse affects anyone and everyone of varying sensitivity levels, and its impact should not be taken lightly. A mark of a healthy partner is that they give you the space to feel your emotions and provide emotional validation, even if they do not agree with you. A malignant narcissist will excessively focus on your so-called sensitivity and consistently claim that you are overreacting rather than own their horrific actions when called out, regardless of how “sensitive” you may be.

4. It was just a joke. You have no sense of humor.

Translation: I love disguising my abusive behavior as just jokes. I like calling you names, putting you down, and then claiming you’re the one who lacks the sense of humor to appreciate my depraved “wit.” Making you feel defective allows me to say and do whatever I wish, all with a smile and a derisive laugh.

Disguising cruel remarks, off-color comments, and put-downs as “just jokes” is a popular verbal abuse tactic, according to Patricia Evans, author of The Verbally Abusive Relationship. This malicious tactic is very different from playful teasing which takes a certain amount of rapport, trust, and mutual enjoyment. When malignant narcissists dole out these unsettling “jokes,” they can engage in acts of name-calling, taunting, belittling and contempt while evading the responsibility of issuing an apology or owning their vicious verbal assaults. You are then gaslighted into believing that it is your inability to appreciate the “humor” behind their cruelty, rather than the reality of its abusive intentions.

“Just jokes” are also used to test boundaries early on in an abusive relationship; what you may have rationalized as a tone-deaf or off-color comment in the beginning can escalate into psychological violence quite quickly in the hands of a narcissist. If you find that you have a partner who laughs at you more than they laugh with you, run. It will not get better.

5. You need to let it go. Why are you bringing this up?

Translation: I haven’t given you enough time to even process the last heinous incident of abuse, but you need to let it go already so I can move forward with exploiting you without facing any consequences for my behavior. Let me love-bomb you into thinking that things will be different this time around. Don’t bring up my past patterns of abusive behavior, because you’ll then recognize that this is a cycle that will just continue.

In any abuse cycle, it’s common for an abuser to engage in a hot-and-cold cycle where they periodically throw in crumbs of affection to keep you hooked and to renew hope for a return to the honeymoon phase. This is a manipulation tactic known as intermittent reinforcement, and it’s common for an abuser to terrorize you, only to return the next day and act like nothing has happened. When you do recall any abusive incidents, an abuser will tell you to “let it go” so they can sustain the cycle.

This form of abuse amnesia adds onto your addictive bond to the abuser, also known as “trauma bonding.” According to Dr. Logan (2018), “Trauma bonding is evidenced in any relationship which the connection defies logic and is very hard to break. The components necessary for a trauma bond to form are a power differential, intermittent good/bad treatment, and high arousal and bonding periods.”

6. You’re the problem here, not me.

Translation: I am the problem here, but I’ll be damned if I let you know it! I’d rather subject you to personal attacks as you bend over backwards trying to hit constantly moving goalposts and arbitrary expectations of the way I think you should feel and behave. As you spend most of your time trying to fix your fabricated flaws while always coming up short of what I deem “worthy,” I can just sit back, relax, and continue to mistreat you the way I feel entitled to. You won’t have any energy left to call me out.

It’s common for abusive partners to engage in malignant projection – to even go as far as to call their victims the narcissists and abusers, and to dump their own malignant qualities and behaviors onto their victims. This is a way for them to gaslight their victims into believing that they are the ones at fault and that their reactions to the abuse, rather than the abuse itself, is the problem. According to Narcissistic Personality clinical expert Dr. Martinez-Lewi, these projections tend to be psychologically abusive. As she writes, “The narcissist is never wrong. He {or she} automatically blames others when anything goes awry. It is very stressful to be the recipient of narcissistic projections. The sheer force of the narcissist’s accusations and recriminations is stunning and disorienting.”

7. I never said or did that. You’re imagining things.

Translation: Making you question what I did or said allows me to cast doubt on your perceptions and memories of the abuse you’ve experienced. If I make you think that you’re imagining things, you’ll start to wonder if you’re going crazy, rather than pinpointing the evidence which proves I am an abuser.

In the movie Gaslight, Gregory causes his new wife to believe that her aunt’s house is haunted so she can be institutionalized. He does everything from rearranging items in the house, flickering gas lights on to making noises in the attic so she is no longer able to discern whether or not what she’s seeing is real. He isolates her so that she is unable to gain validation. After manufacturing these crazymaking scenarios, he then convinces her that these events are all a figment of her imagination.

Many victims of chronic gaslighting struggle with the cognitive dissonance which occurs when their abuser tells them that they never did or said something. Much like reasonable doubt can sway a jury, even the hint that something may not have happened after all can be powerful enough to override someone’s perceptions. Researchers Hasher, Goldstein and Toppino (1997) call this the “illusory truth effect” – they discovered that when falsehoods are repeated, they are more likely to be internalized as true simply due to the effects of repetition. That is why continual denial and minimization can be so effective in convincing victims of gaslighting that they are indeed imagining things or suffering from memory loss, rather than standing firm in their beliefs and experiences.

The Big Picture

In order to resist the effects of gaslighting, you must get in touch with your own reality and prevent yourself from getting entrapped into an endless loop of self-doubt. Learn to identify the red flags of malignant narcissists and their manipulation tactics so you can get out of disorienting, crazymaking conversations with malignant narcissists before they escalate into wild accusations, projections, blameshifting and put-downs which will only exacerbate your sense of confusion. Develop a sense of self-validation and self-trust so you can get in touch with how you really feel about the way someone is treating you, rather than getting stuck attempting to explain yourself to a manipulator with an agenda.

Getting space from your abuser is essential. Be sure to document events as they happened, rather than how your abuser tells you they happened. Save text messages, voicemails, e-mails, audio or video recordings (if permitted in your state laws) which can help you to remember the facts in times of mental fog, rather than subscribing to the distortions and delusions of the abuser.

Engage in extreme self-care by participating in mind-body healing modalities which target the physical as well as psychological symptoms of the abuse. Recovery is important to achieve mental clarity. Enlist the help of a third party, such as a trauma-informed therapist, and go through the incidents of abuse together to anchor yourself back to what you’ve experienced. Malignant narcissists might attempt to rewrite your reality, but you don’t have to accept their twisted narratives as truth.

References

Evans, P. (2010). The verbally abusive relationship: How to recognize it and how to respond. Avon, MA: Adams Media.

Greene, R. (2004). The art of seduction. Gardners Books.

Hasher, L., Goldstein, D., & Toppino, T. (1977). Frequency and the conference of referential validity. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 16(1), 107-112. doi:10.1016/s0022-5371(77)80012-1

Martinez-Lewi, L. (2012, November 10). Narcissist’s Projections are Psychologically Abusive. Retrieved March 19, 2019, from http://thenarcissistinyourlife.com/narcissists-projections-are-psychologically-abusive/

Logan, M. H. (2018). Stockholm Syndrome: Held Hostage by the One You Love. Violence and Gender,5(2), 67-69. doi:10.1089/vio.2017.0076

Simon, G. (2018, May 11). Overcoming Gaslighting Effects. Retrieved March 19, 2019, from https://www.drgeorgesimon.com/overcoming-gaslighting-effects/

Stern, R., & Wolf, N. (2018). The gaslight effect: How to spot and survive the hidden manipulation others use to control your life. New York: Harmony Books.

Warshaw, C., Lyon, E., Bland, P. J., Phillips, H., & Hooper, M. (2014). Mental Health and Substance Use Coercion Surveys. Report from the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health. Retrieved here. November 5, 2017

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sky-fortress · 5 years

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oc masterpost

uhh so with the oc question thing i reposted i realized i’ve never actually made a masterpost of my characters, so here it is! it’s going to be a long one, so everything of importance is under the keep reading.

each character will have their own little info blurb (length depends on how developed they are and how much i have to say about them)

this post will also be linked in the bio of this blog and on my art blog (( @sazand0ra )) so if i reblog an oc question post and you want to ask something, you can just pop back and look! ❤

PKMN TRAINERS

Phika “Phoenix” Artemovich

Phika is an Interpol agent, rank Superintendent, who lives in Jubilife City. She started on her Pokémon journey around Sinnoh when she was 10, traveling for about six-seven years and visiting Johto and Kanto in the process. She joined Interpol when she was 17 and has been working there for 12 years (she’s 29 as of right now).

She’s not the most mentally strong (she cries very easily), as work leaves her stressed and sleep-deprived, though she always tries to perform her best. On top of that, she also believes that she was cursed by Darkrai when she was 19 -- though she doesn’t dare let anyone in Sinnoh know because of how superstitious people are. Phika is very kind and gentle, earning her the codename “Agent Mother,” and is very protective of her friends, family, and Pokémon.

PKMN Team: Infernape (starter), Luxray, Gengar, Milotic, Togekiss, Steelix

Bella Émilie

Bella is a Pokémon trainer from Courmarine City in the Kalos region. She ran away from home at age 14 after receiving a Froakie from Professor Sycamore (he made a special visit to Courmarine City to talk to her about being a trainer w/o her mom’s knowledge). As a result, Bella is fiercely independent and almost unbearably stubborn -- she’s also carrying along quite the superiority complex with her, hiding deep-seated feelings of inferiority with a cold and aggressive exterior.

She ended up taking on Team Flare as per the plot of X/Y, though she never really got along with the main friend group (Calem, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor). Her and Calem also had their own rivalry, though she never thought of it as one because of how easily she beat him down every time they battled (her superiority complex shone through whenever they interacted). However, as of now, nine years later (she’s 23), she’s mellowed out some, though those feelings of inferiority haven’t quite gone away. Bella’s also close friends with Phika and may or may not have a small crush on her (she does), though she does tend to worry about how little Phika takes care of herself.

PKMN Team: Greninja (starter), Talonflame, Sylveon, Haxorus, Lucario, Meowstic

Lyssa Ahreiz-Ridecki

Lyssa is a mechanic from Goldenrod City in the Johto region. She wasn’t really that interested in Pokémon battling when she was growing up, and preferred to spend time in her dad’s workshop, helping him to tinker with and fix machines, and go around the city with him fixing appliances and other things for people. As a result, she became a mechanic herself, establishing a name for herself in Goldenrod City and the surrounding area (her father is very proud of her for that).

However, her talent unintentionally got her caught up in organized crime. Lyssa was recruited by the Pokémon Pinchers to work as a mechanic for them, fixing their Control Gauntlets and Z. Z. Flyers. Though she wasn’t told at first everything about the devices she was fixing, Lyssa eventually figured out what was going on and tried her best to throw a wrench in the works (figuratively) whenever she could. Eventually, as the leadership of the Pinchers began to break down, she left -- and ended up getting a little more into Pokémon battling, after realizing that she might need to be able to defend herself better in the future. Right now, she’s caught up with an android named Robyn and Silph Co, but that’s still developing.

PKMN Team: Pidgeot (starter), Ambipom, Drowzee, Honchkrow

Robyn

Robyn is an android created by Silph Co. that currently resides in an apartment in Goldenrod City. Her main purpose is to spy on residents in the city and steal their info, then transmit it back to Silph Co for their own purposes. She also goes out and gambles with the money she steals from people -- while no one has figured out yet that she’s actually a robot, there are some regulars at the Game Corner who are starting to get suspicious of this short, white-haired girl who’s apparently some sort of gambling genius.

Her apartment room was discovered accidentally by Lyssa, who followed her home after seeing her in the Game Corner, and soon figured out that she was in fact, some sort of robot. She tried to mess around with Robyn’s circuitry, not knowing who made Robyn, and now has a target painted on her back by Silph Co.

PKMN Team (for defense): Porygon-Z, Meowth, Espeon

Nicky Griffin

Nicky is from a large, large, large performing family in Castelia City, Unova. She grew up playing the violin and learning to dance, taught by her grandmother and two older sisters. She’s the fourth out of eleven siblings, and has too many cousins, aunts, and uncles for her to keep straight. Because she’s not the oldest, or the youngest, or the best performer, Nicky turned to street art to try and distinguish herself -- her alias is Nee-Coletti -- and while her family doesn’t know about her “other hobby”, at least not totally, they probably wouldn’t mind (at least she hopes so). She also does a lot of street performance, playing her violin while her Pokémon dance -- something they’ll also do in battle.

She left on her journey initially to return a Pokédex that Bianca lost when she was visiting Castelia City, and went to Aspertia City, since she’d heard that’s where Bianca was heading. By the time she got to Aspertia City, Bianca had left, though she was able to get some mentoring from Cheren, and ended up getting her first Gym Badge from him. They’re still friends, and will call on the X-Tranceiver when they have the time. Nicky’s also friends with Bianca, who she met after finally returning the Pokédex -- they get along great!

PKMN Team: Lopunny (starter), Mienshao, Scrafty, Emolga, Roserade, Floatzel

Alexandra “Alex” Rye

Alex is a Pokémon Trainer from Lentimas Town in Unova and is the third oldest out of five kids (she’s the exact middle child and she’s not super happy about that). She grew up putting on puppet shows for her younger siblings and other kids in town with dolls she made herself, and eventually started making her own clothing as well. She was hurt in a landslide when she was about 13, delaying the start of her journey for a year, and now walks with a slight limp as a result.

She loves ghost and dark pokemon (her team is made up of conventionally “scary” pokemon), from time she’d spend in the Strange House outside of Lentimas Town. In fact, that’s where she met her first Pokémon, Banette, who just followed her home one day. They’ve been friends ever since. However, to other people, she’s not as nice -- Alex is perpetually bored with her life, and will usually mess with other people (stealing their things, scamming them with magic tricks, etc) with the help of her Pokémon for a little bit of excitement.

PKMN Team: Banette (starter), Mismagius, Hydreigon, Galvantula, Drapion, Zoroark

Nova Roscoe

Nova’s a coordinator from Slateport City, in the Hoenn region. She’s still a little inexperienced, since she’s young, but more than makes up for it with enthusiasm! She also loves coordinating her Pokémon’s outfits with hers when they perform -- sometimes she’ll buy plain dresses and sparkle them up a bit just for fun. (i don’t have that much for Nova,,, she’s one of my least developed characters so there’s that)

PKMN Team: Dustox (starter), Froslass, Skitty, Natu

Juno Xe

Juno is a florist who took over running her parents’ flower shop in Konikoni City. She’s not much of a fan of battling, but did take on the island challenge with her twin brother, Yarrow, at the urging of their parents -- it’s tradition, after all, so they should at least do it (they couldn’t stay in the shop forever)! For the most part, Juno’s very good with handling customers, though her phony-sweet “customer service” voice will start slipping out when she gets annoyed -- with customers or her brother.

She has a huge fear of losing people/saying goodbye after her older sister was caught in an accident involving Team Skull. Her parents never told her the entire truth of what happened (that her sister was actually part of Team Skull), though regardless, the incident left her terrified of losing people close to her. As a result, she can be unintentionally controlling and toxic -- something that Yarrow experienced first hand while he was still back at the family’s flower shop.

PKMN Team: Dartrix (starter), Stoutland, Oricorio, Espeon, Liligant, Alomamola

Yarrow Xe

Unlike his twin sister, Yarrow abandoned the family’s flower shop in favor of wandering aimlessly through the various regions in the Pokémon world. He enjoyed taking on the island challenge and relished the freedom that he was given while traveling -- making coming back to the flower shop incredibly difficult. The expectation of their parents is that the two of them would complete the island challenge and then come back to manage the shop, and while Juno was fine with that, Yarrow was completely opposed to it.

However, he was easily taken advantage of and manipulated by Juno when he tried to leave. Yarrow had (and still has) emotional trauma left over from when their sister died that he never worked through properly, or even acknowledged, leaving him emotionally unavailable and unable to express himself properly (though that last part goes back to when he was a child). He eventually broke away after the two of them had a huge fight, and never looked back -- he doesn’t even like going back to Alola, if he can help it. He’s stubbornly independent and tries his best to keep people away from him (emotionally and physically), and is a fierce competitor in battle. Yarrow’s noticeably gentler around his Pokémon, and sometimes opens up to them -- though this is only because they can’t actually say anything back to him that he would understand.

PKMN Team: Decidueye (starter), Tsareena, Umbreon, Alolan Raichu, Bewear, Komala

MYSTERY DUNGEON (they’re all gijinkas btw)

also spoilers for all of the mystery dungeon games below

Merrie (Psyduck)

Merrie is the hero of Pokémon Blue/Red Rescue Team (i’ve only ever played blue but i’d assume the two are the same) and the co-leader of Rescue Team Feathers! She’s a a bit of a glutton, and will sometimes snack on apples while she and Chica are exploring dungeons together. Because she’s a Psyduck, she’s prone to getting bad headaches, especially if she doesn’t use the move Confusion a lot in battle. She’s also incredibly clumsy and forgetful -- she sometimes forgets that she used to be a human in the first place.

Moveset: Water Gun, Scratch, Ice Beam, Confusion

Chica (Combusken)

Chica is the sidekick of B/R Rescue Team, though because of Merrie’s forgetfulness, she manages a lot of the team stuff and job requests. It was her idea to form a rescue team, though sometimes she wonders if joining forces with Merrie was such a good idea. She can come of as very brusque and guarded if you catch her at a bad time, but she is very protective of Merrie (though this usually shows through her rolling her eyes and scolding Merrie for getting into whatever trouble’s going on this time).

Moveset: Flamethrower, Attract, Brick Break, Peck

Siobhán // Soren (Charmander)

Soren is the hero of Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, and the co-leader of Team Chikomander. She carries around a bat with a few odds and ends stuck in it as a weapon, and is usually very quick to anger, especially if those she’s close to are threatened. For the most part, she’s sweet and helpful, and genuinely enjoys her job as a member of Wigglytuff’s Guild -- though she does argue with Chatot about the whole money thing from time to time.

The reason she has two different names is because when she was in the future, her name was Siobhán -- she also wasn’t a human, but a weird mash of Darkrai after the Dimensional Hole he was traveling in was attacked by Palkia (this video is where this whole thing comes from and since i personally really like this theory, it’s now soren’s backstory). When she arrived in the past and met Rita, she didn’t want to give her name to a complete stranger, so she said her name was Soren. This caused some confusion when Grovyle was introduced to the mix, and it was revealed that the two of them used to work together in the future.

Moveset: Flamethrower, Slash, Shadow Claw, Sunny Day

Rita (Chikorita)

Rita is the partner of EOTDS and the other co-leader of Team Chikomander. She’s a big bookworm, and likes to keep books in their bedroom at the guild (though she sometimes worries that Soren will set them on fire by accident). Her weapon of choice is a green tome that she uses to summon grass attacks -- she doesn’t really need it, but it makes her more confident in battle. Rita can be a bit of a coward sometimes, and is known for being bossy, but she does try her best as an explorer (and to keep Soren out of trouble).

Moveset: Solar Beam, Magical Leaf, Light Screen, Synthesis

Úrsula (Dewott)

Úrsula is the hero of Gates to Infinity, and the co-leader of The Hydroclaw, handling most of the jobs and other requests (her weapon of choice is a naginata). She came to the Pokémon world from Venice, Italy, though at this point she doesn’t remember much about her life in the human world. Soon after she came to the Pokémon world, she convinced Axel to go and talk to Quagsire about buying the land he wanted even though his money had been stolen a hours ago (this is all a different au where Quagsire is still part of the underground so some things are a little different). She’s stubborn and incredibly loyal to her friends, almost to a fault -- she’d do anything for them, so she can be easy to take advantage of if you get close enough to her. One of her favorite pastimes is cooking, and she’ll sometimes get up early in the morning to cook breakfast for everyone, just to show she cares. She expresses a lot of emotions through cooking and food.

Moveset: Water Pulse, Razor Shell, Pursuit, Fury Cutter

Axel (Fraxure)

Axel is the partner of GTI, and the other co-leader of The Hydroclaw, handling the development and building of Paradise. He comes off as intimidating to many -- partly because he’s a dragon type, partly because he carries around an axe with him. However, as a surprise to some, he’s actually gentle and kindhearted for the most part, though he still does have some lessons to learn in terms of friendships and other emotional connections (and Quagsire’s going to make sure he learns those lessons at some point). He also really likes Úrsula. Like, really, really likes her. The two of them are practically joined at the hip.

Moveset: Dragon Dance, Dual Chop, Pursuit, Dragon Claw

Ramona “Rara” (Treecko)

Ramona is the hero of Super Mystery Dungeon, and the co-leader of The Ash-Roses. She’s mute and communicates through her own form of sign language, as well as written notes. Between her and Cinders, she handles a lot of the logistics of the team, including packing travel bags and planning their explorations. She still struggles with the aftermath of the Dark Matter incident, and blames herself for not seeing what was going on with Nuzleaf sooner.

dark matter au ramona: in this au, ramona ends up falling under the control of dark matter along with nuzleaf. dark matter is able to take advantage of her insecurities about her place in serene village and feelings of resentment towards some of the other villagers. it’s found out she’s being controlled by dark matter on the top of revelation mountain, and instead of going to the voidlands with cinders, she works with nuzleaf, yveltal, and the beheyeem going around and turning Pokémon to stone.

Moveset: Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Dragon Breath, Pursuit

Cinders (Cyndaquil)

Cinders is the partner of PSMD, and the other co-leader of The Ash-Roses. He’s cheerful, chatty, and has a tendency to get himself and Ramona into trouble very often. Cinders is also really passionate about exploration -- like really, really passionate, to the point of near obsession -- and will sometimes get ahead of himself when it comes to exploring new places. Since he’s also the reincarnation of Mew (or whatever that whole thing was it was a blur for me tbh), he also has the ability to read people’s minds, though this happens sporadically. He’ll usually say the thoughts he hears from others out loud, or respond to them as if it was part of the conversation. This usually freaks people out quite a bit.

dark matter au cinders: cinders is pretty much the same throughout this au until it’s revealed that ramona is under the control of dark matter. from that point on, he’s more frightened and desperate than normal cinders, and becomes much more subdued after the whole dark matter incident blows over. he and ramona don’t really have the same kind of friendship that they had before, either.

Moveset: Flame Wheel, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Ember

OTHER

these two are from a world that i was working on with a friend a while back. we aren’t doing anything with said world anymore, but i decided to keep these two around and develop them (and hopefully their world) a little bit more, because i was already attached to them by the time we stopped working.

for some basic background info: polaris and gabriel are from a nomadic tribe up in the north of the world called eira-taith. one of the traditions of the tribe is that, to be considered an adult, you have to travel on your own for one year and then return. when polaris went out on his journey, he came back to find everyone dead. gabriel was technically the only survivor because he had ran away in search of polaris before everyone else was wiped out. as of right now, they just wander around the world together -- they don’t really have a place to go.

Polaris Eider

Polaris is the oldest out of six in his family. Because he was the oldest, he was treated as a “third parent,” and given the responsibility of looking after his younger siblings before he left on his year-long travel. He would force down his own feelings and problems to properly be able to take care of everyone else, and as a result, isn’t the most emotionally expressive. He’s not very talkative, and usually has a stern expression on his face. Polaris is also a skilled archer -- however, that’s about all he can do in terms of weaponry.

Gabriel Eider

Gabriel is the second oldest out of six -- meaning that after Polaris left, he would be the one in charge of taking care of all of their younger siblings, at the age 14. He ended up cracking under the pressure and anxiety of Polaris not surviving on his own, and ran away, fortunately right before their tribe was wiped out. At some point, he was attacked by a group of bandits and was blinded, losing both of his eyes. His anxieties only worsened afterwards, though he tries his best to hide that and his blindness through being combative, stubborn, and overly-dramatic at some times, much to Polaris’ chagrin. Before losing his sight, he could use both a bow and arrow and daggers, though he’s not able to do all that much now.

#very long post #fortress characters #character masterpost

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mlstymonsoon · 6 years

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what gag layout type can say about a toon

[note: sorry if smth similars been done. i wouldnt know or remember kjghlkfhg but anyways this is more referring to the toons themselves and not referring to the actual players! lots of toontown societal lore-based stuff in here and how toon lifestyle affects personality n stuff idk!!!!! if u find any errors in my wordz i apologize]

✰ the conventionalists ✰

Toonupless ; The Protector

toons without the only healing gag track available to the community may seem unfeeling at first glance, but they give it their all in battle with their strongest gags and lure so toonup isn’t needed in the first place.

more of a loner or soloist, not needing a healing gag due to not being around other toons. might hold a guilty conscious about being unable to heal others depending on how they were raised. some may go toonupless for not wanting the responsibility of healing; they would rather continue to attack to avoid further toon damage. tend to be more stoic/serious than other toons and/or lack a strong sense of humor itself. very aware toons that like to take in a lot of news.

Trapless ; The Utilizer

these trapless toons are one of the most common you’ll see around each of the neighborhoods and with good reason; they have a fair amount of defense and offense gags to choose from.

are often diligent; don’t mind the sluggish training drop can bring and power through adversity. appreciate the flexible usage of drop with its high damage and lack of needing someone else to complete the attack, as compared to the similar trap track. decent cognitive skills and work well alone as well as with a group. willing to improvise if the time calls for it and can do so quite successfully.

Lureless ; The Thinker

lureless folks are an interesting bunch as they cannot stall any cogs or activate their trap by themselves. some would think it’s a poor choice, having to rely on others like that but dont worry, they know what they’re doing.

great communicators and problem-solvers. evidently work smoothly in groups but can be just as efficient in times they are alone by giving it all they got before cogs can attack continuously. good at making quick decisions in and out of battles. would rather ponder their next move instead of luring all the cogs and calling it a day. are very loyal friends and learn to trust others in times of need.

Soundless ; The Strategist

sound. the one track society tries to tell toons that you can’t live without it. its constantly the go-to in countless situations. yet soundless toons prove sound could be obsolete and they could all still survive.

prefer to take things more slow and steady. extremely efficient; just know how to get things done. tend to be highly experienced and clever. good explainers and dont fear sharing their thoughts aloud. may be notably more sensitive to loud noises and/or appreciate the quiet. ambiverted; can communicate well when needed but do need to recharge after a while. willing to stand up for others and themselves.

Dropless ; The Initiator

drop has a bad reputation with these toons due to its slow-paced and tedious training which doesnt pair well with energized dropless folks’ need to always be moving forward.

prefer to be in control of their situations as much as possible. work very well and efficiently in groups. dislike when things dont go as they planned. are at their best when in a fast-paced environment. tend to be good at hiding emotions; are more likely to be passive-aggressive when upset. most show pride in themselves but still care about others and their accomplishments. aren’t too afraid of confrontations.

✰ the non-conventionalists ✰

Throwless ; The Go-Getter

possibly one of the most common unconventional layouts out there in toontown. many wonder why these toons would dare to leave out such a foundational and useful gag track. reasons vary but one thing’s for sure—they’re up for it.

dont mind having to mix things up a little; flexible. are very aware of their strengths and know their limits. courageous to do the unexpected and enjoy doing so, even if some effectiveness is lost in battle. less likely to prefer sweets as their favorite choice of food. tend to be very experienced in battles; knowledgable. probably would laugh if a toon tried to underestimate or belittle them.

Squirtless ; The Achiever

these toons lack the complementary gag track to the other deemed-essential, throw. being able to stop training squirt at a lower level than throwless folks who need at least cream pie makes this choice favorable, but still always raises the question of why. to which they say: why not?

prefer to not appear too out-of-the-ordinary in most battles. take pride regardless in themselves. more predictable than their throwless counterparts. might dislike getting wet more than the average toon—good luck finding them at donald’s dock. down to face a challenge every now and then. quick-thinkers who tend to choose their gags first when in a group. mentally prepare themselves for potential situations that could occur.

Semi ; The Supporter

toons whom would once be considered an uber now are high laff with the same few gag tracks they had when they were low laff. these wild toons know what efficiency truly is.

may not say aloud to their teammates what their only gags are, as to simply adapt and work fast with what the others are choosing to use. like to live in their own little world; creative and imaginative. enjoy pushing limits and taking risks. try to remain a step ahead of everyone else in battle. may be more likely to having a carefree, easygoing personality. absolute workaholics who always feel like they need to be doing something.

Uber ; The Survivor

the special little guys who go big or go home!! ubers with their low laff leaves them much more vulnerable to cog attacks but their maxed gags make up for what little health they have. they'll fight just as well as any 100-laffer!

have to always be working hard to afford all the gags they’ll have to keep buying after they go sad numerous times. dont let setbacks get them down. strong-willed toons always living on the edge—got nothing to lose. chill to talk with, very social and grateful and enjoy the company of others. modest as hell. good listeners and willing to cooperate.

✰ the toon citizens ✰

Gagless ; The Worker / The Young

gagless toons simply do not get involved in cog-related business and work in another field such as doctors, nurses, mechanics, store workers, therapists, chefs, cops, caretakers, and so on. these toons are often overlooked but are vital to the toontown community, which is why when kidnappings-by-cog occur, it gets taken seriously and large groups go to search for and save them.

toons may start gag training only to decide they’d prefer to not continue on with a cog-fighting lifestyle. they’ll have to return their gag pouch to officials, however. toon workers aren’t allowed gags as they work so much with their chosen profession there isn’t need to carry them. but cogfighters can have part-time jobs if they want. worker toons also significantly are lower in laff, as they cannot go fight cogs and aren’t assigned toontasks. they can partake in leisure activities such as fishing or gardening when not working and earn laff in this way. for their full-time joining of the toontown workforce, they also will receive 5 laff from flippy himself. thus making the lowest possible laff for gagless toons 20, and the highest 37.

tend to be the most tranquil of toons, not wanting to partake in any fighting or action. dont necessarily seek attention. very responsible and respectable. appreciate all that cogfighters protect them from and do what they do in honor of them. its hard to group these toons altogether bc theres so many different possible professions for them!

Becoming A Cogfighter

besides the workforce being gagless, young toons also are gagless in the sense they aren’t old enough to safely become a cogfighter. toons receive their gag pouches and first tasks at 15 yrs old which is represented by their starter laff meter. however, young toons can get their pouches and start training gags as young as 12 only with parental guardian consent and kids consent as well. no parents forcing kids to start training when they dont feel ready. overall choosing to wait is done more than choosing not to wait.

generally until they can start training, young toons are educated on cogs and their threat and how they’ll eventually become a cogfighter. and can do activities, ride the trolley, make art, swim, play and overall enjoy being a kid w/o responsibilities!! some toons are overly eager to start training so they may convince their parents to let them early. which is all fine and dandy until that eagerness and immaturity leads to.......Bad Things

#toonblr #toontown #toontown rewritten #ttr #toontown lore #toons #mo quacks #ref #idk what 2 tag this tbh #feel free 2 ask me abt anything here!!#cant believe i finished it.#i have another cool idea 2 do thats lore based but like it might take a lot longer O_O #idk if ill get 2 it today #also while making this forgot toons w/ less than 5 tracks are called semis oop #long post -#text heavy -

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valdomarx · 7 years

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Mutually Beneficial

For Ults Day, an ode to how much Ults Steve likes getting fucked.

It was a casual arrangement, that was the thing. This unspoken exchange between them, where Tony knew what Steve needed and gave it to him without him having to ask.

It had started after a discussion about Ultimates strategy and teamwork had dissolved into bickering, with Steve huffing out that Tony thought he was so insightful but he didn’t have any idea how to handle his teammates.

At that, Tony had glanced up at him with a flirtatious smirk, eyes sparkling with clarity rather than the usual drunken haze. “Try me,” he’d challenged, and Steve had snapped. He’d thrown Tony full force against the wall of the office, luckily without knocking him out, and kissed him with demanding insistence.

When they’d pulled apart, Tony’s eyes were wide with shock though he hid it quickly. “Why, Cap, I never would have thought you had it in you,” he said a little breathlessly.

And that would normally have made Steve feel smug, made him think he’d gained the upper hand in this game that Tony was playing. Tony was always teasing, testing him, pushing at parts of Steve that he would rather have stayed dormant, but finally Steve had shown him that he wasn’t afraid of a bit of innuendo. He’d been in the army, for god’s sake. He knew what men like Tony wanted, and he’d thought only to make a point, to demonstrate his lack of surprise at Tony’s antics. But now, with Tony panting up against the wall and the taste of him still on Steve’s lips, it only fed the hunger raging within him.

He’d stepped forward, pressing their bodies together and letting his burgeoning erection brush up against Tony’s thigh. “I know what I want, Stark,” he’d hissed in his ear, and Tony had shuddered.

“Mmm, you want to take advantage of my splendid hospitality, is that it?” Tony slipped back into his easy seduction routine impossibly fast. “Bend me over that desk and fuck me into oblivion?” Tony’s voice was smooth and practised.

“Close,” Steve had said, and Tony had eyed him curiously, “but I was thinking more about the other way around.” Steve took Tony's hand and placed it on his ass, encouraging him to squeeze and spread his fingers.

“Oh.” Tony looked genuinely dumbfounded for a moment, but recovered with a delighted grin, grinding up against him in slow circles. “Okay, darling, I can work with that.”

“Are you sure-” Tony began, but Steve didn’t want to hear it. He wasn’t some fragile glass of a man who would break under a little rough handling.

“I want you to fuck me, Stark, and hurry the hell up with it,” he’d interrupted and Tony had looked like he might almost be scandalized. Steve was too keyed up to be embarrassed; the shame would come later. Right now he needed Tony with him, on him, in him, the desire pulsing through his body and making him reckless.

He liked the weight of Tony on top of him, pressing him down into the mattress and holding him close. He liked the feel of Tony’s fingers as they ran across his skin, the little bursts of pleasure as they moved around him and inside him. He liked it when Tony would angle his fingers so that they would rub up against that spot inside him, making his breath short and his blood race.

But most of all Steve liked the sensation of Tony burying himself inside his body, pushing past his walls and his defenses until they were one flesh, without an inch of air between them. That feeling of safety, of unity and having no space for guilt or shame, that was what he craved.

It was supposed to be a casual arrangement. No expectations, no commitments. Tony would turn up at Steve’s door, push him onto the bed, prep him like it was an art form, then screw him fast and hard, just how he liked it.

Then he would leave. While Steve was panting into the sheets and the scent of sex still hung heavy in the air, Tony would gather his clothes and slip out of the room.

They didn’t talk about it. What was there to say?

Steve needed it most when he came home from missions. Other soldiers would be exhausted after weeks away on deployment, but Steve could go for days without sleep. His heightened physiology made it impossible for him to come down, and adrenaline would pump through his system for days. He would be on edge, attuned to every stressor, snapping to instant combat awareness whenever he heard footsteps or felt a change in air temperature.

It was exhausting, and it was isolating. No one else experienced this - other soldiers were happy when they got to come home, not uncomfortable. He dealt with it the best he could, locking himself in the Ultimates’ gym for a couple of days and forcing himself through every workout he could think of.

By then he would need something else, and Tony would always know. When he emerged from the gym, at some point Tony would lay a hand on his arm in passing and give him a questioning look. He’d give a quick nod, then Tony would come to his room later that night. He’d take him apart with his tongue, his fingers, and his cock. For a moment, Steve would let the anger and the obligation and the tension go, and he would feel only Tony, fucking him like he wanted.

Steve couldn’t pretend like he was in control here, he knew that.

Tony was easy. He was a safe bet. He'd fuck anything that moved, and everyone knew it. Steve enjoyed having Tony there to scratch an inch, but he wasn't deluded enough to think that he was anything special to Tony.

And Tony was… god, Tony was dying. The tumor that was eating through his brain could kill him at any moment. More than any of them, Tony lived perpetually on the verge of death. Steve had become highly practiced at failing to acknowledge that fact, as if by denying reality he could save off mortality with sheer force of will.

Tony was in no position to be the repository for Steve’s feelings of loneliness and his secret, shameful desire for companionship and domesticity. That was not what they did.

It was just sex, and there was no need to make it more complicated. Steve had learned the hard way not to pine after a relationship with a teammate, and this time he wasn't going to get emotionally involved.

He wasn't.

One of the problems Steve had to deal with was those damn robes Tony liked to wear, luscious silk which flitted when he walked and just barely covered his thighs. Every time he saw Tony in one Steve wanted to spread himself over his lap, wanted to push the edges of the robe up until it exposed his cock and to ride him right then and there.

When Steve walked into the Ultimates living room to see Tony lounged across the sofa and dressed only in silken royal purple robe, he felt his jaw set and his pulse picked up. He could almost have called what he felt anger - anger for Tony’s casual extravagance and his lack of reasonable propriety.

But he knew Tony, and himself, better than that. The heat that ran through him had more to do with desire than disapproval.

Tony turned to look at him, taking in his clenched fists and ramrod straight posture. Steve could tell straight away that Tony knew exactly what he had been thinking, and he pushed aside his skin-crawling guilt and raised his chin a fraction to meet Tony's eyes. Tony smirked, and Steve turned and stalked out of the room, blush threatening to spill over his cheeks, feeling immensely foolish for how easily Tony could see through him.

Later that night though, long after everyone was asleep, there was a soft knock at his door and Tony slipped inside. He was still wearing that damn robe but he smiled at Steve with what appeared to be unguarded fondness.

“I know what you need, darling,” he said quietly as he crossed the room to Steve’s bed, pushed aside the covers, and trailed a hand down Steve’s chest.

Steve let himself be maneuvered onto his front, let Tony rub up against him so the the smooth, cool silk moved against his ass. He was grateful for Tony’s unrelenting chatter, telling him what he was going to do and how good he felt. It meant that Steve didn't have to say anything - it wasn't as if vocalizing his emotional state was Steve's strong suit, so that was just as well - and he could talk with his body instead.

Tony prepped him carefully, long fingers working him open while his other hand rested between Steve’s shoulder blades, holding him in place. Steve began to unreel at the feeling of Tony's fingers inside him, his muscles stretching to allow him access.

When Tony finally deemed him ready and pushed his cock deep inside, Steve sobbed with desperate relief and Tony pretended not to notice.

Dealing with his physical urges was simple. A firm hand, a warm body, a good fucking. Straightforward.

But the times that gave Steve pause were when he'd find himself smiling softly at Tony, admiring the elegant lines of his nose, wondering at the gentleness that he tried to hide under a layer of cynicism and booze. Steve would catch himself wondering what it would be like to wake up in bed together, eating breakfast, discussing their plans for the day.

Steve could be discreet about his desires; he had plenty of practice at that. But trying to hide his heart was proving more difficult than he'd ever imagined.

He'd push aside his feelings of longing and try to pretend that he didn't wait up each night, anxious over whether Tony would visit him. He could have gone to Tony's room himself, but that wasn't how this worked. Their understanding was not reciprocal in that way.

So he waited, and tried to think of Tony's late-night visits as an unexpected surprise when they did arrive rather than a loss when they did not.

This would do. It wasn’t everything he wanted, but it was enough.

It was enough until, suddenly, it wasn’t.

Steve had spotted Tony poking through the fridge in the Ultimates Mansion to grab several bottles of water before disappearing back to his room. He was unsteady on his feet, poorly balanced and moving with uncharacteristic clumsiness. He looked, frankly, extremely unwell.

Steve’s heart raced at the realization that not only was Tony suffering, but he was trying to hide it and stick it out on his own. This would not do. He debated going to find medical help, but decided that Tony was disdainful enough of doctors that he would be unlikely to listen to their advice.

Steve couldn’t fix Tony or take his pain. But there was something that he could give, and that was his care and attention. He walked up to Tony’s room and knocked softly.

Tony opened the door, and Steve sucked in a breath. Tony’s skin was wan and there were deep gray circles beneath his eyes. His normally impeccable hair flopped greasily into his face, and he was gritting his teeth against the obvious pain of walking around.

Still, he managed to plaster on a smile when he saw Steve.

“Cap. Far be it from me to fail to meet expectations, but I’m afraid I’m in no state to entertain you tonight.”

Steve leaned forward and laid a hand on Tony’s shoulder, trying to convey his care physically if not verbally. “That’s not what I’m here for.”

“Oh? Oh. I suppose you better come in then.” He pushed open the door and Steve followed him inside.

Tony turned and eyed him suspiciously. “If you’re not here for sex, then what…?”

Steve noticed that Tony’s hands weren’t shaking, and for once he didn’t smell of spirits. The thought that Tony was so ill that he was avoiding drinking made Steve worry even more.

“I just thought,” Steve reached out and brushed the sweaty hair from Tony’s forehead, trying to compose himself. “You seemed unwell, and I thought you might like some company.”

Tony flinched away from him. “It’s been a bad few days. I usually avoid other people when I’m like this. It’s not pretty.” He sounded ashamed, as if he were admitting a weakness.

With all the ugliness Steve had seen in his life, he wasn’t going to be put off by a bit of sickness. He shrugged and told Tony so, then encouraged him to get back in bed and fetched a damp washcloth and a glass of water. Tony fidgeted at first, but let Steve tend to him and to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Tony said quietly, face pale against the pillow.

“I know I don’t have to,” Steve said, sitting on the bed beside him and stroking his hair. “But I want to. You do so much for me. You’re always there when I need you.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at that. “Mmm, I’m a real trooper, heroically and selflessly fucking Captain America as and when required. You know that I enjoy that too, right?”

Steve found himself smiling. “And I enjoy being here with you.” Tony pulled a disbelieving face at that.

“Can I stay?” Steve asked, suddenly fearless about the possibility of rejection. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he left Tony when he was this ill.

“Mmm. Yeah, okay. I’ll try not to vomit on you.”

Steve kicked off his shoes and wrapped himself gently around Tony. He smelled of sweat and the sweet, sickly scent of illness. He seemed smaller and more fragile that Steve was used to. “I wouldn’t mind if you did,” he said earnestly.

Tony managed a weak laugh. “Kinky.”

Steve huffed and laid a protective hand over Tony’s chest.

“You’ve always got me when I need you, Tony. Now I’ve got you.”

#stevetony #stony #ults day #me: appears from the mist to post ults day fic before scurrying off back to work #anyway i love the ults garbage fire and ults steve in particular #my writing #marvel #ults

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kaleidopewrites · 7 years

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A Daughter’s Battle

Summary: Bucky needed someone to help him, hold a candle and guide him down a straight path. Who knew he could find it in you?

Pairing: Daddy!Bucky Barnes x Daughter!Reader (platonic)

Word Count: 1990

Warnings: none really, just a lot of Daddy Bucky being fluffy i guess

A/N: This was written for Gen’s 8,000 Follower Writing Challenge, @bucky-plums-barnes Thank you so much for the prompt, “Can I have my son/daughter back”! I loved messing with the idea and then coming to this. I hope y’all like it :)

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Bucky’s head is filled with horrific memories and a tormenting past. He’s seen it all, he’s done it all and when Steve rescued him from his Winter Soldier persona, he had to relive it all over again.

For months, Bucky was swimming in an ocean of darkness and depression. Seeing things that weren’t there, hearing things that no one else could. There was no candle, no light to chase away the demons.

And then you came along.

You were only a few years old at the time, no older than five when Bucky found you. Hiding behind a dumpster – skin greased with filth and golden, strawberry hair cut haphazardly – crying about forgotten parents.

It was your eyes that caught his attention: one brown and one blue. He’d never seen a combination like that before in anyone. These big, beautiful eyes that were both very different, but reflected the exact same emotion.

Fear.

Without a single word, Bucky rescued you from the streets and took you to Stark Tower. And there you stayed, finding a home among the Avengers, and with Bucky.

You became Bucky’s ray of sunshine, the candle that banished the demons. Your smile was enough to light up his day, your voice for a week and your hug for a month. You made him remember who he was, and who he wants to become again.

You became his everything.

It took a while, but adoption papers were drawn up so you could finally and legally call yourself a Barnes. It was an effort to keep you around, considering how worried everyone was. Tony was the one to trust him the least, especially when he first brought you home.

But even then, you were a smart, young girl. You knew exactly who you wanted to be around, who you trusted the most. And you trusted him. As soon as Tony would separate the pair of you, you would scream and call out for him.

You’d trash a room or hide in a corner, ignoring anyone that tried to talk to you and flee from anyone that got too close. You wanted Bucky, and Bucky needed you and there was no separating the pair of you.

But Bucky proved himself. He swore he would do right, and do right he did. He got a job, he cleaned himself up. He pushed himself through all of the horseshit in his head just so you could feel like a little girl again.

He started paying for school, cooking meals for the Tower, even buying all the things you needed for your own room. When your grades started soaring, and you were happy and smiling, everyone could see the change. It was a year before Tony was brave enough to apologise.

And when Bucky got fired, he was welcomed with open arms. Tony became your leading sponsor, paying for the biggest school in New York, becoming the clichéd Uncle. It made Steve a little jealous, but you loved your family.

The Tower changed from a billionaire’s hang out to a family home. The fridge was full of drawings (some of them Thor’s) and A+ work. There was a swear jar on the counter, the other two full and hidden in a cupboard somewhere.

Your room was covered from head to toe in a range of photos from across the years. Most of them were school events, others were of you and Bucky and the rest were things you’ve done with the team.

Tony’s photos were of you and him mainly in the lab, cooking up new tech and experiments over the years. Your favourite was the robotic puppy he gave you on your sixth birthday, when you begged for a pet.

Some of Thor’s photos were when you were teaching him how to take selfies. A lot of them were blurred, but you insisted to have them printed out. The rest were of your adventures in Asgard when he took you there for a holiday. Bucky went, but he didn’t enjoy Bifrost travel.

Nat’s were usually shopping photos or boot camp ones. Little trips you’d do with her and Wanda and Pepper for just a girl’s day out. You snuck a lot of photos of her, though, catching her when she least expected it.

Wanda’s were a lot of silly photos. Pulling faces, funny make up, even a number of blurred ones when she’s tickled you as you’re taking the photo. You have a few decent ones, but they’re not as funny as the others.

You have a few rare ones with Clint, as he likes to photobomb other photos. You also don’t have a lot of Vision photos, as he doesn’t fully understand the concept, and avoids the camera as much as he can.

The faces you do see a lot, are Steve, Sam and especially Bucky. A day probably doesn’t go by when you’re not taking photos of any of them, catching them in weird, normal and obscure places.

Steve when he stuffs his mouth with powdered donuts, the frosting painting his lips. Sam whenever he’s in the middle of saying something and his face pulls into random expressions. You couldn’t even begin to describe the random photos with Bucky.

You were a passionate photographer.

Bucky wasn’t a particularly early riser, but you were. You always seemed to have an inward clock that would rise and fall with the sun. But he felt the need to surprise you and managed to get up before you.

He made a feast of bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes and hashbrowns for the both of you to share before walking into your room, switching on the fairy lights and gently opening the blinds to add a little sunshine to the room.

As soon as you could smell the food, your face lit up, throwing back the doona in an attempt to get to the source as quickly as possible. Bucky laughed before jumping onto the bed next to you and handing you a fork.

“Good morning, babydoll,” He smiled, pressing a syrupy kiss to your cheek. You giggle, pushing him away when you felt his beard scratch against your skin.

“Bucky, it tickles!” You smile as you take another bite of your shared breakfast. You were especially giddy, considering your father figure was allowing you to eat in your bed for the first time.

Bucky didn’t say much, choosing to admire you as your face would light up with your smile, brightening his day further. You’d both talk about school and what sort of things you might have planned.

In no time at all, he was walking you down to the campus, waving you off with a big smile as your little bag would bounce against your back. As always, right before you enter the school, you would turn and give him a big wave.

He returned it, waiting until you were inside before turning to leave, a peaceful smile on his face.

Bucky burst through the doors of the school just after its scheduled lunch time, a stomp in his step as he powered through the halls. He’d received a vague call from your principal and considering he didn’t have a mission or anything that day, he wasted no time making his way down.

Janitors, off-duty teachers and loitering students quickly moved out of his path, their skin paling at what was probably Bucky’s unintentional terrifying expression. The principal wouldn’t explain the situation, only that you were heavily involved.

He finally found the front desk and slammed his fists against it, frightening the lady behind it. He felt a little guilty for looking like some man on a war path, but his daughter was involved and if anyone hurt her…

“James Barnes, here about (Y/N)?”

“Mr Barnes? The principal’s been expecting you. Through there,” The lady gestured and Bucky attempted to be thankful, but he just turned and stormed into the office. The principal jumped when he entered but he quickly found you slouching in one of the chairs.

“Ah, Mr Barnes, thank you for coming so soon,”

“(Y/N)? (Y/N), are you okay?” Bucky asked instantly, crouching down beside you and ignoring the principal all together. You had let your hair fall in front of your face but your sour expression and crossed arms weren’t a sign that he liked.

You were silent, staring up at him with your beautiful miscoloured eyes. He could see a reflection in them, one of frustration and sadness.

“She was beating up one of the students, Mr Barnes, unprovoked,” Your expression darkened, your nose scrunching up in disagreement but you didn’t move to speak. Bucky’s face pulled in confusion as he rose, looking to the principal sitting tensely behind the desk.

“Unprovoked? That’s impossible, (Y/N) would never do that,”

“Well, apparently she has. Whatever martial arts or kung fu or whatever you Avengers do, you must teach her not to pick fights. One of the boys are in the infirmary with a broken nose,”

“Pick fights? (Y/N), would never fight anyone without a cause. I know, because I’m the one that trained her,” Bucky growled and the principal gulped. He had stepped defensively in front of you, shielding you instinctively.

“Well, several boys would disagree,”

“Regardless, I’m taking my daughter home,”

“Mr Barnes, there are several things we still need to talk about!”

“I’m taking her home,” Bucky began to usher you from the seat. You quickly slipped off, rather wanting to listen to your father figure than your principal.

“Mr Barnes--”

“Can I have my daughter back, or not?” Bucky raised his voice, much like the Principal as you both paused at the door. He gulped as he stared the soldier down, before returning to his seat and nodding.

Bucky pushed open the door and let you out first before following, quickly letting the receptionist know that you were being signed out early. He didn’t stop to sign any forms as you showed him to your locker.

You quickly grabbed your bag before he took it, swinging it over his shoulder as he walked the pair of you out. As soon as you were outside and away from prying eyes, he stopped and turned to you, kneeling so he could look at you.

“Babydoll, what happened?” He asked, spotting the small black eye under your hair. You brushed your locks aside so he could see it completely, not daring to touch it in case it still hurt.

“Were they making fun of you?”

“No, you,” You replied, surprising him and making him freeze.

“They told me you weren’t a real Avenger, that their Dad’s said that you’ve done bad things,”

“So you fought them?”

“No one picks on my Dad,” You straighten your back proudly.

“Babydoll,” Bucky sighs but you shake your head.

“I know it’s bad, and I know I shouldn’t have done it. But I couldn’t stand there and let them mock you. You’re my Dad, you saved me and I don’t care about the bad things,” Bucky furrows his eyebrows for a moment.

“Who told you?” He asked, mentally threatening whoever it may be. He didn’t want you to know, not until you could understand, until you were ready. Eight years old wasn’t nearly ready enough to hear about things he’s done.

“Uncle Steve. But you didn’t do anything bad. It was Hydra and the Winter Soldier. But you’re not the Winter Soldier, not anymore. You’re my Dad,”

Bucky smiled fondly at you, the fact that you had been calling him ‘dad’ this whole time finally reaching his ears. Uncle Steve had told you a lot about Bucky that you were afraid to ask, one of them being that you had to repeat some stuff for him to understand.

“I love you, Dad,” You smile, collapsing in his arms and wrapping your own around his neck. He held you tightly, pulling you against him until he was carrying you.

“I love you, too, babydoll,”

Tagging: @bucky-in-paradise @lokiandbuckyaremine

#bucky barnes #bucky #daddy!bucky #daddy!bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #daddy!bucky imagine #bucky imagine #bucky barnes imagine #platonic #sebastian stan #sebstan #marvel #marvel au #marvel story

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reviewsfeed-blog · 6 years

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Happy Thursday everyone!

Today is a bank holiday, so I get to enjoy being off work! It will be strange going back for one day tomorrow, mind. How are you all?

I’ve had a happy couple of days as I have just watched my sister graduate from University with a 1st honours degree. I am a very proud sister right now!

Today I am putting together another Down the TBR hole post, to make sure the list doesn’t become unruly. I’ve accepted it’s going to remain long… and it will always be added to, but I can try, right? For anyone unfamiliar with how this post works, here are the rules: –

The meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.

Read the synopses of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

So, shall we review the next ten books on my list?

The Secret Library – Oliver Tearle

Goodreads – The Secret Library

As well as leafing through the well-known titles that have helped shape the world in which we live, Oliver Tearle also dusts off some of the more neglected items to be found hidden among the bookshelves of the past. You’ll learn about the forgotten Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens, the woman who became the first published poet in America and the eccentric traveller who introduced the table-fork to England. Through exploring a variety of books—novels, plays, travel books, science books, cookbooks, joke books and sports almanacs—The Secret Library highlights some of the most fascinating aspects of our history. It also reveals the surprising connections between various works and historical figures. What links Homer’s Iliad to Aesop’s Fables? Or Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack to the creator of Sherlock Holmes? The Secret Library brings these little-known stories to light, exploring the intersections between books of all kinds and the history of the Western world over 3,000 years.

This is pretty much a no-brainer for me. It also guarantees that my TBR will get a lot longer after I’ve read it! I am always looking for new ways to discover new books… and I think this book will do just that for me!

Verdict: Keep

Because You’ll Never Meet Me – Leah Thomas

Goodreads – Because You’ll Never Meet Me

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.

This book and the sadness of the near impossible friendship between these two boys make me want to read this book. I think we have all experienced similar feelings of confusion or isolations during our teenage years, so I am hoping to relate to these characters in one way or another.

Verdict: Keep

The Iron Ship – K. M. McKinley

Goodreads – The Iron Ship

An incredible epic fantasy begins!

The order of the world is in turmoil. An age of industry is beginning, an age of machines fuelled by magic. Sprawling cities rise, strange devices stalk the land. New money brings new power. The balance between the Hundred Kingdoms is upset. For the first time in generations the threat of war looms.

In these turbulent days, fortunes can be won. Magic runs strong in the Kressind family. Six siblings strive – one to triumph in a world of men, one to survive murderous intrigue, one to master forbidden sorcery, one to wash away his sins, one to contain the terrible energies of his soul.

And one will do the impossible, by marrying the might of magic and iron in the heart of a great ship, to cross an ocean that cannot be crossed.

I was won over by “epic fantasy” if I’m honest. It is my favourite genre of all time and I am intrigued by the combination of magic and the industrial revolution. By all means, this is not a slight book; at 650 pages, but I am up for the challenge. This is a keeper.

Verdict: Keep

Nevernight – Jay Kristoff

Goodreads – Nevernight

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

This isn’t a case of does it stay… rather, it should be on my current reads list.

Technically, I’m listening to it via Audible, and it’s so fantastic that I have already purchased Godsgrave with my next credit. I’m already two-thirds of the way through and I cannot wait for the first book to come to its conclusion!

Verdict: Keep

Streets of Darkness & Girl Zero – A. A. Dhand

Goodreads – Streets of Darkness Goodreads – Girl Zero

There are some surprises that no-one should ever have to experience. Standing over the body of your beloved – and murdered – niece is one of them. For Detective Inspector Harry Virdee, a man perilously close to the edge, it feels like the beginning of the end.

His boss may be telling him he’s too close to work the case, but this isn’t something that Harry can just let lie. He needs to dive into the murky depths of the Bradford underworld and find the monster that lurks there who killed his flesh and blood.

But before he can, he must tell his brother, Ron, the terrible news. And there is no predicting how he will react. Impulsive, dangerous and alarmingly well connected, Ron will act first and think later. Harry may have a murderer to find but if he isn’t careful, he may also have a murder to prevent.

I originally added these books when the author was featured in Writers Magazine. Whilst they do sound interesting, I’m not sure I want to read them as much as I did when I added them originally.

Verdict: Bin

The Best Kind of People – Zoe Whittall

Goodreads – The Best Kind of People

What if someone you trusted was accused of the unthinkable?

George Woodbury, an affable teacher and beloved husband and father, is arrested for sexual impropriety at a prestigious prep school. His wife, Joan, vaults between denial and rage as the community she loved turns on her. Their daughter, Sadie, a popular over-achieving high school senior, becomes a social pariah. Their son, Andrew, assists in his father’s defense, while wrestling with his own unhappy memories of his teen years. A local author tries to exploit their story, while an unlikely men’s rights activist attempts to get Sadie onside their cause. With George locked up, how do the members of his family pick up the pieces and keep living their lives? How do they defend someone they love while wrestling with the possibility of his guilt?

With exquisite emotional precision, award-winning author Zoe Whittall explores issues of loyalty, truth, and the meaning of happiness through the lens of an all-American family on the brink of collapse.

I had forgotten I added this to the TBR; to be honest, a part of me wonders why. You think it would never happen near you.

One of the teachers at my school was arrested and charged for a sexual crime.

Whilst I was no more involved than being taught by him, the story is close to the bone. Guilty or not, I don’t think I would be comfortable reading and trying to sympathise with the accused based on what has happened here.

Verdict: Bin

Shantaram – David Gregory Roberts

Goodreads – Shantaram

“It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.”

So begins this epic, mesmerizing first novel set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.

Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.

As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.

Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas – this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart. Based on the life of the author, it is by any measure the debut of an extraordinary voice in literature.

I think this was an impulse addition to the TBR as well. Not sure why and I can’t even justify it.

Verdict: Bin

Red Rising – Pierce Brown

Goodreads – Red Rising

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

This sounds like the perfect blend of Fantasy and Science Fiction. When it comes to technical sci-fi, I get a bit lost. Red Rising and the plot is one I think and hope I can really get behind. I love the idea of rebellion against oppression!

Verdict: Keep

If We Were Villians – M. L. Rio

Goodreads – If We Were Villians

On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.

Ten years ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.

Part coming-of-age story, part confession, If We Were Villains explores the magical and dangerous boundary between art and life. In this tale of loyalty and betrayal, madness and ecstasy, the players must choose what roles to play before the curtain falls.

It involves crime, theatre and Shakespeare. Need I say more? I absolutely love anything that centres around the stage and I am truly hooked by this synopsis.

Verdict: Keep

So there you have it! I decided to bin 4 out of 10 books, so that isn’t too bad!

Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned and want me to change my mind? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

The next instalment of Down the TBR Hole #11 - in which I review the books on my list and decide what stays and what goes #bookworm #bookblogger #TBR #amreading Happy Thursday everyone! Today is a bank holiday, so I get to enjoy being off work! It will be strange going back for one day tomorrow, mind.

#amreading #Because You&039;ll Never Meet Me #bookblog #books #bookworm #downthetbrhole #fantasy #nevernight #science fiction

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