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captainsimagines · 2 years

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the warmth of the future || three

Summary: It’s been two years since you fell in love with Bucky Barnes, and the holidays are just around the corner. With even more love, more friends, and more family in attendance, you and Bucky fully intend to enjoy these days with as little drama as possible. But that’s not always the case with a relationship like yours, is it?

Pairing: DBF James “Bucky” Barnes x (Fem) Reader

Based on the Song: ‘Willow’ by Taylor Swift

Warnings: strong language; angst; money talk; mention of dead parents; age difference; accidental voyeurism; unprotected sex

Word Count: 7,130+

Author’s Note: The finale! We’ve come to yet another end for these characters! Love them with all my heart, and I’m so happy (as always) to share them with you. xxMoni

The firefighters had the fire controlled within thirty minutes of the faulty switch striking a flame. Or rather, they controlled the remaining flames. Apparently the fire started around one in the morning when the fundraiser was still going strong and most of the townspeople were either at the bar or asleep. Someone finally called 911 around twenty minutes later, but by then the fire had consumed every item in the store. And since plant life burns with villainous purpose, the walls didn’t stand much of a chance.

All that remained now was the black outline of the structure, chipped and broken wood sticking in all directions. The couches were charred, as was the register and back office. Clint and Steve carried the burnt safe out into the street so they could load it into Pietro’s truck. Your dad already volunteered to store it in the garage.

It was heartbreaking to see so many flowers burned. Some lifeless, some gone. Bucky had run back home to bring you a heavier jacket and some shoes as he knew you would want to help your friends salvage what they could. Once he saw that you were bundled up and no longer at risk for frostbite, he got to work.

Hours of cleaning, sweeping, calling contractors and customers.

Customers.

Pietro had released a garbled, angry yell when Wanda mentioned the Christmas Eve and Christmas orders. He rubbed at his temples, then his chest, muttering something along the lines of, We needed that money.

Wanda and Pietro are somewhat paralyzed—Clint at least tried to sprinkle in some jokes here and there—and it’s killing you.

The holidays were always festive. Nothing bad was supposed to happen during the holidays. Because when they do, they’re never the same.

“All the money we raised last night for the roof—I’ll put it toward the store.” You were now all seated at the barstools and booths in Kate’s bar as she made that drastic declaration. She passed Sam a plate of fried eggs and bacon that she had cooked upstairs twenty minutes before, ignoring the way everyone immediately rejected her idea.

“Kate, you spent all that time organizing that event. You earned the money,” you say, stealing a piece of bacon yourself. The shock from the morning finally wore off long enough for you to put some food into your stomach. Bucky adjusts you on his lap as he adds, “You have a business too, Kate. You need to keep it up and running.”

Kate rolls her eyes. “That bucket is holding up just fine.” She points at the bucket near the tiny stage, nearly filled with water.

Wanda sighs, rubbing the tension from her shoulder as her other hand nestles a mug of coffee to her chest. “They’re right, Kate. Besides, I’ve been too lenient on our annual inspections. We were supposed to have a check-up two months ago. I kept pushing it back.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Pietro orders. “I use the same calendar as you do.”

At that moment, everyone shares a collective sigh. This was bad. Very bad. That shop was Wanda and Pietro’s only source of income. Clint’s, too. It was their parent’s memory.

“What are we going to do?” Wanda whimpers, resting her forehead against Sam’s shoulder. Everyone else shares a look, a look that conveys no answers and no ideas.

After talking logistics and finishing breakfast, everyone begins filing out to get back to work. Sam, Steve, Bucky, and your dad decided they would stay behind, driving anything that wasn’t too badly burned back to the house. Kate offered to bring everyone water and lunch. Clint, Wanda, and Pietro hopped into Pietro’s truck immediately, their list full and priorities straight. Most of their day would be spent out of town, away from the wreckage. You figure that’s convenient—they probably don’t want to stare at what they lost.

Bucky meets you at the bar entrance, kissing your cheek briefly before following Steve.

“Bucky?” He turns, hands in his pockets. “I didn’t get you a present yet.”

His mouth twitches, and something beautiful gleams in his eyes. “You got the money for it, though. Don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re gonna make sure their flower orders get out one way or another, aren’t you?”

The fact that he knows you so well has you believing in the concept of soulmates. “Yeah.”

He smiles, at you and at nothing. “You’ve already given me your heart. I would be honored if you used it for this.”

Then he turns, chuckling softly to himself. Rubbing at his chest—rubbing at something in his coat pocket.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but when I agreed to a holiday vacay in a town that resembled the set of Gilmore Girls, I didn’t expect to get the ‘Oh, no! Our beloved inn burned down and now I’m unemployed’ storyline.”

Peter’s admission, no matter how inappropriate, evokes a short burst of laughter from your chest. Peter Parker had that ability—make the best out of the worst.

The two of you were driving to the next town over, aiming to cross out the biggest item on the list: find a flower shop that would fulfill the orders. It made a good impression on the customers and could make them donate loads of cash to rebuilding the shop. It was worth it to try.

“I only meant to introduce you to my family and attend the Christmas party. Trust me, this wasn’t planned.”

“You think throwing the party is still a good idea? What if they don’t want to celebrate during a time like this?”

You pull into the parking lot, parking in front of a gothic-style flower shop whose display sign read, Flowers For The Living. “Probably no party. And I think Wanda and Pietro realize they’re getting help whether they like it or not, so they’ll be okay.”

Peter hums, and gets out of the car with you. The shop is smaller, with vintage furniture and flowers ranging from all colors, especially the darker shades. It was a nice contrast to the stereotype that all flower shops had to be these lively, colorful places. There are no holiday decorations, either.

“Hello?” you call out, running your finger along the leaves of black roses.

A tall woman enters from the back office, dusting her pants of lint. She chews the final bites of her food as she answers, “Yes, yes! I’m here, I’m here.”

Peter blinks, his mouth forming a tiny ‘O’ as he takes her in. Quite obviously, you might add.

“Uh, I’m MJ. Who are you?”

When you realize Peter’s mouth isn’t actually going to be forming words anytime soon, you let out the whole spiel. How the only flower shop in your town burned down, how orders needed to start shipping today, how the owners are family and this was the least you could do for them. The woman, MJ, listens. And all the while a small smile creeps onto her face, noticing that your explanation is turning into rambling.

“So, yeah. We’d be honored to buy some flowers from you.”

MJ tilts her head up, biting her bottom lip. “You’re going to buy my flowers and market them as your own?”

Fuck. Okay, backtrack.

But it’s Peter who snaps out of whatever trance he was in, coming up with, “Actually, with your permission, we were hoping that we could attach small notes to every order. Custom-made. Your stamp, your name, and a message from us thanking you for saving the day. It would show that Wanda and Pietro still cared enough to get the orders in and sent out, and you’d get free publicity.”

That right there. That’s why he’s the best assistant.

MJ smirks, fingering the massive bouquet beside the register. She makes a show of thinking about her answer, ignoring the fumbling of your thumbs and Peter’s giant grin.

“When I first set up this shop,” she starts, walking around the register. You don’t miss the way Peter studies her further. You're tempted to hit him upside the head. “I knew jackshit about business. All I knew was that I wanted to have an alternative flower shop where people could buy one-of-a-kind bouquets. Do you have any idea what my first act as a new business owner was?”

Both you and Peter shake your head.

“I bought more inventory before even making a sale.”

Ooof.

“It was Wanda Maximoff who ventured to this part of town, looking for advice on how to darken certain flowers. Where to order them, how to arrange them. I had been open for a week and was already in debt. I gave her all my tips, and she came in the next day with her hair in a scarf, a broom, and a whole itinerary.”

“She did?”

MJ nods, smiling to herself as she remembers the memory. “Wouldn’t take no as an answer. Said her father hammered the rules of business into her head by age twelve and that she would do the same for me. I don’t speak to my parents and I have no siblings, so…”

MJ pauses, then pulls out her notebook, turning to a blank page. “This is the first I’m hearing about the fire.” Sorrow flashes across her features. “So I’ll help her get back on two feet if it’s the last thing I do. Give me the order information. I’ve got a big job ahead of me.”

Wanda had never mentioned MJ, but she did talk about this town and the businesses in it. She often brought home food from family-run restaurants, antiques for her apartment—she just never mentioned making another friend.

Peter snaps his fingers multiple times, cheering as he says, “You got sticky tabs and highlighters?”

MJ lights up. “In the back! Hold on, hold on!”

As she skips back to the office to retrieve more supplies, you turn to Peter. “Match made in Heaven.”

Peter scoffs, shoving your shoulder with his. A blush creeps from the base of his neck to his cheeks. “Everybody likes office supplies. If you don’t, there’s something wrong with you.”

“Ah.”

You set the teasing aside for the next two hours, working with MJ on getting the orders fulfilled and loading them up in delivery trucks. By the end, you’ve made a new friend. And you bet Peter Parker will be tagging along on your family vacations every holiday season from now on.

“This is just shit luck, man.”

Everyone mumbles their agreement to Sam’s comment. They’re currently cleaning glass shards, rolling the shredded curtains, and piling picture frames.

“How long do you think it’ll take to rebuild?” Sam continues, broom in one hand and dustpan in the other.

Bucky sends him a half-hearted glare, wiping his face free of soot. “Considering it just burned down this morning, I’m gonna say a ton of time.”

“Five months, tops.”

Bucky’s eyes widen at your dad’s declaration. “You’re optimistic.”

Your dad shrugs, sweeping his designated corner. He carefully creates a pile of glass. “Those kids have some otherworldly determination. You remember how they picked up the mantle after their parents died?”

“We helped…” Steve grimaces.

“Nah, they ran that shop like their parents were watching. They did most of it.”

“Think they can do it again?” Sam pushes, curious. He bends down to sweep your dad’s glass pile.

“I know they can do it again. But the emotional toll might just hit harder than last.”

Steve clears his throat, raising his hand like a kid in the classroom. “Hey…Is the party tonight…”

“Cancelled? Most likely,” your dad answers.

Bucky sighs, “Always looked forward to your little shindigs.”

Then Steve says something that makes Bucky think he’s truly gone mad. “Hey…Why don’t we still have it?”

Your dad half-cackles, half-snorts. “Oh, for obvious reasons, Steven! God, you’re even more dense than Bumblebee claimed.” And even as he says it, it’s with love etched into each word.

Steve grumbles, “No, idiot! I mean—Why don’t we bring the decorations here? Make this into something…To tell those kids that we’re going to help them. And that we should celebrate the fact that we know they’ll be okay.”

To throw a party on the gravesite of their parent’s business…Steve was both dense and confident, Bucky concludes. “Think they’ll go for it?”

“Won’t know unless we try, right?”

Maybe it was a good idea. On a day as gloomy as this one, perhaps a little cheer is what was needed. And who knows? Having it in the center of town could bring a crowd desperate to donate.

“Gonna go drive all we’ve got in the truck back to the house,” your dad announces. “Meet me there in a few hours for the decorations, alright?” Everyone agrees, seemingly excited for the prospect of such a wild idea.

Bucky throws aside some random wood the same moment he catches sight of the one person he really doesn’t want to converse with. “Woah…What are you doing here?”

Quill strolls past the crumbling doorway, hands in his pockets and wearing an expression of shame. “I apologize for last night. I honestly didn’t know, and I thought there was something still between us. Like…some holiday fairytale.”

Bucky cringes, but gives him the benefit of the doubt. His jealousy is still burning in his stomach, but he squashes it long enough to give Quill a proper verbal response. “Okay?”

“I came to offer my assistance. And my men.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I’m already drawing up plans.” And with that, Bucky realizes his jealousy was misplaced. Because even though the thought of another man touching you without his permission gets him heated, he realizes that this was not the situation he thought it was. Quill is not Rumlow. Quill did not force you to do anything, nor has he attempted to contact you afterward. He owes you another apology, sure, but Bucky’s thankful Quill had the gall to apologize at all. “Clint’s an old friend. I don’t hang out much with people anymore. But seeing all of you makes me want to have a social life again.”

And Bucky has to admit, his heart breaks a little. Breaks even more when he understands exactly what Quill means.

Bucky grabs the nearest broom leaning against the wall, holding it out to Quill. “Here…You can help us with that bit over there.”

Quill takes it, gives Bucky a quick and respectful nod, and gets to work. Even with extra hands, the shop wasn’t going to magically rebuild itself in a few weeks. Wanda and Pietro needed income by the end of January or else they risked dipping into their savings. Which, that’s the point of savings, but they didn’t have much. At least, that’s what Pietro mumbled this morning.

So Bucky puts down his broom and tears off his gloves, heading for the crumbling door and to the street.

“Buck, where you going?” Sam calls out.

“You said it yourself: Those kids are gonna need all the help they can get! And I have a favor to cash in!”

It’s clean. Well, less messy than this morning. Half the town came out to offer some assistance, bringing food and water to everyone working overtime. Clint, Pietro, and Wanda were off being responsible—insurance, their tax guy, going through the documents stored in the safe. Luckily those weren’t too harmed.

You figure helping with the clean up would be too emotional for them. You saw how Pietro was—his face hadn’t fallen that way since he witnessed what Brock Rumlow was planning to do to you two Christmases ago.

“Everything go good at the flower shop?” Your dad’s voice rocks you from your thoughts. You’re currently sitting on the charred front steps, knees tucked high enough that your chin rests on them.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure my assistant pulled a date, too.”

He laughs, releasing a low grunt as he sits beside you. “Oh, everyone’s falling in love nowadays.”

You allow the silence to fester between you for a while longer. It seems like your dad expects it because he pretends to study the storefronts directly within eyesight, waiting for you to drop the bomb. The bomb he should have dropped months ago when he made up his mind. “When were you going to tell me that you’re going to propose to Monica?”

He dips his head, sighing heavily. A spot of shame tainting his features. “Who told you?”

“Does it matter? You didn’t tell me.”

It’s only been you and your dad since you could remember. Sure, Sam and Bruce were there, raising you like you were their own. Because you were, by some definition. One of their best friends had a child at fifteen, who was then abandoned and left to raise that child alone. They stepped up, as did Steve whenever he visited, and you couldn’t be more thankful.

But even with such a crowd, it was only you two. Sharing inside jokes, downloading the same video games on your phone so you could play together, taking bike rides and trying new foods in the town over. Him not telling you this major milestone hurts.

“Bumblebee…I didn’t mention it for a reason.”

Turning to him, it’s impossible to shield the pain in your eyes. “Did you think I wouldn’t approve? Because I do, a million times yes.”

“I wasn’t doubting that. It just—just wasn’t the right time to bring it up.”

The way he says the right time—he’s hiding something and you know it.

“Then when? The day you proposed?”

Your dad chuckles. “I’m going to propose sometime in the new year. Obviously not at this moment considering I don’t want to steal the spotlight.” He motions to the scene before him, his dark joke landing strong enough that a laugh bursts from your chest. You shake your head, a gesture of half-assed chastising.

“I wanted to tell you in person.”

It makes some sense. But you can’t help the feeling that he’s hiding something big. So you play it off. “Marriage. Wow.”

“Not a fan?” your dad asks, his smile growing.

Marriage. The next milestone that so many people your age conquer. People from high school have been getting married and having children since you were in your early twenties. Sometimes you feel like you’re a little late. But it was never a priority or something with a ticking clock. If it happened, it happened.

“I’ve never really thought of it. Well, I have…but it’s never been a priority.”

“Tell me, Bumblebee—Would you marry James?”

Goddamnit, you would. You would, you would, you would. No other man you’ve dated has ever elicited those feelings. To ponder a life with them. A lifelong commitment. “Would you like me marrying your friend?”

“This isn’t about me. It hasn’t been about me in a long time. So answer the question: Would you marry him?”

“The scary thing is that I think I would.”

“Saying all that, and there’s still a part of you that wants to seek my approval of such a union?” The way he says union makes his statement sound sarcastic.

“Don’t make it into a joke. I care about what you think, Dad.”

His mouth twitches into a small grin, slight wrinkles stretching across his left cheek. “Your only job in this life is to love someone without conditions. Whether it be yourself, a friend, blood, or a partner.”

“Your approval is a condition?”

“My approval is a bonus. But even then, I see how he looks at you. It’s how I used to look at your mother. How I now look at Monica.”

You snort, “My mother isn’t the best example.”

Looking up at the sky, your dad considers his next words carefully. “No but, the love was real. Just because it wasn’t the right person doesn’t mean that my feelings were invalid. We love a lot of people in our lifetime. When you find that you’re capable of it, it’s really easy to recognize it in others.”

“Like Kate and Pietro?” You click your tongue, raising one eyebrow at your dad.

Your dad laughs, rubbing at his chin. “I have seen that boy’s eyes since high school. You won’t believe the amount of talks I’ve had with him.”

“You knew?”

“He didn’t know until earlier this year. Sam made a comment and Pietro had some, out of body realization.”

Did all the adults know? You guess that Wanda didn’t, or maybe she considered it to be mundane or anything but romantic. Boys were attracted to girls all the time—didn’t mean their feelings came from a place of respect and admiration.

“I really do miss a lot by living in New York, huh?”

He throws an arm around your shoulders, tugging you close to his side. Lightly shaking you as he declares, “You’re not allowed to feel guilty about working at your dream job.”

“It��s not that. I just miss you guys all the time.”

“Then visit more often.”

Scoffing, you rest your head on his shoulder. “Being a working girl is tedious.”

“Even I would go crazy with just James and Steven for company.”

You giggle. New York wasn’t all it was jacked up to be, but it was a pleasant place to live. Were you in love with New York before meeting Bucky? Did it hold the same influence over you? Sometimes places aren’t really called home until you have a reason to name it so. It’s the people who make a place, and Bucky is your home.

“They tell you we’re going to bring the decorations over here?”

You blink at him. Bring the decorations over? Over here? In this area of ash and debris? “In what capacity?”

Your dad brings a finger to his lips, miming for you to be quiet. He stands, holding out his hand to help you up. “Stall the three flower nerds. I’ll call you when it’s all ready.”

He starts jogging down the street, completely ignoring your question. You yell out after him, “Is Bucky going to help you?”

“Stall the flower nerds!”

You look around the street, perplexed. Huh?

To be honest, it didn’t take much to stall the flower nerds. It took a while to locate them around town, anyway. They hadn’t passed by the house or noticed that everyone was driving decorations back and forth. The mini Christmas trees, the lights, the Hanukkah decorations, the food. Many nearby businesses donated tables and chairs, some even offering to keep their doors open tonight so that guests may use the restroom.

It was now a party of not just your friends, neighbors, and family—but of the entire town. A town that came together on Christmas Eve.

“I really don’t feel like seeing the area right now,” Pietro moaned, sitting in the passenger seat as Clint drove his truck.

“I know, but Bucky asked me if we could pick him up there.”

“He’s got one arm, but two legs,” Clint mutters, earning a smack on the shoulder from the backseat.

“Just drive,” you softly order, anticipation simmering in your chest. The town felt empty as you drove through it, as if they all went to sleep. Wanda even commented on it.

When the final turn came about, and your heart was burning a nauseating hole in your mouth, you just prayed these three didn’t outright scream with fury. That the spot in which all their hard work had been was being desecrated—

“What in the—” Clint curses, leaning forward in the driver’s seat to get a better look. Parking across the street, he’s out of the car immediately. Pietro and Wanda follow, hesitant at first.

“Surprise?” you try, cringing at how stupid you sound.

“Is this why you were acting so weird?” Clint asks, eyes wide in what you hope is wonder.

And wonder would be correct. In the last few hours, your friends have managed to turn an area that was burnt to a crisp in the early hours of this morning into something revolutionary. You figure they got the fire department’s permission to add some of these decorations…because oh my god.

Displayed like a grand patio, its deck carried about a dozen tables, each filled with food, flowers, drinks, and mini Christmas trees. Your dad seems to have brought out the Menorah as well, lighting all the candles even if the last candle was still missing. Chairs were spread about, some of the older townspeople seated and comfortable. Music played from two tiny speakers, crackling at a mediocre frequency, but still strong enough to make out the song. It’s then that you recognize the two boys setting them up and tinkering with them—taller than you remember, and looking more like Sarah each day.

Lights are strung in the same zig-zag formation as the ones on the street, flickering red and green and gold. All those damn paper snowflakes rest on the tables, probably mocking Clint since they aren’t currently hanging from a ceiling. Yet it’s the person on the ladder, tightening one of the green bulbs that surprises you. Quill, who looks across the crowd and over at you, smiling shyly as he raises one hand in polite greeting.

“It wasn’t my idea,” you clarify, walking over to the entrance that the guys have simply torn down. The door’s archway is gone—the shop officially starts from scratch. “The orders were sent out, by the way.”

Wanda snaps her head toward you. Then she sees MJ in the crowd, and her shoulders drop.

Steve breaks through the crowd, his flannel shirt still a little dirty from a hard day’s work. Sam and Bucky tilt their heads at him, obviously surprised by his forwardness. The surprise hits you too as Steve strolls forward to none other than Wanda herself.

“I, uh—” Steve blushes, running a hand down the back of his neck. “I thought that a little Christmas cheer might help. I know you’re Jewish and all, but Hanukkah has passed and it seemed…nice.”

You and Clint stare at the two, silent but communicating with your eyes.

He’s flirting.

I can fuckin’ see that. Why is he flirtin’?

He’s blushing.

I can fuckin’ see that! Why is he blushin’?

“You are red.” Wanda’s observation only makes Steve turn even more scarlet.

“I’m a very pale person.”

Pietro—who has decided he doesn’t care if Wanda and Steve flirt—walks toward Kate, who’s dressed as a waiter rather than a guest. Black tie attire, and her combat boots to pull it all together.

“You have a hand in this?” Pietro playfully interrogates, scanning her up and down. It’s the first time Kate’s never worn a dress for a party, and by the look on Pietro’s face, he’s loving it all the same.

She shrugs, like this was all casual. “Who do you think donated all the alcohol?”

Pietro smirks, then runs a slow hand through his white hair. “I’m still going to help fix your roof.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.” Kate goes to step toward him, for a hug no doubt, but he holds out a hand to stop her. Kate looks wounded in that second, before Pietro crouches, onto one knee, to tie her shoe.

Kate blinks, and the world makes sense.

“Merry Christmas!” Clint exclaims, practically sprinting into the crowd. He jumps into the arms of your dad, who somehow anticipated his weight, and screams it over and over again.

The stress of not knowing how they would react disintegrates to dust, releasing its tension from your ribs and shoulders. This isn’t a solution, nor is it the first step, but it is progress. Self-defined progress for the long road ahead.

“Now…I promised my mother, myself, and God that I would never do this again!” Clint proclaims, gassing himself up as he stands between Sam and Steve, ready to flip. He steadies his hands on the chair in front of him, kicks his legs up, and allows the two veterans to hold them high. Then Kate guides the pump to his mouth, and Clint proceeds to accomplish the most insanely coordinated keg stand in the history of keg stands.

He lasts a total of twenty seconds. When Kate announces that she’s next, you decide it’s time to mingle with other people. Peter speaks with MJ at the drinks table, while Quill chats up that girl from yesterday. Carol, was it? She was twisting the ends of her hair, obviously enjoying Quill's flirting. The hair twirling was encouragement.

Heading over to grab a water bottle, a rare face drops into your peripheral. Tall and handsome, perhaps one of the most beautiful men you’ve ever seen. He grabs the attention of dozens, his elegant face vibrant as his mouth spreads into a smile. He greets everyone who flocked to him with the same grace, with the same delight. A man who hasn’t been seen in this town for a long time.

“Is that the one and only T’Challa?” Monica’s voice booms over the music. You turn to her to see she’s already dragging your dad through the crowd. It clicks through you—the picture in Kate’s bar, the one where Bucky looks like a twenty-year old twink.

Your dad beams, accepting T’Challa's handshake. “This is even rarer than my daughter and James visiting.”

T’Challa laughs, scanning the room as if in search of the man mentioned. Instead, he finds you as you timidly walk over, giving him a good-natured wave in exchange.

“I heard what happened. Plus, my mother still lives here and it was about time I jumped on a plane instead,” T’Challa admits, giving you a slight nod in greeting.

“Have you been in town since this morning?” your dad asks.

“Actually, Barnes called me.”

“He what?” T’Challa nearly laughs again from your shocked expression.

“Did you know that I asked him to be my patient when I came up with the prototype for his arm?”

“Well, no. But it makes sense.”

He finally finds Bucky in the crowd, watching as he jokes around with Steve and Pietro. His eyes never leave him as he confesses, “I gave him his arm without cost. He was my guinea pig, my selfish science experiment when I was in my late twenties. He let me work on him, tear him apart and put him back together, as a favor to me. I owe him for believing in me and my brain.”

“You…owe him?”

He nods. Then, as casual as ever, says, “I’m here to throw my millions of dollars into rebuilding the flower shop.”

Everyone near pauses, the surprise emitting around the room. Even Clint, recovering from his kegs-capades, saddles up beside you. Elbow stabbing your side, being annoying as ever.

“I…don’t think it’ll take a million dollars.”

Clint scoffs, “Shit! I’ll take the million! Don’t listen to her!”

T’Challa chuckles, “Good to see you again, Clint.”

“I’m a pleasure, I know. What’s this about a million?”

“Clint—” Your elbow stabs him this time.

“Monica.” T’Challa turns to her, bowing a little. Clint laughs to himself, like he expected the dismissal. “I’m so glad to see you again. Is your mother doing well?”

“Attached to your mother’s hip as usual,” Monica responds, rolling her eyes at the mental image it causes.

“I’ll see about staying longer this time. My sister can handle everything back in California.” Then, more shyly, he asks, “And how is your friend?”

“Oh, the nurse I work with? Your mother’s nurse?” T’Challa clears his throat awkwardly as Monica continues. “Nakia’s fine. She’s actually around here somewhere—”

T’Challa starts, speechless and stuttering. Both you and Clint look on, the concept of holiday romanticism growing more real by the second. But neither of you say a word, happy to be spectators to yet another love story in the making.

Bystanders. Readers. Onlookers.

When you turn to find Bucky, he’s gone.

“Are the festivities too much for you?”

Entering the store next door, a rustic cafe, you spot Bucky leaning against the diner and counting his breaths. He blinks one eye open at your question, smiling a little as you cautiously make your way to him. It was your way of non-verbally asking if he wanted you here at all, or truly needed some time to himself.

“The day was a lot.” He loosens a breath that’s both a groan and sigh, then rolls his neck to crack it. “To be honest, I’m surprised my back is still holding out.”

You chuckle lightly. "T'Challa?"

"Ah. So he did come."

Pausing halfway toward him, the red light from outside shining upon the left side of your face, the original question still stands.

“Just let me hold you.” Well, you can certainly give him that.

His words hang in the air as you allow it, melting in his embrace. He’s tired, but he walks you to the wall, providing that extra leverage. Something about the hug turns vibrant, innocence deteriorating quickly as Bucky’s hands begin to wander. As your hands trace up his chest, his neck, his cheeks. Those beautiful, high cheeks that retain the most gorgeous pink. That pink he turns when his blood decides to also travel elsewhere. That pink he turns when he decides his time would be better spent worshiping you.

His emotions get the better of him. Multiplying. He whimpers as he digs his face into the crook of your neck, fisting your velvet dress. Noises that mean he’s desperate. Noises that mean he needs you.

Not wants.

Needs.

“I—” you choke, a rush of air leaving your lungs as your back meets the wall. He hoists you up, holding your thighs the second you wrap them around his waist. Your high heels knock against each other. Bundling the dress to your waist, Bucky dips his flesh fingers into your heated center.

The heat from this moment and the chill from outside amplifies the pleasure building in your abdomen. The knowledge that anyone could interrupt does so as well. You internally thank Bucky for choosing to fuck you against the wall—that way you won’t be defiling someone’s table.

Bucky draws tight circles against your clit, breathing heavily into your neck. Pushing his body against yours, holding you to him. He leaves your neck, only to rest his forehead against yours, your lips barely touching. Intimate.

“Are you sure?” you drag out, the pressure in your chest increasing.

Bucky nods, mumbling a yes as soft as you’ve ever heard it. He sets you down so he can unzip his pants while you remove your underwear and your heels. Until you’re back in his arms, legs around him, guiding him into you.

You both release a collective sigh of relief, clutching onto each other in a frenzied display of emotion. Your hands in his hair, his lips on your neck, his cock buried deep inside you. It’s not fast and it’s not quick. Instead, it’s slow and deep, stirring your heartstrings and dragging out short whimpers from your chest.

Half of you wants to get this over with as quickly as possible in fear that someone will walk in. The other half wants to experience this forever, bask in the glow of Bucky’s warm embrace. Why he felt the need to be with you right now, you don’t know. But whatever it was, you’re thankful for it.

To feel wanted—that’s a blessing.

“I’m—close,” you push out, gritted teeth making it hard to do so. This angle isn’t the best, but Bucky’s fingers circling your clit adds the necessary pressure. “Bucky.”

“You can come, Doll,” he groans, hiking his hips a little more forceful now. Moaning, you discover that all you can do is listen to him.

You’re on the verge of toppling over that sweet edge, to witnessing those wonderful black dots across your vision, when the door opens and Peter Quill walks through. Stunted, probably here to use the bathroom, staring wide-eyed. Bucky doesn’t seem to notice.

With your eyes locked on Quill’s and him completely paralyzed a few feet away, you come around Bucky’s cock. Eyebrows furrowed, mouth dropped open, silky legs pulling Bucky’s body tighter against you. You fist a handful of Bucky’s hair at the back of his head, grinding your hips down to help him reach his end.

Quill blinks, his eyes scanning from the top of your head to your curling toes. Nothing in his stare gives off jealousy or anger. Instead, his mouth twitches upward and his neck reddens. He gives you a small salute, walking back to the party like he didn’t witness a thing.

Bucky thrusts a few more times, the generosity of his fingers not enough to throw you into a second orgasm, but still pleasurable nonetheless. You hold him, playing with his hair, and smiling to yourself about what just happened.

The party is still in full swing when you and Bucky decide to take a walk around the block. The snow had stopped falling around mid-day, so the streets weren’t difficult to navigate. The sounds of the party carried on as you two walked, flowing like magic through the street.

“Will this be our tradition then? Visiting every holiday season?” you ask, swinging your conjoined hands back and forth.

Bucky squeezes you. “Families create traditions, don’t they?”

“Am I your family?”

Bucky’s insides turn into heavenly mush. He doesn’t know the exact moment that he considered you more important than himself, but he knows that he considers you to be more important than anything else. Family meant a connection. Not blood—your family can be anybody you choose. He would describe your relationship as an ethereal connection, one molded by sensations he didn’t even know existed.

“Am I yours?”

“We’ve been over this.”

“No, I mean…Will you have me?”

You stop walking, and Bucky accidentally tugs at your arm. It doesn’t hurt, but it does shake you from the shock.

This sounds a lot like a—

You meet his eyes, silver already gleaming in his. Your heart threatens to leap from your chest, too joyful from the mere sight of him. His tall build, his longer hair, his beautiful pink lips.

It’s the very simple fact that you would allow Bucky Barnes to take your hand, guide you through war, and seal your fate. If there was anyone in the world you wanted to be stranded in the middle of the ocean with, fighting the currents with, it would be him. Any person you wanted to climb down balconies with, co-own a bar with, share New York with, it would be him. Any person you wanted to climb trees with, celebrate every holiday with, catch the train for, it would be him. It would always be him.

You know it the moment he bends down to one knee. The moment he pulls a velvet box from his jacket pocket. The moment it’s lifted, revealing a gorgeous emerald ring. The moment his breath hitches and he looks up at you, his blue eyes meeting yours. Blue eyes that are soft and tender.

Then he whispers your full name softly, the sound like marvelous honey, and asks, “Will you marry me?”

This was the grand secret he and everyone else was hiding from you, wasn’t it? The reason your dad wasn’t going to steal Bucky’s thunder by proposing to Monica tonight. Because Bucky Barnes asked for permission, made sure your most annoying friends knew, and waited until he was back in your hometown, his hometown, to buy a ring and propose.

And the stranger yesterday was correct: you know everything the moment a man is on their knees for you. Whatever plans you had before this, they’re all wrecked for the better. Whatever paths that were carved out, new ones have just been made for you. All worries, all questions, have been squashed and answered. The warmth of the future has never felt more inviting.

Bucky Barnes is the man you want to leave the Christmas lights up until January with. The man you want to share a bed with, share breakfast with, share a life with. This man is yours, and you are his.

“Yes.” You mean for it to come out louder, but it’s barely above a whisper. Like your voice is shocked silent. “Yes.”

Bucky expels a quick breath. “Yes?”

With a quick nod, you smile wide. “Yes!"

Bucky bursts up, capturing your lips with his. Overdramatic and true. “Yes,” he repeats against your mouth. “Yes, yes, yes!”

A laugh erupts from your chest, but Bucky just keeps trying to kiss you silent. Or not silent, but attempting to swallow the sound, as if it fuels his soul.

“I love you,” he promises.

Here, in the glistening winter night with flowers barely sprouting from the sidewalk and the town voices in the background, you’ve never felt so happy.

“You make me so happy, Bucky Barnes.”

His smile damn near breaks your heart. Resting his forehead on yours, he vows, “Tell me if that ever changes, Doll. I only ever want to make your heart beat for mine. I only ever want my heart to ache for you. Love of my life, introduce me as yours.”

You giggle, “Poetic, Barnes.”

He smiles again, happy to see his words landing. “Only around you.”

And isn’t that what love is? Spouting random poetic verses because you just can’t help it? Finally meeting the person who prompts you to do so. They don’t have to be pure Shakespeare—the emotion behind the poems is enough.

So you vow to make your life with Bucky Barnes a poem, where each new verse is more beautiful than the last, original and sincere. Endless, and true.

“Let me see, let me see, let me see!” Kate shouts, jumping up and down, practically shaking the windows of the living room. Everyone’s crowded in your dad’s house for Christmas morning, even Sarah and the boys, Monica, and Peggy. No one tells Kate to calm down, nor do they ask what she’s so excited about.

They saw the ring. They grabbed your hand. They’ve all been screaming just as loud as her.

You didn’t show anyone last night. After Bucky proposed, you had simply gone home and made love again. So the proposal was just yours and his, a secret to keep for a few hours. You basked in the glow, in the knowledge no other human being had. Sure, everyone knew he was going to do it, but they didn’t know if he was going to go through with it.

And when you walked down the stairs, realizing that Steve had not come into your room last night and no one had pulled Bucky out, you know that they all expected.

So you show Kate the ring again, holding your hand out as she tugs you across the living room, modeling you to everyone. Everyone gives their congratulations; everyone looks so damn happy.

Presents are exchanged—you still managed to buy that book for Bucky—plans are discussed, and food is eaten. You look around the room, at your full house, and cannot contain your glee. Turning slightly, you let the tear slip, hoping nobody noticed.

But Bucky does. With a gentle swipe across your cheek, he reinforces your love for him. Shows his love for you. Fortifies it. Simple, and yet not at all.

TAGLIST: [on masterlist]

#Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes x you #Bucky Barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes fanfiction #dbf!bucky #dbf!buckybarnes #avengers au #marvel fanfiction #warmth of winter sequel #the warmth of the future #captainsimagines #by Moni #holiday fanfic #part three #finale

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dryad-of-the-dogwood · 7 months

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The Grav Jump Tango Chapter 10: The Bridges We’ve Burned Pairing: Sam Coe x Spacefarer

Excerpt below the cut for main story spoilers

Much to Cora’s disappointment, the second temple hadn’t made Cass’s gravity powers stronger after all. Instead, it had given her the ability to create some strange… bubble of clean air, which was an odd thing to try to connect to the gravity-related nature of the Artifacts and temples themselves. Sam had joked it would come in handy if she ever accidentally spaced herself. Cass had looked thoughtful and pointed out that it could save someone with a suit leak, too. Not that either of those things were particularly likely, but it couldn’t hurt to have in her back pocket just in case.

Things settled into a kind of routine, after that. Sometimes Sarah would stay in the Lodge and Andreja or Barrett would join in for the surveys Vlad set for Cass, but every time she’d extend an invite to Sam and Cora, too. A few times they stopped a while in Cydonia or Akila, to shop or hunt down rumors. Often as not, Cass would find someone like that little girl in Akila City who she couldn’t say no to helping out—including another kid who had wanted help hanging drawings of a space frog, of all things. He’d expected that one once the girl pulled out the puppy dog eyes at least, and Cora had been over the moon when Cass sneaked out one of the posters for her room in the Lodge.

Their most recent visit had seen Cass first break out her mining laser to help the crew meet their quotas, and then somehow managed to snowball into her leveraging her background in corporate espionage to get them new mining equipment, talk down a miner turned attempted thief, and ended with her handing evidence to the head of security that cost the governor of Cydonia his job. Personally, Sam didn’t think the murderer deserved the dignity of stepping down before he stood trial, but with bureaucracy there was never a real win, just a mildly less distasteful solution.

They’d been on downtime since then, and Cass seemed to keep herself busy in the city a lot when they were on Jemison, so it had been a couple of days since he’d more than passed her having dinner. Not that he was keeping an eye out or anything, but her absence from the Lodge seemed oddly obvious already, despite what a relatively short time she’d been there. Nobody to referee Mattias and Noel except Barrett without her, after all, and his version of refereeing was usually more like goading them both.

So Sam had made sure Cora was tucked in—with her reading lamp on and some dusty novel in her hands, naturally, but tucked in nonetheless—and then gone to check on his ship to avoid the latest disagreement over the nature of the divine, or whatever Mattias was most recently convinced the Artifacts really were. Sam hadn’t taken his ship into the ’field in a couple of weeks by that point, but he didn’t feel like trying to squeeze in an evening departure slot so he settled for giving the drive a little TLC. Until Lillian called, and then he was glad he was far out of Cora’s earshot.

That conversation had gone about as well as it ever did, especially after Lillian tried berating Sam for putting Cora in danger again. Apparently, based off something she had heard from Pryce in Neon about Cass. Like Lillian had any damn ground to stand on as far as protecting Cora was concerned, when she couldn’t even manage to show up for visits. Whether Jaylen’s info was true, Sam didn’t know or care, because it didn’t much matter. He’d seen by now how high keeping Cora busy enough to stay safe ranked on Cass’s priority list, and also how much having someone to talk to who loved books as much as she did meant to his little girl. Cass had volunteered to stay away entirely rather than risk being a bad influence, for fuck’s sake. Those were the important things as far as he was concerned.

Sam was still fuming when he made it back to the Lodge sometime around midnight, glad that at least everyone else should be asleep. Maybe he could get in a few rounds on the punching bag until he was too exhausted to be angry. But despite the hour, Sam heard a glass clinking as he came up the stairs. He paused on the landing and then let his feet carry on past the hall. He was curious to see who might have stayed up for a nightcap, and then only more so when he realized it was Cass. He’d never seen her in the bar before, but she was pouring what appeared to be at least her second glass.

“Long night?” he asked cautiously as he approached. She seemed like the type who when she did drink, might prefer to do so alone.

Cass didn’t exactly startle but her head did snap toward him unusually quickly, so he thought he might have still caught her off guard. The tension in her shoulders relaxed fast enough though. Maybe she preferred having her late night drink witnessed by him rather than Sarah. He knew he sure would, in her place.

“For you too, it looks like,” she said, taking a sip. Sam would’ve liked to have been able to say his eyes didn’t focus on the way the tip of her tongue ran over her lips afterward, but that would’ve been a lie. Still failing at not paying attention to those small, tantalizing little motions, no matter how many times he reminded himself he should. She frowned once she got a look at him. “You all right?”

“Well, managed not to break my neck trippin’ over another one of Cora’s experiments, so I’d say I’m ahead so far for today,” Sam evaded, though he still didn’t take his eyes off her. “Have I just missed every other time you’ve come up here, or is there a special occasion?”

Cass hummed noncommittally, taking another drink and then staring down into the glass as she swirled the liquid around inside. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a special occasion. More like a nice trip through purgatory, with a non-zero chance of a detour to hell.”

#starfield #sam coe #spacefarer #sam coe x spacefarer #writing #my writing #fanfiction #fanfic #archive of our own #ao3 #starfield spoilers

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whiskeyswriting · 1 year

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Mama Whiskey

Whiskey and Slider in the beginning had a hard time accepting the truth that they would never have kids of their own. However, that never stopped them from wanting that for themselves. Whenever news that a couple they knew was expecting, they were the first to volunteer for any babysitting as well as buying them any essentials.

With time, the longing lessened but never fully went away. They both always longed to be called Mama or Papa (or any variation of it). Between the two, they always joked they would adopt their favorite student. “Maybe one will call you mama,” Slider teased. The moment it happened will forever live in Whiskey’s mind and heart.

They had just finished some flying exercises and were going to go over what each person or team did wrong and how they could improve. “Now before you leave make sure to pass by the admiral’s office for your assignment for the week.”

“Yes, mama Whiskey.”

“I’m sorry. What did you call her Garcia?” Baylie asks

“Mama Whiskey… She’s like a momma bird trying to teach her babies to fly.”

“Mama Whiskey! I love it! That’s it I’m calling her that from now on,” Reuben says.

“Besides, she looks like she gives good mom hugs…” Mickey says with a shrug.

Jade felt like she was floating at the sound of those two words. Mama Whiskey. But then her high came crashing down. She had to excuse herself from her students as the reminder that it wasn’t a real title started the ache in her heart.

Without her students watching her, Whiskey makes her way to her shared office with Dragon. She closes the door behind her and quietly slinks down to the floor crying.

A soft knock comes at the door. “Commander Kerner?” The concerned voice of one of her students comes through.

As Jade is standing and cleaning her face to open the door, she hears a whispered voice saying “Good going Garcia. You broke my favorite Commander here.”

Mickey sighs at Baylie.

“Are you two done flirting?” Reuben asks.

Before either can answer, the door opens and Whiskey lets the three students in. She wasn’t going to lie. This trio was one of her favorites to teach. They were confident in their flying but they also were more than willing to learn and become even better aviators.

“Hi. Uhm I’m headed back to the class,” Jade tells them.

“It’s fine. Let’s go get some air. Cyclone took over teaching the class,” Baylie informs her.

“I…” Mickey starts. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Oh Mickey. No it wasn’t that… It just made me emotional hearing someone call me… that.”

The trio of students look between each other. “Mama Whiskey?”

Jade nods. “It’s just… Well I never had any children no matter how much I wanted them… So hearing someone call me mama and with an age that’s young enough to actually be my child…”

Silent tears fall from her eyes and Mickey is the first one to give her a hug. “We can be your kids. We all have our ma’s at home but we could use a ma here on base.”

Baylie nods. “Plus… A badass pilot mom would be so cool!”

“As long as we get easy questions,” Reuben teases.

That causes Jade to smile. “Thank you three. And thank you for checking in on me. I really appreciate it. Now get back to class. I’ll go talk with Ice about the flight practices today.”

In the weeks leading up to the Top Gun graduation, the Trio of Fanboy, Lucky and Payback all drew closer to Whiskey and Slider.

When graduation came in mid-March, Whiskey was introduced to their respective moms who all gave her the biggest hugs and repeatedly thanked her for looking out for them.

Dulce was the first one to welcome her as her honorary sister and as Mickey’s Navy Mama. More tears of joy were shed as pictures were taken and each of the aviators received their new assignments.

Jade and Mickey hug one last time. “Go and make me and Dulce proud Mickey… mijo.”

Mickey smiled widely at that. “Si Mama.”

Slider came and also gave him a hug. “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing you back here in Top Gun, son.”

*****

Soon May rolled around and going to the stores sometimes still hurt Jade when she would see all the Mother’s Day displays.

Ron would get her flowers and say it was on behalf of him and their Belgian Malinois, Lieutenant Auggie Bear Kerner. She knew he meant well but it was the same longing feeling he would get on Father’s Day every year.

When they got home that Sunday from their own picnic at the beach, they were surprised to find their front porch filled with floral arrangements and balloons saying “Happy Mother’s Day”.

Jade knew her favorite students had already graduated Top Gun and were deployed in different bases but her heart still filled with love for them when she saw their names on the cards.

Suddenly a throat cleared behind them. “Hi Mama Whiskey. Papa Slider.”

Jade shrieks and hugs Mickey tightly. “Oh Mickey! Mijo! You’re here. Were all these flowers your idea?”

He shook his head. “I wish I could but I guess everybody had the same thought…. I actually came to see my favorite parents from Top Gun and take them to dinner.”

Auggie was at the window by the door just staring adoringly at Mickey before they went in. He happily lunged at him to give Mickey sloppy kisses.

“Aww your brother missed you, Mickey,” Jade says and gives him another hug again.

Before dinner in the backyard, Mickey has Jade close her eyes. “One more surprise.” He takes her hand and carefully leads her to the living room. “Don’t open your eyes yet.”

Once he tells her to open her eyes, Jade finds Baylie and Reuben there holding their own bags of food and gifts. “Oh my babies!” Jade rushes to hug them both.

“We decided we couldn’t let you have another Mother’s Day alone… So we came to spend time with our second mama,” Reuben says, hugging Jade.

And so, the yearly tradition of dinner at the Kerner’s for Mother’s Day was born. A few years down the road, Jade would just smile nonstop whenever any of her babies call her Mama Whiskey.

- -

The Usual Suspects: @bayisdying @callmemana @dragon-kazansky @gracespicybradshaw @breadsquash @cycbaby @callsignscupcake @starlit-epiphany @chipperxbaby @callsignthirsty

#mrsjaderogerswrites #top gun #the chaos squad #the chaos squad fics #top gun fic #slider x whiskey #ron slider kerner #Jade whiskey Rogers #whiskey x slider #Ron Slider Kerner x OC

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mistahgrundy · 1 year

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IRL - went outta town

ok so I was just up in Denton for a wedding. Very nice wedding, I wore a blazer, which was so nice to do. I hardly ever have a reason to dress up. Lots of fun. there's probably a photo of my husband pretending to hit me with a chair in the reception hall lol, I hope I get to see that eventually. We couldn't hear shit in there so we resorted to mime humor. violent mime.

I had hella travel anxiety because I uhhhh I don't like to travel!! I mean I have health problems and a cat I miss when I leave and it's tornado season and uh yeah. it's 90% illogical with some little for reals things thrown in.

So I didn't sleep at all the night before we left.

Then on the way up we had to drive past a tornado warned storm. TO BE CLEAR, we were in no danger. Absolutely none. We were on i35 and the storm was out kinda northwest of Killeen. Up by Gatesville. And if you're familiar with central Texas that should give you some idea of how far away it was. The red warning box wasn't yet touching where we were. But still I tried to see it from the highway to no avail. it's been a very long time since I've actually SEEN a tornado, and that last time was in Ohio when I was a little child.

It was fun to joke about flooring it when we got to Jarrell. Sorry Jarrell. You are central Texas's Moore. That's some person who watches a lot of weather related videos gallows-humor for you!

anyway it was a pretty uneventful drive tbh. It didn't even rain until we got up to Fort Worth basically, somehow. So I didn't get to roll down the windows on the south side to smell all the bread and beer factories.

Sidenote: when I was a little kid one of our field trips at school was to the Mrs. Bairds bread factory. I barely remember it.

Our hotel room in Denton was one of those weird ones that people can live in, so it had a little kitchen and a couch. Extended stay I guess. Those are nice but they are FULL of divorced dudes. Divorced men in Punisher themed trucks as far as the eye can see. When we pulled up Punisher truck guy was BBQing in his truck bed!! And later on when I was setting up the Roku we saw a wifi signal named Punisher. His very existence has owned us.

I did not sleep. Bed make back hurt. Weird room weird bed weird sounds.

At the wedding I had one job and it was to be the first to stand up when the bride entered so everyone else would see me stand and also stand and no one stood up!!! it took like... an agonizing amount of time for people to realize oh right standing. damn it guys. Oh well. Also around that time I realized I forgot to put on deodorant that morning. x_x I checked later though and it was fine, no smell.

A whole day running on two days of no sleep and barely eating I thought for sure the last night I will get some sleep. Surely! But no. I just laid there again for 8 hours like. ah. ok. cool. my brain is broken.

3 days of no sleep.

I bought a little metal sculpture for my yard in West at Slovacek's. It looks like a little piranha plant from mario 3. The little ones that would hop around. kinda.

So here I am woken up from a little 3 hour nap at home. Still exhausted.

Seth was telling me about Frenchy's when we were in Denton. I didn't grow up there so I don't know about this denton institution! There's all these little parked food lookin trucks around town that sport american flags and are all painted different. I passed a smiley face one and a remember our vets one and one about volunteering. It's just some cleaning company or something like that. Frenchy's! Some old Italian guy runs it named Frenchy. Then on the way out of town there was a billboard from Frenchy reminding us to get vaccinated. Done and Done, Frenchy.

Not Frenchy, just some ultra Texas looking old couple I snapped a secret photo of on the way out of Denton. His hands weren't grey, my phone's camera was just having a bit of a time.

Dude's rockin' a kerchief to the applebee's

#it's some long text #with a couple photos

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heeversee · 9 months

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I just saw your answer on an ask about k-engenes and just wanted to get your take on something. I’m not sure if you’ve been to enha’s concerts before or not so I won’t assume if you have or haven’t but I’m just speaking on my own experience and stuff I’ve heard from friends friend. Do you find that k-engenes or maybe j-engenes, perhaps some c-engenes are not as friendly? I know it can come across the wrong way and as you yourself are korean, my words may offend you and you don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable with it but like i said before, its just based on my experience and i just want to know your take/opinion on it.

I, myself am asian (people usually mistake me as korean (mostly this) or chinese or japanese when i was there) but i just felt very disconnected with the fans in korea when i went for their manifesto concert last year. I was hoping to make a few friends here and there since we do share a common interest but i find that everyone seemed unapproachable in a way, like if i asked for help from a korean fan next to me when the staff was checking our queue numbers, she doesn’t seem to want to help me but it was a different reaction from her when she started making conversation with a couple other engenes around us who she realised are japanese. Same goes with the fans surrounding me when we were in the stadium already. (Some c-engenes in particular were very pushy and rude while we were in the floor area) I did manage to meet a couple lovely i-engenes along the way and they were so warm and welcoming and helped me navigate around.

Its just that being an army way before being an engene, I’ve heard so many stories from online and my friends that armys are genuinely sweet and friendly. A friend of mine went to the busan concert last year and it was hectic but every army she passed, k army or i army, they were willing to help her and even show her shortcuts to navigate around even if they didnt speak english. So i was just a bit surprised to get a different response and experience with engenes.

Sorry for the long ask hehe just wanted to hear from you on this 🫣

No probs baby.

Actually even I am an army way before an engene. My friends and I helped a lot of people who are actually not from Asia at this recent concert, since we speak good decent English.

I really wish I met you at that time but sadly I had exams.

You see engenes are different from other fandoms. Idk why, they are not helpful and are even rude to us also.

You can rarely find a few k-engenes who'd genuinely help you. You might not believe me but Korean, Japanese and especially Chinese engenes are (almost) very rude and toxic. I myself am a Korean and volunteered to help people since I also speak a bit of Japanese, but they didn't want any of our help.

Lemme tell you my love, no one is as toxic as Chinese engenes. Or any Chinese fandom (Not to mention they always create a mess in skz concerts also)

I'm really sorry for the bad experience and impression you got from the k-engenes there.

Even I wonder if perhaps k-engenes and c-engenes are forgetting to take their delusion pills before coming to the concerts😂

But trust me if I meet any of the toxic k-engenes I'll beat the shit out of them on behalf of I-engenes and all the good engenes for hurting our dear enhypen members (especially baby niki).

Good engenes also exist, but the sad fact is that we are shadowed by the toxic engenes.

Please ignore my bad English.

If I actually say this out loud in Korea maybe next time if they send protest trucks they'll put me in the truck also 🤣.

Jokes aside. No toxic fans can hurt our dear idols.

Please do look forward to coming to South Korea for the next concert.

Love you a lot 🫶🏻

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robert-the-greyhound · 2 years

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One of us! One of us! One of us!

I was recently asked how many dogs are in our Rescue Hound Pack, and honestly, I couldn’t give a straight answer. Three years ago, I would have been able to answer 3, and named each as Molly, Robert and Cooper. After the amazing boom in Greyhound Adoption that followed the revelations of the RTÉ Documentary and Rescues tirelessly promoting Greyhounds as Great Pets, our numbers have soared. There’s rarely an event that we don’t hit double digits, and the amazing thing is, it’s a rotating collection of Greys! So I sat down and actually scanned back through the years to figure out a timeline of Rescue Hounds in Cork!

The first hound in the Rescue pack is of course Molly, the founding Hound of Greyhound Awareness Cork. For a period of time, Molly was the only grey flying the flag for the hounds. She is the OG G.A.C greyhound. We often describe Molly as a “gateway Greyhound”, as her small size and striking brindle coat make her very approachable to the public. Shortly before Robert came home, Cooper was adopted, though he didn’t really get involved in GAC until later on. Robert was the third hound in Cork active in the Awareness Pack, but due to his relationship with Molly and his dependence on her for comfort and support in those early days, he soon became just as recognisable as Molly in terms of the GAC pack. In those early days, many events were made up of just Robert and Molly, though they do make a striking couple, walking side by side with such a size difference! Gentle giant Robert and brazen brindle Molly turned many a head and stole many a heart. When Cooper joined the gang, the trio stopped traffic! He couldn’t always join the awareness events, but he was doing GREYT work on the adoption front, taking part in meet and greets and home checks.

For a time, it was just Molly, Robert and occasionally Cooper, when he wasn’t busy with the Rescue Front. But then came Ned. I was quite involved with Neds adoption story, in a round-a-bouts way! It started with an emergency appeal for a foster home, not for a greyhound, but for two collie puppies. These pups had just done a round in the ring with Parvovirus and needed a place to recover before going on to find their furever homes. So Robert and I volunteered. The pups were dropped to us in a very sorry state, and couldn’t be left unsupervised for very long. As such, I was relying heavily on support from friends to help. One friend was dropping a crate to the apartment for them, and when I was standing outside the block, two satchels strung over my shoulders, a puppy in each, I was approached by a young woman who swooned over the babies in the bags. She joked about minding them anytime, and when I joked about living across the street, we discovered we were neighbours! She lived on the ground floor, I lived on the top floor. She had no clue that there had been a Greyhound in the block for the past few months, and was enamoured with the two tiny puppies. As it happened, she did end up pet-sitting for a few hours one day, and applied to adopt one of the pups. She was turned down for the collie, but after learning about just how GREYT Greyhounds are as pets, she applied for a hound instead. Cooper and his pawrents did her home check too, and after passing, there was only one hound she wanted to bring home- Ned.

Anyone working in rescue will tell you that male greyhounds wait longer for homes than female greyhounds, likely on account of their size. Likewise, they will tell you that black greyhounds wait longer than any other colour Greyhound. So a Male, Black Greyhound like Ned tend to wait much longer than other dogs. In Neds case, he had spent just under a full year in kennels waiting for a home. Noodle Horse Ned, with his wonky micro ears, Roman nose and cross eyed gaze may have had to wait longer than most for his furever family, but when he found his Mom, there was nothing that could hold him back. He’s a giddy, excitable hound, with a plethora of quirks to go with his quirky look. Having two hounds in the apartment block brought a new lease of life to the area, and even after Ned and his Mom moved out, himself and Robert remain best furiends, hanging out regularly at dog friend pubs and swinging by each other’s gaff for cups of tea and sniffed bums! There was a bit of a lull after Neds adoption, but then came the Grey-plosion of Adoptions!

Kelly was the next hound to join the group, a sweet brindle houndie with very soulful eyes. She’s a gentle girl, UNTIL there are treats around, then she will hound you until she has had her fill! Alfie, another black male was the next dog to join in the awareness events. Having two black males in the group was refreshing, considering how hard they are to find homes for! Amira, a niece of Roberts, was the next to join the group, followed by another niece of Roberts, Fleek. You’ll notice quite a lot of Roberts nieces and nephews joining the group over the next few years. This is due to the prolific breeding of Roberts father in the Irish Greyhound Scene. I don’t know exactly how many pups that dog has had, but every second hound seems to be related to Rob in some capacity! Baby Blue Coco joined the pack next. Coco never really raced, due to the fact she is missing a toe. It took a bit of figuring out to get her comfortable walking, but a single bootie has done the job well! We often get questions from passersby asking about her shoe, and the shocked response of her missing a toe never gets old! Sassy Sally started to lend her voice to the cause around this time, stealing hearts and treats alike from every human she met. Golden oldie Naomi started to attend events shortly after Coco. She’s the most salt and peppered of our houndie pack, but full of life and love! Sadie was the next hound to make an appearance at events, followed by Stevie and then Ruby. Stevie and Ruby are unique amongst Greyhounds in that they are some of the few hounds that seemed to have missed the memo about Greys supposedly being 45km/hr couch potato’s! Both hounds are always switched on, ready to go go go! Luckily for them, they both came through a phenomenal rescue who knows exactly how to match hounds to households. Ruby ended up with a family just as loopers as she is! I’ve never met a whole family so bubbly and outgoing! Stevie found a home with a rather athletic man who can give her the time and energy outlets she needs. Trust a marathon runner to be able to deal with a dog who could likewise run a marathon! Big boned brindle beauty Allie was the next hound to attend the events. Allie was probably the heaviest set Greyhound I’ve ever met. She had the broadest shoulders and strongest chest I’ve seen to date. Despite her string stature, she was affectionately known as the local “Tiger Dog” by neighbour children. Unfortunately Allie passed suddenly a few months after her adoption, but we will ALWAYS count her as a member of the GAC pack.

Alongside Allie was Riley. Riley was adopted before Allie, and was actually the hound that inspired Allies adoption, but as they live across the country, they technically joined after her. Molly (differentiated from Brindle Molly as Black Molly) and Jess were the next pair to make an appearance. To Adopted siblings, these two black hounds fly the flag for the darker coated dogs! Marley and Dody were both in foster at the same time here in Cork, but Marley was adopted prior to Dody and hence, I will count him before his foster brother, Dody was adopted to a household with a second hound, Sandy and the pair have attended a few events since. Pepper, another salt and peppered hound, was the next to make regularly appearances at events. Alongside greying Naomi, these pair make for a very striking pair. They also remind us of how many hounds don’t get to grow old, and how few older hounds make it to rescue kennels. After Pepper, the lovely Layla added her number to the group! Compared to the three hounds we started with, having such a varied pack of hounds, all safe and adored, was mind blowing, and the numbers only continued to grow!

Bubbly Maizey added her giggly, wiggly self to the cause. Poor Maizey is covered in scars, including some rather nasty head wounds, but that doesn’t stop her from being a literal ray of sunshine at any given chance! Squiggle was the next hound to lend their paw to the cause. Hailing from Australia, one of the few countrys where Greyhound Racing is legal and rampant, Squiggle, the hound from down under brings to light the international element of our cause. Around this time a second Pepper joined the group. To mark a difference between the Peppers, this Pepper is often referred to as Black Pepper. Black Pepper is a bit younger that Other Pepper, and is a Divil for the treats! She’d give Kelly a run for her money when it comes snacking! There was a boom in black hound adoptions around this time with two more black dogs, Yuki and Izzy joining the pack respectively. The number of black greyhounds being adopted is really heartwarming, considering the volume of black coated dogs in the racing industry. And whilst every greyhound in a home is one less greyhound potentially on a knackery floor, there’s always an extra little bit of happiness for the black coated dogs. Vinny, a striking dusty brindle was the next to make an appearance in the pack. Unlike the other hounds who generally have a grey or white mask, Vinny has a black one, which to me, gives him a very mischievous look! Huge Hound Balder is the next GAC pack member, a HUGE dog towering over even Robert! There are very few hounds who top Rob height wise, but Balder definitely is one! After Balder, came a duo of Cedric and Penny!

Penny was actually a former foster of ours, one of our shortest fosters to date! She found her furever home here in Cork with a family who decided to take on two hounds at once! Penny and Cedric are good for one another. Penny joins hounds like Stevie and Ruby for that ✨crackhead✨ energy, whereas Cedric is so mellow he often melts into the floor. Poor Cedric can be a bit nervy at times though, so having confident, outgoing, love the world Penny at his side helps him tackle those issues, whilst Cedric provides a pawfect anchor for Penny’s away with the fairy’s attitude! And then we add our first Tri-pawed to the pack- Champ! Champ may be down a leg, but he still landed on her feet with his furever family! He is another stark reminder however, of how few hounds make it out of the industry after injury. In 2021, 154 Greyhounds were killed on Irish Tracks, over half of those dogs had suffered “hock injuries”. Champ is living proof that even if the leg won’t heal well, amputation is an option and the dogs live happy lives afterwards. After Champ, Nessa is the next hound to take part in Awareness Events. Gorgeous Nessa is such a free spirit, happy to go where the flow is and soak up the attention and ear rubs! Speaking of ears, Annie with the Ears is the next hound in the pack. Annie has the most amazing, wonky, descriptive ears of any hound I’ve ever met! In their resting position, instead of folding flat in the typical “rose ear” of most greys, Annie’s flop forward, like a little bow on each side of her head! Vogue, true to her name with her model good looks, is the next hound to join the pack. Vogue really could be on the cover of her namesake! The next GAC addition is Daphne, named for the Scooby Doo character, not the recent Bridgerton show, Daphne is a foster failure! Daphne has big shoes to fill, looking after the late-Allies Mom, but is doing a wonderful job so far. And the newest member of our pack, handsome houndie Freddie! Another MASSIVE dog, Freddie is warming up to rescue life slow and steady!

And I think that brings us up to date… so far! I’m sure I’ve missed a dog or two, compared to the three dogs we started with, the 40+ dogs is getting hard to track! Looking back at those starter events, where it was just Robert and Molly, having double digit attendance at more recent events is mind blowing, especially considering that it’s a rotation of dogs! I’m also more than sure that I’ve not got the order 100% correct, as I’m basing it off social media appearance as well as memory, which can get a little blurry looking back over three years of Greyhound’s and Greyhound Awareness! So here’s to three years of Greyhound Adoptions here in Cork, and here’s to many many more!

TW: #Dog Injury, #Dog Death, #Rescue Dog, #Animal Neglect

#greyhounds #greyhound #greyhoundsoftumblr #greyhoundsmakegreatpets #greyhoundsaspets #irishgreyhound #rescuedog #rescuegreyhound #petsnotbets #rescuednotretired #Greyhound Awareness Cork #GAC #Ireland #Greyhound Pack #Pack of Dogs #Squad Goals #Dog Squad

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peoplesunited · 27 days

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The Peoples United Republic - A Working List of Policies(workshopping title)

✰ REPRESENTATIVES: individuals elected to build laws/bills and put them to a vote. HOWEVER, representatives DO NOT vote on these bills/laws. They simply write them into creation, bringing forth all of the necessary information for the people of our nation to make an informed decision. Then we the people vote on whether or not these bills are passed to fruition. ALL INFORMATION MUST be made available or the bill is considered impassable. ✰TERM LIMITS: no representative can serve for longer than 3 years and no more than 2 consecutive terms. ✰These representatives are VOLUNTEER only and will not be paid a salary. Positions will be filled by individuals who wish to actually do good for the people of their state as they are still voted in by the people and only the people. ✰CHECKS & BALANCES: It is my personal belief that our current "checks and balances" is failing our country, however, we will always need one in order to maintain some sort of order in government. As such, it will not only be the people's right but their responsibility to unionize against a tyrannical representative or representative group.

✰ Unionize: to collectively gather strength and remove -- whether by vote or by force though that should only be done in absolutely dire circumstances -- the individual(s) in question

✰MONEY: use it or lose it. Cash, whether or virtual or physical, will have an expiration date of 5 years. (this could change dependent on how drastically this changes the economy) This expiration refreshes upon purchase and is "transferred" to whomever the money is now owned by.

✰ex: Joe has $50 with an expiration date of 2 yr 30 d. He is going to buy groceries from his local farmer's market from Sarah. She accepts this purchase and now has $50 with an expiration date of 5 yr 0 d. If Joe had held onto the cash until the end of the expiration date, this money would have become null and unable to be used in future purchases. In theory, this could prevent the hoarding of wealth for oneself.

✰POLICE: abolish it. Period. Instead, boost the funds of other first response groups and add mental health services focusing on rehabilitation and reentry to society.

✰PRISONS: We will keep one. As a little treat for those who have committed the truly heinous. But I want the whole thing torn down and redesigned. Think 55+ assisted living facility. Maybe we can put it in the coldest part of Alaska just to be annoying. Jokes aside, I do believe people who do bad things deserve the basic necessities and our current prison systems do not offer even that. A complete overhaul would do us good. In the case that a crime calls for isolation, I believe that strict house arrest with continuous support from therapists and officials will guide those most in need to doing better.

✰TAXES: I've read a lot of discontent with the current taxation system and I get it. We never know where it's going, who it's benefiting, or if we're actually getting that money back. Instead of a taxation system that makes promises it can't keep, I propose a donation system that directly puts the weight of change on the people's shoulders. In this case, the people can pool their money towards the causes they wish to see enacted like roads and transportation, parks and recreation, immigration (either for or against idk), or even education. You may be asking yourself "But wait. If it's up to the people to ensure these projects are funded, what are we going to do? We're all broke!" Well yeah, that is a bit of an issue. BUT, remember? In this hypothetical future of America (maybe the world *fingers crossed*) we've moved beyond NEEDING money and use it or lose it. This being reminded, you won't need to save your money up for large expenses ("but what about housing!" you cry. I'm getting there.) so you risk the money you're keeping becoming utterly worthless if you don't spend it somewhere. What better place to put it then the projects you truly want to see come to fruition! And, with the use it or lose it model, representatives and private companies can't drag out projects for years just to milk us dry of our taxes! Win-win :)

✰HEALTHCARE: the need to be healthy is a human RIGHT not a privilege and yet we consistently treat the world as if it is one. Abolish all privatized healthcare, make being healthy affordable. And we will do so by making it one of the projects funded by Donations.

✰GUNS: As we are seeing in our current climate, people deserve the right to protect themselves, to hunt their own food. However, access to guns should be limited. Mandated psychological testing, gun safety classes for a minimum of 6 months, and lockboxes away from children's reach. This may seem controversial, however, I do believe that children ages 15+ should be taught the basic mechanics of a standard gun and when it may be necessary to use one.

✰This all having been said, assault weapons need to be banned. Even in times of war. Though, I hope war will no longer be a necessity. And in any such case in which two leaders wish to duke it out, they ought to put themselves in a boxing ring Youtuber Boxing Match style for all the world to watch - whoever wins the match, wins the war. I'm tired of watching people die for another man's ego.

✰CHURCH: no longer tax exempt. There was never a need for 40 million churches. Christian churches will petition their representative to maintain their status as a religious organization and the people will vote on it. They will hear their plea and decide if they can remain or become one of the following:

housing

temporary housing for the unhoused

recreation center

alternative religious facility (ie; jewish, muslim, etc)

return the land to nature, etc.

Given the sheer number of Christian churches or all denominations, all across the country and the world, it is statistically unlikely that all churches will be traded in for something different.

✰HOUSING: There are 15 million + vacant homes in the US alone and more than 580k unhoused individuals. Do you see that math? There are more empty homes in this country than there are people without homes and yet we treat having a home like a privilege and not a right. In this model, ALL homes which have been vacant for 2+ years (in order to account for those who are on deployment) will be turned over to the people and anyone experiencing houselessness can register with their representative to obtain a home and begin the move in process. Previous home owners will be responsible for removing their own belongings.

✰UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME: all jobs will have the same base pay (basically minimum wage). "but the incentive to work shit jobs!" some people actually enjoy those jobs but we beat it out of them with our cynical "that doesn't pay very well" and that's why no one wants to do them. Be kind to our children who want to do the things you may not want to. We need that.

✰PTO: minimum 2 weeks for all jobs plus paid paternal leave.

✰EDUCATION: Daycare-College is free for all. Oh and we're wiping student debt. We do not intend to keep the masses ignorant but educate them so that they may continue to provide for our future. And certainly not with a standardized plan that aims to meet a testing average. Instead, we will draft key points in every subject that we would like to hit and teach administrators to guide educators to guide their students in whatever directions they need in order to understand the material. Because no two children are the same and they deserve to be taught at their level, at their pace.

✰LGBTQ: Freedom to marry. Gender affirming care at all stages of life - starting small with the kiddos. Stuff that is easily reversible should they change their mind because I do believe experimentation is a necessary facet of childhood and they should have the option to do so without repercussions. In adulthood -- age 25+ to consider the development of the brain -- all forms of care will be made available.

✰REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: full access to all individuals no matter the situation. And I'm not just talking about abortion. I'm talking hysterectomies, birth control for both females and males, pap smears, cancer screenings, etc. If a doctor finds themselves feeling uncomfortable performing any of these or any other procedure for any such reason -- especially religious -- let them resign and find a new career path.

✰DISCRIMINATION: It will be illegal to discriminate against a person for any reason and to deny them a service for that reason. Appearance will include:

race, ethnicity, natural hair, wigs, weaves, or other types of "unnatural" protectant styles, hijabs, keffiyehs, tattoos (unless directly offending such as swastikas), piercings, etc

✰Punishments: because we will operate on a use it or lose it method and we have abolished the prison system, I believe monetary punishments we will be worthless. Instead, I propose public humiliation and shaming to be the next approach.

This is a working list and may updated or changed at any time.

#peoplesunitedrepublic #palestine #free palestine #forthefuture #the peoples government #politics #policy for the people #government #antifa #leftist #socialism #anarchy

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legendtraineremily · 1 year

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Can’t get to sleep so here’s part two of my Star Wars short story I finished up in time for Star Wars day:

A Moment on Hoth (Part 2)

Commander Hahl was making her way over to him as the other aides and officers rejoined their commanders. Her russet hair was hidden beneath the same standard-issue insulated cap Benovy had grown fond of, but some strands had still found their way onto her face and made her blow and brush futilely at them. Her love aided her in removing the irritant before coming to attention and saluting. Rillian rolled her eyes at Benovy’s routine.

“Really Beno? Is the act that important?”

“What? You may joke, but half of high command still thinks of me as one of the ‘old renegades’ who can’t truly adapt to the ‘rigors of a true, organized rebellion,’ or whatever.” He handed the data-pad over to Rillian who looked over the requests. “By the way, Gav-er-Lieutenant Arlan passed these on for you. And a little note: if we want that assault carrier up and running at full readiness, we’ll need a bit more fuel than what we’d usually be allotted in normal circumstances. The crew we assigned are having troubles figuring out what it’s capable of.”

“I thought we assigned Larnal to train them?”

“We did, but remember: the crew is still used to flying those babies all Imperial-like—stiff and straight. But with our overhauls, it should fly like a Dactillion and race laps around those basic Imp crews.” Benovy’s hands gestured the flying motions with both energy and exasperation.

“This is why I’m in command of the big ships and you supervise the blockade running and ground ops.” Rillian used her open hand to lower Benovy’s flailing arms. “No matter. I’ll see what I can do and if I’ve got any remaining favors to cash in for that extra fuel.”

The pair and their droid companion made their way to the barracks and entered Commander Hahl’s makeshift quarters. The icy furnishings were accented by various metallic structural supports and technological features to make the room mostly habitable and functional. A tray of data-disks sat next to their processor and Rillian’s personal data-pad on a desk carved partially from a block of stabilized ice combined with a metal desk that would have been too small otherwise. A heater and an extra large cot sat in the far corner almost inviting a weary, cold-worn soldier to rest upon seeing them.

“Bwa-doo beep bippity?” D5 rolled in behind the couple and swiveled his head towards the heater.

“Oh, why thank you D5! You can go right ahead and check if it’s working properly.” Rillian leaned into Benovy and held his arm tightly. “I have been a little extra cold lately.” Benovy blushed and smiled bashfully.

“Well, uh, I mean, it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to spend any time off-duty together. What were you thinking?” Benovy asked as he turned and adjusted himself to hug his girlfriend-commander. “A stroll through the caves? Check to see if the weather’s right to view the mountains? Or-“

“Just…hold me,” came the answer. Benovy smiled and brushed a remaining strand of hair from Rillian’s face.

“I can do that.”

D5 had finished cycling through the space heater’s settings and returned to the couple’s side. Rillian, slipped a hand out of the embrace to pat the droid’s head.

“Good work, D5. I really appreciate all your help, little friend.”

“Doo-bwop bwoo-bwee,” he replied, quite pleased with himself.

“Hon, you’re gonna give him a head bigger than a planet one of these days,” Benovy cautioned. D5 buzzed a mechanical purr, not caring about his compatriot’s comment.

“Attention: Commander Hahl and Major Tahn, please report to the command center. Commander Hahl, Major Tahn—to the command center.” Benovy let out a long sigh.

“What did you rope me into now?” he asked suspiciously. Rillian gave an embarrassed smile and loosened her grip.

“I may have mentioned your ability to help make good escape routes in our command meeting and volunteered our skills to help create the base evacuation plan.” She shrugged then exchanged her grasp from Benovy’s side to his hand. “Come on, you old dissident, you’ve got superiors to impress so we can get back to cuddling!”

“As long as you’re the one talking directly to them. I think Major Derlin still doesn’t like me too much after my stunt with the A-wings back on Yavin…,” He paused for a second while Rillian led him on back out the door and into the frozen hallway. “Wait, does this mean you’re not heading back to the fleet?”

End

#star wars day #star wars #fanfic #ocs #my ocs #may the force be with you #may the 4th be with you #short story

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blondie-inky-esaldir · 1 year

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Chapter 5: Suspects

Chapter Text

'The Demons!'

'They're coming! Keep running!'

'Go...'

Solas’s eyes flattered open, a soft moan escaping passed his lips. He heard rustling sounds of chains to his side, before hearing Esaldir’s voice the next second.

“Solas!” The younger elf called out, worry coloring his tone. “Are you okay?”

Solas frowned, wondering about the dimness and where he was. Then his vision cleared and he realize he was in a dungeon of sorts, gawking at the sight of Esaldir behind bars. It would explain why the blond wasn’t hovering over, despite the obvious concern. Then, he finally noticed his hand feeling heavy than usual, and there was an odd mark on it. A glow of green hue emanating from it. It sparked briefly and Solas felt a pain course through it.

The surged passed, and as if outcry called awareness to his consciousness, the door in front of him opened, with a warrior entering the room, following by another right behind her.

Solas looked up at them as they circled the two elves, scrutinizing them. The elf returned their gazes just as warily.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now.” The warrior all but snarls, glaring at him heatedly.

The warrior went on to list of crimes and the other just leaves her to it. Solas noted that they were pinning the blame on him for some reason. In all this, he finds that Esaldir was bounded similar to how he was. He looked uninjured, but Solas was still concerned about his well being more than the fact that he was being questioned.

"What is that mark in your hand and does it have anything to do with the destruction at the Conclave or the hole in the sky?"

Solas ignored a question the red head directed to him, in favor of checking on his young companion. “Da’len, These Shems didn’t treat you harshly, did they?”

“What was that?!” It is plain that the warrior didn't appreciate being ignored. Her hand went for her sword, to punctuate further threats to the elf and to get him to take them seriously.

The other woman stopped her before she could even pull her sword out of its sheathe. "We need him, Cassandra!"

"Uh, Solas? Yeah, I'm not thrilled about this situation as much as you are." Esaldir made a placating gesture, much as he can with his hands bound, “But maybe try not to antagonize the suspicious humans that could kill us?”

Solas narrowed his eyes. “That didn’t answer the question.”

“And I would answer truthfully, but I also don’t want you literally asking for an early execution... I mean, go ahead, but maybe leave me out of it?” Esaldir joked.

“Da’len...”

“Yes hahren, they did,” Esaldir admitted at last, in resignation. “but the soldiers. Not these guys. Er, ladies.” He added in a rush. "It's okay! The, uh, commander I think? He told them to stop before they seriously tried to hurt me. Something about... Innocent until proven guilty. As it is, I just got slapped... But that's about it!"

Solas grumbled, his aura of magic flaring but then, the mysterious mark acted up again and the older elf cried out in pain, distracting him from the previous anger building up.

“We don’t have time for this,” The warrior huffed, even as she wasn’t ready to drop this interrogation. “Leliana, head to the Forward Camp. I’ll take the prisoner.”

Solas raised a brow, “Prisoner? Singular?” He scowled, “No, I’m not going anywhere unless he’s taken with us.”

“Seconded.”

"You do understand you're not in any place to make demands?" Cassandra scowled.

Solas didn't back down. "If you need me for something, which seems like the case, I would be more cooperative if I can ensure the safety of my companion."

"I won't make a fuss," Esaldir interjects quickly, "I also want to check on my friend, the elf who volunteered to go with Varric. Please? I mean, I get that you don't really trust us right now but what can we do? It's not like it would be wise to try running off with demons running around, in an attempt to escape. We at least recognize that at this side, there's still a way to talk things out... Just give us a chance to prove we're not the enemies here."

Solas stared at the elf. He knew him long enough to know that his default approach on things tended to be a tad zesty and sarcastic, but it appeared there was much more he could learn about him. As it is, it's his first time hearing him being the voice of reason.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Esaldir raised a brow at Solas, "I know I mouth off a lot, but I'm not completely impertinent."

Solas did his best not to smile in amusement; now wasn't the time for it after all. "I'm sure if you keep trying, you will truly prove that to me someday, da’len."

Esaldir looked fairly indignant.

Cassandra made a disgruntled noise with her throat. "Let us move; we've no time to waste."

The soldiers undid the clasps and locks bounding their ankles to the prison's floor, but for the moment, they left the ropes around their wrists. Solas and Esaldir exchanged a look before following the Cassandra out. When they stepped outside once more, they needed a moment because being in the darkness of the prison had them needing to readjust to the brightness outside.

When Solas looked to the sky, he sees the 'tear' in the sky that he heard about in Cassandra's ramblings when she had been throwing accusations at him. Solas could feel the energy all the way over it, how it was disturbing the veil, and he could feel the force of the fade. Even from this distance, he could see things falling from the sky. It wasn't entirely clear, but he knew they were demons breaking out.

He mourned the fate of the spirits forcefully taken out of their home, reducing them to demons, but there was a part of Solas that was also impressed with the sight.

"What is that?" Solas asked, marveling at the sight with apparent interest.

Esaldir nudged him a bit, "Don't look too excited; they might take it the wrong way... Not that they aren't already, but you know what I mean." he mumbled, "They started calling it the breach a while ago."

"The result of the explosion at the temple." Cassandra interjected, looking at them both. So far, she noted that they didn't seem like they were trying to escape. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons and it's not the only rift, just the largest one."

Esaldir frowned as he looked at it, "It seemed to be getting bigger, don't you think? That is... I don't remember it looking this big earlier." he shrugged, "Then again, I could've imagined it. Didn't get much of a good look, since I was focused on saving his ass."

"Hmm, if you're not imagining things though, I wager that this rift will only to continue spread. Unless something is done, worse case scenario, it may swallow the world."

Esaldir looked at Solas nervously, and side eyes on how Cassandra was looking at him. "Uh, no, he's just really knowledgeable!" He said, "He's not saying that because he did it, he's just really good at making assumptions. What do you call it... an Erudite?"

Before Solas could respond to that, pain coursed his arm once more and he crumbled to the ground. Esaldir crouched down next to him, alarmed and asking if he was okay, which was redundant. Cassandra crossed her arms.

"I suppose if he was as intelligent as you say, if he did cause this, he would find a way to do it without any expense on himself." The warrior noted, "Still, anyone can make mistakes."

Esaldir looked up at her, and glared. "You seriously think he still did this?" He asked, "And to himself?"

"Regardless of how it looks, it remains unseen whether you are offering your aid out of good will or a hidden agenda." Cassandra told them, "What we do know is that your mark grows, each time the Breach expands. It is killing you."

Solas grunted, "You do not need to tell me that, I can feel it myself." he said.

"No..." Esaldir grimaced, "There has to be a way to around it... Get rid of it, or something."

Solas nodded, not looking as helpless as you would expect for someone that may be dying. "Before that, we must figure out how to seal the breach." he said, "We will worry about this mark killing me later."

"Yeah, well, I'm worrying about it now." Esaldir grumbled, "I'm not all for getting fucking abandoned again for the third time in a row. You better live through this, old man."

Solas couldn't help the smile this time, "I assure you, I'm not that old."

"That's what you picked to dwell on? You're unbelievable."

Cassandra watched them carefully, and the more she started thinking that maybe they had nothing to do with this. Of course, this could be easily an act. She thought it best to reserve judgment until after the current problem was resolved. "Whether or not you live through this may not matter," she said. "It will all depend on how you would be judged later. After all, both of you are still our primary suspects."

"Seriously?" Esaldir glared at the woman once more, "You are making it harder to willingly cooperate, you know that?"

Solas looked at him, "I do not believe we are given the luxury to refuse at this point, Esaldir."

"I know, that's why I said 'willingly.'"

Cassandra made a same noise she did earlier, before taking a knife and removing their binds. "There will be a trial. I can promise no more."

"When this is over, I'm going to give you lessons on how to be nicer to people you're asking help from."

#Dragon Age: Inquisition #Solas #Cassandra Pentaghast #Leliana Nightingale #Esaldir

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zenyukifanficblogs · 2 years

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Jennifer’s Adventures; The Start Of A New Life Chapter 20: Unwise Decision Making

Credits: @Aesthetics__

Junghwa’s POV

I woken up with the headache for the fourth day in the row. I’ve already taken all sorts of painkillers but they are not working for me.

So I decided to go to work without waking my brother up once again. I know he will not be happy about this but I had to have something to do.

I ended up occupying myself doing all the easy work cause peeling with a headache will get into an accident of my own.

I don’t like the feeling of working in plasters around my fingertips after all~

Before the shop even opened, about 30 minutes away, my head was spinning again yet my heart was racing.

‘Not another panic attack’ I think to myself trying to breathe but my body gave up on me when I want to get to my bag where my phone is that everything went black

Inhye POV

“Really? Are we delivery men now?”

Bora asked excitedly when Jungkook invites she and I to his apartment for us to give lunch and dinner boxes to Jen

I just smile, “Excited?” i ask her. “I am excited to see Jen’s reaction” She giggles.

“And here are the painkillers.” He passes the bottle to us. “Thanks.” We both say. “She has been having headaches and fevers yet she won’t stop working. Please get her to seat down even if it is needed to tie her on a chair in the kitchen.” He adds on

“We will.” Bora tells him as we leave the apartment. “I guess he doesnt want Jen to be as stubborn as him” She tells me as we on our way to the cafe

“Guess so.” I say as we see a body lying on the ground not far from us when we reached the kitchen to clock in. The lights are turned on and we saw it was Jen on the floor.

“OH MY GOSH!!” Bora jumped in shock. “Is she breathing?” I ask as Bora rolls Jen on her back. Bora check on Jen’s pulse. “She is barely” Bora tells me. “Go call for help. Get out and stop being panicked.” I tell her.

She does so and I went to check on Jen. Her pulse is barely there and her head is really hotter than a boiling kettle.

I get up and put a towel under some warm-coldish water. I place it on her forehead. I also turn the air conditioner on

‘Jen. Jen. Wake up please’ I prayed in my thoughts trying to remove the jacket so she can get some of the cold air. Bora runs in telling me that an ambulance has been called.

“Calmed down?” I ask her. She nods her head. “Is Jen okay now?” She then asks me

“Just working on getting her temperature down.” I say. Jen barely gain some consciousness when the paramedics finally came

“Can you tell us your name?” They ask her. “Jeon...Jung...Hwa...” She answers trying to breathe as she is seem to be slipping back into unconsciousness again.

“Okay Junghwa. We are going to take good care of you.” They tell her. I’m unsure if she is listening cause her eyes are fluttering and she looks really awful. “Are you two adults?” The lady paramedic asks us.

“I’m 19 and she is 18.” Bora tells them. “They are above the legal age.” The male paramedic says. “Inhye. Why not you follow them? I will close up the shop and call Jungkook?” Bora turns me around suggesting

“Sure.” I say. I volunteered to follow the ambulance and they let me. It was a short yet confusing ride, as if the ride never happened.

Soon we are at the ER, I wait in the waiting room as paramedics rush Jen inside. Bora soon rushes in with Jungkook and the rest of the BTS members.

Some of the members like V and Jimin looked like they just woke up without doing anything, Suga look like also one of the hospital’s patients

I go to say something but I don’t in fair its a joke. “They are still working on her.” I reassured the guys.

“How long will they be?” suga asks, “i don’t know” i say. “She was barely breathing and heating up pretty bad when we found her.” Bora explained to them.

Jungkook looks as if he is about to cry. “I should have just convinced her to go to the doctor in the first place instead of letting her be the stubborn and believe she will be okay” He starts bawling like a child

“No, please don’t cry.” I say as I softly kick Bora in the knee as the other members go to comfort him.

“They jumped up without asking the moment I told them Jen’s in the hospital” Bora whisper her explanation. “We are no doctors” I reminded her.

Jungkook only stopped crying when the ER light is off and the doctor is out

“She is fine.” He tells Jungkook. “She may have overworked herself to the point that she may have just ignored the signs her own body is giving out. Her temperature barely went down but I am keeping her in for a few nights so her temperature can be consistent.” He explains to us

“She is in.” The doctor tells him the room she is in. “I’m going to get the nurse to bring some food in also.” The doctor adds on before excusing himself

“I’m going to go see her.” Jungkook tells us as he races off to the room, leaving us all to debate if we should follow or not.

Jungkook’s POV

“I’m going to go see her.” I tell everybody before racing off to the ward to see my sister.

The door open, waking her up instead. “Its just you.” She says. “The rest will follow in.” I sighed in relief telling her before going to her, enveloping her in a hug.

“I should of told you to stay home today.” I say. “I also didn’t know it will be that bad.” She says softly. “You will be resting for a while.” I tell her.

She nods her head looking at me. “I don’t really remember much except I wanted to call you but my body just gave up.” She admits to me softly

“Silly girl. If you weren’t feeling well you should of stayed home.” I say. “A day staying at home won’t make you lazy” I said hugging her.

She just smiles. “Maybe your right on that.” She says. The rest along with Bora and Inhye soon comes in. “How are you feeling?” Inhye asks her.

“Empty but better, less groggy” She says. “But I think he is very happy” My sister adds on pointing at me cheekily.

“I’m happy that you are now getting rest.” I tell her. “Inhye and I can come over while you’re in hospital to keep you entertained.” Bora suggests with a wide grin

“Sure.” Junghwa just smiles to the two before RM comes in saying the CEO wants to see all 7 of us guys. I just pouted looking at Junghwa worried.

I leave the room, Bora and Inhye stay in the room. The CEO was looking worried when we entered.

We were then quietly handed an article from the newspaper about the news of Junghwa being my sister since I never really reveal her to the public and Junghwa herself is very private

“How did this get out?” I ask. “I am getting to the bottom of this but in the meanwhile, I need you guys’ opinions on what shall we do about this” He answers with a heavy look as we all looked at each other wondering what should we do

#bts fanfic #fanfiction #zendayayukiko #jenniferadventures #kpop fanfiction #zenyukikpopfanfic #zenyuki

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marvelsmostwanted · 3 years

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Hey American voters! 🇺🇸

Guess what?!!

🚨 It’s time to start worrying about the 2022 and 2024 elections. 🚨

(Yeah. We really gotta do this. It's... not looking great.)

Long story short:

Republicans have been working hard since the 2020 election to enact voter suppression laws, overturn election results, and set themselves up to steal the 2024 presidential election if necessary.

You’ve probably heard about the Georgia voter suppression law. But did you know that “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theorist Republicans are running to be election officials like Secretary of State in several swing states, setting themselves up to overturn future elections? They are dismantling democracy before our eyes.

So what’s the worst case scenario?

...Well, let’s start with the realistic scenario.

Republicans are likely to take back the House in 2022. They are possibly capable of doing it through gerrymandering alone. Is it possible for Democrats to keep the House? Yes, but it will take a huge effort.

Republicans could also win back the Senate since it's currently 50-50 and Democrats only have a narrow majority because we won the presidency.

Even if Republicans only win back the House, the Biden administration would legislatively accomplish very little from 2022-2024. Republicans would have the power to impeach Biden for no reason and cause another constitutional crisis, enable gerrymandering and voter suppression laws, and block any Democratic priorities from becoming law (gun control, climate change, and healthcare are just a few things that would be off the table entirely).

Then comes 2024.

Donald Trump is the most likely Republican candidate to run and win in 2024. In a recent poll (May 2021), 66% of Republicans indicated that they would vote for Trump again.

Yes, Trump can run even if he’s indicted on criminal charges. He can run even if he’s in prison!

Remember, although Biden won by 7 million votes, it was really a difference of about 44,000 votes in three swing states that prevented Trump from winning the Electoral College and becoming president again. That is a frighteningly small margin.

Even if the candidate isn’t Trump, this is still going to be a close election. 85% of Republicans say they would vote for a Trump-aligned candidate (same poll as above).

If Republicans win back or maintain control of Congress in 2024, this could set up an even more dangerous scenario:

The House has the power to choose the president if Congress does not award 270 electoral votes to either candidate.

How could that happen? Well, those "Stop the Steal" Republican election officials in swing states could refuse to certify the election, claiming fraud, and a close election could end up with neither candidate getting enough electoral votes. House Republicans could literally choose the next president without any input from voters and effectively end American democracy as we know it.

Because you know that Republicans will never let go of that power once they have it.

This is not far-fetched.

This is a realistic, highly likely scenario that will happen if we don’t do something to prevent it. Journalists and election experts are trying to sound the alarm, and we should listen:

New York Times - How Republicans Could Steal the 2024 Election

Washington Post - American democracy is in even worse shape than you think

Pod Save America - Stop the 2024 Steal (Discussion at 29:00)

LA Times - Trump’s allies are prepping to steal 2024 election

The only way to prevent this from becoming reality is to fight like hell against it. And I know we just did that in 2018 and 2020. But this fight isn't over until we restore and protect our democracy.

This isn’t about how much you like Biden & Harris, or even if you’re a Democrat in general. It’s about saving democracy in America.

What can we do about it?

Unfortunately, it’s going to be an uphill battle. But if we all engage in this fight, then we can make a difference.

TLDR, we need to raise awareness about the threat to democracy, encourage Democrats to end the filibuster and pass H.R.1 immediately, and organize, organize, organize to get voters back out there in 2022 and 2024.

Specific ways to help & additional resources below the cut.

How to help:

National Level:

*High priority: Call your Democratic Senator(s) right now and tell them to pass H.R.1, the For the People Act, with urgency.

*High priority: Call your Democratic Senator(s) right now and tell them that you are strongly in favor of ending the filibuster (Especially if your Senator is Manchin or Sinema.)

Call your Democratic Senator(s) and tell them to vote for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Call your Republican Senator(s) and tell them you are in favor of all of the above, especially if you live in a swing state.

State Level:

*High priority: Find out who is running for state legislature and other positions that have control over elections, such as Secretary of State. Donate or volunteer for their campaigns. Spread the word amongst your family and friends and make sure they know who to vote for and the date of the election.

If no one is running against the Republican, consider running! I’m not joking. Or if you know someone who is qualified and/or interested in running, encourage them to do so.

Local Level:

*High priority: Same as on the state level: Find out who is running and support the person who is supporting democracy. Local election officials can have a huge impact, especially in swing states and counties. Spread the word about this candidate, the election date, registering to vote, where to vote, etc.

Again, if no one is running, consider running! Incumbents often stay in power because they are unchallenged. And a local position is a great way to get involved in politics and help your community.

Additional ways to help:

Make sure you are registered to vote.

Check in with 3 friends/family members and help them register to vote if they are not already.

Send reminders to friends/family to vote on Election Day - not just in November, but for special elections, local elections, etc.

Volunteer with a group specifically working to help progressives win elections: SwingLeft, EMILY’s List, etc.

Donate to the candidates you support early and often! One of the reasons Democratic House candidates struggled in 2020 was that a lot of money came in at the last minute. Donating early and/or on a monthly basis ensures that they have the funds to run a long, successful campaign.

More Info & Resources:

Read: Washington Post - American democracy is in even worse shape than you think

Excerpt/TLDR: "The radicalization of the Republican Party has outpaced what even most critical observers imagined,” Georgetown University historian Thomas Zimmer told me. “We need to grapple with what that should mean for our expectations going forward and start thinking about real worst-case scenarios." - Perry Bacon Jr.

Read: New York Times - How Republicans Could Steal the 2024 Election

“It occurred to me,” [Erica Newland, counsel for Protect Democracy] told her colleagues then, “as I dug into the rules and watched what happened, that if the current Republican Party controls both Houses of Congress on Jan. 6, 2025, there’s no way if a Democrat is legitimately elected they will get certified as the president-elect.”

Listen: Pod Save America - Stop the 2024 Steal (29:00-36:27 covers the bulk of it, and they go on for about another 10 minutes after that)

Excerpt: "If you just watch what's happening... it is a very clear indication of a minority party that knows it has no path to majority status rigging elections at every level to set the stage for minority rule in this country. (...) People are not alarmed enough about [this]. The great asymmetry in American politics is that Republicans view power as an end in itself, and Democrats view power as a means to an end. Republicans are using the power they have to put in place laws that allow them to hold onto political power. (...) We need to raise the alarm. There are disturbing signs of complacency in our party." - Dan Pfeiffer

Support H.R.1: VoteSaveAmerica.com/ForThePeople

#voting #democracy #mine #us politics #LONG POST #sorry democracy is at stake #do i think tumblr posts change these things? sometimes!#raising awareness is important #we do not have time to be complacent #anyway i just like to have all of this info in one place and the place is here #voting resources #voter resources #2022 #2024 #voter suppression

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