no sympathy for this devil.

That  was  the  funny  thing,  about  being  paranoid.  The  belief  that  anything and everyone  was  out  to  get  you,  that  there  were  so  few  souls  that  you  could  really  trust  …  for  most,  it  stemmed  from  nowhere.  The  sign  of  a  deeper,  far  more  internalized  problem.  For  Bucky  …  it  came  from  experience.  Not  even  the  government  he  had  fought  for  ( 𝙳𝙸𝙴𝙳  𝙵𝙾𝚁 )  could  be  trusted,  let  alone  the  man  sent  to  represent  him  who  claimed  to  uphold  the  ideals  of  a  court  and  country  that  had  never  cared  whether  he  lived  or  died.  He  didn’t  feel  protected.  He  felt  antagonized,  stripped  bare,  thrown  to  the  wolves  without  defenses.  He  felt  vulnerable,  sitting  here.  Bound  in  chains,  one-armed,  swathed  in  the  vibrant  oranges  that  labelled  him  a  criminal.  Sat  across  from  a  man  who,  evidently,  still  believed  there  was  some  hope  that  Bucky  could  ever  really  be  free.  

❛   What, you  think  I’d  blow  up  an  entire  building  if  I  didn’t  have  proof?   ❜  Sure,  he  might  have  been  a  bit  rough  around  the  edges,  with  more  than  a  few  screws  missing,  but  it  wasn’t  that  bad. 

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ( 𝙽𝙾𝚃  𝚈𝙴𝚃,  𝙰𝙽𝚈𝚆𝙰𝚈. )

❛   ... Do  you  know  what  happened,  after  the  war?  They  called  it  Operation  Paperclip.  The  United  States  recruited  hundreds  of  scientists  from  the  Nazi  party  so  that  they  could  get  their  hands  on  all  that  fancy  German  tech  and  defeat  the  Soviets  during  the  Cold  War.  We  gave  our  supposed  enemies  jobs  and  positions  of  power  instead  of  consequences  because  they  wanted  to  share  ideas.   ❜  

But  it  hadn’t  ended  there.  It  never  did.  This  incident  was  not  an  isolated  one.  Men  were  easy  to  kill,  this  much  he  knew.  They  were  human,  made  of  flesh  and  blood  with  hearts  that  ceased  to  beat  when  you  put  a  bullet  through  it.  However,  it  was  damn  near  impossible  to  kill  an  idea  …   to  stamp  out  the  endless  greed  and  yearning  for  control  that  had  poisoned  so  many  since  the  dawn  of  time.  The  Cold  War  had  ended,  not  with  a  bang,  but  with  a  whimper  …  beneath  the  ashes  and  metaphorical  rubble,  something  else  had  grown.  Impenetrable  and  sickening.  He’d  played  his  part  in  it,  against  his  will  or  not.    

❛   They  funneled  a  hell  of  a  lot  of  money  into  those  programs  to  build  those  weapons,  you  think  all  that  ended  just  because  Gorbachev  collapsed  a  wall?  No.  Even  after  the  USSR  fell,  I  was  still  getting  passed  around  between  operators  who  wanted  to  pursue  their  own  agendas.  We  had  contacts  and  allies  here  in  America.  They’re  still  out  there,  they’re  spreading,  and  they’ve  got  a  paper  trail.   ❜

what, you think i'd blow up an entire building if i didn't have proof? the question was enough to bring a smirk to the lawyer's face, the corners of his lips turning upwards. working primarily in criminal law, he'd worked his way through a hell of a lot of cases where no, — the perpetrator hadn't exactly been thinking ahead.

it felt strange, sitting through each and every case he thumbed through, glancing at it from different angles. partially as matthew murdock ... the man who had tirelessly made his way through both columbia university & harvard, graduating magna cum laude — and partially as his nighttime alter ego, the masked vigilante known as DAREDEVIL.

but he couldn't approach cases with a vigilante lens, it was unethical. something he might agree with as the devil of hell's kitchen wasn't necessarily something he'd agree with in a court of law.

while it wasn't a field he'd had a lot of knowledge in, as a young boy he'd been in love with the act of learning all that he could ... partially because his father didn't give him much else to do. with all of the neighborhood kids enrolled in public school, he'd read a lot that he wouldn't normally in order to occupy his time as a lonely home-schooled kid. matthew had always found that being knowledgeable about a little in a lot of subjects went a long way. he let james talk, listening to all he had to say. while matthew had made more than a select few poor choices in his life ( and, admittedly throughout his career in law ) he wasn't a stupid man by any means. he was fully briefed on james' file, knew this was something personal he took to heart. he was a man out of time, a man tortured beyond belief.

matthew's throat felt dry, listening to the information that james disclosed. it wasn't an easy case to listen to ... and only god himself understood how it felt to james to experience the damn thing. pursing his lips, matthew tried to think of the best way to approach this. ❛ you've got evidence, and we've got probable cause. ❜ matthew thought aloud, trying to piece together the information. ❛ well, court trials are presumptively public ... but if you think that this poses enough of a threat to be considered a matter of national security? we can request a closed trial. i know there's a lot of information that i doubt the citizens of new york are going to want to listen to, regarding what's going on in their own backyard. ❜ the redhead continued. sure, james might have taken out a building ... but if they approached this carefully, and pieced together a good enough argument, matthew was sure that they could get him off the hook — at least, for now.

𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊'𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓. She feels the whispers creep back in, phantom ghosts begging her to recall all the pain and sorrow while also reminding her of the warmth she once had. Her heart skipped one solitary beat. It wasn't much, but for a man like Matthew, standing before a woman like Elektra, it'd mean everything.

I want you to stay.

He meant it, she knew he did and by the Gods, she did too. The "how" however, remained a mystery. Could she endure another night with him? Curled up beneath the sheets, their limbs an entangled mess with nothing but the sounds of heated love to fill the air.

the silence between each reply was like her twin sai being plunged into his chest, and twisted for effect. it was all so much, trying to keep himself composed so as not to scare her off or upset her, but also trying to express just how sincere his feelings were.

he didn't want her to leave. not now, not ever. he knew that time and fate weren't ever on their side, but the least he could do was try and remain hopeful in the moment.

❛ it doesn't have to this time. ❜ and he meant every word. something about this was different — he wanted to nurture this, needed to have her by his side. not that he ever lied when he'd said it before, but he wasn't thinking fully. he wasn't prioritizing this, fully listening to the assassin. when she eliminated the gap between them and took a graceful stride all but into his arms, he'd already made space for his arms to open wide, embracing her. his heart pounded in his chest, and he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, holding her like she'd simply fade away if he let go. ❛ you know, i've been saying that same thing about you since college. ❜ he chuckled.

harvey dent, huh ? dick couldn't really say he was surprised, giving harvey's recent spat with a hero named daredevil ( in gotham no less. he wondered what bruce though about all that ). seems like matt was interested in him too, which only added intrigue about this impromptu meet up.

[ txt : m&m&m ] that's good, never hurts to have another person on your side [ txt : m&m&m ] i'll be there in an hour

folding up his cane and setting it aside in the empty chair beside him at the table, matthew set his hands politely atop the table. ❛ well, good news, you don't have to start from the beginning. ❜ the blind man grinned, taking a drink from the cup of water placed in front of him. ❛ i actually met harvey, back in college. smart guy ... but a bit misguided, even then. ❜

he pursed his lips, frowning.

❛ after college, we parted ways. didn't cross paths with him again in regards to law. ❜ the waitress came by to take their orders, and he'd paused their conversation, and politely given her his usual order. once she'd grabbed their orders and walked off, matthew refocused his attention on the other man. ❛ i've heard he's since ... made quite the name for himself. ❜

The  soldier  slumped  low  into  his  chair,  ankles  and  wrist  bound  by  electrically  charged  chains  …  an  inhibitor  collar  was  slung  around  his  neck,  dampening  the  effects  of  the  serum.  ( 𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃  𝙸𝙽  𝙲𝙰𝚂𝙴. )  All  the  while,  his  left  arm  was  locked  up  tight  in  storage  —  being treated  as  the  equivalent  of  ᴳᴼᴸᴰ  in  Fort  Knox,  or  a  nuclear  bomb.  For  once,  he  was  about  as  defenseless  as  he  could  feasibly  be.  Out  of  precaution,  perhaps  necessity.  Just  in  case.   

“According  to  them,  yeah.”  Bucky  spits  the  admission  out  with  a  clear  bitterness  staining  his  tongue,  jaw  twitching.  The  ᴮᴬᴿᴿᴬᴳᴱ  of  words  from  the  lawyer  swam  around  his  head,  blurring  together  almost  indistinguishably  as  ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴱᴺᴱᴰ  eyes  drooped,  fixating  on  the  texture  of  the  table  between  them.  There’s  a  nearly  impenetrable  silence  that  stretches  out  across  the  room,  thickening  the  air,  interrupted  only  by  the  slow  tick  of  a  clock  somewhere  behind  him.  

matthew paused his browsing of the case notes as the other man talked. he fetched his old audio recording device out of his bag, laying it flat on the table before toggling it on. he was the sole attorney listening in during this meeting, and so he needed to ensure that he got the proper notes jotted down for the case.

foggy was taking a half - day for an appointment — damn him — but this wasn't matthew's first rodeo by any means, so he could keep the firm occupied in the meantime.

after all, this was just the initial consultation. he wasn't even certain that james was going to hire him after all was said and done, but he had to gather the evidence he could to determine if nelson & murdock would be a good fit to represent him.

❛ according to them? mr. barnes ... from a legal standpoint, that's a yes or no. not a technicality. ❜ he sighed, folding his hands atop the table. he could hear the way his jaw clicked, could hear the venom lacing the words that rolled off his tongue. for a moment, matthew thought that perhaps this client wasn't a good fit. but after the silence between them passed, he spoke once more, seemingly more compliant. and then, matthew had an idea. ❛ ... mr. barnes, do you happen to have any proof? do you have tangible evidence that exposes those employees as fascists? ❜

it was mandatory that for the trial, the jury remained entirely unbiased ... but matthew knew the people of new york fairly well after all these years living alongside them and serving them, and it wasn't exactly a secret that the majority of the population didn't take well to fascists. ❛ we have to present a convincing case that proves what you did was justified, if we want to keep you from being put behind bars again. so, i'll ask again ... do you have anything we can pin on them? ❜

✧     ›    HEAT   &   TEASING   .

My  muse  runs  their  fingers  along  your  muse’s  wrist  absentmindedly,  tracing  slow,  lazy  circles.

My  muse  leans  in,  their  breath  warm  against  your  muse’s  skin  as  they  whisper,  “You’re  enjoying  this,  aren’t  you?”

My  muse  grabs  your  muse’s  waist  to  steady  them,  but  doesn’t  move  away  immediately.

My  muse  catches  your  muse  staring  and  smirks,  tilting  their  head.  “See  something  you  like?”

My  muse  playfully  tugs  your  muse’s  necklace/tie/collar,  pulling  them  just  a  little  closer.

My  muse  brushes  their  lips  against  your  muse’s  ear  as  they  murmur  something  just  for  them.

My  muse  traps  your  muse  against  a  wall,  eyes  dark  with  something  unreadable.

My  muse  challenges  your  muse  to  a  game,  but  the  stakes  are…  interesting..

✧     ›    FORBIDDEN  ROMANCE   .

My  muse  stops  your  muse  in  a  dark  hallway,  their  voice  barely  above  a  whisper.  “If  anyone  sees  us—”

My  muse  shoves  your  muse  against  a  wall,  breathing  heavily.  “Tell  me  to  stop,  and  I  will.”

My  muse  lingers  at  your  muse’s  door,  knowing  they  shouldn’t  be  here.  “One  last  time.  That’s  all.”

My  muse  runs  a  hand  down  your  muse’s  arm  before  pulling  away.  “We  can’t  keep  doing  this…  but  I  don’t  want  to  stop.”

My  muse  is  forced  to  work  with  your  muse,  pretending  there’s  nothing  between  them.

My  muse  warns  your  muse  to  stay  away,  but  the  way  they  look  at  them  says  otherwise.

ℌ𝔢 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔟𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔯 𝔯𝔲𝔦𝔫. He already was. So much pain and suffering surrounded them each time they crossed paths, was love meant to be this painful? She still clung to the original bottle of perfume her father had gotten her. It was locked tight in a drawer in her home, a reminder of all that she'd lost. She'd not only lost her father that fateful night, but her lover as well. She'd walked out on him and never looked back.

With great effort, she kept everything hidden inside. Focus on the heart, do not let it go wild with hope. It did nothing but destroy you. But that was precisely what he was good at doing. Unraveling her at the seams, taking back to a time to when they were so young and in love, the only worries they had were passing the next exam. ❝ How? ❞ The question was simple but carried so much weight to it. How would things be any different this time from before? What guarantee did they have things would work? Or is she meant to take a blind leap of faith every time, only to be proven why she should ignore the way her heart ached to feel his skin against hers?

columbia university had been both one of the best times of his life, along with one of the worst times. meeting his best friend, falling in love for the first time, losing his father — the one family member that he'd still had left in his life — and losing the woman he loved so dearly soon after. he remembered the night she'd walked out like no other, it was the only time in his life that foggy had ever seen him cry.

but now that things were the way they were, matthew didn't shed any more tears. things were far too on & off again, their cycle repeated so much that he didn't bother. after all, he knew they'd find each other once more. they always did.

he didn't like how quiet she was being ... didn't like the steadiness of her heartbeat, the way she kept herself a mystery from him. the woman he could once read like an open book, he could no longer sense, could no longer predict. perhaps, she was thinking about it. or maybe, she was going to step out of the room and leave him unanswered. regardless, his heart would ache for her the same. ❛ because ... i don't want you to walk out again. i want you to stay. ❜ he choked back a single tear, trying his best to hold his voice back from cracking.

eight separate plans. a through h. a van planted earlier that day, stowed behind the rusted shutter of an adjacent warehouse - hidden from sight, armoured enough to plow through steel with little issue should the situation get too sticky. four sets of explosives strategically hidden in the area's he knows will be the most populated because he planned it that way. where they're likely to push from, believing numbers are synonymous with victory. where he plans to get cornered if things go south, where his most likely escape route is. eight meticulously thought out plans, all of them up in smoky, billowing flames - courtesy of the red clown himself. always a pain in my fuckin' rear.

❛ was doin' just fine before you decided to stick your nose in my business. ❜ expected, but sooner than anticipated. frank knows he has to shake him -- he doesn't have the time, nor patience, to deal with matt's morality. the angel (devil?) in red on his shoulder, harping on about redemption and second chances. the usual spiel frank had learned to tune out until it was nothing but white noise buzzing in his ears. the pacing stops abruptly, entire body shifting to face the other. ❛ if we do this, we do it my way. none of your pussy footin' around -- if you knew what i did about these guys, you'd want 'em dead just as much as i do. ❜ doubtful. he knows matt won't play his game. he just needs to get him off his tail. the night is young, and there's plenty more for him to be getting on with.

the blind devil knew better than to try to reason with frank ... he had to swallow his pride, take his morality out of the equation when it came to working with the punisher. he grimaced, thinking about the people he'd kill, thinking about the lecture he'd get if matt so much as batted an eye about the way he dealt with these things.

but he couldn't do this without his help, either.

the two of them clashed heads for this very reason. he wanted to do things in what felt like a more productive way, a less deadly way, but it frustrated the part of him that struggled with his religion. not because he felt guilty, but because he knew that frank was right, and that tore him apart inside. the last thing he ever wanted was to admit that frank had a point, to admit he didn't always agree with his own faith that he clung to with such a vice grip.

pushing those conflicting feelings aside, matt sighed and agreed, deciding to shut up and listen to his plans.

❛ alright, fine. ❜ he didn't want to agree to it, but he knew that there was no other way to try and work alongside him. ❛ but that's all on you, frank. i'm not putting that blood on my own hands. ❜

over a year ago, i made this meme & since then, it’s blown up. so, over a year later — i thought i would make a new one. so here it is, after several requests & a pile of brains,  THE PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP MEME 0.2 send me a  ✿  and i’ll fill out the template below. bold for things i could definitely see or want, italics for things i could see or am unsure of and striked out for things i don’t want or cannot see.

FRIENDSHIP.     childhood friends  /  work buddies or coworkers  /  family friends  /  friends with benefits  /  smoking buddies  /  adventure buddies  /  fake friends  /  recently friends  /  party buddies  /  friendship of need  /  dying friendship  /  circumstantial friendship  /  partners in crime  /  old friendship  /  [ your muse ] is the good influence  /  [ your muse ] is the bad influence  /  [ my muse ] is the good influence  /  [ my muse ] is the bad influence  /  opposites attract  /  ride or die  /  frenemies  /  roommates or flatmates  /  penpals  /  exes to friends  /  enemies to friends  /  other

ROMANCE.     childhood sweethearts  /  [ your muse is mines ] childhood crush  /  [ my muse is yours ] childhood crush  /  exes  /  exes to lovers  /  forbidden lovers  /  highschool sweethearts  /  secret relationship  /  opposites attract  /  long distance  /  unrequited [ from your muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from my muses side ]  /  unrequited [ from both sides ]  /  skinny love  /  friends to lovers  /  enemies to lovers  /  spurious relationship  /  power couple  /  newly entered  /  soulmates [ metaphorical ]  /  soulmates  [ literal ]  /  awkward  /  turning toxic  /  toxic love  /  cheating [ on your muse ]  /  cheating [ with your muse ]  /  other 

FAMILIAL.     siblings [ half ]  /  siblings [ step ]  /  [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure  /  [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse  /  [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours  /  [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse  /  guardian figure  /  legal guardian  /  adoptive child  /  foster child  /  [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing  /  [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing  /  other