𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧.

i don’t think you know as much as you think you do.

[ refuse ] sender refuses to help receiver

"well, there used to be." in her mind, a haphazard scene plays out on the fringe of hazy recollection — drunken stupors, lots of singing, and the loss of the key to one grog strongjaw's stomach. why did he eat it? vex'ahlia doesn't know. she hasn't had the strength to ask. "either we break it down ourselves, or we pick the lock, something my brother would be more than ready to do. unless you know how...?" she's still a bit wary of the tiefling and unwilling to trust him fully, but maybe this gives him the opportunity to show his skills and prove himself to her and the others. she gives him a brief once-over, squinting eyes patient and prepared, before eyeing the door and giving the handle another attempt. it jiggles, but does not budge. even a brief ram with her shoulder does nothing to weaken its formidable structure. after a loud huff, vex'ahlia crosses her arms and shakes her head. "fancy giving it a go, mollymauk?" she backs away, gestures at the door, and winks at him. "be my guest."

                    chance meetings & good intentions made for one night of heavy drinking between the legendary vox machina & the mighty nein. while their deeds were still unknown whispers to the ears of molly, he could appreciate the bonds shared between its members. somehow, they reminded him of the circus. god rest their souls. the tiefling runs one hand through their hair, yawning as they approach the door after vex's failed attempt at opening it herself. ❛ i can see those muscles of yours are still soft from all that drinking, lass.  ❜ he teases, crouching before the door to further inspect its lock. molly wasn't savvy with picking them as expertly as others. ❛ i do have one idea.  ❜ they confess, standing straight to glance at the hinges. molly drags their palm down the top of their hilt, slicing it open before pressing said palm against both of the hinges. the blood hunter magic within them ignites with intense ice, freezing the integral pieces of the door in seconds. then, molly gestures to the door in a mimicking fashion to vex'ahlia. ❛ fancy another try?  ❜

❝   i'm   lucky   you   have   such   good   hands.   a   bit   rough   at   the   palms   ,   but   that's   just   because   you're   a   hard   worker   &   have   been   for   most   of   your   life.   ❞   midna   takes   one   of   the   cocktails   james   has   brought   over   earlier   ,   eager   to   take   a   sip   of   one   of   her   new   favorite   earthly   concoctions that he so graciously introduced her to.   just   as   she   begins   to   toy   with   the   straw   of   her   drink   ,   she   notices   a   familiar   figure   approach   the   pool   from   a   few   feet   away.   her   face   .   .   .   that   was   the   same   face   they   saw   in   one of the   files moneypenny sent over.   the   one of three people at this resort   who   have   intel   on   where   the   mirror   shard   was   kept.   smiling   ,   midna   leans   in   closer   to   james'   ear   in   a   flirtatious   way   ,   still   keeping   their   appearance   of   a   newly   wed   couple   ,   but   no   one   else   knows   what   true   secrets   they   are   sharing.   ❝   is   that   one of the   targets   in   question   ?   ❞   her   voice   is   low   ,   eyes   drifting   back   to   the   woman   as   she   approaches   the   edge   of   the   water.   hmph.   of   course   it's   a   beautiful   woman.   why   does   she   care   ?   midna   shakes   herself   from   the   thought   ,   focusing   back   to   james.   ❝   well   ,   i   guess   this   means   you'll   be   taking   charge   ,   right   ?   i   can   sit   here   .   .   .   keep   an   eye   &   make   sure   nothing   else   happens.   ❞   &   make   sure   no   funny   business   happens   between   james   &   the   woman   .   .   .   not   that   it   matters   ,   so   long   as   the   information   is   retrieved. so then why is her good mood suddenly gone almost instantly ?

                    james laughs under his breath, lips expelling air directly onto her neck after her comment. ❛ i'm glad you noticed. some would say otherwise.  ❜ he replies slyly, attention now directed to one of the targets identified by moneypenny. she was gorgeous in every traditional way, eyes quickly scanning her before reverting back to midna. who, in his opinion, was far more beautiful. it was subjective or even circumstantial. but all that he knew was how much he admired the princess more than anyone else. ❛ who knows? she might prefer your charisma over mine.  ❜ he teases, cleaning his hands before retreating from his spot to prepare himself. adjusting his glasses, james takes one look back at midna & notices her slight change in demeanour. ❛ everything all right? why don't you look out for the other targets? it will save us a lot of time.  ❜

however, she moves first! with the speed of light itself, her body has lunged forward; a strike that is delivered with enough certainty behind it, because she is certain of him. she has seen herself how much he has developed in such a short span of time. which is why she needs to hold back less than usual. &. of course, there comes that satisfying, sharp sound of metal clinging against something firm, something defiant! her lips curve into something more lighter, more challenging. ❝ that is, if you can ask it whilst practicing. ❞

                    slowly drawing the katana from its sheathe, yuta angles his arm while gripping the blade to prepare for the sparring. he anticipates her idea, although still caught off guard by the sheer speed & velocity sarastus travels at him. silver clashes with gold, okkotsu now pressing against her spear of light with both hands rather than one. she was hitting fast & hard already. within seconds, the two were moving their weapons faster than the eye can even follow, opening then closing distances between them quicker than most sorcerers can fathom. eventually, they clash firmly again & yuta steps down firmly to shove his mentor into the wall behind her. ❛ what i wanted to ask was ...  ❜ another pause, blinking forward to bring his weapon down on her once again. ❛ ... i want to copy your technique. if that's all right?  ❜

                    once she was closer to the window, peter takes her hand gently all the while maintaining his soft expression. ❛ firstly, to that deli you used to rave about every patrol. dinner is on me, obviously.  ❜ he ordained even with the change left in his account. smiling still, peter leans down to collect barbara into his arms. once comforted & propped up in one arm, he uses his free one to slide the window open. ❛ then, i've got this one sweet spot where we can watch the sun set. can't spoil the surprise.  ❜ he jests, implying this was the plan from the beginning. it wasn't, yet he hoped she would appreciate the humour. the spot in question was the bridge connecting gotham & manhattan. the connection between his neighbourhood & hers. ❛ comfortable? ready to go? please keep all limbs inside the ride at all times & thank you for flying with air spidey.  ❜

twilight could of handled this mission on his own with ease   ,   the   master   of   disguise   always   finding it much simple to work alone.   regardless , twilight   would   work   with   this bond character   if   that's   what   was   expected   of   him   ,   but   things   quickly   went   sideways   within   seconds   ,   the   rogue   agents   now   attacking   them   apparently   familiar   with   bond   to   a   degree.   clearly   this   man   is   not   the   most   subtle   or likable of   agents.   ❝   you   are   making   an   entrance   ,   007.   i've   remained   behind   this   table   the   whole   time since the fight began.   ❞   deadpanned   ,   twilight's   focus   is   now   on   their   enemies   ,   all   while   preparing   his   pistol so he may enter the fight properly.   all   innocent   parties   & staff have   been   evacuated   for   now   ,   leaving   about   twelve   men   between   the   two   of   them to take on.   with   that   in   mind   &   their   cover   blown   ,   there   is   only   one   way   to   get   out   alive   :   force   their   way   out.   ❝   we   are   cornered.   we'll   have   to   ensure   we   are   the   only   two   men   who   exit   this   room.   ❞   they   can't   risk   anyone   escaping   &   harming   the   innocents   who   left   to   hide   outside.   no   innocent   will   die   if   loid   can   avoid   it.   ❝   you   take   the   six men   on   the   right   ,   &   i   take the rest on   the   left.   time   is   of   the   essence.   ❞   loid   raises   his   pistol   &   quickly   hits   a   target   in   the   head   ,   the   suddenness   of   the   shot   shocking   their   enemies   into   a   frenzy.   good   .   .   .   the   chaos   makes   them   vulnerable   ,   prone   to stupid   mistakes.   ❝      i   suggest   you   begin   taking   your   marks   quickly before i do the work for you.   ❞

                    loid makes the first move, encouraging james to follow suit after his simple yet effective tease. 007 then pops up from cover, aiming his service pistol to the natural first target on his right. sliding out of cover, bond aims once more to fire his last bullet into the second targets skull. he could've swore he had more ammo. ironic, given this was the one time he didn't count the bullets as he fired them previously. james opts to hurl his sidearm to the third target, shifting to tackle the fourth & crack their spine against the wall before delivering one decisive uppercut. stealing their rifle in the progress, his fingers kiss the trigger once to execute the former third target. the last two continue to fire frantically at him, forcing him to take cover behind the quickly crumbling pillar. ❛ in your own time! or do you want me to help you catch up?  ❜ he shouts through the chaos, alleviating his own stress whilst checking his clip. two bullets, how lucky. with one deep breath, james realigns his focus again before flying around the pillar & tapping the trigger twice. one bullet finds rest in the knee of the fifth target before the second bullet digs through the neck. five down, one more to go. bond drops the rifle to free his grip, pinching his q-watch to blast his laser in the eyes of the sixth & final henchman. the final sprint was in sight, james now racing to crash into the guard & deliver devastating punches. his knuckles crack against skin & bone, finishing off by introducing the man's face to his own knee. breathless, sweating & high on adrenaline, james quickly turns to check on his ally. ❛ all clear over here! ❜

sympathy digs into her features, her frown taut. she listens to kanan and his concern, his pleading tone pulling sharp against her better judgment, but ahsoka's mind is made up. there are paths for her that do not cross with kanan and ezra's — not for a long, long time. for a while, they will run parallel, never touching, but always present in their minds and in the formidable presence of the force. "ezra needs someone like you," she returns evenly. "i have nothing more to teach him, but you... you will find you have many lessons ahead of you. trust me." ahsoka gently shakes her head. "you are more a jedi than you think, kanan jarrus. you must learn to trust your instincts more. they got you this far." a long bout of silence stretches between them, until... "where will you go?" turning this from herself and onto kanan, flipping the conversation so that he thinks inward — it is for the best. "they still hunt for all of us. you have to be careful."

                    ahsoka's answers came as expected yet still caught kanan in their meaning, the weight of her wisdom sinking heavily into his mind as well as his heart. they were cause for reflection. even if the hopes of her company were extuingished, kanan could take comfort in knowing her faith in him hasn't wavered. while he has yet to uncover the secrets of her connection with the jedi, or even her survival, he will never doubt the integrity of her choices. kanan jarrus, caleb dune, nods slowly as the heaviness becomes a little more bearable. the meaning finding the purpose. ❛ the real lesson is in the teaching, isn't it?  ❜ he asks rhetorically, arms folded as kanan continues to appreciate though reluctantly accept her continued faith in him. always too critical of himself. ❛ i'm just worried my instincts will fail me one day.  ❜ he inserts, only pausing for one moment before answering the penultimate question. ❛ wherever ezra needs me. wherever hera or the crew need me. their survival is more important than anything. but ...  ❜ another pause. ❛ it's a little reassuring to know there are still jedi out there. so long as one survives ... ❜ he tapers off, nodding back to her afterwards. ❛ what about you? where will you be if we need you again?  ❜

Gambit: Le Diable Blanc MARVEL RIVALS

sebastian's head immediately pops up from behind the brick chimney he just climbed over. they're in the middle of what feels like an obstacle course, the two agents maneuvering over rooftops, leaping over gaps, dodging danger and long falls in favor of an ideal vantage point. is this bond's first time doing this... or is he just young and fond of causing problems? it's quite amusing. sebastian will deny it outloud, but he does enjoy the other man's remarks sometimes. adds a bit of levity to the seriousness of the situation. "i did say try to keep up. not keep up. try being the operative word here. did you not learn any parkour with MI6?" he climbs back over the chimney, reaches across the small gap in the rooftops, and beckons james to take his hand. "we're almost there. can't believe we're doing this one as a team. fucking shocking, is what it is, but you need my help, and i really need yours." once the two get back over the chimney, sebastian eases over another gap in the line of rooftops and points to the east. "see? there's your location. that rust-colored building right there. i thought it might help you to see it from my perspective first before you go in. that way we can coordinate together." sebastian pauses and gives james a look. "they still don't know we've teamed up for this, do they?"

                    treadstone had been whispered to him once or twice, only now becoming reality after an intense mix-up between himself & one of their assassins. now, he was parkouring across the rooftops of london alongside his apparent rival & enemy. ❛ top of my class, mate. just didn't want to remind you of your age, sorry.  ❜ he snaps back, grinning as he takes his hand & breathlessly climb over the final hurdle before taking one last leap to the designated position. ❛ uh huh, the enemy of my enemy is my friend & all that.  ❜ he murmurs, eyes following sebastian's directions before inspecting the building himself as much as possible. ❛ right. so i know where to line them up for you.  ❜ he adds, understanding the intent behind moran's plan. though, james glances at him with an expression more smug than ever. ❛ why bother them? it's a need to know basis. so long as we bring results, we'll be forgiven, right?  ❜ a beat, bond now checking his watch & other gear before adjusting his jacket. ❛ i'm ready to move in. try not to breathe too heavily in my ear, will you?  ❜

❝ oh! yes, yes, we should ask the cards first. they'll know exactly what i'm wanting. they can like see into the future and stuff, y'know?   ❞ she props her elbows atop her knees, with chin settling into her palms. ❝ oh — wait. obviously you knew that. beau says you don't actually know a lot of things, molly. but i think you do.   ❞

                    ❛ your first mistake there was listening to that half-witted monk. her mind is as closed as the windows in this room. stuck shut.  ❜ he begins to throw the cards before them, narrowly fitting into the space between her knees & his arms. finishing, molly hovers his finger over one before moving to another. eyes glance up at jester, amused by the focus in her expression. ❛ take it your god has left you unanswered again? shame. but you should never rely on someone else to get your answers, love. you've made it this far, haven't you?  ❜ he asks, albeit giving little time to answer as he turns the first card over & grins in response. ❛ well, would you look at that, it's you.  ❜ he shows her, flicking the joy card now revealed for jester to inspect closely. ❛ in searching for laughter, you've created it. in searching for answers, you're no longer bored. aren't you?  ❜