#INCLUDING HER. instead of her own supervisor

[scionshtola]

they hired a new supervisor in the dept i work in like, 3 months ago at least but everyone in here still asks me for help instead of her ����

[roseroro]

Autonomy / choices in Mouthwashing…

I’ve only played the game once this very morning but goddamn the THOUGHTS. Will replay for more insight now that I know what it’s all about. In the meantime:

Daisuke, the young last-minute intern. From beginning to end, his autonomy is non-existent. He didn’t sign up to be on the Tulpar, his mother did it so he’d stop “slacking”. Under Swansea’s supervision, he can’t make his own choices, and instead spends his time on pointless repetitive tasks that don’t give him opportunities for mistakes. (Mistakes being the only example of him having a shred of autonomy, when he ends up stuck in foam… he’s doing his best I promise 😭). Then, when Anya locks herself in medical, Jimmy orders him to deceive Swansea then to go into the vent. Even his (merciful) death is someone else’s choice, Swansea’s (who swings the axe) and Jimmy’s (who brought him to that point).

Curly, the captain. Originally in a position of relative power (still under Pony Express), Jimmy strips him of everything and frames him for the mess he created. Curly is left unable to do anything but lie there and let others decide what he needs, what he wants, what he feels… what he did. No longer truly seen as human, his two perceived states are (irritating, noisy) pain and (accomodating) silence - silence achieved through force, shoving painkillers down his throat. He can do nothing but witness the events, yet he survives to the end. Unable to get in Jimmy’s way in his state, he becomes his puppet, the conduit for Jimmy’s delusion about being the hero and fixing things. His life is Jimmy’s choice.

Anya, the nurse and only woman on the ship. Belittled, abused, and raped by Jimmy and pregnant from it, her bodily autonomy is taken from her. After the crash, she’s left to care for Curly (who was supposed to take care of her before the crash, but didn’t despite his promises), who’s also lost his bodily autonomy, but she can’t bring herself to, well, force painkillers down his throat. The parallel to her own suffering too vivid. She chooses her death as a last attempt at regaining agency over her life (and, of course, makes that choice next to Curly), but Jimmy ultimately forced that choice on her, as he did with the others.

Swansea, the grumpy old man with a heart. As Daisuke’s supervisor, he steals part of his autonomy - but unlike Jimmy, he does so with Daisuke’s best interests in mind. He’s a protector, not an abuser. He also protects the sole working cryogenic pod from Jimmy - not for himself, as Jimmy believes, but most likely for his protégé. That choice is taken from him by Jimmy, who uses his alcoholism against him. In the end, Swansea is the only one who is able to truly fight back. Unfortunately, Jimmy is in possession of the strongest authority tool there is - a gun. The gun that the powers that be, Pony Express, placed there from the beginning to deal with eventual mutinies. Swansea never had a chance or a choice in the face of such powers.

Jimmy, the abuser. At the risk of repeating myself, he abuses everyone on the ship, he craves control and authority, he uses people’s weaknesses to obtain what he wants. He ends up as the only person in a position where he can make choices at all. He chooses how he lives and how he dies, he thinks he’s the hero of the story. The second he thinks his freedom is about to be taken from him (when he is about to lose his job and have a child with the woman he raped), he snaps and takes everyone’s fate into his own hands, he would rather kill everyone including himself than lose control. Obsessed with taking responsibility, never actually doing it.

Screaming crying chewing on drywall how can a 2h30 long game have so much in it there’s SO MUCH TO SAY

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hi! Another nanbaka request, where Reader as a sister of the Sugoroku brothers.

Reader meeting the Supervisors, Head of Divisions, and the Warden

What would be the reactions/interactions of Warden and supervisors of Reader as Hajime's Sister?

Where Supervisors having a meeting or sending their reports to the Warden

The other Supervisors and Warden heard rumors about Hajime's Twin, meeting her in person, and seeing Hajime and his twin interactions, they're in shock/other, of how they're looks are identical yet opposite in personalities

After that how would be their each interaction with Hajime's twin sis

Thank you and take care!

-There was a rumor floating around Nanba Prison, one that some didn’t believe completely- thinking it was a joke- that Hajime, the head guard of Building 13- had a twin sister.

-They all knew of his cross-dressing little brother, as that was a fun day in the guard’s meeting when Hitoshi showed up alongside him.

-Only a handful of people knew this rumor was to be true, the doctors in the medical office where you worked, the inmates of Cell 13, and the guards of Building 13.

-While you were identical to Hajime, minus the scar, you were nothing alike in personality- you were sweet, warm, and caring- but just as powerful as you were one of the few who could put Hajime in his place.

-It was a meeting Warden Momo called for- with all heads of buildings to attend, to go over monthly financial reports, and it included the non-cell areas as well, like the clinic, and the head doctors, the married Otogi couple- didn’t feel like going this time and sent you instead.

-When you walked into the meeting, wearing your nurse’s dress, instantly everyone froze, as all they could see was Hajime- who only froze to see you there as you beamed brightly, “Hello everyone, I am Sugoroku Y/N- it’s nice to meet you!”

-Hajime was quickly holding his stomach, doubled over with stomach pain as everyone was quickly shouting- in complete disbelief that the rumors were true that Hajime had a twin sister!

-Momo was checked out, as all she saw was Hajime smiling at her, despite it being you, unable to comprehend what she had just seen.

-Kiji and Samon were crowding you, looking at you closely to see that you were identical, minus the scar. Samon scowled lightly, “Why the hell are you bald like him?”

-Your hand came down on a sharp open-handed chop to the top of his head, sending him to the ground, showing that you were just as strong as your brother as you pouted lightly, “That’s very rude to ask a lady that!” Kiji was the one to compliment you, on your attitude and how you were much better than Hajime personality wise.

-Momo ran the meeting like a robot, unable to comprehend what was going on.

-As you left the paperwork you put your hand on her forehead, concerned as she seemed flushed, “Warden- are you okay?”

-She was hallucinating, imaging Hajime’s voice instead of your own, seeing Hajime doting and her whole body flushed from head to toe as a rush of steam rushed from her head and she fell straight back.

-More panic filled the room as the warden fainted, but you quickly took charge, since you’re a nurse, and radioed the infirmary to be prepared for the warden as you worked on stabilizing, her, not realizing you were making it worse, as Momo was imagining it was Hajime, not you.

-Just another crazy day in Nanba Prison!!

[deliciousangelfestival]

Secret Sorrows || 4 -B.Barnes

Summary: Former special ops, Bucky, seeks solace in a cold refuge to escape his past. However, his haunted history catches up, unraveling mysteries that persist relentlessly.

Series Masterlist

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Monday. It was the first day of the week, a day that dawned not just for the adults who had to rise early for work, but also for the children.

Ethan grumpily buttoned up his school uniform shirt, realizing it was time for him to continue his studies. His mood soured further as he watched his aunt, who didn't utter a word to him, only stroking his hair before slipping into her car.

He crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks in frustration. Couldn't she at least say something to him?

From the rear window of the car, Bucky caught sight of Ethan's grumpy expression, likening him to a disgruntled hamster.

"I thought you liked to study?" Bucky asked, noting how diligently Ethan applied himself to his studies. Despite being just seven years old, Ethan focused intensely like his aunt.

If it weren't for the butler placing their meals in front of them, Bucky mused, both Ethan and Y/N might only eat once a day.

Ethan replied, "It's great, but I don't like the kids. They're childish."

Bucky nearly choked on his surprise. Of course, the other children were childish; it was an elementary school.

As their car arrived at the private school, where attendance was reserved for children with influential parents or those who had made significant donations, the security measures were top-notch, with some students even accompanied by their own bodyguards. Bucky noted with a raised eyebrow that the school even employed a sniper.

Straightening his shirt and adjusting his bag, Ethan muttered, "Here we go."

Offering reassurance, Bucky said, "I'll be nearby if you need anything."

"Okay," Ethan replied, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

Entering his classroom, Ethan was immediately surrounded by classmates offering their condolences. Bucky observed from a distance, noting Ethan's warmth and camaraderie with his peers, silently relieved that Ethan had good friends by his side.

Soon, Bucky discovered the reason behind Ethan's reluctance to attend school. In fencing class, a taller boy from another grade, Greyson, regarded Ethan as his rival, though Ethan didn't share the same sentiment.

Greyson constantly challenged Ethan, but Ethan, still grappling with some underlying trauma, found himself unable to respond.

Sensing Ethan's distress, Bucky intervened, only for Greyson to call upon his own bodyguard, escalating the situation further.

The clash between the bodyguards began. Bucky, unfamiliar with fencing techniques, relied instead on his instinctual combat skills. Despite Ethan's doubts about Bucky's abilities in fencing, Bucky couldn't afford to lose this battle today.

Disregarding the rules of the sport, Bucky unleashed his full capabilities, catching Greyson's bodyguard off guard. With a swift motion, Bucky's final attack sent the fencing sword hurtling through the air, narrowly missing embedding itself in the thick wall.

The spectators, including Greyson, watched in awe and fear, while Ethan's admiration for Bucky only grew.

Greyson, now intimidated, pointed a trembling finger at Bucky. "I’ll tell my father."

Bucky simply stood tall, his expression unyielding, ready to face whatever consequences lay ahead.

Because of Greyson, Bucky found himself in the same situation again, standing before Y/N. This time, however, she wasn't preoccupied with signing documents; instead, her focus was entirely on him. Bucky knew this meant he was in big trouble.

The situation reminded him of the time he and Iris were called to the supervisor's office and punished together.

Y/N placed her hands together before her lips, her expression unreadable. She had been on a conference call from abroad when she heard about Ethan's situation.

The silence made Bucky nervous until she finally uttered some words. “The last time it was the swimming coach, and now do you want to tell me why the senator is blaming my nephew's bodyguard for making his son cry?”

Bucky responded, his tone respectful but firm, “With all due respect, those children trying to bully Ethan are not just kids, but devil spawn.”

Y/N's secretary, Marie, coughed awkwardly upon hearing Bucky's words, while Y/N remained silent, her lips quirking into a small smirk. “You're always a troublemaker, aren't you?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why did she say “always”? Once again, she left him feeling puzzled.

Y/N continued, her tone surprisingly lenient, “I'll let it go this time. The senator didn't make this a big deal since he knows Van Alen is one of his main sponsors.”

Bucky had expected her to be angry, but her reaction caught him off guard.

“If something like this happens again,” Y/N warned, her voice firm, “handle it quietly.”

Bucky smirked confidently. “Of course.” With that, he left her office.

Marie couldn't help but glance at the closed door. “You're too kind to him. Is it because he's handsome?”

Y/N shot her a glare that silenced Marie immediately.

Returning her attention to her work, Y/N picked up a pen and began signing a document. “Is everything prepared for dinner?” she asked casually.

Marie checked her tablet. “Yup, the food and beverages are ready, including your and Ethan's outfits.”

Ethan paced back and forth, his expression troubled, his mind consumed with worry about his bodyguard. Spotting Bucky, he rushed over to him. “Bro, is my aunt mad at you?”

Bucky shook his head. “Not really.”

A relieved sigh escaped Ethan's lips. “You're my bodyguard, but I always worry when my aunt calls you.”

Bucky couldn't help but chuckle softly at the boy's concern. Then, his gaze fell upon a semi-formal dress adorning a mannequin inside Ethan's wardrobe.

“Are you going somewhere? I didn't see it in your schedule,” Bucky inquired, curious about the unexpected attire.

Ethan turned to look at the mannequin. “Oh, my aunt has a guest coming for dinner.”

“Who?” Bucky asked, intrigued.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders. “Don't know. Usually, it was my parents who welcomed the guests.” His voice quivered slightly as he mentioned his parents, the pain of their absence still raw.

Bucky felt a pang of sympathy for the boy's loss. “Do you want to join the dinner?” he offered, hoping to provide some comfort.

Ethan nodded eagerly. “It's the only time I get to be with my aunt.”

Bucky sighed inwardly, his heart aching for the strained relationship between Ethan and Y/N. When would things get better for them?

********

At dinner time, Bucky discovered that Y/N had already welcomed the guest, and it was time for Ethan to join the table. As they approached, both Bucky and Ethan finally saw who the guest was. Bucky had expected someone older, but to his surprise, the guest was around the same age—a young man named Duke August Walker.

Ethan murmured, “He’s Duke August Walker,” informing Bucky of the guest's identity. August Walker was an oil tycoon whose company collaborated with Van Alen.

He had become acquainted with both families, and there were rumors of his interest in Y/N, which she had apparently declined.

Bucky's eyes widened slightly in recognition. August Walker— the name stirred memories. Bucky remembered him from their school days; they had attended the same school. He recalled their encounters, but their paths had never crossed closely.

Observing Y/N and August chuckling together, Bucky couldn't shake off a twinge of jealousy. He didn't understand why he felt that way, but the sight bothered him.

Walker noticed Ethan's arrival and greeted him warmly. "Hey there, big guy," he said, fist-bumping Ethan.

Ethan reciprocated the greeting politely before taking a seat near Y/N. Meanwhile, Bucky remained standing outside the dining room, still able to overhear their conversation.

Y/N engaged Ethan in conversation, their interaction warm and familial.

Observing their aunt and nephew interaction, Walker commented, “Now I understand why you didn’t answer my call.”

Y/N shot him a look. “You have a problem with that?” she countered.

Walker chuckled, unfazed. “No. In fact, I’m impressed you’re starting to act like a normal human.”

Ethan's grip on his utensils tightened as he hissed at August, clearly displeased by the remark.

Walker laughed softly before changing the subject. “Do you have any plans to send Ethan to Vanguard Academy?” he asked Y/N.

Bucky's breath hitched when he heard that name—the same Academy he and Iris attended. It was the place that had become his sanctuary when he felt alone in the world. There, he learned valuable lessons about skills, friendship, love, heartbreak, and betrayal.

The mention of Vanguard Academy stirred up a mix of emotions within Bucky. He disagreed with the idea of Ethan attending the academy, feeling that he was too young for such an environment.

While the academy catered to students from kindergarten to high school, most of the younger students lived in the same area. If Ethan were to study there, he would have to be separated from Y/N—a prospect that Bucky found unsettling.

As for Ethan, he had heard about the academy from his mother. He had seen her photo from her days as a student there. Although his mother didn't speak much about the institute, it was evident that she harbored some dislike towards it.

Ethan didn't want to live far away; he was afraid, especially after hearing his Aston family's grandfather mention their plans to send him to Vanguard Academy a few times.

Y/N responded to Walker's suggestion with firmness. “He doesn’t fit into that place. Who do you think you are to even consider sending my nephew?”

Walker raised his arms defensively. “Whoops, don’t get mad. I only mentioned it because Iris seemed to have the time of her life there.”

Y/N wiped her mouth with a napkin, her expression unreadable. “Do you want to discuss my nephew or business?” she asked pointedly.

Walker shifted uncomfortably. “You’re really different from Iris. But your business instinct is top-notch,” he remarked, attempting to steer the conversation back towards business.

The remainder of the evening passed in a flurry of business discussions between the adults, their voices filling the room with a serious undertone. After Duke August Walker departed, Y/N decided to check on Ethan.

Ethan, feeling the weight of sleepiness settling upon him, ran eagerly to his aunt, his arms outstretched in a silent plea for comfort. The weariness seemed to dissipate from his demeanor as he looked up at her with hopeful eyes, seeking solace in her presence.

Y/N raised a quizzical eyebrow at Ethan's sudden request for a hug. "What are you doing?" she inquired, her tone laced with curiosity.

"Please, give me a hug," Ethan implored softly, his voice tinged with a hint of longing.

Y/N regarded him with a mixture of confusion and tenderness, unsure of what had prompted this sudden need for affection. Nevertheless, she couldn't resist the innocence in his request.

Before she could utter another word, Ethan rushed into her embrace, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. His warmth enveloped her, momentarily melting away the worries of the day.

Y/N's initial stiffness softened as she returned the embrace, though uncertainty still lingered in her movements. She wasn't accustomed to such displays of affection, especially from Ethan.

As they stood in the embrace, Ethan's voice barely above a whisper, he confessed, "I miss my mother."

Y/N felt a pang in her heart at his words, her own emotions mirroring his sorrow. She wished she could fill the void left by his mother's absence, but she knew she could never truly replace her.

In an attempt to offer some comfort, Y/N gently stroked his back, her touch tentative yet comforting. "Go to your room. I’ll read a bedtime story for you," she promised, her voice soft and reassuring.

Ethan's eyes brightened with gratitude at her offer. "Really?" he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Y/N nodded, a small smile gracing her lips, and Ethan hurried off to his room, eager to prepare for their nightly routine.

Meanwhile, as Bucky helped Ethan select a book from the shelf, he noticed a slip of paper fluttering to the ground. Curiosity piqued, he bent down to retrieve it, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized what it was—a photograph.

This was a photo of him and Iris back at the academy. And why did Ethan have this photo?

Join the taglist? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

@thezombieprostitute

@ozwriterchick

@honeywiththemoney

@scott-loki-barnes

@10ava01

@abbyyourlocalmilf

@identity2212

@ordelixx

@differenttyphoonwerewolf

@ylva-syverson

@winterslove1917

@kandis-mom

@namoreno

@sapphirebarnes

@mostlymarvelgirl

@identity2212

@pigeonmama

@almosttoopizza

Author Note :

Hey friends, I've set up a Ko-fi account if you've been enjoying the content.

Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating.

Only if you feel like it!Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

[skzhua]

Can I request Minho and y/n having a really heated argument and she says something she doesn’t mean and he gets really emotional and y/n feels really bad and he leaves to go for a walk to think and when he comes back she makes it up to him 💕

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Office worker!Lee Minho x Company Heiress!Reader

Genre: Aftermath of runaway from arranged marriage, angst, fluff.

Word Count: 2,925

Warnings: Swearing and sad asf.

A/N: I was totally supposed to do my essay due for Monday but I gave up because Minho is on my mind 24/7.

You married for love. You had to remind yourself that, you married for love and not for business. So how come did you feel like your marriage was falling apart?

Lee Minho was his name. He started to work at your company only a few months after you became team supervisor as you were slowly going up in status to be prepared to become CEO. Your mother was one of the rare women to have built her own business without the need of a man and you admired her for that.

But back to Minho. He was attractive, there was no denying that. You caught on quickly that he was sleeping around with the other female workers. You didn't despise him per say, but you definitely held a dislike to him as an employee. But as you worked together more and more often, you discovered a broken man who wanted nothing more than to work his ass off to build himself up from the lower-class part of the city.

That was how you fell in love with him. Being in position of authority, you kept it secret for months with a few steamy sessions done in the corner of your office. And when your mother announced you that you'd be married to the almighty heir of the Seo company, you had no choice but to comply. It was good for your image and good for your numbers to rise.

But like any typical story about a business heiress falling in love with someone with a lower status, you ended up walking away from the altar to run back to Minho. All of your future that was planned out for you was gone and given to your younger brother instead. You got married with only your close friends who approved of your relationship as your guests and had been for almost five years. Since then, you lived happily a few miles away from the city and worked as an accountant. It was definitely a shift from your previous life but you managed. As for Minho, he worked in a law firm as a secretary. Nothing extravagant, just enough for you to pay the bills.

Or so you thought.

"Good evening, my love." Minho greeted your with a kiss as he stepped into your house. "How was your day?"

"I got more paperwork due but I think I can manage to finish it if I keep working extra tomorrow evening."

Minho paused from putting his things away. Loosening his tie, he approached you and grabbed you by the waist.

"Tomorrow is our anniversary, though."

"It's the 12th, no?" you asked, placing your arms around his neck.

"We got married on the 11th, honey." he chuckled and then placed a peck on your lips. "You could ask your boss to give the work to someone else, no?"

"You know I can't do that." you sighed. "We can celebrate it tonight or the day after instead."

He scoffed. "No, I don't think we can."

You cocked your head to the side. "Minho, please."

With a heavy sigh, he shook his head in exasperation. "I wanted it to be a surprise but I reserved at the best restaurant in the city and I even booked a night at the hotel for us to relax. With the spa included."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh indeed." he noted, pettiness in his voice.

You felt bad, so bad. But at the same time, you weren't going to leave out work for you to have a romantic getaway. You had bills to pay and you actually found it unreasonable for him to be paying something you knew you couldn't afford.

"I'm afraid you'll have to cancel."

His hands automatically left your body and he removed your arms from his neck. His jaw clenching, he headed to your kitchen and pulled out a bottle from your refrigerator. Not any bottle, the exact bottle of champagne you drank at your wedding ceremony.

"Min..." you exhaled. "Where did you get that?"

"I bought it last week, actually. My boss was kind enough to pay me double for a day only so I can get you this." he explained before placing it on the counter. "My point is that if I can compromise with my boss, you can do the same."

You shook your head. "Mrs. Moon is not like Mr. Bang. She doesn't sympathize like that, especially if it's about that aspect of our personal lives."

"Be reasonable, Y/N. We haven't gone out on a date in months and you work like a slave for that woman. All I'm asking for is a day off for us to spend quality time together."

It totally made sense what he was saying. However, you couldn't do that for him. Deadlines were approaching and you were afraid you'd get fired if you didn't meet your boss' expectations.

"I'm sorry."

He scoffed again and put the bottle back in the refrigerator, slaming the door shut. "I'm sorry for wanting to spoil my wife. I guess I have some calls to make tonight."

He left to the study room, not even wanting to look at you. All of these years, he worked his ass off to show you that running away with him was worth it. Every extra penny he made was saved for you. He had done so much for you and so little for himself.

"Minho."

He looked up from his phone. "What is it? I'm making calls to cancel because I can't even get one night with the one I love."

"Okay, now. Drop the attitude."

He chuckled sarcastically. "I'm so sorry for being disappointed, really. You truly have no idea how much I put into this relationship."

It was your turn to huff at his words. "I'm sorry but I'm the one making sacrifices for us. I gave up an entire life for us to be together. Maybe you should remind yourself that sometimes."

He walked closer to you, now hovering your small figure. "I'm well aware of what you did which is why I thought doing this would be worth celebrating our union. Turns out it doesn't mean that much to you as it does to me."

"I never said that. I appreciate it, I really do. But you know very well that we simply can't afford it."

"How come was I able to pay for it, then?"

"By cutting off on our groceries. Don't think I didn't notice you stopped spending for your lunches."

At that point, the both of you were fuming and Minho was hovering you more and more as to seem like the bigger person. "And then you say I don't do enough for us, sure."

"We can't keep living like this. I love you, I swear, but working is more important right now. We need money."

"We have it."

"We would have had it if we didn't leave everything behind five years ago."

You saw him gulp. "Are you saying you would have prefered staying in that toxic environment?"

"Maybe. Marrying Seo Changbin wouldn't have turned out like this, that's for sure."

Another gulp made his Adam's apple bop. This time, he didn't have anything else to add. You had crossed the line and it hurt. You couldn't believe that you let yourself say those words. This was the exact thing Minho was afraid of and here you were, making his nightmare a reality.

"If that's what you want."

He stormed out of the room and went to the kitchen. You followed him and watched as he grabbed his keys and his blazer he had previously gotten rid of minutes ago before it all went downhill.

"I'll be at Jisung's."

"Minho, I'm so sorry."

"Whatever. You said it, the harm is done."

Before you could say more, he was already out the door. Dropping on one of the dining room's chairs, you let the tears flood out of your eyes. You cried and you kept on crying, you didn't know for how long. When you started to come back to reality, you forced yourself to make a quick meal since you had not eaten for the entire day. You really did force yourself as the hunger was close to nonexistent.

You tried to work a bit, but with it being the cause of your argument, it only made you feel worse. You didn't even know why you told him that as you never regretted leaving the business to be with him. If anything, this was the best decision you had ever made.

After hours of trying to forget about what happened, you checked the time to see it was a little past midnight. This was a good 5th anniversary for sure... Helpless, you took out your phone and dialed the first number that came to your mind.

"Y/N?"

"Hey." you said, your voice still shaky.

"Are you okay? What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same." you chuckled but your tone remained the same. "Am I bothering?"

"Of course not. What is it?"

"I..." a sob took over and interrupted you.

For the nth time that night, you were crying. Jeongin was lowkey panicking from the other side of the line. He, himself, still had work to do but he wasn't going to leave his big sister in her sadness. He was one of the few people to keep contact with you despite your mother having cut ties with you. He offered to help you financially many times but having grown up with the independence your mother taught you, you refused each time.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"No, I know you have a lot to do." you sniffed. "I just need to rant I guess."

"I'm listening."

You told him everything: from the start of your financial arguments to your indecent comment. Jeongin said nothing and let you talk for what seemed to be hours. At some point, you heard him closing a door and you felt bad he had to leave the office without having finished his work.

"I'm so sorry for bothering."

He sighed. "I told you, you're not bothering. And if there is anyone you need to apologize to right now is your husband."

"If he still considers me his wife." you scoffed. "You have to admit, though. Spending so much just for one night is crazy."

"He loves you, Y/N. Of course he wanted to treat you a night for yourselves."

"But we can't afford it." you repeated.

"Are you going to understand he doesn't care? He'd be the poorest man on Earth and he'd still buy you flowers when he could."

You bit your lips in shame. Jeongin was right, you were the one being unfair here. Minho had told you on many occasions that you could get a better job with your reputation but you told him you didn't want a job for being known and for your skills instead. But you were more worth than this stupid accounting office job. And even your brother offered you side contracts that paid well, but being the stubborn woman you were, you declined. Looking back, you realized you were the problem.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

You sighed. "Even if I do understand now, he won't take me back for saying that. I hurt him so much, Innie."

"You'll manage, Y/N. You always do."

The conversation ended with these words as he needed to go to sleep. As for you, you were more awake than ever. Going back to the study room, you noticed Minho's agenda was still opened. Luckily, he had noted down the place and time he reserved for the two of you. Not even worrying about the fact it was 2 in the morning, you called Minho's boss to ask for a week off after briefly explaining your situation, Mr. Bang was more than happy to help and he crossed off Minho's name on the schedule for the rest of the week. You then wasted no time to call the hotel to book the room for extra nights, making sure that breakfasts and others were included. The last thing you had left to do was to quit your horrible job. You were more willing to accept your brother's contracts than to come back to see Mrs. Moon's face again.

As morning arrived, you hurried to pack your things in a luggage and make yourself look nice although you hadn't had one minute of sleep. To your surprise, you received a text from Minho. It was very brief and distant as he only informed you that he'd come around 7 to get his things to move temporarily to Jisung's.

Seven o'clock was nearing and you were nervous. You wanted everything to turn out perfectly and you certainly hoped he wouldn't walk away again. You needed him, more than anything.

Seeing the car pull into your parking lot, you instantly got up from your seat and grabbed your bags. You looked as if you were ready to leave for a while, which was the case.

Minho unlocked the door and stepped inside the house, not expecting to see you. But when he did, his eyes immediately got darker. Then, he studied you for a little longer and saw you holding firmly onto your luggage.

"You're leaving?"

You kind of wanted to mess with him for a bit but with your literal marriage being at stake, you didn't and shook your head instead.

"We are leaving."

He didn't look any better than you. His eyes had bags under them and his disheveled hair was a sign he didn't even shower. He still had the same buttoned shirt he usually wore at work but it was much wrinkled.

"What are you saying now?" he sighed.

"You are right, I'm not being reasonable. I blamed all of my problems on you because I was so used to succeeding by myself. I didn't realize that you booked a night for us because you care much more about our relationship than I do."

He exhaled loudly. "At least you're admitting it, good. You're leaving me now?"

You shook your head vigorously. "I could never leave you, Minho. I'm terribly sorry for what I've said because I didn't mean one bit of it. I love this life with you, I am just too much of a stubborn to enjoy it like I should."

He frowned from your words and uncrossed his arms, a sign that he was more relaxed. "What do you mean like you should?"

"I resigned from my job."

His eyes widened. "No, Y/N. I never wanted you to quit for me... again. I was only mad for having to cancel everything, that's all."

He walked up to you, now holding your face so carefully, almost like he was scared you would break in his grasp. This made you feel so much better, it was a sign he still cared.

"I'm not doing this for you, it's for me. You were right, I'm not happy there."

You didn't realize tears came out of your eyes once more until he started to rub your cheeks. "So what is this we are leaving thing about?"

"I booked the hotel room for the week."

His grip on your face tightened slightly. "I'll have to be the one to tell you I can't now."

"I called your boss, he's fine with it."

"You're actually so fucking stupid." he huffed.

You saw a small smile forming on his lips. Still brushing off your tears, he leaned closer slowly. Until he kissed you. Not sure if you were still on bad terms or not, he did pull away quickly.

"You do realize we really are broke now?"

You laughed. "Not exactly. I'll take Jeongin's contract and – or – get an actual good job."

"Damn you and your stubborn ass." he shot at you with a grin. "You're finally making logical choices."

"I'm sorry it took us fighting for me to snap back to reality."

More tears falling, more of him brushing them away. "We're okay now."

"I really thought you hated me now."

You suddenly broke into more sobs again. The lack of sleep was definitely apparent. Minho held you closely, stroking your head as he shushed you calmly and peppered your forehead with kisses.

"I could never hate you. You get on my nerves sometimes, but it'll never be hatred."

You looked up at him. "You still love me?"

He chuckled. "Of course I still love you. An argument isn't going to end everything we build for the past five years."

You cried some more, of happiness this time. Minho laughed at how sensitive you were but didn't let go of you. He kissed you again, wiped your tears off for you again... He wanted nothing more but to protect you at that moment. You were rarely this vulnerable in front of him and he was simply honoured you trusted him enough to let yourself loose.

"Happy 5th year, my love." he whispered into your ear.

"I love you so much." you said, hugging him tighter.

"I love you more." He pulled away and grabbed both sides of your head. "How about I go pack and we enjoy our week together?"

"I'd like that."

He excitedly ran to your shared room and you let out a chuckle as you watched him. Your life was far from being perfect, but what you had with him was. You weren't going to take it for granted, not when he still loved you albeit your stubborness.

taglist: @lenilla15 | @muddy-waters | @nanaspalette | @nattisbored | @popcatx0 | @vanblack95 | @aestheticsluut | @thanxxskz | @minhoino | @taetertotsv | @luvscrazy | @lethallyprotected | @foxinnie8 | @jisuperboard

Copyright © 2023 skzhua. All rights reserved.

[whorety-k]

Ebony Coasts [Part 2]

I couldn't resist the allure of part two with our favorite raven man so please accept my continued rambles.

Pairing: Merfolk!Corvus Corax x fem!Marine Conservationist!Reader (second person POV)

Song recommendation: Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

“No dawn, no day / I’m always in this twilight /In the shadow of your heart.”

Warnings: Ocean mentions / potential thalassophobia, the dull horrors of an average day at the workplace

Word Count: 2k

[Part 1] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7 (NSFW)]

Submitting your report had been a frustrating endeavor with what felt like a million following questions. How many perpetrators? “What age were they?” “Why were you out alone?” “Why were there no tracks?” If you weren’t someone who so fiercely kept their word, you would have wondered if the paperwork of telling the world about the existence of mermaids was better than the droning interrogation by your supervisors. Thankfully, the excuse of nightfall and the surprising lack of CCTV around the marine protected area allowed you to actually get away with the lies you were feeding into your statements. Your submission to make that area of the beach quarantined off from the surrounding sands was approved, which you celebrated eagerly. Your reputation and knowledge definitely helped the push.

Your patience, however, could be better. You tried to return to Corvus’s beach the very next night, determined to let him know that he wasn’t going to be bothered by your agency any longer (and perhaps fully convince yourself that he was, in fact, real). You nearly missed the cave during your search; Corvus must have put more effort into concealing his newest home, as the entrance was thoroughly hidden amongst new coastal vegetation that wasn’t present the night before. 

It shouldn’t have been surprising that he was nowhere to be seen, his den left empty aside from the sloshing of water as you searched for him. Still, you were determined to gain the merman’s favor. The items you had taken from him as ‘evidence’ had unfortunately already been disposed of, so you had to resort to doing the next best thing. You left a proud silver pearl from your own trinket stash on one of the shelf-like rock formations deeper within the cavern. Seeing no other reason to stick around or snoop any longer, you headed home.

When your supervisor slaps down a manila folder detailing Corvus’s beach under the watch of you and your team, you could have hollered. You instead thank her politely before she returns to her own tasks, figuring an outburst wouldn’t have a great place in the quiet office. A quick read through the included documents and permits informs you that your team is now directly responsible for observation and maintenance of the shoreline, detailing the duties specific to you and each other member. Nothing appears to be too invasive toward your mysterious new friend– if you can call him that. 

The first week out is spent surveying. It’s a task you’re intimately familiar with at this point in your career: taking notes on the flora and fauna of the area and their current condition, measuring certain formations’ levels of erosion and wear. It’s easy to fall into a flow state and forget yourself, not finding much of note as you converse with your coworkers and strategically leave out the depth of a certain familiar structure.

On the third day of the survey, you find that you’re the only one of your team to show up. A frustrated huff leaves your lips as you withdraw your phone in haste, tapping away inquiring messages and finding out that everyone but you has a convenient case of the common cold. You roll your eyes as you pocket the device. Surveying can be incredibly boring work– you really, truly know– but it’s important for record keeping. With your hands tucked into your jacket, a pack full of equipment, and your trusty waders to keep you dry, you set off along a safe path down the cliffside. 

You reach the coastline without a hitch and set off to get started on today’s work. Time flies by as you check off each necessary task. The sun is nearly setting by the time you get around to making a routine documentation of the native succulents, when a piercing sensation of unease stops you cold. A look left or right reveals nothing of note, nothing out of place. You suppress the shiver down your spine as you kneel down and withdraw a metal pen from your backpack. Halfway through noting the species name of the invasive aizoaceae, the distinct prickle at the back of your neck becomes too much. You groan as you stand, brushing off your knees and turning around. 

A mixture of a gasp and shriek leaves your throat when you come face to face with a familiar figure standing directly at your back, startling him almost as much as he startled you. 

“Corvus–,” you choke out, placing a hand on your chest as you catch your breath. 

The merman gives you an apologetic look. His baritone voice clears the tension in the air. “My apologies; I did not intend to alarm you."

You take a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh to calm yourself, looking up at the giant before you. You offer a pacifistic hand his way as you speak, “Apology accepted, but please stop doing that. I don’t want to die of a heart attack anytime soon.”

Corvus looks at your hand with marked confusion, much the same way he did the previous week. Mirroring his previous action, he tentatively places his much larger hand over your own. “It would be unpleasant to have to dispose of your body,” the merman utters.

You give Corvus an incredulous look before it clicks that he’s making a joke. You chuckle at his words, squeezing one of the digits of his hand before placing your hands in your pockets. 

The peaceful staring contests between the two of you are starting to feel strangely comfortable as he observes you. In the waning sunlight, you get a far better look at his form than you could have in his cavern. Although still so starkly black and white, you’re able to see the muted grays and silvers speckled within his fins and scales. Looking at his fins, you notice that there’s actually quite a few more of them than you had originally observed. The dorsal fin at his back separates into a second caudal fin that wraps around the base of his tail. Two fins that would be pectoral fins on a regular fish lay at his sides just above the transition from skin to scale. Ventral fins trail below his hips at his front, obfuscating any anatomy you would have rudely just stared at. Corvus Corax has more similarities to a black betta fish than any other marine animal you could think of. 

“You gifted me a pearl.”

The sound of the merman’s voice causes you to look back up at him.

“Was there a purpose for it?” he asks, leaning down to be closer to your level. The movement only serves to reinforce just how large he is compared to you, at least twice your size.

You momentarily gather your words. “I wanted to make up for the things I took from you earlier,” you reply, “I know it doesn’t make up for the entire thing but–”

“Thank you,” Corvus interrupts, the ghost of a grin on his face. The expression is so subtle in the abyss of his almond eyes that it’s nearly invisible, but the upturn of his normally ever-frowning lips is hard to miss.

You feel your cheeks warm at the genuine show of gratitude from the giant, excitement palpitating in your chest. You reflect that smile back at him. “I’m in charge of conservation at your beach now,” you shift topics with ease, enjoying the merman’s presence as he seems to slowly open up to you, “You’ll be seeing me around a lot more often.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ll be able to leave you a few more presents from time to time.”

The way the large mer faintly perks up like an excited dog at your promise melts your heart in an instant, and you hide your disappointment when Corvus tempers himself, taking on the more solemn posture characteristic of him. “I will be grateful for each of them,” the merman responds with grace, “but perhaps refrain from using pearls in the future.”

A sinking feeling fills you. It had taken you two entire hours to decide on what you were going to give Corvus for your official ‘sorry for stealing your hoard’ offering, and it distressed you to think that he didn’t like it as much as you had thought he would. You decide to apologize. “Shit, I’m sorry. Are pearls not your thing?”

Corvus emanates a low chuckle, the first of that specific sound you had heard come from the man. It reminded you of a low drum. His answer comes warmly, “The pearl was lovely. I am rather fond of them.”

You quirk your head at him, perplexed. “Oh… okay?” Your voice raises with confusion, a silent question laced within your remark.

Corvus’s face twists with brief intensity as he struggles to determine what to say. He exhales as he looks down at his tail fin. The look on his face can only be described as bashful, and for once it isn’t you struggling to respond. He keeps his face angled away from you when he eventually explains, “I find it difficult to deny a marriage proposal from someone so well-meaning.”

If your cheeks had only been warm before, they could make the sun itself shy away now. You gawk at him like a fish (a surprising twist of events, as the human in the situation), stammering as embarrassment quickly floods through your nervous system. 

Both of you share the awkward moment unable to figure out a suitable response, Corvus cringing at his words and you hastily trying to apologize. 

“I am grateful for your interest,” Corvus finally says in an attempt to ease the tension, “but I am not one to make such decisions hastily, so please allow me to ponder it.”

Words finally claw their way out of your throat. “I wasn’t trying to propose!” you accidentally bellow, making Corvus jump. You wrangle your emotions in, exerting visible force, before you continue. Your voice levels out, “...I just wanted to give you something back. They threw everything I took from you away already, so I couldn’t retrieve anything.”

Corvus’s expression is unreadable as he turns his head to fully look at you, mouth slightly agape. His lips seal and he nods, seeming relieved and… something else? “That greatly simplifies things,” is his short response.

You place your hands at the side of your head, grumbling, “Is there anything else I need to know about gifting you so I don’t accidentally, I don’t know, curse your family and insult your bloodline?”

The attempt at humor eases the giant in front of you and earns another soft chuckle. When he makes to lay upon his chest, the pink of the setting sun reflects off of the scant silver scales along his body. He settles upon his elbows, one clawed hand resting upon the other. A Corvus-sized trail in the wet sand behind him comes into view before you decide to sit down beside him, crossing your legs and resting your elbows on your knees. Corvus examines how your legs move with curiosity, shifting his tail into a more comfortable loose curl. It protects you from any of the more ambitious waves that travel up the beach. 

“Any genuine token from you will be received positively,” the merman states.

You nod appreciatively to him, then turn your attention back to your previous task. As the sun dips below the horizon, you take the tranquil moment to finish up your survey notes, jotting down the remaining information about the invasive flora. Corvus’s eyes focus on your work, and he shifts closer to observe it. You complete your statement and shut your notebook with a dull thump, placing it at your side and clicking your writing utensil shut. When you shift to grab your backpack from behind you, your gaze lands on the jet merman. Even with his stony exterior, you can see how plainly his ebony eyes transfix upon the silver pen.

“...No.”

“Pardon?”

“You can’t have my pen.”

Corvus pouts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm absolutely whipped for this man and already thinking about making this a slow burn series for the month of May.

Also if anyone has any feedback, please to tell!! I enjoy everything from constructive criticism to incoherent keyboard mashing and your tags keep me inspired.

Until next time, my loves <3

[Part 3]

[veritas-scribblings]

torn & funnel - @bartylusmicrofic - words: 825 [Mature: dark, some gore, some horror elements, some non-explicit sexual content]

He lives in darkness. In a world that smells like blood and dark magic. The floor is hard and cold and wet and sticky, and he struggles to remain in the one spot, slipping every time he moves. It is nightfall, he can tell, and the moon shines round and full, visible through the grating high up in the wall. It is the only illumination in the room, providing light dim enough for him to see a shape hanging some distance across from him. Come morning, the sun will shine through the grating and he will see it more clearly. Taunting him. A harbinger.

The body hangs, head down, attached to the roof by the huge hook speared through the soles of her feet. She is pale, having been drained of blood, by a jagged incision in her neck, torn up towards her jaw line. He can still hear her screaming echoing in his mind, in his nightmares, though she has been still for some time now. Feel the stickiness of her blood beneath the palms of his hands, drying in places on his skin. 

‘Are you awake, Old Man?’

They call him this: Old Man. Like it is his name. And maybe it is. He does not remember anymore. He’d lost his name some time ago when the one with the tattoos and the piercings had strung her up and sliced her with severing spells and burned her with fire and laughed at her screams. His wife, he remembers. This, he cannot forget.

And he’d watched. And he’d listened. For days he had watched and he’d listened, trapped by the chains and the bars on the cage, until he’d been reduced to screaming and begging. And pleading and crying. Until the dark-haired one—the pretty, dark-haired one with the pale skin and the silver-grey eyes—and knelt down and said to him, calmly, ‘don’t beg, it’s beneath you.’

‘Wake up, wake up, Old Man. Get up.’ 

He is called Barty, the one with the tattoos and the piercings. The Old Man hates him with a burning, searing, blazing passion. It is not for his wife, nor for the darkness of his world which smells like blood and dark magic. It is a hatred that is older, nurtured over time, because he had known. Oh, he had known. He’d seen this coming like a runaway train, and he is fool to been so arrogant as to not have stepped out of the way.

Barty dumps something through the bars of the Old Man’s cage. A sandwich, which falls apart the moment it is airborne and lands in the dirt and the blood and the shit and the piss that have spilled out of the bucket they’ve given him.

‘Eat,’ he instructs, ‘need to keep your energy up.’

The dark-haired one stands one the stairs that lead down to the Old Man’s dark, dark world. Where Barty is an open book of rage and hate and sinister mirth, the dark-haired one is entirely blank. Closed off. Unreadable. Except for that one time, after they’d strung up his wife, the expressions on the dark-haired one, the sounds he’d made that the Old Man wants to forget.

He watches, though he rarely gets involved. Acting instead as Barty’s manager. His supervisor. Instructing Barty on what to do. Barty listens, fulfils his wishes. And what the dark-haired one wishes is to keep the Old Man alive. ‘In limbo,’ the dark-haired one had said. ‘You belong to me now. You don’t get to die. You will not get that mercy.’

Barty crosses the small, dark world and crowds the dark-haired one up against the bannister of the staircase. He kisses him, filthy and crude. The Old Man casts his eyes away back down to the sandwich dumped at his feet that he will eat, he thinks, when he is desperate enough. When the hunger over-rides every other sensation in his body, including the present urge to gouge his own eyes out, to pierce his own ear drums.

Because the sounds they’re making are simply obscene and he can see in the periphery of his vision flashes of flesh. Hears Barty moaning, 'Oh, fuck, Reg, baby.'

This is worse. Worse than the hunger and the exhaustion. Than the nightmares that are plaguing his every waking and sleeping moments. Worse than what they’d done to his wife. Worse than anything else they might have planned for him. And the old man remembers the echoes of his wife’s screams; screams of pain, screams of horror, screams of disgust.

He remembers after his wife had been strung up, Barty pressing the dark-haired one up against the pillar that holds up his dark, dark world, and the depraved things that Barty had done to him just for the Old Man to see. He remembers the sound of the dark-haired one in the throes of pleasure. He remembers Barty making eye contact with him the whole time, the way Barty had enjoyed his suffering.

And, dear Salazar, he remembers.

He remembers his wife.

He remembers that the dark-haired one is his son.

[themattress]

The Brilliance of Sailor Moon Cosmos

Because I watched it on Netflix last night and I'm sorry - I ain't done talking about it!

First off, some background: the Stars arc is the fifth and final story arc of the Sailor Moon manga. According to Naoko Takeuchi's editor, things in the worldbuilding such as the Galaxy Cauldron were a thing in Takeuchi's head since starting the series, and that he was the one who convinced her to make the Stars arc to wrap things up after she initially intended on ending the series at the fourth arc (which was after initially intending to end it at the third...and before that, the first. The second arc was the only one not designed to potentially be the end, despite half of it ironically transpiring at a later chronological point than the other arcs).

Naoko Takeuchi served as the supervisor of the Sailor Moon Crystal web series, which became the Crystal: Infinity TV series, then the Eternal film duology, and finally the Comsos film duology. One particularly cool thing is that Sailor Moon Crystal begins including this shot:

It's the Milky Way galaxy....and Sagittarius A is very noticeable, setting up the end stage from the very beginning, which shows Takeuchi was dead set on adapting the entire manga.

What the preceding Dream arc, adapted in the Eternal films, did perfectly was set things up for this final arc. Things appeared to come full circle as the Sailor Senshi faced an evil queen nemesis to the Silver Millennium that predated Beryl and Metalia, the source of Mamoru's power and connection to Usagi's power was revealed as the Golden Crystal (Golden Crystal and Silver Crystal, Golden Kingdom and Silver Millennium...perfect symmetry!), the Inner and Outer Senshi were fully united, Chibiusa came into her own, and the goal Usagi's had for a while of reaching Neo-Queen Serenity's level finally transpired with her becoming Eternal Sailor Moon, with a heavy emphasis on how it's her loved ones who give her that power.

The end message seemed to be that nothing was more invincible than a Sailor Senshi.

So how does the final arc begin?

An evil Sailor Senshi rips out Mamoru's Golden Crystal, and he fucking DIES!

Oh, wait, sorry; that wasn't how it begins. It actually begins with a meteor shower.

Sound familiar? Well, no, not if you've watched Crystal sadly. But in the manga:

It's a way of saying "Oh, you thought the Dream arc brought things full circle? Just wait."

Now, I didn't care for the Sailor Starlights in the manga. I didn't hate them like in the anime, but I didn't really see the point of them. They were primarily build-up to Princess Kakyuu's character, and there's nothing they did that couldn't have just been given to Kakyuu if she was out and about from the beginning. However, I actually liked them in Cosmos! I think getting to hear their voices in things like their songs plus getting fully animated facial expressions did a lot for them, as did the big change in how they ultimately get taken out. In the manga, they were knocked unconscious by Sailor Lethe and stay that way even as Sailors Phi and Chi eliminate them to take their Sailor Crystals. In Cosmos, they are awake and take an active last stand in protecting Kakyuu, reaffirming that this is their life's mission and that they are proud to fulfill it. It's a stronger send-off and a far better emotional moment for Kakyuu, who now has to watch them die for her rather than simply watch them die.

Chibi Chibi is a fantastic subversion of expectations. She enters as a little pink-haired child from the future with an umbrella, which gives even the characters the impression that she's a Chibiusa retread of sorts. In reality, she couldn't be further from that, as we will later see.

So, Rei and Minako are absolutely a couple. I just can't take this scene any other way.

Another interesting thing to note about the Dream arc in relation to this one is that Usagi, quite deliberately, did not have much of a character arc. Chibiusa took center stage instead, with Usagi's role being more about proving how much she's matured and cementing that, in the words of Kingdom Hearts, her friends are her power. It perfectly sets her up for now, where she has a character arc that shakes her to her core and puts everything that she is to the ultimate test. Those friends are gradually and methodically taken out, starting with her true love. She actually represses that memory and lives in a haze of denial for a good while before finally being forced to confront reality. All of the strength and maturity she's developed seem to be failing her, her hope and faith are threatening to be crushed, and she is tempted to give in to feelings of rage and hate toward Sailor Galaxia. It's all as Galaxia herself plans, as she knows that to claim the Silver Crystal from Sailor Moon, first she has to break her.

Sailor Tin Nyanko of Shadow Galactica is utilized to show how the Sailor Animamtes aren't evil at heart. When Sailor Galaxia attacks their planets, she gives them the sadistic choice of perish with the rest or assist her in destroying everything, with those who accept having mind-controlling bracelets that grant them power put on and their Star Seed holding their soul extracted, meaning that if the bracelets go, so do they. Nyanko is the only of the Animamates that still feels a connection to her soul and still has good intentions behind following Galaxia: to ultimately get her Star Seed back and the bracelets removed, and become the new Sailor Mau on a new planet to honor the memory of the old one and her old planet. After seeing Sailor Moon protect Luna, Artemis and Diana, she lets her live...at the cost of her own life.

My favorite of Takeuchi's story arcs, the Black Moon arc, gains even more relevance in this final arc. First of all, we have Usagi still haunted by Safir's words that she and her Silver Crystal are the cause of everything wrong, which is a sentiment that goes hand in hand with Nehelenia's words in the preceding Dream arc about how light will always beget darkness.

We then get a huge fix to an issue from the previous two arcs: the Black Moon arc set up a definitive future where everyone makes it out OK, so the stakes of the Infinity and Dream arcs feel neutered when you remember this. But here, Sailor Galaxia point-blank challenges the notion that the future is set in stone...and indeed, what we see transpiring in the future shows that she might just be on to something, a theme that is revisited with Chibi Chibi's character.

And finally: Wiseman / Death Phantom! The series' best Big Bad returns with a major role in Sailor Galaxia's backstory. Projecting himself from the future with the Malefic Black Crystal's power, he is the one who guides Galaxia to the Galaxy Cauldron...and, of course, to Chaos.

While both Eternal and Cosmos do the same thing of dividing the manga arc in half, with the first movie being the first 5 and 1/2 chapters and the second movie being the next 5 and 1/2 chapters, Cosmos does it better. Eternal had to close out its first film with the second half of its 6th chapter and open the second film with the first half, which made it feel a little disjointed and caused the first movie to end rather abruptly. Cosmos, meanwhile, has its first film just end on the first half of its 6th chapter, which is a way more appropriate place to finish given that it follows a battle with Sailor Galaxia herself and has Usagi firmly rediscovering her heroic resolve, cutting off just before she and her new friends leave Earth to go into space.

I love Sailor Lethe and Sailor Mnemosyne. They have a sad and understandable backstory regarding how they joined Shadow Galactica and what they seek to gain from it, the compellingly tragic factor of Lethe hardening her heart and bloodying her hands all for Mnemosyne's sake with the latter having to anguish over this, and a great redemption with Mnemosyne finally stepping up to stop Lethe and undo the damage she's caused which is shortly afterward followed by the previously stubborn Lethe finally standing down after Usagi is willing to allow herself to be killed in order to secure a better future for them. I also love that after they are killed, they are included in Usagi's flashback to all of the friends she has lost.

Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon is the definition of a One Scene Wonder. She's only on screen for two minutes, but my God: the butterflies in a funeral procession, the graveyard of all Sailor Senshi that Shadow Galactica has killed, the gravediggers she has digging fresh graves for Usagi, Kakyuu and Chibi Chibi, the way she fucking crucifies them and then tries to burn them alive all as she relishes it....it's simply unforgettable. But OK...she goes out like a bitch. One-tapped by the Sailor Quartet doing a circus routine kind of puts a damper on her overall.

The Inner and Outer Senshi as mind-controlled zombies is a twisted but perfect penultimate hurdle for Usagi to overcome: can she kill her precious friends, the source of her strength? But I will admit to groaning when Mamoru showed up as well. "Whaaaat? Tuxedo Mask is brainwashed and evil!?" Haven't seen that before! No, wait, we've seen it twice before! It's no longer effective. He really could have just stayed vacantly at Galaxia's side and not said a word before getting shoved to his second demise and that would have been perfectly fine.

The animators spared no expense on this battle. Hot DAMN.

Bad touch, Galaxia! BAD TOUCH!

Speaking of Galaxia, her plan is brilliant. She not only deliberately broke Usagi down, but she also fully counted on Usagi building herself back up, which would make it all the more devastating when Galaxia melted all the loved ones she sought to revive into the Galaxy Cauldron, followed by Chaos revealing the truth about itself to her. Usagi would then be so unstable that her power would go out of control. When Chaos then tries to possess her and the Silver Crystal, Usagi would wipe Chaos out along with herself, leaving the Silver Crystal and control of the universe for Galaxia. Another full circle type moment calling Beryl and Metalia to mind. And it would've worked, too....were Chaos not fully aware of it, of course.

Speaking of Chaos and the truth about itself: it's a being that failed to make it out of the Galaxy Cauldron and become a star, which warped it and turned it into pure evil, negative energy. While still unable to escape the Cauldron, parts of Chaos have been able to leak out of it, and they became all the major enemies Sailor Moon has faced. The point is that so long as Chaos exists, so too will conflict. The battle between good and evil will rage on forever.

After Usagi defies all of Galaxia's expectations by saving her life from Chaos, we get one of the story's biggest, most subversive twists. Chibi Chibi, in reality Sailor Cosmos, the Big Good, has all this time been waiting for the moment at hand where she can urge Usagi to destroy the Galaxy Cauldron in order to destroy Chaos...even though this ultimately means the death of the galaxy since no new stars will be born. She is the advocate for the wrong solution. And then Galaxia, the Big Bad, becomes the advocate for the right solution through a resigned acceptance that no matter how much power you have, you cannot control the nature of existence. Even if this galaxy dies, another one would be reborn, and the conflict between good and evil would continue. Destroying the Galaxy Cauldron is not the answer.

This also leads to Galaxia's death scene, and despite how horrifically evil she has been, it still got me a little misty-eyed. Galaxia was not born evil, she was shaped that way through a truly hellish life on a barbaric medieval planet, and she always sought to heal the wounds it left on her soul with more and more power, attempting to make herself into a god in order to finally feel a sense of belonging. But only now at the end does she see that Sailor Moon, the person she had tried so hard to break, is actually the true sort of person she wished to become, and that true security and belonging lay in her values of compassion and acceptance. She is the star Galaxia has sought for so long, but as she puts it, she can't reach it. It's far too late for her to be that sort of person. But at least she can hope that Sailor Moon will last forever, since as long as she does then wretched souls like her can still find salvation in her light.

I mentioned before that this arc and its thesis statement is sort of like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, but there's actually another comparison to be made: to Neon Genesis Evangelion. The messages of "so long as life goes on, as existence exists, then there will always be hope no matter how dark things get" and "every human at their core yearns to be with others and achieve a sense of belonging" are in both. And Usagi's epic final act displays this beautifully: combining Galaxia's Sailor Crystal with her own so that even she too can be reborn, she dives into the Galaxy Cauldron and pushes the ascendant Chaos back downward, her heart resonating with the Cauldron's power in the process. She succeeds in causing the Cauldron's energy to erupt like a geyser and send all the Star Seeds within back into the galaxy, and even attempts to embrace and purify Chaos, who pushes her off and accepts falling back into the primordial sea rather than be redeemed. It's a stunning and truly inspirational conclusion.

Can I just say how hilarious it is that all of the Sailor Senshi, including Sailor Moon herself, die in this arc....except for the Sailor Quartet, who somehow manage to outlive all of them and never once get killed and reborn. Never underestimate those four circus trolls, it seems!

When I originally read the manga, the whole Sailor Cosmos stuff was the most confusing to me, but the movie clarified it a lot better. Sailor Cosmos is the future version of Neo-Queen Serenity, who has achieved the highest possible level of power due to tapping into her bond with the Cosmo Crystal (the Galaxy Cauldron's own Star Seed) and Guardian Cosmos (basically God) that she achieved through this big sacrificial act. The Japanese version was far more blatant about this connection, as Sailor Cosmos had Guardian Cosmos' voice.

If Cosmos is God, then Chaos is the Devil. And in the far future, Chaos finally escapes the Galaxy Cauldron and incarnates as Sailor Chaos. Rather than just be grateful that she's now a star, Chaos continues to lash out in resentment of all those who became stars before her and wreaks destruction as she tries to conquer the universe. The brutal war between Sailor Cosmos and Sailor Chaos lasted so long that for all her great power, Sailor Cosmos lost all hope of prevailing, which is why she transformed into Chibi Chibi and went back in time in order to persuade her past self to destroy Chaos and the Galaxy Cauldron. But witnessing her past self's hope and faith utterly shamed her, making her realize that she can never truly be the ultimate incarnation of Sailor Moon unless she recovers that same hope and faith. Honestly, this is an ingenious Izuru Kamakura-style deconstruction of a Power Fantasy - Usagi can become immortal, insanely beautiful, and powerful to the point of being a living god, yet still end up as a failure and a coward who is outshone by her greener teenage self.

The movie adds this scene of Usagi going home and reuniting with her family and Luna to address two long-standing fan complaints about the manga. The first was that we never saw any of the cats after their death, which I always found to be oversensitive: we confirm that the Crystal Tokyo future is coming to pass, meaning Diana will be born, so of fucking course Luna and Artemis are alive again; everyone who died in this arc was revived when the Galaxy Cauldron erupted and the Star Seeds released. But the other, which is far more valid, is that we don't see Usagi's Earth family again following the scene where she leaves to go to space and Ikuko starts crying because she feels like it will be the last time they ever see her. This feels like a more valid complaint, since it feels cruel to have that scene be indeed the last time Usagi's Earth family ever sees her on-screen, plus it reinforces their importance to her.

Finally, I appreciate how the scene where Usagi wakes up in bed with Mamoru frames her as having forgotten much of what transpired in the arc as a result of her going in and out of the Galaxy Cauldron...not everything, of course, but a lot of it is now hazy. This means that she most likely doesn't remember Chibi Chibi, which in turns means that will allow her to become Chibi Chibi when she's Sailor Cosmos in the far future. It seems to reinforce that in the setting of Sailor Moon, time travel is in fact incapable of changing history, only fulfilling it. Crystal Tokyo and Neo-Queen Serenity wouldn't have happened without the Black Moon Clan trying to destroy them in the past, Neo-Queen Serenity also couldn't have come into being without the Holy Grail which was partly made by a time-traveling Chibiusa, Sailor Pluto couldn't have been on hand when she was needed had she not died in the future and gotten reincarnated in the past, Galaxia couldn't have met Chaos and set everything in motion if Wiseman hadn't projected himself from the future to tell her about the Galaxy Cauldron, and Sailor Moon couldn't have made her big decision concerning the Galaxy Cauldron if not for Sailor Cosmos as Chibi Chibi being there trying to push her into making the opposite choice.

Bravo, Naoko Takeuchi. I know it was a pain to have to keep working on Sailor Moon for longer than you ever anticipated, but you could not have ended it on a more perfect note.

[appelsiinilight]

Watched a review of Smile (2022) and was thrown into the most violent rage. The review, 35 minutes in, while playing a cool shot of the monster: "…Believe it or not, this thing is 100% practical!"

From a Polygon interview with the writer and director Parker Finn:

“I grew up on practical effects,” he says. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to become a filmmaker. I think that when something is practical, it just has more gravity to it. It has real weight and physics, and an actor can actually interact with it on set. It makes a big difference. Of course you can use VFX as a tool to help bring certain things to life, but the practical nature makes it real. And not only while you’re physically doing it in production, but I think for the audience as well. Unless you have a giant Marvel budget, I think people can always sniff out CGI. But hopefully instead, when they get to that moment in Smile, they’ll be asking themselves, What in the hell am I even looking at here? How is this possible?” The physical creature was a 9-foot-tall monstrosity that required a performer inside it and puppeteers to operate the gangly limbs, Finn says.

Now, from an interview by postPerspective with the visual effects studio The-Artery (founder Vico Sharabani and VFX supervisor Yuval Levy), which is not mentioned in the Polygon interview in any way:

"The most difficult part is near the climax, when the monster of Rose’s mom catches on fire. We did shoot a reference of a stunt double doing the same movements, but it required extensive match-moving and difficult simulation to make sure that the monster moved correctly and the flmes felt natural. Not only that, but Parker and I wanted to feel the monster burning so the monster changes throughout the sequence, slowly burning each layer of her skin until the scene ends. In this scene, we also had a smashed lantern on fire. To make this happen, Rose reached for a practical lantern on-set, so we had to recreate Rose’s hand and the lantern (including the cracked glass) and then simulate fire on top of that. This allowed us to have fire naturally reacting with Rose’s hand and with the lantern. Another difficult shot in this scene was the monster face rip, when Rose’s mom’s giant demon rips off her own face to reveal a grotesque, monstrous face underneath. The prosthetics team built an incredible practical. VFX then had to blend the different shots so the actor’s face would perfectly transition to the monster prosthetic. We then recreated the prosthetic in CGI and brought it to life, with skin peeling away and enhancements to the eyes. It was extremely satisfying to see all the parts come together on the big screen."

100% practical creature? Even the fucking lantern wasn't!!!

Here's a breakdown of the "100% practical" VFX on The-Artery's website.

everyone say "sorry VFX artists" aloud right now (or whenever you aren't around other people i guess) or block me ahshsghsbsfv and if your favorite movie is 100% practical, no it isn't, and go look up the credits and write down the name of every VFX artist that helped bring it to life asjdhdghdhhsd

[youmenotyummy]

Converse High – P.SH [박성훈] {CH. 26}

Synopsis: Shin Y/N was given the task to deliver her best friend's love letter to the shoe locker of Park Sunghan, the president of the broadcasting club. It just so happened to be that Park Sunghan's shoe box is situated right next to the shoe box of Park Sunghoon, a boy whose name had a one-syllable difference.

SATURDAY, 7:43 pm — Decelis Academy's Schoolgrounds

The film festival has finally arrived, and the girls were nervous to say the least. They knew their film was shitty, but not in a "this is so shitty, I can't stand watching it" way; instead, it was shitty in a "this is so shitty that it's good" type of way, and this was only further proved by the positive feedback from those who attended the premiere. The foreign members of neighboring schools is what gave the girls nervous sweats and chills. But who cares if the movie sucked? This was a project made by high schoolers, and it would be a fun memory to look back on.

Likewise, tonight was also the night Sunghoon had planned to confess. With the help of both his friend group and Y/N's friend group, they organized a plan and plotted to bring SungY/N to life.

A large projection screen was set up in Decelis' outdoor field with a plethora of two-seater beanbags scattered across the artificial grass. A few food stalls lined the left side of the setup— popcorn, cotton candy, and other essential goods for watching a movie.

As the president of the film-making club, Y/N had been greeting students from different schools that had come to the film festival to either present their own films or to simply watch what masterpieces were created with a budget of less than five-hundred thousand won (approx. $500). The beanbags were quickly getting filled, which was a surprise to the girl, as more people had showed up than they expected.

After exchanging formalities with those who opted in to present their films, Y/N took her time walking to the seating area while scanning for her friends; her eyes lit up when she found them. Hyein was the first to notice and quickly alerted those taking part in the plan to fill up a beanbag with a partner. Sunghan, who had also conspired with the rugby players and film-making members, panicked as there were no available seats around him except for the spot next to Sunghoon. Watching Y/N inch closer and closer, Sunghan threw himself onto the beanbag occupied by Nicholas and Jo; he scooted closer to Nicholas to squeeze himself onto the seat.

"Nice one." Nicholas offered him a high-five, which he gladly returned.

"Sunghoon!" The three boys looked up as they heard Y/N's voice from a distance. "Is someone already sitting with you?"

"Nope!" Sunghoon smiled up at her and scooted over to make space. "All yours."

And so the plan was officially in action after the film club's supervisor had announced that the first film was going to be shown. The chatter amongst the teenagers sitting in their beanbags died down. Sunghoon nervously fiddled with the small box in his pocket. Four short student films, including Y/N's, would be shown tonight. Sunghoon concluded that he would take the duration of the first film to think over what he wants to say, then he would make tiny gestures indicating his affection towards her like scooting closer to her on the beanbag. After, he would confess during the break after the second film. At least that's what he planned.

Sunghoon sat tensely on his side of the beanbag with a noticeable gap between him and the girl. The second film had ended and he still couldn't think of anything to say let alone do. The small box had been in his clutch for the entirety of the festival, hidden away in his pocket. He took his hand out of his pocket, letting go of the box for the first time tonight.

"I'm gonna go get some more snacks." Before Y/N could respond, Sunghoon was gone when she turned her head. She was convinced he was a spy himself.

SATURDAY, 11:28 pm — Decelis Academy's Schoolgrounds

He couldn't do it. The last film's ending credits were rolling on the projector, and applause from the audience broke the silence. Sunghoon, too, clapped along dejectedly. Y/N stood up from the beanbag and stretched.

"That was such a good last film!" she happily exclaimed. "The way the male lead confessed to her was so romantic, don't you think?" That was a blow to the stomach.

"Yup, haha."

The two teenagers waved goodbye to their friends and wished each other safety traveling back home. Sunghoon walked side by side with Y/N at a slow pace. His hands found their way back into his pockets. The same box was still there, and he didn't think it would come out any time soon.

The further away they got from campus grounds, the louder the silence grew. Only the chirps from grasshoppers and cicadas filled the air. Despite the lack of conversation, Sunghoon didn't want to part with her just yet.

"Y/N?"

"Yes, Sunghoon?" The boy hesitated, fumbling with the box in his pocket. Slightly shaking his head, he gathered the courage to indirectly ask her for more of her time.

"Can I walk you home?"

A small breathy laugh escaped her before replying to the boy, "Of course."

Extra #24! Peeking into Y/N and Sunghoon's walk back home...🚶‍♀️🍫

previous ⭐️ masterlist ⭐️ next

A/N: I got sick <//3

Taglist is open! 💗

Taglist: @luvistqrzzz @svnghoonsonly @aernx @thesassy-mia @ak-aaa-li @yumilovesloona @loveleejn @shinrjj @miercerise @jiaant11 @sngvhs @vivibelov3d @minswife0

[finn-m-corvex]

Lightning in a Cubicle Pt. 1

Did I expect to see my silly little post about Jay being another boring office drone take off? Absolutely not. Hell no I didn't. But here we are and everywhere I look there's office Jay taking over the community person by person and I have no idea what I've done. So, what better way to celebrate my newfound stardom than to do what I do best and write?

Between my drawing today and suffering in pain (I've had twelve ibuprofen today, YIKES) I have put together this little thing. Who am I kidding? Nothing I write is little.

This is Part 1, don't know when Part 2 is coming out, but I hope everyone enjoys nonetheless! P.s. lemme know if anyone wants to be on a taglist for Pt. 2.

"Thank you for reaching out about this issue, Charlie. I will get back to you in two to three business days..." Jay was muttering to himself, carefully clicking each key as he responded to the email. He did not want a repeat of the incident where he typed 'fuck' instead of 'duck' to his supervisor. HR had hounded him for two weeks, forcing him to take classes on workplace etiquette and sensitivity lessons.

Jay hated their HR department.

After he finished the email, he made sure to include his signature and click send, reloading the page and checking to see if it actually sent instead of being banished to his drafts. It had happened to many times already. He smiled at the sight of his finally cleared inbox, happily ignoring the forms that he still needed to fill out and all of the paperwork he had to file.

God, how was it only Monday?

For the first time that day, Jay finally had some downtime (as long as he ignored all of his responsibilities). He grabbed up his cup of pens, intending on linking them all together with paperclips to "ropen" and close his cubicle door. He snickered at his own joke; damn, he cracked himself up sometimes.

Calling it a door was quite generous, honestly. It was really more a spare cubicle wall he had stolen from his coworker Judy after she had gone upstairs for the day. The old hag didn't even realize that it was missing the next morning, only seeing that she now had a view right into her best friend Janet's office. Jay had haggled for some hinges from his buddy in the maintenance department, nailing them to his wall and attaching the stolen one.

He had just found his groove in making the rope when a shrill shriek echoed through the office. "WALKER!"

Jay jumped with a small gasp, panicking when a couple strands of his lightning leaked out. He was quick to get it back under control with his breathing, and he was filled with dread when he realized who had called his name.

Shitty Sharon.

"Yeah, Sharon?" he called back, poking his head out from the top of his cubicle. Just as he thought, Sharon was standing in the doorway to their workroom, face red with anger and hands on her hips. All the other ladies were staring at him as he made the walk of shame to the workroom, and Jay felt humiliated under their questioning gazes.

Could he go one day without being summoned like he was a lapdog? One?!

"I thought you were supposed to fix the printer." Sharon said shortly, and Jay was wondering who the hell he had pissed off in the chain of command to be the only man on the women's side of the floor.

It took everything in him not to scream. "I did fix the printer, Sharon."

"Then why the hell won't it print?! I don't have the time for this," she growled.

Neither did he. He had ropes to make. "Did you make sure it had ink and paper? Like I told you last time?"

"Why should I have to do that? That's why you're here, office boy," she said snidely, and god it was too early for this.

He chose to be the bigger person and check the printer himself, and what do you know? It just needed more paper.

"I'll put the paper in for you," he said, because he was not getting bad karma for being a bitch back to Shitty Sharon. She had hella connections with the company, and she would not hesitate to make his life a living hell. The last time he talked back to her, his water had gotten turned off for a week. He had to haul some in from the communal bathrooms just so he could take a shower.

Grabbing a fresh package of paper, Jay opened it with ease, avoiding giving himself a cut as he placed it in the tray. Closing it, he pressed a couple buttons to make sure everything was working right, and then it took all of his willpower not to scream when he glanced at the tiny screen with all of the functions on it.

"Sharon," he said, in the sweetest tone he could conjure at the moment, "why are you printing a thousand copies of this report?!"

"The damn thing wouldn't work, so I just kept clicking print!"

"You're supposed to call the maintenance department!" Jay yelled, throwing his hands into the air. "Or I.T.! Or me! Not print a thousand copies of the same paper!"

"Whatever," she said flippantly, turning away and walking back to her nice spacious office that should've been Jay's. "Just be a 'dear' and take care of it for me."

He didn't want to take care of it. Muttering to himself, Jay smashed the small buttons on the printer with much more force than necessary, cancelling the excess orders but making sure to leave one still open. While he would've loved to cancel all of them to force Sharon to click print again and come get it herself, Jay knew from experience that she would print out a bunch of the shit anyway and dump it in his office.

Jay started humming, readjusting the tie around his neck to give his hands something to do. He relaxed, fully intent on going back to his cubicle to goof around some more until he caught a glace at the clock.

8:50.

He had a meeting in ten minutes.

"Fuck!" Jay yelled, sprinting out of the room and straight for his workspace. He snatched up his briefcase and jacket, nearly forgetting his keycard before spinning on his heel to grab them. There was something he was forgetting, he knew it, but he didn't have the time to wonder what it was.

Slipping his jacket on, Jay didn't bother to keep the door from slamming shut behind as he escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the accounting department. He ran down the hall, pushing past other disgruntled employees with a quick apology. The elevators on their side of the hall were broken; he was going to have to use the ones by Public Relations.

His ever-wondering mind thought about convincing the decorating department to get them some plants as he hurried past white wall after white wall, only sparsely brightened up by a portrait of the board of directors or some fancy-schmancy paintings that Jay couldn't appreciate. What was wrong with some good ol' greenery? Some flowers here, a little fern there, maybe they would even let him go crazy and get a bonsai tree!

You know, if he ever got an office with a window.

"G'morning Jay!" his favorite security guard said to him, and Jay barely had time to wave to the man before he passed. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to wait very long for the car to arrive on his floor.

The Administration was a beast of a building; you could see it from practically anywhere in Ninjago. With an impressive two hundred and fifty-four floors, it was the first true skyscraper that Jay could ever remember seeing in his life. Or what he remembered from it, anyway.

One of the reasons it had to be so large was because the Administration also housed all of their employees and necessities. The last fifty floors were dedicated entirely to apartments for the workforce, and Jay's own apartment was on level 275. Thinking about that reminded him that he needed to stop by the supermarket on floor 168 before he went home for the day. He had run out of coffee grounds the day before, and heaven knows he couldn't go on without those.

Jay's bad luck continued to haunt him when he skidded to a stop in front of the elevators, and the closest one to floor 67 was the one on 154. Someone must've been visiting the indoor aquarium. Jay wanted to go to the aquarium.

He slammed his hand on the up button, watching as the numbers along the top slowly counted down. Checking his wrist-watch, Jay saw that he had seven minutes to get to the one hundredth floor; this was going to be tight, but as long as there weren't any delays he should be able to make it.

And of course, because he's him, there were delays.

"How many stops do you have to make"?!" he exclaimed, watching as the damned elevator paused for the seventh time. He didn't have the time for this!

Finally, finally, the elevator stopped on his floor, and Jay pushed past all of the people getting off. He swiped his keycard, ignoring the female voice saying "Welcome, Jay Walker," in favor of urgently typing his floor number into the elevator's keypad, and it shot up into the sky like a rocket.

Most of his coworkers had told him stories about how long it had taken them to adjust to the elevator's speed, but Jay had never had a problem with it. Part of him always wondered what he had done in his past life before he came to work for the Administration; there had to be a reason he didn't get motion sick, or how his reflexes were sharper than the blades in the shredder, or why he felt so uneasy whenever he saw someone swinging an object in his direction (like he was expecting an attack?).

There was also the lightning, of course, but no one knew that Jay had that. And no one could ever know. He didn't want to imagine the training that he would be forced to go through if the Administration ever found out about it.

If they didn't ship him off to Imperium first.

"Can this damn thing not go any faster?" Jay growled, tapping his foot against the floor in an aggressive beat. He was glad no one else was in the elevator with him.

Up and up he went, the numbers growing higher and higher, blinking red. 97, 98, 99...

100! and he still had two minutes to spare!

Maybe Mr. Harding would give him that promotion after all!

The doors started opening and Jay was out before they could finish, making a beeline for the door at the other end of the blindingly white hallway. He could feel the sweat staining his light blue button-up, and Jay just had to hope and pray that his jacket covered it up well enough to get through this meeting without his eagle-eyed boss noticing anything.

He knocked on the door, checking his watch and seeing that he had officially made it at 8:59. One minute left.

Jay slapped his corporate smile on his face when Mr. Harding opened the door, making sure to hold out the correct hand. His left, because Mr. Harding was left-handed and had a stronger grip; Mr. Harding also loved having the upper hand. "So good to see you, sir! I hope you're well."

"Mr. Walker," Mr. Harding said casually, but Jay could already tell that his boss was in a bad mood. Shit. "I believe I told you that I wanted you here at 8."

"Pardon?" that definitely was not what the email had said.

"I sent an email to you around 7:30 that I wanted you in at 8." Mr. Harding said slowly, and Jay quickly pushed down the ire that rose at the childish treatment.

Wait, 7:30? He had staff meetings from 7-8 on Mondays!

"B-but that's when I have my staff meetings," Jay explained, holding back from messing with the cuffs of his sleeves. Mr. Harding hadn't taken too kindly to his fidgeting the last time he had been in here. "I'm not allowed to check my phone during staff meetings."

"I expect you to read all of my emails, Mr. Walker," the man said firmly, his lips curling into a distasteful sneer. "You're lucky that I happen to be free at the moment. Now, would you like to step in, or do you want to wait another hour?"

Jay grit his teeth, swallowing his anger and shoving it down deep inside. "Yes sir, sorry sir."

This damn promotion better be worth every moment of this nonsense, or Jay was tearing the Administration down himself.

[alteredsilicone]

My take on the timeline involving the Entrati family, warning that this also includes like 50 layers of fanon that is not supported by lore; also this turned out incredibly long:

-Loid is hired when Euleria is the Orokin equivalent of a preschooler. Albrecht has other servants and aides around the lab.

-As the years go on and Albrecht's research turns up nothing of value, most of his assistants leave to find better job opportunities, this is when Loid distinguishes himself and becomes more loyal to the cause (Defending Albrecht's work from scrutiny as Albrecht's confession in the Grimoire mentions); Euleria is still too young and inexperienced to represent her father, Loid is too low status to make a difference in the eyes of the Archimedians. The research continues.

-The first Void expedition. According to Albrecht's original notes, Euleria, Kalymos and some unnamed attendants were present during this event.

-Albrecht is almost killed and requires extensive recovery, he is put in a bath of nepenthe (an artificial womb) and is attended by both medical staff and Loid. This is Euleria's "breakout" moment, though it also spells the first steps of her own mental decline. Being a witness to her father's tragedy was traumatizing, she couldn't bear to look at him in the nepenthe, so she instead decided to pick up his work and prepare everything for her father's return.

-Euleria had to make some tough calls while her father was unable to continue research, so in part Albrecht's findings actually getting out to the public was her achievement. This also helped establish Euleria as a scientist, but also tied her to her father's legacy. She would become "The daughter of the father of the Void" and this reputation would haunt her for the foreseeable future.

-Finally, Albrecht is recognized. From a humiliated laughingstock he is suddenly shot up to the uppermost echelons of Orokin society. Places are named after him, statues are built, Archimedians flock to his lab to consult on their own research. But Albrecht has changed - he no longer harbors the bitterness that used to plague him before, but now he was anxious, suspicious. He would make both Loid and Euleria represent him, but that only increased the mystique of his persona in the eyes of the Orokin. While the Orokin concocted new plans with their new and shiny technology, Albrecht was devising other schemes.

-The Orokin were secretly preparing the Zariman project (with Albrecht's reluctant consultations), meanwhile Albrecht was working on the Cavia, while also becoming more and more paranoid due to the Man in the Wall's lingering presence. He notes that others who travel in the Void do not recount meeting any entities or doubles like he did. He starts shutting down emotionally more and more. He keeps only Loid around for his research, his relationship with Euleria deteriorates.

-Despite this, Albrecht and Euleria co-author several publications and she becomes an accomplished scholar, however, chooses to pursue a career of a teacher instead of researcher. Albrecht approves but in a very standoffish Albrecht way - he has been trying to push away Euleria from his mad research for years and sees this is as a positive development.

-Euleria feels guilty and responsible for what happened to her father, so she starts researching the effects of Void exposure. This is how she became a consultant to the Zariman project - initially she works with adult subjects but eventually also expands her research to children (at the request of Orokin supervisors, she does not know the true nature of the Project).

-Euleria starts working on the Tales of Duviri, during this time Albrecht is preoccupied with the Cavia and de-evolving the Void, so Euleria consults with Loid. Cue Fibonacci's line about Euleria learning to explain complex concepts in childish terms from Loid. Loid and Euleria have a semi-positive relationship, until Albrecht chastises Euleria for "wasting Loid's time with frivolous side projects".

-Euleria finishes and publishes the Tales of Duviri, they become essential reading for children and even gain certain popularity among adults. The Zariman project is close to being finished. During this time Euleria meets Quinn, but their relationship doesn't kick off as she is still to entrenched in understanding her father's affliction. Euleria and Albrecht practically don't talk - they live under one roof, but the Entrati estate is so huge they can easily avoid one another (and the Secret Labs are being constructed and Albrecht is becoming more and more secretive with his research, at this point Loid has become a messenger between father and daughter).

-Several events happen: The failed Zariman void jump, Albrecht gives up on the Cavia and at some point disappears (he decides, against better judgement, to traverse the Void once again but this time ends up in Duviri, he is gone for a considerable amount of time and even presumed dead). Loid is now the only warden of the Entrati estate, he cannot tell Euleria what happened to Albrecht - she knows that he knows and grows frustrated with Loid, but decides to hold her bitterness for now. They need one another to survive.

-During Albrecht's first disappearance Euleria meets Vilcor.

-Albrecht suddenly re-appears, he has changed once again. This time he is determined and he even starts talking to Euleria again. She is so taken aback by Albrecht's sudden change that she briefly forgets all that happened before. She even deludes herself into thinking that her father became better.

-Sometime during this time, the Old War should have started, but the Orokin are still in the early stages of fighting against the Sentients.

-An unknown amount of time passes, Euleria and Vilcor become married and they have children. During all this, Albrecht prepares for his first venture to 1999. An infestation research facility is built on Deimos and Albrecht takes interest in that as well. The Orokin come to Albrecht for aid in the Old War but he is reluctant to help, he directs them to Vilcor and his Necramechs.

-Euleria finds out about the Tenno in a roundabout way. Her expertise on Void exposure is required and she realizes that children have been exposed to the void and something has happened to them. She puts two and two together and realizes that whatever happened to the children, happened to her father.

-Euleria confronts Albrecht about the first Void voyage. It turns into a bitter argument, Albrecht tells Euleria off and she gives up on him.

-The Warframe project begins. Albrecht starts traveling to 1999. He gets his hands on Ballas' blueprints and crafts Arthur and Aois' exoskeletons. Loid is keeping an eye on the infestation research and brings attention to the gray strain. The construction of the vessels begins.

-Albrecht concocts the Kalymos sequence, he crafts the Necraloid and eventually leaves for 1999 permanently. Loid is left to deal with the family and Euleria desperately tries to get some information out of Loid, he doesn't relent and Euleria gives up on Loid as well.

-The Old War is in full swing, the Warframes have been fully deployed and have been fighting for years. Belric and Rania set off the biobomb, infesting the whole of Deimos.

-Eventually Loid goes into cryosleep and Necraloid takes over his duties, Euleria and the rest of the family are convinced the real Loid is dead.

-Kermerros breaches containment and the whole family is infested. Necraloid shields the cephalon Otak by merging their consciousness in the construct body.

-The Old War ends, the Rebellion begins and the fall of the Orokin Empire is set in motion.

Annnd that's that - the main point of this wall of text was to establish that Albrecht disappeared twice: first time he ended up in Duviri but returned, second time he disappeared for good in 1999. There are certain details that I want to hash out (which is mostly about interpersonal relationships), but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[thebleedingwoodland]

Being busy with real life, so I just watched The Sims channel on Youtube, I found youtube video

EA what is this? l Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack by Matinee

Ha ha ha.

"Coconut rice"?

What the ****, EA? As a Southeast Asian I never heard of term "Coconut rice"

I asked my real friend from Malaysia, and she was confused with word "Coconut rice" too, she laughed then replied to me, "You mean Nasi Lemak? *laughing emoticon*"

^ Yes, seriously, but I cannot show her chat screenshot due to privacy.

Probably Coconut rice is word invented by Westerners or White Caucasian race. As if the word sounds like "Rice" with grated "Coconut" toppings, which sounds very misleading.

As Southeast Asian, we say dishes that have rice cooked with coconut milk in direct name of the dish, not just "Coconut milk rice" or "Nasi Santan". Malaysians call it Nasi Lemak. Indonesians call it Nasi Uduk. Thais call it ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง (Khao Niao Mamuang) --> Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Here are pictures of Coconut Milk. For this kind of product it is called "Coconut Cream" because it has little amount of water. 100% legit my own photos I took from nearby minimarket.

By Googling "Nasi Lemak", here is the result:

How could EA, as big massive company make stupid mistake like this? Designer is not just 1 person in studio. There are Intern, Junior Designer, Senior Designer, Supervisor, Art Director. And there are a lot of people in the studio who can supervise and give feedback and advise internally. And yet they cannot Googling "Nasi Lemak" properly. What's the point of Supervisor and Art Director once again? Makan gaji buta? Eating salary without giving effort at all?

EA wrongly represented Nasi Lemak with random rice texture, but then they decided to just "renaming" it with Western/White Caucasian term "Coconut rice" instead of giving update correct Nasi Lemak mesh.

As a designer from corporate who had worked in video game company before, I can tell you this apologize is not sincere and lazy. The proper apologize is supposedly making proper new mesh update of Nasi Lemak.

CC creator, icemunmun, from India, has already created functional Nasi Lemak. CC LINK DOWNLOAD

EA is massive company releasing The Sims as AAA video game titles from The Sims 1,2,3,4 with many expensive expansion packs who brought them massive profit yet they didn't want to spend any effort to give correct proper update with one new mesh.

As if they already know they made mistake and decided to not wanting to spend any more effort because

They already gained massive profit from international sales... and don't care much about players from Southeast Asian countries including Malaysian that their content depicted wrongly in-game as they thought Southeast Asian players are not profitable enough compared to USA and European players.

Ignorance about Asian culture, instead of hiring Southeast Asian people as staff/source person who are willing to give authentic information. They non-Asian people must be thinking that "Nasi Lemak and Coconut rice are the same thing because contains coconut!!"

Yes I know EA studio who created The Sims 4 content is from U.S.A. Here I need to tell you something, U.S.A. people: We Asians, including Europeans, took food very seriously. Food is culture. If you U.S.A people depict our food wrongly, it means you insult our culture. I heard many Europeans complained about U.S.A people who don't take European food culture very seriously. What if USA flag is wrongly depicted by other flag such as Australian flag or Malaysian flag? I bet you USA people are very offended, right?

People tend to learn something from media, movies and video games. Because many Westerners don't know Nasi Lemak, they will think Nasi Lemak looks like porridge like what depicted in-game. Despite White Caucasian of British colonizer had colonized Malaysia, yet many White Caucasian people still don't know what Nasi Lemak looks like.

This is not first time EA misinterpreted Asian culture. EA has wrongly misinterpreted Chinese culture very badly in Shang Simla world.

Thank you sister Martinee for daring to speak up about this issue.

What EA depicted as "Nasi Lemak"

Looks like baby porridge I ate because I was sick.

[meefy]

Thoughts on Ryuu + Autistic-Coded Characters, Part II: the Lilias Arc

Now that I've caught up to the Akagami no Shirayukihime manga(!!), I want to talk now about Ryuu's growth in the Lilias arc - specifically, why it was such meaningful representation for me to see an autistic-coded character surrounded by others supporting him and his values instead of wanting to change him. I will be looking at this through the same lens as my initial anime only analysis of Ryuu's character, so it may benefit you to read that first! Spoilers here up to and including Chapter 106.

The two years Ryuu spends in Lilias are inarguably fundamental for him - not just professionally, but socially and emotionally, too. But as an autistic adult, there are some special reasons why Ryuu's growth was so touching and important for me to see represented in media.

We go from Ryuu being overwhelmed in a room full of adult pharmacists (all of whom see him as some sort of "Rain Man"  rather than the individual child he is)[Ch 34] - not to mention having barely any experience with patients because people are too wary of him and his interest in poisons - to Ryuu being embraced by the community of Lyrias because of the very traits he was shunned for. This is not something that happened easily or over night - but his vast knowledge and hyperfixation on poison and plants actually ends up serving him well as a starting point!

His knowledge of poisons is readily necessary when the team of pharmacists is trying to uncover the cause of sickness in Lilias, and later when they are developing a nonpoisonous version of the poisonous plant. Through his contributions, Ryuu gains the respect of the other pharmacists who treat him as an equal and respected member of the team.

But that's not all. He finds someone his own age, Kirito, to introduce Ryuu to all sorts of activities he ends up enjoying - snowball fights, eating at restaurants, spending time in the public baths. I see so often autistic youth who are treated as "little professors" who get along well with adults, but who are shunned for being "too weird" or "too nerdy" for their same age peers. Kirito doesn't do that. Kirito might be initially confused about Ryuu's mannerisms, but he isn't cruel about them. They're part of Ryuu himself, and that's all there is to it. And in turn, Ryuu gets to have a friend his age for what is probably the first time in his life. It warmed my heart to see how doting Kirito was on his friend; even if they didn't completely understand each other, they understood each other enough.

The most touching part of the Lilias arc for me was, of course, Ryuu's eventual confession in Chapter 105 to Shirayuki about her part in his professional and social growth. Shirayuki was always the first to defend Ryuu in the palace and when they first arrived to Lilias. She treated him with empathy and kindness, and took his role as her supervisor seriously regardless of his age. She looked up to him. But perhaps most importantly, she encouraged him to reach out of his comfort zone - not by telling him to, but by showing her example. Shirayuki is always quick to help others, in her line of work particularly, and seeing her do so was undoubtedly a huge help for Ryuu. In his own words, she helped him bridge the gap between his scientific knowledge and interest, and the patients who benefited from that knowledge - until he was comfortable enough to bridge that gap himself.

For myself as an autistic adult, I don't learn how to interact with others naturally or by someone telling me how to do so; I learn by watching others (including in movies, shows, or by other people) and gauging their reaction. If I say X, this generates Y response. This is especially useful for me when I see people I trust interacting in a certain way, or when I know there won't be negative consequences if I make a social mistake. I have no doubt that Shirayuki’s bedside manner and eagerness to help others - and the good that it brings her - had a profound impact on Ryuu during their two years in Lilias. And, of course, Ryuu knowing he had a supportive group of friends including Shirayuki (someone who cared for him unconditionally and from his "old" life in the palace where he was used to) likely served as a sort of "safety net" - Ryuu knew he could try and venture out of his comfort zone (for instance, interacting with patients more than back in the palace) without fear of being shunned if he didn’t succeed.

Lata's advice in Chapter 104 of finding someone Ryuu admires and emulating them aren't just empty words to Ryuu   - Shirayuki is who he wants to emulate! But Lata also makes the point that Ryuu shouldn't copy anyone; he shouldn't hide or mask the traits that make him Ryuu. This is such an important and emotional point for me to see represented; that Ryuu can admire someone without needing to be exactly like them. He can be himself even as he grows and learns!

By Ryuu's own admission [Ch 106], he isolated himself back at the palace, and realized it wasn't positive for his growth as a person. I cannot speak for every autistic person, but I know myself and many others do not want to be isolated; we want to form real connections with people who don't want to change or take advantage of us. Ryuu was fortunate to find that in the palace with Shirayuki and her friends, and later with the team in Lilias - with Shirayuki’s presence being especially significant for him. I do not want to give all credit to Shirayuki here for Ryuu's growth (because that is mightily unfair to Ryuu who had to do the work himself), and that isn't the point of this post. What I do want to highlight is the positive representation here of 1) autistic coded characters and 2) a warm and empathetic support system. Nobody mocks or tries to change Ryuu's behaviour, as we so often see in media "representing" autistic people. Nobody goes out of their way to question how Ryuu speaks or acts. Rather, Ryuu's friends and colleagues embrace it and embrace him, with all his quirks and abilities - as they should.

It is that universal acceptance that lets Ryuu bloom into the person he is in present canon from a timid and isolated child into a confident and supported person. And the fact he has become so self-aware, enough to recognize this, is a testament to his growth, and of the importance of having a support system that unconditionally loves and accepts you. Obviously, this should be the norm (in media and reality) and not the exception - but until it is, I will keep praising it from the rooftops.

I can't wait to see how Ryuu continues to grow and learn, with Shirayuki and their friends at his side!

[theblackestvalkyrie]

#3 - Captain America - Oneshot (Pipe Game Series)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Frustrated with your new position at S.H.I.E.L.D, you need Steve to dick you down but run into an irritating problem.

Warning: Smut, I guess? Oh, and Steve being a bitch but that’s my lil goofy baby and I love him. There is a description of y/n because she’s black, her nipples are brown. NO BETA WE DIE LIKE LITERALLY ANY MARVEL CHARACTER EVER

A/N: I'm tryna clean out my drafts y'all!

Pipe Game: 8/10

PG Chapters: Tony // Hulk //

Based on this post. 

How much trouble would you get in for killing your supervisor?

This was supposed to be the day you got promoted from some grunt agent toiling in the field on the worst assignments to the bitch calling the shots. Long gone would be the days of eating shit takeout in a rented room and getting your as beat by d-list sups, or as S.H.I.E.L.D liked to say “enhanced individuals”.

S.H.I.E.L.D liked to say a lot of things. Apparently, that included telling you that the promotion that would raise you out of the gutter and into respected territory was yours. Yet it had been almost a year and you still hadn’t received the coveted raise they had been dangling over your department. That didn’t stop you from trying to show you were capable. You would often volunteer for extra duty; cover shifts and take on missions’ way above your pay grade in the hopes that they would see your strength and elevate you.

Yet here you were still in the same place as when you first started. Your boss was still trying to convince you of the promotion that would never come and frankly you were sick of it. After a particularly shitty mission involving a  REDACTED.

*This section has been redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. Thank you for your cooperation.*

You were on your last straw and sick of the false promises.

After storming your boss’s office for answers, he tried to give you the runaround and it was taking everything in you not to jam the nearest pencil in his left carotid artery and let the fucker bleed out.

Instead, you left work early and headed to the gym to beat the boxing bag to death. God forbid some rookie or other poor soul was in the gym because then you would really get to take out your anger on them. After changing into your gym fit and quite literally killing the bag (you unsurprisingly split 2 bags in half), you still had a burning anger in your chest.

Stomping off to your shared room with Steve, who was propped up in the entertainment area flipping through a newspaper on his S.H.I.E.L.D provided tablet, some of that anger lessened when he met your deep frown with a warm smile of his own.

“Hey honey, how was work?”

You crossed the room and threw yourself into his lap meeting his surprised lips with your own the tablet tossed on top of the rounded sofa. Lips locked and tongues dancing in an intimate dance, Steve was the first to pull away. Cheeks rosy and flushed his eyes met your own.

“I can’t say this isn’t my favorite greeting but you never answered my question.” He said breathlessly.

Grinding your plump ass on his slowly hardening cock to distract him you tried to kiss him again but he pulled back still searching for an answer as he stilled your hips from their distracting movements.

“Baby please don’t make me go through the absolutely shitty day I had when all I want is for you to fuck me through the goddamn couch right now.”

He blushed even harder and if it was possible for Steve to turn an even deeper shade of red, he would have at your frank words. It was cute in the beginning of your relationship when Steve would adorably get flustered at your graphic words and actions and it had taken even longer to initiate a physical relationship with him.

But now it was annoying when you just wanted him to fuck you like an animal.

An animal completely lost to their feral sexual needs…...and there go your hips grinding again.

Steve ran a hand up and down your back lovingly and cupped your face in a gesture that any other time you would appreciate for how gentle it is.

“You know I’m here for you right if you need to talk?” His breath hitched as your hips started circling faster feigning innocence at his words.

“You’re really gonna make me beg you to fuck me hard, aren’t you?”

Annoyance colored your tone and you sighed getting ready to get up and say fuck it to the entire thing and take care of yourself but one of his thick muscular arms circled around your waist in an effort to keep you there.

“I just wanna make sure my best girl is okay.” You nodded, half to shut him up and half in honesty, and kissed him again.

“I’m fine but if you don’t wanna fuck I can always find Bucky.” The lie slipped from your moth easily even though you both knew you would never cheat on him, especially with his brother best friend.

“I don’t think so!”

With ease, Steve stood and moved you into a bridal carry in one fluid motion making you giggle as he rushed to the bedroom. He gently tossed you onto the bed and began to strip as you bounced gently. You took off your own sweaty gym clothes starting with the open-back crop top, one of your favorite pieces.

Your breasts spilled out immediately without the cupping support of the top and your brown nipples started to harden once exposed to the cool air. It never you too long to get wet for him and today was no exception.

“Steve, I need you so bad baby”

“Yeah?”

Looming over your half naked figure he lowered himself to his knees at the side of the king-sized bed and pulled your leggings and panties down together, spreading your thick thighs like a man on a mission.

“Ugh…fuck!”

You moaned loudly as his flattened tongue traveled from one end of your vagina to the other making sure to swirl around your clit a few times. One of the things you were surprised about when you first started dating Steve was the fact that he actually wanted to go down on you and cared if you came from it. It was one of his favorite things right up there with the 1940’s lingerie you had specially ordered for his birthday and wore for him. That was the night he went down on you for what seemed like hours.

“I want you to come on my face doll can you do that?” He released your clit with a loud smack of his lips before he went back to his meal like a man starved, dipping two of his fingers into your opening and lazily pumping with two fingers.

“Harder baby, please.”

His fingers start pumping at a moderately fast pace now, not exactly fast but not slow enough for you to complain. But you needed his cock now. You needed his super serum strength to pound you through the mattress and right through to the Earth’s core and straight to the magma center.

You weren’t anywhere near release yet because you still needed it hard and fast and Steve seemed to sense this and focused his concentration on your clit for a few more seconds before letting go with a long suck as he made his way back up your body.

“Let me take care of you doll. I got you.”

The kiss you were met with was sloppy and sensual, the kind that made your toes curl in pleasure and anticipation. His thick cock sprang up eagerly from the waist band of his boxers and bounced against his chiseled lower stomach. Even in the sexual haze you were in, you could see how shiny his cock head was, how much precum was already leaking from the slit and it made your mouth water. But there was time to worship his cock later, right now all you needed was hard and fast.

Steve pressed a kiss to your temple before taking hold of his hard length and surging forward. Immediately you could feel that familiar burn as he slowly pressed forward until he was snug against your cervix just an inch or two of his length remained. Steve let you get adjusted for a few seconds before he started a steady rhythm. Again, it was nice… but you wanted it hard goddamn it!

“Steve baby go faster.”

Without missing a beat, he slowed down grinding you against the mattress and running his nose against the pulse points of your throat and nipping there, although a bite would be better.

“I know you want it hard baby but you need it soft and slow right now.”

His hips circled a few times and started up a strong pace, the squelching of your combined juices echoed the room lewdly. He was rubbing up against your walls and stretching them out delightfully making your eyes roll back.

“No….n-no I need it hard.” Your breathless moans and wants made little difference to Steve as his hips never faltered.

“I don’t want to hurt you sweetheart.” He bit back a moan at the sight or your shaking figure ignoring the inner animal inside of him that demanded he give you what you want.

You could count on one hand how many times Steve had been a bit too rough on you during your passionate sessions but the aftercare he provided more than made up for it.

The pace he fucked you at was constant and steady at complete odds with the wild haphazard sex you first had in mind. That bastard was using his strength just to keep the same speed. In the back of your lust filled mind, you made a mental note to pay him back for this later.

You could feel that familiar orgasm building up. The kind that was long and drawn up and made your legs shake. You tried to hold it off as long as you could still holding out for that angry fuck.

But Steve knew what you needed instead and pressed his chiseled body into yours pressing you deeper into the mattress, hooking the backs of your knees with his thick biceps keeping you spread open and vulnerable.

He could tell just by the tears forming in your eyes that you were holding back and he let out a short breathy laugh.

“You know I can keep fucking you all day right sweetheart? I don’t need a break.”

Your clit scraped against his bush of pubic hair deliciously and as if to prove his point you came eyes rolling and legs shaking as your cunt clenched around his girth.

“There you go dove.” He fucked you through it releasing his own cum deep inside you with a moan of his own.

All the fight had left you with your orgasm and you let out a tired chuckle at the realization as Steve kissed you softly.

“All better doll?”

“All better love.”

[pandorafallz]

Vampire AU | West Frontier

Quaritch was feeling pretty much pissed off for a few reasons, and this was now becoming a common occurrence directing it to Parker Selfridge of all people but the report sent to him had him both angry…and worried.

He was well aware of Frontier West as a base for the RDA’s oil extraction. He knew the Colonel running its security personally and their version of Selfridge distantly. His job had been about Hell’s Gate but he took interest to make sure people of the other bases were safe or at least secure enough. He never had to worry with Colonel Harding in charge.

The fact that Director Mercer and a good number of men and women were going to be coming back in body bags left him feeling….mixed. Colonel Harding was in Frontier West’s Medical bay in critical condition from having her throat cut by a glass bottle. No doubt she’d be rotated back if she wanted her voice back. Even then, she’d most likely be medically discharged from the RDA.

The report had been….unexpected. A group of scientists roofied a portion of the SecOps at the mess, doing a full-out mutiny before escaping with a shit-load of supplies after killing Mercer and those who stood in their way.  An avatar driver included also vanished, which surprised Quaritch to find out. The Driver in question was…dead. Or supposed to be.

Alma Cortez had supposedly died 17 years ago in an attack from some Na’vi clan. Satenoo-something clan. He knew little and didn’t care for those alien details on that. But… the fact she was alive for the last 17 years was a lot of unaccounted time and Quaritch was concerned about what that meant and Selfridge had been very vague on why there was an expensive avatar driver there to start with which was why he was annoyed at the guy.

Frontier West had its own share of Na’vi Clans and Mercer was known to…temperamental. More so than Selfridge in the last few months. Selfridge himself was harmless in the grand scheme of things. Mercer was not. Which, to some logical degree explained the homicide. Not everyone was drugged so conflict arose naturally. No one who had left Hell’s Gate so far had a reason to kill or…were caught or stopped; nothing here instigated a gun show. Desperation killed.

They had to be careful. He wasn’t going to lose any of his men because some people wanted to go play Rambo in the jungle, but he certainly couldn’t just allow anyone to waltz off with thousands of dollars worth of equipment like it was nothing. He knew the line was there and he also knew to pick his battles if he wanted his men to choose between their lives or some replaceable equipment. What had been taken in Hell’s Gate was all but replaceable, aside from the avatars. Selfridge though was acting as if they were outright kidnapping people instead of how insistent he was on getting them back.

With Frontier West down a director and head of security, there were a lot of open spaces that needed to be filled. Selfridge couldn’t manage both and Quaritch had made sure the guy kept his focus on what was important; the dozers and their future mine, they had other areas for other resources.

He had combed through his men already for replacements and most were loaded with him for the refill and change-over of staff at the base.

The trip was long but he was making do of the time by the reports and going over potential candidates for running this place. It’d take years for a new RDA leader to arrive to replace Mercer so they’d have to make do with promoting a few of his guys.

He was okay with that; they had been at his side for years and most were happy to be at his side as loyal soldiers. Some would need to move on and up eventually. Loyalty had its rewards. He took care of his own.

Mansk would have been his go-to for running the base as a supervisor. He was very good at his job and…had an edge for leadership that was kept away from most of the group but Quaritch could spot his potential beneath the surface.

Except… he needed Mansk at Hell’s Gate. His patience and training were far better suited to help hunt down the new rogues. So the pin was held on him for now; he’d keep him open for it.

Walker was another candidate, for the same reasons but she was far sharper and less patient than Mansk. Not with as many leadership qualities but…there was potential that could be trained with experience…if he was to push her. She could start as a supervisor until the next director was installed and then no doubt she’d make an excellent Head of security. She was his best option after Mansk.

Z-Dog was more of a follower than a leader but could…make do with a supervisory role over security for a temporary measure at best. Either she or Ja would suit. He trusted Wainfleet to run the team but… not a base. He didn’t have the same integrity to command, not that Quaritch thought the man would take it, even if he had offered. His loyalty kept him at his side.

Quaritch knew it was…a little biased to not look outside his own group. There were a ton of soldiers that had their training as his squad, like Zheng and Brown who were looking to make good into getting into higher places but…he could trust his squad more. He knew them. None of them had devastating secrets. While Mansk hadn’t come out, it was a known secret that no one addressed or Z-dog’s hidden porn stashes and contraceptives that they all dipped into at one point or another. She found ways to refill and no questions were asked. He was certain Walker’s little secret of sleeping around was not something she would talk about when she tried to keep a smooth exterior over her personal life.

None of that affected their work or quality of work. It kept them happy and as a unit. It would be a shame to break them up but…needs must on a hostile planet like Pandora. His team were needed more than just fighting the hostiles at his side.

“We’re five minutes out, colonel.” Captain Chacon spoke from the front of the ship.

“Copy that,” He slipped his tablet away in favour of surveying out of the window of the Samson.

The…differences of the forest weren’t as obvious as Hell’s Gate by the time they got to Frontier West, bypassing over the old TAP-Con 1 Facility (which had since been shut down due to structural flaws fifteen years back according to reports). The forest was still a forest but he could see, to his untrained scientific eye the differences in some of the plants. Not all familiar which made him more cautious. Were there any scientists here?

Frontier West was open as they landed. Quaritch took the lead out with Lyle and his unit to fully secure the base and headed inside.

It was a vastly different building, or at last atmosphere as he strode through the hallways to the medical bay for his…first point of order. To see the loss of life first-hand.

Inside lay gurneys lined up in the morgue. It was not a small room but not too large but it had enough space for the ten body bags to rest with comfort room to stroll around. For the sake of space, Quaritch allowed Lyle and Walker with him to meet the doc and let a few others get reacquainted with the current leading staff on base.

“This all of them?”

“Yes, Colonel Quaritch.” The doc said, “Eight of them are our soldiers and two were part of the get-away team that were shot when they were aiding those escaping.”

“Mercer?”

The woman nodded, leading the way to the first gurney where she unzipped the bag to…reveal the somewhat familiar and dead face of Director John Mercer. From the looks of it from the sewn autopsy incision, Quaritch could see the wounds of the bullet in his chest.

“Just bullet wounds?”

“Yes, Sir. Two bullets to the chest. None an immediate kill. The shooter wasn’t…well trained.”

“Do you know who shot him?” That sounded like someone who had never handled a gun. Enough to kill but not the decency to do it well.

“Dr Alma Cortez. We found the video footage of the attack she planned on the base and her murder of Mercer and the attempted murder of Colonel Harding. Mercer was able to shoot her in the back moments before his death. The feed was cut so the chances are the people who came back for her only took her body.”

 “Can you be sure of that?” Wainfleet asked, peering over his shoulder to the corpse.

“With the amount of blood we found on the floor, coupled with the fact that they had no trauma centres in the jungle. Even if she survived a little longer, they have nothing to help in saving her from those sorts of wounds. No good supplies, at least in-depth medical supplies.”

“Alright.” Seemed very cut and dry, two people killed each other. But that still left the rest of the people that had left. Quaritch zipped the bag back up over the man’s face. “Get the bodies cremated for the return trip. We’ll take ‘em when we return back to Hell’s Gate.” It’s saved space in the Samson for sure; he hadn’t planned to bring the Dragon Assault Ship just yet until he had a full list of names and open areas.

“That’ll take a few days, sir, with the quantity of bodies. We only have three cremation chambers.”

“Why not bury the traitors outside? They don’t get to come back with honours.” Wainfleet suggested. “No place for them on our ship, they were bailing anyway.”

The doctor’s eyes slid to him for approval.

Quaritch exhaled in annoyance. “I don’t care. As long it’s not gonna bite ya in the ass later. A few scientists in Hell’s Gate have opted for a terrestrial burial rather than return if they die before they return. Cheaper on the RDA, so it’s not discouraged. I’ll send you the paperwork for that.” He honestly couldn’t care less what happened to them. Dead wasn’t his problem…nor his responsibility. But he knew with families of the deceased on Earth that was a quick trigger for shit he didn’t wanna deal with. As long it was by the books with all legal paperwork, then the families would have no claim of ire.

His next trip took him to MedBay where Colonel Harding was.

She looked fucked up, he noted. Tubes sticking out of her neck and mouth were keeping her airways clear as she healed up in her induced coma. She was in for a rough few weeks until she could be cleared to be returned.

He knew she was a hardass and would be throwing a fit if it was possible and would certainly find the adjustment hard. Walker would probably handle the woman’s ire in her recovery process. There was little reason to hamper the woman’s healing by moving her back to Hell’s Gate to recover with more doctors about.

She had a lot more scars than before; a lot more down her arm and left shoulder and it looked to go up and hide under the bandages and dressing.

“How is she doing?”

“Better,” Dr Malik spoke as he picked up the medical tablet. “She lost a lot of blood, and almost died on the table but we were able to resuscitate her and stabilise her. But… the damage to her larynx forced the med team to do a laryngectomy. Now, right now it’s permanent and will lead to a medical discharge but… there is a chance she could stay with a few medical procedures.”

“What sort? Reconstruction? Some of that stuff you have to rotate back to Earth for.”

“No, not for synthetic replacement. Harding had no next of kin who could consent on her behalf, we could wait till she wakes up to ask but we’d still need authorisation from a supervisor. That would have been Mercer but he’s...in no position to make choices on the account of being dead so, that leads to Selfridge.”

“I know Harding, She ain’t gonna leave easy,” Quaritch said, because he knew without a doubt what he would do, they were very alike in their passion for being here. Finding Duty here. She would take the operation. “What’s the replacement?”

From the tablet, Dr Malik showed what looked to be a metallic voice box implant, very new but…it looked very high-tech. Her voice wouldn’t be the same, of course. But it would function and…well if he was looking at this well, it would work off pre-recorded variations of her voice. They’d need consent for her video log footage to get her voice uploaded to the software but that was later’s problem.

“This will work?” He swiped across the screen for the schematics. “Look’s…expensive. The RDA won’t shell out for it.”

“Harding was on a permanent basis in her contract. She can pay half of it. If she can consent, then we can get a dual payment agreement on the replacement and operation.”

That wasn’t an uncommon deal. Still…it was gonna be rough. She was gonna be so pissed off.

“I’ll talk to Selfridge about it. Prep the files to him.” He gave a final look to Harding’s unconscious body then took his leave.

“They’re hiding something,” Walker said behind him as they headed towards Mercer’s office. “All the soldiers here are anxious and have been since they saw you.”

Quaritch turned his attention to the few people still milling about, a few met his eyes and nodded, a few did not but now that she had mentioned it, there was…a coolness in their postures; the appearance of trying to be collected as they carried on with their business. While it didn’t look odd, it now tickled the sixth sense he had long since honed in training. Something was…off.

“About what?” Wainfleet asked, “Nothing much to hide. They focus on Oil and gas extraction. Nothing more.”

Walker’s eyes flickered about, her head tilting off to one direction thoughtfully. “I can’t know for sure but… I overheard someone mentioning clearing out Mercer’s office. Harding’s too?”

“Then go get there first, Walker. Take Z-doc and Brown with ya’”

“Yes sir,” Walker peeled off and went the other direction as he quickened his pace along the hall to where he opened up the door, almost knocking back a guy with a trolley.

Quaritch’s eyes narrowed, bending down and pulled the guy back onto his feet but didn’t let go of his sleeve. “What are you doing here, son? Director Mercer’s office is off limits to anyone who’s not me.”

“Ju…Just cleaning, sir. I’m a janitor!” the guy spoke, wide-eyed and alarmed and looked far too nervous for his liking. Quaritch eyed the man then to the trolley, not filled with cleaning supplies or even a goddamn broom. The trolley was secured, even. “Give me ya keys and fuck off.” He let go of his arm, holding his hand out for the keys which took another hard glare to get before Wainfleet dragged the man out.

Quaritch rolled his eyes, pushing the trolley back in with him and pushed it straight to the desk and sat down in Mercer’s chair heavily. The Trolley was…mostly paperwork but for some reason, he found…trinkets. Na’vi trinkets by the looks of it. One looked like a cord of beads with little attachments of tasselled items, some looked like…toys, even. Large by their hands but he imagined they’d be small in Na’vi hands.

He set them onto the table surface but shoved the paperwork to Wainfleet to look over as he accessed the table’s main monitor.

The first few records began to appear… and Quaritch could feel a headache start to arise.

“Ah…fuckin hell….”

-

Grace knew something was up by the email that appeared in her inbox. From Quaritch of all people which made her weary as she sat down to address them. Her eyes took in the data of Na’vi clans that…the other base had been in contact with within the last decade and a half. She knew a few in passing from word of mouth from Mo’at years back.

The Aranahe clan were renowned for their weaving and art skills, the Sarentu were nomadic and travelled from clan to clan with stories and the Kame'tire were considered the best healers while the Zeswa Clan were a warrior clan. Beyond that, she knew little of the clans and their leaders. The fact that the RDA’s west base knew that many were…a little concerning.

“Wait, what?”

Her head cocked to the side, not unsurely sure if she was reading this correctly or if Quaritch was just…making this up or something.

“What’s wrong?” Norm seemed to appear beside her.

Grace looked up from her monitor with a frown. “Look, does this say what I think it says?”

He bent over her shoulder, his eyes flickering over the screen. “…conflict saw the major loss of native lives in defence of RDA interests before extraction… Wait, what?!” Norm blinked, “How… that sounds like the RDA killed a bunch of Na’vi over something.”

“We don’t know the context,” Grace said, “We’re still getting files but Quaritch sent them to me. I think he’s trying to tell me something given my position here. The west base is a resource extraction facility. They probably ran into a clan protecting their lands.” Something she already dreaded to think. Poor loss of life.

Norm looked uneasy. “Just like they’re gonna do with Hometree.”

Grace didn’t pause as she continued to read, making a soft note of sound, putting in a claim for Na’vi trinkets that could have been found. She could keep them safe for now better than SecOps “Right now, the dozers are shit at their job. It’ll take months longer than planned before they get anywhere close to Hometree. We should be…lucky that that’s happening. Long-hauls wear people’s morale down. There’s still plenty of time to warn the Na’vi later. Selfridge might just give up with the Hometree’s location if it keeps happening and head in the opposite direction to the next-best option.”

“Here’s to hoping.” Norm scratched at his chin. “I hope that clan was okay.”

“Me too.” Grace hoped, “Quaritch will be looking into it. He’s a son of a bitch but…he’s head of security. If the facility’s at risk because of some idiot he’ll be pissed off, straighten it out then come back like nothing was wrong.”

-

Walker eyed the hallways carefully, her ears picking up the distant chatter of the soldiers and workers around.

‘…look, we weren’t involved. Just…we’re all good. We’re innocent…’

‘…I told you, find a fucking condom or anything. I can’t raw dogg…’

‘…It’s fine. They won’t find out about it. We already scrubbed the locations off the system. For all they know, the Sarentu attacked us and we were left with their orphans. What, we were supposed to leave them there? It was really a kind thing to do. Take them in and...’

Walker frowned, focusing more on the last woman’s voice as she whispered to her comrade about their pitiful excuses for covering up what sounded like…genocide. Marginal, but still genocide at the least of a single clan and their culture, then they kidnapped the kids instead of dumping them off at some other clan.

That explained… the mess the base was in now. Logic dictated that the scientists got the kids out. Something had motivated them to do it now after so many years. Why, didn’t matter really. This was mostly military run for the base's protection but the TAP Program was a concern. It…was bullshit for a lot of reasons.

As a soldier, Walker knew to follow orders and not put emotion into her work. It made her a good soldier. Follow orders, do not question them.

It made her not care.

As a vampire, she cared even less for the nature of the RDA and the work that they did. She wasn’t going back to earth; her existence was living on this planet now and trying to keep her fellow vampires in check and her belly full. If she was condemned to eternity on Pandora, she at least needed to keep some level of…peace between her kind and the Na’vi. Which is why she had to care. A little bit.

“This place is weird,” Brown remarked dryly, eyeing a passing soldier who was off duty and pushing a trolley of food and clearly unbothered by their presence like the others of his units. “Everyone’s so paranoid. Except for that guy.” Thumbing to the guy they passed. “He looks like he knows where the alcohol bar is.”

“Later.” Z-dog chuckled, her hand disappearing into her pocket and pulled out a fresh stick of gun.

“Ooh, a group drink sess. I’m down.” Brown nodded eagerly.

“Think you’ll be up for it, Walker?” Z-dog asked, setting in pace beside her. “Still on that alcohol-free nonsense?”

Walker rolled her eyes a little. “It’s perfectly acceptable to not drink alcohol. I haven’t drunk alcohol for nine years. I won’t be starting now.”

“Boo,” Brown remarked. “Maybe waiting till you hit the double digits then you celebrate with a nice big whisky. Bet we could get the colonel to give it to ya?”

“I’d rather not.” Walker deflected, “Chances are my tolerance had…fucking tanked now.” The thought of stomaching a mouthful, even if she didn’t swallow it, made her first stomach churn in dread. Nope. No, thank you.

“Oh god, I bet you’d bet drunk off...fucking champagne! Lightweight!”

Finally breaching Hardin’s office, she was met with… a somewhat unpleasant décor choice that looked to put even Selfridge’s collection of stolen artefacts to shame.

“Are those severed heads?”

“Yep.”

Walker wrinkled her nose a little.

One side of the wall had the heads of many Pandoran animals. Na’vi Artefacts of no doubt near clans and tusks as well laid across a few shelves and on the desk where the monitor was. Walker went straight to it, but her frown grew as…the computer system looked to have been wiped as she began to investigate its content

“Damn.” Brown had wandered towards the wall. “Who has taxidermy these days? Or…trained to do taxidermy bull shit these days. Let alone on Pandora.”

“It’s a four-thousand-year practice. I doubt it’ll die down.” Z-dog remarked, examining some of the tusks. “On earth, at least. Anyone with a fat wallet can get the body of some extinct animal.”

Walker looked up sharply. “You think this poaching is Harding’s money-maker?”

“We sell a lot of alien artefacts off on Earth for the RDA, so what if it’s a few animals.” Brown shrugged, “Plenty more animals after all.”

Walker hummed in agreement though she sighed as she came to a dead-end but looked into other possible locations of possibility. “This isn’t Harding’s only office. She has another up in the Upper Plains. Bet she had more heads for her collection for sure. Fortunately, that base is currently running on a skeleton crew so it’ll be an easy withdrawal.” If they decided that.

“Think Selfridge would allow that?”

“Another base is costly. It’ll be cheaper to shut it down if it’s not providing anything useful for the RDA.” Walker said. “There’s nothing we can get from here. She doesn’t have paperwork.” She added, opening a few of the woman’s desk draw to check. Still, didn’t mean there was nothing.

-

Jake looked forward to his human days at Hometree. He didn’t expect that he would but Neytiri was no kind teacher. Good, not kind. Thrown into the deep end left to learn how to swim

He was sure his Dreamwalker also needed the days off as well; his feet were getting stronger and faster. Even more exercises than he had ever pushed it before but now, even a week in he could tell the difference. He could go further and he felt…trust in it—or his body’s capabilities. N’deh’s teachings on tracking, along with Neytiri’s helped. He felt…more functional in his position at came than just a helping hand.

Mentally, he was a little more drained on those days but he was glad to work with people to keep his spirits up. He liked feeling useful and productive and he had been put into deshelling large (relative to human hands) nuts into baskets with Zeke and Kim.

Jake found himself enjoying Zeke’s voice alone as the two scientists conversed, just listening to the guy’s almost comical edge and the way the guy’s voice was lower and had an undertone that sounded like he was mad but…wasn’t. He was smiling and talking happily. It wasn’t until a kid in passing tripped in trying to step over Kim’s tail and dropped a bowl of fresh Teylu down his back did he screamed in pure surprise and boy, Zeke did not disappoint as he jumped straight to his feet, his scream hitting b-flat which was surprising with the booming volume his lungs had.

“Get ‘em off! Get ‘em off!”

Jake began to laugh hysterically into his bowl of nut shells until his lungs ached and he had tears in his eyes as Kim, even though her own giggles tried to pull the little creatures off the disgruntled guy’s back. The kid watched them with wide eyes but smiling and also amused.

“What?! What’s so freaking funny?!” He sounded so mad, looking mildly displeased. “Come on, you guys!”

Jake clutched at the rim of his basket. Trying to take deep breaths as the last little caterpillar was plucked off Zeke’s shoulder and put back into the bowl and Kim handed it back to the kid.

Jake managed to calm himself a little, taking a few breaths but the tears as long since fallen. He took a deep breath and pulled up his face then hurriedly wiped his face and set the seal back into place.

“What was that sound?” Eytukan of all people seemed to appear down the spiral, looking mildly alarmed. “It reached to the sleeping hammocks. Was someone hurt?”

Jake cracked up again, earning an irked look from Zeke.

“No, Zeke just has impressive lungs. Teylu was dropped down his back by accident…and by surprise.” Kim sniggered out. “Sorry for disturbing you.”

“Yeah, Sorry.” Zeke apologised sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Eytukan nodded once. “Perhaps you’d be better suited to working with the animal tamers.” Was all that the Olo'eyktan said before he took his leave back up.

Zeke looked like he didn’t know if that was a suggestion or something to be offended about but he got back to deshelling very quickly with his knife.

Neytiri seemed to appear with two new faces which made Jake pause and then lean into Kim’s side.

“Did you know we have more people?” He asked. Two women; one clearly a soldier then the other looked...far from it. They looked related, so he had to assume mother and daughter…which was rare to see. Most people didn’t take their kids with them to an alien world.

“Yes.” Kim nodded, passing the two a quick glance. “They were discovered the other day by Neytiri when she was running a patrol. They have a camp under some large tree.”

“Oh…”

“You were conked out after training with Neytiri. I forgot we didn’t tell you.” Kim shrugged though waved as the youngest of the women were directed to them so with a nod and departed from her mother—pausing to add something to her mother which brought a scowl to the woman’s face but begrudgingly went towards the weaving circle where Ruby and Wu were.

“All good?” Kim asked the girl.

“Yes, thank you.” The girl said brightly, coming to sit between Kim and Zeke who moved to make more space. “I figured my Ma needs to learn other skills other than killing animals and cutting them up, ya know.”

“Marines?” Jake asked.

The girl’s brown eyes slid to him for a moment, a little surprised to see him but she nodded nonetheless. “My mother’s a second generation of military upbringing. My grandparents had her between tours and she was raised in that environment.”

“Ah.” That explained enough of the woman’s clear attitude and soldier energy. “I’m Jake, as you’ve probably guessed.”

“Oh, I know.” The girl grinned, “I’m Bree Kung. Just call my Ma Kung if you talk to her. She hates her first name.”

Not like the girl provided the woman’s first name but Jake opted not to point that out as Zeke was handed another knife and showed Bree how to deshell the nuts they were working on.

“Alright, hopefully, I won’t stab anyone with this in the process.” Bree added, “Or a premature caesarean.” Eyeing Kim’s belly.

Zeke sniggered a little at that. Kim’s ears pinned a little but shifted away a fraction which made them chuckle a little as they got to work.

Bree struggled a little when she got to doing it herself, almost slipping with the blade a few times but adapted herself with the grip a few times until she was comfortable and deshelling the nuts rather quickly.

“So, if you don’t mind us asking, why did you leave the RDA?” Jake opted to say, to fill the little silence that had arisen. “Can’t be an easy choice.”

“it was.” Bree shrugged, pausing her knife work. “it’s…quite personal.”

“You don’t have to tell us the details if you don’t want to.” Kim said, “Most of the other groups have said enough to validate their reasons but they’ve kept the details close to their chest. We don’t ask if they’re not wanting to share.”

Bree took a look at the other groups that were all around Hometree that she could see. “You know… Technically I’m twenty-six, not sixteen. Ma says cryo years don’t count because I didn’t physically age.”

“You were in cryo for ten years?” Zeke asked.

Bree nodded softly. “Six of those was…the travel. I got sick a few months after I got here… so Ma had them put me into a pod in medical cryo storage until they could find a way to fix my condition. It took…four years for them to fix me.” Her tone turned down a little. “Ma found out that…the RDA was holding back on medical research that could have been used to fix me sooner. I could have been out three years ago but… it wasn’t considered a priority of recourses and I could be fixed on Earth. The only reason I got fixed a few months ago was because Ma blackmailed the science and medical team into giving me the cure.”

Jake stared at her for a moment but felt a deep sense of sympathy. So many years stolen away when…it didn’t have to be. Certainly…showed a few more unpleasant lights. They didn’t try and save this girl when they had the power to. Because… what? It took up resources and money.

“Freaking hell… Sorry, that happened to you.”

Bree shrugged. “My Ma’s drive for the RDA pretty much tanked after my twin sister died—fraternal twin so we weren’t identical. She was her favourite daughter. All she had after that was me and…she wasn’t gonna let me die for stupid reasons like Raina. Raina was…just like Ma. Soldier in heart.” Her eyes lowered in sadness. “It feels weird. Thinking about her. She…died about a year before I woke up. She was fine when I was put to sleep…gone when I woke up.” She blew out a heavy breath.

Jake felt another pang in his heart. Another twin. Split apart.

“I’m sorry,” Jake said, “Losing a sibling…a twin sibling is…hard.”

“What would you know?” Bree’s voice wasn’t harsh for the question, just…soft.

“I had a twin brother. Identical twin. He died a week before he was supposed to come here.” Jake explained, his heart heavy. “A mugging. He didn’t need to have died but…he did. Senseless. But… the RDA saw an opportunity with me. The avatar I have…was his. I was brought in because it meant they didn’t have to waste an avatar. His death was…just an inconvenience to the RDA. To SciOps. To Augustine and anyone who wanted to use him like a tool.”

Bree stared at him with a heavy gaze that should not belong on the face of a teenager. “How…long has it been for you?”

“About…almost two months, I suppose.” Jake pondered, “But…I got his ashes. I’ve got to find a suitable resting place for him still.”

Bree nodded, “Ma had Raina’s ashes. She buried her in this…beautiful little clearing beside a river that was close to camp. Didn’t wanna keep her waiting on a shelf, you know.”

Jake nodded softly. Tommy was the patient soul, he could wait until Jake found a great spot. He wouldn’t want to disappoint him.

“Is…what why you two left?”

Bree nodded, “Some of the reason. I got better and stronger but…My Ma was…disillusioned of the RDA’s loyalty to its people and its mission….and she used to be the most loyal soldier to the point she was put into the head of MineOps for her efficiency of getting people to work. She was caught stealing information on Scientific papers, the circumstances of what happened to me and cross-referencing other people who had died or suffered illnesses that could have been fixed by the RDA but didn’t. She had planned to send this information back to earth for maltreatment and malpractice of RDA Personnel on base. People were…shocked to learn of her arrest.”

“You got her out.”

“Hell, yeah I did. I had nothing on earth. My Dad died the day after our conception and my Grandparents would be too old or dead by the time we rotated back. We weren’t going back and…it made sense to live in the woods since you seemed all alive that we could survive out here.” Bree shrugged, getting back to her knife work. “It’s been an interesting experience. But…kinda glad we’re not alone out here.”

“What were your specialities?” Kim asked.

“Xenolinguistics and software engineering.” Bree perked up a little more as she said that. “I love languages. I was developing an App for our tablets that could translate Na’vi to English and vice versa in real-time with little delay. Not everyone knows Na’vi and there are a lot of Na’vi who don’t know English so… I thought this app could reduce miscommunication if the soldiers had a tablet on hand and encountered the Na’vi.”

“Wow.” Zeke looked impressed, “How far did you get?”

“I’m still working on it. I was developing the foundational linguistic algorithms when I got sick and it hit a pause. Harder to do with camp chores.” Bree reasoned. “I know seventeen languages but if anyone got any more, I’d love for them to teach me.”

“What languages do you know?” Jake asked curiously. “Excluding English.”

“I know Spanish, Russian, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, Dutch, Afrikaans, Korean, Italian, American Sign Language and Na’vi. In other non-standard languages….High Valyrian, Dothraki, Klingon and Vulcan.” Bree listed off the top of her head. “I wanted to learn Euskara, Hawaiian, Greek, Old English and Arabic but Na’vi came along with a leaving-Earth deadline so…I turned my attention to that. Fortunately, I bought and saved a bunch of lessons before I left.”

Jake and Zeke stared.

“So…only a few languages,” Jake remarked.

“Yeah, just a few.”

“I am never playing scrabble against you.” Zeke decided, shaking his head.

“Mind helping me with Dothraki?” Kim asked, “I studied some of that language when I was studying High Valyrian but it’s been a long time. I could do with a refresh”

“Do you know the other Low or bastard Valyrian dialects?”

Kim nodded, “I do.”

“Great.” Bree brightened up. “You know, if our camps are close, it’d be easier to come to you or vice versa than rely on our Na’vi friends for Taxi Service.”

“We can come to you. I’ve managed to acquire a Pa’li for our camp so travel will be easier.” By acquire, it was ‘stolen’, technically. But the Pa’li tamers didn’t seem to hold too much of a fight since Kim used it to come back and forth from camp.

Jake just watched the interaction and then shook his head at the prioritizing a fictional language over a proper language.  “Nerds.”

Masterlist