#ITS BEEN A LOOOONG ROAD

[risaceofhearts]

Man at first when I started watching Enterprise I HATED the intro. Then in season two it started to grow on me and sometimes I didn't skip it. Then in season 3 they changed it. I think I listened to it a whole 3 times or so before the last episode.

Star Trek Enterprise wins Grammy for best show intro

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[turbo-virgins]

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper

Pairing: Lucy Maclean x Cooper Howard | The Ghoul

Summary:

She kept a wary eye on its vicious stinger as she approached. “Do you… need any help?”

“How bout,” he grunted between swings, “since you’re so damn good at playin’ bait-“ another swing- “you march your pretty little self on ahead-“ swing- “and see if you can rile up every other big critter between here ‘n’ New Vegas.”

She frowned.

He yanked the tail off with a loud snap, then set back on his haunches and flashed her a yellow, patronizing smile.

“What if you run out of bullets?”

“You let me worry about that, sweetheart.”

Lucy and Cooper get up to many shenanigans on their way to New Vegas (the journey is more important than the destination right?... right??).

Tags:

Canon-Typical Violence | Enemies to Friends to Lovers | Slow Burn | Lucy is a BAMF (just give it time) | Post Season 1 |Excessive terms of endearment from The Ghoul | the road to New Vegas is paved with misadventures | the author is a sucker for Death and The Maiden imagery | the inherent eroticism of medical malpractice Drug Use Eventual Smut

Word count: 6,284 (and counting!)

It’s been a loooong while since I posted anything here, but I’ve got a new fic in the works!

Chapter 1 is below the read more and you can find the other chapters I’ve posted here on ao3 :)

Chapter 1: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone

Lucy had been staring death in the face enough lately that she thought she ought to recognize it by now. But it seemed the Wasteland was always finding new ways to surprise her.

“Look out, Vaultie,” the Ghoul barked.

Her brain had yet to parse his command. She looked at him over her shoulder, lips parted to ask him what that weird hissing sound was. What she failed to notice was the small tide of earth zigzagging its way straight toward her.

The ground erupted beneath her feet. Sand burst into the air in a mighty plume and sent her sprawling. Her back connected with a stretch of crumbling pavement that ripped the breath from her lungs.

Pincers the size of her torso snapped through the space she’d occupied not less than a moment ago. The afternoon sun gleamed off their gray-blue carapace. A strange chittering emitted from the creature as it sifted through the cloud of dust.

With a yelp she scrambled backwards, frantically kicking herself along to put precious distance between her and the whatever-it-was. A stinger attached to a tail the size of a tree trunk hurtled out of nowhere and gouged the dirt between her legs.

An ear piercing whistle came from the Ghoul’s direction. “Come on you big motherfucker,” he taunted. Two shots rang through the air.

There was a squelch and a whine that almost would have pulled at her heartstrings if she weren’t actively fighting for her life. Insect-like legs skittered out from the settling cloud and for the first time she was finally able to get a look at the thing.

The rest of it was just as wicked as the pincers and stinger had her believe. Its thorax was covered in that same blue-gray carapace. Several pairs of black beady eyes glimmered above a set of greedily clicking fangs. It arched its tail, curling it through the air in its own taunting gesture as it shifted to face the Ghoul.

“Atta girl.” He leveled his pistol at it again and pulled back the hammer.

The creature - scorpion, Lucy realized - launched toward him with a surprising burst of speed. Before she could even shout for the Ghoul to run, he pulled the trigger.

Bang.

Its many legs tangled together as its thorax crumpled to the ground and skidded to a halt not two feet from him. He set his boot atop its carapace and tilted his head, appraising his work as its tail gave one final thrash and dropped to the ground with a useless thud.

Lucy allowed herself to lay on the ground. Just for a moment. Just to let her heaving lungs catch their breath and for the heady buzz of adrenaline to leave her system. “What… what?” she asked aloud to no one in particular.

“Radscorpion,” he grunted.

Pretty self explanatory, she supposed. A faint memory emerged of a book she’d borrowed from the Vault library when she was young. Mojave Flora and Fauna. Little drawings of plants and animals decorated every page. The scorpion, she remembered, had been nestled atop an outstretched palm.

She brought her own hand to her face and examined the short span of it. “Huh.” Then she forced herself to her feet and dusted her hands off on her jumpsuit. “Well, thanks for saving me. Again.”

He was already too busy to reply, as usual. He rifled through the many pockets of his duster before withdrawing a hefty knife with a jagged edge. Then he clambered atop the thorax and began hacking at the joints of its tail.

She kept a wary eye on its vicious stinger as she approached. “Do you… need any help?”

“How bout,” he grunted between swings, “since you’re so damn good at playin’ bait-“ another swing- “you march your pretty little self on ahead-“ swing- “and see if you can rile up every other big critter between here ‘n’ New Vegas.”

She frowned.

He yanked the tail off with a loud snap, then set back on his haunches and flashed her a yellow, patronizing smile.

“What if you run out of bullets?”

“You let me worry about that, sweetheart.”

She met his gaze, sharp and yellowed like his bared teeth. Somehow he hadn’t given up the game of finding new ways to cut her down despite the fact she’d saved his life.

Indignation flared hot on her cheeks, but she let it go with a low, soft sigh. “Okie dokie.”

With a gruesome squelch he ripped at the severed end of tail, then raised a hunk of pale flesh in his gloved hand. “Ever had shellfish, Vaultie?”

She braced herself for another verbal jab as she shook her head.

“Then this is the damn nearest thing you’ll ever get.”

Dogmeat, who had been curiously circling between the hulking corpse and the giant crater it left in the earth, looked up at the Ghoul and gave a sudden whine. He eyed her softly wagging tail before rolling his eyes and tossing her a handful of the meat. She snapped it out of the air with eager jaws.

He turned back to Lucy and waved her over. “Got room in that pack of yours, don’tcha?”

Reluctantly she stepped over and around the radscorpion’s spiny legs and held her pack out for him. She grimaced as he flipped it open and began dumping slimy chunks of tail meat right on top of the rest of her things. “Is there a better way to store this stuff?”

“Dinner’s on me tonight,” he said, as if that were all she needed to hear. “So don’t ever say I ain’t been a gentleman to ya.”

A snort escaped her and she couldn’t help but raise a challenging brow.

“That’ll do.” He cinched her bag shut and gave her a rough pat on the shoulder, graciously smearing his slimy gloved fingers over the fabric of her jumpsuit. Then he hopped off the carapace and went strolling down the road with Dogmeat trotting at his heels.

She hefted her (now much heavier) pack over her shoulder and glowered after him.

“Come on, darlin’,” he called, “we’re wastin’ daylight.”

With a sigh she skirted around both corpse and crater, trailing after him down the winding broken pavement.

-

Mojave nights were cold as the grave. When the sun burrowed beneath the horizon in a brilliant smear of reds and purples and oranges it took the sweltering desert heat right along with it. Never with such longing did Lucy think she’d remember the stale, disinfectant-laced air of the vault with its heating and cooling systems maintaining that steady seventy degrees fahrenheit.

She sat as close to the campfire as she could stand. Knees to her chest, arms wrapped around them, teeth chattering no matter how tightly she clamped her jaw. Their first few nights on the road - when the constant clicking had worn the Ghoul’s tattered patience too thin - he threatened to pull her molars out one by one.

“Sell ‘em for a handful of caps too, while I’m at it,” he’d added.

To her relief he never followed through. And tonight he was too preoccupied with the task of cooking up the radscorpion tail. He squatted opposite her, dented frying pan in hand, shuffling the sizzling meat around with the end of his knife.

It left her free to study him - a habit she couldn’t seem to shake ever since she first laid eyes on his strange, marred face. The firelight had a way of catching the craters in his skin, flooding the deep sockets of his eyes with wavering shadows, and drawing her attention to the cavernous opening where his nose once was. It left her mind brimming with a dozen questions that were far too brazen for the good manners that had been embedded in her over the years.

What are you? She’d given in and asked the question when he’d driven her beyond the capacity to recall said manners.

Now she had several answers. He was a ghoul. A bitter, broken, irradiated shell of a man. A remorseless killer and finger-stealer. Her one-way ticket to finding her father, to finding the truth. But all of those things were many, many strokes short of painting a full picture.

Oh I’m you, sweetie.

She knew that had been a dig at her, one of the first among many. But she was learning there was a certain truth to it that even he hadn’t anticipated. It was in his easy smile, the crooked cadence of his walk, the cheeky glimmer in his eyes when he said something he thought would rile her up - an old-world kind of charm the biting sandstorms of the wastes hadn’t managed to carve out of him yet.

He reminded her of the pre-war cowboy holos she used to watch with Norm and her dad. Well, maybe if she squinted hard enough-

Without warning he flung a steaming sliver of radscorpion at her straight from the pan. She fumbled it in her hands, hissing through her teeth as it scalded her skin. She managed to drape it over her gray finger. The half dead nerves barely registered the stinging heat. After a few rapid blows to cool it down she took her first bite.

The texture was… spongy. Almost rubbery. Squeaky between her teeth. But the flavor - salty with a hint of something smoky - was enough to make up for it. She gave a pleased hum and a nod.

When he tossed her another piece she was ready for it.

“Goes good with a bit of melted butter,” he announced before craning his head back and dropping a large bite straight down his gullet.

“Butter, huh?” She’d seen it referenced in the Vault-Tec approved cookbooks they used in her home ec classes. More often than not it was scratched through with faded ink and someone had been kind enough to supply a substitution in the margins.

“‘Spose you didn’t have any cows or brahmin in that vault of yours.”

She shook her head.

“Ain’t that a cryin’ shame.” But he didn’t sound sorry at all.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Dogmeat licked the grease out of the pan when it had cooled, then curled up in a tight little ball next to the Ghoul. With a huff she flicked her ears back and drifted off to sleep.

The Ghoul settled into the dirt with his pack behind his head and gave her a lazy scratch along her shoulder. Then he pulled his hat over his face.

There was an unspoken agreement that the first watch was hers. It took her far longer to drift off anyway. Every strange sound and shift in the wind set her on edge. Tonight, cowering beneath the blanket of stars, she listened to a far off howling that raised the fine hairs along the nape of her neck.

She scanned the dark, rolling sand dunes on the horizon for any sign of movement, but found none. A chilling breeze swept through their camp, stirring up a puff of smoke and ash from the dying remains of the fire. An uneasy feeling rolled through her gut. Like she was being watched.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she was rifling through her pack for her syringe rifle. The whole time she kept glancing over her shoulder, ears strained for the sound of sifting sand.

Something skittered across the ground and collided with her knee. She yelped and clutched the collar of her jumpsuit as her heart seized beneath her knuckles. When she looked down she found the Ghoul’s pistol laying in the dirt.

“I can hear you shakin’ in your boots from all the way over here.” He was propped up on his elbow, watching her beneath the brim of his hat. His eyes glimmered with something between annoyance and amusement - a flicker of that old-world cowboy charisma. “That little peashooter of yours ain’t good for much besides pissin’ things off.”

Tentatively, she pulled the gun into her lap.

“If you’re gonna take it, you best be ready to use it.” He pulled his hat back over his eyes and returned to his makeshift pillow.

“Um, thank you. I appreciate it.”

He gave a noncommittal grunt.

Another howl echoed across the endless barren stretch of sand. She dragged her eyes from him, from the line of his jaw peeking out just beneath the brim of his hat, and returned her gaze to the horizon. As she tightened her fingers around the pistol grip and rested her half-dead finger atop the trigger, she found it a little easier to swallow back her fear.

[mikunology]

Locations in Sapporo

things in my personal life has calmed down somewhat for the time being so I figured I'd write up an easy lore post that I completely forgot I could make so here we are

I wanted to list some common locations found in Sapporo as featured in Vocal Android! I haven't actually talked about the setting too much and while I'm kinda bad at designing locations, I figured I could at least talk about them a little

But, yeah, I'll do my best to explain, so some lore under the cut?

Crypton Laboratories HQ/Crypton Towers: The place where the CVs live and where Meiko and Kaito work. A huge white, gray, and cyan building shaped like a C if you look at it from above, it's home to Crypton's various research labs. The building has floors entirely dedicated to be Miku, the twins and Luka's living spaces, and they each have their own color-coded rooms and living areas. There's a recording and dance studio in the building for the CVs to do their idol work and music playing, as well as a virtual reality training room. There's also the CVs' very own superhero base of sorts, which Gumi helped design, and allows the crew to oversee the city in case danger makes itself known (it's also a convenient place to hang out and take a nap). There's also a sizeable garage below the building, where Rin keeps the road roller.

Kenmochi Academy High School: Miku, Rin and Len's school. A large, clean campus made of three V-shaped buildings with their points pointing towards each other and hexagon-shaped windows. A pretty high-bar school with a lot of recent technology, it's one of the more popular and well-known high schools in town (and thus, an excellent candidate for Meiko's goal of having the CVs interact with humans their age). It is headed by Principal Sasaki. (Current Student List: Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len, Kobayashi Matcha, Masaoka Azuki, Yumemi Nemu, Hibiki Lui, Akira Kano/Arsloid, Otomachi Una, Sato Sasara, Suzuki Tsudumi, Kokone Aime, Kizuna Akari, Futaba Minato, Hoshino Ichika, Tenma Saki, Hinomori Shiho, Mochizuki Honami, Koharu Rikka (formerly), Suzune Ring)

Ichikawa Academy High School: Gumi's school, a high school on the eastern side of the city. It's a more "normal" high school, less flashy than Kenmochi and looking more typical, but still has a few good programs to its name, including its science program (which Gumi tries to participate in). (Current Student List: Megumi "Gumi" Nakashima, Kotonoha Akane and Aoi, Tohoku Zunko, Gahata Meiji, Kamishiro Rui, Kusanagi Nene, Tenma Tsukasa, AiSuu, Tsuina-chan)

Utahako Elementary School: The local elementary school a block or two away from Kenmochi. It's a modest little elementary school, having been newly refurbished from an older building. Many of the students that go there end up graduating to Kenmochi later. Kiyoteru teaches here. (Current Student List: Kaai Yuki, Oliver Twitchell, Rana, Macne Petit, Tohoku Kiritan, Otomachi Unagi, Ryuuto Nakashima)

The Macne Cafe: A fresh-looking little internet cafe that sits in the town plaza and is the CVs' favorite hangout spot. Established by the Macne Family, it's become slowly but surely known around town for its delicious green apple cheesecake and desserts. Nana has been trying various ways to spread their customer base further.

The V5: A swanky nightclub and bar that is also in the plaza, run by four friends: Amy, Chris, Kaori and Ken. Many of the adult characters come there to drink and chat a bit.

UTAU Studios: A record label company and radio studio stationed in the industry hub of town, notable for its large staff and loooong list of talents. The studio runs a daily radio broadcast that's fairly popular, and their top talent is Namine Ritsu (or it was, anyway).

Sapporo University: The local college. A bit of an older building since it's been there basically forever compared to a lot of the rest of futuristic city. Has a small, colorful dormitory community next to it where students stay. (Current Student List: Galaco, Po-uta, Tsurumaki Maki, Shirosaki Yuudai; Utatane Piko isn't a student but he lives there)

Kamukura Shrine: A humble shrine that's only a little ways away from the beach, and is where most of the cast goes for holiday celebrations (such as New Years). It's headed by Kigashima Sourin and his protégés, Kurono Takehiro, Wakamatsu Akashi, Aoyama Ryuusei and Shirakami Koutarou, who are training to be proper priests. They also have their shrine maiden, a fussy teenage girl named Lumi who claims to be a jellyfish kami from the sea. Her antics tend to bring a lot of visitors.

SEKAI Auditorium: A venue a few blocks away from Crypton HQ and the main place where Miku and friends perform locally. Very spacious and known to host tons of acts, including smaller ones like local bands, singers and theater shows. Also functions as a sort of convention center at times. However, it's tendency to get raided by supervillains (mostly in pursuit of Miku and co.) has given it a bit of a weird reputation.

The Nebula: A recently-established nightclub in the plaza run by American DJ CYBER DIVA (and her partner CYBER SONGMAN), who is also the headlining act of the place. Used to have a bit of a rivalry with Miku, but they're both over it. Gets a lot of younger customers than the ones at the V5.

Dr. Momone's House: A modern house in a quiet neighborhood next to the industrial part of town where Dr. Momone, Momo and Defoko live. Their neighbors consist of Yufu (who lives down the lane), Eru (who lives at the far end of the lane), Tsukishiro Hakupo and his servant bot Kunishiki (who live next door) and Sensei.

Gumi's Apartment: Gumi, Gakupo and Ryuuto's small apartment in a building not too far from Crypton HQ. Not the nicest apartment that ever was, but it's homey.

Gin no Hana: A old-fashioned restaurant that has reasonable business and is popular due to the comfy atmosphere. Managed by Ginsaki and his wife, Koharu.

The Old Soul Theater: An old theater in town that's mainly still in the city for the sake of preservation, but still has small plays and acts now and again. Has been turned into an acting school of sorts by Miriam Stocks, a theater connoisseur.

Ruko's candy shop: A hole-in-the-wall shop in an alleyway managed by Yokune Ruko, where they sell candy, snacks and cheap cups of drip coffee. Totally not shady in the slightest. Is almost constantly out of coffee-flavored hard candy because Ruko keeps eating it.

Meiko's apartment: Meiko's home, a simple apartment in a simple complex where she crashes after a long day at the lab. The CVs have never been to it.

There's probably more than this but yeah :>

[verreprincesse]

Anonymous dreamed: We don't really know each other so I'm sending this anonymously but from one person in ED recovery to the other, I'm SO HAPPY for you and proud of you for finding a healthy way that works for you. Sending you love! ♡♡♡

thank you so much for this ♥ its been a loooong and hard road through this. i know you know how hard. some things still get to me but I'm working through them with therapy. i know I didn't put the weight on overnight and getting it off isn't gonna be easy. it's getting easier to look at my whole body in the mirror instead of just my face. I'm seeing subtle differences and one that hit me was an old pic of mine from about a year ago and a pic from a few weeks ago.

The left is from a year ago and the right was maybe 2 weeks ago. i was so shocked at the difference.

i am proud of you too for fighting. you got this!!!! ♥♥♥

[paper-mario-wiki]

to anyone asking, NO this show is NOT like this all the way through.

this show is about a dude who is born as a slime, merges souls with a Japanese girl who was killed during WW1, does some of the typical isekai "whoa look at how powerful ive become! i must use this power for good" stuff, and then he spends the rest of the series doing his best to create the least racist nation on the planet to usher in an era of peace using Japan's contemporary model of a pacifist state as its basis.

it starts from square 0 like this, where he wakes up in a cave and then spends an indeterminate amount of months in the cave, alone, fighting monsters and gaining fighting experience and stuff. then there's some typical isekai beats as he meets a goblin village (his found family) and starts rebuilding and protecting it from invaders, and then after about 4 arcs of progressively larger-scale conflicts, its runtime becomes almost exclusively long, long discussions about fantasy politics as the main character's power grows to the point where he's commanding entire armies. it goes from "we've got to protect the village from wolves!" in the first season, to things like "a holy race war was started by the capital city due to the protagonist's new kingdom becoming a trading powerhouse, and our ongoing project to pave roads between major cities is eating at the profits of the nearby kingdom, which had been the economic center of the continent, thus making the various royalists angry" in the second season.

you can REALLY tell the animation budget is thin in the middle episodes of the first two seasons where there's lots of static shots with little movement, but the visuals are ultimately inoffensive if you're satisfied enough with following the story along, which i personally was. i enjoy the writing and ideas in this story, though like i said, you have to be willing to enjoy that story in the form of loooong strategic political and military meetings.

that said, there's a spinoff season called Slime Diaries that is 100% fluff. like, it's all character interactions between the MANY characters in the ensemble cast which may not otherwise get time in the spotlight to develop their personalities (likely due to the fact that this story is adapted from a light novel, so a lot of character moments end up left out to save time for the major events), and it shows life in the monster kingdom between major story events, and all the festivals they throw as the main character teaches them about stuff like the Bon festival, autumnal harvests (after the kingdom adopts agriculture), and Christmas (though there's a pretty good bit where he has to explain what Christmas is without getting tied up in the real-world ties it has to Jesus Christ).

6/10 anime, but to me that's a passing grade. im enjoying it a lot, and just started season 3.

im rewatching the slime reincarnation anime cuz i havent watched it since i was a teenager, and like.

the part where he's experiencing what a slime's body feels like for the first time as he "wakes up" after having just died is portrayed with such beautiful attention paid to the sensory details. it simulates what it would feel like to wake up in an alien body, and learning to comprehend entirely new means of interfacing with the world that are different from a human body in almost every conceivable way. and its presentation is sooooo impressive to me.

[omurchumakes]

Motorcycle Mischief

The road out of the town, is verdant and lush, narrow and twisty so its a good test of your alertness before eight in the morning. There’s always a car coming against you, normally on a bend, but you crest the hill and the valley opens up giving a view of the main road, and a bowl of moody grey roiling clouds, bisceted neatly by a set of power lines. I roll down to the crossroads gently, avoiding a few patches of gravel; more dangerous than juggling chainsaws drunk before coming to rest at the intersection, a quick shoulder check, throttle up, clutch out, releasing the footbreak and we’re away on open road with nothing but the soundtrack of RPM’s, wind and a feeling of pure freedom.

So I went looking and stumbled accross Royal Enfields, and in particular the interceptor, and I just fell in love with the style, and look of them. I’ll be honest, I did very little hard research on the brand, on the reliability, on maintainability or where they’re manufactured [this is called foreshadowing kids]. No I went straight to adverts.ie and donedeal desperately looking for one of these bad boys on sale.

Now prior to this, I had picked up The Official Driver Theory Test Questions and Answers, now this was partly because I needed a goal outside of job hunting to keep myself from going insane while unemployed. I also booked a theory test for the motorbike, because if I don’t have a deadline, I will never do the thing. After a few weeks of going over the book, I discovered there is an app that you can practice with, so obviously I bought that too.

I took the theory test down in Tullamore on a grey squib of a Saturday, and I was bricking it. However, having passed on before (a loooong time ago) I figure’d I’d be ok. They take security really serious in the test center. Firstly you sign in, and you have to lock everything you have with you in a locker, not even a spare hair tie was allowed in, or my smart watch. Once signed in you go to an airlock like room, where a second staff member has you face a camera and they pat you down and take your licence. Then you’re permitted into the test room. Now other people are already in there testing, so you quietly sit and the touch screen boots up, taking you through a tutorial and then the test itself. I have to say the app is a perfect replica of the screens and questions and layout, I really would recommend it. In and out in about 20 minutes, I felt a little guilty as I started after several folks and finished before them too. But I figured I had it easy as I had done one before. We should talk about costs, but I will cover them later. The screen tells you your score and you know if you’ve passed or failed, they also inform you that your results will be emailed to you.

However, you’d be sadly mistaken. Which is how your narrator was sitting in a carpark in Tullamore furiously trying to gain access to test results which should have been fully automated. I ended up sending about four complaint emails. Eventually on Monday someone got back to me, they had adjusted my login details manually so I could retrieve my results. I then applied for the learner permit as the next step in the process. It was never clear to me if you needed a new driver number, if you could use your old one, or if you needed to replace your full car licence. It turns out that you get a new card, with the same driver number that is a learner permit but just for the motorbike stuff and is missing your car licences. Simple.

Next step, the IBT -Initial Basic Training this is a mandatory course you must take and pass for the class of bike you want to ride, quick aside, there’s four classes in ireland AM, A1, A2 and A the definitions are a mess. Simply, A is all motorbikes, A2 is anything up to a certain CC, weight, power to weight ratio and overall power, also slightly age limited. I was eligible to go straight to an A class licence.

I was informed it was the largest IBT space available in Dublin. At first it seemed like load of space, but as I soon learned it was really not that large at all. The course is intense, and takes you from being a complete rookie up to being out on the road on a motorbike in real life traffic without a safety net. The instructors were super thorough and focused on getting you comfortable, and drilling the skills needed to keep you alive on a bike. Martin and Tony were great craic and really good teachers, also willing to stay late, and let you go at your own pace, to ensure you can do everything with confidence. Sadly I was only qualified on an A2 bike, instead of the A that I wanted, but to be honest, while bike shopping I couldn’t find an A class bike that I liked that I could afford.

Back to Chromie, did the usual, contacted on adverts, brought my knowledgable biker friend to have a look, seller was a super nice dude, very friendly and chatty, knew a lot about bikes in general. I took her out for a short spin, now for context, I learned on a 450cc bike basically the weekend before, and now I was getting on a much heavier 650cc bike, in a housing estate. I was quite nervous, but I took her out around a few corners, tested the breaks and handling, she felt great. The suspension was as soft as a particularly old sofa your grandparents might have had. I thought it was a feature of these type of bikes (I was wrong). My mate had a similar go and we agreed she felt solid, an no obvious flaw in her.

The sellar didn’t put any pressure on me to buy, he liked the bike so much he didn’t really want to let it go but he was selling it on behalf of the owner. I decided to pull the trigger, I paid a deposit, and we agreed I’d sort insurance and he would bring it to my office and I’d pay him on delivery.

Getting insurance was difficult, time consuming and incredibly expensive, we don’t need to spend time on that.

Then a week later I brought her over to my dad to show off, he was suitably impressed and in love with it. Now unfortunately, while rolling down the drive way, i tipped over and dropped the bike and spilled myself on the road like the absolute rookie I am. This is where the problems start….possibly.

I buzz on home, no problems, the route is through a load of small towns and back roads untill I eventually get onto an N road headed out home. I am blasting along at around 100 kph when, the bike dies, I loose all mechanical power, the dash is lit up and I am freaking out. I pull into a ditch, dismount and turn on the hazards.

I can’t get her to restart.

Fuck

I have a protein bar

calm down

I call the insurance and get a tow truck to come out and get her. And I spend a lovely bank holiday Sunday evening in a ditch waiting for a tow truck. A super nice dude eventually arrives about an hour later and we load her up onto his truck. He very kindly gives me a lift home, and his contact information to let them know what garage to bring it to. As if I have a garage lined up.

As side note, the next day I blew out a tire on the car, but thats a tale for another time. Chromie goes on a little trip over to the recommended mechanic on Tuesday after the bank holiday. The guys work on her all day Wednesday and a chunk of Thursday and eventually they call me to collect her. She cut out twice on them while they were trying to chase down the problem but they never managed to isolate it, and they only charge me for a basic service as a result. They also inform me that my super soft suspension, means the suspension is fucked and needs to be replaced.

Delighted

As I am about to pull away the mechanic runs over and offers me a glimmer of hope. “Try flipping the shocks upside down, you literally cannot make them any worse than they are now”.

When a mechanic makes something sound easy, remember dear reader, they’re a professional and not a moron, like your author here. I convince myself on the way home, sure I can flip the suspension over tonight no big deal. I’ve no car at the minute at home and only this sketchy motorbike to get to work. Surely I wouldn’t risk breaking my only mode of transport without backup. Keeping in mind one of the reasons for getting the bike was to have a back up to the car.

After about 5 hours of effing and blinding, I got the shocks flipped. As usual the bulk of the job was in getting the first one sorted, and about 30 minutes for the second one. Oh I also dropped the bike again, and nearly had a hernia picking it back up.

But were back in the saddle and the ride is so much better with the flipped shocks. Turns out Hagon shocks have the stickers on upside down, that and the previous owner might have been a fuckin dope.

In betwixt all this I had joined a local group on reddit (shoutout to yis animals if ye ever read this, love you all) and arranged to go for a spin, so that Sunday I mounted up and headed off to Kilcock. We had a fuckin steller time riding around for about an hour, when Chromie up and fucking died again on me. At least this time I knew to let her rest a few minutes and then restart her. I somehow managed to catch up to the group and had another 5 successful hours riding around and talking shite about bikes over lunch.

Fast forward a few days, I’m on the way home from work, going around a bend and I loose all power again, except this time, add a little spice. I’m banked over, and the back of the bike starts to fishtail. I’m convinced this is how I fucking die.

I make it upright, pull over on the side of the road, finish having a coronary and decide, I am fucking benching the bike until I can get it fixed. I limp her home, very slowly, very carefully and hang up my riding boots….

Not.

I jump online and do a deep dive, stumbling accross www.royalenfieldowners.com specifically on a thread going back to 2022 about Interceptor 650’s having this problem, and a whole host of people complaining about how fucking dangerous it is. However the consensus was that, it was an over application of waterproofing grease in the relays which was causing poor conductivity between the relay and its holder. Also potentially its the relay themselves, or it could be the kill switch wiring, or it could maybe be the safety cut out on the kick stand vibrating too much at high speeds. You get the idea.

I made a list of most likely to least likely problems and decided to talk to a professional.

[sosos-adventures]

March 20th: My son. And yes thats a place. Nothing blood related going on here.

As mentioned before, local buses to sightseeing spots outside of the city do not really exist. At least we dont know them. Its mostly either motorbike or private shuttle. So we decided to book a shuttle for 8€ p.P eatly in the morning to see the world culture heritage site "My Son". The entrance fee qas quite high but at least they have a shuttle within the property to get to the ruins. The other optiob would have been walking for 2km. But not through some nice forests, just on a loooong road. When we arrived at the ruins there was a perdormance of local dances and music. They honored the goddess shiva. The ruins itself were full of tourists. And of course lots of Germans around. Because we are everywhere hehe 🤭🙂

Really cool day but it kind of felt like joining an Asian trip where you have exactly 2 hours to visit the attraction and kind of have to rush through it without actually enjoying it. But we didnt have any other option.

Back in Hoi An we went to get a really traditional vietnamese dish: Banh Mi. There is this really famous Banh Mi shop that serves the food quite cheap. But its delicious. Its literally just white bread with filling. But they add some chili sauce and its extremely delicious. Especially of you have stomach problems from all the raw veggies and ice cubes we might have consumed..

After another coffee (coconut coffee.. how delicious is that.. its also a specialty here.. I feel like I need to write a post just about food.) we went back to the tailor to try on our clothes. And lets just say it was complicated. First of all a compliment: they dod it exactly like on the pictures. And that witjin less than 24 hours. Sadly a lot of tjings didnt really fit well. If you pay 35€ for pants, you want them to fit you well and also make a great ass 😊 also the jumpsuit. We both ordered one in our individual style but with the same fabric. Navy blue and silk. We tried it on and it wasnt what we expected. After 2 women gave up on talking to us about what we wanted to be changed, they told us to come back the next morning for the final fitting. They didnt even say goodbye anymore. Maybe we were too direct. Vietnamese people dont usually say "no". They rather have 5 ways of saying yes. Some of them intending a "no". So our direct way of criticism might ha e been too inpolite. So we wemt to get some local dinner at a cute little restaurant nearby and decided to just relax and do some research about our next steps and how to get to our next location. And yes that was a nightmare. Doing research for almost 3 hours we gave up. Everytjingwent wrong. We tried to book our trainticket to Hanoi multiple times but the website didnt accept our credit card. We couldnt find any good way of getting to Hue with a tour included crossing the Hai van Pass which is the highlight dor many tourists here in Vietnam.. at some point we were only able to laugh about how everything is going wrong and decided to go to bed. But yea planning a trip can be exhausting.

[mintbees]

sorry it send it on here, I don't like,,,, messaging on instagram. But!!! You've improved so much!! The proportions look amazing, the faces are different and have so much emotion in them, your shading has gotten so much better to!! the shading itself sets the mood of the art piece so well too- anyways you're an amazing artist keep up the amazing work!!

thats fine dw instagram messaging is soooo scary its so direct ykno? but jo thank you!! ive been aiming for constant improvement over the past 2 years and ive been drawing A Lot and im so glad it rlly shows! 

[polcadotte]

“So you’re the singularity.”

Loooong Theory(ish) Below!

So! I’ve been stuck on this line that the Master of Masters said to Xehanort when he found him in the Dark Corridor, cos it just came out of nowhere with no explanation given! And after looking up definitions of the term this is what I got =D

I’m borrowing Fate Grand Order’s definition, where a Singularity is a part of history that contains an irregularity that wasn’t supposed to happen. If left alone, this irregularity would make everything spiral out of control, resulting in total destruction.

I believe Xehanort, at least Dark Roads Xehanort, is an anomaly to the MOM. A result of various decisions made to go against the Book of Prophecies, starting from when Master Ava handed the book to Brain instead of the original recipient. When Brain arrives in Scala Ad Caelum in Missing Link, I wonder would he learn about Xehanort’s future and decide to try and prevent it, as a favour to his deceased friend Ephemer. Joining forces with the reborn Player, they would eventually get Xehanort to Destiny Islands where he would be protected from the Darkness. Only the Player and Xehanort inhabit the world of Destiny Islands, it would be the safest place for him to be.

As for why they had to move him, I think his ability to connect to hearts might have had something to do with it. Scala has an overwhelming amount of light, but its always stated that the strongest lights cast the darkest shadows. If Xehanort had stayed in Scala his whole life, I wonder would he have ended up acting out Baldr’s role in Dark Roads?

However, he didn’t, and he was still more or less on the good side/middle path, which wouldn’t do for future plans involving Kingdom Hearts. I think this is where the MOM had to step in and guide him towards the intended path. This is maybe the first time the MOM has shown up since the start of KHUX and I think its super significant. After all, only a major anomaly could throw off the events written in the Book of Prophecies and warrant the MOM stepping in to fix it. Perhaps along with affirming Xehanort’s plan to wipe out the current worlds state, he tells him all about the Lost Masters and Unreality. Curiosity has always been Xehanort’s weakness and would be an excellent way to motivate him towards a certain path.

As for the Child of Destiny thing - I feel like that could have been a term coined in the stories passed down in Scala rather than something stated in the Book itself. And maybe Brain and the Player worked to try and fit Xehanort into this ‘role’ as a way to save him, or it was a convenient excuse for Brain to convince Xehanort’s family to let him go. This title that Xehanort grows up believing to be his, may have been the reason he felt he could travel the Dark Corridors without protection, though he was actually far more vulnerable due to his hearts ability. I wonder would he have been lost to the Dark Corridors if the MOM hadn’t found him?

Lastly, there is a large discrepency between Xehanort’s actions and his words when it involves the ‘friends from his dreams’ and doing good in general. Like he is two different people at times. Other than silly retconning ^^ I think it would be interesting if there Were two Xehanorts overlapping, the one who grew up in Scala and would be the villain vs the one who grew up on Destiny Islands and cared about his friends. Maybe the timeline fixing itself from anomaly Xehanorts existence ensures that he acts in ways the bring about the keyblade war despite what he says to the contrary. He seesaws between caring and not caring so suddenly at times that it feels strange, which is shown in future cutscenes in Dark Roads. This isn’t to say he is absolved from his horrible actions. I just think in specific cases his actions just don’t add up. His aforementioned curiosity could drive him to do awful things even without Darknesses influence.  

I dunno, these are all just silly thoughts! I don’t usually write theories but since this one came with art I figured I’d put down some thoughts. I am excited for Missing Link though as I feel some things went down during that time that the MOM may not be aware of. I feel like Brain will be integral to events and as he was chosen by Ava, who was doubting the MOM’s motivations, he just might be willing to work against what is “set in stone”.

Edit - Oooh wait, this could be why Luxu says “guess it wasnt him after all”. I think he thought that Baldr was the seeker of darkness and that Xehanort or one of the others would be the Hero that would defeat him. However, Baldr was killed before doing anything, though his focus on Xehanort was suspicious enough for Luxu to take note of him. Poor Luxu was probably hoping the MOM would be back soon but no luck!

Edit 2 - Oh Xehanort also knows the ending written in the Book of Prophecies... Wonder did MOM tell him he was guarunteed to succeed in his plan since it was “etched”.

[seldnei]

Got tagged by my fellow Dream Lord, @julcheninred ...

Relationship status: Married. Not currently plotting murder.

Favorite color: Green!

Favorite food: Any combination of bread, tomato, and cheese.

Song stuck in your head: I have music playing, so that’s drowning out whatever’s in there (current song is “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol)

Last thing you’ve googled: “Elden Ring dungeons list.”  I’m stuck on the fucking Elden Beast fight, so I’m taking a break and running through all the dungeons I’ve missed or skipped.

Time: 12:48 PM

Last book you read: When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire.  I’m prepping for the new Toby book that’s coming out at the end of the month.

Last book you enjoyed: Not a re-read? The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison.

Last book you hated reading:  I no longer read books that I hate.  Like, I’ll finish a “meh” book, but if I find myself actively hating the book, I just quit. I believe the last time this happened, it was 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.  I was hoping for something better than the 1am honors dorm room pontificating I got (do not get me started on the section on science fiction).

Favorite thing to cook/bake: I like the process of baking chocolate chip cookies, especially with fresh brown sugar.  I like to have baked bread, because I make good bread, but the process is loooong.

Favorite craft to do in your free time: I don’t really craft much--most of my free time is spent reading or, at the moment, playing Elden Ring.  I do want to learn to make my own notebooks, though.

Most niche dislikes: Jazz?  I hate jazz.  My coworkers find this weird. Oh, I am also not fond of Chicago citation style.  I think its bibliographies look weird and crowded.

Opinion on circuses: Love fictional circuses. Fantasy circuses (MirrorMask’s, as an example), horror circuses (I am quite fond of the Circus of the Other in Magnus Archives), a dusty, 30s-era circus as a setting for a novel.  Have no desire to go to a circus in real life.  (side note: I got lost at the circus when I was small, which was not traumatic for me but was pretty traumatic for my mother.)

Do you have a sense of direction and if not what’s the worst way you’ve gotten lost?: Yeeesss?  Okay, I can’t label my left and right.  If you say “go left,” there are 50 50 odds that I will turn right, honestly thinking I am turning left. However, if I, say, know I am facing north, and you tell me to go east, I will do it. I am pretty good at knowing where the main roads are from where I am in areas I’m familiar with. I’ve successfully navigated people who thought we were lost back to civilization in my hometown and current city.

That said, the worst time I got lost was coming back from a friend’s place in another town where I’d only been once, with the hungry three year old in the back seat.  Ugh.

Last song I listened to: The Mary J. Blige cover of “Stay With Me.”

Last show I watched: She Hulk, Attorney at Law.

Currently watching: I guess that?  It’s coming out once a week.

Currently reading: Nothing, as I just finished a book yesterday, but I’m going to re-read Paladin’s Hope by T. Kingfisher next.

Current obsessions: Sandman has made a triumphant return to my obsessions list.  Still obsessed with the album The Horror and the Wild by The Amazing Devil, but it got interrupted by a desire to deep dive into Panic! at the Disco’s discography.  Elden Ring, god help me. And the cozy fantasy romance refuses to leave me alone, despite the two sets of revisions I need to be working on.

I am tagging @lookninjas, @silver-stargazing, @kaoticspoonie (if you want to, no pressure) and anyone else who wants to do this.

[asprettyasyourown]

How/Where do you think Jon and Arya will meet again? And how/where do you think Dany and Arya will meet?

Honestly, I can’t see Arya and Jon meeting anywhere else other than Winterfell. It would be such a satisfying “conclusion” to this aspect of their storyline. For Arya, both Winterfell AND Jon have been associated with home. She has tried since day one to return to either of them, and to see her do both at the same time would be so lovely. And Jon too, who has struggled for so long with his desire to have Winterfell (feeding his rivalry with Robb and his conflict with his status as a bastard) and Arya (contradicting his position as a member of the Night’s Watch, who have no family), would then get both at the same time. I know GRRM doesn’t like to hand things on a silver platter, and that “Be careful what you wish for” is a massive theme in the series, but come on. You can’t tell me they had it easy, and that they didn’t fight for it.

Now how and when is a little trickier.

Unfortunately, it won’t happen before a loooong time. Arya has a long way to go before leaving Essos, let alone reach Winterfell. She still needs to: 

Tie the story with the FM (including a “training” with the courtesans/the Black Pearl, and of course leaving them);

Deal with the wildlings women and children that are stranded in Braavos now that the Sealord captured the ship (= slavers) that intended to sell them;

As I’ve mentioned before, I very much see the Iron Bank being involved in her storyline, so there’s that to deal with as well;

Meet Dany (I’ll go back to this later);

Go back to Westeros;

Deal with the Riverlands, the Brotherhoods Without Banners and, most importantly, Lady Stoneheart;

Reconnect with Nymeria.

And all that doesn’t even take into account what GRRM could throw in her way on top of all of this. That’s a lot. And since Arya will definitively not see Jon anywhere outside of the North, it could only happen after she resolved all those things.

Jon too has a lot on his plate. He first needs to be resurrected (duh). He also needs to deal with the traitors who stabbed him and his future in the Night’s Watch. If you omit the whole murder thing (kinda hard to tbh), there is still the fact he broke his vows for Arya. He was already set to leave before he died. And since his last thoughts were about Arya, and we know the dead who get resurrected focus on their last conscious thoughts, his resolve to get her back will not be lessened.

Honestly, I think he’s done with the NW. I think he’s gonna do what he intended to before dying, aka kill Ramsay and get “Arya” back, whether by allying with Stannis or at the head of his own wildling army. I don’t know if he’s gonna become King in the North like in GoT, but he’s definitively going to be considered for the role; and since Bran, the legitimate heir, is still alive and will one day return to Winterfell, this could be the catalyst for the tension between these two George planned in his original draft. Not to mention the tensions it would create with the other northern lords, who would not see with a kind eye a bastard allied with the wildlings (enemies of the North for generations) and Stannis; or those who simply won’t appreciate a king not as malleable as a child (side-eye to the Manderlys).

(Oh, and there is also the matter with fArya and Theon. I’m going on a limb here, but I doubt he’s gonna be happy to learn that what he thought was his precious “sister” is really an impostor (though he might be happy to know the real Arya didn’t get what Jeyne had to endure). Or that she’s bringing along the guy who betrayed the Starks and supposedly killed Bran and Rickon. His first reaction definitively won’t be good, though it will probably soften once he learns what happened to them and how Ramsay is the real culprit. But I’m not anticipating much benevolence from him, especially since he’s in dark mode now).

So yeah. Lots of issues to be resolved before they can be reunited, and that’s without counting on the threat of the Others or what other characters might do. Honestly, I’m anticipating a reunion between the end of TWOW and the beginning of ADOS. On one hand, I think it would be more impactful in TWOW; most specifically, the last act of either Jon or Arya’s chapters. It would be a nice conclusion for the both of them, before the Others mess everything up. But I’m also aware that all the issues I’ve previously mentioned might not be resolved in one book, and that it might spill on the second one.

-----------------------------

Now Dany.

Honestly, it’s kinda hard to be sure of how they’re gonna meet. They will, that’s a certainty. There is so much hints, since the first book really. Remember this?

This time the monsters did not frighten her. They seemed almost old friends. [Arya, IV, AGOT]

Which is exactly how I’m anticipating their relationship. At first, things are going to be tense, especially on Dany’s side who has been fed lies about the Starks and their role in her exile (and who could blame her). So there’s definitively room for Arya to be frightened. But once she gets Dany to see her side to the story, and her vision of the events become more balanced, they’ll become fast-friends. They have so much in common, it’s impossible for them not to.

But, once again, the details of how they’re gonna meet is blurry. Arya will need to at least be done with the FM. And Dany... Dany has a lot on her plate too. She’s gonna need to deal with the khalasar she hears at the end of ADWD, and a possible confrontation (alliance?) with the Dothraki. She will also need to end the plot in Meereen (aka choose between “fixing” its whole culture or do what she always intended to, return to Westeros and seize back the Iron Throne). Of course, we know she’s gonna choose the latter - but a bunch of things can happen between that, and with them time passing.

At this point, Arya and Dany are very far away, each at one extremity of Essos. For them to have a chance to meet, I anticipate that Dany will end things with Meereen at the same time Arya closes the storyline with the FM (maybe even before, so Dany could already be on the road towards Braavos). Now is the tricky part. I have two theories on how they will meet: through the lost Wildlings and through the Iron Bank.

The lost Wildlings

We know the wildlings women and children in Braavos were “freed” when the Sealord seized the ship carrying them. Unfortunately, others were not so lucky.

“I know why the Sealord seized the Goodheart. She was carrying slaves. Hundreds of slaves, women and children, roped together in her hold.” Braavos had been founded by escaped slaves, and the slave trade was forbidden here. “I know where the slaves came from. They were wildlings from Westeros, from a place called Hardhome. An old ruined place, accursed.” Old Nan had told her tales of Hardhome, back at Winterfell when she had still been Arya Stark. “After the big battle where the King-Beyond-the-Wall was killed, the wildlings ran away, and this woods witch said that if they went to Hardhome, ships would come and carry them away to someplace warm. But no ships came, except these two Lyseni pirates, Goodheart and Elephant, that had been driven north by a storm. They dropped anchor off Hardhome to make repairs, and saw the wildlings, but there were thousands and they didn’t have room for all of them, so they said they’d just take the women and the children. The wildlings had nothing to eat, so the men sent out their wives and daughters, but as soon as the ships were out to sea, the Lyseni drove them below and roped them up. They meant to sell them all in Lys. Only then they ran into another storm and the ships were parted. The Goodheart was so damaged her captain had no choice but to put in here, but the Elephant may have made it back to Lys. The Lyseni at Pynto’s think that she’ll return with more ships. The price of slaves is rising, they said, and there are thousands more women and children at Hardhome.” [The Blind Girl, ADWD]

So the Goodheart was too damaged to go to Lys, but the Elephant wasn’t. It means there are still hundreds of wildlings women and children enslaved there. Honestly, I’m not sure how Arya could be involved in freeing them. Lys is a long way from Braavos, which means she would have to travel down there (with no resources and the other half of the wildlings), free them and get back up to sail across the Narrow Sea, deal with the Riverlands and then go North. It’s a little much for one girl, even one as resourceful as Arya. Sure, she could ask help from the Iron Bank (see my second point), but I doubt they would indulge her (high risk for no rewards).

But. You know who is as strongly against slavery as Arya, whose path might make her travel to Lys and who has the resources to fuck shit up? Yep, Dany.

The way I see it is, after being disheartened by Meereen and her failure to change the slaver(y) culture, Dany could very much decide to go home to Westeros - and set everything ablaze in her path. If she failed to abolish slavery from the inside, she might decide to do it by force, as a last FUCK YOU to the masters. This could be the beginning of her rock bottom, before she rises back again. It’s also coherent with the Dothraki culture of “Submit or be killed”, which could play a part if she allies with them again.

So I could see her attacking the big cities of Essos, destroying the masters and freeing the slaves as she goes along, until she reaches Braavos - who may be protected since 1. she would use its port to journey across the Narrow Sea and 2. they’re famously known for being founded by slaves and anti-slavery as a whole (and they actually enforce that rule, not just preach it and close their eyes when it counts). There, she could meet Arya through the wildlings women reuniting. Like I said, things would be tense at first, but if they might not be friends at first, they might respect each other for having their hearts set on the same goal (protecting their people). Friendship would come later, I’m not worried about that.

The Iron Bank theory

For me, the Iron Bank doesn’t get the recognition it deserves as a threat, and I fully anticipate them having a much larger role in the next book.

I really believe they will have a hand in Arya going back to Westeros. After she leaves the FM, I very much see them stepping in to offer their “help” to Arya. Personally, I believe the Kindly Man informed them of her real identity (though his motivations are yet unclear). I believe he’s aware of her value as a princess, and the (supposedly) last heir of the North. Look how people are rallying for her in the North when they hear “Valiant Ned’s precious little girl” is being brutalized. Do you think the Iron Bank is gonna pass on such a prize? I can see them trying to do to her what the Manderlys are doing with Rickon, or what Illyrio tried to do with Dany - offer their protection and help so she would be/feel indebted. They could get ahold of the North through Arya, and of the other Kingdoms through Stannis/the crown’s debt. Not too shabby.

But wait, there is a problem arising. A problem named Daenerys, who fully intends to take back the Iron Throne - and if she does, she’s not gonna care about reimbursing the debt her predecessors/usurpers left, thus lessening their leverage (and with three dragons, a Dothraki army and the Unsullied, threatening her is not gonna fly well). I can see them trying to step in too, promise the same things to her they did to Arya - except she’s not gonna fall for the same ploy like Viserys did with Illyrio.

(Btw, I’m sure Arya too will see right through them - she had a whole training dedicated to make her see beyond appearances, and she’s always been pretty observant (like when she didn’t fall for trap Cersei laid for her, with Lannister soldiers dressed as Stark men in AGOT). But she also don’t have the same resources Dany has, and if she frees the wildlings, she’ll have hundreds of mouths to feed and transport back to Westeros. I can’t see her do that without external help, so she might be playing along til a better opportunity arise.)

Now, both these theories have their flaws. The biggest one, for me, is time. Meereen is not gonna be resolved in a day (unless Dany just sets everything on fire the moment she arrives and takes off into the sunset, but I doubt that). She still needs enough time to travel to Braavos. Even if George takes his sweet time closing the FM storyline, dealing with the wildlings in Braavos and the Iron Bank, it’s not gonna take a million chapters. Unless he throws something in there to delay her departure, something that wasn’t foreshadowed yet? Because I don’t see them meeting first in Westeros. What would be the point of having them on the same continent if they don’t meet there? As always, there’s a lot left hanging in the air.

[vaniri]

Helping hand [Johnny Silverhand x V]

On their way home from Clouds, Johnny decides to end V’s life. Or help her, she is not sure anymore ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Contains all the good stuff: fingering, a bit of dirty talk (at least until V tells Johnny to shut up), Johnny being Johnny™, and public embarrassment. Does not contain: plot. Who needs that?

18+ only, obviously

As always, HUGE THANKS and I LOVE YOU to @ugh-my-back​ for helping me out with this little creation and doing the beta 🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

______________________________________________________

Johnny felt almost sorry for that pathetic piece of unfortunate shit he’d been involuntarily attached to. She had a simple task – go to a brothel, get the information she needed, get laid because that’s why you go to establishments of that kind, and leave. And literally nothing went according to plan: she didn’t learn much, got fucking psychoanalyzed instead of laid, and was shot at on her way out because she had to sniff around, having the sneaking skills of a drunk teenager. Only V could have that luck.

“I said that getting off was waiting for you in Clouds? I take it back.” He mocked her, materializing in the passenger seat of her car. “Was almost right about getting offed, though.”

“Please shut up and go back to pretending you don’t exist.” Tired and exasperated after what she’d been through, she didn’t even shoot him a glance, trying to focus on the road.

“I left you there for five minutes, so you could get shagged in peace, and not only did you fuck that up but also wound up in a shooting turned massacre. You should have just fucked that doll and bailed, like any normal person would."

"We weren't there to fuck anyone, remember?"

"Yeah, and we should be. You should be. Tell me, V, is your cunt sealed with cobwebs already? Because I scoured your memories, out of boredom, and it’s been a long, loooong while since you had some action there."

“Asshole.”

“Yeah, there too.”

“You really know how to brighten the day, don’t you?”

“And you really don’t feel how sexually frustrated you are? Because I do.” He turned in his seat to face her. Being a woman was fucked up in general, he found out - all these hormones and stuff Johnny didn't even try to understand - but the level of stress she was living under was absolutely crushing. The majority of it was obviously caused by the chip and everything that was going on in V's life lately, but a part of it, not a small one, came from her sexual starvation. And lack of sleep. Or maybe her abstinence led to insomnia, Johnny wasn’t sure anymore. All he knew was that she – they – were constantly tired as of late. And horny. Very horny. “And I don’t like it a bit. If I were you, I’d start jerking off right here and now.”

“Please don’t.” A look of dread flitted across her face.

“I won’t. But you should.”

“I’m driving, if you haven’t noticed. I really want to get us home in one piece, and as soon as possible.” She needed a shower and some takeout to make herself feel better, and maybe a cold one too. ”So eyes on the road, hands on the wheel.”

“Fine. I’ll lend you a hand, then.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to drive a car. You’re not corporeal, you know.”

“I was rather thinking about fingering you.”

“WHAT?”

“Eyes on the road.” He chided her, visibly amused by the utter horror showing on her face. “I’m just saying that I want to help you. No strings attached, don’t worry. Treat it as a friendly favor.”

“We aren’t friends.”

“Aww, V, that hurt.”

“Good. Now fuck off.” She seemed adamant, but he noticed that her hands, now gripping the wheel for dear life, were shaking a little. She was both abashed by the thought of being this intimate with Johnny and genuinely thinking about it. Considering. Imagining.

He knew her thoughts. He lived in her brain and he could read her like an open book. He knew exactly the effect he had on her and what she was thinking about him, he knew about her fascination and curiosity. And her constant denial about it.

It wouldn’t be hard to get what he wanted, never had been for him. And all he currently wanted was to get in her pants.

“Come on V, I’ve seen the thoughts that keep you awake at night. All of them. These about me too.” He purred, caressing her taut arm with his silver fingers. “I’m not going to tease you about them. Just want you to know that I know about your little fantasies. And appreciate your taste.”

“Sure.” She murmured, flustered.

“I will gladly show you that reality can be even better. If you let me.” He put his organic hand on her thigh. She didn’t immediately push it off, which was a promising sign. “So, what do you say? Will I get a yes? I may be an asshole and love sex way too much, but I would never go on someone without clear consent.”

“How considerate of you.”

“I’m serious, V. And I really just want to help. If you don’t blow off some steam anytime soon we’re both going to explode. Not the best way to go, trust me on that.”

Johnny saw how intensely she was thinking about it, processing what she had heard, weighing pros and cons. And he was waiting patiently for her answer, gently but not intrusively massaging her leg.

“If you ever mock me about it, or use it against me, I will rip both your silver arm and your cock off. Somehow.” She warned with a serious glare, finally giving up. She spread her legs a little, inviting his hand further, her face turning bright red.

“I would never. But eyes on the road, please.” He reminded her, an amused smile plastered on his face. His hand snuck past the hem of her trousers, rubbing the soft skin of her lower abdomen. “Smooth.”

“Not for you.”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” His hand continued its journey down her groin. V’s breath hitched in her throat and body squirmed involuntarily when he dragged his fingers along her folds. “Easy girl, I barely touched you.”

“Should I maybe pull over somewhere?”

“And make a show for everyone passing the car by? Kinky.” Johnny leaned towards her, his lips nearly touching her earlobe. He was so close that V could feel his hot breath on her skin and smell the stench of his favorite cigarettes lingering on him. As if he was real, she thought. She couldn’t dwell on it for long though, not with his hand skillfully stroking her slit, up and down, in a steady pace. “Just focus on the road. And try not to come after five seconds, deal?”

He cupped her crotch and a breathy “yes” was the only response V managed to give.

Her pussy was just as Johnny had expected – hot and slick, already dripping, craving stimulation his fingers were so eager to provide. He had so many plans for her, yet so little time, considering how touch-starved and sensitive V was. He thought that maybe he should suggest to fuck her properly, but in their current position it had to wait. Slightly disappointing, but Johnny was fine with that. He loved sex, but watching his girls squirm and moan under his touch was even ten times better than coming himself.

“Nice little cunt you have here.” He tested the waters, slipping one finger in. “Tight and wet, definitely my type.”

“Just stop talking and do what you have to do.” V had a really hard time focusing on the road. She already slowed down, trying her best not to crash into a lamp or another car, and Johnny’s words were making the situation even more challenging.

“And where’s the fun in that?” He was already fingering her deeply, setting a fast pace. ”Without telling you how much I appreciate your body? By the way, have I mentioned that your tits are fucking great?” Johnny’s metal hand cupped her breast, causing soft gasp to escape her mouth. “Amazing. I’d cu-“

“Stop. Talking. PLEASE.”

“Alright, alright, mouth shut. For now.”

Watching V try to keep her body and its reactions under control, while his slick fingers with her juices started massaging her clit, was fun. And dosing her pleasure like he wanted amused Johnny even more. He stopped his ministrations every time V bucked her hips up trying to rub against his hand, or did anything to get more friction, a wry smile twisted at his lips when she shot him a furious glance or made a discontent sound. Yes, it was supposed to be a quick finger fuck, but how could he finish it so fast when he was enjoying it so much? How could he deny himself having his fun with her, having her all to himself like that, a little longer?

Johnny was reluctant to admit it, but truth to be told, he’d had his eyes on her almost from the beginning. V was a woman - an attractive one, there was no doubt for that - and he was a simple man. He couldn’t resist watching her when she was changing or taking a shower (she knew), or even sleeping sprawled on her bed, with that stupid smile on her blissful face. He wanted to see more of her, and sometimes he caught himself thinking of touching her, feeling her in this way. He tried to convince himself that he felt like that because of his fifty years of celibacy, that she wasn’t his type and it was just his cock speaking. But there was something about V, something that attracted him to her like corpo scums attracted his bullets.

And to be honest, did he even have a type? Pretty face, a pair of tits, willing cunt and nice ass - that was enough to get him going. And V fitted that description perfectly.

To V’s relief, and Johnny’s probably too as his existence depended on whether she was alive or not, their car got stuck in a traffic jam, huge as always at this hour in this part of Night City. Now she could fully focus on Johnny and his hand, working its magic in her pants.  

She shifted in her seat, adjusting her position to give him better access to her already dripping entrance. He immediately accepted her invitation, sliding a finger inside, one at first, then second, slowly, giving V time to get used to the stretch. He fingered her deeply, in a steady pace, reveling in the squelchy sounds his hand was making, smiling widely every time a breathy moan escaped her parted lips. Sometimes it was just incoherent babbling, sometimes a mantra of “fuck”s. But then, when she was close to coming, it was mostly his name.

“Such a good girl.” He praised her, getting back to stroking her clit. “Ready to cum?”

“Yes, fuck, don’t stop.”

“I want to feel it.”

His fingers were back inside her pussy, picking up the pace, fucking her harder than before. He was determined to give her the best finger fuck of her life, and after seeing her memories he knew that there wasn’t much to compete with. V had had several partners in her life but, obviously, none of them could measure up to Johnny Silverhand and he was keen to show her why he was so popular among women back in his days. He put his entire heart into working her cunt up and it quickly paid off. V was completely lost in pleasure; her head fell back, eyes closed, moans turned into wails.

She put out quite a show and was so busy chasing her release that she didn’t notice that the guy in the car next to theirs was watching her intensely with a mixture of concern and fascination on his face. She was sure a sight to behold: disheveled, flushed and panting like after running a marathon, and rutting her needy cunt furiously against Johnny’s hand. A hand only she could see. A sudden wave of anger surged through Johnny. Back in his younger days he was quite a fan of public sex, never afraid of being caught, and to be honest not much changed in that matter. He would gladly show this loser who V belonged to and who was making her scream, force him to bashfully avert his eyes and never look at her again. But sadly, he couldn’t, and that frustrated him immensely.

He couldn’t even show that fucker a middle finger. Being dead sucked.

“V, could you do something for me?” Luckily, he had another idea.

“What?” She opened her eyes, looking at him questioningly.

“Scream my name so loud that the entire Watson knows who's making you cum.”

She wanted to snort at his request, but her breath hitched in her throat when Johnny’s lips landed on her neck with a sloppy kiss, escaping it as a loud moan seconds later when his metal hand began working on her clit. And with his organic fingers hitting that right spot inside her, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

Never in her life had V come so hard before. She couldn't control her squirming body, nor her cussing mouth, when waves of pure ecstasy shot through her one after another. She felt her walls clench rhythmically around Johnny’s fingers, still pumping in her to prolong her orgasm, and she cried out his name, begging him to not stop. It was mind-blowing, absolutely breathtaking, and when his lips kissed her exposed neck again, she felt another kind of warmth pool in her chest.

Johnny could feel it all too. Delayed and not as intense as her climax, but strong enough to make him feel spent and satisfied. He flopped back on his seat and reached for his never ending pack of cigarettes, lighting one and taking a long puff, as he always did after a good fuck.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah.” V was slowly coming down from her orgasm high. “Holy shit.”

“And that’s all? Where’s some ‘Thanks Johnny’, ‘You were right Johnny’?”

“Thank you Johnny.”

“See? It wasn’t that hard.” He patted her thigh. “And speaking of hard, that guy in the car on our left was watching you the whole time. And he’s still looking.”

“You gotta be kidding me.” She covered her face with her hand, realizing with embarrassment that she probably gave people around her quite a show. It must have looked exceptional from their perspective. Or maybe not, maybe she looked as if she was just enjoying a BD of a particular sort. Still, she felt pretty awkward.

“Let’s get out of the car and kick his ass, wipe this stupid smile off his stupid face.”

“No.” She didn’t even want to look in that guy’s direction right now.

“Pussy. At least show him a middle finger or something.” Johnny immediately flipped him off with both hands. “Come on, V. Fucker deserves it.”

She sighed and reluctantly, still not looking at her accidental spectator, she did as Johnny asked.

[firelxdykatara]

Reader anon here with a thought!

Do you like love triangles? I personally don't, there is something about them that is incredibly frustrating lol. Same thing for harems, though there are some that do it tastefully 😌 so I can't be too upset by them.

It honestly depends on the love triangle and the way the author writes all three relationships (and, for any genuine love triangle, there should be three relationships--they don't all need to be romantic, but there needs to be an existing and strong relationship between all three points on the triangle, otherwise I'm almost certain not to be at all invested), how they are presented, and what the narrative purpose of the love triangle is.

Ironically, one of the best examples of a love triangle done well (at least... to a certain point in the story, which I'll explain in a bit) happened in a television show that is fairly notorious for turning to utter shit in the latter four seasons and alienating pretty much the entire fanbase, to the point where most of us dipped well before the end and everyone celebrated news of the show's cancellation.

I'm talking about The Vampire Diaries.

(under a cut because i went on a LOOOONG ramble about tvd and why that love triangle worked initially and then why it failed, and then i talked a bit about another love triangle that was pretty weak and failed almost from the outset in OUAT but was ultimately axed in favor of the stronger relationship and character being given focus, and what all of this means for how i feel about love triangles in general)

While this is still very much a case where I only shipped one side of the triangle, hated the other, and couldn't wait for it to be resolved so that I wouldn't have to deal with the side I disliked any longer (the writing was on the wall as far back as season 1, no matter how in denial a certain portion of the fandom remained right up until the series finale) the development of the triangle itself and how it affected all three characters and their relationships with one another was done very well for most of the first four seasons. Damon and Stefan were brothers, with a bloody and complicated history and relationship, and they both fell in love with this human girl--Stefan almost instantly, because she looked just like Katherine and he found himself... (and here I'm going to be as fair as I possibly can to him, but if you want my full anti stelena rant I have many of them prepped and ready to go) following her, at first to make sure she wasn't Katherine, and then inserting himself into her life to protect her. Damon, on the other hand, took much longer, because he was still in love with (and trying to rescue) Katherine, and so when he did fall in love with Elena, it was because of who she was, not because of some idealized 'Not Katherine' pedestal he placed her on the instant he met her.

(I swear, I swear I'm trying to be fair to Stefan, it's just very hard.)

The thing is, Elena was in love with Stefan almost from the jump. (And one of the reasons I never really shipped stelena is because that kind of insta-love with very little conflict that isn't manufactured by the plot just isn't compelling for me, and I fully jumped ship about halfway through s1 when Damon and Elena took a road trip together. It's a long story, but that remains one of my favorite episodes in the entire show and it marks the beginning of their actual journey together.) Stefan showed up at a time when she desperately needed someone, and to his credit he did help her through her early depressive spiral--in large part because Elena's recent trauma (survivor's guilt due to her parents dying in a car crash from which she was the only survivor) meant that finding out Stefan was immortal and could not die and would not leave her resulted in her getting fiercely attached.

He was safe, he was stable, she could rely on him. But she could not grow with him, because for him, she was essentially a morality pet/the anchor to his humanity, and that meant that he could not accept when she began to grow out of her need for him. The fact that this coincided with her becoming a vampire only made things worse--because she settled into being a vampire much more easily with far less strife than he'd ever managed, and an Elena who enjoyed being a vampire in ways Stefan simply couldn't could no longer function as the idealized reminder of humanity he was desperate to cling to.

Damon, on the other hand, was the one who fell in love with Elena--not Not Katherine. He never put her on a pedestal, he never asked more of her than she could give him--when he realized how deep his feelings for her ran, he made her forget his confession because he knew he did not deserve her and he didn't want her burdened with his feelings when she was still in love with his brother and was always going to be. Elena's growing feelings for Damon coincided with her growth from a depressed and suicidal teenage girl into a young woman who began to realize that it was ok to want things for herself--to be a little selfish, to take what she wanted, to admit what she wanted. And, again, the fact that this coincided with her transformation into a vampire (although her growth within her relationship with Damon began well before that), meant that Damon's reaction to Elena-as-a-vampire was thrown into sharp relief against Stefan's--because he accepted her where his brother couldn't.

Ultimately, this led to Elena fully outgrowing her feelings for Stefan, and accepting, nurturing, and reveling in her feelings for Damon. The triangle was resolved, all three characters had growth separately and in their different relationships, and they could then move on from there along their different paths. Stefan could have had some truly excellent character growth involving moving on and finally living for himself rather than trying so hard to be this perfect brooding tortured vampire because he was the Good Brother, since there was no longer any need for that Good Brother/Bad Brother dichotomy. They'd both grown past it, as characters individually and as brothers together.

Unfortunately, where TVD ultimately failed (and this coincided with the way the show utterly lost the plot in terms of storylines, character arcs and cohesiveness and became an unsalvageable mess) is in refusing to let the love triangle die.

What should have happened is that once the love triangle was resolved--Elena growing as a character and moving on from her immature first love and fully embracing her feelings, as an adult, for her much more adult relationship with Damon--they abandoned the love triangle premise and let all three characters continue to grow outside of it. Damon and Elena should have been allowed to grow together and explore their relationship, Stefan to figure out where he still fit in their lives--as Damon’s brother, and one of Elena’s closest friends who she still loved dearly even though she was no longer in love with him--and then explore relationships of his own outside their family unit as he finally began to fully move on and grow out of his own overly idealized feelings for Elena.

Instead, what wound up happening is that the stelena side of the love triangle kept being teased--probably to keep the avid stelena shipping contingent invested in the story, hoping for ‘another brother swap’ as was lampshaded in one of Nina’s final episodes before she left the show (and, indeed, many of them remained utterly convinced that stelena would be endgame, right up until the series finale)--and rather than growing together, delena fans were constantly hit over the head with how ‘toxic’ Damon and Elena were for each other (even though this ran contrary to everything we’d seen in the show to that point, including having Damon regress repeatedly for, presumably, no reason other than to never let fans forget he was the Bad Brother and always would be, and Elena just couldn’t help but love him anyway), and all three characters and their relationships wound up suffering horribly for it.

That is an example of a love triangle that had a very promising foundation and development, right up through what should have been a resolution, and the reason it is generally looked on so unfavorably in fandom circles is because the show refused to move on from the triangle organically when the story needed it to, because it had already served its purpose.

For an example of a love triangle that, in my mind, simply didn’t work from the very beginning, I’d say my go-to example is from Once Upon a Time--the short-lived love triangle between Emma, Killian, and Neal. I think the first stumbling block there was that there weren’t really three relationships that mattered. Technically, Killian did have a connection to Neal--because they’d met in Neverland, prior to Neal remaining in the Land Without magic--but it functioned more as a backdrop to explain why Killian knew him when they got to Neverland again in the story, and why Neal didn’t trust him. It wasn’t actually developed as anything outside of that brief flashback, and they didn’t have any connection in the present outside of one episode where they essentially fought over Emma and she (rightly) got angry at them for it. There was no real exploration of who they were to each other outside of the fact that both of them had feelings for Emma, so it really was just one woman torn between her feelings for two different men, and with no real stakes attached to her choice.

The other problem with this particular triangle is that one side of it was... conspicuously weak. While Emma’d had a full season and a half worth of interactions and development with Killian--where they went from enemies, to grudging allies, to Killian openly acknowledging that he hadn’t ever believed he would be able to love again until he met Emma--she had... very little to support her potential relationship with Neal outside of their history. History which consisted of then-young-adult Neal knocking up underage Emma (she was 17 at the oldest because she was still in Juvie when Henry was born, and he was already ten years old the day she turned 28; so she was either 16 or very newly 17 when she got pregnant) and ensuring that she got sent to prison for his own crime, at which point he didn’t see her again until she was nearly 30. When he did see her again, he treated her incredibly poorly, up to and including getting angry at her about the fact that she didn’t tell him that Henry was his son--even though he had no right to that information, because Emma was in prison because of him at the time she found out, and she had no clue that he was in any way connected to the Fairy Tale world until she was helping Mr. Gold track down his son and it turned out to be Neal.

A big point is made, throughout the early seasons especially, about Emma’s walls and how much difficulty she has trusting people--and a great deal of that stemmed from Neal’s betrayal. This could have been the foundation for a story of healing and growth and two people coming back together--however, with the way Neal treats Emma in the present and how little closure she actually gets for what he did to her in the past, it comes across more as ‘well, she never did get over her feelings for him, so maybe he still has a shot even though she has no real reason to want to be with him now’.

Killian, on the other hand, never doubted Emma’s abilities and always had the utmost trust in and respect for her (after they became allies), and it was obvious that this is something Emma experienced very little of in her life. It’s notable that the first episode where they really interacted is the one in which Emma’s history with Neal is revealed, and it very deliberately paralleled and contrasted with her interactions with Killian. This already presented him with a leg up on the love triangle once Neal did show up, because Neal was the reason for a lot of the walls Emma had built around her heart, and it wasn’t until meeting Killian that she finally began to let some of them down.

I think that the show recognized this, and it pulled something that is actually a very frustrating pet peeve of mine--rather than write out the story that makes sense and have the main point of the love triangle make a choice and stick to it, the third point of the triad was simply written out. In this case, Neal essentially killed himself via his own stupidity, allowing Emma to angst about losing him without actually having to tell him she wasn’t in love with him and wasn’t going to choose him. (Veronica Mars pulled something very similar with the Logan/Veronica/Duncian triangle in season 2--rather than admit within the narrative that her relationship with Duncan was built on flimsy feelings of infatuation bc of their history, and a ‘stability’ that didn’t really work for who Veronica was at her core, he simply got written out of the story, running away for Plot Reasons and never forcing Veronica to confront the fact that she wasn’t actually in love with him and hadn’t been for quite some time.)

I think that in OUaT, the love triangle could have worked if a relationship between Killian and Neal was not only established in the past but developed in the present--Killian was in love with Neal’s mother centuries earlier, and something I’m actually really upset we never got is the two of them talking about Milah and maybe Neal getting some closure for his mother’s abandonment and someone apologizing to him for what they put Baelfire through as a child--giving stakes to Emma’s choice beyond ‘one of them will be all uwu sad that he wasn’t picked’. It also would have worked much better if we were given any reason for Emma to still have feelings for Neal in the present beyond the history they shared, which caused Emma nothing but pain for the last decade and change. If Neal had treated her more fairly--if he’d treated her like someone he actually cared about and even still loved, rather than blaming her for things that were his own fault and undermining her belief in her own abilities, among other things--then their relationship might have been strong enough to stand on its own opposite Emma’s relationship with Killian. I don’t think it ever would’ve been a relationship that appealed to me, personally, but then I could have at least enjoyed watching the three of them grow together and seeing all of their relationships grow and change.

So, ultimately, TL;DR: I do like love triangles, conceptually, but there are a few requirements they must meet for me to feel anything other than irritated at the inclusion. One: there must be at least three equally important relationships between the three characters. If it’s just one character torn between her (or his, but it’s usually a woman) feelings for two unrelated people, that can be compelling for a short time but ultimately I’m going to be left feeling frustrated by her refusal to just make a damn choice and put me out of my misery. Two: there should be some sort of development in each relationship which makes the presence of the triangle narratively significant. Why is it important for one character to have conflicting romantic feelings for these two other people at the same time? What purpose does it serve either their character arcs or the story as a whole? While I am both a Bangel and a Spuffy shipper, I’ve never considered Angel/Buffy/Spike to be a love triangle--they are very different relationships that she had at very different points in her life, and while her feelings for Angel never really went away (and do cause some angst for Spike near the end of btvs) they are never really competing for her affections in any meaningful sense. If that competition does exist, there needs to be a compelling reason why. And, as a further addendum to this point, I need to at least understand why the main point of the triangle is invested in each relationship, even if I don’t ship it and actively dislike or even outright hate one side of the triangle. (I loathe stelena, but I’ve always understood why Elena was in love with him in the beginning of the show, for example. And before s5/s6, I was really pleased with how the show handled her feelings for him and finally allowed her to grow and move on from them.)

And finally, three: the triangle needs to be resolved at some point--and, when it is, it needs to stay that way. Where TVD ultimately lost me (aside from the ridiculous plot contrivances and rampant character assassination) was the refusal to let the love triangle die a natural death when it is what the story called for, and all three of their characters, their relationships, and the show as a whole suffered massively for it. So, when the primary point of the triangle makes a choice--particularly if she had made one choice in the beginning of the story, but it was clear that she was ultimately moving towards choosing the other side as she grew and her feelings and relationships grew and changed with her--let that be the end of it. Move on to exploring what that choice means for the main pair and the party not chosen, sure--maybe explore their feelings about not being chosen and how that affects their relationships with both of the others afterwards--but don’t constantly tease the possibility of the ‘losing side’ getting back together just to keep shippers invested. It’s only going to hurt your show and make everyone look callous and stupid.

Alternately, a final possibility: make it an ot3 instead. But again, if the other three conditions aren’t met (particularly number two, and its addendum; if I don’t understand why the main point of the triangle is in love with both other points, an ot3 is unlikely to resolve that issue and I’m only going to wind up resenting it), then this won’t work, because it’s just going to wind up a lopsided and stilted mess of a relationship that leaves me wishing the offending point of the triangle had been killed off just so I wouldn’t have to keep hearing about them.

[aphrodites-law]

for soldier bc its always been my fave hc of yours: domestic 1

They'd have a loooong road ahead before that. I'm not even sure they'd get married; might just be forever girlfriends. But if they do, it would most likely be Lexa because Clarke is the only family she has left and it could be nice to make it 'official' on paper.

[grandfracturalexact1970]

A 3rd gen Charger from 1974 that I built for a friend.

In the middle of the 60’s , car manufacturers in the USA wanted to make some sort of compact car “pony cars” but fast at the same time. And the Mustang was born. Ford basically refined the muscle car industry by doing it small. There were 3 variants of the mustang you could see.

Hardtop coupe 2 door (square top)

Fastback coupe 2 door (bubble top the first year but fastback the next years)

And the convertible 2 door

But Dodge saw that the car has a success , he begins doing on his own project. We had to wait till 1966 to see the new model: the Charger.

The first two years were extremely looking fastbacks. The car was heavily inspired by the AMC Marlin (despite being a 2 door , this car is soooo loooong!) and Dodge basically took the concept out of the Marlin and and rebranded it as Charger . The front however , is was from the Coronet , a lower class before the Charger and it fits very well. The rear is nothing you ever saw in the the 60’s. This is probably one of the parts that stayed or the concept . The rear is just a big light bar and a metallic bumper. I mean I’m not a big fan of light bar taillights but I just have to admit that on the first gen Charger , it looks ugly. (I probably lost some people now). But the first gen are my favorites along with the third ones.

The second gen are the most unique ones. They downgrade a little to look almost as a Coronet. But we can clearly see that it has his own inspiration. You can look at the photos above while I tell you what’s unique about the second gen. The front wasn’t straight , it was curvy ,the same for the rear too, you’ve got the windows that go up for the rear and all of a sudden it falls . (And for the video games enthusiasts, yes I will tell you what impact those cars got in racing games). And probably the most recognized muscle car cause of one movie that change the car chases in cinema history. This movie was called euhhh… hmmm… b… bull… hmmm… pfff i don’t really remember the name but It was from 1969 or something. Bullit(1968)for those who didn’t get reference . But the worst of it is that this wasn’t the biggest (in terms of lengths,width or height) muscle car , it was just placed between the mustang and another car that I didn’t remember. Yes we can talk about the general lee but it didn’t impact me as much as the Bullit edition. and it was also present in the movie Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) but encounter a pretty tragic fate. From the three years the second gen was built , my favorite will be the 68 version. Because he has hidden headlights without the split grille , that makes car more mysterious and dark vibes from the one from Bullit. And it’s my favorite taillights combination for this car.

After 1970 , the Charger received a new design and it’s not disappointing at all. Really love the 3rd gen variants R/Ts like the variants SEs (which is the civilian version of the Charger or economy version). Actually the one that I built is not the version I prefer the most , if you saw the original movie Gone In 60 Seconds (1974) at a certain moment, there is a garbage truck blocking of the road after a good moment of pure chase , and when the truck stop at the intersection this green Charger with black stripes and vinyl roof with what seems to be dragsters wheels in the back with classic rallye rims , had to do an emergency stop by doing a fishtail because this truck is in the middle of the road and (she wasn’t the escapist, yes cause the driver was female). The next minutes will broke your heart but I leave it to you to watch this movie with intense 40 minutes of pure carnage. Really unfortunate cause this car didn’t not have so much credits and it would’ve been a great thing seeing this Charger in action on another scenes or maybe have its own movie . But i can talk but nothing is gonna be down to make something about this car , and it’s gonna be forgotten just like some other cars. But yes those cars really aged well and still appreciate by muscle cars communities and video games.

After 1975 the Charger got a new look. This was the fourth and the last generation of Charger after a long Time. This one , despite being a nice looking car, doesn’t look like a charger at all. It looks more Chevy Monte-Carlo than Charger. If they rebadged it into another name , I would have love it more (and I do know it’s was also named ‘Cordoba’ but since Dodge is division of Chrysler , it doesn’t really count. Both Cordoba and Charger are the same cars).Don’t have l a lot to say about that generation rather that this was the last after a long time. As I am writing this post , I read that this car actually partipate in the 24H LeMans and it was named Olympia Beer. Is was also one of two nascar cars that participated in this race.

While we gonna make our way into the video games part , I would like to add that there’s the variants of the 69 Chargers that were called Daytona as the same for Plymouth with their Superbirds. Beautiful cars indeed with what Richard Petty race it and (unfortunately) accidentally wreck it and Richard Petty also raced the Third gen Charger.

I first knew the Charger when I was a little younger when we played ( what is gonna be Race driver Grid) Pro race driver a racing game not everyone knows but I’ve grown up since I feel that it is a little off track to see this car in this kind of game along with another corvette and a Shelby cobra AC. But It was my go to car. And we’ve got a whole new package of racing car games that my big brother bought , and this was Need For Speed Undercover (PS2) . The PS2 version was widely criticized because of his cheating AIs but apparently had a better handling system that the PS3/XBox version. I am not going to go spend talking video games specifications because this is not the goal of this post and it’s gonna take 2333 more lines to read. But maybe a little fact about Undercover , one of the only NFS games where you can do a 360 and recover from (and your points bar count that and starts to rise). No wonder why my brothers hated me because every time we did a split screen race battle , they would always win because I’m still rolling in this b-body while they already finish , and this is with this game I discover the Challenger but this is for another post. And it’s just a beautiful car indeed, but yeah I already knew this car in The Fast And The Furious (2009) the fourth, where Bryan O’Conner reunites with Dominic Toretto for stopping a villain in Mexico. I was so young maybe 6 or 7 y/o and it was my big sister who was watching the movie, and I loved the Charger in the movie along with the Chevelle. This is the first Fast And The Furious Movie I’ve watched. The Charger from the fourth, is so far my favorite variant of the Charger In all of the F&Fs movies . Still today the Charger have a meaning to me and to be the first muscle car I discover, i am not disappointed to have discover classic cars and everything. I’ve downloaded two Need For Speed games I’ve never played. Need For Speed Carbon (2006) and Need For Speed Pro Street (2007) I will do a post to show you my whole line of muscle cars .

I’ve met this new friend but is gonna be anonymous, that my parents knew his parent via zoom . And one day my mom told me that I should say at least hello to their son who was the same age to me but a little older. And I said hello to the family and we go to know each other really quick , they know that I love to draw (that’s something that everyone knows when they first meet me) and my mom thought it would be funny to also show what I loved to built , and (this is something not everyone knows) and there were really impressed. And he was really interested to me , something I’ve never feel since I was born (except my family) outside of my family . So his mom decided to come to our house to delivering some food and stayed here for talking . So we talked for hours and never see the time flew really fast . But at the end , the reason why I did this for this, was because he offered me a twin sketchbook and now I can draw characters without having to take out a A4 paper. When this is your family that offered you a gift , you can kind of expecting that it will happening, but this their responsibility and because they love you , but when it comes to someone outside of your family , it means something to you , like you have the confirmation that you exist and there is people that will care about you in the future. I want thank him for the sketchbook he gave me and the package of pencils that he presented to me for my sister when she’s gonna go into France for job reasons , to buy me those packages. I want thank him in advance for that.