#OC Sergeant Roy

[wild-karrde]

#Fandomfriday

Heyyy Karrde! New week - New rec!

This time I found an absolute gem on AO3!

Tukk Tales - Captain Tukk, meet Clanker Roger!

A fanfic from GunRoswell, inspired by the Highground Animation fanfilm teasertrailer.

It's so sooooo funny to get to know Captain Tukk, his Sergeant Roy on a stealth mission and the clank... Roger.

AHHHHHHH YESSS! I LOVE Captain Tukk and I LOVE the fact that @gun-roswell was inspired to write a fic about him and Roy! Will absolutely have to check this out! Thanks so much for the rec, Caro!

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)

[whumplovers-collaborate]

WLC 2023 Spring Fic Exchange Works

Hi! We in the Whumplovers Collaborate server have been having fun writing gifts for each other in this recent exchange

We present to you the Whumperful products of our hard work, with fics in fandoms across the board, and some OC works too (:

Careful What You Cast For by FoofsterRoonie @foofsterroonie

Fandom: Supernatural

Sam finds himself on the search for a cure after casting a spell with unintended side effects, Dean ends up taking care of his little brother.

Fate/Design, two faces of one coin by ProdBionic @prodbionic

Fandom: Supernatural

Dean had been acting off lately and Sam was out of tricks. The recent bout of nightmares that had overrun Dean's sleep –Sam's sleep as well because that was bound to happen when his brother would wake up shouting next to him– must've been triggered by the apocalypse creeping up on them and all it entailed. Memories of Hell, Sam presumed.

A regular hunt was Sam's fix to the situation. It was supposed to take Dean's mind off of it.

Of course, when had anything ever been that straightforward, or easy? In this case, nothing was what it looked like..

Baseline by shadowhuntingdauntlessdemigod

Fandom: Captain America, MCU

In which torture and a thirty-mile long trek back to the front lines landed Bucky in the field hospital. Lucky for him, Steve was the second-best mother hen out there, not that Bucky would tell him that, or admit to being one himself when the going got rough. He was a sergeant, after all. Looking after his men, which now included Steve, was part of the job description.

Fallout by contumeliouscorvid @contumeliouscorvid

Fandom: Daredevil

Lying had become something he was at ease with.

Tag to Rabbit in a Snowstorm.

Hollow by shadowhuntingdauntlessdemigod 

Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Soot-stained and debris-covered chunks of white and blue plastoid stick out from the rubble. The wreck of the Tribunal is a mangled mess of a graveyard and Rex's brothers will forever be its only occupants.

Eventually, he feels Ahsoka put a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder. “I can’t leave them like this,” Rex says quietly. They have time now, he thinks, to do it right for both the first and last time. They’ll make the time, if they have to, on this unknown moon, to ensure that their men can rest as they deserve.

Soon by MnM_ov_doom @mnmovdoom

Fandom: Star Wars, The Bad Batch

Seeing Rex like this was disturbing. One moment he had been pacing around in the cockpit of the ship, looking exhausted and unwell, summarising the intel he had studied for the past couple of days and maybe this time he could find a way to hack into an Imperial database and look up Cody’s CC number and-

The next moment Rex had stopped, staggered, and collapsed.

For You by User_needs_a_Username

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward goes in to give his report while Alphonse goes to pick Winry up from the train station. But it turns out something is happening in the Colonel’s office, and it involves a stranger and a gun.

an unlikely savior by Rookblonkorules 

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

When Roy is injured and bleeding out, the person he least expects is the one who comes to his aid.

one lone crow doesn’t make a murder by crowsinflight, crowsinflight (goldenzingy46) @goldenzingy46butwriteblr

Fandom: Six of Crows series

Kaz has been building up his persona as a monster, a demon, for a while. The past has a way of catching up.

Or: the fic where a religious zealot believes that Kaz is actually a demon and then tries to do something about that. Gratuitous whump.

If only by Kaufmann @kaufmann-6

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy

"They're going to kill me, Ben" Klaus whispered, his voice full of fear, and Ben shook his head.

"It'll be okay, Klaus" Ben felt like he was lying to Klaus and himself, but the least he owed his brother were a few words of comfort.

An AU in which Patch didn't notice Five's van across the street and Cha-Cha got tired of waiting. Angst follows.

Finding Home by Siegrrun

Fandom: Stranger Things

Steve didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to go. He should've seen this coming, prepared for the possibility. But, really, how can you prepare for your parents kicking you out?

Or, Steve's parents kick him out. He finds a new home.

Don’t Worry, Little Wing by SuperSilverSpy

Fandom: Batman

Suiting up, he put his comm in and swung out the window. “Oracle? What happened to Robin?”

“He snuck out of the manor three hours ago. We can’t find him.”

OR Dick heads to Gotham to look for a missing Jason Featuring hurt!Jason

Lights will guide you home by vel (pineapple_vel) @thaliaisalesbian

Fandom: Percy Jackson

You know how sometimes you think a bad day can't get any worse, and then it somehow does? Percy and Annabeth were trying to make a bad day better, only for it all to go wrong.

malice by Corrosion

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears Of The Kingdom  

Link may not have his memories from a hundred years ago, but he's certain that whatever caused his current predicament hadn't existed back then. He wouldn't have survived.

How Pretty He Screams by ProfessorWorm 

Fandom: Sherlock (TV)

Everyone thinks Sherlock is dead. Sherlock wishes he was. John decides to live out his fantasies on his former friend. Moriarty has a confusing time.

When the Shift Ends by 99percentsure

Fandom: Emergency! (TV 1972), Adam-12  

How was Roy DeSoto to know his heading for a day off was gonna take such a nasty turn The Poles of Persephone-11 by The_Walking_Pie @the-walking-pie

Fandom: Star Trek: TOS

Following a shuttle crash at the pole of an unknown planet, McCoy and Chekov are the only survivors. Together, they must survive an arctic wilderness in order to reunite with the Enterprise.

A Stitch in Time by The_Walking_Pie  @the-walking-pie

Fandom: American Assassin

Mitch takes a bullet for Hurley. The man has a few words to say about that.

For the True King by The_Walking_Pie @the-walking-pie

Fandom: Original Work

The duty of any prisoner is to escape. Unfortunately, Gideon just happens to get caught in the process.

Detangling by the_diving_fox

Fandom: Original Work

Spinner is a space explorer who's been held hostage and mind-controlled for six months. Now, aboard a different ship and with his best friend, he must begin to deal with what happened to him.

Whiplash by Biarritz

Fandom: Original Work

Even the best have to let their guard down sooner or later. Being a Courier is dangerous; shopping isn't supposed to be.

The Traitor of Murland by NicolePascaline

Fandom: Original Work

Florence thought that King Percy was dead, but he's here to take back the throne and make the traitor pay for his treachery

The Chosen Hero by KnightlyCross 

Fandom: Original Work

The church couldn't stop the scientist since they had no evidence of malign actions. But after a young girl came bearing a prophecy, a hero to take down this scientist was chosen. At least that’s what The Church says.

This Cage Built For Two by Anonymous 

Fandom: Original Work

Ren’s luck has never been that great to begin with, but transmigrating into an otome game where he unexpectedly keeps dying? That’s got to be a new low.

Stay tuned for the next exchange! (Signups will open soon)

Only server members can participate so now’s the time to join us (:

[bowdre]

Fury OC

Character used in Fury Fanfic, posted on Wattpad.

ꜰᴜʀʏ - Sam - Wattpad

i. Basics

•Name•

Natalia Jordie Travis

•Nickname•

Dove

•Age•

During African Campaign> 19. In 1945> 22

•Birthday•

June 19th, 1923

•Gender•

Female

•Sexuality•

Straight

•Zodiac•

Gemini

•Height•

5'4"

•Occupation•

M6 Heavy Tank Assistant Gunner

ii.Relationship Status

Courtship with Don since 1943.

At first, Don wasn't too thrilled about having a young female in his crew. His standards were low, though Natalia proved herself, just like she always does. Their friendship soon turned into a relationship when they become increasingly physical, and eventually became wordlessly committed to each other. The man is significantly older than Natalia, but neither of them never cared about that. Grady never paid any mind to his sergeant being soft on his sister. Before Don's death, he promised to go back to America with Natalia and make her his wife.

iii. Appearance

(Liana Liberato)

•Hair colour•

Light brunette

•Hair length•

Midback

•Eye colour•

Golden brown

•Skin tone•

Honey

iv. Personality

•Good traits•

Ambitious, persistent, loyal, athletic, protective

•Bad traits•

Impatient, greedy

•Strengths•

 Brave, charismatic

•Weaknesses•

Lacks empathy

•Like•

Hot meals, clean clothes, black coffee 

•Dislikes•

Nazis

•Habits•

Picking at scabs when anxious

•Talents/skills•

Use of a firearm/military equipment, reading people's emotions

v. Relationships

•Mother•

Morgan Travis

•Father•

Ray Travis

•Siblings•

Gary (Grady) Travis

•Friends•

Don (War Daddy) Collier, Boyd (Bible) Swan, Trini (Gordo) Garcia, Red, Norman (Machine) Ellison, Roy Davis, Warren Peterson

•Close friends•

Pete Binkowski

vi. Backstory

Natalia was born into a family with a work-a-holic father and depressive mother. The girl, along with her older brother, were borderline neglected during their childhood. Natalia herself was never physically harmed, though she was a witness to her father abusing her brother on the daily. The siblings always had a close bond, so much so, Natalia followed Gary into war like a lost puppy.

 Natalia adored her brother, she wanted to be just like him. He was her protector, her best friend, not a day went by when they weren't together. There was no way in hell she was allowing her brother to go off to war without her. Now, it was both their duties to protect each other.

•Military Rank•

Private First Class

•Medals•

Africa Star, Silver Star, Bronze Star, World War II Victory Medal, Purple Heart

•Wounded•

Natalia was wounded by a Nazi soldier at the crossroads. She emerged from the tank into the smoky atmosphere and failed to see the Nazi directly in front of her. She was shot in the right shoulder, and probably would have died if Norman didn't stop the bleeding.

•Death of the Crew•

Grady- Natalia's brother's death was sudden, and brutal. Almost instinctively her hands found their way to his face, cradling him in her arms. It took all of Gordo's might to pull her away.

Bible- Natalia turned to ask the preacher man for a new can, and what she got horrified her. His body lay lifeless, and all she could do was scream his name in agony as tears fell from her eyes.

Gordo- Natalia blamed herself for Trini's death. If she had been fast enough, if her reaction time was quicker, he may have had a chance at survival.

War Daddy- Natalia found herself trying to fix Don's bullet wounds before her own. She was prepared to sit with him until his last breath, but when he convinced her and Norman to escape, she kissed him goodbye before slipping down the hatch.

•TW:SUICIDE•

Dove- Natalia was rescued, alongside her friend Norman. She was pronounced a hero, and sent back home to America. She didn't manage much though, only 5 months after the fate of the Fury Crew, she committed suicide by the use of her own firearm. She left her dog tags on the kitchen table of her parents house as something to remember her by.

[mccall-muffin]

Love vs. Hate - Part 6 // Joe Liebgott x OC

Previous Part Summary: Technical Sergeant Olivia Stark knows the military. Raised in a military family, a graduate of military school and OCS herself, she is transferring from the 82nd Airborne Division to the 101st. Between new friends and what appear to be foes, she becomes a part of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR.

Warnings: Language, Drinking, Shots, a little violence

A/N: Already number 6... And of course, hoping that you still enjoy it ;) xx

Here is my Masterlist

Tag List: @brassknucklespeirs

February 26, 1943 - Fort Benning, GA After another drill in which Captain Sobel screwed up, I walk the campgrounds with Don, Skip, and Penk. We are told that we will be transferred to Camp Mackall that afternoon. Suddenly, however, I see a familiar face. "You've got to be kidding me," I shout, and the man looks up and then starts grinning big. "For fuck's sake, I didn't think I'd see you again so soon, Harry, or should I say, Lieutenant Welsh," I call out and run up to him before giving him a big hug. "Wow, it's good to see you, Kiddo," he returns and lifts me briefly before putting me back down.

Don, Skip, and Penk stand behind us, confused. "What are you doing here?" I ask Harry, and he grins. "I was transferred here. 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion..." "If you say Easy Company now, I'll scream," I say excitedly, and Harry covers his ears before I yelp in delight and give him another hug. "Oh my god! I'm so excited!" I let go of Harry again. "You're going to love it. Except for our CO. He's... special and not particularly capable, but we'll work it out somehow." "What do you mean not capable?" "He gets all nervous in field exercises and can't read a map."

I take a glance behind me. "Oh, by the way, these are Privates Donald Malarkey, Warren Muck, and Alex Penkala," I introduce my friends, taking a step forward. "Guys, this is Lieutenant Harry Welsh. He's from the 82nd and is with us now." "Sir," the three of them say, and Harry nods. "Do you know which platoon yet?" I then ask, but Harry shakes his head. "No, not yet, but I should meet with the XO now." "Ah, Winters... In there," I say, pointing to a barracks. "Could be you're taking over Lt. Nixon's platoon. He's been promoted to intelligence officer." "We'll see about that, kid," Harry says, then walks away before waving at me again.

I turn to the guys, who all look at me questioningly. "What?" Don raises his eyebrows. "I told you guys about the soldier who was always nice to me, right?" I ask, and the three nod. "Well, that was Harry. He and I were in the same company in the 82nd until they transferred me and sent him to OCS." "Well then. A friend of yours is a friend of ours," Skip grins.

A little later, we get ready to board the train. They are moving us to Camp Mackall. I'm just throwing my bag on the wagon and heading back to Don and the others when Joe Toye waves me over. "Hey Liv... Do you know where we're going yet?" he asks, shaking my head in amusement. "You know full well that even if I did, which is highly unlikely, I wouldn't be allowed to tell you, right?" I kneel down with him, Shifty, Cobb, and Popeye. "Spoilsport," Joe grins, and I smile at him. "I don't think even the officers know where we're going. Except maybe Nixon, but that's his job."

"I hear you know our new guy. Welsh?" asks Cobb then, and I nod. "What's he like?" "As far as I know, he's got what it takes. Better than you know who." "That's not hard, is it, Blondie?" asks Cobb, and I look at him with raised eyebrows. The relationship between him and me is strained. Very different from Liebgott because I have no positive feelings left for Roy Cobb. He's just a dick. "Shut up, Cobb," Joe now interjects. "Ah, you gotta admit, he's got no chance. Either the Krauts will get him or one of us," Cobb says as Liebgott joins us. "Who, Sobel?" I nod.

"He screwed up one maneuver," Shifty says, and I look at him gently. Good-natured, naive Shifty. "Oh, Shifty... You always want to see the good in everyone, don't you?" I ask, and he looks at me. "Ah, you know, I'm always fumbling with grenades. It would be easy if one went off by accident, you know," Liebgott says, and I look at him briefly.

"Well, now, they must have put him in charge for a reason." "Yeah, cos the Army wouldn't make a mistake, right, Shift?" We're all silent for a moment, and I spot Lipton next to us, who must have heard everything. "Very well," I say and stand up. "I'll see you guys later."

June 23, 1943 - Camp Mackall, North Carolina We have been at Camp Mackall for several months now. Here we have been doing more field exercises, and it is becoming increasingly clear that Sobel is incompetent and will probably get us all killed. At this moment, I'm lying next to Don in a ditch. "Petty. Map. Come on," Sobel calls to Petty. The latter gives me and Don a brief annoyed look. "Oh, Christ." "What is that idiot doing?" I hiss to Don, who shrugs. "2nd platoon, move out," Winters informs us, and I look up in shock. "What?" Muck also asks, confused. "Tactical column," Winters says, and we do as he says. We have to. "Fuck," I grumble and follow the others out of the ditch.

It doesn't take long, and the enemy team in front of us emerges from the bushes. "Dammit," Don grumbles next to me. "Captain, you've just been killed, along with 95% of your company. Your outfit?" asks one of the observing officers. "Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th," Sobel says, and you can tell he's not too happy either. "Leave three wounded men on the ground and report back to the assembly area." "Goddamn it. You, you, you," Sobel says, pointing to three soldiers.

Together, we make our way back. "Jesus, it would be so easy," I whisper to Don, raising my gun ever so slightly. Of course, I know it's not loaded, but it's all about the gesture. Don begins to chuckle beside me. "This man will be the death of us; I'll tell you that," Skip then interjects. "Well, a little birdie told me he probably won't last long if we really jump into action then," I say, and they both look at me. "Better him than us," Don says, and we nod.

September 6, 1943 - Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, NY "Okay 2nd Platoon, listen up," Roush calls to us, and we line up in formation. "We still need certain inoculations for embarkation and seasickness pills. Sergeant Stark, make sure your people have all reported in and everything is orderly," he demands, and I nod. "Yes, sir." He presses a handful of identification cards into my hand. "The medical IDs. They'll have to be carried on one after this. See that the men fill out their medical information, Sergeant." I nod, and he steps down.

"Okay, listen up, guys. Squad leaders on me and get the IDs for your men. You're responsible for ensuring your men are vaccinated when we board this ship, understand?" They nod, and then Lip, Bill, and Chuck come to me. I hand them the identification cards. "Have the men wear these on them. I assume this is a security precaution." The three nod and go to their squads. "Private Bain, Corporal Roe, you're with me." The medic and radioman approach me. "Here." I hand them their IDs. "You'll need to turn these in when you're vaccinated and then wear them on you, okay?" They both nod, and I look briefly at Bill, who nods to me, signaling that we are ready.

Together, we walk toward the rooms where they are administering the vaccinations. Slightly nervous, I sit in the chair and knead my hands. "Are you okay, Olivia?" Gene asks me, and I look at him. "Yeah, why? What should be?" "You seem nervous." "Well... I wouldn't say I like shots, to be honest. Never have." Gene smirks. "Didn't think so now." I shrug my head, then smile at him. "Don't worry; it's just Typhoid, Smallpox, and Tetanus. It's not that bad." "Oh yeah, my last tetanus shot made my arm hurt like ass for a week," I laugh, and Gene shakes his head.

When I'm called on, I look to Gene again. "Wish me luck," I grin at him, and he shakes his head again. I am led into another room where several curtains are hung to shield the soldiers. I continue to knead my hands and then take a deep breath. You can do this, Liv; you're going to war; a little needle isn't going to be a problem.

"Is someone afraid of needles?" I hear a voice and turn around. Liebgott looks at me mockingly. He is also waiting for his injection. I squeeze my eyes shut but say nothing. "What, lost your tongue, Stark?" I turn back to him. "Can't you just let it go for once, Liebgott?" I ask, and he shrugs. "Sergeant Stark?" I am then called. I walk up to the nurse, who eyes me curiously. "Watch out, Stark, if she misses, your arm will fall off," Liebgott calls after me. "Shut up, Liebgott!"

September 10, 1943 - The Samaria - Somewhere on the Atlantic We have been on the stinking ship for four days now—about 5000 soldiers. We are crammed together, and it is just hot. There are not many places of space for yourself other than your own assigned bunk or, if you are lucky, on deck. Most nights, there aren't a lot of soldiers upstairs, so I often get up there and spend a few quiet minutes. Otherwise, if you want to stretch your legs, you have to fight through the men's scramble, which I try to avoid as much as possible. The constant shouts and catcalls are getting on my nerves.

This evening I lie comfortably in my bunk and smoke a cigarette. In the other hand, I have a book that Web has lent me. Finally, Don and Muck return and lie down in their bunks, where Don immediately opens a magazine. "Where have you been?" I ask, and he looks at me for a moment. "Oh, on deck. I needed some fresh air." "Understandable." Discussions keep coming up among the men that we're being shipped to Europe, not the Pacific, as we are now. "Hey, guys, I'm glad I'm going to Europe. Hitler gets one of these right across the windpipe; Roosevelt changes Thanksgiving to Joe Toye Day and pays me ten grand a year for the rest of my fucking life," Toye says, holding up a knife. Above us, Smokey speaks up. "What if we don't get to Europe? What if they send us to North Africa?" "My brother's in North Africa; he says it's hot," Bill now says, lying in the bunk in front of me. "Really? It's hot in Africa?" asks Don sarcastically, and I nudge him.

"Shut up. Point is, it don't matter where we go. Once we get into combat, the only person you can trust is yourself and the fella next to you," Bill continues. "Hey, long as he's a paratrooper," Toye says. "Oh, yeah? What if that paratrooper turns out to be Sobel?" now George, who is climbing into his bunk, interjects. "If I'm next to Sobel in combat, I'm moving on down the line. Hook up with some other officer, like Heyliger or Winters," Pat, who is lying above me, now joins in. I smile at their discussions. In the end, everything will probably be different than we imagine anyway. "I like Winters, he's a good man, but when the bullets start flying, I don't know if I want a Quaker doing my fighting for me," Bill says again, and I sit up. "How do you know he's a Quaker?" I ask. "He ain't Catholic." "So what?" "Neither's Sobel," Don now says, and I look at him angrily because he just contradicted my statement.

"That prick's a son of Abraham," Bill continues, and I sit up. "Are you serious?" "He's what?" now Liebgott, sitting across from us in an upper bunk, interjects. "He's a Jew." Great, now it's over. I rub my hand over my face. Liebgott's gaze briefly meets mine before he tosses his smoke to the floor and jumps off his bunk. "Oh, fuck. I'm a Jew." "Congratulations. Get your nose outta my face," Bill says, pushing Liebgott away from him, which he doesn't put up with, and lunges. Some men are quickly on the spot and try to separate the two. Of course, I can't help trying to push myself between them. "Are you fucking serious?! You're fighting over Sobel?! Fuck! How stupid can you be?" I shout and push Bill in one direction and Liebgott in another, but they ignore me.

Suddenly I feel a sharp pain on my nose. I stagger backward and immediately grab it. Blood streams down my fingers, and tears shoot into my eyes. "Fuck, Liv!", I hear someone shout, and then I feel Don next to me. "See! That's what you get! Fucking idiots!", Don shouts angrily, and I can only see Bill and Liebgott looking at me in shock. "Shit, sorry Liv!" I hear Bill say. One of them must have caught me.

"Hey Liv, let me see," I hear Gene's voice. He and Don lead me to an empty bunk where I sit down, and Gene examines my nose. "It's not broken, so that's something," he says as he gently puts his fingers to my nose. Then he takes a handkerchief and holds it out to me. "Idiots," Don mutters next to me. "There's probably going to be a bruise, Liv. He got you real good. And you're going to have to change your OD's. They're pretty fucked up," Gene then says, pointing down. I also look down for a moment; all my OD's are full of blood stains. "Great," I grumble. Next to us I can hear the others discussing. "Come on; I'll take you; I have to go that way anyway," Gene says, and I give Don's arm a quick squeeze.

Gene and I make our way upstairs when suddenly Winters and Harry are standing in front of us. "Jesus Christ, Liv, what happened to you?" asks Harry immediately. "Just a little accident, Harry. It's all right," I say, smiling at him. "Doc?" now Winters asks, addressing Gene. "Two of the men got into an altercation and Liv got in the middle of it. An elbow hit her nose, sir, but it's not broken." "I just need new OD's, sir," I now say and Winters nods. "Okay, I'll let Sergeant Roberts know. Wait here a minute," Winters says and disappears. "Who was involved?" asks Harry then. "Guarnere and Liebgott," Roe says, and Harry gives me a knowing look. "Figures... Are you okay, Liv?" I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just waiting for it to stop bleeding." Then Winters comes back with Supply Sergeant Roberts and presses a new top into my hand. "Clean yourself up and any further incidents will be reported to me immediately," says Winters. "Yes, sir," I say nodding to Gene and Harry.

In the restrooms, I change briefly. My nose is still bleeding slightly, but it's not that bad anymore, but there is already a nasty bruise forming beside my nose. Then I go up on the deck and sit against the railing on the floor. It's already fresh, but I don't care right now. I can't go back below just yet.

When my nose finally stopped bleeding, I put the rag next to me, cross my arms, and stretch out my legs. I close my eyes and lean my head against the railing. Suddenly, I notice someone standing next to me. When I look up, I am surprised that it is Liebgott. "How's your nose?" he asks. "It's been better if I'm honest," I return. He takes a deep breath. "May I?" he asks, and I nod as he sits down next to me. "I'm sorry." "What?" "I'm sorry I hit you. That... I didn't mean to." Now I realize that, in that case, it was Liebgott who did it. "You were standing there and my elbow... Well, as I said, I'm sorry."

He lights a smoke and holds it out to me before lighting one for himself. "It's all right. It was an accident." Liebgott bites his lips and looks down at his legs. "It's just... Guarnere's comment was totally out of line." I nod. "I know. I agree with you." "Really?" "Yeah. I mean, why does it matter where someone is from or what their religion is? At the end of the day, we're all here for the same reason, right?" Liebgott says nothing, and we sit there smoking our cigarettes for a moment. Then Liebgott rummages in his pocket and holds out a bottle to me. "Here, as an apology." I take it. "Okay, wow. Where did you get that?" "That's my secret," he says, taking out another beer bottle. We open it and cheer the bottles together.

Silently, we drink our bottles. The stars shine above us, and you can hear the water lapping beside us. I don't think the two of us have been together so long without arguing. I keep catching myself giving Liebgott little glances, but always careful that he doesn't see me.

"Ah, there you are!" Don comes up to us, grinning. "I was beginning to think you'd jumped ship." "Sorry to disappoint you, Malarkey. You're still stuck with me for a bit." As he comes closer and spots our beers, he falters. "Are you fucking serious? You have beers, and you don't say anything!" "Sorry, but this is my apology gift," I say, taking another sip. "Cut the crap and hand over the bottle, Stark," Don laughs and sits in front of us. I hand it to him, and he takes a sip. "Oh, this is just great." He hands the bottle back to me. "Your nose looks like shit, by the way." "Thanks for the flowers, Don. I know... Liebgott did a great job." "Hey, I said I was sorry, okay?!" "Don't get your panties in a bunch Liebgott; it was just a joke. Even though the bruises on my face would deny that."

[wexhappyxfew]

aaaahhhhh shannon hello my dear :) i don't know what's been asked already, so dealer's choice for any of the questions 💜💜

-coffee bean

HI KRYSTAAAAA (@vintagelavenderskies) !!!!! HOW ARE YOU MY FRIEND! thanks so much for stopping by!! <333 AH COOL! ok, i'll just comb through and pick the few i know haven't been done yet! THANK YOU!!! (i'l do three!)

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

i've been in the bob fandom for over 3 years by now and so i have written for basically all of the *main characters* that do happen to appear in band of brothers, as well as a few that just appear through word of mouth in the books or the show so for this one i'll do OC's!

so for a little while now (idk how long exactly is has been) but i've had an OC named Esther Armstrong who is a war correspondent, in my mind as a band of brothers character and i've been so excited about her character line and her story but just, currently and how natia's story is, it deserves fully focused time by itself but i really hope to get to writing it in the future!

📝 What is one growth area you have for your writing?

i always say it, but as a writer i feel we are all always growing and learning which is just something so special about writing in general that i have always loved more than anything. i think dialogue for me has always been the growing and building portion of my stories; when it comes to internal monologue or description, i can bang that out just as how i want it, but dialogue is always where i put in a good portion of effort to make it purposeful as well as make it flow and sound like it should be there. in the past, i've seen myself in other fics write meaningless or confusing bits of dialogue and so with landslide, i've really worked with making sure the dialogue fits where it should and i'm really proud of myself for how far my dialogue has come! :)

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

AH OK OK OK! so, i recently watched a war movie (i won't say the title because it might spoil the premise of the fic then lol) and it inspired me for yet another bob fic idea (this happened maybe 2-3 months ago ig) and now it's just been sitting and chilling but very much THERE! and i really really love it more than anything and i think it could work! just to introduce a few of the OCs i've come up with for that fic in particular, we have head-strong Lieutenant Margaret Stellhorn, willing Sergeant Elodie Roy, and perfectionist Sergeant Odette Marvosky (plus about seven more lol), but i won't reveal the rest. but their story has intrigued me and i REALLY want to write about them but just at the moment, i can't until natia gets her story finished as it should be! :) it'd be cool to write it one day!

THANK YOU SM KRYSTA!! the dealer's choice was definitely fun and i just picked ones that seemed super cool to answer and hadn't been answered so i hope you enjoyed hehe! <3 thank you so so much again, i really had fun doing this!! :D

[grigori77]

Summer 2020′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 2)

10.  BODY CAM – in the face of the current pandemic, viral outbreak cinema has become worryingly prescient lately, but as COVID led to civil unrest there were a couple of films in this summer that REALLY seemed to me to put their finger on the pulse of another particularly shitty zeitgeist.  Admittedly this one highlights a problem that’s been around for a good while, but it came along at just the right time to gain particularly strong resonance, filtering its message into the most reliable form of allegorical social commentary – horror.  The vengeful ghost trope has become pretty familiar over the past decade or so, but by marrying it with the corrupt cop thriller veteran horror screenwriter Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact) has given it a nice fresh spin, and the end result was, for me, a real winner.  Mary J. Blige plays troubled LAPD cop Renee Lomito-Smith, back on the beat after an extended hiatus following a particularly harrowing incident, just as fellow officers from her own precinct begin to die violent deaths under mysterious circumstances, and the only clues are weird, haunting camera footage that only Renee and her new partner, rookie Danny Holledge (Paper Towns and Death Note’s Natt Wolff), manage to see before it inexplicable wipes itself.  Something supernatural is stalking the City of Angels at night, and it’s got a serious grudge against local cops as the increasingly disturbing investigation slowly brings an act of horrific police brutality to light, until Renee no longer knows who in her department she can trust.  This is one of the most insidious scare-fests I’ve enjoyed so far this year, sophomore director Malik Vitthal (Imperial Dreams) weaving an effective atmosphere of pregnant dread and wire-taut suspense while delivering some impressively hair-raising shocks (the stunning minimart sequence is the film’s undeniable highlight), while the ghostly threat is cleverly thought-out and skilfully brought to “life”.  Blige delivers another top-drawer performance, giving Renee a winning combination of wounded fragility and steely resolve that makes for a particularly compelling hero, while Wolff invests Danny with skittish uncertainty and vulnerability in one of his strongest performances to date, and Dexter star David Zayas brings interesting moral complexity to the role of their put-upon superior, Sergeant Kesper.  In these times of heightened social awareness, when the police’s star has become particularly tarnished as unnecessary force, racial profiling and cover-ups have become major hot-button topics, the power and relevance of this particular slice of horror cinema cannot be denied.

9.  BLOOD QUANTUM – it certainly has been a great year for horror, and for most of the summer this was the genre leader, a compellingly fresh take on the zombie outbreak genre with a killer hook.  Canadian writer-director Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) has always clung close to his Native American roots, and he brings strong social relevance to the intriguing early 80s Canadian setting as a really nasty zombie virus wreaks havoc in the Red Crow Indian Reservation and its neighbouring town.  It soon becomes clear, however, that members of the local tribe are immune to the infection, a revelation with far-reaching consequences as the outbreak rages unchecked and society begins to crumble.  Barnaby pulls off some impressive world-building and creates a compellingly grungy post-apocalyptic vibe as the story progresses, while the zombies themselves are a visceral, scuzzy bunch, and there’s plenty of cracking set-pieces and suitably full-blooded kills to keep the gore-hounds happy, while the horror has real intelligence behind it, the script posing interesting questions and delivering some uncomfortable answers.  The characters, meanwhile, are a well-drawn, complex bunch, no black-and-white saviours among them, any one of them capable of some pretty inhuman horrors when the chips are down, and the cast, an interesting mix of seasoned talent and unknowns, all excel in their roles – Michale Greyeyes (Fear the Walking Dead) and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant) are the closest things the film has to real heroes, the former a fallible everyman as Traylor, the small-town sheriff who’s just trying to do right by his family, the latter unsure of himself as his son, put-upon teenage father-to-be Joseph; meanwhile, Olivia Scriven is tough but vulnerable as his pregnant white girlfriend Charlie, Stonehorse Lone Goeman is a grizzled badass as tough-as-nails tribal elder Gisigu, and Kiowa Gordon (probably best known for playing a werewolf in the Twilight movies) really goes to the dark side as Joseph’s delinquent half-brother Lysol, while there’s a memorably subtle turn from Dead Man’s Gary Farmer as unpredictable loner Moon.  This is definitely one of the year’s darkest films – by and large playing the horror straight, it tightens the screws as the situation grows steadily worse, and almost makes a virtue of wallowing in its hopeless tone – but there’s a fatalistic charm to all the bleakness, even in the downbeat yet tentatively hopeful climax, while it’s hard to deny the ruthless efficiency of the violence on display. This certainly isn’t a horror movie for everyone, but those with a strong stomach and relatively hard heart will find much to enjoy here.  Jeff Barnaby is definitely gonna be one to watch in the future …  

8.  PALM SPRINGS – the summer’s comedy highlight kind of snuck in under the radar, becoming something of an on-demand secret weapon with all the cinemas closed, and it definitely deserves its swiftly growing cult status.  You certainly can’t possibly believe it’s the feature debut of director Max Barbakow, who shows the kind of sharp-witted, steady-handed control of his craft that’s usually the province of far more experienced talents … then again, much of the credit must surely go to seasoned TV comedy writer Andy Siara (Lodge 49), for whom this has been a real labour of love he’s been tending since his film student days.  Certainly all that care, nurture and attention to detail is up there on the screen, the exceptional script singing its irresistible siren song from the start and providing fertile ground for its promising new director to spread his own creative wings.  The premise may be instantly familiar – playing like a latter-day Saturday Night Live take on Groundhog Day (Siara admits it was a major influence), it follows the misadventures of Sarah (How I Met Your Mother’s Cristin Miliota), the black sheep maid of honour at her sweet little sister Tala’s (Riverdale’s Camila Mendes) wedding to seemingly perfect hunk Abe (Supergirl’s Superman, Tyler Hoechlin), as she finds herself repeating the same high-stress day over and over again after being trapped in a mysterious cosmic time-loop along with slacker misanthrope Nyles (Brooklyn Nine Nine megastar Andy Samberg), who’s been stuck in this same situation for MUCH longer – but in Barbakow and Siara’s hands it feels fresh and intriguing, and goes in some surprising new directions before the well-worn central premise can outstay its welcome.  It certainly doesn’t hurt that the cast are uniformly excellent – Miliota is certainly the pounding emotional heart of the film, effortlessly lovable as she flounders against her lot, then learns to accept the unique possibilities it presents, before finally resolving to find a way out, while Samberg has rarely been THIS GOOD, truly endearing in his sardonic apathy as it becomes clear he’s been stuck like this for CENTURIES, and they make an enjoyably fiery couple with snipey chemistry to burn; meanwhile there’s top-notch support from Mendes and Hoechlin, The OC’s Peter Gallagher as Sarah and Tala’s straight-laced father, the ever-reliable Dale Dickey, a thoroughly adorable turn from Jena Freidman and, most notably, a full-blooded scene-stealing performance from the mighty J.K. Simmonds as Roy, Nyles’ nemesis, who he inadvertently trapped in the loop before Sarah and is, understandably, none too happy about it.  This really is an absolute laugh-riot, today’s more post-modern sense of humour allowing the central pair (and their occasional enemy) to indulge in even more extreme consequence-free craziness than Bill Murray ever got away with back in the day, but like all the best comedies there’s also a strong emotional foundation under the humour, leading us to really care about these people and what happens to them, while the story throws moments of true heartfelt power at us, particularly in the deeply cathartic climax.  Ultimately this was one of the summer’s biggest surprises, a solid gold gem that I can’t recommend enough.

7.  THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME – the summer’s other heavyweight Zeitgeist fondler is a deeply satirical chunk of speculative dystopian sci-fi clearly intended as a cinematic indictment of Trump’s broken America, but it became far more potent and prescient in these … ahem … troubled times.  Adapted by screenwriter Karl Gadjusek (Oblivion, Stranger Things, The King’s Man) from the graphic novel by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini for underrated schlock-action cinema director Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3, Colombiana, the last two Taken films), this Netflix original feature seemed like a fun way to kill a cinema-deprived Saturday night in the middle of the Lockdown, but ultimately proved to have a lot more substance than expected.  It’s powered by an intriguing premise – in a nearly lawless 2024, the US government is one week away from implementing a nationwide synaptic blocker signal called the API (American Peace Initiative) which will prevent the public from being able to commit any kind of crime – and focuses on a strikingly colourful bunch of outlaw antiheroes with an audacious agenda – prodigious Detroit bank robber Bricke (Édgar Ramiréz) is enlisted by Kevin Cash (Funny Games and Hannibal’s Michael Carmen Pitt), a wayward scion of local crime family the Dumois, and his hacker fiancée Shelby Dupree (Material Girl’s Anna Brewster) to pull off what’s destined to be the last great crime in American history, a daring raid on the night of the signal to steal over a billion dollars from the Motor City’s “money factory” and then escape across the border into Canada.  From this deceptively simple premise a sprawling action epic was born, carried along by a razor sharp, twisty script and Megaton’s typically hyperbolic, showy auteur directing style and significant skill at crafting thrillingly explosive set-pieces, while the cast consistently deliver quality performances.  Ramiréz has long been one of those actors I really love to watch, a gruff, quietly intense alpha male whose subtle understatement hides deep reserves of emotional intensity, while Dupree takes a character who could have been a thinly-drawn femme fetale and invests her with strong personal drive and steely resolve, and there’s strong support from Neil Blomkampf regulars Sharlto Copley and Brandon Auret as, respectively, emasculated beat cop Sawyer and brutal Mob enforcer Lonnie French, as well as a nearly unrecognisable Patrick Bergin as local kingpin (and Kevin’s father) Rossi Dumois; the film is roundly stolen, however, by Pitt, a phenomenal actor I’ve always thought we just don’t see enough of, here portraying a spectacularly sleazy, unpredictable force of nature who clearly has his own dark agenda, but whom we ultimately can’t help rooting for even as he stabs us in the back.  This is a cracking film, a dark and dangerous thriller of rare style and compulsive verve that I happily consider to be Megaton’s best film to date BY FAR – needless to say it was a major hit for Netflix when it dropped, clearly resonating with its audience given what’s STILL going on in the real world, and while it may have been roundly panned in reviews I think, like some of the platform’s other more glossy Original hits (Bright springs to mind), it’s destined for a major critical reappraisal and inevitable cult status before too long …

6.  HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed.  Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close.  And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital.  The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent top-notch revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed.  That said, every single one of them is an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III; ultimately, however, the show (and the film) belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, TV’s Snowpiercer) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable eventual American President Thomas Jefferson.  Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals.  As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.

5.  SPUTNIK – the summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) is a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost totally missed, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and being completely bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary.  The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev.  Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong.  One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now playing host to something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far darker plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine.  This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove to be far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy.  Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to ultimately, tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a subtly nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that makes him one of my top screen villains for the year.  Guaranteed to go down as one of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for the remainder of the year and beyond, and I wish utmost success to all the creative talents involved in the future.  The Invisible Man still rules the roost in the year’s horror stakes, but this runs a VERY close second …

4.  GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter, others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular.  It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended.  Thankfully the final film was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats.  Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed Greyhound, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command.  As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous mid stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German subs that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers.  Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining that tension for the remainder of its trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load.  Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind the similarly unflappable turn he delivered in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members do make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn.  Relentless, powerful, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick.  I’m so glad it made the cut for the season …

3.  PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back into late autumn in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect over the main blockbuster season were pretty thin on the ground, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere.  Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU-take Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and I’ve already made my feelings clear on the frustration of The New Mutants – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it.  New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you won’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot.  Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, an NOPD detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when powered crims cause a disturbance.  Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it.  This is a fun, gleefully infectious  rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of next year’s incendiary DCEU headline act The Batman) takes his script in some very interesting directions and poses some fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of.  Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose explosive pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated “cinematic” fun I had this summer.  Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …

2.  THE OLD GUARD – Netflix’s undisputable TOP OFFERING of the summer came damn close to bagging the whole season, and I can’t help thinking that even if some of the stiffer competition had still been present it may well have still finished this high. Gina Prince-Blythewood (Love & Basketball, the Secret Life of Bees) directs comics legend Greg Rucka’s adaptation of his own popular title with uncanny skill and laser-focused visual flair considering there’s nothing on her previous CV to suggest she’d be THIS good at mounting a stomping good ultraviolent action thriller, ushering in this thoroughly engrossing tale of four ancient, invulnerable immortal warriors – Andy AKA Andromache of Scythia (Charlize Theron), Booker AKA Sebastian de Livre (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe AKA Yusuf Al-Kaysani (Wolf’s Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky AKA Niccolo di Ginova (Trust’s Luca Marinelli) – who’ve been around forever, hiring out their services as mercenaries for righteous causes while jealously guarding their identities for fear of horrific experimentation and exploitation should their true natures ever be discovered.  Their anonymity is threatened, however, when they’re uncovered by former CIA operative James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), working for the decidedly dodgy pharmaceutical conglomerate run by sociopathic billionaire Steven Merrick (Harry Melling, formerly Dudley in the Harry Potter movies), who want to capture these immortals so they can patent whatever it is that makes them keep on ticking … just as a fifth immortal, US Marine Nile Freeman (If Beale Street Could Talk’s KiKi Layne), awakens after being “killed” on deployment in Afghanistan.  The supporting players are excellent, particularly Ejiofor, smart and driven but ultimately principled and deeply conflicted about what he’s doing, even if he does have the best of intentions, and Melling, the kind of loathsome, reptilian scumbag you just love to hate, but the film REALLY DOES belong to the Old Guard themselves – Schoenaerts is a master brooder, spot-on casting as the group’s relative newcomer, only immortal since the Napoleonic Wars but clearly one seriously old soul who’s already VERY tired of the lifestyle, while Joe and Nicky (who met on opposing sides of the Crusades) are simply ADORABLE, an unapologetically matter-of-fact gay couple who are sweet, sassy and incredibly kind, the absolute emotional heart of the film; it’s the ladies, however, that are most memorable here.  Layne is exceptional, investing Nile with a steely intensity that puts her in good stead as her new existence threatens to overwhelm her and MORE THAN qualified to bust heads alongside her elders … but it’s ancient Greek warrior Andy who steals the film, Theron building on the astounding work she did in Atomic Blonde to prove, once and for all, that there’s no woman on Earth who looks better kicking arse than her (as Booker puts it, “that woman has forgotten more ways to kill than entire armies will ever learn”); in her hands, Andy truly is a goddess of death, tough as tungsten alloy and unflappable even in the face of hell itself, but underneath it all she hides a heart as big as any of her friends’. They’re an impossibly lovable bunch and you feel you could follow them on another TEN adventures like this one, which is just as well, because Prince-Blythewood and Rucka certainly put them through their paces here – the drama is high (but frequently laced with a gentle, knowing sense of humour, particularly whenever Joe and Nicky are onscreen), as are the stakes, and the frequent action sequences are top-notch, executed with rare skill and bone-crunching zest, but also ALWAYS in service to the story. Altogether this is an astounding film, a genuine victory for its makers and, it seems, for Netflix themselves – it’s become one of the platform’s biggest hits to date, earning well-deserved critical acclaim and great respect and genuine geek love from the fanbase at large. After this, a sequel is not only inevitable, it’s ESSENTIAL …

1.  TENET – granted, the streaming platforms (particularly Netflix and Amazon) certainly did save our cinematic summer, but I’m still IMMEASURABLY glad that the season’s ultimate top-spot winner was one I got to experience on THE BIG SCREEN.  You gotta hand it to Christopher Nolan, he sure hung in there, stubbornly determined that his latest cinematic masterpiece WOULD be released in cinemas in the summer (albeit ultimately landing JUST inside the line in the final week of August), and it was worth all the fuss because, for me, this was THE PERFECT MOVIE for me to get return to cinemas with.  I mean, okay, in the end it WASN’T the FIRST new movie I saw after the reopening, that honour went to Unhinged, but THIS was my first real Saturday night out big screen EXPERIENCE since March.  Needless to say, Nolan didn’t disappoint this time any more than he has on any of his consistently spectacular previous releases, delivering another twisted, mind-boggling headfuck of a full-blooded experiential sensory overload that comes perilously close to toppling his long-standing auteur-peak, Inception (itself second only by fractions to The Dark Knight as far as I’m concerned). To say much at all about the plot would give away major spoilers – personally I’d recommend just going in as cold as possible, indeed you really should just stop reading this right now and just GO SEE IT.  Still with us?  Okay … the VERY abridged version is that it’s about a secret war being waged between the present and the future by people capable of “inverting” time in substances, objects, people, whatever, into which the Protagonist (BlacKkKlansman’s John David Washington), an unnamed CIA agent, has been dispatched in order to prevent a potential coming apocalypse. Washington is once again on top form, crafting a robust and compelling morally complex heroic lead who’s just as comfortable negotiating the minefields of black market intrigue as he is breaking into places or dispatching heavies, Kenneth Branagh delivers one of his most interesting and memorable performances in years as brutal Russian oligarch Andrei Sator, a genuinely nasty piece of work who may be the year’s very best screen villain, Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Widows) brings strength, poise and wounded integrity to the role of Sator’s estranged wife, Kat, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson gets to use his own accent for once as tough-as-nails British Intelligence officer Ives, while there are brief but consistently notable supporting turns and cameos from Martin Donovan, Yesterday’s HImesh Patel, Dirk Gently’s Fiona Dourif and, of course, Nolan’s good luck charm, Michael Caine.  The cast’s biggest surprise, however, is Robert Pattinson, truly a revelation in what has to be, HANDS DOWN, his best role to date, Neil, the Protagonist’s mysterious handler – he’s by turns cheeky, slick, duplicitous and thoroughly badass, delivering an enjoyably multi-layered, chameleonic performance which proves what I’ve long maintained, that the former Twilight star is actually a fucking amazing actor, and on the basis of this, even without that amazing new teaser trailer making the rounds, I think the debate about whether or not he’s the right choice for the new Batman is now academic.  As we’ve come to expect from Nolan, this is a TRUE tour-de-force experience, a visual masterpiece and an endlessly engrossing head-scratcher, Nolan’s screenplay bringing in some seriously big ideas and throwing us some major narrative knots and loopholes, constantly wrong-footing the viewer while also setting up truly revelatory payoffs from seemingly low-key, unimportant beginnings – this is a film you need to be awake and attentive for or you could miss something pretty vital.  The action sequences are, as ever, second to none, some of the year’s very best set-pieces coming thick and fast and executed with some of the most accomplished skill in the business, while Nolan-regular cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar and Dunkirk, as well as the heady likes of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, SPECTRE and Ad Astra) once again shows he’s one of the best camera-wizards in the business today by delivering some truly mesmerising visuals.  Notably, Nolan’s other regular collaborator, composer Hans Zimmer, is absent here (although he has good reason, currently working on his dream project, the fast-approaching screen adaptation of Dune), but Ludwig Göransson (best known for his regular collaborations with Ryan Coogler on the likes of Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther, as well as truly awesome work on The Mandalorian) makes for a fine replacement, crafting an intriguingly internalised, post-modern musical landscape that thrums and pulses in time with the story and emotions of the characters rather than the action itself. Interestingly it’s on the subject of sound that some of the film’s rare detractions have been levelled, and I can see some of the points – the soundtrack mix is an all-encompassing thing, and there are times when the dialogue can be overwhelmed, but in Nolan’s defence as a film this is a heady, immersive experience, something you really need to concentrate on, so these potential flaws are easily forgiven.  As a piece of filmmaking art, this is another flawless wonder from one of the true masters of the craft working in cinema today, but it’s art with palpable substance, a rewarding whole that really HAS TO BE experienced on the big screen.  So put your snobbery at post-lockdown restrictions aside for the moment and get yourself down to your nearest cinema so you can experience it for yourself.  You won’t be disappointed.  Right now, this is my movie of the year, and with only one possible exception, I really don’t see that changing …

[wftc141]

Factions of The Century of the Sins

Commission arts by Amenoosa

Factions of The Century of the Sins

Tekkadan, a small Japanese mercenary crew who are all ex-Special Forces operators of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Left to right:

Norba Shino, mid-thirties, Japanese man, Tekkadan mercenary

Yamagi, late twenties, Japanese man, Tekkadan mercenary

Natsuo “Orga” Itsuka, forty years old, Japanese man, leader of Tekkadan

Mikazuki Augus, late thirties, Japanese man, second in command of Tekkadan

Eugene Stark, late thirties, Japanese American man, Tekkadan mercenary

Ryo “Ride” Matsuda, late twenties, Japanese man, Tekkadan mercenary

Akihiro Altland, late thirties, Japanese man, Tekkadan mercenary

Central Intelligence Agency, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world, primarily using human intelligence. The Special Activities Center is a division of the Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert operations and paramilitary operations.

Left to right:

Edith “Eda” Elric, forty years old, Caucasian American woman, CIA SAC Operation Officer, married to Alphonse

Alphonse Elric, late thirties, German American man, former Police Vice Detective, former thief, CIA SAC Operation Officer, married to Eda

Saber, mid-thirties, Caucasian American man, former United States Army Green Beret, CIA SAC Paramilitary Operation Officer, embedded with Lions of Ishval and even married to the leader

Hex, mid-thirties, Caucasian America woman, former United States Army 3rd Special Operations Group, Wide Range Communications Platoon, CIA SAC Paramilitary Operations Officer

Hammerhead, Israeli Private Military Company that employs ex-soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces.

Left to right:

Jason “Raznarok” Hayamoto, early-thirties, Japanese Israeli man, former IDF Infantryman, Hammerhead contractor (OC belongs to BloodyDemon666)

Amida Arca, early-forties, Colombian Israeli woman, former IDF Egoz, Hammerhead founder, married to Naze

Naze Arca, mid-forties, Israeli man, former IDF Egoz, Hammerhead founder, married to Amida

Lafter Frankland, late-twenties, Israeli woman, former IDF Infantryman, Hammerhead contractor

Azee Gurumin, mid-thirties, Israeli woman, former IDF Paratrooper Brigade, Hammerhead contractor

“Iago” Barron, mid-thirties, Israeli man, former IDF Paratrooper Brigade, Hammerhead contractor (OC belongs to BoRiva)

The Lions of Ishval is a resistance militia organization based in Ishval against terrorism and the occupation of the country by the corrupt coup of Gjallarhorn.

Left to right:

“Noah”, mid-thirties, Ishvalan woman, leader of the Lions of Ishval, married to “Saber”

“Scar”, mid-forties, Ishvalan man, former Ishvalan Police Officer, lieutenant of the Lions of Ishval

The United States Marine Corps, also referred to as the United States Marines, is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations with the United States Navy as well as the Army and Air Force. The Marine Raider Regiment, formerly known as the Marine Special Operations Regiment, is a special operations force of the United States Marine Corps, part of Marine Corps Special Operations Command.

 Left to right:

Master Sergeant Eddy Song, mid-thirties, Korean American man, United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command

Colonel Roy Mustang, mid-forties, Caucasian American man, United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command.

Lieutenant Maes Hughes, early-forties, German American man, United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command

Gunnery Sergeant Jean Havoc, late-thirties, Caucasian American man United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command

Staff Sergeant Kain Fuery, mid-thirties, Japanese American man, United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command

Major Riza Hawkeye, early-forties, Caucasian American woman, United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command

[zacklover24]

Fallout OCs master list

@ahzrukahl

‘I‘ve already lost my father, my mother, my home I'm not going to lose you or anyone again!’

Name: Roy

Gender: Male

Age: 29

Height: 5’6

Body type: Athletic

Hair: onyx black hair done in a layer undercut.

Eyes: Thin Almond Blue eyes

Clothes: Vault 101 suit and leather armour

Weapons: Lever action shotgun, laser pistol, baseball bat

Face Claim: Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Father: James(Dead)

Mother: Catherine( Dead)

Husband: Charon

Skills: Sewing, cooking, medical knowledge, shooting, and lock picking.

S: 4

P:4

E:4

C:5

I:10

A:4

L:3

Skills: Barter,  medicine, repair, speech and science

Bio: Roy was born in vault 101 twenty-nine years agos. Roy grew in the safety and the peace of the his vault, where he expected to die. At sixteen Roy, GOAT told him, he was set to be the next doctor of the vault, and Roy was happy with that. But then Roy’s father James feld the vault, and Roy went after him. Roy would be lying if didn’t struggle or was afraid when he first stepped out of the vault. But with a hell of lot of luck and hell lot of help Roy made it. Along the way Roy made friends, and enemies and found a lover in his ghoul bodyguard Charon.

Charon and Roy carved a bloody path in there quest to save James and to defeat the enclave. After Roy killed Colonel Autumn, Roy entered project purity and brought clean water to Capital. But not without losing part of himself.

Ten years later, Roy has helped to make Capital better than it was. Roy with the help of the ghouls in the underworld and the BOS has helped to create thriving area of trade, technology, and settlements. But Elder Maxson sights have turned to Commonwealth and now he wants Roy and Charon to come with him.

***************************************************************************

‘The house may always win but this time I won and he died.’

Name: Vic short for Victorian

Gender: Female

Age: 30

Job: former Courier for the Mojave Express, is the head of the New Vegas Strip

Height: 5’9

Body type: Athletic

Hair: bright red, done in a fishtail

Eyes: Round green eyes

Clothes: Ncr ranger armour

Weapons: Lever action shotgun, plasma rifle, and combat knife

Face Claim: Julianne Moore

Father: ?

Mother: ?

Husband: Benny

Son: Benny jr

Skills: Sewing,  shooting, and lock picking.

S: 4

P: 6

E:5

C:5

I: 7

A:4

L:10

Skills: Energy weapons, barter, lockpick, and melees weapons

Bio: Vic was born somewhere up past new reno. She doesn't talk much about her past or she can recall from past. She got work the Mojave express running packages for them. One day she was sent to deliver a package from mr. House when she was ambushed by Benny and his gang and shot twice in the head and left in the shallow grave in goodsprings. Thankful Victor and the good doctor fixed her up.

With a lot of luck and some skills she was able to kill house, get the chip, kill Caesar, give the khans peace, make the strip and freeside one, defeat the legion at the dam and become the ruler and mary Benny and now they have a son. Vic has survive big mountain has found and survived the Sierra Madre, came and went to the divide and is friends with the burned man.

***************************************************************************

‘ I'm not as innocent or has prue as people may think I am.’

Name: Angel Gray

Gender: Female

Age: 219

Height: 5’3

Body type: Athletic

Hair: Pastel blue, done in Dutch braid

Eyes: Thin almond blue

Clothes: vault 111 suit, a plaid shirt, jeans, her uncles old army jacket, army hamlet later the silver shroud hat

Weapons:  10mm pistol, righteous authority, and baseball bat with nails

Face Claim: Sophie Cookson

Father:  The admiral

Mother:  Lucy Lyons

Uncle: Staff- sergeant Ken Gray

Brothers: Charon and Shaun

Pets: red wolf Dog named hades

Boyfriend: Elder Maxson

Skills: Shooting, boxing, lock picking

S: 3

P: 6

E:5

C:5

I: 6

A:7

L: 8

Bio: Angel was born prewar in Boston, she lived in sanctuary hills with her uncle and Charon. Her father was busy working at the sub base in Bar Harbour and her mother waa big time lawyer in DC. Angel was anything but good girl she got into trouble a lot from starting fights at school to defacing public property. If it wasn't for her uncle and a detective named Nick Valentine she would have been in more trouble. Nick gave angel a job at the station he worked at, along with being an ear for her talk to and it helped angel.

The day the bombs dropped angel, her uncle and Shaun were heading to bar harbour for the admiral ball but then the sirens went off and they booked it to the vault. Angel watched in horror as kellogg killed her uncle and took Shaun. Now she is on the hunt with her dog hades, Danse, a synth named nick she hopping to get to the bottom of this mess.

There is a part of Maxson that stills loves and misses Sarah Lyons. He never got over her death, he's tried but no one could really fill the gape in his heart. Now Angel comes along, native and fresh from vault 111, they by chance and maybe Arthur thinks he found someone to help him. But here's the thing angel doesn't get it. Arthur could have any women be wants so why here? Because she looks like Sarah.

****************************************************************************

‘ I am only afraid of two things deathclaws and ranger knight and fuck the brotherhood of steel.’

Name: Ranger Lupus

Age: 24

Height: 5’6

Gender: Female

Hair: sun bleached blonde  and the sides had been shaved off leaving the top alone. The back of her hair was tied into a small ponytail.

Eyes: Round steel grey

Face claim: scarlett johansson

Scars:   The three scars which looked like cawl marks ran from the top left corner of her forehead, across her nose and ended at the bottom right corner of her mouth, missing left arm from the elbow down

Tattoos: on left shoulder down to elbow deathclaw hand, back from next her neck starts to where her jeans starts is a pattern of black diamonds followed by white dots, right shoulder to elbow a ghost of she.

Pre-war Prosthetic left arm

Body type: lean with muscle and heavily tanned

Gear: Ncr ranger combat armour, colt 45, anti material rifle from, cosmic knife

Animal's: night stalker named venom, Appaloosa horse named mustang

Goal: broker a peace between the rangers and bos of the east even if it means wooing elder Maxson

Skills: Sewing, medical know how, tracking, hunting, barter, speech, and repair

Bio: Luna was born in the capital wasteland. Her mother and father were both paladins. They were both killed by super mutants when she was very young. After there death elder lyons took luna under his wing. She trained hard and strong to become a field scribe and was close to Arthur Maxson.

But then one day while she and Maxson were on patrol a deathclaw attacked and luna lost her left arm. Lyons had the scribes find her a pre-war prosthetic arm. But the damage was done and luna no longer trusted Maxson.

Some time later the elders of the east coast chapter hated how much there soon to be leader cared about luna. Luna was nothing more than a scribe and he was going to be an elder. They plotted, and knew that even those luna lost her trust in Maxson she still loves him. To make sure they didn't became something the elders sent her to the Mojave, seeing as she being tossed aside luna left faking her death.

The leader of the rangers listened to luna story and saw she had what it would take to be a ranger. She passed the training and gained a new arm and was given a mentor in ranger knight. Luna has survived zion, survived the Seria Medrea and a hero the dam.

Awards and accommodations: field scribe for the brotherhood of steel, veteran of the battle for hoover dam, veteran of the helios one battle, savior of zion, helper of waking cloud, personal friend of Joshua Graham aka the burned man, savior of New Canaan, tammer of the night stalker, killer of the salver centurion dead eye, champion of the throne, killer of salt-upon-wounds, and liberator of the dead eye slaves

[ificecanburn]

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark

Here’s another little snippet for my OC. The first part was this introduction. Don’t worry, you’re not meant to know what happened.

"First round is on me," Mustang said, drawing his wallet out of his coat pocket to a chorus of whistling, cheers and table slapping. 

His team were in high spirits after a successful if difficult first week in central following their transfer. They had managed to settle in quickly, and even Havoc was happier than he had been upon leaving East City, claiming to have met another woman. To celebrate (their successful transfer, not Havoc's love life), it had been suggested that they go out for drinks. Even the Lieutenant had joined them, which was a surprising treat in itself.

Roy tried not to dwell on the notable absence of another friend around the table. Tonight his subordinates and friends deserved a bit of fun, and he would not deny them that. 

Raising from his seat, Mustang enjoyed a shared smile with his Lieutenant as Havoc began a monologue on his amazing new girlfriend, before heading to buy the drinks. He stepped into an empty spot at the crowded bar without looking at the dark haired girl in the space next to it until he was already elbow to elbow with her. When he did look, his stomach twisted and he felt his shoulders tense.

Sergeant Aeryn Kaldwin stood to his right, posture rigid and perfect, staring straight ahead with a blank, unreadable expression. He hadn't recognised her at first, never having seen her out of uniform. She looked surprisingly different in a knee length black skirt, high black boots, and white blouse accented with black trim. She seemed softer somehow, or she would have done if her posture hadn't snapped to military standard upon his approach. Standing next to her made the room feel airless. He wished she would just leave. 

"Colonel." She said formally, and Mustang was surprised she didn't jump into a full salute, her strictness regarding military conduct rivalling that of his Lieutenant. 

"Sergeant," Roy replied, equally formally, grinding his teeth and seething silently. Why did she have to be here, tonight? 

He tried to forget about the fact that she had worked for Hughes, that Hughes had told him to leave her alone, that she was harmless, and how he foolishly hadn't listened. He tried not to remember the look in her eyes and how much of a monster it had made him feel. His eyes drifted to her back, fully covered with clothing, behind which he had heard lay terrible burn scars. Her shoulder blades shifted almost imperceptibly, as if he had burned her again with just his look, and he turned away.

Damn her for being here.

"What can I get you?" asked the barmaid cheerfully, looking between Mustang and Kaldwin to ask who was first. Kaldwin made a small gesture with her head to indicate the Colonel could go ahead and order, despite her being at the bar before he had arrived. That only served to make him angrier. 

"No no, after you, Sergeant, I insist," he said, sounding as charming as always, none of his unjustified anger revealing itself. Without looking at him Kaldwin placed her order for a pint, paid, and left the bar.

Mustang returned to his table, gripping three tankards of beer in each hand, and so moving carefully. It wasn't until Hawkeye raised an eyebrow at him that he realised he was scowling, and tried to play it off as concentration as he carefully put the drinks down on the table. 

"Cheers to our first week in central!" toasted Breda, as the Colonel sat down. All six raised their glasses, and drank. Almost immediately Havoc and Breda began pushing Fuery to take more of a drink, clapping him on the back and laughing cheerfully with Falman as the younger man choked.

"Did you meet anyone at the bar, Colonel?" Hawkeye asked casually while the men were distracted, and Mustang looked at her, irritated, knowing that meant she had seen. 

"I don't know what she's doing here, in the first place." he muttered taking another drink.

"It's a public house," his Lieutenant reasoned, and Mustang grunted his begrudging assent,

As if on cue a roar of laughter from the other side of the pub drew their attention, and Mustang looked up in time to see Sergeant Kaldwin finishing up what looked to be an impression, surrounded by MPs who were all howling with laughter. For a moment he was stunned; she was smiling widely and laughing herself, holding her drink in one hand with her other on her hip. It was the first time he'd seen her smile, the first time he'd seen her let her hair down. And on top of that, it was extremely unusual to see MPs and military officers socialising. 

Most real military looked down on the MPs, who, while technically being part of the military, held a rank lower than that of a private and dealt with small matters of law enforcement. This snobbery lead to most MPs disliking military officials. Besides which, the men surrounding Kaldwin looked to be on average five years older than the young Sergeant.

"Her foster brother was an MP." Hawkeye said in his ear, apparently sensing his confusion. Of course, she would have read the girls file. Thorough as always.

"Foster... wait, was?" Mustang asked, immediately regretting his question. "You know what," he said, as the Lieutenant began to answer, "never mind." He could take a good guess, he thought, scowling into his beer. He didn't want to hear it.

Another round of laughter caused him to look up again, and this time he was sure he saw the Sergeant snap her fingers. He felt Hawkeye suppress a smile next to him, and moodily turned his attention to their four companions, who were in the process of trying to persuade Fuery to chug his beer.

The laughter of her friends, none of which, incidentally, could stand Colonel Mustang, lightened Aeryn's mood considerably.

It had been nice to get out, to get away from strict military regulations and hang out with friends she could truly relax around. These men had all known her as a girl, before the fire, as their friends little sister, before she was Sergeant Kaldwin and simply Ryn. Sometimes when she was with them she felt almost her old self, back to a time when everything was fine. But then he had shown up.

No matter what apologies she heard, the insistence that he hadn't intended to hurt her, Aeryn was still terrified of him. What kind of man would choose to wield fire, which could bring only destruction and pain? Just being around him made her scars prickle, she could swear she felt heat on her back.

Aeryn made herself not look over at the Colonel's table all night, determined not to let anyone know anything was wrong. Still, she found her attention drifting away from the conversation a lot, and had to bring herself back to the moment.

"It was good seeing you tonight, Ryn." 

Thomas, who had been her foster brother's best friend, pulled her into a one armed hug to say goodbye. "Let's do it again soon." 

He looked down at her, then raised the knuckle of his index finger to underneath her chin, raising it slightly. 

"Keep your chin up, little lady," he said, grinning.

After many well wishes and promises to come by the pub again soon, Aeryn finally left, walking alone along the dark road towards the subsidised apartment block for soldiers working in central, often termed the "dorms", since most soldiers fresh from the academy lived there. She walked slowly, in no real rush to get home to her small, dark room. She knew she wouldn't sleep well that night.