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phoenixtakaramono · 4 years ago

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THE UNTOLD TALE - CH3 PREVIEW

There was an important takeaway to be had from tonight’s interaction: Shen Yuan had asserted his place as the lord of this residence and as Luo Binghe’s future ally.

Several thoughts had, however, been plaguing him ever since Shen Yuan gifted Luo Binghe the handscrolls, leaving like the composed gentleman he was while the half-demon pondered over the newfound revelations for the night. Those thoughts filled Shen Yuan’s brain with a renewed vigor that his exhausted body did not feel, roiling through his brain as he changed into his night clothes. Even now, lying down with his hands folded over his stomach, they consumed his mind as he stared up at the azure, gauzy canopy that looked eerily similar to the one in the guest bedchamber that Luo Binghe now slept in.

Wisps of hazy white rose from the lotus-shaped censer he’d brought to his bed. The coals within were still fresh in the copper, keeping him warm in the night, with the fragrance of sandalwood circulating within the room.

His unyielding companion, the blue text box, hovered above. Shen Yuan kept his gaze averted from it; he had read and reread the Chinese characters countless times that if he closed his eyes, he could still see the most recent notification engraved in his mind’s eye.

【Prediction! Future Event <<A NIGHT OF PASSION>> has been changed into <<LOADING CHEKHOV'S GUN>>. You have reached the conditions to clear the scenario. Countdown commencing. Reward: B-Points +50.】

The planes of his face were bathed in a soft blue glow as he ruminated. Shen Yuan couldn’t find it within him to feel any guilt or to throw blame at anyone other than himself. He’d unlocked the <<TRUE END>> main scenario and, judging by how the <<SYSTEM>> was not giving him a choice, he had to build that rapport between themselves and see that friendship through.

These are the seeds you’ve sown, Shen Yuan, he reminded himself. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. He could only dig his hands into the soil and watch the seeds slowly bear fruit.

Bing gē—or, rather, Luo Binghe—was not a 2D character on paper; he was now a real person who breathed and talked and had a will of his own. Even so, Shen Yuan didn’t know the extent of the ramifications if an extraordinary “prodigy” gained self-awareness that he was the male protagonist of a fictional erotica series.

It’d be interesting. If someone found out one day that they were a precious existence in a world which catered to them, they’d naturally become arrogant. All the attractive people belonged to them, hearts were won over for no real reason, and enemies would be seen as less of a threat and more as an annoyance. Shen Yuan could envision it; Luo Binghe would probably behave more recklessly, confident in the fact that he was protected by plot armor. He’d be a spoilt menace in a male power fantasy world—until the novelty wore off, and then the boredom set in.

The corners of Shen Yuan’s mouth curved. He didn’t know how likeminded Luo Binghe was, but if he thought like he did, he’d exploit his advantages.

A protagonist’s existence was akin to a cockroach, dragged from door’s death each time without fail.

This was not merely a case of schadenfreude—another difficult foreign term he’d learned during his pursuit as a novelist—where he reveled in another person’s misfortunes. It was a well-established trope in all forms of literature that when a person was casually dropped into a life-or-death situation, they would resurface as calamities. Since Luo Binghe was an important main character, he would naturally benefit.

...Sorry, youngster. Shen Yuan raised a white flag in commiseration for him in his heart. I didn’t mean to conscript you, but you must continue to work hard. Nationalistic pride exists among many Chinese writers.

Even pre-enlightened Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky had not been exempt from that.

In most narratives, the protagonist’s role was to rise above the rest and “smash the system.” Shen Yuan squinted up at the UI, his eyes beginning to water from its bright glow. He blinked rapidly, but the strain in his eyes refused to ease.

He swore in his head. This better not be the sort of tale where he and Luo Binghe had to compete to establish who was the one true protagonist, having to assert narrative dominance. Shen Yuan had no intention of pulling aggro to himself.

Raising a forearm up to shadow his vision, he groaned. He declared to no one, “Airplane brother, you’ve done your first son a great disservice.”

(He’d done a disservice to the original Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan as well as among many others.)

The events that had played out tonight strengthened Shen Yuan’s conviction. He could now see how people easily fell for his act; the charisma of a stallion protagonist was potent. Even so, he had capitalized on goodwill—and Luo Binghe’s strange fixation—hoping continuous acts of kindness being demonstrated toward him would soften him toward Shen Yuan and prove his intentions were sincere.

Should he prove himself to be of use, surely even somebody like Bing gē would not discard him during his rise to power or see him as a threat?

The only method he could foresee showing his fellow protagonist that his services were indispensable was by lending him his wisdom—and his predictions on the account of Shen Yuan being a <<FORTUNETELLER>>. His goal to leave a favorable impression with the other protagonist was already well underway, with the aim of establishing how it would be in Luo Binghe’s best interests to remember Shen Yuan’s acts of compassion and to return them tenfold in the future unless he wished to owe the celestial favors.

He recalled the last question he’d asked of him before Shen Yuan left, regarding the compatibility of his fated one.

Would it be strange if I wrote a predestined romance, for once? As much as Shen Yuan favored subverting expectations, he was aware of what sold commercially. There was a structure that made their literature different from those in the Western market whose shocking narratives could not only arouse pity in their audience, but also a sense of awe, excitement, fear, and suffering.

Their protagonists were not always someone of high society; they often hailed from humble origins as a device for the writer to underscore the merits of working hard and to criticize the system—a fictional one though, to avoid absolute censorship by the Chinese government. Their heroes began as nothing more than a windblown leaf in the social structure and years of ethical traditions set in place. They started on the bottom rungs of society to draw people’s attention to their lives, to the injustice and unfairness, which made their struggles all the more impactful to the reader.

The fates of the leading characters were tied to the juxtaposition of the harmonious ideal of society and the reality of a flawed system. Chinese tales were inherently romantic oftentimes, with tragic conflicts written to emphasize the beauty of a bond and rousing sympathy and pity for their plight. The archetype of a tragic hero was meant to be presented so profoundly that great reverence would well up spontaneously in one’s heart.

In his opinion, Luo Binghe had suffered plenty.

Under normal circumstances, as Peerless Cucumber, Shen Yuan was the sort of novelist where it would not be considered strange for him to challenge the romantic notion of soulmates by making his leading characters comrades or adversaries instead of lovers.

It was like the overseas Inception movie; he’d satirized enough old and tired clichés, it almost became expected of him to subvert expectations for all of his publications.

Guilt weighed on his mind. While he understood the implicit reality of his situation, he still felt like he was, in some way, disappointing his audience. The shame he felt was bizarre.

He swallowed. “My cherished readers...,” Shen Yuan murmured to the void as though they could hear him, “forgive this writer if I don’t subvert your expectations in this aspect just this once.”

The harem was the closest Luo Binghe had to a family. After the parental kindness of the washerwoman was torn away from him early in his life, after having endured the unhealthy environment that followed, the only love and tenderness he received in his life came in the arms of beautiful women. Tokens of affection were given in the form of intimate acts. It was no wonder Bing gē’s character had ended up twisted. He collected lovers with a greed not unlike a hedonistic minister who accepted bribes.

What a complicated man. Shen Yuan’s heart ached for the “blackened hero.”

There were so many women in the harem. In the presence of Luo Binghe, each one was gentle, kind, respectful, and submissive. But it was unrealistic for one husband, who had undergone the traumas that he had, to share his heart equally amongst them and not expect any misgivings.

What this Luo Binghe needed was a foil to his temperament, somebody patient, charismatic, and well-educated. Since Luo Binghe would be uniting the Three Realms, they needed to be proactive keeping him in check from becoming a self-indulgent, fatuous ruler. They cannot be sensitive to criticisms and speculation. A sensible head was needed on their shoulders to guide their merciless husband in understanding right from wrong and from any sycophants looking to lead him astray. It was integral to help the protagonist maintain a harmonious empire so that, together, they could lead a golden age of reform.

Shen Yuan wondered if there even existed such an extraordinary person.

Luo Binghe’s reputation was already in tatters in the Mortal Realm on the account of having a demonic heritage and having razed down the great righteous sects. Whatever goodwill he’d originally cultivated with his deceptive “nice guy” act had to be regained. Winning the war against the son of heaven and finding a good match would be integral in swaying public opinion to his favor. In public, they must present a united front, ruthless against their adversaries but dependable towards their subjects. It was only over time that the Sacred Rulers would prove themselves worthy of being idolized and beloved by the masses.

The <<SYSTEM>> had said that he and Luo Binghe should work together and in the end, they would unlock the epilogue that blessed them with their star-crossed lovers.

Until such a person was found, he supposed he could step into the role as his counsel whenever Luo Binghe needed advice. It was like tossing a peach and getting a plum back. Celestial or not, Shen Yuan used to be the son of a family of manufacturing executives. His profession might have been as an author, but he was educated in the principles of economics. Aside from sharing the <<PROTAGONIST’S HALO>>, his modern knowledge and his knowledge of both novel series were his cheats.

Like the spring breeze that thawed the frozen soil, he would be someone who reached into the abyss and grabbed that bloodstained hand. He could set a standard for Luo Binghe to emulate as the type of wise leader he should be, and his handsome junior could learn from his modern examples and put some of them into practice for his kingdom.

He’ll enable him into becoming the best person that he could be. And maybe, just maybe, the new era might be salvageable and worthy of pride for generations to come for not only the immortals and demons, but for the mortals as well.

“I’d redeemed you once,” Shen Yuan declared, his lashes fanning against his cheeks. He closed his eyes in reminiscence of his own fanfiction, inhaling the light, woody scent of the censer nearby. “I can do it again.”

In the meantime, he reflected, I must collect more merits. I cannot be lazy and lag behind in accomplishments.

While Luo Binghe fought his battles, Shen Yuan would be fighting his own—whatever they might be. He would not be outshone by his junior in his own meteoric rise.

“...System?” he inquired drowsily, his voice barely above a whisper. Turning on his side, he stared at a faraway wall. The glazed white surface of the porcelain pillow felt cold against his cheek, its smoothness reminiscent of jade. “Can you hear me?”

Ping.

【This <<SYSTEM>> provides the Esteemed Host a 24-hour service.】

“I don’t remember Airplane brother going into detail about what the education system is like in this setting. Is it supposed to be historically accurate to the ancient feudal model or…?”

Ping.

As he listened to the long encyclopedic explanation, what he’d heard confirmed his worst fears. Education was the privilege of the elites. Immortal cultivators prioritized studying matters of the “spiritual heart” and Qi refinement, in the martial and mystical arts, breaking through the bottleneck of each cultivation stage until their dedication allowed them to reach the pinnacle that was the Ninth Stage.

With that narrow-minded focus on self-enlightenment, the basic education curriculum of the twenty-first century would be seen as innovative in the pre-established setting of this strange world.

In the early webnovels, Bing gē had stagnated as a late-stage Core Formation expert. Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, in his laziness to research the many intricate nuances of the Cultivation World, had waved it all away by attributing his protagonist’s OPness to his ancient, heaven-fallen demonic heritage and to the deus ex machina that was his legendary sword. Even then, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky still occasionally confused the Foundation Establishment with the Nascent Soul stages.

It wouldn’t be until the end of the series—after the outcry of the netizens—that the unsatisfied Luo Binghe made the breakthrough into the proper Nascent Soul stage with the help of his wives and their many gratuitous papapa scenes.

Then in the epilogue, the author had infuriatingly time-skipped all the way to the penultimate Ninth Stage, describing how Luo Binghe became a legend among legends who had finally attained eternal youth and aged back into his late twenties in his new immortal body after having miraculously passed the Heavenly Tribulations—disasters from heaven which were akin to nuclear radiation for those of demon blood. After an unspecified many years of rule, he’d left his legacy behind—with the uncountable size of his harem and a boundless number of his descendants “mourning the loss of a great and oftentimes misunderstood man.”

Just remembering it made Shen Yuan’s blood pressure spike dangerously. Taking deep, calming breaths, he rolled back onto his back as he forced himself to attain catharsis from listening to the mind-numbing exposition the <<SYSTEM>> was extolling to him like a history program. His fingers clenched the bed sheet.

Eventually he found himself feeling adrift, the words beginning to lose their coherency to him as he phased in and out of consciousness, his mind becoming wrapped in a haze of smoke. Soon his tense muscles relaxed.

The countdown had reached 00:00:00 when sleep finally claimed him.

Note: Small details of this scene might be subject to revision when the final draft comes out. Ch1-2 can be found on AO3. Link is in my bio!

#svsss #luo binghe #shen yuan #bingyuan #shen qingqiu #scumbag system #bingqiu #the untold tale #preview #phoenixtakaramono #svsss fic #obvs there is some canon divergence here #or rather a creative interpretation on PIDW canon #the dream sequence takes place after #I’m excited for the foreshadowing #SY is essentially describing himself #that’s the joke

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thecursedhellblazer · 4 years ago

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Boxing Day and Mistletoe for the December meme!

December Positivity meme || Accepting !

★ Boxing Day: tag someone whose writing style you love

(( Uuuh, I definitely have quite a few people to tag for this one. I had the luck to meet a fair number of very talented people on this hellsite, and being able to write with them is a blessing! And please consider this as a (alphabetical) list of recommendations! ))

@adventurepunks : ‘cause in this lair we love and cherish Bianca (who, aside from a great RP partner, has also found the will to become friends with me, something I am very grateful for). She honestly can write almost any sort of thread, from the silly or fluffy one, to action based threads, to heavy ones with introspection, and make each of them a great ride. Also, we allow each other to indulge in our macabre streak, which is a huge added bonus. And she’s a gal who knows her lore (so a rare kind).

@blizzardmuses : I love Bea and I love her portrayals. So far, I have RPed only with her female muses, but I’m sure that she can write her male muses just as well. I love how she’s able to give the right amount of personality and energy said muses deserve (which is rare considering that it’s much harder to find female muses in the rpc), both in what she has them do and in how she writes them (body language and dialogues). The vitality you can find in her writing is refreshing.

@cosmosfated : Yet another great writer. I’m not even sure where to start from. Their character is one of the most complex I’ve met so far and their writing style adapts perfectly to Fleur’s quirks and moods. They also manage to hint things in between the lines, without telling you all you’d like to know and leaving you wonder (much like their character does). Their replies are always so very lively, it’s a pleasure to receive them.

@rapxir : Katie is another amazing writer I have the luck to write with and a very good friend. Writing is her thing and it shows. Not only in her writing style, but also in the complexity of her character. She’s a very adaptable writer, so she can easily shift between different themes and fandoms too, no matter how different they are. Also, she manages to put a lot of attention in the psychology of her character, through writing small details of her reactions, and that’s a delightful way to learn about Ruby every time a bit more.

@thedemonconstantine : I’m pretty sure that a lot of people who follow this blog (and more) follow K’s too, so that doesn’t leave me much to say I guess. I’ll just quote something that someone said and on which I totally agree: K is the best when it comes to quick actions scenes. That’s pretty much almost set in stone xD

(( A special mention for @darkdabbling , whom I’m just starting to discover. I already love how detailed their writing is, full of introspection and elegant! I’m really looking forward to write with them properly! ))

★ Mistletoe: tag your shipping partners

(( I’ll be tagging again the people I mentioned in the other question, don’t mind me! Also, I’m including platonic ships too, ‘cause they are as important as the romantic ones! ))

@thedemonconstantine : John & Demon John are my bloody guilty pleasure and I’m so not getting over them any time soon (which is both a good and a very bad thing). I can’t remember the last time I got so invested in a ship, in all its shades. Besides those two twats, I have two of my fave platonic ships: Tim & John (and I have to thank K for allowing me to discover both them as a pair, full of parallels and with that mentor/pupil dynamic where you can’t tell who is what, and Timmy as a character) and Chas & John (love them in canon, love the additional we have created in our interactions. They deepened even more their not always healthy bond and I love their shenanigans). Special mention: John & Yoyo.

@adventurepunks : John & Nick are...complicated xD Under some points of view they are still sniffing each other and I love the slow burn we are building, with a step forward and then a few steps backwards. Seeing them getting to know each other, learning how to deal with their differences, bonding...and we all know how it ends (sweet tragedy). Also, John & Zee! We still haven’t developed them as much as the blokes, but I already enjoy their bantering and soft friendship. I can’t wait to work on them too. And of course, the thruple dynamics (which is still a work in progress). Special mention: Francis.

@thegreenxrcher : John & Oliver are another of my main ships on this blog. They are my fault, I’ll confess it, but it seems that all has turned out well, so I’m proud of it xD They really compliment each other, with both their differences and similarities. John also has an odd dynamic with Shar’s demon OC...and I’m curious to see where that will go.

@rapxir : Ah, Ruby, John’s other unofficially adopted kid. I love the parallels between them and how protective they are of each other, even if they bicker a lot and poke each other, hiding their real shared affection. They are just...so good for each other. And they totally deserve each other xD Special mention; Bump.

@blizzardmuses : John & Kori make me crying in all the possible sense of the term. She is the sort of friend John needs, with her unshakable hope and all her efforts to see the bright side. At the same time, John can definitely teach her how to see and deal with the darkest sides of life. Plus, they have a lot trauma in common and that alone is fated to bring them together.

@paradiseturnedhell : John & T’s Nick are quite the odd pair. Enemies and friends, adversaries and lovers, hunter and prey (and this last two roles get switched often). I enjoy the different dynamics they have and how their relationship slowly shift towards one side or the other. It opens a lot of interesting doors!

@obsessionsarenotforheroes : Miss T again, this time John & Jessica. They got so close and so...soft with each other, and I was not expecting it. They found in each other the kind of friend they needed and that makes me so happy, tbh. I might have a preference for angst (which these two offer in abundance), but it’s nice to see them helping each other out of their respective abysses too.

@cosmosfated : John & Fleur are...something else. I wouldn’t know how to describe their relationship and it’s pretty clear that they don’t know for sure either...which makes things even more interesting. I absolutely love how they can go from being complete idiots to completely serious, and all there’s in-between. They are unpredictable and that’s all part of the fun.

@xstabcastx : John & Ava are definitely my fave BrOTP from the Arrowverse adaptation. As much as I love John & Sara’s friendship, Lina made me fall in love with our two idiots. They are such an unlikely pair of friends and that makes them perfect x3

@laughter-in-white : I honestly don’t know what to say about John & Croptop!J aside from the fact that they are fuckin’ hilarious x'D They are yet another unlikely pair, perhaps the most unlikely, and yet, at the same time, they have more in common than they realise. And the fact that the mun’s portrayal is a delight in general just make it all much, much better!

#(( true seeing stone ::ooc:: ))#(( sorry for taking so long anon! ))#(( thank you for the ask!! :D ))#(( positivity ))#(( ...I hope i haven't forgotten anyone >.> ))#(( I slept REAL bad for the second night in a row =.=" ))

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argentconflagration · 5 years ago

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Aziraphale and (Sexual) Innocence

(Thanks to @ineffable-endearments for some key insights and a lot of encouragement!)

[Read on AO3]

As we all know, one of the biggest things that changed from the book to the show is that in the show, the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley is written as a love story. Now, of course, that doesn't necessarily imply anything sexual (and I think there's a lot of interesting things to be written about a reading of their relationship as specifically a nonsexual love story!).

On the other hand, the interpretation of them as having either literally or metaphorically a sexual relationship is (I would say intentionally) presented to the viewer as a potential lens for viewing the story. In your average romance arc, the characters are understood to be sexually attracted to each other, and if it's at all targeted toward adults, the viewer is generally intended to assume that the characters sleep with each other at the end of the story (whether it's shown onscreen or not). In Good Omens, there are a few obviously sexually-charged elements during the course of the love story (the statue in Crowley's flat, Crowley slamming Aziraphale against a wall, etc.). At the end, Aziraphale goes back to Crowley's flat, and by morning they've entered each other's bodies. Literally sexual? Not necessarily. Metaphorically sexual? Yeah kinda.

So let's talk about knowing, in the Biblical sense and otherwise.

(Just as a quick note: this analysis is show-based— assume I'm referring to the show except where I specifically mention the book.)

Crowley is the serpent of Eden, who tempts others to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and thereby introduces sin into the world. I'm hardly the first one to point out that Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship involves Crowley persistently (but not insistently!) tempting Aziraphale into the knowledge of good and evil. He fell for asking questions, continues to question the Almighty's decisions throughout the show, and in general represents a force of knowledge and free will, for humanity, for himself, and for Aziraphale.

To quote the linked post:

"Why was the apple forbidden food? It gave the knowledge of good and evil. It enabled them to choose for themselves instead of blindly obeying orders. Why is Crowley forbidden company? He does the same."

Crowley is the serpent, the tempter, but he is also the apple, the forbidden fruit of which Aziraphale is not allowed to partake. He offers free will to Aziraphale, starting from the very beginning when he (unintentionally) reassures Aziraphale that he can't do the wrong thing, up until the very end when Aziraphale tells him that he has accomplished his temptation.

By the way, why is the apple an apple, anyway? Many people know, and I’m sure Pratchett and Gaiman knew, that Genesis doesn’t specify a kind of fruit. Rather, the image of a shiny red apple is a product of millennia of religious interpretation. It largely comes to us through Paradise Lost, and has now long since been cemented in pop culture. Using the apple as a recurring motif in Good Omens tells us that we’re not meant to understand this as a commentary on the most literal translation of the Bible, but on Christian culture as a whole, including the parts that wildly diverge from the source text.

And you can't talk about cultural Christianity for long without talking about purity culture. There's a lot that can be written about purity culture, but I'm going to focus on the idea that the opposite of sinful knowledge and agency is ignorant innocence and inaction. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, says purity culture. It's okay if other people suffer, so long as your own hands are clean, says purity culture.

Perhaps the most obvious instance of Crowley trying to shake Aziraphale out of this mentality is all the way back in 3004 BC, at the Flood. Crowley tries to make Aziraphale aware of good and evil— God is going to kill the kids, and that's wrong (and right and wrong can be known outside of simply adhering unquestioningly to what God says). Aziraphale defends his innocence by appealing to ignorance: the Almighty's plans are ineffable, so Aziraphale can't question them, and he's not going to do anything about it. He's trying to stay in the pre-Fall state, without knowledge, free will, or sin.

Over and over, Aziraphale can be seen engaging in basically useless, performative behavior for the sake of not being directly implicated in evil deeds. When he resists the Arrangement, it's not because it will have any meaningful impact on the world for good or evil. But it causes Aziraphale to be directly involved in evil, and it's against the rules. Similarly, he tries to persuade Crowley (and later Shadwell) to kill the Antichrist, and Crowley to vanish the airbase guard, rather than doing it himself— not because the outcome will be different, but because he wants to preserve his image of himself as pure and holy. (Worth mentioning is that this characterization is way more pronounced in the show than in the book— in the book he gives only half a line of lukewarm resistance to the idea of vanishing the soldier himself before he does it.)

But back to sex, like I promised.

There's no two ways about it— Christian purity culture is largely about sex. So we might expect Good Omens to make some sort of commentary on the most pronounced aspect of Christian purity culture— the measuring of people's goodness based on their lack of experience (i.e. knowledge) of sexual things specifically. And what we see is that here, too, Aziraphale tries to preserve an image of himself as pure, while Crowley tries to shake him out of that mindset.

In presenting himself as human, Aziraphale presents himself as a gay man. In general, stereotypes of gay men are hypersexualized, but the specific tropes that Aziraphale draws upon are sexless, neutered, and nonthreatening. This is epitomized by Anathema's narration (in the book) as she parts ways with Aziraphale and Crowley after the bike crash. She's very wary of getting in a car with two strange men at night, and treats the two with suspicion and hostility throughout the encounter, but concludes that "She had been perfectly safe after all" when she reads them as a gay couple.

(It's not only because of Heaven's expectations that Aziraphale presents himself this way, of course (perhaps not even mostly). He doesn't want to hurt people. He'd rather avoid a war than win it, give away his sword than use it to drive away humans, go to lunch with the Adversary than thwart him— he is, in a word, soft. And after all, on a textual level, a sexual relationship with Crowley wouldn't be forbidden because it's sex, but because it's Crowley— it's specifically his choice of lover that Heaven would have an issue with, presenting an obvious analogy to gay identity that Aziraphale could hardly avoid picking up on. Like most aspects of Aziraphale's self-presentation, his presentation as a gay man reflects both his idea of what a Good Angel should be and who he really is.)

But in addition to presenting himself to humans in a desexualized way, Aziraphale also sets himself up as the sexual gatekeeper in his and Crowley's relationship (assuming a sexual reading of the relationship arc, that is). Christian purity culture expects women to be gatekeepers against men's sexuality, protecting both men and women from the sinfulness that is sexuality (outside of very narrow parameters). While gender is more fluid than that in Good Omens, the angel/demon binary is strong, and Aziraphale and Crowley constantly wrestle with it. Aziraphale takes it upon himself – as an angel – to protect the both of them against Crowley’s interest in furthering the relationship.

I should mention here that Heaven's initial purpose in placing Aziraphale on earth was literally to guard a gate, and that Aziraphale immediately wanted nothing to do with that role.

And, just as he does in other matters, Crowley offers Aziraphale a way out. He doesn't pressure or force Aziraphale— he wants him to make his own decisions. Aziraphale says, "You go too fast for me." Aziraphale says, "Don't go unscrewing the cap"— i.e. "I'm ready for this, but I'm not ready for everything."

When, finally, Aziraphale and Crowley spend the night together, when they inhabit each other's bodies, when they defy Heaven and Hell together, it's the culmination of a lot of things. For Aziraphale, it's the acceptance of the knowledge that Crowley has been trying to impart to him the whole time. Know me, Crowley says. And know yourself. The fear of falling (from Heaven, from Eden, in love) has been overcome— there never was an apple that wasn't worth the trouble you got into for eating it.

In conclusion, Crowley said fuck the expectations of purity culture, sexual and otherwise. Now, go forth and write thematically resonant smut. It's what Michael Sheen would want.

#good omens #good omens meta #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #ineffable partners #my writing #my meta #go meta #aziraphale meta #crowley meta #aziraphale and crowley relationship meta #lex writes #mine

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sidesandsanders · 5 years ago

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If you want, could you do Deceit, Virgil and Roman with a scary intimidating reader that turns out to be super soft and sweet

As a pastel goth/emo I approve!

Roman:

- A classic rivals to lovers story. When you first met, he was convinced you’d end up an adversary, but as he got to know you he fell in love with your perfect mix of intimidation and sweetness.

- He knows you can handle yourself, and it’s not like anyone has the stupidity courage to try and start fights with you anyway, but he still likes to make himself into your protector. You’ve won the heart of a fairytale prince, of course he wants to save you from anything and everything that could possibly make you unhappy!

- He feels special with you. Knowing that most people will never get to see the soft and kind side of you, and knowing that you trust him to see it, makes him happy. Whenever he’s reminded of it, he falls just a little bit deeper in love.

Virgil:

- You are literally his dream. Someone edgy and intimidating that he doesn’t have to constantly worry about, who’s also a sweetheart he can let see his softer moments without fear of judgement? Absolutely priceless to him.

- He’s not exactly good with words, but he does try his best to make you feel appreciated. He knows how it is to feel like part of you isn’t accepted, and he never wants you to be ashamed of any part of yourself, especially not because of him.

- Please compliment him. Let him know he’s doing good and you love him. He gets insecure occasionally and worries, but hearing you assure him you’re genuinely as attached to him as he is to you makes it easier.

Deceit:

- Oh he is going to have so much fun with you. The cognitive dissonance between your immediate appearance and true personality is something he just adores! You’re like each other’s own personal puzzle, only you know what’s going on in the other’s head.

- He tries to get you to be sort of a henchman in his plans to mess with the light sides. He’s a classy villain type, he has an image to uphold. If you refuse he’ll accept it but if you play along with his schemes (or his theatre projects, let’s be honest), he will be absolutely ecstatic.

- Your sweet personality perfectly compliments his sarcastic wit. When he gets too snarky you pull him back, and he’s always ready to encourage you when you need to show your own teeth for whatever reason.

- Someone will die. Of fun!

#roman sanders #virgil sanders #deceit sanders #sanders sides #sanders sides imagines #sanders sides fic #x reader #fluff

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mediaeval-muse · 4 years ago

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Book Review

Fortune Favors the Wicked. By Theresa Romain. New York: Zebra Books, 2016.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Part of a Series? Yes, Royal Rewards #1

Summary: As a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Benedict Frost had the respect of every man on board—and the adoration of the women in every port. When injury ends his naval career, the silver-tongued libertine can hardly stomach the boredom. Not after everything—and everyone—he’s experienced. Good thing a new adventure has just fallen into his lap…

When courtesan Charlotte Perry learns the Royal Mint is offering a reward for finding a cache of stolen gold coins, she seizes the chance to build a new life for herself. As the treasure hunt begins, she realizes her tenacity is matched only by Benedict’s—and that sometimes adversaries can make the best allies. But when the search for treasure becomes a discovery of pleasure, they’ll be forced to decide if they can sacrifice the lives they’ve always dreamed of for a love they’ve never known…

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: violence, blood, sexual content, domestic violence

Overview: Another read from Courtney Milan’s recommendations page (I’ve been doing a lot of these lately). To be honest, I didn’t have any strong feelings going into this book; I was expecting some kind of rivals to lovers situation, perhaps some thrilling tale of a courtesan running from a jaded past, and while there was a little of that, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction this story actually took. Rather than being a fierce competition where emotions get in the way of each character’s goals, Fortune Favors the Wicked is more a tale about balancing independence with one’s connection to others. While some might be disappointed by that, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and though there were some things I wished Romain had done to enhance the emotional impact of her story, I think there was enough complexity in this novel to keep me interested in seeing more of Romain’s work.

Writing: Romain’s prose is fairly straight-forward without a lot of embellishments. There’s a nice image here and there, but overall, it’s the kind that can be taken in quickly. There was something about her prose style that gave me the impression of disconnectedness; while she depicts the events in her narrative well and makes her characters complex and compelling, I also got the sense that characters didn’t give into emotion and were overall very restrained. This doesn’t mean that her characters don’t have emotions - Romain notes moments when Charlotte stiffens or grips Benedict’s arm in a certain way, but these moments are breezed through quickly and not much is made of them, suggesting (to me) that the emotional impact of something isn’t as noteworthy as the thing itself.

I do think, however, that Romain did an excellent job of writing the relationship between Charlotte and her 10 year old daughter, Maggie. Maggie believes herself to be the legitimate daughter of Charlotte’s deceased sister, but Charlotte has been posing as Maggie’s aunt in order to give her the best chance of being accepted by society. I found Romain’s depiction of Charlotte’s maternal longing to be very well done; I could sense the restraint that Charlotte felt, as well as the difficulty in trying to connect with her daughter, but not quite knowing how after being absent for most of her life. I think those moments were the strongest emotional scenes in the book, and I appreciated the way Romain depicted Charlotte’s struggle using Benedict as a kind of confidant.

Plot: The main action of this book revolves around a treasure hunt of sorts. A hefty sum of gold coins have been stolen from the Royal Mint, and their presence has been traced to a small town called Strawfield, where Charlotte grew up. A number of hopeful “treasure hunters” have descended upon the town, but Charlotte has an edge in that she knows the people and the terrain. At the same time, Charlotte tries to keep her Strawfield life and her London life separate. Being in Strawfield means that she puts a lot of people at risk; a former client has become embittered because Charlotte has left him, so to force her back into his power, he threatens to expose her life as a courtesan to the entire town - a scandal that is sure to affect her parents (who make a meager living as a vicar and translator of ancient Greek) and her daughter, Maggie.

Meanwhile, Benedict has also arrived in Strawfield in search of the treasure, in part motivated by the promise of an adventure, but also by his desire to provide for his sister. As a former sailor, he only receives half a salary and a small pension, so he doesn’t have much to offer in terms of supporting his family. Making things more pressing, his sister is weeks away from turning 21, the age at which her aunt and uncle are to turn her out of their home and cease providing for her (according to an agreement Benedict made with them after the death of his parents).

I really liked the way these plots paralleled one another. Both Benedict and Charlotte were motivated by their care for others - Benedict by his sister, Charlotte by her daughter - and I think this kind of selfless love made for an interesting contrast with the more selfish desires of seeking adventure. I also liked that Benedict struggled with being absent from his sister’s life just as Charlotte struggled with being absent from her daughter’s life - it gave the two characters something in common, other than their passion for one another. At the same time, I also liked the way Charlotte’s status as a kind of object/treasure in the eyes of her clients (she’s called “La Perle” by those who know her as a courtesan - a name that reflects such objectification and is a literal treasure) paralleled the treasure hunt. A former client is literally tracking her down the way Charlotte tracks down the Royal Mint coins, and I appreciated the subtle symbolism that Romain put into these plot lines.

I do wish, however, that a sense of urgency was infused into these narrative threads. Because of Romain’s prose style, I didn’t get the sense that much was at stake for these characters, even though the circumstances themselves certainly put a lot of people at risk.

Characters: The summary of this book is a little misleading; though the hero does in fact have an “injury” and is loathe to stay confined in one place, and the heroine is looking to build a “new life for herself,” the characters are so much more complex than that.

Benedict, our hero, is likable in that he’s not as self-indulgent as the summary would suggest. Though he does fear being confined by a metaphorical “cage,” he isn’t a slave to his impulses, and he frequently prioritizes the thoughts and feelings of others above his own. He accepts Charlotte for who she is and does not think less of her for being a courtesan, and he even tries to help her connect with Maggie and avoid her former client, though there is nothing that would incentivize him to do so. I was relieved that he wasn’t written as a stereotypical gruff loner or womanizing jerk - I’ve become more intolerant of those archetypes lately, and was pleasantly surprised that Benedict was written as a good human being from the start. Moreover, Benedict is not just “inured” - he’s blind and navigates the world using a cane. At first, I was a bit worried that Benedict’s blindness would be fetishized or that he would be portrayed as having some extra-sensory abilities to overcome his disability, but to my surprise, his blindness was never used as some kind of erotic component in intimate scenes, and though Benedict does have some uncanny listening skills, I don’t think they were super-human.

Charlotte was also a compelling protagonist in that she was constantly thinking of the well-being of others without diminishing her own self-worth in the process. She never apologizes for being a courtesan and making her own way in the world, she only regrets that her lifestyle would bring hardship on her family due to society’s prejudices. I liked that she was able to take control of a situation and make things work to her advantage, and though she had some real emotional pain from being separated from her daughter, she never seemed to be bogged down by self-esteem issues or worthlessness.

The supporting characters were also well-written in their complexity. Maggie is a solitary child whose social awkwardness is balanced by her sweet relationship with the family dog. Charlotte’s father, a vicar, frequently has to confront his mistakes regarding his treatment of his daughter, and Charlotte’s mother, a translator of ancient Greek, is flawed in her single-minded obsession with the classics. I even felt that Selwyn, Charlotte’s former lover and father to Maggie, was complex in that he was self-interested without being cruel, contrasting nicely with the cruelty of Charlotte’s former client, Randolph, who was determined to control her no matter the cost.

Romance: Despite the characters on their own being compelling and interesting, I could not see the relationship between Charlotte and Benedict as more than a close friendship. This book is marketed as a “game of seduction,” but there’s very little seducing, with emphasis instead being placed on mutual admiration and respect. Benedict is very kind and supportive of Charlotte, and Charlotte seems to admire the way Benedict has made his own way in the world as a blind man. While I liked that their relationship was based on something more than just appearance or lust, there was also very little passion, and I felt that we had to be told that the characters were falling for one another, rather than being shown it. The characters didn’t seem to be very emotionally vulnerable with each other, nor did I get the sense that they enriched each other’s emotional lives for the better. Benedict’s feelings of anxiety over being “caged” are barely present in the novel, so it doesn’t interfere with his relationship with Charlotte until close to the end; moreover, not much was made of the fact that Benedict would lose his pension/salary if he marries, since being a Naval Knight requires him to live at Windsor Castle and remain single. I would have liked to see more pressure put on these barriers to their romance, but even more than that, I would have liked to see the characters help one another overcome their flaws or challenge each other to grow. While there was a little of that in the way Benedict helped Charlotte with Maggie, I think Romain’s reluctance to more completely indulge in the emotional aspects of her story (as well as her seeming reluctance to make the sex scenes truly passionate) prevented me from seeing sparks between our two leads.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in historical romance (especially early 19th century/post-Napoleonic era), treasure hunts, mother-daughter relationships, and disabled protagonists.

#book reviews

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ts1989fanatic · 5 years ago

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Taylor Swift And The End Of An Era

Love her or hate her, Taylor Swift embodied the contradictions of the decade in pop music

“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can,” Taylor Swift sings in the chorus of “The Man,” a song from her latest album, Lover. She chose the up-tempo tune to open her “Artist of the Decade” medley at the AMAs last month, and it’s a return to familiar Swiftian themes; she claps back at unspecified, sexist critics who fail to acknowledge her “good ideas and power moves.”

Whatever one might think of Swift’s underdog complex, it’s not surprising that the end of the 2010s finds her exhausted. Her transformation from tween country sensation to tabloid-friendly pop star to polarizing Twitter talking point and, finally, to celebrity supernova, required — at the very least — plenty of stamina.

There’s no question that straight white femininity still occupies a privileged place in the cultural landscape, which helped pave the way for Swift’s rise and decade-long pop dominance — even as she became a zeitgeisty symbol of that privilege and a target for those seeking to contest it. Yet as many of her similarly situated peers have faltered, she has endured as one of the last pop behemoths of her kind.

Time and again Swift strategically read and rode the decade’s cultural waves, deciding not just which trends and genres to jump on but, perhaps more importantly, what to pass on. As pop music became feud-centric reality television, there was Taylor; as stan culture transformed the way listeners interacted with performers (and each other), there was Taylor; as artists’ rights in the streaming era entered the conversation, there was Taylor; as politics infiltrated music, there was (sort of, eventually) Taylor.

There are definitely plenty of other contenders for Artist of the Decade (a title both the AMAs and Billboard recently bestowed on Swift) — artists who have hugely impacted pop music over the past 10 years and managed to ride out the seismic, industry-wide shifts they’ve contained, from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga to Kanye West. But you don’t have to think Swift was the “best” or even most significant artist of the decade to acknowledge that her cultural domination, and her ability to pivot and reinvent herself, captured many of the defining tensions of pop music over the last decade.

It’s hard to remember (in internet years) that before 2010, Swift was just a teen pop star and not yet a cultural lightning rod. She was already taken seriously as a musician and had plenty of cultural capital coming into the decade; in 2009, having already won Artist of the Year at the AMAs, she was about to accept a Video Music Award for Female Video of the Year when Kanye infamously interrupted her speech. In early 2010, she won Album of the Year for Fearless at the Grammy Awards, beating out Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.

Her early stardom revolved mostly around the fact that she was a precocious young country artist who wrote her own songs, without the risqué edge or sexy-but-wholesome cognitive dissonance of someone like an early Britney Spears to worry white parents and inspire pearl-clutching tabloid magazine covers. And it wasn’t really until Speak Now — when Swift was already a mainstream star but still categorized as country — that she began teasing the media and her fans about the ways her autobiographical lyrics mapped onto her real life, especially regarding the men she was dating.

People are still wondering whether Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” is about Uncle Joey, so it was startling for a young woman songwriter and musical celebrity of her commercial reach to use her songs to consistently craft such intimate stories about such equally public men, including Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, and John Mayer. And there was something uniquely bold about the way Swift started using her confessional songwriting and melodic sensibility to “get the last word” on her relationships, as People magazine framed it in her first cover story.

People hardly batted an eye in 2018 when Ariana Grande’s first No. 1 hit, “Thank U, Next,” literally name-checked her list of ex-boyfriends, and that’s in no small part because of Swift. Because even as reality TV stars like the Kardashians and Real Housewives were figuring out how to create multiplatform storytelling through social media, Swift was already pioneering the strategy in the big pop machine. Yes, she opportunistically used this to shame exes, create fodder for talk shows, and garner magazine covers; and even then, it raised some hackles about the way she was using her power. But it was undeniably compelling theater, and even nonfans were watching.

That multiplatform mixture of music and drama wouldn’t have succeeded without the undeniably catchy earworms Swift’s diary entries were wrapped in, or without the devoted fanbase of Swifties that she cultivated online. This all helped her break chart records with her most explicitly pop albums, including 2012’s Red and 2014’s ’80s-inspired 1989. The latter garnered the biggest first-week sales for a pop album since Britney Spears in 2002, helping Swift keep the tradition of the monocultural pop star alive.

But as Swift’s music saturated airwaves, and her willingness to tease behind-the-scenes details of her life in her songs moved beyond ex-boyfriends like Harry Styles (“Style”) into swatting at other pop stars like Katy Perry (“Bad Blood”) the public began to sour on Swift’s strategic use of her personal life in her music. (To Swift’s credit as a performer, no other pop star could sing the lyrics “Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes” about a dispute over a backup dancer with a straight face.)

Juxtaposed with Swift’s self-celebrating “girl squad” feminism, her opportunism — and seeming hypocrisy — started to rankle. By 2015, even racist sympathizer and critic Camille Paglia came out of the woodwork to anoint Swift a “Nazi barbie,” calling out her tendency to treat friends as props. And all these contradictions of Swift’s persona would come to a head when Swift’s seemingly buried feud with Kanye came roaring back the following year.

It makes sense that her clash with Kanye and Kim Kardashian West became the first time she experienced a real backlash. Unlike the drama around her dating life or with Perry, it was the first time Swift was up against equally savvy adversaries — celebrities who, like her, were professionals at merging their public and private lives.

The fight was a meta moment by design, inspired by West’s song “Famous,” where he raps: “I made that bitch famous.” In retrospect, it seems clear that West, as much a publicity-seeking pop diva as Swift, was trying to get the last word after going on an apology tour about the interruption heard round the world. Swift claimed to be annoyed over what she saw as the song’s credit-taking message, and she tried to make it part of her own narrative. “I want to say to all the young women out there,” she intoned in her speech accepting a Grammy for Album of the Year in February 2016, “there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.”

In another era, Swift’s storyline might have won the day. Her publicist denied that she had approved the line in the song, despite Kanye’s claim that he had checked with her before releasing it. But celebrity narratives, to some degree, were no longer being decided just by white-dominated mainstream media. Black publications were the first to tease out the racial undertones of Swift’s lie in the ensuing “he said, she said,” specifically as a white woman playing on the ingrained sympathy and benefit of the doubt that white women are given in US culture.

Still, it wasn’t until Kim’s Snapchat leak that July — where Swift could be heard approving the song — that the Swift-as-victim narrative became a framework for understanding her entire career. Contemporary white pop stars like Grande and Miley Cyrus had faced musical appropriation backlashes, but this time it was Swift’s entire persona — not just her music — that were under scrutiny.

Swift’s memeable response to the leak — “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative” — was followed by her own disappearance from the media landscape. By the time the 2016 election happened — amid the chatter about white women’s complicity in electing Trump — Swift’s refusal to take a political stand solidly cast her as a cultural villain, and her symbolism as an icon of toxic white womanhood was sealed.

If the clamor of social media (especially Twitter) was central to the Swift backlash, it was also central to her eventual resurgence. Over the past decade, social media (especially Instagram) has tipped the scales in celebrity coverage and helped celebrities tell their stories on their own terms, almost without intermediaries. Swift knew how to use that to her advantage and decided to play the long game.

By refusing interviews for 18 months, wiping her social media clean, and focusing on cultivating her Tumblr fanbase, Swift removed herself from the cultural conversation for a beat. This kind of brand management helped her keep an ear to the ground while in a self-imposed exile. But it’s as if the culture couldn’t stop conjuring her; rumors about her absence spread, including that she had traveled around inside a suitcase.

In August 2017, she wiped her social media clean and reappeared with a snake video — reclaiming the serpent emojis — in what was ultimately the announcement for her Reputation album, and which remains one of the most iconic social media rollouts ever. “Look What You Made Me Do,” the lead single, was endlessly memed — Swift couldn’t come to the phone, a perfect metaphor for her cultural disappearance and, perhaps, a kind of ghostly remake of the Kanye call. The album succeeded because it seemed as though Swift was finally open to owning her melodrama and messiness. She subsequently broke records with the tour and album sales.

Still, her political silence was affecting her image and music. By 2018, insipid corporate wokeness had become the order of the day, and Swift Inc. again pivoted musically and culturally. Swift came out for the Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterms, framing her support in terms of LGBTQ rights and racial justice. And this year, the second single from her latest album, Lover — “You Need to Calm Down” — was a perfect encapsulation of her politics of messiness, conflating anti-gay prejudice with Twitter drama. (And somehow turning the video into a celebration of pop queens supporting each other). This fall, she has made sure to include über-stan–turned–pop star (and video coproducer) Todrick Hall at her awards show moments, attempting to expand the range of racial and sexual identities included in what used to be her mostly straight white “girl squad” feminism.

For all of Swift’s success at updating her persona, she’s never quite regained her massive radio dominance — but no pop star can depend on the success of singles for over a decade. In fact, Swift is one of the most interesting figures of the decade because her stardom is caught between the old-school era of album buying and our current streaming moment.

And, inevitably, Swift has turned her own industry issues around streaming and artistic ownership into a wider commentary on artists’ rights — which happens to work as a canny form of further brand management. She framed herself as an ethical businesswoman when she called out Apple for not paying artists, and she battled with Spotify over streaming royalties but without really pushing for wider systemic industry change.

Earlier this year, Swift started a new artist-versus-industry fight about her music masters being bought out from under her by nemesis Scooter Braun. It’s a complicated story, one that Swift has framed as being about “toxic male privilege,” and the fact that Braun mocked her during the Kanye era — once again blurring, in her trademark mode, the personal with the public and the systemic with the individual.

Instead of being seen as opportunistic, Swift seems to have succeeded in framing her campaign as a fight for unsigned and less powerful artists’ rights, which has resonated at a moment where content creators are all pitted against the 1% of the tech and corporate worlds. This time, even Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — a squad member any star would envy — backed her up.

Swift’s response to being anointed Artist of the Decade by the AMAs and Billboard provides interesting insight into how she sees herself now and where she thinks the next decade is going. She chose Carole King, one of the preeminent symbols of pop music authenticity, to present her AMA, squarely placing herself in a genealogy of great women singer-songwriters. She also enlisted shiny next-gen pop stars Camila Cabello and Halsey to join her during her performance of old hits.

In her Billboard speech, Swift name-checked newer stars like Lizzo, Becky G, and Billie Eilish as the future of the industry. Tellingly, they are women who, so far, have not played into the tabloidy pop dramas that dominated the 2010s. If this decade has shown us anything, it’s that blurring public and private through music can reap big rewards, but it also opens up stars — especially the women of pop — to more intense scrutiny and a higher degree of personal accountability.

In a Billboard interview looking back on the decade, Swift spoke about her relationship to fame and learning to hold things back. “I didn’t quite know what exactly to ... share and what to protect. I think a lot of people go through that, especially in the last decade,” she said. “There was this phase where social media felt fun and casual and quirky and safe. And then it got to the point where everyone has to evaluate their relationship with social media. So I decided that the best thing I have to offer people is my music.”

Like Lana Del Rey denying she ever had a persona, or Lady Gaga stripping down with Joanne, there seems to come a point when white pop divas need to declare themselves authentic and all about the music — as if their ongoing narratives aren’t part of the show. But the way Swift used her image and the never-ending soap opera that swirled around her to make space for her music in an increasingly saturated attention economy was itself a kind of art. ●

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formerprincess · 6 years ago

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A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 50

Chapters: 50/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

New adversaries show their faces in town and the core pack gets some valuable insight from no other than Peter Hale himself. In the end, Liam has to make a decision that breaks his heart.

Liam came down the stairs and made his way over to the coffee maker to fill himself a cup full of the tasty drink. The only other person in the kitchen was Nolan who sat perched at the kitchen island and read a magazine. “Good morning,” Liam greeted. “Morning,” Nolan replied but continued to read. Out of curiosity, Liam glanced at the article that had captured his friend’s attention so much. “20 signs he’s into you?” He read out loud and Nolan jumped. He dropped the magazine (one of Sadie’s as Liam realized) on the counter and squeaked. “I was just curious!” “About what exactly? How you detect someone liking you?” Nolan looked like he really wanted to lie but then decided to be honest instead. He sighed gravely. “Yeah.”

Liam narrowed his eyes. Now he was on a case since he remembered a similar talk a few days prior. “Is there someone you would want to like you?” “Maybe,” Nolan said evasively. “And is this somebody a tall werewolf who works in a flower shop?” Nolan squeaked again. “Are you that good or do you have cameras around? Or is it in my chemosignals? Please don’t say it’s the latter because that would mean he can smell it too and I would probably die of embarrassment!” “Relax! Your chemosignals are fine. I’m just that good.” Liam grinned. “To be fair, I was just assuming and you confirmed I was right.” “Oh.” Nolan looked stunned. “You got sneaky!” Liam chuckled and shrugged. “Sorry, not sorry. So you like Brett. That’s awesome. You should absolutely ask him on a date.” “Hah! Hah! No!” Nolan shook his head. “If he says No I will be humiliated and would have disturbed the pack dynamic. No way, Jose!” “And if he says yes?” Nolan shook his head again. “Nope. My imagination is not big enough for that!” “Oh my god!" Liam could not with these two. They were both ridiculous. Had he and Theo been that ridiculous before they started dating?

“Just go and ask him, Nolan, I’m sure it will be fine!” The hunter tapped at the magazine. “According to this article, Brett is not into me! That settles it and I can spare myself the humiliation.” “Those articles are garbage.” “Don’t let Sadie hear it, those are basically her bible.” “You both are being ridiculous! You for believing that shit and she for even subscribing to it!” But Nolan held his ground and grabbed the magazine. “I won’t ask him out!” He declared and then left the kitchen in the direction of the living room. Liam groaned.

Theo entered the kitchen just as his boyfriend considered locking Brett and Nolan into a tiny room together. “Good morning, baby.” “Good morning.” Liam popped his elbow on the counter and put his chin on the palm of his hand. “I am so happy I never had to ask you out.” Theo had opened the fridge but now closed it without taking something out. “A part of me feels insulted,” he declared. “No! I meant I’m happy I never had to worry if you would say yes before I asked you. I just acted and it worked out fine. I’m happy it did, obviously.” The First Beta stepped on the other side of the kitchen island and braced his arms on top of it. “Is there a special reason why you’re talking about this?” “Nolan and Brett are driving me nuts. I trust you to keep quiet about it so I’m telling you. Brett likes Nolan and Nolan likes Brett but both are too chicken shit to do something about it because Liam you are absolutely crazy and what are you even thinking?” “And you’re the only one who knows about it,” Theo realized. Liam grinned innocently. “Now you know as well.” “I’m not helping you setting our friends up. I’m not good at playing matchmaker, puppy.” “We could do it the Thiam way!” “The Thiam way would mean one of them becoming an Alpha and making the other his Beta, gaining a pack, let the Betas gain control, and then just kiss the other. I doubt you can recreate the Thiam way.” Liam sulked and Theo chortled. He walked around the island and wrapped his arms around Liam. “Our way is pretty unique, little Alpha, and I am happy about it. It was perfect for us and nobody else.” He was right, Liam realized, and he just nodded and leaned in to brush his lips against Theo’s. “My logical Beta is right like so often. Doesn’t it get boring to be right so many times?” “Nope,” Theo smirked and kissed Liam again.

****** “The giraffe baby was so cute. It’s still a baby but already so tall. I like the dots the giraffes have and how they walk.” “The dots are amazing but I also liked the seals. How they played in the water was really entertaining.” “Thank you for taking me to the zoo, Liam.” Liam squeezed Landon’s shoulder. “Anytime, buddy.” They just came home from a fun day at the zoo, just the two of them. Liam had promised Landon a day where it was just the two brothers doing stuff and Landon had wanted to go to the zoo. It had been an amazing day.

They now entered the pack house. Tim sat in the living room and read a comic. Now he raised his head and smiled at them. “Hey, you two, how has your trip been?” “It was so funny. We could see how the lions got fed and then we watched the seals play around and there was a giraffe baby. The meerkats got a new compound and we saw rhinos and elephants. Liam bought me some things at the zoo shop and look at that.” Landon showed Tim a picture of the two brothers they had taken on one of those picture machines set all around the zoo. It had a cheetah patterned frame and the zoo mascot in the right upper corner. Landon and Liam both had a picture and Landon proudly showed his copy while Liam’s was currently sitting in his bag. “It was really fun. Here, we made some videos.” The young Alpha pulled his phone out of his jeans and opened his video folder. “This one was in front of the hyena habitat.” He started the video. Liam had filmed the habitat with the animals chilling in the sun or gnawing at some flesh and bones they got fed earlier on and then the camera panned around, showed Landon watching the hyenas and then Liam had filmed himself waving at the camera. In the background, you suddenly heard the hyenas laughing. “It was so funny, I never heard those sounds before. I know people said hyenas laugh but I seriously never heard it until now. Listen to that,” Liam explained to Tim right as Lori walked in, munching on a sandwich.

Suddenly Tim pointed at the phone. “They laugh like this annoying group!” He exclaimed loudly. Everybody stared at him. It was weird seeing the usual quiet Tim being so agitated. “Is this normal or scary?” Landon asked and looked at Liam. “Right now he's scaring me,” Liam replied and made a face. “Remember how I told you about this group with their loud and obnoxious laughs? They sounded just like the hyenas!” “Laughing like a hyena? Isn’t this something people sometimes say?” Lori shrugged her shoulders and took another bite from her sandwich. “Where’s the big deal?” “It’s not a big deal but when you hear this over and over it gets annoying. And it wasn’t just alike, it sounded exactly like those animals in Liam’s video.” “I’m sure about the annoying part. It was fun at the zoo but having a group of people doing it? That gets old very fast,” Liam agreed with it. “I’m the last person to trash talk somebody’s habits or whatever but that was just plain weird,” Tim defended himself. “I know you’re not making fun of anybody. When you notice something unusual about somebody else it is just normal to react. And if it’s an annoying habit, it’s only more noticeable.” Liam smiled at his Beta. Tim really was one of the nicest people he knew. So when he said something, it must have been absolutely annoying.

****** "Ten bucks saying the housemaid killed the wife,” Theo betted from his place on the couch. He was rested with his head against Liam’s chest and the couple watched some sort of detective series Corey had dug out. It was an old one but Corey liked old movies and series and had convinced the others to watch it with him.

Not all members of the pack were there though. The girls had decided on a girls night out and had dressed up to go out and dance the night away. Landon was at a friend’s house and stayed the night there as well so the guys could watch some movies about murder without worrying about a child seeing something he was not supposed to see.

Liam now gave his boyfriend an amused look and reached into Theo’s lap where the bowl of popcorn was placed. He grabbed a handful and threw some into his mouth to chew on it. “I’m saying it was the wife’s sister,” Caden betted against Theo. “Now it’s getting interesting! Okay, I accept. Let’s see who wins.” Theo took some of the popcorn Liam had gathered for himself, ignored the Alpha’s noises of protest, and put it in his mouth. He chewed and smirked at Caden. “What if you both are wrong?” Mason asked. “Then they both keep their money and everyone is happy,” Liam decided and ran his hand through Theo’s hair. His mate leaned his head back and enjoyed the soft treatment. “Hmm, sounds fair,” he mumbled and Liam chuckled. “If you’re getting handsy, I’m leaving,” Tim warned from his place at the floor. “Hey, be happy we have an Alpha couple that is that much in love and shows it like this. I met packs where the Alpha kept such a strict grip on their SO, it was clear there was no love and just fear. I rather have them get handsy and lovey-dovey than Theo cowering in front of Liam and never see them touching,” Brett suddenly said. He was curled up in one of the settles and had his arms wrapped around a pillow. Liam had tried to sit him and Nolan next to each other in the beginning, but Nolan ended up on the other couch with Corey and Mason. “Really?” Tim craned his neck to look at Brett. “Yeah.” The tall werewolf nodded. “Some Alphas are... let’s call it what it is, they’re assholes and control freaks. Their Betas are not allowed to do much and they have to follow strict rules. Of course, that also applies to the Alpha’s mate.” “I can’t imagine that. Especially after knowing these two.” Corey jabbed his thumb in the direction of Liam and Theo. Liam had listened to the conversation but wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. He couldn’t imagine ordering Theo around as well. Not only because it would never work with Theo’s character but also because he saw Theo as his equal. And when Theo submitted to him because he wanted to, it was beautiful and intimate and just for the two of them. Liam would never take advantage of it.

“I honestly never thought about what kind of Alpha I wanted to be. A good one, yes, but I never really considered what that would entail. I just went with my gut feeling. You guys made it easy for me and now we have the wonderful pack we have,” he praised his Betas. “You’re sweet, Liam, but we all know we didn’t make it easy for you. Some of us gave you a run for your money,” Mike retorted. “Okay, yes, but that also shaped me as an Alpha. And you all came around in the end. Sadie, you, Tim, Brett. I’m happy about that.” “We realized what you and the pack offered was a family, something some of us never really knew. That’s why.” Mike shrugged and Brett hummed affirmatively. “Heartwarming but, guys, the detective is about to solve the case.” Corey pointed at the screen and immediately had everyone’s attention. They watched the man on screen reconstruct the crime and when he was about to announce the killer, the front door flew open and the girls came in.

“You won’t believe what happened!” Sadie called out but was shushed by Caden and Theo. “Shh, I’m about to win ten dollars!” Both said at the same time and the blonde blinked owlishly. Then she glanced at the screen and scoffed. “Stop that video, what we have to say is important!” “Really, guys, you need to hear this,” Lori backed Sadie up while Maya and Ever nodded. Corey sighed but then pressed the pause button. “Okay, we’re all ears,” he said. “So, we’re at this club and it’s not completely empty but not overly crowded either. You had to wait a while for your drinks but that’s fine. Music was good and we talked while we waited. But there were those two girls who acted absolutely entitled and like the world belonged to them. One asked the barkeeper something and she didn’t like what he answered so they started to argue.” Sadie was completely riled up and talked fastly. “All of sudden, she reaches over the bar, grabs one of the glasses there, and slams it over his head. Just like that. It was like a scene from a bad soap opera.” “What?” The boys could not believe that. It seemed like something from a bad movie. “And here’s the thing why we’re telling you this: Not only were they aggressive as hell but when she turned to look at her friend, their eyes flashed. Just not like a werewolf’s eyes,” Maya added to the story. “What do you mean not like a werewolf?” Theo inquired. “Well, a wendigo’s eyes are white, right? A werewolf’s eyes are golden. Their eyes looked like a mixture of these two. Very pale and almost impossible to make out a color.” Now Ever took over. “The friend of the girl looks at Sadie and goes: Out of my way, Blondie, or I will claw your face off. And then the girls plus three guys who belonged with them stormed off.” “You all know I can get angry,” Sadie said, “But they were completely off the rails. Their chemosignals basically glowed with aggression. It was crazy.” “Thankfully every other patron thought the light in the club had been the reason for their eyes looking strange. That way we didn’t have mass panic,” Lori summed it up. “So what? We now have to worry about a group of unknown weres on top of somebody watching us and trying to run us over by car?” Caden questioned and they all looked at each other quite unsure. Corey hummed. “I wouldn’t care about them, to be honest. Seattle is a big city, only logical we’re not the only supernaturals here. This is not Beacon Hills and even in Beacon Hills, there were other supernaturals not in contact with the McCall Pack. If the other weres can’t keep their emotions in check and lash out, it’s not our problem. Sure, if we meet them again we might interfere and try to talk to them, but in the end, it’s their business. We have enough on our plate already.” Mason stared at him in wonder. “Wow, you're usually all about helping others.” “I am but how high are the chances any of us will meet this group again? It was one club in the city, it didn’t even happen in our closest environment. There are other packs out there except we are not the police for the supernaturals. They have to keep themselves in check and we have to worry about our pack. Landon may call us Avengers but we are not. It was fine back home but this city is just too large to police every other supernatural running around. And Caden already named it, we still haven’t figured out who wanted to run Liam over and who’s watching us. That is more important than some crazy were-creature.” Corey had a valid point. Theo nodded. “What we can do is call Chris Argent. Maybe he can check on that. It’s his profession, right?” “Who is Chris Argent?” Caden inquired. “He’s a hunter but a hunter only hunting the supernaturals posing as a threat for humans and good supernaturals. He’s on our side. I will try to get a hold off him tomorrow,” Liam explained.

****** Getting a hold off Chris Argent wasn’t that much of a problem. The problem was that he was busy with another werewolf problem somewhere in Canada. When Liam called to alert him of some supernaturals causing troubles in Seattle, he sighed brokenly and Liam could basically see the frown on the man’s face. “I will be honest with you, Liam, compared to what I’m about to deal with here, this sounds like child’s play. Doesn’t mean it’s not important but I’m currently hunting a group of werewolves who killed an entire party. Not one single person survived the attack. I hope the barkeeper will get well soon and I promise you I will check on it as soon as I can but for right now, I trust you to deal with the problem. Is that alright with you?” Really, what was Liam supposed to answer? That sounded really bad and clearly needed Argent’s attention. He had monitored the daily news in Seattle and no new reports about strange attacks or something surfaced so maybe it just had been one were on the loose. “Yeah, we can handle it, don’t worry. Just be careful up there.” “I have a backup, don’t worry,” Argent said grimly and ended the call. Liam sighed but then grabbed his gym back and met Mason by his car. He had promised his best friend a round of good training and that’s where they were heading now.

“We’re all on our own, okay. We handled wendigoes and psychotic witches, we can handle that as well. Or do you want to call Scott and ask for help?” Mason asked after Liam filled him in. “Help with what? There was one girl going crazy in a club and aside from the flashing eyes nothing supernatural happened. To call Scott to town would honestly be a bit too dramatic, don’t you think? Also, I’m the Alpha and don’t need another Alpha’s help with that.” Liam shook his head. “True. I have the utmost faith in you. You will manage whatever this turns out to be. You’re quite good at saving the day.” Liam laughed. “Thanks. Means a lot coming from you.”

The best friends joked around during the ride to the gym and even when they got out of the car. They made their way to the entrance when the door opened and a guy stepped out. He was bulky, had almost no neck, and a buzzcut. His skin was leathery and Liam would highly advise him to stop tanning so much if he had a say in this. When the guy left the gym he bumped into Mason. Mason huffed at the impact and even staggered a few steps back. “Whoa, dude!” The dude glared at him. “Don’t get into my way and you don’t have to worry about a thing,” he snapped at Mason and then continued his way over the parking lot. Liam and Mason stared after him. “The effects steroids have on people,” Mason grumbled and dusted off his shirt. He noticed Liam still staring after the guy. “Come on, don’t blow up, I’m fine.” But Liam shook his head. “It’s not that. I mean, I could kick his ass for being so rude to you but something about this guy was strange. His scent was strange.” “How so?” Mason asked curiously. “Don’t know. Since I learned to work with my wolf and pay closer attention to the world around me, there are some people whose scent is just off. Not just their chemosignals, just their natural scent. It’s off.” “In Germany, they say Jemanden nicht riechen können, which literally translates to not being able to smell somebody. It means you can’t stand a person. It’s very fitting.” The twenty-year-old gave Mason an amused look. “Always teaching me new things. How do you remember all this stuff?” “How do you remember historic stuff?” Mason asked back and laughed. He slung one arm around Liam’s shoulders. “Come on, the gym is waiting for us!”

****** Liam fried some meat in a pan and at the same time gave instructions to Mason. His best friend helped him in the kitchen tonight and Theo was currently laying the dinner table in the dining room. Again there were only Liam and his Betas, Landon was with a friend again. The two boys had a school project together and Landon would stay the night at his friend’s house. Liam would pick him up tomorrow. “The chicken is ready, I think we can already gather the others. Guys, dinner’s ready!!” Liam swayed the pan and carried it over to the table. Mason followed with the salad. The rest of the pack gradually filtered into the dining room and took their places. One look at the table and Liam realized they were missing the salad dressing and the tortillas for the wraps they were making. “I’ll help you get the tortillas,” Mason stated and followed Liam back into the kitchen where he grabbed the tortillas. Liam walked over to the fridge to get the dressing but then haltered in his movements.

He had pinned his copy of the picture Landon and him took at the zoo to the fridge and now that he looked at it, remembered something. “Something’s wrong?” He heard Mason ask behind him. Liam looked over his shoulder and pointed at the picture. “Remember the rude guy at the gym yesterday? I said his scent was off. It reminded me of something but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I just remembered. I caught the same smell at the zoo, only stronger. One of the habitats smelled like that.” He opened the fridge and grabbed the dressing. “You know which habitat it was? The hyenas’ habitat.” Liam closed the door again and Mason gave him an impressive look. “You sure?” “I am absolutely sure,” Liam confirmed while the friends walked back into the dining room. “What are you absolutely sure of?” Theo had overheard the last part of their conversation and now was eager to get an answer. “The guy at the gym yesterday, his scent was the same as the one surrounding the hyenas’ habitat at the zoo.”

“Uhm, that’s nice, baby?” They all looked at Liam like he had lost his mind and he realized they could absolutely not follow him or get why this was worth talking about. He didn’t know it himself. But something told him, it was worth mentioning. Tim came to Liam’s aid. “See? You meet a guy smelling like a hyena, I meet a group laughing like hyenas. Coincidence? I think not!” “Or maybe, and I’m just putting this out there, you two are just a tiny bit neurotic and need to lay down for a while?” Mike interfered. “Who cares how people laugh or smell?” Mason looked from Tim to Liam. “Your mind is reeling. You’ve got that look on your face, like always when you’re piecing something together. What are you thinking about?”

Liam would admit freely he wasn’t the brightest and there were other people smarter and more intelligent than him in this pack. But every now and then his mind got on a roll and he came up with a theory. Sometimes crazy but no matter the times, his theories always managed to capture Liam’s interest. He just had a hard time voicing his thoughts, so he shrugged. “We have a group of unknown weres in the city. People smell like a certain animal and even laugh like that animal. Do were-hyenas exist?” He finally concluded lamely, put the dressing on the table and sat down.

His friends laughed, except for Theo, who just stared at him. “You might not be wrong,” the twenty-two-year-old finally said calmly. “What?” When everybody laughed, Liam had realized how ridiculous that had sounded and already discarded the thought. It had been dumb anyway. But that Theo took it serious surprised him. “We know there are different kinds of weres. Wolves, coyotes, chameleons, jaguars, lions. Who says there aren’t more we know nothing about? Also, keep in mind, there is a group of unknown weres running around. I wouldn’t pass the possibility of them being were-hyenas completely aside.” “Theo, I was just making a silly comment. There are no such things as were-hyenas.” “You said that about werewolves once too.” Liam’s eye twitched. Theo beat him at his own game and used Liam’s own history and arguments against him. He didn’t like it one bit. Mason had to help! “Mase, did you ever came across were-hyenas during your studies?” Mason shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. We both know this is not really a science, Lee.” “See,” Liam crooned triumphantly but then his face faltered. “Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side!” “I am on your side, you both are saying the same thing.” “Oh and if you didn’t read about them who could possibly help us?” Liam asked sarcastically. “Scott maybe?” Nolan offered from his place. “Or he could ask Deaton.”

If Liam was honest with himself, he was kind of curious if he had been right. If he had been, he could chalk it up as one of the little times he had been right on the first try. So he went to fetch his cellphone and called Scott while he returned to the dining room again. Scott picked up after the fourth ring. “Liam, hello!” “Hey, Scott, I hope I’m not disturbing you or something. You’re on speaker, by the way, the pack can hear you too.” “Hello, guys! No, you’re not disturbing, I’m just at Derek’s loft, having pizza with Malia.” “Hello, stranger!” Malia called from the background while Liam’s Betas also greeted Scott and Malia. “Scott, I’ll make it quick, it’s just a tiny question. Do you know if there are other types of weres out there than we already know?” Liam questioned and Scott was silent for a while. “Aside from wolves, coyotes, jaguars and such?” “Aside from them, yeah,” Theo confirmed. “I don’t know. I never met other types than the ones we knew. Not in Beacon Hills and not anywhere else. Has this something to do with you calling Chris, Liam?” “We’re trying to figure this out ourselves. See, we had some encounters all around the city that makes us think there might be were-hyenas. They share certain traits with the animals, the people we met, and since there is a group of unknown weres in the city, it was just a silly thought. Maybe you could have helped us but we will figure it out ourselves.” “What do they smell like?” Malia asked. Scott seemingly had also put the call on speaker. “Like the hyena habitat in the zoo, just a bit fainter.” “I never met someone smelling like a hyena. It must smell weird.” “It does smell weird,” Liam agreed with her on that one. “Maybe it’s just us getting a bit paranoid. There are always things happening and we’re looking for an explanation. We’re probably just throwing everything together while in reality, it’s completely unrelated.” Liam was backpedaling. His theory had been silly from the start and that it was now turning into this expert talk was embarrassing for Liam.

“You should probably ask somebody who actually knows things.” Liam jumped in his seat when the voice of no other than Peter Hale came through the speakers. “Oh yeah, Peter is here too,” Scott cheerfully announced. “Yeah, thanks for the heads up,” Liam mumbled. “You said we should ask somebody who knows things. Figured you’re talking about yourself, hm?” Theo now asked Peter. Peter chuckled lowly. “I suppose you could continue to ask around, maybe someone else can give you the answer in a few months. Probably years. Yeah, years is more likely.” “You do not know the answers to all questions of the universe,” Malia snubbed but her father ignored her. “I’m in a good mood today so I will share part of my knowledge with you. Gather round, children, this will be educational.” “He sounds like an adult Theo sometimes,” Sadie noticed. Theo stared indignantly at her. “What did I ever do to you?” “Shh,” Liam hissed. He wanted to hear what Peter was willing to share. “To answer your initial question: Yes, there are indeed were-hyenas out there. There are actually many kinds of weres out there, some you never heard of. Tigers, bears, leopards, just to name a few. That’s where the problem starts. You must understand, there is a hierarchy between the weres. On top are the strong ones like wolves or lions, us wolves being the better species obviously.” Malia growled lowly in the background. Peter ignored his daughter. “For most weres this is fine but there are some of the lower weres who feel cheated about their place in the food chain. Some coyotes share this mindset but they are mostly loners so they rarely act out on this, but hyenas, for example, clearly belong to the ones unsatisfied with their stance. They have a deep-rooted hatred for the ones standing above them and they live to cause trouble for them.” “Define trouble,” Corey cut in sharply. “All kinds of stuff. Hyenas live to cause havoc, they’re belligerent, aggressive, and they want to change the hierarchy in their favor. In order to do that, nothing is off limits for them. They’re dangerous, mostly because they are shifty.” “So trouble could mean watching someone from the shadows and trying to run an Alpha over with a car?” Maya guessed. Scott shrieked. “Somebody tried to run you over with a car??” “I’m fine, Scott,” Liam called out. “Peter, since you know so much about hyenas, do you know anything about how they attack? It would be good to know that to be prepared.” “They won’t attack you. They are cowards. Hyenas are always in a group and rarely alone but even as a group they would not attack a werewolf, less alone a pack of wolves. They will continue to make your life difficult until they lose interest and leave town again. That’s what they do. You surely can fight them but if hyenas are threatened, they will fight back and they bite. They fight unfair, that you should be worried about. Little ankle biters. Nasty creatures. They will search for your weakness and use it against you.” “So your advice is to do nothing and ride it out?” Sadie needed clarification. “I’m not telling you what to do. I admit, seeing you get pummeled by a pack of hyenas would be hilarious to see. Don’t give me that look, Scott, your former Beta is not the most impressive Alpha around.” “I just don’t understand why they targeted us. You said they hate all wolves but we did nothing to them.” Tim could not wrap his head around that part. Peter sighed. “Your Alpha is very young, you all are. It makes sense they see you as less of a threat than a pack with an older, more experienced Alpha.” Liam gritted his teeth. He was getting tired of people underestimating him just because of his age. It was getting old. He may be young but he already had some accomplishments, okay? People needed to give him some credit. “Thank you, Peter. Scott, talk to you soon.” He ended the call and leaned back in his chair.

“What’s on your mind?” Theo asked and put a hand on Liam’s knee. “I’m pissed. Pissed at people assuming it is okay to target my pack because I’m just twenty years old and not the tallest guy on the field. I’m pissed because me being me brings problems to my pack. I hate it!” “Hey, no, this is not your fault. You heard what Peter said about hyenas. They are supernatural bullies and pick on who they deem weak because they feel picked on themselves,” Lori hurried to encourage her Alpha. “But they picked us because I’m just me,” Liam argued back. “And they will see how wrong they have been. We are strong, Liam, and we are because you are strong, Alpha. You hold us all together. They don’t know who they’re messing with,” Theo backed Lori up and squeezed Liam’s leg. “Let them come and make our life miserable, we will get through this. I mean, this wolf would love to snatch a hyena but I’m also okay with waiting until they come to us.” Sadie shrugged. “The question is if they come or if they continue to lurk in the shadows. To me, their behavior is absolutely not logical.” Mason shook his head. “Really? To me, it is very logical,” Theo answered, “I mean, step one was clearly just watching us. Step two is slowly making themselves known. They’re like we are here now, are you scared? and they will become more and more prominent, just to annoy us. There is a system behind. Maybe they think it intimidates us, who knows?” "It’s good that we now know what they are and what they want. It makes us more cautious. I still would say we continue with our lives as if nothing happened. If they want to tease us and get a reaction out of us, just doing what we normally do and ignoring they’re lurking might probably make them so mad they leave cause they didn’t get a rise out of us.” Corey, in his role as the consultant, always the voice of reason. “Uh, ignoring the problem until it goes away. I’m a fan of that,” Mike said jokingly. Liam was still pissed but even he had to admit Corey was right. Maybe this time they didn’t have to fight and could sit out the problem. Maybe one time they could have the luck on their side. He sincerely hoped so.

****** Liam strolled into the coffee shop and smiled. Theo was working the late shift on this day and he had decided to pay his boyfriend a little visit. Only three tables were occupied and nobody was ordering at the counter. Theo was wiping the machine but he stopped when Liam walked in and smiled at the young Alpha. “Is your boss still here?” Liam inquired. “Left an hour ago,” Theo informed and smirked. He rounded the corner to meet Liam there and wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “Good. So I can do that.” Liam grabbed Theo by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into a deep kiss. Theo’s hold on him tightened and he kissed Liam back with fervor. Theo’s boss would have probably yelled at them for making a disgusting scene but since she wasn’t here Liam saw no problem in kissing his boyfriend. The two elderly women at one table even whooped at them so they must give a nice picture.

The bell above the door announced new customers and several pair of steps told the Alpha couple a group had arrived. The steps stopped in front of the counter and suddenly a scornful scoff sounded up. The couple broke apart and turned their heads. The group’s members ware all about the same age as Liam; three guys, all looking like the newest issue of Rich White Guys and two girls, one with black hair and one brunette. The girls looked like they could give Blair Waldorf a run for her money. Literally, both could have been the main characters in Gossip Girl. Their outfits were expensive as hell, the brunette one had a designer bag hanging off her elbow, wore a plaided miniskirt, a white blouse with a yellow bow matching her skirt, and her makeup, as well as her manicure, was perfectly executed. She had her perfectly shaped eyebrow raised and looked Liam up and down, her full lips twisted in a sneery smirk.

“Can I help you?” Theo asked. “Want to order something?” She ignored him and rather addressed Liam. “You are the most unimpressive Alpha I’ve ever met.” Liam raised an eyebrow and let go of Theo. “Excuse me?” “I mean, you are so normal. We have class.” She pointed at her friends and herself. They all snickered maliciously. “Which makes me wonder even more why you wolves are on top while we have to scrape at the bottom.” It clicked who they were. “Oh, so you are the hyenas.” The black-haired girl nudged her friend. “Did you hear that? He knows who we are. Our reputation caught up with us.” The other girl laughed. “We are just that perfect.” “Oh come on, we had our fair share of arrogant women this year already,” Theo scolded. “Listen, I have no idea what your problem is, but I suggest you get a good therapist and leave us alone. We didn’t do anything so let us live in peace and be bitchy somewhere else.” The brunette one glared at him and raised her hand to press her fingers together at the tips. “Don’t talk to me ever again. You are nothing more than the Alpha’s bitch and you’re really not worth my time. I talk to the Alpha and the Alpha alone.” Liam growled. “Want to say those things about my mate again?” He snarled, ready to stalk over and slap her self-righteous smile off her face. But Theo held him back. “Liam, no. They’re not worth your breath.” The hyenas giggled and she continued to insult the couple. “Actually, you both are not worth my time. Just know this, we deserve to be at the top and we will do what it takes to get there. You wolves lived long enough on the sunny side, it’s our turn now. Be warned.” She flashed her eyes in the same pale, indescribable color Maya had told the pack about, then she turned around on her heels and the group marched out of the shop. Liam growled again, his wolf was ready to pounce. “Want to take this outside and see who will come up on top?” She just giggled again and then said something Liam didn’t quite get. “Sorry? What did you say?” She turned around in the doorway, a fake smile on her face. “I said your little brother is very cute.” Then she started laughing, alongside her friends, and left the shop. Tim had been right, they really laughed like their animalistic counterparts. Liam snarled and lunged forward but Theo wrapped both arms around his waist. “There are humans in the shop, there are humans in the shop,” he told Liam repeated and pulled him flush against his chest. Liam pressed his face against his mate’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Everything inside him screamed to run after her and rip her apart but Theo was right, he only would expose werewolves again. “I’m here. It’s okay,” Theo mumbled into his ear and stroked over his hair. Well, Liam wasn’t so sure of that.

****** He laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. The night had been short, Liam didn’t sleep long, and then he had laid there and watched the light at the ceiling turn greyish pink and then brighter while the sun rose more and more. The encounter with the hyenas yesterday played in his mind like a broken record and he couldn’t shake it off. So he laid there and pondered about all the possibilities this could go while he played with the strands of his hair absentmindedly.

“You barely slept during the night. What’s on your mind?” Theo said softly. He laid on his side, facing Liam, and watched his boyfriend. Liam didn’t reply and kept in twisting his hair between his fingertips ere he sat up. “I made the decision to bring Landon out of town,” he announced brokenly. “What?” Theo sat up too and put a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Why?” Liam braced his arms on his tucked up knees. When he now looked at Theo, he looked sad. “I have no idea what these hyenas are going to do. Peter said they’re going for our weaknesses. Landon is human and he is a child. I could never forgive myself if something happened to him. I can protect all of you but only to a certain point. I know you guys can take care of yourself but what is he supposed to do? No, I rather bring him out of town and know he is safe. The minute it’s safe to come back, I will get him again but for now, I have to make sure nothing happens to Landon.” “And where will you take him?” “The lake. There is no safer place for him than there.” Liam wiped his eyes. “I see if he’s awake and tell him to pack.” “Are you really sure about this, Lee?” “It’s the only option. Imagine them kidnapping him. He endured so much already in his young life, he doesn’t need another traumatic experience.” Theo seemed to understand. He gave him a comforting smile and kissed his cheek and then Liam rolled out of bed and left the room.

Liam slowly opened the door to Landon’s room after a soft knock and peeked inside. Landon said on the floor and solved a puzzle. When he spotted Liam, he smiled brightly. “Good morning!” “Good morning.” Liam stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He smiled sadly. “Laddie, I need to talk to you.” “Sure.” Landon moved away from his puzzle and looked expectantly at his big brother. Liam felt his heart actually break a little bit. He needed to do this and he decided to not beat around the bush. He crouched down in front of Landon and put his hands on his baby brother’s shoulders. “I want you to know that I love you and I will never stop loving you. But there are bad people out there and I have to fight them. They are mean and very devious and I cannot let them continue. But I can only fight them when I know you are safe. You’re not safe when you’re staying in Seattle.” He exhaled loudly. “Therefore I have to bring you out of town, okay? To know you are safe there and I can fight the bad guys. Do you understand that?” Landon listened and his eyes filled with tears. “But I don’t want to leave you! Please, don’t send me away!” Liam felt his own eyes stinging with tears. “I want you around all the time but it is too dangerous for you right now! I promise you, as soon as the bad guys are gone, I’ll bring you back home. Please, don’t think I don't want you around. I love you so much, Landon, but I have to protect you. I need to protect you.” “Where are you taking me?” Lanson’s voice was quivering and he cried. “To a beautiful place. You meet the rest of my pack and they are awesome. You will love it there. It has a wonderful lake and nature around is just so amazing. I always loved being there. And again, as soon as it’s safe here again, I will take you back here.” Liam now cried as well and hugged his brother tightly. Landon clung to him. “Do you still love me, Liam?” “I will never stop loving you. You’re my little brother, we always stick together. And we will talk and video chat every day, okay? Just because we’re not together doesn’t mean we can’t talk. You can always call me. I want you to know that.” He felt Landon nod. “I know that. I love you, Liam. Why can’t we both live at the lake?” “I wish we could, Landon, but it’s not possible right now. I know this is all too much and happens so fast but somebody has to stop them.” They hugged for some moments longer and then they separated again. Liam smiled weakly. “Get dressed and I get dressed and then I will help you pack your stuff and then we will drive.” The young boy nodded and wiped his tears away. It was just as hard for him as it was for Liam.

The rest of the morning was quiet and solemn and when it was finally time for the brothers' departure all pack members hugged Landon and wished him the best. Liam helped Landon put his bags in his car and then Landon hopped in on the passenger seat. “I can come with you, support you,” Theo offered. “No, I need you here as Second Alpha when I’m gone in case those hyenas show their ugly faces. I will be okay.” Liam kissed his boyfriend goodbye and then got into the driver’s seat of his car. The pack had gathered in the driveway and they waved when the car slowly rolled into the street. Liam saw some of his Betas wiping away their tears. They all had become fond of Landon and it was hard letting him go, even if it was for his safety.

“Tell me about where you’re bringing me, please,” Landon prompted after they had been on the road for a while. “It’s a beautiful lake with woods around and the people live there in cozy cabins. It is actually where I became an Alpha after the former Alpha transferred his power to me. The rest of my pack lives there and you will come to love them as much as me. They are good people and I wouldn’t be the Liam I am today without them. They helped me a lot, mostly Byron, he is the former Alpha.” Liam glanced at Landon. “You know I’m not sending you away because I don’t want you around but because I want you to be safe, right?” “I know.” Landon looked out of the window. “It’s because of those stupid evil people.” “Yeah. As soon as they are defeated, I will bring you back home and we will do all the things we want. Going to the zoo again, the cinema, eating lots of ice cream. Everything you want.” Landon turned his head and looked at Liam. “You promise me this? That you come back?” “Of course. Hey, you are my little brother, I love to have you around.” He went for a comforting smile but Landon still didn’t seem sold. “I didn’t mean if you meant to come and get me. Do you promise me to come back and not die? Please, don’t die like mom.” It came as a shock to Liam that his brother was thinking in that direction. Then again, he should have seen it coming. He pulled his car to the side of the road and halted there. Once the vehicle stopped, Liam turned in his seat to face Landon. “I promise, no I swear, that I will come back to you. I won’t be dying for a long time. We have way too much stuff to do and adventures to experience for me to die soon. You’re not losing me that quickly.” Liam reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the little wooden wolf Byron had once gifted him. “Here. Byron gave me this wolf when I had a difficult time and now I want to give it to you. It means you’re never alone, I’m always with you, even though we are apart. And it can remind you of my promises to come back.” He held the wolf out and Landon took it with shaky hands. He turned it around and ran his fingers over the wood. “It’s beautiful. You really want to give me this? It was a gift to you.” “Byron won’t mind. He will understand why I gave it to you.” “Thank you, Liam.” The brothers hugged over the console and Liam kissed the top of Landon’s head.

****** Liam always loved arriving at the lake and no matter how often he went there, it never lost its beauty but today a big part of him just wished it wasn’t for such a sad reason to drop his brother off. He knew it was the right decision, Landon’s safety was the most important thing, but that didn’t mean it was any less hard. He parked in front of Byron’s and Lana’s house and got out of the car. Lana was in the front and tended to her flowers. Once she spotted Liam, she looked surprised. “Liam, I wasn’t aware you would be coming. Is everything okay?” “Hey, Lana.” He hugged her. “Is Byron there too?” “He is. Byron! Can you come here, please? Liam’s here!” She called into the open front door. Soon enough Byron appeared and he looked as confused as his wife. “Liam, always great to see you but your face tells me something is wrong.” The young Alpha looked back to his car. “Landon, it’s okay, you can come here.” The child slowly followed his invite and stepped around the car. He smiled shyly at Lana and Byron and finally grasped Liam’s hand. Liam focused on the former Alpha couple. “I told you about Landon when we last talked. I now need you to take my little brother in for a while. Please.” Lana switched from surprised to worried. “Maybe we should sit down and then you explain. Follow me, I have some fresh lemonade.”

And so the four of them found themselves in the living room and Liam explained everything to Lana and Byron. “I don’t know how serious she really was but what she said clearly targeted Landon and I’m not having it. I cannot be around Landon 24/7, none of us can, but I need him to be safe. If something happened to Landon, I would lose my freaking mind. Yes, sending him away hurts me but it is the best decision I can make at this point. I know, what I’m asking for has a huge impact on your life, but I don’t know where else to take him so he’s safe,” he finally ended. “Liam, when I asked you to become my successor and you agreed, it changed your entire life. There is nothing you could ask from us that would be too much. And we will happily give Landon a home and protect him while you take care of the hyenas,” Byron explained in his usual calm and collected ways. Landon smiled shyly. “Thank you. Your house is very nice, I like the colors. You surely won’t mind having me around?” “You are as polite and amazing as your brother so we will love to have you around,” Lana assured him. “You can have our guest room and we will get you some toys and things you need. I know the teacher of the local school, he can go there, we will take care of everything.” “I will give you the money for everything,” Liam offered immediately. Lana huffed. “Don’t be silly. We have that covered. You have other things to take care of right now.”

Liam smiled gratefully at her and she patted his knee. Then she smiled warmly at Landon. “Want me to introduce you to the pack and show you around?” Landon nodded but then glanced questioningly at Liam. The twenty-year-old nodded encouragingly. “Go ahead. I will stick around for a few hours before I drive back to Seattle.” His baby brother smiled. “Okay.” And then he followed Lana.

Byron and Liam followed a little bit behind.

“Will this ever get easier?” Liam asked the former Alpha. His heart was still breaking to know he would leave Landon behind. “Decisions like that? No,” Byron denied. “They only would get easier if you stopped caring, simply because you would not care enough to make them. And that is not the type of person you are.” “It tears me apart to leave without Landon. I trust all of you and I know he will have a wonderful time here but leaving him just hurts so damn much. I hope we can get rid of the hyenas soon and he can come back.” Byron gave Liam a pat on the back. “If you need any help, you know we’re just one call away.” He gave the older man a crooked smile. “I know.” Liam turned serious again. “It just annoys me so much that people constantly think they can overpower me because of my age or my looks.” “But this a problem of our society. People have a certain image of what somebody is supposed to be. If you don’t fit in the image, they think it’s okay to walk over you. I wish I could say it will stop one day but there will always be people underestimating you. The only thing you can do is to pick your battles and prove them wrong in the way right for you. I know you have a bright future ahead as Alpha of your pack, Liam. I can’t wait to see what you will do with this pack in the next years. We all are eager to see and we all support you. No matter if you’re twenty or fifty.” It helped Liam to talk with Byron and hear those words. Having people look down on you didn’t help your self-esteem but having people believing in him did. They all counted on him and he had great support. “Thank you, Byron.”

****** Landon got a warm welcome from the rest of the pack and the other kids immediately accepted him in their group and they began to play. Liam smiled when he saw Landon so carefree and happy. It was the right decision.

But then it was time to say goodbye and the brother found each other hugging tightly. Liam tried to will down the tears, he didn’t want to make this harder for Landon than it already was. “I love you so much, buddy,” he whispered into his brother's ear and Landon sniffled. “I love you too, Liam. Please be careful.” Liam smiled and ran a hand through Landon’s hair when they parted. “I will be.” He slowly got up to his full height and hugged Byron and Lana. “Thank you again, guys.” “No need to thank us. Be careful and if you need help, call us.” “Yeah.” Liam waved. “Bye. And, Landon, I will call you tonight.” The boy nodded eagerly. “We will talk every night over the phone and tell us about our days. Starting tonight.” “Exactly. Be nice to Byron and Lana and do good in school. Bye.” He hugged the kid one last time then he got into his car. He waved out of the rolled-down window, the former Alpha couple and Landon waved back, and the car slowly drove towards the street. He waved until he couldn’t see them anymore.

When he was finally on the highway, Liam called Theo over the speakerphone. His mate immediately picked up. “Hey, I’m on my way home. Everything okay?” His voice was thick with emotions. “Everything quiet, no hyena showed up. Are you okay?” Theo asked softly. Liam took a deep breath and fought back the tears. “He is happy and safe, that’s all that matters. It still hurts though.” “I can imagine. Are you okay to drive? I can come and pick you up with Mason.” “No need, I will be fine. There is not much traffic, I should be home soon. And then I’m ready to kick some hyenas’ asses.”

At least, the new danger now has a name and a face. Also, I was bawling when writing the last part of the chapter. What have I done? But on the other hand, Liam now can focus on the threat at hand and believe me, they have no idea who they're messing with. Like stated in the chapter, people underestimate him and that is never a good idea. What do you think? As always comments/theories/wishes/and what else you can think of are highly appreciated! I hope you don't hate me too much for this emotional rollercoaster I sent us all on.

Love you guys!

#Thiam #Morning Dew Pack series #A tale written with fangs and claws #My writing #alpha!liam #let's continue this wild ride #I am sponsering tissues in case anybody needs them

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makeste · 6 years ago

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The serious ask: Gokudera, bakugou, mukuro Me, on the inside: hibird, the principal of UA, all might

@somehow-still-sane First of all, thank you for affirming that posting that meme was the best decision I’ve made all day, and possibly ever.

Gokudera/Bakugou/Mukuro first!

Slow Burn: Gokudera. I’m a financial planner introduced to him via Reborn, since Tsuna is aiming to have the Vongola go completely legitimate. At first he’s skeptical of me in his typical way, but before long I manage to win his grudging respect and trust with my no-nonsense attitude and mad actuarial skills. Things just kind of build from there. Then one day some asshole tries to have me taken out since they don’t like the direction the family is headed, but Gokudera discovers their plan and fucks their shit right up cuz he’s a big damn hero. I’m sorry I made my Gokudera slow burn so boring, everyone, but I genuinely feel that unless you’re part of the Vongola’s inner circle, you don’t stand a chance at winning his heart unless math is somehow involved.

Fake Date: Mukuro. Okay so some demon that he ran into during his journeys through the six different paths or whatever shows up one day and they’re all like, “Mukuro, I’m gonna take your soul unless you can prove that you’re capable of love within the next seven days!” So Mukuro and I hatch a plan to pretend like we’re in love so we can hopefully fool this adharmic asshole who won’t leave him alone. So we spend the week doing all sorts of stupid cliched lovey-dovey things (with Mukuro being an obnoxiously smarmy smiling bastard at first but then gradually becoming more sincere in spite of himself), and by the end of it we genuinely kind of like each other dammit.

Enemies to Lovers: Bakugou. We’ve known each other since we were little kids and he’s made no secret of the fact that he hates my guts. We then go on to become rivals in high school. Unbeknownst to him, I’ve actually been in love with him since we were three years old and he’s my not-so-secret inspiration for damn near everything, and I’m determined to one day gain his respect and acknowledgement as we both work towards our goals! Plot twist, I’m actually Midoriya Izuku and this trope is fucking canon you guys.

And now for dessert:

Slow Burn: Rat Principal. Y’all ever seen The Shape of Water? Basically it’s like that.

Fake Date: Hibird. Hibird’s parents are coming to visit from across the country, and he’s lied to them and told them he has a girlfriend because they keep trying to set him up with people because they want those grandkids, and he’s sick of it but also he doesn’t have enough of a spine to just stand up to them. So he offers to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to pretend to date him for three days, and I know how absolutely flushed with cash he is so of course I accept. We have a good time but we don’t actually fall in love, but the ending is ambiguous, like idk maybe there might really be something there? But only time will tell~~

Enemies to Lovers: All Might! Okay, so this story takes place during his prime heroing days, back before the injury. He’s the Symbol of Peace, and I’m a notorious thief. But like, a nice thief. Like a Kaito Kid type thief. I mostly do those big jewel heists, as well as the occasional Robin Hood crime. Nothing too bad, because of course All Might would never fall for someone like that! He usually foils my heists in the end, but he can never actually manage to catch me because I’ve got that Kitty Pride walks-through-walls quirk (which is a great quirk and has probably already been used in the series, but it hasn’t yet as of chapter 40 which is where I’m at, so I can pretend like I’m being original here), so I always slip through his fingers, sometimes literally. So we have kind of this witty adversarial rapport going, and after a while it’s pretty clear that we’re starting to fall for each other hard. But then one day I steal something, and I’m waiting for him to show, and he just never does. So I eventually let my main man Best Jeanist recover the item instead (cuz I wasn’t actually going to keep it of course), and I go and steal something else, but it’s the same shit. Eventually I track him down and I learn about his injury despite his best efforts to conceal it. I’m not sure what happens from there, and I kind of got really carried away with this lol.

My god this was fun. Thank you!

#meme #ask meme #khr #bnha #gokudera hayato #rokudo mukuro #bakugou katsuki #hibird #all might #don't know the rat principal's actual name lol #sorry rat principal

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mendelpalace · 6 years ago

Audio

The second release in the “Post-nuclear wave” HDK series is "Siberia No Senshi Z-1" (The Warriors of Siberia), the soundtrack of a post-apocalyptic movie (never) filmed in the endless Siberian steppes. A story of love, fighting, and motorcycling, in a harsh and ruthless world where a flame of humanity still survives. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The composition and execution of the soundtrack has been entrusted to the Russian ensemble AELITA which has produced twelve epic, romantic and desperate tracks that accompany the listener in the most important moments of the drama. The AELITA ensemble used vintage synthesizers from the Soviet electronic tradition, but involved also traditional singers from Republic of Tuva and a string quartet of students from local music school. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PLOT:

[KAWASAKI NUCLEAR WINTER] In a future post-nuclear Middle Age, somewhere in the immense Siberian plains... The Steppe Cats are a Mōtābōru team (a sort of football played on armored motorbikes). They play in a clandestine league: the only official championship of Mōtābōru is played in the “Solar City” called Sanshiti, a walled urban centre where the Illuminated Queen rules, a transvestite who holds the “Secret of Drugs”. Mōtābōru players from the Solar City are rich and famous, those from the underground leagues are poor and deprived. Violence and corruption reign in Sanshiti league matches and players die young. Despite all this, all Mōtābōru players want to join the official league teams because they dream of wealth and celebrity even if for short; all players except Tuvan, the captain of the Steppe Cats, an experienced player who fled from a team of Sanshiti when he was very young. Now Tuvan lives in a miserable village in the steppe and plays in the clandestine league of Mōtābōru, full of violence and despair but also where there are feelings of brotherhood and respect for rivals' life. Being a Mōtābōru champion means popularity also in the wild lands: the teams fight to raise their Credits (the coat of arms of the rivals they have defeated). Credits are very precious because the more you have, the more you can aspire to play and gain a greater social respect: this means gasoline, food and other goods. The Steppe Cats are not among the most high-ranked teams, also because Tuvan is now Thirty, slightly lame and – people say – he has become too tender with opponents. [CATS OF THE STEPPE] Captain Tuvan (nobody knows his real name: he is called with the name of his land because he comes from the Tuva region, between Siberia and Mongolia), Monsuta (a fat, bald and toothless Japanese), Bibigul (a muscular lesbian from Kazakistan) are the Steppe Cats older members; Kara-Kat (a Tuvan girl with a thick dark hair), Tsubasa (a shrewd Korean) and Cardio (a junkie Siberian) are the youngest players of the team. Tuvan, Monsuta and Bibigul are close-knit; the youngest are the most restless and they show impatience towards the management of Captain Tuvan. Kara-Kat is a very promising runner and, as all young people, she eagerly dreams of playing in the official championship. Kara-Kat comes from Tuvan origins as Captain Tuvan, so he saved her life when she was very young and he was a talented and ruthless Mōtābōru player in Sanshiti. At that time Tuvan was a member of the Illuminated Queen's Imperial Team and also her lover. [KARA-KAT LAUGHS AND LOVES UNDER A POST-ATOMIC SKY] During the getaway from Sanshiti, Tuvan brought Kara-Kat with him and raised her like a little sister, teaching her to play Mōtābōru. Over the years, Kara-Kat and Tuvan, although bound by a deep and sincere affection, have developed a conflictual relationship: Kara-Kat, now a teenager, wants to decide for her life, but Tuvan can’t stand her dream of playing in the corrupted official league. [OUT IN THE WASTELANDS] One morning Kara-Kat disappears. Cardio says that he heard her talking about going to Sanshiti. She took her motorbike, gasoline, a lot of food and all the team's Credits. Tuvan is enraged and decides to put himself on the trail of Kara-Kat to recover the credits, but above all to protect the girl. The whole team - furious for the theft of Credits - follows Tuvan. [THE SHAMANS OF THE RADIOACTIVE RIVER] The Steppe Cats, however, remain without food and gasoline. To get them, they have to play a Mōtābōru match and win: but - with no credits and without a player - how can they do it? Tuvan contacts Dedushka, an old runner who retired to hermit life and decides to propose a challenge with a strong clandestine team, the Shamans of Radioactive River, led by Tuvan old friend, the Koriak shaman Golgoj. [DEATHMATCH IN THE GHOST KOMBINAT] Golgoj agrees to challenge the Steppe Cats, but in case of victory, as there are no credits to be won, he wants all the Kawasaki Z1 motorbikes of the team. A terrible risk for a team of Mōtābōru, though Tuvan decides to challenge the Shamans. Tsubasa and Cardio do not agree Tuvan's choice. Anyway, Tsubasa decides to be part of the team, but Cardio disappears without warning shortly before the match. The Cats must therefore play with one less man; the challenge seems hopeless... The match happens near a huge deserted industrial kombinat. Despite everything, the Steppe cats fight with determination and the score is still balanced. When, however, the situation seems to be inclined towards a Shaman victory, Golgoj, struck by Tuvan's motivation and Cats' heroism, eventually lets them win. He provides the team with petrol and food and gives his blessing to the mission. However, the Cats are now in a very bad shape. [THE RITUAL OVERDOSE OF AMANITA MUSCARIA] Golgoj offers his hospitality in the Shamans headquarters and gives the Siberian magic mushrooms to the Steppe Cats to get them back on track. They eat the mushrooms on a ritual night... [ICED BLOOD] The team finally resumes the journey. They find the traces of Cardio's motorbike not far away and they decide to follow them...but it's a trap! They fall into an ambush of the Imperial Guard. They discover that Cardio sold himself to the Illuminated Queen and dragged them into the trap... [SANSHITI NEON LIGHTS] The Steppe Cats are taken prisoners and led to Sanshiti. Tuvan is brought in front of the Illuminated Queen. She says that Kara-Kat now plays in the Imperial Team and shows her to Tuvan while she drives her motorbike but with a full-face helmet that makes her unrecognizable. The Queen asks Tuvan to join again the Imperial Team, so he can meet Kara-Kat and play to her side. He is doubtful and suspicious, but eventually accepts as long as his teammates will be released. Then the Queen let them go but it is a bluff: she is seeking vengeance on Tuvan for escaping from her years before. [UNNISH Z1-BERSERKRS] It is time for Tuvan to play his first official match in the Imperial Team, but it is a trap: he is lined up in the ranks of the opponents who will face the Imperial Team... the Steppe Cats! Tuvan finds out that his teammates have never been released by the Queen. And in addition, he has to face Kara-Kat (always masked with a full-face helmet) as an adversary! The match is brutal and desperate, Tuvan tries to avoid contact with Kara-Kat... he suspects that it is not really her... the Steppe Cats fight with courage, but in the end one by one fall under the deadly blows of the skilled and corrupted players of the Imperial Team. [TUVAN CUT-THROAT SINGING] Tuvan stands alone on the field with Kara-Kat; she is attacking him, but Tuvan doesn't want to defend himself because he doesn't want to kill her. He has a doubt about her identity... but he is not sure. Just before the last deadly impact with Kara-Kat motorbike, at the very last second, out of the corner of his eye, he sees her in the audience... the real Kara-Kat who desperatly tries to push him to react! But maybe it's too late... In the last moments, a stunning flashback: in a few frames, the story of what happened to Kara-Kat after her disappearance. She was kidnapped by the Imperial Guard with the complicity of Cardio and was moved to Sanshiti; then she escaped and became a beggar in the slums of Sanshiti. Cardio, after betraying Tuvan for drugs, was dumped by the Queen; he repents, finds Kara-Kat and tells her everything, including the fact that Steppe Cats will be involved in a deadly game against the Imperial Team. Kara-Kat tries to reach the arena and meet Tuvan... In the end she arrives... but is she still on time? End of the movie. [REQUIEM FOR A SIBERIAN SAMURAI]

#Группа AELITA #Music #Darksynth #Synthwave #Heimat Der Katastrophe #Post Nuclear Wave #Dark Ambient #Dungeon Synth #Movies That Don't Exist #Cold War Hotter Than Hell

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celestial-gold · 7 years ago

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Day 19

What are your core values? Challenge yourself to list them and explain your choices.

Freedom of choice- I have the freedom to choose both my religious path and the direction it goes in- satan has always given me a choice to follow him, to stay with him, to listen to what he says. I also have an obligation to protect freedom of choice for others, and not to judge anyone based on their harmless choices. This is sort of philosophy on the one hand about protecting rights, and on the other about minding my own business. It’s about not judging or condemning people or practices that aren’t hurting others. It’s a combination of a ‘stay in your own lane’ mentality and the first amendment.

Justice- Wherever bigotry or injustice appear, whatever form they take- racism, queerphobia, ableism, financial exploitation- it’s my job to oppose it in the hopes of eradicating it. This is my end goal as a satanist- creating a new and more equal, accepting, kinder world for the generations after me. I believe satan wants humanity to succeed in passing his tests, to evolve to greater and greater heights, and that comes through the pursuit of justice.

Defiance- This is the method by which tenant 2 is accomplished. I consider it part of my lord’s office to push humanity to greatness by challenging them, by confronting them, by being the adversary, and thus that’s a part of my obligation as a satanist. I know a lot of people push for justice gradually, peacefully, patiently, and those people are saints, but I am not and do not want to be one of them. They may be more suited to working as God does, with forgiveness and understanding love, but I chose to follow satan in the opposite direction. Same goal, different methods. That’s not how I choose to fulfill my role. I’m following my god’s example, and changing things through radical opposition. His is a fierce, sometimes turbulent love for humanity and humane ideals. I try to emulate that.

Acceptance of change- Something I grew to appreciate in my days as a Lokean, and have kept with me. I value evolution, societal and personal, and have come to see change as an opportunity to reinvent, to grow, to create a better world. Change scares me, but I believe ultimately things that are cruel and outdated must be destroyed, and what rises from the ashes has to be, somehow, better. In order to usher in that new system, or person, or invention, or whatever it may be, I am obligated to burn away the detritus from the old version.

Sacrifice- I believe that those I am loyal to deserve every piece of me, and that my loyalty and love demand willing sacrifice. Whether that’s easily given through a compromise, or painfully given at my own expense. However, I’m not saying it’s good to be a doormat. The give and take has to go both ways. I’ve had a lot of experience cutting people out of my life- abusers, friends, family, lovers- who took more from me mentally, financially, emotionally, than I was willing to give. I became their sacrifice, to further their own ends. I was used. That’s not the kind of sacrifice I’m talking about- I mean one where what I give is appreciated. I owe my time, loyalty, affection, knowledge, and help to no one. When I give it, I hope it’s appreciated, and when someone I love sacrifices something for me, I treat it as a sacred gift. I believe in sacrificing for the relationships I choose to keep, and consider the bonds I cut loose sacrifices for myself and a better tomorrow.

Pursuit of the truth- I have no problem with lying. When I know I’m doing it. This tenant is about stripping away not only other people’s lies or falsehoods they perpetuate- intentional or unintentional- like in the Justice tenant, but also about stripping away my own falsehoods. It’s about self reflection, confronting my own biases and privileges, questioning my beliefs, constantly assessing my behavior. I find what works, what doesn’t, what has to change and what has to die. What I know, and what I need to know, and how to learn it. I also encourage others to do the same. I confront bullshit from other people by poking at the heart of the matter- I try not to let the details of discourse dissuade me from the core issue. This is painful, ugly, dirty work. Making others see the truth about themselves, and seeing the truth about myself, can be enlightening or it can be miserable. Either way, it has to be done. I owe it to satan and I owe it to humanity as a whole. How can I worship a god who pushes us higher, how can I expect to push the world higher, if I won’t push myself? I have to put myself through the same obstacles I’d expect others to endure.

#31 days of spiritual journaling #theistic satanism #satanism #traditional satanism #og #trad satanism

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paramounticebound · 7 years ago

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YAH. DNA. FEEL. & LUST!

“DAMN.” questions for muses. || @vuulpecula || accepting.

YAH - something your muse agrees with 100% of the time.

Freedom. While it might be hypocritical, he despises slavery, captives beyond the use of war negotiations, and blackmail. Khan isn’t a nice person, and his morals are skewed, gray at best, but he believes in remaining unshackled and that extends to, well, everyone. He would sooner kill an adversary if the only other option was to keep them as a prisoner indefinitely.

DNA - What was your muse’s home life like?

This will have to be considered in the Eugenics War era, as he lacks a home and a real life after being awoken by Starfleet. During his reign, “home life” was stable, almost comfortable, but tense due to the conflicts surrounding him. He knew, probably, that an uprising was inevitable, and because of that, could never quite rest.

His time in the Chrysalis Project was even less comfortable, always walking on eggshells, learning war before learning how to be a child, and so on.

It’s accurate to say that this question is invalid, as Khan has yet to experience having a home life.

FEEL - How does your character react to a person’s touch? A random stranger’s? A loved one’s? A friend’s?

Khan is adverse to touch. His body is his own and unwanted touch is a violation often met with aggression. A stranger’s touch might be met with violence or a look intense enough to imply as much. A friend’s touch is, of course, more welcome, though he would prefer to keep this to a minimum as well. Loved one’s, naturally, have more permission, though he can and will unconsciously flinch away if his mood is sour or tense (particularly in post-STID timelines, wherein PTSD is present). A child of his would undoubtedly have the greatest amount of freedom-- he’s cold, stoic, but an adoring father. Lover’s are also, of course, allowed to touch him, but they are still susceptible to occasional avoidant episodes.

LUST - Who does your muse find attractive?

ummmm @vuulpecula He has peculiar tastes. His attraction can be towards anyone, really, he doesn’t necessarily have a type. What Khan is attracted to, is personality. He likes confidence, defiance, anyone who can best him or stand up to him. It’s that sort of ingrained superiority complex and he subconsciously wants beaten down.

#thank yoooouuuuu<3 #x: MY NAME IS KHAN (about.)#x: YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME SLEEP (queue.)#vuulpecula #x: ripped letters

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rose-of-pollux · 7 years ago

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The Jack o’ the Lantern Affair (MFU fic), part 1/5

Part 1 of my annual Halloween fic!

Title: The Jack o’ the Lantern Affair Rating: PG13 (for action/danger) Chapter summary: When a struggle with THRUSH over an old book of scary lore releases the spirit of legendary trickster Stingy Jack, Jack chooses Napoleon and Illya as his adversaries and challenges them to out-trick him. But Illya wants no part of it, and Napoleon has no idea what he’s up against--and their inability to stop Jack could result in dire consequences. Notes: This version of the fic (cross-posted to AO3) is slash-implied; if you prefer reading gen, there is a gen version on ff.net, but I can’t link to it with tumblr’s linking restrictions.

Act I: It Took Place in a New York Cemetery

“Am I the only one who finds it awkward to be having a gunfight in a cemetery?” Illya muttered, as he and Napoleon sought cover behind a mausoleum against a pair of THRUSHies. “It seems so disrespectful to the dead.”

“You’re not alone; if I could move this fight, I would,” Napoleon said. “But THRUSH were the ones who fired on us—and we didn’t tell them to come here.”

“We did instigate the fight, trying to obtain that stolen book from them,” Illya admitted. “We still need to obtain it.” He dodged a THRUSH bullet and winced as it deflected against the mausoleum wall, causing a slight nick in the stone, and he cast a quick apology to the occupants of the mausoleum.

“A book that ancient looks like it’ll fall apart before we’re through with this fight,” Napoleon mused. “There must be something coded in there—why else would they be after a beat-up, old volume?”

“It could have some sort of value as an antiquity; perhaps they wish to sell it to obtain funds for some nefarious project.”

“Also possible,” Napoleon agreed. “But, whatever it is, they want the book, so we need to get it from them.”

He sent a well-aimed tranquilizer dart at one of the two THRUSHies, knocking the gun out of his hand and sending it into the shadows of some headstones. The unfortunate THRUSH agent’s companion, seeing that he was now a liability, proceeded to strike him on the back with the handle of his gun, took the old book from him, and bolted, expecting Napoleon and Illya to detain the unconscious one.

“Cuff that one,” Napoleon instructed Illya, indicating the fallen THRUSHie.

He took off after the fleeing one, taking a straight path and vaulting over a few headstones until he was able to tranquilize the other one. The other THRUSHie sunk to the ground, and the book landed on the grass behind him. Napoleon put a pair of handcuffs on him before picking up the book.

It was battered and used, by the looks of it, and it smelled of age. There was no title on the cover, and Napoleon was surprised to see the entire book written in ink as he paged through it. The ink was still readable, but based on the age of the book, it was safe to assume that there was no code in it.

“What’s verdict on the book?” Illya asked, as he dragged his prisoner over.

“Antiquity,” Napoleon said. “It’s a strange book—full of spooky poems and rhymes. See, look—even this little note on the first page… ‘To the one who finds this book, either place it down or take a look. As you speak it, you will unfurl beings from another world.’ What a find, considering Halloween is tomorrow!”

“THRUSH wanted to steal a book of Halloween rhymes? What sort of price would that even fetch?” Illya scoffed.

“That’s anyone’s guess,” Napoleon said, paging through it again. “We’ll send this down to evidence, and they’ll figure out what it is and what it’s worth--”

They ducked instinctively as more shots rang out.

“It’s worth plenty to them,” Illya observed, as three more THRUSHies now approached them.

The two partners each grabbed a prisoner, Napoleon also holding onto the old book as Illya once again sought refuge behind the mausoleum. Napoleon muttered as a battered page from the book fell out, floating across the cemetery as the breeze carried it away. He momentarily considered going after it, but a narrow miss from a THRUSH bullet and a shout of alarm from Illya made him think better of it, and he retreated behind the mausoleum along with his partner.

“I’m beginning to doubt the antiquity value of this book if it’s falling apart like that,” Napoleon muttered.

“…They’re chasing after the page!” Illya said, marveling as the three new THRUSHies stopped firing at them and did just that.

Napoleon shrugged and tranquilized two of the three THRUSHies; the third one launched himself at the page, missing Napoleon’s third tranquilizer. As Napoleon approached, trying to aim again, he heard the THRUSHie mutter something as he read from the page--

“‘Speak this if you wish to play my game, and I will appear when you say my name: I, the one, who tricked the Devil back: Jack ‘o the Lantern, known as Stingy Jack.’”

Napoleon was suddenly thrown off of his feet by a large gust of wind as he had approached the THRUSHie, sending him flying away several feet; the THRUSHie also was sent flying. The page also landed beside Napoleon, showing a drawing of a shadow-cloaked man holding a turnip carved into a lantern.

“Napoleon!” Illya exclaimed, running over to him. “Napoleon, are you alright?”

“I’m okay…” he said, as Illya helped him up. “But what was that!? It was like a tiny tornado whipped up right around me!”

“It was me,” a voice said.

The two looked back at the book, staring as the shadow-cloaked man with the turnip-lantern floated a few feet above them, holding the struggling THRUSHie who summoned him by the ankle, dangling him above the ground.

“What is that?” Illya snarled. “Have we been drugged by THRUSH!?”

“…Would we be seeing the same hallucination if we were both drugged?” Napoleon wondered aloud, confused. He groaned, looking at the book in his hand and the page at his feet. “This… This isn’t an old book about spooky poems and rhymes, is it?”

“Not at all, my good man,” the being responded. “’Tis a book that can open a doorway to another world—a world where I was trapped, but now, thanks to you and your little squabble, I am free. Jack is the name.”

“…Stingy Jack,” Napoleon realized. “Ok, no… This… This isn’t happening. Illya, you’re right; we’re both seeing things.”

“Rest assured, Mr. Solo,” Jack. “’Tis quite real. You see, I had tricked Ol’ Scratch twice in me lifetime—made him promise he could never claim my soul. Heaven didn’t want me, and Ol’ Scratch said he couldn’t go back on his word. I wandered aimlessly, tricking all I encountered, until the Devil trapped me in that other world. A loophole—he could not claim me, yet there was no agreement about whether or not he could do that.”

“And so now, you are free, and you are going to wander around aimlessly again?” Illya said. “Very well, do so and do not trouble us.”

“I will not be cast aside and forgotten!” Jack snarled at him. “No longer will I wander aimlessly—this world will answer to me now--!”

BANG.

Napoleon, taking advantage of Jack’s monologue, had fired his Special at him, but the tranquilizer dart phased right through him.

“My dear Mr. Solo,” Jack tutted. “I could have told you that you would not be able to stop me that way. I was going to let you be, but you need to be taught a lesson. And so, I will use you as an instrument in my plan.”

“You will not touch him,” Illya said, coldly. “I do not know who you or what you are—everything logical says that you should not exist. But no matter what you are, you will not lay a hand on my partner.”

“So defensive of your lover. How intriguing. Perhaps I can use both of you,” Jack mused. “Very well, Gentlemen, the die is cast—if you can outwit me before the first sunrise after All Hallow’s Eve, I will admit defeat.”

“We do not have to accept this challenge of yours!” scoffed Illya. “We did not summon you!”

“You do not,” Jack agreed. He glanced at the THRUSHie he was holding. “But he does. He was the one who set me free. …Unless you wish to take my challenge in his stead, the world will have to depend on him!” He gave the THRUSHie a shake, and the man began to whimper and plead to be let down.

“Then let it depend on him!” Illya fumed, unfeeling. “Come, Napoleon; this does not concern us! THRUSH summoned him, so this is their problem! Let them pay the price for meddling!”

“As much as I want to,” Napoleon said. “It’s in our job description to clean up THRUSH’s messes.”

“Not for things like this…” Illya said. “…Whatever this is! What is the worst that can happen?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know!” Jack sneered. “Most of that book really is idle lore and poetry, but some of them are actual spells that open the gateway to the world where I was banished. Who knows what I can do with the knowledge of those spells?”

Napoleon scowled.

“He is trying to bait you,” Illya said. “Leave him be, Napoleon; this is not our fight. Once he is done making a nuisance of himself, he will go away.”

“…Do you really believe that?” Napoleon asked.

Illya looked at him, helplessly.

“Whether I do or not believe that, I do know that I do not want anything to happen to you. Napoleon, I love you, and the last time we dealt with something unexplainable, I nearly lost you forever.” The Russian’s heart twisted in his chest as he recalled the time Napoleon had been possessed. It pained him to admit it, but he was afraid—afraid of having to face things he couldn’t explain with rational logic, and afraid of what those things could do to his beloved Napoleon. “Napoleon… You do not have to take up the call for every little thing that goes wrong, especially when it is… something like this.”

Napoleon understood what Illya was trying to say. Illya still had trouble believing in things he couldn’t explain, and after their past experiences with such things, Napoleon certainly couldn’t blame him for it.

“I love you, too, Illya,” he said. “You know that. But I have this feeling that Jack isn’t going to stop acting out until we do something about it—or at least, if I do.” Napoleon looked back at Jack, and he let out a yelp as Jack began hoisting up the panicking THRUSHie he was holding even higher into the air. “Hey! Hey! You put him down right now!” He caught his choice of words. “Gently!”

Jack giggled.

“I don’t feel so inclined to release this fellow,” Jack mused. “I’ll find some use for him—the other one, too. …Or, how about a deal, eh? You give me the book for this fellow here?”

“Shut up,” Napoleon grumbled, flipping through the book, looking for something that would help. “Okay, hopefully this will work to send him back—Illya, get ready to catch that THRUSHie after I do this.”

Illya wasn’t so sure; Jack looked more smug rather than concerned about going back to a realm where he’d been imprisoned.

“Napoleon, wait…” he said. “Napoleon, please, don’t do this—let’s just walk away--”

“Look, he wants the book so that we can’t use it to send him back—so that’s just what we’ve got to do. We put an end to this, and nobody gets hurt.” Napoleon cleared his throat. “‘Where the foulest trickster’s once escaped, that door will open once again—a world that is the perfect prison, full of darkness and of pain.’”

Though the sky was clear, a crack of thunder filled the air as a dark, shadowy portal appeared in the sky beside Jack. Napoleon glanced up at him in triumph, but his look soon switched to one of sheer horror as, instead of Jack being pulled into the portal, a hoard of agonized-looking spirits burst forth from the portal.

“Napoleon!” Illya yelled.

“…Did I mention that some of those verses were written by myself?” Jack said, grinning down at them. “Failsafes.”

“Napoleon, he tricked us!” Illya fumed.

“No, he tricked me,” Napoleon said. He began to page through the book again. “I think we have to figure out which are the real verses and which ones are by him; that’s the key to this whole thing.”

“Napoleon—!” Illya cried.

“You should have listened to your lover, Mr. Solo!” Jack taunted, as now ambulatory skeletons emerged from the portal, walking across the cemetery.

“That isn’t even possible!” Illya fumed. “Bones cannot move without musculature! It is basic anatomy!”

“Never mind that—we have to close the portal!” Napoleon said. “Ah… Okay, here… ‘An easy answer to a problem posed; that which was opened is now closed.’”

To his immense relief, the portal closed, but it did nothing to stop the spirits and skeletons that were already loose; as Jack cackled, flying off while dragging the screaming THRUSHie he was carrying, the other tranquilized THRUSHies were being carted off by the creatures, as well. And the skeletons were advancing upon Napoleon and Illya, as well.

“Napoleon, we must run!” Illya said.

“But the other THRUSHies--”

“Forget them!” Illya said. He let out a shout as a wailing spirit dove at them from the sky, and, desperate, he tackled Napoleon out of the way. The book went flying out of Napoleon’s hands.

“No!”

Napoleon made a grab for the book, but one of the skeletons seized it first, leering at him with its empty eyes.

“Leave it!” Illya ordered, pulling his partner to his feet and practically dragging him out of the cemetery.

Seeing no practical way to retrieve the book, Napoleon had no choice but to go along with Illya, wishing he had listened to his partner and not attempted to play Jack’s twisted game, which had only made everything worse.

“Oh, Illya…” he sighed. “What have I done…?”

#Napoleon Solo #Illya Kuryakin #napollya #the man from uncle #mfu fic #The Jack o' the Lantern Affair

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