#and First Thunder did their initial meeting really well
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
wolfsbanesparks · 1 year ago
Note
In your story universe, how would you write Captain Marvel joining the Justice League or meeting another superhero for the first time?
I think it depends on the specific story, but most often I imagine that the first hero Captain Marvel ever meets is Superman.
For me that meeting would take place a few months after Billy became Cap, when stories of his powers and his heroics finally managed to trickle out of Fawcett City and into the wider world. Obviously the JL would take notice of a new hero, especially someone rumored to be as powerful as him. So while Batman is researching him and everyone else is speculating about him, Superman takes it upon himself to visit Fawcett and meet him in person.
He was originally just going to observe as Clark Kent, get the public's impression of the new hero, but then a villain (probably Dr Sivana) attacked and he decided to jump into the fray and give Cap a helping hand.
Cap is a bit starstruck at first because it's Superman, but then the two of them get to talking, getting on amazingly well (like in First Thunder). His earnestness and kindness leave an impression on Superman.
When Clark leaves he tells the JL about Cap and a few months and a few team ups with various heroes later, Superman nominates him for League membership. By then enough heroes had worked with him on various crises that he is voted in with little debate.
122 notes · View notes
bluejeanstrash · 1 year ago
Text
why don’t we kiss since we’re bored? 
for this request. thank you again, anon 🫶
tags: just some good old-fashion slice of life fluff | w/c: 940
Tumblr media
‘uhm, do you want to bake something?’ seungcheol suggests, reading off a list on his phone.
‘not really’ you mumble, eyes shut. baking required effort, dishes, and cleaning at minimum; absolutely no way you both would follow through. ‘plus, do you even have anything we can bake with?’
he shakes his head no which you can’t really see, but the sound of him locking his screen tells you everything you need to know. 
‘let’s give up’ you sigh, pulling at the loose threads of the fluffy carpet you both are laying on. 
‘mmm. let’s’ he agrees, grabbing your busy hand and bringing your interlocked fingers to rest on his stomach.           
right now you were supposed to be sitting pretty in a gorgeous private garden (that had an insane waitlist but thankfully having a celebrity boyfriend had a few perks), pouring bubbly into a tall glass while your boyfriend took “candid” pictures of you, and you of him. it was a picnic date that had been in the works for weeks.
and up until the morning the weather looked promising—sunny with a slight chill as was forecasted. but then came the unannounced downpour, dampening the weather first and the mood shortly after. 
normally rainy days in were always welcome, but this date was something you both were really looking forward to since you didn’t really get to do “public dates”. well, not today either. 
still, you did try salvaging the day by suggesting ideas (do you want to watch a movie? why don’t we play something? let’s do a puzzle?) while simultaneously shooting each down. 
now, defeated, you lay next to each other, the sound of the rain constant like the rise and fall of seungcheol’s tummy. it’s quiet for a few minutes but when he takes in a sudden inhale of air, you can tell he’s about to speak.
‘why don’t we…kiss since we’re bored?’ a question so unexpected, it elicits an unattractive snort out of you.
‘what?’ you open your eyes, turning your face to him. 
he explains how it’s a thing, a slang they used to use back in the day.
‘wooow, you’re looking at me straight in the eyes and lying these days, huh? i see how it is’
‘i swear! it’s an actual thing!’
‘okay then’ you turn your body to face him, easily convinced ‘let’s kiss since we’re bored’
he breaks into a dimpled smile, doing the same. he places one firm hand on your waist pulling you closer to a kissable distance.
‘hi’ from him soft and fond.
‘HI-IIII’ from you loud and playful, making him chuckle.
he brings a hand up to your face, gently brushing your hair back while his soft gaze admires you and all your little (im)perfections ‘why are you so pretty? huh?’ he questions, a finger tapping your nose. 
‘why are you?’ and with that your lips meet, soft and sweet, both of you sinking into a space of familiarity. outside, as the rain hits the ground heavier your kisses deepen. 
soft hums are replaced by needier breaths as you make out, taking his lower lip in between your teeth to bite teasingly as his grip tightens around your waist. you’re both completely into it when a loud crack of thunder interrupts, causing you to flinch, accidentally biting his lower lip at little too hard.
‘fuck!’ he curses, wincing at the shooting pain. 
‘fuck, i’m so sorry! are you okay?’ you grab his face, trying to see if that drew blood.
‘i’m fine, i’m fine. are you okay?’
‘i’m fine. i’m so sorry. the thunder, it- it scared me’
‘i know baby, i know, it’s okay’ he reassures, gently rubbing your back, like he did when you were anxious. 
‘does it hurt?’ you fuss, stroking your thumb along his bottom lip knowing he’d love it. and god, he does. seungcheol is a sucker for these moments—a little sniffle, a non-existent cut, and barely-there bruise—he wants all of it to be a big deal.
‘yes’ he pouts. it really didn’t, there was an initial sting but now he just wants to drag this out.
‘i’m so sorry, baby’ you say, pressing a sweet apology to where it “hurts”, and another for good measure.
‘okay, so kissing is out’ you cross another off the list. 
‘no, wait, why?!’ you remind him he was just saying how his lip hurts to which he replies ‘but it feels better when you kiss it’ 
you roll your eyes, not able to stop the smile that spreads across your face.
‘i like kissing you’ a sudden confession.
‘i like kissing you too’ you reply as your lips meet again. you kiss as his hands move from your face to find your hand, interlacing fingers; yours move to caress his hair; his find their way back to your waist; then your legs drape over each other, both of you a tangle of limbs. somewhere amidst the many kisses and warm touches, he grabs a throw, placing it over you both, wrapping you in a bubble of comfort. there’s a serene grey hue that fills the room as the overcast skies clear and disappear. 
‘promise me one thing?’ he suddenly pulls away, feeling compelled to complete this thought.
‘mhmn?’
‘promise me you’ll kiss me for the rest our lives?’ he asks, saying incredibly romantic things without so much of a warning. you feel this sudden warmth fill you, all the way down to your toes. 
‘i promise’ you vow, the warm fuzzy feeling now in seungcheol’s chest as you lean back in to seal it with a kiss.
983 notes · View notes
Text
I think for all the discussions we have of "everyone hears the jokes and the piano; after that, they stop listening" surrounding Louis, we tend to still simplify his connection to the piano.
Yes, it's very cute that he sings Clementine a little song when they first meet, and it's very cute that he plays a little prank on her while "tuning" the piano. It's super cute that they carve their initials into the piano and Clementine carves a heart around them. It's mega cute that he names his song he wrote after her when she confesses her feelings. Louis playing Don't Be Afraid at the party is, in my opinion, one of the best moments in all of TFS.
But here's the thing: That piano is Louis' heart.
I don't mean to go all metaphorical on you, but I'm dead serious—the piano is Louis' heart, and when you think about his arc and his romance route with that in mind...?
That piano is his one comfort in a world where the dead walk. It's been with him from the beginning of the outbreak. We know from his backstory that Louis wanted to take singing lessons so he could be a real musician, and his father denying him of that was what set him off to be a "vindictive fuckhead." Louis never got those singing lessons, and it's a very real possibility that Louis taught himself how to play.
Sure, others could've taught him; we know Minerva was musically talented, perhaps she showed him a thing or two. But learning piano, or any instrument, is brutal even with professional guidance. It takes hours of practice until numbness wears fingertips raw; dedication to memorize every key and finger placement to make music pleasing to the ear; self-discipline to keep going through every fumble, every failure, every single cruel thought of self-doubt; intelligence and a creative ear to write his own songs.
And yet, it's severely under-appreciated by everyone. It's annoying. It's distracting. It's unimportant. It's an excuse for Louis to mess around and not do any real work. He doesn't have any actual talent. The music and the piano are brushed off, unheard.
Yet, Louis keeps playing. He keeps singing. He keeps making jokes.
Creating music, the one thing he wanted so badly as a kid that he destroyed his parents marriage, was possibly the greatest comfort he had... a welcome distraction to disassociate from the horror and death happening around him.
It's bittersweet, like a purpling bruise that you can't stop pressing on; it hurts, but there's something else below the pain. The piano is out of tune and it's something that brings him joy... but will always act as a constant reminder of who he was and what he did, why he's at Ericson to begin with.
We first meet him while he's playing; Louis' heart is exposed, but is it really? Is he playing to his true potential? Louis hides behind the mask of a charming, charismatic goof. It's what is expected of him, so he plays a silly song intended to poke and prod at Clementine, to gauge a reaction. That's something we see him do at multiple points in episode one. In fact, we can consider a majority of episode one to be like the song he's playing when we meet him; it's mostly cheery or fast-paced.
Louis is able to soothe AJ with his "alluring" music after the kid bit Ruby is an indication that the two of them will share a bond. Louis is a natural at communicating and bonding with the younger kids [another talent that's overlooked] so it's interesting that he praises AJ for being a natural at piano, as well.
But the song stutters just a bit when Louis and Clementine are in the woods together, though; "There's only one guarantee: this moment. That's the only you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it." ...Only for Louis to compose himself and send her away.
It's only when Clementine has a gun in her face, held by Marlon, that the music isn't fun anymore; it's rainfall and thunder and the words "I thought you were more than that" sung through the wind in a melody only Louis can hear.
Then Marlon's dead. The song is over, and reality has arrived.
I've talked at length about Louis in ep2 and his vote in the past. It's one of the most compelling things about Louis' arc and romantic route. It's a tragic mistake driven by trauma and guilt. It's people simultaneously telling him to shut up and telling him to be angrier than he is. Telling him to stop burying his head in the sand when he's never been more aware of everything happening. It's AJ peering up at him with pleading eyes that Louis can't stand to look at. It's Clementine wrapping his heartstrings around her fingers and tugging just enough to hurt, but not break.
Louis missed Clementine. He says as much when Clementine admits she missed him first. I don't even know where to begin with that! I can think of no other way to describe it other than they are half agony, half hope over this... and if you get that reference, you get a gold star. I just- the ache, the tension, the conflicting feelings of finally having a quiet moment to talk but Louis not being ready yet.
Y'know how someone carved "you suck at playing" in the side of the piano? It's something you might not initially notice while playing the game, just as Louis' insecurities aren't apparent at first.. but they're carved in him; never fully healed, still scabbed and bleeding... Until Clementine offers him a bandage.
She won't clean the wound for him, but she'll be there. She'll help him figure out how to do it himself so he can heal. She'll listen to him, not belittle his feelings or pain. She'll make an effort to know his keys and notes and practice playing his song until she understands.
When Clementine chooses him to spend time with him, it's a mirror of their first time meeting... but this time, Louis plays something real: a song he wrote, one that I believe he crafted during the two week time skip... a song he wrote with Clementine on his mind, for better or worse.
If the piano is Louis' heart, he literally asks her to sit there and try to tune it, which ends up being a joke but I say she's already tuned your heart, my guy. It's there before them, changed in the warm candlelight. He plays for her and opens up about how no one actually listens, but Clementine did.
And remember, this is the night of the raid. They don't know it's coming, but they know it'll be soon. Louis understands that he could very well die, so what does he do? He carves his initial into the one thing he's always had, and he asks Clementine to do the same.
I'm sorry, how are we NOT more feral about this? Prior to this scene, the only thing we see carved into the piano, into Louis' heart, is an insult. This thing that Louis cares so deeply about, this instrument that's become so intertwined with who he is... he wants to leave his mark on it just in case he dies. A reminder that it was his and he belonged to it just as much. Something so important, and he asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart where no matter what, they will be immortalized together in this moment.
And when Clementine carves a heart around their initials? Yes, his reaction is very cute and that's great... but she's not ashamed of him, or her feelings for him. She wants everyone who looks upon his heart to know that. She tells him how she feels and Louis is so giddy, and warm, and he names the song after her and I am going to start biting anything that moves, I can't-
Oh, and let's discuss the party scene in episode three, shall we? Y'know, where the heart covered initials are on full display? Where Louis tells the story of why he was sent to Ericson to everyone?
Louis is so... vulnerable. Sincere. Ashamed of what he did. This is the exposed nerve, the one he was so afraid of showing Clementine but there it is... and she doesn't reject him. Sure, she can say it's fucked up if you choose to, but she doesn't break up with him over it.
Also the fact that everyone sitting around him finally listens when he's at his most unshielded only for Tenn to ask him to play Don't Be Afraid for them after...? How do you not see the connection? Are you trying to make me cry? In that moment, Louis' heart was heard and appreciated and beautiful and strong and-
Listen. I am fine. I'm so normal about this. And fine. I'm fine.
But I also have to add that during the walk in episode four, if you let Louis choose what to add to the imaginary house, he picks a brand new piano because he wants a new heart to reflect the confidence and growth Clementine helped him achieve and because he loves her and AJ so much that wants the new heart to not just be his but also theirs and I am so fine with this, okay.
174 notes · View notes
booquip · 6 months ago
Text
Hiii uhmm im still super new to tumblr so sorry if the format is wonky. This is kind of my first dabble into fan fiction but I had this idea for quite a while so enjoy!! ( feed back & constructive criticism is always appreciated 😋)
Pairing: Gojo Satoru x fem!Reader x Geto Suguru
Summary: (Set in Highschool) Although looking back on it they realize both had fallen for you the moment they had met you. ( ik this seems pretty Suguru centric right now but trust me we get our moment with Satoru during the hangout)
Word Count: 710
Tumblr media
The boys had fallen for you ever since you walked… well ran into the classroom doors.
The fast paced stomping of your feet could be heard from a mile away as you slammed the door open and ever so rudely interrupted Yaga Sensei’s class. “Excuse me, young la-!” You huffed each word you spoke trying and failing to catch your breath. “ Ahh… my.. a-apologies Yaga Sensei.. Ah sir! You see I was …initially going to arrive early but saw a stray cat and I … just had to feed it. Again apologies sir! ”You bow while still huffing. Yaga sensei sighs before speaking “The least you could do is introduce yourself before so rudely barging in.” You smile before going on your breath finally stabilizing “Oh my apologies sir! My name is L/N Y/N pleasure to meet you all!” As you look back at the three pairs of eyes before you, it’s only then you feel utterly embarrassed blood streaming right up to your face as you notice a boy with sparkling blue eyes and hair that rivaled the color of the clouds (not the ones you’d see on a thunder storm but those that appear biggest and brightest on a beautiful sunny day), along with a beautiful brunette woman.
Both were laughing making no attempts at all to mask their amusement at the spectacle bestowed upon them. While the raven haired boy tried to spare you some dignity by hiding his horrible kept chuckles in his hand ( it had no effect but you appreciated the effort nonetheless).
You sit in the farthest seat possible trying to make yourself unnoticeable for the duration of the class, you look outside the widow and get lost in the breathtaking view of the trees blowing in the beautiful summer wind. The months had just begun to get warmer and the world was looking so bright.
As you were so engrossed in the view Suguru however couldn’t help but spare glances at you all throughout the duration of class. He noticed your lack of attention to the lesson but also the way the sun had hugged your face, highlighting you in such a sensational way, you had looked so peaceful as if the world was crafted with you and you alone in mind. Suguru felt like you were drawing him in, he just had to talk to you, get to know you. So when the bell rang he all but sprinted to your desk, leaving Satoru a bit dazed. He felt bad for interrupting your thoughts but class did end so maybe he was doing you a favor, he tried to reason with himself.
Captivated by the view you didn’t hear the ring of the bell and were nudged by someone. Turning to look you noticed it was the raven haired man, he was much more handsome up close it’s difficult to describe as you think not even the highest quality camera could begin to compose the essence of his beauty. You notice his lips move to speak but your to engrossed in his presence to really notice that he had said something. It’s not until he nudges you again that you finally come back to earth. “ oh my apologies is there something you needed…” It’s only then when you realize you hadn’t captured his- He cuts your thought off.
“ Suguru. Suguru Geto.”
The name suits him you think as beautiful and elegant as the setting sun, ending the day and welcoming the next. He continues his sentence with a hearty chuckle “ I just wanted to inform you class ended about 10 minutes ago, what is it that you are so intensely thinking about?” He hadn’t realized what he blurted out before he quickly tried to save himself. Heat rose to your cheeks once again. How did you not notice? You don’t have time to internally beat yourself up for your lack of awareness before he goes on. “ If you’re not doing anything would you like to come have lunch with us? It’s not everyday we get a transfer student especially so late.”
Who would have thought that a simple invitation such as this one would lead to such a strong and beautiful bond amongst you four…
56 notes · View notes
mira-likes · 3 months ago
Text
So my rewatch has arrived at s2, and it's interesting to discover how I'm seeing ep1 with new eyes now.
I remember thinking that s2 started somewhat off in terms of tone, leaning too far into comedy.
HOWEVER.
I had not noticed at the time, as I have now, that ep1 gave us a momentary glimpse into a world where Fan Xian really did die, and what it would mean.
And particularly how it would mean Chen Pingping being ready to FUCK SHIT UP. It's like Fan Xian is his last tether to restraint. Once Fan Xian is gone, he's done being hinged nice and is about to go apeshit.
As I've said before, s2 convinced me that Chen Pingping hates the emperor and will destroy him with the exploding wheelchair. Well, the dude seems READY to press that button in ep1. His finger is ON that button as he waits to meet the emperor.
In the corridor before the imperial study, Fan Jian rages at Chen Pingping for having doomed Fan Xian with his schemes, and demands to know--what now? And Chen Pingping is like, I'll pay with my life. But there's a bunch of people I'm taking down with me.
And he has absolute MURDER in his eyes until he hears that the emperor got the second message and calmed down (and so they realize that Fan Xian has faked his death).
Chen Pingping, upon learning that Fan Xian is alive after all:
Tumblr media
Chen Pingping communicates his vision on two other occasions during this episode. When he initially hears Fan Xian died, he summons the entire bureau and is like, be prepared because due to this death the world is about to fall into chaos.
(He doesn't say "because I'm on my way to murder the emperor," but it's implied. To me.)
And he gives a corresponding answer to Yan Ruohai when he asks, what if Fan Xian had died for real? His answer is: a lot of blood would be spilled.
And the episode is comedic in many parts, sure. But that bit is CHILLING??
Like, Fan Xian has NO IDEA how close he came to unleashing havoc on the country with his fake death.
And we don't even know what the emperor would have done. He legit freaks out when he hears Fan Xian died, and summons Chen Pingping in a thunderous enough manner that it's clear he's expecting someone to pay with their lives, too. (And then he's extra furious at Fan Xian for causing him to have these distressed feelings. So he'll make Fan Xian jump through extra hoops to "come back to life".)
Anyway: it's a lighthearted episode, for sure. But it's got some hella dark undercurrents that I didn't notice the first time.
24 notes · View notes
angelsworks · 1 year ago
Note
Can you do imagine x Uhtred x a Time travel reader like she’s from 21st century and is struck by lightning which send her into the past and she meet Uhtred who becomes obsessive with her and they are like bound by fate ?
Time traveller Yandere!Uhtred x Time Traveller!Reader
Type: Oneshot but parts are a little headcannonly
Summary: Uhtred is convinced the girl that fell from the sky was meant for him.
Warnings: Yandere themes, etc
Tumblr media
You’d been ‘adventuring’ in the countryside. Well adventuring in the sense that you were lost. Wandering aimlessly, picnic basket in hand over the many hills the English countryside had to offer.
It started with rain, grey clouds rolling in from nowhere, filling the sky and creating darkness. Then the wind, as strange as it may started to circle where you stood.
Then you heard it, a loud crack of thunder and suddenly blinding light engulfed you. You felt it warm your body and send tingles shooting throughout your skin. Almost electrifying you.
Your vision was completely stolen for you. Replaced with a blinding white.
It felt like you’d been spinning and falling for hours when you finally stopped. The ground hit you and you felt winded. Your vision returned slowly, gradually becoming clear and free of the many black spots that littered it.
When you could see clearly you saw a man, more like several men. Looking down on you questioningly.
You raised your eyebrows and jumped up. The sudden action caused one to pull out his sword.
“What the fuck?!”
Regardless of how friendly the men tried to be their Initial metallic greeting did little to settle your nerves.
You ran off spouting something about them being crazy and that you’d phone the police.
Of course they’re confused. They’ve just seen a girl fall from the sky with a strike of lightening. Sihtric and Finan are convinced you’re some kind of witch. Oesferth is more inclined to believe you are an Angel. Some message sent from god.
Uhtred on the other hand feel more swayed to agree with the monk. You are clearly special and unlike anyone he’s ever met.
It takes almost an hour for them to get coherent words from you. Making you sit down and tell them just what you think had happened.
Afterwards they aren’t sure what to think. For one they think you’re crazy at first. But the more you explain, the more they try to understand.
Uhtred’s first instinct is to go to Brida.
During the ride you try to make peace with your circumstances. Thinking of ways to get back home. Unaware of a certain Danes growing interest.
When you reach Brida she had a different narrative entirely. She believes you are a gift from the gods. A gift for Uhtred. She sees “strings of destiny” tying the two of you together.
From then on it’s fruitless trying to get anyone to believe you or even consider helping you get back to your own time.
They all believe Brida and therefore want Uhtred to be able to follow his destiny. He hasn’t had the best of luck with destiny.
Spending time trying to understand you is one of his favourite things. It makes him laugh when you tell him of all your favourite shows, modern living and historical events.
“So this Robin Hood, is a fox?” He asks confused.
“No,” you laugh. “Disney just chose to portray him that way. He was a real man who lived in sherwood Forrest.”
He hums, “And he’s famous for stealing.”
Your knowledge of the future does little to warn them of dangers. However you are able to provide more modern medical in-sites. Simple things really like knowledge about germs and diseases.
These ideas help Uhtred and his friends in many ways.
“Typhus?” Finan asks you.
“Yes. I read it was common in this time. With the lack of medical treatment available it could be fatal.”
“Well how can we prevent such a thing?” Sihtric asks you, mildly interested.
“Well you can start by changing clothes at least once a week and bathing frequently.”
They all warm up to you eventually. You become an important part in their group. So when you bring up trying to go back to you’re own time, they’re all quick to shoot you down.
“We can’t risk you getting hurt.”
“You could die.”
“Like you say, we have no way to help you if you get injured.”
“You belong here, with us.”
You’ll have to come to terms with the fact you’ll never go back to your own time every again. Uhtred believes you belong to him. Sihtric, Finan and Oesferth believe your in-site is important to their survival.
You can’t leave them. Not now you’ve found them.
128 notes · View notes
cozzzynook · 4 months ago
Note
depressing megarod drabble with sorta rodiclash
Okay so hi i have a sorta basic sad megarod drabble where megatron has died and most of the planet is celebrating. there were bots who knew roddy and megs had a thing going on during the lost light right up to his excuteion. some we're judgy of them, others decided to stay in touch with roddy and accept that the spark wants with the spark wants and as long as roddy is okay theyre okay with it. the bots who knew and were accepting checked up on him and they held a "hug and cry" session on the day of megs execution at drifts place and they all just sat around him and held him and cried as he experienced his spark go through agony because he could feel the spark bond between him and megs fatally breaking and ratchet and first aid were also there as friends but also medical back up in case something fatal happened to roddy. in certain cases many mechs have died from the pain and agony and intense experience of your sparkbond fatally breaking.
a few hundred years go by and everyone think that roddy is starting to heal, even drift and ratchet who visited him everyday and were there for when roddy initially went through a an intense depressin episode right after the execution and barely got out of berth most days. they checked on him daily and he really did seem like he was starting to process healthily and letting himself go through the motions. what no one in roddy friend circle know is that he started going through online interfacing apps looking for bots who were nearest and closest to megs in size and voice and sometimes looks and went under a different name. the few bots he met up with kinda knew they were meeting with roddy but didnt really care and we're just down to have a easy no strings attached overload. unfortunately for roddy after the one time with the five diff mechs he met up with he just stopped messaging them. none of them really helped thh.
He messaged brainstorm, being completely honest and ask if he could create a clone for him but Brainstorm refused, saying he did that alot during and after the war at the request of many bots who recently lost their conjux and they always ended up getting rid of the clones or just not becoming well after the fact, making him decide to stop with those specific clone requests.
one day after drinking alot the night before, Roddy took medicine for his helmache and then spent the day cleaning his place and thinking, then went over to Thundersclash's place and was straight up honest with him. asked him if he wanted to come over to hang out and interface and would be okay with him pretending he's megs for the night. thunders know it's a bad idea but also doesn't want to pass up the chance to help roddy in any sorta of way and be close to him even if its for his build and ruby optics and so for the next couple of nights thunderclash woukd come over at night to roddys and help roddy sexually with his grief, and got used to roddy asking for the lights to be turned off before they started so he could just stare into his optics pretending its megs, moaning megatrons name in his ear, having thunderclash whispering the praises megs used to say to Rodimus at roddys request. one day tho he went over to Drift's to saying he needs to find a way to let down rodimus and that he regrets saying yes to him and was blinded by how much he cared for roddy and secretly liked him. he tells him the reason why he waited till now was because last night roddy broke down sobbing but kept telling thunder to keep going and keep spiking him and that it just broke his heart to see him in such a state. and that he scared Roddy may become those mechs who never healed, and ended up getting worse as a result. Drift is just genuinely heartbroken and scared for his amica and kinda guilts himself for not noticing even though it was truly not on him and roddy just kept up an impressive mirage. ratchet has ro constantly remind him that and they both talk with thunderclash and help come with a plan to help Roddy thats wll my brain had for now
song going through my mind thinking this was Old Wounds by Pvris lol
This must be karma for when i post angst lol
Damn 😭
11 notes · View notes
oohnotvery · 9 months ago
Text
Throwing Good After Bad (Chapter 13)
Mulder
When Mulder wakes, the first thing he notices is the sound. Rain—riotous, thundering, unrelenting—battering the ceilings and windows of wherever-the-fuck-he-is. Pressing past an advancing headache, he quickly takes stock of his other senses. He has the vague notion that he is lying on something uncomfortable—like a hardwood floor—and that he is bound at his wrists and ankles by an itchy, scratchy rope.
He blinks his eyes open and immediately slams them shut again as bright overhead lights flood his vision. Swearing fiercely, he shoves himself to sitting before trying that again. The next time he opens his eyes, he’s prepared for the blinding assault and doesn’t shy away from the brightness.
He scans the room quickly, immediately placing himself inside the lodge. Beside him lies Lydia, who is starting to come to as well. A little past her sits Joe, who flashes him a look he can’t quite decipher. Is that fear or anger? And right beside Joe sits Scully, who is wearing a murderously outraged expression. Mulder locks eyes with her, once again relieved to see that she is alive.
“Everyone okay?” he asks roughly, and everyone nods.
Thunder unfurls from the sky and the building’s windows rattle.  
He’s about to try to scoot over to Scully when a set of interior doors opens and a stream of people pour in. Mulder initially tries to count them but quickly loses track. This must be the entire community, here to watch them . . . die? Jules and Harlan enter behind the procession, faces tight and expressions grim.
Evan is mysteriously absent.
Without fanfare, Harlan walks up to Scully and drags her from her place on the floor to the center of the room. Mulder lurches forward in protest and Scully puts up a good fight herself, but when Jules cocks a shotgun and points it at her head, they both go still.
Harlan turns to face the captivated crowd, raising his hands worshipfully towards the heavens. These people may think he’s some sort of righteous hippie guru, but all Mulder sees is a chilling cult leader.   
“Two children, dead,” Harlan announces to his followers. “Two children. My grandchildren. Never, not in the many years we’ve lived on this island have we suffered a tragedy like this before. And it’s made us—your community leaders—reflect. It’s made us think. In fact, it’s made us rethink some of our choices, our traditions.” He pauses dramatically. “Are the gods angry? Angry we continue to sacrifice our own people for their goodwill? Angry we’re martyring our ownprecious, perfect citizens?”
The crowd starts to murmur appreciatively. Heads nod supportively.  
“You may have noticed that we’ve had visitors from the outside world this week,” he continues. “You may have also noticed that no one has yet been selected for this month’s blood sacrifice. So what would it mean if we gave the gods outsiders, instead of our own? What if we pleased the gods in new ways, ways that didn’t sacrifice our own resources, our own community members?”
His eyes turn expectantly towards the four of them tied up and Mulder hangs his head, closing his eyes in defeat. Did he really not see this coming?
Harlan continues, his voice taking on a pious, almost holy quality. “With this in mind, Jules and I gladly invited the four outsiders into our community. Although guests sometimes do frequent the island, we usually stay more guarded, less involved in their affairs. We do not, for example, welcome them into our dining halls or our homes.”
“Gee, thanks,” Mulder mumbles, earning him a sharp look from Jules.
Unbothered, Harlan keeps speaking. “It didn’t take long for us to determine that Danielle was the most obvious choice for our blood sacrifice.”
Mulder’s head snaps up. He tries to meet Scully’s eyes, but she sits stone-still, unmoving, unblinking. She is a statue, not a person.
“Over my dead body—” he starts to protest on her behalf, but Jules shakes the shotgun threateningly and he shuts up.   
Harlan’s hand moves to hover over Scully’s hair, which looks aflame in the bright fluorescent lights. “Danielle is beautiful, more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever seen step foot on this island. We have been greatly, greatly blessed by her presence. She will please the gods immensely.”
More murmurs of approval from the crowd.
“So, she will be this moon’s primary sacrifice,” Harlan adds before taking a deep breath. His eyes flit around the room expectantly and the crowd goes quiet in anticipation. “But last month’s tragedy deserves more than just one blood sacrifice. Two died. So two must be sacrificed.”
At that, the crowd starts to rumble again, everyone casting nervous glances this way and that. Who will be chosen next?
“Not to worry, my friends.” Harlan smiles beatifically at his followers. “We have decided we will send the gods someone that Danielle holds near and dear.” There is a long, terrible pause, where the whole room seems to hold its breath. Mulder’s heart begins to beat erratically.
Harlan beams. “Jack?”
Joe’s mouth falls open in disbelief and he immediately starts shaking his head. “No, no, no,” he mumbles darkly, “no, I can’t do that. I can’t do that—”
“I’ll do it,” Mulder interrupts desperately. If they take Scully away to sacrifice her, he needs to be by her side. “I’ll do it. Sacrifice me with her!”
Shaken out of her stupor, Scully shoots him a dark warning look but everyone else in the room—tingling with excitement—just ignores his pleas.
“Please, choose me,” Mulder begs, even as Joe continues to shake and stammer and blab away why he shouldn’t be the other blood sacrifice.
Harlan walks purposefully over to Joe and places his hands on his shoulders. Mouth seeming to froth with angry spittle, Joe knocks Harlan away, shoving at him roughly with his bound hands. In truth, Harlan is no match for six-foot-three Joe and all his FBI-trained muscles, even restrained like he is.
“You can’t kill me,” Joe cries angrily, desperation roaring out of him. “You can’t kill me!”
And then to everyone’s astonishment, Joe points his bound hands at Mulder. “You’re choosing the wrong guy! I’m not her husband. He is. He’s her—her—her partner! Not me, him! It wouldn’t—it wouldn’t serve the gods to kill me!”
A look of genuine surprise passes over the faces of the community leaders. Scully’s eyes flicker to his own and a wordless conversation passes between them. What the hell is happening?
Joe continues, interrupting Mulder’s thoughts. “Do you know who we really are?” he asks Harlan. “Did you really not figure it out, with all the bumbling, idiotic shit these two have been doing since we landed on this godforsaken island?” He shakes his bound hands pointedly between Mulder and Scully. “Danielle—whose real name is Dana—is not my wife!” he insists furiously. “She’s an FBI agent. We all are! We were sent here to investigate you, and—”
“And if you hurt us,” Scully interrupts, her voice full of conviction despite the gun pointed at her temple, “don’t think for a second that the feds won’t come down here and arrest every single one of you. They’ll destroy this community. They’ll throw the book at you, you bastards!”
Joe’s eyes flicker to Scully’s, as if surprised she’s making his point for him. He nods in agreement. “We’ve radioed our director and he’s sending in a squad as we speak.”
Mulder feels a whisper of relief knowing that Joe and Scully have also made an attempt to get Kersh’s attention. Scully nods at him in confirmation. That’s my girl.
It takes more than a moment for the look of shock to pass from Harlan’s face, but Jules doesn’t even seem to flinch at the news. “Sending in a squad?” she mocks. “In this weather?” She looks pointedly out the window where the storm continues to rage. “I’m sorry to say no one’s coming for you, folks.”
Terror passes over Joe’s face and Mulder watches as he descends from anger into madness. “Leave me the hell out of this,” Joe warns shakily, nodding towards Scully again. “These two are the ones who’ve been sneaking around and spying on you after hours.” He meets Mulder’s eyes. “You think I didn’t notice you? Yeah, not only did I notice your stupid antics, but I told Kersh. Do you even know that Lydia and I were specifically assigned to keep track of your dumbass behavior? We were told don’t interfere, let them make the choices they will. But fuck, was it hard not to just grab you by the throat and strangle you myself every time you disappeared into the jungle at night. Every night that you two snuck off, Lydia came over and begged me to go set you straight, Mulder. But Kersh said let them do their thing. See if they disobey my direct orders to not interfere. And now look what you’ve done. We’re about to be made into a human pig roast because of you and your incessant meddling!”
“Stop, Joe,” Lydia interjects, her voice surprisingly hard, “don’t point the finger at Mulder!” Mulder is so shocked by her loyalty that he almost thanks her. “They were clearly going to sacrifice one of us regardless of whether we were snooping or not!”
“And like hell it’s going to be me, Lydia,” Joe snarls angrily. He swerves to face Harlan and Jules. “Cause you know what more? I saw Dana and this guy Mulder fucking on the beach a few nights ago.” His eyes dart back to Mulder’s, and he feels the blood drain from his face. He risks a glance at Scully. “Yeah, and don’t think Kersh doesn’t know about that too.”
Scully’s eyes widen in horror, and for a brief moment, Mulder wonders what terrifies her more: Kersh thinking they’re romantically involved, or being sacrificed by a blood-lusting cult.
Joe struggles to his feet, the ropes pulling at his ankles. He flings his bound hands once more towards Mulder. “Kill this one first, if you have to kill anyone. He absolutely deserves it.”
“Joe,” Lydia pleads again, “don’t. They’re nice people—”
“I don’t give a shit about how nice they are—”
“Enough!” shouts Harlan, snatching the shotgun from Jules. He points it straight at Joe and Mulder is relieved it’s not aimed at Scully anymore. “Sit down and shut up, all of you.”
The room falls deathly silent as Harlan seems to take a moment to think. Eventually, his eyes rise and flit to Mulder’s face.
“You’re her actual husband, then?” he asks, his brow furrowing.
“Husband, lover, friends-with-benefits, what the fuck does it matter?” Joe shouts, and someone starts to wrestle him to the floor.
Mulder looks beyond Harlan to Scully, his heart pounding through his chest. Even at a distance, he can see the despair gathering in her eyes. We’re in this together, he tries to tell her. I’m not leaving your side. What happens to you, happens to me.
“I am,” Mulder nods evenly. “I’m her actual husband.”
Jules nods affirmatively, stepping in front of her husband to guide Mulder to his feet. “It’s settled then. We will prepare the sacrificial bath.”
14 notes · View notes
mystwrites · 1 year ago
Note
I saw your Tanjiro headcanons, and I honestly believe that the Hashira (cough cough Tengen and Rengoku) can get him into a lee position pretty easily - Rengoku because Tanjiro's his Tsugoku and reminds him so much of Senjuro, and Tengen to get revenge on how Tanjiro didn't aknowledge him as a Hashira in the beginning. And I think as a lee, teasing is what does him in just as bad as the tickling.
Since you said in your Hashira hc that Tengen will baby talk his victims, he'd totally use it against Tanjiro, who has a love/hate relationship with it. On the one hand, it turns Tanjiro's brain into this goofy mush that makes him unable to fight back and blush really bad. On the other hand... it turns Tanjiro's brain into this goofy mush that makes him unable to fight back and blush really bad.
Rengoku would totally use Tanjiro's words against him as any older sibling would (the classic "don't stop", "don't! don't what? tickle me!", "i'm serious! Hello there 'serious!' I'm Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira! It's a pleasure to meet you!")
And it all makes Tanjiro whine and laugh even more and it's just adorable 😭
aaahh!!! yes!! tengen and rengoku are the tickle monsters amongst the demon slayers and love to launch tickle attacks on tanjiro!! they’re honestly like his big brothers 🥰
rengoku has a special bond with tanjiro (try to change my mind but their brotherly bond is so cute!!!) rengoku tickles tanjiro in a similar way to how he tickles senjuro. rengoku has a certain mischievous look in his eyes whenever he’s about to tickle tanjiro and he catches on and pulls the “i know what you’re gonna do, rengoku san!! i know that look anywhere!! i’m an older brother!!” and rengoku acts all innocent before grabbing tanjiro and launching a tickle attack while asking “what’s so funny? i haven’t said anything! i must be very funny if you’re laughing so much!” he’s also big on using the classic “don’t!” “don’t what?” “tickle me!” sayings and tanjiro despite knowing the trick always falls for it. rengoku also enjoys pointing out how tanjiro is one of the more ticklish slayers he’s known and laughs whenever tanjiro whines about his face turning red. despite all of his whining, tanjiro doesn’t hate being tickled by rengoku and to make it up for a rather ruthless tickle attack, rengoku buys him whatever food he wants
tengen uzui on the other hand is like a crazy older brother who loves picking on the little brother. it actually took a while for them to have this brotherly bond due to their initial meeting but tanjiro always respected him. tickling tanjiro wasn’t an initial thought until tengen saw rengoku tickling him and noticed how close of a friendship they had for being a mentor and a mentee. he wanted that sort of bond with tanjiro as well and decided to playfully get revenge for their first meeting when tanjiro said he didn’t recognize him as a hashira. as it turns out, tanjiro reacted the same way he did whenever rengoku tickled him but tengen’s baby talk was what got him mildly annoyed. he uses the “don’t what?” “tickle me!” trick as well but he likes teasing tanjiro by saying only babies should be ticklish. this embarrasses and annoys tanjiro but he tolerates it despite all the whining he does. they’ve developed a strong bond as well but rengoku still has a better relationship with tanjiro. tengen is jealous but appreciates that tanjiro actually likes him and willingly tolerates his flashy teasing
side note: tengen has also tried to tickle zenitsu and inosuke but they weren’t as tolerant as tanjiro. tengen got a kick to the face and a bite from inosuke and eventually he tried to take tengen down. zenitsu on the other hand wasn’t having it whatsoever and pulled out some thunder breathing to escape. he flipped tengen off and cursed him before he ran away to cry to tanjiro about how tengen keeps bullying him and calling him a ticklish baby🤣
i loved these!! as always, feel free to always scream your hc’s to me! i love hearing them and enjoy responding!!
14 notes · View notes
kylejsugarman · 1 year ago
Note
I hope your moving process is going well! 💕
When you get a chance, what does Sheila think about Jesse when she first meets him and how does their relationship develop from boss to family member? Oh and if you have any thoughts about Clover I’d love to hear them too!!!
thank u my sweet leighanne, it did go well!!!! all thanks to ur good wishes :') and i will always have the chance to talk about my au, we all know this.....at first, sheila is mostly just really curious about jesse!! she knows everything about Everyone in town, so having a new person to study is super exciting. he listens when she jabbers on and seems really invested in learning carpentry and improving his skills, which endears her to him massively. sheila is friendly but she acknowledges that she's nosy and Loud and a big brash butch lesbian, so it's nice to have someone else at the store now who listens to her stories and cares about what they're doing. jesse is a little intimidated by her at first and doesn't say much around her initially because he's afraid he'll let something slip that she'll gossip about to others, but sheila never tries to be hurtful or mean in her gossip and has a wonderful, warm sense of humor that he really takes to. she's also super encouraging and helps him hone his latent woodworking skills with the kind of patience that he needs. since they spend so much time together, just the two of them in the store, they end up sharing a lot. sheila loves to get herself involved in jesse's life and is the one who pushed him to go on his first "date" with demi, who insisted that he come over to try her wife's chowder, who showed him how to de-ice a windshield and braid little girl hair and set up direct deposit. sheila isn't just jesse's first point of contact in haines, she's this older adult figure that he desperately needs who is more than happy to guide him towards a stable life. as long as he lets her buy baby christmas presents and tolerates her opinions on what kind of haircut he should get
as for clover!! she is a big mutt from the kennel (demi starts to shyly tell the stranger adopting her that she was a puppy mill rescue but when she sees his scarred face, she holds back on details and just says that clover had a tough start) who is very clumsy and not particularly brave (one clap of thunder and she's basically climbing up into jesse's arms), but she's super loyal and sweet and happy to never leave jesse's side. having her to play with and walk really helps him get out of the house during his early time in alaska, and its much easier to smile and feel human when theres a big dog tromping towards u with a stick in their mouth. he hasn't had a dog since he was a young kid and forgot how wonderful it is to just. have another living creature around. for a lot of his early time, he's not quite ready to talk to other people or be around them for extended periods of time even though he feels really lonely, so clover is the perfect companion. he doesn't have to lie to her or pretend or hide or fit into a new identity that still itches: he can just enjoy being not alone. and it really helps having her sleep in bed with him. nothing brings u back to the present after an especially vicious nightmare faster than a loving, slobbery dog kiss
12 notes · View notes
narrans · 1 year ago
Text
Everyone Needs A Little Hero | Trouble Ahead
After the entire interaction between Soren and Casper, Hero’s father, Casper returned to their home while Hero and Rey went off to help some nearby humans. The two of them ventured off to help some of the humans that Hero had introduced himself to but, as promised, neither Borrower boy revealed themselves to the humans.
They initially were going to see the new humans, but they hadn’t quite moved in yet, so it didn’t make sense to wander around the random package of five stacked boxes in the entire apartment. Perhaps the humans would be back and need help with missing things in the next few days.
In the meantime, Hero ventured from place to place to help his friends with Rey by his side.
It pained Hero to not say hello to all of his friends, and he promised himself that he would be more careful as long as he was with Rey. Their missions went off without a hitch. They sharpened pencils and replaced lead for Watney, stitched up Maggie’s doll that was torn, and even went down to the first floor to help Eliza by pulling out things that had rolled under different pieces of furniture.
The two boys joked and had a good time, though there was the lingering apprehension that something terrible was going to happen to the Borrower who attacked Rey and his family. Instead of focusing on that, Rey asked how Hero knew these different humans and asked about their quirks, things he knew about them, and different things they could do to help them out.
Hero, more than ready to talk about his human friends, told Rey everything about his friends, even sharing some of their experiences together and how they ended up meeting. Rey shuddered to think about how easily Hero went up to some of them and introduced himself, specifically Eliza.
“But, what if she grabbed you too hard? You really took a risk calling out to her like that,” stated Rey as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder. The green-eyed Borrower boy shrugged as he checked that the line was safe for him to climb.
“Yeah, it was a risk, but I think it was worth it. She’s really nice and gentle. Maybe you could meet her one day,” suggested Hero. Rey gave him a discouraging look. “Or no. It’s whatever you are comfortable with.”
Hero climbed the line and felt the weight of Rey’s look. Why couldn’t he just try? Eliza was a good person. Still, he elected to not put pressure on the issue. Rey had a scare the last time he tried to introduce his two best friends – Rey and Sam. Rey would come around. Hero was sure of it.
The two of them ventured back to Ashlynn’s home where Hero parted ways with his friend and made his way back home. Hero balanced over the boards, tiptoed over the different rafters, and finally made it back to the main airshaft leading to the community.
As he approached his home, he heard something – a kind of roaring sound. It didn’t quite sound like the elevator that thundered past the main shaft from time to time.
No.
This sounded bigger – angrier.
Hero approached cautiously, descending the stairs as he continued to listen with all of his might. He inched closer and closer to his home, now starting to distinguish the sound as voices. He listened closer to see what was going on. The moment he did, however, it was absolute mayhem.
“You can’t do this to him? He was just defending himself!”
“They’re the ones who have jeopardized our existence!”
“Are we even safe?”
No…
Hero opened the door to his home to see several Borrowers inside with his family. They were shouting. Hero noticed there was a group of three Borrower men, one of them severely bruised, as well as two Borrower women who were undoubtedly wives to two of them.
“You and your group attacked Soren and his family when none of them actively provoked you,” pointed out Casper, who was standing firmly and resolutely. “You then proceeded to follow-up on this attack just last night, attacking the youngest boy in the family. We can’t have Borrowers attacking one another, ambushing each other and nearly killing them. There are too many dangers in the world as it is to be turning on one another like this.”
“And do you know why we did it?” shouted the bruised one. “Because they showed themselves to that human woman. They say they are friends with her. They’ve probably told her everything about us and are planning to capture the whole community! We were trying to eliminate the problem – get them before they got us!”
“How Soren and his family decide to live – whether as Borrowers or as pets – is up to them. I watched their interactions when it was brought to my attention after the first attack and have determined she is not interested in the community,” stated Casper. Hero winced and glanced around at the fearful eyes of the other Borrowers. The anxiety was tangible in the air.
“You knew?” roared one of the Borrower men’s wives. Casper reluctantly nodded.
“Soren came and disclosed their affiliation with the human and promised to remove himself from the community voluntarily as to not cause this panic,” said Casper. “And, as you have seen, he and his family have not been seen here in our walls for quite some time.”
“It doesn’t matter! They need to leave! They’re putting us all in danger!” shouted one of the men.
“None of you have gone to the home after our warning, meaning you actively sought out Soren and his family. The only ones they are putting in danger are themselves by living out with a human, who has done nothing to actively seek out our community or interact with other Borrowers. Rather than bring the issue to me when you first found out about Soren and his family’s situation, you took matters into your own hands and attacked them. If you want to remain here, you will not approach them or the community again. You will live in the lower levels with those humans and vacate your homes,” commanded Casper.
“We’ll tell. We’ll tell the whole community you are letting this human keep Borrowers as pets,” sneered one of the women.
“And cause mass hysteria? Go on. See what problem that solves. My proposal of having you move away while residing in the building is the best solution I can come up with without banishing you completely. We can still forcibly eject you from this place,” threatened Casper.
“We’ll tell them you lied and that you knew all along, jeopardizing all of us while you watched the family,” threatened one of the Borrower men right back.
“That is unfounded to say the least, but it is an unfounded claim. The community knows about my tolerance about being seen by dangerous humans. You also risk rejection from the community and banishment from them. Revealing you’ve been seen by a human – caught and then released – will undoubtedly earn you societal rejection. Now, unless you want to be forcibly removed from the building, please move your belongings and do not engage with the community or Soren and his family again. This is for their safety and your own,” stated Casper.
“Our own? What does that mean?” spat the bruised Borrower.
“It means that if Soren, his family, or the human see you near them again, they will defend themselves – which is the best they can do given the circumstances,” stated Casper. “Now, leave.”
In a huff, the Borrowers stormed out of Hero’s home, sure to give him a dirty look as they walked past. Hero watched as they slammed the door and, slowly, his family emerged.
“Casper, this isn’t good,” said Hero’s mother, Prim, as she stepped up to her husband.
“There is no alternative,” stated Casper, taking the first deep breath he could manage as he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “I do not want to banish them completely now. It would be a death sentence. I also can’t have Soren’s family attacked every few days. Ashlynn might get angry and decide to take matters into her own hands.”
Hero watched as his siblings slowly emerged from their rooms, his oldest sister carrying his youngest sister in her arms.
“Dad, are we safe?” asked Cali, Hero’s oldest sister. Hero could hear the sadness and apprehension in her voice.
“Yes, we will be alright. We just have to stay close and look after one another,” stated Casper as he looked fatefully at his family. Hero, filled with apprehension, stepped forward and hugged his father. He wished he could do something to make him feel better.
For a moment – just a fluttering moment – Hero thought about reassuring everyone that humans weren’t as terrible and scary as they thought. He wanted to tell them about his human friends and that they had nothing to worry about because humans were understanding and wouldn’t hurt them.
But he didn’t…
He stayed quiet as the family gathered together and embraced one another.
~~~^*^*^~~~
The next few days were filled with tension. It was obvious that some of the Borrowers were on edge. Undoubtedly, they were told by the banished group that they needed to be wary about Ashlynn, the human Soren and his family were “playing pet” to. Some of them even dared to ask Hero if he was still friends with Rey.
Still, there was no mass exodus.
No one left.
Everyone simply hunkered down and, most likely, packed in preparation to leave at a moment’s notice. They were obviously doubtful about everything that really happened and unwilling to leave their wonderful homes.
Hero knew he needed to be careful on his way to go see his friend Rey as well as his human friends, which was disheartening to say the least.
When they hung out, venturing out to help humans anonymously, Hero explained the situation in the community and how Rey needed to be careful if he went further in.
“Don’t worry about me,” said Rey. “I’ll be alright. Anyway, I can borrow what I need from Ashlynn or any of the nearby apartments. I only went there to help you out.
“Well, that’s good to hear. Speaking of nearby apartments, there are a few that I want to go check out. The humans are actually there and unpacking. They’ve already lost loads of stuff under the floors and under furniture,” said Hero.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” grinned Rey.
The two of them set out quickly, extinguishing their hip lamps as they arrived at the loose baseboards of the new apartment.
“Nice and quiet,” reminded Rey as he crouched near the base and pushed open the board. Both boys listened intently and could hear the front door open and close before a long gap. Then, it opened and closed again, this time accompanied by the sound of a dozen or so shoes.
“Right over here,” instructed someone who sounded like he was just a little older than Rey and Hero.
Suddenly, there was a new sound. It was hard and sounded like it was gliding across the floor. There was a thrum accompanied by the smooth rumble followed by a rubber sounding squeak before it stopped.
Rey and Hero glanced at one another in confusion as they listened to the sound.
“Wheels?” mouthed Rey as he peered a little further out. He ducked back immediately as a massive tire rolled past. Hero craned his neck to see and barely caught a glimpse of what looked like a chair on wheels.
“Nice,” he mouthed back to Rey as he gave a little thumbs up. “Ready?”
“No. Not yet,” whispered Rey as he peered out once again. The human boy’s voice rang out again.
“Yeah, over here. I think she’ll like her bed right here by the window,” said the boy’s voice accompanied by a sigh. Three gruff looking men stomped into the room with crates and furniture. Suddenly, there was the sound of smaller, stomping feet.
“Theo! Did you see this place? It’s huge!” The voice was that of a young girl, most likely ten or so years old. She ran past the boys’ hiding place and jumped at the boy in the chair with wheels.
“Yeah! Bella, did you see your bed? It’s going right here by the window,” said the boy named Theo.
“What? No way!” Hero felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Rey motioning back to the walls.
“Come on,” whispered Rey. “They’re too active at the moment. Let’s get out of here and come back another day.”
With a certain reluctance, Hero nodded. He actually agreed that things were a bit hectic at the moment in the apartment, but he wanted more than anything to help them. Rey started to lead the way through the walls right past an open corridor when Hero thought he heard something.
“Hey, wait up,” he whispered as he listened to the sound again. The dark space between the walls made him feel uneasy, but also curious. He switched on his hip lamp and listened harder. There it was again! A sob.
“What?” whispered Rey as he approached his friend, his lamp illuminating his face from below.
“I hear crying,” stated Hero as he started venturing down the darkened path. It was only four or so rooms away, but Hero looked up at the vast wall and saw that the trim had been pried away at the bottom. “There. I think it’s coming from in there.”
Hero took several bold steps toward the entryway and turned off his hip lamp. Rey did the same, but hesitated. There was something off about this place. There was a lingering scent in the air he wasn’t familiar with. As Hero reached for the opening, Rey stepped forward and clasped his friend’s shoulder in his hand.
“Hero, wait. It might be dangerous,” hissed Rey as he followed his friend.
“I’m not going out very far. I just want to see what’s going on,” said Hero as he smiled reassuringly and stepped out into the room.
Rey followed behind closely and saw that the trim was under a dingy looking desk. There was little to no light in the room. The walls were probably some kind of pink at one point, but they were covered with posters and, from what Rey could see, chips and holes in the wall. Rey also noticed a single lamp light that was on above them.
Rey also noticed that the human, a girl probably a little older than them, was on her bed sprawled out. She was the one who was crying. The door was shut. The window was covered. The girl sounded like she was sobbing again.
Still…
Chills ran up his spine. Something was wrong about this place. Something was very wrong.
“Hero, we need t…” Rey barely formed the words when he noticed Hero was already darting from under the desk where he was to the leg of the table, which he was already climbing. Rey, with caution, began to climb the side of the desk after his friend, trying to tap the furniture to get his attention.
Hero, on the other hand, wanted to see who was crying. Why were they upset? Were they missing something? Could he help? Was this someone new who he could be friends with? Maybe they were crying just because they were lonely.
He swung his leg over the edge of the desk just as the human girl sat up, mascara-colored streaks dripping down her cheeks, as she turned her eyes onto the desk – and onto Hero.
Hero watched as her eyes widened. She choked back another set of tears as she wiped her eyes and stared at him. Hero smiled as he watched the sadness turn to curiosity.
See? He was making it better already.
That’s when she spoke – and her words chilled Rey to the bone.
“Woah… Austin was right…”
~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~
Continue
Previous
Beginning
Prompt
ASK ME ANYTHING
15 notes · View notes
talentdelunecomic · 1 year ago
Text
Arc 2.5
Tumblr media
(Part 1) (foreword)
Contrary to his expectations, Fae is settling into life at Talent de Dal. Like, really settling in. To the point where Jupiter, Aidyn, and Eight are starting to give him responsibilities and work to do.
Today marks the two-month anniversary of his arrival at Talent de Dal. Him and the other eleven ex-gladiators, that is. Everyone celebrated their one-month anniversary as well, and it was so awkward for Fae that he had to stand in the corner while Aidyn tried to coax him out with cake. Now, as October begins, Fae has gotten comfortable enough for Eight to request his help in setting up the celebration. It’s going to be bittersweet this time, because some of the gladiators are leaving for Spia.
Hermes—no, Aulani—told Fae about it last week. She’s talkative, even with him, the antisocial one who’d been scheduled to punch someone’s lights out every other week. Most of the other gladiators are skittish around him, and for good reason, he was the most intimidating fighter among them and he’d been the one to haze them upon their initiation to the Colosseum. Aulani has always been friendly, though. They’d been matched up against each other often enough that maybe she’d just gotten used to him.
She caught Fae in the greenhouse—a place he’d grown fond of—to tell him the news.
Tumblr media
Rocky, Thunder, and Lightbender respectively, as Fae had known them before. Fae had hazed all of them but Matt, who’d been a gladiator the longest. Matt had always seemed old…if you could call 26 old. But to Fae—who’d been 17 when he was conscripted, and the rest of them—who hovered around 20 with a few young outliers Fae didn’t know all that well, Matt was their wise senior.
Aulani elaborated. “We’re gonna hitch a ride on Rivergirl’s soul-stream next Saturday.”
“She can transport physical bodies?”
“Only on Saturdays,” Aulani said cheekily, and she winked. Fae didn’t know much about Rivergirl, who talked kind of like a hippy and hung out with Eight—an activity that consisted mostly of them sitting in her room listening to records that played ‘Awesomesauce Ocean Sounds’. But Rivergirl had a Talent that worked like teleportation when it wasn’t just astral projection, and that was helpful when TDD members needed to travel without the risk of crossing state lines unauthorized.
“We’re going to Spia,” Aulani said, “so we’ll say hi to Talent de Lune real quick. Max worked things out so we’ll have a place to stay and a job if we can’t find either of those things on our own.”
Fae had only known Max for about a day or so, but Jupiter, Aidyn, and Eight talked so much that he could now tell you Max’s favorite movie, favorite song, and favorite food—mole chichilo he had in Oaxaca when he was 5. The recipe was a secret and he’s never managed to recreate it or find a restaurant that makes it the exact same way. Just send him lofthouse cookies instead, he’s not so picky about that and they’re his guilty pleasure.
“I’m surprised to hear Zacharie is going,” Fae admitted. “I thought he hated traveling.”
Aulani laughed. “He does. But Matt wanted to look for his old friend and I wanted to see more of the world, so he said he’d come. He’s gonna be a grump about it, probably. Did you ever meet Matt’s friend? She was retired before I got kidnapped, so I never did, but you were there before me.”
Fae shook his head. He was pretty sure they’d never crossed paths—Matt had always seemed lonely, even when Fae first met him. But there had been so many gladiators sent away and exchanged when the crowds got bored of them or they were badly hurt in a fight; it was all a blur. Fae wasn’t sure.
He refocused. “Zacharie is leaving because you’re leaving?”
Aulani’s cheeks darkened. “Yeah,” she said, smiling fondly. “He and I… Well, recently, we’ve gotten…close, you know?”
Fae flustered and looked away. Oh. He hadn’t known that.
“I know it’s too early and we should focus on our own personal recoveries and journeys and all that,” Aulani rambled, even though Fae hadn’t said anything. “I know. But, like…” She blushed further, throwing up her hands. “He gets me.”
“I don’t think it’s too early,” Fae said.
Aulani stared at him, eyes wide. Then she smiled, bright and mischievous. “I see,” she giggled.
“What?”
“You and Aidyn, I think you make a cute couple—”
“We are not a couple,” Fae snapped, ears burning. “We don’t— We’re not a couple.”
“So, you and Eight…?”
“No.”
“Jupiter?”
“No.” He grimaced, locking eyes with the ground. He was on fire. “No, I’m not… I’m not.”
Aulani gasped. “All three?”
“No!”
She laughed. “I’m just teasing you. But, you know…I think it could happen. Jupiter and Eight and Aidyn, they seem like…hmm. What’s the word? Poly…something? Anyway, I think you’d fit in with them. I think they like you differently than they like everyone else.”
Fae rubbed at his face, still warm. “No, I… No, it’s not different. That isn’t true. They wouldn’t…like me.”
Aulani’s smile turned a little sad. “Give it a try, at least. Ask them about it.”
He didn’t respond.
Aulani offered him a hug, and Fae froze up before incrementally relaxing into it. “You’re likable,” she asserted. “Have some confidence.”
How?
Aulani squeezed him and then let go, patting his shoulders with finality. “Okay!” she said. “Give it a try.”
Fae didn’t know what else to do, so he nodded.
---
Eight greets him in the dining hall with open arms and a huge smile.
Tumblr media
“Hi, Eight.” Unable to escape the usual bear hug—and largely unwilling, Fae pats them on the back and waits. Eight’s hugs are always warm, like they’ve been waiting to see him forever and they’re so glad he’s finally here. It’s a little embarrassing how nice that is.
“What’s the temperature today?” Eight asks, a twinkle in their 20-sided die-eyes. This close to them, Fae can read ‘outlook good’, though his vision is mediocre on the left and worse on the right.
“I suppose it…feels like a ‘boy’ day, potentially,” Fae fumbles out. Eight offered him pronoun pins in his first week at TDD because he gets weird about bracelets and necklaces these days, weird about things someone could use to hold onto him, but Fae usually forgets to wear them. Eight took no offense, and in fact told him conspiratorially, “My eyesight’s bad anyway. I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell which pin you were wearing unless I got close like this.” Then they leaned in to jokingly stare at Fae’s chest, and Fae spooked and accidentally elbowed them in the chin.
These days, he doesn’t startle so much when people get close to him, but the only ones who don’t need to ask permission first are Aidyn, Eight, and Jupiter. Fae refuses to examine this.
“Wonderful!” Eight cheers, because they’re the sort of person who says ‘wonderful’ unironically. “I’m feeling kind of femme right now. We’re like a pair!” It wouldn’t be a very charming thing to hear from anyone else, but it’s charming when coming from Eight. Fae blushes and can’t hold back a smile.
They’re the first person Fae’s ever been able to talk gender with. It’s nice.
The two of them get to work. “What do you think, darling?” Eight asks, a few minutes in. “Red streamers, purple streamers, or blue streamers. Maybe all three?”
Fae chuckles, still blushing for no discernible reason. “Don’t get greedy,” he quips.
“No!” Eight cries dramatically, like the streamers mean something. “It’s not greedy to accept what you deserve if someone’s offering it.”
“Tri-colored streamers?”
“Yes,” Eight says, smiling nervously. Fae swears their cheeks are darkening. “And balloons! And cake! Everyone deserves streamers and cake.”
It feels like Fae’s missed something obvious. He tries to push past the atmosphere. “Magic Eight.” He beckons them closer. They obey without thinking.
Eight is a couple inches taller than Fae, but it feels like they’re looking up at him. A little awkward, Fae looks into their eyes. “Should we hang up all three streamers?”
Eight is definitely blushing. ‘Ask again later,’ their eyes say.
---
Spider asked for help with her hair, the other day. Though the two of them are somewhat awkward with each other, Fae volunteered to assist.
All of them have already spent two months at Talent de Dal, but Spider still hasn’t told anyone her name. When Jupiter asked her in the beginning, Spider smiled obliquely and explained that she was not all that fond of the one I had before being plucked up by the Colosseum. ‘Spider’ isn’t very classy, but for now it does the job. I’ll let you know if that changes.
Fae knew a thing or two about not being fond of your name. The one he’d used before his captivity had also been ill fitting. ‘Fae’ had been an alternative he’d contemplated, one he’d never said aloud in more than a whisper to himself before Aidyn came around. Now it was just his name, and he liked that.
They met on the second floor balcony, overlooking the pool and neatly blanketed by the shadow of the clay roof tiles. It was starting to get colder, so there weren’t many people in the water. Fae found himself squinting and considering the possibility that the colorful blur floating on an inner tube-shaped blur was Rivergirl.
Sipping a soda on the lounge chair, Spider had an actual hammock attached to her hair.
Tumblr media
She’d taken up hobbies of knitting, weaving, and the like to deal with its speedy and unmanageable growth. Like bamboo, Eight had suggested once, and Spider had laughed brightly, as she so rarely did.
Fae greeted her and helped her tie off the loose ends before cutting it near her collarbone. Spider sighed with relief and shook her head. “It’s so light when it’s this short. But tomorrow, it’ll be halfway down my back.”
Feeling equal parts sympathetic and out of line, Fae asked, “Is there anything you can do to keep it from growing?”
“Do you remember that boy from Talent de Lune, the one with the nullification Talent? The girl with all the arms had this bracelet of his braided hair, and it could suppress her Talent when she needed to be inconspicuous. I didn’t know about it until after they left. C'est la vie!”
Fae nodded and bundled up the hammock for something to do.
Spider sighed and rested her chin on her hand. “Before all this, I had really nice hair.”
Fae blinked up at her.
“Well, it was hard to manage,” she clarifies. “Some strands were coiled very tightly, and others were much less so. But I was very good at working with it, and I had an excellent sense of style.” Spider sighed again, wistfully. “Now I’ve got straight, boring silk.” She gestured at her hair.
Fae assumed most people would consider pink silk anything but boring, but picturing how Spider might’ve looked in the past had him shockingly sad at the thought that he’d never see her like that in reality.
“And anyway, those Talent suppressor cuffs they made use of back at the Colosseum never returned my hair to normal, so I don’t have high hopes for that Talent de Lune boy either.” Spider shrugged. “There are things you lose that you can never get back. But it’s pointless to get hung up on the pointless.” With an enigmatic smile, she took the hammock from Fae’s limp hands and left the balcony.
---
Once Fae is done helping Eight, they send him off to Jupiter. Apparently, she needs him as a taste-tester.
Tumblr media
She’s waiting for him in the communal kitchen, eying the door and standing in front of the food-covered counter like she can keep all the dishes a surprise if she stretches out her arms far enough. Jupiter is 5’4” and stocky; even if such a thing was possible, she could never manage it. Instead of coming off as silly or immature, Fae’s first thought is cute. Argh.
She relaxes when she realizes that the kitchen intruder is only him. “Good, you’re here. I need you to try this.”
Jupiter’s curt as ever. For a while, that intimidated Fae. Stoicism tends to remind them of their father, a man they are loath to think about. In darker moments, Fae can only see it as an inherited trait, and they gravitate toward brighter, more expressive people as a result. Obviously, Jupiter is an exception to that rule. Underneath the flat affect, she’s generous and awkward and passionate. She lives in the moment and never holds grudges. It’s so contrary to Fae’s instinct that they find themself captivated.
Jupiter picks up a bowl of what looks to be frosting. Beside her is an unfrosted cake. She takes a spoonful and passes it to Fae. “Tell me what you think.”
Fae pops the spoon into their mouth and savors the flavor. The very sweet flavor. …Maybe too sweet. They suppress the urge to wrinkle their nose as best they can. It’s not their place to criticize.
Jupiter is watching them closely. “How is it?” she insists.
“Good,” Fae lies.
She frowns nervously. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Me and Eight and Aidyn made this together. None of us are very good cooks, and we’re worse bakers. We just followed a recipe online. You have to tell me if it’s bad, I can’t figure it out on my own.” Buzzing with anxiety despite her calm expression, Jupiter clenches her fingers on the frosting bowl till her knuckles go white. “This isn’t a question where you read between the lines. I want you to answer me honestly, I won’t take offense if it’s bad. I’m really, seriously asking for your advice, Fae.”
Another thing Fae likes about Jupiter—she always says exactly what she means. After years of tip-toeing around their own home and months of combing through Heele’s vague jokes and slang for underlying instructions, it’s a breath of fresh air. Sometimes, Fae falls back into old habits. But Jupiter always reminds them to trust her.
“…Excessively sweet,” Fae admits. “The frosting, that is. I’d say it’s suitable, but only if Talent de Dal is made up entirely of people with kindergartener-level taste buds.”
Jupiter doesn’t smile, but she looks relieved. “Oh, thank goodness,” she breathes out. “You’re so reliable, Fae. Thank you for telling me. I knew something was off. Maybe we need to add more citrus…”
The rest of her words fade out as Fae’s mind replays the important ones again and again. You’re so reliable, Fae. Thank you for telling me. You’re so reliable.
They hide their burning cheeks by offering to search for a lemon.
Once the two of them have adjusted the flavor to a reasonable balance, they frost the cake together. It’s nice, calming. Maybe Fae should take up baking. After they’re done, Jupiter takes a picture and dutifully sends it to the group chat between her, Eight, Aidyn, and Fae themself, then to Max. They get varied responses—a barrage of heart emojis from Eight with one bizarro accidental gorilla emoji, the critique of a well-seasoned baker from Max, luckily culminating in approval, and Aidyn doesn’t even see the message yet.
“Is there anything else you need help with?” Fae asks.
Jupiter takes a moment to think. Realization dawns subtly on her face, a widening of the eyes. “I forgot,” she says. “There’s something important I have to ask you.”
Fae’s heartbeat goes from resting to a million miles per hour in the span of two seconds.
Trying not to explode with how hot their face is getting, they clear their throat. “Go ahead.” There’s a yearning in their heart, a reflection of Aulani’s words—I think you’d fit in with them. I think they like you differently than they like everyone else—and Eight’s eyes—It’s not greedy to accept what you deserve if someone’s offering it. Ask again later—and even further back, what Aidyn said to them the night they first met and everything changed.
…Your smile is pretty cute.
I like seeing your eyes.
We can figure…everything out later.
Jupiter takes a deep breath. Fae holds theirs.
“Remember when you told me about your younger sister?” Jupiter asks. “Yesterday, we found her. We have her email. Do you want to talk to her?”
All the warmth drains out of them. Fae turns to ice and their Talent breaks three stacks of ceramic plates in half.
…They should’ve known. They got their hopes up impractically, and reality hit hard and completely unexpected. Fae has always known to prepare for the worst instead of the best, but these past two months have blunted their cynicism and lured them back into all those old, childish expectations they thought they’d grown out of.
They should’ve known. After all…
There are things you lose that you can never get back.
It’s pointless to get hung up on the pointless.
What a fool they are.
“Fae?” Jupiter is staring at them with one of her unreadable expressions. They shake themself out of their stupor and answer her.
“No. I doubt she’d be happy to hear from me.”
Jupiter falls silent and Fae walks away, leaving spiderweb-crack footprints with every step.
9 notes · View notes
wikinomnom · 1 year ago
Text
Oppenheimer
The man staring back at you with a cigarette enclosed between his lips, not quite an inviting one, but a deep gaze holding your eyes - that is what I remember as my first memory of American Prometheus. I do not quite remember how I came to the book. Maybe it was from some early reading on Oppenheimer, or maybe I found my way to it once I finished reading Feynman's "Surely You're Joking..." autobiography. In any case, I know reading it at the time I thought the Prometheus analogy fit perfectly. A man who knew too much, revealed to much to the humans; punished for it, tortured for it, forever haunted by it.
Then to see the words come to life, in and through Cillian Murphy's eyes - what a treat. To see Oppenheimer be himself on screen, dressing up in a small Los Alamos building room as he discards the military uniform and adorns his hat, takes his pipe and the same deep gaze peering back was life coming full circle. The realization of my imagination of the words could not have been rewarded more aptly. In his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Murphy lights up the screen and by the end I was left with a gut-wrenching knot in the pit of my stomach as he looked back into nothingness in the final moment of the movie before all cuts to black.
Nolan, so expertly, has fit in so much into one film. I felt transported between a historical drama, a court room thriller, a piercing look into a not so simple marriage and yet at the center of it all a psychological dismantling of a man, who pursued the responsibility of unearthing some awesome but life-altering truths about scientific forces and was left to bear the weight of how he had changed the very nature of our world. One scene early on in the film that thundered in was the switch in Oppenheimer's attire as the camera pans during his witch hunt of an AEC hearing. Pivoting behind the attorney pecking away at Oppenheimer's fragile mental armor, the camera reveals a naked man. Vulnerable. Laid bare in front of his contemporaries. As you think his humiliation could not be further, a layer is added from his wife's perspective when her point of view of her husband's affair is imagined by the now dead-girlfriend nakedly and lifelessly staring back at Katherine Oppenheimer.
Emily Blunt does so much with her eyes as well and many a times without them. In her few minutes giving testimony to the people tearing down her husband, Katherine Oppenheimer shudders initially, unable to meet the eyes of the men who are doing so. As they lock in on her, that unease is replaced with fight, tenacity and a determination to defend her truth, personifying what she has been pleading her husband to do since the witch hunt started. Equally significant is Kitty Oppenheimer's stare back at Edward Teller during a final montage where Teller hopes to mend broken fences but instead is met with deathly eyes, unforgiving of the statements he made to contribute to her husband's witch hunt.
The fallout of this witch hunt comes back to haunt its architect - played so beautifully by Robert Downey Jr. With an almost youthful energy he welcomes Oppenheimer to join the Institute of Advanced Studies and a within a handful of moments you see the ego-bruising disappointment in him, as he feels a rejection and the lack of embrace from the very legend of Oppenheimer he imagines he has helped create. Till the final turn of the film, I almost thought the narrative did so well to present a redeeming side to the Lewis Strauss of Downey Jr. But as the black and white scenes reveal the final layers of Strauss's story through his senate confirmation hearing, you are presented with an equally piercing image of a self-centered man who has worked so hard, all his life really, to get to the pinnacle of his life, only to see his machinations behind Oppenheimer's downfall come back to haunt him and deny him that reward.
Able to elicit wonderful performances from all the supporting cast and breath taking visuals to show them in, Nolan is relentless in his mastery of the craft. I was curious to see how he would capture the sheer scale of the atomic bomb explosion. I was not disappointed by his interpretation. He does not go about romanticizing the bomb or its effects. The explosion fills up the screen, and with it your senses. The sound, and in some instances, the lack of it, bring through the nothingness and destruction that such a "gadget" leave in its wake. The raw and bare colors of the explosion are left on the screen for your eyes to soak in. Letting you take a moment to think of the scale, washing over you. And then comes the sound, and in some instances the lack of it. Accurately conveying the physics of it, the light from the explosion reaching you before the sound of the blast comes blazing at you.
By the end, I was left with a hollowness akin to the gaze of Oppenheimer's eyes. Leaving the theater to a soundtrack that is magnificent yet intimate and vulnerable, I came out into the night feeling haunted. Haunted by the simple reality I was transported back into, away from the magnum opus of a vision that had been imprinted in my mind. A haunting is what will stay with me.
8 notes · View notes
dbstaches · 2 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
THIS CHARMING MAN
Dave Ball in Zigzag magazine, March 1984 issue - full article text bellow
Following our interview with Marc Almond in ZZ 3 we complete the set with Dave Ball. Paul Barney asked the questions, Linda Rowell* took the photographs.
Okay, you made me do it. I’ve turned it off. I’m talking about the new Soft Cell 12″ ‘Down In The Subway’. I want to flip it over but instead I shall leave the beefy brilliance of their version of Johnny Thunder’s ‘Born To Lose’ (hear it, buy it, you owe it to yourselves!) and tell you about an afternoon I spent in the company of Dave Ball in the living room of his London flat. Ushering me inside Dave smiles and proffers tea. It’s a small room, Dave’s keyboards standing majestically in the intimacy. My heart passes on secret information to my bladder and I have to make the first of my visits to the bathroom [DAMMIT] just when I wanted to be cool and collected.
Dave plays me the new and final Soft Cell album ‘Last Night In Sodom’ and it’s a breathtaking affair. Lots of drums, Marc’s voice reaching and winding its way down my back. ‘Meet Murder My Angel’ featuring Dave’s wife Gini Hewes on the most gorgeous backing vocals. ‘L'esqualita’ is seductive, inspired by New York club for transvestites where they mime to Spanish songs dressed obviously to suit such activity and another standout track is ‘The Best Way To Kill’. A relentless beat. (The title comes from a Sun headline where they asked their readers which method of capital punishment they preferred!) A lot faster than most of the previous album. It was recorded and mixed in five weeks at Britannia Row.
I love it madly but how do you feel? DAVE: “Of all the three Soft Cell albums, it's the one we're most satisfied with because we've been totally involved with it and had total control from start to finish. Rather than working with outside producer ... the ideas come purer.”
Weren't you happy with Mike Thorne's production then? DAVE: “I think we were at the time but he was more into making a name as a star producer. That's fair enough but not if you're a band and depending on someone else to help you get the sound you want. He was more into commercial safety if you like.”
How did you get that sound on ‘Numbers’? (To convey this I am forced to make a noise like a sick penguin, embarrassing!) DAVE: “I used a bass guitar going through an envelope generator. It's like a filter off a synthesiser. It's jus an effect pedal. I'll show you one. (Showing me the device.) Quite simple really. It's just a different context to hearing those sort of things.”
To digest these technical facts calls for a cigarette. Dave suggests a can of beer and whilst he is in the kitchen I'm off to the toilet again. The interview resumes.
Are you a shy person? DAVE: “I'm not shy like now but I am when in front of a lot of people. Marc's got something that really holds people's attention. He's more of a showman. I'm not interested in being a performer. I've never concentrated on it. I never needed to. I always relied on Marc.”
Were you unhappy with ‘In Strict Tempo’? DAVE: “I probably said something like I wasn't totally satisfied with it. It's not really meant to be thought as an album in that sense of being a collection of songs ... It wasn't released with intention of being a chart album. The ideas for new Soft Cell album were initially ideas I got from doing ‘In Strict Tempo’. It was testing ground. People try to read too much ... Like the track ‘Rednecks’. People actually thought I was being serious. The funnest thing is that people from America see the joke but English people don't seem to see it's a total pisstake of that area of America and the country music and the bigotry.”
A lot of tongue in cheek, isn't it? DAVE: “Of course ... Yeah, like on that tribal number, the voices on that are speak and spell.”
I thought it was you (why did I have to say that?) DAVE: “I think maybe I disguised the fact that it was a synthesiser and electronic too well. I just thought the idea of using one of them for a tribal chant was quite amusing!”
Did you get emotional doing the last Soft Cell gig at the Palais? DAVE: “No, I was more emotional doing the video for ‘Soul Inside’. Y'know tearing up the posters. That was the first point when it sunk in, ‘this is coming to an end’, but I don't feel upset about it because we're happy with what we're leaving behind.”
What is this film you've done the soundtrack for? DAVE: “It's called Decoder, a German film. I think they've completed it now. It's going to be shown at the German film festival and I think they'll dub it over in English so it will probably be shown at a few cinemas over here. Maybe just the ICA or bigger cinemas. It's also going to be released on video.” “The film is about muzac, the sort that's used in supermarkets and hamburger joints. Some of the music is by Neubauten, in fact Mufti is the star of the film and William Bouroughs and Christiane F are in it as well. Gen (Genesis P) makes a cameo appearance as an underground preacher. It's quite interesting. Mufti discovers a way of making anti-muzac so instead of pacifying people like muzac does, ot antogonises them and causes riots. I suppose it's very heavy and bleak, very German.”
Future plans? DAVE: “I'm writing a couple of things for Psychic TV to return the compliment for Gen appearing on my album and I'm supposed to be writing some material for Cristina (of Ze records). Do you know her?”
Sort of. DAVE: “I had a meeting with her and Michael Zikha in America late last year. Anybody who asks me if I'm interested in writing or contributing, if it sounds interesting, I do it. “I still want to have a main thing you could call it a group, but ot might end up as a just a couple of people and myself, but again it'll be different from Soft Cell.”
Are you still going to work with Alan Vega? DAVE: “I don't know about that anymore. We talked about it a year and a half ago and nothing happened. His attitude that came over in Zigzag ... I didn't like the way he made me feel guilty as if I owed him a favour. The only similarities between Soft Cell and Suicide was the fact that there were two people, one of them singing and the other playing a keyboard and they used a drum machine. But because we said in an early interview we really liked Suicide, people think they were a direct influence and we were trying to copy them but there's nothing similar at all. I wouldn't want to work with him because he feels I owe him something.”
Is there much unreleased stuff that might see the light in the wake of Soft Cell? DAVE: “There are loads of songs we did when we first started, but we'd never release those, they were just backroom demos. “I think everything we've recorded after this album comes out and the single will have been released. That's one reason why the album is a bit longer than normal. It's because we wanted to make sure everything came out. I hate the idea of leaving stuff unreleased because you never know a year later you might be doing something else and somebody decides to release something you didn't want out then ...”
... and you don't want out now. DAVE: “It's like what they're doing with John Lennon. He's an amazing bloke, still doing albums and he's dead. Pretty good that! “I find it sick. It would be alright if it was just released to make it available to the fans but they're not ... it's tasteless.”
We are both chainsmoking. I catch a glimpse of Sooty flickering away in silence on a small black and white telly in the corner. Dave plays me a really jazzy instrumental continuation of Soul Inside. It's wonderfully chaotic but since you're unlikely to ever hear it on with the interview.
Will you do anymore singing? DAVE: “You call that singing?”
Yeah. DAVE: “Possibly doing backing vocals.”
Don't you have any confidence in yourself as a singer? DAVE: “No, it's bad enough if I'm in the studio. I get embarrassed and nervous if it's just me and the microphone with an audience it would just be a joke.”
These questions must be really boring, maybe I should ask your favourite color. DAVE: (laughs) “It's blue.”
Have you got a strange sense of humour? DAVE: “I like black comedy ... Friday the 13th and stuff. I sit back and laugh at them, always the same plot. They know there's an axe murderer wandering around and the first thing they do is split up and go searching around the woods.”
Have you seen ‘The Thing’? DAVE: “I didn't find that funny. That made me feel quite sick.”
What time do you get up? DAVE: “Sometimes I get really lazy and don't get up 'till two in the afternoon and then I have phases of getting up early. I suppose on average between ten and twelve.”
Do you believe in witches? DAVE: “Yes, I believe in witchcraft, I'm quite interested in that. I've read books. I'm not a practising magician or anything ... Music is a form of magic.”
Are there any causes you feel sympathetic towards like CND? DAVE: “I'm sympathetic to the idea of nuclear disarmament and everything but I wouldn't go out and campaign. If everyone in the country said we don't want nuclear weapons it wouldn't make a scrap of difference because the government doesn't represent the people and big business are behind them. Money is more important to them than people.”
Do you have any phobias? DAVE: “Sometimes walking down Oxford Street if there are lots of people I get paranoid ... I don't like flying ...”
Do you mind if I use the bathroom again? DAVE: “No.”
— * Linda Rowell is actually Mick Mercer, main editor of the magazine at the time as well
23 notes · View notes
slowroadtosantiago · 2 years ago
Text
Day 14 - Viloria to Villafranca Montes de Oca
Just over 12.5 miles today according to the book and my phone is showing 13 so it���s there or there abouts.
We left at 7:30, after a breakfast which was a help yourself affair. It was cold and misty outside after a night of heavy rain and you couldn’t see very far.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The initial part of the path to Belorado wasn’t terribly inspiring as it followed a busy main road that had plenty of lorries thundering down it.
Tumblr media
Eventually the skies cleared up and it was cracking walking weather, cool and sunny. We stopped in Belorado for coffee and admired the wall paintings. Sometimes the sides of houses are painted a bright orange colour, and one we passed today had what looked like glasses sticking out.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
We eventually left the noise of the road and walked through the now familiar barley and rape fields for a while before stopping late morning at some benches next to a church for a break of biscuits and an apple.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
On the road up Jane had picked up a flip flop that had been dropped. We mentioned it to a Canadian who was just leaving the rest stop and was staying where we were, and he mentioned it to others and lo and behold the owner was found!
We changed out of our shoes into our sandals and carried on (it’s nice for our feet to be in something different), stopping again in the next village to go to the loo and have an ice cream.
Tumblr media
The path eventually came back to the road after some ruins. We dodged the noisy trucks to get through Villafranca to reach the hostel we are staying in by about 1:30. It’s a lovely place, mainly acting as a hotel but with a hostel attached which is immaculate. The beds are sturdy and we have both bagsed bottom bunks in a mixed room with 9 sets of bunks. Our lovely Korean friends Jacob and Lucia are in here too along with Alva from last night and Nicole, our Australian friend.
Tumblr media
Jane went for a coffee while I had a shower and did a bit of washing (by hand). Basically you take a shampoo soap bar with you that doubles for everything - hair, body, clothes. You just have to be careful to let it dry properly afterwards. I took one from the UK but it disintegrated pretty quickly, so have found a very good Spanish one.
After an hour or so of feet up we went for a couple of glasses of wine, meeting Alex and her dad from Texas that we realised were in Orisson at the start with us, and Alison, another American, in her 20’s, who has her own marketing company and is also a yoga teacher.
We stocked up on breakfast and snack stuff from the very small shop in the village, cake and fruit, as the first leg tomorrow is 7.5 miles up hill without facilities of any sort.
Tumblr media
Dinner tonight was the Pilgrim menu, and at 18 euros was quite steep, but it was well worth it. We both had a plate of broccoli cooked with a chicken and a cream and Parmesan sauce, I then had meatballs and Jane had cod, followed by crème caramel for me and rice pud for Jane, washed down with red wine. We were sat with Nicole and Alison and were joined by Pat, 68, from the US. The conversations became really wide ranging and philosophical.
This is now the end of week 2, and we’re 152 miles down, our daily mileage increasing to just under 12 miles a day. We’re settling into the walking and the routine, and enjoying the countryside and villages. However what is making it special is meeting all the different people along the way and hearing all their stories and perspectives on life.
9 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
【𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚 ❷】 ²³/⁵
Tumblr media
—E veryone in the classroom had already left at this hour, the school period itself had already long since been dismissed a while ago. Even a majority of teachers have left for the night. If so, what was I still waiting for...staying back in this empty classroom.
Well a special reason after all. I was still waiting for a special someone to show up, staying back for just him, just waiting for him to turn up for me tonight ~
To put it into words, I had already been waiting for the whole of the day.
It was the 23rd day of May, a seemingly normal day for most people, In fact, even me....or at least until a certain point now. But ever since I’ve been with Kuron, and was in turn introduced to the concept of the Day of Kisses…this special day was made into an occasion that I wouldn’t want to miss spending together with him.
Kiss Day, as the name implies, was a day where you get to spend with a special someone and share a kiss with them.
Laying my head down on the table, my mind replayed with the scene from a year ago today, when I was called up to the school rooftop by Kuron, and it was there and then that I shared a deep pleasant kiss with him.
To be honest…I was actually planning to do that as well this time, inviting him up onto the rooftop to meet up with me there.
But thinking about it, I was always the one that initiates kisses all the time…that’s hardly fair. That’s why I intentionally didn’t do anything at all for today, and maintained ignorance while waiting for him to approach me first.
But I had waited, and waited, and waited…until it was already past midnight.
I took out my phone and checked the time. Sure enough, it was the next day, the 24th now. May 24th, and 3am no less.
……
“What the heck…this bastard. Does he really intend not to do anything and let this day go by? freaking heartless! Why I ought to…”
I grabbed on my hair in frustration, feeling the passage of time just pass by in the background with each passing moment, all the while my patience was dwindling.
I can’t just keep waiting here for nothing…if he really did decide not to do anything in the end, then I might as well go find him myself.
But if I find out that rascal had gone home without even saying anything…
I wasn’t going to let him off easy…
—-- - ರ╭╮ರ
Just as I expected——
Opening the door to Kuron’s exclusive room used for detention classes, I saw Kuron sat there on the front desk—His head lowered, a look of stoicism and stern features on him as he marked papers in front of him.
Despite hearing the door open, he didn’t even react at all, his eyes maintained that firm attention on that pile of books, still holding such a cold attention as he spoke with such emotionless tone in him when he said,
“...Hey, don't you knock before entering? Mind your manners, student.”
…Such a cold heartless bastard.
Letting out a deep sigh, I darted forward towards him, both hands reached out as I slammed them on his desk.
Letting out a thundering slam that made him jolt in a shock, it finally made him lift his head up with an astonished look on his face as he looked at me, as if he finally realized that I was angry, letting out a shudder under the stare of my stern gaze.
“What the——hey, you...! Just what do you think you're doing, huh?——And w-why are you staring at me like that?”
“Are you acting dumb and deaf on purpose, you think that you haven’t pissed me off enough and want to push me over the edge even more, is that it...?”
I stared at those crystalline like eyes with a furious stern gaze, questioning with a harsh threatening tone that got his bewildered expression to seep, those large eyes that stared at me with innocence.
“...C-calm down bro! Don’t be so violent, yet——I don’t even know what I do——I don’t know what I've done to make you so angry though…—”
“...You don’t know? You really don’t know? Then do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you? The whole day, that’s how long! From morning till now—And you still haven’t done anything !”
“...I mean—What was I supposed to be doing—Bro, I had work this morning, and more work at night—I don’t know what else I should be doing—Could you just…spare me and my goldfish memory some slack and tell me exactly what did I miss, nhn…I-I really can’t remember…”
…How disappointing.
I looked at his expression that didn't look like he was pretending to be nervous or shaken, facing those eyes that were almost cowering in fear from me, sniffing, and looking at me with that pitiful gaze as if begging for mercy...
Okay, maybe this idiot... could also forget important things sometimes. Well then...
“...You really don't know what day today is...?”
After listening to my question, Kuron blinked and darted his gaze in all directions, then looked at me carefully and answered,
"...Thursday——Ah, wait, no——Friday?"
...This ignorant fool.
Watching him get so flustered as he stuttered out of his wits, I finally had enough of this time-consuming little show as I grabbed his tie with one free hand and pulled him harshly towards me—Watching as those marble like eyes widened into size and his face morphed to that adorable shocked and taken aback expression as I close my eyes and planted my lips heavily onto his, giving him a passionate kiss thereby on the spot.
Tumblr media
——After a while, I pulled my lips away from those lingering sweet tasted ones, opening my eyes as I stared at his face, which cheeks were slightly pink due to shyness, and his gaze that was trying their best to avoid looking back at mine with an abashed look.
Looking at that extremely cute expression that made me want to pin him down on the spot, I felt the corners of my lips tilted up slightly, forming a victorious curve.
“...Happy Kiss Day, my dearest teacher~”
Tumblr media
0 notes