#and later taken over with all the marine bases and influence

[muselexum]

🫠

[mariacallous]

With the radical right Reform party planning to run candidates in all seats at the next UK election, and Trump’s best British friend, Nigel Farage, hinting he may return to politics to help it, everyone agrees that the Conservatives may face an electoral wipeout. The nerds among you will know about how the first-past-the-post system went haywire in the 1993 Canadian election when the ruling conservative party was reduced to just two seats. A radical-right rival split the vote, and a collapse followed. The same just might happen in the UK in 2024.

But hold on a minute. The conventional narrative for the next election already feels false, and the campaign has not even started yet.

How can there be a threat to the Conservatives from the radical right when the Conservatives have given a decent impression of being a radical right party for close to a decade now?

Let me count the ways

They have taken their country out of the European Union, a policy so extreme not even Marine le Pen or Viktor Orban will imitate it.

They won the 2019 general election by taking the vote of the Brexit party, Farage’s previous vehicle, with the promise of a hard Brexit.

They slashed the public sector. They let Liz Truss turn the country into a laboratory for Reaganite economics.

How can anyone say the trouble with the Conservatives is that they have not been right-wing enough?

And yet the radical right is saying that. Partly it is the failure of Brexit to end mass immigration. More than that, I believe, we are witnessing among politicians right-wing journalists and intellectuals a frankly cowardly and dishonest move to distance themselves from the reality of Conservatism in power.

To analyse where the UK and Western right is heading, I was joined on the Lowdown by Rob Ford, professor of politics at Manchester University. There is no person better qualified for the task. With his co-author Matt Goodwin (of whom more later) he wrote Revolt on the Right the first book to take the new radical right seriously.

He began our conversation by making an important distinction, which settled a question that had been bothering me. Conservatives make a good point when they say that leftists call everything they don’t like fascist/far right/racist. And yet we have movements far to the right of conservatives of the late 20th century, and they need naming.

Usefully Ford calls politicians and movements that, whatever their policies, respect democratic norms radical right, but those that threaten democracy far right. On this reading Donald Trump began as a radical right politician and became a far-right leader when he tried to overturn the 2020 US presidential election result.

We talk about

How and why, if Farage comes back, Reform could do serious damage to the already battered Conservative party.

How radical-right ideas are now mainstream Conservative policies – nationalism, anti-Europeanism, a belief in a pure people and a hatred of all elites other than right-wing elites.

How the best means for Farage to win influence over the Conservative party in 2025 is to show how badly he can hurt it in 2024.

We finished by looking at Rob’s former collaborator, Matt Goodwin, who stared into the abyss of radical right politics for too long and found the abyss staring back into him. The academic who studied Farage is now a radical right hustler and agitator who wishes to emulate Farage . Goodwin is building up his monetary base on Substack and his media profile as a national conservative talking head on the BBC.

Earlier this year when Goodwin wrote a book on how “Britain is in the grip of a new elite” I gave him a proper polemical going over on this site. You can read it below (there’s a free trial for non-subscribers).

Slobbery and Sycophancy: the case of Matt Goodwin

I first came across the professor of politics at Kent University in 2018, when Matt Goodwin compiled a list of journalists guilty of disparaging the millions who voted to leave the EU in 2016. I had, apparently, greeted their democratic choice by saying that it was as if the “sewers have burst”.

Odd, I thought, I don’t remember denigrating Brexit voters in those terms. I Googled myself and discovered the sly professor had pulled a move ideally suited to the propaganda needs of a conservative elite that poses as the people’s dearest friend.

In June 2016,  I described how Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings had begun their Brexit campaign with a solemn promise that they would never play the race card. We do “not need to focus on immigration,” Cummings said. The essential task for his respectable leave campaign was not to incite fears of foreigners, but “to neutralise the fear that leaving may be bad for jobs and living standards.”

His high-mindedness didn’t last. As referendum day approached, Gove, Johnson and Cummings decided to pull whatever trick they could to get over the line. The race card was a winning card, they decided. They switched to issuing the fake news that 76 million (mainly Muslim)  Turks could head our way if we didn’t leave.   

Looking at their breach of promise and incitement of fear, I said “it is as if the sewers have burst.”

I told Goodwin on Twitter that he was confusing my criticism of the powerful with criticism of the powerless. He ignored me. I realised then that the professor did not abide by the normal academic standards of accuracy but was, when it came down to it, a bit of a slob. And not just any old slob but a sycophantic slob, who slobbered all over the powerful. 

Any student of politics, let alone an actual professor of politics, ought to be able to see through the trick he pulls.

Democracy depends on holding the powerful to account so that an informed electorate can judge them. But in the professor’s formulation, criticising Boris Johnson and Michael Gove meant criticising the people who voted for them. Performing your democratic duty became anti-democratic; holding the elite to account became elitist.

By this logic, complaints about a corporation become complaints about its customers, and complaints about a newspaper baron become complaints about its readers. Indeed, you can practice the Goodwin manoeuvre on any prominent person or institution. Criticism of Keir Starmer must surely be an attack on the millions who vote Labour. Attacks on James O’Brien can only reveal elite disdain for the hundreds of thousands of ordinary folk who make up his talk-show audience. As for condemning BBC managers… Take that silver spoon out of your pouting mouth, posh boy. Nothing better reveals the snobbish contempt of ivory tower elitists than that moment when they look down their dainty noses at the plebs who find simple pleasure in watching the Antiques Roadshow.

Oh, hold on a minute. You can’t say that. In an unfact-checked piece for the Sunday Times,  Goodwin lambasts Starmer, O’Brien, and BBC managers as leaders of a new elite that in terms of attitude and background often live “in a galaxy of its own.” He takes drive-by shots at Stephen Bush and Afua Hirsch, who are among the handful of national newspaper columnists from ethnic minority backgrounds. Their prominence, such as it is, shows that while the new elite “lecture us endlessly about diversity, when it comes to the class, education and values of people who work in them, they are really not diverse at all.” I don’t know about Hirsch’s background, but Bush was raised by a single mother in a tower block, and makes an unlikely woke aristo.

Goodwin condemns me, again, and tells the Sunday Times that along with Laurie Penny and Matthew d'Ancona, I described “leavers as thickos, racists, bigots or far-right extremists.” Would we “tolerate this kind of prejudice were it directed towards any other group in society” he demanded.

I had, as I have already mentioned, criticised a breach of promise by Johnson (a cabinet minister and future prime minister), Cummings (who would be his chief of staff) and Gove (another cabinet minister). Free societies must “tolerate this kind of prejudice” against the powerful if they wish to stay free.

I hope you can now see how the Goodwin manoeuvre works.  Oppose conservatives, and you are an enemy of the people. Oppose liberals and you are people’s friend. Heads Goodwins, tails you lose.

I won’t detain you with the obvious objections that the Conservatives have been in power for as long as anyone can remember, and any analysis of elites that excludes the actual government of the country is partial – to put the case against Goodwin at its kindest. And I am sure you have already noticed that Sir Keir Starmer, whom Goodwin thinks lives in a woke galaxy far, far away, looks set to win the popular vote at the next election.

You can certainly argue that there is a deadening ideological conformity in parts of the arts, liberal media, and publishing that is often brutally enforced. Suzanne Moore was driven out of the Guardian and Kathleen Stock was driven out of Sussex University because they were gender-critical feminists. London publishers effectively ban books that contradict progressive orthodoxy. I am not denying the existence of authoritarianism and neuroticism in wokish culture. Nor do I reject the argument of Ed West who can often seem the last thoughtful Conservative in England, that people consistently think that they must pretend to be more progressive than they really are, if they want to get ahead in the public, cultural and charitable sectors. This ability to impose ideological conformity is certainly redolent of a version of elite power.

The question remains: what do conservatives want to do about it? They might offer a generous vision of politics, which forswore the witch hunts and viciousness of the worst of the left. They might offer a more tolerant and less condemnatory culture. They would be surprised how many people might vote for them if they did.  

There is no chance of that happening. None whatsoever. The dominant forces on the right, in the Tory press and think tanks, and among Tory donors, want a cancel culture of their own.  The nature of today’s right-wing elite demands it.

Among Goodwin’s many failures is his inability to understand how the right in which he moves has shifted. He talks as if it is a continuation of England’s old ruling class “defined by its wealth, inherited titles, estates, small-c cultural values and, often, its lack of university education.”

He cannot see, or does not want to see that the globalisation of capital has changed the Tories irreversibly. There are no great British business tycoons influencing their policy, because most of the corporations operating in the UK aren’t British firms but multinationals, which can always move to the USA or India – as, indeed, can Rishi Sunak. The party is dominated by the concerns of the elderly now, and funded by hobbyist oligarchs, who don’t represent a coherent business interest, but see politics as a means of silencing the banshees who wake them in the small hours of the night.

In 2016, Cummings wanted to “neutralise” the fear that Brexit would weaken the economy. But, of course, it did weaken the economy, and was always going to weaken it, which is why a right-wing party that had any organic connection to the business interest would never have left the EU.  Equally, it would never have allowed Liz Truss to panic the bond markets either.

Conservative voters once believed in national sovereignty, but the failure of Brexit destroyed that dream. They believed in low taxes and a small state, but Truss did for that as well.

The dead ends the Tory party has led the UK down mean that Goodwin’s culture war is not just the only war the right wants to fight. It is the only war it can fight. Prepare to hold your nose. It will be as if the sewers have burst.

[doevademe]

How about a little hurt and comfort, Percy and Nico were high school sweethearts who had been dating since freshman year. However their senior year, someone, could be anyone really, convinced Nico that Percy was cheating on him and Nico is really insecure, believed them. Percy was hurt that Nico would believe someone over him and the two broke up and Percy moved away to college. Years and plenty of therapy later, the two meet up again at their high school reunion, Nico a famous writer and Percy a marine biologist. The two strike up a conversation and rekindle their lost love, even them getting some mild revenge on the person who broke them up.

Nico didn't know why he was back here.

High school had quite literally been hell for him. He had been shunned by basically everyone once people realized he wouldn't use his father's money or influence to their benefit.

In fact, his only fond memory of high school had been dating the Swim Team Captain until they broke up when he was a junior, after he had cheated on him.

He didn't blame the girl (not anymore, at least). Their relationship had been secret to nearly everyone, mostly for the Swim Team Captain's sake (sporty types felt so threatened when they think someone of their same sex is checking them out), but Nico had been a very insecure kid back then.

So when Drew Tanaka told everyone that the Swim Team Captain had slept with Rachel Elizabeth Dare, for Nico it just made sense. He was not much to look at, and he still didn't know what the Swim Team Captain saw in him. He hadn't confronted him, until he tried to deny it.

Nico had seen red. He told him to own up to it. Being with a girl was much less shameful than being with Nico, and the Swim Team Captain had just looked so hurt by that.

They broke up just in time, anyways, as Nico would be entering his senior year while the Swim Team Captain would be off to college, the same one Rachel Elizabeth Dare happened to also be attending.

It had taken years of counselling, having other relationships, and basically scrubbing himself clean of all self-loathing, but he could finally admit that it hadn't been his fault that his first boyfriend cheated, and that he was better off not basing his worth around a guy liking him or not.

He had been doing so well, that sadly Hazel had seen it fit to have him go to their high school reunion as a test.

Which brought him back to the present.

He hated being there. Most people either wanted to revive their high school memories (because they peaked early), or they wanted to show off how much better off they were after leaving school (Nico technically fit that descriptor, but he didn't want to be there).

Oh well, he'd just walk around, say hi to the few people he hung out with (he saw Leo Valdez earlier, talking up Drew Tanaka, who seemed to be regretting coming as much as he did) and leave quietly. Even at 26, he was still quite good at being invisible.

"Nico!" A voice called. Nico froze in place as many of the former students turned to look at him and started whispering.

No, not at him, they were staring at the person behind him.

Nico turned around, only to see the former Swim Team Captain, gorgeous as always and waving at him.

He wanted to run. Hazel had been wrong, he was not strong enough for this.

The former Swim Team Captain approached. Nico hated that his stare still could freeze him in place.

"It's been a while," he said, as if their last talk 10 years ago hadn't been a shouting match. "How have you been?"

And Nico was so shocked, so mesmerized, that the first words out of his mouth had been, "You were not Class of 2015."

And he chuckled, just like he used to, and Nico had to force himself to remember all his growth. He was not a lovesick teenager anymore.

"Actually, I was hoping to run into you," he said sheepishly, making Nico's eyes widen.

"W-what for?" Nico asked.

Percy Jackson just took his hand and guided him to the punch table.

"We never did go to prom together," he said wistfully. "And I'm partly to blame."

"Only partly?" Nico raised an eyebrow. "Percy, you cheated."

Percy sighed.

"Even after all these years you still believe that?" He asked. "What's your evidence? A girl who wanted revenge because I rejected her said so?"

Nico was about to retort except, yeah. Drew had been that petty and vengeful back in high school. By their senior year, no one believed her gossip.

Why had Nico been convinced the Percy one was true? Just because of his own insecurities?

"You're right, there was no proof," he admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"You had no reason to." Percy shrugged. "Why trust me when I didn't want to be public about us?"

"It was high school, Percy," Nico reminded him. "Teens are the worst."

"See? partly my fault, partly yours," he said with a smile. "I came here to set the record straight, to close that wound."

"Very mature of you," Nico teased. Percy smirked back.

"Well, of course," he said. "I'm basically an old man now."

They both laughed.

"So, what have you been up to?" Nico finally asked. "What did you end up studying?"

"Dropped out," Percy said proudly. "You're looking at the owner of Poseidon Boat Rentals."

Nico whistled, actually impressed.

"Deadbeat dad finally did something for you?" He asked, knowing Percy's bio dad was a big name freight owner. Percy nodded. "About time. I'm working for my dad. Not that high in the corporate ladder, but I'm learning."

"Still nepotism, Nico," he said back. "Dad only gave me the first boat, I had to work hard to buy everything else."

"I started as a secretary, with a Master's degree!" Nico complained, though he was still smiling.

They kept talking and talking until they were the only ones left in the old gymnasium. Nico had forgotten how easy it was to talk with Percy.

That was a problem, because that realization came with the longing of being with Percy. He briefly wondered if he was regressing, but no, he still valued himself, even if this was the last time he talked to the love of his life. IT would just hurt a lot.

(Yes, Perseus Jackson was the love of his life. There was a reason he never used his name, even in his thoughts, after the break up)

"So, I was wondering," Percy said, a tint of nervousness in his tone. "Neither of us left Manhattan and, we're both single so... you think we could, go to the movies or something?"

Nico blinked. It seemed he wasn't the only one that missed his high school boyfriend.

"I would love to, Percy."

[pashalalee]

Yes please do tell us what is up with this BEEF between Ray and Lilley??? 👀

My dear friend, you shall regret you asked this because I'm running on the high of a finished work day and about seven rice krispie treats let's GO.

So, my HC that Ray and Lilley have a one-sided beef lies in two (2) scenes in the show.

The first is when Ray gets out of the vehicle when they're on the bridge and bends down to dramatically shout into Lilley's face "LILLEY, WHAT THE FUCK!" despite the fact that Lilley can't do anything because he is also boxed in.

The second is when Brad brings out the good ol' Chef Boyardee and Lilley comes up to join the party. He says something like "civilian food gives me the munchies" and the camera cuts to Ray giving the most overdone eye roll in the history of eye rolls.

Now, both of these are easy to explain away. Could the first situation just have been from the stress of being trapped and in a fire fight where he wasn't even aloud to fire back? Yeah. Absolutely. Could Ray have merely been having an unstoppable orgasmic moment over the ravioli that caused his eyes to roll into the back of his head? I'd buy that. But is that FUN?

No. I like my version better and in my head I doth rule. So sit back and relax while I discourse pal.

So. My version of Ray is compiled of show influence and some book facts, but he's kind of taken on a shape of his own in my brain. That's the beauty of fandom ain't it? Regardless, my Ray is a very bright, smart, adaptable person. But he was...critically uncool in high school.

Look, he was a band nerd. He was a star on the debate team, but like, in the MOST annoying, know-it-all, chatty way. He was small, he didn't play sports, he had a personality that reeeeeally needed the opportunity to grow on you and most people didn't take the time to allow it.

The cool kids? They didn't like him. Ray was weird. He was also smart. He had long, exhaustive and deeply intelligent takes in class and that made him very (whispers) lame. They just didn't get him. And while Ray wasn't violently bullied or anything, he was teased a lot. He clearly has some beef with "all those other piece of shit jocks from high school", even 4 years later.

I also adopted the idea from the book into my HC that it almost feels like Ray joined the Marines to both mock them and prove himself. Ray, while simultaneously volleying back at that "cool kid" status by mocking the label, desperately wants to be accepted by those people. Kind of like a 'haha, you think you're so cool and badass but look at me, I got in. I'm one of you.'

Enter Lilley, who I have TRULY built my own version of based on the show so you know, this is a wide interpretation. But man, Lilley is a chill motherfucker. He's effortlessly cool (if you're into that sort of thing...not if you're Poke. If you're Poke, both of these idiots are dumb. Poke is correct). He's got chill surfer vibes, stoner vibes, just kinda wants to go with the flow and see where the day takes him. He's handsome! He's got a very capital 'M' Man body type, and he's pretty likable. Not to mention he's a very capable recon marine.

So what happened here? I think, through no fault of his own, Lilley triggered Ray with his laid back tone and 'brah, chill' vibes. Ray, who spent a lot of his youth being teased, picked up on Lilley's tone and attitude and immediately assumed that Lilley thought he was better than him. Lilley didn't really do anything, but Ray knew people like him. Ray KNOWS people like him. And people like Lilley are typically assholes in his experience.

And you know what's even more frustrating? EVERYONE LIKES LILLEY. God, the nerve. I mean, is Ray the only one who can see how NEFARIOUS this man is? Look at him, being all casual and chill and obsessed with his little video camera. But there is this sort of inherent annoyance that builds up in Ray when everyone so immediately accepts Lilley, whereas he still had to work at it. Ray is STILL an acquired taste, and it takes a while.

This is even more entertaining to me because Lilley has No Idea what Ray's problem with him is. Half the time, because he's so laid back, he doesn't even realize there IS a problem. Ray will snark at him, and Lilley will laugh like lol yeah so true brah tell me more. And Ray cannot BELIEVE the AUDACITY.

Of course, Lilley didn't do anything, and Ray's assumptions and feelings are entirely based on his own experiences. Ray's a smart guy though! He works this out eventually. Soon enough he realizes Lilley was never mocking him, and he was never judging him. Lilley just...sort of talks that way. He just has this sideways smirk, he just has that slow head nod. It's just who he is, and it has nothing to do with Ray. And they become friends! High-fives all around.

And listen, I'm a Brad/Ray, Nate/Ray, Brad/Ray/Nate kinda gal, in that order, but there's some really fun shipping potential in this.

It reminds me of that moment in Incredibles when Helen is going off on Bob and Bob is like man, you keep trying to fight with me but I'm just happy you’re alive!

It goes a little something like this.

Ray: What the fuck, Lilley.

Lilley: Brah, you keep trying to pick a fight with me but I'm just trying to tell you that you got cute dimples.

Ray:

Anyway this was so long and unnecessary. I hope none of you wasted precious daylight on this. Who even am I? A disaster.

aaaaaaaand curtains.

[dasphinxone]

Book of Nile: Werewolf and Witch AU

Alright, yes, I’m late for Halloween. But that also means I used Halloween to discuss an awesome AU where Booker is secretly an werewolf and Nile, his new neighbor in a rural town on the edge of the woods, is secretly a witch. Shoutout to @lady-writes​ @winterequinoxx​ @nevermindirah​ @highlightcity159​ @druidspell​ @rainofdreams29 @ruby-white-rabbit​ and the BoN chat for this amazing brainstorm.

Nile has just graduated from veterinary school after her time in the marines. She’s moved to a rural area in the northeast that’s in need for a vet since the old one plans to eventually retire. Renting a cute little cottage on the edge of the woods, she settles into a quiet life there. 

Nile does her daily runs on the trails through the idyllic woods in the mornings and sometimes at night. She gets to know the townspeople as well. They include  Andy, who runs a law firm in the town. Along with her wife Quynh, who is an interior decorator. Couple Yusuf and Nicolò run the coffeeshop/bakery across the  street from the veterinary practice where Nile works. They get to know Nile first since she swings by the shop every morning for breakfast. Soon, they start inviting Nile to dinner with them. It then eventually expands to dinner with Andy, Quynh and Booker. It’s the first time Nile meets Booker and he reveals he’s also her next-door neighbor. She’s surprised that she hasn’t met him yet. After all, she moved into the the town weeks ago. 

Booker is apparently the only single person among Andy, Quynh, Yusuf and  Nicolò. So Nile suspects the group is trying to set them up to date since they always seat her next to him. Booker’s nice enough (and pretty damn good looking). But he also seems distant towards her. While she’s fine with his company at dinner, there’s not really a huge connection there for her. However, they settle into a steady friendship, especially as she sees more and more of him as a neighbor. 

One night, Booker’s hanging out on his front porch when he catches Nile coming back from a night run. He’s stunned to see her out so late, especially in the woods. He warns her that there’s a lot of dangerous and aggressive wildlife out there that like nocturnal hunts. She waves him off and expresses that she can take care of herself just fine. Especially since she’s an ex-Marine. Booker tries to warn her again, looking worried. Nile again laughs him off and bids him goodnight. 

That’s because unknown to Booker, Nile is secretly a witch. In fact, her family has practiced magic going back generations and even before they survived the Middle Passage. She uses the excuses of her night runs in the woods to cover up the fact that she’s doing magic rituals there. Mostly because her magic is very nature based. In fact, it’s part of the reason why she became a veterinarian; her nature-based magic gives her a healing hand with animals, including wild ones. Other rituals she does are for self-protection, opening pathways, remaining in balance with nature and warding off evil influences that seek to harm in general. That’s all why she’s not particularly scared of the woods.

In the meantime, Nile runs into Booker on her own at the supermarket while she’s running weekend errands in town. He has a whole hot lumberjack aesthetic going on as per usual, with a plaid jacket over a denim shirt, jeans and hiking boots. Nile jokes that he must be having some sort of party at his place that he didn’t bother to invite her to since he’s buying so much red meat and food for a single person Booker insists he’d never be so rude. He just...eats a lot. 

Without warning, he quickly excuses himself and all but flees from Nile. She finds it odd but continues her shopping. When she gets back to her cottage, she finds Booker reading a book and drinking coffee while sitting on his front porch. While he waves hello, he quickly goes inside. Nile is annoyed; as far as she can tell, she didn’t say anything offensive to him. So why in the hell does it seem like he’s avoiding her?

One night later, there’s a full moon. While Nile is aware that wolves are native to the area, she’s surprised at how loud they are that night. Yet the constant howling doesn’t bother her much. If anything, it soothes her to sleep. However, she wakes up the next morning to find holes dug up throughout her backyard, like some sort of dog or wolf has been messing around back there. There’s no damage or blood, so she just fixes up her yard and moves on. 

Over the next few weeks as the autumn gets colder, Nile realizes she’s going to need to start stockpiling wood for her wood stove that helps warm her cottage. She heads back into town where she runs into Booker at the general store. This time, he’s much more friendly with her. 

When she explains that she’s going to have to spend more money than she thought stockpiling wood, he quickly offers to start chopping it for her. She’s taken aback at how quickly he does so. Yet he’s super friendly about it. At the same time, she doesn’t want to take advantage, so she tries to decline. Booker insists that it’s no big deal. He’ll just add whatever surplus of wood he doesn’t need to her pile at the side of her cottage. She won’t even know he’s there. Nile agrees. 

She starts finding herself running into Booker all over town. She also finds out from Yusuf and Nicky that they’ve known Booker for a long time. It turns out he’s a computer coder/programmer who works remotely from home. They also assure her he’s a good guy. At the same time, he can get a little melancholic sometimes and drinks a bit. Mostly because his wife divorced him after she had a string of tragic miscarriages. His wife also missed their native France. She let him keep the house and moved back to France. Last they heard, his ex is happily married to someone else and has kids.  

Nile starts noticing a pattern; Booker is either super friendly with her or oddly distant. Every few weeks, he’ll just disappear and she’ll see no trace of him at his cottage next door. She chalks it up to his depression over his breakup with his wife. While she’s not a therapist, she leaves him little care packages of her baked goods whenever he disappears. He always returns her Tupperware to her after a few days. Though the first time she includes chocolate treats, he politely tells her he’s allergic to them. From then on, Nile avoids giving him chocolate.

Eventually, Booker and Nile grab dinner together and get a bit tipsy. They end up sleeping together and both have a damn good time. Nile notices that Booker is a bit possessive in bed and seems very much into her, in a good way. He’s also super tactile. And really into how she smells. He also doesn’t seem to mind hanging around the next morning and immediately offers to cook Nile breakfast. Everything goes off without a hitch and Nile and Booker soon start sleeping together regularly.

That’s when Nile starts noticing more of Booker’s slightly odd behavior.

He’s always leaving his sweaters and sweatshirts at her place. When she tries to return them, he refuses and insists that she should wear them to keep warm. Whenever he sees her wearing one of them, he gets super excited. He offers to fix things around her house instead of her wasting money on a plumber. He always makes sure her firewood pile is stocked up. He loves taking walks with her in the woods. He’s always offering to cook for her whenever she likes. Especially because he seems to pretty much inhale a ton of food. However, he always makes sure her fridge stays stocked and she never runs out of anything. He’s protective of her but not in an overwhelming way. Nile’s not sure if they’re exclusively dating…but she wouldn’t mind if they were.

Meanwhile over Thanksgiving, Nile’s mother and brother come to visit her. Nile’s mother is still a practicing witch and her teenage brother is a warlock. As he’s not an adult yet, he hasn’t achieved his full power but he’s still able to cast lighter spells and do rituals.

Nile also has Booker over for Thanksgiving dinner since it'll be nice to introduce him to her family. As soon as Nile introduces Booker, her mother and brother immediately raise their eyebrows. For they both realize that Booker is not the human he appears to be.

Nile’s brother tries to tell her something is up with Booker. But she assures him that Booker has been nothing but sweet to her. He gives her space when she wants it. Yet he’s always willing to help her out whenever she needs it. Almost as though he revels being at her beck and call. Besides, Nile’s a powerful witch in her own right and has enough protection spells wound around her.

Her brother explains that he’s not worried about Booker doing anything to her. He’s far more concerned with the trouble he can bring to her doorstep because he’s not what he appears to be. At the same time, Nile’s brother says that it’s not his right to reveal to Nile what Booker is, as he’ll have to do that himself. 

Nile is confused, but takes her brother’s words to heart. She also appreciates how her brother does a protection ritual for her and her cottage before he and her mom leave. Nile's mom also leaves her a ton of fresh ingredients and blessed items for her spells and rituals.

Two days after Nile’s mom and brother leave, there’s a full moon. Which means the wolves howling in the forest are back. Again, it doesn’t bother Nile and soothes her to sleep. 

That is until she’s woken up by noise coming from her front porch. She peers outside her window to find a VERY large wolf-dog looking animal whining and pawing at her door. It’s massive. Yet when it spots her, it doesn’t attack but rather starts nosing at the window, as though it’s trying to get her outside. Nile cautiously opens the door to find the wolf-dog bleeding from a nasty looking wound on its shoulder. The wolf-dog is nearly passed out and is losing blood fast. So Nile gets her veterinarian’s kit and drags the animal into her house.

It never attacks her. Not even when she sedates it. If anything, it’s exhausted but friendly. Sewing up the wound, Nile also casts some spells of healing for the wolf-dog so that it can heal faster. Not wanting to leave a traumatized animal alone, Nile falls asleep in the living room with its head in her lap. She doesn’t worry about a wild animal attacking her due to her own protection spells for herself.

When Nile wakes up the next morning? She finds Booker asleep and curled up with his head in her lap. Completely naked. And with a healed scar in the same exact place on his shoulder where she stitched up the wolf-dog the night before.

Booker quickly explains to a stunned Nile that he’s a werewolf.

In fact, the first time he met her at the dinner Yusuf and Nicolò had, he immediately picked up on how good she smelled. Just an intoxicating blend of spicy, boozy, vanilla, cinnamon and a hint of flowery deliciousness. It was so overwhelming that he mentally freaked out. And it got worse the next time he ran into her at the supermarket. That was because the closer he is to the full moon, the better and stronger she smells to him. It in turn makes him come off as awkward and weird. Mostly due to his general behavior getting more animalistic the closer he gets to the full moon.

He tells Nile that he’ glad she didn’t seem to notice his weird behavior. At the same time, Booker admits he finds it odd that out of the people he’s had a romantic interest in, Nile’s scent overwhelms him the most. Even more so than his ex-wife. Not wanting to scare her away, Booker initially thought a friendship with Nile would be enough to sustain himself. Well, that was until they slept together.

It also turns out that the reason that Booker is so close with Andy, Quynh, Yusuf and Nicky? Well, Andy and Quynh are a werewolf and witch pair, with Andy a werewolf and Quynh a witch. Joe is a warlock to Nicky’s werewolf, forming their pair as well. 

When Booker was bitten by a werewolf, his wife was initially surprisingly accepting of it. They actually ended up moving to the town soon after his first full moon so that he didn’t have to deal with too many people knowing his secret. However, she came to hate him due to going through the trauma of her miscarriages. She blamed the fact that he was no longer human for not being able to have children. Booker blamed himself as well. After his wife left him, Booker never believed that he’d ever find his mate. Well, that was until Nile moved in next door to him. Her scent set off something primal in him that had him attracted to her nearly at first sight. 

Except werewolves Andy and Nicky never got around to explaining to Booker how their witch mates have an attractive smell to them that only they can pick up on. So Booker was going nuts trying to control himself around Nile. He of course didn’t want to be a creep and be all up in her space, scenting her.

The reason Nile smells so wonderful to Booker? He was picking up on her hereditary witchiness. However, he didn’t realize that she was a witch until she stitched him up in wolf form and cast her spells to speed up his healing. He swears he’ll keep her witchiness a secret. Especially since he trusts her to keep him being a werewolf a secret from everyone else outside of the other four.

Nile is stunned by this information. She’s also concerned about him potentially biting her and turning her into a werewolf. Booker is horrified at the concept. He explains:

1.)    Modern, enlightened werewolves do not turn people without their consent. It’s rude as hell.

2.)    Even if he were to non-lethally bite someone in werewolf form, they have to be genetically predispositioned to turning. So not everyone who’s bitten even turns.

3.)    Nile is full of powerful, generational magic flowing through her veins. Plus, her protection spells (which Booker was also picking up on before he realized she was a witch) protect her from getting turned anyway.

Booker being a werewolf also explains how Nile’s mother and brother realized that he wasn’t quite human. Along with Booker basically courting her protective wolf style while in human form. Leaving his sweaters and sweatshirts around her place means she’s constantly wearing his scent. Constantly cooking for her shows he’s a good mate who provides food for his beloved. Fixing up her place on his own, making sure her fridge stays stocked and getting her firewood also shows he’s a good mate who provides the best shelter.

Basically, modern and enlightened werewolves hunt big game during the full moon. Booker does so with his pack of Nicky and Andy. Witch Quynh and warlock Joe will sometimes accompany them because the nights of the full moon are when magic is the strongest. In fact, Booker is surprised that they’ve never run across Nile in the woods on full moon nights.

She explains that due to the wolf howls she’d hear on those nights, she practices her magic at her cottage. Which also explains why wolf Booker showed up on her doorstep when he got injured; the magic spells protecting Nile and her home ensured that he wasn’t there to harm her but actually needed her help.

Basically, Nile and Booker are both adorable dumbasses who didn’t realize each other’s true natures.

When Nile facetimes her mom and brother to let them know she and Booker are not only together but that he’s also a werewolf, the two of them joke that they’re shocked she didn’t realize something was up with Booker. After all, he was all over her and the house when they visited her for Thanksgiving. And in what were clearly wolfy courting rituals. He also was pretty submissive to Nile’s mom and especially her brother. That was clearly a sign of Booker accepting her family. Also, witch and werewolf pairings occur pretty naturally in the mystical world.

So it was no wonder that Booker was literally sniffing around her for months on end before they slept together. His scenting of her also increased afterward. Didn’t Nile realize how much Booker loved it whenever she wore his clothes? Because it meant Nile was voluntarily wearing his own scent and accepted him into her life .

Nile is aghast. Her mother and brother roll their eyes but are happy for the pair of them.

As Nile and Booker settle into their relationship and Nile’s friendships with the other four deepen, things are going well. That is until Merrick and his assistant in Keane suddenly show up into town.

It turns out they’re trophy monster hunters who have heard rumors of witches and werewolves out in the woods. The townspeople immediately find Merrick extremely irritating and Keane scarily aggressive. With Merrick and Keane sniffing around, Andy, Quynh, Yusuf, Nicolò, Booker and Nile are on high alert.

Will they be able to survive Merrick and Keane’s invasion of their little town? And will Booker and Nile’s courtship be able to weather the coming storm?

[allthingsfangirl101]

Wish I Were Heather–Zac Efron

Inspired by the song, Heather by Conan Gray

Dating a famous actor is tough. Now, dating him in secret is just sheer torture. Everyone, literally everyone, has an opinion about who he should be with and who would look great on his arm. And I am not even close to them. They are all beautiful, famous, rich, dropped-dead gorgeous women. I'm just average.

The recent girl that fans want Zac to start dating is his costar, Heather Manning. She's a rising star who started off as a model. She had a few cameos in tv shows at first, but her career shot off from there.

Anything anyone can talk about is Zac Efron and Heather Manning. People are obsessed with the leaked set photos that have been released. They love how the two look together.

Zac's fans think I am just his friend who is always around. They actually hate me. They think it's annoying that I follow him around, not doing anything. When asked, he tells people that I am his lifelong best friend who moved to LA with him.

They don't know that we've actually been dating since before his career. It all started junior year of high school. I had been studying so much for my AP test, ACT, and SAT that I got sick and ended up fainting in the middle of class.

Zac rode with me to the hospital and sat next to me every day I was there. When I was released, he was at my house 24/7, constantly around me to make sure I was taking care of myself. About a week after it happened, I asked why he refused to leave my side. That's when he admitted his feelings for me and I confessed mine for him.

In the first few months of his career, we had a long-distance relationship. The second I graduated high school, I went to LA to live with him. We talked about it and agreed to keep our relationship a secret from all of Zac's fans.

It was actually Zac's idea. He hadn't wanted his fans to try and get in the way of us or try and influence us. He wanted our relationship to be just that; us. Even though I agreed to keep our relationship a secret, it was hard. Everywhere I turned, someone was hitting on Zac, asking him out, or trying to get him to ask them out.

I tried to act like it didn't bother me, but of course it did. After a while, it started to get to me. It's exhausting trying to act like it didn't bother me. Zac is a famous actor and I'm just me.

I got a degree online in marketing, but I don't do anything with it. All I do is sit at home and do random chores around the apartment while I wait for Zac to come home.

I still remember, Third of December, Me in your sweater. You said it looked better on me than it did you, Only if you knew, How much I liked you.

"Hey, babe." I looked away from my book to see Zac walking in the door.

"Hi," I said softly. I put my book down and pulled my legs under myself as he walked over and sat next to me.

"How was your day?" He asked, reaching over and putting his hand on my knee.

"It was fine," I said under my breath as I looked away.

"Hey," he said gently. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, not even convincing myself. I sighed as I looked back up at him. "What?" I asked when I saw the way he was smirking at me.

"You're wearing my favorite sweater," he chuckled as he scooted closer to me and put my feet on his lap. I smiled as he rubbed my calves.

"I was cold," I shrugged. He laughed as he leaned over and pressed his lips to mine in a short, gentle kiss.

"Well," he said when he broke the kiss. "It looks better on you anyway."

                       * * * * *

But I watch your eyes as she walks by. What a sight for sore eyes, Brighter than a blue sky. She's got you mesmerized. While I die

"They just sent me the trailer for my new movie. Wanna watch it?" Zac asked as he laid his head down on my lap and propped up his phone. I sighed as he pressed play.

I tried to be supportive and watch it, but it was too painful. Instead of watching the trailer, my eyes never strayed from Zac. It was hard to watch the smile on his face.

"So," he laughed as he sat up when the trailer ended. "What did you think?"

"I love it," I smiled through the pain. "It's going to be an amazing movie."

Zac turned towards me and grabbed my hands, intertwining our fingers. "Babe, you know that this is just for show, right? I mean. . . It's just for the movie."

"I know," I laughed it off. "We already talked about it before you started filming. I know that every cute moment, every kiss is just for the movie. I trust you, Zac."

"Damn, I love you," he laughed as he leaned over and pressed his lips to mine.

Why would you ever kiss me? I'm not even half as pretty. You gave her your sweater. It's just polyester, but you like her better Wish I were Heather

I broke the kiss when the image of Heather kissing Zac was stuck in my head. I smiled as I leaned back and grabbed my book. He watched me for a second before turning his attention back to his phone.

I have been supportive of Zac and his career through every moment, but it's getting harder. Watching the love of my life on screen with a beautiful actress was torture. It just reminded me that I wasn't anywhere near to being part of his league.

                       * * * * *

Watch as she stands with Her holding your hand. Put your arm 'round her shoulder, Now I'm getting colder.

I smoothed out my dress, trying to wipe away the nerves. Zac walked into the front room and smiled. "Wow," he chuckled. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I blushed as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. I smoothed out my dress again, looking down at my feet.

"Nervous?" He smirked as he walked over and grabbed my hands.

"Always," I chuckled. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.

"It's going to be okay," he smirked when he broke the kiss. "Besides, I'm the one who should be nervous. I bring you along with me so you can keep me calm."

The whole drive to his premiere, my stomach was in knots. The idea of constantly being around my secret boyfriend and the girl I've been secretly comparing myself to made me sick.

We pulled into the theater and everything happened as if someone was fast-forwarding through the night. We walked the red carpet, but when we got to the paparazzi, he was taken away from me. They didn't want pictures of us. They wanted pictures of Zac and Heather.

I stood to the side, my arms wrapped around myself as I watched them take pictures. The more poses they went through and the closer they seemed to get together, the lower my stomach dropped. When it got too much, I turned on my heel and walked inside.

                       * * * * *

But how could I hate her? She's such an angel But then again, kinda wish she were dead. As she walks by, What a sight for sore eyes, Brighter than a blue sky. She's got you mesmerized, While I die.

The entire time we watched his movie, my heart was in my stomach. I found it incredibly hard to watch Zac on-screen fall in love with a girl ten times prettier than me.

I know how much my boyfriend loves me. I know he would never cheat on me or hurt me. I know I was being insecure, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was the off-brand version of Heather Manning.

Zac's new movie, The Lucky One, is based on the book written by Nicholas Sparks. Zac plays Logan Thibault, a US Marine who finds a photograph of a young woman while serving in Iraq. He carries it around as a good luck charm, and later tracks down the woman, Heather's character, Beth.

Watching Heather act was almost bewitching. I say almost because it's as painful as is it bewitching. I fought the tears as long as I could, but the longer I watched the man I'm in love with fall in love with another woman, the harder it got.

The tears finally started streaming down my cheeks as the movie came to an end. As Zac's and Heather's characters lived "happily ever after", I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed my bag and ignored Zac's questioning look as I ran out of the theatre.

                       * * * * *

Why would you ever kiss me? I'm not even half as pretty. You gave her your sweater. It's just polyester, but you like her better. I wish I were Heather

"Y/N?!" Zac called out as he ran out of the theater following me. "Stop. Please!"

I froze but didn't turn around. I wrapped my arms around myself as I waited for Zac to speak up.

"Babe," he said, his voice barely audible. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," I stuttered.

"Y/N, come on," he sighed. "You've been acting kind of weird the past couple of weeks. Months, really. Talk to me, Y/N. Please? What's going on?"

"I can't do this," I whispered, more to myself than to him.

"What?" Zac asked, the annoyance building in his voice. "Just talk to me, Y/N. What's going on?"

"I can't do this anymore, Zac!" I yelled as I turned around. He froze when he saw the tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Y/N," he said softly, my name getting caught in his throat. "What are you. . ."

"All I hear about every day is which beautiful actress your fans want you to be with, what girls are worth your time, and what kind of girl should make you happy. And guess what! I'm not even close to any of them."

"Y/N," he tried to interrupt, but I didn't let him.

"And the worst part is that I agreed to this!" I laughed sarcastically. "We talked about it and both agreed to keep us a secret. But I wasn't. . ."

"Y/N," he tried again.

"I didn't know how hard this would be, Zac," I said, not skipping a beat. "Because it's incredibly hard. Keeping us a secret is emotionally draining and exhausting. I love you, Zac but. . . I don't know how much longer I can do this."

"Y/N, please," he said desperately. "We don't have. . ."

I shook my head, the tears no longer streaming down my cheeks as I slowly walked away from him. "You should be with Heather or someone like her. . . Not me."

"Y/N, what are you talking about?" Zac asked, running his hands through his hair. "Just. . . Slow down, okay? Can we sit down and talk about this?"

"No," I said, taking another step back. "This has been going on too long, Zac. And you know it. I can't. . . I'm not good enough for you. You deserve a beautiful actress or a model. And I'm not like that. I'm average. I don't even have a job."

"So?" He scoffed. "I don't care about that! We've known each other all of our lives, Y/N. And you aren't average. You're my best friend, the love of my life. Besides, I don't want some girl who's looking for her next big career move. I want someone who really knows me. I want you."

"Zac, please just stop," I said, my voice getting caught in my throat. "Why would you ever want me?"

"Why wouldn't I want you?" Zac laughed awkwardly but stopped when he saw the look on my face. "Y/N, baby, please. . ."

I shook my head as I took a few steps back. Before he could say anything or do anything, I turned on my heel and left.

                       * * * * *

I was laying down on our couch, my knees up to my chest. There were dried tears on my cheeks as I numbly watched the tv. I wasn't sure what I was watching or what was happening, but I didn't care.

I sucked in a breath when I heard the lock click and the door open. I resisted the urge to look at Zac as he walked in.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm kind of surprised you're still up."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him take off his suit jacket and drape it over the Lazyboy. I bit my lip as he sat on the couch by my feet. I heard Zac sigh before laying down and pulling me into his chest. He spooned me, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Can we please talk?" He whispered. I shrugged, knowing my voice would fail me. Besides, I said everything I had to say back at the theater.

"I had no idea that this was so hard on you," he sighed. "If I had known. . . I'm so sorry, babe. I should've known that keeping us a secret would be hard on you. But I. . . Damn, I've been really selfish, haven't I? I've been a horrible boyfriend," he whispered, rubbing his hands up and down his face. "I've been selfish and. . . I haven't. . ."

I finally looked at him when he sat up, but he didn't look towards me. Instead, he stared straight ahead, probably overthinking all of this. And that made me feel guilty.

"I am so sorry, Y/N." He shifted more towards me and grabbed my hands. "Things are going to be different. I promise. I am going to announce that we are dating, living together, everything. I am going to set up an interview to only talk about you. I'm going to take some time off so we can spend more time together. I'm so sorry I've been horrible to you."

"Zac," I said gently, interrupting him.

He stopped talking and waited for me to continue. I smiled as I reached up and cupped his cheek in my hand. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He deepened the kiss by wrapping his arms around me, pulling me closer to him.

He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against mine. "I'm so sorry," he repeated. "So so sorry, babe. I should've. . . And I. . . I'm sorry."

"Hey," I said, leaning back so I could look at him. "I love you."

He smiled, looking as if he was relieved. "I love you too, Y/N. I'm so sorry."

"So you've said," I teased him. "Besides, I agreed to keep us a secret. I should've talked to you sooner instead of running out of your premiere. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said instantly. There was a brief moment of silence before Zac asked, "So. . . We're okay? I mean. . ."

I laughed as I cupped his cheek in my hand. "Of course we're okay. I love you, Zac. Always have, always will."

"I love you too," Zac whispered as he leaned in and pressed a short, gentle kiss to my lips. "Besides, why would I want Heather when I have you?"

Heather tried to kiss me. She's not even half as pretty. Yes, I gave her my sweater, But it's just polyester. And I like you better. I don't care for Heather.

[purplehairedwonder]

Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 12

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 4629 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Chopper, Usopp, Brook, Zoro, Nami, Franky, Smoker, Tashigi, Doflamingo Notes: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song “Hearts Without Chains.”

The nickname Doflamingo uses for Law in this chapter is a nod to the story “Worth” by Doctor_Cyance.

Warning: This chapter contains the description of a panic attack.

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he's 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law finds a strange connection to Monkey D. Luffy, which offers a glimpse of something he's repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

After leaving the control room, Law followed the echoing cacophony of the fully collected Straw Hat crew through the halls of the lab. Smoker trailed behind him, tension on the acrid air surrounding him. The moment Law had realized what he’d let the vice admiral hear about his past, he’d debated whether to let Smoker return to the Marines with that information. But the feeling of Vergo’s heartbeat stopping in his hand was still fresh in his mind, and he didn’t particularly feel like ending yet another life today after everything that had happened.

If the other man tried to talk to him about it, though… Well, Law couldn’t make any promises then.

As he walked, Law considered his situation. With Vergo dead, the main source of the rumor of Law’s disloyalty was gone. Law had the dead man’s Den Den Mushi in his pocket, and even if he had recorded Law’s words, Law would simply destroy the recording. For a brief moment, Law considered ending his partnership with the Straw Hats since he’d taken care of his main target, but he dismissed the idea almost as soon as it crossed his mind. Law could pretend he’d never seen Vergo on Punk Hazard, but Doflamingo would hear of Vergo’s death eventually, and, considering the cause of death, there would be no mistaking who had killed him.

Not to mention, Law had obviously failed in the mission he’d been sent to complete—and he couldn’t imagine finishing it now. Not when he couldn’t shake the startled recognition that had struck him as he and Straw Hat had shaken hands that the pull in his chest had gone still, as though Law were where he was meant to be.

No, even with Vergo dead, Law was still just as stuck as he had been the moment Vergo had arrived on the island. He had no choice—either for himself or his nakama—but to continue on the path he was on.

Laughs and shouts bounced off the lab’s metal walls, and, as Law and his stewing shadow approached the source, Law recalled the blueprints he’d been provided; this must be the Biscuit Room, he thought as he stepped into the large, colorful space. He’d wondered at the name as he’d pored over the schematics on his way over, but now he understood. Smoker stepped up next to him and made a disapproving sound at the sight of what was clearly a space for children—children who had become science experiments for a mad clown.

Law narrowed his eyes, assessing the scene in front of him. It seemed the Straw Hats had taken care of their enemies with alacrity. Both Caesar and Monet were wrapped in what Law hoped were Seastone chains (he had warned them) and slumped against the wall. The cat burglar stood not far from them, hands on her hips and a small smile curving her lips as she watched the antics of her crewmates. Smoker’s second stood on the other side of the captives, clearly having taken it upon herself to guard them. G-5 soldiers milled about close to the swordswoman, refusing to fully engage with the pirates.

“Oh, Torao! You’re here!”

Law looked up to see Straw Hat across the room. He was perched atop the back of a couch next to Zoro, who appeared to be dozing. Long Nose sat across from them, his slingshot in hand. It looked like they’d been in the middle of a lively conversation before Law had caught the other captain’s attention. Nico Robin sat next to Long Nose, one leg crossed primly over the other and her hands clasped in her lap. She was smiling, as though enjoying whatever her nakama were discussing. The cyborg sat on the floor next to her. The skeleton, for his part, was wandering around the room, playing a jaunty tune on a violin. (At this point, Law didn’t have it in him to question where that had come from.)

That left the tanuki, Black Leg, and the samurai. Considering none of the children were present, Law had a feeling he knew what the little doctor was up to, anyway. Law idly wondered if he was having any luck treating the children before shoving the thought aside; he didn’t like thinking about his own history with looking to other doctors for help.

“Straw Hat-ya,” Law replied, stepping further into the room.

“What happened to that Verto guy?”

Law tightened his grip on Kikoku briefly. “Dead.”

Straw Hat simply nodded, but outraged noises erupted from the other side of the room. Law turned to look at the prisoners.

“What?” Caesar gasped loudly. “But he’s—”

“So, he was right,” Monet said, the quiet betrayal in her voice more painful than Law had expected it to be. “You were a traitor after all. I didn’t believe him when he told us.”

Though he hated the Family as a whole for what they had taken from him—and continued to take as they held his crew’s lives over his head—Law had spent years with people like Monet once he’d been brought to Dressrosa. And he didn’t hate them all as individuals. Monet was a lot like Law himself, having been rescued by the Family after an unspeakable trauma along with her sister. But, unlike Law, she hadn’t been freed from the corrosive influence of the Donquixote Pirates. She’d been fully indoctrinated and would never believe the truth of who Doflamingo truly was that Law had witnessed on Minion Island. Doffy had her undying loyalty.

Law’s jaw tightened. “He didn’t give me much choice.”

“I can’t believe you teamed up with these… idiots,” Caesar said, lips curling in disgust as he looked at the Straw Hats.

“Idiots?” the cyborg called. “That’s super rude.”                      

“These idiots kicked your butt,” Long Nose reminded him, aiming an empty sling shot in his direction. “So, what does that say about you?”

Caesar made some incomprehensible frustrated noises in response, but Monet simply looked at Law, her usually placid expression tinged with hurt. “Why, Corazon? After everything the Young Master’s given you?”

Law snorted, an ugly sound that caused Monet to recoil. He knew exactly where he stood with Doflamingo—the Warlord’s tool and plaything and the means to an end—and none of it was for Law’s sake.

It was never for anyone’s sake but his own.

Doflamingo liked to act like he was generous with his Family, but all he really knew how to do was take. He gave but took twofold in return—his gifts came with strings, literally and figuratively. The cost was unflinching allegiance to a madman, pieces of one’s soul irreparably damaged by every act of loyalty, every drop of blood spilled in the name of a man who believed himself a god. And the Family was happy to pay the price; Law once had felt the same before he’d been saved.

Doflamingo was also unflinching in taking from those who refused to pay fealty. He’d taken Cora-san all those years ago for saving Law. He’d taken Law’s and his friends’ freedom on a no-name island in the North Blue. He took the very existences of his enemies in Dressrosa, using Sugar’s abilities to erase them from memory and enslave them as toys.

It was fitting, Law had thought when he’d first learned of the scope of the operation in the kingdom; Doflamingo was a puppet master, literally pulling strings. He saw others as his toys to play with as he wished. Law was nothing more than another one of those toys, though a supposedly privileged one, sitting on the Heart Throne. But it was nothing more than a gilded cage. Law’s eventual purpose was still to die for Doflamingo’s immortality. After everything else he’d taken from Law, he also intended to take Law’s life. And he expected Law to give it willingly; anything else would break the illusion of Doflamingo’s complete control.

“He’s given me nothing,” Law replied coldly. Nothing that he hadn’t taken back countless times over as he whittled Law down into the shape he wanted as his Corazon, anyway.

Monet opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by a loud wail as the Straw Hats’ little doctor came out of a side room.

“Chopper, what’s wrong?” the cat burglar asked, hurrying to his side.

“I’ve tried everything I can think of,” he said, “but the drugs in their system are just too strong, and I don’t fully understand their interactions.”

“Of course, they’re strong,” Caesar sniffed. “I made them, and I’m a genius.”

“Shut up, clown,” Nami hissed before turning back to her crewmate. “So, what does that mean?”

“If I can’t get the drugs out of their system, they won’t get better,” the tanuki sniffed. “I can treat the symptoms, but I can’t cure them.”

“Let Torao take a look!”

Law jerked in surprise as rubbery limbs wound tightly around his shoulders and the too-loud voice rang in his ears. (His concussion complained with a painful pang in response, and Law winced.) He hadn’t even noticed Straw Hat moving from the couch. Law prodded at him with Kikoku’s hilt in a futile attempt to dislodge him, but Straw Hat just grinned at him.

The Straw Hats’ doctor eyed Law uncertainly. “I don’t know, Luffy…”

“He’s a good doctor,” Luffy said with a decisive nod. “He saved me.”

After several failed attempts to detach the other captain—the freaking limpet—Law sighed and satisfied himself with the biggest eyeroll he could manage.

“Do you think that’s a good idea, Luffy?” the cat burglar asked. Her suspicions remained, and Law could respect that. Someone on this crew needed to exercise some common sense.

“Torao can look at them,” Straw Hat said, unswayed.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Law demanded. Being talked about like he wasn’t present was one of his (admittedly many) pet peeves.

“Shishishi,” Straw Hat chuckled. “You’ll look at them, won’t you?”

In hindsight, as Law followed the tanuki to the room he’d been seeing the children in, he’d like to say he agreed because disagreeing with Straw Hat over it would be too much trouble, and, with his head injury, he didn’t have it in him to argue. But the truth was that there was something in the wide, trusting grin Straw Hat effortlessly threw in his direction and the responding warmth in his chest that made the agreement roll off his tongue before he could stop it.

He listened with half an ear as the tanuki explained what he’d already tried with the children and what he’d found. Though Law wasn’t privy to the exact goings-on in the lab, he had a sense of how ugly some of the projects Doflamingo had his fingers in were, so nothing he heard surprised him.

“L-look, Corazon,” the little doctor said once he finished his recitation, voice trembling slightly as he turned to face Law, hooves on his hips. “These kids have been through a lot. They’re scared and in pain and want to go home. D-don’t make it worse, okay? O-or I’ll kick your ass myself!”

Law had never seen anything less intimidating—and his best friend was a polar bear mink, which said something—but he still respected the sentiment. That protective instinct toward a patient was the attitude a true healer should have, one Law had seen in his parents as they fought for the people of Flevance while it was ravaged by plague. And, despite all the blood he’d spilled over the years, it was a feeling he could feel stirring deep, deep within himself, too.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Law replied. “You probably shouldn’t be here while I work, though.”

“What? Why?”

“My methods are… unorthodox,” Law settled on. Though the Ope Ope no Mi’s effects were bloodless and painless, that didn’t make them any less disturbing to most people who saw them.

The tanuki hemmed and hawed for several moments, and Law felt his impatience growing until he just opened a Room and approached the kids. The little doctor yelped and followed him.

“You’re that man from outside,” one of the kids said as Law approached, frowning at him.

“I am,” Law agreed.

“What are you going to do to us?” another child asked, arms crossed defensively.

Law felt his eye twitch at the assumption he was there to hurt them, but Law had attacked the people who were trying to help them escape. He wasn’t entirely sure what to say—he knew a thing or two about being a traumatized child, but that didn’t make him an expert on dealing with others.

“Corazon here is a doctor,” the tanuki said, coming up next to Law.

That piqued the interest of some of the children.

“A doctor?”

“Like you?

“What kind of name is Corazon, anyway?”

“Law.” Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. “That’s my name,” he clarified, startling even himself. “Corazon is a title, but…” But he didn’t work for the Donquixote Family anymore now that he’d sided with the Straw Hats, did he?

He glanced down to see the Straw Hat doctor looking at him curiously. “What?” he demanded, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, like he was being looked through rather than at. He couldn’t help but be reminded of Bepo when looking at the small creature, and Bepo had always known Law better than anyone—often better than Law himself.

“Nothing,” the little doctor squeaked before looking back at the kids. “Doctor Law here is going to look at you. I’ll be just outside if you need me!”

With that, he glanced back at Law once more then left the room, closing the door behind him. Law, curious at the tanuki’s sudden agreement to leave Law and the kids alone, turned back to the children. He took a breath and unsheathed Kikoku to perform a Scan.

-----

Once Law was finished his work, he left the delighted children chattering to each other about what it was like having their body parts removed and opened the door. The Straw Hat’s doctor was sitting just outside, and he perked up at Law’s appearance.

“Well?”

“I was able to remove all traces of the drugs from their system,” Law said. “But most of them will be dealing with the effects of long-term exposure. With rehab, they should all be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Law said, slightly annoyed at having his professional opinion questioned. Though he didn’t truly blame the tanuki; whatever Caesar had been experimenting on with these children, he’d given them some incredibly potent drug combinations that Law had never seen. Anyone without the power of Law’s fruit would have had a hard, if not impossible, time treating these children.

As Law had initially Scanned the children and seen the degenerative effects of the drugs they’d been exposed to, he’d been reminded of the charts he’d seen in his parents’ clinic of patients with Amber Lead Disease and the devastating effects on the body; he’d had to forcibly shake himself from the memory to continue working.

He started as the tanuki hurled himself at Law and wrapped his little arms around Law’s legs. The Straw Hats were far too affectionate for Law’s comfort.

“Thank you!” he said, looking up at Law with teary eyes. “I didn’t know what I was going to do for them!”

“It’s nothing,” Law said, lightly shaking his leg in an attempt to remove the other doctor. He was finding himself saying that a lot around the Straw Hats, he realized. He wasn’t sure he wanted to examine that any more closely.

The tanuki finally released Law’s leg and wiped his eyes with a hoof. “Luffy was right.” He gave Law a weak smile. “So, thank you for this. And for saving Luffy when I couldn’t. Law.”

Law opened his mouth to wave off the thanks again, but he shut it when he heard his name. Looking at the little creature, he felt his chest clench as he was reminded of Bepo when he’d called earlier. “I knew it, Captain. I knew you were still in there.”

He thought of the small feeling of satisfaction he got from healing Black Leg’s fracture, from knowing his hands could still heal after everything else they’d done.

Maybe Bepo was right, and the boy he’d sworn to follow no matter what thirteen years earlier was still in Law somewhere. Law had long thought that boy dead in the North Blue, but Bepo had always been the wisest of the Hearts.

“They’re your patients, Tony-ya,” Law said, recalling the doctor’s name from his—frankly ludicrous—wanted poster. “I was just helping out.”

Chopper’s face lit up at Law’s use of his name, but he tried to hide his pleasure. “That doesn’t make me happy, you bastard.”

Law’s lips twitched as he left Chopper to deal with the children now that they were no longer poisoned and headed back to the Biscuit Room.

When he entered, Straw Hat perked up immediately, as though he had a radar for Law’s presence. “Oi, Torao!”

“How are the children?” Nico Robin asked, eyes following her captain’s gaze.

“I removed the drugs from their systems,” Law said. “They should be fine with some long-term treatment.”

“What?” Caesar squeaked. “You shouldn’t be able to—”

Before Law could open a Room to shut the clown up, the cat burglar smacked him on the head. “Shut up, you slimy bastard. You’re lucky Torao here was able to help the kids. If he hadn’t been able to…” She trailed off, but the implication remained.

“Still not my name,” Law muttered.

“Still doesn’t matter,” the cat burglar replied in a singsong.

Law sighed and rubbed a hand over his face then looked back up at the other Straw Hats. “Now what?” He had no idea how long he’d been working on the children, but if his waning stamina was any indication, it had been a while. It must be getting late.

“The Marines called for backup,” Nico Robin said, “but the closest ship won’t arrive until tomorrow.”

“Captain Tashigi will be taking charge of the children,” the cat burglar added, a softness in her expression. “She’ll take good care of them.”

“And our next stop is Dressroba!” Straw Hat said.

“Dressrosa,” Law corrected automatically, stomach tightening at the thought.

“From the maps, Dressrosa seems to be fairly close,” Long Nose said, pointing to some maps spread out on a table between the sofas.

“It is,” Law agreed. “Maybe half a day.”

Half a day to figure out how to extricate Law and his nakama from Doflamingo’s strings.

It wasn’t enough time.

The cat burglar nodded thoughtfully as she came up next to the table and looked at the maps. She was their navigator, if Law remembered correctly. “It’s too late to set sail tonight,” she said. “We thought we’d leave in the morning.”

Law nodded curtly. “Fine.”

“So, you want to tell us what we’re walking into when we get there?” Zoro asked, arms crossed and eye narrowed.

Law opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by the muted sound of ringing. Law reached into his coat pocket and found his Den Den Mushi waiting to be answered.

There was only one person that could be.

“Shit,” Law cursed.

He had no interest in letting the Straw Hats or Marines overhear this call, so he quickly formed a Room and Shambled into the first space that came to mind: the control room. He landed on the couch in place of a pillow he’d switched with.

He set Kikoku to his side and stared at the snail for a moment before answering.

“Doffy.”

“Corazon,” Doflamingo replied. Law tried to listen for anything off in his voice, any sense he knew Law had really betrayed him after all. “How is the mission going?”

Law hesitated only a moment as he calculated the best response to give. “It’s done.”

“And there were no… complications?”

Law knew he was imagining it, but he couldn’t help but feel like Vergo’s corpse was staring at him from across the room.

“No. The intruders were taken care of.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ve been trying to call Monet but haven’t received a response.”

“She was injured during the fight,” Law said, the lie falling from his lips without a second thought. “I treated her wounds, and she’s currently sleeping.”

Doffy hummed in response. “I see. And Caesar?”

“The clown is locked away in his lab,” Law replied, allowing his disdain for the scientist creep into his voice. Doffy wouldn’t be surprised by it. “I don’t know how Monet puts up with him.”

Doffy chuckled. “She does it for me.”

“Of course.”

“And when do you plan to return home?”

“I’ll set sail in the morning.”

“Excellent. I knew you were the right man for this mission. Until tomorrow, little bird.”

Law grimaced at the nickname as he hung up the call. The Birdcage haunted Law’s nightmares to this day, and he felt like nothing so much as a caged bird in Doflamingo’s service—and the man knew it. The nickname had become more regular since he’d started bringing Law into his bed, an act that had truly felt like clipping his wings.

And now the little broken bird was going to try to fly again.

It would never work.

Law could feel his heartrate picking up as his thoughts started to whirl.

Like he’d told Violet that morning—had that only been this morning? It felt like a lifetime ago—he was Doflamingo’s creature, possessed by the man inside and out.

He lifted a hand to his chest, only to find his entire arm shaking.

Doflamingo was a Warlord and a former Celestial Dragon.

Heat rose in his face.

Who was Law?

Bile rose in his throat.

Doflamingo was a dragon to Law’s bird.

He was going to throw up.

What was Law doing?

Law pushed himself to his feet and took a few unsteady steps forward and managed to round the couch, but his vision spun in front of him.

What was he thinking?

His feet tangled under him with his next step, and he crashed to the floor behind the couch.

He was going to get his nakama killed with this futile venture.

His breaths came in jagged pants, his tight chest struggling to inhale and exhale, and all he could hear was rushing in his ears.

Everything Law had done for the last nine years had been to keep his nakama safe, and now he was going to fail them completely.

Law’s entire body shook, and he curled in on himself.

And now he was going to get Luffy’s crew killed, too.

He screwed his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears as he struggled to breathe. The walls were closing in on him. He could feel the wood of the treasure chest beneath him and the treasure they’d shifted to fit Law into the chest at his back. The lid of the chest wouldn’t move since Cora-san had placed another chest atop it to disguise Law’s hiding place.

Law tried to summon a Room to escape, but his powers refused to cooperate, slipping through his fingers like sand.

Cora-san was going to die because he’d helped Law…

A cold sweat clung to his body.

The deafening cracks of gunshots, one after another, rang through Law’s ears and tears streamed down his face.

Law couldn’t make a sound because of Cora-san’s powers. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out except for ragged breaths.

He flinched hard as he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

Wait, a hand? Law was alone in the treasure chest.

The hand withdrew, and Law slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, all he could see was a blur in front of him—then red came into focus.

Doflamingo had worn red that night.

Law jolted backward until his back ran into something solid. He hissed through clenched teeth.

“—orao? Can you hear me?”

Law blinked slowly as a voice started to form words amidst the rushing in his ears. He felt the hand return to his shoulder, but he didn’t fight it off this time. Who—?

“Hey, Torao. It’s me. Can you hear me?”

It was Luffy.

Luffy hadn’t been on Minion Island.

Right.

Law wasn’t on Minion Island. He was on Punk Hazard.

Law wasn’t a sickly thirteen-year-old boy anymore. He was twenty-six and one of the most feared pirates in the New World.

Luffy squeezed Law’s shoulder when it was clear Law wasn’t going to freak out again.

Gradually, Law felt his heartrate slow, and his chest loosened, allowing him to take deeper breaths.

“Straw Hat-ya,” Law finally managed, voice rasping from his struggle to breathe. He pushed himself up off the floor, but his limbs felt like jelly, so he simply leaned against the back of the couch and pulled his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his knees.

Shame started to creep up the back of his neck as he realized he’d let Luffy see him having a panic attack—he hadn’t had one in years—only hours after making an alliance. He’d shown his allied captain how weak he truly was on the eve of taking on one of the most powerful men in the New World.

But Luffy simply smiled when Law acknowledged him and sat down next to Law, mirroring his position with his knees up to his chest. He rested his head on his knees and turned to look at Law.

Law resigned himself to questions about what had happened and was already considering how to reply, but Luffy surprised him.

“I used to get them after Ace died,” he said quietly. “Out in the forest alone when I trained with Rayleigh. I’d remember what happened and then I couldn’t breathe. I’d feel Ace dying in my arms and the fire in my chest all over again.” A soft smile returned. “But it got better when I saw my nakama again. They got easier to deal with when I wasn’t alone anymore.”

Looking at the other captain, Law realized that despite the grin that seemed permanently etched into Luffy’s face, he’d been through a lot in his short years. They had that in common. But where Law had retreated into himself to cope, Luffy turned outward. After coming to Dressrosa, Law had been too afraid to show any sign of weakness around the Donquixote Family, so he bottled everything up until it exploded. And the explosions tended to be violent.

“Doflamingo called,” Law said after a few silent moments by way of explanation.

“That Mingo’s a bad guy, huh?”                      

Law’s lips twitched tiredly at how simple Luffy made the situation. He rested his chin on the top of his knees. “Yes, he is.”

His eyes were getting heavy. Between the extended use of his fruit today and now the panic attack, Law supposed it was amazing he was even still awake. It was nothing new, though; working himself into unconsciousness was his preferred method of sleeping, despite the frequent protestations of his crew.

Law swallowed at the thought of his nakama back in Dressrosa.

“We’ll get him,” Luffy said confidently. “We’ll get Mingo, and we’ll save your nakama, Torao.”

Law grunted a response, and that seemed to be enough for Luffy.

They sat like that for a time, Luffy quieter than Law would have expected he could be. Despite the way Law’s thoughts had been a whirlwind before, they were quiet now. Gradually, Law’s eyes drifted closed, and he thought he might have felt an arm wrap around his shoulders before he went under completely.

Next chapter

[greatworldwar2]

• Battle of Madagascar

The Battle of Madagascar was the British campaign to capture the Vichy French-controlled island Madagascar during World War II.

Following the Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia east of Burma by the end of February 1942, submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy were moving freely throughout the north and eastern expanses of the Indian Ocean. In March 1942, Japanese aircraft carriers conducted the Indian Ocean raid upon shipping in the Bay of Bengal and bases in Colombo and Trincomalee in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This raid drove the British Eastern Fleet out of the area and they were forced to relocate to a new base at Kilindini, near Mombasa, in Kenya. The move made the British fleet more vulnerable to attack. The possibility of Japanese naval forces using forward bases in Madagascar had to be addressed. The potential use of these facilities particularly threatened Allied merchant shipping. If the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarines were able to utilise bases on Madagascar, Allied lines of communication would be affected across a region stretching from the Pacific and Australia, to the Middle East and as far as the South Atlantic.

On December 17th, 1941, Vice Admiral Fricke, Chief of Staff of Germany's Maritime Warfare Command (Seekriegsleitung), met Vice Admiral Naokuni Nomura, the Japanese Naval Attaché, in Berlin to discuss the delimitation of respective operational areas between the German Kriegsmarine and Imperial Japanese Navy forces. At another meeting on March 27th ,1942, Fricke stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean to the Axis powers and expressed the desire that the Japanese begin operations against the northern Indian Ocean sea routes. Fricke further emphasized that Ceylon, the Seychelles, and Madagascar should have a higher priority for the Axis navies. By April, the Japanese announced to Fricke that they intended to commit four or five submarines and two auxiliary cruisers for operations in the western Indian Ocean between Aden and the Cape of Good Hope, but they refused to disclose their plans for operations against Madagascar and Ceylon.

The Allies had heard the rumours of Japanese plans for the Indian Ocean, the British Chiefs of Staff discussed the possibility that the Vichy government might cede the whole of Madagascar to Japan, or alternatively permit the Japanese Navy to establish bases on the island. British naval advisors urged the occupation of the island as a precautionary measure. On December 16th, General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French in London, sent a letter to the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in which he also urged a Free French operation against Madagascar. Churchill recognised the risk of a Japanese-controlled Madagascar to Indian Ocean shipping, particularly to the important sea route to India and Ceylon, and considered Madagascar's ports as the strategic key to Japanese influence. By March 12th, 1942, Churchill had been convinced of the importance of such an operation and the decision was reached that the planning of the invasion of Madagascar would begin in earnest. It was agreed that the Free French would be explicitly excluded from the operation.

On the 14th, Force 121 was constituted under the command of Major-General Robert Sturges of the Royal Marines with Rear-Admiral Edward Syfret being placed in command of naval Force H and the supporting sea force. The operation was planned to commence around April 30th,1942. This was to be the first British amphibious assault since the disastrous landings in the Dardanelles twenty-seven years earlier. The task was Operation Ironclad, it would include Allied naval, land and air forces. The Allied naval contingent consisted of over 50 vessels, drawn from Force H, the British Home Fleet and the British Eastern Fleet, commanded by Syfret. The landing force included the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group, No 5 (Army) Commando, and two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division, the latter en route to India with the remainder of their division.

Following many reconnaissance missions by the SAAF (South African Air Force), the first wave of the British 29th Infantry Brigade and No. 5 Commando landed in assault craft on May 5th, 1942. Follow-up waves were by two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division and Royal Marines. All were carried ashore by landing craft to Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, just west of the major port of Diego-Suarez, at the northern tip of Madagascar. Air cover was provided mainly by Fairey Albacore and Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers which attacked Vichy shipping. They were supported by Grumman Martlets fighters from the Fleet Air Arm. The defending Vichy forces, led by Governor General Armand Léon Annet, included about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 were Malagasy tirailleurs (colonial infantry). A large proportion of the rest were Senegalese. Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops were concentrated around Diego-Suarez.

The beach landings met with virtually no resistance and these troops seized Vichy coastal batteries and barracks. The 17th Infantry Brigade, after toiling through mangrove swamp and thick bush took the town of Diego-Suarez taking a hundred prisoners. The 29th Independent Brigade, headed towards the French naval base of Antisarane. With assistance from six Valentines and six Tetrarch light tanks of B Special Service Squadron they advanced 21 miles overcoming light resistance with bayonet charges. Antisarane itself was heavily defended with trenches, two redoubts, pillboxes. On the morning of May 6th, 1942 a frontal assault on the defences failed with the loss of three Valentines and two Tetrarchs. Another assault by the South Lancashires worked their way around the defences but bad terrain meant they were broken up into groups. Nevertheless, they swung behind the Vichy line and caused chaos. The radio station and a barracks were seized, in all 200 prisoners were taken.

With the French defence highly effective, the deadlock was broken when the old destroyer HMS Anthony dashed straight past harbour defences and landed fifty Royal Marines from Ramillies amidst the Vichy rear area. The marines secured the French artillery command post along with its barracks and the naval depot. At the same time troops of the 17th Infantry Brigade had broken through the defences and were soon marching in the town. The Vichy defence was broken, although substantial Vichy forces withdrew to the south. Hostilities continued at a low level for several months. After May 19th, 1942 two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division were transferred. By June 1942, the 22nd (East Africa) Brigade Group arrived on Madagascar. On September 10th, 1942 the 29th Brigade and 22nd Brigade Group made an amphibious landing at Majunga, another port on the west coast of the island. No. 5 Commando spearheaded the landing and faced machine gun fire but despite this they stormed the quayside, took control of the local post office, stormed the governor's residence and raised the Union Jack.

the Allies intended to re-launch the offensive ahead of the rainy season. Progress was slow for the Allied forces. In addition to occasional small-scale clashes with Vichy forces, they also encountered scores of obstacles erected on the main roads by Vichy soldiers. The Allies eventually captured the capital, Tananarive, without much opposition, and then the town of Ambalavao, but the devoutly Vichy Governor Annet escaped. Eight days later a British force set out to seize Tamatave. Heavy surf interfered with the operation. As HMS Birmingham's launch was heading to shore it was fired at by French shore batteries and promptly turned around. Birmingham then opened her guns up on the shores batteries and within three minutes the French hauled up the white flag. Tamatave fell into British hands. The last major action took place in October, at Andramanalina, a U-shaped valley with the meandering Mangarahara River where an ambush was planned for British forces by Vichy troops. The King's African Rifles split into two columns and marched around the 'U' of the valley and met Vichy troops in the rear and then ambushed them. The Vichy troops suffered heavy losses which resulted in 800 of them surrendering.

An armistice was signed in Ambalavao on November 6th, 1942, and Annet surrendered two days later. The Allies suffered about 500 casualties in the landing at Diego-Suarez, and 30 more killed and 90 wounded in the operations which followed September 1942. With Madagascar in Allied hands, they established military and naval installations across the island. The island was crucial for the rest of the war. Its deep water ports were vital to control the passageway to India and the Persian corridor, and this was now beyond the grasp of the Axis. This was the first large-scale operation of World War II by the Allies combining sea, land, and air forces. In the makeshift Allied planning of the war's early years, the invasion of Madagascar held a prominent strategic place. Free French General Paul Legentilhomme was appointed High Commissioner for Madagascar.

[mego42]

1x07 Discussion Questions

My b! My b! I usually try to do these when the episode is fresh but instead I went to sleep, I am at peace with my priorities, tbh. As always, many thanks to @pynkhues​ for her time and energy putting these together and shout out to @foxmagpie​ for the assist. 

1. What was your favourite scene of the episode? Tell us why!

Lot of contenders, tbh. I really love the scene with Mary Pat when she puts together the (extremely transparent) bullshit that is the whole secret shopper scheme (I mean come on y’all, did you even try????), I love Ruby and Stan’s date (high five to Stan for coming through with my parks & rec reference, it’s nice to know there is one (1) man I can count on). The Annie and Greg bit is REALLY SWEET LEAVE ME ALONE. The god tier brio content, specifically The Grab Heard Round The World My Living Room and the Give Me A Name bit. Some classic Rio nonsense (do you think if we asked him to point to an egg he’d point to an apple?) Tyler and his “reeeeeeally fill out the surveys?” was, obvs, the best moment on the entire show. Anyway, one of those for sure.

2. Was there any scene that missed the mark for you? And if so, how?

The Boomer setting up Annie stuff always falls flat to me and idk exactly why? Like, individual pieces of it are great, Mae does EXCELLENT work post police station and when getting arrested in the first place but ultimately I find it fairly forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

3. Let’s talk about the secret shopper scheme! What do you think were the strengths of it? The flaws? Do you think it had longterm potential? Or was it always going to crash and burn?

I said this during the rewatch but I straight up blocked out the fact that all of the shoppers are hitting the same store on the same day (waving around upwards of $5k in cash???? no less???????) because my brain cannot comprehend how three women we’re supposed to believe are reasonably intelligent didn’t realize this was the stupidest, most transparently obvious, most short-sighted scheme in the entire world. 

I struggled with the sustainability of it a bit when I thought they were spreading their efforts around (they roped in A Lot of people, there are only so many Costcos in the Detroit metro area and waving around that much cash and then returning it all, again for cash, is uh, already p memorable) but I could deal with it when I thought they were spreading it around. Short-sighted, immediate solutions are a cornerstone of Beth’s brand, after all, but all of them at the same store at the same day???? Too much. I cannot. 

4. The girls spent their money in very different ways! Ruby on romancing Stan, Annie on clothes for her son, and Beth on jewellery for herself. What do you think this tells us about them and their arcs? Particularly coming off the back of Ruby’s conflict with Stan, Ben’s issues at school with clothes, and Beth leaving Rio her pearls?

Love these connects. The show’s got a pretty clearly defined and consistent visual/character motifs (this may or may not be the word I’m looking for, shut up) when it comes to depicting the girls priorities and motivations. You also see it reflected and reinforced with their repeated coping mechanisms throughout the show. Whenever bad stuff happens, Ruby goes home to Stan, Annie crawls into bed with Ben and we usually close with Beth either alone (ouch david) or connecting with Rio in some way (exhibit a: the aforementioned pearls). 

In all of the instances it comes back to the heart of their priorities:

Stan is Ruby’s number one, (which isn’t to say her kids aren’t a part of that, I think Stan is both himself in this sense while also representing her whole Hill family unit—TV is all about visual shorthand kids—but also it serves to illustrate that Ruby has something Beth and Annie do not: a true partner). 

Ben is at the root of everything Annie does, she makes choices based on not only his. well-being, but how he sees her and he has the most influence over how she sees herself and what actions she takes as a result of that.

Beth, on the other hand, is at a contrasting point. She’s done the devoted partner and mother thing (lowkey implied by the little bits and pieces we get of her and Annie’s childhoods to some degree more or less for her entire life) and is now putting herself first, her needs, her wants. Which isn’t to say she doesn’t give a fuck about her family, she waits until she’s got a fat stack of cash and they’re taken care of before splurging on a thing, but as a symbol I think the necklace pretty clearly illuminates that for whatever Beth tells herself, she’s building an empire for herself, bc she wants it, needing it is secondary.

5. Eddie’s arrest is arguably what sets us on a collision course with the finale! Do you think Eddie was loyal to Rio until the end? How much do you think he told Turner? And what sort of loyalty do you think Rio inspires in his boys? And why doesn’t it translate with the girls?

OF COURSE EDDIE WAS LOYAL TO THE END HE HAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED HE HAS SOME KIND OF CODE OF HONOR HOW DARE YOU SLANDER MY BOY LIKE THAT.

Tbh idk how to answer the loyalty question without more information from canon because the gang and how they operate, how they all came together, etc is pretty well shrouded in not-central-narrative-focus, though I think it’s been implied somewhat heavily that what’s going on with the girls is not standard operating procedure.

My personal headcanon for Eddie is tied up in my personal backstory for Rio and Mick that I started for my (lmao first) Mick POV fic. I gave Rio and Mick a friends since we were kids backstory and decided Eddie was a kid in their neighborhood, slightly younger then them, and always looked up to them/followed them around/thought they were cool. He ultimately got involved in crime because they did and they looked out for him and brought him up with them (which, you know, makes how it all turns out that much more tragic). Obvs, this is all just me and my tendency to imprint on random side characters and give them backstories. Let me live.

6. This episode introduces us to Mary Pat, who’s probably one of this show’s most complicated antagonists! What do you think of her generally? And could you have predicted her arc with Boomer and Turner?

I love her and I’m done lying to myself about it.

LISTEN, first off, Allison Tolman is great. Her line delivery is fantastic, she has a knack for subtly adding SO MUCH to every scene she’s in and uses her face and inflection and pauses exquisitely. Top notch comedic timing. Truly a gem.

Second, on a character level, the lady is in a bad spot and the girls basically gift-wrapped the circumstances and handed them to her like here is a present!!!!!!!!!!!! What was a struggling girl to do besides accept what was offered to her??????!!!!!!???

7. This episode features a very pivotal scene in terms of the Beth, Ruby and Annie dynamic. What starts as tension between Annie and Beth quickly pivots when Ruby criticises Beth and Annie leaps to her sister’s defence. What do you think this tells us about the dynamic between the girls as pairs and as a trio?

I am so!!!! curious!!!!!!! about the backstory that exists in the writers’ heads for Ruby and Annie (all three of them, really, but the bff and little sister having an independent friendship is of particular interest to me bc it isn’t something you, or I guess I, run into a lot) and how much of it was defined at this point vs how much it’s evolved/fluctuated as the show goes on. This fight pretty clearly illuminated that when it really comes down to it, it’s Beth and Annie vs Ruby which a) breaks my heart and b) isn’t totally a dynamic I think the show ultimately stuck with? Or maybe intentionally fluctuates? Idk this is a half-baked thought. Ask again later. 

8. Greg is the one who kisses Annie! Who do you think left who in that relationship, and/or what were the biggest issues in that relationship?

I feel like there’s pretty much no way Annie wasn’t the one that called things off with Greg. Not just because of how it plays out this time but because he’s got a kind of persistent yet also go with the flow attitude that makes me think he would absorb a lot in the name of making it work whereas Annie seems to have a pretty established history of cutting her losses and bailing when she hits her limit. Based on how fond they are of each other and how much affection they clearly still hold, I tend to assume they just grew apart as they grew up which makes it almost more complicated and tragic because it leaves all of the good stuff and just mixes it with the knowledge that it wasn’t enough. 

9. What did you think of Ruby’s sauce story? And what do you think it meant as a turning point for her arc?

I HATE THIS STORY SO MUCH USED BAND AIDS ARE GROSS ENOUGH ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT MIXING IN FOOD SERVICE AND MONTHS, MONTHS, OF MARINATION. I REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT IT. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.

10. Knowing that Beth, Ruby and Annie’s system of paying Mary Pat off doesn’t work, do you think there was a way they could’ve handled her on their own that would’ve worked? Or do you think Rio’s intimidation (and potential murder) tactic was the only way out?

Idk maybe I’m just cynical, but I take trust no bitch to heart, they pretty well screwed themselves into a corner by being idiots. 

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Why The Seven Warlords Are Perfect Examples Of One Piece's World-Building

  So, in my opinion, successful worldbuilding requires two crucial things:

  1) Enough details that the world feels fleshed out.

  2) That the details are introduced and arranged in a way that feels natural.

  If you lack one, the other suffers. Too little of the first, and the world will seem dull and lifeless. If you stumble at the second,  the reader might as well look at a series' encyclopedia instead. Luckily, One Piece has both of these aspects in spades, with each new island the Straw Hats discover or character they meet or detail they learn usually feeling like a proper extension of what has come earlier. Even when they launch into the sky to rescue an island in the clouds or find themselves attacked by a horde of zombies or wander through a town made entirely of dessert foods, it never seems out of place or like it's stretching the series' internal logic — such is the strength of the series' world-building. 

  However, if one thing represents the consistent power of the series' world-building as a whole, I think it's the Warlords of the Sea. Based on the real-life privateers who would use their approval by a country's navy to plunder certain targets, they're notorious pirates who, in exchange for some of their money and a government favor from time to time, are allowed to roam the world un-targeted by the Marines. It's a pretty cool concept, one that creator Eiichiro Oda introduces through Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman.

    Mihawk is first seen cutting through Don Krieg's already wrecked ship, having terrorized the blustering pirate previously in the Grand Line. He is then more than willing to cut down (but not kill) Zoro after the young man challenges him to a duel. This combination establishes a grey area for One Piece, as so far, Luffy has only taken on guys like Morgan, Buggy, and Kuro — men that lean more toward abject cruelty when they're allowed (though we'll see Buggy change a little as the series goes on). It shows that the morality of pirates is a wide spectrum, so the fact that later, when it's revealed that Luffy doesn't see himself as a true hero, it doesn't come out of nowhere. 

  It also establishes the Grand Line as not just a place where Luffy will be forced to overcome bigger obstacles on the way to his dream, but a location of pure chaos for most. Mihawk is both a new character and an omen of terrifying things to come. 

  Soon after, we get our first reference to Jimbei (sadly, we'd have to wait over a decade to see our lovable fish uncle for the first time) and learn there are seven of these warlords. Not only does this number let us know that the Warlords have a fair bit of organization (or at least an attempt at organization by the government) but it also creates anticipation for meeting them and, in some cases, beating them. In many series, the protagonist faces boss battle after boss battle, with new villains seemingly coming out of nowhere after the last one goes down. But by establishing a group and a concrete amount here, Oda begins adding structure to what would normally seem like a revolving door system of bad guys. When Luffy faces Crocodile (and later Moria and Kuma and Doflamingo) he isn't punching an escalating, random assortment of foes. He's taking on a system pre-set by Oda in the beginning.

    Crocodile's role in the series goes a long way in not only giving us an idea of how huge some of these challenges will be for Luffy going forward on his adventure but also revealing crucial details about the political landscape of the Grand Line. Through Crocodile's plot, we learn that many of these kingdoms are ruled by a monarchy, but are often ripe for revolution, as the relationship between the royalty and their citizens is unsteady at best.

  This is not only a reflection of what the Great Pirate Era has done to regular people (many live in fear of pirates and hunger for comfort from the ruling party) but also of the wider relationship with the world government. We haven't even met the higher-ranking Marines or the Elders yet, and yet we know the job they're doing taking care of the Grand Line probably isn't very good if the influence of outside corruption constantly threatens to lead to all-out war in a kingdom. 

  When Blackbeard attempts to gain membership in the Warlords, is rejected, and then finally admitted upon his capture of Ace, it further reveals an unsteady systemic power balance. So hungry for reputation is the World Government that they grant Blackbeard status without much thought given to it. He's allowed to join the club simply because he nabbed Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander. And when the Straw Hats get to Thriller Bark (and are first told of things that will pay off muuuuch later like Wano and Kaido), this pride is taken a step further when Moria refuses Kuma's help in dealing with Luffy. 

    This kind of worldwide instability and constant thirst for power helps us better engage with stuff like Crocodile's quest to find the ancient weapon Pluton or the fact that, over the years, Doflamingo has seemingly been involved with every criminal activity ever, or the way that Boa Hancock stayed a member of the group even though she obviously seems like she's on Team Luffy for a chunk of the Marineford War. Additional bits like that don't matter in the slightest if it doesn't fit with the world-building themes of the series so far, but in One Piece they all become reasonable parts of the total package.

    Good world-building is so much more than being able to tell readers which way the toilets flush or how a certain character like their meat cooked (though both of those are nice additions). It's taking the over-arching structure of a story and making it so cohesive that no matter what detail you decide to spackle in there, it fits and sticks. Everything works with everything else because the reader understands the system you're playing with. Through the Warlords, Oda didn't just introduce a multitude of characters and locations and new pieces of lore to obsess over but helped to reinforce and strengthen wider themes already in place. That's good writing. 

  Who is your favorite Warlord? Let me know in the comments!

      Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

      By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[electronicdelusionstarlight]

Alright, I’ve gotten back into writing Spider-Man.

I’m scrapping the Wonder Woman x Spider-Man open relationship with Mary Jane X Felicia Open relationship that ultimately culminates into a 4 people polycule where Peter gets pegged, and go for something a bit more simple. So, I’m sorry for the, like, 20 kudos I received on Ao3 over that, and 31 favorites on HF, but that’s abandoned at the moment.

So, new idea...

Amazing Spinnerete, an AU where MJ gets bitten by the spider instead.

(Spider-Woman and Jackpot were already taken and Spider-Girl didn’t sound right to her, as if it was too early for that).

1) Peter, who doesn’t get any powers ever for the entirety of my story (unlike I was planning to do for Mary Jane in the previous one as I piled power after power on her among star sapphire rings, spirits of vengeance, symbiontes, Gamma Radiations and Thor’s hammer), turns into a Sidekick/IT Guy role to her.

2) He’s there to fulfill a purely supporting role to MJ Heroics, craft the webs, be a support to her, all that shebang you’d expect, while getting worried sick over her going out in New York and risking her life daily among villains and criminals and whatnot. He’s the “Nerd behind the computer,” a concept that got admittedly popularized by Oracle, as well as her “field medic” when she gets back home and needs stitching on both the costume and her scars. 

3) Also uncle Ben is alive and on a ongoing trip with Aunt Anna and Aunt May around the world. They solve crimes, off screen, like 3 Jessica Fletchers, so Peter isn’t as fucked up emotionally as in canon.

4) I’m gona take from the MC2 and say that, unlike Peter, MJ is actually trying to profit off her image from the start. This might cause some conflicts with Peter over him not wanting them to lucrate on some of their crime fighting (Such as not wanting to patent the web fluid in fear of criminals getting a hold of it), and mixes up with their already canon conflict over her being the main breadwinner in the couple AND the possibility of her doing progressively more risque work.

5) Specifically, I’m gona say it: Spinnerete and Mary Jane have two separate OnlyFans. It’s a modernized story and they are in their mid twenties and need a stable source of income and what better than a horde of people out there paying the same woman TWICE for pics of her buying wonderbread? “Pictures of Spinneret” therefore become a way different phrase, and there is a debate in universe over a superheroine essentially being a sex worker, and all that that entails. I don’t know how well I’m going to explore it tho so this might get dropped after a while and just make her a ASMRtist or a Twitch Streamer, basically the same thing at this point.

6) Since this is a AU I can do like Spider-Gwen did and not just fuck up one piece of the main universe but make every aspect of the universe different, so, bullet list of things I’ve been coming up with that are different from main continuity:

6A) The Hero to Heroine ratio (as well as Villain to Villainess) is 1 hero every 10 heroines. Major (Male, Homo Sapiens) heroes in the setting are: Johnny Storm (Johnny Storm), Thor (Thor Odinson), Power Man (Luke Cage), Iron Man (Rhodey Rhodes), Original Captain America (Steve Rogers).

6B) The mutant community is a massive polycule of free love and shit. The biggest mutant community in the world is stationed in the Free Republic of Genosha, currently part of a worldwide international federation of small nations around the globe born to contrast Soviet and American influences during the cold war called IFMP (International Federation of Micro-Powers). Latveria and Wakanda are part of it, and are the leaders of the two major factions among the delegates in the form of the isolationists (Wakanda) and the Expansionists (Latveria). The second biggest mutant community in the world is in San Diego. most male superheroes and some of their villains happen to be mutants.

6C) Susan Storm lead a year long deep space expedition team financed by the united states government, and managed to contact several alien races in her travels, returning to earth with diplomatic ties and Power Cosmic given to her by Infinity herself as a sign of good will after she and the united armies of space finally managed to slay and destroy “The eldritch abomination at the edge of reality that makes people racist by existing,” as it was called. This starts a age of cooperation between the various alien races and empires out there in the cosmos and Earth, their embassies being built in most of the major nations of the world, trade and science deals cropping up as a result.

6D) Susan Storm later formed the (apolitical, above nations and planets) superhero team the Fantastic Five, which changed members over the years based on relationship with other alien planets and tensions between the members of the team. Current line up consists in Susan Storm (Susan Storm, former Ms. Fantastic), super partes leader due to the Power Cosmic, alongside Lyja the Lazerfist (Second Ms. Fantastic and Former Skrull chaos agent on earth during the Skrull-Kree Cold War), Crystalia Amaquelin (Crystal, Inhuman Ambassador), She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters, earth representative and legal expert), Thundra (Thundra, Femizonian Ambassador). The Kree empire was disbanded after the end of the Kree-Skrull cold war.

6E) Johnny Storm never became the second human torch but ends up becoming Evil Jesus. During his trip to the stars with his sister he accidentally ends up in the Negative Zone, the void between dimensions, and befriends the locals, becoming a jesus like figure and ending up ruling the place. It’s not as banged up as it sounds but with prolonged commuting with the Negative Zone he has achieved a state of resonance with Oblivion, one of the other 4 great entities of the universe, and has become his champion. (in direct contrast with his sister’s coming from Infinity). He still uses his powers for good, if in a chaotic good way compared to his sister lawful good one.

6F) Peggy Carter was subjected to the Super Soldier program during WWII, thus becoming Agent England, de facto leader of the Invaders (Mostly same team, Sub-Mariner, First Human Torch, etc.), and guiding the assault against nazi germany and hydra. She and her sidekick end up frozen on the same plane

6G) Steve Rogers was still picked under her wing, if not able to receive super soldier treatment, and still became the (original) Captain America, a purely propagandist figure of a scrawny, physically weak son of immigrants Brooklyn dude, the complete opposite of the German Ubermech ideal for the white man, but with enough anger and outrage over an unjust world to pick fights with people 5 times his size, shown in many a propaganda video punching Hitler square in the jaw and knocking him out cold. They both ended up on that plane crashing in the arctic and were defrosted several years later.

6H) With the disappearance of Agent England, the Invaders disbanding, and the cold war underway, with no superhero team really cropping up, Doctor Deidre Wentworth managed to develop a modified version of the Super Soldier Serum, testing it on herself, and becoming the Superior Captain America. She forms the (US Exclusive, extremely political) “Americommandos” superteam, with selected superheroines and “reformed” supervillaines of the time. The team was responsible for many controversial superhero activities during the cold war, in and out of the united states, and is still going to this day, even if some members have retires or have outright died. Not Superior Cap tho, no, her aging has been slowed down due to the serum, so here she is still guiding black ops teams to capture and imprison some worker rights activists that happen to be mutants.

6I) The Sorcerer Supreme of this dimension happens to be Doctor Doom, Ruler of Latveria.

6L) Norman Osborn never became the Green Goblin. He was still a scummy CEO and millionaire, and still had a affair with one of his son’s best friends. Gwen was dating Peter at the time and ended up getting pregnant with Norman, he finds out, pressures her to get an abortion, almost terrorizes her, she doesn’t cave, Peter is understandably confused and shocked but still wants to support her (as does Mary Jane), but on the day of Gwen’s son’s and daughter’s birth Norman pulls the same shit he pulled in canon with Mary Jane and Mayday, hires an assassin to force a miscarriage, Gwen finds out a couple months later, stages her death, and becomes the Ghost-Goblin, ending up throwing Norman off the New York bridge and killing him in the process for good. His estate and company was inherited by his son, Henry, who devolved most of it to charity, destroying the Osborn business empire.

7) That’s the gist of it really, gona elaborate on more tomorrow.

EDIT: 8) Nightcrawler is the Pope.

[ad1thi]

the significance of james rhodes

or why he doesn’t deserve to be slept on an essay by me

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based on the recent james rhodes appreciation, but ultimately influenced by this post

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i told y’all i would write an essay right??

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Under the hierarchy established by the United States Military Forces, applicable to the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, the rank of Colonel is the most senior field grade military officer rank. It classifies as an O-6 pay grade, and is one of the most respected military roles, requiring a minimum of 22 years of service (in which 3 must be a Lieutenant Colonel) in order to qualify for promotion. 

In it’s most crude terms, a Colonel of ANY military divison (Air Force, Army or Marine Corps) is automatically the highest ranking field officer. 

Colonels are also famously responsible major significant changes in both wartime and peacetime, and go onto to be some of the most decorated military servants. Notable examples of Colonels include: President Roosevelt, Colonel Jack Jacobs, Colonel Aldrin and Colonel McSally 

Directly superseding the rank of Colonel is the rank of Brigadier General, an O-7 rank of generals who’re chosen from a suggested list given to POTUS and then, the Senate. 

Simply put, the rank of Colonel is one of the most significant roles in the US military.

In this essay I will discuss how the implication of this rank on the character James Rhodes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and why his military ranking is significantly more important than that of more celebrated military affiliated characters such as Captain Steve Rogers, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes and Pararescue Samuel Wilson

This essay in no way aims to diminish said characters, or pit these characters against James Rhodes, but to simply highlight the apparent disparity in the representation of their respective rankings and importance, both within canon and fanon

James Rhodes is first introduced to us in the pivotal origin film Iron Man 1, where he is addressed as a Lt.Col. This means that, cumulatively, James Rhodes has already served for a minimum of 15 years. He is an alumni of MIT (where he famously met and befriended protagonist Tony Stark), and also the official military liaison between the USAF and Stark Industries. It can be reasonably assumed that Rhodes joined the military straight out of MIT, meaning that his entire adult life, or a significant part of it, has been the USAF. 

This is important because there is a proven difference between civilian reasoning and military reasoning, and evidence that continued exposure to military professionalism changes the way one thinks, making civilian life extremely harrowing on a person built for military.  In one of his very first scenes, during the infamous i will be shutting down all weapons production press conference, Rhodes is visibly uncomfortable and upset by the decision made by his bestfriend.

Unless Tony, who is a civilian and to whom any death is significant, James is more likely accustomed to casualties over the years of his service and therefore is not likely to have been affected by the deaths of the soldiers in the way Tony was. The clearest example of this is that while Rhodes extensively searched for Tony, there seemed to be no significant desire to exact vengeance for the death of the foot soldiers like Tony so clearly shows throughout the film. From the time of the kidnapping to the penultimate end of the film, Tony Stark, a civilian, is bent on fixing his wrongs and making up for the deaths caused, while James is torn between following protocol and watching out for his hair-brained bestfriend. 

This is a very important distinction because it is worth considering how the movie may have played out differently had James been in the cave instead of Tony. One of the defining moments in Tony’s life is Yinsen’s sacrifice. However, given his military background, it is hard to argue that James would’ve made the same decisions Tony made (shutting down weapons production, building Iron Man and using it to destroy illegal weapon shipments). The more likely outcome is that James would’ve reported the infraction to his immediate superior, and taken steps to stop the illegal weapons trade; but one is hard-pressed to see a scenario where James shuts down weapons production. 

In fact, within the entire film, the only scene in which James breaks protocol is when Tony identifies himself as the UFO that the Air Force is currently gunning down. 

Right from the origin film, James Rhodes is established a significant character with his own opinions, thought processes and reasoning, and is not simply a side character or the protagonist’s yes man. 

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This of course doesn’t mean that james is the military’s yes man

James Rhodes is a black colonel in the USAF. He has fought various prejudices and discrimination to reach where he is.

In Iron Man 2, James Rhodes is introduced, and has with him, a comprehensive study on the pros and cons of the Iron Man armour (and the pros and cons of it being in Tony’s hand)

Select paragraphs demonstrate the weaknesses of the Iron Man armour and the man who wields it, but James is visibly upset about this unilateral pinpointing of his study as opposed to a comprehensive study, something he make abundantly clear

Unlike most military, James also doesn’t hackle Tony and demand that he mass produce the suits for military consumption (though he does try to reason with Tony, its clear that he won’t push the issue) and only requisitions one after the birthday party incident; in which James is shown to be increasingly worried about Tony’s mental state and tries on multiple occasions to show support before ultimately making the decision that Tony cannot be trusted with the suit.

James in a later scene is also seen to be arguing with his superior officer about allowing anyone but him pilot the suit, and also about allowing Justin Hammer modify it in any way. He is overly critical of the weapons presented by Hammer, which could be attributed to his time at MIT or his continued exposure to tech mogul Tony Stark.  

In Iron Man 3, we see that James Rhodes has since been promoted to Colonel (potentially, in part, due to his efforts in Iron Man 2); meaning he has now served a minimum of 22 years. The armour that he requisitioned from Tony has been rebranded and given a new paint job (which can possibly by interpreted as the military’s way of recreating the iconic Captan America persona); and James is conducting various solo missions that compliment Tony’s initial purpose of the armour. 

It is important to note that despite the existence of the Avengers, headlined by non other than WW2 legend Steve Rogers, James’ allegiance is still towards the US Military. Despite all its faults, James very clearly believes in what the US Military stands for. James is also extremely protective towards the proprietary amour, whether because of the advantage it presents to the USAF or out of respect to his bestfriend’s intellect is unclear, but the sentiment is the same- James, like Tony, doesn’t trust the Iron Man armour in the hands of another (this is also seen in IM2, when he insists on being the sole pilot).

James then makes a cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he is seen joining the team, possibly replacing Tony Stark (who, after the events of the film, chooses to retire)

Here is where things get muddled up

Steve Rogers, while being an extremely shrewd and talented strategist, has cumulatively accrued 4 years of service in the US Army, and is an 0-3 ranked Captain. His rank is extremely inferior to James’ Colonel- and has also not been an active member of the military for a significant amount of time.

Granted, he was frozen for most of that, but the fact remains that after his brief stint as an Avenger, he then joins SHIELD as a quasi-spy, and doesn’t return to the military. Steve’s rank as leader of the Avengers in the 2012 film made sense since, among the 6 of them, he was the only one with any military experience and quite frankly, any experience as a soldier in a warzone.

But Steve is ignorant to many real time tensions, the politics and power plays between various military decisions and simply hasn’t been around the current military structure long enough to justify his rank as leader, and is especially not of the correct rank to give order to Colonel James Rhodes

In an extremely real life scenario, the Avengers are a specialised branch of military. It genuinely does not matter that they aren’t officially affiliated to the military, and that they operate outside the purview of any official special forces; as far as any other country is concerned- the Avengers are an extremely violate nuclear warhead about to blow.

The politics and diplomacy involved in negotiating Avenger-intervention is something that reasonably, only Tony Stark or James Rhodes, and possibly, Natasha Romanoff, could handle. The distinct lack of regard for sovereignty and single-minded focus on one’s narrow goals that Steve inherited in WW2 is perfectly shown in the Lagos incident.

During WW2, there was mass carnage, and Europe as a whole was a battlefield. The world’s biggest powers were at war, and things like borders scarcely mattered. Soldiers in WW2 were highly unlikely to know when they were crossing the border from France to Germany, or Germany to Belgium, and even if they did, it didn’t matter. It was a time of war. Sovereignty wasn’t really on anyone’s mind. 

But the world has drastically changed since WW2.

National sovereignty is one of the most sacred things in the global community, and as harsh as it is, multiple countries use national sovereignty and diplomatic immunity to escape with various human rights infractions. 

With the current politic climate, and especially, the military and political power that the United States wields, there is no circumstance in which it would be okay for Steve Rogers to take a team of extremely skilled and sometimes, meta- humans; wearing a suit with the american flag; and exact his version of justice.

Collateral damage is simply not okay.

As stated earlier, for better or for worse, the Avengers are viewed as an extension of the already expansive US military power. For them to completely ignore international borders and treaties and operate in Lagos, especially given that certain members of the team (wendy bitchimoff) have powers of untold proportions and no true grasp over them.

In contrast, it is in the personal opinion of the author that had James been leading the Avengers, he would’ve navigated the diplomatic waters much more smoothly, possibly arranged action in tandem with Nigeria instead of just showing up in Lagos, and the entire incident would’ve been much smoother.

It is also important to note that the Avengers were in Lagos at full force not on official Avengers business, but rather, following a personal investigation by Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. In a more realistic scenario, the Avengers would’ve liaised with Nigerian officials and not have been in Lagos at all.

While there is sufficient consideration given to the fact that Brock Rumlow was a HYDRA agent and targeting a biological weapon, he and his team were ultimately, human, and the force of the full Avengers rota seems excessive (and likely the reason there were so many collateral casualties and damages)

The final and probably the most important part of James’ arc; is his stance on the Accords. 

Again, it must be emphasised, that he is a military career man.

Order and hierarchy and assignments passed down the chain of command is a concept that makes the most sense to him.

He is extremely used to joining units, reporting to a supervising officer, walking into the line of fire simply because he was told to do so. The Accords, in its most simplest terms, was aiming at developing a chain of command for the Avengers.

This is extremely important because there is a popular stance that James simply followed the Accords because he was Tony’s yes man. But if one looks at James through the entire of the marvel cinematic universe; his character has never once shied away from stating what he believed was right; and is usually the most level headed and diplomatic character.

Thus, it is extremely confusing that the mcu as a whole tends to largely ignore his authoritative status (except for Tony, who regularly defers to James, but that can be attributed to their friendship) and it is quite honestly criminal that various directors and producers have overlooked the potential of this character; and also blatantly ignored the very existent hierarchy that exists within career military men and women.

As any active or retired military personnel will tell you, within the US Military Forces, rank is everything. It was cute when STeve was 5 foot nothing and disregarded orders, but after 10 years and 23 or so films, one would hope he’d show some character development. 

In conclusion, Colonel James Rhodes is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in terms of his military prowess, his intellect, his ability to navigate the War Machine armour, the connections he’s developed during the course of his career, the loyalty he’s inspired in his cadets, and his sheer presence

and he does not deserve to be slept on

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thank you for reading hope you enjoyed!!

[phroyd]

Spokesman for special counsel denies existence of document

Revelation is in Fire and Fury sequel, Siege: Trump Under Fire

Support the Guardian’s independent journalism. Make a contribution today

Edward Helmore in New York

A new book from Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff says special counsel Robert Mueller drew up a three-count obstruction of justice indictment against Donald Trump before deciding to shelve it – an explosive claim which a spokesman for Mueller flatly denied.

The stunning revelation is contained in Siege: Trump Under Fire, which will be published a week from now, on 4 June. It is the sequel to Fire and Fury, Wolff’s bestseller on the first year of the Trump presidency which was published in 2018.

The Guardian obtained a copy of Siege and viewed the documents concerned.

In an author’s note, Wolff states that his findings on the Mueller investigation are “based on internal documents given to me by sources close to the Office of the Special Counsel”.

But Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, told the Guardian: “The documents that you’ve described do not exist.”

Questions over the provenance of the documents will only add to controversy and debate around the launch of Wolff’s eagerly awaited new book.

Fire and Fury shone a harsh spotlight on dysfunction within the Trump White House and engendered huge controversy after the Guardian broke news of its contents. Many of Wolff’s assertions were confirmed by later works, among them Fear: Trump in the White House by the Watergate reporter Bob Woodward. The book prompted the banishment of the Trump adviser and Wolff source Stephen Bannon, who also lost his place at Breitbart News. It sold close to 5 million copies.

Mueller was appointed in May 2017 to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, links between Trump aides and Moscow and potential obstruction of justice by the president.

Mueller’s final report was handed to the attorney general, William Barr, on 22 March this year and made public in redacted form on 18 April. Mueller did not find a conspiracy between Trump and Russia but did lay out 11 possible instances of obstruction of justice, indicating Congress should decide what came next.

Barr said he had judged the instances of possible obstruction not to be conclusive. Trump and his supporters have claimed total exoneration. Democrats in Congress are weighing whether impeachment is merited.

And yet Wolff reports that Mueller’s office drew up a three-count outline of the president’s alleged abuses, under the title “United States of America against Donald J Trump, Defendant”. The document sat on the special counsel’s desk, Wolff writes, for almost a year.

According to a document seen by the Guardian, the first count, under Title 18, United States code, Section 1505, charged the president with corruptly – or by threats of force or threatening communication – influencing, obstructing or impeding a pending proceeding before a department or agency of the United States.

The second count, under section 1512, charged the president with tampering with a witness, victim or informant.

The third count, under section 1513, charged the president with retaliating against a witness, victim or informant.

The document is the most significant aspect of Wolff’s new book.

Wolff writes that the draft indictment he examines says Trump’s attempts to obstruct justice “began on the seventh day of his administration, tracing the line of obstruction from National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s lies to the FBI about his contacts with Russian representative[s], to the president’s efforts to have [FBI director] James Comey protect Flynn, to Comey’s firing, to the president’s efforts to interfere with the special counsel’s investigation, to his attempt to cover up his son and son-in-law’s meeting with Russian governmental agents, to his moves to interfere with Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe’s testimony …”

The draft indictment, Wolff writes, also spelled out what Mueller considered to be the overriding theme of Trump’s presidency: the “extraordinary lengths” taken “to protect himself from legal scrutiny and accountability, and to undermine the official panels investigating his actions”.

According to Wolff, Mueller endured tortured deliberations over whether to charge the president, and even more tortured deliberations over the president’s power to dismiss him or his boss, the then deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein. Mueller ultimately demurred, Wolff writes, but his team’s work gave rise to as many as 13 other investigations that led to cooperating witness plea deals from Michael Cohen, David Pecker of American Media and Trump Organization accountant Allen Weisselberg.

“The Jews always flip,” was Trump’s comment on those deals, according to Wolff.

In one of many echoes of Fire and Fury, such shocking remarks by Trump are salted throughout Siege.

The justice department’s Office of Legal Counsel had said a sitting president could not be indicted. According to Wolff, Mueller’s team drew up both the three-count indictment of Trump and a draft memorandum of law opposing an anticipated motion to dismiss.

In his 448-page redacted final report the special counsel briefly noted that his office had concluded it would accept previous justice department guidance that it did not have the power to prosecute a sitting president.

The draft memorandum quoted by Wolff argues that nowhere does the law say the president cannot be indicted and nowhere is the president accorded a dif­ferent status under the law than other federal officials, all of whom can be indicted, convicted and impeached.

The document says: “The Impeachment Judgment Clause, which applies equally to all civil officers including the president … takes for granted … that an officer may be subject to indictment and prosecution before impeachment. If it did not, the clause would be creating, for civil officers, precisely the immunity the Framers rejected.”

The memorandum rejected the argument that the burden of a criminal process on the president would interfere with his ability to carry out his duties.

The very existence of the special counsel’s investigation had … become the paramount issue of the investigation itself

Of Mueller’s thinking, Wolff writes that as a former FBI director, he “had not risen to the highest levels of the federal government by misconstruing the limits of bureaucratic power”, and had therefore continually weighed the odds with his staff about whether the president would fire them. Thus, Wolff writes, “the very existence of the special counsel’s investigation had in a sense become the paramount issue of the investigation itself”.

According to Wolff, a memo circulated internally asked: “Can President Trump order [then attorney general Jeff] Sessions to withdraw the special counsel regulations (and fire him if he doesn’t)?

“The short answer is yes.”

Mueller’s team also believed Trump could have fired Mueller directly, Wolff says, “arguing that the special counsel regulations are unconstitutional insofar as they limit his ability to fire the special counsel”.

Trump has claimed to have had the right to fire Mueller, but he has also denied Don McGahn’s testimony to Mueller that he was ordered to do so. Trump is now seeking to stop the former White House counsel testifying to Congress.

In another memo quoted by Wolff, Mueller’s staff wondered what would happen to the special counsel’s office, staff, records, pending investigations and grand juries reviewing evidence if Mueller was fired.

To preserve their work, Wolff writes, they decided to share grand jury materials with fellow prosecutors. That process led, for example, to the investigation into Cohen being handed to the southern district of New York.

In the end, Wolff writes, Mueller concluded that “the truth of the matter was straightforward: that while the president had the support of the majority party, he had the winning hand.

“Robert Mueller, the stoic marine, had revealed himself over the course of the nearly two-year investigation to his colleagues and staff to be quite a Hamlet figure. Or, less dramatically, a cautious and indecisive bureaucrat.”

Caught, Wolff says, between wanting to use his full authority and worrying that he had no authority, Mueller went against the will of many of his staff when he chose not to attempt to force Trump to be interviewed in person. Ultimately, he also concluded he could not move to prosecute a sitting president.

Perhaps surprisingly given his fate after Fire and Fury, Bannon is quoted extensively in Siege. His view of Mueller’s two year investigation into claims of collusion and obstruction of justice: “Never send a marine to do a hit man’s job.”

Wolff’s conclusion is a sobering one.

“In a way,” he writes, “Robert Mueller had come to accept the dialectical premise of Donald Trump – that Trump is Trump.

“Bob Mueller threw up his hands. Surprisingly, he found himself in agreement with the greater White House: Donald Trump was the president, and, for better or for worse, what you saw was what you got – and what the country voted for.”

Phroyd

[undonesarc]

▌real name: griffith angelo d’aquino. ▌single or taken: single but.. we’re working on it. ▌abilities or powers: gun handling, knife combat, self defense (trained in standard boxing, wrestling, and has undergone courses that are essentially ripped straight from marine corps martial arts training programs), basic survival skills (desert-based, primarily, as that’s where the majority of his merc work took place),   ▌eye color: a brown so dark it’s nearly black. ▌hair color: black. ▌family members: parents are sebastian d’aquino sr. and sheila d’aquino (nee walsh); six siblings, hugo (58), giorgia and emily (twins, 53), mia (49), lucas (47), and sebastian (44); one maternal uncle, max, and two fraternal, arthur and daniel (both deceased). ▌pets: n/a. has considered getting a dog, but doesn’t feel like he’d be able to actually be there for it as much as he should be, but if he ever considers retirement/a more permanent living situation then he’d probably get one.  ▌something they don’t like: when people try to be all buddy-buddy with him, especially on jobs, especially if he barely knows them. he doesn’t like that sense of fake camaraderie, it makes him deeply uncomfortable. ▌hobbies/activities: crime, obviously, primarily bank robbery but he doesn’t mind getting involved in other things; more mundane hobbies include hiking, rock climbing, camping, boxing, playing video games, reading; at the home he keeps in new york, he has a library, and there’s an extensive collection of books there. ▌ever hurt anyone before: yes. frequently. as griff is fond of saying, you can’t be in crime without being a little criminal; he’s dealt out plenty of pain in his years, both professionally and on the side. his brief stint in the world of underground boxing was bloody. he’s picked more than a handful of fights in bars -- and not just yelling and some halfhearted punches. he’s thrown chairs, broken tables by slamming people into them, broken fingers and skulls and noses. he doesn’t flinch from violence, though that isn’t to say he revels in it, either; he’s not exactly apathetic, just doesn’t know how to deal with his emotions in any other way (but he doesn’t ever hurt the people cares about, i.e. his family/etc. he either deals with it by fighting or getting out the anger through work, or by going to a gym and taking it out on a punching bag/working it out through exercise). ▌ever killed anyone before: yes. 11 years of his life has been spent as a mercenary, seven with private military then four as a freelance killer in europe; his confirmed body count in europe was 13. outside of work, griff has only killed 3 people: his first was at the age of 16, when the eldest son of a “rival” family decided to send griff’s father a message by beating on griff (sebastian had refused to work with their family, and this was the retaliation for insulting them). griff fought back, unintentionally breaking his neck, then finishing the job by stabbing him in the throat. the other two kills were purely victims of circumstance; one was a man griff fought in the underground boxing he participated in (he didn’t die in the ring, but a few days later from injuries sustained); the second, a civilian who tried to be a hero during a robbery and earned a shotgun blast to the head for his trouble. ▌animal that represents them: a snake. ▌worst habits: the inability to own up to his feelings is the biggest one. this definitely extends beyond his sexuality; he’s not very good at showing his family (or the very rare friend that he has) that he cares for them. he’s not good at voicing his emotions, choosing instead to isolate (he camps by himself a lot) or something stupid like fighting (as mentioned above). he’s just very childish when it comes to emotions, and it’s goddamn annoying, and definitely makes it difficult to be friends with him.  ▌role models: during their time together as mercs, jason became a sot-of role model for griff, with the impression he left continuing to influence griff into adulthood. his brother seb is also someone griff has constantly looked up to; because he’s only two years older, he’s the sibling griff was closest to. he helped griff deal with the body after his first murder; he’s the one who encouraged him to pursue theatre, then to leave home/the family when he saw how unhappy and uncomfortable griff was with them (seb has always known griff is gay, and hoped that by encouraging him to leave, he’d be helping him get to a place where he could learn to come to terms with who he is). griff has always admired the ferocity with which seb loves, and envies how easy-going he is. he’s tried to imitate it, but has never been able to perfect it.  ▌sexual orientation: gay. ▌thoughts on marriage/kids: he doesn’t want kids, and doesn’t care for marriage in a traditional sense; he doesn’t believe in the ceremony and the paperwork. that’s not to say he wouldn’t flat-out deny a guy if it came to it, but he definitely wouldn’t want anything big. he thinks the commitment of saying i love you and then proving it by coming home every day is enough. ▌fears: being outed, and as an extension, coming to terms with being out; the reaction from his family; the act of actually being with a man again, though i think it’s less about actually being gay these days (because.. he understands it’s okay/natural, he’s really gotten over that fear and left it in his youth) and more of a fear of learning to love again, afraid he would lose it/ruin it like he did in the past. ▌style preferences: basic.. but like.. still kinda stylish? yeah he wears that ugly shirt with a cross on it in the movie, but that’s just how he dresses on jobs, primarily to throw people off and not let them get too familiar with who he really is. when he’s camping, of course he favors hiking boots and henleys. his style is dictated by what personality he’s presenting; in atlanta, he’s a hardened criminal, and dresses kinda corny to fit the part. in new york, he’s just another face in a crowd, but he wants to look good and feels more comfortable presenting closer to the look he likes in such a big city; he likes expensive dress shirts (and leans towards pastel colors) or designer shirts (he likes floral patterns like this) when he’s in new york, though sometimes he favors a more punk look (leather jacket, etc) when wearing more stylish and designer clothing makes him feel too exposed. he feels like there’s certain things expected from a guy who lives a life like him, who looks like he does, and sometimes he ends up falling prey to those stereotypes, because he’s too scared to let himself be who he really is. ▌someone they love: honestly.. to be honest....... he still has a little bit of love for jason and that’s never going to change. he also loves his brother seb a lot, and of course his other siblings as well -- they were all incredibly close growing up, and while he’s chosen to isolate, it isn’t because he hates them. he loves his family, he just needs to find his way back to them. ▌approach to friendships: he keeps anyone at arm’s length, though he does have some tentative friendships, all built on a mutual interest in crime, though the word friend is rarely ever used. griff tends to avoid “normal” people, not wanting to get them entangled in the life he lives; he doesn’t really have any genuine friends, people he goes out to coffee with or to the movies with or whatever, or people to talk to, actually, but god he needs it. ▌thoughts on pie: he’d kill you for pumpkin pie probably, ▌favorite drink: alcohol-wise, he loves strawberry cream tequila, and whiskey. liquor aside, he just drinks water and orange juice. ▌favorite place to spend time at: he loves the wilderness honestly! he goes camping every other weekend. he goes to the gym daily and really finds comfort in that routine. he doesn’t really like being at his atlanta apartment much, which is why he doesn’t spend too much money on it, or time in it. ▌swim in the lake or in the ocean: lakes; he developed a slight fear of the open water after working on fishing boats off of the west coast. ▌their type: we’ll have to revisit this........ i need more interactions w/ him before i say either way what he likes  

tagged by: @armsdealing​ tagging: @armsdealing​ do this for buddy if you haven’t already, @exorsista​, @exhauest​

[flagzworld]

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[purplehairedwonder]

Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 6

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 4125 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Vergo, Donquixote Doflamingo, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, Monet, Caesar Clown, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Franky, Smoker, Tashigi, Monkey D. Luffy Note: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song “Hearts Without Chains.”

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he’s 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law can’t help but resent Monkey D. Luffy for offering a glimpse of something he’s repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

“And where am I going?”

“Punk Hazard. We’ve had reports of some unwanted pests on the island. I need you to take care of them.”

Law frowned. Punk Hazard was meant to be off-limits to pirates and Marines alike since Caesar Clown’s poison gas bomb had turned the island into a wasteland. The fight between Aokiji and Akainu had only further cemented Punk Hazard as a place to avoid, as their abilities had completely altered the landscape. It shouldn’t even be accessible by log pose. Which, of course, made it the perfect location for Doflamingo’s purposes. Who would be there now?

“What kind of pests?” he asked.

Doflamingo waved a hand. “Vice Admiral Smoker is sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong again.”

Law’s lips curled upward once more, and he inclined his head as he looked at Vergo. “Shouldn’t you be keeping your men under better control, Vergo?” He tsked. “No wonder you can’t handle this yourself.”

Vergo’s expression tightened. “You insolent—” He cut himself off as Doflamingo cleared his throat. “Smoker has been a concern since he transferred to G-5,” Vergo admitted as he turned back to Doffy. “I’ve been waiting for the best time for him to have an accident.” He glanced at Law. “And that’s Vergo­-san, to you, boy.”

“It’s Corazon to you, Vice Admiral,” Law retorted, still smirking, “not ‘boy.’”

“As I am unfortunately reminded,” Vergo sneered. “Truly, my successors have left much to be desired.”

Law’s grip around Kikoku tightened at the reference to Cora-san. He knew Vergo was trying to get a rise out of him and that Doflamingo was watching his reaction, so he forced his fingers to relax and left the smirk playing at his lips.

“And yet,” he drawled, “only one of us can go on this mission.”

Vergo opened his mouth to retort, but Doffy interrupted. “Enough bickering.” He turned to Law. “Smoker and his men aren’t the only pests Monet has reported.” He gave Law a long, searching look, which set Law’s teeth on edge, before elaborating. “The Straw Hat Pirates are also on the island.”

Law’s breath left him in a rush, the name so unexpected on Doffy’s lips that it struck him like a blow. There had been no news of the Straw Hats in two years; what were the odds they would reappear in Doflamingo’s territory?

He thought again of the pull in his chest he’d done his best to bury over the last two years and the urgings of the Sisters back in Flevance to always look and listen for signs of something bigger than ourselves in the world. Even Bepo, when they were younger, had talked about Minks’ connection to the Earth and how they looked to her for signs.

Law swallowed.

“That won’t be a problem, will it, Corazon?”

Law, with no little effort, schooled his features into something he hoped was apathetic. “No problem. I will take care of it.”

Doffy nodded. “I know you will.” Though Law couldn’t see his eyes behind those glasses, he could still feel the intensity in the Warlord’s gaze. “You know how important it is that the SAD production not be interrupted.”

“Of course,” he said, bowing slightly. “I’ll make arrangements to leave immediately.”

“There’s an SAD tanker heading for Punk Hazard in an hour. You can take that.”

Law nodded his understanding and turned to exit the office.

“Corazon.”

Law paused and looked back at Doflamingo, wary.

“I’m counting on you.”

Law stiffened at the implication in the tone, and memories of Doflamingo’s fingers around his throat sprang unbidden to mind. Over the last two years, Doffy had taken an… interest in Law’s neck, as though seeing the marks he’d left behind that day in the Suit Room had awoken some primal urge. Sometimes he touched gently, almost reverently, while others he squeezed hard enough to leave bruises blooming across the abused skin. Once, Law had been forced to sign to communicate for several days as his throat had healed from Doffy’s attentions.

And sometimes it wasn’t bruises left behind but bites. Law regularly sported some type of mark from Doffy’s affections, but the neck markings in particular were nearly impossible to hide the next day, making them Doffy’s favorite way of reminding Law who he belonged to.

As though Law needed any further reminder.

He nodded at Doflamingo. “Young Master,” he said in acknowledgment then left the room.

-----

“You allow him too much,” Vergo said once the door had closed behind Law.

Doflamingo raised an eyebrow at Vergo. “Oh?”

Vergo’s lips curled in disdain. Those two just could not play nicely. “He’s insolent.”

Doflamingo snorted. “That he is. He has been since he was a child.” Once a boy with bombs strapped to his chest looking to destroy the world, Law had risen to second in command of a Warlord and king. Doffy had to admit that he was rather fond of Law’s insolence.

In moderation.

It had taken time and numerous lessons since his return to the Family to break down the boy’s more rebellious instincts, but the Corazon he had become was exactly the second he’d always thought Law could become.

It was too bad that one day his reign as second would have to end in sacrifice to Doflamingo’s immortality, but Law wasn’t ready yet. Doflamingo was patient and more than happy to make use of his Corazon until Law learned it was his fate to die for Doflamingo.

Vergo eyed him for a moment, clearly weighing what he wanted to say to his liege.

“Speak freely, Vergo,” Doflamingo said, leaning back in his chair. Vergo was one of the few people he truly allowed such liberties, as he had been with him since they were children.

“He will betray you. Just like my successor did.”

Doflamingo scowled at the mention of his brother, but Vergo had earned that familiarity. It was an old argument they’d had since Law had returned to the Family nearly a decade earlier. Vergo remembered the boy in the snow helping Rosinante in trying to bring down the Family. And Vergo’s loyalty lay entirely with Doflamingo, so he did not forgive treason.

“I’m well aware of the influence Rosinante had on him,” Doflamingo replied, thinking back to a teenage Law’s snarled defense of Rosinante the day they’d reunited in the North Blue: Cora-san saved me. I am alive today because of him. Little did he know, his precious Cora-san had condemned him by feeding him that Fruit; Doflamingo had never intended for Law to eat the Ope Ope no Mi because Law was more valuable to him as his future second than as a sacrificial pawn. But now there was no choice.

“That’s why I’ve taken precautions to ensure his continued loyalty.”

“He betrayed you at Marineford,” Vergo pointed out, “even with those precautions.” They had argued for days after Law had saved Straw Hat and Jimbei. Despite Vergo’s protestations, Doflamingo hadn’t been willing to rid himself of the potential he saw in Law.

And he’d been right, of course.

“I made sure he learned his lesson,” Doflamingo replied. “His loyalty has been impeccable since.”

Doflamingo could not have planned a better lesson in loyalty than one of Law’s closest friends losing an arm in the Colosseum. Something, it seemed, had broken in Law then, all ideas of rebellion washed away in his friend’s blood on the Colosseum’s stone ring. He’d been the ideal subordinate since. He’d withdrawn from his crew, devoting himself entirely to the Family—to Doflamingo—and Doflamingo took every opportunity to assert his complete ownership of his Corazon, his Heart.

Perhaps Doflamingo liked Law’s insolence because it was a reminder that, even as Law submitted to Doflamingo, he was still in there, the boy who wanted to destroy the world after it had destroyed his.

Still, Doflamingo saw the presence of the Straw Hats on Punk Hazard as the perfect test to make sure the loyalty he now displayed was real.

Vergo was clearly not persuaded by Doflamingo’s assertions, so the Warlord shrugged.

“You know I’d like you to stay,” he said. They never had enough time together with Vergo’s duties to the Marines keeping him away. “But if you’re so concerned about Corazon’s loyalty, go to Punk Hazard to keep an eye on him.” Vergo straightened, surprised but pleased. He’d wanted to be the one to take care of the mess in the first place. “But don’t blow your cover. You are too valuable to me.”

Vergo nodded and rose to his feet. “By your leave, Young Master.”

-----

When Law returned to his room, he found a folder on his desk with a copy of Monet’s reports about Smoker, G-5, and the Straw Hats. He flipped through the pages then closed the folder; he’d look at them more thoroughly during the ship ride. Caesar’s lab was on the snowy side of the island, so he changed into warmer clothing and grabbed his heavy coat from his wardrobe.

Punk Hazard was only a few hours from Dressrosa by ship, and Law did not expect this errand to take long so he didn’t pack anything else. After putting his Den Den Mushi in his pocket, he hefted Kikoku to his shoulder and took the folder and his coat. He thought about stopping by his crew’s wing to tell them where he was going but decided against it. He didn’t have much time before the tanker left.

As he approached the front gate of the palace, he slowed at the sight of three figures. He grimaced as Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin came into focus. They looked up when they heard him approach.

“Captain,” Bepo greeted hesitantly.

“What are you three doing here?” Law asked, looking between them. He had his suspicions about who might have ratted him out.

“Going somewhere?” Penguin asked, nodding at the folder and coat in Law’s arms.

“Mission.”

“By yourself?” Shachi asked, frowning.

“This shouldn’t take long. Just a quick clean up,” Law evaded.

“We could help make it go even faster,” Penguin said.

Bepo nodded. “We want to help.”

Law frowned. “It’s not necessary. I should be back by tomorrow.”

“But—” Bepo started.

“Captain’s orders,” Law interrupted, voice harsher than he intended.

Bepo shrank in on himself and murmured an apology. Law knew Bepo didn’t deserve that—none of them did—but it was the only way he could keep them safe.

“You want to pull that,” Penguin said, crossing his arms defiantly, “maybe you should start acting like a captain again.”

Law recoiled as if Penguin had struck him.

“We haven’t seen you in weeks. And when you do stop by, you barely speak. You don’t take us on missions, even though we’re way more useful than that idiot Buffalo,” Penguin went on.

“I know you spooked when I lost my arm,” Shachi added, voice more neutral than Penguin’s. “But it’s not your fault.”

“Of course it is,” Law snapped, feeling suddenly fragile as his best friends confronted him. Two years’ worth of guilt and frustration had left his emotions jagged and broken, and it was inevitable those sharp edges would hurt them—and here they were. “I made the choice to go to Marineford and save Straw Hat-ya. I made the choice to stay on Amazon Lily for weeks, knowing you all would pay the price. I was selfish and look what happened.”

“No, Law,” Bepo said quietly. Law startled. “That wasn’t being selfish. You saved Straw Hat Luffy and Jimbei when no one else could have.” Bepo swallowed. “And I’m sorry, but you’re being selfish now.”

Law sucked in a breath.

“Locking yourself up in your guilt and pain—”

“And not letting us help!” Penguin interjected.

“—that’s self-centered,” Bepo finished. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not this person you’ve let yourself become,” Shachi added fiercely. “They might think of you as Corazon,” he said, nodding toward the palace, “but to us, you’re Captain.”

Law’s chest tightened as his friends spoke, his face heating. “I…” He swallowed, unsure of what to do with the twisting in his chest. “I have to go.”

And like the coward that he was, Law fled.

-----

It was mid-afternoon when the SAD tanker anchored at Punk Hazard. Law eyed the island curiously. While he knew about the production going on in the lab, he’d never been to the island. He didn’t bother waiting for the gangplank, switching places with a pile of rope on the dock. According to the map of the lab in his folder, there should be a back entrance Law could use to gain entry. From there, he would need to find Monet and Caesar Clown for any updates before completing his task.

There was gas on the air, so Law opened a small Room around himself to keep the poison out as he walked toward the back door. He Shambled himself inside and made his way down the hallway. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to Monet’s presence before he saw her.

“Corazon, you’re here,” she greeted.

Law nodded and she turned to lead him back to the lab. Law fell in step with her.

“Well?” he asked. “What’s happening?”

She gave him a level look, one that belied the apparent chaos happening elsewhere on the island. “Half the Straw Hats are inside the building, trying to remove the children. We have soldiers confronting them, but G-5 is also in the building.”

Law didn’t think she sounded particularly bothered by this, but that could also just be Monet’s overall flat affect. He’d always had a hard time getting a good read on her.

“And the others?” he prompted.

“They’re somewhere on the island. Caesar sent the Yeti Cool Brothers after them.”

Law didn’t know much about them, other than that Caesar employed them as assassins. He rarely needed their services, considering the isolated nature of the island.

“But you don’t think they’ll be successful.” Otherwise, why was Law here?

Monet shrugged. “Hard to know, considering the Straw Hats have been inactive for two years. We have no way of knowing how strong they might have become.”

And as far as Law knew, Straw Hat had been training with Silvers Rayleigh—though he’d done his best not to think about that—for the last two years. There was no telling what he might have learned from the Dark King in that time.

They stopped in front of a large door, which slid open to admit them into the control room. Inside, Caesar stood watching monitors. The clown turned as Monet and Law entered. He brightened when he saw Law.

“Corazon!” he greeted. “You’re here! Finally.”

“Joker sent me to clean up your mess, Caesar-ya,” Law replied, disinterested.

Caesar prickled at that but knew better than to argue with an executive. He nodded at the monitors. “Half the Straw Hats and G-5 have overwhelmed my men in the Biscuit Room.” On the screen, numerous figures in gas suits were scattered across the floor. “They just went running toward the front entrance.”

“Together?” Law asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied the monitors, getting a sense of the scene.

“It seems they both want to retrieve the children,” Monet said, also looking at the monitors. “They must be working together temporarily.”

Caesar waved a dismissive hand. “No matter. The children will be begging to return in no time. But the pirates and Marines are a problem.”

“And the others?” Law asked. He didn’t see Straw Hat on any of the monitors. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

“In the mountains somewhere, probably dead,” Caesar said. “We don’t have a feed out there.” He shrugged and chuckled. “Shurororo. The Yeti Cool Brothers have never been defeated.”

“Don’t underestimate them,” Law murmured as he studied the monitors. Caesar made an irritated noise, but Law ignored him, having made his decision. “I’ll cut the Straw Hats and Marines off at the front gate and take care of them there. I’ll find the rest after.”

If Caesar or Monet had any objections, Law didn’t stick around to hear them; he opened a Room all the way out of the building and switched places with a snowflake. Without dropping his Room, he stood outside then, waiting for his targets to come through the open front gate.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“There’s the door!” a female voice echoed through the hall.

“Hurry!” another yelled. “We’ll get on the ship and take you home!”

Law shoved any concern for the children’s wellbeing down with all his other inconvenient emotions, locking it down in the box he’d created after Marineford. He had a job to do. And it wasn’t like his childhood had been spared either. His had ended the moment Lami had collapsed at the festival. The world was a cold, unforgiving place.

The mixed group of pirates, Marines, and children poured out of the gate moments later but slowed to a halt on the steps when they saw Law blocking their path. At the front of the group, Smoker and several Straw Hats were eyeing him. He briefly noted the presence of the samurai, Kin’emon, who had been mentioned in Monet’s reports as well; unlike the others, he was meant to be kept alive, though Law didn’t know why.

“What the—” Black Leg growled.

“I recognize him from Sabaody!” the cat burglar said, eyes wide.

“Corazon,” Smoker said. “That explains a lot.”

“What does it explain?” the tanuki asked.

“Corazon is the second in command of the Donquixote Pirates,” the swordswoman said. “If he’s here, that means this place must be one of Donquixote Doflamingo’s operations.”

“So, you’re behind this?” the cat burglar sneered. “You can’t have the children back, you monster!”

“When did you get here?” Smoker demanded.

“Just now,” Law replied. “Word was there were some pests on the island that needed exterminating.” He unsheathed Kikoku, the blade humming in anticipation. “And I’m afraid you know too much, White Chase-ya, so I can’t let you leave.”

Smoker drew his jitte, and the swordswoman unsheathed her blade. The soldiers of G-5 drew their rifles. Black Leg and the cyborg stepped forward. Law might have laughed at the futility of their actions; they were in his Room and at his mercy. Despite the reputation he’d earned for himself, though, he wasn’t interested in pointless violence. He’d take care of this quickly.

The soldiers fired a hail of bullets first, but with a twitch of his fingers, he switched the bullets with snowflakes; they fell harmlessly to the ground.

“What the hell happened?” the soldiers yelped.

“How about some bigger ammo?” the cyborg declared, firing a large blast.

Law Shambled out of the way, allowing the blast to destroy a boulder in the distance.

The swordswoman jumped into action, charging at him. “Corazon!”

Smoker yelled a warning at his second, but she ignored him.

Law let her get close before swinging Kikoku. She gasped as her upper and lower halves split in two, falling to the snowy ground. The top of her sliced sword clattered away, useless.

“Captain-chan!”

“Tashigi-chan! Are you alive?”

Black Leg growled and jumped into action. “How dare you do that to a beautiful lady?!”

Law rolled his eyes and threw up Kikoku to block Black Leg’s kick. Black Leg jumped back, and Law sliced his blade. Black Leg and Smoker jumped out of the path of the cut, but the remaining G-5 soldiers suddenly found themselves in pieces. They yelled in surprise at still being alive. Law ignored them, turning back to his remaining opponents.

“What kind of power is that?” the cat burglar asked from where she and the tanuki stood protectively in front of the children.

“The Ope Ope no Mi,” Smoker said. “It gives the user the ability to create an operating room and operate on the world around them. As long as we’re in his circle, we’re at his mercy.”

“Where’s the edge of the circle?” the cyborg asked, looking around for the edge of the blue dome.

Law’s lips twitched. He’d pushed himself over the last two years to drastically increase the size of the Room he could create and the length of time he could hold it. His Room now extended into the water.

“If we take him out, it won’t matter!” Black Leg declared, racing at Law once more.

Law dodged his kicks, deflecting them with Kikoku. He realized too late that he was being driven, though; his haki flared, and he barely dodged Smoker’s strike, the jitte grazing his cheek.

“That nasty energy,” Law hissed. “There’s Seastone on the end of your jitte.” Dangerous. Law had gotten cocky, and it had almost cost him. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Smoker swung his jitte again, and Law deflected it. His haki flared again, and he jumped to avoid another blast from the cyborg then Shambled away to put some distance between himself and his opponents.

“Corazon,” a growl came from his side.

Law looked down, surprised to see he’d Shambled himself near the halved swordswoman. There was fire in her eyes, despite her defeat.

“At least kill me if you’re going to cut me down,” she snapped. “You’ve shamed me.”

Law gave her an unimpressed look. He couldn’t look at a Marine without seeing the carnage of Flevance in his mind’s eye. “Your shame isn’t my problem,” he retorted coldly. “Remember this well: the weak don’t get to choose how they die.”

Doflamingo had beaten that lesson into him more times than Law could count; Law himself wasn’t given that choice. He knew Doflamingo had plans for his death, though the Warlord didn’t know Law had overheard his words on Minion Island.

She snarled her rage and tried to jump at him with just her upper body and her broken sword. Law raised Kikoku, ready to cut her down further, but his blade was kicked aside by Black Leg. Kikoku flew from his grip, and Law cursed under his breath.

“Don’t you know how to treat a lady?” Black Leg barked.

Law threw up his hands, feeling the charge grow in his hands. As Black Leg’s momentum brought him close to Law, Law pushed his thumbs into Black Leg’s chest and let the burst go. Counter shock.

“She’s no lady,” Law hissed as Black Leg flew backward and hit the ground, rolling. “She’s a Marine.”

“Sanji!” the Straw Hats yelled in alarm.

Black Leg tried to push himself up but dropped back down to the ground. Law turned away and walked over to his sword. He picked up Kikoku and surveyed the scene. The swordswoman, Black Leg, and the G-5 soldiers were out of commission for the time being. That left Smoker, the cyborg, Kin’emon, the cat burglar, the tanuki, and the children. The children simply needed to be returned to the lab. Smoker, the cyborg, and the samurai were the most dangerous men left standing.

“Corazon!” Smoker roared and charged Law once more.

Law braced himself for Smoker’s frontal attack then started when Smoker turned partially to smoke. The jitte came at him from behind; Law dodged but the end of the jitte still slammed into his shoulder. Law immediately felt his strength disappear and his Room drop from the effects of the Seastone tip.

Law hit the ground and rolled away, his strength returning. He pushed back to his feet and immediately threw a Room back up. He cursed himself; he’d shown a weakness his enemies could exploit.

Smoker followed Law, stabbing his jitte again and again. Law dodged as Smoker chased him. Law Shambled a bit farther ahead then whirled around, throwing up a hand. He lifted a finger and a rock pillar erupted from the ground. Smoker’s eyes widened but he dodged. Law lifted one pillar after another until Smoker was right in front of him. Smoker raised his jitte to strike, but Law lifted one more pillar, pulling Smoker up short. With Smoker off-balance, Law used Mes to cut straight through the rock and into Smoker’s chest.

Smoker wheezed as his heart was ejected from his body and collapsed against the pillar.

“Smoker-san!” the swordswoman cried.

Law straightened and Shambled the heart into his hand. The heart of a vice admiral could be a good bargaining chip. He pocketed it.

“Is that…” the cat burglar gasped.

“His heart!” the tanuki confirmed, eyes wide.

Law turned back toward the steps, where the remaining figures stood. The samurai put a hand to his sword while the cyborg stepped in front of the group. Law hefted Kikoku but froze at the sound of a familiar voice, that pull in his chest jerking hard enough to steal his breath.

“Oi!” Straw Hat called. “What’s going on?”

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