#another successful parkour course

[allumikota]

PARKOUR

from the @kitsuneisi birthday stream earlier

[beardedalcoholic]

Medical Emergency

‘Medical Emergency, Navigation 4, Medical Emergency, Navigation 4.’

The message repeated over and over across the PA system of the Leviathan Class exploratory ship. A massive space fairing vessel dedicated to finding the edge of creation and everything in between the Galactic Edge was a marvel of multi-species engineering.

Fifteen different habitats built to within micro-specifications for the species they were meant to hold, seven multi species common areas built to accommodate every race on board. Enough FTL drives to be able to be fired in succession so when one batch went down another could be brought online so they didn’t even have to stop for a cool down period between jumps. Recycling processes efficient within .0001% allowing near as possible full self-sustainability for an indefinite amount of time.

The main drawback of such a marvel of galactic traversal being of course…the FUCKING size…larger than some moons, a population numbering more than some planets (or at least it felt that way) and yet somehow never enough personnel in the right places at the right times.

‘Of course the emergency is right inside the border of my territory, because why wouldn’t it be? And of course, it had to be JUST as I was about to go off shift.’ Thought MD1 Joseph Jarl, JJ to anyone who wanted to continue a comfortable existence, after all no one knew how best to take someone apart than the ones who had to put others back together.

Running at full human speed JJ flew down the various passages dodging, spinning, ducking and jumping around the many obstacles in his way with all the predatory grace humans were gifted with.

‘Ha! and mom always said it was a waste for a doctor to learn parkour.’ 

Sliding on one hip beneath the centaur like body of a Gravelin engineer and popping back up to a full run JJ jumped and thrust one foot out to run alongside a bulkhead when he came to a T-section of corridor, narrowly missing the heads of a group of Ranki environmental scientists as he fell from the wall and rolled to maintain momentum.

Slamming a hand to the Medical Bypass Badge on his chest, signaling the door immediately in front of him to open JJ slid to a stop inside Nav.Bay 4 eyes flicking around the space looking for the emergency.

Sharp ocean blue eyes registered three different species, one of which still tensed when in direct line of sight of his forward-facing predatory gaze. Attention landing on a group of navigators clustered in a small huddle JJ slung the med-pack off his back and approached the group.

Head held high, shoulders wide and a purpose in his stride JJ projected every ounce of authority he could dredge up from his years as a medical professional he could when he ordered the group to back up and give him some space to work with. Approaching the center of the group JJ noticed the Elental on the floor, curled into a ball and rocking back and forth while making small pathetic whining sounds while very obviously having a hard time breathing.

Dropping to one knee in front of the one species on board that most closely resembled a human JJ slowly reached out and rested a hand on the Elental’s shoulder. Being a species that stood on average around 6.5-7 feet tall he barely had to reach to grasp the rocking figure’s shoulder.

Elental were a bipedal race with nearly translucent skin in direct light, long sharply pointed ears, eyes that stretched from the bridge of a dual slit nose to where the temple would be on a human with three pupils each, mostly human proportioned faces and a universally slender build.

It was a very little-known fact but the first time the human council met an Elental the lead diplomat was in fact recorded on official record as having muttered the phrase ‘Fuck me we found Space Elves’… though the actual audio recording of this moment was very deeply buried beneath as much galactic red tape as was possible. Noticing there was no response to his touch JJ turned to the closest navigator and asked for any details on the medical emergency.

“We don’t really know Human JJ, he was trying to determine some FTL jump coordinates and the timing required to make them when he started shaking and his speech became rapid and somewhat slurred, he began shaking and clutching his, well it would be the stomach on you, but his main pulmonary area and his respiration began to rapidly increase. When he tried to walk away from his station he collapsed and that was when we called the emergency, is he sick?” The Fenra asked nervously after the quick report on what happened.

JJ would never admit it but seeing a three-foot alien that looked like were-shitzu nervous and scared was absolutely adorable.

“I don’t think so no…hold on,” Quickly determining that there was no external injuries JJ tried raising the Elental’s head to look into his face but his patient seemed to be in a stubborn mood.

Taking a chance JJ reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple twentieth century zippo, an antique passed down in his family that he kept in working condition and never went anywhere without.

Flicking it open with a sharp, practiced snap JJ kept the grin off his face when the Elental’s gaze snapped up at the sudden sound. With a flick of his thumb JJ lit the lighter and held it directly between his eyes. The Elental’s six pupils swiveled and in a rather disconcerting motion…fused into a single large pupil for each eye the size of an Old Earth quarter, totally focused on the flame a mere six inches away.

“What is your name?” JJ asked slowly, in a deep and calm voice that witnesses would later report had a strange resonance to it.

“E-e-ekariel” The Elental responded with a slight stutter, eyes locked on the tiny flame as JJ slowly began to move it back and forth.

“Listen to my voice Ekariel, listen to nothing but my voice, focus on the sound of my words and know nothing but my words…What do you feel Ekariel, what is beneath you right now?” This question spoken in the same deep resonating voice.

“Tell me what is in the now, what is beneath you at this very moment.”

“Deck plates.” The answer came out in a somewhat hurried response.

“Describe the deck plates Ekariel, what are they made of?” The flame moved slowly from left to right and back again, never going further than the outer reaches of the human’s own eyes…left eye, right eye back to left and repeat.

“Cold, metal, textured in small waves, rigid.” Ekariels voice came slightly stronger, less breathless and wheezing.

“What do you see Ekariel, describe what your eyes are telling you.”

“Fire, small flame, glittering eyes, blue stars and black holes.”

“What do you smell Ekariel, describe what you smell in the immediate area around you?” JJ asked as he pitched his voice slightly lower and slowed the waving of the lighter marginally.

“Four species…Musk, fur, water…Otorian species fresh from the hydrosphere…Dust, heat, insects…Lidarians recently from the arid habitats…mold, plant decay, rain…Jaguras from the forest dome…pheromones, sweat, spice, disinfectant…human recently in the medical bay.” Ekariels breathing slowed and stabilized as he spoke, voice gaining slightly more strength.

“What do you hear Ekariel, tell me what sounds you hear in this moment.” The flame now slowly traversed from one pupil to the other, no faster than before but slowly closing in on the middle of the human’s face.

“Typing, I can hear digits impacting sensor boards to the right…scratching, someone is writing equations long hand for accuracy checks near the forward portion of the bay…breathing, so many breathing patterns.” The Elental’s eyes never wavered from the flame, slowly tracking it back and forth, voice becoming stronger, limbs no longer shaking as bad though still quivering slightly.

“Focus on the breathing Ekariel.”

Now the flame only traversed from the inner corner of JJ’s eyes, never moving faster or slower, JJ’s voice becoming slightly deeper, seeming to hum and resonate more from his chest than his throat or mouth.

“Listen to the breaths around you, feel the air move as it is taken in and expelled…smell the breaths of those around you, those who would look after you…now slowly block them out…block out all the breaths but your own…tell me about your breaths Ekariel.” The lighter now barely moved past the outer edges of JJ’s nose.

“Three respiratory voids…expanding and filtering contaminants from the air…nutrients being stripped from the atmosphere into the blood stream…collapsing and expelling by-products of respiration…oxygen, nitrogen, helium being removed from the system via respiration…” Ekariel’s voice now had an almost sleeping dream like quality to it, low and slow.

“Tell me about the heartbeats Ekariel…how many do you feel?” The flame was still now, directly between JJ’s eyes, the focused and unblinking eyes of a predator staring directly into Ekariel’s own dilated pupils.

“I can only feel one heart beat…I can only feel my own heart.”

“Come back to us Ekariel…focus on my voice and with every beat of your heart come back to us…with every beat, shed the fear that imprisoned you and follow my voice.” JJ slowly began to back away from Ekariel as spoke, incrementally rolling onto his haunches as the Elental followed the flame.

Slowly JJ closed the lid to his antique lighter snuffing the flame. As if waking from a deep sleep Ekariel blinked and shook his head, pupils splitting back into two sets of three and eyes widening.

“Easy, easy, Ekariel… focus on the now, sight, smell, touch, hearing focus on those. Come on lad breath in…out…in…out, there you go, no don’t get up…lay down and focus, gather your thoughts.” JJ slowly eased the Elantel down fully onto the deck plates and raised his reverse jointed knees as best he could.

“Ekariel I need you to listen to me, listen to my voice…are you listening?” Ekariel nodded his head, looking up a JJ with a slightly dazed look on his face.

“You had a panic attack E.K. logs show you haven’t had a sufficient rest period for three cycles and in that time your nutritional intake has sharply declined. You are suffering from lack of rest and negligence of sustenance. As such I am removing you from the duty roster for the next four cycles and requiring you to report to the Galley Watch for every normal meal time where you will eat AT A MINIMUM a full standard meal of no less than one and a half again the daily nutritional requirement for at least two cycles. You are barred from any areas or activities relating to the navigation or piloting of this vessel…basically you are going to take the next four cycles to eat food, sleep, relax and either work on or find a hobby.” JJ finished with a small smile at the oddly shell-shocked look on Ekariel’s face.

================================================

After having received JJ’s report on the medical emergency and that Ekariel would be fine with a few cycles of rest and full meals the captain instigated a mandatory rotation of extended rest periods lasting at least three cycles unless otherwise noted by a Corpsman.

On paper the decision was to help the training and cross training of individuals by exposing them to a variety of new positions for longer periods of time and to potentially familiarize more of the crew with the inner workings of other departments and areas of the ship. In reality it was so the entire crew could have a chance to catch their breath and actually enjoy it before being thrown back into high stress situations, they were going to be on this ship for quite a long time after all, no need to have them burn themselves out so early in the voyage.

[daydreamingatnight209]

I’m not sure on how I feel about this one, but I’m posting it anways 😅🤞

Feedback is welcome - Hate is not ✨💕

“My Best Friend, My Girlfriend, My Everything”

Colson Baker x Female Reader

Warnings - Slight angst, fluffy ending 💕

Prompts used: Credit goes to all original owners -

1. "How drunk are you?" "V...Very." "Drunk enough not to remember tonight? "Hmm." "Good. I love you. And I'm tired of being just your best friend."

2. "He will never know that I like him." "Why?" "Because I'm just one of the million stars, and he's the moon.

3. I can’t believe it took me all these years to realise how I truly feel about you.

4. "Wow those bloodstained clothes really bring out your eyes... Of course I'm being sarcastic! Get over here and let me stitch you up!"

—————————————————————————

Most would think that traveling with an international superstar who also happened to be your lifelong best friend, would mean hitting the jackpot in life. But realistically after a month stuck surrounded by testosterone in such close quarters with a bunch of men who often act like overgrown toddlers , you can’t help but begin to feel like a glorified babysitter. You suppose it doesn’t help that you also happen to be ridiculously in love with said best friend.

After one particular show, you found yourself back on the tour bus while the others went out to celebrate another successful show.

Just because you were Colson’s friend, didn’t mean that you didn’t have your part to play. You liked to feel useful so you took up a part time role, sharing managerial duties with Ashley. This time you found yourself working with Sam to provide visual content for the fans and ensure that Colson’s schedule was running smoothly.

When the quietness you’d been experiencing over the last couple of hours suddenly ends, You couldn’t help but internally roll your eyes. climbing out of your bunk you go to see what all the commotion was about.

You enter the main sitting space and your mouth swings open in shock. In front of you Colson’s face was caked in blood and his clothes were stained with the same substance Rook was laughing hysterically at him and Slim had a smirk on his face, which he attempts to cover when he sees the look on your face.

“What in the actual hell happened here?!” You exclaim.

“Y/N helloooooo”

Colson rushes over to try and embrace you but you hold him at arms length, not wanting to get covered in his blood.

“Look at this, how cool does this look!” He says giddily, jumping around like an overgrown puppy, trying to show the jagged cut that seems to run down his forehead.

“Oh yeah really cool, those bloodstained clothes really bring out your eyes.”

Colson looks at you with glassy eyes and a slightly confused expression on his face and a pout on this face.

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“Yes, of course I am being sarcastic! Get in there and let me stitch you up!” You shout out in frustration and worry. You leave him alone for one night and this happens!

Grabbing his hand you force yourself and his tall frame into the tiny bathroom cubicle, with the first aid kit under the sink.

Colson collapses down onto the toilet seat as you begin to clean his face.

He winces softly as you clean around the wound and begin to apply the temporary stitches.

“How did this even happen anyways?” You ask him as he fiddles with the loose threads on your jumper.

“Rook said I couldn’t do parkour over a car, so obviously I had to prove him wrong” he mumbles, the amounts of alcohol he had consumed during the night finally catching up with him.

You couldn’t help but sport a small smile on your face, because of course it was something just so stupid.

Once you were satisfied with your work, you pack away the first aid kit and attempt to pull him up but Colson just pulls you down easily onto his lap and wraps his long arms around your frame.

“You are that best person I know Y/N. I’m so lucky to have you as my friend”

How drunk are you?" You whisper as you lean against his chest.

“V...Very."

"Drunk enough not to remember tonight?” You asked curious.

Normally Colson’s memory no matter what he drinks is top tier.

"Hmm yeah, probably” he answers, resting his head on your shoulder.

At that response and the fact that you didn’t want him falling asleep in the tiniest toilet possible you stand up and grab is hand once more. He doesn’t protest when you lead him to the back of the bus to where his bedroom is.

He throws his weight into the bed and watch him crawl under the covers.

“Night Kells” you whisper and go to exit the room to head back to your own bunk.

Before you can make it through the sliding door, your best friend speaks up, his voice raspy and slightly needy.

“Stay with me?”

You hesitate at first, not really knowing If you could handle being that close to him for the entire night. Your heart was already beating twice as fast as it should, but you aren’t really great at denying Colson. You never was. So when a cracked, “please” leaves his mouth, you cave and climb under the covers with him.

It doesn’t take long for sleep to claim him but the same doesn’t happen for you. You’ve lost count of how many times you and Colson have shared a bed over the years but where he sees friendship, recently you’ve been struggling to stop the lines from blurring.

Colson wraps you up in his arms subconsciously, like he’s done so many times before, yet this time you find yourself frozen as you stare softy at his peaceful sleeping face.

“I love you Colson Baker. I love you and I'm tired of being just your best friend."

A tear escapes your eye, letting it fall, you wait for what feels forever for sleep to fall over you.

———————————————————

The next morning you are up and out of Colson’s room before he awakens and do your best to avoid him and any awkward conversations that the day might entail. You weren’t exactly to ready to find out if he remembered his night.

No one really picks up on your behaviour and you think you made it through the day perfectly, before Ashley corners you backstage at soundcheck.

“You like him don’t you? In fact it’s more than that … you are in love with him”

Knowing that you can’t hide the truth from your friend, you look her in the eye and give her a sad smile.

“He can never know that I like him."

"Why?" Ash questions you.

"Because I'm just one of million stars, and he's the moon, he deserves so much better that me”

You slightly cruse the tears that begin falling once more and do your best to wipe them without ruining your make up.

Ash gives you a soft smile and shakes her head.

“I’ve seen the say that boy looks at you. You may think he’s the moon but he looks at you like you’re the one holding his entire world. Last night should have been enough evidence! It was you he wanted to patch him up, it was you he wanted attention from and it you he wanted to hold. It’s always you. It’s not about what you can give him or what he can give you, it’s simply about the love that you share and the happiness you provide each other. He doesn’t want to be Mr international superstar with you. He just wants to be Colson, your Colson.”

After her little speech, Ashley leaves you alone as you try and process her words. But you weren’t alone for long as a voice behind you startles you.

“She’s right you know.”

You gasp and turn to fave the voice you knew all too well.

“Colson! What the hell?!”

“She’s right” he repeats.

“Right about what exactly?”

“You might think I’m the moon, but you are my whole world. You are more than just a star, so, so much more.”

“Colson…” you close your eyes, unsure on if you want to have this conversation, but realistically you knew there was no escape.

Colson stalks forward, invading your personal space and holds your chin in his fingers so that you are holding direct eye contact with each other.

“I heard you last night… your confession. I wasn’t really asleep and frankly I’m surprised I remembered this morning. In all honesty i was going to pretend until you felt ready to have the conversation but after hearing what you said to Ashley, well I couldn’t pretend anymore. I can’t believe it took me all these years to realise how I truly feel about you. I can’t believe it took stupid dare inflicted injury and a single moment in a tour bus bathroom for everything to fall into place”

With shaky hands, your fingers touched the small wound on his head and caressed it lightly.

Not trusting your voice, you whisper out a quick response, “I’m so happy it did”.

Colson takes that as cue to plant a kiss on you, a moment you felt as if you could live in forever, before he pulls away to look at you.

“I’ll love, protect and cherish you, forever. My best friend, my girlfriend, my everything.”

[watsername]

honestly i love mcc i love competitive minecraft but the game just isn’t fun for anyone anymore. lots of players have dropped out are talking of dropping out or go on stream saying things like ‘this is the first mcc i’ve actually enjoyed in a while’ . like. thats not the sign that an event is successful . and i don’t really think that’s scott’s or the developers faults but it’s more so the culture around mcc that has changed drastically in the past year or so.

when i first started watching it, mcc was about cc’s learning to work together and competing in a fun event where there was no real stakes except the winners got a fun little token. mccs rise in popularity has snowballed a little to develop this culture of expectancy . as with all fanbases, some fans become a little too engrossed in the content and become a little overbearing about it creating this toxic culture of criticism under the guise of analysis . this isn’t to say that all mcc analysts are toxic or that the concept of vod reviewing and analysing a players performance is bad- but the attitude that a lot of the more vocal fans have been taking towards this has been .mm . not the best .

forcing players into rigid boxes based on their performance records and dogpiling them if they undeperform or over glorifying a players for performing above their average etc, it creates a competitive culture amongst fans trying to prove who suppprts the better player . very much ‘my dad is stronger than your dad’ kind of vibe.

this whole attitude also makes it less enjoyable for the players who may now feel a lot of pressure to conform to the expectations of their fans- of course everyone tries their best every event but if someone’s having a bad performance they’re more likely to experience genuine discomfort and self confidence issues continuing in the event because they know what people are expecting of them . even for lower ranking players it can affect self confidence because nobody expects anything of them .

its marketed deeply throughout the fandom as a for fun event with people who are naturally competitive being shunned for their competitive attitude but logging online and seeing people hating some people winning, hating on other teams for knocking their team out of top 2, refusing to congratulate the winners, even complaining over and over again that some aspects of the event like pvp and parkour are unfair to their streamer because their streamer ain’t good at them to the point where pvp and parkour games had their coin distribution rules changed . that doesn’t scream for fun behaviour .

that’s another thing . random changes to games that don’t necessarily need to be changed . the buildmart changes were good it make it easier to navigate and allowed people to move between sections faster and featured some new builds, the sky battle coin distribution prioritising the amount of time you survive over kills actually undermines the point of the game as a pvp heavy event . instead of fighting people you can get away with playing more defensively . we already have survival games for survivability . same goes for remixes i don’t think they typically go down well . some might but majority don’t tend to have a good reception .

even within the players themselves, there’s because quite a cliquey kind of dynamic where if the team with the most support doesn’t win, the winners are not congratulated. take last night for example . ponk and gumi scored their first wins, ponk being the first black person and as far as i can remember gumi being the second woc and first asian woman to win an mcc . let’s not even get into the diversity of mcc right now but only two people came into the voice call which lasted a while after the event to congratulate the team, only sylvee and scott and a few replies on twitter . ‘oh but the captain’ idc . i love him too but he didn’t win and it was a big day for the team that did with 50% of the team getting their first win and they played really well together. looking again at fan behaviour towards creators some players have felt unwelcome by the pressure of the competitive dynamic called bad sports for being upset with their own underperforming and alienated by the community for having multiple wins or because they just don’t want them in the event . that doesn’t scream for fun . and that in itself is really bad sportsmanship .

i think overall what started to kill mcc was it’s pandering really. i’ve fully done research on how scott puts together teams before but i still believe a lot of what goes into a team is how well it will be received. it doesn’t really force creators to get to know each other and work with each other it just takes groups of people who already know each other have relationships with each other and have relationships that are recognisable to the fanbase . this doesn’t allow people to meet and find new creators they might enjoy to watch and it prioritises some teams as the Ones To Watch because of certain dynamics pres t which undermines any smaller creators trying to make their way into the event . the insistence on changing games based on viewer complaints as opposed to suggestions from players themselves on how things can be improved is just odd to me too .

idk man mcc just isn’t what it used to be and a lot of people are becoming way too entitled over what they want to see there

[satansamwriting]

Not sure if u write for kung jin but if u do could you do a fic for him (male reader) please😊

MK10 Kung Jin with M!Reader

Hiya Anon, I hope you enjoy this little one-shot.

Small cameo by the wind god Fujin.

Disclaimer : English ain't my native language. Mistakes ahead. I apologizes for them, I'm trying my best. Also, I'm not an archer. If I didn't use the correct terms for something, I'm sorry.

Enjoy!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

An arrow pierced through the air, ending its course with a quiet "tud" in the middle of the target. Lowering his bow, Kung Jin glanced toward the whistling on his right. His own bow in hand, (Y/n) gave the archer a playful smirk before taking aim. Seconds later, split parts of an arrow fell on the ground, stealing a hum from Kung Jin' lips. 

"Not bad"

Wordlessly, the archer nocked two arrows, drew and shot.

“Bullseye.” 

*

When downtime happened in the special force, meaning no new mission had come in, the two archers could be found, without a doubt, in the training range,where they would spend hours on end challenging one another.

Sometimes, on days where the sun shined in the sky and most of the soldiers were absent, the two would be running around camp, doing parkour and shooting at predefined targets.

At the moment, the scores were even. Both had won as many challenges as the other. 

It was a particularly slow day for the special force. With little to do, Kung Jin had proposed a tie breaker to their even score. The price of losing? A favour. The loser would owe the winner. With such a tempting reward, (Y/n) agreed.

*

Kung Jin smiled as (Y/n) rolled his eyes. For a brief moment, the two stared at one another. It was (Y/n)'s turn to shoot. An arrow was nocked and before Kung Jin's very own eyes, changed to a neon blue colour. From that same arrow, five were shot in quick succession, all dead centre. Except for one. Now back to their usual colours, (Y/n) noticed the arrow sticking slightly below the other four.Less than ideal but still, he was in the lead.

“Cheater, you used your ability.” Kung Jin whined as he drew.

“We never specified against the use of abilities.”

He only needed three bullseyes and he would be the winner. First arrow hit right in the middle. Second one followed suit, sticking proudly beside the first. Down to his last arrow, Kung Jin took a deep breath and aimed. Releasing the string, the duo watched the projectile split the air. However, before the arrow hit the mark, a gust of strong wind passed by the training range. (Y/n) peeked over Kung Jin's shoulder, smirking at their unnoticed spectator.

“Lord Fujin, it’s a surprise to see you here!”

How long had the god of wind stood there, the archers didn’t know but Kung Jin suspected he was the one behind his defeat. There, sticking on its lonesome on the ground, was Kung Jin’s last arrow. 

“Unfair, you plotted against me with him!”

Placing a hand on his chest, (Y/n) gasped loudly, trying his best to look somewhat offended. 

“I would never do such a thing!” 

Kung Jin turned in the direction of Fujin, who until now was contenting himself with watching the interactions, a smile on his face. Feeling the accusatory eyes of the young archer, Fujin chuckled.

“Wind is unpredictable young Kung Jin, it acts on its own volition.” 

***

Kung Jin was still grumpy about the ordeal hours later. Truth to be told, (Y/n) had not conspired against the other archer with the god. Fujin, although for unknown reasons, had acted on his own. 

Shoulder to shoulder, the two archers sat on top of a special forces vehicle. Quivers on their laps, they repaired broken arrows and crafted new ones when needed. In a comfortable silence, they busied themselves with the task before Kung Jin spoke.

“So, thought about that favour I owe you?”

Adding his last crafted arrow in the quiver, (Y/n) put down the holder in order to focus on the other man. 

“I might have an idea.” Smirking, (Y/n) shifted slightly to face Kung Jin. 

Doing the same, Kung Jin waited impatiently for an answer.  Eyes crackling under the orange light of the setting sun, (Y/n) glanced at Kung Jin’s lips before meeting his eyes one more.

“Kiss me.”

Blinking, Kung Jin stared at him for a second. He was expecting something along the lines of doing the other's chores or making him do something that would embarrass him in front of the others. Not this. A smirk of his own, Kung Jin leaned in, one of his hands coming to rest on the back of (Y/n) neck.

“That I can do.” 

[daylilys137]

Above is the first part of this Haunted house/Modern AU Reylo story. But here is part two.

Rey could taste the cinnamon and nutmeg, feel the warmth of the soup… she saw him looking down into her eyes as their fingers brushed over the soup ladle…

Suddenly, she was running and crawling quickly through another short tunnel, chasing a figure in black ahead of her. She could hear him laugh as he let her nearly catch him just to run off again. Each tunnel of the haunted house suddenly seemed to stretch…

She was running through the dark when something caught her from the side, pulling her into their warm body before backing her up against the wall. Ben Solo was smiling down at her so close. He smelled like spice and smoke… appropriate since he's so elusive.. she could never seem to catch him. But now she was caught, and his hand was on her hip as he dipped towards her, kissing her full on the mouth. He tasted of fall, of all her favorite autumn moments. Her knees were weak as she kissed him back, and he pushed further into her body. He still wasn't close enough...

“At this rate, you're going to be stuck on the first floor. You need to try harder, Niima. You're too easily caught, and you can't quite keep up,” Ben practically hissed in her ear…

She was covered in sweat and frustrated when she woke from her dream. Every year since her first year, she'd had this dream. Sometimes, he caught her and simply told her she wouldn't get far, which is what had actually happened at the end of her 3rd training session. Other times, it was more... physical… It made her angry at herself for finding him so infuriatingly attractive even after he'd teased her so much her first year. 

Hell, Ben had even said something last year when he ran the simulation. She'd finally caught him at the end of the 3rd floor cornering him with a somewhat smug smile. He'd smiled back before moving towards her, closing the distance. 

“See I can be better than the first floor,” she taunted, “I can catch you too.” 

Ben closed the distance and she felt her breath hitch as he leaned in… for a kiss she thought, but yet again, as he had that first year, he shifted at the last second, “Perhaps you didn't consider the fact that I let you catch me?” he whispered so closely to her ear she could feel his lips. 

He had then stepped back and smiled at her before adding, “You're better Niima, but you'll have to be much better than that to actually catch me…” he said before heading up to the 4th floor. 

It was the way he'd laughed, taunted, and run her ragged that first year that had pissed her off so much, but especially the way he'd given her feedback. He was so close to her, seemingly going in for a kiss before whispering it in her ear. 

Rose and Kaydel had been lucky getting to train instead with Poe or Finn. But I guess she owed her successful accent to the 5th floor to how irritated Ben had made her. She'd joined a gym where she figured she'd get in better shape. But then she made a friend named Chewie who started teaching her Parkour, which is why she'd moved so quickly to the 5th floor. 

Why work so hard for a job that lasted a month and a half when she was a student at the university getting her degree in mechanical engineering? It was because of Ben. She wanted to catch him or outrun him. Prove herself and shut him up. Of course, sometimes her subconscious brain would remind her again that she could always try shutting him up with her own lips… 

It didn't help that she'd occasionally see him around campus. He was in his 5th year there, Poe had told her, starting his master's degree in business. Every time they caught each other's eye, he would smirk at her, and she would scowl back.

Today, she would outrun him. She wouldn't be caught. She would prove herself. And there was no way Ben was getting lunch. Not a scream to be heard from her. At best, she would laugh at him as she achieved her exit off his floor. 

[lavenoon]

For those of us who may want to write fics including Robin but are too nervous... Can we have some tips for how to characterize them? What are their vibes, are there some things to think of/remember when writing them?

I once described them as "tryhard, repressed trust issues, craves connection. aloof with anyone who poses a (perceived) threat to them, kind of awkward when not" (not on here, so no one needs to look gfhdj) but I'll go into a bit more detail!

First, I wanna state that while I left their family situation vague for self insert purposes, they way anything AU related is written, they aren't close with their family. The duplex is inherited, but they don't grieve the previous owner by the time they move in. I won't specify when this person died or who it was, as it's really just to set up the premise, and you can invent whatever for your purposes!

They're still distant, laying the groundwork for Robin's inevitable loneliness. They live alone, in a city they didn't grow up in, where they don't know anyone. When they first move in, they're excited for the possibilities! The world's their oyster and they sure are nonbinary (/ref), so they set out and explore. Happen to get scouted by a private intelligence firm, and hey, why not! (Better than getting in trouble for technically trespassing, oops).

They've always enjoyed spy movies and series, they do parkour, so of course they enjoy the secret agent life. They get a kick out of finding the craziest, most impressive way to do something - think macgyver in the sense that they like to work with what they have, but also kim possible in that they love highly specific gadgets too. Bonus points if personalized

With time, they start internalizing that enthusiasm more and more when it isn't met in kind by the people around them. That's when they start to withdraw socially, and the isolation really kicks in. After having their energy be met with scorn they start mistrusting people, refusing to really show themself, and stick more to the star agent role they earned. No one can take that from them, even if they make fun of their methods.

And so they lean into that, extremely so. They work hard, they aim higher and higher, until they feel like no one can take this success from them. But they also don't care to talk to anyone anymore, having been burnt too often, and they pretend they're fine with it, really.

Robin falls into a monotony, chasing after happiness at work because that's their only source for it, not realizing just how damaging this lifestyle is to them in the long run. They're completely isolated after years of this - and then they gain a rival, and a few short months later, a neighbor (and later, both <3)

With their rival, Robin is not on good terms before ever even speaking to him. There's a rookie, who after just a few short months gains such a reputation to be considered almost as good as them, after putting in years of work? They don't know him, and if he's another one of those stuck up idiots who ridicule them for what brings brought them joy, then they have no interest in humoring him, either. That's why they react with hostility, and take a while to warm up to their respective rival (mostly once they see his quirks, too. Dusk and his gimmick and playful attitude, Dawn and his flashy suits and flair for the dramatic). Then it's on (in Dusk's case. rip rival Dawn, you could've had it all) and they enjoy the banter and the races and the bets <3

With their neighbor they basically scramble for anything. "Nice person living next to me. My tenant? I don't know how landlords act there are no cool landlord movies. Uhhhh okay no neighbor is close enough. Offer eggs or sugar? Wait, animatronics don't eat. What do I do?" So they don't have any scripts for this situation, because they can't counter it with just polite small talk like you'd do with the cashier of the grocery store, or the aloof attitude they keep towards other agents, and those are the only types of socialization they get. They do try to be nice, and don't mean to overstep, but when faced with friendly, civilian contact? They crave that more than they even know, and get just a bit clingy among the awkwardness. It helps that their neighbor seems just as awkward, but in the end nice - so they feel reassured, and safe enough to continue trying, until they figure out again just how exactly friends work <3

[lenin-it-to-win-it]

Imagine if Octane Apex Legends Married Splinter From TMNT <3

a lovely and wholesome set of hcs in honor of @seerofmike's birthday

octane has daddy issues, so what could be more appealing to him than a 100% premium grade A dilf like master splinter whomst is actually a GOOD father???

they have their meet-cute in the sewers, of course, because splinter lives there and octane probably likes to run around in the tunnels pretending he's sonic the hedgehog

he was a manwhore and he lived down a manhole what more can i say

heh. manhole

whenever splinter gets groceries he hides a few cans of monster energy under his collection of robes for wise old men monthly magazines so the turtles wont drink them all. for octane <3

(yes, robes for wise old men monthly is actually a soft core porn mag and yes splinter DID model for it in the 80s)

and how does octane bond with his stepsons, you may ask?

mostly he tries to impress them by doing ridiculous parkour stunts to varying degrees of success

mikey thinks octane is fucking sick (and way too cool for splinter, honestly, but whatever, new dad lets him borrow his fraudulent credit cards to buy pizza and video games, so its all good)

leo keeps his distance, partially because it's just Weird to have another dad around all of a sudden, but also because he doesn't approve of octane letting mikey use his fraudulent credit cards because they're supposed to be THE GOOD GUYS and credit fraud is for BAD GUYS

donnie is okay with having octane around bc he makes splinter happy but he REALLY gets along with octanes other legal husband, crypto, because they're both gamer freaks

yes, crypto moves into the sewers too. he already doesnt shower (see: gamer) so it's a lateral move for him really, him and splinter are not married but splinter is cordial to him and crypto mostly just makes vague noises and then crawls back into his fetid gamer cave

raph HAAATES octane at first because he doesnt WANT a new dad, his family was perfect ALREADY and now this HUMAN GUY with SKIN wants to mess it all up and hes PISSED

raph keeps threatening to beat octane up if he hurts splinter or his brothers but octane mostly just thinks its really funny and is like "okay sure kid. do you want your allowance now or at the end of the week" and raph screams and punches the wall

raph keeps hating octane until one day splinter takes him aside and reassures raph that just bc hes married now doesnt mean he loves the turtles any less and raph ugly cries and splinter lets him sit on his lap like a little hatchling and pets his slimy turtle head and after that raph grudgingly tolerates his stepdad (octane is very smug about this)

[toastling]

It goes without saying that if an up-and-coming hero wants to help build their brand, it's important for them to have some sort of presence on social media.

While some of the heroes in older age brackets end up joining platforms in an attempt to bridge the gap with younger prospective fans, for new heroes of a younger persuasion, their success as a hero and their popularity online end up feeding into one another to help chart their course up the national leader boards.

Here are a few examples of 'rising star' heroes young and old and their respective online platforms:

Amily Garen: She is very active and outspoken on Bluejay, particularly in regard to both dragon and LGBT issues and media, but her biggest audiences outside her hero work are from her Pictogram profile where she shares workout videos, her adventures in parkour around the city, various self-defense tips, and the occasional clip of her hero work. One of the most Online of the heroes.

Snow Angel: All her personal pages are private, but she does have a Bluejay and yet to be named YouTube equivalent account for her band, Chelsea Says, which are both pretty active.

Good Ol' Greg: Despite being well into his 70s, he's wildly popular on Bluejay. It was recently discovered that he was the man behind his universe's equivalent of dril and it was worldwide news for like a week. Nobody saw it coming, but honestly, they really should have.

Kid Cthulhu: He's actually a pretty prolific artist online whose work tends to get reposted without credit more often than he'd like. He's very popular among teenagers and fans of the eldritch and macabre, but purportedly maintains a second persona for "normie" art that is also pretty popular. Nobody knows what the latter is though, only that he's out there, somewhere...

Cadence: She actually makes more money streaming video games than she does as a hero, which given the average salary within the hero industry for someone signed to a major agency such as her is really saying something. She's famous for her deep conversations on life, philosophy, and mental health with her chat while simultaneously no scoping e-sport pros like it's nothing.

Miyamoto Takuma: Also pushing 70, Takuma actually has a fairly successful travel blog. As the only pro hero allowed to work *without* an agency, he isn't bound to only areas his agency has a presence or affiliate in, or to the random assist request. He's always traveling the country and tends to take beautiful photographs of locals and environments.

Cheshire: She's an extremely popular food blogger on Pictogram. She's also a frequent sight in engineering circles all across the internet, both in the comments and in sharing projects of her own. All her tech is homegrown, after all, and she loves to share her inventions, innovations, and expertise.

Rave: Active on Bluejay. They speak entirely in emojis and textless reaction images. Their energy is that of some godforsaken combination of Deadpool, Harley Quinn, and the Joker with the aesthetic of an edgy Japanese schoolgirl with a weird sense of humor. They pop up in the most random places and run the single largest botnet on the internet for the sole purpose of trolling politicians in every country on Earth.

Amanda Reins: Very popular on that YouTube equivalent with videos of her various builds and robots. Think Adam Savage but if he also made fully autonomous semi-intelligent robots. She's also one of the internet's most well-known and respected white hat hackers.

Jack Hyde: Even villains need an online presence in the modern day. There are actually two Jack Hyde accounts active on Bluejay right now, each proclaiming to be the *real* successor to the name. Jack Hyde is one of the few legacy villains who has been represented by multiple people over the decades.

Providence: Extremists? Terrorists? Liberators? It all depends on who you ask. But they are absolutely everywhere online, from the front page to the deepest, darkest, nichest corners you can imagine. Their manifestos are as popular as they are eloquent, and are suspected to have drawn in 90% of its current members.

[linuxgamenews]

Discover Supermoves: The Ultimate Parkour Party Game

Supermoves is a new first person parkour party game that will be playable on Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC. Thanks to additional details and ongoing support from Makea Games. Coming to Steam in 2024. As a player, you're able to leap over buildings, swing from high wires, and race against others in a digital world. That's what Supermoves offers. It's an exciting new title due to release in 2024. While blending the thrill of parkour with the fun of playing with friends online. When it comes to Linux support, here's the plan:

...you'll be pleased to know that using Proton and Proton Experimental the game runs great on Linux and devices like the Steam Deck (in fact, we're working on a separate handheld gaming mode for further optimization on the Deck).

Makea Games revealed in their email that while Supermoves won't have built-in support for Linux. They are focusing on using Proton to run the Unreal Engine 5.3 title smoothly, and so far, this approach is proving to be successful. Plus the design also looks impressive.

What to expect:

A Blend of Solo and Multiplayer: Whether you prefer playing alone or with others, Supermoves has something for you. You can compete against up to 40 players in fast-paced action or take on a solo journey to become a parkour champion.

Eight Different Ways to Play: The experience isn't limited to just one type of challenge. There are eight different modes, each offering a unique twist. From racing against rising obstacles to playing a high-speed version of tag, there's a lot of variety.

First and Third-Person Parkour Action: You get to experience parkour in two different views. You can see the world in first and third person views. This dual perspective adds depth to your game, allowing you to feel every jump, flip, and slide.

Supermoves Reveal Trailer

Create Your Own Challenges: One of the best features is the Makea Editor. It's a tool that lets you build your own levels using simple controls. You can create anything from race tracks to obstacle courses, and then share these with friends or others online.

A Journey of Rising to the Top: In the single-player mode, your character has a backstory – a fall from grace and a journey to become a parkour master. You'll face challenges in various settings like gyms, rooftops, and parks, each requiring skill and strategy to conquer.

Supermoves is more than just an ordinary experience. It combines the excitement of free-running with the joy of creating and sharing your own worlds. The ability to play in both first and third-person views adds a layer of realism and excitement. Plus, the wide variety of challenges and modes means you will not get bored quickly. Whether you're racing against others, designing your dream parkour course, or navigating through a solo adventure. Supermoves promises a world of excitement and creativity. It's a chance to test your skills, express your creativity, and connect with others who share your passion for parkour and adventure. Mark your calendars for 2024 and Wishlist Supermoves on Steam. Join the community on Discord to stay updated and get involved. This isn't just another digital experience; it's a playground for your imagination and parkour skills. Get ready to jump, flip, and create your way to fun and excitement. Due to be playable on Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC. The release date is still TBD.

[trains-of-thought]

Super Mario Bros Movie, Constructive Critique 3

Disclaimer: I am a ridiculously passionate fan of the Super Mario franchise. I'm happy that the movie was so successful and well-received by a majority of fans. I realize that many people at Nintendo and Illumination worked hard to make this film a reality, and I would never want to bash their work. However, I think it's important to acknowledge flaws and identify room for improvement, hence this, and following posts.

Scene 3: Parkour to the Plumbing Job

Strengths:

The references at the construction site are a delight, not to mention, very well placed. This on foot detour is a literal level the bros have to beat to make it to their first customer's house.

Mario doing parkour is entertaining to watch, and Luigi bringing up the rear just feels right (classic clumsy little bro). Though it's a short scene, it does showcase character personality: Mario is as determined as ever, if he sets his mind to something he's going to get it done, but never leaves behind his brother in the process. Again, classic Luigi silliness, and though he may he not be totally on board with this sudden trek through the streets, brothers stick together. Always.

Shortcomings and/or unanswered questions:

As cool as Mario's fancy footwork is, how and why is he able to move so skillfully? He's not Mario "Jumpman" Mario yet. The movie establishes him as an average Joe who -regardless of determination- wouldn't possess the skillset to move as swiftly as he's shown to. (Additional note: When Mario's training with Peach, it takes him countless tries on the same practice course with the assistance of powerups to even come close to success, but on one try, without powerups or practice, he makes it through a busy, unpredictable construction site? Why?)

BONUS: Additional unanswered questions from scene two (Punch-Out Pizzeria)

Why did the bros leave Wrecking Crew? You could assume it's because of Spike but we don't get a definitive answer. Also, what made them opt to start their own company as opposed to looking for a new job at another already established business? I realize the film obviously had to include Super Mario Bros Plumbing but a small backstory to its origins wouldn't hurt.

I am open to feedback and welcome PRODUCTIVE conversation from fellow fans. I realize I’m not a perfect person and that there could be things I missed that might offer clarity on some of these points. If so, let me know (politely please).

(Note: Image property of Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment)

[dodgebolts]

pink's path to success: a brief analysis of purpled (and fuschia's) parkour warrior run

To start off, they immediately start discussing strats! Purp seems to have done his research thoroughly—he points out where to go right off the start, and also explains how the timer works and how to optimize your time. And, true to expectations, Charlie and Ranboo latch onto the strategy of strategically giving up 😭

Something really interesting is that he's never fully in first place. even on the harder routes, he almost always seems to be behind someone, whether that be fruit, tapl, krtzyy, etc. It's worth noting that a lot of the time it's hard to tell whether someone just used their scroll to head back to the main path or completely finished the bonus section, so this may not be entirely accurate, but it seems that this is *mostly* true.

Another thing that I noticed throughout the entire course is how important hypixel (and mineplex) parkour experience seems to be in completing the levels—a lot of the difficult jumps are slight variations on things I've seen doing jumps in housing, and the disappearing blocks are reminiscent of jumps I've given up on in minigames like Christmas Chaos on Mineplex! That experience seemed to be invaluable, and the fact that both purpled and ranboo have long hours on hypixel housing and just general talent at parkour explains a lot about their 1st and 4th respective placements.

Also throughout the entire course, Purpled made sure to check in with his team and remind them that they need to be keeping track of their progress at the top of the screen—even though there was a lot of screaming and yelling, their clear comms on that issue were important in giving their entire team enough time to finish. This also came in handy when both purp and his team verbally noted that they were giving up on a bonus path, and especially at the end when he realizes he doesn't have enough time to get through the medium. He then says that he's moving to the easy path, which given his elevated parkour ability, means that the rest of the team (save for Ranboo who made it to the end of the medium) should probably follow suit.

Even during overtime after they'd all finished, he still continued to strategize for the next time that the game is played, and given his strong performance, I can't wait to see how he improves next time. Purpled's strong leadership and strategy, combined with his team's strong mechanical performance and their collective clear comms, made pink incredibly successful in the game!! Congrats to Fuschia on their deserved win in the game :]

[author-morgan]

I’m curious to get your opinion on two things regarding the AC games:

1. The sequences set in modern time/the modern aspects of the stories

2. The supernatural aspects of the stories

I’m not the biggest fan of either of those facets of the games, but Odyssey and Valhalla (especially the latter) really just went too far in my opinion.

I tolerated the modern sequences in the older games with Desmond Miles. I definitely didn’t enjoy them, as they always pulled me from the game, but I understood it was a staple of the franchise. The closest I ever came to enjoying them was with Black Flag. Now, though, I just can’t stand them. I find them boring and overblown. The plot is stupidly convoluted. I don’t care about anyone other than Shaun and Rebecca, and it seems like Ubisoft just brought them in as fan service. But the whole Basim thing really just tipped me over the edge. Holy shit was that stupid. I know it’s a staple of the franchise, but I genuinely wish Ubisoft would just ditch the modern story lines and focus on the story people actually care about.

As for the supernatural elements, I think Ubisoft has just gone way off course. I don’t mind the whole Pieces of Eden thing—I actually think it’s interesting. But Ubisoft has made supernatural stuff the centerpiece of their games. It’s like they said “Well, we don’t know how to make an interesting plot, so let’s just throw in a bunch of gods and mythical creatures!” The historical basis of the AC games is what makes them so interesting, but Ubisoft is abandoning that. They’re barely even tethered to reality anymore. Valhalla just seems like a much shittier version of God of War. I want the villain to be an actual historical figure not a watered-down Loki.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. It just kinda pisses me off seeing what’s been done to the AC franchise. Odyssey and especially Valhalla just don’t seem like AC games anymore. I honestly think that if you took away the title, people would have a hard time associating the games to the franchise.

But I’m curious to hear your thoughts!

P.S. Sorry about any formatting issues, I’m on mobile.

Another essay incoming.

1. The modern storylines are not my favorite. They never have been. I’m mainly playing Assassin’s Creed to run around in different periods of history, murder people, and do sick parkour moves. While the modern-day portion has never been a personal favorite, in the end, I did not mind Desmond. He was his own fully realized character with motivations and responsibilities, and in the previous games, that worked. We had two coherent storylines running side-by-side together. Desmond’s story was fleshed out very well, and most players became emotionally invested in what happened to him, myself included. The Creed was an integral part of his story, and he was vital to the success of the early games.

Another reason why I did not mind Desmond was because of how the Animus functioned in earlier games. The user had to be descended from the historical protagonists (i.e., Desmond’s bloodline was descended from Altaïr, Ezio, the Kenways), so it put a huge emphasis on his role in fighting the Templars/Abstergo —hundreds of years had been leading up to this. That meaning began to crumble in Black Flag with someone (the player) being able to relive Edward’s memories with just Desmond’s DNA, but the family connection was still there. Then that meaning was completely lost beginning in Origins, where we are introduced to Layla, who can go around picking up anyone’s DNA and then pop on her VR Animus or jump into a portable one. The key aspect of why the Animus was so special was completely lost in that moment.

Now Layla. This is when I began to view the modern-day component as just an obstacle to overcome as quickly as possible to get back to the much more interesting historical gameplay. Layla is poorly written in my opinion. She is an awful, irritating, arrogant, and selfish character. There is barely anything likable about her and, during Odyssey especially, she got worse as the story progressed into the Atlantis DLC. The whole time during the main story, she ignores or refuses the advice and help from her friends, especially Victoria, who she later kills, and in my opinion, proves why she is an unsuitable person to be the Heir of Memories. Also, it rubs me wrong that when the Eagle Bearer hands over the Staff and dies, the first thing she does is, “oh, let me just hop into the Animus again right next to the corpse of the person I’ve been living as.” And in the end, it looks like the over two thousand years Alexios/Kass spent as the Keeper was pretty much for nothing, ouch.

When they announced Layla would still be in Valhalla, I let out a very loud, very displeased groan because I knew it would mean suffering through the modern-day parts before I could get back to being a Viking (and I hated every single Animus Anomaly too, my god). And by the end of the Valhalla, I was ready to say good riddance (and I did), but at the same time, her ending essentially negated the importance of Alexios/Kass’s story. And yes, Shaun and Rebbeca were most definitely there as fan service and reiterate that this new and ridiculous modern storyline is still somehow tied to what happened in the previous games.

At this rate, I don’t think Ubisoft even knows where the modern-day storyline is going anymore, and in general, perspective changes in RPG games just don’t work. It breaks the immersion and becomes super annoying. After the Desmond arc ended, Ubisoft should have either done away with the modern-day connection completely or rethought the design so you aren’t pulled out of the game every 5 to 10 hours to be reminded “hey, you’re actually a lady wearing a VR headset and this is still an Assassin’s Creed game.” If the games must continue to have a modern-day component, then a few cutscenes at the beginning and end should suffice.

2. The mythological aspect with the Isu has been present since the beginning of the series, and up until Odyssey was handled very well, I think. I do like the mythological aspects, to a certain degree. The backstory for this has been there and steadily growing since the first game. We knew about the First Civilization and the Great Catasphroe and that it was important, and why it the Apples of Eden and other artifacts couldn’t fall into Templar hands but then beginning with Odyssey, that direction was completely lost. I think I know what Ubisoft wants to do, but their writing and storytelling skills are not up to par with what they used to be.

It does make sense though that the Isu are seen as gods to different peoples, and that's about where things stop making sense. Just with Aletheia, her story between Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology is super convoluted and could have been better executed. Also of note, if a single Isu is meant to be a deity across several cultures, then who is the Greek and Roman equivalent of Havi, Loki, Thor, Freya? Or is Aletheia the only one with a triple persona? It doesn’t make sense, and considering the future plans for Assassin’s Creed as an online Fortnite-esque battle royale pay-to-win, I doubt a lot of these questions and plot holes will ever be answered.

I won’t even begin to discuss the issues with the actual mythologies they are using but I’m sure @mrsragnarlodbrok can tell you all about how they have misinterpreted/ruined certain aspects of the gods and nature of Norse Mythology.

3. As for the last two games not feeling like Assassin’s Creed? It’s because they aren’t. The introduction of player choice into the RPG game style effectively negated everything that made an Assassin’s Creed game feel like an Assassin’s Creed game. Odyssey was more of a way to explore the origins of a proto-Templar society with the Cult of Kosmos. And while Valhalla had assassins and a hidden blade for the protagonist, it was not centered on the brotherhood (and I quite like that Eivor did not join them, tbh) but on how the Order of Ancients began to transform and establish themselves into the Templar Order.

Odyssey and Valhalla have taken a lot of material from other games (God of War, The Witcher, and Shadow of Mordor and War, to name some of the ones that come to mind), almost to a degree where I’m asking myself how Ubisoft has gotten away with it. The mercenary system in Odyssey was a very poorly done mockery of the Nemesis System from the Shadow of Mordor games. Many of the “new” skills in Valhalla (and by the looks of it, the new DLC too) are just straight up from Shadow of War. It’s been quite some time since the Assassin’s Creed series added something fresh for the video game world, in my opinion, and at this point, Ubisoft is just milking this money cow for as long as they can. Could Ubisoft make an open-world RPG set in history? Yes. Should they have done that for the Odyssey and Valhalla? Probably, but if they slap that Assassin’s Creed logo on it and make up a poorly written storyline that somewhat connects to the golden Ezio trilogy, then it’ll sell more copies.

[votederpycausemufins]

Already here with another chapter. Much shorter, but last one was long, so what do you expect?

au by @hermitcraftheadcanons and @helleborusangel gets tagged in my writing.

Thousands of people waited on bated breath as they tuned into what was likely to be the next episode of Hermitcraft Recap. Pixlriffs and Zloy had already made a public announcement that they had no idea about the new season or what happened to the hermits, only learning when they themselves watched the day one recap.

In fact, the two of them were on their couch, ready to watch another episode. Their hope was that this was some sort of elaborate prank and this week there would be no weekly recap and instead a reveal. But luck didn’t seem to be on their side, as a new clip started to play.

As a clip of Joe and Beef seeing a giant structure that had suddenly appeared started to play, both the recappers got notebooks ready. The intro started just the same as before, Zloy quickly writing down the names of Noah, Goofball and Valentine so they could look into their player records later.

From there, they again went from hermit to hermit, recapping all that had happened, though there was one thing that stood out to the recappers. In a few clips, a new structure was featured, one near most of the hermits. But it was completely ignored, other than either Noah or Goofball saying the hermit had ‘found something’ and then not elaborating.

A worrying detail was the fact that mob hybrids seemed to be acting more towards their instincts, such as Zedaph munching on wheat and Ren attacking Etho when he was hit. The other that a few of the hermits were gaining traits of the area they were stuck in, like Wels growing tusks or Bdubs becoming black like the void.

Speaking of those two hermits, both of them had found someone new. Wels of course had found his evil copy in the crimson forest, but the footage was cut off before he could be talked about much. Bdubs on the other hand had found someone hanging onto what looked like a mix between an end gateway and the things that had been appearing near others. Again, they couldn’t get much of the hermit’s reaction due to a cut taking them elsewhere, but it was enough to take note of, getting a description of a person in pink armor and white hair.

There were also two other new people who hadn’t interacted with other hermits, though these people the new recappers actually covered, them being Pearlescentmoon and Geminitay. Apparently they weren’t there on day one, but had been there most of the week. Gem was in a better situation than a number of the hermits, not being stuck somewhere or in a death loop, though she was still stranded who knew how far from spawn.

Pixl and Zloy took as many notes as they could, then the presenters said the thing they wanted to hear. “Now, rolling things back a little, some things have appeared at everyone’s spawn, the question is what they are.”

“With a few minor exceptions, every player has had these pillars appear at their spawn made of different blocks depending on the spawn.” Goofball was speaking, explaining the structures. “For example, in the deep dark, Xisuma’s pillar is made of deepslate. Meanwhile Hypno’s has birch and honeycomb.”

“Right now, the pillars only show each person’s spawn,” Noah picked up. “But over time they may lead to something more. Though right now, there are three exceptions.” Noah paused as there was a little bit of whispering. “Right. Four exceptions. The first two of these four are the most important, those being Beef and Joe’s pillars.”

“As you saw.” Goofball spoke up again. “The two of them found a large tower in the middle of spawn that was not there before. The pair briefly explored the tower to see what was inside, finding a parkour course leading upwards. Instead of following that up, they tried to build up with little success, and shortly after found a number of their harder to find items missing.” And the audio paused to show a clip of Beef and Joe finding all their diamonds and other similarly rare items gone.

“Possibly in the future they’ll try getting up there again. But eh, who knows when that will be. And with that marks the end of today’s Hermitcraft Recap. I was Toon Noah-”

“And I was Mysterious Goofball and our writer was Pin Valentine. If you’d like to see original content made by us, you can find us if you already know where to look.”

“Don’t forget to give this show a good rating and tune in next week for the next episode of Hermitcraft Recap. Thank you all so much for watching and goodb-”

The recappers had already both looked up at the television when the outro started, so many questions still left unanswered. If they hadn’t, they would have suddenly looked up when the audio cut out. Though it seemed to have stopped, the panorama of footage from the new hermitcraft season, if it could be called that, was still playing. Zloy was about to get up and check their sound when there was suddenly another noise from the tv, the sound of a crash that seemed to come from off camera.

Then one of the new recapping pair spoke up. “What are you doing here? Look, if you’re angry about-”

“Angry? Why would I be angry?” A new voice spoke up. It was familiar, but for the life of them, neither Pixlriffs nor Zloy could figure out who it was. “No, it’s a wonderful idea! In fact I want to help out with your recording next week. I assume you have general scripts for the upcoming events, yes?”

“I mean, yeah.” Goofball spoke. “But shouldn’t you-”

“Great. Now I think I want to talk about these player files. They shouldn't be- oh, you’re still recording, aren’t you? Shut that off.”

And a moment later, the episode finally finished, leaving Pixl and Zloy sitting quietly on the couch with their notebooks.

“Pixl, you were recording this, right?”

“Yeah. Want me to replay it?” He asked Zloy, who nodded. Pixl pulled up the recordings and replayed the recap episode, only to find it very different from before. The entire video was now replaced with a black screen and purple text scrolling across the screen.

‘Sorry for the inconvenience, but this episode cannot be rewatched. -Xelqua.’

“I’m guessing we want to add that one to the player list.”

“Already writing it down Pix. We’re taking this up the ladder tomorrow, right?”

Pixlriffs nodded. “At this point, it might be better to go now.”

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review: Casino Royale (2006)

So after thinking about it, I figured that with No Time to Die coming out soon, the Craig Bond era Bond movies deserve a post per film. Casino Royale is the film that got me into Bond. I had seen some of the Brosnan films by then, but they didn't really stick to me much. Perhaps also because I was reasonably young when the Brosnan films came out. But Casino Royale came out during my teen years, where I was starting to get into more dark and gritty movies. To me, this movie and Batman Begins, are cut from the same cloth. Both rebooting characters that had gotten too campy in previous iterations, both brilliant origin stories, and both grounded in reality and gritty. Its no wonder that both version of these characters ended up being my favorite versions. Casino Royale is still easily my favorite Bond film to date.

Truthfully, to me this film is near perfection as an action-thriller. For classic Bond fans who have grown up with the franchise and want specific things like Moneypenny and Q and various gadgets, this film may not be as endearing because it very specifically goes away from being gadget heavy and doesn't give Bond a support staff other than Mathis. I think the most high tech thing in the movie was a portable defibrillator. But this film had me from the very beginning in the black and white sequence and how it showed Bond's two kills to become 007 and how it reimagined the classic opening shot of Bond shooting and the blood red soaking over the screen. I just new we were in for something special from the very beginning. What's amazing is the pacing of this film. This was the longest Bond film since OHMSS at the time. I have watched all prior Bond films and I have felt restless at times while watching them, but not when watching Casino Royale. There is constantly something happening and it keeps you engaged. Not once was I bored in the movie.

The action in the film is absolutely high class. I think its the best Bond action that I have seen. The most classic scene of course is the incredible Parkour chase. Its incredibly exhilarating and major kudos to the guy who did the stunts for the bomb maker. You also get a real understanding of what a brute force this Bond is. While the Bomb maker chooses to jump through the window, Bond will burst through the wall. The Bomb maker will climb construction rods, Bond will just drive a bulldozer and destroy the construction and climb up. When the bomb maker throws the gun at him, Bond just catches it and throws it right back. Little things like that give Bond a personality that is different. But this is only the first great action sequence. There is the Miami airport truck sequence that is also brilliant. You have to love the smug smile on Bond's face when the bomber accidentally blows himself up. There is the staircase fight which is brutal and visceral. Then there is final fight scene in Venice which is emotional and tragic and is the true making of Bond. In between it all, there is the Poker game which is surprisingly entertaining given it takes up quite a chunk of time. There are also some incredibly tense sequences which are laced with humor, like the Bond poisoning scene where Bond almost gets killed and then returns with a classic one liner to leave Le Chiffre dumbfounded. There is the torture scene which is hilarious because of how Bond reacts to the torture and eggs him on in a way. The film never lets up in the action and the thrills.

An enormous part of the success of the film is the casting of Mads Mikkelson as Le Chiffre. I had not known Mads from anywhere before this, but he is immediately compelling and enigmatic. More importantly, rather than just being an all powerful villain to foil, he feels like a human. The tearing blood is a great, sinister gimmick, but you feel like he is on the edge when he loses money in the stock market due to Bond. You feel his desperation in some of the Poker scenes, as well as when the african fighters find him at the hotel, and then when he is torturing Bond to find the location of the money. I am not sure whether I like him more than Bardem's Silva or not, but its telling that the best Bond movies of Craig's era have the best villains. This film put him on the map for me and I loved him as Hannibal, saw him Dr. Strange, and I want see how he does as Grindelwald in the next Fantastic Beasts movie.

However, what elevates this film beyond any prior Bond movie is the casting of Eva Green as Vesper Lynd. She is the best Bond girl ever put to film and the romance between her and Bond is one of the most heartfelt and tragic romances that I have seen. The chemistry between the two actors/characters is electric from their very first scene in the train. The film gives them everything. There are deeply intimate scenes between the two which are not remotely sexual such as the tender shower scene where Bond comforts Vesper after the stairwell fight, many instances of witty repartee, scenes of romance, and then the bitter tragedy of her betrayal and her death. Even her death scene is picturized in a way where you really feel the connection as you can tell that Vesper can't bear to live with what she's done. The film doesn't flinch when showing her drown so it engulfs the audience in the same horror and sadness that Bond is feeling. In general, you experience the same emotions as Bond does as you can't help but fall in love with Vesper and just at the point of happily ever after, it all turns to ash. Its a phenomenal character arc and it also does a great job of establishing how Bond became so cold. Its a fantastic performance from Eva Green, and yet another instance of an actor who put herself on the map in my eyes.

And then there is the man himself. Yet another actor who I knew very little about. At that point everyone thought Craig wasn't good looking enough, not tall enough, not charismatic enough etc... to play Bond. But boy did he just blow expectations away. He is my Bond for sure because his performance is just exceptional in every way. He is built like a tank and is a force of nature, but Craig brings a tender vulnerability, perfectly suited for a young Bond. He looks dapper, is charismatic, is great in the fight scenes, and you genuinely feel he could beat the crap out of people. As I have already mentioned, there are so many touches to his performance that is unique to him. The brutality he brings in the fight scenes, the smirk at the end of the Miami scene, the heartfelt tenderness in the shower scene, the twinkly eyes humor, the rage when he is betrayed, the devastation at Vesper's death, and then the coldness that comes after that. He gets to show a full range, and he delivers every aspect with perfection.

One of the major carryovers from Brosnan era, was Jud Dench as M. And she gets a lot more to do during the Craig era. She is phenomenal as she always is. The dynamic between her and Bond is slightly more stern maternal in the Craig era compared to Brosnan and their interactions are great. Jeffrey Wright brings Felix Leiter back into the fold for the first time since License to Kill and he's a welcome presence as always. Giancarlo Giannini is also pretty great as Mathis and I'm glad he came back in QoS. Jesper Christensen has a quiet presence as Mr. White, who makes recurring appearances in the future.

I feel not enough people give Martin Cambell credit for what he has done. Twice he has launched Bonds successfully. GoldenEye was really good and Casino Royale is just outstanding. I have never paid much attention to the Bond song but the song for Casino Royale is pretty great. Again its telling that the two songs that I remember from Bond movies are from Casino Royale and Skyfall. Anyways, Casino Royale is a near perfect movie, especially for someone who is new to Bond. It really launched Bond into the modern world and got him away from the cold war era type plots. If I had to quibble about something, I would say some of the scenes in the Bahamas are a little slower and maybe 5-10 minutes can be edited down but even those scenes are great character scenes and we get a new origin of the DB5. A 9.5/10 for me.

[soultek]

An deiner Seite - Marco Bodt x Reader (Attack on Titan)

Author’s Note: Well! Welcome to my first piece of Attack on Titan writing!

Of course it’s Marco. Bertolt and Reiner are my favourites so of course it’s Marco who I get the idea to write for.

Maybe because my ideas for Bert and Reiner are so messy

I digress. Let’s retcon a certain something for my (and Jean’s) sunshine ☀️

I’m *this* close to the possibility of a series but we’ll see...

Disclaimer: AoT/SnK and all associated characters not mine / I’m certainly not that hot at writing action, but I gave it my best shot / tried to keep reader as gender neutral as possible

Premise: When you find Marco in the clutches of a Titan, you have but one thought. Not him, not today, not ever.

Words: 3270

Warnings: Potential spoilers for Marco’s death depending on how much of the show you have/n’t seen 

______

Screaming filled the air of the quietened district of Trost once more. It was supposed to be over. Nearly over. Eren was certainly stealing all the attention in his Titan form, despite the presence of other Titans still in the area. Ignoring them to marvel at the new ‘Secret Weapon’ proved to be a fatal mistake.

Nearly fatal. The scream that pierced your ears made your blood run cold and you turned on a dime; this was not a time for thinking. It was a time for pure instinct. Of the 104th Cadets you weren’t anything other than good; good at everything but never really excelling in anything. You hadn’t made the top 10 cut, but that didn’t really matter to you. You weren’t aiming for the Military Police as so many of your friends were. But you were quick on your feet – which had been quite the saving grace in this battle already, and you were almost as much of a specialist with your ODM gear as Jean Kirstein. You didn’t need to check your canisters before launching yourself from the roof as you sprinted – you could make it, you had to make it. Even if you consumed all your gas in the process.

Your gear rocketed you through the air towards the Titan and you swallowed back your fear, your hatred – nearly emotionless as you arced yourself, running your blades parallel to make the cut. No time to think about the consequences of not getting there in time. The consequences of not cutting deep enough. You turned your body into your slice and let gravity do the rest of your work as you expended more gas to propel yourself – you didn’t even have time to go for the nape. Oh no, you’d have to slice through skin and muscle and bone; or else risk crushing him in the process of killing it. You would never forgive yourself for coming so close only to end up the cause of the very thing you were trying to prevent.

The Titan’s fingers seemed like the easiest option so that’s where you went, and with all your calculated factors your cuts were successful even if not entirely clean. You hardly cared about that – there was something else on your mind, dropping a blade from your hand in time to snatch the cadet from its clutches. Not today. Not him. If you had your way, not EVER. Your wires slacked as you overshot the building you’d grappled into and both you and Marco slammed hard into the roof tiles, skittering across them. Digging your heels in, you retracted your gear and discarding your now trashed blades, you clicked fresh ones into place. Even now, no time to think. Marco – still slightly dazed and definitely hurting – managed to lift his body up shakily on his arms from his sprawled position to at least see who his saviour was. You? He smiled despite it all; of course! “Stay here.” You growled, and Marco barely had time to get out a ‘huh!?’ as you pushed yourself into another sprint. Steam may have been rising from the Titan’s severed fingers, but it was still staring at you both – you channelled all your hate this time as you released your grapples into the building opposite. This time you didn’t have to be so calculated; this time it didn’t matter as long as you killed it. Marco was safe now. If you’d been even one second later… “NOT MY BOYFRIEND, YOU SON OF A BITCH-!” You hollered, hurling yourself at the Titan. Reckless maybe, but in your eyes necessary. You swung yourself out in the opposite direction to where your gear had set, narrowly missing what was left of the Titan’s hand as it lunged for you. And as your feet left the rooftop the iron cables wrapped themselves around the Titan’s neck, straining. You could feel the tiny smirk on your face as you reeled yourself in, blades once again in perfect positioning for your final strike. It was a shame you couldn’t make it suffer any more than this. But you could dwell on that later. Your cut was clean, perhaps even deeper than necessary, as you felt the snap of bone under your blades again. Neither were intact as you landed back on the tiles, a little harder than you would have liked, considering the way your body jarred for just a second. Grapples retracted, you once again relieved yourself of broken blades. But not before kissing one – hardly caring about the amount of Titan blood on them, or you, now becoming that same vapour. Thank you, for helping me save him… You brushed yourself down, and stored your equipment. You could already feel yourself shaking, adrenaline spent. Taking a deep breath, you allowed yourself to think for a moment how close to death he’d just been, how you’d just thrown yourself in harms way to save his life. You would do anything for Marco Bodt. That’s just how it was. Certainly wouldn’t have gained me any points with Shadis though… Pushing your feet on in urgency, you skidded across the tiles to your ‘damsel in distress’. By now Marco had managed to ease himself to standing, despite clutching his right arm – you guessed that meant he wasn’t hurt so bad, thank the Walls for that. His eyes were beholding you with a sense of wonder, but you could see the horror behind them – Marco knew what would have happened had you not swooped in. You supposed brushes with death would not be so easy to overcome. “Geez, Marco! Jean and I were so worried-!” Somehow these were the first words that made their way out of your mouth, maybe they were the only ones you could say safely right now. Well, actually, you didn’t know if Jean was worried. You didn’t even know if Jean had heard the same thing you had or even where he was - but you knew he’d be pissed once he found out. You stopped in front of him, scariness of the situation suddenly hitting you full force, you felt the lump in your throat before tears brimmed. Although they didn’t fall. You didn’t need to bother him with that right now – Marco needed you. “Don’t ever do that to me again!” You weren’t sure why your instant reaction was to be mad at him – but then you weren’t mad at him, you were mad at the circumstances. That a Titan had even gone for Marco - had been given the opportunity to do so. That he’d had to go through that. If you’d been with him in the first place… No use crying over not being put in squad 19 now.

Marco’s attempt to calm you was valiant, and the fearful look in his eyes almost dissipated as he smiled, despite it still being present in his voice. “I- I know… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to worry either of you…” How could you stay mad at that smile? Those pretty brown eyes? The constellation of freckles that painted his cheeks you just loved so damn much. You gave him a slight smile back, almost by way of apology for yelling… or acceptance of his own. Marco knew it was only because you were so alarmed, your emotions were allowed to get the better of you in situations like this. Your eyes left his to scan his body for any other signs of injury besides the arm; maybe he was trying to keep his weight to one side, maybe he was bleeding somewhere. You’d be forcing him to medical anyway, if Jean didn’t drag him there himself – but you wanted to figure out how urgent it should be… You paused, eyes flying wide in shock once more. “Where’s your ODM gear!?” You took a step back; how had you not noticed!? The pause of significance had you darting your gaze back to his face and for a few seconds Marco looked absent, a flicker as if he’d just seen a ghost. Before he swallowed hard, giving an embarrassed laugh and rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh, I-! I lost it.” You reacted too quickly to what he had said to realise a decision had been made leading to that response; “LOST IT! Babe you almost got eaten!” You grabbed Marco’s hands in yours, squeezing them tight, half to make sure he was really still here, alive and breathing, and half to try to get him to realise the seriousness of the situation. “It wouldn’t have mattered! I was out of gas, I thought I could out run them!” “Over rooftops!? Marco, they’re 15 meters high-!” You didn’t really remember him being outstanding at parkour. Marco was quick, nearly as quick as you, but you would reckon anyone would have struggled with a strategy like that. Even Humanities Strongest… “I know, I know, I’m sorry.” Marco found himself apologising once more as he laced your fingers together. His hands were so warm; you weren’t sure if that was just because you were hyperfocusing on his touch right now, or radiated heat from the death grip of a Titan. You could have lost this… Anywhere else in Trost, a little less skill… you could have lost this… Your boyfriend cleared his throat to perhaps offer better explanation. “But I thought the lack of gear would make me lighter, y’know?” His clarification made sense, but it was still suicide. Had he not thought about his best friend? Had he not thought about you? No, Marco would only have thought about you both – overconfident determination was not his thing. Did this make sense? Could it have made anything other than sense… people did crazy things in battle, in the heat of the moment even the coolest of heads could make rash decisions like that. Even Marco could – hadn’t you just done something comparably insane? Your face pulled back into a look of distress and you chewed your bottom lip for a second to stop yourself tearing up again. “You scared me!” You were glad that your tone wasn’t so much chiding, but that wasn’t about to stop Marco’s expression screwing up in concern. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” There he was apologising all over again, this time with a wince to accompany his nervous smile, hands detaching from yours to be held up defensively. You took this opportunity to really look at him and you gasped gently at the slight redness to his eyes, the tear stains running through the speckles of dust on his cheeks. You tried to ignore that in this light you could see where his crying had dampened his shirt too. You were forgetting which one of you had just been saved from hell. Marco didn’t deserve to be subject to your anger at the world, he needed the exact opposite. Your expression softened and you reached out, holding his face gently in your hands, you ran your thumbs through the subtle marks to rid Marco of them. You don’t need to cry now, I’m here… It’s going to be okay. At your movement Marco couldn’t help but give you his best lopsided smile; as good as he could when he was still shaken up. You giggled, “Aw! How could I not forgive such a cute face-?” Removing your hands from his cheeks you wound your arms around him and pulled your body into his, head against his chest. Marco’s whole body was just as warm; you wondered once more about the Titan’s hold on him – you knew they ran particularly high body temperatures. Closing your eyes for a second as you melted into his embrace, you focused on his heartbeat; Marco was calming now, but that was all the proof you needed that he was still here with you and breathing. You’d both lived to fight another day. But taking back Trost had only taught you how human you were; how easy you could be taken from each other. You enveloped him a little tighter at your own thought: No. You couldn’t allow yourself to believe it would be easy – you would fight to the death for him. And you knew how protective Marco could get.

You couldn’t help but beam, inhaling him – allowing yourself to be caught in his familiarity for just a moment. The Titans that needed taking down after Eren had sealed the breach could wait for just a second longer. And yet, with Marco in the state he was in without his gear, you got the feeling there was only one way you could go. “Guess I gotta haul you back home now, huh-!?” You reluctantly pulled away from his chest, looking back up into those beautiful eyes. Pink dusted his cheeks slightly, only making you smile wider. Marco’s blush coupled with his freckles was a different kind of adorable all together. His laugh was genuine, and you were glad he was happy. It didn’t seem to take much to get your Marco back. “Haha, guess you get to be my knight in shining armour huh? And I certainly don’t mind that!” He grinned and you smirked gently; “Or-- I can suit you up... and you can carry me home? We can swap gear over and you can sweep me off my feet, my handsome prince.” His blush was already deepening but Marco was a goner as soon as you added the wink.  And the cute collection of freckles really did stand out against the red; you couldn’t help but giggle in happiness. But Marco took a breath, and this time he grinned; besides it would take a little while to take the ODM gear from you and put it on him, and right now he’d rather be out of the reach of Titans, for obvious reasons. “No, no, people should get to know you saved my life-”

Marco suddenly stiffened as his gaze wandered to just over your shoulder, you watched his eyes grow wide and there was that flicker again. His grip on you tightened just a little, and your hand fell to your blades instinctively as you turned to see what has caused his mood change. A few roof tops away from the two of you, and on slightly higher ground, stood your group of friends; Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt. (Well, you kicked around with the guys a lot at least.) You tipped your head watching them, eyebrow quirked, half raising the hand that had shot to your blades in greeting. Their expressions were all unreadable, Reiner was the only one who attempted to return your salutation. “Where the heck were they!?” An aside said out loud. Not that you minded saving Marco all by yourself, but help would always have been appreciated. You turned away from them and back to your boyfriend, whose expression was now worn a little more neutral. His grip on you was not. “Babe, what’s wrong?” “It’s- it’s nothing...” Marco blinked hard and when his eyes returned to you, he immediately softened, with a smile, “Let’s get out of here.” “Okay, Sunshine. Your call!” You gave a nod, grinning, before stepping to his side, looping your arm around his waist as Marco secured his own around your shoulders. Leaning across, you brushed your lips to his cheek gently, thankful he was still with you. All these little things suddenly seemed so huge with renewed context… “You sure you’ll be okay?” “I’ll be fine, if there’s anyone that can get you out of here it’s me and Jean, right?” You teased, gently rapping the knuckles of your free hand against the gas cylinders. Despite knowing you’d used a lot to get to him, you knew you’d be fine taking Marco back too. You smiled; things were on your side today. You all needed to catch a break, and you supposed there was no better time than today. “Thank God I happen to be in with the two ODM specialists of the class!” “Speaking of, he’s probably wandering where the heck we are.” “…Better not leave him hanging.” Marco’s voice was at least amused, as you made sure everything was secure. You had to confirm you weren’t about to lose your own ODM gear trying to get him back to the safety of the wall. “Alright, let’s get you home and dry!” Marco gave a confident nod to match the smile on his face and gripped you a little tighter. You glanced back to the other roof top, but by now the other three had disappeared. You frowned, still a little puzzled by Marco’s reaction, but brushed it off to focus on the task ahead of you. Neither of you needed a count down and pushed off at the same time, running to the edge of the roof so your ODM gear needed to do the minimal amount of work, before you both jumped, laughing as you loosed your grapples into the nearest tall building surface. You had to admit to yourself, you loved how tight Marco was hanging onto you and couldn’t help but notice how his smile grew as you carried him towards the safety of the wall. You held him a little closer too. Today would hit you hard, maybe later, when you’d all calmed down and reality settled in the dead of night. You hoped it wouldn’t come to you in dreams… But you supposed you would find out. You glanced to the ground below, the structures around you, Marco was doing the same and you knew you were both looking for the same person; Jean. The first thing you would do was reunite, regroup and recount… and then would come the big decision. Where the three of you would go, having all just graduated. If decisions would change, now you’d been through hell and back. Marco took your hand, lacing your fingers as you landed back within Wall Rose and the military camp set up – all quiet here, not a Titan to be seen. You squeezed his hand hard in response as you both scanned the movements of people, trying not to get disheartened at how many weren’t there. You didn’t even allow the possibility that Jean was one of them to cross your mind. “GUYS---!” Both of you gasped, turning towards the voice, “GUYS! OH, THANK GOD---!!” Jean waved his arms through the air as he raced towards you both. “JEAN!” You yelled in unison, taking off towards your best friend and practically throwing yourselves at him. Jean Kirstein staggered and you all fell with a thump to the floor, laughing, “Okay, geez, I get it you missed me! I’d miss me too!” He cracked a smile, arms around you both. Marco and yourself shared a look, quietly agreeing that you’d tell Jean what happened later. Right now was a time to be relieved that your trio had made it out of Trost alive. Survived one more day. You both threw your arms back around him and hugged each other close. You closed your eyes tight, enjoying the sound of both of them laughing into the air. You were all still just kids; this was how it was meant to be, right? Having fun and messing around and not having to worry about friends you’d lost, or the monsters outside the walls… You smiled to yourself; maybe one day you’d get that all back.

I’m glad you’re safe… Oh boys, I’m so glad you’re safe… Thank God… that you’re alive… I don’t know how to thank anyone enough for this… I don’t know what I’d do… if you had gone…

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Thank you very much for reading! 😘❤