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dark-frosted-heart · 5 months ago

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Roger Barel Main Route - Chapter 12

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this. I’m doing this for archiving purposes and you can probably find a better translation out there.

Roger: Kate, I got good news. A new Cursed One may have been found!

Kate: Hey, don’t just burst into my room without knocking!

I pulled the front of my blouse tightly over my chest and glared at Roger.

Roger: You were in the middle of changing? My bad.

(...You don’t look sorry at all)

Kate: It’s fine. Just give me a second.

I turned away from him and finished tying up my blouse. I sighed and turned back to face Roger.

Kate: So it’s true that a new Cursed One was found?

Roger: Yeah, it’s true. Last night, a young man named Lance Brown was arrested for sneaking into a butcher’s shop and eating the meat. Here’s the important part. When he was about to be arrested, he made all the police officers faint just by hugging them.

(That definitely sounds like a Cursed One’s ability…)

Kate: That’s not something the average human can do.

Roger: Yeah, that’s why I’m thinking there’s a high possibility it’s a Cursed One. Apparently when Victor heard about it, he paid for his release, and ordered him to provide information in return.

(As expected from Victor. Making the necessary investments…This is the palace’s Grim Reaper)

(Even so)

Kate: Hehe, you look happy, Roger.

Roger: Of course I am. Cursed ones are born all over the world, but there aren’t that many to begin with. Just meeting them is a valuable sample. Besides, plenty of Cursed Ones die without even realizing that they’re cursed.

From what I read in Roger’s research, because the existence of Cursed Ones isn’t public knowledge, many commit suicide because they think there’s something wrong with them, turn to crime, or get falsley accused like Alec was.

Kate: I think there’s a lot of happiness in this world we don’t know about. However, there’s some misfortunes that happen when you don’t know yourself. But… It would be a shock to suddenly go out and tell someone “You’re a Cursed One.”

Perhaps it was because of his rational personality, but Roger had a habit of being too direct.

A pro was that he was to the point and easy to understand. A con, well…that.

Roger: When I was a kid, I said something so suddenly to Alfons that it left a lasting mark on him. I won’t make the same mistake again. We’ll see how things go when we go see him today.

Kate: “We” are going to see him?

Roger: What are you so surprised for? You’re my assistant aren’t you?

(Well, according to the robin growth map…)

(I remember the promotion going from dogsbody -> dog -> assistant -> partner -> lover)

So I guess I’ve ranked up from dog to assistant.

Kate: Though I returned all the materials you let me borrow, I never said I read through them all…

Roger: You didn’t need to. You’re not the type to demand rewards or recognition for your work. But I know you’re a hard worker that never skimps on things.

That honestly makes me happy

Thank you +4 +4

I’m uncomfortable

The sudden compliment made my cheeks warm.

Kate: …Thank…you.

Roger: Hm? I didn’t hear you.

Kate: Thank you! And don’t lie about your hearing.

Roger: Haha. Come on, I got a carriage waiting. Let’s go, Kate.

Kate: Wait for me Roger!

Clothes already changed, I rushed to shove my notebook and handkerchief into my bag before following him.

Kate: Huh, but…We can’t let outsiders know we’re Crown. What do we say to him?

Roger: Leave it to me. Well, I’ll need a lot of help from you too.

(Huh…—?)

And so Roger and I went to see the young man who was arrested last night for sneaking into a butcher’s shop.

Roger: Nice to meet you Lance Brown. I’m Roger Barel, a doctor. And this is…

Kate: I’m Doctor Roger’s a-assistant, Kate.

Roger: We’re employed by the royal family. Our job is to interview criminals and provide support in a healthy rehabilitation. Right, Kate?

Kate: Y-yes! So I hope we can chat without being too formal.

(Another appropriate lie, even if it is to hide Crown’s existence…)

While I was worrying over taking part in a lie, Lance hung his head apologetically.

Lance: No, I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused. They saved me by paying for my release. I’ll tell you whatever I can. I don’t want to commit crimes so carelessly again.

Roger: Then let’s start with drawing some blood…

Lance: Drawing?? Blood??

Roger: Yeah, I need to draw blood for mental stability.

(More appropriate lies)

However, knowing what Roger’s trying to achieve, I couldn’t blame him for lying.

After that, I continued to help Roger gather information on the Cursed One under the guise of an “interview”—

(That’s…?)

Suddenly, I noticed a painting in Lance’s art studio.

Kate: Lance, you’re a painter, right?

Lance: Ah, yes. An amateur…

Taking a look around the room, I saw a couple of canvases on easels.

Kate: Most of the paintings are of landscapes. Ah, but there’s some portraits too…

My eyes were drawn to a portrait of a red-haired girl.

Kate: …Beautiful. Is she someone important to you, Lance?

Lance: Huh.

Kate: Ah, well…even with untrained eyes, I could tell a lot of care was put into the painting.

Lance: …Yes. The young lady is someone I like. She works at a bakery near the studio…

Lance pointed out to the street from his studio on the second floor.

Lance: I always watch her from here.

Roger: So you don’t even know this lady’s name?

Lance: I’m embarrassed to admit it…

The simple-looking Lance blushed.

Roger: You’re wasting time hesitating. Just go talk to her.

Kate: That’s terrible advice! This is why you’re inconsiderate.

Roger: Oh, as expected from a teacher who claims that she can teach me about being in love. How would you go about it, Kate?

Kate: Me?

(We’re not here to discuss this…)

Kate: I’d start with seasonal greetings and then gradually work my way up from there…

Roger: …Huh, that’s no good. With your method time will go by in an instant and they’ll end up in their graves before they know it.

Kate: Wha?!

Lance, who had been listening to our conversation with wide eyes suddenly burst into laughter.

Lance: Pfft, hahahaha! Ah, sorry. I was so nervous given how you work for royalty, but you two are so…charming.

Roger: I’m charming? Artists have a strange way of seeing things.

Kate: Hehe.

Lance: Sorry to stop the fun advice you’ve given me, but…I’m fine with the way things are. I’m just happy watching her from here. …If I just watch her, my love won’t hurt her.

Lance muttered and then turned to us with a smile.

Lance: But enough about me! I’m sorry for asking this out of the blue, you two are lovers, aren’t you?

Kate: Huh?

Lance: You two appear to be very close and you don’t act like coworkers…am I wrong?

Kate and Roger: You’re wrong!/That’s right.

Lance: Oh dear, who should I believe?

Kate: Ugh, what are you even talking about, Roger?

Roger: Don’t get all shy just because we’re in company.

I started arguing with Roger again in front of Lance, who just smiled in mild amusement.

Kate: Lance, don’t believe a thing he says. Believe me!

Lance: Ahahaha!

After chatting with Lance, we got back on the carriage to Crown Castle.

Roger: Hey, hey. Don’t pout. I’ll buy you some jerky.

(Jerky is a treat for Ale…)

Kate: Stop treating me like a dog. Geez…you’re always saying the most random things.

The pointless arguments continue all the way back to Crown Castle, but…apart from that, Lance sincerely answered our questions.

Kate: Roger, Lance really is a Cursed One, isn’t he?

Roger: I haven’t seen his ability in practice yet so I can’t say for sure. Moreover, even if you saw the ability, you can’t say for sure what the curse is.

Kate: Why is that?

Roger: You know why this has become known as “Fairytale Curses”. Novelists and playwrights around the world created works based on existing “Cursed Ones”. It’s said to be what started them off.

~~ Flashback start ~~

Roger: It’s said that the origins of various fairytales were based on these “Cursed Ones”. But nowadays, it’s reversed and we refer to it as the “Fairytale Curse”.

~~ End flashback ~~

(That’s what I was told when we first met)

Kate: Um, so…let’s say Lance is cursed. Are you saying we don’t know if the curse exists in a fairytale?

Roger: That’s right. As expected from my assistant, quick on the uptake.

He ruffled my hair.

(It’s annoying how happy I get even when this is something you do to a dog…)

It felt like he was training me and while I hung my head feeling frazzled, Roger called out to me.

Roger: So…What do you think? Anything about this make you suspicious?

(Roger felt it too)

Kate: Lance was arrested because he was found sneaking into a butcher’s shop at night and eating the meat right? But Lance didn’t seem like the type to so easily commit a crime. Besides, the paintings on display had papers taped on them indicating that they were to be sold. As we were chatting, he brought up receiving commissions. So he’s not living in poverty…

Roger: And look at the paint. It has the royal warrant of appointment.

Roger held up a used tube of blue paint.

Kate: Huh, you just took that without asking? That’s wrong…

Roger: Wrong? We’re still villains in Crown. We can’t protect anything by doing things the right way.

The moment we arrived back at the castle, we went straight to Lord Elbert’s room.

I thought that someone like Lord Elbert, who collected beautiful things, would understand the value of the paint.

Elbert: …This paint certainly is a first-class product of the Royal Warrant. Also…I heard that Lance Brown’s paintings have caught the eyes of nobility.

(Lance is a famous painter…)

Elbert: As you two have discussed, I don’t believe he’s struggling financially.

Kate: I thought so…

When I guess turned out to be correct, new suspicions formed.

Kate: Then why did he steal from the butcher’s shop that night?

Elbert: If he is a cursed one…Then perhaps it has to do with his curse.

Kate: His curse…?

Elbert: The sin of a Cursed One is far more powerful than you could possibly imagine. My cursed sin is greed…Sometimes I crave and crave, and the rational side of me can’t resist the urges. If he’s also tormented by his own sin…

Roger: I’m betting on a high possibility of that too.

Elbert: You haven’t told him that he’s probably a Cursed One, have you?

Seeing our expressions, Elbert’s long eyelashes lowered melancholically.

Elbert: …If that’s the case, then you should tell him as soon as possible. I believe self-awareness is a way to protect yourself.

Roger: Yeah, I will. Thanks El, you were a big help.

Kate: Thank you, Lord Elbert.

Elbert: No problem. Roger’s done a lot for me.

Ocean blue eyes looked out at the sky through the window.

Elbert: It’s going to rain…tonight.

What Elbert said was true. It started raining that night—and the day after.

We then heard that Lance had passed away.

#ikemen villains #ikevil #ikevil jp #ikevil translations #roger barel #ikevil roger #ikevil roger route

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thehorrorsoftheblackbunnymask · 2 years ago

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In prison AU, I feel like darling would be an young cop in training and with not very much experience and that Darling just got out of college and just started the work. The reason why they hired Darling in an such dangerous prison (Probably the most dangerous prison as there's demons and ghosts and insane man) is because just like in the Mental Asylum AU, Darling is very good the job and pretty good at it.

Well those are my thoughts but I would like to hear yours words at the Darling in this AU, If you don't mind😊 .

Something Short (Prison AU Introduction)

Warning: Criminals, death row, rape and sexual assault mentioned, murder, violence, cannibalism, graphic descriptions of crimes, mental disorders, mental instability, sadism, apathy, sexual themes, robbery, drug use, sexual harassment, short tempers, big sentences I'm talking life, massacres and more. This AU is not for the faint of heart.

Yep! I didn't do all of them (I think I left out 2 people, but besides that they're all here.)

I feel like you would be having a paid internship at the maximum security prison due to you being the best cop at the college you're attending.

Here's what you need to know.

Jeffery Woods. A man in his early 30s, arrested for multiple accounts of serial Murder, Mutilation, Kidnapping, Torture, Stalking, Vandalism, Arson, Breaking and entering, Parricide, Drug use and rape. He has the reputation of assaulting, mocking, teasing and harassing guards. Jeff is often in solitary confinement, but that doesn't stop him from his usual actions. Has to be kept away from Jane Elizabeth Arkensaw due to them activity starting fights. He is deemed one of the deadliest prisoners. During your internship, he will be one of the prisoners you'll be interacting to help sharpen your skills. He will by far be one of if not the hardest to interrogate.

Tobias Erin Rogers. A man in his late 20s arrested for Serial murder, Torture, Vandalism, Arson, Stalking, Patricide, Breaking and Entering, Kidnapping, and suspected of multiple accounts of sexual assault but is yet to be confirmed. Currently sentenced to life in jail with possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 30 years. He suffers a handful of disorders and quite often causes trouble for both staff and other inmates. He struggled with controlling his emotions and his impulsive behavior which often leads to himself, inmates and staff to be harmed. Despite this, you will be interacting with him during your internship due to him being able to get a long with staff for a short period of time if he finds them "hot." Warnings, don't get too attached, don't believe most of the things he says, don't give or take anything from him, and don't let his suffering fool you. He has a history of using his suffering against others and actually led to him escaping when he was first sent here when he was 19, and they didn't capture him again until last year when he turned 27.

Liu Woods, also known as Homicidal Liu. A man in early to mid 20s, arrested for Serial murder, stalking, kidnapping, robbery, breaking and entering, assault, and vandalism. Currently serving a a sentence of 50 years but has a chance of parole once he serves 20. Liu is the little brother of Jeffery Woods, and after Jeffery almost murdered him, he developed an alter ego named Sully. Lui is is relatively quiet, observant, possessive and violent. But his violence gets worse when he's Sully. Lui normally doesn't harm guards or prisoners unless provocted, but he has attacked them with no apparent reason on multiple accounts. Liu is one of the prisoners you will be seeing often due to you working mostly in his section of the prison, where most of the pastas are such of Eyeless Jack and Toby. Warning when dealing with Liu, watch your words and actions, DO NOT touch anything of his unless it's a danger to him or others, and don't asked him too much about his past due to it being his biggest trigger in becoming Sully. If you're dealing Sully, be extremely careful, don't make sudden moves and don't anger him. Sully is extremely violent, sadistic but oddly childish. Sully is supposedly a seven year old according to both himself and Liu, so treat him as an extremely dangerous child.

Helen Otis, also labeled The Bloody Painter. A man between the ages for 25 to 35, arrested for Serial murder, kidnapping and breaking and entering. He culprit of both the 1994 school massacre and a murder case in 2003. He is sentenced to 45 years without parole. Helen is extremely apathetic, cold and selfish. Despite this however, he can be polite, a gentleman. All of his murders represent some form of art, using the blood of his victims to create beautiful work at every crime scene. Helen is two faced, meaning that his gentleman front is an act, nothing genuine. Helen doesn't fight staff or prisoners, only attacking if they were to attack him first. He's known to be polite to both staff and prisoners, even flirting with some of the staff members. You'll be using Helen's cases as a way to practice investing crimes scenes, and you'll be interacting with Helen occasionally in order to figure out the motives behind his murders. Warnings when interacting with Helen, don't fall for his manipulation, don't fall for his charm and never allow yourself or him to go off topic.

Eyeless Jack. A demon is what he is. Not a human, not a ghost, but a demon sent from hell. EJ's age is unknown, we don't how long he's been commiting his crimes or even how long he's been around. But, relying on appearance alone, he appears to be a 24 year old humanoid with no eyes. Ej is charged with serial murder, cannibalism, kidnapping, breaking and entering, and stalking. EJ's sentence is life in prison without parole and the judge is consider the death sentence. Ej doesn't talk much, always watching the other prisoners with hunger written on his face. He's often wearing a mask, but when he isn't you can see the Eyeless sockets and if he opens his mouth, the hundreds of tentacle like tongues he has. No staff member is allowed to be alone with EJ due to him in the past immediately murdering and eating the staff members' organs. EJ is known to be cruel, sadistic, highly intelligent and scarily patient, he's a predator. During your internship, you won't be interacting with EJ unless told, and even then you won't be allowed alone with him. But you can't shake off the feeling someone is following or watching you. Is that... Blood?

Laughing Jack. Another demon we holp in or facility. To be honest, we don't even know if he's a demon or an imaginary friend gone real, we really don't know. We don't know his age or how he manifested. Even if we rely on his appearance, we can't determine how old he might be. Jack is arrested for serial murder, torture, mutilation, kidnapping, and breaking and entering. Jack is extremely playful and childish, his main victims being families, but mostly their children, he claims he's a child's best friend, he's also evil, sadistic, cruel, and an overall mystery to us. He is sentenced to life in prison, but even then he has escaped multiple times. You won't be interacting with Jack at all during your internship, due to his case still being looked into and more and more charges are being found for him. But every day he finds you, talking to you, showing you tricks, being playful and entertaining, but you can't ignore the look in his eyes. You don't exactly know how to explain it, but whatever it, his plans for you are far from innocent fun.

Timothy Wright. A man in his early to mid 30s, arrested for serial Murder, Stalking, trespassing, kidnappings, rape, vandalism, breaking and entering, and arson. Sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 30 years. Tim is quite the unstable prisoner, often seen yelling and cursing and fighting people oen minute, and muttering, pulling at his hair, screaming and crying the next. Tim suffers from both schizophrenia and MPD, and due to us restricting his meds so he wouldn't abuse them causes him to be, uncontrollable. Tim has an alter ego named Masky. While Tim is more calm yet violent and moody and often in some form of distress, Masky is short-tempered, violent, sadistic, and an awful man. Whenever Tim is Masky he claims he doesn't even remember the stuff he did, but he describes it as him blacking out. Tim isn't out often so during your internship you'll mostly be interacting with Masky, not Tim. If your interacting with Tim, don't think for a second he's nicer or safer. Tim can be rude, mean, manipulative and violent, but with Masky it's at a whole different degree. When dealing with Timothy, don't fall for his manipulation, tricks, charms, nothing. In the past he's been known to have lighters, cigarettes, guns and other things just from having one conversation with a guard. If Tim starts become more and more unstable, leave and call a hard to take him back to his cell to calm down. You have to have Strong skin if you're gonna deal with Tim/Masky. He's ruthless, blunt, sadistic and will make you cry and breakdown, all for his amusement. He often fights with Tobias and yells at his 'friend' Brian, who often either ignores him and mocks him.

Brain Thomas. A man in his early to mid 30s, arrested for Stalking, serial Murder, Theft, Kidnapping, suspected of sexual assault but is yet to be confirmed, vandalism, hacking, blackmail, breaking and entering, arson and torture. Sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 30 years. Brian also has an alter ego by the name of Hoodie. Brian is often quiet, observant and keeps to himself most of time, mostly only interacting with Tim and a few others but tends to be by himself in his cell most of the time. He has a reputation of being a charmer and a flirt with the guards only to use them to get stuff such as phones and cameras. What he needs the camera's for, we don't know. Hoodie on the other hand rarely talks. And when he does it's slightly deeper than Brian's voice. Hoodie is way more hostile and alert than Brian, and unlike Tim, Brian remembers everything that he does while as Hoodie. When you interact with Brian, don't listen to words, don't fall for his charms, and more specifically, don't fall for his blackmail. It's not sure how, but Brian has dirt on everyone who works at the prison, and anyone who hasn't followed his orders became another victim to his blackmail. Brian, just like his co-workers Tobias and Tim, is very sadistic and cruel, and surprisingly apathetic. He admitted that everytime his victims would cry or tell him how bad of person he was, he'd only smile and laugh and told them that he didn't care. When dealing with Brian, don't talk too much, and don't talk too little. Brian is a gather, an interrogator, he knows how to get info by any means.

Benjamin Lawman, also known as Ben Drowned. A man in his between the ages of 18 and 23. Ben is a ghost, or more a vengeful spirit, but he's like a human, being able to touched and seen. Ben was charged with serial murder, kinda of a cult leader, drug use, kidnapping, hacking, vandalism, torture, stealing government files, tampering of evidence, and suspected of rape but is yet to be confirmed. He is also on death row but the judge is considering possibly taking him out if he's willing to help them with tech, but by how things are going so far Ben is stuck on death row. Ben is a sadistic, apathetic, oppressive, controlling, perverted, master manipulator who literally doesn't give a shit about anything. His mugshot was like those teenage dirtbag videos you see on TikTok. Ben is known for starting power outages, corrupting camera footage, sexually harassing staff and making the prisoners in the other half of the prison his bitch just by manipulating them. Ben doesn't see prison as prison, he sees it as a small little vacation, the only thing missing is the tech and drugs. You are forbidden from interacting with Ben due to him being a high level threat. Those who have to interact with him remove any and all tech, including walkies and watches. Ben is held in a special cell, with him cuffed and against the wall. When you walk into his room, his glitched out voice erupted into laughter and he has a deranged smile on his face. He's extremely close with Jeffery and EJ, all them being trialed together and sentenced together. When he heard about you from Jeffery, he paid you a little visit on the camera feed, even walking out of the computer and touching you. They thought moving the computers to a different building would stop him, nope! If you ever were to run into Ben, protocol is to do what he says and get out as soon as possible. Ben loves how hot you are, he mainly wants your ass. Ben wants you purely for his own pleasure, both sexually and physically, he wants to hurt and fuck you so bad, but until he gets the chance to work with you, he must wait.

Jonathan Blake, or popularly known as The Puppeteer. A ghost between the ages of 20 to 30. An evil spirit. Charged with serial murder, Stalking, Breaking and Entering, and Abuse. He's been sentenced to life in prison without possiblity of parole. The Puppeteer is a dangerous and hostile being, in the past having interns and staff who struggled with their mental states to kill themselves after interacting with him only once. Due to this, you'll be getting a mental evaluation to see if you're classified to interact with him during your internship here. The Puppeteer does tend to be quite an emotional rollercoaster, sometimes he randomly enters states of rage and confusion before shutting down. We don't know much about his past, any time we tried asking he'll either be confused or enter a state of rage. If you are classified to interact with him, here's what you need to know. We don't call him Jonathon, he doesn't respond to the name, it's possible he might've blocked out his memories, so we call The Puppeteer, since that's what he responds to. Don't let him get to your head. The Puppeteer is infamous for the mass suicides in the area. He's extremely manipulative and also a charmer, so it's important not to fall for his antics. We does have two confirmed accomplices, but we are yet to confirm who exactly they are, nor have we caught them. One day during your internship you were caught by, golden strings? That's when you saw him. He claims that you were too beautiful to kill, but you would be perfect as a puppet. His mindless, emotionless puppet. Be careful around him, very careful.

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fracturedsteel · 1 year ago

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closed starter || @chemicallyxdefective

London.

Not his first pick for a vacation spot, but, well, when the majority of the world's governments are hunting you down to arrest you for the crime of killing a certain star-spangled icon... you don't really get to pick where you end up.

Hiding Mark 46 in an abandoned warehouse near docks bordering the Thames, Tony zipped up his jacket and pulled its hood over the top of his baseball cap. He kept his sunglasses off—more people recognized him with them on.

It was goddamn below freezing and closing in on midnight, but at the very least it wasn't raining as he made his way further inside the city. Tony hopped onto a bus and paid in cash before taking a seat, keeping his head low as his eyes locked onto news headlines on his phone.

TONY STARK STILL AT LARGE: LAST SEEN FLEEING AVENGERS TOWER STEVE ROGERS' MEMORIAL SET FOR THE 27TH

His jaw clenched and he pocketed his phone again, standing up as the bus rolled to a stop minutes later. Disembarking back onto the cold streets, snow began to trickle down from heavy grey clouds as he travelled a few more blocks to his destination.

221B Baker Street.

Well, time to see if those rumors were still true after all these years. Tony pressed the buzzer next to the door and waited.

#[ thread. a study in hubris ]#[ era. a cold siberian day ]#chemicallyxdefective #// tossed up the idea of having Tony sneaking into 221B but I thought an easy start would be better LMAO

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lavila27 · 15 days ago

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“A Hundredweight of Stones” -An Outlander episode review

WARNING: this review contains spoilers for Outlander’s S7E11 “A Hundredweight of Stones.”

The latest episode of Outlander may very well be one of the best yet!

This episode is the third episode back from the droughtlander break that separated the first eight and the last eight. Each episode this half has been bursting with content, saturated in drama, intrigue, tragedy, romance, and many surprises! Episode 11, “A Hundredweight of Stones,” picks up right where the previous episode left viewers with a shocking ending. The last viewers learned was that Jamie was lost at sea. Meanwhile and rather inconveniently, Claire is being accused of being a spy and is due to be arrested as such. As one last devotion to his beloved friend, Lord John Grey offers to marry Claire in order to protect her from a likely date with the gallows. Regardless of her having no qualms with death as a new widow, Lord John informs her that their marriage would also ward off the suspicions her crime puts all of her acquaintances in.

As mentioned, this episode begins with the wedding that no one saw coming. The frenemies that have been jealous of one another for years are now taking vows to love and to cherish each other until death. If you have not read the books, the fact that these two actually go through with this wedding and eventually with a wedding night is quite a shock.

There is MUCH to be said about that but we’ll return to that later. Elsewhere, viewers discover that the title really applies to all our characters. Ian lays a stone in remembrance of the second father he has lost in such a short time. He also fears that with this new revelation his Auntie Claire will return through the stones, leaving him with yet another loss. He also unburdens the truth of his previous marriage and his son to Rachel who he wishes to now marry. This new truth among them brings the two even closer and solidifies the building blocks of their love.

Speaking of stones, Brianna is stunned to find that Rob Cameron did NOT go through the stones with Jeremiah. She is unrelenting in her determination to find her son now that she’s aware he’s in the same time as she is. She will not be ordered about by Rob and knocks him out cold with a pan.

Even so, Roger did go through the stones! He is wondering in what he believes is the wrong time to rescue his son but has found other hardware that may point the way toward his father who went missing when he was a child.

In S7E11, William learns a truth that is crushing to him. The facts he thought he knew- his birthright, his father’s love- are not as rock solid as he thought. After overhearing about his true paternity, he finds the “stones”(rosary beads) that once brought him comfort, he now wants nothing to do with.

So as you can see the hundredweight of stones are relevant to all. None so much as Claire and Lord John who’s grief is unbearable in the wake of Jamie’s death.

It’s important that we return to Claire and Lord John. Just as everything connects to the title, this turn of events connects to the overall story. A common tool to bring a story, be it a series, movie, or book, to an end is to return to the beginning. Thankfully Outlander will have one more season after this, still it is winding down to a conclusion. With that in mind, history has repeated itself. We find our heroine in danger of being in the custody of a redcoat captain. The only way to protection is via marriage to a man she does not love. Copious amounts of alcohol lead to a consummation and a conversation that bridges an understanding between two obligated participants. Sound familiar?

And even more specifically, when we very first meet Lord John in season 2, he tries to protect Claire who he believes is a captive among Scots. Here he is, gallant as ever, trying to protect Claire. We’ve returned to the beginning for both characters, offering them a chance to start over. However, as Claire shares with Ian, everything is different now. She is not looking to return to her time because in her heart THIS is her time. The time she lived in with Jamie.

We see that both Claire and John are summoning the strength to continue living their lives, together as it may. Lord John says it best in my favorite line of the episode: “All we have is each other and if we have each other then we have him.”

Accepting each other as a grazing deer in a field, who brings comfort but does not presume to belong, the new Lord and Lady John Grey venture to move forward in society.

However that proves to be unnecessary, as Jamie returns alive and well! Jamie and Claire’s joyous reunion is abruptly ended with William coming into his discovery (as mentioned previously) and British officers in pursuit of Jamie. In the midst of all this chaos, Claire smiles in relief that despite the trouble they always find themselves in, Jamie has returned to her and their life together is not over.

Catch new episodes of Outlander on Frqidays on STARZ.

youtube

#outlander #lord john grey #claire fraser #jamie fraser #jammf #a hundredweight of stones #david berry #caitriona balfe #sam heughan #blood of my blood #outlander starz #starz #Youtube

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animation-and-videogame-fan · 23 days ago

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Things I Personally want to see in Monsters at Work Season 3

-Seeing what happens to fearco

Something like Fearco going under, or Claire taking over, or Sully and Mike making a partnership with Fearco, I want to know what happened to it after Johnny got arrested

-Tylor being confident and content

I feel like his character arc is complete. He can still be the main character along with Mike and Sully and MIFT, but I feel like he should be completely content with his life after the arcs he had with the first two seasons. Less clumsy and more confident with everything he’s got and having a very close relationship with the MIFT members

-Duncan redemption

I love Duncan being pathetic and all, but I feel like in season 3, after Tylor becoming a jokester and saving the city from exploding, I feel like Duncan should be on Tylor’s good side now. I’d be glad to see his pathetic personality still there, but I’d like to see him finally warm up to Tylor and maybe they could be great friends. And if he does take Fritz’s job, it would feel much more earned if he does get redeemed

-Fritz’s daughter and deceased wife

Saw a clip from an interview on how Fritz had a deceased wife and currently has a daughter in MU and I would like to see that explored in season 3. Doesn’t need to be angsty or anything, but it would be nice to see it play out in the show

-Waternoose physically shown

I really want to see him again and even talk. I want to know what he feels about laugh power, and heck, maybe confront his son or even have a conversation with Johnny Worthington (I’d like to imagine said conversation would result in a brawl lmao)

-Claire and her kids reacting to Johnny going to prison

No doubt they would be devastated and upset at the news. Maybe even have Claire become depressed or stressed. I do like to imagine Roger trying to comfort them in hard times since he understands exactly what they are going through

-Roger’s mother appearing

SHOW ME WHAT WENDY LOOKS LIKE YOU COWARDS

-More scenes with Sunny and Cutter

I need more of them. They are hilarious

-Randall committing more crimes against humanity

I have mixed feelings about him getting a redemption arc but I just want to see him commit the absolute worst crimes known to man.

-More than 10 episodes

If season 3 does happen and if it is the final season, I feel like it should have more than ten episodes. Perhaps maybe 15-20 episodes to give perfect any lose ends or every story beats

-(optional) Have the OK gang or Dean appear

I would like to see these characters again, but I feel like if they don’t appear, I won’t like, throw a fit over it or something. Although apart of me does want to see Dean’s reaction to laugh power and see Terry and Terri again.

I am not so sure what Season 3 would be about (if they do end up making it) since season 1 and 2 had their own independent end goals, but I do still feel like we need at least one more season cuz I genuinely like the show and want to see more.

#monsters at work #roger rogers #Monsters inc #monsters university #tylor tuskmon #james p sullivan #mike wazowski #johnny worthington #henry j waternoose #i just got into this show and I DO NOT want them to end it when it is just getting good #Please Disney and Pixar at least just ONE MORE season I beg of you #Not a new movie either cuz recently Pixar sequels having been sucking and it would give us less time for the characters #Or it could decanonize the show which I DO NOT want to happen #If Roger gets decanonize then I will decanonize myself /j #Anyways yeah I need season 3

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freetheshit-outofyou · 9 months ago

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As portrayed in the show Black Sails (2014-2017) Anne Bonny (AKA Ann Fulford) - One of the few female pirates in recorded history was from Ireland. She would move to Nassau with her husband James Bonny where she would meet John Rackham (Calico Jack) and become his partner in crime and lover. Some reports say she lived until 1782 but that is unlikely. She, Mary Read (AKA Mark Read), and Calico Jack were captured in October 1720. Bonny and Mary Read were spared hanging due to being with child, Read would die in prison of fever while Bonny's death was never recorded. A book written in 1964 (Mistress Of The Seas) said Bonny died in the American colonies in the 1780's but burial records form Spanish Town, Jamaica where Bonny was tried lists Ann Bonny's death as 29 December 1733. Calico Jack (AKA John Rackham) - Rackham come and fell at the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. His is most famous for having two female crew members, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Rackham would overthrow Pirate Captain Charles Vane for command of the Sloop Ranger. In 1719 Rackham would take a pardon from Governor Woodes Roger and for a short time became and honest man. In December of that year him and his crew would capture the Kingston that had a rich cargo. The Kinston was captured within sight of Port Royal where merchants outfitted bounty hunters to track them down. Bounty hunters would eventually capture Rackham and crew on or about 31 October 1720 and he would be hanged on 18 November 1720. Charles Vane - Vane started his life as a pirate in 1715 while attacking salvage camps recovering the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet that sank off the coast of Florida. By 1717 he was captain of his own ship and one of the leaders of the "Republic of Pirates in Nassau. Vane was captured in 1718 and agreed to stop is pirate was and accept the King's Pardon. Vane was known to be sadistic to the crews of captured ships, often beating and torturing them. In February 1719 Vane would be caught in a storm and marooned on an uncharted island. A passing British ship found him, he was arrested brought to Port Royal and tried and hanged 29 March 1721. Blackbeard-Edward Teach (AKA Edward Thatch) - Blackbeard joined the crew of Pirate Captain Benjamin Hornigold in 1716 Hornigold placed Blackbeard in command of a recently captured sloop, where they conducted many pirate raids. By late 1716 or early 1717 they had captured 2 more sloops to bolster their attacks, one of those ships would be captained by Stede Bonnet. In 1717 Hornigold would retire from piracy to become a pirate hunter taking two of the ships with him. Blackbeard would eventually capture the French Slave ship La Concorde, he renamed her Queen Ann's Revenge. He would crew her with 300 men and add 40 guns to it making it one of the most feared pirate ships ever. After blockading the port of Charles Town, South Carolina and ransoming the ports people Blackbeard ran the Queen Ann aground near Beaufort, North Carolina. He settled in Bath North Carolina, and accepted a Royal Pardon. He would not stay honest for long. Eventually, Alexander Sportswood (HAHAHAHAHAHA!) the Governor of Virginia would put a force of soldiers and sailors together to capture Blackbeard. After an intense fight Blackbeard and several of his crew would be killed in 22 November 1718. Black beard was a solid tactician and did not like the use of violence, he relied more on his fearsome look and reputation to get his victims to comply.

Woodes Rogers - Rogers was a privateer, slave traders and from 1718 -1721 the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is mostly remembered for being captain of the ship that rescued Alexander Selkirk after 4 years and 4 months as a castaway on a South Pacific island. His story is told to have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (25 April 1719). 24 July 1718 Rogers trapped Captain Vane and his ships in Nassau Harbor, in an attempt to flee Vane rammed one of his ships into Rogers ship. The attempt failed but Rogers ships were forced out of the harbor where Vane pillaged Nassau and escaped in a smaller ship. With Nassau and New Providence Island population if 200 and a few hundred Spanish escapees in the hands of Rogers he formed government guaranteeing Royal pardons for pirates those would work for him. A month after becoming Governor Blackbeard and Captain Vane wrote letters saying they were teaming up to retake the island and the Spanish planed to force the British off the island. About this time 100 of his original crew died of a disease that left most of the original inhabitants untouched. 2 of his 3 ships left for New York never to return, that last ship would leave a short time later. After extending himself well into debt to bolster the defenses of the Bahamas's and a successfully repelling the Spanish assault Rogers was put in debtors prison for lack of payment. Eventually his debtors took pity on him and he was released. Rogers was approached by a still unknown author writing a book called A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, it become a hit on both sides of the ocean once again putting Rogers in a positive light. In 1726 Rogers petitioned King George I for financial regress, the King not only granted Rogers a pension but mad it retroactive to 1721. King George II would reinstall Rogers as the Royal Governor of the Bahamas for a second time on 22 October 1728. Although there was no longer a pirate threat the struggle of government took a heath toll on him and he died 15 July 1732 in Nassau. Captain Flint, the antihero of Black Sails, and John Silver were not real people. Both of them are fictional characters from the Robert Louis Stevenson book Treasure Island (Magazine 1881, book 1883). They are the only two characters to be in all 38 episodes.

#black sails #captain flint #john silver #anne bonny #jack rackham #edward teach #blackbeard #woodes rogers

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dr-spencer-reids-queen · 4 months ago

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Mosley Lane: Part One

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.8k

Summary: This is the last piece of the puzzle. The piece before you can finally be set free from all this pain. You're going to do whatever it takes to help your friend and more importantly, yourself.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

"Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"Hey, I came in as soon as I heard," you say and step into the briefing room. "There's an abduction?"

"Yeah. Aimee Lynch, eight years old, was taken an hour ago from a winter festival in Ashburn."

"Any witnesses?"

"Her mom, Barbara, was right next to her when she vanished."

"There must have been hundreds of people there. No one saw anything?"

"We're not completely void of hope. We have a few witnesses who gave descriptions of an older man and woman around Aimee when she disappeared. Here are the drawings from the sketch artist."

JJ puts the sketches on the screen and your heart immediately drops to your stomach. You recognize the people in the sketches.

"No way," you gasp.

"What is it?"

You look at JJ and immediately shut your mouth.

"Excuse me." You get up and leave the room while pulling your phone out and dialing Hotch's cell. "Hotch, listen, I know who the abductors are. When I was in prison, my cellmate told me why she was in there. She worked for this couple as a babysitter and long story short, she went down for the crimes they committed. She knows this couple. I'd like to talk to her."

"Good. Follow the lead."

"Can I take Spencer with me? I have to go back to that prison."

"Yes, that's fine."

You hang up and walk back into the briefing room.

"Alright, Reid, you and I are going to head to the family's house. The two of you," he says to Emily and JJ, "I want you to work with Garcia. We need to look at every local abduction or attempted one in the past year and see if there's any overlap."

"Actually, I need Spencer. I'm following a lead. Something to do with my cellmate in prison. I'll explain later but it relates to this case. I need him with me."

Spencer and Derek look at each other while Emily and JJ stay quiet.

"Okay, yeah. Prentiss, you and I are going to the family's house. JJ, work with Garcia."

"Sure," JJ nods.

"Oh, and the suspect's names are Roger and Anita Roycewood. Just trust me on this one."

Spencer leaves the briefing room with you, waiting for an explanation you're not sure you're going to give. He pulls you into an empty office and blocks your way out of this one.

"Spencer..."

"What is going on? I'm more than happy to go with you, but what is it?"

"My cellmate was arrested for the crimes of the suspects. I know who they are. Anita and Roger Roycewood. She was their babysitter. I have to talk to her which means I have to go back there. I feel like I'm doing better but if I go alone, I'm afraid I'll take ten steps back. You make me feel safe."

Spencer pulls you into a hug and you wrap your arms around his neck. He allows you a few minutes of being in his arms until he pulls away from you.

"You're always safe with me."

He leans down and kisses you, and you welcome the comfort by kissing him back. After allowing yourself to feel content, you and Spencer take one of the FBI standard vehicles up to Goochland where you were imprisoned. The closer you get, the more you can feel the familiar fear creep in. You get through security after showing them your badge and park in the visitor section. You grip the steering wheel but don't move to get out. I can't do this. I can't be here. I shouldn't be here. I should move on and stay as far away from this place as possible. What good is it going to do me to be back here? What if—

"Darling?" Spencer asks when he sees your knuckles are white from how hard you're gripping the wheel. He places his hand on your shoulder and you snap out of your own mind. "Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay? I could go in there."

"No, I made a promise and I have to do this."

"Okay. Whenever you're ready."

You feel like you're ready in ten minutes, and you slowly climb out of the car. Spencer follows you inside and to the check-in desk.

"Hi, I'm here to visit Ashley... Um, I don't know her last name." You turn to Spencer. "I never asked."

"I need a last name, ma'am," the clerk says.

"Um, I'm sorry," you chuckle nervously. Being back here is making your head swirl. You try to remember what the guards called her since everyone refers to everyone else by their last name. There is a cloud in your brain blocking this information. Spencer rubs your back and the cloud suddenly clears in your head. "Parks. It's Ashley Parks."

"Take these badges and keep them visible at all times. Go through this door and Officer Medley will take you back."

You and Spencer take the visitor badges and clip them to your shirts. You follow Officer Medley to the room where the visitors can speak to inmates through a thick pane of glass and through phones on either side. You and Spencer sit down and look at each other while waiting for Ashley to come out. You're bouncing your leg and Spencer places his hand on your knee to get you to stop.

The door opens and Ashley walks through it with handcuffs on her wrists. You get tears at the sight of her after so long away. The guard removes the cuffs and allows her to walk to the seat right across from you. She smiles when she sees you and picks up the phone.

"It's so good to see you. You look well," she says. Her words bring tears to your eyes. You feel so guilty for leaving her in here. "No, don't do that. If you start crying, I'm going to cry."

"Okay," you sniffle and force the tears away. "Ashley, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Spencer."

"Ah, the man who taught her chess," she grins.

"Yeah," Spencer nods.

"Well, I don't think you're here to just say hi to me. Did something happen?"

"Remember that promise I made to you?"

"If I am found innocent and I don't return, just know I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you out of here."

"Go, you have court," she smiles with tears in her eyes.

"I promise, Ashley. I'll get you out of here."

"You don't have to do anything for me. I made some friends here. There's a group of ladies who are kind of nice."

"Roger and Anita are here. They're in Ashburn."

"What?" she whispers.

"They've kidnapped another child. Her name is Aimee Lynch and she was taken from a festival two hours ago. There are people there who saw Roger and Anita. We have their sketches."

"I can't believe this. How can I help?"

"I have to get in contact with your lawyer and get a retrial for you. We have your file, the fact that you babysat for Roger and Anita, the claims you made, and the 911 call you made for one of the families. My team is going to catch them before they can hurt anyone else. This might be enough to grant you your release."

Ashley has tears in her eyes and she looks between you and Spencer.

"Don't give me hope."

"Ashley, you're going to go home." Ashley puts her head in her hands and cries, allowing herself to feel the hope after so long of not having it. "You're going to see your parents again. I just need one thing."

"Anything," she sniffles and looks at you.

"I need to know everything about Roger and Anita, and the way they kidnapped children."

Ashley tells you what you need to know, and you and Spencer leave the prison. You call her lawyer, Abel Jefferson.

"Hello?"

"Abel Jefferson? My name is Y/N with the FBI at Quantico. Listen, I'd like for you to try and get a retrial for your client, Ashley Parks."

"I can't just demand for a retrial. There are things that need to be done--"

"Like new evidence?"

"What new evidence?"

"Roger and Anita are in Ashburn right now. They've kidnapped another child. My team is already on the case, but I'll get what you need for a retrial."

Abel sighs and doesn't speak for a solid minute.

"Bring me the evidence first, and then we'll talk."

If you're going to get this retrial, you have to know where they're staying. After they parted ways with Ashley, Roger and Anita left the house they had been staying in before. You don't have a clue as to where they are staying now but you have faith your team will figure it out in no time.

JJ and Penelope work to put everything they know onto the bulletin board. Aimee Lynch was last seen at a winter festival this morning at ten. She is four-foot-eight with blonde hair and green eyes. You're nervous for her since temperatures are dropping with chances of snow. If Roger and Anita have her outside, she'll be dead soon. Reporters have put this AMBER Alert on their news channels, and one woman came in to talk to JJ.

Whoever took Aimee, took her son.

Well, that's what she says every time a child goes missing that's her son's age. Charlie went missing eight years ago, and she comes into the station claiming that her son is alive and he is missing just like all the other kids. She stays in the station for the first twenty-four hours.

She now has eight left.

You pull into the BAU parking lot and stay seated with your hands on the wheel. They're not as white as before but you're still tense.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asks.

"I'm out. I'm not going back to that cell. I'm free."

"Yes, you are. You did so well. I'm proud of you."

You look at Spencer with tears in your eyes.

"I want to cry so bad right now. Being back there brought back not only memories but everything that was placed onto my shoulders.

"So do it. Cry."

You do. You crawled over the center console and into Spencer's lap and just cried for ten minutes. He did nothing but hold you, rub your back, and comfort you. God, you're so in love with him. After your moment, you two head back into the BAU and up to JJ and Penelope. You quickly explain to them what is going on so they're aware of what you're doing.

"So, I talked to Ashley's lawyer and he needs evidence before he can get a retrial. Ashley told me how they kidnapped children but maybe their routine changed?"

"What did she say they did?"

"Anita would be around calling for a lost son, distracting the parents of the child they wanted. Roger would swoop in and take the child before the parents ever knew they were gone. When Roger got too old to handle a squirming child, he'd use one of the older kids. Threaten their family or something if they didn't help."

"Sarah said the same thing when Charlie was taken," JJ says to Penelope. "There was a mother looking for her lost son."

"Well, if it's the same people, they've been doing this for close to a decade."

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fic #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid angst #criminal minds #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fluff #criminal minds angst #criminal minds series rewrite #criminal minds season 5

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ten-cent-sleuth · 1 year ago

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A Galling Yoke, Part 15

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for the “If you walk out that door…” square on my July Break Bingo card

See this post for main info, including a masterlist and synopsis. See this post for warnings.

Word Count: 3.3k

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x f!Reader

Rating: Teen

Voss House was in an uproar when you and Sherlock slipped through the back door. Rounding a corner, Sherlock would have walked right into Lucy racing by if not for your hand shooting out and grabbing his elbow.

“Sorry, sir! Prayin’ ’scuse me!” cried the maid as she scurried off, not pausing to curtsy to Sherlock and evidently missing you entirely.

“She seems to be in a hurry,” he muttered.

“Brilliant deduction,” you quipped as you let go of his coat and straightened out the wrinkles you’d caused. “Lord Coltidge is likely raising Cain to find out where I am and what is going on. I can only hope that nobody has mentioned that I have been at your flat the past few days…”

The kitchen door flung open, and Cook bustled out with a harried expression. Her eyes widened even further when they met yours.

“Oh, Madam, you’re home,” she exclaimed. “Thank the Lord you’re well. Your father’ll be pleased.”

You couldn’t stop the sardonicism from leaping up and quirking your brow. “I suppose that would be the natural reaction of one under the influence of paternal affection, yes.”

Sherlock, very discreetly, choked and coughed.

“Well, I best be moving along,” said Cook. “His lordship’s asking for an account of our foodstuffs, and then, what with dear Mrs Rogers busy entertaining him in the front sitting room, I ought to help Lucy prepare the master’s suite… Oh, Madam, is it true that he is taking up residence in Voss House again? That you are leaving?”

Sherlock stiffened, and you tightened your hold on his arm to reassure him.

“It is not true,” you told her. “Though I am pleased to know you would have matters well in hand if it were. Carry on, Cook.”

She beamed at you, blushing lightly, before going on her way.

Turning to watch her disappear down the hallway, Sherlock commented, “She remarked not on our entry through the tradesmen’s entrance.”

“Please expound not on what that says about how eccentric she perceives me to be.” You hid your wince with a wide sweep of your arm. “To the front sitting room, then, sir?”

Nodding, he gestured for you to lead the way, but you caught the “You said ‘eccentric’, not I” that he said under his breath and shot him a look.

You were still some metres away from the sitting room door when you started to pick up on the raised voices within. Or, rather, the raised voice, and the soothing tones of battle-hardened Mrs Rogers. You and Sherlock shared a look before you swung the door open.

“Father, I apologise for keeping you waiting.”

Whirling around, the Earl of Coltidge blinked a few times at you, caught mid-rant. By the time Mrs Rogers made a discreet exit with a flashing smile in your direction, he managed to gasp, “Daughter. Where in Christendom have you been?” In the span it took you to grant yourself a fortifying breath, he lost his interest in your reply and said, “I have given you nearly a sennight complete. I trust you have taken care of whatever was so important you neglected an affair of the essence?”

You gripped your skirts in tense fists. “I did, but Mr Holmes worked quicker than I.”

Your father’s eyes slid to the detective standing at your shoulder, apparently taking note of him for the first time. “And what do you mean by that?”

Finding strength in the presence behind you, you smoothed out your skirts and spoke evenly. “As we speak, William is at Scotland Yard. He has been arrested for his crime.”

The earl stiffened, but his focus remained on Sherlock. “Crime?” His voice was just slightly too high-pitched. “What crime?”

Sherlock stepped forward, his sleeve brushing against yours. “The crime of soliciting a murder, of course, your lordship,” he said bluntly, not even bothering to handle Coltidge’s fragile anxieties with care.

They shattered before your eyes.

“Confound you, Holmes!” he hissed. “I hired you, damn it, I did! You had a single task, and you could not do it properly?”

Sherlock arched a brow. “My lord, you hired me to investigate your daughter’s husband’s death, and I have done precisely that.”

“Bah!” scoffed Coltidge with such force that spittle flew out of his mouth. “My heir shall be seen as a criminal! My name shall be tarnished—hang it all!”

You grimaced at his poor choice of words and of priorities. “Father—”

He turned his blazing eyes to you. You halted, allowing him to speak, but when he did, he was still addressing the other man. “You have done enough, Holmes. I must deal with my family business now, which has naught to do with your blasted meddling. Leave us.”

Sherlock huffed, muttering something that started with “How many times must I explain…?” before he turned to give you his full attention. “You did not ask me to accompany you here, so I shall understand if you wish to speak to your father in private. Petal, do you want me to leave?”

He was so soft in that moment, in his voice and in his eyes, that you would have lost your heart if you had still been in possession of it. But no, it was already securely placed in Sherlock’s vault of treasures, and for that, you could not let him leave.

“If you walk out that door,” you whispered, “I shall be alone against my tormentors once more, and I refuse for that to be so any longer. For too long have I been made by either external forces or my own fears to bear my burdens alone, so from now on, if I can have you by my side…” You tilted your head to regard him in the afternoon light streaming through the window. “I would have you by my side.”

Sherlock stared back at you, not smiling but still somehow drawing you in—the very promising way his eyes were darkening or the very thrilling way his tongue wet his lips, perhaps. But the moment was broken when, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed your father sneer and remembered that you had an audience.

“Is that what this is about, then?” said the earl. “You would sacrifice your brother to throw yourself at the first man to show you any hot-blooded interest?”

You were briefly stunned speechless—nobody had ever dared speak so crudely in your presence before—but Sherlock reacted without hesitation.

He whipped around. “How dare you?” he said, tightly, darkly, thundering but not like the crack of a nearby strike: like the low rumbles on the ground from a faraway storm rolling closer. “How dare you speak to her in such a manner? Do you honestly believe you are superior to her in any way? You are a poor excuse of a man—and a still poorer excuse of a father.”

“Speak not of superiority to me, Detective,” jeered your father before focusing on you. “Edmund might have preferred his mistress to you, Daughter, but at least he was the son of a peer and a respectable gentleman at that—Holmes is little better than a tradesman with the way he makes his living! Would you truly toss your honour on someone so beneath us, so unworthy of the Voss connexion?”

Your surprise gave way to fury. “There is no one worthier,” you bit out, stepping into your father’s space. “Peers, sons of peers, gentlemen, tradesmen—to me, they are merely the outside world.” You waved one arm at the window, and reached the other out to Sherlock. “He is the only one who knows me, who has seen the disarray that is my interior and has stayed by me. How can someone beside me be beneath me?”

Pulling his shoulders back, your father said, “Spare me your melodrama, it is—”

You barked out a laugh. “My lord, need I remind you that it was you who brought Mr Holmes into this? If not for your melodrama, your production of a case, you could have gotten exactly what you wanted.”

“What…?” He was pale, his voice shaken.

“If you had simply told me your plan to frame me for William’s sake, you would have succeeded because I would have gone along with it,” you explained, surprising even yourself with how patient you sounded. “By bringing Mr Holmes into the matter, you ensured that, instead, I came to see that my future is as bright as anyone else’s.”

“Blame this not on me,” he spluttered. “You do well to recall that though I had been prepared to let you answer for your brother’s mistake, I had hoped the case could be steered away from my progeny at all. The scandal of a murder in the family would have been distressing enough.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, and he glared at you.

“It is because you never fail to involve yourself in men’s business that we could not all be freed from this mess. After all, it was you who led Holmes to that tail-wagging hussy, Miss Allen or Miss Ayles or…” Flapping his hand in a dismissive motion, he narrowed his eyes at you. “Do you deny it?”

A cold sweat passed over you, and for a moment, you were frozen. Those years-old, not long vanquished fears of being a botch-up, of deserving nothing better than blame, crept up on you. But William’s kind eyes and gentle words warmed you. It was no evil to help and be helped.

“I do not,” you said, squeezing your forearms to ground yourself. “But you cannot make me regret working with Sherlock. We both were better off for letting each other in, and I shall not be persuaded otherwise. Indeed, there is naught you can expect to accomplish here, Father; your time would be better spent trying to convince William to recant or Scotland Yard to release him.”

Shadows fell across the earl’s face as he brought himself to his full height. You had not seen that expression on him since you were a misbehaving young girl under his roof, and you braced yourself for the patronising lecture that was about to come. But you were not prepared for the quiet words that came from him.

“Would that your mother had survived her third confinement and we had lost our first babe instead.”

Your mouth fell open as your thoughts ground to a halt. Their first child…

Towering over you, Lord Coltidge snarled into your face, “Or would that your brother had left you to your fate with Edmund!”

“Father,” you choked out.

He waved you off, shouldering past to get to the sitting-room exit. “At least then, I would not be the one burdened with you and your impertinence,” he sniffed as he turned around to look you up and down. He had never sounded so bitter, looked so vicious. “It matters not to me how; I would merely be grateful so long as I was free of you, you senseless girl.”

Staring at him across the room, you felt small and silly, shame prickling at your skin as though you deserved his contempt despite logically knowing you didn’t. Helpless, you didn’t know how to make the humiliation stop burning in your chest and feared it would flay you alive right there.

But then a tall, wide frame stepped in your line of sight, blocking your view of the source of your pain and mortification but above all shielding you from that which was doing you harm. Staring, now, at Sherlock’s back, tension rippling from his shoulder blades down, you recalled the thunderclouds that had been gathering on the horizon and—oh, now came the crash.

“What fitting idiocy from an addle-pate,” said Sherlock, his voice as sharp and dangerous as the cliff’s edge it teetered on. “Since you wish to avoid senselessness, my lord, these are the facts: Your daughter is here—has been here all this time, you myopic ingrate—and after all she has already made it through, there is little that could stop her from continuing to be here. And while she lives, you shall die, wifeless, friendless, and at this rate childless. While she prospers, you shall sink deeper into the realisation that you have wasted your years.” He jabbed a finger in his direction, just barely restraining his volume and the vehemence of his movements. “Do you think I cannot recognise the rumpling of your clothes from lying sleeplessly in them night after night, cannot detect the perfumes for hiding the diminished energies of a miserable tyrant?” Hands shaking and chest heaving, he caught his breath before snapping, “You reek of desperation, your lordship, and it is not the victory you think it is to be leaving us in a huff before the stench can settle deep.”

Coltidge simply stood, eyes wide and mouth unmoving.

Sherlock jolted him out of his stupor with a roared “Get out!”

Tail between his legs, Lord Coltidge yanked open the door and scurried out. Blinking away your shock, you hurried over to the threshold and peeked through. You spotted Mr Rogers standing in the hallway, and for the first time you felt gratitude that the butler had taken to hanging around when you were entertaining guests. You trusted him to handle getting Lord Coltidge out of the house without the earl destroying the property in a fit.

Shutting the door behind your father, you leaned against the knob and took a deep breath. “Oh, dear, that went terribly. Sherlock, I must apologi—mmf!”

The rest of your words vanished as you were whirled around, pressed back against the door, and descended upon by the full force of Sherlock’s tenacity.

With one hand gripping your waist and the other cradling the back of your head, he held you still under his unrelenting lips, stealing your breath, criminally, mercilessly, but so lovingly that you gladly gave up more and more of it to him. Although you could hardly move while pinned between the door and Sherlock’s insistence, you did what you could with your hands and mouth to give as good as you got.

When he coaxed your mouth open and pushed his tongue inside, you groaned and gave a particularly zealous tug on his bowtie. As you felt it come undone, a heated thrill shot through you: the levees of decorum Sherlock had valiantly put up against the storm the earl stirred up were decimated by this flash flood of passion, passion unprecedented, and you were the one to witness it.

He swallowed your whimper as your knees gave out, not letting up, only holding even more of your weight with even more tenderness. More and more control slipped out of your grasp as he continued his siege on your senses, but you let it slip—you had seen how he’d strained to keep a hold on courtesy in the face of Lord Coltidge’s utter discourtesy, and would happily let him be ungentlemanly now.

He broke away with a ragged gasp. And even as you fought to rein in your breathing, he dusted kisses across your face.

“I thank God that you are alive and well, darling.” His voice was gravelly, your head was light. “I pray you listen not to his lordship. He is a doddering fool and—”

You turned your head to catch Sherlock’s mouth on its way to your cheek. After another minute or five of bliss, you eased away and whispered, “I know, Sherlock. His words got through my defences because I was shocked by them, not because I believed them. Distress yourself not.”

He shook his head, gazing on you in such a way that you felt pierced, like your lungs were losing more air than they were making use of. “Consider me distressed until you know that… You must know that… Dear heavens, one’s world is better with you in it. Bigger, brighter. The earl deserves you not. He is a dunce to think he would be happier without you, flaws and mistakes and all, for I have lived ten and five years in your absence and hold it as indisputable proof that losing you is the worst thing that can happen to a person. Though, blazes, I deserve you not—”

“There is no one worthier,” you reminded him, arching an eyebrow.

After a beat, the anguish on his face fell with a startled laugh. “Heaven help me, you are an impertinent thing.”

Grinning, you looped your arms around his neck and pulled him back down so that you could hug him close and bury your nose in his collar. When he said that, you didn’t feel mortified: you felt seen, and you felt loved.

His hands drifted down to your hips, at once primally possessive and profoundly gentle. “Are you certain you are all right?” he asked softly. “I had never seen that expression on you before, and it disturbed me—gutted me—to see it then. I had tried to let you handle your father as you saw fit, but when I saw that look on your face… I could not stand by, my lady.”

Nodding, you squeezed him tight. “I am certain.” If you had been terribly overwrought, you would be calming down quickly now, with Sherlock’s arms around you and his light swaying back and forth. “And I thank you for stepping in, Sherlock. I thank you for staying.”

“You may depend on my doing so for the rest of our lives.”

“Sherlock…” You nosed his chest, burrowing even closer to his comforting warmth and familiar scent, and pecked his clavicle through his shirt. “I love you.”

His sudden stillness was your only clue that he had heard you.

Trying to mollify his apparent agitation, you dropped another kiss onto his shirt, a little higher this time, near the wrinkled fabric of his undone bowtie. “I love you,” you said again, knowing repetition often grounded him. “I love you.”

Still there was no response. He had not stiffened or cringed away, so you did not think he was uncomfortable. Startled, then—taken aback. You could picture the quizzical frown that had surely overtaken his expression, could practically hear the churning of calculations in his head. And who knew what conclusions he was arriving at? Who knew how long it would take him to share them with you? Flushing with sheepishness, you more resolutely hid your face in his chest.

“You need not say it back, of course,” you rushed out. “It is only that you mentioned love earlier, and it made me think, ‘Could he mean that he loves me?’ But— But of course, I know it is more complex than that. You could hardly be blamed if you are still hurt and cautious from my marrying another man without warning you, and surely you had the right of it to reprove me before for expecting you to trust me blindly…”

Much to your chagrin, he held you away from him and pulled back from the embrace. Your anxiety mounted with every passing second of his scrutiny.

“Sherlock?”

“This is the ‘something you had to tell me’, then?”

Disoriented, you nodded mutely.

“Definitely should have done yours before mine,” he muttered.

“Sherlock?”

“I beg of you, let not love be your second thought and my rashness your first. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. In short, this is the answer to your question: yes, he could very well mean that he loves you.”

A smile wormed its way to your face as you leaned back against the door to take in as much of Sherlock as you could.

“Its being complex makes it no less certain,” he said firmly. “I love you. I have loved none but you.”

“I as well,” you breathed, reaching out and resting your palm over the left side of his chest. “I have been married, heartbroken, alone, and free; through it all, there has only ever been you. I love you, Sherlock.”

He smiled then too, and it was the brightest sight you’d ever laid eyes on. Oh, yes, you had your life ahead of you, a future gold and aglitter indeed.

Can you tell I was reading JAFF before writing this? xD Thank you for reading, and feedback is always welcome! (You never know, you could end up like @marveldcmistress and inspire a line like “You are a poor excuse of a man—and a still poorer excuse of a father” with your lovely suggestions. ;P) Attention, readers: please be aware of this announcement about upcoming chapters.

Taglist [comment below if you’d like to be added!]: @livisss @theyaremorethanjustfictional @wonderlandfandomkingdom

#sherlock holmes x reader #sherlock holmes x you #henry cavill sherlock x reader #enola holmes #a galling yoke #the dimensions of fandom

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beardedmrbean · 14 days ago

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Incoming West Virginia House of Delegates member Joseph de Soto was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, over allegations that he threatened to harm fellow lawmakers. (West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Incoming House of Delegates member Joseph de Soto was arrested early Thursday morning by state police in Berkeley County for allegations that he threatened to harm fellow lawmakers.

The West Virginia State Police said troopers arrested de Soto “for the crime of terroristic threats,” according to a news release.

“This arrest was made following an investigation that revealed Mr. Desoto had made several threatening/intimidating threats against government officials. This investigation is ongoing,” the release said. “The West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Capitol Police take all threats against government process seriously.”

De Soto, who is from Gerrardstown, won a three-candidate Republican primary race last spring, winning against incumbent Don Forsht, R-Berkeley. There was no Democratic candidate in the November general election, but he faced competition from a Constitution Party candidate.

He is supposed to start his term in the Legislature in January 2025. On Wednesday, de Soto, who ran as a Republican, switched to the Democratic party. The Secretary of State’s website listed him as a Democrat on Thursday morning.

Ahead of the threats, House Republicans have raised concerns about whether de Soto was truthful about his military career or if he was actually a physician. DragLine, a publication from the ACLU-WV, detailed the inaccuracies in de Soto’s statements in an article that was published earlier this year.

On Sunday, when Republican House members gathered in closed-doors meetings to renominate the current House speaker to remain in the position, several people said that the meeting was mainly used to question de Soto about his background and whether that should result in a possible disqualification to serve in the House. Armed Capitol police officers guarded the doors during the private meeting.

According to a criminal complaint, de Soto said that Sunday’s meeting had upset him.

Del. Wayne Clark, R-Jefferson, said that it all came to a head on Thursday afternoon. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw’s office called to alert Clark of a serious threat.

Clark was concerned because his teenage daughters were home alone.

“I instructed the kids to leave the house,” he said. “My family suffered last night … there’s a chance this guy gets out today. And, now what?”

Clark said that de Soto’s mental health was a concern and hoped that he would get help.

“But this can’t happen. I’m not the only one who had to suffer last night,” he said.

Del. Michael Hornby, R-Berkeley, posted on social media that he was also a target of a threat.

He wrote, “I received a call to relocate my family immediately as I was driving through a snow storm over an hour away from home. It has been a rollercoaster of a day but I want to thank the State Police, Capitol Police and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department for clear crisis communications communication and direction.”

The House will gavel in Jan. 8, 2025 for a one-day session to elect leaders of each chamber. The Legislature reconvenes in February 2025 to begin the regular session.

De Soto hasn’t been sworn in yet. If he resigns, the Democratic Party will get to appoint a replacement due to his party switch.

#nunyas news

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ominous-auburn-orbs · 1 year ago

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TADC Gotham Rogues AU

I know, a digital circus au, completely unheard of and original, but I was dressing the cast up as batman villains and liked the designs so much I've decided to make it its own au. This is not something that happened of my own free will, mind you. The demons forced my hand.

I don't have everyone so far, as I still haven't assigned villains to Kinger and Zooble, and I haven't drawn Jax as the Creeper yet, so if any of you have ideas on what to do with those two it would be highly appreciated.

Anyway, here's the designs and some paragraphs on the current stories I have for them.

First up is Gangle as Two Face! Her design is probably my favourite so far.

Once a respected lawyer, Gangle is a dangerous criminal with an obsession with pairs and an inability to make decisions without her beloved coin. Before that, she was a mayoral candidate and looking to properly expose the Falcone crime family. Rather miraculously, a man who used to work with the Falcones was willing to make a full confession, first to her and then in court. When the court date rolled around, however, he denied ever working with the Falcones at all, making Gangle look a fool.

Her temper was something she had always tried to keep from the press, knowing what it would do to her reputation. It came in the form of her second mask, which while seeming happy, expressed a severe desire for revenge and a sadistic joy. This mask was getting closer to showing the more she pressed the man to fully confess. Suddenly, he cried to the security guards to attack, causing them to jump her and break her mask into dust and tear apart her ribbons.

Unbeknownst to the people in the court, the Falcones had managed to replace the court's guards with their own to attack and hopefully kill Gangle. While they were arrested and Gangle survived, her mask could not be put back together. She never recovered physically nor mentally, her duelling personalities now having to occupy the same body at the same time. She did everything right, and still suffered. Law held no justice. Justice held no law. Someone's fate may as well be left to the simple toss of a coin.

Caine plays the role of the Riddler, although a bit less narcissistic than the original. He's also not an AI here, as this au is set in the 'real world', but more in a 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' sense. (Humans and cartoony creatures occupying the same world)

Caine did his best to thrive in whatever workplace he could, thinking his abnormally high IQ would surely make life a breeze for him. However, his lack of money made things very difficult for him. He wasn't close with any higher-ups, his constant insistence on changing and improving ideas was found annoying, and his high intelligence was far less appreciated by his co-workers than he thought it would be.

Left alone with his genius and desire for power and respect, he turned to making gadgets of his own, selling them to gain money for more materials to make more overly complicated machines. Alas, he was plagued by his desire to show off and prove himself, so his contraptions became more violent as he turned to selling to the many crime leagues of Gotham. The public barely ever understood his perfectly mind-bending creations, anyway.

Caine was lonely, though, in his brilliance, so he decided to set up what seemed like a harmless intelligence test online, recruiting the top five performers to meet him for one final test. He put them through puzzle after puzzle, watching how they worked under stress and timers, and how they managed with his adventures. To his disappointment, none survived.

Ready to accept being alone at the top, and relatively unaffected by the deaths considering how little of a purpose those victims ended up serving, he was unexpectedly found and apprehended by police. A certain mob boss he had sold some of his best torture devices to had ratted him out in an attempt to lessen his own sentence.

Thrown in Arkham Asylum, Caine realised that this was the path he had to take. Society wasn't ready for his genius. They simply couldn't fathom using it for good, if at all. Perhaps if he showed just how dangerous it could be, his intelligence would finally be given the respect it deserved.

Next, there's Ragatha as the Ventriloquist. I decided to use Terrible!Ragatha as a replacement for Scarface, who was originally created by @obamerzslop ! I highly recommend checking out his au's, they're what indirectly convinced me to make this. She admittedly doesn't really have T!Ragatha's personality, but she does keep the design.

Ragatha is a meek and relatively gentle woman, her talent for altering and throwing her voice giving her some very good job opportunities in entertainment. Unfortunately, she was always haunted by a voice in the back of her mind. It wanted power. It wanted bloodshed. It was a part of her, yet the two couldn't be more different.

Unable to bare it any longer, Ragatha stole some materials from the studio she worked in and built her own puppet, made from wood and rags. When she was building it, she finally relented to her separate personality and let it control her. It was going to be its body, so it deserved a say in it.

Looking down at the puppet, Ragatha's mind felt less crowded. She put it on her hand, and it immediately started speaking. The puppet now held her separate personality, speaking in its voice. Ragatha thought that maybe now it would be less bloodthirsty, the body being a gift of sorts that would appease it. If anything, the personality got worse.

Going by the name of Dollface, the puppet quickly took control of Ragatha's life. She was a servant to her now. That was when she was forced into a life of crime, serving the now mafia boss, Dollface, and her greedy pursuit of power. Many have made the mistake of claiming the two are the same. That Dollface is a mere puppet that Ragatha could simply remove. None make that mistake twice, as they typically don't live long enough to do so.

Finally, it's Pomni as the Great White Shark. These villains keep getting progressively more obscure- Whilst she is far more threatening, this Pomni does still obey cartoon logics and physics, much to her displeasure. A part of that is her teeth becoming sharp when stressed/angry, which is why they're always like that now.

Pomni started out as a low-level criminal, pleading insanity at her court case to avoid being sent to prison. Miraculously, it was allowed, although now she thinks it was less because they believed her insane, but more because they thought it would be a good show of the consequences for such lies.

Rather naively, Pomni assumed the insanity of the inmates at Arkham Asylum would make them easy to manipulate, ready to be lead by someone with their head on straight yet an equal desire for chaos and power. She was too confident that she would get respect as 'the Great White Shark', or even be feared. She couldn't have been more wrong.

The prisoners in Arkham tormented her, never letting her forget that she had chosen this hell that they were locked in. It was absurd to have a sane person amongst Gotham's criminally insane, anyway, and they just couldn't stand for that.

As much as she begged, Pomni was given no mercy from the authorities, being written off as just as insane as she had claimed to be in court that day. Over the course of her stay, she began to break more and more, needing a way out before she lost herself completely.

One day, some prisoners organised an escape. Pomni scrambled to leave with them, but was quickly pushed aside. Since they knew how weak she was, she was ignored by the guards, but not by the inmates. In order to completely get her out of the way, she was thrown in the large freezer where most of Mr Freeze's items and weapons were kept. Unfortunately, the weapons were removed first, leaving her with no way out.

Frostbite began to set in. Her nose froze and fell off. She lost a finger on each hand as well as parts of her lips. Her skin turned blue. Eventually, when Mr Freeze was recaptured, one of the police officers went to put his weapons away. That was when they found her.

Pomni had finally snapped. Rather than thank the officer like she once might have done, she pushed through her frozen blood and knocked him down, tearing apart his flesh with her sharpened teeth. She couldn't do much because of her state at the time, but it did mean she was finally viewed as a threat. Her title as the Great White Shark was finally being used. She had lost her mind, but had become far more formidable than she was before. The next time they escaped, she fought her way through. While she is now relatively business-oriented, that violent anger is always there, waiting for the water to be tainted with blood.

That's all I've got for now, which was really long whoops-

I'm pretty proud of this, and hopefully I never make another because good god. This is a lot.

#tadc au #batman #gotham rogues #the amazing digital circus #tadc caine #tadc pomni #tadc ragatha #tadc gangle

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gunsandspaceships · 9 months ago

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Recruiting Peter in Civil War: Tony wanted Peter to fight battles for him?

This is the last part of reviewing this statement:

Tony “blackmailed a teenager to help fight his battles for him (Civil War) (which for the record, constitutes as a fucking war crime)”.

Part 2: "Blackmail" is here.

Part 3. Tony didn’t want Peter to fight:

In the scene where they met, Tony never showed any interest in Peter’s fighting abilities. He only asked him about these things:

1:18:40 – shows the video where Peter stopped a car thief with his web (no fighting included).

1:18:45 – shows the video with Peter stopping a car from hitting a bus (no fighting), interested in his ability to lift heavy moving things.

1:19:55 – asking about the webbing.

1:20:05 – about climbing walls.

1:20:10 – about the goggles and his ability to see with them.

From this we can conclude that Tony was interested in Peter: watching, climbing walls, and using his web to catch heavy moving objects like Cap. Not in direct fighting.

Next, the fight itself:

What was Tony’s goal: to arrest Barnes again and bring Rogers and Wilson back to the JTTF office, without hurting anyone. He discussed the mission with Peter beforehand, telling him to take Cap’s shield and web up his hands, and legs if he tries to run again, keep distance, and not to engage in close combat, web up fugitives, not beat them.

What is going on in the scene:

1:29:30 - Peter webs up Rogers’ hands and takes the shield on Tony’s signal.

1:30:30 – Rogers starts the fight.

1:30:35 – Rogers orders Lang to punch Peter and get the shield back.

Tony goes for Wanda and Clint, Rhodey for Cap, and T’Challa for Barnes.

1:30:50 – Peter asks Tony “Hey, Mr. Stark, what should I do?”

Tony responds with “What we discussed. Keep your distance, web them up”, looking surprised by the question.

1:31:25 – Peter engages in close combat, despite the order not to do so, to “impress Mr. Stark” (1:33:20). That’s exactly the same thing he does in Homecoming. We cannot blame him, he’s a teenager, but we cannot blame Tony either, since he gave the clear order “to keep distance”.

1:34:05 – Tony says “My plan was go easy on them” confirming that in his opinion the situation had gone too far when it turned into a fight.

1:37:30 – Peter is engaged in close combat with Rogers, and the latter collapses a jet bridge on him, actually endangering Peter.

1:42:45 – Peter is knocked down by Ant-Man and falls to the ground. Tony immediately rushes to his side to check if he's okay. He tells him, “You’re done...go home.” He clearly didn't want him to get hurt (1:43:00).

#tony stark #iron man #mcu #marvel #the avengers #captain america civil war #peter parker #spiderman

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dark-frosted-heart · 5 months ago

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Roger Barel Main Route - Chapter 18 His POV

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this. I’m doing this for archiving purposes and you can probably find a better translation out there.

As I was about to be taken away by the Privy Council, Kate took my hand and led me to the garden behind the palace.

Kate: Roger, what’s the meaning of this? Arrest…

Roger: Calm down, Kate. Whatever’s going on is just as you heard.

Kate: …There’s really an arrest warrant?

(Don’t look so sad...I can’t resign myself to this if you make that face)

A deep sigh filled the space between us.

Roger: …Yeah, long story short—I’ve been set up by the Privy Council.

I’m now a criminal and a traitor to Crown.

At first, I thought it was one of those Vogel guys behind it. Never thought it’d be one of our own.

Kate frowned in confusion.

Kate: …Traitor? You…? …There’s no way that will ever happen.

You would never betray Crown!

(Yeah, I know. I thought it was impossible)

(That’s why I made you that promise that day. I made a vow to myself when I purposely said those words)

~~ Flashback ~~

Roger: However, I’m gonna change my fate. It’s absurd to allow myself to be controlled by it. Kate, I’ve taken a liking to you so I’ll promise you this. I will never betray you without a reason. Never.

~~ End flashback ~~

As someone who spent my life trying to tame my curse, surrendering to it was like admitting defeat.

But—I completely lost.

Roger: …I could.

Kate: Roger…?

Roger: …It’s laughable, isn’t it…?

I was shaking with the anger, sadness, and despair rising within me.

Roger: I swore to myself that I’d tame my curse. I wouldn’t let fate drive me mad like God’s whim.

I resolved to never betray anyone unknowingly. ..And yet.

You can’t fight it…just by your will alone?

Kate: …

I’ve lived all my life fighting against despair.

But it’s like my curse was mocking me, saying “it was all useless.”

Roger: Is this how I meet my tragic end?

…Surrendering myself to my curse…

Kate: No…

You won’t! You can’t let your curse beat you—

I heard the voices and footsteps of those searching for us. Kate took my hand and quickly hid behind a hedge of Chinese privet.

I could hear their footsteps coming closer, signaling that our brief moment together was about to come to an end.

(It sounds pathetic, but the only thing I can do now is let her go. Can’t get her involved. I can do that much)

Kate: Run away with me, Roger.

Roger: That’d just make the crime worse.

Kate: …I still don’t have a complete grasp on the situation.

However, I know you’ve been falsely accused. Until that gets cleared up…

As if to stop Kate from weaving more kind words, I cut her off.

Roger: Kate, though we ended up spending time together by pure chance, I enjoyed it.

Kate��s eyes wavered.

Kate: What are you talking about at a time like this?

(...I can’t waver. I just need to tell her the truth as simple as possible)

Roger: Take care of Ale. My old man should be back soon to pick him up.

I picked Ale up and shoved him in Kate’s arms.

Kate: Eh, huh?

Roger: And when your time as Fairytale Keeper’s up, turn to Victor. He’s a good one.

Kate: Roger, what are you saying?

Roger: And finally.

(“Finally”, huh?)

That word brought up emotions that I desperately tried to hold back.

(...Ah, damn it. Love is such a foolish, troublesome emotion)

My body moved on its own—I impulsively took Kate’s lips with mine.

Roger: —Kate, I've fallen for you.

Kate: …

(...I didn’t plan to tell you this at the very end)

Roger: Heh, what’s with that dumb look? You didn’t notice? You’re pretty dense for someone that boasted about being a teacher of love. You’ve got terrible drinking habits and hate losing, but you’re earnest and stubborn. I know your bad points. Still, even with all this trouble…Kate, I adore you.

Kate’s eyes were filled with a mixture of anger and sadness.

Kate: …Why are you telling me all of this now?!

Roger: ‘Cause I might never see you again. My ego’s telling me I’ll regret not telling you.

Kate: Never see me again…

(Kate. Anyone who says stuff like at the last moment’s no good)

(I’m a selfish man that wants a part of me left in you, even if just a little. That’s why)

Roger: I’m retracting my definition of “romantic love’s just a dysfunction of the brain or a misunderstanding caused by sexual desire.” Love definitely exists in this world. Q.E.D.

(You deserve to be adored by someone more kind and sincere. I want you to keep laughing and smiling for the rest of your life)

Privy Council member: There they are, I found them!

Roger: Whoops, looks like time’s up. They’re so impatient.

Kate: Roger…

Roger: See ya, Kate. Take care. Ale, you live a long life too.

Ale: …Kuuuuun?

Roger: …Can’t even pet you cuties’ heads with these handcuffs on.

I tried to smile like I usually do and turned my back on Kate and Ale.

Kate: No, Roger! Don’t go!

(...Don’t make such a sad sound)

Kate: …Roger, Roger! There’s no way you can’t hear me!