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boop-le-snoot · 4 years ago

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PARTY FAVOURS | CHAPTER 5

Rating: Explicit.

‼️TW: Reader is EIGHTEEN! Recreational drug use, smoking and alcohol consumption, deeply internalised self-loathing, very questionable moral standards. Daddy kink taken half-seriously. BDSM themes in later chapters - explicit content will come with it's own TWs. FIRST PERSON POV.

Summary: You're Peter's classmate, a child of rich and famous but uncaring parents. Getting paired up for a lengthy project with the boy was an interesting turn of events and you don't know whether to feel blessed or cursed when you develop, seemingly, a perfectly normal, harmless crush on Tony Stark. Fueled by feelings of inadequacy and boredom, your life spirals out of control - and you're lucky your newfound friends are there to pick up the pieces even if you cannot find it in yourself to believe these amazing human (and not so human) beings voluntarily give you more than a fleeting glance and an offhanded thought. And they brought cake!

A/N: Revenge is sweet but a well-timed dick joke is sweeter. xoxo gossip girl. Please supervise one Bucky Barnes on the internet. Questionable music taste. Detention is the price we pay for justice. Bruce Banner is too precious for this world, too pure.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem

Beta read by the lovely and patient @miscmarvelwritings ! 🎶🎵I love you biiitch ain't ever gonna stop loving you biiitch 🎵🎶

"Initiate phase one," I added a growly undertone to my whisper, holding my phone inconspicuously, as if I was making a simple phone call. There was no answer but I didn't expect one: I was testing the voice recorder app that I had downloaded for the sole purpose of documenting and relaying the inevitable fall of one Flash Thompson.

Making my way through the crowd of students during the busiest time of the day, I made the most intrigued and outraged facial expression I possibly could. Spying my targets, I leaned against a nearby wall, putting a hand over my mouth in fake outrage, keeping my eyes wide and trained on the opposite wall. Just as I had predicted, the two sophomore girls started giving me side-eye by minute two of my staring and finally approached me as I contemplated the wall for whole five minutes.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" The brunette asked, her blonde friend hanging a step back.

"Yeah, totally," I mumbled. "I'm, like, shook beyond imagination, but nothing, like, bad."

The girls traded a curious look, seemingly coming to some sort of conclusion. The greedy gleam in their eyes had me internally cheering. "What happened?" The blonde one asked, coming closer.

"I'm not sure if I should tell that to anyone," I stammered, watching them bodily move forward. "Well, okay, I can't keep quiet. But you must never, ever speak of it or I'll get expelled or something," I said nervously. They both nodded so rapidly it reminded me of Funko Pop figurines. "You know the senior guy, Flash? Brown hair, kinda hot?" Again, they both nodded, conspicuously grinning. "I think I just saw him in the closed girls bathroom on the third floor with, like, some brunette from Ms. Johnson's History class," They both gasped. Predictable. "But that's not the worst! They were like, y'know," I made an obscene gesture with my hand and they instantly covered their own mouths with their palms in shock. "And the chick was like 'is it in yet?' and he was like 'yah' and I just closed the door and ran, oh my god I hope they didn't hear me," I squealed at the end, playing the part of a mortified teenager.

All three of us giggled uncomfortably for a moment. The blonde girl stared at me suspiciously. "And what were you doing there?"

I faked a nervous stammer, looking around briefly and showing them my lighter for a moment. They both gasped and nodded in recognition. "Don't tell anybody or my mom is going to have kittens," I pleaded. Both of them nodded solemnly, noticing their own group of friends approach. I used the brief moment to get lost in the river of pupils and by the time they turned around to introduce me, I was already at the opposite part of the hallway.

For the time being, everything seemed peaceful. There were a few giggles and side-eyes directed towards Flash Thompson but nothing out of the ordinary. He was disliked by most of the student population even if nobody dared to admit it outright. I took care to walk around without my earbuds for the day and pulled out my phone to record the most interesting conversations around me whenever I caught the tell tale signs of a gossip mill beginning to run its course around the school.

"Oh my god, I heard about this girl that was caught fucking Flash in the girls bathroom and she literally said 'is it in yet', can you imagine the shock, jeez!"

"Some chick literally just rejected Flash because his dick was too small."

"Rebecca from AP chemistry told me someone saw Flash's micropenis. Poor guy!"

"I wonder if his girlfriend dumped him because he can't do shit, I mean, he doesn't look like the type to eat the kitty."

Those were just the highlights of the Friday afternoon. Come the weekend and the news of Flash's unfortunate condition will make the rounds through every single group chat that the school has and by the time Monday rolls around, nobody will have a clue who started the rumour in the first place. I had to carefully select the girls who were to distribute the rumour and I was happy with the outcome: Marissa and Layla with their squad of chatty, bored rich girls were the perfect choice. I thought they would jump at any opportunity to cause drama and I was right.

It was sufficient to say I was bristling with pride as I cut and compiled the audio track from today's school day before sending it to the group chat.

Clint, Peter and Natasha appeared online as soon as the message delivered and I was delighted at their response. Romanoff's kind words, specifically, made me all warm and mushy inside. I didn't resist the feeling, basked in it even as I did a happy dance around my room. Peter's nonsensical string of emojis was another point of laughter for me.

It wasn't exactly the smartest way to go about killing Thompson's reputation... Alas, simplicity is the way to success when it comes to large crowds of teenagers. That tiny little vindictive part of me was very much looking forward to the weekend and the results of the inevitable distortion of the rumour I had started. Who knew, maybe by Monday Flash Thompson would not only have a micropenis but horns and hooves as well.

Near bedtime, I had all the avengers send me their regards and thumbs up. I answered the flurry of texts as quickly as I could but there was no point in keeping up with ten or so people constantly streaming their questions, opinions and comments.

I settled on a single easiest response: pulling my dad's old uni sweatshirt over my tiny lacy pajamas to preserve some modesty, I settled in front of my mirror, turning on my Bluetooth speaker to play "Boss Ass Bitch". In true gen-z fashion, I put on my best resting witch face and solemnly lip-synced to the song's eponymous chorus. My eyeliner was sharp enough to cut paper and my prismatic highlighter glittered enigmatically in the cold light of my blue lava lamp.

The response was, once again, delightful and I genuinely belly-laughed at the adults' attempts to meme after Peter. His blushy face emoji started a whole nother conversation that I didn't participate in but watched from the sidelines with glee, snorting every time his friends and mentors gently teased him about the very obvious crush he harboured on me.

Seeing Peter starting to go absolutely nuts, I interjected with an offer (more like a dare) of a lip sync battle. He jumped on the bandwagon, immediately going offline to undoubtedly film an epic video of what I thought would be dorky-dancing to some hipster song. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a pre-recorded tik tok video of him and Ned fighting with lightsabers while mouthing the words to Fergalicious that played over the Imperial March.

Weirdos. I still followed him on the app, though, it was pretty funny.

Bucky interjected with a very well executed rendition of "Bring Me to Life": he was wearing his full Winter Soldier get-up, complete with an AK-47, dramatically serenading Steve who looked seventeen shades of done with his partner's antics. Wanda's following twenty second voice message consisted of nothing but pure hysterical laughter, summing up everyone's reaction to the video. Bucky was going to go viral one of these days...

Obviously, I had good competition and nobody else seemed to want to participate so I rearranged my surroundings a little bit and stood up at my full height and swapped the old sweatshirt for a cute crop-top hoodie. My thigh-highs were on display and with my make-up, I looked like a proper internet e-girl. I leaned against the mirror as I mouthed along to the song with my best interpretation of the famous Lucifer smirk, seasoned with a tiny bit of angelic innocence: "Doctor, doctor, give me the news, I got a bad case of loving you..."

Needless to say, I won the competition. Eventually Wanda joined in, looking menacing and ominous with her dark clothes and Natasha's red hair flashing somewhere in the background; even Tony did a round (AC/DC as his soundtrack of course) with one of his Iron Man suits but nothing beat my stunt and the reaction that it caused.

I had accidentally called out Bruce with the choice of my song and his teammates gave both of us a lot of cheeky comments about it. We relented and flirted with each other a bit as the conversation flowed into more mundane discussion; I said my good nights somewhere between Tony's bitching about the hobbies of my generation and my nightly skincare routine. The little green heart that I'd become accustomed to over the past few weeks greeted me just as I was about to lock my phone.

Bruce was really too precious for this world. My crush on him was different than the one on Tony, it mellowed out in comparison. I wanted him to hold me, to stroke my hair, to call me his darling and wrap me up in one of those dorky button-ups that he insisted on wearing in spite of Tony's unwanted, however very valid, fashion advice.

For all that's worth, the scientist probably knew or at least suspected and had the good grace to play along just enough to satisfy my deep need for attention... Without crossing any actual lines. It was frustrating, it was disappointing but I had virtually nothing to complain about. Besides, I didn't want to lose the quirky friendship that we had. Banner was, probably, the least judgemental person I knew and I wasn't about to trade that for an awkwardly stolen kiss.

Monday and Tuesday passed in a flurry of giggling and snorting every time Flash walked by. His girlfriend broke up with him, very publicly, accusing him of cheating and he didn't even deny it - just insulted her and stormed off, leaving even his friends looking lost and clueless. I started dragging Peter and his two pet nerds along with me just about everywhere I went in case Thompson decided to do something stupid again. If judging only by the looks he was throwing our little company, he was on his way to figuring out who began nibbling at his reputation.

The week was coming to an end and the rumour began dying off, slowly. That just didn't sit with me, I wanted the fucker gone. Due to the obvious time constraints, I approached MJ regarding Peter - after a brief argument, we came to an agreement regarding Peter's safety should I need to leave him alone in the hallways or at lunch.

I needed to do this alone so if I got caught, I won't drag them down with me. Granted, I would probably get something like a suspension and the school will attempt to call my mother (she never picks up) but that's about it. That's where her reputation comes in handy-people consciously avoid dealing with her, she can be that unbearable.

But first, I needed to get a teacher that's on my side. After carefully considering the candidates, I settled on my Social Studies professor - he taught the college-level classes and was overall a very chill, nice dude. And he disliked bullies with a flaming passion. So it didn't take me long to work him into a righteous fury - just a quick chat over a cup of tea in his homeroom and a few pictures of Peter's bruised face, complete with my own pleading puppy eyes. We agreed Mr Davies would "accidentally" leave the teacher's lounge unlocked during third period and I would sneak in. The plan wasn't foolproof but if it worked, not only Flash, but also his whole misogynistic, bigoted family would go down.

As I was leaving, Mr Davies looked up at me with a bright smile: "Give them Hell, alright?" And I suddenly noticed he was, in fact, very attractive. The smile brought out the fine wrinkles around his mouth, the crow's feet around his eyes - he smiled a lot. Silver strands mixed in with the wooden brown of his hair.

I let my eyes slide over him briefly before baring my teeth in return. "I owe you one," I don't know what possessed me to say that. My mouth really had a mind of its own sometimes. The room suddenly became hot.

"Sure," He replied, totally oblivious.

On Friday, I made myself a small nest in the empty classroom opposite the teacher's lounge and sat waiting for the signal from Mr Davies - he'd tap on the door once and I'd quietly go inside the teacher's lounge, retrieve Thompson's file and make my way back to the empty classroom to grab my backpack and carry the file to my locker for further examination.

The first part went successfully and I managed to snag Thompson's file. It was heavy and hefty, all the evidence of his rowdiness compiled into one flimsy plastic folder. There were A LOT of pink slips and I rejoiced internally: at least there was a paper trail of his exploits. The principal didn't do anything about it which was... If not against the rules then at least frowned upon; the plan was to take copies and anonymously submit them to the school board prompting at least an investigation into the blatant disregard for Flash's immoral and illegal behaviour.

On my way back I stumbled upon the principal herself which got me not only a stern talking to, but a whole detention for skipping class. Whatever, I was too elated from potentially ruining the life of a dumb fuck who ruined my friend's face.

Surprise came in the face of Mr Davies, who, having heard the commotion in the hallway, stepped out of his class and saw me being lectured by the principal.

"I'll take her for the detention," I heard the familiar voice behind me. The principal nodded solemnly and I had no choice but to sigh in resignation. "Three thirty, be here," He nodded to me, walking back, looking way too smug for his own good. So I wasn't the only one excited about the successful completion of stage two of my nefarious plan. Cue evil laughter.

#tony stark x reader #tony stark x y/n #bruce banner x y/n #bruce banner x reader #stephen strange x reader #Stephen Strange x y/n #bun writes #party favours #author doesn't advocate for small dick jokes but tbh the abusive fucker deserves it

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years ago

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Survey #299

“you look so beautiful tonight / reminds me how you laid us down and gently smiled before you destroyed my life.”

Ever done any drugs? Besides alcohol, no. How many people have you kissed? Three or four. What’s your favorite show to binge? I could only ever willingly *binge* Meerkat Manor and not get bored after like, two episodes. Do you watch porn? No, it's never appealed to me. What’s one of your fantasies? Being financially stable. :^) Do you have/would you get your nipples pierced? I've lightly considered getting one, but I really doubt I ever will. What’s the most overrated movie? /shrug. Let people like what they like. Tag someone you want to talk to but have been too shy to message. I'd love to get to know my Facebook acquaintance Courtlynn better; I've wanted to for a long time. I think we could be fantastic friends. We'll like each other's stuff regularly and occasionally leave comments, but we don't really talk. Do you like paper books or ebooks better? Paper ones, by a long shot. I just really like the feeling of a book and being able to clearly see how far in you are. I enjoy the smell and sound of turning pages. If you could live in a fictional world, what world would you pick? Probably Wonderland, realistically. I would say Azeroth, but too much world-threatening shit goes on every day lol. If money was no object, what would your wardrobe be like? G O T H Do you still have feelings for any of your exes? Yep. Do you drink? Very, very rarely. Almost exclusively during celebrations or on the once in a blue moon occasion we go to a sit-down restaurant. Do you read erotica? No. It would make me super uncomfortable. What color was the last candle you lit? I don't remember at all. Do you own a treadmill? No, but I want one. Have you ever signed up for a gym membership? Well, not exactly me. Mom and Nicole both had memberships to Planet Fitness, and I was able to come as a guest. It was just cheaper that way. What color was the last fish you had? That I owned or ate? Either way, idr. Is there a garbage can in your room? What color is it? No. If you play The Sims, do you download custom clothes, hair, etc? I don't play it. Does your animal sleep with you? Roman does, yes. He legitimately spoons with me lmao. Sometimes he'll move to the bottom of the bed, other times he'll sleep through most of the night there. Have you ever had to wear a hairnet? Yes. What is your favorite song to play on Guitar Hero or Rock Band? "Hotel California" by The Eagles on expert is so much fun and just feels good. The ending solo is just great. When you drink chocolate milk do you just buy the jug of it or the syrup that you can put into the milk? Almost always just the chocolate syrup. Do you own a robe? What color is it? No. What’s the worst abuse you have done to your phone? I know I've thrown it across the room once. Well, not my current phone, but a really old one. How did you meet your first love? High school. Well, you could maybe say Facebook. He sent me a friend request and I literally only accepted it because I thought it was another Jason. We talked via messenger some and then we ran into each other at school, and tbh I kinda knew I was fucked from there lmao. Have you ever worn the opposite sex’s underwear? I don't believe so, no. Have you ever kissed in a pool? Yeah. Are there any hobbies you have that you don’t perform in front of others? I absolutely cannot write in front of others, and I HATE drawing when people are watching. What do you do when you simply don’t know what to do? Odds are I'll probably be scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something in WoW that sounds even remotely fun, or I'll browse Facebook. How did you find out about your current favorite band? He's one of my mom's favorite singers/bands, so I grew up with some of his music, and when I was getting into rock and metal, I decided to go through her music case and listen to some of it. Ozzy's Black Rain album set the adoration into motion. Where are you most likely to go when you need clothing? The Internet or Wal-Mart, depending on what kind of clothes I need. When was the last time you tried to do something yet failed? I should have an answer for this very quickly... yet I'm unsure. I don't think anything *major* has happened in a while. Oh, this is a tiny thing, but I did look really hard for the pencil sharpener so my niece could finish coloring her drawing, but I couldn't find the damn thing for anything. Do you think your life is comprised more of success or failure? Lots and lots of failure. What’s one personality trait that’s not strong in you? Uhhh outgoing, ig. Are you a difficult individual to get to know? Considering I hide a lot about myself to try and be accepted, yes. When was the last time you opened up to someone and about what? Literally yesterday to my mom about this unreasonably massive fear I've had lately that she doesn't have much longer in her. I'm terrified she's going to get COVID or her cancer just comes back faster than we hope. To whom do you feel the most important? My mom. Is there something you want but might not ever have? Many things. What’s something you’re working to obtain? Mental stability. Do you tend to enjoy your dreams? No, considering they're usually violent and rarely just psychotic nightmares. Are there any projects or goals you’ve recently abandoned? Hm. What in life serves to keep you going? The hope it'll get better, and I'll reach a point of actually being happy and content with my life. What was the last good news you received? Nicole's trip to Maryland to bring back a baby was successful (if that sounds weird, she's a child social worker). He has a heart condition where if his heartbeat or something like that was irregular, she'd have driven all the way up there for nothing; the baby wouldn't have been able to take the ride. Are you more inclined to appreciate sweet or savory foods? Sweet. Are romantic relationships important to you at this point in your life? I mean I'd like to be in one, but I highly doubt it'd be successful, just given where I am in life. I'd be signing up for heartbreak. Who was the last person to apologize to you for something they did? I don't know. Probably Mom for something minor, like just bumping into me or something. Are you wearing a necklace, and if so, who got it for you? No. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done lately? Lately? Uh. I don't know, but I can guarantee to you it wasn't long ago at all, considering breathing embarrasses me, pretty much. Do you ‘think out loud’? Sometimes. Do you take gummy vitamins? No. How do you know the majority of the people you know? Former schools. Hell, or maybe various online locations. I just might have more online friends and acquaintances than in-person. Is there a random object you own that has a huge personal significance? I've talked about my pebble from my partial hospitalization program enough. Can you play electric guitar? I used to be able to play a little bit; I took guitar lessons for a short while in high school. Best I could do was the intro to "Crazy Train," but I'd still occasionally mess up. Are you one of those people who chew two pieces of gum, not one? Usually. Do you believe in ghosts/supernatural occurrences? Yes. Without the aid of mascara, do you have long eyelashes? Yeah. Is there a kind of music you listen to that helps you release your anger? Yes, usually songs that are also angry. How does it make you feel looking at pics with your ex and someone else? The only case this has ever happened was with Jason and his gf after me. There are no words to describe the fucking hatred I felt. I haven't seen pictures of him with an s/o in a long time, and I absolutely never plan on seeking them out ever again. What song are you listening to right now? "Rest In Pieces" by Saliva. If you’re not in college, why? I couldn't handle the stress anymore. Just couldn't. Do you own a studded belt from Hot Topic? I have a good number of old ones from high school, actually. I wore them all the time. I could never fit into them now. Favorite fictional character? Um, Darkiplier, duh. Most recent thing you are looking forward to? I think it's finally set in stone that I'm getting my tattoo redone soon. Thanks to my laptop saying "ha fuck you," it's not as soon as I originally planned since I had to pay to fix it, but Mom seems fine with helping me pay for my birthday. Not a guarantee that it'll happen on that date of course, given scheduling, but yeah. It should fucking finally be happening. How many stairs can you climb before you wanna pass out? This is too embarrassing to even answer lmao. Have you ever kissed someone with braces? No. Would you ever consider adoption? I don't want kids, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't. I feel like I'd personally need the "wow this is a part of me (and/or my s/o)" connection. Do you ever go hunting/fishing? I would never go hunting, and the only occasion in which I'd fish again is if Dad asked me. I don't like the idea of fishing for fun anymore, but that's like... always been our bonding experience, and I wouldn't tell him no. Do you know anyone who plays guitar? Knew. What are you currently sitting/laying on? My bed. Who are your godparents? I don't think I have any. Do you have any friends who are famous? I have two friends who are parts of bands, but idk how successful they are. I don't think either are like, huge. Nova Mortis if you're into heavy metal and I think Toukan does rap? When was the last time you stayed at a hotel? Hm. I have no idea. What side of a heart do you draw first? Uhhhh I think the left? What is your mom saved as in your phone? "Mama Bear." Do you want your tongue pierced? I had snake eyes for a while, but I took them out because I kept chipping my teeth. I miss that piercing, it was so cute, but it wasn't worth ruining my teeth. Ever made out in a pool? It's possible very briefly, idr. Do you like to have long hair or short hair? SHORT. SHORT. SHORT. Do you change your phone background a lot? Not really. Would you get back with your last ex if you could? Yeah. Have you ever been strip searched? No. Has the person you like ever seen you in your pajamas? Yes. What is your least favorite type of chocolate? White chocolate is way too sweet. Did anyone see your last kiss? It was at an airport, so probably. Do you want a boyfriend or girlfriend? I mean, I do, but I don't really know how smart it would be right now. Is there anyone you wish you could fix things with? A few. Who IMed you on Facebook last? My friend Girt. Were you kinda scared of the goths in high school? Hell naw man, I looked up to them lmao. What size is your mattress? (single,twin,double,queen,king) Queen. Do you like spaghetti? Hell yeah. It was my favorite food as a kid. What about lasagna? No; I don't like the cheese at all. Have you ever been stung by anything? What was it? Mosquitoes of course, as well as a bee once. Maybe other things, idk. Have you ever worn contacts? (even just to try them out) Yes, but I changed to glasses because I had too much trouble putting them in and taking them out. Have you ever had any suspicious moles removed? No. Have you ever been screened for STDs? No. Did you have your tonsils taken out? No. Did you have your appendix taken out? No. Do you have any collector’s glasses or cups or mugs? What is a "collector's" glass or mug? Were you your parents’ first born? No; I'm the middle child. Do you have a child? Is the father still with you? No. Were you born perfectly healthy or with some (or a lot) of health issues? I was born healthy. Good 'ole days. Did you ever catch any bugs or insects with your friends as a kid? Ohhhh yes, my neighbor and I loved doing that. My favorite was catching fireflies with my sisters, though. Would you prefer to travel around the world by yourself or with a friend? With a friend. I'd get lonely. Do you know anybody who has been diagnosed with cancer? A whole lot, sadly... I'm despising that disease more and more every day that goes by. I know far too many people who have it or have died at its hands. Have you ever had to take care of an intoxicated person? No. Do you and your boyfriend/girlfriend fight a lot? N/A. Do not stay in a relationship where fighting is common. Would you ever share a site password with a family member or partner? I mean sure, depending on the site and person, and the reason they (may) need it. Has anyone ever told you they couldn't trust you? Hm... I actually don't think so? Who in your family has the prettiest eyes? Idk, I don't see enough of my extended family to know. What is an odd food item you would like to try, or have tried? I'm sure there's something I'd like to try, but nothing I think about with consistency, really... Most "odd" food I find unappealing anyway. When/if you drive, do you go the speedlimit? When I did, I certainly always tried to, but I was bad at maintaining a stable speed. I went up and down too much. Are you an aggressive driver? Or more passive-aggressive? I was dangerously passive at driving. Describe a hairstyle you had as a little kid? Well, I had long hair with bangs. What routine of yours would you most hate to break? Probably stopping getting a soda first thing in the morning... That is like so deeply ingrained into my day and is a motivator to get up in the first place. I want to change this to where I'm not allowed to grab one until I've had a full cup of water, but yeah, that hasn't happened yet. Has jealousy ever ruined one of your friendships/relationships? Honestly? I think it's possible that Jason totally split on me because of it. We were in this very unstable "friends" position after the breakup and hung out very briefly and awkwardly twice (which I'm pretty sure he didn't want), and I think one of our last attempts at conversation was who a girl he was talking to via Messenger was. No, before any assumptions are made, I didn't snoop. He showed me something on his phone and I just inevitably saw the little Facebook chat icon of a girl I didn't recognize. I don't even remember his answer. I just know it wasn't too long later I was blocked and everything. What is one restaurant you would NOT recommend? I personally am not a Chili's fan. What was your last conversation about? Mom and I were just talking about what a mush the cat is, haha. Who is your favorite person to debate or discuss with? Yo fuck debates, I got mad anxiety over that kind of stuff. Are you more likely to praise or insult yourself? Why? Insult. I don't even believe myself when I try praising, so it's not worth the effort. I have a billion and two reasons. Do you enjoy cloudy days? Why or why not? Honestly, not very much anymore. I've found that it actually does affect my mood. I like some cloud coverage, though. Would it bother you to be forgotten after death? Yes, even though when you think about it, most of us will be. I want to do stomething so badly; not even particularly something major, but just contribute to things and causes that matter and slowly change the world for the better. It's especially likely I will be forgotten though at some point because I don't want kids, so my blood isn't carrying on. Do you tend to prefer healthy or unhealthy snacks? Ugh, unhealthy. Has anyone ever asked you for diet advice? I think so, back when I started recovery and lost like 60 lbs fast as fuck. I wasn't even dieting though, just... came off awful meds. What age is your youngest aunt? Ummmm I have no clue. Do you like bowling? Yeah, it's fun, but I'm not good at it. Do you like roasting marshmallows on a bonfire? Totally. Do you prefer sweet or sour fruits? Sweet. How're your dancing skills? Rusted to the point of just not functional anymore lmao. What brand of batteries do you usually get? I don't pay attention to the kind Mom gets. Are any of your friends pregnant or have kids? A lot of my FB friends have kids. At least two are pregnant, but I only consider myself remotely close to one. I'm beyond worried about how she's going to be as a mom. Where's the strangest place a fast food restaurant was located? I've certainly seen some questionable placement in busy areas, but none that are super odd. Do you stay up all night on New Years Eve/Day or go to bed after 12am? I don't care nowadays; I just stay up until I'm tired like every other night.

#survey #surveys #questions #questionnaire #lyrics: ''rest in pieces'' by saliva

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currentfandomkick · 5 years ago

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Miraculous Team and Batboys, end of Damian Grasyon day 1

Here’s what i have for the update

Marinette wasn’t surprised to see Lilia trying to talk to Damian in her seat. Or that he looked ready to kill her.

“And then Damiboo—“

“Hey Lila, I need to do more official welcoming committee things with Damian before class starts. We wouldn’t want him to get caught unprepared for any attacks at Dupont, would we?”

Before Lila could speak up Alya grabbed the girl’s arm and pulled her back to her lair in the back.

“C’mon, we don’t want him to get pancaked then miracle back—you know how much people that are used to it hate that.”

“But—“

“Oh sweet, no lecture today then,” Nino grinned.

Marinette almost rolled her eyes. “I know your haunts, I will get you on a semi-healthy sleep schedule.”

“I am an artist, we say screw sleep.”

“You can be nocturnal and have a sleep schedule Nino.” Marinette paused for a moment. “Or I will revoke morning delivery privileges.”

Nino stiffened.”Got it.”

She turned back to Damian, who held up his phone. “Did all of these really happen?”

Marinette looked at the attacks he had pulled up. “Yeah, just, don’t bring up that one,” Marinette pointed to the Siren video. “The survivors are in therapy and the victims don’t remember for a good reason.” She paused for a moment before saying, “And try not to bring up someone’s akumatazations, it’s a leading cause to re-akumatazation like with this one.” Marinette tapped the first entry on the page, Stone Heart.

Damian nodded, looking over at her once again before continuing his scroll.

“If you have any questions about this or school or classes, I can give you my number. No guarantees I’ll get back that moment, but usually that day. Commissions can eat up time… I’ll check with Sabrina if she’s willing to answer questions too.”

“The class deputy, correct?” Damian asked without looking up.

“Yeah, I’d ask Chloe but she’s in the middle of fighting the school on a few trip schedules for the class and well…”

“I cannot believe they want to cut our time in the gardens Adrikins, can you believe it! It’s ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!”

Damian looked up at her as she sighed. “I’m pretty sure oil and water get along better than you two would.”

Damian nodded and—no she was imagining it. No way that expression happened.

“She’s more tolerable than the other one.”

Marinette hummed at that. “Chloe is the lesser of two evils at any point in time.”

“Oh shut up Dupain-Cheng.”

“Marinette, that isn’t very nice,” Adrien gently reprimanded.

Marinette rolled her eyes openly this time. “Its this or war.”

“Personally, I’d prefer war,” Chloe huffed. “But we have someone to dispose of first.”

“I mean, maybe she’s just got a condition? No need to jump down her throat dudette,” Nino added.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “So what did she screw up on her timeline this time?”

Chloe huffed this time. “The same summer she was with Ali doing “delegation things” she was apparently being wooed by Gotham’s elusive ice prince.”

Marinette snorted at that.

She missed Damian’s reaction, but she doubted it was anything important.

“Okay, so are you all now in agreement that she’s lying?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Told you all Dupain-Cheng was right at the beginning, but did you listen? Nooo.”

Adrien sighed. “I really messed up at first, didn’t I?”

Marinette shrugged. She got why---rock, hard place, and really bad coping mechanisms but… “Kind of.”

“Dudette, thanks again for making sure we all still went into those competitions and stuff.”

Marinette nodded, watching others in the class check the document, minus those in Lila’s sight.

Alix looked ready to clock Lila from her place while Rose was a bit devastated on her end. She winced a bit at those responses. Lila still did deal some damage to the class over the years, even if she did mitigate most of the long term ones.

“Someone has to keep the class afloat.”

“Rude.” Chloe wasn’t glaring. Oh—Chloe was doing her brand of friendship with Marinette now. She’d need to be vigilant for possible Chloe-cling.

“We both know you’d sell most of us for a corn chip,” Marinette added, hoping it might put just the right amount of distance but…

“Obviously, only Sabrina and Adrikins are spared…” she was glad she wasn’t included. “though you’re a bag of corn chips.” Damnit.

“Settle down class, now…” with that class began and Marinette almost groaned because she had an impending civilian Chloe friendship, who is exactly the type to drag you around without listening to any objections.

Once classes were over Marinette checked her messages with Sabrina.

“Okay, so here’s my number and Sabrina’s, any questions you can message either of us. Sabrina is better for procedural things and responds a lot faster than me.”

Sabrina materialized out of thin air and puffed out her chest. “I am the superior organizer.”

Marinette mock-glared at the red-head for that. “You still mess up the joint class schedules.”

Sabrina huffed at her. “You’re the one that they tell everything to.”

“I listen, and follow up. You’re just lucky I forward you guys that monster schedule since you can’t be trusted without supervision.”

Sabrina pouted at that. “Its not my fault Adrien and Kim don’t update theirs.”

Marinette nodded along, wondering if she could escape soon. “Just talk to Kim—I know you hate his sport speak but just ask if he can show up and he’ll check his calendar—I made sure to train him on that before stepping down.”

Sabrina looked at her before going off to do just that, since he yelled something about a new competition and that meant an updated class schedule.

Marinette packed her things then, figuring that Damian was already gone.

“Have a good day Dupain-Cheng.”

If it wasn’t for Chloe being across the room, she would have rolled her eyes. However…

“You too Damian. Again, any questions and me or Sabrina can answer.”

He frowned at her as she stood to leave. Oh, the textbooks!

“The mint page in the orange folder should show you the easiest places to get the textbooks this late into term. I’m guessing you’re not the type to like having to hit the library for required materials, and you don’t look like the type to like sharing textbooks long term. If those don’t work, Sabrina has a pdf for transfers you can download once you get approval to use a laptop or phone in class from Bustier. The form is the second mint page I think, and don’t worry, she approves things like that in a few days.”

Damian nodded. Marinette wondered if she overwhelmed him as she left. Oh well, her classmates were busy and she still had to finish Ali’s commission before patrol or an akuma attack—it was too quiet.

She hoped Damian read over the safety procedures, and sent him a quick text to review those as an after thought as she sent him in English (She hoped she guessed right): It’s been too peaceful for Hawkmoth, and our attacks are usually once every two days.

He read it but didn’t respond. She rolled her eyes as she entered the bakery, noting that Zombie was gone.

“I’ll be upstairs!”

“Before you do, can you make more of your monstrosities? The daycare should be letting out soon…”

Marinette almost sighed. Almost. How much did Zombie have? Apparently all of it.

She rolled her eyes as she made her usual ‘sleep deprived’ set for the regulars and ran upstairs to finish up Ali’s commission. With any luck, she wouldn’t have to stay up all night.

She was almost done, just a few more details when the AkumaWatch went off.

Tikki gave her a look.

“I know, I know.” Marinette grabbed her things for school. “Maman, Papa, I’m going to the Library!”

“Don’t stay till closing this time!”

“No promises!”

She ran off a decent distance before ducking into an alleyway.

“Tikki, Spots on!”

Elsewhere Damian had escaped Bustier's "checking in" by taking refuge in the school's library and sent over the information he'd gathered from Dupont and the Ladyblog to Drake first. Who Todd located and then relocated at Dick's request to go over what they'd found and discuss possible investigation avenues into the miraculous and its users.

He didn't like the idea of the 'boogey-man' stories (according to Grayson) of the trinkets holding the power gods being a reality. Especially if the old stories from the League were anything to go by... According to legend, a pair of earrings were responsible for the Lazarus Pitts existence in the first place--and he was weary of the tales of the ring that wiped cities from existence, and the necklace that drove men to madness.

Hope you enjoyed, and thanks to everyone that’s been commenting and voting on this and the ao3 of the story. Sorry, but Damian getting intrigued beat out Lila exposure by Damian. Instead, we have Class Knows She Lies, but no action plan on that yet... May do various confrontations when we get back to school updates.

Here’s the question for the next update, since its battletime and I get stuck on those for a bit.

Two things: batboys invade the battle or show up at the end when the Miraculous Team are wrapping it up?

and any akuma ideas? I'm debating just having it be gigtitan or pigeonman if its light, or if we're going dark, then a little kid that's being starved for 'bad behavior' regularly possibly turning adults into food, and the Miraculous Team seen at the end both comforting the kid in turns while talking to the police.

light is just simple intro, dark is more a slap in the face for the batboys that this is not Gotham or the Justice League, and gets them to see the whole of the problem more.

@worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @littleredrobinhoodlum @northernbluetongue @kceedraws @pirats-pizzacanninibles @theatreandcomicfreak @daminett4life @catthhay @weird-pale-blonde-person @amayakans @chocolatecatstheron

#maribat #daminette idea au #miraculous team and batboys #my writing

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itshigh-boop · 7 years ago

Note

Greetings! May I request a fic with Writing Prompt 111 about HanMei? (Mei seeing and reacting to Hanzo’s Ultimate for the first time?)

You sure can! I’m sorry if I went a lil overboard with this - but I really liked the idea and got carried away! Either way, I hope you like it and thank you for requesting HanMei!! I love this pairing so much ❄💙❄– ( Prompt 111: “ You have… Superpowers? ” )Getting to Lijiang from Antarctica had been such a long and arduous trip, the climatologist barely had the energy to run when she found out she was being pursued. Making use of her new invention, she made it as far as she did by mostly creating icy barriers and patches of slippery footing in their wake to deter them from trailing her. “Ha!” she smiled triumphantly as she turned and aimed, creating an extremely well-timed, thick and curved wall of ice that intercepted what could have very well been an opportunity for them to grab her. Mei-Ling pointed her blaster once more, considering creating another layer to her barrier. Lifting the contraption, she pressed the trigger mechanism, only to feel it shake her in hands with a loud rattle. “Ai ya!” The climatologist shook her creation, hoping that it would still have a bit of life left. However, a glance down at the fuel meter quickly let her know that her last icy wall was the result of her last fuel reserves. The telltale sound of cracking ice alerted her to how much time she had left before her barrier would shatter and allow her pursuers to continue. With a frustrated whine, Mei-Ling placed the blaster back into its makeshift sheath at her hip and turned to begin running again.“Snowball,” she panted as she ran, each heavy pound of her feet against the ground sending her closer to the eventual crash she’d experience when she no longer had the energy to spare. “Go. Please. You know the message I recorded with you? The coordinates I had you download?” When she received the affirmative digitized chatter from her companion, she nodded. “Good…no matter what…you must get to Winston…pass him the data we’ve collected…we need…to…”“She’s over here!”Mei-Ling grit her teeth, urging herself to run faster, if not just to give Snowball a chance to leave the area safely. She turned a sharp corner and into a dark sidestreet, hoping to make as many detours as possible. She rounded corner after corner until eventually finding herself face to face with a tall, cement-brick wall, the crude and chipped graffiti mocking her helpless situation.The little droid floated out of his spot on her empty fuel tank, hovering before her. What she took as a sad noise and the droop of his ‘eyes’, Mei gently stroked her thumbs over Snowball’s visor. “You’re my only hope now, Snowball.” She ushered the droid to float toward the sky. “Go!” she whispered, nodding to him once and then turned around as the thuds of combat boots swarmed her senses. “What is that you want from me?” Mei-Ling asked as she turned, managing to muster up the courage to sound and look angry with the unwanted guests. “You’re either a valuable research asset or a dangerous liability, Zhou. You’ve got two choices: come quietly, or you can die here.”Mei-Ling blinked away the hot tears that sprang to her cinnamon colored eyes. This was unfair. Even now, she looked down at the empty fuel canister for her blaster, hoping for some kind of miracle. “I don’t know who you are but I have something I must do.” Her fingers clenched around the blaster as she glared at the soldiers from beneath her lashes. “And I won’t stop until it’s done.” With a simple nod from one of the chasers, all their weapons were now focused on her. “I’m sorry to hear that. But you were in Overwatch - you knew the risks.” I did know, Mei-Ling thought. hoping that Snowball was safely on his way to wherever from Winston had made his broadcast. This was the least she could do for the world - to ensure that her friends’ deaths weren’t in vain. She closed her eyes tight and with a shaking sigh, wondered if she’d be reunited with her teammates in just a few moments. The flurry of bullets that she expected never came. It was both an instant and an eternity passing as a new pair of footsteps reached her ears. There were confused and angry shouts and the once still evening breeze suddenly picked up in intensity, tossing her hair about. Faint sparks of electricity seemed to dance around, peppering at her cheeks and rousing her to open her eyes. Just as she did, a blue glow filled her vision. Then, a powerful and proud shout, in a language not of her homeland resonated off the narrow walls of the alleyway. “Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!”Mei-Ling felt more than heard the shaking roar that followed the shout. Dragons had always been an important symbol of power and luck with her people. To actually see one (no, two), even the ever positive and creative Mei-Ling Zhou was questioning her remaining sanity. The dragons were transparent but radiated a fierce blue light, their scales shimmering like precious gems and their entire aura sparked. Yet, as their maws gaped open, as if to swallow anything in their path, Mei-Ling felt safe in their wake. Their brilliant light consumed the soldiers, and as they approached, their bodies passed through her body, filling with her a rush of energy from her temples down to her very toes. The raw power she’d seemingly only been touched with was enough to lift the breath from her throat. Mei-Ling sank to her knees, the bout of energy from earlier instantaneously gone. When the winds had died down and the alleyway became dark and dingy again, she dared to open her eyes. “Mei…?” came the digital voice of Snowball, flaring his voice box with an intonation of concern. “Snowball?” A relieved laugh escaped Mei-Ling’s lips and she smiled as the droid chirped, nudging her cheek affectionately. “How are you here? I thought you left…”Footsteps approaching her had Mei-Ling on her guard, quickly lifting her head, only to find that the soldiers were all now strewn about, seemingly unconscious. Stepping over their bodies was a man who, in her very honest opinion, appeared no less intimidating than the unfriendly men who’d chased her down…but there was a calm on his face - sharp features capturing Mei-Ling’s attention and that had her feeling not so on edge as before. The most eye-catching thing about him being the large bow he held in his hands as he approached. When he was close enough, he leaned down, offering a gloved hand to her. “Are you alright?” he spoke in English, though with a slight accent.It was much better than her own, anyway. Mei-Ling blinked and eventually took his hand. “Uh…I am fine. Xiè xie…” Bringing her hands up to fix her glasses, she swallowed the small lump in her throat. “Who are you?” she finally asked. “And how did you manage to find me?”The stranger’s shoulders tensed, eyes glancing to the side. “I am no one important. I was simply passing by the area when your droid found me and alerted me to your situation.” “My droid?” she repeated, turning to look at Snowball who flashed the words ‘danger’, ‘help’, and ‘follow’ across his visor in red lettering. Mei-Ling felt a small rush of heat rise to her cheeks in a bit of shame. To think she was so ready to just have it all end when Snowball was trying to save her. “I see. You didn’t have to follow him…but I thank you.” She inclined her head and back slightly in her gratitude, designating someone having saved her from certain doom as worth a bow.“Ah, please,” the man stated. “You do not have to. I was simply…helping someone in need,” he finished awkwardly. “In any case, you are unharmed and that is what matters.” That seemed to be the end of the conversation. However, there was a pressing issue that forced her to speak. “Ah, I know this may sound strange but please, I must know!”She took his blank stare as permission to continue. Biting her lip, she hoped that this question would not sound as nearly as foolish and insane as it did in her head. “Do you…you have superpowers?” Had the curiosity not been burning something fierce, Mei-Ling would have giggled at the sight of his serious expression fall into one of confusion. “Super…powers?” the man questioned. Mei-Ling fiddled with her glasses once more. “It’s just…I may just be hallucinating, but I could’ve sworn I saw…dragons. Two blue dragons, looking like they came from you after you shouted.” Her brown eyes scanned the area, refusing to look at his face as she continued. “I am a scientist and I just cannot think of any sort of explanation for what I saw.”A few moments of silence and her savior let out an exhale through his nose, shoulders slumping. “It would be a difficult thing to explain, one that I am not truly comfortable discussing with a stranger,” he admitted. “But I assure you…I do not have…superpowers…” The word appeared to physically cause him tension as it left his lips and she couldn’t help the tiniest grin that graced her features. Instead of laughing, however, she rubbed at one of her eyes, suddenly extremely tired. “Well, even if you don’t have super powers,” Mei-Ling began, only now realizing how silly her question was. “You still saved my life.” Contemplating her next inquiry, she shrugged her shoulders, smiling. “Would it be too much to ask for your name?” Surely he could do at least that? The last time she’d held a conversation this long was…technically nine years ago. No matter how strange the circumstances, her desire for a connection, even if temporary, was intense. He appeared to finally relent. “Hanzo,” was all that he answered with. “Hanzo…” Mei-Ling repeated, trying her best to say his name as intended without her own accent. “My name is Zhou Mei-Ling.”Hanzo nodded, glancing over his shoulder and then looking down at her. “Would you like me to escort you back toward the markets, Miss Zhou?”“I would like nothing better. Come on, Snowball,” she called to her droid companion who floated gently along with the pair as they stepped over the bodies of the mercenaries and walked out of the alleyway. “Hanzo,” Mei-Ling repeated as they walked, causing him to look at her in question. “I will remember this moment,” she smiled at him.“Hm.”

#hanmei #hanzo x mei #mei x hanzo #my writing #request

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apersnicketylemon · 7 years ago

Text

The History of Queer (on Tumblr)

So a while ago I had someone ask “what is the whole history of queer then? Because I looked at it and decided it was a terrible bad word” and well, the history of it does kinda suck. But a lot of that history is not including the specific history of ‘Queer’ on tumblr. Before tumblr... Queer was everywhere! But this got pretty long and so it’s going under a read more now:

Essentially what’s happening is a bunch of TERF’s decided that they did not like how all-encompassing the word ‘queer’ was now. How it included EVERYONE in the community and excluded NO ONE. Well, this just would not do, they are gatekeepers at heart, after all, so you can’t have a word that so easily and efficiently includes EVERYONE in it! So on tumblr they began to remind everyone ‘queer is a slur uwu!!’

The problem with this is, of course, at one time it was indeed a slur. They point us to the early 1900′s-1970′s, but conveniently ignore the reclamation movement of the 80′s and 90′s, where we fully reclaim the word ‘queer’.

Enough terfs are able to infiltrate different spaces that messages like that still spread. They did not seem to be bigoted, they seemed like all the other “gentle reminders” that floated around a few years ago. It’s super important to note too, at this point? Queer had been so fully reclaimed that it was used as the topic name for literature and study (queer theory, queer literature, queer film, queer history etc.).

People do not use slurs for Acadamia in that way (i.e. you see African American History/Film/Literature/etc. etc. etc., not N***** History. Because the latter would be HUGELY inappropriate.) The specific use of the word queer indicates that no one is viewing it as a slur anymore.

Now enter the newest gatekeeping and exclusionary movement: The Aspec-Exclusion movement! It’s very easy to run exclusionism nowadays, because all you have to do is take all of the arguments from the last exclusionary movement, and apply it to your own. Swap the groups out. The previous exclusion movement (and still on going today) was the bi-exclusion movement and the one before that was the trans-exclusion movement.

This means they reached back to the original TERF movements to exclude aspecs (and even straight back into plain old homophobia!), and of course, a LOT of TERF’s are also exclusionists (because that is what they’ve been doing, and all the arguments were borrowed from them and therefore extremely familiar to them already). In fact, they were the foundation for each of the Exclusionary movements we’ve seen, at least specifically on tumblr.

With the Terf’s “gently reminding” everyone that “queer is a slur and u should never use it” it began to leak into that movement as well, and quickly flooded all through exclusionist ranks Now they begin to attack anyone who does not censor out the word ‘slur’ and ‘gently remind’ people as well. Despite stealing all their arguments from terfs, having an inordinate number in their ranks, and repeatedly expressing they hoped violence would befall aspec people and being full rape apologists, a lot of people on tumblr don’t... really care if the person they reblogged from is an aphobe and decided they must know what they’re talking about despite being teenagers mostly, and therefore very easily manipulated.

Also with the ‘always listen to the person in the oppressed group, but only if they agree with me, specifically’ mentality they seem to have. Numerous actual queer people have said ‘the resurgence of ‘queer is a slur’ is directly from terfs and our identity is not a slur, also every word we will ever have or use is a slur or was a slur, or was taken from a slur at some point’, but because what we said was different from what they already had been told... well. Many people on this site suck at ‘grey area’, and have a massively black and white view of the world (not uncommon with teens though), and if the previous information was from someone they cared about and trusted... well it’s pretty likely they’re going to assume their friend was right over this person, or the fifty other people saying it.

Now we’ve got this new movement on our hands then. A whole lot of teenagers, many of whom have been called queer 0 times in their lives (but probably saw the ‘everything bad is gay’ thing the straights did a while back) are screaming about how it’s a slur to everyone and anyone who will listen. It’s no longer a “gentle reminder uwu”, it’s “What, you id as queer? How embaressing LMAO you’re an adult, don’t you know that’s a SLUR”, or coming on to posts by queer people that say “I love using queer because it simplifies things for me!” and saying “UH JUST REMEMBER: IT’S A FUCKING SLUR!”.

Queer positivity cannot exist any more on the site without someone inevitably reminding you that your identity is a slur and that you should never, ever use it for others, and in many cases, you should never use it for yourself.

What is happening is called ‘Re-weaponization”. Weaponization is the conversion of something into a weapon. Well Queer was a weapon up until the mid 80′s, but it wasn’t any more, no one used it as a weapon now, or at least VERY few people did because it no longer held the same power or weight. We used it as our armour now. It’s not as insulting to yell ‘Queer!’ at someone when they simply yell back ‘Yeah? And?’.

Well, now we have a movement on tumblr -the anti-Queer movement- that wants to take that armour, reforge it into a weapon, and put it back into the hands of straight people. If there is one thing I have learned, it’s that using the word they hurl at you as your armour makes that word hurt less. If someone said ‘hey queer!’ at me I would not be that upset by it because. Yeah? I am queer? What’s your point? And no, not everyone HAS to reclaim it. But you do have to stop criticizing the people who DO use it, and you can leave it with ‘I’m not comfortable reclaiming the word for myself’. You never have to go into detail. But you DO have to accept that a lot of us LOVE queer, and that we have EVERY DAMN RIGHT to love and to use that word for ourselves as our armour against the word. Straight people can’t hurt me with it if I make it a part of me.

To even so much as demand we censor the word for you (when you can easily download a NUMBER of internet and browser extensions that will do that FOR you), is to attempt to reweaponize the word. To demand we censor ourselves instead of letting us live out loud and proud is to attempt to reweaponize the word. To demand WE not use it for OURSELVES, to insist you will ‘never use that word’ when someone tells you ‘this is my identity’? Yup! You’re reweaponizing it!

And you especially have no business doing this if you were never actually called queer. You have no business doing this if queer was never even a slur in your country. And yeah, I have seen that. One of my abusive former friends did this quite a lot, he was not from a country where queer was a slur, it had NEVER been a slur there, but he INSISTED no one be allowed to use the word EVER and said ‘I’m not using a slur to refer to people’. He also simultaniously called himself a gay f*g, both words of which ALSO began as slurs, but interestingly enough no one is telling people not to reclaim or use THOSE words, and it is 100% because terfs want to use those words themselves, and it was terfs who began the anti-queer push on tumblr.

#queer #queer history on tumblr dot hell #queer history #queerphobia

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putschki1969 · 7 years ago

Video

tumblr

KalafinaxSPICE Special Talk Session Summary

So, I thought I’d write a summary for all of you so you know more or less what’s going on. This is gonna be very rough so please don’t expect anything fancy. In case you haven’t seen the link in my latest blog post translation yet, here’s a download link for the video! Above you can watch the lovely acapella version of Blaze.

Let’s start! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

The usual introductions…They talk about their previous special live broadcast. You remember? That White Day Special right before their 9+ONE tour started? So much time has passed and now it’s already autumn. Kato-san (the SPICE guy) is congratulating them on the finished tour.

Keiko is looking at all the tweets on her phone while the other two mostly focus on the PC in front of them. Someone asks if Hikaru is doing all right and whether or not she is sleepy. Hikaru says she is doing great and Wa and Kei confirm that she doesn’t seem to be drowsy.

Someone compliments Keiko’s hat (of course, it’s super cute XD Can be bought HERE). She says it’s autumn fashion. She then shortly places her phone in front of the PC, that’s when you hear voices in the back telling her not to do that and she apologises cutely, “gomen nasai, gomen nasai, gomen nasaiiii!!” They then talk about Kato-san attending their final tour live in Hong Kong and how the girls were super happy to see him there and to later read his report. Wakana talks a little about the tour, the usual stuff: Meaning of the title, their themes and goals for the tour.

That’s when Keiko decides to put her bottle of tea underneath the table (a big mistake as we will find out later XD). Keiko adds that the final domestic live was special since it was in Fukuoka (where Wakana is from). It was also special since they got to sing Hyakka Ryouran for the first time. Then they go back to their Hong Kong live and talk a little about their foreign fans.

While Hikaru explains how very much they appreciate their fans’ love Keiko screws up and assumingly closes a window or something. Kato-san to the rescue. Hikaru just keeps talking like nothing happened, completely unfazed XD

Keiko is once again making fun of Hikaru’s ecstatic arm movements during misterioso (she did the same in that special Harmony video where they reflected on their tour, I uploaded it HERE) . They tell their fans to look forward to watching that scene on the DVD which is coming out soon. Keiko then talks about how they decided on the setlist, that it was completely different from previous tours which were usually based on an album release. But this time they had to find songs which were representative of their nine years being active and which showed their progress. They talk about how they have songs where pretty much everyone stands up and how certain fans prefer to sit through their lives and others like to stand, they try to please everyone with their setlists. Kato-san then mentions their +ONE LED lights (rings). Wakana says it looked very beautiful. Fans are then asked to send in their tour impressions. Wakana is like, “Yes please!!”

A couple of messages are coming in and then Keiko is clumsy once again and screws something up XD Kato-san to the rescue again. YAY they are back! A fan comments that they were really happy to have Ashita no Keshiki on the setlist. They girls say that they all wanted the song on the setlist so they are happy it was received so well. Someone posts a picture of their nails with the 9+ONE design. The girls are super impressed. Someone compliments the cool Magia performance and Hikaru goes on to explain how this was their very first time to put a video in the background and it was a lot of fun to do that. They then talk about all the songs where they have to sing certain chorus parts themselves (which are usually sung by background singers like Yuriko in the studio version). It’s very hard for them since they are only three people but they like to create their own versions of the songs. Cue to oblivious and how Hikaru stepped in for Hanae-san (which is also something they talked about in their Harmony video. Wa and Kei are praising Hikaru for the amazing job she did singing Hanae’s part in her legato voice. Hikaru seems quite proud as well). They look at a couple of pics (amongst them some art by imo => Wakana and her beloved Shirowani ^_^) Some more talk about oblivious and how Hikaru worked on perfecting her parts so her performance would measure up to Hanae’s work. Meanwhile Keiko is focusing solely on the computer until a fan asks her whether she is even listening to Hikaru talk and she is all like, “Yes, yes, of course I am listening to her!”

Kato-san says he was very impressed by the huge costumes in the background of the production. Keiko is looking for a picture on her phone (the one that was posted by Hikaru in today’s blog post where you see Wakana and Hikaru in a huge room looking through all their previous outfits trying to decides which of them they would use for their stage design.

Someone compliments the way Keiko sang her parts in Haru wo Matsu. Wakana then mentions that each performance was different due to the different venues, the songs always resounded differently. Some more talk about Haru wo Matsu and how every performance changes depending on the feelings they are conveying.

Keiko then wants to take a drink from her bottle but as expected she must have knocked it over at some point and the tea is spilled all over the floor => Clumsy!Cakey <3

Mama!Wakana to the rescue. I love how she talks here, too adorable. She kindly offers Keiko her tea she accepts it.

Someone still remembers Hikaru’s funny goods corner where she tried to sell their polo shirts, Hikaru is happy about that. Another fan complains why Keiko hasn’t uploaded that pic and she says it will definitely be uploaded, don’t worry (YAY, thanks for that!). A fan says they went to their Hong Kong live and the girls mention that there was a surprisingly high amount of fans from Korea at the concert. Keiko’s “Kamsahamnida” is the cutest thing. Kato-san says the concert was very passionate and the foreign fans always seem a little more passionate than the Japanese ones.

Hikaru gushes over their performance in Toyama, how she loved performing at Aubade Hall. That’s when Keiko suddenly enthusiastically shows Hikaru something on the PC.

It’s one of their fans talking about their inside joke “舒服 /shufu”(Hikaru named two of her blog posts shufu in case you remember ^_^). The word means comfy and can be used in all kinds of situations. Fans said that their tour shirts feel really shufu. And during one of Hikaru’s massages the word was used as well. Wakana then says that she went to have a massage as well (at the airport before they flew back home). She was asked in Japanese if the massage was all right and Wakana proudly replied “shufu”, she was incredibly happy that she was able to use the word and immediately had to think of Hikaru ^_^ Her Her proud little “hohoho” had me laughing like crazy!

Change of topic: Summer holiday. They all wrote down what they would do on an off day during their summer holidays. First up is Wakana: Talking for hours on end with friends and going to the aquarium.

She mentions how this time when they were in Fukuoka, she visited her parents and grandparents and she met up with lots of people she hadn’t seen in a very long time. And of course she goes to the aquarium to look at sharks. She recommends the Shinagawa Aquarium which has Shirowani sharks (as we already know by now, check out Wakana’s Harmony Special Edition HERE). One of their fans mentions Wakana’s dialect and Hikaru tells fans they should make suggestions for something Wakana could say in her Hakata dialect. She says some random stuff and is cute as always <3 Another fan asked what she wants to eat and of course Wakana starts talking about gyoza but she doesn’t get far because now it’s Hikaru’s turn to show what she has written down in her sketchbook.

Hikaru: Her answer is simple as always and Keiko can guess it without even looking. Escaping from reality…

…into a fantasy world through books, manga, anime and games. That’s where her energy returns and then she can go back to face reality. She later talks about the Tourabu game as well. A fans asks Hikaru to talk in her Toyama dialect. Cue to Hikaru being embarrassed and Keiko being extremely insistent XD

Keiko asks her all this random stuff in her deep manly voice like what’s her favourite pastry and such and Hikaru is trying her hardest to reply in her dialect without dying of embarrassment. Hikaru then uses a phrase that’s very common in Toyama dialect “nashikatte”, Wakana is utterly delighted and says that Hikaru is too cute for words. Keiko keeps pushing Hikaru and Wakana tells her she is too demanding, too macho XD

Next up is Keiko: Going to an Anpanman museum with her most beloved girl (her niece).

She shows a pic of herself and her niece at the museum (please upload that one as well!!!!) She says that it was a lot of fun since she herself loves Anpanman a lot.

That’s when Keiko grabs both Hikaru’s as well as Wakana’s hands, puts them on her head and tells the other two to pat her head gently. LOL Too cute!

They realize that time is passing fast so they get back on track and stop joking around. Next up they shortly mention their fan club talk event. They had lots of fun and they thought it was great to interact with fans like that. So far they have only had the chance to do that during their overseas performances when they had a signing session.

Someone asks Wakana how long she usually talks with her friends. She says around four hours. Hikaru cannot believe how someone can talk this long on the phone, for her 30 minutes is far as it gets. She says it’s okay for her when the other person just keeps talking but once it’s up to her contribute anything to the conversation, she doesn’t really know how to deal with that. However, it’s easier for her when she can prepare in advance, for example when she does her sales corner, she will always prepare that in advance so it’s easier for her to handle that kind of talking. Wakana says that a while back she talked to someone for SEVEN hours. They took a short break after four hours and then they talked for another three hours :P Someone suggests Wakana should do a solo talk event but Wakana says she is not good at talking when she is all by herself but once there’s someone else around there’s no stopping her.

What follows is talk about their upcoming lives. First of all their World Heritage Acoustic Lives in Tochigi and Nara. They girls are obviously very excited. Hikaru says there are many Kalafina songs that fit that kind of historical atmosphere. Next their “+ONE with strings” autumn/winter tour. They talk a little about the different arrangement and how they used to be very self-conscious about their breaths since they are much more obvious during acoustic lives , nothing new…

Just six more minutes left. They wanna sing something. Keiko suggests the Anupam theme song. But then they decide to sing an acoustic arrangement of Blaze which sounds super lovely. Keiko is very impressed by Hikaru’s final line. They say that they really like this arrangement which they first used for their Christmas tour last year.

Some final words by each girl, over and out.

#kalafina #my translations #summary #kalafinaxspice #special talk session #9+one

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gwyvian · 8 years ago

Text

Resistances and Dalliances

Chapter 20: Shadowlight, Part I

“I want to help you,” Ryder said earnestly.

Tajix did not respond beyond a brief twist of painful bitterness that flashed across his face, but his melancholy eyes remained fixed on the table between them. It was Tajix’s apportioned time before the heat lamps in the medical ward before he was lead back to his ‘dungeon’, which was a somewhat smaller and dingier room that was easy to guard from all sides; for the moment, he was free, or as close to it as he would be in the foreseeable future, though that still meant that his wrists were bound and there was a guard on the door. Evfra had ordered a rotation to keep the man nourished and healthy, but more importantly, it was also a perfect opportunity for Ryder to interview him. Her next move was contingent on what would be said here, because what she planned was definitely a risk.

“Tajix, I believe you,” she tried again. “But we need to know everything about the communications exchanged in the time period, from the point where you got into this mess until we returned here – you’ve got to help me out here.”

“It’s all in the system,” Tajix said quietly.

Ryder suppressed a sigh of relief; that was the first sentence she had gotten out of him since entering the room. “I know, but your system of encryption is complex. I need the cypher that identifies the participants.”

“You have an AI, do you not?” he asked.

“Yes, and yet a string of seemingly random numbers doesn’t identify who sent any given message,” Ryder pointed out. “Tajix, this could clear your name, prove to Evfra once and for all that you were used by Firaan!”

That bitter look came and went again. “I scrambled those messages… I didn’t want Evfra finding out about my failure.”

“That should be easy enough to fix.”

“You don’t understand, Pathfinder – I scrambled the entire system. If I merely deleted the messages or tampered with only those…” he trailed off, gesturing helplessly with his hands as far as he could with the bindings on them.

“It would be like drawing an arrow to them,” Ryder finished.

Ryder chewed her lip. It was a little problematic that Tajix had the ability to tamper with the entire system effectively enough that his communications with the scavengers and the ship headed for Havarl would remain disguised in plain sight and that he’d done so; or rather, the real problem was that there was nothing to say that he hadn’t planted evidence long ago framing someone else. Evfra was right, Tajix still technically couldn’t be eliminated as a suspect and thinking that far ahead was exactly the sort of thing she expected from Firaan. Still, the messages were their best chance at laying a trap for him. It wasn’t an elegant solution, but SAM’s proverbial fingers were on every single transmission in the corrupted database; if Tajix tried to manipulate Firaan’s message instead of simply uncovering it and downloading it, they would know for sure that he was their quarry.

Aloud, she said, “It can’t be that hard to reconstruct them.”

Tajix frowned. “If I do, how does that prove my innocence? Wouldn’t tampering with them again just incriminate me?”

“There’s a specific message somewhere in there that I’m after. You wouldn’t be trying to restore what you damaged to keep your secret, but finding and reconstructing that one message, I can give you a time window within which Firaan sent word to Aya, anything before that or sent to anywhere else is immaterial to the investigation at this point. That includes the communications you tried to hide.”

Tajix wordlessly raised his wrists, eyes meeting hers for the first time.

“We’ll get to that,” Ryder nodded. “But first, I need to know if you might have seen anything. I’m certain that Firaan was physically here around when you were communicating with those ships. Think hard, is there anyone you can think of who could have sent a message about my release?”

“Your release?” Tajix frowned. “I wasn’t here after Evfra released you, either.”

“Yes, but you tampered with the comm system! I suspect that Firaan knew about it and made use of your actions.”

“I don’t see how that would help me… or you,” he sighed.

“First, you’ve cracked the system and I would be very surprised if you didn’t leave backdoor access just in case your plan failed. Second, you have the same level of understanding now and that’s where Firaan miscalculated, because he would never suspect that I would let you near evidence like that while you are a suspect.”

Tajix held her gaze expressionlessly. Ryder smiled; it was confirmation enough.

“Your best chance now is to cooperate with me and help us hunt down the real culprit. You have access to the system in a way that only SAM could match, but more importantly, you have the means to obscure senders, which means you also have the means to uncover senders.”

“I’m not sure that is possible,” Tajix frowned. “I did not keep an uncorrupted copy, some of the information might be unrecoverable. My messages certainly are, but as I said, I scrambled the entire system. If I had known to look for someone…” he shrugged, eyes falling to the table again. Ryder’s heart went out to him; his intentions had been good ones, provided he didn’t really turn out to be Firaan, but he had unwittingly turned himself into a very convincing scapegoat.

“Before Evfra accused you there was no reason for you to suspect anyone,” Ryder said gently. “You might have been beside him the whole time and you wouldn’t have known who to point a finger at, I’m not expecting you to. But if you saw anything out of the ordinary, any clue that might help us…”

Tajix was silent for a long moment, turning her words over. “What am I looking for?”

Ryder smiled. “Firaan sent a direct communication to Saar on Aya sometime after I was released, most likely shortly before we returned to Aya. It’s the only instance that he has used Resistance channels as far as we know.”

“To Saar?” Tajix frowned. “Why him? Is he a collaborator of some sort?”

“No, he wanted to kill me.” She shrugged a little when Tajix gasped. “It didn’t work, obviously. I don’t think Saar is working with Firaan, he merely… dislikes how much influence I have over Evfra, he feels that I threaten the Resistance.”

He nodded. “Saar wouldn’t understand that kind of love and would definitely feel threatened by it, even without knowing the extent.”

Ryder gaped at him silently, heart seizing her throat in shock. She was glad she hadn’t reacted instinctively like jumping up or blurting a denial that would most certainly confirm what he just said, but mostly that was because she was just too stunned to move or speak. Tajix knew? How was it even possible? But if he knew, who knew who else might know or suspect; the thought dizzied her and it took all her willpower to regulate her breath to something approximating calmness.

Tajix noticed her reaction anyway and looked a little embarrassed. “I am sorry. I know it’s a secret, and rightly so. I just tend to get preoccupied with puzzles and well… Evfra has been acting differently, especially around you.” He shrugged modestly. “I didn’t have time to do very much else except think about this, eventually I couldn’t come up with any other answers except that one.”

“You…” Ryder swallowed. Her throat felt very dry all of a sudden. “Have you told anyone about your… suspicions?”

“No one has talked to me apart from you,” Tajix said a little sadly.

“I thought Evfra interviewed you,” she frowned.

“He did. But he was talking at me… he thinks that I am this Firaan.”

Ryder crossed her arms, feeling flustered. “Well, I… thank you for… I’m not confirming anything, you understand, but just a rumor of something like that could…” abruptly she realized that this was perhaps not the best subject to crack her teeth on with their investigation’s prime suspect; believe in his innocence or not, she couldn’t prove he wasn’t Firaan just yet. Not to mention the fact that Tajix had just proved to her beyond a doubt that he was intelligent enough to be a legitimate suspect if he had pieced all that together from the few times they had all three been in the same space.

“Of course,” Tajix smiled slightly. “I wish you no harm, Pathfinder.” This time she thought the strongest emotion she could read in his eyes saw gratitude; was that because she said she believed in him or that she was talking to him at all? Perhaps it was both.

Ryder cleared her throat. “I’ll arrange for your escape. I cannot let you free officially, but I will make sure you have access to the comm system. Find the message and wait for me there, I will come for you and we will find Evfra together.” She took out a small device she had stowed in her gauntlet and slid it across the table to him. “I assume you used the maintenance access point near the docking area, not the central command?” Tajix nodded. “When you draw close to it, press this,” she indicated the center of the device. “Your guard will be rendered unconscious. I will draw away the other one so no one will suspect your absence.”

Tajix nodded again, gravely this time, and she stood to leave, hoping that he understood what an enormous trust she was placing in him with that gesture. She hesitated a moment, wondering if there was a way to remedy her clumsy handling of the lieutenant’s theories on her relationship with Evfra, but she decided that the only thing she could accomplish at that juncture was to put her foot in her mouth again. Without another word, she left, trading places with the guard waiting at the door.

Pathfinder, I am monitoring Initiative ships approaching, SAM said.

“Then it’s begun,” she said and just then the proximity alarms went off. She went to find Evfra, ignoring the looks she gathered as she moved quickly through the rocky, white tunnels. “SAM, can you make a convincing message for that guard?”

Yes, Pathfinder. However I need direct access to a communication terminal, SAM replied.

“Alright, we can do that.” She kept moving, eyes peeled for any kind of access point, but she ended up meandering right up to the heart of the command center before she found what she was looking for. Across the room she spotted Anjik narrowing eyes at her; whatever Evfra had revealed to her about their plan, it clearly hadn’t changed the woman’s mind about Ryder since the last time she had been here as a prisoner of the Resistance. She stepped closer to an unused station, only temporary vacated judging by the data on the display, and touched the panel lightly. No one had a direct line of sight to what she was doing beyond standing there, except if someone came in behind her, but she felt sweat trickle icily down her neck anyway.

Accessing, SAM intoned. Connection successful. I am sending the message.

“The rest is up to him,” Ryder murmured and rounded the block of ice that raised the giant holo of Voeld above the rest of the room, trying to casually put distance between herself and the terminal without arousing suspicion.

There, she found Evfra staring up at the holo, surrounded by a handful of officers giving out orders or monitoring the information streaming in from the vanguard. His eyes immediately went to her and she thought she saw his shoulders relax a little; though, it was difficult to tell in that poor illumination. She stepped up to him and nodded, trying to make it an offhand gesture while at the same time trying to impart meaning to him that her meeting with Tajix had gone well.

“They’re not responding to our hails,” one of the officers stationed there said to Evfra suddenly, eyes glowing as they swallowed the information on the luminescent screen in front of him. “The vanguard is standing ready to strike on your order.”

“Let me try,” Ryder requested, trying to inject formality into her tone. It helped that her mind was preoccupied by whether or not Tajix was already on his way to the comm systems or if he would delay his departure to soak up a few more rays; for once being near Evfra didn’t completely rob her of sense. Though, she did feel as though a knot had untied in her middle.

Evfra studied her a moment, as though weighing the request; they both knew he would let her do it, but he had to create at least an appearance of weighing the question. Unfortunately, that was the moment Ashae chose to join them and the look the lieutenant gave her drew Ryder’s full attention. It bothered her how close the woman was to the Resistance leader, but she restrained herself from stooping to drawing even closer to Evfra herself; Ryder was not in a competition with her, after all. Still, the fact that the lieutenant felt comfortable enough to step up right next to Evfra like that to glare at her made her feel a reckless desire to snuggle into Evfra’s arms in front of everyone, rumors be damned.

“Do that, and it’s guaranteed the Initiative will strike at us,” Ashae sniffed. Clearly she had heard Ryder’s request.

“I don’t see how,” Ryder remarked through a clenched jaw, trying not to glare a hole into the woman.

Ashae knew what was going on and yet she still publically challenged it, making it difficult for Evfra to go ahead without causing more rumors they didn’t need; not to mention that the fact that apparently the woman felt her suspicion and their rivalry was more important than uncovering Firaan. Not that she knew the full extent of who he was and what he was responsible for so far; all the lieutenant knew was that they had a saboteur in their midst and Ryder and Evfra had a plan to flush him out, but that should have been more than enough.

“You’re here,” Ashae said flatly. “You see all our preparations and defenses. You could cripple the vanguard protecting us by feeding the right information to your forces. What other reason do they have to be silent? You said that you made sure they would respond to us, well, they’re not responding.”

“They’re silent because they don’t hear me,” Ryder sighed. She had sincerely hoped that the woman would at least dial down the conspiracy theories after being included in their plan, but it seemed that nothing would ever fully convince her.

Ashae turned to Evfra. “When she betrays you, remember that I warned you.”

“Enough, the decision is made,” Evfra said impatiently, gesturing for Ryder to step closer.

“Send this,” she instructed the officer trying to establish communications, tapping her omnitool. The officer glanced at Evfra for one final approval before following her instructions, but other than that he did as she asked without protest.

Ryder waited.

“We have an answer!” the officer exclaimed, giving Ryder an impressed look.

“SAM, can you patch them through to the comms here?” Ryder asked, hiding her relief. She was certain that anyone from the Milky Way would understand that message, but with all the suspicion growing between the Initiative and the angara lately she was grateful they didn’t think it a trick and bothered to respond in the first place. She hoped that meant Cora had succeeded in her mission.

Yes, Pathfinder, SAM answered.

“Ryder?” a familiar voice crackled through.

“Is that you, Kandros?” Ryder asked, surprised. “You’re personally leading my uh… rescue?” Ashae hissed, but Ryder ignored her.

“Yeah. That’s the only way I could make sure it was done right.”

“I believe you,” Ryder replied wryly. “I think you’ll want to come on down to the Resistance headquarters here, we should talk.”

“Probably a good idea. Send the coordinates,” Kandros said.

Ryder looked to Evfra, not wanting to be bypassed by the officer again, who took the hint and nodded at the man to send the information. She gave Ashae a cool look, then without another word left their midst. As she walked down to the lower level she hesitated, glancing around; for a split second she was sure that someone was watching her. She shrugged it off and headed for the hangar bay. I’m probably seeing Firaan in every shadow… she mused.

“Will someone shut off that alarm?” Evfra growled behind her in irritation.

Despite herself, Ryder’s composure slipped and she smiled fondly, though she supposed it did not matter if anyone saw. She was a little surprised that Evfra didn’t follow her to meet Kandros, but much more that Ashae didn’t insist on posting a guard to her, but she supposed at least on Evfra’s part it might have been a little suspicious while there was still a chance for a battle to break out. Although, making her way through the cool tunnels she did notice quite a few glances linger on her a little too long to be coincidence. Had Ashae really posted guards everywhere? Perhaps that was the only way Evfra would allow it; still, it made her both angry and uneasy. There was too much of a chance that fighters told off to be vigilant would notice Tajix, and the last thing they needed was for him to be discovered escaped and poking around the comm system.

Once reaching the hangar bay, Ryder waited patiently for the first few minutes, but it didn’t take her long to start slowly pacing up and down, arms crossed as she lost herself in her brooding thoughts. She itched to know if Tajix had escaped already, if it had been successful in the first place, and if he had found anything, but it was too soon to go looking for him; besides, she still had to set a few last things in motion. Again she felt as though eyes were on her and the sensation made her shoulder blades itch, so when she turned around yet again to pace to the other end of the hangar and she came face to face with Tiran Kandros, she jumped, blinking at him and unravelling her arms.

“Pathfinder,” he nodded in greeting. “I’m glad Harper wasn’t wrong. I’d hate to have to attack our only allies in Heleus.”

Ryder grinned. “Kandros, welcome to Voeld.” Looking around, she gestured him to the side where they wouldn’t be overhead. “The angara and the Initiative have a common enemy, as I’m sure you’ve guessed.”

“I thought so,” Kandros replied simply, mandibles flexing as his gaze swept the hangar, assessing everyone in it. “I assume it’s not the kett, this doesn’t seem their style.”

“From what we know,” Ryder shrugged. “According to Evfra you can’t pin them down on style in that sense. But in this case we know for certain that there is one person behind a lot of the chaos going on lately, we suspect he is a kett sympathizer but all the evidence seems to point to an angaran in the Resistance.”

“You might have mentioned this when you were on the Nexus,” he said, sounding a little exasperated. “It would have saved me the trouble of making this trip to rescue you when you clearly don’t need rescuing. Unless you do,” he added, eyeing her.

“No, I’m fine, really,” Ryder said hastily. “I know, I’m sorry, at the time I didn’t know enough. But you’re right, I should have said something. I…”

Pathfinder, I am monitoring a communication from Vetra on Kadara, SAM interjected.

“What did she say?” Ryder asked, then frowned. “Are you in direct contact with her?”

No. However, she has made use of the same communication network Firaan exploited and relayed a message to Initiative channels I monitor, SAM replied.

“Clever,” Ryder smiled. “She would turn that to her advantage.”

Her message states that a rumor began circulating Kadara Port that Firaan is being harbored by the krogan colony on Elaaden. She also mentions that several known Roekaar agents she had been watching slipped away after hearing the news.

Ryder focused on Kandros again, an idea striking her. “This might work out better this way, Kandros. I have a friend who does need your help; at least, I think he will.”

“My unit is ready to go, just tell me where I’m needed,” he looked satisfied at the prospect.

Ryder smiled. “In that case there is not a moment to waste. I think our enemy has made his next big play.”

She spent a few more minutes in discussion with the militia leader, giving him as many details as she could about the situation and their suspicions and answering his questions. Then, finally he was on his way and Ryder ran back through the hallways; at long last it was time to find Tajix. Clearly Firaan had just sent that message not long ago and with two messages to hunt, one recent and uncorrupted… she could almost feel the noose tightening around Firaan’s ankles. Tracing back her steps to where she had last seen the lieutenant, she followed the path from there to the spot where he would have had to make his move; sure enough, a little searching lead her to an alcove where she found the sleeping guard, still unconscious. It was a dark and cramped space with poor illumination, but there was enough light to make out the thick cables tunneling through rock and ice and the panels that would give someone access to the system.

There was no sign of Tajix, however. “SAM?” Ryder asked, feeling a little nervous as she looked around. If nothing else, the guard was a clear indication that the plan had been a success and this was the right place to access the comms, but she didn’t see any trace of the man.

Scanning, SAM replied. Pathfinder, Tajix may have been injured. There are traces of angaran biomatter in the vicinity of the interface.

“Injured?” Ryder asked with alarm, but just then a footstep crunched behind her and she swiveled, blinded a little by the strip of brighter light behind the figure slipping in after her.

“That was very clever of you, making Tajix sneak around on my trail. I didn’t realize what he was up to at first… a pity I killed him before I thought it through. Well played, Pathfinder.”

Firaan. Instinct screamed at Ryder to get out, but she was trapped. “You killed Tajix?” she asked faintly, heart clenching painfully, but she didn’t have time to grieve as the figure stepped closer and she finally made out his face. “You? You are Firaan?”

#mass effect andromeda #evfra de tershaav #fanfic #angst #writers #evfra x ryder

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