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foodreceipe · 3 years

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The Science Behind Your Cheap Wine 🍷

How advances in bottling, fermenting and taste-testing are democratizing a once-opaque liquid.

Smithsonian Magazine 🍷 Ben Panko

To develop the next big mass-market wine, winemakers first hone flavor using focus groups, then add approved flavoring and coloring additives to make the drink match up with what consumers want.

We live in a golden age of wine, thanks in part to thirsty millennials and Americans seemingly intent on out-drinking the French. Yet for all its popularity, the sommelier's world is largely a mysterious one. Bottles on grocery store shelves come adorned with whimsical images and proudly proclaim their region of origin, but rarely list ingredients other than grapes. Meanwhile, ordering wine at a restaurant can often mean pretending to understand terms like "mouthfeel," "legs" or "bouquet."

"I liked wine the same way I liked Tibetan hand puppetry or theoretical particle physics," writes journalist Bianca Bosker in the introduction to her 2017 book Cork Dork, "which is to say I had no idea what was going on but was content to smile and nod."

Curious about what exactly happened in this shrouded world, Bosker took off a year and a half from writing to train to become a sommelier, and talk her way into wine production facilities across the country. In the end, Bosker learned that most wine is nowhere near as “natural” as many people think—and that scientific advances have helped make cheap wine nearly as good as the expensive stuff.

"There's an incredible amount we don't understand about what makes wine—this thing that shakes some people to the core," Bosker says. In particular, most people don't realize how much chemistry goes into making a product that is supposedly just grapes and yeast, she says. Part of the reason is that, unlike food and medicines, alcoholic beverages in the U.S. aren't covered by the Food and Drug Administration. That means winemakers aren't required to disclose exactly what is in each bottle; all they have to reveal is the alcohol content and whether the wine has sulfites or certain food coloring additives.

In Cork Dork, published by Penguin Books, Bosker immerses herself in the world of wine and interviews winemakers and scientists to distill for the average drinking person what goes into your bottle of pinot. "One of the things that I did was to go into this wine conglomerate [Treasury Wine Estates] that produces millions of bottles of wine per year," Bosker says. "People are there developing wine the way flavor scientists develop the new Oreo or Doritos flavor."

For Treasury Wine Estates, the process of developing a mass-market wine starts in a kind of “sensory insights lab," Bosker found. There, focus groups of professional tasters blind-sample a variety of Treasury’s wine products. The best ones are then sampled by average consumers to help winemakers get a sense of which “sensory profiles” would do best in stores and restaurants, whether it be “purplish wines with blackberry aromas, or low-alcohol wines in a pink shade," she writes.

From these baseline preferences, the winemakers take on the role of the scientist, adding a dash of acidity or a hint of red to bring their wines in line with what consumers want. Winemakers can draw on a list of more than 60 government-approved additives that can be used to tweak everything from color to acidity to even thickness.

Then the wines can be mass-produced in huge steel vats, which hold hundreds of gallons and are often infused with oak chips to impart the flavor of real oaken barrels. Every step of this fermentation process is closely monitored, and can be altered by changing temperature or adding more nutrients for the yeast. Eventually, the wine is packaged on huge assembly lines, churning out thousands of bottles an hour that will make their way to your grocery store aisle and can sometimes sell for essentially the same price as bottled water.

"This idea of massaging grapes with the help of science is not new," Bosker points out. The Romans, for example, added lead to their wine to make it thicker. In the Middle Ages, winemakers began adding sulfur to make wines stay fresh for longer.

However, starting in the 1970s, enologists (wine scientists) at the University of California at Davis took the science of winemaking to new heights, Bosker says. These entrepreneurial wine wizards pioneered new forms of fermentation to help prevent wine from spoiling and produce it more efficiently. Along with the wide range of additives, winemakers today can custom order yeast that will produce wine with certain flavors or characteristics. Someday soon, scientists might even build yeast from scratch.

Consumers most commonly associate these kinds of additives with cheap, mass-produced wines like Charles Shaw (aka "Two Buck Chuck") or Barefoot. But even the most expensive red wines often have their color boosted with the use of "mega-red" or "mega-purple" juice from other grape varieties, says Davis enologist Andrew Waterhouse. Other common manipulations include adding acidity with tartaric acid to compensate for the less acidic grapes grown in warmer climates, or adding sugar to compensate for the more acidic grapes grown in cooler climates.

Tannins, a substance found in grape skins, can be added to make a wine taste "drier" (less sweet) and polysaccharides can even be used to give the wine a "thicker mouthfeel," meaning the taste will linger more on the tongue.

When asked if there was any truth to the oft-repeated legend that cheap wine is bound to give more headaches and worse hangovers, Waterhouse was skeptical. "There's no particular reason that I can think of that expensive wine is better than cheap wine," Waterhouse says. He adds, however, that there isn't good data on the topic. "As you might suspect, the [National Institutes of Health] can't make wine headaches a high priority," he says.

Instead, Waterhouse suggests, there may be a simpler explanation: "It's just possible that people tend to drink more wine when it's cheap.”

While this widespread use of additives may make some natural-foods consumers cringe, Bosker found no safety or health issues to worry about in her research. Instead, she credits advancements in wine science with improving the experience of wine for most people by "democratizing quality." "The technological revolution that has taken place in the winery has actually elevated the quality of really low-end wines," Bosker says.

The main issue she has with the modern wine industry is that winemakers aren’t usually transparent with all of their ingredients—because they don’t have to be. "I find it outrageous that most people don't realize that their fancy Cabernet Sauvignon has actually been treated with all kinds of chemicals," Bosker says.

Yet behind those fancy labels and bottles and newfangled chemical manipulation, the biggest factor influencing the price of wine is an old one: terroir, or the qualities a wine draws from the region where it was grown. Famous winemaking areas such as Bordeaux, France, or Napa Valley, California, can still land prices 10 times higher than just as productive grape-growing land in other areas, says Waterhouse. Many of these winemakers grow varieties of grapes that produce less quantity, but are considered by winemakers to be far higher quality.

"Combine the low yield and the high cost of the land, and there's a real structural difference in the pricing of those wines," Waterhouse says. Yet as winemakers continue to advance the science of making, cultivating and bottling this endlessly desirable product, that may soon change. After all, as Bosker says, "wine and science have always gone hand in hand."

Ben Panko is a staff writer for Smithsonian.com

👉 https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-science-behind-your-cheap-wine?utm_source=pocket-newtab

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🍷 🍷 🍷

#wine #🍷#Science #Cheap Wine

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stephadoodles · 5 years

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DOAFP Episode 1x01 Review - “Hello World”

I’ve fallen in love with this show, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this early to a fandom before, and I decided that I wanted to review the episodes. I’ve always wanted to do reviews, but I usually enter fandoms too late. So, I’ve decided to do reviews of DOAFP! I’m hoping to catch up before season 1 ends so that my later views are based on my initial reactions.

The introductory episode is just that – introducing us to the characters and what’s going on in their lives. However, the show flashes forward first and we see Elena as an adult on her first day as President of the United States.

The whole concept of this show – a female, Latina president – considering the current political climate, is truly fantastic. In the opening scene, we get a few details that I’m sure will come into play later. It’s mentioned that Elena was a civil rights attorney before becoming president, and it seems like she’s not married either – no ring, and she has the same last name. I don’t know if that will be relevant later on down the line, but it’s interesting to note.

A large chunk of the episode is introducing the characters and catching the audience up with what’s going on. Elena’s dad having died is mentioned very early on, and we get to see her relationship with her mother and brother. The drama with her friends at school is also set up as one of the overarching themes of the show.

Aside from that, the show jumps right in with the period story line. It’s a great example of the show being able to be a little bolder than what is typically shown on Disney Channel, but still age-appropriate for middle schoolers. Elena and her friends are at the age when kids have already gone through the “body changing” talk, and they’re experiencing it in real time. I don’t know if things have changed since I was in middle school, but while getting your period was a hot topic, it was never a competition, which these girls seem to be making it into. The debate over whether to use a pad or tampon is alluded to, with the mean girls acting like they’re mature for using tampons instead (and loudly bragging about it, which is a weird flex, but okay).

The period story line also starts the theme of growing up, which continues throughout the rest of the show. Elena and her peers are shown wanting to be grown up and mature but focusing on the superficial parts of being a grownup, like getting your period or drinking coffee. It looks like this will be a running theme and likely be the driving force for a lot of character development in the future as they realize that those things don’t actually make you grown up.

(Side note to that, but Elena makes a comment early on in the episode about having a mortgage by the time she’s 25, and I just had to laugh at that. The little she knows.)

Shifting gears to Gabi’s story line, there were a couple of things that really stood out. Sam’s introduced, and we get to know that he’s a dork who loves cheesy puns. They’ve set up her relationship with Sam, and there’s obviously a lot of complicated feelings there, since he’s the first guy she’s dated since her husband died, and she doesn’t know how to tell her kids.

We’re also introduced to her best friend, Camilla, who is the first LGBTQ character introduced on the show. We get a little exchange between the two, where it’s revealed that Camilla isn’t out to her parents yet, because they’re apparently homophobic. Considering everything that’s been happening with Disney and their history of LGBTQ representation, the fact that they’ve introduced an LGBTQ character in the first episode is a pretty big deal. No subtext, no beating around the bush. She’s dating a woman. It’s also the first time that anything Disney related has explicitly homophobia, as far as I know. Both Andi Mack and HSMTMTS alluded to it, but never really brought it out of subtext, so this is a new step. It makes me wonder if it’ll be discussed more in the future, especially considering the direction that Bobby’s story line is going.

Once the introductory stuff is out of the way, we get into the actual plot. Elena’s mixed up the dates of the assignment and starts panicking. At lunch, she calls her mom from under the lunch table (to avoid getting in trouble for using her phone, I would presume, because there is no other reason to sit on a floor as disgusting as a middle school cafeteria). She’s freaking out and quite dramatic, to which her mother responds calmly, and tells her that she’ll just have to deal with the consequences. I really liked this, because while her mom doesn’t yell at her (which is a response some parents might have), she does tell Elena that she’ll just have to accept it because that’s life. Once again, it’s hitting on that theme of growing up and having to deal with the curveballs that life throws you.

Elena finds out that Jessica was lying about getting her period and confronts her about it. They have a whole argument about being popular and why it’s important to Jessica. Despite everything, Elena agrees to keep her secret. Having seen more episodes already, I’m really interested to see where they’re taking this plot line with the friendship between the three girls. Having a best friend ditch you is a type of hurt that isn’t usually explored in media (with the preference being on romantic relationships and heartbreak instead), but it looks like it’s going to make for an interesting story line.

Elena somehow manages to pull together a speech for her history project, and not only does she do a great job, but she manages to throw a few shots in there at Jessica about the period thing. It’s a really great example of her skills as a public speaker, which is shown again in future episodes. She’s clearly great at thinking on her feet, and her public speaking skills are fantastic for a seventh grader. It’s a great little hint at her future as an attorney and politician.

The adult and kid worlds collide with Sam inadvertently being introduced to the kids. Bobby doesn’t seem to mind (it’s chill). Elena, of course, has a more dramatic reaction, but her feelings aren’t explored until the next episode. We see Sam and Bobby bonding fairly easily, and I’m interested to see where that goes in the future, especially with some of the hints we’ve gotten from plot synopsis for future episodes.

A few things I wanted to point out that didn’t really fit anywhere else:

Near the beginning of the episode, we see a kid chuck a drink at a wall and take off. It’s one of Bobby’s friends, and while we don’t know that at first, it may be a hint at the type of people he’s hanging out with

Elena corrects the pronunciation of her last name, which comes up multiple times later, and culminates in Bobby’s story line in a future episode

Before her speech, Elena is sitting in front of an Elizabeth Stanton poster (who was a leading figure in the women’s rights movement in the US, including fighting for women’s right to vote. It’s another nice little nod to Elena’s future career)

Overall, it was a really solid first episode. We’re introduced to the characters and the universe, and it’s refreshingly diverse. It has the feel of an old-school Disney Channel show but with a modern viewpoint. However, with it being on the streaming platform, it’s allowed to discuss more mature topics, and there’s even some light swearing sprinkled in. It’s age-appropriate for middle schoolers, but realistic at the same time. It gives me a mixture of Andi Mack, One Day at a Time and Lizzie McGuire vibes.

#doafp #diary of a future president #elena cañero reed #my reviews #doafp reviews

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kpopcotton · 5 years

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Stomach Pains ~ Seo Changbin

a/n ~ my gosh, i am so freaking soft for this kid it’s not even funny. • Genre: highschool!au, fluff, slight angst because he’s a bit of a bully • Warning(s): rude changbin, he really “dislikes you” • Reader Gender: gender-neutral • Word Count: 2.1k

==≎==

“they smiled at me today,” changbin groaned as he plopped himself down at the lunch table occupied by his group of best friends. “it was disgusting. i wanted to throw up!”

the person he’s referencing is you. nobody knows why the boy dispises your presence except him. apparently, he can remember the exact date and time when he realized you were the bane of his existence but the thing is, he’s never told anyone about the event. his friends have no clue how you could annoy him so much, being as they found you quite pleasing to interact with. they’ve given up trying to ask him why.

“i think y/n has a very nice smile personally,” the youngest piped up shyly, picking the vegetables out of his fried rice for the oldest next to him. his words surprised the whole table. it was rare for jeongin to speak up about the matter at all and his blushy face came as a shock.

changbin’s jaw dropped as he stared at the boy in confusion. it astonished him to no end that his friends didn’t get as sick as he did whenever he thought about you. one of the boys, felix, waited for a moment to see if changbin would snap back before adding his two cents. “are you sure it’s not from mr. wang’s sex talk this morning that you’re feeling queasy?”

“oh please, lix! i’m begging you, don’t bring that up!” another suddenly yelled dramatically, making an ordeal of throwing his head onto the cafeteria table which gained a few glances from the other students. that was hyunjin, the one they call drama llama. the boy next to him, jisung struggled to keep his snort in as he comfortingly rubbed the older’s back, the rest of them bursting into laughter.

felix smiled to himself proudly, having single-handedly saved the youngest from changbin’s wrath and changing the topic of conversation so the rest of them wouldn’t get annoyed (seungmin) with the inevitable rants that would have ensued.

==≎==

it was a good day, changbin concluded. he hadn’t seen you once around the school and you weren’t brought up in any conversations at lunch, though it’s usually him that brings you up. he started to think that you were sick today and that made him feel even better.

“oh! seo changbin!” your voice came out of nowhere and irked something deep in his abdomen. he froze on the spot, hearing your perky footsteps as you appeared in front of him. he wanted to tell you to go away, but your happy expression made his stomach twist in knots. he feels that if he even tries to speak, he’ll barf all over your cute disgusting pastel sweater. “you’re good friends with kim seungmin right?”

“what’s it to ya?” he growled, his hands finding their way to his pockets. he swallowed thickly to hopefully push down the knot in his throat.

“well,” you giggled and took out a folder from your bag. “the dork left his homework in the library and i was hoping you could give it to him? i know he’s got a baseball game that he’s leaving early for and that he’s big into academics. knowing him, he’ll probably freak once he notices his folder is missing.”

he’s offended, to say the least, that you would state the fact about his friend so casually like you were actually close with him. he’s quick to snatch the folder from you, “whatever.”

and just like that, you ruined his day. he glared at you when you smiled and said thank you before he stomped down the hall to the boys’ locker room. his stomach started doing gymnastics and his heartbeat was erratic in his chest. out of anger, he presumed. you just made him that upset.

he found seungmin talking with hyunjin and minho while getting changed into his baseball gear and throws the folder at him. “you forgot this.”

the two dancers jump at his sudden appearance and look at him. “what’s got your panties in a twist? i thought you said today was a good day?” minho asked, his arms crossing in amusement at the younger’s agitation.

“i thought so, but then the demon came out of nowhere and assaulted me!”

seungmin rolled his eyes, fixing the papers in his folder. “i’m assuming y/n asked you to return my homework to me?”

“yeah! and they attempted to act like they know you personally!” changbin yelled, throwing his hands into the air. hyunjin’s laugh echoed around the gym lockers at the look on seungmin’s face.

“that’s because they do?” he squinted, gently putting his folder in with his clothes in his duffel bag. “we have study sessions every saturday for big tests.”

“you go on dates with y/n!?” changbin’s words draw out a dark blush on seungmin’s cheeks. the other two boys share a look with each other before slowly backing out of the room with the excuse that they’re late for practice with the dance team, though their words land of deaf ears.

‘th-they’re not dates, we-we just study.” seungmin slung his bag over his shoulder, his blush darkening. there wasn’t any doubt that he found you attractive, but he couldn’t see himself dating you. he didn’t feel like wasting valuable study and practice time on a significant other. “if i didn’t know any better, i would say you’re jealous.” he snapped, finishing the conversation off by walking out of the locker room.

him? jealous? changbin scoffed. that’s the stupidest thing one of the smartest kids in the school could say.

==≎==

it was the second friday of the month which meant it was time for the boys’ monthly sleepover. this time, it was chan’s turn to entertain. chan’s house was large, a comfortable living space his father would say, but it definitely was not big enough for all nine boys and his family. yet, because he’s the bang chan, he made it work. usually, chan “rented” out the entire basement of his home for everyone to set up camp, but today, he decided to host the festivities in his backyard since the climate had proven itself to be tolerable even during the darkest times of the night.

changbin was in awe the moment he stepped into the backyard. he and jisung were the first ones to arrive, having ridden home with chan in his car. it seemed chan’s mom outdid herself each time the boy said it was his turn. the pool was uncovered and ready to swim in, the tents were already pitched and jam-packed with pillows and blankets, the snacks were fresh and begging to be eaten, and the famous oak tree was decked out in aesthetic lights and a large white sheet.

“your mom is awesome, chan-hyung!” jisung suddenly cried, jumping up and down in excitement whilst making the older laugh. jisung dropped his bag by the sliding glass door and bolted around the yard. changbin chuckled softly as well, his eyes still taking in the picture-perfect yard though after a few seconds they started following the energetic boy around the backyard.

“don’t let my mom hear you, sung, you’ll become the favorite.” chan joked, a smile tugging at his lips. he wandered over to the snack table to fill a bowl with fruit, which was mostly pineapple, and started stuffing his mouth. changbin decided to join him, finding a bowl of pretzels to nibble on.

“cannonball!” jisung screeched, gaining the two older boys’ attention as they looked back to see jisung just in his boxers creating a massive splash as he made contact with the pool water.

chan laughed in disbelief, changbin shaking his head as he spoke. “well, the pool’s christened.”

jisung’s head came up fast, his mouth wide open as he made noises of discomfort. he rushed to get out. “cold! cold! it’s cold!!” he shuddered when the air touched his wet skin, jumping back into the pool. “everything is cold!”

chan’s mom came out then with a few of the other boys following her, her gentle laugh resounding through the backyard mixed with the laughs of the other boys as well. “how’s the pool, sung-ie?~”

“cold,” he repeated, though he sunk lower into the water. his cheeks were warm and everyone could see they were pink.

“you’ll get used to it.” chan’s father called out from the sliding glass door, having a couple of the boys help him wheel out a popcorn maker. “that’s what a real man would do.”

chan rolls his eyes at his father’s words but makes sure to hide it. “of course. thanks, dad,” he smiles while driving his parents to the door. “we’ll be careful, eat well, and make sure everything is shut down before bed!” and with that, he closed the door behind them.

“wow, you’re brave hyung.” the youngest murmurs, watching the adults shake their heads at the boy and head to do whatever parents do. “if i did that, i would’ve been in big trouble.”

“my parents are nice,” chan chuckles. “anyways, who wants to join jisung in the pool?”

==≎==

pool volleyball was fun, and the boys (felix and chan) enjoyed spiking the ball over the net at each other. hyunjin got hit in the face with the ball, jisung got elbowed in the stomach, and woojin inhaled some water, but they all were having a grand time. that was until changbin hit the ball too hard and sent it flying over the fence. they went silent when they heard something shatter and an exasperated yell of surprise.

instantly, the boys looked to the boy at fault whilst he sunk into the water. they then looked at each other, nodding in silent agreement before training their eyes back on changbin.

“you know you gotta get it, right?” jisung stated, making changbin roll his eyes.

“yeah, but i’m not going alone,” he mumbled.

“i’ll go with you!” felix offered, leaping through the water and grabbing changbin by the arm. he, albeit a bit reluctantly, followed behind the younger boy over to the gate in the fence. the other boys decided to play chicken while waiting for the ball to come back.

they stood at the gate for a second before felix raised his hand to open it, though both he and changbin jumped when there was slamming on it. “yah! bang christopher chan! open up, you coward!”

both boys looked at each other, already recognizing the voice as yours. the boys in the pool froze mid-game to look over at the commotion. felix opened the gate quickly, and you were surprised to see him.

your shock was quickly replaced with a kind smile as you greated the boy. “hey, lix. are you the one who spilled my lemonade?”

“nope! not this time!” felix giggled, his eyes turning into cute cresents and his nose scrunching when you pinched his cheek. changbin looked on with an ache in his chest and a twist in his gut.

“cutie,” you gush, letting his cheek go. “then who did?”

changbin was pushed in front of you by chan who had gotten out of the pool. “this guy.”

you instantly brightened noticing that there were, in fact, multiple boys over at the bang residence. all of which you enjoyed to be around. “ah, so you guys are having a party without me, huh?”

changbin glared at you from his crouched look. “why would we even invi-”

“yeah!” chan quickly cut the younger off, wrapping an arm around him. “it’s our monthly sleepover. we were playing pool volleyball, but this guy,” he paused to ruffle changbin’s hair. “decided to be too rough and hit the ball over to your side of the fence!”

you laughed as you watched changbin’s eyes narrow and his cheeks turn a bit pink. you crinkle your nose, “i’m sure he didn’t mean to hit it too hard. don’t worry about it, guys.”

“but, there must be some way he can make it up to you, right?” seungmin added as he popped up behind the trio.

seungmin’s comment made you blush a bit. he always talked to you at your study sessions about how annoying changbin’s “stupid crush” on you is and how he’s an “idiot for not realizing he’s in love with you”.

“i suppose a date should suffice,” you mumble, noticing how changbin visibly gulps and his eyes widen in surprise. the other boys hollering from the pool. you kept eye contact with changbin as you smiled and shrugged. “i mean, a trip to the diner for milkshakes doesn’t sound too bad right about now.”

#god please let me give him a hug one day #and maybe boop his nose #i love changbin #stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids x reader #stray kids x male reader #stray kids x stay #seo changbin x reader #seo changbin #skz changbin

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spiltscribbles · 5 years

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211 please! Any ship!

Notes: Thank you bubby! This actually helped me get out a slump lol, i really really hope you enjoy this fluffy mess and I would love to hear your thoughts!

A Reblog saves a life! | Send Me A Prompt

Annabeth is a fully fledged adult now, honest.

She subscribes to the New Yorker, listens to podcasts in the morning while getting ready for her crummy, right out of college internship in one of the most prestigious architecture firms in the city. She votes even in the primaries and remembers to reload her metro card before it’s out and has even got a God forsaken schedule that she relies on like a lifeline.

All this to say, Annabeth had really once thunk that becoming an adult meant your life turns stale and your days become monotonous. But that was before she began boarding with three literal definitions of spitfires in a Bushwick apartment way too small for four girls, and way to run down for the countless prank wars waged between them and the boys across the way.

Annabeth tries telling Piper this one Thursday afternoon while she’s loading her Nerf gun with the water balloons that Rachel’s preparing with such precision that it kinda terrifies Annabeth shitless, if she’s being frank.

“’s too late to surrender now Chase!” Piper bellows, cocking and then setting down the toy gun in a neat row for the next to be prepared. “It’s about honor now.”

“Honor?” Annabeth repeats in a voice that’s flat enough to cut.

“They’ve won the last two rounds Annabeth,” Rachel tells her, point blank as she ties the next water balloon to be passed off, alabaster skin freckled with paint like always when she comes back from one of her classes. “They’re getting too big headed over this.”

“Yesterday Leo offered to buy me a latte! The little fuck.”

Annabeth’s fair brows knit together, totally confused to Piper’s sudden flash of anger, but reckons that it would be impossible to understand the perceived slight even if she asked Piper to explain.

“You guys are off your rockers,” Annabeth informs them instead, flickers her gaze over to Hazel for some support from someone who is actually sane. She in turn only shrugs, endeared looking as she returns to her sketches.

“Et tu Brute?”

“it’s fun,” Hazel says in her southern drawl, which Annabeth once thought was sweet because it reminded her of venturing outdoors in the Virginia foothills when she was a tot. Though now Annabeth has decided that the accent is actually a ploy to make her sound welcoming for her pray before she killed them off. Knows it for a fact that she’s done it with that friend who visits enough that he’s practically living with the guys too, which obviously means he was roped into all this ridiculousness.

“You’re either with us or against us baby doll,” Piper winks Annabeth’s way, starts a new round of ammunition with Rachel. “This one’s for Mama Fisher in the stars!”

“Insane! Fucking insane! Annabeth repeats emphatically before storming out there apartment to grab the mail, suddenly feels accosted with unwelcome nerves when she steps into the elevator only to be met face to face with one of the aforementioned boys across the hall, the objectively good looking, but impossibly kind one. All ebony locks and crooked grins and eyes the color of sea glass.

Oh fuck.

“Annabeth,” he crows, positively gleeful sounding, which only makes it so her cheeks begin to redden, and her chest contracts.

“Percy, hey how’s it been.”

“Fine,” he says with a one armed shrug, begins scratching the back of his head sheepishly. And God fucking damn it, he doesn’t also get to be cute! That’s not fair! “You headed to work?”

“oh, ah yeah, I mean just for some overtime. We got commissioned for this new thing in Germany of all places, and they kinda need all hands on deck.”

He whistles, low and impressed.

“Why do I get the sense that they’d crumble without you?” He asks with a quirked brow.

“Because flattery is a great way to make friends,” Annabeth smirks, strolls out towards the back row of mail slots to get the inevitable pack of bills and adverts that’s waiting for them.

“Oy, I take offense to that Annabeth,” he sniffs, leans against the wall besides her, one leg crossed over the other, effortless in the whole CW pretty boy with a mysterious past shtick he’s got working for him. An even more hilarious thought on account to Annabeth knowing how his ma sends him a basket of homemade, blue cookies every Sunday afternoon, and that he spends most of his free time protesting for action against climate change with his best friend from literal childhood, a scruffy, adorable dork named Grover.

“Is that right?” She snorts as she shuffles through the letters, tosses away the offer for a free garden gnome from some Lady named Aunty Em, crams a coupon for a free panty from Victoria’s Secret into her bra, and texts the group chat for Rachel to pick up a letter from her dad and Hazel one from her older brother.

“Course,” Percy sulks, big eyes glittering a thousand shades of green that it kinda takes Annabeth’s breath away. “I thought we’ve been friends, at least for a while now.”

“You know what they say about assuming Perseus,” Annabeth snorts, hip checking him as she makes the track down to the nearest subway stop, at least a five minute walk. She totally is not utterly elated over the fact that he’s still walking besides her, dimpling down like there were no where else he’d rather be.

“You know I didn’t even think you could allude to curse words,” Percy guffaws, impossibly bright and impossibly real. “I thought you were too prim and proper for that sorta behavior.”

“Shut up seaweed brains,” Annabeth laughs, can’t help the smile that breaks her face in half whenever he’s around.

“No deadass Chase!” he defends, emphatic. “I even bet Jason that you were related to like Grace Kelly or some shit, that it’s like illegal in your familial bylines to present yourself as anything other than perfect in public.”

“You are such a pain in the ass.”

“Oh my God! You did it again! It’s like it’s Christmas!”

Faux aggrieved, Annabeth rolls back her head in exasperation, eyes alone definitely not enough to emote the proper level of feeling.

“Hey don’t blame me,” Percy raises his hands in concession. “You’re the one who refuses to have fun, like you were a forty year old lawyer.”

Annabeth hikes up her brows, affronted.

“i have fun!”

“Right,” Percy snorts. “I’m sorry babe but Friday night board games don’t count.”

“Those are fun Percy!” Annabeth argues.

“You wouldn’t know fun if it hit you in the face!” Percy insists, stopping outside the stairwell.

“And what? Pelleting one another with water balloons like we were Freshman’s in college again, that’s fun to you I suppose?” Annabeth charges, glare firmly set and weight slung to her left hip.

“Why yes Grandma, it is,” Percy tells her, words hugged in a playful cadence that really could entice anyone to commit a felony with him. The bastard.

“You are a prick,” Annabeth informs him waspishly.

“And you don’t always gotta be so stressed. I mean I respect the hustle Chase, but you’re allowed to just chill once in a while, let down your hair and all.”

“You couldn’t handle that,” she sniffs, pulls out her card to swipe. “If I actually tried me and the girls would ruin you fools.”

“Is that right?”

“Wipe the floor with you,” Annabeth assures.

“Well then, looking forwards to the challenge Chase,” Percy beams, softly tugs on her high pony before walking back to the apartments. It feels like a legion of butterflies are swarming down deep in Annabeth’s stomach over the small contact alone.

“Damn you Percy Jackson.”

“Remind me again why you’re helping? Hazel asks for the third time that Saturday morning as the four sum are crowded around the makeshift map Annabeth had sketched out for them to follow, fully determined now.

“Shh,” Piper swats at her arm, as if physically trying to shoo the question away. “Annabeth we don’t care as long as you explain the plan just one more time.”

“Slower,” Rachel tacks on, gnawing on her thumb nail nervously.

“Right, well just listen closer ladies, this is a one and done deal, okay?” She’s met by a chorus of nods before she repeats her game strategy, one where each girl takes one of the four main hotspots around the building, skulking in the shadows until the predicted guy ends up there, surprised and defenseless when met by the water balloons of doom.

“I’ve already casually told both Jason and Leo that my parents were throwing us a brunch up state, so they don’t even know that we’re here.”

“God Annabeth if I didn’t think it would ruin our friendship I’d kiss you right now,” Piper sighs dreamily.

“Focus that pretty little head McLean,” Annabeth instructs, elbowing her side caustically. “You’re position is by the gym, Jason always goes there Saturday afternoons cause he thinks it makes it alright for him to get plastered that night.”

“You’re fucking a nerd,” Rachel tells Piper and both Annabeth and Hazel can’t help but nod along.

“No judgment zone!” Piper demands petulantly.

“Whatever,” Annabeth waves her off. “Hazel you’ll be in the front, waiting for Frank to come visit, and Rachel you’ll be waiting in the garden area where Leo comes to build one of his freaky gadgets.”

“Totally, you can count on me babe.”

“And what about you Annabeth?” Hazel asks.

“I’ve got Jackson,” Annabeth tells her, tone mock grave as she cocks her own toy weapon determinedly.

“So sexy,” Piper marvels.

Their building rents out a corner on the bottom level to a small bistro with friendly smiles and tasty enough brew that it keeps them coming back. It’s where Annabeth and Percy had first met when he had moved in with the others nearly six months ago. It’s also the first place Annabeth heard his laughter, and where Percy listened when she went on a tirade about her crazy parents and their crazy expectations and how sometimes she just needed space away from all of it. It’s where Percy told her that his mother is the most important person in his world and how he thought he never cared what his father thought of him until he had to make a decision on what he’d major in, and of course he followed in Poseidon’s footsteps. It’s where they stayed up late trading stories about their complicated childhoods and dreams for their futures and the place that Annabeth knew for sure that if she let herself, she really could fall for Percy. For the candor in his brilliant eyes. For the pretty smile he sports for the sake of his loved ones over himself, and for the conviction in his beliefs.

Annabeth tries not thinking of any of that when she crouches down deeper in the dark nook behind one of the decorative plants as Percy gets up from his table, tossing out his latte and shouldering his work bag.

It’s now or never.

The moment Percy steps through the threshold Annabeth pounces up and aims. What she doesn’t expect is for him to keel over to block her, and instead of hitting his insanely chiseled pecks, the water balloon hits straight in his face. Close enough and hard enough that the water suddenly darkens to red, mixing with the blood pouring out his nose.

“Holy shit!” Percy cries, pinching his nostrils shut.

“Oh my God!” Annabeth yells, frantically grabs for a pile of napkins from the counter besides her— toppling over a mess of straws and sugar packets in her wake— and then dashes over to press them into his grasp. “I’m so so sorry! I didn’t in my wildest dreams imagine that would happen! I swear!”

Annabeth expects at least for Percy to bemoan the injury, but instead she’s answered by a frankly terrifying boom of cackles.

“Percy? Have you cracked? Did I knock your brains out permanently?”

“When you said you’d ruin us, I didn’t think you’d literally cause physical harm Chase,” Percy retorts, still fighting down bubbles of laughter.

“You’re manic,” she pouts, long suffering.

“And you’re terrifying.”

“Bet it works for you though,” she preens, can’t help but be boastful over the way a blush touches the tops of his cheeks.

“Talk about adding harm to humiliation,” Percy grouces.

“Poor baby,” Annabeth mock croons, thinks that today actually might turn out pretty amazing.

She brings him upstairs to properly clean off the blood from his face and to come up with the conditions with at least a temporary truce, definitely not so she can finally trade a totally thrilling snog with him in privacy.

“You drive a hard bargain Chase,” Percy tells her, settling into the sofa as Annabeth unfolds her game of monopoly for them, having proclaimed that it’s a perfect time for her to prove how much fun board games can be.

“Oh hush,” she cuffs him on the back of the head playfully. “You’re just mad I won.”

“More like you committed battery,” Percy contends, pouting moodily, is only consoled when Annabeth leans forwards to kiss him again.

“You looked pretty bleeding— Oh God! Did I just say that out loud?”

Percy dissolves into a peals of laughter once more, and Annabeth tries her damndest to melt into a puddle right on spot.

“I can’t believe I’m so into such a maniac,” Percy tells her, eyes and smile glittering.

“SO rude,” Annabeth sniffs, arms crossed against her chest.

“But accurate Chase.”

Annabeth doesn’t bother to argue anymore because Percy’s already slanted their lips against one another again, and he’s doing this insane thing with his tongue that it makes her toes curl.

Yeah, today turned out amazing indeed.

#Percy jackson #pjo #annabeth chase #percabeth #bellonnabelle #thanks so much my love #ily #i wrote this too quick and it's probs crap #i just got so excited i finally had an idea for something for the first time in a bit #SPILT INK

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doctorstrangeaskblog · 5 years

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Merry Go Round

Stephen Strange x Wong one shot fanfiction. AO3 link

4:45PM, the day looked calm, New York was alive, as always, but still, everything felt like...tranquility, the Cloak seemed to be sleeping on the couch, a lot of calm clouds in the sky, fresh wind, some leaves dancing around the streets. Wong was at the New York Sanctum, preparing something in the kitchen, Stephen had left earlier to buy whatever the Sanctum needed. When the librarian opened the cabinet...empty. Well, almost empty. There was a package of bread and in the fridge (the normal fridge, not the chained one) there was just...half a pot of butter. "Not even water...??" Wong complained and sighed, looking up, then to the sides, deciding what he would prepare. "I had to ask Stephen to not use the sling ring to do everything...now he's going to take a century." The man shook his head, took what they had and started to prepare dinner. The slices of bread went to the oven, he opened a portal and took some cheese he had in the Hong Kong Sanctum's fridge and melted it and miraculously, he found some oregano, hidden behind a lot of empty cans on the kitchen's counter. "It's going to be pizza bread. I hope he brings some tomatoes or this will be very boring." In a matter of seconds, a knock on the door. Wong opened it and Stephen was there, full of paper bags, wearing his casual clothes. "Argh...come on Wong...let me in, it started to rain..."

Wong frowned for a moment, not even a hello...but then, his face softened when he saw Stephen's expression, he had that nostalgic, sweet smile on the corner of his lips, his eyes looked so peaceful, he was glad to be home. The librarian stepped away and the other got inside the Sanctum, taking everything to the kitchen. Wong closed the door and followed him. Strange placed everything on the chairs and removed his jacket. "What a smell...Wong what are you preparing? Is it pizza?" The other shook his head. "More or less...did you bring some tomatoes...?" Stephen started to open the bags and put everything in the right place. "Yeah...I've got tomatoes, lettuce, apples, carrots, nutella, chocolate, but I didn't get any ice cream because we eat healthy in this home." He smirked with his dork face, didn't even look at Wong's face, he thought his friend wouldn't even bother, but actually, he managed to get a shy chuckle out of the librarian.

Wong missed his jokes, Wong missed him. After Thanos had snapped his fingers and Stephen hadn't come back, the man was sure his sassy friend was gone...but now everything had returned to normal...and Strange was there again. Wong felt his heart getting warmer as he watched Stephen organize everything, he had been back so recently...everything still looked like a dream. "Stephen...we can order everything later...let's eat for now, otherwise, the bread pizzas will get cold." Stephen turned holding a paper bag, with a smile on his face. "Hey...I found the tomatoes!"

And the evening proceeded like that, the kitchen was no clean, their stomachs were satisfied for the moment and both got to sit on the couch, to relax. Strange still had a slice of bread pizza in his hands, Wong had already grabbed a book to read. It didn't take Stephen two minutes to say something. "It's too quiet and this rain is making me sleepy. Come on let's watch something..." Wong didn't even move his eyes from the book. "Two important questions, what do you want to watch today and did you bring the popcorn I asked you?" "Yep!" The other replied, a sudden glimpse of happiness after getting something right (the popcorn). Wong smiled a little. "Great, so go prepare it while I finish this chapter, and avoid using short ranged teleportation otherwise you'll get a lot more sleepy." "Fine." Strange replied and went to the kitchen to prepare their popcorn and Wong remained on the couch. The truth was...that he hadn't focused on his reading at all. He hadn't advanced not even one page. All he could think about was how Strange had finally returned. That dorky, annoying novice who would keep stealing books and breaking the rules, that student who would fall asleep in the Kamar Taj's library who he would find there, slobbering on the table with his head resting over a pile of books. Just a few years had passed and...Strange sure had changed. He wasn't the same person. After the tragedy Kaecilius had caused...he looked changed. He had gotten so quiet for some weeks, then slowly, he returned to his dorky state...but still, it was like Stephen, the old, dorky, annoying Stephen, had never came back...and after Thanos killed him...he looked different again, Stephen looked more...tired...even...old, not appearance, but soul like, he looked...so wiser and...so patient.

Wong's thought was interrupted by Stephen arriving with two bowls of popcorn, placing one on Wong's lap and the other on his own as he sat. "So, what movie is it going to be?" He asked Wong. "Anything light that has nothing to do with death, kidnapping, abuse or cheap romance." Stephen raised his eyebrows. "I agree 100%, Wong. How about...an animation? Those tend to be okay...at least...the most recent ones." Wong looked shook. "Lion King was the saddest thing since Bambi!" Stephen chuckled. "That's why I said RECENT."

Both widened their eyes at the sudden loud thunder, the windows of the Sanctum almost shook. The weather had gotten a lot darker, the waves of mystical energy in the air got thicker. "Ah. That sure was something." Stephen looked back to check the corridor." Wong put his popcorn bowl aside and walked to look through the window. Stephen placed his popcorn bowl aside as well and followed Wong. "Yesterday's forecast said it should rain at all. First we got that slight rain, fine, but now...a thunderstorm? Nah, something's wrong." Wong nodded. "The mystical waves are abnormal...impressible climate change...this is sounding like..." "Ouija Board Summoning." Stephen added. "Correct." Wong closed the window. "Better take the Cloak with you, we're getting wet."

Stephen looked back to the couch, the Cloak looked so peaceful, and so tired. The recent fight against Thanos hadn't been easy, it had done its best and it sure deserved some time to recover. Wong looked at Stephen, watched him walk to the Cloak, and so sweetly, Stephen caressed the relic's collar with his thumb, the Cloak still seemed to be sleeping, not even all the noise had woken it up. "Wong, let it sleep...besides, it's a bad idea to levitate around with such weather. Let's go solve this and then...let's watch our movie." The librarian just nodded, he was already by the door; Stephen instantly changed into his robes and left the Sanctum with his friend, to investigate whatever was causing the havoc.

Once outside, the weather indeed looked different, it was dark, the wind was violent and even the rain was irregular. Stephen pointed. "That direction. The source of this mystic imbalance is coming from there. Probably two or three squares away. I still have no idea where it is, maybe it's too risky to use a portal to get there since we don't know what we'll be facing." Wong agreed, but his mind seemed to be somewhere else. Since when Stephen had gotten this wise? The old Stephen would rush straight away to the danger, maybe improvise something, he was intelligent, yes, but so impatient. "Wong...do you have any idea of what this energy might be? I thought it was an Ouija Board soul or something but this is...too strong to be one. Aren't they...normally weak?" The librarian paused for a few seconds, trying to recall past experiences, until he finally spoke. "Stephen...the energy and the weather...it all makes me think about Ouija Board spirits, but indeed...this energy is stronger than the usual. We should be extra careful, it could even be a trap." Strange nodded and continued to walk towards the source.

Not much time later, three teenagers came running towards them, Stephen almost fell and Wong managed to hold the arm of one of them. "What happened? Why are you running?" The librarian asked. "A MONSTER!! THERE'S A MONSTER!! A GHOST!!" The boy cried, pulled his arm and then continued to run, however, a girl who was running came back. "Lilah is still there! She's still there!" Stephen raised an eyebrow. "There...where?" The girl answered. "The library! We decided to study until late...and...suddenly...my brother had this stupid idea...and there's a monster and we couldn't find her!" Strange nodded. "Alright...got it. Go home, we'll go get Lilah out of the library and deal with this monster ghost you're talking about okay?" The girl looked very relieved, and at the same time, surprised. Since when an adult would believe such a thing? People normally wouldn't take that kind of thing seriously...but...that man's eyes...they looked so...honest, he believed it. This brought the girl many insecurities....so indeed...monsters were real...and...there were adults who believed them...but at the same time, a sense of safety warmed her heart. "W....who are you...?" She asked. Part of her knew those guys could fight monsters, it just knew. Wong interrupted her. "We don't have much time, that kid might be in danger..." Stephen nodded. "Look...we'll do our best. Go home and stay there, alright? Tell your friends to do the same. We'll solve this."

The girl then continued to run home, looking back, the image of Stephen and Wong awakening curiosity in her eyes, for a moment she felt there was an entire universe she had never known right behind her, and she was running away from it.

"Right, the library, now it's easier." Stephen said. "We could teleport to somewhere near and investigate the area. She said there's a kid inside, so one of us get the kid and the other send this monster ghost thing back to wherever it came from." Wong smirked. "Sounds fair, but things will be a lot more complicated if we're dealing with a possession." Stephen gulped. "Possession?" Wong took his sling ring and started opening the portal. "Yes. Sometimes one of these kids have a slightly stronger mystic potential...and sometimes they cross paths with a spirit that has the skill to possess living beings...the combination is...this what you're seeing." Stephen's eyes were looking to the void, thinking, realizing how big the problem they were about to face was. "I see...combined energy....that's why the mystical intensity got this intense...Wong...we need to be careful to not harm this child." Wong nodded and jumped into the portal, Stephen followed him.

The library was dark, the lights were out, the only illumination source was the lightnings outside. Both sorcerers started to search the place, trying to find where the mystical energy was stronger and where it was coming from. Stephen couldn't help but to give Wong a little smirk. "Hey, Wong...NEVER split up. Every horror movie already proved that it's a really bad idea." Wong continued to walk calmly and then he pointed. "Look..." Stephen followed with his eyes. "A light, Stephen...coming from that corridor." Strange gulped, that light was so macabre, it was like a pale camera flash, sometimes as if it was going on and off repeatedly, and there were shadows of irregular tentacle like structures, but they looked made of something organic, vegetable like.

The sorcerers looked at each other and then jumped into the corridor, rings of Raggadorr already formed in their fists. Stephen and Wong's eye widened at the imaged, there was a kid, curled in a corner and there was this creature, two tentacles made of whatever that green, musk thing was, attached to the kid's right leg. The monster seemed to be feeding, and getting stronger and stronger. The moment the mystical beast saw the sorcerers, it shouted, oh the shout, such a disturbing thing, it looked like a mix of despair and rage, an intense female voice, the sound completely distorted. Wong covered his ears and turned to Stephen as if in an emergency. "Stephen! Cover your ears! The shouts of that kind of spirit might make you....faint." Strange's body had already leaned against one of the bookshelves, his eyes looked so lost, he seemed dizzy, his eyes turning, he almost fell, but he was still half there. "Curses!" Wong conjured a sound restriction spell against the creature, now its shouts seemed really far away, but they were still disturbing. The place was still dark it was really hard to see, really hard to figure out a way to remove the kid from there safely. Strange shook his head and conjured a light spell, creating a bright golden sphere in the air, illuminating the place. The creature only shouted more and its form was finally revealed: it was a very thin body, impossible to identify if it was a man or a woman, its eyes were two spheres of flashing light, and from its head, these plant like tentacles would come out. It's body was completely dark, as if burned, melted and it's mouth was huge. Wong's eyes widened when he saw the image, then he dashed to get the kid, but the ghost pushed the sorcerer away with its tentacles, which started to wrap around Wong's body. Strange started to move his hands, but the monster wrapped his quick tentacles around him too, and then, it started to drain their energy.

The thunderstorm outside started getting stronger, heavier, the shouts of the monster, even if isolated, still were getting higher. Wong looked very concerned, scared. "The sound restriction spell won't stop those shouts for long if they continue getting stronger like this...!" Strange's eye started to move frenetically to see if he could find an answer, and it was then he saw the Ouija board, and it was then that Stephen had an idea, and his lips moved to say four words. "I END THIS CALL!"

However, nothing happened. Stephen's face looked in panic, that was his last resort, the tentacles were already pressing his throat, he barely could breathe properly, until he had a last realization. "WONG! REMOVE THE SOUND RESTRICTION SPELL!" Wong then canceled the spell and when the monster was about to shout again, Stephen announced once more. "I END THIS CALL!!!" The creature fell silent, as if it had lost its energies. The Ouija Board on the floor started draining the monster's energy, it eventually let go of Wong, Spethen and the child. They were panting, breathing, what a despair that had been. As soon as he could, Stephen blasted Eldritch energy against the board, destroying it. "Why do kids insist playing with that kind of thing...?" Stephen moaned. When Wong was about to reply, Strange interrupted. "I know...it's...fun...right?" After a few more seconds of panting, he stood and walked to the kid. Wong looked down. "His mystical energy...it got drained...severely drained..." Stephen sighed and picked the kid up. "That's not a problem...I can lend him some of mine...until his own energy heals by itself..." Wong's eyes showed admiration again. "But Stephen...you know you could die if-" Strange shook his head. "Wong...these kinds of energetic bridges are dangerous when you don't know how to do them...and gladly...I already studied how do it." Wong still looked concerned. "I know...but even knowing...they still can be dangerous. Maybe we both should do it together." "And risk your life as well? No way, Wong. If everything goes wrong, I would be glad dying like this." Wong paused, in a half shock. Stephen continued. "We don't have time to take him anywhere, even if we teleported to Kamar Taj, until we got a safe method with seals and everything...this kid...this kid can die any moment, I'm doing it." And then the sorcerer placed his hand over the kid's chest, a bright, warm golden and blue energy started to move from his scarred hand to the kid's body, and immediately, the kid's general condition started to get better. Wong stepped closer. "Stephen...be careful...you know how kids can store more energy than adults can..." Strange looked at Wong and just smiled softly. "I know...don't worry. I'll be fine."

The rain stopped, it was already night when Wong and Stephen walked back home, the kid was taken to an hospital, where he would get all the health care he needed, where his family would be informed. On the way back, Wong would almost continuously check if Stephen was alright, and he was. The librarian wondered how large Stephen's mystical potential had gotten, indeed, the more you practiced the greater your magic would become...and that was almost scary when Stephen's energy was considered. Wong knew Strange had used the Time Stone to practice, he knew the fight against Dormammu probably had lasted way more than 10 minutes and he knew his friend was growing. Slowly, a faint smile formed on Wong's face while all the consequences Stephen's body showed was...getting sleepy. "Wong..." Stephen said, his voice like a moan. "What is it...?" "Why can't we use portals more oftennnn....I want to get home..." The librarian chuckled. It was funny how the old dorky Stephen would show up sometimes with these comments. "It's because we already spent a lot of our mystic energy...we need to get some rest before using more...or...do you really want to faint on the floor?" Stephen chuckled as well. "Ah...I know you would carry me if I fell." Wong just shook his head and continued to walk, walking was good and the wind was so fresh, and the stars were so pretty in the sky.

Once they got home, they sat on the couch and sighed. Stephen took a deep breath and took his popcorn bowl. "If you think I'm quitting our movie...no I'm not. How about...Wreck it Ralph?" Wong also took his popcorn. "Sounds fine. No violence, no war, just a cute light adventure." "Wong I'm going to light the fireplace." And with the end of the evening, with the noise of the fire and the soft smell of wood...they watched their movie, the Cloak still resting by Stephen's side, so peacefully, now it was gripping his arm, partially wrapped around it....and Stephen had taken the Cloak in his arms, and they were hugging. Wong was watching the movie, when suddenly he looked at Stephen to make a comment and...he was asleep, hugging the Cloak. He barely had gotten any popcorn, he was just there, all peaceful. Peaceful, yes, that was the word. Wong remembered all the times he had found Stephen sleeping at the library by sunrise, his face used to be...scared, worried, tired, drained...but now, things had changed, Stephen looked happy, happy to be at home. Yes, he felt home, the way he was calm and relaxed...it was explicit.

Stephen's head was leaning on Wong's shoulder, very slightly, there was a pillow between them. Wong backed away very slowly to not wake Stephen up and for a few seconds, even minutes, he just watched Stephen. His face...his features...he finally was taking some time to admire them, those unusual cheeks, those soft eyebrows and that hair, combed to the side. He was sure it used to be brown...but now it seemed...darker. Magic was starting to change Stephen, that for sure. "So ethereal..." The words escaped Wong's lips. That's how Stephen looked. Slowly, the librarian moved to take Stephen in his arms, so he could take him to his bed, but he paused the moment he touched Stephen's hand. So many scars, and they were so deep. Stephen had never talked about them, well, he had complained about them, about how they would ache all the time, but never actually talked about them. Thinking about it, there was so much about Strange Wong didn't know...and he had realized...he wanted to know. Calmly Wong took Stephen and the Cloak in his arms and climbed the stairs, resting his friend on his bed, the Cloak cuddling more and more into Stephen's arms. "Good night I guess." Wong whispered, for a moment, decided to remove Stephen's hair from his face, and then caught himself running his fingers through it, so soft. Wong did that for minutes, and when he was done, he caressed Stephen's cheek, there was a little bruise there. The librarian left for a few minutes and returned with some bandages and herbal medicines...applied some on Stephen's cheek and covered the bruise with a little bandage cutout. "I'm glad you're back..." Wong said, his eyes couldn't leave the image of Stephen, sleeping so deeply. The librarian was glad to have him there again. Slowly, his shy hand caressed his hair for a few more minutes, until Wong finally turned. He was in Stephen's room now, it had his personal objects, his smell, his style... But for his surprise, the place was more filled with books, scrolls and notebooks than with personal objects per se. There was this shelf with a broken watch, a notebook and a drawer with a few clothes...and that was it. For a moment, there was this urge to cry...because there was nothing there that could define Stephen, basically everything there was either for personal use or magic related, his friend was losing himself for the mystic arts, and that's something Wong didn't want to happen. Passed by Stephen again, aiming towards the door, looked at his friend again and said. "Tomorrow we'll get you something nice...something you like. Try to not sleep all day...okay?" Stephen moved slightly on the bed, so comfortable while cuddling the Cloak, a sweet, soft smile formed on his face and he just replied. "Okay..."

Now listen to this song reading the lyrics to get 100% of the feels, the title was inspired on it.

youtube

#doctor strange #fanfic #wong #doctor strange x wong #wongstrange #marvel #avengers

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theheavymetalmama · 6 years

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And now, some Unpopular Opinions!

Because at this point, why the hell not?

Iron Man was better than The Dark Knight

I am in no way, shape, or form suggesting that The Dark Knight is a bad movie. Far from it, in fact. It’s a damn good movie with some fantastic performances, a gripping story, and some of the best written characters and dialogue in the history of movie making. So is Iron Man the better movie? For one, it’s not so stuck up its’ own ass about its’ message. The Dark Knight is a lot of things and one of them is pretentious as fuck, come off as less of a love letter to Batman and more of a method of the director Chris Nolan showing how much he has nothing but contempt for superheroes and comic books in general. Iron Man, in contrast, embraces it and has fun with the idea of a guy who builds a mech suit and fights bad guys. There’s also the question of influence, and that right there is no contest. The Dark Knight influenced Batman; Iron Man influenced the entire movie industry.

Final Fantasy XV was a massive disappointment

I kind of feel bad for dunking on this game considering they just cancelled the last of the DLC. Then again the last of the DLC was going to expand on Lady “Show Up and Blow Up” Lunafreya and Aranea “I’m here and now I’m not” Highwind’s stories and now we’re not getting them and I’m still bitter as fuck for the director’s pathetic excuse for why a girl couldn’t attend the coming of age road trip, so all bet’s are off! Okay, the ladies getting shafted aside, there is a lot to like about Final Fantasy XV, but was it worth the tedious development time? No way in hell. The game looks good but like many open world games feels mostly lifeless and empty, and of the four main characters only one of them is likable and isn’t even playable in the game’s vanilla form. The story is a broken mess that requires other forms of media to fully grasp (dick fucking move there, Squeenix) and the summons coming at random times serves as more of an annoyance than anything, especially since they always seem to show up except during times when and where they’d be useful. It also doesn’t say good things about a company’s management when a game can sell millions of copies in record time as well as do gangbusters on downloadable content and then still manage to lose over 30 million dollars.

And for the record, let it be known that Noctis is far and away the whiniest and most emo protagonist in Final Fantasy history, which is saying something considering this is a series where one such protagonist’s entire character is being so jaded and world weary to the point that his name is the sound a crying baby makes, and he doesn’t whine and complain as much as Noctis does.

Just because you’re a cop or a soldier, that doesn’t automatically make you a good person

I’m in favor of police and law enforcement and even though I believe our military budget makes Caligula himself look frugal in comparison I do support our troops. Having said that, being a cop or a trooper doesn’t mean jack shit if the person under the uniform is a complete and utter scumbag, which happens more often than many care to admit. In fact some people, many people, become cops and soldiers not to protect and serve or out of a sense of honor and duty, but simply because they like making others miserable and want to do it for a living. There’s a reason songs about fighting the law and unflattering depictions of authority figures date back as far as authority figures have been a thing. Respect is earned, not given.

‘White Nationalist’ and ‘Nazi’ are the same things

Calling a Nazi a white nationalist is like calling somebody who abuses their spouse a rough lover. Stop beating around the bush and tell it like it is. Also, don’t debate Nazis, punch them. Punch them as hard as you fucking can. If they punch you back, punch them again, and again, and again until they either run away (which most of them do) or stop moving. Trust me, nobody is going to miss them. That goes double for the alt right. Oh, and speaking of which...

Far Cry 5 chickened out

As somebody who grew up in a dead gold mining community that was mostly Catholic, when the first trailer for Far Cry 5 came out I was stoked as hell for the chance to gun down religious fanatics and skinheads in a place in rural America that didn’t look all that different. Then the game came out and it was abundantly clear to anybody that something somewhere in the game was changed at the last minute. Some have argued that it was their intention from the get go, others claimed they didn’t want to alienate their core demographic. It doesn’t say nice things about your core demographic if you’re worried about depictions of white supremacist cultists scaring them away, but okay, fine. Then make a game that takes place during the decline of the Ku Klux Klan, or in a post World War II Europe where you hunt Nazi war criminals, or failing that make something akin to Black Dynamite or a wacky 70′s Kung Fu movie where everything is purposefully over the top and exaggerated, I don’t care! All your other games have you gunning down hordes of brown people, let people like me and my husband kill some skinheads god damn it!

If you still support Donald Trump after all the vile and abhorrent things he’s done, you’re a bad person

There’s no beating around the bush on this one. I don’t blame people who were swooned by this conman thinking he’d genuinely make a good president and have since regretted their decision. I have nothing but sympathy for them. No, I’m talking about the people who STILL trip over themselves to defend this vile, homophobic, delusions, misogynist, narcissistic bigot. Like when he called Nazis “very fine people,” or is still pushing for a stupid wall along our border that will be bested by two extension ladders and a pair of tin snips. The travel ban, the rollback on regulations that kept food insecure people fed, kids dying in his fucking concentration camps, yeah, no. He’s a treasonous scumbag who deserves to be locked in an 8x8 cell until he rots, and if you still support him then you can claim the top bunk.

Climate change is real and coal can fuck off

Coal is dead. Let it lay down and rot. What, coal is your only source of income in the area you live in? Then move somewhere else! You think I would have left my hometown if there were any opportunities other than timber, fishing, and tourist traps? Sorry, but the longer we stay in the past with coal the lesser we can look forward to a future where a planet can sustain human life. If we want our planet to live then coal needs to die.

No, the left isn’t “just as bad” as the right

This is a fucking gas lighting farce that immediately falls apart when put under scrutiny. Are there extremists and crazies on the left? Of course there are, but they’re entirely different beasts as those found on the right. The left is more of a “eat enough kale and you can talk to dolphins” or “sleep with crystals under your bed and you can see the future” kinds of crazy, whereas the right is more of the “kill all the queers and let the brown babies starve” kind of crazy. Oh, and to each and every single person who said “Clinton is just as bad as Trump,” y’all can cover your reproductive organs in honey and stick them in a mason jar filled with live bullet ants and tarantula hawks, you ignorant scare mongering shitheels!

“Captain Marvel doesn’t smile!”

So what? She’s a space Navy Seal, not a boy scout like Captain America or Superman; she’s not supposed to smile.

No, the ‘alt left’ doesn’t exist and Antifa aren’t the same as Nazis

Are Antifa breaking the law? Yes. Should they be held accountable for their actions? Yes. Are people who want to kill Nazis exactly the same as people who want to exterminate the Jews and subjugate anybody who isn’t white while wiping other people’s culture off the face of the Earth under an authoritarian rule? Hell to the no and “Antifa is just as bad as the Nazis” is right up there with “Vaccinations cause autism” and “the Earth is flat” on the scale of “If you believe this, you are STUPID.” If Nazis and white supremacists went unopposed they’d go around raping and murdering Jews and non whites until there were absolutely none of them left. You know Antifa would be doing if there weren’t any Nazis around? Sitting in their crappy apartments smoking weed, sipping craft beer, eating pizza, and laughing their asses off at 20 year old Saturday Night Live skits. Ooooooh, scary! Yes, Antifa are assaulting people and destroying public property and yes they should be held accountable for their actions. But I’m not going to pretend, even hypothetically, that Nazi apologist scumbags like Tucker Carlson having his door banged on or actual Nazis like Richard Spencer getting punched in the face is on the same playing field as babies being put in cages, innocent black people being murdered by cops, or Jews being put into ovens, you fucks!

New She Ra is better than Old She Ra and 80′s cartoons in general

If you don’t like the new She Ra and prefer the old one, fine, you do you, but don’t act like the original is “So much better” because it isn’t at all. The villains were jokes, the animation was beyond cheap, the characters all looked the same, there were stupid talking animal sidekicks, and the story went nowhere really fucking fast outside of “Bad guys are doing bad guy stuff, our heroes must stop them” because they were commercials to sell toys. Nothing more, nothing less. If the new She Ra isn’t your bag then that’s all well and good, but don’t be a stupid asshole about it, talking about how it wasn’t featured at PowerCon like it’s a big fucking deal when only sad dorks like us give a shit about conventions, or whine about how you’re being oppressed and censored because a 16 year old isn’t rocking 44DD’s, or talk about “CalArts style” like that’s a real goddamn thing. Oh yeah, and speaking of which...

“CalArts style” is not a thing

Shut the fuck up, no it isn’t. It’s a stupid, meaningless buzzword hurled at people who never fucking went to CalArts in the first place. If you’re perplexed as to why modern cartoons all look like Steven Universe, the simple fact is that cartoons are made predominantly for children and shows are made to be aesthetically pleasing to them. With shows like Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Star vs the Forces of Evil, and Gravity Falls being soaring success stories while shows like Young Justice, new GI Joe, and 2011 Thundercats ambitious failures, it’s obvious that formal abstractionist non angularity is in while aspirational human physical fitness is out, and a big reason the latter was even a thing in the first place is because they were toy commercials first and there were only so many variations on plastic molds to form the fucking action figures and because it was the 80′s and Arnold was the biggest star at the time.

“Star Wars: the Last Jedi” is a good movie and fanboys can eat bantha poodoo

I’ve heard all the reasons for why The Last Jedi is a bad movie and they’re all either stupid nitpicky bullshit or meaningless fanboy gripes. I could write an entire essay debunking those reasons point for point, like how the reason Holdo didn’t tell Poe a damn thing because no admiral would ever a tell a lowly grunt anything about their plan, especially after being demoted for being a hotheaded little fuckup. Or that Rey being related to Obi Wan or any previous Star Wars character didn’t happen because that would have been stupid and the definition of predictable. Or that the reason Akbar didn’t do the suicide run is because he’s a meme that the general audience doesn’t give a shit about and that there’s no way in Hell that the Mouse would allow a character named “Akbar” to do a suicide run. Or that Kylo Ren not being an intimidating villain is the whole point and that you’re supposed to hate him because he’s a petulant Darth Vader wannabe and a snake to boot. Or that the effectiveness of said suicide run, where Snoke came from, or the state of the Resistance by the end of the movie, or that any other so called ‘plot hole’ doesn’t matter because this is a movie about space wizards for children and paying obsessive attention to meaningless and pedantic details is exactly how we end up with stupid subplots in the Beauty and the Beast remake and Metropolis and Gotham City being across the river from each other! But the biggest one is Luke wasn’t portrayed as some Jedi Clint Eastwood (why fanboys want that eludes me; the EU did that a few times and they were all terrible) and that him exiling himself doesn’t make any sense.

Sorry, but no, Luke running off to a far and unreachable island makes perfect sense. For one, it’s kind of a thing that disgraced Jedi do, and for two, Star Wars is a fairy tale in space. All of the characters draw inspiration from characters and archetypes from fairy tales and fables of old, and the one Luke Skywalker resembles most (largely by design) is King Arthur. Think about it. Common boy who doesn’t know who his real parents are, meets an old wizard, gets a legendary sword, discovers he’s of noble lineage, tags along with a few colorful characters, goes on a quest that’s bigger than him and the life he knew, hits a few bumps down the road, and then eventually he saves the kingdom by overthrowing his father who once was a great man and a hero but gave in to power and corruption and became a dark reflection of his former self.

You will never unsee that.

Oh yeah, and remember how things turned out for King Arthur in the end? He started a whole new kingdom, he had a few good years, he grew arrogant, things started to fall apart, and suddenly he and everything he worked to build up were undone overnight by a younger, more vindictive relative. Disgraced, Arthur was whisked away to an unreachable island deep rooted in his own legend and mythology where he remained until Britain had fallen to darkness and needed him again. Now of course Britain as we know it has yet to see such a thing (we’ll see how Brexit turns out) but Luke did exactly that. And no, sorry fanboys, but The Last Jedi wasn’t a failure in any sense of the word. It grossed over a billion dollars, received critical praise, the DVDs and BluRays sold like hotcakes, and was adored by kids, teenagers, and young adults, the primary audience that Star Wars is for in the first place. And I don’t give a shit what the audience score on RT says, because for one aggregate sites are a blight on film criticism and we went from this;

“Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad are AMAZING, Rotten Tomatoes is biased and paid off by Disney!”

To this...

“Star Wars: the Last Jedi is TERRIBLE, Rotten Tomatoes says so!”

In just over a year. To say nothing of the fact that what you’re currently saying about The Last Jedi was also said about The Empire Strikes, and like ‘Empire’ twenty years from now people will look back on the fanboy outrage and say “Wow, what a bunch of babies.” And before the inevitable response...

“But Solo bombed because of The Last Jedi!”

Nooooo, Solo bombed because it came out right between Infinity War and Deadpool 2, was rife with development issues since day one of production, it was aimed overwhelmingly at fanboys obsessed with Star Wars deep lore answering questions that the general audience doesn’t give a shit about, nobody was even interested in the thing until the Lego Movie guys were signed on for a hot second, moviegoers aren’t currently hurting for cocky space cowboys...

...and because of the simple fact that it’s a solo movie about Han Solo...and it’s not 1995 and Harrison Ford isn’t in it. See, fanboys don’t realize that just because nerd and geek bullshit is mainstream now doesn’t mean that everyone is now a fanboy deep rooted in everything from where the characters are from to where they’re going, because when people say “I love Star Wars and Han Solo is my favorite character” what the vast majority of them mean is “Those movies with the space wizards and the laser swords are a lot of fun and Harrison Ford is a great movie star.” That’s it. That’s extent of why people like Han Solo. Sad dorks like us may care about stuff like where and when he got the Falcon, how he met Chewie, where the dice came from and all of that and more, but the general audience just wants to see Harrison Ford do cool shit in space. That’s it. To say nothing of the fact that nobody was even interested in the spinoffs in the first place. When Disney announced that they were making episodes 7,8, and 9 everyone went “Oh Hell yes, sign me up!” Then when they followed up with that they were also making spinoff movies about stuff that happened off screen or between movies the same audience was like “Oh...well that’s neat, I guess.”

And no, that stupid fanboy boycott had nothing to do with. Even the dude who started that petition to strike TLJ from canon admitted that he was in a bad place and that he was being stupid and angry, and I can promise you that all the shrieking dorks on Youtube are the buzzing of flies to Disney. If that crowd had any box office and movie making decision influence whatsoever, the next spinoff we’d see a trailer for would be “My Twi’lek Waifu: a Star Wars Story.”

PewDiePie is the worst thing to happen to video games this side of the gaming crash of 83 and he needs to fuck off

Yes, you read that right, and I don’t say that lightly. All sorts of terrible things have happened in the gaming industry since the gaming crash of 83. The console wars, the Atari Jaguar, the Philips CDi, Jack Thompson, the death of the Dreamcast, WoW, an entire console generation packed to the gills with homogenous gray and brown shooters with protagonists who all looked the fucking same, GamerGate, microtransactions, DLC abuse, the death of Maxis, an increasingly toxic fandom, “women are too hard to animate,” the degradation of E3 from a showcase of the biggest and bestest in gaming to a corporately sponsored circlejerk of self congratulatory backslapping and so much, much more.

I don’t care how much PewDiePie gives to charity, or how many fans he has, or how many people think he’s just the greatest, because he’s not. He’s an embarrassing, stupid asshole who constantly gets busted for making stupid racist jokes and by extension making his fans and everyone who has even the vaguest ties to the word ‘gamer’ look like stupid, racist assholes. He’s a corporate ass sucking apologist who gives exposure to anti Semites and racist wastes of space to his audience of mostly 10 to 15 year old boys, and he’s more terminally obnoxious than an Adderall addicted Pomeranian.

The day he posted his first video of him overreacting to a jump scare while making loud screeching noises on top of edgy rape jokes was the day the progress of “gaming as an art form” was shot between the eyes, placed in a box that was then filled with concrete, and thrown into the ocean. He’s a dumbass man child that’s making all of us look bad and he needs to take his millions worth of corporate sponsorships and fuck off forever into some dark, lonely corner of the Internet where he’ll never be seen or heard from again until an inevitable meltdown that lands him on an episode of Down the Rabbit Hole.

And that concludes this post. I’ll give my final thoughts tomorrow, and on Saturday I’m closing this account forever.

#unpopular opinion

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drunklander · 6 years

Text

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 401

Oh hey, y’all. We’re back for another season of that show we keep watching in hopes it’ll get back to its season one glory Outlander! Since I’m incapable of keeping my Opinions to myself and have no filter after a few drinks, I’m gonna do drunk recaps that no one asked for or wants again this year. Because why not. So buckle up, randos, because under the cut you will find nothing of substance, zero insights and absolutely no analysis!

Before I dive into the stream of consciousness, quasi-incoherent beat-by-beat nonsense, I just want to say that I overall liked this episode. I definitely enjoyed it more from the comfort of my own couch than in the theater with thousands of screaming sycophants at NYCC. It definitely had me singing along to the Federalist Papers part of Non Stop all day though. A series of scenes, tangentially related, introducing the Colonies to the public. Some are obviously just there to just set up the plot of the season or like check a residual box from last season. But some are solid world-building and character moments. And, because it’s Outlander, some are like *side eye*.

But I’m for real excited for the first half of this season! The second half of Drums is a dumpster fire (fucking Rogergate...) and it seems like the show is going to stick pretty close to the book, so I’m going to try my hardest to not let preemptive feelings about that nonsense cloud potential enjoyment of the first bit. Because dammit, I love me some domestic!Frasers. So yeah, happy end of hiatus, y’all!

Ok I don’t want to start off on a downer note, but jfc. I get what they were going for with the 2000 B.C. stone circle stuff, but omg no. I don’t care if certain indigenous peoples really did make stone circles and dance around them as the sun rose. I know they’re trying to show the universality of circles and these time portal thingies or whatever, but by making the parallel with the druids at Craigh na Dun, it’s basically being like “Oh hey! These Native American folks from *checks notes* North America are just like the white folks we’ve been hanging with for the last three seasons!” It came off to me like erasing the unique cultures of the diverse peoples of North America in favor of framing them as a generic group of “natives” who do the white people stone dance. And in a season that’s going to deal heavily with multiple tribes, this really isn’t giving me much confidence in how they’re going to handle the rest of the Native American characters.

I’m really hoping someone else will articulate that better than I did. Because I feel like I’m not communicating well what my actual issue with the sequence was.

Petition to make Jamie wear a hat at all times to hide his horrible bangs.

Gavin Hayes has to be being hanged for literally the dumbest crime ever. But he seems pretty chill about it so...

Ok I never liked book!Bonnet as a character (like obvi he’s a terrible person so I was never going to like him as a person, but I was always annoyed that he was still around rather than appreciating him as a villain), but even from that presumptuous “yeah can I snag some rum too, bruh” in the jail, I’m like solidly on board with show!Bonnet.

Jamie tried to save Hayes, but you see Hayes straight up killed a guy. Sure it was in self-defense, but, y’know, ye olde times and he did kill the dude. Sooo...

I want to feel for Lesley, I really do, but I’ve never actually given a shit or been given a good reason to give a shit about Rupert and Angus 3.0 so, sorry for your loss?

Unpopular opinion alert (should be the standard disclaimer on all of my #hottakes) but I really don’t care for the new theme music. Every time they change it, I find myself wanting the OG season one music back with just the images updated.

The bald eagle for the title card just gives me such mixed feelings that have nothing to do with the show. Like here’s a symbol of my country and it *should* invoke good feelings, but *gestures at the current political climate* every national symbol at the moment feels tainted by the growing white nationalist movement that’s being spurred on by the current administration.

Time for some post hanging brewskis. We are here to mourn Gavin Hayes. Who died only so the new villain could be introduced. Let us bow our heads.

Marsali and Fergus win the prize for least subtle “can we be excused to go bang” ever. Rock on, Fersali.

I fucking LOVE that they changed the tavern scene so everyone sings with them like they know what’s going on rather than how in the book it was like them making fun of the red coats as part of Gavin’s song and then Fergus passed around a hat for coins. But by having everyone in the tavern in on what’s going down and earnestly participating, it establishes that 20+ years after the failed Rising, after the Clearances, after everything the Scots went through at the hands of the English, they were not truly defeated. They may have moved across an ocean, but they are still Scottish and they still practice their traditions and dammit I’m having feelings about those resilient motherfuckers.

The scene with Jamie and Ian is very well done and I’m SO glad they included it because they did in fact include his rape last year, but fuck the show for including that rape in the first place. A very similar version of this scene could have been done without the rape, there’s enough trauma involved in being kidnapped, taken across the ocean, held hostage by a batshit lady and knowing that everyone else she kidnapped ended up dead for one 16 year old kid. With Jamie’s rape we got two episodes of trauma and four of recovery. With Mary, Fergus and Ian, we get three child rapes that could have all been avoided (especially Ian’s, but the plot points that come from Mary’s and Fergus’ could have definitely come about without them actually being raped), and they all just got one brief scene to express their trauma and then everything’s hunky dory again. (We know they’re going to include Bree’s rape, also fuck them very much for that, it’s completely unnecessary, and I’m guessing we’ll spend some time with her on her recovery. But that’s a rant for when we get there...)

For real though, Jamie parroting Claire as he comforts Ian is super sweet, but it makes me skeptically nervous for how he’ll react to Bree’s. Since in the book, it’s...not great.

Stephen Bonnet is so delightfully smarmy. Also, how fucking naive is our main squad now all of a sudden that they don’t realize from the jump what a sociopath he is? C’mon, y’all. Like I know Jamie came close to being hanged or whatever, but literally everything about this dude screams that he’s bad news. He is not subtle in his I’m a straight up unapologetic and charismatic good guy criminal. And like, he’s a friend of Gavin? Come the fuck on, squad. HOW DO YOU NOT SEE THAT HE IS FULL OF SHIT. *gets Det. JJ Bittenbinder on the horn*

For real though, dodgy accent aside, I fucking love Ed Speleers in this role. Why the fuck do they have to include the rape. Can’t he just be a bastard without being a rapist? Why must you make me rage, show. I just want to enjoy a decent villain.

Jamie and Claire are doing their best Jean Ralphio and Mona Lisa Saperstein trying to talk their way through this checkpoint.

“You’ve never parted with the ring from the first?” Yeah, I don’t get it either, Bonnet my dude. I don’t get it either. #FuckFrank

Bonnet talking about circles fascinating him makes me think he’d do well in a group of stoners having what they think are philosophical conversations at 3:00 a.m. “But like guys, have you ever like thought about...the rhombus?”

For real though, him being real with Claire about this drowning stuff makes him an infinitely more interesting villain than Black Jack ever was. Black Jack was kind of a crap villain tbh. He was horrible and did horrible things, yes, but like that was it. He was just horrible. Bonnet’s like oh I’ll charm you, be real with you and then fuck you up in the course of one episode and not give any of it a second thought because I have not a single fuck to give about anyone but me. I’m just out here living my best life, sorry not sorry. *puts on shades, drops mic, walks away*

For real though, his “be wary of thieves and outlaws” line might as well have been “it’s me, I’m talking about me.” And these dorks don’t even pick up on it. GUYS YOU ARE KILLING ME, YOU DIDN’T USED TO BE THIS SHITTY AT JUDGING SOMEONE’S CHARACTER.

I’m guessing this is the official christening-their-new-continent-bang because it’s too cold to do River Sex™ in Scotland. But I’m looking forward to getting the rest of Ch. 16 once they get to the Ridge. (We all saw those strawberries in the promo...)

The book lines still feel shoehorned in rather than organic to the show, but not as much as 95% of A. Malcolm felt. So I guess I need to just accept that the writers are going to keep doing this and I just need to stop expecting them to actually do their jobs and adapt for the adaptation...

For real though, I know Spotify doesn’t exist yet but jfc Jamie and Claire’s secksi time playlist literally just has this one song and guys, there’s a whole world of songs for smushing out there. My man Doug Judy would be glad to broaden your horizons.

Claire’s I just had sex smile as she looks out over the valley made me literalol.

Cool that we get woke!Jamie saying that the American Dream is a nightmare for the Native Americans after Claire’s Americana 101 speech, but this is a woman who lived in wicked racist 1960s Boston. She knows that things aren’t nice and rosy in America in the 18th *or* 20th centuries. Her speech makes me hate S3 a little more for focusing on Frank’s manpain instead of Claire and her and Joe’s time in the hospital, where the show could have explored gender and race in the 20th century to set up a contrast for how things will be this season in the 18th. Claire went through enough shit last time she was in the past, and so far this time, to know that the past isn’t idyllic. She knows enough about US history and 20th century America to know this mythical origin story she’s spouting is nothing but a fairy tale. I get why she might cling to that ideal, this is the first time in her life she might get to settle down and build a home with the person she actually wants to build a home with, but her whitewashing history like this strikes me as a way too naive for her.

The green screen as they stare out at that very much not actually there valley is killinggg me.

Ok for real though, this cut from them in the Uncanny Valley to the room getting ready for dinner is the most jarring of the episode. Like, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this is just a series of independent scenes rather than an actual, cohesive whole, but jfc. Who actually is Lillington, how do you know him? Nope? No info? Not important? Just need to get it out there that you have jewels so the last scene in the episode can happen so the ring can be taken so the rape can occur? Cool. Cool cool cool.

Ok so show!Claire makes me sad with being insecure/self-depreciating about her appearance. Like with saying brown is a dull color when Jamie calls her mo nighean donn the first time and when she asks Joe if she’s sexually attractive and when she dyes her hair before going back through the stones and now with the mutton dressed as lamb thing. (Claire, girl, how are you that up on Colonial fashion that you know what’s “age appropriate” already? Wouldn’t think there was much fashion gossip along the road from Georgia to North Carolina, but whatevs.) I know three of these four things are straight from the book, but in the show it hits me differently. Book!Claire is kind of a bitch when it comes to looks. Her parting words in her letter to Bree were “try not to get fat.” She like judged the crap out of that rando lady in Edinburgh before she went to the print shop just to make sure she didn’t look too old. So when she has these aforementioned moments, they land differently. Now I’m not saying I want show!Claire to be like book!Claire, quite the opposite. I’m glad they cut that other stuff. But now whenever show!Claire has a moment of self-consciousness, all I want to do is be like woman, you are a fucking smokeshow. Fuck the patriarchy for making you feel like you aren’t stunning exactly as you are. #LadyBonerForBeauchamp

Oh Governor Exposition. How nice of you to join our merry band of randos for dinner!

Man, I’d love to be so rich that I can pull a Baron and casually just happen to have 100 pounds on hand to buy a giant ruby at a random dinner party.

John Grey, who was shunted from shit post to shit post, totes is special enough to get Scotland’s Valjean to England’s Javert cleared. I mean, obvi.

Oh hey, Jamie remembers he has a daughter! Showed more emotion in that scene about how America would become her country than in the scene with the photos. Fuck Sam et al. for the disaster of a performance choice in ep. 306, don’t @ me.

OH HAI ROLLO I LOVE YOU YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD DOGGO I WANT TO SNUGGLE YOU WHO’S A GOOD BOY YOU ARE

“I dinna ken. But she’ll be saying it in Scotland, won’t she?” I do love Young Ian a lot. I know that’s in the book. But dammit I love John Bell in this part a crapton.

Casually lol’ing that they crossed the ocean because Ian was taken and now that they have him, they’re just going to send him alone off to sea again.

The first time I saw the episode, when Lesley gave his “my place is at your side” speech I was like crap, we’re going to be stuck with this guy aren’t we. BUT WE’RE NOT! (I am a terrible person.)

Fergus and Marsali are totes going to be the new Jenny and Ian, aren’t they? The characters who just show up once or twice a season when the core squad needs something and that’s it? Because they get tossed aside in the books like that. That makes me super sad (and I hope I’m wrong) because of how they changed show!Fergus and show!Claire’s relationship from the book that we won’t get to see more of them together. Le sigh. I hope they at least let Bree have a scene where she meets Fergus and learns she has a brother. Especially if she’s not going to go to Lallybroch to meet the Murray squad because Jenny isn’t in this season. Part of what I loved about the Lallybroch part in the book was Bree realizing that she wasn’t just gaining a father but a whole extended family. I hope they kind of transfer that over to her meeting Fergus and Young Ian in the place of [insert Murray kids who let’s be honest we really don’t care about here].

Hey remember that time Jamie was wicked opposed to Fergus and Marsali getting married for literally no reason? That was fun. But yay for Germain!

Holy motherfucking green screen, Batman. Please can we get to the woods soon? Or some other location where it’s not this fucking jarring?

Claire America-is-the-land-of-milk-and-honey Fraser suddenly is overly-on-the-nose indignant about slavery. Cool. Cool cool cool. Again, you know what would have been cool? Seeing her with her best and only friend in the 1960s more last season because he was a Black man. If they had let Joe be a fully formed character, navigating racist af Boston as a doctor, rather than just being Claire’s sounding board and martini maker, we could have seen how Claire being exposed to his reality shaped her views on race in America. But nope, that would have taken air time away from Frank’s manpain. (Seriously, my recent re-watch only highlighted just how much they screwed over Claire’s character last season.)

I’ve always loved that Jamie gives Claire the medical box. It’s just such a simple way to demonstrate that he *gets* Claire. (*side-eyes a certain other husband who patently did not*)

Jamie’s bangs are an affront to anyone with hair. Someone please give that man his hat back!

“This ring is all I need.” Aaand that’s when we all knew that Jamie’s ring would be the one stolen.

“Not for a single day.” Uh, *casually points at the episode in season three when she retcons her entire life in Boston to be not as bad as it was because Jamie’s been such an asshat to her*.

Ok. Holy shit this final scene. I love everything about this final scene. Except the song. This show is not subtle. It’s never been subtle. But holy shit, playing the iconic Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful at the end of an episode called America the Beautiful to be like welcome to ‘Murrica, fuckos, is like even less subtle than they usually go. I 1000% LOVE the choice to cut the audio from the end of the fight scene and just have the visuals, it just would have worked much better if they’d scored with with a regular instrumental piece.

Gah, Bonnet is such a smarmy motherfucker! The nose wipe before he coldcocks Jamie is just perf.

Claire’s face in this entire scene, holy fucking shit. *throws all the awards at Balfe*

And then Lesley dies and I’m a terrible person because I’m happy we don’t need to be stuck with him all season. But holy shit Bonnet when he pauses right before he cuts his throat and then kills him, I love show!Bonnet so much more than I ever gave a shit about book!Bonnet.

And honestly, Claire’s face when he’s killed right in front of her. *throws more awards at Balfe*

GUYS I FEEL MORE EMOTION ABOUT CLAIRE TAKING OFF JAMIE’S RING THAN I DID ABOUT CLAIRE LEAVING BREE BEHIND TO GO BACK THROUGH THE STONES HOW IS BALFE SO GOOD AT MAKING ME FEEL FEELINGS

I’m so fucking glad they changed which ring gets taken. There was an interview where they were like “oh we did it because it has to be visually distinct so Bree can get raped!” and I’m like a) fuck you for including that and b) right decision, wrong reason. This is the right reason for the change.

But even as I say that they made the right call in which ring to have stolen, it’s still a fact that they fucking chose to have one stolen at all. The writers and production team decided that Brianna needed to be raped so a ring must be stolen. Because Diana never wrote a character she didn’t want raped and the Outlander producers never read a rape scene they didn’t want to include. Fuck them all very much for that.

Fuck Them Very Much for That, the title of my memoir.

Oh god her face right at the end when she sees that it’s fucking Fred’s ring she’s left with and not Jamie’s fucking murders me.

*THROWS AN ENTIRE TROPHY STORE AT BALFE*

#*#drunj!der yells about outlander #outlander starz #outlander 4x01

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bubble-tea-bunny · 7 years

Text

marianas or the moon

[barry allen x reader]

author’s note: i always thought kissing booth fics were kinda cute, figured i could try my hand at it. hope y’all enjoyyy

word count: 2,036

Barry Allen is a nervous wreck 90% of the time, and 80% of that time it’s because of you.

He already doesn’t know the first thing about interacting with people. Not in a way that doesn’t embarrass himself or leave him a stuttering mess. Just the other day, someone sat next to him in criminology, shook his hand and gave him their name. And Barry had smiled because that’s the easy part but instead of giving his own name he’d said the same one back. Then he’d gone pale realizing what he did and the classmate had just laughed, calling it a coincidence, and now Barry’s convinced that whenever he sees this Sam in class or around campus, he’ll need to pretend his name is Sam too. Because correcting the mistake is much too difficult. Oh no. He’d already committed to it.

But when he first met you, he’d given you the right name the first time. Thankfully. And it’s odd that he had because all that was flittering through his mind as he introduced himself was how pretty you were. He’d bumped into you when walking to his next class. The force of the impact knocked your notebooks out of your arm and he’d apologized profusely as he helped you pick them up. You’d smiled reassuringly and told him it was okay. And then he looked at you, really looked at you, and he was hardly paying any mind as he said his name, getting it right by sheer luck because your eyes were like the soft oscillation of a hypnotist’s pocket watch—entirely mesmerizing, and at the sight of them, he thinks he’d do anything you asked him to.

You still have that effect on him, and Barry’s certain that it will last in perpetuity. He wonders if you can tell, if you can spot the way his own eyes seem to get glossy when he watches you, transfixed, entranced, equal parts by his own will and yet not by his own will at all. It’s like a superpower (and at first he did genuinely wonder if you had persuasion). With one glance you have someone wrapped around your finger—Barry, in this particular example. But there’s still a part of him that would do whatever you wanted, even if he wasn’t under your supposed powers of persuasion. (You don’t actually have persuasion, he knows that now. You’re just you. And maybe that’s the strongest superpower of all.)

As such, it might be safe to say that a majority of his life after having met you has been spent in a state of hypnosis. You’re his best friend, and he sees you often. It’s strange that it came to that because you’re practically his opposite. He’s all flustered dork and you’re… well, you’re just not that. When it comes to interacting with strangers, other students on campus or customers at the local coffee bar also waiting for their drinks, you do the majority of the talking, easily carrying on light conversation like it’s your job. It seems to be a feature that emanates from you, like there’s a sign above your head, numerous light bulbs forming an arrow as if to let others know you’re friendly and open to talk, if they wanted to. And almost always, they do. They gravitate towards you. You always try to pull him into the conversations. You’re sweet like that, never wanting him to feel left out, and you figure maybe it’ll be good practice for his people skills. Because you know most are too slow for him but you’re there to close that gap, giving him guidance, gentle nudges in the right direction.

One time while at his apartment, preoccupied with a game on your phone while Barry sat at his computer, you’d asked if he found you too slow for him. He glanced at you but you hadn’t once looked up from the screen and he already knows that no, he doesn’t think that. You have no problems keeping up. If anything—

“I think it’s me who should be asking if I’m too slow for you,” he says, smiling slightly.

And it’s true. At least Barry thinks so. Whenever he’s around you he can’t help but feel inadequate, especially when you interact with others. He wishes he could do it as well as you could. He wishes he could do it at all.

You smile too and slide your eyes up to him. “You could never be.”

There’s an unspoken agreement in those four words that the two of you are moving at the exact same pace.

His feelings for you have always been lying beneath the surface of his heart, ever present but always ignored. Barry fears it would jeopardize your friendship if you knew and he can’t bear the thought of losing his best friend. So he just doesn’t say anything. And it goes fine. When he trips over his words or feels his hands get clammy whenever you just seem to look at him a certain way, all soft eyes and warm smile, you never take it as anything more than him simply being his usual awkward self, even if the truth is that he’s acting that way because he likes you. A lot. But the day you’re holding a flyer, at the top of which reads Kissing Booth (complete with a red kiss next to it), those feelings start straining against the wall of his heart, prepared to burst, to bare themselves to you.

“Meredith asked if I would work the booth, at least for a couple of hours,” you explain, still looking down at the piece of paper. But then you look at him. “What do you think?”

Barry thinks it’s a bad idea. Maybe that’s a given, considering his crush on you and all. It’d be weird to say no, though, since you don’t know about his crush. The voice in the back of his head tells him that this is it, then—this is the moment he tells you that he likes you and he’d much rather you don’t work the kissing booth because he wants you to himself. But he doesn’t listen, and instead he smiles and says you should do whatever it is you feel like doing. You decide to volunteer and he really should’ve expected that because you always want to help, ever so helpful [Name], but he still can’t quite control the way he deflates when he hears it. He smiles and nods and hopes it distracts you enough that you don’t see his shoulders sag.

The fair had started a few hours ago, right as the sun dipped down below the horizon, but Barry hadn’t shown up until your shift at the kissing booth. He’d walked with you to the park at the center of campus, dropped you off at your area. You smiled up at him and asked if he’d be okay, if he’d just be heading back to his apartment. You don’t ask it to be judgmental, and he knows that. You know how he is in crowds like this, how for him, talking to people is like being thrust into the wild. And sure, he’s picked up some stuff from you about how to go about it, but it’s akin to only being half-fluent in a language. People will talk and Barry will understand vaguely, but formulating responses would take too long, mind scrambling for what to say.

He tells you he thinks he’ll stick around for a bit, to look at what else is here. Your smile widens as you say okay and tell him to keep an eye out for anything you might like to check out, for when your shift is over. And then Meredith is calling you to the now vacant stool, and with one comforting pat to Barry’s arm, you make your way over. As he walks away, he glances once over his shoulder to where you are and sees the sign: $5 Kisses. Complete with hearts.

Wandering around the fair and taking in the sights is interesting enough. There’s plenty here, and he’s making notes of where to take you. He’s not really following any path, just wandering around aimlessly. At least that’s what he tells himself. Because before he knows it, the kissing booth is back in his sights. He stands there for a few minutes, hands tucked into his jacket pockets as he thinks. There’s a line and jealousy bubbles in his chest and he knows nothing more confidently than the way he feels about you, yet his feet seem frozen to the spot. Doubt holds him back as he wonders what you’d think when he reached the front of the line and your best friend sat down. If you didn’t like him back, the climate of your friendship would change forever. Well, if you did like him back, it’d still change, but at least it would change for the better. Either way things would be different. And in the boldest move he thinks he’ll ever make on this green earth, he gets in line. It’s a risk he’s willing to take.

The jar of five dollar bills is filling up nicely. At the end of the night, Meredith will be counting it all and donating it. She’s standing several feet away, stopping some people and asking if they’d be interested in going to the kissing booth, because “It’s for a good cause!” You glance over at her between kisses, as the current person stands and the next person takes a seat. This time, you look back over to see Barry across from you. Your eyes widen and your heart starts beating faster because words don’t need to be said. The context you two find yourselves in speaks for itself. Which is nice, since for once, you can’t seem to find words.

“Hey, [Name],” Barry greets quietly, shyly.

“Hey, Barry,” you greet in a similar hushed tone. Your cheeks are warm and you wonder if he can hear your heart beating hard.

There’s a few seconds of silence and Barry is getting increasingly worried. Had he made a mistake? His hands are wrenching in his lap and he wants to leave. He’d made a fool of himself. Of course he had. You never thought of him like this and now he’s gone and fucked it all and—

You lean forward and set your soft lips on his.

—and he thinks he’s died and gone to heaven. Sure, he might’ve imagined what the moment might be like. But it doesn’t compare to the real deal at all. The real deal is better. And he knows these sorts of booths are only meant for an innocent peck but he finds himself deepening it. You don’t protest. It’s only when there are grumbles from the others waiting in line that you force yourself to pull away first. Barry’s eyes are still closed and he’s already missing your lips. When he opens his eyes and looks at you, you’re smiling a little, cheeks flushed and beautiful, and you look over at Meredith, who’s already watching the two of you with a small smile on her face.

“I’m gonna have to end things a bit early, if that’s okay,” you say.

Meredith’s smile widens as she nods and walks over, presumably to take your place. She shoos you away. “All right. Go.” You’re quick to stand and Barry follows after you. You grab his hand to lead him away, but before you’re too far out of hearing range, Meredith speaks up again—“It’s about time!”

You can’t help but giggle as you look back at her for a second, but then your attention is all on Barry. It’s not entirely certain where the two of you might head from here. You just pull him along and he follows. Are you going to his apartment? The café down the street? Anywhere to get away from the hustle and bustle of the park, if anything. Barry decides it doesn’t matter where you’re both going. He’d be perfectly fine if it were to the end of the horizon or the rings of Saturn. He just cares that you’re there too.

#barry allen x reader #barry allen imagine #justice league imagine #the flash x reader #the flash imagine #ezra miller x reader #ezra miller imagine #barry allen #justice league #the flash #ezra miller #DC comics #dc comics imagine #bubble-tea-bunny

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practicingmedicine · 3 years

Text

LOADER V1. 1

EXEC VERSION 41.10

32K RAM SYSTEM

15932 BYTES FREE

HOLLOWTAPE LOADED: “THE-LOONEY-BIN”

INITIALISING….

SUCCESS!

> STATUS

Battery Level: 57%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 93F

> HEALTH

BP: 120/90

SPO2: 100%

Temp: 98.5F

RR: 14

HR: 75

> TIME

Day: 23 SEP. 2279

Time: 22:12

> CLIMATE

Current Temperature: 72F

Atmospheric Pressure: 753 mm

Background Radiation: 0.431 RAD

---

It was well past my usual bedtime. 10:12 PM, when I translated the clock from military time, and the sun had already set. The sky was too cloudy to see any stars, of course; Even the brilliant light of the moon couldn’t quite make it through. I was tired, both because I was used to a more structured schedule, and because it had been an exhausting day. So much had happened at this point that I wasn’t really in a frame of mind to care about one more piece of work.

Gram had suggested I do something to introduce myself to my new friends before we hit the hay, so I decided to do what I was best at- general assessment! I’d do a head-to-toe examination of each of them. That way, I’d be getting to know each of them in a real literal way, and it gave me an excuse to set up some pip-boy profiles. The Pip Boy makes a great assessment tool, assuming you got the patient in the database already

I looked over each of my patients, then back at my device. 57% battery charge … creating new profiles always took a lot of battery power, but I knew it would hold for the night. If worse came to worst, I could charge it up a little with the glowing energy cell that I always kept in my breast pocket.

I was about ready to perform now, with this makeshift examination room as my stage. It was little more than an abandoned shack that we’d used as a goal post while hiking, and eventually decided to camp by; we’d all be sleeping in nice orange tents. I had used the rickety shelves to set up equipment that I’d need, and propped up an old 3-legged chair against the wall for the patient to sit in. The ranger, who I’d learned was named Tandi, had loaned me a tactical flashlight to provide lighting. Or, I suspected, Gram had made them lend me the flashlight. I’d also commandeered the cart’s radio to get some appropriate music going.

Now, it wasn’t much, but I was grateful for it, because the shed offered privacy. I’d seen firsthand what kind of compromising information could be revealed during this sort of assessment. Forget the eyes, it turns out that STDs are the real window into the soul.

“Alright folks, looks like we’re all set up! Cook, why don’t you come up first?” I suggested, motioning for her to come on forward. She smiled.

“Cool! I actually have a few things that I want an explanation for.”

I ushered her inside, and had her sit down on the stool. I gave her a quick once over; she was about my age, maybe a little older, with freckly brown skin and messy, chin-length black hair that she’d pulled back into a bun. Definitely on the heavier side for a Mojave resident, but other than that she seemed to be taking pretty good care of herself. She had a healthy glow about her that was refreshing to see.

After checking to make sure I had turned the pip-boy all the way off, I removed it from my arm, and clipped it onto Cook’s. Her arm was bigger than mine, so I had to put it a bit lower, but it still fit alright. I turned it on and let it set up a profile. The song on the radio changed as we got settled in.

Blamin' it all,

On the nights on Broadway-

Singin' them sweet sounds,

To that crazy, crazy town...

“I’ve never seen one of these things up close before. Is it going to reveal my deepest, darkest secrets?” Asked Cook, big brown eyes rooted to the glowing green screen. I nodded.

“If you consider the state of your internals to be your deepest, darkest secrets, then sure. You missing anything?” She shook her head as I donned my stethoscope.

“I don’t think so. Are you?”

I looked down at my left hand. I was missing something, actually- I didn’t have a thumb on my left hand. Instead, my father had done some little surgeries, and moved my index finger to where my thumb would be. It worked fine, didn’t hurt me none, so I hardly noticed it. I flexed my hand to demonstrate.

“Yep. Ain’t that neat?” Cook looked mystified.

“Whoa. That is cool! Why are all those fingers so long ?” I shrugged.

“Hell if I know. The whole arm is a little screwed up, but mostly the hand.” And the forearm, I thought about pointing out. There was a huge patch of pale and rubbery skin running along there, but it didn’t seem like she’d noticed yet and the reasons for it being that way weren't the kind of thing that I liked to talk with new folks about. It was my uncomfortable little secret, you know?

“Could it be radiation? Maybe your mom got exposed while she was pregnant,” suggested Cook. I thought for a moment. Had mom been pregnant with me when she got shot?

“Hey, wait a minute- this is your examination, not mine! Keep the speculatin’ to yourself!” Cook shrugged.

“Sorry, I'm a natural speculator. Oh, and, I think your pip-boy is booted up. Am I a new user?” I nodded.

“Here, lemme see it-“ I used the selector wheel to scroll to the thing that said, “YES,” which was a word I could read, and then let it boot up some more. After a few seconds, her profile popped up:

> STATUS

Battery Level: 40%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 95F

> HEALTH

BP: 130/80

SPO2: 99%

Temp: 99.5F

RR: 12

HR: 100

WARNINGS >Right Kidney: Absent

---

“I see a warning,” I said. “Do you mind reading it for me?” Cook shook her head. “No, I… well, shit.” She stared at the screen silently for a few seconds. I raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“It says, right kidney: absent. Is that bad?”

I blinked. “Um, let me see that.” I crouched down next to her, and flicked over to the screen that showed the smiling guy- or, girl, apparently, if the user was female, with little symbols indicating problems. Sure enough, there was a little black warning sign where her left kidney- her right kidney, actually, would be located. “Hm. I don’t reckon it’s a glitch.”

“Okay, but is that bad? Am I going to die before I turn twenty?” she asked, with enough confidence that I was pretty sure she knew the answer. I shook my head.

“Well you might, but not on account of your kidney. Some people just… only have one, I guess.” I thought for a second, then added, “Rule of thumb: If you’ve survived this long without any problems, you’re probably fine.”

That seemed to satisfy her. “Anything else you need to check?” she asked. I nodded.

“A few things. First off, I want to get an idea of what your normal heartbeat sounds like.” I slipped the earbuds of my stethoscope in and placed it against her chest, moving it around a bit. I didn’t hear no beat. “Could you pull your shirt up?” I asked. She gave me a suspicious look.

“I’m wearing a dress. I can’t really pull it up.”

“Okay then, pull it down a bit. I don’t hear nothing,” I replied, trying not to push it too much; apparently some people really didn’t like showing their skin in front of other folks. I always thought that was strange, but I’d learned to respect other people’s weird choices. She sighed and pulled the top of her dress down a bit.

“Still getting more lung than heart,” I said. Cook snickered.

“Well that’s because you’re listening on the wrong side, you dork!” I froze. I took a deep breath, and then I placed it on the other side.

“Oh my god,” I murmured. I stood there for a few more seconds, not sure whether to feel astonished or annoyed

“What?”

“Cook, have you got yourself a twin?” I asked. Cook frowned for a second, then shook her head

“Not that I remember. What’s that have to do with this?”

“Your entire body is flipped! Your heart’s on the wrong side, the pip-boy registered your right kidney as your left kidney, and I’m willing to bet twenty Caps that you’re left handed!” I said, yanking the stethoscope out of my ears. She looked surprised.

“Ambidextrous, actually. I use both my hands for stuff, though I guess I do sort of default to my left! I hadn’t noticed until you mentioned it,” she replied, rubbing her left arm nervously. I shrugged.

“Whatever! It’s harmless, and imagine if someone tried to kill you by shooting you in your heart, but they couldn’t cause it was facing the other way!”

“That would be badass.” she conceded. She stroked her chin. “Like, the hero puts the gun up to my chest and shoots, and then turns his back because he thinks that I’m dying, and then BANG! His friends all gather around for his tragic last words, I laugh an evil laugh and make my escape…”

“But what if the hero-“ I started. Cook started cackling.

“Hey, no, don’t steal my idea! What if his heart was on the wrong side too? Or, it was on the right side, but I didn’t know which side the heart was supposed to be on because mine was wrong!”

“Oh- but then, you both die anyways, cause you still got shot in the lung, and now you’ve got pneumothorax and your lung is gonna collapse!” I realized midway through the sentence that it was a real buzzkill, but Cook didn’t seem to mind. She leaned back in her chair.

“True… Well, I guess it wouldn’t be all that useful then. Still, it’s kind of cool!” She made a little gesture with her thumb and index finger to indicate just how kind of cool it was.

“A little,” I said, still grinning. We both just kind of sat there for a while after that, enjoying our newfound kinship. Cook made a sound like she’d remembered something.

“Oh! I almost forgot- do you have any idea what this weird rashy stuff is? It’s genetic I think, because a few other people in my first tribe had it and I’ve not seen it anywhere else.” She turned her back to me and spread her arms. I hadn’t noticed before, but the backs of her arms and all of the skin I could see on her upper back was covered in these little raised red patches with chalky white centers.

"Psoriasis,” I said immediately. She turned back around looking all sorts of concerned, but I waved her away. “Nothing serious. There are a few different types, but none of them are dangerous. It just means that the top layer of your skin grows too much in some places, which is what makes those weird little scales appear.” She sat back down.

“Is there like, any way I can treat it? The rashy bits itch all the time, and it hurts when I scratch them.”

“Yeah, actually!” She perked up a bit. “Just spend some time with your back to the sun. Make a habit of keeping the rash uncovered, and try to face it towards the sun whenever you’re sitting.”

“Why’s that work?” She asked. I shrugged.

“No idea. My guess is that the sunlight helps kill the weird cells, but I’m a combat clinician, never studied for it specifically. One of my father’s doctor-buddies had psoriasis, and that worked for him. He liked to go around shirtless ‘cause of that,” I explained. Cook nodded.

“Sounds like fun, but I’ll probably just stick to backless dresses- For everyone’s sake.” She laughed, and so I laughed too, even though I didn’t really get what she was joking about. It felt nice to laugh along with someone again.

“Well… I guess you better do your next patient. It’s kinda late,” said Cook eventually, standing up from the rickety chair. I nodded.

“Of course. Been a pleasure talking with you!” I unclipped the pip-boy from her wrist and gave her a friendly wave as she walked out the door.

“Yeah, you too!”

Well, that’s one patient down, I mused. Weird anatomy, but good company! I’d have to get to know her better in the future.

“Next!” I shouted.

-Break-

Battery Level: 23%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 95F

>HEALTH

BP: 150/120

SPO2: 97%

Temp: 97.5F

RR: 10

HR: 60

>WARNINGS > Head: Crippled > Right Eye: Crippled > Left Leg: Damaged > Right Kidney: Absent

>TIME

Day: 23 SEP. 2176

Time: 22:56

---

It's not in the way that you hold me,

It's not in the way you say you care!

It's not in the way you've been treating my friends,

It's not in the way that you stayed til’ the end...

Now, I couldn’t read all the warnings, but Tandi sure had a lot of them. I flipped to his- no, HER , I realized, little character icon, then immediately regretted it as the wave of warnings jumped out at me.

“Damaged head, missing right eye, some kinda fracture warning in the right leg…” I stopped for a second. I screwed up my face a little. “Oh, for fuck’s sake- are you missing a kidney too!?” Tandi bobbed her helmet solemnly.

“Okay, whatever, that’s fine, I’ll ask about it later! In the meantime, could you take off your helmet, so I can see your head?” She didn’t respond for a bit, which probably bumped my systolic up at least another ten points. Then, slowly, she brought her hands up to her helmet like Darth Vader, and lifted it off.

Her face was sharp. She had tan, leathery skin and straight blonde hair streaked with grey, tied behind her head and tucked into her collar. The lines of her face suggested that she was about fifty years old, but the sharpness of her features made her look younger. She was kind of familiar, but I couldn’t say why…

That was, of course, ignoring that the entire lower-right side of her face hung somewhat loose, with that side of her mouth all scrunched up at the end. One of her eyes was little more than a swollen, empty socket, and I could see a patch of missing flesh where her synthetic jaw poked through. Before I could start feeling disgusted, though, I got to feeling kinda curious.

“What happened there?” I asked, reaching my hand towards the face to touch the skin. Her glare was enough to make me draw back.

“I had my face shot. Someone put it back together.” She tilted that side of her face towards me. “How’s it look?”

“Magnificent! I’ve never seen anything like it,” I replied, eyes wide with wonder. The fact that she could still sound so normal- well, so relatively normal, if you ignored the bizarre cadence, was mind blowing. “Seriously, whoever did that surgery must of been equal parts crazy and awesome !”

Tandi shook her head. “No. He was a terrible doctor, just a butcher with a steady hand. Guy who made the jaw was smart, but a real shit soldier.”

So it had been a joint effort. That explained the patchwork quality, though I was still a little unclear as to how she’d actually survived getting shot in the melon. That thing contains some pretty vital stuff.

“Well, as neat as that is, you’ve got a lot of problems. Let’s start with your kidney- where the hell is it?” She curled one side of her face into a smile, which caught me off guard, then lifted up her shirt and armor. Among other markings, there was a deep, pink scar running just inferior to her ribcage, all the way across her side.

“I had a comrade named Andrei who needed one. I was stupid back then, so I gave it to him. Tried to take it back later, but that’s another story...” she recounted. She stared off into the darkness, seemed to space out for a while, and I didn’t interrupt her. I often did the same thing.

“… Anyway, now I’m short a kidney. Good luck with Gram.” She started to stand up, grunting a little as her gargantuan form unfolded out of the chair. I motioned for her to sit back down, even though I knew I couldn’t actually do anything if she chose to leave. I got the impression that she could walk right through me if she wanted to, although she didn’t on this particular occasion; tonight, she settled for scowling at me as she sat back down.

“Can I put my helmet back on?” she asked. I nodded.

“Sure. And I can probably help with that eye, if you let me. Removing a little bit of tissue and wearing a patch would probably do you a world of good.” I couldn’t tell if she’d heard me. When the mask was on, she was about as emotive as a Protectron. “Anyways, let’s talk about that leg! You got any idea what happened there?” Tandi stared at me for a few seconds, which was really creepy with the glowing red visor and the gas mask. She shrugged.

“I kill people. Sometimes, I kill them up close. I must have kicked someone’s skull in too hard.”

As usual, the talk about killing upset my brain and my stomach a little bit. I’d already decided that I was never going to kill nobody, swore an oath on it way back at Father’s funeral, but would they expect me to? Cook might understand, but Tandi? I wasn’t sure about Gram either. If he was still alive this many years after the war, I’d be willing to bet he had killed at least a few people...

But, it wouldn’t do to think about that during an examination! I tried to pull myself together.

“So, I don’t know much about what happened, except that it didn’t heal right. It’s too late to just stick some med-x in, but if we measured doses and gave you some down time, I could probably fix it...” Before I was even done speaking, Tandi was shaking her head.

“No, fuck that- I keep my scars. I ain’t about to sit around on my ass for a month so that I can get out of chairs quicker.” I rubbed my temples.

“Well then , it's awful late, and I still haven’t examined Mister Gram! You don’t have any life threatening conditions right now, so I’ll just let you go.” Without much more than a grunt of pain, Tandi stood up, tossed my pip boy on the ground, and started to walk out the door.

“And, uh- Tandi!” Slowly, she turned back around. I couldn’t see her face, but I could tell that her patience was gone. “… Be careful. You’re awful tore up, you know that? If you get hit bad, I don’t think I can offer you more’n a lick and a promise.” She didn’t nod, or do anything that told me that she heard what I was saying. She just stalked away, disappearing into the dark

Oh well. No one could say I didn’t try.

“Next!” I said, with a little less conviction this time.

-Break- Battery Level: 4%

Wireless Signal: (?)

Operating Temperature: 98F

>HEALTH

Vitals:

BP: ?

SPO2: 93%

Temp: 104F

RR: 16

HR: 50 >WARNINGS > Pulse: WARNING! > Airway: WARNING! > Temperature: WARNING! > Circulation: WARNING! > Blood Pressure: WARNING! > Respiration: WARNING! > Liver: WARNING! > Circulation: WARNING! > Dangerous radiation level!

> TIME

Day: 23 SEP. 2176

Time: 23:15

---

Oh, oh, oh (oh, oh, oh)

You're a native New Yorker!

You should know the score by now, (you should know by now),

You're a native New Yorker...

“Well, Gram, congratulations- your biology is so funky that you’ve triggered every single vitals warning. You proud of yourself?” I could tell that Gram was trying to keep a straight face as my Pip-Boy shat itself figuring out how he was still alive. He took a puff on his cigar and kicked back in the chair, causing it to creak dangerously. That didn’t seem to worry him none.

“Oh, you bet your ass I’m proud. Surviving this kind of stuff ain’t just a talent of mine, kid, it’s a passion .” He aired his cigar smoke as I stared him down, really took him all in for the first time; His brown skin was dead and peeling, his eyes were murky and black. And when he breathed, I could hear the fluid in his lungs without holding a stethoscope to his chest.

In the end, I gave up and sat down on the floor.

“To be honest, Gram, I’m kinda lost here. Both of the others had distressing shit, but at least they were human. With you… I don’t even know where to start. Are your organs even in the same place anymore?” He made an incomprehensible expression.

“I dunno- I’ve never checked.” He took another puff of his cigar, which I would comment on, but… well, frankly, that was the least of his worries. Everybody’s gotta die of something, I guess. “If I’m being honest for a moment here, Isaac, I knew you’d be confused. I just had to make sure I was right.”

My heart sank. This had been a test?

“Gram, I know I don’t sound super confident, but that’s just because this is unfamiliar territory for me! Knowledge gaps scare me! If you get shot, I’m still gonna find a way to fix you,” I said, tensing up like I had a gun pointed at me. He chuckled at that.

“You worry too much, Kid- I just want to get to know you in a medical context, make sure I can trust you to handle me and my team. Looking at how worried you are, I think I know the answer.” He gave me a wink, which he had clearly been practicing plenty over the last two hundred years, and I relaxed a little.

“I… Alright. I think I hit it off with Cook, at least, so that’s good,” I replied, sighing and scooting over to the ground beside Gram. The smell of cigar smoke filled my nose.

“Good! She came out with her smile intact, that’s always a good sign! Did you and Tandi get along any?” The mention of her name wiped the grin right off my face. “Wait, don’t answer that question- I think I know the answer. You two are already like a couple of old pals, right?”

I let out a mix between a laugh and a growl, and stared up at the flashlight hanging from the ceiling.

“She’s what my Father would’ve called a ‘ Calamity Jane. ’ That lady has got issues.”

Gram laughed too. “Yeah, you think? Turns out that thirty years of state sponsored slaughter can mess with your head.” Gram swished some more smoke around in his mouth, and blew it out through his nose. “She’s a good woman at heart. She just has this idea in her head that she’s got some kind of duty to her people- to the NCR, to me and Cook- and sometimes she just can’t see anything else.” I guess Gram saw that I was looking forlorn, because he reached over to pat my head. “Don’t worry about it. Just be glad that you managed to get through to Cook. You ain’t gonna be all alone.”

Then Gram handed me my pip-boy back and stood up to leave. I didn’t stop him. As he opened up the rickety wooden door, (which I noticed that only he had bothered to close) he turned around to face me. “G’night, kid. Try and get some sleep tonight. We’ll be walking most of tomorrow, and I want you up at the crack of dawn.” I nodded.

"Course.” Gram tipped his hat, and closed the door behind him.

Blinking to stay awake, I checked the time on my pip boy. It was almost midnight, which meant that the day wasn’t even over yet. Yawning, I turned it off, and plugged it into my emergency energy cell.

September 23rd- It had been the best day of my life, then the second worst, then it got better, and now it was kind of mediocre again. I wasn’t sure how I felt now. Not that it mattered how I felt. I was going to have to stop thinking so much if I wanted to survive the following days, I realized, as I straddled the line between sleep and consciousness. I thought about standing up to turn the light off, but I was so tired that even thinking about standing up made my legs ache. Instead, I just made a sad, feeble attempt to reach the thing with my hand, and then everything went black.

And so that’s what happened on the 23rd of September, 2173; the day that the world ended.

[+]

#fallout #fallout fanfic #fallout fanfiction #fallout fandom

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your-fandom-fics-universe · 7 years

Text

Prompt List

Feel free to repost.

“I don’t deserve to be loved..”

“I’m a monster!”

“Why can’t you love me?”

“I’m dying..”

“This is it.”

“I’m done with this relationship!”

“I feel like I’m not apart of this family.”

“I can’t believe you said that! “

“How could you..”

“Thanks for nothing.”

“I can’t live like this anymore.”

“That can’t be comfortable.”

“Your toes are freezing!”

“That’s your side of the bed.”

“I’m not jumping off that cliff with you!”

“You’re like a walking space heater.”

“I done did goofed up.”

“You’re on fire.”

“Flour war!”

“I just wanted a cookie!”

“How about I give you a penny? That’s worth nothing!”

“Netflix and Chill?”

“You’re a hero, I’m nothing.”

“We’re screwed.”

“Let’s do the chicken dance!”

“Baby girl? You must mean infant woman.”

“Cuddle time?”

“How do you feel about..this!”

“Who do I need to beat up today?”

“What was so important that you needed to speak to me?”

“This room is a mess!”

“You have something right there.”

“What are you?”

“What do you mean she/he committed suicide?”

“It’s not a toy, it’s an action figure!”

“Don’t be a cry baby.”

“Do you have PTSD? No, I just like to casually have anxiety attacks.”

“I’ll punt your son!”

“Look a puppy! Can we keep it?”

“You gotta stay...HYDRATED!”

“Can you guys stop fighting so we can finish the game!”

“I’ve got the bee’s knees.”

“Hands where I can see them! That’s kinky.”

“My precious, my precious...”

“What the hell was that!”

“Put the gun down.”

“Did you just break my arm?”

“This tastes like shit!”

“You’re so ugly you make me wanna die.”

“I think, maybe, there’s the smallest chance that I may just casually be..pregnant.”

“You own my entire soul.”

“Dude, you’re whipped.”

“You’re making me blush!”

“Why are you so beautiful?”

“Stop hogging all of the blankets!”

“You’re just gonna leave me here?”

“I thought you were different.”

“What a disappointment.”

“Stop being so damn cute!”

“I didn’t do it--he did!”

“Didn’t you see the news?”

“Put me down right now!”

“Awkward..”

“Can you teach me that?”

“I may have, accidentally, read your diary.”

“Well, stop!”

“Stop that man!”

“She’s beautiful.”

“Your nose is abnormally large.”

“I’m hungry. Well, hello Hungry, I’m Dad.”

“It’s so fluffy!”

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”

“Guess who I am. It’s you.”

“That’s shady.”

“Turn left. Which way is left?!”

“I only drink sparkling water.”

“Boi...What does that even mean?”

“What is your opinion on climate change?”

“How do you think the world works?”

“How could anybody actually like you?”

“Stop being so clingy.”

“You’re a dork. Yeah, but I’m your dork.”

“Ohh, I’m dying! Stop being so dramatic. It was a paper cut!”

“Secret secrets are no fun unless they’re shared with everyone.”

“You’re a criminal? That’s the biggest load of bologna I’ve ever heard.”

“Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?”

“Don’t move, I’ll shoot.”

“Put the bazooka down.”

“You should dive into a black hole.”

“I’ve got 99 problems and my depression is all of them.”

“Don’t you want a pony?”

“What a lovely doggo you have there.”

“Let it g-no one wants to hear that stupid song anymore.”

“How many people are in your bed?”

“You want something? Take it. It’s all fake, like me.”

“I’m trash.”

“Is that a sweater vest?”

“You have abnormally large hands.”

“You look like a Greek god...Did I say that out loud?”

“I wish Hitler was my dad.”

“Is suicide even real? It’s probably a conspiracy theory that the government put out because there are a lot of murderers out there.”

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yevonscribbles · 7 years

Text

Home for the Holidays Pt. 1

In which Gideon and Nick get a surprise gift that lift their Christmas Spirits.

*****

Nick let out a contented sigh as he held a cup of coffee between his paws while he watched snow gently fall outside the small house on the outskirts of Bunny Burrows. The fox officer was used to the climate controlled areas of the sprawling metropolis in Zootopia and he often forget the simple joy of changing seasons. In the other room, Nick could hear his partner humming to himself and the aroma of fresh scones wafting through the home they sometimes shared.

“Mmmmmm, oh Gid those smell wonderful!!!” Nick called from his cozy spot on the couch covered in blankets. Normally, he prefered to hang around the house in his boxers but on cold days like this, the slender fox was glad he kept a few old tee shirts and pajama bottoms at the baker’s house. The nappy head of the chubbier fox poked out of the kitchen with a smile.

“Few more minutes on the scones babe! Need any more coffee?” The baker fox asked with a warm smile. He wore his own pajama set with an old pink “Gideon Grey’s Really Good Baked Goods,” apron. Gideon loved having someone to spoil with his cooking and was happy to have his boyfriend home for the holidays. This would be the pair’s first Christmas together and they had big plans to do absolutely nothing but cuddle and watch the snow.

Gideon went back to the kitchen to finish cleaning. Since opening his bakeries the business owner rarely had any took time off. The past few years his holidays were spent either alone or volunteering; anything to keep the fox from feeling lonely. Gideon’s family had long moved away and cut ties due to his “lifestyle choices.” The fox tried to shake the bad memories from his mind, “No sense on dwelling on the past and the things you can’t change.” Gideon thought to himself. With a ding, the scones were ready to cool.

After a light breakfast and a few more cups of coffee, the fox pair wrapped themselves in blankets and were cuddling on the couch. Nick sitting upright reading articles off his smartphone, while Gideon rested his head on his lap reading a book. The larger fox had taken to reading biographies during his free time. A gentle knock on the door caused them to look up from their distractions.

“Expecting company Gid?” Nick asked, with a tilt of his head. “Hope they don’t mind pajamas because I refuse to put on real pants.”

“Ah don’t think anyone was coming over… Ah was all ready for lazy cuddle day.” With a grunt of protest, the baker moved himself from the couch and went to open the door. Another few knocks, a loud whine could be heard from the other side.

“Cheese and crackers you two!! It's COLD!!! Let me in!!!” Judy Hopps did not sound happy to be outside in the elements. The rabbit officer tended to visit her friends whenever she could get away from her family or needed an excuse to get away. She even had a few spare clothes and personal effects around the house.

Chuckling to himself Gideon unbolted the lock and opened the door. “Well that'll learn ya not to come over without texting us first! Come in, we still have some coffee if ya need some. Even have some leftover scones. If ya can convince Nick to let you have ‘em!” Gideon motioned for the cold rabbit to come inside. With some grumbling, the officer marched into the kitchen, dragging a few oversized shopping bags and removed her heavy coat while she made a straight shot to the coffee maker. The rabbit poured herself a cup in her personal mug, a white ceramic item with “World’s Best Wife” in bold type. The mug had been a gag gift from Nick a year ago.

Judy grimaced as she took a drink of the coffee. “Gid! Why didn’t you tell me it was paint thinner not coffee!?”

Nick had moved the couch and leaned in the doorway of the kitchen. “Fluff, you just don’t know good coffee. What brings you out to our humble den on Christmas Eve?”

“I needed to get away from the family for a few hours. There is only so many times you can be asked why you're still single from relatives,” Judy took another swig of the hot beverage. “Also Mom and Dad wanted me to invite you over for Christmas Day.” The foxes shot each other a worried look. A look that didn’t go unnoticed by the officer.

“Umm, Carrots, not to be rude or anything but I don’t think a pair of gay foxes would be welcomed with a few hundred traditionally-minded rabbits,” Nick held up a paw in defence. Judy shot her partner a glare. “No offence but I don’t think we are even on the Christmas card list.”

“Oh please Nick! My family loves you both and you know it! I actually have some early presents from them.” Placing her mug back on the counter, the rabbit began to rifle through one of the bags. Judy produced two roughly wrapped gifts then handed one to each of the foxes. “It’s kind of a tradition that my Mom does once a family member finds a mate, go on open em!”

With a nervous look, the pair of foxes open their gifts to reveal matching sweaters with their names stitched to the middle of the garment. They both would win an ugly christmas sweater party on its own. Bright green and red zig-zag patterns covered the sleeves and tassel balls hung from the collar of the sweaters. Gideon felt himself warm a bit with joy. He had not received a present in years, much less a home-made item. The baker turned to face his partner, only to find the slender fox had already pulled his sweater over his head and was marveling at himself.

“Ah it’s just as itchy as it looks!” Nick said with a little too much excitement. “Well go on Gid, try yours on!” The fox officer was so excited he couldn’t control the wagging of his tail. With a sigh, the larger fox pulled the hand-knitted sweater over his head. He felt silly, itchy, and warm. But there was something else that he couldn’t put his paw on. Judy had taken a seat on the fox sized countertop and watch her friends be the adorable dorks they were. The rabbit smiled, pulling out her phone and took a few quick photos to tease her partner with later.

“Nick yer tail is wagging like crazy! Why are you so excited?” Gideon chuckled at his partner. Normally the officer tried to seem disinterested and aloof, but deep down he could act like an excited kit. The last time Gideon saw Nick this excited, the baker had surprised him at work after a month of working out of town.

The officer took a moment to try and compose himself but he couldn’t stop his tail. With a shrug, he wrapped his paws around the pudgy baker and pulled him into a hug. “Oh Giddy, it’s been ages since I got excited about Christmas. My Grandmother made me a sweater before she passed and I wore it every Christmas until I- Well until I got too big… But this sweater feels just like I remember.’” Gideon nuzzled his boyfriend’s neck.

“Ah am gonna have to ask ye Maw for photos of happy Christmas Kit Nick…” Gideon teased rubbing his partner’s head.

“You will not ask that woman for anything-” Nick began.

“Oh I already got them! I was going to save the kit photographs for blackmail butttt…” Judy waved her phone at her friend. The baker leaned on the counter next to where the rabbit was seated, and looked at her screen. A few second later, Gideon and Judy were making identical cooing baby noises.

“I regret letting you meet my Mother, Judy Hopps…” Nick said with mock irritation.

“Ah don’t be like that babe, ye were a cute kit! And yer Maw is an amazing vixin.” Gideon said with a smile. Though they had only met a few times, the female fox had taken a liking to the Gideon and they kept in contact.

“So what do you boys think? Wanna come to my home tomorrow and thank my Mother in person for your gifts?” Judy said with a smile.

“What do you think Gid? Cuddle all day or spend the day with an adoptive family full of rabbits?” Nick asks with a shrug.

“Aw hell, why not go see how the Hopps spend Christmas? Whats da worst that could happen?” Gideon laughed to himself.

*****

YAY CHRISTMAS!!! Not really my personal favorite holiday BUT it’s a good time for a story. This is a three part story with much bunnies, much gay, and some wow. Please enjoy and feel free to give me some feedback; I know I have some room to grow!

Shout out to my editor (who is also learning) Brad and my boyfriend Erik for dealing with my crazy and how excited I am about writing.

#zootopia #nick wilde #gideon grey #judy hopps #gay #christmas #fanfic #fan fiction #nick x gid #home for the holidays

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queenofmahishmati · 7 years

Text

I GOT TAGGED BY 5 PEOPLE FOR THAT QUESTIONS MEME !!

So that’s 55 questions answered below, ((its soooper long and contains every single truth about my dorkery and pagan ritual and what not.. I'm not a cool person, nope, see for yourself))

Questions from @iwearplaids

Rain or snow ?

Rain, hands down. Snow is just pretty, covers the ground beautifully in white and then melts away. But Rain, rain enhances that smell of earth I love so much and brings forth memories of the time I used to sit on my balcony with a cup of tea, hot bajjis and my friends from college days.

What is/was your favourite subject at school ?

History. I used to finish reading each lesson as if I was reading a story book before our teacher was even half way through it. I used to be the cause of her headache, she almost always took my book away each time so I won’t do it. And Art, we had an art professor who was the first one to take notice of my sketching talents and helped me improve it. In one way or the other, its because of them that I am a Conservation Architect today!!

How would you rate your own blog ?

11/10. It needs a little more organizing and I will give it a fifteen :P

What is the most comforting smell for you ?

Smell of well washed pure cotton fabrics... reminds me of my mumma.

Top 3 fears

Darkness. Dark deep waterbodies. Losing a loved one without a proper goodbye.

Tell an embarrassing story.

Happens on a daily basis really... do you want to hear about the time I almost sat on Rana’s lap and scared him enough that he chose to sit on top of the armrest of the couch instead; or when I got locked out in the utility room of my house by my own silliness, without my mobile on me and had to wait till my flatmate (and the rest of my friends) came home and opened the door while I smiled at them like a dork from the other side of the glass door; or that one time I was standing on my terrace watching a meteor shower and my mum thought I was doing some kind of pagan ritual and took a video of it cause I was dancing around with a long stick in my hand facing up at the sky, while I was actually hopping in circles and spinning the stick around myself to escape mosquitoes...

Last book that you read and fell in love with.

The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh. Its the first of his non-fiction works I read and wow, it made me think deep and agree with his point that future history will call our period the most deranged of all times. Its about climate disaster and a must read in my opinion, I’m glad I picked it up at the airport while I was bored. With that said, his The Hungry Tide is one of my favourite books.

Your all time favourite movie ?

Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on The Cheek)

Would you say that you’re popular in real life ?

Yep, yes. People find my (child like) enthusiasm contagious and I can listen better than I talk (that’s what my friends say). So yeah, I’m kind of always surrounded by people mostly... unless I push them away myself to breathe.

Favourite accessory ?

Um... anklets? Oh no, I love bangles. Although, I barely wear any accessories. Its a surprise if I wear anything more than my usual earrings.

Flats or heels ?

Shoes or boots with heels. I’m short. I need that extra boost to bounce around on my happy feet.

Questions from @ruminationsofaraven

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. Always.

All time favourite book and T.V show.

Harry Potter series and Scooby Doo.

What would you rather choose to write about - Smut or Fluff?

Fluffy fluff that will soon turn angsty.

Spookiest story you’ve heard when you were a kid.

I have lived through three spooky experiences. I don’t need a story to top them. *shudders*

If you get a chance to change three things you regret doing in your life with a time-turner, what’d you choose to do?

Go back in time to when I met Rana and make sure I proposed to him rather than chickening out I guess?? Other than that, there isn’t anything I regret much except maybe knock my second boyfriend down in one clean punch before he even asked me out.

Have you ever dreamt about getting interviewed on the Ellen show?

Oh yes. Many many times!!

Fuck/Marry/Kill (Marvel Special) - Loki, Captain America & Bucky

Fuck Loki, Marry Captain America... and kill Bucky (yikes sorry)

Ever embarrassed yourself in front of a crush?

A lot. There was this one time in school where I was gushing about my crush to my friend and he was... well, sitting right behind me and heard the entire thing. Funny story, he’s my best ever friend right now and knows me better than my mum and I’m the Best Woman (maapillai thozhi) for his upcoming wedding!!

One Disney character who you can relate with irl.

Merida from Brave. You have no idea how much similar that movie is to my life LMAO

Have you ever stalked an ex?

Nope, I don’t dwell in the past. And except one asshat, the rest of my exes are still my friends (acquaintance).

Swap yourself with a character on a T.V show and that would be? Also, do you think you’ll survive in that universe.

Arya from Game of Thrones maybe. Oh yes, I would be a savage and kill everyone and win the iron throne for myself before dying at the white walkers’ hands, stabbed in the back cause I most probably was running away screaming bloody murder upon seeing them...

Questions from @fierarain

If you were given a chance to play God for a day, what would you do?

Kill off everyone I think that don’t deserve to live (you know who, mostly all those politicians). Save every child from disease and dying. Change people’s mindset and make them think about saving the Earth instead of destroying it. Make Harry Potter world exist for real. Read every book in the world if it was possible... and wish all of this could happen with a single snap of my fingers.

What’s your favorite quote?

“What you seek is seeking you.” and “Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” - both by Rumi

What disgusts you the most?

Worms. And people who lack common sense.

What motivates you to get out of bed everyday?

Food. And the possibility of some unexpected unknown happening.

Describe any custom/ritual/tradition unique to your family/region/community.

My family is from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu and during weddings which mostly happens in our ancestral houses, the groom ties three different thaalis (mangal sutras) around the bride’s neck. And its like small, medium and large in size - like the cups we request at Starbucks... I find that extremely funny by the way!!

What part of the day do you look forward to and why?

Night. I love the stars. They make me wonder how much of a lie time is. The one twinkling cheerfully at me, does it still brighten up the galaxy or has it faded long back and I’m just seeing the ghost of its life standing this far away...

If given a chance to swap lives with someone, whom would you choose?

No one. I love my life, I’d pass that chance on.

Who/What is the center of your universe?

Rana?? Kidding... I am the center of my universe (and sometimes my family too).

What’s your happiest memory?

Picking Bakula flowers from the ground around a hundred year old tree with my cousins in the house back in our village... and then playing with them in the courtyard while it rained. I had a blessed childhood!!

Which fictional universe would you want to be a part of?

Harry Potter. (Or Star Wars)

Since everyone I know is in the Baahubali fandom….Devasena or Sivagami?

Sivagami. And Devasena. xP

Questions from @avani008

If you could know the answer to one unsolved mystery, what would it be and why?

I would like to know my purpose in this world maybe… But a mystery that already exists and I want answer to– How the ducking heck did they build the Kailasa temple of Ellora?? LIKE HOW??

Favorite myth?

Every time it thunders scarily, Arjuna is mad and stomping around the heavens like a crazy elephant. And wishes made upon shooting stars do come true!!

The main characters of the last two movies/TV shows you watched have switched places. What madness ensues?

Oh my god, the last two movies I watched was Aramm and Nene Raju Nene Mantri (re watch). Nayanthara and Rana’s roles swapped would be epic on one hand but also disastrous?? Like the corrupt Jogendra in Aramm scenario might have not done anything about the child, or that child could have been his redemption and he might have turned out to be better, I honestly don’t know... Now Madhivadhani in NRNM, I think we will get to see that madness for real in Aramm 2 when it releases. Although, she is a no-shit no-nonsense person and has her heart and mind in the right place (unlike Jogendra) !!!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Anywhere with my family around. Actually, some place that’s cold enough and has a beach. And of course, my family!!

Who would be the worst person to be stuck in an elevator with? How about the best person to be stuck in an elevator with?

The worst person to be stuck in an elevator with would be my brother, we would probably murder each other before help arrives. Best person would be… *drum rolls* RANA!!

If you could make a movie/TV series out of any book (or remake one if it exists already), what would it be?

There’s a book called “ஏழு தலை நகரம்” (ezhu thalai nagaram - seven headed city) in Tamil by S. Ramakrishnan. I would make that into a film for children.

What would be the title of your autobiography?

Stardust in search of her Star… Or Remembrall… or something decidedly more whacky depending upon the way I plan to write it.

Favorite poem?

This poem by Bharathiyar,

“ அக்கினி குஞ்சொன்று கண்டேன்-அதை ஆங்கொரு காட்டி லொர் பொந்திடை வைத்தேன் வெந்து தணிந்தது காடு-தழல் வீரத்தில் குஞ்சென்றும் மூப்பென்றும் உண்டோ?”

Translation: I found a small spark of fire and Placed it inside a burrow in a forest;The entire forest was burnt down to ashes; An ember is mighty enough regardless of it’s size!

Least favorite cliche/trope in fic or literature?

Love triangles. Or squares. Or Hexagon… its just over overused!!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Be in places I want to be in the blink of my eye. I’m a lazy person in general, so that would help me get to places on time!!

If you could have dinner with any three fictional characters, who would they be and why?

Bhallaladeva, I would probably be next on his to-be-killed list for all the questions I ask over dinner. Baahubali, he’s gonna be a sweetheart really, but I would probably be ruthless and pry off his rose tinted glasses to make him see people for what they really are. Panchali, I know she’s not fictional but ever since I read Palace of Illusions, I have been wanting to know the real story from her perspective.

Questions from @sleepiszindagi

What is your best childhood memory?

My happiest memory above is also my best childhood memory.

Most recent movie watched?

Aramm, I watched it on Saturday. I loved it!!

What do you feel most proud of?

My mother. And my achievements because of her.

If you could only keep 5 possessions, what would it be and why?

A magical pot that could make food any time, my bed to sleep in, my phone to keep in touch with everyone and everything, extra clothes and MY BOOKS.

How do you spend your free time?

Plotting world domination. No really, I would be sitting at one of the windows and cooking up some crazy story in my head as I day dream about ruling the world.

What are your three favorite movies and why?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban cause that’s the first one I watched in the series (until then I was like, movies don’t do justice to the books). Kannathil Muthamittal cause it hits me emotionally on so many levels. Baahubali right now because you know why…

What is your strongest personal quality?

I’m Realistic. Of course I babble a lot and dream more than that but in the end of the day, I’m probably one of the most grounded person you will meet.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Again, answered up above somewhere.

What age do you feel right now and why?

I feel like I’m 26 going on 6 most of the times cause I have the temperament of a toddler. I try to act my age though, mostly…

What is a skill you would like to learn and why?

Um, different ways to do my hair maybe on top of learning how to toss pancakes and omlettes.

Which movie are you most awaiting for and why?

Right now, The Last Jedi. Cause STAR WARS really, what more reason could be there??

#know me better #questions meme #answered at last #thats all i hope??#this took me two hours #you hear me TWO HOURSSS

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another-writer · 8 years

Text

Begin Again: Chapter 3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 End Word count: 2,373 Warnings: a couple of swear words, mention and brief description of a panic attack (Tags at the end)

Bucky had been standing at the head of the bench press spotting Steve for the past twenty minutes, only half concentrating on his friend. Steve could handle dropping the weight on himself, probably. His mind was still reeling from the conversation he had had with you last night on the balcony. He had woken up at two in the morning and had ran into you in the kitchen when he got up to make himself some green tea to calm himself down.

He figured Sam had been exaggerating, but dammit the tea actually helped.

Bucky knew that as much as you liked to talk, you also treasured your peace and so he hadn’t expected for your eyes to widen momentarily as you took in his panic-stricken form. You had been in the compound for … almost a month? And yet it was so easy to open up to you.

‘What are you thinking so hard about?’ Steve panted.

Bucky blinked, losing his staring contest with the wall opposite. ‘Nothing,’

‘If you wanted to ask her out, she’d say yes.’

Bucky snapped out of his daze, looking down at his friend, but stayed calm. Steve was a dork but he was also observant, especially when it came to his teammates. Bucky wasn’t surprised that Steve picked up on his crush.

‘I don’t think so,’ Bucky replied, abandoning Steve on the bench and hooking up a punching bag at the opposite end of the room. ‘She’s just being friendly.’

Steve smirked. ‘She doesn’t take the time to coax everyone back to sleep, Buck.’

Bucky blushed furiously. ‘How’d you know about that? And she doesn’t do it all the time, just happened like twice.’

‘Still, that’s more than enough.’

Bucky tried to suppress his broad smile. ‘You know she told me to screw Hydra,’ he chuckled.

‘What?’ Steve laughed breathlessly, resting the bar in place and sitting up.

‘No seriously, it was awesome,’ Bucky said. ‘I mean, I appreciate everyone’s patience but I think I needed to hear that.’

‘You’re only proving my point,’ Steve said knowingly.

Bucky made a face and shook his head. ‘We’re friends, Steve, but I don’t think she’d want someone with so much baggage. Relationships are different.’

‘You’re just talking hypothetically,’ Steve argued.

‘Steve, she -’ Bucky scowled. ‘She’s like the sun, y’know? She’s so good at everything I’m terrible at and she’s so smart and she’s gonna graduate from college and have this fancy high-tech job and fucking live this life that I can’t be a part of because I’m still trying to learn what the fuck this century even is!’

Steve surveyed his friend as he voiced all his thoughts that had been accumulating for the past few weeks; maybe longer, maybe since he had come out of cryo in Wakanda. It wasn’t news to Bucky that his experience under Hydra was an unfortunate, horrific chain of events that were never a result of his own doing, and although Bucky was still healing from his past he didn’t quite need to be comforted as much on the issue. It was that Bucky felt like he was falling behind; it was combination of his PTSD and his frustration with his PTSD, and the incredibly rational fear of his captors and the organisation they were part of. Bucky was just scared.

‘I really like her but I like being her friend and I don't ... I don't want to push my luck.’

After three weeks of living in the compound, the butterflies in your stomach were getting increasingly harder to ignore. Around you, Bucky completely eased into this charming, dorky, guy whose smile could reverse climate change and outshine the sun.

The worst part was that there was a completely rational part of you that was content with being Bucky’s friend - not only that, but that part of you knew that it was the best thing for him. The man was only just starting to adjust to life here after seventy years spent as a weapon, two spent alone trying to salvage bits and pieces of himself to construct a new level of normalcy, and then ending up in the middle of a crisis resulting in being sent back into cryo. Bucky didn’t need a love life, he needed a friend (besides mum-friend Steve) and you were more than happy to fill in the blanks.

And then there was the irrational, irritating part of you that wanted nothing more than for Bucky to grab you and kiss you until you couldn’t breathe. You wanted everything you had with him now - the times when you taught him basic mechanics, binge-watching Parks and Recreation after everyone had gone to sleep, midnight pizzas, and drag races (him in one of Stark’s flashy cars, you on your first born child-slash-motorcycle) … You just wanted to kiss him while you did all of that.

And of course there was the one most poignant worst moment of your life where you and Bucky were driving together just to get some time away from the bustle of the compound; the sun was setting, highlighting the sky with brilliant fiery oranges and golden hues and the light kissed his skin and made his eyes glow like stars or water when the moonlight hit it just right. There was a comfortable silence in the car, save for the music coming from your phone which you had plugged into the speaker system. You were passing through the older, more crooked part of Brooklyn when Bucky knitted his eyebrows and said -

‘I think I used to live here.’

You turned in the passenger’s seat to face him. ‘Really? How can you tell?’

Bucky turned the car back around, circling around the block. ‘There’s gotta be a street sign somewhere,’ he muttered under his breath. ‘Yeah, look!’

Bucky ended up parking the car on the pavement. You both got out and he lead you down between two decrepit apartment buildings; the fire escapes were rusting, black paint chipped, and the brickwork was starting to crumble. Still, with the way the setting sun was hitting the buildings and casting long shadows from the window panes across the walls, it was picturesque.

Bucky made a point of walking next to you, so close that your arms brushed together. He had his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket.

‘It used to be kinda sketchy,’ he admitted by means of explanation. ‘But Steve and I lived close to each other and there was this lady who lived with her niece next door and they were always real nice to us. Steve and I used to babysit her niece in the summer while she was at work …’

You smiled at him as he spoke endlessly about his days here. It was the first time he had told you memories of his past before Bucharest, before Hydra, before that period of time where his lifeline knotted and frayed and unraveled. You knew that Steve must have been aiding Bucky in regaining his memories and that there was a time where Bucky held no emotion for the things that he remembered while he tried to place himself back in some sort of timeline, but right here you sensed that Bucky knew he had reasons to be happy. It was all you could ever really ask for, all you realised you wanted for him.

Bucky broke off his sentence, looking at you and realising you had been staring at him. ‘And, yeah, that’s - that’s how we …’

You smirked at his blush and looked away.

‘What?’ Bucky ducked his head down, smiling nervously, that animated glint still prevalent in his eyes.

You shook your head lightly unable to stifle your smile. ‘Your Brooklyn accent was getting really strong there.’

Living in the compound also meant picking up on the habits of your housemates, meaning you soon found that your window of solidarity rested between one and five o’clock in the morning. No one slept before eleven; people would start to wake at five; no one slept after nine a.m. (except Wanda who, like you, appreciated the art of sleeping until the sun was high in the sky sometimes. You really liked Wanda); Between eleven at night and one in the morning, Sam, Natasha, and Bucky would be playing video games and binge-eating. You loved the team but you also loved being alone sometimes.

Which was why you were surprised to see Steve in the kitchen at two in the morning. If not asleep, he should have been in the gym.

‘Shouldn’t you be beating the living sand out of a punching bag, Cap?’ you asked as you dug around in the fridge looking for last night’s leftovers. You’d be damned if Sam got to the vegetable lo mein before you did.

‘I wanted to talk to you,’ he replied.

‘How’d you know I’d be awake?’

‘FRIDAY monitors our activity,’ said Steve smiling somewhat tauntingly; his arms were folded over his chest. ‘I figured a genius such as yourself would know that over a hundred year old man.’

You rolled your eyes. ‘What do you want, Steve?’

‘What’s going on between you and Bucky?’

You choked on the mouthful of noodles, eyes streaming as you took several sips of water to calm yourself down.

‘What?’ you coughed.

Steve seemed completely unphased by your shock. He didn’t say anything.

‘Me … Bucky and I - no, there’s nothing,’ you said trying to sound calm.

Steve stayed quiet.

‘I’m serious,’ you emphasised.

Steve blinked.

You scoffed. ‘I think Barnes is a little too old for me, Cap, no thanks. We’re just friends, I’m catching him up on something called the twenty-first century, mother, so - I don’t think so.’

There was another beat of silence where your heartbeat pounded in your ears and blood crept up your neck, a blush colouring your cheeks.

Steve quirked an eyebrow and smiled. ‘He’s the same way.’

You paused. ‘What?’

‘He likes you.’

You shook your head and smiled self-deprecatingly. ‘I know that relationships work a little differently now but you’re reading too much into this, Cap. Bucky and I are friends.’

‘I haven’t seen him like this - ever,’ Steve added. ‘Even when we were in high school, Bucky was never this carefree.’

‘It doesn’t matter, Steve,’ you said firmly. ‘I don’t even like him, I have the emotional range of a grape.’

‘That’s not true.’ The bastard didn’t even acknowledge your grape comment.

‘Steve, I’m not some saving grace that’s gonna get Bucky out of whatever pit he’s in.’

‘That’s the point though, that’s why he likes you,’ Steve implored. ‘Bucky’s been through hell and all he wants is to move on from that. Stark and Natasha thought it best to throw him into missions to get his mind focused but you’re grounding him. I don’t wanna sound dramatic -’

‘You are dramatic, Captain I-Don’t-Need-A-Parachute,’ you grumbled.

‘But you’re basically giving Bucky a reason to be happy here.’

‘Anyone who makes that guy a new arm would,’ you muttered. ‘And that doesn’t mean that he feels anything for me.’

‘You don’t see the way he looks at you,’ Steve argued, ‘and he’s too shy to say anything.’

You stared at him, speechless, with your arms folded, your snack abandoned on the kitchen counter. How does he look at me? The question was on the tip of your tongue but …

‘Bucky’s nice and all, Steve, but I don’t think he’s interested,’ you mumbled. ‘Now,’ you cleared your throat, ‘if you aren’t going to damage Tony’s gym equipment, then I will.’

On your way out, you passed through the dead silent corridor, pausing when you noticed that Bucky’s door was ajar. Approaching cautiously, with a stealth Natasha would be proud of, you peered through the gap.

Bucky was sitting on the edge of his bed hunched forward with his head in his hands breathing raggedly; Natasha was sitting next to him, close but not touching. You could hear her murmuring words you couldn’t understand - she was speaking in Russian. You remembered Natasha once saying that she wanted to give Bucky some positive affiliation with fragments of his past, including the language of Bucky’s days as the Winter Soldier.

Bucky was rubbing his hand harshly over his heart. His eyes were screwed shut.

Natasha must have sensed you were there because she looked up and beckoned you closer; as if pulled by an invisible string, you complied and sat by Bucky’s left side.

‘Barnes, you okay?’ you breathed, brow creasing when he nodded without looking up.

‘Breathe through your nose,’ you said in the same tone. ‘Nice and slow.’ You did the motions with him. ‘In … and out …’

Bucky repeated your instructions and you could tell by the gradual ease in his shoulders that his breathing was starting to regulate.

‘What happened?’ you murmured to Natasha.

She bit her lip. ‘Panic attack,’ she replied almost silently.

Your first reaction, aside from concern, was a total lack of thought. You had no idea what to do or if you should have even interrupted. Natasha clearly seemed to have a handle on things, much better than you could have ever done. Despite your fast friendship with Bucky, talking him through a panic attack was not on your resume.

Apparently, Natasha didn’t think the same.

You took a deep breath and swallowed your nerves. You just needed Bucky to be okay.

You knelt down in front of him, one hand cupping the back of his neck and rubbing it gently with your thumb, and the other squeezing his knee. Keeping one hand on his neck, you brought the other to his chin, prompting him to look at you. His eyes were circled with darkening shadows and were streaming with fatigue. You smiled softly at him, brushing the hair at the nape of his neck soothingly.

‘I-it was -’

‘You’re fine,’ you hushed. ‘Breathe now, tell me later, yeah? We’ve got all the time in the world,’ you smirked gently.

It was like clockwork the way you were with him.

‘C’mon,’ you prompted, handing him a glass of water that Natasha had left next to you ont he floor. ‘Small sips.’

You could feel another set of eyes boring into you and you shifted your eyes past Bucky’s figure and saw Steve watching you with a raised brow and a knowing smirk - past the despondency he felt for his friend - and then retreating to his room.

You ignored him, pushing his words to the back of your mind. You didn’t need his assumptions that Bucky felt anything non-platonic towards you; right now you just wanted Bucky to get his breathing back to normal and get some sleep.

Tags: @lauraonly @mytastereckless @hedakylo @wefracturedmotivation @eternal-queen @dontfuckwithkezolas @mrs-brxghtside @blackdemonseriexx

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #series #imagine #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x reader #marvel imagine #begin again #another piece of writing

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senatorrorgana · 8 years

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Home - One

Summary: Scarif left Cassian physically a mess, he shouldn't have even survived according to some doctors, but yet he did, and due to his injuries, he was taken off of field duty. Now, pushing papers on Echo Base with his wounds finally healing fully, Jyn tries to encourage him to try some physical therapy, to see if it'll help with his pain at least. However, fate seems to change those plans when Jyn comes back injured from a scouting trip, having her leg crushed by a Tauntaun. Now, the both of them physically restricted, they decide to handle their recoveries together, and spending so much time alone leads them to finally explore the feelings they've had for one another since they first met.

A/N: This came from a prompt I got from my birthday, I've been slowly going through the list and while most have been one shots, this one just struck me as something I could really elaborate on. So thank you to whoever the lovely anon was that sent me this prompt, there will be fluff eventually in it, but for now, enjoy this heaping piles of angst and hidden feelings from these two dorks!

Pairing: Rebelcaptain

Rating: M

Words: 2,767

AO3: (x)

MEDICAL REPORT ON CAPTAIN CASSIAN JERON ANDOR

After the incident on Scarif, Captain Andor was rushed to the medical bay by his fellow injured crewmates, his heartbeat barely able to be captured by the machines. A quick scan was taken of Captain Andor before proceeding with a bacta tank treatment, his injuries were as follows:

BLASTER BOLT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RIBCAGE

TWO BROKEN RIBS (LEFT)

FOUR FRACTURED RIBS (THREE LEFT, ONE RIGHT)

PUNCTURED LUNG (LEFT)

POSSIBLE CONCUSSION

FRACTURE IN SPINAL CORD - CAN POSSIBLY RESULT IN HANDICAP

DISLOCATED SHOULDER (RIGHT)

MULTIPLE BRUISES AND CUTS

Post Captain Andor’s bacta treatment to heal the initial wounds, doctors were able to asses the severity of his injuries. Several surgeries were performed to rest Captain Andor’s bones into correct placement, and more bacta treatments were issued. After a week of observation in the medical bay, it was determined that Captain Andor is no longer fit for field duty, due to a handicap developed from his spinal injury, causing his left leg to no longer fully function, leaving Captain Andor unable to run and barely able to walk. It is recommended by Captain Andor’s supervising medical professionals that he is to be kept strictly to desk work/being kept on a rebel base. Field duty would result in Captain Andor’s death due to his inability to escape.

-Doctor Daemora Amon

Cassian never stayed still for very long; it started when he was just a child, always being on the move and fighting from such a young age, it only intensified as he grew older and joined the Rebellion, becoming one of the best spies for their cause. Being on the move was his entire life, and after Scarif, everyone told him it could no longer be part of his life, after only twenty-six years, now he couldn’t go out into the field. Now, he was trapped at the base, with all the other stuffy senators and bureaucrats that claimed to be “part of the cause” but really only sat behind desks day in and day out, sending the real soldiers out into the field to die for them. He hated every second of his new life, trapped on the new and freezing cold Echo Base on the ice planet of Hoth, left with nothing but files to go through and sign off on with his brand new title of Major. Everyone else was going out and making a difference, Cassian was sitting at the base, ordering operatives out into the field and signing off on shipments that arrived at the base.

The doctors stuffed him with every kind of sleeping pill and anti-depressants they could think of to keep him happy and help him sleep through his nightmares that never went away, they worked for a while, or at least they kept him in a haze long enough to just accept his fate. They still gave him the pills though Cassian refused to take them, instead he busied himself with trying to rebuild his ever faithful companion - Kaytoo - who was the only one from the Rogue One team who didn’t make it back in one piece. Jyn had found a droid that was Kay’s exact model not that long after she was cleared for field duty, after she decided to stay with the Rebellion and they gave her the title of Sergeant; Cassian had Kay’s memory backed up and kept hidden away, the droid always insisting on keeping it up to date, so the memory was last updated just before they landed on Scarif. It was just a matter of putting all the pieces together, making sure the parts that had burnt out the original droid could be replaced and repaired for Kay when he came back, he hoped he could finish him soon so he had someone to talk to again.

Today, he was out by the central control room, filtering through forms and papers on his data pad, a headache creeping up on him for staring at the damn thing for so long. There wasn’t much else for him to do around the base today, and from how unbearingly quiet it was, he was about ready to head back to his quarters and try to get some sleep, until the alarm for the bunker doors went off - indicating that someone was coming back from a mission and into the base. He didn’t have anything better to do, and he wasn’t quite sure anymore who was scheduled to come back when, so he hobbled his way out there, holding onto the rails when he could and trying to ignore the pitying glances from others that he always seemed to get. Cassian made it there as soon as the doors were closing up again, still more than enough snow making it’s way into the base in the short amount of time. While many things failed to make him smile anymore, the sight of his friends coming back from their mission was enough to make him crack a small grin.

Baze and Chirrut were the first off the ship, Chirrut still wearing his robes and seemingly unaffected by the cold weather of the base, more than likely still warm from their mission to Sullust while Baze still donned his heavy attire. Bodhi was next, already wrapped up in jackets to deal with the cold of the base, though seeming to be his usual cheerful self. Jyn was last, that familiar scowl on her face with her layers of clothing and jacket wrapped around her. She hated the cold almost as much as Cassian hated being stuck at the base, it was almost entertaining sometimes to see her deal with the new climate of the base, her having grown up on warmer planets almost all her life. It didn’t take long for her to notice him, her scowl softening and almost the hint of a smile on her lips now; Cassian wasn’t exactly sure what there was between them, but something changed after Scarif, and he was sure it was something for the better.

A few words to Bodhi later and she cut her way through the crowd, heading over to Cassian and stopping right in front of him, her green gaze up and locked onto his. Wordlessly, she reached for something from her back pocket and handed a data chip to him.

“Found it on a dead trooper, it seemed important, it lists some of their bases we don’t have on record.” Jyn explained, Cassian taking the chip and putting it into his pocket now.

“I’ll look over it later.” Cassian assured her. “Did everything else go smoothly?”

“Aside from the usual of being shot at, yeah, it was fine.” Jyn nodded. “How are you holding up?”

“Me?” Cassian asked confused. “I sit in this base all day, nothing really changes except for the medication they try to give me.” He grumbled.

“Alright, well, what about Kay? How far along is he?” Jyn asked trying to change the subject, sensing his hostility that he didn’t mean to unleash on her.

“He just needs a new processor and he’ll be running again.” Cassian said calmly, trying to keep himself together, Jyn wasn’t responsible for what happened to him or for him getting stuck on desk duty, she didn’t deserve his anger.

“Have you tried the physical therapy yet?” Jyn asked curiously.

It had been offered to him a few weeks ago now that all his wounds were technically healed completely. He turned it down when it was offered, not seeing much point in doing so when there was no chance of him returning to the field, but with the way his back and shoulder were hurting him now due to the extreme cold, he was considering trying it just for the sake of letting his muscles get some stretching.

“No, haven’t made it over there yet, I’ve been busy.” Cassian lied, he hadn’t, he just hadn’t actually made his way over to the med bay since it was on the opposite side of the base, and taking just a few steps was an achievement for him. The last thing he wanted was for those dreaded pitiful glances to turn into offers for help to walk with him over to the med bay.

“I’ll go with you out there tomorrow after my patrol.” Jyn assured him. “You hungry? I’m starving.”

“I guess something to eat would be nice.” Cassian shrugged.

“Come on, let’s go then.” Jyn grabbed his arm and started guiding him through the base.

Cassian used to try and resist her embraces like this when he first started walking around, thinking she was taking pity on him like everyone else in the base, until one day she outright said “If I let you walk by yourself, you’ll take too long”. He didn’t know if she just made that up as an excuse to actually help guide him, or if she was genuinely that impatient, either way, something about Jyn made the whole process of limping around the base slightly less embarrassing when she was at his side.

Jyn was used to dealing with someone injured that was too stubborn to ask for help, she grew up with Saw after all who, by the time she was sixteen, was more machine than man. Cassian was no different on the stubborn front, from the day he was discharged from the med bay, he insisted on walking by himself, snapping at the med droids and anyone who made a move to help him when he looked like he was about to fall. He tried the same with her when she offered help, he acted like a wounded animal - snapping and hissing at whoever came near it in attempts to protect himself - but Jyn saw through his bullshit; besides, her bark was bigger than his bite and eventually that finally sank into his thick skull. She wasn’t going to baby him or anything like that, she wasn’t even going to try and attempt that, she still treated him like Cassian, he was still her commanding officer, and he was still a part of the Rogue One team; you help people out on your team where you can.

When she came back to the table, Jyn placed the tray of food she got for Cassian in front of him, seeming to startle him out of whatever haze he’d drifted into while she was gone. Between the dark circles under his eyes and how dull his dark brown eyes seemed today, she knew he must have been having nightmares again, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wasn’t taking his sleeping pills anymore.

“Nightmares again?” Jyn asked.

“Same one, there’s only the one.” Cassian sighed, grabbing a fork and pushing around the food on his plate, not seeming to be interested in eating any of it.

“Scarif?” Jyn asked again, she had nightmares about that place still too, no matter how hard she tried to forget it.

“Yeah.” He mumbled in reply.

Jyn wasn’t sure what his nightmare of the place was about, she imagined it was his near death on the planet, but there were so many nightmarish sights to see on Scarif during their escape that it could have been more than that. Her nightmare consisted of Krennic killing Cassian, of him seeing him coming and shooting him down once and for all before he could reach her. That evil man making her watch Cassian’s death over and over again, before finally taking mercy on her and killing her himself to collapse at Cassian’s side, their mission failed and the galaxy doomed. She never told him what her nightmare was, she figured it would have sounded like something else, that it would have been a gateway into them talking about the bond they developed or that tension they felt in the elevator to their escape where their lips almost touched - no, no, she had to stop thinking about that.

“So, uhm...how’s your back?” Jyn asked lamely, thinking up nothing else to discuss. “I know you said it’s been hurting you a lot more with the cold.”

“It’s fine.” Cassian nodded, glancing at her briefly before looking down at his food again.

“You think you can still spar?” Jyn asked curiously, if there was one thing that could get them out of the awkward lull of their conversation, it was fighting - or rather talking about fighting in this case.

Something in his eyes lit up when he looked at her now, and Jyn knew she finally hit a topic that Cassian actually wanted to talk about. “I haven’t tried yet, but I’m sure I can.” He smirked, he was presenting her with a challenge, and she was more than ready to accept it.

“Alright then, Major.” Jyn lingered on his new title for a moment, it didn’t have the same ring as Captain Andor, but something about saying it still gave Jyn a rush she couldn’t describe. “Tomorrow after I get back from my patrol, we’ll see about physical therapy for you, and then we’ll see if I can still kick your ass in the ring.”

“I seem to recall me being the better fighter.” Cassian challenged her.

“Oh that concussion must have really messed with your head if you think that’s the case.” Jyn laughed, a genuine laugh, she’d been trying to let herself experience more of those lately, and while Bodhi was pretty good at getting her to laugh at his horrible jokes, Cassian tended to bring them out of her as well. “I won’t take it easy on you.” She warned him.

“Good, I don’t expect you to. If you do, I could have you grounded here at the base for a few days.” Cassian said, he often complained about his title, but now Jyn had the strange feeling that he was enjoying it.

“You brought it on yourself, just remember that tomorrow.” Jyn smirked.

For the first time in a long time, Cassian started the day feeling good. His back didn’t hurt him as much, he was able to walk a bit smoother, he even said good morning to a few people around the base - it was almost as if her were a different man, just because someone was going to treat him like a normal human being today. Then again, it wasn’t just anyone, it was Jyn, and she always treated him as if nothing were really wrong with him to be honest, but something about knowing that for a while today he’d have her undivided attention - it made him just a bit happier. Jyn was due back from her patrol any minute now, Cassian finding any reason he could to linger by the hanger doors, and as soon as the alarm sounded for them opening up, his heart beat just a bit faster while he fought a smile back off his lips.

That swiftly vanished when he saw just Han Solo returning on a Tauntaun, him holding up Jyn’s unconscious body in front of him and her Tauntaun nowhere to be found.

“Get medics over here now, she’s hurt!” Solo called out through the hanger, one of the younger cadets taking off running while Cassian rushed over to the scene as quickly as he could, his whole world feeling like it was falling apart at the sight of Jyn unconscious, he skin as pale as the snow hanging onto her coat.

“What happened?” Cassian asked right away, grabbing Jyn as Han slowly handed her down to him, Cassian catching her in his arms and holding her close, hoping she’d get some of his warmth.

“Something out there in the snow attacked her Tauntaun, it bucked up and tossed her off before it crushed one of her legs, it might have hit her ribs too, I don’t know. She’s been knocked out since then.” Han quickly explained as he dismounted his Tauntaun and someone escorted the beast off.

Before Han could explain the situation any further, medics and a med droid made their way over to Cassian, the droid placing Jyn gently down on the gurney they brought with them before rushing her off; the medics already taking scans of her to figure out the problem.

“Might help if you’re there when she wakes up.” Han added. “She was mumbling something about you before she passed out entirely.”

Cassian gave him a brief nod before he mustered up as much strength as he could, running for the first time since his injury, all the way to the medical bay to make sure Jyn would be alright.

#rebelcaptain #therebelcaptainnetwork #rebelcaptainficrecs #my writing #rogue one #jyn erso #cassian andor

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