#come on. a traitor to THREE organizations and a man who is on his own side?

[aldebarangel]

may i propose a crack ship in these trying times

[griffin-girl-r]

You're not mine (Part 2)

Created: 10.10.2023

Finished: 15.11.2023

Edited: 15.11.2023

Age: 15

Word count: 2,793

Warnings: Abandonment, Pain

Request: Yes (Wattpad user)

Pairing: WinterWidow

Soldat = Soldier

Part 1 , Part 3

—

"Very good, soldier." A voice interrupted the brief silence that had fallen over the room "You have finally completed your training and you're now ready for a very special mission."

The man stepped forward, allowing himself to get a better view of the subject in front of him in the dimness of the room.

You lift your head, every breath coming out in labored breaths, as you took in the sight of the agent in front of you.

Today's training session has been more intense than any other one, demanding you to overuse your powers.

"And what that might be?" You breathed out, straightening your back

The agent smirked "Oh, I can guarantee that you'll love this mission." He sang

"Then I am ready for any mission the organization has for me." You replied, intrigued by all the mystery of this upcoming mission

"That's what we love to hear." The man declared "Then it's time for you to know the target of your mission."

The agent lifted his hand and held a file up, extending it for you to grab.

"You have all the details here." He declared

You curiously opened the file and peeked at the first page inside of it.

You swallowed the lump that formed in your throat unexpectedly but you tried to maintain your composure as the reality of your actions and the identity of your supposed target settled in.

"I can't." You mumbled, your voice betraying your inner turmoil, as you quickly passed the file back to your boss "This wasn't the deal."

The agent chuckled.

"This was very much the deal, young soldier." He coldly replied "As I can remember, this was the plan you asked our help for."

A shiver ran down your spine and the rhythm of your heartbeat quickened its pace.

"No." You hesitantly shook your head "I said I needed help to take my revenge on her." You explained "Not on all of them. Not on him."

"But why stop there?" The agent raised his eyebrow "Why would you want to take your revenge on just one person when you can take it on all of them?"

"Even if it was true, the others are still my family." You reasoned

"Your family?!" The agent shouted, immediately silencing you "Must I remind you that this so-called family of yours abandoned you, that they threw you away as if you were mere trash?"

"It doesn't matter, Sir." You held your ground "I am not going to kill the Avengers."

You blinked.

The agent grabbed you by your vest with such force that, for a second, you weren't able to process what was happening.

"Listen here, Y/N." The agent mockingly whispered your name "This is HYDRA, not that joke of an agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. you grew up in. Your mission is to kill all of the Avengers, starting with those traitors who are now called Natasha Romanoff and Bucky Barnes. Am I clear?"

"Sir..." You tried to conceal the fear you were feeling, failing miserably "Sir, this went too far. I'm sorry but I can't." You shook your head

A shout was heard and your body collided with the cold floor as the HYDRA agent pushed you with all his force.

"Y/N Yelena Romanova." The agent shouted "You have been ours long before Natalia Romanova decided to play pretend that she can be something she was never meant to be." He hissed "A mother."

You kept your mouth shut, too afraid of saying something that might anger the agent more as he continued speaking.

"She stole you from us, gave you another name, just for you to return on your own will to us and ask us for help to get your revenge on her." He reminded you "We took you in, trained you, gave you powers, all just so you could make her pay and now you dare to reject the opportunity to kill them?!"

"Sir, I just..." You tried to defend yourself

"Shut up!" He ordered "I am going to give you three hours to think about your answer just to show you that we can have some understanding towards our subjects and when I'll summon you back to me, I hope I won't regret giving you a chance."

You nodded "Yes, Sir!"

"Now disappear." He pointed with his head towards the door

You stood up from the ground and dusted your clothes before making your way to your assigned room.

-

~~~~~

Your heart pounded in your chest as you sniffled your fear away.

This was what you wanted after all.

This was what you needed.

You needed revenge and this was the only way you could achieve your goal.

Machines hummed and buzzed around you but you tried to not mind their noise as you were keeping your calm demeanor as a façade to protect yourself.

"Alright, subject." A man dressed in a white coat looked at you "Are you ready for this?"

You nodded, determination shining in your tired eyes "As ready as I can be. If this will help me prove to my mother that I can be useful too, then hurry up and do it."

"She's ready." Another man's voice was heard from somewhere inside the room but you couldn't tell exactly who spoke as the restrainents that kept you glued to the cold metallic table stoped you from looking

The man with the white coat pressed a few buttons and in a fraction of a second, pain flooded through your body as waves of electricity swirled around you, sending shocks flooding through your body.

Time seemed to stay still as you screamed out in agony out of pure reflex, your body spasming with each shockwave you received.

In that moment, buried memories resurfaced inside your mind.

You remembered the happier times and a pang of sadness weighed heavy on your heart.

But just as the good memories came to the front of your mind, so did the bad ones, reminding you of the true reason why you came to HYDRA for help.

The Avengers hate HYDRA and HYDRA hates the Avengers.

You hoped that by joining and serving the rival organization, you could make Natasha realize how wrong she was for treating you like she did.

You hoped to make them feel betrayed and rejected.

Just as you felt.

Darkness enveloped you, and your weakened body stopped spasming, but one thing remained clear as daylight to you.

You will take your revenge on your family for their betrayal by serving their greatest enemy, HYDRA.

~~~~~

You stared at the cement ceiling of your cell.

Your thirst for revenge was just as present as it was four months ago when you joined HYDRA.

The agent was right.

You wanted to kill the Avengers and make them pay for all of your suffering.

But still, one thing made you hesitate.

You sighed.

A memory of a smiling Tanya came to your mind and you remembered that she was as innocent as you were in this whole ordeal.

She deserved to grow up surrounded by the love of her parents as she has never done anything else other than loving you like her older sister who you actually were.

Then you thought of Bucky and the last memory you shared with him.

That fateful night, he had bought you a journal, hoping that it would help you manage your feelings better if you wrote them on the paper.

Comparing him to Natasha now, you realize that he was more of a parent to you than Natasha ever was.

How are you supposed to kill him?

Your door burst open and a security agent, who is in charge of maintaining order, walked inside your room.

"The boss calls you to him." He announced in a bored voice

You nodded "Tell him I am coming."

-

You stepped in the silence of the private office, allowing your senses to highen, as your eyes darted aimlessly around the room.

"I have been waiting for you." The voice of the man who had been in charge of your training was heard "Welcome!"

"I would thank you, Sir." You put your hands behind your back "But here doesn't exist such thing as being welcomed anywhere."

The man laughed.

"I see you learned the lesson." He smiled pleased "I hope you bring good news to me."

You kept quiet for a few moments, searching for a way to put your decision into words in such a way that HYDRA wouldn't decapitate you in a matter of seconds.

"So?" The man asked again, impatient

"Sir..." You began, taking your time to form every word that came out of your mouth "I am forever grateful for the chance you offered me and the resources you put at my disposal to achieve my ambitions."

The man slightly smiled, knowing that he had won.

"The Avengers have done me so many wrongdoings that I lost count of them." You continued "And after the time I have been granted to carefully choose the course I want for the next events to take, I came with the answer."

The man in front of you leaned backward in his chair, his body visibly relaxed as he waited for your final decision.

"I will..." You took a deep breath, steeling yourself "Not kill the Avengers, Sir. I am sorry, but I can't. They're my family no matter what."

The HYDRA agent shot up from his chair as his eyes went wide with shock.

"What did you say?!" He shouted, completely taken by surprise by your decision

"I said that I will not kill the Avengers." You repeated "I meant it when I said that everything has gone too far, Sir. Yes, I did want to take revenge on them, specifically my mother, but killing them was never my intention. All I wanted was to make them feel betrayed and hurt by becoming a HYDRA agent. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You foolish, lab rat!" The man sneered and pointed his finger at you "We created you! If you're here today it is all thanks to us! Our scientists were the ones who were in charge of creating you out of almost nothing! Now you dare defy us? You have the audacity to bite the hand that fed you?"

You looked around the room, trying to avoid the man's furious gaze.

"Please understand, Sir." You tried to reason "My heart and conscience don't let me murder the persons that saved me from hell and I realized that I made a mistake to return to the hell from where I've been rescued all these years ago."

The man calmly hummed "Hmm, so that's what you call it? A mistake?"

You braced yourself for what could happen next as you watched the man wave his hand at the shadows behind his back.

"I would call it a blessing." He said "You returned where you belong. To your true family and if your feelings stop you from taking action against your kidnappers, then we will help you gather the courage you need."

You shook your head, understanding what the agent's words meant.

"No..." You breathed out fearfully

But it was already too late.

-

Tanya sat on the carpet placed in the middle of the living room, playing with her toys, as she tried to distract herself from all the yelling that was happening in her surroundings.

"I am tired of your ignorance!" Bucky shouted at his wife, after he came back from another failed search mission where he tried to find you

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Natasha yelled back, her brain blocked in a phase of denial

"You did!" Bucky shouted "You did! You drove our child away! How could you do something like this, Natasha?!"

Natasha froze in place as her shoulders fell down.

She couldn't believe what she just heard Bucky say.

She refused to believe it.

"Natasha?" The woman asked hurt "Since when I am 'Natasha' for you?"

"Ever since Y/N went missing because of your recklessness and pride." Bucky shouted "My Natalia would have never done that to her own child. So, therefore, you are not my Natalia. You are not that girl I dreamed of having a family with."

"James, please." Natasha whispered, tears forming in her eyes "I am still the same Natalia you met so long ago."

Natasha reached to grab Bucky's hand but he pulled it away.

"Don't touch me." He said in a raised tone

Natasha sighed disappointed and nodded, pulling her hands back.

"You're mad." Natasha said "I get it."

"Mad is far from how I feel right now, Natasha." Bucky lowered his tone "I feel desperate because I am unable to find the child that has been entrusted in my protection and who knows where she is right now and what happened to her. She's just a child. You are the only one who failed to see this."

"James, just give me the chance to explain myself." Natasha pleaded "I beg you."

Bucky shook his head.

"I don't know what you have done to my Natalia but you are not the girl that made me remember how it feels to be human again." The man took a few steps backward before rushing out of the room, leaving his wife behind

Natasha fell on the couch, letting out a deep sigh, as she placed her head in her hands.

Tanya, that have been silently observing the argument between her parents, stood up, her toys forgotten on the soft carpet as she walked towards her mother.

"Mama?" Tanya cautiously called her mother

"What is it, baby?" Natasha sniffed, raising her head to look at her daughter

"Why hasn't Y/N come back yet?" Tanya innocently asked, still struggling to grasp the complexity of the situation "Is she still mad at us?"

Natasha thought about how to explain to a 5-year-old what was happening.

"I think she still is, Tatiana." Natasha lifted Tanya and sat her on her lap

"And Papa is sad because he couldn't find my sister, isn't he?" The little girl questioned sadly

Natasha guiltly nodded "Yes, sweetheart. That's why Mama and Papa are fighting."

Little Tanya looked down at her lap, her tiny eyebrows furrowing, as her mind tried to put her feelings into words.

Natasha gave Tanya time to speak at her own pace, not rushing her.

After a few minutes, Tanya looked up again at Natasha with eyes filled with tears.

"But Mama..." Tanya's high-pitched voice trembled "Why did you make Y/N go away? She is my sister. You never get mad at me cause I am your baby but Y/N is your baby too and you made her feel very sad. You always made her cry and I miss playing with her. She's the best big sister in the whole world."

A stray tear fell down Natasha's left cheek.

"Can you bring Y/N back home, Mama?" Tanya sniffed "Can you not get mad at her always? If Tanya is Mama's baby, then Y/N is Mama's baby too."

"I'm not sure, baby girl." Natasha let out a shaky breath, realizing her mistake "Mama messed up big time when she scolded Y/N/N."

"I know that Mama did bad." Tanya said "But Y/N is ours and she's my sister. She needs to live here with us."

"And she will, baby." Natasha said determined "I promise she will."

Tanya snuggled closer to Natasha's chest and sighed contently.

"I love you, Tanya." Natasha quietly declared

Tanya kissed Natasha's cheek before she quickly stood up and ran upstairs to her room.

Natasha stared at the open door that Tanya just walked out through, deeply lost in thoughts.

Her talk with Tanya had helped Natasha realize one important thing.

That Y/N was her baby no matter what and that she had made the biggest mistake in her life by doing what she did to Y/N.

And yet one question remains.

Where is Y/N?

-

"Soldat!" A voice said "Your orders are to kill the Avengers, our greatest enemies, and I want the heads of the traitors known as Natasha Romanoff and Bucky Barnes."

The man looked at the masked soldier he had created with pride, knowing that now, they would be invincible.

"Do you understand the command?" He asked sternly

"I am ready to comply." An emotionless voice replied

You stood tall, the black suit and gray vest you were wearing appeared even darker in the shadows of the private office as the mask that covered more than half of your face, perfectly concealed your identity.

The man smirked and pointed with his head towards the door.

You turned around and started walking.

Your mission?

To kill the Avengers.

—

Permanent taglist: @lizlil , @natsxwife , @froufrousnowman , @dannipotatoo , @ravensinthedaylight , @justarandomreaderxoxo , @theunchosenonee , @lovelyy-moonlight , @circe143 , @observeowl , @darkstar225 , @mmmmokdok , @halstead-severide-fan , @daggersquadphantom , @cherlenovix , @youralphawolf72

Story taglist: @graciegoeskrazy , @superforgottensoul , @marvels--slut , @louxbloom , @aubs444 , @notmeellaannyy , @amxrist , @k4t13l0u1s3 , @easybakeoven7 , @jackiehollanderr , @kaylaromanoff17 , @alldaysdreamers , @leoniaaasworld , @finleyfray , @almosttoopizza ,

[one-piece-aus]

Hii I hope your day is going well ! I was looking through your masterlist and saw your music hcs from a few years ago for the straw hats and I don't think you did the followup for supernova trio? I was wondering if i could request that myself or even music hcs for all supernovas if possible? Thank you :)

Ahoy! I sorta haven't been getting around to it like many of my other hcs and requests, but I am in the mood to do music related stuff! Also I've broaden my music tastes a lot since last time so I might need to update the Strawhats' later, but for now we're here for-

Music Genres/Artists the Supernovas Listen to (Headcanons)

Law

If your first thought is that he listens to the most edgiest emo music there is, you're absolutely right!/hj

Okay, but being real here, he's gonna be picky about the edgy music, I'd say it leans more to moody rather than depressed

Songs like that would be Something in the Way and Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana, Paint it Black by Rolling Stones, Natural, Bones and (maybe) Enemy by Imagine Dragons, Heathens and Stresssd Out by Twenty One Pilots, Losing My Religion by R.E.M. , Crying Lightning by Artic Monkeys, Duvet by Bòa

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley was 1000% played a repeat nurmous times

Can be found at 1 am - 3 am listening and sometimes singing Wake Me Up Inside/hj

Oblivion by Dirty Palm on the other hand is played here and there but he's not too much a fan of bass songs unless he is at the club drunk and dancing all that stress & trauma off (love that one rave Law fanart )

Viva La Vida by Coldplay is a classic favorite for him

You know, he probably listens to Maneater by Daryl Hall because Dr. Heart Stealer gives those vibes

Enjoys the SIAMÉS album Bounce Into The Music but would also find comfort in their album Home

His go to genres would be soft rock or alternative rock but isn't opposed when it comes to certain pop songs like Don't You Worry Child (catch him at the right time and he will get emotional over that song)

Enjoys the older stuff & independent artists (I remember reading Law is German so many he'd like German music?)

Artists he listens to: Nirvana, Coldplay, Three Doors Down, Franz Ferinard, Artic Monkeys, The Score, Imagine Dragons, and Fall Out Boy

Kid

Metal Music

Was that not obvious?

Loves the classics

Metallica, Guns & Roses, Thrasher, Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Three Days Grace, Smashing Pumpkins

He enjoys rock

The Offspring, Foo Fighters, Skid Row, Rolling Stones, Finger Eleven, Ozzy Osborne, AC/DC

He enjoys some new bands like Yungbund, Blacklite District, and Goku Luck

I know there's pirate metal but he gives more viking metal vibes (does listen to both)

You know he's jamming out to the second Death Note opening & Kaiju No. 8's opening

Traitor by Daughtry and Unstable by Chaotica

He might like phonk

Says rap is crap (who's gonna tell him Goku Luck is hiphop)

Allergic to Country/serious

Is the kind of Metalhead that says Nu Metal is not Metal

Psst, can I let you in on a little secret? He secretly listens to Lady Gaga, don't tell anyone or he'll kill you

Killer

Listens to most of the stuff Kid does but also has his own tastes

Nickel Back, Coldplay, Valley of Wolves, Unsecret, Skillet, One OK Rock, Meatloaf, Opal in Sky, Okamoto, The Cranberries, and Man With a Mission

Killer is more familiar with sea shanties than Kid

He enjoys listening to Uta (Ado), his favorite song of hers would be Gira Gira because he does relate to the lyrics (he really wanted to go to her concert but the crew probably got caught up doing business on another island and missed it)

Secretly would go to a 90s pop rave, waving glowsticks as artists like 2 Unlimited blast through the speakers/silly

Is the kind of Metalhead that says Nu Metal is Metal (not in front of Kid though)

Also allergic to country/serious

Hawkins

Dark Academia and Goth Ambience

He enjoys the somber pianos, it's peaceful and helps him study

Organ pianos are pleasing to him as well, if played right

He might be able to play piano but the violin (which is another instrument he enjoys listening to) is tricky to find the rhythm he prefers

Does love classic violin yet finds the epic violin music videos on YouTube to be appealing

And if he’s not listening to that, meditation/ambiance music is playing

Unironically listens to background music from video games such as Minecraft or Genshin Impact

Moonlit Night from the Death Parade OST is one of his favorites

If you can't tell, he enjoys soothing instrumentals

Is a big fan of Tchaikovsky

Enjoys music from 90s Disney (Cinderella especially)

Absolutely listens to Phantom of the Opera! Look at this man! You can't tell me he doesn't!

Probably enjoys French love songs

Apoo

DJ Apoo is in the house and you know he's all about the funky music!

80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, and even 20s, he loves all the rave & bass boost songs

Eurodancer, Daft Punk, 2 Unlimited, it's all a bop

Hip-hop & Rap are his jam (his taste for that would not be mine so you may list them here)

Apoo is pretty organized with his playlists, being a DJ and all, has most of them separated by genre

He thinks listening to music from Anime, Movies, and Video Games is stupid (*hands you your baseball bat*)

Drake

His ass is boring

He listens to whatever is playing on the radio

Not much of a music guy so he doesn't have any custom playlists

He might be fond of a few songs that come on the radio

Music to Drake is mainly just background noise when driving

While he doesn't mind someone playing their music, he prefers if he can understand the lyrics

Drake will easily get flustered if he hears spicy songs being played, especially if someone else is there, if he’s alone he’s instantly changes the station

Bonney

Popstars by KDA

I think her taste leans to rebellious as in "Fuck you, I do what I want"

So her taste can go from Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time by Panic At The Disco, to Seven Nation Army by White Stripes

Artists she listens to on the regular would be The Offspring, Panic At The Disco, BTS(?), P!nk, Fallout Boy, Cozmez, Fake Type, UNSECRET, and Eminem

Maybe a few Kelly Clarkson songs like Stronger and Since You've Been Gone

She does not like others putting on music, you can expect her to make a fuss if you try putting on something

Auxcord hog

Bege

The Godfather OST/hj

But for real he does like Italian instrumentals

Has a taste for soft love ballets

A few French and Spanish songs are appealing to him

He doesn't like pop, hip hop, rock, metal, or rap, and doesn't understand why the youth enjoy it so much

Except for 80s J-pop, he can see the appeal for songs such as Airport Lady by Toshiki Kadomatsu or Telephone Number by Junko Ohashi

And soft rock, specially the love songs like Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel or Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elves (he just loves his wife, guys)

Urouge

So basing this off one of his hobbies Oda has confirmed

He loves seductive music, whether it’s playing in the background or he looking for something to listen to

Most played songs is Careless Whispers

Jazz and spicy pop are his top genres

Prime examples are: Mirrors by Natalia Kills, Sway by Michael Bublé, Pause by Pitbull, One More Night by Maroon 5, Stalker's Tango by Autoheart Lent

I could make playlists for them if y'all want but for now, do what you will with these headcanons, make your own playlists ✨️

[definitelyallergictohalla]

Hey, you know that fic I mentioned I wanted to write? The Illario POV? Here's the first chapter. >:3c

Edit 11/27/2024: Now you can read the chapter below, too! I will likely continue to do this each chapter (per request from a friend of mine), but maybe a few days after I post on Ao3 so I receive more traffic there.

Relationships: Lucanis Dellamorte/Neve Gallus/Rook, one sided Illario Dellamorte/Neve Gallus, Illario Dellamorte/Original Female Character(s), mentioned Female Lavellan/Solas

Characters: Illario Dellamorte, Neve Gallus, Original Female Character(s), Tarquin (Dragon Age), Rook (Dragon Age), Lucanis Dellamorte

Additional Tags: redemption arc, Illario POV, Antivan Crows, Shadow Dragons, Clan Lavellan - Freeform, Pining, Jealousy, Minrathous/Treviso Choice - Treviso Saved (Dragon Age), Shadow Dragon Rook (Dragon Age)

Summary: Illario Dellamorte, traitor Crow, is tasked to help Neve Gallus with a job after the fall of Elgar'nan. He doesn't expect what comes next. (A redemption arc of sorts for Illario, post Veilguard.)

Notes: I like it when the Antivan Crows are morally grey. Also, fuck Caterina (she's not currently super relevant to the story but she haunts it... despite being alive)???

Some notes on my world state that should be seen:

Rook is a Shadow Dragon, as well as a Qunari Mage; leans blue/purple in personality

Treviso saved

Illario spared and not in jail

Harding died during the fight with Ghilin'nain

Neve was kidnapped by Elgar'nan but survived

Solas was given the chance at redemption and (warrior) Lavellan went with him

Clan Lavellan survived the battle of Wycome

Inquisition was disbanded

Tags will update on Ao3 as I go!

Chapter 1: One Job Illario Dellamorte, known traitor of the Antivan Crows, was not a coward.

That being said, as he walked the bustling streets of Dock Town with a duo of Shadow Dragons in tow, Illario had to admit that he was getting a bit sick of attempting to win his back his family’s favor.  Sure, he was thankful that he wasn’t shoved into a prison cell – or worse – after the stunt he pulled…  Yet when getting back home to Treviso post such a dangerous fight for the fate of the world, the man had not expected to be pulled aside by Viago a few weeks later to be sent back the damned city he could have died in.

He should have expected it.  Viago had mentioned that the job about ‘helping him see what he did was wrong’.  The idea stunk of Rook, the bastard Qunari who seemed to have successfully wooed his cousin, despite the latter being an abomination.  It frustrated Illario to see Lucanis cling as the first person who helped him out of the Ossuary, but it wasn’t his place to comment, at least not anymore.

Despite this, Illario was fully intending to make best use of his new situation, turning his attention to the pair of rebels behind him.

“So,” he began, noting the direction all three were heading “What’s the job today?”

One of them - Tarquin, the man – acknowledged the question with the furrow of his eyebrows.  Even shorter than Lucanis and sporting similar hair and beard, Tarquin did not share Illario’s cousin’s good-natured yet-haunted personality.  Illario had met him at the Archon’s palace, but it didn’t take him long to discover that the Shadow Dragon was sarcastic, as well as often rude.

“I take it that you don’t remember the letter?”  Tarquin snarked.

Illario rolled his eyes, flinging the vitriol back at the other man.  “I didn’t read a letter.  Viago did, if I had to guess.”

The other Shadow Dragon – a Dalish elf named Ethena  – glanced over to Tarquin while grimacing.  “You know, I didn’t get a letter either,” she muttered at him as she scratched the back of her head, messing up her cropped copper hair even further.

“I know that, I was planning on filling you in as we went,” Tarquin replied as they made it to the edge of the docks.  “I’ve heard you’re resourceful like that.”

Illario bit back a retort about how he was plenty resourceful due to Crow training, but a look of annoyance skewed his facial features anyway.  “An agenda would be nice.  And maybe a drink while we’re at it.”

“Good thing we’re already stopping at the Cobbled Swan,” Ethena mentioned causally.  “Since we’re meeting our client there.”

Tarquin nodded as gestured in the direction of a large pub, not far from where they had stopped walking to talk.  “Drinks aren’t on the agenda, by the way.”

The trio continued onto their path and walked into the dimly lit pub.  It was neater than what Illario was expecting, but still dirtier than anything he saw in Treviso; occasionally he’d see seagulls attempt to pop in through the front door and windows, only to be beaten back with a broom by an elderly elven man.

Eventually, they wandered to the back of the main of the pub, greeted by who Illario could assume was either the owner of the establishment.  The man was dressed in the closest you could get to fine attire this section of Minrathous; nothing overly showy to be considered a target, but the man’s dark green out was tailored to his tall, slim build.  The details of a business man, however, starkly contrasted his shaved, military hairstyle and the faded scar that ran down the left side of his face.

Regardless, the man smiled warmly at Illario and the Shadow Dragons next to him.  “Ah, I assume you are the help the detective suggested to hire?”

Tarquin came forward and waved an envelope, sealed by teal-colored wax.  “Is she in storage room?” he inquired.

“Indeed, please feel free to go back there yourselves, I trust that a savior of Minrathous would have fine taste in company.”

Ah, mierda.  Of course, he was working with Neve Gallus on this job.

Illario had met her initially when Lucanis was freed from the Ossuary, then during the siege on the Archon’s palace.  Gallus has been briefly fucked up, eyes red from the blight magic Elgar’nan had used to control her mind.  Then poof, the moment the elven god died, she was back in nearly top shape, free from having to go to the Wardens for whatever help they could offer.  Of course, she still looked exhausted, nearly collapsing onto of Rook several times as he helped her move to get checked out by a healer.

And now, as she walked out of the storage closet towards her comrades and her client, her prosthetic leg clicking on the stone like it was a stiletto heel, Illario couldn’t help but to notice how different she felt from the battle three weeks ago.  A sense of swagger and confidence as she set her strides.

Sexy.

A few moments passed, and the owner of the Swan let the four of them talk amongst themselves.

“Glad to see you all here,” Gallus greeted.  Then the detective arched an eyebrow at Illario.  “Interesting choice for Viago and Rook to send you, though”.

Illario bowed a mock bow.  “Anything for family, ma’am.”

Gallus shook her head, clearly unimpressed.  She turned to Ethena.  “Do you have any extra paper, per chance?  I ran out.

Ethena groaned loudly in response as Gallus smiled, perhaps slightly sheepishly.

“I was in a rush this morning,” the detective insisted, and although elven woman clearly didn’t buy it, she tore out a few pages of a fancy leather-bound journal regardless.

“You owe me a new journal,” Ethena muttered, sounding pained.

“Sure thing.  I always give back what is owed.”

Over the next hour, while in the back of the storage unit surrounded by Gallus’ notes, Illario and Ethena were filled in on the job; the owner of the Cobbled Swan, last week, had found the dead, mutilated body of one of his bartenders, an elderly Dwarven man who had worked there for years.  Gallus had since picked up a few leads (the Venatori were involved, of course), but needed a team in case of any violent altercations.

“Will Illario’s former allegiance cause any trouble?” Tarquin asked when there was a pause in the detective’s words.

Gallus glanced at Illario coldly at the Antivan.  “I think he knows what’s at stake if he messes up or causes any issues.”  She turned away to carefully organize her papers into a pile.  “Besides, I trust-”

“Rook’s judgement?” Tarquin suggested.  He rolled his eyes as Gallus continued to shuffle papers around, not answering.  “Not sure that’s a wise decision for Dock Town.”

Illario couldn’t help but to laugh internally as the attention turned to Rook.  He was a hard topic for the Shadow Dragons, too, maybe because of the first attack on Dock Town that the Qunari had ignored in favor of helping Treviso.  Perhaps he could use that information to leverage things.

“When do we start?” Illario inquired.  “I could use some practice with my knives.”

“Tomorrow at sunrise,” Gallus answered, back still turned.  “I need to ask a shopkeep nearby if he has heard any noises, and he’s only around during the weekly fish market.”  She then spun around to face him.  “Hope you can keep up.”

Illario feigned hurt.  “You wound me, Gallus, and you don’t even have a knife in your hand.”  He placed a hand over his heart for exaggeration.

That got a smirk out of her.

Later, the four of them wandered out of the storage room of the Swan and into the streets of a darkening Dock Town.  Confirming their plans to go to the market tomorrow, they all split ways to their other obligations, except for Illario, who needed to find a room to rent.

The Antivan man strolled casually past the many criminals and vagabonds on the side of the street.  This was going to be an easy job, and he’d back home to Treviso in a few days.

Perfect.

[kiwinatorwaffles]

3rd life - rules of the universe (extended rewrite)

desertduo? on MY ao3????? if you remember my 3L anniversary writing, this is a rewrite with an extended section!

words: 1,030 characters: grian, scar, others mentioned summary:

you think about the betrayal of your ally. you think about how scar — that traitorous man, threw away your friendship over a stupid slip of paper, and how scar ordered bdubs to kill you baselessly. you touch your chest where the arrow struck, bitterly brushing your hand over the mark that has formed. scars will form for two reasons: if it's interesting enough, or if it’s of emotional importance. betrayal is not interesting. you feel nothing emotional for that traitor. so why is the mark still there?

or, a study on scar's betrayal and grian's vengeance.

full fic also under cut!

when a player dies and respawns, they reset back to their state of code at full health. any injuries or modifications they might have had will reset as well, leaving them in a generally healthy condition.

however, there are two rules in the universe when it comes to scarring.

the first rule is well-known by everyone. if the universe thinks the reason for the injury is interesting enough, the player will keep the physical reminder of it.

tango had a scar from an explosion where he was launched up to height limit and said it was the funniest experience of his life so far. ren has a cut on his mouth from that time he tried to eat amethyst (in his defense, he had “tempting cravings”). there are countless other silly times where a player has gotten an injury and it left a mark just due to how ridiculous the said event was, and that’s usually the reason why players have scars.

the second rule states that if the reason of injury is something of importance to the player, then the mark will form.

you think about the betrayal of your ally. you think about how scar — that traitorous man, threw away your friendship over a stupid slip of paper, and how scar ordered bdubs to kill you baselessly. you touch your chest where the arrow struck, bitterly brushing your hand over the mark that has formed.

scars will form for two reasons: if it's interesting enough, or if it’s of emotional importance.

betrayal is not interesting. you feel nothing emotional for that traitor. so why is the mark still there?

the time you killed him by complete accident. the prank, the badly-timed creeper, the sudden boom, and the shouts. you felt awful. he knew that. you formed a pact, owing your life to him until you die for the first time. and you took off to the desert, riding on the back of his beloved llama.

the time he and you cleared out an entire forest to gain a monopoly on the wood. it didn’t work, and you were frustrated at all that time you both wasted in doing so, but he laughed it off. we can always try again, he said, and you ended up laughing too. you’ll get ‘em next time. you knew you could. he knew you could. 

the time he fell off a cliff and crawled back to you with a sad bouquet of wilted flowers. can we still be friends? he asked, tears welling up in his puppy-dog eyes. you had spent the past few days trying to convince other players that the “friendship points” were a scam and he wasn’t to be trusted. he knew that. did you know that? he could hear you, but he pretended not to. he came back anyway. you took his flowers, smiled, and said yes.

the time you set up the trap that killed three players. you claimed he was the one who forced you to, but you were the one who executed the plan while he was off stealing cookies. you enjoyed every second of it — the setup, the wait, the sudden boom, and then nothing. he said you were brilliant. you knew you were brilliant. the most dangerous green life paired up with the first red life — together, you were unstoppable. 

the time you holed into a bunker together. you lost your first life that day. you didn’t owe a debt to him anymore, but you stayed. you said it was a tactical advantage. you knew that wasn’t true. he knew that wasn’t true. but neither of you said anything.

he knew that. all of it. did you know that? 

and still, he turned on you, after all that you’ve been through.

you ambushed him, pushing him into the pool, eyes red with vengeance and tears. he didn’t fight back. you can kill me, he said. for everything you’ve done to keep me alive. he offered you the enchanter. you had completely forgotten about it in your rage. it didn’t matter anymore. you froze, blood and water dripping from your blade, unable to take his life. you couldn’t do it. he didn’t expect that. you didn’t expect that.

the ghosts screaming in your ears wanted blood. he didn’t let them break your friendship. after everything, after the betrayal, you’re still friends. you both knew that. so you returned to the desert, to pizza’s grave — where it all began, and where it’ll all end.

now you stand before him, surrounded by cacti and fire. you remove your armor. you toss aside your sword. your arms tremble, but you don’t care. he’s stalling. you’re stalling. the ghosts scream for you to fight, on three, two, one — green, yellow, red. even as your fists land blow after blow, pushing him back into the spikes, he’s laughing. you’re laughing. i’m so sorry, you both say, your laughter mixing with tears, your blood staining each other’s hands. 

you land the final blow. he’s gone. you don’t feel good. 

you brush your hand over your chest, where the arrow struck. he killed you, and you returned to collect his debt. you’ve won. you both won. but you stand alone, in an empty world, surrounded by his final possessions and your blood. there’s nothing left to harm you.

but there’s one more life to go.

the universe gifted you with a memory. a memory of every laugh, cry, scream, punch, and every single drop of blood that stained your hands and clothes, the red liquid seeping into your red sweater. you cursed the universe for its sick sense of humor. but as you plunge into the sandy depths below, both wings limp against your back, you can’t help but to spend your last moments thinking how maybe, the universe was right all along.

the rules of the universe state that scars will form for two reasons: if it's interesting enough, or if it’s of emotional importance.

he was important to you. his partnership, jokes, pranks, and even his betrayal. you should’ve known that. you wish you had known that.

and right before you hit the ground, you hope he knew that too.

[minijenn]

Story Summary: After spending five years stuck in the World of the Ocean King, Link returns to the Great Sea, only to find it changed beyond recognition. His friends and family view him as a traitor, accusing him of causing chaos across the ocean. With his allies all turned against him and a curse threatening to take his life, he sets out to reconnect with the one person who may be able to clear his name: Tetra.

Meanwhile, something sinister is rising over the Great Sea--a shadow seeking to spill the hero's blood and revive its fallen master. And this time, Link may not be strong enough to stop it on his own.

Ships: Link/Tetra

Rating: T

Warnings: Angst, Trauma, Violence, Blood and Injury, Torture, Harm to Children, Psycological Trauma

Chapter Summary: A hero makes his final stand against a demon. The quest to obtain the remaining two Pure Metals goes smoothly enough, all things considered. There are still plenty of treacherous temples to traverse and even more of Bellum’s monsters to stand in the way, but with the power of the spirits on his side, Link manages to overcome each of them. Linebeck lends his support in whatever ways he can, keeping his ship stocked up on potions and supplies in the very likely event that Link ever needs them. It isn’t lost on anyone  when the captain begins nagging Link less for returning to the ship without any treasure and more for coming back with any number of new cuts and bruises. With all three Pure Metals in hand, the group seeks out Zauz the blacksmith. They can only assume Oshus must have paid him a visit before they arrived, because he’s already well aware of their mission beforehand. Using his skill in the forge, he uses the Metals to craft a beautiful blade with the power to take Bellum down once and for all: the Phantom Sword. And much like almost everything else he’s found within this strange world, as soon as Link feels that sword’s weight resting in his hand, it rings hauntingly familiar to another sword entirely. A sword long since lost to the bottom of the sea, still buried deep in the skull of the man he’d slain with it.  With the sword and the spirits in tow, there’s no further obstacles standing in their way. They finally make their return to Mercay Island, a solemn journey steeped in silence that hangs heavy even as they disembark and make their way toward the Temple of the Ocean King. None of them wants to think about, much less talk about what awaits them inside of that temple.  Click the link to read more; all comments are appreciated!

[ankhlesbian]

toxic yuri: shin kamen rider edition

Fandom: Shin Kamen Rider

Pairing: Ruriko/Hiromi ofc

Rating/Length: T for violence, ~1.5k words

AO3 Link: here

My gift for the toku femslash exchange ^_^

Ruriko and Hongo have a plan for taking down Hachi-Aug.

It means Ruriko will have to confront Hiromi, on her own this time.

Ruriko is always prepared.

The elevator doors opened.

The roof was nothing like the foyer the two had last met in. It was dimly lit. There was no perfectly spaced, sophisticated furniture. No rows of expensive swords. No wasps of pure gold adorning the walls. 

Perhaps the roof was more honest to who the woman on the platform was.

“Thank you, Ruri-Ruri.” The woman purred. “I do appreciate the invitation.”

She began her descent.

“Feel like returning to the Organization?”

Ruriko matched her movements, moving towards the center of the roof.

“No. I feel like a fight.”

“Oh dear.” The other woman chuckled. “That’s a shame.”

 She stopped at the bottom of the platform, not moving any closer to Ruriko.

“Up here on the roof, your bodyguard can’t pop in on his bike to save you.”

Six of the woman’s drones were arranged around her, forming a V to encompass Ruriko. The man in yellow stood behind them all.

“Doesn't it scare you? Going solo?”

“Of course I’m scared. But I’m always fully prepared. You should know, I believe in the man called Kamen Rider.”

For a brief moment, the woman’s face twisted into something ugly. Then the honey-sweet veneer was back.

“You can’t believe in people. In the end, they will betray you. That’s why we need people like me to keep them in line.” The woman gestured with one gloved hand, sweeping it over her entourage of drones.

Ruriko was silent.

The woman smiled.

“Of course, I’m sure you know that well. You are a traitor, after all.”

“I didn’t come here to talk.”

The woman cocked her head.

“Of course.” She straightened and smoothed out her kimono. “I apologize for my rudeness.”

She summoned the man in yellow to her side. Handed off her haori. 

“I would be quite the poor host if I left you wanting.”

The man in yellow knelt, holding out a sleek katana. The woman freed one arm and drew it from its sheath. The man in yellow returned to his place. The drones stepped back. A straight line, a wall, behind her, standing perfectly still.

“You aren’t like me, Ruriko. Not anymore.” Hachi-Aug said. “I’m better than you. You can’t win.”

Ruriko’s hand slid into her coat.

“I’m going to make you cry. Make you beg for your life. And after that, I’ll take your toy and make you beg for his, too.”

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Hachi-Aug spun, the thin blade of her katana arcing around her in a perfect crescent as she leant backwards. It glinted as it caught the light of the moon above them. Six halves of three bullets clinked to the ground around her.

“Oh dear. You should know, guns don’t work on me.”

“They don’t need to work.”

Ruriko drew another pistol. She held one in each hand.

BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

The shots were swift yet careful, mindful of the civilians behind Hiromi. If any of the bullets hit their mark, they had no effect.

Hachi-Aug lunged forward. The first swing was diagonal, seamlessly cutting through the barrels of both of Ruriko’s guns. Ruriko dropped the guns the instant before the katana touched them, stumbling backwards with the wind that Hiromi’s unnaturally fast movement brought in its wake.

The second swing was aiming for Ruriko’s neck.

Hachi-Aug’s vision was blanketed in brown. She didn’t falter, carrying out the intended swing. It sliced through Ruriko’s coat, torn off and thrown into the air as a distraction. It fell to the ground gracelessly, crumpling onto itself in an ugly little pile.

Cold metal pressed against Hachi-Aug’s neck, recognizable even through the layers of fabric. A third gun.

Hachi-Aug’s katana slipped from her fingers. It fell, uncontrolled, clattering against the concrete.

“It’s over, Hiromi.”

“It’s barely begun.”

Hachi-Aug moved with speed unmatchable by a mere computational organism. Her right elbow slammed into Ruriko’s fingers with a crack, knocking the gun away. Her left foot slammed into Ruriko’s stomach, sending her flying. She slammed into the wall beside the elevator. Ruriko was left in only a black turtleneck and tight, black pants. She had more ammunition. She did not have more guns.

“That coat was disgusting. Brown isn’t your color, Ruri-Ruri. Yellow would suit you much better.”

She didn’t bother retrieving her sword. She advanced, predatory. She knelt in front of Ruriko’s battered form.

“We’re even now, “ she cooed. “Both of us without weapons.”

She grabbed Ruriko’s hair and yanked , pulling her face close. Blood dripped down Ruriko’s forehead.

“Have you had enough? This rebellion of yours is vulgar.” Her lips were so red and so falsely kind as she smiled.

“A world where people can’t make their own choices is just as vulgar.”

“You would think that, Ruri-Ruri. You just want to see people running around crazy, their emotions bare for all to see. Since you don’t have any of your own.”

The Habitat Realm, where one could tell no lies.

Hachi-Aug punched her. Blood spattered onto her glove. She didn’t let go of Ruriko's hair. Her head snapped, chunks of hair torn loose by the whiplash.

Ruriko licked the blood from her lips. Her eyes were dark.

Without warning she threw herself forward, forehead cracking into Hiromi’s, the weight of her body careening them backwards.

Hachi-Aug’s grip carried Ruriko down with her. Her other hand was pinned beneath her back. Ruriko snatched at her wrist with broken fingers, grip unerring. She pinned her hand above her head, knees tightening around Hiromi’s hips to keep her still. Hiromi’s pigtails were splayed around her on the concrete, the black strands frizzy and damp with sweat.

“That’s not what I want. You don’t know what I want.”

“Of course I don’t!” Hiromi spat. She was breathing heavily. “You won’t tell me. Wouldn’t tell me. You didn’t even tell me you were leaving.”

She managed to get one leg free, tearing at the seams of her kimono. She flipped them, pressing Ruriko into the ground.

“You would have stopped me.”

“You could have asked me to come with you.”

Her hands went for Ruriko’s neck.

“I just did.” She wheezed.

“You didn’t ask then .”

“You would have said no.”

Ruriko’s elbows and knees were relentless as she writhed beneath her. It was enough to bruise her in this form.

“You don’t know that.”

“I know.” Ruriko’s eyes met hers. Her face was smeared with blood and grime, but her expression was nonchalant. As if she wasn’t moments away from being choked to death.

Hiromi had no retort to that, because Ruriko was right.

“You still could have asked.” She knew her voice was wobbly now. “Then maybe I would have known you cared.”

She tightened her grip. Ruriko’s attempts at escape weakened.

“If you had stayed they could have helped you. Enhanced you, too. You wouldn’t be so weak right now.”

“I am not weak. I wanted to find my own answers. To find the meaning of real happiness. That is not weak.” Her voice was barely a whisper now. Her face was still blank, pale now, white as a ghost.

“I’m going to kill you. You’re going to die.” Hiromi said it like it was a command, leaning in so close she could feel Ruriko’s shallow breath on her face, tickling her lips. “How about some tears? You still have time to beg.”

Hiromi squeezed, squeezed so tight it felt like her fingers would break skin, would touch Ruriko’s blood and flesh and bones in a tantalizing intimate way. Ruriko would bend to her will.

“I won’t die.” Ruriko’s voice was so faint. “Not here. Not yet.”

“Your bodyguard isn’t going to save you. Nobody except me is going to save you.” Her pigtails dangled, framed Ruriko’s face, the strands against her cheek moving as Hiromi spoke, a facsimile of a caress. “You just have to ask. Tell me you want to serve me. To obey me. Tell me you won’t leave me alone again. Tell me, Ruri-Ruri! ”

There was no answer. Ruriko was still. The world slowed down, froze for a staggering moment. A moment where Ruriko was gone, truly gone, and Hiromi was truly alone.

Hiromi tore herself away from Ruriko like she was on fire, like the very feel of her scorched through her layers of clothing and her inhuman skin and right to her soul. She was panting, eyes darting around wildly. She was glad her drones could only see her back.

The world unfroze.

Ruriko took in a long, rattling breath. Her eyes found Hiromi’s as she pulled herself to her feet, one halting movement at a time, until she was braced against the wall, barely standing.

“I won’t die here.” She said, “Because you won’t kill me.”

And then there was an explosion, and her drones were gone, and that Kamen Rider that Ruriko had chosen to believe in was between them.

“Surrender. For Ruriko-san’s sake, too.’” He said.

The woman sneered.

“That angle is going to backfire. I just want to make Ruriko cry.”

[katie-the-bug]

IN WHICH Katie continues to complain about books she knew beforehand would be bad

Still reading the Left Behind series. Finished Apollyon. God I'm tired.

The cast, for those just tuning in:

The Tribulation Force: Rayford Steele, freelance pilot and evangelist; Buck Williams, freelance writer for God; Chloe Williams, Buck's pregnant wife, Rayford's daughter; Tsion Ben-Judah, internet-famous evangelist and ex-rabbi; Ken Ritz, charter pilot and new convert; David Hassid, techie and the group's man inside the Antichrist's bureaucracy; Floyd Charles, unemployed doctor.

The Bad Guys: Nicolae Carpathia, Antichrist and beloved leader of the Global Community; Peter Mathews, Pope of Enigma Babylon One World Faith.

Others: Hattie Durham, Nicolae's pregnant ex, rescued by the Tribulation Force, who are trying to make her convert; Chaim Rosenzweig, Israeli scientist and friend to Nicolae, Buck, and Tsion. There's also the two witnesses, resurrected saints who do nothing but yell about Jesus and cause natural disasters.

At the beginning of the book, most of our heroes are off to Israel for the meeting of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses, knowing that this will mark them as enemies of the Global Community in general and the Antichrist in particular and expose them to potential reprisal. Perhaps I'm too sensible for a thriller novel, but that's stupid.

Buck, Chloe, and Tsion are going, and Rayford has work, but "pregnant, Hattie Durham had been left home fighting for her life against poison in her system." The Tribulation Force harps on how much they care for Hattie, but leaving her alone while she's possibly dying indicates it's all talk.

David has designed a number of "handheld electronic organizers" that can access position data, connect to the internet, and make calls. In other words, he's invented smartphones.

Nicolae takes some time out of his day to try and threaten the two witnesses into no longer messing with Israel's water supply. A valiant effort, but one doomed to fail because somehow the guys spreading drought and disease have the blessing of a loving God.

In a review of the professions represented by the Tribulation Force, Chloe is said to be "without a specialty." Not coincidentally, she's the only woman. I'm pretty sure if she were a man something she studied in college would have come up by now, but as it is the extent of Chloe's abilities and character is Woman.

Chaim argues against Nicolae being the Antichrist by saying "He seeks world peace, disarmament, global unity," to which Chloe replies "My point exactly." As Jesus said, "Cursed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Antichrist." Or something like that.

Meanwhile, we return to a dangling plot threat from the last book: was Amanda, Rayford's second dead wife in three years, a traitor? The answer will not surprise you! She wasn't. All the evidence against her was faked by Nicolae, who already has a personal vendetta against the Tribulation Force despite them being seven people operating out of a basement.

The Meeting of the Witnesses happens, and Nicolae makes a suitably dramatic entrance in a helicopter just as Tsion is trying to read John 3:16. Points for timing.

Pope Peter (II) gives a little speech to the 144,000, representing how the authors think proponents of religious tolerance talk. He offers "the blessings of the universal father and mother and animal deities," advertises his religion, which "includes and affirms and accepts the major tenets of all the world's great religions," and refers to a "multilayered plural godhead." The idea of all the world's religions forming seamlessly into one faith is utter nonsense, but given the choice between that and True Christianity, I'll take the father and mother and animal deities any day.

Nicolae gives his own speech, and the two witnesses pull a funny prank where they make him thirsty and turn the water he tries to drink into blood. He immediately starts cursing them and threatening to kill them. I suppose this is the witnesses' roundabout way of trying to tell the audience he's the Antichrist, since they don't dare say it out loud for reasons that are never made entirely clear.

Nicolae later describes this as an attempt to poison him, and, while he embellishes the incident somewhat, he doesn't need to - they tried to make him drink blood. In no world is that not an attempt to poison someone. Hell, do it on a large enough scale, like the two witnesses are doing to Israel, and it counts as biological warfare!

In Chapter 4, Hattie's baby dies, probably because the authors didn't know what to do with the idea of the Antichrist's child. Hattie's immediate response is an overwhelming desire to kill Nicolae and avenge her child. My ship is home to a thriving coral reef ecosystem BUT now I have a new pipe dream for this series: I want Hattie to get that sonofabitch. She has the strongest motive out of any of the major characters and, unlike the Tribulation Force, she doesn't believe Nicolae is fated to survive another year, so she'll actually TRY. In a good story, she'd be the hero - the only one with a desire, a drive, and a willingness to act. In the story as it is, the authors just want us to laugh at her.

The narration says of the scene in a bar that "Not all the couples were made up of both sexes." Much shock. How scandal.

While he's planning his team's daring escape from Chaim's house, Chloe accuses Buck of "playing Spiderman." RESPECT. THE. HYPHEN.

Tsion implores his audience to tell people that the catastrophes befalling the Earth are "God's way of getting their attention." I will reiterate that these catastrophes are deadly. God's way of getting people's attention to to kill them.

Ken says something trite about Hattie, and Rayford says, "Ritz, you've got to be on the feminist' top ten most wanted list." Addendum to my pipe dream: I want Hattie to kill Rayford too.

Chaim is letting the Tribulation Force stay in his house and convert his staff, meaning he's surrounded by Christians. He's taking it very well and he thinks that the "seal of God" that they can see on each other is just a silly little joke. I aspire to have his level of tolerance.

We learn that Ken has a considerable pile of gold stashed away, because he makes a lot of money, spends none of it, and shared the authors' weird beliefs about money even before converting to Christianity. He buried it under the airport he usually works from, which he is thinking of buying - a situation bearing an odd resemblance to a Biblical parable. That feels like it should be intentional but I really doubt it is.

Precisely because they were dumb enough to go out in public where Nicolae could target them, the Tribulation Force has to make a daring midnight escape, during which Ken is killed and the position of my favorite character is left wide open. At least they know where he hid all his gold?

Buck also gets left behind, which is an issue, because it was him being charged with yet another murder that made the escape necessary. He just goes back to Chaim's house and waits for the whole thing to blow over for what ends up being five months.

Another judgement comes in which the sun loses a third of its brightness. The authors interpret this as causing deep cold weather. Now, I'm not an astronomer yet, but I'm pretty sure that a loss of solar luminosity that large would actually move the sun's habitable zone, possibly removing Earth from the area of the Solar System where liquid water, and thus life as we know it, is possible. On the plus side, maybe Venus will cool down a bit.

Chaim describes Israel as the "land where the name Jesus Christ is anathema." Once again the authors express their understanding of Judaism as a religion whose defining characteristic is hating Christ.

The loss of sunlight and solar power causes an energy crisis, and the narration puts the death toll in the hundreds of thousands. The very next page, Tsion describes the catastrophes as an "attention-getter." I'm going to repeat myself ad nauseam, but this is how the authors justify their God killing so many people - it gets the attention of the survivors.

Later on Chaim asks the real questions - "Why can he not get people's attention through wonderful miracles, as he did in the Bible? Why make things worse and worse until a person has no choice?" The authors, via Buck, try to shoot this down, but Chaim is right. God's tactics are abusive and coercive, and trying to tell us that he's loving is the icing on the cake.

Hit character limit. More coming. So, so tired.

[rcreveal]

Soggy Bread

NanoMutt Prompt a day challenge Day 5: How you said I love you over a bottle of beer.

Good Omens

Beelzebub/Gabriel

Crossposted to AO3

Day 5 of the prompt challenge in Sendarya’s Discussion Server.

“Where are we?” Beelzebub looked around at the pub.  No, it called itself a brewery.  The inhabitants were wearing a wide assortment of dark hooded sweatshirts, with or without midriff-baring undershirts and an impressive collection of tattoos. Outside a light rain was falling from an overcast sky.

“We’re in,” Gabriel smiles and nods while he gestures to his hooded sweatshirt and a thick and luxurious beard.  “The Pacific Northwest!”

“Oh. That explains why I just saw a man ride by transporting four children on a single bicycle and an 80 year old woman drove by in a three wheeled vehicle without doors.  In the rain." Beelzebub continues to look around.

“But why here?”  Beelzebub’s gesture encompasses the brewery, the town, the rain, and the hoodies.

"Now hear me out,” Gabriel said with both hands pointed towards the six little half pints of beer lined up in front of them, “Aziraphale and Crowley…”

“The traitor,” Beelzebub said with a smiling sneer.

“Yes, lucky for us he is a nice traitor, uh, nice demon,” Beelzebub is wincing and looking at Gabriel with open disbelief. "Those words, together, just feel weird, in my mouth," Gabriel gestures a hand around his mouth.

“The two words ‘nice’ and ‘demon’ just don’t go together,” explains Beelzebub.

“They do in this case.  Which is why,” Gabriel takes one of their hands and kisses it, “I’m still here to talk with you.” 

“Fine. But why beer? You like to drink hot cocoa,”  Beelzebub points out.

“But, I could like beer!” Gabriel still smiles,  “Crowley and Aziraphale like to drink intoxicating substances.  Many humans like to drink intoxicating substances, so we ,” Gabriel is indicating them both, “could like intoxicating substances!”

“Furthermore, we’re at basically the same latitude as Aziraphale and Crowley, but on the other side of the globe, so we balance them out by being here .” Gabriel points down.  He has been explaining all this like he might have a slide presentation and Beelzebub has been giving him the kind of disbelieving look many a demon presenter has come to fear.

“I still don’t see the point.” Beelzebub gestures to the beer sampler.

Gabriel, who is immune to the disbelieving stares of his presentation audiences continues, “ And , I asked my little friend here to taste all the intoxicating substances to tell me which one you’d like best.” Gabriel holds up his finger and a fly alights on it.

Finally, Beelzebub smiles, both at the fly and Gabriel, “You two did that for me?” they hold up their finger next to Gabriel’s and the fly tipsily walks onto it.

“The fly said that you’d like beer better because you’d like soggy rotted bread,” and Gabriel holds up one of the small half pints of beer and looks at it, “Better than rotted grape juice.”

Beelzebub, eyes shining, lifts another half pint and sips it under the expectant gaze of Gabriel and the fly.  Their face contorts through several configurations before settling on an eyebrow raised towards the drink.

“Ye-es, I think I could get to like the soggy rotted bread drink.   But this one has too much of the antibacterial hops in it for my taste.  Which one doesn’t have that in?” they lift the fly to their ear and select a different glass, this time smiling appreciatively.

"Oh, he says we should try the rotted sweetened tea.  They call it kombucha.  But to be careful with the ones with CBD in." Beelzebub says tasting another beer.

Gabriel purses his lips in a thoughtful face and nods while holding up his half pint to clink against Beelzebub's.  "They call it a toast"

"But, the liquid is cold." Beelzebub points out, perplexed.

"Humans," says Gabriel and they both shrug and sip their beer.

[marysunburn]

Xerath in denial

"My splendid Magus"

The Seer of the Sand kneels at Xerath's feet and stands, raising her hands in adoration. There's something absent in her gaze, as if what she was saying was apocalyptic news.

"Suspicious words come from the capital"

Xerath emits a low chuckle. So that's where Azir has gone, alongside his crew of sycophants. Back home, like a frightened child. All his promises for things to be different are as hollow as ever.

"Speak, my loyal seer."

The woman takes a breath. The other followers, like Xerath's own Herald and his mighty Acolyte, walk back. They can feel Xerath sizzling.

He's been agitated from the moment he locked Azir underground. The news of his escape didn't soothe him, and his failed attempt to capture him – the one where he willingly gave up – was the last straw for him. And since Xerath doesn't socialize with underlings, they can't even bring him comfort.

"They say the traitor Azir has abdicated"

Xeraths sizzles, his stone prison crackling and squeaking.

"What?"

"He... he renounced his crown. He's gathered the leaders of the unaffiliated tribes at the capital, and performed an abdication. They're electing a council as we speak."

Xerath breathes harshly with lungs he doesn't have. Azir... abdicating. It seems like a joke. A cruel joke at his expense, because that's all he's ever been – a thing to joke at, to step over, to walk above.

Azir loved him like his own brother, and even that wasn't enough to dampen his selfish ambition. Who could he love more than his own sworn kin.

"Liar! He's lying! Azir would rather..."

Xerath raises into the air, striking lighting into the warmth that surrounds him. "...he'd rather kill his own kin than renounce his absolute throne. He's..."

He coughs – coughs, despite being pure energy.

"Noblest Ascended, are you alright?"

It's everything I ever wanted. Freedom for us all, a warm tomorrow for Shurima. He promised, eons ago, and now he...

He kept it.

"He'd rather renounce his crown than surrender to me." So little do I matter, to his immense ego, that even his kingdom is worth less than his defiance.

"Great Magus Ascended", the Herald attempts. "Perhaps, this will provide an entrance for Your reign."

"He's gone weaker," the Acolyte proposes. "Your Radiance is mighty. We can expose his lies and..."

But Xerath's following strikes of lightning make the ground shake and the air burn.

"LEAVE ME! ALL OF YOU!"

Xerath rises into the skies, his armor cracking like burnt flesh, his lit eyes piercing through the veil of the night, a choking sound raising from his chains like a man in tears.

Even those on the ground hear his scream.

"You don't get to do this to me, Azir" he speaks to no one, feverish in wrath and madness. "You don't get to atone. You escaped me three times already. But I won't run. I will expose you, whatever it is you do. I know you."

And his lightning sear the clouds and light the sky like daylight.

When he comes down even his own loyalists have curled up behind rocks, some of which struck by his rampaging wrath. They don't care, of course. Xerath's pain is their own, and only one person before – one Omah Azir, currently organizing the distribution of supplies alongside the council he indeed elected – has ever felt his emotions so closely.

"Conceal yourself, go to the capital, and expose his lies once and for all", he tells his Seer.

"And when he's driven out once again, when his true soul is made bare to those he pretends to love... I'll be there to give my emperor his due".

[adinus]

Hate. Anger. Fear. Death.

I ran through the shattered streets of my city, my boots pounding against broken asphalt and scattered debris. In my hands, I gripped an AK-74N—once a symbol of national defense, now a weapon turned against those it was meant to protect.

If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be fighting in my own city, watching buildings burn and streets run red with blood over a stolen election, I would’ve laughed in their face. Now, as gunfire echoed through alleyways and cries of anguish tore through the air, I realized the madness had always been brewing beneath the surface.

It began with the clash of two leaders—a democrat and a fascist. The fascist won the vote, but the world would not allow it. Foreign forces occupied our military bases under the pretense of 'ensuring order' and 'preserving democracy.' In truth, they had come to break us. We responded in kind.

Protests turned to riots. Riots turned to battles. And as the streets became rivers of shattered glass and blood, we rose—an army of civilians and defectors, bound by desperation and rage. We called ourselves the Liberation Army, the TLA, but liberation demands sacrifice.

My family? Gone. Their absence haunted me, but there was no time to grieve. Weapons were placed in our hands, and orders barked in our ears: 'Kill the traitors.'

I obeyed.

I was among the first to fire. I remember the moment well—the look in his eyes. A friend of mine. He hesitated, trembling as he questioned whether what we were doing was right.

'Is this moral?' he asked, his voice shaking. 'We are going to kill men—people—humans. We aren’t supposed to do this.'

I felt hate.

In the heat of the moment, I struck him. The butt of my rifle slammed into his jaw, snapping his head back. He staggered, but before he could speak again, I brought the barrel down against his skull. Blood spilled down his face as he collapsed.

I didn’t stop. I pressed the barrel to his head, my voice raw with fury.

'This is what awaits every traitor! This will be the fate of each and every one of them!'

I pulled the trigger.

His eyes went blank. The pool of blood beneath him grew, but my rage didn’t fade. It burned hotter. Stronger.

The others looked at me in silence—then erupted into cheers. They called me a hero, a revolutionary.

I wanted to vomit.

________

Back to the present,

'Forwards, towards Victory!' I screamed, raising my rifle as men around me echoed the chant.

We charged the military base, met immediately by bursts of gunfire. Cars littered the streets, so we ducked behind them, returning fire as bullets ricocheted off the metal frames.

They were organized. We weren’t. But we had numbers.

I turned to the five men crouched beside me.

'Alright, listen, you five. I got a plan. Using the cars as cover, we move over to the right corner. Then, we progress forward, using the concrete wall to our advantage. Once we get to the main gate, we will assume our comrades will give us supporting fire. Then, we go through the gate, killing every soldier who isn’t expecting resistance from that direction. Got it?'

Terrible plan, I know. But someone had to do something.

They nodded.

We moved, darting between cars as bullets whizzed past. We reached the gate under the cover of our comrades’ fire and flanked the enemy. The first few kills were easy. Too easy.

We pressed against a small structure by the gate, barely large enough to hide five men.

'Cover me,' one whispered as he peeked out.

A crack echoed, and blood sprayed from his throat. He dropped, choking, before another round shattered his skull.

'Move! MOVE!' I barked, but disaster struck again.

An enemy soldier peeked from the other side and opened fire. I turned, but not fast enough.

Three shots. Two hit the chest of another man. The third tore into the leg of the man beside me.

I raised my rifle and fired, the bullet finding the soldier’s eye. His body slumped, leaving a smear of blood and brains on the wall.

The man in the chest gasped for breath, his eyes wide with terror. The other screamed, clutching his leg.

'You idiot!' I roared, shoving my rifle against the wounded man’s head.

'No! You’re gonna kill me! Help me! What are you DOING?!'

'You just killed all of us!' I screamed.

My finger squeezed the trigger.

His cries died with the gunshot.

I turned to my last comrade. His rifle dangled at his side, his face pale. He was staring at me like I was a monster.

'A man’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, you bastard! Whatchu' looking at me for?!'

Then I heard the voice.

'WEAPONS DOWN! YOU HAVE A CHANCE AT LIVING IF YOU PLACE YOUR WEAPONS DOWN!'

I felt my stomach drop. Fear clawed its way through the rage.

I looked at my last comrade, and he raised his weapon—at me.

BOOM!

The explosion threw me down, pain flooding my legs. I groaned, trying to move, but my body wouldn’t respond.

I looked at my comrade. He was choking, blood pouring from his mouth, shrapnel buried in his throat.

'No, no, no—stay with me!' I begged, but the light in his eyes dimmed until it was gone.

I felt tears on my cheeks as I turned my eyes to the sky.

It was such a bloody day.

I was crying.

Then—

Blackness.

___________

Aftermath

They found my body in the dirt, riddled with bullets. The soldier who shot me in the head?

My own brother.

He didn’t know until it was too late.

My family was found later, lifeless in our home. No one knows how they died, but the walls were painted in blood.

The TLA fell within a week. The rebels were crushed, the survivors executed.

And the country? It became a puppet state, bent to the will of foreign powers.

We fought for freedom.

We died for nothing.

Hate turned to fear.

Fear turned to silence.

And the streets of my city drowned in blood.

-- A. S. C.

[arielgobuss]

68. The world is in your eyes

The yearning to be near you I do what I have to do Deep within I'm shaken by the violence Of existing for only you*

Caught in the grip of despair, the mind searches for everything that could relieve suffering, transforming the things it cannot cope with into a feeling that is equally strong, but allows... to release the pain; to be free from the burden, even for a short while. Someone always has to be... guilty.

"You killed her, you son of a bitch! You are on their side!" Ron growled, piercing Severus with a look that had long since gone beyond insanity and was dangerously fast approaching madness.

George, Fred and Greg stared at Ron in shock. Ginny froze, looking at her brother as if he had suddenly started speaking a different language. They looked like actors placed on stage who suddenly realized that one of them had decided to completely change the script, and if they don't react quickly, the whole play will fall to pieces. Severus was calmly watching the eyes burning with hatred, staring at him, and he felt as if he was watching a play directed by a madman.

Ron's bloodshot eyes searched the ground and before anyone could stop him, he lunged for his wand, turning toward Severus and sending a paralyzing spell at him.

Severus had no problem deflecting the spell, which ricocheted and whistled right next to the Weasley. The girl screamed and immediately crouched down, covering her head with her hands. Fred and George rushed toward their brother, grabbing him by the waist and trying to take his wand.

"What are you doing, Ron?"

The boy seemed completely blinded, though. He broke away from them, elbowing one of the brothers in the stomach and punching the other in the face, and aimed at Severus again, shouting desperately:

"Reducto!"

The man quickly deflected the spell, sending a disarming spell toward the enraged boy, which hit him right in the chest and threw him back several feet. Weasley fell onto his back, a loud groan escaping his lips.

Fred and George almost immediately rushed toward him, grabbing his arms and pinning him to the ground so he couldn't get up.

"Ron, stop it! Are you crazy?" one of them asked, wiping the blood from his broken nose with his sleeve.

"No! Let me go! You know nothing!" Ron shouted, struggling and trying to break free. "He killed Aurors! I saw it! I'm sure he killed her! He's a traitor! A murderer!"

Fred and George froze and turned their heads. Severus felt several pairs of surprised glances at him.

Just great, that was all he needed...

"That's true?" Fred Weasley asked, letting go of his brother, rising from the ground and staring at Snape suspiciously.

Severus looked around. He saw the wands being lifted up. All three Weasleys and the Ravenclaw boy were standing next to each other, pointing their wands at him.

Ungrateful, unreasoning little brats! He should have gotten out of here as soon as they showed up. The Weasleys always brought nothing but trouble. He wasn't going to explain himself to them. Nor waste time on pointless fights.

"Ginny, come here," Greg whispered carefully, and as soon as Snape's gaze fell on the red-haired girl slowly rising from the ground and staring at him in disbelief, his predatory speed, practiced over the years, paid off. He jumped toward her, quickly grabbing her by the throat, putting his wand to her head and shielding himself from the wands aimed at him.

"Let her go!" Greg shouted, tightening his trembling hand on his wand.

"If I were you, I would put these useless sticks aside, unless you want to endanger your sister" he hissed, ruthlessly scanning the surprised faces.

"I told you he was a traitor! You crazy fucking bastard!" Ron roared, aiming at Snape with such ferocity that he seemed to want to incinerate him with just a look.

Fred and George seemed torn between the desire to attack Snape with their bare fists if necessary, and the need to keep their sister safe.

"Let her go, we're putting the wands away now," Fred said, raising his left hand in surrender and simultaneously lowering his wand.

"No, he's going to kill her anyway! Just like he killed Hermione! " Ron exclaimed, taking a step closer.

"Ron, calm down and put the damn wand away!" George growled, moving toward his brother, but at the same moment several spells shouted nearby reached their ears and sharp flashes lit up the air, and after two broken screams, Molly and Arthur Weasley emerged from the fog.

"Fred, George! You weren't supposed to go away!" Molly exclaimed, running to her sons. Her robe was muddy and torn, as if the witch had just made her way through a field of thorny bushes. "Do you know how long we've been looking for you? Ron! Thanks be to Merlin for finding you! Where's your sister--?" Her wandering gaze fell on Severus, who was slowly retreating. "Severus, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise, at the same moment that her husband pointed his wand at Snape. Apparently he was able to understand the situation much faster.

"Let go of our daughter, Severus," he said sharply.

Severus tightened his grip on his hostage's neck, yanking her back and taking another step. The girl moaned in pain.

"Your brats attacked me. In the future, I advise you to keep them on leashes, or I will kill them all."

"You will not threaten my children," Molly Weasley drawled, standing next to her husband and raising her wand.

Severus...

At first, Severus wanted to turn his head to look for the source of that very familiar, warm voice, but he quickly changed his mind. He can't let his guard down. Even for a moment. It's only illus--

Severus...

Merlin, how he wanted to answer him; to tell him to hold on; that he's getting closer; that he will find him soon...

"Severus!" Arthur Weasley's sharp voice pulled him out of the warmth, bringing him back to the battlefield strewn with bodies.

"Move away!" he hissed, retreating even further, and before either of them could make any gesture, the air was filled with curses flying from the smoke.

The Weasleys scattered, deflecting curses and hurling spells at the dark figures circling in the fog, but Molly Weasley seemed to see nothing but her daughter. However, Severus had no intention of getting rid of his hostage. Whether he leaves her and runs away or takes her with him, they may still follow him. But taking her with him would at least give him some sort of precaution.

He deflected the ricocheting spell and put his wand back to the throat of the girl, who struggling in his grip.

"Imperio," he whispered, forcing orders into her head.

Ginny immediately stopped struggling and froze motionless.

"Impedimento!" Molly Weasley shouted at him when she managed to knock down the Death Eater charging at her.

Severus raised his wand to deflect the spell, but Ginny was faster:

"Protego!"

Her mother's spell bounced off the shield the girl had conjured, and Severus was sure he wouldn't soon forget Molly Weasley's shocked and terrified expression.

"Good girl," he said, pursing his lips mockingly and backing out of range. However, before he hid in the clouds of smoke, he saw another four Death Eaters attacking the Weasleys. "Follow me."

The smoke was a great cover. He knew it would be a long time before the Weasleys dealt with the attack and began to chase him. Besides, he doubted whether they would be able to find him in this thick smoke.

He looked at the red-haired Gryffindor running next to him.

Especially since he had their daughter as a living shield and could order her to do anything.

*

He knew that stopping every Death Eater he encountered and asking them if they knew where Malfoy was - if of course he managed to knock them down or fend off his attack - was as pointless as asking them about the Dark Lord's whereabouts. He had to find someone more important, and force him to cooperate.

Bellatrix, Greyback, and Nott were dead. So who was left?

His eyes narrowed.

Yaxley!

And he suspected where he could find him...

[batmanego]

SO YOU'RE TIRED OF BATMAN: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO DC SUPERHEROES

one of the most common things i hear when trying to get people to read comics is that they're just not that into batman. which boggles my mind! not because i'm a huge batman fan -- which i am, but i can understand why people might not be interested in his comics -- but because it's insane to me that batman (or superman, or wonder woman, or any other dc superhero they've made a movie about) is people's default perception of dc superheroes.

there's a whole world out there! and if you're intimidated by the big superheroes, or uninterested in their stories, or even if you like them but you're looking for something different, this is the guide for you. without further ado, i present:

DC MINUS THE BIG THREE: A FIELD GUIDE FOR THE DISENCHANTED AND DISINTERESTED

DOOM PATROL (1987)

to nobody's surprise, doom patrol is first on my list of recommendations. it's a comic book about a group of disabled people who have been labeled freaks, weirdos, or otherwise undesirable by society, coming together to save a world that doesn't care about them because there has to be beauty in it somewhere.

good for: well, i'll let the introduction quote do the talking. “remember when all the other kids on the block had superman and batman as positive role modes? well, if you could only identify with a human brain in a metal body or a guy wrapped up in bandages, and if you grew up weird, welcome home. you’re among friends now.”

read doom patrol here. trigger warnings for: ableism, child sexual abuse, medical abuse, transphobia.

2. HELLBLAZER (1988) BUT ONLY THE FIRST 41 ISSUES OK?

hellblazer is a 300 issue long comic book, mostly comprised of dogshit stories by dogshit writers. i am recommending it because i genuinely think the first 41 issues are art. please do not do as i did and read all of hellblazer. you won't survive the experience. ok? ok.

hellblazer is a comic about aging punk magician/occultist john constantine trying desperately to sort out his life in late 80s london while constantly being beset by poor life choices, poverty, and also lots and lots and lots and lots of demons.

good for: punks, anarchists, fans of the occult, enemies of aleister crowley, anyone who has a personal vendetta against margaret thatcher.

read hellblazer here, BUT STOP READING AFTER THE FIRST 41 ISSUES OK? trigger warnings for: literally almost everything you can imagine, but specifically discussions of child sexual abuse are prominent in the original sins run. also, it was written by a white man in the 80s, so it suffers from "white man in the 80s" syndrome.

3. WILDCATS (1999)

"FERRIS", some of you comic book knowers cry, "WILDCATS IS WILDSTORM NOT DC". to that i say Shut the fuck up DC acquired the rights to the wildstorm universe it's close e-fucking-nough.

wildcats 1999 is about cole cash (a conman and ex-special ops man), hadrian 7 (an alien robot posing as a human named jack marlowe), and noir (a bisexual ex-arms dealer from france who talks in the third person) picking up the pieces of the OLD wildcats team after they all found out they were soldiers in a war that ended before most of them were born and nobody bothered to tell them, and trying to 1) run a company and 2) save the world.

good for: people who hate the military, tacky sci-fi fans, anyone who wishes guys would suck more, anyone interested in the horrors of war.

read wildcats 1999 here.

4. SLEEPER

"ferris i want to leave wildstorm" too fucking bad. we're talking about sleeper right now.

sleeper is about holden carver, an undercover agent in the world's largest underground crime organization/network, who gets stuck undercover when his handler (the only guy who knows he's undercover and not just a traitor) gets shot and put in a coma. it is about grappling with your own morality, losing faith in your ideals, and (like most wildstorm properties), how war is a pointless exercise in horror.

good for: fans of spy thrillers, evil women enjoyers, evil men enjoyers, anyone who has ever thought they could make someone worse, people who want bad things to happen to people in power.

read sleeper season 1 here, and then sleeper season 2 here. trigger warnings for pedophilia (the pedophile gets beat to death in issue 2), homophobia, and child abuse.

5. THE AUTHORITY (1999)

stop crying we're almost done with wildstorm. the authority is a comic book about 6 super-people (who are very loose parodies of the justice league) forming a self-described "anarchist cell" to operate against the wishes and outside the influence of earth's governments to defend the planet against extraterrestrial threats and handle human rights violations.

good for: political science fans, good sci-fi enjoyers, people who think batman and superman should have kissed instead of making a million movies, people in polyamorous six-ples.

read the authority here. trigger warning for "this writer probably shouldn't have written this asian nation like this", homophobia, sexual abuse.

6. SUICIDE SQUAD (1987)

hey, remember how i was talking about wildcats? imagine the same sort of themes of wildcats (the horrors of war, the effects of being in the military, american imperialism, what it means to be a hero or even a good person), and then apply them to the worst group of people you've ever had the displeasure of being in the same room as, and they all fucking hate each other. suicide squad is about a bunch of incarcerated villains being "recruited" (forced) into working hero-missions for the government, because nobody will miss them if they die.

good for: villain apologists, people who (in the immortal words of hack/slash) think "there just aren't enough big mean women in comics", and this guy:

[ID: a comment on read comics online by “the king of anime” reading, “I want to give this a try would it be worth it”. end ID.]

read suicide squad here. trigger warning for, again "white man in the 80s syndrome", along with... probably pretty much everything else imaginable (it's been a while since i read this!)

7. STARMAN (1994)

starman is a story told with the drama of a theater production about jack knight, a late-20s to early-30s punk antiques dealer who gets the mantle of starman (a well-known superhero from the golden age) thrust upon him suddenly. it is a story about legacy, family duties, identity, and most importantly about being kind of a loser who gets shot at all the fucking time.

good for: sci-fi fans who are too proud to admit they also like fantasy, rock opera listeners, family disappointments, single fathers.

read starman here. trigger warning for sexual assault.

8. ARKHAM CITY: THE ORDER OF THE WORLD (2021)

"ferris you said no batman" i did. i did not say no batman villains.

arkham city: the order of the world focuses on some of batman's lesser-known foes, and the fallout of arkham asylum collapsing. i can't really explain it more than that, but it is good and legitimately unnerving at times.

good for: horror fans, enemies of the psychiatric system, villain enjoyers, people who live in new york city.

read arkham city: the order of the world here.

9. THE SHADE (1997) and THE SHADE (2012)

hey, remember starman? want a series about the old immortal victorian man with an "ambiguous sexuality" from it? okay. the shade (1997) follows his origins: specifically, his long-standing beef with one specific family. the shade (2012) is a sort of cross-country whodunnit as the shade tries to track down who is trying (and failing) to murder him.

good for: bisexual enjoyers, dramatic theater kids, vampire fans, goths, people who would have fucked lord byron given the opportunity.

read the shade (1997) here, and the shade (2012) here.

10. METAL MEN (2007)

lastly (but not least), a comic featuring will magnus from doom patrol. metal men (2007) is... a complicated story. it's about robots? it's about being mentally ill. it's about a guy who is so divorced forever. it's about being a little loser guy. it's about time travel, and terrible relationships with your brother. it's hard to describe. but it's fun.

good for: bad sci-fi enjoyers, people who can understand the timeline of looper, robot fans, anyone who has ever been consumed by a desire to create.

read metal men (2007) here.

BONUS:

not included in this list because batman is there, i encourage everyone to have a look at the original justice league international series. it is a superhero comedy. it is silly and stupid and i love it.

OKAY, THAT'S ALL! THANKS FOR READING!

[gentrychild]

Ok but I'm just thinking about canon All Might looking for izuku, for any clues with his friends, and while Shoto might be ablr to keep it secret if not tempted with dad theories, All Might would know that Bakugo is lying so,,, thats fun for him lol

All Might barely cares about being transported to another dimension, he is just running around everywhere, yelling "Have you seen my son???""

He barges in the middle of one of Aizawa's lessons, almost giving a heart attack to every student of 1-A but the son isn't here.

"Gran Torino, have you seen my son? He isn't in class, doesn't even seem to be a hero." "The only green kid I've heard about is the one who stole OFA but it can't be..." "No, it's probably him. He was always a smart boy." "He ambushed you, made you believe you were dying and stole your quirk." "Yes, a bright boy who is at the head of his own organization and who knows how to seize opportunities. I couldn't be prouder." "He is a villain!" "I don't care about labels."

Shouto's mind is about to explode with theories and Dabi and him keep sending angry messages to each other.

All Might goes straight to Bakugou and asks him where Young Midoriya is. Bakugou tells him he has no idea who he is talking about, only for All freaking Might to grab him by the scruff and to explain to him that he cares about him as a student and as a future hero but it's time to cut the bullshit.

"Young Midoriya left school because of WHAT?"

Add more "HAS ANYONE SEEN MY SON?"

Some Anyone members probably trying to help this poor tired man to find his runaway son while Nagisa is dying of laughter.

All Might going to Aldera and asking why they lied to him.

All Might: *somewhat legally* burns Aldera to the ground* AFO: "But... I was the one supposed to do that. :(" All Might: "Cry me a river."

Every time All Might and Izuku meet, the "Why are you running???" meme happens.

He isn't acting as the number 1 hero anymore but as a father looking for his son.

"My boy, please, come home! The quirk is yours! You can keep the villain organization too! Just come study in UA!"

"I made a bento for you!"

"Come back!"

AFO feels very threatened.

Not only does All Might make a trap with a ton of All Might merch but Izuku falls into it. The only reason why he wasn't captured is because AFO "rescued" him, hissing at All Might.

At one point, I think All Might is just supporting his villainous son. He appears during his missions (Nagisa is a traitor) to yell encouragement and provide him with coffee and bento. He is a growing boy. He shouldn't skip meals.

Three months later, AFO dies of a heart attack because Izuku accidentally called All Might "Dad."

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 328: Pandora’s Box of Discourse

Previously on BnHA: DEKU TOOK A BATH.

Today on BnHA: 

Also Naomasa grew a beard. Goddamn. 

please let this be a cool chapter that plays nice with my ADHD lol

(ETA: lol I feel guilty because a lot of people hated this chapter, but I’m just happy there was a lot of stuff to make fun of, and also that I have another week to work on my backlog of meta posts since the kids were MIA.)

around one month ago?? ah, okay, so we’re gonna find out what was in that Tartarus security file huh

I love that they just randomly set the place on fire

was it necessary to do this in order to escape? no. was it a good idea to set the island they were occupying on fire while they were in the midst of still occupying it? uh. was it cinematic as fuck? fuck yeah

wow it’s a pervert!!

that’s so great that the villains set loose this fine fellow who I’m sure is definitely not a serial rapist. truly the LoV is so noble and misunderstood. they’re just trying to free society from its chains people

oh my god??!

SHANKED!!! oh my god I cheered for Stain before I realized what I was doing. time to have an identity crisis I guess

so he’s all “hey what’s going on.” which, while a respectable question, is something I personally would have waited to ask until I had put a bit of distance between myself and the fiery murder island. but that’s just my personal preference

Stain you really are tenacious I’ll give you that

“what’s the point of escaping prison if you’re not gonna be smart about it” well shit. anyways yeah you’re dead right, society is in the process of collapsing and the outside world is in total chaos, good call there

oh shit

I mean it’s not like we really expecting anything otherwise, but still. fucking brutal. I feel like these guys’ fates were decided the minute that one guy called AFO “scum” back in chapter 94. AFO is unmatched at getting long-term revenge

??

ahh, was it the security footage??

fdsdfk he’s still alive??

and he’s immediately launching into an inappropriately theatrical monologue even as the darkness closes in on him fdlfksjdlk. you know, was it ever confirmed that the other guy back in chapter 297 was Seiji’s dad? I’m just saying

very impressed that he’s still coherent enough to weigh the pros and cons before making the decision to gamble on giving this info to Stain, who at the very least has his own moral code and isn’t allied with AFO. it was definitely still a risk, but as we now know it was also the right call

what a weird alliance. so Stain tells him that he’ll give it to a just person, and the guy is all,

okay for real though I’m gonna need someone to run a DNA test on this guy. maybe it was some kind of cuckold situation?? the other guy had the family resemblance, but this guy absolutely 100% raised Shishikura Seiji and you are not going to convince me otherwise

anyway, so Stain is all,

PRISON GUARD: “???? ??????? what the hell. what the fuck does that fucking mean. I’m dying here, jesus christ, whatever man fuck you”

(ETA: I kind of feel like this might have been Stain’s last appearance in the manga, given all the fanfare. there’s not really much else he can do for the story at this point, and he seems to have gotten all the character development Horikoshi was planning on giving him. so if this really is it, hasta la vista and good riddance I guess.)

DWLFDKSLDK MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE

(ETA: I feel like this is meant to be evocative of that Sermon on the Mount painting, but in a really fucked up way lol.)

if it were me stumbling upon this scene I would just shake my head and walk right back into the flaming building. not getting involved in that mess. sorry not sorry. I’ll take my chances with the fire, especially given that it’s half-assed neutered BnHA fire lol

blah blah blah and so he decided to pass the info on to All Might -- HOT DAMN, HOLY SHIT

NAOMASA HOLY SHIT. THE APOCALYPSE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU, BOY

“I really like that facial scruff thing Aizawa’s got going on, I think I’m gonna get in on that” yes sir. “also thinking of ditching the tie in favor of the bulletproof vest look. also thinking of getting totally fucking jacked.” good lord. except I’m pretty sure that’s just body armor, but also I don’t care. anyway I should probably stop staring and actually read the fucking speech bubbles here lol

“All Might first handed this information over to Nao, and then went to see Deku, and then came back to Nao” thanks for that tidy little summary Horikoshi. we are capable of piecing events together in sequential order, I just want you to know that. but thank you

“so has Deku finally gotten a bath? also, sucks that Stain saved the day, but what are you gonna do” Nao I missed you so fucking much and didn’t even realize. how am I just now realizing that you are the perfect man

for a second I was gonna ask why Tartarus’s security systems would be cut off from the outside world, and then I remembered that’s a basic security control, and then I actually got impressed by how sensible that is. like, it’s been a while since I could genuinely say that the good guys (excluding class 1-A) did something smart. not that it helped them much in the end, but still

anyway so they’re talking about how AFO was able to coordinate the attack by communicating between his horcrux self on the outside and his ugly peanut-faced self on the inside

huh

okay you have my attention. I am taking notes here lol please continue

ah okay so he says that prior to Jakku, the transfer of information between him and his Vestige self was only one-way. but post-Jakku when Deku was in the hospital, he was able to tell what was happening inside the OFA Radical Lisa Frank Dead People Book Club Realm when he touched him. I feel like we established that before, actually. but he didn’t talk about how it actually felt, though

boy we already know this lol. yes AFO can talk with his horcrux self. and he can also communicate with his little bro in OFA too, let’s talk about that sometime why don’t we. what exactly does that imply, based on the rules we’ve established here

my god I cannot get over Naomasa and his fucking facial hair

no wonder All Might was in such a hurry to leave Deku and get back here

like I have no idea what this radio waves nonsense is but my god, people

that jawline. also so it’s a quirk, I see. except last I checked Deku didn’t have a radio waves quirk, so that doesn’t really explain his connection to AFO. but whatever, hopefully we’re at least getting closer to some kind of reveal here

(ETA: since I sometimes forget that other people’s lives don’t revolve around my theory posts, here are the two relevant links if you by chance want to know my thoughts about this.

Hagakure is still The U.A. Traitor™ regardless of whether Deku is passing information on to AFO through his psychic link, which he almost certainly is.

speaking of said psychic link, Deku is a horcrux.

just posting these now, because whenever trippy OFA stuff happens I tend to get an influx of theory asks. so hopefully this will be a bit of a time saver lol.)

-- wait, what

THAT’S what the recording was??!? holy SHIT. I genuinely was not expecting that. y’all wiretapped his fucking telepathy. fucking quirks, man. wild

AND THEY USED THAT POWER TO DETERMINE WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW, HUZZAH. GOOD SHOW

-- oh shit wait lol, except I forgot we’re not talking about 38 days from the present, we’re talking about 38 days from the date the conversation was recorded. heh. um

yeah that’s the face I would make too if All Fucking Might just casually told me we had eight days left until the end times

oh, pardon me. three fucking days

r.i.p. anyone who thought we were going to have another band arc sob. I sure hope Deku is enjoying that nap

(ETA: I realize people were hoping for a longer rest period here, but given that the man warned us all the way back in chapter 306 that we were entering the final act, you can’t really blame him too much when that turns out to be true. anyway but I do recognize that we’ve reached the point in the story where this kind of discourse is going to become a weekly occurrence, simply because there’s no possible way for Horikoshi’s actual endgame to line up perfectly with the variable headcanons of millions of fans, all of whom have wildly differing and in many cases contradictory expectations which can’t possibly all be fulfilled. anyway, so I’m already bracing myself for that lol. this coming year is going to be a wild ride.)

damn, U.A. out here looking like the motherfucking United Nations

-- is this U.A.?? I actually just realized, U.A. is four interconnected buildings, not two. wait holy shit is this Shiketsu?

wait holy SHIT

based on the overwhelmingly powerful vibes of bureaucratic incompetence, I’m thinking this really is the (future) U.N., or whatever organization it is that deals with international hero stuff

“just let them handle it themselves I’m sure they’ll be fine” yeah okay, thanks guys. appreciate it

wait oh shit did he say that it’s not just Japan?

soooo, what you’re telling me is that AFO is this close to bringing about the end of not just Japan, but the entire world, and you guys don’t think it’s a good idea to help the Japanese heroes stop him? so, genuine follow-up question: are you guys already planning your rich people exodus into space a la Wall-E, and that’s why you don’t give a fuck?? like, what??

omg international heroes

these guys are from World Hoodie Mission, right? is this Horikoshi’s way of reminding me to buy tickets

(ETA: and it worked too lol.)

WHO??? WHAT???

don’t tell me you’re introducing yet another badass new female character for me to fall in love with only to watch as you dismember them and/or blow them up, Horikoshi. I’m getting tired of playing this game my dude. don’t lie and tell me this time will be different. we’re not doing this again goddammit

noooooooooooooooooooo

god fucking dammit lmao. [sighs and rips the previous paragraph into shreds]

on behalf of Americans I apologize for our superheroes always being Like This

I also apologize because I love her already and I’m gonna be shameless about it. so fucking shameless you guys

is her fucking hair red white and blue. it is, isn’t it

this is the volume cliffhanger, 100% lol. it will take every ounce of Horikoshi’s willpower not to put her on the volume cover. he’ll have to settle for the spine or the inner cover this time because Deku VS his class 1-a superpals takes precedence. but it will be a close thing let me tell you

tbh it’s that smile that does it for me. she’s definitely All Might’s protege. get out there and show them how it’s done girl. and maybe call Salaam and BRD and see if you can’t convince them to play hooky from their governments as well. why not. world’s ending in three days you guys. “sorry, I’m busy this weekend” ain’t gonna cut it lol

so while I am not fully caught up with Vigilantes, I have read far enough to know that there’s an American hero named Captain Celebrity whose superpower from what I recall is being a humongous douchebag. and while I haven’t read far enough to know what happens to this guy, I can’t say I’m very disappointed to learn that he’s no longer the number one hero in the U.S. (actually, didn’t they kick him out and that’s why he moved to Japan to begin with?). anyway, so my thanks to Horikoshi for having a marginally higher opinion of Americans than Furuhashi, even though we have definitely not done anything to warrant said opinion lately, and you may have inadvertently opened the door to a pandora’s box of discourse lmao

(ETA: lol I went into the tags and they don’t disappoint. “why is she dressed like a flag” because she’s an homage to Captain America and Major Victory and literally every other character on this list. again, I apologize for fictional American superheroes being Like This. “oh boy another thicc waifu to make the fanboys happy” look, tumblr fandom never seems to have a problem thirsting over Dabi or Tomura or Aizawa or Nao, lol, I’m just saying. “where is Captain Celebrity” idk, probably murdered by the exploding bee cartel, let’s just be grateful for our good fortune and try not to Beetlejuice the man.)

anyway, so let’s see if Horikoshi’s recent character development with regards to making Mineta not terrible anymore will apply to other aspects of his writing as well. I know I was making light of discourse just now, but I do think the complaints about him introducing yet another new character at the 11th hour to be cannon fodder in the final battle are absolutely valid. and again, it wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t keep maiming/killing off his female characters one by one instead of developing them and letting them kick ass long-term. but that said, I will never complain about Horikoshi adding another female character to the series, regardless of how clumsy the attempt may be. go ahead and pander away, just give us more girl power lol

anyway so we’ll see how it goes, but I think I’m gonna be optimistic and let myself hope once again, even though I’m probably gonna regret it lol. it is what it is. she is standing on an airplane just chilling for fuck’s sake. I’m only human. anyway fingers crossed

[rishi-eel]

thinking (yet again!) about the differences between the bad batch story reels and the season seven arc and like... some changes just blow my mind because all it did, really, was make the bad batch less likable.  

lets star with the whole “reg” thing. if i remember correctly, in the originals “regs” is said twice. the first instance is by crosshair when taunting jesse in the LAAT. the second is said by hunter: he tells tech (who’s hacking into the cyber center) that he and wrecker are going to “go get the regs” (i.e. rex and jesse). that is, hunter only used it among his squad when the others were not present (much like how cody informs that the bad batch are defective clones out of earshot. these words are descriptors, but there’s also an offense associated to being referred to by them). the idea that hunter has restraint referring to regular clones this way in their faces connects, i think, to how hunter was a tad more apologetic to jesse in the original script. “he means regular clones. don’t take it personal. it’s just that we don’t always follow protocol” carried an actual sense of hunter trying to convince jesse that it’s nothing to do with him.   

it’s interesting, i think, that in a context where you have clones and defective clones, that the bad batch (as defective clones) would find a way to talk about other clones in reference to themselves in a way that normalizes their own existence. it also introduces the idea that the bad batch experience a level of disconnect, and even animosity, in regards to other clones. all that can be conveyed by only using the word twice. the season seven episodes added three more instances, and in all of them the bad batch members comfortably throw the word around the clones who “are regs.” the sense of separateness (which, again, was already established/achieved by using it just two times) is only made stronger (thus more needs to be done to portray a sense of reconciliation or coming together. the reels succeed this to an extent because that barrier wasn’t built up as high). 

so yeah in the original... wrecker didn’t say “we always get shot down when we travel with regs,” he kept quiet as he helped people out of the wrecked gunship (in fact, wrecker lost a lot of subtlety going from the reels to the final eps, which i’ll get back to). hunter didn’t fake-compliment rex with a “not bad, for a reg”! and oh boy crosshair’s comment implying that echo is worthless and expendable because he’s a “reg”... yeah that was not in the reels either. in fact, not only does crosshair not call echo a reg, the meaning of his original dialogue was completely different.

in the original, after hunter voices his suspicions echo might be dead, crosshair suggests that if alive echo could be cooperating with the enemy, making him a traitor. rex takes this as an attack on echo’s character and crosshair explains that no, he’s not intending to insult echo, by saying: “oh i don’t blame him, if i were left for dead, i wouldn’t be so loyal.” and like!!!!! that’s such a radically different line of dialogue because crosshair seems to blame rex for having left echo behind, actually. if you betrayed the republic to survive, or even out of spite, i don’t blame you even if you now present a threat to myself and my family, is such an interesting, empathetic sentiment. and that contrasts with the lack of regard given to rex, making it read like he’s condemning rex for leaving someone behind. crosshair doesn’t seem to understand, as an experimental commando clone, the pressures rex as a legion captain is under, because he’s seen a less expandable (they’re a specially trained four man team, if one dies that’s 25% of the unit gone. is there a replacement for that member? you get the idea). so you’ve got a clash between different povs, but also crosshair being shown as having a set of morals, chief among them being that you do not leave anyone behind. so remember when rex says to move out and crosshair goes “commander cody is in no position to move” yeah i’d say that’s crosshair making sure cody isn’t being left behind. when crosshair saves anakin? that’s because he saw anakin go off on his own and followed him. because you don’t leave people behind. and like... the idea that yeah crosshair is an asshole. he’s unpleasant and that’s deliberate. he doesn’t care if people like him and he’s not trying to be liked. but that he values the lives of other people and looks out for them? that makes an interesting, flawed and multifaceted character. that got lost in the dialogue change because its no longer suggested that crosshair holds these values.

as for what i said earlier about wrecker: he lost subtle, nonverbal moments through the addition of lines that are either anticlimactic or only serve to make him seem loud or ditzy in an exaggerated fashion. he didn’t laugh when the LAAT came down. he was quiet as he helped people out of the downed gunship (no comment about regs!). he didn’t say “boom” when the ship exploded in the background after he flipped it over (the difference? a character moment that’s actually cool and impressive vs something that’s corny). when wrecker comes to crosshair’s aid by picking rex off of him, there was no quippy one liner. there was no need for anything to be said for it to be understood that wrecker is acting as a barrier and it trying to intimidate rex. when he’s afraid to get onto the elevator? that’s conveyed visually through camera angles and through hunter picking up on the fact that he’s scared. he doesn’t scream (if you can call a comical “aah what is that thing oh no its going to get me” a scream) when the organic decimator almost gets him. when they walk across the pipe? wrecker doesn’t whimper or talk to himself for comfort. he is scared of heights, that’s already been established, but he’s also a grown man and a soldier like he’s keeping that to himself? like we see wrecker hesitating to walk on the ledge but doing it anyway because he has to. in a piece of dialogue that was cut, tech said “does anyone want to know the odds of us making it across alive?” to which wrecker (who’s you know already having a bad time) interrupts with “don’t even think about it, tech” (if ur curious, this exchange was replaced with: wrecker: “keep walking tech!” tech: “that’s fine, but if you fall don’t take me with you” which???? uuh weird exchange). also, the fact that wrecker was mostly dealing with his fear silently means that when hunter tells wrecker to hold on because they’re almost there... that’s because hunter knows he’s scared and is checking up on him. basically... any kind of serious moment was cheapened by having wrecker talk in them. now i don’t want to say that DBB is a bad voice actor, but his expertise is making animal noises. he’s not able to do a realistic, deep voice, meaning that whenever wrecker talks he kind of sounds like a joke. it’s fine when wrecker is actual being lighthearted and jokey, but otherwise? the emotion just does not come across as genuine, which breaks the stakes or weakens credibility.  

and god the whole plot point about the bad batch being suspicious of echo was nonexistent in the reels. the “don’t worry, echo says he’s got a plan”/”that makes me feel so much better” exchange between rex and tech is in the original, but tech’s sarcasm isn’t from doubting echo’s allegiance, it’s because they’re planning to land on admiral trench’s ship and echo having a plan (that he himself doesn’t know) doesn’t exactly soothe his anxieties. rex acts like tech’s being a big joker and playfully shoves him, telling him to get on board. which is an interesting interaction because these characters are kind of starting to bond?? as for tech and echo, they kinda become nerdy friends really quick. like when tech warns echo not to send the signal right away because he first needs to make it look like it’s coming from skako minor, echo’s like “oh yeah good thinking tech.” and when echo figures out a way to shut down all the droids at once tech is impressed and lightly shoves his shoulder. again there is none of that “oooh maybe echo’s a traitor maybe he’s with the techno union” shit. like i understand that the writers wanted to up the stakes but it falls flat because the idea of echo being a traitor isn’t credible. it does not seem like an actual risk or possibility. so all it did was make the bad batch seem like assholes, cutting away at some very nice character moments.   

ok this is a long post and you might ask yourself “but tumblr user rishi-eel, why do you care so much about the story reels, this stuff isn’t canon now” and there are a couple reasons, first, i think it managed to tell a better story overall. so the question is: why is that? because you would expect that writers reworking the plot would add improvements and not downgrades. and to be fair, the s7 episodes had a bunch of upgrades, but not when it came to the characterization of the bad batch. another thing to consider is that changes were made in the context of setting the bad batch up as future protagonists of their own spinoff series (something the original arc was not intended to do because there were no plans for a bad batch series). were the characters made flatter and more archetypal to add to marketability? was the reg/defective clone rivalry (and dichotomy, even) amplified because this separateness serves a narrative in which the bad batch are heroes and the other clones villains?