#cooper is the one in the first and last panel

[unrelatedghosts]

Buzzfeed unsolved reference for the bbygirls

Their names are Cooper and Asher, they hunt ghosts for the hell of it

[diltonsstrangescience]

…why does Jughead want people to dislike him?

[sky-scribbles]

There are a lot of things to love about the SSV Normandy. It’s a symbol of cooperation between two species historically at odds. It’s a miracle of engineering, a technological masterpiece that could alter every pattern of space warfare. Its crew is the highest calibre that the Alliance has to offer, bolstered by multispecies allies: an emblem of flying hope.

It also has far, far too many flashing lights. Everywhere.

One hand pressed to the wall to keep himself steady, the other pressed against his forehead as if that’s going to do any good, Kaidan shuffles down the hall toward the med bay. Every light panel and display interface feels like a laser drill boring directly through his eyes, sounds reverberate against the inside of his skull, and his sense of balance is a distant, pleasant memory. Kaidan sucks in a tight breath between his teeth. It’s going to be okay. He can do this. He’s done it before.

He drags himself the last few feet, and the med bay doors slide open. Kaidan opens up his omni-tool – god, why are those so bright, too? – and does what he’s done a hundred times, scanning the medical interface so that the med system logs him. Doctor Chakwas isn’t here, which means she’s on her rest shift, but that’s fine. The med system will alert her if there’s a problem.  

Kaidan, turns, so ready to collapse into the nearest med bed – except he can’t. Because there’s someone already in it.

‘Oh,’ he says. ‘Hey, Tali.’

‘Hey, Lieutenant.’ She still seems shy about using his first name. Maybe it’s a habit from being raised on board ships, or maybe she’s just not sure if she’s allowed. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I will be once the pain meds kick in.’ Kaidan makes it to the next bed along and finally, finally lies down and shuts his eyes. ‘Doctor Chakwas is just… pretty strict about me coming here whenever a migraine kicks in. Just in case it’s a sign of something going wrong with my implant.’

Through the fog of everything hurts, it finally surfaces in his brain that Tali in the med bay is… that’s bad, right? ‘What about you? Are you, you know –?’

Okay, he’s not sure how to finish that sentence. There’s probably not a polite way to say hey, are you here because you’ve picked up a fatal illness?

He cracks one eye open, just enough to see her looking glumly at him. He’s not sure how he can tell that she’s glum when all he can see is her eyes, but yeah. She’s glum. ‘You know how I took a hit on Feros?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And how I disinfected it, and used my patch kit on the suit breach, and told Shepard I was fine?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I was not fine.’ She slumps down miserably. ‘My throat is full of painful slime, my sinuses are on fire, and my halesh –’ Okay, that’s obviously some piece of quarian anatomy – ‘is more gummed up than I can describe.’

Kaidan shuts his eyes again. ‘Well, my skull feels like it’s slowly contracting and crushing my brain, so… I sort of feel you.’

She laughs weakly. ‘I should have run an extra med scan once I got back to the Normandy. I just – I wanted to help with the engine maintenance today. And there’s this combat drone design I’m working on. And now…’ There’s a sound of movement; Kaidan gets the impression that she’s gesturing at the med bay in angry helplessness.

‘I feel that too.’ And he does. He really does. This isn’t the worst migraine he’s ever had – he can actually hold a conversation, which some days would be beyond him. But it’s… it’s not great. And he had things to do. Ash was running a drill and wanted him to look over her plans. He had a cleaning shift at fourteen hours. Shepard wanted to talk strategy for Noveria.  And yes, he knows he has a right to take time off for a medical issue. He knows he’s no use to Ash or Shepard or anyone when he can’t even walk in a straight line. But knowing that doesn’t quite get rid of the squirm in his belly, the one that feels like letting people down.

Tali’s quiet for a minute, aside from the ever-present, barely-audible hum of her suit systems, and the occasional sniff from behind her helmet. Then she says, unexpectedly, ‘I’m just… I’m so tired. You know what I mean?’

Kaidan’s head throbs. He swallows. ‘Oh, yeah.’

The constant vigilance. Always having to be careful about where he goes – is this room too bright? Is this one too loud? – in case something triggers another bad spell. Taking hits to the head in a fight that anyone else could just shrug off, but that for him mean another trip to the med bay to make sure his implant isn’t damaged. Trying to do his job and suddenly finding, no, he can’t, because his body has decided that today’s the day he just doesn’t get to function.

Tali… she must go through the same awful deal, just in a different flavour. Always being careful, so careful. Someone else’s minor injury being her okay, let’s get a med check to make sure I won’t die. It’s not the same, of course: Kaidan can eat food without filtering it, touch people without protective layers, see people’s faces without a tinted mask. Still… there’s a tone in her voice that he knows from his own.

There’s a heavy silence. Then Tali says, ‘You know what’s really stupid? I left my datapad in my cabin, so I can’t even watch vids.’

Kaidan smiles. He’s seen her down in Engineering, a few times, hands flying around over the machinery, rocking back and forth on her heels. Idleness obviously doesn’t suit her. ‘You can borrow mine, if you like.’

‘Really?’ Her voice is already brighter. ‘I mean – won’t the noise will make you feel worse?’

‘Nah, I’ll be good.’ He’s not just saying it; there’s a blissful numbness creeping through his head which means that his meds are finally getting to work. He fishes the datapad from his pocket, taps in his passcode, and hands it over. ‘What kind of vids do you like?’

Her whole being perks up – tone, body, everything. ‘Oh, all of them.Any genre, any species. I mean… asari vids can be a bit long. I mean, they’re made by people who can spend a decade making a vid and a whole day watching it. Turians… their vids can be a bit depressing. There’s a lot of ‘this war ended with almost everyone dead, but one turian is still standing, so it’s a victory!”

‘What about quarians? What kinds of stories do your people tell?’

A small laugh echoes inside the helmet. ‘Quarian vids are pretty limited by environment. We don’t have a lot of varied sets to work with. So we tell the best long-running dramas. There’s one ship in the Flotilla that’s been hosting the same series for over eighty standard years now. Following the crew as they change over time, that sort of thing.’ She taps the base of her helmet. ‘It’s pretty good, but… I think if you watched it, you’d think there were a lot more explosions, murders and shipwide romantic entanglements in the Flotilla than there actually are.’

‘Human dramas are like that too.’

Tali laughs. ‘Quarian dramas make human dramas look relaxed.’

Kaidan finds he’s actually able to grin. ‘So what do human vids tell you about us?’

Her helmet tilts as she considers. ‘That you’re very individualistic. I mean, not every human culture. But you put a lot of focus onto characters and personal journeys.’ She scrolls down the datapad screen – looking through vid lists, presumably – then stops. It’s hard to tell, but Kaidan thinks she might be frowning. ‘I did notice… in a lot of human media, the biotics are…’

Another insistent pulse of pain through his temples. Kaidan sighs. ‘Crazy extremists?’

‘Yes. Do you… do you mind if I ask why that is?’

‘No, it’s fine.’ Kaidan turns onto his back and stares up at the dim ceiling. ‘A lot of the early generation of biotics, the ones who got the same implants as me… let’s just say I got off lightly. Most ended up with much more serious medical conditions. And when people found out about the side effects of the L2 implants, the media got the bit between its teeth and –’ Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to translate. ‘Sorry. Human saying. They got a certain impression, and they ran with it.’

Tali’s quiet for several seconds. Kaidan twists his head to face her, and sees the pale eyes behind the mask giving him a long, steady look.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says. And then, after a moment, ‘They tell lies about us, too.’

Kaidan holds her gaze, and feels terribly, achingly sad. ‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘I bet they do.’

 The way people look at Tali as she walks through the Presidium… it’s familiar. Not quite the same. There’s a note of scorn in the looks they give to Tali – but there’s suspicion, too, and that’s something he knows. All the times back on Earth, after he got back from Jump Zero, when he shook someone’s hand or opened a door, and their eyes found the implants. They way they stared at him like he was a loaded gun. All the documents he had to fill out to do anything, the knowledge that any government he lived under would always be hovering a few steps away, keeping tabs, making sure.

Remembering Rahna – remembering that obvious, instinctive fear in her eyes – is an old memory now, the kind that’s a faded scar. But he remembers the shock of it, back when he was seventeen. When no one had looked at him like that before, and it was dizzying and new and felt like a hole in his gut.

He bets Tali has that hole in her gut all the time.

Kaidan pushes himself up a little – which makes his brain spin, but he manages it – and gives Tali a smile. ‘Well. Let’s look for something that gets us both right.’

‘Definitely.’ She flicks through the options for a minute more, then pauses. ‘Have you ever seen Fleet and Flotilla?’

‘I think I’ve heard of it.’ There’s a faint memory of seeing an ad for it, maybe, and thinking it was the kind of thing he’d have loved as a kid. Space exploration. Justice. Love. ‘The… war romance, right?’

‘Yes!’ Tali’s legs bounce. ‘It’s – keelah, it’s so good, it’s – it’s about this girl, Shalei, who’s on her pilgrimage. And she’s interested in the geth, because she’s got this dream of finding a way to defeat them and take back the Homeworld, right? And when she finds something, she goes to the Citadel for help, but no one will listen except this one turian called Bellicus –’

‘Hold up. Wasn’t that… exactly what you were doing when we met you? Minus the turian, I mean.’

Tali ducks her head, suddenly shy. ‘I… I really, really like the vid.’

No kidding. Kaidan smiles. ‘So let’s watch it.’

His head still feels like a bombsite, and when he thinks about all the things he wants to be doing for his crew and isn’t, the rest of him hurts too. But maybe he’s still doing something for his crew, sitting in the med bay with his sick squadmate – his sick friend – and sharing her favourite vid with her. Maybe he’s doing something for him, too. He doesn’t do that too often.

Tali props the datapad up on the table between their beds, her whole body one big smile. ‘You’re going to love this,’ she promises, and presses play.

[finniestoncrane]

Pornstar!Cooper Howard x Fem!Reader, multi-part au fic cooper howard is a former actor, novice pornstar, and current wasteland escort. reader mistakes him for a bounty hunter and ends up getting far more entwined in his lifestyle than they intended in a bid to get what they need from the first 'kind' person they've met in a long time🤎

☢️ Chapter 1: A Bombshell, word count: 3.5k exposition time!! cooper's recent divorce has hit hard, personally and professionally. vault tec have made it impossible for him to find work in any movies so he's turned his talents to porn to make some money. as horrible as he thinks his day is though, his future is only going to get worse (reader shows up next chapter) request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: age gap reference, angst, oral sex, pornography

From the corner of the small, hideously decorated set, Cooper watched the skeleton crew work to clean things up after the last movie wrapped just an hour before. His skin began to crawl, a shudder rolling through his body, as he considered the fact that he hadn’t seen anyone take away dirty sheets or bring in clean ones since he arrived. 

And he was expected to fuck in these conditions. It was a living nightmare.

Trying to lighten his mood, he murmured what was supposed to be a positive sentiment.

“At least it’s not snuff. Way my luck’s going, wouldn’t that just be the cream on top of the pie.”

Cooper looked up to the ceiling, shielding his eyes from the bright studio lights which provided a familiar, albeit less high-end warmth than he was used to. He was working though, so he couldn’t complain too much. A paycheck meant he wasn’t out on the streets, the hot sun beating down on his face instead. And he had to face facts; the snap of some powerful fingers and he could be out on his ass at a moment’s notice, fired even from a gig like this. 

No prospects. Vault Tec had made sure of that not long after he’d confronted Barb. She’d gone straight to her bosses, that panel of cruelty he’d listened in on, and their retaliation, preventative measures to ensure they could continue on their journey of annihilation, had been swift and immeasurably evil. His reputation was ruined, the earth in which he’d grown and nurtured a career scorched, much like they intended to do with the rest of the world. Any upcoming opportunities, any interest that anyone held in him, gone. 

They’d been thorough, efficient. News reports, gossip between housewives, notes passed across the desk during auditions. They’d made sure he’d never work again, not in anything worth while, of course, holding his earnings hostage. And when he thought that was all they could take from him. His life, his money, his house, his wife. They had come for more. Armed Barb with the best lawyers money could hire and then offered him the worst deal. 

His silence in exchange for some brief, supervised moments with his daughter. Something about alcohol abuse, a half-truth at most, but enough to convince the judge. 

It felt cruel to him, that he was put in a position where he had to choose between Janey and the rest of humanity. A shitty thing to do to a man, that’s what he thought of it. And a shitty choice to make. And a shitty decision when he threw altruism to the side and secured the rest of humanity’s fate. He was just as complicit as they were, really, if he thought about it too hard. Which of course, he did. Each night as he struggled to sleep in his apartment. But whatever time was left, he reasoned that he might as well spend it being as happy as he could, even if that was only for one day a month when he was allowed to see Janey.

What was it? Two days ago he'd taken her to the zoo? So almost another month until he saw her again. A month of work. Blood, sweat, and tears. So much sweat.

He let his gaze fall down, taking in his body. Wrapped in a robe, nude underneath it, primed quickly by the makeup artists who seemed to only be making sure that his body hair was tidy and he wasn’t going to sweat too much during his part. Neatly trimmed pubic hair and strategically shaved nipples wouldn’t save him from that though. This was his third film, and each time his nerves, his guilt, his unrelenting shame as he drove his cock into the expert, very formal, professional cunt of whoever his co-star was, it was certain that he’d be sweating copiously only ten minutes in. 

“Coop? Hey, Coop! Howard! Keep your head in the game. Both of ‘em, heh.”

Now he was being bossed around by the lighting guy, someone whose name Cooper had forgotten already. The snorting laughter echoed in Cooper’s mind, bringing him firmly back to reality from his daydreaming. It was more mindless worrying than daydreaming, really, but it was the only reprieve he got these days, and now it seemed he couldn’t even find a moment of peace for that. 

Daydreaming suggested something positive, thoughts filled with desires or nostalgia for days gone by. But there wasn’t a single remaining vestige of his former life that he was happy to cling to, all of it tainted with soured memories and terrifying future prospects. And knowing what he knew, he still had to keep going. He had to pretend like nothing was wrong. A fake smile plastered on his face despite the mess that he was in. 

“Howard? Come on, man. Pull it together.”

The lighting guy was calling on him again, and this time he had the gall to look at Cooper with an impatient, furrowed brow. 

“You know they used to call me Mister Howard.”

“And they used to say I looked young and fresh faced, shit changes, man. You coming or what?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming. Keep your pants on… at least you get to.”

He knew he shouldn’t be so flippant, but his patience had worn thin over the past few months. Now that there was nothing to be charming for it was no longer second nature to him. He was rude, cold, and found he was losing himself. Deep down, there was a voice scolding him. Telling him to be thankful that when there were no more studios with their doors open to him, that he was at least able to find some places willing to hire. And while it was a lot less glamorous, he should still be grateful. 

But it was hard to feel that way when his new profession was clouded by his own insecurities.

Cooper was well aware that he wasn’t by any means experienced when it came to the world of sex. His first foray into anything of that nature was with his highschool sweetheart on prom night. An unfortunate experience that taught him nothing and ended up igniting the spark that ended that first love. Then there was Barb. He’d met her in college and they’d been together until their bitter divorce. A single one night stand between then and his current career, and that was his sexual history summed up neatly.

It always struck people as funny when they learned about his very short list of sexual conquests. He was Cooper Howard. Charming, charismatic, handsome, famous. A verified heart throb. But he was woefully unsure of what to do with that reputation, and always had been. While other stars would flirt with fans or interviewers or even directors to get a little bit more attention, Cooper was never able to offer anyone anything but a genuine and pleasant smile and maybe at a push, a mischievous wink to accompany his signature smile. He wondered how much of it had to do with the fact that he only had eyes for Barb, but even when she had pushed him to ‘play the game’ he’d still found himself unable to. 

Now, all of a sudden and based on a perception of him that was built upon years of good PR, he was thought of as some kind of casanova, and expected to act as such. He had to act like the kind of guy who charm the pants off a woman, with very little plot to back that up, and who could fuck for thirty minutes solid in front of a crew and without cumming too soon,

Interestingly, at least to Cooper, they had told him that would be the hardest part. Stamina. The suspension of orgasms. But he found it all too easy, mostly because there was never a point where he felt any kind of deeply sexual attraction to his co-stars. Much the same as his previous acting roles, he’d always viewed it as a job. It would be inappropriate to have any other feelings. The women he worked with now were beautiful, skilled, talented. But Cooper wasn’t in love with them, and he found that made it hard to coax an orgasm out of him. Luckily, that seemed to suit his new bosses pretty well. He was handsome, a known commodity, and could last a while before they worked him up to his big finale, even if they had to cut the cameras while they waited for him to get to it.

“Alright, Howard. Robe off, let’s see that cock.”

Sighing, his eyelids closing as he tried to separate himself from his actions, Cooper shrugged off the robe that covered his body, letting it slink to the floor and pool at his feet. Despite the heat, his skin still prickled as it was exposed. Nipples hardening, hairs standing on end. 

“Can we get a little enthusiasm, Coop? Like your other movies?”

Cooper muttered under his breath.

“You can get the same enthusiasm when I’m getting the same paycheck.”

“What was that, buddy?”

“I said, where do you want me?”

“Yeah… that’s what I thought. Ok, Phoebe’s gonna be on her back, that ok, doll?”

“Of course!” 

“Perfect�� so, you’re gonna be here. We’re doing missionary first, then maybe we cut to some doggy style. Remember, eyes away from the camera, and make sure that whatever you’re doing we can see those genitals. They’re the real stars!”

This was his life now. His body getting first billing above his soul under whatever lewd title this was going to be given. 

“Mr Howard? I just wanted to say, I’m a huge fan. I watched your movies as a kid, you’re like, my dad’s favourite star.”

His co-star, Phoebe, if he remembered correctly, was laying on her back on the bed, waiting for him. Her big, green eyes were wide with excitement. She’d been a fan. And when she was a kid. Looking at her now, he wondered how he hadn’t noticed how young she was. Barely pushing her early twenties, fresh-faced, keen, full of hope. 

How would her dad feel about him now? Would she mention this? Talk about meeting Cooper Howard, but skirt around the exact details? Or would she brag? Maybe it was just him who had a disdain for this line of work. He certainly didn’t judge anyone else on the set. Only himself. 

“Uh… thank you, darlin’. Always nice to meet a fan.”

Phoebe giggled, a sweet sound that made his heart sink. She spread her legs wider, eyes flitting down to his cock which he was stroking slowly in a bid to get it stiff. 

“You ready to go?”

“I’m ready! Mr Howard?”

Cooper looked down in dismay, his flaccid member refusing to play along. A stubborn diva, it turned out. 

“Is… is there something wrong, Mr Howard? Is it me? I’m so sorry, you must be used to much bett-”

Cooper’s natural empathy, at least the last reserves of it, were pulled out of hibernation as Phoebe began to blush, embarrassed at what she perceived as her inability to turn him on.

“Oh, no, darlin’. This is a ‘me’ problem. You don’t worry about it at all, ok?”

He placed a hand on her bare shoulder, all lust evaporating as he comforted her, smiling back as she beamed appreciatively to him. 

“God damn it, ok, let’s get Harv in, he can do his scene with Phoebe, that ok, doll?”

“Oh for sure! I’m good to go.”

“Perfect, you’re an angel. You, Howard. We can shoot the exposition scene just now. Go to wardrobe and get your outfit.”

Oddly thankful, even though he was embarrassed at his inability to perform, Cooper headed to the small room where they held the small wardrobe for cast members. The exposition scenes were his favourite to shoot. Of course, they were poorly written, and his co-stars weren’t exactly professionally trained actors. But it at least felt like old times. Lines to memorise, a character to portray. And limited sexual encounters for him to fuck up.

Besides, it was porn, and he was the star. Which meant there was a lot more wooing. A lot more women, various actresses playing a myriad of characters, all of whom were seemingly desperate for Cooper’s cock, whatever role he happened to be playing. Once the exposition was out of the way, he had to fuck. But these scenes? He got to be enticed, which always made it a little easier on him. He might have even been looking forward to it today. A stroke to the ego, among other things. A boost to his confidence, and a little physical comfort to stave off the looming spectre of complete loneliness.

When he sifted through the rack and found his name on a plastic covered bundle, however, his brief glimpse of joy was stolen away. 

It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was close enough. The deep blue shirt, bright, golden yellow detailing. And the hat. Not identical, but anyone watching would know that he was supposed to be portraying his old self. A cowboy, the Cooper Howard people knew and loved.

On the table behind him, he rifled through the ‘scripts’ until he found the one with his name scribbled on the top. Ten lines, some room for ad-libbing. All of it cowboy themed. Pulled directly from his movies, albeit changed a little for the sake of copyright infringement. 

He couldn’t do it. 

But then he remembered Janey. How badly he’d wanted to treat her, to spoil her. And how little money he had left after alimony. And how expensive the rent was at his new apartment, which was overpriced, disgustingly decorated, and didn’t even allow pets. 

Maybe everything would be ok in the world. Maybe he’d go on living, get to see retirement, see the world flourish, the wars end. Maybe, Vault Tec and Barb would see the light, change their ways. Maybe it was all for nothing. 

So maybe he better get his shit together and start making some money, so that what was left of his future wasn’t so abysmal.

“Put on a smile and go get your cock sucked, Cooper. Not the worst day in the world, really.”

WIth a sigh of resignation, he chose to listen to his conscience, the little voice that steered him in the right direction, and put on the suit. The material was a poor quality, some cheap polyester deal, ill fitting, too baggy for his frame. And the hat was clearly something from a cheap party supply store. But as he looked in the mirror at himself, he could push away the feeling of seeing a ghost and focus on the positives. He looked almost like himself again.

“Mr Howard? They’re ready for you.”

The polite knock and the soft voice of the only runner on set came through the door, and Cooper exited, surprising the young man in the corridor.

“Oh wow.”

“What’s wrong, kid?”

“Nothing, nothing. You just… you look like you did in your movies. I’m a little bit starstruck.”

“You gave me my coffee this morning.”

The runner looked to his feet, shuffling awkwardly as he tried to explain himself.

“Yeah, but that was… now you look… y’know?”

Trying not to be impolite, Cooper pushed past him, muttering under his breath.

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.”

Back in what the director insisted on calling “the studio” despite it being a hastily fabricated sound stage in the middle of some tacky, shared ownership mansion in the hills, Cooper was met by a new woman who introduced herself as Veronica, before quickly telling him that everyone called her Ronnie. He smiled, clutching her hand between both of his in that confident way he used to greet fans, smiling at her as she bit her lip and smirked. It was a flirtatious look, one that gave him a bit of a boost as he subtly eyed her up and down and judged her silently.

“She definitely likes you… and she’s not too bad to look at herself. Look at you, seeing the positive side of things! Well done, Cooper. Well done.”

He made his way through the first few lines, trying his hardest to maintain a look of arousal as his co-star clumsily worked through hers, emphasis and inflections all over the place, the puns not quite hitting right the way she was delivering them. But he could forgive it all as she dropped to her knees in front of him.

“Well, I have to give you something for saving me from those bandits, kind sir… maybe this will be enough to repay you.”

She was adept at unbuckling his belt, repetition and muscle memory aiding her, and he could feel his erection stirring as she pulled his flaccid cock free from his pants and began to stroke it. 

“Now, ma’am… that won’t be necessary…”

Cooper’s voice trembled over his words as he took his semi-erect cock from her and began stroking it slowly himself to keep the erection building. 

“... I did what any good man would.”

“Then let me do what any good woman should.”

He cringed hard at the line, but luckily, the grimace was covered by his mouth dropping open as Ronnie took his cock in her mouth, sliding her lips over the tip with a gentle ease that made him forget momentarily how terrible his life was at that point. 

Her tongue slid over the tip, teasing over the slit and collecting his pre-cum with a satisfying moan that vibrated through him, tingling over the sensitive nerve endings. Cooper was able to sink into it, some of the muscles in his back loosening as he let himself go. Something so satisfying about the way she held him, one hand on his testicles, the other stroking his shaft as he lips puckered around his head. 

Cooper wanted to show her. Not that she was doing anything wrong, she was doing a better job than anyone else had. Ever. But he wanted to guide her, to ease her throat over his length, to breathe through her nose as he filled her mouth, to show her how he liked it. He kept himself to himself, however, putting his fingers in the belt loops of his pants so they couldn’t reach for anything before he could stop them, like the back of Ronnie’s head to down to her round, firm breasts, or even letting his fingers trail over her-

“Cut! For fuck’s sake.”

“Just as things are looking up…”

Cooper’s attention was focused on the director who sat lazily in his folding camping chair. All of him reacted to the interruption, the disruption of his genuine pleasure, finally, for the first time in who knew how long. Tense, irate. And not in the mood.

“Alright, alright… I thought this was gonna be a one take situation, but geez, Howard. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other with you! You got lines to be getting through, imbecile! How you got hired before, I’ll never know. If it wasn’t for that wife of yours, you’d-”

“Now wait just a damn minute!”

Cooper pulled away from Ronnie, his cock bouncing around as he stomped in a way that might have seemed comical to the crew if he hadn’t looked so intense, filled with complete rage as he shook a pointing finger at the director.

“I am sick of taking this from-”

Everyone was jolted into a panic as a rumble spread through the ground. One burst.

“Can’t be an earthquake…”

The runner had only just come into the room when everything in Cooper’s vision was blocked out by a bright, white light. A quick flare, like a firework, or a flashlight being turned on in a dark room. He could see it still, but smaller, and somewhere on the horizon, down in the city. 

“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Get down.”

It was perhaps the last truly selfless thing Cooper did. The glass landed on them, some people got splintered by the small shards as they fell to the ground. But they’d avoided the worst of it. And he didn’t need to help them. These were not people he cared for. They were people who were cruel, difficult, practical strangers. People who didn’t deserve what Cooper knew was coming.

He thought of that day a lot. Of how he’d had it somewhere in him, a long, long time ago, to offer himself or his wisdom in exchange for nothing, to people who these days he’d sooner shoot in the head before spitting in their cup. 

Bitterly, he indulged himself, hoping that at least some of them were suffering a fate worse than his, if such a thing actually existed. 

“Maybe the mutants.”

There was hardly any time this evening for him to satisfy his desire for revenge with fitful fantasies, however, because he was rudely interrupted by who he expected was yet another customer tapping on his shoulder. A new client who didn’t know the rules.

No touching before payment.

So he turned to politely inform them, and make sure they didn’t forget it next time.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

05/11-12/2024 Weekend Recap Pt 1

TLDR; Basingstoke Comic Con; Rhys, Con; Vico; Kristian; AdoptOurCrew Coverage; Days 1-3; We're Wolves News; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika

Hey Lovelies, this weekend became huge in terms of content because of Basingstoke, so I'm gonna do these in parts to try and fit everything in. Extremely long post is long.

== Basingstoke Comic Con - Rhys/Vico/Con/Kristian ==

Sources: Vico's Instagram / Stories / Con's Instagram / Basingstoke Comic Con Instagram

= More Rhysie at his Panel on Day 3 =

Our crewmate Nikki (@bookknobsandbroomsticks) was kind enough to allow me to share their photos of Rhys here! Thank you hon!

Source: @bookknobsandbroomsticks Instagram

= More Pics from all 3 panels =

Another of our absolutely amazing crewmates @cosmosart-s was kind enough to share their pics as well!

Source: _cosmosaarts_ on twitter

== Merstede Getting out of the Pool ==

One of the questions at the con as you can see was about how Rhys got out of the pool.

Source: @MattRooksTaylor on Twitter

== AdoptOurCrew Coverage of Bazingstoke ==

Our friends over at AdoptOurCrew Team was kind enough to transcribe several questions and answers from the cast on all three days of the con! If you have access to Twitter, they have lots and lots of videos and content, please visit it here. I tried to screenshot the written transcriptions best I could below-- but if you have access to twitter, please go interact with their twitter!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Twitter Some more pictures from the first panel from ourvery kind and generous @cosmosart-s! Thank you so much dearie for sharing these with us!

Source: Cosmosa Arts Instagram

== Second OFMD Panel ==

This panel featured Vico, Con, Cooper, Kristian, and Rhys! Thank you again to AdoptOurCrew for the highlights! AdoptOurCrew's Twitter Thread

Img Src: Basingstoke Comic Con Instagram

== Third OFMD Panel ==

The last panel was with our dear captain. Once again, thank you to Adopt Our Crew for providing coverage! Technically pictures and videos were allowed, but as you can imagine, we're pirates. What else were they expecting? Running out of image space, some great shots were taken by @ofmd-ann. You can see them here. If you'd like to see the video in the screenshots below you can visit Cree's Twitter (Sorry, only one vid per post and so I need to grab permission first before posting here so I'll see if I can reach out to Cree about sharing it on Tumblr).

Screenshots below: Source: Adopt Our Crew's Twitter

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Twitter

== We're Wolves News ==

So after the panel and Rhys mentioning he wanted to see We're Wolves made, @ Starqueenie4eva on twitter decided to tweet Jemaine, and well, he responded. He didn't say "no" he said it "has been delayed" 👀

Source: Jemaine Clement's Twitter

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

I was gonna put these at the end like normal in Part 2 but I couldnt find them again because tumblr search sucks! So here we are.

Gifs courtesy of the fabulous @neverswungonswingingstars and @wastingyourgum!

CONTINUED IN PART 2

[skyfallscotland]

Some updates since the last summary post. I didn't go to the convention on Sunday, but @caitm1 did and she said the workers told her that Rebecca's wrist swelled up from the amount of signatures she was doing (already, one day in!) and she had it taped up.

Rebecca also mentioned last night (Monday) at the second event I attended that she'd had a vestibular migraine just before and couldn't walk in a straight line a few hours ago, so I mean, I felt like I wanted to mention that first because as a chronically ill girlie I know how fucking hard it must be and I don't think a lot of fans appreciate what she does for us and how much she puts her body through.

Her signings this weekend were free and even though we paid for a ticket on Monday night, if you bought the ticket with the pre-signed book, that was at cost. $20 for a signed paperback. So yeah, just...I know it's a business, but she does a lot, ok. Don't be unappreciative of the extra mile.

Now, I recorded both Saturday's panel and Monday night's, I'm trying to figure out how to post it, but no website wants to cooperate with such a big file, so stand by, or like...help if you know tech things 💀

If you haven't seen my post with what we learned from Saturday's, it's here. Below is a summary of what we've learnt since then.

Bombshell alert: @caitm1 tells me that on Sunday, Rebecca said one of her original ideas for the end of Iron Flame was for Violet to become venin and not Xaden. *crickets* let's just take a moment here together... 😨

Honestly, I'm all for it, I low key feel like I would have liked that better, it would have been so good, but alas, we have venin-Xaden now, so we have to deal 🥲

Now, about Monday. A lot of the questions asked and things spoken about were the same as Saturday. The host picked the fan questions she asked and didn't really pick much that was plot or character related. She didn't pick any of mine and yes, I'm still mad about it. WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES

Here's the quotes, questions and tidbits I found interesting:

• Her editor for Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, is the head of Red Tower, so she's the publisher. I did not know this. I don't think I've seen this in practice before? She's also involved with the Amazon series because of this.

• "I'm not afraid of hurting you." That we already knew. 💀

• "Because we knew what had the television series when I was in edits, so we had to write out a synopsis and when I first thought it would be five books, I immediately sent the synopsis to my editor, who, you know, we sent it to Amazon because we needed to tell them; this is the definitive vision for the story. I can tell you, in Onyx Storm, I've already deviated from like...who I thought would pass in that book, as opposed to...I've already deviated some from that."

Sorry, what? Who was meant to die? My money is, as always, on Rhi or Garrick. You know I have thoughts/feelings about that. Look, if I've learned anything this weekend it's that someone important is going to die, a lot of people are going to die, ok? She's very frank about death and the realities of war and if you're worried about your favourite side characters for the next few books, well...you should be.

• She loves writing Ridoc. @yanny-77 no chance to ask about bodoc, sorry! 😂

• On Xaden and people's perception of him: "It's always funny because I always hear...he gets compared to Rhysand a lot? Xaden's like twenty-two at the beginning of Fourth Wing; Rhysand's like what? Five hundred? Ok, twenty-two, so it's very much like—it is a college. It's a college romance and that first love."

• She was surprised at how much people loved Aaric, given how little he's on-page.

• She also defended Dain again 🥳💗 #DainApologistsClub

• She expanded a little more on Jack. So perhaps what she meant on Saturday about his reasons, was simply that his reason will be touched upon in OS, but it's clear. "Jack's motivations are clear-cut, which makes him so easy to write. He's such an example of the hunger for power and what happens when you aren't selected for the power you think you deserve, which is one of the themes of Fourth Wing. So Jack's an easy character, he's straight-on."

• Are there any easter eggs that you put in the first two books that you don't think were caught by fans? "Violet's second signet! I totally thought it was obvious. Um, I did, to the point where my editor was like 'hey, we should probably put a line in here' and I was like dude no, people will catch it." Y'all know my thoughts on that so I'll stay quite over here in my corner.

Someone asked "what is it then?" and she replied, "no, no, no, now we're having fun with this, now."

• The hardest scene for her to write in Fourth Wing was the battle scene, because it was her first fantasy and so her first one. She wrote it and her editor said no, it has to be a little longer than this.

"So that was really hard for me to write, especially because in the moment she loses Liam, she has to get up and go. And I'm used to being able to give my characters this moment to grieve, this moment to take the news, this moment to absorb it and really feel it. And it's hard to get the reader to really feel that emotion when death is coming straight for you. So that was really difficult. And I was crying."

ME TOO, TBH

• If she was to describe Onyx Storm in two Taylor Swift songs, it would be Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? & So It Goes.

• If Empyrean was written in interconnected stand alones, she would have already jumped to Rhi or Imogen.

• Her favourite sections are the epigraphs that she writes above the chapter headings. "It's my most valuable real estate, the fact that you guys skip over them sometimes, I'm like—I'm wicked funny in there, ok?"

• If Violet and Xaden visited Australia, what would they do for fun? "I'd say go visit places they can't catch on fire. I guess they could find a beach." @empyrean-thrones there you go, we're on point! 😂

And that's about it! Happy theorising! 💗

It was a wild weekend, but so worth it. I was in my feelings a lot. I hope you guys get a chance to meet her or hear her speak in person one day, too 🫶

[slafkovskys]

can we hear more abt angel and the boys celebrating christmas

the boys are all but enthused to see the pajamas she puts into their hands on christmas eve night, but she’s so giddy about their first christmas together, they begrudgingly slink off to various parts of the house to change.

“just think,” she claps her hands as the last brother emerges in his festive sleepwear, “i could’ve gotten you all onesies. i was really nice.”

“we’re so thankful, angel,” jack rolls his eyes as he pulls her on top of him on the couch, “so when do we get to do presents?”

“it’s cookies and movies tonight, you each get one present,” she jams her finger into his chest to emphasize the number and he smirks, “then we do the rest tomorrow before going to your parents.”

his lips press to the underside of her jaw, nipping at the skin, “do you count as something we can unwrap?”

“i will go sleep with luke tonight if you keep that up,” she threatens and he instantly, pulls away, a pout on his lips. he sends luke his middle finger as his younger brother encourages him to keep up his behavior, “boys, i’m serious.”

“we know, angel. whatever you want to do, we’re going to cooperate,” quinn promises, sending a not so subtle hit to the back of luke’s head.

they make it through a batch of sugar cookies and half of elf before jack’s insistant poking at her thigh, causes her to announce they could open their present of choice. she parks herself on quinn’s lap, watching excitedly as the boys tear into their gifts.

for quinn, a watch that he’d been eyeing for months but refused to purchase even though everyone around him chirped him because he “could definitely afford it.”

for jack, a bracelet with a seemingly empty panel in the middle. on the back, however, were her initials and 727. it was practically identical to the ring he had bought for her early on in their relationship that she never took off.

and for luke, tickets to a basketball game because he’d been talking about taking her to her first one for the better part of their relationship, but couldn’t decide which team it should be, so she decided for him.

she’s showered with kisses and utterances of ‘you shouldn’t have,’ but she shakes her head, “you always spoil me and now it’s my turn.”

send in your requests for sts!

[readreactrant]

I watched Code Geass but before I get to my short rant about the show and the ship you can pretty much guess this is about…. Let me just say….

This show peaked at the pseudo incest brocon subplot, I'm taking no arguments!

Fine, fine, that's definitely not entirely true but Rolo's death had me pausing the show and staring at the screen like for what reason?! Let the boy be hopelessly obsessed goddammit 😭😭😭

Now I've gotten that out of my system…

Guess who's the character I hate most?

shocker I know/sarc

I haven't hated one half of my otp ship in a piece of media this much since that one Episode Nagi panel of Reo's heart getting destroyed by Nagi's dumbass (Reo my love love I'd treat you so much better)

Suzaku's case is worse by several degrees because his idiocy and attitude only continued to stoke the flames of my annoyance for the whole two fucking seasons until like the three or two episodes at the end cause oh my fucking God I cried.

(That shit was a wild ride enough nothing is making me watch any spin offs or side stories I care that little)

From the first moment he entered that Lancelot suit and agreed to help the side that attempted to silence him by murder, I clocked his ass and marked him as the dumbest bitch to ever exist but we love a protective loyal dog Top don't we ladies?

"I want to change the system from the inside-" bitch shut up these are colonizers you ain't changing nothing 😭

Even after they they tried pining the murder on him to sentence him to death AGAIN!! BOY WENT BACK.

AND!

He refused Zero?!

HUH?!?

Now I'm not a particularly patriotic person (I hate my county so so much) but if we got neo colonized, No matter what merits I would never be friendly or cooperative with the other side.

Suzaku stopped his country fighting back (valid reason or not I don't remember, he killed his dad and that meant surrender ig) and proceeded to kiss up to brits, fall in love with one of them, and further hinder every attempt of his own people fighting back because 'Violence wrong' but it's okay when he does it because some made up ideal told him being subservient would make a change. And it did….just for him tho, all other 11s? no one cares.

And it didn't even matter because Lulu's methods were always the ones that brought things closer!

I know it's a kind of a commentary on something, I ain't stupid but I was still pissed.

Literally had me gritting my teeth almost every time he stepped on screen, especially when he went pseudo emo after becoming a knight of round or whatever.

Bottom line, he frustrated me as much as he did Lelouch but I still wanted to see them FUCK.

The last couple of episodes where genuinely the best things I've ever watched and a brilliant end to the series. I wouldn't say I grew to enjoy all the characters but God did the plot threads keep me going.

Trust I understood very little about the gate shit and the killing God aspect but when you're having a fun time everything just looks good.

To sum up SuzaLulu…

Giving me friends to enemies to lovers (correct me not I won't hear you) All mixed together with the palpable hatred and vitriol they held toward each other is just too much.

And Lelouch as a bottom is literally my type >.< psycho, pretty, and bad at sports (also having a natural inclination to dominate others)??? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!!!

His dramatic ass had me gripped and his personality contrasted so beautifully with Suzaku's dumbass that while I did want to be sad about that redhead he might have liked dying….girl bye 👋 make way for the gay 🏳️‍🌈

(Srsly tho, I was sad for a sec, it was a very shocking scene to say the least but Rolo pulled such a Brocon move I was laughing for a solid minute.)

I very much didn't want to be like most other yaoi shippers that watched this shit when they were ten and went for the very obvious but still delicious low hanging fruit yaoi but I see enemies to lovers mixed with tragic yaoi and an undeniably fun story and brain stops functioning lmaooo. Turns out I'm very much like other fujins ;p

Closing thoughts: Umm…If you're going to defend Suzaku in the replies…go for it I'm down to listen but he'll forever be my bitch. I love Lelouch but Light is better, Orange x Lelouch is underratedand C.C. and Kallen should have gotten married.

[turneradora]

🤣🤣🤣👍

Kath and I tried not to squeal with excitement when Aidan Turner sat right in front of us (WHAT a handsome man). But sadly he was moved to the front, ready for the Q&A at the end. My friend Amanda was messaging me, telling me to sniff him so she could know what he smelled like. I was four drinks deep by then and might just have had a go, but thank god the poor man was moved before I could work out how to do this. And I probably avoided an arrest for public harassment into the bargain. So sorry, I can’t tell you what Aidan Turner smells like, but he looks very clean. And did I say how handsome he is? New pic of Aidan at the special UK screening of « Rivals », last September 17th. (Sam Harrington-Lowe Journalist)

NEW 💯💯💯

Aidan was sitting in the screening room.

I guess probably next to Victoria Smurfit, on his left

Thanks to my friend Isademrio who found the picture this morning

Thanks to the Journalist Sam Harrington- Lowe who published the article in the Silver Magazine yesterday and took this photo of Aidan, she was sitting right behind him

THE ARTICLE

FIRST LOOK: JILLY COOPER’S RIVALS IS A WILD RIDE

The star-studded launch of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals

I’ve wanted to use this photo of Jilly Cooper for yonks, so I’ve dug it out shamelessly for this piece. Just look at her! How gorgeous? I suspect that Jilly’s life has probably been, in parts, as exciting and racy as many of her novels. When I think of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, or Riders, or any of them, I sort of picture her like this, writing them.

I grew up loving Cooper. As a child, I can remember my dad guffawing to her columns in the heady days of Harold Evans’ Sunday Times, over a full English and untipped Gitanes. I was too young to read her then, but devoured collections of her scribblings a few years later. And as I hit my teens, I fell head over heels in love with her romantic heroines. Prudence, Octavia, Emily, Bella, Imogen et al – I read them cover to cover, repeatedly. I loved Octavia best, because who doesn’t love a broken bad girl? And Octavia was very naughty indeed.

Tame stuff by today’s standards really, despite the wildness of the ‘70s. But my love for Jilly was set for life. The delicious Britishness of it all was a big part of the attraction. I devoured the wicked filth of Jackie Collins, but it was so American to me, settings I could barely relate to. Whereas Cooper wrote very much about life from my own frame of reference. Country living, London, dogs, ponies… ridiculous 11am drinks parties. As a child, one of my first ever jobs was as a pheasant plucker – I kid you not. So to find someone writing about sex, drama, and intrigue in English country villages…

Read more: Are you common? A class guide…

But I digress

When the big ‘bonkbusters’ (god, I hate that term) started coming out, I was in fits of ecstasy. From Riders onwards I was hooked, reading voraciously and pining until another one came out. I have no idea how one even starts to write novels like that, holding all that information about so many characters together. I can barely remember why I went into the kitchen. But reading the books, sinking into that heady world of treachery, and money, and sex, and absolutely appalling behaviour was a wild pleasure I can still feel today.

So when I saw that Rivals was to be made into a TV series – by Disney no less, a weird marriage, I thought – I was wary. There have been a few adaptations of Cooper’s work before, and they’ve largely been rather awful. Would this be any different? As luck would have it, I was invited to a premiere screening of the first two episodes, followed by a panel sesh with some of the actors – so I would get to find out sooner rather than later.

The invite had specified there would be ’80s-themed drinks and canapes, and on the way up to town, my plus-one Kath and I necked G&Ts and wondered what they might be. Vol au vents, for sure. Possibly smoked salmon. Prawns? It turned out to be a take, rather than a religious revisit, which is probably better. But there were vol au vents, you’ll be pleased to know (creamy chicken and mushroom). Also prawn cocktails, and teenie Black Forest gateaux, amongst other delights.

…you could have been forgiven for thinking it really was 1985. We circulated a bit, rubbing shoulders with celebs and quaffing bubbles and tequila sunrises…

We did however arrive to a glittering event with Duran Duran blaring, hot and cold running cocktails and champagne, and stars galore. For one moment you could have been forgiven for thinking it really was 1985. We circulated a bit, rubbing shoulders with celebs and quaffing bubbles and tequila sunrises, before taking seats in the sumptuous screening room.

Kath and I tried not to squeal with excitement when Aidan Turner sat right in front of us (WHAT a handsome man). But sadly he was moved to the front, ready for the Q&A at the end. My friend Amanda was messaging me, telling me to sniff him so she could know what he smelled like. I was four drinks deep by then and might just have had a go, but thank god the poor man was moved before I could work out how to do this. And I probably avoided an arrest for public harassment into the bargain. So sorry, I can’t tell you what Aidan Turner smells like, but he looks very clean. And did I say how handsome he is?

Tell us about the show

I’m not allowed to write about the show itself yet properly. It’s embargoed until whatever date was on the piece of paper they made me sign. So I can’t actually review it properly. But I think I can tell you a few things without getting strung up.

The lineup was always going to make this enjoyable viewing, even it was shit, let’s face it. Some of my faves are in this – David Tennant, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Aidan Turner, Emily Atack… and many more, as they say. It’s a great bunch, and dare I say it, very well cast. Tennant is sneering and chippy as Lord Tony Baddingham, Danny Dyer a perfect Freddie Jones. Bella Maclean is meltingly beautiful as Taggie, and Victoria Smurfit is a brilliant, fragile Maud O’Hara. And if you tell me that there’s a better actor to play hot-headed, principled Irish TV star Declan than Aidan Turner, well I don’t believe you.

The lineup was always going to make this enjoyable viewing, even it was shit, let’s face it

If you’ve been looking at the photos and thinking that Alex Hassell isn’t right for Rupert Campbell-Black, well, you’re not alone. Even Alex admits to being really worried about stepping into his shoes and not exactly looking like everyone expects him to. He’s not blond, for a start. But – and there are no real spoilers here Disney, if you’re reading this – after literally every part of Alex is revealed in the very first episode, as he points out, there’s nowhere really left to hide. So he just “got on with it.” And honestly, he makes a pretty good fist of it. He’s handsome, dastardly, and has a good bash at Rupert’s hidden depths, such as they are.

The challenge of taking on well-known characters

Many of the actors channelled older family members or situations. As readers of the book will know, Declan is fiercely protective of his family. Aidan said he was able to get into Declan mode by looking back at his own family. “He’s a dad, I’m a dad,” says Aidan. “I sort of related to him. And he’s like my dad, he’s Irish, there’s the hair…”

Nafessa Williams, who plays the gloriously feisty TV exec Cameron Cook, said she couldn’t wait to immerse herself in the ’80s, pointing out that she had family back then who looked exactly like she did in the show, big hair and all. She’d been able to use her own experience as the only American actor in the show, not really having insight into the wonders of the English countryside.

“It’s a lot like life imitating art, right?” she says. “Like, she [Cameron] came from New York to come here, I came from LA. So I understood her coming here and being new and not understanding this world.”

I’m not sure how many slow-burn relationships are allowed to happen in a world of Tinder and so on, so it was extremely enjoyable to play

Katherine Parker plays gentle Lizzie Vereker, and I suspect talking about the situation between her character and that of Danny Dyer’s is off limits, although obviously you can read what happens in the book. But she confesses to being thrilled to be working with him, and their chemistry is lovely.

“I was so pleased that Danny was playing that part. It’s so beautifully drawn throughout the series, their dynamic. And it unfolds over eight episodes, which is a kind of slow-burn relationship. Which feels very ‘80s. I’m not sure how many slow-burn relationships are allowed to happen in a world of Tinder and so on, so it was extremely enjoyable to play.”

And another great team

David Tennant is Lord Baddingham, massively hung up on class and wanting to fit in. He’s anchored by his wife, Lady Monica, played by the excellent Claire Rushbrook, who is very much old school posh, and who gives him the only real class clout he has. David says he loved playing Tony.

“It’s all there, it’s all there in the writing. And it’s very potent, it’s very British. But it’s very human too, you know? Like, [as Tony] I can never quite be where I want to be, to always be disappointed, because no matter how hard you try, there’s a club you’re not allowed to be in. And for someone like Tony, that’s devastating. He can only try harder. And he will never be satisfied because he’s always one peg down from the exclusive club, and it kills him.”

…he will never be satisfied because he’s always one peg down from the exclusive club, and it kills him…

Tony’s a grammar school boy, as opposed to, say, Rupert’s start in life at Harrow. And the chip on his shoulder is enormous. The most important thing to Tony?

“Winning!!” shouts Tennant, quite literally, channelling Tony alarmingly right there in the screening room. “Whatever that means, and whatever the situation… because he can never have the ultimate prize, he must have ALL the other prizes.” Tennant laughs. “He’s very balanced. There’s no daddy issues here, AT ALL!”

On scenes with Claire Rushbrook as his wife, Lady Baddingham. “I love those scenes, because it’s where all his armour falls away, and you get to see the little boy again. And he’s sort of got his mum there, that comfort. He’s very at home with her, and absolutely needs her. And he kind of runs this extraordinary lifestyle of treachery and debauchery, but he always has to have Monica.”

It’s not often I fangirl massively, but honestly. It’s DAME JILLY COOPER! After a lifetime of reading her books and words, I actually found it quite emotional to see her in the flesh. She was utterly divine, just so happy with the production and telling all the girls how beautiful they were and all the men how handsome. Plus ca change, Jilly! She’s a rather marvellous 87 now, and looking good on it. Plenty of the old Cooper sparkle, and clearly having a whale of a time at the do. I didn’t get to corner her, and probably would have been too shy really. But it was enough to have been there for this whole event.

As for the show – well, I could have sat there and binged the whole lot in one go. Which is, I suspect, what will happen when it finally airs. It’s one hundred per cent a ‘romp’ and not to be taken massively seriously. I absolutely loved it, and really hope they make the entire Rutshire Chronicles into telly shows, if they’re going to be like this.

Jilly Cooper’s Rivals launches on 18 October on Disney+ in the UK

Don’t say: “I’ll have a soya matcha latte with a gluten-free protein bar.”

Do say: “More champagne and keep it coming, and pass the Dunhills.

[cinammonelles]

Thoughts about Nea, past!Allen and the next chapter

long post, spoilers under the cut

Okay so I've always wondered why Nea gave up on Allen as his ally so quickly. Allen was one of his closest allies besides Cross and Tim till the time of his death right? He even gave up his body so Nea could execute his masterplan.

Yes, Allen did lose all his memories(or did he?) and somehow ended up in the Black Order. But we know Nea can show him his memories so he should also technically be able to show him past!Allen memories that were locked away? Or atleast memories of himself with past!Allen?

Allen would definitely be torn and overwhelmed and confused after but everyone who has known the "other side of the war" has taken Nea's side so far. And Allen even went so far as to become Nea's vessel in the past. He would definitely take his old friend's side again right? Or even seek out some sort of a middle ground?

Why didn't he do that then? Nea watched all of his memories since Cross started tailing him and Mana. Wouldn't it be easier to have Allen half-cooperate during the little time he has left, instead of having him actively work against him?

There's so much emotion in this one panel here. Confusion, worry, pain, anger, desolation, and maybe even a hint of guilt?

Its like... he just didn't wanna disturb the little equilibrium Allen had managed to create in his life? The little community he had found in the Black Order?

I mean if we think abt it Nea never really wanted to parasitize Allen in the first place(or atleast that's what I think the evidence so far implies). It was just the only option available to them back then. They needed Nea's powers to thwart the Earl & the Noahs' plans. And if Nea died then the Earl would just absorb(?) him and there would be no stopping him after that.

And I think giving up on Allen as an ally was Nea's way of being kind to him. Of returning the favour. Being his ally isn't an easy or pleasant job from what we've seen so far. And Allen would've disappeared anyway from the moment past!Allen transferred Nea's memories to himself. After seeing his attachment to the Order and the friends he made there, maybe he just wanted Allen to disappear with pleasant memories he made at the Order rather than the gruesome memories of being Nea's ally.

This panel in particular is so sad. He was able to give up on Allen as an ally so easily because he still had Tim. Tim was his last remaining ally and then he wasn't. And its particularly cruel how Hoshino pulled this off. He says that he doesn't need anyone else as long as he has Tim and just a few chapters later Apocryphos kills him. Nea must be used to losing allies by now but Tim really was the last real friend he had left(hoshino you cruel cruel woman)

Also the way Link's just bomb dropped the news abt tim?

Imagine hearing your last friend/ally died from some rando and then not even getting the time to process it because your arch enemy's ressurection shows up and somehow has your face? And then you get yeeted back into brain breakroom just as you were about to start beefing with him and the next time you wake up you're in your childhood home which you have mixed, complicated feelings for.

And that's not even getting into the whole 'tim chose allen over nea' thing.

Also if Allen goes back to the mansion and finds Bookman, he's guaranteed to find out atleast part of his past if not the whole. And he would definitely demand to know more from Nea. Will he accept Allen as his ally again now that Tim is gone? Will he accept Link as well? Will he try to kill Johnny again? Will he even be stable enough to consider future plans? Will we ever see Lavi again? We find out next month :D

Or we don't

(I also have a theory abt the Bookmen having the ability to transfer memories but that one's for another time)

Thanks for reading!!!

[1slightly-mad1]

Well, I assume some updates are in order since I’ve decided to come out of nowhere and post stuff. Life has been meh. My parents and myself lost our houses from Helene, so that’s fun. But luckily we found somewhere to live, we’re just waiting on the approval. But enough about that, let’s get into what I’m into at the moment.

Currently, the hyperfixation is the band Ghost. When I say hyperfixation, I mean full on obsession I’ve been listening to them non stop. I’ve been listening to them for some time now, but only recently started getting into the lore and fandom (basically after Rite Here Rite Now came out). I love Copia and Terzo and Secondo and Primo. I can’t wait until the reveal of Papa V. I was supposed to go to my first ritual back in August last year, but both of the Florida shows got cancelled because of the hurricane so I didn’t get the chance.

Very recently, I got into Fallout (because of the show). I played Fallout 4 (completed 2 playthroughs) and find that I’m in love with Ghouls. Yes, I romance Hancock. Yes, I love Cooper Howard/The Ghoul. I also love Nick Valentine (it’s a crime that you can’t romance him, imagine the possibilities with the sole survivor) but he jumpscares me all the time.

I was very active on Twitter during the final season of The Bad Batch (that one I’ve been into since Clone Wars season 7). I’ll give you 3 guesses as to who my favorite character is. It’s Tech. It’s always Tech, it’s always going to be Tech. Needless to say, his death devastated me and him not coming back devastated me further. But, I still loved the final season because I love clone troopers in Star Wars in general. I actually met Dee Bradley Baker and told him how much Tech meant to me, which he referenced in the Clone Wars panel the following day (he also talked to me in Tech’s voice).

That’s all I can think of that’s most recent off the top of my head. Before anyone asks, my favorite Ghost song is Mummy Dust and no it’s not because of how horny it gets on stage, I find it easy to get hyped to and that’s fun for me.

[echo-echo31]

5 Times Gray Nearly Kissed Cooper and 1 Time Jay Witnessed It Finally Happen | Chains Series Spin-Off

SERIES MASTERPOST | RIBBONS SPIN-OFF

A/N: This is for my wonderful, amazing friend on their birthday! In case you don't know, these characters are part of my Chains Series as well as being my friend's special blorbos <3

Warnings: trauma, PTSD, reference to torture.

1. The first time Gray nearly kisses Cooper, he doesn't know who they are.

It's in the moments of being rebooted. After the trauma of waking up to find his entire life stolen, corrupted, replaced. Reality rushes back so fast he feels like he's dying again. He didn't expect to wake up; he thought the last thing he'd ever see was Ada's face as the truth rushed into it like her human blood.

"...you're okay. It's gonna be okay,"

That voice.

It's the hand of wakefulness tugging him out of his own nightmares. The one thing that kept him tethered to reality when he was in stasis. He rushes towards it like a drowning man, and then his optic programmes kick-in and he's so relieved, hit so hard with the force of simply being alive that it seems natural to reach up and make their lips meet.

That's when he finds that his other programmes haven't loaded yet. He's paralysed, looking up at the panels of a rotting wooden ceiling. He can't speak, but he thinks his eyes convey emotions he could never put into words when he finally sees the face of the mechanic smiling down at him.

2. It happens again the first time he sees snow.

After being guided outside and recounting the stories Ada used to tell him, both he and Cooper had stayed there for an unknown amount of time…staring.

It was so quiet. And not the bad kind. Not the kind that crept in and infested like the endless, isolating days he'd spent in stasis. It was peace, it was beautiful.

The sudden noise beside him is the first time he's been reminded he's not alone out here for a while, and he turns his head to see Cooper shiver,hands rubbing the raised hair on their arm. Sometimes - in the adrenaline rush of their lives on the run - Gray can forget that they're human. Whenever he's reminded, there's some kind of emotion that gets stuck in his throat that he has to force back down.

He should encourage them back inside. Avoid hypothermia. And yet there's a few more seconds when he's just looking at them. Their prosthetic arm holds onto their body and he's once again mermerised how intricate and well-designed it is. They look off into the distance with those brown eyes so deep he could get lost in them.

And for a moment he thinks about walking over, holding their face in his hands and kissing them.

"We should get you inside, Coop,"

3. Trauma seems to be a good catalyst for these things to happen.

All Gray can hear is the siren continuing to echo through the corridors of the Alliance base. His optic programme is working, and yet he can't seem to actually comprehend anything that's happening around him.

His mind is full of that thing. The thing that has his head. The thing that almost killed him before it was called away to become the subject of someone else's nightmares.

Even when Jay found him, he couldn't tell the fellow android what had happened. It was as if he was back in stasis mode, only all of his sensory programmes were still working fine. He felt trapped, traumatised, alone.

There's a pressure on his shoulder and suddenly he's knocked out of the paralysis. He flinches, systems blaring some warning message as he interprets it as a threat until he really looks, and sees Cooper leaning their head on his shoulder.

There's tear stains on their cheeks and their eyes have a glassed over, far-reaching expression. Immediately, his body relaxes and his mind becomes fixated on making sure they're okay, rather than dealing with whatever damage that psychopath had done to it.

Seeing them like this, he wants to comfort them in any way he can. They hold each other - for minutes or hours he has no idea. Eventually, they sniffle and he kisses the top of their head. He wants to do more; he wants to press his lips to theirs in an attempt to take away…to swallow all the pain.

It's not the moment. So instead he holds them close enough to convince them both that nothing else can touch them.

4. Jay daring him is just a occupational hazard at this point.

It happens at least a few times today. They'll be traversing the abandoned landscape of a small town, or crossing a river or getting supplies from an ex-military base and Jay will come up to him with some ridiculous idea.

It's oddly comforting in some ways; a nice reminder that He didn't erase all of Jay's original personality programming. An act of rebellion.

So, he's never surprised when he comes at him with that dorky grin and an idea to jump off a bridge or steal a 7 foot tall replica of the Eiffel Tower.

And yet.

"I dare you to kiss Coop,"

Gray knows it's literally impossible for him to choke, but right now it sounds like it with the noise he makes when Jay whispers into his ear.

They're about four steps behind Cooper, on an abandoned railroad track in the middle of nowhere. As per usual, the mechanic is leading the way, following signals they've got on one of their ingenious inventions that tracks SOS programmes from androids who've defected from the House.

"What? Shut the hell up, man!" Gray hisses aggressively back, eyes trained on their human's backpack in terror of them accidentally hearing their discussion.

"Come on, tough guy. I see how you look at them," Jay teases, an arm slung around Gray's shoulder as the Google Android refuses to meet his gaze.

"I don't…I don't know what you're on about, Jay. And anyway, you two are a thing, aren't you?" He tries not to let the hope he feels bleed into his tone of voice as he asks the question.

Jay laughs, and Gray starts to feel annoyed, like he's being made fun of. Jay leans in closer and this time his voice is more serious, more sincere.

"You really think that heart isn't big enough for the both of us?"

Gray is left standing still as Jay walks ahead of him, joining Cooper

"Hurry up, slow coach!" Jay shouts back, and Gray curses him under his breath.

5. Around the campfire, he really thinks he's going to do it.

They've made it to some make-shift camp set up by a handful of androids; some defectors, others who ran away from abusive owners well before the Blue Screen Event.

The last few days had been…nice. Really nice. In fact, the Alliance and rebellion and Alpha and everything else had slipped from his mind a few times whilst they'd been here, and that was a miracle in itself. It was almost like a taste of what could be; a possible future free from threat and fear.

It's in this warming glow that Gray finds himself trying to pluck up the courage to kiss them. He's been casually staring for at least the last ten minutes, the flames of the fire honeying their brown eyes in the darkness. He fidgets with his hands and occasionally sees a knowing smirk from Jay in the corner of his eye that he chooses to ignore.

He wants to do it. He needs to do it. And yet plucking up the courage to do so seems to be harder than when he had to resist the ongoing mental torture of having the world's most dangerous android in his head.

"Hey! We should go see if Hunter is alright," Cooper suggests, and it takes a while for Gray to process what they've actually said.

"Oh…yeah sure," He answers, watching as the mechanic is already standing up and catching Jay facepalm.

+1. It's been months since they left Markus' Alliance base.

Months since they set off, travelling North, following the tracks left behind from the House moving base after the incident of one of their Beta's being corrupted.

They're still unsure as to what exactly happened, but it was enough to force Alpha to move. And that meant it was serious. Very serious.

Something had happened between then. Something that meant Cooper no longer wanted to be involved with Markus - their brother - and that also meant they were back to the three of them travelling alone. Which to be honest, didn't bother Gray. In fact, he rather preferred it this way. Cooper's brother always gave a vibe that made him uncomfortable. Sometimes he thought he was more similar to Alpha than he knew���but that's not something he'd ever admit out loud.

Nevertheless, it was back to Cooper leading the way through what had slowly become denser, darker forest with more treacherous paths to traverse. They had become more reckless recently, as if they were trying to reach something more important than their own safety. Therehad been a few close calls when Gray or Jay had to bandage them up, and yet whenever they tried to hint that something was wrong, they were met with unconvincing reassurances that everything was fine.

That's how it happens.

One minute Gray is following behind them, the next he's running to the spot they once wereafter he sees them slip and fall, disappearing behind the ledge they were approaching.

Every possible worst-case scenario goes through his head; his systems are screaming at him as if he's the one who's in danger.

"COOPER!" He shouts, hearing the same name echoed from behind him by Jay.

Once he gets there though, relief floods through him like a drug as he finds them merely a few feet below, having fallen onto a shallow riverbank.

They're in a heap and dirty, but already brushing it off and clearly not hurt above a few scratches and bruises. Without thinking, Gray is jumping down after them, his superior strength and resilience making the leap a lot easier and more graceful for him.

"Hey, you okay?" He says, arms already reaching out to hold them.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Just a stupid mistake," They say, sounding angry with themselves.

"It's not stupid," He replies, brushing some dirt off their shoulders and they do the same to their clothes. There's a streak of mud across their cheek and he goes to clean it off, accidentally smudging it further across their skin. It's a few seconds before he realises he's essentially stroking their face. And that they're staring at him.

It's here, with the water rushing past and his mechanic covered in mud and a cacophony of different lifetime's words between them that he finally, finally, leans in to press his lips to theirs.

They taste like pine needles and firewood and home. It's like the inevitable, as if there's been an invisible string pulling them closer and closer and finally they've become tied.

It's everything he needs.

That is, until they break apart with the sound of a someone nearby clearing their throat.

Gray turns his head to see Jay looking at them, arms holding each other and Cooper's skin flushed.

"Well…I'm glad we're all still alive. And kissing. Fucking finally. So…can we maybe keep going because my optics are telling me that it's almost twilight and however much you two want to stick your tongues in each other's mouths, I'd like that to happen somewhere away from the creatures of the forest please."

[icycoldninja]

Can you write a fem reader who’s from the Pacific Rim verse and is a Jaeger Pilot with the DMC boys?

Description: Jaegers ([ˈjɛːɡɐ], Jäger, Hunter) are a special type of mobile weapon created by the Jaeger Program. The Jaegers were the most effective first and last line of defense against the Kaiju during the Kaiju War.

And she control her specific giant robot ( Gipsy Danger ) with her co-pilot to fight back giant monsters that threatens the extinction of the human race in her verse. She accidentally loop into their world after a minor accident due to her profession. She also had to explain to them how dangerous her profession is, even if she does not die because of being directly killed by Kaijus while piloting, she can have a risk of dying due to long term contact with the Kaiju blue ( its blood ) due to it being radioactive

Oh yeah, I remember that movie! Here ya go!

Sparda boys + V x Fem!Jaeger pilot!Reader headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-Dante is a massive goofball and doesn't take your profession seriously, often throwing around jokes in the middle of combat or purposefully ignoring things or forgetting to move parts of the Jaeger just to screw with you.

-He does this one too many times and it gets on your nerves, causing you to snap and scold him while struggling to fight using only your half of the robot.

-After that you chewed him out, heatedly explaining that if you guys didn't die from a monster attack, you could die from radiation from the Kaiju blood, which is even worse.

-Dante then realized how serious you were about this and how he should be treating this occupation. It took him a little while to get your grumpy self to look him in the eyes again, but he apologized.

-From that point on, you two made a way better team--though Dante never completely got rid of his tendency to joke around.

■ Vergil ■

-Vergil was a great Jaeger co-pilot, but he had one flaw: he stubbornly believed he could handle everything himself.

-He insisted you didn't need to do anything, and tried his best to control the entire robot with just his half of the control panel.

-As a result, arguments between the two of you were more than common, they were a routine occurrence. Though you got along well enough outside of working hours, every time you got into that robot, you were at each other's throats.

-During the heat of one of these arguments, the two of you forgot you were in combat for a moment and nearly got the robot ripped in half by a Kaiju. The moment you were in a safe zone, you leaped out, dragged him with you, and started screaming at him about the dangers of this job.

-Vergil was too proud to admit he was wrong, but he did soften his attitude and tried his best to cooperate with you.

□ Nero □

-Nero was smart and had quick reflexes, not to mention a great deal of strength, but he was just too rash, too rushed; he had a brilliant brain but he didn't use it.

-He relied on his instincts to guide him in battle whereas you put your trust in logic and thoughts. These conflicting strategies led to frequent mishaps, though thankfully, they were all minor ones.

-Still, you had to have a talk with him and explain that this job isn't just about fighting Kaiju, it was about protecting the world and making sure no one else's lives were taken by the Kaiju, including yours.

-Since Nero was more stubborn than a pimple, he needed time to cool off and let some steam out so his brain could get start working again.

-Afterwards, he came back, offered a soft apology, then hopped back into the robot to kick more Kaiju ass--but this time he'll think before he acts.

● V ●

-V was not suited for Jaeger piloting whatsoever. He was physically weak; piloting the robot took so much out of him, it was dangerous, to both his health and yours.

-He once passed out during a fight, causing half of the whole robot to go limp, forcing you to finish the battle with just your half, which was a serious struggle, but at least you managed. The outburst that followed was never intended, but you were just so angry, upset, and scared after that near-death experience, you couldn't help yourself.

-You scolded him harshly--a bit too harshly--about his weakness and how he wasn't fit to pilot the Jaeger, going as far as to say he was useless.

-Needless to say, V cried a lot that night, your words having really hurt his feelings. He was trying his best...it wasn't his fault he was so weak. Luckily you calmed down enough to apologize the next morning, or his self esteem might have plummeted.

-After V got special medical gear to help him stay awake and energized during fights implemented into the Jaeger, work got that much easier for the two of you.

[firespirited]

hot take but I think the fantasy Event Horizon director's cut should have less gore and more of the character building moments. Less is more.

The more ambiguity about whether it was a mass hallucination, the more left to the imagination and conveyed by the actors reactions to what they saw off-screen, the better the film.

The set design, the lighting, the incredible acting speak for themselves - I think those things are so strong you could have a PG-13 rated cut with a single f-bomb (Fishburne's "Fuck this ship!" of course) that still leaves you sleepless.

-------------------------------

9/10 film. Would have been 10/10 without the extra gore.

As Anderson himself says, after a certain amount the viewer's imagination is stretched too far and you start to rationalize the rubber props and fake blood. The anatomy is off for PJ's death, the fire's effects are off even for different gravity, the carefully acted distress of the crew isn't present in the shock imagery. That's the one point against it, that and the prevailing belief that it's about a literal hell when that's refuted in the text.

==== I love this film ====

It is breathtakingly beautiful. the sets, the effects, the lighting, the filters, subliminal symbology everywhere. The acting, the way the world is lived in and their relationships are shown to us by the way the actors touch each other and move around their ship.

Within the first five minutes we have everything we need to know: Weir is a self-absorbed "genius" who hesitates over his jugular while shaving, Miller is an efficient and empathetic search and rescue lifeguard captain with full devotion to his crew which is fully returned.

Each member of the crew has their backstory in their mannerisms and design: we have a superstitious pilot with an ankh back tattoo, the sun-starved surgeon has scalpels on a utility vest and encourages you to smoke, the women are "one of the boys" facing the same ol' sexist banter from lovable rogue Cooper, but also respected in their fields. That's show not tell in impeccable detail.

We get a quick meet and greet verbal introduction to the crew at the 10-minute mark. We're introduced to the ship and its gothic, unholy geometries at 25. The design elements invoke a hybrid between the awe of a cathedral and the disgust of an intricate medieval torture device. The technology is robust and, except for an optical drive disk, future-proof.

This ship is a twisted Passion Play in design form with an evil seraphim of eyes within eyes, wheels within wheels as a beating heart engine. You don't have to be told that this thing demands worship and sacrifice, it is in your cultural subconscious.

It is in every jagged tooth and violence invoking shape engraved into the various panels and walls. The designers working on creating future warnings about nuclear waste would be pointing at different elements and yelling "Yes! That's it! Universal, visceral, primal signs of danger! Colours of disease!"

We're in a psychological thriller: the first real violence is a full 50 minutes into a 1h30 runtime and it's a plausible hazard of the job, shown with an unflinching camera with real time tension.

We spend the next ten minutes being gaslit by Weir into believing the ramping violence of the 'haunted house' might just be in our heads until the captain and crew subvert the horror trope and GET OUT. Fantastic story telling, very smart.

We now switch genres. again. to an ultra violent possession and slasher movie with a switch in tone for the ending: rewritten to be just open-ended enough to wonder if it was a shared psychotic frenzy, something supernatural or something natural but beyond humanity's understanding. A nice bookend to that almost campy over the top blood fest of a last half hour where Fishburne is the grounding force to Sam Neill's insane monster.

The CGI is in service to the practical effects and near seamless despite the age, it's mostly composite work on miniature sets and for zero gravity liquids. I honestly don't know how Mortal Kombat guy managed to get this kind of acting and photography talent to work on a space horror.

It feels a lot like the glitch that was Hannibal the TV show, art that wouldn't get made if the money men had known exactly what was involved and art that is bordering on schlocky but toeing a line that makes it brilliant. A kind of art that is achieved with a lot of talent and dedication but also the enforced limitation of The Edit.

I really think that the multiple test screenings and edits made this film better: it's like Robocop vs Showgirls*, Event Horizon vs Resident Evil*: the edits saved us from a movie that went too far and came out silly.

It's a film that feels rare.

*you already know I like both.

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's a Big Wig in the Conspiracy Community (and Colonization Thoughts)

This meta post-- thanks to @notbecauseofvictories and @myassbrokethefall-- highlighted a separate thought that The Red and the Black sort of introduced then dropped without further explanation.

In Patient X, Mulder was invited to an alien convention with an entire panel and room filled with people waiting to hear his opinion on Cassandra Spender's experiences; and, while not the first time people allude to his "Spooky" reputation, it is a first for the viewers of The X-Files (and, perhaps, for Mulder) to see how far the impact of his theories and work has gone.

Spooky Boy is definitely a big wig in his own right, which is bittersweet because Mulder feels alone on his quest without Scully. He's always baffled that people know about him, like his work, and wish to support him. (Furthermore, the minute he was abducted in Requiem-Within, Scully banded together a support network and worked more closely with allies and interest groups to recover her partner, a trend Mulder resisted then realized the strength of after his return.) Mulder chose a solitary, "I ride alone" existence to his own detriment.

Furthermore, I'm convinced a lot of his work is spread around because of The Lone Gunmen: proud keepers of the message boards (E.B.E.), interceptors and redirectors of those in need (Anasazi), and givers-away of Mulder's secrets in general but specifically to and about Scully (E.B.E., The End, etc.) They also seem in touch with the broader conspiracy community and likely gassed up M. F. Luder in their newspaper to such a degree that Mulder's pseudonym soon became an open secret.

Colonization Theory and Thoughts

As a complete aside: if a world existed where Mulder and Scully were working together to combat Colonization, he would probably resist her outreach hints (and pushes and shoves) until she finally proved that there are more out there willing to cooperate and help their cause. And if the situation became dire, Scully would probably step in as a de-facto leader (or one of the organizers) while Mulder would remain the silent, boots-on-the-ground missions' man that everyone chose to trail behind (because, while not in a position of authority, he'd still have a nose for sniffing out correct, last-minute solution.)

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[thefruitiestofbois]

We just needed time- pt3

Twenty-two Seraphites. That's exactly how many people know about Ellie and her immunity. How do I know that? Because these cultist freaks were kind enough to leave a scripture full of the names of all its members who had been sent on the Prophet's mission for purification. A lovely little charter that I'd discovered the location of after beating it out of the dead Scar on my right. I'd already sorted out the last fifteen or so on the list so twenty-two were all that were left between me and the road back to Jackson.

I had one thing to be grateful for- the Seraphites involved in the mission swore themselves to secrecy before setting off from Seattle. No doubt there were probably more who knew but I still had time before they set off for Jackson. I just needed time to find them all and pick them off one by one. My cooperative friend, who was now slumped into a wall, crimson bleeding from both his eyes and mouth, had helped me learn a number of things after we escaped.

The 22 remaining Seraphites were still planning their mission in secret and consulting the Elders for the best of course of action.

They would kill Ellie if they found her. Maybe do worse.

Once a plan was in place they would depart from different locations at different times so that they had the best chance for Ellie's capture.

Now my only aim was to kill all these sick fucks before they even got out of Seattle but there were still some flaws. I didn't know where these Scars were planning from nor did I know anything about Seattle so I had not the faintest idea where to start. Luckily, I had a vengeful and muscular blonde in a braid and her ex-Scar sidekick to help. Abby deemed me harmless seeing as Joel was dead and that her only shot at an eye for an eye, or dad for a dad, was gone. Lev was glued to Abby's side- I think he may have attachment issues but I understand.

"Two Scars headed your way, approaching from the east." Abby radios in and I look through the scope of my rifle at the dirt road in front of the blitzed building I'm in. "Sorry I meant Seraphites." I chuckle at her correction because Lev definitely made her say that. We were quite the team, the three of us, we had taken out entire patrols and raided a few places in the last two weeks we had been free. Sure enough two Scars- Seraphites- were approaching, leather jackets clinging to their bodies just like all the other ones we had seen today but these two had a marking on their left arms- an imprint of a phoenix. A distinct marking of the Prophet's order.

"Hold your fire, let them walk a few paces forward first." I chime in but keep my finger dead still just in front of the trigger, just in case. As expected they walk forward to what they think is just a broken square of wooden panel before crying out as they fall into the trap beneath- a twelve foot ditch with wooden spikes dug into the walls. I sprint down the few flights of stairs still intact in the building and approach the ditch and murmuring Scars with my pistol trained on them every second of the way there when I'm out of cover. Abby and Lev do the same but instead come from the opposite side from behind a small shop with its roof blown to pieces.

We reach two frantic looking Scars who rush to draw their bows but upon seeing they're outnumbered, surrender by tossing their weapons to the floor.

"Well would you look at how the tables have turned. Nice to see you Marcus." I say, replicating his sick sadistic smile that I'd still had trouble purging from my brain.

//

Marcus keeps struggling against his restraints, friction burns covering his wrists and neck. His feet scuffled incessantly on the floor and muffled grunts sounded from his gagged mouth. His partner was already dead, her body leaving a permanent maroon stain on the floor. I didn't move the corpse, I just left it there for Marcus to watch. I'd decide when he was done.

"Seeing as your girlfriend isn't waking up any time soon, how about you tell me where the Scars are hiding before you join her for a little afternoon nap." All he does is shake his head rapidly and grit his teeth through the gag. I raise my spiked bat, like I'd done so many times in this past hour and angle it towards the side of his torso, which was already a bruised mess and his clothes were scraps clinging to his body. I'd done damage, I knew that and I also knew I could never hurt him like he hurt me for an entire week straight, so I settled for inflicting agony for the next few hours till we had to eventually discard him and move onto the next targets.

Just as I'm mid-swing, he cries out for me to stop, so I do and remove his gag. I press one of the spikes into the side of his neck, puncturing his flesh to draw out small droplets of blood before ordering him to talk.

"There's an aquarium- that's where you'll find all of them." Twenty-two Scars- well now it would be all twenty.

"When?"

Two nights from now and then they go to Jackson the next morning."

"Aren't you talkative after a few hours of torture." I say as I settle onto my knees by his side, discarding the bat to replace it with his chin, forcing him to look at me.

"If you're going to kill me, do it already you coward!" He practically roars it out before spitting on the floor by my knees.

"Oh I'm going to but I'm going to do is slowly. I'm gonna start with your eyes first," my thumbs press the centre of his eyes only lightly because I'm only just starting, "then I'm going to slit your throat and listen to the satisfying sound of you fighting for your last breaths. And then..." I give him an earnest smile before saying "I'll leave your body, right next to your girlfriend's, so the demons of Seattle can rip you both apart. Because that's all you amount to: nothing. Roadkill essentially." And with that I press harshly into his eyeballs, feeling his body fight and writhe in pain as he screams out for me to stop.

//

"Any words from the scouts?" Maria looks at Tommy who only offers a sympathetic look before answering.

"I need you to know that you ain't gonna like what I have to say." His southern drawl heavy, almost like a loaded gun just biding its time til it goes off. She nods, head hung low while forcing a deep sigh out, already knowing the answer- dreading the answer.

"Seattle's got bodies popping up everywhere, all the scarred cheek kind, some a few WLFs. But Maria they- it's the way they were killed... their eyes had been gouged out. Just like-"

"Like the ones from last year at the ski resort." Maria finishes for him. A pale shadow casts itself onto their faces. "So it's her?"

"Yeah. I mean it's gotta, who else would it be?" She swallows harshly and sets her fist onto the table, resting her weight on it before ordering Tommy to keep this from the rest of the townsfolk.

"And Tommy if you find her, you don't bring her back into Jackson before I get a chance to assess her."

//

"Why do you kill them like that?" Abby asks while the three of us are sat eating dinner. Well if you would count scraps and dried up trail mix dinner. Lev was asleep inside the store room and Abby would soon join him while I took up watch like I did most nights. I didn't sleep much anyway so I didn't mind, plus I needed Abby rested so she'd be able to help us fight off anyone or anything. She was the strongest out of the three of us by a mile. Lev was useful in making traps and silent combat, so we didn't really need them for much aside form crafting and sometimes hunting.

"Long story." Is all I state before grabbing my water bottle to take a swig. We had taken up camp inside a run down coffee shop just outside off the highway that we'd be taking to the aquarium in a few hours. It was well into the night but we were hoping to get there to scope out the place beforehand. Even with all this planning and hunting we did together I still didn't understand why Abby and Lev were still here. They could have left me the moment we were all free but they just stayed and then when I suggested, well more so announced, that I was hunting the Scars before they got to Ellie, they didn't even hesitate, they just agreed.

"You should try opening up you know. Maybe you'd have more friends that way." She jokes and I laugh but inwardly I was thinking about that word. Friends. It felt strange to think about it. Were Abby and Lev my friends or were we just three people forced into a situation together? Except they weren't forced, they were here willingly. Ellie made sure I never experienced what it meant to have real friends seeing as she practically ordered Jesse and Dina to stop hanging out with me most days.

"I don't really want to talk about it." I confess and she just stares at me for a few moments, the light of the lamp illuminating the freckles around her nose and cheeks and her pale blue eyes gleaming. She says nothing before getting up to approach me, her hands softly cup my cheeks and one of her thumbs wipes away a tear I hadn't even realised was there. I freeze. My body goes stiff and Abby just rubs my cheek again with a feathery touch in response.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have asked. Whatever it is, I'm sorry it happened. It's a fucked up world." She says so gently I don't even register she's speaking at first. I hum in response, her touch melting away small fragments of my exterior. It felt as though my actual skin was melting away from wherever her thumb had left its mark.

I jolt backwards and clear my throat as I hear Lev open the door of the store room, rubbing their sleepy eyes and yawning.

"Abby it's your turn to sleep, I can keep watch if both of you want to rest a little." Lev offers and I shake my head.

"Thanks Lev but I'm not tired, you should eat something though before we leave in a few hours." They nod before rummaging through their backpack.

"I'll head to sleep then I'm kinda tired." Abby says before walking into the store room and I don't miss the way her eyes are on me the entire time with pity and something else I don't quite know how to define.

"Are you okay with what we're going to need to do tomorrow?" I was asking because I knew the Scars that were going to be in the aquarium used to be their family.

"I'm okay with it. It needs to be done. They'll just keep hunting innocent people even after they get what they want." I take a deep breath, not even wanting to ask what I wanted but I knew I had to so I could make sure the three of us were in this thing properly.

"Why are you and Abby helping me do this? The people in Jackson mean nothing to either of you and the Scars-"

"Seraphites."

"Seraphites- sorry- used to be your family. Hell Abby came to Jackson to kill Joel so why are either of you here?" Lev breathes in sharply, almost as if their unsure of what the answer actually is.

"I think we're here because we have nowhere else to go." Well that isn't the worst of reasons. "But also because I think the three of us have an unspoken sense of companionship. We were all tortured and almost gutted together." That's true.

"Well either way, thank you." Lev was right, we were just stuck in this together.

"For Abby I think it's also revenge."

"Revenge?" I question and Lev tells me that one of the WLFs the Scars killed was Owen, Abby's boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. That made things a whole lot clearer.

"Also because I think she likes you." Lev says, a small smile tugging at his lips like a teenager who had just dished the world's most scandalous gossip. Well I suppose in Lev's world, they had done that and they were just a kid.

"You think she likes me?"

"I know she does." I awkwardly nod in response. Not because I don't want Abby to like me in that way but because for a split-second when Abby had held me in her hands, my mind, for some unfathomable reason flickered to Ellie.

//

They were here. All twenty of them each with an imprint of a phoenix on their arms. Night had fallen and the moonlight beamed off of the water surrounding the aquarium almost as if it was highlighting our target for us. The faint whistle of the wind rushed past my ears but even then the silence of the night amplified the footsteps of the Seraphites as they reached the entrance to the aquarium. My heart was thudding, fast and harsh as the massive 'what if' flashed in my mind. What if it didn't work? This would all be a waste and I'd have trusted Abby and Lev for no reason.

"Hey, it'll work, we got this." Abby rubs a soothing hand on my back as she takes the binoculars away from her eyes, almost reading my mind. Or maybe she noticed the way my finger shook against the trigger of my rifle. All three of us had taken up prone positions on the broken highway just off the aquarium and if all went to plan we wouldn't have to even go down there. Well they wouldn't but I needed to, no matter the outcome.

I watched through my scope as the group struggled to find a way inside, ultimately leading them to the only way in- a door at the back near the electrical transformers which led into a kitchen or staffroom of some sort. The first stage was a success thanks to Abby's blood, sweat and tears that went into pushing anything and everything in front of all the other entrances. She lets out a satisfied huff and I nudge her shoulder to congratulate her and Lev silently punches the air. I zoom in a little and I see that only four of them have any rifles or pistols, the rest just have bows or just torches. Idiots. Who leaves safety in the middle of the night to come up with a heist without being properly armed? But then again, it probably doesn't even register to them that they could have been tracked by three vengeful ex prisoners of theirs. Let's see if their Prophet can save them tonight.

Satisfaction courses through me as they all disappear one by one into the room, the last member closing the door behind them and unknowingly sealing them in there. Abby had also made sure to block all the doors leading out of that room into the aquarium. I angle upwards, getting a specific spot above the door they entered into my crosshairs. I dismissed Lev's idea of putting an explosive in the wall but all they said was a simple 'trust me' before doing it anyway. "Am I supposed to just shoot it or what?" I turn to Lev on my left and they just nod, a malevolent smile etching itself into their cheeks.

"Okay boss." I roll my eyes and Abby shoves me with light force disapprovingly.

"Don't be an ass."

"Do it now." Lev urges and I squeeze the trigger, sending a single bullet into the spot and it explodes upon impact, triggering a cascade of explosions, the fire brighter than the moonlight and the following grey smoke snaking into the air above as rubble crushes the Seraphites. The distant screams and cries for help fade with each passing second as the aquarium starts to slowly collapse in on itself, the roof looking like a sinkhole of concrete and wiring. It fucking worked. Holy shit.

"Woah that's so cold." Lev beams with excitement and be Abby correct him simultaneously as we all stand up,

"Cool."

"What?"

"Never mind." Abby laughs out and looks to me and just smiles. A genuine smile that I've never seen before but it's infectious and I can't help but grin back. Relief sweeps through me and I feel like I can finally breathe for the first time since I left Jackson. And now I couldn't wait to go home. I'd done what I needed to do to redeem myself. Ellie didn't need to forgive me because I owed her this. I owed it to her and everybody at Jackson to keep them safe.

Even amongst the relief and satisfaction I felt after killing all those Scars, that little shadow inside of me was itching to just get down there and rip through the rubble so I could get my hands on at least one of them and make them cry blood. I shake the feeling as we're all travelling back to the coffee shop, I'd already done plenty damage to all the Scars that came before but I couldn't fully tame that gnawing inside of me just urging me to turn back around and finish the job my way.

We all wake up the next morning, not a single tired or worn out face amongst us. We deserved the rest. We'd spent weeks hunting and torturing and killing. Well Abby and Lev spent a few gruelling weeks helping me on my revenge fantasy.

As we all eat breakfast together, the air weighs heavy with the one question none of us had dared ask since we woke up- what's going to happen to all three of us now? I knew I wanted to go back home, Abby and Lev knew that from the start and I always assumed they would just set off by themselves and we would part ways. But I didn't want that. I wanted to stay with them. I wanted their companionship- their friendship. The truth was that I would miss them. I hadn't thought about missing anyone since my dad died but now, that thought of leaving them behind rattled me.

"What's Jackson like?" Lev asks and Abby's head perks up, in bewilderment at Lev's boldness but she still stares at me expectantly. Well if Lev was going to be bold so am I.

"How about I show you what Jackson is like instead?"