#dandys world reloaded | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rcris123 · 6 years ago

Text

“Com’ere, Isaac.”

The boy approaches with cautious step, as if the downed buck could still charge at him. He ain’t ever been on a hunt before.

“Gonna teach you how to skin a deer.”

He waits for Isaac to come next to him; a hand tucks the hair behind the boy’s ear. It’s a messy clump of brown hair, growing in all directions. He should cut it again soon. His son’s hand is small into his own as he passes the knife to him.

“Grip it firm.” Palm squeezes around the handle; Arthur’s follows. Isaac’s arm is stiff, hard to put into motion but he eases off soon enough. “You start at the belly.” Knife pressed harshly into the animal, only deep enough to pierce just the skin. “Slice it all the way up.” Motions follow. “Then you peel away at the skin with one hand.” Arthur demonstrates. “Yank hard.” And the pelt comes right off. “Help ye’rself with the knife.” The tip almost gracefully cuts the thin film holding the flesh and skin together.

Isaac was 12 or so back then. Never left his side since. Wherever Arthur went his son came with him. Exception made the official business, as Dutch gracefully called it. He can’t take a 16 year old robbin’, killin’ or just put him in any sort of vicinity to a goddamn gunfight.

Arthur ain’t got what it took to lose the kid too.

Isaac knows how to shoot. He taught him himself. He saw him using a gun; he’s got a revolver of his own.

Part of him is still scared, that kid ain’t gonna run away when he oughotta.

Some O’Driscolls caught them at a bridge, once. He told the kid to stay back; got off his horse, surrendered. Shot the man’s face just a moment later. Then the discharge of a revolver from behind and a thug grippin’ his shoulder in pain. Arthur put a bullet in the man’s skull just a moment later. Then ran out to get the rest as well. Isaac did good. Stood stiff, fear in his eyes, but he did good.

Then Blackwater...

Thank Christ Al’Mighty Isaac was with him away from that boat ‘cause if he got caught in that mess back there, he wouldn’t of made it out alive...

Then into the cold. He took the boy with him huntin’, with Charles. Isaac was more skilled with a bow that he thought he’s ever oughtta be; Charles insisted he use one himself. Arthur did; they barely scrapped two kills, then boy schooled him on the ins and outs of the bow ever since.

Arthur took him everywhere he went.

They went hunting and fishing by the Lannahechee river, not that Arthur was a particularly good fisherman, but the camp needed its food and it was just some more time spent with his kid. The pelts they were gonna sell in Saint Denis for cash and bring that back to the camp too. It should have been peaceful.

Had it not been for those goddamn Lemoyne Raiders, shouting out who they were like the name meant anything and they weren’t just a bunch of low lives. They got them off the horses as if they weren’t allowed in the city. Isaac, the stern thing, howled back at them. Pistols out.

He barely had enough time to wrap his body around Isaac before bullets start pouring. He feels them lodge in his back, shoulder. He drags the boy next to a rock by the bridge’s edge; Isaac is shrieking enraged, trying to take shots.

“Head down, boy!”

As he rests against the rock it’s already hard to breathe, pain siphoning into his ribs. Isaac takes the riffle off his back as Arthur took the repeater. It’s sloppy shots from his son, downing the enemy by power not finesse, multiple bullets to the chest. Whenever the gun rebounds muscles ache. He needs to get to a doctor- soon... Isaac ain’t supposed to see this. Isaac ain’t supposed to be here. Arthur aims for the head, the neck. One more. One more-

The last standing body falls down. The swamp goes quiet.

Arthur takes out the breath he’s been holdin’ in for the next reload.

Christ. A hand swats at the wounded shoulder, prods in to check how deep’s the wound. He knows Isaac’s watching as he grimaces and retracts a blood-stained finger.

“Pa...” Kid’s breathing heavier than he is. “Y-you got shot.”

It wasn’t the first time he got shot... Isaac just didn’t remember. Wasn’t with him. There was a ‘I’m sorry’ that bubbles up in his throat, but he can’t put it on the kid to take care of him. Isaac ain’t needin’ to carry his foolishness.

“I’ll live.” He tries that chuckle, but it don’t come out right; he’ll just lean against this rock and wait for the pain to even out before he gets up. The horses scurried off to the trees lining the path.

“I’ll go get help.” Isaac stands up-

Hand grips the thin arm: “No.” A stern grunt, then a heave, and up Arthur goes, voice mellowed: “What am I gonna do if I ain’t got you to fend my back?”

Isaac’s mouth hung open, then his whole face scrunched up in some kind of shame he ain’t meant to bear. Oh, Isaac...

The boy whistles and the horses come running.

Arthur wastes no time getting up in the saddle. Bones shouldn’t ache when doing that, but so they do and there comes a puff of air to help bear the pain.

“C-Can you ride?...”

“Sure.” Overconfident and with a smile, while his back’s arched too forward. “Ain’t a few bullets gonna kill me.”

“It killed them...”

And Arthur ain’t no hero...

But he ain’t about to let the kid with no family.

There’s a doctor in St. Denis; they just gotta find out where, and that before he collapses of bloodloss- and they got told; and it’s right on the opposite side of town, next the church. He’s gotta make it till there; but his muscles hurt too much to tense and keep ‘im in saddle when he tries spurring his mare to a gallop-

Christ!

“PA!”

He tumbles down and wheezes, huffing through the agony, rolling on the pavement. A wagon all but ran him over. Then he’s strung up and it’s not his son’s arms that do so.

“C’mon I’ll get you to a doctor.” A low, gravelly voice. He could feel the breath fawn over his neck; smells of whiskey. “Not long now.”

The man dragged him along half the city. He didn’t get a good look at him, but he could still eye Isaac manning the horses just a bit behind them, all worried. He was brought into the doctor’s office and uncomfortably sat somehow sideways in the chair as the bullets were to be pulled out.

The man dragged Isaac out when he wanted to get in by his side.

Thank you. The boy ain’t meant to see him like that, ‘cause he screamed; ‘course he did. Biting his lips worked only up to a point: until they bled and that pain almost confounded with every other pain he’s feeling. He asked for a gag, mister doctor ain’t got any. Groaning and moaning it seemed to be ‘till the end then. Alcohol, sutures, agony and 20 dollars later he was free to stumble out.

Isaac wrapped his arms around his waist the moment he was out the door.

“Mister...” There the stranger still was, leaned against the wall, hat tipped over his face. Arthur gripped the doorframe. “Why you still here?”

“Wanna see you and the boy safely off.”

“Why.”

Man scowls, walks briskly away, offended.

Isaac places an almost delicat punch beneath his ribs:

“Ain’t you even gonna ask the mister’s name?”

“Sebastian. Castellanos.” The man stopped in the doorframe.

“Arthur Morgan.”

“Isaac.” Morgan.

“Thank you.” Arthur says just after.

Sebastian turned towards them again: “You think you can ride?”

“Sure~” Sarcastic, as if it ain’t already obvious he’s in no condition to ride. “I can’t, mister...” His back is throbbing; each breath comes ragged, with a wheeze as if he’s losing air somewhere else as well.

“Where’d you live?”

“Near Catfish Jackson.” Isaac said in a beat; kid knew how to lie too well and he ain’t proud of that... “Too far away.”

“I live near here, if it’s any comfort.” Sebastian said, opening the door for them to exist.

“Well, ain’t you a do-gooder, mister Sebastian.” Arthur stepped out, Isaac at his side.

“And ain’t you a little too loving to let your son watch you die.”

His kid again... What was it with this one and his fatherhood?-

“What does that have to do with anything?” Isaac sneered in his stead.

And Sebastian wasn’t rancid to the kid no matter how much venom Isaac put in his words:

“It’s ’cause I lost my child, boy.”

“I’m sorry...” Arthur blurted out not a moment later; chest’s a cage. Ain’t they all having a hard time... Christ the world’s turned wicked to have to kill a kid. He took a few steps in Sebastian’s direction; hand plunged in the satchel for money. He ain’t even caring how many he grabs to give the man. “Can you show us the place?” He shoves the money in the other man’s hand.

“No.” Sebastian crumbles the bills back in Arthur’s fist. “Come after me.” A step away, then back to the injured man: “Need any help?’

Arthur tried walking alone, more like limp his way to the place Sebastian was leading them to. Each breath he took was sharp, stinging, leaving his back and lungs to burn in its wake. He felt temperature rise in his cheeks and temples. He’s going to come down with a fever, and if he does he ain’t gonna be able to get out of the damned bed.

But he’s needin’ one. And they can’t have this man follow them back to camp-

Arthur stops, puts and hand in front of Isaac, tailing right behind him. That was a Molly-house. You could tell by the scantily clad women there.

“You one of them fancy boys?” he asks Sebastian. “A dandy?”

“It’s where I live.” A growl. No further questioning.

And still Arthur went along with it. Fortunately for the kid the place ain’t looking like a whore house downstairs, although one could clearly hear the commotion from above. Sebastian helped him with the stairs, even if he ain’t asked for the damn thing; they went down, in a sheltered room down a corridor. It was quite cool and the air ain’t as muggy down there unlike all of St. Denis. Arthur got laid into bed.

“Well you take a rest. And tell me if you need anything.” Sebastian said.

“Sure-” laying down hurt; but it ain’t so bad as long as Isaac’s still by him.

Soon enough, after quite the silence from all of them, Sebastian got called upstairs. So he was a dandy, or definitely a sportsman. Well, he means man ain’t bad looking, but he’s looking rather old to be the galivanting type. And he’s seen that one. Cowboys and outlaws had their way of finding themselves in places such like this; fairies they called it. But it ain’t all men here.

Isaac fell asleep between his arms, curled in a ball. Arthur didn’t; pain kept him from it. Part of him feared of wheezing too hard and waking the boy up. He’d much rather feel like suffocating under the weight of his own throbbing back than have the kid worry over him.

His mind ain’t all here; cause he should really be thinking clearly about it all. There’s something here that feels unfit; a whore man saved their life for all they know, and refused money. Smells like he’s after something-

And there he was, comes downstairs with thuds, takes a look at the sleeping kid. Arthur tugs him just a lil’ bit closer. Man is dressed in really fancy clothes: a frockcoat, a pristine tie, new pants. And black hair’s slicked back with pomade, making it look shiny.

“How are you feeling?”

Was it attraction?-

Sebastian lays down a canteen of water, whiskey and some canned beef with a bread roll.

“Guess it’ll be fever, but otherwise fine. I’ll pull through...” A deep breath in. “You sure you don’t want the money?” You look like you need it- No, that ain’t it... “You still saved my life back there.” And for some godforsaken reason he’s still giving...

It can’t all be ‘cause of the kid... Or is it just some weird attempt at trying to set things from the past straight, redeem oneself somehow, through some act... If only it was to be that easy... Arthur ain’t redeemed just ‘cause he took in Isaac and tried to raise him. He ain’t done a good job at it neither.

“I can’t take it-” Sebastian was resolute.

“Not even if I were to pay for your, urhm... services?...”

That makes him laugh: “You ain’t in no condition for my services, Mister Morgan.”

A dry laughter: “At least lemme’ take you out huntin’.”

“Right now?” Sassy goddamn bastard o’course not right now. The man relishes in the groan Arthur gives, but he ain’t about to just give up:

“Then at least a whiskey-” Arthur insists, reaching his hand over to the bottle of whiskey Sebastian just brought in.

“Sure- But hunting’s soundin’ fine either way. You just get yourself on ye’r feet. For the kid’s sake.”

“What happened to yours?” Arthur just got blunt, passing the flask over.

Sebastian looked at him, then at the bottle, put it to his mouth and downed at least half of it in one go.

“Some men kidnapped her. Men I knew. Things got worse; I got here. Ain’t nothing more to it...”

The bottle’s passed down to Arthur. He ain’t daring taking a sip:

“Why this?... I mean there’s other ways of makin’ money. Outlawing-”

A cocked brow in reply: “Are you an outlaw, Mister Morgan?”

“Would it make any difference...”

“Only in making the Raiders territorial.”

“Goddamn Lemoyne Raiders...”

“So an outlaw.”

“Ain’t it obvious...” Arthur turned his head to the side, sighed, if only it wasn’t interrupted by a sharp jolt of pain in his chest.

“Ain’t it hard thou- raising a son an outlaw...”

“Ma’ Daddy was an outlaw.” Arthur all but spits. “Dragged me everywhere doing his wretched things. Then I watched ‘im swing.” A groan, tugging Isaac even closer to him; the boy still slept. “And I wish it would of happened sooner...”

Sebastian nods at that, says nothing more.

“I tried givin’ him more than I had. A life away from all this.”

“Ain’t we all wishing the same thing.” Sebastian scoffs.

“Then why not take the money-”

“ ‘Cause I almost got it all I need. Just a few more from a rich customer and-... Yeah.”

“You sound like someone I know...” Silence for a moment as they pondered the truth of what they just said; and it ain’t cause they’re lacking the money, but it’s something about this life that keeps pullin’ them in. “But I think we both know that’s not where it ends.”

“Ain’t thought I’m gonna get philosophy lessons from an injured outlaw...” and those words, that might of sounded mocking in other tones, now just sounded heartbroken. Then harsh: “You don’t know me.”

“It ain’t about that- It’s-” a wheezed sigh. “I guess it’s ‘cause I keep lyin’ to myself.” And he dragged Isaac into it, just ‘cause Arthur ain’t knowin’ how to put an end to all this mess.

“Then don’t. I will get out. On my terms. And maybe I shouldn’t have saved ye’r ass back there and left the kid an orphan.” Up and away Sebastian went.

Yet somehow Arthur was still in his basement, with food and water...

#arthur morgan #sebastian castellanos #sebthur #isaac morgan #rdr2 fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #THERE MIGHT BE MORE

39 notes · View notes

zed-air · 5 years ago

Text

CKUA - The Midway: 2019

______

The Midway was a special program which typically aired from 9:00am-12:00pm (or sometimes 10:00am-2:00) on CKUA from 2016-2019 during statutory holidays.

Click “keep reading” below for my 2019 Midway playlists.

Explore my playlist history for other dates and programs.

- - - - -

TITLE • PERFORMING ARTIST • ALBUM • AIRTIME

2019-02-18 - 10:00-14:00 - The Midway

The Midway returns: February 18, 2019. The theme: escaping the winter with a radio road trip. Dandy dancers, groovy goodies, and seldom-seen souls await.

^^ listener recommendation ++ selected from CKUA’s “house blend” playlist ~~ today’s featured album: Various Artists: Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol 1 - Soul & Groove

Monday Morning • Pulp • Different Class • Mon 10:02AM

Backsliders • King of Foxes • Salt & Honey • Mon 10:06AM

In The Heat Of The Moment! • Noel Gallagher • Chasing Yesterday • Mon 10:09AM

Oh, The Wind Will Blow • Doug Hoyer • Walks With The Tender & Growing Night • Mon 10:14AM

Glory Hallelujah • Give ‘Em Hell Boys • Barn Burner • Mon 10:17AM

Tao Distante • Rei Rei Rei • Rei Rei Rei • Mon 10:24AM

Pluto’s Lament • The Olympians • The Olympians • Mon 10:31AM

What’d I Say (Pt. 1&2) • Ray Charles • Atlantic Gold: 100 Soul Classics • Mon 10:36AM

Sunny Afternoon • Tom Jones & Space • Reload • Mon 10:42AM

Tired Of Waiting For You • The Kinks • Kinda Kinks • Mon 10:47AM

Stayin’ Alive • The Bee Gees • Saturday Night Fever • Mon 10:49AM

The Man Who Sold the World • Lulu • B-Sides • Mon 10:57AM

Lipstick on Your Collar • Conny Froboess • German Rock & Roll • Mon 11:01AM

Yegenet Muziqa • Getatchew Mekurya • Ethiopian Urban Modern Music - Vol 1 • Mon 11:06AM ~~

Where Do You Belong? • Digits • Where Do You Belong? • Mon 11:09AM

Brazilian Flower • Jean-Jacques Perrey • World Bouquet • Mon 11:13AM

Backseat Heroine • Emma-Lee • Backseat Heroine • Mon 11:16AM

Breaking Down • Florence & The Machine • Ceremonials • Mon 11:20AM

Freeze, Melt, Boil • Quantum Tangle • Shelter as we go… • Mon 11:25AM ++

Tobacco Road • Mercury Rev • Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta… • Mon 11:31AM ++

Two Winters Long • Irma Thomas • We Sing The Blues • Mon 11:35AM

Static Resistance • Hookworms • Microshift • Mon 11:38AM ^^

The Ipcress File • Laika & The Cosmonauts • The Amazing Colossal Band • Mon 11:41AM

This Blue World • Elbow • The Take Off And Landing Of Everything • Mon 11:46AM

Driver’s Seat • Sniff ‘n’ the Tears • Driver’s Seat • Mon 11:53AM

Cold • Tanya Tagaq • Retribution • Mon 11:59AM

Cold Water • Matthew Good • Chaotic Neutral • Mon 12:06PM

4AM • Our Lady Peace • Clumsy • Mon 12:12PM

Muziqawi Silt • Wallias Band • Ethiopian Urban Modern Music - Vol 1 • Mon 12:17PM ~~

Flowers Become Screens • Delerium • Voice: An Acoustic Collection • Mon 12:21PM

Yes, I’m Your Angel • Yoko Ono • This Is 40 • Mon 12:27PM

As Tears Go By • Andrew Loog Oldham Orch • The Rolling Stones Songbook • Mon 12:32PM

Hasabe • Ayalew Mesfin • Ethiopian Urban Modern Music - Vol 1 • Mon 12:35PM ~~

Sunshine On My Back • The National & Sharon Van Etten • ______ • Mon 12:38PM

Galipoli • Beirut • ______ • Mon 12:48PM

Bury Me Deep • Kim Lenz • ______ • Mon 12:50PM

Satin Devil • The Dirty Dirty Devils • The DDD EP • Mon 12:52PM

Warm and Sunny Days • The Dears • No Cities Left • Mon 12:54PM

Runnin’ Down A Dream • Tom Petty • Greatest Hits • Mon 01:00PM ^^

Up The Wooden Hills To Bedforshire • The Small Faces • Absolutely The Best • Mon 01:06PM ^^

And She Was • Talking Heads • Little Creatures • Mon 01:08PM ^^

Blue Hawaii • The 427’s • Surf Noir (EP) • Mon 01:12PM ^^

Afternoon Delight • Will Ferrell & The Channel 4 News • Anchorman • Mon 01:16PM ^^

Drive • Lera Lynn • Resistor • Mon 01:20PM ^^

Que je suis • Thomas Dutronc • Eternels jusqu'a demain • Mon 01:23PM ^^

Poetry In Motion • Johnny Tillotson • Greatest Hits • Mon 01:29PM ^^

Hold the Line • Osyron • Hold the Line • Mon 01:33PM

Aynotchesh yerefu • Samuel Belay • Ethiopian Urban Modern Music - Vol 1 • Mon 01:40PM ~~

Michelle • Chet Atkins • Chet Picks on the Beatles • Mon 01:45PM

Suck It and See • Arctic Monkeys • Suck It and See • Mon 01:46PM

The Letter • The Arbors • Rock Archive • Mon 01:50PM

I’ll Be Seeing You • Francoise Hardy & Iggy Pop • Triple Best • Mon 01:53PM

- - - - -

2019-04-19 - 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

The Midway returns for its annual one and only Friday show of the year, April 19, 2019. The theme: funeral songs. For some, a sombre or pithy reflection. For others, a sentimental soundtrack - or even a jolly celebration. Some of these songs have become legends unto themselves, while others have birthed new traditions. Enjoy a wickedly woke wake as we explore some famous funeral tunes, and invite listeners to get in touch with their own bury melodies.

^^ listener recommendation

Friday on My Mind • The Easybeats • Rock Hits • Fri 09:00am

Morning Has Broken • Cat Stevens • Best of • Fri 09:03am

Life on Mars? • David Bowie • Hunky Dory • Fri 09:08am

Nunca Es Sufciente • Natalia Lafourcade • Hasta La Raiz • Fri 09:12am

Anne of 1000 Days • John Moore • Knickerbocker Glory • Fri 09:21am

Johnny Remember Me • John Layton • Joe Meek Anthology • Fri 09:24am

Don’t Think Twice (It’s Alright) • Heinz & the Wild Boys • Joe Meek Anthology • Fri 09:26am

Telstar • The Tornados • Joe Meek Anthology • Fri 09:28am

Señor Burns • Tito Puente and his Latin Jazz Ensemble • Go Simpsonic With the Simpsons • Fri 09:33am

Don’t Look Back in Anger • Oasis • (What’s the Story) Morning Glory • Fri 09:39am

Changing Times • Iwan Rheon • Iwan Rheon • Fri 09:42am

Instant Crush • Daft Punk • Random Access Memories • Fri 09:45am

Strange Brew • Cream • Disraeli Gears • Fri 09:51am

Layla • Le Onde Bleu • Italian Rock & Roll Hits • Fri 09:56am

He’ll Have To Go • Jim Reeves • Greatest Hits • Fri 10:00am ^^

We’ll Meet Again • Johnny Cash • American IV • Fri 10:05am

When I Go Away • Levon Helm • Electric Dirt • Fri 10:08am ^^

Play Hank Williams At My Funeral • The Give ‘Em Hell Boys • Barn Burner • Fri 10:14am ^^

When the Deal Goes Down • Bob Dylan • Modern Times • Fri 10:17am

To Catch a Shad • The Modern Folk Quartet • Quartet • Fri 10:24am

Stairway To Heaven • Neil Sedaka • Greatest Hits • Fri 10:27am

Don’t Dream It’s Over • Sixpence None the Richer • ______ • Fri 10:31am

The Winner Takes It All • ABBA • Gold • Fri 10:39am

Luckenback, Texas • Waylon & Willie • Biggest Hits • Fri 10:42am ^^

Quarter on the Ground • Matt Andersen • Halfway Home By Morning • Fri 10:46am

Leave Your Body Behind You (live) • Richard Hawley • Live at the Devil’s Arse • 10:55am ^^

My Way • Frank Sinatra • My Way • Fri 11:00am

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life • Monty Python • Sings • Fri 11:06am ^^

Monster Mash • Bobby “Boris” Pickett • Cool Goul • Fri 11:12am ^^

Bear Cat • Rufus Thomas • Mojo Rock Rock • Fri 11:14am ^^

Your Long Journey • Robert Plant & Allison Krauss • Raising Sand • Fri 11:18am ^^

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien • Edith Piaf • Anthologie • Fri 11:22am ^^

Leaving the Table • Leonard Cohen • You Want It Darker • Fri 11:25am ^^

Last Kiss • Coeur de Pirate • Trauma • Fri 11:31am ^^

Heart of Gold (live) • Colleen Brown & Amy Van Keeken • Live at CKUA • Fri 11:38am ^^

Motion Picture Soundtrack • Radiohead • Kid A • Fri 11:43am

Without You • Badfinger • Greatest Hits • Fri 11:44am

Don’t Worry, Be Happy • Bobby McFerrin • Best of • Fri 11:50am ^^

Lay Me Low • Nick Cave • Let Love In • Fri 11:55am

- - - - -

2019-05-20 - 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

Today’s theme: we’re diving under the covers once again - featuring some of our favourite cover versions throughout this three-hour program. We’re also featuring several tracks from the upcoming new album Further from Richard Hawley. As always, listeners are invited to get in touch with their favourite cover versions of songs, many of which we’ll feature in the final hour of the show. There’s also an abundance of leftover listener recommendations from the last Midway, so I’ll be peppering this program with some of the more relevant pieces.

^^ listener recommendation ++ selected from CKUA’s “house blend” playlist ~~ today’s featured album: Richard Hawley: Further

My Little Treasures • Richard Hawley • FURTHER • 11:56am ~~

Tweeter And The Monkey Man • The Headstones • PICTURE OF HEALTH • 11:52am ^^

It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) • Joe Jackson • THE DUKE • 11:47am ^^

I’ve Been Working On The Railroad • Buckwheat Zydeco • CHOO CHOO BOOGALOO • 11:43am ^^

Wild Horses • The Flying Burrito Brothers • HOT BURRITOS! • 11:37am ^^

Darling Be Home Soon • Tedeschi Trucks Band • EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’ • 11:30am ^^

Ornament 3 • Vanessa Wagner • INLAND • 11:26am

Slow Show • Coeur De Pirate • TRAUMA • 11:21am ^^

Say You Don’t Mind • Colin Blunstone • SAY YOU DON’T MIND • 11:17am ^^

Save the Last Dance For Me • The Shanes • ANTHOLOGY • 11:16am

Oh Well • Billy Gibbons • JUST TELL ME THAT YOU WANT ME • 11:10am ^^

Hang On To Your Ego • Frank Black • MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME • 11:06am ^^

Fille ou Garcon • Stone • FRENCH ROCK HITS • 11:05am ^^

Oh! Darling • Robin Gibb • SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB • 10:58am ^^

Alone • Richard Hawley • FURTHER • 10:55am ~~

Maps • Yeah Yeah Yeahs • FEVER TO TELL • 10:50am

Over The Rainbow & What A Wonderful World • Israel Kamakawiwo'ole • FINDING FORRESTER • 10:43am ^^

Ashes to Ashes • Lassigue Bendthaus • POP ARTIFICIALE • 10:39am

Get Back • Laibach • LET IT BE • 10:34am

Let It Be • The Beatles • LET IT BE • 10:28am

Michelle • Chet Atkins • PICKS ON THE BEATLES • 10:24am

The Best Is Yet To Come • Frank Sinatra & Count Basie • SINATRA & BASIE • 10:21am

Blue Jean Bop • Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps • MORE KINGS OF ROCKABILLY • 10:17am

Hey Hey, My My • Ume • TOO BIG WORLD EP • 10:14am

Cuidado • Grupo Fantasma • AMERICAN MUSIC: VOL VII • 10:07am ++

Angel • Lucette • DELUXE HOTEL ROOM • 10:05am ++

Changing Times • Iwan Rheon • IWAN RHEON • 10:00am

You Showed Me • The Turtles • GREATEST HITS • 9:56am ^^

Turn Off the Moon • The Primitives • ECHOES AND RHYMES • 9:51am

Heart of Stone • The Rolling Stones • GRRR! • 9:46am

Heart of Stone • Ashes and Dreams • HEART OF STONE • 9:41am

Journey • Sarah Nixey • NIGHT WALKS • 9:37am

Off My Mind • Richard Hawley • FURTHER • 9:35am ~~

Backsliders • King Of Foxes • SALT & HONEY • 9:31am

Chain Gang • King Curtis • Chain Gang • 9:26am

Doris Day • Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps • SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY • 9:23am

All Along The Watchtower • Jimi Hendrix • ELECTRIC LADYLAND • 9:19am

Rock This Town • Brian Setzer Orchestra • THE DIRTY BOOGIE • 9:13am

I Call Your Name • The Buckinghams • GREATEST HITS • 9:11am

Bye Bye Blackbird • Ringo Starr • SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY • 9:06am

Monday Morning • Pulp • DIFFERENT CLASS • 9:00am

- - - - -

2019-07-01 - 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

Today’s theme: live music season is here, and we’re featuring celebrated live recordings on the program. Heck, as soon as I finish Monday’s show, I’m hitting the road to Edson to play a concert myself! As always, listeners are invited to get in touch with their favourite live concert memories and live albums, many of which we’ll feature in the final hour of the show. Let us know what you’re most looking forward to seeing and hearing this festival season, and what CKUA listeners simply mustn’t miss!

^^ listener recommendation ~~ today’s unexpected theme: odd Kraftwerk coincidences for historical events from July 1st.

Tour de France (live) • Kraftwerk • MINIMUM MAXIMUM • 11:55am ~~

Famba • Mbira Renaissance Band • FAMBA • 11:49am

EGBG (single edit) • Boreal Kinship • EGBG • 11:44am

High Hopes (live) • Pink Floyd • PULSE • 11:35am

Hallelujah • Leonard Cohen • LIVE IN DUBLIN • 11:27am ^^

Changes • Phil Ochs • IN CONCERT • 11:21am ^^

I’ll Get You (live) • The Beatles • ANTHOLOGY • 11:17am

The Hour • Valerie June • PUSHIN’ AGAINST A STONE • 11:13am ^^

Impossible Germany (live, 2012) • Wilco • ASHES OF THE AMERICAN FLAG • 11:04am

Not the News • Thom Yorke • ANIMA • 10:59am

Dream • Rebekah Higgs • SHA LA LA • 10:55am

Vitamin C • Nicole Atkins • VITAMIN C • 10:51am

Kometenmelodie (live) • Kraftwerk • AUTOBAHN (LIVE) • 10:44am ~~

Tao Distante • Rei Rei Rei • TAO DISTANTE • 10:37am

Dirty Eyes • Sweet Vintage Rides • ROAD TRIP • 10:30am

Love Shack • The B-52’s • GREATEST HITS • 10:23am

Breathing Underwater • Metric • SYNTHETICA • 10:19am

Keep the Customer Satisfied • Simon & Garfunkel • OLD FRIENDS • 10:14am

Northern Lights (live, 2012) • Doug Hoyer • REC-YEG PROJECT - CONCERT SESSIONS • 10:10am

Honky Tonk Women • The Rolling Stones • GET YER YA-YA’S OUT! • 10:05am ^^

Last Year’s Prom Dress • The Bolt Actions • TBA EP • 9:59am

I Shall Be Released • The Band • MUSIC FROM BIG PINK • 9:54am

S.O.S. • ABBA • GOLD • 9:50am

Hound Dog • Elvis Presley • GREATEST HITS • 9:45am

Hanging On The Telephone • Blondie • ATOMIC BLONDIE • 9:40am

The Telephone Call • Kraftwerk • TECHNO POP • 9:33am ~~

Crash Years • The New Pornographers • TOGETHER • 9:25am

Hippy Hippy Shake • Chan Romero • AMERICAN ROOTS OF THE UK INVASION • 9:23am

Everybody Needs Somebody To Love • The Blues Brothers Band • BLUES BROS • 9:19am

Wang Dang Doodle • Willie Dixon • WANG DANG DOODLE • 9:15am

Maggie’s Farm (live, 1965) • Bob Dylan • NO DIRECTION HOME • 9:11am

Polka Dot Undies • Bowser and Blue • DR. DEMENTO 30TH • 9:04am

Monday Morning • Pulp • DIFFERENT CLASS • 8:59am

- - - - -

2019-08-05- 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

Today’s theme: celebrating the life and legacy of music documentarian D.A. Pennebaker, who died last week. He was the man behind two iconic Bob Dylan films in 1965-1967, as well as The Monterey Pop Festival, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, and more. Get in touch with your favourite concert films; listener recommendations featured in hour 3.

^^ listener recommendation ~~ today’s theme: music related to the documentary films of D.A. Pennebaker, who died a few days ago.

Holiday (2012) • The Bolt Actions • THE BOLT ACTIONS • 11:56am

Let Down (Remastered) • Radiohead • OK COMPUTER • 11:51am ^^

Comfortably Numb • Pink Floyd • PULSE • 11:40am ^^

Peaches En Regalia • Zappa Plays Zappa • ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA • 11:37am

Carry On • Doug Hoyer • CHARACTER WITNESS • 11:30am

At The Hop • Sha Na Na • WOODSTOCK (SOUNDTRACK) • 11:25am ^^

30 Century Man • Scott Walker • SCOTT 3 • 11:23am ^^

I Will Follow • U2 • Greatest Hits • 11:19am ^^

Don’t Look Back In Anger • Oasis • DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER • 11:14am ^^

This Must Be The Place (live) • Talking Heads • STOP MAKING SENSE • 11:07am ^^

Rock ‘N’ Roll High School • Ramones • LOUD, FAST RAMONES • 11:05am ^^

Life is a Carnival • The Band • THE LAST WALTZ • 11:00am ^^

Tears Begin to Fall • The Persuasions • THE PERSUASIONS SING ZAPPA • 10:58am

When You Wore a Tulip • Bill and the Belles • DREAMSONGS, ETC • 10:55am

Ram Rod • Duane Eddy • COLLECTION • 10:49am

Boys Night Out • Patti Page • COLLECTION • 10:47am

Rock 'n’ Roll Suicide • Black Box Recorder • WORST OF BLACK BOX RECORDER • 10:44am ~~

Look Back in Anger • David BowIe • LIVE AT THE BBC • 10:38am ~~

The Man Who Sold The World • Nirvana • MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK • 10:33am ~~

Sabotage • Beastie Boys • ILL COMMUNICATION • 10:30am

Tomorrow Never Knows • The Beatles • REVOLVER • 10:25am

Wild Thing • Jimi Hendrix • LIVE AT WINTERLAND • 10:20am ~~

California Dreamin’ • The Mamas & The Papas • MONTEREY POP • 10:17am ~~

Shake • Otis Redding • OTIS BLUE • 10:14am ~~

My Generation (Stereo) • The Who • MY GENERATION • 10:11am ~~

Having a Wild Weekend • The Dave Clark 5 • GREATEST HITS • 10:07am

Over Under Sideways Down • The Yardbirds • ROCK: THE TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN’ • 10:04am

Hang On Sloopy • The McCoys • CLASSIC ROCK: 1965 • 9:59am

Goodbye To You • Scandal • JUKEBOX MEMORIES • 9:54am

Emilina Says • Richard Hawley • FURTHER • 9:49am

Crying • Julian Lage • LOVE HURTS • 9:41am

Ballad of a Thin Man • Bob Dylan • HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED • 9:35am ~~

25 Minutes To Go • Johnny Cash • LIVE AT FOLSOM PRISON • 9:30am

Beat Surrender • The Jam • GREATEST HITS • 9:24am

You Spin Me Round • Dead Or Alive • ROCK ALMANAC • 9:19am

Shy Boy (Don’t It Make You Feel Good) • Bananarama • NEW WAVE HITS • 9:16am

Too Shy • Kajagoogoo • 80’S WAVE • 9:12am

Hush • Deep Purple • ROCK LINE 3 • 9:06am

Monday Morning • Pulp • DIFFERENT CLASS • 9:02am

- - - - -

2019-09-02 - 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

Today’s theme: “bad ideas?” (please note the question mark). Some ideas begin with the best of intentions, but you know what they say about good intentions. Strange side-projects, dumbfounding duets, questionable concepts, clunky covers, and more - as well as some bona fide gems. Albums; songs; musicals; crossovers; you name it. Get in touch with your favourite wayward labours of love and potentially bad ideas; listener recommendations featured in hour 3.

^^ listener recommendation ~~ today’s theme: were these songs bad ideas?

Cliffs of Dover • Eric Johnson • GREATEST HITS • 11:56am

Satumaa • Frank Zappa & the Mothers • YOU CAN’T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE • 11:53am ~~

Satumaa • Reijo Taipale • LEGENDAT • 11:48am

Bohemian Rhapsody • The London Symphony Orchestra • CLASSIC ROCK • 11:42am ~~

I Can’t Get Behind That • William Shatner & Henry Rollins • HAS BEEN • 11:39am ~~ ^^

Spinning Wheel • Engelbert Humperdinck & Gene Simmons • ENGELBERT CALLING • 11:33am ~~

I Walk the Line • Dolly Parton • THE GREAT PRETENDER • 11:27am ~~

Save the Last Dance For Me • Dolly Parton • THE GREAT PRETENDER • 11:23am ~~ ^^

Another Bad Idea • Bob Schneider • A PERFECT DAY • 11:18am ~~ ^^

Everybody Loves Somebody • Wayne Newton • EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY • 11:16am ~~

We Wish You a Merry Xmas • Border Brass • TIJUANA XMAS • 11:11am ~~

I Want You (She’s So Heavy) • The Assembled Multitude • S/T • 11:08am ~~

Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds • William Shatner • THE TRANSFORMED MAN • 11:02am ~~

California Sun ‘65 • The Rivieras • THE RIVIERAS • 10:56am ~~

The Story of the Return of the Red Baron • The Royal Guardsmen • HAVE A MERRY SNOOPY CHRISTMAS • 10:52am ~~

Downtown • Mrs Miller • DR DEMENTO’S 30TH • 10:49am ~~

Devil In Disguise • Richard Hawley • LIVE AT THE DEVIL’S ARSE • 10:44am

Don’t Think Twice (It’s Alright) • Elvis Presley • OUR MEMORIES OF ELVIS VOL 2 • 10:40am ~~

Are You Satisfied? • Clint Eastwood • SINGS COWBOY FAVOURITES • 10:39am (Mystery Artist #3) ~~

Hellcat Smoke • The Dirty Dirty Devil’s • SATIN DEVIL DIARIES • 10:28am

Child In Time • Ian Gillan • CHILD IN TIME • 10:21am ~~

Under My Thumb • Streetheart • GREATEST HITS • 10:14am ~~

A Little Dab’ll Do Ya • Brylcreem • VINTAGE COMMERCIALS • 10:13am

Do You Remember These? • The Statler Brothers • ALL THOSE YEARS AGO • 10:11am

Coming Right Up • Bruce Willis • THE RETURN OF BRUNO • 10:08am (Mystery Artist #2) ~~

Gimmie Dat Ding • Pipkins • SUPER HITS OF THE 70S • 10:03am

Bear Cat • Rufus Thomas • MOJO (DECEMBER 2004) • 9:58am ~~

Blistered • That Pedal Show Band • OX EP • 9:53am

Love On A Farmboy’s Wages (2001 • XTC • LOVE ON A FARMBOY’S WAGES • 9:47am

Love Machine • The Miracles • MOTOWN GOLD • 9:42am

Here Comes the Night • The Beach Boys • DISCO SINGLE • 9:41am (Mystery Artist #1) ~~

Sunny Afternoon • The Kinks • ANTHOLOGY • 9:29am

Bonanza • Johnny Cash • RING OF FIRE • 9:26am

Love Potion No 9 • Nancy Sit • JAPANESE GIRL GROUPS • 9:25am ~~

Per vivere insieme (Happy Together) • Brenda Bis • ITALIAN 60S BEAT • 9:18am ~~

Witch Doctor • Warner Hass • LOST GERMAN POP HITS • 9:16am ~~

This Is The Place • Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds • THIS IS THE PLACE (SINGLE) • 9:09am

End Of A Centuary • Blur • THE BEST OF BLUR • 9:06am

Monday Morning • Pulp • DIFFERENT CLASS • 9:02am

- - - - -

2019-10-14 - 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

Today we’re featuring fashion-forward favourites, along with a few thrifty threads and recycled rhythms along the way. And, of course, we’d be remiss to not include at least a few covers under the circumstances. Get in touch with your favourite stylish songs; listener recommendations featured in hour 3.

We’ll also be featuring an interview and music from Edmonton band The Dirty Dirty Devil’s, who will be making their theatrical live debut at Festival Place on October 30.

^^ listener recommendation ~~ today’s theme: songs relating to fashion and style to make you smile ++ featured album: The Vogues’ re-recorded Greatest Hits from the mid-1970s

Monday Morning • Pulp • DIFFERENT CLASS • 09:03

This Is The Place • Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds • THIS IS THE PLACE • 09:09

Blue Monday • New Order • 20 YEARS OF NEW ORDER • 09:13

She Blinded Me With Science (remix) • Thomas Dolby • ______ • 09:18

Sci-Fi • Cliff Richard • ROCK & ROLL JUVENLILE • 09:23

She Bop • Cyndi Lauper • SHE’S SO UNUSUAL • 09:30

It’s My Party • Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin • IT’S MY PARTY • 09:35

Atomic • Blondie • ATOMIC BLONDIE • 09:39

Happy Together • The Vogues • GREATEST HITS • 09:47 ++ ~~

You’re the One • The Vogues • GREATEST HITS • 09:50 ++ ~~

Holding On • The War On Drugs • A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING • 09:53

Who Stole the Keeshka? • Frankie Yankovic • SUPER POLKA • 10:00

Wild Horses • The Flying Burrito Brothers • 20TH CENTURY MASTERS • 10:04 ^^

Last Year’s Prom Dress (2012) • The Bolt Actions • THE BOLT ACTIONS EP • 10:09

Pink Pedal Pushers • Carl Perkins • RESTLESS • 10:18 ~~

Lippenstift Am Jacket • Conny Froboess • GERMAN ROCK & ROLL FAVOURITES • 10:21 ~~

Style • Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin • SINATRA IN HOLLYWOOD • 10:23 ~~

Heroes / Helden • David Bowie • CHRISTIANE F. • 10:29

Hellcat Smoke • The Dirty Dirty Devil’s • THE SATIN DEVIL DIARIES • 10:36

Interview • The Dirty Dirty Devil’s • DIRTYDIRTYDEVILS.COM • 10:38

Ain’t No Stopping Love Now • The Dirty Dirty Devil’s • THE SATIN DEVIL DIARIES • 10:41

Interview • The Dirty Dirty Devil’s • DIRTYDIRTYDEVILS.COM • 10:48

Satin Devil • The Dirty Dirty Devil’s • THE SATIN DEVIL DIARIES • 10:51 ~~

My Chainsaw • Gurf Morlix • THE SOUL AND THE HEAL • 10:54

Red Right Hand • Nick Cave • LET LOVE IN • 11:01 ^^ ~~

You Can Leave Your Hat On • Joe Cocker • THE LIFE OF A MAN • 11:09 ^^ ~~

Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) • The Hollies • SOUNDS OF THE 70s • 11:13 ^^ ~~

Dedicated Follower Of Fashion • The Kinks • SINGLES • 11:18 ^^ ~~

Short Skirt/ Long Jacket • Cake • COMFORT EAGLE • 11:21 ^^ ~~

In These Shoes? • Kirsty MacColl • TROPICAL BRAINSTORM • 11:24 ^^ ~~

These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ • Nancy Sinatra • BOOTS • 11:29 ^^ ~~

Sharp Dressed Man • ZZ Top • ELIMINATOR • 11:33 ^^ ~~

Fashionable People • Joel Plaskett • ASHTRAY ROCK • 11:39 ^^ ~~

New Shoes • Paolo Nutini • THESE STREETS • 11:43 ^^ ~~

Groovin’ • The Vogues • GREATEST HITS • 11:48 ++ ~~

Five O'Clock World • The Vogues • GREATEST HITS • 11:50 ++ ~~

Nobody Does It Better • Carly Simon • CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE • 11:54

In Four Dimensions • Delerium • SPHERES II • 11:57

- - - - -

2019-11-11 - 09:00-12:00 - The Midway

The final Midway of 2019 will be bisected at 10:00 by a special hour-long program in observation of Remembrance Day. We will bookend the special program with music, stories, and the spoken word. Get in touch with your favourite unsung heroes; listener recommendations featured in hour 3.

^^ listener recommendation ~~ today’s theme: spoken word pieces

Monday Morning • Pulp • DIFFERENT CLASS • 09:01

Common People • William Shatner (w/ Joe Jackson) • HAS BEEN • 09:05 ~~

It Kills • Afghan Whigs • DO THE BEAST • 09:13

Heart of Stone • Ashes and Dreams • HEART OF STONE • 09:15

High In The Satellite • Dustin Bentall • HIGH IN THE SATELLITE • 09:20

Vlamertinghe: Passing the Chateau • Edmund Blunden • WAR POEMS • 09:24 ~~

The Ballad of Hollis Brown • David Lynch • THE BIG DREAM • 09:29 ~~

Entanglement • Imogen Heap • SPARKS • 09:37

The Dug Out • Sigfried Sassoon • WAR POEMS • 09:41 ~~

Trouble • Coldplay • PARACHUTES • 09:41

On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) • Matt Monro • BEST • 09:49

Hard Times • Olenka & the Autumn Lovers • HARD TIMES • 09:51

Memories • The Burning Hell & Katie Baggs • THE BARD OF MONTREAL • 09:55

>>> No Stone Left Alone Remembrance Day Special • 10:00-11:00

Silence • 11:00

The Rouse • T. Lee • CEREMONIALS • 11:02

In Flanders Fields • Leonard Cohen • LEGION • 11:02 ^^

In Flanders Fields • Farnham Youth Choir • BBC SONGS OF PRAISE • 11:03

Łyßqi (Whisky) • Van Der Zyl • EARLY WORKS • 11:07

Remembrance • Delerium • KARMA • 11:11

Watertrance • Tuatara & Coleman Barks • THE HERE AND THE GONE • 11:18 ^^ ~~

R. Kipling: If • Michael Caine • READS KIPLING • 11:24 ~~

If • Pink Floyd • ATOM HEART MOTHER • 11:26

Theme From Cyrano • William Shatner • THE TRANSFORMED MAN • 11:33 ~~

Mr. Tambourine Man • William Shatner • THE TRANSFORMED MAN • 11:37 ^^ ~~

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda • The Pogues • THE VERY BEST • 11:42 ^^

Dulce Et Decorum Est • Wilfred Owen • ECCLESTON READS OWEN • 11:50 ~~

Warrior • Steve Earle • THE REVOLUTION STARTS NOW • 11:52 ^^

Happens To The Heart • Leonard Cohen • THANKS FOR THE DANCE • 11:56 ^^

#midway #playlist #ckua #radio #public broadcasting #alberta #2019

1 note · View note

apathetic-revenant · 6 years ago

Text

enjoying Minecraft on the Switch but I keep having this periodic problem with the controls bugging out

like everything will be going just fine and dandy and normal and then suddenly when I tap the left stick slightly the camera will start spinning around wildly like the sensitivity just went up to 2000%

or it’ll get stuck on jumping and Alex will just stand there jumping up and down in place for ten seconds

I feel pretty sure it’s an issue with Minecraft and not the controllers because I’ve never encountered it in any other game and if I exit to menu and then reload the world it’ll clear up, at least for a while, or sometimes it’ll reset on its own if I just leave it sitting there for a minute. but I can’t find any other reports of this happening on the Switch?? I’ve seen some people talk about general lag but it doesn’t sound like what’s happening to me here.

#minecraft #I think it's getting worse too?#this is annoying

2 notes · View notes

captainmarvels · 8 years ago

Text

know no better

Summary: Eggsy’s got a weakness - you. || Kingsman/Marvel au!crossover

Pairing: Eggsy Unwin x Reader, feat. Bucky Barnes

Warnings: Mentions of self-hatred, insecurity

Word Count: 2.7k [wow I am so sorry]

A/N: Inspired by Sebastian’s Hugo Boss campaign photos - Bucky Barnes and Eggsy Unwin together? Hell yeah. This is dedicated to my beloved soulmate Nicole. [@buckyywiththegoodhair] - happy birthday, again, my love. | masterlist

Insecurity is a sneaky bitch.

It builds up over time, carefully poisoning your most vulnerable areas. It takes root in your darkest places, encompassing everything you are as time moves forward. It hits hard at your lowest moments.

Insecurity is an autoimmune disease. It’s a part of you, and attacks you when you least expect it. When you least want it to.

Self-doubt is your worst nightmares brought to life, eating at you from the inside. A lonesome battle where only one will come out victorious. Most of the time, it isn’t you.

Eggsy was a bright, young man. One with the potential to exceed far beyond the expectations society and life had set for him. However, he never saw it.

His life had taught him that he was worth next to nothing; he would never amount to anything good because he just wasn’t...good. He was a lowlife; only made for crime and everything on the wrong side of the line.

Eggsy would have never imagined he’d end up where he found himself now. A Kingsman. A man. A friend. A lover. Happy.

He especially didn’t think he’d ever find someone like you. But he was damn glad he had.

After losing Harry, you became an essential part of Eggsy’s life, and he would be an idiot to ever let you go. You and Roxy were his best friends - the people who kept him grounded when his head went just a little higher than the clouds. But you - you were the one who reminded him of the good in the world; the good he was working to protect.

After the devastation of Kingsman, with the return of Harry and some help from the agents at Statesman, together you were all able to finally restart the program that had brought everything good into Eggsy’s life.

Opting to stay with the Statesman for a new kind of training, Roxy left a vacant spot in London. Agent Tequila decided he’d give the UK and Kingsman suits a try, as long as he could bring along a friend of his. Never one to say no, Eggsy agreed.

Merlin set up the room for the first meeting, while Harry prepared some martinis for the three of you.

“Excited to meet our new friends, Y/N?” Harry asked, his gaze concentrated on the drinks in front of him.

“I suppose. I hear Tequila’s friend is an undercover agent. Very mysterious, if you ask me.” You shrugged, resting your head on Eggsy’s shoulder as you yawned.

“Still sleepy, love?” Eggsy laughed as you nodded, your eyes fluttering shut as you leaned up against him.

“I blame you, Eggy.” You smiled at the image of him rolling his eyes as the nickname rolled off your tongue, and you felt the poke in your side that always accompanied said infamous eye roll.

“C’mon, drink up, you two. We have to be on time to greet our new agents.”

You all rose from your seats as Merlin opened the doors, ushering in Tequila and his friend. The men were suited up, looking like true Kingsman - minus the classy moves.

Harry was the first to greet them, getting wrapped up in a hug from Tequila as the mysterious man stood by the door, his hair falling across his face, as his gaze bored into the floor.

“What’s your name, mate?” Eggsy asked, raising an eyebrow as he passed by Tequila, you right on his tail.

The agent looked up, fidgeting with his tie for a moment as he cleared his throat.

“Agent Agave, at your service. Or James Barnes, if you want my real name.” He smiled, his eyes sparkling under the sunlight. Eggsy nodded, shaking his hand before moving to the side.

“Barnes, huh? The undercover agent, I presume?” You shake his hand, noting the roughness of his skin as his crystal blue eyes locked with your own. He smiled, nodding.

“Yeah. I’ve been working out of New York practically my whole life.”

“He’s a Brooklyn kid. Wouldn’t let us train him in Kentucky, so Whiskey took the training to him. Good man. He’ll fit right in here.” Tequila said, his hands tucked in his slacks’ pockets as he leaned against the wall.

“And what about you, Tequila? Will you fit right in?” Eggsy asked, slightly laughing as the Statesman blushed, jumbling up his answer.

“I’m - I’ll do my damn best to fit in, Galahad.”

“Wonderful. Galahad and Lamia will give you the personal tour. Merlin, weapons.” Everyone took up their respective posts; you and Eggsy lead the two men out into the corridor, while Merlin stayed behind with Harry.

“How are you liking the suits, gentlemen?” You chuckled quietly, noting the way Tequila fussed over his tie and the buttons of suit jacket, while Barnes seemed right at home.

“Fine, I guess. Not used to these damn things just yet,” Tequila muttered as he fixed his tie for the umpteenth time.

“Never thought I’d actually love wearing a suit as much as this one.” Barnes said, smiling as he adjusted his cufflinks. You laughed, turning to meet Eggsy’s gaze.

“Don’t worry - Galahad here was just like the lot of you. You’ll get used to it in no time.”

After a few short weeks of training, Tequila and Barnes were ready to take on their first mission as Kingsman. Following intel from Roxy and Whiskey back in the States, you, Eggsy, Tequila, and Barnes set out.

Merlin landed the jet in the outskirts of a small town in France, the forest providing perfect cover as you all moved into the area. You and Eggsy veered to the left, while Barnes and Tequila stayed on the right.

“Everyone doing alright?” Eggsy whispered into the comms.

“Just dandy. How are we doing this?” Tequila responded, a somewhat nervous edge to his tone.

“Don’t be scared, Tequila. It’s like any other mission you’ve been on - just Kingsman style, this time around. We’ll set off in our pairs; take out the guards at the front, and then split up to find the main office. Merlin will try to find it first, and then direct whoever’s closest to the source. Main priority is the intel; whoever gets it first will need cover. Understood?”

“Spoken like a true leader, Lamia.” Barnes voice sounded, and you smiled.

“Focus, men. We’re here.” Eggsy stated, his voice low as he moved behind you. You turned to look at him, extending a reassuring hand as he met your gaze.

“Ready, Eggy?”

“As long as I have you.”

The fighting was coming from every side, and you didn’t know how you always managed to get the worst hits. Eggsy was on your back, taking out shots from left and right, only to be sideswept by a guard behind him. You continued on forward, the umbrella providing perfect cover - unfortunately, only from the front. A guard trudged towards you from behind, his gun aimed right for your head. Barnes spotted him, knocking out the guard in front of him as he moved in on the threat.

He came up behind the guard, cocking his gun behind his head as he tripped him up with his foot. The guard turned to shoot him, but was knocked out before he got the chance. You heard a shot from behind, turning in time to catch a glimpse of Barnes reloading his weapon as a guard fell near you. You locked eyes with him, nodding as you mouthed a quick “thank you”, before moving on.

Eggsy watched the entire thing unfold before him, his eyes never leaving your moving figure. He watched as Barnes covered you, while he tried his best just to cover his own ass.

That should’ve been me. I should’ve had her back. Not him.

So much for being good at something.

As hard as he tried, he couldn’t shake these feelings of doubt consuming his every other thought. Eggsy had faith in you. He trusted you with his own life, for God’s sake. He had no reason to doubt you. However, he had every reason to doubt himself.

No matter what, you’ll never be good.

What happens when you fuck up, and she gets hurt? Or worse - what if she dies?

All your fault. Could never do anything right, could you?

Eggsy’s insecurity was trying to get the best of him, but he thought he could fight it, like the countless times before. Yet this time was different. This time, everything was tied to you.

You were everything Eggsy was not. You were better, in every sense of the word. How could he ever compare with the wonder that you were?

As the weeks went by, Eggsy tried brushing off every intrusive thought that came his way. Nevertheless, they persisted, over-clouding his mind. What Eggsy didn’t realize was that his actions were getting to you, too.

You were sitting in his office, talking with James over the newest training tactics Merlin was coming up with when Eggsy stopped by the door. He stayed aside, watching the pair of you.

“So, when did you join the agency, doll?” The pet name perked Eggsy’s attention, his gaze following yours as you smiled at him.

“I want to say it’s been a good three, four years. I would’ve left sometime in the past two years, if it weren’t for Eggsy. He’s the reason why I’m still hanging around the tailors.” You laughed, playing with your hair as James nodded.

“He’s a good guy, Galahad. Very lucky, too.” You both laughed, and Eggsy could tell you were flustered by Barnes’ words.

Everything good seems to leave you behind. Good riddance, if you ask me.

“Goddamn it, shut up” Eggsy muttered, clapping a hand over his mouth when he realized he had spoken aloud. Fortunately, neither you nor Barnes had heard him. Sadly, that meant you were too caught up in your conversation to notice him.

Eggsy knew he was better than this; he shouldn’t be letting these thoughts and futile emotions get to him. But he was subject to his insecurity, his mind running amuck with passing thoughts of hatred and doubt.

How could she ever love a useless idiot like you?

You’re nothing compared to him.

You’re nothing compared to her.

Y/N deserves better than you. Hell, Kingsman deserves better than you.

You’re nothing but a pathetic chav.

You found Eggsy in your shared bedroom, lying on the bed. His eyes were closed, his eyebrows creased as if he were thinking. You slipped off your shoes, trying your best to be quiet.

The mattress dipped under your weight as you made your way over to Eggsy. You rested a hand on his own, stirring him awake. His green eyes looked over at you, and you couldn’t help but think there was a dull shadow looming over them.

“You okay, Eggy?” Your voice was a soft whisper, your hand trailing up and down his arm as you sat up next to him. Eggsy feigns a weak smile, nodding as he looks up at the ceiling.

His heart was racing a mile a minute, and he was praying you wouldn’t hear it trying to beat its way out of his chest.

“Are you sure?” You know there’s something awry with him, but you also know it’s no good to push him to talk about something he’d rather forget. Eggsy could handle his feelings, but you always had to remind him you were there for him, through the good and the bad.

Eggsy nods again, his lips pursed as he silently curses himself for lying. He knows you want to help, and by God, does he want you to help, but he just can’t bring himself to say the words.

He’s ashamed. He doesn’t want you to think less of him because he’s fallen down a dark path. He knows you wouldn’t, but there’s still that agonizing voice in the back of his mind. The one reminding him that he is unworthy of you. Your love. Your everything.

“C’mere, bruv.” You lie down next to him, wrapping your arm around his chest, so he turns to face you. He seems reluctant at first, but slowly gives in as he moves in closer.

Once his face is buried in the crook of your neck, you stroke his back, planting small kisses on his hair and cheek. Eggsy moves to rest his head on your chest, your heartbeat luring him to sleep.

You refuse to let go for the rest of the night - you knew Eggsy needed this, even if he wouldn’t admit it.

He’s wide awake, his mind focused on your slow heartbeat and even breathing. He’s trying to ignore the insistent voices inside his head, but he can’t seem to push them away.

“I hope you know I’m here for you, Eggsy.” Your voice pulls him away from his thoughts, and he can’t help the fall of his heart at your words.

“Of course I know, love. Why do you say that?” He looks up at you, his hand’s grip tightening on your waist when you refuse to meet his gaze.

“There’s something wrong, and I don’t want to make you tell me, but I can’t handle just being here, helpless and hopeless.”

“I promise you, you have been nothing but helpful, darling. I’m so sorry I’ve made you feel like this; it’s all my fault, really.” Eggsy leans in, pressing his forehead against yours as he cups your cheek, stroking his thumb across your warm skin.

“Let me help, Eggy. I love you. Every single part of you. No matter what.” You kiss the tip of his nose, a sad smile pulling at your lips as you notice his own.

“I love you, baby. Nothing will ever change that.” Eggsy whispers back, his head dropping to your chest once more as he tries to collect his thoughts. You run your fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him as best you could.

After a few minutes of silence, he looks up at you, a different spark in his green eyes. You cup his cheek, patiently waiting for him to say what he wants.

“I’m scared, love.” His words make your heart drop, your mouth falling open as you look at him, speechless.

“I’m scared I’m not good enough for you, Y/N. I never really was ‘the good guy’, and I still feel like there’s a part of me that wants to give up. A part of me that’s looking for the easy way out, looking to fall back to my old life. And I don’t want that. That life was no good for me. I have you now, and you’re the best damn thing to ever happen to me. You reminded me what love is supposed to be like. And I can never thank you enough for that.” You smile at his words, fighting back the tears welling up in your eyes.

“I feel like you’re an angel on this Earth, and I’m just some wretch that’s ruining you. I know you don’t think that, but there’s a voice in my head that won’t shut up. I look at you and I cannot believe how lucky I am. You make me forget about the bad, because you’re the best of everything.” You nod your head, unable to find the right words to comfort Eggsy in the way you wanted to. You drag your thumb across his lips, and he kisses your skin, never once looking away from you. You sit like that for what seems to be an eternity.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve a man like you, Eggsy. I wish there was some way for me to shut that voice up, but I want you to remember that you don’t need to hide these feelings from me. I love you so much. I want to help you in any way I can; even if that means sitting here and holding you forever. I’ll do anything for you.” You know you’re crying when Eggsy presses light kisses to your cheeks, his thumbs wiping away the wet trails. His smile is genuine, even if it makes you feel a little sad.

You know this is a battle Eggsy must fight on his own, but there’s nothing that will stop you from staying by his side until the end.

Until he comes out triumphant.

tags: @buckyywiththegoodhair @avengersandlovers @retroasgardian, @roamingharlem, @thesaraaaaahpfan, @avengershavethetardis, @buenostardissherlock, @storyofavengers, @imsecretlyromanburki, @cassandras-musings, @nottheopera, @coltcas, @thefridgeismybestie, @rda1989, @callamint, @kaaatniss, @seb-ass-tian-stan-ws, @bootypoppinbarnes, @hollycornish, @h4izel, @charliexowrite, @thewinterswimmer, @damnlokifangirl, @blossombarnes @sebastian-stans-thighs, @capsheadquaters, @jobean12-blog, @theassetseyeliner, @buckys-fossil @worldsroses @yikesbuckster @mjuikoli @rotisserierogers @buckyappreciationsociety @supernaturaldean67 @milychetto @shhhs3cret @avengedqueen26, @this-is-angela, @ohwhatamessiam, @captain-amelia-bradley, @tasting-writers-block @raindancer2004 @yoinkpeter @redgillan @brighterlights @barnres @everyrosehasitsthornton @justasunflower @emscairstairs @pillarsofelmundo @themanwithovtfear @avengersandlovers @sebbytrash

890 notes · View notes

horror-beeings-dreams · 8 days ago

Text

refs for the reloaded mains :3 an their twisted variants

Tags: @nn-the-doodle @xho-the-scribble @chocxy-prince @beatrixblog @hunter-the-sad-skeleton

#dandy’s world reloaded #dandy’s world pebble #dandy’s world sprout #dandys world shelly #dandy’s world vee #dandy’s world astro #sprout seedly #astro novalite #shelly fossilian #pebble dancifer jr #vee version 1 #bee does art #dandy’s world qu #dandy’s world

8 notes · View notes

hunterwritesstuff · 1 month ago

Note

Could I ask for some fanart of reload Astro if that’s alright my awesome brother >:3

I hope I captured him/his mood well /silly

#hunter screams #not writing #hunter's art #dandy's world reloaded #dandy's world reloaded astro #sister(bee)

4 notes · View notes

captainsimagines · 8 years ago

Text

Kill ‘Em With Kindness - PART FIFTEEN

Bucky Barnes x Reader

You had been detected. You were now on their radar. You are recruited for one mission only. You are trained and put to the test. With your background, everyone realizes it was a mistake recruiting a college student who would soon be faced with the thing that drove her to kill in the first place.

Warnings: MAJOR VIOLENCE; MENTIONS OF BLOOD; CHARACTER DEATH; SWEARING; MENTIONS OF TORTURE

Word Count: 4,330

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen... I want to ruin you.”

“You’re too late.”

A/N: I am so sorry for the sobs you’re not going to be able to control. “Kill ‘Em With Kindness” (ACOUSTIC) by Selena Gomez- drown in it.

PART FIFTEEN

“The world can be a nasty place

You know it, I know it can

Lucy revealed the many weapons she had hidden underneath her gear, each new weapon igniting the fear within you. You were determined to stop her and pin her down, stripping her of any weapon that could prove fatal to her or your team. But no matter how hard you tried to even get close to her, she would fire or throw anything near towards your head. You’d duck, you’d run, and you’d sometimes fire back at her.

“Lucy, please snap out of it!”

While you shouted at your sister, the others were battling the overdue swarm of HYDRA agents. By the looks of it, the room was becoming way too crowded and would soon be a blood bath.

“It’s not that easy, Y/N!” Bucky yelled, firing his gun at your sister. He wasn’t aiming for her and instead hit the wall each time. The goal was to blindside her and tire her out, not to kill her.

“Bucky, it’s the only thing I can do!”

“I know!” He fired again and watched as Lucy caught the bullet with her metal hand. He ducked behind the table and reloaded his gun. “I know.”

Throughout the chaos, you could still hear Bucky as his voice became lower. Of course, this was personal. Although Bucky wasn’t in soldier mode, seeing someone else under the influence of it tore through him like one of your famous knives.

“I have to stop her,” you whimpered, ducking behind the table as well. You threw yourself over Bucky when a grenade went off, sending half your team through the walls. Bucky stared at you wide-eyed, your sudden act of bravery only momentarily surprising him. Yes, you would die for him.

Helping him stand up, you looked around the now empty and destroyed room. You huffed and exited, Bucky trailing close behind. Without your earpieces, there was no way to know if the others were fine but you could bet a million dollars they were fine and dandy. They were the Avengers after all.

See, we don’t have to fall from grace

Put down the weapons you fight with

A sudden blow to your stomach propelled you backwards and sent you through the glass windows, sending you spiraling down each story.

“Y/N!” Before Bucky could check to see if you were alright, Lucy snuck up behind him and kicked him down. The fight was barely starting.

You didn’t make it far before you felt something cold wrap around your wrist and lift you back up, springing you gently. You traveled upwards now, the feeling almost like an invisible trampoline. You screamed as your stomach dropped and if you weren’t in the middle of the biggest fight of your life, you would have enjoyed the amusement park ambiance.

You landed in Peter’s arms. He unhooked his web from your hand and set you down.

“Trying to rip my shoulder from its socket?” you chuckled, stretching your arm out and turning it. Peter rolled his eyes.

“I could have just let you die.”

Your mouth fell open and you laughed, “You wouldn't have let that happen.”

“You’re right. I always got your back.” You smiled at his words and patted his shoulder. You thanked him once more before you sprinted down the hallway.

Bucky drew one of the numerous knives from his suit, stabbing at the air around Lucy as she dodged. Lucy grabbed his flesh arm and twisted it, prompting Bucky to drop the knife and quickly extract his other gun. Aimed at her face, Lucy wrapped her hand around the front and swallowed the bullet. Her metal arm was surprisingly stronger than Bucky’s, its new design and complicated construction perplexing even Tony. Made from vibranium as well, the attention to detail and extra wiring gave her the ultimate advantage in any fight she encountered.

“You don’t get tired, do you?” Bucky grunted, twisting her arm and flipping her. Lucy landed with a thud and she grasped Bucky’s shin, hitting and punching the already sore bone. Bucky growled and picked Lucy up, smashing her into the wall.

“I really don’t want to hurt you,” Bucky admitted, dodging the kicks Lucy attempted to subdue him with. Her eyes flickered once, allowing Bucky to witness the small ounce of humanity still left in her. This almost brought tears to his eyes, the thought of actually saving her enlightening him.

As quickly as it happened, the flicker vanished and Lucy lunged forward to bite Bucky’s right arm. Bucky yelped, releasing her and punching her once in the abdomen. She kicked him hard and sent him to the floor.

Before she could shoot a bullet into his skull, you jumped into the air and wrapped your legs around her neck. You wringed her around, gripping her hair and pulling at the roots. She screamed and grasped your thighs, digging her nails into your bodysuit.

Kill ‘em with kindness, kill ‘em with kindness

Kill ‘em, kill ‘em, kill ‘em with kindness

Go ahead, go ahead now

You clenched your thighs and squeezed her neck tighter, catapulting your body sideways so she could topple over. Once you neared the floor, you hopped off and landed skillfully beside her. Bucky had already stood up and was assessing the situation, grabbing her arms and holding them behind her back.

“Lucy, look at me,” you pleaded, inching toward her. Lucy struggled in Bucky’s grip and threw her head in every direction before she snapped it up and clocked Bucky in the nose. Escaping, she ran down the hallway before you could catch her.

“We need to try something different, doll,” Bucky grunted, holding his nose and wincing.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” you groaned.

“Steve beat the shit out of me and broke my arm before I realized who he was,” Bucky explained, pinching his nose and snapping it back in place. You winced.

It made sense. If you were going to get your sister back, you had to do it the hard way.

______

Over on the other side of the building, Tony had already pressed the distress button. Fury would soon arrive and collect the team. Before you left the facility, however, it would have to be destroyed.

Wanda and Clint fought side by side, injuring and erasing countless of HYDRA agents. In the other corner, Sam and Peter performed off of each other, throwing each other victims and vice versa. Natasha and Steve did the same.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y,” Tony called.

“Sir?”

“Scan the building. Search for Barnes and Y/L/N.” Once he was given your location, he flew back into building and aimed to aide you.

“Sir, Mrs. Campbell is-”

Flying around a corner, he was harshly slammed back to the ground by Lucy. With her metal arm extended and her face in a scowl, she stomped toward Tony. Before he could react, she kicked him down the hallway and entered a vacant room.

“-around the corner.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Tony groaned.

Lucy pressed a button that would release the toxic black smoke you had barely escaped from last time. Tony picked himself back up and flew away from the cancerous smoke, heading into the room and picking Lucy up by her armpits.

“C’mon, little missy. You’ve angered some good friends of mine,” Tony commented, flying around the hallway corners with a struggling Lucy in his hands. When he saw you and Bucky run down the hallway, he released Lucy and sent her tumbling toward you. She landed at your feet.

“What do we do with her?” Tony asked, landing and opening his mask. You crouched down and studied your sister who was releasing slow breaths.

“Knock her out,” you said, quickly snapping your hand up in the air to stop her incoming punch. She slid her leg underneath you and turned around, taking your arm with her and flipping you at the same time. She stood and whipped her leg up, smacking the heel of her foot into Tony’s face and proceeded to land a hard punch to Bucky’s jaw. You pulled your knives and nicked her thigh, slicing through her suit.

She turned to you and gripped your neck, holding you up for only second before Bucky tore her off you and threw her down the hallway. There was no way you were going to win this fight. Even if it was three against one, ten against one, or you against your own sister, she wasn’t going to give up. You were positive her mission was to kill either of you and after it was completed, she would realize she had no purpose left. Her memories would take time to replenish, but her absence of words was startling. Bucky had at least known how to form coherent sentences when he was in soldier mode. This Lucy was programmed to forget almost everything, even the simple necessities to life itself.

We’re running out of time

Chasing the lies

Every day a small piece of you dies

Every time Lucy refused to surrender, your heart would fall. You were aching all over, the combination of electricity and your sister’s brutal blows essentially paralyzing you. All the training you had endured from Natasha was crucial at this moment in time. You weren’t thinking about school, or your future career, or even the incidents in Paris and Germany. Here, you were living in the present- a present that involved saving everybody’s life.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” you glared at your sister, whipping two knives from your bra and whipping them downward so they could extend. Lucy picked herself up and cracked her neck, pulling the gun from her waistband and aiming it for you. You ran to gain momentum to kick yourself off the wall, where you twirled and threw your knives at her. She caught one but was too late to dodge the other. She yelped and yanked it out of her shoulder, her eyes becoming sinister.

You extracted two more knives from your belt, spinning around when she lunged at you. She grabbed you by the neck and held you down. You choked but used your knives to slice the sides of her body. You were marking her up, cuts and scrapes tainting her body after every physical encounter with you.

Tony shot her across the hallway once again, rolling his eyes when she stood right back up.

“Your sister’s one tough cookie,” Tony commented, shooting her again.

You whipped your head around, “That’s not my sister. That’s HYDRA’s weapon.”

“But it is your sister.”

You didn’t respond and instead looked to Bucky for assistance. As if reading your mind, Bucky nodded and gripped Tony’s arm. He whispered in his ear, instructing him to leave you alone. Before they left, Bucky looked back at you to make sure you were going to be alright. You didn’t know the answer to that but once again, you didn’t lie.

“I’ll come back to you,” you stated, grinning slightly when you saw his face perk up. A gunshot sprung you from your love story and you shooed Bucky and Tony out of there. Ducking from the endless gunshots, you rounded each corner until you could find a vast hallway to knock some sense into your sister.

There’s always somebody you’re willing to fight

To be right

“Lucy, shit!” you yelled, taking cover behind a large pillar. When Lucy paused her attempts at murder and reloaded her gun, you made your move. You pulled the gun from your waist and turned around, shooting at her and hitting her in the same shoulder. She bounced back, looking at her wound and then to you.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” you apologized but quickly regretted it when Lucy began shooting again. Nothing was fazing her, and you were running out of ideas.

Pulling a knife from your ankle, you steadied it in your hand and prepared to whip around. Before you could attempt it, a flash of red and blue crossed your vision at an insane speed. For the thousandth time tonight, Lucy was knocked off her feet.

Steve caught his shield and latched it to his back, running to you and checking to see if you were alright.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” you reassured him.

“What do you think you’re doing taking her on alone?” Steve complained, glancing around the pillar to see Lucy standing up again.

“She’s going to remember me!”

“Bullshit!”

You winced at his tone of voice, searching his eyes for humor. There wasn’t any and that’s when you realized this was all real. It was completely possible Lucy was fully gone and wiped, but your hopes remained in the back of your head just eating away as if it didn’t bother you.

“She’s going to.”

“Y/N, Bucky barely remembered my face. You really think you’re going to magically get her to remember you? It doesn’t work that way!”

“It worked for you!” You screamed, tears pricking the sides of your eyes. Lucy slammed through the pillar, grabbing your arm and pulling you toward her. Steve latched onto you as well and created a ‘tug of war’ between you and Lucy. You yanked your arm away from Steve and kicked upwards, sucking in your core and wrapping your legs around her neck once again. Without a running head start, the move Natasha had taught you to perfect was insanely complex.

Steve took it as an opportunity to drag his shield down onto her metal arm, sticking it in between the metal plates. You leaned down and pulled your sister to the floor, landing with her. You kept your legs around her neck; however, you applied more pressure until Steve could hold her down as well.

“We don’t want to hurt you!” Steve cried. You stared at the ceiling as you clenched your thighs harder, the sides of your face drenched with salty tears. Lucy wiggled beneath your grip, her whimpers stabbing you repeatedly in your already mutilated heart.

“Why won’t she listen?” you whimpered. Lucy twisted from underneath you, dragging you by the hair before landing a hard punch on your cheek.

“She’s not Bucky, Y/N!”

Your lies are bullets

Your mouth’s a gun

No war in anger was ever won

Put out the fire before igniting

Next time you’re fighting

Before you could respond, Steve threw his shield to Lucy, throwing her backwards. She held onto your hair and pulled you with her. You yelped and grabbed your head, wincing when she smashed through the window and landed on the outside balcony. You followed her over the railing and were about to hit the ground when Sam swooped in and grabbed your arm. He led you away from Lucy, throwing you back into the building.

“Is falling through buildings your thing?” Sam teased, retracting his wings. You sniffed and wiped your eyes.

“I’m just trying to do my job.”

“We all are. Don’t give up yet, okay?” Sam pat your shoulder and jumped off the building, flying toward the swarm of HYDRA agents attacking your teammates.

“Okay,” you whispered to no one. Standing in an empty hallway, you tried to calm your heaving chest. It was all falling apart.

You armed yourself and walked through the hallway, stopping in your tracks when you saw the black smoke. “Fuck, not you again.”

You turned around and descended the stairs. You raised your knives to stab the person climbing them, but you sighed in relief when you ran into Bucky.

“Oh my god,” you sobbed, pushing yourself against his hard chest and gripping his suit as tightly as you could. He smoothed your hair down and stared at you in bewilderment, obviously missing a huge piece of the puzzle.

“Y/N, hey,” Bucky whispered, kissing the top of your head. “I’m here. We’re all okay.”

You leaned back to raise your head and kiss him, sinking into the feeling like you did each time. With tears running down your face and your lips puckered slightly, you kissed Bucky as a sign of your gratitude and guilt. He responded for a little while but pulled away to look at you.

“We’re going to save her, okay? I can promise you that,” Bucky said. You shook your head.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Now’s not the time to be a pessimist,” Bucky chuckled, looking over your shoulder and grabbing your hand to drag you lower into the building.

“Shouldn’t we be heading up to the roof?”

“They’re not landing on the roof this time after your little stunt,” Bucky said. You tried to laugh but you were blindsided by Peter. You stopped in your tracks and shot at the men fighting him. Once they hit the ground, Peter turned to you and pulled his mask off.

“Really?”

You shrugged your shoulders and motioned him to follow you. Before you could exit through the main doors, Lucy appeared and shot at you. You pushed Peter to the floor and ducked yourself, hiding under Bucky’s arms as he shielded you.

“Get out of here!” you yelled at Peter. He pulled on his mask but shook his head at you.

“I can’t just leave you guys now!” Peter whined, climbing along the walls and jumping off of them when Lucy shot at him.

“Now!”

Peter glanced at you once before he nodded. It was a small nod, one that you would have missed if you weren’t looking directly at him. Peter sped across the ceiling and climbed through the windows, exiting the shower of bullets.

Please, kill ‘em with kindness, kill ‘em kindness

Kill ‘em, kill ‘em, kill ‘em with kindness

Bucky stood and took all the gunfire, his metal arm guarding himself as he raised his flesh arm to shoot at Lucy as well. This wasn’t about missing the target anymore. Bucky would be lucky to shoot Lucy once. He only hoped the wound wouldn’t be lethal.

You tore your last two knives from your back, marching toward Lucy with an angry expression on your face.

“I know I’m younger, but damnit if you don’t listen to me!”

Bucky shot at her leg, barely grazing her thigh. Lucy continued to fight, throwing her third gun away and reaching for the pistol strapped to her ankle. You raced toward her, kicking her in the chest and dragging your elbow across her cheek. She stumbled, allowing you to kick her sideways and pass her to Bucky.

Bucky mimicked your moves, kicking and punching Lucy whenever she let her guard down. The three of you were beginning to back up into a closed-off room. Lucy’s impact caused the doors to break open, swallowing the three of you.

It was a large room, the floors a metal tile and the walls all made out of glass. It was completely empty- no desks, no chairs, no screens. Bucky’s gun fired repeatedly and the bullets shot against the glass, proving it was bulletproof.

Lucy spit blood out on the clean floor.

“Still not going to stop?” Bucky asked, lowering his gun to see her face. Lucy furrowed her eyebrows and blinked a couple of times. You straightened your posture, inching toward her cautiously.

“Lucy?”

Lucy stared at the floor donning a perplexed expression, the crease in the middle of her forehead straining against her once silky skin.

“Lucy, it’s me. Y/N, it’s me Y/N.”

Lucy clenched her jaw and shook her head, backing away from you slowly.

“Y/N?”

You smiled and gulped loudly. “Yes, Lucy. It’s me.”

Bucky stared in confusion rather than astonishment. He glanced at her waist and his eyes widened. Before he could warn you, Lucy tug at the knife and threw it at you. The knife clawed through your stomach, burning and scratching like it was digging for an escape route.

Your lies are bullets

Your mouth’s a gun

No war in anger was ever won

Put out the fire before igniting

“No!” Bucky lunged at Lucy, wrapping his metal arm around her neck and twisting it. Lucy clawed at his arm, her own metal appendage seeming inferior now. With anger on his side, Bucky was unbeatable.

You pulled the knife from your stomach and breathed in slowly. You pressed your palm to your wound and sucked back your tears. You weren’t finished.

Picking your knives up from the floor, you prepared for your last fight. Bucky kept his arm locked around Lucy’s neck. He kicked his knee up into her spine and she crumbled to her knees. He dropped down also, situating himself behind her. Her arms were free, however. Lucy reached up and gripped the back of Bucky’s head, throwing her head back to knock him out.

“Lucy, stop!” you cried, kicking her jaw. She landed opposite of Bucky, who was currently struggling to see clearly. You crawled on top of her and placed your knife at her neck.

“Lucy, please. It’s me,” you sobbed, reluctantly pressing down harder against her skin. She gripped your wrist and tried to tear it away, but you were resisting.

“Please,” you choked. Lucy brought her knee up to kick you in the crotch. You groaned and your arms involuntarily relaxed. This gave Lucy the upper hand. She flipped you over and began punching you to new extremes.

Hit after hit, jab after jab, kick after kick, you had laid your sanity on the floor for the second time in your life. Lucy wasn’t with you anymore. She had endured a different type of torture, of course, one that completely erased her mind as a whole. No matter how much time passed or how well Wanda could manipulate her mind, her memories would never come back to her. She was gone.

Bucky was lucky, you thought. He has his memories now- he’s sane. He’s happy. Lucy would never be happy. Every single time she rained hellfire upon you, you knew her happiness was only a myth. Bucky saved Steve but Lucy had no intention of saving you.

Why can’t we stop fighting?

“Lucy,” you sobbed, choking on the blood that drowned you. You didn’t cry for help; you didn’t even cry for Bucky. You would allow your sister to take your life. After all, once she completed her mission she would be of no use. Having Lucy kill you had not been the original plan, obviously. But at this moment, with blood sitting on your tongue and leaking down to your hair, you didn’t mind closing your eyes and surrendering.

After a particular punch, you shot your eyes open and tried to stop her. You clawed at her face and spit up at her. If I died, Bucky would follow. This is HYDRA’s doing.

Bucky.

You glanced to where he was lying. He struggled to stand up, his face almost as red as yours. You, however, were drenched in blood while his red face was simply a result of tiredness.

When your sister raised her arm, you would contemplate. When she caused damage, your mind would stutter. The endless cycle was vicious but no matter how much you begged for the assault to stop, you would not be the one to finish it.

Lucy grabbed the knife that lay beside you and raised it above her head. You closed your eyes and waited for the sharp edge to mutilate your skin. She plunged the knife into your stomach for the second time. You coughed but never broke eye contact with your sister.

Bucky.

He stirred and blinked to do away with the white dots. His dizzy head was heavy but he managed to turn to where you were. His face fell and his heart stopped. He couldn’t stand, his foggy vision causing him to fall back onto the floor. He tried crawling to you, his metal arm extended as if he was reaching for you.

You screamed and tried to toss your sister off of you. You were helpless. You gripped your second knife and threw it far from you. It landed in front of Bucky. You patted the floor rapidly searching for the pistol Lucy had dropped. Once you clutched it, you tossed it to Bucky as well.

You brought your hands to Lucy’s cheeks, her angry eyes staring at you in the dullest way. She no longer resembled your sister but you could have sworn you saw her eyes flicker. She scrunched her eyebrows and scanned your face. Your vision became hazy and doubtful.

Lucy twisted your arms and ignored your cries, her metal arm raising above her head to ultimately put you out of your misery.

Bucky sat up and grabbed the pistol, cocking it and aiming at Lucy. Your cries were deafening and caused Bucky to lose control.

“Lucy!”

Gunshot.

Lucy’s face fell and her body slacked forward, draping over you. She was lifeless yet calm. Gunshot to the back of the head and yet, she managed to still look as gorgeous as ever. Her face softened and her eyes glossed over, her angry expression vanishing and becoming one of innocence.

You screamed and pushed her off, ready to kill whoever pulled the trigger. Your heart stopped and would not resume its rhythm for the next several days.

You could have sworn this was all a dream. You had to be dreaming. But all you felt was an overwhelming shock- a shock you were certain you would never recover from.

Like some sick and appalling irony, a horrendous metaphor, the actual livelihood of kindness itself consuming you like the cancerous darkness you always knew it was. The shooter stood there with an expression that would haunt not only you, but any other witness, forever.

You witnessed the same expressionless face you donned the first time you took a human life. That feeling had haunted you every moment of every day. You recognized the shooter’s sanity and innocence lying on the floor beside your sister’s body. They had killed your sister with the metaphorical kindness they were famous for.

Behind the trembling gun stood a frightened, unmasked, fifteen-year old boy.

Peter.

Kill ‘em with kindness, kill ‘em with kindness

Go ahead, go ahead now.”

TAG LIST:

@4theluvofall @chipilerendi @purplekitten30 @owhatshername1 @buckyappreciationsociety @g0back2bed @katykyll @shaexoox @polkadottedpillowcase @jonnavgl @thefridgeismybestie @bunnymother93 @sumafamouxx @lovable-harmonica @s8sense @huntermichelle @wowiebro @almondbuttercup @secondsandstars @potterssuperhero

107 notes · View notes

iv-kplpt · 8 years ago

Text

bad days, good nights

plot summary: she moved to gotham looking for a new start. he leads a double life - as a brutal vigilante and as a broke pizza delivery guy. she falls in love with both of them. whoops. or: the one that got out of control.

rated m just to be safe (very vague nsfw and gore)

~9,6k words

Charlie had been in Gotham for less than three months when she first met the Penguin - city's most brutal vigilante, surpassing even the Batman in his ruthlesness. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty, he was not above killing and he was infuriatingly elusive; no one had the slightest clue as to who's hiding behind the mask and under the suit. No one knew who's pulling the trigger. There was no name, no face; only distorted voice and a weird sense of justice.

She moved to the city looking for a fresh start - her first and only marriage ended in an ugly, messy way. New York was forever ruined for her - those were the streets she walked with Harry, this was the park where they kissed, this was the church where they married. She couldn't stand those familiar streets, those noises; and Gotham City had a reputation of a place willing to give anyone a second chance. Her father used to go to school there and he remembered those times fondly; so she packed her things, her scars, her grief - and took it to the city of second chances.

She wasn't bothered by Gotham's rather peculiar problem with masked villains and vigilantes - no place on Earth is perfect, after all. New York also had its fair share of problems; and she kind of admired the Bat. He was on national news from time to time; he was the symbol of Gotham.

But only after moving there she found out about the Penguin.

"That guy's a freak." Louise - her new friend - told her one evening, as they were having a girls' night out. "Also he makes my life hell."

"Oh yeah?" Charlie asked, playing with an olive from her martini and politely ignoring a guy who's been eyeing her from across the room. "Do tell."

"Well, for starters, he keeps killing people my people are looking for. He just... Kills them. No trial, no warning - bam. He's the judge and the executioner."

"Sounds to me like he's doing your job for you." Charlie said jokingly and Louise scoffed.

"Oh puh-lease. And then there's this fucking Batman dude, right? He's our top priority - so Grogan firmly refuses on giving resources to poor losers forced to look for the bird mask guy. And this list of losers... Includes me."

"Hey, speak of the devil." Charlie said, glancing at a tv screen behind the bar. "He just did something."

"Yeah. Fuck!" Louise groaned, looking at her phone. "I just got a text from Dent."

"I keep forgetting you work directly under him, you know." Charlie sighed, thinking about Gotham's handsome, ambicious district attorney. "Is he nice?"

"He's the nicest fucking man in whole wide Gotham." Louise muttered in response, typing her reply. "And I mean it. He's a delight."

"You should introduce me some day."

"Don't hit on my superior, Charlie."

"Why not? He's cute."

"And you are freshly divorced and don't know anyone else in Gotham. Leave Dent alone, we'll find you someone not married to his job. Deal?"

"Deal."

And Louise kept her side of the bargain - mostly. She did her best to introduce Charlie to Gotham social elite; and Charlie was slowly settling down, feeling more and more at home, despite being unable to find anyone who'd actually catch her eye. There was Bruce Wayne, who was very polite, very popular and very boring; there was Katherine Kane, who was very beautiful, very intelligent and very disinterested in fancy parties; and other people, whose names Charlie was slowly learning.

But all in all, Gotham was treating her well - she bought a beautiful house in Crest Hill, Gotham's prestigious suburban neighborhood. She made a few friends, and found some interesting places; she enjoyed Gotham's melody and rhytm and the way its streets and people accepted her as one of their own almost instantly. And it seemed like the whole masked villains thing had been blown out of proportions; at least until that one memorable fundraiser she attended.

It was Harvey Dent's fundraiser; he was running for mayor and he needed funds for his campaign, as his private pockets were not bottomless. Everything was smooth and dandy - and then the Joker showed up.

What did he want? What was his purpose? Nobody could tell, but everyone was afraid of this pale faced, smiling man; his sweetened words and little jokes were intemingled with brutality and sadism and he was unpredictable and destructive like a forest fire.

He showed up. He terrorized the party.

He took Charlie hostage, actually. He spotted her in the crowd, paralyzed next to the table and grinned, as if he knew she's not from around there, as if he somehow smelled new blood. But he knew; and there she was, paralyzed with fear, the Joker putting a gun to her head and cheerfully talking about how beautiful the evening is. And she was shaking and was holding back tears and she could spot Louise and Dent in the crowd, motionless, helpless.

She was sure this is it, this is the end; he'd probably kill her on spot or - even worse - take her with him and then break her, piece by piece, the way he liked to.

(Everyone knew what he does to pretty girls. It involved needles and crowbars and knives. He was leaving shattered people behind and was eluding everyone; the police, Batman, Penguin. All that was left was a trail of blood and tears.)

But he never got to do it to her; or to anyone else.

He dropped dead, half his head missing, a lot of his blood and brain tissue splattered in Charlie's hair; Penguin managed to sneak in and shoot him from the side, killing him instantly.

She slowly turned her head and looked at the suited vigilante, who was calmly reloading his gun, his mask perfectly expressionless, his outfit absolutely impeccable.

(He was making this yellow tie work.)

"Terribly sorry about your hair." he finally said, completely ignoring everyone else. "But that was my only chance to take a shot without the bullet going through you as well. Are you alright?"

"I need a drink." Charlie replied softly and fainted, falling right into Penguin's arms; he caught her and - before drifting away - she thought he actually smells nice, like good cologne and-

*** She woke up in a hospital room; and as soon as she opened her eyes, Louise barged in, followed by detective Bullock and Dent, the latter very apologetic, the former very tired.

They had questions; and she didn't have any answers. She saw what they saw, and knew what they knew, if not less; why would the Penguin want Joker dead? Why wouldn't he?

"What happened after I passed out?" she eventually interrupted them. "Did he escape?"

"...don't tell me one murder was all it took to turn you into a fan." Bullock muttered and Louise shot him a tired look. "What? She's worried about him, just look at her!"

"He saved my life, didn't he?"

"He did." Louise agreed reluctantly. "Well, after you fainted... He carried you to a back room. And then Batman showed up. And they... Did their thing. Lots and lots of collateral damage."

(Batman and Penguin - despite having a similar goal - were not at all friends. Batman didn't approve of Penguin's murderous tendencies; and Penguin didn't approve of Batman's no killing rule. They lacked understanding. They often had to relieve some tension by beating the crap out of each other.)

"We will be keeping an eye on you for some time." Dent informed her. "Just to make sure... You're fine. Will you tell us if he ever reaches out to you?"

"Of course." she assured him, not believing a single word she was saying. "I will."

(The thought of Penguin carrying her in his strong arms filled her with a warm fuzz. He saved her life! He made his stupid mask look good with a suit! And then he carried her, after she fainted! It sounded to good to be true. It sounded dreamy. It sounded cliche.)

"Please tell me you don't have a crush on him." Louise asked her the moment they were left alone and Charlie blinked innocently.

"What?"

"Oh, don't play dumb, you know what I mean."

"I feel like I owe him something, that's all." Charlie said, choosing her words carefully. "Hey, do you think I can go home now?"

"Just let the doctor check if everything's alright and you're free like a bird." Louise said slowly, staring her down. "Like a very flightless bird."

"...oh come on."

"Please don't make my job more difficult than it already is."

They let her go few hours later; it was dawning when she got home.

And something... Was definitely wrong - starting with the fact her front door was open; and she knew she had locked it before leaving.

She should have called the police; but instead - lead by morbid curiosity - simply went in.

Penguin was in her living room, on her couch. And he was bleeding.

"Evening." he said after realizing she's standing in the doorway, with her keys still in hand, staring at him. "Is this... Your house?"

She nodded and he let out a quiet chuckle, interrupted with a pained groan.

"Small world." he said finally. "Hey. Do you know... First aid?"

"I know a lot more." she said, slowly putting her purse down. "My mother's... A surgeon."

"Really?" he asked, as she approached the coach, turning the lights on on her way there. "Then I guess it's my lucky day."

"I wasn't expecting to repay the favor so soon, mister Penguin." she said, kneeling down. "I have to take a look at this."

(Stab wounds. And probably a broken rib or two.)

"I'll patch you up." she said, getting up, his blood on her coat. "I'll be... Right back. Don't move."

"Oh, very funny." he scoffed and she turned around, hiding her smile. "Make it snappy, eh? I'd hate to bleed out in your living room."

She cleaned up his wounds and patched him up as much as she could; she was no surgeon. She was an amateur.

But it seemed to be enough and Penguin visibly calmed down and relaxed. Even with his mask on, she could feel his eyes on her hands.

"What's your name?" he asked eventually.

"Charlie." she replied quietly, looking up. "Alright, that's it. That's all I can do."

"And it seems to be just enough." he said in response, looking down on his bandaged chest. "You are a very literal lifesaver, Charlie."

"Well, so are you." she said, getting up and stretching. "I guess... I should thank you. For today."

"That's my job, isn't it? Killing the bad guys, saving the good guys. And... Once again... So sorry about your hair."

"They got it all out in the hospital. Though... I think I can still feel it." she confessed with a shudder. "His blood. On my skin."

"Well, it's a good thing you can feel. It means you're alive."

"Is that you trying to convince yourself to not worry about being in pain?"

Penguin laughed and her heart skipped a beat.

"Maybe." he admitted finally. "Can I uh... Stay here for a few hours? I think... I need some sleep."

"Of course." she said softly. "I will... Bring you a blanket."

"Thank you, love."

He fell asleep before she came back, and she stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at him; he kept his mask on and she was sure it's uncomfortable as hell. She gently brushed it with her fingertips, wondering who's hiding behind it.

He muttered something, as she covered him with her favorite blanket; very fuzzy and very blue.

Before heading to bed - she was dead tired herself - she left a note on the table, right next to his gun (she was sure it's the same gun he used to get rid of the Joker once and for all); she asked him to not wake her up and to not leave without eating something first.

When she woke up - around noon - he was gone, leaving behind only dried up blood and some breadcrumbs on her kitchen table.

He ate her bagels. And her cream cheese. But she didn't mind; neither she was concerned about all the blood.

She didn't have any energy for going out and being social that day; so she ordered a pizza. There was a decent pizza place nearby; and the truth was, she wasn't actually that big of a fan of their food. It was definitely good, but she didn't even like pizza all that much; but they had a delivery guy with the most beautiful face she had ever seen.

His name was Oswald. He was tall, very, very handsome - in this rugged, nonchalant way she secretly loved - spoke with awful British accent and she simply loved looking at him. And listening to him. She was sure his politeness and cheesy humor he was always greeting her with were coming from the fact she was a rich customer, who tipped well; but she enjoyed it regardless.

Also for quite some time she had been wondering how to ask him out without making it weird. He seemed to be into her; more than once she caught him glancing at her skin, more or less flustered.

(Part of her wanted to hold hands and go for a walk with him. Another part of her wanted him to push her against a wall and make her beg. It was complicated.)

But, alas, it was not her lucky day; Oswald wasn't working that day, as the delivery girl - April - informed her.

"He does say hi though." she added with a giggle and Charlie's heart - for the second time that day - skipped a beat. "He called in and he said he has a feeling you're going to be ordering today and he asked whoever will be delivering to tell you he says hi."

"Really?" she asked softly. "Please tell him I said hi as well."

"Will do!" April assured her, pocketing the generous tip. "Have a good day!"

And Charlie was left alone with a big cheese pizza she didn't even like and a quickly beating heart.

*** During the following weeks, she met Penguin few more times.

Every time he was acting the same - courteous. A bit snarky. Ruthless to bad guys. Very apologetic, if their meeting was taking place on her couch, where he was bleeding and she was patching him up.

"You should get yourself a doctor." she muttered during one of those nights, and he snickered under the mask.

"Why, are you getting tired of me?"

"No, but one day I'll be unable to help. I'm not a miracle worker."

"You do work miracles on me, Charlie." he claimed and she sighed. "Also, I enjoy your company."

"Oh really? That's a smart move, being nice to someone patching you up."

(Her humor was a facade, behind which her joy was hiding. He seemingly didn't notice.)

"I'm dead serious, Charlie. I enjoy our time together... Plus you didn't rat me out, despite being under McDonagh's watchful eye."

(He said our. She liked that, more than she probably should.)

"Louise's a friend." she said, taking her gloves off. "She worries about me."

"Tell me about your life." he said suddenly, as she was walking to the kitchen.

"There's not much to talk about." she said carefully, washing her hands in the sink. "Really."

"Well, then tell me about those few things that are there." he said, right behind her, and she jumped in place; he quietly followed her to the kitchen and was standing right behind her. "I'm... Interested."

He was half naked and for the first time she had a good occasion to take an actual look at him. He had a body of someone whose fighting style was all about agility and speed; he was lean, and his muscles weren't bulky.

He did have beautiful arms though.

"Are you going to just stare at me in silence until I go away?" he asked amused and she blinked a few times. "Because it's not going to work. Just tell me to piss off."

"Sorry." she muttered, turning to the sink again and pouring herself a glass of water. "Right. What do you want to know?"

"Everything's you're willing to share, I suppose."

"I'm an only child." she started slowly, sitting on the table; he sat on the floor, groaning quietly, his back against the wall. "My family... Well. Old money from New York. Nothing very original. I moved here about... Five months ago? Yeah, five."

"And why did you come here?"

"Because I wanted a fresh start." she said shortly. "Personal matters."

"Ah. I symphatize. And... How's this old hag of a city treating you?"

"I've got nothing to complain about. People are... Mostly nice. Though I still have yet to meet Batman."

"He's an asshole." Penguin informed her calmly and she giggled. "But that's my opinion, after getting my ass handed to me by him several times."

"Well, I'm not going to fight him, I just want to look at him. See if he's really as scary as people claim he is."

"He's not." Penguin said shortly. "He's just a man, dressed up as a bat... Can be scary, if you're afraid of bats. Or men."

(She saw Harry's face for a brief moment. Then Oswald's.)

"Men don't scare me. Some of you are... Pretty alright."

"Oh?" Penguin asked, tilting his head slightly. "Got someone specific in mind?"

"There's this pizza delivery guy..." she said absentmindedly. "Oswald. Oswald... Something. He's funny. I like him."

"Then ask him out." Penguin said calmly and she laughed, realizing it's past midnight and she's sitting on her kitchen table, telling her life story to Gotham's most blood-soaked vigilante. "Hey! What's so funny?"

"Nothing! Nothing. But yeah, I might do that. Is there someone in your life, bird guy?"

"Ah, you know I can't tell you that." he said, shaking his head. "The less you know about me, the better for you."

"You're probably right." she agreed sadly. "But come on. Give me something vague."

"Well, there is somebody." he said slowly and - for some reason - her heart dropped. "We're working on it. And that's all I can tell you."

"I hope you'll make it work." she said quietly, getting up. "I'm going to bed. You can have the couch."

"Thank you, my fair lady." he said, nodding in her direction as she left, oddly determined to ask Oswald for his number the next time she sees him, so next time Penguin crashes in her living room she can tell him about this wonderful man she started seeing.

Batman paid her a visit the next night.

She just finished cleaning Penguin's blood off her floor; she's been scrubbing it for almost an hour - and when she got up and turned around, Batman was there, in her living room, staring at her quietly.

He looked very unsettling in the bright light of her lamp.

"Spilled something?" he asked in his signature, deep, growly voice as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Yeah." she replied finally, slowly sitting down in a nearby chair. "Yeah."

Batman. In her living room. Right.

"I know Penguin was here." Batman said calmly, staring her down.

"Who?" she asked, deciding to play dumb.

(She promised herself she won't rat Penguin out. Not to Louise. Not to the police. Not to Batman.)

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Batman informed her and she winced. "But you have to stop protecting him."

"I'm not protecting anyone though."

"...I'm going to ignore this as well. I know he visits you often, and I know you've been helping him. Why?"

He stared at her, and in the heavy silence she suddenly remembered all the blood he had spilt, all the bones he had broken.

"He saved my life, you know." she said with a shrug. "From the Joker. And it's... More than can be said about certain other people."

"I can't be in two places at the same time."

"And where were you?" she asked, staring at him. "No. Don't answer that, it doesn't matter. What matters is that... Penguin helped."

"And now you're helping him."

"I'm not." she lied again. "All I'm doing is... Voicing my support for the cause."

"This is pointless." Batman muttered and took a step in her direction and she was very, very close to a heart attack-

but Penguin always knew how to make an entrance.

"Batsy!" he said with false enthusiasm, stepping into her house and glancing at Batman. "What on Earth brings you here?"

"Cut the crap, Penguin." Batman said quietly, for a moment turning his attention away from petrified Charlie.

"She has nothing to do with it, Bats." Penguin said, abandoning his false joviality. "Leave her out of it. She knows nothing, she saw nothing... What's your policy regarding innocent bystanders, hmm?"

"Then why are you here, Penguin?"

"Oh, deduce it out!" Penguin said mockingly. "World's greatest detective... Come on! Deduce!"

Whatever his plan was, whatever his intention was - it worked. He started to slowly walk backwards towards the exit and Batman followed and Charlie was left behind in her chair, mortified, staring at the two men.

(She sometimes had problems telling if Penguin was looking at her or not; but this time she could feel his eyes on her. He was glaring at her from behind the mask and she looked back, above Batman's shoulder and for a brief moment she felt like the two vigilantes know something she doesn't. Obviously, they knew a lot of stuff she had no idea about; but they knew something about each other she felt might be important.)

They both disappeared into the night and she was left alone with her racing thoughts and a burning feeling on her face, where Penguin's eyes touched her.

"Well." she eventually muttered to herself, locking her front door. "New Yorkers have to meet Woody Allen, and Gothamites have to be vaguely threatened by Batman. Seems like everything's in order."

(She would have called Louise... But she was doing this one exact thing she was asked to not do. It was just her and Penguin and Batman. Not exactly a dream scenario.)

*** The perfect opportunity to follow Penguin's uncalled for advice regarding her personal life presented itself the next day. She went out to get some groceries - and the pizza place Oswald was working at was on the way.

So she dropped by - for the first time actually seeing the place. It was small, and seemed popular, considering all seats were taken, and the workers seemed to be busy - but April was behind the counter and she noticed Charlie after a short while.

"If it isn't our best customer!" she said with a smile, as Charlie waved at her. "Are you here for Oz?"

"Oz?" Charlie repeated uncertainly. "I... Guess?"

"Everyone calls him Oz, Oswald is a mouthful." April said, giving her customer their change. "Give me a sec, I'll get him for you-"

"I'm here!" Charlie heard a familiar voice and Oswald hastily left the kitchen, his hands covered in flour. "What's up?"

"Hey." Charlie said, smiling nervously and he grinned back, looking absolutely overjoyed. "Can we... Talk?"

"April?" Oswald asked, hesitantly looking at April, who only nodded and waved her hand.

"Go, go." she muttered. "Take a break."

They ended up in an alley behind Sal's, between brick walls, in a safe distance from the nearest dumpster. He lit up a cigarette and she sighed quietly, watching his profile.

(He looked beautiful from that angle.)

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he finally asked and she snapped out of her musings. "Did I muck up the last order or..."

"No, no!" she interrupted him quickly. "It's not a complaint. I... Do you want to get a coffee some day? Or... Tea or a milkshake or whatever?"

"Are you asking me out?" he asked with a lazy smile and for a brief moment she got lost in his squinted eyes.

"Yes." she finally said, nervously playing with the sleeve of her coat and he snickered and put his cigarette out, crushing it with his heel.

"My shift ends in two hours." he finally said. "And then... I'm free. And to answer your original question... Yes. God, yes."

He stretched and glanced at her and she could feel she's smiling like an idiot.

"You have a beautiful smile, by the way." he told her quietly and she smiled even wider. "So... See you in two hours?"

"Yes!" she said enthusiasthically, feeling so so glad she listened to Penguin. "See you!"

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before turning around and leaving, the sounds of her heels on the concrete accompanied by Oswald's quiet laughter.

They went out for tea that afternoon, and they sat in the corner of the room, where no one could hear them.

"I've been trying to muster up the courage to ask you out for a weeks now, you know." he told her, staring at her attentively. "Never expected you to do it first. It's... Flattering."

"A good friend gave me a good advice." she said, thinking about her late night chat with the Penguin. "At least I assume it was good advice."

"Whoever this friend is, I owe them one." he said with a wink. "Also... I've heard about this deal with Penguin and the Joker. Messed up."

"It could've been worse." she said with a nonchalant shrug. "Nothing happened to me, and I got to meet the notorious Penguin. But it was long time ago... I almost never think about it."

(She was, obviously, lying. She was thinking about that evening a lot. And about Penguin and his arms, strong and lean, and his back, and his breathy, raspy voice.)

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Oswald said hesitantly and she smiled; he looked like a puppy.

"I'm okay now." she said with a wink and his face lit up.

They talked for a few hours, about nothing and everything; and she decided she definitely loves listening to his voice. She felt comfortable around him, comfortable enough to not play coy and give him a proper, farewell kiss.

He pulled her closer instantly and she decided she likes the feeling of his hand on her back.

"Well." he whispered at some point, breaking the kiss. "Thats another thing I've been wanting to do."

"Call me." she whispered back, sliding a piece of paper with her phone number written on it into his hand.

"Oh, I will. I will." he assured her. "But for now... Have a good night?"

"Oh, I will." she said with a sigh, wondering if Penguin will show up. "I will."

Penguin showed up one week later; in the meantime, she had another casual date with Oswald. Her original urges - to both go for a walk with him and bang him - didn't disappear; in fact, they were getting more and more intense with time. She wanted to take things slow, to not scare him off, to wait some time before introducing him to anyone; but she was sure it's going to happen. She could feel it.

She woke up one night, because she heard some noises downstairs - and when she entered her living room, armed with a baseball bad she saw Penguin. He looked like he got out of a fight, judging by his torn clothes and bruises; but he wasn't bleeding.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked at the sight of her nightgown and messy hair. "My apologies."

"It was bound to happen eventually." she said with a yawn, putting the bat away. "You seem fine. What brings you here?"

"I need to lay low for a few hours and my usual partner in crime is out of town... And I don't have the keys to their place." Penguin said carefully. "May I...?"

"Sure. Be my guest." she said in a resigned tone. "You know, maybe I should give you a set of keys to this place. Also I have a guest room. Maybe... I'll start keeping some clothes for you there." she added, glancing critically at his torn clothes. "What was it this time? A tiger?"

"You could say that." he snickered, sinking into her couch and stretching his legs. "Also, I've been meaning to check up on you." he said in a casual tone, his head turned in her general direction; and she suddenly became very aware of how thin and short her nightgown was. "Is everything alright, Charlie?"

"Yeah." she said with a shrug, sitting in a nearby chair. "I... Went out with that pizza guy. Oswald."

"And... How was it? Do you think he's alright, or is he a serial killer in disguise?"

"...your optimism outshines the sun. No, he's... Great, actually." she admitted. "He's very my type, he's funny, he's honest... And I want to see how this thing develops. Because I think there will be more to us."

"I'm very glad to hear it." Penguin said, and he sounded honest, as honest as possible, considering his mask and a voice altering device inside. "But that being said... Do let me know if he turns out to be a rotten apple. Abuse's abuse, no matter how small."

"I can take care of myself, you know." she said quietly and he sighed.

"I'm not doubting that. What I'm trying to say is... You have a friend in me." he said and she smiled faintly. "Especially considering the Batman thing. You were... Very stubborn in stalling him."

"You saved my life, Penguin."

"And you saved mine, meaning your imaginary debt had been paid." Penguin said quietly and she tilted her head slightly. "You don't owe me anything, Charlie. Nobody owes me anything."

"Yeah, well, I suppose you have a friend in me." she said hesitantly and he chuckled quietly.

"I'm always glad to hear it from beautiful people, you know." he muttered and she guessed he's falling asleep. "Mmm. Mind if I..?"

"Goodnight, Penguin." she said softly, getting up. "Take care."

"And you as well, my fair lady." he muttered in response.

That night her dreams were confusing, to say the least - Oswald and Penguin were both there, and she realized she has to choose, that she can't have both.

She woke up not remembering who she chose; she felt a sting of disappointment when she went downstairs and saw Penguin had already left.

***

With time her crush on Oswald started turning into something else. With time and patience, this crush started to turn into something deeper. Still warm and genuine; but deeper. With time, she started to fall in love with him.

It was a good feeling, falling in love - it felt clear air just after the storm and a fluffy scarf in winter and belonging. She missed that feeling; and the more time they spent together, the more obvious it was she's not alone in this.

(It was in his eyes and in his voice and in the way he glanced at her from time to time when they were walking down the street and the way he'd put his arm around her wais. It was in everything.)

"My god, Charlie." Louise groaned one evening. "Stop grinning at your phone! Also, tell me who is doing this to you."

"Oh, you know." Charlie said nonchalantly, texting Oz back. "A guy."

"That's deliciously vague." Louise's new girlfriend smirked; her name was Vicki and she recently came back from her vacation. "C'mon. Describe him."

"Mmmm-mmmm." she shook her head. "I want to introduce him soon. Don't want to spoil the surprise."

"As long as it's not Bruce Wayne." Louise sighed and Charlie winced.

"Heavens, no. Wayne seems very sweet, but... I don't really have a sweet tooth."

"Oh, he's sweet and nice until you hear the spicy story." Vicki said with a wink. "His family was involved in some pretty dirty stuff, you know. No one knows who leaked this stuff, but it was a huge scandal last year. Ever heard of the Cobblepots?"

"I know about the Cobblepot Part."

"Yeah. They built it, and now it's a fucking ruin." Louise scoffed. "They were close friends with the Waynes... And them BAM, Theodore was driven to suicide, Esther was driven insane, their baby son - Bruce's best friend - shipped off to England, their name in shambles, their fortune... Gone. All because Thomas and Martha and their friends wanted a piece of their land."

"Jesus Christ." Charlie muttered. "That's... Terrible."

"Yeah." Vicki nodded. "But then Waynes got murdered... Karma's a bitch, eh?"

"I wonder what became of the baby Cobblepot though." Louise pondered. "If he's even alive and mentally sound. Nobody heard from him in years."

"Well, if I were him, I'd probably change my name and start from scratch." Charlie said with a shrug, pushing away the realization how close she was from losing everything. "I hope the world is treating him well."

"Yeah." Vicki agreed quietly. "Me too, girl. Me too."

Few days after her talk with Vicki and Louise, Charlie had another date with Oz. He was supposed to meet her in front of the mayor's office - she had some paperwork problems and wanted to deal with them as fast as possible. Inside the building, she bumped into Bruce Wayne. She had met the face of Gotham quite a few times now - he was charming, polite and she didn't particularly care about him either way. She didn't mind his occasional company - but she certainly didn't crave it either.

They were standing on the sidewalk outside the building, chatting about... Weather. Harvey Dent, the upcoming election, police's efforts to capture both Batman and Penguin - usual Gotham stuff.

Eventually, she felt the familiar arm wrapping around her waist and she smiled.

"Hello, darling." Oswald said tenderly, brushing her temple with his lips. "Am I late?"

"No, no, I was finished early." she said cheerfully, turning around to face Bruce Wayne, who was staring at Oswald. "Mister Wayne, this is-"

"Oh, we've met." Bruce interrupted her quietly, his voice cracking slightly. "Oz..."

"Hello, Bruce." Oswald replied equally quietly, not looking Bruce in the eye. "It's been... A while."

"Twenty years."

"Yes. Twenty years."

Heavy silence fell between them, and - very confused Charlie - looked at Oswald in silence for a while, until something finally clicked.

(The fact everyone called his name a mouthful, the fact he never gave her his surname, the fact he seemed to be broke, the fact he seemed to avoid that part of Gotham where Cobblepot Park was located.)

"Oh my god." she said finally. "You're... You're Oswald Cobblepot."

"Yeah." he said quietly, tensely. "I... Should have told you sooner. I'm so, so sorry."

"Oswald, where have you been?!" Bruce Wayne asked, visibly moved. "Please, talk to me."

"I'm managing, Bruce." Oswald replied harshly. "I'm... I'm managing. I don't want your mercy. I don't want anyone's mercy."

"It's not mercy, I'm your friend!"

"To be honest, Bruce... I'm not so sure if I'm your friend anymore." Oswald said, and his voice sounded empty and sad and tense. "Now please excuse me, I... Have a date."

Charlie and Oswald walked away from Bruce Wayne and only after a couple of minutes in complete silence she glanced at him; he was looking at the ground under his feet, avoiding her eyes.

"When were you going to tell me?" she finally asked and he shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know." he admitted. "But I was going to... Eventually. I've been... Hiding it. I was so tired of people looking at me like that... Same way Bruce was looking at me."

"You're not your family's tragedy, Oswald." she said quietly, gently brushing his hand with her fingertips. "You're more than that. You're your own person."

"Wow, thanks, Sherlock." he said with a faint smile and she scoffed. "Hey, Charlie."

"Yeah?"

"Does this change anything... About us?"

"Well, for me you're still the pizza delivery guy who smuggled me extra garlic bread more than once." she said and he snickered. "You're also still the same guy I asked out for coffee, so... I don't think so."

(She meant it. Cobblepot or not, burdened with a family tragedy or not - he was still her Oswald.)

They didn't confess any actual feelings that day; it wasn't a good time. But they had time.

*** Penguin visited her the same night - or: came crashing through her front door, covered in blood.

"Penguin!" she called out, running up to him. "Oh my god, what happened?!"

"A lot of things, at once." he groaned. "Oh god... This hurts like, pardon my French, motherfucker."

"Shut up!" she said, panicked, walking him up to the couch; he fell onto it like a sack filled with potatoes. "Stop talking. I'm... I'm going to patch you up."

"Talk to me, Charlie." he asked as she came back with her utensils. "Please. Just... Talk to me. Keep me anchored."

(Things were looking bad and she wasn't so sure if her abilities are enough to help.)

"I... I met Oswald Cobblepot." she said in a state of panic, trying to figure out where to start. "Shit, Penguin, I don't think I can do this. I don't have the equipment! I'm not a professional!"

"It's alright." he said and coughed. "I have a guy, he's on his way, you just stop me from bleeding out. Talk to me. Cobblepot?"

"Yeah. Turns out my pizza delivery guy had been Oswald Cobblepot all along." she said, trying to stop the bleeding in three places at once. "He says he's... Managing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And he asked me if his past changes how I feel about him."

"Well... Does it?"

"No!" she bridled in response. "Well, maybe a bit. But I still like him! I still like being kissed by him."

"For his own good, I hope he's good for you."

She could hear some noises outside and Penguin sighed with relief.

"Ah. My friend is coming."

"Penguin... You can't keep doing this." she said on a verge of tears, her hands and clothes completely covered in his blood. "I'm not going to be able to help you every time!"

"Yeah, well, maybe I just like feeling your hands on me." he sighed and she froze in place. "Batsy! There you are. Help me out, would you?"

She looked behind her and there he was - Batman, in her own living room, again. He put his gloved hand on her shoulder and forced her to get up; Penguin scoffed at this sight.

"Be gentle with her, Batsy." Penguin warned the Bat quietly. "She's not the one you want. Now... Let's get down to business."

"Get out." Batman said to her quietly and she left, too shocked by what Penguin just told her to argue.

Maybe I just like feeling your hands on me.

Was he serious? Was he joking? She had no idea; there was too much pain, too much tension in his - already modified - voice for her to tell.

But there had to be some reason for him to keep coming back, for him to trust her with his wounds, for him to call her my fair lady. Was it all just a ploy, a game to win her loyalty? Or did she accidentally bewitch a masked vigilante?

She tried to look at herself through his eyes; she tried to feel what he felt - but to no avail.

(She felt guilty. She had feelings for Oswald; but the faint chance of Penguin actually being smitten with her made her blood rush and her heart skip a beat. She sometimes still remembered the feeling of him catching her just before she fainted. It felt safe; she felt safe around him, comfortable enough to talk about her private life with him.)

She took a long shower, washing off all of his blood. When she left the bathroom - wearing clean clothes, her hair still wet, and her face bare - Batman was waiting just outside.

(The sight of him in her brightly lit corridor was absolutely surreal.)

"I'm too tired to lie to you tonight." she said before he said anything. "So. How is he?"

"He will live." Batman informed her and she sighed with relief. "He's going to stay the night here. Is that a problem?"

"Wouldn't be the first time it happened." she sighed. "So... Are you going to arrest us?"

"No." he said after a very long pause. "At least not tonight. We reached... An understanding. And as for you..."

"I'm fucked, aren't I?"

"Don't interrupt me. As for you..." he continued, "You never did anything wrong. You are not a criminal. You are not my enemy."

"Yeah, but I'm a friend of your enemy."

"He's not my enemy." Batman said dryly. "He just doesn't realize it yet. Me and Penguin - we're not enemies."

"Then... What are you?"

"You don't need to know everything. But I have a piece of advice for you."

"I'm all ears, Batman."

"Don't push." he said quietly. "Don't push him, because sometimes a little push is all it takes. And you... Might be just the person able to make that push. Do not."

"What the fuck does this mean?!" she groaned, but Batman didn't respond - instead he only turned around and left and she could've swear that she heard the typical sound of a human head banging against a low doorframe.

Penguin was on her unfortunate, bloodied couch in her living room; he turned his head as she entered the room, her arms crossed on her chest.

"I'm alive." he told her faintly and she scoffed. "I assume this is the last time I'm allowed to use this place as an asylum..?"

(In his arms, she felt safe.)

"No." she said softly, her very conlicted heart melting. "Of course not."

"Any other answer would break my heart." he said quietly, his voice so muffled she could barely hear him. "I am feeling drawn to you, Charlie."

"Christ." she said half jokingly, her heart pounding. "What did Batman do to you?"

"Midazolam." he said lazily. "And some other things. Something for the pain, something to calm me down, some... Some other things. He gave me a calming painkiller that doubles as a truth serum, basically. He also patched me up. Please don't ask me what my name is."

"I won't." she promised him, despite really wanting to know. "But Penguin..."

"I know." he said quietly. "There's Oswald. A sweet, nice, pizza delivery guy with a secret... I actually crossed paths with him, you know?"

"Did you?"

"I did. I know him... Quite well, the young Cobblepot. From his bad old days in the United Kingdom. We go wayyyyy back."

"Yeah?" she asked quietly, staring at the mask, trying to see what's behind it. "Where are you going with this, Penguin?"

"He's not a jealous type." Penguin finally said. "He... Wouldn't mind."

"...would't mind what, exactly?"

"Us." Penguin breathed out. "Do you feel drawn to me, Charlie?"

"You're basically high." she said calmly, her face deep, deep red. "Let's have this conversation when you are... Not high. Okay?"

"I'll keep you to your word, Charlie." he muttered, clearly drifting away. "One kiss for every freckle..." was the last thing she heard before he dozed off and she was left with her heart pounding, her head full of questions and a familiar, pulsing ache deep in her body.

He disappeared without a trace the next morning, and he didn't even leave a note behind.

She called Oswald, desperate for some answers - but he was sick. He caught a cold; and when she offered to come over and take care of him - he refused, claiming his afflictions are always extremally contagious.

"But will you call me once you feel better?" she asked sadly and even though the coughing, she could hear him smile.

"Of course I will. Take care, mm?"

"Take care, Oz."

(Both men she had feelings for were unavailable and she was starting to really miss being kissed. She couldn't imagine being kissed by Penguin - with that colossal mask in the way - but she always had very plastic, vivid imagination.

Eventually it found a way.)

*** Things got very complicated very quickly.

She had a feeling Penguin started to evade her after his sudden midazolam-influenced confession; she watched the news and read the papers and knew about all his fights and problems, but not even once he showed up on her couch, asking for few hours of sleep and bandages. Not even once he came to feel her gentle fingers on his scarred skin. And she was concerned - for she realized she actually cares about him, whoever he might be. He never gave her a name, and he never took his mask off around her; but she knew him by his words and by his bloody, bloody deeds. Murders of rapists, mutilations of neonazis, careers crashing and burning; Penguin had been busy.

She never talked about him with Oswald, after all - there was no point in doing so. Penguin trusted her, and by digging in his past she'd violate this trust; she tried to forget everything he told her that night, she tried to forget every dream she had about this faceless man.

Oswald was next to her and was very real and kissed her slowly and gently, but something was stopping him from further intimacy; something was keeping him from showing her his body, even though at that point he saw hers plenty of times. They got together, officially; they said I love you one night during a storm, and she introduced him to her friends and told her parents about him.

They were happy. They were in love. He seemed to be completely unaware of Penguin's shadow looming over them, creeping into their small moments, between their lips as they kissed, putting his bloodied hand between her thighs. He didn't know. It didn't matter. He didn't have to know.

Or: it didn't matter until the moment Penguin killed Carmine Falcone, who - recently - had been revealed to be one of the missing pieces in the Wayne-Cobblepot mystery. One day someone leaked the old photos and recordings; next day he was killed in the hospital as Bruce Wayne was visiting him. Penguin barged in, seemingly calm - though she knew his icy calm often hides a storm - and shot Falcone, before escaping.

Just like this, Carmine Falcone - one of the people who took everything from Oswald Cobblepot - was dead.

"Oswald..." Charlie said, as Oswald showed up on her doorstep, pale as a sheet. "I heard."

"They'll think I did it." he whispered, hiding his face in her hair. "I don't have an alibi..."

"You have me." she said firmly, tightly grasping his shirt with her fingers. "You have me."

(Oswald Cobblepot wouldn't be capable of killing someone in cold blood. He was broken and sad and only barely managing - but he wasn't a killer. She once looked the devil in the eye; she would know.)

Nobody ever questioned Oswald about the killing - everyone assumed Falcone had to die because of his criminal kingdom, because of things he was doing to small people of Gotham. It made sense; it fit Penguin's modus operandi. You hurt this city, you hurt its people - the city retaliates, it's revenge going by the name Penguin.

But then came the day of the debate between two mayoral candidates - Dent and Hill.

Oswald was at work that day, he had a night shift; and Charlie was watching, not really paying attention - up until Penguin took the scene, kicking the moderator out.

She never saw him that angry, and it was a very poorly hidden anger; a volcano, ready to erupt. A ticking time bomb.

Hamilton Hill died that night, on live tv; the executioner read his list of crimes and it was a long one. Corruption, hatred, abuse, partaking in the Cobblepot Tragedy, greed; a bit of everything was there.

Charlie couldn't stop looking. She didn't even blink when Penguin pulled the trigger and mayor's head exploded. She was mesmerized.

(There was something in the way he was using his gun that was making it impossible for her to focus on literally anything else.)

Batman was there, and he was not at all happy. Penguin got away; and she almost felt surprised when he sneaked into her house, bleeding from his shallow wounds.

"Charlie..." he said in his raspy voice, standing behind her. She didn't budge.

"Batman knows where to find you, Penguin." she said quietly, almost not breathing. "Do you think it's wise for you to come here?"

"I'm hiding in the plain sight." he said simply. "I'm wounded, Charlie."

"I know." she said, finally getting up. "Sit down. I will... Patch you up."

He looked tense and she just saw him take a life again; there was no blood on him, except for his own.

She did a bit more than just patch up his wounds that evening.

This time his fingers between her thighs were real. It was all real, even if the best she could do was to kiss the cold, smooth surface of his mask.

She felt no remorse. She felt no regret. She only felt euphoric as she rode him on her couch, his hands on her back, her nails on his arms, her lips on his neck.

Batman never came for him, and in the meantime Oswald texted her saying he'll call her tomorrow, because he needed some time alone to fully process what happened; and Penguin fell asleep on her couch, still wearing his mask.

He was fast asleep and she was impulsive. Without actually thinking - she quickly took his mask off.

(He saw her pink nipples and he heard her moans. It only seemed fair to finally learn who's behind the mask.)

It took her a long moment to process what she was looking at and it took him a long moment to wake up.

"...Oswald?" she finally said, her voice cracking up. "Tell me I'm dreaming. Tell me... This is not true."

"Hello, love." Oswald said, looking at her sadly. "That... Was not how I was hoping you'd find out."

"You weren't going to tell me." she said slowly, calmly. "You... You were going to just keep lying, weren't you? You didn't trust me enough... None of you trusted me."

"Charlie..."

"We both lied to each other, it seems." she muttered, feeling like she's about to faint; slowly, she put the mask down and got up, walking away from the couch. "But... I got the message. You texted me... While we were fucking."

"I have a computer running some scripts." he said quietly. "Charlie... Why did you do this?"

"Why did I do what?" she asked faintly. "Cheat on you?"

"Why did you unmask me." he asked, his voice cracking. "I spent so much time, building those lives... Separating them... Why did you have to blur the lines?"

"I did it by existing! It's not my fault you developed feelings for me!"

"But would this have happened if we were two people? If me and Penguin... If we weren't the same?"

"But you are the same!" she protested tearfully. "You are the same!"

They were both upset. They were both torn.

None of them knew how they feel and why they feel the way they do and how to fix it.

She kicked him out. He told her to never call him again.

For a few days, it was quiet. Sad - but quiet.

She heard Oswald just stopped coming to work. Penguin got way, way more active - and Louise was starting to suspect something.

(Or maybe she simply had a working brain. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots - her heartbreak, the disappearance of Oswald, Penguin becoming more vicious, more ruthless, more careless.)

She was almost ready to get over it, to forget, to move on again - but then Batman paid her a visit.

"I told you to not push." she heard, right after walking into the kitchen. "I told you, and you pushed and pushed and pushed."

"He did all the pushing, Bats." she said tiredly and he winced. "Fine. We both pushed. You should've been clearer."

"And he's now on a road to self destruction."

"We cut each other out." she said, setting her bag of groceries down on the table, as Batman awkwardly stood in the corner. "It's... Not my problem anymore."

"Lie to me all you want, but at very least be honest with yourself." Batman said quietly and she froze for a moment, holding a grapefruit.

(Oswald loved their smell.)

"I'm not lying to anyone, Bat." she said eventually, resuming the unpacking. "Not anymore."

"Don't do this for Penguin, Charlie. Do it for Oswald."

"Ah. So you knew."

"For quite some time now. He was covering his tracks well, but... Not well enough."

"Alright, I'll bite." she said suddenly, turning around to face him. "Why do you care about Oswald Cobblepot so much, Bat?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you."

"You are not Bruce Wayne, right?" she said with doubt in her voice; it was impossible. Batman was way more massive than Wayne; and Wayne lacked... The spine. The will. Everything. "He used to be friends with Oz."

"I am the night, Charlie." Batman replied. "And nocturnal animals need to flock together."

"Penguins are not nocturnal though. They are diurnal." she said, feeling like this is a very, very weird dream. "They don't have any land predators, so they can rest at night-"

"This penguin is nocturnal." Batman interrupted her, sounding even more awkward than she did. "Let's leave biology out of this discussion."

"Why are we even having this conversation?" she asked finally. "Don't you have... Crime to stop? People to beat up?"

"Penguin seems to be doing fine by himself." Batman replied calmly. "Maybe it is his way of self destruction... But you allegedly don't care."

"Fuck. You're not going to go away, are you?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"You fucking creep." she sighed with annoyance. "Fine. I do care. I suppose... I fell in love with Oswald and Penguin. As... Separate people. The fact they are one and the same kind of makes things easier. But then I went on and cheated on Oswald with himself, and I guess... Do you know how and why my marriage ended?" she asked suddenly, and Batman - of course - nodded.

"I did my homework. It was... An ugly story."

"Yeah. So I guess I'm sort of touchy on the topic of secret identities and hidden agendas. Look, do we have to do this in a brightly lit kitchen? It ruins... Everything your costume stands for."

"I appreciate your honestly." he said and for a brief moment she had no idea what is he referring to. "Now get dressed. I know where and how to find Penguin, but... I need your help."

"Who told you I want to do anything?!"

"...I've been recording this entire conversation for my Bat-Archive, do you want me to replay your love confession?"

"...Bat-Archive? Really?"

"...get dressed."

*** Batman took her to one of the seediest parts of town, where the worst of the worst were residing. She was supposed to get in trouble; he promised to swoop in in case Penguin doesn't show up.

So she got into trouble - she smiled to the wrong person. One minute later, there was a knife at her throat and she was mentally preparing herself to die-

when she heard the gunshot. Obviously, it was not Batman - he was very firm on his anti-gun stance.

No, when Charlie opened her eyes, she saw the familiar mask and a familiar gun and a familiar suit. Man who - according to his own words - was going to gut her with his own hand was lying dead; and Penguin silently turned around, ready to leave, then she grabbed the fabric of his sleeve.

"Penguin..." she pleaded.

He stopped. Slowly turned his head, looked at her hand, and finally - at her face.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly. "You don't owe me anything. I don't want anything from you."

"Drop the act." she said quietly. "Please. I'm here to apologize. Because... Because..."

"...yes?"

"I still love you, you idiot!" she finally blurted out, still holding his sleeve. "I love this you and the one under the mask. Both of you. The whole you."

"And both of us love you." he said quietly and she slowly moved her fingers from his sleeve to his hand; their fingers touched and - finally - he took her hand. "This is a fucked up situation."

"Let's talk it out." she said breathlessly. "Just please-"

He took her into her arms before she finished her sentence. He smelled the same way he did when they first met; and she still felt safe in his arms.

They had a lot of issues to work through, some of them couldn't even be named; but they had time. And they had each other and it was all that mattered.

#ff #eng #oc #pinnguin

4 notes · View notes

fapangel · 8 years ago

Note

199 chars, I got cites. I'll stick to actions and militia/cult behavior. The sniper attack on power station citation is you missing my point. Antifa has no weapon stockpiles or military training. The groups law enforcement see as a threat are the militias: "Law Enforcement Assessment of the Violent Extremist Threat". PBS: "armed militia groups surging across nation" Cult stuff: Business Insider:"right-wing-militias-recruit-young-soldiers-on-4chan-2017-5" psychologytoday:"the mind the militias".

Firstoff, pastebin.com is definitely the go-to for things like this -there’s no way anyone can make a cohesive argument in that tiny askbox. Just say “pastebin: and it’ll get you past that “no URLs”filter tumblr imposes. But I can answer these points/sources here:

Have you heard of the John Brown club? They’rean antifa group - the usual insane anarchists - and they’re showingup at protests carrying loaded weapons. The Phoenix group inthat article made a video of themselves doingrange practice. I believe that qualifies as training, youknow, with those weapons you say they don’t have.What fucking training do you think the right-wingmilitias have besides target shooting and playing paintball in thewoods? In other words, exactly what these people are doing?

And what the fuck do you mean stockpiles? Bro,I don’t know if you’re aware, but we live in America - you know,that free country? If you want a gun, are over 21,and don’t have a felony conviction on your record, you can walkinto any store, do 5 minutes of paperwork, wait for them to call theFBI background-check database and walk out with a new long gun. It’sthat fuckin simple. And they’re not that expensive either, you canget a decentAR-15 pattern rifle for under $500, easily. Same for ammo -you can easily buy bulk, online. The only state where both of thoseare harder is California, and I imagine that suits the huge mobs ofclub-armed antifa cunts just fine, because semi-auto firearms with large reloadable magazines are the best way to counter thugs that badly outnumber you. Stockpiles? That crazy fuck that shot the hell out of a US Representative and two Capitol police officers was using an SKS, a fucking WWII era Soviet rifle that loads from the top with fucking stripper clips. And look how much damage he did - it’s only pure dumb luck that nobody was killed or mortally wounded.

... stockpiles? Just how much do you know about guns? Here’s what I found in literally five goddamned seconds on ammoseek.com - you got $290, a credit card, and a shipping address? There you go, a thousand goddamned rounds of .223 Remington. Want two thousand? Three? Change the number in the “quantity” box.

Stockpiles?

Anyway, I’m not surprised that PBS and pals are back at their fake news, doing their damnedest to gin up right-wing militias as the real threat even as they reply to attack after violent attack by radical Islamists with hey - not all Muslims! Yes, that is the trend; witness this Atlantic article trying to justify it. But that’s beside the point. For starters, if you haven’t read my 6,500 word post on left wing vs right wing violence and violent rhetoric, I go into some depth with the whole militia thing there. For all their LARPing in the woods, swaggering and shit-talking, there hasn’t been any significant violence committed by right-wing militias since... forever, considering that Timothy McVeigh was never really part of one - and his attack was twenty-two years ago. Moreover, I cover how his attack - and the attention it drew to the militia movement - sent anywhere from “2/3rds” to “80%” (according to two different militia-affiliated folks being interviewed) scrambling away from them at high speed. Protip - actual terrorist organizations tend to attract attention when they manage huge, spectacular attacks - you know, like how Black Lives Matter is still going strong after multiple ambush attacks on cops? Gee.

And that brings us to the essential point - if these militias are really dangerous, and not just a bunch of shit-talking LARPers playing soldier in the woods - then where’s the violence? Again, as I document in that post, the only “cells” they find are a few shitheads talking shit in a bar too close to an FBI informant that eggs them on - one of them even gave them free automatic rifles to shoot, to get them all excited.

As for this study, it’s a start, but this paper freely and breezily equates “anti-government extremism” with “right-wing extremism,” and that’s a false equivalency - because Antifa are anarcho-communists. Just read their handy-dandy guide to setting up an antifa group, where they call the state their enemy multiple times - as well as cops. Shit, they have a whole section on “state repression.” Also note the bit under “political orientation,” where they openly state - in case there was any doubt - that the majority of their membership in the US are anarchists. In case you weren’t aware, anarchists are, by definition, anti-government extremists. The list on page 4 covers “anti-capitalist violent extremism,” but considering that antifa are anarchists and anti-capitalists - where do they fall in the reporting? Did every agency report them the same? In light of antifa’s own literature (again, that guide) advocating strongly that they not even name their groups and keep their identities secret as long as possible, how accurate is each agencies accounting? Hell, where do right-wing terrorist groups fall on this scale, considering there’s several anti-immigration militias that focus on finding and reporting illegal immigrants? Doesn’t that qualify as racist? Or are they anti-government, considering that anti-government sentiments tend to run pretty strong in groups like that, especially with a black Democrat in office who personally did as much as he could to hamper border control efforts?

Shit, by their own admission on page 4, they defined “Al-Qaeda inspired violent extremism” as “violent extremism inspired by the radical Islamist ideas advocated by al-Qaeda and other like-minded extremist groups,” and every other category with one general example; “violent extremism motivated by any other political, social, or religious concerns, including, but not limited to, anti-government, racist, radical, environmentalist, or anti-capitalist views. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, the Unabomber (Ted Kaczynski,) and the Sikh temple shooter, Wade Michael Page, are examples of ‘other violent extremists.” So they only define one category well, loosely define the others, and then they start standing around characterizing the results with terminology (right wing, left wing) they didn’t even use in the fucking survey? When all those other categories were lumped together into “other violent extremism” in other categories?

And then there’s other data-sets - one just adds up every every crime committed by “groups or individuals with far-right associations,” (which would include every skinhead robbing a gas station, which they do a lot, because skinheads are dime-store hoods almost by definition,) and the well defined report - focusing on premeditated plots by individuals or groups that rise to the level of attempted or actual domestic terrorism,” has a whopping total of... 34 incidents listed in 14 years, and is published by the Anti-Defamation League, which is a fucking activist group, not academics, or law enforcement. Wew lad. The Global Terrorism database is better - more data, and a good definition of qualifying incidents - but it’s only being compared to Islamic extremist terrorist attacks in the US, not left wing domestic terrorism, which is what we’re discussing here.

Bruh, this is some pretty rough shit, here - all twelve pages of it. Especially that bit at the end where they make a claim about how law enforcement agencies see “right wing terrorism” (a phrase used nowhere in their survey to said law enforcement agencies) as a bigger threat in the city than in rural areas. Yeah, dense urban areas, which overwhelmingly vote Democrat, as anyone who’s seen a county-by-county electoral map can tell you, are the hotbeds of right-wing militias?

Bruh. Bruh.

But, listen, you’re actually doing your fucking homework here, which is more than most assholes can say, so lemme help you. The FBI is a great resource here - not only do they publicly publish huge annual reports on all sorts of categories of violence, (law enforcement officers killed and assaulted, general crime stats, hate crime stats, etc,) but they watch fucking everyone. There is no group too big or too small for them to not worry about - they’re basically a domestic surveillance agency. That’s why you have agents going out of their way to hand out automatic rifles to a trio of knuckle-dragging rednecks to egg them on till they can arrest them - these guys have time and resources to spare, apparently. They watch everyone - and they cover them, too, with published reports. I’ve read their reports on motorcycle gangs, and in researching that big post on violence, I found (and used) their public information on the “Sovereign Citizen” movement, which is definitely right-wing. While we’re at it, here’s their page on anarchist extremism. Note that page is out of date, though:

For today’s generation of American anarchist extremists, the rioting that disrupted the 1999 World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle is the standard by which they measure “success”—it resulted in millions of dollars in property damage and economic loss and injuries to hundreds of law enforcement officers and bystanders. But fortunately, they haven’t been able to duplicate what happened in Seattle…

LOL HAMBURG. But you get my point - the FBI watches everyone, even esoteric groups like anti/pro abortion “activists” that get a little out of hand. So the FBI is an excellent primary source to go to - certainly better than another PBS hit piece which is also regurgitating data from the “Anti-Defamation League” and making claims of “thousands” of people flooding to the Sovereign Citizen movement, without citing any source at all. Especially when they started in on how dangerous sovereign citizens are! As I noted in my big effortpost (see that for the links,) Sovereign Citizens managed to kill six police officers since the year 2000 - but twenty officers have been ambushed and murdered in 2016 alone, with multiple attacks committed by black people acting on black separatist/revolutionary rhetoric, including the Dallas shooting (killing five and wounding nine) and the Baton Rouge shooting nobody seems to have heard about (killing three and wounding three.) The latest ambush murder of a police officer in New York was similarly motivated - I haven’t even counted the ambush killings of cops in 2017 yet. But yeah, man, the fuckin right wing millitias are the real threat! Hooooo boy, how fucking hard can they shill?

Anyway, here’s the FBI’s resources page, complete with all their copious reports in .pdf format, including several on terrorism related topics. I’ll bet $5 you can make a better argument than fuckin PBS with just what you find here. I’d also track down the sources cited in that 12 page “paper” you linked and read them yourself, see what you can get out of them. That should be a good start, at least.

3 notes · View notes

sheriffscabs · 8 years ago

Text

My favorite albums of the last 22 years

At the end of each year since 1985, I've ranked my Top 10 favorite albums that were released that year. As years went on, and my musical tastes diversified, the lists got longer. These are those lists. (All these lists were compiled at the end of each year, respectively. Some albums are ranked higher or lower here than where I would rank them today) 1995 1. White Zombie - Astro Creep 2000 2. Rancid - ...And Out Come The Wolves 3. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters 4. Hole - Live Through This 5. Prick - Prick 6. Smashing Pumpkins - Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness 7. David Bowie - Outside 8. Silverchair - Frogstomp 9. Fear Factory - Demanufacture 10. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love 11. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill 12. The Flaming Lips - Cloud Taste Metallic, 13. Garbage - Garbage 14. Deftones - Adrenaline 15. Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children 16. Babes In Toyland - Nemesisters 17. Primus - Tales From The Punchbowl 18. Seven Mary Three - American Standard 19. Poe - Hello 20. Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis 1996 1. Metallica - Load 2. Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar 3. Local H - As Good As Dead 4. Type O Negative - October Rust 5. Tool - Aenima 6. Ministry - Filth Pig 7. Korn - Life Is Peachy 8. Soundgarden - Down on the Upside 9. Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill 10. London After Midnight - Psycho Magnet 1997 1. David Bowie - Earthling 2. Metallica - Reload 3. Depeche Mode - Ultra 4. Switchblade Symphony - Bread and Jam For Frances 5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call 6. Megadeth - Cryptic Writings 7. Sister Machine Gun - Millennium 8. Veruca Salt - Eight Arms To Hold You 9. Radiohead - OK Computer 10. Pigface - New High In Low 1998 1. Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2. Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals 3. Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing 4. Metallica - Garage Inc 5. Garbage - Version 2.0 6. Hole - Celebrity Skin 7. Gary Numan - Exile 8. Orgy - Candyass 9. Local H - Pack Up The Cats 10. London After Midnight - Oddities 11. Monster Magnet - Powertrip 12. Fear Factory - Obsolete 13. Love and Rockets - Lift 1999 1. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile 2. Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack 3. David Bowie - Hours 4. The Creatures - Anima Animus 5. Front Line Assembly - Implode 6. Misfits - Famous Monsters 7. Switchblade Symphony - The Three Calamities 8. Powerman 5000 - Tonight The Stars Revolt! 9. Tom Waits - Mule Variations 10. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin 2000 1. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea 2. The Dandy Warhols - 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia 3. The Cure - Bloodflowers 4. Deftones - White Pony 5. Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R 6. A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms 7. Radiohead - Kid A 8. Placebo - Black Market Music 9. The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious 10. Gary Numan - Pure 11. Joseph Arthur - Come To Where I'm From 12. The White Stripes - Dej Stihl 13. Marilyn Manson - Holy Wood 14. Johnny Cash - American III 15. Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet 16. Green Day - Warning 17. Ministry - Dark Side of the Spoon 18. The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina 19. Outkast- Stankonia 20. Mindless Self Indulgence - Frankenstein Girls 2001 1. System of A Down - Toxicity 2. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells 3. Nick Cave - No More Shall We Part 4. Tenacious D - Tenacious D 5. Burning Brides - Fall of the Plastic Empire 6. Andrew W.K. - I Get Wet 7. Slipknot - Iowa 8. New Order - Get Ready 9. Pixies - Complete B Sides 10. Rob Zombie - The Sinister Urge 11. Lou Reed - American Poet 12. Tool - Lateralus 13. Gorillaz - Gorillaz 14. The Damned - Grave Disorder 15. Rammstein - Mutter 16. Pink - Missunderstood 17. Lucinda Williams - Essence 18. Depeche Mode - Exciter 19. Radiohead - Amnesiac 20. The Strokes - Is This It 2002 1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight 3. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 4. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights 5. David Bowie - Heathen 6. Queens of the Stone Age - Somgs For The Deaf 7. Johnny Cash - American IV 8. The Distillers - Sing Sing Death House 9. Chevelle - Wonder What's Next 10. The Vines - Highly Evolved 11. Clinic - Walking With Thee 12. Isis - Oceanic 13. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown 14. Damian Rice - O 15. Korn - Untouchables 16. System of a Down - Steal This Album! 17. Beck - Sea Change 18. Foo Fighters - One By One 19. Tom Waits - Blood Money 20. Tom Waits - Alice 2003 1. Muse - Absolution 2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell 3. The White Stripes - Elephant 4. Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won 5. AFI - Sing The Sorrow 6. The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls 7. The Distillers - Coral Fang 8. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nocturama 9. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief 10. Type O Negative - Life is Killing Me 11. Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 12. Pigface - Easy Listening 13. Placebo - Sleeping With Ghosts 14. Jet - Get Born 15. The Darkness - Permission to Land 16. Sleep - Dopesmoker 17. HIM - Love Metal 18. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow 19. The Rapture - Echoes 20. Opeth - Damnation 2004 1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral 2. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand 3. The Killers - Hot Fuss 4. Interpol - Antics 5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus 6. Mastodon - Leviathan 7. Tom Waits - Real Gone 8. The Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere 9. Morrissey - You Are The Quarry 10. Kanye West - The College Dropout 11. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born 12. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge 13. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hive 14. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News 15. Autolux - Future Perfect 16. Velvet Revolver - Contraband 17. Prince - Musicology 18. PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her 19. The Futureheads - The Futureheads 20. The Zutons - Who Killed The Zutons 2005 1. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning 2. System of a Down - Mesmerize 3. Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth 4. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan 5. Kaiser Chiefs - Employment 6. System of a Down - Hypnotize 7. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois 8. Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel 9. Spoon - Gimme Fiction 10. Gorillaz- Demon Days 11. 30 Seconds To Mars - A Beautiful Lie 12. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene 13. Wolfmother - Wolfmother 14. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better 15. Louis XIV - The Best Little Secrets Are Kept 16. The Kills - No Wow 17. My Morning Jacket - Z 18. Editors - The Back Room 19. Audioslave - Out of Exile 20. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins 2006 1. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations 2. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade 3. The Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops 4. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers 5. The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia 6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones 7. AFI - Decemberunderground 8. Evanescence - The Open Door 9. Damian Rice - 9 10. The 69 Eyes - Blessed Be 11. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas 12. Mastodon- Blood Mountain 13. Rise Against - The Sufferer and The Witness 14. The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics 15. Gnarles Barkley - St. Elsewhere 16. Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope 17. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards 18. She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge 19. Lamb of God - Sacrament 20. TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain 2007 1. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero 2. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible 3. Radiohead - In Rainbows 4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump 5. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular 6. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away 7. Kanye West - Graduation 8. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris 9. Band of Horses - Cease To Begin 10. MIA - Kala 11. Interpol - Our Love To Admire 12. Foo Fighters - Echoes Silence Patience and Grace 13. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 14. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand 15. The Horrors - Strange House 16. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky 17. Paramore - Riot! 18. The National - The Boxer 19. Grinderman - Grinderman 20. Editors - An End Has A Start 2008 1. Torche - Meandrethal 2. Metallica - Death Magnetic 3. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely 4. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer? 5. Lady Gaga - The Fame 6. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig! 7. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip 8. The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing 9. The Dresden Dolls - No, Virginia 10. Black Mountain - Black Mountain 11. Sick Puppies - Dressed Up As Life 12. Santigold - Santigold 13. Brian Eno & David Byrne - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today 14. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line 15. MR RUSSIA - Teething 16. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs 17. Protest The Hero - Fortress 18. The Knux - Remind Me In 3 Days 19. Portishead - Third 20. The Kills - Midnight Boom 2009 1. Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster 2. Metric - Fantasies 3. Screaming Females - Power Move 4. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures 5. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing 6. Slayer - World Painted Blood 7. The Dead Weather - Horehound 8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz 9. Chevelle - Sci-Fi Crimes 10. Mastodon - Crack The Skye 11. Silversun Pickups - Swoon 12. Baroness - The Blue Record 13. Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club 14. The Horrors - Primary Colours 15. Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey 16. Muse - The Resistance 17. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight 18. White Lies - To Lose My Life 19. Japandroids- Post-Nothing 20. Florence and the Machine - Lungs 2010 1. MIA - MAYA 2. Sleigh Bells - Treats 3. The Naked And Famous - Passive Me Aggressive You 4. Grinderman - Grinderman 2 5. Foxy Shazam - Foxy Shazam 6. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday 7. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 8. The Black Keys - Brothers 9. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days 10. How To Destroy Angels - HTDA E.P. 11. The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs 12. Deftones - Diamond Eyes 13. The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards 14. Against Me! - White Crosses 15. Salem - King Night 16. Neil Young - Le Noise 17. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be 18. We Are The Fallen - Tear The World Down 19. Janelle Monea - ArchAndroid 20. Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise 2011 1. The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar 2. Evanescence - Evanescence 3. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes 4. The Black Keys - El Camino 5. The Black Belles - The Black Belles 6. Anthrax - Worship Music 7. Le Butcherettes - Sin Sin Sin 8. Peter Murphy - Nine 9. Wild Flag - Wild Flag 10. Mastodon - The Hunter 11. Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams 12. Apteka - Gargoyle Days 13. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials 14. Russian Circles - Empros 15. Lupe Fiasco - LASERS 16. The Kills - Blood Pressures 17. Tom Waits - Bad As Me 18. Cage The Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday 19. Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare 20. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints 2012 1. Jack White - Blunderbuss 2. Foxy Shazam - The Church of Rock and Roll 3. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar 4. Torche - Harmonicraft 5. Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour 6. Nicki Minaj - Roman Reloaded 7. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Theater Is Evil 8. Jeff The Brotherhood - Hypnotic Nights 9. The Coup - Sorry To Bother You 10. The Hives - Lex Hives 11. Baroness - Yellow and Green 12. Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze 13. Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror 14. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas 15. Swans - The Seer 16. Carina Round - Tigermending 17. Grimes - Visions 18. Gojira - L'Engant Sauvage 19. Converge - All We Can't Leave Behind 20. Garbage - Not Your Kind of People 2013 1. David Bowie - The Next Day 2. Ghost - Infestessumam 3. Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork 4. FIDLAR - FIDLAR 5. Kitten - Cut It Out E.P. 6. The Bellether Syndicate - The Night Watch EP 7. The Joy Formidable - The Wolf's Law 8. Savages - Silence Yourself 9. Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold 10. Willie Moon- Here's Willie Moon 11. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks 12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away 13. Black Label Society - Unblackened 14. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic 15. Kanye West - Yeezus 16. Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King 17. Chvrches- The Bones of What You Believe 18. HAIM - Days Are Gone 19. The Haxan Cloak - Excanation 20. MIA - Matangi 2014 1. Nikki Lane - All or Nothin' 2. Meg Myers - Make A Shadow 3. Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas - Secret Evil 4. Royal Blood - Royal Blood 5. Misterwives - Reflactions 6. Jack White - Lazaretto 7. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways 8. Band of Skulls - Himalayan 9. St. Vincent - St. Vincent 10. Dum Dum Girls - Too True 11. White Sea - In Cold Blood 12. Shakey Graves - And The War Came 13. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2 14. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold 15. Ex Hex - Rips 16. Lykke Li - I Never Learn 17. Chevelle - La Gárgola 18. Warpaint - Warpaint 19. Angel Haze - Dirty Gold 20. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Mind Control 2015 1. The Dead Weather - Dodge and Burn 2. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool 3. Meg Myers - Sorry 4. Ghost - Meliora 5. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly 6. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think 7. Deafheaven - New Bermuda 8. Death Grips - The Powers That B 9. Baroness - Purple 10. JEFF The Brotherhood - Wasted on the Dream 2016 1. Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression 2. Against Me! - Shapeshift With Me 3. Phantogram - Three 4. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide To Earth 5. David Bowie - Blackstar 6. Band of Skulls - By Default 7. All Them Witches - Lightning At The Door 8. Pixies - Head Carrier 9. Garbage - Strange Little Birds 10. Moseley - Rabbit Hole EP 11. Big Ups - Before A Million Universes 12. Adia Victoria - Beyond The Bloodhounds 13. Violescent - Gone is Gone 14. Metallica - Hardwired to Self Destruct 15. Lady Gaga - Joanne 16. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree 17. Ange Olsen - MY WOMAN 18. Death Grips - Bottomless Pit 19. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker 20. PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolotion Project

1 note · View note

kokania00 · 5 years ago

Text

5 Sure-Fire Tips for Buying a New Computer

Where do you start? There are such a large number of brands and models of PCs accessible, and it would all be able to be a bit of overpowering when you begin to glance around.

How would you choose what kind of PC you need? Also, maybe more critically, how would you choose what the best worth is?

I have sold PCs expertly for right around 20 years, and there are sure "subtle strategies" that most PC stores and salesmen use. Realizing these insider facts can settle on your choice simpler and will assist you with purchasing the correct PC for your needs.

1. Purchase What You Need, Maybe a Little More

One of the most significant things you can do when purchasing another computer is make a rundown of the things that you will utilize it for. There are such a large number of various models - with various capacities - that you can without much of a stretch purchase more, or less, than you truly need in the event that you don't.

On the off chance that this is your first PC, this can be somewhat harder. Until you've utilized a PC, it's difficult to know precisely what you should do with it past the self-evident, such as interfacing with the web.

In any case, you should consider a portion of the things you should do. A few potential outcomes include:

Associate with the web

Mess around

Computerized photography

Computerized video

Type reports

Bookkeeping

Structure sites

Programming

Computerized scrapbooking

Geneology

A portion of these things need more power than others. For instance, interfacing with the web truly needn't bother with a great deal of intensity. Indeed, even the most essential PC accessible will likely work fine and dandy.

Computerized video and numerous games need significantly more power. In the event that you don't get a quick enough PC with enough memory, you'll be frustrated with the exhibition.

Comprehending what you will utilize your PC for will support your salesman, regardless of whether they're on the telephone, the web or remaining before you, suggest the best framework for your needs.

When in doubt you're in every case happier purchasing more influence than you need as opposed to less, yet purchasing a lot of can be a misuse of cash.

2. Guarantee Considerations

PC guarantees are one of the most confounding and cloud portions of your buy. Most producers have reduced their client care to the point where poor assistance has gotten guaranteed.

The three most regular alternatives are nearby, convey in or producer's stop administration.

On location administration can be useful, however consider whether you need to must be accessible for a specialist to come and analyze your PC, and conceivably need to return with parts at some other point.

Convey in administration is a decent choice, yet see if the administration focus is industrial facility approved for guarantee fixes, just as whether the experts are altogether ensured.

Delivery your PC to a plant administration focus can take quite a while - now and then various weeks. It likewise makes chance that your PC will be harmed or even lost in delivery. Now and again, the producer will even supplant your PC with another unit and ship it back to you, instead of fixing it. This can bring about your losing any data that was on your framework and reloading all your product.

Another part of the guarantee to get some answers concerning is specialized help. See whether the PC maker offers a without toll telephone number and what the nature of administration resembles.

The better PC sales reps will speak the truth about this and let you know whether an organization's administration comes up short. You can likewise do some examination on the web - the greater part of the PC magazines like PC Magazine and PC World have yearly client support correlations that rate the bigger PC organizations.

Continuously discover how the guarantee is taken care of before settling on your choice. Regardless of whether it doesn't impact your decision, comprehending what's in store if something goes wrong will spare some terrible astonishments not far off.

3. Would you be able to Negotiate the Price Down?

A PC is a generally huge venture - anyplace from two or three hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Numerous PC purchasers expect that there is a lot of "squirm room" on the cost.

Actually most PC equipment - the physical pieces like the PC, screen and printer - is sold at extremely low overall revenues. Frequently, PC frameworks are even sold at or underneath the vendor cost. At the point when you're purchasing a PC, it never damages to request a superior arrangement, yet don't be amazed on the off chance that you just get a couple of dollars off, on the off chance that anything.

Over the near 20 years I've sold PCs, I watched the overall revenues go from over 40% to under 5%. It's practically humiliating to offer a $20 rebate on a $2500 PC framework, yet that could mean the contrast among profiting on the deal.

What you can do to get the best value is to do some correlation shopping. Most PC stores offer value coordinating certifications, so on the off chance that you discover your PC for less at another store, most sellers will match or beat that cost, regardless of whether it implies they lose cash.

4. How Do Computer Stores Make Any Money?

You may be thinking about how these PC stores profit in the event that they're selling PC for so little benefit.

Their cash is made on add-on things. The most noteworthy benefit regions in most PC stores are links and "consumable" items, for example, printer ink and paper.

Printer ink is an immense cash producer for most PC stores (much more so for the printer makers). Why would that be? When you've purchased a printer, you will need to supplant your ink sooner or later, and keep on supplanting it as it runs out.

Most chain PC stores and office supply stores that convey an enormous choice of ink cartridges make more from ink than they do from the PCs themselves.

Links likewise have enormous markups. A link that costs the store $2-3 will frequently sell for $20-30. That is multiple times their expense!

In case you're purchasing another PC, you will probably need to get a few links. A few things - printers, for instance - don't frequently incorporate the links expected to connect them.

Numerous printers likewise accompany "starter" ink cartridges that are just half-full. You may likewise need to get some additional ink cartridges.

This is the place you ought to have the option to arrange a superior cost. Try not to anticipate that the sales rep should toss them in for little more than, they ought to be happy to offer you a superior cost. All things considered, in case you're content with their administration, you'll likely keep on purchasing your ink, paper and different items from that store later on.

5. What Software is Included?

The last mystery of purchasing another computer has to do with the product that is incorporated. Most new PC frameworks incorporate many projects and now and again the estimation of the product can be very high.

Something to keep an eye out for when taking a gander at the included programming is "preliminary forms" or "constrained versions".

Numerous projects that are preloaded are either disabled forms that don't have every one of the highlights of the full program, or preliminary forms that will run for a specific measure of time before they terminate.

PC are regularly sold with preliminary adaptations of the accompanying kinds of programming:

antivirus

firewall

MS Office or other office suites

Bookkeeping - both business and individual

The PC makers for the most part don't make it simple to tell whether the product on their frameworks are preliminary forms or restricted renditions. This is an inquiry that you ought to explicitly pose on the off chance that you can't discover the appropriate response in their limited time data.

In case you're purchasing another PC with preliminary adaptations of the product, remember that you should pay to keep utilizing it after the time for testing is finished. This is an additional cost that you have to consider as a component of your general spending plan.

These five "insider facts" of purchasing another PC are genuinely presence of mind, however they are not constantly clarified in advance. Recognizing what to ask will help you in two different ways. Initially, you can be certain you are getting the correct PC for your needs.

Second, if the sales rep or organization that you're managing discloses these things to you without being asked, you'll realize you're managing somebody who is straightforward and forthright.

0 notes

recentanimenews · 8 years ago

Text

An Introduction to the "SAIYUKI" Anime

An Introduction to the SAIYUKI Anime... As Told By a Fan Who Read the Manga Almost a Decade Ago

By Dee Hogan

After being off the air for nearly 13 years, Saiyuki has at last returned to grace our televisions with attractive men beating the crap out of each other while waxing poetic about their dark-and-stormy pasts. But with Saiyuki's previous anime seasons scarce and its manga volumes even scarcer, you might be hesitant to check out the new series.

Well, fear not! I, an ardent Saiyuki fan who read the manga as it was coming out almost 10 years ago, am here to provide you with the story exactly as I remember it. Which is to say: Very vaguely! Now you, too, can enjoy Saiyuki Reload Blast as if you were right there with the rest of the fandom, reading the manga in the mid '00s, selling the volumes to help pay for grad school, and now racking your brain to piece together the semi-existent plot of that gloriously feelsy action series you still love so very, very much.

Come along with me on this journey, won't you? This journey...TO THE MAX!

Caution: Loving irreverence, questionable accuracy, and spoilers for the Saiyuki and Saiyuki Reload manga below. Content warning for mentions of child abuse.

But First, a History Lesson!

Saiyuki began as a manga created by Kazuya Minekura. Well, I guess technically it began as the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Saiyuki is based on that classic epic, in the same way that Taco Bell is based on Mexican food.

Journey to the West is a Buddhist-inspired comic adventure story that follows a monk, a monkey king, a half-pig man, and an exiled immortal as they travel to India to retrieve sacred sutras. It's a complete story that has been translated in its entirety into English, unlike the Saiyuki manga, which is neither complete nor fully translated. Tokyopop imploded (along with half the U.S. anime industry) in the late '00s, leaving us one volume short from finishing Saiyuki Reload, and we've seen neither hide nor hair of the manga since. I am still salty about this.

Pictured: Saiyuki sexily locked out of the U.S.

The anime adaptations have fared somewhat better, at least: the three TV series (Gensomaden Saiyuki, Saiyuki ReLoad, and Saiyuki ReLoad Gunlock) were all released in the U.S., as was the film (Saiyuki Requiem) and the most recent OVA series (Saiyuki Gaiden). I only caught about 15 episodes of the anime, but my memory is that it's a reasonably faithful adaptation, albeit one that tones down the R-rated elements and adds a bunch of filler stories. Depending on where you live, you can stream both the original TV series and the Gaiden OVAs, but the two ReLoad sequels are confined to dusty DVD shelves for the time being.

And if all these title variants are confusing you, then congratulations! You're well on your way to being a Saiyuki fan, because they're confusing to me, too. Saiyuki is to manga as Kingdom Hearts is to video games. The series has been running off and on for twenty whopping years, and it's splintered in a bunch of directions along the way. For now, all you really need to know is that the central story goes Saiyuki, then Reload, then Reload Blast. Everything else is prequels and side stories.

As for what that central story is all about, well...

The Story!

Saiyuki takes place in Shangri-La, a fantasy world created by plucking Chinese fiction and history fruits from across the centuries, tossing them in a blender, and adding a splash of good old-fashioned manga tropes for spice. Humans and youkai share the land, six-shooters are as common as swords, and the main characters ride around in a jeep that's actually a dragon. (Or is it a dragon that's actually a jeep?)

Things are going great until a youkai sorceress hooks up with a mad scientist and they start brainwashing youkai into murdering the faces off every human they can get their hands on. Then the local humans start panicking and murdering the faces off every youkai they can get their hands on, whether they've been brainwashed or not, and pretty soon everyone in Shangri-La is starting to feel pretty Shangri-Low.

To keep the peace, the local Bodhisattvas decide to send their Top Man, Double-Oh Sanzo, out West to find the culprits and tell them to knock it off. Our priest is joined on his quest by three companions: Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai, each with their own uniquely upsetting backstory and particular set of skills. They're also all youkai (or at least youkai-adjacent), but they've been equipped with handy-dandy power limiters to keep them from going berserk like the others.

Together our quartet travel across the lands, getting into scrapes, fighting off the minions their mysterious antagonists send after them, and frequently threatening to kill each other as they journey ever Westward, hoping to one day reach their foes and stop their nefarious scheme.

And I'd tell you all about that nefarious scheme, but I have straight-up forgotten it. The Big Bads' oh-so-sympathetic underlings are prominent in the original Saiyuki series, but then they have to take an extended spa vacation, so most of Reload is one long semi-self-contained arc about cowboys and necromancers. It's GREAT, mind you, but all the tension and shootouts and good good angst have shoved what's-her-name and scientist-face and their plan to do something-or-other straight out of my head.

Honestly? It doesn't matter. Saiyuki is about the journey, not the destination. More to the point, it's about the people you get to hang out with along the way.

And speaking of...

The Characters!

There are a lot of compelling supporting characters (mostly antagonists) who drift in and out of the Saiyuniverse, particularly Kougaiji and his merry band of Youkai In Need of Hugs. But the story is carried by its four protagonists—most of whom you're also going to want to hug, and two of whom may try to kill you if you do—so you're gonna want to get to know them.

A chain-smoking, booze-slinging, trigger-happy, permanently irritated Buddhist priest, he's the current holder of the Sanzo title and the wielder of some very powerful sutras, though he's usually content to keep those stored away and just shoot people in their dumb faces instead (all faces are dumb to Sanzo, I'm pretty sure). He met his trio of party members through various traumatic adventures and brought them together, offering them a chance to start over. Despite his grouchy exterior, deep down he's a good guy.

...Deeper than that. No, further. Little further. There it is! See? Good guy.

Sanzo's history is told in fits and starts, which is to say I can't keep it straight anymore. I feel pretty confident saying he had a rough childhood, because this is Saiyuki we're talking about. And I know he witnessed his master's murder and it messed him up right proper. I have a working theory that Mr. Mad Scientist (Jianyi! That's his name!) is involved, because he used to be a Sanzo priest himself and sure seems to know a lot about our Sanzo, but take that with a grain of salt. Sure would make for some good drama though, yeah?

Goku's the youngest-looking of the gang and often acts like it. Don't let that fool you, though: He's actually a powerful monkey king who was imprisoned on a mountain for hundreds of years. His memory's as patchy as mine, so all he really remembers is being lonely and then Sanzo freeing him and then him not being lonely anymore. See, happy things do happen in this story!

Like another Son Goku you may know (who's also based on the monkey king in Journey to the West, by the by), this one fights with a staff and loves to eat. He's generally cheerful and friendly, but if you take off his diadem, he gets real angry, and not just because that diadem brings his whole outfit together, you uncultured boor. Mostly it's because the diadem is his power limiter, and removing it makes him hulk out somethin' fierce.

I know this is the part where I'm supposed to say “you won't like him when he's angry,” but berserker Goku leads to some of the best fights and dramatic beats of the series. I like him when he's angry a lot more than I should.

Half-youkai, half-human, Gojyo is the child of a “forbidden” affair between the two species. A literal redheaded stepchild, he was abused by his youkai stepmom and shunned by society at large. He had an older brother he loved (not like that, you pervs) who stepped in to defend him, to the point where he was eventually forced to kill his own mother to protect his brother. The two eventually meet again and it's... it's real sad, y'all. Gojyo's backstory is real sad.

Nowadays he's a foul-mouthed gambler who likes to pick fights with Sanzo and quarrel with Goku, but he's maybe the most loyal member of the team and (despite being the least powerful) doesn't hesitate to step up to defend others. An asshole with a heart of gold, more or less. He fights with a sickle-flail that doesn't make sense but looks real cool, and he's technically a womanizer, but don't let that stop you from 'shipping him with one of his teammates. Gojyo is Extremely Shippable, you see.

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who think Hakkai is the best character in Saiyuki, and those who are wrong. Since the rest of the team has zero chill, Hakkai has an excess of chill to balance them out. Perpetually smiling and perpetually The Saddest, he's the team peacemaker and magic user, the owner-driver of the Dragon-Jeep, and a secret badass. Hakkai has removed his power limiters exactly twice, and exactly twice he has ruined his opponents. Other fun facts include: Can and will drink you under a table. Technically died once to save his friends. (Don't worry, he got better.)

His backstory is basically one big D: emoji. Born a human, he had an older sister he loved (yes, exactly like that, you pervs) who was kidnapped by the resident evil youkai noble. Hakkai slaughtered ONE THOUSAND MUTHAFUGGIN YOUKAI on his way to rescue her, but she died anyway because Kazuya Minekura is a cruel, cruel manga-ka. Also, it turns out that when you slaughter ONE THOUSAND MUTHAFUGGIN YOUKAI, you, uh...turn into a muthafuggin youkai yourself. Womp womp.

Hakkai wasn't doing so hot after all that. In a fit of guilt and despair, he even ripped out his own eye to appease a vengeful youkai (he eventually replaced it with a fake one, and got a rad monocle to match). He was ready to rip out the other eye, too, but Team Sanzo showed up in time to slap his hand away and offer him a new life and a second chance. They're his FAMILY now and he loves them VERY MUCH and they all need to PROTECT each other and—

Er. Ah-hem.

So. Uh. Yeah. I used to scour eBay looking for a UFO doll of this guy because that's how badly I needed to give him a hug. Hakkai is Best Boy. It is known.

Okay, But What's it About?

Kicking ass and having feelings and looking damn fine while doing it.

And if that's not enough for you, then here's a bit more: The title of the manga (最遊記) is a play on the Japanese title for Journey to the West (西遊記). They're both read as Saiyuki, but the manga replaces the kanji for “west” with the kanji for “most” or “extreme.” With one simple character, our journey to the West has turned into a journey... TO THE MAX!

And, honestly, that's what Saiyuki is about. Big expansive world, big bombastic fights, big heart-on-sleeve emotions, big tragic histories, big meandering narrative. Everything is cranked up to 11. The series first ran in a shounen magazine (targeted at boys) before later finding a home in a josei one (targeted at adult women), which I think speaks to the way it dances between all those extremes: From rip-roaring action-adventure to character (melo)drama and on over to broad or black comedy before bouncing right back to one of its other modes again.

Is it over-the-top, unfocused, and unapologetically packed with shipteases and emotional fanservice? Oh, yeah. One hundred percent. But, all teasing aside, I love it. I used to devour new volumes in one sitting, cheer out loud during the fights, bite my nails when my boys were in danger, giggle at their down-time bickering, and lap up all those theatrical, quasi-philosophical monologues.

I love it in a way that's hard to put into words because it's so intricately tied to being a stressed-out high school/college kid in the mid-to-late '00s, but I think it comes down the series' overall tone and message. Because, despite its many moments of levity (particularly in the early going), as bullets fly and youkai rampage, the story always comes back to a bunch of sad-yet-defiant survivors trying to make it in a world that seems fundamentally, maybe even permanently broken.

It's devastatingly grim at times, but even at its most dismal, it always manages to offer a kind of skeptical hope instead of just pessimistic tragedy porn. “Everything is terrible, but I'm not gonna give up,” in essence. Or maybe more to the point: “Everything is terrible, but I have people who support me, so I can get through it.” And there are times even now when that message has been a comfort to me, melodramatics or no.

Saiyuki is too gleefully ridiculous, both in terms of world-building and staging, for me to take it too seriously or champion it as A Great Classic That Everyone Should Try. Frankly, if you read “a jeep that's actually a dragon” and didn't at least crack a smile, you probably should have walked away right there.

Even so, with its raging battles, skewed sense of humor, smokin' hot anti-heroes, and willingness to dive head-first into sensationalized but nevertheless sincere explorations of trauma, depression, community, and identity, it scratches a particular itch and does so very effectively. Saiyukiis intense and bombastic, as overloaded with bullets as it is with feelings. It's stylish, heartfelt, top-tier trash, and I can't wait to roll around in it all over again. Lock and reload, gang. It's gonna be a blast.

About the author, Dee Hogan

Dee is a nerd of all trades and a master of one. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and East Asian studies and an MFA in Creative Writing. To pay the bills, she works as a technical writer. To not pay the bills, she devours novels and comics, watches far too much anime, and cheers very loudly for the Kansas Jayhawks. You can hang out with her at The Josei Next Door, a friendly neighborhood anime blog for long-time fans and newbies alike, as well as on Tumblr and Twitter.

SAIYUKI RELOAD BLAST is available for viewing now on Crunchyroll!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

0 notes