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wandamaximoffsbadgirl · 9 months ago

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Can I request Carol Danvers x Reader. While the whole team is on a mission, Reader finds themselves in trouble. Carol swoops in a saves them. The team starts to harass R, which makes R have feelings of doubt toward their abilities and also not good enough for Carol. Angst and then you can end it however you see it. Thank you! If you don’t like this request, please feel free to ignore.

My Voice of Reason

Warnings: Bullying of R by the team that's about it

Word count: 660

A/N: thank you for this request! I had a fun time with it~

“Y/N! Come in! What's your status?” Cap shouted over the comms. Your head was reeling after being knocked back about 50ft. You had no voice left, you had been shouting, using your voice manipulation to subdue the enemies.

You had run out of throat spray to ease the pain and talking was something you couldn't even fathom.

“Anyone got eyes on Y/N?” Natasha called through the comms.

“I'll find her.” You heard Carol call through, and before you knew it, she was standing above you. “You good, Echo?” The nickname that stuck with you for being able to mimic any sound. You were able to nod, point at your throat, and sign ‘no’. “Can you get up? Can you walk?” As Carol asked, another handful of Hydra goons came round, and without a second thought, Carol picked you up before unleashing an attack, knocking them out. “Let's get back to the QuinJet.” You nodded, gripping onto her, burying your face against her to hide the blush covering your cheeks.

The ride home had been full of whispers as if you couldn't hear them talking down. It was your voice that wasn't working, not your ears.

You felt Carol's strong hand on your shoulder. Looking over, she gave a soft smile. “Almost home. We'll have to debrief, but you should grab some medicine first.” You gave a soft smile back and nodded.

“Y/N do you have anything to say?” Tony remarked, all eyes on you.

“Ran out of meds. Couldn't talk.” Your voice still hoarse.

“I am so sick of that excuse! You need to train more often and stay off missions. You're grounded.” Cap called across the table. You pulled your sleeves over your hands, picking at the skin around your nails. You couldn't look at any of them.

“I'm sorry…” you spoke softly. Letting the ‘adults’ talk even though you were 21 you were still the youngest besides Peter, but Tony kept him mostly off field.

A few hours later you'd been released from the debriefing, heading straight to your room. “FRIDAY. Soundproof.”

“Sound proofing complete ms. Y/L/N.” As soon as it was soundproof, you let out a banshee scream in frustration. You yelled until your voice was just about gone again, “Fuck them. I try so hard…Tony has a stupid suit, Cap is a super soldier, Thor is a literal God!” You yelled. “It's not fair…its…” you started crying which turned into uncontrollable sobbing.

“Echo? Are you in there?” You heard Carol knocked at your door. As you tried to gather yourself together real quick and told FRIDAY to stop the soundproofing.

“Y-yeah…here…” you called out, spraying your throat.

“Can I come in?” Carol asked, making you hesitate for a moment before opening it and pulling her inside. “Hey, you okay?” Carol cupped your cheeks, you tried looking away, anywhere, but at her. She was always so kind and caring towards you. “Look at me Y/N.” It caught you off guard, she never used your name ever since she learned your nickname so of course you looked at her. “Don't listen to those idiots. You're amazing and you're an amazing super hero. They have fancy gadgets and enhancements. You don't have those things. Sure your voice is a power and makes you an enhanced individual, but your power hurts you too. It isn't endless your body has limits and they need to understand that.”

You felt your body shake at her words, trying to hold back your tears, but they end up falling as you're pulled against her. “Shhhh I'm always on your side.” Carol pulled your face up gently before pulling you into a soft kiss making your heart soar as you kissed her back pushing up on your toes and wrapping your arms around her shoulders.

Through all of it, Carol was here with you, and so long as you had her by your side, anything the other members said didn't matter.

#ley speaks #ley requests #ley drabbles #ley writes #carol danvers x reader #carol danvers #carol danvers x female reader #captain marvel #captain marvel x reader #captain marvel x female reader

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reysdriver · 11 months ago

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Mattress Acting | P.P.

Day 8 of Kinktober: Photography/Sex Tape — peter x fem!reader

warnings: 18+, Minors DNI - smut, sex tape, slight exhibitionism, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, piv sex, creampie

words: 1.3k

a/n: I told yall im gonna stick to kinktober even tho its literally december! NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT??

The idea had struck you both at the same time last night. When Peter had picked up his camera off his dresser as you were changing into your pyjamas. You heard the click sound of the shutter when you were pulling your shirt over your head, and you knew exactly what it was.

After pulling off the piece of fabric, you saw your boyfriend standing against the wall with a cheeky grin on his face.

“I’ll delete it, I promise.” He said, still smiling.

“You don’t have to.” You told him. “I always like when you use me as a model.”

So now here you were, getting dressed up in your nicest set of sexy underwear while Peter was in his boxers, setting up his camera on a tripod beside your bed.

Once you were done getting ready, you came out of the bathroom and called for Peter’s attention. He looked up at you with wide eyes. As much as you loved his flattery, you were excited to start and didn’t want to waste much time.

“How’s the camera?” You asked, motioning to the stand.

“All set up, everything looks good.” He answered. “I’ll press record whenever you’re ready.”

You smiled at him excitedly. “Let’s make a sex tape, then.”

He pressed the red button on the top of the device, then walked you back to the bed. He kissed you as he laid you back against the sheets, then softly pecked the crown of your head.

“You’re gonna be a goddamn movie star, baby.” Peter told you, then returned to your lips as he laid atop you.

His large hands started travelling all across your body. They started at your cheeks as he held your face close, then they started moving down.

Then, at your chest, they cupped your breast over the bra and kneaded at the lush flesh. When he felt that wasn’t enough for him, he moved one of his hands to your back, and you arched for him, He easily manoeuvred the clasp open, and kept going how he was before.

And finally, at your hips, he pulled you tightly against him, and you could feel his boner through his boxers. Unfortunately, with that and your panties, there were still two layers of fabric separating you from your boyfriend. Now that just couldn’t be anymore.

Luckily, Peter seemed to share your sentiment because he hooked two fingers around your waistband and tugged slightly, wordlessly telling you to lift your hips. And you did, of course. You let him pull down your underwear, and he pulled away from the kiss so he could toss them aside. You watched as he discarded them in the direction of the tripod, and they fell to the floor after hitting the stand about a foot under the camera.

Oh, that camera. You felt the same rush whenever Peter used you as the subject of his photography. In school, he went to you first for every photography assignment he could possibly fit you into—partially because he claimed you as his inspiration, and partially because he knew how much you loved it.

You were pulled out of your haze when you felt Peter shifting his body down along the bed so he could hold his face between your legs.

A swarm of butterflies rushed from your core into your stomach when Peter pressed that first warm kiss to your centre. As if your limbs were moving without you even thinking about them, your legs interlocked behind Peter’s back and your hands latched onto his soft hair.

It seemed like he took your actions as a sort of motivation, he brought his mouth to your clit and began working it. You didn’t even have to perform for the camera; his kisses unleashed a perfectly pornographic moan from deep inside you.

God, the way he knew how to please you with just his mouth was insane. Each and every movement of his tongue or his lips was just so amazingly perfect.

You knew from the start that you wouldn’t last long, but when Peter just kept lapping at your pussy while using all the moves he had kept track of over the time you’ve been together because he knew they made you cum, of course the petit mort was almost here.

Your vision quickly became dark and you started seeing stars. Your jaw fell slack and your hands gripped your boyfriend’s hair. It was almost unbelievable how good he was at this.

And it wasn’t even close to over yet.

“Pete.” You breathed. “That was amazing.”

“Just trying to put on a good show.” He shrugged. He was acting nonchalant, but you could see his smile peeking through his lips.

He lifted himself up, and you could see his hard member straining against his boxers. It was definitely one of your favourite sights of all time.

“You want me to help you with that?” You asked happily.

And because you both knew what the answer was going to be, he just smiled back at you as he removed the little bit of fabric that was covering him.

You dragged your fingers along your own slit, picking up some of your own slick to use as lubrication, then you brought your hand up to grasp his cock as he sat beside you.

Peter inhaled deeply when you wrapped your hand around his dick, and his sounds of pleasure only increased in volume when you started to jerk him off. He definitely didn’t need the extra arousal—he was already hard as a rock from eating you out—but maybe you just wanted to build anticipation even more.

After what you felt was a sufficient amount of strokes to move him along and raise lust, you sat up and nestled yourself onto his lap. You guided him to your pussy and sank down onto him. The stretch around him was so perfect; you and Peter were both audible in proving that.

With hands on his shoulders to steady yourself, you started bouncing up and down on his cock. You kept riding your boyfriend, motivated by his sweet groans close to your ear, but the task was getting somewhat tiresome. Not that it wasn’t exciting, but you felt like your energy had been largely used up by Peter eating you out.

And he clearly noticed this because he brought his hands up to your hips so he could do the hard work. He started lifting and lowering you for both your pleasures, and he did it brilliantly.

You felt Peter gradually tense up, and you knew he was almost at his climax. He twitched once, then twice, inside of you before releasing pumps of cum inside of you. He kept using you for a few pumps after he was all done, then while still inside of you, he laid you on your back and pressed a series of soft kisses on the side of your neck.

Once you had both cooled down, Peter slowly pulled out of you and reached over to the camera and stopped the recording before lying back down and cuddling with you. You hummed with his touch and thanked him quietly. He smiled back at you and interlocked your hands.

“Can we watch it together tomorrow night?” You asked.

Peter brought your hand up to his face and kissed it gently. “Of course. I’ll even promise not to touch the camera until then so I won’t see anything.”

He was too sweet. You pulled the duvet over the two of you and tucked the two of you in with the blanket.

He spoke up again. “And then I can even pick out the best shots, and we could get them framed and put them right up on the wall there.” He smiled and tapped the wall behind the headboard.

You laughed along with him, but you weren’t entirely opposed to the idea.

#xena's kinktober celebration #kinktober #peter parker #tasm #tasm peter #tasm!peter #tasm!peter x reader #tasm peter parker #tasm!peter parker #tasm imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker smut #peter parker fanfiction #spiderman #spiderman smut #marvel #the amazing spider man

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webslingingslasher · 2 months ago

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https://www.tumblr.com/webslingingslasher/762615995779186688/alternate-universe-question-what-if-cherry-had

j omfg this just unleashed something feral in me. OMFFNDD

oh it’s a different level of peter. he straight up tells his friend he’s poaching her.

‘i’m gonna ask her on a date.’ OG hookup doesn’t care.

peter approaches her, using the nickname that always makes her squirm. ‘cherry, what are you doing friday?’

‘um, i don’t know. i think i might stay home.’

‘wanna let me take you out on a date instead?’

(and cherrys never been asked out so boldly. or ever. so she’s shy and softly nodding.)

‘yeah, sure, i can do that instead.’

#OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IDK #thanks anon!

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bullet-prooflove · 4 months ago

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Oh please, if this prompt "But you can steal a kiss, I won't call you a thief But take it from me What I got to give you can have for free" is not for Matthew Keller, I don't know what is!

Tagging: @rosielou94 d @kmc1989 @toheavenwmydrms @fangirling-alert @soultrysworld

Prequel to:

My Girl (NSFW) - Noone puts hands on Keller's girl.

One More Night - Keller doesn't know when he came so sentimental.

Merlot - Keller misses you more than he'll admit.

Trust (NSFW) - You send Keller a message when he returns to New York.

Starry Night - Keller gives you the stars.

Dysfunctional - This thing between the two of you works because it's dysfunctional.

Honeypot (NSFW) - Keller doesn't realise you had a prior relationship with Woodford.

5 Times - Keller almost tells you he loves you.

Three Minutes - It takes three minutes for Matt Keller to lose his humanity.

Transactional - In the wake of your injury, you leave Keller a Dear John letter.

Barcelona - Matt finally shows you just how much you mean to him.

It’s the night you steal back your grandmother’s ring back that things between you and Keller change. Up until then you’ve seen him for exactly what he is, a thief, a liar, a manipulator, all the things you’ve needed to pull off this heist. It isn’t until the two of you were sitting inside the car outside Peter Burke’s place that you realise there’s so much more to him. There’s an empathy that he keeps hidden underneath all that armour, a moral code that’s tucked away amongst the shades of grey he wraps himself. After all it was him that supplied the can of gasoline to destroy that Nazi scum bag’s collection. Him who handed you the match box.

“I fucking hate these guys.” He’d said as he poured the fuel around the room, all over the teeth and the baby shoes. “They’re fucking animals.”

It’s you who lights the match, who flicks it into the room and watches the whole entire thing ignite. You hope it frees those souls trapped in there, that it cleanses them.

You don’t expect him to walk you to your doorstep, you didn’t think it was his style but he’s surprised you tonight and he just keeps surprising you.

“Be sure to get rid of these clothes yea?” He says his fingertips trailing lightly along the collar of your jacket. “We don’t need anything tying us back to that asshole.”

“Maybe you should help me out of them, take them with you when you go.” You whisper as his thumb traces along the line of your jaw and he smiles as he leans in close.

“Alright sweetheart. I can do that.”

You’re surprised by how tender his kiss, the softness of his lips. It’s nothing more but the brush of his mouth over yours but it unleashes something inside of you, something wild, raw and passionate.

You don’t remember unlocking the door or even making it through the hall, all you can focus on is the sensation of his body pressed against you, the molten heat of his skin. When you tumble onto the bed, he pauses for a moment, his dark eyes glittering as he looks down at you.

You look beautiful, skin flushed, shirt open. You’re wearing black lace underneath and it highlights your sensuality, his palm comes to rest on your throat and your hips arch against him, breath hitching.

“Oh sweetheart,” He drawls as his thumb traces over your lower lip. “The two of us are going to have some fun tonight.”

Love Keller? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Interested in supporting me? Join my Patreon for Bonus Content!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

#matthew keller #matthew keller x reader #white collar

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downwiththeficness · 8 months ago

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Shadow and Veil-Chapter Forty Seven (Final Chapter)

Summary: Eva Moore’s life was a carefully constructed fiction. Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run her over. Now, she’s faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings for her husband’s new business partner at bay.

A/N: This fic is a sister-fic to A Need So Great and A Need Unleashed. You do not need to have read ANSG or ANU to read this fic, but there are Easter eggs from those fics in Shadow and Veil for readers with keen eyes. This fic is explicit for canon-compliant blood, gore, violence, and sex. As such, it is intended for an adult audience, only. A/B/O dynamics come with their own warning. Anyone under the age of 18 should not interact with this work. I do not consent to reposting this work to other platforms. Reblog only to Tumblr.

Word Count: ~1,100

Start from the beginning Previous Chapter

Masterlist Read on AO3

Eva sat in the front seat of Horacio’s truck, looking around with interest. There were cars parked in uniform lines on either side of her, each of them pointed at a huge screen.

The weather was just this side of too hot, one last burst of heat before the rainy season. Above, the moon shone high and full, illuminating the field and surrounding forest. The field was tucked away from the road and all the streetlights, leaving them in near darkness that was cut through with the pre-show animations.

She had no idea who Peter Fonda was, or what it meant to be a ‘hired hand’, but Horacio loved Westerns and that was enough for her. She didn’t care that it would be dubbed in Spanish, Eva was just glad to be out and about.

Coming back to Colombia was like surfacing from underwater and taking a huge breath. She was finally back in the home she shared with Horacio. Finally back in their bed. It didn’t matter that Horacio got right back to work or that Eva still couldn’t find a job.

She was home.

Finally.

The door opened and Horacio dropped into the passenger’s seat with an armful of candy and other treats. Eva stared at the bounty, surprised, “We’re never going to eat all that.”

He lifted a brow, “I’ve seen your snack platters, Eva.”

The man had a point.

“I withdraw my statement.”

Eva carefully arranged the snacks on the console between them, making sure to group them by category—salty, sweet, sour, savory. Picking up a small cut of diced fruit, she got comfortable and dug in.

“Carlos asked us over for dinner,” Horacio mentioned casually.

“Oh?”

He nodded, “He got a new grill and wants to test it out.”

Eva chuckled around a bit of mango, “Should we bring a hose?”

Turning a little in his seat, Horacio’s mouth lifted in half a smile, “He said he has one, We’ll keep it at the ready.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Eva said as she picked up at box of sour candy and slid her thumb under the cardboard.

He was quiet a moment, watching her pick through the candies to find a red one. Then, “He said something else, too.”

She looked up in question and murmured an intrigued, “What did he say?”

Horacio’s earnest expression and the way he was watching her intently set her back a step. He looked nervous, almost worried. She reached over and touched his arm, finding it trembling, “What did he say?”

His palm laid atop hers, “That I was taking our relationship for granted.”

Stunned, Eva shook her head, “I don’t think…”

He cut her off, “I have. A little. I was so...confident that you were mine from the very beginning.” A hand waved away Eva’s soft ‘I was’. He took a breath, “I made a lot of decisions for you. I pushed you too hard. And, I am so grateful that you didn’t tell me to fuck off.”

Eva laughed soundlessly, “Oh, I wanted to a few times.”

“I know,” Horacio drawled, with humor. “I deserved it.”

She sighed, “It was...an impossible situation.” A pause, “Was. Its not impossible anymore. This,” she squeezed his arm, “this is an easy thing.”

Horacio smiled, “You’re right. And, I’ve been so focused on my work, and then Mexico happened.” He drew a breath, “Then…”

Eva shivered as his hand drifted across her gland. Her throat tightened around the still too fresh feeling of their bond.

“So,” he rasped, “I have something for you.”

He reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a small deli box. Eva smiled when he handed it to her, that smile growing when she recognized the logo on the top. They had been back to that restaurant a few times since returning from their trip. The food was as good as she remembered it.

“I had them make that special. For the occasion.”

Thumb pushing open the top, Eva almost laughed at the little cake inside. Oblong and golden brown, the homemade Twinkie sat on a bed of chocolate shavings. The sweet smell of fried dough reached her nose, telling Eva that it was going to be absolutely delicious.

When she looked up to thank Horacio, he was also holding a box. This one was considerably smaller, fitting in to the palm of his hand. Eva’s breath caught and the weight of what he was doing settled over her.

“I know this is late,” he said, “But, I—ah—I wanted to give you this.”

She took the box from him and opened it. Her eyes watered when she saw what was inside. Blinking away the tears, Eva plucked the ring from its velvet cushion. Set in silver, the oval sapphire was flanked on either side by small, glittering diamonds. Eva slid it on her finger, turning her hand so that the stones glinted in the dim light.

“Its perfect,” she croaked around all her love for him.

Horacio let out a relieved breath, “I’m so glad you like it.”

“I do like it,” she replied, leaning over the console to kiss him. “How did you even get this? You’ve been at work, or with me the whole time we’ve been back.”

His smile was shy, “I actually bought it in Mexico. While we were...apart.” He took a steadying breath, “I told myself that I would give it to you when I got you back.”

All the tears Eva had been holding back burst forth with an ugly sob. She sniffed loudly and reached for him. Eva held him tightly to her, buried her face into his neck, and breathed in tobacco and vetiver.

“I love you,” she breathed, pulling back to kiss his forehead, his cheek, his lips.

Horacio smiled into the kiss, “Let me take you home.”

“We’ll miss the movie,” she murmured, “Look, its already starting.”

Eva was right. The title screen had just faded away and music was swelling through the little speakers. He didn’t even glance in the direction of the screen, “We’ll catch another show.”

“You promised,” Eva reminded him.

A sigh, “I did promise.”

“You did.”

Licking his lips, Horacio made a noise of resignation, “Alright, I promised you a movie, and we’re going to watch it.”

“My first movie,” Eva replied, holding up a finger.

“Yes, yes. Your first movie,” he conceded, “But, the second we get back…” He let that promise hang in the air between them. Then, “Eat your Twinkie.”

Eva picked the Twinkie out from the box and broke it in half, “You want some.”

Horacio shook his head, “Even homemade, it will still be too sweet.”

“More for me,” she shot back primly.

He slung an arm over her shoulders, “Anything you want, Eva. Its all yours.”

#Shadow and Veil #Narcos #horacio carrillo #carrillo #a/b/o dynamics #maurice compte #AU

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missanthropicprinciple · 2 years ago

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miss anthro’s film recs: May 2021

Jurassic Park 1993: Watched this for the third time in a month today to celebrate it's release 28 years ago. Like most excellent films, it was created by a lucky intersection of talent. The remarkable premise was crafted into a brilliant script by David Koepp and author Michael Crichton; it was tight, clean, fast-paced - no plot holes and unnecessary scenes. Steven Spielberg really did a fantastic job of making a cohesive production and giving it a kind of emotional continuity. The cast is outstanding. I could write an essay about each one. Richard Attenborough brings pathos to John Hammond, the delusional tycoon. Sam Neill is perfect as Alan Grant, a jaded paleontologist who finds deeper compassion. Laura Dern gives a raw performance as the resolute and charming paleo-botanist Ellie Sattler. Jeff Goldblum stars as Ian Malcolm, chaotician and prototype "rock-star scientist." Bob Peck is wonderful as the sensible game warden Robert Muldoon. Samuel L. Jackson works his magic as sardonic chief engineer Ray Arnold. And of course, excellent performances from Martin Ferrero, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards. The special and physical effects are remarkable and most of them remain so nearly three decades later, including the life-sized animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex and just the right amount of CGI. Cinematography by Dean Cundey features god-tier-level use of scale framing. Not to mention great use of color, blocking, sound, costume, John Williams' beautiful score - you name it, this film really has everything going for it. Is this a perfect film? No, but it gets bloody close. Unmissable science-fiction that examines the horror unleashed by the arrogance of mankind.

The Birdcage 1996: This 25* year old film is a real gem. While the modern viewer (myself included) could find fault with some stereotypes, etc., the classic comedy has aged quite well. There’s a lot of slapstick and hysterically funny and clever dialogue. Williams and Lane are outstanding. There’s a very touching scene between the two of them which is very romantic and sweet. And of course the whole cast is perfect. I’m always impressed by this film when I haven’t seen it in a while.

The Moon-Spinners 1964: You don’t need to be a Disney fan to love this incredible classic. Hayley Mills is well loved but I don’t think she’s given enough credit for being not only a brilliant child actor but also a great actor as she aged. Her performance is stellar. The whole movie is fun and tense, bringing Mary Stewart’s novel to life in the great and beautiful country of Greece. It’s a fun adventure from start to finish with humor and romance.

Fairytale: A True Story 1997: Want to cry your eyes out about the Cottingley fairy hoax of 1917? You may not trust me but I recommend this experience. Honestly, this movie is life-changing. This is a depiction of a real life story involving historical figures. Usually no one gets that quite right but this movie kinda does. Peter O’Toole looks nothing like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but Harvey Keitel looks remarkably like Harry Houdini. Something about the music and what they do with this story gets into your bloodstream. I couldn’t possibly spoil for anyone who knows nothing about it, but I can say that there is some incredible CGI and a scene where someone faces retribution from an unexpected and shocking source.

edit 2023:

*now 27

I found this in my drafts. Clearly, life got in the way and I didn’t continue my recommendation posts (I have the templates drafted in text form.) Also, while drafting this edit I was attacked by a small beetle. I remain unharmed and have released the beetle into its natural environment.

#missanthrofilmrecs #jurassic park #the birdcage #the moon spinners #fairytale a true story #movies #movie reviews

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shrinkthisviolet · 5 months ago

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⭐star⭐

I’m gonna give a commentary on all love ever does is (begin again)! Specifically some choice parts from it.

To start off:

And…and his dad. Barry chokes, thinking of the wish—the desire—to save his dad, the one he brushed aside for the sake of the timeline. The timeline that has never done a kindness for him, yet one that he’s expected to maintain nonetheless, lest he fall to madness like Thawne. Even when he’s alone, even as he watches his friends and family suffer every day…he’s expected to apologize and smile and push down his grief and carry on like nothing is wrong. It’s infuriating.

Flashpoint in general was shortchanged on the show. We only see an episode of it, then one episode of him undoing it and feeling conflicted about it…and then the episodes after that are focused on blaming Barry (which isn’t entirely unfounded, though it also kind of is, because of them blaming him for random ripple effects—but anyway, that’s a rant for a different post).

What I wanted to focus on was that second part: Barry undoing Flashpoint and feeling disoriented by the changes and also guilty about undoing it. Or maybe for doing it in the first place. Or maybe both.

It was also important for me to highlight that this choice stemmed from his grief over his dad. As much as he was going back to save his mom…he was also trying to save his dad, and that latter part is never really brought up by the show? It’s suggested, sure, but every time Flashpoint is discussed, Barry’s motives are solely tied to Nora Allen, not Henry. Which misses the point of why it happened. I wanted to highlight the Henry aspect of it, especially since this fic is all about Barry & Henry in particular.

And also…Barry carries a lot of resentment against the Speed Force in addition to his guilt. He doesn’t unleash that resentment until the Temptation arc in s6, but it’s strongly suggested (or stated? I don’t remember exactly) that he’s been carrying this for years. So here, I liked getting to mention that—the resentment would’ve been at an all-time high with the fallout of Flashpoint, I’m sure (it would’ve simmered after that for a few years, but right in the wake of it? Oh, yeah, that resentment would be high).

But then someone snatches him out of the time stream, and Barry’s heart nearly stops, because that looks like… Like his dad. But his dad’s not a speedster, and his dad doesn’t dress like the Flash, and there’s only one person he knows who that wonky helmet belongs to. “Jay Garrick?” He hopes he’s wrong. “Flash.” He’s not. “We need to talk.”

And speaking of Henry!! I don’t remember how many times after s2 it’s brought up that Jay (the real one ofc) is Henry’s doppelgänger, but iirc, it’s not mentioned in s3. I gotta believe that informed every interaction Barry had with Jay forever, ad infinitum…and certainly here, in s3, when he’s lecturing Barry. That’s gotta make Barry feel like he’s a kid being scolded by his dad again. He even basically says that here:

Jay’s words. But they feel like a scolding from his father, and the guilt burns.

And as a section break (and because this is getting pretty long), here’s a cut! The rest of the commentary is continued below:

“But why have these powers, if I can't go back and fix what I broke?” He remembers the Peter Parker line from Civil War, the essence of Spider-Man at his core: When you can do the things that I can, and you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.

As mentioned in the end notes…Civil War came out in April 2016, and Zoom killed Henry in May 2016. You can’t convince me Barry didn’t have this quote playing on a loop in his head in the immediate wake of Henry’s death, being locked in the Pipeline, handling Zoom…and then Flashpoint. I’m sure he did.

“I’ve handled most of the funeral arrangements,” she explains, her eyes so impossibly sad, “but you’re next of kin, and he’s your dad, you should be involved with planning it too.” She smiles sadly. “It might help, Barry.” And…well, what does Iris know about grieving a dead parent anyway? Especially in this circumstance? Earth-2 Iris lost Joe at Killer Frost’s hand, but it wasn’t personal, and Earth-1 Iris doesn’t know about that. The closest equivalent she has is Francine, and even then, the two weren’t close. She didn’t have to watch her dad killed by a vengeful speedster who only did it as a means of personality corruption. Iris has no idea how he feels, and he shouts this at her in no uncertain terms. Her eyes glisten with tears, but she drops the subject.

Ah, Barry’s patented defense mechanism: lashing out at his loved ones. Doing so at Iris is especially telling, because it speaks to just how not okay he really is :(

Also, regarding the funeral…I sorta forgot while initially writing this that they already had a funeral in 2x22 😅 I remembered a week or two later. And basically the explanation I came up with it in my own head to reconcile this is: one of the Flashpoint changes was that the funeral was postponed rather than occurring during 2x22.

They all hug him, tight and strong, all of them crying. It’s a relief, almost, to be hugged and comforted by people that knew his dad—his girlfriend, his future daughter-in-law, and his best friend. Henry didn’t know Caitlin as well, but Barry caught them gushing over medical stuff together, and Barry was glad they’d found friendship in each other, and Caitlin is Barry’s friend, and so is Tina tangentially, and Joe's family, and Iris is the love of his life. And all of that is more than he can say for anyone else here.

So, to clarify, the three people listed by epithets are: Tina (Henry’s girlfriend, they were so adorable in that one episode they got together), Iris (Henry’s future daughter-in-law), and Joe (Henry’s best friend). And I liked slipping in a moment of Caitlin & Henry’s friendship, because I gotta believe they bonded. Especially since they’re both doctors…even if neither of their specialties are ever specified by the show.

(does Caitlin even have one?? Closest I can guess is that she’s a PCP medically speaking, but then how can she perform surgery?? Then again, how can Julian and Iris perform surgery??)

Oh and also:

There’s a notable absence there, and it stings, but Barry’s anger wars with his guilt—Cisco likely doesn’t want to attend another funeral so soon after his brother’s, especially being so angry at Barry still. That doesn’t mean Barry doesn’t hate him for skipping it anyway.

Can’t forget what else is happening in early s3, now can we 😭

Vindictively, Barry’s a little pleased to see Jesse taken to task. Her powers—their powers—aren’t to be messed with lightly, and everyone seems aware of it but her, and everyone’s all too happy to tell her. In Barry’s opinion, they don’t need another speedster on the team messing everything up—he’s having a hard enough time fixing his own mistakes without worrying about someone else’s. And then Jesse helps Barry stop a meta, and Harry gives her a suit, and Barry zips around the Speed Lab—wow, that’s new, isn’t it?—until the urge to scream at Jesse dissipates. She’s a child, a naive little girl, she doesn’t deserve this, what gives her the right to get everything, while I lose everyth—?

And here’s this. It’s never suggested even in the show that Barry is jealous of Jesse in any way, but I do feel like given where his head is at in this fic, it makes sense. Jesse wants to use her powers every chance she gets (because she was rescued from Zoom and is not the main character, thus her trauma no longer exists), she’s scolded and held back at first…and then she succeeds once and is embraced as a hero.

Jesse’s getting encouragement and laurels, while Barry is still struggling with the weight of his failures. Is that fair to blame on Jesse? No. But that’s the point. Barry’s in a bad headspace right now, and deep down, he knows Jesse doesn’t deserve his anger, but he has to put it somewhere.

Really, the anger is masking concern. He says as much to Henry's grave:

“There’s a new speedster,” he whispers. “Jesse. You remember her, don’t you, Dad? Turns out she got powers from that explosion that almost killed me.” He sniffs. “So clever. So, so smart. Her dad loves her. As he should. But she’s so reckless too, you know? “I’ve spent the past few days hating her for it. For her powers. But I think that’s because no one else hates her powers anymore. They did at first—at least her dad did, because he was scared of what it meant—but not anymore. She used them to save me from a meta, and…and now… “Now everyone’s treating her like a hero. Like they treated me, after the whole Thawne mess. And I’m sore about it, because I’m trying to clean up my mistakes, and I’m watching another speedster come into her own, and…and she’s getting the hero worship—and I don’t want the hero worship, I don’t, but it’s…” But it’s easier to be praised and lauded than to face the consequences. “She has no idea,” he chokes, “how dangerous these powers are. How tempting. The power to change the past? How could anyone resist it for long? How could anyone grieve a parent and not want to bring them back?

Although that little speech comes just a short while after he lashes out at Harry for expressing concern over him:

“Don’t you have a speedster daughter to worry about? She has time travel too, you know!” Harry’s eyes widen. “You did make the same mistake. Why? That’s not like—” “Because Zoom killed my father, in case you forgot!”

And Harry, of course, isn’t having it:

Harry turns to face him head-on, and the look in his eyes—firm but not intense—nearly takes Barry aback. “I’m saying, Allen, that you act like you’re the only one grieving your father. You’re not.”

...

“You’re right, no one knows him like you do. But love isn’t as simple as that. You can be loved by a hundred different people, and they can all feel your loss like a stab to the heart, and they can all grieve in similar ways.” Harry looks away. “Believe me, Allen, that’s a lesson I’m still trying to learn. A lesson I often struggle with. Don’t make my mistakes. You’re better than that.” “Because I’m a hero?” Barry quips. “Because you’re Bartholomew Henry Allen. You carry his name. That has meaning. Be a man your father would be proud of.”

Of course, he also reiterates that this is advice he’s still learning to follow. Harry’s great at giving advice (hey, he’s been a dad for 17-18 years, he ought to have picked up some wisdom from it), not so much at following it…even when he really should.

He also reassures Barry in his own gruff way, when Barry gives way to his perpetual self-blame and guilt:

“What if I’m not strong enough? What if I hurt someone, or make the wrong choice again?” Harry’s gaze is steady as ever, unflinching. “When you got your powers, did you immediately know how to use them?” “What?” Barry frowns. “No, I—” “Did you always make the right call? Were you always the perfect hero?” “Of course not!” “Of course not,” Harry parrots, “which is why you needed a Team, at first, to help you get your bearings. And a mentor. And you needed to give yourself time, to learn how to use your powers, and the room to make mistakes. There’s no handbook for being a superhero. What makes you think grief would be any different?” “But Thawne—” “—was from the future. Maybe there’s a handbook in that time. But there isn’t one now. There are things you still don’t know, things that I don’t know. I’m terrified every day of Jesse having powers, but I can’t hold her back and pretend her powers don’t exist. Likewise, you can’t bury your grief and pretend it doesn’t exist, or it’ll explode out of you. Like with your earlier time-travel decision.” “That’s not—you have no idea—” “I’m not a speedster. But I know grief.”

Takes one grieving man to recognize another…even if one is grieving his wife and mother of his child, while the other is grieving his father (and, honestly? Probably his mom too, all over again, after having to let Thawne kill her to restore this timeline)

Of course, it ends hopefully. Or, I guess, bittersweetly:

“Come on, let’s go. Jesse’s already twice as hungry as before, now that her metabolism’s gone up.” “That’ll be fun to deal with.” “That’s my headache, Allen. Yours is gonna be training her.” Barry groans, remembering Jesse’s recklessness even before she got her powers. With the added bonus of the Speed Force… “Oh no.” “Buckle up.” Harry grins. “I can’t wait to see this.”

Life goes on, and so must they. That grief lingers, it can never be “fixed”, but it can become easier to grow around over time. But that’s not something that can happen in such a short time. So as far as endings go…that’s the happiest one you can hope for in a fic like this.

(It’s interesting, btw, how Harry reacts to Barry’s anger vs how everyone else does. We know from canon that everyone gives Barry a wide berth when he's angry, giving him time to cool off.

Harry, though? He just barrels right in with all his bluntness, because he has no time or patience for mincing words or stepping on eggshells. And this approach should by all accounts be kindling to further ignite the fire...but it turns out to be exactly what Barry needs)

director’s cut ask game!

#director’s commentary ask game #barry allen #henry allen #harry wells #the flash #barry allen needs a hug #barry allen whump #aka the ‘hey cw let barry deal with his grief AT ALL’ fic

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shokuto · 1 year ago

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Since the spiderverse films didn't do him justice, and he might as well not exist for Cody in the comics, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on Ganke as a character overall if you have any in particular and wouldn't mind sharing?

Also, Insomniac Miles is carrying all other Miles skills wise, he's the only version currently invested in utilizing Miles' power set with zero apology and it's dope to see. I'm really curious about how they'll have him handle symbiote Peter. They might end up battling, but there are already certain fans getting kinda defensive at the idea of Miles possibly beating Peter, so they'll probably have Miles help him from the symbiote some other way. What do you think?

I think Ganke’s the first pillar of support in Miles’ story, the dreamer who clocks in on him having spider powers immediately and nudges him into being Spider-Man when he’s at his most timid because he knows what he’s capable of before anyone else. It’s a shame Lord & Miller were discouraged from using him because of the mcu’s fuck ass plagiarism, and even more of a shame that his general absence seems to be the one thing from the movie that bled into Miles’ comics.

That said, I do think there oughta be a little more to him than what’s been shown, even in Miles’ original comics. The most we know about Ganke as a person is that he likes legos, he’s interested in girls, and his dad died when he was younger. The video game did great work in introducing coding and engineering as a hobby, but we don’t even know what Ganke wants to do for his future in the comics.

And this may sound weird but I think Ganke would serve as the perfect segway to introducing Fun Stupid Teen Shit like parties, kickbacks, social politics and the like into Miles’ stories, and I say that because when he’s not helping Miles out, Ganke’s the Normal one. The one who devotes most of his time to normal, non-death defying stunts like going to school. And it makes sense for him to be more tapped into the social scene than Miles who spends most of his time getting hit in the face twelve times a night. So far no one has really utilized the idea of there being that kind of fun in Brooklyn Visions, which is crazy to me because if you’ve ever been in an institution like that you know it’s not like everyone’s just studying and preparing college dissertations in their downtime 24/7, lol.

And Miles is definitely gonna be smacking the tar off Peter. Those fans get defensive because they don’t like the idea of Miles succeeding Peter in any way, much less physically. It’s stupid, but you know how these people are. The blue electricity zapping the symbiote into oblivion at the end of the first trailer wasn’t enough of a sign because they’re devoted to being obtuse and insecure about Peter.

That said, I don’t really like how the venom strike has evolved. I always preferred it being this lowkey, vaguely eldritch move that Miles has in the holster rather than outright electrokinesis, and while the comics had already been leaning in that direction, the video game definitely contributed a lot to it. I get why they did it, and that it makes playing as him more fun even if it’s over the top for the same reason The Force Unleashed is a blast, but you know how it is.

#ask #ganke lee #spiderman #miles morales

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roadtogracelandx45 · 2 years ago

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Prompt List updated March 27th

I am starting with 70 for now, I may add or change them going forward. but for now these were the ones i had in my notebook. i got all of them off of Pinterest. Some already have names by them but go ahead and request them again if you like the prompt and I can redo them.

Fandoms I write for:

Top Gun Maverick: All

Elvis: Elvis

One Chicago: Kelly Severide, Jay Halstead, Will Halstead, Connor Rhodes, Adam Ruzek

Avengers: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, Natasha, Clint Barton, Peter Parker

Triple Frontier: Will Miller and Benny Miller

Four Brothers: Bobby Mercer, Jack Mercer

Sons of Anarchy: Jax Teller, Opie Winston, Juice Ortiz, David Hale,

Fast and Furious: Dom Toretto, Roman Peirce, Brian O'Conner, Letty Ortiz

Band of Brothers: Wild Bill, Babe, Malarkey, Nixon, Winters, Joe Toye

Twilight: All of the Cullens, Jacob Black and Bella Swan

Harry Potter: All

WWE/TNA/AEW/ ROH : Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Randy Orton, Edge, Christian Cage, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Hurricane Helms. Mr. Kennedy

Supernatural- Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Cas

The West Wing: Josh Lyman, Sam Seaborn

Game of Thrones: Robb Stark, Jon Snow, and Sansa Stark

Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit: Thorin, Fili, Kili, Bilbo, Legolas, Aragon.

Black Sails: Billy Bones, James Flint, Eleanor, Charles Vane, Anne Bonney, John Silver

Law and Order SVU: All

Hawaii Five-0: All

SWAT: All

Yellowstone: Kayce Dutton, Rip Wheeler, Beth Dutton, Jamie Dutton.

Crash- Kenny

Southland- John Cooper, Ben Sherman

Gotham- Jim Gordon

White Collar- Matthew Keller

The Mighty Ducks- All

The Outsiders- All

Masters of the Air- all

Newsies- Jack Kelly, Davey, Spot Colin, Mush, Kid Blink

*****

01 “Oh you think I am cute when I am angry? Well get ready because I am about to be gorgeous.”

02. “I can’t lose you again. Can’t you see that? I am not strong enough.”

03. “Marry me’

04. “I’m not jealous.”

05. “Kiss my ass.”

06. “Were you ever gonna tell me?”

07. “Excuse you?”

08. “This is all your fault.”

09. “It’s not fair.”

10. “Game Over, you lose.”

11. “Is she always this obnoxious?” “Oh, she is just getting warmed up.”

12. “We don’t need to control them. We need to unleash them.”

13. “It should have never come to this.”

14. “I’m not a lot of people’s favorite person.”

15. “I shouldn’t have wasted 3 years on someone when Russia could have sent me a good bottle of vodka.”

16. “Can we have this conversation when you aren’t upset?”

17. “Come over here and make me, why don’t ya?”

18. “I am tired of being your secret.”

19. “Mess with them, you mess with me.”

20. “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”

21. “ I am coming to get you. Stay there.”

22. “Are you safe?” “I, I don’t know.”

23. “This is why I don’t let myself fall in love.”

24. “You are my regret.”

25. “You have to make a choice.”

26. “Put the knife down.”

27. “Jokes on them.”

28. “The way you flirt is shameless.”

29. “With all due respect, I’m going to ignore everything you just said.”

30. “It’s me! It’s me baby! Calm down.”

31. “Have you lost your damn mind?”

32. “Hey, I am here with you. Okay? Always.”

33. “Hold me back.”

34. “You aren’t a bad guy.”

35. “You know we are meant to be.”

36. “Mine.”

37. “Seriously, you are a manchild.”

38. “I get it alright! I fucked up!”

39. “She’s dead! I killed her!”

40. “You smell nice.”

41. “I think I am pregnant.”/ “I am pregnant, not helpless. Stop worrying so much.”

42. “So what if I am jealous? Its not gonna change anything.”

43. “You owe me.”

44. “Be careful.” “I always am.”

45. “Take my jacket, it's cold outside.”

46. “I am not some toy you can play with.”

47. “Just play long. Please.’

48. “I did something terrible.’

49. “Don’t hurt the hair on their head.’

50. “I got your back.”

51. "I told you not to get too close to me."

52. "How long?' "Since the beginning."

53. "Touch her and you're dead."

54. "Baby, we are the law."

55. "Baby, don't make me spell it out. You know I want you."

56. "I will always choose you."

57. "What happened? I told you to stay by my side!"

58. "Don't you dare!"

59. "Well what can I say? I am a badass."

60. "Excuse me, I have to go and make a scene."

61. "Before this happens, I need you to know that I have always loved you." 1

62. "No panties, baby girl?" 1

63. "Well you are coming home with me whether you like it or not."

64. "That looks hard. Let's switch."

65. "Saddle up doll."

66. "Like what you see?"

67. "Don't pretend to be innocent."

68. "You're mine. And I don't share."

69. "Welcome back, now fucking help me."

70. "Don't be an asshole, asshole."

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determinedwriter · 1 year ago

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Whumptober 2023: Day 26: Working To Exhaustion/“You look awful.”

High school freaking sucks. I kind of knew it would, but I’ll admit I’m smart enough to push through. Or at least I thought I was.

Going to a STEM school makes everyone look smart. And they know it. Nobody knows I’m Tony Stark’s kid, so I’m just like everyone else. An average teenager.

I thought that’s what I wanted, but I think it’s almost making things worse. As far as anyone knows, I’m just some orphan. I suppose the same goes for Peter though. And he really is one.

I shouldn’t complain. But sometimes I wish I could unleash my powers on my school bullies and burn all of my terrible test scores.

I’ve been studying like crazy lately. Ever since I came home with a subpar grade on my latest project at school.

Dad acted like he didn’t care, but I saw the frown. I saw the look in his eyes. And when he’s disappointed in me, it feels like a stab to the heart.

Even if he doesn’t mean for it to hurt, it does. I think it hurts more when he lies and tells me it’s okay. I know he wants me to succeed. He wants me to be smarter than this.

Who wouldn’t want that? Especially considering he’s one of the smartest people on the planet. But my endless studying has begun to take a toll on me.

Friday chimes to life from the ceiling to speak to me. “Miss Aurora, your father is asking you to come to dinner.”

I look down at my textbook and notes. “Tell him I’m not hungry but…thanks.”

“Of course, Miss.” She replies.

I study until there’s a knock on my door. “Ro?”

“Hmm?” I ask.

Dad opens it. “Missed you at dinner. What’re you up to?”

“Studying.” I reply honestly. “Sorry I didn’t come to eat. I just wasn’t hungry really.”

He nods. “It’s alright. Make sure you get some sleep though. It’s a school night.”

“Yup.” I say. “Goodnight.”

Dad nods again. “‘Night, kiddo.”

I sigh in relief when he leaves. I’m exhausted and I don’t want him to see how much this school crap is killing me.

He deserves a kid that’s not going to flip out about the little stuff like I am.

But that’s not gonna happen, so I’m going to do my best to be who he deserves.

Working harder and harder as the days pass, practically killing myself in the process. I’m working myself to exhaustion.

The day of the big test I’ve been studying for, I can hardly make my way to my classroom. Peter notices this in an instant.

He supports my weight as I stumble in the doorway of the class, Flash making one of his very unnecessary comments. “Careful everyone, Ro’s a zombie. Don’t get bitten. Too bad she’s gonna fail this test with her lack of brains.”

“Shut up, Flash.” Peter says, helping me sit. “Ro, are you gonna be alright?”

Flash smirks. “What? I’m just saying. Zombies don’t have brains, right? Or at least they don’t use them.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t have energy for your crap.”

“Hence the zombie thing you have going on?” He asks. “I mean, you look awful.”

Peter glares at him. “Seriously dude, just drop it.”

I sigh. “It’s whatever.”

He rubs my back. “Do you need anything?”

I shrug. “No…”

He takes a water bottle out of his backpack. “Drink up. Just a little.”

“I don’t feel good.” I mumble back. “Thanks, though.”

Peter puts the bottle away, watching me nervously as our tests are handed out. Here we go. Time to either crush this or disappoint my dad once more.

“Your time starts now.” I hear the teacher tell us.

My hand shakes as I write with my pencil, the lead breaking as I press down a little too hard. God, I’m going to give myself a heart attack.

Peter notices this, silently handing me another pencil.

“Thanks.” I whisper.

He nods and gives me a thumbs up, going back to his own test after that. He’s smart as hell, but he’s probably stressed about it too.

Maybe I should’ve studied with him. I’ve been keeping to myself and doing that alone lately. It’s too late to worry about that now. Just get this done.

About halfway through the test, I can hardly ignore my dizziness and anxiety. People have begun to turn theirs in and I’m way too far behind.

God, what’s the use in studying if it just ends with me failing all over again? I’m really starting to panic now. It’s a good thing nobody knows I’m a Stark.

I shouldn’t have any association with the great Tony Stark. It’s a wonder we’re even related in the first place.

I hadn’t realized it, but my panic has become obvious now. Peter is touching my shoulder and my teacher is calling my name.

My eyes land on Flash, who laughs. I don’t know why this sends me off the deep end the way it does, but here we are. I’ve begun to hyperventilate.

“Aurora? Aurora, what’s the matter?” My teacher asks.

“I think she’s having a panic attack.” Peter explains. “Ro, just take it one step at a time. Breathe with me. Can you-“

I wobble in my chair, fainting before I hit the floor. I’ve literally worked myself to the point of unconsciousness. I didn’t think it was this bad.

My eyes open to see Peter’s face above me, carrying me quickly down the hallway. “P-Pete?”

“Ro, thank God!” He exclaims. “You scared me half to death.”

Still woozy, I don’t immediately understand why I’m his arms. “I’m…tired…”

“Try to keep your eyes open. Please.” Peter begs. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m taking you to the nurse.”

I weakly nod, but pass out again shortly after that and wake up on a cot in the nurse’s office. This time, Peter is sitting beside me.

“H-How long was I out?” I ask.

“Only a little bit. I ran here with you.” He explains. “I think everyone was more surprised I could carry you than the fact you fainted.”

“Fainted…” I echo. “Why did I…”

“You’re exhausted and dehydrated.” The nurse speaks up. I hadn’t noticed she was in the room at all.

“Oh…” I reply. “I-I don’t feel well.”

“No wonder you don’t feel well, honey. Please, just rest for now. I’ve called your emergency contact.” She tells me.

“Who is that again?” I ask, knowing it’s not Dad. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t put his name on it for my own protection and privacy.

“Harold Hogan and Pepper Potts are the two we have listed. Mr. Hogan is on his way.” The nurse replies.

I hate to whine, but I’d really like my dad right about now. “Thank you.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” She says.

Peter holds out the same water bottle from before. “I’m making you drink some this time.”

I chuckle weakly. “Okay.”

Taking a few sips, I lay back down until Happy arrives, looking concerned. “Hey, kid. How do you feel?”

“Like garbage.” I tell him. “I really want to go home but I need to finish that test. I’ve already disappointed my dad enough. He needs me to-“

“I need you to take it easy.” Dad finishes for me, revealing himself in the doorway and entering. “I won’t have it any other way, you got it?”

“Dad?” I gasp. “W-Why are you here? You never come here.”

“Happy told me what the nurse said. You fainted. I’m not about to leave you alone. Even if you do have him and the spider kid here.” He replies. “You look exhausted. What happened, Ro?”

I gulp, replaying the past week or so in my head. I’ve hardly eaten, drank, or slept. “I just…wanted you to be proud of me.”

Dad’s face softens in concern. “Oh, baby…it’s okay. I’m so proud of you. Nothing will ever change that. I know you’ve been studying a lot lately but I didn’t realize you were practically killing yourself over it. This could have gone much, much worse.”

Hearing the scolding, I avoid his gaze by closing my eyes. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to…I just wanted to be like you. I want to be smart and not even have to try and…and I can’t even do that without fainting in the middle of class.”

He sighs. “Well first of all, I don’t want you to do this ever again. I won’t have it. And second of all, you’re almost too much like me. You’re smart and you're stubborn. That’s what got you here. You put too much pressure on yourself. When was the last time you saw me get to bed at a reasonable hour?”

I shrug. “That’s different.”

“It isn’t.” Dad insists. “Having trouble with school doesn’t make you any less of a damn prodigy, kiddo. I don’t call you mini for nothing. Mini Stark. Thank God you’re not my clone though. You have empathy.”

“So do you.” I say.

“Not like yours. And yours is just natural. Effortless. I wish you had more confidence in yourself, but I’m glad you don’t have my arrogance. Even I can admit I have a big head.” He continues. “Though…I am a genius.”

Noticing I don’t laugh at this, he frowns. “I’m sorry, sweet kid. My point is…the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You’re smart. And your struggles don’t mean you’re not. I need you to trust me on this.”

I slowly nod, hugging him. “I didn’t mean to not take care of myself. I just got so wrapped up in trying to make you proud…I wasn’t thinking. And I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t realize. You can come to me with these things alright?” He replies.

“Alright.” I say.

He wraps an arm around me and helps me stand. “I’ll have Happy take us home and you can rest, okay?”

“What about my test?” I ask.

Dad scoffs. “You’ll ace it. I’ll make sure you get time to do a make up test. Don’t worry.”

I lean on his shoulder. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’ve got it, micro.” He replies.

Peter speaks up for the first time in a good few minutes. “You’re a cool dad, Mr. Stark.”

“You know it, kid.” Dad teases. “Thanks for getting her here, by the way.”

He nods. “Of course, sir.”

Dad brings me to the car where Happy drives us home, making sure I get some desperately needed sleep and lots of water too.

Slowly but surely, I’m able to feel less anxious about test days. And Dad’s help is invaluable. He says I had it in me all along, but I credit him in helping me with my grades either way.

There’s nothing quite like a father-daughter duo.

Especially when they’re a couple of Starks.

We’re thick as thieves. And that won’t change as long as he’s by my side.

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year ago

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The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

It’s bad enough to make any movie boring but you have to be extra incompetent to make a film titled The Satanic Rites of Dracula less interesting than math homework. This is the kind of horror film any obsessive movie goer will probably wind up watching more than once during their lifetime. Why? because it’s in the public domain. You can find it included in any number of bargain bin horror DVD sets for cheap. Don't be tempted. I’d rather sit down and watch The Devil Bat again than this snooze-fest.

The English Secret Service learns of a sinister plot concocted by Satanists. Prominent members of society are all involved, meaning the operation to take it down must stay hush-hush until Colonel Mathews (Richard Vernon) and Inspector Murray (Michael Coles) figure out who to trust. Once they bring in occult expert Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to help, he makes a startling realization: the legendary Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) is leading the cult!

Seeing the previous Hammer Dracula films won't make a difference. This plot just isn’t interesting. Most of it concerns talking heads wondering whether the Satanists are all bluster or whether they actually pose a threat to the world. When the authorities finally realize Van Helsing’s old friend, scientist Julian Keeley (Freddie Jones), is developing a new strain of the bubonic plague, you’re relieved the action is finally going to kick in and wonder what this has to do with Dracula. Truth is, there’s no reason for him to appear. There’s talk about the Count wanting to get revenge on all of mankind by wiping them out but that makes no sense. What's he going to do after? Starve? If he’s trying to end his immortality by killing us all, there are easier ways. In this picture alone, we learn several ways to take out the count: stakes through the heart, silver bullets, sunlight, RUNNING WATER… there’s another one too, a means introduced out of nowhere right at the tail end of the film in order to wrap things up quickly (not quickly enough if you ask me). It’s a Deus Ex Machina cross-bred with lazy writing. The results will make you wish you hadn’t bothered with any of it.

The idea - as far as I can tell - was to mix up the Dracula formula by blending elements of science fiction and spy thriller with horror. It's a failed experiment. The whole time, you’re just sitting there, waiting for Dracula to show up. Blah blah blah, conspiracies, blah blah blah, you can't trust anyone. Can we get more of the cultists sacrificing naked virgins and talking about the “Sabbath of the Undead”? Not that the secret society stuff is particularly interesting but at least it’s simple. Trying to figure out how many days left before the plague is unleashed and wondering why the villains who could’ve easily killed Van Helsing while he was passed out instead decided to let him off with a warning wasn’t enough to keep me entertained. Not while the one-dimensional and generally useless characters run around trying to figure out what the audience already knows.

I hope I never have the misfortune of stumbling upon The Satanic Rites of Dracula again. While Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing always bring a certain level of fun - particularly when they’re together on-screen - nothing about this film would ever tell you why they’re fan-favourites among classic horror aficionados. There’s no reason for anyone to check out The Satanic Rites of Dracula. (On DVD, March 24, 2020)

#The Satanic Rites of Dracula #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #alan gibson #don houghton #christopher lee #peter cushing #joanna lumley #michael coles #richard vernon #William Franklyn #Freddie Jones #1973 movies #1973 films

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wweasleyhp · 18 days ago

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New Book on Wattpad

Hi, I've just started writing a new book on Wattpad. It's a fantasy book called "Unleash." My Wattpad account is @wweasley_hp. Here is the blurb:

Everyone worries about Audrey Williams. She wishes that this wasn't the case. Six months ago, her brother drowned. She tries to get back to normal, she wants to go back to normal, well as normal as it can get. But when her and her friends go on a museum trip and a somewhat familiar statue is seen from a childhood book, Peter decides it would be funny if he "unleashed" the curse. What happens? Let's say that someone turns into a statue, chaos unleashes and Audrey and her friends need to get Peter back (with a little help of course).

And now here is the first chapter:

Chapter 1

Drops of rain crash against the windows, a soothing melody that accompanies the grey skies. Lightning can be heard frequently.

Mrs Williams is making breakfast in bed for her daughter, Audrey. She worries about her as she is going to have a hard day today.

Meanwhile, Audrey is in her bedroom, she’s sleeping but not well. She tosses and turns around her bed until the fumes of the food her mother is cooking for her enter her nose. Her eyes slowly open.

She groans as she props herself up on the bed. The realisation fills her as today is the day. It’s been exactly six months since her brother died. Audrey slides herself down her bed, not wanting to get out, just wanting to stay in bed all day.

She lies on her pillow and cries into it. Suddenly, the door creaks open. Mrs Williams slowly comes into the room with a tray full of pancakes and berries.

“I made you your favourite,” she says in a soothing tone.

She sits on the bed beside Audrey, rubbing her back.

“You don’t have to go to school today if you don’t want to.”

“Thanks Mum but I want to,” Audrey croaks, “It’ll distract me.”

“Whatever you want dear,” she kisses her daughter on the forehead.

Mrs Williams leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Audrey gets out of bed and grabs the tray. She then crawls back into bed. Her mother is always so kind.

She is infertile. Her and Mr Williams adopted Audrey and her brother when they were young, taking them in as their own. Their biological parents had died of mysterious circumstances and half a year ago, Audrey's brother had died.

Mrs Williams comforted Audrey during that time, letting her not be in school for three months. What would she do without her mother?

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

“Mum! I’m leaving!” Audrey shouts.

“Bye, darling,” Mrs Williams replies, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Audrey heads to the beach. The beach is empty. It looks deserted. The wind blows calmly, the fresh air enters her nose.

Her hair blows into her face. She takes her hair tie and puts her hair up. The waves crash into the sand, then pull away. She spots someone familiar.

He would be the only person walking on the beach at 7 in the morning. Peter. She runs over to him.

“Hi,” she says with a slight smile.

“Hi,” he replies, “I didn't think you would show up today.”

“I’ll be distracted,” Audrey explains, “It’ll help me not think about it.”

“Fair enough.”

Peter messes with the cord on his earphones. His other hand is tapping to the music he’s listening to.

“What's up?” she asks, “You look a bit tense.”

He smiles at her, “I have a presentation to do.”

“It looks like I made you feel better,” she says, “You’ll do great.”

“You always know when something’s up don’t you?” Peter answers, “Anyways, come on, we’ll be late for school.”

Audrey breathes deeply. Does she really want to be at school? She has a bad feeling. Teachers and students would look at her with sympathy in their eyes. She's dreading that.

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

“Alright, class,” Mr Robbins says, “Turn to page 231, we’ll be learning about ionic compounds.”

The classroom is dark as it’s raining outside. Audrey groans quietly as she’s sat next to Aaron, they may be friends but she swears he never washes his clothes.

“I know we’re friends but seriously, do you wash your clothes?” she whispers.

Aaron looks up from his drawing, “What? Of course I do, my mum wouldn't let me out of the house if I didn't wash them for six months.”

“So six months is too much for you?” she asks with wide eyes, “What's the cut off point?”

“Three months,” he replies casually.

Audrey gags a bit. She tries to focus on Mr Robbins but she's really hungry. His face just looks like a massive cookie. Then the bell rings for lunch.

“Class dismissed,” Mr Robbins says, “Audrey, can you stay behind for a few minutes?”

Oh god. Did he catch her not listening and instead staring at his face imagining it as a cookie? She walks over to his desk.

“I’m glad to have you back,” he smiles, “If you need any help with your Chemistry I’m here to help.”

“Thank you, sir,” she says.

Why are teachers like this? That's really kind of him but she comes to school to forget about her home problems not to be reminded of them. She breathes deeply to stop the tears from flowing.

She rolls her eyes as she spots a couple making out next to the lockers until she looks again and sees Sean Graves, her boyfriend, her ex boyfriend. She doesn't really know what they are. Didn't he tell her that it was a short break? For her to focus on her grief? She goes over to them.

“I thought it was a break,” Audrey says angrily, “For me to focus on my grief?”

“Audrey,” he answers, “It doesn't have to be a break anymore, I just thought it was going to be like two weeks, you know?”

She stares at him dumbfounded, “My brother died, of course it wasn't going to be two weeks. You know what? We’re over.”

She storms through the canteen to the bathroom, tears flowing, his desperate shouts blend into the loud chatter. She slams the bathroom door shut. She hits the walls with her knuckles, groaning in pain. This is not the same as a punching bag.

She puts her earphones in and muffles her sobs. It’s quite embarrassing to cry at school. Then she hears a knock.

“Audrey, it’s me,” Hailey says.

Hailey is Audrey's best friend. She’s quite funny and helps her and her friends feel better. There's not many people helping her so she's grateful for Hailey. Audrey opens the door.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asks quietly.

Audrey shakes her head, “Can you hug me though?”

Hailey smiles faintly as they hug. Why is being a teenager so brutal?

“I had a bad feeling about today,” she sobs, “I should have just stayed home.”

“You tried though,” Hailey says calmly, “That's all that matters.”

I hope you enjoyed it and will continue reading it on Wattpad.

#creative writing #writing #fantasy #wattpad

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hoffstrap-yuri · 2 months ago

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ao3 // masterlist

Lost In Time, Like Tears in Rain

*Summary: Indistinguishable. Her dirt brown hair looked like every other head in this sector. She turned a corner when it felt like an eye was on her back, seeing if the feeling follow. She only let her chest decompress when the nagging feeling of someone watching had gone. --- “You are flipping through a magazine. You suddenly come across a full page nude photo of a girl…” “Miss Strahm, is this question to test whether I am a Replicant, or a lesbian?” She almost laughed

*Rating: +18 for explicit mature content

*Content/Tags: Angst, Seriously a lot of Angst, Angst and Porn, Action and Romance, Alternate Universe: Blade Runner 1982, Gender Changes, Gender or Sex Swap, Smut, Lesbian Sex, Fem Hoffstrahm, Fem Coffinshipping, Yuri Coffinshipping, Yuri Hoffstrahm, WLW Coffinshipping, WLW Hoffstrahm, Petra Strahm (Fem Peter Strahm), Maureen Hoffman (Fem Mark Hoffman), Lindsey Perez, John Kramer, Dan Erickson, Amanda Young, Lynn Denlon

*Status: Chapter 3/3. Chapter 1 can be found here. Chapter 2 can be found here.

Erickson was down to their location in no time. Maureen was consoled and sitting across from Petra on a stretcher as a medic tended to the two of them.

“You think she’s dead?” Erickson asked Petra

“Shot her square in the neck myself.” Petra answered

“Then you just have Amanda. Shame you couldn’t get her as well.”

“Believe me, I’m as disappointed as you are.” She said. He only nodded and walked away from the two partners. She looked up at Maureen, feeling some of that rage that she wanted to unleash against Maureen coming back to the surface. She took a deep breath before asking. “Who is Amanda?” Maureen’s head perked up before she looked away. “Why are we hunting these two?”

“Amanda is like me… One of John’s chosen.” Maureen’s eyes looked anywhere but Strahm’s.

“So you’re both replicants…”

“No. Amanda’s the only replicant.” Maureen corrected her.

“No.” Strahm stared before ran a hand through her hair. Maureen didn’t know… John didn’t want her to know.

“No… No I’m not a replicant. I can’t be. Your test…” She reached out for Petra. “It told you I was a human.”

“No. No it didn’t. It… took me longer than normal because of your memories but you…”

“My memories!” She shouted, “I have memories… You know just as well as I do that replicants don’t have memories.”

“You do. John gave them to you. Said it was the next test for replicants.”

“Then… no. No I can’t be a replicant. I carried his child. I lost it…”

“Those aren’t yours.” Petra insisted

“Don’t tell me the pain I feel for Gideon… isn’t mine.” She started to sob into her hands. Petra looked at her with disgust. How could John be so cruel? To implant the memories of his dead wife into a replicant and make her carry the grief for him. Petra’s heart seized in her chest as she thought back to the way Maureen seemed to hesitate when she mentioned a child during her Voight-Kampff… everything was falling into place. “Tell me you’re lying to me right now.”

“I’m not.” Petra barely managed to push the words past her teeth. She reached a hand out to Maureen for support only to have Maureen swat it away. Petra really couldn’t blame her. She got up from the stretcher and walked away. Petra didn’t try to stop her. She slid carefully off her own stretcher and tried to orient where it was their spinner was parked. She managed to get home in one piece and fell onto her couch. The faint smell of Maureen’s hair lingered on the couch and she pulled one of the pillows out from under her head, tucking it underneath her arms. The pillow had the added benefit of keeping pressure on her wound, but mainly she held it while she thought of Maureen. Maureen and her beautiful rouge lips. Maureen and her hungry glances at Petra at the bar when her affection was split between the two replicants. Her soft body that showed at one point she was cared for by… that man. Maureen’s world had been decimated in less than an hour. Petra couldn’t help but feel bad for the other woman. She let a tear fall down along her cheek in the quiet of the lonely apartment. The lights of passing spinners shone through the slats of the window blinds for hours. At some point Petra’s eyes shut for the night, only waking up after getting a buzz at her door. She got up to answer and when Maureen said it was her she let her up immediately. Petra opened the door for her, only for her to stand in the doorway for a second. Her eyeliner and mascara managed to smug and her teeth were stained by a shaky hand attempting to reapply her matte lipstick. Her hair was completely down in loose waves from where the hair had dried in the bun. Petra’s arms wrapped underneath Maureen’s and Maureen rested her head in the crook of Petra’s neck. Petra’s breath hitched in the back of her throat as the other woman held her and felt something warm soak into the collar of her shirt. She snaked one hand back through Maureen’s hair and pulled her head up to look at her. She was so broken. She looked even smaller in Petra’s grasp than she had when she was in John’s office making herself small.

“Come in…” Petra told her. Her eyes glancing over Maureen’s lips as she made the offer. She carefully let go of the full figure woman and they got out of Strahm’s entry way. Maureen sat on the couch, before pulling Strahm down next to her. Strahm sat in silence next to her, afraid to even ask if she wanted the TV turned on.

“My memories…” She started when she was ready to speak, “They’re not real. I know this now… but I still have my feelings.”

“I know.”

“I knew… or at least thought I knew what it felt like to be loved.” She sighed

“There feels like there’s more to that.”

“There is. Petra… do you love me?”

“Maureen I hardly know you… to call it love… it’s not fair to you.”

“Do you… at least care about me?” She tilted Petra’s head towards her. Petra’s heart ached looking at the hurt in her eyes. “Tell me my heart isn’t searching in vain for another’s.”

“It’s not, but… I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have.” Petra leaned into Maureen. “This between us… it might just kill me.”

“Then let me be your last.” Maureen closed the distance between the two of them with a kiss. Petra supported the back of her head as her tongue practically begged to be inside of Maureen’s mouth. Maureen’s hand rested on the inside of Petra’s thigh before taking her ample leg and swinging it over Petra’s lap. She hooked her arms around the back of Petra’s neck and sat with her pelvis pressing into Petra. Petra’s hands wrapped around the back of Maureen’s ass as she continued kissing the woman on top of her. Petra pulled away from the kiss to look up at her, this beautiful being begging to be hers tonight and trailed her mouth along her cheek, down her jawline and across her neck. Maureen’s loose clasp around Petra’s neck tightened as her body pressed closer into Petra’s touch. Petra’s hands slowly moved up Maureen’s back and under her shirt, lifting the fabric over her head. Maureen unlatched her arms before undoing her bra. Petra couldn’t help but stare at her breasts before placing one hand underneath the fat and pressing her lips in the deep divot between the two. She massaged the bottom of the boob in her hand as her kisses turned into soft nibbles against the skin, marking the valley as hers. Maureen let out a soft whimper as Petra continued leaving hickies where no one else would see. Maureen’s hands carefully ran across the flat of Petra’s shoulder blades before working the buttons off her blouse off so that she could share in a similar view to what Petra was seeing.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Petra’s lips moved lazily, like she was drunk in Maureen’s essence. Her eyes were heavily lidded as she looked up into Maureen’s. Maureen pulled the band that was keeping Petra’s hair held back and ran her fingers through the ends. She tilted Petra’s head up by her chin to force her take some more of the rouge off of Maureen’s lips. Petra’s hands rested comfortably along Maureen’s love handles as they continued kissing. “Here…”

“Hm?” Petra carefully removed Maureen’s leg from her lap and got up from under her. She pulled the heavy woman off from the couch and staggered to wrap her arms around her as Maureen stumbled onto her feet.

“I got you.” Petra said reassuringly, resting a hand along the small of Maureen’s neck. She wanted to kiss Maureen once more but thought that it’d be better saved taking her to her bed. She let go of Maureen before offering her hand to Maureen to keep them connected as they walked through the mess of mismatched furniture to her room. Maureen sat at the edge of the bed and slowly peeled herself from her skirt. Before she could take her tights off Petra pulled her pants off and threw them in the direction of the hamper and straddled Maureen’s lap. Maureen rested her arms against the center of Petra’s back while Petra’s thumb ran over Maureen’s lip. “Lie down… dear.” Maureen lied down, propping her head up against her forearms. Petra slid down and off Maureen and rested on her knees on the floor. She leaned over Maureen for a second before plucking the waist band of the tights off of Maureen’s hips. She pulled them down to just below her knee before she stopped and pressed her lips against the bare skin of her kneecap. She carefully pulled the foot from the tights before kissing the top of her foot, but left the other leg trapped in the confining fabric. She kissed her way back up Maureen before she slipped the other leg out of the tight. Petra moved back onto the bed. She pressed her face into the soft fat of Maureen’s stomach for a second to center herself before she did what she had been aching to do on the couch. Maureen’s hand threaded its way through the strands of her hair before Petra pressed her lips against her belly and kissed down to the edge of her underwear. She slid the panties off and wrapped her lips around Maureen’s clit. She kept her hands firmly down on Maureen’s legs to keep her from moving too much while she serviced her. Maureen arched her back as Petra licked at the muscle. She pressed kisses onto her clit as her hands slowly moved from keeping her down to underneath her ass. After Maureen was thoroughly teased, Petra shoved her tongue inside of Maureen. Maureen pulled at the sheets underneath her as Petra thrusted in and kept going further inside of her. Petra did her best to follow Maureen’s moans as to where her tongue moved until she was writhing underneath Petra. She arched her back once more and came for Petra. Petra pulled away from Maureen when it was clear she had had enough. She practically crawled on top of Maureen and pressed her lips onto the other woman’s. Maureen’s hands rested on Petra’s hips as she returned the kiss. Maureen turned her head away from Petra’s lips for a second before asking.

“Are you sure it’s not love?”

“I’m not sure so now.” Petra confessed. Maureen held onto Petra tightly and kissed her

“Could you call it…”

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

Petra bit on her lip and hesitated for a second before saying, “I love you.” Every part of her body seemed to tense up as she waited for some kind of acknowledgment from the replicant.

“I love you too.” Maureen whispered softly, a tear streaming down her face. They both knew what it meant. That whatever this is would be over the second that they killed Amanda. How it wouldn’t just end. Petra curled around Maureen’s body as she tried to fight the thoughts of the two of them separating from each other. She was here. Maureen was here. Whatever will happen could wait. Maureen rolled onto her side to face Petra and wrapped her arms around her waist before burying her head into the crook of Petra’s neck. Petra left a kiss against the crown of her head and rubbed her back in small circles to get the both of them to sleep. They wake up the next morning in each other’s arms, Petra pressed her lips onto Maureen’s cheek while she remained asleep. She pressed her forehead against Maureen’s as the thought crossed her mind

‘I don’t want to let you go.’

Maureen rustled a bit before her eyes opened to the sight of Petra by her side

“Morning,” she said quietly. She returned the affection of Petra’s with a kiss. Petra lifted her head off the pillow and adjusted her hair for her. Maureen let a smile slip from her lips before turning away. “Just tell me… how much does it hurt when you leave your heart behind?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out soon enough.” Petra sighed as she looked at Maureen. Maureen rolled back over to face her and held Petra tightly in her arms. “We need to get up…”

“Five more minutes.” Maureen whimpered, barely audible as the words were spoken into Petra’s skin

“We need to get a lead on Amanda.”

“I know where she’s going.”

“Where?”

“She’s going to kill John.”

“How soon do you think?” Petra asked. Maureen peeled herself off of Petra and thought about it for a moment

“Today. We were probably the catalyst for whatever destruction comes from her rage.”

“Then we go back to John.”

“He won’t be there.” She pulled herself out of bed, doing her best to get her hair back up into a bun. “He’s probably sitting in his apartment, waiting for her.”

“Does she know where he is?”

“Definitely.”

“You know?”

“I do.”

“Then we have to go.” Petra got up from the other side of the bed and picked up her clothes from the night before. She threw herself into an outfit and met Maureen at the spinner. It was time to take care of Amanda.

---

Maureen punched the code into an elevator that took them to penthouse of the apartment building. She walked towards the door leading to the unit and entered another code before stepping into the home. Petra let her hand rest along the holster of her gun as they walked past the foyer. John was sitting in the living room, staring out across the city. He didn’t turn around to see who had entered the house, confident he knew who it was. Petra did a quick sweep of the room before giving an all clear.

“You know she’s coming for you John.” Maureen sat down across the way from him. He simply nodded. “Are you going to do anything about it?”

“She’ll die if she steps foot in here.” He replied. There lacked a bitterness for a child who chose their own path in his voice, but there also wasn’t a twinge of pain; wishing it could end a different way. Strahm heard nothing as he talked about killing one of his own creations like it was as simple as throwing out a scrap of paper. She put away the worry that Maureen would be retired just as easily after this was all said and done. She couldn’t let her feelings cloud her judgment. Not now. Not when they were so close. Maureen stared down at her hands while she sat and waited for some kind of sign that Amanda was close. Suddenly, Petra heard the sound of cracking glass from somewhere down below them. It was still in the same unit. She started walking towards the stairwell built into John’s penthouse. Maureen got up from her seat before Petra turned around and gave her a look. She sat back down quietly as Petra took a tentative step down. She kept going down the stairs and walked down the hallway that was all but abandoned. The atmosphere was an intense shift from the upstairs half. Not a light was on, the floor barely illuminated by the infrequent lightning strikes. Petra bashed through the doors closest to the window looking out at the city before realizing that Amanda had thrown a brick to distract her while she waltzed in upstairs. Strahm ran back up the stairs and held her gun up, aiming for the kill shot at the replicant across the room. Amanda smiled back coyly at the officer as she held her own gun up against Maureen’s temple.

“You can’t sacrifice her, can you?” Amanda’s lips curled in twisted delight as she kept the barrel close to Maureen’s head. “Just kill John, and we both get out of here with what we want.”

“Don’t.” Maureen said between gritted teeth. Amanda butted the loaded weapon up against the skin of her sister. “Please…”

“Maureen, if I must die, so be it.” John said

“I don’t give a shit about you.” She said with a venom that seeped out from the back of her throat. Neither Amanda or John had expected it from the more compliant of the two replicants in the room. Her eyes lingered only on Petra as she begged, “Think about what will happen to you if you do this…”

“How touching.” Amanda dryly remarked, “It just tugs at your pathetic heart strings, doesn’t it? The blade runner meant to kill replicants falling for a replicant. How easy was it when it was someone else’s life on the line, huh? To lay waste to another replicant lashing out at the system they were born into against their will. Just tell me one thing you depraved bitch… how much joy did you feel when you shot Lynn in the neck?”

“Not as much as I’m going to feel when I see your head pop off.” Strahm managed to push the words out from behind her clenched teeth. Her stance was square, ready to send a bullet flying through Amanda’s head. The only thing stopping her from killing the replicant was her replicant in Amanda’s arms. She took one more tentative step forward. She slowly moved her gun’s aim from Amanda towards John as she continued to approach. She stopped when she saw Amanda get ready to pull the trigger against Maureen’s head for getting too close. She made one last look at her love before she did the most selfish act of her life. “I’m sorry, Maureen.”

With all her rage guiding her finger along the trigger, Petra shot at John. John was taken aback when Maureen ignored the commands written into the fabric of her DNA and let her creator die.

“You… ungrateful bitch…” He coughed out, his gaze fixing on the one that he hadn’t thrown to the wayside.

“Go to hell.” Maureen spat back at him with an equal amount of venom. As promised, Amanda dropped her gun and let Maureen go. The woman scrambled across the floor and ran into Petra’s arms. As she buried herself into Petra’s arms she heard a gasp from Amanda as the replicant killer finished her job. She tentatively wrapped an arm around Maureen’s back until Maureen took her other arm and wrapped it around herself. She let out a sigh into Petra’s shoulder before looking into her eyes.

“It’s done.” Petra was the first to break the silence

“You need to get out of here…” Maureen held her face in between the palm of her hands

“I know.” Petra handed the gun to her

“I love you…” Her voice cracked as tears started running down her face.

“I know.” Petra’s eyes finally met Maureen’s as she leaned in and kissed her. Petra’s face became wet as she held onto Maureen like her life depended on it. She didn’t know where Maureen’s tears started and hers ended. She whispered softly against Maureen’s lips, “I love you…”

She let go of the other woman as she walked away from the scene. She rode the elevator down in silence, hoping that she was fast enough to blend into the sea of anonymity provided by the people gathering at the base of the apartment building.

---

“Are you alright ma’am?” An officer asked Maureen as others around her shuffled, trying to make sure the crime scene wasn’t tampered with before they had a chance to investigate.

“I’m shook up is all.” Her voice cold as she looked past the officer.

“It says in the file that Mr. Kramer had hired a blade runner to retire the replicant, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“And where is this officer?”

“I don’t know.” She lied as easy as it was to breath. “I haven’t seen her since the murder of Amanda’s accomplice, Lynn Denlon.”

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jdgo51 · 7 months ago

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The Power of Connection

Today's inspiration comes from:

Praying the Scriptures for Your Life

by Jodie Berndt

"I am the vine; you are the branches." — John 15:5

"'People used to say my father and I favored each other.

They said I had my dad’s smile (which made me happy), as well as his nose (which made me less happy). We shared many of the same interests and skill sets, including the ability to play only mediocre tennis but get a varsity-level suntan if we parked ourselves in a beach chair for an hour. Dad loved comparing forearms at the end of the day to see who was darker — a contest that he always won.

For better or for worse, children are image bearers, a connection that reflects our relationship with our heavenly Father. Remember what God said when He was creating the world?

Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness.

And then, having created Adam and Eve, God gave them a job:

Be fruitful, He said, and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.1

I can’t help but think that Jesus had the creation story in mind as He issued a similar charge to His disciples.

I am the vine; you are the branches, He said. I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.2

Just as we bear the image of the Creator, so a branch bears the image of the vine. And just as God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, so Jesus says we’ve been chosen — appointed — to bear fruit.

I don’t know about you, but I find these twin fruit-bearing assignments, one from Genesis and the other from John, as intimidating as they are inspiring. I love the grand vision — the idea that we are in a living relationship with the Creator who intends for us to impact the earth — but I wonder how we are supposed to go about doing the job. What role can I play? What role can you? Can we really be difference makers in the world?

Thank goodness for Andrew Murray, who explains how the vine-branch union works in the fruit-bearing process.

“Without the vine,” Murray writes, “the branch can do nothing.”

As branches, we get that. We know we need the vine to nourish us and equip us to produce fruit.

We know we need God. But there’s a flip side, Murray says, to the fruit-bearing process: “Without the branch the vine can also do nothing.” He goes on:

A vine without branches can bear no fruit. No less indispensable than the vine to the branch, is the branch to the vine. Such is the wonderful condescension of the grace of Jesus, that just as His people are dependent on Him, He has made Himself dependent on them. Without His disciples He cannot dispense His blessing to the world.3

It’s okay. I’ll wait while you read that one again. (I had to.)

What Murray is saying, in a nutshell, is this:

Without the disciples — without us — God cannot provide good things for people.

That’s... astounding.

God could have chosen to work around us (or even in spite of us), but He didn’t. He chose to work in us and through us to bless other people. God chose us — His image bearers — to reflect His love and be the channel through which His power is unleashed in our world. And the way this works — the way we open the chute for God’s power and provision — is through our prayers.

We see the link between prayer and provision played out over and over again in the Bible. God gave the barren Hannah a son, provided rain for Elijah, opened Peter’s prison doors, and added fifteen years to King Hezekiah’s life.4

God moves when His people pray.

And when Jesus tells us to “ask,” it’s not just an invitation. It’s a command:

Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit.5

When we pray, we bring glory to God. He wants us to plow the field with our prayers so that He can provide an incredible harvest.

And all I can think, as I consider how a mighty God could entrust us with such a high calling, is that it is because of how much He loves us. Not because we are clever or well-behaved or (thank goodness!) athletic, but simply because He is our Father — the Father who loves us and longs, as Jesus reminds us, to “give good gifts to those who ask Him.”6

My earthly father died, way too young, from brain cancer. As I look back on his legacy — on all the ways his life left an imprint on mine — the gift I cherish the most is the introduction he gave me to Jesus. Dad came home one day when I was just eight years old and confessed that he’d had it all wrong. He had spent his life trying to earn God’s approval (teaching Sunday school, working hard at his job, playing second-rate tennis with a big grin on his face) until someone told him it wasn’t about being a “good guy.” Being a Christian was about realizing you were not good, after all, and that you needed a Savior.

All of which made complete sense to me. Even as a child, I knew I was a sinner. The idea that God’s grace could cover my failings came then, as it does now, as a major relief — and I was only too glad to (as John 1:12 puts it) receive Jesus, believe in His name, and receive the right to become a child of God.

And today, as I slip my hand into my heavenly Father’s and consider the fruit He has already produced and the harvest yet to come, I am reminded of the blessing, and the privilege, that comes with being an image bearer.

I am reminded of the blessing, and the privilege, of prayer.

God moves when His people pray.

READ

➢ See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

➢ “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples... You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last — and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you.” (John 15:8, John 15:16)

➢ We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

REFLECT

➢ God created you with a longing to live a life of purpose and impact. He has put desires in your heart that He wants to satisfy in above-and-beyond ways. And as you receive Him and believe in Him, He calls you His child. You are His masterpiece.

➢ Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the work God wants you to do, the prayers He wants you to pray. Where do you long to see fruit in your life? How might your prayers in this area bring glory to God? What, if anything, is holding you back from asking “big”?

➢ Allow yourself to envision your life as a vine-branch union with Christ, one that brings glory to God, produces much fruit, and marks you as one of His own. Surrender any thoughts or fears (I’m not good enough... I don’t pray very well... I already have too much on my plate) that may keep you from flourishing in your role as a fruit bearer. Rest secure in God’s presence today, knowing you are extravagantly, lavishly loved.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father...

➢ Thank You for creating me in Your image. I receive You and believe in You; thank You for welcoming me as Your child. (John 1:12)

➢ Give me the power to understand how wide and long and high and deep Your love is, and fill me to the measure of all Your fullness. (Ephesians 3:18–19)

➢ May I gradually become brighter and more beautiful as You enter my life and make me more like Jesus. (2 Corinthians 3:18 MSG)

➢ Teach me to pray. (Luke 11:1)

➢ May my prayers bring You glory, bear lasting fruit, and mark me as one of Your disciples. (John 15:7–8)

➢ You created me in Christ Jesus to do good works. Show me how to pray about ______ so the good things You have planned will come to fruition. (Ephesians 2:10)

➢ When I feel weak or ill-equipped, remind me that Your grace is sufficient and Your power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

➢ Thank You for choosing me and appointing me to bear fruit. Teach me to focus my efforts, and my prayers, on fruit that will last. (John 15:16)

➢ No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Keep me attached to You. (John 15:5)

➢ I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made... All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:14–16)

➢ When I am anxious or uncertain, remind me that nothing can separate me from Your love. (Romans 8:39)

➢ You live among us, Lord. Take delight in me; calm all my fears; rejoice over me with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT)"'

Genesis 1:26, 28. John 15:5, 16. Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ (1888; repr., Apollo, PA: Ichthus, 2014), 25, http://ccbiblestudy.net/Topics/74Union/74Union-E/740101《Abide in Christ》(Andrew Murray).pdf. See 1 Samuel 1:10–20; James 5:17–18; Acts 12:1–19; 2 Kings 20:1–7. John 15:7–8. Matthew 7:11.

Excerpted with permission from Praying the Scriptures for Your Life by Jodie Berndt, copyright Jodie Berndt.

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