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wandaromanova · 3 years ago

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Left Behind

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Warnings: cussing, death

A/N: hi! this was a request! hope you guys like this one! y’all can blame @midgardianweasley for this one. happy reading <3

anon requested: Natasha x fem! reader. Reader and Natasha were in a building on fire trying to get citizens out and a wooden beam lands on reader. It’s too heavy for Natasha to lift it but won��t give up. Reader is screaming for Natasha to go! Giving her a smile that everything will be okay! A fireman then pulls Natasha out of the building against her will seeing the whole building collapse in reader.

Summary: Natasha and Y/N go on a mission, but don’t make it back together.

Word Count: 1.6K

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You were an Avenger just like your girlfriend; Natasha. You had met the redhead when you first joined the team.

You were one of the highest-ranked S.H.I.E.L.D agents and Fury had decided to recruit you into the team of heroes. You had heard many stories about the Black Widow and to say you were a fan was an understatement.

You had an immense amount of respect for Natasha. Her past wasn’t a great one, but she turned her life around and made it beautiful. She didn’t let her mistakes define who she was and you admired that.

The assassin had taken a liking to you. You guys immediately hit it off. About six months after your arrival, you began dating Natasha.

Natasha’s room became yours too. You’d spend your nights laid on top of the redhead as she stroked your hair gently. You’d close your eyes and ask her to say anything because the sound of her voice was your favorite.

She’d sing Russian lullabies to you. You were the only person she’d ever let hear her sing. She said she was a terrible singer and not letting anyone hear her was a gift, but she was actually amazing at it.

Her husky voice sent chills down your spine whenever she would speak. So when she sang to you in Russian? You were speechless.

You felt blessed to know that Natasha was truly herself in your presence. No one had ever seen her true colors, until you.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

You were the person that Natasha went to for everything.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Exhausted after a long mission? She’d run into your arms as soon as she’d land. Steve and Tony annoying the fuck out of her? She’d rant to you about how small their brains were.

Devastated after a mission had gone wrong? She’d find comfort in your presence and your words. You’d whisper soft reassurances against her ear as you’d rock your bodies side-to-side.

Receiving good news? You’d be the very first person she’d tell as the excitement took over her. You’d match her energy, feeling just as excited as her, if not more. Natasha would beam as you’d press a soft kiss to the crown of her head, mumbling an ‘i’m so proud of you’ against her scalp.

You were Natasha’s person and she was yours. You genuinely believed you were made for one another. From the way your hands fit like two pieces of a puzzle with one another, to the way your thoughts and ideas seemed to always align. You guys just got each other in a way no one else could.

So, naturally, you were always assigned partners on missions. You two had the best communication on the team which led to tons of successful missions. However, communication couldn’t prevent nor predict the surprises of enemies.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

You and Natasha were sent undercover to a gala being held by one of the leaders of Hydra.

The goal was to capture him for questioning and keep him in custody. That should be easy, considering there was booze everywhere and everyone was either tipsy or black-out drunk.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Well yes, it would’ve been easy; if your cover hadn’t been blown.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

You were currently sat on the target’s lap as he not so subtly stared at your cleavage. You were with him in a private area further into the party, while Natasha remained in the public area.

The drunk man looked up at you and you smiled down at him; trying your best to hide your disgust. However, he didn’t smile back at you.

You were caught off guard when he abruptly shoved you off of his lap, your body colliding with the marble floor.

“You’re an Avenger. You bitch!” You quickly stood up at his words and attacked him. You spoke into your earpiece while fighting off the man.

“Nat, our cover has been blown. I need backup.” You said as the man landed a heavy punch onto your abdomen. You stumbled back and he took the opportunity to rush out of the room.

“взорвать это место, сейчас! (blow the place up, now!)”

Your eyes widened at his words. Before you could rush out of the room yourself, an explosion pushed you back. Your body collided with a wall and you let out a scream of agony as a beam from the ceiling landed on top of you.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

The sounds of screams and the fire alarms accompanied the ringing in your ears. Your only thoughts being; your pain and Natasha.

She had been on her way over here before the bomb went off. Was she okay? Did she get hit by the force of the bomb? Was she gone?

You tried your best to lift the beam off of your body, but to no avail. You realized that a piece of metal that had been sticking out of the beam had lodged itself into your chest.

Your eyes tore away from the beam on top of you and landed on red locks. Natasha stumbled into the room; or at least, what was left of it anyway. She paused in her tracks at your state.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as her hands shot up to cover her mouth, a muffled gasp escaping her throat. She quickly got it together and rushed over to help you.

Nat got down on her knees, not caring about how harsh the rubble was against her bare skin. She moved to lift the beam, but you stopped her.

“Natty, no. If you lift it, I’ll bleed out.” You sent her a small smile before you began to cough. Natasha’s heart sunk to her stomach at the sight of blood pouring out of your mouth.

“I have to get you out of here, babe. We have a movie night planned, I have to make sure that still happens.” Nat tried to joke in an attempt to console you, but it was more to control her own fear than anything.

Your conversation was interrupted by the sound of another explosion. The building quaked as flames began to invade the room. She needed to go; now.

You shook your hand that was sticking out from the beam slightly. Nat got the message and held your hand with both of hers tightly.

“You need to leave, honey. This place is going to collapse any minute now.” You croaked out, ignoring the metallic taste in your mouth.

“I’ll be damned if I leave you behind. If you’re going down, I’m going down with you.” You couldn’t help but smile as you took in every inch of Nat’s face.

She was absolutely beautiful. Even with the dust and dirt littering her face and her worried expression; she was still the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen.

The flames began to rage. The smoke was beginning to cloud your vision of the woman in front of you. You rubbed one of her hands with the back of your thumb, not minding the pain that accompanied the action.

“Go. Now. It’s okay. I love you so much and you aren’t leaving me behind; you never would and I- I know that.”

You stuttered towards the end of the sentence as you were overcome by an intense chill. You were losing so much blood and it wasn’t going to be long now before you were gone.

Your eyes drifted towards a figure entering the room. A firefighter. His eyes widened as he noticed both of you. He rushed over to help you, but you stopped him.

“Hey buddy, I’m a goner regardless if you get this off of me or not. Get her out of here. You can’t save me, but you can save her.”

You managed to let out as another fit of coughs shook your body. More crimson liquid spilled out of your mouth and Natasha finally let her tears fall.

The man nodded solemnly before he grabbed Natasha by the waist. She struggled against his hold as she kicked and screamed; her arms reaching out for you.

“No! No! Please let me stay! I can’t leave you! You can’t leave me!” Natasha’s words paired with her tone of agony and desperation tore your heart apart.

All you could do was smile lovingly at her as you slowly felt the life leave your body. She was going to be okay eventually and that’s all you wanted for her.

“I love you, moya lyubov (my love). It’s okay. Take care of yourself.”

You spoke quietly, but it was loud enough for Natasha to hear. She watched as the bright light that once filled your irises turned to a blank stare.

Natasha fought even harder against the man’s firm grip as she sobbed out. He had finally managed to get the both of them out of the room and out of the building. This all happened in the span of a few minutes, but to Natasha, it felt like an eternity.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

The firefighter placed Nat down once they were a good distance away from the building. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she ran towards the building, but before she could make it back in; the entire structure collapsed.

Natasha’s knees roughly hit the floor as she took in the sight. The building that you were in was nothing but broken concrete and rubble. You were buried beneath all of that carnage.

Natasha sobbed without care. She couldn’t give two fucks if people were staring at her with pity or sympathy. She had just lost the love of her life.

Natasha couldn’t help but blame herself. If she had gotten to the room sooner, she could’ve gotten the both of you out of there. You wouldn’t have been crushed by a beam.

She wouldn’t have had to watch as you bled out. She wouldn’t have had to witness firsthand; as the soul she had fallen in love with left the world.

Natasha cried out into the night. The chaos going on around her turned to white noise. Her surroundings were in slow motion as she mourned.

Each tear that fell from her eyes represented each obliterated possibility of a future with the woman she loved.

Each scream that left her mouth served as curses to every higher power there was, for so cruelly taking the love of her life; you.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

───────── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────────

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chloelucia13 · 3 years ago

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Nothing Personal: Chapter 5

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female!reader (enemies to lovers)

Prompt: Bucky’s public appearance was lacking in the… well, everything department. And now, with him fully being in the public eye as the new Captain America’s right hand man, that needed to be fixed. That brought you into the equation, someone who seemed to be the direct opposite of the White Wolf. Bubbly, friendly, the perfect PR girlfriend for the grumpy man. Whether he liked it or not.

Chapter Summary: Bucky didn’t realize what he had until it was gone. You didn’t realize that you would still die for him.

Series warnings: angst, fluff, a tiny bit of smut, language, violence, descriptions of gore, cheating

Chapter warnings: angst, maybe a tiny bit of fluff, descriptions of torture, mentions of drugging (super small though), language, descriptions of gore, please do not read if any of this makes you uncomfortable or triggers you in any way! (word count: 5025)

A/N: I literally am SO excited to get these next couple of chapters out because I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of them! It’s gonna get crazy, y’all!

Catch up here!

He could tell something was off, and though there was no exact evidence to prove that there was, he could just sense it. He felt insane, thinking he could tell that something was wrong, but he decided that he’d rather feel insane than have your life be at risk because he refused to follow his instincts.

Bucky fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed the first number he thought of.

***

There was a dull throbbing pain in your neck when you finally came back to consciousness, silently cursing yourself for sleeping on the couch as you moved to push yourself up.

You were stuck.

Your eyes fluttered open, your bleary vision only being able to make out that wherever you were was unfamiliar to you. You tried to reach up and rub your eyes, but your hands stayed where they were.

It was then that you realized that your arms were suspended above your head.

“Finally, you’re awake,” a voice hummed gleefully to your right, footsteps reverberating off of the plain concrete walls as someone made their way over to you. “We were worried that we may have given you a bit too much.”

A man stepped into your field of vision, his eyes dark and hollow as they searched your face. “Too much of what?” you rasped, your breath coming out in shallow pants as your chest constricted with fear.

He grabbed your face in his hand, squishing your cheeks with a malicious grin. “Nothing you need to worry your pretty head about. Let’s just say, it’s a good thing that you already can’t handle your liquor.”

Your breath caught in your throat. “You drugged me?”

“Drugged is a strong word, it’s more like…” He pulled his hand from your face to make a small flourish in the air as if trying to grasp the words he was trying to find. “Lowering your inhibitions.”

“That’s drugging, you dumb fuck.”

Anger flashed across his face, though a playful smile spread across his lips. “Hm, snappy. I can see why he likes you.”

“Who?”

He huffed, rolling his eyes as he walked away from you and over to a table, his back turned to you. “The soldat, the Winter Soldier, the love of your life, the one and only Bucky Barnes.”

You laughed at that, shaking your head. “God, you’re so fucking stupid.”

He turned to arch a brow at you, picking something up off of the table.

“He hates me! If your goal here is to get him to come and save me so you could capture him again, you’re making a mistake. You could throw my dead body at his feet and he wouldn’t give a shit.”

The man’s jaw tightened, turning back around to face you and clasping his hands behind his back. “Why do you say that?”

You sent a glare his way, trying to steady your breathing as he stepped closer and closer to you. “You think I’m gonna share the details of my personal relationship with you? Ask my goddamn therapist if you care that much.”

He let out a hum, eyes scouring your form. “You say he won’t come for you?”

You nodded, rolling your shoulders in an attempt to relieve some of the ache.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to tell me where he is? You can do that, right? I’m assuming that if he hates you, you hate him as well.”

Your lips parted, but all that came out was a strangled sigh. Your face fell, and you dropped your gaze to the dirty floor beneath you.

“Oh, don’t tell me you love him?” His voice, which had a strangely joking lilt to it before, had grown dark and harsh. “What a waste. Protecting the man who wouldn’t spare a second glance at you.” He let out a sigh, sounding almost remorseful, and tucked two fingers under your chin to tilt your head up. Your eyes met his gaze, and a dark smile snaked across his lips. “I guess we’ll just have to get the information out of you another way, huh?”

***

Sam paced the floor as Bucky sat on your couch, his head in his hands. “Bucky, we don’t even know if she’s missing,” Sam sighed. “I don’t want to start a panic if she’s just out getting groceries or something.”

“But she’s not, Sam!” Bucky snapped, launching himself off of the couch. “If she was, a pair of her shoes would be gone! A-And she wouldn’t have left her heels from last night sitting by the door.” He let out a sigh, shaking his head. “I… I can just feel that something is wrong.”

“We can’t just go off of a feeling, Buck.” Sam spoke somberly, but there was a hint of a smile creeping on his face. “You seem to know a lot about her.”

“Don’t.”

“What? I’m just saying! You know how her shoe rack is organized and what shoes she wears, you know that she likes to keep all of her shoes on that rack, hell, you even know her favorite flowers!” Sam picked up the bouquet, taking it over to the kitchen and setting them by the sink.

“Those are her favorite flowers?”

Sam gave Bucky a quizzical look. “You didn’t know?”

Bucky shrugged. “I just got them because they reminded me of her.” He regretted his words as soon as they came out of his mouth and a smug grin spread across Sam’s face. “Okay, alright, that’s not important right now!”

Sam shook his head and held his hands up in surrender, but he made a mental note to pester Bucky about it when the situation was dealt with. “Alright. Why’d you even come over in the first place? With flowers, no less?”

Bucky’s shoulders dropped at the question and he averted his gaze to the floor. “Something… Something happened last night.”

Sam furrowed his brow. “What happened?”

Bucky let out a shaky breath, your pained face flashing in his mind. “I was being an asshole. I-I was talking to this other girl who was there, and when I found Y/N later that night, she was drunk at the bar. I got her a ride and rode home with her. She…” He searched for the right words, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. “She told me some things. She was really upset. And she didn’t let me walk her up to her apartment. I haven’t heard from her since last night.”

The fury on Sam’s face didn’t go unnoticed by Bucky, but just as Sam was about to chew him out, Bucky interjected. “Listen, I know what I did was fucked up and 20 different kinds of stupid. You can berate me all you want, but I need to apologize to her first. I need to make it up to her, and I can’t do that if she’s…” He trailed off, not wanting to let the cursed word grace his tongue. “I need to find her and make sure she’s okay. If you’re not gonna help me, then you need to let me do this myself.”

There was a beat of silence. “Fine, but I’m calling Maria.”

***

“Oh come on, don’t hold back on me now.”

Your nostrils flared as you stared at the man, feeling the blood from the last wound he inflicted trickle down your cheek.

“Why am I getting the silent treatment? You were so… vocal before.” He gripped the chains that bound your wrists to the ceiling, tugging them back and forth to make you sway. “Y’know, you could just tell me where Barnes is and you can go free.”

Your fingers flexed into loose fists to get as much blood flow as possible, but with how long your arms had been suspended in the air, you doubted that it would do much. “How do you know that I won’t rat you out if you let me go?” you whispered.

“Because you know what will happen if you do.” He gestured vaguely around you two, his straight white teeth peering through the gap between his lips.

Your exhaustion had slowly started to get to you, making your mind hazy. Or maybe it was the blood loss. Whatever it was, your resolve slipped for a moment as you debated giving in.

“It seems like a good deal, doesn’t it? Getting to walk free while the man who hurt you so badly finally gets the payback he deserves.”

You shook your head. “Fuck you,” you hissed through bared teeth, holding back a wince as you felt your dry lips crack. God, how long have you been here?

He nodded, his expression never shifting. “It won’t take long for that answer to change. I can feel it.” He turned his back to you, once again returning to the table littered with hellish devices. In a fleeing thought, you wondered if Bucky had felt the bite of these same weapons against his own skin. Was he awake to even remember it?

In his hands, the man twirled a large black baton-like object, and you could just envision the animalistic smirk that crossed his features as ideas filled his mind. “You feel close to Barnes, yes?”

You were silent once more as his eyes searched your expression. You tried your hardest to stay stone-faced, but a small downward quirk of your lips gave him all he needed to know.

The man let out an airy chuckle, clutching the weapon with two hands as he stalked over to you, walking around your almost-dangling figure. “Has he told you anything about his time as the Winter Soldier?”

You shook your head, earning an unsurprised hum from the man, who stood behind you.

“He was a difficult man to break. He had a strong resolve, took everything we did to him and still kept fighting. It took 20 years for us to crack him just enough so he would bend. But it only lasted for a short time. Sometimes days, sometimes hours. After that, he’d wake back up, he’d question what he’d done. To get him back to our preferred mindset, we had to wipe his mind. Make him a hollow man once more.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Your jaw was wound tight and tears stung your eyes.

“It took nearly 10 amps of electricity to wipe his mind. To any normal being, it would lead to an instant death.” He walked back into your line of sight, holding the weapon up. “This is only 5, but it sure will hurt.”

Your eyes went wide and you scrambled to move away from the device, but it was no use as he gripped your shoulder and stuck the device into your side, flicking the switch on.

***

It had only been a matter of hours before Maria and her team were able to locate your whereabouts and get a jet loaded up and sent to the location, but to Bucky, each second that passed was another second that he could’ve spent apologizing to you. Holding you. Protecting you.

Bucky’s jaw was tense during the ride, wound so tight that it had locked into that position after just a few minutes. He had his hands folded in his lap and his eyes were staring so intently at the wall beside Sam’s head that Sam was worried that he’d burn a hole through the metal.

“She’ll be okay, Bucky,” Wanda spoke up, rising from her seat to walk over to Bucky and Sam.

He looked up at her, wondering if she had taken a glance into his mind. He wondered if she knew why she was gone, if she knew that it was all his fault. He wanted to ask her, but he didn’t know if he could stomach her answer. He just nodded and gave her a tight-lipped smile.

The flight was alright. Smoother than some, rougher than others. Truthfully, he didn’t remember much of the six hours it took to get from New York to Wyoming. He remembers a patch of turbulence as they flew through a light rain storm only because it jolted him from his thoughts. The rest was a blur of the metal interior of the plane that he stared at, flashes of your smiling face, and images of blood splatter and gore that he hoped he wouldn’t see by the time they all arrived at their destination.

The arrival and most of the trek to get to you was hazy as well. He knew it wasn’t safe for his mind to be so foggy, so flooded with fear as he fought men who outnumbered him and Sam and Wanda, but he didn’t really have the control to push it away. At least he had pure adrenaline coursing through his veins to push him past the swarms of HYDRA guards and agents to get to you.

***

There was a scuffle outside, it seemed.

Well, from what you could hear, all of the screaming and gunshots, it sounded like something much more than a scuffle. However, when the man who held you captive jammed a knife into your side and pulled it out, tucking it into his belt and telling you to stay there and he would be right back, he claimed that there was a bit of a scuffle going on just past the doors.

As soon as he left the room, you kicked your legs with all your might. You didn’t really know what you were trying to do, but you knew that you wouldn’t just stay still and wait for the torture to continue once he was available. Maybe you could get some footing on the table just feet from you, maybe you could swing yourself high enough that the chains would slip from the hook it was hung on.

Neither possibilities occurred. Instead, the rusted and raggedy chains shattered after a few kicks, sending you clattering to the ground.

The breath escaped your lungs as you landed straight on your back, sputtering and gasping like a fish out of water as your whole body radiated with pain. Maybe you were paralyzed, your mind whispered to you, making tears well in your eyes. No, no, that wasn’t true. You were okay.

Once the breath finally came back into your lungs, you lifted your right shoulder off of the ground in an attempt to roll onto your side and lift yourself up. As your hands fought for purchase on the chilled floor, you slipped on the puddle of water that remained from the bucket he’d dumped on you earlier and landed on your stomach.

You let out a wail, letting the tears finally streak down your cheeks as you smacked your palms against the concrete. “I don’t wanna die,” you wept, rolling onto your side and curling up into a ball.

The door creaked back open and you scrubbed the tears off of your cheeks, putting on a stoic face as you prepared to look up at the man.

Bucky stood at the doorway, eyes wide as he took in the horrid sight before him.

There didn’t seem to be an inch of skin that wasn’t caked in blood or dirt except for your cheeks, in which old tear tracks cut through the grime and gore. You still wore the satin dress you had on that night, though it was torn to shreds and barely clinging onto your body. Below you was a puddle of bloody water, both old and new, and more blood slowly flowed out of a wound in your side.

“Bucky?” you choked out, staring up at him with half-lidded eyes.

He’d never heard you say his name, never heard your sweet voice speak the word he forbade you to say. A sad smile cracked over his lips and he swore to himself that he’d only want to hear you say his name, his real name, from now on.

“Hey, doll, it’s me,” he cooed, rushing over to you and pulling you into his grasp. “God, what did they do to you?”

“You can’t be here.” You pushed his chest weakly as he held you up and against him.

“What?”

“They’re gonna hurt you. They-they’re gonna take you away again. I can’t let that happen.” You were hyperventilating, though you were tangling your fingers into his shirt as if you didn’t truly want him to leave. “You need to leave, I’ll be okay.”

He shook his head, tears stinging his eyes at your words. “I’m not leaving here without you, okay?”

“Buck-”

“No, we’re getting out of here. Come on. Can you stand?” He pulled you into his grasp, draping one of your arms over his shoulders. Slowly he lifted the two of you up in an attempt to help you into your feet, but your legs immediately collapsed under you, slipping in his grip. He quickly caught you, fingers digging into your flesh as he hoisted you up. “It’s okay, I’ve got ya.”

“‘m gonna get blood on you,” you argued weakly, gripping onto his shirt with all the strength you could muster as he slipped an arm under the bend of your legs, cradling you in his arms.

“Nothing I can’t clean off.” He held you close and made sure his grip on you was secure before he carried you out of the room and down the long and winding corridors. “We’re gonna get you all cleaned up on the jet and get you back to the compound. Get you in a nice comfy bed so you can sleep. How does that sound?”

You nodded slowly, eyes fluttering with exhaustion as the adrenaline finally started wearing off. “So tired.”

“I know. I just need you to stay awake for me a little longer, okay? I can’t have you falling asleep on me in case…”

“I don’t wake back up,” you spoke the words he didn’t want to utter.

He nodded, lips pressed into a fine line as he kept his gaze on your face. “Do you think you can do that for me?”

“I can try.”

The way your voice shook made all the breath leave his lungs. He knew you were strong, stronger than he could ever comprehend, but the fear that possessed your body was something so foreign for him to see in you that it shook him to his core. He hoped that the man who did this to you was still laying in the hallway, blood seeping from his abdomen and all of his teeth scattered along the concrete.

Bucky knew the man- well, knew is a strong word. He seemed familiar, his face and the cockiness he exuded dug up memories of being brainwashed, being tortured. Bucky would’ve killed the man for that anyway, but he felt that he had an obligation to do so when he realized that the blood staining the man’s clothes was yours.

“I wanna go home,” you rasped, your grip loosening on his shirt as you fought for consciousness.

“We’re gonna get you back to the compound as soon as possible. Your home… You can’t go back. We’ve got all of your stuff packed up, though. It’s all set up in your new room,” he explained, squeezing the thigh he held in his hands comfortingly.

“But there’re two cats I feed at my apartment. I can’t let them starve.” Your words were slurring together, reminiscent of the night before.

“We’ll get something figured out, but your safety is our top priority.” Bucky’s eyes left yours to look straight ahead, rushing to get to the jet. In his ear, he heard Sam announcing that it was all clear and him and Wanda were just waiting for you two “lovebirds.”

As soon as the jet came into view, Sam and Wanda were rushing over to survey the damage they did on your body. Wanda had cooed comforting words to you, fingers gently brushing the hair from your face as she told you that you were safe. Sam, on the other hand, had quickly pressed a towel to your slowly bleeding wound on your side.

“She’s lost a lot of blood and she’s getting groggy, we need to get back to the compound as soon as possible,” Bucky demanded, discreetly holding you tighter to his body. Wanda and Sam nodded and you all rushed onto the jet, getting secured as Maria lifted the jet up into the sky.

There was a singular medic on board who rushed to your aid as soon as the vehicle was safe enough to move around in. Bucky helped her get you out of your tattered dress so they could gain access to the multiple wounds that littered your body, his eyes immediately flickering to your eyes as soon as your skin was revealed, both to give you some semblance of privacy and because he couldn’t stomach looking at all of the cuts, burns, and welts that marred your skin.

“They’re gonna use these patches on you, Helen Cho herself demanded that we use them,” he informed you, his hand finding your and weaving your fingers together.

You nodded, a sad smile settling on your face. “I’ve always wanted to see these. Just didn’t think I’d be the one using them.”

Your words pained him, but the strange excitement in your voice piqued his interest. “You know Helen Cho?”

“Of course. The progress she’s made in the medical field is amazing.”

A smile began to crack along his own lips. “I didn’t pin you as a science nerd.”

You rolled your eyes, heat bubbling in your cheeks. “Shut up.”

“Hey, it’s definitely not an insult. It’s coming from one of the biggest nerds of all time.”

You gave him a curious look, taking note of the way his thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of your hand. “You, James Buchanan Barnes, are a nerd?”

He grinned, though his cheeks grew a tad red. “Before I…” he cleared his throat, his jaw flexing momentarily. “Before I was shipped out to England for the war, I dragged Steve along to the Stark Expo.” There was a far off look in his eyes, you couldn’t decipher whether it was nostalgic or melancholy though.

“Really?” He watched the way your face lit up, your expression acting as a sort of anchor to keep him from drifting off into his own thoughts.

“I mean, the technology they had there doesn’t compare to what we’ve got now, but at the time it was… It was amazing.”

“Alright, you’re all done,” the medic spoke, smoothing the patches down one last time.

“How did you do that?” you asked Bucky, looking at him with bewilderment.

“Do what?” he hummed, helping the medic to get you up so they could throw a loose gown over your figure and then walking you over to the cot that was tucked away into the side of the jet. In hindsight, it may have been easier for the medic to work on your wounds on the cot rather than on one of the bench seats that lined the sides of the jet with your head in his lap, but he truly didn’t want to let you go.

“I didn’t feel anything.”

He gave you a closed-lipped smile and squeezed your hand which still laid in his. “I guess I’m just good at distracting you.”

***

The remainder of the expedited flight home (which was rushed solely due to the amount of injuries you’ve sustained and the blood you’d lost from it) was spent with you and Bucky talking about anything and everything. Family, pets, high school, science, and everything in-between. Truly, you couldn’t recall if you’d even had a full conversation with Bucky that didn’t end with an argument, or even having a full conversation at all.

It was nice. Well, it was more than nice. It was relieving, eye-opening, reassuring, comforting. For once, you were able to see the sweet, charismatic man that you’d thought him to be for most of your life, and it was amazing.

Though, as the jet landed and you realized that Bucky would no longer be trapped in a small metal contraption with you, you feared that this connection the two of you had grown would dissipate like it had so many times before, crumbling back into the loveless relationship you two were stuck in, Bucky’s walls building back up once more. That fear only grew stronger and stronger as the jet grew closer to the compound before finally landing in a large concrete pad just outside the hangar.

The dropdown door of the jet opened up to a hoard of medical professionals, all of them pulling you from Bucky’s arms and whisking you away into the medical bay. Bucky followed closely behind them, making sure you were within his eyesight the whole way.

Once he reached the glass doors that separated the medical bay from the hallway, a nurse gently touched his shoulder and instructed him that he would have to wait outside while they ran some tests on you and reconstructed your tissue.

Bucky sat just outside the glass doors, not daring to leave your side anytime soon. His legs were outstretched in front of him as he leaned against the wall. To anyone else, he appeared relaxed, nonchalant. But on the inside, he was a complete disaster.

Guilt had been gnawing at him ever since last night, and now that he finally had you safe and sound, it grew infinitely. He despised himself for hurting you, for putting you in such a vulnerable position that led to your abduction. And yet, after it all, you were still kind to him. You protected him from Hydra, underwent torture just to keep him safe, even tried to convince him to leave so he could be safe and they would still have you. He let you hold him, tell you stories about his life and you yours.

That was the worst thing, in his mind. He’d hurt you so horribly and you still gave him all of your trust, still showed him your signature bright smile and kind demeanor. He deserved none of it.

He had no idea that you were spiraling just as much as him, heart rate spiking incessantly on the monitors as the team of doctors and nurses worked on you. Your heightened vitals had worried them, but you appeared to be fine. Physically, you were.

Mentally, you couldn’t shake the feeling of his hands gripping your exposed skin out of your mind. His worry-filled gaze lingered behind your eyelids and the rasp of his low voice echoed in your ears.

It was either those thoughts distracting you or the possibility that the process of healing your cuts took mere minutes, but you were finished with the procedure and moved to a new bed in a separate room much quicker than anticipated.

Bucky appeared at your side the moment the doctors and nurses exited the room, settling into a chair beside your bed and taking one of your hands in his vibranium one, the other one setting a bundle of slightly wilted poppies onto your bedside table.

Your eyes shifted from his gaze to the flowers, a tired smile tugging at your lips. “You got me flowers?” you rasped, exhaustion and the multiple painkillers you were dosed with beginning to hit you.

A shuddering sigh left his lips as he glanced over at the flowers before averting his gaze to your linked hands. “Well, I uh, I got them to apologize to you. I brought them to your apartment this morning but now I guess they’re serving as ‘get well soon’ flowers.”

Flashes of the night before flooded your mind, making your smile falter slightly. “Oh.” You kept your eyes on the flowers, but you noticed Bucky’s hand beginning to slip from your grip. You held his hand tighter, squeezing it once in a sort of reassuring gesture. “How did you know that poppies were my favorite?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, I was just drawn to them. They reminded me of you.”

You giggled softly, tugging your lower lip between your teeth.

“What’s so funny?”

“Did you know that poppies are the flowers used to commemorate fallen soldiers from the first and second World War?”

A breathy laugh passed his lips. “No, doll, I didn’t.”

“It’s just funny, a World War II veteran being drawn to poppies. Ironic, maybe.”

The genuine smile that graced your lips, the admiration in your eyes as you stared at the poppies made his heart flutter in his chest. He was rendered speechless for a moment, so drawn in by your effortless appeal.

“How are you feeling?” he spoke finally, letting his thumb glide over your knuckles.

You just hummed, giving him a small shrug. “I don’t know. I’m sore, but nothing particularly hurts. Maybe it’s just the painkillers. I’m tired, though. I know that for sure.”

He nodded, rising to his feet and pulling his hand from yours to brush away a strand of hair that rested unkempt on your forehead. “Get some sleep. You need it.” With a slight hesitance, he leaned over you and pressed a kiss to your temple. He lingered for a moment, basking in the feeling of your warm skin under his lips before pulling away with the same hesitance he displayed moments earlier. Silently, he turned on his heel and headed for the door.

“Bucky?”

There it was again, your sweet voice rasping his name. For a brief moment, he let his mind slip away to the thought of that same rasp in your voice when you woke up in bed next to him, bidding him a good morning. He’d never get sick of it. “Yeah?” He turned to look at you once more.

“Thank you for not leaving me there.” You shrunk slightly in your bed, embarrassment seemingly taking over your form.

His brows knit together, remembering your begging for him to leave you for his own safety. “I’d never let anything bad happen to you, Y/N.”

You nodded and he caught a slight smile resting on your lips once more as you ducked your head.

---

Tags: @summerdaughter, @spid3rgwen, @girlfriday007, @lmaosupertuff, @pansexualproblemchild, @toothhurtyam, @claudiaatje, @angstysebfan, @tyzerman91, @hawsx3, @slut-for-buck, @foggyempathfireperson, @etherealghostface, @bby-aj, @stolenxkissess, @joseyrw, @aperiya, @mooonlitstars, @tyzerman91, @stumbleonmywords, @geekanista, @imtaashu, @440mxs-wife, @havesaltwilltravel, @cxddlyash, @lukesaprince

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auramindedd · 4 years ago

Text

Fixed? Never - SMAU*

Part 3

CorpseHusband x FemReader

Warnings: cussing

A/N: again, any posts with a “ * ” attached to “smau” has writing in it. imma focus A LOT more on just the social media n message perspective, but y/n n corpse meet in this part soooo i had to add some writing :) something else b4 i forget; i’m updating my masterlist and changing it into a directory post that way you guys can also request through a google form! i’ll have requests open at all times unless i get too stressed out or if they overfill. due to me changing my masterlist, there’s gonna be about 6 posts i think. also,, thank you guys so much for 600 followers! i’ve been hitting a bunch of milestones and haven’t been remembering to say thank you, but just know that i appreciate every single one of you... also i love reading y’all’s comments 😭

🤍 directory

🕊 previous

☁️ next

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You make sure you’re set up before 6 PM, which was probably a mistake. You can’t sit still, you’re starting to get nervous, and you kind of just want to run away to McDonald’s.

Sure, you know Ludwig, Dream, and Rae, but it feels like you’re at school all over again. That anxious feeling of having to be with people while your best friends aren’t around.

You’re leg is bouncing, your nails are tapping on your desk, and you can’t stop running your hand through your hair. It probably looks like a fucking bird nest by now.

You start streaming, deciding that maybe talking to your supporters will make things a bit better.

“Hey, loves,” You greet in a not so Y/N-fashioned way. Of course, the chat catches on, and you’re being called out for it. You can’t help but giggle at the fact that your supporters know how you usually are.

@user: What happened to, “Hey, bitches!”

@user: Ou, someone is nervous.

Yeah, they obviously know you very well.

“Alright, let’s start over.” You clear your throat for dramatic effect because, well, when are you not dramatic? “Hey, bitches!” Yup, even you know that just feels right.

After a while of talking to your supporters, Rae sends you the Discord invite and the Among Us code. You join, feeling your nerves start to come back.

“Y/N!” Rae exclaims in excitement when she sees you’ve joined the Among Us lobby.

“Hi,” You say, shyness lacing your voice.

“Oh my God! The cutest voice.” Jack says. Wow, what a compliment coming from the Jack_Septic_Eye.

You take time to introduce yourself to everyone, trying to calm your nerves.

“Are we gonna start?” Ludwig’s impatient ass asks.

“We’re waiting for Corpse.” Rae explains.

Shit, another person you have to introduce yourself to?

“Hey, Corpse!” Sykkuno greets quickly, very obviously racing to be the first to say hi to Corpse.

“Hey, Sykkuno,” Corpse chuckles, and woah, the last thing you expected. You can’t help but be surprised, and you know it’s showing on your face. Why? Because your supporters are teasing you in the chat.

“Corpse,” Rae says in a sing-songy tone. “This is Y/N.” And your heart drops to your fucking stomach. Every single time it happens when you have to meet someone, but now your heart is beating even faster because you’re obviously the only one who hasn’t met Corpse. They’re all expecting a reaction out of you...

“Hey, Y/N.” His deep, husky voice says. You can hear the smile in his voice and it helps ease your nerves.

“Hi,” You greet, shyness still lacing your voice.

Corpse chuckles, “So cute.” Now you’re blushing. Great...

Rae starts the game, saving you before the others can start teasing you.

Crewmate.

You’ve only played Among Us once, in a public server with Dream, George, Karl, and Alex, and then you got bullied for not knowing what the fuck to do.

To say the least, you’re pretty glad to be Crewmate and not Impostor.

“Y/N!” Jack shouts, walking up to you. You slightly jump, forgetting they’re playing with Proximity Chat.

“Jack!” You shout back, letting his astronaut catch up to you.

“We were expecting a reaction.” He says, and of course they were.

“Uh, yeah, I don’t know. I feel like he hears it a lot, don’t want to add on to the list of Things People Say To Him Everyday.”

“Yeah, he’s probably very grateful for that.”

“Grateful for what?” Charlie walks up to you two.

“Nothing,” Jack drawls. You’ve just met Charlie, but you know that he’d tease both you and Corpse about one another’s voices.

“Oh, I know!” Charlie exclaims, but before he can say what he knows-

“Okayyy! That’s enough interaction with Charlie for today.” Jack says, and you take that as a, ‘Walk the fuck away now, Y/N!’

You walk around, trying your best to finish tasks, but when it comes to the card swipe in Admin, you want to quit life as a whole.

“Ugh, I fucking quit.” You groan, slamming your hands on your desk. A deep, rumbling chuckle comes through on your headphones.

“Having trouble?” Corpse teases.

“Yeah. I wanna rip every strand of my fucking hair out.”

“Swipe it slower.” And with that, you try again. Voila! Just like magic.

“Well if I would’ve fucking known.” You groan, Corpse chuckling.

“Here, I can help you with the game.”

“Yes, please, I don’t know shit about it.”

“You know, you cuss a lot for having such a sweet, innocent, and cute voice.” Corpse laughs.

“Yeah,” You drawl. “I know, bad fucking habit.” You slap your hand over your mouth. How does someone cuss in every sentence? Get a filter, damn.

Corpse walks around with you as you both finish tasks, explaining how the game works, and giving you tips for when you do end up being an Impostor.

Honestly, you could listen to his voice all day. He’s also really sweet.

“What are you two up to?” Brooke asks, doing tasks in Electrical with you two. Corpse told you to make sure you’re always aware of your surroundings when you’re in Electrical. So, naturally, you’re freaking out, but silently and internally.

“Brooke,” Corpse warns. He doesn’t even have time to finish his warning. Brooke kills him, his body flopping over, the one bone sticking out from the top of his body. Your mouth falls open.

“Hey, Y/N. Let’s be besties!” You don’t know what to do, but ay, #girlsupportinggirls, right? So, you walk with her. She helps you along the way, also telling you tips on the game, explaining how everything works. Then, after about a minute, a whole 60 seconds, Corpse’s body is reported.

“Why Corpse? Such an innocent man with a beautiful voice.” Lud fake cries.

“Get over it,” Brooke says.

“It’s Brooke! Brooke’s an Impostor!” Lud shouts.

“What? No! I was with Y/N for a lot of this round.” Brooke defends herself, and oh fuck, who the fuck do you defend? You’ve just met both of them, one of them will possibly hate you forever.

“Y/N?” Sykkuno grabs your attention, snapping you out of your thinking.

“Yeah, she was. She wouldn’t have had time to kill Corpse. Where was the body?” Well, there you go, potentially ruining yours and Corpse’s blooming friendship. Sad Girl Hour, type beat.

“In Electrical,” Charlie says.

“Yeah, no way she would’ve had to time to kill him.”

Nobody’s voted out. Brooke hasn’t even told you who the second Impostor is so, you don’t know if you should stay with her or not.

As you and Brooke are walking around, or skipping as she sees it, and holding hands, Dream pops out of a vent. Well, there’s Imposter two.

“Woah! Dream, way to out yourself out.” You tease, throwing your head back and laughing.

“Please, you’ve been with Brooke the whole time. Don’t say anything.” Dream begs, making you and Brooke giggle.

“I won’t, I won’t.”

“Thank you,” He starts walking away from you guys, but not without finishing his sentence that you thought was already finished. “Cutie.” And there, finished.

Fucking finished! Tweedle-dee, tweedle dum! Whoopty-fucking-do! Fan-fucking-tastic! A-fucking-mazing!

And of course you’re blushing for the whole 80,000+ people watching to tease you about.

“Oh my God!” Brooke squeals. “What was that?!”

“I’ll explain later,”

•*•*•*•*•

“Y/N, how could you?” Corpse says, offended.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know what to do.”

“She’s my enemy, Y/N. We were supposed to stick together. I told you some tips and tricks, explained how to be a badass Impostor, everything!” Wow, he’s a good fucking actor.

“I can very well do the same thing, bitch.” Brooke spits, all in a playful manner - you hope...

“Not better than me, bitch.” Corpse retorts, his astronaut getting closer.

•*•*•*•*•

Imposter.

With Corpse.

Great.

Your enemy. Or as he put it, “Enemy who he can maybe, and most likely, will become friends with in the near future.”

“Follow,” He says, and even though he’s your enemy, you do.

“I gotta do my own thing.”

“You don’t know how to do shit.” Corpse scoffs.

“Okay then, what the fuck are we gonna do?”

“Double kills, all the way, but only when we meet up with each other. So, right now, we’ll both go our own ways, but when we see each other again, we’ll walk to a pair and do a double kill if we can.” Corpse explains.

“Brooke told me not to do double kills often. It won’t help get through a game.”

Corpse snorts, “Brooke doesn’t know dog shit about this game.”

“Fine,” You groan, going along with it only because you don’t know dog shit about the game either.

As Corpse explained, you two do double kills every time you meet up. You two managed to get double kills where people rarely go - Shields, Comms, and the top of Cafeteria.

After killing Rae and Sykkuno, the game ends. You made sure to leave Brooke and Dream alive.

“Period, we did that!” You exclaim, everyone else groaning and complaining about how you two should never be an Impostor duo again. “But I still fucking hate you because you hate me!”

“Exactly!” Corpse retorts in the same tone as you.

•*•*•*•*•

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Taglist - comment or message me to be added!

* if your username is in bold, please reach out to me; you’re at risk of having your username removed that way i can clear space for other tags. *

@cherry-piee @littlered00 @sunnywinterdays @strang-ersclub @callmemaeve-y @powerpuffyn @kusuinko @where-thesundoesntshine @letglimmersayfuck @coryisagee @a-dot-dev @ifilosemyselfagain @tayloryorkscurls @lex-prplatmngrl @letsloveimagines @youretheonlyonewhomakesme @smiithys @mikayladoesntknow @clubfairy @mirahg @thurstyforholland @thatsouthernblondewiththeass @majasophieanna

——————————————————————————

Tags - ignore::

#corpse husband scenario #corpse x y/n #corpse husband scenarios #corpse husband imagine #corpse husband fic #corpse fanfic #corpse husband #corpse #corpse x reader #corpse fic #corpse supremacy #corpse husband fanfic #corpse husband smau #corpse husband social media au #corpse x you #corpse x fem reader #corpsehusband #smau #social media au

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translations-by-aiimee · 3 years ago

Text

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 28

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 28 - Immortal

In some remote mountainous areas in the south, Miao women used clay pots and menstrual blood to raise hundreds of insects. They sealed them, placed them in a damp place and cast curses on them. Once the day was done, the poisonous insects will have killed each other and the last one was embodied with Gu poison*. The curse made with Gu poison could make someone's love interest fall helplessly in love with them for the rest of his life, and it could also plague one's enemy with nightmares, madness, and even death. The women who concocted Gu poison were typically loners, often muttering to no one, avoided by the general public.

*(T/N: 蛊 - Gu poison was believed to be the combination of all the venoms from the insects that died and would be used for black magic in southern regions of China)

In Nanyang Black Magic, they would use the body of a baby that died recently, boiled out the toyol*, poured it on a puppet doused in human blood and placed it in the home. The imprisoned baby ghost would protect the house but the curse-caster will be punished. They would also carve birthdates into wood, causing the other to die.

*(T/N: 尸油 - literally 'corpse oil.' I'll spare you the graphic details but basically taking a dead body's chin and boiling it until oil drains out of it)

This black magic flourished in the Ming Dynasty. The Eastern Depot eunuchs* were in turmoil. Everyone was reporting each other, no one would speak to each other, eyes darting between each other daily. These curses were developed as a branch of Daoism to oppose political rivals. A-Yan said that the Daoist practices used to drive out ghosts and save people were declining, but this black magic has stuck around. It was one of the biggest spots in Daoist history.

*(T/N: 东厂 - a secret police & spy agency run by eunuchs meant to suppress political opposition towards the emperor)

Saturday morning was a beautiful day. The sun was shining but not to the point of being unbearably hot. The distant mountains stood silently under the blue sky. A black Audi passed quickly through the country’s tree-lined roads, raising a cloud of grit and dust. A white goose with its head held high on the roadside was startled by the car, flapping its wings and stretching its neck to hide behind a fence.

The car stopped at a small farmhouse in the northwest corner of the village.

In the courtyard, a tall Shuzi tree stretched out dense branches, looking extraordinarily vibrant. In contrast, the entire courtyard was strangely decrepit. A well was covered by a millstone and the stone-paced path was full of weeds. The doors of the three mud-brick houses were closed, with straw curtains covering the doors and windows covered with dust.

Everything was very different from a month ago. Lin Yan remembered that the last time he came here, there were hens and rabbits. The old lady in blue embroidered clothing was kneeling on the futon with her eyes closed. The small courtyard was filled with the mysterious atmosphere of the countryside. The current yard would give people the impression that the homeowner hadn't been home for years when, in fact, a fresh grave in the back of the mountain had only been built a month ago. Rural people were convinced that the houses inhabited by the living were blessed by the gods and sheltered from the elements for decades. Once the owner of the house dies, the gods will follow, so the empty house often collapsed and was destroyed in less than six months.

"When Second Immortal Gu was in the village, she would help children that fell sick with fever, and the adults that were dealing with evil spirits. Young men would ask her when they'd get married and, for the right price, she'd tell them." The village chief said with a cigarette in his mouth.

The village leader knew Yin Zhou’s mother well. He heard that Yin Zhou wanted to bring someone to pay tribute to Second Immortal Gu and waited at the entrance of the village to welcome them. It took ten minutes to drive from the village leader's house to Second Immortal Gu’s house. The village head smoked four cigarettes in a row. Yin Zhou squeezed his eyes shut while Lin Yan and the little Daoist priest twisted their heads out of the window every 30 seconds to gasp for a breath of fresh air. The village chief was the only one of them chatting in the smoky car. Lin Yan saw how the complaints of three people and a ghost just flew over his head.

If a ghost could complain.

Lin Yan found a roll of incense from the little Daoist's bag and lit it. He put the incense burner at the door of the mud-brick house and offered his respects.

"Last time, we left just before Second Immortal Gu had her accident. I should have come to offer some incense sooner, it's just things with school got busy and I haven't been able to make it until now." Lin Yan brushed the straw curtain and the accumulated dust fell on his face. "Cough, cough. Does - Does anyone take care of this place?"

"Of course not. You big city kids wouldn't know. Doing this line of work is only good for putting food on the table. Immortal Gu came out here in her twenties. In less than ten years, her husband and two sons had died and she was the only one left. She couldn't even save herself." The village leader stuffed his yellow striped shirt into his pants. "Don't feel bad. No immortal in this village could escape that fate."

"Come on, let's go, you guys are here to see her grave. We don't put up any gravestones here. We just build a stone platform, but the villagers will remember who it's for. I'll take you up there."

The sun was growing hotter. Several of them used broken branches to smack the grass in case of snakes while they hiked up the rugged mountain trail. A rural cemetery wasn't as neat as an urban cemetery. Each family claimed a spot, with every newly deceased buried next to the rest of their family. The grave was a prominent mound of dirt with a large stone on top. Some of the graves were too old to even make out the mound, the ground studded with small light blue flowers. A date palm tree grew wildly, and they needed to watch their step when walking so they wouldn't disturb the resting dead.

Second Immortal Gu's grave was off on its own. The mound was freshly dug. Other than a crooked wreath lying on it, it was indistinguishable from the older graves that had been abandoned for years.

The scene made Lin Yan feel incredibly guilty. He burned a large stack of paper dollars in front of the grave, playing with his branch while saying silently in his mind: Auntie, if you're still here, please come back and tell us who harmed you. We'll avenge your death.

The village chief took the cigarettes Lin Yan had bought him and squatted off in the distance to smoke. Lin Yan winked at the little Daoist priest and said softly, "Let's start?"

A-Yan nodded and took out a crumpled photo from his pocket that he had found in a frame in Immortal Gu's house. The immortal in the photo was still very young, wearing a floral cotton jacket and staring vacantly ahead.

"Now isn't a good time. The s-sun is too high. The mountains are filled with Yang energy, and the ghosts may not be able to be reached." A-Yan said. He jumped up and grabbed a twig from the date tree above his head. He hung a spirit summoning flag on it and patted the dust off his shoulders. "Here's a picture, here are the bones. Um, Lin Yan, I'm going to borrow your birthdate for this."

Before Lin Yan had time to ask, the little Daoist priest handed him a dagger. Unlike his usual mahogany sword, this one was actually made of metal. The handle seemed to be a few years old, and the tip of the blade gleaming a bright white in the sunlight.

"H-Hold this for a minute. You might feel a little uncomfortable, but don't let it go." A-Yan instructed: "I-I'll read one sentence and you read the next."

Yin Zhou chuckled but he felt that it probably wasn't the time to laugh so he quickly turned his laughter into a string of coughs.

Surprisingly, A-Yan never stuttered whenever he talked about Taoism and charms, Lin Yan muttered.

Time passed by and it was almost noon. The date trees in the mountains couldn't block the hot sun. After standing there for a long time, most of them were covered in a layer of sweat. The village leader couldn't bear the heat and left to join some nearby people to drink some tea. Lin Yan stood in front of the grave with the dagger in his hand. He rubbed the sweat on his cheeks off with his shoulder, hoping that this time it would be over quickly.

The little Daoist started reciting. His voice didn't sound like proper speech, but the slow rate of speech wasn't too difficult to follow. Lin Yan held the hilt of the dagger and along with the chant. Not even halfway through the incantation, Lin Yan already began to feel that something was wrong. The temperature around him began to drop, and the hot sweat condensed on his back. He kept shivering like he was suffering from heatstroke. A chill came from the handle of the dagger. First, the temperature seeped into his palm, and then his whole arm, up to his shoulders, through the bones in his spine to the back of his head in a numb wave. It was as if he wasn't holding a dagger but a frozen fish that had been left in the bottom tray of the freezer for a year.

The spirit summoning flag above his head began to move.

"It's cold." Lin Yan took a breath and scanned the silent mountains around him. "Have you reached the soul?"

"I t-think I found her." The little Daoist hesitated. "Huh. . . that's weird. . ."

After reciting two more incantations, the bone-chilling cold air had spread to his calves. Lin Yan's teeth chattered and he shivered out: "A-. . . A-Yan, are you sure this is okay. . . it's too. . . cold. . ."

The chanting continued, the little Daoist priest shot him a sideways glance, his eyes cold. Lin Yan can only brace himself to keep follow the mantra incantations, a heavy cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"Hold on for a little longer. The soul is bound to something, I want to break it free." A-Yan gritted his teeth, and a piece of talisman paper was slapped against the blade. All of a sudden, the cold washed over him like a tsunami. Lin Yan's whole body felt like it was being stabbed by needles, veins popping on his forehead from the pain.

"A-Yan, what are you doing?!" Yin Zhou knew something wasn't right when he saw Lin Yan's lips turn blue. "If you can't do it now, someone's going to get hurt. Lin Yan, use the ghost that's following you!"

"Almost there. Don't let go!" The little Daoist was flushed a sickly pale colour and he rapidly chanted the mantra. The spirit summoning flag above his head was being whipped by the wind. There was a ripping sound and the whole piece of cloth was torn in half and fluttered down onto the old grave in the distance.

"I-It's okay. . . A-Yan, go faster. . ." Lin Yan was so cold that he could barely get his tongue to work. He tried to move the hand with the dagger to it but he found that his skin was stuck to the metal and he couldn't budge it. He was shivering from his arms all the way down to his legs. Lin Yan staggered back and stepped on the bag they'd brought, almost falling backwards.

A force of strength supported his back. Xiao Yu's voice sounded right when he needed him, but his low voice didn't let him retort: "Let go."

Xiao Yu's hand covered the back of Lin Yan's hand. Compared to the temperature of the dagger, his palm was actually warm. It was just right to block the cold air that kept pouring into Lin Yan's arm. A-Yan's expression changed in an instant and he shouted loudly: "Back off, beast!"

"I'll fucking finish this. . ." Lin Yan abruptly closed his eyes and pressed his palm to the blade. All at once, the bone-chilling cold air felt like ten thousand needles running through his palm up to his arm. At the same time, there was a cold that grew behind him. He quickly opened his eyes but Second Immortal Gu hadn't appeared. On the contrary, Xiao Yu snapped Lin Yan's wrist with completely overwhelming strength, forcing the sharp weapon out of his hand.

The moment the dagger was taken out of Lin Yan's hand, he felt like he was immediately torn out of an ice block and thrown into a fire. The ritual was broken, the hot sunlight licked his back, making his whole body numbly feel like it was going to dissolve. However, he couldn't care less about his body's reaction. What happened next made Lin Yan and Yin Zhou - who was freaking out off to the side - shocked. They saw Xiao Yu holding the dagger inching towards A-Yan, frigid eyes filled with killing intent. When the palm of his hand touched the hilt of the knife, it sounded like searing flesh. But he didn't care. He grabbed A-Yan's collar with one hand, and violently plunged the dagger toward his left eye with the other!

Lin Yan's mind kicked into action. He subconsciously rushed over to hold Xiao Yu's waist, using all his strength to drag him back. However, something was wrong with the little Daoist priest, too. His usual cowardice was gone and his eyes burned with rage. He rolled away and broke free, rapidly taking out a handful of cinnabar and tossing it towards Xiao Yu. His voice changed because of the trembling: "An evil beast is an evil beast. You can't stay!"

"What the fuck is going on!" Yin Zhou couldn't see Xiao Yu. He could only see the little Daoist tumbling on the ground alone trying to avoid a shimmering dagger. Lin Yan's nerves were fried. While dragging Xiao Yu back, he roared towards Yin Zhou: "How the hell should I know? You grab A-Yan!"

He had never seen Xiao Yu so angry. The midday sun was burning and blinding. The ghost's whole body was emitting a faint greenish-black aura. The knuckles of both hands snapped open, sharp claw-like nails grabbing the back of the Daoist priest's head. Lin Yan thought he was seeing things and closed his eyes, but the scene stayed the same. The place where the ghost stood glowed a greenish-black and the place where the human stood was a dancing orange fire, intertwining with each other, but the orangish-yellow flames were gradually dying out. . .

Later, he would learn that people have yang energy and ghosts have yin energy. When the energy was extremely concentrated, he could directly perceive the yin and yang without his eyes confusing it in his mind. This was the foundation of excellent Taoism. He had inadvertently opened a long-closed door to the mystical arts.

However, the current situation was extremely dangerous. Xiao Yu held A-Yan’s neck with one hand and the dagger cut inch by inch into the little Daoist priest's arm blocking it. The hand holding the knife was searing black from the contact with the blade of the evil spirit's. A Yan's face grew purple, his eyes bulging. Lin Yan didn't dare to hesitate for a moment and scrambled over to protect A-Yan from behind. There was a clanging sound and the dagger rolled to the ground.

The little Daoist broke free from the evil spirit's hands, clutching his bleeding wound and groaning intermittently: "Lin Yan. . . Immortal Gu. . . Immortal Gu's spirit is trapped. . . I couldn't get her. . ."

Lin Yan supported the little Daoist's shoulders. His eyes gleamed, and the soft deer-like eyes were different from those when he had when he cast the spell. "The curse. . . Be careful." A-Yan whispered. Lin Yan hadn't gotten the chance to ask what was going on before his thin body couldn't support his own weight. His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Lin Yan and Yin Zhou looked at each other, shocked by the outcome, unable to utter a word.

#dig a grave to dig out a ghost #dig a grave to dig out a ghost translation #english translation #chinese bl #chinese novel #danmei novel #danmei #yaoi novel #yaoi #bl novel

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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

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New X-Men Xtrospective Part 2: Germ Free Generation (Annual, #117-120)

Hello all you happy mutants! And welcome back to my look one of my faviorite runs of one of my faviorite super teams by one of my faviorite comic book writers!

For those of you just joining us.. it’s been a while. I did the first instalment of this retrospective back in early January as a present to my friend for christmas, as he had never read E is for Extinctoin and what with this run being vital to the current, utterly brilliant Krakoa era of X-Men. But with both Black History Month and Valentine’s day, February had no real room for this one and march ended up being just as crammed with me doing essentially the entire della arc of ducktales in one month. I didn’t mean for this retrospective to get pushed so far back, but since I gave up doing weekly coverage of Final Space I had some room on the schedule so this retrospective is back with a vengance with two entries this month and hopefully at least one a month afterword to keep it at a decent clip.

Last time I covered the background of this run and didn’t really find much for the issues after, so I won’t have to spend as much time on background.

So since i’ts been a few months, a refresher is probably in order

PREVIOUSLY, ON X-MEN: Our merry mutants enterted a marvelous new era. As Charles redidciated to the dream with new equipment and a new uniforms our hero encounter a new villian: The Mysterious Cassandra Nova, a powerful telepath who used an uwitting patsy from the trask family and a defucnt sentinel factory to slaughter the mutant nation of Genosha, killing 16 million mutants in the most horrific act of genocide against mutants ever known. And the fact there has been more than one genocide against mutant kind MIGHT, just MIGHT be the reason they blackmailed for peace with life saving drugs instead of helping willingly and freely in the current comics. Just maybe.

Cassandra was captured by the X-Men soon after but escaped and nearly got a hold of Cerebra only to be stopped thanks to a combination of former enemy, genoshan resident at the time of the genocide, and that bitch Emma Frost who snapped her neck and Charles himself who uncharacteristically shot Cassandra in the head. That night Charles took a bold step over that would change the X-Men forever and told the world on live tv:

While all of this was going on we got caught up on the team’s personal struggles, currently consisting of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast and Wolverine with Emma joining as of the issue we’re about to cover. Beast is grappling with a secondary mutation that makes him look like Aslan, the jesus of narnia and all lions. Meanwhile Scott and Jean are grappling with their non existant sex life as Cyclops possesion by Apocalypse shortly before this story has severely rattled him and caused him to close himself off emotionally.

So that’s where we pick up. Our heroes are now no longer hiden saftely in the shadows from a world that hates and fear them but are out front and center with the world watching. And we’ll see both how that helps their cause and how it puts them directly in the cross hairs under the cut. Content Warning: This review discusses Transphobia and a scene involving a school shooting. If either of these are a trigger for you or something you do not want to read about please skip this part of the retrospective for your own well being. Thank you and have a lovely day.

The Man From Room X:

We have three stories today: an annual that introduces our final team member and the main villians of our next arc, a one off that moves the main plot for the first 12 issues along, and a three part arc about said villains. Before we get into the Annual, I have to talk about it’s weird gimmick: The issue is entirely sideways. I don’t mean it’s bad though some parts are problematic I mean when bought it’d be on it’s side and in my trade I have to flip the whole thing over on it’s side to read it. It’s just a .. weird choice. Not the weirdest thing about this issue somehow but not unexpected from Grant as they like to play with the formula.

We open in said Room X, a location in China where a mutant named Xorn is kept and showed off to a mysterious group of dickweeds in suits representing “Mr. Sublime”. His jailer, General Aao Jun,, shows him off as most bad guys would : By undoing his helmet and thus disntegrating two innocent children just by looking at them. Sublime says they have a deal.

Meanwhile also in China the X-Men are there for a funeral and Emma and Scott trade insulting questions back in forth: She mocks him about his lack of sex with Jean lately and he brings up her criminal past. As for why Emma’s still with the x-men.. it’s out of pragmatisim. WIth Genosha gone, the x-men are the saftest faction to throw in with.

As for why the X-Men are in China, Charles has rapidly expanded his operations now he’s public by setting up X-Corps, a multinational humantarian aid organization dedicated to helping mutants in need wherever they sprout up. He’s set up offices in Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Mumbai and Melborne.

He’s also half assed it, at least for the Hong Kong office and only gave them two employees: Domino, who those of you not as familiar with the comics may remember from deadpool and Risque.. who I honestly had never heard of before New X-Men and frequently forget existed. I just looked her up for the first time and she’s a minor mutant who was an associate of X-Force and Warpath’s love intrest. She could compress matter causing it to implode. My assumption here is that Morrison simply picked a minor mutant at random for the job.

But yeah naturally with only two mutants charged with, according to domino “All of asia” went horribly and the x-men are there for Risque’s funeral and to find out what happened. Unsuprisingly it’s tied into our cold open: Risque had found evidence of a mutant trafficking operation and died fighting them off and Dom is naturally f eeling in over her head since said operation involves the chinese goverment, who according to her exccute most mutants at birth and John Sublime and his cult.

We soon see a press confrence from this asshole and find out what his deal is: Sublime is the head of the U-Men, a group that belivies they are a “third species” of mutants trapped in human bodies that deserve to have the surgery to make them into mutants, and thus wear weird suits until the world is pure and allows them to have surgery for it.

Yeahhhh this.. this is really fucking uncomfortable and is going to be present throughout today’s piece so let’s just go ahead and rip that band-aid off: The U-Men come off as HIGHLY transphobic. They use terms similar to trans people call themselves trans species and are trapped inside a body they don’t belong in. It’s VERY uncomfortable to read as a result and something that hadn’t really sunk into till thsi reading but once it had.. oh god does this not age well.

The one thing that keeps this from runing the run and Grant Morrison as a whole for me.. is that I do not think for one second it was intentional. Grant themself is genderqueer, nonbinary and a cross dresser. None of this means they CAN’T be prejudice, being Queer does not magically make you immune to being prejudiced. But before this Grant had the genderqueer sentient street Danny the Street over in doom patrol and a trans main character in his book the invisibles, Lord Fanny. And given New X-Men’s biggest flaw as a whole is clumsy early 2000′s unforutnate implications such as a good chunk of the things about Cyclops affair with Emma, we’ll get to that at the right time, Angel in the next arc and Dust, who was introduced as from afganastan wearing an outfit not seen in the country and speaking a language not spoken in the country. Grant didn’t make these mistakes TWICE, it’s why I still have respect for them, and this won’t be the first or last comic i’ve forgiven for being stupid for it’s time. But I will still call Grant out when I see it. Just because I respect an author just because they changed my life does not mean I won’t call them out when they fuck up. And if they prove to be truly vile, have harmed someone or what have you I will cut them the fuck out of my life. I’ve done it with JK Rowling, Warren Ellis, Brad Jones and Joss Whedon. I would do it with Grant if I truly belivied they were transphobic and instead didn’t just write something very stupid without thinking the metaphor through 20 years ago.

So anyway back to the comic book bollocks as Wolvie and Dominio prepare for an infiltration and flirt a bunch. We also find out Jun is a mutant himself with a power only Grant could dream up: his skin, hair and what have you that falls off him turns into a naked golem for a bit before expiring. And if you hadn’t read this issue before reading this review, yes that actually happened. While the first arc had a BIT of Grant’s trademark batshit insanity, the series REALLY starts to pick it up from here: This issue has a mutant with functioning star for a head, a poorly thought out bucnh of sci fi new age organ theives, and a general whose power is “makes naked clones out of his dandruff”. Oh and his fondest wish?

I just... I don’t know how to respond to that. I don’t know how you respond to an old man’s weird murder fetish that he tells a somehow even creepier cult leader while said cult leader is paying him to buy a star man, and their both surronded by the creepy old guy’s skin golems that weirdly look like mudokons. Look i’ve read Grant’s entire utterly bonkers run on doom patrol. I’ve seen a man who looks like a question mark use a bicycle that makes everyone high like their on LSD for president. And THIS is what breaks me.

So while.. THIS is going on, Dom and Wolverine plan to do it all night long on the professor’s credit card, no really he gives all his professors carte blanch to use school fun, and inflitrate, Dom through the elvator this horrorshow just took place in and Wolvie james bond style. Also I gotta say I REALLY love how Morrison writes Domino. She’s wittiy, entertaining and her power is as awesome as always, super luck if you didn’t know. It’s a real shame he didn’t add her to the team: She wasn’t on any other x-teams, with X-Force having been rebranded into X-Statix by this point. She would’ve been a fun addition to the cast.

Naturally wolverine is found out.. but that was the entire plan, for him to serve as a distraction then cut his way to domino while she steals something from the vault. As for the rest of the X-Men, Cyclops, Beast and Emma are all downstairs in the parking garage and find a secret entrance. Jean is not on this trip and that’s a major plot point for this run. This is where Risque died.. and it only get’s worse when Hank goes inside, finding a bug like child, basically htink a giant caterpillar but with tons of human arms inttead of legs with her wings cut off.

Thankfully as Logan and Dom escape above, the U-Men are dumb enough to storm down bellow.. and while they incapacitate beast with some launched tiny knives, designed to incapcicate but leave them in tact for harvest, Emma beats the shit out of them and get the info out as only she can....

Granted she could’ve just turned back to normal and used her telepathy.. but what fun would that be? Plus they have blockers and you know CUT UP A FUCKING CHILD. SO yeah fuck them, let emma have her fun.

Thanks to her they find out the U-Men are a front for illegal organ harvest, and while they can’t prove sublimes attached Emma suggests killing him. Good idea but Scott suggests the lighter approach and we find out what Dom stole, a key, something Emma can psychcially scan. She warns it might take her a bit to get something.. only to be flooded instantly and we find out who the man in the box was. Shen Xorn... i’ll let emma tell you more herself.

It’s stuff like this why, despite some serious flaws like the U-Men debacle and some stuff to come, some I mentioned above other that’s just with the plot that i love this run. Morrison just gets how to really tell an x-men story and the real tragedy of being a mutant. That just for being diffrent, you get shut out, or in this case thrown into a box when you could’ve and should’ve been something more. As emma turns herself to diamond to deal with the psychic backlash, Beast has some solemn words to share.

That night Scott rests in his bedroom while presumibly hearing some truly horrific and sexy things next door while talking to jean before clocking out.. only for Emma to head in in a sexy dress with champagne. What happened? Well we won’t know for sure for most of the run.

The next day the U-Men prepare to load and we get some scrap of what the idea was supposed to be: John talks to Ao Jun about his procedures. We see wings crudely sewen to his back and his throat implaants hurting “But one day I will fly”. THe IDEA is their supposed to be lunatics, people who envy mutantkind but don’t actually respect their culture or their sense of personhood. It’s not the worst idea and had Grant not used trans termnology for htis, it would’ve been a great one. I think he INTENDED for them to be coopting the idea of being trans and what not to maks their true intentions.. which is problematic due to debates like the ones on bathrooms where a lot of transphobic asshats make the bad faith argument a bunch of people are going to pretend to be trans to assault people.

We’re.. we;’re not even to the main storyarc yet.

But things soon go wrong as Xorn’s starhead starts to collapse into a black hole, with no solution as the x-men took the key to his helmet.. and assault the compound. Turns out the star collapse thing is Jun’s revenge on humanity for lockig him down here and he gets his neck snapped. Scott has a solution though.. and it’s stuff like this why I fucking love Scott Summers and get annoyed when people call him “boring”: He realizes Xorn is comitting sucicide.. so he’s going to talk him out of it. Not just for everyone else but he deserves to live. And while Emma points out only logan among htem knows chinese and she can’t get through to Xorns’ head due to the way his brain works, Scott has a simple workaround: Use the nearest chineses speaker to teach Scott chinese. So.. with that he talks to Xorn.

And that my friend is Scott Summers. A man who faced with powerful man whose given up, whose lost all hope... convinces him he can still go on. That living’s better than dying.. and that it does get better. The issue closes with Xorn basking in the sunlight for the first time in decades while Domino sweats having an extremley powerful unknown mutant out in the world. Scott’s already thought of that.. and signed him up with the x-men. Granted it won’t be until our next article that he actually fully joins the team, but w’ell get to that next time.

This issue is great... while the U-Men stuff is pretty bad and isn’t going to get better, the tale of xorn is excitiong, Aao Jun is an intresting antagonist and the sideways gimmick suprisingly works. So now we’ve finshed our apitizer let’s get on to the main course.

Danger Rooms:

We open in well.. the Danger Room with Beast training a new student.

This is Beak. Beak is my faviorite character Morrison came up with and one of my faviorite X-Characters. Beak is a bird like boy who can fly, it’s just a struggle and due to looking diffrent and not having the most impressive power has very low self esteem. It’s also part of something Morrison took a concerted effort to do: introduce more mutants with genuinely odd apperances and drawbacks. Like we saw with Ugly John last time and Aao Jun in the previous issue, Morriosn really likes adding weird mutants but he also uses it to give a genuine downside to being one. While this isn’t NEW to x-men, Morriosn upped the scale and number of characters like this with weird powers and apperances. We see a bunch of human passing ones too but the backgrounds just jammed with all sorts of unique designs and students. It’s also the point where the school became far more crowded like the movies, a good call on my part both to help those coming in from the movies, and to help sell the mutant baby boom going on. After all it wouldn’t make sense if the school was just about 5-7 students and a bunch of grown adults doing superhero stuff like usual would it.

But we get to see that Hank is a good teacher, as he reminds the boy that he’s getting better and won’t be an x-man overnight, and worries about him to the professor, wanting the boy not to slip through the cracks, figuratively, and not to feel like an outcast.. especaily here. But Hank dosen’t feel blue for long, metaphorically he was blue long before he became the lion minus the witch and the wardrobe, as he has a date to night.. and so does Charles.

Or rather he did.. his girlfriend trish, a long time love intrest of his and a reporter.. breaks up with him. Over voice mail. While in washington. And the reasons she gives are not great

Yes Hank’s transformation is radical.. but not only was it not his choice... she’s being a coward, sending the message it’s okay to dump someone because hteir a mutant or because they happen tobe diffrent and that efffects your career. Again it’s moments like this that make the run soar over the more awkward bits.

Meanwhile Logan’s off doing logan stuff, i.e. gazing at a deer. Wow. Jean followed him. Both notice a space ship: Despite recently outing himself as a mutant, leading to an increased number of students and a bunch of rioting morons at the gates, Charles has decided NOW’S a good time to take a vacation to the Shiar empire. As for why Jean’s really out here, her marriage to Scott isn’t doing so good and while Logan encourages her to stay it’s just not that simple: Her telekenisis is coming back, stronger than ever. She feels the most alive she’s been while he’s shutting her out and feeling his deadest. She tries to turn to logan for comfort but he shuts her down. Just wait two decades jean... he’ll open up to a threesome. In all seriousness though having Jean try and come onto Logan .. will backfire slightly on later storylines. But we’ll get to that eventually.

In the basement Hank is studying Cassandra or rather a virtual version of her since her body is naturally in storage. And he’s found out something disturbing: She’s Charles Genetic Twin.. oh and it gets way worse. The Professor’s weird behavior? Barely staffing the hong kong office, leaving suddenly with rioters t the gates, outing himself? About that...

Cassandra tourtures Hank with the possiblity he’s devovling and then tries to mind controlli him into cleaning himself with his diploma when Beak enters. The good news is this allows hank to shake off her control and tackle her, showing off why hank mccoy is fucking awesome in the process.

That is the Hank McCoy I know, love.. and miss dearly. The one we’ll probably never get back sadly after what others did and what Percy’s had to do to reconclie with all they did.

Unfortunately beak being around means cassandra can force him to beat beast into a coma with his bat. She plans to tear Charles dream down around him and make him watch.. and cryptically says he tried to kill her. She then cheerfully leaves Jean in charge.. and talks about just how much damage one could do with an entire interstellar empire in the wrong hands....

This issue is also excellent and sets up the next two arcs nicely while giving us a nice peak in hank’s head. Great stuff. The artist also hid the word sex in a lot of the images see if you can find them.

Germ Free Generation Issue 1:

So now we get into our main story for today. This story and the one before it were drawn by Ethan Van Sciver whose a talented artist.. but also highly contrversial for being a conservative. I myself.. don’t know what he’s said or did, though calling himself “Canceld Superstar’ on twitter really isn’t a good sign. So I really can’t comment on it but I also know someone would mention it if I didn’t bring it up and if you know what he did please enlighten me.

So we open with a school shooter who also scooped out a guys eyes and is part of the U-Men. He get shot by the swat team while making his speech> it’s an effective opening but one that’s become more uncomfortable to read with each passing day due to school shootings going up and up in number. And mass shootings in general and I... I need a second. I need something to relax me

Thank you Stoopy. Your doing Odd’s Work.

So the news reports on this and we soon see how Jean watches the news.. by using Cerebra to read the minds of every person on the planet. Neat. Everyone’s talking about them. We also get a hint for later as we hear on the suicide of one martha johanson who wrote the note in her own blood. She’ll be important later.... and I mean that both in the context of this retrospective and for the fact she’ll go on to be part of x-men in perpetuity.

This is also where another great concept of Morrison’s pops up: Mutant culture. After all mutants are a minority, they should have their own culture. It’s something Hickman’s era has taken and ran with, but it’s a damn good idea and one that it shoudln’t of taken almost 20 years for someone else to use given Decimation was undone way back around 2012 in Avengers Vs X-Men, aka that event half hte articles on the mcu around the fox sale used as either their image for the article or asked about happneing. And yes that is a pet peeve of mine: while I do think like Civil War AVX could use a movie version to make it better, I don’t think it’s an event that could be done right away and would have to be almost entirely redone anyway given the context for AvX is entirely couched in decimation i.e. something NO ONE wants in any x-adaptation.

So it turns out while watching the news in a next level way Jean is also talking to Logan. “Stay out of my personal fantasies”. Yeah I .. I don’t think your ready for a hairy canadian dry humping a transformer.. specifically killbison. And yes.. that is an actual transformer and why yes, I have been waiting to bring him up.

And he is , and I am not making any of this up, part of a group of decpticons known as the breastforce. Your life is better for knowing that and you are welcome.

Anyway as you’d imagine a genocidal old woman in her brothers’ body leaving the X-Men to fend for themselves after having a teenager bludgeon one into a coma after publicly outing them with a rabid bunch of bigoted morons at the gates has not gone great. Henry is still out and despite the short staffing Jean needs logan to stay where he is as he’s close to an emerging mutant and within range to go get her.

Emma of course has never been so fucking irate in her whole life and is plotting various forms of psychic tourture with the help of her proteges the Stepford Cucokoo, 5 teenage mutants who functoin best as a unit and are easily some of MOrrison’s most prominent additions to the x-cast. Unlike a lot of the x-kids, they’ve been featured prominently in every era of x-men after this including the current one.

Jean decides for a less “Make them hate us even more” approach, but no less pissed off, opening the gates and going out directly to chew out the assembled bigoted morons, pointing out the ones carrying “Mutants Go Home!” signs are especailly dumb as this IS her home. And while she dosen’t point this part out, it’ the same for all of them: most of the mutants are either adults who choose to live here, teenagers who along with their parents choose to live here, or in the majority teens who have no where else to go due to either being abandoned by their families or it being way to dangerous for said families for them to stay due to bigoted assholes like the ones holding mutants go home signs.

A member of the press asks if she’s willing to talk to the media and she refutes most of his bullshit allegations: He asks if their building an army, she and Scott respond they are not and are simply educating mutants and protecting them. When he counters with the fact their living weapons and wearing uniforms... she counters with the fact she’s wearing them to protect herself, rightfully, from people like her, and the x-men are an aid orginzation going where needed to protect the world and while asshole points out no one apointed them.. jean shuts him down by pointing out there are no mutants in goverment and a genocide just happened, so someone has to do the job. Another random asshole tries to pipe up with “Genosha declared war on us” and Emma senses this is just going to go round and round and round and simply presses the assembled mob’s “bliss buttons” in their brains to knock them out. Non violent but honestly warranted: A dangerous part of bigoted assholes is they’l bring up racist bullshit to try and couch it like an actual conversation. None of these complaints really hold water if you looked at the x-men’s history for more than 5 minutes. Yes Charles is training them to fight and yes hte ingial class was an army but every class since has only been trained for self defense: they still got into adventures and what not, but it was usually by their own choice or because they were thrust into them by circumstance. Xaviers is exactly what jean said and endudgling these morons, while good on paper, only makes them seem legit.

Jean retreats to the infirmary where she’s on the verge of breaking down from the sheer weight of everything. Cyclops proves that despite not being the best husband right now... he still loves his wife, offering to go look into Sublime with Emma and hoping Hank wakes up. Turns out his mind for now is a big blank room.

So she can’t get any info off his skull, and neither of the two think what happened with Beak adds up. Something is up here. Their also coming down with colds which will be important later. And just as important.. Magneto is becoming a symbol among people and merch sales with his image are on the rise. We then get this.

So Jean is trying to be a supportive, honest wife, and while the questions incredibly insulting.. his answer is equally so. Spoilers, as mentioned we do get an answer long after this.. and they did not. So Jean is wrong to be suspcious, at this point, but is at least trying to be polite about it and gave him the benifit of the doubt.. and Scott basically said he slept with her without actually saying it despite not having to. You could’ve said “no we did not have sex, we simply talked all night”. It’s not ENTIRELY better given the horrible state of their relationship right now, but it’s still better than HEAVILY implying he rocked her body to the break of dawn for no damn reason.

So we meet our next major addition to the cast Angel Salvador, an abused teen who is a mutant.. and whose abusive and molesting step dad beats her and throws her out over this. The scene’s a bit overdone, coming off like an after school special.. but it’s what happens AFTER that’s truly heartwrenching.

A poor scared teenager clutching herself, finding herself homeless alone and desperatly wishing she wasn’t what she was. It’s just a striking image and shows how well Grant uses the mutant metaphor. I could easily see myself in that position had my parents not been good peopl and had I come out far sooner as bi. The idea of desperatly hoping your not what you are simply becaus eof what hell it brings, despite all the joy it can bring too. . it’s heartbreaking to hear.

Naturally though things don’t get much better as the next morning the U-Men have found her, calling her a freak and successfully kidnapping her.. if only because while she uses acid spit to escape, she flies into a power line.

We then get Sublimes meeting with Emma and Scott and a BETTER use of teh u-men as while Grant made the horrible mistake of calling them “transpecies”, seriously what the fuck were you thinking, the way sublime frames it here is a MUCH better, much less accidently bigoted concept.

The idea isn’t bad: A group of humans jealous of the mutants powers, blatantly ignoring the horrible downsides and mountain of persecution that comes with being one. Grant just made the mistake of couching in in Trans metaphors, clearly trying to have the U-Men steal from Trans People too as a way to make themselves seem legit. And I say if you want superpowers.. fine.. wanting to be a superhero or a mutant is fine, the issue with the U-Men is their copoting a culture, trying to be part of mutantkind without having any of the drawbacks and by actively butchering them. It’s why the concept HAS shown up elsewhere; it’s not TERRIBLE, Grant just made a bad creative choice that’s only gotten worse as Transphobia has ramped up further and further.

Sublime denies it when our heroes bring up Hong Kong.. but naturally he’s simply just keeping them talking long enough to bring out his trump cards, an army of u-men and a brain in a jar he uses to incapacitate them.. and announces his plan to use the school as an organ farm for his third species.

Meanwhile Logan finds the U-Men in their truck preparing to rip angel apart.. and given he snikit’s soon after.. i’ts very clear whose REALLY about to get ripped apart.

Germ Free Generation Part 2:

Part two begins wth Sublime monologoging about how Mutantkind are just cattle to them and reveals the brain is martha’s, her sucicide having been faked and her brain currently being controlled to use as a weapon.

So while Johnny monlogues we find out what happened with Wolverine last issue he didn’t cut up the guys yet as they fired their little flichete guns at him... it was about as useful and effective as you’d expect and the massacre you were expecting occurs. Though in a nice bit of reality the fact wolverine’s soaked in blood and just killed a bunch of blood shockingly does not make the already frighttend teen feel he’s safe and she spits acid on him. Logan pours some stuff on the acid, figuring rightly a black ops murder farmacy would have something to counteract it and tells her she’s safe now .. and tells the guy behind him not to try it. He’s stupid and does anyway and likely gets a claw to the head off panel.

They go to a diner to eat and find a local asshole who threatens them with a shot gun to leave once angel uses her power to digest and goes on a rant about how he snapped his own son’s neck to prevent him being born a freak. Just.. fucking hell this arc is not good for my depression. We get some more angst from Angel and whiel her dialouge is not the best, i’ts a too bit mark millar flavored edgelordy for my taste and if I wanted that i’d go read Ultimates or Ultimate X-Me, her pain is real and Logan helps her through it.

Back at the Mansion the U-Men are on their way to strike, whlie Jean unaware continues to buckle under the weight of all the shit she’s had to deal with, feeling SOMETHING is making them weak with the colds and something worse is going on and thus tries going to Beak’s mind instead and gently helps talk him through it, showing her grace and empathy.. and in return finding out Charles was the one responsible. The alarms flair up and Jean tries calling the police now that’s an option.. but it goes exactly how you’d expect.

Also a second artist took over for this issue and the next Igor Kordey. He’s fine, but not nearly as good as Quitely or Van Sciver and it shows. Meanwhile Beast awakens and heads for the body drawer with Cassandra’s body, and professor’s mind in it.

However Jean’s finally had enough and got her second wind. She’s outgunned, outmanned and left to her own devices. And she’s fucking fed up with it. She steels herself and assembles the students. This is obviously a last resort.. but some of them can defend themselves and their going to need to. But today they won’t be learning.. they’ll be teaching and as the U-Men call them defensless Jeans simply asks “Are you sure about that?”

Germ Free Generation Part 3:

So we come to the finale of this arc. Angel is once again an ungreatful brat to logan and he opts to just leave her there if sh’es going to be like that pointing out being a mutant sucks, it’s going to keep sucking.. and she needs to deal with it instead of lashing out at him and herself over it.

We get back to the U-Men, one of whom is utterly flabergasted they want to him to cut of Cyclops head... only for Emma to awaken.. and take back her regular form meaning she has her telepathy back. The only reason they were able to get her ealier is she was in diamond mode which is stronger but lacks that, a nice way to check and ballance her new powers. She quickly takes them out and disables Martha.

Back at the school we get one of Jean’s definting moments for me and a true chance to show how badass she can be. Before this while Morrison wrote her well, and his version’s still my favoirite, she didn’t really get to do much and was motly in the background. This arc has been her time in the limelight, having trouble grappling with all the stress of running this place by herself.. and emerging from it stronger, more capable and ready to kick some racist weirdo ass. She tries a few diffrent tactics first, having a mutant with a voice power project it to make them think their san invisible army and having the cuckoos fuck with their heads but when both fail, Jean REALLY gets to show off. Thier blade ammo gets turned into a cool looking 3 dimensioinal shape with her telekneisis, and in a cool moment and a wise use of something gross makes the only one of them with useable powers throw up, before issuing a badass boast, wreathed in flames all while she crumples their guns into uselessness. and tears open their suits.

Bad ass.. and logan and Angel arrive just in time for the cecendo as hte u-men flee in terror

The Phoenix has been Reborn. Jean Grey has risen from the ashes and returned to full power.

Meanwhile Sublime is pankcing.. and it gets worse when Emma shows up, fully enraged after all of this and has some words for him.

Iconic. Emma prepares to drop him out of a building but Scott rightly tries to get her to back off, pointing out the pr nightmare it’d create and the fact that they have enough evidence ot shut him down. Martha however has other ideas and gets him to let go of his own accord, falling to his death.. but given he’d aranged a stunt for the press apparently this gives our heroes deniability and Martha her revenge.

So we end this three parter as Jean revels in her new power, and Beast returns with an announcment:

Final Thoughts for Germ Free Generation: This arc is pretty good if forgetable. The struggle of Jean to run the school herself and her rising from the ashes of her own pain at the end with the power of the phoenix at the end is fantastic, finally both giving her a chance to shine.. and a worrying sign for her friends given what her phoenix force copy whose memories she has a copy of, long story, did is awesome. The other parts are okay and ehhhhhhhhh though. Scott and Emma’s investigation into the u-men while having a really good climax, is pretty standard x-men stuff, and Wolverin’es trek with angel is just okay with Angel being highly intolerable during this arc, with Morrison trying a bit TOO hard to make her a “realistic” teen instead coming off as horribly unplesant. She’s supposed to just be lashing out but comes off obnxious as a result. That said this arc does furhter a lot of Morrisons best idea and introduce more, and is a great setup for our next arc, which we’ll get to in two weeks. Soooo

Next Time On X-Men: We find out just what the hell Cassandra Nova is, what her plans are, and what happened with her and charles as our heroes come down with a cold as the might of the shiar empire bears down on them. It’s IMperial in two weeks.

Next Time ON This BLog: Speaking of long Delayed Projects, I finally return to The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck as a young Scrooge starts his prospecting career, learning the ins and outs from a rich new mentor, and finding the price tag striking it rich comes with. Raid a copper hill with me tommorow.

If you liked this review, subscirbe for more, join my patreon, and if there’s a comic you’d like me to cover suggest it in the comments or outright comission a review from me via ask. See you at the next rainbow

#new x-men #grant morrison #cassandra nova #shen xorn #beast #hank mccoy #jean grey #cyclops #scott summers #wolverine #logan howlett #angel salvadore #beak #barnell bohsk #the stepford cuckoos #the u-men #john sublime #marthan johanson #ethan van sciver

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whitewitchdani · 5 years ago

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Laters, Baby: Chapter 7

Read Chapter 6 Here

Word Count: 2248

Pairing: Winchester!Sister x Lucifer

Warnings: language, angst, canon typical violence, fluff

A/N: I hope you guys like chapter 7! As always let me know what you think and if you’d like to be tagged! :)

Laters, Baby Masterlist

“This is a horrible idea.” Dean deadpanned.

“Do you have any better ideas, Dean? Because I don’t, Cas doesn’t, and I only told Bobby to look up anything he could about soulmates; we don’t need him freaking out over this. Anyways we’re human and can’t just waltz into Hell without either being dead or with some form of demonic assistance. This is our only option.” Sam gave his brother a sympathetic look and continued to gather the summoning supplies.

“How do we know he’ll even help us?”

“Well Crowley wants Lucifer gone and if we retrieve Y/N it may throw him off balance enough for him to make a mistake. Also, from my observations it seemed Crowley always did tend to favor Y/N out of all of you which may make him more inclined to retrieve her from Hell.” Cas stated nonchalantly as he supervised Sam preparing the summoning ritual.

“Okay, it’s ready.” Sam placed the bowl of ingredients on top of the sigil and used a knife to cut his hand, bleeding into the bowl, “Et ad congregandum... eos corum me.” He completed the ritual by dropping a lit match into the bowl, igniting the ingredients. The men looked around, awaiting the arrival of the crossroads demon.

“You know, demons do carry cellphones these days. Summoning is so 14th century.” The hunters and the angel spun around, finding a man clad in all black standing behind them.

“Crowley.” Dean grumbled.

“Moose, Squirrel, and your pet angel; lovely. Well, what is it that was so important that it required a summoning? And where’s Moosette? Never seen her too far from you lot.”

All the men cast their eyes downward as they were reminded that Y/N was, in fact, not there. Sam was the one to reply, “Well, Crowley, that’s the reason we called.”

“What? Little sister run away? I’m not a babysitter in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Will you shut up for two minutes Crowley? This is important.” Dean growled.

“Testy, testy. All right, get on with it.”

Dean sighed, “She’s gone. Taken actually.”

“And why do you need me? Isn’t that what you two do? Guns blazing to save the damsel in distress?”

“Because we can’t go where they took her. But you can.” Sam informed the demon.

“I don’t...” The men waited for the dots to connect in Crowley’s head. “Wait, Hell? Y/N’s in Hell? Why the hell is your sister in Hell?”

“That is... complicated.” Sam explained.

“If you are wanting me to go into Hell to retrieve her when I’m currently public enemy #1 you bloody well better uncomplicate it.”

“Lucifer has her Crowley. Meg grabbed her from a park and took her to him in Hell. We have no idea where in Hell she’s being kept but it won’t be too far from wherever Lucifer is and is probably pretty well guarded.” Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

“But why, Moose? You or Squirrel I’d understand but your sister has been relatively quiet in most of this apocalypse business.”

“Y/N is,” Cas began but was cut off with dirty looks from both Winchester brothers. “The whole of perdition already knows most likely, he should too if he’s going to attempt to retrieve her.” Dean still looked skeptical but Sam nodded. Crowley looked genuinely curious, what could be so important? “Y/N was crafted by God to be a soulmate; something incredibly rare in itself. However, even more rare, she was crafted for an angel, more specifically an archangel. She is meant to be the soulmate to Lucifer.”

Crowley’s eyes looked as if they were going to explode from his head. The boys didn’t blame him; their reactions were similar. “Lucifer has a sodding soulmate? And it’s a Winchester? And I thought nothing could surprise me anymore. So, you want me to go into Hell and get her. I have an inkling of where she’s most likely being kept if he’s being civil towards her. Why should I do this?”

“Because if we take Lucifer’s soulmate from him it should throw his general bearing off, making him weak until he recalibrates from being in her presence. The longer they are together, the weaker they will be when they are apart; at least until the soul connection is completed.” Castiel almost whispered the last sentence, not wanting the brothers to overreact. Too late.

“Completed? What do you mean by the soul connection being completed Cas?” Dean asked incredulously.

“Consummated, Dean. Lucifer and Y/N must consummate the connection for them to be actually bound and connected by the soul. However, neither party can forcefully complete the bond. So Lucifer cannot force her by magic or any other manner to complete it, it has to be completely consensual,” Cas informed the group. Sam’s face went white while Crowley smirked and Dean looked confused.

“Consummate. You mean...”

“Horizontal tango, squirrel.” Crowley laughed.

“Yes. Crowley put it rather crudely, but yes. Your sister would have to have intercourse with Lucifer to complete the bond.”

“Cas, please don’t say intercourse. Especially when you’re talking about my sister.” Dean rubbed a hand down his face. This angel was going to kill him. Again. “Well Crowley, will you do it or not?” Crowley looked skeptical. Why would he go to the number one place he should avoid for the Winchesters?

“I understand your hesitation. But you said you might know where she is being kept which gives you an advantage. You should do this because it’s an opportunity to weaken Lucifer, which is one step closer to defeating him. Also because, why I am unaware, you seem to have a soft spot for Y/N and she is currently in Hell. With Lucifer. Those two things together are not good.” Cas deadpanned to the crossroads demon.

“Don’t read my mind, wings. Makes me feel violated.” Crowley paused, “Bloody hell, alright. I’ll go. But I make no guarantees. I will save my own hide if it comes down to getting her out or staying alive. Deal?”

Dean and Sam looked at each other and had one of their silent conversations. They were both skeptical and Crowley’s last statement didn’t help that. “Fine, deal. Just please, Crowley. Try to get her out.” Sam pleaded with the demon as they shook hands.

“I’m a man of my word Sam. I will do everything in my power to retrieve her. Like the angel said, for some reason I actually like the female version of you.” With that, Crowley snapped his fingers and disappeared and all Sam, Dean, and Castiel could do was wait. Wait for a demon to rescue their sister from the devil.

They were screwed.

It had been a day since you had woken up in Hell, and you hadn’t seen hide or hair of Lucifer since he brought you to this room. You were utterly confused. For being the devil, Lucifer was being awfully nice to you. He healed you, treated you well, and gave you these nice chambers; it made no sense. You expected wrath and rudeness, not kindness and a bit of domesticity. What was it exactly that Lucifer wanted from you?

Your stomach growled. Oh yeah, while Lucifer had healed you, you still hadn’t eaten in over a day. You made your way into the kitchen of the small... apartment? You still weren’t sure what to call this place. You checked the cabinets: empty. Then the fridge: also empty. You rolled your eyes, what happened to this place having everything I needed? you thought to yourself. This meant you had to deal with one of the demons standing outside the door. Marvelous.

You walked to the ornate door and took a deep breath. You were completely unarmed and had to ask a demon to get food for you, this was ridiculous. You opened the door to see the back of a large man with dark skin in a suit on the other side. He turned to face you and flashed his already dark eyes onyx when they met yours. “What are you doing? You know you can’t leave these chambers.”

“Yes I’m aware but your boss neglected to put food in this place. I’m human and have to eat every once in a while to, ya know, live. So, can you get me some?”

The man rolled his eyes. He was obviously less than thrilled with his job assignment. “Seriously? Why should I do anything for you, Winchester? Wait until the King returns and I’m sure he’d do it for you.”

Your already thin patience was becoming nonexistent. “Look, its not like I have much of a choice in this. I haven’t eaten in over a day and Lucifer told me to come to you for anything I need...”

“James.” He sighed.

“James. So do your damn job. You know, I wonder, if I exorcised you while in Hell, would it work? Would it force you from your vessel and to a different part of Hell or would it just be unpleasant? Shall we find out?”

He flashed his eyes black at the huntress once more, “Don’t even think about it, Winchester. I’m here to make sure you don’t leave, not be your errand boy.”

You shrugged and began chanting, “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spirtus, omnis satanica-” That was as far as you got in the exorcism before the demon lunged into the room, grabbing you by the throat and pinning you to the wall. You attempted to buck the demon off, but he punched you in the face once, twice, three times and stalled your struggle.

“You know, when I first saw Meg bring you down here I was excited. Finally, another Winchester after big bro made the big angelic escape; it should be fun. But no, Lucifer brings you down here and treats you like royalty. Why? You’re human, a hunter, and a Winchester. Maybe he isn’t the leader we thought he was. Oh well, at least I get to kill you. I’ll be a goddamn hero to most for it.”

Your vision was beginning to darken at the edges. You weren’t going to be conscious much longer, and dead not long after that. As you were beginning to teeter into unconsciousness, the pressure was suddenly gone and you fell to the ground. After a few seconds, you gasped a big breath and began to cough. You looked up at your savior and through your blurred vision saw an interesting sight: Lucifer holding the demon off the ground by the throat and looking pissed.

“Now James, this is not what I assigned you to do. Last time I checked I said to guard the door and get her the things she needed, not to choke the life out of her against the wall. Do you know why she’s down here James?” The demon shook his head and Lucifer flashed his eyes red, “That’s because you are insignificant and not privy to such information. You’re a demon, I’m the devil, and I’m tired of this conversation.” Lucifer snapped the fingers of his free hand and the demon turned to dust. He fanned away the remnants of the demon floating in his face and turned to the coughing woman on the floor, “Are you alright?”

You attempted to stand but fell to your knees, that demon did a number on you. “Peachy,” you were able to rasp out, flashing him a sarcastic “OK” sign with your hand.

Lucifer rolled his eyes as you continued to cough, reaching his hand out to you. “C’mon kid, let’s get you up.” He grabbed your left hand and pulled you to your feet, leading you to the bed in the other room. “Go on, get in.”

You looked at the devil quizzically but climbed into the king size bed, sitting up against the headboard. The mattress was unlike anything you had ever felt before; a lifetime of squeezing onto uncomfortable motel beds with Sam made this feel like an actual cloud. You sighed and closed your eyes as you sunk down into the bed, feeling Lucifer sit next to you. “Are you alright?” he repeated.

“I’m fine, Lucifer. I’ve had worse.” You sat in silence for a moment as you picked at a loose stitch on the comforter. You looked back up at the devil, unable to keep your questions to yourself any longer. “I don’t understand what’s going on. Why do you care? Why am I here? Why are you being so nice to me?”

Lucifer sighed, “I will tell you everything, Y/N. I promise. But not right now. Right now, you need to sleep and I need to deal with my demon problems. It’s so hard to find good help these days.” You let out a small laugh, which made the devil smile, something he’d noticed himself doing a lot since you arrived in Hell. He pushed a stray hair behind your ear, “Get some sleep, angel. I’ll be back in a couple hours.” Kissing your forehead, he stood and headed for the throne room.

You watched as Lucifer left your chambers, a part of you wishing he would stay. Your eyes widened at your own realization. You were beginning to see him differently. In the day you’d been in Hell Lucifer had been great to you, healing you, saving you, and now he was pushing hair behind your ears and kissing your forehead and calling you angel. He was becoming less like the devil, and more like your soulmate.

Read Chapter 8 Here

Tag List:

@lovesamwinchester @tomhiddleston-is-mischief @loco-latte @stuckinsaudi1 @sugar-nico

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peg-legz4 · 4 years ago

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peggy's klance fic rec :)

this is my first fic rec and i know its really sloppy but one of my friends said she wanted it do I an forced to post it after procrastinating finishing it for a month. enjoy!

Best Friends to Lovers

Hearts Don't Break Around Here - klancekorner

AHHHHH okay okay okay this is the first klance fic i ever read and it set the bar soooo high. basically keith and lance have been bestfriends since foreverrr and it jumps between flashbacks and present day where keith is realizing hes just been In love with lance for like the whole time they've known each other and lance calls him snickers and its s l o w b u r n bc they're both oblivious idiots but theyre also pining and aghhghhh AND THE WAY THEY START TO REALIZE THEIR OWN FEEELINGS IS! IM- it's super cute pls read!!!

with love - allinadayswork - 8,888 AHHHGGGGGGGs high school au! this is so cute they're both so smitten basically they're best friends but lance is also keiths secret admirer and ahhhhh!!!!!! so cute pls read i beg of you + valentines day and overprotective shiro!!!!

Your Smile Makes Me Awkward - Lancelee (ashleeforreal) - 8,791

another best friends to lovers (hehe) lance gets his braces taken off and keith is in a gay panic because lance looks hot and he doesnt know what to do and theres miscommunication but its all good in the end this was so cute

One Heart Missing - starlightment - 24021 HSWOQSJKNQJNIU BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS AU IM A SUCKER FOR THESEEE they’re in college and keith finds out he loves lance nd then they have a fwb thing going on and ppor keith but also poor lance for reasons i can’t disclose anD THE REOCCURRING THEME WITH THE ICE SKATING ITS SO CUTE AND DEHQIJOjqsk please just read it oh my god

Soulmate AU

between two points - Alltheroads - 20,589 red string of fate au!!!!!!! keith is one of the few people in the world who can actually see the strings though, and lance seems not to have a string, just like keith. its them falling for eachother and keith teaching him how to repair a motorcycle and 50′s themed diners its amazingggg

Tell Me It’s My Name Written In Your Skin - Ivnars - 15,636 soulmate au where the name of your soulmate appears on your wrist once you fall in love with them (i think?) and lance thinks his is unrequited and of course he also has a martyr complex and is willing to die for the team and almost does and then omgomg i just its so great pls read

Bend It Like Soulmates - Reader115 - 23,998 HHHHHHHHhh SOCCER SOULMAtE AU AND THEYRE SO GOOD TOGETHER AND OMGOMGOMG SO MUCH PINING AND TENSION AND IT SJUST SO HAPPY AND AMAZING IT HAS THEM BEING THE FAMOUS SOCCER SOULMATE COUPLE PLEASE READ READ READ YOU DONT EVEN HAVE TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SOCCER

there, nestled against his pulse - hiuthyn SHAOAMALAL ITS A SOULMATE AU I LOVE THESE HJDJSJSJSS AND ITS CANONVERSE (im pretty sure this was a one shot first and then I came back and it was a multi chapter fic and I read and it was like 1000× more amazing ajsjska) this was one of the very first klance fics i read and it’s definitely the first one that made me like gasp and scram cause oh my god,. okay basically the first and last words your soulmate says show up on your wrists and keith hides his wrists because he thinks he k words his soulmate and there’s miscommunication aND KEITH’S BACKSTORY AND IT GIVES LANCE SO MUCH DEPTH??????? and it has a really happy ending and its slowburn and angsty and pining and i’m a sucker for all those things which made this amazing!!!!!!!

College AU

i just wanna be (with you) - aknightley - 8,020 COLLEGE ROOMMATES AU LETS GOOOOOOOO there’s a lot of tension and pining and they give eachother gifts all the time i’m sOFT pls pls pls read

reasons why keith is the worst - MellodramaticLawliet - 5517 lance and keith are roommates and to cope with his hate for keith, he starts a list of why he hates keith and it just turns into a journal abt keith and lance is so oblivious and there’s also fencing tournaments which is cool hadjalkj read ittt

You Should Date Me - petalloso ahhhh lance and Keith are both freshman in college and they have little adventures and it's just super cute and fluffy ajskkasna

Canonverse

The Art of Secret Telling - jilliancares - 4,880 so to form another coalition, voltron has to form another coalition and lance has, 1, never kissed anybody and 2, has a crush on keith hehehe

a culmination of things - viscrael ahhh it's super cute and short and basically jumps around in time and they're just in looovee

instincts - godsensei lance n keith are getting their groove on when red mistakes Keith's pleasure for distress and comes crashing through the wall ajsksksmsna

i can’t help but want - aknightley lance and Keith's lions get stranded on different islands but their comms get through so they're just talking and bonding and falling in love while they get their lions fixed akssjal so cute pls read!!!!

never saw you coming - dimpleforyourthoughts HOLY HELL OG MY FREAKINGNS JUEUSS I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH IVE READ IT LIKE 20 TIMES AND EACH TIME IM BLOWN AWAY BY HOW BEAUTIFULL ITS WRITTEND AKAK its canonverse and goes in depth with my boys and lance has a martyr complex and keitHS BACKSTORY AND LE PETIT PRINCE AND THEY WOULD DIE FOR EACHOTHER AND ALMOST DO AND IT MADE ME CRY AND GINGER THE TABBY CAT PLEASE READ OH MY GOD ITS SLOWBURN AND THEYRE BOTH S O SMITTEN AHHHH

Terminal Velocity - speaks tHE ANGSTTTTT. i'm like, a whore for angst. but basically. voltron gets captured by these alien empaths and this guy feeds off of other people's pain(???) and so he tortures lance and makes keith watch and oh my. this is so good I felt so many emotions pls read.

Keith McClain - orphan_account 🥺🥺 keith sees visions of him and lance in the future on the space whale and its v soft

In English, Please - orphan_account this is a fic I'll always remember omg so lance flirts with Keith in spanish but pretends they're insults and he thinks Keith wont find out (he does)

how not to be a cat: 101 - jilliancares- 8,113 kEITH KEEPS accidENTALLY TURNINg INTo A CAT aND THEN ENDS UP CUDDLING WITH LANCE I”M SOFTTT THIS FIC BROKE ME WITH ITS CUTENESS HAHIUSJK

moderation - Katranga - 21, 613 HSJHKJAJOIHQQ keith gets bitten by a love bug and sees lance first and then allura gets bitten and sees hunk so he just tries to act how allura acts so it doesnt give away his actual crush on lance hsjksskjs

Public Displays of Affection by hattricks lance n Keith are undercover on a mission and they see guards and they hide by making out ajkaka

the waiting game - they frick frack a lot but basically Keith and lance make eachother wait through a week without sex and only teasing sksjakak

To Bite, Or Not To Bite - jilliancares - 11,433 lance gets bitten by a vampire!!!! and he turns into one!!!! need i say more? and the way it like happens AND THEN THE WAY HIM AND KEITH DECIDE TO OMG IM THIS IS GRESR

feelings on fire i guess i'm a bad liar - melancholymango - 22679 a witch curses lance and now he can’t lie to Keith or anything having to do with Keith and its really funny i cackled sjhkah

The Loverboy Trials - PM_Writes - 20,838 THSIEIHWHIJIHJI I LOVED THIS ONE AHHHHHHH.basicaly the aliens think keith is their god of fertility and stuff so they’re like oh we need to do a ritual thing where people fight for his virginity and voltron is like oh fuck no so then lance has to compete to save keith i can’t get over it it’s- i’m softttt

Sorry, Who Are You? - sjskakaja lance and keith were childhood best friends but keith is bad with faces so when they meet at the garrison lance is really salty and keiths backstoey and the way he find out i'm- its great trust me pls

it might not be that bad - Katranga - 16,416 omg i adore this fic okay so. basically. keith doesnt know the difference between jealously and attraction because of him clinging to the closet in middle school and now hes trying to find out why his and Lance's definitions of jealousy differ and Keith's bad at feelings please readd

Everything Else

read all about it - starlightment AHAKAKAL HIGH SCHOOL AU!!!! i just read this one and it’s great!!!1 Lance is on the newspaper and writes and articles professing his love for Keith, the star quarterback that everyones in love with. it's such a good read and oh my goshh this made me throw my phone and squeal out of freaking excitement i love it so much 🥺 idk how but this made me feel as if i was living out senior year through this fic??? it was just that amazing

it's you that's haunting me - perfchan

suuuper cute youtuber au where Keith hunts gosts and enlists lance as his cameraman. (includes a haunted mansion ballroom dance scene) and its just great oml oml i love it so so much!!! there’s also like 4 sequels so that makes it even better!!!1

Dirty Laundry -

this is a staple and if you havent read it you're either new to the fandom or living under a rock but its a fake dating au where keith spends winter break with Lance's family and they bondddd and its great!!!!

alright i just realized the author took it down so uhhhh

adaigo by shipstiel

lance moves in next to keith and Keith likes to play piano at the ungodly hours of the might where lance is just trying to sleep. this ones so cute!!!!!!

eyes to you wide with wonder - aknightley

an office au where Keith is shiro's secretary and lance always comes up to his desk to annoy him and they mask their affection under playful banter and lance also ends up being Keith's knight in shining armor ajskssnns it's so great!!!!

okay i know that you are not my type (still i fall) - quidhitch

ajoasbak nyma cuffs lance to a bed during a party and then leaves but then the bed turns out to be none other than....Keith's bed!! so they like talk while Lance is only in boxers and cuffed to Keith's bed

you never stood a chance - kagshina

it's a snapchat fic!!!!!!! lance accidentally snaps keith a shirtless pic and then Keith snaps back and it's just 😳😳 the whole time it's great omg

Cold Hearts Looking for Love - swang_is_trying typical enemies to lovers where lance is the son of a rich businessman and visits the orphanage that Keith hangs around to visit Pidge??? but its fricking jam packed with them thirsting over each other sshsksksm (i must warn you, its incomplete)

Of Don Juan And Elvis - shipstiel

Keith is a starbucks barista and lance always comes in and orders with really weird names ehehe

And Now Presenting: Rielle and the Forbidden Meringue

tsbkakaK this ones so cute keith is a galra guard and hes guarding a garden (ooh alliteration) and climbs a tree and then falls into lance's arms (who's an altean guard) and its really cute sjkssahajaj

how to not keep a diary, or, lance’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad semester - glitterfreezing sjskasla they're sophmores in college and roommates pidge forces lance to keep a diary and he just ends up ranting about keith but he’ oblivious to his won feelings heheh

Lance and the Search For Keith's Boyfriend - haikquu - 9497

lance is jealous bc everyone keeps talking abt keith’s boyfriends but he doesnt know who he is (it’s him)

bus buddies - WhatTheBodyGraspsNot - 8033

lance notices Keith doesnt have a bus buddy on a 3-day-trip to save the bees so he goes and sits with him and it's so cuteeeee

got got got it bad - kairiolette - 10,377 so keith is bad at feelings so he asks what its like to have a crush on someone and then basically tells lance that he has a crush on him and lance just casually brings it up

Only Fools Rush In (but I Can't Help Falling in Love with You) - Fangirl_on_fire_ - 13,524

OMGOMGOMG LANCE IS A MAFIA .BOSS AND IT STARTS OFF WITH A ONE NIGHT STAND AND THEN THEY AHAAKSJSKSM ITS GREAT PLS READ

The Bitter And The Sweetness - The_Real_Karaage - 66337

its a klance youtuber au!!!!!! I love these!!!!! okay so keith makes like conspiracy theory videos and knife throwing ones and lance does like vlogs or storytimes with pidge and they also do dance and then they meet irl but lance doesn't know keith is the YouTube guy cause he hides his identity and omgomggg also Keith is from Texas so he acts like a stereotypical emo cowboy and as a Texan I find it extremely funny

nobody puts baby in a corner - orphan_account - 3,950

its like the 23rd century and aliens are on earth and keith is a royal galra and lance goes clubbing and and they meet and dance and wOOHOO

okay thats all for now but i'm probably gonna make a part 2 cause i have a whole bunch saved to my notes app lmao have fun reading y'all

#klance #klance fics #klance fic rec #voltron fic #keith kogane #lance mcclain #keith kogane x lance mcclain

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canchewread · 4 years ago

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Author’s note: well, my week has sucked, how about yours?

Right, no rest for the wicked then. So as I mentioned at the tail end of last month, I’m working on a new kind of Recommended Reading blog feature here on Can’t You Read.

The tl;dr is these posts are designed to combine a sharable info graphic (or meme, if you must) with some short burst analysis and an important link to a related and often overlooked story by someone else. Ideally, all of this fits into an 800 or 1,000 word package that actually gives you enough time in your undoubtedly busy day to read the article I’m linking to.

Got it? Good, let’s get cracking.

American Fascism and Networks of Power

Well my friends, the last nauseating funeral gasp of the Trump era is almost over. With the recent news that (soon-to-be) former swine emperor Trump’s own Department of Justice can find no evidence of widespread election fraud, we all appear to be getting collectively closer to the final resolution of the Klepto Kaiser’s “chicken coup” and perhaps, the waning of his political influence even on the reactionary right.

Good riddance to bad rubbish I suppose, but as I’ve repeatedly tried to explain to virtually anyone who would listen, the end of Trump is most certainly not the end of fascism in the larger Pig Empire, or even just American fascism. The reasons for this are of course myriad but a short list might look something like this:

the pre-existing and increasingly normalized strain of ideological white nationalism in our society and ingrained into non-elected portions of the state (think police, ICE, and Trump’s complete transformation of the American judiciary; similar processes are also occurring in places like India, and Brazil of course.)

A weakened incoming, center-right administration (and its “liberal” establishment lackeys) that not only lacks the courage to purge fascists from public service but also attempts to weaponize far right violence against the American left, and regards antifascist street action as being akin to terrorism or crime.

the indefinite survival of an objectively fascist opposition party that probably has a better than even chance of retaining control of the U.S. Senate.

the existence of multiple right wing, mainstream media outlets and personalities that propagate fascist ideology, which are in turn buttressed by a seemingly endless wave of Astroturfed online media and internet psyops funded and controlled by fascist, or at least hyper-capitalist to the point of being reactionary, billionaires and their lobby networks.

the continued existence of violent, reactionary street gangs, far right neo-fascist militias, fascist conspiracy cults, and of course, roughly seventy-four million people who just gleefully voted for an open fascist and in some cases, continue to agitate for what would effectively be a coup.

the need for elite capital to defend itself against social upheaval and acquire soon-to-be scare resources in the face of evidence that capitalism is simply not compatible with avoiding the impending climate apocalypse our current political and economic course is actively ensuring will come to pass.

Naturally, I could have also mentioned the ongoing political, social and economic fallout from the still-raging coronavirus crisis, but I saved that for last because I want to unpack the ways we know many of the above forces function together in action - and as luck would have it, the Covid-19 anti-lockdown protests provide an extremely clear and documented example of what might otherwise look a little bit like a conspiracy theory.

Now as you may well be aware, a concerted and sustained disinformation campaign conducted by not only President Trump, but the larger Republican Party and right wing media has successfully weaponized the response to the coronavirus as a culture war issue in America; and that conflict is rapidly spreading across the entire Pig Empire.

This in turn was combined with a purely Astroturf protest movement, and judicious application of billionaire reactionary funding to literal white nationalist and fascist militias, to churn out thousands of cultists, chuds and other members of the reactionary “Volk” who demanded the economy be “re-opened” no matter how many elderly, marginalized or otherwise compromised people it might kill. Which as we’ve learned the month’s since, is quite a lot.

While each of these groups would vehemently deny it, it’s quite obvious that the billionaires and their media, are working with reactionary politicians in the Republican Party to marshal an aggressive, potentially violent protest movement against their political enemies and policies that threaten their profits. The rich guys get to keep raking in the cash, the politicians (who work for the rich guys anyway) get power and support from the chuds, and the Volk get to disguise a backlash against equality, decolonization and social advances as a battle against tyranny. All of which is wrapped up in a neat little bow under the auspices of covert white supremacy, in a situation that looks a little bit like eugenics, and bears all the hallmarks of historically racist (and obviously, false) attitudes in America about the genetic and more importantly *hygienic* superiority of whites over non-whites.

Of course and as I mentioned above, all of this might sound like a conspiracy theory, but if you’ve been clicking on the links as we go along you know that it’s all true; unfortunately, a bipartisan billionaire-owned media interest in protecting the power and influence of elite capital in the Pig Empire, by and large prevents the mainstream media from presenting all of this information in its proper context. To counter that problem, let’s turn to investigative journalist Alex Kotch, an anti-corruption muckraker of considerable ability and someone who exists at least partially (but not entirely) outside the corporate media sphere.

On October 21st, 2020, Kotch and the Center for Media and Democracy published an extraordinary story that laid bare the inner workings of American fascism (and its capitalist roots) - we’re talking about exposing the direct financial connections between billionaire propaganda networks, fascist chud militias, right wing think tanks, GOP politicians and Astroturfed anti-lockdown protests; dark money meets dirty deeds done dirt cheap in a fake uprising that ends in obstructive lawsuits, partisan impeachment recommendations and a plot to kidnap and maybe even execute the governor of Michigan for... saving lives, apparently.

This is what the fascist alliance of elite capital (DeVos Family, Koch Network,) political power and street violence looks like in direct application; this is why I’m certain American fascism will outlast Trump’s fall - it’s all there in black and white.

Unfortunately, hardly anyone noticed it at the time because the election consumed all of the oxygen in the room; as anything involving Trump is want to do. Let’s not make that mistake again - to check out Kotch’s incredible story, click on the title header below:

GOP Politicians and Conservative Groups Set the Stage for Attempted Kidnapping of Michigan Governor by Alex Kotch

-nina illingworth

Independent writer, critic and analyst with a left focus. Please help me fight corporate censorship by sharing my articles with your friends online!

You can find my work at ninaillingworth.com, Can’t You Read, Media Madness and my Patreon Blog

Updates available on Twitter, Instagram, Mastodon and Facebook. Podcast at “No Fugazi” on Soundcloud.

Inquiries and requests to speak to the manager @ASNinaWrites

Chat with fellow readers online at Anarcho Nina Writes on Discord!

“It’s ok Willie; swing heil, swing heil…”

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 6 years ago

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Humans are Space Orcs “Action Without Order.”

Here is a story to answer a couple of plot questions and requests you guys have been giving me. I hope you like it :). If you have any questions , or ideas feel free to ask!

This wasn’t good, this wasn’t good at all. Captain Vir Stood facing them, as the two Military MPs pulled his hands behind his back locking the energy cuffs around his wrists. Krill stepped in to stop Sunny as she took a step forward eyes wide with confusion and worry.

From where he stood flanked by two massive MPs, the Captain lifted his head, “It’ll be alright, Sunny, Krill, this is just a mistake….. It will be alright.” Despite the reassuring smile on his face, his single eye was wide with worry, the usually blushed human skin of his face had turned white. Though he did not struggle against the arms that held him, he did struggle against something more internal.

“What are the charges?” Sunny demanded. Looking up, the two MPs stared at her in immense distrust and readiness, “I said, what are the charges?” She demanded her looming height casting a shadow. “Don’t you humans have laws for this sort of thing!”

“Sunny, calm down, let them speak.” He turned to look at the MPs who had gone from wary to calm and collected.

“Adam Vir, Captain in the USPC Space Corpse, you are hereby charged with the unlawful divulgence of state secrets, the harboring of non-military personnel aboard a military ship, action without order, and the harboring of an enemy agent. Your court martial trial will be held in one month’s time to refute this counts before UN representatives and Military council. Your rights, if you do not know them will be read to you at your request.”

“I know my rights”, Vir whispered before looking to Sunny and Krill, “Contact the crew, tell them what’s going on. I’m going to need them, and don’t worry about me, I’ll be just fine. Keep your heads, and don’t get into any trouble. Follow the signs back to the LA Interplanetary terminal and show them your passes that will get you back to the moon. You can call the rest of the crew from there. Please stay safe.” They were dragging him off now pulling him in increments to the armored vehicle parked off to the side hovering with its glowing blue power source underneath.

Sunny stepped forward again, and Krill stopped her again, “No Sunny, You’ll only make it worse.”

Captain Vir was pushed into the back of the truck sitting down with his hands cuffed behind his back. He looked up from where he was sitting, the smile had dropped from his face.

***

The sky above the Martian desert was a misty grey blue. Despite its similarity to earth, it had never lost its more grey than blue horizon. The cities were built upon gravity mats, a task implemented by earth after studying the negative effects upon humans living on a planet with only 38% gravity. Maybe you can terraform, change the atmosphere, but you cannot change an entire planet’s gravity.

Krill had been staring out the window of the courtroom until this point. It was a marvelous affair of human engineering specifically designed to intimidate the people who stood on the floor. The viewing gallery sat just behind the desks rising up a good seven or eight rows. At the very front of the room, a massive semi-circular desk took up almost a third of the room framed by the equally massive set of windows looing out on a Martian horizon.

The room was almost full. Many crew members sat in the gallery while Krill and Sunny had been urged to sit as witnesses for the defense. At the head of the room, the semicircle desk was filled to the brim with generals, admirals, commanders, and delegated members of the UN. Sunny shifted in her seat as half of the room collectively glowered at her form the stand.

A lot of these men had been part of the battle with the Drev, and some of them had been part of operation Steel Eye, there was a lot of anger in this room. Additionally, members of the Galactic Assembly were there, and upon seeing Sunny they had gone very stiff and very silent staring at her with fear in their eyes, fear that Sunny had come to loathe.

It was ten that Captain Vir was escorted into the room. He was wearing his uniform dressed up to the nines, the uninform that includes all the ribbons, bars, captains cap, and a tie, it was dark grey in color.

He looked up at them encouragingly from where he stood. Sunny did a double take when she saw his face: the eyepatch was gone replaced by a complete and working eye. Form this distance it almost looked real despite for an odd mechanical shimmer over the iris. Though it looked normal, the captain kept blinking and rubbing at the eye with a horribly uncomfortable look on his face. Tears shimmered on the face of the mechanical eye. Sunny shifted nervously in her seat. He had never traded his eye patch for an eye….. she was beginning to understand just how serious things were shaping up to be.

Krill and Sunny sat through the early portion of the hearing fidgeting and sickened as the groundwork was laid before them. Human politics became clear and evident within the first few minutes. Sunny was stunned and shocked to hear the things the other humans were saying, the things they had said behind the captain’s back. She had always assumed that the humans were relatively open and free with each other, helpful and supportive…. But…. But this was something else.

They told a story about a man who looked for every opportunity to go rogue from the army, to disobey orders, and start unauthorized contact with alien races. Because of hi humans were being given a bad rap all over the galaxy. Galactic laws were based primarily on him and his crew all against USPC orders. Not only that, but he had two unauthorized aliens aboard his ship who were unregistered in the USPC, and were likely privy to classified military information which, by itself, was enough to send him to a class B penal colony for the rest of the foreseeable future. This was only made worse by the fact he had allowed an alien raced deemed public enemy number 1 aboard his ship.

A fight broke out in the gallery upon this revelation, and a group of marines had to be dragged from the room yelling and screaming about the unfairness of it all. Captain Vir remained absolutely silent during the entire think looking on in worry for his marines as they were carted away.

“Captain Vir, how do you plea.”

He straightened himself up and took a deep breath, “Not guilty, Sir.” Up on the stand the group of officers sat back in their chairs. Some seemed angry, others worried, the Galactic assembly members were absolutely baffled but not at the Captain, instead towards behavior of the other humans.

Next to the Captain, another man in similar uniform took to the floor beginning an eloquent speech on behalf of the captain which lasted for many minutes minutely detailing the truth of these matters, “If you look at his spotless military record, you would know that Captain Vir has never done anything that was contrary to the needs of earth. During first contact with the galactic assembly he was essential in the continuance of peaceful negotiations during a tense encounter, after these incidents, he almost gave his life in service during the Drev War, and received a purple heart and a bronze star for his bravery. Even after all of that, he returned to the USPC to continue aiding his planet, and was rewarded, by members of this council I might add, with a ship of his own. Additionally, I am here to remind the court that his original instructions were to and I quote ‘Foster feelings of good report between the human race and members of the galactic alliance’, as such, he is, in times of need, authorized to act on behalf of the Galactic Assembly.” The lawyer paused for a moment looking around the room, “This means that the USPC gave up right to complete control over the captain and his crew, who have saved countless planets, species, and his own crew from destruction, invasion, sickness, and poor diplomatic relations. The laws the galactic assembly have put into place have done nothing but foster good will between our two groups, and ensured the safety of humans. All loss of life detailed in the captain’s exploits have been a direct result of self-defense, or the defense of children. These facts alone clearly refute the charge of action without order”

“As for the aliens, I would have Krill of the Vrul take the stand.”

Sunny watched with pent up breath as krill scuttled onto the stand openly an aggressively examined and cross examined before the group of humans. He never showed confusion or worry, always stating the facts, always perfectly honest. When asked about the divulgence of state secrets he openly said that he had never been privy to the military Intel of the captain as a medic aboard the ship. In fact, all the information he had could be found on the open crew database of the bridge computers, which anyone of any rank could access. When asked on how he was picked up for the crew he responded with a story about fixing the captain’s damaged eye after an unfortunate accident, and the crew’s need for a well-versed medic this far out in space with knowledge of alien diseases and pathologies.

“As it seems to me, anyone intent on fostering good will between humans and the galactic community would be wise to allow non-humans aboard his ship especially one with extensive medical knowledge Furthermore allegations of divulging state secrets was immediately refuted, There was no proof the captain had let anything slip that had not previously been declassified. All information Krill had was public knowledge to anyone with access to crew computers, and this included civilian analysts between docking and voyages.

There were no official rulings set in place as to the harboring of aliens aboard a ship other than the arbitrary ones command had come up with in response to the Drev threat they were so intimidated by.

Sunny was called to the stand next and nervously made her way up sitting down in the small, human sized seat in front of all those watching eyes.

“State your name for the court.”

“Sunny…..”

“Just Sunny?”

“Yes, the Drev only have one name, unless you wish for my military title… Squadron leader Sunny.”

“And you fought during the Drev war?”

She nodded, she wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t know how to lie, and she had a feeling that any attempt would only make things worse, so she lowered her head, “Yes, I did.”

“And during the war, did you hurt humans.”

She shuffled in her seat, “Yes….”

“How many.” The lawyer demanded eyeing her with his distinctly predatory eyes

“Hundreds…. I cannot be sure how many.” The room shifted uncomfortably, and she had trouble looking towards captain Vir, she felt so helpless, she wasn’t good with words, she couldn’t help him like he needed.

“Do you remember any of those humans that you killed, that you hurt?”

“Objection your honor!” Cried he defense lawyer glowering at the wolfish human as he grinned on with a malicious sneer.

A hand was raised, “Let him speak.”

“Yes…. I remember them…..” She shad softly ringing two sets of her hands together. She didn’t remember picking that up from the humans

“Do you know any by name?”

“Yes.” She sunk further into her chair

The layer seemed surprised, but he continued on with a shrug, “Who?”

…., “Adam Vir.”

There was a gasp about the courtroom, as the groups stared on in shock and disbelief at her as she looked down at her hands. The voices rose for a long moment before something hard and loud was slammed against the counter, “SILENCE!” It died down.

“How did you hurt him?” The man wondered.

Sunny hunched further into her seat, “I…. I tore off his leg.” The court room was dead silent now as the humans looked on in horror and confusion.

The grinning, wolfish layer turned to the judge, “As you can see, Sir. A killer, no man in his right mind would let the creature that tore his leg apart aboard his ship. If anything this calls his sanity into question, and at worst it calls into question his loyalty.”

“Objection your honor!”

“Go on.”

“This act proves nothing about honor, or loyalty. This proves a man who has an amazing capacity to forgive. As I have been told, Sunny approached Captain Vir seeking forgiveness and a desire to learn from the humans. He did not bring her on board with full trust, and spent months as we are now, skeptical, but she has proven her loyalty, has visited earth, and not once in that time has she caused injury. I must hereby remind the court that this is not a trial for the Drev. Humans have warred with each other for centuries, we make war personal, but the Drev do not. Like the south and the north, Europe and America, the allies and the axis, we have fought and we can forgive. The prosecution has no proof my client has divulged state secrets, harbored unlawful passengers, or acted without order.”

The room rumbled again.

The prosecutor was smiling, Sunny didn’t like that smile, “Isn’t it true, that the Drev are not members of the Galactic Assembly.”

A horrible silence.

The grin on the face of the prosecutor grew larger, “If anything, by your own logic this Drev’s presence aboard the ship is NOT to ‘foster good will in the galactic community’ she is, in fact, ostracized from the community, proving that the captain acted in his own self-interest, and against the outstanding orders of the USPC and the galactic assembly. This Drev does not belong aboard a Galactic Assembly or USPC ship especially not without express acceptance from either organization.”

Captain Vir went white, the court room erupted, and the defense lawyer demanded an immediate recess. He was granted his request and Sunny was hurried from the stand in shock and horror. She wanted to scream, to rip something apart. She watched as the captain was hurried away both real and fake eye wide with worry and sickness. She milled with the others for a good half hour huddled with the marines, and the flight crew all looking on in horror.

Then the court was called back into session, and the two men came walking back into the room. They were sparingly calm for the situation standing behind their desk. Sunny sat nervously expecting a horrible verdict, but she was immediately called back to the stand. In confusion, she went back up.

The defense attorney stood, “Sunny, are the Drev tribal?”

“Um… yes, I suppose in human terms, we are.”

“And you often war with one another for power?”

“Yes, very often, sometimes for power, status, or resources.”

“Do you ever integrate a member of another clan into your own?” The man wondered. To the side the other lawyer was looking on in suspicion. He didn’t know where this was going.

“Yes, sometimes.”

“How is this done?”

“A gift is usually offered, one to make the person one with the tribe. When they wear it, they are immediately adopted into our lineages, they have full rights in our clan and government. They may duel upon request, and can become reconciler if they so wish.”

The man then turned to the judge, “And you know the ruling of Dawson V Cybercorp?”

The judge furrowed his eyebrows, “The case that ruled body modifications, implantations, and prosthetics were considered part of a person, and if tampered with constituted as assault rather than property damage?”

A smile, “In that case.” He turned looking at the captain, who, stepped forward onto the floor. Placed his foot on a nearby chair, and pulled up the pant leg on his uniform.

The light that cut through the room was bright blue and metallic. It hand an unusually inhuman set of joints, and Sunny recognized it immediately.

He was wearing the prosthetic.

“In accordance with Dawson V Cybercorp and the traditions of the Drev tribal law. That leg is part of Captain Vir, it includes armor taken From Sunny’s own person. This was a gift to him from Sunny to integrate him into her tribe. Therefor as a member of the Drev, that means that the Drev, or Sunny’s tribe is part of the Galactic Assembly by default.”

#humans are space orcs #humans are weird #humans are space oddities #earth is space australia #humans are space australians

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itstimetotheorize · 5 years ago

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hold onto your hats!, BH6 season 2 mid season finale episodes 6-10 discussion, a round of applause for the bh6 team

before we dive into the discussion, I would first like to give the BH6 writers and animators a round of applause and a big thank you!, the story and animation for the first half of season 2 improved so much compared to the 1st season that I can only imagine what you guys have planned for the next half of season 2. If, by some miracle, you guys are reading my post please know that I and so many others appreciate your hard work in making such a fun show to watch, I hope you guys are getting the recognition you deserve for working so hard.

Now, before we look over the big reveal of episode 10 I would first like to point out a few key details from certain episodes

first is a minor detail in episode 4 “something fishy”. Back in season 1 episode 2 Hiro grows concern for his secret identity when Karmi sees his face at a close range. Despite his worries, Hiro is safe on this matter since Karmi is more fond of his superhero alter ego and has no interest in believing that her hero is actually school Hiro.

This same issue is seen in season 1 episode 12 when hiro investigates a warehouse about some stolen metal, unfortunately, Yama is also in the warehouse. Once he knows it Yama Hiro once again grows concern for his secret identity since he has confronted Yama numerous times in his regular life,

thankfully, yama is not smart enough to put the two together and instead sees Hiros hero alter ego as just one of the members of big hero 6. With so much concern for his secret identity and the identities of his friends I always wondered, why dont they do something about it?. Well, as of season 2 episode 4 it appears that Hiro finally learned from his mistakes and has added a special feature to all of their helmets/ head pieces.

In season 2 episode 4, Gogo and Fred go to Richardson mole knowing that high voltage will be coming to him to steal back their electric orb. Once they arrive Richarson is delighted to see them but still has no idea that “lizard/chameleon guy” is actually fred since his suit covers his entire body (and he still has amnesia from S1Ep17) , but when he looks over to Gogo he asks,“do I know you?”,

gogo says no, then quickly presses a button on the side of her helmet that causes the screen of her helmet to fog up, completely hiding her face before Richardson can get a better look.

In the next shot we can still see Gogos face but that is most likely just for the fans to see. Richardson does not bring the subject of her secret identity back up again since its clear that he can only see the foggy screen

if this was done to gogos helmet then its likely that the others have this feature as well. In season 2 episode 8 when liv amara offers her help to big hero 6 in taking down the mayoi she reaches out her hand to hiro with a smile, attempting to appeal to him a as an alley

I have seen others posts questioning whether or not liv knows hiros real identity since they have confronted each other on numerous occasions, especially in episode 8.

since hiro added the new feature to everyones helmets to hide their faces in public, liv most likely does not know hiros secret identity...at least not yet.

also very quickly, concerning globby, we all saw how after he ate nega globby nega globbys eye appeared on globbys back near the end of episode 5. I can already see this a mile away, negaglobby will try to take control of 9globby or use his body to regenerate its own.

next lets talk about Wasabi, recently I have noticed an unfortunate situation happening to wasabi when it comes to transportation. Getting around town during their hero work is one of many challenges that bh6 faces, however, each team member has his or her own way of getting around fast, Fred has his super jump and can ride on Baymax when needed,

Honey lemon can also ride on Baymax with ease and will often create a slide or bounce ballot from her chem purse to get around faster.

Hiro of course never leaves baymaxs side, so he can fly whenever

naturally, gogo is the most skilled out of all of them since she also has her skates and new bike

Wasabi, unfortunately, is the only one at a disadvantage. Wasabi is afraid of heights so riding baymax is usually a no for him (unless he has no choice). Yes, he has a car, however, that is a challenge of its own. In episode 6 when the team chases after a trio of suspicious cars everyone keeps up except wasabi who we first see is running and falling behind, we then see that he had no other choice but to take a taxi just to catch up to the others after the chase ended.

in episode 10, when the team undergoes a monster chase exercise, everyone keeps up with Fred except wasabi who gets stuck in traffic and has no choice but to wait the traffic out before he can meet up with everyone to eat.

with 15 episodes left of season 2, I really hope the bh6 team has plans to improve wasabis character so he can keep up with the others and not just be played off as a comedic gag.

setting aside these details I would also like to talk about a sudden name reveal in episode 9. After supersonic sue kidnaps baron von steamer, baron begins ranting about everyones silly dependence on electricity and how his base was the only one with power during a major black out, near the end of his rant he shows hatred towards one particular villain called “THE DARK VOLT”,

sue appears to have some connection to him as well as she states that it was the dark volt who created her electric elbow guards.

Near the end of the episode when steamer and sue bicker about who is boss awesomes true #1 enemy they finally ask boss awesome himself to settle the matter, but rather than admit that neither one is his true enemy he simply jokes that its “cabbage soup”,

but boss awesome, like every superhero, must have a true #1 enemy. Batman has the Joker, Superman has lex luther etc. etc. and right now the most likely suspect for boss awesome true #1 enemy is the one they call “the dark volt” who I suspect will make an appearance later on in the series as part of another filler or possibly be directly involved with a major point of the story

and speaking of super villains, with BH6 already renewed for a third season, who will be the next big bady that the team will face off against in season 3? . In season 1 episode 18, liv was introduced but soon shrugged off as a minor character, that is until she became involved with a major plot point of the story, orso knox.

Not only that, once we found out that her company was called sycorax (which ironically enough we later learned was the name of an evil witch in shakespears “the tempest” and was also the play that orso knox kept quoting as a way to tell others that it was liv who turned him into a monster) our suspicion of her true nature began to grow. My point being, if liv was already planned to be season 2s big bady and was only featured in minor appearances in season 1 as a way of foreshadowing her future villain role, then odds are the next big bady will soon make an appearance in the same manner in season 2. So who is it going to be? and will they be an even bigger threat than liv?

finally lets talk about the big question, what the heck is going on with liv amara?!, for 9 whole episodes we have all tried to piece together livs end game. So far, aside from knox, she has mutated Momakase, high voltage, Ned Ludd and Mr. Sparkles. Before, I believed that liv was purposely mutating villains to later experiment on and possibly use them as minions to carry out her crimes by brainwashing them into obeying her every command. As of episode 10, I’m starting to see more hints that this might just be the case

what makes me say this? well, if you have seen the first discussion I posted on episodes 1-5 I suspected that liv added a special feature to the chips shes been implanting into villains that will not only gift them with special abilities but will also give her the power to control them. When high voltage escaped in episode 4 they didn't make a break for freedom, instead they returned to liv despite the lack of trust they had in her. But I gotta say, the real give away was Mr. Sparkles. In episode 8 we learn that Mr. Sparkles had paid liv to give him the power to control a small army of genetically enhanced fungus, the mayoi.

Liv agrees to his terms but also bargains with him to take the blame for all the mutated villains in san fransokyo. Its obvious that sparkles agreed to this set up since he is not one to pass up being the center of attention.

and why did liv ask Sparkles to take the blame for her mutations? because she knows that its only a matter of time before bh6 come after her. Her worries began when she finally noticed that regular people like Hiro and Karmi are now questioning her work (and again, I dont think liv knows Hiro is a member of bh6...yet). When liv created the mayoi she tells Chris that they (as well as sparkles) are their new insurance policy.

Liv knows that if she has any hope of accomplishing her goal she must first make sure that she and sycorax are protected , and what better way to keep the public and bh6 away from her than posing as a hero and saving the city. In episode 8 when sparkles questions her appearance during his big attack we see him reading a stack of papers, its clear that the whole scene with liv appearing and saving the city was scripted,

and just to make sure liv kept her end of the bargain, liv only created a serum that would return the mayoi back to their regular size rather than back to “normal”, and by “normal” I mean a pile of motionless fungus

. And guess what, her plan worked!, with the whole city viewing her as a hero as well as having the entire police force indebted to her for donating their new k-9 unit (S2E4) no one will be able to confront liv about being responsible for the mutations and crimes without being pinned as the bad guy themselves.

In episode 10 we see sparkles again (along with high voltage in eel form), only this time he is stealing a large sum of gold for liv,

this sudden behavior of aiding liv after episode 8 is very unlike sparkles, sparkles does not like working, let alone sharing the spotlight with someone else. In episode 7, sparkles was working with yama, but as soon as he had the cash he needed sparkles asked yama to steal a rare (completely fake) comic book.

This search turned out to be a double cross so sparkles could have enough time to take all the cash, turn the cops on yama and make a quick getaway.

So then why of all things would sparkles suddenly settle for working under liv now that he got what he wanted from her?, unless, its not what he really wants to do,

in episode 10 when the Bessie monster steals gold from a highly secured facility, its clear that its heading back to liv.

When liv later confirms that she has acquired the gold she needed it verifies that the Bessie beast is also under her control.

The only one thats missing now is momakase, if momakase is also under livs control then she is most likely out doing top secret jobs for liv as well, however, momakase is not like the other villains, she is highly skilled and specializes in stealthy activities, so liv would most likely not waste someone like her on grunt work.

everything that liv has done was for one reason and that reason was soon discovered to be whatever was inside that giant pod in episode 5.

Finally, in episode 10, we discover that the liv we have seen since season 1 and the start of season 2 was in fact NEVER the real liv amara!, the REAL liv amara was actually inside that giant pod we saw back in episode 5!!!, this fake liv amara has been secretly trying to bring back the real liv amara the entire time!

granted, without a true reveal, we dont know yet if the fake liv is a clone or just livs twin sister. My main concern is, how did the real liv end up in a cryogenic state? and If the fake livs end game was to bring back the real liv amara, then what is the real liv amaras end game?

as for how the real liv ended up in a cryogenic state, I think I may have an idea. First, when fake liv is running thru the real livs file we see a picture of a virus on the screen,

there are many types of viruses, however, this particular one which looks like a spider is called a “bacteriophage”, basically a bacteriophage will attach itself to a cell and inject its own DNA into the persons cell, the virus DNA will then sneakily attach itself to the cells regular DNA so it can be duplicated thru something called “the cell cyle” which is what a cell does to make a clone of itself, only this time, since the cell is infected with a viruses DNA, it is also making a bunch of clones of the virus, once enough virus clones are made they tear the cell apart(killing it) and spread out to infect the next nearby cell to start the whole mess all over again

In season 1 episode 2 Karmi explains that the the whole purpose of studying dangerous viruses is to make them less dangerous and figure out new uses for them,

in season 2 episode 3 Karmi explains again that the purpose of studying dangerous micro organisms is to make them less dangerous with “modified viral vectors that reprogram DNA”,

in season 1 episode 18 fake liv connects with karmi thru their shared interest in bio tech. And despite the amount of good that can be done in their field its not without its consequences. Just as it is possible to make a dangerous microorganism/virus less dangerous it can also be made into a more dangerous version of its old self. In episode 4 when fake liv is talking to high voltage she has a hologram of someones DNA on her table, this DNA was most likely the real liv amaras DNA.

In episode 10 fake liv talks to Bluff Dunder (the news guy) and explains that she and her team are working on a cure for a rare disorder/disease.

Odds are, the real liv amara really was looking to cure a rare disorder but in the process of figuring out how to make the virus that caused it less deadly and more manageable she accidentally made it more dangerous and ended up accidentally infecting herself with it, or worse, she could have already had the disease to begin with but because it is illegal to experiment on humans (seriously, in real life if you do this you go to jail!) she willingly tested on herself out of desperation to see if she could reprogram/remove the virus within herself. Either way, things did not turn out the way real liv wanted and is instead now in a critical state after her failed attempt to cure herself. The virus could have mutated to the point where it began to spread at a faster rate, that DNA hologram back in episode 4 had 1 piece missing,

that piece could be the portion of real livs DNA that contains the virus DNA. Fake liv must have been desperately trying to figure out how to remove it without killing real liv and before the virus managed to finish the job. Its possible that the only reason fake liv turned to a life of crime was because she got fed up with struggling to cure real liv thru legal means, after all, fake liv did say that she would do whatever it takes to bring her back.

which brings me to the next issue, why does fake liv need gold to cure the rare disorder/disease?, well, recently I found out that scientists in real life are researching how to to use gold nano particles to detect viruses, making it easier to remove a virus from a persons body. When Chris hands fake liv a cupcake covered in gold she finally gets the break through shes been looking for as she says, “Gold!, bio compatible nanoparticles, yes!”.

At first, back in episode 5, fake liv was probably planing on using globbys self regeneration ability to destroy as much of the viruses DNA as possible while at the same time repairing the damaged cells and DNA along the way, however, since nega globby proved to unstable she decided to scrap the idea. However, none of that matters now that fake liv has the gold she needs to finally save the real liv.

so, now that we know its only a matter of time for the real live to wake up, what will happen once the real liv amara retakes her position from fake liv ? .Will she be just as cold blooded as fake liv and continue to use mutated villains to do her dirty work while she operates from the shadows to fulfill her true end game? ( whatever it may be?!). Will real liv become horrified with what her clone (or twin) has done to bring her back, causing fake liv to go rogue and start acting out on her own crazy ideals, possibly leaving real liv to play the good twin (or clone) and instead deciding to help bh6 take fake liv down before her plans destroy all of san fransokyo?!.

Will the BH6 writers and animators use real liv as part of some bigger plan, resulting in a final gigantic plot twist near the end of season 2 that will completely destroy us emotionally and have us desperately waiting for answers during the season 3 hiatus???????!!!!!!!!!!!... whos to say... but hey!, thats just a theory, a big hero 6 theory!

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ardenrabbit · 2 years ago

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Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

Oh!! What a cool question! Thank you :D

I can't be super precise because I love a lot of characters and don't want to hurt their feelings, but here's who comes to mind. In no particular order:

1. Uncle Iroh from Avatar: the Last Airbender. He's the only one I'm actually definitively saying is in a ranking. He's the best one. I love how unfailingly kind and loving he is, and that he demonstrates the beautiful ability to be silly and simply happy despite all the tragedy he's seen. Of course I also love almost every other character in the show, too, but Iroh is Best.

2. Elodin from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: This man is insane. He is eccentric and opinionated and owns it. He does not give half a fuck what people think of him and cares very, very much about everything else in the world. I want to know everything he knows. He is a trickster god I think.

3. The Cthaeh from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: Same book series as Elodin but god they both deserve their own mentions since the Cthaeh is on another fuckin level from literally everything. No spoilers, but this thing is the absolute coolest monster concept I have ever seen in any form of media.

4. Makenna from The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell: This was my favorite book as a kid. Makenna is a badass hedgewitch who befriends a goblin named Cogswhallop. She's violently anti-colonialism and definitely a communist. I literally want to name my kid after her. Write characters like Makenna.

5. Boromir from The Lord of the Rings, mostly referring to the Peter Jackson films because FotR is my favorite movie: I love him. I love him I love him. He was the Best Of Men, and everyone else in the Fellowship was some kind of magic so he was the only one who fell victim to the Ring's sway, but he never stopped being a good man with a noble heart.

6. Hua Cheng from Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu: God. I love this author and maintain that she's a genius, and I love so many of her characters, but Hua Cheng gets the first honorable mention because he is The Most Unhinged. All my mxtx favorites are unhinged tbh, but Hua Cheng is on another level. He's made a hobby out of self-sacrifice and makes stalking look tragically romantic. He vacillates between sweet, heart-wrenching adoration for one (1) person and top-tier vicious snarkiness for literally anyone else. He is a force of darkness and a shy baby.

7. Zevran from Dragon Age: My favorite game series. My guy. He tries very, very hard to make you think he doesn't have depth but he's actually just a mastermind at deflection and his heart is behind like eighteen million locked doors. He's cheerful! He's not. He's deeply depressed and his loyalty shows up LOUD when you're not emotionally prepared for it. He's possibly the most devoted companion character in the game.

8. Cole from Dragon Age: He is my son. My treasured baby boy. He loves you. I read Asunder before Inquisition came out so girl I shrieked when he was announced as a featuring character.

9. Nezumi from No. 6 by Atsuko Asano: He's a dick. Pretentious deuteragonist goth boyfriend who quotes classical Western poetry, thinks violence is funny until he sees his Soft, Sweet protagonist engage in it, and commands swarms of bees. His dream is to overthrow the dystopian government.

10. Liu Jianghe from Saved the Public Enemy by Mistake by Liu Muqiao: I'm obsessed with this one lately. Shamelessly promoting this manhua on the Bilibili app. He's my profile icon rn. Unhinged. Not sure what he's capable of. Sweet boy. Keeps making it look like he's the bad guy but all of his decisions are specifically engineered to help the main character fix his life. Everyone is confused and this maniac is cheerful and pretty much lives on the brink of death. Please read it guys it literally only has like 6 fics on AO3 and I want to talk to people about it

#oh look it talks #uncle iroh #atla #elodin #cthaeh #notw #kkc #the goblin wood #boromir #lotr #hua cheng #tgcf #zevran #cole #dragon age #dao #dai #nezumi #no. 6 #liu jianghe #stpebm

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co-mixed · 5 years ago

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TROS: How should Ben’s redemption work?

Minor spoiler warning, but by this point, we’d be surprised if you haven’t heard the news.

Fans of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo did get something they wanted in The Rise of Skywalker. A redemption arc, that not all of us found truly satisfying. Not everyone was sold on that, and it ended in death.

That was both lazy and emotionally empty. Kylo’s scene with Han, him dealing with his memory, is a good start, but him sacrificing his life and losing it is not a great ending.

Ben Solo is a character for this, young generation. He lives in the world his predecessors “left” for him, he blames them for the state it is in. He struggles with himself, and reality surrounding him. In a way, he embodies all three types of storytelling conflicts in one (they define 6 or 7 now, but we’re taking the three main ones). This is why nearly every single person these days can relate to Ben.

Kylo Ren is a comfortable mask, that covers his emotions, but doesn’t truly destroy them.

People look at him in the light of killing Han Solo, but that’s what falls flat in the context of war. It’s war. Rey killed people (stormtroopers, who were like her buddy Finn), buddy Finn kills his former friends, the ones he grew up with. Body count for any of them is quite long. But Ben kills his father, the person he is emotionally attached to, as well as the audience. For us this is a worse crime than killing people you don’t know. I am not defending patricide here, but I will say, that there are cases in which even law sides with the accused. This might not be one of them though, even considering that in the middle of war he was killing an enemy perpetrator.

We don’t even know if his parents forgive him in the end, because none of the ghost cared enough to show up, and drop him a line.

So Ben is very imperfect, like many of us are. He takes one wrong turn after another, sometimes to save his own life, sometimes to prove to himself and the others just how far he’s gone. But does he deserve a second chance?

Who gets a second chance?

My first analogy is Bucky Barnes. Brainwashed by Hydra, forced to carry out various evil deeds, murder people etc. What Marvel does is they redeem him, and leave him to reflect on his mistakes and correct what he can.

Marvel, the guys probably comfortably hanging down the hall, made this choice.

While we can’t say that Ben wasn’t programmed to kill people, we can argue that from a very young age, he was exposed to all kinds of influence. Be it Snoke, Palpatine, or even Dark Side Luke. So he wasn’t entirely in his right mind, especially considering what Dark Side does to people. Imagine if Luke finished his night chat and killed his nephew? And then let’s not forget Rey, who’s killed a bunch of people in the shuttle discovering her lightning, and stabbed Kylo. We just forgive her, because stormtroopers are evil (except are they?).

But that’s just throwing blame around.

Who doesn’t get a second chance?

Let’s see two more examples of redemption arcs, and why exactly this one had to be different.

Natasha Romanoff. Even though Marvel movies seem more lighthearted, they also don’t dismiss death. Natasha jumps on Vormir, because she believes that this is where all her actions were leading her. She knows that to save the world, to save people, someone needs to die. And she chooses to do so, because Hawkeye in her eyes deserves to live more. He has people, he has family, and he has a future despite his recent murder rampage (again, evil people are still people). She does it knowing exactly what she’s doing, and she is not forgotten.

Tony Stark. Again, Tony does the snap, because he has sins to repay for (Ultron, for starters), and he has a family to save and a future to give to his daughter. I know that many people are still hurt that Marvel made this call, and it is a very emotional moment, but death in the MCU, as well as in Marvel Comics, is just a word. No one is gone. Besides, it’s just Earth-199999, and everybody knows that the true canon is the mainstream Earth-616.

So as much as these deaths hurt the fans, they can always dive into more stories, find out what the characters are really like. Learn how many things the movies got different, for example.

You have options, and they don’t include the need to write or read fanfiction, and trick you brain into believing them more than canon. There are movies, and they can be good, but the characters themselves are safe, and if they die, you know it’s Marvel, so there is always hope (usually measured in sales).

Back to Star Wars. Movies are our undeniable canon. So much so that story group has to rewrite everything to fit them. Whatever happens to a character there, stays as concrete history. I don’t know how many people were devastated, and couldn’t move past it for at least a week, but the stories you hear honestly make you question sanity of those responsible. There was a way to not kill off one of the most beloved (and most marketable) characters in the Sequel Trilogy.

Three ways this could go

The main question is What does Ben do after him and Rey defeat Palpatine?

Path 1.

Ben is not a coward, so we immediately dismiss the idea of him running somewhere far far away. He has to face the others, and he has to accept his own evil deeds. The only way for him to disappear is for Rey to convince him to do so. He has no ties to the rebellion, he doesn’t have to show up there. But she wouldn’t want to find out how far the angry mob could go. Besides, no reason to ruin the celebration by bringing that guy everyone hates.

I don’t really believe this would be the best course of action, but it’s possible.

Path 2.

He is still technically the Supreme Leader, so it’s up to him to reform the galaxy. This was not all the fleet the First Order has, they have forces on every conquered planet. There are governments to consider, alliances, etc. This also allows him to free the slaves, and truly finish what Anakin had started.

Then, if he gives up the power to let’s say, senate, there will likely be a trial. And would he defend himself? No. That’s not in his character. Would anyone else do this? Only the Force Ghosts and Rey can truly explain what was all that mess and how he got there. He’s either gonna need one hell of a space lawyer, or a great public speaker, who could convince everyone that the best possible choice is exile (let’s make it a nice one on Naboo). This is where you pull the writer card, and come up with a bunch of excuses as to why death penalty and prison is not an option.

Path 3.

Same as path 2, but he doesn’t give up the power, he represents the First Order, but he creates an Alliance with other planets. He makes a great compelling speech, he surrounds himself with people who are trustworthy, and together they come up with a solution of how to protect the galaxy from wars. It would’ve been a better option, if we didn’t have a time jump, because that would just mean that he’s done it as soon as he got the power, but well, we can’t get everything.

There is a moral side to this path, but how many people in the galaxy really know who Ben Solo (Skywalker) is? If he is prepared to deal with the past, and make up for it, this would be perfect for his actions to truly matter.

You may agree or disagree, and we hope you have better, more logical ideas. If you do, please share them! If you disagree, and have questions, ask away!

#tros #the rise of skywalker #the rise of kylo ren #kylo ren #ben solo #tlj #the last jedi #tfa #the force awakens #star wars #sw #long reads #reylo #reylo shippers #ben solo deserved better

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heather-in-heels · 6 years ago

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getting the hell out of student loan debt

I lost my job at the tail end of 2014. I always remember, in vivid detail, spending the week after New Year’s at the airport waiting for a 7 AM flight. Happy 2015 to me! I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have an income. I was on my way to moving back in with my parents. Days prior, I had sold off most of my possessions and gave away the rest to a local Goodwill. And I was returning home saddled with student loans totaling then at $56k.

It felt like I had single-handedly destroyed my life. In retrospect, I think losing that job was the best thing that could have happened to me.

I was home, sheltered and surrounded by loved ones. I was able to mentally regroup again. In between submitting resumes and job applications, I started writing in the advertising space which later ballooned into a big column. Later that year, I went back to work again full-time.

I had more or less resigned myself in 2015 to the idea that my student loan debt would kind of be there forever. That changed in 2016, once I was working again and back on my feet. I started thinking critically about how I wanted to repay my loans. The minimum monthly payments, stretched across seven loans, totaled $653 a month. It was like a drop of water in a bucket. The account stagnated at $56k and didn’t move.

The only way out of this debt was to work, the hardest in my life, and to sacrifice everything. And I did it, to pay off $56k in under a year in full.

Let me share an important disclaimer now: I’m not rich. I believe money is a fluid object, I’m willing to work hard, and I love a good investment. Education is an example of a great investment. Since I first shared this story, I’ve noticed former colleagues examining my LinkedIn profile like hawks. I know it’s because of the dollar sign attached to an extremely tight timeline. I suppose it’s understandable. When you do a great thing, a successful thing, people want to know how you did it. But most don’t want to put in the work. They want the cheat codes.

The answer I made readily visible on social media the entire time! I was working. I worked nonstop. Working allowed me to create a series of nest eggs for myself. I lined them up in a row, knowing I needed each and every egg to go all in with my loan attack plan. I didn’t have much time, either. In mid-2016, I knew I wanted to stop making minimum payments and start full repayments in 2018.

I had two thoughts going in:

1) I was convinced I could repay everything under the 10-year loan timeframe.

2) I would later set a bet for myself, inspired by a conversation with a late friend in 2018, that I could do this, all of it, in under a year.

So, I had less than two years to prepare. Fun!

Rather than run through the laundry list of all the financial mistakes I made prior to hitting reset on my life (you name it, I did it), I’d like to share the best and worst things that happened to me during my repayment period.

BEST

I received an incredible bonus from my side hustle last year. It was for an event I worked myself brittle to the bone for months on top of my full-time job. I remembered being so nervous, thinking the event would be a bust. We sold out. It was a huge success. The bonus wasn’t something I asked for, just a thank you from my boss. I cried when I got it because it cleared one of my loans in full. It changed my life.

How quickly I shifted gears into thinking, believing, knowing I could do this. Once I got into the head space and knew what I had to do, I was ready to go all in.

The ever-present daily support, encouragement, and love from my friends and family. I don’t know how I would have done it without them. I really don’t. The core family unit was there for the good, bad, and ugly. My Mom encouraging me to pay off the largest loan first and my three brothers telling me not to give up. And the crazy pep talk my Dad gave me in late April that convinced me I could run up to my remaining loans like an unhinged, insane person and blow them up to smithereens.

He called me his champion after I was done. That made my year.

WORST

Deferring and defaulting on my loans when I didn’t have a job. (AKA the “all is lost” moment.)

Repaying the private loan of $26k. It was the biggest loan with the largest interest rate. My Mount Everest. You had to scale it bit by bit. I have likened the memory of it to chipping at a block of ice to create a sculpture. Every month, I threw a few grand at that loan while I tried to take out the little guys around it. It gradually decreased to around $12k and I paid it off in full then. This was not a fast process.

The massive wildfire I lived through during the bulk of repayments. That was like watching the “hold my beer” meme come to life. I joke about it now, but the Woolsey Fire was an absolute catastrophe. I had no way of knowing when I got into the thick of my loan repayments that I would be confronted with a natural disaster that came dangerously close to burning down my home. It was extremely scary to evacuate and watch your world hang in the balance for nearly a week. During the Woolsey Fire, I had no choice but to return to minimum repayments. I needed an emergency fund just in case — and this was the greatest emergency.

Doing it alone. Somewhere in the back of my mind I think I always knew I would be alone for this. I didn’t have cosigners. A white knight spouse was not going to save me. I had to do it for “her.” I had to rely on myself for everything, harder than anything I’ve ever done in my life. And even though I went in as prepared as I possibly could have, I did not get out of this without being mentally and physically impacted.

The sheer amount of discipline involved was far too intense. You had to be determined, disciplined, optimistic, and driven at all times. There wasn’t time to rest. I was frantically trying to kill an impossible enemy and keep up the pacing all the time. The physical toll on my health was bad. Very bad. I developed anxiety that impacted my gastrointestinal health and had to take medication to calm my stomach down. I think it will be some time yet before everything gets better internally.

The mental toll was perhaps worse. Everything about my day to day life was a series of dollar signs. I was perpetually at war in my mind where I fantasized about stopping to rest in the snow, but every bit of me screamed “DON’T DO IT GET UP!!!” Because, y’know, when you nap in the snow, you can die there.

I had all of these brain cells telling me to keep pushing ahead coupled with an insane range of emotions running through my head. The stress I was under was crippling. I cried during dinner with a friend last month. Straight up sobbing in public for over 30 minutes, unable to turn it off. It overpowered me.

I was so exhausted, on edge, and full of emotions. I couldn’t do anything about it — like get therapy or sign up for a yoga class — because that costs money. I wasn’t about to incur a credit card balance of any kind in my quest for financial freedom.

So yeah, it was a real mess upstairs. All alone... with my loans.

Would it ever end?

Paying My Loans Alone Might Have Been The Best Thing To Happen To Me

Yeah, you read that right.

I kept reminding myself about the why. Constantly. Asking myself little questions when the going was the roughest.

Why are you doing this? Because I don’t want to celebrate my 32nd birthday with a student loan statement.

Why are you doing this? Because I want my credit score to improve.

Why are you doing this? Because you can’t tell me I made the wrong decision to get an education.

Why are you doing this? Because I am in love with myself and will not let that girl get hurt.

Why are you doing this? Because I am losing my future to debt and I know it.

The more I kept doing this, asking questions and answering them, the more I realized that the answers contained really important granular details.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to grow old with student loans (although let’s be real — I didn’t). I was, and still am, changing on the inside. I knew it. This was an entire chapter of my life that needed to come to a close because keeping it going was preventing every other chapter from beginning. Sitting around with it was, essentially, my long death in the snow. On a less serious note, I’m fond of the pop culture tie-in. Game of Thrones is ending this month... and so did my loan payments.

I’d say it’s bittersweet, but it’s not. I’m not going to miss this part of my life. It’s time for the next chapter to start. If anything, I cannot wait for this part! This chapter will contain more journeys and adventures, unlike any other narrative I had before.

I want to write a book, something non-fiction that has multiple drafts on my desktop and has been a work in progress for years.

i want to get a ton of dental work. Priority number one.

I want to travel. I forgot how much I like to go to places! Italy and Monte Carlo, please. Miami for Ultra 2020. Travel will beget another kind of movement, too.

I plan to aggressively pursue true love to the extent I did with my loan repayments. In terms of personal goals, this one is going to be huge. After 10 years of dating, it’s time to get out of this single person clown car. I’m enlisting the help of my girlfriends, paying for eHarmony, and deleting the free dating apps for the real thing. Calling all soulmates — I’m debt free now and did it all on my own. That’s hot! (Serious inquiries only.)

Paying off my loan allowed me to return to my dreams. Now that I know what I’m capable of, I feel confident I can reach each one. I really do.

Living starts when you get the hell out of student debt. Do whatever it takes now, remember to keep asking yourself about the “why,” and do not give up until you’re running past the finish line.

Be your own champion!

#personal #student loans

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meetmeatthecoda · 6 years ago

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Grifting with the Enemy: Chapter 4

Hey all! :D Here is the next chapter of GWTE! I know, I know, it’s been 84 years. I’m hoping there’s still some interest in this fic! In the coming days, I will splitting my writing time between this and Amethyst, which is Part 2 of Facets containing all my soulmate and AU prompts. Super pumped :) That said, this is a bit of a return to writing for me since it’s been a while since a substantial update cause of real life and it’s CERTAINLY been a while for an update on this fic, in particular. So, as usual, I would love any feedback you can give me, especially concerning continuity with previous chapters, flow, and pacing. I’m hoping I picked it up okay but, as always, I await your responses with baited breath :)) Anyhoo, please enjoy if you can and this will also be posted, as well as the previous 3 chapters, on my FF.net and AO3 profiles! :D Thanks guys! :) Much love! <3

Liz walks into the restaurant, standing on her toes as she scans the room for Red. She sees many diners, all dressed in casual, mid-day finery, and paying her no mind. Liz purses her lips. Only Red would invite her to a restaurant like this knowing full well that she would be wearing a leather jacket and a blue beanie.

Typical.

Red had left a day in between their last meeting before calling again – Liz tried to ignore how happy she was that he didn’t wait a full three days like the last time – and inviting her to lunch to discuss the heist. In a public restaurant. In broad daylight.

Unbelievable.

She had assumed that he had reserved the whole stuffy restaurant or something ridiculous for the sake of privacy (that was something rich people did, right?), thinking there was no way he would discuss secret illegal plans surrounded by potentially eavesdropping diners.

She was wrong.

He apparently didn’t think anyone would care enough to listen to their heist plans or, if they did, he obviously didn’t care enough to do anything about it. He was happy to sit and enjoy what will probably be a delicious lunch – if the small portions and pristine table cloths are anything to go by – out in the open, where anyone can see him.

Except Liz, apparently.

She continues to crane her neck, struggling to find him in the busy restaurant. She sees the host spot her and start to make his way over to seat her. Great. She was hoping to slink in unnoticed, feeling very out of place in her current attire, every inch the careless, fresh-out-of-college, youth she pretended to be. She doesn’t even know what name Red gave when reserving his table and it could be anything. If she could just catch a glimpse of him –

“Hello, can I help you?”

The host interrupts her desperate search, looking at her with undisguised interest. Hm. Well, at least he’s not snobbish and rude. He is cute, after all, despite being several years younger than her, probably actually fresh out of college, as opposed to her. Oh well. Perhaps he can help.

“Um, maybe, I’m looking for a, well, he’s a, uh, he –”

But Liz is saved from struggling to describe the walking enigma that is Raymond Reddington by the sight of a fedora perched on a hat stand near the back of the restaurant. She swears it wasn’t there a second ago but, if it was, it’s no wonder she didn’t see it. He must have secured a private table if he’s all the way back there. She can’t see him but there’s no mistaking that hat, probably worth more than her monthly rent costs.

The host is still watching her hesitantly.

“Oh, never mind, I see him,” she says kindly, relieved, and flashes the young man a smile which seems to dazzle him a little. “I’ll just go and join him.”

She leaves the stuttering waiter behind, catching a quiet little “oh, okay” before she saunters out of earshot, not sorry to be going. He is sweet but much too young for her, even if an on-looker wouldn’t be able to tell. Besides, she’s not interested in a boy.

She is having lunch with a man.

(Oh, bad, Liz, bad thought.)

Liz weaves her way carefully through the tables, minding the messenger bag slung across her chest, catching a few stares from elegantly dressed man and woman with her bright blue beanie and wide rimmed glasses, as expected, before she finally rounds the corner to a table situated out of the way in a little alcove. It is still within sight and earshot of a few tables, all of which are suspiciously empty. Perhaps reserving the whole restaurant wasn’t such a far-fetched assumption, after all.

“Lizzie!”

His warm, welcoming voice washes over her, as it always does, making her feel much less out of place than she did in the open dining area. Amazing.

He sits in a fancy chair at the beautifully laid table, looking just like all the other elegant, rich diners in the outer area. She sighs.

(He’s so out of her league.)

There are only two places at the small table, all the dishes empty, save two goblets of water at each place. Both glasses contain the same amount, however, meaning that Red waited for her to arrive before eating or drinking. Somehow, she’s not surprised. He is an unfailingly polite criminal. She smothers a smile.

“Hi, Red,” she says happily, slinging her bag over the back of the vacant chair across from him. “Where’s Dembe today? Won’t he be joining us?”

Red smiles easily at her, taking a moment to watch her remove her beanie, stuff it a little self-consciously in her bag, and smooth a hand over her ponytail before answering.

“Dembe is rather a connoisseur of fine foods and he enjoys watching professionals at work. He’s in the kitchen observing.”

Liz raises her eyebrows, surprised and skeptical. She thinks it’s more likely that Dembe is watching over Red’s meal at all stages to make sure no one slips anything in it. That fits with her current profile of Red, appearing completely at ease while really going to all lengths to assuage his paranoia. Poor Dembe, being quarantined to the kitchen to watch his boss’s food, how unfair –

“I know what you’re thinking, Lizzie, and it’s nothing like that. Dembe is quite an enthusiastic chef. You should try his dishes, they’re exquisite. His mushroom ravioli with sun dried tomatoes and white wine sauce is to die for. And don’t even get me started on his desserts.”

Liz smiles, amused by Red’s gushing over Dembe. Perhaps their relationship is something deeper than it appears at first glance. She’ll be sure to observe them more closely from now on.

“I see. So, he is a willing student of the kitchen, is he?” she questions, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Very much so,” Red says happily. “I’ll tell him you were worried for him though, he’ll be touched. If you’re lucky, he may even make you his famous crème bruleé as a thank you.”

“Good, is it?”

“Positively indulgent,” Red hums, his voice deep and his eyes dark. Liz stares back at him, entranced. The air warms between them.

(Liz suddenly wonders what would happen if she took advantage of their seclusion at this private table, out of sight, alone, together –)

And then a male waiter materializes out of thin air – luckily a different young man than the one Liz talked to before – and the heated staring contest between Red and Liz comes to an abrupt end. Liz can’t help but feel both relieved and disappointed.

She reaches for her water goblet and takes a fortifying gulp.

“Are you and the young lady ready to order, Mr. Kershaw?” the man asks professionally, completely unaware of what he just interrupted. “Would you perhaps like some wine to get you started?”

“Yes, please, Walter,” Red says smoothly, turning away from Liz to address the waiter he is obviously familiar with. “I think we’ll share a bottle of ’76 Merlot, if that’s all right with you, of course, Lizzie?”

Liz, who hasn’t even glanced at the beautiful menu covered with curly writing, nods easily. “Sure, I’ll have a glass.”

“Very good, ma’am,” the waiter nods and disappears again.

Liz sighs, turning to the menu, on the hunt for something that looks good. She doesn’t even know where to begin. But she certainly doesn’t want to admit it to Red.

“If I may, Lizzie, I would recommend the chicken marsala with roasted potatoes and red wine sauce. It’s delicious, easily my favorite thing on the menu.”

Well. That sounds lovely. How convenient. But she doesn’t want to admit that either.

“Hmmm,” she hums noncommittally. “Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Liz pretends to read the rest of the menu thoroughly, already having settled on the chicken marsala. Then she thinks of a way to tease him more. She can’t resist.

“Red wine sauce, you said?”

“Yes. Why, are you not a fan of wine?”

“Oh, no, certainly, I am. I love a good glass of red before bed just as much as the next girl,” Liz smirks at him over the rim of her glasses. “I’m just sensing a theme with your suggestions here, Red. Not trying to get me drunk, are you?”

Red only grins at her, his eyes sparkling. “Perhaps I am,” he murmurs.

Another moment starts to grow between them but is quickly stopped once again by the return of their waiter with their ordered bottle of wine. Liz is starting to feel a distinct distaste for this poor server and his timing. But then he pours her a generous glass of wine and she feels a little more friendly.

“Are you perhaps ready to order?”

“Lizzie?”

“Yes, I am. But you first, please.”

“Of course,” Red agrees easily, wasting no time in ordering his preferred chicken dish.

The waiter simply nods, making no move to write the order down. Liz tries not to be impressed by that. This order will probably be the least complicated thing he serves all day. He turns to look at her expectantly.

“And I’ll have the same, please,” Liz says politely. The waiter just nods again before taking their menus and moving off.

“Well, well. You took my advice, after all,” Red says to her slyly, regaining her attention effortlessly.

“Well, you know, there’s a first time for everything,” Liz says cheekily, reaching for her wine glass.

Red smirks at her, picking up his own glass and clinking it gently with hers before she can bring it to her mouth. “Indeed,” he purrs, holding her eyes as he takes a sip from his glass.

She blushes.

(Oh, my.)

“Well, I was under the impression this was a working lunch. Am I mistaken?” Liz prompts after another long moment, struggling to break Red’s gaze long enough to form coherent words.

Red continues to stare at her for a second even after she looks away. She can feel his gaze on her, a warm, drugging thing, before he nods to himself and slips into his businessman persona.

(Liz can see the change in him easily, another person sliding into place as if a switch has been flipped.)

“No, you’re absolutely right. A working lunch it is,” Red confirms, straightening in his chair. “Details are coming together well for the heist.”

“Excellent,” Liz murmurs. “Any chance you want to fill me in on those details? I’m used to running solo on gigs like this. I feel quite left in the dark.”

“I’m sorry, Lizzie, that’s not at all my intention,” Red frowns, leaning forward to convey his sincerity. “It’s only logistical things that I’ve been organizing. I invited you to lunch today for the very purpose of filling you in.”

“Oh, good,” Liz says easily. She doesn’t feel any animosity towards Red for the lack of information. She believes him when he says he was intending to tell her. She just wants to prod him along a little, with the heist date drawing closer every day. “So, what do I need to know?”

Red gives her a little smile of thanks for understanding and takes another sip of wine before answering her.

“We’ll rob AM&R Bank at two o’clock in the afternoon on September the twentieth.”

Liz almost chokes on her mouthful of wine.

“What? We’re robbing one of the most secure banks in D.C. in broad daylight? Are you crazy?”

“Quite possibly,” Red grins at her a little madly. “But this is a perfectly sane decision, I assure you, Lizzie.”

Liz puts down her glass and pushes it far away from her. Perhaps drinking wine at a working lunch with Raymond Reddington is not a good idea.

She crosses her arms. “Care to elaborate?” she asks primly.

“With pleasure,” Red answers happily. “As demonstrated beautifully by your response, the best time to commit any crime is when the ones who would stop you least expect it. This is especially true with a robbery. If the guards aren’t expecting a break-in, they won’t see one. The human mind is a remarkable thing, as I’m sure you’re aware, Lizzie.”

Liz purses her lips, mulling over his logic and the obvious reference to her psychology background. She has to admit he has a point. But that doesn’t mean she agrees with him.

“All right,” she says a little tersely.

Red frowns slightly. “You don’t sound completely on board.”

“That’s because I’m not,” Liz answers simply. “I admit that your logic is sound but only in theory. In reality, it simply can’t hold up.”

“And why is that?” Red challenges, seeming intrigued by her defiance and genuinely interested in her opinion.

Liz stares at him evenly. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my studies of the human mind, it’s that people rarely do as they’re expected. There’s so many random variables that you’re not taking into account in this situation.”

“Like what?” he asks immediately, an odd sparkle in his eyes that pulls Liz forward in her seat, leaning towards him and lowering her voice into something more intimate.

“What if the guard on duty decides to have an extra espresso shot in his coffee that morning, making him more observant and on edge than he usually is? What if one of the cameras needs unscheduled maintenance and it’s left tilted two inches further to the left than you originally anticipated, at the perfect angle to catch our faces? What if Amos Rodfield himself decides to show up and inspect his bank that day and we’re caught? There are simply too many unknowns.”

Red nods seriously, leaning forward to match her posture, placing his forearms on the table, and looks earnestly into her eyes. “Absolutely. We need to be able to control as many factors in this situation as possible if we are to be successful in our operation.”

Liz nods, pleased. Good, she’s convinced him to see her side of things, excellent, perhaps now he’ll –

“Which is why I’ve planted a guard to be on duty that afternoon, a most trusted friend named Amilo, who, as it happens, abhors coffee. I’ll have one of my own men check the cameras and install fake feeds during the morning shift to avoid any unexpected technological mishaps. And, as far as Amos goes, I know his schedule. He’ll be on vacation with his young girlfriend Bridget in the Bahamas on the day of the heist.”

Liz blinks.

Oh.

“Do you agree with me now, Lizzie?” Red asks, a slight taunt in his voice as he leans closer conspiratorially, a dark twinkle in his eyes.

Liz stares back at him for a moment, mouth agape, entranced and in wonder at his brilliant mind, before looking down at her empty plate with a huffed little laugh. Impressive. But she can’t let him off the hook that easily.

“No,” she murmurs, looking up to catch his expression.

She sees his self-assured grin slips in an instant, the corners of his mouth pulling down in an unexpected frown.

How satisfying.

“You can only control so many factors, Red. And as impressive as all those things are, committing a robbery in the middle of the day is still a large and unnecessary risk.”

They stare at each other in silence, both sets of eyes flicking back and forth to watch the other.

(There is no anger or resentment between them, only good-natured tension and excitement, a friendly debate to see who wins. Liz loves the feeling.)

“But,” Liz suddenly breaks the silence with a careless shrug, moving abruptly to sit back in her seat, secretly lamenting the new distance between them. “It’s your heist, Red. So, I’ll show up whatever time you tell me to.”

She grins teasingly at him. She wants to make it clear that there are no hard feelings between them, at least not on her end.

Red seems to get the message, returning her smile after a searching look and a slow nod, easing back in his seat to copy her posture.

“That’s good to know,” he murmurs finally. “And, while I accept your reasons for thinking otherwise, I’d still like to perform the heist during the day.”

“All right,” Liz says easily, taking a sip of wine.

(She was right to save it. She needed her wits about her for that round.)

Red follows her lead, sipping his wine as well, observing her as he does so.

“So, you would never perform a heist during the day?” he asks, the teasing back in his voice, happy that they got through a mild disagreement without serious complications.

“Well,” Liz lilts, unable to resist playing with him a little. “Not by choice, no.”

“And why is that?”

“I’ve found that I always perform best at night.”

She looks up at him coyly, making her innuendo clear, pleased to see his lips quirk and his gaze darken as he looks at her.

“Oh, I have no doubt,” he rumbles.

Liz lets out a breathy laugh and they watch each other in rapt fascination until suddenly their waiter reappears with their identical lunches.

(And she is sure that in that moment they were both contemplating a “night performance” and the thought alone heats her cheeks.)

Red turns to their waiter, making a show out of thanking him for the quick service, using no shortage of flattery as he does so. Liz, grateful for the personal moment, takes a deep breath and attempts to steady her heart rate. Who knew lunch with Raymond Reddington could be this exhilarating?

(Oh, but she is enjoying herself.)

Liz looks back up as the waiter moves off again, feeling a little more in control and ready to tackle whatever disarming looks Red may choose to throw at her next.

(And perhaps throw some of her own. She can’t let him have all the fun.)

“This smells amazing,” Liz says. And it’s true. The chicken looks perfectly done with just the right amount of sauce. Her stomach grumbles. She suddenly remembers that she’s only had some buttered toast to eat today and that was this morning.

Red smiles at her. “I hope you enjoy it,” he tells her sincerely, picking up his wine glass and holding it towards her. “Cheers.”

Liz quickly picks up her glass to clink it against his once again. “Cheers.”

They dig in, Liz starting with her potatoes and Red going right for the chicken, cutting it up into neat pieces before delicately dipping it in the sauce.

(He is a methodical eater, Liz notices, much like herself, further reinforcing her suspicion that they have similar minds, detail-oriented and organized. The thought that they have things in common thrills her.)

They eat in silence for a few comfortable minutes before Red speaks.

“So, Lizzie,” he begins.

Liz looks up from her half-empty plate with her eyebrows raised politely.

“Yes?”

“Now that work is out of the way for now, should we indulge in some pleasant meal-time conversation?”

“Certainly, if you like,” answers Liz with a grin, amused by his playfully formal attitude. “Or, we could continue to sit in companionable silence until it gets unbearably awkward from lack of speech and one of us excuses themselves to the bathroom in a desperate attempt to get away.”

Red chuckles warmly at her. “Yes, we could also do that, although I must admit I would prefer the former.”

Liz smiles back at him. “Yes, I would as well.”

(She can’t imagine even a hint of awkwardness permeating the air between them. She just suggested it to be funny. Red is simply too comfortable to be awkward. Too suave and confident and handsome –)

“So, what should we talk about?” asks Liz, out of both genuine curiosity and an effort to halt that line of thought in its tracks.

Red takes a moment to drink his wine, swishing the liquid around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing, clearly pondering her question. Then, having come to a decision, he looks up at her suddenly, his gaze direct and piercing.

“I’d like to talk about you.”

Liz blinks in surprise, her fork, chicken and all, stopping halfway to her mouth. “Me?”

Red’s mouth twitches. “Yes, Lizzie. You.”

Liz puts her fork down and takes a drink before answering, a little confused. “I’m not sure what there is to talk about that you don’t already know. I’m a professional grifter. I pick locks and do brush passes and steal things. That’s about it.”

“Those are your professional qualifications, Lizzie. I know all about those. I’m talking about more personal things.”

Liz frowns. “Personal things? Are you telling me you didn’t already have your henchman look up everything little thing about me?”

This time, Red’s eye twitches instead of his mouth. Hit. “Intel, for the purposes of the heist, mind you, only tell me so much,” Red murmurs. “I want to know more about you, Lizzie, as a person, not as a grifter, impressive though that side of you may be.”

“Oh,” Liz murmurs, feeling a little touched that Red would even be interested in her that way.

(She tries to tamp down the little flutters in her stomach at words “Red” and “interested in her”.)

“Well,” she says, feeling more at ease now. “What would you like to know?”

Red smiles a kind smile, his eyes warm and attentive. “Where did you grow up?” he asks softly.

Liz smiles back. “Nebraska.”

And it goes on from there, Red asking questions and Liz providing answers, opening up more as time passes. Red is an active participant, making it a true conversation, adding comments or occasionally sharing a related story of his own.

(He is a fantastic storyteller, engaging but not overpowering, and she thinks that she could listen to him all day, would like to, in fact. But, for some reason, he’s more interested in her right now and that creates a different but equally pleasant feeling inside her.)

Liz does most of the talking, the rest of her meal going cold on her plate while Red picks a little more at his own before abandoning it completely to give her his full attention. And Liz doesn’t mind not finishing her plate; she was getting full anyway and she can have the leftovers for dinner tonight.

(And the fact that Red values what she’s saying over their delicious lunch of chicken marsala – and he was right, it is fabulous – speaks volumes to her.)

Liz isn’t sure how long they talk but she knows she never wants it to end. She’s never enjoyed talking about herself very much but with Red, she doesn’t feel like something on display to be picked at and dissected, like she does with most people. She can feel his attention on her but it is polite and courteous and interested, a warm, flattering thing. It doesn’t suffocate her or pressure her like other people’s eyes do and instead gives her just the right amount of welcome to feel safe.

(It’s a lovely feeling.)

Liz isn’t sure how long they would have sat there talking and sharing and laughing if Dembe had not suddenly appeared by Red’s elbow, staring at him meaningfully until Red finished his current story (which left Liz holding a stitch in her side from laughing so hard) and managed to tear his openly adoring gaze from her.

“Yes, Dembe?”

“We must leave now if you are to make your three o’clock meeting, Raymond,” Dembe says quietly.

Liz’s mouth falls open in shock and she quickly turns to root around in her bag for her phone, needing to see the time for herself. She manages to extract it with minimal struggle and unlocks the screen. Dembe is right, of course. It is half past two. Her and Red have been eating and talking for just over two hours.

(Time flies when you’re…well.)

Red nods, gently dismissing Dembe, and takes a moment to shift back into his business man persona. Liz watches quietly, lamenting the return of Raymond Reddington and the departure of Red.

He turns to look at her. “Well, Lizzie, I’m truly sorry to say it but I do have to be going.”

“That’s all right,” Liz says, trying not to let disappointment bleed into her voice. “I didn’t realize how long it’s been. I can’t expect to steal any more of your time.”

Red shakes his head at her. “You of all people should know, Lizzie. The word ‘theft’ implies that you took something I wasn’t offering. And that was certainly not the case.”

Liz blushes lightly at his words, feeling quite light-headed at the clear insinuation.

(And perhaps it’s best that they part ways now; she’s not sure how much more overt flirting she can take without breaking out into childish giggles. How much wine has she had anyway?)

Red raises a hand to signal their waiter, who was apparently waiting nearby, unnoticed by Liz, and he hurries towards the table.

“Yes, Mr. Kershaw?”

“Walter, could we have the rest of the young lady’s meal to go, please?”

“Absolutely, Mr. Kershaw. I’ll be right back, sir.”

Red thanks the waiter who, to Liz’s surprise, whisks her plate out from in front of her and takes it away. Well, the service in this restaurant is certainly something. At the eateries Liz frequents, they usually just toss a flimsy box in her general direction. What a change.

Liz takes a breath. “Thank you for such a lovely afternoon, Red. The meal was delicious and the company was…better.” She smiles at him, trying to make her feelings clear.

“You’re very welcome, Lizzie. I assure you it was my pleasure. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

(And Liz thinks she might hear a bit of a tremble in Red’s voice as he says this, just a hint of uncertainty. It’s so unfounded that it’s almost laughable.)

“Oh, I think so, yes,” she says with a kind smile.

He smiles back at her gratefully and they just look at one another until the waiter re-appears, placing a small take-out bag on the table in front of her. She thanks him profusely and, once he’s gone, finally moves to stand. Red follows suit.

“Well, I expect I’ll be hearing from you?” Liz inquires cheerfully.

“Oh, yes,” Red hums, looking into her eyes. “I’ll give you a call.”

“Excellent,” chirps Liz, finding it hard to pull her gaze – and body – away from Red and his magnetic presence.

(Well, she has to leave sometime, doesn’t she?)

“I’ll talk to you soon then,” she says happily, and he simply nods at her. She turns to leave.

Liz makes her way back to the front of the restaurant, weaving through the tables in same way she came in. The only difference is that this time, she can feel Red’s eyes on her back until the door closes behind her.

Liz kicks the door of her apartment shut with a sigh, heading right for the kitchen to drop her bag of leftovers off in the fridge. As it happens, she’s not hungry, even after a full day of errands and shopping after leaving Red at the restaurant. It’s early evening now and she can always eat later.

She turns on some lights as she makes her way through her apartment, growing dim in the evening light, and tosses her bag on its usual chair, somehow managing not to stub her toe on any furniture as she goes. Amazing.

Liz enters the kitchen and sets the bag of leftovers on the counter, reaching in and feeling around for what should be a small box of chicken marsala, only to be confronted with what feels distinctly like two boxes.

She frowns.

Liz pulls out both boxes and sets them on the counter, squinting at them in confusion. After a moment’s deliberation, she opens the box on the left to reveal her entrée. So, then what is in the other box? Did the waiter perhaps give her Red’s leftovers as well? No, Red’s plate was still on the table when she left. So, what –

She carefully opens the mystery box and gasps aloud. A huge slice of tiramisu sits there, looking absolutely delicious. The scent of coffee meets her nose seconds later and her mouth waters. Liz loves tiramisu. How did Red –

Ring, ring.

Liz jumps, a little startled, and goes running for her discarded bag, her phone’s muffled ring tone luckily still audible from inside. After a brief struggle involving her car keys, a pair of earbuds, and her lockpicks, Liz finally manages to extract her phone and glance at the screen before pressing accept.

Unknown.

Her heart flips in her chest.

“Hello?”

“Lizzie.”

“Red,” she breathes, not realizing how she sighs his name until she’s already done it.

“Is this a good time?”

Liz can’t help but smile. Polite criminal. “Yes, perfect actually, I just got home.”

“Wonderful,” Red says and she’s sure she can hear a smile in his voice. “Did you, uh, get a chance to get settled?”

“If you mean look in my bag of leftovers and find the tiramisu, then yes, I did,” Liz can’t help but get straight to the point.

“Ah, yes, that’s rather what I meant,” he sounds a little hesitant, though Liz can’t imagine why. “Did you, uh, are you, well, do you –”

It takes a second for Liz to understand what he’s trying to ask. “Oh, yes, I love tiramisu!” she hurries to reassure him. “Yes, I could hardly believe it, it’s my favorite, how did you do it?”

Red gives a relieved chuckle, so deep she thinks that her phone might have warmed a little in her hand. “It was just a lucky guess. I know you’re a fan of coffee, at least in the morning, since I had some with you in your apartment last week, so I figured it was a safe bet that you’d like tiramisu. And I just slipped a note to Walter when you weren’t looking, that’s all. I’m surprised you didn’t catch me, to be honest.”

“So am I,” murmurs Liz, truly impressed that Red managed to perform what was basically a brush pass right in front of her without her noticing. “Well, thank you very much, I can’t wait to dig in.”

“You’re very welcome, Lizzie, and I’ll let you get to it in just a moment. I was just calling to see if you’d like to practice a little tomorrow.”

Liz frowns to herself. “Practice?”

“Yes, for the heist,” he answers, excitement now clear in his voice. “I was just thinking it might be a good idea to see how we work together under pressure before the big day. Just to be safe, you know.”

Liz has to admit it’s a good idea. She hasn’t done too many joint gigs – since she definitely prefers to work alone – but with the few partners she’s had, it’s never quite worked out.

(She has a funny feeling that Red is different though. In more ways than one.)

But, it can’t hurt to practice, as Red says.

“All right,” she agrees eagerly. “Do you have anywhere specific in mind?”

“Not really,” he says idly. “I figured I’d get your opinion on that since you’re no doubt more experienced in the field than I am. Of course, we could always meet at outside your apartment and wander until we find an appropriate location to steal a little something. Or is that too spur-of-the-moment for you?”

He sounds genuinely concerned that this won’t be to her liking, apparently oblivious to the fact that that’s exactly the sort of thing Liz had so much fun doing with her friends in high school. Besides, what better way to test themselves as a team than not planning a thing, all the while knowing that the actual heist will be planned down to the last detail?

“No, no, that’s fine,” Liz assures him. “Spontaneous crime is my favorite kind of crime, as it happens, however did you guess?” she quirks her mouth up in a teasing grin even though he can’t see her.

“I seem to be on a winning streak today,” he hums.

Liz presses her phone close to her ear. “One could almost say you’re getting lucky.”

Red’s delighted chuckle at her innuendo fills her whole body and she laughs breathily along with him.

“One can only hope,” he murmurs, making her smirk. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Yes,” Liz says, happy at the prospect of seeing him again so soon. “Does nine-ish sound okay?”

“It’s a date,” he murmurs.

“Excellent,” she hums. “I’ll see you then.”

“Good night, Lizzie. Enjoy your dessert.”

“Good night, Red, and thank you again.”

Liz hangs up, breathless and tingly, and does nothing but stand stupidly in her kitchen for a second, a ridiculous grin on her face.

Oh, Red.

Then she gets another whiff of the tiramisu and snaps out of it, turning to grab a fork from the drawer next to the sink. She wastes no more time digging into the tiramisu, spearing a generous forkful and putting it in her mouth, closing her eyes with a tiny moan as the coffee flavor explodes on her tongue. As she swallows, already helping herself to another bite, she catches herself having the oddest thought.

She wishes Red was here to share dessert with her.

Oh.

Oh, she’s got it bad.

4 notes · View notes