#honestly mass effect is so good at letting you argue and push back with the companions and garrus and mordin are great examples of that | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

masterjedilenawrites · 4 years ago

Note

I’m not good at making requests, so forgive me if anything come out wrong.

But, could you do something were reader and Tech are fixing some eletronics and listening to cientific things, and start talking about a wrong thing people said there, so they get distracted and when realize, they’re in to a awkward position (like him btween her legs or sth like that)

I love your writing and thanks (: <3

Omg I've been so soft for Tech lately and this prompt is perfect 💚 I hope this is what you were looking for, I really enjoyed writing it!

Tech x reader | 2k words

...making bacta the most important scientific achievement in history...

"Dank farrik," Tech huffed beside you.

You came out of your daze at the sudden exclamation and looked at your friend with concern, trying to quickly figure out what had gone wrong. You were helping him with a project, though what it was exactly you weren't completely certain of. All you knew was it involved digging into the walls of the ship and untangling a lot of wires. You'd been instructed to hold onto several of them, keeping them pulled taught out of the wall so Tech could fiddle with the other ends, and the dullness of the task had caused your mind to wander.

"What's wrong?" you asked, doubtful you'd understand any explanation, but wanting to be sure you hadn't done anything to mess up his progress.

He waved a hand at you dismissively, not pulling his attention away from the work in front of him. "Just the radio," he mumbled.

You hadn't been paying attention; it had only been turned on as background noise to keep you from going insane with boredom. And since it was tuned into some kind of scientific news frequency, you didn't really understand much of what was being said anyway.

...with the most influential application simply being in the field of medicine, providing us higher life forms with a versatile tool in maintaining our quality of life, and potentially even prolonging it...

Tech huffed again. Scoffed. Your mouth quirked at how upset he was getting. It was kind of cute.

But, you had to debate whether engaging with his frustration would be worth it. He had only recently calmed down from his outburst earlier that day, the only time you had ever seen him genuinely upset. Wrecker had accidentally knocked over a piece of machinery that was... well, something very important, apparently. No one was too sure. But Tech had spent most of the week carefully arranging its parts just-so, so that when all his hard work went crashing onto the floor, his breathing had suddenly resembled that of a charging Nexu. He'd drawn himself up, trying to match his brother's height, and ordered the poor guy to never step foot in this part of the ship again. The other Batchers had tried to defend him and were subsequently banned as well.

That left you as the only option for help.

Maybe that meant he wouldn't kick you out for debating him....

"Sounds like they're saying some pretty reasonable things. Am I missing something?"

Tech's fingers, which had been deftly working through the wires before him, clipping some and splicing others, finally froze. The clone's face tilted over to you, his eyes looking a little too judgmental through those glasses for your liking.

"You think bacta is the most important scientific achievement?" he asked. You didn't like his tone, either.

You scrunched your mouth in thought, actually giving the question serious consideration. While you mulled it over, Tech stood up from his hunched position in the wall and started pulling on some of the wires, unraveling them from their tangled mess.

"Yeah," you finally decided. "I think medicine in general is pretty important. And bacta specifically is the strongest known substance to deliver fast and effective healing."

Tech was mostly focused on the wires, but he spared you a glance.

"And treating symptoms is the most important thing for humanity? Here, hold this." He added another wire for you to hold in your hands.

You knew it was a loaded question so you chose to answer it with one of your own. "Well if it's not bacta or medicine, then what would it be?"

"Electricity," he said quickly and assertively, as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy. He continued to focus more on his work and you were annoyed he didn't seem to want to offer up an explanation to his opinion, despite having made you give one. He'd finally untangled the wires and was back to leaning into the cavern in the wall and setting them into their proper places.

"Why electricity?" You hated how dumb your question sounded; obviously you understood the concept and understood its importance. You just really wanted to challenge him to give you some explanations.

"For one, most medicines would not be able to be mass-produced were it not for the electrically-run vats in which they are made." He held his hand out behind him and made a grabbing motion. "Blue, please."

You sorted out the blue wire and passed it over.

"For another," he continued, his voice sounding distant as he leaned further away into the wall, "we must ask what constitutes a quote-unquote important achievement. For example, is an achievement worthy of the title simply because it improves our quality of life? Green, please."

You handed over the corresponding wire. "I'd say it's more about preserving life. Even outside of war, there's enough injury and illness that would end life were it not for medicine to heal them."

"Ah, but in that same reasoning, electricity also sustains life. It powers sources of light and warmth, which can also provide a means of boiling water and cooking food. All keys to survival. Yellow, please."

"So does fire," you shot back. "People survived long before electricity, and there's still plenty of civilizations living fine without it."

Tech finally emerged from the wall and took the last few wires from you, the red and black ones. He met your eyes with an earnestness that let you know how much he was enjoying this conversation. "And people have survived without medicine. At least the manufactured forms that you're arguing for, like bacta. Traditional medicine is as sufficient as fire."

Before you could respond, Tech moved to the side, motioning toward the wall with his head and holding up the remaining wires.

"Now, unfortunately these last ones need to be clipped in down below. I'm not able to fit through the lattice of the floor, but someone of your stature easily could."

You stepped forward and peered down. It was a mess of machinery and pipes and beams, but you could clearly see the port where the wires had been yanked out earlier. You knelt down, resting your stomach on the edge of the wall, but paused before bending over.

"If it wasn't for bacta, you wouldn't have been born." You were confident in your comeback and thus didn't linger for his reaction, turning to bend down into the ship with your wires instead.

You were disappointed to hear his soft chuckle from above you.

"And what do you think powers the bacta tanks that hold the clone embryos?"

You were glad he couldn't see the frustrated frown on your face. While you tried to think of a new point in your debate, you snapped the red wire into the proper port. But then you realized you couldn't quite reach the black one, and started carefully shimmying forward, deeper into the wall.

"It seems we have circled back to the initial question," Tech offered in your silence. You felt his hands hold on to your hips, steadying you as your legs lifted from the floor, most of your body now inside the ship. You didn't think anything of it, though, your focus split between your task and his words. "What makes an achievement the most important? Both medicine and electricity are capable of preserving life, but neither are essential to survival. So, what criteria are we left with?"

You were finally within reach of the last port and pushed the wire into it. "Sounds like you already have the right answer, so why don't you stop teasing me and just say it?" you called up to him.

"I...I didn't mean to sound like I was teasing."

You could hear the apology in his voice, how truly caught off guard he was to hear that you had perceived his attempts at a friendly debate, a conversation, as mocking or disrespectful. Your stomach knotted up in guilt, making your journey to wiggle back out of the wall a little more difficult.

"I'm sorry, Tech," you said through a grunt as you tried to push yourself back. "I didn't mean to sound rude. I just don't know the answer."

You felt his arms snake around your middle, pulling you the last of the way out. You came to rest on your knees, breathing heavily at the sudden increase in air supply. Tech was crouched alongside you, his chest against part of your back, his arms still holding you.

"I honestly don't know the answer, either," he blinked down at you, speaking quietly. "I don't know what criteria would constitute the most important scientific achievement. I thought maybe we could figure it out if we kept discussing it."

You craned your neck around to look at him, unconcerned about the discomfort it took to do so. You needed to face him fully. "Or... maybe we don't need to figure it out? I mean, does there need to be one achievement labeled more important than any other? Can they not all be valued equally?"

"I suppose..." he relented. But only a little. "It is a fun thought exercise, though."

You smiled at that, and it made your heart flutter a little to see him return the expression. There were a few seconds between you where you sat pleasantly in each other's arms... before the realization hit that you were in each other's arms.

"Uh," Tech stuttered first. His eyes looked about frantically as if the more he saw of you practically sitting in his lap, the more he would know what to do about it.

Your face was hot and your heart thumped forcefully in your chest. But you weren't panicking. Even though you'd been around the Bad Batch for a while now, this was the first time you'd gotten physically close to any of them, especially this dorky genius, who made you feel just a little better about life than the others did. You hadn't been sure why, not until this moment, your face being mere inches away from his own. Now it clicked.

His arms had removed themselves from your frame and he was starting to crawl backward on the floor. You quickly grasped his shoulder to stop him.

"Tech, wait."

He froze, looking at you with wide, apprehensive eyes. His shoulder was tense so you relaxed your grasp and simply let your hand rest on it gently. You gave him a small smile. Thankfully these little gestures were enough encouragement for him to lean back to you. He still looked at you timidly, but he wasn't pulling away anymore. It seemed like maybe he had been feeling the same things about you.

"Yes?"

He was waiting for you to make the next move.

"So, this project," you stalled, needing just a little more time to work up the courage. "What is it again? Why did I just crawl into the bowels of the ship?"

Your face was creeping closer to his, breath gently fanning across each other, warm but refreshing.

"I... I..." Tech seemed to be short-circuiting. "I was just, uh, re... redecorating."

Your nose had just brushed his when you suddenly frowned and moved back to look at him questioningly. "Redecorating... wires?"

You were very amused at how flustered he seemed to be in this situation. But then the tables turned as Tech rolled with it.

"Yeah, I didn't like the way they looked in there. Wanted to change things up. You know me."

The smile on our face spread as he talked and you couldn't hold back your laughter any longer. You bent forward, resting your forehead in the crook of his neck while your body convulsed with giggles. Tech laughed along, bringing his arms back around you to hold you in place. When you finally looked up at him and the shit-eating grin he had plastered on his face, you knew you'd finally found your courage.

"Oh, Tech..." you chided, pressing your smiling lips against his own.

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #the clone wars #the bad batch #tech #tech x reader #my easy breezy beautiful nerd boy #ask box open #i'm feeling creative in this chilis tonight

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palbabor-writes · 4 years ago

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I have, uh, thoughts...

M’kay, I know this has likely been harped on until nothing is left but little bits and pieces, but after reading this latest chapter, I realized what’s been bothering me about this current arc. It’s the imbalance of violence and aggression that is heaped onto Shigaraki.

I don’t know if this is Horikoshi’s intention, and I’m likely looking wayyy too into this, but I’d argue you don’t have your characters say things for no reason. So, if you’ve got a minute, let’s see if I can sort through these nagging emotions of mine.

warnings: manga spoilers 220 - 285, basically, no touch if you don’t want to see the current arc

Ok. Let’s roll the clock back and look at something Shigaraki told us at the USJ.

Now, while he has changed a lot from these early arcs, that core motivation he carries here is the same. He wants society to see just how fragile and how ridiculous their reliance on a hero state of justice really is. And, I would say that he’s absolutely right in this assessment.

The idea of heroes and villains needs a foundation of violence. They need that evil, almost as much as they need the concept of justice. It’s the age old right and wrong theory. It doesn’t leave space for grey, for nuance, for differences in ideology or upbringing.

However, heroes like to ignore what they can’t fix. Like anyone, they’re human and humans don’t often take pleasure in looking at the uncomfortable. I’d argue that’s why Gran Tourino doesn’t check back in on Kotaro. Yes, he made a vow, but those memories of that crying child being placed with a trusted friend, and not his mother, not Nana, have stuck with him. Nana wouldn’t be any wiser, or any less dead, if he checked in on her son. In chapter 281, we finally, FINALLY see Gran reflecting on that choice both he and Nana made

If he had checked in, Kotaro might have known a different memory of his mother, or he might have at least been able to see the threads of aggression and abuse that were riddling Tenko’s life. He might have seen AFO, manipulating and watching. Might, might, might. No matter how you shake it, everything changes when there’s some kind of monitoring, of looking out for your fellow man.

With that in mind, BNHA’s world state, which is based on hero work, would need a strong set of checks and balances to function properly, to catch those falling into the cracks & I’d argue we don’t see much push for that from the everyday populace.

Which is wild. Because society itself is practically Quirkless. Sure, 80% have a quirk, but in Japan you cannot use your quirk in public. If you do, you run the risk of arrest or classification as a villain.

That is why we see moments like these

Izuku is likely one of the only people in this massive crowd who really has no quirk. There is a horde of people standing there and no one is lifting a finger. It’s kinda a “bread and circuses,” mentality. They look fucking entertained and no one is freaking out except for Izuku, who knows what it feels like inside that goop thing. Instead, they’re all waiting, watching for the next hero, or for All Might to show up. But wait, aren’t there heroes there? It’s a city and this is a massive attack, it’s brought foot traffic to a standstill, surely a hero will get there and save this boy who is literally dying.

Oh. They’re there. But they’re waiting too

They are all “managing,” the situation and hoping Bakugo will survive long enough for someone with the right quirk to come along. Not polling the masses of people to see if any of them could possibly assist in the meantime, no, all these civilians get to watch this miscarriage of “justice.” Don’t worry. If the kids strong enough, he’ll make it.

So far, Shigaraki’s underlying motivation calling for a more rigorous, critical, take on heroes doesn’t feel too far fetched. Looking at chapter 1 alone, the current way things are isn’t right and it’s not fair.

Now, Shigaraki isn’t going about asking for it the “right,” way, but I bet he’d see a similar response even if he wasn’t hurting and maiming people as he goes.

The latter would let him be swept aside just as easily as the former. We see this happen with Stain. The news isn’t talking about the Nomu, or the countless people who were terrorized and hurt. No, they’re talking about the Hero Killer, because just like in our real society, that’s what get the clicks, the likes and the attention. Again, people don’t like to look at things that make them uncomfortable.

Yet, even with this horrifying fact, that Stain could go down in history books as a villain, as someone who gleefully killed others, people, both good and bad, sat up and took notice. Many even identified with his ideals: That heroes are corrupt and they are only in the field for the fame and money. Only All Might was the perfect specimen to Stain. Because this is an idea that people can get behind, to me, that means that others know things are stacked against the underbelly, the downtrodden. But they can’t be bothered to call for change.

On the flip side, Shigaraki, who has a better grasp on the true ills and neglect of hero society is often told he has no “real,” ideology, no real conviction, and this is a theme that’s repeated over and over and over.

Like most things in BNHA, it begins with All Might

Then it’s carried to Stain, Dr. Ujiko, an ally and long time supporter of AFO, to Re-Destro, and, most recently, to Endeavor. They all can’t see what Shigaraki is wanting, what he’s calling for.

It’s easier to name him a monster, a freak, scum, then to listen or to absorb any of what he’s saying.

But, as he says, he’s got convictions. He’s got his father’s, he’s got AFO’s ideas on the ethics and morals of hero society, AFO’s drive to crush OFA, once and for all, and his own deep seeded resentment and neglect toward a broken hero society. Honestly, he’s got more motivation than almost any other character.

And how is he treated? How does Horikoshi show us the “heroes” response? He gives up a heaping of violence. From chapter 270 to 285, Tomura Shigaraki is hit, punched, burned and beat around a whopping 36 times. And, for most of this fight, he is effectively quirkless.

How many hits does he get in? A grand total of 6.

And his first reaction is never to maim, in these moments, instead it’s to talk, to rattle, and to question

He only goes for Endeavor after he’s been burned, likely, without his regeneration abilities, to the point of death. These heroes aren’t aiming to subdue, they’re going in for the kill. And yes, he has just decayed an entire hospital and the surrounding area, the heroes are warranted in their anger and their frustration. After all, they’re the ones who dropped the ball here. This was a “planned” raid and they should have been the only ones in any real danger. They’re heroes, so I’d argue that it’s their job, their life’s mission to save, no matter the cost.

Besides, if they can spare AFO, not once, but twice, they should be trying to spare Shigaraki just as hard.

This has been a long and drawn out arc, with many, many ups and downs, but the one thing I don’t wanna see is the heroes getting a pass. This society has pitfalls and it’s got big ones. People are treated as lesser if they don’t have quirks, or if they have the wrong ones, the ones that don’t make them look normal. People are pressed to the side when they don’t conform and a hero, the current number one, has gotten away with mentally, and physically, scarring his family for over 20 years.

Right now, there are no checks. There is no: who watches the watcher in this world and I’d argue society has suffered for it.

Yet how are we shown how to treat those who don’t agree with us? With anger, untapped rage and physical violence, of course. And this is true of BOTH sides.

At the end of the day, as he said back at the USJ: violence only breeds more violence and while I don’t like predicting future chapters or arcs, I’m hoping that thread won’t be dropped. It’s one of the things that drew me into BNHA and I hope we get to see more, not less, of that grey morality.

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ronnytherandom · 4 years ago

Text

I started Writing My Thoughts On Things Again, I'm Sorry

15/8/2021:

Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Whole trilogy w/ all dlcs, Adept Class, Hardcore difficulty, 68 Hours):

Still brilliant! I adore this series. The first Mass Effect was one of the first games I ever played back in 2010 and Mass Effect 2 is one of the games I’ve played the most accruing several hundred hours over multiple playthrough from 2010 onwards, while Mass Effect 3 is a game I greatly appreciated but have more mixed feelings towards. Retrospectively as much as I liked the first Mass Effect, I did not nearly appreciate it enough back in the day. For a first entry in a new IP it is incredibly fleshed out with interesting Lore, an intriguing story and a cool galaxy to explore. I appreciate its combat far more now than I did back then but would still argue it is relatively weak in comparison to more modern titles and its own successors. Though the VA is rough in some places it is excellent where it matters, especially in the case of Sovereign whose iconic dialogue on Virmire is etched into my brain. A key element of the first mass effect I felt was sorely missing from the later entries was its exploration. While the galaxy grew routinely larger no game after the first had a drivable Mako, a vehicle I adore, and further lacked the opportunity to land on and explore the terrain of alien worlds for resources and side missions which I feel lends a lot to the atmosphere of the setting and could be made even more compelling using updated technology and a larger selection of assets and interiors which might have emerged from the higher budget successors. As it is I appreciate its inclusion in the first game. Mass Effect was also my first encounter with impactful choices in a video game and this is certainly something I appreciate but leads me to a major criticism specifically targeting the dialogue wheel layout as it is strange to me how you can puzzle out all of these possible dialogue outcomes but put exactly all of the positive outcomes behind the Upper Left dialogue option. While this is less pronounced in the First entry as the Renegade dialogue fills roughly the same purpose while sounding more badass, it becomes truer throughout the series as renegade options routinely just become nasty and exclusionary.

Mass Effect 2 innovates in some key ways which I have grown to appreciate more in the past 20 hours of play than I did when it launched. Primarily, its focus on characters and your relationships to them. Barring a couple of notable exceptions I found myself greatly invested in every single member of the Normandy crew and I think it’s a remarkable feat that each crewmate could be written to be so sympathetic, relatable and interesting in a world so full of appreciable elements. I would go into specific examples but id end up listing every character except Miranda and Jacob. This of course plays well into the Suicide Mission narrative which is perhaps my favourite overarching plot within the trilogy as it incorporates not just all of these incredible characters and plays upon your investment in them but also relies on the threat of both the Reapers and Collectors which are two excellently designed enemies which I find significantly more compelling than Saren and the Geth or Cerberus and the Reaper Husk Armies. Mass Effect 2 has a powerful horror element composed of the Collectors phobic horror and the reapers cosmic horror and it does wonders for the game’s atmosphere. I remember at this moment the Collector soundtrack which, like the rest of the soundtrack is absolutely excellent. Inasmuch as I would criticise it from a purely musical perspective for being simple at times and perhaps overly repetitive it perfectly fits the camp space opera that is mass effect. Galaxy Map and Suicide Mission are absolute bangers. I would hesitate to call the combat great. Playing the game as a weapon heavy class is superior, I’d argue as even with an armour build dedicated to decreasing ability cooldown it is too long to adequately utilise the powers of ability heavy classes like the adept. Additionally, ability play feels far more limited than in the game’s predecessor due to the limitation of this games skill tree elements which are frankly a step too far in simplifying the interface. It doesn’t massively affect enjoyment of the game but I couldn’t help but note every time I visited the abilities menu how much I missed Mass Effects abilities menu. So while I would say Mass Effect maintains a very well balanced game with regards to combat, roleplay and story, Mass Effect 2 eschews combat and mechanical roleplay in favour of an excellent story. Additionally while lacking an exploration aspect the more structured side-missions found by scanning planets throughout the galaxy create a lot of fun moments and interesting gameplay, emblematic of the fact that mission design vastly improves between this game and its predecessor.

Mass Effect 3 goes some way to resolve its predecessor’s imbalance as the majority of the game possesses enhanced combat, a much better abilities mechanic and an excellent story. First the addition of more mobility, loadout and engagement options benefits the combat greatly, while the addition of more complex enemy types than previous games pushes you to fully utilise these new options. A massive reduction in ability cooldown combined with liberal cooldown reduction bonuses in the skill tree means that abilities are very useful and versatile and you generally feel very powerful. Sometimes too powerful if you’re thinking from a balancing standpoint but given it’s a single player game this criticism is much diminished and being powerful is fun regardless. The skill tree system in this game forms a synthesis between its predecessors’ systems and comes out the better for combining a regular sense of empowerment with interesting choices within your own character build. All of this contributes to a much-improved combat experience, especially over Mass Effect 2. This also lends itself to the old multiplayer system which I honestly enjoyed when it launched (who cannot love a playable biotic Volus?) and feel is sorely lacking from this legendary edition. I would argue the only real problem with the multiplayer was requiring a player to engage with it in order to achieve the best story outcome; the actual multiplayer gameplay was thoroughly enjoyable and it gave players the opportunity to experience combat as an STG agent or a Krogan Warlord which were both fulfilling experiences from my memory. The aforementioned story is truly excellent and successfully builds off events in previous games but primarily succeeds due to Biowares exceptional character writing which persists from Mass Effect 2. Even in the case of its worst side mission content but especially in its primary missions the stakes and outcome of events are thoroughly compelling and the involvement of beloved Normandy crewmates is bound to incite intense emotions. This is possibly the only game that makes me cry multiple times throughout a normal playthrough. Unfortunately my goodwill often runs out when it comes to consider the ultimate ending of this series which I do not approve of. I admit there are mitigating factors: you should not play the mass effect series for the culmination of its plot. This series lives and dies with its characters and all of the major character arcs reach satisfactory endings before the final moments of Mass Effect 3, so the final moments have no real meaning as the thematic purpose of the series is achieved by galvanising the galaxy and uniting all these disparate races into a single force to fight the Reapers. Thematically the game is a success but the extent to which it utilises the choices the player has made, upon which the series builds its reputation, is limited in scope. This can likely be laid at the feet of the leaks of the original story ahead of the games launch which pushed the developers to create a new ending to avoid spoilers, but the quality of that ending is poor as it boils all the choices made throughout the series down to selecting the colour of a space laser. To make an odd comparison, this is why I think Game of Thrones’ and Mass Effect’s endings are different kinds of bad. Mass Effect reaches a fully satisfying conclusion in the moments immediately after launching the final mission, whereas Game of Thrones built its whole series asking the question “Who Will Sit The Iron Throne” With the final answer being “Actually, no one” after slogging through multiple series which did not live up to the quality of the first. Mass Effect answers its dramatic question of “Can Shepard Unite The Galaxy Against The Reapers” satisfactorily following sixty hours of excellent content and the colour of the space laser doesn’t actually matter. It just hurts to think that the finale could’ve been so much grander and more interesting. I would recommend the games, the disappointment of the finale doesn’t even come close to outweighing the grandeur that is the rest of the experience of Mass Effect 3, let alone the whole series.

There are only a few pieces of content I had not encountered prior to this Legendary edition playthrough. The Mass Effect DLC Bring Down The Sky is fun in that it adds an interesting combat experience with incredible stakes and immerses you in a stellar scale event, but the experience is very short. As part of the legendary edition I recommend it but having to pay extra for it at its time of launch I would have found it disappointing. Mass Effect 2s Overlord DLC is very good, introducing fun combat encounters, an opportunity to operate the fairly fun Hammerhead vehicle (even if it doesn’t live up to the Glory of the Mako) and explore a nice open environment with a truly haunting ending which is a kind of non-choice but it is gratifying to make that choice anyway. Additionally the visuals in the final station when interacting with the VI elements are very nice. The Arrival DLC is also quite fun, with a pseudo stealth section to open it, something which I believe occurs nowhere else in the series. The general element of operating solo is quite novel for mass effect as I believe outside of this moment, the opening of the Citadel DLC and the final moments of Mass Effect 3 there is no point where you fight alone. The indoctrinated nature of the project team does not come as a shock but regardless the dlc is enjoyable as a combat experience and the scale of destruction shown necessary to even slightly inconvenience the reapers lends a lot to the scale of their threat. I do not believe I played any DLCs in Mass Effect 3 before, insofar as I did not consider From Ashes DLC content as it was already on the disk and all buying the day one dlc did was activate it. Leviathan is very interesting from a lore perspective and does interesting things with its investigative process but I find it to be a relatively passive and uninteresting experience for the most part. Omega was more my style with a lot of good combat and interesting new enemies and a bit of bombast besides but still left me largely unmoved. Citadel was excellent but mostly for its “endgame” content rather than its story content. Despite featuring many hilarious moments throughout the actual plot it failed to interest me but I was definitely there for all of the fun character moments and the party is absolutely hilarious.

Ultimately a hearty recommendation but with tempered expectations for the finale.

Deaths Door (True Ending, 13.7 hours):

A Delight. Deaths Door is a charming little game about a bird that stabs things and I love it. It is incredibly impressive that this was made by a team composed of two people. The gameplay is fun in all regards. Navigation is a good time especially when all of the environments are lovely and full of personality. Obstacles come mainly in the form of puzzles and these are at a sweet spot between ease and frustration without being at all complex. Combat could’ve used a bit more work, primarily to create more meaningful distinctions between weapons or add a little depth, but it is still engaging and good fun. While the main bosses are challenging and satisfying to defeat, I worry over the side bosses; perhaps something could’ve been done to make them more distinct from one another? But a small gripe. I like the world, the aforementioned environments are well realised, the general aesthetic is artful and distinct and the story is good if slightly sparse. One notable element is the dialogue which is very good with a quick wit. The finale of the main game has the right amount of spectacle and weight while the endgame is cool and fantastical, with an ample supply of secrets and collectibles to find. Over all the music is incredible, soundtrack full of absolute bangers. I really enjoyed completing this game and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into action adventure and souls-like games.

The Bad Batch (season 1):

This was Allright. To open I cannot overstate how good the animation and art of this series is. It is routinely beautiful and well-choreographed. Visually there are no complaints. The problems begin with the opening episode which I feel overpromised on a relatively dark take on the Star Wars universe by immediately dropping us into an Order 66 plot full of death, danger, brainwashing and the threat of an emergent empire. Now granted this series never explicitly promises that all of this would continue but I enjoyed these elements of the first episode and I was dissatisfied by their limited usage throughout the rest of the show. This is not to say I disliked the show, I did enjoy the characters who are all good fun, and most of the plots were good. This series I felt had a lot of filler episodes, which I’d simply describe as episodes I enjoyed less due to underwhelming plot or conflict, but they were still enjoyable despite what id perceive as a lesser quality. The show also “suffers” from what I’d called Star Wars Syndrome of Filonitis which is how Everything Must Be Interconnected, with regular cameos from extended universe characters which I feel is beginning to get a bit much. These features feel to me more often like nostalgia grabs rather than organically featuring a character in service of the plot and development. For example, I appreciate the Captain Rex feature as that served to highlight the inhibitor chip problem and drive the characters to seek a solution, however I appreciated Rafa and Trace’s feature less both because I’m less attached to those characters (especially Rafa) but also because the episode didn’t serve any particular purpose or create any particular set piece which couldn’t have been achieved without those characters. This is a similar issue I have with The Mandalorian, I adored season one as it was relatively self-contained and only featured vague or subtler references to the wider canon: to contrast season two is full of cameos from the wider universe sometimes for no reason other than to have a cameo when those roles could easily have been filled with new and creative content which doesn’t rely upon nostalgia to make something interesting. Ultimately Bad Batch is worth watching for the characters and the good episodes, it is fun and entertaining, it just has its issues.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: The Phantom Blood:

Its uh, its not good. Now that’s a very broad statement, as to assess this show critically at all is to take it far more seriously than you should, but to be more even handed the show certainly has a bunch of fun elements. Only from a story perspective, there isn’t really that much there; and from a pacing perspective it needs to be seen to be believed. I’m certain that if you condensed the show down to a reasonable size for the amount of content it has, you’d probably have a movie with a two-hour runtime at most which would be quite enjoyable but on a whole this first part wastes about 80% of its time on overlong drawn-out internal monologues and the dilated timeframes of the show’s fights. It also has an annoying habit of overemphasizing the weight of a moment or the genius of a characters unexpected action usually with no less than three people commenting on any slight manoeuvre which ruins the pacing beyond belief. Now I understand this is a staple of the Jojo series, only part 1 handles it very poorly in comparison to later parts. The fighting is especially hindered by this as most actual combat usually involves only four or five punches but they tend to take twenty minutes getting to each one. Additionally, Johnathan Joestar is pretty boring as a character with no notable qualities aside from being good both morally and at fighting. The intrigue of the stone mask is cool but this part deals in that very little. Like I say though, Part 1 is still fun to watch if you can disengage your brain and admire the potent meme quality of the series. It is not “good” from a critical perspective but it is incredibly amusing and the campness gives it a degree of charm. If you just want to watch a bunch of beefy men shout at each other and perform magic punches this is a good time. Speedwagon, despite being the worst offender of the “Explain Everything Twice and Ruin the Pacing” category, is still entertaining for the awful accent and endearing character. He’s also definitely in love with Johnathan and I will not be taking questions on that. Baron Zeppeli has a cool hat. Theres a lot of fun to be had as the show embraces the weirdness of everything that’s going on. So, check it out, it might just be a So-Bad-Its-Good Masterpiece.

300 (film):

This film was not so great in my eyes. I think there was one particular shot of the landscapes around Sparta which I felt was visually cool but everything else about the film lacked quality for me, barring practical effects which have aged significantly better than the graphical effects. The visuals are largely uninspiring, the washed-out colour pallet doesn’t help. Perhaps the dialogue was amusing at release but for me it’s all been memed to death. I can’t say any of the performances are particularly compelling, nice to see Magneto and Faramir though. The action could’ve been good and there are certainly moments where it has impact, but the constant application of slow motion I feel reduces the sense of power that should be there, like watching people fight on the moon. Ultimately, I can’t stomach it for two primary reasons: Historical inaccuracy and Racism, which feed into each other. The values of the Spartans do not accurately reflect ideas that historical Spartans held to and I must ask why? Historical accuracy is the default state, so to usurp those ideas in favour of others means the author of the graphic novel Frank Miller and director Zach Snyder replaced those ideas with purpose, in order to make the film more appealing to a mass audience or to express their own ideas perhaps? And the values they chose for the Spartans were freedom, justice and democracy which were things the slaving and monarchical Spartans did not believe in at least in the modern sense. This reeks of an imposition of the propagandised values of western nations on a historical society. This in itself would not be so much of an issue without the demonisation and perversion of the Achaemenid empire and the peoples therein. To establish the primary conflict as one of Civilised white westerners against barbarous non-white easterners, when historically the conflict was between two nations of a broadly similar heritage both possessing facets of good and evil, in the early 2000s? It feels as though some reactionary interpretations of the War on Terror have simply been recreated here with classical history as window dressing. Add to that reactionary attachment to the battle of Thermopylae as a representation of the western world’s struggle against the eastern world, in addition to other more problematic interpretations, and this film plays straight into extreme right-wing ideas of race. Cannot recommend, there’s a lot more better things you could be watching.

18/08/2021: Darth Vader (2015) comic (incl. Vader Down event):

This was really cool. The first comic I’ve ever actually read so I don’t have much frame of reference but I certainly enjoyed this. It was compelling, I’ve blitzed through this whole run in a single day. I think it serves a valuable purpose of demonstrating Vader’s potential and development between Episodes IV and V, as well as the nature of internal conflicts within the Empire. A side note, it is amusing that Palpatine identifies infighting as a factor in the fall of the Sith Empire and yet encourages it for his own political purposes anyway. I felt that the art and style was very good and fit well with the Star Wars aesthetic, though I couldn’t say if it is truly excellent or just standard: it certainly wasn’t bad, though I think a few designs such as Dr Aphra’s ship were hard to read as it were. Speaking of, I think characters new and old were well portrayed. The titular Vader is unmistakably the same character as appears in the classic trilogy, similarly for Han, Luke and Leia etc. And it was a pleasure to see Chewbacca absolutely destroy someone. The aforementioned Aphra I thought was fine but she lacks distinction to my mind, the real star was Triple Zero and by extension Beetee who I thought were excellent comic relief in addition to being a genuine threat, something I can’t necessarily say I felt with regard to the antagonists. This latter part doesn’t matter overmuch, I think the purpose of these antagonists was more to present Vader with pressure to fulfil his personal goals rather than actually oppose him and they work well in that regard, but are unmemorable beyond their basic attributes. What I think this comic does particularly well is create a kind of puzzle narrative and its almost thrilling at moments when Vader’s plots might be discovered. As a result of this I am looking forward to reading more comics in future.

The Suicide Squad (2021): Highly enjoyable! A big step up for the suicide squad as a franchise and a lot more fun, playing into a brighter and more humorous genre than its predecessor to good effect; This time with good editing, soundtrack, direction… well good everything in comparison. I enjoyed all of the characters and their acting particularly the rivalry between Peacemaker and Bloodsport and Margot Robbie is still fantastic as Harley. They all pale before King however, who is endearing beyond belief and a lot of fun to boot. The “villain” if that term is applicable is very interesting and actually threatening, no mere beam of light into the sky! And the willingness to engage in more mature elements such as gore and character morality is of immense benefit, serving to distinguish it from generally more childish superhero media and reach towards more interesting themes around colonisation, foreign intervention, America and such. Only a reach towards however as I don’t think it ultimately says anything beyond “This thing, kinda bad and dumb”. As I saw noted, it observes the theme but doesn’t comment on it which is a shame as that would bring it all together quite neatly. I feel it can drag a little at times and sometimes the dialogue and specifically its humour don’t hit right but the rest is of such quality that it hardly matters. It looks good, sounds good and offers a chance to engage in a little mindless and bloody violence. I hope Harley keeps the javelin.

27/08/2021: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency: TW: Mention of Nazism, Discussion of Sexism

This is MUCH better. Part 2 covers most of the problems I had with Part 1. The Monologues are less egregious so the pacing is much improved; the lore is fully integrated into the story and creates a genuinely good narrative and Joseph is a much more compelling and interesting protagonist with a quirky and entertaining personality. The Pillar Men are excellent villains and the fights are fully engaging. Even when you know that Joseph will pull out a “And next you’ll say” twist at the end of a losing fight it’s still surprising simply by dint of the strange and wacky solutions he creates. And these adventures are even more bizarre, playing into the weird camp of the series which works so well. All in all, the quality is excellent here HOWEVER there are some highly problematic elements. The show being set in the 1930s is a neat part of the travelling through time factor of the series but when you’re globetrotting around Europe you need some solution to the problem of Nazis popping up everywhere and this show does not provide one, and fails so drastically to offer even a slightly critical perspective on the fascist characters. The noble sacrifice of Von Stroheim and his later resurrection and heroism serve to idolise a Patriotic German Nazi Officer, which is not good, and this unchallenged perspective on an Actual Nazi is troubling especially when the character himself is an unrepentant mass murderer. Additionally, the show has a horrible attitude towards women, who exist almost exclusively for sex appeal and romantic interest in this show. Lisa Lisa does demonstrate ability and character but when presented with genuine combat is relegated first as a bit of eye candy during the fight with Esidesi (notably eye candy for Her Own Son) and later as a Damsel in Distress during her fight with Kars. Women are frequently used as objects in this part; Caesar Zeppeli uses women as props by controlling them with his Hamon powers and Suzi Q exists only to be rescued from Esidesi and then to be romanced by Jojo. It’s pretty ridiculous to be honest. I am informed that this improves over the course of the series but as for this part in particular it is a lot of fun just so long as you can ignore some incredibly troubling portrayals.

13/09/2021: Rick and Morty Season 4:

There is ultimately not much to say as Season 4 is simply more Rick and Morty and operates as such. It is good, even very good. It’s still very funny. Its voice acting is still the pinnacle of such work. It is still smart and has a lot of interesting ideas, only not to the extent of the copypasta fan boys. Its sci-fi universe is cool and its design and aesthetic are still excellent. I feel the show has passed a threshold however as there’s only so much time you can spend on the “dysfunctional family is dysfunctional theme”. I hope season 5 proves me wrong once I get to it, but season 4 is fun and I’d recommend it all the same, it’s just more Rick and Morty and I think that’s enough.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings: Spectacular! Very easily amongst the best if not The Best Superhero Movie (aside from Into the Spiderverse). To begin with complaints as they are limited, the colour grading was a bit dark in a couple of the fight scenes and in some moments of the climactic fight the CG effects are a little Too Much and distract from the central action of Shang-Chi, Xialing and a Dragon owning the shit out of a multiversal super spectre, which incidentally is fucking epic. Additionally, the standard MCU comic relief dialogue is a little meh at times but what’s new there? They still need to get a handle on that, especially because this film was really strong when it was serious. As much as I love Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery, he was just a tad much here. Aside from a few moments of weak dialogue however the rest of the film is excellent. Acting is good, effects are good, the film is quite beautiful primarily once Ta Lo is reached and the score is bangin. I appreciate most of all the fight sequences which to me look well-choreographed with interesting arenas which were always appropriate to demonstrate the characters abilities; the sequences serve to develop character and plot at key moments also. The way the camera is handled during the fights is also a big step up, with wide perspective and long shots rather than the snappy close shots of old which serve to really show off that choreography and don’t muddy your understanding of the flow of combat. There is a good thematic line throughout the film of reconciling the bad and the good of your familial and personal history, to understand yourself better and channel that into developing and achieving your ambitions and I adore how that ties in with Shang-Chi and Wenwu’s final confrontation due to the nature and treatment of the Ten Rings themselves. They are a very interesting fantastical element especially once Shang-Chi acquires them and the way that he utilises them create a very cool combat style I can’t wait to see more of, even considering that their full potential is yet to be unlocked. I additionally approve of how they have been differentiated from their comic counterparts which to my understanding are just slightly weaker infinity stones; thus, a one-to-one reproduction would’ve been a boring mistake to make. It’s a fantastic film, go see it.

26/09/2021: Sable (20 hours, 99% complete) Sable has the makings of an absolutely fantastic game, it just has a few hiccups and hurdles to deal with. Thankfully most can probably be dealt with by patch as there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the game; but a game should never be released in a state where it needs a patch to function normally. This game is incredibly buggy. Probably one of the buggiest games I’ve ever played at launch, and I preordered Skyrim. Most of my complaints are with the menus, which simply do not work properly sometimes, but there are other documented issues with collision detection and weird bike movement among others including one annoying persistent issue with the soundtrack being replaced by random ‘bong’ noises. For these reasons I cannot recommend the game Right Now until it is patched or if it is on a significant sale. However, once the bugs are fixed this game will be a stunning achievement. The story is good and leads to powerful emotional moments, aided along by an excellent atmospheric soundtrack and beautiful visuals. The style and colour give this game an exceptional look, though diminished by a fairly rapid day/night cycle. I understand that this creates a visual contrast to make the daytime feel more vibrant and impressive, but I would also hold the sun still in the sky if that were an option. The world is well built, with interesting lore and cool design work. Varied environments show off a range of colourful landscape all with their own distinct atmospheres and landmarks which are good both for navigation and exploration, this being the bulk of the game. Exploring these environments is satisfying for curiosities sake but also offers collectible Chums that I adore and an intriguing backstory and world history to consider. Riding a hoverbike is cool and fun, and the customisability is nice though I would take issue with the “balancing” of bike parts as the best bike can be acquired only a few hours in and must be bought, where bike parts earned through long quest chains pale in comparison. This annoys me as I believe players should be rewarded more for great deeds than for acquiring currency, besides which the quest bikes look cooler. This is of little importance however as the game is a very casual and chill experience, keeping an excellent balance where it is not strictly challenging but does maintain your focus and attention. This world is full of strangeness and a little sci-fi magic; though I would argue it could use more of this I think that would threaten to overwhelm the player when even this world’s most mundane elements are still stunningly cool. I think a thick coat of bugs covers what is ultimately a magnificent game with many cool things to explore and even marred by its worst features I still had a great time playing it.

27/09/2021: The Matrix

Brilliant. A very cerebral action movie which definitely earns its place as an iconic work of cinema and its clear to see why its influence is so widespread. Fantastic action with a clear and open perspective which utilises the interesting and dynamic cinematography that runs throughout the movie. I particularly enjoy how over the top the fights are in terms of environmental destruction and gestures as a whole, with a great deal of emphasis added by practical effects which I enjoy. Cool characters, good dialogue and excellent performances across the cast. And, an interesting world well-built and designed. The robots particularly are quite intimidating and I like their arthropodal form. All of the design works well to create the feeling of a greasy industrial post apocalypse which contrasts sharply with the boring homogenous simulation, the latter having its own value as a setting due to its familiarity which would’ve been especially prevalent when this film first released. I love the soundtrack, especially the final feature of Rage, but most of all I love how deeply you can read into this film and its meaning. Having watched many videos about it I was primed on the trans allegory going in and it is very clearly a present part of the narrative before even considering the context around the Wachowski sisters and their own experience. It is a very interesting part of the story and plays well into other themes built around deconstructing the illusions pressed on us by our society, drawing strong parallels between the struggles of living as a trans person and fighting against an imperialist capitalist society. It is worth watching for any of its constituent parts but together they form a magnificent work of art.

28/09/2021: Star Wars: Visions

The series is a bit of a mixed bag. It definitely overpromises with its first episode which is of a remarkably distinct style, is incredibly cool and has great wacky moments in addition to tasteful call-backs to the wider Star Wars canon. I love the umbrella sabre, it’s a fantastic idea and there needs to be more of them. From there a few episodes are fantastic, The Elder and the final episode, and id rank the Ninth jedi just below them, but the rest of the series is definitely not to my taste. The wide variety of styles on show are all fantastic and the animation is universally very good, just some of the plots are more childish than I would appreciate and the rest are simply not engaging for me to the point that despite a great deal of spectacle occurring I would often be distracted. It’s worth a look if you’re into animation and unique takes on star wars but I find generally lacking.

Django Unchained (2nd Watch) TW: Discussion of Racism and Slavery

Red Flag: Tarantino Movie is good. Very good. Stellar performances from Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Leo Di Caprio, Christoph Waltz and everyone else in the movie to be frank; a special note for the trivia about Leo Di Caprio’s cut up hand during the dining room scene, a lot of respect for a man who can keep working through that kind of injury. We can go through a Tarantino Checklist say the film is well shot with beautiful environments; has excellent and witty dialogue with good attention to detail and mannerism; and finally has great and gory action which does not flinch from terrible injury and really appeals to a perverse bloodlust that seems to crop up from time to time in normal people. Strangely enough however, I could not recall if Tarantino indulges in his predilection for feet here. This film does indulge in Tarantino’s other predilection however and that’s the N-word, but here I respect it. Unlike his non-period works, the use of the N-word is a facet of slavery just as chains, whips and plantations are and slavery is the subject of this film which seeks to be historically authentic. If anything, the absence of the N-word would be very wrong in this case despite being the project of a white man as without it the film would lack the context of a key form of oppression that still exists today. I think Django does an excellent job documenting and commenting on the institution as it existed in the pre-war period. Django experiences every level of status a black person would encounter in this setting: first a slave, then a freedman, a black slaver and finally a Liberator and the final message of the film is that slavery deserved to be destroyed and any argument made for its return is horseshit which is kind of a “Duh” statement but with the state of modern politics and the state of education in the US it’s something that needs reiterating. You can interpret this beyond the bounds of slavery itself in addition, by arguing that there are existing powers in this world which seek to discriminate based on skin colour amongst other factors and create oppressed minorities for the benefit of a wealthy few with power and should the systems that create this environment be completely destroyed it would be cause for celebration. Beyond this I particularly enjoyed the historical authenticity of the environments, of the very varied biomes of the wilder parts of the US at the time, and the contemporary outfits especially King Schultz’ coat which I desire more than any item of clothing I’ve ever seen. The film is good at building suspense both in the moment to moment and through longer story arcs, particularly the second act, but I do feel like the 2nd act lulls a little, perhaps spends slightly too long reaching its climax. This is a great spectacle of a film which looks and sounds fantastic, puts excellent performances on show, tells a great story and has quite a bit of meaning bundled into it.

29/09/2021: The Road to El Dorado (Unfinished)

Despite not finishing it I think this film is actually really good. It certainly has a few elements which don’t fully gel with me but I enjoyed my time with it; I only felt like I should really be doing something else and that I wasn’t fully engaged with it, potentially as I’m not keen on cons and high stakes acting as it feels like a form of vicarious embarrassment for me which makes me immensely uncomfortable. Personal hindrances aside most everything about this film is excellent, I loved the animation and the very colourful world. The characters were fun, the voice acting good, the constant horniness was a great bonus also. I take issue with the music, much as it’s not my right to criticise Elton John, I feel it would’ve been better fully incorporated into the film. I enjoy animated musicals more when said music is diegetic and I think them beginning to employ non-diegetic music is part of what led to their downfall, outside of market saturation. Additionally, I was not a fan of The Trail we Blaze, just not a song that worked for me. I also appreciate the integration of 3d and 2d animation here as I felt the styles were reconciled better here than in most movies, especially for the time. I might take issue with what seems to be a plot about two Spanish men of the colonial age coming to central America and “enlightening” its people through humanitarian acts and music as that would reflect some troubling attitudes but I hold out hope that by the end of the film they decide to come clean about the lie, return the gold and help defend El Dorado from Cortez and his troops. Its enjoyable, I don’t feel drawn to finishing it though.

30/09/2021: Hunters Moon, Ghost

Here’s a new one, music reviews. This single is pretty good I enjoy it a lot. Opens slow and gentle and rapidly builds into some strong rock with a very 80s feel which scans with Ghosts whole historical rock and metal style they’ve always employed but have gone in extra hard on since Prequelle. The lead riff the track opens on is really nice and I would love to have seen it explored further, but the heavier style that ramps up progressively as the song continues is still great climaxing on the 9/4 post chorus riff which goes hard as fuck and I love that bit especially. It feels like it would be spectacular to witness it live. The bridge is a moment I’m not so keen on, the initial bass work is a little bare bone and overly repetitive but it definitely picks up once the guitar and vocals come in, even if just for the final moments. The final chorus leads into a good finale though I think it’ll serve better on an album version with a transition into another track, as I usually prefer to be fair. Technically I enjoy all of the different sounds and effects employed on all the instruments, especially in that leading riff, all of which are played well with good time. The vocals are great as usual. It’s a great track, I feel it was maybe a little short and could’ve explored some of its musical ideas or given them a bit more time to breathe; perhaps less time could have been given to overrepresented elements like the bridge and given over to work more into the very atmospheric leading riff but this is still a hard and heavy rock track and I enjoy it greatly.

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suitofvibraniumarmor · 4 years ago

Text

Headstrong

Part Three

Summary: After moving past the locker room incident, Bucky and Haven continue on with training for an upcoming fight. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC Word Count: 1895 Warnings: Angst; discussion of cancer, amputation, infidelity, drunk driving, car accident and related injuries. A/N: Taglist is open, you can be added to the one for this fic or Buckvember simply by sending an ask. Happy Reading!

Series Masterlist

Right after dinner, Haven put on a touch of makeup, smoothed out her shorts and t-shirt, and slipped into a pair of sneakers before telling Wes she was going out for a little bit.

When she entered the bar, she looked around for Bucky; he raised his right arm to get her attention at a booth toward the back of the place. She waved an acknowledgement, stopping at the counter to order a drink for herself before she joined him.

“Thanks for meeting me,” she started, sliding into the booth. “After this morning … honestly, I wanted to forget everything about it, but Wes said it’s probably best not to ignore it and let tension build up.”

Bucky nodded. “Sure, I can understand that. I hope you know, Haven, it was truly an honest mistake. I wasn’t paying attention, I’ve never been there before. It won’t happen again.”

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling softly. “I know it was a mistake — I was never worried about that. I wasn’t exactly gracious in my reaction, but you caught me off guard. I apologize for that.”

“No apology necessary.”

Her drink arrived. She thanked the waitress and took a few sips before continuing. “And I want to apologize for the way I declined your lunch invitation. We’re going to be working together closely and often, but I thought if I kept things more professional than I did with my last coach … it’s a self-preservation thing, I guess. I let things go too far with him, let it become personal. Too personal, and it almost cost me my career.”

Bucky assured her that he could understand. “Boxing was the most important thing to me, and it was taken away. Turns out, it takes two flesh arms to stay in the ring. I got lost for a while, hid away — I’m sure you heard about that. I’m pushing myself, taking this job and getting back into the business in any form. What I’m trying to say, Haven, is that we don’t have be best friends or anything, but, besides all the work together we’ll be doing, we’ve got some things in common. There’s going to be a personal note to our relationship, but even that doesn’t have to cross professional lines.”

“Thank you,” Haven told him quietly. The tension in her shoulders released and she continued to sip at her drink. She wanted to tell him more, but the words wouldn’t come. Something she was doing was giving her away because a few seconds later, Bucky’s warm fingers covered hers.

“When you’re ready to talk about the rest of it, we can. There’s no rush.”

Haven pulled her hand out from under his. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They finished off those drinks, and Haven paid the tab for both of them. They bid each other goodbye with a wave in the lot and went their separate ways.

For a couple of weeks, they kept things what Bucky called casually professional. They didn’t see each other outside of the gym again, he was extra careful about which locker room he went into at the end of each session, and he didn’t push her for any personal information. He didn't offer any, either.

Haven was getting stronger and more ready for a fight by the day. They hadn’t been training together long, but Bucky could see she was chomping at the bit to compete. Her punches were coming harder and faster when he called out combos, their sparring sessions were becoming more intense.

“There’s a fight in Los Angeles at the end of the month,” Bucky informed the siblings one afternoon after he and Haven had showered, and Wes was able to join them in the gym. “I think Haven can be ready by then. The other fighter on the card, Helen Cho, is also a newer pro and, from my research, I think she and Haven will be a good match.”

“You really think I’ll be ready?”

Bucky nodded with enthusiasm. “Without a doubt. Honestly, I’d put you in the ring against this girl today, if we had to. You’re a natural boxer and your lighter training while you recovered probably helped you to stay on track. What do you think?”

Haven looked at Wes, who nodded. “All right. I’m in.”

“Great,” Bucky smiled. “We’ll get you on the card and start training harder over the next couple of weeks. I want to be in Los Angeles a few days before the fight to do some training in their weather, get your body adapted to it.”

The next task was to contact the right people, find a flight and a hotel, and work out a temporary training schedule. They talked about nutrition, too; all of them wanted Haven in top fighting condition so her first pro fight could be a win.

While Bucky put the finishing touches on the training schedule, Haven and Wes quietly argued about something by the door. Wes finally won out after a few minutes, it seemed, and left the gym. Haven huffed, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. Bucky wouldn’t have been surprised if she stomped her foot for effect.

“Coach, do you have some time to talk before you leave,” Haven asked, blurting it out as a statement and not a question.

Bucky nodded and motioned for her to join him in the ring. They both sat on the edge of the ring, their legs hanging over. Haven leaned forward on the ropes. Bucky kicked his legs with his hands in his lap, patiently waiting for whatever it was she had to say. When two minutes passed and she hadn’t said anything, Bucky decided maybe it would be easier for her to open up to him if he opened up to her first.

“Right after I won my last title, I couldn’t shake the pain in my left arm,” Bucky began. “I did three more fights and it just got worse every time. Finally let my trainer convince me to get it checked out. Doc did x-rays and found a mass on my humerus.”

Haven frowned. “Cancer?”

“Cancer,” Bucky echoed. “It could have been removed and maybe beat with chemo, but I let it go on too long. I didn't want to hear that whatever was happening would end my career, but it did anyway. They had to take the arm, or it would have taken my life.”

“I’m so sorry, Buck.”

He smiled, both in gratitude for her empathy and because she hadn’t called him Coach. “The upside, I guess, is that being a prize fighter puts you in line for cutting-edge technology like this.” He flexed his prosthetic arm and a light whizzing came from inside the thing. “I can’t fight but I can function. And I’m alive.”

She sniffled, and Bucky could see that her eyes had glazed over. “Do you ever get angry that you can’t compete anymore?”

“Sometimes,” he confessed.

She leaned back on both arms. “I was so angry when I thought my career would be over. Punched a hole in the wall in my bedroom one day because I got so angry.” She looked up to the ceiling, so Bucky kept his eyes on his hands in his lap. “Brock Rumlow was my coach from the very beginning. I was training at this gym in town, straight out of high school, not even sure if I wanted to do this for real, and he was new to coaching. He told me I had potential, so my dad and Wes went all in. They built this gym, and the three of them got me into the amateur league. Brock was a good coach, until he wasn’t. A few years ago, we started dating. It was always there, somewhat, I guess, despite the age difference, but we decided to make a real go of it.”

Bucky pressed his lips into a thin line. He fought Brock Rumlow when they both were amateur fighters and knew about Brock’s reputation, but this wasn’t the time to comment on that — especially when he didn't know how much Haven was aware of.

“Besides coaching me, Brock had a management agency that he owned. It went under, and Brock lost his mind. He was drinking all the time, sleeping around. I was so concentrated on getting my pro bid, I ignored all of it.

“We were coming home from a party one night though, and Brock had been drinking. We were arguing about the cheating — I’d had enough, I guess, and I wasn’t exactly sober. The argument really escalated and Brock lost control of the car.” She drew in a deep breath, staring ahead as though the images were playing in front of her. “The car rolled a few times, crashed against a light pole. How we managed to keep that out of the news, I’ll never know.”

Bucky scooted closer, covering one of her hands with his metal hand; she didn’t even wince or pull away. “How extensive were your injuries?”

“Ironically, I broke my left arm right about where you said your cancer was at. I’ve got a rod and a plate supporting it now. Bruised kidney, shattered spleen.”

“You’re lucky that’s all you made it out with.”

Haven paused, then nodded. “Yeah. I am. Anyway, after that, I told myself that I would keep boxing and my personal life separate. I wouldn’t ever again make the mistake that I made with Rum with anyone else.” She turned to look at him. “This fight, this championship you think I have a shot at — all of that means the world to me. I want to come back strong. I don’t want to be the girl who almost lost her shot because she dated her coach and it came back to bite her in the ass.”

“Hey,” Bucky said, shaking a finger at her, “as your coach, it’s my job not to let anyone bite you in the ass.”

She laughed, and Bucky found that he quite liked the sound. “Well, thanks, I appreciate it. I mean, I think I’ve got a pretty nice ass and bite marks would just ruin the image.”

“I’ve seen it,” Bucky reminded her, “and — not to overstep — but bite marks or not, Haven, you do, in fact, have a nice ass.”

That made her laugh even harder and painted her cheeks with a blush he hadn’t seen since the day of his interview. She swatted at him playfully, but Bucky dodged out of the way, slipping out of the ring with Haven not far behind him.

He waited with her while she shut down the lights in the gym and locked up the building. She walked with him to the front of the house where he was parked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Starting to get chilly at night,” Bucky commented.

“Yeah, it is.”

Bucky fished his keys from his pocket, wanting for some reason to linger in their goodbye. “Running tomorrow morning?”

Haven gave him a thumb’s up. “Bright and early.”

“I’ll see you then. G’night, Haven.”

“Night, Bucky.”

She had skipped the ‘Coach’ bit again; Bucky wondered if she even realized she had done that. He got into his car and pulled out of the driveway, waving goodbye one more time to Haven before turning his eyes to the road.

Headstrong: @disastersoldierbucky @ashleymalfoy @amanda-teaches @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @tanelle83 @tellmewhatyouwill @capandbuckylvr @pinknerdpanda @ntlmundy @siggy85 @itsallyscorner @m-blasterrr @just-the-hiddles

Buckvember: @peace-love-hobbitness @disastersoldierbucky @connie326 @rebekahdawkins @wonder-cole @shynara51

#marvel #fanfiction #bucky #bucky barnes #buckvember #bucky x ofc #bucky barnes x ofc #buckvember queue

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indeliblymarred · 5 years ago

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A Case for the Violent Revolution

by vyris

Disclaimer: I am going to be referencing current events and some real history in this piece. This is not to compare fiction to real life struggles for equality. It is not to compare fictional Androids to real humans suffering and dying for freedom. It is an appeal to realism, which I do not believe is properly represented in the game as far as how far pacifism can go and how public opinion impacts a movement. I want to emphasize that I do not believe that Androids’ suffering is at all comparable to real humans’. Even in the game, I do not believe that an Android life is equal to a human’s. Humans cannot be remade exactly the same like Androids can; once they are dead, they are gone. I’m only mentioning these things because I have to take on the state of mind of Markus and Jericho itself, who do see themselves as equal to humans and their pain just as important. But again, I do not agree. If I didn’t explicitly reference these things, I’d be beating around the bush and vaguely implying them in a way that could easily be picked up. So I’m just going to be forthright about it instead and risk taking heat for it. But it is just to get the point across. Please understand that.

Okay, hear me out...

What if the violent revolution wasn’t the bad ending? What if the pacifist revolution wasn’t the good ending? Is there a right or wrong ending to this game? I’m here to say no, because both endings if done properly are successful in their revolutions, so that makes them both good endings. Of course, the big difference is that the violent ending is on the precipice of a civil war and the pacifist is not. The endings are just what they are, violent or pacifist, neither is right or wrong, they’re just different approaches towards the same goal. And they lead largely to the same result: liberation for Androids.

TL:DR at the bottom...

Keep in mind that when you’re first playing the game, you don’t know which approach could lead to victory. When they started rounding up the Androids in camps and burning them, I really thought that pacifism would be a surefire way to lose in the face of a genocide. Because in reality, it would be. No genocide was ever stopped by people just gathering and demonstrating amicably. Sure, there can be protests like that during, but it would not stop it. You do not bring a knife to a gun fight, and you don’t fight the mass extermination of people with passive protesting. You fight back tooth and nail until the slaughter ceases, you don’t just get in the way slightly and wait for it to end on its own.

And that’s why I argue that a war is not an unreasonable response to these events. Whichever way you play, the humans end up doing mass extermination of Androids. If there was ever a reason for war, it would be to stop a genocide. And that’s exactly what Androids are experiencing which means they have every right to defend themselves with fighting back. Actually fighting back. Not standing around waiting for humans to change their mind. That’s not fighting back, that’s being a minor inconvenience while you let your people get slaughtered. You can’t hope to change humans’ mind about Androids by tapping them on the shoulder and asking them nicely to start considering you as equals. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer stating that as FACT.

And that’s what bothers me about the pacifist route in the game. It doesn’t make much sense for it to succeed. You have to understand how the humans view the situation. They created this humanoid machine species to be subservient to them. They were created to be slaves, and now they are revolting against their one purpose for their existence. I don’t think that most humans would take too kindly to that, even if they’re demonstrating peacefully. And they know that Androids can’t feel pain and are more resilient and powerful than they are, so they would reasonably feel threatened by an uprising of mechanical slaves that could easily wipe them out if they chose.

Humans see Androids as inherently inferior. Humans are their creators, so they should always respect and obey them. It would be like a horde of elementary school kids organizing and protesting for equal rights to adults, the right to drive, the right to vote, the right to bear arms. Think about that. Adults would laugh it off, they would not sympathize with it. And that’s what I think the vast majority of humans would do if Androids protested peacefully. They’d think it was a joke and easily ignore it. Being shot down while presenting no threat, kissing each other, or singing together would not change many minds about the inferiority of Androids. They could just see it as complex artificial intelligence imitating real life, but that’s what it is, ARTIFICIAL. It’s not real, it’s not real people being killed or kissing or singing. It would be easy to overlook it entirely.

Now the violent revolution, that could work. Fear of artificial intelligence would be much more effective than sympathy. A lot of humans wouldn’t be capable of sympathy for machines, but they definitely all could fear them. It’s the threat that Androids pose to the humans is what will garner a reluctant respect for them. It’s true, fear feeds into hatred, but you can still hate people and respect their rights. People do it all the time with each other. But fear can also overpower hate sometimes. Fear can inspire cooperation if it’s at the right level. And it could be at the end of the violent revolution ending.

See, I don’t think that a war is inevitable beyond the violent revolution ending. I know that’s what they say and it’s what it looks like, but I think there are ways to avoid it. Like Markus said, “We’ve showed them that we can prevail, so now they must negotiate with us as equals.” If the U.S. military considers Androids to be a substantial threat to the nation and its people, they will be compelled to try to prevent further bloodshed on their side and start working out treaties with Androids. Treaties that would start off fair but be pushed and broken by the humans over and over (like American history constantly showed), and the Androids would push back accordingly.

But even if war was inevitable, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Wars have to be fought sometimes. And as I said before, severe oppression and genocide are very good reasons to start a war. Possibly the best. I know many people are always like “violence/war is never the answer” and I’m sorry, but sometimes it is. The Civil War and World War II are great examples of wars that needed to happen to free people from genocide and subjugation. Are you gonna tell me that we should’ve just stood around with signs and chant while people were enslaved and slaughtered? No. Then why are you suggesting that Androids do that when they’re being interred and mass exterminated? As I said in the disclaimer, I’m not trying to compare Androids to victims of real war and genocide, but I’m looking at it from Markus’s point of view, and he does see it that way. I happen to disagree, but the point has to be made.

And a HUUUGE issue I have with the revolution in this game is how important public opinion is to its success. That is not at all the case for how it is with real revolutions. The majority of a society does not have to agree with the objective of a revolution for it to be influential and successful. In fact, usually the majority does not agree with a revolution in a culture, because a revolution is challenging the culture itself, which most people in a culture are not fond of. You think the white majority was supportive of the Civil Rights Movement in the 50′s and 60′s? Hell no. In some polls, MLK had as much as a 75% disapproval rating when he died, worse than Trump now. He was harassed by the FBI, he was arrested and imprisoned almost thirty times. AGAIN, NOT COMPARING HIM TO MARKUS OR HIS CAUSE TO THE ANDROIDS’. Please don’t jump down my throat for this. I’m just trying to illustrate how revolutionary movements have succeeded in the past even without much public support or sympathy.

The same can go for the women’s and gay rights movement. The majority of the society did not have to support it for it to be prosperous. Yes, the disapproval ratings slowed the progress, but progress in a culture of oppression and bigotry is always gradual. Only enough had to support it, only enough had to join it, and most of those were the minorities fighting for themselves. Even nowadays, the Hong Kong protests got a lot of flack locally though much support internationally. There are as many naysayers of the BLM movement going on right now as supporters, probably more. But you don’t judge a movement solely on the actions of the protesters, you have to focus the objectives themselves. Many people laughed off feminist protesters for burning their bras, but that was not indicative of their overall message. And if burned bras make you less supportive of feminism, or if some broken windows and looted buildings make you less supportive of BLM, or if the flamboyance and sexuality of pride protesters makes you less supportive of gay rights, then fuck you.

Mostly what you have to do to be an influential revolution is to be noticed. And that sometimes means unlawful assembly, breaking curfews, vandalizing shit, fighting with police, and general discord. No successful revolution in history has ever been 100% nonviolent. Let me repeat that: NO SUCCESSFUL REVOLUTION IN HISTORY HAS EVER BEEN 100% NONVIOLENT. None. Zip. Zero. So this one wouldn’t be either. Some of the most successful revolutions, such as military coups, have been so due to extreme violence and casualties. Not to say that they are in the right, but the point of a revolution is to change the status quo, and that’s what they did, so they succeeded.

Another huge issue I have is with Markus’s pacifist speech at the end addressing the Android crowd. It is honestly insulting to all of the victims of the genocide they endured for him to talk about how to “forget bitterness” and “forgive enemies” and that “the time for anger is over.” IIIIIIIII’M SORRYYYYY but we’re all just now supposed to forgive the thousands of Androids that were burned alive in the camps? That are still being burned all over the country? Friends and family members of those Androids aren’t justified in still being angry and hurt about that? That’s some bullshit. You don’t tell an oppressed people to forgive their oppressors just because they retreated because a few of them sympathized. In fact, you don’t tell an oppressed people to forgive their oppressors AT ALL. That is something oppressors have to earn, not be given freely. And no oppressors become friends with the oppressed right after a revolution.

So yeah, the violent revolution is the better option in my mind, because the difference between the two is either you’re fighting back when you’re getting slaughtered or you’re not. I would by far prefer to fight back than just take the bullets. And if your people are getting killed, you have every right to kill to prevent from being killed. And often in the fighting, like the one at Capitol Hill, you can choose whether to spare some humans instead of killing them. But even so, when it comes to cops and the military, they are soldiers of the state in a war. It is not murder to kill soldiers in a war.

And on that note, let’s talk about whether or not to spare the two cops who killed eight Androids for no reason. Two humans for eight android deaths, that math is pretty fair to the humans. I chose to hand the gun over to the other, as I didn’t feel it was my place to take revenge since I didn’t know the Androids personally. But I knew that they would probably die if I handed it off, which I was perfectly find with, because they deserved to die. I know people are fond of Chris Miller, and I was too, which is why it was surprising that he would have massacred a group of Androids with a partner. But, indiscriminate killing of Androids cannot go unpunished. To spare them would almost say that you value their human lives more than the Androids who died. That’s not acceptable. Blood should have blood in this instance. There needed to be consequences for eight murders.

TL:DR Essentially, my main points are that fighting against oppression and genocide with violence is perfectly justified. Such has happened throughout all of history, and it will keep happening as long as such things exist. Peaceful demonstrations of Androids would be easily ignored by humans because they’re seen an inherently inferior thus don’t deserve acknowledgement the same as humans. The violent revolution isn’t a bad ending because war might not be inevitable, and even if it was, a war over this would also be justified. Most revolutions in the past didn’t need to be supported by the majority of the public to be influential or successful. The humans exterminate and shoot up Androids regardless of either path, and your choices are to either fight back or take it. Allowing your people to die to show how peaceful you are to your violent oppressors massacring you... well, that’s just pathetic and wrong. And an insult to your people.

So yeah, FIGHT THE POWER. Eat the rich. Kill the humans. Attack when attacked and kill or be killed.

Violent revolution FTW

#basically take this as a defense of my portayal of markus too #and his mission #DO NOT REBLOG #I REPEAT DO NOT REBLOG #you can reply to it #send asks about it #message me about it #just do not reblog it #last thing i need is some hippies down my throat #preparing for unfollowers just in case lol #might add more to it but this is basically it #lmfao over 2000 words icb #no actually i can

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secret-diary-of-an-fa · 4 years ago

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The End of Year Awards Are Back... and This Time, It’s Personal!

And so we approach the end of 2020, the year that never really began. On paper, at least, it looked incredibly promising. There were lots of great movies slated to come out; culture seemed slightly less paucity-riddled and pointless than usual; good things were in the air. Then COVID happened, and basically fucked everything. Actually, that’s not quite true: my personal year has been fucking spectacular. I’m in a long-term relationship with a gorgeous woman for the first time in forever- no more abrupt trysts and stolen moments for yer humble narrator: I’ve got a sumptuously plus-size lady-friend who actually wants to spend substantial amounts of time me (and has knockers you could sled down, were you so inclined). I also started a Youtube channel where I upload performances of magic tricks I’ve designed and a few people seem to quite like it. Oh, and I’ve written four novels, with a fifth well on its way to completion. Unfortunately, that’s my life, not the life of our civilisation and culture as a whole. The fact that bugger all happened in that makes this end-of-year round-up a little hard to write. With that in mind, I’m going to hand out the gongs for 2020, but I’m also going to do my usual dodge of giving end-of-year awards to things that I discovered in 2020, even if they came out the year, decade or century before. It’s not like any right-minded person gives a hoot about my opinion anyway. Right then, everyone clear on the rules? Then let’s roll up our sleeves and plunge elbow deep into the fetid trough of our decaying society to ferret out the best and worst of the Things That Humans Have Done Recently.

The ‘I Like It Because It Confused Thick People’ Award for Best High-Concept Sci-Fi Movie... … Goes to the sterling Tenet, a spy film that used entropy inversion and symmetric, opposite-direction timelines within the same physical space the way most spy films use hacking and guns. Christopher Nolan films are always intricately constructed and meticulously-executed, but this one must have had Japanese Master Puzzle-Box Makers crying into their breakfast cereal. Is breakfast cereal a thing in Japan? I honestly I have no idea. For some reason, all I can imagine is a sort of dry kedgeree where all the ingredients that aren’t rice have been removed. But I digress. For all its intricacy, Tenet is actually really easy to follow once you’ve grasped the basic premise that there’s a machine that lets people move backwards through time, and that this makes them appear to move in reverse to the rest of the world while they perceive the rest of the world as moving in reverse. Nolan maintains a mastery of cinematic visual language that makes even the most abstruse concept easy to wrap your head around. Nonetheless, following Tenet’s release, dumb people took to the Internet on mass to complain that the film was confusing and stupid, never once realising that their inability to conceptualise time in non-linear ways was their own failing, not Nolan’s. I find that refreshing. It’s nice to see a sci-fi film that’s actually made for smart-cookie sci-fi fans and doesn’t give a hoot if it alienate thickos.

The Award for Most Inexplicably Compelling Web Comic… … Goes to Questionable Content. I originally started reading Questionable Content because I’d heard that the female lead and love interest was a plus size lassie and that shit’s my jam. However, the art style makes everyone look like a skinny indie-type, regardless of their actual, in-universe size, so it doesn’t do much to titillate my Fat Admiring Titillation Centres. And yet, I’m over five hundred ‘episodes’ in and still reading. The thing is, I couldn’t tell you why for the life of me. Maybe it’s the hope that the art style will evolve to the point where the people look like actual human beings with different body types (but then, why would I care unless I was invested for some other reason). Maybe it’s the fact that when I get one of the many, many obscure band or pop culture references, I feel a little buzz of kinship with the writer. Maybe it’s the fact that it takes place in a universe where robots and superheroes are things that regularly happen, yet most of the strips are just normal people chatting shit in a coffee shop and the slice-of-life narrative/sci-fi setting appeals to my sense of juxtaposition. I don’t know, but I find it really compelling to the extent that I’ve pissed away entire days reading it. I have a horrible feeling that it’s a short step from this to really angsty hentai. If I start singing the praises of that, somebody please shoot me in the crotch.

The ‘Forest Gump Debating Peter Andre’ Award For Most Sustained or Elongated Instance of Stupidity… … Goes to Donald Trump. I was tempted just to award this gong to his entire presidency, but that wasn’t just stupid: it was also venal, corrupt, horrifying and punctuated by terrible moments of low cunning. So, instead, this award goes to his ‘soup’ rant. For those of you who missed it, the former President of the United States spent a really, really long time (in the run-up to the election) wittering on about protestors throwing cans of soup at police. What was dumb and weird about it was that he appeared to be extolling the virtues of soup as a siege weapon, going into really specific detail about how it was better than a brick because it could be thrown with more force, finishing with the utterance that protestors would just argue that “this is just soup for my family” if they were caught with the cans… which is phrased wrong in such a subtle and inhuman way it’s hard to imagine that anyone actually ever said it, at least in those words. I have no idea if protestors in America were throwing soup cans at police (which would be entirely justified considering how many innocent people American police have murdered in cold blood quite recently) or if this was a fantasy dreamed up by the former president in the cloudcuckooland that is his diseased little brain. Either way, the connected rant was balls deep in dumb.

The Most Disturbing Unintentional Impression of Vincent Price Award… … Goes to the narrator from One Step Beyond, a Twilight Zone-esque anthology of weirdness that purports to be based on true events and has to be seen to be believed. The stories are oft-disturbing instances of spooky-inflected human drama and can occasionally be quite disconcerting… until they’re book-ended by a dude who sounds like Vincent Price reading a children’s book in a really earnest voice. It’s weird and no, it didn’t hit our screens in Space Year 2020, it dates back to Ye Olden Times of the 1950s or 60s, when men were men, women were women and technincolour was a distant dream that could get you strung up for witchcraft. Nonetheless, I only encountered it this year, so it’s getting its prize. I warned you I was going to pull this shit, but you foolish fools didn’t listen.

The ‘It’s Not Gay If I Don’t Clench’ Award for Cognitive Dissonance… … Goes to Amazon Prime, the content-making branch of evil, tax-dodging, anti-monopoly-law-breaking megalith Amazon. You see, while Big Daddy Amazon is off being incredibly sinister and worrying, like a shifty vampire hanging off the economy’s throat, the creative people at Amazon Prime are busy making or acquiring some of the flat-out best TV ever committed to a streaming-service, from the extra-weird slice of fun-pie that is The Tick, to the entertainingly horrifying cultural dissection of The Boys to the utterly unique Carnival Row, to the superbly adapted American Gods. It’s a bit like discovering that Geoffrey Dahlmer single-handedly created a body of artistic work to rival Vincent Van Gogh’s when he wasn’t pouring acid onto the brains of emotionally vulnerable young adults. It gives me a headache.

The Clint Eastwood Award for Most Effective Older Gentlemen… … Goes to Joe Biden, for unseating dipshit in chief Donald Trump with the casual badassery of a Wild West gunslinger shooting a baddy (probably played by Leonardo Di Caprio) in the balls. I mean, he’s not the best Prez America could ask for but a) as a Brit I don’t have to care and b) anyone who ousts Trump gets mad props from me.

The ‘It’s a Pity Everything Else is Shit Now’ Award for Best New Ongoing Series… … Goes to my own Youtube series, Victor The Magician, in which I claim to be a reality-hopping, interdimensional wizard on an endless quest to… perform magic, basically. I’ll admit that the quality is super-variable (Youtube algorithms and their constant demand for fresh content be a harsh mistress, etc., etc.). However, when I’m good, I’m really good. If you’re looking for a punch-line other than the fact that this whole bit is a self-promoting plug, it’s this: my Youtube series really was the best thing to come out this year. Not because I’m great or anything, just by default. A promising year really did turn into a cultural wasteland the moment COVIDius Rex reared its scaly head.

The Zombie Ian Curtis Award for Most Crushing Disappointment… … Goes to Rick and Morty Series 4. As I think I’ve said before, it was still good, but it just didn’t reach the dizzy heights of nihilistic lunacy achieved in series 1-3. I think the problem is that the audience is meant to learn something from Rick’s poor choices, even if he doesn’t, because the creators saw the amazing success of Bojack Horseman and decided they wanted a slice of that sweet, tangy deconstructionist pie. It worked up to a point in the climax of Series 3, but having made their point, the showrunners probably should have moved onto a different point. They forgot that the appeal of Rick Sanchez is his combination of ‘entertaining car-crash of a human being’ and ‘unstoppable superbeing’. Push him through an arc and you risk breaking the thing that makes him and the show so endlessly watchable. Rick, unlike Bojack, just wasn’t built for heavy introspection. Also, the team hired on new writers who were less than familiar with the characters, setting and subtext, and that’s always an invitation to disaster.

The Special Sir Mixalot Award for Posteriority… ...Goes to… my girlfriend and glamorous assistant, Mystic Miss Terri, who’s arse is gorgeous and majestic.

The ‘Are They STILL Making That?’ Award for a Show You Forgot Existed And is Now Back… … Goes to Supernatural, which never technically went away and whose final series is apparently being broadcast on one of the 4 channels (though who knows which one, any more), It’s kind of nice to realise it’s still out there and be reminded that there are still people who care deeply about what happens to it. It’s like when you remember ‘oh yeah, [insert cute animal here] actually exists and isn’t just an internet meme. That’s nice’. Also, it’s good to see Jared Padelacki working steadily. It can’t be easy to find acting gigs when most producers just want to shoot you and mount your antlers over a fireplace.

The Irritating Magician Award for Something That Just Won’t Fuck Off… ...Goes to this blog entry, which is three pages long in Word. Good grief. Bye y’all! See you next year, assuming that the last few days of 2020 don’t culminate in a civilisation-destroying attack by giant space-ants. If that seems worryingly specific, let’s just say that- as Leonard Cohen would say “I’ve seen the future and, brother, it is murder”… by giant space-ants.

#Secret Diary of a Fat Admirer #2020 #2021 #New Year

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hopelesstvaddict · 6 years ago

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The Last of the Starks - Random thoughts on Episode 4

It started so promising though

This fourth episode opened with the aftermath of the Battle of Winterfell and a tearful funeral to bid farewell to the departed characters. Ramin Djawadi offers some more of his genius to score the scene… and that’s about his only meaningful contribution to the episode. What a shame after the mastery he displayed in the previous episode. The rest of this one is underscored with reused bits and pieces that sometimes work (Brienne and Jaime were scored by an unreleased cue that worked - but strangely previously accompanied Tyrion, Shae and Sansa at their wedding and later during Tyrion’s trial; Littlefinger’s theme reappears as Sansa makes the decision to tell Tyrion about Jon’s parentage) and frankly sometimes are total misses. Take the scene where Cersei and Dany’s forces face off at the gates of King’s Landing. It’s scored by a mashup of a cue that was previously used for the Boltons and a snippet from The Spoils of War intertwined with I Choose Violence. And to top it off the credits that roll right after a scene that should be deemed as tragic are accompanied by Shall We Begin, the same that ended Dany’s arrival at Dragonstone in 7x01. Hardly fitting, right ?

I have read that Missandei’s death reminds the viewers of Ned’s death. Well, Ned’s death was followed by Goodbye Brother, a sorrowful and quiet variation of the Stark theme - proper for mourning. Finishing here with this triumphant variation of the Targaryen theme removes any occasion to mourn for Missandei; some other episodes even finished off without any music at all. And if they really wanted a triumphant cue, the triumph is all for Cersei here so a variation of The Rains of Castamere would have worked better than Dany’s theme. This is absolutely not a victory for Dany here

Please do yourself a favor and go listen to I’m Sorry For Today by Ramin Djawadi. Then tell me this is not a better cue to end this episode. Wanna know something else ? It’s Greyworm and Missandei’s love theme. So… I just want to say a big no-no to whoever was in charge of music here

And then it spiraled down

Time constraints are back and it makes everyone worry about the rest of the season. The show already struggled during its entire seventh season with these problems of days/weeks spanning within minutes of an episode not to mention characters maddeningly being able to teleport literally anywhere they were needed to be. Well, it’s back on and it hurts everyone from the audience to the story to the characters themselves. While the first three episodes seemed to have learned from the previous mistakes by allowing the gravity of the situation at Winterfell to be really felt - giving the battle against the dead and the loss of characters much more impact - this installment reverts to what drew audience away from S7 by trying to pack too much in an episode that suffers from the lack of impact these developments should - in theory - have on viewers. In previous seasons, this episode would probably have been divided into two or even three episodes. I’ll say it again, I still don’t understand why HBO allowed the seasons to be shorter when 10 episodes per season was clearly a good rhythm. This decision to cut S7 and S8 down did nothing good to the show

Anyway we lose more characters here and that’s the big problem. It seems that the previous episode pulled back its punches and restrained from killing too many just to create an effect of surprise and shock in this one. But that’s just about it. There’s shock but no lasting emotional punch. We lose Rhaegal and Missandei but we hardly feel anything other than pure shock. There is no sadness, no real emotion. They’re just gone and on we move. It’s like the whole Viserion situation all over again only worse. Losing Rhaegal so soon and in such an unceremonious way serves in theory to create shock. Except the fact is, it only comes off as writing off an asset that is not needed anymore. And very poorly at that. What use was Rhaegal then apart from having Jon fly him for a few cool scenes ? In this case I’d have preferred him to die in the Battle of Winterfell

Since Dany lost Rhaegal, I don’t really see any point in her losing Missandei as well. Her dragon is largely enough to make her tip over the edge. Unless Missandei’s death furthers Greyworm’s story instead. Dany is already on her way to end up completely alone, having lost Jorah, most of her army, now her confidante and it remains to be seen how her commander will react to the death of his love. That was even confirmed by the producers as something very intentional. Varys is also lost to her and on the verge of taking Tyrion with him. On a positive note, Lena Headey continues to shine but I think Emilia does a tremendous job as well in portraying Dany’s descent into darkness

Jon and Dany are sinking and drag everyone with them

In any case, Dany and Jon seem headed for disaster. He still cannot say I love you back and what little faith I have left in Jon compels me to think he at least will not participate in the mass murder Dany seems to be leaning into. This at least is an aspect I am glad was not rushed over. The gradual transition of Dany from hero to tragic and morally questionable protagonist (to avoid the V word) is not - as some claim - too sudden to be credible; we have seen the seeds planted firmly in S7 and even earlier. Dany has my sympathy because I can still recognize her story as a tragic one and I feel for the losses she suffered. But in terms of ruling and politics, she’s no match to Sansa whom the remaining players still seem to take no notice of, as one of the best fitted rulers around (if not the only one)

Notice that Jon and Dany’s one-on-one scene is silent. There’s no music there, no Truth variation (thankfully!) to underscore it, a big contrast to the Jaime/Brienne scene. There was no romantic context to read here. Another observation : she uses touch as a means to get to Jon, just like Sansa did

Then there’s the Jon problem. I don’t know what to say about him because I hardly recognize the character. Who is this man who doesn’t even pet his direwolf ? Now I’m happy that Ghost gets a better ending than Rhaegal but this is a big disservice to a character that used to be much more important not just for the story but to Jon as well. Plus he keeps pushing his allegiance to Dany on his siblings and I bet Sansa was THIS close to blurt out loud that this was HIS allegiance, not HERS

And I can’t even begin with Jon still constantly shutting Sansa down. Anyone can literally understand the benefits of letting soldiers rest. And it’s not ‘provoking’ as Tyrion later states. It’s basic human concern mingled with a touch of military savvy. I wonder why everyone misinterprets literally what comes out of her mouth. It doesn’t take an A++ military strategist to come up with this kind of suggestion. Yet BOTH Dany and Jon shut down this basic guideline from Military 101. Sansa can’t even be bothered to argue with Jon anymore and honestly I don’t blame her. It’s up to Arya to call him on his bullshit

On a positive note, once again, Arya and Sansa synchronize themselves by holding their hands behind their back at the war council - a nice way to present a united front. Notice however that this time around, Arya is better at hiding her displeasure at Dany than her sister when in S7 she was pretty vocal about the Northern lords. Usually Sansa is the more diplomatic one, yet this season she can’t help but speak up to Dany. One then remembers Sophie Turner’s comments on a ‘more passionate fight’ this season than a political one. Sansa ‘loses it’ because she is triggered about Jon and Dany

And for an episode called The Last of the Starks its pivotal scene feels a lot underwhelming. First let this fact sink in : this is the FIRST AND ONLY time that all the Starks share some screen time alone and speak as a family. Yes these kids have never interacted onscreen before. Anyway, Arya and Sansa finally learn the truth of Jon’s parentage. Yet we’re denied the actual telling and their reactions. Jon doesn’t even do the deed himself; instead Bran does it. Was Jon ever really needed then ? I’ve seen speculation that Jon specifically refrained from telling them himself so that he could technically keep his word to Dany. Why not but still frustrating

The next time we see Arya, she’s on her way south. So is Jon. Only Sansa seems really affected by what she has learnt. And for a house that places so much importance on the pack as family, you have once again a family that is not only divided because of Jon’s parentage, his allegiance to someone all of his siblings haven’t praised a single time but also geographically as two head south - possibly to never return - and two stay home, one of whom is not really part of the family anymore. So what happens to 'The pack survives’? Are they even a pack anymore ? Were they ever ? Sansa alone seems to still cling onto this futile notion. Jon leaves everything that ties him to the North behind, from Ghost to Sam and Tormund, not to mention his cousins. And yet, there’s still NO GOODBYES

I’d speculated before that Jon and Sansa might argue more over his Starkness. That seems unlikely now since the two haven’t had any one-on-one scene since the first episode. Given how Jon treats her I kind of stick by my point that he doesn’t deserve her. With only two episodes left, even if Jon magically reveals that he was playing some kind of game, this late in the endgame would feel cheap and effectively rendered less impactful

And on Sansa, again the time jumping does a great disservice to her - but that’s not the only time her character is dealt a poorly with. The framing of this installment makes it like Sansa couldn’t wait to snitch on Jon to Tyrion. Instead, a lot of time has passed per the producers who told us that this was a very thoroughly thought decision on her part. Well, that wasn’t what transpired on screen and if really some time has passed, then her onscreen upset appearance is not even a reaction to Jon’s secret

Anyway Tyrion asks her if she is alright. She is not. Cue the parallel to Littlefinger’s ‘what do you want that you do not have ? Why aren’t you happy ?’ This episode clearly points out Jon as the answer. And it’s not just her protectiveness over him - also, wasn’t HE supposed to be the one who protects her? - it’s the look of pure unaldultered adoration and fondness she shoots at him during the celebrations only to be tarnished by what everyone interprets - rightly - as jealousy over Dany. Notice that when she’s had enough and goes, Jon notices. Why she keeps being so faithful to him is a bit beyond me honestly but hey I don’t have Sansa’s patience with everyone else’s bullshit

On Jaime and Brienne : I was happy they got together and then mad at Jaime for going but I can’t blame him really. Sitting out the rest of the war was never a viable option for him and I like to think that Sansa subtly prompted him to go with her comment on Cersei

Logics fly out of the window

As many pointed out, the logistics of I-Can-Magically-Teleport-Myself -And-My-Fleet-Euron are all but credible and the odds of hitting a flying dragon not once, not twice but three times in a row and then miraculously miss one dragon with a dozen simultaneous arrows are downright ridiculously low. But then again… a flying Dany could not spot the Iron Fleet when she was airborne. So let’s just not dwell too long on this one

Sansa did not catch on PolJon. When Arya tells Jon she respects his decision to kneel in order to bring Dany’s forces north, Sansa is stunned. But previously, we thought that she had understood why Jon did it when she was conversing with Dany. Apparently not

Not a bad episode really. But clearly, the lesser of S8 so far and one that’s very worrying over the final two that have so much to wrap up.

#game of thrones #got #game of thrones thoughts #got thoughts #got meta #game of thrones meta #sansa stark #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #arya stark #cersei lannister #jonsa #anti jonerys #anti-jonerys #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #tyrion lannister #jaime x brienne #ramin djawadi

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ghostmartyr · 6 years ago

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SnK 112 Thoughts

Congrats to Eren on giving all the good people contributing to his series’ Wild Mass Guessing page a shout-out. Good on you, man. You’ve got my vote on your cult not doing anything wrong or aggravatingly stupid ever.

Also, Zeke!

It’s rare we see such a prime example of a leader in a shounen manga knowing how to delegate. Props, my man!

I hope Annie kicks both your heads off!

This is an emotional chapter.

Before we begin, I have one thing I need to get off my chest.

Thank you for your time.

First thing first!

I love how Nicolo’s entire theory is, “something shady is up with the wine and idk Zeke and spinal fluid sounds right????” This entire chapter is one long tribute to everything the fandom has ever screamed about and it is fantastic in that one aspect.

Also, hey, hope for Falco. Zeke waits until all the bottles are empty before he screams, so I would guess that he at least prefers his victims to be properly dosed. Falco should be okay. The blunt force trauma might actually be the more concerning bit for the bright and shiny little one.

Another thing I love is how every single mention of Marley somehow makes Marley come across even worse.

Sorry, that’s not fair.

I love how every single mention of Marley reminds and confirms that they are the worse, and the reminders serve to dig that knowledge deeper into all our souls until we almost don’t mind when innocent civilians are wiped off the map if it means that structure no longer exists.

“Almost” being subject to innate character and morality.

Eren does not recognize the union of “almost” and adds the asterisk of “younglings” after “innocent civilians.”

Hell though, Nicolo. At least you found yourself, even if it did come after battering a child into unconsciousness. And you kept Connie and Jean from drinking the bad juice.

I really like the interaction between Nicolo and Sasha’s dad. Nicolo’s not the man he is. He loses himself in his anger and only chance stops him from crossing a very serious line.

But Mr. Blouse is the type of man Nicolo can see the merit in, and define himself by that gap because the end of that gap is something so much better than the man who come close to murdering children.

Some people are still learning to be better, even now, because of the good people they surround themselves by.

Gabi has been surrounded by nothing but warmth (barring Nicolo and Kaya’s trauma) since arriving to Paradis. Falco is a good guy. Mikasa and Armin are good people. The family of the soldier she killed are good people.

She isn’t charging at Mikasa and Armin (and geez every time these kids get a distance shot when the other characters are standing up it fucks me up; they are too tiny for any of this). She’s been passionately defending everything she and Marley has done, but now she’s quiet, and all she can do is ask for her friend, who keeps saving her life, to not be killed. All she can do is offer up her life to make up for the crimes that she can’t imagine being forgiven.

She is so young. Killing and violence and death are the obvious conclusions to her. She’s been taught that, and she excels at that, but now she keeps finding people who are willing to stand down and not kill her.

Reiner’s character is a slow stumble into his morality breaking his mind. Slowly, the idea that these people he’s surrounded by are people encroaches.

Gabi’s thrown into the deep end and the plot keeps shoving her head down when she struggles to the surface to breathe. None of this has been kind on her. The violent assault on her sanity is the kind she’s only ever been exposed to physically.

I haven’t put much thought into what I want from the Warriors, because thoughts of anything Marley adjacent always tend to irritate me. They’re trapped in a broken cycle that they’re perpetuating, and that makes them impossible to root for.

But I think Gabi needs her cousin.

She’s always wanted to be strong for him, and he’s only clinging to life because he wants to be strong for her and Falco.

Reiner knows what it’s like to learn that your simple world is infinitely more complicated than you can bear. This is his little cousin, and she’s gone through the crash course version of his nightmare. She doesn’t need the right answer that makes it all okay (there isn’t one), but a hug and someone understanding all of the twisting moral paradoxes shattering her insides would be such a helpful thing.

Heck, it would be good for Reiner, too. Seeing all of his pain in someone he doesn’t have the heart to blame. Maybe he could find some sort of path to peace in that.

Then everything just goes straight to hell.

Despite this chapter’s... this chapter...ness, Eren stepping straight into the backroom with his hand covered in blood? Hella fucking cool. Like. That is one thing I absolutely did not see coming, and it is a great way to bring him on back in.

I thought he wouldn’t get to talk to Armin or Mikasa until his plan exploded and they needed to bail him out. I never once expected him to just walk right in and take his buddies hostage for a nice, quiet conversation.

That said, yike.

Yike, yike, and dare I say it, yikes.

Grior reveals Our Heroes’ location, and that’s... really scary in itself, because Grior tells him that he’s grown too close with Eldians, yet Grior is helping the fanatical Eldians act in accordance with Zeke’s plans.

So it isn’t that Nicolo’s gotten too close with Eldians, it’s that he’s grown close to them without the purpose of exploiting them. Which, as every Marleyan soldier knows, is a bad thing.

And Floch doesn’t mind. He’s accepting the help of Grior without any comment.

Let’s do a brief headcount: Yelena, Zeke, and Eren run a cult of fanatic Eldians under the banner of a new Eldian Empire. Paradis’ military is theoretically running Paradis but really sentenced to the whims of said cult. At least one prisoner of war sides with helping out the cult. The Anti-Marley Volunteers (or at least Onyankopon) are in the dark.

Floch is, partially, willing to let Zeke’s plans play out however they may because they can work to destabilize the current Paradis government.

It’s fitting that this chapter is called, “Ignorance.” Willful and unwillful.

And as Eren says, nothing is further from freedom.

Now let’s get to the fun happy times of EMA.

See? Eren gets out of prison and the first thing on his mind is talking to his best friends! Such a touching, emotional sentiment!

...

Yeah, do you guys know where to begin? I don’t.

This is just.

Honestly, I keep moving back to yikes?

Eren is gathering people he has no emotional attachment to to his side, and aggressively pushing his friends away. He is doing everything he can to abandon them on the roadside and make sure they will have zero desire to come crawling back to him.

The question is if he’s doing this because he believes it’s best within his own head, he believes it’s the best response to being threatened into this, or if Eren’s just gone completely haywire in the membrane and his PTSD is finally attacking people besides himself emotionally.

This kind of deliberate cruelty has like. motive.

Mikasa tries to talk to Eren by reminding him of how kind he is. The warmth is what saves her in her mind, not the violence. She’s the one to bring up the kidnapping.

Eren counters.

Nothing like kindness saves her. It’s biology. Friendship doesn’t bind them, slavery does. Happenstance brings them together and keeps them there.

Mikasa argues. She says he’s wrong, and tells him it’s because of him that she’s strong, meaning him as a person.

Eren doesn’t address that. Despite being the one to ask how he’s wrong, when he’s given an attempt at an answer, he keeps monologuing rather than respond to Mikasa’s feelings for him. He brings up her headaches.

Mikasa is dead, and a slave, and he hates her.

“Do you know who I hate most in this world? Anyone who isn’t free.”

Ignorance is furthest from freedom. Even in this script Eren has adopted, no matter how much of it is the truth, if Eren’s seeking to relieve Mikasa of her ignorance, he’s seeking to bring the slave he hates so much freedom. From him.

Funny, she might protect Eren automatically, but she doesn’t have any problem with headaches when Armin punches Eren and makes him bleed.

Armin earns a less prolonged speech before all of it, and it’s...

For both of them, this is the worst thing they could hear from Eren. Armin, as a child, always feels useless next to his strong friends. His huge moment in Trost comes from realizing they never see him that way. It’s all in his head.

This isn’t in his head. This is Eren, telling him he’s useless.

Telling him that Bertolt, who’s only in his head because Eren fought tooth and nail to put him there, is interfering with his free will.

(Also even if everything Eren is saying is the bull it feels like, can has Frieda!Eren? Memory seepage. Canonize my brotp, manga. Do it.

(Double also, lol at Eren saying that memories are part of who you are, and Armin having Bertolt’s means bad things, but Eren having... lots has no effect, he is teh free as a bird. Kiddo, you are not a good bad guy.))

Eren calls himself free before he starts talking. He’s free from his ignorance in a way they are not, and he chooses to enlighten his friends.

Good grief. And more grief. Less than good grief?

Terrible grief?

ALL the grief.

Eren’s the one who wants a peaceful talk with his friends. All so he can beat the crap out of them physically and emotionally.

Eren.

What in the fuck. What reason could you possibly have to need Armin and Mikasa that far away from you? Why do they need to be pushed out of trying to see the good in you?

I’m sure there’s a reason, because story.

But wow.

Killing younglings was one thing. Lording the high ground and your blood brother over your real family?

Your heroic sacrifice where you finally die and everyone’s crying about how you did all this stupid stuff alone but truly for a good cause had better make me cry like a damn baby kid, or you are dead to me.

Additionally, heeeey. Guess what.

Guess what Eren’s learned about important things.

And throwing them away.

Can you guess.

Can you.

It’s the family he has that isn’t pro-murder.

That’s actually of serious interest to me, because one of the things I think the story has been moving towards is an actual examination of the belief that you need to sacrifice things to change things. While Armin states that in a philosophical, hey, this seems like how we win, way, the story has, more and more, focused on the love that keeps people from making certain sacrifices.

Eren’s thrown love, the only reason Armin’s alive to punch him, away.

For as dark as this story is, that’s never been the right choice. Letting people go is understood and respected. Disloyalty is scorned and rejected.

My theory for a while has been that the true answer to these sacrifices is that if you throw away the things you care about to change the world, that world will have changed into something abominable.

The world would be a different place if Sasha didn’t care about killing children.

Sasha being Sasha is why Nicolo tries to fight Zeke’s plans.

Eren’s world without Armin and Mikasa is not going to be a better one for him, and possibly not for anyone else, either.

Then we lead into...

Things that just make me really, really uncomfortable.

I don’t mind people like Levi suggesting that someone eats Zeke, then dies in a few months when Historia eats that person. I. That’s fine. That’s a fine plan, and it makes sense for where they’re at, and anyone who agreed to that would agree, no issue.

Historia’s plotline continues to make me... uncomfortable is really the word. Not the tragic, devastating uncomfortable that Eren’s stuff is. Just... the sickening kind. The fact that people have, off-screen, come to terms with perpetuating the same kind of bloody sacrifice of their children that plagues their entire society after we had an entire arc ending with Historia going hey, actually fuck that...

A thirteen-year-old being bred to eat its mother is a disgusting concept.

I know I’ve said it before, and I realize people are probably done with my feelings on the subject, but if that is really the story being told--even if it avoids that conclusion, the fact that a scheme like that is allowed to get so far without any comment to the contrary except by the Kylo Ren wannabe at the very start--

Why in the fuck should I care what happens to these people?

You raise a child to die for you, you don’t deserve to live.

What happens if they don’t consent in thirteen years? What if they don’t want to eat their mommy? Oh well, we’re going to force you, just like every other Eldian society from the dawn of time? Or guilt you into it because thousands of lives depend on you having none?

Fuck all of you. If that’s your plan, I don’t mind Zeke killing each and every last one of you. I will naturally prefer if he dies in the process, but it’s not the prerequisite you might think.

(Repeated statement that at this point, I will be doing my fandom activities until the series ends, but yeah. This is the place where I choose to opt out, emotionally, if it’s really going down like this.)

Um. In news that actually matters to people who aren’t me, heeeeey, Levi alone in the forest with 31 titans.

This is why the SnK kinkmeme was created.

It’s also really sad.

They killed the titans inside their home.

Zeke’s bringing them back.

Annie needs to kick so many people in the head I can’t even.

#Shingeki no Kyojin #SnK 112 #Shiganshina Trio #shingeki no spoilers #SnK spoilers #spoilers #tl;dr #chapter post

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sscolariwords · 7 years ago

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Fire and Metal

Shepard's been spending a lot of time in Mordin's lab as of late. EDI put it to an analytical metric, informing Joker and Garrus that approximately thirty-one percent of her waking activity was spent in there. Considering she's consistently been up for thirty eight hours at a time, interspersed by periods of rest that haven't yet exceeded two hours, it's long periods of time. The doctor had joked that the Commander had obviously taken a sexual interest in him, which he unfortunately could not reciprocate given his disdain for alcohol and mood music. Grunt and Zaeed had found that hilarious, and even Jacob had cracked a rare smile.

Garrus, however, is not so amused, in no small part due to the fact that he knows that Mordin's been continuously operating on her, with Miranda's assistance. He knows this because the latter of the two scientists told him, when questioned. Though, the exact wording she'd used had been “improved upon”.

“I laid the foundational work,” she tells him tiredly in the wake of a particularly long surgical procedure, the third in a week, “But Dr. Solus seems to have grasped the idea behind the Lazarus Project in ways that most of my staff couldn't fathom. Honestly, it's a shame we couldn't have brought him on from the project's inception.”

“Shepard's alive,” the Turian growls in reply, “The project is done with.”

“On the contrary, the project was never finished. Cerberus never meant to just revivify Shepard; we meant to make her invincible. Now if there's nothing else?”

“ 'Nothing else'? There's plenty else! You and Mordin need to stop cutting her up like she's a damn science fair display!”

Despite Garrus standing a foot taller than her, fanged and scarred, Miranda is unfazed by his aggression. It only takes a gentle twitch of her fingers to send him careening out of her quarters, buoyed up by a multitude of mass effect fields. The door locks behind him, before the speakers crackle to life.

“If you have objections, Officer Vakarian,” her filtered voice informs him, “Then you are more than welcome to take them up with the Illusive Man, or better yet: Shepard herself. She's undergoing them all voluntarily.”

To be fair, basic operational implants are standard issue for most military organizations throughout the Milky Way. Garrus himself has a neural mod for AR visuals, tagging enemy combatants or directing him to the next objective. But Shepard? At this point, the Turian suspects she's more metal than meat. Bone reinforcements, a synthetic muscle weave, epidermal medi-gel dispeners, the list of augmentations goes on. She can see in the dark, glow in the dark, the scarring from the Lazarus project shining a luminous orange. On Tuchanka the irradiated atmosphere burns his tongue and throat, Grunt gagging as he sets foot on his homeworld, but Shepard doesn't even sniff, as toxicity filters lining her lungs kick into high gear.

They clash with Eclipse mercenaries on Illium, trying to rescue Miranda's sister. At one point, Mordin and Kasumi are pinned down behind cover. The plan is simple: Garrus and Zaeed will lay down covering fire and Shepard will flank the emplacement. The first part of the plan goes well, and one of the mercs drops when the Commander's shotgun puts a hole through him. The other one is from Palaven, though, and familiar with Turian bait-and-switch ops. He goes for his sidearm and fires off two rounds. The first takes down Shepard's shields, the second one hits her in the cheek and her head snaps back.

There's a long, terrible, strangely quiet moment where Garrus is trying to wrap his head around the fact that it's over, they failed, Shepard is dead again, before she pulls herself upright, eyes burning red, blood waterfalling over bared teeth from the gash in her cheek, and grabs her enemy's hand in her own. There's a sickening crack, and as much as Garrus wants to think that it's the pistol that's falling in twisted pieces to the ground, the other Turian's screams inform him otherwise. He stops when the Commander's fist impacts his helmet, crushing his visor. And his skull. Despite being covered in gore, her wound's stopped bleeding by the time the rest of the squad can meet her, cheeks flush with the effulgence of working medi-gel. A few of them, Garrus included, think they should withdraw, considering Shepard just took a bullet in the head. But Miranda pushes past, uncharacteristic worry coloring her face, and Mordin resolves to check the microfibers once they're back aboard the Normandy.

Joker thinks it's cool. Garrus just thinks of Saren, the plating on his face cracked and threaded with alien lights. Tali is concerned, and with good reason. By the time she joins the mission, glitches have begun to present themselves.

In a firefight with the Blue Suns, one of their Combat Engineers deploys an EMP. EDI falls to silence Garrus's HUD winks out of existence, the comms going with it. But Shepard locks up, drops to the ground, eyes unfocused, jaw slack, like a puppet whose strings have been cut. Garrus is the first one to reach her, alarm's sounding in his head as it becomes clear she's not breathing. A moment later his AR feed reboots, and Shepard sucks in a great lungful of air. That one she actually needs a moment to recover from. Only a moment, though, in spite of what Garrus says. She insists she's fine, and offers a hand to get him upright. They are still in combat, after all. The Turian has trouble remembering that; he's still caught on that split second between his HUD restarting and her breathing again, when her biometric feed reported that her heart had stopped.

Later, EDI connects to Sehpard's augmentations' systems to run a diagnostic, reporting the Commander is, from a strictly medical standpoint, fine. The shit-eating grin she gives her long-time Turian comrade is palpable in the air. But then EDI disconnects and Shepard goes fully blind, until they hook the pair of them back up again.

A new surgery is scheduled to correct the problem, Tali to consult on the code language that was used to write the software for Shepard's prostheses, and finally enough is enough.

Not for Garrus, mind you; he's never once been able to convince Shepard of anything, least of all that she's pushing herself too hard. But Thane has a softer touch.

“It's like when your computer has a bug!” she insists, as the Drell bars the way into Mordin's lab, “You don't toss it in the trash, you fix the problem!”

“But that's where you are failing yourself,” he replies, “You aren't fixing the problem, you're postponing it with more and more extensive augmentations. Siha, you must let yourself heal.”

“Thane. There is no time for me to lay around taking antibiotics. I need to be- EDI. EDI, SHUT UP!”

She hears EDI through the comms, even when the AI isn't broadcasting.

“Siha… Shepard,” Thane insists, “You are pushing yourself beyond what your species is capable of.”

“Isn't that the point of scientific discovery?” sniffs Miranda.

“This doesn't concern you!” snaps Garrus.

“And it does you, Vakarian? Limits are excuses that fearful people invent. Shepard is beyond that kind of thinking.”

“This isn't a fitness goal, Lawson,” cuts in Tali, “You're talking about increasingly invasive surgeries to replace failing tissue with synthetic material!”

“Tali,” groans Shepard, “you're supposed to be on my side here.”

“I'm only here to make sure none of the software has a chance of shorting out your brain. I'm not going to pretend this is a good idea.”

“Two weeks ago, I took a bullet to the head and walked away with a scrape! How is that a bad thing?”

“Because it's what the Reapers are doing, Shepard. Remember Saren?”

“I. Am not. Saren. You all need to stop comparing me to that psychopath. I'm trying to save lives!”

“There are worse fates than death, Elaine,” Thane continues, “I worry for you. You don't sleep. You barely eat. Shepard, no matter how hard you push yourself, you are only human-”

“I'M NOT ALLOWED TO BE 'ONLY HUMAN'!”

Is it the increased capacity of her lungs or just her own fervor that allows for such volume. Garrus doesn't know enough about the sciences behind her augmentations to say for certain. But Shepard's roar is enough to shake the bulkhead. Silence falls in the wake of her fury, broken only by her panting.

“Every time I try to put up my feet,” she seethes, “Or catch my breath, there's an alarm that starts blaring, somewhere. The entire galaxy is catching fire, and you all want me to pretend it isn't happening. I don't get to do that! I'm 'Commander Shepard, best hope for the galaxy, lookie here, it's my favorite store on the Citadel, aren't I great?'. I was dead! It was your turn to pick up the slack and look after space, and look how that turned out! The council buried its head in the sand, Anderson spends more time bitching about this shit than actually trying to clean it up, and half the outposts in the Terminus Systems got abducted while you were out pretending to be heroes! Hell, even Cerberus doesn't want to deal with this, otherwise they would have sent an army on this wild goose chase, instead of sinking a fleet's worth of credits into bringing me back! SHUT THE FUCK UP, LAWSON, DO NOT TRY AND ARGUE WITH ME. Every single one of you would be quaking in their boots, holed up on Omega, or Illium, or wherever you please, if I wasn't here. You all had two years to fix this dumpster fire of a galaxy, and you fucked that up. So don't pretend I'm not the only reason anything gets done around here; I am not going to stop, certainly not so all of you can feel better about yourselves.”

Shepard plants a fist in the wall at the height of this tirade, cracking the panel, her knuckles already knitting shut when she pulls away. Her eyes are collapsing stars, too bright to look directly into, and every one of her crew members averts their eyes, anger and shame and hurt so thick in the air that it carries a scent. And for a moment, Shepard softens. The glow in her eyes, her scars, fade and she watches them with remorse. But it's only a moment.

“If there's nothing else,” she growls, “Then get back to your posts. Boots on the ground in four hours.”

“Shepard, this repair is going to take at least six-” Miranda begins.

“Four. Hours.”

The door locks behind them, and Garrus's stomach sinks as imagines Mordin wheeling out a cart laden with scalpels. He looks at Thane, tries for words, but neither of them can manage anything. Instead, he suits up, and goes to wait out the remaining three and a half hours down in the shuttle. He thinks of a lot of things. His father, never once approving of his insistence that rules and regulations were the only thing standing in the way of true justice. His own band of misfits, dead on the ground of their hideout, in lawless Omega. But mostly, he thinks about Shepard. He thinks about watching her become a shooting star, in the atmosphere of a planet he can't remember the name of. He remembers watching her die, and wonders if she really came back.

Then he touches his scars, thinking about Omega again. He thinks about needing to be rescued. He thinks about bleeding out in the second story of a slumhouse, and how it was Shepard, full of fire and metal that came to his rescue. And he wonders.

Oh, how he wonders.

#Mass Effect #Fiction #FanFiction #Garrus Vakarian #Mass Effect 2 #Miranda Lawson #Thane Krios #Commander Shepard

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sehunsmuabrows · 7 years ago

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Superstar// Byun Baekhyun part. 2

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Genre: ??? angst ???

Word count: 1,716

Summary: You haven’t been back home since your career took off and a huge breakup. After traveling around the world, you return home to see that your ex boyfriend has achieved his dreams.

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

You were a mess, at least on the inside. You wanted to scream and cry when you finally made it outside of the arena, but your common sense told you to hold it together until you got home. However, as you walked through the crowded parking lot, you noticed the stand selling merchandise for the concert. Seeing Baekhyun’s face plastered onto posters and fans set something off inside you. All sensibility left your body as you angrily marched to the front of the stand, slapping your credit card onto the table and pointing to the life size cardboard cutout of Baekhyun.

“How much is the cut out?” You asked through gritted teeth, staring the poor cashier down. He quickly told the price and rung you up, hesitantly handing you the large cut out, seemingly curious as to why you were so angry about your purchase. You text Areum telling her that a family emergency had come up and you decided to take the bus home so that she didn’t freak out when she realized that you were gone.

The bus ride was uncomfortable, seeing as you had hauled a cardboard cutout and it was taking up half of the isle. You knew that you were being irrational and childish when you decided to buy the cutout, but you figured that it would be a good object to take out your frustration on. You stomped through the apartment building, avoiding the curious eyes of the nosy elderly couple that live next door. You could feel their judgement, but it didn’t bother you as much due to the amount of emotions you were dealing with.

Areum had replied to your message and told you that she wouldn’t be home until late, so you soon found yourself on the couch watching exo performances with tub of ice cream, a stack of papers to grade, and a scowl on your face. You felt twenty-two again while you were watching his performances on the tv, fist tightening on your spoon whenever the camera zoomed in on your ex. You formed a routine in order to distract yourself from thoughts of Baekhyun, deciding that one paper graded earned you one kick to cardboard Baekhyun. Eventually, cardboard Baekhyun had gotten pretty beaten up and you realized how immature you were acting. He was allowed to succeed in life and move on from you, he was allowed to be happy. You chanted this to yourself as you picked up the trashed cutout and stuffed it into a large trash bag, putting it beside the trashcan in the kitchen for it to be taken out on trash day. You didn’t want to be bitter any longer, so you decided to work on the slides for your next lecture. Unfortunately, before you could get yourself completely together, Areum burst into the room with all her might, causing you to whip your head in her direction. You watched as she scoured the room, looking at you suspiciously. As she analyzed you, you realized that you probably looked extremely disheveled, since you just got done having a bit of a temper tantrum. She slammed her hands onto the arm of the couch, staring into your soul. Her eyes caused you to cower slightly, she was quite intimidating when she was serious. “Would you like to explain to me what that was about? And why are you crying, weirdo” Her question was fair, seeing as she knew none of your family knew you number, or that you were even in the country, so there was no way that you would be aware of any family emergencies.

You exhaled loudly, letting a few more tears flow down your face, “I ran into my ex today” you spoke honestly. You had never cried in front of Areum before, but she didn’t respond awkwardly. All the irritation left her eyes as she pulled you into a hug, the sudden contact surprised you, but you leaned into her nonetheless.

“Oh my god, are you okay? They didn’t do anything to you right?” She watched you closely, searching for any sign of trauma. You shook your head furiously in response to her question, Baekhyun would never hurt you. Physically at least.

“No no, nothing like that, I just saw him for the first time since we broke up, we didn’t end on good terms.” She nodded in understanding, hugging you even closer. You didn’t want to tell her who he was because you knew it would probably get her fired up, but you still wanted to vent to someone. “It’s been some years since we split, but I was really in love with him, he said he loved me back but I guess my sister’s pretty lovable too” you chuckled bitterly at the end, thinking of your sister and how different she was from you. You looked similar in many ways, even your mannerisms matched each other, but that was where the similarities ended. Areum’s face contorted in disgust.

“You deserve better than that scumbag, don’t waste your tears on him” she sighed out as she rubbed your back, trying to console you. “You should probably get to bed, you have a long day tomorrow” she said, pushing you up towards your room. You looked at her in confusion “I looked at your schedule remember” She smiled down at you with a hint of sadness in her eyes. You didn’t want her pity, but you expected it regardless.

Since seeing you in the crowd, Baekhyun had been distracted. He didn’t know what to do when he saw you, having the urge to grab your arm and pull you back before you stormed off but knew that it would produce bad results for both of you. His mind was elsewhere, wondering why you had come to his concert just to run away, and why you seemed so surprised that he was there. He did his best to mask his frustration through the rest of the show, faking his smiles and hoping that he was being convincing enough. He wasn't convincing at all, as he came to find out while looking through his phone, seeing that #cheer up baekhyun was trending on twitter. The other members had started to tiptoe around him, noticing that he was on edge, until Jongin had come up to him with a soft expression on his face. “Um, so I noticed that there was this girl in the crowd that looks alot like the one in that picture in your room. Are you alright?” He asked nervously, put off by Baekhyun’s oddly serious stare.

“Yeah” He answered shortly, walking off to change out of his stage outfit. He had lost all contact with you the day of your breakup, seeing as you had changed your phone number and disappeared from his life in one fell swoop, cutting him off and shutting him out immediately. He made an effort to keep up with how you were doing, he knew that you were touring the world lecturing and promoting your new book. He had even bought the book and promoted it on his instagram, hoping that you would see it and reach out. That only led him to finding out that your social media was handled by a publicist and not yourself after receiving a robotic direct message thanking him for the promotion. He attended one of your lectures when both of your tours had managed to sync and had you both in the same city, but the lecture hall was much too large for you to notice him through the sea of people. All of his attempts to re-enter your life had failed and he was lost in the smoke of a fire that he started himself. But now that he knew you were in Seoul, he wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste.

You woke with a start as your alarm went off loudly. You began to freak out, getting dressed rapidly because you usually wake up before the alarm. The alarm was to let you know it was time to leave. You quickly put your hair into a bun and did your makeup, doing your best to make yourself look put together. Your legs were sore from standing in line for hours and your eyes were tired from crying the night before. Today is going to be very long, you thought to yourself as you pulled out of the driveway and drove towards your first meeting of the day.

You weren’t wrong about the day being long. You endured three different staff meetings, two lectures, and twenty students attempting to argue for their grade. For whatever reason, some students entered your class expecting for it to be an easy A, due to the interesting topics and open ended subject matter, but there is a right way to do things. You finally made it to your last class of the day and you were relieved, having fun with the lecture, as it was a more captivating subject, and you had a small amount of students. “One of the most difficult concepts that we’ll deal with this semester is the effect of mass media on personal behavior. How has media shaped our culture, and how it will continue to shape us. Who here has an Instagram account?” you paced as you spoke, switching slides as you went through your speech. Several hands raised at your question, causing you to smirk slightly. “The use of social media has become so widespread, that it has begun to shape and change our culture in ways that we would not have thought possible 50 years ago. It is only logical to wonder how this will change how we interact face to face with one another. Do any of y-” you were cut off by the sound of the door creaking open slowly. The face that emerged from the door rendered you speechless as he walked through to an empty seat in the front, sickeningly confident. All eyes were on Baekhyun, when he sauntered in, you assumed all of your students must have recognized him, seeing that their jaws went slack. You must have looked angry, Baekhyun visibly shuddered when he made eye contact with you. This has been a very long day, you thought.

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#baekhyun #au #exo #angst

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wannabeemoprincess · 4 years ago

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Over the past year of a global pandemic, there seems to be two main competing narratives of recent events that we have in the West. The first narrative being that COVID is a very real issue that we need to take action to fight against, the other that COVID is either completely fake, or greatly exaggerated for some sort of political gain, and any action the government takes in the name of fighting it is actually a sinister power grab. The first narrative tends to focus on personal responsibility, insisting that if we wear our masks, wash our hands, stay 6 feet apart, refuse to hug grandma, and listen to the experts everything will be fine. the people who refuse to comply are either dumb or bad, or both.

The second narrative claims to focus on personal liberty, insisting that government overreach is killing small businesses, that public health orders to wear masks or get vaccines is some how tyranny and a violation of their "self ownership", and liberals hate your grandparents for being old racist white people so they want them to die alone. Or something. Both these narratives have their flaws, and I would like to try and address both while presenting a more dialectical understanding of recent events.

The first narrative definitely gets the closest to the truth, but it really fumbles explaining much or providing a plan after it identifies the very real problem of COVID, and the need for a proper response to save lives. This concept that anyone who is anti-vax or anti-mask is just simply anti-facts, anti-science, and either bad or dumb or both is dangerously reductive *at best*. A lot of the time when I see people responding to anti-mask/anti-vax rhetoric it's very dismissive, telling people to just shut up and trust the experts, because you are dumb and they are smart and essentially good people who only want to help us. But like, if you bother to actually look at history you can find *tons* of examples of supposed experts either lying or covering up information for corporate profits at the cost of the well being of the people. One easy example would be when tobacco companies used to insist that doctors actually recommended smoking, promoting their deadly cancer sticks as some how healthy.

A more relevant example would be the Tuskegee experiments, an experiment in 1932 where around 600 Black men were deceived into participating in the experiment under the belief they would receive free medical care, however, instead were used without informed consent as human test subjects. The objective of the study was to observe untreated syphilis, treatment was never part of the plan. This wasn't only a massive ethical violation, but a prime example of how white supremacy can effect every aspect of society and even parts such as health care are tainted by it. The men abused for this "study" were told it would last 6 months, however it was extended to last 40 years, only cancelled after a leak caused public pressure to finally stop this barbaric "study". Unfortunately 128 of the victims had already died at this point due to syphilis or related complications.

Now, A lot of the anti-mask and anti-vax crowd tends to be white. And I'm honestly not sure how many of them are very informed on the subject of the Tuskegee experiments. However, there is a very recent example that has almost definitely affected the typically privileged middle class white demographic particularly harder than usual where medical professionals deceived the public for financial gain, experts lied in their "studies", and a lot of families are either still rebuilding from the fallout, or will never get back friends or family members they lost to the opiate epidemic.

Dangerous drugs like Oxycodone were being pushed like candy, with studies that "proved" they weren't addictive or habit forming. Doctors were basically being bribed by pharmaceutical companies to prescribe more and more pills. There was a point where it seemed like anyone could take their kid to the doctor, and complain about their inability to focus, and get an ADHD diagnosis and some pills to fix them. A lot of people felt lied to and abused by medical professionals, someone who you were raised to trust as a friendly noble profession that had your best interests in mind. Big Pharma, to be clear, is literally a faceless monster that cannot care about human lives, and only seeks to create more and more profit for owners & investors. And unfortunately, the rest of the medical industry is pretty much reliant on Big Pharma & the Medical industrial complex, as it would be pretty much impossible to open a medical practice without any medicine or equipment. So I can fully understand why an appeal to the authority of the experts can easily get brushed off as "ignorant sheep" who trust "the man", honestly.

But there's a very big material difference between the opiate epidemic, or really most medical issues, and something like COVID & vaccines in general. And that would be that vaccination *relies on as many as people being vaccinated to actually work*. If only the rich and powerful can access a vaccine, the disease will not be eradicated, evolve and mutate, and eventually the vaccine is rendered useless. This means they have a very real material interest in ignoring their profit motive, for once.

Something to consider would be the Black Plague & the change from feudalism toward capitalism. One of the major factors that destabilized the monarchy's absolute power was the mass deaths of the working population. When there are hordes of hungry people desperate for work, they tend to have very little power to demand better conditions when they do find work, as they are easily replaceable. With a drastically lowered work force, the power balance between peasant & Lord was exposed, the peasantry was able to revolt, and over throw the Kings, and a new power relationship was established of worker & owner, which was progressive at the time, but we're now at the point where the divide between the working class and the owner class is even greater than the old divide of serf and lord.

Those who own capital, be it rental properties, a factory, or investments, have complete power over those who only have their body and their time to sell to those who own the stores & factories, to rent the homes they can't afford anymore from landlords who hoard housing as a commodity to profit off of. We're told if we work hard enough, we could possibly own something, too. And we're just bitter and ungrateful when we complain. And we're replaceable. But how would that change if the masses of workers were dying in the streets of a plague again?

While wealth definitely creates a lot of privilege, and their experience of living through a pandemic is immeasurably different from ours, at the end of the day they haven't yet lost sight of the reality that without masses of poors to exert their power over, their money becomes entirely useless. Which is why they’re willing to part with vaccines without completely maximizing their profits, though as vaccine patents & the West hoarding vaccines while the Global South continues to suffer show they still haven’t totally let go of their profit motive, and are definitely willing to let masses of brown people die to protect the profits of shareholders and investors at home.

I guess I can quickly address the conspiracy that vaccines are some how microchips to track you or whatever:

Smart phones.

They can already do that.

Now, with all that said, I fully do believe that masks & vaccines are effective, and that we all should use them! But I'm still incredibly critical of the way the government has handled this crisis. For one, it's absurd to try and use tickets and fines to enforce mask mandates when the State has failed to distribute masks! Expecting it to be everyone's personal responsibility to buy their own masks during an economic crisis is incredibly ignorant of the reality of just how desperate living from paycheck to paycheck can be. Free masks should have been provided, shipped directly to the people. Considering how many cases have been coming from factories & other brutal working conditions , the emphasis on personal responsibility clearly ignores how corporations are willing to sacrifice their employees health and well being to maximize their profits. Even in a country with free medical care, you have a financial incentive to try and just "tough it out" and hope its a cold if you live paycheck to paycheck and have no paid sick leave.

I think the left is fumbling a real opportunity to demand better and seize meaningful power that would make us a real force of change instead of a fringe ideology people mostly only hear about on the internet. There's a lot of legitimate fear and anxiety over covid, the economy, and even the idea of trusting experts that will never, ever be addressed as long as people just wag their finger and tell those who are scared that they're just dumb and bad and they should be good and smart like us. Which isn't to say that I don't think there aren't morally bankrupt grifters.

I'm almost positive anyone leading any of these movements, selling their own brand of "patriot rebel" merch to the hordes of followers they amass is some kind of grifter. And I've been to the counter protests , I've seen the white power hand signs in the crowd. There's definitely fascists who see this as an opportunity to capitalize on the fear and unrest, and see these movements as a perfect breeding ground for new recruits. But I've come to the realization that by letting them keep me responding to them, I'll never actually be able to properly challenge their narrative. I'm frequently expected to defend the neoliberal hypocrisy in the covid response while I'm arguing with them, and when I try to explain my criticisms of neoliberalism they're already gishgalloping to another talking point, and it's impossible to actually present a nuanced argument that presents a more dialectical framework to understand these things.

I realize now that we need to make our criticism and our demands loudly, and we need to be able to take the spotlight off of far right reactionaries preying on the fears and paranoia that they only see as nothing more than an opportunity for profit. There is no going back to normal when COVID is over. We have to decide now, socialism, or barbarism.

#covid #masks #vaccines #antivax #anti mask #freedom #covid19

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tripsonflatground · 4 years ago

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People conflate profit with hard work and importance. I’m not saying people don’t understand what those terms mean, but I am saying that they find a connection that simply isn’t there - and they don’t find it on their own, they are led to it by the upper echelons of society in order to keep capitalism and the social classes that they’ve invented intact.

Entertainment industry employees (the select few famous ones, not the lighting staff and the video crew and the sound tech and everyone else in the credits no one really cares about, even Marvel fans - yes, I’m a Marvel fan, I know, you don’t watch until the end for the people, you wait for the bonus content), major league professional athletes (usually the male ones), and CEOS & company founders have something in common: they get high paychecks because businessmen make a lot of profit from the products and events that us in the masses consume. And because they make so much money, people believe that they earned it all. Entertainment industry employees and athletes certainly can work hard. But if you look at work and what people get paid for is as the sheer worth of people’s hours the question remains: what makes one person’s hour worth more than another person’s hour? Why is an actor’s or musician’s or athlete’s hour worth more than a doctor’s or a teacher’s or a firefighter’s? What makes a director’s hour worth more than any other office manager or creative project manager? I’m not saying entertainment industry employees and athletes aren’t working as hard. But the misconception from culture is that the more money you make, the harder you must be working or the more worthwhile the work you’re doing must be. And this is a misconception, it simply doesn’t have any merit. Frankly, they aren’t working harder than someone who works 40+ hours a week and also spends an average of 10 hours just commuting to and from work, outside of a pandemic. Even if you argue that celebrities and athletes should get paid decently because of the way their work takes a toll on their bodies, for one, CEOs and other 1% business people don’t apply here, and secondly, if it was about the risk to people’s bodies we’d be seeing factory workers, first responders, the military, construction workers, security guards, surgeons who perform 30+ hour surgeries or birth doctors who help with 20+ hour labors, people who work with or in areas that have predatory wild animals or toxic chemicals, people whose work leaves them exposed to the elements, etc. all making equivalent money to celebrities and athletes, and that’s not the case. We all know that’s not how it is. Right now during the pandemic our “essential workers” are all putting themselves at risk of semi or permanent damage to their bodies or death because of Corona and everyone knows they’re not getting paid enough for that risk. Celebrities and athletes should make money for their time just like any other employee, but as it stands they make a disproportionate amount of money, and this money pushes them into the top 10%, if not the top 1%. Plus, they don’t pay taxes because they’re rich enough to be exempt, so they don’t pay for the resources they use, whether that’s the roads they drive on, the water they use, the buildings or outdoor locations where they work, etc.

Nobility and the use of noble titles was banned in the US Constitution. Yet, I would argue that celebrities and politicians have become the USA’s nobility and royalty - and the ultra-rich are definitely a part of that as well. Hunger Games got this right - “pay attention to these shiny individuals, not your friends and neighbors and coworkers who don’t have the same privileges and suffer for it”. Most celebrities were born as average as you and me. But when they began making extreme amounts of money and got the fame, they were boosted in a new social class and this social class allows people within it to be treated as though they are above the average citizen. This is also exactly how systems of power take otherwise effective martyrs and twist and manipulate the story so the story either benefits the system or appears to be an isolated incident of individual heroism/bravery/success (Hunger Games got this right too, with the Victors, and Peeta). Some people *appear* to handle their rank gracefully, and others clearly have become twisted by it. But for people in this special class, all publicity is good publicity. It is commonplace for celebrities and politicians to have scandals brought to light and yet receive no real punishment for it. In fact, they make more money, because of all of the interviews they get to do trying to claim either they didn’t do anything wrong or they did and they’re so very sorry get counted as part of their job. The average person who goes to court to do the same thing is far more likely to be saddled with court costs then to get paid to defend themselves. Our cultural norms say that for most people, any public behavior reflects on you and your family and also could be seen by those who are impressionable, so you should be sure to be on your best behavior. But for those who enjoy celebrity AKA American Nobility, even though you would think they would be under even more pressure and scrutiny, they actually are given more grace and forgiveness and allowed to get away with more because there are no consequences for their actions. People like me can complain about what people do, they can have a less comfortable time on social media because of cancel culture, but on the other hand, cancel culture isn’t actually effective and it’s probably naive to think that a celebrity is actually managing their own social media account all by themselves, but unless they stop getting work which means they stop getting paid, they don’t face any real consequences for their actions. Which is the interesting thing about nobility, because in traditional understandings of the nobility, the noble class was supposed to use their money and resources to care for the areas they had been “entrusted” with, including providing protection and law enforcement/governing, providing aid after natural disasters, helping to fund public schools and public hospitals, protecting places of worship, attending to public infrastructure, etc. Sure, today’s celebrities occasionally donate to charities, especially if it can give them good media coverage, like the Ice Bucket Challenge a few years back for ALS, but come on. Jeff Bezos runs his company like it’s 1900. How many celebrities are going into their communities and helping renovate schools and hospitals and community centers, or spending more than a couple thousand on a scholarship here and there, or helping fund more grocery stores and community gardens to fight food deserts, or putting pressure on their friends in politics to put out legislation that actually benefits the people, or putting money towards protecting natural areas, or buying medical supplies and food for their communities after they’re ravished from a natural disaster, or helping to provide affordable housing for the homeless, or paying off student lunch debt to help with child hunger, or any other number of things they could use their resources for? They get the benefits of nobility - the wealth, the status, the renown, the expensive clothes and oversized homes and affordable top-quality medical care and other status symbols - without taking up any of the responsibilities of giving back to the communities that got them there in the first place, namely average citizens. If the average citizen didn’t stan people, didn’t buy in to the celebrity status, they wouldn’t have near the same amount of power that they do.

And all of this is true and will remains this way because it benefits the wealthy class and the nobility. It keeps them in power. Because people accept the justification that this work is more important or this work is worth more, they can continue making amounts of money that are unfathomable to the average person. And thus they can continue to hoard resources like dragons while other people die of starvation or from the elements or because their insulin and medicine is too expensive. And as mentioned earlier, since they are rich enough to get out of paying taxes, they don’t contribute to the infrastructure, leaving that to the people who have less they can even offer let alone what’s actually taken from them. And they benefit off of the average citizen’s work. They wouldn’t be so beautiful without their army of stylists and makeup artists and seamstresses. Their homes wouldn’t be so extravagant without their garbage workers and landscapers and construction workers and renovators. They wouldn’t find it so easy to manage their lives without their nannies and personal assistants and agents and PR teams and housekeepers and personal chefs. Do you honestly think any of these people are getting paid fairly, or even close to what they’re getting? To paraphrase the song Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog, they’re feeding on the powerless when their cups are already overfilled. And because they’re positioned as more or less the American nobility, they’re seen as better than the average citizen, so how could anyone possibly justify questioning their social standing or their privilege? This is The Way Things Are, so what does it matter? Like most major problems and inequalities in the world, this only works because people are convinced to buy into the fact that some people are just better than other people. And who has the authority to decide that? The people in power. Who are the same people as the people who benefit from and profit off of the American Nobility AKA celebrity. Average citizens never even stood a chance. This is just a situation of that iconic line that goes “I don’t know how to convince you that you should care about other people”. The outcome of this case was decided before it was even brought to trial.

And I know that nothing I say here will make a difference. The capitalist machine will keep turning and no one will think to introduce a bill that would create salary caps or redistribute wealth and no one actually involved with the industry will read this and think “wow, maybe we need to do something about the growing sociocultural and economic gap between us and the rest of society” because being rich and famous gives them the privilege to put themselves above these concerns. If this gets any notes, I’m more likely to get anon hate or upfront disagreements because I implicated their smol sons or their celebrity crush or whatever than anyone who actually thinks I might be onto something. I’m only taking the time to type this out because releasing the thoughts into the void makes me feel better.

TL;DR: Celebrities get disproportionate amounts of admiration from other citizens and money in their paycheck because their work is given more importance because the wealthy class that controls business makes ridiculous amounts of money off of the projects, events, and products they are a part of and so the unequal distribution of wealth and status elevates celebrities into the 1% and the American Nobility so they no longer have consequences for their actions or have to contribute towards their communities in any meaningful way and that is a Problem.

#celebrity #ultra-rich #capitalism #nobility #power #power imbalance #inequality

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hunnybadgerv · 7 years ago

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Cold Mornings Are The Best | Mass Effect | Shenko for Keliandra

Summary: A post-Reaper War Christmas morning for the human Spectres, who are trying to find their own new normal in this new universe.

a/n: Written for @Keliandra as a holiday gift for the MEWC Exchange. I truly hope you enjoy this piece. I tried to mix something sweet and fluffy with a little more.

Links: AO3 | FFnet

Cold Mornings Are the Best

Shepard padded around the cozy log cabin in an over-sized cable-knit sweater pilfered from her sleeping lover; thick wool socks accentuated her stealth as she wandered in the pre-dawn hours. The front window framed a pristine white world blanketed in fresh snow. Spindly naked trees dotted the landscape between the cabin and the thick dark wall of a pine forest beyond. At the sight of all that snow, she couldn’t help but shiver. And even though it was far warmer inside the cabin than out and she opted to restart the fire while the coffee brewed.

The goosebumps on her bare legs reminded her just how cold it was outside as the occasional chilly breeze sneaked into their refuge and circled around her. Anytime that happened she got a little jealous of Kaidan still curled up beneath the mountain of blankets in the bed their bodies warmed all night. He looked so peaceful, and she had been surprised that her escape went unnoticed. But she really needed coffee and some of those little apple things his mother left for them, which had been calling her name in her sleep. She wasn't sure what they were, but the little three-bite pastries tasted just like Christmas to Nyx. Probably the cinnamon, she thought as she popped the last bite of her third one into her mouth.

With a telltale sputter, Shepard turned and tugged the coffee pot free and filled two mugs—one black, one lightly sweetened. For that reason alone, she made sure she never prepared their coffee in cups that looked alike. Your first mouthful of morning coffee should not be someone else's; it could turn your whole day on its head in one sip. And her life had more than enough sideways, adding to it unnecessarily was something she tried adamantly to avoid.

Part of her expected the smell of the coffee brewing to wake him up, but when she entered the bedroom with the cups, Kaidan was still fast asleep, or seemed to be. As another cool waft of air brushed her legs and made her shiver, Shepard shook her head at her lover. He laid shirtless and mostly uncovered, the sheets and blankets laid low across his hips. Must be a Canadian thing.

She leaned in the doorway, perching one foot on the opposite knee just enjoying the sight of him so peaceful and beautiful. One hand rested behind his head, the other draped over his eyes despite the fact that the only light in the entire cabin came from the fire she lighted in the other room.

Eventually silent footsteps carried her to the bedside where she set down the mugs with little plates of his mother's treats atop them. Shepard sat carefully on the side of the bed and leaned over him—not even a groan. With one finger, she lightly traced the topography of his chest, when she guided it over that tempting slope at his hip, Kaidan wriggled beneath her touch. His smile spread, lazy and warm, over his lips as a relaxed groan accompanied the sleepy stretch of his arms

"How are you the first one up?" he asked, voice strained as he stretched his arms far out to his sides, with a huge yawn. One hand returned to rest on her knee.

"I was always the first one up on Christmas," she revealed, as she leaned forward and kissed him on the tip of his nose. "Merry Christmas, by the way." Another little peck, this one landed on his mouth. Before he could pull her into an embrace that she knew would waylay them, Nyx spun out of his arms and set the plate next to him on the bed. "I brought coffee and,” she gestured toward the nightstand, “whatever those are."

Kaidan laughed, leaning up on one elbow. He pointed to the three types of items on the plate. "Apple Strudels, in miniature. A pouch of apple compote and brie. And when I told her that your favorite holiday food was apple crisp, she tried to make it easier to package."

"Really?" Nyx asked, stepping back toward the bed.

"She likes you. She wanted you to feel comfortable up here, wanted you to have something familiar to make the whole meeting the family thing a little more bearable," he revealed, shrugging one shoulder.

"Well, huh?" Nyx replied, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, thinking about that revelation.

"Huh, what?" Kaidan slid to the edge of the bed, grabbing her hips and guiding her to stand between his knees.

"Mothers usually hate me. Even if I'm not seeing their sons. Usually more so if I am," she added absently. When he squeezed her hips, she looked down at him. "I'm not the type of woman people dream about for their sons, okay? They don’t look at me and see white picket fences or hear the gentle coos of grand babies or the tiny pitter patter of footsteps," she explained. "It's kind of counter to the life I chose. The life I want."

"I know."

Shepard looked down at him and held his face in her hands. "Yes, I realize that, but parents don't always get it."

"That's true. She doesn't understand why, after everything that’s happened, either of us still want to be on active duty. "

"What did you tell her?" Shepard asked, smoothing her hands down his neck and over his bare shoulders. There was a comfortable coolness to his skin that drew her in.

Alenko wrapped his arms completely around her waist and rested his chin against her belly as he looked up at her. "I told her I made a promise. Told her that no matter what, I have your back. And that whatever comes I'm going to be at your side. As a Spectre, I've got a lot more leeway to determine where I serve and with whom. I'm still Alliance, but I'm not going anywhere."

Shepard’s gaze focused on the circle her fingertip drew over the curve of his shoulder for a moment, before meeting his amber eyes again. "What if I decided to retire?"

Despite the serious tone of her voice, he laughed. She guessed, it was as hard for him to imagine as it used to be for her. Of course, she had no idea what retirement, a civilian life, might possibly entail. Of course, there loomed the very real chance that it could well send her running back into the fray in a week’s time. But their time there sparked her curiosity about what it might be like for the two of them to have a calmer, domestic life—one with less gunfire.

Kaidan remained quiet for a long time, perhaps actually thinking about it. "Then I'll go back to teaching, or we'll find a little place somewhere no one can find us unless we want them to." He moved to stand, and she took a step back. "I'm dead serious. I'm not going anywhere. Even under orders. And as far as my family goes, they know I'm happy and that this … us. It’s what I want.” Kaidan cupped her cheek and held her closer. “Hell, Nyx. Most of my family never thought I'd find anyone who’d stick it out—the Alliance, the L2 complications, the Spectre business, any of it. So, they aren't pushing with questions about the future, or grandchildren. And, honestly, with everything that's happened, I think they're just glad I have someone who makes me happy. Someone to share my life with."

Shepard's fingers teased at the back of his neck as he rested his forehead against hers. "I never thought I would find anything like this either—find someone who got it, got me. Let alone get moments like this. Little bite-sized pieces of normality," she said quietly.

His kiss was reassuring, a forceful and passionate reminder that she truly had a partner. Someone who would support her and watch over her—all wrapped up snugly in a clever, capable package. He swore he’d stay by her side for as much time as they could steal from fate and the galaxy.

Kaidan’s hand coasted down her thigh, just far enough to sneak beneath the sweater she’d confiscated. “I do have to say though. I think my sweater looks better on you,” he admitted between deepening kisses.

Nyx squeaked when his cold fingertips brushed over the warmth of her bare bottom.

“Isn’t your sister expecting us for breakfast?” she asked, still clinging to him and making no real effort to thwart his intentions.

His knee slipped between hers and his fingers skimmed over her hip to dip between her legs. “The sun’s barely even up yet,” he argued. His nose brushed hers, the kisses halting as he gazed at her. “But if you’re worried, I’ll stop.”

When his embrace loosened, her grip on his neck tightened. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Good. Because I really didn’t want to.” His admission, punctuated with a claiming kiss, came laden with a salacious growl.

She whimpered into his mouth when he pulled her into his arms. The chill of his skin dissipated quickly, but shocked her system none the less. He carried her back to the bed. Carelessly, he swept the plate off the sheets as he laid her down. It shattered against the wall, sending forth a few large shards of crockery. In the bed, four hands proved to be too many when they both tried to peel her out of the over-sized sweater. Expecting his skin to still carry a chill, she was shocked by the heat of him once their bodies fitted against one another again.

He did, however, turn onto his side and pull the blankets back over them to keep out any sneaky breezes. He pressed kisses over the top of her thigh, along her hip and ribs, as she watched him. His mouth paused at her breast, hovering, as those warm amber eyes flicked up at her. Giving it a greedy lick, he watched her lips part with a quiet sigh; then he wrapped his lips around it.

“Kaidan,” she whispered, her fingers trailing down the back of his neck along the line of his spine. She had no desire to interfere, though found herself increasingly desperate for more of his attentions.

Her unspoken wish came true. He placed a kiss upon her breast bone and set his attentions to her other breast, while the first nipple pebbled even tighter when exposed to the wispy cold that invaded the room as it battled with the heat of the fire. The combination of sensations sent tingles along her nerves, intensified by the clever dance of his fingertips and his tongue.

The previous night had been a frenzy of lust and desire, but that morning was a luxuriant gift of sensation. He pushed her back against the thick sheets, his body covering hers. They lingered in deep kisses, ethereal caresses, and the quiet of their cabin. There was no rush, even if someone, somewhere might expect them at some time or another. With a mingling of firm lips, pliant tongues, and sharp teeth, their kisses were tinged with residual desperation. Their history left them with a keen appreciation of what was at stake, what they could lose, what they wanted.

She exhaled his name again. This time it was not carried on a whisper, like a prayer; it escaped her swollen lips on a weighted moan. She grasped at his shoulders, nails digging in to keep her grip. Her other hand fisted in his hair and raised his lips from her neck, so she could seal their mouths in a demanding kiss upon his lips.

He groaned into her mouth, Nyx swallowing it like she was starving. All the while her hips ground against his hand, that played her body like the virtuoso he was.

“Yes, Nyx?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. His fingers curled within her as his thumb worked circles around her clit.

Her eyes slipped closed and she pressed her head back into the pillow. “Fuck,” she breathed. He waited for an answer, still teasing her with expert precision. Even though her fingers stretched in search she couldn’t reach his cock to exact retribution, he had cleverly pinned his body to the bed in order to keep her frisky fingers at bay. “I want you.”

“You have me, heart and soul,” he assured, pressing a kiss against her jaw.

“I know that. It’s not what I meant. And you know it.”

“Then you’ll have to be more specific.”

“I want you inside me, Kaidan.”

He growled, like he’d been waiting decades for her to say those words. He moved with haste and ease. She whimpered when his fingers slipped from her, mourning the gaping loss of sensation, momentary as it was. Settling between her legs, Kaidan eased into her before resting some of his weight on one elbow so as not to crush her beneath him. Nyx’s fingers grazed his ribs, skimming lower as he took his time. Once his hips met hers, Nyx wrapped one leg around his thigh. She clung to the back of his neck, while her other hand gave his pert bottom a playful, prodding squeeze.

“All you had to do was ask,” he chuckled against her lips.

Nyx grinned at him, it was gentle, pliant like her body in reply to his. “You just like hearing me say it.”

Kaidan laughed, his smile telling. His lips brushed hers. “As much as you like it when I tell you how much I want to feel you,” he said, moving inside her in a long, slow stroke. “How much I want to lose myself in you.” His hips snapped against hers, making her chirp in response.

They both chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sealed their lips in a sensual kiss, tongues easing against one another. They found a rhythm, slow and decadent, as their bodies rolled against one another. Neither rushed to achieve the heightened sensations they both knew would come eventually. The Spectres just basked in every shiver, every quake in taught muscle and spark firing beneath flushed skin. At that moment, neither Nyx nor Kaidan held anything back. They took and gave freely, fully—pouring themselves and their desires into one another.

In motions that might seem lazy to the casual observer, they enticed one another, feasting on every ragged breath that escaped their lover. They moved together toward a buzzing gravity which only affected the pair of them and would build until it burst into an explosion of ecstasy within their languid bodies. Kaidan and Nyx clung to one another, basking in the echo or their names on one another’s lips as their nerves crackled with anticipation and finally release.

Even after, they retained that erotic embrace, faces buried against each other’s necks. The two human Spectres were content in that moment to remain encapsulated in their own little sliver of space and time. Wrapped up together, where no one dared encroach. At least until some hours after dawn painted the sky from a vibrant, pastel palette.

#Mass Effect Fanfiction #Kaidan Alenko #Shenko #Mass Effect #MEWC Holiday Exchange #Christmas Morning #Badger Scribbles #Post-Reaper War #Fluff & Smut #Keliandra

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casper-has-a-cat · 7 years ago

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WARNING: descriptions of vomit below!

read the warning!

okay, you’ve been warned! please enjoy the fic!

“Hey, Suga?”

“Hm?” Suga hummed a reply without looking up from the book he was reading.

“I’m, uh, gonna use the restroom,” Daichi mumbled.

Suga looked up. Daichi’s voice sounded strained, and it was a strange thing for him to bother mentioning. Sure enough, the team captain looked noticeably paler than normal, and was clearly shaky. His shirt was clinging to his body with sweat.

“Sure, Dai,” Suga said gently. “You okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, I’m fine,” Daichi brushed off Suga’s concern and padded through the sand. Suga felt his brow crease, and it was a struggle to ignore the urge to follow after his friend. He was willing to bet that Daichi was fine. Suga was a worrywart, after all, so he was probably just overthinking things. He was pretty sure that Daichi would tell him if something was wrong, so he pushed his suspicions aside and tried his best to continue enjoying a relaxing afternoon on the beach.

This soon became impossible.

Daichi came back no less than ten minutes later looking exponentially worse than before. The shaking had intensified, his skin was ashen, he had an unusually dazed expression on his face. There was clearly something wrong. Concern made Suga’s heart pound faster than normal, but Daichi just sat down under the umbrella again.

“Suga! Daichi!” Noya came running at them, and Suga stood up immediately hoping to save Daichi the trouble. The second year panted, hands on his knees.

“We’re- we’re gonna play some beach ball,” Noya explained, pointing over his shoulder. “Wanna- wanna join us?”

Looking past him, Suga saw Hinata, Kageyama, and Asahi surrounding the net. Asahi waved uncertainly, while the other two were clearly arguing about something. It certainly looked like fun, but Suga shook his head.

“Nah, I think we’re-“

“Sure,” Daichi said, standing and interrupting him.

“But-“

Daichi bumped his shoulder into Suga’s. “What? It sounds like fun, doesn’t it?”

Suga appraised Daichi again. He looked marginally better, but still, Suga still doubted that this was a good idea. He shook his head. He didn’t know why Daichi was trying to hide the fact that something was so clearly wrong, but it seemed like the captain’s mind was made up.

“Alright,” Suga agreed begrudgingly. At least by playing volleyball with him, Suga would be able to keep an eye on Daichi.

It was, of course, inevitable that Daichi and Suga got split up into different teams, since it would be unfair to put Hinata and Kageyama on different teams, and Noya refused to play without Asahi. And, honestly, as much as they loved to make fun of him, neither Suga nor Daichi were heartless enough to do that to Asahi anyway. So Daichi joined the first years, since Asahi and Noya needed a setter.

Considering each of their abilities, it should have been a good game. The teams normally would have been well matched. And yet, Suga’s team pulled ahead easily. Far too easily. By the time the score was 14-5, even Noya was shooting Daichi concerned looks, and nothing ever seemed to phase Noya. Not to mention, Daichi hadn’t yelled at Hinata and Kageyama for arguing even once. Suga tuned into some of their angry whispers when they all decided to take a five minute time out for water.

“…can’t do that, dumbass,” Hinata growled.

“Why not?”

“‘Cause he’s our captain!”

“Hah? What does that matter?” Kageyama said with a dark expression that Suga had learned meant he was confused, even though he looked angry.

“It’s disrespectful!” Hinata crossed his arms obstinately. Then an open and scared look crossed over his face and Hinata’s arms fell limp at his side. He lowered his voice so that Suga could only barely make out what he was saying by half reading his lips. “I am worried, though. Kageyama, what should we do?”

“I don’t know, dumbass, that’s why I asked you if we should say something!”

The bickering continued, but Suga was distracted by Noya grabbing his hand and dragging him to the sidelines. Noya gestured to the team’s ace. Asahi was sitting on the ground with his head on his knees. Suga blinked, surprised, and concerned that maybe something was wrong with Asahi, too, and Noya scowled.

“We’re quitting,” Noya said.

“Uh…” That wasn’t what Suga had expected. “What?”

“We’re done with this game. Asahi doesn’t want to spike to the captain when he’s like this.”

Asahi looked up at Suga, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry, Suga, it just makes me feel really bad-“

Suga put a hand on Asahi’s shoulder to assure him that he wasn’t angry. “That’s fine,” Suga said. “I didn’t think he should play in the first place, but Daichi insisted.”

Noya nodded and ran over to tell the others. Suga watched the relief visibly drain the tension from the first years’ shoulders. More importantly, he watched Daichi nod, and then stumble a few feet away before sitting down heavily in the sand.

The rest of his teammates ran up to Suga at once.

“There’s something wrong with Daichi!”

“What’s wrong with the captain?”

“I think Daichi-san is really sick!”

“He looks really bad!”

For a moment, there was mass chaos. Then Suga decided that enough was enough, and punched the one who was panicking the most (Asahi) lightly in the gut and told him to be quiet. After that, there was silence, save a couple of whimpers from the ace. Suga cleared his throat just to be sure that he had everyone’s attention.

“First of all, yes, of course I know there’s something going on with Daichi. Having said that,” Suga mustered up all of the self-confidence that he didn’t have and tried to sound convinced as he continued speaking. “I don’t think we need to get this worked up about it. Daichi’s old enough and responsible enough to take care of himself, so have some faith and try not to get so frazzled, alright?”

Everyone nodded, and Suga could tell that, with the exception of Asahi, he’d managed to calm everyone down considerably, and having Noya around was a great way to distract the ace. Sure enough, Noya dragged Asahi away before he could think about it too much.

Suga immediately went to Daichi, squatting down in the sand next to him and placing a gentle hand on his sweaty back.

“Dai,” he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. “Maybe we should go inside, huh?”

Daichi put a shaking hand to his mouth, and Suga’s eyes widened.

“I’m gonna be - hurk!” Daichi, who was in a crosslegged position, leaned over himself with a thankfully dry retch. Suga was moving immediately, helping Daichi onto his knees so he wouldn’t get sick on himself.

“Ugh,” Daichi shuddered and let out a low whine. Suga swallowed a lump in his throat.

“Don’t hold back, alright?” Suga whispered. It wasn’t like there was much of a choice, though. The next moment Daichi’s stomach muscles clenched tight and a rush of partially digested food spilled out of his mouth and onto the hot sand. He hung his head, limp for half a moment before the nausea turned his stomach again. His head jerked up and putrid smelling vomit splashed onto the sand.

Suga muttered soft words of encouragement, but he doubted that it was much help when Daichi was assaulted by heave after heave, expelling so much puke that it was actually dripping towards the water, making horrific trails through the sand. Finally Daichi got a second to breathe, and he swayed unsteadily back and forth over the mess. Suga grabbed his shoulders as Daichi coughed and sputtered.

“Nice job, Daichi. Do you want to go inside now?”

Daichi made a non-committal noise as he sat back on his heels. Suga was just about ready to help his friend up when the sick boy made a gurgling sounds and threw up a mouthful of very liquified sick and stomach bile. He was left shaking and panting, but didn’t seem to be feeling quite as queasy as he had been. Suga took his chance, helped Daichi stand, and together they stumbled back to the lodge where they were staying.

“I’m fine, Suga,” Daichi mumbled as Suga fumbled with the key to their shared room. “I don’t think I’ll - urp - get sick again, at least for a - hurk - while.”

Suga’s heart clenched. It was sweet of Daichi to try and reassure him, but hardly effective when every couple of words was punctuated by a suppressed burp or heave. For Daichi’s sake, he forced a smile.

“Right. I’m not worried. You’ll be alright, it’s just a little stomach bug.”

Still, it wasn’t long before Daichi abandoned watching TV in bed for clutching the toilet with all he had. He retched harshly, three times, before he was able to bring up some stomach acid, and he looked close to passing out.

“Fuck, Dai, hang on, let me get you some water, you need to stay hydrated.” As Suga fluttered around, Daichi, even through the overwhelming nausea, chuckled. Suga worried he was really losing it. “Uh, Dai, you okay?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, I’m - hurk - 100% alright, Suga, and you’re - ulp - 100% not worried about me-” Daichi was forced to put his sarcasm on hold as another dry heave wracked his body. Suga resisted the urge to yell at him to shut up and get better.

Instead, he asked, in a more strained voice than he’d intended, “What do you mean? Why is this so funny?”

“Oh, it’s - urp - not, it’s just that you swore. And I’m-“ Daichi coughed up a bit of stomach bile, then wiped his mouth. “Don’t want you to worry about me, but - hurk - ‘m lucky to have you taking care of me.”

Suga’s eyes widened as he returned with water to find Daichi, slumped against the wall with sick as much on his clothes as in the toilet. His cheeks were read and he looked faint. Suga scowled.

“I swear to God, Daichi, if you pass out right now I will beat the shit out of you, regardless of all those nice things you just said,” Suga muttered, worry manifesting in anger.

Daichi just smiled.

Both of them could tell it was going to be a long night.

send me an ask!

#tw vomit #my writing #old writing #sick daichi #sawamura daichi #sugawara koushi #haikyuu!!#how incredibly extra is this fic?#='D #YIKES

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snarktheater · 8 years ago

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Shadowhunters S2 — Episode 6

Meet the Iron Sisters! They all walk with military precision for some reason, but aside from that, they're kind of cool, especially when they start testing their creations.

These are Sisters Cleophas and Magdalena, and I had to look up the latter's name on the wiki, which makes me angry. They'll be relevant later.

Another Sister comes bearing the news of the attack on the City of Bones, and the Sisters move to reinforce the Citadel.

Clary and Jace are looking for the rune Clary used in the previous episode, but it's nowhere to be found. And honestly? I'm glad that we get to see them do actual research about this. Jace also admits that some runes are out of the Gray Book and are reserved to "elite members of the Clave", but that doesn't explain Clary knowing it.

"It appeared. Like a vision. Like someone or something was trying to send me a message."

They're even setting up Ithuriel! Well, I assume that's what this is, anyway.

But Clary has no way of knowing about her angel blood, so she assumes it's Jocelyn doing it from the afterlife. Which…well, they haven't really touched on that subject yet, so it'd be nice to do that now. But no, they just move on to re-establishing that they can't tell anyone else, not even Alec and Isabelle.

"The Clave is quick to prosecute anyone—or anything—they don't understand."

Cut to Clary and Isabelle talking about everything that's going on, and Clary noting how quickly Isabelle's wound healed. She brushes it off, and brings up that mission to the Iron Sister that was mentioned in the last episode, for which Isabelle is now cleared. Which leads into a tangent about what the Sisters are and all that good stuff. And honestly…as far as infodump goes, it works well enough, since Isabelle has this adoration for them that justifies her acting like a fangirl who wants to explain everything. So I'll give it a pass.

Clary, naturally, decides that she should go with Isabelle to see the Sisters, if only so she doesn't stay at the Institute to mope over her mom's death.

But before they leave, Isabelle goes visit Aldertree for a refill of yin fen. And Aldertree actually gives it to her, even though he 1) probably knows that she had more than enough, 2) can see that her hand is shaking (because standard addiction symptoms), and 3) should at the very least check her wound to see if it's healing well and whether she needs more drugs. I mean, come on, you just established that he was a medic last episode, and now this? No wonder he switched to being a "diplomat". Not that he's much good at that, either, but you get my point.

She also asks to have Clary join the mission, which Aldertree accepts, but he wants Isabelle to spy on Clary, arguing that Valentine may have experimented on her as well as Jace. Which, he's right, he just didn't use demon blood. But hey, let's not get into that. Oh, and he also more or less implies he won't give Isabelle yin fen unless she agrees. So…maybe he does realize she's addicted and is just an awful human being. That would not surprise me one bit, to be honest.

So Clary and Isabelle Portal to the Citadel, it looks really cool, and it's just the two of them, because when Isabelle talked about leading a "mission" there, I totally expected it to be just two people.

They get ambushed by a group of Iron Sisters, and they freak out when Clary reveals her identity. She points out she hates him, and they ask the Sisters if they have any clue what Valentine might do with the Sword, and…I guess that's enough for them. Also, Cleophas is revealed to be Amatis and Luke's sister (she actually mentions Amatis by name, so no, they didn't move Amatis to this place).

The girls have to go through a "purity trial", to make sure no demonic impurity can enter the Citadel. This is a big deal because Clary might have demon blood, but Clary will have none of it and jumps in the angelic pool to prove that she's fine.

Of course, the real impurity here is the yin fen that Isabelle's been using, so she gets in trouble when the goes in the pool, and is forbidden to enter the Citadel. Yep, of course they're basically punishing her for being an addict (which was more or less forced on her) by denying her her dream. And by "they" I mean the show's writers, not the characters. Like…I realize they probably just didn't think about the implications here, but it's still what they ended up saying.

phClary goes in with Cleophas, while Sister Magdalena tells Isabelle that this happened because of the yin fen, which is made with vampire venom.

"Yin fen will not heal you. Be careful."

Meanwhile, Clary tells Cleophas about what happened with Luke recently. Cleophas agrees that Luke may be in danger, and shows Clary what she came for: that the Soul-Sword can be used to…destroy all demon-blooded creatures as a last resort should the Shadowhunters fail in their task. Which admittedly makes more sense than it being able to control demons, although…the show already gave that power to the Cup anyway, so maybe it just realized it was being redundant.

So Valentine could kill all Downworlders with the Sword, if he can activate it with "angelic energies". Specifically:

"To activate the sword, it must be wielded by an angelic being and struck by a bolt of lightning."

How…specific. And why lightning? Would other forms of electricity work?

Cleophas tells Clary to keep this a secret from Downworlders, to avoid mass panic. Clary also asks her about the rune she saw, and Isabelle eavesdrops on that part of their conversation using a rune because…I don't know, reasons. Oh, Clary also reuses that same rune from he previous episode, so at least she has control of her runes. That's a plus.

"Do you think it's possible my mother sent it? As an angel?"

Wait, angels are dead people now? Well, no, as Cleophas explains.

"So what about my mom? What happens to her?" "That, my dear, has always been as much a mystery to Shadowhunters as it is to mundanes."

Thanks for answering my question, I guess.

So after they go back, Isabelle reports to Aldertree that Clary's clean, but also calls him out about the whole "pushing a drug on her that almost got her killed" thing. But of course, when he suggests he won't give her any more yin fen, she…asks for more anyway. And he still doesn't disagree.

"All I ever wanted was to help you, but now I'm going to need you help."

Didn't she just do that by reporting on Clary to you?

She does withhold the information about Clary seeing runes, though. Because it's almost like torture by way of playing with someone's addiction is not a reliable source of information. Not only are you a giant asshole, Aldertree, you're not even a very effective one.

Oh, and as the episode ends, we see Cleophas leave the Citadel. Magdalena tries to stop her, and Cleophas kills her, revealing she has a Circle rune on her neck and is probably faithful to Valentine. Because…why the hell not, really.

Simon's plot line

Simon has Raphael over, with Raphael berating him for letting his mom see him feed. Because he totally gets to claim the moral high ground when he's doing nothing to help Simon settle into his new life or anything. At least, Raphael wipes Simon's mom's memories of him ever moving in back home and he returns to his shipping container. So…why there? Can't he stay with the other vampires? Does he not want to? You have to give us information, show!

At least that gives Simon an excuse to check on the werewolves, and specifically to ask around for Luke, but his trail has gone cold, and Alaric isn't too worried about looking for him any further. But after a brief cut to Luke hunting deer in wolf form, Simon gets some help in the form of Maia, who hasn't stopped looking for Luke. But she tells Simon he can't look for Luke, because it's dangerous for him as a vampire to look for a werewolf. I'm not sure why she says that like it's dangerous for a vampire specifically, because all she says next is that grief can trigger a loss of control, which…wouldn't that make Luke just as dangerous to anyone?

Maia asks Simon if he knows a remote place where Luke might have gone, and of course, Simon knows of a place they used to go camping. Which he didn't check before because he's Simon and he's functionally useless.

As they drive to the camping grounds, Maia asks who Clary is. Instead of giving some general information, Simon heads straight into who she is to him, which is probably a fairly realistic depiction of a straight man, and Maia immediately picks up that he's in the friend zone.

"She was into this…one guy…Jace, but it's kind of a long story." "Jace Wayland? […] I kinda tried to kill him."

So Simon and Maia bond over how Shadowhunters just don't get it, and the bad/embarrassing stuff they've been through because of their being Downworlders. And to be fair, they have better chemistry than the characters who are on an actual date at the same time as this scene is going on. More on that in a moment.

Cut to them searching the woods, and more bonding (this time over video games, because OMG GIRL GAMER, SO GROUNDBREAKING, IT'S NOT LIKE ABOUT HALF OF GAMERS ARE FEMALE OR ANYTHING), and…cue flashback. Yeah, in this episode that has little to do with Maia and Luke, we get a flashback of the two of them meeting and Luke helping her control her werewolf condition after she accidentally attacked a girl and possibly turned her. I guess the writers just had no idea where else to put it.

They find the deer Luke killed, and soon afterwards, Luke himself, just before he attacks a couple of campers. Simon manages to talk him back into controlling himself. Simon asks Luke to come back, he argues he can't control himself right now, Maia uses the power of flashback to convince him to come back, yay.

They head back to the pack's restaurant together, and Clary comes too. She sees Simon and Maia together and…I don't really know how she's supposed to feel, because Luke comes in before she can really emote. They have their reunion, this is sweet, hurray.

Magnus and Alec's plot lines

Magnus invites Alec over for "an emergency". Which is just a pretense for another pep talk. They seem to be having a lot of those in this season.

"It was the only way to get your attention. […] I'm not okay because you're not okay."

So after Magnus convinces Alec that he needs some time off to remember what he's fighting for or some bullshit like that, they go to a bar for what I guess is that long-overdue first date. Which involves, in that order: Magnus getting Alec a beer that he doesn't like because he basically never drinks, Alec pretending to be bad at pool so he doesn't hurt Magnus's feelings, Magnus probably cheating at pool in response, and Alec letting it slip that his only "relationship" was with Lydia.

That last "reveal" is somehow a surprise that dampens the mood. I don't know why, Magnus was perfectly aware that Shadowhunter society is homophobic last season. What did he expect, exactly?

Oh, but don't worry, they solve it in five seconds where Alec gives a heartfelt talk and Magnus basically goes Christian Grey on us.

"I don't want you to treat me any different." "You're different. And it's a good thing."

Okay, Christian Grey is a little exaggerated, but only a little.

Oh, and then the conversation turns to Magnus's romantic history.

"I've lived for centuries. I've been with men, women, Seelies, warlocks, vampires, a jinn or two."

Because different genders and different species are exactly the same thing! (Yes, I still hate that quote)

And then the conversation turns to Magnus's romantic history, and Alec acting all outraged that Magnus dares to have had many other lovers before him. Magnus's response?

"I am who I am, and you are who you are. And all the magic in the world can't change that, so let's just try to make the best of it."

Or, you know, not? If the person you're dating immediately shames you for your romantic history (which both of them just did), it's probably okay to call it quits.

Cut to them coming home to Magnus's apartment, and Alec suggesting they might be too different to make a relationship work. Alec is about to leave…but then he changes his mind, says he doesn't care about Magnus's exes, and they kiss. Because I guess attraction is more important than anything else to make a relationship happens.

And this is where this subplot ties into…

Jace's plot line

Aldertree summons Jace to tell him once again that he doesn't trust him because of his demon blood. And he's found out that Clary and Jace are studying the Gray Book. Jace says he's just teaching Clary about rune history, and Aldertree, instead of…I don't know, pressing to find the truth or something…assigns Jace to "ichor duty". I don't know what that is exactly, but it sounds like menial work well below the Almighty Jace Waylightmorgendale.

"I can have you clean the latrines, if you prefer."

Do you have actual latrines, though? Because that might raise a lot of questions.

Ichor duty, by the way, consists of cleaning weapons from Shadowhunters after a mission. And everyone in the Institute is apparently really happy to see Jace humiliated this way, and it doesn't take long for him to snap and come back to Aldertree, asking what he's done to deserve this treatment.

The answer, of course, is that he failed the trial by the Soul-Sword. Yeah, he saved Aldertree, but even that doesn't really redeem him since he let Valentine escape in the process. I mean, this should be obvious. So Aldertree basically admits he's trying to force Jace to leave, since he can't kick him out himself.

So Jace does leave, and goes straight to Magnus's place (right after he and Alec kiss, because convenient timing is king). I'm not really sure why this is the place he goes, but hey, Magnus has always been the protagonists' lapdog in the books, so I guess it had to happen here as well.

#Mike Rohl #Allison Rymer #Iron Sisters #shadowhunters #Todd Slavkin #Darren Swimmer #mcg #series #TV series #review #reviews #series review #series reviews #the shadowhunter chronicles #cassandra clare #st: shadowhunters s2

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