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mysteriousquantumphysics · 3 years ago

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6 semesters of physics - recap of the B.Sc. degree

Finally! I've finished my Bachelor's degree in Physics! Because it has been a while since I gave a recap about my studies, I guess now is a good moment to share some of my experiences and give you some impressions - whatever you're doing, whether you want to start studying physics or whether you're already struggling through your studies.

Not surprisingly, studying physics is indeed tedious business. Most often one works (at least I did, and many of my fellow students had a similar schedule) every day of the week. During the semester there's simply not a lot of time for loads of recreational time - but: It gets better. There's not more free time in the higher semesters, but one has less self doubts and the frustration one feels in the first semesters evolves into a form of motivation. It becomes normal to spend hours staring on exercise sheets or trying to understand a certain concept - contemplation of this kind becomes a kind of joy, but to be honest, a fraction of frustration remains of course. At least as I experienced it, the studies become less exhausting the more exams one has already passed. Simultaneously, one gains further motivation because the more sophisticated the topics are the more stimulating the studies are.

Now, some hints and insights that - at least I think so - helped me to get through the studies in a decent time (by not exceeding the standard period of study) and staying motivated (besides the hints I've pointed out here):

Keep up the amount of work you do for your studies: Try not to rest on your laurels once you've completed your first semesters. Keep on studying - there is so much to learn, the first semesters are only the beginning!

Dont hesitate to repeat topics from the first semesters. It is normal to forget and furthermore it is normal to understand things just a couple of semesters later after facing them the first time. Sometimes it feels redundant to do a recap on e.g. linear algebra - but redundance, to some extent, helps to gain deeper understanding.

The feeling that you actually understand nothing will remain - always, I'm afraid. This might sound disillusioning but it is simply true. The more you learn and understand the more you see what you haven't understood yet or not even know about. Taking undergrad lectures is always focused on the basics of each theory - I guess it is normal to feel lost sometimes, even if you've studied for three years already. During the undergrad studies one can merely learn superficially - deeper understanding in a chosen area of physics will (hopefully) follow in the postgraduate studies.

Use your vacations to read about topics that might interest you beyond the lectures. I know that this sounds insane, in particular because recreational time is rare. But there are always some topics that are mentioned in the lectures and merely browsed superficially. Additionally, although the standard lectures are most often demanding enough, they are not always the main source of motivation. It is worth it to pick some of these topics and do some reading in your free time after the exams. At least for me this was a way to find topics that made me say: "Yes, this is exactly why I am studying physics". That way I stumbled across foundations of quantum mechanics, i.e. the realm of Bell's Theorem, interpretations and alternative theories of QM. It is very stimulating to find a branch of physics which simply fascinates you - I guess one cannot find them in the standard lectures: You have to search for the topics which please you the most. Doing so adds momentum to your motivation.

Do not exclude physics from your free time. Of course it is crucial to have physics-free hours but I think - psychologically - it is essential to draw joy out of your studies and not seeing it merely as an obligation. In case you regard any physics just as work and not as joy, then you run into danger losing your motivation on the long road.

Study responsibly. Sleep enough, eat healthy (vegan) and drink sufficient amounts of water - Although it is difficult sometimes, do not let bad habits overwhelm you. Additionally, also find joy beyond physics and allow yourself to do hobbies, i.e. drawing, reading on politics/literature/whatever, watching movies. At least in such a range that you will not merely become a narrow-minded scientist.

So, these were some points which came to my mind, hopefully they will help at least some of you! Do you have further/better hints to share? Post them below 👇👇👇

#mysteriousquantumphysics #physics #studyblr #physicsblr #science #stemblr #stem academia #studyspiration #uniblr

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kalee60 · 4 years ago

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Kalee. Kal. Hi. Hello.

So I recently got a Tiktok because all the kids these days are doing it and my sister keeps sending me videos 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄 I know.

Anyways

There’s apparently this challenge.

Kalee.

It’s a kiss your best friend challenge.

And all I can think is:

Steve and Bucky.

It could be canon verse. It could be an au.

But like imagine. If you haven’t seen the videos it’s super cute but also cringy because like what if it doesn’t go over well, it would be awkwardddd! They basically just film themselves hangout with their best friend and then try to kiss them and see if they’ve secretly been pining too.

Imagine.

Claire - my gorgeous pocket rocket from the Big Apple 🍎

This ask (that you sent eons ago) could not just be answered with a simple - 'omg, yes - I know right - it's the perfect Stucky scenario - someone should write it'... Because well - I guess somehow it turned out that I could write a little something...

I hope you enjoy this, because without your cheerleading, your throwing of pom poms and generally screaming at me in comments and on here - well writing wouldn't be half as much fun.

So for you Claire - enjoy this little story of two boys, a kiss in the making and a TikTok account 😘

~*~*~*~*~

Nerves rode Bucky as he placed his phone down into the perfect position; camera at the ready, not pressing record yet - but waiting for the signal. Steve was doing the exact same with his phone, only from a slightly different angle, setting it up for their parkour trick - something they were going to post to TikTok later. But although Steve was under the impression he was about to perform a flip off Bucky’s shoulders to grab hold of a tree branch then scale the fifteen foot wall beside it - Bucky had other ideas.

He’d seen a new TikTok challenge that week, it was plastered all over the platform and filled his suggested videos, and since the first time he’d watched one, then devoured another fifty straight away, he’d secretly wanted to do it. Wanted to throw all caution to the wind and seize the moment.

Today was that day.

Bucky Barnes was going to kiss Stevie Rogers right on the lips. His best friend since middle school, the boy, now man that he’d secretly loved for over a decade - and although Bucky could have thought of a million different ways to show Steve how he felt - he’d just never had the courage. At least if the video bombed, he could still put it up as a laugh and hopefully Steve would see the joke and it wouldn’t ruin their friendship - hopefully.

So Bucky waited for Steve to finish fiddling with his phone and camera positioning, which was taking him longer than usual to set up, trying to not let the butterflies in his gut take over.

Steve finally looked up, face flushed red like he’d already performed the stunt and Bucky was struck dumb, staring at how beautiful Steve was in the afternoon sunlight. He became lost in the way the shadows from the trees created patterns across Steve’s tightly toned body, the slight wind whispering to Bucky to take his chance, to not mess it up. And Steve stood before him like a golden god, nervously splaying his fingers, cracking his knuckles while staring back at Bucky with an unreadable expression on his face. Was he worried about their trick?

“You okay, Pal?” Bucky asked, his voice faltering with the knowledge he was about to change everything - or nothing.

Steve nodded, eyes wide and bright, darting over Bucky’s face, and Bucky took a moment to bask at being in Steve’s full attention.

“Yep,” Steve popped the ‘p’ and ran a hand through his hair, blonde strands sticking up comically, but Bucky didn’t laugh, he’d never seen someone as breathtaking as Steve did in that moment.

Steve was Bucky’s true north, a steady and unrelenting force at his side - but it went both ways. They’d been through family deaths, relationship fallouts, fights and everything in between, but the one thing that was always unbroken - was they were in it together. No matter what life threw at them, Steve and Bucky were as solid as rock. Unshakable.

And Bucky was probably about to screw it all up.

They closed in on each other, coming to a standstill until only a foot separated them; Steve’s huge blue eyes darted quickly between Bucky’s; there was something different about the look, intense, and Bucky wondered if his own nerves were obvious and Steve was suddenly unsure about the acrobatic feat they were attempting.

“You still want to do this? Haven’t changed your mind?” Bucky asked to make sure, and was surprised when Steve licked his lips and shook his head emphatically.

“No, I’m sure - more sure than I’ve ever been about anything.”

Bucky smiled, Steve being dramatic about their parkour tricks was not unusual, but the way Steve’s cheek twitched and how his foot tapped on the ground was not normal behaviour. And Bucky couldn’t help but start to worry that his idea to surprise-kiss Steve wasn’t the greatest one, wasn’t something he should be trying, as it seemed Steve was janky - wound up.

“Alright, Stevie. If you’re sure.”

Resolve filled Steve’s features as they both turned on their cameras, and once set up, Steve took an almost hesitant step forward.

Bucky held his breath.

It was the moment of truth.

They’d practised the trick so many times, had to start toe to toe for it to work, Steve pushing off Bucky to sprint to the wall, running vertically up the side of it, to twist around and jump off Bucky’s shoulders and flip onto the tree branch, shoving off it then using his momentum to run up the rest of the wall. Finally gripping the lip and climbing over it.

They’d gone over it at least thirty times.

No injuries as of yet.

But this time, just as Steve pressed forward, Bucky yanked him in - at the exact same time as Steve flew forward, completely catching Bucky off guard as he was heading in the wrong direction than expected, he was moving towards Bucky instead of pushing away - and their heads slammed together with a loud thud.

And instead of taking the defeat of the moment graciously, Bucky was in too deep, had waited too long, had it all planned out - and so as Steve rubbed his forehead looking as mortified at what had transpired as Bucky, Bucky once again leant forward. Only to find Steve pitching towards him too, and for the second time in less than three seconds their skulls cracked against the other.

“- holy shit, Barnes. Are you going to let me kiss you or not?”

“- Steve you fucking menace, I’m trying to kiss you!”

The silence was deafening as their words mingled together and wide ocean blue eyes met stormy silt infused grey-blue ones in shock.

“- what did you…?”

“- did you just...?”

Once again talking at the same time, they both trailed off, and the words started to sink into Bucky’s fried brain. Steve was trying to kiss him. Him.

Slack jawed, he could only stare at Steve whose expression mimicked his own, clearly having come to the same realisation about Bucky. He managed to swallow the obscenely thick lump in his throat and with a small tremor in his hand, reached up to place it on Steve’s forehead where a red mark was forming - rubbing the spot gently with his thumb. Steve’s eyes softened and his shoulders relaxed.

With the last tendrils of fear slipping away, Bucky trailed his fingers down the side of Steve’s face before reaching behind his head, gripping the base of Steve’s neck. Then stopped.

Steve’s breathing laboured, coming in sharp and Bucky tightened his grip, loving the way Steve’s eyes fluttered half shut before they opened again, trying not to lose contact with Bucky’s.

Steve was stunning, so responsive and Bucky licked his lips, loving how Steve’s attention snagged on his mouth immediately.

“Can I?” Bucky husked, and Steve nodded jerkily when Bucky’s fingers played with the silky strands of Steve’s hair as he leant in.

The first meeting of their lips lacked the pain of slammed heads and teeth - but it was perfect in every way. Steve’s lips were plush, soft and pliant under Buckys as Bucky took control of the kiss, pressing forward into Steve’s heat. Bucky’s other hand came up to cup Steve’s face tenderly, unable to express how it felt to be kissing his lifelong friend after so many years of yearning for it, Bucky almost at the point where he thought it could never happen. The fact Steve kissed him back - enthusiastically, made his heart thump louder and harder until it was all he could hear in his mind.

After a moment, Bucky pulled away, resting his forehead on Steve’s, mindful of the tender place they’d cracked heads minutes earlier, and couldn’t stop the rasped laugh that escaped.

“You laughing at the way I kiss, Barnes?” Steve sassed with a smile in his voice.

Bucky chuckled, “no, not at all.” He paused a second to gather his thoughts, “I just can’t believe I set this up to kiss you on camera for TikTok, so damn nervous the whole time you’d freak out and punch me - and you were doing the exact same thing.”

Steve grinned and pulled away enough so that he could stare into Bucky’s eyes, the emotion shining from his beautifully clear expression stole the breath from Bucky’s lungs.

“How long?” Steve asked with a whisper. And Bucky wanted to lie, to tell him it wasn’t long, that he’d only just realised if only to stop himself looking too much like a sap.

He didn’t lie.

“The day you punched Deon Franklin when he asked me for a tongue kiss while calling me those terrible names.”

Steve’s stunned look spoke volumes, “Bucky. We were sixteen.”

“And…?” Bucky winced at Steve’s incredulous tone.

Suddenly Steve laughed hysterically, and Bucky started to back up, but before he got too far, Steve grabbed his biceps stopping him in his tracks. “Oh no you dont. You do know why I punched him right?”

“Because he was a dick?”

“Well apart from that.” Steve said wryly and took a deep breath, letting Bucky go. “It’s because he upset you. And I was desperate for your attention - wanted that kiss he so crudely demanded as a joke.”

“What…” Bucky stammered out, “You wanted me back then too?”

Steve smiled indulgently at him. “You didn’t think I stuck around just for your personality did you?”

Bucky roared with laughter, elated at the turn of events and grabbed Steve, slamming their mouths together, and soon the kiss morphed from chaste and exploratory to something meaner, something heavier. Pushing Steve up against the tree, the small noise from Steve’s throat as the bark dug into his skin set something feral off in Bucky and he kissed deeper, shoving his tongue further until both of them struggled for air.

A loud beeping infiltrated Bucky’s hearing and he reluctantly pulled away, adoring the slack jawed and glazed look in Steve’s eyes way too much. Wanting Steve to look up at him with that exact same expression but with a lot less clothing and a lot more privacy in place.

“Want to do the trick still?” Bucky questioned as he walked over and grabbed his phone to stop the alert that he was running out of video. When Steve didn’t answer he looked back over his shoulder and almost dropped his phone.

Steve was leaning limp against the tree, clearly half hard and staring after Bucky like he’d just gifted him the world. When in actual fact, it was Steve who’d done that for him.

Bucky stalked back over, gripping Steve’s chin, kissing him soundly one more time, and Steve immediately went pliant under his touch, oh boy, they were going to have so much fun.

“How about instead, we go back to mine and see what other tricks we can come up with?”

Steve’s breathing came in faster and harder and a broken ‘yes’ worked its way out of his throat, Bucky catching the word in his mouth as he kissed Steve again.

Bucky smirked as he pulled away, helping Steve stand upright.

“But, only on the condition that we tape it.” Steve said in a voice deep and rich, and Bucky was suddenly on the back foot when Steve smiled deliciously at him, eyes full of dirty promises.

Dry mouthed and vibrating from anticipation, Bucky followed Steve to his car, walking in a slight daze at what had transpired in only twenty minutes.

And all Bucky was certain of, was that although his TikTok kiss hadn’t gone to plan - everything else would fall into place.

Just the way it was meant to.

#Claire - this is all your fault - look what you made me do!!#stucky #Steve x Bucky #friends to lovers #tiktok challenge drabble/fic #mutual pining #mywriting #something silly #Claire i love you ❤️#i have the most amazing friends who inspire me to write this fluffy crap 🥰#kalee answers

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inorganicone2230 · 3 years ago

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okay so im sorry this is weird but i honestly really like that you wrote kai as wanting the reader to weigh a bit more. Ive never really been under or over weight, but (and this may just be because i work/study in the fashion industry and there's lots of unhealthy ideals i see adhered to) i feel like no matter what weight a person is, there's always some societal push to get people to lose weight. And its so prevalent in daily life that no matter what kind of media you're exposed to (newspaper, social media, tv/radio) there's always advertisements or celebrity endorsements that try to get people to believe that-even if they are perfectly healthy- they should strive to lose weight. I dont know quite how to explain it but i feel that conversations like these are what make dark content so interesting to explore and read about? Like obviously in reality it'd be beyond awful to have someone be as controlling as kai is with the reader's body. But at the same time, the idea of someone actively going against modern beauty standards (that are usually pro- weight loss),and still being perceived as beautiful- i dont know how to totally put it to words, but it's a detail that has kept me attached to this story since it first came up.

I am very sorry for the late reply on this, and thank you so much for this wonderful commentary! Besides my friend @talpup you are the first person to actually tell me that you were perfectly fine with this detail! ❤️

I totally understand where some people are coming from in regards to the way I’ve handled describing the Reader’s body, because I probably could have portrayed it in a better fashion. But I honestly can’t seem to think of a way to describe her as both skinny AND plus-sized at the same time in order to appeal to all variety of readers while still maintaining the fact that, regardless of her size, Kai would still find her to be very small and delicate, not without it constantly breaking up the momentum of the story anyway.

And as much as I know it’s going to piss some people off, the fact of the matter is that I’m not going to stop describing my Fem!Reader’s as small because, as I’ve stated in the past, I write these stories primarily for myself because I couldn’t find the content I wanted to read and I personally have a weirdly specific kink for this sort of thing. I appreciate all the love and support I get for them and it definitely is what motivates me to keep writing and posting, but the reality is that if people are going to choose to continue to read my stories, then they’re just going to have to deal with the way I choose to write them. I will always go back and change little things, like if I were to accidentally type that the Reader had pale skin, I would change it to (s/c), and so on so forth, but those are the only kinds of descriptive details I’m willing to go back and fix.

All I can say about the body type issue is that, from here on out, I will try to do my best to find a way to make it more inclusive while still continuing to detail it the way that I want to detail it and hopefully everyone can be respectful and understanding of that. 🥰

#ask response #anonymous #Purity #yandere!overhaul #fem!reader #yandere!overhaul x reader #body image #body posititivity #my personal preference #yandere bnha

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xmystophalesx · 3 years ago

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Best New Metal Releases Weekend of February 4th, 2022

We head into February with more than a little momentum coming off a strong opening month of the year. The strength of the Heavy Metal genre and all of its multitudes of subgenres never ceases to amaze me. I mean, let’s be honest here, this music is not tearing up the sales charts. This music is being created by fans for fans. This is a long and hard road if you want to do this as a living. That just speaks to the love these artists have for this music. That all being said, let’s look at the highlights of what I came across for the week of February 4th.

This was a strong week for Thrash Metal once again and it didn’t take long to come across the album that could very well be the best Thrash Metal album of the year thus far. Atrox Trauma came out of the gate swinging with their release, “On the Line of Nothing and Something”. Blistering riffs and leads explode all over this album without losing that bit of groove that Thrash Metal is known for. I would be shocked if this isn’t on the list of best Thrash albums by the end of the year. It really is that good. Next up we have Vorga with “Striving Toward Oblivion”. A Melodic Black Metal release that had me preordering the vinyl online after the very first listen. From the epic sounds the song structures create with the absolute perfect production, everything about this album screams top tier. Even the cover art is worthy of note, as it is amazing as well. One good Melodic Black Metal album deserves another, and I didn’t have to wait long before I came across Mystic Circle and their first release since 2006 with this self-titled album. Not sure if the band was on a hiatus or actually broke up and reformed, but whatever the case is, they have come back incredibly strong. Heavy focus on melody on this album, sacrificing none of that Black Metal anger and heaviness. It reminds a bit of everything that I liked in the Yoth Iria album that ended up being my number one album of last year. Next up, we have a new release from the Melodic Death/Progressive Metal band Persefone. Nothing really new going on here, but this band doesn’t need to do anything new as what they are doing is incredibly well done. This is one of those bands that has the ability to take you on a trip through one of their songs. If you aren’t exactly sure what I am talking about, listen to the instrumental track “Leap of Faith” on a quality set of headphones and you will understand. The beauty that Persefone can create within their songs to the dirt, grime and anger the band Abhoria throws your way with their self-titled debut is quite a jump. You usually dont find this type of quality from a debut album which makes it even more impressive. This blend of Black and Progressive or even Technical Death Metal at times, is even more impressive coming out of Los Angeles. This is usually an area that Europe has been dominant in for a very long time. Hopefully, this signals more to come from the USA. We started this highlight section off with a Thrash band and we are going to end it with one as well. Atrox Trauma was a bit more on the serious side while the band Tymo and their release “The Art of a Maniac” are a bit more in that good time style of Thrash. Not necessarily in the lyrical content, but you can tell this music is written with the thought of a good mosh pit getting started. Just a catchy and fun album from beginning to end with some absolutely killer solos. If you like Thrash and you don’t like this album, I would be absolutely shocked.

Until next week and, as always,

BANG THY HEAD!

Those Who Bring the Torture-Cosmos Osmosis (Death)

Tine-Mergae Maris Profundi (Symhonic Black)

Brutalfly-I was an Experiment (Thrash)

Shatter-Death of the Universe (Thrash/Death)

Akrasia-Act of Will (Thrash)*

Detset-Vermeil (Melodic Death)

Kings and Liars-Transition Animals (Hard Rock)

Opposer-R3cod3d (Melodic Death/Thrash)*

Atrox Trauma-On the Line of Nothing and Something (Thrash)**

Tribut-Juicio Final (Power)

Vorga-Striving Toward Oblivion (Melodic Death)**

Shaylon-The Initiation of a Timeless Voyage (Symphonic Power)

Infected Plague-Horrors of the Terminal Earth (Death)

Human Harvest-Flesh Sermons (Death/Grind)*

Kill All the Gentlemen-Black Canvas (Melodic Death)*

Tlepsh-Hexed Sword (Melodic Black/Death)*

Krvvla-X (Black)*

The Final Sleep-Vessels of Grief (Melodic Death/Progressive)*

Craniotomy-Ripped Out by Violence (Death)

RF Force-RF Force (Heavy)

Mass Worship-Portal Tombs (Death)

Mystic Circle-Mystic Circle (Melodic Black)**

Persefone-Metanoia (Melodic Death/Progressive)**

Acranius-Mercy Denied (Death)

Golgothan-Leech (Death)*

Lunar Tombfields-The Eternal Harvest (Atmospheric Black)

Vanaheim-Een Verloren Verhaal (Melodic Death/Folk/Viking)

Monastery-Divine Damnation (Death/Thrash)*

Nihilum-Cascading Darkness (Black)*

Abhoria-Abhoria (Black/Death)**

Darvaza-Ascending into Perdition (Black)*

Chemical Annihilation-Resurrection (Thrash)*

Seismic Burst-Redistribute (Thrash)

Zeke Sky-Intergalactic Demon King (Heavy Progressive)

Kurokuma-Born of Obsidian (Heavy/Doom)*

Near Death Condition-Ascent Fron the Mundane (Death)

Tymo-The Art of Maniac (Thrash)**

Saxon-Carpe Diem (Heavy)*

All worthy of a listen if you like the genre

*= standout in that genre

**=best of the week regardless of genre

Pick of the Week goes to Vorga - Striving Toward Oblivion with 4.75 deep bulldog stares out of 5.

#black metal #metal #classic rock #death metal #folk #hard rock #hardcore music #music #punk #rock #melodic death metal

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andymull · 5 years ago

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WWE NXT Takeover: Portland 2020 – Preview & Predictions

Adam Cole (c) vs Tommaso Ciampa: NXT Championship Match

Finally, Ciampa gets the chance to take back Goldie after never being pinned for it due to injury previously, just that standing in his way is Adam Cole who has been on such a great run as a champion since winning the title.

I swear every time Ciampa is in-ring doing something he always seems to get a knock, he was limping the other week I just hope nothings lingering for him and has to keep working through knocks again which could build up.

Cole has been great both in matches as well as bringing the aura of a proper champion to his reign, not a knock on others but him interacting with the Raw and Smackdown rosters around Survivor Series made him seem an equal and not someone on the newer third brand.

Not sure about the outcome here to be honest, my biggest instinct is that Cole wins and goes to feud with Gargano if he beats Balor. The story of Ciampa’s return from injury is a big one that they may go with for the raw emotion of him getting the gold back, but I feel they stay with Cole as champion clinging to his reign as the other members of Undisputed Era drop their belts – COLE

Rhea Ripley (c) vs Bianca Belair: NXT Championship Match

Bianca gets another chance at the title after winning a battle royal, to begin with this came across as a massive stop gap for whatever plans they had for Rhea and the title at Wrestlemania but thankfully they’ve developed the feud to incorporate Charlotte and add some layers to this whole situation.

The build to a potential Rhea/Charlotte match began WAAAAYYYYYY too early and really didn’t need to, especially as the Smackdown crew haven’t really started their Mania feuds properly building yet I get the need to with Charlotte having won the Rumble but still be creative to wait till next week maybe?

At first I was 100% sure that Ripley would retain and move on but now after they’ve been given mic time and focus im starting to possibly see a Belair title win and this all evolve to a Wrestlemania three way match with Charlotte (I don’t need her in another one, but as long as it helps the other girls than im all for it). If Rhea keeps the belt tonight then forget it as Bianca wont have the smoke needed to be injected into it, plus I think it’s the big surprise they may need for tonight's show with it featuring two women’s matches and both wanting to impress more than the other (more on that later).

Im going to go with Belair to get her first title win in the company, one of my favourite people to see on tv will be ecstatic to get the victory, THEN we can push on with Charlotte coming down to the ring to square off with the new champion while Rhea gets included as her rematch – BELAIR

The Undisputed Era (c) vs Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne, The BROserweights: NXT Tag Team Championship Match

The winners of this years Dusty Classic take their trophy as well as their championship opportunity tonight and what a fun match this will be.

The current champions have held their titles since August and continue to have great matches with whoever they are in the ring with and this will surely be another classic, but the big question will be can the new team conquer the established duo? For me the comedy segments Dunne and Riddle have done since winning the classic have been great and a welcome change to some of NXT’s usual broadcast, a real fresh feel to them with Riddle’s laid back character and Dunne’s shrugs the perfect combination to get more out of Pete’s character while giving Matt the chance to shine. While the UE have remained a constant highlight with Kyle wayyyy up there for one of my favourites in the whole company (If only him and Strong were a foot or two taller they’d be main eventing PPVs sigh).

For me I think we are about to see a down swing in the UE’s momentum and that sadly entails them dropping the titles to give their group more room to develop which ultimately will be great for them. I don’t think Riddle and Dunne are a long term team but will have tons of fun in whatever length of time they are kept together. But remember, they WILL split when Riddle leaps into the ring one night and accidently kicks his sliders into the back of Dunne’s head on accident, only for Dunne to turn and destroy Riddle for doing so setting up some very tough brawls down the road – RIDDLE/DUNNE

Keith Lee (c) vs Dominik Dijakovic: NXT North American Championship Match

The rivalry continues!!!

There really isn’t much to say here, we’ve seen them fight in epic battles before and this time on a Takeover they HAVE to raise the bar further, good luck boys – LEE

Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai: Street Fight

A street fight between two former best friends is what brings us our second women’s match of the evening, and the stipulation is what was required after their brawl recently on NXT tv.

These two are going to go as far as they can with this stipulation and then go a step or two further, expect some worried looking referees around them as well as possible Regal appearing to calm them down after being around Dakota’s turn. Both of the women here know how important this match is not just for this feud but that its both of their times to shine in probably their biggest matches in the company so far, and hopefully they’ve been working each other for years as friends just ready for this occasion.

Predictions wise I can only see Dakota winning after Tegan got the win on tv with Candice’s help, ill predict that Candice appears again but this time Nox declines her help only for someone else to interfere and get Dakota the victory. The word going around is that Raquel Gonzalez is ready for tv and her push after a slight name change so her debuting as Kai’s muscle would be the perfect starting point for her run as well as continuing this feud further – KAI

Johnny Gargano vs Finn Balor

This is really the most interesting match on the card for me in terms on who gets the win, both massive in terms of development for this brand over the years but as I mentioned earlier I give the slight advantage to Gargano with the idea of him moving to the title scene after.

Now, saying that I don’t think this feud is near from being over and is one that will be placed on the side and hopefully show Balors clever side over the next few weeks. If he loses allow him to maybe even help Gargano win the title eventually from Cole then instantly destroy Johnny again to move into the title picture his-self. Even in defeat Finn knows the game too well and uses others to gain the steps he needs to get back to where he knows. – GARGANO

As is the norm with Takeovers this will be awesome with great matches and some intriguing angles I predict to keep the tv killing it too.

There may also be another match or two added to the show but possibly just on the kick off show.

Also, I’m VERY happy to see that Jorge Bolly got his NXT debut this weekend on the loop, I cant wait to see how much fun he has rising through the NXT ranks and beyond, trust me

Credit to WWE.com for the images and sadly I dont know who put together the group shot picture but I loved it so thank you.

Bye for now

Andy

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flamingjets · 6 years ago

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arya and gendry fanfic

His ears were ringing, his head hurt, his legs felt like two useless weights attached to his body and he couldn't move them. What was he saying his entire body hurt and he couldn't for the life of himself remember what the hell happened.

The last thing he could remember was Arya and him in the forge on the soft piles of hay that they had just made love on for the first time. Arya was sleeping on his chest as he had his arm wrapped around her as he felt her hair on his face and truth me told it was the best feeling in the world. Those three others girls that he had been with, and when Arya asked how many girls he had been with he was down right terrified to tell her yet couldn't keep it away from her, she could ask him anything and he would tell her without question. This woman made his heart race and the blood in his veins burn through his body, he definitely didnt need the forge to keep him warm when she was around. He remembered laying there only to have the horns blow and both of them jarring awake ready to attack whatever was possibly coming at them. Nothing was there but that didnt prevent him from putting his arm out in front of her and his hands balled into fists and to his shock her reaction was the exact same as his until they got their bearings and realized what was truly coming. They quickly dressed and he remembered looking at her to memorize her form and every inch of her just in case it was the last time he saw her. Don’t think like that you bloody idiot was what he was telling himself before she grabbed him by his collar and kissed him hard. “This battle is going to be dangerous, bloody and people are going to die but you you stay alive done die! I dont want to lose you again.” she told him against his lips as he wrapped his arms around her one last time. “As you wish milady. And the same goes for you I didn’t follow you once this time im not going to leave you.” He smiled against her lips. They both gripped each other one last time and both ran out of the room.

He remembered battling in the courtyard against several white walkers and wights as he swung his hammer and pounding their heads in. At one point he had gotten knocked down and was attempting to keep from getting his head sliced off by a wight when the hound showed up and cleaved the wight in half. The hound grabbed him and pulled him up nodded and continued on his way into another fight. He looked up at the top of the walls at one point and saw Arya and Jon Snow fighting back to back against several white walkers and she was using the weapon he had made for her with expertise and it was awesome to watch. It was just a moment but it made him smile as he turned to take out another wight. The last thing he remembered was standing near the forge and fighting off several wights with other then behind him fire ball hit the forge and it exploded sending him flying. That was the last thing he remembered before everything went dark.

The fighting was brutal and blood stained the ground of Winterfell. Arya hear the forge explosion and turned around to see several men get blasted away along with several wights and get caught underneath the rumble. The wights and white walkers were still coming strong and they were starting to lose the momentum in the fight and Arya knew at the moment Winterfell had fallen. She could see the dragons in the ski burning hundreds of wights in one sweep but it wasn't enough. Jon was ordering the retreat of the remaining men and the dragon queen was doing the same and ordering everyone to the ships to escape. She saw people running out of the crypts in terror and she realized that it was the worst place to have the woman and children go it was full of dead bodies! Jon grabbed her from behind screaming at her that they had to go and half carried half dragged her away toward the ships. The last thing she saw of winterfell her home was being burned to the ground by the dragons in order to kill any wights and white walkers in there. Winterfell had fallen and no longer would there be a Stark there unless they were dead. She was devastated.

They were heading to a place Dany had said would be a good place to go and defend and make more dragon glass weapons. Arya walked around the boat checking on the wounded and seeing who was still alive. Sansa gave her a huge hug when she saw her and Arya was relieved to see her alive and Bran was there as well with Jamie, Brienne and tyrion. She didnt see the hound anywhere but Bran said the hound had gotten him back to the ships. Arya found out that Theon didn’t make it, he died protecting Bran. Sansa was crying over his death. Arya made it around the whole ship looking for the one person she prayed was still alive, Gendry, but he wasn't on the ship and she looked several times just in case she missed him but he wasn't there. Was he dead? was his body burning at Winterfell after the dragons burned it to the ground? For no good reason she was angry at him! She told him to stay alive and don’t die and in his way calling her milady he told her he wouldn’t. A promise she knew was impossible to keep but she didn’t care she loves him she admitted to herself right here and now she loves and after their night together and finally letting herself feel agains he can’t just lose him all over again! Tears in her eyes she walked to the railings of the ship willing herself not to cry. What possibly gave her hope was that when she looked out to the water she saw other ships sailing with them and prayed that he was on one of them!

When Gendry regained consciousness again he was staring at the face of the hound. Fantastic just the ugly face he wanted to see the moment he opened his eyes. As he attempted once again to sit up his ribs screamed out in pain in the movement and he grunted as he gripped his chest with his arm. The hound immediately got up and pushed him back down. “Don't hurt yourself anymore than you have to blacksmith we are almost at our destination. And as people keep reminding me we need you in order to make better stronger weapons.” Gendry looked at him and figured the hound hated to be playing babysitter watching him. “Great thanks for your concern but you can go help the others instead of sitting here watching a lowly bastard. And your axe was strong enough since it didn’t break when you were crushing heads.” Gendry eyed the axe as the hound spun it around in his hands. The hound glared at him growled and then departed leaving Gendry in peace as he one again attempted to get up. “Fuck!” Gendry screamed in pain but that didn’t matter he managed to slowly get up and check to see he had all his limbs intact. Pain is always good proof that he was still alive and not dreaming. He inspected himself in a small mirror and just as he expected he was covered in dirt, blood, sweat and god knows what else but he survived yippee. Now there was one person he wanted to find. Arya. After looking around the ship he didnt see Arya and was starting to panic alittle, who was he kidding he was about to have a full blown panic attack but he noticed several other ships sailing next to his and the only hope he had left was she was on one of them.

The ships made it to their new destination and everyone started to unload the injured, weapons that they had and other items they had quickly grabbed before they escaped Winterfell. It was a castle surrounded by rocks and water and hopefully would be a good fortress yet the night king had a freaking dead dragon so what possibly could these rock walls stop. Arya watched other ships come in and scanned the people disembarking. She witnessed the hound coming off one ship and she walked toward him as he noticed her. He gave her a nodded that indicated he was happy she as alive but then again he knew she was a survivor and no white walker was going to take her down easily. He saw her scanning the area and he figured she was looking for a certain someone and based on what happened at Winterfell he guessed she was looking for a certain bastard blacksmith that he found slightly annoying and at times on the ship wanted to smack with his axe but he stopped himself or Arya would kill him in his sleep. “You can stop looking at who is coming over the boats milady he's not there. He already disembarked with the other wound. The bastard blacksmith you are looking for is over there near that soggy cave with the others.” The hound pointed toward a cave where others had put the injured and were setting up a new area for the forge they would need. Arya was shocked the hound knew who she was looking for as she whirled around to see the cave he was referring to. She looked at him as he chuckled “He was super annoying and wouldn't listen when he was told to not get up and move around with his injuries. I had the displeasure of minding him before he started getting snarky.” The hound then turned away and walked toward another group.

Gendry attempted to help setting up the forge but the pain was unbearable and he had to sit down and catch his breathe while trying not to scream out in pain for grunting and taking deep breaths was the next best thing. He collapsed on the closest cot as he grabbed his chest to try to will away the pain. Yep that didn’t work at all. As he leaned forward and put his head into his hand he felt hands on his arms and shoulders. His immediate response was to look at who was near him and to flinch away from the touch. When he looked at who was touching him his eyes came in contact with Arya’s! He has never been so relieved to see anyone in his life. The tension left his body as he leaned into Arya’s touch.

Arya raced over to Gendry and she witnessed him collapse on a near cot in obvious pain as he grabbed his chest swearing to himself and looking like he was keeping himself from screaming. Arya dropped to her knees in front of him as she gripped his arms and his shoulders to make sure he was there alive and in front of her and it wasn’t her imagination. She must of shocked him when he flinched away from her touch and attempted to see who was grabbing him. The moment his eyes met hers the instant relief she saw must of mirrored her own the tension that was there a second ago disappeared as he leaned into her touch. “I kept my promise milady. Just a little scraped up and bruised.” He smiled as he said the name she hated but it was his way of saying I love you. “Yes you did keep your promise but you scared the shit out of me!” Arya raised her hand to his cheek as he sighed into it.

She checked his injuries and cleaned a few of them up as he kept his one hand on her thigh or keeping his eyes on her making she didn’t disappear and he was indeed dreaming or dead. Everyone was starting to grow tired as exhaustion and fatigue from the battle caught up to them and the tension was starting to disappear. Gendry had laid down on the cot as Arya had draped a blanket over him. HIs eyes were starting to close even though he tried to keep them open his hand sought out hers as she remained by his side. The adrenaline was waring off and she was starting to feel fatigue set in as well. Her eyes were closing and she felt Gendry grip her hand as he raised the blanket off him offering her a spot next to him on the cot. She took off her weapon belt and her cloak and without hesitation climbed onto the cot next to him and before she laid down she gave him a kiss. Soft but full of meaning that he replicated in his kiss. She turned and pressed her back to his chest hopefully not hurting him to much as he covered them both up and wrapped one arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him as she grabbed his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. Sleep was coming quickly and she heard him whisper into her hair “I love you, Arya.” as his breathing slowed. “I love you Gendry.” She whispered as she closed her eyes and fell asleep in the arms of the man she loved.

#gendrya #arya x gendry #arya stark #gendry baratheon

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goldenkamuyhunting · 5 years ago

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Thanks to your post, i realized asiripa wounded hemi and let sugimoto stabbed him... In sum i mean it's even worse than killing ppl herself, i never hate her since shes so precious, but doing something like that( have ppl dirtied their hand and she stays innocent) feel like some kind of mastermind doing eh? Even though she did it to help sugimoto,.. but if she kept the poison on, i will be happier... Just my opion, but dont u think so?

I’m sorry but to me Asirpa’s actions doesn’t feel at all like the one of a mastermind and if my post had given you that impression I sincerely apologize as that absolutely wasn’t my intention and I should have explained myself better.

Asirpa didn’t wound Henmi IN ORDER TO give Sugimoto the chance to kill him. Asirpa wounded Henmi in order to SAVE Sugimoto as Henmi was about to attack him and potentially kill him.

This is the page before Asirpa hitting him, with Shiraishi screaming the guy with Sugimoto is Henmi Kazuo and Henmi attempting to hit/murder Sugimoto.

Asirpa hitting Henmi provided Sugimoto the time to turn and defend himself.

Look at the page in which Asirpa hits Henmi.

In the middle image you can see that after Asirpa’s arrow has hit Henmi, stopping him midtrack, Sugimoto was still giving him his back. If Asirpa hadn’t stopped Henmi, Henmi’s huge knife would have hit Sugimoto either wounding or killing him.

After being hit by the arrow Henmi will lose momentum and be forced to use only one arm to try to stab Sugimoto but, by then, Sugimoto had managed to turn, block him and then take advantage of how Henmi can’t use all his strenght to pull out his bayonet and stab him in a vital area.

Sure, we know since Sugimoto is the main character he can’t die, therefore even if Asirpa hadn’t wounded Henmi he would have survived just fine but Asirpa isn’t genre savvy nor has medium awareness.

For her Sugimoto is a person like everyone else and can die like everyone else. Just standing there, watching and not saving him when she could would mean potentially letting him die and this would be quite terrible as Sugimoto not only is a person, but also a friend. Or a partner, if you prefer.

Why did I list this scene in which she fundamentally stayed true to her own beliefs of not killing people (she made sure to wound Henmi in a totally not fatal way) and even did a good thing which was saving a person as one of the scenes which hint how she could end up on killing people?

Because the person she saved is Sugimoto.

Basically, although Asirpa made clear she doesn’t want to kill people and she doesn’t want to be in an alliance with Sugimoto if he considers okay to kill people...

...Sugimoto never had the intention to keep his promise. Afterward he’ll paint the fact he will kill people as a way to keep himself safe...

...but the problem is that Sugimoto’s experience as a veteran damaged him and lead him to think the best way to protect himself is to murder whoever could pose so much of a threat.

Ogata is disarmed, on the ground and with a broken arm (and later, even when he has freed himself from Sugimoto’s hold, Ogata himself will admit he’s no match for him and someone like Sugimoto who recognizes people’s strength by handshakes should have realized it as well) and yet Sugimoto attempts to murder him anyway.

They could have kept him prisoner like they planned to do with the convicts but no, Sugimoto’s instinct lead him to try to kill him.

Sugimoto doesn’t want to die, he’s desperate to stay alive so he kills in order not to be killed. There is no way he can keep the promise he made to Asirpa and, after the incident with Ogata, Asirpa should have left him on his own because there was no way Asirpa could stop him from killing when he felt threatened and of course he would feel threatened considering they were hunting dangerous convicts and dealing with the 7th.

(I’ve discussed other times about Sugimoto’s problems and behaviour so I won’t dig into it further in this post)

Asirpa though, wanted to believe in Sugimoto.

She was a lonely child, traumatized by her father’s death who had found in Sugimoto companionship and a father figure, of course she wants to believe in him. It’s a mistake that lead Henmi’s to his death and Karma in manga tends to punish you for the mistakes you do... but this doesn’t make Asirpa ‘evil’.

I hope this will clear up things and help you see Asirpa not as a mastermind but as the well meaning girl she is and I apologize if I was unclear before.

The overload of work isn’t really helping me to write good posts but probably I should dedicate one to Asirpa. We’ll see.

Thank you for your ask which hopefully gave me the chance to explain myself better.

#Golden Kamuy #Asirpa #Sugimoto Saichi #Ask

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cjostrander · 6 years ago

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Rammstein: Untitled or Self titled (not sure lol)

Hey guys; today i am going to venture into my promo list of new albums and will tackle the newest album by Rammstein. I has been ten years since their last album; so it’s worth giving it a little publicity. From what i have heard so far it has a fresher sound that still focuses on aggressive rhythm but with a return to the more danceable sounds found on their past album Sehnsucht. So far it seems to be performing very well since its only been a week and it’s shipped a record 250k albums. Let’s begin and see how this album flows!

Deutschland (Single): We begin the album with the first of two singles as of the time of this review. electronic keys begin and set up a semi danceable foundation that is toughened up by some raw guitar riffs. It takes it time in warming up but succeeds in setting up a nice degree of tension for the listener to pump himself up to. The keys actually remind me a bit of the more melodic Norwegian metal bands. Till arrives with a casual yet highly commanding voice that will be a perfect return to their audience after ten years. The chorus is pretty straightforward but catchy and aggressive; which will be suited well for opening up their live shows with. I dont know if it will stick out as a favorite among their fanbase but it tackles older sounds with a fresh approach to it; and that should be as good as any a start for their older fanbase. 8/10

Radio (Single): This next single is more dance able in terms of electronic melodies than the last one. It should give the listener a good example of the band’s shift towards a surprisingly more radio friendly yet compellingly complex sound. The instrumentals create your trademark marching rhythm that is typical of the band’s older work and the keys arrive to give you that clear Sehnsucht sound. Till continues to give a compelling vocal performance before delivering a simple yet catchy chorus for the listener to dance along to. If i wanted to critique repetition i could for the guitar riffs but only in a manner that wouldn’t be fair since their riffs are specifically written with a rhythm focus in mind. As a live piece i can see it catching some appeal and does work as a more mainstream minded track. The big notice on this track is that is a much stronger emphasis on melodies instead of your typical aggressive punch you would come to expect. It will help to give the band’s catalog some added diversity as well as some material that will be easier to play as they get older (considering that everyone but the bassist is in their early to mid fifties now. 8/10

Zeig dich: This one starts off rather interestingly with female operatic vocals that deliver a very strong combination of tension and classical complexity. It definitely sounds like it deserves to be in a hitman film. The guitars give it a nice texture before joining with marching drums to transition into a slightly poppier rock sound. It works rather nice and Till arrives with an echoed melody to give the song a rather nice texture to be soothed into. it contains a clever balance of atmospheric traits combined with aggressive transitions to turn this surprisingly energizing rock number into a solid dance tune. I definitely hope that they make this into a single because it brings in a very fresh approach to their writing that fits with their more mainstream centered style while also being much more memorable than the last two tracks. Those were still good but this track really lifts momentum in the album for older fans to grab onto. 9/10

Auslander: Electronic synths begin with a decent opening that flirts with some trance elements before the instrumentals arrive to give it more balls. Till begins with a standard vocal presence that would appeal better to native speakers but still provides a good texture. The chorus continues to bring more pop like elements into the album that could be either a loved or hated by older fans; but will likely bring them a stronger appreciation in Europe than in the past. Not bad but definitely better appreciated if you can understand the lyrics well. 7.5/10

Sex: Now this song should translate pretty easy ha ha! This is a personal favorite on the album along with tattoo. It begins with soft and soothing keys before guitars slowly arrive to create an interesting blues like transition. The guitars and drums chug along rather catchy and create a desert rock tone that fits very well with a lusty setting. Till’s vocal presence is very strong and compelling. The chorus is straightforward with a careful balance between strong melodies and subtle bursts of lustful fury. This is definitely a good pick for a live track that capitalizes strongly on Tills spoken word style. It still retains some dance elements but gives the listener a break from the more poppy elements in the album. 8.5/10

Puppe: Soft and gloomy guitars begin and establish a nice darkness for the listener to soak into. Till arrives with a more gritty spoken word style to help build up interest in the song rather effectively. It works nicely in the album flow and Till utilizes his higher range to a successful effect. The drums are subtle and while i can’t tell if its a loop or not it helps fill in the texture very strongly so that the song is highly risky yet complex. Till shifts things up dramatically into a maniacal rant that goes on for a bit and seems like a rather cathartic experience for him during the recording. I’m definitely going to guess going by Rammstein’s signature; that the lyrics on this one are especially disturbing. I’ll have to look it up later but i definitely live their shock elements which this album doesn’t really touch on; but is still appreciated nonetheless. 8.5/10

Was ich liebe: The drums begin with a pounding effect that reminds me of Nine Inch Nails’s track Closer. Till delivers a low and gritty presence that warms the listener up to a good effect before slowly seeping in more complex vocal melodies. This will be a compelling trait that i am sure is written to appeal the more classical leaning portion of their fanbase verses their standard headbanging side. The chorus provides a decent level of drama based on Till’s high notes while the instrumentals continue to keep things chugging along rather gracefully. So far due to the stronger presence of softer ballad tracks i would definitely recommend listening to this album in sequence instead of shuffling; because i feel that the individual songs would lose considerable strength and interest from the listener; if they didn’t build up into each other. 8/10

Diamant: Acoustic melodies begin that have an oddly refreshing balance of darkness and hope while relaxing on a beach. Till delivers some rather beautifully soothing melodies for the listener to ease into. I could see the gloomy tension of this track being a good live pick to use since it could prep the audience up strongly with its tense nature before tossing them a very compelling follow up track. Even though this is the shortest track on the album is still delivers a very compelling addition to the album in terms of complexity. 8.5/10

Weit weg: This track begins with a more angsty synth opening before the guitars arrive to give it a more rock foundation; though the synths play a much more prominent role this time around. Till is a bit drowned out by the drums and synths this time around but he manages to do a fair job. Other than that; they focus too much on the synths to really get any meaninful melodies out of it. Because of that this is easily the weakest track on the album. The guitar solo towards the end does help to prop it up a bit but not by very much. 6/10

Tattoo: This is another of my personal favorites on the album. It begins with a nicely aggressive riff that gradually grows more intense as the drums force their way in with a firm bash. This brings back a more familiar tone to older fans. Till does a decent job of delivering a steady vocal presence in the track. The instrumentals while solely rhythm focused provide steady energy for Till to grow gradually more aggressive till the chorus arrives. He does a decent job of delivering some solid melodies during the chorus. I can see simplicity as being a possible criticism from listeners but i does well enough to set the album up for the finale track. 8/10

Hallomann: An interestingly gritty guitar riff combined with a layer synth and key pattern begins the song on a very gloomy note. Till does a solid job of warming the listener up with a strong vocal build up. The chorus is a hair bumpy instrumentally but vocally delivers a decent balance of beauty and complexity. There is a very nice piano solo towards the end of it that works with the guitar support to bring in a surprising show of aggression as well. This makes for a strong finish to the album and hopefully leaves the listener feeling satisfied with the ten year wait. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 8.1/10

Well it scored alright and is definitely a more modernized version of the band. It sacrifices a lot of aggression in return for a more mainstream focus with stronger dance elements. It still retains a decent degree of complexity for the listener to appreciate but as far as a ten year wait goes; older fans may be disappointed depending on what they expected from the band. Personally i can’t complain too much because it offers something new in terms of sound and hopefully it motivates them to put out a follow much quicker than this one. I gotta go now so enjoy your weekend everyone!

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firelxdykatara · 6 years ago

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Day 2: Hidden Identities

So this is a day late, but hopefully not a dollar short! (lol kill me my jokes suck) ANYWAY, this is for Day 2 of @thirtydaysofzutara and was heavily inspired by @artcraawl‘s amazing Zutara Mulan AU pictures. Some of it is directly from the movie, some is embellished, anyway I hope it’s a fun read, as I certainly had fun writing it!

---

“I don’t know if I can do this, Tui.”

Katara gave one more half-hearted tug, but her father’s sword remained stubbornly embedded in the tree’s trunk. With a sigh, she flopped to the ground, thumping her fists against the hard-packed soil in frustration. Her companion, a silver dragon-lizard with impossibly black eyes, scurried up the tree and perched on the flat of the blade, tugging gently, but to no avail. “It’ll come out! You just have- to be- persistent!”

With a final tug, the lizard slipped from the blade and fell to the ground. Katara pushed herself up on her elbows with a groan. “I’ve been persistent! It’s not working! I haven’t even been able to get that stupid arrow out of the pole.”

“No one else has, either,” Tui pointed out, curling her tail over her shoulder and rubbing a spot of dirt from her scales.

“That’s not the point.” Katara sat up and pushed herself to her feet. “They belong here. They don’t have to prove anything.”

“Neither do you, as far as they know.”

“Sure, and what happens when they find-”

“Who are you talking to, Tak?”

Katara froze. Tui scampered into the bushes with an alarmed squeak, and the moment stretched uncomfortably, as the woman tried desperately to convince herself that voice belonged to someone—anyone—else. It didn’t work; she was pretty sure she could feel his amber gaze burning holes into her back.

He had the disconcerting ability to make her feel like he could see right through her façade—through the warrior she was trying to be, to the scared, homesick girl beneath.

Time sped up again, and Katara turned to look at Zuko, who was standing behind her with his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.

“Uh…” she began, before realizing her voice was pitched too high, coughing to cover it up. “No one! I’m just, talking to… myself…” She trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand (mostly to hide the fact that she kept reaching for a lock of hair that just wasn’t there anymore). Her eyes slid to her sword, still sunk into the tree trunk, about the same time Zuko’s did. Disapproval radiated from his lithe form in waves, and Katara had to fight back the nervous laughter that kept threatening to bubble up.

“Oh, this is… I was just training…” she said, grabbing the hilt tightly in both hands. It still refused to move, and she braced herself with one foot on the trunk. Finally, with an almighty yank, the sword came free, and the momentum sent her careening off-balance.

Zuko ducked just in time—the blade passed a hair’s breadth over his head.

“Oops,” Katara muttered, giving a weak chuckle as she clumsily shoved her sword back into its sheath. “Cut it a little close there-” Spirits, Katara, stop talking.

The captain looked less than impressed as he straightened back up, looking at her with some emotion in his eyes that she couldn’t quite describe. Then he sighed, shaking his head. “Pack up.”

Something churned unpleasantly in the pit of her stomach. “What?”

“Go home. You’re through here, Tak. I’ve tried my best, but you just aren’t suited for war—not in my company. And if you’re the best that Chief Hakoda could send in his own stead-” He broke off, squaring his shoulders. “You’d be more of a danger to your own comrades than the Fire Nation soldiers. And I won’t have good men, even you, needlessly killed because they weren’t ready.”

Katara watched as he walked away, trying very hard to keep from noticing the way his muscles had tensed (probably from anger) beneath the thin padding of his training vest. “He’s right. I know he is. But…”

Tui poked her head out of the bushes. “But you want to prove him wrong.”

A wry grimace twisted at her mouth. “I was too willful and stubborn to make a good wife, remember? It must be good for something.”

“So what are you going to do?”

The sun had set, the last of its amber glow receding from the skyline just as the full moon began to peek through the clouds. “I don’t know…” Katara murmured, gazing up at the sky—she traced the moonbeams with her eyes, until she caught one that illuminated the arrow still stuck at the top of that tall, wooden beam.

She could have had it down weeks ago, if she’d wanted to risk waterbending—but it was supposed to be a physical exercise. For all that she was at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the company (not that anyone but Sokka realized it), the last thing she wanted to do was prove herself by cheating. But there had to be some way to get to that arrow. And maybe, if she got it down herself…

Hours later, the only thing preventing her from screaming in frustration was the fact that Zuko’s tent was only ten feet away. “Come on,” she grunted, taking another running jump at the pole—and, as before, she made it a few feet before falling to the ground in an ungainly heap.

She might have had a better chance at getting higher, if not to the top, if it weren’t for the weights at her wrists. Katara picked herself up for the thousandth time, dropping the weights and dusting herself off. (It was a good thing her family didn’t seem to have the ‘quitter’ gene, or she might have contemplated just leaving, like she’d been told.) She couldn’t help the nagging feeling that there was something about this exercise that was missing, that she just didn’t understand. She picked up the weights again, holding them in front of her, inspecting the etchings in the gold. It was an ancient form of Earth Kingdom script, and she could only make out a few letters.

Somehow, she doubted anyone had carved a cheat sheet onto these things a thousand years ago, anyway.

But as the weights swayed gently on their leather ties, something occurred to her—it was so simple she could almost kick herself for not thinking of it sooner. It was so obvious. It wasn’t just about having to struggle against the weight. It was about discipline and strength—using them to her advantage.

Squaring her shoulders, Katara faced the pole again—this time, when she jumped, she swung the weights, tangling the leather ties together, and she began to climb.

Halfway up, she almost wanted to let go, forget the whole thing. Her arms were screaming in protest, and she kept slipping even as she gained inches in height—sweat was streaming down her face in small rivers, and she could feel her tunic sticking to her back. The cotton binding around her breasts was beginning to itch something fierce. But she had already gotten too far to quit, and so she kept going—gaining inches and losing centimeters, until she could see the top of the pole. She could almost reach out and grab that arrow.

The sun began to peek over the horizon once more, and Katara gasped for breath, her muscles screaming in agony as she grabbed the top of the pole and finally pulled herself up. It was a deceptively wide beam of wood, in fact, and easy enough to perch on was she grabbed the arrow in one tender hand and pulled it free.

It was only when the cheering began that she realized she’d drawn a crowd.

A tired grin crossed her face, and she subtley bent some of her sweat, coating the arrow-head with a thin layer of ice. Just as Zuko’s tent flap opened, she threw the arrow down—it landed with impressive accuracy, thudding into the ground at his feet as he stepped out. He looked up at her, and while it was difficult to tell from how far away she was, Katara almost thought he looked proud.

---

“I’m sorry. About your uncle.” Katara winced inwardly—she kept forgetting to pitch her voice low enough, but Zuko didn’t seem to notice. He was staring at the fire; if he’d heard a word she said, he didn’t indicate it. Which was almost a relief—she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get into a conversation about lost loved ones and not accidentally blow her own cover.

Sokka had been helping as much as he dared, once he’d realized her plan, but there was only so much he could do to keep her from ruining everything with her ‘stupid girly habits’.

Apparently, talking about feelings qualified.

Either way, Zuko clearly wasn’t in the mood for company. Katara turned to go—if she hadn’t already become so tuned to the tenor of his voice, for reasons she couldn’t even begin to explain, she might have missed it entirely when he said, “Thank you, Tak.”

She stopped, glancing back at him—he was giving her at least an attempt at a smile, and it suddenly struck her how very young he looked. Especially for a captain.

He really couldn’t have been more than a couple years older than she was, and it was hard enough for her to manage to keep her own life straight—she couldn’t imagine what it was like trying to lead an entire company.

She opened her mouth to say something else—she wasn’t quite sure what, but since when had thinking ever stopped her from blurting out what was on her mind?—when she heard the screech of a bird of prey high in the sky above them. It sounded familiar, almost… almost like…

She was six years old, and the snow had turned grey from falling ash. Buildings burned, people were screaming and running away, bursts of fire from soldiers in the streets kept illuminating the overcast sky, and Katara couldn’t find her parents.

“Mama!” she shouted, tears streaking through the soot stains on her face, running towards her house. Everything was chaos, but she still knew home. Somewhere, high in the sky, a fire hawk screamed—the little girl could see it circling over her family’s hut, an omen she couldn’t quite comprehend.

When she opened the door, the smell of charred flesh nearly knocked her off her feet. It was-

“The Fire Nation!” Katara heard herself shouting, those last images from her memory still superimposed over her vision, the smell sticking to her all these years later. She wanted to gag, but there was no time. “They’re here! They-“

An arrow whistled through the air and into Zuko’s shoulder as he stood, knocking him flat.

“Zuko!” Katara rushed to his side as more arrows floated into view just over the snowy hilltop—he waved her off, pulling the arrow free with a grunt and clambering to his feet.

“Everyone, get out of their range! Grab the cannons!”

It was pure chaos, after that. Zuko’s company scattered—they grabbed armloads of cannons and their weapons and ran, forcing the Fire Nation soldiers to abandon their high ground advantage if they wanted to do any real damage. Out of range of the arrows was also out of range of their firebenders, and it took everything Katara had not to panic and freeze.

“Sokka!” The relief nearly knocked her over, but she held her ground, grabbing for her brother’s hand and yanking him out of the way of another arrow barrage. “Where’s Zuko? Is he-”

“He’s fine! We need to set up these canons, Tak. Now!”

Their answering barrage sent shockwaves rippling through the ground—when they were down to the last cannon, Zuko appeared behind them. “Hold- we don’t know who’s left. If…”

He trailed off. The smoke cleared, and revealed the bulk of the Fire Nation army still intact on the hillside.

Ozai was at the army’s head. Katara could feel his smug smirk from here.

“Sokka, take that last canon. Hit Ozai, if it’s the last thing you do!” Zuko commanded. “Men- prepare for a fight!”

Katara’s hand went to her sword hilt, but something was still bothering her. Taking out Ozai wouldn’t decimate the Fire Nations forces—they’d keep coming, they’d kill everyone. How many more villages would suffer the way Omashu had? The way her tribe had? The way-

She caught sight of the snow-covered mountain just behind them. They weren’t going to have time to retreat back through the mountain passes to safety, but maybe, if she could only just… She reached, but nothing. Practicing her bending in secret had only gotten her so far, and that snow was too far off. But…

“Give me that!” She pushed Sokka aside and grabbed the cannon. It would work. It had to.

---

Katara was beginning to lose feeling in her arms. She hadn’t realized Ozai’s blade had cut that deep, but now Koda’s saddle was soaked in her blood, and she had barely been able to muster the strength to grab Zuko and pull him to safety.

The avalanche had stilled, snow wiping the last traces of the Fire Nation army away, and Katara finally slid from her horse’s back, stumbling to her knees. Zuko had regained consciousness, and he rushed to her side. “Tak! Are you alright?”

She gripped his arm and pulled herself upright, nodding weakly. “I’m fine, is everyone else-”

“We made it, Tak,” Toph said, affectionately thumping her shoulder. “Thanks to you. That was brilliant.”

The others chimed in, and Katara smiled, for just a moment. And then she collapsed.

When she opened her eyes, she recognized the colors of the medical tent above her cot. For a moment, Katara was dazed, confused—how had she gotten here? Where were Zuko, Sokka and the others? How-

Her clothing had been removed. The breast binding wraps were visible, overlapping the bandages around her abdomen. The doctor was looking at her, perhaps to be sure she was truly awake, but when she opened her mouth to speak, he turned away and left the tent.

Katara sat up quickly, wincing at the tight feeling of the wound in her stomach, wanting to protest—but then Zuko stepped inside, and the words died in her throat.

It was then that she realized her hair was loose—the thick, dark brown waves that just brushed against her shoulders were much more visibly feminine now that she no longer wore them in her father’s hairstyle, and the breast wraps had only been effective at hiding her figure when covered by padding and armour. Now, she felt her cheeks burn as Zuko’s eyes followed her figure, and realized the truth of what the doctor had obviously told him.

“So it’s true,” came Long Feng’s voice as he entered the tent behind Zuko. Where the latter’s gaze was completely unreadable, Long Feng didn’t bother to disguise his disgust. He surged forward, grabbing Katara by the arm and dragging her out of the tent, throwing her into the snow with just her blanket for cover. She fell to her knees before the rest of the company, tears of humiliation freezing to her lashes before they even had a chance to fall.

“A woman,” Long Feng hissed. “A despicable traitor to our great kingdom!”

Toph and Aang stared in shock. Sokka started forward, but Katara shook her head. It was too late for her, but she would not let her brother take the fall, too. “My name is Katara. I only came here to save my father-”

“More lies!” Long Feng insisted, turning to glare at her as Zuko approached. “Devious snake!”

“I never meant for it to go this far!” Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she pleaded with him silently. Please understand. “You have to believe me! I only wanted-”

“Silence!” Long Feng shouted.

Sokka ran forward. “Wait! You can’t do this—she’s my sister!”

“Sokka, no!”

But the damage was done. “You knew about her deception?” Long Feng was practically quivering with rage. “Stand aside, boy, or you will share in this traitor’s fate!”

“Sokka, please-”

He refused to budge. Katara could still see Zuko, staring at the both of them now, sword in hand. He took a step forward, and several gasps ran through the company—Toph and Aang looked ready to rush to their defense, but Long Feng threw his arm out and stopped them. “You know the law!”

For just a moment, Katara met Zuko’s eyes, and thought she saw something flickering in their depths. Something other than anger or disgust. Something warm.

Then it was gone, and Zuko threw his sword to the ground. “A life for a life,” he said, staring down at her. “My debt to you is ended.” Finally, as if only now realizing he was there, Zuko looked at Sokka. “Take her home. Don’t bother coming back.”

He turned on his heel—Long Feng made a noise, as if he were about to protest, but Zuko turned on him with a glower that could’ve melted steel. The advisor finally cowed into silence, he turned to the rest of his men and motioned for them to move out.

---

“You trusted Tak. Why is Katara any different?”

“You stole my victory.” “No! I did!” “… The soldier from the mountain!”

“She’s a woman, and from the water tribes! She’s not worth protecting!”

“I have heard all about you, Katara of the Water Tribes. You followed your brother off to war—stole your father’s armour and ran away from home. You impersonated a soldier, deceived your commanding officer, dishonored the Earth Kingdom, and… you have saved us all.”

It was… surreal. That was the only way Katara could describe the feeling that overtook her, when she realized that not only was the Earth King bowing, but so was the entirety of Ba Sing Se. As far as the eye could see, citizens were stooping low, and it was all but impossible to believe they were honoring her.

Even Zuko was bowing—even her brother. She wanted to tell them all to stand up, that she really hadn’t done anything that extraordinary, but she didn’t want to risk losing the King’s good faith. The moment eventually passed, anyway, and Katara turned to find the Earth King smiling warmly at her.

“I would be honored if you would accept a seat on my council, Katara,” he said—Long Feng looked like he was about to faint.

“B- but sir, you can’t just- there are no positions open!”

“Alright. You can have his job.”

This time, he did faint. Katara had to smother a chuckle before taking a deep breath and shaking her head. “You honor me, your majesty, but… I think it’s time for me to go home.”

He nodded, as if he’d expected nothing less of her.

The Earth King gave her his medallion and Ozai’s sword, and when Katara finally turned to go, she very nearly ran right into Zuko. “Oh! Zuko, I-”

“Katara-” he began, at the same time. They both broke off; Katara bit her lip, waiting for him to continue. He cleared his throat. “I, uh- you fight good. Well! Proficiently, you- you’re an excellent soldier.”

Their eyes met, but Katara was the first to look away, this time. “Oh. Thank you, Zuko. For everything.” And then she left, finding Koda and pulling herself into his saddle to begin the long journey home.

“You don’t meet a girl like that every dynasty,” the Earth King declared—sounding very much like he was calling Zuko an idiot.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” From a distance, Katara could hear Grandma Kanna’s voice, “Would you like to stay forever?!” Zuko laughed. “Dinner would be great.”

#zutara #katara #zuko #zutara mulan au #zutara month #my writing #day 2

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cordytriestowrite · 6 years ago

Text

Monday Mornings

Bucky x Reader

Previous Chapters

Summary: All you wanted to do was help the people of New York get through what had happened to them. But how were you supposed to help the man who just sat on your couch?

Bucky arrived promptly at six to your office the week following his abrupt departure. You half expected this to be the start of what you typically and ominously referred to as The Departure. You had seen it before, a client would leave early or arrive late for a few more sessions before never returning, avoiding phone calls and emails checking in on their wellbeing that would have to morph into unpaid bill notices and threats of collection agencies. You hated reaching that point, usually reminding yourself not to take it personally, it was just business after all, but rarely could you separate yourself from the situation and think of your services as simply transactional. When Bucky had left it took until he stepped through your door the following week to let go of the knot of anxiousness you had been holding in your chest. A knot that tangled and twisted around itself at the idea of losing him.

But here he was, bright eyed and slightly bashful as he held out a paper coffee cup that you had yet to take from him. Not only had he come back, he had arrived on time and with a coffee obviously meant to be a request of repentance. You took it from him gingerly after a beat, smiling graciously.

"Thank you, this is very sweet, but you didnt have to-"

He let out a small chuckle before shaking his head, "I wanted to."

You nodded, the gesture one of thankful acceptance. You brought the lid to your lips and let the hot mixture of coffee and milk settle on your tongue. Unthinkingly you pulled a face at the flavor, something was off.

"Uh sorry if it tastes weird. I tried to describe the markings I saw on the side of your cup to the barista. Must've got it wrong." He shrugged sheepishly, head hung low as he rubbed the back of his neck with his exposed metallic hand.

Your eyes coasted along the unclothed limb, taking a mental note of his decision to leave the metal uncovered. He was apologetic, thoughtful of your time, and getting more comfortable in your presence. Your stomach soured as you took another sip of the coffee, though the curdling in your middle had nothing to do with taste and everything to do with the bitterness you felt at your selfish wish that Bucky wasn't your patient. The actions blurred the professional line you had drawn upon his first session, the line that held you desire to know him on a more romantic level at bay while your duty as a psychologist continued it's more important job.

You cleared your throat and gestured to the couch which Bucky sat upon eagerly, as if he were waiting for your permission, as if the coffee wasn't enough for him to know he was in your good graces. You set the drink down on the table between you, noticing the mark on the cup that made this concoction different than your usual. Soy milk.

"Well I am glad you are here because we have a score to settle." You teased, rising from your seat and making your way to the shelf beside your still open door, you closed it softly and the room was wrapped in a blanket of privacy. You bent slightly to grab the deck of cards, now shuffled and stacked in a pile on the second to last shelf. It was time for a rematch.

"Can't let my best girl think she's won by default now can I?" Bucky said from behind you, his tone cocksure. You smirked and turned back to look at him, finding him relaxed against the back of the couch, his arms stretched wide taking up the entirety of the seat and allowing you a greedy look at his strong arms and muscular chest, your eyes flicked up from their lingering glance and your eyes would have met Bucky's if his gaze was not squared intently on your backside.

You bit your lip and straighted, trying with all your might to ignore the image in your mind; eyes of bright blue drinking you in like a tall glass of lemonade. You reasoned with yourself, forcing your logical mind to accept what you planned to say next which could continue you on this flirtatious track.

"Best girl huh?" Your voice was casual, lilted with the smallest tease that matched the pointed raise of your eyebrow. You doled out card between you, setting up the game while Bucky's laid back stance shifted yet again to one of uncertainty, a timid stumble of sputtered words that did not end in a complete sentence until a couple of tries in.

"I don't know a lot of dames so yeah, out of the ones I know I guess you're my favorite. You're the only one-" he cut off suddenly, picking up his cards and studying them too keenly to be believed. You moved about the cards in your hand, matching up pairs and suits while you waited patiently for what would hopefully be a big stroke to your ego. He sighed petulantly after the silence stretched long enough to tell him you would not give in and change the subject.

"You're the only one I find myself wanting to be around."

Your heart practically jumped from your chest, up your neck, and out of your mouth to hurl itself at Bucky and promise to be his forever. Luckily your heart was incapable of embarrassing you in such a way.

"Is there a reason you don't know a lot of women?" You asked as you displayed the triplet of cards bearing the number eight in black, black, and red. You asked partially out of curiosity, but mostly out of habit, knowing these inquires would bring you closer to helping him with whatever brought him to you in the first place.

"The ones I know I..." he started, then closed his lips and gave himself a moment to roll a few words around in his mouth before choosing the one that tasted best, "work with. I don't get out much."

"What do you do in your spare time?"

He considered the question as he placed down a pair of jacks and discarded a two. It was fascinating to watch him choose his words so carefully, like he knew each one had to have significance. Thoughtful. The word echoed in your head.

"I mostly work out, I dont just lie about my running habits to my friends to spend time with you." He joked and you cracked a smile. You drew a card from the deck and immediately threw it down as a discard.

"I like to read." He offered as he took his turn, "I also like to go to the farmers market on Saturdays."

"The farmers market is a great place to meet people." You said.

"I've met a few people," he sighed putting down a full set of fours, making you pout at his sudden lead. "But it doesnt ever go anywhere."

You mulled over the halfhearted excuse, letting it swim in your head. Bucky was gorgeous, there was not denying it and no doubt that's what drew women to him as he perused the Saturday market. What happened after that? What caused the fizzle and eventual death of a relationship that never even started? These were questions you could ask him, but you figured such a direct cause for self reflection would be too much for the man who deemed his therapist to be his best female friend.

Bucky ended up winning the game, his moves so strategically made that you hadn't realized your fate was sealed until you had caught his victorious grin three turns before the end. Your banter had shifted away from Bucky's dating life and practically left the realm of counseling all together in favor of smack talk and flirtatious digs. As you collected the cards Bucky looked up at the clock above his head.

"I got a few minutes left." He commented.

You hummed in acknowledgment, not looking up from the deck you were shuffling, the cards bent in your hands as you prepared to let them flicker from the halves you held into a complete set on the table.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?"

The cards you had been holding with just the right amount of pressure suddenly shot from your grip as your fingers reflexively moved in surprise. You felt your mortification double at the mess of cards strewn about the coffee table, some falling to the floor on either side as their momentum carried them over the edge. Bucky laughed lightly and you both bent down on your respective sides to collect the fallen cards.

"Sorry doll, didn't mean to get you all flustered." He said as he resurfaced and placed the rogue cards on the table. He didnt sound apologetic.

"No, no, I just lost my grip." You said lamely, faking more cards to be picked up on your side so you wouldnt have to look at him. You knew he didnt believe your fib.

"Well would you look at that your time is up. See you next week." You said hurridly, timing your completion of card settling with the start of the new hour. You rose and returned the deck to its spot on the shelf, opening your door for him immediately after.

"Are you gonna make me wait until next week to find out if you gotta guy?" Bucky whined, getting up from the couch and joining you near the doorway. His plush lips were held in a small pout, eyes large and innocent if you ignored the playful shine ribbing you had given them.

"No I don't have a boyfriend." You conceded.

"Why not?"

"Dont get out much." You said, mirroring Bucky's own words back at him. He smiled, his face alight with a satisfaction you couldn't pinpoint a sensible reason for. With a nod he walked through the doorway and around the corner, whistling a mocking tune that echoed in your ears long after he left.

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