#in past-me’s defense at the time i previously tried to watch it

[thecontainerstoreofficial]

ashamed to admit that i tried to start hbo chernobyl back in 2020 and got bored after 3 minutes of that dude puttering around his apartment. giving it another go tonight and unsurprisingly it really is as good as everyone said it was. i havent felt dread so potent from a TV show in a while

[sailboatdreamer]

Back to the Night We Met

Hello! I'm Arcadia (she/her) and this is my first fic <3 i loved the holdovers so much it actually drove me to writing especially because of the lack of Angus fics rn :) Ill definitely continue it if people are interested, i have a pretty good idea of where to take it, this is just setup.

-You are a female student from a sister school who has to board over at Barton for the holidays, Mary comes to pick you up, and you have a first impression of all the boys- 859 words - slight blood mention.-

Angus reminded me of many men i had known, in various ways, throughout my life. Cold at first, brash, defensive- but equally in need of a love that was not easily accessible.

The first time i had ever met Angus, it was Christmas of 1970. The corresponding sister-school to Barton, Ada’s School for Girls, had just let out all the girls for winter break, except of course myself, who was doomed to two weeks of almost complete solitude. My only recompense being the books in the library, and my carefully hidden ration of cigarettes given to me by a friend as a Christmas gift.

I’d assumed that my stay at Ada would be chaperoned by one of the sisters from the convent, as they lived on campus and were usually the go-to call for holdover students, however when it came time to say goodbye, an unfamiliar face was awaiting me outside the aching, old oak doors.

“Hello young lady, I believe you’re staying with us this time.” Boston accent.

A beautiful woman, with a soft spoken voice, stood up against a powder-blue Impala, cigarette between her fingers. I came to learn that this lady was Mary Lamb. She was a cook from Barton, who’d elected to stay over the holidays due to the untimely and tragic death of her young boy, Curtis, a student. In her words, she felt going home would’ve abandoned his memory during this time that meant so much to both of them. As she drove me to Barton she explained i’d be staying with the other male holdovers due to ‘administrative difficulties’ whatever that meant

Quickly sensing my discomfort with this idea she said “Listen, you let me know if those little shitheads give you a hard time okay? My quarters are just past the dorms, near the garden.” i nodded appreciatively, smiling at her choice of language. It was surprising to hear it from such a demure lady, but Mary’s streak of subtle rebellion ultimately made her one of my favourite people i ever got to know through my school years.

When we arrived to Barton, Mary directed me towards the infirmary, as it was the last room in the entire building that had any heating, as i approached the door there was a clear noise of a scuffle going on inside. I gently pressed the door open, beat-up suitcase in my hand, glasses pushed to my nose. Two of the older boys were hitting each-other wildly, although it really seemed more girlish than i assumed boys fought. The minute they saw me, they got up and hastily tried to straighten out their shirts.

“Who are you!? The fuck-a girl?” A blonde boy, blue eyes, very irritating.

A rally of small, meek, lower-year boys stood around the room, just watching. The other boy who i’d seen flinging punches on the blonde was seething, he had a little blood running down his cheek, and he didn’t really acknowledge me, he seemed too focused on whatever his next chance was to knock the blonde’s lights out.

“Hello…..” i wave shyly, putting my suitcase by a free bed.

”hi, hello,- um-hi” the room grumbles back at me.

The air in the room is thick, and tense. Worried, nervous glances are passed between myself and the rest of the room for what feels like endless minutes before someone breaks the silence. “Do…. do you need help with your bags.” a nervous mutter from the boy who’d previously not acknowledged my arrival. And i actually did. Some of my books i insisted on bringing, assuming i’d have a boring two weeks had been a weight on my luggage. “Yeah… yeah i’d appreciate that. Thank you.” He follows me out, leaving the other boys to debrief among themselves. As we wander down the long, aging halls, and the noise of the infirmary grows quieter, i try to break the tension. “so….I’m (y/n).. i go to Ada,and uh- our nuns, shacked up for the winter apparently so that’s why i’m here. I met Mary, she’s… she’s really sweet” As i speak he nods gently, listening before speaking. “I’m Angus. And that (he points back at the infirmary) was Teddy Koutnze. Resident dickhead. The other kids i don’t know so well, they’re first years but-… they’re not too bad.” It was my turn to listen this time, as we walk i study the features on his face. Strong, angular features and deep, brown eyes, nearly carvaggian. He helps me with my other bags, opting to take the heavier one for me kindly, but as he’s picking it up, i again notice the blood on the side of his face. Without a second thought, i reach out to touch it, as i would’ve for any of the girls back at Ada. “You’re bleeding….”

His hand immediately rushes to his cheek, and i notice as his cheeks flush red, i recognise my mistake and apologize hurriedly “Oh-sorry, i-uh…” i try to brush off the blood on my skirt, and i we struggle to meet eyes “its… its okay” He grumbles, not meeting my eyes, we both walk back awkwardly, i know my face is flushed and i internally curse myself for doing something so careless. We share in the silence and a little smeared blood on our fingertips.

[chiefatticcreator]

With Tyrion now embracing his Aenarion blood, Morathi has decided to gift her lover a present: his former lover Alarielle, the poor Everqueen's marriage to his sworn enemy still fresh in their minds. Time to show her the error of her ways~

Peace was slowly being restored to Ulthuan. With the Sword of Khaine at his side, Malekith's decapitated head had been burned in front of the courts, to show them all what fate awaited another monster like Malekith. For the past weeks, the fires of war were slowly beign extinguished on the elven homeland, prisonners were dragged in chains, all whom had supported Malekith in his insane bid for power to be punished for their treachery.

Tyrion had taken the throne, and wasn't sure if he would keep the power for himself or discard it once things were stabilized enough. But now, he had taken to do his best to enjoy his position as Ulthuan's ruler and watching over the reconstruction efforts and the strengthening of the armies. And every day, various prisoners were brought for judgement: nobles who regretted, some who didn't. Generals who has trusted Malekith's claim, some who did not but had felt he was Ulthuan's best hope against Chaos. Mages that had trusted the visions from their gods, some who had bowed to Malekith out of fear...

Tyrion passed judgement on all.

And, today, a very particular prisoner was brought in front of him, and it was brought my a most interestign person.

"So this is why you left for the past weeks." Tyrion nodded towards Morathi.

"It was, my love." Morathi's sensual voice rose, making all the men in attendance hard, and all the women's nipples stiffened.

But Morathi only ever had eyes for Tyrion, heir of Aenarion. Her lover, her master, her partner. With the same confidence she extruted in all her actions, she walked the steps to the throne, yanking the chair and pulling her prisoner with her.

"Kneel before your master." Morathi's lustful sweetness disappeared for the duration of that sentence, the words spat more than said.

With a final push to her back, Alariell fell to her knees. The blodne woman, former ruler of Avelorn, everqueen of the High Elves, now a prisoner in tattered clothes as she looked up at Tyrion. Her previous lover, the man she had shared her bed and heart with.

Before her betrayal.

"Alarielle." Tyrion's voice was harsh.

"Tyrion, I am so truly, so deeply..."

"Silence! You will only speak when asked." He declared, loud and clear. "You were the queen of Ulthuan, the one supposed to lead us to safety, to lead us with justice and wisdom against the enemies of the Asurs. Against the tyranny of the Witch-King! And you betrayed us all to marry him!"

His tone has risen more and more with each word, anger palpable, and as he finished his sentence, Alarielle shuddered in fear, genuinly fearing for her life, that he would grab the sword of khaine and behead her here and there. So bloodthirsty, so unlike the Tyrion she had previously known.

And yet, he calmed down. Looking at her with cold, distant eyes, he stared at Alarielle as if she was a stranger as he finished.

"What do you have to say for your defense, traitor-queen?"

"I.." Alarielle began, her words caught in her throat when she saw Morathi, the hated hag sorceress, the mother of the hated Malekith. the schemer, underhanded, traitorous witch... who was stroking Tyrion's arm adoringly, with clear lust and love and worship in ehr eyes. Still, Alarielle took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice.

"I.. I married him because i thought that the only way elvenkind could resist the final invasion of Chaos was by uniting under oen banner. It did not please me to do so, and i considered it a great sacrifice, but if malekith's talents as a general, warrior and warlock could be used to defend Ulthuan, I was ready to marry him to ensure his assisstance."

Tyrion's expression remained cold as he took in her words.

"So you married the man who fractured our people himself, who shattered our alliance with the Dwarfs, who killed countless Asurs in his mad bid for power., who.."

"I DID IT FOR ULTHUAN!" Alarielle screamed, feeling herself on the verge of tears. "I hated it, i wanted to commit when i suggested the idea, but i was ready to do this for all of us."

She gulped, her voice nearly breaking, tears swelling in her eyes. "You... you should understand, Tyrion. You accepted Morathi's help as well... please, I beg you."

Silence fell for the next moments, the court watching with rapt attention, as the fate of the former queen herself was decided. Would this be a symbol of healing, of reconcialitation? Or a clear message that all who had supported the tyrant Malekith would persih?

Even as Morathi leaned in to say something in Tyrion's ear, no one could make out what she meant, her words carrying magic, obfuscating their meaning to all ears but the ones she wanted to hear it. Alarielle could only watch as her fate was decided in frotn of her, as Morathi lovingly stroked Tyrion's leg, pressed her chest against his own. Alarielle tried ot suppress the brief tinge of jealousy as the hag Sorceress was so intimate with her lover, and Tyrion finally rose to his feet again.

"That is decided! Alarielle will be spared, to show that we offer mercy to those who recognize the error of her ways and make a sincere effort in their repentance. That is also why, Morathi and i will take Alarielle as our personal prisoner, to ensure her words are genuine."

Hushed whispers of awe, of approval, of relief, coursed through the courts as the nobles the throne room. To see the Everqueen spared did inspire them, made everyone pleased with Tyrion's clemency. For all her recent faults, no one wanted to see Alarielle suffer more than was needed. The brief, immesurable joy and relief that Alarielle had felt at hearing she would eb spared were immediately replaced by dread. All knew of the Hag Queen's reputation, of what she did to her prisoners, of the torture mental and physical she put them through. Still, Alarielle clugn to a shred of hope. Tyrion would be there. Maybe she could reason with him, maybe if there were only the three of them withotu all those nobles looking at them, she could sway Tyrion to her side. Maybe...

*rrriiiippp*

Alarielle stood mortified as her already damaged clothes were torn off her easily by Morathi, leaving only a few strands on her body.

"I can see why you were with her, my love." Morathi hummed as she took in Alarielle's naked body. "She is quite beautiful."

Her hands groped Alarielle's breasts, toying with them for a second, leavign the Everqueen to shudder and suppress a moan. Whether it was Morathi's beauty, some magic she used to make herself more arousing, or something else, her touch managed to make Alarielle shudder in pleasure despite the tense and humiliating situation. With a cruel smirk, Morathi's caresses on Alarielle's breasts turned into a sharp slap before Morathi turned to Tyrion.

"Let us show her the consequences of betraying you, my king."

"Tyrion, please..."

The chan that had kept her prisoner, that she had been dragged by, was now held by Tyrion. With a jolt of his arm, Alarielle was pulled by the neck, falling to her knees in front of him, forced to look at him from below. Inferior to him.

"Morathi, go grab some of your toys for her." Tyrion ordered. "And you, Alarielle, pull my pants down."

Trembling, alarielle reached out. They had done this before, plenty of times as well. But now, the way Tyrion looked at her, the leash around her neck, knowing that Morathi was near, all of it made Alarielle gulped and so so with shaky hands as she took the familiar hem of Tyrion's pants and pulled down. His cock flooped out, hard, bigger than she remembered it, looking meaner somehow.

"Prove that you are sincere, and service me like a whore."

Alarielle gulped, nodding as she slowly ran her fingers alongside Tyrion's shaft, the huge member pulsing beneath her, its warmth shocking her. It was so different, so captivating, that she found herself filled with continually-growing arousal.

Her eyes fixated on Tyrion's cock, Alarielle only registered Morathi's return when she felt cold metal clamps on her nipples, soon followed by the pale sorceress's fingers tracing a symbol between her navel and her crotch. A womb tattoo. Alarielle felt magics seeping into her body from it, and instantly her entire body shook as the arousal she felt was doubled, tripled, or even more.

"There, my king. Now she can properly service you." Morathi's sensual voice was another shudder of pleasure through Alarielle, and a rush of wetness between her legs. "She will only know release when you or I allow it, and she will be even more eager for it, for you."

Alarielle would have cried out in protest, angrily demanded they stop, that she wanted to atone, not be a slave to Morathi, but another feather-light touch from her, the smell of Tyrion's cock, its warmth against her face, all combined made her buck in lust and a lewd moan leaving her lips as arousal dripped down her legs, cunt so soaked from it she started forming a puddle on the ground. With a desperation, a lust, a fear, she had never felt before, Alarielle stuck her tongue out, lovingly running it from the bottom of Tyrion's shaft all the way to the very tip of his cock, following the thick veins with absolute adoration. She had never felt hotter, never been hornier despite the situation. The tiny clamps on her nipples stung deliciously as small hearts apeared in her eyes.

"Please..."

She did not even know what she was really begging for. She wanted clemency, she wanted her dignity. she wanted to apologize, to make them know she regretted marrying Malekith. She wanted Morathi kicked out ofUlthuan, she wanted to be with Tyrion again...

She wanted to be fucked like, she wanted to be used, she wanted cock, she wanted pussy, she wanted...

Tyrion looked at her, his coldness tinged with a slight amusement, a dark smile.

"You put quite a powerful mark on her, Morathi."

"Only a little more powerful than usual." Morathi smiled, her tone sweet and laden with lust, with promises of desire. "Her own mind is doing the rest."

Worshipping Tyrion's cock, as that was what Alarielle was now doing, left her mind too preoccupied for more. she did register that the two rulers were speaking about her, and that she ought to pay attention, but licking and covering Tyrion's cock in her saliva distracted her from doing so.

Alarielle did not register that Morathi had moved behind her until she felt a sharp slap on her ass, just as she took tyrion's cock inside her mouth. She gasped around the large cockhead, a spittle of drool pouring down on it as the puddle between her legs grew. And then, another large thing pressed between her legs as her ass was raised high. And suddenly, as Tyrion and Morathi pushed together, Alarielle ceased to be carried by her legs. Spit-roasted by a huge dildo in her cunt and a bigger cock bulging her throat, she went cross-eyed, bucking her hips.

And, without much more words, the two lovers began fucking her. Her body rocking back and forth. Morathi's huge, smooth strap plunging her depths, shaping her hungry pussy, getting drenched in her love juices, while Tyrion's cock plugging her throat, made her gag, made her neck bulge and her eyes water. And they fucked her mercilessly. Tears flowing down her cheek in pain and even greater pelasure, Alarielle was just a toy for them, a tool for their pleasure, and she loved it. were it not for the mark on her womb, for the magic preventing her release, she'd had orgasmed a couple times already, and many more as she was fucked on both end by the two.

Alarielle's arms gripped Tyrion's waist, trying to take his cock to the base, even if she choked herself on it, even as breathing was becoming difficult, even when she felt herself gettign light-headed. Breathing did not matter. Her dignity, who she had been, didn't matter anymore. the only things that did were Tyrion and Morathi's own pleasures.

If they had their releases, if alarielle was completely driven mad by her inability to cum, if she passed out from giving Tyrion a blowjob, so ti would be. She was their toy now, and she would serve them.

[thedreadvampy]

So if I may be allowed a moment of pure uncut bitch energy

I went out last night with a pal who I originally know through my then-partner's partner. like he's their partner's bestie and has known them since before that relationship started.

which means uhhhhh I got some TEA about what happened a) before my ex was in the picture and more significantly b) before I was in the picture and knew either of them.

(he didn't know we'd broken up, which surprised me cause he's obviously closer to them than to me. and as soon as he found out he was like OH? OK. I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.)

so I mean TL;Dr I'm sad about my breakup again but this time less in a 'I miss my ex who I was in love with' way and more in a like. 'my dude. you had a choice between two relationships and you chose THAT ONE over ME? buddy.'

like I'm kind of a mess and I'm far from a perfect partner but the general consensus - from them, from their friends, from their family - is that I have been really really good for them and helped them get a lot more confident at looking after themself and having some baseline expectations of safety and respect.

and if the stuff my pal told me last night is even 1% accurate (and it lines up with and contextualises stuff that they, their partner and my best friend who's also embroiled in this Gay Drama have told me over the past 4-5 years). hoo boy. like I already had a LOT of issues with how their partner treated them and others, and that was kind of a good chunk of why we broke up in the end bc I couldn't moderate that, but as has happened with other partners-of-partners in the past I have tried to engage in the best possible faith with them and be as charitable as possible in my interpretations of their behaviour.

but I'm not their fuckin metamour now am I and it's no longer my shit to work with so you know, I can simply say. they treat their partner like ass and evidently have done since literally day 1 of their relationship (I was previously informed by my ex that this was an 'unusually rough period' and it was 'normally fine'), in a situation where my ex is financially dependent on them and moved to a different country for them and now into a house that they own. and I am sad because I am legitimately very worried about them.

I hope (based on the conversations we had while breaking up) that them recognising the need for our relationship to end is a step towards them having the kind of self-assertiveness to either address how their partner treats them or to leave them behind. cause they are an incredibly lovely person and they deserve better than they're getting in this relationship, and like all their friends see it, their brother sees it, but so far they're so kneejerk defensive of their partner that they just shut down if anyone is like 'hey that seems like a shit way to behave.'

and like I get it I've been there plenty, it's really hard and it's not work someone can do for you. But it's hard to watch, you know?

[waheelawhisperer]

There was a tiny bit of interest, so I'm posting an excerpt from Feilan Story #1 below. Feedback in any form is welcome. I'll keep it below a read more so anyone who isn't interested can skip over it.

Feilan leaned against the wall next to the bulletin board behind Dr. Oobleck’s desk, grateful that his customary pose allowed him to rest his weary body. After that fateful detention, his erstwhile mentor had apparently decided to stop going easy on him. She’d pushed him so hard during the past week and a half that he was pretty sure he’d be dead without his Aura. He’d almost started looking forward to classes because at least they gave him a chance to rest.

From beneath the brim of his hat, he watched the students trickle into the room, eyes narrowing as Cardin deliberately shouldered Velvet out of the way as he walked to his seat. A moment later, he felt his spirits lift when Yang waved to him cheerfully as she followed her teammates up the small stairway that led to the seating benches. Dr. Oobleck bolted through the doorway at the precise moment the bell rang, slamming the door shut behind him. He stopped at his desk, slurped down some coffee, and immediately launched into his lecture. 

“Now that Professor Varg and I have finished grading your first few homework assignments and you’ve had your first quiz, it has come to our attention that some of you suffer from unfortunate holes in your education, possibly as a result of being raised outside the Kingdoms. Dreadful, simply dreadful! Therefore, in order to rectify the situation immediately, today’s lesson shall take us back to basics and revolve around discussion of the four Kingdoms and their notable characteristics.”

Feilan watched as the students reacted to the news. Some of them looked bored, while others struggled to conceal their relief. Others, like Team CRDL, didn’t appear to be paying attention at all. 

“In order to provide an incentive for some of you to pay more attention than you might otherwise, I have prepared a special treat for you,” Dr. Oobleck continued. Feilan saw more heads perk up at that. He couldn’t blame them. He was rather curious himself. Had Bart brought donuts or something? “Professor Varg shall be assisting me with this lecture.”

Wait, what?

Feilan watched Oobleck warily from the corner of his eye as the professor continued, doing his best to hide his surprise.

Wasn’t expecting this… Good thing I made sure to keep up with the material.

“He shall cover the Kingdoms of Vale and Mistral, at which point I will conclude with Atlas and Vacuo. I expect you to show him the same respect you do me. Professor Varg, you have the floor.”

“Right…” Feilan said slowly, looking over the class as he tried to buy himself time to collect his thoughts. “I guess I’ll start with Vale, since, you know, that’s where we are.”

He received a few chuckles in reply, which reassured him for a brief moment, before the realization that the attention of every student in the class, including the previously-indifferent members of Team CRDL, was focused on him with laserlike intensity. Feilan swallowed slowly and took a deep breath. 

“So, Vale…” he began. “Characterized by abundant natural resources, strong geographical defenses, and a temperate climate, Vale is a Kingdom with a long and prosperous history. Miss Nikos, care to explain to the class precisely what natural features contribute to Vale’s historic safety?”

He was allowed to do that, right? Maybe he could get through this by passing responsibility for explaining things onto the students. It would suck for the ones that hadn’t kept up with the reading, but that wasn’t exactly his problem, was it?

“High mountains to the east and shallow waters to the west,” Pyrrha said promptly, sitting up a little straighter. “Extensive man-made defenses, especially along the southern border between the mountains and the coast, help supplement the natural barriers that protect the Kingdom.”

“That’s correct, Miss Nikos,” Feilan told her. “Vale is home to the finest Huntsman Academy on Remnant, is relatively culturally accepting, and has nice weather year-round. The main city is divided into several districts: commercial, industrial, agricultural, residential, and so on. These districts form the foundation of the kingdom’s economy.  Would anyone like to elaborate on that last point?”

Weiss’s hand shot up into the air so quickly Feilan wasn’t quite sure he’d actually seen it move. He watched her practically tremble with eagerness for a moment before deciding to have mercy on her. 

“Miss Schnee?” he called.

“Though Vale lacks the extensive Dust deposits common to Solitas and the area of Sanus occupied by Vacuo, it is rich in other natural resources,” Weiss lectured. Honestly, she sounded more professorial than he did. “Known as the ‘Breadbasket of Remnant’, Vale’s economy is closely intertwined with that of Atlas, as well as Mistral’s, to a lesser extent. Vale provides materials such as agricultural products, lumber, and certain ores with valuable industrial applications to the other Kingdoms in exchange for items like Atlesian Dust and manufactured goods and stone and spices from Mistral. Vale’s enormous, well-organized port and valuable location relative to the other Kingdoms allow it to serve as the world of Remnant’s primary shipping hub.”

“Thank you, Miss Schnee,” Feilan said, cutting her off before she could recite the entire textbook. “Excellent work. As you know from previous lessons, these very advantages were instrumental in allowing Vale to attain ultimate victory in the Great War, which granted the Kingdom significant influence over the shape of the modern world. Miss Belladonna, please tell the class about the major provisions that the King of Vale insisted be included in the Vytal Peace Accords.”

“I-, er-, uh…” Blake stammered, staring at him with wide eyes as she quickly shoved the book she’d been hiding behind her upraised textbook into her bag and began flipping through the pages of the book she should’ve been paying attention to in the first place. Beside her, Yang leaned over to whisper something in her ear.

“Miss Xiao Long, if you want to whisper sweet nothings into Miss Belladonna’s ear, please wait until after class,” Feilan drawled.

Yang ignored the laughter of her classmates and stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Very mature,” he said, raising one eyebrow in Yang’s direction while watching Blake frantically scour her textbook for the information he’d asked for out of the corner of his eye. He let her have a few seconds more before calling on her again. “Miss Belladonna, I asked you to summarize the major provisions of the Vytal Peace Accords, not count the individual pages of your textbook.”

Blake stammered something unintelligible and nearly knocked her textbook off the table in her agitation. Yang rolled her eyes, grabbed Blake’s hand before her partner could further embarrass herself, turned Blake’s textbook to the appropriate page, and guided the black-haired girl’s finger down to the beginning of the relevant passages. 

“The King of Vale incorporated the following provisions into the Vytal Peace Accords: the founding of the four Huntsman Academies, the institution of the Vytal Festival, the establishment of the Councils, the abolition of slavery, and the rebalancing of territory, including the provision of Menagerie and the guarantee of equal rights for the Faunus,” Blake said sheepishly. 

“Thank you, Miss Belladonna,” Feilan said dryly. 

“They put the animals in cages,” Cardin snickered. Blake glared at him.

“Thank you, Mr. Winchester,” Feilan said sharply, before any of the students showing visible anger at Cardin’s comment could turn their school supplies to violent ends. “While I appreciate your willingness to contribute to the discussion, I must ask you to forgo the use of slurs in the future. That said, you make a valid point, if not, perhaps, in the way you intended to. While Menagerie was meant as a gift, a way of both starting anew and compensating the Faunus for their prior mistreatment, many, both human and Faunus, feel that its ultimate effect was to simply confine undesirable elements of society someplace safely out of the way. As Menagerie’s current status provides enough material to fill a lesson on its own, for now, suffice it to say that discussions regarding the continent and what it represents remain… contentious.”

Feilan paused to let the class absorb the information before speaking once more.

“With that, we’ll move on to Mistral. Mistral is the largest Kingdom in terms of both population and controlled territory, and…”

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

Ruby watched with rapt attention as Feilan continued his lecture. He was so much more interesting than stuffy old Professor Oobleck! She avidly wrote down everything he said, just like Weiss, who was probably the smartest person she knew - even smarter than her sister and her crazy Uncle Qrow! 

Now if only she could be a bit nicer to everyone…

“Mistral’s territory encompasses four major settlements - the eponymous capital city, Kuchinashi, Wind Path, and Argus - as well as countless others,” Professor Varg informed them. 

Literally countless, Ruby thought grimly, considering how many smaller towns and villages outside the walls of the major cities tended to just disappear one day. 

“We’ll start with the capital city. Miss Xiao Long, would you please explain, in your own words, what you feel the class should know about the Kingdom of Mistral?”

“Sure thing, Prof,” Yang said cheerfully, shooting him a pair of finger guns. Ruby suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Finger guns, really? Her sister was such a dork sometimes!

“The first thing most people think of when they hear the word ‘Mistral’ is probably art,” Yang began. “Paintings, poems, plays, fashion, movies… you name it, Mistral’s got it. Its tourism and entertainment industry is the biggest in the world and the single largest sector of the Kingdom’s economy. Mistral’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. While the upper classes create beautiful works of art in the higher districts, the bottom of the city hosts a thriving black market. If you want something, or want something done, that isn’t entirely legal, you can find it in Mistral… for the right price.”

“Impressive summary, Miss Xiao Long,” Professor Varg said approvingly. “The city of Mistral is well-defended by steep cliffs, augmented by manmade defenses. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave a lot of room to grow food. Mr. Ren, how does Mistral produce enough food to support so many artisans with so little space?”

“Terrace farming, Professor,” Ren answered. Ruby looked at Professor Varg in amazement. He’d gotten Ren to talk!

“Elaborate,” the professor encouraged.

“Terrace farming is an agricultural technique that involves cutting a series of flat surfaces into sloped geographical features like hills or cliffs,” Ren explained, looking slightly uncomfortable at all the attention. Professor Varg nodded at him in a silent signal to continue. “The use of terraces decreases both erosion and surface runoff, and the use of canals and aqueducts allows the irrigation of even water-intensive crops like rice and wheat.”

“Quite right, Mr. Ren,” Professor Varg praised him. “As Miss Xiao Long has kindly informed us, Mistral possesses a thriving criminal underworld. In addition, the Kingdom’s Council struggles to maintain control over its sprawling territories, and so the cities of Kuchinashi and Wind Path have become dens of corruption and inequity. As Huntsmen and Huntresses, you may be called upon to combat the criminals that make these cities home, and thus it is important that you understand how Mistral’s underworld functions. Miss Rose, what are the three main areas of Kuchinashi and what type and level of criminal activity might a Huntsman or Huntress expect to find in each?”

Eep! He’d called on her! She hadn’t made it to this topic yet! Uncle Qrow had promised that she’d learn about Kuchinashi in her last year of Signal, but then she’d gone to Beacon two years early and now she was going to look stupid in front of her favorite professor!

“I… I don’t know, sir,” she admitted quietly, eyes downcast. 

“I see,” the professor said, sounding slightly disappointed. Why couldn’t he have called on her when they were talking about Vale!? She could’ve told him anything he wanted to know about Patch! “Would any of Miss Rose’s teammates like to help her out?”

“Uh... there’s the Central Strip,” her big sister came to her rescue. “That’s where the shops and stuff are, along with the hospital and the sheriff’s office, which keeps major crime levels down relative to the rest of the city. Still plenty of break-ins and pickpocketing, though. ”

Ruby whimpered in dismay as Yang finished speaking and Professor Varg turned his attention back on her before she could find the right chapter of her textbook. She was about to admit her ignorance once more when another voice cut through the silence. This time, salvation arrived from an unexpected corner.

“Beneath the Central Strip is the Lower Valley, also known as the warehouse district,” Blake, who Ruby had noticed was desperately speed-reading her entire textbook just in case she made the mistake of reminding Professor Varg that she existed, informed the class. “Most of the shipping that enters or exits Kuchinashi passes through the Lower Valley at some point. Criminal activity is highest in that part of the city. You don’t really go there unless you’re involved in something illegal… or want to be.”

Ruby gave up trying to find the information she needed in the textbook and stared pleadingly at Weiss. Her partner rolled her eyes before turning back to the professor.

“The third and last major district of Kuchinashi is the Upper Cliffs, where most residents of the city live,” Weiss lectured, directing her words as much to Ruby as Professor Varg. “The farther up in the mountains someone lives, the more powerful that person is. If you’re looking for a crime boss, noble, or businessperson, the top of the Upper Cliffs is a good place to find them.”

“Thank you, Team RWBY,” Professor Varg said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Wind Path is similar to Kuchinashi, so, in the interest of time, we’ll move on to Argus. Framed between two mountains and protected by high walls and hard-light barriers, Argus is the northernmost major settlement on Anima. Its strategic location and large natural harbor make it one of the world’s most important ports and a major hub of trade between Anima and Solitas. Miss Valkyrie, how did Argus come to be?”

“Uh, it was on the natural trade route between Mantle and Mistral, right?” Nora asked hesitantly. The professor nodded. Emboldened, Nora continued. “Settlers from Mistral founded the city, but they had trouble with the cold that far north, so Mantle offered to help. As people from Mantle moved to Argus, trade between the two Kingdoms grew, and the city grew with it.”

“Correct, Miss Valkyrie,” Professor Varg confirmed. “Due to the city’s strategic and economic importance, the Atlesian military maintains a large presence there, similar to the base on Vytal that was established after the Faunus Rights Revolution. With that, I’ll turn things over to Doctor Oobleck, who will cover Atlas and Vacuo.”

“Thank you, Mr. Varg,” Doctor Oobleck said, stepping forward as Professor Varg leaned back against the wall once more. Ruby tried not to pout. Of course Oobleck was going to cover Atlas. Somehow he was going to make guns, airships, and other things that flew, made noises, and/or blew up sound like the opposite of interesting!

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

“Professor Varg has provided us with an excellent place to begin our discussion of the Kingdom of Atlas,” Dr. Oobleck began, the words bursting forth as though the effort of holding them back for half a class period had been too much to maintain. “Alone of all the Kingdoms on Remnant, Atlas maintains a standing military instead of relying on Huntsmen, militia forces, and defensive fortifications to combat the Grimm. The Kingdoms of Vale and Mistral have extended basing rights to the Atlas military, allowing the Kingdom’s air fleet to refuel before and after carrying out extended operations abroad. The combination of the limited influence of Vacuo’s ruling Council and the fact that the attitudes of the Kingdom’s people toward both outsiders in general and Atlesians in particular ranges from ambivalence to outright hostility means that Atlas was never able to formally obtain permission to construct military installations in Vacuan territory, although Vacuo’s lack of real formal government means there is little the Kingdom can do to stop Atlas from projecting military power into its territory.”

Yang listened with half an ear as Oobleck rambled on about things she already knew, making sure to occasionally write down something that was new or seemed important. She eyed her partner and her sister with sympathy. Poor Ruby, poor Blake… At least Professor Varg hadn’t been too harsh with them. She’d known a few teachers back at Signal who would’ve chewed out any students who hadn’t had the right answers ready to go when called upon. Professor Feilan was more like her dad and her uncle, who had been more concerned with making sure their students learned from their mistakes than with beating them over the head with them. 

Overall, she got the impression that the new professor was pretty laid back, which she could definitely appreciate. The way he’d played along when she’d tried to pull the heat off Blake (and she definitely owed him some revenge for that crack about sweet nothings) fit with the way he hadn’t seemed too interested in punishing them during detention. He’d been a good sport during their brief shopping trip in Vale, too, and her little flirtations still hadn’t cracked his calm demeanor. Maybe it was time to up her game a little? 

“Now, who would like to explain Atlas’s contributions to the world to the class?” Oobleck thundered, startling out of her reverie. Would it kill the man to be a little less loud? 

Yang was completely unsurprised to see Weiss’s hand shoot into the air as the heiress practically vibrated with eagerness. By this point, every member of Team RWBY could probably recite her list of reasons why Atlas was the greatest Kingdom in the world in their sleep.

“Ah, Miss Schnee, such enthusiasm,” Oobleck bellowed. Could she have Professor Varg back? At least he came with a volume control. “By all means, enlighten us!”

“Atlas is the Kingdom with the most advanced technology on Remnant,” Weiss said proudly. “As such, it has provided the rest of the world with major advances in almost every area of scientific study, especially in the fields of communications, robotics, medicine, automation, manufacturing, aviation, and military strategy. Atlas gave the world the Cross Continental Transit System after the Great War, allowing instant worldwide communication for the first time in history.”

“Atlas also gave the world equities fraud, at least one worldwide financial crisis, and the robber barons that pillaged Vacuo’s resources,” Blake broke in. Ooh, her partner was getting feisty! How fun! “Oh, and don’t forget the way the Kingdom replaced literal slavery with wage slavery so it could keep working Faunus to death in all the mines it needs to feed its war machine.”

Uh oh. Weiss did not look happy about the interruption. Fortunately, Dr. Oobleck intervened before her teammates started stabbing each other with pencils. While Yang certainly understood Blake’s occasional desire to inflict physical violence on Weiss, she was pretty sure Ruby would cry if her partner died, which meant she would have to beat her partner up for upsetting her baby sister, and that wouldn’t end well for anybody. 

“Yes, excellent, both of you,” Oobleck announced. “While Atlas has indeed provided the rest of Remnant with incredible marvels of technology, including perhaps the single most influential technological innovation in human history in the form of the CCT, it does have its dark side. The city of Mantle has fallen further into poverty since the capital of the Kingdom was moved to Atlas, and the Kingdom’s poorest citizens toil in conditions barely better than slavery. Regrettably, Atlesian law and societal norms do little to protect the working class and have instead been twisted and manipulated to enable and assist in the exploitation of those who need their protection the most.”

Yang felt her spirits fall a little as Oobleck spoke. That wasn’t fair. While she wasn’t always the biggest fan of rules, especially when they stopped her from doing something totally awesome (no, she was not still mad at her dad for grounding her after she’d turbocharged his lawnmower. It had mowed the grass in half the time, even if it had also set the shed on fire. At least Uncle Qrow had thought it was cool…), she did agree that they should be used to protect people, not hurt them.

“Now, as we’re running short on time, let us turn our attention to Vacuo,” Professor Oobleck continued. “The last of the four Kingdoms of Remnant, Vacuo was once well-protected and rich in natural resources. Its citizens lived lives of plenty, until years of warfare, mining, and ecological devastation reduced the once-peaceful Kingdom to a deadly wasteland. The people of Vacuo are hardy and self-sufficient. Much of the population lives in the capital city, while the rest of the Kingdom’s people form nomadic tribes or small settlements outside its walls. Those people live hard lives, which leaves them remarkably accepting of anyone with the strength and skill to survive and contribute to the community. Those who live in the capital, with its relative safety and more abundant resources, tend to be both suspicious and resentful of outsiders, especially those from the Kingdom of Atlas. Many Vacuans emigrated to Vale after the Great War, bringing their culture, history, and traditions with them. These immigrants are partly responsible for Vale’s more tolerant attitude in comparison to Atlas and Mistral.”

That made sense, Yang thought. She’d traveled all around Vale, and she’d noticed the places where Vacuan restaurants and shops had sprung up throughout the city. Speaking of which, there was a great hole-in-the-wall Vacuan place just a couple blocks away from that club she’d trashed in the industrial district. She’d have to take her team there sometime. Their enchiladas were to die for!

“The people of Vacuo have little regard for law and order, and thus the Kingdom’s Council has little real power despite nominally serving the same role as those of other Kingdoms. Shade Academy serves as the closest thing the Kingdom possesses to a true source of central authority. Unfortunately, that’s all we have time for today. Please collect today’s homework assignment from Professor Varg as you leave. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

With that final pronouncement, Oobleck bolted out the door in the direction of the teachers’ lounge, leaving the rest of them to make their way out at a more sedate pace.

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

[miloscat]

[Review] The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GCN)

I’ve been sent back, until my task is done.

So I took some time off from my quest to play Lord of the Rings games. Quite some time, in fact. But no matter. Previously, I’d wrapped up the movie-based tie-ins and was ready to start on sidestories. So, after EA Redwood Shores (later known as Visceral Games) finished the Return of the King game, they started on a game ostensibly called LotR Trilogy, teased at the end of the former. I don’t know if this is what they were planning it to be all along, but the name at least changed.

I’ve heard people call this a Final Fantasy X clone. I can't really speak to that, but it’s certainly a turn-based RPG with one of those initiative queue systems. Progression is streamlined: some areas have branching paths but many are straight corridors, the skill trees are simple, there’s no shops and no currency. The traversable zones seem like little more than set dressing until the next drawn-out battle. These are mostly prescribed (most areas have no random encounters) and give predetermined loot. You’ll be spending a lot of time in the menu between battles fiddling with stat numbers and equipping the new drops (they’re cosmetically reflected on the characters which is nice).

If it sounds a bit railroaded, well it is. Or you could view it as one of those miniature trains in a model village, a pleasant ride to see some sights. I do recommend turning on Easy mode in the options, as it will reduce the amount of time you’ll spend watching those belaboured battle animations. (Note that I tried to play this on my Xbox but the disc was too damaged and failed after my first session, so I continued using Dolphin; the blessed speed-up feature saved me figuratively millions of years.)

There is some freedom with your character builds and your choice of party. I chose three of the six available (Idrial, Morwen, and Berethor) and used them as much as I could, and got by just fine. There’s a mechanic where you gain skill points in one of your two ability fields for each time you use an action of that type in battle. This incentivises using your skills—and they are useful—to learn more of them. I literally never used the ordinary attack! The game throws restoratives at you and you’ll frequently level up for full heals too, plus the save points replenish you. OK, so I was on Easy but the way I see it the harder difficulties were just wasting my time, and there was some challenge later on anyway.

Anyway, as an RPG it’s fine, but how is its use of the licence? Well, it feels quite fanfictiony, for better or worse. The story plays it safe by following a B-team Fellowship, closely shadowing the actual Fellowship and cleaning up after them, and almost all the six party member are expies of other characters, at least on the surface. Berethor is a Boromir type, although you find out later that he was secretly brainwashed by Saruman... and also Sauron I think? He’s a paladin type with excellent party-wide buffs. Idrial is just Arwen in the Fords of Bruinen scene, has sword but mainly healing and magic. Elegost is Strider-like, a Dunedain ranged attacker and debuffer. Hadhod is a Gimli-esque dwarf, a tank with some defensive and fire spells. Later you find Eaoden aka Éomer-lite, a Rohirrim knight with some technical buff skills, and Morwen. She’s a bit similar to Éowyn but the most original, a woman of Rohan with a tragic past and a need for vengeance who fights with double axes and thievery skills.

There’s some developments with these folks, aided by cutscenes with new narration by Sir Ian over movie footage, lending some authority while bridging the narrative to the films’ events... and the events and backstories of the game and its characters. You see, it’s told in a disjointed way, and supposed twists are just tossed off, so it ends up feeling a bit half-arsed. There’s even an unnecessary forced love triangle. It doesn’t help that several of the actors seem to be Americans faking British accents, and the voiceover recording in general could have used a pronunciation coach, but this has frequently been a problem in the movie games with their proper nouns.

It is fun getting something of an original story in this world, but it sticks very closely to the movie events for most of the time, unlike the later and more ambitious War in the North. The new characters are fun but heavily retreading known archetypes. You do get a ridiculous climax by fighting the Eye of Sauron at the summit of Barad-dûr: this is the fun kind of nonsense the game could have leaned into more, and even it seems thrown in at the last minute with no lead-in at all. There’s apparently a co-op mode but it is separated from the main game in some way, and the touted “Evil Mode” where you play as the baddies is a minor side-event that’s just a series of battles. Basically I just wish this game had gone harder and more out-there, but it’s a fun fluffy bit of fanservice all the same.

[angel-lopes2000]

Theory: 3 Women is an unofficial sequel to Carrie & The Shining.

(Please, don't take this shit seriously. It's just for fun 😂)

(3 women cover, released in 1977 and directed by Robert Altman)

So, last year - after I finished to watch Carrie, I had excited to meet (and re-meet) more Sissy's works during 1970s. And one of her works that got me attrached beyond "Prime Cut", it was "3 Women" by Robert Altman. And besides having Sissy Spacek, my other surprise is to know that Shelley Duvall (Wendy from The Shining) also played this movie - and it was 3 years before "The Shining". And since then, my mind blowed because after seeing these two talented actresses playing together, I felt as I was seeing Carrie and Wendy - and both of these characters were also from Stephen King' books, which made me think as 3 Women was like "Carrie and The Shining crossover". And here's where the theory was born:

3 Women happens after Carrie and The Shining's events. All of us remember how did those movies ended, right?

In "Carrie", after murdering most students during prom, Carrie walked home, saw her mother, she was backstabbed and she kills her mother and then, the house collapses and both Carrie and Margaret dies.

While in "The Shining", After finding her younger son Danny, Wendy reunites to her son and both escaped from hotel, leaving Jack to freeze to death.

"And where do 3 Women fit in both these movies?" You wonder me. So, here's my theory:

Years had passed after Wendy and Danny escaped from the hotel, both of them have terrible memories about their past, especially Wendy about being chased by her ex-husband Jack, trying to break the door with a heavy axe. Danny grew up and had age enough to live as a normal citizen and moved to another city, the same happened to Wendy. So, she took her suitcases and moved to a small California town as a way to have her "new beginning" and recover from abuse and all nightmares she've experienced. And as a way to forget stuff, she decided to change her name to ''Millie'' and now, she works to a health spa, caring to elder people and changed even her clothes and personality, turning more outgoing and excessively talkative - in a try to get a new social-life. (Things that she've never got before, duo Jack's alchohol' issues and his abuse towards his son and a failed marriage previously.) And this was Wendy's ending after The Shining.

While Carrie, she've survived the house's collapse miraculously. As God gave that poor girl a new life-chance, so the girl crawled out from all those mess but she've escaped from Chamberlain town, once the police could looking for her. So, Carrie walked away, living as a fugitive and taking rides to escape from her past (like Wendy after the hotel and abusive marriage). But during a ride, a truck driver recognized her and tried to call police and Carrie used her powers as her defense, the truck driver dies and Carrie got terrified for hurt a person again. Highly depressed, starving, weak, lost and homeless, Carrie tried to give up from her life, so she walked to the most highest top and jumped away... But once again, she didn't die - but lost all her memories, instead. She was almost going to death when a humble Texan elderly couple found her and cared of her, adopting as their daughter. Carrie had been raised for some days by those elderly couple that cared, giving her right feed to get her more proteins and strenght enough that she had missing since her first years living with Margaret. Carrie's adoptive mother named the girl as "Mildred" but once the girl developed a like for everything in pink color - she nicknamed affectionately as "Pinky Rose". And this was Carrie's ending after Chamberlain's events.

Once Carrie showed to be responsible enough to live by herself, she moved to California town, looking for a part-time job and then, she got to be contracted to work at the same health spa that ''Millie'' works, then she meets Millie and got to close to.

Evidences that show Carrie's consequences from her previous to newer life with Millie (Wendy).

When Millie takes Pinky to a tavern to drink some beer, it is shown that Carrie never experienced any kind of these liquid - thanks to her religious mother' traits, where Carrie/Pinky were prevented to get a normal life for everything being sinful, according to Margaret.

Pinky's reactions is always like a real excited child - she's always grinning, goofing around as making bubbles to a cola or playing with a wheelchair, showing us that inside, she's still a naive and innocent girl as Carrie always had been. Her maturing had been ruined since Margaret even never told her how a period worked, thing that was completely normal to the feminine' nature. Making Carrie to be embarassed and humiliated while other girls that should explain her, chose to just throw her pads because ''this was more funny than helping a needing and scared girl that really didn't know what was happening.".

In the end, after Pinky recovered from coma and changed personalities to Millie - it's like Millie turned her own mother. Let's not forget that 3 Women ended to Pinky, Millie and Willie living together as a ''new family'' from a grandma, a mother and a daughter.

These poor lifes had a darker backstory, leading with abuse and a lot of shit, and this why they met together coincidentally. They had been hurt and broken from disturbed people that should given them love and caring and they had nothing than violence and traumas.

So, Carrie and Wendy met and lived together and they ended, killing their past and going up to a new life. Free of violence and any mistreatment.

[jedi-lothwolf]

Febuwhump Day 4: Knife to the throat

Fandom: Star wars

Timeline: The Bad Batch

Warning violence

Crosshair perched in the tree. He waited and waited for one of his brothers to arrive, maybe even for his little sister. Today he righted the wrong of letting the rogue clones live in the first place, today he picked them off one by one.

    Hunter walked carefully through the woods. He listened for his family and for any unfriendlies. The clone kept he's eyes peeled, every hair was on its end. Something wasn't right but no matter what he did, he simply couldn't put his finger on it. No matter what he could have done nothing prepared Hunter for what was next.

    Crosshair eyed his target. After fighting alongside Hunter his whole life he knew exactly how his brother would act. The soldier grabbed a puck and threw it to a nearby tree.

    Hunter spotted the shine of the puck. He swiftly moved from his spot out in the open, well as open as the woods could be to a spot behind a tree. Hunter was exactly where Crosshair wanted him. He pulled his gun and tried to find Cross. He wasn't sure how the sniper had managed to get past him. Unless... Crosshair had planned this.

    Crosshair shot the puck . He watched the surprise on the others face as the bullet hit his gun. Slightly angling his rifle differently he proceeded to almost immediately shoot his beloved brother in the left kneecap.

     Hunter cried out as the bullet hit his knee. He leaned against the tree then slid down to sit. Hunter reached for one of his vibro-knifes but quickly remembered they had been left of the ship. He had been cleaning them previously and simply forgot to put them back. Echo had even reminded him. Hunter knew Crosshair hadn't missed, he never misses so what did he want?

    Crosshair climbed down from his hide out and walked towards Hunter.

    Pulling his arm up, Hunter touched his comm.

    "I wouldn't" Crosshair spat.

    Hunter moved his arm to his knee "so, what do you want?"

    "Smart." As soon as Crosshair got close enough Hunter attempted to kick him with his uninjured leg. Crosshair took one step closer and kicked in Hunter's other knee. He screeched with pain, tears welling in his eyes. Hunter  wondering what in the hell Crosshair wanted from him. Could he?  No. Hunter hoped Crosshair wouldn't do that to him. If Crosshair was going to kill him he'd at least let it be quick right?

    Crosshair kneeled down to Hunter's level, pushing his vibro-knife to the others throat. Hunter flinched thinking Crosshair was going in for the kill. "Listen here Hunter" Crossing hissed "I'm here to fix my mistakes. He pushed the knife into Hunter's skin. "I'll start with you."

    "Crosshair please." Hunter's voice was shaky and faint. Crosshair looked his brother in the eyes. He hadn't seen Hunter so scared in quite some time.

    Hunter was shaking. The agony in his legs made him wish he were Echo. If the knife went any further he would die. He grabbed Crosshair's arm and pulled the knife away from his throat. Curling his hand into a fist he hit Crosshair.

    Crosshair pulled his arm out of the others grip and slowly stood. Hunter attempted to stand only to be met with stabbing pain. Unable to do much else to protect himself Hunter defensively set his arms in front of him.

    "Good soldiers follow orders." Snarled Crosshair.

    "Then I'm not a good soldier."

    Crosshair moved his arm back ready to throw the knife to take his brother's life. Hunter drew into himself, preparing himself to meet the Domino squad.

    Suddenly Crosshair fell to the ground. Hunter lifted his head to see Echo. "Are you okay?" Echo walked over to his brother.

    Hunter shook his head yes before once more making the decision to try to stand. He yelped as he put the slightest amount of pressure on his legs

    "Stop Hunter, sit down." Echo spoke calmly. "Let me look."

    Before Echo got the chance Hunter explained what had happened.

    "Let's get you back to the ship okay?"

    "Alright. What are we going to do about Crosshair?" Despite everything Hunter still cared for his brother. He grew up beside him, how could he not.

    "He'll be fine." Echo gently picked Hunter up. Together the two headed to the Marauder where the rest of the batch would meet soon.

[empress-of-snark]

2, 3, 17, 23 🎮

2: games you’re currently playing

While I haven’t played in a couple of weeks, I am in the middle of another play-through of Skyrim, and I try to pick up Animal Crossing every once in a while so my villagers won’t get mad at me for not talking to them lol

3: 1-3 games you’ve played in the past 12 months that you’ve really enjoyed

I recently played Alice: Madness Returns all the way through (after previously just watching my best friend play it), and I finally started Luigi’s Mansion 3 and I’ve been enjoying that a lot!

17: A game you didn’t finish but would like to get back to or restart someday

I never got very far in Fallout 4. Despite playing on the lowest difficulty, it was still taking me way too many tries to get anywhere because the enemies were ridiculously hard.

I was told by a friend that it’s because I unknowingly chose one of the most difficult quests right off the bat (the Minutemen), but in my defense, how could the game introduce a character like Preston Garvey and NOT expect me to latch onto him as soon as I saw him??

One day I’ll give it another shot and try to resist immediately finding him and trying to romance him again.

23: A “wow” moment of awe

My first play through of Bioshock: Infinite—that first shot of Columbia literally made my jaw drop. The heavenly beauty of a city set in the clouds is just breathtaking every time. The game has its issues (mostly plot-wise), but the design choices are impeccable.

Thanks, friend! ♥️

[nsk96]

Personal

So in this middle of breakfast this morning my parents got into an argument. As usual it’s because something happened such as an item getting sabotaged, and then my mom asking us about it and my dad getting defensive.

This time it was because one of the rubber stoppers for the toaster oven door went missing and there’s no way it could have gone missing unless it was pulled out. This rubber stopper helps protect the door but also muffles noise from closing the toaster oven which is great considering my mom is a light sleeper.

I already know that my dad makes noise to wake her up during the night. My mom has set her phone’s voice recorder to pick up on said noises and a couple of the recordings correspond with a couple of the nights I caught him awake [context: he sleeps on the couch because his apnea]

Anyways, as always, he’s the first to raise his voice and yell, and bring up past events as if that will somehow invalidate my mom’s points. Then when my mom would defend herself and recall those events accurately, my dad would deny and try to gaslight her saying “no, [this, that] happened” which is always a lie. Maybe lies he tells himself and other people to make himself seem like the victim.

He is always trying to make himself look like the victim. Thank god I witnessed the events he brought up in the argument, and so I knew my mom was telling the truth and that he was lying. It’s hilarious watching him lie about things, forgetting I was there for said things.

He lied about the poor condition of the pool to our faces. Back when he was responsible for cleaning the pool, it was always green and had bugs and mosquito larvae because he wasn’t using enough chlorine. It was green like the trees. He tried to lie and say it didn’t look like that and the only bugs in the pool were the ants that fell in “from the wind”. Bruh…I have pictures. Don’t try me.

Then after my mom walked away, my drama queen of a dad put his head in his hands (like he always does) and said it’s so hard to “live with that woman” and “it’s getting worse”. Then he said “I just want to live out the last 4 years of my life in peace.”

That last line took me by surprise. I didn’t know what to make of it but decided to ask. I asked “4 years?” And he replied “I’ll be dead in 4 years.”

I asked “how do you know?” and he said “I know”. I asked it again and all he could say is “I know”.

Either he’s trying to scare me (because he’s used many tactics previously to scare us like the gun threats or saying he wants to die, or threatening to drive us into oncoming traffic) or maybe this is the length of his plan. Honestly, he seems so unstable, I’m not sure what’s scare tactic and what’s a real threat. I don’t know what to expect from him now so that’s why I need to prepare. How ironic that just before I came here to type all this out, I caught a glimpse of a news article of yet another man who killed his wife and children and then himself. He was 80 years old if I recall correctly. My dad is merely 60, going on 61 this May. If an 80 y/o can do it, what’s to stop a 60 y/o? A 60 y/o who literally threatened to do this multiple times and then just a few years ago after a heated argument with my mom, was banging on the walls like a madman and frantically went looking for his handgun and was yelling and shouting at us asking where it was. He came asking me where it was and said I was told to put it away when we moved in and I said I wasn’t and didn’t know where it was. When he couldn’t find it, I thanked my forgetfulness later on. Because when we moved to this house, I was responsible for placing the handgun in their room where my mom told me to put it…but I forgot about where I put it and forgot that I even was put in charge of that task. The one time forgetfulness saved my life I guess. It was only until a week later that I remembered that I was put in charge of storing it away and then it finally hit me where I put it. Apparently my mom forgot where she told me to put it too😂 It was hidden well. Now my mom and I both know where it is and he doesn’t. However he still has a gun cabinet with other guns in there including a shotgun and another pistol and a historic rifle replica that is also functional. So we’re not out of the hot water yet.

Maybe in 4 years he plans on taking the money and leaving as my mom and I suspected all along. We have emergency money stashed away in my room and he’s been desperate to get to it.

He also has a joint bank account with me and was scared when he saw I started to use some of the money to pay off tuition costs (from what my FAFSA loan didn’t cover).

He could legally take the remainder of the money in our joint bank account and leave, leaving me with no money in there, and I wouldn’t doubt that was a part of his plan.

Two years ago he expressed wanting to move up to St.Augustine in a few years. But he said “I’m moving to St. Augustine” not “we’re moving to St. Augustine”. There was no discussion. My mom said “don’t you mean all of us?” and his answer was a shallow confirmation, like he was just trying to get her to back off.

His words are a reminder that I need to get my stuff together and get out as soon as I can. I hope I have enough time to finish pharmacy school before whatever he plans goes into effect. Whatever it is, I may have to leave right after I graduate, whether or not my mom is ready. I will warn her again but there’s only so much warning I can give her. If she doesn’t want to leave, then that’s her choice but I can’t let her force me to stay.

Oh and he poisoned us with the waffles yesterday. We didn’t even know he was gonna make any. He usually tells us the night before. I couldn’t believe it when my mom and I got sick from it, because it’s always one batch and he eats it too. However, he made the first few then conveniently remembered that “he forgot” to add yogurt to the batter.

So he added yogurt (and I don’t know what else because my mom and I wasn’t around to watch him. I only know about the yogurt because that’s what he told me) and so the last 3 waffles had the “yogurt”. Those 3 ended up on the top of the stack and that’s what my mom and I ate while he ate the waffles without the yogurt. I also ate one without the yogurt and realized there was no reason to add yogurt at all because it was soft and chewy like always.

At first I dismissed it because I figured he’s still learning about how to substitute for egg. There was no need to add yogurt if he was adding baking powder. I don’t think the recipe he used even called for milk. It didn’t hit me until after I finished, when the surface of my tongue went numb and my throat as well. This is one of the main symptoms of when he prepares our food or drinks. But magically doesn’t happen when we make these things ourselves using the same ingredients. I wonder what ingredient is missing…

I asked my mom how she felt without telling her my suspicions nor my symptoms, and she told me she was experiencing those symptoms. Then my stomach started to get upset and later that evening, some body pains had started. My mom and I had to go out to get my PPD so we discussed it then. It’s crazy. I guess no more pancakes nor waffles from him either.

This is why my mom and I always have to prepare our own food and unfortunately his as well. The only time we eat what he cooks is when he’s cooking for the week. Food we know for sure that he will eat. Even then, when a little bit of leftover food remains back, I’m scared to eat it and wait for him to eat it before taking any. I’m tired of living this way. I’m tired of being paranoid of everything in the fridge. I’ve been eating so unhealthy for the past few years because the only foods I can trust are the ones that are sealed and snack foods he eats as well. Ramen noodles beloved.

[mrsbrookemunson]

I had an idea for Pietro Maximoff, maybe where like y/n is a S.H.I.E.L.D agent and she's with Clint (I don't mean romantically, I mean like on a mission) in that scene where he knocks Clint down and says "you didn't see that coming?" And when he's about to speed of he gets distracted by y/n and then Clint almost shoots him so he leaves but after that he can't stop thinking about y/n

(Not My Gif)

Pairing: Pietro Maximoff x GN!Reader

Song: I Was Watching Age of Ultron When Writing This To Make It Accurate To The Movie. All Credit To Marvel For That.

Prompt: The Request.

Genre: Nothing Specific.

Warnings: Swearing (LaNgUaGe!), blood, injury, canon fighting, and graphics, weapons are used. Probably types, but it’s edited, so that’s me being dumb.

Word Count: 1756

A/N: I'm back and I'm worse than ever! I'm rusty... And I changed the request to make it the actual scene in AoU, but Clint and Y/N are partners.

| Requested | Obviously...

“Shit!” Tony cursed.

“Language!” Steve commented after he heard the swear word come through comms. “Jarvis, what’s the view from upstairs?”

“The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield,” Jarvis informed. “Strucker’s technology is well beyond any other Hydra base we’ve taken.”

“Loki’s scepter must be here,” Thor chimed. “Strucker couldn’t mount this defense without it.” His hammer hit an attacker behind him, “At long last.” Before effortlessly flying right back into his hand.

“‘At long last’ is lasting a little long, boys,” Natasha checked in.

“You know I agree,” you said, knocking down one of the guys, the next one that attempted its attack getting hit with an arrow you shot–not to mention perfectly.

“Yeah. I think we lost the element of surprise,” Clint replied.

“You think?” You responded in a taunting tone.

“Wait a second. No one else is gonna deal with the fact that Cap just said “Language”?”

“I know,” Steve whined.

You laughed loudly, “Hey! Give the old man a break, he’s from ancient times, you know?”

Steve sighed, “Just slipped out.”

You let out another chuckle at his sound of defeat. “Oi!” You whistled loudly enough for Clint to hear from several feet away.

Once he noticed you, he jogged down. “You doing okay out there?”

“Look, I know I might be a newbie to S.H.I.E.L.D and all, but I got this—” You get cut off by a bullet barely missing you.

Clint raised his bow and shot the person. “You were saying?” He let his arms drop by his sides.

You huffed. “I’m not a child,” you claimed.

More bullets began to shoot at the two of you. “I got these ones if you got those ones.”

You nodded. “On it!” You ran off.

“And hey!” he paused to swiftly kick at someone, fighting the members of Hydra. “We’re a team!” he shouted.

“I know!” You punched a guy. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” you whispered to yourself.

You were fighting the last guy when he pulled out a small knife (~My Weakness~) You struggled against his strong force as he tried to stab it into your stomach. Fortunately, you won, unfortunately— "Fuck!" You swore when you saw the knife sticking out from your thigh. The guy you were previously fighting fell to the ground with an arrow sticking out of his torso. You turned around only to see Clint gone.

“Wha—” You heard explosions off in the distance.

You limped off in that direction, your eyes searching for your partner.

“Clint?!” you called out.

Nothing.

You closed your eyes for a beat and… there.

You heard the sound of an arrow sweeping through the crisp air. You pointed in that direction and followed the invisible line you drew. Suddenly you see a blue blur run past Clint. It knocked him up into the air. Clint groaned in pain once hit the ground. You were about to go help him when the blue blur became a person.

Tall with ivory skin, and platinum, almost silvery, blonde hair.

You heard the muffled voice say, “You didn’t see that coming?” His accent was evident.

You raised up your bow and shot an arrow, quickly, only to have the man catch it before it could even get close to hitting him, and he somehow ended up right in front of you.

You stumbled a step back and the pain sent a wave of nausea over you.

You didn’t expect him to freeze at the sight of you, considering how fast and cocky he was just moments earlier. He seemed at a loss for words. His eyes averted down to the leg that had the knife poking out, blood trickling down your calf and staining your suit. His gaze jerkily bounced back up to your fearful expression.

You fought the urge to stare at the blue of his eyes. They were striking and the snow made them glisten even more than you guessed they normally do. But, you were scared. Not that you would try to show it, nonetheless you did, and of course he noticed. Maybe Clint was right all those times he said that you weren’t ready. Was he right? That’s a first.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you,” the man assured. “I’m Pietro.” He reached out for you and you found yourself allowing it.

Clint recovered hastily at the sight of you injured and this man–Pietro–about to grab you. He jumped onto his feet and shot an arrow, and for the first time in the last five minutes, it nearly hit the man. Pietro jumped out of the way, it would’ve hit you if he hadn’t caught it.

“You’re welcome,” Pietro said, jokingly. He sprinted off in a blue blur.

“Y/N!” Clint jogged to you, out of breath. Just then a bullet shot right where Clint was standing prior to the current moment. He glimpsed behind then turned his attention back to you. “What happened?” he asked, gesturing to your leg.

“What do you think?” you bickered, distractedly. “I got stabbed.” You seethed. “Who was that?!”

Clint propped one of your arms up and around his shoulders. “I have no idea.”

“He told me his name,” you confessed.

“Oh, really?” Clint sounded uninterested.

“Yeah,” you breathed. “I think I’m going to pass out now.”

“You do that.”

Clint’s words cued the darkness to surround you, drown you, bury you into a peaceful sleep.

“We have an enhancement in the field,” Steve reported.

“Y/N’s been injured,” Clint revealed. “They just lost consciousness.”

Natasha–not wasting another moment–came over to you and Clint. “Somebody want to deal with that bunker?”

Summoned, the Hulk destroyed the bunker that continuously kept shooting with a loud and aggressive roar.

“Thank you,” she murmured. She grabbed you and laid you down. She tried desperately to do whatever she could to patch you up and get you awake again.

“Stark, we really need to get inside,” Steve spoke.

“I’m closing in.”

“How’re they looking?” Clint asked.

Natasha sighed. “They’re looking like they’re not about to wake up anytime soon.”

“Jarvis, am I closing in?” Tony furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “Do you see a power source for that shield?”

“There’s a particle-wave below the north tower,” Jarvis stated.

“Great, I want to poke it with something.” He blasted the shield down. “The drawbridge is down, people.”

Steve retrieved his shield as Thor knocked down the rest of the Hydra members in his proximity. “The enhanced?” he questioned.

“He’s a blur,” Steve answered. “All the new players we’ve faced, I’ve never seen this. In fact, I still haven’t,” he paused. “How’s Y/N doing?”

“Unresponsive,” Natasha reported back. “We’re gonna need evac.”

“I can get Y/L/N to the jet,” Thor affirmed. “The sooner we’re gone, the better.” He turned to Steve. “You and Stark secure the scepter.”

“Copy that.”

Thor tilted his head towards the new batch of Hydra members. “Looks like they’re lining up,” he observed.

“Well, they’re excited,” Steve guessed and lifted up his shield.

Thor slammed his hammer against it creating a shock of lightning to strike the line. “Find the scepter,” Thor ordered and flew away with his hammer.

“And for gosh sake, watch your language!” Stark ridiculed.

Steve sighed, exhausted. “That’s not going away any time soon,” he told himself.

Wanda glared at Pietro when she saw him again. “I got that Captain America,” she informed. “But, I think he took down Strucker.”

“I took down two of their people out there,” he bragged in a scoff. “And they said we weren’t ready.”

“Who’s the person then?”

Pietro’s breath hitched in his throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I can read your mind, Pietro.”

“I thought we set boundaries about that,” he argued. “And why should it matter? They’re just a person that was injured and I–I was worried.”

“They’re not one of us is the—” Wanda’s posture straightened. “Iron Man,” she whispered. “Let’s go.” She grabbed Pietro’s hand and guided him to where the scepter lay.

“Thor… I got eyes on the prize,” Tony said, nonchalantly walking up to the scepter.

Wanda appeared behind him and waved her hands around his head, a red spark of her magic entered his brain and clouded over his eyes.

And there she saw it. His worst fears in real life. All the Avengers are dead around him. The what if’s of their first battle. What if he didn’t save them? What if he didn’t do more? Why didn’t he do more? He saw a hole in reality and watched over the planet for only a millisecond. He woke up from the state, and Wanda gaped at the remembrance of the sight she just witnessed.

Pietro’s blur stopped right beside her about to go stop Tony, but she put a hand out in front of him. “Where did you go?” she asked.

“I wanted to go see something.”

“You wanted to see if you could find them.” She looked slightly up at him.

He gave her a look of confusion, a puzzled expression, and a little irritation. “We’re just gonna let him take it?” He changed the subject.

Wanda didn’t answer and instead slowly smiled.

They both watched as Tony raised his hand up, the glove of his suit attaching to his body. He walked around to the other side of the table and grabbed the scepter dramatically.

“They made them evacuate… by the way.” She shrugged and analyzed her twin brother’s face for any sign of emotion toward her words. “Stab wound. One of our people. Lost consciousness, and is unresponsible, but they'll be fine…”

“They will?”

Wanda gave him a look of amusement. “And you're the one who's so consistent in stopping Iron Man right now from taking the scepter, whilst you can’t even get your mind off of one of their people.” She chuckled, quietly. “Who knew you were such a softy…”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Let’s get out of here before he sees us,” Wanda suggested.

“So, we’re really letting him take it?”

“I know you like to do things fast, Pietro, but these things take patience, do you understand? Or are you too caught up on how ‘beautiful’ the person you saw was?”

With that Pietro sprinted away without another word spoken.

Wanda, before she followed, looked back at Tony with another smile, but instead a more sympathetic smile.

Both twins conflicted with their own inner battles.

Wanda with her feelings towards the Avengers.

And Pietro with his feelings towards a person that's in the Avengers

Tell Me If You Want To Be Added To The Pietro Maximoff "Quicksilver" Taglist By Either Commenting, Asking, Or Messaging Me.

|Requests are Open, Message, Comment, or (preferably) Ask you Requests |

xXTheBrookeLupinXx

[lune-hime]

I just love your writing and have been reading a lot of your stuff these past few days. I really enjoyed how you wrote Logan Howletts character, you did an amazing job. I think of those two stories you wrote as connected, and seeing that your requests are open, could you write possibly how they meet or moments in their relationship? Whatever comes to mind.

Hope your well and enjoy writing this if you decide to take it. ❤️

It makes me so incredibly happy that you have been loving my stories and my portrayal of Logan :’). Logan and reader’s first meeting had been previously requested so I went with a few moments in their relationship. Thank you for being patient with me in posting this, I hope you enjoy and that you are doing well <3. 

↞↠↞↠↞↠

A Second-First Meeting

“You’re Logan.” Storm let out a melodic chuckle, her realization breaking the silence within the jet.

“Uh...yeah.” He said with a quirked brow. The ivory haired woman’s jaw went slack and another giddy laugh erupted from her. Logan's eyes darted from the oddly acting woman to Rogue who only shrugged, looking just as confused as he was.

“Logan from Canada.” She stated in semi-awe, looking him up and down as if comparing him to information she already had. It made Logan feel like he was missing something.

“He looks dirtier than she described.” Scott let out a snarky huff from the pilot’s seat.

“Okay, what is this?” Logan rose his voice to just below a growl, irritation evident in his tone. Storm put her hands up in harmless defense.

“You met Y/N in the summer. Saved her from becoming a prune all alone in the woods, remember?” Storm said and beamed brightly. Logan’s eyes widened as the memory came flooding back. The bears, the beautiful girl, the thunderous storm and her lightening energy.

“You know Y/N?” He said in disbelief.

“Know her? She’s my best friend.” Storm giggled. “She told us all about you; how she fended off that bear but didn’t have to fend you off when you guys huddled up in your car.”

Storm winked at him as he narrowed his eyes at her teasing. Rogue let out a little giggle of her own at Logan’s speechlessness.

“We’re landing.” Scott announced as everyone began feeling their smooth decrease in altitude.

“All jokes aside, thanks for looking out for her.” Storm added with a kind smile before she swiveled in her copilot’s seat to help Scott with their descent.

⇷⛒⇸

“Hey, kid, is Y/N here?” Logan asked the child in front of him. He found himself on the precipice of a new life it seems, but more literally on the precipice of the lounge area in Xavier's Mansion. He was exhausted after an abrupt and confusing flight from his little slice of Alberta to New York. His head was spinning from all of the information about Mutant Brotherhoods and Striker that was just laid upon him. And now the remembrance of the girl caught in the rain who had once told him she lived at this very school.  

���Ms. Y/N? Yeah she lives here.” The child said nonchalantly. Each time he blinked, a new channel would appear on the almost theatre sized TV. “She sometimes teaches my kinetics training.”

Logan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Relief washed over him that he would have at least one familiar face here.

“Where can I find her?” He asked the boy who still hadn’t taken his gaze away from the television. He briefly paused on the Disney channel before continuing his search.

“Why would I know? I’ve been watching TV all morning.” The kid huffed as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. Logan grumbled and sauntered out of the room and back into the many mahogany halls of the massive building.

As he neared the large eastern courtyard, he caught a glimpse of just the woman he was looking for. Through the immaculately planted dormant shrubs he observed you standing next to an ornate fountain chatting with a girl who looked to be around middle school age. He felt that same energizing hum in his chest as he did a few months ago when he took in your appearance. The way you smiled so sweetly at the student, the way your hair was gently pulled from your face by the brisk winter wind, in how your legs bobbed back and forth in place as they fended off the early afternoon chill. He waited for you to finish your conversation with the child before he made his presence known.

“Y/N?” He called tentatively as he eased his way between the garden boughs. You looked up towards the direction of your summon. When you saw who it was, your eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Logan!” You chirped and jogged over to him. “How was the flight?”

“You knew I was coming?” He asked, surprised at the lack of surprise in your reaction.

“I did.” You answered with a guilty smile. “I’m a part of the team now too so I was there when Charles made the call to find you.”

Logan’s mind tried to connect the dots between the sweet yet snappy, soaked girl he met before to the cleaned up, self assured one standing before him. He pictured you using your abilities to fight opponents rather than bears and guessed you would be goddamned good at it with sparks like yours.

“I’m really glad he did…” You trailed off with the beginnings of a goofy grin. “That he found you and brought you here of course, not that you’re being targeted by the Brotherhood-”

“It’s good to see you again.” He confessed, his honeyed voice coating your rambling and effectively adding to the chilly redness of your cheeks.

“You too.” You replied softly, trying not to ogle at his casual attire of heather gray sweatshirt and joggers.

“I think you owe me, though. I gave you a free ride back then.” He declared with a smirk.

“Fine, do you need a ride to the nearest tractor supply for a new wardrobe?” You quipped back. Logan let his half smile bloom into a full crescent moon.

“Sure, if I can take you out for a drink after.” He proposed with a look that made you feel like the New England snow had suddenly melted around you and you were now in a humid jungle.

“Well, I did have another date tonight…” You began, looking up at the taller man through your lashes. If you hadn’t already been looking at him, you wouldn’t have noticed the minute clench of his jaw.

“Buuuut, I don’t think he would be able to handle being accidentally zapped as well as you would.” You continued playfully. Your suitor paled in any comparison to the old acquaintance that had just arrived at your doorstep. The amusement in your eyes was contagious, spreading to Logan’s forested green orbs and down to his boyish grin.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”

Firelight

You hummed in utter bliss. The warmth of the campfire kissed your bare legs as your tired eyes gazed upon the moon basked lake in front of you. You nuzzled deeper into the crook of Logan’s neck as the crickets and the treefrogs serenaded you with a private summer evening concert.

Logan’s hand lazily ran the expanse of your hip and thigh from your position curled across him in the camping chair. He was about to close his eyes in complete relaxation when a boisterous banging erupted from one of the cabins in your section of the campground. The clanging was followed by a teenage chorus of muffled curses and cackles. The two of you had volunteered to be counselors of sorts on this weeklong camping trip Charles held for his beloved students each summer.  Logan groaned at the disturbance, slightly annoyed with your rowdy group of students.

“They’re just having fun. As long as no one comes out on fire or with a leg missing it's fine.” You spoke up, tone laced with amusement. “Admit you love them-and spending quality time with them out here.” 

You felt Logan huff against you at your wholesome accusation. 

“I love being out here in the woods, with you.” 

Logan’s answer wasn’t to your satisfaction. You zapped him gently with a single crackle of your energy just beneath the rib cage.  When he jolted from the surprise attack, you folded yourself to him so that you were now straddling his lap. 

“Sure. Not like I saw you earlier spending an hour teaching Rogue how to fish properly after she got her line all strung up in the nearest tree. Or how you, willingly I might add, played hide and seek with the younger ones when you were supposed to be taking a break. Or when-” 

You rambled off his sweet acts in adoration until he leaned up to press his lips to yours. You sunk into his embrace and sighed at the euphoric feeling. 

“Alright, alright. You’ve proved your point.” He grumbled half heartedly. In the fading natural light, you could see the lazy smile that adorned his face had become dusted with your lip gloss. You returned his response with a triumphant grin as he gingerly grasped the back of your head and pulled you to him once more. His heated palms sailed over your curves like a forest fire as your kisses deepened. You let out a small moan when he discretely bucked his hips into yours. 

Or, what the two of you had thought was discrete. 

“Gross. I’m just trying to get to the bathroom.” Bobby complained with a grimace as he walked by the two of you towards the community restrooms. You let out a chuckle as Logan brought his fist up to Bobby’s line of vision, a single adamantium claw extending to flip the younger man off against the firelight. 

[cowboysamkiszka-archived]

A Cowboy Christmas | Chapter 3

Cowboy! Sam x Fem! Reader

Warnings: it's gettin a little angsty in here

Word Count: 624 :))

Chapter 2 / Chapter 4

a/n: hey bestiesssss, contrary to popular belief, your cowgirl queen is alive and active ... this mini chapter is in fact mini, and a bit of a flashback, but i think it just adds to the drama of the hallmark-ness of it all.

Previously on A Cowboy Christmas...

"You didn’t know how you would turn this arena into a winter wonderland, but what you did know was that maybe this Christmas wouldn’t be so bad after all, and you were excited by the knowledge that this cowboy would be the reason why."

Chapter Three

buckle up because this chapter is from SAMUEL’S P.OV.

It was moment’s like this that I was thankful I had my own room.

I could write in peace and pace without judgment. Since that afternoon something had been ignited in me again and now I couldn’t turn my mind off no matter how hard I tried.

It was her, but somehow I couldn’t let myself believe it. I can’t get my hopes up like that. She’ll disappear just as quickly as she reappeared and leave me ripped apart in the wake of her whirlwind life.

I don’t blame her for leaving, it was out of her hands and probably less painful to stay away from the place that harbored so many memories of what was once here. What she lost nearly ten years ago. Nearly ten Christmases have come and gone and there hasn’t been a time I forgot, where I ever stopped anticipating her reappearance in this sleepy town like she had never even left.

Not just Christmases, but summers and every other holiday she would spend here with her grandparents. With her parents.

But things change and life goes on. Eventually the pitiful looks, sympathy casseroles, and “I’ll be praying for y’all.”s toward her grandparents slowed to a stop, because after a month passes suddenly so does someone’s grief. Even now I see the weight of Miss Holly’s grief etched into her still-youthful face when she thinks no one is looking.

At thirteen years old I didn’t fully comprehend what had happened, I was bitter that I had lost my best friend, the girl I played “house” with as a child, the girl I had begun to see in a different light. At fifteen years old I understood, at eighteen I tried to forget, and now at nearly twenty-three…

She didn’t recognize me at all. Granted, it had been almost ten years now and we had both grown up, but it still stung to see her eyes widen with the shock of being caught and not with the recognition of who I was, who any of us were.

. . . . . . . . . .

“Danny you don’t understand… she has no clue!”

“Sam, give her a chance, it’s been a long time since-”

“I know what happened, okay?” I crumpled down into the worn recliner, it’s upholstery threadbare in places, “You don’t have to rehash it like everyone else feels the need to. Like there is nothing more exciting that’s ever happened here… you don’t have to remind me.”

Danny’s hands came up on either side of him, palms facing me defensively, “Hey man, I’m just saying to maybe cut her some slack? It sucks but you’ve got no clue what her life has been like for the past ten years.”

Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair, nails digging into my scalp, before leaning back against the cushions. “You’re right.” I admitted through gritted teeth.

“I guess we’ll just have to reintroduce ourselves and hope for the best.” He suggested, “I’m sure she’s gonna have plenty of people asking if she remembers them, let’s be one less.”

I just nodded. I guess we’re back to square one… entirely new people, blank slate, no expectations. I made a mental note to tell Jake and Josh, maybe not the full story, but the decision to treat the situation as strangers.

Not about her muffled giggles as she watched Josh ride one of the horses. Not about her stuttered breathing as I leaned into her. Not about the way she traced every part of me but couldn’t seem to meet my eyes. Not about how ethereal she looked in her old, hand-me-down outfit. No. Just that we would play the situation by ear, reintroduce ourselves without acknowledgement of any past any of us had with her.

For her sake.

country bois i love youuu: @tlexx @joshkiszkas @stardustdanny @ageofflowerpower @hearts-hunger @jakekiszkaschiropractor @busybeingtrash @katie-gvf @watermelonhemm

please send me an ask if you want to be added to my taglist (^^^) and ill getcha on there for the next update!!! <3 :)

[mandoalorian]

What about Javier Pena being jealous?????? 🥺

Thank you for the request! I hope this is okay for you!!

Into You [Javier Pena x Female Reader] SMUT

Warnings: SMUT, inexperienced reader, angst in the start but fluff in the end ;) <3

Rating: 18+ only.

Word count: 4k

MASTERLIST | Submit your requests HERE

Javier Peña did not get jealous.

But he heard the way they talked about you. He saw the way they looked at you. Gawked, undressing you with their minds. The way their lips spewed dirt and filth about the things they'd do to you if they were graced with the chance of some ‘alone time’ with you. And he hated it.

Javier Peña was anything but a saint. He had his ways. The DEA had a renown of being more reserved than the CIA, which meant Javier had earned a name for himself due to his lothario reputation.  Javier's colleagues were a lot older than him, settled down with families, children- and some even with grandchildren. Even his old partner, Steve Murphy, had a wife and a daughter. Javier had none of that. Except from you.

You were the new receptionist. Shy, fresh faced, and beaming with anticipation as you found your feet in your new job. Javier found it endearing, but he wondered how long your bubbliness would last. It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies- working for the DEA. You had an air of innocence to you, and he swore you had the kindest heart in the whole of Colombia. Javier knew from the moment he met you, that the men in his department were not deserving of you.

Javier didn't give a fuck about his reputation. But when the Colombian department extended to the CIA, Javier met a lot more men who were like himself. He saw them chat up women from his previous encounters in bars, and he saw them visit the same brothels as he did. That behaviour seemed to become normalized.

You were the only women in a department filled with horny, sex crazed men. Often, Javier would find himself watching you from his desk, only a pane of glass seperating you both. Almost always you were on the phone, doodling in a notebook as you talked to potential informants. Other times, your head was down and you were whisked away in your work. Occasionally though, he noticed CIA agents bust their move with you.

He never confronted you about it- it wasn't his place, but seeing the way they spoke to you filled a rage in his heart. Javier was lucky enough to blossom a friendship with you; one that you really valued. You didn't have many friends in Colombia, but knowing a man like Javier Peña had your back? That really brought you comfort.

Even better, you lived in the same apartment building as him. Same floor, just two doors apart. It meant that you were constantly over at his flat spending time with him. He taught you how to play poker and you enjoyed watching movies together and ordering take-out. Javier was a lot of fun.

Maybe, just maybe, you and Javier were spending too much time together. You were catching feelings for him, and shit- he was so sure he had already caught feelings for you.

Javier Peña does not catch feelings. He ran out on his and Lorraine's wedding because he was sure that he felt nothing for her. And she was his fiancée. Now, all of a sudden, he had a thing for the new DEA receptionist who sat outside his office. Only, it was more than just a thing. Javier Peña was in love. The sweet girl he had found to be so caring and compassionate, the angel who had eyes that must've been crafted by the Gods themselves and the softest lips he wished he could kiss.

You had sworn you had never been in love either, until of course, you met Javier. There was no way to explain it. You both just clicked like magnets. There was an electricity that exceeded just mere sexual tension. There was genuine feelings. 

Javier Peña is impulsive and so, when his feelings for you dawned on him, he called up his favourite sex worker; Vanessa. Not only was she good at her job, Vanessa was a good person. She was good to Javi when she didn't need to be, and that was hard to find in 80s drug-torn Colombia.

When Javi had a bad day at work- Vanessa would be at his beck and call. Sex was a way he could release any negative emotions he had. A temporary fix.

That night, you had planned to confront Javier. He had confided in you previously that he had stopped sleeping with women. Deep down, it was because of his feelings for you; although he would never admit that to you. You wanted to tell Javier that you liked him… a lot. But, you stood behind his apartment door, bottle of wine in hand, and heard Javier fucking Vanessa.

You froze up as you overheard their mixed up moans and groans of pleasure, immediately feeling stupid. Why would you believe that you actually had a chance with Javier Peña? He clearly didn't feel the same way about you.

And so you went back to your apartment, climbed into bed and finished the bottle of wine on your own. You closed your eyes and masturbated over him, whining his name as pleasure filled your core. 

And when Javier fucked Vanessa, he had her wear your pale pink lipgloss. He imagined her eyes match your specific shade and as he reached his climax, he wished it was with you. When he came, he screamed your name.

Of course, Vanessa didn't care. A job was a job to her.

After that night, you done your very best to brush away any feelings you once had for Javier. You tried really hard. You were beginning to believe it was a lost cause until CIA Agent Milo approached your desk about a month later.

Of course Javier noticed. He tried to take in the interaction between the two of you, judging from facial expressions as the glass pane in between you was practically soundproof. You were smiling, and you looked happy. Milo leaned against your desk, taking a pen and scrawling something on a sticky note. It was his number.

Jealousy was rife inside of Javi. Maybe Milo was about ten years younger than Javier, and maybe he read more fashion magazines. Although Javier considered himself stylish, you would often tease him for his 70s style wardrobe— an array of brightly coloured button up shirts, the same pair of dark blue denim jeans and pair of yellow tinted aviators. 

Javier knew Milo was no good for you. He reminded Javi of a younger version of himself. Milo was a heartbreaker, and you didn't need that. You needed someone who could look after you. Take care of you in all the ways you needed.

Not only that, but Javier knew what the CIA department was like— especially Milo. He would have nothing but questionable intentions with you. Another one of his sexual encounters that meant nothing to him but everything to you.

It was late on a Saturday evening when you nervously knocked on Javier's door. Just about to light up a cigarette, he stood up and unlocked it. His eyes widened when he saw you, slightly surprised. 

You were wearing a little black dress which clung around all your perfections, and ofcourse, your signature pink lip gloss.

"I haven't seen you in a while," he greeted as you slid past him and into the kitchen. "Want a drink?"

"No thank you." you replied, and Javier shut the front door and followed you into the kitchen.

"So what brings you here?" Javier asked, lighting his cigarette and taking a puff of smoke.

"I have a date with Milo in 45 minutes," you told Javier, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.

"Oh," Javier didn't really know how to respond.

"And, I missed you." you shrugged innocently, beckoning a small smile out of Javier. The blush that crept upon his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by you.

"So, uh, Milo, huh?" Javier questioned, taking another drag of his cigarette. He failed to realise why exactly you had come to see him- 45 minutes before your date.

"Um, yeah," you looked around his kitchen awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. "He's pretty great." you managed to force out. "He was employee of the month like, three months ago."

"Yeah a real sucker upper," Javi rolled his eyes and you gasped, nudging him playfully.

"He is not." You laughed but Javier really wasn't in the mood for whatever you were trying to do here.

"Why are you here?" he deadpanned, cutting your laugh short.

"I…" you frowned, unable to complete your sentence and earning an annoyed sigh from Javi. Maybe you were wrong to come to him.

"I don't think you should go out on a date with Milo." Javi informed you matter-of-factly; stubbing out his cigarette in the ash-tray that was conveniently placed on the kitchen counter.

"Excuse me?" you asked, your voice going uncontrollably high pitched. Javier casually placed the burnt out tab back in his mouth.

"I hear the things they say about you in the office, the sly little comments they make about you." Javier grunted, dismay written all over his face. The cigarette that was balanced in-between his perfect pink lips wobbled slightly with his building up anger. "They're no good for you. No good."

You narrowed your eyes. "No good? Javier, you don't get to be the judge of who is good for me and who isn't." You tried to stay composed but in the heat of the moment, your words came out as a snarl. Javier's dark eyes snapped up to meet yours as he tried to weigh up your expression.

"Shit, I didn't mean it like that." he raised his hands in defense and you folded your arms across your chest, awaiting an explanation for him. "It's just- we're friends, right? And I'm a guy and so, I understand what these other guys are like. And I care about you and-" 

"What if Milo cares about me?" you croaked out. Judging from everything Javier had told you so far, you were beginning to wonder if he was right. You just didn't want to believe it. Your one shot of happiness. Your one chance.

"Milo doesn't care about you." Javier deadpanned.

"Ouch Javi." you shuffled your heels around uncomfortably. You were certain your cheeks were heating up from the shame and you probably looked like an absolute mess in front of Javier. You felt embarrassed for not realising sooner. And seemingly, Javier had caught on to those feelings too.

"You have nothing to feel ashamed about," Javier comforted you, awkwardly reaching out and placing a hand on your back. You shuffled closer to him and he finally pent up the courage to pull you into his chest.

His embrace was warm and you could smell the mixture of his cigarettes and aftershave in his white shirt. You wanted to cry. If you were alone, you would've cried, but you couldn't bring yourself to do so in front of Javier.

"I feel pathetic," you whimpered, fidgeting with his tie. "You know Javi, I'm not very good at this kind of stuff. That's why I came to see you in the first place. I know that- I mean I've heard things about you. You have the experience."

Javier stiffened up and you awkwardly pulled away from him, desperately trying to read his expression in case you said something wrong. "Experience?" he questioned, his dark eyebrows knotting together.

"You- you know," you murmured, closing your hands into a fist and looking down at your feet. "You're experienced and I'm… not."

"I don't understand." Javier replied and you huffed out your cheeks.

"Fuck Javi, are you actually going to make me say it? I'm a virgin."

Javier blinked a few times. The silence was deafening. You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole.

"I- I would've never have guessed."

"Yeah well…" Fuck, this was awkward.

"Y/N, can I tell you something?" Javier prompted.

"I guess?" you replied in bewilderment.

"When I see him talk to you- when I see anyone talk to you… I get jealous. So fucking jealous."

You swore your heart stopped. "Jealous?"

"I see the way they make you laugh and smile- and I curse myself because I wish that was me."

You raised a hand and pressed it into his chest. "Javi…" you didn't know what to say. "I- I came here for… advice. About… you know. Sex."

Javier looked you up and down and rolled his eyes, walking into his living room. When you followed him, he was already slouched into the sofa, nursing a bottle of cold beer.

"What do you need from me?" Javier sighed, feeling defeated that his attempt of admitting his true feelings had become completely lost on you.

"Show me." you whispered nervously, taking a few steps closer to him.

"I don't want to take advantage of you…" Javier trailed off but he was already wishing he could undress you.

"I want you to." you admitted, feeling butterflies erupt in your stomach. 

Javier contemplated for a moment but really, there was no question about it. He had dreamt of fucking you since the moment he first laid his eyes on you. Javier leaned forward and put the bottle of beer on the coffee table.

"Take off your dress and come sit on my lap." Javier instructed and you nodded, sliding out of your dress and letting it pool around your ankles. You went to kick off your heels when Javi interrupted. "No, keep them on."

You nodded with a slight smile. It wasn't long until you found yourself standing completely naked in front of your best friend, and Javi had gotten rock hard from just watching you undress. All his fantasies were alive.

He beckoned you over and you sunk down onto his lap. "Rock your hips over me," Javi mumbled, pressing a light kiss into your ear.

You followed his command and immediately felt a wash of satisfaction as you started to dry hump him through his jeans.

"Javi," you moaned, your eyes rolling back as you grind harder over his bulge.

"That's it, good girl," he praised, fucking a stand of your hair behind your ear. His hand fell down to your chest, grabbing and squeezing at your breasts. "Take what you need."

A huff of air escaped your lips at his words and you buried your head into the crook of his neck. His skin was warm and you could smell the tobacco burnt into his body. But also, there was a sweetness to him, like honey. The scents did not get lost on you. He was your addiction.

You raised your hands to his head, lacing your fingers amongst his locks of dark brown hair. As you increased your speed, you tugged on his hair which earned a hearty groan from Javier's mouth. The noises he made only spurred on your arousal and you felt your cunt getting wetter by the second, contracting around nothing as you began to grow desperate for his cock.

Javier felt his boxer shorts dampen as his precum dripped through the thin material. His big hands roamed your bare back and he knew that pretty soon he'd want to take his pants off. You loved the sensation of rubbing your pussy over his denim jeans, the friction tickling you in just the right ways. You loved the way he would moan or tense up when you occasionally brushed over his erection.

"This feels better than I ever could've imagined." you admitted and your eyes were hazy, glazed with tears as you pushed towards your climax.

"Yeah? Fuck, first times usually aren't this good," Javier grunted as he felt you twitch on top of him, your legs beginning to shake around him. "Can you cum for me?"

"You- you want me to cum?" you blinked, a blush creeping upon your cheeks.

"Please," Javier groaned. "Need you to cum all over me. Make a mess of my jeans."

"Oh Javi," you whimpered, putting more focus on grinding over his hard, defined bulge. It rubbed between your folds and stimulated you in a way that your fingers could never.

"I love it when you say my name," Javier hummed, holding you steady as you rode out your high. You gasped and pressed your lips against his.

He swiped his tongue over your lower lip, begging for entry which you happily granted him. But the second you opened your mouth just slightly, he slid his tongue in and you gasped out another loud moan of his name causing his grip to tighten around you. You came undone all over him, just how he had always dreamt about, whimpering into his mouth. You stopped grinding but stayed still on his lap for a few moments, letting him hold you and kiss you.

His kiss eventually left your lips and he planted sloppy love bites down your neck and along your collarbones. His grip on your breast was soft yet firm and the roughness of his hands made you want to help, especially when he rubbed his thumb over your nipple, pinching it slightly just to see what reaction he could get out of you.

"Your tits are fucking perfect." Javier groaned, licking a stripe down the valley of your breasts. You watched him with eager and excited eyes as he played with you, feeling your cunt drip with your arousal once more.

"Javi," you groaned, tossing your head back.

"What is it?" he responded, a mouthful of your tit. You paused for a moment, letting him suck on your nipples. "What do you need, my love?"

"I need you," you mewled, your toes curling involuntarily when he pulled his mouth away from your nipples with a 'pop' sound. "Need your cock to fill me up."

"Yeah? Fuck you're so dirty… never had no cock before. And you want mine? Are you sure that's what you want, sweet girl?" Javier's mustache brushed against your neck and you giggled at the tickle it gave you.

"Mm yes Javi, wanted this for so long and so bad. Wanted you. I'd hear about all the girls that you fucked and I, I just wanted to be one. One of your little fuck toys." You groaned, pleasure pooling in your eyes.

"My love, you're more than that. You're so much more than that." Javier promised you, gently pushing you off his lap so he could unbuckle his belt and unzip his jeans. He stood up, pulling his jeans down, along with his boxer shorts, and you couldn't help but yelp when you saw the way his long thick cock sprung out against his stomach. The tip was red and already leaking for you.

"Oh Javi," you whispered, unable to take your eyes off his manhood. "You're so- you're so big."

"Come here," he curled his finger, gesturing for you to come back over and sit on his lap.

You straddled him again and gasped, feeling his cock press between your folds. You continued to rub over him, this time feeling more freeing as your wetness glided over his erection. "I'm nervous," you admitted. "I want this Javi. I really do, but I've never- done this before." you gulped and Javi planted a reassuring kiss to your lips.

"I'll go gentle sweetheart, I promise. And if it ever gets too much, you can just tell me. Your comfort is the most important to me." Javi whispered in your ear, sending chills down your spine. "Let me just…."

Javier lowered his hand to your clit and began to rub gently. He closed his eyes, your wetness soaking his fingers with just the smallest of touches. "Already so nice and wet for me," Javier smiled, bringing his fingers up to your lips and pushing them gently into your mouth. He watched you with his dark, lust blown eyes as you sucked your own arousal from his fingers. "How do you taste?" 

"Good," you replied, blushing again and hopelessly fluttering your eyelashes which framed your eyes.

Javier lowered his hand again and you lifted yourself up slightly. He slid his middle finger in, deep, and you were surprised at how well you could take him. He left his finger inside of you for a second before rubbing his index finger against your hole. He looked at you, asking for approval, to which you gave him a nod and smile, and Javier pushed a second finger inside of you. This earned a moan from you, followed by a giggle as he slowly stretched you out by pumping his fingers in and out of you.

Feeling your walls contract around him, he removed his fingers and brought them up to his own mouth, this time tasting you for himself. "Perfect." he corrected you, humming in delight.

Javier reached over to the drawer inside the coffee table and pulled out a string of condoms. He teared open the packet of one and skillfully slid it down his length.

Javier adjusted himself slightly and you lifted off him just a few inches. He reached to his cock and held it upright, before signalling for you to sink down on him. He wanted to let you be in control. He wanted you to start doing it at your own, comforting pace.

The second you sunk down on him, you felt him twitch inside of you and your eyes widened at the unfamiliar feeling fullness. You sat down on him, nudging your nose against his and he kissed you again as you warmed his cock in your pussy.

"So tight," Javier growled, biting down on your lower lip. "How does it feel for you? Is it hurting?"

You shook your head 'no' and Javier offered you a warm smile. "Just- you're just so big."

"Take your time sweet girl." Javier murmured, kissing down your neck.

Slowly, you lifted yourself off him before sinking back down. And repeat. Until eventually you felt like you could build up a steady and comfortable rhythm— you realised you were riding him. Javier buried his head into your breasts as you bounced on his cock, your breathing hitching as you felt every one of his bumps and veins inside of you.

Javier was a mess underneath you, slurring out an abundance of incoherent curses in a wash of satisfaction as your cunt clenched around him. He knew he wouldn't last long.

You straightened up your posture and Javi shuffled backwards a little, leaning into the plush of the sofa cushions. His hips started to snap into yours as he began to meet your thrusts with loud moans. His large hands held you by your waist as he fucked you so perfectly. His cock was buried deep within you, and with every one of Javier's thrusts, he hit your sweet spot.

"I'm close," you gasped as Javier continued thrusting. You felt your heart rate pick up and your legs begin to shake as his balls slapped against your dripping core.

"Me too," Javier concluded, bumping his nose against yours and kissing you passionately. Breaking away to catch breath, he grabbed a fistful of your hair. "Cum with me. 3, 2, 1." 

The second he said '1' you broke on top of him, and Javier's cock pulsed inside of you, his seed spilling into the condom. Your cunt clenched around him, milking him of all his arousal and you were left, a breathless mess, on Javier Peña's lap. His cock slipped out of you and you groaned at the lost feeling of fullness. Javier pinched the condom and took it off before throwing it into the nearby trash bin.

Javier's dark eyes blinked up at you a few times as you both took a few minutes to regain your breath. "How was it?" Javier asked eventually, exhaling shakily.

"Better than I ever could've imagined." you offered him a smile. He always found that your smile was contagious and he couldn't help but grin at you back.

"Listen- what I said to you before- the whole, "I'm into you" thing… if you're not ready, I completely understand." Javier told you.

You couldn't bring yourself to fathom words so you simply just pressed a kiss into his lips. "I'm into you too, Javier Peña." you whispered and felt Javier grin into the kiss, his hands twisting into your hair as he pulled you deeper into him.

Permanent taglist (let me know if you would like to be added!):  @supernaturalgirl @phoenixhalliwell @ah-callie @luvzoria @stardust-galaxies @wickedfrsgrl @goth-topic 

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

All Men Have Limits - IX

Character: Dick Grayson x Reader x Bruce Wayne

Summary: A certain bat believes that Y/N is in way over her head, that she’s too naive to act in her best interest. So, whether she wants it or not, the vigilante family is going to help and protect her before she gets herself killed.

Word Count: 2,800+

Warning: Violence, Mentions of past domestic abuse

Previously on…

A WEEK LATER...

Of course it had to be raining the night they needed to execute their plan. 

Y/N didn’t know if she was shaking because she was freezing or because she was so nervous. Even with all the layers and her knit hat, she couldn’t seem to warm up.

Y/N had been walking around for half an hour. They’d mapped out her route so her face would get picked up by as many street cameras as possible. If The Court was as sinister as rumored, they’d be watching.

“Scratch your nose if you’re doing alright,” Dick said in Y/N’s ear.

The whole family had explained how imperative it was for Y/N not to speak. They had to assume that Y/N was being watched the moment she left the manor. And if her lips moved, the Talons would know something was up.

So Y/N scratched her nose and looked over her shoulder suspiciously, just like they had talked about.

“Remember: you want out at any moment, just press the distress button on your watch,” Dick added for good measure.

Y/N wanted to roll her eyes at his worry and overprotectiveness, and say, ‘I know. I know.’ But she knew better than that.

“Someone’s tracking her,” Jason spoke up in the comms. “Civilian clothing.”

Jason started calling out the identifiers to his family, and in 30 seconds everyone spotted the man that was tailing Y/N.

But this was all part of the plan.

“I still don’t like this,” Dick muttered to his family, making sure he cut Y/N’s connection off so she didn’t hear his nervousness.

“’Course you are. We’re throwing your girlfriend to the wolves,” Jason commented.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Dick muttered with annoyance.

“Focus,” Bruce chimed in for the first time.

“She’s stuck to the route we gave her,” Tim commented. “All well-lit and crowded with people. They won’t make a scene with this many witnesses.”

The family moved across rooftops, following Y/N’s path from their designated points.

Dick and Bruce both hated this plan, but they were handling it in different ways.

Bruce had become almost mute with focus. He didn’t want a single thing to slip past him. His senses were acute as ever. He was barely communicating with them because he was too busy keeping an eye on Y/N. His eyes hadn’t stopping shooting around, making sure to cover all angles.

“She’s entering the warehouse,” Damian announced.

Everyone shifted their focus and made their moves.

Y/N stopped at the computers she had set up. Or really that Bruce had hired men to set up for her.

She started typing away rapidly, not sure how much time she’d have before deadly ninjas would start dropping on her.

With one final slam of a key, she let out a shallow breath. “Signal’s been sent out. We’re live.”

“Nice!” Tim answered.

Jason started to chime in, but suddenly his voice became crackly and then the line went silent.

“Red Hood?” Y/N asked.

Nothing.

“Anyone read?”

Nothing.

Y/N felt a chill go up her spine.

She whipped around to find three Talons awaiting her attention.

Y/N quickly took a step back and pressed the panic button on her watch. She hoped The Court hadn’t somehow intercepted that signal as well.

“You were lucky with our last encounter,” a Talon stepped forward to speak.

Y/N ignored him and took out both of the guns that had been hiding in her trench coat.

He laughed at the weapons. “Have we not already tried this?”

“At least I’m not a coward hiding behind a mask. Won’t even let me see the faces of the idiots who want to kill me?”

They all ignored her attempt to get them to unmask themselves, but started stepping toward her. “Not want. We will kill you this time.”

But before Y/N could answer or the Talons could get any closer, a smoke bomb was dropped in the space between her and her enemy.

Just as it erupted, Dick dropped down from the bannister above and shoved a gas mask over Y/N’s face.

This wasn’t just any usual gas bomb that Batman and the family used as a distraction. No, this was a special formula designed to burn eyes and cause coughing fits.

One thing was made quite clear, the Talon’s masks were not used to protect them from such attacks. They were meant to hide their identity and nothing else.

Y/N smirked when she heard the sudden coughing and groans of pain. They weren’t muffled by fabric, meaning they had no choice but to remove their masks.

“Stay back,” Dick warned her before lightly pushing her behind a pillar as the smoke bomb started to settle.

Barely giving them a chance, Dick attacked the weakened Talons.

But now the three of them were unmasked. Their eyes were burned red and watery with tears.

And their faces were exposed. 

Y/N’s stomach dropped as she saw Dick flip to them and attack.

But she had a job to do and started tapping away on the high-tech watch around her wrist. She was walking backwards, staying away from the fight, just as Dick had instructed. 

But then she backed into a body.

“Fuck,” Y/N muttered as she froze and her eyes widened in panic.

She whipped around to find a Talon with his sword drawn.

Then other blurs were dropping down from the banisters, more were joining the fight.

Y/N reached for both of her guns and was ready to start firing – despite that not benefiting her in the slightest bit last time.

But before she could take even one shot, someone dropped in front of her protectively.

Bruce was a like a wall of shadow, blocking Y/N from the enemy.

“Run, Y/N.” He demanded without breaking eye contact with his opponent.

She knew better than to fight him on it. This was what they had agreed upon: Y/N was to be used as bait and do her job, then get the hell out.

“No matter what you hear or see, you run like hell,” Dick had told her. His eyes had been desperate and his grip on her shoulders had been tight. Y/N hadn’t been able to find it in her to do anything but give a slow nod.

Barely a second passed after Bruce’s warning before multiple Talons were on him. But Bruce was a worthy opponent and was able to distract them enough for Y/N to get away.

She ran for the nearest exit.

But the warehouse was now crawling with Talons.

Two more blocked her path, making her screech to a stop and turn around, facing Jason.

“Get down,” he told her calmly as he raised two guns.

She dove to the ground and covered her ears as Jason cleared out his ammo.

Without waiting for further instruct, Y/N jumped back onto her feet and tried to find the least chaotic route out.

Tim was using his bow staff almost like a windmill, taking out multiple Talons at a time with just a simple swing.

Y/N looked across the warehouse to see Damian and Dick fighting alongside each other. Despite Damian’s capabilities, Dick couldn’t help but look out for the boy, and he was never far from his side during a fight.

Damian slashed down opponent after opponent with his Katana sword. Meanwhile, Dick had the boy’s back, using his escrima sticks and countless acrobatic kicks and flips.

They were all holding their own, which further urged Y/N to get out of the way.

‘Run, Y/N. Run!’ Her brain screamed at her.

She spotted her opening and sprinted for it.

With only a few yards to go, Y/N felt a sting in the back of her leg.

No.

It was more than a sting. It was a lightning strike of pain that threw her to the floor.

As she sat up, Y/N looked up to see that a knife had clattered to the floor with blood staining it. Her blood.

Then she looked at the back of her thigh to see that she was bleeding from an open wound. It could’ve been worse. The knife could’ve embedded into her muscle and flesh. But she had gotten away with a graze – but one that brought her to the ground.

It all happened so quickly.

One moment Y/N was looking at the blood dripping from her leg. And the next, there was a Talon standing above her – unmasked – with his sword about to swing down on her.

Y/N winced and shielded herself as best as she could. But there was no saving her from such a blade – and a blade wielded by a Talon of The Court.

Just when Y/N thought she’d feel the sword strike her, a presence flew between them.

Y/N opened her eyes when she heard the sound of metal clashing with metal.

Bruce’s forearms were crossed into an X, with his gauntlets intercepting the Talon’s sword swing.

Y/N crawled back to get out of the way, ignoring the screaming pain from her leg.

All she could do was watch as Bruce now fought the Talon one on one. They wielded two katana swords – one in each hand.

Meanwhile, Bruce was using his gauntlets and therefore could really only be on the defense.

It was clear that he was trying to disarm them and make the fight even.

Eventually, through many complicated maneuvers, Bruce knocked one of the swords out of the Talon’s grip. He picked it up.

Y/N didn’t know why it was so surprising to see Bruce wield a katana. Of course he had been trained in sword fighting. That just wasn’t his chosen weapon. It didn’t stop her from being amazed by his skill with the blade. 

But Bruce was getting tired. Y/N could see it.

His movements were still quick, but they had slowed since the beginning of this particular fight.

Y/N managed to clench her teeth and fight through the pain of her leg, slowly bringing herself to a standing position.

But just as she did so, Bruce’s sword was knocked clear out of his hands and the Talon followed it with a kick to Bruce’s abdomen and a punch to his face.

Y/N’s stomach dropped at seeing the infamous Batman get knocked to the ground.

Of all the footage she’d seen, Batman always seemed to have the upper hand. She never doubted that he was going to win a fight – and he was going to do so without killing the enemy, which as always impressive.

“Get up, get up,” Y/N hissed to herself as she watched Bruce struggle to get back on his feet.

“So much time spent protecting her,” the Talon patronized. “Such a waste.”

He landed yet another punch across Bruce’s face. A punch that was harder than anything Y/N had seen before. 

And it knocked Bruce out cold.

Y/N felt it – the death in the air.

Time seemed to slow.

She was about to watch Batman get slaughtered right in front of her.

Her eyes raced around her, looking for one of the boys to call for help or anything that could be used as a distraction. But Dick and Damian were suddenly being overpowered. Tim wasn’t even in Y/N’s eyesight. And Jason was failing to shoot every Talon that surrounded him.

Then Y/N saw the katana that had been ripped from Bruce’s grip. It lay just a foot away from her.

Without thinking, Y/N picked it up.

She lunged forward just as the Talon was bringing his sword down to finish Bruce.

With just an inch away from his victim, Y/N’s sword intercepted the final attack.

The Talon gaze whipped to her. And Bruce was oblivious to his life being saved.

Y/N’s eyes widened, realizing she acted without any sort of plan. And now she had the Talon’s full attention and she had no clue how to wield a sword of any kind – or how to physically offend herself to any degree. 

“You have been a nuisance long enough,” the Talon growled.

“Oh, but I’m not even done yet,” Y/N smirked wickedly.

He tilted his head to the side, choosing to amuse her instead of strike her down immediately.

“You really think I can hack the oldest and most powerful secret, but not every major news network in the country?” She asked offensively.

But then she smiled and tapped a button on her watch.

The screens in the warehouse flickered to life and their volume was turned all the way up.

Everyone ceased their fighting.

Each screen showed that every network was hacked, their signals interrupted with Y/N’s own broadcast.

It was live footage from inside the top secret base for The Court of Owls. All of its members were unmasked, either being gathered by FBI and Gotham PD or pinned to the floor, getting handcuffed.

“That’s not possible,” the Talon gasped.

Y/N tapped her watch and a tiny drone, almost the size of a bumblebee zoomed in front of his face. Then his face was being broadcasted across the world.

“Say hello to America, Calvin Rose,” Y/N announced as her face-recognition system instantly identified him and his name appeared on her watch.

Then the camera moved to another unmasked Talon in the warehouse. “William Cobb,” Y/N announced, adding his name to the screen when he appeared.

As her footage was live-streaming on all major networks, the names of each member were appearing on the screen as well.

Calvin Rose screamed in frustration. 

“Detonate the bomb!” He yelled to his men.

“You mean the bomb you first threatened me with?” Y/N cooed.

He whipped back around to glare at her, not understanding her meaning.

“You really think we wouldn’t be able to find it? After you gave us weeks to track it down?” She teased. “The bomb is in the possession of the FBI, safely neutralized. But not before I helped them reverse trace a signal back to the detonator.”

They knew they lost. But they had not only lost, they had been discovered.

There would be no recovering from such exposure.

And Y/N hadn’t even told them about all the evidence she had stored that tied The Court of Owls to every corrupt act they had performed in the last 20 years.

Sirens suddenly blared in the distance.

All the boys had stopped to look at Y/N, realizing that their plan was coming together.

“You lost,” Y/N declared as she lowered the sword to her side. “And they’re coming for you, too.”

That was finally what set him off.

He growled before stomping to her.

Y/N was surprised by this new attack and quickly stepped backwards, but not nearly fast enough. 

In one motion, he grabbed Y/N by the neck with one hand, lifting her off the ground with his sheer strength and rage.

Not a second later, he shoved his sword into her abdomen.

It seemed like the sound of metal cutting flesh and muscle echoed through the entire warehouse.

“No!” Dick screamed shoving his way across the warehouse to get to her.

In the same moment, Y/N was dropped to the ground like a rag doll.

Chaos had erupted around her, a new fight had begun. But she heard none of it.

Her hands warmed from the blood that was leaking from her abdomen.

The pain was something different to her.

She couldn’t even put a number on how many times her father beat her to a pulp. Nothing could ever compare to the pain of being physically hurt by the person who was supposed to love you the most in the world. This was nothing.

Y/N was just happy she’d die doing something good for the world. A final act of sorts.

Just as she was about to succumb to the tired and dark feeling threatening to envelop her, she felt a warm presence next to her.

“Y/N!” Dick yelled when he reached her side. “You’re OK.” His voice started to shake. “You’re gonna be OK. Y/N, I need you to hold on.”

Police and FBI agents flooded the warehouse as Dick pulled Y/N into his arms.

Y/N looked up to see tears had filled his eyes.

“It’s OK, Dick.” She tried to tell him. “I’ll be fine. I’m fine.”

But when she reached up to cup his cheek, she stained his skin with her own blood.

Y/N was starting to lose her grip on life.

She swore she could feel Jason and Damian’s presence move her side, and then hear Tim talking to the cops. But she could also be imagining it. She could be imagining it all. Maybe she had already died and this was just how she had wanted to go, her mind giving her that final wish.

Things went from being so loud and warm to cold and silent.

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

Part 10

I edited this really quick. And for that, I apologize. 

[avaantares]

I'm about to be controversial, y'all.

So... am I the only one who's extremely unexcited to see RTD put back in charge of Doctor Who? I know lots of people have fond nostalgia for his era of showrunning -- and that's fair; my favorite DW characters and storylines also hail from those seasons -- but I keep looking back at his Whoniverse and remembering

the poor handling of season arcs: e.g. shoehorning the words "Bad Wolf" into every episode to suggest there's a continuing story and then... not having it signify anything except the fact that the words "Bad Wolf" were in every episode. Ditto "the bees are disappearing," et al. There was no building story, no progressive reveal, no real sense of continuity -- but then the season finale would throw out some supposedly-shocking revelation that pretended it tied everything together. Only it didn't feel like a proper payoff, because all we'd gotten was a random line once per episode to tick the requisite 'season finale reference' box.

what he did to some characters in DW, and his "defense" for it, which he then recycled for Torchwood: His stated reason for stranding Rose in an alternate universe/wiping Donna's memory/killing half the cast of Torchwood is because (and I can't find the exact quote right now, sorry) he's not interested in telling satisfying stories, but wants to do things that will shock the audience so they remember it and talk about it 50 years from now. (Sorry, but shock value alone isn't good storytelling. If I want to be angry/horrified/surprised/confused by events, I would just watch the news instead of a scripted TV show.)

the (frankly insulting) things he said about the fans and their attachment to said characters after their disappointing endings in DW/Torchwood. (Dude, you know we can hear you, right?)

what he did with the Torchwood sequels: His exact quote, cited by (I think) Scott Handcock in an issue of Vortex, was "Let's drive it off a cliff!" And then he proceeded to trash almost all of the established character growth from the previous decade's worth of series material.

the bulk of Miracle Day, which he wrote, and which was... You know, I've already written thousands of words detailing all the ways that series fails to support the continuity of the previous three TV seasons of Torchwood and the greater Whoniverse, so I won't reiterate all that here, but the fact that he directly contradicts his own previous scripts, scenarios, worldbuilding and characterization multiple times in that series really doesn't reassure me that he won't do something incredibly jarring and out of line/continuity with a new DW season.

Now, all that said, did RTD also do some things well as DW showrunner? Yes, he did. He certainly deserves credit for successfully resurrecting a franchise that had previously failed (more than once -- *cough*American Doctor Who movie*cough*). He established the Time War mythos and set up the Doctor's subsequent recovery arcs, which became a touchpoint for the series as a whole. He introduced numerous great characters, cast members, and villains, including several of my personal favorites. He created Torchwood, a show I love despite its many, many flaws. Some of the most iconic episodes of the new series were produced during his tenure ("The Empty Child," "Blink," "Midnight," "Silence in the Library," et al.). And in total fairness, as much as I loathed the execution of Miracle Day, I do think it had a solid premise and raised fascinating questions, and could have been a really good stand-alone sci-fi series if it hadn't tried to be a Torchwood sequel/spinoff.

I'm also not going to argue that DW is perfect right now and should stay just as it is, because the series has definitely been treading water lately; there have been numerous story and long-term continuity issues during Chibnall's era. But what it really comes down to for me is that despite those good, lasting innovations he made in launching the reboot series, I don't really see a new RTD-helmed season fixing the troubled state of Doctor Who as it stands, because the things he did well aren't necessarily what the show needs to regain its sense of balance after the uneven scripting and continuity-flaunting turns it took over the last couple of seasons. At best, it will be a hard reset to an early-series atmosphere that largely ignores the questions raised by recent installments, rather than a recovery from the continuity-nuking bomb dropped during the last season finale. At worst, he'll continue the problems delineated by the bullet-pointed list above, and the series will sink deeper into a hole.

To me, the RTD re-appointment really feels like BBC/BBCA trying to cash in on the early-NuWho nostalgia train to regain the viewership it lost during Jodie Whitaker's tenure (not her fault at all, but some whiny little boys viewers ragequit at her introduction because *gasp* a female Doctor?! how dare! while others lost interest because of the weak scripts or other failings of the past couple of seasons). I think the decision is motivated less by "what is best for the development of Doctor Who as an ongoing series?" and more by "what's the fastest shot in the arm we can give our struggling ratings so we can capitalize on the upcoming 60th anniversary?"

I hope I'm just being paranoid, and RTD defies all my expectations and brings something new and delightful to the next series of DW. But I can't deny that when I read the announcement, my gut reaction was just, "Ugh." Maybe it's just the Torchwood fan in me, burned too often and in too many ways to trust RTD to stick the landing, but I'm honestly feeling more trepidation than anticipation right now.