#it was a tough decision to simplify it so much but my hand will thank me for it lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

venushasvixens · 3 years

Text

Ch. 11 - Fightin’ Words - Life is but a Dream (Spike Spiegel x Reader)

[A/N] to clarify before I begin, I do NOT hate Faye. There will be a following chapter to explain how we got from point A to point B, since now that I see it, this chapter seems like a stretch. I apologize if the writing is a little shitty, I got too excited when writing it, and I was basically vomiting words onto my screen. Enjoy!

Previous chapter: Ch.10

⛔️ WARNING: this chapter contains implied sexual content, drinking, and strong language

There is a clear difference in kissing. One was for lust, meant to excite and give pleasure to the receiving, as a plus on to tie in all the ingridients for good sex. The other was for love, showing affection and those deep emotional feelings that both parties were in need of.

The lines were blurring.

Wanting this to be a strictly physical relationship, other elements started to incorporate their way into your escapades. And now Spike knows almost everything about you. Eating habits, what makes you laugh, and the type of people you hate. Talking for hours on end, both of life and it’s ridiculous nature, there was no off time between you both. It felt good.

The quiet moment after you left his room for your own, a faltering feeling of sadness and loneliness enters Spike. The urge to grab you and bring you back to his bed for the night was strong. He tried to get you to stay (always subtly), but to no avail. Well aware of your need for space, he always respected your decision.

The crank that was once rusty, was in Spike’s head as his mind ran endlessly of if you liked him or not. It was a thought, a discussion he wanted to put off for so long. The consequences of his doubt were going to hurt, especially when it was going to be that time to go. The reassurance that this was only a fling, a friends with benefits deal, was on its way to be tossed out of the trash chute into space.

“Trust me, Spiegel, I’ve had plenty of time as a child to know what I’m talking about.” You said as Spike passed you his cigarette.

“About what?” He asked, completely clueless.

“Rocks. Crystals, geodes. Have you not been listening?” You scolded, scoffing as Spike shook his head.

“The library in the city gave the orphanage books they didn't want anymore. My favorite book was the one about rocks on Mars, of course it was simplified for my small brain…”

Head in his hand, Spike listened as you rambled mindlessly of all the different rock formations on Mars. As much as he wanted to learn, he couldn’t help but be distracted by his acknowledgment of your presence. More specifically, the air you brought in the room. Spike began to think of it as his favorite perfume, sweet and sultry, with a hint of spice. It made him feel safe.

You were so attractive when you were educating him. He hated to hear it from Jet or anyone else, but you made it interesting.

“You’re pretty hot.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah thanks. Anyways, like I was saying…”You replied, flattered by his sudden proclamation.

“I’m serious. You’re talking all smart to me, and I can’t help but tell you that.” Spike smirked. “I think I learned more from you than in high school.”

You laughed softly. “I tell you because I know you’re dumber than a bag of hammers.”

“Is that so?” Spike raised his eyebrows. Why was your teasing making him feel even better? “You’re going to regret saying that.”

“I only have one, and not that.” You smiled slyly, the glint in Spike’s eye becoming more noticeable.

“I’m about to make it two.”

“I would love to see you try.”

You put your hands up to defend yourself, Spike’s smooth moves rendering you helpless. In a second, he had your arms pinned down by your sides, a deep throated chuckle emitting from him as he watched you struggle. There was no danger but that of falling to his charm and whim.

“I don’t regret this.” You panted.

“Sounds like the best decision I’ve made.” Spike mumbled, gaze traveling all over your face. He brushes the stray hairs from your face, fingers tracing your hairline and ears. He was so close, you could feel his breath on your neck, threatening to brush his lips on yours.

“Can I ask you something?” Spike broke the silence. You nodded eagerly.

“I-“ He began, cut off by the loud knocking on the door.

“Spike? Spike? Are you there?” Jet called out.

There is no answer, except you panicking over whether Jet sees you naked or sprawled out on Spike’s bed. The only sound that could’ve been heard was the thuds of you scrambling around the room, looking for your bra and panties. Spike watches in amusement, not caring at all at the dilemma you both were in.

“Yeah?” Spike called out, the clink of his lighter going off.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to come up to the bridge for a drink, got a few good bottles of gin from our last bounty.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Good.” Jet finished. Footsteps drew further away down the hallway and supposdely onto the stairs. You sighed in relief, getting dressed at a leisurely pace. Safe, once again.

“Y/n, you can come too if you would like.” The loud booming laughter of Jet filled the hallway, masking your dread.

This evening was going to be delightful.

“Where's the gin?” You said in confidence, like you weren’t just caught in Spike’s room. Hopefully he wouldn’t see the slight limp in your step either.

“I have it, but I knew it would be a good bait to get some help up here.” He replied.

“Then I want at least half the bottle as a down payment. And an apology.” You scowled, taking a peek on the holo computer, skimming over the briefing for the next bounty.

Jet chuckled. “Now young lady, I have something very important to ask you.”

“Huh, you and Spike. I’m not too scared of yours.” You glanced at him, sitting in his seat.

Jet rested himself against the table, nodding. “I was going to say that us boys and Ed really enjoy you here. These last few months have been the best one this ship has seen in a while, and you are welcome to stay however long you want, kid.”

You knew you were doing well, but now you caught the bag. Jackpot. “You’re just saying that because I feed you all.”

“That's part of it too.” Jet grinned. “But I’m serious, (y/n). I think all of us could vote in favor of a new crew member. What do you say?”

Thinking, you remembered your freedom, sought as a child. That’s all you ever wanted, was to be out and allowed to do whatever you could. But deep down, the thing you really needed was a home. A family.

You could find that here on the Bebop. Even if you got a rocky start, it was smooth sailing for now. You felt wanted. That’s what you needed.

“Doesn’t sound too bad. I’m down.” You beamed.

“Glad you agreed, or else it would’ve been real awkward if you said no.” Jet replied, giving you a soft pat on your back.

“Mmm, would you kick me out if I declined this most generous offer?” You teased.

“Kid, you have my respect, I would let you pack first then throw you out.”

You cracked up, the deal was done. As you sat in your new home, you couldn't help but feel eternally grateful. “I really owe you one, Jet. You really got me out of a tight spot.”

Jet nodded as he searched for something on the control board.

“Was..was that how Spike came around? Picked him up like a stray?” You asked, surprised at your brazen question.

Jet stops messing with the controls, paused as he tries to peace his words together. “To be honest, I can’t even remember when or how Spike joined me here. He just popped up one day, and I haven’t been able to shake him off.” Jet gave a small titter. “Ah, (y/n). The man’s been through it tough.”

“Can I ask?” You said meekly.

“All that time spent together, and he hasn’t told you?” Jet chaffed, a smirk starting to grow.

Shit. “We haven’t spent much time talking today.” Fuck it, no use in denying it now.

“That’s what I thought.” He snickered. “Well, let me put it this way. A heartbroken man is a lonely one. He roams the galaxy in search of finding a way to fill the void left in him, either desperate to find something new. Or leave the void empty, allowing himself to wither away peacefully.”

“Hmm.” You replied shortly. A lot wasn't said, but it made sense.

“I’m only saying this once, (Y/n). He’s changing, and for the better. I haven’t seen him smile so much sober. I have to thank you for that.”

You made a change, as small as it was. You hear footsteps approaching the bridge, the sliding door opening to reveal Spike. As he quietly passes you by, he shoots you a small wink, making you blush. Spike sits down with a sigh, his legs propped up on the control panel.

“Easy, I’m still working there.” Jet warns as he hands Spike a drink.

“Then how come you're not sitting here?” He smirks, side-eyeing you to watch him kick up dirt.

You smile back, letting their conversation fade away slowly. This moment, you had to screenshot it. It doesn’t look like a normal family, but it wasn't dysfunctional. You had a crazy red haired computer genius as a sibling, along with a dog that you think could do math better than you. It topped nicely with a protective mentor and teacher with one robotic arm, and a man who you didn't think you could even get near without getting your arm bitten off.

Someone was missing. She hasn’t been seen all day, but that’s typical. As an official member of the Bebop, there was no back burner now. You could turn off your predatory instinct on your prey. The hunt on Faye was over. You didn't have to be her best friend, just tolerate her attitude enough when she decides to stay on the ship for longer than a day. You really didn't want to fight her, but sometimes she made it so difficult. Besides, you were too tired anyways.

The little get together was carrying on joyfully, now joined by Ed and Ein. Ed wandered aimlessly in all directions on the bridge, babbling on about all the buttons and flashing lights. You sat next to Spike in your own chair, feeling the small soft padded pushes of Ein on your legs.

“What is it boy?” You asked sweetly, reaching down to rub the top of his ears. He jumps on his hind legs, trying his best to climb up onto your lap. You cooed at him, picking him up and placing him snuggly on your thighs. You swore you could’ve seen him smile as your pet his fluffy face, massaging his soft head.

Spike leaned over, whispering. “Do you think I can get a massage too?”

Before you could respond, Ein gave a small huff, one eye opening to watch out for his competition. “I’m sorry, but the baby said no.”

Jet laughed as Spike smiled. You looked down to see that Spike’s glass was still full, while Jets was drained of all gin. You were working on yours at a slower pace. “You don’t feel like drinking tonight?”

“Hmm?” Spike looked down at his drink, sloshing it against its glass walls. “ Oh, I’ll get to it.” He said before reaching out and touching your back gently, his fingers tracing circles on your spine.

What a win-win situation, Ein gets to be loved on and you get to be petted, you thought. Goosebumps rose on your arms as Spike continued. The sky turned to night, all the stars in the galaxy could be seen from the bridge’s giant front window. Ed was curled up in a ball in front of it, tuckering herself out. Ein provided some warmth to Ed, loafing on Ed’s stomach. Their snores mixed in together, obnoxiously loud, but incredibly cute.

Spike never got to his drink, so he offered it to you instead. Two was all you needed to finish off the night. You took over Ein’s spot on Spike’s lap, your arms wrapped around his neck as you conversated with the boys. His hands rubbed the side part of your stomach before interlocking, his heated palms providing comfort. You wouldn’t mind falling asleep here.

The flash of Faye’s Redtail blinded you as she clumsily parked out on the flight deck. You didn't care as long as she didnt destroy the hangar, then you all would be in huge trouble.

“She’s home early.” Jet stated, watching as she stumbled out of the ship.

“It’s not even midnight yet. Think she missed us?” Spike called out sarcastically.

“Doubt it.”

This was the last of peaceful silence for the night, you thought. You were hoping not to jinx it.

BAM!

Everybody around you whipped their heads to the source of the sound, except yours, because you knew exactly who it was and what was going to happen. Ein used Ed’s stomach as a launching pad, frightened at the loud noise. What could you say, you have a knack for sensing a challenge. The only thing was, you were not in a mood to seek it. It was brought to you, sucking all good energy out of the room and switching it to a fireball of jealousy.

In walked a staggering Faye, pleased with her grand entrance. She tipped to one side, before switching to the other slightly. Just one look was all it took before you gulped the rest of your drink down, flipping the glass on its head. You could see out of the corner of your eye Spike’s focus was on you. His brows furrowed, head tilting as if to ask what were you doing. Your reply was a swift head rub, his hair swooshing.

“Evening, Faye.” Jet chimed, pushing the bottle of gin closer to his side behind him on his control board. There was no way she was getting any more tonight.

Your gaze changed to Jet, who you thought could also sense the new air in the bridge. He sat at the edge of his seat, arm resting on his knee. What was he waiting for?

A small hiccup bounced off the metal walls, prompting Faye to trip and catch herself on the main control board in the middle of the room. Her eyes closed, she began to shake her head side to side, a small manic giggle escaping her mouth.

“You just-just can’t keep your fucking hands off of him, can’t you?”

You felt a shiver of shock rest on your shoulders as you turned your head to face Faye. Before you could speak, Spike opened his mouth to defend you.

“The hell is wrong with you?” Spike retorted, his hands now pressed firmly on your waist.

“Everything was just fine without her, you-“ Faye snarled as she pointed to Jet, “just had to have a heart.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Jet replied cautiously.

Faye circled around the control table, using it as support or else she tumbled over. A mumbled slur of insults, consisting of calling you a slut and Spike an idiot. She was drunk, you thought. Let it run off like water. She will be fine once she’s in her bed, snoring her way into a killer hangover. You couldn’t shake that feeling that you needed to start gearing up. You wiggled out of Spike’s hold, planting your feet firmly down as you lean on the control table.

“I..I honestly don’t get it.” Faye said aloud.

“Get what, Faye?” You piped up, the slightest shake in your voice.

Oh! So it can talk!” She cackled out loud. “Let me tell you what, since you asked!”

“Please, I would love to know.”

Her pointer finger shoved right in your face, furiously wanting to make contact. “I-I find it hard to believe that you managed to get him to fuck you.”

“Jesus, Faye, in front of the kids?”

“Fuck that! She’s going to hear what I have to say, whether the slut likes it or not.”

As angry as you should’ve been, coolness was all you displayed. The voice in the back of your head reminded you of unforgettable advice you knew all too well. Alcohol could be a very good truth serum.

“What a f-fucking slut … you know how I think y-you managed to stay on this tin can of a ship?” She muttered. “You have to be f-fucking the captain.”

“That’s enough! Leave until you sober up.” Jet stood up, standing in the space between you and Faye. “Not having any of that on my ship.”

You looked at Spike, face frozen in a silent menacing fury. Leaning back on the console, you kept glancing to see Faye moving further and further away towards the door. That was it, the show's over. But someone had some kind parting words.

“Hey, how about this! I bet Spike has to cover your face while fucking your ugly ass, I would too, you stupid-“

Your knuckles had never stung so bad, but it felt so good to watch Faye’s head swing back. A flurry of raged-filled punches landed on either side of her face, so fast it didnt give her enough time to react. Waking up, Faye gave a heavy footed kick to your side, prompting you to scream out in pain.

Each swing of her high leg swings missed as you ducked, giving you a chance for an uppercut into her stomach. You could hear the sound of the wind knocking out of her with each punch. Faye’s hand pulled your hair back roughly, fists meeting across your face, swiping your nose. Intense pressure built up, the threat of blood leaking out of your nose becoming evident. She wanted to play dirty?

We can play dirty.

You used everything you had in you. Scratching, biting, kicking. You were not going to lose. You did not give two shits if she was vulnerable, this bitch was going down. It felt like forever until you felt the strong arms of Spike yanking you away from the fighting ground.

“Hey, hey, hey!” You heard Jet roar, becoming a flesh and metal cage around Faye’s upper arms, taking a small beating as she tried to claw her way back to you. Ed was yelping and screaming at the top of her lungs, while Ein barked and yowled at the commotion.

“Stop, (y/n), its me you’re hitting, damn it!” Spike yelped as you gave the last swings, realizing that the fight was just about over. You panted, the painful injection of adrenaline overcame your body. You watched on in pity as Jet tried to get Faye to calm down. As you trudged back to your seat, with the help of Spike, the last word was finally given out of the door.

“Get comfy bitch, I’m going nowhere!” You screamed.

“And I know who burned your ship, but there’s no way I’m telling you, you dumb cunt!”

Other insults flew in your direction, but were ignored. You stood in disbelief as you let the major bombshell play over and over. Feeling the soft tug of Spike pulling you back gently down to your seat, letting you wallow for a second. He knelt in front of you, examining your growing black eye and red welts on your face. “Damn, that's going to leave a mark.”

You looked away from him, tears welling in your eyes.

“Oh (y/n), I didn't mean it like that, it doesn’t look that bad.” Spike apologized as you sniffled.

“It’s not that. I-its that..'' sobs so quietly, but causes the greatest quivering, “she knows who did this to me, and won't even fess up because she hates me. What kind of shit is that?”

Tears fell freely onto your lap, pain induced by your loss fueling more hurt. It was so cold by yourself, a shell encasing you in. Through the mists of your tears, the shell was just Spike’s chest moving closer in. The heat of his body provided consolation without words, the tightness and slight rocking bringing you down to a clearer, more relaxed consciousness.

“I’ll catch them for you.” Spike mumbled into your ear, his hands massaging the back of your head. “It won't bring anything back, but if that will make you feel better, I'll do it.”

This wasn’t an empty promise. There was sincerity behind Spike’s words, wanting to help you. It was now confirmed just how much you meant to him. He was willing to assist for payback. His offer was sweet, but it didn't feel right. This wasnt his struggle, it was yours.

You were going to catch them, and only God knew the hell you were going to bring.

#fanfiction #cowboy bebop #faye valentine #90s anime #jet black #spike spiegel requests #spike spiegel x reader #spike spiegel #radio free mars #cowboy bebop x reader #see you space cowboy #youre going to carry that weight #cowboy bebop fanfiction

82 notes · View notes

atths--twice · 4 years

Link

Onto the nineteenth chapter of the story!! Today we see a decision Maggie makes for her future. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Nineteen

Fate of a Coin

December 2015

Maggie sighed as she sat with Louise in the church pew at their friend Janet’s funeral. It was a long illness that took her, but still her death was not one Maggie had been expecting.

She, Janet, and Louise were an almost inseparable trio for years. They played cards, gone on vacations, and spoken almost every day. Now, one third of that trio was gone, and it hurt. A lot.

Louise reached for her hand, and they held tight to one another as the service began. The priest spoke about Janet, the many services she helped in, the lives she touched, and how invaluable she was to the church. Her family stood and shared stories, making everyone laugh and cry. Louise squeezed Maggie’s hand and they both took shaky breaths, as they dabbed their eyes.

They followed the family out of the church, hugging everyone they saw, and expressing their condolences. Following the processional to the burial plot, they stood together as the casket was lowered into the ground and a couple of musically inclined family members sang a hymn.

Maggie and Louise held to one another as they each said goodbye once more and then walked back to Maggie’s car. Sitting down and waiting for the car to heat up, Maggie sniffed and wiped her eyes once more.

“It was a matter of time, Maggie, we all knew that,” Louise said, sadness in her voice.

“I know, Louise,” Maggie said quietly. “It’s just ..”

“I know.”

At the reception in Janet’s home, the family welcomed Maggie and Louise, telling them of their appreciation of the long friendship they shared. Both women nodded and thanked them. Maggie took Louise’s arm, and they walked to the table laden with coffee and refreshments.

They each fixed a cup of coffee and sat down with other mourners. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and then talked amongst each other. Neither Maggie nor Louise felt much like talking, so instead, they listened.

Mixed within the stories of happiness and kindness, Maggie heard hardship and tiredness. Never vocalized, it nonetheless lingered in stories. She could hear the exhaustion in their tone and the nervous relief they felt with her passing.

Not wanting to discuss how she was feeling and what she was thinking until they left, Maggie waited until they had gotten in the car to say what was on her mind.

“I’d like to plan for my future, when I pass,” she said, glancing over at Louise. “I know it might seem sudden, but I want to have it figured out and not leave the kids anything to worry about. I had an idea after Bill died, but I haven’t thought about it in years. We’re getting older and there is always the risk of health problems. I just ... I’d like to have it done and taken care of so it’s not something to worry those left behind.”

Louise nodded and reached for her hand. “We’ll do it together,” she said, as Maggie squeezed her hand.

The following Monday, they met at the funeral home and discussed options of burial versus cremation. Maggie immediately chose cremation, thinking of Bill and his funeral and also of the lake.

Once the paperwork was in order, and payments had been made, Maggie stopped Louise on a bench outside of the office.

“When we were at the lake house this summer, I took a walk and made a decision,” Maggie said, looking at Louise and squeezing her hand. “I want my ashes scattered at the lake. I found it so peaceful and beautiful there. I’d like to know there is a piece of me there, in some fashion.”

“I love that idea, Maggie,” Louise said with a squeeze of her hand.

“I want to change my advance directive too, but I don’t want to bother Dana with it,” Maggie said, looking down at the ground. “After hearing the exhaustion in people’s voices at Janet’s, Louise, I don’t want that for my family. I don’t want them to make tough decisions for my care, or worry if what they’re doing is wrong. I want the decision to be mine, and mine alone.”

“I understand, Maggie,” Louise said as she nodded. “After this past year, I do understand. It feels odd to discuss death when we are living, but ... I know how you feel. Better to plan than leave it to chance.”

Maggie nodded. “When Dana was missing and then had inexplicably been returned, I found out about her advance directive. It hurt at first, not understanding why she would not want to keep fighting ... to just give up. But after sitting there with her every day worried and scared, I understood it better. I understand it even more now. I don’t want that pain resting on anyone’s shoulders.” Maggie looked at Louise and squeezed her hand again. They sat quietly on the bench before it became too cold, and then they left.

Two days later, before she went to visit Fox, Maggie stopped at Louise’s, and had her and her brother Jack, a retired Navy Captain visiting for the holidays, sign her amended directive. Maggie breathed a deep sigh as she saw it become what she wanted, how she wanted to leave this earth.

“It’s a good decision, Maggie,” Louise said softly, rubbing Maggie’s arms, and pulling her in for a hug. “A smart decision and when the time is right, you will tell Dana. She will understand.” Maggie nodded and held Louise tight, thanking Jack with a slight smile. He nodded and left the room.

After her visit with Fox, in which she was pleased to see he was still doing well with his therapy having ended, she stopped at the nearby convenience store, to buy an iced tea. Her mind was on the decision she made earlier that day, and she missed the clerk speaking to her.

“Ma’am?”

“I’m so sorry. My mind was a thousand miles away. What did you say?” Maggie asked her kindly.

The woman smiled and reached out her hand. “Here’s your change. Three dollars and a sorter.” She placed the money in Maggie’s outstretched hand as Maggie registered what she said.

“Did you say sorter? What does that mean?” Maggie asked, as she looked at the money in her hand. The woman smiled again and shook her head with sigh.

“It’s … um … something my mom used to say. She didn’t know much English when she came here as a teenager, and she was baffled by expressions sometimes. The grass is always greener or Whatever floats your boat. She said it was so strange to her,” the woman said with a chuckle. “The money one made her shake her head, always.”

“Money one?”

“Yeah. Penny for your thoughts. She was a very imaginative person, lived in her head, and had many fantastic adventures in there. She said her thoughts were worth way more than a measly penny,” she said, laughing as she looked at Maggie, and she joined in.

“So, one day, she says she’s going to come up with her own sayings. She couldn’t change the penny one as much as she may have tried, so that one stuck. But, she thought about it and eventually, in our house- nickels were fickle, as nothing really rhymes with nickel, dimes were for your time, it was after all during the time of pay phones, and quarters were your sorters.” She grinned at Maggie and seeing the perplexed look on her face, she chuckled again and explained. “My mother watched a lot of television to help her with learning English. She told us that so many times a serious decision would need to be made and eventually a person would dramatically flip a coin to decide their fate. Most often, it was a quarter they would flip, and the decision would rest upon heads or tails, and sort out the problem.” She said placing her palms up and shrugging.

“Quarters are your sorters,” Maggie said quietly, running her thumb across the face of the quarter in her hand. “I like that. It kind of simplifies things, doesn’t it?”

“Well, of course it’s not one hundred percent accurate, as it is a chance of fate, but it’s up to the flipper, I suppose. Same as anything in life, it’s how you interpret it, and what you do in the future that matters,” the woman said with another shrug. Maggie looked at her again and smiled.

“Thank you for sharing that story with me. I like your mother’s way of seeing things. My name is Maggie, by the way,” she said, putting out her hand.

“Destiny,” the woman said, reaching for her hand, with a laugh and a roll of her eyes, when Maggie’s own widened in surprise. “I know, and it seems even stranger after that conversation we just had. But, like I said, my mother had come here as a teenager, escaped a bad situation to do it, and felt it was her destiny to be here, hence the name bestowed upon me.”

Maggie shook her head as she shook Destiny’s hand. Of all the places she could have stopped on the way home, she somehow stopped at the one she passed every Wednesday on her way to visit Fox. Today of all days, it seemed she was led to this location, to this woman.

“I don’t know what to make of this, or what your personal beliefs are, but I feel I was meant to meet you today,” Maggie said as she set her change down and grasped Destiny’s hand in both of hers. “I can’t explain it, but I know it, and I am grateful for whoever, or whatever, made me thirsty for some iced tea.” Destiny laughed and covered their joined hands with her left one, looking in Maggie’s eyes as she did.

“My mother would give me the silent glare and the click of her tongue all day, if I did not say it seems we were fated to cross paths today.” She smiled and held Maggie’s stare. “I don’t know your situation Maggie, but I feel I was meant to play an infinitesimal part in it. I understand when you say you can’t explain it, for nor can I.” They stared at one another, hands still clasped, before Maggie smiled and let go. She stepped back from the counter, about to leave, and then turned around again.

“Your mother is a wise woman. Be sure and tell her that from me, would you?” she said, looking at Destiny. She nodded and they waved goodbye to one another, the quarter weighing heavily in Maggie’s pocket.

When she arrived at home, she kicked off her shoes, and put her paperwork on the kitchen counter. She would send it to her doctor tomorrow, everything in order and done. Emptying her pockets, the quarter landed on the counter, and she sighed.

Quarters are your sorters, she thought. So many things came to mind that needed to be sorted. Her relationship with Charlie for one, but that had been gone over and over for years. She knew it would take more than a flip of a coin to change his mind and his heart.

She closed her eyes, the ache of not having spoken to her youngest son and grandchildren in so long, was overpowering. How ridiculous it was to let a disagreement and misunderstanding in the past be what kept you from the future. Her eyes opened and she knew what she needed to do.

Picking up the quarter, she studied it. Nothing remarkable about it, a truly unremarkable ordinary quarter. And yet ...

She turned it over and over in her fingers and then took a deep breath. It felt sacrilegious to do it this way, but she felt desperate, and led to do something crazy. A year Dana and Fox had been apart, and at the moment, an end was still not in sight.

She moved to the middle of the kitchen and closed her eyes. Did she make a wish? Simply ask for what she truly wanted? If Dana and Fox would finally come back to each other? Will it into existence by flipping the coin? Her heart was racing and she felt hot, as if knowing this was a mistake. She placed the quarter on the top of her right thumb, held down with her index finger.

Please, was all she could think to say. Please.

She flipped the coin and opened her eyes, watching it spin in the air. Oh , God, what had she done? She reached for it and missed, causing it to hit the floor, and roll away from her.

“No, no, no,” she said out loud, chasing it past the table and toward the wall. “I take it back. Stop.”

Finally catching up to it, she watched it hit the wall, and bounce back. Squeezing her eyes tight, she waited to hear it fall, but the sound never came. Opening her eyes she stared and then let out a surprised gasp and sob.

The quarter did not fall over, but remained standing, neither heads nor tails. She stood frozen, staring at it in disbelief, waiting for the inevitable moment when it would tip one way or the other. It never came and suddenly she laughed hysterically, tears running down her face. Doubled over, she could swear she heard Bill’s voice in her ear.

Your daughter, Maggie? Leaving the fate of her future with him up to this simple coin toss? Have a bit more faith in our girl than THAT.

He would be right of course, she did need to have more faith in Fox and Dana. What was a year, really? Seven years they had been together, work partners and best friends. Then, twelve years together with many things left unsaid and unshared. Almost twenty years together and one year apart was to be enough? No. She knew it now.

Bending to pick up the quarter, she smiled. Holding it in her hand, she knew it was not an unremarkable quarter, far from it. It was something special and should be treated as such. Walking to the drawer that held the plastic baggies, she took one out, and dropped the quarter inside. Zipping it up, she grabbed a sharpie, and wrote The Unremarkable Remarkable Quarter, and underneath it, Ever Faithful.

She put the sharpie back in the drawer and put the baggie on top of her paperwork. Tomorrow she would take the papers to her doctor and then do something with the quarter. Something special.

______

It was not until she was driving to the doctor’s office the next day, that she thought of it. Taking a detour, and heading to the jewelers, she smiled as she thought it was the perfect idea. Walking in, she found it to be rather empty, and the man behind the counter eager to help her with her plan. He grinned as he set to work, telling her it would be a quick task.

Forty five minutes later, she walked out, the quarter saved in a necklace around her neck, and under her blouse. No one but her knew it was there, close to her heart. The unremarkable remarkable quarter, reminding her to keep faith. To know that only when the time was right, when they had figured out how to be better alone, in order to be better together, would her plea be answered.

Until that day, she would wear it, the head side up, hoping and praying those two would use their heads, listen to reason, have faith in each other, and one day find the harmony between them.

#The X Files #XF Fanfic #X Files Novel #Quarters are your sorters #Keeping faith #Reason Faith and Harmony

4 notes · View notes

broken-clover · 5 years

Text

Dust Strikers Story Mode 2/4

Part two of the story mode transcripts for Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers.

Part 1, Part 2 (Potemkin, Chipp, Eddie, Baiken, Faust), Part 3, Part 4

Potemkin

Potemkin: You youngster there. I see you have some talent. How about testing some of that talent on my fists? Axl: Man, you've got a nice build. But what do you have to gain? Plus, are you sure you can handle me? Potemkin: I wouldn't underestimate me. My drive for freedom locked inside my heart is my greatest weapon. Axl: Cool. I love peace and freedom too. But you might get out of breath when you're so stiff all the time. Ky: So you're fighting in the name of peace and freedom. Perhaps I might come up with answers for myself too. Excuse me, I'd like in as well. Jam: Just drive won't take you anywhere. There's no victory for those who can't face reality. I'll prove it to you right now!

May: Wow! Look how big you are! Potemkin: And so are you. May: Hey! That's not very nice! Potemkin: No, I just thought you grew a little compared to the last time I saw you May: Well thanks for the compliment. Think I'm good enough for Johnny now? Eddie: Having a host in her growth spurt...might not be a bad idea. Johnny: Out of the way, May! Potemkin: Humph! May:...Thanks Johnny: Thanks. I owe you one. Eddie: How dare you... May: Now it's my turn! I'll prove it to you that a girl in love is unbeatable!

Testament:...Long time no see. Millia: That's a first. You coming up to me to say hi. Things have changed, haven't they? Testament: You're still caught up in the past and changing the thorny path. Millia:...it's none of your business. Move out of the way, will you? Testament: I don't have a problem, but... Millia:... Testament: You seem hesitant. With such mixed feelings, it may cost you your life. Millia:!!! I must have lost my edge, to be getting advice from you. Potemkin: What he's saying is on the money. Those with swaying motivation never fight to their full potential. Please excuse my eavesdropping. Anji: Just happened to pass by. Millia: Then I guess I'll have to eliminate all doubts before I get to him. I'll need your cooperation for that.

I-no: That's an exciting combination Potemkin: That red outfit and guitar...you must be... I-no: You remember me? That's nice to know. Potemkin: Someone like you go unchecked...lucky for you I'm a little busy now. You pull out and I'll let you go. Zappa: Grrr! I'm gonna curse you! Faust: Looks like this won't need treatment. If we take too much time, the patient is not going to make it. I-no: Look, the beasts are making noise. But I'm afraid I don't understand what they're saying. So loud and annoying. Potemkin: That should be enough! It's time for me to shut you up. Faust: Looks like it is your mind-set that needs treatment. Fine, I shall treat you, then. I-no: Trying to act tough, are we? You damned animals. I'll cut you up and feed the dogs!

Dizzy: Umm, thanks for saving me back there in the woods. Sol: Forget about it. Didn't really mean to save you. Just did it for the hell of it. Dizzy: I think I found my place too. Potemkin: Didn't go according to Zepp's plan but the president understands. I'm relieved to see you smile. Dizzy: It's all thanks to you guys Slayer: Sorry to interrupt. Look at you. Looks like you've managed to find your way through. Dizzy: Yes, I think I learned that courage will open the doors to success. Though I still prefer not to fight. Slayer: So what about you? Do you have a verdict yet? Sol: It's none of your business. Potemkin: And what kind of revelations have you had in combat? Perhaps such things are unnecessary for people like youself. Slayer: Indeed. To me, combat is combat. Nothing more. It may be a means for deciding who wins and loses, but in the end it is merely a method. Potemkin: Then allow me the opportunity to put this method of yours to the test. Slayer: Fine. Let us see what you're made of.

Potemkin: Very unfortunate. Gig: Grr... Potemkin: It looks like it's too late. Gig: Grrrgh! Potemkin: Sympathy is the least I can give you.

Gig: Grr...grr... Potemkin: This is the end. Gig: Ghhh.... Potemkin: Rest in peace! Gig: Grr.... Potemkin: Don't take it personally. It would've been best if you turned out like him.

Potemkin: I see you're doing well. Dizzy: Yes, we're all getting along well. Potemkin: To be honest, I was initially reluctant about giving you up to pirates. But I can say for certain that now out Head of State understands. Dizzy: Yes. Right now I'm...pretty happy and peaceful. Potemkin: I can see that in your calm smile. I wonder if my painting can keep up with such a beautiful smile.

Chipp

Chipp: Hey! Hold it right there! Testament: What is it, human? Chipp: You're a Gear, aren't you? Testament: What are you going to do about it if I was? You one of those foolish humans who start attacking as soon as they find out someone's a Gear? Chipp: Not me. I've learned from experience that just because someone's a Gear, it doesn't mean they're all evil. Testament: That's a surprise. Thought you'd be the type that would steam through, and only act on emotion. Chipp: Don't screw with me. I'm gonna become president and the strongest in the universe. Just wanna put my skills to the test. Testament: Very well, then. Show me your so-called human powers. Dizzy: In that case, I'd like to help out. Sol: Sure, why not... Chipp: HEY!! Wait a sec! I never said 3 on 1! Testament: What are you talking about? There's only going to be one winner. Chipp: Oh, I get it. Not like I was scared or anything. Let's do it!

Chipp: Please, I'm begging you! Baiken: Geez, what is your problem? Chipp: Make me Japanese! Even samurai give mercy, don't they? Baiken: No samurai here. Not a chance, buddy. Be a big boy and get over it, willya? Anji: Hey, what are you doing here? Chipp: You'll do! Please, tell me how to become Japanese! Anji: There's no way in hell, man. Be content being the 'president' Chipp: NO! I wanna become the president, become a Japanese, surpass master's ninjutsu abilities and take revenge! May: You guys arguing over something? Chipp: Damn...what are you doing here? Anji: Yup. A 'Japanese' May: Japa...what? Why're you crying sir? Something wrong? Did I do something wrong? Chipp: I will reach the top! You watch me, master! May: Wow, you scared me! You know I'm tough when I'm mad!

Chipp: Hey! I have a question. Axl: Hi there, you look very hot. I-no: You talking about me? Axl: Of course! Who else would it be? Great body, silky smooth hair, you're electrifying! I-no: You're very good with words. Let me ask you then. Who's hotter? That woman or me? Chipp: Hey, listen up! Millia:...don't bother me. Chipp: !...you used to be in the guild! Millia: Yes, but that was a long while ago. Now I'm in the same boat as you. Axl: Ah man, this is a tough one. They're both really hot. Chipp: I'm taking down the guild! You women stay out of it! Millia: That I cannot do. Just like you, I can't pull out. Axl: This is a tough decision... Millia: And...quit staring at me with that perverted look on your face! Axl: Oops, I think I got her mad at me.

Potemkin: I heard from the president. I've been looking forward to this day to finally exchange shots with you. Slayer: One of the disciples, I gather. You think you can take me? You should beat him before coming to me. You'll pay a high price for this! Chipp: HEY! Hold it right there! You're the dude who founded the guild, aren't you? Slayer: That was quite a long time ago...I no longer have any involvement...but it is true that I am the founder. Chipp: That simplifies matters. I'm gonna destroy you! Jam: Looks like I've gotten myself into a hostile environment. Better get outta here... Slayer: Hmm, looks like you're a ki wielder. I'm interested in your combat style. Would you mind showing me some of it? Jam: I'm no cheap street performer. If you give me some of that spice, I'll think about it. Slayer: I should be able to accommodate you. Jam: That's a promise! Chipp: Quit ignoring me, both of you! You're going down!

Johnny: Oh man, I wasted so much time...There you are! Eddie: I'm impressed. Didn't think you would detect me. Johnny: I have the power to see the truth. You can't fool me with magic tricks. Venom:...Found you! You beasts who degrade Master Zato. Finally you can rot in hell! Eddie: You humanoids are good with words. But that kind of talent is needed to be adequate for my body. Chipp: Freeze! Don't you move! You're all guild members, aren't you! I hold all of you responsible for killing my master! Venom: At a time like this? I'm not letting anyone lay a hand on Master Zato's body. Johnny: Well, I'm kinda... Chipp: Shut up! Guilds, pirates, no difference! Today you face death. Eddie: Ha! Foolish humans once again, being hostile against one's own kind. I shall erase you altogether!

Chipp: Damn! Gig: Grr... Chipp: What is it? You wanna dance? Then I'm taking no pity on you! Gig: Grrgh! Chipp: Holy Zen! Go to hell!

Gig: Grr...grr... Chipp: Ha! I guess it's my victory! Gig: Grr... Chipp:...what's this? I'm feeling sick to my stomach....damn it!

Chipp: (That monster smiled before it died. All I was doing was battling hard. Wasn't aware of things I can't see. Did I really get stronger? Guess I still got a long way to go!)

Eddie

Eddie: Haha. There they are. Human, candidates to become my host. Ky:...! There you are! Eddie: You've found me. But I'm even more excited about your combat abilities. Ky: You're...! Zato! Or have you already been taken over. Eddie: That's correct. Former leader of the Holy Knights and a Japanese woman. And you there, I sense a lot of potential. Axl: You talking about me? Baiken: This monster sure does talk a lot. Eddie: Haha! You should feel honored. I shall find out right now whether you are adequate to become my body! Baiken: Who do you think you are? Beat it!

Bridget: Whoah, everybody looks tough Chipp: Hey! what's a kid doing here? Eddie: A child. Attractive in terms of her youthfulness but too immature to become my host Bridget: You're not taking me seriously? Then let me show you my moves Sol:...back off. Don't be wasting my time Eddie: Interesting. I shall keep a record of the battle results for future reference Bridget: Don't be surprised! Here I come! Sol: What am I, a babysitter? I can't deal with this...

Eddie: You are the same as me. Zappa: Yes...I feel the animosity. Eddie: Looks like it's a mind parasite. No good as a host. Dizzy: Are you two...related? Or have you both been exploited badly by humans in the past? Eddie: That's correct. As a weapon. But things will be different from now on. Dizzy: Huh? Eddie: I shall find a more powerful host, and I shall be the one to dominate the human race! Faust: Can't let that pass. I apologize for the selfish acts of humans, but your body can't live without a host. This is where I can help you. Eddie: Silence! You lowly human! I am going to acquire Gear power and take revenge on humans! Dizzy: What? So you're planning to use my powers? Not all humans are bad, you know. If you sit down and talk to them. You can't take my happiness from me!

Millia: So...we meet again...Zato. Eddie: So you still haven't gotten over him? Millia: Shut up, you damn beast...I'm talking to him, not you! Eddie: What do you want to talk to ME about? Millia: I'm taking you down. I'm sick and tired of looking at your pathetic, bony remains. Venom: Not so fast...! Master Zato is regarded as the crown-jewel of the guild. You'll have to hand him over to me...! Slayer: I've told you the Guild is no more. No raison d'etre and no purpose. Continued existence will only bring further regret and despair. Venom: Oldtimes can keep their mouth shut. The guild no longer belongs to you. Millia: It has nothing to do with me anymore, I don't care what happens to it. I just want to take care of this guy with my very own hands. Eddie: Do you think it will be that easy? What do "I" think?"...Not so easy, "I" say. Venom: I sense you...Master Zato. I am going to free you, Master, from the evil spell of death! Eddie: Ha ha...this is great! Lowly humans who cannot accept death. That's the right evil spirit to have! Slayer: I'm the one who started all of this. I must atone for my past deeds. Fine, let us put an end to it all.

Eddie: You've been taken over by power. Gig: Grr... Eddie: What a pitiful sight... Gig: Grrgh! Eddie: Funny how I'm the one saying that.

Gig: Grr...grr.. Eddie: Even Gear with all of its power released is not so powerful. Gig: Ghhh... Eddie: Die. Gig: Grr...

Eddie: Can't seem to find any good bodies. Since nobody is as powerful as I am. That female's body had a chance. But again, my powers were too much and again it did not work out. Hahaha!

Baiken

Johnny: Bravo! Very impressive! Baiken: What do you want? Get outta here. Johnny: Nothing beats having a beer in the company of a beautiful woman. How about a drink? May: Johnny! Johnny:...Maybe we’ll have to call it off. Baiken: So the stud turns helpless in the presence of an innocent girl. See ya! Slayer: Hmm, a Japanese...is it a coincidence that both of you are rather...masculine? May:...huh? Johnny: Hey, better stop talking so much. Old people can take a hike.

Faust: Traveling lady with the scent of blood. Where are you headed? Baiken: Get lost, you lame doc. It's none of your business. I can kill whoever I want. Chipp: Woman enduring countless bloodshed. So you're that Japanese beauty? Ky: There's nothing but anger inside you. As a protector of public safety, I can't let such hateful words pass Baiken: Kid, if you don't wanna get hurt, you should just keep your mouth shut Ky: I have confidence in my sword. Not exactly my favorite option, but in this case I have no choice Faust: What you need is some time off in total peaceful serenity. As a physician, it is my obligation to make sure that you are cured.

Zappa: Um, excuse me, I was wondering... Baiken: Yeah what? Why are you so fidgety? Act like a man, will you? Zappa: Oh, I'm sorry. I'm looking for a person, Fa- Baiken: Fa...who? Zappa:...Fricken nasty! Baiken: What's going on here? I'm surrounded by freaks. Testament: How rude of you to say that. I've long given up my human name, but by no means am I a freak. Venom: This is a supernatural phenomenon. Quite interesting. I'd like to see more of your powers. Baiken: Man, this is a real drag. I'll blow you all away! Testament: Lowly humans shall die!

I-no: What do we have here, the desperate bachelorettes council? Baiken: What kind of greeting is that? That's not a very nice thing to say Jam: That's right! You're rude! And what about you? I-no: Oh dear, don't be so uptight. It's just a joke, honey. Or were you offended 'cause I was right on the mark? Millia: You're a joke. Why don't you get outta here. I-no: Oh no. I'm scared. I guess this is how women become as they get older. Baiken: You crazy! I'll cut you up into pieces! Jam: I'm not showing you any mercy either! Millia: If you're not gonna get outta here, we'll have to get rid of you. It's as simple as that. I-no: You're such sweethearts. Very well, I make you cry lots. We'll find out how loud you can cry.

Anji: Finally found you. Sol:...It's you again. Anji: Let me ask you straight out. Do you have any idea where 'he' is? Sol: So what if I know? Anji: Can you tell me where he is? Of course I'm willing to work for it. You and I have a bout, and if I win, you tell me. Sounds fair? Baiken: Wait! Let me in on the festivities Sol: Sorry, not interested. You guys enjoy each other's company Anji: Even Justice feared my powers...Still not interested? Sol:...! Baiken: Shut your trap! You're starting to get on my nerves. I'll kick all of your butts right now! Axl: Whoa!...Damn it...is this a bad time? Baiken: Eavesdropping, are we? I'm not impressed! Axl: I just wanted to ask chief something Sol: And even you. Why does everyone want to stick their noses in other people's business! Axl: No worries, chief! Just a quick bout, no hard feelings! Sol: I'm not responsible for what happens.

Baiken: There may be no point in asking you, but I'll ask anyway. Gig: Grr... Baiken: Some Gears out there aren't violent. Are you one of them? Gig: Grrgh! Baiken: Alright. I take that as a 'no'

Gig: Grr...Grr... Baiken: Okay...I guess that's it. Gig: Ghhh... Baiken: Let me take you to the land of the dead where you belong! Gig: Grr...

Baiken:...This guy's a pain in the neck. 'That Man' can't even take care of his problems himself, what a joke. Sit back and enjoy life while you can. I'm coming for you!

Faust

Sol:...Whew... Jam: How rude. What's your problem? Faust: Is there something wrong? Sol: A doctor and a chef? This is a big joke. Quit following me wherever I go. Go back to your real jobs, man! Faust: This is what it takes to master the tricks of the trade. It's necessary to learn to see things from the patient's perspective. Jame: The art of cooking is also a quest. You're not gonna find anything new just by sitting around. Venom: Then I should get to know a wider variety of opponents. Let's roll! Sol: Move it. Just go to bed!

Anji: You know Sol, don't you? I-no: You meet a woman for the first time and that's the first thing you ask me? I want to know more about you. Anji: My apologies. Last name is Mito, first name is Anji. I'm just a journeyman. I-no: thanks for the introduction. And what can I help you with? Anji: I've been wanting to meet 'That Man.' I-no: Really. You won't live long, dear. Eddie: That's not necessarily the case. As long as you become a part of my body! Ha! Anji: Two on one? This is a tough situation. Faust: Looks like you're having trouble. I can assist you to the best of my humble ability. I-no. Thanks for showing up to your own funeral, doc! Faust: No matter who, my mission is to save lives. Let us apply some drastic remedies, shall we?

May: Phew... Faust: That was a deep sigh. Did something happen? May:!...I have the chills again... Faust: Oh, excuse me. I'll back off. Looks like something's troubling you. Whatever I can do to help May: Thanks...um, I don't know what it is, but my heart feels tingly and I feel gross. Faust: That's not good. Let me take a look. Dizzy: May! We were looking all over for you! Johnny: Finally found you, girl. Where were you? Why'd you disappear all of a sudden? May: Johnny! And Dizzy's with him too... Faust: Hmm, I see, I see. I think I understand the situation. Times like these, you need a breather. Perhaps some exercise will help.

Bridget: Wow, what a massive frame you got. Potemkin: Well, I was born big. This fist I use for what I believe in and to engage in art, nothing else. Bridget: So you're an artist. Good for you. Maybe you can draw something for me? Faust: Should be safe if I've come this far. Bridget: Wow, landing using just an umbrella, that's amazing. You from the circus? Faust: No actually, believe it or not I'm a... Zappa: Dr. Faust! (sigh...sigh...) Faust: My goodness, he's caught up already. Bridget: This is remarkable! How do you bend your joints and run like that? You must be a yoga expert. Zappa: Quick, doctor, please do something! Look! I'm bent all over the place! Oh no!!! Faust: Looks like it's begun. I'll have to take drastic measures. Potemkin: Is it fate that I happen to be here? What the heck, I can help out. Bridget:...! What amazing tricks! Now it's my turn! Check this out!

Faust: This is quite a serious condition. Gig: Grr... Faust: That's right, don't be scared. I'm here to treat your condition. Gig: Grrgh! Faust: I think you'll need some anesthetics.

Gig: Grr...grr... Faust: Finall you've calmed down. Please stay still. I'll take a look. Gig: Ghh... Faust:...! You saying you want euthanasia?...Alright then. Regrettable, but this is the only way. Gig: Grr... Faust:...

Faust: Now, where should I go next? I shall continue practicing medicine as long as there are patients to treat. That is my mission in life!

#guilty gear #Guilty Gear Dust Strikers #resources #dialogue #Potemkin #chipp zanuff #Eddie #Baiken #Faust

9 notes · View notes

moonchild-sara · 6 years

Text

Renegades ~ Chapter Three ~ A Kiribaku fanfic

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Summary: Bakugou and Kirishima become roommates at a boys only juvenile home. In this chapter Kirishima reveales something about himself.

Warning: English is not my mother language. My english vocabulary isn’t too big, so you might find my writing style very simple and with some grammar errors.

Thanks to my beta reader: @superdweeb

The boys all have a tough relationship with their parents. I know that Bakugous parents would never do what they do in my fic, but it’s an AU and I just replaced most of the parents with dickheads (:

A couple of weeks later Kirishima claimed Bakugous services as his private teacher for the first time. They found a quiet place for learning in the library of the juvenile home. It was a small library with the option to order books from somewhere else. There were only a few boys who actually went to the library. One of them being Todoroki. It was no surprise to Bakugou that the boy with the giant birthmark over his left eye sat on one of the armchairs and read a book.

Bakugou and Kirishima sat down on one of the two only desks in the library. “So, what exactly do you need to learn?” Bakugou asked. “I have a math test tomorrow and -” - “Tomorrow?!” Bakugou exclaimed. “Fucking tomorrow?! You don’t start learning for tests the day before!” “I usually don’t start learning at all so that’s an improvement” Kirishima laughed. “God, you’re such an idiot…” Kirishima ignored him and explained: “Our teacher gave us these problems and said if we’re able to solve them we’re good for the test tomorrow. So I just need to be able to solve these two pages!” “Manageable” Bakugou mumbled. “Try to get as far as you can. I’ll help when you’re stuck.” With a nod, Kirishima started his homework while Bakugou watched him. He was slow. It was almost frustrating to exactly know how he could solve a problem whereas Kirishima seemed to struggle a lot. Bakugou had to bite his lips to not scream at him. He was so fucking slow. “Okay, here’s the problem” Kirishima finally said. “I’m usually able to do the easier problems, but when they are getting more complicated and they put all these letters in there, I’m lost.” “Threat the letters like numbers” Bakugou grumbled. “But they aren’t numbers! I can’t just add a and b!” “Of course not! Why do people always get so confused the moment they see numbers in a math problem?” “Because it’s not supposed to be there! Who thought it was a good idea to put numbers into math?” “Can you two keep it down?” Todoroki asked. “Sorry -” Kirishima wanted to answer but Bakugou was faster: “Go read somewhere else if we bother you so much!” “Damn, Bakugou, you don’t always have to be so mean,” Kirishima said and then turned back towards Todoroki: “I’m sorry. We’ll be quieter.” “Thank you.” “Can you explain to me how I can solve the complicated problems?” Kirishima whispered and Bakugou answered in normal volume: “Yes, but I’m not going to fucking whisper.” He couldn’t remember if he ever needed that much patience with someone or something as he needed now with Kirishima and his inability to understand simple math problems. Everything he needed to explain twice or even three times, he had to simplify his explanation and went through every problem with baby steps. In the meantime, Todoroki finished reading and left the library. It went dark outside and Bakugou had to turn on the lights. They were alone. “We only have an hour left and then we have to go back to our room” Bakugou realized. “And we barely finished the first page” Kirishima groaned. He looked miserable. “I’m really stupid, aren’t I?” He didn’t say it with his usual smirk which let Bakugou know that he shouldn’t take him too seriously. His frustration was real and Bakugou could feel it. Kirishima was like a book, you could simply read his feelings right off his face. “A lot of people struggle with math” Bakugou reassured him. “I’m sure there are other subjects you’re way better at.” Kirishima sighed loudly. “Yeah, but… I’m…” He starred at his textbook and his ears changed into a red color. “I’m dyslexic.” He didn’t give Bakugou time to react, but justified right away: “I know this doesn’t mean I’m stupid or something, but I need really long to read stuff and even if I’m good at certain subjects, it sometimes takes so long for me to read or write so that I’m out of time before I finished the exam! And sometimes, when I have to read out loud in class, I struggle a lot and the other kids make fun of me, so I stopped doing homework. Now I can just say I don’t have the homework instead of embarrassing myself in front of the whole class – damn, I’m sorry, I’m babbling.” He covered his face with his hands. “I saw your look, you’re annoyed because I’m such a slow learner.” Bakugou stared at him with his mouth open. His thought process was fast, he made a decision, took a pencil and pointed at his homework. “Here, I can show you a simple trick to solve these kinds of problems,” he said much calmer than before. Kirishima lowered his hands and listened with his face and ears still bright red. They stayed in the library as long as possible. A caregiver found them and told them to go to their room after 10 pm. It was Bakugou who made the proposal to keep on studying until they finished both pages. Kirishima was able to solve the last problems on his own. “You were a lot faster at the end than at the beginning” Bakugou noticed. “I think you’re just a slow starter.” “I guess” Kirishima smirked. “You should start doing your homework again.” And if these kids make fun of you, I’ll beat the shit out of them. Kirishima nodded. “Thank you, Bakugou, for helping me.” “Don’t say stuff like that, it pisses me off!” Bakugou yelled, but Kirishima laughed it off.

“You better tell me you rocked that stupid test” was the first thing that Bakugou said when the two met near the skate park after school. An ice cream shop was their meeting point, where the two boys wanted to grab some ice cream and chill at the waterside of the river before going to the park. “Well...” Kirishima scratched the back of his head with nervous laughter. “I kind of forgot some of the stuff you told me.” “That's because you came whining to me about this exam yesterday! From now on we're going to study two or three times a week and you'll going to clean the bathroom on your own!” “Wait – what?!” “It's payment for my work” Bakugou demanded. “I hate cleaning the bathroom, it's gross, so you're going to do it!” “Ugh, I hate it, too” Kirishima struggled, but eventually he yelled motivated: “But if this is what I have to do, I'll do it!” “Good, now pay for the ice cream, too.” “I'm short on money!” Kirishima protested. “And I'm broke. I only get the shitty pocket money from the foster home, but your mother gives you money too, right? So you have to have more than me!” “I mean, yea it's true, but still -” “I'll pay next time” Bakugou said before he could really put thought in it. Actually he wanted to get Kirishima to buy him some ice cream because he had like 2 bucks left from his pocket money and still a little bit over a week to go till next month – without promising to buy ice cream next time. But seeing Kirishimas disappointed face after demanding it so meanly, made Bakugou say his promise faster than he could think. Why the fuck do I care for this dumb idiot?! Kirishima smiled brightly. “All right! Which type do you want?” A couple of minutes the later the two boys sat on a small wall right by the riverside. It was a beautiful day with a bright blue sky, a little bit too hot for Bakugous tastes. A lot of people were sitting on the grass picnicking, kids played, bikers drove by and teenagers swam at the rivers edge while an elder yelled at them for being to risky. For a while Bakugou and Kirishima ate their ice cream silently, sitting right next to each other. Eventually it was Bakugou who broke the silence: “About your dyslexia. I thought about what you told me yesterday and I'm a bit confused why you have to read out loud in class. Doesn't the teacher know you have dyslexia?” “Every teacher knows” Kirishima answered and shrugged his shoulders. “But some don't care. My homeroom teacher constantly tells me that I have to challenge myself with reading out loud in class. I told her it makes me uncomfortable, but she doesn't care. Sometimes when I refuse to read, she puts me in detention.” “Bitch” Bakugou grumbled and Kirishima laughed. “I should have known” Bakugou continued. “There were rarely any teachers who were at least a bit understanding towards my anger issues... I guess it's like that for everyone with problems that could potentially disturb the teachers class.” “Hmm...” Kirishima went silent for a moment and then he asked with caution: “Did anyone ever made fun of you because of your issues?” You mean like provoking me on purpose and then laughing at me while I have an anger meltdown? Bakugou pressed his lips, before he grudgingly answered: “Yea.” Again silence for a few seconds, until Bakugou grabbed Kirishimas chin and pressed his cheeks so suddenly and fast that the boy let out a surprised “Blrgh!” “If you tell anyone, I'll fucking kill you!” Bakugou warned him, his voice sounding like a growl. “I won't!” Kirishima answered, looking like a fish with his cheeks pressed like that. Bakugou let go of him and he rubbed his face. “Let's go to the park.” Bakugou jumped from the wall and Kirishima followed him.

#fanfictioncorner #bnha #boku no hero academia #kiribaku #bakushima #kiribaku fanfic

14 notes · View notes

fan-fantasies · 6 years

Text

Sparks (P.5)

A/N: I got my tickets for Infinity War (even though I work at a theater and could wait and see it for free) and I’m so excited! I definitely won’t have any spoilers in this series or in future imagines for a long time after the movie is out. This plotline is gonna go ahead as if Thanos wasn’t being an eggplant looking asshole trying to destroy everyone we love. Anyway, I hope you guys are still enjoying the series! -Heather

Summary: You’re a prisoner in Wakanda, having used your powers for evil rather than for good. Hoping to redeem yourself, and to help work towards your freedom, you take on the task of fixing Bucky Barnes. Will you succeed and finally earn your freedom (and perhaps a guy to go along with it), or were your crimes too much to ever come back from?

Pairing: (eventual) Bucky x Reader

Warnings: Angst, Mentions of violence/murder, swearing, (eventual smut in the series)

Masterlist Marvel Masterlist

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four / Part Six

Bucky wriggled his newly calibrated fingers and flexed his new, vibranium arm. He loved how the gold contrasted with the dark metal, showing him that his arm wasn’t only for destruction, but could be beautiful as well.

Shuri wouldn’t tell him who the visitors were going to be, only that he should be excited. He was almost worried that he was going ot be shown off like some science experiment, but she reassured him that it would be nothing like that.

You, however, could not care less about the guests that were due to arrive today. It wasn’t like you’d be allowed to see them. It was like you were Wakanda’s dirty little secret, and they preferred to keep it that way.

Shuri led Bucky through the halls to the front of the palace, where T’Challa and Okoye were already waiting. He greeted them both and they greeted him warmly in turn.

“Glad to see you are feeling better, Sargent Barnes,” T’Challa smiled.

“Please, call me Bucky,” he nodded. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, one of the king’s jets appeared in the sky. It carefully made it’s way down in front of them and landed.

The back of the jet opened and out walked someone who looked very much like Steve and someone who looked very much like Natasha, and then just Sam. Steve had grown his hair out and was sporting a beard while Natasha was blonde. Bucky didn’t know what surprised him more, the fact that they were there, or that they looked so different.

A smile graced his features none the less as the group approached them. Steve nodded at T’Challa before standing in front of Bucky.

“Hey, Buck, how are you doing?” He asked, not able to keep the smile off of his face.

“Pretty good. Not as good as the beard though,” he joked. Steve chuckled and shook his head before pulling Bucky into a hug.

“Good to see you up and about, Barnes,” Sam mumbled in the back. Bucky looked over at him and smiled. As much as he and Birdman didn’t get along, he was happy to see some familiar faces.

Speaking of familiar, he looked over at Natasha who seemed to be deep in conversation with Shuri and Wanda. Those were three powerful women Buck did not want to be on the bad side of.

“Shall we go inside?” Okoye asked. The group nodded and headed back inside. Bucky had been given his own living quarters inside the palace so he could not have to travel back and forth for arm testing and now to see Steve.

“So what’s new?” Bucky asked.

“Traveling, trying to stay out of focus from the media and some others who aren’t too happy with us,” Sam answered before Steve could. Bucky felt a pang of guilt, knowing he was the reason they had to run. Steve gave him a knowing look before giving him some more details of what they had all been up to.

“What about you? Wakanda treating you well?” Steve asked as they all sat around a table with some coffee.

“Yeah, it’s really great here,” Bucky smiled fondly thinking of his time in the beautiful country.

“Wanda seems to really like it here too,” Sam acknowledged. “She said your treatment went well.”

“Yeah, she and (Y/N) really helped me out,” he blushed a little speaking your name. He wondered if you would be joining them at any point. He would like for Steve to meet you, maybe get his take on things.

“Who’s (Y/N)?” Sam asked. Bucky rolled his eyes, not wanting to have to explain you to Sam.

“Someone who helped Wanda fix me,” he gave the simplified answer. If he was being honest, he would have told them that you were beautiful and funny and tough. You were sassy enough to handle Sam but wounded enough to understand Bucky’s struggles. You were the one that chased Bucky’s nightmares away and kept his thoughts company every night.

“Why haven’t we met her?” Steve asked. Bucky was surprised as he thought Steve knew about the details of his treatment.

“You mean they didn’t tell you?” Bucky asked. Steve looked increasingly anxious.

“All they said was that Wanda was going to see if she could extract the memories from your head. We went off the grid and only recently got back in contact with T’Challa. He gave us the news that you were back in action,” Steve informed his oldest friend.

“So who is this (Y/N) chick? And more importantly, is she hot?” Sam asked with a smirk. Bucky gave him an unimpressed look.

“Maybe Shuri should explain more about her,” Bucky sighed. Steve shook his head.

“Just tell us.”

Several moments later

Steve burst into the lab where Shuri was currently working with an angry look on his face.

“You let a murderer inside his head?! She could have killed him!” He screamed before the poor girl could even turn to face him. “You should have asked me first!”

“We tried to reach you, Captain Rogers, but you were simply unable to receive communications. I assure you, (Y/N) was under the highest supervision and was very secure. We would not have taken that risk if it was not expertly calculated and absolutely necessary,” she told him calmly.

“You should have exhausted every option before turning to that,” he growled.

“The risk paid off. Bucky is safe because of her. She is not my favorite person either but I cannot deny her vital role in saving him. They seem to have had a positive effect on one another,” Shuri explained. Steve was not happy about her decision, but he was glad that Bucky was better. And the way Bucky talked about you, he knew there was something about you that Bucky thought was worth saving.

“I want to meet her.”

“That can be arranged,” Shuri nodded before turning back to her work.

At Dinner

You sat in your cell drawing and writing whatever you felt like. You heard the lock on the door being disarmed and it swung open, revealing Shuri.

“Would you care to accompany me to dinner?” Shuri asked you. You shrugged your shoulders and stood up, the guards ready to cuff you. You held out your hands but Shuri shook her head.

“That will be unnecessary. Right, (Y/N)?” She looked at you. Your jaw dropped in surprise but you nodded nonetheless. You were hoping that you would be having dinner with Bucky and you knew you had to behave. Things had never been that good there and you wanted it to stay that way. You weren’t sure what you expected to get from your friendship with Bucky. You couldn’t deny your attraction for him but you were a bad guy, and he was a good guy.

You walked into a dining hall and smiled as you saw Bucky seated at a long table. You went to take a seat next to him but Wanda quickly grabbed the seat you were headed for. You were going to go to his other side but a blonde woman practically lunged forward into the seat. Bucky gave you a sad smile and you took the seat next to Shuri and Okoye.

You watched carefully as the blonde seemed to be sitting too close to Bucky speaking in another language, Russian, you guessed. Bucky was smiling and going along with whatever she was saying. Your heart began to sink into your stomach.

“So you’re the famous (Y/N)?” A blonde man with a beard asked.

“Infamous seems to fit better,” you smirked.

“But you fixed tinman over there?” A dark-skinned man without a Wakandan accent asked.

“She helped,” Wanda answered. You gave her an eye roll.

“She was the brains and I was the brawn. Well, technically Bucky was the brain, but you get the idea.”

“So you used your electrical ability for good instead of murder this time?” The blonde asked with a smug smirk.

“And who the fuck are you supposed to be?” You snapped.

“Bucky didn’t tell you about me? We go way back,” she smirked and laid her hand on his forearm. He recoiled at her touch, seemingly uncomfortable.

“Guess he forgot to mention you,” you forced a smile.

“Well, there is a lot to talk about,” she winked at Bucky. Steve cleared his throat and distracted you from glaring daggers at her.

“We wanted to thank you for helping in Bucky’s recovery, right Nat?” Steve gave you a curt nod.

“Right. Thanks for returning him to us in relatively one piece. That’s just the way we like him,” she said, not breaking her gaze at him.

“Nat? Isn’t that one of those annoying little bugs that fly around shit?” You snapped.

“(Y/N)!” Okoye scolded. You could tell she was uneasy not having you in cuffs and was on guard.

“And here I was thinking the only catfight would’ve been with T’Challa,” Sam snorted at his own joke.

“I’m just letting her know her namesake is fitting for her personality,” you smirked.

“Listen here, Sparky, the only reason you’re not in your cell rotting away right now was that Steve wanted to make sure you weren’t playing some hidden angle with his friend here. You may be able to fool Bucky in his fragile state, but I can see right through you,” she seethed. You looked at Bucky who was just sitting there staring at his food.

“I’m the one fooling Bucky? I haven’t done anything yet he’s the one that keeps coming back to me. He needs me, but I most certainly do not need him,” you growled and the lightbulb above you burst. You ignored the throbbing in your head and the hurt look on Bucky’s face as you stood up. Okoye jumped up as did the guards who were sitting by the door. You put your hands up as you held them out to Okoye. “Take me back to my cell. I can see that I was only brought here to be humiliated.”

She cuffed your hands and brought you to the guards who brought you back to your cell. You didn’t dare look at Bucky as you were being taken out. While the humiliation hurt, it was the fact that he didn’t stand up for you that really killed you. You thought that he was on your side, but apparently, you were wrong.

You sat in your cell for hours, just staring at the ceiling. Every so often you would create a spark with your fingers to feel the device go off. It was like a sharp pinch. You preferred the physical pain over the emotional. You were so engrossed in your thoughts you almost didn’t hear your cell door open. You looked up startled to see someone standing in the doorway.

“You were right...I do need you.”

If you’re not tagged and your name is listed with a strikethrough then there may be something off in your settings. Let me know if you’d like to be added!

Taglist: @jemjem-chan @marvel-fanfiction @twasallstartedbyamouse @mamacita83701 @anamcg317 @mus1cal-barnes @tudgey97 @jadepc @atombombastic @all-by-myself98

195 notes · View notes

charmingsego · 7 years

Text

Bumbleby week!! Day 3:Au

I have a cute story I’ve been working on for sometime so I decided to add it for @bmblbweek. I actually have the second chapter written and will upload it later!

The Both of Us

Edit: Chapter has been uploaded.

Fanfic Chap.2

Chapter 1: Decisions

“What you working on?” Yang said as she slowly approached Blake from the kitchen. She set down a set of matching cat cups on the counter and sat next to the girl.

“My Publisher wants me to write a children’s book.” Blake reaches for the cup and the counter and takes a big sip, only to sigh after she set it down.

“Children’s book? That’s new, what’s it about?”

“Well the main character is a small girl who’s in love with flowers. I’m still working it out.”

Yang moves a little closer to Blake to wrap her arms around her bringing them closer. Blake immediately nuzzles into Yang’s neck enjoying the warmth that always surrounds her.

“I’m sure you’ll get it. You always tough it out.” Yang paused, “But why a children’s book? I mean I think it’s great, but I don’t know you never seemed like the one to write for kids. Or even like them.” Yang whispered that last part hoping her girlfriend didn’t hear.

Obviously Blake heard and she smiled at the girl, “I already write fiction, so simplifying it into something children would enjoy is a nice challenge.” she lowered her gaze slightly adding,

“And I do like children. Their innocence is adorable.”

“Right! Plus, the way they are totally honest when they are little is the cutest. Oh! That reminds me of this video I saw on YouTube recently, let me find it real quick.”

Yang pulled out her phone and typed in “kids say the darnest things” Blake set down her work and they watched videos for what felt like hours. They watched videos ranging from a baby's first word to children dancing to the latest songs and the couple just laughed; only when they heard the front door open did the two stop watching videos.

“Hey girls what’cha up to?” Taiyang asked as he came through the door with groceries.

“Just funny kid videos.” Yang replied getting up to help her father with the groceries.

“Oh yeah? Yang and Ruby were pretty funny as children too.”

“Oh really? Yang only told me a handful of stories, but they were always about Ruby.” Blake chimed in from her seat.

“Yang has always been a little fireball since she was little. When she got her first haircut she was so upset that she grabbed handfuls of her cut hair and put them in her pocket, and when we got home she begged me to glue it back on. I actually have a picture of her holding her hair, remind me to show it to you later.” Tai started to laugh recalling the memory of his eldest daughter.

“Dad that was not funny! I thought it would never grow back and don’t show Blake that picture it's horrible.”

“Too bad! I’m still showing her the picture. What made you guys start watching baby videos? Are you guys expecting?” Tai’s face grew wider when she saw the two girls react to his comment. Even Though he knew it was a joke, he wouldn’t mind if it was true.

“What Dad no! Blake’s writing a children’s book and it sorta let to the videos, I guess.” Yang took a small glance at Blake only to see the girl stuck in place with an expression Yang couldn’t figure out. “Besides we-we’ve never talked about it before.” she added more bashfully.

“Mhmm. A children’s book, well that is new.”

“My Publisher thought I should expand my writing and we both thought this would be a good challenge for me.” Blake answered after her initial shock was over, “Plus kids are honest critics unlike most people out there.”

“True, well I’m happy you’re expanding your horizons. Dinner will be ready in about an hour if you girls wanna eat.”

“Thanks Dad. Come on Blake let’s clean the living room and set up a movie.

Blake nodded her head and began to pick up the papers she left on the couch and headed to the room she and Yang share. After graduating college, the two girls moved in with Tai, he offered them a place to stay while they both got use to the “adult” world.

Yang graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical therapy, it took her a while to complete 2,000 hours of clinical practice, so staying with Tai made things easier for her. She recently got a job being Pyrrha Nikos personal physical therapist, normally it would have taken her awhile to get into this type of position, but due to her relationship with Pyrrha and her boyfriend Jaune she could start work easily. While being Pyrrha Nikos --famous boxer and occasional tennis player-- personal physical therapist is great; the boxer lives in Vale and the commute between Patch and there isn’t that hard but annoying so she is on call most of the time. When she isn’t helping Pyrrha she works at a small clinic where most of the patients are locals in the area.

Blake on the other hand had a harder time finding her place in the “adult” world. She got her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, so she had many options to choose from. Her writing career started off rocky, she submitted short stories, poems, a couple of translations but she got nothing. It wasn’t until she met Coco Adel--her current publisher-- that her work started to take off. Now she writes fiction--and now children’s books-- under the name “Luna” and while Blake loves writing the income isn’t that great when she gets writers block, so she teaches at the local high school as main English teacher for seniors.

“Hey Blake, babe. Can we have a little talk?”

“Sure. What’s up?” Blake moves to sit next Yang as they talk. After cleaning up the blonde got very quiet and Blake was pretty sure she knew why.

“I-I was just thinking; you know wondering if you wanted to have a kid?” Blake knew this was coming, after watching those videos--not the first time they’ve done that--and her dad’s comment it was just up for discussion now.

“I knew you were going to say that, and my answer is, I don’t know Yang. I mean we’re only 25! Don’t you thi-”

“My dad had me 20! Age shouldn’t be a problem. He worked it out and we could too” Yang interrupted abruptly.

“I know. I j-just need some time to think it through.”

“Yes. You’re right, I understand. Sorry for interrupting you.”

“It’s okay. Now come here.” Blake wrapped her arms around Yang’s waist and gave a chase kiss on her lips. Yang couldn’t help the goofy smile that appeared on her face, she brought their foreheads together and whispered, “I love you.”

Even though it was cliché Blake hated Mondays. Her morning class was just as dead as she was and the fact that she wasn’t in the best mood made the day even worse. After her talk with Yang she could tell her girlfriend's mood was different. It was too much to think about so Blake gave her class a few pages to read while she went to the teachers’ lounge to get a cup of coffee.

She was almost done brewing the coffee when she heard her name from across the room. She slowly rubbed her temples and turned to see who it was.

“A good morning we got here huh, Ms. Belladonna?” It was Sun, the P.E teacher, and usually his energetic nature would make the school day go faster but today was not the case.

“Good morning, Mr.Wukong. Why are we yelling so early in the morning?” Blake retorted a little more hostel than she wanted.

“Okay whoa! Stop the teacher talk, what’s wrong Blake?”

“Sorry it’s not you. I just have a lot on my mind; last weekend Yang asked if I wanted to have kids and I-”

“Oh my god! That’s so great, what’s the problem?” Blake took a moment to reply honestly shocked by the energetic response. Am I the only one thinking about the logistics of it?

“Don’t you think were too young? And what about money? We would also have to move; I have to think about my parents, and jobs, it’s a lot.”

“Blake, answer this question. Do you want to have a baby? Don’t think about the money or all that stuff. Do you Blake Belladonna want to have a baby with your girlfriend?”

Blake took a moment imagining Yang playing with a young child, she pictured the small hands and feet. The shared laughter they would have and most importantly the smile on Yang’s face. Sure, there would be hardships but maybe they could work it out.

“Yes. Yes, I do.” Blake finally answered with a smile.

That night Blake came home with a bigger smile than usual. She set her bag in their room and changed into her comfort clothes, black legging and one of Yang’s graphic T-shirts. When she heard, the front door open she practically sprinted into the room to greet her girlfriend. Without any warning Blake ran into Yang’s arms and hung around her neck.

“Whoa this is new! What’s up Bl-”

“I’m ready.

“Huh? I don’t...wait you don’t mean?”

“Do you wanna have a baby Yang?”

Yang didn’t answer at first she just stood there, until she felt the tears in her eyes run down her face. She wrapped her arms around Blake’s waist and silently sobbed into her shoulder. Blake just started to rub her back trying to calm down her crying girlfriend.

“Yes Blake, I would love to have a baby with you.”

#bumbleby #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #bumbleby week #my writing #fanfiction

39 notes · View notes

vividly-insipid-99 · 7 years

Text

countering the "13 reasons why I dislike the show 13 reasons why" post

I saw this post titled “13 reasons why I dislike the show 13 reasons why” and it brought up some very valid points. However, I felt that the person was being misled by the show. So may I present to you 13 reasons (11 really, you’ll understand why) why 13 reasons why is not sending out a wrong message PS : I’ve jumbled up the order of the points for my convenience :3

1. The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention has specific guidelines on how to safely portray suicide without inadvertently causing more deaths, and the series blatantly disregards those guidelines in graphically showing Hannah slitting her wrists. This could literally result in more deaths by suicide, which is NOT OKAY.

8. The show provides no resources for those struggling with similar issues to Hannah, which again goes against the specific guidelines of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It is not that hard to do research and find these guidelines, so it is clear that the creators of the show had little to no interest in taking advice from professionals or considering the potential negative impact they could have, which is honestly just disgusting.

I strongly agree with points 1. and 8. Though show deals with the aftermath of suicide, and is in no way obligated to train anyone to deal with suicide, the courteous thing to do would be to provide a few helpful resources in the credits. It raises awareness about the same but doesn’t provide instructions to proceed about how to prevent it, which is truly disappointing. In the book, Hannah swallows pills, which isn’t as graphical, but still doesn’t safely portray suicide. I’m still angry that care wasn’t taken to avoid the same. Moreover, I’m embarrassed to have not known that there was an American Foundation of suicide prevention, with strict guidelines as such.

It isn’t a perfect show, definitely being hyped much more than it should be, but it isn’t entirely flawed, and it definitely isn’t trying to send out a negative message, here’s why.

2. It glorifies suicide by making it seem like killing oneself and leaving tapes/a note/etc is the only way to effectively send a message to the world, when in fact, the opposite is true – the most effective way to send a message is to survive, thrive and tell one’s story.

It showed how everyone dealt with it in their own way. Some realized their mistake. Some denied what they’d done to her, even during the legal confession. Some(Alex) took it very personally and attempted suicide. It shows us the raw reality of the effect of Suicide on young adults

3. It simplifies suicide by making it seem like it is a direct result of bullying, sexual assault, etc. when in reality the issue is far more complex.

Clearly did not. Suicide is caused by a series of incidents that pile up and ultimately crash upon you. The string of events was portrayed. We’ve seen Hannah tough at the beginning though rumors about her spread around like a wildfire, at the very first week of a new school. Then we watch her slowly crumble, when something as meagre as not receiving those cartoons in her compliment box crushes her completely.

4. It conveys other characters as unhelpful and unsupportive when Hannah tries to reach out, which could discourage viewers from seeking help themselves.

5. It does not effectively address the subject of mental illness, which is a major component in the issue of suicide.

10. It is highly offensive to many people struggling with mental illness and suicidal ideation because it never really delves into Hannah’s character, or portrays her as having mental illness (a major factor in most suicides) - it just makes her seem dramatic and attention-seeking, which perpetuates stereotypes.

4.,5. and 10. seemed redundant. Suicidal thoughts can be caused due to an undiagnosed mental illness. If anything, I think it breaks the stereotype that one must be diagnosed with a serious mental illness in order to be qualified to commit suicide. Her friends, family and teachers clearly haven’t been educated about these illnesses and have thus failed to provide her with professional medical care. I’d like to believe that your schoolmates will try to help you if you reach out to them, just as much as the next person. It’s simply not true. The show brings to our attention how ignorant most adults and young are about mental illnesses, how lightly suicidal thoughts are treated and how these issues need to find a place in the mainstream education syllabus.

6. Hannah essentially blames others for her death, when in reality suicide is a choice made by those who commit it. Yes, things such as bullying and sexual assault can be a main factor in suicidal ideation and mental illness, but the decision to commit suicide is solely in the hands of the individual. Of course, that’s the theological explanation. I think it’s obvious to the viewers that she was solely responsible for committing suicide but everyone else(except Clay) contributed their fair share.

7. One of the characters justifies her self harm by saying “it’s what you do instead of killing yourself”, which simplifies and glorifies self harm by making it seem like a good “compromise” instead of suicide. The show tells us a story. It doesn’t intend to convey that every single human is able to face their problems and deal with them logically. Self harm is an issue that’s been stereotyped. However romanticized it may seem, people do cut themselves to distract themselves from mental trauma. It’s all about perspective. You could see this and decide to cut yourself to draw attention, or you could learn that there are people who do the same and that you should be more sensitive towards them.

9. The school counselor Hannah speaks to brushes off the clear signs of her being a suicide risk, which is literally against the law and not something any qualified professional would do.

Portrayal of how negligently school counselors are chosen(if they are, even)

11. It does not offer a healthy solution or way of coping with traumas such as bullying and assault - the only “solution” it offers is suicide, which, as mentioned previously, the show glamorizes and simplifies.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SHOW IS NOT A SELF HELP GUIDE TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE FEELING SUICIDAL. TEENAGERS AND CRITICAL THINKERS AND THOUGHTFUL WATCHERS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT HOW HANNAH COPES WITH HER PROBLEMS IS NOT THE WAY THAT WE MUST WITH OUR OWN That being said, the show makes us more aware of the way we treat people.

12. Hannah makes other people like Clay feel irreparably guilty for her death, which is cruel and inconsiderate, and not something most people who commit suicide would actually do. The show treats suicide as “the perfect revenge”, when in reality suicide is about feeling hopeless and sad and is a very personal decision.

Point well made. I strongly disagree with Tony’s statement of Clay causing her death. I’m even against how they showed that one clip of how things would be gone if Clay had stayed. Mr. Porter specially mentions that “You can’t love someone back to life” to which Clay replies, “you can try”. I call bs on this scene. It purely propagates romanticization of suicide. However keeping in mind that this is a story, not an instruction manual, I’m personally thankful that a character like Clay exists. He’s an accurate representation of those who’re constantly afraid of just being. From Hannah’s suicide, he learns to start afresh. He even talks to skye, after it all. He decides to put his past behind him, learn from the mistakes and grow which is ultimately a positive message. Note : I’m not in any twisted way trying to say that a suicide will teach us what Clay learned. I’m only saying that this was the case for him, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how hard the circumstances or how dire the consequences.

13. As someone who has personally attempted suicide and knows the stories of countless others who have, I do not feel that the show accurately and fairly portrays the issue, or adequately addresses the main factors in suicide. To me and many others I have spoken to, it is downright offensive, lacking in research, and overall poorly done.

Again, as someone who has personally attempted suicide, I can tell you there is no clear cut reason to it. There’s is no accurate reason that drives you into committing suicide. There aren’t specific points to list out. One day, you look back and realize that multiple things over due course of time have gone miserably wrong. However, I believe sexual abuse here is a major one. New environment, an optimistic 16 year old. Mocked, offensive pictures and rumors developed within a week. Being excluded by those you thought you could trust. Body objectification that everyone assumes to be a compliment with barely anyone understanding how sensitive such issues are. Constantly being followed by someone you barely know, who could even pose as a potential threat. Again, having obscene rumors spread about you by someone you trust, in their self defense. . Classmates beginning to use you as baits, freely touching your body as they please, describing you with empty adjectives such as “easy” or “desperate”, making you feel like you have no say in it all. Your private and most intimate feelings being paraded over by someone you barely know, without consent and being broadcasted to wretched mongrels who fail to understand a deeper of meaning of anything at all. Being indirectly responsible for someone’s death, but too suffocated to be able to muster up the courage to say anything. Reaching the ultimate state of paranoia where you forget to trust even the ones who genuinely care about you. Helplessly witnessing a sexual abuse. Helplessly being a victim of sexual abuse. Trying to seek for help but failing to put your thoughts into words, finding communication ineffective and finding your own mind a dangerous place to live in, with no one to confide in. Are those enough “main factors” for you?

#13 reasons why #netflix #debate #jay asher #hannah baker #clay jensen #suicde #tw: sucide mention #thirteen reasons why #13rw #long reads

1 note · View note

riichardwilson · 4 years

Text

How Entrepreneurs Can Win During A Recession

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended a record 11-year bull run of the U.S. stock market. This, coupled with an oil price crash instigated by Saudi Arabia and Russia, has all the signs of an imminent global recession. Depending on who you trust with your forecasts, most experts are predicting a global contraction that can last anywhere between 6 months up to 2 years.

The word ‘recession’ strikes fear in the hearts of startups and established businesses alike—and for good reason. Long-running studies from dozens of countries indicate that global recessions drive a doubling in bankruptcy and unemployment rates, as well as a sharp decrease in the number of new businesses formed. On the other hand, new evidence is now showing that—over the longer run—recessions do not impact the eventual success of a business. In a study by the Kauffman foundation, 8,464 U.S. companies were analysed against a backdrop of nine recessions, and found that their propensity to do an initial public offering was not impacted by economic contractions. In fact, powerhouse tech and non-tech firms such as Apple, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Walt Disney and Krispy Kreme can trace their origins back to various recessions.

As part of my consulting practice, I work closely with entrepreneurs, CEOs, and PE and VC boards over a wide range of corporate strategy and organizational change topics. These days, their number one concern is about making the right strategic calls now so as to better navigate the upcoming recession and come out of the other end poised for growth. To ensure that there was enough scientific rigour in my feedback to them, I conducted extensive research literature review, analysed dozens of companies that bounced back successfully from the 2008 financial crisis, and interviewed several entrepreneurs on how they are adapting to these changing times successfully.

Here are the four insights that stood out the most:

1. One strategy does not fit all, especially for smaller firms

Given the current news cycle, it is easy to imagine that a recession hits all businesses equally, resulting in similar levels of underperformance. Studies show that this assumption could not be further from the truth. Some businesses do suffer from a sales downturn thanks to a recession, while others end up with a sharp increase in sales. Furthermore, the popular doctrine of small businesses being especially vulnerable to recessions is open for debate as well. What small businesses lack in resources and cash, they more than make up for in terms of speed and flexibility. We can be sure of one thing: Irrespective of size, your company’s ability to adapt quickly is your biggest defence against a recession.

Therefore, make sure you are fully aware of the forces that your business will be exposed to during this time and then pick your battles strategically. You can do so by tracking the health of your biggest customers and their changing needs, investigating the stability and relevance of your existing supplier base as well as deepening your understanding of your company’s competitive advantage in this new world order. Work with an independent sounding board—say, an advisor or a mentor—who can analyse and co-create your new strategy with you. The last thing you want to do is to make big decisions with a lens of either excessive pessimism or optimism without checks and balances for either in place.

2. Aim for transformational jumps in productivity—not just cutting costs

Recessions are usually triggers for large-scale layoffs and cost cutting, irrespective of sectors and company sizes. In fact, as of now, the US is tracking towards historic unemployment levels in the face of the COVID-19 lockdown. Ironically, in research done on recessions by HBS, it becomes quite clear that following a single-minded, “cost cut only” strategy is a recipe for disaster. This is because such an approach assumes that talent, technology, and opportunity would be easily available for a company once the recession is over. This is usually never the case, and a company that only follows a cost-cutting strategy will struggle to regain capabilities and capacity when the economy returns to normal. That’s why performance never bounces back to pre-recession levels.

It is much better to gear up your organization for a sharp jump in productivity during this lull period. So how do you begin? Start off with the customer. Which of your current customer-facing operations can be simplified or digitized to deliver products and services faster, cheaper, and better? Can you simplify propositions and sunset underperforming product lines? Can you invest in technology, equipment or training that will improve performance reasonably quickly? Such a strategy will not only lower your cost structure, but will help you leapfrog your competition thanks to better-quality products and services. During this process, you will need to let go of some employees who you no longer need. However, these number are likely to be lower than what you would have lost if you were just cost cutting.

3. Be strategic when discount shopping for assets

Companies, buildings, equipment, and land—all of this become cheaper to acquire during a recession. However, just because an asset is cheap does not mean you should buy it. For example, retail stores losing sales to ecommerce companies should not go on a shopping spree to buy more low-cost store locations—even if the prices appear to be a steal. Such purchases will become a drain on cash and managerial focus when the economy bounces back, creating a drag on your company’s performance. Instead, such retailers could use this time and resources to invest in upgrading their technology stack and digital talent. In the process, they’ll accelerate their shift towards an ecommerce-centric business model.

4. Selectively increase R&D and marketing agency spend

As with the point above, doubling down on all pre-recession R&D and marketing agency spend is not a good idea. However, if done selectively, increased spends in these areas are incredible drivers for growth. When it comes to R&D, increase spend on projects that help you double down on your relevant competitive advantage in the new world order. For example, if you are a furniture producer and your customers have become both fashion- and price-sensitive thanks to the recession, now would be a good time to invest your R&D budget in to exploring new material types and production equipment that can help deliver lower priced, but fashionably made pieces of furniture. On the other hand, doubling down on R&D regarding premium materials would not be such a good idea.

The same holds true for marketing agency spend. If it is not relevant to solving customer problems from the lens of the economic crises, do not put marketing agency dollars behind it. If your spend is solving customer problems, double down quickly for market share gain. A good example is Hyundai’s Genesis, which became a runaway success during the financial crises thanks to a clever marketing campaign and a sharp positioning towards ‘accessible lUXury’—something the other car manufacturers simply could not follow at that time. Hyundai won the prestigious North American Car of the year award in 2009 and gained record market share and increased shipments in the face of an otherwise shrinking automotive market.

The best time to change is now

Recessions are a tough time for most businesses and many companies will fold during this period. Recessions are, however, also an incredible time to drive change in your organization—for the better. We all have many things to improve on or many promising opportunities to explore, but we hadn’t had the time to do so before. With the status quo effectively now over, we should use this time to take some creative risks and take our companies’ long-term performance up a notch.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-entrepreneurs-can-win-during-a-recession/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/615405737480421376

0 notes

douglassmiith · 4 years

Text

How Entrepreneurs Can Win During A Recession

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Here are the four insights that stood out the most:

1. One strategy does not fit all, especially for smaller firms

2. Aim for transformational jumps in productivity—not just cutting costs

3. Be strategic when discount shopping for assets

4. Selectively increase R&D and marketing agency spend

The best time to change is now

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

Via http://www.scpie.org/how-entrepreneurs-can-win-during-a-recession/

source https://scpie.weebly.com/blog/how-entrepreneurs-can-win-during-a-recession

0 notes

scpie · 4 years

Text

How Entrepreneurs Can Win During A Recession

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Here are the four insights that stood out the most:

1. One strategy does not fit all, especially for smaller firms

2. Aim for transformational jumps in productivity—not just cutting costs

3. Be strategic when discount shopping for assets

4. Selectively increase R&D and marketing agency spend

The best time to change is now

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-entrepreneurs-can-win-during-a-recession/

0 notes

laurelkrugerr · 4 years

Text

How Entrepreneurs Can Win During A Recession

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Here are the four insights that stood out the most:

1. One strategy does not fit all, especially for smaller firms

2. Aim for transformational jumps in productivity—not just cutting costs

3. Be strategic when discount shopping for assets

4. Selectively increase R&D and marketing agency spend

The best time to change is now

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-entrepreneurs-can-win-during-a-recession/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/04/how-entrepreneurs-can-win-during.html

0 notes

mlmcompanies · 5 years

Link

Funnel Scripts is a copywriting software program that simplifies copywriting by providing sales copy scripts.

In our Funnel Scripts review, I’ll lay out all the details of this software program.

Direct response copywriting is sales through the written word. Picking the right words and their arrangement to sell your product can be the difference between making millions and going out of business.

Problem is, copywriting is a tough skill to learn. There are tons of formulas, tactics, and scripts that copywriting greats have developed, but it can be hard to master these.

Plus, the only way to truly know if your copy is good is to test it in the market and see if it sells.

Many people just outsource their copywriting to a professional, but good copywriters can charge thousands for one project.

When Russel Brunson realized this, he decided to partner with copywriter Jim Edwards to create a software program called Funnel Scripts that could serve as an automated copywriter.

Is it possible for a piece of software to write high-converting copy as well as a professional copywriter?

Read our full Funnel Scripts review below.

FAQ

1.) What is Funnel Scripts? Funnel Scripts is a copywriting software program that provides scripts and other tools to save you time and money creating compelling copy. It’s copy scripts are based on proven copywriting formulas and techniques. Funnel Scripts was created as a joint venture between Clickfunnels founder Russell Brunson and professional copywriter Jim Edwards.

2.) Who is Russell Brunson? Russell Brunson is an internet marketer and entrepreneur. Russell is best known for creating Clickfunnels. He’s been credited with popularizing the use of formal sales funnels through Clickfunnels and his other products. He’s been featured in high-profile publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine. Russell is based in Idaho.

3.) What experience does Russell have? Russell’s first internet marketing success came in his college years when he sold DVDs about potato guns. After that, he became a part of several network marketing companies, some of which he rose to the top in and won prizes. He created Clickfunnels after encountering obstacles and limitations in his network marketing career. Etison LLC is the name of his current business that sells Clickfunnels, Funnel Scripts, and related products.

4.) What books has Russel Brunson written? Russell Brunson is the author of DotCom Secret, Expert Secrets, 108 Proven Split Test Winners, and Funnelhacker Cookbook. DotCom Secrets is a primer to online business. It teaches the sales funnels and scripts Russell learned over his years in online business. Expert Secrets teaches how to solidify your brand and create a loyal audience of customers. 108 Proven Split Test Winners shares a ton of winning sales funnels. Funnelhacker Cookbook is a resource guide that explains each part of a sales funnel and how to pick the right type of funnel for your business.

5.) Who is Jim Edwards? Jim Edwards is a copywriter, entrepreneurs, author, speaker, mentor, and coach. He combined his copywriting talents with Russell Brunson’s mastery of sales funnels to create Funnel Scripts, which is a joint venture between the two of them.

6.) What experience does Jim have? Jim started in and excelled at real estate and banking, but he left to try his hand at entrepreneurship. He tried and failed at many businesses before finding success in copywriting. Jim founded his own copywriting education business called Guaranteed Response Marketing, LLC, where he sells multiple copywriting educational products. He also has a rather large catalog of books on topics ranging from mindset stuff, to copywriting, to how to write a business book.

7.) What’s included in Funnel Scripts? Funnel Scripts’s main feature is the collection of scripts for sales material. There are scripts for short and long form sales letters, landing pages, general ads, email subject lines, email body copy, surveys, Amazon/e-commerce copy, Facebook ads, webinar slides, calls to action, and more. In addition, there are 6 downloadable “Wizards”: Perfect Webinar Wizard, Video Sales Letter (VSL) Wizard, Easy Survey Wizard, Star Story Solution Wizard, Masterclass Wizard, and Podcast & Facebook Live Wizard. Bonuses include funnel templates, Funnel Scripts Blueprints, monthly training calls, a recording of one of Russell’s trainings, and Jim Edwards’s Copywriting Secrets Masterclass.

8.) What is copywriting? Copywriting is any writing for advertising, marketing, or public relations purposes. When people use the word copywriting, they are usually referring to “direct response” copywriting. Direct response copywriting is meant to drive the sale NOW rather than later, meaning there’s a call to action at the end. In other words, direct response copywriting is sales in written form. However, thanks to the internet, the definitions of copywriting and general content writing have blurred to the point where some people call blog posts “copywriting”.

9.) What are some examples of direct response copywriting? Any mail you receive that’s urging you to make a decision today is direct response copy. An example of this would be prequalified credit card offers. More direct response copy is moving online, though. Those “salesy”-looking sales pages for online courses urging you to “BUY NOW” are direct response pieces of copy. Sales emails are also considered direct response if they have a call to action at the end.

10.) What are some common copywriting formulas? One of the most popular is Problem Agitate Solution, or PAS. This involves making the customer aware of the problem, amplifying the pain they feel from the problem through storytelling, then presenting your product/service as the solution. Another formula is Attention, Interest, Desire, Action, or AIDA. AIDA involves grabbing attention with a compelling headline, building interest with your first paragraph and an attention-grabbing copy structure, creating desire by bridging the gap between their problems and how your product/service can help them, then urging action with a strong call to action. Calls to action are typically accompanied by urgency or scarcity to help drive the sale.

11.) What is a video sales letter? A video sales letter is just a sales letter in video form. They are structured the same way, but video sales letter can be better because videos stimulate more of the senses and it’s easier to convey emotion. All those videos on sales pages for online courses are video sales letters.

12.) How do you create pieces of sales copy using the scripts? First, pick which script you want to use. Then, all you need to do is fill in the appropriate copy in each box. Each box has a short explanation above it and a prompt below it so you can envision what the copy will look like on the completed piece. Once you’re done, click “Build” and you’ll have your completed copy. The bolded sections are the copy you wrote, while everything else is part of the template. Each script is accompanied by a short tutorial video if you need help.

13.) How do I get my completed sales copy off Funnel Scripts to use elsewhere? You can either download your copy or email it. To download it, click “Get Results” and choose which format you’d like your download to be in.

14.) What is the Funnel Scripts webinar? Russel and Jim hold a 2 hour webinar to teach you why your copy isn’t converting and how to fix it, but it’s essentially a long video sales pitch at the beginning of their marketing funnel. It’s 2 hours long, so block out 2 hours if you really want to watch the whole thing. If you want to watch it, they recommend watching on your desktop or laptop and jotting down notes.

15.) Do I have to watch the webinar? No. You can skip directly to the sales page if you don’t want to watch the webinar.

16.) Is it possible to get Funnel Scripts for free? Kind of. Russel Brunson’s Funnel Builder Secrets product includes a full year of Funnel Scripts if your buy it.

17.) How much does Funnel Scripts cost? Funnel Scripts costs you a 1-time fee of $797.

18.) Does Funnel Scripts offer any subscription payment options? No. Funnel Scripts used to offer annual subscriptions of $497 per year, but they recently switched to their one-time fee of $797.

19.) Does Funnel Scripts have a free trial? Yes, but it’s quite limited as they only let you build a small sales letter. Go here to access the free sales letter trial.

20.) Does Funnel Scripts have any upsells? Yes. They are Clickfunnels and Funnel Builder Secrets.

21.) What is Funnel Scripts’s refund policy? Funnel Scripts offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

22.) Does Funnel Scripts have an affiliate program? Yes, it’s part of the Clickfunnels affiliate program. Clickfunnels calls it a Joint Venture program. Affiliates can earn 40% one-time commissions per affiliate sale of Funnel Scripts, but since this is Clickfunnels’s affiliate program, you can sell Russell’s other products like Clickfunnels and Funnel Hacks. If you have a Clickfunnels affiliate account, then you don’t need to sign up. Otherwise, you have to create a Clickfunnels affiliate account to start selling Funnel Scripts.

23.) What is Etison LLC’s BBB rating? A+.

24.) Is Funnel Scripts a scam? No. It’s packed full with proven copywriting scripts and tons of useful bonuses. Plus, it’s a lot easier to identify when software tools are scams, so if this was a scam, it probably wouldn’t exist.

25.) Comparable products: Automatic Script, SalesCopyMaker, ScriptDoll

Funnel Scripts Review – Overview

Funnel Scripts is a copywriting software program with scripts for a “fill-in-the-blank” copywriting experience. It was created as a joint venture between Clickfunnels founder Russell Brunson and copywriter Jim Edwards.

Russell Brunson is credited in part with popularizing formal sales funnels. Just head to the sales page of most online courses and you’ll see Clickfunnels in the domain name, as well as the Clickfunnels widget that pops up at the bottom of the page.

Jim Edwards is a professional copywriter who now mainly sells copywriting educational products through his business, Guaranteed Response LLC.

Sales funnel expertise and copywriting knowledge are a powerful duo, so Russell and Jim partnered to create a product that does a little bit of both.

Keep reading our Funnel Scripts review to find out more about this program.

Product

Funnel Scripts main content consists of scripts for sales copy, text sales letters, video sales letters, case studies, testimonials, bullet points, paid ads, web page copy, email copy and subject lines, and headlines. Each script is accompanied by a short training video that shows you how to use the script. In addition, there are 6 downloadable “Wizards”: Perfect Webinar Wizard, Video Sales Letter (VSL) Wizard, Easy Survey Wizard, Star Story Solution Wizard, Masterclass Wizard, and Podcast & Facebook Live Wizard, each with accompanying tutorial videos.

Bonuses include a training called Inception Secrets, funnel templates, Funnel Scripts Blueprints, monthly training webinars, and Jim Edwards’s Copywriting Secrets Masterclass.

To build a piece of sales copy using a script, you first have to click on the script you want to use.

You’ll then be presented with a series of boxes to fill out. Each box has a short explanation above it and a prompt below it so you can envision what the copy will look like with the rest of the script.

Fill in each box with the appropriate copy, then click “Build” when you’re done. You can then download or email your completed pieces of copy for use in your marketing materials. Funnel Script can also generate a link so you can share your project with others.

If you haven’t finished a project, you can save it for later too.

There are 6 downloadable “Wizards”, starting with the Perfect Webinar Wizard.

This wizard will create your webinar page and help you write your webinar. Plus, it gives you templates for ads, promotional emails, and follow up emails so you can maximize webinar attendance with less effort.

Russell himself uses this wizard to create all his webinars.

The Video Sales Letter Wizard helps you with one of the hardest types of sales materials.

This Wizard will take the information you fill out and give you two scripts to choose from, each based on a different copywriting formula. One is based on AIDA (see FAQ #10) and the other is based on a formula called “The Great Big Promise”.

This one takes 20-30 minutes to fill out, but it’s much easier than writing an entire video sales letter script yourself.

Surveys can be used to increase email opt-ins. The Survey Wizard helps you make professional-looking surveys.

The Survey Wizard asks you a series of questions about your funnel and your survey. Some information it asks for includes subject, target audience, and keywords.

When you answer these questions, Survey Wizard may ask additional questions in case the survey it generated isn’t tailored to your audience.

Storytelling is powerful, especially in copywriting, and Star Story Solution Wizard makes storytelling effortless.

Start Story Solution Wizard helps you craft compelling stories that drive your audience to buy your product. It can take up to an hour to fill everything out, but it’s worth it when you have a million-dollar story.

Masterclass Wizard helps you create your own masterclass.

Not only will Masterclass Wizard guide you through the creation of your marketing materials, but it’ll also assist with content creation for the masterclass itself.

The last wizard is Podcast and Facebook Live Wizard.

As the name suggests, this one provides templates and scripts for podcast and Facebook live interviews. It also helps you create promotional materials for the interviews.

Russell and Jim included 5 funnel templates.

They’ve included sales funnels, webinar funnels, “invisible” funnels for paid webinars, opt-in funnels, and free + shipping funnels.

Funnel Blueprints provides further funnel training.

This bonus walks through all the important funnel types, including magic bullet funnels, invisible funnels, opt-in funnels, and more.

Jim puts on monthly copywriting webinar trainings.

On these live group trainings, Jim teaches Funnel Scripts customers how to write better sales copy. There are also lessons on basic funnel-building and using the copy scripts properly.

Finally, Jim Edwards was generous enough to include his Copywriting Secrets Masterclass as a bonus.

There are 6 modules that cover topics like copywriting basics and tactics, how to research your market, and structuring your offer. Jim included a Q&A module too.

Upsells

Funnel Scripts has 3 upsells. They are Clickfunnels, Funnel Builder Secrets, and Funnel Hacks.

Clickfunnels, Russell’s flagship product, is an online sales funnel builder. It lets you build a complete sales funnel without juggling multiple web pages, domains, and other online assets. Many internet marketers and course salespeople rely on Clickfunnels to sell their products. You’ll notice how prevalent it is once you visit some sales pages.

Funnel Hacks is a training program that teaches you how to build sales funnels. It consists of a 6-week, video-based masterclass that teaches you how to build many different types of funnels. It gives you a free 6-month subscription to Clickfunnels so you can actually apply what you learn in Funnel Hacks. Bonuses include sales scripts, email sequence templates, and a list of “traffic hacks” that help you boost traffic to your funnel. Funnel Hacks even gives you 6 months of free Funnel Scripts.

Funnel Builder Secrets is like an upgraded version of Funnel Hacks. You get access to nearly everything Funnel Hacks provides, but Funnel Builder Secrets gives you more advanced funnel education too.

Funnel Builder Secrets also has two upsell plans. The first upsell increases your free Clickfunnels subscription from 6 months to 12 months. The highest upsell gives you 8 coaching calls with a Clickfunnels coach.

Pricing

Funnel Scripts costs $797 once, then you have it for life.

Clickfunnels costs $97 per month for the Startup basic subscription and $297 per month for the Enterprise upsell subscription.

Funnel Hacks costs $1,997 for a year subscription. Alternatively, you can pay $997 for 6 months of Funnel Hacks.

Funnel Builder Secrets costs $1,997 for the base level product, $2,997 for the intermediate level product, and $5,997 for the highest level product.

Funnel Scripts used to cost $497 per year, but they recently changed over to the one-time payment model. The old model was like paying for a cheap, automated copywriter, but now you pay one large fee and get unlimited access to an automated copywriter for life.

Affiliate Program

Funnel Scripts affiliate program is part of Clickfunnels’s affiliate program. Affiliates can earn 40% commission per affiliate sale of Funnel Scripts, meaning you can earn $318.80 per sale.

You can also sell Russell’s other products at the same 40% commission rate. For subscription products like Clickfunnels, you’ll earn 40% recurring commissions.

Then, there’s an MLM-inspired type of affiliate designation called Super Affiliate. When one of your referrals signs up for the affiliate program, you become a Super Affiliate.

Super Affiliates earn 5% of all their downline’s earnings on top of the 40% rate on their own personal affiliate sales.

Clickfunnels offers an additional incentive to its top affiliate enrolled in Clickfunnels called the Dream Car Contest. Once an affiliate reaches 100 active Clickfunnels referral subscribers, they qualify for their “dream car”. They can go out, lease the car of their choice, provide proof of their lease, then Clickfunnels will mail a $500 monthly check for the car payment. If an affiliate can reach and maintain 200 subscribers, that check goes up to $1,000. This check is on top of your other recurring affiliate earnings.

That’s for Clickfunnels, though, not Funnel Scripts.

Commissions are held for 30 days to hedge against potential refunds. Commissions are paid out every Monday.

The affiliate program provides marketing materials to save you time and help you make more sales. No need to write copy or create your own marketing materials if you don’t want to.

To train you in affiliate marketing, Russell puts on a free, 100-day Clickfunnels Affiliate Bootcamp. It covers marketing strategies and tactics that work especially well when selling Russell’s suite of products.

If you have a Clickfunnels account already, you’re automatically an affiliate. Otherwise, you have to fill out their affiliate application to create an account. You don’t need to purchase any products to become an affiliate.

Recap

Funnel Scripts is not a scam. It’s no replacement for a professional, human copywriter, but it’s a great tool if your goals and budget don’t justify hiring a copywriter for thousands of dollars.

Yeah, the affiliate program’s got a hint of MLM due to the downline and passive income. However, the affiliate program isn’t the focus. It’s not like Power Lead System, where the company itself relies solely on affiliate commissions to stay afloat.

Plus, good copywriting is necessary for every industry, not just course-selling. Unless you have the need and money for a copywriter, Funnel Scripts will do the job just fine.

#MLM companies #network marketing companies

0 notes

antionetterparker · 5 years

Text

Funnel Scripts Review – Does Russell Brunson’s copywriting software work?