#sorry i just saw a video of some sort of rally and i had to click off of it immediately i genuinely can't stand it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

daggryet · 3 years ago

Note

could you transcribe tommy's doomsday vod? sorry for asking and no pressure of course, but i saw you were open to requests

Hello! Thank you for the request, it is done!

Today is L'Manberg's birthday and its first anniversary. but it's also the day I finished transcribing tommy's doomsday vod - so let's all be sad today :)

Underneath the cut is the entirety of Tommy's Doomsday VOD "Tommy's Dream SMP is Obliterated by Technoblade" (1.14.25).

Conversations may have been cut in half if they make jokes, but I've included every single lore-related line that I could hear (there was a lot of TNT and shouting over each other sorry)

(If anyone has their own requests, feel free to send them in)

Without further ado and I hope it's useful to you:

Tommy's Dream SMP Is Obliterated by Technoblade

00:47

TOMMY: So, there’s things I need to do. How long do we have now? 40 minutes. Oh, there we go. I’ve got something I need to do. I’ve got a couple of solo things that we’d needed to do for a long time. And I want to- ehm, we’ve got to speak to Tubbo because if we’re gonna do this war, morally, we can’t do it alone.

TOMMY messages TUBBO

TOMMY, whispering: vc

TOMMY: I know, they’re coming at 8pm, alright?

TUBBO messages TOMMY

TUBBO, whispering: okay

TOMMY: So what we’ve gotta do- you know what, chat? I fucked up, I did, I did over these past few weeks. I’ve been in exile, it’s been the worst weeks of my entire life, but I don’t wanna think about anything other… we’ve gotta say sorry.

TOMMY messages TUBBO

TOMMY, whispering: meet at our spot

TOMMY: And I know that’s not the most TommyInnit-y thing to do off the bat, but I haven’t been doing the most TommyInnit-y things to do.

TUBBO: I see you.

TOMMY: But I will do now.

TUBBO: Hello?

TOMMY: Hey.

TUBBO: Hey.

TOMMY: Hey, ehm, you wanna sit down on the eh-

TUBBO: I would quite like to sit down on the bench.

TOMMY: It’s been- you’re well dressed.

TUBBO: Thank you, you’re looking good yourself.

TOMMY: Eh, it’s been eh- listen. Listen - oh you’ve taken it off - I know it’s been a, mhm, I know it’s been quite some time… I’m sorry. I know, I know the exile- I know you had to exile me, like I’m sorry-

TUBBO: I’m sorry also. We could have tried other routes, it was a bit of an extreme turn.

TOMMY: I just don’t want everything that happens now to be built on - stay here - to be built on the past. You know, I don’t…

TUBBO: Yeah

TOMMY: Tubbo, I- I fucked it. I did. And there’s no- we all make mistakes, but it was me. I-I was the one who chose to side with the violent anarchist who wanted to destroy the thing I would sacrifice my discs for, and I, you know, put our shit behind that.

TUBBO: It’s okay though.

TOMMY: And I’m sorry. But-

TUBBO: Aw.

TOMMY: I’m sorry. I haven’t been… I haven’t been myself, but, ehm, we will tonight, alright? ‘Cause we’ve got shit to do, my friend.

TUBBO: Ehm, well, I mean, we have to rally everyone, don’t we? We have to go to what- where did we decide to set everything up? Over at Eret’s place? Get supplies.

TUBBO: We do!

TOMMY: Get supplies.

TUBBO: I have no idea when they’re gonna get here, but-

TOMMY: There’s something I gotta do first. I mean, people don’t- I gotta, I gotta do it.

TUBBO: Okay…

TOMMY: I-I… okay. You go to the people and start rallying, I’ll join you, I’ll, you know, take lead once I’m there.

TUBBO: Okay, I’ll gotta get everything sorted.

TOMMY: We’ve gotta be- it’s gotta be me and you, Tubbo, it’s gotta be me and you versus Dream.

TOMMY: We’ve gotta leave everything we’ve done over the past weeks to the past, alright?

TUBBO: Yeah, of course.

TOMMY: Just like it always has been. And we’ve gotta do that tonight, because if we don’t tonight… I mean, you’ve heard what they’re saying. We’ll lose everything.

TUBBO: Yeah…

TOMMY: We’ll lose everything.

TUBBO: I mean, I don’t even know what would happen if L’Manberg were to get destroyed.

TOMMY: Okay, here’s what you do: you go rally them. I have something I have to do-

TUBBO: Okay.

TOMMY: And no one really knows what I have to do, but you rally them.

TUBBO: I will rally, I will rally!

TOMMY: I’ll speak to you, eh-

TOMMY: You start a plan, and then I’ll come and help, alright?

TUBBO: Speak to you soon.

TOMMY: Speak to you soon.

5:30

TOMMY: Okay, everybody. That was the right thing to do.

TOMMY does a waterbucket MLG.

TOMMY: We’ve still got it.

TOMMY: There’s something I need to do, that I didn’t really speak to you all about. We’ve got quite a while now to go. Now, listen to me, chat- Quackity’s leaving, Fundy’s leaving, what are you on about? No, no, no! We focus now, alright? There’s too many words shouted at me, shit in my head, streaks that I’ve lost, but we’ve got to- there is not enough time to read everyone’s- Fundy’s, what, what? Alright, I’m not reading the chat now. Here’s what I’ve got to do. Okay, okay, you know, we’ll walk.

TOMMY: Does anyone remember, eh, last night? I know I messed up, but there was one thing that really stuck. ‘Cause you know Sssa- you know, Sapnap, ‘cause I was watching this old video in my recommended about how all of these wars started, alright? And all of it started with me and Sapnap. And you know, you know, yesterday I realised - we need him on our side, man. ‘Cause it started with him and me, me and him. And a while age, a few months ago now, pre-exile, we had a fight. And it ended with me- I don’t know if anyone remembers, but it ended with me letting go of his pet fish, Beckerson. But I’ve been thinking about it, we can’t afford- we can’t afford to not have Sapnap. ‘Cause it started with us, and you know what? It’s gonna end with us. So we’ve gotta- and it can’t end with him betraying me again, so we’ve got to get him on our side. And I let his fish loose a longass time ago.

TOMMY: I’m not sure if it’s- is that it? Do you think it’ll be here still? What type of fish was it? “Mars”, Mars, Beckerson, Mars- I don’t, it doesn’t mean anything to me.

8:32

TOMMY: Is it around here? Guys, what type of fish was it? Is it- I mean, it might just not be here.

9:09

TOMMY: If it is still here, that’d be a miracle, but… everyone, if we can do this now, then- tropical? That means nothing to me. Oh is that- what the fuck!

TOMMY finds MARS swimming by the shore.

TOMMY: Oh, wow, wow, wow, holy shit, holy shit! Okay, go, go, go, go, go! Oh my- okay, wow, wow, wow, we found it, we found it- what the fuck! Did it not despawn? Okay, you know what, no, no, no. What the fuck? Okay, we can’t MLG with that waterbucket anymore. How?! Does it not despawn? Okay, where is Sapnap? What we’ve gotta do is we find Sapnap and get him on our side ‘cause it started with us; we’re ending with us!

TOMMY messages SAPNAP

TOMMY, whispering: Hey

TOMMY, whispering: vc?

TOMMY: Hey Sapnap

SAPNAP messages TOMMY

SAPNAP: Hey

TOMMY: No, wait, this is too serious of an occasion, I can’t play the Able Sisters. Where are you, Sapnap?

SAPNAP: Eh, at the community house you blew up.

TOMMY: Oh. Forgot about that

SAPNAP: Yeah

TOMMY: I’m-

TOMMY: Hey, hey, I’m really- I didn’t blow it up, sorry, people just- you know what, I’ll just be like a trooper. I won’t keep saying I didn’t blow it up, I’ll just- listen to me.

SAPNAP: Hello

TOMMY: I know, ehm, I know you said you didn’t wanna team with us last night, Sapnap.

SAPNAP: Well, I’m just- I don’t know, I just don’t know who to help or if I should help anyone.

TOMMY: Listen, I know, I know, but I- what I want you to know, Sapnap, is that I know we’ve had quarrels. But there was this video in my recommended the other day, and it was detailing the entirety of the very first war on this server. And I realised all of it, all of it, started with me and you. And I know you killed Henry, and I know we had wars, and you fucked up so many times - but so did I. And here’s the thing, man, it doesn’t matter about the past, and it doesn’t matter about the future; it matters about right now. And right now, there is a plethora of supervillains literally going to destroy everything we’ve worked for. And I know, I know you have no reason to come back, but I know it started with us. And it started with us because I helped you, Sapnap. And I don’t stop, because I know I’ve fucked up, but I won’t stop, alright? And you don’t have to side with us, but, Sapnap, do you remember a while ago we had a little war, a little fight?

SAPNAP: I do remember.

TOMMY: Sapnap.

TOMMY: And it ended with you throwing away- what was it?

SAPNAP: Yeah?

TOMMY: I’m so sorry that you did that, and that I made you do that because it wasn’t right of me. And I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t take out any of the fucked up shit that’s happened to me out on other people, and I’m sorry.

SAPNAP: Alright.

TOMMY: But Sapnap- I got Mars back. And yeah, it’s the same Mars from where I- turns out they don’t despawn if they have a nametag on them!

SAPNAP: It’s Mars!

TOMMY: Turns out they don’t despawn if they have a nametag on them! I didn’t know that! But, but, Sapnap, please help us, please. Because it started with me and you, and it doesn’t have to end with me and you. And if we don’t do anything right now; tonight will be the end of L’Manberg. So, please, help us. We need you.

SAPNAP: Alright, Tommy, let’s do this.

TOMMY: Really?

SAPNAP: Yeah, let’s eh- let’s just kill them all! What, it’s just two people, right?

TOMMY: It’s just two people, right!

SAPNAP: It’s just two people, we can kill them!

TOMMY: They’ll be here in 30 minutes. Okay.

SAPNAP: We can kill them.

TOMMY: Okay, let’s go get basic stuff. Let’s- let me get on my armour now, it’s war time. Let’s get in a call.

SAPNAP: I’m putting Mars somewhere safe, I’m putting Mars somewhere safe.

13:45

TOMMY: Hello?

JACK MANIFOLD: Hello

PONK: Hello

TOMMY: Hello, where’s Tubbo?

JACK MANIFOLD: He went to speak to-to-to Big Q.

TOMMY: Okay, I’ll go speak to him. Hey everyone, hope you’re all well-

JACK MANIFOLD: Actually, I’m-

TECHNOBLADE: Hey idiots! Where you at? I’m in your house, stealing your stuff!

TOMMY: I know where his house is.

TOMMY: What?

TECHNOBLADE: I’m outside L’Manberg, boys, where you at!

TOMMY: There’s 25 more minutes, no you’re not!

TECHNOBLADE: Bro, you think I’m going to wait? You think I’m going to sit- you know what, Tommy? You know what, there is 24 minutes, I’m not there right now, I’m not - there’s no need to check. There’s no need to go to your base.

TOMMY: What the fuck-?

TECHNOBLADE: There’s 24 minutes left.

TOMMY: That’s a very strange and ominous thing to say.

TECHNOBLADE: You know what, you guys take your time, take your time.

TOMMY: What the fuck is this obsidian grid?

TECHNOBLADE: Take your time

TOMMY: Technoblade, wait, no, stop it now. Where are you?

TECHNOBLADE: I’m in L’Manberg.

PHILZA: Where do you think?

TOMMY: Philza Minecraft. You’re not-

TECHNOBLADE: That was also his laugh right there, isn’t it great?

TECHNOBLADE: Uh, that was my Philza Minecraft impression, isn’t it great?

TOMMY shoots a spectral arrow at an invisible person wearing netherite armour.

TOMMY: Is that you?

PHILZA: That’s me, that’s me.

TECHNOBLADE: Phil! You are the least stealthy person on this planet!

TOMMY: What the fuck? Wow, wow, wow, wow, wait, wait, wait, wait, no, no, no, no! Time out! We have 30 more minutes, we have 30 more minutes until you got here!

TECHNOBLADE: You got nothing, Tommy!

TOMMY: What do you mean we’ve got- wait, where’s Tubbo?

TECHNOBLADE: You have nothing! Where is your army?

TOMMY: Where is my- you- what the fuck!

TECHNOBLADE: My army is right here!

TOMMY: You said 30 minutes, you said you’d be here in 30 minutes!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh no! Did we lie? Oh no!

TOMMY: What the fuck?

PHILZA: You think we’re gonna be fair? You think we’re gonna be fair? This is war, Tommy.

TECHNOBLADE: Oh no, I wasn’t honourable about the 1v30 that’s gonna happen, I’m sorry.

TOMMY: Where’s Tubbo?

TOMMY: Eret, Eret, do you have a waterbucket? Can I borrow that, please? Why is it just me and you-?

TOMMY messages TUBBO

TOMMY, messaging: TUBBO

Tommy, messaging: GET FUCKING HERE

TECHNOBLADE: There’s two guys here.

TECHNOBLADE: Is this your army? Man, I overprepared for this.

ERET: Where is everyone else?

TUBBO: Tommy, what’s wrong?

TOMMY: Tubbo, you stupid son of a bitch, get to L’Manberg!

TUBBO: The prepares are all like gone, they were sabotaged.

TUBBO: What, what, what, what?

TOMMY: What do you mean ‘sabotaged’? What does that mean?

TUBBO: There was literally nothing there, Tommy! There was just a crater.

TOMMY: Oh. Dream?

TUBBO: Tommy, what are you doing?

TOMMY falls to his death to escape possibly DREAM’s TNT.

JACK MANIFOLD: That was a really uneventful war

TOMMY: Don’t worry, I’m running back, I’m running back.

ERET: There’s so many dogs!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, I’m stupid, I have a flint and steel.

ERET: Tommy, I got some of your stuff.

TOMMY: Eret, can you just take all my stuff?

TOMMY: Yeah, just keep it there.

TECHNOBLADE: I can’t see anything, there’s too many dogs!

PHILZA: Get out of the way!

TECHNOBLADE: I can’t burn any of the stuff. This sucks!

ERET: Why is there so many dogs?

TECHNOBLADE: Why do you think?

QUACKITY: What the hell is going on? What is this?

TOMMY: Guys, I took a tumble.

QUACKITY: What are you doing? This isn’t a goddamn zoo, Technoblade!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, you messed up, you messed up!

QUACKITY: Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ.

ERET: Tommy, where are you?

TOMMY: I’m just running, I gotta set my spawn.

TECHNOBLADE: You messed up!

TUBBO: Oh my god, oh my god, what the hell

TOMMY: Tubbo?

TECHNOBLADE: You messed up, Tubbo! Let loose the dogs of war!

TOMMY: What does that mean?!

ERET: There’s too many dogs!

TOMMY: Tubbo, fight him!

TUBBO: I am!

QUACKITY: Oh Jesus, fuck, why?

QUACKITY: What the hell! What are you doing?

TECHNOBLADE: Get out of here! Get out of here, Ponk!

TOMMY: Tubbo, stay alive!

TUBBO: I’m doing fine!

TOMMY: Eret, Eret, meet me on the bridge there. Meet me on the way.

TECHNOBLADE: You idiot!

QUACKITY: What the hell are you doing?

TECHNOBLADE: Sapnap really thought he was slick. He was like ‘Oh I’m about to jump Technoblade and nothing bad is going to happen’.

QUACKITY: You realise we’re gonna kill all these dogs as soon as you go, right, Techno?

TOMMY: Eret, Eret, I’m on the path there.

TECHNOBLADE: I’ve already killed three of you guys!

ERET: I’m in the tunnel

TECHNOBLADE: Oh yeah, hit me with that axe, Punz! Hit me with that axe!

TOMMY messages Eret

TOMMY, whispering: IM HERE

PUNZ: I’m running, I’m running. I don’t wanna die!

TECHNOBLADE: Wait, did I actually get back my trident?

TOMMY messages Eret

TOMMY, whispering: AT CHESS

QUACKITY: What are you doing?

PUFFY: Why are there so many?

SAPNAP: Why is there so many dogs?

TOMMY messages Eret

TOMMY, whispering: STUFF PLS

TECHNOBLADE: Dogs!

QUACKITY: This has gotta be illegal in some countries!

TECHNOBLADE: I just killed like 50 of my dogs by accident!

PUFFY: That is definitely illegal

TECHNOBLADE: Not the sweeping edge!

QUACKITY: There’s no way this is all legal

TECHNOBLADE: Get ‘em dogs! Get ‘em!

ERET is giving TOMMY his stuff back.

SAPNAP: Holy crap!

TOMMY: Oh no.

JACK MANIFOLD: Technoblade, people won’t be happy about this.

TECHNOBLADE: You guys aren’t allowed to kill these dogs, no killing pets! No killing pets in L’Manberg!

TOMMY: You got any blocks, any blocks?

ERET: Yeah, there you go.

TOMMY: You got a shield and water bucket, please?

SAPNAP: Punz, Punz, Punz, focus on the dogs.

PUNZ: No, kill Techno, kill Techno.

ERET: Eh, no, I don’t have a spare bucket. That’s all I have

TOMMY: Okay.

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, welcome back!

PONK: No!

TECHNOBLADE: This is actually not great.

SAPNAP: Alright.

PHILZA: *Laughing*

TOMMY: Alright, regroup, regroup. Where is everyone? Where is everyone?

PUFFY: In L’Manberg!

JACK MANIFOLD: Yeah, we’re all- we’re all in L’Manberg.

TOMMY: Holy- okay, okay! On the top of here, on the top of here-

TECHNOBLADE: Whatever you’re doing!

TOMMY:- Do you have a shield, goddamnit? Oh my god!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh yeah, a shield is gonna protect you from the wolves!

TOMMY: Do you have a shield?! Ranboo! Why are you standing still?

JACK MANIFOLD: Stop killing those animals, Sapnap.

RANBOO: What’s going on?

TOMMY: Can I have a shield, please?!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh god, I didn’t think about Sapnap!

RANBOO: What’s going on?

TECHNOBLADE: No one kills animals like Sapnap!

TOMMY: Tubbo, where are you?

TECHNOBLADE: That’s his whole thing!

QUACKITY: That’s true!

TECHNOBLADE: Get out of here, Jack Manifold! Dogs, attack!

SAPNAP: I’m killing so many dogs!

JACK MANIFOLD: Oh!

SAPNAP: Jack!

RANBOO: It wasn’t supposed to start yet.

TECHNOBLADE: Dogs, attack! Everyone’s just cutting down my dogs! What is this?

ERET: Oh my god!

TOMMY: Everyone, focus! Where’s Tubbo?

TUBBO: I’m here!

TOMMY: Why are you so quiet? There’s a traitor in our goddamn midst!

TUBBO: What do you mean?

TOMMY: What do you mean? There’s Technoblade!

QUACKITY: There’s a shitton of dogs in fucking L’Manberg!

TUBBO: Yeah, there’s-

QUACKITY: Oh! What the hell?!

PHILZA: Yeah, don’t worry about it.

TECHNOBLADE: Hbomb! Hbomb get over here! Eret!

ERET: Huh?

20:22

TOMMY: Techno. Techno, stop! Where are you?

TECHNOBLADE: You know what? I’m feeling merciful. If you guys all back off and let me blow up this country, you can live!

QUACKITY: You’re gonna rig these dogs with bombs, how exactly are you gonna do that with dogs?

TOMMY: Holy shit, how are there so many?! Oh my god!

TECHNOBLADE: So many of my dogs have died.

SAPNAP: Alright, they’re almost all dead!

QUACKITY: You literally just said you killed like 50 of your dogs!

TOMMY: Techno.

QUACKITY: What are you doing?

TECHNOBLADE: It was like 20 of my dogs, to be fair.

TOMMY: How many dogs do you have?

QUACKITY: How many did you bring?

PUFFY: Too many!

ERET: Not enough.

SAPNAP: Oh he’s eating a Notch apple, he’s eating a Notch apple!

TOMMY: Techno.

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, I’ve got a few of those!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, 17 minutes. Take your time, Ranboo! No need to rush.

TOMMY: Okay, okay. Tubbo, where are you?

21:09

NIKI: Will?

TUBBO: I’m literally right next to you!

TOMMY: Tubbo, Tubbo, I see you! I see you, I see you!

TECHNOBLADE: The signal!

TOMMY: What’s the signal?

SAPNAP: Guys, Technoblade is right here!

JACK MANIFOLD: The signal?

TOMMY: Where?

A wither spawns.

TOMMY: Eret, Eret- holy shit! Okay! Get down, get down!

TECHNOBLADE: Why did I pearl into it?

QUACKITY: Okay, okay- oh no, no, no.

RANBOO: Not again, not again.

QUACKITY: This is not good.

TUBBO: Not the bees!

TOMMY: Holy shit, holy shit!

QUACKITY: Okay, okay, I don’t even have shit.

TUBBO: Not the bees!

QUACKITY: Okay, alright.

FUNDY: Why did you spawn one on the bees?

SAPNAP: Why did you spawn on the bees?

TOMMY: Not there.

EVERYONE: The bees!

22:02

There’s three withers now.

TOMMY: Holy shit!

JACK MANIFOLD: No!

TOMMY: Okay, Ranboo, Ranboo, stick with me.

RANBOO: Yeah, yeah.

TOMMY: Okay, we’re gonna fight as a group; everyone round up! At the bee house! At the bee house! Tubbo, take charge! There’s one at the bee house; get it! Get the one at the bee house!

PUFFY: It’s got me!

TOMMY: There’s four of them! Ah! Five!

ERET: There’s so many withers.

TECHNOBLADE: Why are they shooting me?

TOMMY: Everyone! Eret. Everyone - kill them! Please.

TECHNOBLADE: What are you doing here?

QUACKITY: I’m feeling from the country!

TOMMY: Oh my god. Technoblade! L’Manberg!

QUACKITY: Oh no, oh no, no, no.

TOMMY crawls atop of the camarvan, looking around at the destruction the withers are bringing to the country.

TOMMY: L’Manberg!

TECHNOBLADE: I should’ve kept more invis potions. That would’ve been a good idea. Mind your business, mind your business.

PONK: My cat died!

TOMMY: L’Manberg!

RANBOO: Jack, run.

JACK MANIFOLD: I’m trying, I’m really trying!

TOMMY: Punz!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh TommyInnit!

TOMMY: I’m running!

SAPNAP: NO!

TOMMY: Holy shit.

TECHNOBLADE: Okay, what wither is attacking me?

TOMMY: Gotta get iron.

TECHNOBLADE: What is this? What is this? This not the plan.

23:16

TOMMY: Chat, we gotta get iron! We gotta get a bucket, then we can go up, then we can go up.

TOMMY: Okay, Technoblade, listen.

RANBOO: Oh, Jack’s got two on him, that’s not good.

PONK: Bro, I found a wither rose.

TECHNOBLADE: I need to get my stuff back.

TOMMY: Oh, okay.

TECHNOBLADE: I need invis potions.

JACK MANIFOLD: Oh, there’s one here!

HBOMB: Niki, I gave you some stuff.

NIKI: Aha

RANBOO: Oh my god, there’s an entire army down there.

QUACKITY: Niki, can I speak to you, can I speak to you?

RANBOO: There’s an entire army around

NIKI: Sure.

TECHNOBLADE: Looking for invis potions!

RANBOO: I gotta get out of here.

TOMMY: You know what? We’ll speak to Techno. Tubbo, Tubbo, everyone - please! L’Manberg! Just group up, we can’t fight this solo.

TUBBO: I’m already grouped up.

TOMMY: Alright, I’m coming, I’m coming.

TECHNOBLADE: There’s nothing in here, I should have gotten more invis.

TOMMY: Okay, get in the- Tubbo! Get in the caravan! Get in the caravan!

TOMMY: Alright, listen to me- oh hello. Tubbo, where are you?

TUBBO: Getting in the caravan!

TOMMY: Get in the caravan now!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh yeah, the caravan. That’ll save you.

TUBBO: Okay!

TOMMY: Okay, listen to me, listen to me- arh! Okay, listen to me, listen to me- oh no. I know this looks bad.

TECHNOBLADE: Oh there’s one after me! Oh, the cruel irony!

TOMMY: Here’s what we do! We go for the withers alright, we fight one wither at a time, we fight them as a group. Please! We don’t have enough time! Get out, go, go! Holy shit!

RANBOO: There’s nine! There’s nine withers!

SAPNAP: Oh my god!

TECHNOBLADE: I need more invis! This was not according to the plan!

TOMMY: L’Manberg!

TOMMY: We’ve gotta get out.

TECHNOBLADE: Do you have invis potions?

RANBOO: There’s one, there’s one.

TOMMY: L’Manberg.

TUBBO: This is…

TOMMY: He’s minding you.

TECHNOBLADE: Don’t mind me! Don’t mind me!

TECHNOBLADE: Don’t mind me! The particles!

TUBBO: Oh my god.

TECHNOBLADE: Smokescreen technique! Smokescreen technique!

TOMMY: Holy shit! Jack Manifold, get in the tunnel! Okay, okay, speak to me - speak to me! Oh my god!

TECHNOBLADE: Phil! Phil, meet me in your house!

SAPNAP: Kill the withers! Kill the withers!

TECHNOBLADE: Meet me in your house, Phil!

RANBOO: This is not good.

TOMMY: I can’t- okay, we gotta kill them one at a time, one at a time, Jack. Wait for it to come down, one at a time.

25:49

TECHNOBLADE: What the heck is “Do Not Read”?

TOMMY: L’Manberg!

JACK MANIFOLD: Oh shit, oh shit!

TOMMY: Oh if only I had “How to Sex 2” on me right now. Keep him there, Jack! Take ‘em down one at a time!

RANBOO: You guys-

TOMMY: Jack, please.

SAPNAP: Eret, Eret, can I borrow- Eret-

TOMMY: Have we got any of them?

TUBBO: This is…

TECHNOBLADE: Ranboo, you’re alright, I’ll give you time to get away. Ranboo, get out of here, Ranboo! I don’t have anything against you. You can get out of here, just flee the battle, no one will know!

PHILZA: No one will know.

TECHNOBLADE: Except that wither, except that wither!

TOMMY: Holy shit!

TECHNOBLADE: It’s okay, you just gotta get away from that wither, it’s fine!

TECHNOBLADE: What am I doing here?

TOMMY: Oh! Everything is going!

TOMMY: Tubbo, please. Tubbo, stick with me!

TUBBO: I am still here with you.

TOMMY: Okay, let’s- everyone, listen to me if you can hear me! Take them down one at a time! Look how low they’re getting! Use the Axe of Peace unironically!

TECHNOBLADE: Let’s go!

TOMMY: Come on, one at a time, one at a time! Please!

TECHNOBLADE: Ten more minutes, Phil! Ten more minutes!

ERET: Big Q!

QUACKITY: What do you want from me? I don’t even have anything!

PONK: Take this!

TECHNOBLADE: Check this out.

PONK: Fuck you!

QUACKITY: Yes, let’s go, Ponk!

PONK: Oh, he dropped it! No!

TOMMY pearls a bit higher up in silence, trying to get some kind of high ground.

QUACKITY: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I dropped it. I don’t even have a sword, Ponk!

PUFFY: No!

PONK: Take this!

QUACKITY: Do you have my bow?

PONK: I don’t know!

RANBOO: Where are they?

QUACKITY: Do you have my bow? Ponk, you picked up my things!

PONK: I don’t have your bow, no.

TOMMY: Alright, where are you- Sapnap! Sapnap, listen to me! This isn’t the end.

QUACKITY: Jesus Christ!

TOMMY: Sapnap!

PHILZA: Have fun with that!

RANBOO: Where are they?

QUACKITY: Fuck, it looks ugly!

RANBOO: There is an entire wither on me!

ERET: Kill the withers!

QUACKITY: Oh no.

TECHNOBLADE: He might have seen through my disguise.

TOMMY: Technoblade, where are you? Ranboo, kill it!

RANBOO: I’m trying, I’m trying!

TECHNOBLADE: I’m actually back at my base. I spawned the withers and dipped.

ERET: No! Get them away from here

TECHNOBLADE: The invis is working!

TOMMY: Okay, go down- everyone, everyone!

RANBOO: No, no, no.

QUACKITY: Get him, so I can take his things.

TOMMY: Who is this? Who is that?

TUBBO: Oh, it’s Puffy.

TOMMY: Why would you take invis?

PUFFY: I didn’t take anything!

TOMMY: Okay, everyone; focus. Okay, here’s what we do! Listen to me if you can hear me! I repeat: focus the withers first, then fight Techno!

RANBOO: Come on. Come on!

TECHNOBLADE: Splash them with invis! They won’t know who’s who!

TUBBO: He’s come from the tunnel where I died! He’s not on our side, he’s gappling!

TECHNOBLADE: Tubbo has a totem of undying, guys!

QUACKITY: I have no clothes, but I-

TUBBO: No! Ranboo kill that!

QUACKITY: Who is that?

TOMMY: L’Manberg!

QUACKITY: I need you to hold me, Sapnap!

TOMMY: L’Manberg, Big Q!

TECHNOBLADE: Yeah, yeah, he’s got a shield.

TOMMY: L’Manberg, holy shit!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, wait.

TOMMY: Big Q! Oh, he’s pissed now!

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, here it is.

QUACKITY: Let’s go, Tommy! Now we can get these withers! Let’s fucking go!

TECHNOBLADE: TNT! YEAH!

TOMMY: Can we?

TOMMY: What?

SAPNAP: TNT’s raining from the sky!

TOMMY: L’Manberg!

TOMMY: What the fuck?

TECHNOBLADE: YES!

TOMMY: Where? Holy shit! Holy shit!

SAPNAP: Quackity!

QUACKITY: Sapnap, am I gonna die? Am I gonna die? What the fuck?

SAPNAP: You’re not gonna die, you’re not gonna die.

QUACKITY: What the fuck is going on, what the fuck is going on?

RANBOO: Oh god, oh god. Just run!

TUBBO: What is-

HBOMB: How much TNT is that?

RANBOO: Tubbo.

TECHNOBLADE: Tubbo is gone! Minecraft rage!

TOMMY: Tubbo? Tubbo!

QUACKITY: What is going on?

TUBBO: What?

TOMMY: Tubbo, turn around.

QUACKITY: What is going on?

TECHNOBLADE: Yes!

RANBOO: It’s all gone.

QUACKITY: What is going- what-

TOMMY: How did we not-

SAPNAP: Who is this?

PONK: Stay back! No, no, no, don’t come over here!

QUACKITY: What is going on? Holy shit.

TOMMY: Philza Minecraft?

TECHNOBLADE: How much longer do we need to stall, Phil?

PHILZA: I think we’ve done enough damage, for the stall.

TOMMY: Oh no. Tubbo, they’re gonna land on us next! Tubbo! Tubbo! Tubbo, look at me! Look at me, Tubbo!

TECHNOBLADE: Look at what you’re president of, Tubbo!

30:31

TOMMY: Techno. Technoblade, look at me! Do not shoot. Do not shoot.

TECHNOBLADE: Tommy. You had your chance, Tommy!

TOMMY: Technoblade, listen to me! For once in your life! You didn’t have to- you didn’t have to do this. You could have compromised! The thing about the the discs, Technoblade, is that they were for me! We could have had a government, you could have let us live with this!

TECHNOBLADE: I don’t care about the discs, Tommy! I was upfront with you from the start! The government has to go!

TOMMY: You didn’t compromise! Technoblade, you are selfish!

TECHNOBLADE: Selfish? You used me from the start, Tommy! You’re wearing my helmet!

TOMMY: Technoblade, you said we betrayed you! You said we betrayed you! You said that we were the ones who betrayed you!

TECHNOBLADE: You betrayed me like 12 times!

TOMMY: Technoblade, look at me. Look at me right now. You said you hated governments, you said that we were the ones that betrayed you; but you’re the one who killed Tubbo when JSchlatt told you to! You’re the one who betrayed us! Out of all of this, Technoblade,

TECHNOBLADE: I was peer pressured! You betrayed me!

TOMMY: Listen to me!

TECHNOBLADE: You used me! You’ve never thought of me as a friend, Tommy, you’ve just used me from the start.

TOMMY: I have, Techno.

TECHNOBLADE: You just saw me as The Blade, that’s all I was to you. The Blade! A weapon! Well, guess what… I’m choosing what I’m fighting for now.

TECHNOBLADE fires rockets at TOMMY. Just before the second rocket hits, TUBBO jumps in front of him to protect him.

TECHNOBLADE: And I’m going to destroy the government, Tommy! You’ll all die! It’s gone! We’re chunk erroring this!

TOMMY: Techno. Techno. Techno. Look at me, look at me. Please. Don’t fight, Tubbo.

TECHNOBLADE: Is that really the fight- who keeps shooting me?

TOMMY: Techno, look at me! You’re the one who did this! The people- you were my friend, you were my friend! You were The Blade, you were our-

TECHNOBLADE: Tommy.

TECHNOBLADE: Who’s over there? Sapnap, we’re having a moment! Get out of here!

TOMMY: Listen to me! I thought friendship- Techno, for once in your life, listen to me! You were my friend!

TECHNOBLADE: I listened to you for weeks!

TOMMY: Just listen to me!

TECHNOBLADE: I helped you! And you went back to Tubbo, the guy that exiled you! He chose his country over you.

TOMMY: Techno, people are above the government! We- it doesn’t matter if we want a government-

32:57

TECHNOBLADE: I am a person!

TOMMY: You are, Technoblade! And so are we! You- the reason the discs were important is because they were stolen from me. Nothing was taken from you!

TECHNOBLADE: The discs aren’t people!

TOMMY: Nothing was taken from you here! You’re selfish! You destroy what people love for your own self gain. You’re selfish!

TECHNOBLADE: All of these problems are because of your government. Your government has caused all these issues! I believe in freedom, Tommy!

TOMMY: You don’t believe in- when you were peer pressured, that’s not freedom! That was you following what the government- that was the president telling you to-

TECHNOBLADE: Tommy, that was like four months ago!

TOMMY: It was, and you killed Tubbo! Don’t forget about the past right now! Tubbo, back up for me here! He killed you!

TUBBO: Yeah...

TECHNOBLADE: He’s president, he’s president! Get him out of here! He’s wearing your helmet!

TOMMY: And you killed him.

TECHNOBLADE: Yeah, ‘cause he’s the president!

TOMMY: But even when he wasn’t the president, you killed him as well.

TECHNOBLADE: Yeah, that’s true.

TOMMY: You’re as bad as the government, Technoblade. In fact, you know what, you’re worse.

TECHNOBLADE: I was stood there alone against a whole government, and you and Wilbur just sat there on the sidelines and watched. Did you step in? Did you step in? Were you guys the ones who stepped and said “Don’t worry, Technoblade, we know you’re in a high pressure situation, but we’ll fight the world for you, Technoblade!” No, you guys watched! You know what I did? Yesterday? When you were surrounded by like 30 people and the whole world was against you? I walked in, I was willing to fight all of them for you, Tommy. I would have been there.

TOMMY: Techno-

TECHNOBLADE: That is the difference between us.

TOMMY: We spent hours together, man.

TECHNOBLADE: Don’t speak to me of loyalty!

TOMMY: No, you were my friend, and you betrayed us!

TECHNOBLADE: You never thought of me as a friend!

TOMMY: And the thing about this government is that- it didn’t interfere with you!

TECHNOBLADE: Yes, it did!

TOMMY: You have your own freedom, just let people love what they love, man! You’re selfish, Techno.

TOMMY: The discs interfered with us, they were stolen by Dream! Why would you side with the maniac-?

TECHNOBLADE: They hunted me down! The whole butcher army! And they executed me! I tried being peaceful, Tommy, but the government made it clear-

TECHNOBLADE: I used to think like that, Tommy. You know what they did to me?

TOMMY: You didn’t have to do this.

TECHNOBLADE: I did! The government-

TOMMY: They executed you because you blew up the entire- you spawned withers just like you’ve done again! All you did is repeat history, but worse. You’re selfish.

TECHNOBLADE: You guys brought this upon yourselves. I was prepared to live peacefully in my cottage and be chill, and just farm-

TOMMY: Techno, you can’t live in a cottage after you blow up the government. That’s not how it works. Actions have consequences.

TECHNOBLADE: Actions do have consequences, Tommy. And these are the consequences! It’s over! I’m killing Quackity! He’s got actual armor.

QUACKITY: No, no, no. Why?

TECHNOBLADE: Get back here! Get back here!

35:34

TOMMY: Tubbo

TECHNOBLADE: Get back here! He’s got my armor

QUACKITY: No, I stole this, this is mine!

TECHNOBLADE: Get back here!

QUACKITY: Technoblade, Technoblade, we attacked you- goddamnit! We attacked you at your cottage because you did exactly this! You did this, you exploded L’Manberg!

TECHNOBLADE: I was willing to be peaceful!

TECHNOBLADE: I changed!

QUACKITY: It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter, you were part of the hitlist. Technoblade, you were meant to suffer the consequences for what you did. That’s what happened.

TOMMY: Everything.

TECHNOBLADE: This is the consequences for hunting me down!

TECHNOBLADE: Taken my punishment and left? You would have literally killed me! What do you mean left?

QUACKITY: That’s true, that’s very true!

TOMMY: Technoblade!

QUACKITY: Technoblade, listen, you had to. You had to. And it was for L’Manberg, and it was for the country.

TECHNOBLADE: Oh, I hate this, what is this-

TOMMY: You’ve become the tyrant.

TECHNOBLADE: The tyrant? Bruh, bruh.

TOMMY: You’ve become the tyrant.

TECHNOBLADE: I am one man, the world will be better. The world will be better without the government! Airstrike!

ERET: Oh my god.

TECHNOBLADE: Airstrike! It wouldn’t be a final boss if I didn’t have stages”

ERET: Woah!

PHILZA: Yeah! Yeah! Go!

TUBBO: I don’t…

TOMMY: Tubbo?

TECHNOBLADE: Why is the wither following me in the sky? It’s ruining my moment.

TUBBO: Yeah.

TOMMY: Tubbo?

TECHNOBLADE: Oh my god.

37:24

TOMMY: Tubbo! It’s gone!

TUBBO: Seems like history really is doomed to repeat itself.

TOMMY: The caravan… the caravan! The camarvan!

TUBBO: Oh man.

QUACKITY: Fellas, there’s still L’Mantree.

TOMMY: There’s still, there’s still the tree.

QUACKITY: The L’Mantree’s still alive.

TUBBO: The L’Mantree.

QUACKITY: Come on. Just-

TOMMY: As long as the tree’s alive. Yeah, yeah, get to the tree.

TUBBO: I’m going to the tree.

QUACKITY: Head to the tree. Where’s-

TOMMY: Wilbur! That was my last memory of Wilbur! Of the real Wilbur.

QUACKITY: Where’s the fucking tree?

TOMMY: The tree’s in the box.

QUACKITY: Where’s the goddamn-

TUBBO: The tree-yeah.

QUACKITY: Okay, where is it, where is it?

TOMMY: The tree-

TUBBO: Eh the tree is supposed to be here. Right here.

QUACKITY: Tommy. Tubbo.

TUBBO: The tree is meant to be here where I’m standing.

QUACKITY: It’s gone.

TUBBO: The tree is gone.

TOMMY: No. No, it’s not. No, it’s not!

QUACKITY: The tree is gone!

TOMMY: Wait-

TUBBO: It’s gone.

TOMMY rejoins the other VC.

PHIL: Where do you think-?

TOMMY: Where’s the tree?

PONK: No, please!

TOMMY: Where’s the tree?

PONK: Please!

TECHNOBLADE: Every time I see you, you have less armor.

PONK: No!

TECHNOBLADE: Guess who’s gently gliding towards you, Ponk!

TOMMY: Tubbo.

TOMMY: Technoblade, where’s- where’s the L’Mantree?

TECHNOBLADE: Bro, I don’t know what- I’m gonna be real with you, I don’t know what the L’Mantree is. No one ever told me about it.

TOMMY: Does any-

TECHNOBLADE: Dream said something about blowing up the L’Mantree, so - mhm.

FUNDY: It’s gone! It’s gone!

QUACKITY: It’s fucking gone!

TECHNOBLADE: I hate trees!

QUACKITY: It’s out, that’s it.

FUNDY: It’s all gone! Everything! Everything is gone!

ERET: The downfall.

TECHNOBLADE: This wither is so annoying- wait, I can just kill this wither. This wither sucks. Yeah! I have dogs! My dogs!

39:21

TOMMY: VC 2, Tubbo and Big Q.

TUBBO: Mhm.

QUACKITY: It’s gone.

TOMMY: Is it- Tubbo, Tubbo, take half of these. Is it really all-?

QUACKITY: Tommy. There’s no use, it’s gone. It’s gone.

TOMMY: No, it’s not- no, no, no, no.

TOMMY: This is the way I travelled with Wilbur. Walk from here on out, Tubbo. This is… it can’t be. It can’t be.

QUACKITY: L’Manberg no longer exists.

TOMMY: Tubbo. L’Manberg… it’s gone.

TUBBO: Yeah, this is definitely beyond the point of repair.

TOMMY: L’Manberg is...Tubbo….Tubbo.

TUBBO: Mhm… I am speechless.

TOMMY: Let’s just make a new bed out of this, just in case.

TUBBO: Good idea. Wait, actually, Tommy, there’s a bed just over here. I made a bed.

TOMMY: Oh, okay.

TUBBO: - before. I think, anyway.

TOMMY: I got three wool.

TUBBO: Yeah, that bed is almost definitely gone.

TOMMY: Let’s just grab some…

TUBBO: Yeah, it’s definitely…

TOMMY: Why did Wilbur… Tubbo, Tubbo, set your spawn.

TUBBO: I can’t actually run anymore. That’s fine.

TOMMY: Hey.

TUBBO: Hey.

TUBBO: Yeah, this is… this was planned.

TOMMY: It’s for real.

GHOSTBUR messages EVERYONE

GHOSTBUR, messaging: hey guys am i interrupting ? :)

TUBBO: Yeah…

TOMMY messages GHOSTBUR

TOMMY, messaging: Not nwo ghostbur

JACK MANIFOLD messages GHOSTBUR

JACK MANIFOLD, messaging: i lost everything again

TUBBO: I just, I just, I just don’t know.

TOMMY: Tubbo.

TUBBO: Yeah. There’s-

TOMMY: Tubbo, look at me.

TUBBO: There’s nothing left to say.

TOMMY: Look at me!

43:45

TOMMY: You bastard.

DREAM: Tommy. Look, in all destruction there’s a new beginning.

TOMMY: You did this! To all of us, not just to me, but to everyone here.

DREAM: Beautiful. You know, the unfinished symphony, right?

TOMMY: Yeah… why?

DREAM: The server will be at peace now.

TOMMY: Why, Dream? Couldn’t you just, couldn’t you just have burned the discs? Couldn’t you just have done it… to me? Why did you have to…

DREAM: This is much more fun.

TOMMY: You’re a monster.

DREAM: Okay. Well, I think I’m gonna go far from here. For a little while, just to avoid the wave of frustration that I’m sure you’ll have.

TOMMY: This is too far, you’ve crossed- you know you’re a monster. You’ve crossed the line. This is everyone-

DREAM: Tommy, I’m not done with you, okay? Yeah, our story’s not over, L’Manberg’s story is over, but, you know, our story’s not over. I have your discs, I’m sure I’ll see you soon, but-

TOMMY: You’re right. Listen to me, our story’s not over-

DREAM: You’re right.

TOMMY: -but it will be. You know what, Dream? It will be soon.

DREAM: I don’t think our story will ever be over, Tommy.

TOMMY: Oh, I think it will be.

DREAM: I think that you’re just too fun. I don’t think it’ll be over. But I’ll see you soon. This was a good time.

46:26

TOMMY: Where’s Ghostbur?

GHOSTBUR: Hi guys! Ehm, I- what’s going on around here?

TOMMY: Turn these off, Big Q, turn these off.

QUACKITY: Jesus Christ, you scared me.

GHOSTBUR: I just- I came to see my sewer. I was having a little walk, and I came to my sewer, and it’s just a big hole. What’s happened- is- we- hey, you guys are all walking along the big obsidian thing!

QUACKITY: We’re… oh my god.

TOMMY: Ghostbur… it’s over.

GHOSTBUR: What’s over? I just started my stream.

QUACKITY: He keeps going- break em, break em, break em, he keeps going- oh my god.

TOMMY: Ghostbur, it’s over.

GHOSTBUR: No, don’t talk like that-

GHOSTBUR: You mean L’Manberg?

TOMMY: Tubbo!

GHOSTBUR: It’s been like this before! This is-

TUBBO: It has not been like this before.

GHOSTBUR: It has!

TOMMY: Wilbur, Wilbur. We lost.

GHOSTBUR: I didn’t even know we were fighting.

TUBBO: Mhm.

QUACKITY: We were. Your L’Manberg is gone.

TOMMY: Our L’Manberg.

QUACKITY: Yeah, our L’Manberg.

TOMMY: Just turn these off.

QUACKITY: Yeah.

GHOSTBUR: Wait, this was Philza? Phil was looking after friend. Wait…

TUBBO: No, there’s no way that friend survived.

TOMMY: Tubbo, where are you?

TUBBO: Over here.

TOMMY: Listen to me. L’Manberg… we lost, Tubbo. But-

QUACKITY: Oh fuck.

TOMMY: But this is- but remember this. Please, Tubbo.

TUBBO: Mhm.

TOMMY: Do you wanna know why all of- we’ve gotta end it, Tubbo.

GHOSTBUR: End?

TUBBO: How do you suggest we do that?

GHOSTBUR: Friend…

TOMMY: We’re gonna do the last thing there is to do. We have to, now. Before we lose everything.

TOMMY hits his desk hard twice.

GHOSTBUR: Where’s friend?

TOMMY: We’ve got to.

GHOSTBUR: Phil?

TUBBO: What are you hitting?

TOMMY: Phil.

TUBBO: Yeah, Phil.

GHOSTBUR: I gave friend to Phil to look after, and Dream, Dream found me friend. And Technoblade, he was- we were- he said we were friends.

TOMMY: Technoblade… here’s the thing, Wilbur.

GHOSTBUR: See, people wouldn’t lie about that, would they?

TOMMY: Wilbur, the problem with Technoblade-

GHOSTBUR: Why is it- why is still-? That was my blue, that was my blue!

TOMMY: The problem with Technoblade, Wilbur, is that he was our friend all along. And here’s the thing that you gotta understand; we were never his friend. And so to him, this was all just an act of politics, it was all just an act of clout and a social ladder. But to us, and I think this has always been - and you won’t remember, Tubbo you will, Big Q, this has just been a friendship. But to Technoblade, this was a ladder, and Technoblade’s climbed to the tippity top. Do you wanna know the only way you can go? On a ladder?

GHOSTBUR: I didn’t think you were gonna say that one.

GHOSTBUR: Side to side?

TOMMY, laughing: I’m so sorry, Ghostbur.

TUBBO: You can go up.

TOMMY: No, no, once you reach the top of the ladder, Tubbo, you can only go down.

GHOSTBUR: Side to side.

TOMMY: You could go side to side, but really there would be no point.

TUBBO: The top of the ladder-

TOMMY: The ladder’s incredibly thin, social ladders are actually very thin. It’s quite renown. I’ve read books.

GHOSTBUR: You could go side to side, but then you would also fall off the ladder.

TOMMY: You would fall off the ladder, and then you’d split your neck.

GHOSTBUR: Maybe you split your neck, and you might bleed and die.

QUACKITY: That’s true. That’s what ladders do.

GHOSTBUR: It’s Fundy, and Technoblade.

TOMMY: Fundy, don’t- listen, you know what? We’re not L’Manberg anymore, but we’re still together, and I need you to listen… although-

QUACKITY: Fellas.

GHOSTBUR: Where’s friend?

TUBBO: I suppose.

GHOSTBUR: Where’s friend?

QUACKITY: Just to pay our vice.

TOMMY: One last time.

QUACKITY: Alright.

GHOSTBUR: It’s like Hamilton.

TOMMY: Just like Hamilton.

TUBBO: Just like Hamilton.

QUACKITY: I don’t know what Hamilton is, but yeah, just like Hamilton. Alright, fellas.

TOMMY: Ghostbur?

GHOSTBUR: Yeah?

QUACKITY: Sing with me.

TOMMY: You know the anthem better than anyone else.

L’Manberg Anthem

I heard there was a special place

Where men could go and emancipate

The brutality

And tyranny

Of their rulers

Well, this place is real

You needn’t fret

With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, Fuck Eret

A very big and not blown up L’Manburg

My L’Manburg

For freedom and for liberty

Our nation sought to build on these

A victory for all under our freedom

Well the darkness came and then it went

We built a home and watched it sink

And from the rubble

Emerged my great

L’Manburg

My L’manburg

With bloodied hands

And weakened knees

Our peoplе rose like

The phoеnix

Our empty fields and canals ‘round

L’Mantree

With sweat and tears we armed our ranks

We laid foundations in our land

And from every lips for

Here up to forever

We sing L’Manburg

54:44

GHOSTBUR: The L’Mantree’s gone.

TOMMY: It’s all gone.

TUBBO: Yes, it is.

QUACKITY: Yes, it is. My L’Manberg-

TOMMY: Our L’Manberg.

QUACKITY: Our L’Manberg, that’s right.

GHOSTBUR: I’ve been reading- I was reading the history books, Quackity.

QUACKITY: Yeah.

GHOSTBUR: And do you think if Alivebur and you hadn’t gone head to head, this wouldn’t have happened?

QUACKITY: It would have happened, Wilbur. It would have happened, one way or another; this result was inevitable. You see, when I ran for president I saw a one-party system that wasn’t democratic at all, and one way or another; all of this would have happened. What’s important to keep in mind is that all of that is behind us, and all we need to look forward to is the future. If you think about it, Tommy, now all you have in your sights is Dream

TOMMY: You’re right, Big Q, you’re right, but I think-

QUACKITY: He cannot threaten our country anymore because he’s destroyed it. Very unfortunately, but it’s gone.

TOMMY: The thing that upsets me the most is that all this time, Technoblade told me I was betraying him, and you know what; I did. But he was our friend, we spent hours with him, building, taking people hostage, and just-

GHOSTBUR: Every book is gone.

TOMMY: He betrayed us, and he-

GHOSTBUR: I need to go and talk to Phil.

TOMMY: Okay. We were never really his friend, were we?

TECHNOBLADE shoots TUBBO and kills him using [Rocket Launcher].

TOMMY: He’s a monster.

QUACKITY: Yeah.

TOMMY: And he- but he-

QUACKITY: Tommy. Trust nobody. Trust nobody, Tommy, okay?

TOMMY: The thing is-

QUACKITY: Except for Tubbo. Trust nobody.

TOMMY: Yeah.

QUACKITY: Okay.

TOMMY: You’re right. He- people- the discs aren’t people. The discs were stolen from me, Big Q. They were mine, and they were stolen.

JACK MANIFOLD messages TECHNOBLADE

JACK MANIFOLD, messaging: you’ve made an enemy of me technoblade

JACK MANIFOLD, messaging: live in fear

TECHNOBLADE, messaging: i still have tnt

TECHNOBLADE, messaging: your house is right there

TOMMY: L’Manberg isn’t anyone’s, L’Manberg was its own; and me chasing the discs for which I put so much- I fucked up so bad, but they were mine. L’Manberg was ours, L’Manberg was people’s. It was ours. The problem with Techno is that he will never compromise. He will never ever let anyone else have what they want because unless it aligns with exactly what he wants; then we’ve betrayed him. It’s all gone, it’s all gone.

QUACKITY: Let this be a lesson, Tommy. Let it be a lesson, and just finish it off. Finish it off, Tommy.

TOMMY: We can’t let him win.

TOMMY: What do you mean?

QUACKITY: Yeah, let him win, Tommy. And we’re not gonna let him win. No matter how much it takes, how much fighting, guess what?

TOMMY: What I feared losing the most, I can still get back. You’re right.

TOMMY: What?

QUACKITY: Maybe use your discs as leverage, Tommy, but remember; you’re going after a man for what he’s done. Okay? You’re not going after a man for what he took from you, but for what he’s done. You said it yourself; it’s our L’Manberg. Use the discs as an excuse, Tommy, but-

TOMMY: He can’t pay for this.

QUACKITY: But go after Dream for means of justice, not the discs, okay?

TOMMY: You’re right. It’s just- he’s selfish, Big Q! Technoblade, he didn’t- he could have just, he didn’t have- my shit was stolen from me! He could have just let us do our government and let him not have government, he could have just- it’s just, he’s a selfish, selfish bastard.

QUACKITY: That’s true.

TOMMY: But… that’s behind us now. And, although Technoblade… might have been terrible-

GHOSTBUR: I take it back, Tommy. Tommy, I take it back.

TOMMY: Dream was the worst. What do you take back, Wilbur?

GHOSTBUR: I’m feeling- I’m burning in the rain right now, and I just… Tommy, I want you to bring me back to life.

TOMMY: What?

TOMMY is struck by lightning.

1:01:00

GHOSTBUR: Tommy

GHOSTBUR: Okay, I need to come see you.

TOMMY: Yeah?

TOMMY: I don’t know what Fundy’s deal was tonight. You know what, you’re right, Big Q. From now on, trust no one.

GHOSTBUR: I’m here. Have some blue, calm yourself, calm yourself.

TOMMY: Oh I need calm.

GHOSTBUR: Please, calm yourselves, calm yourselves.

TUBBO: Thank god Jack Manifold’s here, Jesus, what would we do without him?

JACK MANIFOLD: I just want to help out, guys.

TOMMY: What will we do without him and his silence?

QUACKITY: Does anyone have food?

GHOSTBUR: Tommy, I know- I know, I know how I said that I didn’t wanna be brought back to life because that would mean me, as Ghostbur, would stop existing. But I want you to bring me back to life.

TOMMY: Hey Wilbur

TOMMY: Really?

GHOSTBUR: And I know who can do it.

TOMMY: Well, you know what, Wilbur? Here’s what we do. Here’s what we do now, because there is- there are some last things, there is something we can do. ‘Cause we lost today. We lost L’Manberg, but we did not lose what we stand for. And although you won’t remember this-

TOMMY: Who?

GHOSTBUR: I lost friend.

TOMMY: Tubbo. I don’t know when, but soon - Dream said he’s gonna far away, away. This is what we do; the next few nights or however long we can over the next week or two, we prepare everything. Everything we’ve got because, Tubbo, this war - L’Manberg was forged - every war on this server, the conflicts that Dream started, was started with me and you. And you know what, Tubbo? It’s gonna end with me and you.

TUBBO: Okay.

TOMMY: And it has been for a long time,

GHOSTBUR: Can I have some blue?

TOMMY: I’ve only got six left.

GHOSTBUR: Just one, I just need one. Thank you.

TOMMY: But we’re gonna take him out. You hear me? Come with me, everyone.

1:04:46

TOMMY: Oh my god, shut up. Look.

GHOSTBUR: Goodbye friend.

GHOSTBUR: What?

TOMMY: Be careful, guys, there’s holes in the bridge.

GHOSTBUR: Together we as friends can take on any foe on the bridge.

QUACKITY: Yeah, I guess.

GHOSTBUR falls.

QUACKITY: Oh well, he’s-

1:05:29

TOMMY: Tubbo, this is the disc I listened to in exile. Where are you, Wilbur?

GHOSTBUR: I’m coming

TOMMY: Ah. Sorry.

TOMMY: Why are you coming?

GHOSTBUR: Here I come. Are you at your jukebox spot?

TOMMY: Yeah, I am.

GHOSTBUR: Okay. Hi!

TOMMY: Hi. Sit down.

GHOSTBUR: My skin is really hurting in this rain- oh! It’s not raining here

TOMMY: That is so weird- oh, when did that- I haven’t been here for so long.

1:06:39

TOMMY: Guys, is George asleep right now?

TUBBO: Yeah, yeah

QUACKITY: He fucking is! Argh! - Sorry. It brought me flashbacks, I’m sorry.

TOMMY: It doesn’t end here.

TOMMY plays the disc “chirp”.

GHOSTBUR: Chirp.

TUBBO: I like this version.

JACK MANIFOLD: I like this one.

TOMMY: Wow.

1:08:28

TOMMY: Everyone. Take your blue, Wilbur. I’ll ehm-

GHOSTBUR: I’ll leave.

TOMMY: I’ll see you ehm- we gotta fucking prepare.

TOMMY: I’ll see you all soon, okay? Tubbo?

TUBBO: Okay.

QUACKITY: Tommy.

TOMMY: Big Q. Yeah?

GHOSTBUR: Hello!

QUACKITY: Remember just one thing.

GHOSTBUR: Tommy! Do you remember the first time- oh, sorry, Quackity.

QUACKITY: Yeah. Tommy, you’re going after Dream and Dream has a lot of people on his side, so trust nobody, okay? That’s all I’m gonna tell you.

TOMMY: Yeah. What was that, Wilbur?

GHOSTBUR: Do you remember the first thing that I ever said to you, Tommy?

TOMMY: What?

GHOSTBUR: I came up to you, you were right here, and I came up to you and went “Hello, I’m Ghostbur!”.

TOMMY: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

GHOSTBUR: Hey! Goodbye, I’m Ghostbur!

TOMMY: Goodbye, Ghostbur.

GHOSTBUR: Bye, bye!

TOMMY: Goodbye everyone.

1:10:26

TOMMY: But listen to me, we’re going to get back the discs. And then I’m gonna fucking kill Dream.

#ask #anon #long post #like holy shit i hope your under the cut settings work #dream smp #aurora transcription #aurora.txt

146 notes · View notes

thechekhov · 4 years ago

Note

Hey chekhov! With all that's happening in the US I want to go to protests to support BLM, but as a trans guy I'm nervous and unsure if theres any extra precautions I should take when going to rallies (such as wearing or not wearing my binder). Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, I just saw you were answering stuff about the protests and wanted to know if you had any advice. Thanks!

Alright, I’m gonna try to make this comprehensive for everyone so I’ll snowball a lot of info into a post. This is gonna be a LOT of graphics, so I apologize in advance.

To answer your question right away, short and simple - NO, DO NOT WEAR YOUR BINDER TO A PROTEST.

First of all, you don’t know how long you’re going to be out there. Hopefully you will be able to leave when you want to, but you need to be ready for anything. Binders literally compress your chest and make it harder to breathe - you need to be able to move fast (cardio) and you need to be able to breathe at full capacity if you are around or near tear gas.

The other thing is about IDs - typically people expect you to have some sort of identification with you in case you get arrested or detained and you need to verify who you are/where you’re from. Whether your deadname is on it or your chosen name matters less to the police - they need to identify that it’s you. At the VERY least have an emergency contact phone number written down somewhere on your person.

The rest is basics: this is going to get long, sorry!

I’ll try to provide as many links back as possible but most of them are from this Twitter thread!

BASIC FIRST AID:

(note: the number for first aid in the US is 911)

(source)

Next about stuff to wear:

(source)

For eyewear specifically - NO CONTACTS!

Get yourself an impact rated pair of goggles if possible.

(source)

Finally, the best you can do is to RECORD!

A lot of media outlets are reporting on this, but they cannot go everywhere. You can help out just by using your phone and recording what is happening. Vogue did an article about the legal side of recording things on your phone and how to record properly:

It’s better to have a burner phone with backup, but if you only have your own phone - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT SET UP SO THAT WHATEVER PHOTOS/VIDEOS YOU TAKE ARE AUTOSAVED TO GOOGLE DRIVE!! Anything that is in your phone can be erased.

The police can legally unlock your phone if you have it set to face recognition or a pattern unlock. Set your unlock to a 6 digit passcode.

Think that’s everything but... if someone wants, please add in the comments!

#blm #black lives matter #yblm #protest 2020 #2020 protests #protesting #protesting gear #how to #chekhov answers #infograph #long post #Anonymous

890 notes · View notes

maeve-writes · 3 years ago

Text

Little Red Corvette

Pairing: TFATWS!Bucky x Reader

Rating: 18+; Minors DNI

Warnings: Fluff, some angst, public sex, slight praise and daddy kink.

Summary: Bucky finds happiness in fixing up classic cars. He has his sights set on one in particular. When he can’t find it, you make it your mission to do whatever it takes to get it.

a/n: This is written for @buckyblues 4k Follower Challenge. (Congrats again!) I chose Little Red Corvette by Prince. Normally I’m inspired by lyrics, but the idea of Bucky in a sexy red two seater with a pretty lil’ thing next to him made me weak. I wanted this to be straight up smut but feelings got in the way.

This is not beta’d. Forgive any mistakes!

When Bucky came to terms with his new life, found some peace in a world without Soldat looming over his shoulder, he found solace in his tinkering. He would often take apart whatever technology he could find to see how it worked only to put it together again. It was therapeutic, a constant reminder that things were never broken for long, someone would always be there to fix it.

You were the one to piece him back together. Sam helped, too, of course, tightening any loose screws you may have missed, but you did all of the heavy lifting. You found out what made Bucky work, what parts needed replacing and you fixed him. He would never be the original James Barnes, but no one ever stayed the same, and you didn’t want him to be. You liked the man you woke up next to every morning, who blinked at you with sleep hazed eyes and pressed lazy kisses across your face. You loved the man that ravaged you at night, on any surface, buried as deep as he could go so he could become a part of you, to feel you against his soul.

While you found his tinkering irksome at times, especially when he would steal the coffee maker or microwave when you were in a rush to get to work and just need to zap fry breakfast and fill up your thermos, it was mostly endearing to see his nose scrunched up in concentration as he disassembled things with childlike fascination.

What broke you was when you flopped down on the couch with controller in hand and no console to receive its signal.

Storming into the garage, you slammed open the door to find him hunched over his work bench. “James,” you hissed through clenched teeth. You could see his muscle tense underneath the grey henley he had on, his breathing stilled. Only two women ever used that tone with him, one was his mother, the other was you, and he wasn’t sure which he was more afraid of. When he didn’t answer, you leaned against the door frame and glared at the large frame of his back. “Care to tell me where my PS5 is?”

His shoulder dropped slightly and he dared to look over it at you. Bucky had seen death, had seen war, had seen the near end of the universe itself and nothing made his blood run colder than the receiving end of your icy stare. “I’ll put it back together,” he offered. The grinding of your teeth made him flinch and he dropped his tools to cross the room and make things right.

It took two months to find a replacement for your beloved PlayStation. How could he have known how hard it was to find one in stock? Even when it came in and he hooked it back up for you, you still held out one more day before you finally caved and forgave him with a two day fuckfest that ended with a proposal that Bucky moved on from electronics to cars.

He took the suggestion and ran with it. The next day he and Sam went to the junkyard to find a good frame with potential and towed it back with that bright, genuine smile of his and an eagerness to get started. He spent days on the internet ordering parts, looking up facts on what modern modifications worked best, and watched video after video of reviews on classic sports cars.

You found him in the garage most nights when his dreams became too much and he didn’t want to wake you. Some nights you would bring him snacks with a kiss and leave him to his work. Other nights you would climb behind him on his bench, wrap your arms around his waist and sleep against his back. Either way, you allowed him to work because that’s what Bucky needed.

When he wasn’t off on a mission or wrapped up in you, he was researching cars or fixing them. After one was finished from the base up, he’d give it away or offer it to a charity auction, then start all over. He had his favorites, every “car guy” did, and he also had his white whale.

One night you felt him crawl up your body impressively hidden behind the spread of your book. You lifted a curious brow but before you could lower your novel, he shoved his tablet in your face as he took a seat on your thighs. “Every time I try to find one, someone snatches it away,” he told you, voice a little huffy as if he was seconds away from a tantrum.

“It can’t be that hard,” you tutted, tucking your book away to help him with his search. It turned out that it was incredibly hard to find any sort of form of his new obsession. Every post that either of you found had been sold or had a sale pending. Even body frames were hard to come by, much to your luck. “I’m sorry, babe, but we’ll find one soon.”

Bucky resigned himself to finding a filler car. While he was still enthusiastic about fixing up something new, you could tell his heart was set on it - the 1965 Corvette Convertible, specifically, Rally Red in color. There wasn’t much that your man asked for in life, even though it owed him so much, so for him to yearn for one thing so much and not be able to obtain it, it upset you.

So, you were going to make it happen.

You spent your days working as usual and your nights searching for his coveted car. Your browser was filled with tabs, each watching car auctions, only to be outbid on all of them. Frustrated, you flipped on your VPN, opened up your TOR browser and dipped into the dark web to dig deeper. It wasn’t your first time going through back channels to get what you wanted and it wouldn’t be your last. If it would make Bucky happy, it would be worth the risk.

Two weeks later you told Bucky you would be working later than usual. You had been playing up a huge project at work and the deadline was coming closer. He, of course, hated when you were out past dark without him, but he never vocalized his concerns because he knew the bite he would receive in return. You could take care of yourself, he knew that, but he would still worry because that was his job.

You took an Uber from work to meet the seller at the small airport on the edge of the city. The man was from Germany and specialized in vintage cars; if he didn’t have one you wanted, he’d find one for a hefty price, of course. But any amount was worth your man’s happiness, at least that’s what you tell yourself as you held the small bag of cash in your hand as you crossed the airfield.

Sitting outside what you assumed to be a private jet was the cherry red two seater, top already down and looking as beautiful as the picture you saw online. Yeah, it was going to be worth every penny. “Jonas,” you asked as you approached the man standing cross armed next to the car. He towered over you by at least a full foot and a half and was just as wide. His dark eyes watched you approach, a curious flint sparked in them.

“Yes. You are early,” he noted. He held out a beefy hand and you placed the money in it. “Not one for pleasantries, hmm?” His laughter echoed across the runway and you offered him an amused smile. “Your man is a lucky one.” His other hand was held out, this time with the keys to the car. “For you to meet a complete stranger in the middle of the night, it is dangerous, no?”

You narrowed your gaze and lifted a brow. It seemed your look was enough of an answer because Jonas gave you another laugh. “A woman of very little words, I like you. We will do business again, yes?” It was a statement rather than a question. “Enjoy.”

He swept an arm toward the driver seat and you slid inside. With a turn of the key, the car purred to life and a smile grew on your face. You revved the engine twice, nodded to the man a few feet away before you sped towards your house to give Bucky his gift.

When you got home, he wasn’t there. You found a note left on the kitchen counter: Beers with Sam. -B

Normally you wouldn’t mind him going out because you were happy that he would be even willing to leave the house, but to only leave a note and not text you seemed worrisome.

You pushed any more negative thoughts out of your mind and headed to take a shower. By the time you got out and headed back to the kitchen to make yourself a quick sandwich, Bucky was home, sitting on the counter and watching you. “Hey, handsome, how’s Sam?” You leaned up to kiss him, but it wasn’t returned. “Something wrong?”

“You weren’t at work,” Bucky said evenly. “We stopped by to grab you dinner and you weren’t there.”

Your skin heated and you sighed. “Bucky, I can explain-“

He cut you off with a dismissive wave of his metal hand. “Don’t bother. If you’re seein’ someone else, you can just tell me.”

You recoiled like he slapped you across the face. “James,” you snapped, which caused him to tense up, “I would never, ever even dream of being with anyone but you.” You forced your way between his legs and cupped his face in your hands to make him look at you. “You are all that I want and no one will ever compare to you. Don’t ever say that again, okay? You’ll break my heart.”

He didn’t say anything, not for a few minutes, and neither did you. All he could do was stare into your eyes and see the truth in them. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay, I know why you did,” you assured him and pressed another kiss to his lips, this time you received one in response. “Now, can I tell you why I wasn’t at work?” He nodded once, a tiny glint of worry still lingering in his eyes. “Well, I’d rather show you.”

You stepped away from the counter and pulled him along with you. With his hand in yours, you led him to the garage and flipped on the light with a, “Ta-da!”

“Oh, darlin’,” he breathed as he let go of you and stumbled into the room towards the car, all of the fear, worry and angst melting away instantly. “How did you-“ You pinched your forefinger and thumb together and twisted them in front of your pursed lips. He rolled his eyes but smiled and gestured to the driver seat.

“All yours, handsome,” you winked and hit the button to open the garage door.

He shook his head and patted the seat next to him, “You’re comin’ with me.” When you protested saying you were in your night clothes, he waved it off. “We’re just goin’ for a drive, sweetheart, nothin’ to dress up for.” You joined him with a reluctant sigh and flopped into the passenger seat.

When the key turned and the engine purred, Bucky let out a pornographic moan. You turned to him, brow perked. “Sweetheart,” he rasped, “you have no idea what this car does to me.” Your eyes flickered to the quickly growing bulge in his jeans before his deep chuckle caught your attention, “Or maybe you do.”

He reached over to pinch your chin between two metal fingers before crashing his lips against your own. His tongue fought its way inside of your mouth and licked sinfully against the roof of it. “Buckle up,” he whispered against the gasp you released as he sat back.

Lightheaded, you did as instructed and watched him adjust the mirrors and lights before he pulled out of the garage and sped down the driveway and through the neighborhood. His face was bright in the evening light, his smile outshone the moon. “You’re gorgeous,” you told him breathlessly, and you would have most likely not been heard over the wind whipping around you by any other person, but your super soldier caught every syllable and flushed at the compliment.

He took your hand into his and brought it to his lips, kissing each knuckle before it came to rest on his thigh. You could feel the happiness radiating off of him, seeping into your own pores and filling you up until your lips turned up into a matching smile. “What’re you thinkin’ about,” he asked you, flicking his attention from the road to you and back again.

“You,” you replied, “always you.”

The smile on his face grew and he squeezed your hand once more. He found a new happy place, one outside of your shared home, one not between your legs. It was there, in that car, racing free down the open road with his best girl in the seat next to him. “I’m thinkin’ about you, too,” he said as his hand guided yours towards his lap.

“Mr. Barnes,” you gasped playfully but allowed him to rest your hand against his tented jeans, “we can’t do this, it’s sinful.”

“Live a little, darlin’,” he played along, forcing you to squeeze him which caused him to groan.

You pinned your bottom lip between your teeth and rubbed at him over his clothes, feeling the heat of his arousal coming off him in burning waves. Your fingers worked open the button of his pants and with a little maneuvering, you were able to fish out his cock, hard and thick, violently red and dripping with need. His hiss as it hit the cool air caused you to jump back for a moment, but his needy whimper drew you back again. “I swear to god, Bucky, if you crash and kill me, I’m going to haunt you,” you warned him.

He blinked, taken aback by the rather brash statement, about to ask what you meant by that but you were already unbuckled, bent forward and taking him into your mouth. “Oh fuck,” he groaned, metal hand gripping the steering wheel tight enough to pop the stitching on the leather coating.

Your tongue swirled around his tip, gathering what leaked out before you flattened your tongue and took more of him in. He was thick and long, hard to take all at once, but you had learned from many hours of practice just how to get all of his glorious cock down your throat. Your hands worked what wasn’t wet with your tongue yet as you bobbed up to suck on his head and relax your jaw. “Feels like heaven, sweetheart,” he cooed above you, his free hand bundling up your hair to keep it out of the way. “Fuck, your mouth works my cock so good.”

Delighted at his praise, you hummed in return that sent sparks to his core. You took more of him in, nearly all of him, with your cheeks hallowed and your tongue dancing along his skin. More praise fell from his lips, encouraging words and filthy promises, you almost forgot you’re in the car until the tires started to hit the bumps along the white line - an indication that Bucky was veering off of the road.

You pulled off of him much to his disappointment and saw that he parked along the side of the road. “What’re you doing,” you asked, wiping your spit away with the back of your hand.

“You told me not to crash,” he shrugged and undid his seatbelt. “Now get over here and ride Daddy’s cock.”

The words hit you dead center and you nearly collapsed from how weak and needy they made you. “We seriously can’t do this, Buck, anyone can come by and see.”

“That’s livin’, darlin,” he replied. His flesh hand wrapped around his cock and started to pull on it, staring at you with half lidded eyes and a groan rumbled in his throat. “Are you gonna just sit there and stare or are you gonna enjoy the ride?”

Absently, you licked your lips and watched his hand work himself and honestly felt a little jealous of it. That was your cock, it was your responsibility to make it feel good. Thoughts of getting caught and thrown in jail over public indecency were thrown out of the window and you crawled over to him, losing your sleep shorts on your way over.

“No panties? That’s my good girl,” Bucky grinned, his hand moved from himself to your hips as you climbed into his lap. “Been thinkin’ about this pretty pussy all day.” He hungrily licked his lips and reached between your bodies to run his fingers through your folds, drawing a gasp from you. “Absolutely soakin’, hm? Been thinkin’ about me, too?”

You nodded, your pussy clenching around nothing as Bucky’s fingers teasingly danced around your hole. “Daddy,” you whined, desperate for any sort of attention, “please?”

“What do you need, sweetheart,” he purred, his thumb ghosting over your clit as your slick began to run down your thighs.

“You, Daddy,” you answered, hoping that was enough. “All of you. Only you.”

Bucky seemed to be happy with that and slid two thick fingers inside of you. “Such a greedy little pussy,” he hummed, slowly pulling them out again as you whined above him. “You need to be filled, don’t you, baby? My fingers won’t be enough.”

Your teeth dug into your bottom lip once more, threatening to draw blood, when you shook your head in response. “Need your cock,” you told him. “Please.”

“Always askin’ so nicely, sweetness, how could I deny you?” He twisted his fingers inside you one last time before he held himself steady so you could line up. “Sink down on Daddy’s cock like a good girl.”

You steadied yourself with one hand on the headrest of his seat and the other was used to guide his tip towards your core. Once he slipped inside, your hand shot up to grip at his shirt as you lowered yourself with satisfied moan which was nearly drowned out by Bucky’s. “Too big,” you sighed, seated and feeling stretched and full.

“But you’re takin’ it, darlin’,” he smiled up at you, his skin flushed and covered in a thin layer of sweat. “You’re doing so good.” You preened at his compliment and returned his smile. “You move when you’re ready.”

You took the time to adjust to angle and his size, leaning down to exchange a lazy kiss. When you parted for air, you shifted your weight to wrap your arms around his neck and raised your hips to slide up his cock only to slam back down with a moan.

“Is that how you’re gonna to play it, sweetheart,” he asked breathlessly. When you replied with the same harsh roll of your hips, Bucky growled and his hands found your hips. You could feel the bite of his grip against your bone, you knew the bruises it would bring in the morning, but it would be worth it. “Can’t have a nice, slow fuck in the car, can we? My girl needs it hard and rough.”

He shifted his legs to plant his feet firmly on the floor of the car and started to meet your hips with a harsh snap of his own. Delighted at the feral snarl that curled his lips, you increased your speed, bouncing on his thick thighs as he fucked up into you, a growl erupting from him with each meeting of your hips. “Yes,” you gasped, “that’s it, Daddy. Just like that.”

“Yeah, I know how my dirty little girl likes it,” he grunted over the sound of your skin slapping and your slick sex sucking him in. “I can hear how much she likes it.”

Your head fell forward as he pounded up into you, the lewd squeak of the seat joined the chorus of your moans. “So close,” you told him.

But he already knew by the way you fluttered around him, coaxing him toward his own end. His metal hand left your hip and moved between you to seek out your swollen bud. “Gonna cum for me, good girl,” he asked. You tried to answer, tried to nod, but the way his hips shoved up into you and the cool metal against your heated sex that rubbed desperately at your clit was far too much.

A delicious snap came from within you and spread a white hot fire throughout your body. You came with his name on your lips, a desperate, holy cry. And he wasn’t far behind, a few hard thrusts and he spilled into you, whispering praise and adoration.

You stayed joined until the mess between your legs became itchy and the bugs started to swarm from the sweat on your bodies. “Best mill and half I’ve ever spent,” you sighed happily, lifting off of his lap.

“Wait, how much?!”

#bucky barnes x read #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #buckyblues 4k challenge

28 notes · View notes

mayabruhbruh · 4 years ago

Text

Stranger Things 4 Analysis and Theory

I don’t know if anyone else has done posts on this stuff yet (it’s really likely, but i’d not want to take the credit if i’m not the only one who’s thought of this)

I know @kaypeace21 has made tons of posts on the s4 movies from Video Store Friday, and many others have theories and analyses, but back in July I took it upon myself to research more into the very last few scenes of s3. Specifically the three months later time stamp, where Steve and Robin are in search for a new job.

My main focus was the four movies that they mentioned for Keith at the counter. “Animal House”, “The Hidden Fortress”, “Children Of Paradise”, and “The Apartment”.

(reminder that if you read this, it could be spoilers for the final cut of the actual show if i end up being correct about some of this, so read at your own risk)

My first theory, which I’ve already discussed in a separate reblog, is about The Hellfire Club. But i’ll say it here too.

Basically,

(sorry for the sucky quality)

Animal House is about two awkward freshmen going into college and joining a fraternity of rejects. It matches Mike, Dustin and the Hellfire Club perfectly! Personally, my lowkey theory is that they’re going to have to go though an entirety of initiation activities (possibly drugs too, if what we’ve heard is correct) and Lucas and Max will be in their own storylines up until the supernatural threat brings them back together again. This could be wayy off, but still its my idea.

As for Max and Lucas...

I’m not sure about the entirety of the plot of this movie, but the last line sounds a lot like something that would happen between Lumax. Lucas is a basketball jock now, I think that’s crystal clear now seeing from the Pep Rally poster, and how he’s always been the one in the group to be able to mask his nerdy side. For Dustin and Mike, I know it’s much harder for them. Anyways, Max, I’m pretty positive by now, is going to be extremely distant and defensive from everyone just like she was in the beginning of s2, since she just had a big change happening in her life. It’s the same now, except with the grief and loss of Billy. My guess, from the hints of this movie and other stuff, is that Lucas is going to come face to face with his reputation as a popular kid, and his love for Max. Like the summary says, he must decide between the advancement of his career or the girl that he loves. Real hard hitting stuff.

Onto the next one. MIKE WHEELER. (or will byers)

I watched an analysis video on this movie, because I haven’t seen it yet, but again the very last line is what I’d like to focus on.

My. Jaw. Dropped.

I’ve read many analyses of Mike Wheeler being gay (courtesy of @kaypeace21 @hawkinsschoolcounselor and MANY others), but I dunno, I was always just so skeptical no matter how much it made sense. But when I saw this WHAT THE HELL?!?’);/&? It’s stupid of me to not have believed it sooner, but I hope this is the movie that foreshadows Mike’s storyline this season. I’m assuming Mike will have to “prove his expertise in battle”, or perhaps prove he can go through with all of the initiation shit for The Hellfire Club, while hiding his growing revelation that he might be gay/bisexual.

BUT a possibly more likely scenario would be that this movie connects with Will Byers’ storyline this season instead. Perhaps the hardships of a new school and a new town has Will shaken up, and he also has his sexuality awakening that he has to hide from new people. I say that it’s more likely for him, because Will has always been more heavily queer-coded (not exactly heavier, but just extremely much more apparent and obvious opposed to Mikes queercoded subtext that we really had to dig for).

I also didn’t mention this in my reblog from earlier, but I want to address my opinions on the apparent cheerleader that meets Mike and befriends one another. One of my friends on twitter said Chrissy (her name, or so we think lmao) might be a key component to Mike being able to discover and come to terms with his sexuality. But then again, a different friend of mine thinks that the amount of content were getting is oddly suspicious, and that the Duffers are feeding us all the wrong information to lead us to all the wrong conclusions. But, at this point, why not both. At the moment, everyone thinks that Chrissy is Mikes new love interest, but what if she really isn’t, and they’re pulling a Robin on us (i call it a robin because it was technically straight-baiting in s3 LMFAO). I’m not saying that she might be a lesbian (although 👀 it says on her character info that she’s 18 (robins got some game to work with now ahaha)) but it could be a straight-bait up until she helps Mike realize his sexuality (i would have said realizes his love for Will😍😍 but recently ive been trying not to input byler into everything i fucking say, so theres how that’s going). Anyways. Last movie!

Now, I’m currently not super concrete on this one to be completely honest. I have a few in mind...

Okay, so don’t attack me, but this could possibly be a mileven storyline. It sort of fits. They have an undeniable connection, but “their fortunes shift considerably and they’re pushed apart” aka the misfortune of the mindflayer and hawkins not being safe for them leads them to moving away and literally being pushed apart. I don’t know about the pursuing other relationships, but we still have no idea what’s going on with El Hopper tbh, i havent a single clue what’s going to be happening with her storyline atm. But either way, that could be it.

ORRRR the MUCH more likely scenario, Jancy :)

Bloggers on here have already predicted that they wouldn’t be endgame, and I was only slightly skeptical because although their relationship was built on shared trauma, a very unstable foundation to have for a ship tbh, i still hung onto the fact that they cared for eachother a lot :,( But the entirety of their season 3 bickering and this summary kind of sealed the deal.

Just like Mike and El, Nancy and Jonathan have been pushed apart aswell. It was already seen in season three that they’d be better of leading separate lives, aka Jonathan was doing fine at the internship, whereas Nancy could have been somewhere better for herself. I doubt they broke up at the end of season 3, but there’s bound to be new relationships for them seperately. It sucks bc I love Jancy, but s3 showed how badly they snap at one another when there isn’t a life threatening event at hand. Jopper on the other hand, I thought their bickering was adorable, but i’m getting off track, sorry lmfaoo.

Once again, I probably am not the first to talk about these, but jsyk if you steal this from me specifically i will track you down and end you. I’ve been speculating about these things since April and July, which is pretty weak tbh, but that was when i had nothing better to do LMFAO. i hope i got at least something right, but i haven’t seen many of the video store friday’s movies, which sucks bc those could really help. But whatever.

(i wrote this really late at night, and it’s poorly edited bc my eyesight sucks lmfao, but i hope you get what i mean)

And that’s it! I hope you like it, or had some sort of impact from it idk, just sharing my thoughts tbh. Anygays, if you have any questions/added ideas/thoughts of any kind, my inbox is always here, you can private message me, and comment if you want!! i love y’all sm lmfao, so excited for the upcoming content were about to get soon, byee!

58 notes · View notes

hunnybadgerv · 4 years ago

Note

For your fandom ask: H, N, S, and Z?

From the Fandom Meme

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tv shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.) Most of my fandom source texts are video games. Not sure why, but I don’t get quite as invested in films or TV shows the way I do with video games. And sometimes it happens with books, but only really rarely. I’m not sure why. I mean with books and shows, sometimes I’ve thought about writing things, but I usually don’t end up going through with it. I think because at that point I’m messing with only someone else’s characters and it is hard for me to get invested fully into work that is only the creation of another.

With video games, I get to participate in the world in a manner of speaking. There is an interactivity and engagement inherent to video games that creates a different focus and a buy-in that is not present in other sources, at least for me. I get to create a character and fit them into this world and watch them move through it--and sure they fall along a certain line according to the developers’ plans, but I do get to have a hand in it. It’s the reason I’m a sucker for RPG games.

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice) I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure what I’d say for any of my fandoms. But I do kind of sit at the edge of my fandoms, all of them. I’m not in the middle of anything in any of them, and I’m perfectly content there because I’m moderate participant at best.

1. I’d really like to see the Saints Row fandom revive itself. It used to be quite a lively and welcoming location. It seems that most of those that remain are the gatekeepers.

2. I’d like to see more respect and inclusion for Faith Seed. There is a group of people in that fandom that like to treat her like she is not part of the family. Despite this tendency in some corners of the Far Cry 5 fandom, most of the people I’m surrounded by also hold that Faith is a valid member of the family who should be included in discussions and representations of the Seed siblings.

3. This question would be so very much easier if I was a more active participant in my fandoms. Overall, I wish more of us, in all my fandoms, were still active on tumblr. A lot of people migrated away. Perhaps if I were more active in other places, I would still be able to reach out to them. Though I know many of them are on Discord, it’s just not a medium that works for my mind. Plus, I’ve kind of been cut off from things so long that I still struggle with maintaining connections with people. It’s something I’m particularly bad at.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged) Okay, so this is more difficult than I anticipated.

I’m both fearing and excited about the Legendary version of Mass Effect releasing in May. I really am looking forward to the graphical update and the game play cleanup. Though I really don’t know that I want to see them adjust the Mako controls, I loved that sketchy thing and the fact that if you tried hard enough you could climb over anything. I loved the Mako in all it’s flaws and fabulousness.

I’m also kind of concerned about the possibility of them altering the story or the characters in some way.

There is a tendency nowadays for fan opinions to be able to alter plans, story, and characters in media. And I really don’t want them to change the franchise in order to meet some loud corner of the fandom. I loved the game as it was, flaws and all. I really fear that they might institute some odd change to suit some rabid corner of the internet that will unravel the fabric of something I’ve loved for so long.

Though in the same vein, I’d love to see some changes here and there. Perhaps the ability to romance Ashley as fShepard, or Kaidan in the ME 1 timeline as mShep. I don’t know. But then again. If I rally for those sorts of changes, then I open myself up to the other potential changes.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged) Hmm. I really enjoy the templar’s lore in Dragon Age, but I wanted to see where else I might be able to take it. I thought, what if there was some magic in templars that allowed them to wield lyrium effectively. And I started doing some reading with old chivalric knights and ideas about knighthood and chivalry in histroy and literature and I wanted to bring that kind of sense into the templars lore, perhaps even a forgotten or overlooked bit of lore for them. And I started playing around with the idea of Templars containing or controlling their own magical ability that is only enhanced by the lyrium. And this kind of happened.

I put it under a cut because it is incredibly long.

Malcolm found his daughter sitting in the grass at the back fence. She had been crying and he was disturbed by the idea that his wife's concern may have been more warranted than he'd given it credit for. He sat next to her and leaned against the fence. "Tell me," he said trying to keep his voice even.

"I don't even know," she said weakly.

Malcolm slid his arm around her shoulders. "Did… did he?" He could barely say it let alone think it.

She shook her head. "No, Father," Aderyn said surprised that he could think that. "I really don't know how to explain it." She wasn't sure how to talk about this with her father. But he was the only person who might be able to help her. She explained some things, though not others. She left out the details about how Cullen had ended up shirtless. "I saw a glow, it was strange. There was no warmth either, which is why I can't figure out how I burned him. I can always feel the glow of fire," she said as she stared at the grass running the event through her head.

"It was a burn?"

"Well, not really. That's what it looked like. And Cullen said something," she said looking up at her father hopefully. "That there was nothing discernable."

"You should have brought him with you."

"What did I do to him?" she asked, clearly concerned. "And how can I control something when I don't know what it is?"

"Did he return to the Chantry?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know." He looked at her for a moment. "I was scared. No, appalled. I hid. I …"

"I'm sorry I can't assuage your fears. I'll see him as soon as I can. See if there is anything I can do," Malcolm said, hoping to reassure her some. He stood and offered her his hand.

"Aderyn!" They both turned to see him running up the path. He hopped over the fence and stopped when he saw her father's face. "Malcolm, pardon me."

"No need." Malcolm ushered them both inside and quickly into his small study. If what his daughter said was true he had to be objective, at least until he found out what had happened. He could be an upset father after he knew what had happened. Aderyn started to leave, but Malcolm told her he would need her assistance.

"Show me," Malcolm said as his fingers moved across the spines of books on a shelf. When he turned and saw the mark he dropped the books he'd pulled off the shelf. He glanced at the templar then looked at his daughter for a long moment. He clinched his jaw and gathered the books he dropped. The mage set the books on the table and touched the distinctive mark in the center of the young man's chest. "Did it burn?"

Cullen shook his head. "I didn't feel anything." He looked over at the unnerved woman in the corner. "Aderyn saw a glow. I can't tell anything about it, it's like there's no trace of magic to it."

Within the hour Malcolm was more concerned about what had occurred than that his daughter had been in a position to leave such a mark on the young man. He could find nothing in his research. The three of them had sat there for several hours as Malcolm searched through his books with the help of his daughter. When her father left the room in search of a rare volume he kept in a chest in his bedroom, Aderyn handed Cullen his shirt back and he stood and slipped it on again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered standing behind her. She leaned back against his chest and he set his hand on her hip.

"You have nothing to apologize for," she replied replacing her father's books on the shelves.

"It doesn't matter." "How can you say that?" she asked glancing up at him over her shoulder. She shelved another volume. "You can't hide what I've done."

"Actually, I can. Quite easily I must add. I'm not one for running around shirtless."

Aderyn would beg to differ, she'd seen the sight several times, but she couldn't make light of the situation she was in. She was too scared for him, for herself, but most of all, for her family. She turned around and leaned against the bookcase. "How can you not be concerned?"

He set his hands on the bookcase on either side of her shoulders and gazed down into her eyes. "You are more than concerned enough for both of us." She glared at him a moment. "I'll tell you a secret." He leaned toward her. "I don't think it's the result of magic."

"What then?" Her look changed dramatically.

"I think it's something else. More potent than magic." He leaned toward her, but she ducked under his arm as the door opened.

"Smart boy." Malcolm closed the door behind himself, completely this time. "It's not something that can be performed by a mage." He looked at his daughter who seemed most surprised by the news; she sat down slowly. "As odd as this statement is. It's templar magic." Cullen laughed, but it was cut short by the look on Malcolm's face and a glance at the seal on the cover of the book. "It's a promise. Sealed by a touch."

Cullen looked at him curiously. Malcolm touched the book then looked back to the templar. "If this is correct, Aderyn give me your hand." She reached out to her father and he turned her right hand over to look at it. He nodded and loosed her hand. Aderyn touched her palm then looked up at Cullen, it was completely smooth. She showed the discovery to the templar. He ran his fingertips across her palm.

"I've never heard of anything like this," Cullen said marvelling at the complete lack of any texture on her palm.

"It is rare," Malcolm said. "I didn't think it could be the cause, truthfully I always thought it was little more than another part of templar legend, part of the myth." Both of them looked over at him carefully. He sat down and closed the book. "An old friend claimed he was marked by his wife in such a way, ... on their wedding night," he added carefully. "It's determined by overwhelming trust and connection to another."

#Fandom Meme #ljandersen

5 notes · View notes

stillness-in-green · 4 years ago

Text

The Way You Survive Is... (4/4)

One of the joys of meeting new people is gaining a new perspective.

(Things were always going to change after Deika. This, though, Rikiya did not see coming.)

Chapter Warnings: Spinner has a judgey streak a mile wide, but compared to everything that's come before, he's a veritable bodhisattva. There are a few mentions of Rikiya’s injuries from Deika also.

Pre-ship for Spinner/Rikiya if you want it to be, but it starts because they're both Big Smitten for Shigaraki.

——— ——— ——— ———

Chapter Four: Dealing With All the Todays and Tomorrows

The end of it came unexpectedly, during Rikiya’s first meeting with his new leader after the hospital stay. Rikiya had spent the better part of an hour in Shigaraki Tomura’s personal suite, members of the League drifting in and out from the living room (and Skeptic doubtlessly listening in as well) as Rikiya recounted the Liberation Army’s holdings and activities in exhaustive detail, precedent to its new Grand Commander deciding what he wanted to actually do with the organization he’d so suddenly found in his possession. For all Rikiya’s preconceptions about him, Shigaraki Tomura had proven to have a keen interest in his new resources, asking a shocking number of pertinent questions about troop distribution, societal permeation, and goals-to-date.

Finally, though, they’d circled back to one of the very first things that had come up: Detnerat and its support goods, and, now, what sorts of creations might be in the offing for the members of the League.

“You may have seen Trumpet’s at the end—he was wearing it when he approached us.” Rikiya hadn’t seen it himself, too focused on Shigaraki and what he might say, how to give voice to overflowing emotions of reverence and regret, how to plead for the lives of his followers in a way that stood any chance of success. Still, he’d grown up with Trumpet’s voice; he knew all of its timbres, and the sound of it filtering through Sevens Loud was unmistakable. “But my Claustro was another.”

“The mech suit thing?” Shigaraki was a gaunt, black-clad figure propped up against the headboard of the bed, all but swallowed up amongst the pillows scattered across the king-sized mattress. He’d commandeered (and factory-reset) one of Skeptic’s laptops, though he hadn’t used it once during the whole of Rikiya’s presentation. It sat open beside him, the screen turned away.

“The very same! It was a pressure mechanism to boost my stress levels. I’m having it rebuilt, of course.” The influence of the painkillers in his system made it wonderfully easy to deliver that bit of news with such cheer. Shigaraki gave him a long look, then snorted lightly.

“Don’t bother.”

It was like having his legs out from under him a second time.

“I’m—I’m sorry?” Rikiya stumbled on the words, completely blindsided.

“I said, don’t bother,” Shigaraki repeated shortly. “S’more expensive than it’s worth.”

“But it really is effective,” Rikiya argued—and oh, what was he doing, arguing with this young man? He winced when Shigaraki turned the full force of an annoyed scowl on him, but forged on. “I know I didn’t make the best showing of it in Deika, but if you give me another chance to demonstrate it, or even just let me show you the numbers—”

“What are you, into bondage or something?” Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed, and between that and the stab of nausea at the very thought, Rikiya broke into an uncomfortable sweat. “You’re too desperate.”

“No,” he said slowly. “It’s just that I want to be at my most effective for you.”

“You being at maximum effectiveness isn’t our most effective play, Mr. CEO.” His young leader’s words dripped with scorn. “I’m not blowing your cover on a fight. Take the money you’d spend on that and earmark it. We’ll figure out what to do with it when we’ve got our plans more in place.”

“Yes, sir.” No more Claustro. No more Claustro.

He rallied somewhat, the thought plucking at strings within him that hummed with a giddy delight that felt twenty—thirty—possibly younger than he’d ever felt in his life. Stress was still important, of course, but if Shigaraki really did mean for him to lean into his business resources rather than utilize him in combat, then…

“Okay, I take one part of that back.” Shigaraki, who’d been staring at him the entire time he was processing the command, rolled his eyes and turned away. “I also want you to go get a massage or see a hooker or something.”

If he were on his prosthetics yet, Rikiya would surely have tripped over then. It certainly did the trick for wiping whatever sort of glassily ecstatic look he’d had on his face back off it. “I—I really don’t know that that’s necessary.”

Shigaraki pulled the computer back into his lap. “Wasn’t asking for your opinion. If I’m going to keep having to deal with you, I want you wound down, not wound further up.”

Wound down. Rikiya tried to contemplate it and found himself at a loss.

“That will be a bit of a new endeavor for me, but I’m sure I can figure it out,” he said, and the words felt like an open rooftop—free air, but no guardrail in the way of a sharp drop.

——— ———

“So what exactly do you do to relax?” Spinner asked him a few weeks later when the two of them were, yet again, the last to clear out after a meeting ended. Shigaraki had vanished off to his mysterious doctor’s lab three days prior, and already the absence of him hummed through the organization, crackling in the long stares his compatriots received in the hallways, the glances that moved between Rikiya and the new lieutenants, always landing back on him as if silently asking, Now? Do we attack now, while their guard is down? Just say the word.

The members of the now-dissolved League seemed to be handling it with rather more aplomb, thankfully. Dabi’s standoffish rudeness aside, all of them had found at least some aspect of the merger that they seemed to enjoy, be it Toga Himiko getting her choice of advisors who were willing to feed her hungers within safe boundaries, Sako Atsuhiro’s bright, malice-edged banter with Galvanize, and Bubaigawara Jin’s—well, he mostly seemed happy to be in good company. Rikiya had high hopes.

And then there was Spinner.

Rikiya gave him a politely blank stare at the question. It wasn’t the first time he’d fielded such an inquiry—poor Miyashita had asked, and various colleagues at industry conferences, and a number of people back in university, but in all cases, a pat answer was required, a mistruth or a deft lie. Spinner was a compatriot in the true labor, the cause of Liberation, and, more to the point, he was now Rikiya’s peer. That demanded a more truthful response, but Rikiya didn’t have one that he suspected was on Spinner’s list of acceptable replies.

“I mean it,” Spinner said, insistent, and crossed his arms over his chest in what was becoming a familiar mannerism. “Shigaraki told me to make sure you relax some while he’s gone, so spill it.”

“Shigaraki did?” Rikiya blinked, touched, but moreover, surprised.

“Yeah, he did,” Spinner said, still looking combative. Was he less than pleased with such instructions himself, Rikiya wondered, or was this just his usual awkwardness with socialization? “So what do you do for fun? Golf? Ski resorts? I mean, we’ve got work to do, so you can’t just take off, but—”

“Spinner, I…” Rikiya smiled, bemused. You may as well say it. “I’m not trying to be reticent. It’s just that there isn’t anything.” Spinner favored him with a supremely skeptical stare, and he reiterated, “Truthfully. If Shigaraki thinks my—relaxing will be helpful for the cause, that would—well, it would be a first.”

“There’s gotta be something.” Spinner’s face twisted into disbelief. “A hobby, maybe? Bonsai? Archery?”

“How traditional,” Rikiya attempted the joke, already turning apologetic as the last of Spinner’s aggression dissolved into bafflement. “But no, there really isn’t. Perhaps we can try one of your past-times?”

“Mine are—uh…” Oh. He can blush. Isn’t that cute? Rikiya’s thoughts informed him as the scales around Spinner’s cheeks infused with red.

“It will probably all be a new experience to me,” Rikiya offered. He smiled wider, more genuine. “How exciting.” His assurances did not seem to make the other man feel any better. In fact, he looked a bit like he wanted to crawl up the wall and escape.

“I’d need to… Uh. Order some stuff in.”

“Of course, of course! Our resources are completely at your disposal.” Rikiya beamed. “Shall we set a time for this weekend, then?”

Spinner somehow went redder still, but mumbled agreement all the same.

——— ———

The room Spinner had settled on for the venture—video games, Trumpet had predicted dourly, and Skeptic had confirmed—was an out-of-the-way conference room, not the villa’s biggest or airiest, not a corner room or common area, but one of those little meeting spaces tucked away in the bowels of any large enough building, accessible only through three different turns down four different hallways, the sort of thing you only ever saw if you’d built it, you cleaned it, or you explored enormous buildings for fun. Iguchi Shuuichi certainly didn’t fit the bill for the first two options, leaving only the latter, and Rikiya could only wonder if Spinner had found the place in idle wanderings or as the result of a deliberate search.

Regardless, the electronics took up much of one end of the room, a large-screen monitor set up on a low table, along with a glowing computer tower, a game console and sizeable speakers. Two curved black and red rocker chairs on the floor sat, Rikiya thought, rather closer to the screen than was probably recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The back end of the room was mostly bare, a table shoved up against the wall with a few damaged chairs and gutted computer towers speaking to the room’s prior life as a storage space for office supplies awaiting repair or repurposing.

Not a bad metaphor, all things considered. I wonder if he intended it.

“Oh, hey.” The he in question stood up from behind the TV, dusting off his hands and starting when he caught sight of Rikiya. “So you did show.”

“I did. And dressed down, as requested.” Rikiya spread his arms in brief demonstration of innocuous brown dress pants and a white button-down shirt, top button undone, cuffs rolled back twice. It was hardly casual, but it was as close to it as he could manage on short notice.

Spinner had done a much better job of it, a hoodie and jeans replacing his normal tac vest and dark pants, his hair long enough to brush his shoulders, thick and bushy, when his usual goggles and band of cloth weren’t holding it up. He could almost pass for a normal person on the street, save for all the knives—the one part of his costume he’d left on, sheathed and strapped to his side.

He glanced over Rikiya, looking not entirely convinced—he was an open book generally, and being able to clearly see his forehead (rather high, actually) made reading his expressions even easier—but conceded a nod.

“Well… Have a seat, I guess.” He slid a remote control on the floor towards the two chairs with his foot.

Rikiya closed the door behind him, privately thankful for the barrenness of the other end of the room—he could almost pretend the room wasn’t functionally a cellar with all that clear space at his back—and made his way over to one of the rockers, easing himself into it. It had been literal years since he’d been expected to settle into a casual seating arrangement with someone who wasn’t in his inner circle, and even those had mostly been relegated to the dinners as they’d all gotten older and busier with work. Typically the chairs were higher off the ground.

Curious would have laughed at this for days. He set the thought aside, accurate though it was, and shot Spinner an expectant smile as the man picked up a pair of controllers and thrust one out at him.

“Are you sure it’s all right that I haven’t touched one of these since university?” Rikiya asked. He took the device and experimentally fit his grip around the handles, turning it over to examine the array of buttons and controls.

“It’s fine,” Spinner responded. “I’m pretty sure games like this all teach you how to play them as you go.” He sat down in his own rocker and angled himself slightly in Rikiya’s direction. “So wait, what did you play in school?”

Hardly something Rikiya had committed to memory, given how much else had been going on in his life at the time. He dredged up what he could anyway.

“Some sort of game where players would select a character to fight another player’s character. Martial arts-themed, as I recall. There was one that involved some sort of government agent killing zombies. And I had a friend in a study group who always going on about the last game in a series he enjoyed. Something with ‘Fantasy’ in the title.”

Spinner muttered something under his breath that might have been Oh, boy and might have been Normies, and turned on the TV, simultaneously pressing the center button on his own controller. As the screen blinked on, resolving into a home screen for the game console, he flicked over to an entry labeled Seed, the image a single bright red flower on a black background. A few logos later, they arrived at the title screen, which flickered periodically through homophonous kanji (Truth, Interval, Wait), and Spinner talked him through selecting New Game, Two-Player, and selecting himself as Player One.

The game began with a figure—small, features undefined beneath the hood of a simple blue robe—standing in a dim, firelit cave, a few shelves mounted on the walls. A simple tutorial involved moving about the cave collecting items off the shelves: a bag, a canteen, and a small spade. All basic joystick controls, a simple press-X-to-interact, and then the figure extinguished the fire with a spadeful of ashes and walked unprompted into the dim tincture of daylight on one side of the screen.

Outside, a short video showed the screen’s view expanding from the flat two-dimensionality of the cave to more sprawling environs of a lush forest, all dappled greens and yellows. Tangles of vines proved impassable as Rikiya wandered up to them, attempting interaction to no avail.

“It’s not full open-world, but there’s not a time limit or anything, so you can poke around all you want,” Spinner offered, watching Rikiya uncertainly steer himself around the screen.

“And the goal is?” A soundtrack had kicked in, a pleasant and melodic string piece, interspersed with birdsong when Rikiya passed close to a flash of feathers in the verdant tapestry.

“You’ll find out when you trip over it. Just look for anything interesting.”

Rikiya obediently headed down the way that seemed generally laid out, noting a patch of particularly sunny ground up ahead. “And where do you come in? Or do we take turns?”

“The two-player functionality is for later on.” Spinner shifted positions to tuck one foot under himself—less sitting, more perching—the controller tucked in his lap. “You’ll see.”

Rikiya hummed assent and returned his focus to the screen, where a button prompt saw the character stooping down into a kneel and using her—his? its?—tools to dig a hole, drop in a seed from the bag, and recover it before pouring a small measure of water over it. A circling motion of their hand followed, some silent little ritual, and in response, a flower bloomed up from the spot, small but brilliantly red.

The character didn’t immediately rise, but the screen shifted focus slightly, and when Rikiya nudged a joystick, they returned to their feet, and so he set out through the trees again. He spotted another sunny patch before long, on a raised bluff, which lead to a new button option that resulted in a quick climbing animation and, shortly, a yellow flower glowing in the sun.

As promised, the controls were intuitive, and soon Rikiya had planted two more seeds and been forced to leave one promising-looking spot alone when the character proved unable to make the necessary climb. The next wrinkle presented itself shortly after—an empty canteen. Further exploration yielded a small brook, glittering in the light, and the ability to refill his water supply. A line of stones offered passage across the stream, and Rikiya paused, considering the implicit invitation to press forward. But after a moment, he doubled back, watering the planted seed (a purple flower this time) before heading back towards the brook.

“You’re gonna be one of those 100% completion types, huh?” Spinner observed from where he’d been watching without comment since weighing in that the unreachable spot from before might be a New Game Plus thing.

Rikiya turned the phrase over in his head, then smiled slightly. “Probably,” he allowed. “Is that a problem? I could prioritize progress instead of thoroughness.”

“You’re playing, not me. Just play how you want.” A hint of rolled eye suffused the words, and the combination brought back the memory of Shigaraki on the stage—We’re gonna do whatever we want!—a study in contrasts: a hand-tailored black suit worn with ratty red sneakers, sprawled like a street thug in a chair that belonged in a gentlemen’s club, wrapped in bandages with one splinted leg, but still speaking in a voice so effortlessly confident it gave Rikiya chills to remember.

Whatever we want.

“Is that part of the exercise here?” he asked; his voice emerged strangely hushed to his own ears. That Shigaraki’s presence could have such an effect, even in his absence… Rikiya held back a sigh. Trumpet had given him a very sharp glance the last time he’d sighed over Shigaraki and it came out revealingly wistful.

He’d half-expected Spinner to respond in denial or confusion—real or feigned, he’d not decided—but Spinner only sat quietly for a long moment before answering with, “If that’s what it takes, I guess.”

“To get me to relax?” On the TV, the camera shifted perspectives—another video—to watch the character pass between two enormous trees, screen fading to black for a few seconds before returning to show a new landscape, the terrain hillier, the trees more sparse. For the first time, sky was visible, a patchwork field of blue tumbled over with clouds.

Spinner shifted in place, the movement bespeaking awkwardness. He tapped his claws over the controller in his lap, a drum of keratin on plastic.

“…Look, this is gonna sound pretty bad, but you’re—it’s like you’re on a commercial, all the time. Mr. Compress feels less fake than you do sometimes, and I haven’t seen his real face the whole time I’ve known him. The only time you feel real is when you talk about Shigaraki and how ‘liberated’ he is.”

“I believe it very much,” Rikiya offered, then fell quiet, because it wasn’t the right time to interrupt, and also, the wistfulness had just been waiting for him to speak again to leak out into his voice.

“Right, but—Shigaraki’s gone. For the next four months. We’ve gotta keep this thing together until he gets back, and—you know we’re the only ones who really care about it.” Spinner’s shoulders had gone taut, Rikiya found when he looked over at the other man, his scaled fingers wrapped around the game controller. “Shigaraki said something about you having an aneurysm, and I know he was just joking, but your whole thing is about stress. And if that’s why you feel like you don’t ever not have a game-face on, then.” He made a sudden frustrated sound, scratching at his hair.

“It doesn’t matter how you play the game,” he went on, just as Rikiya was opening his mouth to respond. “This isn’t the kind of game you can lose. You can just—play it how you want and nothing’s riding on it. So you don’t have to turn around and ask me what’s the right way to do it. Just—play it however feels right to you.”

On the screen, the little figure in blue with their inscrutable face had knelt, clothes moving slightly with a simulated breath.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much practice with—not having a ‘game-face’ on,” Rikiya said at last. He thought about debating the assertion that no one else in his erstwhile organization cared about the new venture, but it was true that his own closest companions were making little attempt to hide their dissatisfaction. Skeptic, of course, was quite vocal, but Trumpet, too, was entirely missing his usual charm around fellow warriors. As for Geten, well, it was only a wonder that none of the League had commented yet about how long the ice in their drinks could last before melting.

“Yeah,” Spinner said with a shortness that Rikiya translated to, That’s obvious. “But it’s just the two of us down here. I won’t tell if you won’t. Shigaraki’s the only other one who likes video games, anyway,” he added in a grumble.

“I’m surprised you all could find time for such things,” Rikiya said, which felt safer than anything else, to which Spinner snorted.

“We couldn’t. I think he’s too practical to lug around a game system when he’s on the run. What’d he even hook it up to? But he does that thing where he talks in gaming metaphors when he’s thinking about strategy.” A mix of exasperation and fondness colored his voice.

“Do you suppose he might join us for this”—Rikiya waved the controller vaguely at the screen—“when he returns to us?”

Spinner’s cheeks colored slightly, and with a plaintive note, he answered, “I have no idea. He—I don’t know.” Rikiya made a questioning noise, lifting his brows, and Spinner shot him a look of residual distrust before relenting. “He’s always either on or off. No in-between.”

A somewhat garbled bit of metaphor, but Rikiya understood, if not the sentiment, then at least the dazed origin. Still, he was learning things about Shigaraki Tomura, and there was a distinct thrill to that, to find a kindred spirit in this new cause, to see a look of mixed incomprehension and wonder in someone’s face that felt correspondent with his own.

“He’ll probably need some time to recover from the surgery, at least,” Spinner concluded after another moment on consideration. “I guess we can ask. The worst he can do is laugh at us.” A beat of silence, then he amended, “The worst he would do is laugh at us.

“What?” he asked, suddenly defensive as he looked into Rikiya’s eyes.

“Mm?” Rikiya blinked at him.

“You’re smiling at me funny,” Spinner accused, and Rikiya blinked, realizing the truth of it. He was smiling—still was, in fact, the expression oddly resilient even under the force of Spinner’s raised hackles.

“Apologies,” Rikiya murmured, still staring at the way Spinner’s beak twisted around an awkward scowl as he looked away, lilac pink eyes narrow.

“Just get back to the game,” he muttered.

“Ah, of course.”

———

It was a rather nice little experience, in the end. The game progressed through different environmental stages, growing more barren from forest to plain to desolate shoreline and eventually into an abandoned city, all shattered glass and cracked asphalt and dim skies, hinting at some sort of apocalypse. It encouraged exploration of its different areas, with well-placed lulls in activity to take in its vistas and views (and it really did have exquisite color design), and each new area requiring more ingenuity to find water or soft earth or even sunlight. In the third area, the second player’s role became clear, as the main character encountered some sort of wind spirit (hinted to be a ghost in the second-to-last stage) that could reach and manipulate areas and objects out of the main player’s grasp, as well give their jumps a modest boost.

The whole thing climaxed in a grueling slog through a blasted wasteland, all pale ash and white-hot sunlight and scouring winds. As played by Spinner, the spirit pushed insistently at the main character’s back even as their steps began to falter, and when they finally collapsed, it was in the shadow of their own body that they planted their final seed. The wind spirit—now in ghost form again—pushed the ashes over the hole as the cloaked figure dribbled out the last of their water, then, together, they performed the ritual gesture, both hands moving as one. A long, tense moment followed—predictable in the cinematic sense, but by then Rikiya was far too absorbed to quibble—before the seed unfolded into a red flower. Seconds passed, and then another blossom found its way out of the sere earth some distance away from the fallen figure in blue. It was followed by others, and the whole time, the red flower grew and grew, until a graceful tree, branches draped in crimson, stood at the center of the field of brilliant colors.

The credits rolled over a sweeter, fuller version of the game’s main theme, and a final little scene showed the two characters at the entrance to the cave from the beginning of the game, the blue-cloaked figure watching the canopy of the forest as the wind spirit toyed with a swirl of leaves.

“Well,” Rikiya said. He and Spinner had not been entirely silent since the exchange about Shigaraki, but Rikiya had let him set the pace of conversation. That had led to Spinner asking again, during the first beach area, whether Rikiya really had no hobbies to speak of; when asked in turn about his own, he had—reluctantly at first, then with increasing enthusiasm—talked about his personal favorite games. Rikiya was left with the distinct impression that Seed was not the sort of game Spinner normally favored, which showed a generosity of spirit Rikiya thought best rewarded by not drawing attention to it.

“That was a very charming experience,” he went on, ordering his thoughts for discussion—and also stretching out what remained of his legs; he would need to make some time for physical therapy after this.

“Was it relaxing, though?” Spinner asked, striking Rikiya to a chuckle with his blunt focus.

“I think the ending was tense enough to keep it from being entirely relaxing,” he said after giving the question due consideration. “But it felt like the intention was more to be cathartic, and it was that.” Rikiya felt a rare lightness in his body—not as profound as Shigaraki overthrowing all his burdens, certainly, but—akin to it, perhaps. A sense of stress expunged that, prior to Deika, he had typically only experienced after spars, and it had been rarer and rarer for him to take part in those as the years went on, much less expend any significant amount of stress in doing so.

“It was a wonderful tone piece,” he went on. “I think it would have been that much just to watch it, but the interactivity gives it its real impact. I can see why it’s well-regarded.”

Spinner nodded, uncertainty lingering in his eyes. “So—do you want to try to do it again sometime?”

“I’d be happy to. You should bring some of the games you talked about next time.” He paused as Spinner first brightened, then visibly tamped himself down and turned his attention to the game, beginning the process of exiting and turning off all the various components with a cursory mumble of agreement to Rikiya’s suggestion.

Unfortunately, with Spinner once again getting cagey, the sense of the contours of the room was creeping back in. The transporting nature of the game was confined to the experience of playing it, and outside that, it really was quite a small room. And if they did convince Shigaraki Tomura to join them, all the presence and intensity of him in such close quarters… The thought tightened a cord around Rikiya’s chest, hope and fear mingled in the remembrance of the sublime.

If I’m going to have to keep having to deal with you, I want you wound down, not wound further up.

There is one thing you could ask for. It was a small thing to ask in some ways, a large one in others, and if he let himself linger on it, he would doubtlessly talk himself out of it, which seemed disrespectful to the amount of time and effort his companion had devoted to this whole endeavor.

“Spinner,” he said abruptly, and the man looked back over at him with a small, suspicious frown and wary eyes. “The next time we do this…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we might do it somewhere with windows?”

Should I explain? Would he even want to hear about something like that? Can I even talk about something like that?

Spinner studied him for a long moment, and Rikiya wondered suddenly how much more Shigaraki might have told him, about their confrontation, about the Claustro, about—well, about whatever conclusions Shigaraki had come to. As the seconds stretched on, he felt the tiny curve of a smile on his face, not the expression of someone brimming with happiness to be shared, but the resigned air of someone awaiting a trial. Not his best work, it had to be said.

“Yeah,” Spinner finally said. “That’s fine.”

The answer—Spinner’s decision not to press—felt like a weight lifting. A small one, to be sure. But it was…

Well, it was a start.

…And perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to look into finding a few video games to bring in himself next time, too.

——— ——— ——— ———

Seed may look like a complete rip-off of Journey, but it also takes some inspiration from Prune, Monument Valley, Flower and a dash of Gris as well. It's using the verb-form of its titular word, which in Japanese would be pronounced ma, as would be the other kanji mentioned. (The kanji for devil has the same pronunciation, but the game devs didn't include it.)

Thanks for reading, all!

#boku no hero academia #bnha #yotsubashi rikiya #re-destro #shigaraki tomura #iguchi shuuichi #spinner bnha #cw: claustrophobia #it's pretty mild in this chapter tho #my writing #ficcing

6 notes · View notes

sadsongsandwaltzes · 4 years ago

Note

Fox News and CNN and Twitter don't get to decide who the President is. YOU do. Don't let them take your power away.

I’m not entirely sure how to respond to this because I don’t know what prompted it. Is this about me not voting? Pal.... even my own dad couldnt convince me. Some rando on the internet surely ain’t gonna convince me. Or is this some sort of attempt to rally me behind trump? Okay, then we come back to.... I didn’t vote. You’re looking at the wrong person if you’re expecting me to get riled up about the election.

Look, republicans definitely have reason to be suspicious right now. There’s a lot that doesn’t add up. There’s a lot of “typos” that have happened conveniently in Biden’s favor. They’ve been prematurely calling states in Biden’s favor. All this talk about stopping counting and boarding up windows at polling places and stuff.... it’s definitely reason to look into fraud, in my opinion. But republicans (specifically the die hard trumpers) are no better than the left in a lot of ways. I still keep seeing the registration vs voter numbers floating around on twitter, even though it’s already been disproven. Most of those registration numbers are from previous elections. Those are also states that have same day registration. I also saw trumpers sharing a video of a guy unloading something by a polling place, claiming they were tampering with ballots... turned out, it was just camera equipment. But trumpers jumped on that video and assumed the worst. They want the worst. They want this to be fraud. They care more about trump winning than they do about honesty or integrity.

I’m a political junkie. Analyzing trends and human interaction and how people respond to certain events is my thing. I live for it. Back when I was in high school, I knew I wasn’t going to college. But if someone somehow had the capability of forcing me to go, there were three subjects I would have considered, and political science was one of them (the other two were criminal justice and history). I love this stuff. And why this election is going this way currently is a whole rant I could do, but I’ll spare you. Regardless, Congress is more important than the presidency anyways. And there are way worse and/or more important things in life than who wins this election. There are far greater evils people face every day. This ain’t something to get work up over.

I’m sorry this kind of went off on a tangent, but I deeply annoyed right now. By everyone. Just sit tight. Vote your conscience. Approach all information with a critical mind. Don’t cling to false information without verification just because it’s convenient for you. And, if your guy loses, accept it like an adult and understand that things could be worse.

I’m not sure if you’re a Biden or trump supporter or third party. I guess I assumed trump just based on the attitude of the message and the implication behind it. That, plus I have mostly trump supporters following me. Regardless, all this information applies.

#regardless you know this is gonna end up in court #trump ain’t gonna back down without a fight

4 notes · View notes

empyreanwritings · 6 years ago

Text

Tender Surprises

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (biker!au)

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: language, Brock Rumlow gets a well deserved punch in the face

Summary: On Bucky’s birthday, your son has a very important question to ask him. And it may just be the greatest gift anyone has ever given him.

Feedback is always welcomed and encouraged! (:

Bucky collapsed on the couch next to you. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you close to his side. You leaned up, giving him a light peck on the cheek before resting your head on his chest. It had been quite the day for both of you.

Today was Bucky's thirty-sixth birthday. You and your son, Tyler, had planned the whole day out for him to celebrate. It started with an early morning breakfast in bed; Tyler claimed he made most of it, but he couldn't work a toaster to save his life. Once breakfast finished, you packed up the car and headed to the beach. Bucky had told you weeks in advance that he didn't want to do anything too crazy for his birthday, so you agreed a family beach trip would be perfect. And it was.

You spent most of the time lounging in a beach chair with a book, while Tyler kept Bucky busy working on "the biggest hole in the universe." Even if Bucky denied it, you knew he was just as excited to see how deep they could dig together.

You stayed at the beach until the sun began to set. Tyler whined about not wanting to leave, but he passed out quickly on the drive back home. Bucky held your hand the entire ride home. The best of Journey played softly in the background. It was incredibly peaceful. You, yourself, could have fallen asleep right there, but you didn't want to make Bucky drive all the way home with no one to talk to.

But now that you were back home, it was time for presents, and Tyler was already bouncing off the walls again. He was excited to give Bucky the present he picked out.

"Before you open the box, you have to read this letter first!" Tyler handed him a haphazardly wrapped box with a piece of paper taped on top of it. The letter had been your idea. You thought it would be the perfect lead up to what his present was. "And read it out loud!"

Bucky carefully pulled the tape off of the paper and cleared his throat. "Dear Bucky, when we first met, I was seven years old. Mom and I had moved in across the street, and you were the scary biker guy that our real estate lady warned us about. Mom and I didn't believe her, by the way."

The sun was brutal today. There was not a single cloud in the sky to block it out, and it had been beating down on Bucky all day. His shirt stuck to his back, and he knew he was dripping with sweat, but he had to finish working on the motorcycle for one of his clients. They were paying him extra to get it done before the weekend. And he could never turn down money.

He groaned and pulled his shirt off, using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Even with his hair up in a bun, sweat still managed to drip down into his eyes.

He really hated Florida sometimes.

"Are you in a gang?" Bucky's head snapped up in surprise at hearing a kid's voice.

A young boy stood on the other side of the motorcycle. His big brown eyes stared at Bucky curiously. There wasn't a sense of fear or worry about being so close to a stranger in them. Just idle curiosity.

"Where are your parents, kid?"

The young boy pointed to the house directly across the street from Bucky's. "My mom is making lunch right now. And my dad, well, he went to the store to buy milk. That was 4 years ago, so I think he might have gotten lost."

Bucky coughed, trying to hide the obvious shock that hit him. For a kid, he was very observant.

"We prefer to call it a club," Bucky chuckled. "We'd have to do a lot more illegal stuff to be considered a gang. I think we're pretty mild."

"Marcy said that my mom shouldn't move into our house because you and your gang sell drugs on the weekend."

"And what did your mom say about that?"

"She laughed and asked what kind of drugs you sell. She made a joke about brownies that Marcy didn't find amusing at all."

Bucky let out a loud laugh. Marcy had been a pain in his ass the day she started selling homes near his. She spread all sorts of rumors about him and his club to try and get the neighborhood to rally against him. Some days he'd be a pimp running an underground prostitution ring, and others he'd be a drug lord who kept sharks in his pool. It was ridiculous.

The locals knew The Winter Riders were a tame motorcycle club, though. They met at the VFW on Saturdays, played some pool and occasionally got rowdy if they had one too many drinks. Most of its members were veterans, and they didn't want to start any trouble if they didn't have to. Of course, they had been caught dealing a few beatings to well deserved men. Sometimes they'd get a little too handsy with the bar staff and needed a reminder on why they shouldn't do that. No one ever got arrested though; Bucky knew the right people down at the police department.

"Tyler, what did I tell you about talking to strangers?" You stood at the end of Bucky's driveway, your hands on your hips.

Tyler shrugged. "You said only to talk to strangers if they're a good person for you to have sex with."

Your eyes grew wide, and you could feel the embarrassment crashing down on you. Bucky bit his lip to keep himself from laughing and looked over at you. He raised his eyebrows in amusement, but you weren't looking at him. You were trying to look at anything but him.

"I said that as a joke!" You groaned. "Just. . .get inside. I have a surprise for you on the table!"

"Is it an Xbox?" Tyler gasped.

You gasped as well, keeping a huge smile on your face, and placed your hands on your knees so you were eye level with him. "No! It's your overdue homework that you need to turn in tomorrow!"

The smile on Tyler's face dropped, and he grumbled a quick goodbye to Bucky before storming off into the house. Your relationship with your son intrigued Bucky. You didn't seem upset by the sex candidate comment. Embarrassed, but not upset. Most parents wouldn't even let their kids know what sex was before the age of eighteen.

"Sorry about that," you apologized. "He and I have an open communication policy. I don't hide anything from him, and he doesn't hide anything from me. Apparently, that bites me in the ass sometimes."

"It's okay, really. He seems like a great kid."

Bucky used his shirt to wipe the grease from his hands and stood up. You eyed his shirtless body, trying not to make it obvious that you were loving the sight of his tattoos. He walked over to you and held his hand out, which you gladly shook.

"I'm James, by the way. Most of my friends call me Bucky." He flashed you a smile that had your heart stop in your chest.

Oh boy was he going to be trouble for you.

"Y/N. I don't have a nickname as interesting as yours," you said as you turned to head back to your house. "I should get back inside and make sure he's actually doing his homework. It was nice to meet you, Bucky."

"It was nice to meet you too."

Bucky smiled at the memory of meeting you and Tyler. He never would have expected that encounter to change his life. He couldn't even believe six years had passed since that day. Time sure did fly by.

"I knew you were going to be in our lives for a long time when mom came back smiling that day," Bucky continued. He glanced down at you, but you hid your face against his chest to keep him from seeing the cheesy smile on your face.

"There are a lot of moments that I appreciate, so I'm just going to list off the ones I enjoyed the most. One: the day you let me ride on the motorcycle with you. Two: the fishing trip with you, Uncle Sam, and Uncle Steve where you ended up tipping your canoe. Three: that one time I found the naughty video of you and mom, and you paid me not to tell anyone."

You jolted up and glared over at Bucky. You knew about the video - you had been the one to suggest you tape it - but you didn't know that Tyler stumbled upon it! Bucky's face turned red, and he kept his focus on the paper in his hands. He really didn't want to see the death glare you were giving him.

In his defense, you labelling it as a kid's show in hopes of disguising it was probably not the best idea.

"Four: the day you took me out for ice cream and asked for my permission to marry mom. And five: the day you punched my real-but-not-real father in the face."

Sam and Steve were sat on Bucky's couch, laughing about something that happened with Clint at the VFW last night. They hadn't gotten to the full story yet because they were laughing too hard. Whatever it was, Bucky hoped they got it on video. If it was as funny as they were making it seem, he wanted to see it for himself.

Their laughter was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell going off repeatedly. Bucky sat up and tried to see who was at the door through the window but couldn't see anybody. When the doorbells went unanswered, the person on the other side began knocking.

"Just a sec! I'm coming!" Bucky shouted as he walked over to the door.

When he swung it open, his gaze fell to Tyler, who's chest was heaving up and down like he had just ran over here. His eyes were wide with terror. Bucky had never seen him like this before, and he suddenly felt terrified about what the kid was going to tell him.

"My," Tyler paused and tried to catch his breath, "My dad. My dad is here. He's fighting with my mom."

As soon as he said this, Bucky heard you shouting from your driveway. He couldn't make out what was being said, but he saw the way your ex was towering over you - trying to intimidate you. Anger bubbled inside of his chest. He was going to end up doing something he'd regret later, but it'd be worth it.

"You want us to come with you, Buck?" Steve asked as he helped Tyler through the door.

Bucky shook his head. "No. You and Sam watch Ty. I've got to take care of this myself."

He gave Tyler a comforting look before stomping down the driveway. As he got closer, he could finally hear what you two were yelling about.

"I have a right to see my kid, Y/N!" Brock shouted, pointing towards the house. He obviously didn't know Tyler already took off to Bucky's house.

You scoffed. "You haven't tried seeing him or speaking to him since he was a toddler! He doesn't even really know you! And in case you don't remember, you signed away your rights when you decided to move in with your eighteen-year-old secretary and realized you didn't want to pay child support!"

Brock shot his hand out and gripped onto your arm, eliciting a small whimper from you. His grip was so tight, you could feel his fingernails starting to break your skin.

"Do not talk to me like that again, you bitch. I deserve to see my son, and I don't care what I hav-"

His threat was cut off by Bucky slamming his fist into his jaw. You gasped. In the year that you had known Bucky, you had never seen him act violently towards anyone. It had caught you by surprise, but you didn't mind. Brock deserved getting socked in the face. He was a dick.

Bucky pulled Brock up by the collar of his shirt and pressed his back against his fancy SUV. You thought Brock was going to fight back, but he just stayed limp in Bucky's grip. You should have felt bad for him, or at the very least pretended to, but you didn't have the energy to muster up that much face emotion.

"Don't ever put your hands on her again, you got that?" Bucky growled. "She's told me enough about you, and I will not hesitate to knock your teeth out if I even see you look in her direction right now."

"But she-"

"Is a vital part of this town. As soon as everyone hears about what you did, you're never going to be welcome here again. So, do yourself a favor and get lost, pal. And don't come back. Tyler doesn't want you in his life, he's got a new family now, and you didn't make the cut to be in it."

Bucky shoved him backwards and stepped in front of you, making sure you were shielded if Brock tried anything stupid. He was probably trying to debate whether taking Bucky on would be worth it or not. Brock was just as fit as Bucky, but the look in Bucky's eye warned him not to try it.

You both watched in amusement as he scrambled into his SUV and took off down the road. Bucky turned to ask if you were okay, but he was cut off by your lips pressing against his.

You quickly pulled away and slapped your hand over your mouth. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that, but I-"

Bucky gently wrapped his fingers around the back of your neck and pulled your lips back onto his. You melted into the kiss almost instantly. He felt the little sigh you let out and knew you were okay with this. It had caught you both by surprise, but boy was it worth it.

That day changed your lives, literally, forever. You and Bucky started dating after that day, and Tyler had been in complete awe of him. He looked up to him. He constantly told other kid's in his class that Bucky was secretly a superhero who saved his mom.

Brock stayed away after that. You weren't sure what sparked his sudden interest in wanting to get to know Tyler, but the pit in your stomach when you saw him told you that it couldn't be for good reasons. You figured since it was around tax time, he was going to try and claim Tyler as a dependent to get more money. Tax fraud was something you wouldn't be surprised about him doing.

Bucky took a deep breath. He could already feel the lump in his throat starting to form. He didn't want to get emotional, but the kid knew how to pull at a man's heartstrings.

"You have been in my life for six years now and married to mom for three of those. You have spent those years showing me how a real dad treats his son. You're open and honest, even when I ask uncomfortable questions. Like that time I asked about the scars hidden under your tattoos. You never yell or hit me. You're only grumpy in the morning when you haven't had your cup of coffee. You also love me. You show it- you show it-" Bucky sniffled and covered his face with the letter. A few tears fell from his eyes as he let out a shaky breath.

Reading this was a lot harder than he expected it to be.

You smiled up at your husband and gave his shoulder a comforting rub. Tears were already prickling at the corners of your eyes, but you were trying to keep it together for him.

"You show it in more ways than one. You show it when you leave cool drawings in my lunch box. You show it by reminding me to put on my seatbelt or tighten the straps on my helmet, if we're riding the motorcycle. You always make sure to tell me you love me, too. You say that it's important for us guys to be comfortable with showing emotion, so you always make sure I know that."

Bucky reached over and pulled Tyler close to him. He placed a tender kiss on the top of his head before continuing with the letter.

"I'm running out of time and my teacher is glaring at me, so I think she knows I'm not doing my vocabulary work. Do you remember the time I first called you "dad"? It had been an accident, but I'm not sure if I wanted to take it back."

It was just a few days after Tyler's ninth birthday. You had been putting so much work into making sure it was perfect that you were still exhausted. Since it was your day off, Bucky offered to watch Tyler while you caught up on your sleep. You did not need to be told twice.

Tyler had gotten home from school and was working on his homework in the living room. Books were spread out over the coffee table, and Bucky occasionally heard a grumbled complaint from him about how stupid math was. He thought about explaining the importance of math but decided to stay quiet in fear of distracting him.

Tyler was too good at getting Bucky to rabbit trail and turn a five-minute story into a thirty minute one.

"What's the Py-thag-o-ree-in thee-o-rum?" He asked, looking up at Bucky in desperation.

"It helps you find the slanty edge, also called a hypotenuse, of a right-angled triangle," Bucky explained. "It's A squared plus B squared equals C squared."

"Oh. Okay! Thanks, dad."

The word made both of them freeze in their spots. It had felt so natural to be called dad, but he never expected Tyler to actually say it. It wasn't a bad thing at all - just very unexpected.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I don't know why I said that. That was stupid."

Bucky shifted off of the couch and took a seat next to him on the floor. "Woah, hey, no. I don't want you to be sorry for that. I know me and your mom aren't married yet, but I consider you to be my son. You don't have to call me dad if you don't want to, but you can. I'm not going to get upset by that. You call me whatever you're comfortable with."

Tyler nodded slowly and returned to his homework. He didn't press on the issue anymore after that. Bucky knew that when the time was right, he could talk about it again. All he needed was a little bit of reassurance.

"I knew that day you were my real dad. I spent a lot of time talking to mom about it, and we both agreed that it was time to make it official. Will you adopt me?"

Bucky reread the last part more than once. His hands shook as he did, and he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing now. Tyler wanted to be adopted by him. He couldn't believe it.

You gently took the letter from his hands and placed it on the coffee table. You gestured him to open the box in his lap. No words felt good enough to say right now, so you stayed quiet, but your heart was bursting with joy.

Bucky opened the box and saw the stack of papers that were waiting for him. It was all the paperwork that was required to go through with the adoption. Everything was already filled out, though. All it needed was Bucky's signature.

He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, a strangled sob escaping his lips. Tyler looked over at you, worried that Bucky didn't want to do it, but you gave him a reassuring smile.

He's crying because he's happy, you mouthed to him. He nodded in understanding.

"C'mere," Bucky cried as he pulled Tyler into a bone-crushing hug. "Yes, yes I will adopt you. Are you kidding me? This is the best birthday present anyone could ever give me, kid."

And it was. It really, really was.

Marvel Tag: @killcomet

3K notes · View notes

darkestwolfx · 5 years ago

Text

Tales of a Silver Hat

I'm sorry because this was meant to be up last night, but it was giving me problems – in fact, writing anything was, writer's block definitely hit. But I've written a Torchwood fic (shock, I know; it's on my accounts, but I won't be posting it here) and magically writer's block is gone. My mum always said to listen to my head, and it was clearly telling me I needed to write that.

So I've managed to achieve two prompts for @gumnut-logic‘s irrelief2020 in one fic - hooray! I've wanted to write for these from the moment I saw them! I've worked in a board game café as 'guru' of sorts, so this is like, definitely my area. So, this is Board Games for @Tsarinatorment and EOS+Monopoly for @halorocks1214.

I'm sure there will be some of you out there who can sympathise to events in this (I've seen my fair share at work, and from my neighbour).

All of the games I've mentioned are out there, and most of them are still in print, even if in updated copies.

P.S. This one was meant to a normal-ish length, and it was before I cleared by writer's block, but that version was terrible, so it's staying buried in my archives!

Summary: Every family had one; the first to crack in the midst of a game. Usually there was a long story involved; tick. Usually, there wasn't an AI though… Gordon would rather not remember it as it was.

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

Every family had one; the first to crack in the midst of a game.

With a family like the Tracy's, it happened often enough.

The five brothers each had very different tastes in games.

And as such, they had quite the mass of board games in their house: not that they always had the same amount of time they used to in order to play through all of them.

Scott liked Snakes and Ladders (which the Troublesome Two claimed made him old), Trivial Pursuit (which the double T's claimed made him tasteless), and The Logo Game (which all four of his siblings gave him a look that meant 'seriously?').

John liked Risk. It was one that Scott didn't actually mind either, but they rarely played it. John always managed to take over the world, no matter how poor his starting ground. Gordon had joked that this is what John spent his 'free time' up on Five doing, 'planning how to take over the world from above'. John had simply raised an eyebrow, saying nothing to the contrary, and ever since, Gordon had believed it was a viable possibility (especially after EOS). Chess, was another, and surprisingly, that Gordon would play with John, which made him the only one who could manage it. Very surprisingly.

Virgil had much appreciation for building games, which encouraged dexterity (ones no one else had the patience and balance for, Gordon proclaimed; Virgil preferred to call it skill), like Tokyo Highway and Junk Art. Alan made a mess of them, Scott had very little grace, John had the patience but not the balance, and Gordon always chose to film said games as opposed to taking part. He knew he couldn't hold a candle to his brother's skill, so filming everyone else's misfortune was his favourite past time in place of winning.

Gordon was a fan of the 'fun stuff'. Snap because it was quick and easy; Exploding Kittens, for similar reasons, as well as the funny artwork; and something called Cash n' Guns surprisingly. Surprisingly, because it actually involved using your brain - although Scott was sure the liking for it came more from the fact that it contained and allowed the use of polystyrene guns.

Alan loved a range of things, which no one had yet been able to find a link for… Robo Rally, Terraforming Mars (which was complicated enough without the expansion set which Alan had purchased that only John could actually make playable sense of, leaving the rest of them nodding like idiots whilst the red-heads explanation went right over their hears like rockets), not to mention something called Panic Mansion for the 'Gingerbread Men explorers'. Scott still didn't quite see that point. They were Treasure Hunters, obviously, not Gingerbread Men.

The five brothers had very different tastes indeed.

Except where Monopoly was concerned. John found most games a little too easy – so his opinion went without saying – but Scott, Virgil and Alan all found enjoyment in it (though for different reasons). It wasn't Gordon's favourite, purely because he'd never won, but that wasn't to say that he didn't like it – in a very odd way which he couldn't explain. Alan proclaimed it was the metal hat, which Gordon denied so vehemently, that the others had begun to wonder if the youngest's theory held some truth. It was rarely played unless they thought there would be time to finish it, and that was for two reasons. If they had to pause, Gordon had a tendency to try and 'manipulate' the money – either moving it from his brother's piles or pilfering it directly from the bank. Or, Gordon got bored and that risked the board being thrown in the air.

Gordon still maintained that such had only happened the once.

Scott and Virgil were obstinate that it was more like thrice.

But, this afternoon they had found time.

And, this afternoon, EOS was joining them for a game, and that was a first. It was tricky, but not impossible. They'd managed to get MAX to play before, so they figured it couldn't be much harder. John minded her assets – because he was the best at multitasking – and Virgil had conveniently placed himself between John and Gordon to stop the latter from stealing money during the game. Gordon had folded his arms, pouted and made some mumbled point about 'never daring'.

They all knew it wasn't quite true.

Just because he'd yet to be psychically caught in the act, didn't mean they were all unaware to his doing it.

EOS had never played a board game in her life. She'd heard about them. She probably knew more of them than the boys did as well – after all, she had access to every rule book, cheat book and video tutorial, and actually thought that she might be quite good at some of them. Of course, she'd never had the chance (before now) to try and put those skills to the test.

John had been a little surprised when his AI jumped at the chance, but didn't comment on or question the matter.

And so, that was how, on a sunny, quiet (hopefully staying so) Thursday afternoon, they'd managed to sit themselves on the floor of the lounge, with EOS on the holo-communication channel and everything ready to go. Grandma had even made them a stack of cookies for the afternoon. Hooray(!). It had actually been EOS who came up with the suggestion of throwing them out of the window.

There'd been a small moment of raised brows and pointed gazes, as they silently tried to work out between them whether Grandma would notice. They chose not to risk it. Who knew if Kayo would be around to see. She wouldn't tell Grandma out of spite, as such, but only so the kindly lady could make them more. That very well defeated the point.

So, the cookies sat untouched as they settled all the necessary pieces around the board.

Alan had already proclaimed that he was looking forward to the challenge. Virgil voiced nothing aloud, but he did share a look with Scott and John. What challenge? Alan was known to blow all his money by at least halfway through the game, and end up in serious debt to one of them. Sometimes it worked in their favour; they'd once agreed to give Alan a non-existent loan in a swap for him doing the dishes for a week. The youngest, too keen to stay in the game and not lose, again, had taken it before he could think better of it. Gordon had momentarily complained that they never gave him one of these 'definitely-not-fair-because-it's-not-in-the-rules-imaginery-loans', before promptly backing away when they offered him one on the spot.

He wasn't doing the dishes for a week, thank you very much.

Scott had to admit, he'd almost thought about not playing. He was doomed (enough) when John joined them, let alone with the AI contributing as well. He'd decided instead that he should probably strategise for once, and was studying the board a little like a man possessed. Gordon and Alan had already noticed, and shared their own wondering looks, but left the eldest to his scheming.

Scott had the Scottie dog (obviously), John had the cat, Virgil had the wheelbarrow, Gordon had the hat (theory definitely proven true), Alan had the racing car (no questions to be asked there) and EOS had the battleship.

As with Monopoly tendencies, the game started off very tame.

Scott weighed his decisions up for what felt like hours, the younger pair sitting with their heads in their hands waiting for an end, and even EOS suggested a time limit in the end.

Virgil always seemed to play with many strategies, but if you said that to him, he would have scoffed at you. He got lucky; there was always an element of luck to be had with dice, despite what John may argue about the science behind it. He had preferences as well; properties that you were more likely to land on, or just places which were his particular favourites that he might seek to obtain. If it looked like strategy, well, he wasn't going to be heard complaining.

John, on the other hand, did have strategies in place. An endless amount of them. As was to be expected. The red head would buy properties according to those his brothers bought, always waiting and saving and somehow managing to catch you unawares when you were least expecting it. He was the only person Gordon had ever known to be able to buy Park Lane and Mayfair and have hotels on it without going bankrupt before he made the money back. That tactic's mysteries had yet to be solved.

Gordon liked to think he had tactics. Then he'd make a move which his brothers would frown at, and he'd try to cover up the fact that such response questioned 'why?' with every ounce of acting ability he had. Confidence, that made it look like you had a plan. Or at least, that always seemed to have worked for Dad. So, he played like fish and copied that response, even if he knew someone might have seen through it.

Alan acted in traditional Alan fashion, and began to promptly blitz money on everything. Literally anything he landed on which he could buy was immediately his.

EOS, unfortunately, seemed to think much like John. Once again, that was hardly surprising. However, it was shocking to see that her thinking let her down. When John had asked her why she didn't buy the third pink property to complete the set, she had simply 'shrugged' (as Gordon interpreted it anyway,) with the movement of little yellow dots and answered;

"I am not disclosing my strategy."

"Ok then."

First time experiences with a game. Everyone learnt from them.

For once, Gordon was a little excited that there might be a player worse than he (or Alan) in the family! Scott began to wonder if winning against EOS wasn't such a lost cause. John had even enquired as to whether EOS' new processors were working.

Scott's 'strategizing' – if you could even call it that, Gordon thought – wasn't going very well. In fact, he looked to be in a worse place than usual. And of course, they'd managed to make it through four rounds. It was only a matter of time before… oh yeah, there it went, the triple double roll. Scott always ended up in jail first. Alan found that quite amusing, and Gordon didn't want to risk the eldest's wrath to tell the youngest a few home truths. Even Virgil would chuckle at that one, and Scott would dejectedly move himself to jail, and insist that he'd be lucky enough to roll his way out on the next go.

Safe to say, it went that the eldest rolled twice with failure, and on the third round paid to get out only to then roll what he needed. Gordon didn't know what fluke of nature allowed it to happen, but he got one hell of a kick out of the pilot having to eat his words.

As far as Gordon knew, John had never made his way to jail. "Good planning", he claimed, but the Aquanaut wasn't sure there was such a thing. If there was, he'd like he gain that ability. By the time they'd made it six rounds in, John had managed to acquire all three green properties, and still have money to spare. It always happened. No matter whose property he landed on, there was always money appearing before him… like he took it out of the bank! But he didn't. Not that anyone saw… Gordon knew John wouldn't cheat, but it made him feel a little better about losing to consider the possibility.

After John, it would be Virgil's go and like usual, Gordon knew how this worked, because Virgil did have an uncanny sense of luck with the dice. No doubt he'd would land on the Water Works and buy it to go with the Electric Company he'd bought in the first round, at long last. Somehow, whatever he bought, for the middle child, that always happened.

And on his go… what happens? He's gets himself a nice little double and lands on John's property. Get's to roll again because of it, and for the first time this game lands on something Scott owns (fortunately, its only worth a couple pounds, but John's just robbed him for hundreds, so he's not in the mood; and unfortunately, Scott is screaming like it's the 4th July, because he told Virgil "that would be a good buy in the end!" when the middle child had protested everyone landed on 'Go' and skipped what came after). It always happened to him. He couldn't just get a nice little double to his advantage, oh no, only to make him pay out to others. He was probably keeping John's funds afloat.

Gordon threw the money at Scott's feet. They were getting to that point, where the paying out was more than the coming in, and everything seemed an irritant.

"This game is ridiculous."

"No, it's not! It's fun!"

"Losing is not fun, Alan."

"You're just a sore loser, Gordon."

Gordon shook his head. He knew how this went down too. The Tax square was coming up, and Alan – rash as he was with money - would definitely land on it.

"Oh what? This game is ridiculous!"

Gordon really wanted to point out that he'd already said that, but refrained. It was much nicer to listen to EOS not laughing at him for once.

EOS wasn't a constant though.

Gordon had never seen her play before. He didn't know her strategies or her quirks and he found it hard to predict what was going to come her way. She seemed to be the perfect mix between Alan and John, spending money fast, but just enough money that there was enough in reserve to take her past properties which weren't her own. Gordon could actually see how that made for a good playing strategy. But EOS, practical though she was, seemed to have little to no luck.

A little like me, Gordon had found himself thinking.

At first, Alan had insisted it was rigged, EOS' continued landing on the 'Chance' and 'Community Chest' cards. That was, until, Virgil read out the resulting cards on her behalf. It was always 'pay this' or 'repair that', or 'move here and collect nothing', or (the most interesting by far) 'go to jail'.

"That's silly." EOS had whined.

"It's the game, EOS." Virgil had reasoned before John could, because honestly the red head looked to be wearing the same expression Dad had when he'd tried to teach the boys Monopoly – oh Gods that was so long ago – and Scott was finding great amusement out of it.

"But that's silly."

"Tough luck, EOS!" Alan called almost victoriously as he moved EOS' piece to the corresponding square, despite the fact his bank's grand total was currently sitting at around forty-eight pounds. "You're in jail! No money for you."

That one would at least be a saviour for the next round, and Gordon breathed a sigh of relief as the fear of the yellow strips on the board was nullified for him.

"But it's still a silly thing! I can't go to jail. You could never lock me up."

Many confused faces had stared across the holo-link, until it had clicked with John, like it only could.

"There's a section on the board, EOS, not a physical jail."

"I know. You still could never lock me up. I'd break out. I'm already great friends with the security systems of The White House."

Eyes here turned to John, who promptly dismissed every piece of awareness which had allowed him to hear that comment. Later he'd claim momentary deafness. It was scientifically possible to have momentary blindness, so he would just argue the points until he was either blue in the face or his brothers were stumped out by the language (the more likely of the two).

"We'll talk about that later. But the point is, it's not physical, so none of that matters."

"I know, John, I do. But it's still silly!"

Alan rolled his eyes, Scott dropped his head into his hands, and Virgil sighed with weight equal to that of Two. Gordon really wished he hadn't 'dropped' his camera into the pool.

"It's silly, John, because-"

"EOS-"

"The card doesn't tell me what it's sending me to jail for."

There was a beat.

A pause in which John swiped the card out of Virgil's grip and studied the 'Go to jail. Move immediately to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred pounds' standard text which they'd read so often, as though it might open up new possibilities, or give a re-rising to the lost lands of Atlantis.

Which actually, Gordon wasn't going to think about because he associated that trip with Lemaire, and that was a step too far for a Thursday afternoon. Give him until Sunday at least. He might be properly awake by then and able to deal with it.

"Well?"

Scott asked after a while, when it seemed like nothing was going to move on. John set the card in the discard pile and chucked the dice (EOS had wanted to use a virtual dice, but that had been overruled. What? Gordon though, validly, that it was a good way of her cheating, so a different brother would roll for her each turn) towards Alan who failed dramatically at catching them.

"Well what? She's right, it is silly. Who sends someone to jail without having charged them for something?"

Gordon would have copied his brothers in dropping his head into his hands, he very much would have, but it was far more entertaining to be watching, to notice as Scott whacked his head just a little too hard onto the edge of his wrist bone.

And definitely wished he hadn't killed his camera.

**********

After they'd decided that EOS and John must, somehow, share genetics, they moved on with the game. Little changed, except for the state of the board, which was beginning to pile up with houses and hotels. Virgil was currently reshuffling the Chance cards, again, because EOS still kept landing on them. She'd been sent to jail by one for a second time – to Alan and Scott's shared delight, since they usually shared the luck in drawing those – and they'd promptly managed to cease the return of the 'silly' argument. As it would forever be known in Gordon's secret diary.

Luckily, the second time around EOS had a 'Get out of Jail Free Card' which she had bought from John in return for Mayfair. Gordon still maintained that he smelt a rat there as the houses appeared and he began to set aside a chunk of money just in case he was unlucky enough to land upon them. He wasn't going to let that powerhouse strategy of John's catch him again.

Said card had at least saved some stalling, however not all. The game had been paused yet again as EOS remarked;

"That card is stupider than the one which sends you to jail."

The sigh had been unanimous, but it was Scott who found voice for the question, "And why is that, EOS?"

"Because you never get out of jail free. You have to have a court appeal. Or at the very least pay bail charges."

"EOS, it's a game," John had finally silenced. "Suspend your disbelief for the next two – or however many – hours it takes us to finish this please?"

"Ok. But when it's finished, I might ask Parkmoor Scrubs printing system to make me such a card-"

"What for?" Alan had cut her off, but John had promptly shook his head, hoping the youngest would get the simple message. Sssh. It wasn't hard to receive, and even Gordon got it first time round.

"EOS, we'll talk about that later. It's Alan's go."

"But I want to know-"

"Alan, just have your go!"

Scott, sensing what John was trying to do, had laughed, and promptly ended up with a pillow lobbed at his face. John's balance was rubbish, but his aim, was somehow spot on. As Scott was pulling said pillow away from his face, Gordon was sitting happy remembering why he didn't try to call the red head out on his deflection attempts.

***********

Pause number three (or argument number three, depending on your view) happened a little while later.

Apparently, EOS' grand strategy was beginning to break down.

"I don't care how much you offer me, EOS, you're not having it." Virgil proclaimed, properly putting his foot down on the property exchange EOS had been trying to offer him. John just looked done, and Gordon honestly wondered if they'd been this annoying when Dad was trying to teach them, because that expression truly was a replica, even though it had been yonks since he'd seen it.

Scott seemed to be the only one not minding the extra time now. He was using it as his way to study the board without Alan telling him to hurry and have his go, or heaven's forbid call him old. Because that had happened, only three turns ago, and it hadn't ended well. Gordon didn't know which he would hate to be more right now: Alan, or the poor plate of cookies the youngest was belligerently munching his way through.

"But everything I've read says if the deal is preferable, players will swap."

"Yeah, well the internet doesn't say much for human emotion."

"But John always makes preferable deals."

"Well I'm not John. And I'm not giving you my reds so have your go."

"But-"

"No, I will not swap them, even for another hundred."

"You don't conform to my research. I do not understand you, Heavy Weight."

"Heavy Weight?"

"That's my nickname, John warned me she had poor taste."

"I heard that!"

"Ooops." It occurred to Gordon that Virgil didn't really seem that sorry. It was the same tone from when the shower on Two cut out all that while ago. If he hadn't thought it then, he knew now the elder definitely had something to do with it. And he really wanted to impress Penelope with their rescue skills that day too.

"But why Heavy Weight?"

"That's obvious, Alan. Because Virgil does all the heavy lifting."

"So the Fish can cope out of water, after all."

"Hey!" He found himself gapping, absolutely flabbergasted.

"EOS, had you said that earlier, I might have swapped with you for free."

"Go on then."

"No, I was joking, EOS."

"Virgil, EOS has my sense of humour."

And somehow, Gordon just knew this was doomed to go on.

Some point during the discussion, Scott nudged his jaw closed…

*********

It had taken nearly half an hour to actually play EOS' turn before things could get moving again. Gordon was pleased when he made it past 'Tricky Corner' as he'd dubbed it, got his two hundred for passing go, and was reimbursed his tax.

Maybe this game wasn't all that bad, after all.

Scott and Alan were floundering, and Gordon honestly couldn't work out which one of them had more left. The youngest was surviving purely through mortgaged property. It wouldn't be long until Alan was out, and then it really would turn into a free for all.

"Oh, that's mine! EOS, you owe me."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"Do not."

"It's in the rules."

"But you rolled the dice before you noticed."

"I did not!"

"You did too."

"That's not in the rules."

"I think you'll find it is."

"It is not!" Alan demanded, and Gordon wondered if paracetamol would be needed. Scott was looking rather thankful for that pillow John had chucked his way now, the eldest using it in place of earmuffs.

"I'm the AI-"

"Yeah, well I'll-"

"-and I'm the one with access-"

"-the rule book out, shall I-"

"-to the worlds bank of knowledge and-"

"-and read to you exactly what it says-"

"Anyone want a drink?" John offered.

Gordon thought he wanted to get away from the noise more than he wanted to act as a butler, but it worked and John took himself from the room to fetch what Virgil and Scott had asked for.

It was a very entertaining debate – Alan and EOS, arguing across the one and only lounge in the world that expanded into space, and all over whether someone had to pay money or not.

Five minutes later, Gordon wanted the paracetamol, and wasn't honestly sure that the entertainment was still worth it. If he managed to play at all well with this headache, it would be a new record.

"I'm right, aren't I? Tell her I'm right!"

"What? Sorry Alan, we weren't listening."

Since John's return, he, Scott and Virgil had taken to talking quietly whilst the pair fought it out. Gordon had just continued to watch, re-counting his money whilst wondering whether he still needed to keep aside his just in case fund, or if it would be more beneficial spent on some hotels.

"You what? Right, well, that's it! I'm right EOS, so pay up!"

"You are wrong! I'm not paying you a single penny of my hard-earned money."

"Um EOS- No, alright then, ignore me."

Gordon had a feeling he knew exactly what John was going to remind the AI of as well; the money wasn't real.

By the time Gordon had counted his money three times over and decided that yes, he would buy those hotels on his next go – which was supposed to be shortly approaching after Alan's – he was ready to call it quits. The argument was still on going and Scott really seemed to be losing the will to live. How Virgil looked so clam still Gordon would never fathom, and John… John really was beginning to increasingly resemble Dad.

Gordon chuckled when John's next sentence – the final breaking point for the camel's back – put a stop to the argument and had Alan willingly fulfilling the rest of his go. Definitely more like Dad.

Funny. Gordon had always thought he'd see Scott turn that way first.

*********

He'd never known – or remembered, rather – it take them four hours to play Monopoly. And they weren't nearly done.

Alan was out. Like usual. And the youngest was instead spending his time darting between them, trying to work out everyone's money and take stock of what that had left on the board so he could put bets on a winner.

Gordon knew it wasn't going to be Scott. There was no way the eldest would make it past Virgil and John's properties on his next go.

In fact, Gordon wasn't feeling too bad by this point. Usually he'd be worried that he could be next on the list for demolition, leaving (as was typical) Virgil and John to battle for the crown. But, he was hopeful that he could make it to go next turn. He only needed three – that wasn't much to ask for – and then he'd be back round to safety for another roll. His hotels had been a good choice too. They'd made money.

If anyone ever asked him though – strange question it would be – whether Monopoly was a good game to be played with technology… well, the answer would be no. EOS almost seemed to know too much that it hindered her. Held her back from playing in her own way. After all, that was why they always seemed to enjoy it so much. Well, Gordon thought so at least. He'd done better this time, but if he landed on John's money-making property before making it to go… well, long story short, Scott might have a chance at not being the second one out.

He hadn't expected to be proven wrong so soon. And Scott wasn't the one to do it.

"EOS, I think that's it."

"What John?"

"I think you're out of money."

"I am not."

"Well I make it eighty short of what you owe Virgil."

"Oh uh."

"I am not bankrupt, John."

"I'm afraid you are."

"Virgil, how much do I owe you?"

"Two hundred. I've got hotels."

"But I'd never pay that much for a hotel there. It's in the middle of nowhere. And I'm family. I'll have a discount."

"You will not!"

"I will. That is a badly run hotel."

"I think you'd find I'd be great at running a hotel-"

Demolishing, Gordon had coughed beneath his breath, remembering their trip to Switzerland five days ago. Virgil couldn't wait to knock down what was left of the burnt-out building which was now classed as structurally unstable. It wasn't even technically their job anymore, but hey, who was he to comment.

He wanted to live, thank you very much.

And maybe win Monopoly for just once in his life, but living definitely came first.

"-and I will not be offering you a discount."

"If not for the location, then for-"

"I don't care about location or the fact you're family, there is no discount!"

"That is terrible! I'll be writing a review and I'm not paying you penny for a poor stay."

"You have to pay me, that's in the rules."

"Give me a discount and I will."

"No, it doesn't work like that!"

"EOS, you have to pay Virgil what you owe him, and there are no discounts in Monopoly."

"Says you," Oh dear, Gordon decided he was very glad to not be Scott, who had obviously butted in thoughtfully, yet carelessly. "You were complaining only two turns ago that you wouldn't pay for a hotel that had no view-"

"Really Scott?"

"I didn't know she'd remember that, Virgil!"

"She's an AI."

"Fair point."

Comically, Virgil's eyes widened as Virgil found money dropping past his eyes.

"It's eighty short," John declared, "You'll have to take it from the bank."

"Thanks."

"This is ridiculous."

Yeah, tell him about it.

"I'm not playing anymore."

Virgil mumbled something about being bankrupt, but Gordon was glad EOS didn't hear that.

"This is the world's worst game! I don't know why people go on about it like it's something special. I am never playing this again- Hang on-"

What for?

Scott had mouthed. John had shaken his head. There was trouble ahead when John didn't know what EOS was thinking either.

"I am definitely not bankrupt even though you say I am, and this game is silly, and so I'm going to throw the board!"

For all her intelligence… Gordon wondered whether John has as much of a headache as it looked like he might.

"Um, EOS..?" Scott started, testing the waters almost, "You can't throw the board. It needs hands."

There was a moment.

"John, throw it for me!"

The red head pulled his head up, but hadn't even needed to say a thing for Gordon to know what the answer was. No way would John ever do something like that… he had experience on the other hand.

"I'll do it!"

He didn't know quite what possessed him – maybe it was the fact he always lost, or that this had taken so long, or goodness knows what – but he reached out, tucked his fingers as far beneath the board as his palms would allow before flipping it into the air with the same delicacy he did pancakes.

Very little. Aiming high.

The board went through the air, taking pieces and money with it in a flurry of blurred shapes and noise.

For a moment afterwards, it was quiet.

Then there was a little whir and a flicker of blue.

"I asked John to do it."

And then the link was closed, and EOS was gone from their sights with John muttering something the Aquanaut had no chance of catching.

"Oh yeah, no – 'thank you Gordon'. I just can't win with her!"

Gordon folded his arms, and waited expectantly for someone to think of how to resume their game. But there was silence for a long while.

"What?"

"Um, Gordon..?"

Scott started, wearily, unsurely, like he was predicting a storm to brew at his words. John, Virgil and Alan all looked to be waiting expectantly, like they were ready to run at the first sign of said storm turning into a hurricane. Gordon couldn't for the life of him fathom out way. Scott, after a very long moment of quiet, pointed towards his stack of money, and Gordon followed his eyeline.

"You do know you were winning, right?"

The blonde took a moment to estimate the value of his pile before moving his gaze around those of his brother's (and the resigned EOS'). They were pulling his leg, had to be, he'd never won before.

"I'm winning? Let's hurry up and…"

Yeah, his brothers were already ahead of him, eyes looking at the very upturned and unrecoverable state of the board, pieces scattered just about everywhere, at a guess.

"Ahh, dammit!"

Gordon reached out, ready to re-enact his grand piece-scattering moment from the last time he'd thrown the board into the air in anger and promptly realised – a little late as his hands grabbed air – that it was a little bit too late for that. There'd be nothing to throw but the board and that would hardly be grand at all…

And he'd been winning.

Damn. It. All.

**********

Safe to say, Monopoly wasn't played again in the Tracy household for quite some time. Not until Jeff's return, actually – because it had always been one of his and Grandma's very traditional favourites.

Jeff had looked at the board carefully, studying it, trying to work out what was different about it. He settled with the fact it had been a long time since he'd last seen one.

Truth was, Grandma had brought them a new board a little while ago, even though it had remained untouched until now. She'd had too, after that last disastrous game had resulted with Gordon lobbing the already tossed board out of the lounge and into the waiting waters of the pool.

Jeff didn't understand either, why Gordon wasn't allowed near the board, and had to give instructions to MAX for the robot to play his cards and houses.

EOS didn't really like Monopoly – she wasn't as good at it as she thought she would be, but she did love to watch the boys play it, even if it was just so she could think of ways to mock Gordon later.

They'd get there eventually with the explanations, hopefully without the need to buy yet another edition of the game.

The first one, might need to be the explanation of why Gordon was always relegated the little silver hat.

23 notes · View notes

mobius-prime · 4 years ago

Text

251. Sonic the Hedgehog #182

Fallen Angel

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

The familiar face of Knuckles addresses the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix as Enerjak, inviting them to follow him so he can lead them into a peaceful, happy new world free of technology. Sure, the whole "no more pain and suffering" thing sounds great, but Nicole rightfully points out that it was technology that allowed her to become a living being, and Julie-Su reminds him of how badly things went before when he had access to this much power, begging him to come back to her. Enerjak merely frowns in disappointment and informs them that he'll demonstrate his power to all of them to prove he's in the right.

So do you guys remember how, during the original M25YL arc, we learned that nearly everything in that future came about because Knuckles once again went all Chaos-y, and tried to "remake Mobius as he saw fit," which included forcibly taking away Julie-Su's cybernetics? And how for some unfathomable reason, after all that, she elected to stay with him and didn't seem to harbor him any ill will for essentially forcing his own bodily ideals onto her without her consent, literally changing parts of her body against her will? Yeah, this is precisely why I have such a problem with Kenders having made that the backstory for future Knuckles. Despite her distaste for the Legion, Julie-Su clearly has no intention of getting rid of her cybernetic parts, and in fact rather likes them. Here in this situation, she's rather traumatized by Enerjak's attempt to "liberate" her from her cybernetics, and has to be handed off to Mighty so Sonic can continue the fight against Enerjak. Before the fight can go much further, with Sonic calling Enerjak by all sorts of mocking puns on his name, none other than Shadow enters the fray! Turns out he's working for G.U.N. now, and is the agent that Rouge sent to help out. Enerjak is enraged as Sonic jumps back into the fight, calling him by yet another mocking nickname.

This page is one of my prime examples for exactly why I love Ian's writing of Sonic so much. Shadow begins unleashing ridiculous amounts of Chaos energy, making Nicole struggle to hold all the nanites in place so the city doesn't get destroyed by the raw power, and she points out worriedly that since she doesn't have enough power to maintain the energy shield, they're wide open for an attack from Eggman. Her fears aren't unfounded, either - at that exact moment, Eggman is watching the proceedings while Snively works on an "improvement" to his last few remaining Egg Grapes, surprised to see Shadow there. Apparently, it wasn't Enerjak scrambling New Mobotropolis' communications after all - it was Eggman, deliberately trying to make it seem like everyone has abandoned the fight for freedom and having outright lied to Sonic during the attack on Knothole about the world turning their backs on the Freedom Fighters. I mean, granted, we kind of knew that wasn't true already, considering the group we know as "the Freedom Fighters" are just the Knothole (now New Mobotropolis) chapter. As Eggman launches his fleet towards the city, Shadow continues his fight against Enerjak, but even his substantial fighting ability isn't enough to take him down. Somewhere along the line, Enerjak's helmet is knocked off, and Sonic is surprised and disturbed to see that Enerjak is in fact Knuckles, not having realized such until now. Despite his misgivings, he and the rest of the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix charge forward to take on Enerjak as one, but Enerjak, thoroughly angered by now, merely freezes everyone in place effortlessly with Chaos energy.

Oh boy, one of those "we must burn this world to make room for the new order" types! Sonic calls out to Enerjak, trying to reach the true Knuckles within, but Enerjak coldly insists there's nothing anyone can do to make him change his mind. However, Eggman would like to contest that statement! He shows up in his Egg Fleet and overwhelms Enerjak's attempt to resist with an extra-strong teleportation beam, taking him directly to the center of the Egg Grapes for energy extraction. Eggman, projecting a hologram of himself onto the ground, cheerfully reminds Sonic of their "deal," and is unfazed when Sonic angrily tells him that kidnapping Knuckles wasn't supposed to be part of that deal. As the Egg Fleet leaves the city, Sonic tries to rally everyone for a rescue plan, but Sally heads him off, saying that as much as they don't want to leave Knuckles in the hands of Eggman, rescuing him would only unleash Enerjak onto the world again. Before Sonic and Julie-Su can argue the point, a warp ring portal suddenly opens up and a hand drags the two of them through it, depositing them onto Angel Island with no warning.

Well, I suppose Locke isn't the worst person to be kidnapped by. He informs them that after Enerjak's last rampage, he and the rest of the Brotherhood designed a weapon to be used against him should he ever return. Sonic is eager to go get this weapon to turn Knuckles back to normal, but Locke clarifies - this is a killing weapon. If they use it, Knuckles won't survive the process. And he intends to use it anyway. …I take it back, there are definitely better people to be kidnapped by than Locke.

Albion's Shameful Secret

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

So, how did Locke find out about what was going on? Well, if his island suddenly blowing up wasn't enough of a clue, turns out he was visiting Albion not long ago, only to find it a ruined, abandoned wasteland. There, he watched a video recording by none other than Gala-Na, who explained the true nature of Finitevus. Once upon a time, he was an ordinary, promising young scientist within the city, and in fact was the one who came up with the technical side of the plan to contain Green Knuckles' power a year ago. He was the one in the suit that the Chaos Syphon was connected to, and received the full brunt of the energy wave that Knuckles unleashed that day.

Why am I not surprised that Gala-Na of all people would scoff at such a thing? Extremist one moment, slothful the next. Finitevus started going power-mad and using dark energies in his experiments, and eventually was deemed so dangerous that Gala-Na called for his execution. Goddamn, woman, you'd think she'd have learned from the last time she tried to "neutralize" someone imbued with insane amounts of power without their consent! Predictably, Finitevus escaped, and when he returned he had the entire Egg Fleet behind him, having betrayed Albion's location to Eggman. This is where the recording ends, as Gala-Na recorded her spiel during the invasion, and ended the video by begging whoever might find her message not to repeat her mistakes as her people were captured and killed around her. Great, even more systematic erasure of Kenders' echidna-related worldbuilding by Ian! Seriously, Ian, I know Kenders was kind of a dick, but you could at the very least not kill off 99% of the entire echidna population in the process of fixing his mistakes.

Well, good to know that the various ex-Legionnaires and Echidnaopolis refugees have come together, and that Remington is back in his right mind! And looks like Gala-Na is gone for good. Normally I might have said "good riddance," but the Egg Grapes are a torture I wouldn't wish on anyone, so, uh… bye then, I guess? Sorry, Gala-Na, but I really just can't bring myself to care that much about you.

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 182 #writer: ian flynn #pencils: tracy yardley #colors: jason jensen

9 notes · View notes

kristallioness · 5 years ago

Photo

2016 | 2017 | 2018

*quietly sneaks back in*... Happy New THIS Year, my dear followers! In Estonia, we have this saying that if you wish someone a 'happy new year' after Three Kings' Day (the 6th of January), you gotta have a bottle of alcohol with you and give them a drink. *lol*

Anyways, I would like to apologize for the sudden disappearance that happened prior to Christmas. I was just busy travelling back home for the holidays, unpacking and putting away my stuff, watching some great, traditional movies or shows on TV, and most importantly, working on those 2 latest masterpieces that I posted (which barely got 30 notes each.. *sigh*).

But as you can (and probably will) see, the year of the yellow earth pig (i.e. my dad's year) was a rollercoaster of emotions and accomplishments, or lacking thereof.

My creative side seems to have suffered the most due to lack of leisure time. I only managed to finish 3 full digital drawings and left behind several sketches or unfinished WIPs (2 of which are revealed here under the months of June and November for the first time, I intend to finish the Korrasami one btw). At least I got to start 2020 with a completed drawing on the very 1st day, ha-ha! Perhaps that's a good omen for this year?

If so, then I hope I'll find the time to finish the rest of the 2019 Inktober prompts, since I only did 4/31 this past October (even though I'd thought of ideas for all of them). I brought all the necessary drawing utensils and sheets of paper with me, so whenever I'm in the mood, I'll try to sketch another one.

*calculates for the nth time*.. I wrote 18,110 words worth of fanfiction, plus 820 words for the UYLD prompts (making the total 18,930). Technically, you can count another 8k+ in there, since it comes from that unfinished story (of Aang taking care of a flu-ridden Katara, as illustrated by the September sketch), which I haven't finished within the last 4 months or so. Plus, I barely wrote 1/5 of the amount compared to 2018.. *hides in shame*

Then again, I was an excellent pupil for picking up an actual book and reading through 150+ pages (which means I have ~300 pages to go). I'm talking about the new Kyoshi novel that came out. As I once said, I haven't voluntarily read a book in years make that 2 years ago (most of the reading I've done in my life is either Tom & Jerry comics, now the Avatar comic trilogies and art books as well as fanfiction online, or compulsory reading during school). But this novel is freaking fantastic superb!

Not only that, I bought all the new comic trilogies and managed to read them through. Damn, did they give me feels.. especially "Ruins of the Empire" (ngl I squeed so hard when I saw the Korrasami farewell kiss on the 1st page of the 2nd part). I can't wait to read the 3rd part this year!

However, I failed to rewatch Avatar last year, and I haven't seen Korra since.. 2016, I believe? Wow, that's 4 whole years.. But I intend to fix that mistake starting from 2020. Hopefully I'm in the mood to start my rewatch this weekend tonight. *fingers crossed*

But as I said, I had much less time to focus on my hobbies since 2019 was the year for finally moving on with my life (sort of, I'm still working on it). I still remember how down I'd been feeling for a while and how valid those emotions really were. The first quarter of the year (+ like a month or two) was a continuous descent into desperation and feelings of utter failure, which already started around the 2nd half of 2018 and only continued to deepen around that time.

Everything began to change when I was first chosen to be part of a 2-month summer internship in an IT company, and I had to start building a new nest in a new location in Tallinn this May. And now, I feel like I've hit the jackpot by getting a permanent job in another IT company this October.

I got the opportunity to work in two different fields, in two different teams within a year. I met some awesome colleagues (a lot of whom are foreigners) and got the chance to really put my English skills to the test.

Thanks to the new job, I also had to go to a free health check, which went really-really well. Despite my nervousness in the beginning, I feel much more relaxed about my physical (and mental) health, cause the results showed that everything's okay (something I'd been worried about since March 2017).

Speaking of health or staying healthy, there were a few sports events that I went to, too. Our team held the first winter team event (it was the first one for me, at least) by going to do archery in a range on the outskirts of the capital.

I watched the football match between 2 teams of our local league at my hometown together with my dad on his birthday. Our home team won the match and came in 4th place overall in the league this year, which is their best result so far (I'm really proud!). And merely days before I started work, I visited the Tallinn International Horse Show for the first time (also with my dad). I last got to watch horses jump over fences or dance to their musical programs ~ 10 years ago, and I loved it!

Event-wise 2019 was pretty full of them. As has become tradition, I went to the Defence Forces parade on our 101st Independence Day (which seemed rather bleak compared to the centennial, even more so since we didn't have ANY snow at the time).

What will hopefully become new traditions, I visited the television tower on the Restoration of Independence Day (where Uku Suviste gave a free concert in the evening), and went to the Veteran's Rock concert (to honour our war veterans) on our Freedom Square on the 23rd of April (since I'm residing in the capital now, I should be able to go again this year).

To continue with the centennial celebrations (yes, some things are STILL turning 100), I saw and explored inside the armoured train no. 7 called "Wabadus" ("Freedom") in the Baltic Station. This armoured train was one of the keys that led our country to victory during the War of Independence from 1918-1920.

There was an even bigger (150th) anniversary to celebrate in the beginning of July, when I attended our Song and Dance Festival. This was a really important, if not the biggest event of the year. I intend to make a longer post about my experience, cause it's something that you foreigners need to see for yourself. I can't simply describe or put it into words, I have to show you some videos and photos.

But while we're on the topic of concerts, I should mention that I went to 2 more at the beginning of June - Bon Jovi and Sting - as well as 2 that were part of Christmas tours in December - Elina Nechayeva and Rolf Roosalu.

Besides that, I went to 6 different festivals, half of which I'd been to several times before, such as the Türi Flower Fair, Jäneda Farm Days (where I went on my first helicopter ride for my 25th birthday present) and the Christmas market in the Old Town of Tallinn.

The other half is comprised of festivals that I'd been considering going to for a while, or which took place for the first time. The latter applies to the Black Food Festival, whereas the "Valgus Kõnnib" ("Wandering Lights") and the duck rally, both of which took place in Kadriorg, fall under the first category.

The duck rally is a charity event held in the beginning of June. Regular people can buy at least one (or several) rubber bath duckies for different prices, which will then be dumped into a tiny stream that'll carry them towards the finish line. This event has grown more popular each year, and the money the Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer (sorry, long name in English!) collects is donated to the Cancer Treatment Fund.

*wipes forehead*.. Phew! I'm surprised, that's a whole lotta positivity for 2019. I think there's one more important, but seriously negative topic I haven't covered yet, but I feel should be mentioned and explained.

When it comes to politics, 2019 was a complete disaster for us. EKRE (Eesti Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond in Estonian, or Estonia's Conservative People's Party in English) i.e. our populist/nazi/pro-Trump party is in the government as of April 2019, thanks to 100,000+ idiots (out of our population of 1.3 million) who voted for them and gave them 19/101 seats in the Parliament.

No, I am NOT going to apologize for calling them a nazi party, because their main leaders have repeatedly supported ideology that's common to nazis (they use aggressive rhetoric, blame the media for making them look bad, downgrade women, minorities, are racist, anti-semitic etc...). And I will not apologize in front of the people who voted for them, because "thanks" to this, EKRE has dragged our country's reputation straight through a mud puddle (not to mention the scandals that have accompanied 5 of their ministers, 3 of who have THANKFULLY stepped down from their positions) and.. *swears like the British*.. it's BLOODY EMBARRASSING.

I am done being nice, I have at least some kind of prejudice about anyone who supports them or their ideals. And I will certainly not let Estonia end up like America. So that is why I participated in two protest events against EKRE and our current government (because the 2 other parties, who were willing to form the coalition with them, are spineless jellyfish that simply seek to hold onto their current positions of power). I'm willing to take bets as to when our government falls (the sooner the better).

*shakes off the frustration*.. Brrr! So besides that, I guess the only downside to 2019 was my spare time falling back in the list of priorities (which shows in the empty square of July).

2020 is gonna be the year of the white metal rat. I can only hope (and take action so) that it'll be just as eventful, and much more creative than 2019. Thank you all for following me (or lurking anonymously) for so long, especially to the bloggers who've offered me support through better or worse! *raises a glass* Here's to 2020!.. *sip*

#personal #shards of Kristal

10 notes · View notes

podrickpaynest · 5 years ago

Text

@ avocadotoastinspace

this is like... this is basically rocket fuel for my rambling. i want to talk about it so often but i never do because i assume no one would care, so thank you so much for the opportunity. it's going to be long and i'm so sorry in advance, you can fully ignore me - but still thank you for giving me an excuse to write about this.

(I'm including the dates, because they set a telling pattern.)

14.06.2019 - I casually went to see that allegedly nice Elton John biopic with my friend from work. I haven't seen trailers. I didn't care much about Elton John. We had the very best seats in the entire theatre, which I thought was a nice touch. You know, not expecting ANYTHING. The rest is history. I knew I want to re-watch this at the point of Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting sequence. I remember leaving the cinema with my face hurting from smiling (I had this stupid deeply satisfied I-just-fell-in-love grin through the whole movie, probably, with some breaks for deep despair) and telling my friend jokingly: Shit, I need to see it like ten more times before they take it off. I knew NOTHING.

17.06.2019 - I already knew I'm going to re-watch Rocketman very soon, since I wanted to show the film to my best friend. That day was quite hectic at work and I was a little bit feverish, and I felt miserable, and I really didn't want to get back home to be all alone, and by God, I MISSED that movie already. After work I lied to myself a bit that I'm taking different route home just because I missed the bus and I didn't want to wait for the next one - the fact I was going past a small local cinema on my way was a complete accident, of course. I bought my ticket, waited for about an hour; I was one of the very few people attending that screening - just a small group of 20-something girls and two slightly older ladies I think? Trust me, watching Rocketman while breaking a fever?? I felt literally hugged by this film; immersed in it completely, my head hurt and my heart hurt, and it was so lovely. When I admitted at work to my colleagues next day that I've already re-watched it (since someone asked me would I recommend it), one of them went like: Aw, and you didn't tell me? i want to see it so much but my borfriend doesn't want to go with me and I don't have anyone to go with, and I answered by But that's not a problem at all, just tell me when.

20.06.2019 - Thursday after work it was. I remember that friend leaning to my ear during Saturday Night's Alright scene and whispering It is so great, as she apparently fell utterly in love in the same moment. She's seen it three times since and we're discussing it frequently.

22.06.2019 - finally took my best friend to see Rocketman. 25.06.2019 - and she wanted to see it again. 29.06.2019 - and at this point we both just needed to have Rocketman tickets booked to keep us going. 03.07.2019 - needless to say: she loved it too. 08.07.2019 - five times we went together.

Basically what I remember the most from those screenings was:

- the audience got bigger and bigger with every screening.

- people continued to laugh in inappropiate moments. Heterosexual men cursed under their noses at the sex scene sometimes.

- during one of the screenings we bought tickets separatedly and ended up sitting two seats away in the same row. We were hoping no one will fill in those seats and got pissed when we saw someone approaching, but it turned out that was two young gay dudes on a date. Felt actually fair.

- SO MANY GAY DATES

- speaking of which, I live in Poland, right? Probably not the worst but definitely not the easiet country to be an openly non-heteronormative person. Seeing those dates was so important and comforting, and mattered A LOT. The same goes for audience getting bigger in time - this movie had practically no outdoor advertising, hardly anyone heard about it, and that only could mean that people were actually recommending it back and forth. In the country where the government does nothing to protect LGBTQ+ people from bullies? Heart-fucking-warming, I'm telling you.

- but ALSO. Before one screening I noticed two quite threatening looking blokes walking in. They wore this sort of "patriotic" t-shirts and looked in general like those borderline-nazi subculture festering shits in Poland that always appear to protest any sort of pride/rally and yell about sending f*****s (and all minorities) to gas chambers and other lovely stuff like that. I got actually quite nervous because I half expected them to either start giving us trouble right away, or at least once any kind of gay stuff happens on screen. I had my eye on them through half of the movie, and you know what? THEY WERE ON A DATE. No problems from them whatsoever.

- there was always someone overjoyed upon realizing the jean jacket was an actual item of clothing Elton John once wore. Also people going audibly awww when picture of little Reggie is shown.

- a least a couple of girls gasping so audibly when they see what John Reid is doing in front of the fucking pool boys.

- at some point I took a cab to the theatre and my taxi driver played Elton John for me.

- I was freaking out all the time that this is the time when I'm overdoing it, this is the time I don't really need to watch it again and I'll just get bored. Didn't happen once.

10.07.2019 - I realized they are pulling Rocketman out of the cinemas in my city next day. I was unable to attend the very last screening, so I panic!bought a ticket while I was still at work. Now, as much as watching and discussing Rocketman with friends is fun, I think watching it alone has completely different quality to it and I might've enjoyed those two screenings I saw it alone the most. For me the heart and core of the movie is lonelines - I think seeing this movie alone at least once is highly recommendable, and in the theatre full of people at that, and not in home. For me it was incredibly powerful experience, especially knowing I'm kind of saying goodbye to it, at least in the theatre quality. Bonus: almost entire row of older ladies dancing in their seats during Crocodile Rock sequence. I cried about that a little.

30.07.2019 - soooo I went for a short vacation to Czech Republic to see my friends and attend music festival. Hardcore punk music festival, mind you. I tried not to talk about Rocketman too much because my my friends definitely are not Elton John musical type of people, I failed frequently but still I'd like to think I did a good job. After the festival, when I was hanging around Prague with one of my friends - actually the one I consider to be my bestie - he all of the sudden says that maybe we can try to see if they still play Rocketman there. It's not like I haven't checked before going there, right... I tried to protest a little, because I was fairly sure he was offering it only to be a good host, he really wasn't interested. Another thing is: listen, not to sound dramatic but Prague is my Rocketman among the cities. Love of my life. I went once, came back next year, kept going back at least once a year (but generally as often as possible), because I fell in love with it. It's a massive crush. Experiencing those two things together: Prague and Rocketman? Jesus, I can't really start to explain how overwhelmingly wholesome it felt to me. But! I'm getting ahead of myself.

We finally went, me feeling slightly guilty for forcing him in a way. It was a small theatre, very nice and with an old-school feeling: red curtains, red seats, all that. Not that many people in the audience, but it was also one of the last weeks when Rocketman was being screened in the country, so understandable.

I tried not to look to my friend's direction, because I was so scared I'll see him suffering through all the musical sequences - or asleep. THEN I've heard a little bit of snickering from his side when they opened a celebratory champagne in Dick's office. I still refused to look. And then, during Amoreena sequence, when they are going through L.A, my friend leaned in to me and whispered: I love it. Long story short, three days later he messaged me on Facebook: I've watched Rocketman three times and Please send me recommendations of Elton John's live videos and you can't convince me this movie is not a drug now. Bonus from that screening: lady who was weeping her eyes out next to me. She sobbed through entire last therapy scene and I just hope she sometimes feel I love her.

Also, I don't really read subtitles, but I checked a couple of times, and I think Czech subtitles were by far better than Polish ones (there were some ridiculous mistakes in Polish translation).

So here's that. I am truly sorry for rambling like a maniac again, but I'm forever grateful that I could pour that out and re-live it a little bit. Needless to say: I'm also very curious about your experiences and I'd love to read about them if you only have time to share.

#reply #rocketman #avocadotoastinspace #personal #long post #don't mind me

7 notes · View notes

streetlites · 6 years ago

Photo

“… In other news, protesters gathered outside of New Dawn Pharmaceuticals’ headquarters in Detroit, Michigan and in the UNAS capital of Consensus, to rally against the use of OE in children after the death of 8-year-old Rebecca Bright Saturday afternoon. Rebecca began to present biotic abilities earlier this month and was prescribed the controversial suppressant by her pediatrician. New Dawn spokesperson, Ralph Lundgren, issued a statement this morning stating…”

“Cancel news feed,” Yulian commanded from his spot at the dining table and the house fell back into its quiet, sleepy Sunday morning state.

I took a moment to pass over the security logs, my nails tapping at the small glass panel affixed to my wrist. Vera had left the house before we arrived and had checked in at the range – she’d been spending a lot of time at my office working or practicing at the range ever since she’d revoked Gene’s son’s house access. I nodded in satisfaction – not because I didn’t like the boy, but because I didn’t feel like their future paths aligned. Now that the two of them had broken up, she’d spend more time focusing on college or with working directly with The Brotherhood when she moved to San Myshuno.

I scrolled further, Abram was still out on the Future Leader’s retreat in Consensus and his flight wouldn’t be in until later tonight. And Aleksei? Arrived at the compound at 11:30PM last night ‘with guest’. I could feel my eyes rolling – I had told the boys how I felt about not naming their ‘guests’ at the gate. I sent a surveillance request to the guard house and tapped my foot impatiently while I waited on a response as the coffee pot gurgled at the end of its brewing process.

“Call Tomas LaChance,” Yulian’s voice sounded again. “No, no, cancel. Not Thomas Laitance, you stupid thing. Call Tomas LaChance,” he repeated, heavily stressing his broker’s first name.

My wrist beeped as I poured the coffee into my cup. I put the carafe back on the warmer and swiped to get a look at my son’s ‘guest’ and was annoyed to see the tint on his windshield prevented me from getting a good look at her face – whoever she was, I was relieved to see that it was not Geneva White.

“Tomas? Yes, good morning – glad to have caught you. Listen, I want you to buy as many shares of New Dawn Pharmaceuticals you can get your hands on Monday afternoon.” I turn to watch my husband as he stares blankly, idly picking on a croissant as he listens to the man on the other line. “Yes, I heard the news. Mmm-hmm, very sure.” He nods, even though there’s no video feed, “Monday afternoon. Let me know if you need more funds sent to my account. No – not through Volkov Enterprises, through my personal account. Yes, thank you, Tomas. You, too.”

I watch as he taps his wrist. It’s strange the cues you learn when people are disconnected from their comm devices – how their faces seem to reanimate as they bring their attention on the world around them, a sharp focus to their eyes – some people these days seemed to just stay attached to their comms, always staring off into the distance. “Are you sure that’s wise? I saw Senator Obrigada calling for a review on suppressants.”

“Of course, love. New Dawn holds the patent, there’s no generics available.”

“You’re not worried about a ban?”

Yulian sips his coffee, “No. Some biotic will lose their shit in public a few months from now and everyone will demand that biotics should be on suppressants again. It’s easy money.”

I nod, “Makes sense.” I hear a door opening upstairs and place my coffee cup on the table, fully expecting to get a good look at my son and his sleepover friend.

“Right. But I’d like the price to be driven down pretty low. Do you think you could convince your contact at SBS to push for a sob-piece on the little girl? I mean, really drive it home? School pictures, aspirations, that sort of thing?”

“I’m sure they’re probably already working on it, but I can pass her more information. I can see what I can do to make them drop it tonight and keep on it until –“ I stop at the sight of my son. I can see Yulian’s head swivel towards the pair in my peripheral and he lets out a low whistle.

“Good morning, mother. Father,” Alex says, lacking any sort of embarrassment to being seen escorting a girl from his room this early in the morning. Yulian is wearing a shit-eating grin, it stinks of something that he set into motion. “This is –“

“Yasmin Feng,” I finish. I know goddamn well who the fuck she is. “Good morning, Yasmin.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Volkov,” she says, her voice is sugary sweet. That’s her appeal, her method of getting information – sweet and innocent looking, no one thinks twice about telling her things they wouldn’t tell others.

“I wasn’t aware you and Aleksei knew each other.”

“Well,” Alex starts.

“We didn’t, ma’am. Vera introduced us to one another,” Yasmin finishes and I can feel my heartbeat slow to a crawl. I bring my gaze and look over my son carefully. Apparently, he had taken his break-up with Geneva harder than I had thought.

“Yeah, we went out last night and really hit it off,” Alex explains.

“I can see that,” Yulian quips, but I don’t see the humor in it.

“Does Aleksei know about your upcoming trip?”

“He does, I told him about it.”

“Yeah, mom. It’s cool. We’ve decided that we’re just going to hang out until she leaves. Which works out because Abram and I will be leaving to go to Willow Creek, you know? Nothing major.” I narrow my eyes at my son ‘All of your children are about to leave the house and you’ll have to coordinate security over long distances – no big deal, mom!’ The idiot. Yasmin smiles brightly up at my son as he half-hugs her.

“Well, don’t let us keep you,” my husband says, still grinning like a fool. “Go on and have fun, we’ll see you later.” We watch the two of them disappear down the hall leading to the garage and, presumably out of earshot, before he clears his throat. “You didn’t seem particularly happy about seeing her with Alex.”

“I’m not. I expressly told Vera I was planning on introducing her to Abram.”

“Well, I’m sorry. I asked Vera to hook him up with someone.”

“Vera could have set him up with anyone. Yasmin would have been a great match for Abram, her father is the Chinese ambassador to the UNAS and her mother used to work on the Systems Alliance council. But, more importantly, I wanted Yasmin to keep Abram in line.” And if Vera stepped in and put Yasmin with Aleksei, I sighed. It was a sign that my son was having issues with his future obligations.

Yulian looks up at me with annoyance, “What do you mean, ‘in line’? I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to meddle.”

“And I haven’t been meddling,” I snap, “Look how great that’s been going! I expect Abram to try to distance himself from us the moment he graduates. You know how he’s always gone on about becoming a politician,” Yulian scoffs and I shrug my shoulders. “Which is fine with me if it’s appearances only, but I expect him to help us pass things when we need it. Yasmin knows how to control people, knows how to speak to them. She’d point him in whatever direction I want him to go.”

“Well, she could always do that later,” my husband replies, not understanding why I was unhappy.

“She can’t – because if Vera set her up with Alex, it means that she thinks that Alex is the one that we should focus on keeping on track.”

Yulian takes a moment to consider my words, probably thinking back to the time when he also didn’t want to take the reins of the Volkov family. “Oh, fuck. Do you think that’ll work with Alex?”

“So now you’re okay with my ‘meddling’?” I ask sarcastically. My husband smiles apologetically. “I don’t know if that’ll work with Alex – I think he’ll head it because he’s obligated to either way. Vera might just be sending us a message discreetly.”

Yulian sighs, “I know he’ll do it out of obligation, but I don’t want my son to be miserable his entire life. How can we make him want this?”

“Get your grandfather to talk to him. I’ll try and see if there’s anything I can link him up with in Willow Creek that’ll catch him.”

#ts4 #ts4story #gen 8: whatever - do you have any idea how long it took me to come up with fault lines?!#fault lines #i like to imagine yulian and emilia growing older and threatening newer more user friendly electronics for not being familiar #i need to upload the last couple of story posts to wp... ugggggh #someone tell me how much they like pillowfort because eventually things will get spicey and i want a shitfree zone to do it in #i had to take out a picture three posts ago but there wasn't anything showing! tumblrbot is hallucinating!#FLA CHRONO #ts4legacy

25 notes · View notes

solarbird · 6 years ago

Link

"I don't get their whole dynamic," Sombra said, watching the site through one of the multiband cameras she'd left behind, hidden. "Not from what you've told me. She's apparently been trying to kill him since that old Overwatch HQ blew up, and now they're best buds again, all at once?"

Gabriel managed a tiny bit of a laugh, over comms. He worried that this was not enough distance - the fiction of separation became awfully small, this close to a shared target. But, well, here we are. "She's always been a bit ruthless."

"That's pretty damn ruthless, amigo. And that's coming from me. I have done some shit."

"She has!" Lena agreed.

Laticia sat, with Gabe, listening to the voices - disguised on her and Gabe's end, not maybe not enough. She... the way she talks... who did you used to be, chica?

"It's an asset," Reyes said, "in the military. At least, to a point. You do what has to be done to accomplish the mission."

"I guess I'm not very military, then," the hacker replied.

"You're right, though," Gabe continued. "She has to have some sort of plan here. Any guesses what it might be, team?"

"Maybe.. she's going to ground? And trying to talk Jack into going along?" Angela hoped, on the far side, as Widowmaker shook her head, dismissing the notion.

"No," Gabriel nodded his head, from his side of the canyon, unseen. "She's always had contingency plans." He snorted. "You should've seen her this one time in Italy - little part of Venice called Rialto. We were holed up in this restaurant, waiting for extraction, with damn near every omnic trooper in the world coming down on us us..."

Is that the same Rialto that Jesse's talked about? the hacker desperately wanted to know, but would not ask. "What'd she do?"

"Noticed the kitchen was propane and turned the entire building into a giant shaped charge, aimed right at the primary force. Saved us all."

He paused, letting the moment sit.

"She wasn't always like this. Neither of them were. It's been a while but... we were friends, once. Real friends."

"You're really hoping you can talk her down, aren't you?"

"Of course," he admitted. "If I can. Jack..."

"Nope," Venom said, flatly.

"I know that, Venom," Gabriel said. "I get it. As I said, Jack, by contrast, is a clear and present danger, and... we're going along with doing it your way. It's not my first time in the field."

"Y'know," the hacker said, "If we can't get her to cough up all the copies of the video..."

Attention in both vehicles turned to Sombra's voice. "Go on," Amélie urged.

"What if we just... hold her for a while. Get the best copy from her we can, and start dumping altered versions on conspiracy theory sites."

"You know some good ones?" Laticia asked, poking.

"I know all the good ones," Sombra shot back, and Laticia smiled, a suspicion supported.

Sombra hopped up, out of her seat in the back of the transport, and started pacing back and forth in the low-ceilinged space, thinking about the video, her footsteps audible on the link. "The videos, though, right? It's not that she has 'em, it's that they're real. So we make 'em fake. Bad. Like, really bad. And some of 'em good. Maybe the first one. Make one of 'em what actually happened, but with Tracer edited out first and then edited back in, with, maybe, slightly fucked up lighting, and some paste effects you don't notice until you get in close. Looks real, at first, but then doesn't, when checked. Underlay somebody else under Tracer, then put Tracer back on top, leaving a little fringe."

"Dirty the water," Gabe muttered, thinking.

"Yeah, amigo, exactly, right? No, better. Change the question. Get them going, 'this isn't really Tracer, so who is it really - and who's behind it?'"

"Oh," Gabe said, a smile in his voice. "I like that."

"Then maybe some meme versions, right? Making fun of the original. Have Tracer turn into an omnic, or into that gamer from Korea, or Bowser, or," she laughed, "or a chibi version of your friend, Winston. Something like that."

Lena laughed and laughed and laughed. "Seriously?"

"Absolutely!" Sombra said, getting excited by her own idea. "By the time the real one comes out - if it ever does - our fake version of the real one will have been out so long that nobody will give it a second glance! It's just another refinement, you know?"

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around," the Widowmaker said, a small grin across her face.

"Old-style psyop, straight up. Active measures, they used to call it, back before the Omnic Crisis," Gabriel mused, calculating, trying to weigh against his own confirmation bias, wanting so much for it to be enough. "...it could work."

"We should check in with, uh," Venom said, not finishing the sentence. "You know. See what they think. Get their buy-off, 'cause we'd need them to, you know."

Amélie hummed her agreement. "I think I agree. Yes. Venom, that will be for you."

Lena groaned a little at the thought of having to call Overwatch, but couldn't deny her wife was correct. "Mind you," she said, carrying on, "we need t'get them apart before we can do anything." The younger assassin looked back to her drawings of the layout. "Got t'get an original of that video."

"Peel Ana off from Jack. Yeah." Gabriel acknowledged the point. "Tricky, though. If you wound him, and the doc's suppressor field isn't effective - no offense, Teufel -"

"None taken," the Swiss German said, waving off his worry of insult. "It is still highly experimental work."

"...he might... absorb her."

"Or, he may do something more conventional, but still particularly rash," Widowmaker added. "Or she might. It is difficult to tell."

"Gabe and I found a bunch of proximity alarms," Delgado reminded the teams. "Most of 'em were dead, like the ones you found. Maybe we trip one, maybe he comes out by himself, or she does, to check it."

"And either way, then we grab 'er, that what you're saying?" Venom asked. "And the other party goes after whoever doesn't come out."

"Seemed like worth a try," Laticia said, a little defensively. "I mean, she's a sniper..."

"It's not a bad thought, luv. I like it." She grinned to herself. "And, depending on how th' dice roll, we might both get a shot."

-----

"I heard it," Jack grumbled from the couch, resting after working out. He really needed to get to those outer alarms. He knew local wildlife had tripped half of them - that every alert had just been one more false positive - but the situation had become more serious, now. "Probably another chupacabra. Every time one of those alarms gets triggered it's some damn animal or another."

"Perhaps," Ana said, frowning, dismayed a little at his casualness. "But I will check."

"No," the soldier said, rousing himself out of his torpor, feeling more out of joint than ever. Usually, workouts helped, but not as much today. "No. You cover me, while I go out." He shook himself out, trying to rally himself, physically. It worked, to a degree. "And... when I ghost... don't freak."

That much, at least, is wise, she thought, as she picked up her rifle, got into position, and nodded.

In the trees surrounding the small cabin, Venom sat, watching. "He's comin' out," she said, with a predatory grin, "and he's alone. Checking the door..."

"They are rightly suspicious," Widowmaker added. "Ana is..." She activated her helmet. "She is covering him, from inside. Do not underestimate her, even now."

"I've seen her shoot," Laticia chimed in. "I won't."

"Shit," Gabe said, "he's ghosted." They'd let the field generator untriggered, not wanting to tip Jack off, Angela and Venom both suspecting he could feel its effects. "Teufel, hit the trap!"

"Activated," Angela replied. "Is he..."

"Fuck!" Lacitica said. "Where'd he go? I saw him, I saw his cloud, then.... where the hell did he..."

"I do not have him in my sights," Widowmaker growled, frustrated. "How? How could he...?"

"I'm goin' in," Venom spat, through clenched teeth. "He's somewhere, but he's not here. We get Ana, maybe he comes back for her."

"Go. I have her in my sights - let us make sure she knows."

The single shot smashed the window, the bullet deflected as she'd anticipated, missing the Egyptian sniper. As the older woman spun to track back the shot and respond with one of her own, Venom teleported behind her, and with one blow, knocked her to the ground, dazed but not out. Ana's hand dove into her cloak for her knockout pistol, and the Talon assassin grabbed it as she did, the two wrestling, briefly, before the gun fired, once, into the wall, and a second time, into the Egyptian woman's shoulder.

"Sorry, mum," Lena said smirking, as the older woman's consciousness faded. "Not this time."

-----

Jack Morrison floated, sightless, enraged, a diffuse mass, spreading, uncontrolled.

He'd felt himself scatter, when the trap triggered. He'd felt himself fly apart, the thinnest mist, held together for now, barely, buffeted by the breeze - how, he didn't know.

But he could hear. Vibrations in the air also vibrated what was left of him, and somehow, whatever network held him together, that still - barely - let him still think, also let him understand sound. He heard the Widowmaker's shot; he heard the glass shatter; he heard the sound of Venom teleporting, he heard a scuffle, he heard two shots, and he heard Ana fall, unknowing what it all meant.

And then, as he drifted away, he heard Venom's shout.

"Y'STILL OUT THERE, Y'MONSTROUS FUCK? WE'VE GOT 'ER, NOW."

"YOU WANT 'ER BACK?"

"COME GET HER!"

#overwatch #overwatch au #widowtracer #talon!tracer #talon!mercy #deep background symmbra but it's there #old soldiers #fear of spiders #lena venom oxton #venom #amélie lacroix #widowmaker #sombra #laticia delgado (oc)#gabriel reyes #gabriel reyes is not reaper #pharmercy #ana amari #jack morrison

8 notes · View notes

ua-monoma · 6 years ago

Text

.NHK LIVE BROADCAST

january 8 | 10:30am

Yuki: Good morning, viewers, and welcome to NHK Live. As I'm sure many of you are aware by now, the League of Villains released a lengthy video this morning that included footage of the mysterious attack on U.A. as well as what appears to be the torture of the Number Two Hero, Hawks. Joining us today is Monoma Neito: an individual whose family was mentioned by Hawks' attacker himself in his first ever interview regarding the matter---an NHK exclusive for all our viewers.

[The camera pans to reveal the guest, while keeping the news host within the frame.]

Yuki: Good morning, Monoma-san. It's an honor to have you here with us today to answer all the questions that the public has.

[Pale-faced even under all the make-up, Monoma only manages a weak smile, nodding his head just so.]

Monoma: Thank you. It's... a honor to be here.

[His smile falters and he glances down at his lap, hands starting to fidget as he sits.]

Yuki: Glad to hear that, glad to hear that. Let's speak more... generally first, shall we? The events at U.A. were, I'm sure, a traumatizing event for all of the students involved. Can you start by giving us your personal account about what really happened that fateful morning?

[Monoma nods at that, unsure.]

Monoma: I mean, you all saw what happened. I don't know how much I should say. ... What really happened...

[He looks off, off-camera, something catching his gaze that makes him frown slightly.]

Monoma: ... Well. I woke up, and I was in handcuffs. I think near everyone did, even if they were't necessarily targeted. And... well...

[Yuki nods intently during each of Monoma's pauses---an attempt to look sincere while encouraging him to elaborate.]

Yuki: Well...? What were you feeling in those moments? Take us through a little bit of your thought process.

Monoma: My thought process?... I wasn't really thinking about much. I thought it was a prank, honestly. It was kind of annoying, kind of funny. More annoying than funny. I was in a different room than I'd gone to bed in so that was kind of... funny. I'm sorry, I'm rambling, I don't know. It really wasn't all that interesting, how the day started-

Yuki: So what you're saying is that you initially thought that the greatest attack to ever be conducted on U.A. soil was a prank and that your first emotions of the day were those of humor.

[The interviewer nods once, leaning in a little closer to Monoma.]

Yuki: But what about when you realized that it wasn't a prank? [A pause. Some sympathy shines through in her eyes.] I know that a lot of this can be difficult to talk about, but these are things that the nation---no. The world needs to hear so that we can rally our police officers and professional heroes together to prevent something like this from happening again. And I'm sure you're well-aware of that, aren't you, Monoma-san?

[She shoots a subtle glance to someone off-screen.]

[Monoma only grows paler at how that sounds, desperately trying to interrupt as she speaks.]

Monoma: That's- that's not what I--

[Falling quiet again, his teeth grits and he bows his head, shoulders shaking slightly.]

Monoma: Of course. I'm sorry. I really am trying. I really didn't think-... It was... Someone had impersonated my friend. Someone with a shapeshifter quirk. They came into my room and I...

[He pauses, biting his lip raw, his eyes starting to shine from the memory.]

Monoma: I suppose I fell for it...

[Yuki puts what appears to be a gentle hand on his shoulder.]

Yuki: That must have been difficult, I'm sure.

[She keeps her hand there and waits for him to respond, expecting him to continue.]

[He flinches, just slightly.]

Monoma: The others had it worse, I think. I really only think of that. And how... maybe I should have been more perceptive, and then I wouldn't have-... I woke up after, the videos didn't show that. But I got free and I helped with what I could until the authorities managed to get on campus. I really did what I could.

Yuki: I'm sure that you did... Now, about how long would you estimate it took for authorities to arrive on the scene?

[Another long pause as he bites hard at his lip, clearly more nervous than he was only seconds ago.]

Monoma: I... I don't know. I never really was paying attention to the time. Maybe an hour? It all happened really fast, everything happened... really fast...

[She nods in response.]

Yuki: Yes, I can imagine... And so before the authorities arrived, what was it like on the scene? You mentioned that you were freed, but how did that come to happen?

Monoma: Um. Another student found me and woke me up. He had keys - to the handcuffs, I mean - and handed them to me so I could pass them off to other people once I'd been freed myself.

[The tension seems to ease in him just slightly once they're on this topic.]

Monoma: We pretty much did what we could as heroes in training to access the sitution and save each other. Keep each other stable while we waited.

Yuki: I see, I see...

[She turns to face the camera directly.]

Yuki: For those of you who are just tuning in, I'm here with Monoma Neito: one of the survivors of the U.A. attack and an individual who was mentioned by name in the footage released this morning. According to Monoma-san, U.A. students---who moved to the campus in order to be protected---were left defenseless and alone, scrambling to save themselves and their peers for approximately an hour before any professionals even arrived on scene. Not only that, but it seems that the people who attacked U.A. are able to mimic the actions of our loved ones in order to use our own emotions against us. It’s a dangerous time for our country indeed.

[She takes a moment to shoot the camera a silent, somber look.]

Yuki: This all becomes even more daunting when the only statements given to the public regarding the matter showcase that the school administration has made little to no progress with what must have become a private investigation of the attack. In fact, it seems as though there is a lot of in-fighting within the U.A. administration itself...but I suppose we’ll get more into that during the U.A. press conference later this week.

[Her attention returns to Monoma as she prepares to ask the next question.]

Yuki: Speaking of some of the professionals, there's one in particular that many people are now connecting you to---Hawks. In the footage released this morning, he seemed to take on a very defensive role when your name was mentioned. Could you please explain to us your relationship with the Number Two Hero?

[Monoma only slumps a little in his chair as she talks, hair hiding most of his expression as he quietly listens, though he looks... defeated, the spitting image of the gritty videos of before. He only really perks up as she directs her voice to him again, though the question itself only elicits a sheer look of horror on his face.]

Monoma: I--

[He glances straight towards the cameras, searching for- something. He looks panicked, fingers fidgetting.]

Monoma: No, I can't. I don't know why I was- why he said that. I've never really... I don't talk to him. Really. The only class he's ever been interested in was 1-A's, is what I thought, I've never been close to him-

[He's rambling now, babbling, clearly unable to really stop-]

[Yuki's eyes narrow as she struggles to make sense of Monoma's words.]

Yuki: So you're saying that you've met Hawks but you never thought he was interested in you? [She keeps her skeptical eyes trained on him as she continues.] The audio is very clear when the Monoma name is brought up... So are you insinuating that you're the wrong Monoma to be speaking to...?

Monoma: I haven't met him. I've-

[He grimaces, desperate.]

Monoma: I've been around him, maybe. I don't know. There's social media, he's popular online. I- I don't know if I'm the wrong-

[He looks frantically out over the cameras again.]

Monoma: I mean, he's a hero, all heroes tend to work with my family at some point. I don't know. I don't know why he said my name. I'm not trying to insinuate anything-

[She leans towards him once more, eyes narrowed.]

Yuki: This is a simple question, Monoma-san: do you or do you not have a personal relationship with the Number Two Hero, Hawks?

[Freezing a little, he just stares at her, stricken.]

Monoma: .. No.

[Yuki leans back in her chair, obviously perplexed. She manages a pointed look at someone off-screen before continuing.]

Yuki: I see... I suppose we'll have to arrange interviews with... Other members of the Monoma family then---to help set the record straight.

[A pause.]

Yuki: But regardless, it wasn't Hawks that brought up your name in the first place---the Number Two Hero only reacted to it, and I suppose he could have simply done so due to a hero's naturally protective nature... The real question I should have asked is if you recognize that man...

[She straightens up in her chair as she addresses the camera directly.]

Yuki: Earlier this morning, police were able to identify and arrest the individual responsible for Hawks' torture. Let's watch some of that never-before-seen footage now, shall we?

[On the screen behind Yuki and Monoma, a clip plays from outside the Midoriya family apartment. A middle-aged woman is being held back by police as she cries out for what viewers can assume to be her son. The boy in question looks wide-eyed with confusion as the cops lead him into a car.]

Yuki: Monoma-san... Do you recognize this man? [The clip brings upon a palpatable reaction from him, as his mouth literally drops open as he watches Midoriya's mother be held back away from his child.]

Monoma: Midoriya...-kun...?

[Some sort of recognition appears in his eyes before he shakes his head, stammering out.]

Monoma: Wh-what is this, you... you arrested him...!? How-- how did you-

[She smiles.]

Yuki: Ah, so you do know him! Wonderful! [She claps her hands together with glee.] While NHK obviously isn't responsible for this arrest, we're more than happy to tell you that the vile man who clearly tortured pro hero Hawks is now in police custody. Monoma-san, please, elaborate on your relationship with the arrested felon, Midoriya Izuku. [Monoma just keeps shaking his head before a hand reaches up, fisting a little into his hair.]

Monoma: No, no, you don't understand. That- that's- He's just a classmate of mine...! He-...

[He trails off, focus seeming to suddenly drift as he thinks.]

Monoma: ... It's hard to think that he could be capable of such a thing. It's really- it's really hard to believe. ...

[His hand leaves his hair, folding into his lap as he chews on his lip.]

Monoma: ... I really don't think the shapeshifter was caught, though. Who was at the attack. So. So I think it should be considered that maybe, maybe they are just... framing him... and that the police just have the wrong guy. Because while we may have had our differences-

[He winces, immediately acknowledging his words as a mistake.]

Monoma: I can't come to terms with the thought that he could ever hurt someone in that way... It's too hard to believe. Yuki: Your differences, you say?

[It's clear that her interest has been piqued as she leans towards him once more.]

Yuki: While I suppose it's possible that the shapeshifter was framing Midoriya Izuku, let's suppose that that isn't the case---let's say that it really was Midoriya Izuku who kidnapped the Number Two Hero, tied him to a chair, and tortured him for the whole world to see... In the footage, he mentions that he, and I quote, "made you stronger"... Is there any possible way that your classmate might have done that to you? [Monoma grits his teeth, suddenly and visibly frustrated.]

Monoma: No. I don't know what that means. Clearly, he's a lunatic and-- I don't know. Maybe a reference to our classes, if it's really him. We've had to fight in class before. That's it, that's all I can imagine it was about. [Yuki blinks in surprise at the sudden change in his tone.]

Yuki: Wow... It seems like there's a lot of... animosity between you two, huh? [A pause.] So you're suggesting the possibility that U.A. is not only failing to protect its students---the shining ray of hope for the next hero generation---but that they're also pitting students together in a toxic atmosphere that may very well cause certain individuals to develop... "lunatic"-like behavior. Interesting... Very interesting indeed...

[She straightens up in her chair once more and turns to address the camera. As she does so, the frame adjusts so that Monoma is no longer pictured on-screen.]

Yuki: And there you have it, folks: not only is U.A.---the supposed "number one" school for future heroes---failing to protect its students---our children---but they're also crafting a dangerously competitive atmosphere that breeds and promotes unhealthy behavior, unqualified staff, and a lack of ability to do what they claim to be great at doing: saving others. In this morning's interview with Monoma Neito, we've gained insight on how their students were practically abandoned by their teachers for an entire hour during the November attack; how they've possibly driven poor, fledgling hero, Midoriya Izuku, to absolute insanity...

[She shakes her head, solemnly.]

Yuki: These are dark times that are facing our country... And as citizens, all we can do is rally together and insist that our heroes do better, insist that they do their jobs and return peace back to this society... insist that they assemble all of their resources and focus them on discovering the identity of the "mystery man" that supposedly spearheaded this attack on U.A. and have him arrested---at the least.

Yuki: ........ This is Kashimoto Yuki, signing off.

#[[ GOD THIS WAS SO MUCHSKDFJBGSDFJGDBGSJDFBGDJGDJSLSKJDF ]]#[[ shout-out to the lovely jess for writing for yuki who is the bane of mine and monoma's existence atm jfbgsjg ]]#monoma.docx #infamy.arc

9 notes · View notes