#sorry its not a super interesting answer but other than a sentimental new years he doesnt really celebrate anything

[deerspherestudios]

Would Mycheal accept a Christmas with Mc if he explained how it works? preparing food, decorating, gifts, living together, burning firecrackers, etc., would Mycheal accept?

Of course!

And to that point, he'd be happy to celebrate anything that's meaningful to you: your birthday, your religion, your culture; if you invite him to celebrate it with you, he'd happily do it even if he doesn't understand it most of the time.

He doesn't really get it the way we do but as long as he sees you being excited for it, he's down for anything!

[dancingintheraindreamingonday]

The greatest miracle is love - Chapter 8

Author’s note: Just one more chapter and the story will end (like the series 😰). Thanks again for everyone who’s reading my story. And don’t forget: English is not my mother tongue 😛

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

As you left the plane in Latvia you are greeted by none other than Bruce Banner himself. „What are you doing here?“, your eyes are widened by surprise. 

„Well…“, he grins with his huge mouth. „I got a call from Pepper who got a call from him.“ He points to Bucky. „Heard what they did. How are you feeling?“

„I’m good. No worries. The serum didn’t effect me that much.“, you look intensively at Banner.

„Thats good but I can’t remember you having a degree in medicine. Oh and I’ve got another surprise for you.“ Bruce steps aside and what you see makes your heart jump. 

You let Bucky’s hand go and make weak steps forward. Bucky watches you worriedly, afraid that you might just collapse. And you do. You fall on your knees but not because of your strength but to be on the same high as the boy who runs into your outstretched arms. „My baby.“, you coo as you cradle your son in your arms. 

Zemo observes this scene carefully as he steps next to Bucky. „Ah…family, something so special and yet so fragile.“ Bucky doesn’t respond but Zemo can see how tightly he clenches his jaw. Smirking because he knew that he got under Bucky’s skin he says. „We really need to go. Cant waste our time with this.“

Bucky walks to you and Alex and lays his right hand on your shoulder. „I’ve got to go.“

You turn around and get up from the ground. „Be careful.“

„I’ll come back to you…to you both. I promise.“

„Don’t make promises you cant keep.“ And with that you take Alex’ hand and leave the airport with Banner. And Bucky leaves the airport as well. 

~*~*~

„I didn’t know you had a lab in Latvia.“ You ask Banner. 

„I don’t.“ He chuckles. „But they can’t deny a request I made. I think they are a bit scared of me.“ He laughs loudly. 

You lay down. A doctor took a blood sample to check how the serum affected you. Alex sits next to you on a chair reading or rather looking at the pictures of a small book. 

„So. I’ve got the results and no worries all is fine.“ Banner walks into the room with several papers in his hands. „The antidote I’ve given you when you were pregnant with Alex is still in your system. It’s part of your DNA, so you are immune to the super soldier serum.“ 

You remember how difficult the pregnancy with Alex was. He was a super soldier baby but you were just normal and almost unable to survive. But Bruce and Tony developed an antidote for the serum and because of that Alex is a normal healthy boy. 

„And there’s something else and I think congratulations are in order. The baby is all healthy. So don’t worry about it.“

You look away from Alex and into Banners big eyes. „NO! I’m not pregnant. I lost the baby. I felt it. On the morning I got abducted I bled. I…thought I lost it.“

Bruce’s eyes soften. „Don’t know. But the results are clear. You are pregnant.“

„Again? I really need to attend a sex education class. Seems like I need to learn more about protection.“ You smirk but in the inside you’re screaming. „Thanks Bruce. For being such a great doctor.“ You thanked him and he leaves you to maybe enjoy the news.

James promised to come back to you and Alex but not to another kid. Your current feelings resemble the feelings 5 years ago. The happiness and the sadness. You will be alone in this but that’s okay. Tony taught you how to be a mother, he taught you to be a strong woman. 

„Is there a baby in your tummy?“ Alex’ soft voice interrupts the dark thoughts you had. 

„Yes. There is a baby in my tummy.“ You answer, lifting the blanket so that Alex can crawl into your bed. You caress his dark hair mindlessly. „You’re gonna be a big brother.“ 

„Will dad come home?“ You gulp not really knowing what so say. „You know that your dad is a superhero. He rescues people all the time. Thats not an easy job so he can’t be with us as much as he wants to. But he loves you. More than you can imagine.“

„And the baby? Does he love it too?“

„Of course my love. He loves it but for now this will be our little secret, okay?“

~*~*~

Bucky keeps his promise and comes back to you and Alex. But it is a strange situation and yet so comforting. Bucky didn’t talk much and so does Alex. Sometimes they just lay on the couch reading a book or in case of Alex doodling.They enjoy the presence of the other without the need of talking. 

„I need to visit Sam and bring him the suitcase.“, says James one night as you both lay on the hard floor. „Okay.“, you trail small circles on his stomach while looking at the ceiling. „You can join me. You and Alex.“

„A road trip? That sounds interesting.“ Bucky doesn’t know how to feel. He’s with you but you seem so distant which irritates him. Isn’t that what you wanted? Did your feelings for him change? But he doesn’t know what else to say.

The next day you, James and Alex are on their way to Sam’s home.

„Is Miss Atomic bomb still your favorite song?“, Bucky asks you softly. „Yeah. It always make me cry. I get so sentimental about this.“, you chuckle.

„Why didn’t you give Sam the money for his boat?“, you ask James as stretch your arms outside the window. „What money?“, he asks surprisedly. „The money in our bank account?“, you laugh. „It’s yours and not mine. I don’t spend money that isn’t mine“, he mumbles. „Well it’s not mine either. It’s Tony’s. A fair split between Morgan, Pepper, me and maybe even the kid Peter.“

„Have you read the letter yet?“. On Tony’s funeral Pepper gave you a letter. The answer of the question whether you are his child or not. But you were scared to open it. „No, not yet. Pepper told me that he never read the test results but he was like a father to me. And I like the idea of that. But what if he isn’t my father. All the problems and pain I caused him…for nothing. I will open the letter one day but not  now.“ Bucky caress your leg while driving. „Giving Sam the money he need is a really good idea.“, he smiles.

„Tell me about the argument you had with Steve.“ Bucky asks you after a while. The silence in the car makes him rather uncomfortable because it seems so unlike you. Road trips in Wakanda always resulted in you singing along to every song on the radio. You are surprised that he knows about it.

„Sharon told me.“

„Of course she did. Do you really wanna know? I was horrible to Steve.“ But you remember the fight like it happened yesterday:

You were packing your things to join Clint on his mission. Alex who was a small baby slept silently on your bed. „Why are you so angry with me?  I just want to help you. I promised Bucky to take care of you.“ Steve stormed into your room not understanding why you want to leave the compound. You stopped with packing as you turned around. „What about me? What about the promise you gave me? You promised me that you make sure he survives but he didn’t. You are here and he is not. You failed, Steve. But that’s what you do, isn’t it? When it comes to my husband you always fail. You failed him when he fell off the train, you failed him in Bucharest and you failed him in Wakanda.“ Steve looked like he just got slapped. „I’m deeply sorry, (y/f/n). I know how you feel. When I lost Peggy..“ You interrupted him. „Don’t you dare to compare my marriage with James with your crush on Peggy. Never. What I had with James was real. With its ups and downs and love, and tears, and sex and laughs. Don’t pretend that you know how I feel because you fucking don’t know how it feels when your heart gets ripped out and there’s nothing you can do about it.“ You screamed in anger. „I hate you. I hate the universe for choosing you over him.“, You took off your wedding ring and threw it to Steve. You take your backpack and a crying Alex in your arm and leave the room. Steve stood there for awhile not able to move. Eventually he kneeled down to pick up the small and golden wedding ring and read the engraving. „The greatest miracle is love.“

„Wow. That was tough.“, Bucky grins taking his eyes from the street. 

„Yeah. I was awful at this time.“ You hide your face behind your hands and giggle. „Luckily, Steve is such a nice guy and after I got the courage I apologized and now I’m a better person.“ The drive to Delacroix is relaxing. 

As you both arrive the city is milling with people. „Is this okay for you?“, Bucky asks which surprises you. „Yeah of course. Why wouldn’t it be?“

„You got abducted and you have nightmares. I’m worried.“ He looks into (y/e/c) eyes and caress your left cheek. „I’m fine. No worries.“ You fake a smile and instead of kissing Bucky you take a step back. „I think we should look for Sam. Does he even know we’re visiting?“ You hold Alex in your arms as Bucky takes the suitcase from Wakanda. 

~*~*~

You and Bucky sit in Sarah’s and Sam’s family garden enjoying the bonfire. „No wine for me.“ Sam knows that something is off. The test he saw in your house, the distance and the rejection of alcohol indicate only one thing. So he takes the chance when you went inside to freshen up. „You’re pregnant.“ It wasn’t a question. You nodded not knowing what else to say. „You need to tell him. The sooner the better.“

„It’s not that easy.“

„He loves you. Trust him.“, Sam comforts you. As you both walk outside he yells „Lets call it quits for tonight, Sarah. Lets leave the lovebirds alone for a sec.“ He winks at Bucky and before the leave the garden he turns around: “And no sex on my couch, understand?“

Lost in thought, you stare in the flames, knowing that the time to reveal comes closer. „Whats on your mind, my love?“ James’ voice is just a whisper. You look him into his beautiful eyes that mirror the flames. He looks vulnerable and almost scared. 

„There is something I need to tell you and I get scared shitless.“ You say after you took a deep breath. Your heart is hammering against your chest and you have difficulties to keep a steady voice.

„Are you breaking up with me?“

„No! Of course not but I want to give you an exit.“

„Is that a metaphor from this one series we watched?“ Bucky remembers a show where relationships are compared to freeways. „Tell me what’s going on.“

Like removing a bandaid: fast and with no hesitation, you whisper:

„I’m pregnant. I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this. You have to believe me. I know how you feel about it and I want to let you know that you can take the exit right now. You don’t have to be in this.“

Silence. Bucky doesn’t answer for a long time.

„Since when do you know?“

„I… uhm… a day before the kidnapping.“

„You knew all this time and you didn’t tell me earlier?“ You hear his disappointment in his voice. 

„Thats why they didn’t took Alex, right? You wanted to sacrificed yourself and the baby for Alex.

„I thought I lost the baby. They wanted to take Alex. They wanted to experiment with a super soldier boy. So I offered me.“ Silence again just the crackling of the bonfire.

„You not answering me tells me anything I need to know. It’s okay, James. I did it once by myself and I will do it again.“ And with that you turn around suppressing the tears when you realize you’re going to raise two kids by yourself. 

As you walk closer to the Wilson’s house a hand grabs you and turns you around. „I’m not letting you go again. I love you, (y/f/n). You can’t imagine how much I do. I’ll figure it out… how to be a dad. I want you. And I want this. I’m scared and nervous. But my love for you is greater than my fear.“

He kisses you passionately.

„But we really need to attend a sex education class.“, He chuckles as he hugs you tighter. 

Chapter 9

@inlovewith3 @jackiehollanderr @homesicam@dreamydreamerwriting @losers-club6 @gengen64@agentsofsheilds @crimson-darling @akkinda10 @xemine@bubblegumholland @chipilerendi @iamasimpingh0e @bbmommy0902 @madddiiee26 @teenagedreams-bucky @aya-fay @idontknowwhatthisisfam @w-wolfhxrd @useless-creature-213   @angywritesstuff @supernaturalcat7 @harrys-stan @geek-and-proud @pastel-boy-sungjae @austynparksandpizza @maxsaturdayhatesnarwhals @teenagedreams-bucky @auds24 @ah-blossom @supraveng @lady-loki-ren

[grand-theft-carbohydrates]

Stormbreaker Screenplay 2.0

Written to cope with my utter disappointment with the movie. 

INTRODUCTION.

Earlier that day… A smart leather briefcase makes its way down a hallway, attached to it is a man in a navy suit, he is middle-aged and unremarkable, one of those banker types, this is IAN RIDER.

The hallway is so stark and white it would not look out of place in a hospital. He walks past two people dressed in white HAZMAT suits. There is an elevator at the end of the hallway which has a both a card scanner, and a 7-digit-code. He punches in the code without even looking. As the elevator door closes, one HAZMAT SUIT turns, in one fluid, graceful motion, and watches him.

CUT TO…6:30pm in the evening, a street somewhere in CHELSEA… Two large, loutish figures swagger down the sidewalk, swearing and grunting. Wannabe thugs, teenagers in baggy clothes and too much hair jell. But in the darkness the effect is menacing, rather than ridiculous. They're drunk and bored, a volatile combination…

Something shiny catches their eye, it's a brand new racing bike parked outside a dairy. THUG #1 gives a low WOLF-WHISTLE, it's one hell of a bike, high-tech and silver, looking like something out of a Bond movie. They waste no time trying to cut the lock with their pocket knives.

A VOICE interrupts them: Um, excuse me?

The THUGS look up. This little blond kid steps out of the dairy. He's about fourteen years old and wearing a school uniform. In one hand his holds a Cornetto, in the other, a juice box. It's ALEX RIDER.

ALEX: Excuse me, but, um, that's my bike.

CUT TO…The briefcase and IAN RIDER goes through an arduous security check, involving x-rays, metal detectors and sniffer dogs. It seems that they are as concerned with who goes out as who comes in. IAN RIDER explains something to A MAN ON THE PHONE.

IAN RIDER: …Family emergency. No, nothing serious, I should be back by Monday.

CUT TO…A Cornetto lies melting on the pavement, beside it, a puddle of red, oozing from a flattened juice box. ALEX wets a napkin on his tongue and dabs ineffectually at a red stain on the front of his shirt. His tie is a little crooked, and a few strands of hair have fallen over his eyes. The prone and prostrate forms of the two THUGS can be seen lying on the ground behind him.

ALEX throws his ice-cream, juice-box and two confiscated pocket knives into a nearby rubbish bin, looking very pleased with himself. THUNDER rumbles in the distance, and suddenly it starts to rain, rather put-out by the weather ruining his cool moment, ALEX hops onto his bike and pedals home.

CUT TO…IAN RIDER climbs into a sleek, silver BMW. He is meticulous, making all manner of small adjustments before he drives. As the car speeds off we hear a phone call he makes off-screen. An odd, brusque phone call. He wastes no time on pleasantries.

IAN RIDER: This is Rider. I'll arrive back in London in three hours and thirty-seven minuets.

He hangs up, hesitates, and enters another number… but he doesn't dial, he just stares at the row of digits, his face inscrutable. A moment later and the phone is turned off and returned to it's holder.

Heavy purple clouds sit low on the horizon, the BMW files like silver arrow. Thunder rumbles in the distance, a storm is coming.

CUT TO…A warm, brightly lit kitchen, rain patters on the roof outside. A young red-headed woman, is preparing dinner to the beat of LOUD ROCK MUSIC. This is JACK STARBRIGHT, the housekeeper, she is 28 years old and American. If a hurricane could cook, it would look something like this. However, this is controlled chaos, and she is a skilled chef.

JACK: AL—EX!

ALEX'S muffled answer can be heard from downstairs, in the laundry room.

He is stripped to the waist and wearing a towel hat, scrubbing at his stained shirt with a Tide Pen. His head bobs to the beat of MUFFLED ROCK MUSIC. It is plain to see he is unusually fit and muscular for his age.

ALEX: JA—CK?

JACK: DINNER'S READY!

ALEX: COMING!

ALEX grabs some clean clothes and runs up the stairs two at a time. He emerges at the top, completely dressed in a new set of clothes, in the way movie magic. He runs through the living room, and then doubles back and runs through again, because he forgot to do a sock-slide across the hardwood floors. He barely misses a cabinet full of antiques. JACK can evidently see through walls…

JACK: Alex!

ALEX (innocently): …Jack?

JACK: I swear to god, if you break another plate, I'm putting you up for adoption…

ALEX: (He glances guiltily at a conspicuous gap on the top shelf) It was only an ugly one… If you ask me, I was doing the country a service!

JACK: Don't just stand there, set the table! And clear that junk away!

ALEX: Half of this is yours!

They dance around each other in a familiar routine, and settle down for their dinner of two. Alex puts food away like he's performing a magic trick, checks his phone, and plays with a football under the table, it's an impressive display of multitasking. He laughs at a text.

JACK: Uh-uh. If you choke to death doing that, don't come crying to me for help.

ALEX: Hey, you're on your phone too.

JACK: I'm a adult, I've earned this right. (she puts it away) So, how was your day?

ALEX: I've changed my mind, go back to your phone, you've earned it.

JACK: (She steals the football from him) Well?

ALEX: (trying to steal it back) Oh, super exciting. Let's see…A plane crashed on the field, Tom got mauled by a lion and Beyoncé performed in the cafeteria.

JACK: (laughing) Did they catch the lion?

ALEX: (steals back the ball) Well actually, Beyoncé rode off on it—

The doorbell rings.

ALEX: (He glances at the downpour outside). Man, Jehovah's witnesses…nothing puts them off.

The doorbell rings a second time.

JACK: Uh! I just sat down. Coming! Coming! Hold your horses!

JACK gets up to answer the door. Alex tries to eat, but he keeps glancing back up. Finally his curiosity gets the better of him and he jumps up.

CUT TO…JACK looks through the peep-hole. She sees something that makes her eyes widen in shock. Her hand trembles on the doorknob.

CUT TO …ALEX makes his way into the hallway.

CUT TO…. The door opens to reveal two uniformed police officers, collars turned up against the torrential rain. They take off their caps in unison and tuck them respectfully under their arms. Their postures stiff and unhappy.

OFFICER #1: Is this the residence of Mr. Ian Rider?

JACK: Yes.

OFFICER #2: Mrs. Rider?

JACK: No, I'm the housekeeper…what is it? What's happened?

CUT TO…ALEX hears their voices speaking in hushed and somber tones. Funeral voices. He catches a few stray words here and there. CAR CRASH… SLIPPERY ROADS… NOT WEARING A SEATBELT… SO SORRY…

There is a low throbbing sound in his ears that is slowly growing louder. When he is finally able to move again, it feels like he is walking underwater.

ALEX: Jack?

JACK: (in tears) Oh Alex! It's Uncle Ian… He's dead.

JACK hugs ALEX and the police come inside. The door closes. Outside the wind howls ever louder, sheets of rain lashes against the windows and LIGHTENING flashes in the distance. FADE TO BLACK. In the distance, THUNDER.

QUE MAIN TITLE: STORMBREAKER

END.

—

Notes:

I would like to thank AmberLily34567 for reviving my interest in this story.

- I'm trying to find a good balance between the high-energy, slightly over-the-top feeling of King's men, and the very dark tone of the book.

- Man, reading Alex Rider when your older vs when you're younger is such a trip… 12 yo me: WOW Alex is so cool and mature! 18 yo me: he's a BABY who the HELL thought this was a good idea. I'M CALLING CPS.

- A movie called Stormbreaker, without any storm imagery, seems like a wasted opportunity! Embrace those clichés!

SPOILERS ALERT

- The man in the HAZMAT SUIT is Yassen.

- Ian was shot somewhat close to London, and the storm covered up the gunshots. It was done by underlings, hence the sloppy job that left the car looking like Swiss cheese.

- Yassen kills Ian, but does not pull the trigger. That's how he justifies it.

- Ian had very bad luck. His actions made Yassen suspicious, but he might have survived, had he not resembled John so much…

- Ironically this resemblance is exactly what saves Alex…

- Ian entered Alex's number, in a moment of sentiment, because he knew that he might not make it out alive. In my interpretation, Ian genuinely loves Alex, and wanted to protect him, not just to make him the perfect spy. It makes their relationship far more painful and complicated.

[mini-james-bond]

Stormbreaker Screenplay 2.0

Written to cope with my utter disappointment with the movie. 

INTRODUCTION.

Earlier that day… A smart leather briefcase makes its way down a hallway, attached to it is a man in a navy suit, he is middle-aged and unremarkable, he could have been anyone, a banker, a lawyer or a businessman, but something about his brisk, purposeful movements and piercing gaze sets him apart. This is IAN RIDER.

The hallway is so stark and white it would not look out of place in a hospital. He walks past two people dressed in white HAZMAT suits. There is an elevator at the end of the hallway which has a both a card scanner, and a 7-digit-code. He punches in the code without even looking. As the elevator door closes, one HAZMAT SUIT turns, in one fluid, graceful motion, and watches him.

CUT TO…6:30pm in the evening, a street somewhere in CHELSEA… Two large, loutish figures swagger down the sidewalk, swearing and grunting. Wannabe thugs, teenagers in baggy clothes and too much hair jell. But in the darkness the effect is menacing, rather than ridiculous. They’re drunk and bored, a volatile combination…

Something shiny catches their eye, it’s a brand new racing bike parked outside a dairy. THUG #1 gives a low WOLF-WHISTLE, it’s one hell of a bike, high-tech and silver, looking like something out of a Bond movie. They waste no time trying to cut the lock with their pocket knives.

A VOICE interrupts them: Um, excuse me?

The THUGS look up. This little blond kid steps out of the dairy. He’s about fourteen years old and wearing a school uniform. In one hand his holds a Cornetto, in the other, a juice box. It’s ALEX RIDER.

ALEX: Excuse me, but, um, that’s my bike.

CUT TO…The briefcase and IAN RIDER goes through an arduous security check, involving x-rays, metal detectors and sniffer dogs. It seems that they are as concerned with who goes out as who comes in. IAN RIDER explains something to A MAN ON THE PHONE.

IAN RIDER: …Family emergency. No, nothing serious, I should be back by Monday.

CUT TO…A Cornetto lies melting on the pavement, beside it, a puddle of red, oozing from a flattened juice box. ALEX wets a napkin on his tongue and dabs ineffectually at a red stain on the front of his shirt. His tie is a little crooked, and a few strands of hair have fallen over his eyes. The prone and prostrate forms of the two THUGS can be seen lying on the ground behind him.

ALEX throws his ice-cream, juice-box and two confiscated pocket knives into a nearby rubbish bin, looking very pleased with himself. THUNDER rumbles in the distance, and suddenly it starts to rain, rather put-out by the weather ruining his cool moment, ALEX hops onto his bike and pedals home.

CUT TO…IAN RIDER climbs into a sleek, silver BMW. He is meticulous, making all manner of small adjustments before he drives. As the car speeds off we hear a phone call he makes off-screen. An odd, brusque phone call. He wastes no time on pleasantries.

IAN RIDER: This is Rider. I’ll arrive back in London in three hours and thirty-seven minuets.

He hangs up, hesitates, and enters another number… but he doesn’t dial, he just stares at the row of digits, his face inscrutable. A moment later and the phone is turned off and returned to it’s holder.

Heavy purple clouds sit low on the horizon, the BMW files like silver arrow. Thunder rumbles in the distance, a storm is coming.

CUT TO…A warm, brightly lit kitchen, rain patters on the roof outside. A young red-headed woman, is preparing dinner to the beat of LOUD ROCK MUSIC. This is JACK STARBRIGHT, the housekeeper, she is 28 years old and American. If a hurricane could cook, it would look something like this. However, this is controlled chaos, and she is a skilled chef.

JACK: AL—EX!

ALEX’S muffled answer can be heard from downstairs, in the laundry room.

He is stripped to the waist and wearing a towel hat, scrubbing at his stained shirt with a Tide Pen. His head bobs to the beat of MUFFLED ROCK MUSIC. It is plain to see he is unusually fit and muscular for his age.

ALEX: JA—CK?

JACK: DINNER’S READY!

ALEX: COMING!

ALEX grabs some clean clothes and runs up the stairs two at a time. He emerges at the top, completely dressed in a new set of clothes, in the way movie magic. He runs through the living room, and then doubles back and runs through again, because he forgot to do a sock-slide across the hardwood floors. He barely misses a cabinet full of antiques. JACK can evidently see through walls…

JACK: Alex!

ALEX (innocently): …Jack?

JACK: I swear to god, if you break another plate, I’m putting you up for adoption…

ALEX: (He glances guiltily at a conspicuous gap on the top shelf) It was only an ugly one… If you ask me, I was doing the country a service!

JACK: Don’t just stand there, set the table! And clear that junk away!

ALEX: Half of this is yours!

They dance around each other in a familiar routine, and settle down for their dinner of two. Alex puts food away like he’s performing a magic trick, checks his phone, and plays with a football under the table, it’s an impressive display of multitasking. He laughs at a text.

JACK: Uh-uh. If you choke to death doing that, don’t come crying to me for help.

ALEX: Hey, you’re on your phone too.

JACK: I’m a adult, I’ve earned this right. (she puts it away) So, how was your day?

ALEX: I’ve changed my mind, go back to your phone, you’ve earned it.

JACK: (She steals the football from him) Well?

ALEX: (trying to steal it back) Oh, super exciting. Let’s see…A plane crashed on the field, Tom got mauled by a lion and Beyoncé performed in the cafeteria.

JACK: (laughing) Did they catch the lion?

ALEX: (steals back the ball) Well actually, Beyoncé rode off on it—

The doorbell rings.

ALEX: (He glances at the downpour outside). Man, Jehovah’s witnesses…nothing puts them off.

The doorbell rings a second time.

JACK: Uh! I just sat down. Coming! Coming! Hold your horses!

JACK gets up to answer the door. Alex tries to eat, but he keeps glancing back up. Finally his curiosity gets the better of him and he jumps up.

CUT TO…JACK looks through the peep-hole. She sees something that makes her eyes widen in shock. Her hand trembles on the doorknob.

CUT TO …ALEX makes his way into the hallway.

CUT TO…. The door opens to reveal two uniformed police officers, collars turned up against the torrential rain. They take off their caps in unison and tuck them respectfully under their arms. Their postures stiff and unhappy.

OFFICER #1: Is this the residence of Mr. Ian Rider?

JACK: Yes.

OFFICER #2: Mrs. Rider?

JACK: No, I’m the housekeeper…what is it? What’s happened?

CUT TO…ALEX hears their voices speaking in hushed and somber tones. Funeral voices. He catches a few stray words here and there. CAR CRASH… SLIPPERY ROADS… NOT WEARING A SEATBELT… SO SORRY…

There is a low throbbing sound in his ears that is slowly growing louder. When he is finally able to move again, it feels like he is walking underwater.

ALEX: Jack?

JACK: (in tears) Oh Alex! It’s Uncle Ian… He’s dead.

JACK hugs ALEX and the police come inside. The door closes. Outside the wind howls ever louder, sheets of rain lashes against the windows and LIGHTENING flashes in the distance. FADE TO BLACK. In the distance, THUNDER.

QUE MAIN TITLE: STORMBREAKER

END.

—

Notes:

I would like to thank AmberLily34567 for reviving my interest in this story.

- I’m trying to find a good balance between the high-energy, slightly over-the-top feeling of King’s men, and the very dark tone of the book.

- Man, reading Alex Rider when your older vs when you’re younger is such a trip… 12 yo me: WOW Alex is so cool and mature! 18 yo me: he’s a BABY who the HELL thought this was a good idea. I’M CALLING CPS.

- A movie called Stormbreaker, without any storm imagery, seems like a wasted opportunity! Embrace those clichés!

SPOILERS ALERT

- The man in the HAZMAT SUIT is Yassen.

- Ian was shot somewhat close to London, and the storm covered up the gunshots. It was done by underlings, hence the sloppy job that left the car looking like Swiss cheese.

- Yassen kills Ian, but does not pull the trigger. That’s how he justifies it.

- Ian had very bad luck. His actions made Yassen suspicious, but he might have survived, had he not resembled John so much…

- Ironically this resemblance is exactly what saves Alex…

- Ian entered Alex’s number, in a moment of sentiment, because he knew that he might not make it out alive. In my interpretation, Ian genuinely loves Alex, and wanted to protect him, not just to make him the perfect spy. It makes their relationship far more painful and complicated.

[what-a-novelty]

Selves, in time

(5.10.20)

Late last night, I received a message from a name I didn't recognize. The notification bubble read,

"Hey Rachel, super random but I just saw this message that has been sitting in my message request box for like the last 7 years??? So sorry I never responded —"

I paused, trying to remember what message my younger self could have sent to a stranger on the internet. Instead of clicking on the message – which would mark it as read, which would make irreversible this confrontation of my past – I instead looked up this unfamiliar name on the internet, trying to guess from who they are now what I could have wanted to do with them all those years ago.

Seven years ago I still lived in Singapore, the city I grew up in, and in my memory I had scant contact with strangers on the internet on Facebook. The mental exercise proved futile.

I braced myself to read the message I sent in 2013:

"Hi <person>! I saw your comments on the post in the <college A> 2017 group regarding <college A>-<college B> cross admits...I'm wondering if you have any idea which school would be better for an (international) student...? I'm really torn between the two schools right now and both seem super awesome, but I can't fly over to the US to attend the admit weekends/<college A> days so I have no idea how to make my decision yikes :\ all help is appreciated THANK YOU :)"

Even now, on my third or fourth read, even after I've decided to share the message above with others in its blatant, barefaced expression, I feel my eyes skip over some of the words. I am reluctant to look at my past self squarely. Temporal distance separates us, and I wonder how I could have been so gauche, so sincere. It strikes me that embarrassment hinges on the perception of others, and is precipitated when, in a moment of self-awareness, I see myself as others see me. Or in this case, I see my past self through new eyes.

The feeling of self-mortification is not unfamiliar to me. I've kept a continuous streak of blogs from the age of 11 until now, and I joined Facebook earlier than I should have. My Goodreads account has traced 10 years of reading history. All that is to say, I have time and again stumbled into my past. Tracks all over the internet evince the evolution of my psyche.

Seeing my nieces' posts on Instagram gives almost the same effect. The people and platforms may have changed, but something feels familiar about the unbridled sentimentality they've afforded to friendship, that immoderate enthusiasm for pop culture, those unself-conscious attempts to memorialize feelings and moments that feel like they may escape us. As was the case for me, I suspect that this fervor correlates little with how long these passions will endure.

But I also recognize that I take their posts out of context: these were not crafted with an audience of older relatives in mind. Their audience of friends, peers, and admirers see them differently than we do. They participate in a conversation we are not privy to. In the same way, when I read the words of my past self, I can no longer hear the chorus of voices around her whose echoes have long died off. Perhaps the multiplicity of facades we erect is the cause of embarrassment: we are caught in the wrong context, with the curtains down. Perhaps the people who look on their past selves without embarrassment are the people whose selves have the most integrity across audiences and spanning time. Or perhaps they are the ones whose audiences never leave. [1]

As for me, things change.

For one, what seemed so uncertain years ago is now part of the irreversible, irrefutable past. In an post on Livejournal dating back to January 2013, I wrote,

I just wanna be somewhere unfamiliar and exciting and experience ~*adventure*~. WHO KNOWS, since I probably won't be studying overseas (or will I...? only time will tell haha sigh) y'know NOW IS THE TIME

This was four months before I made the decision to fly across the Pacific for college.

Retrospectively it feels like I walked only one path, but my old writing reveals a more variegated texture, reminding me that the past that feels so unequivocal now was at some junctures still in doubt, urgent, and insisting on resolution. Do I identify with past me? Can I take on her fears, anxieties, fragile hope? Futures forked endlessly beyond what I could imagine then. With time, we see potentialities collapse into realities.

Friends, hobbies, relationships, values - these too change, and at different tempos. I've had a strange, almost masochistic, addiction to the feeling of starting over for much of my adult life. There's something electrifying about wiping the slate clean, shedding prior associations, beginning again, knowing full well you may never again attain to what peaks you scaled before. Moving across the Pacific. Changing fields of specialization. Quitting jobs. Death and rebirth in its many forms. My adult life has been as much defined by the moments of renewal, of restarts, as it has been about the nondescript days in between that consist most of my hours. [2]

Once, home for winter break, I met up with friends from high school for dinner. Towards the end of a conversation which danced circles around who from our high school was dating whom (a subject I had no interest in), S set down her chopsticks and looked across the table to me. Doe-eyed, she asked, "Rach, do you think you've changed?"

I recall feeling my stomach drop, like she wanted me to say no, I'm still the person you knew before. As if any other response would signify the end of a beatific era of our lives, would make real the ephemerality of everything we held dear. And in spite of that I said, "yes, of course I've changed," followed by a feeble "but it's good change!" when I saw her dismay.

Not that it's possible to categorically pass judgement on something that can take on so many shades and textures. I wonder if the fact that older iterations of me come across as naive and crude means that I've grown, that something fundamental in me has changed. Or is it simply that in these intervening years, I've acquired a sheen of self-consciousness that moderates my intensity and sincerity? Have I become more authentic, or less?

In a past life where I conducted serious inquiries into Christian theology, I often daydreamed idly about the concept of eternity. What does eternity feel like? Would we still move, act, and exist as we know ourselves? People say that God resides outside of time, that to him there is no past, present, and future. So when he judges us, does he do so by a frozen slice chosen capriciously, an integral of our characters over time, or some other method he dreams up to aggregate all our persons? My time-bound mind cannot comprehend it. [3]

Perhaps the residue of these thoughts is why I'm still reluctant to disavow my past self entirely. She feels other than me – she reads different books, she has different friends, she likes and believes different things. But when I read her words I remember again that sincerity...

"How can you even understand it," I would answer, "if the whole world has long since gone off on a different path, and if we consider what is a veritable lie to be the truth, and demand the same lie from others? Here for once in my life I have acted sincerely, and what then? I've become a sort of holy fool for you all, and though you've come to love me, you still laugh at me..."

(BK)

[1] As Sartre said, hell is other people.

[2] You may be unsurprised to learn that Begin Again is the movie I’ve watched the most times.

[3] I recommend Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman, a wonderful and dreamy book about our odd relationship with time.

[s3venpounds]

1-64. 65 What is the worst thing you have ever done to a friend?

65 questionsssssssssss yeeeeeeeeee boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii letsss fucking goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo thanks for the ask btw! also sorry for late reply

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

honestly sometimes, the whole “ life is a simulation” got me kinda scared ya never know

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

1. because im not afraid of the dark im afraid of what can be in it that im not aware of

3. The person you would never want to meet?

idk. cuz if i say someone i hate then i can’t physically meet them to punch them

4. What is your favorite word?

love

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

idk whichever lives for millions of years i wanna be like those giant ass trees that you see in animes that are like whole cities wide

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

should i finally cut my hair? or do i perservere

7. What shirt are you wearing?

my ed sheeran concert shirt

8. What do you label yourself as?

someone with the capacity of good but chooses to be an asshole

9. Bright room or dark room?

bright room

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

seeing if my new friends were playing games so i can join

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

21

12. Who told you they loved you last?

off the top of my head? my mom pretty sure. 

13. Your worst enemy?

myself, my fears, hesitation and past mistakes?

14. What is your current desktop picture?

its a picture of hinata shoyo from Haikyuu!! doing a spike with wings on his back!

15. Do you like someone?

yes.

16. The last song you listened to?

Jacob Lee Slip

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

trump

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

trump. and i want like brass knuckles when i punch. 

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

probably a volleyball coach/ trainer or a professional volleyball player to just drill basics into me and make me a better player. (that or just gal gadot to like help me clean up my life and give me life advice)

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

i guess my energy? its a fucking mess though cuz sometimes i get tired after like 4 minutes of activity but then sometimes i get like a second wind and i just go for hours 

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

i mean there was that snapchat trend of every guy making a female version of themselves so i guess theres that. i would definitely try anything i could. periods, cramps, catcalls, masturbating anything i could so i truly understand what women have to go through every day of their lives

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

im a very open person so most of my obscure talents are known but i am kinda proud of how i can name pokemon by just hearing their cries limited to like the first 3 generations tho lmao

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

what happens after we die

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

i wanna make the most bougie sandwich in the world. I want abelone, puffin, black truffle, caviar, just all that super high end shit

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

save it. im going on a trip somewhere out of the city and i could use the extra pocket money

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

venice italy. no question.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

oh shit booze! i love me some booze! i guess it would have to be like smirnoff kissed caramel vodka, or this one whiskey i saw a video of irish people drinking american whiskeys

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

dont be a fucking dickhead idk. i can’t make concrete rules cuz theres loopholes

29. What is your favorite expletive?

definitely fuck just because i say it more than actual normal words

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

haha “loved ones” lmao. oh uhhh my letters from D.O when we were kids. that or my journal

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

my dads abuse. oh wait no then thats free forgiveness for him lmao no uhhh one of my past relationships. it was a mess and i still struggle a little with it

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

Venice italy. that or greece or rome idk. i really like their aesthetic with small white houses, small walkways and all that

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

Steve irwin or Robin williams. or just to make a couple people near me happy, Kyle Fundytus

34. What was your last dream about?

uhhh I kissed the person I’m currently interested in. not just a normal dream too I felt everything. it was crazy. Felt, their hands, warmth, lips, body against mine and even their skin it was just magical.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

boyfriend? honestly? idk. i’d like to think that i am but from what I know apparently im not

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

yes and no? i guess? i had one of those shots you give to enfants when their family is moving to a new country and i still have the scar so possibly? i mean technically any baby born in a hospital has been admitted to one lmao

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

YES AND SOME OLDER KIDS BROKE IT DOWN AND USED IT AS A BENCH . I fought them and got sent tot he principals office

38. What is the color of your socks?

im not wearing any.... but i do have a favourite pair of green ones that have a print of pringles sour cream n onion on it!

39. What type of music do you like?

Jazz, big band, kpop, RNB, rap, rock, swing music, electro...? sort of?

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

i can’t choose, I love both and have fond memories of both

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

Vanilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa maybe some caramel in it

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

uhh i dont know much about football but i can say i would support my local team edmonton eskimos

43. Do you have any scars?

a ton! i love em! its like the sentimental stuff i keep in my closet but on my body and i always trace my finger over them whenever im just in the mood to reminisce

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

im not currently taking the courses i need to get my dream job but i’d love to be a power ranger either the stunt double or the cheesy actor. that or a school councilor

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

how dependant i am on others. i hate it. if i was alone i dont think i’d survive. i need other people

46. Are you reliable?

I like to think that i am though again, you’d have to ask my friends

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

Did you find her?

48. Do you hold grudges?

hell.yes. if you couldnt tell i reallllllllllly hate my dad. like really.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

whatever animals it takes to make dragons a thing again

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

I would have to say when this random stranger came up to me to complain about the transit system because the one in vancouver was so much better apparently. dude went on a 20 minute rant and i just drowned him out with music and pretended to “pause” my music while nodding like i understood

51. Are you a good liar?

not sure. I think i am considering my parents dont know half the shit i did AHEHEHEHE

52. How long could you go without talking?

couple days. long as i got my music.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

god there was this one christmas where my parents gave me like a stereotypical suburban kid hair cut where the whole head is like flattened with hair gel the at the forehead its just a tall wall of spiked hair. BUT HERES THE KICKER. they dyed half the wall red and half green for christmas. god it was awful

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

does cheesecake cupcakes count?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

ive been told i can do a good russian one, chinese too

56. What do you like on your toast?

nutella omg. fresh toast with gooey nutella? god its so good

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

uhmmm some secret stuff for a friends personal project

58. What would be you dream car?

Dodge Viper

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

I love singing in the shower when no ones home. I can only sing when no ones home cuz the walls in this house are thin AS FUCK. 

60. Do you believe in aliens?

i believe we’re not the only ones out here but due to how we’re literally killing our own kind and planet for no good reason they choose to ignore us

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

yep! all the time! whenever i get my hands on the local paper i read my horoscope while i wait on the train or if theres a horoscope thing on tumblr!

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

X idk x is just cool

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

dragons are you kidding me? dragons are dinosaurs that can fly. AND BREATHE FIRE

64. What do you think about babies?

I dont think im a good father figure but spending time with kids is a pretty okay time for me long as its not long term lmao 

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

What is the worst thing you have ever done to a friend?

I punched them full force in the stomach for calling me emo. it was a bad day but lo and behold that person became my best friend loooooooooooool

[laurasinele]

Long tag post

tagged by the amazing @assassinsdragons I still don’t get how I fell under the radar of such an interesting young talented person

RULES:

1. Post the rules.

2. Answer the questions from your tagger.

3. Write 11 questions of your own.

4. Tag on! 

1. Do you have a certain belonging that have a special value for you? Like, sentimental value.

Dozens, but I’m trying to stop that. I was on my way to becoming a hoarder, gathering all sorts of things, some of them brand new never opening them, some of them could be considered garbage. I realised that same behaviour came from my dad and for the last five years or so I’ve been getting rid of things that once I kept as sentimental, forcing myself to go through the memories and emotions and see if there is actual sentimental value or just force of habit. Amongst the things I do keep because of their sentimental value there’s a pink teddy bear that was one of my first toys as a baby and a black lace and golden sequins fan that I picked for my grandmother while on holidays when I was seven and she never used because she said she would save it for my wedding (she died when I was sixteen and I married at twenty-nine)

2. How many books are there in your book shelf? (If you can count them)

Well over two hundred between fiction, non fiction, comic books and outdated Warhammer rulebooks. I told you I was a hoarder and I went and married a hoarder. We are getting clean I promise XD

3. Five best movies?

Aaagh I hate these questions about your fave whatever, I never know which ones to pick. I’m going to say five in no particular order but if you asked me tomorrow the answer could be completely different. Hell even if you asked in half an hour haha. Mr. Right, Stranger than Fiction, Howl’s Moving Castle, Brokeback Mountain, Kelly’s Heroes.   4. Favourite clothing article? Why?

The combo T-shirt/long sleeved button down shirt. My shirts are usually hand-me-downs from my dad or my brother, so they look a bit oversized, and my tees are geeky designs from TeeFury or QwerTee. Why? Because I am a very heat sensitive person in a very warm country and this combination allows me to peel off or put on layers quick and easy when entering or exiting buildings or public transportation or simply because during the three quarters of the year that the sun is not blazing the weather is just undecided bollocks.

5. What is/was your favourite subject in school?

Anything but PE. In High School I enjoyed the most Greek and Latin, and I had a decent PE teacher that made me stop hating it. 

6. What is your favourite fantasy creature?

I was going to write the sphynx like super fast, then I realised it is only because I’ve been talking about it lately. I don’t think I have one, my attention span is too short to have just one haha

7. What do you think of your name? (If you don’t want to say what your name is you don’t have to, just explain whether you like it or not and possibly why as well)

I love it. It is uncommon and it means beautiful things. It has a nice sound in my language. Because of its rareness, it makes me feel special. I’ve been annoyed because of it but never at it. If you know Spanish you’ll guess it by my user name. 

8. Apple or android?

Android for a phone, Apple for a computer. Been around long enough, messed around with almost everything. My choice is made, children. 

9. List your three top music bands and your favourite song from them.

See my complaint on question 3. Let’s say that today my three favourite bands are in no particular order: Travis – fave song of all time from them is Flowers in the Window

Rammstein – I can’t not sing Keine Lust (but let’s face it most of the lyrics are stupid, we are there for the adrenaline boost)

Hozier (because I heard he’s coming back soon) – fave song is a tie between In a Week, Work Song and Jackie and Wilson.  

10. Are there any movies on the cinema this year that you want to see? (If you’ve already seen one that’s top notch you can tell about that one too)

I’ve already watched Love, Simon and I expected more but it’s a nice movie and very much needed. I think I’m going to miss Deadpool 2 because I can’t seem to find the time to go, and I’m looking forward to the releases here in Spain of The Incredibles 2 and Ocean’s 8. Also, I’m pissed about the marketing of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (directed by former Monty Python Terry Gilliam, with Adam Driver as the main character), half of the cast are Spanish great actors, it was filmed partly in Spain, it’s about the main figure of the Spanish literature and there are two seasoned actors and an A-lister in the cast AND THERE’S BEEN CLOSE TO NONE ADVERTISING AND ALMOST NO THEATRES ARE FEATURING IT. 

11. If you could have a superpower/magic power, what would it be?

Fix anything.

I know this is long, so don’t feel obliged to play along, but I’m curious to know about @pottercrew, @slytherinvalues, @paquim:  1. Why did you first picked up a Harry Potter book? (school assignment, someone recommended it...?) 2. Name a word that you like in any language, be it for its sound, its meaning, its calligraphy or any other reason.  3. What did you want to grow up to be when you were a toddler and what do want to be/are now professionally/academically speaking? 4. Peas. Thoughts? 5. We’ve always heard that saying about fiction building expectations on romantic aspirations. Did that happen for you or have you been able to differentiate? (That you may enjoy reading or viewing super dramatic slow burns and angsty stories but like your love life nice and simple, for example) 6. How did the change of subject and dept from question 4 to 5 felt? I’m sorry I’m an arsehole haha  7. Do you favor comedy or drama when you pick a book, comic, movie, etc? Why? 8. Is there an author/director/creator that you’d like to swap places with as in own their voice, their particular style or signature? (For example, I’d like to be able to tell stories like Terry Pratchett or Taika Waititi do) 9. What are you reading now or did you last read or are you planing to read next? 10. What’s the best and the worst of being on tumblr? 11. What’s a piece of advice that you’ve found actually useful? It can be as mundane or as mystical as you want as long as it was useful for you.