#the new year’s ball of 2035

[pkmn-thenextgeneration]

After I posted Spinner’s profile to the groupchat @pokemon-legends-and-legacies made this AMAZING meme that I have not been able to stop laughing about.

aftermath of the 2035 New Year's Ball, colorized

“i cant stop thinking about jet on the ballroom floor in the family guy death pose” - becca, actually

I’m in love with this..

[ughohyoumadeafunny]

Rewriting Transformers ( 2007) (Part 1)-

So you already know I'm not to big of a fan of the bay films like many. I know people like the first, but as time passed they got so bad.

So I'm doing this as a bit of rewrite to be more like a sequel to the 1980's transformers film.

I'll add new characters and so I don't have to say it alot, I would make sure that we use either prime or g1 design with a hint of cg so we don't have to experience weird spit/...questionable wrecking balls. If we still have to keep Bay as a part of this, keep him in the action scenes and effects area, do not put him as director.

Alright, I'll stop talking about my criticism and ideas, let's got to the first part of the plot.

Part 1-

We open with a shot of a forest area showing the words 1984 on screen, nearby is a valcano, which seconds later erupts. We then see shots of a drone fly across a city scanning jet planes, cars, tanks etc. We're then shown teletran one using the surving repair bay to fix the bots inside. We then get a shot at the autobot logo, leading to our tittle card.

About 51 years pass, making it the year 2035. It's the city of Washington, the place looks somwhat like a mix of the 1980's future city movie, but also a mix of modern day. There's more clean energy, but there are signs this isn't a utopia. We see a billboard for a company getting spraypainted, we see a man begging for money by playing music, we even a preach calling out about ' The end days'.

We see a college women getting off the bus. She seems to be in her Early 20's, and has her blond hair pulled back in a messy ponytail.

As she walks, she enters a pawn shop run by her aunt. " Alice, your home early. " her aunt says to her.

" Class ended early.." Alice said tired

" Oh honey, do you need anything? Why nit take the day off and let me handle the store?." Her aunt says concerned.

" No aunt june...I'm fine, I just need to put my stuff away." Alice says

We head upstairs to see her room is simple, a bed, a small closet, a retro dresser, and a old desk. On the desk we see a photo of her mom and dad, we have no idea what happened to them. " Busy day at camp dad." Alice tells the photo.

[themculibrary]

Avengers Reacting To Their Movies Masterlist

A Beautiful Journey (fanfiction.net) - Aragorn II Elessar T, 566k

Summary: Watch-it fic. In 2035, members of the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four bring forth the Avengers, Scott Lang, Hope van Dyne, T'Challa, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Pepper Potts, Aunt May and Loki from the past to watch the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

All the Days of our Lives, Phase 1 (ao3) - ElrondsScribe pepper/tony, jane/thor, clint/laura, ian/darcy, wanda/vision, sharon/steve, bucky/natasha N/R, 41k

Summary: An Avengers-watch-their-own-movies fanfiction. I know it's been done before, but I wanted to try it with a more expansive audience. In addition to all the Avengers (both retired and active) you'll find Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Laura Barton, Betty Ross, Helen Cho, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, and even Ian Boothby.

Post Captain America: Civil War. AU, obviously. All ships in the tags. Please do enjoy! Warning: there will be a bit of language.

First up: Captain America: The First Avenger

Assemble (ao3) - Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen T, 201k

Summary: Ten years after Thanos’ defeat, Clint Barton, with help from Stephen Strange and a SHIELD agent named Leopold Fitz, brings the Avengers, plus Peter Parker, Scott Lang, and T'Challa, from a few months prior to The Avengers Civil War to show them the future so they don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Avengers Watch Ant-Man and The Wasp Quantumania Trailer (ao3) - SpiderWidowFam88 scott/hope, hank/janet, pepper/tony, mj/peter T, 5k

Summary: [Part 2 of Avengers Watch Stuff]

After Watching the events of No Way Home, the Avengers have some time to cool off and have a chat before their host plays another assortment of clips of their future.

This time, it's about the rise of a new villain and the adventures of the lovely Scott Lang.

Avengers watch Captain Marvel (fanfiction.net) - Roxas Itsuka T, 30k

Summary: Called forth by an unknown being. The Avengers are made watch a movie about a hero who came not long before them. Fury and Goose present also. No pairing.

Avengers Watch Spider-Man No Way Home (ao3) - SpiderWidowFam88 mj/peter, pepper.tony T, 71k

Summary: The movie left me feeling so heartbroken for our favorite spider kid so this is how I'm dealing with it.

Expect everyone being protective of Peter and desperately wishing they could be there to kill all of his problems.

Cough* cough* Natasha...

It's exactly what the title says.

They watch Spider-Man No Way Home

bro (ao3) - hunkahulkaaburningfudge G, 64k

Summary: The Avengers watch their future.

A Hawkeye watch-it fic.

bus boy (ao3) - hunkahulkaburningfudge clea/stephen, kate/america G, 40k

Summary: The Avengers watch their future.

A Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings watch-it fic.

Film Reels (fanfiction.net) - Little-miss-laughs-alot G, 19k

Summary: A stack of film reels sent to the Avenger Mansion will be intriguing for some, but for one, it will be difficult. Reliving Steve's past- before and after Captain America came to be, they get to know exactly who the kid from Brooklyn really is. Now Complete!

pizza balls (ao3) - hunkahulkaaburningfudge wanda/vision, kate/america, clea/stephen G, 58k

Summary: The Avengers watch their future.

A Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness watch-it fic.

Rewriting The Way This Story Ends [IM1] (ao3) - bookaholic4ever G, 49k

Summary: An Avengers watch the MCU fic. Will be Tony Stark centric. The OG 6 and Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Vision and Rhodey are also included. Can the Avengers watch and learn from their mistakes to protect their earth and in turn the universe from a madman? Read to find out. Set after Civil War and Homecoming but before Infinity War.

In this installment they are watching Iron Man.

stupid pigeon (ao3) - hunkahulkaaburningfudge layla el-faouly/marc G, 67k

Summary: The Avengers watch their future.

A Moon Knight watch-it fic.

The story behind the man: Iron Man 1 (ao3) - Anothershadow24 bruce/tony T, 34k

Summary: A year after the so called 'Civil War', the six original avengers, plus Sam, Wanda, Vision, Fury and Hill, get locked up on a room to watch a stack of films about one Tony Stark.

Watching- Iron Man 1 (ao3) - Schayisgay pepper/tony T, 28k

Summary: Up First- Iron Man 1.

The Avengers and Co watch their resident Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist as he becomes Iron Man.

Watch my life, feel my pain (Do I deserve it?) (ao3) - Wise_writer_girl wanda/vision, steve/natasha, sam/bucky, bruce/thor, pepper/tony T, 175k (WIP)

Summary: The Avengers wake up in a theater, the Theatre of Judgement, all from different times in the MCU storylines. The Judgement Spirit, Justice, is forcing them to watch WandaVision clips. If Wanda has suffered enough, Justice will bring Vision, Tommy and Billy back to life. But things don't seem so black and white when the loved ones of the other heroes are brought in as well. A deal must be made: the reveal of the darkest, most embarrassing and most painful moments of their stories in exchange for just a moment longer with someone they've loved and lost. Can the Earth's Mightiest Heroes cope with their best-kept secrets being exposed?

For the sake of those they love, they're going to have to.

[exitiumhq]

✧ ━ event 004 : better the devils you know ━ ✧

Word has spread throughout the city like wildfire as the hand crafted invites find themselves into the houses of our guests. Tonight, you will all find yourselves cordially invited to attend our masquerade ball, where of course there will be a prize for the best dressed.

It is no secret to anybody in New Orleans, that no one quite hosts a masquerade ball like the Mikaelsons and all citizens will find themselves invited to the compound for the evening. Once our guests arrive, they will find that the celebrations of new beginnings will already be in full swing, with the the compound decorated beautifully, with no expense spared.

Once all of our guests are situated inside, Delainey Moore and Klaus Mikaelson will take to the stage; sharing with the city their vision moving forward. The entire city is to be involved and all sides are now encouraged to work together, towards a greater future. At the height of the festivities, plans for a council will then be announced by Klaus Mikaelson and it will be revealed who is to lead and represent each faction. The evening itself is for one of hope and unity and questions regarding the allegiance formed between the OEA and the Mikaelsons, are asked to be postponed until after the festivities are over.

For now, welcome back to our vibrant city and we're excited for you to embark on this brand new chapter with us. We just hope that the residents of New Orleans can all feel the same.

Location: THE MIKAELSON COMPOUND Date: 06/2035 Time: 19:00 HOURS

OOC INFORMATION:

And just like that we're back in New Orleans, where we find ourselves ONE YEAR, into the future. Between (06/16 - 06/23) our masquerade event is going to be in full swing, where we catch up with our residents and find out from them exactly what they've been up to and how they're reacting to the news of an OEA and Mikaelson allegiance.

Our updated plot can be found right here, as well as our OEA history & affiliates page right here.

as always, we can't wait to see what plots our characters get up to and any event threads can be tagged under exitium.event004 with all starters being tagged ( @exitiumstarters ) to ensure that everybody is kept in the loop!

if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us but most importantly, have a great time!

-admins alexis & andi

[xu-ying-feng]

New World Bio: Theodore Xu

GENERAL BIO: 

Theodore has a complicated relationship with humans. He admires and adores them for their tenacity and curious nature but knows first-hand how can go to satisfy their wants. At the start of the hack, once revealed to be an elf, he continued teaching at the Westwood School for Arts.. It did not impact his life. He did not make any mistakes. Though he remained cautious for the first decade, he soon began befriending mankind.

He advised strongly against giving humans access to techno-magic. After all, it was not meant to be. Let supernatural beings sort out their own messes; let them not bring complicated outsiders in. As time went by, as supernaturals and humans became accustomed to each other, things in his little world began to change, to his dismay. His student, Nana, went missing right before graduating. His house was broken into, and his talisman, which gave the tree in his house the spirit of a dryad he had accompanied long ago, was stolen. The ancient being died a few days after. 

Grief-stricken, seeing that tree was his confidant and guardian for almost half of his life, Theodore wallowed in his house. The quiet, the silence, with only his faint breathing breaking it, allowed Theodore to notice what was appearing within him. A piercing pain rang through his skull, for the Earth seemed to be channelling all its mind into his mind. His body was tired and sluggish, more than usual, and he slept for so, so long.  He sought out other elves who had this same problem and found that his troubles were because of the unbalance in the world. 

When things inevitably worsened, he opened his doors to running supernaturals and housed a few Dumisami witches. He stood as long as he could in the human community, but after his magic was temporarily disabled, he no longer felt safe. The world was crumbling. He felt brash. He felt bitter, filled with the same kind of hatred he had so many years ago. This time, there is no witch is save him, and he must crawl out himself.

Elf Elders Wren and Artus offered him refuge with the remaining elves and he accepted. Wren and Artus had offered him refuge with the remaining elves, and he slipped in. His house, in return, encased itself in a ball of foliage, something out of a fairytale. When a few teenagers finally broke in, they found it empty, as if no one had ever lived there. Though he has disappeared as Theodore Xu, he occasionally slips out from hiding, to check on the world.

DETAILED TIMELINE

Year 2030:

Initially, Theodore is incredibly paranoid considering the revealment of the supernatural community. The last time supernaturals and humans were vaguely aware of one another, it ended with the death of someone very dear to him and his imprisonment.

He continues to teach at the Westwood School for Arts. 

Year 2035: 

Theodore Xu is now an elf elder, reaching the age of 650.

His general distrust in humankind has lessened, seeing how fascinated they are by his species. He has befriended a mortal blogger. 

Year 2040: 

Two years ago, he befriended a traveling reporter.

Once the Effendi Plaza is reclaimed, he feels a sense of dread. It does not belong to them. It belongs to the witches. Curiosity and greed are the roots of humans, and that scares him. He remains cordial to hum

During autumn, Theodore receives a letter from the government to request his abilities in an experiment. He accepts. 

Year 2041:

He visits the laboratory as requested but leaves before he is called to be interviewed. 

Theodore keeps in touch with his human friends. 

His headaches relapse. 

Year 2043:

Vegetation around Theodore’s house begin to grow inwards.

One of his students, a werewolf named Nana, goes missing. Her family moves away from Vievecor. 

Year 2045:

While playing at a venue, Theodore’s house is broken into. A four-hundred-year-old Bocote carving is stolen.

His student, Nana, reappears as a human. 

Extra defense measures are taken to protect his living quarters. He has 

His migraines have increased, and he has sought out elf elder Wren for medicinal help. 

He has joined a "resistance" of sorts.

Year 2048

His migraines have increased but are dulled by Wren’s potions. 

Theodore continues teaching Music Theory until the autumn of ‘49.

His house has been completely covered in vegetation. Passerbys akin it to a shield of sorts.

Year 2050:

Theodore has stopped appearing in public and goes out only in a fully magiced disguise.

The unbalance in the world affects him moderately (headaches, bouts of weakness/unsteadiness, etc.) He can function fully, none the less. 

He has begun meeting with the elves in hiding.  

Year 2051: 

Theodore Xu has gone into hiding with the remaining elves 

Before meeting at the hideout, he is attacked by a startled human with the P.S Group’s newest weapon. She appears not to mean him harm and apologizes. 

He retains no magic for three months. 

Year 2058: 

Theodore is asked by Wren to take care of Artus and the other elves. 

[dobryvecir]

today the results will be published, some countries are still voting, so the rest is waiting for the commissions to close and start counting. voter turnout is rumoured to be the highest ever (in the czech republic, the catch is that it is rumoured to be above 30 %, so not so high at all). but what i am starting to ponder is the way we talk about climate change during the election cycle.

i feel like there has been a certain shift in the way we talk about the climate - no one really has the balls to say that "climate change is not real" anymore, because it is an indisputable fact. we all see and feel it. the rhetoric shifted, people who would deny climate change ten years back now say that we aren't that dramatic of a factor in the acceleration of climate disasters. they will say now, that we do play a role, but the planet changes also naturally and that we cannot stop it. this is of course problematic, but it is an easy way out for not having to change the market system, for continuing the unsustainable way of living. Bush sr. said, back in the 90s, that the "american way of living" is non-negotiable, when it comes to climate policies. it still is 30 and more years later. (the american way of living, in this case, is very much also the european way of living. it means that we are consumers, and that is non-negotiable. we will always have to be consumers, for this logic to work.)

another side of this issue is the way the more progressive liberal parties talk about climate change. they won't refute the fact that people are a significant factor in climate change, but they still apply the neoliberal logic - they appeal to individual responsibility, not really talking about the dirty industries, that pollute the most. they won't talk about the fact that green deal is more of a deal for the rich owners of factories. they won't talk about the fact that we need to make social policies for workers, for the ordinary people - requalifications for heavy industry workers, affordable housing, securing enough clean water, etc. - for us to get through at least a bit better off. they will however talk about the ban on sale of new petrol engines by 2035.

the conclusion is - we are fucked. the fact that we cannot effectively communicate the need for social policies is what will be our downfall. we will however continue to get sidetracked by these quasi-important topics, which only fuel the far right. we need to take the debate into our own hands, start talking about the important stuff. not petrol engines.

[temp-check]

Wednesday's temperature check (4/3)

I’m going to see if I can get back into the habit of writing these updates.  I wouldn’t say that I had writers’ block.  It’s more like writers’ over-flow. I thought about describing it as “writers’ diarrhea”, since so many think my writing is crap. Anyway, here’s the procès-verbaux. Procès-verbaux is a French word that’s hard to spell on an English keyboard because there is no “è”.  Speaking of waste of time, the Earth’s rotation has been speeding up due to fluid dynamics in the core.  This has led scientists to propose the possibility of deleting a “leap second”.  In January 2024, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (this job sounds slightly more interesting than the guy whose job is picking up after the royal corgis) announced that the next possible date is December 31, 2024. Oh my, what a travesty!  Can you imagine the confusion that Ryan Seacrest will face when counting down the last ten seconds on New Year’s Eve?  Although I think as the guy that could teach PEMDAS (algebraic order of operations) to Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block, he can handle skipping over “1” as the ball drops (definitely with months of practice).  Do I see another Y2K scare for 2025?  The procès-verbal is that according to Scientific American, it’s likely that scientists would’ve needed to delete a leap second much sooner if climate change wasn’t a thing, but the melting of polar ice caps has delayed the need to make this unprecedented decision—delayed, but not avoided.  Since 1972, scientists have added 27 leap seconds to the clock (the same amount of time you earn when you click the “skip intro” on Netflix)—sometimes with disastrous results. Website crashes, tech service blackouts, airline reservation system snafus, and financial market wonkiness are only some of the worries, and companies like Google and Meta have even invented a method called a “leap smear” that essentially spreads the added second across the day. What could happen when scientists subtract a leap second remains to be seen.  However, it’s likely that this will be the one-and-only time humans will delete a second from its clock. In November of 2022, government representatives at the General Conference on Weights and Measures decided to do away with the leap second by 2035.  Leap Second, your time has come!

In the meantime, I will be making the most of my existing leap seconds.

Stay safe!

Tom

[positivlyfocused]

How God Creates The World Of Our Dreams

It’s so wonderful watching how perfectly the world shapes up, delivering everything we want with seemingly magical timing. It’s as though the Universe knows what we want before we know. Then it orchestrates action so that we have what we need to enjoy what we want. 

To illustrate that, consider this remarkable example. It revolves around simple rocks. That’s right, rocks. But the story’s not that simple.

Tens of millions of these rocks sit on the ocean’s floor. And not just one ocean, all of them. These rocks also sit on the floor of many other water masses, including lakes and rivers.

These humble rocks are more than what they appear. They tell a story perfectly illustrating how the Universe delivers on our individual and collective desires. Desires representing humanity’s future.

We’ve known these rocks carpeted the ocean floor since the early 1800s. Meanwhile, for nearly as long, some have salivated over their existence because they hold so much value. But they couldn’t get at that value because they sit under so much ocean. For hundreds of years, bringing them up to the surface represented a technological impossibility.

Not any more. That’s the beginning of this amazing story.

Collective desire manifests as collective destiny

Today, with many people finally acknowledging climate change is real, political tides are slowly turning towards actually doing something about it. California, for example, recently made a momentous decision. Starting in 2035 all new cars sold in California must be electric. Where the car gets made doesn’t matter. If the manufacturer wants to sell it in California, it better be electric.

Decisions like this one single-handedly change entire industries. That’s because California represents a huge market. Many states also follow California’s lead when it sets policies like these. As a result, manufacturers pay attention to the Golden State’s policy decisions.

Yet, most large auto makers already see electric cars as the future. And they’re preparing for that. Tesla’s success changed the global car market. That change happened because one person, Elon Musk, had a new future in mind. And he committed to his vision. So the Universe responded, giving him all the resources needed to prove this new vision possible.

Our collective destiny happens first in the mind of one person. It always happens this way. When that person commits, the Universe will support that vision with more and more resources, including people, money and facilities. Until that vision, manifests.

Time is simultaneous

Every vision, however grand, creates more opportunity for more expansion. That expansion happens instantly. But the unfolding manifestation usually appears to happen gradually. That’s because human senses perceive in such a way that they literally create the illusion of “time” and sequential patterns of events. Things look like they happen one-thing-after-another.

But really, everything happens simultaneously in a present moment having no beginning or end. Seth describes it like a great, big explosion constantly happening, which our senses slow way down. We see the expanding ball of events as though they happen sequentially. But they’re actually happening simultaneously.

That brings us back to our humble rocks. Their existence, the convergence of our desires, the future and our technological abilities all show how events unfolding happen in a simultaneous, synchronic timing that supports Seth’s assertion. 

Humanity’s relationship with nature shows this too. As we mature regarding our place in the natural world, the natural world organizes itself so it meets us along the way. It’s a massive, beautiful dance. A dance representing the interplay between consciousness and time, space, events and physical creations which emerge from that interplay.

To see this dance in action, let’s get back to those rocks.

Our shifting need represents shifting desire

So as a species we’re gradually owning effects we create which run counter to a thriving planet. And we’re doing something about those effects. One of the biggest things we can do about those effects involves eliminating the internal combustion engine (ICE). Electric everything is the ideal. Carmakers see that. But so do airplane makers. Renewable energy such as solar and wind energy change the game too. In time, we will probably see a world where ICEs become a thing of the past.

The holy grail that will make eliminating ICEs possible is a long-lasting, high capacity battery. One we can make in great quantities inexpensively. But that kind of battery requires a quantum leap in the quality and quantity of raw materials batteries need. The problem is as we desire more electrified things, we don’t have enough raw materials to make more batteries. Experts recently warned raw material bottlenecks could grind the electric revolution to a halt.

But nature and the Universe’s unlimited capacity to meet any desire have another opinion. And that’s where the rocks come in.

^^Solar and renewables are our future. They will charge a future enabled by batteries. (Photo by Nazrin Babashova on Unsplash)

There is no such thing as coincidence

As if on cue, enterprising entrepreneurs saw opportunity. These people today see a future where climate change gets fixed. Their solution: electrify everything. However, doing that requires way more and way better batteries than we make today. But these guys have a solution to that too. They want to pull those rocks off the ocean floor.

That’s because those rocks are jam-packed with raw materials battery makers need to crank out better, more powerful and more plentiful batteries. The rocks, known in certain circles as Polymetallic nodules, vary in size. Most are egg or potato sized. What’s amazing though is this: each one is almost entirely composed of raw materials we need for more batteries. And, they cover over 70 percent of the ocean floor.

Some experts estimate 500 billion tons of these rocks lie on the seabed. They’re down there, sitting on the seabed, waiting to be harvested.

^^Look! They’re just laying on the ocean floor! (Photo by By Abramax – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Is this coincidence? How is it these rocks just happen to be there when we need them? Whatever your answer, I find it fascinating.

It’s equally interesting that today, technology progress is such that we can harvest these nodules cost-effectively. Industries already are investing in trials demonstrating that technology’s capability. Many see harvesting these nodules as the next gold rush.

Now think about this. Nature is prodding us to change our ways. Climate change is nature’s voice. Humanity is only now seriously listening to that voice. But some, pioneers let’s call them, heard the voice long ago. They’ve been doing things to move humanity away from climate changing activities. Even while others try to stop them.

^^These rocks are our future. (Photo by Hannes Grobe/AWI – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Just in time availability

Against all that pressure, these pioneers changed society for the better. Now those changes place new demands on our industries. They will destroy others. Solar and renewables are ending the coal industry. Electric cars already killed internal combustion ones. The internal combustion engine doesn’t know that yet. Meanwhile, the battery is about to have its turn at everything else.

Those changes also demand that we look to new ways to make batteries. We can’t find the raw materials in the earth. There isn’t enough. And while some humans clamor about shortages, nature presciently already answered that call.

Creating these nodules takes MANY MILLIONS OF YEARS. Every several million years, they grow just one centimeter, Geologists say. Yet there are WAY more than we need, waiting for harvest, literally lining the ocean floor.

It’s like nature knew ahead of time that we’d need raw materials for batteries in the future. And in that knowing, created them just in time.

I don’t know about you, but I see providence. It’s not coincidence these nodules accreted over hundreds of million of years and now are ready for the picking. Now, right when we need them. And when we have the tech to get them.

It’s divine timing in the making.

^^One illustrated method to mine the nodules (Graphic by G.Mannaerts, CC BY-SA 4.0, )

Everything unfolds in divine timing

This is the same divine process underway behind the scenes coordinating all things, fulfilling all desires. Human desires are no exception. Every desire a human wants gets fulfilled through this process. Scientists think evolution creates progress. But really, it’s not evolution. It’s the Law of Attraction and Infinite Intelligence listening to and delivering on every desire held by every point of consciousness.

The only thing holding fulfillment back is our lack of faith. Lacking faith creates delays. It doesn’t prevent the unfolding fulfillment though. That’s because everything once asked for, is given, no exceptions.

But sometimes those asking don’t get what they ask for because their lack of faith delays the fulfillment. Which is why improvements usually come to successive generations instead of those doing the asking. People who find a way to stay faithful to their desires don’t have to wait generations for their desires’ fulfillment.

Strong faith is more important than anything else, once an idea is born. Another word for “faith” is “belief”. This explains why Positively Focused can guarantee results. Positively Focused builds strong belief. And belief is everything. It’s the basis of everything, including the convergence of humanity’s need, technology and these nodules ready on the ocean floor.

It’s so wonderful seeing All That Is delivering everything we want with seemingly magical timing. Only it’s not magic. It’s God responding to every point of consciousness, all participating in creating the future, ongoingly.

It’s the Charmed Life on a macro scale.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

what's DFZ?

DFZ! DFZ! DFZ!

Okay, so, the DFZ series(es?) is kind of a catchall name for a couple of series by Rachel Aaron that take place in the same urban fantasy universe, the DFZ books and the Heartstriker books.  Urban cyberfantasy?  You could throw a lot of adjectives into that descriptor if you wanted to.

The general premise is that once upon a time Earth had magic.  A lot of magic.  Absolutely god-creating levels of magic.  And then, mysteriously, it all drained away some thousand years ago, leaving humanity to forget all about it while the creatures who needed it to live either withered away completely (spirits, gods, etc) or went into hiding and hibernation (also some spirits, dragons, etc).  And then, like a switch being flipped, it all came back at once in 2035, and suddenly humanity had a lot of magic to throw around and no idea what was going on.  That was a few decades ago at the start of the Heartstriker books, which are a couple decades before the DFZ books.

(Incidentally, I really like that choice.  It would have been very easy to write a novel about humanity getting magic back and running around like chickens with our heads cut off, and don’t get me wrong I would have read and adored that book, but setting things a little later means that magic is just Part Of The Deal and it’s so much goddamn cooler.)

Which brings us to the DFZ proper, also known as the Detroit Free Zone.  When magic came back, a lot of shit woke up really fast, chief among them A, dragons, and, B, Spirits of the Land.  Like the Lady of the Great Lakes, Algonquin, who was really, really not having it with every city in a hundred mile radius dumping pollutants into her water by the metric ton.  So she wiped most of the Great Lakes states off the map, and took over the ruins of Detroit to make the Detroit Free Zone, where the only laws worth mentioning are:

No murder

No dragons

No polluting the water

Anything else is pretty much free game.  So you can imagine that the DFZ gets to be a pretty interesting place pretty goddamn fast--the most magical city in the world, where anyone can do anything without fear of the law coming down on them, under the iron hand of a goddess who doesn’t much care for humans.

Anyway, if that sounds cool and you like any of the following, you should actually just trust me and go read these books without bothering with the rest of this post:

Immaculately well-constructed magical worldbuilding--the entire second book of the DFZ trilogy is basically “how to out-litigate a curse and the consequences of doing just that”

Humans Are Special trope, but in the “if you could all just slow down on the innovation we’d all be a lot safer” kind of way, which is a personal favorite

Dragons!  Lots and lots of dragons from all over the world!  This is an absolutely spectacular series for dragons, despite Algonquin’s best efforts!

Sentient cities!  The DFZ takes a while to get moving (magic takes time and big magic takes big time) but once she does, oh boy do I ever love her so goddamn much, get wrekt Algonquin

Magic Is Normal tropes coming out your goddamn ears, mixed with a healthy dose of Technology Is Magic (AIs can project stuff straight into your brain by hooking into your natural magical field and y’all...I’d kill for it...that’s so cool)

Really genuinely likable characters--Julius, Marci, Opal, and Nik are all completely fantastic and I would get drinks with any of them, and also the main romances actually enjoy each others’ company in non-romantic contexts, which is remarkably refreshing

Seers, and the finicky game of making the future jump the way you want it to jump while someone else who can also see the future is trying to make it jump the other way

Doesn’t that sound rad?  Yes, it does, I’m telling you that these books are amazing, the first DFZ book is called Minimum Wage Magic, and the first Heartstriker is called Nice Dragons Finish Last, go forth and read.  Either series is a great starting point, I actually liked reading the Heartstriker books after the DFZ books because I loved seeing Opal meet Julius, Main Character Boy for the Heartstrikers, as a competent and universally respected adult, and then getting insight into his brain which is just that one gif from Community with the pizza and the fire, all the time.

As per usual, more details under the cut.

So, magic comes back and Algonquin wreaks destruction and the DFZ happens.  Smash cut sixty years into the future for the Heartstriker books, starring Julius Heartstriker, the youngest and most regrettably tenderhearted dragon in the massive Heartstriker clan.  Julius’ primary problem in life is that he does not enjoy lying, scheming, manipulating, threatening, murdering, or power tripping, which means that his entire family pretty much takes carte blanche to kick him around like a soccer ball.  This comes to a head when his mother, Bethesda Heartstriker, puts a curse on him so that he can’t access his draconic form and dumps him unceremoniously into the DFZ, where dragons are executed on sight, with strict orders to find something to impress her, or else die quietly out of the way.

Julius, to his credit, throws himself into trying to become a Real Dragon as best he can, but he’s just so goddamn nice, he goes out and saves lives and makes bargains and enforced democracy instead of unilateral dynastic rule and falls in love with a human (hi Marci) and makes a name for himself as “the dragon you go to when all your other options would kill you or laugh in your face.”  It’s absolutely delightful to watch.  He’s doing such a good job.

Basically, the Heartstriker books go like this: Julius doesn’t like the way his world works!  And fuck you for telling him that he needs to be less kind in order to work in the world!  He’s not changing himself, he’s going to change the world instead, and because he’s very, very nice, he’ll even let you live there once he’s done!

Next up, the DFZ books, twenty years later, star Opal Yong-ae, who moved to the DFZ from Korea for reasons that become apparent later but mostly boil down to “freedom.”  Since Julius’ first arrival in the DFZ, a lot’s changed--Algonquin is gone, the Spirit of the DFZ is a sovereign entity who has her own motives and desires, and what was once a no-dragon zone is now a neutral territory governed by the Peacemaker, who you might remember as a twenty-four-year-old baby desperately out of his depth and is now a straight up force to be reckoned with, feared and respected around the world.  (I’m so proud of my son.)

Opal’s problems are that she’s a mage who hits like a tank when she’s desperate but can’t handle even the most basic tasks, and she’s scrambling to pay off a massive debt to her father in order to prove that she should be allowed to remain in the DFZ.  These are both old news.  The dead body she finds in an abandoned apartment that she’s been hired to clean out and get ready for renting, on the other hand, that’s a new, kicky, fresh kind of problem, especially once someone starts shooting at her about it.  

She joins up with another Cleaner named Nikola Kos, who she mostly knows as “that scary guy in black” and is an absolute tank who is also secretly very soft.  Their dynamic is so much fun, very intensely “Small Chaotic Drags Big Exhausted Into Drama” with the added bonus that Nik is a very cool cyborg fighter type.  Opal is so determined that it verges on being completely unhinged and I would read 15 books about her.  Also, the third book is out, so that brutal cliffhanger at the end of Half Price Gods is a problem for Eight Months Ago Me, rather than Present Day You.

[bellakitse]

Of cute beagles and decidedly cuter owners

For @gra-sonas who had this excellent post and let me use it. I hope this is fluffy enough for you, hon!

Michael, Rosa, Kyle, and Jenna just moved into a new place that doesn't allow pets, luckily across the street is the cutest beagle ever. Rosa is ready to plan a dog-nap, Michael suggests writing a note to the owner instead.

All Rosa wants is to play with Buffy, while all Michael wants is Buffy's owner.

Michael arrives home sometime after six p.m., the hallway of the modest townhouse he and his roommates moved into, still has boxes lying around. They've been in the two-story home for three weeks now. But with work and school, no one has found the time to finish unpacking. Michael has his new teaching post at the university while he works on his doctorate. Kyle has medical school. Jenna, a rookie cop, works crazy hours, and Rosa, their resident artist, has been using all her waking hours to work on a set of pieces she hopes will end up in the city’s next art exhibit. None of them have been particularly motivated to put boxes away, but Michael is starting to think he’s going to have to say something soon, or there’s a chance the boxes will become part of the décor.

“Guerin!” Jenna greets from the kitchen as he makes it into the living room. “Thai or Chinese for dinner?”

“Whatever Valenti doesn’t want,” he calls back out to her, smirking when he hears the man in question curse at him from the kitchen. He hears a chuckle and turns to find Rosa in her favorite spot of the house, the big bay windows. It was the selling point for Rosa when they decided to rent the place together.

“You have to start getting along with him eventually, Michael,” she says, not looking up from her sketching pad.

“Do I have to?” Michael questions as he drops his bag on the couch and walks over to her, lifting her legs to sit down. He leans over to sneak a peek at what she’s working on to find the drawing of a beagle.

“It would help,” Rosa says, a smirk on her face. “We did sign a one-year lease, you’re stuck until then.”

“Cute dog,” he points at her work, instead of acknowledging her comment.

“It belongs to the neighbor across the street, I saw them this morning,” she explains with a smile that turns into a frown moments later. “It sucks that we can’t have a pet here.”

Michael nods; he’s heard all three of his roommates complain about it. Their landlord had killed their hopes for a pet before they signed on the dotted line of their lease.

“I love that expression,” Michael points at the drawing, the beagle has an impressive resting bitch face.

Rosa laughs, nodding in agreement. “I only saw them for a second, but that face is memorable. I had to stop myself from running across the street to beg the owner to let me play with his dog, probably would have freaked the guy out.”

Michael chuckles at the comment, Rosa is the more impulsive one of them all, he could totally picture her on a puppy-high scaring some poor guy into thinking that he was going to get robbed for his dog.

“We just moved in, Rosa, can we maybe wait a few weeks before scaring off the neighbors?” he teases, laughing when she gives him an unimpressed look.

“You’re supposed to be the fun one, Michael,” Rosa pouts. “Kyle and Jenna are the strict, boring ones. You should be helping me plan a dog-nap.”

Michael opens his mouth, only to be interrupted by Kyle and Jenna walking into the living room.

“What’s this about a dog-napping?” Kyle questions, coming to sit down on the couch. Jenna sits next to him, leaning into his space. Her hair is messed up, and her lipstick smudged off, some of it transferred to Kyle’s white polo.

Michael and Rosa look at them, and then at each other, wrinkling their noses in distaste. This is what they get for moving in with a couple who can’t keep their hands off each other.

“Whatever you did in our kitchen, I hope you disinfected it,” Rosa comments still making a face. Michael nods in agreement, a part of him a little jealous of what Kyle and Jenna have. He wants someone to make out with in the kitchen, someone to smile at him the way Jenna and Kyle smile at each other. Something real, like what they have.

Kyle blushes under Rosa’s judging look, but Jenna just rolls her eyes, running her hand through Kyle's hair to settle him.

“Dog-napping, Rosa?” she questions, getting back on track.

“Oh!” Rosa lightens up at the mention, and Michael is starting to worry about just how serious she is. “The beagle across the street, it’s precious.”

“I saw it the other day,” Kyle says with a smile of his own. “Very cute dog.”

“Very cute owner, too,” Jenna comments, tugging on Kyle’s hair when he pouts, it says more than Michael needs to know about their relationship.

“True,” Rosa agrees after a moment, thinking about it. “But not so cute that I’m not totally willing to steal his dog.”

“We haven’t even been here a month,” Michael speaks before Rosa can really get going. “Let’s not commit a crime just yet.”

Rosa exhales loudly like she thinks he’s the biggest party-pooper ever, for not encouraging the stealing of an animal. “What do you suggest then? Because I need to cuddle that dog, bad.”

Michael thinks for a moment before his eyes light up with an idea. He pulls Rosa’s sketch pad and pencil out of her lap. “We can write the owner a note asking if we can meet his dog,” Michael suggests, quickly composing the letter when no one says no. “Dog people understand crazy dog love.”

“Tell them they have the best dog,” Rosa instructs him.

“Ask what treats it likes,” Kyle chips in, getting into it.

“We can take it for a walk if they’re too busy,” Jenna adds, just as excited.

He finishes the note, signing it with all their names and adding Rosa’s drawing. “There. I’ll drop it off in the morning,” he says satisfied, the others nod seemingly pleased themselves. “Now, about dinner…”

*

Michael doesn’t think about it the next day, he tapes the note to their neighbor’s front door and goes to the university where he spends the day teaching freshmen in his Engineering Physics class. It’s only when he gets back home and finds Rosa practically vibrating with excitement that he even remembers about their neighbor and their dog.

“They wrote back, Michael!” she shouts as soon as he walks through the door, waving a piece of paper in the air.

“Who?”

“Buffy Manes!” Rosa exclaims, rolling her eyes at him when he doesn’t answer. “That’s the beagle’s name, look they left a note.”

Michael takes the piece of paper, instantly charmed by the paw print on the back.

It starts:

‘To my new friends, Michael, Rosa, Kyle and Jenna’

Thank you for your nice letter! It made my tail wag all night. The drawing was so good, whoever drew it is very talented, a perfect likeness.

My name is Buffy Manes, and I’m 4-years-old. I love treats of any kind. I love playing catch, -tennis balls are my favorite- and digging holes.

I am the bestest girl! Thank you for noticing, my dad tells me that every day.

I would very much like to meet my new friends, so I’m giving you my dad’s number, call any time.

Sincerely,

Buffy and Alex Manes

505-718-2035

 “Okay,” Michael starts, a smile tugging at his face. “This is seriously fucking cute.”

“She liked my drawing,” Rosa says happily, which Michael finds hilarious. “And her name is Buffy, how adorable is that? If it’s for Buffy, the vampire slayer, this Alex guy is my new best friend. He has the cutest dog and good taste in 90’s tv shows, we need to call them, now.”

“What about Kyle and Jenna?”

Rosa waves his question away. “They went on a date,” she says, tugging at his shirt impatiently. “Let’s call.”

“Okay, okay,” he laughs as he pulls out his phone and dials the number, ringing a few times before someone picks up.

“Manes,” greets a deep voice that makes Michael stand up straighter as it sends a shiver up his spine. That is a very nice voice.

“Um, hi, Alex?” he starts, suddenly nervous. “This is Michael, your neighbor from across the street, my roommates and I left you a note about your dog, Buffy?”

“Right,” Alex says, letting out a soft chuckle. “With the drawing, it was really good.”

“Thanks,” Michael says, grunting when Rosa pokes him. “That was Rosa, she’s the artist, and she’s in love with your dog.”

“You’re not?” Alex questions, sounding a little offended.

“I’m actually the only one of my roommates that hasn’t seen Buffy,” he admits, as Alex makes an amused noise. “But I’m sure she’s great, her letter was perfect. Did it take long to teach her how to write?”

Alex laughs, making Michael feel pleased and oddly proud. “No, she’s a genius, it took no time at all.”

“Well you should be very proud,” he jokes getting another laugh out of Alex. “So anyway, we were hoping that we could arrange that meet-up with Buffy, and you, of course, any time you want,” he rushes to say, ignoring the way Rosa is looking at him.

“We’re home now,” Alex starts, a little hesitant. “If you want to come over.”

“Now?” Michael questions to which Rosa starts nodding vigorously. “It would just be Rosa and me, Kyle and Jenna are out, is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Alex breathes, sounding more at ease. “That’s probably better actually, I don’t do great with a lot of people. We’ll meet you two outside in 10?”

“Okay,” Michael says quickly. “See you guys in a few, thanks.”

“Not a problem, Michael,” Alex says before hanging up. He decides then and there that he likes the way Alex says his name.

“Were you really flirting with a stranger over the phone?” Rosa questions incredulously.

“No!” Michael denies, blushing when Rosa raises an eyebrow at him. “Maybe?”

Rosa shakes her head at him, amused more than anything else. “Keep your head in the game Guerin, we are in it for the dog. Let’s go.”

Michael follows Rosa out of their home, she’s practically shaking by the time they cross the street and open Alex’s gate.

“Don’t freak them out,” he warns. “Alex said he’s not the best with people.”

“I’ll behave,” she promises just as their neighbor’s door opens.

A robust beagle comes out first, followed by what has to be the most beautiful man Michael has ever seen. He has tousled dark hair, big deep brown eyes, cheekbones that could cut glass, and full pink lips quirked up into a hesitant smile. The rest of him is perfect too, strong shoulders and arms, wrapped in a soft-looking grey Henley, and he’s in a pair of black jeans that hug his legs nicely. As he takes a step forward, Michael notices the crutch in his left hand.

“Michael, Rosa?” he questions as he comes down two short steps, standing before them.

“Hi,” Michael breathes, if possible, Alex is even more gorgeous up close, especially when he smiles at Michael.

“Hi,” he greets back at him, before looking at Rosa to give her a smile of her own. “Well, you didn’t come to see me,” he says, looking down at his dog, who is standing faithfully at his side, waiting. “This is Buffy.”

Buffy looks up at him at her name.

“They’re here for you, baby girl,” he speaks to her. “Greet.”

The moment Alex says the command, Buffy leaves his side, making her way toward Rosa as she gets down to her knees to pet her. Buffy’s tail starts wagging excitedly the second Rosa starts to pet her.

“Who’s a good girl,” Rosa coos at Buffy. “You are, you’re such a good girl, so sweet.”

“She’s a therapy dog,” Alex tells them with a proud look on his face as he watches his dog. Michael bends down too, letting Buffy sniff his hand first, chuckling when she starts to lick it.

“She’s very friendly,” Michael comments, looking up at Alex, his breath catching when he finds Alex’s eyes on him.

Alex nods, his expression soft. “She likes to make friends.”

“We can be her friends,” Rosa says quickly, as she rubs the top of Buffy’s head, looking back at Alex. “Her name? Is it because of the show?”

“Yeah, when my friend Maria and I picked her at the shelter, she said that Buffy would slay my demons,” Alex says with a slight laugh. “It stuck, so I named her Buffy.”

Michael bites down on his lip as he stands up, he does it to keep from asking what Alex’s demons are, wanting to know everything about him.

The rest of the visit, they’re on Alex’s porch. Rosa plays with Buffy, while Michael stares at Alex like an idiot as he tells them cute anecdotes about his dog. He shares a little bit about himself with them, each tidbit Michael stores away for later. He learns that Alex was in the Air Force until he got hurt. Alex knocks on his leg, which Buffy responds by leaving the belly rubs Rosa is giving her to press her small head against her owner’s leg. The gesture obviously meant to comfort him, which going by the smile on Alex’s face it does. He still does military work but as a private contractor and mostly from home and has had Buffy since his enlistment ended, and he hasn’t been in town too long, only a few months.

“I don’t really know much around here,” he comments with a shrug. “The base, the market, and the dog park, but that’s pretty much it.”

“I can show you around,” Michael blurts out before he can stop himself, he feels himself go hot as he feels Rosa’s eyes burn into the side of his face. He knows the second they’re alone; she’s going to mock the hell out of him.

Alex starts to smile only to look over at Rosa. “Umm,” Alex begins nervously, and Michael realizes with surprising clarity that Alex thinks they’re together.

Luckily Rosa seems to notice too, jumping in before he can make a fool of himself. “You guys should go,” she says with a grin. “This loser barely goes out himself, it’s just home and the university for him. Sad, really.”

“You’re just as bad as me,” he argues, trying to defend himself. “When’s the last time you went out?”

“Last week,” Rosa says smugly. “I met up with that hot blonde who modeled for me a few weeks ago, she showed me her portfolio,” she continues, waggling her eyebrows which makes Alex laugh. “You guys could go get a bite, and I can stay and hang with Buffy.”

Alex smirks at her, his eyes dancing with amusement. “That’s really what you’re after, isn’t it?”

“I’ll be honest, you can turn out to be Dahmer and eat Guerin,” Rosa says bluntly, ignoring him when he makes a noise of protest. “I’m cool as long as I get to keep playing with your dog.”

Alex looks at her, letting out a low whistle.

“As you can see, I need better friends,” Michael says, shooting Rosa a glare. “Do you want to go get something to eat?”

Alex bites down on his bottom lip, and it takes everything in Michael not to lean in and do it for him. “Now?”

Michael nods. “No time like the present.”

Alex smiles softly at him, there is a slight rosy color on his cheeks that makes Michael’s heart skip a beat. “Okay, let me get my wallet.”

“And I get to watch Buffy?” Rosa asks hopefully, as he stands. “I’ll take real good care of her, give you picture updates and everything.”

Alex looks at Rosa for a moment before nodding, his amusement obvious. “Sure, she’s really mellow, so I don’t see it being a problem if you really want to watch her.”

“Alex, you’re my new best friend,” Rosa says with a serious expression on her face.

“I’m sure that would mean more to him if you hadn’t just offered your current best friend up to be eaten,” Michael grumbles at her.

Alex laughs as he heads inside.

“This is where you say thank you,” Rosa whispers at him.

Michael frowns at her.”You did nothing,” he answers, getting a snort back.

“I just wing-womaned the shit out of this,” Rosa gripes. “You were just staring at him like a smitten idiot.”

Michael hates that he can’t argue with the truth, and in a fit of childishness, sticks his tongue out at her.

“Mature,” Rosa laughs as Alex comes back.

He gives them a curious look as he closes his door, leash in hand. “We usually go for a walk at seven,” he says, handing Rosa the leash after attaching it to Buffy. “She likes the park two blocks away.”

Rosa nods as she starts walking towards the gate with Buffy. He and Alex follow behind them, crossing the street back to their place where his truck is parked.

“We’ll go for a lovely walk, don’t worry,” Rosa promises.

Alex kneels down to rub Buffy under her chin, getting a lick for his troubles.

“Be good Buffy, I’ll be back soon,” he says tenderly before pressing a kiss on the top of her head, it makes something inside Michael flutter behind his ribcage.

Standing back to his feet, he walks over to Michael, giving him a charmed look when Michael opens the door of his truck for him.

“Have fun you two,” Rosa tells them as Michael puts the car in drive. She picks up Buffy and heads inside.

“You just made her night,” he tells Alex as he starts to drive downtown.

“I’m glad,” Alex answers, flashing him a smile. “You said in your note that you guys can’t have pets?”

“Grumpy landlord,” Michael explains.

Alex makes a face. “That really sucks. I got lucky, my landlady didn’t seem big on pets either, I wasn’t even going to interview for the place, but I brought Buffy with me and explained that she’s my therapy dog and I guess Buffy won her over. It’s hard resisting her face.”

“Probably hard resisting yours too,” Michael blurts out, already cringing before the words are completely out of his mouth. He keeps his eyes on the road to avoid looking at Alex, but after a moment of silence, he can’t help but sneak a peek at him. There’s a shy smile on Alex’s face, and his eyes are welcoming as he looks back at Michael, making him feel more confident to continue. “It’s a very nice face.”

Alex’s smile grows until he’s laughing softly, shaking his head at Michael's boldness. “You have a very nice face too, Michael.”

Michael grins to himself, his heart beating faster with excitement. He parks the car outside his favorite Mexican restaurant. “Hope you like tacos,” he says as he gets out, going around the car to Alex’s door.

“Are you even allowed to live in New Mexico if you don’t like tacos?” he questions, passing Michael his crutch. He gets out, and Michael reaches out his hand at his waist to steady him, his body responding instantly when Alex lets out a small gasp at his touch.

Michael lifts his eyes to Alex’s face, finding his gaze already on him, eyes wide, lips slightly parted, and Mickael knows Alex just felt the same spark he did at their touch. He steps in closer, crowding Alex in the door, his pulse spiking when Alex’s eyes drift down to his mouth.

“Proposal,” he starts, his voice low.

Alex hums softly, his body seemed to sway, brushing against his, his eyes half-closed.

“We turn this into a date,” Michael suggests, smiling at the surprised but happy look Alex gives him.

“How does it differ?” Alex questions with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Michael squeezes the side of Alex, where his hand still rests. “I get to kiss you at the end of the night,” he answers, inhaling sharply when Alex closes the small space between them, brushing his lips against Michael’s.

Alex takes his crutch and Michael’s hand leading him into the restaurant.

“You should text Rosa,” he throws over his shoulder, giving Michael’s hand a squeeze.

“Why?” Michael asks, still a little dazed from the touch of Alex’s lips.

A couple of hours is too fast to fall in love, right?

Alex turns back to him, a beautiful smile on his even more beautiful face, and Michael decides that, no, a couple of hours is more than enough time to fall in love with Alex Manes.

“To tell her that starting tonight, she’s going to have plenty of opportunities to borrow Buffy if I get to borrow her roommate.”

Michael grins, pulling out his phone even as he pulls Alex back into another kiss, this one deeper and longer as he takes his time, enjoying the taste and the sounds Alex makes. Rosa will be pleased with the arrangement, and he’s good with it too.

[pkmn-thenextgeneration]

Timeline preferences :

So Masterlist would be more like, everyone from Opal all the way to the grandkids and would be birth/death dates and major events (like the New Year’s Ball 2035 where Spinner goes missing and Jet has his arm mysteriously broken.)

Or by region which will KIND of have more details maybe mayhaps maybe not?

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Surfacing

Summary: Grief was a process. You weren’t ready to lose your best friend. 

Features: Grieving reader; OMC best friend; Angst; some fluff; Soft!Bucky, Soft!Natasha 

Pairing: Bucky/Natasha/Reader

Notes: I definitely want to revisit this particular reader at some point

Word Count: 2035

They worried about you. You knew they did. You hadn’t been yourself in months. When you’d become an Avenger, one of your first friends wasn’t a fellow Avenger, but an agent who was assigned to the compound. You had already known him, having grown up in the same town and gone to high school together. Avery was easy to like. He’d been like a brother to you since the two of you were kids. Avery Peterson was one of the best people you had ever met. But it wasn’t a mission gone wrong that took him from you. It was an accident when he was back home, visiting his family. Most days you felt like it would have been easier to accept if it had been a mission gone wrong. At least then it would make some kind of sense. 

You sat on the floor of your room, photos sitting in front of you. Some were in a scrapbook, others were loose, waiting to be hung on a wall or put somewhere safe. You weren’t sure you were ready to put them back up. Some of them were from when the two of you were in elementary school. In one of the photos, you were dressed as Captain America and Peggy Carter in the 4th of July pageant your hometown put on. You made sure to hide any copies of the video so the team would never see them. You kept the photo hidden, one of your favorite memories, no matter how silly you found it now. But you knew if the team ever saw it, you would never hear the end of it. 

Another photo saw the two of you, around age thirteen, fishing down the docks. You remembered the times you’d push each other in, more often than not the one being pushed pulling the one doing the pushing in with them. It was after one of those moments that his sister had snapped the photo. You hadn’t gone fishing in ages. Though it wasn’t your favorite thing in the world, there was something calming about sitting out on the water. You made a mental note to find time to go. Maybe you’d even bring Bucky and Natasha. The image of the two fishing made you laugh softly to yourself. 

You found yourself lost in the memories as you looked through the photos. You had been avoiding it since the day you tore them off the wall and shoved them in a box with the scrapbooks. A broken picture frame sat among them, a photo from his wedding, just six months before he died. You still checked in on his husband weekly. It was that photo that had set you off that day.

You’d felt numb. The funeral had been that morning and you still were in disbelief that it had happened at all. You had stayed at the reception after for some time, sitting with Tyler for as long as he needed. Through it all, you had been trying to stay strong, for Tyler, for the Peterson family as a whole. The only time you had allowed yourself to cry all week was in the privacy of your room, with no one else around. You knew Bucky and Natasha knew. You hated that you were pushing them away, but you didn’t want them to see you like that, lost in your pain and your grief. 

When you walked into your room, you headed to shower. It was when you got out that you saw the picture from the wedding. Avery and Tyler had looked so happy, so in love. There had been jokes about you, Bucky, and Nat being next, even if it wouldn’t be legally binding. You let out a sob as you picked it up. You weren’t sure what had come over you, but the next thing you knew, you had flung it across your room, glass shattering, and you had torn photos off your wall. Someone had pulled you to their chest, whispering in a language you didn’t know. Slowly, it registered that it was Natasha. Bucky was cleaning up the glass. You sobbed harder at the realization.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Nat whispered as she held you close. 

You were pulled out of the memory when someone spoke, startling you. You turned to see who it was, seeing Bucky and Natasha. 

“Want some company?” Bucky asked again. You thought for a moment. It had been a while since you really spent time with them. They were patient with you. There were nights you didn’t spend with them, still too lost in your grief to want the contact that came with spending the night with the two. Then there were the nights you clung to them as if they were going to disappear if you let go. Avery had been your best friend. He’d been your family. You looked up at your partners, taking in the looks of concern, before finally answering.

“Sure,” you said. The pair sandwiched you between them. You picked up one of the loose photos. It had been taken around the second grade, field day. You and Avery had your arms around each other as you ran back to your team, a ball sandwiched between your sides in some kind of relay game. 

“I don’t remember much about elementary school, but...Avery and I always had the same teacher. We always made sure we were partners on field day. People always thought we were cheating, especially the year we did a water balloon toss and we won every round,” you said. You sat with them for what felt like hours, talking about the memories behind the pictures and going through the scrapbooks. 

By the end of the afternoon, the two had helped you put the pictures back up on the wall. You felt more settled than you had since you got the news about Avery. For the first time in a while, it didn’t hurt as bad. 

“Captain Rogers asked me to inform you that dinner is ready,” FRIDAY said, interrupting the comfortable silence that had fallen upon the room. 

“Are you going to join us tonight?” Natasha asked. It had been a while since you joined the team for dinners. If you weren’t training or on a mission, you kept to yourself or your partners. You usually ate after everyone else in an attempt to avoid more interaction than necessary. It was something you had been working through. 

In the aftermath of losing Avery, Sam had gently recommended you talk to someone, that you go to therapy. You had been hesitant at first, but after a particularly rough mission that had seen you take unnecessary risks, you had agreed. It had been a process to get to where you were, but that was what grief was, a process. 

“Yeah, yeah I will,” you said. You didn’t miss the look shared between Bucky and Nat, one of happiness. 

If the team was surprised to see you, they didn’t show it. You sat down across from Wanda, with Bucky and Nat on either side of you. It was a full house for once. For the first time since losing your best friend, you felt some level of happiness. 

After dinner, you helped clean up, which was an accomplishment in and of itself in the time that had passed. It was a movie night and you found yourself up to joining the team. Once more, you were sat between your partners, your head resting on Bucky’s shoulder. You ended up falling asleep halfway through, only to be woken up by someone picking you up. You dozed back off, waking again when you were set down on a bed. You knew it was your bed. 

“Stay,” you mumbled. 

“Wouldn’t dream of leaving, doll. We’re just going to get ready for bed. Think you’re awake enough to change into your pajamas?” Bucky asked softly. His answer was a light snore from you. He chuckled to himself. Once you were asleep, even if you woke up briefly, you’d be back out in seconds. By the time he was back in your room, Natasha had gotten you into your pajama pants and a tank top. She settled in on the right, putting you in the middle, and leaving the left side for Bucky. 

“It’s progress,” Natasha said quietly. 

“I wish there was more we could do for her,” Bucky said as he slid under the covers. You shifted in your sleep, seeking out the warmth Bucky brought. Soon enough, Bucky and Natasha were drifting off to sleep too. 

You woke up before Bucky and Nat, or so you had thought. Escaping from the middle was never an easy task, but it was one you had down to an art. Natasha had wrapped her arms around you during the night and you had your head on Bucky’s chest. When you tried to extricate yourself, Natasha’s grip tightened. 

“Stay,” she said. You looked at her and then at Bucky, realizing the two had been awake for a while. A lazy day was rare. 

“What time is it?” you asked.

“Just past 8:30. It’s a day off. We’re being lazy,” Bucky said, his voice still raspy from sleep. 

When the three of you finally emerged an hour later, you had a genuine smile on your face, something that had become a rarity. The three of you were just going for a walk. You hadn’t taken a day just to relax in a while. 

A fresh blanket of snow covered the compound grounds. You and Natasha had walked ahead when you suddenly felt something very cold and very wet collide with the back of your neck. You turned to see Bucky smiling, another snowball in hand. 

“Do you really want to start this, Barnes?” you question. Without saying a word, the snowball in his hand hit Natasha square in the chest. With that, the three of you began throwing snowballs at one another, taking cover behind trees. 

By the time the three of you had grown cold and a little tired, the sun was starting to sink below the horizon. You laid back on the ground, hands under your head staring up at the sky as flakes started to fall again. You couldn’t remember the last time you just had fun without letting your thoughts dwell on your best friend. Natasha laid down next to you, mimicking your body language. 

“How are you feeling?” she asked quietly. You turned your head to look at her.

“Happy,” you said with a smile. Bucky had made his way over to where you and Natasha laid. You couldn’t remember the last time you had seen the two of them so relaxed and carefree.

“I don’t know about you ladies, but hot chocolate sounds good right about now,” he said, helping the two of you up off the ground.

“Your famous hot chocolate? With extra whipped cream? And marshmallows? The big ones, not the tiny ones that melt before you can even take a sip?” you asked. Bucky laughed as he wrapped an arm around you.

“The fact that you think I would make it any other way makes me question how well you know me, doll,” he teased. You stuck your tongue out at him. 

When the three of you got back inside, you changed into your pajamas. You sat on the couch with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around your shoulders as you and Nat searched  for something to watch. 

Bucky entered the room, balancing three mugs of hot chocolate on a tray with a plate of cookies. 

“Cookies?” you asked.

“What? You thought there wouldn’t be snacks?” Bucky asked before sitting down beside you. The three of you fell into a comfortable silence. Your legs were thrown across Bucky’s lap and your head rested on Natasha’s shoulder. You felt peace from the thoughts that had been tormenting you, relief from the avalanche of grief you had been buried under. 

“Love you Tasha, love you James,” you mumbled sleepily. 

“Love you too,” they both said softly. Natasha placed a gentle kiss on your forehead as you drifted off. 

You felt like you were finally surfacing. 

[reginaldqueribundus]

I tried to recap Star Trek Discovery season 2 to my friend. Spoilers under the cut.

[me] Today at 1:37 PM You care about spoilers?

[friend] Today at 1:38 PM NOPE explain

[me] Today at 1:38 PM Lol so It starts off ok, doing actual Star Trek shit Chasing this "red angel" that's apparently from the future and fucking w/ our shit for reasons unknown

[friend] Today at 1:43 PM yeah I'm into that then what happens

[me] Today at 1:47 PM There's some Klingon drama involving a severed baby head But don't worry it's fake, the baby survives and they send him to a monastery Everyone's favourite Star Trek plot element comes back S e c t i o n  3 1

[friend] Today at 1:49 PM what's section 31

[me] Today at 1:50 PM Secret edgy Federation black ops division DS9 introduced it, it was a cool way of exploring the darker side of the Federation. Preserving paradise by any means necessary and all that Franchise keeps bringing them back but never does it right

Anyway uh, Tilly gets an imaginary friend who turns out to be a mushroom and kidnaps her to the mushroom dimension Which allows gay doctor boyfriend to come back to life so it's all good Evil Michelle Yeoh mirror universe Emperor lady joins section 31 and has lots of fun being saucy and talking about sex and kicking ass and is basically the best thing ever Saru's anxiety falls out and he becomes a badass

[friend] Today at 1:53 PM this actually might push me to watch it I'm just sitting here like "New Star Trek" okay cool I'll watch it by the year 2035 "new star trek but it's completely lost its mind" OKAY YOU HAVE ME

[me] Today at 1:54 PM Lol should I stop?

[friend] Today at 1:54 PM no keep going

[me] Today at 1:55 PM Well the whole red angel thing turns out to be about stopping an evil AI that's going to kill everything in the future Section 31 built Skynet basically and USS Discovery got a million years worth of information about AI from a giant dying space ball and Skynet needs the data to evolve And they can't just delete the data or blow up the ship Then Spock shows up with a hobo beard having a nervous breakdown, we find out why him and Michael never talk & it turns out the red angel is Michael's actually-not-dead mom flying around in a time-travelling Iron Man suit ALSO built by Section 31 The Klingons have a secret planet full of time crystals The baby comes back as an adult because he aged fast cuz of time or whatever Skynet turns the head Section 31 guy into a Terminator and blows up the angel time suit So they just build another one and go "well we'll just take the data into the future where he can't get it" And then they kind of forget the overarching theme of empathy they were trying to establish, everything ends with big space battle It turns into some goofy ass "all the friends we met along the way are here to help us defeat the bad guy" anime bull shit Except one of the "friends" was literally claiming they murdered her baby a few episodes earlier so idk how that works Also the Enterprise is There They shove the Terminator guy in a microwave and go to the future and everyone else conveniently agrees to never speak of them again so Trekkies will stop bitching about continuity, the end

[friend] Today at 2:45 PM I love it I'm not even being ironic like star trek being completely nuts is something I'm totally down for

So in conclusion, I still liked S2 a lot even though I’m a bit disappointed by it, and he still wants to watch it. I consider that a win.

[logancreatesworlds]

Paradise - (Angel!Spencer Reid x black!reader)

Author’s Note:  AUs are my thing.  Do I even have to explain?  I swear God keeps sending me ideas. 🤣💡❤

Warning: Strong religious references.

Disclaimer:  None of the images are mine.

Luke 23:43

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

It was in the year 2035 that the world had officially gone to shit.  

Surprisingly, it wasn’t because of global warming or war caused by greedy politicians, but rather by the very God that many claimed to love.

Lucifer always said that God loved humans more than him.  Yet, the world had ended not in a ball of fire, but by flaming rays of light.

The Almighty God had finally had enough of his own creation.

First, it started in France, England and Western Europe with the water turning to blood and getting most of the people deathly ill with HIV.

The presidents and dictators could not stop it.

Then, it spread to Russia and eastern Europe, where frogs and lice invaded everything and destroyed the livestock and crops.

The farmers could not prevent it.

After that, it came to lower and southeast Asia, and the livestock either got attacked by their own livestock or were murdered by its diseased meat.

The people could not counteract it.

Next, it hit Australia and Oceania, covering the entire place in darkness and raising swarms of locusts to attack the people - conveniently murdering the first sons of all the families first before moving onto the rest and leaving them with venomous boils.

Nobody could repress it.

And finally, it attacked the Americas, plummeting and freezing the South in snow and hail and then torching the North in heat and fire.

Nothing could avert it.

The only place spared from God’s seven-day wrath was Africa, the Motherland.

Perhaps all those stories your mother told you about being a part of God’s chosen people was true after all.

Or more likely, you were just lucky - for now.

You were packing your bags, planning to return back to Houston, Texas after your vacation.

A graduation present from your uncle.

The next thing you know, you’re watching monks in Myanmar get rammed by raging bulls and French people scratch their heads so hard that they destroy their scalps on the news.

You had been in Cairo at the time.

The last words your mother had said to you over the phone were ones of warning.

“We are living in our last days.  Stay there for just a few more weeks and then come home to me when it’s safe.”

But it wasn’t safe.

Houston was one of the first places to burn.  

No amount of firefighters could put the flames out and everyone who tried to flee - quite literally, combusted.

Your mom was gone.

The scientists who were lucky enough to live estimated the the “Plagues” had killed off about sixty-five percent of the population.

Most of the other thirty-five percent were hunted down and shot to bits in blinding light by beings with golden wings.

They called them The Seraphim, the Burning Ones.

They were not friendly, nor were they gentle, and they chopped off the heads of every human they saw until God himself started assigning them people to spare.

One morning you had woken up with a G burned into your right arm.

After the angels had broken into the army barracks you had fled to for safety and cleansed the place of its human inhabitants, you figured out that that G stood for Genesis - the first book of the Bible.

Soon you were herded along with the other ‘G’s into a strange settlement.

The buildings were perfectly made of hard stone and sanded white.  

The gravel streets were quiet and desolate. The gravel streets were quiet and desolate. 

The golden sun shined over all of it.

“Forward!” An angel commanded, pushing you towards it all.

The angels then backed up, and a large wall magically blocked them from view.

You and the others looked around confused as you all wandered further into the strange land.

No one was there.  No one.

What was going on?

The only thing that provided explanation to the question was a stone plaque in the middle of the town’s main square.

As the all of you got closer to it, golden letters burned into its hard surface.

To the people of Paradise, heed these commandments.  

1.  Thou shall not try to leave.

2. Thou shall not steal.

3.  Thou shall not eat any of the blessed foods.

4.  Thou shall not create or dabble in new invention.

5.  Thou shall not marry another unless granted permission by the Holy Union.

6.  Thou shall give The Burning Ones tribute on the first of every spring.

7.  Thou shall worship God and only God.  

The rules were simple.  Still, people found it in themselves to be naturally disobedient.  But they didn’t last long.

"That’s it!”  An angry older man huffed, “I’m going!”

“Mister Coleman you can do that-”

“Enough!” Coleman snapped, “I’m a professor, and I say that this had got to be a prank.  You all can stay if you want, but I’m getting out of here.”

Professor Lawrence Coleman then walked up to the wall and started to climb.

Then...

THWOOP!

A loud scream ripped from you and a the others as a shining gold arrow ripped through Coleman’s trachea.  His body began to glow and then...ash.

Looking up, you saw the thing that had ended him.

A Seraphim floated above with emotionless air, his wings flapping as he spoke with authority.

“The commandments are clear and true,” the being spoke, “You are now servants of the Lord himself.  Disobey his word?  You die just as this wretch did.”

Even after Coleman’s deaths, people still tried to escape.

After about fifteen of them tried and failed, people started rebelling in other ways.

Some ate sugar, meat and spices, others tried to craft weapons to kill The Burning Ones...

Many died.

Soon, only thirty of you remained.

March 20th

Year 11

You sighed softly as you collected water from the well before carrying it through the courtyard.

This was your life now.  

Slowly, people settled into their new lives in Paradise.  Some became bakers, other farmers.  You?  You were ordained to be a nun in the convent.

Rape was illegal so you did not have to worry about covering your woolly hair, and the only people you saw on the regular were the other nuns and the children.

Your role was to teach them the word of God, and you knew what would happen to you if you did not play your role.

“Boker Tov Miss (Y/N),” little Alice greeted with a toothless grin as you came into the dining room.

“Boker Tov Alice,” you replied, placing the water on the table, “Ready for breakfast?”

“Mhmm,” she replied.

“Glad you could finally make it,” Miss Winifred - the oldest, said as placed hot bread and fresh milk onto the table, “We were starving.  Come along ladies, let us get alone with prayer.”

It was the rule that everyone in Paradise had to say eight prayers a day:  one in the morning, two before and after breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively and one at night.

This was the second prayer.

Later that morning, you sighed softly as you plucked fresh raspberries off their trellises and placed them in a basket.

Thank the Lord the rains had been frequent, lest your tribute would have been rendered inadequate and you obsolete.

Today was The Day of Babel.

Every March 20th the people of Paradise were commanded to bring gifts to the Main Church to please the Seraphim who watched over and protected them.

Tribute...

Each person was assigned one Seraphim per year and the cycle rotated.

This year, you were assigned to give a gift to the Seraphim called Spencer.

“You think he’ll like it?”  Constance, your only friend, asked as she held the basket for you.  

“He shall have to,” you replied seriously before dumping two handfuls of berries in, “Or else I shall be raptured.”

The people of Paradise knew what that term meant, raptured.  

To you, it was foolish to pretend the friends you had watched be burned before your eyes were somewhere in heaven with God, but you decided to be sympathetic and go along with the delusion.

Sometimes it is better to believe a happy lie than to acknowledge the painful truth.

“Come,” you said, “We mustn't be late.”

After about a thirty minute walk, you made it to the square.  Everyone else was walking to the church silently.

It was always easy for you to pick out the newer people, the younger ones who were not used to wrathful Gods and fiery angels.  

The most scared-looking ones were always the children.

Soon, everyone was inside.

On the main stage stood several golden plates.  Each plates stood for one Seraphim that was to come.  

One by one, an angel appeared - their wings shining and their eyes glowing.

Then, your moment of truth arrived.

A blinding ray of light shined down on the last plate.

When it disappeared, there he was.

“Praised be to the Burning Ones,” you greeted with a bow, the other behind you following suit, “We humbly receive thine greatness.”

The Seraphim stepped off the golden plate and stood in front of you.

“Thank you.  Now, let us see what have brought me.”

Steadying your hand, you held out the small basket of raspberries.

Spencer gave a pleased smile, “Berries, my favorite.  Thank you.”

Everyone followed behind you, presenting their gifts.

With interest, you took notice of how Spencer accepted each gift with grace and kindness, giving a thank you to each person.

Then, it was little Alice’s turn.

“Hello,” Spencer greeted, getting down on one knee and looking her in the eyes.

Alice did as you both had rehearsed.

“Praised be unto you,” Alice replied with a little bow.

“And unto you, little one.  What have you brought for me?”

“W-well, it’s not perfect but I...I drew you a picture.”

With two little hands, she handed it to him.

You held your breath.

If he didn’t like it...

“This is the best gift I have ever received,” Spencer said, “Thank you Alice.”

You breathed out a small sigh of relief.  You would all make it another year.

That night, you couldn’t sleep and decided to step out to get some fresh air to help you relax.

The wind blew slightly through your fro as you clenched your robe tighter around you to keep warm.

The streets were desolate, silent.  The only light out besides the lanterns on the doors was the moon.

This wasn’t the only night you had left the convent.

After more than ten years in Paradise, you...were getting sick of Paradise.

It was always the same routine: get up, pray, eat, pray some more...

What was the meaning of life now?

To obey, you huffed to yourself, It’s always to obey.

Soon, you made it to to the forest and as routine dictated, to the small clearing half a mile out.

You were so tired of it all - the praying, the obeying...

Still, what could you do about it?  Nothing.

“Meaningless,” you muttered to yourself.

“Nature is never meaningless.”

You whipped around at the voice.  

“Relax,” the familiar figure soothed, gliding out of the darkness, “It is only I.”

“Spencer,” you greeted, bowing, “What a lovely surprise.”

“Do not lie, (Y/N),” Spencer replied, his wings gently flapping as he floated, “I know you do not welcome my presence.  No one here does.  Not truly.”

“Then why are you here?”

The angel landed and shrugged.

“You interest me,” he replied, “Even if you hold everyone together, yet you yourself are falling apart.”

“I am not falling apart,” you growled, “I will never break.”

Spencer smirked, “Wrath is a deadly sin.”

“So is arrogance and yet that did not stop you.”

Spencer laughed, “You are something (Y/N), something indeed.  On the outside, there is this smooth cocoa brown shell of humility and penitence.  But on the inside, there is a blazing fire waiting to burn.”

“Then it is probably best to ignite me-”

Your retort was stopped short when Spencer pulled you to him, smashing your lips towards his in an illicit kiss.

Once you snapped out the trance his lips had put you under, you did the only thing a self-respecting woman would do.

SLAP!

Spencer held his cheek, his eyes wide with pleasant shock as you stood there fuming.

“You...you slapped me.”

“Yes, I did.  Were you expecting a different reaction?”

“From you?  No.  But I could rapture you for that.”

“You won’t.”

“You are right.  I won’t.  You are different from the other humans.  You are real.”

“You consider me real for slapping you?”

“I consider you real for standing up for yourself.  You are fierce, strong, and you stand firm in what you wish to achieve.  I like that.”

You stood there puzzled.

“Listen,” he spoke, “I agree with you.  This life is meaningless.  Paradise is lost.  The honey is hardened and the milk is sour.  This...holy project is a farce.”

“And what makes you think I dislike Paradise?”

“Your body language.  You walk around with your arms crossed and your eyes blazing.  You want to be free.”

“So what if if I did?”

“I want to be free with you.  A bunch of us do.”

“Us?”

“Seraphim, some close friends of mine.  We used to live for guiding humans to Christ, not burning them for straying form the path we set.  Sure you humans failed many times but there was always brave souls like you who got it right.  Paradise is dead.”

“Well...what do you propose we do about it?”

“Escape.”

“Escape?  That’s your brilliant plan, oh great Seraphim?  Even you must know that there is no escape from Paradise.”

“Then we shall make one.”

“And say your colleagues catch you, what then?  I will be raptured and you will be sent to Hell.”

“God only watches this place periodically.  I have a contact who guards his throne.  She tells me so.  If we time everything right, we can leave for good.”

You sighed.

You weren’t really going to-

“I’m in,” you answered. 

God no.

“Excellent.”

You seriously were partnering with your designated angel to break God’s rules.

Great.

December 24th

Year 11

“And you are sure this sword is gonna get us out?”  You asked.

“You have been asking that for months,” Spencer replied, wrapping his lithe arms around your waist and kissing the back of your head, “Yes I’m sure.”

“Sorry,” you mocked, “Just checking.”

“Don’t worry,” Spencer soothed, speaking into your hair, “We shall all be free soon.”

This intimacy between the two of you had become commonplace ever since October.  Apparently devising a plan to be free from God’s tyranny is a good foundation for a relationship.

“I will defy God for freedom, but I would die for you,” Spencer had said once.

Just like the other angels, Spencer had an arrogant and prideful side to him.  But he was also kind, clever and - to your surprise, very intelligent.

A Seraphim and human in love?  Go figure.

“Where will we go?”

“Anywhere,” Spencer replied, “The plagues are gone so we can head towards Europe. Or we can go to America.  I will carry you all the way there if need be.”

“Will it be worth it?  Is there anything out there for us?”

Spencer shrugged, “Who knows?  But at least it will be up to us to discover.  I am done being God’s puppet.  From now on, we shall have the freedom to live as we please.”

That was the goal.  Freedom.

December 24th

11:50 PM

You waited anxiously in the daisy fields. 

Constance, Alice and Miss Winifred had each split up and talked to the others, to see if they wanted to leave.

You had wanted to ask them sooner, but Spencer assured you it was too dangerous and that another Seraphim would surely catch you.

Everything had to be perfectly timed.

“Psst.”

You looked over to see Constance, Alice and Miss Winifred.

“You made it.”

“Yes,” Constance said, “We did.”

“And the others?”

Miss Winifred shook her head disappointingly, “They were too afraid.”

You sighed.

Can’t save everybody.

Quickly, you shook it off.

“It’s fine,” you replied, “Let’s go.”

Swiftly, you led your three companions to a hard spot in the dirt and cleaned the spot off as quickly as possible.

“What is that?”

“A seal,” you replied, “It’s the only other way out of this place.  The Seraphim use it to enter and leave Paradise.”

Gently, you took the blade of the sword and stuck it into the seal’s one small hole.  Magically, the sword’s handle glowed and the seal opened, revealing a dark tunnel.

“Let’s go,” you said.

Soon, you were in the tunnel. 

“I thought you said he was coming too,” Constance said petulantly.

“I am.”

The four of you squeal when a lantern flickered on in the darkness, revealing Spencer’s face.

“You have got to stop doing that,” you mumbled as Spencer kissed your cheek.

“Sorry Ahuvati,” He replied.

“Wait you two are...together?” 

Spencer nodded, “Since October.”

“Have you fucked yet?”  Miss Winifred asked.

“Jesus Wini,” You huffed, “Alice is right here, and no - we have not.”

“There shall be plenty of time to discuss our relationship later,” Spencer said, taking his sword from you, “Right now we’ve gotta move.” 

Unsure of what was outside, you followed him.

Who knows?  Maybe there was nothing out there.  Maybe there was an opportunity to start over.

Either way, the choice would be yours and no one else’s.

Goodbye Paradise.

Author’s Note: Aaaaand that’s all folks!  I know this one was bit different but I really worked hard on it.  Comment and let me know what you think!

@shinyanchorface  @tenaciousarcadeexpert  @naturally-bri  @suz-123  @dontshootmespence  @cynbx  @girl-x-wonder-x-reid  @lovepeacehappinessalluneed  @princesswagger15  @confused-and-really-hungry  @lyricsstories  @dreatine  @siriuslycollins  @darkfaethedestroyer  @jackiethedreamer243  @hekaates  @yourfavoritefavorite  @storage-space-running-out  @blackwatershipper  @fandom-rpblog  @witchiewinchester

[breeeliss]

Pallura Request: Allura helps Pidge pick out a gown for a diplomatic ball. It doesn't go the way she planned.

words: 2035

“There’s no freaking way this is your closet…” 

Allura flipped on the lights by the door and pulled out the rolling ladder from the corner. “Of course this is my closet. This is where I keep all of my clothes. So it must be a closet.” 

“Yeah,” Pidge nodded slowly. “Yeah, no, I got that part. I’m still kinda stuck on the fact that your closet has three floors.” 

“I have clothes for a lot of occasions and I don’t believe in throwing anything out. Besides, it’s good that I don’t because that means there’s a very high likelihood I’ll still have something old that’ll fit you.” Allura bounced on her toes and gestured up the ladder. “After you~!”

In an almost cliche turn of events, the latest recruit into the Voltron alliance would only offer their share of support and resources if the paladins accepted their invitation to a gala being held by the most decorated lords and nobles on the planet. Apparently, celebrating for three days and three nights was considered to be the pursest display of camaraderie and solidarity amongst new friends. Which meant that if Team Voltron wanted this planet’s leaders to take them seriously, they needed to spend the next three days drinking, dancing, and schmoozing until they were thoroughly sick of it. 

Not the weirdest thing they’ve ever had to do for the coalition, but certainly the most maddening. Because apparently formal wear was a huge requirement which meant that the entire day was being spent shopping for appropriate clothing. 

Or…in Pidge’s case scouring Allura’s monster of a closet for something that might fit. 

“Do you even wear half this stuff?” Pidge asked as she trudged up the ladder behind Allura. “That entire wing over there looks like it’s just shoes.” 

“I get attached to things very easily!” she explained. “Besides, there’s no need to shop! I can just spend a few hours in here and find what I need.”

“Hours? Try days. You could get lost in here.” 

“Oh don’t be silly Pidge. Obviously you’d have a map with you.”

“There’s a map to this place!?!?”

Allura giggled. “Kidding! Kidding. Although do stay close, the hallway with all my dresses can get a little bit overwhelming. Admittedly, I haven’t been up here in a long while.”

“Yeah about that…” Pidge stopped for a moment to catch her breath. “How far up are we going?”

“To the very top!” Allura exclaimed. “It’s where I keep all the clothes that don’t fit me. So there should be something there for you to wear. You’re going to look absolutely lovely for this gala, I’ll make sure of it.” 

“Not that I’m opposed to wearing pretty dresses, but I have a feeling you’re gonna take this four levels higher than need be.” 

“Nonsense! There’s no such thing as being too excited about something.”

Pidge lifted a brow. “You sound like Lance.” 

“His philosophies on indulgence and enjoyment are actually fairly enlightening if you manage to filter out all of the nonsense he spits in between. Ah! Here we are!”

They dismounted on the third floor and walked along the balcony until they reached a long hallway that stretched far deeper than any closet probably should. It almost reminded Pidge of walking into a bridal shop because every inch of the place was covered in billowing, sleek, flowery, fluffy, and shimmering fabric. The floor-to-ceiling racks were downright packed with dresses, skirts, and gowns and Pidge didn’t even know where they were meant to start. 

Allura, however, seemed to have at least a passable idea of where she was going because she skipped ahead and stopped right next to a long rack of green dresses closest to the floor. “Let’s see, let’s see…nothing too heavy. Nothing too opulent. Nothing too tight or too low cut or too short. Nothing boxy or baggy. Something comfortable, surely. Something to show off your legs as well.”

“My legs?”

“You have gorgeous legs, Pidge!” Allura teased. “They’re one of your best qualities.” 

Pidge made a face and stared down at her too-skinny unshaven legs that were half hidden by her cargo shorts. “You’re messing with me.”

“Not at all. They’re long and have a beautiful shape since you keep so active. Makes me a little jealous. Oh and your neck! Such a long, pretty neck. We should show that off too.”

Pidge rubbed the front of her throat. “It’s just a normal neck…” 

Allura was already pulling out dresses and draping them over her shoulders. “Oh not at all. You have a longer neck than I do which is saying something considering I’m so much taller than you. Makes you look very elegant. Would be a shame to hide that under a high collar.” She laid down no fewer than seven dresses on a bench sitting in the middle of the room and planted her hands on her hips. “There. That should be a good start!” 

“These are going to fit?”

“I mean they’re really old. Like very old. I was very young when I wore these – “

“Yeah Allura, go ahead, rub it in.”

“ – but I’m almost positive they’ll fit. Won’t know until you try them on!”

Pidge sorted through the pile and wrinkled her nose at the dresses that had too much glitter, too much fabric, and too many accessories. She picked out a light green dress with billowing sleeves that was nice enough to look formal but simple enough to not make her stand out too much. Exactly what she was going for. 

Allura watched with rapt attention and clapped her hands together when she saw the dress Pidge held up first. “Oooh! I was hoping you’d pick that one! Very charming, definitely one of my favorites.” 

Pidge spun around in a circle. “Uh…are there changing rooms here?”

Allura pouted. “What do you mean? This is the changing room. This is a closet.” 

“No I mean a separate room that’s not the closet. Like a place where I can get dressed.” 

“This isn’t a store, Pidge. I just get unchanged right in the middle of the room.” 

Pidge’s eyes widened. “You want me to just get naked in front of you?”

It took a couple of seconds for the realization to hit Allura, but once it did Pidge swore that there was color spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. “Oh! Oh! Oh heavens no! No, no, I didn’t mean….a-at least not in front of me. I mean I could turn around if you’d like? Or just leave. I could leave! I’ll just leave. Give you privacy. Shut my eyes for good measure.”

Pidge snorted at her rambling. “It’s okay. I’ll just turn around. Just…don’t peek, okay?”

“I would never!” Allura insisted. 

“I know,” Pidge laughed. “Just give me a couple of seconds, I can probably slip into it quick.” 

Allura had already shielded her eyes and ducked her head so that she couldn’t see past her lap, and Pidge took that as a go ahead to start pulling her shirt and shorts off. Allura wasn’t one that was often flustered. If anything, for someone who would quietly admit that she didn’t always know exactly what she was doing, she did a good job at trying to keep herself composed in front of others so as not to let morale crumble. It was sort of adorable to see her fidget and rapidly bounce her legs while she waited for Pidge to finish. Pidge wondered why that of all things was enough to make Allura fumble around worse than Lance in front of a pretty girl. 

Sometimes it felt like those two had a lot in common…

The dress wasn’t too bad. A little short for her tastes, but the fabric was thin and loose enough that it didn’t overemphasize anything to the point that would make Pidge feel uncomfortable. Allura must have been really serious about the neck compliment, because the dress had a sloping neckline that was just low enough to show off the shape of her collarbone. Pidge liked it though. It didn’t dig into her like her paladin armor and it wasn’t stiff like her lounge clothes. It was light, airy, and pretty and Pidge couldn’t help but smile over it. 

She swished her hips around to test the flow of the fabric and suddenly remembered just how much she missed wearing dresses back at home. It felt like it had been years. 

“I really like this one,” she decided. 

“That’s wonderful!” Allura said from behind her hands. “Is it okay to look?”

“Of course. I need help zipping it up the rest of the way anyway.” 

Pidge turned around the same moment Allura looked up, and Pidge swore that Allura had made herself a little lightheaded from how deeply she inhaled. She held her breath for a moment as she took in every inch of the dress and finally let her chest deflate and leave her with a stupidly large grin on her face. “You look absolutely stunning.” 

The smile in her voice was enough to get addicted to. Pidge bit her lip and stared down at the skirt she was still holding. “Thanks. You don’t think it looks weird?” 

“Not at all. Come here, let me fix you up a bit.” 

Pidge walked closer and turned her back to Allura so that she could finish zipping the dress up the rest of the way. But then Allura started adjusting the sleeves, wiping down the skirt, adjusting the waist, and smoothing out any wrinkles that she saw. Allura’s hands were so gentle and just barely skimming over the surface of Pidge’s skin, and she tried to convince herself that it was just Allura doing harmless fixes even as her whole body shuddered from the sweet touches. 

Allura turned Pidge around and started to run her fingers through the hair that had gotten a little long since Pidge had been neglecting her haircuts. She collected the longest strands over her shoulders and swept her bangs to the side to keep them from hiding her eyes. She seemed to be satisfied with what she saw because Allura was holding her hands up to her mouth and looking like she was about to explode with pride. 

“You look absolutely precious,” Allura sighed. “And it fits you so well.” 

“Yeah, I could get used to this one.” Pidge wrapped her arms around herself and unconsciously started swishing her skirt back and forth. “We can keep looking if you want. There are three days of partying we need to get ready for after all.” 

“Of course! I’d be happy to find you more. Besides, if you’re going to look this beautiful in all of them, we’re set for a very entertaining afternoon.” 

Pidge cleared her throat loudly. “Don’t exaggerate.” 

“I would never,” Allura said, her expression sobering. “I’m always nothing but honest with you. You look positively gorgeous. And that’s the truth.” 

Pidge wasn’t a vain person. She didn’t care much about how put together or frumpy she looked on any particular day so long as she had her wits about her. But hearing Allura compliment her so many times in a row left her reeling and feeling like she’d be willing to put on every single dress in this ridiculously huge room if only so she could her Allura praise her with that soft, dreamy, wistful voice of hers. 

She decided to be a little brave and take Allura’s hand in hers. “Thanks. I don’t get to fuss over dressing up much nowadays, so it’s nice to get to do it again after so long. It means a lot to me.” 

Allura preened and brought Pidge’s hand up to her lips to place a gentle kiss against the knuckles. “The honor is all mine, Katie. Besides, I think we both get a very good deal out of this.” She reached up presumably to brush aside a lock of hair, but instead she let her thumb trace Pidge’s collarbone with her thumb. The simple action left Pidge shivering pleasantly again. “Want to try on more now?” 

Pidge’s nod was quick and fervent. “Please.” 

[genidma]

Short-story (series): Adventures of Henri & friends: Ch. 3: ‘As time goes by.’

Me and most of my friends are now in our mid 20's. Some of us have chosen to join the Federation of planets, others have decided to serve in the Galactic Defense [GD]. Others still have decided to go the route of research. But somehow, all of us are working with the Galactic Defense [GD]. 

Somehow, all of us have managed to keep in contact with each other.

My parents and our family members are doing quite well. Not too long ago, both of my parents decided to retire and they still call Lyon their home. The venture for growing and exporting quality wines was sold to a larger company. And the employees integrated into the new organization very well.

Mr. Deschamps and his wife Samantha were one of the first individuals who decided to take on the anti-aging therapy. There was an RNA based therapy that had proven effective in non-human and non-cyborg subjects for decades. Both Mr. and Mrs. Deschamps are around my parents age, but they do not look a day older than someone who would be in their mid 30's. It's always fascinating to be back in Lyon and have a meal at their residence. This, in contrast to my parents who chose not to go with the therapy and the changes and as it relates to their bodies is noticeable. 

It was a normal sunny afternoon in 2035 and I received a notification on my beeper. A beeper is a small device, the size of what a small coin used to be back in the days. The beeper can transmit information directly above of itself in a very detailed holograph. It can also relay information to other devices, as well relay information directly inside our minds. Which is applicable to both humans wearing a non-invasive device and cyborgs. 

The secure holographic message was from the office of Commander Vik Moyer. The message was simple, report to O'Neill site 52 at the time specified. The message was addressed to all of us. Me and the friends that I had grown up with. 

It was around 1600 local time. I was thinking, what all of my friends were probably thinking. What this could  be about. But we knew better, not to hop on another call and try and guess what this could be about. As doing so would go against the security protocols at [GD].

The next day, all of us were at the spaceport. 

Adam Ouaki, looked slightly disheveled and had Josephine, Louis, Itohan (Zribi) and others consoling him. Upon my inquiry, I found out that after 14 years, Bucky had to be put down. Bucky was the friendliest dog I have come across in my life, to date. He was just a ball of joy and happiness. A beautiful papillon.  I was very sorry to hear this news and I hugged Adam. Adam did not want to get Bucky cloned and he must have had his reasons.

Shortly thereafter the starship had arrived and we were on route to O'Neill site 52.