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muriel-not-the-dim-one · 1 year ago

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From the Journal of Muriel, 37th Scrivener, Assistant Bookshop Keeper to Mr. A Z Fell Entry #2

I walked outside to sweep the walk as I closed the bookshop and found a pair of sunglasses and a “cd” as Maggie called it in the gutter.

She didn’t really like them, she preferred “records”.

She said Mr. Fell didn’t have anything in his shop to play the “cd”.

She gave me a “record” that was the same name as the “cd”.

I put it on Mr. Fell’s player…………..and put the sunglasses on………..

youtube

Only love can make it rain

The way the beach is kissed by the sea

Only love can make it rain

Like the sweat of love birds laying in the fields

Only love can bring the rain

That makes you yearn to the sky

Only love can bring the rain

That falls like tears from on high

On the dry and dusty road

The nights we spend apart alone

I need to get back home to cool, cool rain

I can't sleep and I lay and I think

The night is hot and black as ink

Ooh God, I need a drink of of cool, cool rain

Love, reign o'er me

Rain o'er me, over me, o'er me, oh

Love reign o'er me

Love

Shax was now a Duke of Hell, Furfur was promoted as well, and they were busy! They all knew Heaven was planning one hell of a coup (no pun intended) and with Aziraphale running Heaven, at first they thought it would be an easy defeat. But the back channels (that obviously doesn’t exist) was burning up with rumors. Aziraphale was thought to be coming to Hell, himself, to fight the demons. No Angel, Archangel or not had EVER come to Hell to start a war. Even when Aziraphale used his halo, it was to protect the humans and Jim/Gabriel. Now the rumor was, he would destroy the humans just as uncaring as he would kill the demons. There was definitely a change in Heaven.

If you asked any demon about Crowley, they would just look at you and walk away. They had been warned. He did not want his name mentioned. AT ALL. He refused the title Grand Duke of Hell and all others they wanted to bestow. After Beelzebub and Gabriel left, he was never questioned about his involvement. Even Hell knew not to mess with Crowley.

He was seen time to time in different places. A farm in Edinburg, with a human that was always properly good. In Rome wandering the ruins. Feeding frozen peas to ducks. Driving his Bentley through London at breakneck speed.

Drinking Talisker at a pub, a full glass of sherry across from him, always untouched. Screaming and railing at the heavens drunk out of his mind, never getting answers, until finally falling into a tortured slumber that he hoped he never awoke from.

He thought of going to Soho to see how Maggie and Nina were. To see how Muriel, that sweet Angel that Metatron called dim, was getting on in the bookshop. The Metatron, oh how he hated that bastard. He knew everyone in Hell and there was no one as evil as that bastard. But he just couldn’t bring himself to go there. The pain more than he could bear.

He drank to excess constantly. It was the only way to get the memories to quiet in his head. The beautiful white-haired Angel torturing both his waking hours and allowing no sleep devoid of painful memories.

The touch of his hand, accidentally brushing against his. The deliberate caress of Aziraphales hand on his chest, around his waist. The taste of his Angel on his lips. He felt Aziraphale press into him, felt him return his kiss, if only for a moment.

He had watched Aziraphales face when he bared his soul to him. The confusion, the fright. He kept slightly shaking his head no, but Crowley kept going. He had to get it out, had to tell him. He couldn’t let him leave. They couldn’t take him. Not now. Not when Aziraphale finally, fully grasped the grey area. Whatever that son of a bitch said to him changed everything.

He looked up from the Bentley steering wheel. He was in Soho. The Bentley had parked itself. Right here. Right in front. The shades were pulled, the muted light coming through. His chest felt like cement, like he would never catch his breath again. His fingers reached for the Bentley keys. He needed to leave. Now.

He hadn’t felt like this since Satan had come for Adam. The look on Aziraphales face, knowing he had to stop time, if only for a moment. Why didn’t he do that when he kissed Aziraphale? Just a moment in time.

There were many moments he wished he would have stopped time. Breakfast at the Ritz, drunken nights at Aziraphales, laughing until Aziraphale cried and begged him to stop talking about those damn unicorns and his fascination with ducks. The open look of love on Aziraphales face so many times.

The night he asked Aziraphale to stay over after the bookshop burned. Aziraphale was worried, he could tell by his face, his hands. Crowley physically hurt when watching Aziraphale wring his hands.

They got on the bus, that would take them to London. Crowley, never hesitating, took Aziraphale’s hand in his. “I won’t let you fall Angel.”

“We need to come up with a plan. Agnes has never been wrong Angel, you told me so yourself.” They decided swapping bodies was the best idea, especially since Agnes said to “choose” their faces wisely.

After swapping bodies and Crowley laughing at Aziraphale for complaining the pants were too tight, he realized why Aziraphale loved his clothes. They were so soft, so very comfortable (except for that damn tartan). Perhaps it was just because they had been against Aziraphale just seconds before they were next to his skin.

Between the wine, the day they had gone through and not being able to look at Aziraphales beautiful face, only his own looking back at him, he needed some sleep. If only for a couple of hours. He told Aziraphale he could have the bed and he would rest in the chair. Two reasons for this. He needed Aziraphale to be comfortable and he need to be on guard to protect him should any of eithers lot come looking for them.

Aziraphale refused to take Crowleys bed.

“No, I’ll be fine in the chair. You need to rest Crowley,” Aziraphale softly said.

“Then I’ll curl up here on the desk Angel”, Crowley almost cooed at him, “I’m not leaving you.”

Crowley decided to do something that could completely blow up in his face. But he couldn’t stop himself. He spread Aziraphales wings. Aziraphales eyes opened wide. He had no idea his wings were so beautiful. The only wings he looked on as beautiful were Crowleys. The black so deep and rich it was almost the Indigo of Crowleys nebula. The grey and silver streaks glittering.

Aziraphale stood and spread Crowleys wings wide, the smile on his face, or Crowleys face, as bright and beautiful as his own.

They took a tentative step towards one another.

“Angel”, the sound softly, lovingly hanging in the room.

“Crowley”, the soft, lustful need taking both their breaths.

Their wings wrapped around each other as if perfectly made to fit together. They caressed and stroked each other’s wings, whispered promises into each other’s ears. Promising to always be there, no matter what. Lost themselves in each other’s eyes, and as angels can, floated inches above the floor, wrapped in love.

The tears burned his cheeks. Why, since he was a demon, did he still have holy water for tears? He supposed it was for this purpose. To torture him. He turned the key in the Bentley but it refused to start.

“Come on, I know what you’re doing.”He tried again, but the Bentley refused.“Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!” Even the Bentley was working against him. He sighed and opened the door. May as well get this over with now, he thought, his glasses and a cd falling into the gutter.

Crowley fell to his knees, the memory crushing him. I can’t. I. Just. Can’t. Breathe.

I had to pull the sunglasses off. I couldn’t breathe anymore, even though I knew I didn’t need to. 💔

#crowley #good omens #aziraphale #muriel #ineffable husbands #good omens 2 #Muriel’s journal entry 2 #muriel assistant bookshop keeper #Spotify #Youtube

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hyperpsychomaniac · 1 year ago

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You Can Do Better - Chapter 2

First chapter

Summary: After Erik lets slip he started the war with the Trolls on purpose, Gerda forces him to make things up by doing all the dirty jobs around Safety Patrol. But Erik won't take it lying down.

***

Erik grabbed the entire janitor’s cart. He didn’t want to go back for anything and increase the risk of running into anyone in the halls. He arrived at the men’s bathroom and rammed the cart straight in. The door slammed back, and every single mop and broom tipped out every which way. Erik grabbed at them, stopping them from tumbling all the way out, catching one, then another handle between each of his fingers. “Ha!” It paid to have big hands. All but one broom, which teetered between his two full hands, then tilted free at speed and smacked Erik right between the eyebrows.

Erik growled deep in his throat and heaved them all to stand propped up against the corner near the doorway.

“Okay,” he said, one hand rubbing absently at his forehead. “This just hasn’t had a cleaner in here for a couple of days. Should be fine.”

The sinks had little puddles on them, but they weren’t really dirty. The towel dispenser was running low, and the towel hanging out of it was shredded. Not that bad, all things considered.

Erik pushed open the door to the first stall. “Oh, COME ON!”

There was a gasp behind him. Erik spun and fixed the officer, who was tentatively making his way through the door, with a glare as if he was personally responsible for stall number one.

“I’ll… come back later.”

It hadn’t been that bad. Really. But taking care of it was on him, at least according to Gerda, and Erik dared not argue with her. Still, while some attempt had been made to keep on top of the cleaning, it still seemed… shoddy. He should yell at someone, but he didn’t know who. And what good would that do? Erik slowed.

You treated us all like crap. You know how nice it is to walk around here and not have everyone scared you’re going to yell at them for not tying a bell properly?

It wasn’t as bad as nearly destroying a city, was it? Besides, right now, his own house wasn’t much better. Erik’s shoulders sagged. “I need tea.”

He parked the cart back in the janitor’s closet and headed to the lunchroom. Voices carried down the hallway, and Erik slowed. He made it all the way to the doorway before his feet ground to a halt completely. He couldn’t do this, not yet. He spun on his heel.

“Hey, Ahlberg!”

Erik winced. Too late. Well, he couldn’t hide around here forever. He stepped back into the doorway of the lunchroom.

“Shh, he’ll hear… you… ahem.”

The officer who had called his name glared at the one who’d shushed him, then forced a smile. “Captain said you’d be… around.”

A large portion of Safety Patrol’s staff were in the office lunchroom, which comprised of three long tables with chairs around them, and a kitchenette down one end with a sink, multiple microwaves, and a kettle.

Hell, he had no clue what Gerda had actually told them. “Well, yes, I… I’ve been a bit, well, money’s been tight. Captain Gustav was kind enough to offer me the, er, opportunity to do a few odd jobs around here.“ The lie slipped out a little too easily.

The talk had died down. A lot of the officers wouldn’t meet his gaze, instead poking at food or nursing cups of coffee a little too closely. The grin stayed plastered on Erik’s face. Were they… scared of him? Maybe Gerda had been right.

“So you’ll see a bit of me around, is what I’m saying. She told you I’d be helping out, right?”

“Oh, we heard.” The Bell Keeper stood from the table at the back of the room. In contrast to the apprehension of those around him, he was smirking underneath his ridiculously full moustache. “I clearly remember her using the words ‘unpaid intern’. And I thought ‘huh… intern? What are they supposed to do again?’ Oh, right.” He held out his coffee cup. “How about you get me a cup of coffee? Intern.”

Erik’s fists tensed at his sides. Had Gerda set him up to this? Why else would this man be so unperturbed? Somehow she’d known they would all leap at the chance to turn the tables on him. And yet, it was only a bloody cup of coffee. That was all. Compared to what he’d expected this morning, what excuse did he have to complain?

Erik met the Bell Keeper’s gaze and forced a smile. “Of course.”

He took the cup up to the kitchenette, and, small relief, could turn his back on the room. He dumped a heaped teaspoon of instant into the cup. Somehow, the silence had deepened. Erik ignored it, chinking the spoon on the sides far louder than necessary, mostly to make some noise, hoping to make the atmosphere seem more normal. He handed the cup back to the Bell Keeper. “There you go.”

The Bell Keeper eyed it suspiciously. Like he hadn’t just stood there over his shoulder, watching the whole time. Then grinned, raising the mug. “Thanks, Ahlberg.”

Behind him, one officer said: “You’re drinking it? He’s been cleaning toilets, you know.”

The Bell Keeper didn’t even blink. Just raised the cup and took a swig, then he dumped his dish on the side of the sink and sauntered out of the lunchroom.

Erik stared at it. Hell, he expected him to do that, too. He snatched the dish up and dumped it into the sink, turning the water on hot. Everyone was staring at him. Staring as the man who’d been their leader, but now was, inexplicably, doing one of the lowest ranking officers dishes. But he still couldn’t rally the anger to complain, not after what he’d thought was going to happen to him. After what Gerda should have legally done; this was her being nice. The indignity still made his face flush hot, the steam from the water making it even worse.

Slowly, the sounds in the lunchroom picked up again. But the chatter was far from normal.

“Why is he doing dishes?”

“Why is he here?”

“Didn’t you hear Gustav yelling before?”

“Gustav doesn’t… wait, that’s what that noise was?”

Chairs scraped. Lunch break was over. Another plate clattered down beside him. Erik stopped scrubbing, his eyes bulging as he saw that yes - the cheek - someone had indeed put another plate, still covered in bread crusts, onto the washboard.

Another plate clattered on top of it. And, even though their movements were tentative, every officer put their plate as quietly as possible on the pile, and then darted out the door. His hands were shaking, and all Erik could do was turn back to the Bell Keeper’s dish and scrub all the harder, as if he was trying to take off the enamel.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and Erik nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Hey, um, thanks, Ahlberg.” The officer smiled at him. Erik couldn’t remember his name, but it was the same one who had shushed the officer who’d called out to him. “It’s ah… it’s good to see you around. A lot of us were wondering if you were doing okay. And… well, thanks for doing the dishes.” He gave Erik’s shoulder a quit pat, then bolted out the door after everyone else.

Erik stared after him, pausing from its frenzied cleaning. The officer was long gone by the time he finally said, quietly: “You’re welcome.”

***

Gerda insisted on inspecting one of the bathrooms before she went home. Erik stood to attention just inside the door, gripping onto his upright mop beside him, clinging to it for dear life.

Gerda only poked her head into each stall, then she examined the sinks. Erik still grew more apprehensive by the minute. She knew his secret. It felt weird being in the same bathroom as her. And his shirt was wet - he’d been so focused on cleaning the dishes he hadn’t noticed the water he’d sloshed all over himself. Worse still, the shirt clung to his belly, making the way his gut bulged out even more obvious.

Gerda poked a soap dispenser, and a small glob fell out on the sink. Erik’s eyelid twitched.

“You… did a good job.”

“I know how to clean a bathroom.”

Gerda raised an eyebrow. Erik drew a quick breath, standing straighter and sucking in his gut. Why was he provoking her?

Gerda stepped past him, and Erik moved out into the hallway to make room for her.

“Just make sure you’re on time tomorrow. And…” Gerda’s gaze traveled right down to his boots, then snapped back up. “You don’t have to wear a uniform, but… please wear long pants. This is a workplace.”

***

“Wear pants? Wear pants! You put me on toilet duty and I bloody well did it, I…” Erik snatched clumps of clothing off his bedroom floor in a whirl. He grabbed every last scrap in his arms and carried them to the laundry, his arm muscles burning by the time he dumped them into the washing machine. He barely had the presence of mind to set it to cold - as he was not bloody well sorting them - and set it running. He immediately stopped it, ripped off his damp shirt and crammed that in too. He left the machine rattling away and stalked into his bathroom.

The mirror was covered in a soapy haze. The sink littered with razors, his comb, and hair scattered about the basin. It had barely registered this morning, but now Erik’s hands tensed at his sides. “I have spent all day cleaning bathrooms. And this… this is disgusting!” He swept an arm across the sink, sending razors bouncing in the general direction of the trash bin. He grabbed his towel and cleaned the mirror, then went under the sink for his actual cleaners, rather than trash the towel further, and wiped down the sink.

Erik’s shoulders sagged, suddenly exhausted. He put the cleaners away and went to his room, sinking onto the edge of the bed. He stared at his clean bedroom floor. It took a moment to sink in why it wasn’t littered with clothing.

“It’s not… it’s not that bad, you know.” This morning, he’d thought Gerda planned to publicly humiliate him. Well, perhaps not getting paid to clean up behind Safety Patrol was supposed to humiliate him, but it was better than her turning him in.

Just because Gerda intended this as a punishment didn’t mean he had to treat it like one. What good would moping around like she had lumped him with something he didn’t deserve do? Besides, Gerda probably expected him to mope, or do a terrible job of things. What would she do if he showed up and put in the effort? What if he tried to… enjoy it?

Hanging around Safety Patrol HQ, even if it was doing chores, still got him back into the thick of it. And that was better than sitting about home, moping. He was actually doing better already - his bedroom floor was clean, as was his sink. It was more than he’d cleaned in the past week.

“I… I mean, I can do this.” He’d be the best damned ‘intern’ he could. It’d confuse the hell out of Gerda, and even just that thought made it seem worth it. Erik grinned. Safety Patrol wouldn’t know what hit them.

#hilda #hilda netflix #erik ahlberg #hilda the series #gerda gustav #hilda the show #fanfic #fanfiction #hilda fanfic #hilda fanfiction #hilda bell keeper #you can do better fanfic

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sucaliaric · 2 years ago

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Colorado by Night - 30 January - Audio Journal by Elias

Waking up in the new night, we meet at the Bottoms Up as usual. O'Neil is there, eager to collect the Thin Blood we were watching for him. Todd has made the decision as Baron that I will serve as his Keeper and be his second with interactions with external visitors, while Sam will be his second for internal matters. Bottoms Up remains a coterie resource, as does Sherri but I will provide her vitae to maintain her status as a ghoul.

I took a moment to advise O'Neal that the thin blood unfortunately did not survive the night, but at least that matter was fully resolved which should calm him. Unfortunately, it seemed to anger him... he also inquired about Peter, so I advised that Peter had gone into Torpor as a result of the events of that evening. He wished to take Peter in exchange for the Thin Blood, so I suggested that perhaps if he gave a sufficient supply of his vitae Sam could be persuaded to locate Peter again. At this point, Todd asked that I retire to visit with Sherri in the face of O'Neil's steadily growing rage... I think O'Neil actually thought about attacking me! I drew my Tarot deck and started a reading on Sherri while Todd and O'Neil continued their discussion. After some time, two of the Garou stormed in... we may consider investing in a revolving door, given the volume of unwelcome visitors we receive. O'Neil is clearly on edge with the visitors, but Todd addresses them with Sam supporting him. They are enraged over the events at the manor, and are here to declare war. I test my latest Compel abilities, but the power is not yet strong enough... more practice is clearly critical. The Garou leave, and shortly after O'Neil leaves as well, having decided that with a hostile Garou pack that Fort Collins is not worth the investment that the Cam would need to make on it. Alone with the coterie again, Sam and I move down to Splinters apartment to investigate for any details on what the old monster might have been up to before his surprise exit from this world. Sam seems to be acting strangely... I continue to search, when Sam charges me! I fall against the toilet, shattering it. Looking towards where Sam was, I see Splinter! I resist the urge to lunge and destroy the monster as the vision fades and I see Sam, weeping uncontrollably. How could I have overreacted so? I MUST keep the beast under control! Todd comes down to see what is going on, and I let him know that I accidentally bumped Sam, but we have it under control now. While recovering, I notice what we missed before - a sealed package that was stored in the tank of the toilet. Going upstairs into the bar, we look at our finding. Inside are keys and a map to a location in a park to the west of the city, on the other side of the reservoir. With the Garou threat, we discuss on crossing the reservoir or taking the road in... I use my senses and see that the trip across the reservoir will be safe, but the climb on the other side is steep. It is clearly too steep for me, though Todd and Sam should be able to make it. After further discussion, we decide to take the road despite the risk. Once in the park, we get about a mile from our target when the road ends in a parking lot. We have a choice - travel the rest on foot or give up for the night. We continue on our journey. The walk is long, and painful for me. The rustling of the wildlife in the night is not something I am used to, and partially there a squirrel comes and accosts Sam! It seems like the creature wants something to eat, but none of us have anything appropriate. Eventually, we realize this must have been one of Splinter's pets, and Sam feeds it some Vitae. The rest of the trip to our destination goes without incident; once there, the only thing of note is a trash can. Todd is able to determine that at the bottom of the can is a dead-drop that Splinter had the key for; opening it shows two vials of blood and $2000. We collect our bounty and head back towards the vehicle. The trip back to the vehicle is relatively quiet and quick, but we get there and see that the tires have been slashed... Sam positions himself between Todd and myself as Todd fights with the beast to maintain control. Eventually, I call Amanda to have her pick us up at the park entrance and we drive on the ruined tires to meet her there. While waiting, a strange old man rides by on a bicycle... Amanda arrives, makes arrangements for a tow truck for Todd's car, and drives us back to the bar where we split up to our respective havens for the night, planning to meet again the following night. Back at the bar, we decide to try and use one of the vials of blood to see if it will wake Peter. We go to Sam's haven and Sam pulls Peter out at the mausoleum. Todd provides one of the vials, which Sam pours into Peter's mouth. Peter immediately goes iridescent! His eyes flutter, and he vanishes! He re-appears and appears to resume torpor. Sam wraps and ties Peter up and puts Peter away, and looks at Splinter's pager before paging the two numbers we do not recognize. We then head back to the bar to see who turns up. Once again at the bar, I hide using Cloak of Shadows while Sam and Todd prepare for visitors. The first one to show is the lead of the Crazy 6's - a biker group of Anarchs local to Fort Collins. Shortly afterwards, a representative of the Circulatory System shows up as well. Sam advises them of the changes in leadership and the werewolf threat and provides new pagers. Sam and Todd also collect information from the strange Circulatory System representative, and barter to exchange our remaining vial for 5 vials of the finished product.

#VtM #CbN

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swldx · 2 years ago

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BBC 0524 24 Jan 2023

6195Khz 0458 24 JAN 2023 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from WOOFFERTON. SINPO = 55333. English, dead carrier s/on @0458z then ID@0459z pips and newsday preview. @0501z World News anchored by Chris Berrow. A gunman killed seven people before being arrested in California on Monday, just two days after a shooting claimed 11 lives at a popular dance hall. The latest attacks occurred at two separate locations in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles (50 km) south of San Francisco. It comes as the state mourns the deaths in majority-Asian Monterey Park during celebrations for the Lunar New Year. Four more members of the far-right Oath Keepers were found guilty on Monday of seditious conspiracy for taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, in another big win for federal prosecutors. Brazil and Argentina are in early talks to establish a shared unit of value for bilateral trade to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday, though the move is not aimed at replacing existing currencies. Power had returned to most cities across Pakistan on Tuesday, a day after a nationwide breakdown left the country of 220 million people without electricity. The outage started around 7:30 am (0230 GMT) on Monday, a failure linked to a cost-cutting measure as Pakistan grapples with an economic crisis. Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said on Monday evening that power was being gradually restored. 2nd outage in three months. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that European and U.S. diplomats had warned him that if he does not accept a French-German proposal to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo, EU accession negotiations with his country as well as Western investments will be halted. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the first drop in the known number of human-trafficking victims in 20 years as trafficking opportunities and policing were reduced, but the Ukraine war has probably now caused a new surge, a U.N. report said on Tuesday. The number of detected trafficking victims fell 11% in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available in most countries, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its seventh Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Twitter is being sued by the Crown Estate over alleged unpaid rent for their London headquarters. The Estate, which oversees a property portfolio belonging to the King, filed a claim against Twitter in the High Court in London last week, according to Reuters news agency. Sea spiders can regrow body parts after amputation and not just limbs, according to a study released on Monday that may pave the way for further scientific research into regeneration. "In the end, maybe the mechanisms we detect in arthropods may help medical treatments of limb loss or finger loss and so on in humans," said Gerhard Scholtz of Humboldt University in Berlin, senior author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This is always the hope." @0506z "Newsday" begins. MLA 30 amplified loop (powered w/8 AA rechargeable batteries ~10.8vdc), Etón e1XM. 200kW, beamAz 160°, bearing 47°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 6312KM from transmitter at Woofferton. Local time: 2310.

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this-world-of-beautiful-monsters · 2 years ago

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Fanfic recs for rarepair ships for TMNT?

Here you go! This list will also be on AO3

De Novo by hummerhouse @hummerhouse - The turtles' stay at the farmhouse takes a turn when Slash comes looking for Raph (tw explicit, past violence, injury)

Better than Silence by orphan_account - Mikey wanders after matters break down with his family, but Woody won't let him go (tw homelessness, separation, implied family dysfunction)

Here we are again, nothing new, everything new. by Werepirechick - Shini gives Karai a home after her return from New York (tw body image issues, sexual harassment, trauma)

it's only love, not a timebomb (there's no way out of this) by authenticaussie - Leo fusses over Casey after a bad fight (tw blood, injury)

"Spicy Turtle Soup & more Vadaphra" from Three Sentence Meme by Of_Bunnies_and_Universal_Domination - Drabble set include two Karai/Leo/Raph stories (tw grief, guilt, implied violence, implied sexual content, self-loathing, tcest)

These Are Our Days by love_killed_the_superstar - Mikey and Woody wander New York's streets together

Operating Under a Different Set of Rules by orphan_account - Mikey and Woody push the limits in an amusement park (tw explicit, recreational drug use)

Shame Manifest by sleepingseeker @sleepingseeker - Raph's first time with Alopex takes a dark turn (tw explicit, past csa, past underage rape/noncon)

Corruption by orphan_account - Casey leads Leo off the beaten, not that Leo needs more encouragement (tw sexual content, alcohol, drug use)

Primordial Monsters Get Good Coverage by orphan_account - Casey gets caught up in one of Leo and Raph's more intense battles (tw explicit, relationship issues, tcest)

Intimated by orphan_account - Leatherhead and Mikey get to know each other a little better (tw underage, explicit)

Waking Up by fren - Leo loses everything, only to find a new kind of peace with Casey--until he wakes up (tw simulated character death, implied suicidal thoughts, past violence, past gore, trauma, heartbreak, unreality, grief)

Shameful Desires by squishyturtlefuckfics - An older Raph has a vastly different relationship with his father (tw explicit, consensual parent-child incest, incest, splintercest, age difference)

the kennel club can eat its heart out, darling by LavenderTangerine - AU where Kraang Queen April O'Neil brings home four lovely turtles (tw explicit, dubcon, dehumanization, sex slavery, dystopia, bad ending)

Stealers Keepers by hotmilkytea - A story of kleptomania, space wars, and how one Hamato Donatello's first crossed with deposed alien queen Jhanna (tw blood and gore, violence, prison, mentions of speciesm, law enforcement)

Sometimes, It's Good Medicine by bright_roaring_blue - In which Mikey grows up, figures things out, and abruptly finds himself in love with one April O'Neil (tw poverty, implied speciesm)

Only Two Things Are Infinite by bright_roaring_blue - April O'Neil walks the twin words of New York, deals with the universe and human stupidity, and abruptly finds herself in love with one Michelangelo (tw sexism, surveillance, implied speciesm, discussions of violence against women)

ephemeral: fifty glimpses by Serendipity1 - Donnie and Renet in 50 sentences (tw insanity, death, sexual content, accidental harm)

Cold Blood Collection by Various - A brilliant, beautiful collection of Donnie/Leatherhead art (tw explicit, injury, major character death, trauma, violence, blood, past experimentatio, flashbacks)

Judith by tarajcl - Tang Shen reflects on being the center of a war; of her love with Hamato Yoshi and the cruelty of Oroku Naji (tw rape/noncon, violence, character death, trauma)

Nothing Fraternal by messyjester - Slash walks in on Leather and Mikey and has an...interesting experiences (tw explicit, dubcon, nonconsensual voyeurism)

10 ways to say i love you by orphan_account - Leo and Casey learn to share their words (tw violence, injury, trauma, mental health issues, implied child abuse, college stress)

A Piacere by bright_roaring_blue - The unusual love story of a rat and a violinist

Lean Into the Hard Left by bright_roaring_blue - Leo wrestles his jealously after learning about his father's new relationship (tw mild family dysfunction)

You Smell So Good! by PrincessFreak - Leo's thoughts about April take a strange turn after their encounter in the woods (tw underage masturbation, explicit, rape fantasy)

if i could count the grains of sand by guide_to_the_galaxy - Karai, Shini, and April welcome in the future with a trip to the beach (tw past child abuse)

december 17th: caught between the moon and new york city by watergator - The new phase of Mikey and Woody's relationship is starting on shaky ground, but they won't let that stop them again (tw separation, relationship angst)

Casey and Leo by Capricornicis - A series about a turtle and a street punk throughout the years (tw racism, homophobia, explicit, blood, violence, domestic violence, animal death, mental health issues, child abuse; warnings vary from story to story)

come back to me. please. by lexxvii - April wrestles with heartbreak after Irma's transformation (tw trauma, manipulation, betrayal)

Through the Looking Glass by PrincessGemma12 @princessgemma12 - Leo confronts his new appearance in a new relationship (tw injury, explicit, possible tcest)

An Endangered Species by RenaRoo - April sees Karai do something unexpected (tw violence)

TMNT IDW | Raph/Alopex - Sugar by Rinnegades AMVs - An adorable video about an underrated couple (tw canon-typical violence, blood, injury, flashing/quick images)

Distractions by Garden_Guardian - Slash reminds Mikey of the value of off-screen games (tw explicit)

30daysOTP SlashRaph by dragona15 - An art challenge start Raph and Slash (tw explicit, like very explicit)

Sweet Flavor by dragona15 - Raph and Slash explore different tastes (tw explicit, very mild dubcon)

tmnt SxR hoboRaphau by dragona15 - Slash keeps a lonely Raph warm at night (tw explicit, homelessness)

Sweet by Swirl_O_Whirl - Two unusual trick-or-treaters have a wonderful time

Squeaks and Butterflies by orphan_account - Donnie works out her feelings for Jhanna in a tale of sweaty palms, relentless pratfalls, and other perils that threaten the useless lesbian (tw body image issues)

This magnificent art by @leonsi - Karai has a nightmare, but luckily Leo and Shini are here to help her through the aftermath (tw implied trauma)

Claiming and being Claimed by DarkxKitsune - Raph and Mikey struggle to negotiate their hearts with Slash's help (tw explicit, dubcon due to heats, tcest)

Bishie and Donny sketches by NeatTea @neattea-ruby - Art of Donnie, Bishop, and the odd ways their power dynamics play out (tw mature/explicit, age difference)

I Keep Telling Myself This Might Be Nothing by PrincessGemma12 @princessgemma12 - Moments from the journey that Leo, Raph, Mikey, Donnie Casey, April, Karai, and Shini take towards each other (tw sexual content, underage/underage, relationship angst, loneliness, trauma, tcest)

We Captured A Moment by Crowdog @50-shades-of-cloaca - An older Leo is swept back in time--right into the arms of Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen (tw consensual incest, time-fuckery-based incest, homelessness, body dysphoria, injury, violence, moral issues)

Kapril commission for @wombatking ! by @sakycchan - April and Karai take an opportunity to celebrate in the sun together

team kick butt babes by @awkward--watermelon - Karai and April take no prisoners

This meme-based art by @fluffatron9001 - Karai has an unusual question for Shredder about his relationship with Tiger Claw

Yeahh, have some tcest on flying pillows~ by @sakycchan - Leo and Raph cuddle Donnie (tw implied sexual content, tcest)

let all i have been be as a dream by Anonymous - Leo and his brothers--his children--flee from something ugly; April and Casey provide Leo with a soft place to land (tw parent/child incest, csa, underage rape/noncon, forced feminization, child pregnancy, child abuse, family dysfunction, trauma, guilt, objectification, teen parenting)

Betrayal by orphan_account - Leo and Shini take Karai down (tw explicit)

"Starry Night" and "Stars" from Chruściki! by leones @leonsi - Two stories Casey and Leo take in the universe together (tw poverty, implied child abuse)

"Joy" from Chruściki! by leones @leonsi - Shini uses her relationship with Karai and Leo as fuel during a debate with Raph over decoration

and maybe it'll be clear when we get there by leones @leonsi for This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Multiamory March stories centered around a vast area of pairings (tw past abuse, incest, self-harm, self-hatred, trauma, vomit, past csa)

Colors by PrincessGemma12 @princessgemma12 - Multiamory March stories about the ultimate OT8Colors by PrincessGemma12 @princessgemma12 - Multiamory March stories about the ultimate OT8 of Karai, Shini, Raph, Mikey, Leo, Donnie, Casey, and April (tw csa, aboriton, sexual content, teen pregnancy, pregnancy scare, abuse, underage rape/noncon, trauma)

I Routed a Labyrinth To Your Lap by orphan_account - Mikey is intent on experimenting (tw explicit, tcest)

Dream A Little Dream Of Me by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Raph and Alopex comfort each other after bad dreams (tw past experimentation, past torture, mind control, mentions of necrophilia, trauma, nightmares, unreality, violence, blood, fire, gore)

Bad Things by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Raph walks through hell and finds Alopex at the other end (tw underage rape/noncon, csa, trauma, violence, experimentation, torture, gore, blood, identity issues, suicidal thoughts)

Fallout by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey fractures in the aftermath of Slash's death, and Hob is unlucky enough to piss him off (tw trauma, grief, violence, slut shaming)

Little Girl Lost by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Jenny deals with past dreams and future hopes in the early days of Mutant Town (tw drug use, past violence past abuse, past attempted rape/noncon, body dysphoria, grief, guilt, self-loathing)

"Firsts" from ABC TMNT II: Out Of The Ooze by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - A gathering of the brothers' firsts, including Mikey's first time with Mondo Gecko (tw violence, blood, sexual content, alcohol)

"Prey" from ABC TMNT II: Out Of The Ooze by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Alopex is sent to hunt Raph down, only for matters to take a strange turn (tw violence, mind control)

"Black" from TMNT ABC III: Lives And Times Of The Turtles by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Shini and Karai give Leo an opportunity to embrace the darkness (tw violence, gore, sexual content, incest)

"Instinct" from TMNT ABC III: Lives And Times Of The Turtles by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Sally wrestles with her darker instincts, and Lindsey provides a bit of support (tw intrusive thoughts, violence)

"Noise" from TMNT ABC III: Lives And Times Of The Turtles by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - One of the enemy turtles won't leave Slash in peace (tw experimentation, torture, violence, attempted rape/noncon, guilt, trauma, injury, mind control)

"Underwater" from TMNT ABC III: Lives And Times Of The Turtles by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Leo and Alopex come to term with all the secrets in their relationship (tw past underage rape/noncon, past violence, grief, past csa, past manipulation, suicide attempt)

"Cold" from TMNT ABC IV: Turtles Forever And Ever And Ever by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Angel and Raph help Alopex feel warm again (tw violence, experimentation, underage rape/noncon, csa, past mind control, identity issues)

"Nomads" from TMNT ABC IV: Turtles Forever And Ever And Ever by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mondo Gecko and Seymour Gecko wander the American countryside together (tw trauma, past terrorism, past experimentation, family dysfunction, speciesm mention, guns, violence)

To Fly With Amber Wings by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - 51 sentences about Mikey; includes multishipping from various pairings (tw violence, attempted rape/noncon, csa mention, trauma, sexual content, discussions of abuse, tcest, gore)

"Feels Like Strangeness And Wonder" from Underground Rainbows by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - A multiversal collection of sentences about Mikey's relationship with Slash, Leatherhead, Mondo, and Woody (tw family dysfunction, family separation, implied abuse, mind control, past torture, grief, trauma, dehumanization)

Merry Fucking Hangover by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Woody and Mikey piece themselves together on a hungover Christmas morning (tw past sexual content, hangovers, alcohol mention, implied drug use)

"Ash And Smoke And Morals (Grey)" - Leo and Shini talks about their shared love for Karai, and their determination to keep her safe (tw smoking, past sexual content, past abuse, mentions of religious extremism, discussions of violence, trauma)

"Tattered Skin And New Limbs (Green)" from Covered In The Colors, Pulled Apart At The Seams by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Leatherhead comes apart, literally, after he loses control with Mikey (tw violence, self-harm, gore, blood, trauma, flashbacks)

"Stripes And Bones (Black)" from Covered In The Colors, Pulled Apart At The Seams by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Rahzar and Tiger Claw may not be the nicest people in the world, but they can love, too (tw alcohol, sexual content, violence, grief, relationship angst, emotional constipation)

"Snow And Fur (White)" from Covered In The Colors, Pulled Apart At The Seams by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Angel is determined not to let Alopex go (tw forced suicide attempt, trauma, mind control)

"Empty Wrappers And Dead Trees (Brown)" from Covered In The Colors, Pulled Apart At The Seams by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey gets a chance to see Slash one more time (tw grief, past violence, past mind control, trauma, past abuse)

Strange Little Shadows by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - 50 sentences of Karai, Leo, and Raphael (tw tcest, trauma, mind control, past abuse, sexual content, choking, grief, major character death, self-harm)

Sewer Girls by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Sentence collections about the women of the TMNT universe, including multiple rarepairs (tw sexual assault, racism, suicide, violence, past rape/noncon, transphobia, abortion, incest mention)

Feed Me As I Go by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai wanders through pieces of her life underneath New York City, exploring different relationships (tw gore, past csa, past underage rape/noncon, trauma, explicit, dad dove, cannibalism, unreality, violence, body horror)

Ring Ring by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Various people, including her girlfriend, want to get April's attention (implied sex, implied drug use)

"Bamboo" from A Deep And Thorny Tangle by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Shini loves Karai through a dark moment (tw past underage rape/noncon, past csa, teen pregnancy, abortion, trauma, flashbacks, past mind control)

"Erica" from A Deep And Thorny Tangle by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey is crumbling and Woody doesn't know how to help him (tw alcohol, loneliness, intoxication, trauma, depression, family dysfunction)

"T is for...." from Rainbow Soup by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - April helps Cassandra deal in the aftermath of a painful conversation (tw transphobia, cdeadnames, family dysfunction, parent issues)

"S is for...." from Rainbow Soup by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Angel and Alopex don't always have easy nights, but they're easier together (tw trauma, mental health issues, mental health issues, nightmares, blood)

"Open Your Heart So I've Got Somewhere To Hide" - Angel and Alopex deal with the weight of the past as best they can (tw trauma, past underage rape/noncon)

The things that we could be by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai, Raph, and Leo savor each other under the stars (tw explicit)

Plenty Of Fish In The Sea by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai is caught off guard by an encounter with April at the swimming pool (tw discussions of violence)

Phantom Feelings I Can Never Solve by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai and Shini's history traced through a festival of the dead (tw violence, blood, knives, implied csa, denial, underage drinking, violence)

Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai, April, and Shini take stock of each other's bodies while swimming together (tw past injury, past child abuse)

Brand New Day by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Sally Pride helps Lindsey Baker move into her new home

Let Me Be Your Mirror by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Natsu and Karai come to term with each other's pain (tw past child abuse, body image issues, past fatphobia, past self-harm)

Nobody And The Fox by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - A collection of stories about Alopex and Angel Bridge (tw past attempted rape/noncon, submission, trauma, nightmares, paranoia, mental health issues, separation, grief, mentioned suicide, nudity, implied sexual content, past violence, flashbacks, dystopia)

"I will show you fear in a handful of dust" from The Waste Land by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey and Leatherhead can only find peace in the new world for so long (tw guns, gore, past violence, apocalypse, suicidal thoughts)

"Who is that on the other side of you?" The Waste Land by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Shini says goodbye and gives Karai a gift (tw trauma, grief, guilt, past family dysfunction, past apocalypse, destruction, fire, death)

"The night doesn't frighten me (I chose to let it thrive)" from Red-Light District by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - April and Shini give Karai some discipline (tw explicit)

Had me guts and bones achin' I know by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - April, Donnie, and Raph watch some monster movies while reenacting some of their own (tw gore, tcest, explicit, blood, death)

Say you'll never let me go by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Donnie and Raph comfort Casey during his period (tw menstruation, pain, light gender dysphoria, tcest))

"Petals Fall, Thorns Ascend" from Midnight Whispers by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Leo and Shini help Karai face Shredder one last time (tw blood, gore, death, past abuse, blood drinking, past abuse, unreliable narrator, incest)

"There are tough toys" from "All are welcome and all have a home in the toybox" of The Red Room (The Bloody Chamber) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai and April give each other a run for their money (tw explicit)

"Mama's gonna keep baby cosy and warm" from The Red Room (The Bloody Chamber) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Shini gives April and Karai a unique kind of support (tw explicit)

"Oh tidings of comfort and joy" from The Red Room (The Bloody Chamber) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai plays an unusual game with Leo and Raph (tw explicit, tcest)

"Trying my best not to forget" from It's your Candyland where dreamers dance (And I promise that it's safe) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey is determined to get Slash back (tw violence, injury, choking, mind control)

"If I give you my heart, If you tear it apart" from It's your Candyland where dreamers dance (And I promise that it's safe) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters- Angel and Alopex deal with the wake of the Toad King's influence (tw unreality, nonconsensual drug use, trauma, self-harm, past abuse, blood, mentions of police brutality)

"Reminiscing" from Bitter Winter Nights by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Yoshi and Saki come back together (tw incest, unhealthy relationships)

"Nothing Is Gone Forever" and "The Future and Other Weird Shit" from Kappa and Lamia by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Two about Karai, Leo, and Shini and the life they build together (tw mpreg, violence, separation, incest)

turn the cheek and blind the eyes by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Leo and Shini provide Karai with refuge from Shredder's eyes (tw stalking, invasion of privacy, implied rape/noncon, implied csa, homophobia, prejudice, jealousy, death violence, incest)

We All Need Someone To Lean On by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Collection of cuddle-based shorts, including rarepairs like as Angel/Alopex, April/Shinigami, Mikey/Slash, Donnie/Mona Lisa, Woody/Mikey (tw emotional abuse, trauma, internalized victim blaming, implied underage rape/noncon, implied csa, brainwashing, blood)

Yo Woody by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey writes Woody letters from Northampton with all the things he can't say to anyone else (tw trauma, implied underage rape/noncon. family dysfunction, implied csa, past mind control, discussions of violence)

20 Random Facts About Surviving The Foot Clan by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Jenny tries to keep her heart safe during one of the darker stages of her life; Jennika/Karai with background noncon (tw csa, underage rape/noncon, brainwashing, memory alteration, alcohol abuse, unhealthy relationships, denial, implied drug use, mental health issues, self-esteem issues)

ripping all your floors out by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Jenny and Sheena spend some time together in the sun (tw explicit)

all you gotta do is look my way by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Sunita gives April a safe place to rest (tw explicit)

like you're good enough to eat by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Karai and Shini share a few peaceful moments (tw explicit)

sweet creature (we're running through the garden) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - A collection of fluffy drabbles including multiple rarepairs (tw implied rape/noncon, sexual content, alcohol, animal death)

"Empty Sheets" from i'm bitter (you're still in my head) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Angel and Alopex keep each other safe in the face of Kitsune's influence (tw intrusive thoughts, violent thoughts)

spice up your life (who would want anything else?) by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters- A collection of steamy drabbles including multiple rarepairs (explicit, sexual content, rape/noncon)

i keep closing my eyes but i can't block you out by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Tang Shen is dead, Kitsune is a goddess, and they cannot forget each other (tw dubcon, deception, relationship issues, dysfunctional relationships, manipulation, fire, infidelity, unreliable narrator)

ready to dive in the deep end by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Shini and Renet enjoy something shiny (tw explicit)

one last kiss, i love you like a pack of dogs by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Two goddesses across the centuries (tw incest, implied csa, implied rape/noncon, implied abuse, implied relationships, sexual content, unreliable narrator, betrayal)

i tighten the noose when i'm with you by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Madame Null punishes Jillian following the Mutanimals' escape (tw explicit, dubcon)

draw the picture, color all the lines by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Venus discovers a strange kind of comfort in her prison (tw implied rape/noncon, experimentation, dehumanization, dissociation, mental health issues, torture, identity issues, unreality, sexual content)

"Dress-Up" from rock me in the cradle of our love by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - April and Sunita find clothes and lives that fit

your body's speaking my language by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Lavinia, Jennika, and Venus learn about what they're each made of (tw explicit, self-esteem issues)

help me come alive, sail across the sky by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Shini and April show Karai love in their own way (tw explicit)

know just how to let go baby by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Jenny, Sally Pride, and Alopex have some fun in the mayor's office (tw explicit, dubcon play)

just take my hand and hear the words I say by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters - Mikey, Shini, and Renet learn how to hope for the future despite the past's insistence on dragging them back (tw impending separation)

oh have you ever met that funny reefer man by This_world_of_beautiful_monsters for BrightLotusMoon - Leo, Mikey, and Renet talk about drugs and books (tw drug use, implied racism, implied anti-semitism, implied homophobia, implied transphobia)

...Honestly I'm going to stop here, because this feeling more like a vanity piece. Basically I'm a rarepair fiend, but you should definitely table that to go look at other writers' stuff first, and then look at my more recent fics for my more recent rarepair stuff)

#tmnt #tmnt 2k12 #tmnt 2012 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2k3 #tmnt 2003 #rarepair #tmnt idw #tmnt comics #idw comics #angelplex #angel bridge #alopex #karai #april o'neil #femslash #polyamory #tmnt fanfic recs

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somethingwittyandweird · 8 months ago

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Many thanks for the tag! Let's see if I can scrounge up a blorbo or ten....

Dorothea Arnault (Fire Emblem): To be honest I could fill a list of ten with FE characters alone, but I'll have her be my choice this time. I appreciate the heart she brings to a series that doesn't always dwell on the personal ramifications of its wars.

Yukiko Amagi (Persona): She's intelligent, she's capable, she's elegant, but most of all, she is so unspeakably silly in the best ways. I really enjoy her dynamic with Chie.

Jade Harley (Homestuck): A goofy genius with an affinity for gardening and guns. I think her god tier design is great, and space powers are just the coolest most generally useful type of power to have.

Professor Layton (Professor Layton): He's a gracious gentleman and a brilliant sleuth who doesn't lose his cool and always pieces it perfectly together in the end- but that doesn't prevent him from having his own character moments along the way. Also, he can fence and it rules.

Willow Park (The Owl House): She's a powerful and capable witch who chooses to define her incredible strength by using it to protect and care for those she loves. She has really strong parallels and interactions and bonds with the rest of the cast that are phenomenal and engaging to appreciate.

Princess Zelda (LoZ: Tears of the Kingdom): Tough choice between her SS and TotK incarnations, but the latter gets so much more characterization from her fascinations with archaeology and technology, her struggle with her capability, and her presence in the lives of her people. Her actions in the past to allow for victory in the future are the epitome of what a Triforce of Wisdom bearer should be to me.

Luxanna Crownguard (League of Legends): Despite being a mage in a society that would condemn her for possessing magic, she chooses both to be true to who she is and to be a beacon of optimism despite everything that stands against her.

Lucretia (The Adventure Zone: Balance): Though presented as just a director at first, the truth about who she is and what she's done runs far, far deeper. She spends the entire story caught in a dramatic irony of her own making, and imagining that from her perspective... lonely journal-keeper, indeed.

Blake Belladonna (RWBY): She starts out as secluded and standoffish, but her growth into someone who doesn't feel obligated to keep secrets and is brave enough to stop running from her past is awesome to see. And I do have to appreciate that she's a bookworm.

Tenya Iida (My Hero Academia): Pun not intended for making him number ten, I appreciate his tempering but encouraging influence as part of the protagonist's ensemble, and his arc about his own heroic inspirations gives him a lot of great depth.

Hopefully I've done a good job conveying the things about all of these folks that make my character thoughts about them go brrrrrr! But obviously there's a lot more to say about them than can be fit into a post like this.

Most of the folks I would tag are already tagged further up the chain, but I can throw a few out to @tisorridalamor @goldensunset @bellebon @recherche-raptor and anyone else who sees this who wants to! No pressure and have fun.

10 Characters, 10 Fandoms, 10 Tags

I was tagged by @0mega-x to write out ten characters from ten of my fandoms! I'm approaching this with absolutely no forethought so let's see where I end up. 1. Haruka Isumi (IDOLiSH7) 2. Yumiko Shirasagi (Digital Devil Story) 3. Prince Phillip (Disney's Sleeping Beauty 1959) 4. Rue/Princess Kraehe (Princess Tutu) 5. Kozue Kaoru (Revolutionary Girl Utena) 6. Ledge (Cyberchase) 7. Bette Kane (DC Comics, Batman) 8. Kenya Kobayashi (ERASED/Boku Dake ga Inai Machi) 9. Shin-Ah (Yona of the Dawn) 10. South Italy/Italy Romano/Lovino Vargas (Hetalia) I'm going to tag @cathartically-kei @squidpro-quo @yeetle-beetle @prismaticate @overlordstick @koi0boi @spacentimecreature @wildmike48 @vulpiximisa @always-a-joyful-note

(If you see this, you can definitely join in! I just tagged whoever first came to mind)

#i talk a lot tag #tag games #i love using lots of words when i could theoretically say less #but i have a lot to say about these guys!

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rootisms · 2 years ago

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Had a Root game last night and thought it would be interesting to do a small dissection of what happened and some general strategy that was involved.

The game was played with two new players and a novice player. For the draft I took out all high complexity factions like Keepers in Iron and Lizards and put down every available faction ADSET card to keep availability at a maximum.

I was seated first player so let’s start with player 4, they chose to play the Eyrie and I urged them to either choose despot or charismatic for an easy game, and adviced charismatic if they had a bird card so they went with charismatic and chose the top-left fox clearing to start in.

Next was player 3, they chose to play the Corvids. A good option honestly and an easy faction. They set up very agressively by putting their homeland with plot token right next to the Eyrie, this plot would go on to define the whole game.

Next was player 2 who chose to play the rats. The homeland they chose was the double building slot fox clearing at the bottom, initially I saw no issue with it but as the game continued I think they shot themselves in the knee by starting there.

I as player 1 chose moles so that I could have some control over the board and moles in first is just a fun position to be in. My plan wasn’t yet clear but I had a good hand to sway brigadier turn 1. I set up further away from the rats than the Eyrie hoping I could take Eyrie early game better than Warlord.

The first round saw some pretty normal plays from me and the warlord but the corvids had a really cool trick up their sleeve. They started their turn by flipping the plot and it was a snare, this was huge as it blocked me and the eyrie from having easier access to the centre of the map, plus it was defended by two warriors which early on worked as a good detterent. This plot would be in the game up untill the final rounds.

Now this plot had an interesting consequence for the battle hungry Eyrie decree. The rats chose to expand eastward meaning that the Eyrie had to either attack me or the crows, but due to the snare they had to attack me as the two warriors were too much for the Eyrie to handle. This would start a cold war in the top bunny clearing that forced me to set up my second clearing with buildings somewhere I did not want to.

Now that the most defining plays have been dealt with I’ll do a quick summary of the midgame. Eyrie went pretty stable for a while, then Rats clapped back hard and reduced them all the way back to their homeland so me and birds allied against the rats. I went with citadels to be able to play more agressively. After this the rats were reduced back to their homeland clearing and here the fatal mistake in their set up began to show. The clearing only had two paths so it was badly connected and the warriors were all stuck there defending two strongholds. The worst part was that I parked most of my warrios in the neighbouring mouse clearing which kept pressure on the strongholds and forced the rats to try and leave via the bunny clearing where they would be continuesly punched by the Eyrie.

Throughout all this the crows were going pretty strong even if they had some minor setbacks, their mainstay plots were all in bunny allowing for some great item crafting and once they knew to target less populated clearing it went pretty well for them.

Rats never recovered from their pushback, unlike the Eyrie but they unfortunately turmoiled due to an ambush that was quite obvious. This also set them back too far and it was a race between me and the corvids.

I had set up two citadels in my homeland and two markets right next to the rats, also had all important ministers swayed and it was pretty much too late to destroy my buildings. Rats and corvids did manage to do it with some teamwork but it was already too late and I leapt from 20 to 29 and then to 30.

Fun game overall, I think these players could’ve given me a run for my money if they were a little bit more experienced and I was a bit more kind with my negotiations (which I probably should’ve been).

This game also showed the importance of where you set up and the dangers of ambush cards. Also showed that getting punched sets you back a turn and because I was punched too late I was ahead of everyone and won the game.

#ttg #root #board game #gameblr #root ttg #root board game

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therealvalkyrie · 4 years ago

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What Could’ve Been Without the War

Pairing/setting: Jean Kirschtein x Female!Reader, modern!AU within the Walls, set after the War; canon divergent w/ modern tech

Summary: You and Jean embark on your weekly trip to the grocery store.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: equal parts angst and fluff, idiots to idiots, mutual pining, unsatisfying ending (i’m so sorry)

AN: Surprise Jean! I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday evening and that I don’t ruin it too much with angst. This piece started out as a super fluffy drabble involving grocery store shenanigans and kinda....uh....got away from me. Ahem. It was also originally intended as a 157 follower cool prime number thank you! I think we’re up to 180-something now, but we can still count it. Big thanks yet again to the love of my life @ghostlightprincess for her edits and encouragements:) Please come let me know what you think in my DMs/askbox/comments!! ~valkyrie

Jean opens on the third knock on his apartment door, already shrugging on a jacket. He greets you with a short “hi” and receives the kiss you plant on his cheek out of habit.

“You ready?” You’re practically bouncing on the balls of your feet, car keys jingling off of the magenta key ring looped around your finger. It’s cute, and he finds himself matching your enthusiasm with a grin of his own.

“Almost,” he replies, reaching back to his coat rack to grab a scarf. “Honestly, I still don’t understand why you’re always so excited for the grocery store.”

He looks back to catch you rolling your eyes. “I don’t understand why you’re not. A grocery store is a magical place, with all of the cheesecake and ice cream you could ever wish for!”

He chuckles and joins you in the hallway, leaning down to lock his door behind him. “Need I remind you that you’re lactose intolerant?”

“That’s what Lactaid is for, stupid. Come on!” He lets you pull him down the hall, your small gloved hand in his big one. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Croft!” you greet his elderly neighbor as you pass her open door, sticking your head in with a wide smile. “You need anything from the store? Jean and I are just on our way.”

Jean stands beside you awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with his shrewd neighbor. You haven’t let go of his hand and he can feel a blush working its way up his neck.

“No, that’s alright, honey, I just went this morning.”

“Okay! Well, let us know if you think of anything!”

“Thank you, dear.”

“Have a good afternoon, ma’am,” Jean chips in as you wave.

“You kids have fun.”

The next second, you’re pulling him away again and he misses the way Mrs. Croft chuckles knowingly and looks back to her knitting.

—

“What’s next on the list?” Your voice drifts down the aisle back to him, and Jean pauses in pushing the cart to shuffle the papers in his hands.

“Umm… AP flour, vanilla extract,” shuffle, shuffle, “brown sugar, olive oil, yeast.”

You hum in acknowledgment and he watches as you flit from shelf to shelf, gathering items in your arms. He pushes the cart up to join you.

You dump everything in haphazardly, and he sighs, leaning down to straighten it all out into categories.

“What’s next?” You’re already halfway down the rest of the aisle again, gazing up longingly at the Oreos on the top shelf.

God, she’s cute.

He joins you, reaches up to pluck a pack of Double Stuf off of the shelf, and wordlessly places it in your section of the cart, suppressing a smile of his own as you grin up at him.

“You sure know how to treat a girl right, Jean-bo.” You reach up to ruffle his mullet.

“Don’t call me that,” he grumbles, ducking away and flushing red like a smitten schoolboy. “Next is the frozen aisle.”

—

“Was it the lasagna that she liked last time? Or the shepherd’s pie?”

“The lasagna.” He accepts three frozen dinners as you pass them over from where you’re leaning past the glass freezer door.

“Hey,” he looks up sharply at your soft call to see you staring down the aisle like you’ve seen a ghost, hand still holding the glass door open. He follows your gaze and sees him just as you say, “It’s Erwin.”

It’s not, but Jean’s heart twists all the same at the resemblance the stranger carries. Same neatly parted blonde hair, broad shoulders. But he’s shorter, still has both arms. And he’s alive.

“It’s not, sweetheart,” he murmurs, reaching to wrap an arm around your shoulders.

“It is, look he—” you insist until the man turns and instead of the Commander’s piercing blue gaze you’re met with brown eyes that flick between you and Jean in confusion. “Oh.” Your face falls and you allow the door to close, turning into Jean’s side.

“You alright?” He tilts his head to catch your expression. It’s pure pain, mouth twitching into a frown and eyes unfocused. Your hand comes up to grip the bottom of his jacket, and after a second he can see you physically force your face back to neutral.

“Fine,” you nod. He knows you’re faking, that it’s a survival tactic, so he lets it go for now, only steps back to let you in between his body and the cart.

“Up you go,” he prompts you to step up, feet on the bottom shelf and hands clutching the bar. He starts to push as you ride, walking first then running down the aisle until you finally throw your head back and laugh genuinely.

He misses the exasperated look an employee gives him as the pair of you whizz past, too preoccupied with your smile.

—

“What do you need three dozen eggs for, anyway?” you ask incredulously, nevertheless opening each carton to inspect before handing them over.

“They’re a good source of protein,” he defends. “Plus, you always end up running out and coming to me to complain. Ran me dry last time.”

Another playful eye roll. “It’s only ‘cause I messed up my brownies! And I needed them to entice the landlord to finally fix my heater.”

“Your heater’s been broken?”

“Well, it’s not anymore. Espresso brownies work wonders, I’ll have you know.”

You’re trying to brush it off as you normally do when he worries, but the thought of you shivering and blue-lipped keeps him pushing. “How long did you not have heat for? It’s February!”

“Not the point, Jean-bo!” You poke at his cheek and twirl away towards the cheese.

“It definitely is the point. Come to me next time and I’ll fix it.”

“And lose my deposit?” You scoff, reaching for mozzarella. “Fat chance.”

“Freeze, then.”

You grin back at him. “Why d’you think I came over so much last weekend?”

“Is that all I am to you? A hot water bottle in your time of need?” He feigns hurt, but some pride swells in his chest that he kept you warm, after all.

“And a cute one, at that. Think fast!”

His hand flashes up to catch the mozzarella you toss deftly.

“You wound me.”

“Eh, builds character. What’s next?”

Shuffle, shuffle. “Wine and flowers.”

—

Jean watches as you bounce in the driver’s seat, hands almost dainty on the wheel, leaning forward to stare resolutely out the windshield at the darkening road. You’re singing along to some song he doesn’t know that’s playing from the stereo.

It’s so familiar, this Saturday evening ritual with you, and it wraps Jean up like the softest blanket. He knows why you’re always so excited about grocery shopping, and it’s not the cheesecake — it’s the way this routine has centered itself in both your lives. He feels it too, the semblance of normalcy, of domesticity, that you’ve cobbled together with him in between hard weeks and harder nights.

You navigate the bends and odd intersections of his old suburban neighborhood with ease, having driven to his house maybe thousands of times since you were teens. The elementary school passes, then the vet clinic, until finally, your old black sedan pulls into his mom’s driveway alongside her silver minivan.

You shift to neutral and yank on the parking brake habitually, then turn off the car and settle back into your seat.

You’re both quiet for a moment: you staring out the window lost in thought, Jean checking the time on his phone.

“Jean?”

“Hm?”

“Do you ever regret enlisting so young?” This catches his attention, turning sharply to look at your contemplative profile.

“Never. It was the right thing to do.” He’s resolute in this conviction, always. The War had seemed to be at its worst when you’d joined up, driven by the promise of Wall Maria’s reclamation and impassioned by your comrades’ fury. It had been the only choice, in his view.

“I do, sometimes,” you admit quietly, eyes downcast to where your fingers twist in your lap. “Maybe then my head wouldn’t be so messed up,” you laugh dryly and tap your temple, then shoot him a sideways glance. “And maybe—” you cut yourself off.

“Maybe what?”

“Never mind.” You’re out of the car so fast Jean almost questions if you moved at all. It reminds him of your natural grace on the ODM gear, how you’d whoop and holler as you hurtled past him among the trees during training. He wonders for a moment when your agility turned from a source of joy to an escape mechanism, then stops himself. He knows exactly when that happened.

—

The grocery store tulips thankfully survived their ordeal in the trunk of your car, bright against Ma Kirschtein’s tile kitchen backsplash as you arrange them in her favorite vase. After a minute of fussing, you take a step back, give a nod of satisfaction, and scoop up the trimmed stems off the counter. The rest of the groceries are already put away, organized so she can reach them without trouble.

It’s as you’re stepping on the trash can pedal to open its lid that the voices from the living room catch your ear. You pause, smiling as mother and son converse.

“Have you been eating enough, Jean-bo? You look so skinny….”

“Ma, I—”

“What am I saying, of course you haven’t. You’d waste away to nothing if you were left to your own devices. I’m so glad that darling girl is there to look after you.”

“Ma, she’s not my keeper—”

“When are you two getting married, again? I could’ve sworn I wrote it down in my book, but I looked the other day and couldn’t find the date anywhere.” She sounds serious. Confused, even, not a hint of teasing in her tone. Must be an off day. A symptom of her early-onset dementia.

“Ma, we’re not even together.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been together since high school.” She’s so convinced, so sure, and you squeeze your eyes tight against the reality that you and Jean have only ever been friends. In the adolescent insecurity of high school, in the intensity of military training, in the fucking heat of battle, all you’ve ever shared is friendship.

“Ma, I don’t think… I don’t even think she—” He pauses and your ears strain in the silence to catch his last quiet phrase. “She doesn’t think of me that way.”

You just know, you can tell, he only says it like that to ease her confusion. It’s the opposite, really, he doesn’t think of you that way. Before you can hear more sideways rejection, you toss the flower stems and make a beeline for the bathroom.

—

“What was that movie you were telling me to watch, again?” You ask around a mouthful of spaghetti with sauce fresh from the jar, covering your mouth with one hand.

The pair of you are eating shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor of your apartment two floors above Jean’s. It’s got the decidedly better view out your picture window, complete with the perfect Eastern perspective of the river that cuts through Trost and its famous bridges. It’s this, the third leg of your traditional Saturday evenings together, that makes you feel the most warm.

Jean has the manners to chew and swallow before replying. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Connie, Sasha, and I went to see it when they visited last month—”

Your snicker cuts him off and he raises his eyebrows as you roll your eyes and take a sip of wine. “The feet movie? Sasha said it was pretentious.”

“Really? I thought she was too preoccupied with the fact that the theater sold chili fries to pay attention.” He teases back, twirling more pasta onto his fork.

“I’m telling her you said that,” you warn with a jab of your own fork in his direction.

“Snitch.”

“Hey!”

He ducks to avoid your swat to the back of his head, grinning at your pout. “No, but seriously, apart from the feet it’s a good movie.”

“Hmm. I’ll consider putting it on the roster for next week.”

You take a moment to relish the comfortable silence, looking out at the city lights as you chew thoughtfully. His thigh is heavy and warm against yours under the thick knitted blanket his mom gave you last Yule. Your belly is warm and full, your shoulders relaxed in the company of your closest friend, your lungs breathing easily.

Jean says your name quietly and you turn to see him staring pensively down at the plate in his lap. “About what you asked earlier… in the car?”

You nod, eyes wide and mouth serious.

“Sometimes… I do regret it.” He grits the words out through his teeth, like it’s difficult to force the truth into the world. “Not because I regret what we did in the War. But because sometimes I wonder,” his eyes cut to yours for a split second, “I wonder what could’ve been. Without the War.”

You don’t say anything, don’t say you understand, because you know he knows. Instead, you loop your arm into his and lean your head against his shoulder. It takes a moment, a release of breath and the fall of his chest, but eventually he closes his eyes, turns his face into your hair, and allows himself to sink into the what could’ve been. Just for now.

#jean kirschtein x reader #jean kirstein x reader #jean kirschtein x female!reader #aot fanfic #attack on titan fanfic #snk fanfic #shingeki no kyojin fanfic #canon divergent #female!reader #grocery store shenanigans #valkyrie writes #what could've been without the war

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tails89 · 3 years ago

Text

No Place I'd Rather Be

Pairing: Evan Buckley x Eddie Diaz

1.5k words

Summary:

“Bucky's my favourite,” Chris declares, then pauses, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. “After you, dad.”

“He’s my favourite too.” Eddie says, gathering Chris up in a hug. “But you’re my most favourite.”

“I’m happy he gets to live with us. I hope he stays with us forever.”

Eddie stands up, stretching out his back as he rises. “Yeah, me too kiddo.”

Read on AO3 (or below)

Eddie silences the alarm that blares, sighing softly as a quiet hush settles back over the room. He’d set it with the intention of getting up early and making the most of his morning, but now that the it has actually arrived, all he wants is to curl back into the warmth at his side and go back to sleep.

He may as well enjoy it. He’s probably got ten minutes, if that, before Chris is up and crashing through the house in search of breakfast. Eddie has no idea how one kid makes so much noise and can’t wait for the teenage years everyone keeps warning him about; sometimes he thinks he wouldn’t mind a kid who sleeps in past eight AM.

Curling his arms around the warm body beside him, Eddie presses a kiss to the top of Buck’s curly head.

“You need to get up.”

“You need to get up.” Buck rolls over, pulling the quilt up over his head. “I don’t need to do anything, it’s my day off.”

Propping himself up on an elbow, Eddie drags the covers back down.

“You were the one who promised Chris a trip to the zoo,” he reminds his boyfriend. “And pancakes beforehand.”

“It’s the asscrack of dawn, Eddie,” Buck whines, squinting up at him. “The zoo doesn’t open for hours. This is inhumane. Moving in with you was a terrible mistake.”

Eddie laughs. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Right on cue he can hear the click of Chris’ crutches down the hallway. If they’re lucky, Chris will turn on the TV and they’ll get another twenty minutes before he comes begging for breakfast. A few minutes later, the sound of Chris's favourite morning cartoons echo up from the living room.

“Nope, no more sleeping,” Eddie teases, noticing Buck’s eyes have drifted shut again.

“’m not sleeping.”

“Really?” Eddie leans over pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Buck’s mouth. “Are you sure?” He trails his lips down along Buck’s jaw, smirking when Buck turns his head towards him, ducking to capture Eddie’s mouth and draw him into a long lazy kiss.

Kissing Buck was always a rush; it leaves Eddie dizzy and breathless and desperate for more. He doesn’t pull away until it feels like his lungs will burst and even then, Buck follows, pressing soft kisses into the hollow of Eddie’s throat.

“You better not be starting something you can’t finish, Diaz,” Buck whispers, his breath hot against Eddie’s skin.

“Oh, you’ll finish alright, Buckley.”

They pile into Eddie’s car after breakfast, Buck and Chris chatting a mile a minute about what they want to see first and ranking their favourite zoo animals.

“—but you don’t have to see everything in order,” Buck points out. “We can go and see your favourites first.”

“But they’re all my favourites,” Chris says. “And if we start at the start we know we won’t miss anything. I want to see all the animals.”

They keep up their friendly, teasing bickering the whole way too the zoo and Buck is still trying to convince Chris to start at the otters when Eddie pulls into a parking space and cuts the engine.

Chris ultimately wins. He always does, he’s got Buck completely wrapped around his finger. Eddie’s waiting for the day Buck will have to tell his son no and stand by it—there will probably be tears, most likely from Buck. Fortunately today is not that day.

They buy their tickets and head on in, studying the map.

“Australian animals are first,” Eddie says, pointing off to the left. “It says here you can buy feed for the kangaroos.”

“Did you know koala’s can get chlamydia?” Buck says conversationally as they follow the path down towards the enclosures.

“What? No, I did not know that,” Eddie says, glancing towards Chris who has got ahead of them. “How do you know that?”

Buck shrugs. “Chris had that assignment on animals native to other countries, remember? I think I read about it then.”

“Sure, because that comes up in a fifth grade assignment,” Eddie says and Buck flushes. He’d probably fallen down the Wikipedia rabbit hole. Again. “So what else do you know about koala bears?”

“They’re not bears, dad.” Chris has stopped to wait for them at the entrance to the themed enclosure.

“Yeah, Eddie.” Buck mirrors Chris’s tone exactly. “They’re marsupials. Right, Chris?”

Chris nods enthusiastically.

“Look,” he shouts, pointing to the sign in the exhibit. “You can get photos with them. Can we? Please.”

“Yeah, buddy. Let’s do it.” Buck digs into his pocket for his wallet.

“You want to get a photo with one?” Eddie asks, incredulously. “After you just told me they all had STIs?”

“Just the wild ones,” Buck promises. He gestures for Chris to lead them onward. “Actually, it’s a massive problem, there’s just like, one place left where they’re not infected.”

“Oh.”

They get a photo of the three of them crowded around the koala. The small grey animal- marsupial?- sleeps through the whole thing but Chris is ecstatic, excitedly telling Buck that they were this close to a real live Australian animal.

He loses his mind when they feed the kangaroos and laughs at Buck who cowers behind Eddie when they come across the emus. The giant birds are behind a fence, but one of them manages to snatch the map out of Buck’s hands.

“It’s not funny,” Buck grumbles. “Those things are terrifying. Look at their eyes, they remember being dinosaurs.”

Eddie laughs and wraps an arm around Buck's waist. “They’re flightless birds, how bad can they be?”

Buck looks Eddie, his face serious. “Look up the emu war some time Eds, and tell me if it doesn’t change your perspective a little.”

“Wait, there was an emu war?” Chris asks. “Who won?”

Buck’s lips twitch. “The emus.”

By the time they’ve seen the primate exhibits Chris is getting tired, so Eddie decides it’s time to stop for lunch.

He puts Buck in charge of finding them a picnic table while he takes Chris up to order food.

“Are you having a good day, mijo?”

“Yep, it’s the best,” Chris tells him beaming. “We should come back next weekend.”

“I’m working next weekend,” Eddie reminds him as they make their way to the front of the queue. “Maybe another time?”

“Or, maybe Buck could bring me?” Chris looks up at his dad with an expression of such hope, it’s clear why Buck can never say no to him. It’s a look that makes Eddie’s heart swell with love and joy.

“You’ll have to ask him.”

There had been a small part of him that had worried that Buck moving in, becoming a more permanent fixture in their lives and taking on some of the responsibilities of living with a child, would cause some tension. The dynamic shift from fun best friend to potential step-parent was a tricky one, but Buck and Chris seemed to have both taken it in stride.

“Hey, Chris.” Eddie crouches so that he’s level with his son. “I’m really glad you like spending time with him.”

“Bucky's my favourite,” Chris declares, then pauses, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. “After you, dad.”

“He’s my favourite too,” Eddie says, gathering Chris up in a hug. “But you’re my most favourite.”

“I’m happy he gets to live with us,” Chris says. “I hope he stays with us forever.”

Eddie stands up, stretching out his back as he rises. “Yeah, me too kiddo.”

They return to Buck with a tray loaded up with burgers and fries and drinks. He’s found a table for them in a shady spot overlooking the giraffes, and he waves them over when he spots them.

After lunch they carry on, taking the park train around to the big cats, arriving just in time to watch the talk about tigers.

Chris gets chosen as a volunteer to hold a chicken wing with a pair of tongs through the fence. The zoo keeper helps him hold it steady while Buck and Eddie take a hundred photos of his beaming smile.

It’s getting late by the time they make their way back to the entrance of the zoo. Chris is exhausted so Buck gives him a piggyback ride towards the gift shop, while Eddie follows carrying Chris’s crutches.

“Don’t forget the photo, Dad,” Chris shouts as they’re about to head out the exit. He nudges Buck to turn around but Eddie waves at them to keep going.

“You guys wait outside; I’ll go grab it.”

He turns back towards the counter and waits while the attendant searches the computer for the photo.

“Here it is.” She brings it up on the screen so Eddie can see. “You’ve already paid for one copy, you want any more?”

Eddie ends up purchasing a second copy, thinking it might be something his abuela would like.

“Here.” The girl hands over the packet with their photos. “You have an adorable family.”

Eddie glances down at the photo then across towards the exit. He can see Buck and Chris sitting just outside. Chris is telling a story, his hands gesturing wildly as he talks and Buck is laughing along loudly.

“Yeah, I do.”

#911 #buddie #evan buckley x eddie diaz #evan buckley #eddie diaz #fluff #911 fanfic #my911fanfic

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captcas · 4 years ago

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Worth Fighting For [12/?]

WORTH FIGHTING FOR by capthamm

Killian “Hook” Jones is a dominate up and comer in the UFC while Emma “The Savior” Swan’s career was cut short. When Hook’s manager moves up and the office brings in UFC’s youngest legend to keep him in check, will either of them be able to handle it?

read on ao3 // tumblr: ch 1/ ch 2 / ch 3 / ch 4 / ch 5 / ch 6 / ch 7 / ch 8 / ch 9 / ch 10 / ch 11 [Chapter 12/?]

The three weeks between that and Killian’s fight flew at lightspeed. Between training (together), press conferences (together), and general life (also, together), Emma found herself spending almost every moment with Killian without really knowing what hit her.

He wove himself into her life with an ease she would’ve found scary if she wasn’t so damn happy.

After meeting, Killian and Henry begged to be together daily. It started with short bursts– lunch here, a trip to the park there– and eventually it became week long movie nights with the three of them cuddled up on the couch. Any thought she had of slowing things down was abruptly erased by Henry’s overall excitement just to be with Killian.

The night the two of them fell asleep together in Henry’s bed mid-bedtime story was the proverbial nail in the coffin.

That’s how she finds herself sitting outside the locker room killing time before Killian has to prep for weigh-ins. Henry was already in their seats, Ruby keeping an eye on him while he oogles at the stage being constructed. Emma has been able to mostly ignore the reality of tonight– and tomorrow night– by managing Killian’s social accounts and keeping Regina off her back. (Let’s just say her boss doesn’t know the full extent of their relationship and Emma would like to keep it that way at least until this weekend is over and not just because even she doesn’t know the full extent.)

Emma hears the announcer call for fighters to the locker rooms and it snaps her out of her own thoughts.

Killian has to go. They– mostly Emma– have been dreading this night since the moment they found out it was Neal. It was only three weeks ago, but somehow everything has changed and it feels like a different lifetime. Killian must have resigned to his fate as well, “Duty calls, love.” He kisses her on the forehead and she leans into the contact. Emma nods but is reluctant to remove her arms from their comfortable spot on his hips. She’s about to wish him luck when he pulls a long silver chain from his pocket. Dangling from the end is a beautiful ring– rubies set with diamonds across a twisted silver band.

Oh shit.

“Whoa. Whoa, whoa, wh–”

He rolls his eyes, “Calm down, Swan. I’m not proposing.”

She nods with a tight smile, ignoring the rush of disappointment that floods her mind. It’s barely been a month, she should not be disappointed. He smirks, probably reading her like a book per usual, but continues anyway, “You know I’m good at surviving the octagon, yeah? Well, this ring is why. I’ve had it for many years, it’s the reason I’m alive. The reason I’m here today.”

“Killian–”

“I want you to have it this weekend. Keep a piece of me with you. Tomorrow may be a bloody awful night for me but I can’t imagine the war raging behind those beautiful eyes of yours, love.” He brushes a small piece of hair off the apple of her cheek before placing the ring carefully in her hand. She clutches it tightly before pressing up on her toes to place a gentle kiss against his lips.

“Thank you.”

He smiles, something bright and happy that reaches his eyes but is reserved for her, “Don’t mention it, Swan. I’ve got all the luck I need right here.” He squeezes her waist, eliciting a small giggle as he focuses in on a slight ticklish spot. Killian kisses her temple once more before they finally part.

“Go get him, Jones.” She can’t help the grin that spreads across her face despite the potential danger Killian is walking into.

He turns back to respond, “Aye, love. Tomorrow night, that’s the plan. It’s only weigh-ins, what could go wrong?” With a wink and a smirk he heads into the locker room and Emma notices the ring still clutched tightly in her fist. Taking it gently, Emma places it over her neck, the weight of the ring heavy atop her chest.

It feels like a lifeline.

Emma takes a deep breath before cracking her neck and slipping into her very real position as Killian’s PR manager. Henry is here tonight, so despite her job, she figures she should check on him first– that is if he hasn’t already tried to come find her. As she walks out from behind the stage she bumps into someone solid. Nausea hits her like a freight train as a familiar scent takes over. The hands on her shoulders seer like fire and she looks up only on instinct.

She swears her blood runs cold at the sound of his voice, “Ems?”

Before she can react, another familiar voice cuts through blood rushing in her ears, “Mom?”

Emma can feel the indent of the ring carving itself into the palm of her hand as she realizes what’s about to happen. Maybe lifeline was an understatement? She reached for the ring instinctively as she realized the moment she had hoped would never come was hovering right in front of her.

She closes her eyes and hears Killian’s voice in her head, “ You can do this, Swan.”

Somehow that’s all the push she needs. Turning to Henry, she ignores the close proximity of his father. “Henry! You were supposed to wait by the seats.”

Her eyes never leave her son. “I was going to but Ruby said I could get popcorn and when I heard them call Hook back I figured you’d be coming out soon so I figured I’d wait for you.” He turns to Neal. “Oh my god, you’re The Fire !!!!”

Neal looks like he’s been tased. Emma pleads with him telepathically to ignore the fact that this is his unmistakably his son.

She never was good at telepathy.

“I am! And you must be Henry.” Neal smiles at him and then turns to Emma for confirmation– she nods slightly despite him barely deserving that. Henry’s eyes light up.

“Did Hook tell you about me?! Mom, do you know Neal Cassidy, too?!” Neal’s eyes turn from amusement to confusion before he turns to Emma.

“Hook?” The word sounds like poison as it cuts across the space between him and Emma.

Henry speaks before Emma can form an explanation, “Yeah! Killian is my mom’s client. She helps him run his Twitter and stuff. Does she do that for you too?”

Oh yeah, client, right.

Neal gives her one more look before turning back to Henry, “Nope, not for me. Your mom and I are just old friends.” Acid. He sounds like he’s spitting acid. Emma has to choke back a scoff.

How did Emma ever fall for this shit?

“Oh, Killian and mom are friends too. He’s over pretty much every night. I think he likes me better though.” Emma can’t stop a smile from breaking out across her face. She grabs Henry and pulls him in for a hug.

“I think you’re right, kid.” Emma’s eyes meet Neal’s and he’s about to speak when a trainer comes up behind him and whisks him away. Something in his gaze tells her that this conversation isn’t over, but he says bye to Henry who waves before completely moving on to the veteran athletes he saw while waiting in the concession lines. Once he’s out of sight Emma takes a moment to focus her breathing— the cool temperature of Killian’s gift against her thumb effectively grounding her.

This ring really is a godsend– or maybe that’s just the man who gave it to her.

. . .

Killian is sitting in the middle of the sparring gym when he hears his moniker called by an unfamiliar voice. Whoever it is sounds angry. It’s weigh-ins so this level of hostility is usually a show for the cameras, but it’s also usually reserved for fighters who actually know each other.

“Killian Jones.” The use of his full name causes Killian to stand, coming face to face with Neal. He’s only seen him in photos and on tape, but he’d recognize him anywhere. Ice fills Killian’s veins before turning to white hot rage. He’s got half a mind to knock him flat on his arse but knows better than to fight outside the ring.

He opts for civility instead, “Ah, you must be Mr. Cassidy.” Killian squares with him, sizing him up. Despite his clearly trained stature, Killian knows Neal is a coward.

No man who gives up a boy like Henry could be anything less.

“Stay away from my son.”

That was not what Killian expected, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Neal is fired up for some reason or another. Killian can’t imagine why, unless– Emma .

Neal must’ve ran into Emma and Henry before coming back. Killian drops the niceties, “ Your son? I believe there’s a hefty packet of legal papers that says quite the opposite, mate.”

He watches the rage fill up Neal’s face and his arm begin to form a fist. As Killian responds, Neal’s trainer is coming up behind him. “Not here, Cassidy. Save it for the octagon.”

As the trainer pulls Neal away, Killian doesn’t let the wash of relief exit in a sigh, but he feels it all the same. Neal turns to him once more,“We’ll settle this tomorrow, Jones. You don’t get to steal my life.” He clearly has a compulsory need for having the last word.

Too bad so does Killian.

As Neal approaches the door separating their designated gyms, Killian calls out once more, “It’s not stealing when you give them up in the first place. Finders keepers, mate.” He winks as Neal crosses into the other room, his trainers keeping him pointed in the right direction.

That’s when Robin walks up behind Killian, “What the hell was that about? I thought you two didn’t even know each other.”

“A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets, Robin. It seems Mr. Cassidy is regretting his choice not to fight.” Killian turns to his best friend and finds only understanding in his eyes.

Robin claps his hand onto Killian’s shoulder, “Kick his ass, Jones.”

Nodding, Killian straps his gloves on. “My plan precisely, boss.”

...

@mariakov81 @kmomof4 @superchocovian @pirateherokillian @teamhook @bawley-bug @let-it-raines

#cs ff #emma swan #killian jones #Captain Swan #captain swan ff #worth fighting for #capthamm #im sorry this took so long

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niqhtlord01 · 4 years ago

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Humans are weird: Revolution

During the early years of 4254 the Human domain experienced a eruption of strife that shattered its unity nearly overnight though the causes of the outburst of conflict had been the result of years of neglect, corruption, and mismanagement.

As the human border had increased with each new world the core of the human domain became increasingly wealthy with the increase of trade in materials as only they were well developed enough to manage the vast expanse of human space.

However, as time progressed outlying colonies that had once been mere shacks and wooden houses had grown into powerful centers of trade in their own right. They had begun to rely less and less on support from the inner core worlds and soon enough had transitioned into becoming self sufficient. Because of this transition what became known as the outer sphere of human space began petitioning for greater representation in the human governing body, some even going so far as to demand their worlds be ruled by their own citizens rather than core world installed leaders.

The inner core could sense the changing winds and acknowledged when similar demands had been made in human history. Yet rather than taking a note from their shared experiences they followed the same footsteps of the empires of old and increased their overall control on the outer sphere. They dispatched ever increasing numbers of peace keepers to the most outspoken worlds while political leaders of opposition were silenced one by one under questionable circumstances. This went increase of tension continued to build over nearly two decades before it reached a critical juncture and exploded into outright violence.

On the outer sphere world of Hades Hope was a prestigious school known as the Starford Academy. It was a institution catering exclusively to the students from the inner core whose families had moved to the outer sphere worlds. As tension began building higher and higher the Academy’s exclusive nature for inner core families was a spot of tension for the citizens of Hades Hope. Eventually the school was forced to open its doors to outer sphere applicants; and so entered Melina Rabanedo. Melina was one of the smartest students on the world and her acceptance into the exclusive school was met with a surprising amount of fan fair.

On her first day at the academy she was lured into the parking lot by other students and run over with a car.......

Had she been rushed to the hospital she would have had a chance at surviving her grievous injuries, but she was left where she had been hit in the parking lot for several hours and was not discovered until the end of the school day by academy cleaning staff as they went to clean the parking lot.

Though the academy initially tried to hide the incident leaked security footage from the parking lot was uploaded to the web showing Melina running from the approaching car and appearing to scream for help.

The culprits were immediately apprehended by local law officials but to the planets shock no charges were pressed and the culprits, who were identified as inner core students, were let go. The official statement was that the driver did not know that they had hit Melina as they were exiting the parking lot and therefore it was not manslaughter. The same day of the announcement was the same day the academy was burned to the ground.

From there the protests quickly turned to riots, riots to violent clashes, violent clashes to outright insurrection. The ruling caste of Hades Hope installed by the inner core worlds was overthrown virtually overnight and their broken bodies paraded through the streets.

Once word of the revolt of Hades Hope began spreading to other outer sphere worlds similar acts of rebellion sprang up. On the mining world of Etheral Prime miners overran several cargo transports that had landed to claim a mineral tithe for the inner core. In the Vergo Reach seven of the nine worlds openly switched to the revolutionaries side and turned their patrol fleets and armies against the remaining three worlds that remained loyal. Along the entire Nebulan Belt trading and security outposts came under attack from rag tag fleets disrupting several trade routes. Within weeks half of humanity’s domain was in open conflict with the the other and chaos ensued.

The inner core world were unprepared for such a swathe of rebellion but over the coming months were able to reorganize themselves and dispatched their armies and navies in an escalation of the conflict which had the effect of uniting the various warring factions of the outer sphere into a significant opposing force.

To many of the surrounding alien species it looked as if humanity had gone insane. They had never known a species among the stars that would turn on their own kind with such brutality and sheer blood lust.

Some alien species attempted to mediate the dispute; though they did not fully understand the significance nor underlining causes of the conflict. To them this conflict was a cauldron of madness that looked as if it would overflow and spread to their peoples at any moment.

Others, such as the Zefillem, attempted to capitalize on the growing conflict and began selling weapons to both sides while at the same time selling essential goods at over inflated prices that neither side could do without.

The Polip were the most vocal in peace negotiations, but neither side would settle for nothing less than the complete destruction of the other.

For the time being the universe held its breath as they watched humanity consume itself with some even going so far as to hope that through their own actions they would be returned to the void from whence they came.

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #scifi #story

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boop-le-snoot · 4 years ago

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PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 15

first time reader - click here

TW/SUMMARY: Is bad humour a trigger? Cards against humanity. Loki in the wild. Chaotic Tony, chaotic Reader. Team bonding, a gag chapter lmao

My beta is babey 🥺 @miscmarvelwritings

If someone had bothered to ask me what kind of relationship I had with Tony, it would've made my brain glitch. In the weeks we spent fucking, sciencing and hanging out with the Avengers, it never once crossed my mind. We had fun and it was easy. Unlike both of our lives, it didn't require much mental energy for us to get what we wanted from each other. For me, it was easier to ignore my skin aching for Tony when he was already spending so much time on me. I wasn't sure if it would ever be enough, really, so taking exactly as much as he was giving was my best bet.

We built things in his workshop with Pete by our side and it wasn't awkward. The spiderling said he was happy as long as we were happy and didn't mind it too much when Tony got handsy. The man had at least some morals and stuck to kisses, ass-slaps and lewd comments which made Peter snort and fake-retch sure, yet the boy never displayed any real discomfort. It was endearing. He really became the little brother I never thought I would have.

The sex was fantastic, to say the least. We fucked on just about every flat surface on the residential floors. Steve caught us once, although I am almost hundred percent sure Tony staged it all on purpose. The good Captain didn't even blush, instead just silently closed the door behind him as I stared in his face, gripping Tony's head with my thighs.

The weather grew dreary yet both of my parents still stayed out of New York. Mother went back to Canada and dad continued his never-ending party on the West Coast, conquering California and living his best life. My house was dark and cold, and I started hanging around the tower more often than ever. If I wasn't with Tony, I was busy catching up Wanda and Bucky on pop culture, teaching Thor how to bake cakes and doing other meaningless, domestic stuff. The Avengers tower bustled with life at all hours and there always was someone...

I never felt lonely. It was such an unusual experience. Comfort and reassurance was always one room away. Be it Thor with his gratuitous amount of physical affection or his brother's incredibly witty, dark humor, I never had to stay one-on-one with my thoughts for too long.

Personally witnessing Bruce's coming out of his shell was the highlight of my life, no lie. I was so used to the quiet, mousy Banner that my brain refused to acknowledge his amazing sense of humour at first; I wasn't sure if he was joking or ... Or what? Truth to be told, Brucie-bear was as snarky as Tony,Loki and Stephen. The sorcerer had started visiting more often too, under the guise of tutoring Wanda, but all of us saw the way he lingered in the communal areas after their study time came to an end.

If loneliness was a sickness then the tower's inhabitants and frequent visitors were beginning their recovery journey.

"Have you guys heard about Cards Against Humanity?" I asked one evening once the movie credits began rolling. Wanda was squished into my side with her legs in her brother's lap; Clint laying atop both siblings like the trash bag that he was. And I meant it fondly.

On the other side of me, I had Bucky and Loki, who had begun to discuss their respective collections of sharp and pointy things once they deemed the movie lacked action. Legally Blonde and action, did they really think..? Nevermind.

"Yes, and if you're offering, the answer is yes," Clint mumbled, reaching for his second pack of Cheetos.

We gathered in a circle as I brought the shoebox that had the original deck plus a couple of expansions. This was beginning to look interesting. "So, I have the special Avengers edition right there..."

"Say no more," Clint even abandoned his snacks. "But I'mma put on the episode of Lucifer I missed. Multitasking," He winked, wrestling the remote from Pietro. We waited patiently as they finished the obligatory round of horsing before settling down for the game.

I explained the rules of the game, choosing to disregard Loki's scoffing and Wanda's doubt about the quality of the humor in the game. We played a few rounds with me explaining some of the deeper pop culture references. At a point where all of us were engrossed, laughing and poking fun at each other, more of the Avengers parked themselves on the couch.

Stephen, Tony and Bruce evidently had been sciencing, all three men having had their safety goggles perched forgotten atop their heads. Sam, Natasha and Steve - probably sparring. All three of them brought the smell of soap and laundry detergent to the room. All of the newcomers observed us with mild interest, periodically glance at the TV.

It was Wanda's turn to be the card Czar. I had to take a moment to finish my last giggling fit.

"Okay, the white card goes..." She paused dramatically. "I never truly understood blank until I encountered blank." With that, she poked the timer app on her phone. The sixty second countdown began.

I did a quick inventory check. Then I snorted. I had to quickly stuff two knuckles in my mouth, biting down, to attempt to silence the hysterical fit of laughter I was on the brink of. Loki was definitely going to stab me but the opportunity was too good to pass. No fear, we die like men.

"Ooh, she's got something," Clint teased, having noticed my shaking shoulders.

The timer beeped. Naturally, Loki went first. He wore a mildly disgusted smirk. "I never truly understood parting the red sea until I encountered third base," The trickster caved and began chuckling.

Somewhere behind me, Sam and Tony began cackling while Stephen and Steve groaned loudly in mild distaste.

"Press F to pay respects," Pietro clapped Loki on the shoulder with a sympathetic chuff. "I raise you - I never truly understood licking things to claim as your own until I encountered the clitoris," The young avenger struggled through laughter, followed by everyone else this time.

"That's a keeper, ladies," Sam's rich baritone quipped.

I laughed along, inwardly preparing for the inevitable. "Yikes," I whispered, side-eyeing Loki. "I never truly understood daddy issues..." I trailed off, hearing Bucky and Steve beginning to tease Tony. "... Until I encountered Loki, the trickster God."

The room drowned in a sea of laughter, Tony and Clint busting a gut so hard they fell over. Said trickster God was less than amused, however, glaring in my direction with the force of a pissed off bee swarm.

"Ow, that's cold, Princess, that's just cold," Clint squeezed out.

"Loki," I abandoned my stack of cards, crawling over Pietro and Bucky on all fours, settling prettily on my knees in front of Loki. Making my very best puppy eyes. "I love you, with all my cold black heart. And you're technically the patron saint of fun and shit, so that means you must approve of this very clever joke," I pouted, batting my eyelashes.

"Baby girl, I think you're laying it on too thick," Tony gasped, slumping on the couch, holding his sides. Everyone kept laughing, now at my feeble attempt at placating the upset Loki.

Who, by the way, looked a bit spooked. Subtly but surely, the raven-haired Asgardian leaned away from me.

"Don't be mad, I'm too cute to be mad at," I finally snorted, pat-pat-patting him on the shoulder. "It's okay, you can join my club. We have hot old dudes and cookies."

That broke it. First, the corner of his mouth twitched. Then, Loki looked away. I saw the storm before it crashed; with a weird noise of his own and his cheeks puffed out, Loki joined in on the shit-fest, howling full volume and doubling over. I followed suit, until all of us were writhing around on the floor. We'd stop and then someone would make another remark and it would go into another round again.

"Menace," Loki scoffed at me, smiling. "And for the record, the hottest old dude, as you put it, would be me." That said, he went back to calmly waiting for his next turn. "I'm about a thousand years old."

"Thor's older," Bruce noted thoughtfully.

Loki scoffed. "That man cannot chew with his mouth shut. If that's considered attractive, I'm leaving this forsaken planet."

That struck a thought within me. One that was brewing a long time, to be honest. "Thor is the god of himbos," I said with the same tone as "Eureka!".

"Shit, you're right," Sam exclaimed, following with another, weaker fit of laughter meanwhile Bruce had to be the one explaining the term to the poor, poor, clueless members of the Avengers.

I need to find a way to award them some kind of points for learning the gen-z lingo. "Patrick" stars maybe, since they lived under a fucking rock?

"Princess, never a boring day with you around. You don't half-ass this shit," Tony's warmth reached me as he shuffled around on the couch, sitting directly behind me. I leaned my back against his legs.

"I'm not a clown," I shot back. Tony stiffened. Dramatically flailing my hand I announced: "I am the whole god-damn circus!"

As the game progressed, we found out that Clint was That Guy - meaning, the dude every CAH group had, the one who grossly overused the "Bees?!" card and made Star Wars references whenever humanly possible. The only even slightly funny joke was about a lightsaber up the ass, in the end all of us finding out that Bucky knew a little too much about modern sex toys - "Hey, I saw one on Amazon, I'll send you the link, Birdman" - to Steve's open-mouthed horror.

What Loki lacked in references he made up in wit. The play on "During sex, I like to think about genetically engineered supersoldiers" had Bucky scrambling to switch places with Wanda whilst Loki himself was attempting to shoot bedroom eyes at Steve. It was a mess.

Bucky's own play had Steve abandon all pretense at being in any way appropriate as he struggled for air. "The Avengers new rules prohibit using Mjölnir as a dildo." Me and Tony became somewhat of a messy guffawing octopus of limbs for a moment after the super-soldier said it.

"Don't. Tell. Thor!" Strange gritted out, hiding his laughter behind a palm, uncharacteristically having lost his stuffy attitude. By god's will the man was attractive when he smiled.

As time ticked, each one of the starting players had attracted a newcomer. There weren't enough cards for everyone to play (Tony had, of course, ordered additional ones but they wouldn't arrive until the next day) so people kind of whispered and pointed at what they thought would fit.

Natasha conspired with Wanda, Sam went to his bird-bro, Bruce was forcefully dragged by Bucky to his side. Surprisingly, Steve teamed up with Loki which made Pietro stick his nose up in the air and promptly declare he needed no backup.

I already had Tony on my side. The genius wasn't of much help, however, he simply annoyed me out of my skull by randomly giggling and making immature jokes. It should've alarmed me that Stephen was eager to join me and Tony - usually he just butted heads with anyone who had any opinion whatsoever.

I was left bewildered upon discovering the wizard liked drama as much as the Kardashian clan and was quite competitive at causing the most shit.

My clown crown felt threatened.

"This one," Tony poked at a card in my hand.

"If you think that's funny, your intellect is obviously overestimated." Stephen dismissively waved a hand. "This one," It was unmistakable whom the trembling finger belonged to. It pointed at a card on the other side.

"Wizards are just hilarious," Tony seeped sarcasm.

"Try me, Beyonce," Stephen murmured darkly.

That was just background noise to me. I had all my undivided attention on the TV, my last two functioning brain cells focused on the scene unfolding right in front of me. The Lucifer episode, the devil and his insatiable thirst for honey. The timer buzzed but I was still drawn towards Tom Ellis dipping two of his fingers first in the honeypot, then in his mouth, all the while looking like a damn snack himself. Illegal. I've never simped so hard for a fictional character.

A golden glow snatched a card out of my grasp, levitating it.

"Girl, what the hell?" Wanda saw my face and attempted to revert me back to earth. "Someone turn off the TV, there's not enough water in the tower to quench her thirst."

"Hey, did you two just - don't ignore me!" Tony whined, managing to tug on my hair and attempt to reach for the card now held in Stephen's grasp, simultaneously.

"I don't blame her," Clint mused. "That right there is one very fine dude."

I shook my head, clearing any untoward thoughts. Focus. "First of all, Bird, you're a dude. That there," I pointed up at the TV. "Is a man. A Man." I emphasised, getting a jealous poke in the back from Tony. "Second of all..." I turned towards Stephen. "The quaffle, the snitch and the AUDACITY OF THIS BITCH!" The last of my sentence was pitched. The sorcerer had raised his arm, clutching the card, and I struggled to reach it.

"What... What did you just say?" Stephen was laughing, not at all phased by me climbing him like a tree to take hold of what's mine. Tony was actively helping - or, trying to. One-handed. The other hand attempted to snatch the rest of the cards from my grasp.

"And that's an F on teamwork," Bucky's sarcasm was complemented by Steve's famous Captain America Is Disappointed In You look.

"Uhh... Guys? What's going on?" Peter's timid voice leaked confusion.

"Hello, friends," Thor boomed, drowning out the boy's questioning noises.

"We're playing a game. Cards Against Humanity."

Wordlessly, Peter towed Thor along with him to find a spot amongst us. And even if Thor didn't get any of the references, he still was good fun. His laugh was infectious. The way he cheered for every winner was incredibly wholesome. Golden space puppy. The urge to immediately pet Thor and give him endless pop-tarts was strong in me.

Loki was one dramatic, vengeful bitch. "Women get turned on by the Devil himself"? I was ready to throw hands with the trickster. Everybody's laughter drowned out any cursing I might or might have not directed towards Loki who looked far too satisfied with himself. I was going to substitute the sugar for his tea with salt one day, mark my words.

I wouldn't admit it over my dead body, but the way he got back at me for the daddy issues joke was kinda funny. Okay, very funny. It was fucking hilarious. I admire a clever man.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby

#party favours #bun writes #tony stark x reader #tony stark x y/n #tony stark x you #bruce banner x you #bruce banner x reader #bruce banner x y/n #stephen strange x y/n #stephen strange x you #stephen strange x reader #avengers team x reader fluff

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twh-news · 3 years ago

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Loki’s production designer on the Modernist inspiration behind the show’s stunning visuals | The Art Newspaper

By Helen Stoilas

Kasra Farahani explains why the Time Variance Authority waiting room looks so much like the Breuer building, and how the inside of a Fabergé egg became an alien train carriage.

Fans of Modernist design can find a lot to appreciate in Loki, the television series starring Tom Hiddleston recently released by Marvel Studios on the streaming channel Disney+. The stunning production is clearly influenced by Brutalist and Neo-Futurist architecture, as well as Soviet Socialist art and sculpture. Visual references can be seen from the very first episode, in which the magic-wielding god of mischief is apprehended by a universe-spanning police force known as the Time Variance Authority for “crimes against the Sacred Timeline” (stay with us).

One early scene, for example, was filmed on a custom-built set that bears a striking resemblance to the lobby of the Marcel Breuer building in New York which once housed the Whitney Museum—and now houses the Frick—while another was shot on location in the Neo-Futurist Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel, designed by the architect John C. Portman, Jr (with some monumental statues later edited into the soaring atrium). The Art Newspaper spoke to the series’ production designer, Kasra Farahani, about his inspirations for the look of the show.

The Art Newspaper: Loki's director, Kate Herron has called this series a love letter to sci-fi and you see a lot of visual homages to films like Brazil, A Clockwork Orange and Blade Runner. But there's also a clear influence of Modernist design on the look of the series overall. You studied industrial design early in your career. Were there specific examples of Modernist architecture and design that you were looking at when you started working on the series?

Kasra Farahani: So many, everyone from Frank Lloyd Wright to Breuer, to Mies van der Rohe to Paul Rudolph—you have a shot in the John Portman building—to Oscar Niemeyer. And then a lot of Eastern European, Soviet-influenced Modernism played a big part in it as well. I can honestly tell you that my first and foremost inspiration was Modernism. Part of that is because the TVA (Time Variance Authority) is a bureaucracy and I think, archetypically, so much of what we know a bureaucracy to be is that post-war, highly funded institutional look. And there's a lot of different versions of that, whether it's the Washington, DC version, like the Hoover building, or whether it's what we had in Los Angeles, where I grew up, where there's a huge amount of post-war architecture built for the population boom. Like the elementary school, middle school and high school that I went to were all mid-century Modernist.

I was also looking a lot at Brutalism and the Modernism in former Soviet states, that are heavily influenced by Socialism and Soviet architecture, and where scale is such a big driving force of the design.

The size of some of the buildings in the show are kind of overwhelming. I know that some filming was done in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, with that huge soaring atrium. You just completely get dwarfed by that kind of architecture.

Yeah, that's right. That one we used for the TVA archives because we couldn't justify building a big set, but once I scouted it, I saw that we could bring in these massive Time-Keeper sculptures at the scale you would typically only see in an exterior, which is a fantastical thing. The TVA sets themselves, which were almost entirely full 360-degree sets, were very much designed as an intentional paradox between the stoic, large-scale Brutalism form language, and the surfacing and palette and whimsical patterning, which is very much taken from American mid-century Modern. Those two things create these spaces that feel at once super intimidating and then uncomfortably inviting and warm at the same time.

That’s kind of the irony of a lot of Modernism, Brutalism especially, it had these utopian ideals of creating affordable social housing, but then a lot of the people found it really oppressive to live in.

Yeah. Modernism has been that way the whole time—it was designed to be super cheap and utilitarian and routinely it ends up being the most expensive kind of architecture. Another thing readers may be curious to know about is the TBA expanse, which is essentially the view outside some windows.

That futuristic cityscape you can see….

Yeah. They had very strange and unique parameters to try to design that. The TVA exists outside of the physical world—so there's no weather, there's no roofs, there's no difference between interior and exterior, there's not necessarily even gravity in the way that we know it. But there are these meandering colonnades that we took a lot of inspiration from Brasilia—and obviously a lot of the super cities that were drawn in comics. But also there's some really beautiful conceptual sketches that Frank Lloyd Wright did of a version Los Angeles in the early 20th century that had Roman-like colonnades and plazas and a lot of that fed into what the TVA expanse is.

You mentioned all the sets you built for Loki, especially for the TVA. There's two that where used a lot. The Time Theater, where so much of kind of Loki’s personal story gets told, and looks like its straight out of the Barbican in London, with these huge colour-coded directional numbers on the walls. And then there's the Miss Minutes waiting room with those circular lights that looks almost exactly like the lobby of the Breuer building in New York—to the point where I reached out to the museum to ask if you’d filmed there. You even got the silver-tipped light bulbs right.

We were very inspired by that, but it's different in some very subtle, but for me, very important ways. Number one, the size of the bulbs is much smaller, they were manipulated to create eyeballs, basically. Another important difference is that in the Breuer building, they have these dishes hanging in space, whereas in ours, they're negative space, there's a solid ceiling. It creates a matrix of eyeballs peering down, like the always-watching Time-Keepers. And maybe the most important difference is that the ceiling is slammed down—you know the cheapest apartment you can go into has an eight-foot ceiling, this is six inches shorter than that, and our actor is about six-foot-three. The idea was to create a sort of trash compactor feeling in this claustrophobic space with this matrix of eyes, watching as all of this is happening.

The time theater was for me very inspired by Pier Luigi Nervi.

I liked that waffle coffered ceiling you have in that room.

Thanks. We were very happy with it, and it created this kind of forest of light columns which helps set the neo-noirish, interrogative nature of the space. And the unnecessarily large super graphics that you mentioned are a very Paul Rudolph sort of a thing, he did that in his building too, and I love that.

For me, it’s very important not to reference a set design from other films, that why I reference architecture, painting, photography, these other art forms, more than anything else, because inevitably when you’re working in archetypes, there’s a lot of overlap.

And as Loki goes into different times and locations, you get a completely different design environment in those places. There’s a scene on a train car, that has a very Art Deco look.

That was inspired by the inside of a Fabergé egg, Art Deco meets Alien.

And when you finally meet the Time-Keepers in the most recent episode, it’s like they're in a pre-Colombian pyramid or a ziggurat.

I was looking at Indian stepwells, this almost fractal quality with these descending stairs going into one another—but we imagined them going out every direction, with an Escher-like quality, like they are tessellating themselves to infinity.

I read on Twitter that you literally bought a bowling alley from Omaha and brought it to Atlanta to create Loki's Palace in the Void in the last episode, which is this crazy, surreal, amusement park, junk yard-like place.

We bought the floor of a bowling alley, everything else we built. That was a lot of fun because the script gave us a lot of runway. The proposal was to do this bowling alley because essentially everything in the Void has been discarded from time, and more things fall into it and accumulate and so you end up with these strata. I liked the idea of like a bowling alley that's been smashed over your knee or something. The net effect is when you first enter, you have all these lane lines pointing down at this throne, which was supposed to be stolen from a mall Santa. And then there's these crazy alien plants that are growing through it that have taken parasitic hold of the place. In many ways, I think its a narrative microcosm of the Void itself, which is like a salad bar of these disparate aberrations slammed together. Things like the bowling alley all have these micro-narratives that we in the art department have come up with to help flush out the design and make them specific. For example, there's portraits on the wall of like bowler of the month, and they’re not quite human. It's not in the episode, but those things are important for us in the art department.

At the very end of the most recent episode, we get a glimpse into this city that Loki and Sylvie (played by Sophia Di Martino) are walking into. Can tell us anything about what inspired those scenes, what we're about to see?

You can call me back in a week. All I can say is that the TVA is definitely the visual and narrative anchor of the story, but there's a lot of great worlds to see. And I think what people are responding to is the breadth of the visual variety of the show. And episode six won't be any different. It's really cool, and maybe some of my favorite stuff.

#loki #loki series #production design #set design #tom hiddleston #Kasra Farahani #article #the art newspaper

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