#we need a win and we need city to either lose or draw - and we win the premier league

[sportsthoughts]

Sports have a way of making me nervous like nothing else on this planet

[thesunshinenotebook]

Ok, so! Besides the usual, “Of course Newt made it to the safe haven, what are you talking about?? What's page 250???” jokes, I've also seen a couple of posts recently by people who were annoyed that we literally refuse to accept this man's death. And so I throw my opinion into the void. Yes, I love fix-it fics and AUs where Newt lives. In fact, they're all canon to me. But! From an analytical standpoint, I bring this controversial (??) opinion:

Newt had to catch the Flare. He had to die.

In this slightly long and largely unedited essay, I will explain why…

Newt not being immune, besides adding emotional turmoil and intense pain to the story, also added humanity to the Flare, the disease that robs people of their humanity. The Cranks could be perceived as soulless monsters, obstacles, plot development and nothing more. We know that they theoretically used to be humans, and we feel pity for them on some level, but it’s not the focus of our attention. Newt changes that, because Newt is a Crank, and Newt is a human, and we love Newt. I’m aware that other characters were infected before Newt was (in the book all of the Gladers thought that they were infected and in the movie Winston and Brenda actually were), but I feel like Newt being such an important character and getting the virus really brought this point home.

The entire series revolves around the choice between two evils: let the world fall to disease, or torture children for a theoretical cure. Newt experienced both sides of the issues (fell to the disease AND was also tortured for research before that, the poor guy). He understood the need for a cure better than anyone, but he also knew exactly what WICKED would do to get it. And guess what? Torturing children is never ethical!

Newt couldn't live, because then it would just be Thomas and friends vs. the inferior losers with the Flare. Newt didn’t deserve to die, but his friends didn’t exactly deserve for him to live (though they didn’t deserve to lose him, either). The world is unfair, and they couldn’t win everything. This, again, shows the complexity of the issue, challenging Thomas's decision to leave the city and give up on the idea of a cure.

Another issue brought up by Newt's catching the Flare and his subsequent death is this continuous motif of memory and identity, which obviously played a huge role in the rest of the series as well (everyone losing their memories before the maze, writing their names on the wall, remembering all of their friends that died). Newt has always been selfless and caring, and this continues even as he begins to lose his sanity and himself. Newt wants to hang on to who he is rather than turning into a monster, and, ultimately, he chooses death over losing himself. He lives on in memory, though, as well as through his journal. There are so many other complexities to Newt's story; questions of identity, depression, selflessness, bottled emotions, and love. All of this immensely complicates his death, and the fact that it was technically suicide. It's so important to have characters like Newt in fiction, if only to explore the depths of these issues. So many of us can see so much of ourselves in Newt. His story might not give us all the answers, but it does give us a reason to hope.

The truth is that life is unfair. Newt's situation emphasizes how true this is in the story, humanizing the Flare virus and drawing a direct comparison between wicked's goal and the goal of the kids who are running from them. Our world today is similarly unfair, though obviously in different ways. There are challenges and setbacks and hurt, just like in the story, but Newt proves that these troubles aren't all that there is. We can't escape every problem, but we can make the most of what we do have. We can love and joke and laugh with others, even if the world is falling apart. The ending might be sad, but the pages in the middle can still make us smile, and maybe help us inspire the next person to do the same. 

[beefromanoff]

Going Under Ch. 32

summary: I think this is what we'd call a missed connection?

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: Love You Too Much - Bee Gees

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: HI AGAIN, I got this one up super quick because I was considering putting it in the last chapter but also wanted to get one out so I just made them into two. I want to go back and edit some of the last few chapters because I feel like I rushed through them and didn't give them as much TLC as the earlier ones, but I'll let you guys know if I do that so you can go back and reread. anyways, enjoyyyy! I promise I won't drag the angst out forever!

ilysm, thank you for reading! please let me know what you think!

chapter list

________________________________

Bucky

The Quinjet sliced through the night sky, the city lights of Manhattan twinkling below. Inside, the atmosphere was tense, an undercurrent of excitement and anxiety palpable. Bucky sat in the pilot’s seat, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the approaching skyline.

Natasha and Wanda exchanged a glance before Nat finally broke the silence, "Okay, Barnes, what exactly is the plan when we get there?"

Bucky glanced back at them, uncertainty in his eyes. "I... I don't know. Just need to see her, you know?"

Wanda raised an eyebrow, "See her or talk to her?"

He sighed. "Both, I guess. I messed up, and I finally realize it and…I just need to fix it."

Natasha crossed her arms, studying him intently. "This is a pretty big swing for one night, Buck. Are you sure you’re ready for this?"

“Aren’t you the ones who dragged my ass out of the gym to stage an intervention, like six hours ago? Wasn’t this the goal?” 

“Of course, the goal was to get you to pull your head out of your ass,” Nat shifted in her chair, tugging the hem of her dress down. Neither she or Wanda was thrilled to be told they were either getting ready on the jet or getting left behind. “I just expected you to, I don’t know…think it through for a little longer before making your grand gesture.” 

"I know," he admitted, a pained expression flickering across his face. "But seeing those pictures tonight...seeing my girl with my friends…I had all of that in my life and I ruined it. I need to make things right. I know it sounds crazy but I just…I don’t want to waste any more time than I already have."

Both women gave a soft, knowing smile. “Okay.” Nat squeezed his arm. “Let’s go win her back.”

The Quinjet descended toward the landing pad on the Avengers’ Tower. A quick hundred story descent in the elevator, and they were stepping out onto the streets of Manhattan. As arranged, a car was waiting to take them the few blocks to the lounge that Nat had confirmed their friends were still at.

As the car doors opened after a short, tense drive, the sounds of the city flooded in – distant traffic, the murmur of late-night debauchery. The trio stepped out, immediately beginning to draw attention as they walked to the front of the line.

Wanda nudged Bucky. "Remember, you're here to talk, not to make a scene. We're in public, and Gianna deserves better than a dramatic confrontation."

Bucky nodded, his resolve solidifying. The bouncer eyed them skeptically. "Invitation only." Stepping forward, Bucky let out a low growl as he pushed up the sleeve on his shirt. Like hell if some steroid-brained security guard was going to derail his plan. Before he could take matters into his own hands, a delicately manicured one stopped him.

Natasha flashed a smile and flipped her hair over her shoulder.. "Check the list again."

The bouncer’s eyes widened, immediately recognizing Natasha, and let them through with a nod. 

“I had it under control.” Bucky grumbled sheepishly. 

“I know you did.” 

Gianna

The thumping of the bass reverberated in her chest as Gianna found herself caught up in the night and fully losing track of time. Tony and Sam were leading the charge, going shot for shot with a bachelorette party they’d met at the bar. Somewhere on the dance floor, Madison was dancing with a still-starstruck Peter, who was doing everything in his power to keep her from toppling over.

Amidst the chaos, Gianna spotted Steve sitting in a plush corner booth, offering a reprieve from the noise. He raised his beer to her, gesturing for her to join him as she desperately tried to untangle herself from the crowd. Gianna slid into the booth gratefully, shielded from the cacophony around them.

"So, how's life, Cap?" She smiled, sipping on her drink. She’d been nursing the same espresso martini since they’d arrived over an hour ago, he noticed. 

Steve chuckled. "You know, same old. Saving the world, the usual stuff."

"Boring day job," she teased. The conversation was light, easy. It had always flowed between them before and didn’t seem to be too different now. Although there was no mistaking the hint of guilt, of pity that Gianna could see in his eyes. Like he felt bad for her or somehow held himself responsible for his best friend’s actions. Maybe she was misreading it, and it wasn’t either of those things. Maybe it was just sadness, seeing what could have existed if Bucky hadn’t done what he thought he had to. 

As if reading her mind, Steve took a more serious tone. “We all miss you, G. It hasn’t been the same since you left.” 

Gianna paused, her gaze drifting to the twinkling lights of the club. “I miss you guys too. More than you know.” A moment passed where neither of them spoke. Steve followed her gaze into the crowd, the noise seeming thousands of miles from their booth.

"How's he doing?" Gianna bit her lip after speaking, her voice so soft that anyone other than a super soldier wouldn’t have caught it. 

Steve sighed, his expression briefly clouded. "He's...struggling. It hasn’t been easy on him either. We’ve been trying to help out, but you know Bucky; he's not great at expressing himself."

"Yeah," Gianna acknowledged, a bittersweet smile playing on her lips before faltering. "I wish... I wish he had just talked to me."

Steve nodded, understanding reflected in his eyes. "He's got his demons. Sometimes, most of the time, he fights them alone. Even I don’t know half the battles he’s waging."

“I’m glad he has you. Even if he chooses to do it alone…I’m glad he isn’t.” 

A somber quiet settled between them, strobe lights above the dance floor casting shadows in the dimly lit booth. Steve set his bottle down on the table and leaned forward onto his elbows. “You aren’t alone either, you know. We’re all here if you need us.” 

Gianna gave a half smile before raising her glass to her lips and finally polishing off the martini. A cocktail waitress, likely hoping for either a photo or a large tip, immediately swooped in with a fresh one and whisked the empty glass away. Steve watched her take a sip and didn’t fail to notice that she was suddenly drinking a lot more quickly after the mention of Bucky. 

“How are you doing, G? Really?” His voice was soft.

Gianna paused, eyes staring blankly ahead. For a moment, the public facade dropped. The smile, the rosy cheeks. Her eyes looked gaunt, exhausted. "I love him, Steve. I probably always will. But right now, I... I can’t stand him for what he did." She set her jaw. “I am so angry. All the time. I don’t know how to feel anything else. I was happy before him, or at least I thought I was. I didn’t know what I was living without, and then…there was Bucky. He was everything and he made me feel everything and life was just…better. Brighter. I thought I had everything, but once I met him, I realized I’d walk away from it all and never look back so long as I was walking with him.” 

She slowly twirled the stem of her glass between her fingers, smiling sadly. “I found what I was missing. Or so I thought. Then…he just pulled away. I could feel it, you know.” She met Steve’s eyes. “When I started losing him. I didn’t want to believe it. I told myself it was something else, it wasn’t us. Things between us were perfect. Then they just…weren’t. It felt like I was stabbed and I couldn’t stop the bleeding. I just had to sit there and watch the life leak out of me. Then, right when I thought I knew pain, he came in and destroyed me for good.” 

Her lower lip quivered, but Steve knew she wasn’t done speaking. He had a feeling she hadn’t really been listened to since she left, maybe even before that. A pang of guilt hit him in the chest. 

“He wasn’t supposed to leave. He was the one person who saw me. He was supposed to be here…he was supposed to stay. I was fine on my own, I liked my life. But Bucky…” A single tear slid down her cheek, cutting through her perfect makeup. “He came into my life and made me realize everything I could have, everything I was missing. He let me fall in love with him and then he fucking left. Now I’m here, alone again, telling myself it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all but that’s just bullshit. I would rather have never felt love than to have felt it and now have this gaping hole in my heart where he was supposed to be.” Her fist hit the table hard enough to rattle the glass. 

The intensity of the moment seemed to surprise her, jolting her back into her poised persona. “Damn,” She mustered a soft smile. “This is why I don’t drink vodka.” 

Steve's gaze was soft, concerned. He opened his mouth to speak before being distracted by a group approaching their booth. Gianna saw them first, eyes brightening as she recognized someone. Quickly brushing the tear off her cheek, she slid out of the booth to greet them. A brunette man led the charge, pulling her into a friendly hug. As he pulled back, Steve recognized him as the actor set to play Bucky in an upcoming movie. The one Steve had encouraged him to sign off on. Watching Gianna embrace the man who looked shockingly like his friend, albeit with smaller stature, he felt slightly guilty. He reminded himself that as much as he tried to protect Bucky, he was a grown man who made his own choices, and this was the result of one of those choices. Deciding to be polite, he slid out of the booth after Gianna and waited for a chance to introduce himself. Noticing his presence behind her, Gianna stepped to the side and gestured between the two men.

"This is Sebastian Stan, a good friend of mine. Seb, this is Steve, Captain America himself." She smiled easily. 

Sebastian extended a hand, and Steve shook it with as genuine of a smile as he could muster. "A man who needs no introduction. It’s an honor."

"Nice to meet you. A friend of Gianna’s is a friend of mine." Steve replied, the noise of the lounge already making him want to retreat to his booth. Sebastian seemed nice enough, but he didn’t exactly want to stay and exchange life stories. As he excused himself to handle the small matter of Sam hoisting a petite brunette onto his shoulders for some unknown reason, he heard their conversation continue behind him.

"Long time no see. How was the week?" Gianna asked.

Sebastian chuckled. "Well, your advice has been invaluable. I'm starting to understand the guy a bit more. As much as anyone can. I know I say it every time I see you, but seriously, thank you for your help."

Gianna leaned back against the plush booth, sipping her drink. "It's not every day you get to help someone play your ex on the big screen, right?"

Sebastian laughed heartily. "True, true. But seriously, your insights have been gold. I’m sure it isn’t easy, but I’m sure he’d appreciate knowing you care enough to help me get it right.”

Gianna nodded, her expression thoughtful before she decided to shift gears, winking. "Just thank me in your Oscar acceptance speech and we’ll be even.”

Bucky

The lounge was alive with energy, the music pulsing through the air. In the hour it had taken them to get to the doorstep, the place had hit capacity. The line stretched around the block with people hoping to get a chance to party with their favorite celebrities. The low lit room was teeming with people. Some on the dance floor, some at the bar, some huddled in the plush booths lining either side of the room. This was exactly the kind of place he never wanted to be. Too many sounds, too many people. Maybe if he could actually get as drunk as all the other patrons, it wouldn’t be half bad. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. So he hated nightlife. Tonight, it was a necessary evil.

Spotting Gianna across the crowded room, Bucky's heart quickened. She was facing the right side of the room, talking to someone blocked by the crowd. She was smiling, laughing, the same way she always seemed to be photographed lately. 

Bucky took a deep breath, the noise of the crowd fading as he focused on the task at hand. Nat and Wanda flanked him, silent support in the midst of the chaos. He made a mental note to thank Wanda for her solidarity. On any other night, she would have fled as soon as they got inside. She loved places like this. Tonight, she hadn’t budged from his side. Taking a deep breath, he began to weave through the crowd.

As Bucky navigated the crowded space, his eyes scanned the room until they again landed on Gianna. This time, he paused. The sight of her happiness, genuine and infectious, was both a balm and a dagger to his heart. From this closer vantage point, he could see her so clearly. Clear enough that he could tell her smile wasn’t fake. Close enough that he could see exactly who it was that she was talking to.

Heartache surged through him, icy in his veins. His breath caught. A whirlwind of emotions churned within him. Jealousy, regret, and a sense of unworthiness surged back to the forefront. He was torn between the desire to interrupt, to hold her and tell her he was sorry and beg her to forgive him. To tell her he loved her and would never make such a stupid decision again. He was torn between the reason he came and the realization that Gianna appeared truly, genuinely happy.

The internal conflict waged on, and finally, he made his choice. Gianna looked content. She was here in her element, with the kind of people she was supposed to be with, her laughter was genuine, and he couldn't bring himself to disturb that.

He turned away, face solemn.

"Bucky?" Natasha's eyes were sharp, reading the turmoil etched across his face.

He shook his head. "Not tonight. I can't... It's not the right time. You were right.”

Natasha exchanged a knowing look with Wanda, but Bucky interrupted before either of them could speak. “I’m sorry I dragged you all the way out here. You guys should stay, have a good time. Tell the others I said hey.” He forced a smile, trying to look like he wasn’t falling apart inside. “I’ll hang back at the tower. Don’t get into too much trouble.” 

He tousled Wanda’s hair before turning to leave, his broad frame weaving through the club's patrons like a ghost. The two women watched as Bucky, cloaked in shadows and the weight of his own decisions, departed from the club alone.

Gianna

A flash of red hair caught her eye over Sebastian’s shoulder, immediately grabbing her attention. 

“Nat?” Her voice was overjoyed. “Wanda?!”

"G!” Wanda squealed, running the last few steps between them and engulfing her into a rib-crushing hug that Nat joined.

“What are you guys doing here?!” Gianna beamed, forgetting about the conversation she had just left.

Natasha smirked. "Well, we couldn’t let the guys have all the fun, now could we?”

“You’ve got some catching up to do, if you’re looking to compete with them.” Gianna grinned, gesturing to the bar, where Tony was now doing a rockette-style dance with half the bachelorette party.

“Say no more.” She gestured to the lingering cocktail waitress. “Three tequila shots, please.” Her eyes darted to Steve, sheepishly standing by the bar after a failed attempt to corral Sam. “Make that four.”

Gianna’s smile faltered, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Guys…I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. It's just...It hurt too much. I wasn’t ready yet."

Wanda gave her a sympathetic smile. "We understand, G. We didn’t think a thing of it. But we’re here now, we missed you like crazy, and we have so much catching up to do!" She waggled her eyebrows at Sebastian, chatting with the group he came with in Gianna’s absence. 

She rolled her eyes, waving off Wanda with a laugh. "You guys have no idea how much I needed this. Hey, why don't you come stay with me for a few nights? Catch up for real. I can show you my new place and everything!"

Natasha nodded immediately. "Hell yes. We missed our girl time." She linked arms with Gianna. “And our girl. Plus it’s been a total sausage fest at the compound and we need to get away from all the testosterone.”

They laughed and fell back into friendship like there had never been any pain or separation at all. Nat dragged Steve over to take the shot with them, and Gianna caught the way his eyes lit up when he saw her there. Right after the look of pleasant surprise, his brow furrowed and his eyes darted past her scanning the crowd. Barely perceptibly, Nat caught his eye and shook her head. 

Gianna furrowed her brow, feeling like there was more to the story. However, before she could press, Wanda grabbed her arm. 

“Let’s dance, I just saw Peter and -- oh my god, is that Madison Beer?!”

As they walked, Gianna couldn't help but cast a glance toward the entrance, a flicker of hope in her heart. She wished, just for a moment, that someone else would walk through that door. Someone she missed more than she cared to admit. But, with a sigh, she shook off the thought, determined to give herself over to the buzz from the tequila and the night with her friends.

[kickthepitch]

Chelsea v Leicester

Trust the process.

Chelsea seems to have finally gotten their act together as they won an astounding match against Leicester City.

It's safe to say that the Havertz slander should finally end; although I understand fans' frustrations when players seem not to match the potential we have seen them play at, Kai Havertz appears to be back into the groove the things. He is likely securing his spot at Chelsea again as the summer transfer period looms. When Chelsea needed him most he provided and that should be acknowledged.

Ben Chilwell is another player to who Chelsea owes all their loyalty too. Over the last three matches, I have not seen a single player lay themselves on the pitch (literally) as unwavering as Chily has. His goal at the 11 was just a tiny part of his effect on the team. His versatility sets up many of Chelsea's playing dynamics, as he works fabulously in left back and midfield. Both positions are the right fit for Ben, as he delivers the performance of a lifetime in each match

The newbies: Mudryk, Felix, and Enzo.

Mudryk embodies Chelsea's aura right now, trust the process. While he is young he holds lots of promise and this is a league he is unfamiliar with. Over time he can grow into a more assertive and dominant player, the investment Chelsea made in him was for long term goal fulfillment and I can not wait to see him flourish. As for Joao Felix it was a tough day for him with either missed shots or offside goals, he could not seem to catch a break. The final straw was when his miss handling caused Leicester to score their equalizer. However, one bad day does not make you a bad player and with the way he has played in previous matches it is safe to say he was having an off day. Hopefully, by the next game, he will be back in business. Enzo was not a buy Chelsea messed up on. He plays phenomenal soccer and is able to make lengthy cross passes that open up our attackers possibilities for scoring. Without him, the game would not have tied; his mentality on the pitch is refreshing and definitely has changed the way.

I do wish we got to see more of Ziyech on the pitch these last two matches, but I could be a little biased. He was a great player at AJAX and to waste his potential by sitting on the bench would be heartbreaking. On a better note, it is nice to see Pulisic finding his way back into the premier league dynamic (I think we all saw him get a little shoved during the Dortmund match)

The team is finally coming together, win lose or draw the chemitry is visbale on the pitch and that is all we can ask for.

Let's go blue!!

See you next week!!

...also why is Potter matching the plot of Ted Lasso with this win streak.

Pics via Chelsea's Instagram

[kaibacorpstocksplit]

Yani Yugi/Atem fornthat meeeeeme??

First impression: Mind you I didn't have the full story at the time but I hated him as a kid to the point where he was my model for what I hated in all protagonists going forward </3 Was less about the character himself and more I hated that he always won and could use magic to win instead of being good at cards (8yr old me despised the heart of the cards so much because it made Kaiba lose LOL)

Impression now: Now that I'm older, less one track about Kaiba, and finished the complete story I do like him a lot more (I for sure never finished Battle City or Memory World as a kid or teen so, didn't help). More depth than child me wanted to give him credit for, but I wish the narrative indulged his flaws as flaws more because the way he always wins vs the unfortunate repercussions that has is really interesting to me. It's frustrating seeing like every time it started to build to him having his values challenged only to suddenly drop some kind of excuse for him to just stop thinking.

Favorite moment: In YGO R when he just blasts that guy with Slifer instead of dueling because he's in a hurry. It's my favourite duel of the whole franchise.

Idea for a story: Not really a specific story but I'll only accept Atem Lives AUs if there's some sort of drawback. I don't like resurrection without consequences. I don't mean in like a "came back wrong" kind of way but just like. Needs more uncertainty. Regret. The fear of making the wrong choice. Personal conflict, you know?

Unpopular opinion: Didn't have a sad childhood at all. It was great, in fact! He lived a life of luxury, was kind of a spoiled brat, and if we go off of his memories for MW all his trusted advisors helped ease the burden of leadership for him plenty. I don't think he needs some tragic childhood either, it doesn't add anything substantial to his character for me.

Favorite relationship: Yugi seems obvious, so I'm gonna go with I like how highly he thinks of Jounouchi and their closeness, to the point I guess somehow he can just track Jounouchi with the puzzle sometimes lol

Favorite headcanon: I like when people draw him as being really into loose, flowing clothes and floral prints, things like that,

[rockislandadultreads]

November NoveList Challenge

For this month's challenge, give thanks and read a book about chosen family or family gatherings! For more recommendations, be sure to check out NoveList - all you need is your library card!

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.

I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that.

Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.

Who was it?

Let's get started.

This is the first volume of the "Ernest Cunningham" series.

Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman

When Laura Costello moves to Los Angeles, trying to escape an overprotective family and the haunting memories of a terrible accident, she doesn’t expect to be homeless after a week. (She’s pretty sure she didn’t start that fire - right?) She also doesn't expect to find herself adopted by a rogue bookseller, installed in a lovely but completely illegal boardinghouse, or challenged to save a losing trivia team from ignominy… but that’s what happens. Add a regretful landlady, a gorgeous housemate, and an ex-boyfriend determined to put himself back in the running and you’ll see why Laura isn’t really sure she’s cut out for this adulting thing. Luckily for her, her new friends Nina, Polly, and Impossibly Handsome Bob aren't sure either, but maybe if they put their heads (and hearts) together they’ll be able to make it work for them.

This is the second volume of "The Bookish Life of Nina Hill" series.

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

In the summer of 1925, along Washington, DC’s “Black Broadway”, a malevolent entity has begun preying on Negro residents. Twenty-three-year-old Clara Johnson is determined to discover what’s going on in her community. Using her natural ability to talk with spirits, she begins to investigate, but a powerful spirit tasks her with a difficult quest: steal an ancient, magical ring from the finger of a wealthy socialite.

When Clara meets Israel Lee, a supernaturally enhanced jazz musician also vying for the ring, the two decide to work together. They put together an unlikely team including a former circus freak, a pickpocketing Pullman Porter, and an aging vaudeville actor to pull off an impossible heist.

But a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn and conflict in the spirit world is leaking out into the human world. With different agendas, even if Clara and Israel pull off the heist, only one of them can truly win.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic - including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.

Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.

[chelseafcwmemes]

So nervous for this weekend! To many people acting like chelsea already won and we know they don’t always perform as they should. One interesting thing is reading can’t just park the bus, they need a win to not get regulated. So they will be going for it and the 3 points. That scares me a bit. Also United and Liverpool never know how they can end with the GD possibly coming into play. I just need to see Magda lift the trophy one last time and for P to keep her streak alive. I can’t believe United scored the late winners against city and villa to make it go to this weekend.

Yesh not going to lie, Reading scares me a little too. Despite them haven done awful lately they somehow know who to upset us and make us frustrating. Not helping either we have a ref against us. I hope Reading play with so much of a nothing to lose mentality in the sense that their back-line will be easy to break. I just hope we give start with the same line-up we had for Arsenal - specially the backline

We have to win against Reading, there’s no way it’s acceptable if we can’t. Also when we only need a draw - it isn’t off the table either that Liverpool could win

[fan-of-mulligan]

FOM BLOG FIVE THINGS TO PICK OUT FROM GILLINGHAM 1-2 HARROGATE TOWN

After Gillingham’s 1-0 Home Win Against League Two League Leaders Port Vale, Gillingham went into our next league match against Harrogate Town off the back of a mini season break because Gillingham’s away league fixture against Walsall was postponed because Walsall had players in there squad called up for International Duty, and there was hope and optimism that with Gillingham winning against Port Vale, and the mini season break meant that players can return from injury, and Mark Bonner can spend more time working with the players on the training ground, that maybe the win against Port Vale can be the result that can kick-start Gillingham turning there season around.

But rather then build on that win against Port Vale with a win against Harrogate Town, Gillingham lose 2-1 against A Harrogate Town side who had the worst away form of any side in League Two prior to kick off, and most of the pre-match conversation was that this fixture needs to be a win for Gillingham, even if the performance is not great and Gillingham nick the match with a 1-0 win, it is all about the three points, and with the long break until our next league game against Bromley, it was crucial that Gillingham won against Harrogate Town, and a win would have taken Gillingham back into the playoff position’s in League Two as well.

Instead, the defeat saw Gillingham put in a lacklustre performance, it’s a dreadful result, and the supporters after the game chanted - What A Load Of Rubbish - Towards the players and that is probably the most anger and frustration that has been aimed from Gillingham Supporters towards the players for some-time, and the anger due to the performance and result against Harrogate Town and the anger and frustration regarding Gillingham’s recent run of form is justified, and this result against Harrogate Town leaves Gillingham Supporters asking more questions then answers for where do Gillingham go from here ??? and how do Gillingham turn our season around ??? - But here are five talking points that I will pick out from Gillingham’s 2-1 Home Defeat Against Harrogate Town.

ONE: LACK OF CREATIVITY - Tim Dieng’s goal from Max Clark’s corner kick was Gillingham’s only shot on target throughout the entire game against Harrogate Town, really it should be two shots on target and two goals because Josh Andrews had to score that chance at the end of the match for 2-2 from Marcus Wyllie’s cross, and whilst we can point to other moments in the game, like Gillingham should have been awarded a penalty kick for the foul on Marcus Wyllie and Elliott Nevitt’s effort on goal crashing against the outside of the post, the truth of the matter is that Gillingham had one effort on target at home against Harrogate Town and that is not good enough, and when you look at the home win against Port Vale, Gillingham also had one shot on target, and that was Jayden Clarke’s header for the winning goal, and Gillingham are not creating many goal-scoring opportunities for our attacking players, and that has to change in order for Gillingham to turn our season around, otherwise this is yet another season where we are talking about Gillingham being the lowest goal-scorers in League Two, and either personal needs to change, formation needs to change, or both, to enable Gillingham to create more goal-scoring opportunities in matches, because one effort on target against Harrogate Town is not acceptable.

TWO: WEAK MENTALITY IN THE SQUAD - Henry mentioned a very interesting and very concerning stat post match after Gillingham lost 2-1 against Harrogate Town, and that stat was this - the last time that Gillingham have conceded a goal but then scored the next goal afterwards in the same game was when Gillingham won 4-1 against Carlisle United on the opening day of the season - and if you look at the matches Gillingham have lost against Accrington Stanley, Bradford City and Harrogate Town, and even the draw against Swindon Town, Gillingham have scored the first goal in all four matches and Gillingham have not won any of those four matches mentioned, and had Gillingham won all four matches, an additional ten points would have put Gillingham third in The League Two Table.

And yet, in this squad are a group of players who when Neil Harris was Gillingham Manager, If Gillingham scored first, Gillingham would win and Gillingham were exceptional at defending a lead from a winning position, now, Gillingham cannot chase matches from a losing position, and we’re also losing matches from a winning position having scored the first goal, I think the stat Henry mentioned above, as well as Gillingham seemly incapable of winning matches from a losing position, as well as the players just slump into our shell when we concede an equalising goal is a massive problem, it points towards a lack of confidence, a lack of belief, and have the players got the grit and determination to go again after conceding an equaliser for 1-1 to score the next goal and re-take the lead in the same match for 2-1, and right now, you have to say no, the players are not capable of winning a match having been pegged back level, and it’s more then likely that the opposition are going to win if they score an equaliser against Gillingham, and that is very concerning.

THREE: CRITICISING MARK BONNER’S SUBSTITUTIONS - When Mark Bonner has made good substitutions, like Oli Hawkins and George Lapslie coming on to help Gillingham win against Morecambe, Jayden Clarke scoring the winning goal against Port Vale, and Jacob Wakeling, Marcus Wyllie and Jayden Clarke coming on to help Gillingham win 3-0 against Tranmere Rovers, we were praising Mark Bonner for his game-changing substitutions and tactical master-class.

But substituting Tim Dieng and Ethan Coleman for George Lapslie and Jack Nolan and Harrogate Town score though the middle of the pitch which is now vacated because those two have come off is a poor substitution, Tim Dieng scored against Harrogate Town, he provides height and a physical presence in what was very much a match played in wet and windy dreadful conditions, it wasn’t a match for expansive attractive football, and Tim Dieng can win the ball in the air if Gillingham opt to knock the ball long, and Ethan Coleman is very good as that defensive shield in midfield in-front of the defence.

And Jayden Clarke is Gillingham’s top goal-scorer, he should have come on much earlier to provide Gillingham with an attacking outlet, I can understand Josh Andrews on for Elliott Nevitt, because Elliott Nevitt has just come back from injury, but the two midfielder changes before Harrogate Town scored and just opening up the centre of midfield which Harrogate Town took full advantage of was very strange.

FOUR: WHAT IS GILLINGHAM’S IDENTITY ??? - And I ask this question because both Stephen Clemence and Mark Bonner have come into the football club with there own idea’s, lining up with a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formation respectively, and both manager’s have switched to a back five, and I have always maintained the opinion that a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 formation is a very specific formation and you need specialised players to make that formation work, and the only manager in recent times at Gillingham who has lined up with a back five as his first choice formation was Ade Pennock, but Ade Pennock lined up very much with a back five to make Gillingham solid defensively, and he signed big physical players to try and make his formation work, and whilst Ade Pennock’s short tenure as Gillingham Manager was not successful, he at least had an idea heading into the start of the 2017 / 2018 season on how he wanted Gillingham to line up heading into that season.

And with the question about Gillingham’s identity, and how should Gillingham line up for our next league game against Bromley, and for the league games that Gillingham have got over The Christmas Period, then maybe Mark Bonner might need to consider reverting back to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, because as I have mentioned above, there is a lack of creativity and Tim Dieng’s goal against Harrogate Town was Gillingham’s only shot on target, and likewise, Jayden Clarke’s winning goal against Port Vale was Gillingham’s only shot on target, and whilst the back five allows for Gillingham to line up with two strikers, it isn’t exactly like the back five is seeing Gillingham create more goal-scoring opportunities, or score more goals.

And Joe Comper spoke about Gillingham’s identity with his interview with Gills In The Blood and how this is a very new process at the football club, and Andy Hessenthaler and Mark Bonner are very much part of the discussion process on what is Gillingham’s Club Culture, and what is A Gillingham Player, and Gillingham need to find out what type of team do we want to be, are we a team that wants to play a possession based style of play ??? - are we a team who gets the ball forwards to a target-man striker and play for knock-down’s and second ball’s ??? - are we a team that is set up to be more defensive minded ??? - do we want to be a more attack minded side ??? - are we a team who sign’s players who are twenty three and younger and look to develop young players and sell them on and reinvest that money back into the first team ??? - or does Mark Bonner want a squad full of experienced players who are ready for the here and now, as Gillingham have got high ambitions and aspirations of getting promoted out of League Two and Gillingham want to be playing League One Football as soon as possible ???

FIVE: CREDIT TO HARROGATE TOWN - For Gillingham to be challenging for automatic promotion and a playoff position at the very least this season, Gillingham have to be wining at home against Harrogate Town, and the defeat leaves us asking more questions then answers on everything that has happening on the pitch for Gillingham Football Club, and how can Gillingham turn our season around and be up there challenging in the promotion picture between now and the end of the season.

But Harrogate Town have come to Priestfield Stadium and they fully deserved to win, more shots on target, won from a losing position - which shows the character, mentality and qualities that Harrogate Town have got in there squad - have a clear understanding on how to line up and function as a side, and when I was looking back on the game and the chances that Harrogate Town created throughout the match, Harrogate Town created the first goal-scoring opportunity of the match with Josh March running on to the ball before working his way inside Gillingham's Penalty Area, and Josh March's cross is blocked by Max Ehmer and the follow up effort from James Daly deflects off Shadrach Ogie on to Jack Muldoon and out of play for a goal-kick.

In the mid-way point during the first half, James Daly's curling effort on goal went just wide of the far post, and Jake Turner dived at full stretch and that was a great chance for Harrogate Town, and just before Harrogate Town equalised for 1-1, Dean Cornelius's effort on goal takes a big deflection and Jake Turner parries the ball behind for a corner, So Harrogate Town have created more goal-scoring opportunities, Jake Turner has had more saves to make throughout the match, Harrogate Town managed to win from a losing position, and whilst the criticism of Gillingham’s performance and lack of goals scored are very valid, as well as criticisms of the squad’s mentality, It is important to mention that Harrogate Town have had more efforts on goal, created more goal-scoring opportunities, and they stood up to the challenge of going 1-0 down to win 2-1, and for all the criticism’s we have got regarding Gillingham’s Performance, For anyone supporting Harrogate Town, you would have been pleased with Harrogate Town’s performance, because they deserved to win, even though from A Gillingham point of view we are disappointed with the result.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

CRITICISM TOWARDS THE PLAYERS IS UNDERSTANDABLE - Provided that criticism is constructive and doesn’t over-step the mark towards personal and unacceptable abuse, this is a poor performance and poor result against A Harrogate Town side who Gillingham should be beating if we are genuine about achieving our aims of getting promoted or at the very least, reaching the playoffs this season, now had Gillingham lost 2-1, but Jayden Clarke, Elliott Nevitt, Marcus Wyllie, Josh Andrews, Tim Dieng, George Lapslie and Jack Nolan have all had efforts on goal saved by James Belshaw, we could at least say - Gillingham have done everything in our power to try and win against Harrogate Town, but we have come up against a goalkeeper in inspired and exceptional form - but we cannot say that, and when was the last time that Gillingham have lost a game and the opposition goalkeeper has had to work exceptionally hard to make sure that he is on the winning side on the day ???

But this was a poor performance, a disappointing result in dreadful and appalling wet and windy conditions, and Gillingham have got the players in the squad who are more then capable of winning at home against Harrogate Town, and this squad is under-performing, whilst at the same-time, it is also clear that Neil Harris, Stephen Clemence and now Mark Bonner just cannot get this group of players to put together a consistent run of performances and results throughout the last two season’s, and when Chairman Brad Galinson has stated clearly that he wants Gillingham to achieve promotion this season, then the players have to step up to that challenge, and this group of players just do not seem capable of helping Gillingham to achieve our objective of promotion into League One.

And if Gillingham can turn our season around, and go on a run of form that Gillingham were on at the start of the season, then Gillingham can move up the league table quickly, and move back into the playoff position’s in League Two, and the aim regarding promotion is back on again, but the players have to get back to putting in that run of consistent performances and results, and the only consistency at the moment is Gillingham losing matches, and we just have to hope that Gillingham not only can get back to winning ways against Bromley, but also, a win against Bromley can see Gillingham build up a unbeaten / winning run to get our season back on track.

[tehuti88-art]

9/8/23: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is Dr. Klemens Adrion. He's the kindly psychotherapist who treats Antje Werner as well as helps her escape her increasingly fanatical husband, Jürgen. There'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se.

Regarding his design, he's a Leonberger.

TUMBLR EDIT: Dr. Klemens Adrion is a relatively minor character who appears only briefly in the main story, toward the end, though he features prominently in another minor character's, Antje Werner's, sidestory. (I've never explained this, but LOTS of the plot I've been outlining occurs in sidestories and backstories rather than the main story, with quite a few of these characters either dying off the page or being dead before the main story takes place, though given the plot's fluid--and unwritten--nature, this all rather blends together.) Result is I don't know much about his own history or background as I haven't had the time to brainstorm it yet. Most of his part in the plot has been outlined already in Antje's and Senta's entries.

He obviously opposes the Nazi regime. Many psychiatric clinics fall prey to the National Socialist ideals which include "cleansing" the Fatherland of undesirable elements such as the mentally inferior, and indeed, psychiatric patients are among the first to exterminated, even before the Jews, in mobile gas chambers. (Kolten Himmel narrowly avoids this fate, as he's taken away from his father Otto by the state yet by chance is housed in an institution that doesn't participate in the executions.) For whatever reason, Dr. Adrion disagrees with this mindset; I suspect it has to do with possible previous experience with veterans of the Great War. I'm unsure if he served, himself; whether he did or not, he seems to have been exposed to soldiers who were wounded in the war, given the way he explains his treatment model to Antje: "I don't view patients as broken people, needing to be 'fixed'; I see patients as wounded, needing to be healed. Just because it's in your mind doesn't mean the injury isn't real. Your wounds are as genuine as those of a soldier on the battlefield. We just need to find the right way to heal them... Just like a soldier, you might never be whole. Sometimes a soldier loses an eye, or a leg. That part will always be missing, but he learns to adapt. You can't see your treatment as a complete success, or a complete failure. You may simply need to adapt." This mindset hints that he may have treated wounded soldiers personally (perhaps he was a battlefield medic?), and is likely to have treated shell-shocked veterans after the war. He understands these poor suffering souls aren't mentally inferior, just wounded. And to turn one's back on the wounded is abhorrent to him, so once rumors of what the Nazi Party is doing reach him, he takes steps to try to insulate his own private clinic in the city from being impacted. Not being funded by the state turns out to be helpful, though it's not quite enough. Dr. Adrion keeps his eyes open for potential allies and assistance in protecting his patients.

Somehow, I'm not sure how yet, he manages to get in contact with the Diamond Network. He apparently earns their trust--this likely is connected to the hidden passage he has in his own office, maybe he uses it to assist a patient or visitor with connections to the Network--and is contacted by Josef Diamant himself. Dr. Adrion is surprised and humbled by the attention; Diamant never trusts anyone right off the bat, and in fact has a kind of nasty reputation for the ways in which he determines others' trustworthiness. So Dr. Adrion has to be quite convincing to win him over, and it likely involves lots of spying on him to make sure he's the real deal. Once this is established, Diamant offers Dr. Adrion a gift: A jack of diamonds playing card. Diamant's nickname is the Jack of Diamonds; whoever owns one of his coveted playing cards has a near-guaranteed out in case of emergency. Diamant is effectively letting Dr. Adrion know that he trusts him enough as an ally to give him ensured assistance from the Network when he needs it, no questions asked, no vetting necessary. All he needs is for a Network member to be nearby to collect the card at the appropriate time. He thanks Diamant for the card and promises to use it judiciously.

Dr. Adrion steps in to personally handle a new case that presents at his clinic one day. Antje Werner has been in and out of numerous psychiatric facilities since the birth of her daughter Senta and the stillbirth of Senta's twin brother; although her rather psychotic symptoms have somewhat abated over time, she's still "not quite right," according to her husband Jürgen, who does almost all the talking when she's admitted. He seems skeptical that Dr. Adrion's clinic can make any difference for Antje's treatment-resistant condition, hinting that she might be better served by one of the state-run facilities--a comment to which Antje finally speaks up and objects, insisting that she's already tried those clinics without luck, so she hopes a different approach such as Adrion's might help. These comments pique Dr. Adrion's interest when a nurse fills him in, and he asks her to let the Werners know that not only will he accept Antje as a patient but he'd like to speak with them both in person.

He meets with the couple in his office; Jürgen is polite, yet very slightly distrustful and skeptical; whereas Antje hardly talks at all, though Dr. Adrion senses it has nothing to do with her not wanting to speak. He steals glances at her while listening to and nodding at her husband's rather condescending words. Antje remains respectfully quiet and lets him speak for her like a traditional wife would, yet Dr. Adrion senses the resentment simmering just under the surface. Antje WANTS to speak up, but something is preventing her. Jürgen never makes any alarming, abusive, or threatening comments; but the fact that the one time Antje did speak up was when he suggested she'd be better off at a state-run facility speaks volumes. The Nazi Party has control over those clinics and ultimately determines what happens to their patients. Dr. Adrion runs one of the few clinics that's still not state funded, meaning he doesn't answer to the Nazis. Jürgen believes his wife would be best served in a Nazi-run facility whereas Antje obviously disagrees enough to make it known. There's a rift between the two, and although Dr. Adrion's unsure of what Jürgen's motivations are, Antje is plainly angry and afraid. He agrees to take on her treatment personally, and promises Jürgen he'll do his best to help his wife. Jürgen remains skeptical, but the flicker of hope in Antje's eyes convinces the doctor that he made the right decision.

He does his sincere best to treat Antje, since he genuinely worries that if she doesn't improve enough to satisfy her husband, he may take her to one of the state-run clinics instead, and patients at those places often never officially leave...alive, at least. He could very well be the only thing standing between her and death. Antje's mindset does improve under his care, but it seems to have more to do with simply being listened to and taken seriously than with any psychological technique. Antje is hesitant to open up at first, but once it becomes clear Dr. Adrion has no interest in reporting to the Nazis, and he promises that no word of what they say in therapy will reach her husband, she starts to talk. Then, the floodgates open. Antje lets out such a massive well of confusion and rage and grief that it's a wonder she could contain it all; it's not just her conflicted feelings toward her daughter Senta, but the patronizing way in which Jürgen has long treated her, that have her so distressed. Merely being heard, without judgement, does wonders for her state of mind. She at last tentatively starts to hint that she fears her husband has grown more fanatical as time has gone by and may not have her best interests at heart. This is exactly what Dr. Adrion has long suspected, and despite the seriousness of the situation he's somewhat relieved to hear her confirm this, as he'd been starting to wonder if his own ideas were biased. He's reached the uncomfortable conclusion that he's developed romantic feelings for his patient...and after a while, he's pretty sure she feels the same way.

Still, he remains professional, not saying a word about it or acting on his feelings whatsoever, and Antje doesn't step over the line either. They both realize that nothing can come of it, and so continue with therapy as planned. Dr. Adrion figures that the best he can prove his feelings, without compromising the situation, is to ensure her safety, and he can do that by keeping her out of the state-run clinics. When she nearly breaks down expressing her fear one day, he goes so far as to show her a hidden passage behind a bookcase in his office, then retrieves something from his desk and hands it to her: The jack of diamonds card that Diamant gave him. "Use this," he says, "but only when you have the greatest need to do so. I have no others to offer. I'm giving this to you." He's not sure if she'll understand the significance, but when she looks up at him, eyes wide, he can tell that she knows exactly what the card means. This is a lifeline to safety, and rather than use it himself, he wants her to have it.

The details of how Dr. Adrion helps Antje next are given in her and Senta's entries. The city starts to descend into chaos as the Allies approach; the Nazi authorities serve his clinic with an order to cease operations and close immediately. Dr. Adrion dismisses his staff and whatever patients are able to leave, though a few nurses and assistants remain to help pack things and close up. Dr. Adrion is in his office hurriedly shoving papers and books into a carrying case when a nurse pops in to tell him he has a visitor requesting to speak with him--Antje Werner. "She has a couple of people with her," the nurse adds, "a wounded soldier--and a young woman who looks just like her." She asks if Dr. Adrion wishes for her to tell them to leave, as obviously he can't treat her anymore; yet Dr. Adrion says to let them in and show them to his office. "You can leave afterward," he adds, "I won't be needing your services any further." The nurse leaves, and Dr. Adrion ponders over what he was just told. He has no idea who the soldier could be or why Antje is with him, but the young woman can only be her daughter, Senta. The fact that Antje has arrived with her estranged daughter, and not her husband, hints at something drastic having occurred. He waits anxiously for them to arrive.

A soft knock comes and he opens the door a crack to peer out, then gasps and opens it wider--"Come in! Schnell!" He steps aside--Antje enters, helping to prop up a young Wehrmacht sergeant whose uniform is stained with blood; a woman, surprisingly also in a Wehrmacht uniform, is holding him under his other arm. She really does look like a younger version of Antje. "Here, sit here," Dr. Adrion instructs, and the two women ease the soldier onto the couch where Antje usually sits. "Sorry about your cushions," he pants. Dr. Adrion looks at Antje for an explanation and she provides one. Senta had been at the estate of a Junker resistance sympathizer, Louis Dobermann, when the Wehrmacht arrived to seize control of the property and arrest the Dobermanns as traitors; Dobermann's presumably deceased wife Inga was revealed to be alive, and Jewish. Diamant and members of his Network arrived to assist the Dobermanns--at the same time, an SS officer who's a longtime friend of the family, Gunter Hesse, also arrived. In the melee that ensued, Volker and Senta decided to aid the Dobermanns; Volker was shot, and the two were confined to the horse stables until the army could figure out what to do with them. One of Diamant's associates, a Sinto named Lukas, freed them while making off with Hesse's and Dobermann's horses, and pointed them out to an escape route. They headed to Senta's home, where Jürgen helped tend to Volker's wound, but accidentally let slip that he knew far more of what had only just occurred than he should--Jürgen ratted out the Dobermanns to the authorities. He's a fellow traveler of the Nazis. Senta and her father started arguing as Antje entered the room; when Senta defended the Dobermanns, Jürgen slapped her, which enraged Antje so much that she slapped him in turn, and threatened to kill him if he laid a finger on their daughter again. She, Senta, and Volker decided it was best to get out of there; Antje told them about Dr. Adrion and the jack of diamonds, and now here they are.

Dr. Adrion pulls the bookcase away from the wall again. He explains that the passage leads down to an alley and a safe point that's supposed to be monitored by the Network, though he's not sure, in all this chaos, if it still is. Yet if so, "Show your card to the person who asks," he says. "Hold a moment," he adds before they can go through; he gathers some basic medical supplies he has sitting in his office, then pulls out some American paper bills--"Don't ask," he says to Volker's questioning look when he hands them over--and to Antje, "Good luck, Frau Werner, Fräulein Senta. I hope you make it safely. Look after them," he says to Volker, who replies, "I rather think they have to look after me. Danke, Herr Doktor," and he and Senta enter the passage. Antje hesitates long enough to grasp Dr. Adrion's hand, staring him in the eyes; she looks like she wants to talk, swallowing, eyes glistening, yet no words come. Dr. Adrion offers a slight smile and nods, clasps her hand back, then lets go. Antje disappears into the passage; Dr. Adrion closes it, pauses to take in and let out a breath, then finishes his hasty packing and hurries out of his office for the last time.

He manages to get out of the city on his own, having multiple friends and contacts related and unrelated to the Network; he goes to live for a while with an acquaintance in the country. When it's safe enough, he ventures back to the city. It's been temporarily placed under Allied control though lots of things are still being sorted out so it's somewhat confusing. Adrion needs to show his papers to a soldier and answer some questions to be allowed back in--his obvious lack of Nazi ties finally works in his favor. He locates some people he knows, and goes to look at his shuttered clinic. While he's staring wistfully at the building, somebody approaches, tentatively saying, "Herr Doktor...?" Dr. Adrion turns to look and is sure he's seen this person before but doesn't recognize him out of uniform until his face lights up and he introduces himself as Wil Volker. They enthusiastically shake hands and greet each other.

Volker explains how he, Senta, and Antje escaped into the alley and waited anxiously until a military truck pulled up; they worried at first that the Wehrmacht or, even worse, the SS might be behind it, yet the driver deliberately asked to see not their papers, but their card. Although he seemed suspicious of Volker and Senta in their uniforms, when Antje showed him the jack of diamonds he gestured for them to get in the back and cover themselves up. He drove a circuitous route to get them past the SS checkpoints and out of the city to a small farm owned by another resistance member, who allowed them to stay until Volker recovered. Volker voluntarily surrendered himself to the Allied troops and although Antje protested loudly, Senta followed his example; like Adrion they both faced a barrage of questions about their loyalty to the Nazi Party (Volker had been a member, albeit a lukewarm one). Being a woman whose military position was purely honorary, Senta was let off easier, while Volker remained in Allied custody for a few days as they tried to verify his responses. They at last informed him that a witness had arrived with a letter vouching for his assistance to the resistance, and though his motions would be under observation, he was free to go. Volker and Senta were quite confused about the identities of this witness and letter writer, until the former came forward to meet them: a Jewish doctor named Tobias Schäfer. He'd served the Dobermann household and had escaped along with them (strangely, he said it was the SS officer, Hesse, who helped them get away); they went to stay in a small mountain town whose residents Dobermann had helped out in the past, with Schäfer returning to the city when he could. When word of Volker's surrender reached the Dobermanns, they wrote a letter confirming that he and Senta had essentially turned on the Wehrmacht and helped defend their estate during their escape. Dr. Schäfer, already in good standing with the Allies, volunteered to deliver the letter personally and vouch for Volker and Senta as well. They were allowed to settle in a small cottage at the outskirts of the city, which is where they're currently staying. They'd been wondering what had become of various other people they knew; Volker had just happened to go check out Adrion's clinic this day. "And here you are, like a sign," he says, and lets him know that Senta and Antje, having cut ties with Jürgen (no one's sure what became of him), are doing well, and he believes they'd like to see him again. Dr. Adrion agrees, and accompanies Volker back to the cottage.

Senta answers the door before Volker can knock--she saw Volker's guest through the window, and is wide eyed and surprised. She calls for her mother, saying she has a visitor; this results in a moment or two of irritated whispers back and forth before Senta leaves the room, hissing, "I'm telling you you have a visitor! You're being rude. For the love of Gott, just come out and see." She returns a moment later and Antje peers uneasily into the room; as soon as she sees Adrion, however, her face lights up--Adrion's does as well--and she comes out to greet him. Volker explains their encounter in the city, but Adrion isn't listening, and he can tell Antje isn't, either. They stare at each other the whole time before Volker invites them into the parlor for tea, then makes up a reason for Senta and himself to leave them for a bit (this time it's Senta who needs some convincing). Adrion and Antje are left seated alone at the little table, still staring each other in the eyes.

Dr. Adrion: "I'm very glad to see you all right, Frau Werner."

Antje: "Bitte...just Antje."

Dr. Adrion: *smiles slightly* "Antje."

Antje: "I'm glad to see you, too." *pause* "I can never thank you enough for all you've done for me."

Dr. Adrion: "Most of it you did yourself...but whatever little bit I could help, it was worth it." *they both smile*

Antje: "How is your clinic...?"

Dr. Adrion: "Ah...no more clinic, I'm afraid. They shut it down right before I saw you last, as it turns out."

Antje: *brow furrowed* "Oh...? You're not a doctor anymore...?"

Dr. Adrion: "Still a doctor, though in name only...I suppose I'm retired now. I could always try to start up another clinic, but I feel maybe this is a new stage in life, time for me to move on to something else."

Antje: "Then, does that mean...I'm not your patient anymore...?"

Dr. Adrion: *blinks; pauses* "I suppose that's exactly what it means."

*they stare at each other a moment more; Antje reaches out & clasps Dr. Adrion's hand; he clasps hers back*

Volker makes a point of announcing himself loudly when he and Senta return; he grabs Senta's arm to stop her from barging in on the other two, and when Senta growls, he says, "TRY to let them have a little space, bitte...?" They enter the parlor; Dr. Adrion and Antje let go of each other's hands and stand up. Antje blushes a bit but she and Dr. Adrion continue looking at each other. "I hope we get to see each other again soon...?" Dr. Adrion says; Antje smiles from ear to ear and murmurs, "I'd like that very much." Dr. Adrion says farewell to her and to Volker and Senta before excusing himself, though he does cast her one more look on his way out; once more they both smile, and she lifts her hand a little, a small wave, a blush in her cheeks. He's never seen her look so happy before. "Mama...?" he hears Senta inquire, before Volker shushes her, and he steps out the door. He knows he'll be returning, many more times.

[Klemens Adrion 2023 [‎Friday, ‎September ‎8, ‎2023, ‏‎3:00:36 AM]]

[prettyentertaining]

Look I don't generally YGO-post on this blog but I CANNOT stand by and watch my beloved cringe angel Mai Kujaku, a character I imprinted on irrevocably at age 12, lose this poll without throwing in some propaganda.

Mai is such a weird lonely girl icon. Most of her arc revolves around her attempts to make friends with a bunch of card game nerds, and all the ways in which she's too terrified of her own vulnerability to ever allow herself to belong.

At the beginning of the series she has decided to repress her deep loneliness by being a Ruthless Manipulator who will happily cheat and trample her way to the top, but her own integrity prevents her from getting anywhere with this. Her method of cheating is completely insane, involves memorising the smells of 30-40 perfumes (and then presumably hauling them around in a rucksack for days), and crucially doesn't help make her card draws better at all, and therefore still requires her to be legitimately good at Duel Monsters.

Like every other Yu-Gi-Oh good guy, she's ride or die by nature. She has countless opportunities to pull the ladder up and never does: when she meets Téa she immediately offers her use of her shower in an act of solidarity, and spends most of the rest of Duelist Kingdom stubbornly winning double the duels she needs to because she feels emotionally weird about the fact that Yugi did her a favour. Also meets Serenity and immediately decides that she will protect her with her life. Terrible at girlbossing. Absolutely useless.

Aside from all this she's just an incredibly funny character within DM. Almost everything she does is a girl what are you doing moment. Zero concept of cause and effect. Some of my favourite baffling Mai moments include:

Despite all this earnest desire to be good and loved and wanted, she's so scared of the mortifying ordeal of being known that she constantly self-sabotages, constantly cuts off her own nose to spite her face, and then has to power through the avoidable consequences of her own terrible decisions. As somebody who has believed in my time that turning up your nose and saying well I didn't want you anyway is a good and dignified way to deal with feeling rejected, it is a joy to watch Mai attempt this and immediately eat shit. Solidarity with my girl.

Her whole approach to tournament preparation. In Duelist Kingdom we see her pull an all-nighter refining her deck. Girl what are you doing! Get some sleep! Then in Battle City we see her sit down - and I must stress that she is at her happiest and best-adjusted here - with her cards and an entire bottle of wine. At least Bakura's raw steak won't give him a hangover.

When she gets petty revenge on Joey for minorly socially embarrassing her - an event that happened, from her perspective, several eternities in shadow realm torture hell ago - by playing a cruel prank and pretending to be dead, after, er, spending hours in a coma. The long shot of absolutely nobody finding this funny except her is so chef's kiss. Cringe icon. What are you doing.

More petty revenge, this time on Valon: stealing his motorbike to ride home, which presumably inconveniences her about as much as it inconveniences him, since she left her own motorbike there, and now has to ride a bike she isn't used to. Girl!!!

The entire trainwreck that is the DOMA team meeting with Dartz, in which she goes in asking for something, immediately fucks it up and insults Dartz to his face, beats a hasty retreat before he can reply either way, then does a cunty little hair flip on her way out as if the situation went entirely as planned (reader: it didn't)

She is a stubborn, independent Scorpio icon. Despite all the ways in which she gets done dirty by the narrative, she has a legitimately tragic arc in which she allows herself to be emotionally honest and is immediately betrayed and landed with deep, terrible trauma that she then has to grapple with all alone. She is in some ways like Beth Harmon if Beth Harmon was obsessed with Magic: The Gathering. I love her, and I am so sorry this is so long, and I could definitely write three times more. YGO best girl of my heart! Weird girls rise up!

BEST YGO GIRL: Round 3, Group D

Match 1

please use this as an opportunity to say why you like a character, not why you don't.

Propaganda under the cut!

Serena

The epitome of "kitten dreams of nothing but murder all day" Ppl talk about wanting morally gray women, but can't handle a child soldier who doesn't immediately roll over for the first person who tells her to. But she isn't heartless and clearly cares about ppl, seeing her get to actually have fun in her duel against Yugo was the best, and now with her in Duel Links we can see that in a casual environment, she is also the funniest silly little guy She's awesome and kicks ass for 90% of the show. Lunalights are so cool and one of my absolute favorite archetypes. She is such a badass opposing the Fusion Dimension. She also deserved better and more screentime.

Mai Kujaku

She basically walk so YGO can have bad bitches ultimate conwoman who can tell the difference between at least 40 different perfume smells. her first arc is learning how to connect to other people. like, when you think about, mai is literally similar to seto in the sense that she lost her parents when she was young and grew hardened to the world around her - except she didn't kill anyone (that we know of). battle city sees her lean into a damsel in distress, sure, but her oricalchos arc actually attempts to her trauma (something we don't get in the manga). she's literally a careless man's careful daughter idk what to tell y'all. vote for mai.

[soulmate-game]

Harley’s Plea for Help: Chapter 2

Chapter 1

“How long do you think it’s gonna take before she decides to sneak out?” Nightwing asked over his comms, lazily leaning against the balcony railing in front of him with his head resting on one hand.

“Dude, I started sneaking out almost twenty minutes ago,” a girl���s voice made Nightwing squeak and turn around, to reveal a teenage girl leaning against the door that led to the balcony he was on. “I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by doing unnecessarily showy gymnastics down from my hotel room’s balcony, no matter how much fun that would be, so I just snuck out one of the hotel’s back exits. Then I looked up to admire the moon and saw you here, staking out what is clearly my suite, and decided to come pay you a visit.”

“How long have you been there? And how did you even get behind me? I hope you didn’t break and enter, that’s an actual lived-in apartment behind us right now,” Nightwing asked, turning around to analyze the daughter of Harley Quinn for the first time in person.

She looked just like in her pictures, of course. Jet black hair like her father’s, except it seemed to have a bluish shine in the light. And her eyes were definitely Harley’s— thank goodness for that —vibrant blue and clearly analyzing him with the same amount of intensity as his did her. He had to bite back a chuckle. In a turn of complete irony, she really did look like a Wayne kid. Fit all of Bruce’s usual criteria to be adopted. But she was tiny, even smaller than Harley’s lithe form. He, Bruce, and Tim were of the hypothesis that the exposure both her parents had to Ace Chemical’s vats of acid likely had an effect on her DNA that stunted her growth. Perhaps there were other effects that they wouldn’t be able to figure out until they got to know her better, too, though it was clear that her skin was a likely one. It wasn’t unnaturally pale like her parent’s after their acid dips but it was paler than normal for sure, just a shade or two shy of being paper white.

And he could see, now, what Harley meant when she referred to Marinette as a powerhouse. It wasn’t very noticeable in pictures, but up close Dick could see the carefully honed muscle of an acrobat curling over her otherwise slim build. Combined with the knowledge that Marinette had been taught at least some serious self defense from a young age, he could see how such a tiny package could be a remarkable threat when necessary.

Marinette grimaced as the other Batfam, who were all nearby staking out her room from different angles, dropped onto the large balcony with them.

“Uh, well. I didn’t break and enter, I rather not get off to a criminal-ly start on my first night in Gotham, you know? But I realized that even though I was able to figure out the exact room you were staking me out from, I realized as soon as I got into the first floor of the building that I had no idea how to actually get to you. So I just climbed the stairs all the way to the roof and scaled my way down to this balcony, and pretended I’ve been here for a while when really I was barely able to hear you ask when I was gonna sneak out. I’m still out of breath, actually,” she put a hand on her chest and sure enough her breathing was still slightly fast. But not enough to be worrying or even all that noticeable. Yet another piece of evidence to show that she was a very active individual and had resistance built up to physical activity.

“Yup,” Robin groused grumpily, crossing his arms. “With all that rambling, you couldn’t be anyone else’s child but Quinzel’s.”

Marinette’s face immediately flushed pink all the way to her ears. “I’m sorry! I’ve been trying so hard to quit that habit, too!” She grumbled a bit to herself, putting her face in her hands. They all chuckled at the display. Red Hood ambled over, draping his arm over her shoulders (he nearly had to bend in half to do it, the height difference was that bad).

“As adorable as your freak out is, why’d you even come up here anyway? There’s no way you’d scale down a ten-story building just to say hello.”

She let out a heavy sigh at that, slowly peeling her face out of her hands. “Yeah, I recognized you guys right away. And honestly, as much as Momma Harley would be super proud of me for managing to give an entire group of vigilantes the slip, she’d also ground me for life if she found out that I saw you guys and still snuck away even though she probably swallowed her pride and asked you guys to babysit me, right? Self preservation. Contrary to popular belief, I do actually have some.”

“Wait,” Red Robin held up a hand, brows clearly furrowed under his cowl. “You expected her to ask for our help?”

“Well,” she made a so-so motion with her hand. “I didn’t think of it beforehand, but it all clicked once I saw Nightwing. I know how much my mom is worried about me, especially since you-know-who broke out a few days ago. She is more than worried enough to ask you guys for help. Even if she does complain about you guys, a lot actually, she also has made it clear that she trusts you guys with the stuff that actually matters.

“‘You know who’?” Batman repeated, arms crossed. If Marinette squinted, she thought there might have been a grin on his lips. “Is that how you always refer to him?”

“What else am I gonna call him?” she asked, face going deadpan. “Sperm donor? Source of a large amount of my self doubt and depreciation? The prime reason I haven’t been able to see my mom in person more often over the years? Oh, I know! How about I just always refer to him as ‘that bastard I wanna punch,’? That sounds good!” she rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Only one person in this world has the right to be considered my father in any capacity, and it sure as hell isn’t him. Genetics notwithstanding.”

Red Hood straight up guffawed at that, landing several rough pats on her back that made the girl stumble a bit. “Yep, I like this one! But as fun as it would be to see you give that jackass a mean left hook, it’s better if he never finds out who you are or knows that you’re here,” the vigilante’s voice got dark and serious very quickly. “He doesn’t forget people he finds interesting easily, and if he ever finds out about the connection you have to him, he’ll be a constant threat in your life.”

“I know,” Marinette agreed with a nod. “And if this conversation was happening two years ago, I’d say that my mom’s concerns aren’t unfounded. That I am too easily emotionally compromised and despite my deep seated issues and hatred for that man, I couldn’t guarantee he would be unable to get to me.”

Batman straightened up, as did all of his sons around him. None of them had missed the ‘if’ there. Batman’s voice went from charmingly deep to it’s usual gruff grumble. “What changed in two years?”

They all watched as Marinette gulped, taking a deep breath as she stalled for time, looking out at the view on the balcony before seeming to steel herself and return her gaze to Batman’s. When she did, it was suddenly full of iron will.

“I didn’t lie when I told Mom that I came to visit her— but that isn’t the whole truth, either. If I just wanted to visit her in Gotham, I would have waited until I was eighteen like we agreed. But I can’t wait, Paris can’t keep going on like this. I entered that contest because it was the fastest way to see you. I didn’t know if I would win, but… I had to take the chance. There was no way I’d be able to get to Gotham behind my mom’s back otherwise.”

“What are you talking about?” Robin hissed, stepping up to his father’s side. “Paris has been silent. If anything were happening, we would have heard about it by now.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Marinette corrected, never losing that ironclad look in her eyes. “Because a combination of magic and politics is keeping it quiet. No news about Paris’ situation is able to leave the city limits. Magic makes any non-native who leaves Paris think that everything they experienced was just a crazy dream. Natives won’t forget, but politics has all of us under very strict NDAs if we leave city boundaries, and all of our local news and social media is blocked from being accessed by anyone outside the city. But, I figured a little breaking of the rules wouldn’t exactly put a stain on my family’s reputation or anything, so,” she dug in her pocket and pulled out a thumb drive, holding it up for all of them to see. She swallowed again, but never stopped her eye contact with Batman. She held out the thumb drive.

“I came to Gotham to ask for your help. This sped things up, I didn’t expect to see you on my first night here, but two years in Hawkmoth’s Paris has really taught me how to roll with the punches. This,” she shook the thumb drive. “Holds videos of every fight since HawkMoth first showed up. It has all the information I’ve gathered over two years, tracks his movements and lists all his targets and— everything. But I’m not a detective, I’m a designer. I make clothes, I spar on the weekends, I am not good at getting evidence to prove that someone is a magic-abusing villain holding an entire city hostage.”

“We’re gonna need some details, Little Q,” Red Hood finally removes his arm from around her shoulders, instead crossing his arms and looking down at her sternly. “If your city has a villain holding it hostage, is anyone fighting him? And if you do have someone fighting him, why don’t you need our help, or why didn’t they call the Justice League? The JLE should be in Paris, right?”

Marinette snorted, face scrunching up in obvious distaste. “I’ll have to answer those a little out of order. First; the JLE was kicked out of Paris. They moved their headquarters to Italy about five years ago, I’m just surprised they apparently kept that secret from you,” she gestured to all of them, who indeed seemed very caught off guard by that tidbit. But Marinette just sighed and continued. “Though that’s a good thing, actually. We do have heroes, it started out as just a pair but it’s grown into a small team out of necessity. They didn’t call the Justice League because the last thing we need is any powered heroes coming in and making it worse— your league doesn’t have the best reputation for letting newer heroes take the lead even on their home turf, you know,” she pointed out, which made Batman shift a bit guiltily. He knew the JL was often a bit… heavy handed in their methods.

“What makes the situation so bad that you don’t want to bring experienced heroes into it?” Red Robin cut in, sounding as if the whole situation was a puzzle he was determined to sort out. Which, really, was exactly what Marinette had been counting on. She shot him a finger gun, grinning.

“That’s exactly the point! Hawkmoth uses a magical artifact, like I said— but this artifact can brainwash anybody who experiences even the slightest negative emotion. Sadness, anger, fear— anything negative. And it gives them powers, but puts them largely under his influence,” her expression twisted again, this time into a wry little grimace. “I guess you can say that my momma’s psychiatry background has secretly come in handy a lot over these past two years. And Hawkmoth is exactly why I try to tell Momma Harley to stop visiting me— I have worked my butt off to keep her from finding out about his attacks or getting Akumatized. Every time she shows up it gives me a heart attack!”

“Akumatized?”

Marinette waved a hand dismissively. “It’s the term used for when someone is turned into a super powered villain because of HawkMoth. The brainwashing— really it’s more similar to a straight up corruption. The person usually lacks their usual moral compass, and just seeks to soothe whatever set off their negative emotion in the first place. Usually, that means they seek a bloody revenge. And if someone who already has extensive training or extremely strong powers gets Akumatized, guess what?” She made jazz hands even though her face was deadpan. “Extra powers, or amplified ones, for the metas or superheroes who are Akumatized. And imagine what someone with, say, Batman’s level of experience could do if he had powers and no moral compass,” the silence that followed her words was deafening. She just nodded, knowing she had gotten her point across. “I’ve been working my butt off to stay positive, because if I’m Akumatized…” her shoulders fell, and she had to swallow a lump in her throat. “... I have no idea what I’d turn into, but if you take into consideration both my training and my family history… it’s really best if we never find out what kind of magic-powered supervillain I’d make.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Nightwing said after another long moment of silence for that to all sink in. He gestured at her with an open palm. “You’ve been dealing with a terrorist for two years who targets emotional vulnerability, you apparently have never been corrupted by this magic at least to present day, but your mother still worries about you being very emotionally fragile. And your heroes are not detectives, which is clearly what you need or you wouldn’t have asked us for our help.”

Marinette nodded. “I used to be very impressionable. At the start of all this, I was a huge people-pleaser. I got attached to new people in a matter of minutes. My mom always said I reminded her too much of herself— but two years of fighting off a guy trying to get into my head—“

“Wait,” Batman nearly barked, taking a step forward. “He’s been targeting you? You specifically?”

Marinette nodded grimly, mouth a straight line. “Not from the beginning, but this past year it’s been painfully obvious. He might be able to sense the strength of people’s emotions, and unfortunately I don’t exactly experience my emotions very… gently. All of my emotions tend to the much more intense side of the spectrum. If that’s true, then he might know that any negative emotion I feel will make an extremely strong Akuma. Either that, or he’s going by process of elimination. All of my friends, except for one, have been Akumatized already. So has my Papan and my grandmother. But it’s obvious when he’s targeting someone, I’ve felt him try to override my will on several occasions. But I can’t just repress all of my negative emotions forever, so consider us working against the clock right now. That thumb drive has all the details you need about our heroes, how exactly Hawkmoth’s powers work, and so on.”

“Do your heroes know you’re asking for our help?” Red Robin asked, gaze burning a figurative hole through Marinette’s face. “Better yet, if this drive has as much information as you say it does, how did you get it?”

Marinette handed the drive over to Batman, who finally took it and tucked it in his belt as she answered.

“Momma Harley might have a lot to say about your detective skills, but you are all still strangers to me. So consider this a test of your abilities— I expect that you will all go to extreme lengths to verify all of the information I gave you anyway. After all, I’m still the daughter of your most hated enemy. Right?” She met each of their gazes, one by one, with a challenging one of her own. “You’ll just have to figure out my connection to the heroes on your own. And how I got the information, too. It shouldn’t be too hard for the so-called world’s greatest detectives. And maybe this can double as a trust exercise. I fully expect you guys to scour through every inch of my past, and dig up everything you can on me. I encourage you to try to find everything you can, so that hopefully you can decide to trust me on your own once you have all the details laid out in front of you. By the way, for your own sanity? I’d start with reading about all of our heroes’ powers and abilities before you watch any footage of past attacks.”

Red hood rocked back on his heels, trading glances with the other vigilantes before they all shared a nod. Apparently having decided their course of action, Red Hood leaned down and hoisted Marinette up into a princess carry. All traces of her previous iron will melted away in favor of the high pitched squeal of surprise she gave, and once more she became an overly flustered teenager.

“Alright, little cutie. Let’s get you to your mom’s place before she and her crazy plant lady fiancé come hunting us down.”

“I can walk! I can freerun on my own! Mon dieu please let me down! Eeeeek!” She squealed again as Robin slapped a domino mask over her eyes and Red Hood wasted no time jumping over the balcony railing with her still in his arms. The fact that they were lowered down by a wire wrapped around Hood’s waist didn’t seem to take away any of the fright that came with a sudden drop over an eighth-story balcony.

Part 1

@emotionalsupportginger @alysrose-starchild @emistar0 @kibastray @justanotherfanficlovinbitch @alyssadeliv @blackroserelina @blackstarlight-co @readingalldaysleepingallnight @maanae @aespades @jaybird-and-co @fleursroses @probably-a-hologram @misterpianoman (didn’t work sorry)

[fanatichistory]

Scene Prompt 4

Scene: Caretaker losing it when Whumpee goes missing and are willing to do ANYTHING to get them back, maybe even being a bit of a whumper themselves to do accomplish it.

*Edited the typos (let me know if I missed any)

CW: Beat-down, murder/death gore

Teammate stood in the background, jaw practically to the floor as they stared unblinking at the pure and unadulterated rage that Caretaker displayed.

Punch after punch was rained down upon the man who had their hands tied behind them as the chair they sat in was rocked further and further back with each landed hit.

"Where is Whumpee?! I know you work for Whumper, don't you dare lie to me! I know you know something!" Caretaker continued to pound into the man's face, his head rocking side to side with blood oozing from cuts on his face and out his broken nose.

Even managing to spit blood a couple of times whenever Caretaker would pause for breath.   

"P-please...stop...I...I don't..." The man struggled to form a coherent sentence, let alone keep both eyes open as they began to swell and bruise. 

It wasn't long before the man struggled to breathe bad enough to cause concern for Teammate, the man's face broken and bleeding, hardly recognizable as the man who was dragged in by his hair with his hands bound behind him earlier by Caretaker of all people.

It was hard for Teammate to process, let alone watch, as their friend became so unhinged when the man didn't answer which lead to his current predicament and beaten face.

"I swear if you finish that sentence with an 'I don't know anything' I will fucking kill you right now." Caretaker growled into their ear, fist full of their hair as they forced eye contact.

Teammate saw the man gulp before they stepped forward and drew Caretaker's attention away from the man bound to the chair.

"True..." Caretaker stood in front of the bound and broken, drawing the gun from their waistband of their jeans and pointing it point blank in his face and clicked the safety off.

"Caretaker...he can't tell you anything if he's dead." Teammate reminded as Caretaker raised their bloody fist to begin again.

To his relief Caretaker paused and lowered their arm, the man also relaxed a touch but kept a wary eye on them. 

"If they indeed know nothing about where Whumper took Whumpee then I don't need them alive anymore." 

Before either one could say or do anything, the man started to talk.

Teammate's jaw dropped a second time as they rushed forward to stop Caretaker, only to have them draw a second gun and point it at them, making Teammate freeze on the spot.  

The look in Caretaker's eyes were unhinged and full of rage, Teammate could practically see the red in them. 

"Ok ok ok! I don't-don't wanna...die... please... I-I drove them...I drove them out of the city-city..." The man hung their head, fighting to stay conscious it appeared to Teammate.

"Where." 

"Cabin...out in the...in the sticks...east of here..." The man groaned when Caretaker propped their head up using the barrel of the gun. "Take the highway-highway out... I-24..."

"Which cabin."

"Log...it's a log cabin...has a rusted old pick-up by-by the si-" The man slumped over unconscious. Caretaker wasted no time in heading for the door, a man on a mission.

"Wait, Caretaker! We can't just leave him like this...we should take him to the hospital." Teammate said, calling after them.

Teammate shouted in alarm, jumping back in surprise and fear as their friend and leader mercilessly killed an unconscious and defenseless man in front of them.

Caretaker stopped and turned partway to glance at them and back at Teammate.

Before Teammate could blink he shot off a round at the man hitting him squarely in the head even with it lolled over, his body falling completely off the chair as blood and brain matter splattered out the other side from the force.

They would find and rescue Whumpee no matter the cost. Whumper could not, would not, win this time.

"Can't have them warning Whumper..." Caretaker said as way of an explanation when met with Teammates horrified face.

Without waiting, Caretaker turned back and stalked out to their car.

[dreamkidddream]

So far of reading your writing, I really love it! :)) May I request Kunikida, Dazai and Ranpo having an younger member of the agency being a sort of subordinate of them but acts a lot like a younger sibling to them? She's just really pure hearted and soft and really looks up to them so she likes helping them out a lot. Just some fluff because my boys deserve all love and affection

Awww thank you so much for the compliment!! This request is so cute, and yes, all the boys deserve all the love and affection that is possible cause they go through too much 😭 Anon requested this as platonic, and reader is gender neutral. Also, I wasn’t too sure what the age should be, so I went with Kyoka’s age, which is 14. Hope you enjoy!

TW: Mentions of suicide in Dazai’s part, but nothing too heavy or specific is mentioned. It does get kinda sad though, but it has a happy ending. Also, slight spoiler for season 2/Dark Era Arc, but nothing too major

Young ADA Member Acting like a Younger Sibling to: Kunikida, Dazai, and Ranpo

Kunikida

Okay, so when you first started at the office, people (specifically Naomi and Junichiro) were nervous when you got paired up with Kunikida. And Kunikida isn’t a bad man by any means, but he can be very, very, very strict

And how well do rules stick with kids/younger people? Exactly. It just sounded like a bomb waiting to explode

And you look so soft and so sweet! What if he made you cry?!

Which Naomi threatened to draw blood if he did

Even Kunikida himself was nervous. This was not written in his notebook to be a glorified babysitter!

But the President insisted, putting faith into you that you’ll be a great addition to the team and that he can lead you on the right path and not into trouble like some people he won’t mention (Dazai)

That was all that he needed to hear, and he took those words very serious. He won’t let the President down, and he wasn’t going to let you down either. You guys were gonna give it your all, whether you were ready to or not

But, to everyone’s surprise (really his) you both adapted well. You treated him with respect, said yes sir, no sir, tidied up both of your desks (which were right next to each other), you even tried to abide by his stern schedule without any complaints

You were a great help on missions too, you didn’t recklessly throw yourself into danger, and you made sure to look out for citizens to keep them safe and out of danger

And that wasn’t it, oh no

You made sure to bring him snacks (atleast the ones that he said were ideal), made sure that he was keeping hydrated and not tensed up all the time (working in this office will do that to you), and to make his workload as light as possible

After seeing him go off on Dazai for the 1000th time and getting wound up over a case that wasn’t getting any leads, you saw how stressed and frustrated he was getting. Mumbling to himself about how could he “replace the President if he couldn’t do this right”So you tapped on your shoulder, with one goal in mind: To comfort him

When you tapped his shoulder, he turned and yelled, “WHAT NOW?!”, right into your face

Time stood still as everyone froze, shocked. Even Kunikida himself after he saw it was you.

He felt immediately guilty, about to apologize for losing his cool when you began speaking

“Mr. Kunikida, please don’t stress too much. It’s not good for your heart! And don’t let this one thing stop you! You’re a great leader, and someone that I look up to. I wouldn’t be where I was at now without you! So please don’t doubt yourself, because we don’t, especially me! You’re my role model, Mr. Kunikida. Please, don’t ever forget that.”

After that, it was like a flip switched in him

“(Y/N), come here and walk very slowly.”

You did so with no hesitation, but you were curious

“Your shoe is untied. Here, let me tie it for you. It wouldn’t be ideal if you get injured because of a lousy shoelace. It wouldn’t be ideal if you got injured at all.”

“(Y/N), we have lunch scheduled at exactly 12:15. They’re also serving your favorite today, so we can’t be late, understand?”

“Yes sir!”, you said with a smile

“(Y/N), let’s go. It’s getting dark and if you still want to see that dreaded light show, we have to leave in 20 seconds to make it! I don’t want to see you sad or hear you complain if we miss it.”

“Coming sir! Just finishing up some work for tomorrow-“

“I already have it written in my notebook on when it will be done, so we can go.”

“Here you go Mr. Kunikida, I already typed up and printed out the reports for later on!”

“Thanks kid. And you don’t have to keep calling me Mister okay? Kunikida is fine.”

Dead silent in the office

KUNIKIDA is letting someone way younger than him just call him KUNIKIDA? Not MR.KUNIKIDA???

Everyone is, realistically, shook

But as time went on, they understood why

He came to look after you as his own

The entire ADA would have never thought the day would come (it wasn’t even in the notebook!) where he would care for a kid like his little sibling but here it was, right in front of their faces

But they weren’t complaining at all. You seemed to make his day a little brighter, and he wasn’t as uptight as much (but don’t be mistaken he was still Kunikida, just at an 8 instead of a whole 10)

After that mini pep talk that fateful day, he made it his duty to be a good role model for you. To always set a good example, both in and out the office.

He wouldn’t fail you, and he would be damned if he let anything happen to you

You’re a good kid, and you only deserve the best. And he was gonna be the best role model (and brother) for you

Dazai

Aw man, he was..conflicted to say the least

Listen, it’s not like he hates kids or teens, but it’s just extra responsibilities to watch over them. And he already slacks off enough to begin with, so is this really a good idea sticking a 14 year-old with him?

And lowkey, the way that he treated Akutagawa is still heavy on his mind, and he doesn’t want a repeat

But the President made it so, and Kunikida was ready to attack if he even thought about denying the order. Plus, it could be like another Atsushi around (another person to pass work off too) so that was a win!

And another person to annoy Kunikida too

You looked so pure and innocent. Are you sure that you’re in the right place? 

He genuinely thought you were a lost kid when you came up to him the first time lmao

Geez, you even sound sweet too! How has this world not damage or corrupt you yet?

“Hi Mr. Dazai! It’s nice to meet you. I hope that we can make a great team, and that I’m here to help if you need anything!”

“Nice to meet you too. And now that you mention it, these reports have been giving me a hard time...”

Not gonna lie, he did take advantage of your help. You offered, so why not? He thought you were gonna get sick of it soon and start complaining, but nope

You took his reports and did it with no hesitation every time. And you always handed it to him with a bright smile. On top of that, you always cleaned up his area and behind him, you did any leftover work that he ignored forgot to do so that he wouldn’t get yelled at, and tried to bring him small snacks and even packed a whole lunch for him when you noticed that he didn’t eat a lot

He even started to feel pretty bad and he was getting disapproving looks from his fellow detectives (even Kenji, and he never frowns)

So he started to take back and *GASP* actually do his work?!

But you stopped him, and told him that he should, “Take it easy! You work hard enough as it is saving the city. It’s no problem doing these reports, and I want to help you in any way I can, Mr. Dazai.”

“(Y/N), don’t worry, I can do them. And remember it’s just Dazai, calling me Mister makes me feel old like Kunikida-”

“I HEARD THAT!” 

And it seemed like you really cared for his wellbeing, especially when you had to accompany him on missions

Well, it just so happen that while you were going with Atsushi to find Dazai to start a mission, you both found him

Hanging upside down, sinking to the bottom of the lake

You rushed into the water immediately, pulling him out and onto the ground while Atsushi was just standing there in disbelief

Atsushi is so done with his shit

“Dazai, can you hear me?! Dazai?! Atsushi, I gotta give him CPR I don’t think he’s-”

“(Y/N) don’t worry he’s okay! This isn’t his first time he’s done this, and probably not the last.”

“W-what do you mean?”

Oh

Oh

You didn’t know about Dazai’s suicide methods? Did he not tell you or talk about it in front of you? Atsushi would have been somewhat proud of him if this whole situation didn’t happen, but here we are

“Geez, guess this method isn’t for me. It seems like someone is bound to always inter- hm, (Y/N)? What are doing out of the office? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

You hugged his chest tightly, not caring that he was practically soaked down to the bone

“Please stop, Dazai! Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to leave everyone?! Why are you trying to leave ME?!”

That got his attention

“Your life is important, Dazai, too important to try and end it on your own terms! You’re special to me, I look up to you. You’re smart, funny, and you help everyone out in your own special way. If you weren’t here anymore, everyone would be so lost...I would be so lost..,I-I-I wouldn’t know what to do-”

“(Y/N)-”

You looked up, eyes red and puffy with tears rolling down your cheeks, but filled with determination

“I promise you that I will make sure you know how much you matter to everyone. I swear on my life that I will.”

Okay, so you know how you were helpful/adorable before? On a scale of 1-10, you were definitely at an 11. But Dazai felt like you were at a 20

At first, he thought that you weren’t being genuine. You were just a young kid who didn’t know any better and was just trying to do your job, in sickeningly, oversweet way. I mean, who would really care about him with his horrid past? He was convinced that you were just naïve, and that the world would swallow you whole when it gets the chance. And it made him feel pity for you

But you proved him wrong

You weren’t just some ignorant child. You were in this agency working alongside him for a reason. And you reminded him of that everyday when he saw you working, handling the cases, taking actions on missions, all the while being kindhearted through and through 

You especially went out of way for him, and it was both a warm and scary feeling. People that he ended up caring for shared an undeserving fate, and he blamed himself for it constantly. So he tried to keep his distance, for your safety. You still had a life to live, and he didn’t want to ruin that for you.

But it was kinda hard to when you work together, and with you constantly being under his wing trying to show him the good in life and the difference that he made, he couldn’t help but admit it

You proved him wrong, and not a lot of people can say that. 

You went out of your way to make sure that everyone was okay, mentally and physically. He didn’t want to admit it, but you made the office (and his life) a little bit more bearable when you were around. You’re a good kid. And it was so fun to rope you and sometimes Atsushi into his schemes lmao y’all can be so gullible sometimes

Unfortunately, he still planned to leave this world, but he tried not to talk about it in front of or around you, and his number of attempts did dwindle, so that was a good thing

“Hey (Y/N), let’s grab something to eat, I would be a terrible person if I let my dear little baby assistant go hungry.”

“Dazai, if you’re hungry, you can just say that. I don’t mind finishing this later. It’s good to eat when you need to, and your health is #1 priority!”

He couldn’t take back his past and the way he abused Akutagawa, but he could certainly make sure that he doesn’t make the same mistakes

And that would start with being a decent role model for you. He won’t exactly be a “model citizen”, but he will always do the right thing. He’s turned over a new leaf by turning to the light, and while his methods aren’t always legal, he won’t stray from it again

And he won’t let you stray either

Ranpo

He was not a happy camper at all, let me tell you

Hello, do you know who he is?? He’s the greatest detective in the world! Why would the President think he need a sidekick?! He saw you working under him as an insult. Were they trying to say that he wasn’t good enough on his own?!

You weren’t exactly welcome with open arms, but that was okay! You were a complete stranger to him, but you were hoping that would change overtime

And Fukuzawa offered to praise him if he took you in so he stopped pouting momentarily

“Hi Mr. Ranpo! I’ve heard great things about you, and I hope that we can get along!”

“Well, of course you’ve heard great things about me, I’m the greatest detective in the world! It would be a crime if you didn’t hear about me.”

It was a rocky start between you guys to say the least. Not only was he lazy with the work he already had (I mean, it was too easy for him), but you were always willing to complete it (which you did, when you realized that maybe he was too tired or had other important things to worry about)

Who are you trying to fool, this man was just being lazy 

But you either didn’t realize it or you just purposely ignored it to get it done for the sake of the agency. Bless your pure heart for putting up with that poutyface 

Despite that, you handled everything with positivity and pride. When discussing cases (even though he would solve it in under a minute), you already had the reports ready to go, took notes for him, and you even tidied up his desk (which really consisted of his snack pile)

And you were starting to grow on him. You were like his mini cheerleader/#1 fan. His ego was going through the roof

On missions, it was a piece of cake for him, duh! With his ability, Super Deduction, it was always easy. And you were in the background, in awe with everything going on. He wanted to say he was surprised, but he would be lying. It would be a downright lie if you said you weren’t impressed with his ability and with him in general.

You repeatedly praised him, and he always gave you the same response: 

“World’s greatest detective, remember?”

The one thing that would cause him to see you in a new light, was when he got lost. You remembered Kunikida mentioning that he wasn’t the best at navigating the train system

He really said that Ranpo didn’t even know how to read the schedule, and that someone had to always walk with him to make sure he was going to the right places. 

He just wanted to go back to the office to his beloved snacks, when this happened. He wasn’t stupid by any means, but it was a waste to use his ability on something trivial as this-

“Mr. Ranpo! Wait for me!”

Just as he knew, you were running late meeting him

“Hey (Y/N) what took you so long?! My beloved snacks are calling for me back at the agency, and I need to answer-”

“Don’t worry, I packed you some!”

“Yeah, I already knew that since that’s the reason you’re late. And before you ask, you look out of breath, the receipt is still crumpled in your hand, and I see some crumbs from something you already ate on your clothes.”

Huh. Was it that obvious? You guess so...

Or maybe Ranpo really is the world’s greatest detective!

“I know, I know. I’m the best, no need to tell-”‘

“Mr. Ranpo, you deserve all the praise that you get. You’re someone I want to be like when I get older.”

“Hm?”, there you go praising him again, but you were crying

“I feel like people don’t take you seriously like they should, Just because you don't fight like the others doesn’t mean that you’re not a valuable asset to the group! And I wish people saw you like how I do! You’re my inspiration to do my best everyday. And I know that I can’t be the best detective, but I want to be as strong and intelligent and brave just like you so I can save people and be a motivating hero like you!”

He’s silent, and your words are sinking in. You’re wiping away your tears, the start of an apology on the tip of your tongue, when he suddenly put his hand on top of your head

He’s staring right at you, glasses on and green eyes open for you to see

“You’re already on your way there (Y/N). That I know. And I’m never wrong with my deductions, let alone when using my ability.”

The flood gates have OPENED 

You know that he doesn’t technically have an ability, but that doesn’t stop you from accepting his words and finding them as the truth. If Ranpo said it, he meant it. He was the world’s greatest detective, and you didn’t have any doubt in him

“Now let’s go, it’s going to start raining and I don’t want us to be hungry and drenched. Plus, Kunikida is totally freaking out and thinking that we’re both lost and in some criminal’s hideout right now.”

After that fateful day, the dynamic shifted between you two. Instead of you just doing the work, he pushed it off on someone else so he could explain to you about the different cases he had to solve, and other detective matters

Really he was just bragging and having you both slack off, but it didn’t matter you guys were still having fun

It even got to a point where he shared some snacks with you from his sacred snack pile

BOY WAS THAT THE TALK OF THE OFFICE 

All in all, while he knew that you couldn’t be the greatest detective (that was his title after all), he would help you get to your goal regardless. Not that you would need a lot of extra help, he was watching over you after all, and you already have a good head on your shoulders along with the heart of a hero

Every Sherlock needs a Watson, and he deducted that it wasn’t too bad having you by his side

[colepalmer20]

I expect you to win games despite your injuries because your team is at a different stage than ours. Your team is off the back of a treble, and you strengthened on-top of that. Our team is undergoing the biggest transformation off the back of our worst season ever, selling half of our squad and reinvesting in the best young talent. So yeah… there’s a reason we couldn’t win despite our injuries because we had a young team that have had to gel together and have had multiple instabilities all throughout the season so far with losing a player every week. Which slowly we’re getting everyone back.

You got very lucky with your goals, but with the golden boot winner I expect you to fluke your way to draws and wins. We haven’t had that luck until very recently. You need luck on your side to win the league. But as a city fan I shouldn’t have to tell you that.

The difference is really your manager looked scared to face this chelsea team, and it’s been echoed by multiple managers now, chelsea have been ultimately very unlucky so far this season and our league position doesn’t reflect this team and their performances every week. Just like how yours doesn’t reflect some of your performances either. That’s football.

Also, this team is being built and future proofed for two or three seasons from now, so our teams literally couldn’t be more different from each other. Like I said previously you’re off the back of a treble, you’re a team of winners, an aging team of winners. We’re a young team building for future success.

With that team and how strong Pep went today Chelsea did very well to nullify you guys, leaving you guys to very lucky goals bar the second one which was poor on our part.

City spent so much and can’t beat us? It’s hilarious how many excuses you give for their defeat🤣. Chelsea deserved a win today, your small club deserved nothing.

holdup holdup holdup…you are a chelsea fan…talking about “spending so much”…when your club spent a billion in 2 years…and sits in 10th place…and finished 12th last season…

[by-nina]

Exchange

Artwork by @caesurables​​; do not repost.

AO3 | FFN Royai Week 2021 | Day 1 – King’s gambit/Queen’s gambit Rating: M (light drinking, sexual content) Genre: Lemon Word Count: 3,230

A/N: Happy Royai Week, everyone! Welcome to the spiciest thing I've written so far, which marks the first time I'm starting Royai Week with smut. I hope this feeds you well. Special shoutout to Mica for adding life to this with the gorgeous art! 😍

Something stirs in her; on one hand, it would be easy to call it yearning. But on the other, nothing that concerns Roy Mustang has ever been easy. Riza has always equated these things with methodical moves and calculated risks.

And so, for once, Riza pictures herself playing her game not for Roy’s sake, but for hers. She imagines that the stakes are different, the rules may be broken, and the only person she has ever wanted is both her gamble and her prize. She could have it all now—she need only play her piece.

———

Roy Mustang was made for a night like this. Handsome, stylish dress uniform, hair slicked back like a frame around his striking facial features, an air of dignity in his walk, his posture, even his gaze. He wears it all so well that he stands out from older, more distinguished company in the East City Hotel, where tonight, the Eastern Army is holding an extravagant ball in recognition of its recently promoted officers.

Riza is present as well, of course. For the occasion, she has traded her usual military attire for a blue satin gown with a flatteringly slender silhouette. A sash pinned with the insignia of her rank hangs from her shoulder to her hip. Having gone up the stage much earlier in the program for her own recognition, she has now retreated to the far end of the room, from where she’s got a full view of Roy as he waits to be called in front of the crowd.

Her promotion from Second to First Lieutenant is nowhere near as significant as his becoming Colonel, but it is no less her night than his. Selfish though the thought may be, it’s true that Roy owes this night to her, every title and every honor conferred to him. In every aspect of his life, she has made a crucial choice that allowed him to take a step in the right direction towards their goals—his goals that she has chosen to make her own.

“For the rank of Colonel, Roy Mustang…”

It was Riza’s choice to join him in the military, and it was this choice that has kept him on his path and his eyes on these goals. She has been devoted to his success just as much as to her act of atonement, but she was not subservient to either. Roy also carries with him the burden of their sins in Ishval. Her responsibility over his atonement means that she has more power than a subordinate would normally have under their superior. Anyone could be a dutiful subordinate or competent bodyguard, after all, but only she could be trusted with his life as well as his death.

“… the formidable Flame Alchemist…”

And it was her choice to reveal the secrets of flame alchemy, entrusted to her by her father, that first set him on the path towards his goals for the people and the country in the first place. Had she not trusted him, Roy would have searched further and longer for some other practice of alchemy. Had Riza chosen to die with her father’s secrets, Roy might not have come anywhere near who he is now.

“… and Hero of Ishval.”

Every choice she has made in their intertwined lives has determined the course of his, even when he should have been none of her concern. This was especially true in Ishval. She could have pulled the trigger at any time when she despised him most. She could have reversed the choice that brought him to Ishval. Riza chose instead to be an ally—a friend in a war where every other sense of humanity seemed to have been lost.

The Hero of Ishval was made through her actions; as was the Flame Alchemist; as was this shiny new Colonel Roy Mustang. As he is introduced by Lieutenant General Grumman, he takes his place at the center of the ballroom stage, and his titles and promotion seem all the more impressive due to the fact that he is the only new Colonel being recognized tonight. The crowd erupts in a reverent applause which Riza does not join in.

In different circumstances, if it weren’t for the very cards they have been dealt, tonight could have truly been happy, a cause for celebration. But their plans continue forming and unfolding; this game on which they have staked their lives does not pause. And so Riza watches him as she drinks her champagne, quietly imagining the steps they ought to take next, the moves they must plan, the sacrifices she must make in this gambit where she is both player and piece and he is the king set to take it all.

Her life is a game which she plays for Roy Mustang to win.

When his moment passes and the ceremony moves on, Roy descends from the stage, searching through the crowd for Riza. He finds her and meets her gaze across the room, and for a moment she wavers in her train of thought. She is familiar with this feeling. She has felt its pull before, but never this strongly, never with enough clarity so as to explicitly name him its object. How could she possibly feel it towards someone for whose sake she has forgotten her own needs and her own desires? How could she not be indifferent instead?

Riza leaves her champagne on a nearby table and turns in the opposite direction to walk off its effects. The party thankfully offers plenty enough distraction from the drink and from Roy. She meets a few colleagues here and there, makes small talk, and when she loses sight of Roy, she’s certain that he has been intercepted by people wishing to congratulate him or rub elbows with him for his prodigious rise through the ranks. She soon manages to extricate herself from the crowd and disappear from the ballroom.

———

“You should be celebrating tonight, Lieutenant.”

Riza knows that Roy has found her before he even speaks. She didn’t think that he would. She had wandered around the hotel until she found herself in distant, unfamiliar hallways decorated with beautiful artwork that she could admire until her intoxication had worn off enough to safely drive home. But there is no mistaking the sound of his footsteps or the scent of his perfume tinged with the liquor from the party. Part of her wants to disappear again, but his proximity in an otherwise deserted place seems to further slow down her currently unreliable reflexes.

Riza smiles dryly. “Does it matter if we received our actual promotions a week ago? We all know this is just an excuse to flatter ourselves and have a good time without spending our own money.” Roy smirks as she shakes her head. “Either way, I think I'll enjoy the party much better here, away from the crowd. But you're everyone's darling for the evening. They'll be wanting you back."

Roy sighs and rubs the side of his head, as if the very thought tires him. "I see enough of them at work. And there's going to be more of them around now, especially when we get transferred to Central. This night isn't about them."

The mention of Central causes Riza to bristle with alertness. She whips her head around to ascertain that the hallway is deserted. Behind her, she finds an intricately carved double door, and she quickly strides across the hallway to it. To her surprise, it is unlocked; the room beyond it appears to be dark and deserted. Riza shoots a glance at Roy as she enters. He swiftly follows.

Riza spots a nearby floor lamp just before she locks the door. For a moment, the room is pitch black, then Riza switches on the lamp. Its warm glow is just enough for her to make out Roy’s face and the silhouettes of the furniture in the room. They seem to have found themselves in a lavish parlour with a high-backed sofa and matching armchairs, a handsome tea table for two, a fireplace carved from white marble, and a vintage piano.

“I see you’re already making plans for proceeding to Central,” Riza begins. “We should be more careful about discussing them from now on, Colonel. Everyone has their eyes on you.”

Roy stares at her questioningly. Then, a small laugh breaks through his expression, and he shakes his head. “I’m not. I didn’t come looking for you to talk about our plans.”

She frowns. “What is it, then?”

“It’s just like I said. You should be celebrating tonight.” He draws what sounds like both a nervous breath and a laugh. “It wouldn’t have been right to enjoy the party without you. You’re the reason we’ve both come this far.” He pauses, and then his voice turns softer than before. There is no trace of a smile left in it or on his face. “I know you know that, Lieutenant.”

In the soft light, Roy’s face appears flushed, his features softer than they were when she watched him back at the ballroom. Riza doesn’t realize just how close he is until the scent of champagne on her is lost to his raspberry wine. Something stirs in her; on one hand, it would be easy to call it yearning. But on the other, nothing that concerns Roy Mustang has ever been easy. Riza has always equated these things with methodical moves and calculated risks.

And so, for once, Riza pictures herself playing her game not for Roy’s sake, but for hers. She imagines that the stakes are different, the rules may be broken, and the only person she has ever wanted is both her gamble and her prize. She could have it all now—she need only play her piece.

But never in any of their plans or her own did she consider this a possible outcome, that Roy Mustang would be kissing her with one gentle hand on her face and another on her waist, or that the warmth of his body could be such a welcome comfort. He kisses her as if he has known for a long time just how closely he would need to lean in, how to tilt his head to the correct angle so that the curve of his lips would fit perfectly with hers. Riza senses this not because of unrestrained passion—on the contrary, Roy is perfectly still. The kiss is tender, but the rest of him is tense, as if it’s the only thing holding him together now. Or as if it’s the only thing he has held out for all this time.

Roy breaks away from her slowly, and it’s Riza whose heart is thundering in her chest. Perhaps, had the game been hers alone to play, it wouldn’t have led them so far so soon. Had it been she to approach him first, they might have only teetered over their fragile lines and not fully crossed to a point of no return. But Roy has taken her by surprise where the playing field has always seemed to be even between them. This, she cannot accept—she has never made a gamble that she did not see through. This will not change now.

She will play her game on her own terms.

Riza flings her arms over Roy’s shoulders as she kisses him, one hand running through his hair and undoing it back to the style she knows and likes best on him. It makes her want more—thank heavens that he realizes it right away. He responds so ardently that they stumble, so he steers her until she falls back against the piano and dissonant notes blare over their sighs. His hand runs down her side, over her hip and into the slit of her blue dress, where he reaches under her thigh and lifts it up against his leg.

But Riza refuses to give in so easily. She trails her hand down his front, all the way down to where he has started to turn hard. A gasp escapes him when she wraps her fingers around his erection and tugs at it. It gives her an opportunity to push back and reverse their positions so he is seated on the piano—it clangs unpleasantly again—and she is leaning over him as she makes short work of his jacket and his shirt to kiss his chest. The further down Riza drags her lips, the less familiar she is with the territory she is exploring, but she goes on until she brushes against that warm, rough outline. Riza tugs his trousers down, and when he springs free of his clothing, she takes Roy into her mouth.

He is exactly how she wants him right now, inelegant and vulnerable with his head hanging all the way back. Riza starts off slowly, but she is eager to figure out whether she can get him to unravel more quickly with her lips running back and forth along the length of him, or with her fingers massaging the base which her mouth cannot reach. His pleasure seems to build unhurriedly until she twists her tongue around, making him throb and moan quaveringly. She becomes hungry to hear more of him and picks up the pace, never mind that the effort is choking her. Roy grips her hair until it falls out of its pins, ultimately coming loose down her back. She goes, and goes, and she thinks he might be close, but then—

But then Roy pulls her up so he could kiss her, and Riza sighs in pleasure, and it isn’t enough for her just to watch him unravel anymore. She falls into him in a blissful, drunken haze, allowing him to kiss and caress her and unzip her dress. She could burst into flames at every part of her that he touches, even the scars that he had left on her back when their game was at its deadliest. He begins rubbing her between her legs, and there it hardly matters whether his touch flutters over her skin like candlelight or pushes as suddenly as lightning—the sensation just builds and builds, like a storm stirring up the sea.

How could he know so well what to do with her, how to give her just enough and yet leave her wanting more without ever having explored her this way before? The question is quickly lost in Riza’s mind as he finds other ways to arouse her. Now, he’s pulling the top of her dress down, switching positions with her again, alternating between kissing her lips and her breasts. It’s easy to follow him where he goes when he’s leading her through a dazzling trance, easier than it has ever been to follow him in any other way.

The storm slows only once as Roy’s lips brush against her ear with a stammering plea. “Do you want me to—can I keep going?”

Riza hardly recognizes the sound of her own voice when she gasps, “Please.”

Slowly, carefully, he enters her, with her dress hiked up above her hips. Despite the mild ache that comes with it at first, it feels better than anything she could have planned or imagined. Riza is shaking now. She buries her face in Roy’s neck and moans there, where only he can hear her, and she feels his excitement growing at the sound of it. He begins to thrust into her—clang, clang, clang, goes the piano—first at an even pace, which helps ease away her initial discomfort. When the tension disappears from her shoulders, she finds herself swaying against him hungrily. He varies from going exhilaratingly fast to tantalizingly slow—clang, clang, clang!—and at some point, she whimpers—

“Roy—"

It seems to awaken something feral in him. Everything he does with her is greedy now, from his kisses running clumsily from her neck to her lips and back, to his hands grabbing at every part of her that he can reach—and although she likes him like this, unhinged and at the same time in complete control, it makes her want to give him more than she is getting.

Riza pushes herself off the piano and into Roy, and he is more than willing to let her drive him down to the floor. There, she pulls at his hair as she kisses him, then shifts slightly so he can kiss her chest while she slowly sinks down and allows him back into her. Their rhythm is easier to find this time. She starts off at a pace that builds up the heat in her body just right, then later allows his hands and hips to guide her with more fervor and intent. Soon, the pleasure is just too close for her to wait any longer, and they are both overcome with an aching desperation—

“Roy”—she pleads, groans—“oh—"

“Riza—ahh—fuck—”

 “Don’t stop, don’t stop—"

Roy climbs over her, snaking his arms around her to grab at her chest, and he enters her from behind without breaking their rhythm, thrusting vigorously until and throughout her release. The rush, the bliss, the high is simply unthinkable—Riza presses her forehead down and bites her own hand hard to keep herself from screaming. She sinks into an ungraceful sprawl on the floor, drenched in sweat and tremors and Roy’s weight all over her body, but also as feeling if she were made purely of her sensations, with no physical body at all.

A moment passes, or two, or an eternity before she turns to lie on her back. Roy has collapsed next to her and entangled with her, so he adjusts to make way for her. She then finds herself looking up at him; Roy is leaning over her, seeming like an entirely different person with his gentle gaze, his tousled hair, his clothes only barely clinging to his body. His clothes—a reminder of who he is, and therefore, the gravity of what they have just done.

The high subsides almost as quickly as it came over her.

The room is piercingly silent as they scramble back to their feet and several meters away from each other. They keep their backs turned as they smooth their clothes back onto themselves and comb their hair into some normal, unquestionable style. Riza’s senses settle back into rationality at last. This was not a different way to play their old game. This was a temporary escape, a rare exception to her life’s unwavering rules.

“Riza.”

It’s unsettling how he says her name as if it were what he normally calls her, so she does not respond. Surely, he understands that what has just transpired between them must remain in the past, in favor of the reality that they left outside the door. Surely, he knows as well as she does that that reality has already resumed before they have even left the room.

He calls her name again. Riza, again, refuses to acknowledge him.

“Lieutenant.”

Her resolve wavers for only a moment. Riza knows exactly what he is doing. She knows her own excuse for this lapse in judgment—she knows how to keep it from happening ever again. But she can tell by his current insistence and his earlier passion that he doesn’t consider this a mistake like she does. This is, after all, exactly how he plays the game—head on, without hesitation. Roy has broken the rules more thoroughly than she has. He would have done so without her instigation. He has made perfectly clear the gamble that he is willing to make for her.

Riza turns, brushing past Roy and out of the room without so much as looking at him—leaving him behind the door, leaving as much of her selfish desires as she can possibly let go of—because she knows she must keep him from gambling everything away.

[vincememes]

banana fish starters

WARNINGS: IMPLIED SA, VIOLENCE MENT, DRUGS MENT spoiler warning .    to make it less long, the rest is under a cut.

feel free to adjust pronouns / names as needed !

ASH LYNX

❛   even if i did know something, what good would it do?  ❜  

❛   even a stupid street punk like me knows that  ❜  

❛   i envy you … being able to jump like that.  ❜  

❛   what could be more relaxing than three days away from these guys?  ❜  

❛   i wish i could hate you. i need someone to hate.  ❜  

❛   someone is dead. not that you’d give a damn one way or the other.  ❜  

❛   treating him like you’re giving the pope a bath isn’t going to help.  ❜  

❛   aren’t there any decent parents in this world?  ❜  

❛   that guy always regarded me as a human being with a real heart, not some sort of tool.  ❜  

❛   this little act of charity, you’re going to regret this.  ❜  

❛   i tried to forget.  ❜  

❛   stay with me... i won’t ask "forever". just for now.  ❜  

❛   well, i already know you’re a sick man.  ❜  

❛   ready to lose your life over a pizza?  ❜  

❛   my name... has become the signal for a massacre.  ❜  

❛   what on earth... have i become?  ❜  

❛   what do you think i am...? i’m a murderer... okay?  ❜  

❛   i told you before. i kill people.  ❜

❛   they paid the price for their decisions— that’s all.  ❜  

❛   what the hell do you know?!  ❜  

❛   let‘s say i am ‘exceptional’. the problem is, i never, ever, my whole life wanted to be.  ❜  

❛   you said i am not like ordinary people.  ❜  

❛   there’ve been countless times in my life when i thought i’d be better off dead.  ❜  

❛   that nothing could be worse than what was happening to me right then.  ❜  

❛   at times like that...death looks sweet and peaceful, and unbearably enticing.  ❜  

❛   war is always good business for those in power.  ❜  

❛   sorry to destroy your youthful innocence.  ❜  

❛   you have any idea what those guys made us do?  ❜  

❛   don’t tell me you still believe the pen is mightier than the sword.  ❜  

❛   if you ask me, the white house can go screw itself.  ❜  

❛   i wonder if i’m dying somewhere.  ❜  

❛   i wasn’t expecting the law to protect me.  ❜  

❛   i’ve ignored it all my life... i sure as hell don’t plan on hiding behind it now.  ❜  

❛   just keep them away from me— please!  ❜

❛   this town’s my backyard, remember?  ❜  

❛   sunrise and sunset are about the only times this junkyard of a city looks good.  ❜  

❛   even if i said no, you wouldn’t go back anyway.  ❜  

❛   if you went home i’d probably worry if something happened to you.  ❜  

❛   so it’s better you’re right here, where i can keep an eye on you  ❜  

❛   some people never change.  ❜  

❛   vulture got together with the viper. you make a great pair.  ❜  

❛   why now after all this time— does it have to be you, of all people...?  ❜  

❛   i don’t stand a chance. i’m dust against him.  ❜  

❛   over my dead body. if anybody hurts you... it’ll be over my dead body—  ❜  

❛   i don’t care who it is. i am not letting anybody hurt you.  ❜  

❛   do i scare you?  ❜  

❛   dont give me your stupid advice.  ❜  

❛   i’m happy, goddammit!    ❜  

❛   i know there’s at least one person in this world who cares about me. who doesn’t want anything from me.  ❜  

❛   do you have any idea what that’s like? i never did... not once in my entire life—until now.  ❜  

❛   and that’s worth more to me than anything else.  ❜  

❛   go back home! don’t look at me!  ❜  

❛   i don’t want you seeing me like this!  ❜  

❛   my hands are dirty with other people's blood.  ❜  

❛   i don't even know how many people i've killed.  ❜  

❛   i'm bad news.  ❜  

❛   i wish i could’ve been like you.  ❜  

❛   it’s just that… i always picture the worst-case scenario, that’s all.  ❜  

❛   guess it’s because i’m a coward.  ❜  

❛   i just can’t relax. it’s turned into a habit.  ❜  

❛   i was so scared i couldn’t speak, i couldn’t cry, and i screamed in my head, but... nothing came out.   ❜

EIJI OKUMURA

❛   if i ever lose you too... i'll go crazy.  ❜  

❛   come back safely. i'll be waiting for you, forever.  ❜  

❛   if you feel responsible, the same goes for me.  ❜  

❛  my words might not mean anything now, but just remember one thing.  ❜  

❛   even if the world turns on you, i'll always be on your side.  ❜  

❛   humans can change their destiny.  ❜  

❛   if i'm going to die anyways, at least i'll die trying!  ❜  

❛   don't apologize. that's something for people like me to do.  ❜  

❛   i'd do anything for you.  ❜  

❛   i know we'll meet again, no matter how far apart we are.  ❜  

❛   you're the greatest friend i'll ever have.  ❜  

❛   you're not alone. i'm by your side. my soul is always with you.  ❜  

❛   you asked me over and over if you scared me. but i never feared you. not once.  ❜  

❛   i'm really glad i came here.  ❜  

❛   i met lots of people. and more than anything, i met you.  ❜  

❛   that’s when i decided. i would always believe in you, no matter what.  ❜  

❛   no matter what happened, he would always have at least one person...  ❜

❛   i am very worried because i haven’t seen you and i don’t know if you are okay.  ❜  

❛   but so what? we are friends. isn’t that enough? what else do we need?  ❜  

❛   actually, i always felt that you are hurt, much more than me - that your spirit is wounded.  ❜  

❛   i know you are much smarter than me, and bigger, and stronger - but even so.. i always wanted to protect you.  ❜  

❛   but what did i want to protect you from?  ❜  

❛    i think i wanted to protect you from your future.  ❜  

❛   because your fate was sweeping you away, like a flood.  ❜  

❛   but i’m not saying “goodbye” to you... because this isn’t goodbye.  ❜

❛   are you going off on your own again?  ❜

❛   somewhere far away.. without a word?  ❜

❛   i want to see you. i wish i was with you right now.  ❜ 

YUT-LUNG

❛   a bloody history is inevitable when you are the one ruling.  ❜  

❛   what's wrong? you hated him, right? guess what? so do i.  ❜  

❛   no need to glare. i won't eat you up.  ❜  

❛   there's nothing you can do to help.  ❜  

❛   and what can you do to help?  ❜  

❛   you really irritate me.  ❜  

❛   you make people want to protect you or make them want to tear you apart and crush you.  ❜  

❛   so, what to do with you now.  ❜  

❛   i heard you tried to escape again. you have some spunk.  ❜  

❛   we have hired him, his target is your friend.  ❜  

❛   i have other things for you to do for me.  ❜  

❛   we still have two more scorpions.  ❜  

❛   i am a monster, too.  ❜  

❛   i'm not hearing any good news.  ❜  

❛   you become all tame when you’re around them.  ❜  

❛   you’ve degraded from a lone lynx to a content pet cat.  ❜  

❛   depending on your answer, i may not forgive you.  ❜

OTHER CHARACTERS (shorter, max, sing, shunichi, etc.)

❛   his face when he laughed was cute, and childlike, and totally angelic.  ❜  

❛   it's my problem too! if you go alone, you'll just be killed.  ❜  

❛   you'll die for nothing!  ❜  

❛   i won't let you go alone.  ❜  

❛   i'm sorry, but believe me when i say this: i'll die before i let them lay a finger on you.  ❜  

❛   i can't anymore. set me free. i'm in so much pain.  ❜

 ❛   we need to stay apart so at least one of us survives  ❜   

❛   if the former boss gets hit then it's the duty of the new boss to make the drop.  ❜   

❛   if we don't fight back now, we'll forever be expendable tools. ❜  

❛   you asked me to look after them.  ❜  

❛   yes, honey.    ❜  

❛   that’s for you to decide for yourself..  ❜  

❛   what’s wrong? you can’t punch me from that far back.  ❜  

❛   this will be the last time i give you a word of advice.  ❜  

❛   time is an ironic thing. for us, it means to age. but for people like him, it means to grow.  ❜  

❛   i love all women. they're beautiful and strong. like life itself.  ❜  

❛   it would only be making another one of us. ❜  

❛   one more wretched being, unloved and unloving, whose only sustenance is hatred and nihilism.  ❜  

❛   don’t fight your memories, cuz you’re never going to win.  ❜  

❛   i guess home isn’t something you want to remember if you ran away from it.  ❜  

❛   in one second i knew he could read everything on my mind.  ❜  

❛   i wondered when this boy had started to watch out for his soul, then i knew how much he had suffered.  ❜  

❛   you are the most beautiful and the most dangerous, of all the beasts i have ever known.  ❜  

❛   rather than hate and be triumphant, you chose to love and be destroyed.  ❜  

❛   i staked my life on that choice. please try to accept it.  ❜  

❛   one who does not love cannot be loved, either.  ❜  

❛   you at the very least knows what it is to love.  ❜  

❛   how can you expect someone who suffered so much to have any respect for authority? ❜  

❛   fine line between offender and victim it’s hard to know where to draw it.  ❜  

❛   there’s something about you that i just can’t hate.  ❜  

❛   'cause you’re hurt your soul’s bleeding-even now.  ❜  

❛   you’re just like me that way.  ❜