#which is such a stark difference from this brand new building it’s attached to
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kentochronicles · 4 years ago
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***SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 5 OF WANDAVISION***
HOLY SHITE MY MIND IS BLOWN
TOMMY AND BILLY CRYING
“Do you want me to take that again?” “Take it from the top?”
Agnes knows ! Tiger - Ralph
“Dark liquor” Vision being concerned
Billy and Tommy aged up?!
I DO NOT TRUST HAYWARD
SCARLET WITCH - TALKING ABOUT HOW WANDA DOESN’T HAVE A CODENAME
SIS STRAIGHT UP TOOK VISIONS CORPSE
HEX — HER POWERS GET REFERRED TO AS HEX POWERS SOMETIMES IN THE COMICS
CAPTAIN MARVEL REFERENCE
NORM SAYING NONE OF IT IS REAL
SPARKY THE DOG - VISION HAD A STAND ALONE AND STOLE A DOG
HER ACCENT
LAGOS
SHE DOESNT KNOW HOW ANY OF THIS STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE
EVAN PETERS AS QUICKSILVER
DARCY GOING “SHE RECAST PIETRO?” MOOOD
X-MEN, START TO THE MULTIVERSE?!
WANDA CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE CONTROLLING IT
IS MONICA MAD AT CAROL???
MONICA X DARCY?! WHAT A POWER COUPLE THAT WOULD BE
SIS REALLY ENDGAME - ENDGAME ENDED WITH TONY’S FUNERAL AND WANDA PROBS WENT STRAIGHT FROM THERE AND STOLE HER DEAD BF’S CORPSE (can’t really blame her, it looked like they were trying to experiment on Vis and could it be Hayward behind it?)
WHO WAS THAT ENGINEER THAT MONICA WAS GOING TO CONTACT?
BABY VISION
AND AGNES DEFINITELY KNOWS SOMETHING
DARCY FINALLY GOT HER COFFEE
SO VIS SAID THAT WANDA COULD’VE MADE EVERYTHING SUBCONSCIOUSLY AND THAT OVER TIME SHE BECAME AWARE OF IT, AND SIS DEFO HAS SOME CONTROL BUT IT’S NOT ALL HER. I THINK AGNES IS AGATHA HARKNESS AND EITHER MEPHISTO IS BEHIND IT OR IT’S NIGHTMARE AND THEY’VE MAYBE POWERED UP NIGHTMARE
***FURTHER UPDATES AND EASTER EGGS***
Auntie Agnes and Agnes saying she has a few tricks up her sleeve - we should definitely take note of that seeing as Agnes definitely has something to do with the whole situation
Wanda and Vision’s house changed again, being inspired by Family Ties, possibly Full House and Growing Pains
“Do you want me to take it from the top?” It seems as though when someone, this time Vision, steers away from the script, things either reset themselves or people become aware to some capacity, although Agnes probably already knows
Speaking of Growing Pains - It had a spin off called “Just the 10 of Us” in which the director for Wandavision, Matt Shakman, was apart of the cast - and seemingly also inspired the theme song for this week
We should definitely keep an eye on Monica and her potential for powers. With Maria last episode revealed to have gone by the name ‘Photon’ (which is a name that Monica uses as one of her aliases in the comics) and could inspire Monica’s name as she develops her powers - those scans didn’t look 100% normal. Monica has also used the Captain Marvel monicker in the comics
Wanda’s energy field and such being referred to as “Hex” short for Hexagon, could be a little nod to the comics where Wanda’s powers are sometimes called Hex powers
She’s never been referred to as the Scarlet Witch on the big screen - and it seems as though she soon may earn that code name
So we now know that Wanda stole Vision’s corpse from S.W.O.R.D, but did she actually re animate him fully? He’s still got the gem in the centre of his forehead, but the last time he had it was in Infinity War where it promptly got ripped out by Thanos - so has Wanda found her own way of reanimating him and he’s alive or is he dead and just a trick of the mind - though from other trailers/previews, Vis is seen trying to and looks successful at leaving Wanda’s barrier
They had a little call back to Captain America: Civil War with the Sokovia Accords, which were targeting the Avengers in general but were created when Wanda lost control of her powers and killed civilians
A little joke towards Vis as playing “Father Knows Best” in their little suburbia - Which was a sitcom that ran for 200 episodes in the 50’s
Sparky ! A little nod to the little green dog from the Walta and King comics run for Vision and unfortunately soon meets the same fate 💔
A little nod to Endgame when we hear from Monica that Wanda definitely could’ve taken down Thanos by herself had Thanos not rained fire - and Jimmy arguing that Captain Marvel could’ve just as easily done it - which leaves Monica with an angry look on her face
Good ol’ dial up internet
Can Vis “save” the residents of Westview? He can still seemingly interact with people’s minds, with or without the mind stone - Norm soon comes out of his trance as Vis snaps him out of it and asks to call his sister and that he has to save them all from “her” - now this “her” could be Wanda...but it could also be Agnes and then Vis shuts him down soon enough again and Norm goes back to his sit com self
Billy and Tommy are fully aware, or at least suspect Wanda’s abilities - after asking her to bring back Sparky from the dead and speaking of Billy and Tommy - could they be semi permanent fixtures in the MCU, it would help to introduce the Young Avengers eventually. They'll do Young Avengers at some point since Kang is supposed to be a thing in the third Ant-Man.
Teddy, unfortunately, I don't think will be here for a bit (I really hope he is though!). I think the guy they hired that everyone is rumoring to be Teddy might just be an episode about Billy coming to terms with his sexuality and Wanda and Vis learning to accept it in the way that era of tv they're in would go about with that kind of episode and the dude is just a dude - but again, I really hope it’s Teddy 😭
Wanda leaves the hex after a mini missile/plane tries to shoot at her - and she’s in her Scarlet Witch costume and is seemingly mostly back to her “normal self”, which includes her accent !
Lagos brand paper towels - “For when you make a mess you didn’t mean to” - a nod to Civil War again in which Wanda accidentally blew up a building in Lagos and caused the Sokovian accords to come to fruition
The mail man again - I also think he was in the commercial but anywho - “Your mom won’t let him go far” similar to “Much like she won’t let anyone leave” a potential nod to Wanda or Agnes not letting anyone leave?
“We can’t reverse death” and yet she brought Vision back - keeping in mind that he’s an android but still a little foreshadow to what happened at the end of the ep? Better yet, could Pietro coming back be a distraction for Wanda? Agnes or whoever introducing someone that Wanda lives in hopes that she won’t go full on breakdown superpowers or just to give her an attachment to Westview even more and make her not want to leave at all
“She recasted Pietro” EVAN ! I’m so pumped for this - it seems this could turn into the X-Men making their debut earlier than expected possibly? In any case, it’s a nice little Easter Egg to the previous Fox franchise of X-Men movies where Evan played Peter Maximoff “Quicksilver” alongside James McAvoy as Prof X, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and so many others - and with Deadpool being confirmed as Disney’s first R rated film, it seems Mutants are definitely on their way to the MCU
Agnes is definitely Agatha or a gender bent Nightmare
The way Billy shed himself and Tommy up was scary - definitely a little nod to his powers coming in
Multiple different perspectives of Wanda saying that Monica left
Red Hex dialled up to around light sources (computer, window, etc.)
Vision mentions reading Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man - which could refer to Mutants entering the MCU, Mutants being superior to humans
Agnes calls herself Auntie Agnes - in episode 2 during the title sequence in the grocery store there’s a product called ‘Auntie A’s Kitty Litter’
Agnes refers to herself as a Tiger and in the episode, there’s a Tiger on the dining table in the kitchen - could that be a listening device, her eyes and ears?
There are no other children in Westview - Billy and Tommy are immune because they have no prior trauma
Elizabeth Olsen’s photos are real and slightly altered with Sokovian flags in the background
In the birthday shot of Billy and Tommy, they have ‘1,2,3,4,5’ candles all on one cake
In the holiday photos, Vision goes from Turkey to Easter Bunny, to Santa and progressively gets more unhappy - realising he no longer wants to play along in Wanda’s Hex
During Monica’s callbacks to seeing Wanda’s pain inside her head, we see a new shot of Wanda crying - it looks like it’s around the time she stole Vision’s corpse, as the outfit she’s wearing is very similar, if not the same - could this be an after shot of when she’s trying to bring Vision back?
During the scene where we see the footage of Wanda stealing Vision’s corpse, the S.W.O.R.D logo that appears on the table has 8 stars around the rim of the logo but then has a 9th one in the middle - could this be a little Easter Egg to the nine realms of the Cosmos? And there’s also a map showing Cape Canaveral, could that be where S.W.O.R.D’s headquarters are?
Wanda and Pietro were born in 1989 to Irina and Oleg Maximoff - who were killed in an air raid when the twins were 10. In the comics, Wanda and Pietro were raised by Django and Maria Maximoff, before their true parentage was revealed as being the children of Magneto, however, in the comics this has been retconned so that Wanda and Pietro are no longer Mutants and the High Evolutionary had just disguised them as Mutants (something I think they should undo tbh - MARVEL, PLEASE MAKE WANDA AND PIETRO MUTANTS AGAIN!!!)
Speaking of the air raid, that was also referenced in Age of Ultron by Pietro and Wanda - “We were 10 years old, having dinner the four of us. And the first shell hits 2 floors below, makes a hole in the floor” - was the beeping Stark toaster be what that was referring to?
WHIH reappears for a brief cameo as the news service in the MCU - and Hayward cuts off Jimmy as he was trying to defend Wanda’s reputation, in which Jimmy then turns to Darcy and says “I try not to speak ill of people” Darcy then follows up with “Then allow me, Hayward’s a-“ and then she’s cut off by a shot back to Hayward saying the word “Terrorist” which would make sense as it seems with Vision’s corpse, he may have been trying to make sentient weapons and by subverting Vision’s will and blaming Wanda of doing the same. In the footage shown of Wanda stealing Vision’s remains, we see Vision broken up into parts and S.W.O.R.D seems to be experimenting on him and this seems to be the robotics/nanotech project that Hayward was referring to. Monica asks Hayward about the footage saying “When was this?” to which Hayward replies saying “9 days ago. Maximoff stormed our facility, stole Vision’s body and resurrected him” - this would mean that Wanda took Vision 2 weeks after the events of Endgame, about a week before Monica returned to S.W.O.R.D and Hayward didn’t tell her any of this and when he sent her in there, he knew exactly what he was doing - with her reputation after Civil War, this makes it easier for Hayward to paint her as the villain.
Back in Westview, Tommy wears red and Billy wears green - which are the colours that Wiccan and Speed wear in the comics, respectively. And it’s also the colours that Wanda and Vision are known for and appears quite a lot in their wardrobes
More in regards to Sparky, he was the synthezoid dog in Tom King’s run of Vision - the story being that he was originally a dog named Zeke who unfortunately passed away after digging up the Grim Reaper’s corpse and getting zapped. The Grim Reaper’s helmet appears during the title sequence of Episode 2 in the floorboards. Could Sparky have been trying to dig up a similar thing when he was caught by Agnes and consequently killed?
Monica mentions that she knows this aerospace engineer, they’re never shown but she is seen texting them. Could it be Reed Richards a.k.a Mr Fantastic? Hayward did mention that some astronauts used to work for S.W.O.R.D before a mission went haywire - though it seems a bit lacklustre to introduce such highly anticipated characters this way. Could it instead be the Skrull daughter of Talos that Monica befriended at the end of Captain Marvel? She mentioned that they had extraterrestrial allies in episode 4 working with her and Fury as apart of S.W.O.R.D - in the Spanish subtitles they use the feminine articles for this engineer - so I think it’s more likely to be Talos’s daughter
The board that we saw in Episode 4 now includes the mailman, drivers license and all - could he be Jimmy’s missing witness?
The tension in the room after Jimmy references Carol is similarly seen when in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Peter asks Skrull Fury/Talos “How about Captain Marvel?” To which Talos replies “Don’t involve her name”. Fury, Monica and Talos were all on the side of the Skrulls by then end of Captain Marvel and the space station that Fury was on maybe apart of S.W.O.R.D. So did Carol betray them?
A slight reference to Captain America: The First Avenger is made when Monica pulls a Peggy Carter and shoots at something to see if it’s bulletproof, in Peggy’s case it was the iconic Captain America shield and in the case of Monica, it was her clothes that she was wearing after Wanda threw her out of the Hex
Abilash (Norm) never states that Wanda is the one that Vision has to save them from, it’s just “her” - could this instead be Agnes?
When Billy is training Sparky to sit, he puts the treat by his ear up to his temple - a future reference that Billy will one day share the same powers as his mum?
During the scene in which Wanda leaves the Hex briefly, she turns the guns onto Hayward but none are trained on Monica - she may still trust Monica slightly, whereas with Hayward, she slightly more pissed off because of what he was doing to Vision’s remains. And turning a bunch of guns on the people you don’t trust? Like father, like daughter as Magneto pulls a similar move in one of the X-Men films - Hopefully, the big cameo they keep teasing will be Ian McKellan as Magneto or the Magnus of this House of M adaptation
During when Agnes “found” Sparky, she says he died from eating too many leaves from her plants - in the Tom King Vision run, one of Vision’s kids ends up killing Sparky and sees inside his stomach that there’s a plant that Agatha Harkness grows in her garden
All the names that appear during the credits that Wanda tries to run to end the show and to stop Vision from talking are names of people who work on the actual Wandavision show itself
When Evan Peter’s version of Quicksilver shows up, he says “Does a long lost bro get to squeeze his sister to death or what?” I DO NOT TRUST THIS PIETRO - Similar to Wandavision, the Fox X-Men movies moved up decade by decade - First Class was in the 1960s, Days of Future Past was in the 1970s, Apocalypse was in the 1980s and Dark Phoenix was in the 1990’s - which would make even more sense as MCU! Pietro wasn’t born until 1989, whereas Peter was active during the 1980s. I reckon that this Pietro is Jimmy’s missing witness, Agnes’s husband Ralph and is disguising itself as a comforting presence to Wanda as Vision no longer brings comfort and is trying to bring Wanda back to reality - and when he shows up, the mirror in the background behind Wanda is slightly distorted but his hand looks red and in the shot as well, there seems to be a grey arm reaching towards Pietro - in the shot itself behind and in front of Wanda, there’s nothing there but in the mirror, there is! Either way, I do not trust this Pietro and it’s just an entity trying to give Wanda the last thing that could make her happy - but it won’t last, as everything is already breaking down around her.
I seriously seriously love this show so much 💙
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allandoflimbo · 4 years ago
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Ashens (Part 7)
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Summary: She falls in love with Bucky Barnes from the moment she sees him. Bucky, still in love with a woman from his past, hates Y/N and plans to make her life miserable. To both their dismay, they are assigned together to go undercover into The Capitol for six months. There, they develop a heartbreaking friend with benefits agreement. Dystopian.
Pairing: Bucky x Reader
Chapter Word Count: 4,235 words 
Rating: M for Mature, E for explicit. Enemies to lovers trope, sharing a bed trope, friends with benefits trope, temporarily unrequited love, heavy angry sex, heavy on the angst, and very strong language.
Chapter Summary: Some of Bucky's inner feelings towards Y/N gets revealed on their first day on their own.
Full Masterpage | Part 6
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STEVE was the one who tightened your velcro backpack around your small shoulders.
You continued to stare into the rising sun behind the blowing trees. It must’ve been a little after 5 AM, since the orange clouds were beginning to mix in with the dark blue of a new sky, announcing the arrival of a brand new day.
Today was the first day of your mission with Bucky, and to say you were fixated on your ultimate goal was an understatement.
The camp didn’t have a running shower, but they had a secluded and private area off to the side that provided warm water and some soap made with lye and lard. The water had to be heated up overnight by an attended fire and then left for an hour before you had to get ready to let it cool down.
When one of the girls had handed you the freshly made bar, the look she gave you scared you.
She had a certain fear in them that you couldn’t quite place and it shook you to the bone.
Was she unhopeful for your return?
When you had entered the little shower, which was just four pieces of wood tall enough to cover your most intimate areas, and you dunked your mud cup into the warm water, you definitely felt like you were being prepared like a sacrificial lamb.
You felt like you were being cleansed and prepared for death.
But as you rinsed away the lye off your skin, and you shuddered against the cold winter air which was beginning to feel like sharp knives, you quickly shoved those thoughts away.
You had to focus on your goal and what it was you were actually being prepared for. This was your opportunity to give your parents what they deserve; the outcome they would want.
After your shower, you quickly dried yourself off with a long and grey rag that had been draped over the “door” for you, and you slid your arms into your heavy coat.
Quickly, to avoid getting the flu that could potentially kill you faster than any other virus ever could, you ran into your tent and slid on your attire.
It was the same one you had worn before you arrived, but Jessica had been extremely kind to you and had it washed and folded stacked neatly next to your cot.
After you zipped on your boots, Steve had shown up and ran the information with you before your departure.
None of you knew exactly how life in The Capitol was.
There had been just one agent who had ever been close enough, and it had been about a year ago.
Bucky had sent Sharon to collect information that would be vital to help their mission, including how the people in The Capitol dressed, how they wore their hair, how they behaved, and if they used any kind of special currency.
Apparently, the clothing they wore, you would have to buy when you got there. It would be possible for the camp to try and knit them so that when you arrived you would fit in right away, but unfortunately, it would not protect you during the three-day walk to get there.
There was nothing different regarding hair or currency, which was a very helpful piece to learn. It meant you and Bucky would not need to go under any crazy makeovers.
Any specific makeup look or hairdo you preferred, you were free to do as you pleased when you arrived.
The only tricky part of getting into The Capitol and not being caught was your identification.
Anyone who resided within The Wall carried a hologram ID that presented your picture, name, resident number, and occupation.
If there was anything Tony Stark left behind, it was his knowledge and technology that had been left behind and protected.
You don’t know how they managed to save nearly all of it from the war and the bombing, but you didn’t ask questions. It didn’t surprise you that the avengers would go through such measures to have a legacy and vital equipment protected.
It had been just enough for Bruce to take it into his own hands and build an almost identical replica of the hologram ID that you and Bucky would need to present in order to do simple tasks like request a hotel room or enter an important building.
You didn’t take Bruces’ hard work for granted; apparently it had taken almost a year and a half just for him to make them.
It would still be a risk when you used your identification because even though your resident number was chosen with an advanced Linux method if it were to hit a miss in Hydra’s system, you and Bucky could be screwed.
Your arrival in the city would simply be accepted by luck.
Steve continued to tighten your backpack as he reminded you of what would happen when you and Bucky both arrived there.
First and utmost important, you would need to find a place to live. According to Sharon, there was a residency area not too far from the center of the city. You would go there and try to get a room.
Next, you and Bucky would need to discover your surroundings.
What was Hydra doing there? Where is Hydra’s main building? Were there anyone there that could possibly be there against their will? How did The Capitol work? What was life there like?
You would then need to set up your false identity, which would be the majority of the mission.
Once you both found where Hydra’s main focus was and from where they worked, you would need to find your way in. You would need to gather as much intel and information about everyone as much as you could.
That is when the team had presented you with an additional ID card, except this one was physical and just a regular white laminated card.
It was a resumé and well thought out employment card, which you and Bucky would use to apply at a Hydra Facility (but not the same one to not induce suspicion). This was an important key to the mission that both you and Bucky were reluctant on participating on, but after much consideration, it was concluded it was essential to winning this.
After you found out everything you both needed to know, after the six months, you would both escape and return to camp with the intel and information gathered that could successfully bring The Capitol’s society down.
One of them being the ring leader’s location. It would be important to the mission to not have anything destroyed, especially The Wall.
This was the part of the mission you did not like.
Because you would not leave The Capitol without having that man from the diner killed.
Part of you felt bad for secretly planning how to divert the avenger’s plan, but at the same time, you now knew that Bucky was also planning something that could potentially shock everyone.
You considered saying something to Steve as he made sure you had everything in your pack - food, blankets, med kit, and a gun with a silencer (the only thing you were allowed) - but you went against it as you remembered your promise to him.
He wanted you to help Bucky love himself again and to feel like he was meant for something more.
As you both walked out of the tent and fully into the outside world, right away you saw Bucky already strapping his own bag over his shoulder.
You know his bag held the same things yours did, except his held a military gun that would serve to protect you during the walk.
Unfortunately, you would not be allowed to take any weapons with you into the city. They would be left dug into a hole and abandoned.
Your heart skipped in your chest as you observed his dominating aura.
He wore attire similar to yours, except a male version. He had a black coat with a hood that strapped across the front of his chest. Attached to it was a hood similar to yours. You could tell he had layers of clothing under his jacket for protection, and his pants were thick and tucked into heavy boots.
A pair of leather gloves covered his hands. He was tightening the one over his metal arm when he looked over at you.
His eyes were dark and his teeth clenched as he looked you up and down. You quickly looked away and back at Steve.
Steve was tightening your tracker around your wrist.
“Remember, this will only keep you off their radar for ninety seconds and it can only be activated twice. You can only use it when you enter and leave the city,” you were in a daze as you felt the need to look up at Bucky again. The pull was inevitable, “Y/N,” Steve’s tone was sturdy and you blinked at him, “Got it?”
He looked at you apprehensively, his grip tight over your hand. You swallowed thickly and nodded.
“Got it. Just twice. Entering and leaving.”
He nodded and pulled the sleeves of your coat halfway up both hands.
He gave you one more look and then nodded with his head towards Bucky, backing away from you, and walking towards Bucky’s direction.
You flexed your toes in your boots and held tightly onto the handles of your bag.
You took a deep breath and followed Steve towards Bucky.
Bucky looked at his boots and flexed his hands.
You didn’t realize how much bigger he was than you until now. Maybe it was his clothing, maybe.
You cleared your throat and he looked up at you through heavy lashes.
You wondered where he had been this morning while you were showering. It’s then that you catch sight of his heavy and dark bags under his eyes. Had he been up all night?
“Didn’t sleep?” Your question comes out before you mean it to and Bucky’s gaze quickly darkens.
“No.”
You sigh deeply, not knowing if you were more annoyed by his attitude towards you that clearly hadn’t changed or if you felt bad. You hoped his lack of sleep wouldn’t create more crankiness or mess-ups.
“Unlike you, I don’t need it.” He adds. He looks up towards the sky, making his sharp jaw visible to you and you curse the world for making him so attractive. You wondered then what kind of boyfriend he was to Daisy. And you wonder about the rumor of him and the Wakanda girl. Did he sleep with her? Was he good? Your questions in your head are interrupted as he continues, “We should get going. The sun is getting brighter and we can’t afford to lose one more day.”
Steve looked at you both like you were his two children going off to their first day of college and then he saluted you both goodbye.
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Not one word was shared as you followed Bucky into the woods until what felt like three hours later.
The entire way, he hadn’t been kind enough to slow down for you, so you trailed behind him by at least fifteen feet.
You didn’t want to admit to defeat, but your lungs were burning and your legs were too. It wasn’t until he briefly stopped that you thanked the heavens.
As you caught up to his side, you saw what he had paused to look at.
There in front of you was an entire city. It was destroyed, defeated, and reeking of death and evil.
The broken and sharp metal of what had once been pretty buildings were now pointed into the sky. Heavy dust with lingering smoke, that had never gone away, still floated above the city like a dark halo.
You swallowed painfully, thirsty, and afraid.
Sure, he was an avenger, but the bacteria...
You looked at him, unsure.
“Bucky, we can’t go through the city. We have to stay on the outskirts,” he ignored you, taking a step forward and commencing his walk towards the city. You watched, unmoved, “It’s too dangerous, Bucky, we don’t know what is in that air—” You finally sighed and ran up to him, pulling on the sleeve of  his coat, “Bucky—“
He quickly snapped around to look at you, “We are going through the city. You think I came all this way for safety? You think I care? You think I’m some kind of coward? That we’ll just be taking the easy way out for everything? Or do you actually have any courageous and strong bone in that pathetic body of yours?” His words attack your ego and you practically flinch at the last question, slowly letting go of his sleeve. He’s breathing hard through his nose and you watch as he runs a hand over his face. He points back with his metal arm, “It’s the quickest route. We’re on atimed schedule. I don’t have time for safety or convenience. I’ll go alone if that’s what it takes. Come with me or not.”
He doesn’t bother giving you another glance before commencing his walk into the destroyed city.  You practically hear the howl of the wind and you pull the hood higher over your head.
You consider his words. You were trying to be safer, but he was right. This would be the quickest way and it wasn’t like you weren’t at least partially prepared for this.
You took a deep breath and followed him.
Bucky wouldn’t admit it, but he was momentarily shocked when he saw you right next to him.
He took the first step into the pavement, a dry leaf crunch under his boot. The sound echoed in the air.
You were both faced with what once was the main road, fallen traffic lights and power lines lined the street.
Cars were overturned, some destroyed completely either by fire or vandalism. The buildings, if they weren’t destroyed, were broken into and also vandalized. Overgrown shrubs were beginning to grow over the street signs and into the cracks of the sidewalk.
It was also terrifying how quiet it was.
You didn’t trust it.
It was obvious Bucky was reluctant just as much as you because his pace matched yours, and at some point, he had even pulled out his gun.
Your eyes darted around as you passed the empty cars and buses. One of the cars even had what appeared to be kids' toys - a stuffed teddy bear and a baby mirror - and you shuddered looking away, not wanting to know what happened here.
Bucky’s gun followed his eyes and immediately you wondered how long its been that he’s left camp.
“How long has it been since you’ve been outside like this?” You ask.
He’s quiet as you both step over a fallen street sign that advertised some kind of clothing brand, and you take his silence as an answer, giving up.
“A while.”
You’re surprised that he responded and your eyebrows shoot up.
You wait a minute and take another bite.
“Not used to it anymore, huh?” He doesn’t respond, “I can tell.”
“Is this your idea of small talk?” He snaps.
“I’m just trying to make conversation. I’m stuck with you for the next six months, might as well.”
“No. I’m stuck with you.”
You have to force yourself not to roll your eyes. Your joyous walk continues for a few more miles until you both turn onto a street where a train now lies.
You both stare at it, confused and surprised, wondering how the hell it got there. But judging by the entry holes on the buildings on either side, it was obvious that it had probably been thrown by means of an explosion of some sort.
And you would both have to somehow get around it.
As you approached the train car, you and Bucky came to a halt.
“I’ll go first since I’m heavier. Make sure it doesn’t topple over or isn’t booty-trapped.” Bucky says, tightening his bag strap over his body, “Stand back.”
You did as you were told and watched from a small distance as he began to climb into one of the cars which had its doors still open. Some bodies that had been reduced to skeletons were still inside.
You held tightly onto the straps of your backpack, apprehensively.
Eventually, Bucky had hopped out on to the other side with a huff.
He turned to face you.
“Your turn.”
You took a deep breath and a step forward, the leaves and glass debris breaking under your feet.
Your eyes met, and once again it was like that first time he saw you in the tent.
You looked down at the cart cautiously before stepping onto it. You clenched and unclenched your right hand, and with your left, you used it to help hoist yourself onto the train.
It rocked beneath your weight with a heavy groan and your eyes shot up to his in fear.
He leaned his right arm on the side of the car for support, and with his left, he stretched it out for you to take.
You look down to where he stood on the ground, and you swallowed, scared at how far the jump looked.
He wiggled his fingers and you were about to stretch your own arm out to take his hand when you saw something move behind him.
A man.
“Oh, my God.”
It was too fast for you to even recollect what happened, but suddenly you were on top of Bucky. You were screaming and he was cursing and you saw the silhouette of the man next to you.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Bucky shouted, until fully turning around to see what you were looking at.
He cursed before pulling you behind him to shield you. He ran you both back towards a destroyed building on the far side of the street and finally aimed his gun at the man who was groaning, a green/black substance oozing out of his mouth like foam.
Bucky didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, sending multiple gunshots into the man’s chest. He fell forward onto the street, dead.
You stumbled back and found Bucky’s hold on you soothing before he roughly pulled away and looked down at you, disappointed.
“Seriously?”
You inhaled deeply through your nose, feeling the dig of the building behind you.
How dare he snap at you for protecting him.
“You asshole. He was about to —”
“I don’t need you to protect me. If anything, you made it worst.”
“How the hell did I make it worst?” Bucky snarled, “What if I fell on him, huh? What if we both did?”
“But we didn’t!” You could feel your heart in your veins; in your head.
Bucky rolled his eyes as he swung his gun back down, relaxing his stance.
“Jesus fuck.” He mumbled under his breath, walking away from you, “I don’t know how you survived three years. It’s like it’s a joke to you.”
You feel your tears in your eyes before you push yourself off the wall and walked right past him so this time you were the one leading the way.
“I do what I can.” You mumble.
“Pathetic is what you are.” You wouldn’t cry. You wouldn’t. Your pace grew faster as he continued on, “You don’t—” he grabbed onto your arm, making you quickly turn around and face him. You didn’t hide the tears and you knew very well he could see them. He looked into your eyes with his pretty blue ones, “You don’t hesitate to save your own life,” he tucked your scarf that had come loose tighter around your face, and for a second you thought maybe and finally, he had a change of heart. But his next words killed that as he stepped away, dropping his hand, “We can’t risk getting infected. And I can’t risk you getting me infected, either. I might be a super soldier, but we don’t know how that thing affects people like me.”
Him. It was always about him and his safety.
“What about me? What about me getting infected or killed?” He took a step closer to you.
“You signed up for this. You know the risk.”
He walked past you.
“So I should care about your life, but not about mine?”
“What I’m saying is you need to be careful.” You were about to say something else when he finished with, “Now tie your boots before you get us both killed by you tripping onto me.”
With a snarl, you looked down to see that, indeed, your left shoe was untied.
Shit.
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An hour after your fight, the winds grew stronger and your visibility was down to two feet. You hadn’t spoken to each other since, and to be fairly honest, it’s not like you wanted to speak to him anyway.
After the winds had calmed down, you had both made it through the city and were now walking through what had once been crops. Now it was just coarse sand and rough rocks.
You wanted to ask him if you could rest for a few minutes, at least to have something to eat. But you were so afraid of what he would say to you.
But as you both walked and walked, it became harder.
Eventually, you stopped, and he also stopped to look at you. Your face was crestfallen.
“I’m not a super soldier like you. I need to eat. Maybe have a sip of water.”
Bucky looked you down but then turned and continued walking again.
You wanted to cry.
Did he want you down on your knees? Would that be enough for him?
After a few minutes, you reached forest land again.
You watched as Bucky walked off to the left side and sat against a tree.
You wanted to cry in relief.
You practically ran to him, sitting next to him against the tree. You pulled off your backpack and he did the same with his.
You both sat there, chewing on some nuts and fruits and sipping water.
Afterward, Bucky threw his eaten apple into the leaves and rested his head up against the tree.
You took that moment to observe him, but not making it too obvious.
Your promise to Steve resonates in your head.
He looked so young to you that you began to wonder how old he was, biologically. There was no way he was older than thirty-eight. You felt pity that he suffered so much so young.
“Can I ask you something?” You know you were fetching far. But screw it. His answer, was a tilt of his head and a peak of a blue iris at you, “how old are you?”
He squinted his eyes at you, “Really?”
“Yeah, I mean, I know you’re in your hundreds, but biologically?”
He looked away from you and closed his eyes again. His mouth was in a straight, harsh line.
“A lot older than you.”
You bit your lip, looking away.
“I miss my life before this. I miss Netflix and Spotify. Damnit, I miss Halsey.” His expression is unchanged, “Did you ever have a favorite song? You know, before — before everything?”
He knows what you’re asking but he doesn’t answer you. Instead, he runs two hands down his face and announces that you should both get going again.
You’re disappointed.
You had quickly gotten over the fact that he would never like you, if anything he hated you, but you both needed to find a common ground of respect, especially if you would be spending this much time together.
But he still wouldn’t abide by you. It was like he just didn’t care. Were you going to have to show him your true colors?
Eventually, the sun was beginning to set and Bucky suggested you both should set up camp.
He built a fire using wood and a lighter while you laid down both your blankets. He eyed you over the fire as you put his blanket straight across from his.
He wanted to thank you but his words wouldn’t come out. He was still stuck on the question you had asked him.
After the fire was just right, he tucked himself onto his uncomfortable grey blanket and laid his head on his arm.
Your eyes closed tightly together as you tried your best to go to sleep. You folded your knees against your small chest into a fetal position, to keep warm.
Bucky watched you from across the fire. You were a good girl.
But you shouldn’t be doing this. You were the kind of girl that was supposed to live in the aftermath of the successful mission, not the one fighting for it. You were going to get hurt.
Just like he did.
And he hated you for it. You were so young and had so much to live for.
He hated that he felt so many emotions for you that made him want to scream at you and make you go away. He wasn’t sure what they were but he knew none of them was anything romantic.
He would never feel that way about anyone else ever again.
He turned around in his blanket and closed his eyes tight together.
He did have a favorite song.
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bittersweetmelxdy · 5 years ago
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Hey if its alright could I get some victor x mc with just them missing each other
Title: As long as we’re together, (does it matter where we go?)Pairing: Victor x MCWords: 1,172
6:02pm Victor sighed, walking into his hotel room, flicking the switch on and taking in the cold, stark surroundings. His languidly walked into the room, toeing off his shoes and placing his briefcase on the table by the TV. Padding over to the floor-to-ceiling windows Victor sighed leaning an arm on the pane and sighing his forehead hitting his arm with a dull thud. He pulled his phone out and smiled at the lock screen, it was you at Souvenir, it was a picture he had taken candidly, and it showed your eyes lighting up eating a brand-new dessert. Victor laughed to himself, the quiet chuckle sounding loudly contrast to the stillness of the room. Unlocking the phone, Victor opened his contacts, and after scrolling through the contacts on his phone, past the various business associates on there, he then stopped, pausing over a single contact aptly and affectionately named “Dummy”. Victor’s thumb hovered over the call button for a minute calculating in his head what time it currently was in Loveland city. Deeming it to be an appropriate time for a call, being only 10:02pm in Loveland City, he determidely pressed the call button, holding the phone up to his ear as the dial tone echoed through the room. The phone rang... and rang... and rang... Victor frowned as the phone continued to ring until there was no answer. Hearing your voice sweetly ran through the voicemail message and Victor sighed, hanging up without leaving a message.  
7:15am You yawned, blearily rubbing your eyes to rid them of any lingering sleep, and reaching out to grasp your phone, silencing your phone alarm. You noticed your notification light blinking steadily, and you furrowed your brows, unlocking your phone to see what it was. You were startled to see a missed call from Victor, in a state of panic you mentally rattled through your schedule and deadlines, wondering if you had missed giving a report or a proposal. But after careful consideration, you were confused to realise there was nothing outstanding. You quickly pressed the call button, hoping to return Victor’s call, but as it rang you quickly realised it was 3:15am and cut the call short. Breathing deeply and hoping that you hadn’t woken Victor, you stumbled out of bed to begin your day.
12:30am Leaving the meeting room of LFG, you sighed clutching the manilla folder tightly in your hands, the folder crinkling under pressure. The meeting had gone smoothly, the operations of LFG always being seamless, even without the physical presence of their CEO. You had sat with Kiki and Anna, and the three of you had watched Goldman effortlessly carry through the meeting, even reading a statement written from Victor himself. However even though the meeting wasn’t particularly boring, and it was relatively important for you to be both present physically and mentally, your mind couldn’t help but wander. Missing the strong presence of Victor and hearing his strong tone deliver the meeting, the statement not quite making up for his absence in your opinion. Sighing deeply, you shook your head ruefully and then you proceeded out of LFG, back to your own office building.  
1:15pm Victor had just finished having lunch with the other investors, and he received a notification on his phone, discreetly pulling his phone from his suit jacket’s pocket, Victor opened the message to see a picture message from you. The edges of his lips tugged up into a smile, as he opened the message to see a joyful “Just had lunch, hoped you’re eating well too Mr CEO x” and the picture attached was a selfie you had taken, bright smile across your face, a peace sign thrown at the camera and your lunch neatly laid out upon the table. A short huff of amusement passed his lips, which caught the attention of one of the investors, Victor was then quickly drawn into a conversation and tapping out a quick reply, replaced his phone into his pocket and then threw himself back into his surroundings.
3:15pm As the final meeting was well underway, before Victor could make his way to the airport and fly home to Loveland City. Victor sat amidst the other investors and businessmen, taking short precise notes on beneficial points of the meeting and also on the points where he felt the meeting could have been improved and what he would do better if he was in charge of the meeting. As the the meeting paused for a quick break to change the speaker, Victor turned his attention to the blue sky outside. His thoughts couldn’t help but wander during the break, going in a few different directions but ultimately every train of thought eventually led back to a certain dummy he knew. Victor unknowingly sighed, wondering how you had weathered through the meeting that you had attended that day, checking his phone, he knew the meeting had long since been over, and he amusedly wondered if you perchance thought him even a fraction of times he had managed to think of you throughout the course of today.
6:15pm Victor was packing up his suitcase, readying himself to make his way to the airport to catch a late flight back to Loveland City. As he was making sure that he didn’t forget anything in the hotel room, his eyes landed on his phone. Deciding to take a chance, he redialed your number not holding out any hope of you answering, remembering the last 24 hours of missed opportunities. However, to his surprise his heard a subtle ‘click’ and soon your soft voice hazed through the receiver.
“Hello? Victor? Are you there?” Victor hadn’t answered you yet, and you were a little confused.
“Yes, I’m here.” Victor’s heart rate skipped a beat, and he breathlessly replied before you could hang up the phone.
You giggled, the sound ringing in Victor’s ears, and lighting up his whole demeanor, “I can hear that Victor, did you need anything?”
“I was just wondering how a certain someone was fared during today’s meeting at LFG.”
“I’m capable enough to survive without you, Victor.”
“Hmmm, doubtful.” Victor relished in your scoff and he closed his eyes, picturing your puffed-out cheeks and rosy blush.
“So...” you started a little nervous.
“Yes?”
“When do you come back?” you quietly asked, Victor straining to hear you.
“Why do you miss me?” Victor teased, however his brow furrowed when he heard no response from you. The silence stretched on and Victor deciding to let you off this time continued, “My flight lands tomorrow morning, so I’ll be at the office from 12 onwards. Don’t stay up too late and get some rest.” Despite signing off, Victor stayed on the line for a short while, the only sounds being the sounds of the two of you breathing, before you broke the silence for the final time.
“Victor?” you asked softly, and hearing Victor’s sound of confirmation you continued, “I miss you.”
“Dummy.” Victor let out a breathy laugh, “I miss you too.”
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5lazarus · 4 years ago
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White Nights, Ch. 1: The Balcony
A year or so after Trespasser, Lavellan takes a brief vacation from mapping weaknesses in the Veil to Val Royeaux, and brings a new lover with her. She steps out to her balcony to enjoy the melancholy night, glances over curiously when a man steps out to the balcony attached to the room next to her, and freezes. It looks like the Dread Wolf had the same idea.
read on AO3 here
read Ch. 2: The Docks here, and Ch. 3: The Broadsheet here.
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Sweat drying on her skin, she fishes a crumbled nightgown out of her pack and makes herself presentable. Anders snoozes on the bed, blissed into sleep. He surrenders himself so easily to passion. Lavellan watches him sleep, envious. She has always thought too much.
She finds the leather pouch of tobacco cut with elfroot a former lover made her, prepares her pipe, and opens the shutters to the balcony to enjoy it properly. She lights it, smiling to herself. She has never really gotten a vacation, but under Divine Victoria’s new law, mages enjoy an untold-of freedom of movement. And while she has left the infrastructure behind her, she still has the money and prestige. Enjoy the world while it still lasts, he said. Lavellan snorts and smokes her pipe. She has embraced it utterly, the cool night clean on her skin. Below her the streets of Val Royeaux babble, and she can smell the ocean. They took a room a few streets from the Alienage: that too is new. The Inquisitor, retired or not, is different from other elves, even when she has that apostate lover in tow. If anything, the addition of Anders endears her to the gossips of Val Royeaux. She has always given them something to talk about. She traces out the Pleiades and smiles. An adoring lover, a sea coast, and one more day off? What more can she ask? The shutters of the balcony next to her rustle and she glances over to see a bearded man step out, face cast in shadow. Lavellan notes the ears: another one of the People made good. He’s clutching a bottle of wine. She admires his silhouette--Anders is well-built but not particularly shapely--as he sits on the edge of the balcony and pours himself a glass. He lights himself a candle and raises the glass to his lips. He glances at her curiously and freezes. Lavellan takes the pipe from her lips, iced under his gaze. The rosy post-coital warmth disappears as if she’s just leapt into the ocean. Solas’ lips move soundlessly as he tries and fails to articulate their mutual horror. She thinks dimly, at least I still make him speechless. She should have put her prosthetic back on. She says, “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Hand trembling, he raises his glass to his lips. He does not spill a drop. “I am leaving in the morning. I will leave earlier.” He drinks and sets the glass with a clink back onto the balcony’s edge. Still he stares at her. She supposes she looks just-fucked, because she is--hair ruffled, skin reddened, and nightgown thrown on carelessly. Anders likes to sleep nude. Lavellan laughs. “Wonderful. Hilarious. Three years Leliana has tried to track you,” and succeeded, but she will not tell him that, “and I find you on the opposite balcony, undressed. I suppose you thought the hair would be enough of a disguise.” Solas smiles. “It has worked before.” It hasn’t, but again she will not tell him that. “Certainly.” She puffs on her pipe and exhales smoke, watching it drift towards the street opposite. She can see light spilling behind the shutters of the floor opposite. Someone else like to fuck with the lights on. Lavellan smiles thinly. She remembers finding him in a tavern with Varric and Hawke, not too long about the Exalted Council. They had managed to find three of his eluvians in Ostwick and Kirkwall, thanks to his arrogance, and reclaim one of them. The beard does not disguise his face--or his swagger. She closes her eyes: unless this is all an elaborate double-bluff. What would Keeper Deshanna say? The wolf chews off his own leg to escape the trap. He has his back to the door, but both of his arms--and he can turn people to stone now, Morrigan confirmed. That would not be the worst thing he has done to her, though, would it? He is staring at her remaining hand, at the sylvanwood ring she now wears--a gift from Merrill, who said she needed it more. Lavellan laughs bitterly. “A Keeper’s ring,” she says. “I suppose you would not know the story. A relic of the People, to remind its leaders of the Dread Wolf’s betrayal. Though it was a lesson I never learned, and was read too late besides.” Solas flinches. “I had hoped it was a wedding ring.” He glances towards her room. From his perspective, she supposes, the unmade bed and the man in it are just visible, if he cranes his neck a bit, which he is doing. She is tired of looking at her life from his perspective. “Fuck you,” Lavellan says. She lays the pipe down carefully and half-closes the shutters. If Anders wakes up, he’ll see her--but Solas will not see him. But Justice will not allow him to attack an unarmed man, as if the Dread Wolf is ever without his weapons. “My apologies,” he says. “That was inappropriate. I...I have hoped you have been happy.” She looks at him incredulously. “Which is why you stalk my dreams at night, exactly like the nightmare of Dalish legends. To hope that I’m happy.” She gestures grandly. “Which is why you appear here, at my balcony, on my one vacation--” “An unfortunate coincidence,” Solas cuts in coldly. “And I will go. You know it has never been my intention to cause you pain.” He turns away and picks up his glass. “You took my arm off,” Lavellan says. Solas stops. “I didn’t realize that was an accident.” He turns around and to her amusement he is smiling wryly. He rubs his forehead. “It was eating at your bone marrow. But the next time an ancient artifact of untold power starts a cancer in your body, I will let it fester. Thank you for letting me know.” Lavellan watches him coolly and imagines rubbing the hot ashes of her tobacco into his face. Maybe it will leave a mark like the Anchor did, before it melted the skin from her muscle and disabled her permanently. It had stunk. None of the salves Vivienne had concocted had soothed it. The Anchor’s heat would melt through the leather of every glove she hid it in too, towards the end. She had known for a long time she would need to amputate it. She just had not thought it would take her whole forearm. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she says. She knows she should let him leave, but she wants to know. “If you knew it would--fester. Why did you leave without warning me?” Fear lances through Solas’ eyes, flickering in the candlelight. “I am not a cruel man,” he says instead. “That is not an answer.” She smiles unpleasantly, sitting down at the balcony’s edge, and crosses her legs. His eyes trace up her body. He looks afraid. She knows how he likes to use her, to defend himself and to flagellate himself against the fundamental truths of his being. The Dalish have pegged him right. He is a cruel man. He is a monster. He lost his humanity millennia ago, sacrificed on the grave of Mythal. Morrigan told her what the Well whispers. If the evanuris deserved untold punishment for killing the All-Mother, what is his due? The perpetual bleeding wound of what he did to her. Her stump itches, and she scratches at it pointedly: it has long since scabbed over, but he does like to pick at his wounds. “You have your life,” Solas says testily. “You have your freedom, and all the riches of the Inquisition. You have the time left to you. What else can I give to you?” Anger twists in her so viscerally she coughs at the bile rising in her throat. She steadies herself. “I am not your fucking petitioner, Solas. You’re no god of mine. You never were.” She stares back defiantly. After the Council, once Morrigan clarified the vallaslin did not bind her to the will of Mythal, she had Deshanna draw her brand brighter. She likes it. Mythal had watched her People suffer, killed by those who would sacrifice them. Her vallaslin is a promise: vengeance, for the world. All her gods have long been dead, and she is the last one standing. The agents of Fen’Harel have found little support amongst the Dalish and the elves of the Free Marches, Ferelden, and Orlais. Solas says, “I’m sorry.” A breeze drifts cold from the sea, and Lavellan shivers. This nightgown is meant to be taken off, not kept on. She glances inside. Anders is still asleep. He won’t be upset when she explains this to him, he’s had his fair share of bad exes--and been the bad ex. She has few illusions about him. He eases something in her, for now. He’s more attached to her than she is to him. She likes it that way, to hold someone loosely for once. He will not be the one who leaves. He idolizes her a little bit, but he doesn’t idealize her like Solas did. Solas follows her gaze and purses his lips. He says, “I am keeping you from your rest.” Neither of them move. He wears an ugly expression, made worse by the glowstones inlaid at the edge of the building, the candle still flickering on the balcony. She has always enjoyed the harsh angularity of his face and the starkness of his emotions. He seethes with discontent. Sometimes he channels it productively, passionately, but she can never forget that this is the man who stared at the Nightmare boredly, but raged at the useless Kirkwall mages. There is a foot between their balconies, and she is acutely conscious of the space. He could vaunt over it easily. So could she. Ugily he stares at her, burning her visage into him. She wonders: does he like what he sees? Does that matter? Of course it does. Uncomfortable, she taps her pipe against the balcony. She shakes her head, and smiling, says, “You still haven’t answered my question.” “What is there left to say?” Solas clenches his hands. “You have taken my measure. Why do you need me to stay what you already know?” “Because I don’t,” Lavellan says. “Because I want you to admit it. You left me to die in pain--” Solas steps closer, distressed, but she throws her arm up. “Don’t interrupt! You told me you loved me. You fucked me. You,” she starts laughing, thinking about Crestwood, “you brought me to a swamp to show me ‘how much I meant to you.’” She is grinning now, staring at him. Solas looks wretched: as if that means something. “You tried to reenact your savior fantasy with me--’ar lasa mala revas,’ my ass. And when I objected, you left me. While claiming I meant the world to you. And then you let my arm rot off.” “There were--considerations.” “Corypheus,” Lavellan says bitterly. “The Blight that is coming. The decay that is spreading in the Emprise, despite how deep we dig. The wakened Titan. And, at the root of this all, Mythal.” Solas freezes. His eyes widen in surprise and he beams at her--but as quickly as the smile flashes across his face, it is gone. He arranges himself neutrally again, pointedly tucking his arms behind his back. That little familiar gesture still amuses her, as much as it makes her sad. She had thought he did that to keep from touching her. Even the gulf between them is not enough. He still wants to reach for her--he won’t, of course, but it pings her vanity to know he wants to. He utters, “Well done.” Lavellan says, “You’re a patronizing prick, do you know that?” “You certainly aren’t the first who’ve told me that,” Solas replies, amused. Despite himself, he has crept to the very edge of the balcony. She reaches for him and he takes her hand, helping her to her feet. He puts his hand on her waist to steady her. The embrace is clumsy; there is a foot between them and three storeys below them. She does not let go of his hand, he does not let of her waist, and when she looks up Solas bites his lip. “Fenhedis,” he says, and kisses her. She grips his arm to keep from falling. Kissing him is so easy. She does not need to think, but sighs raggedly into the embrace. They break the kiss but do not pull away. He rests his forehead against hers, awkwardly bracing his knee against the opposite balcony. He looks like he is about to leap over to join her, or fall between them. She smiles ironically. A year ago she would have muttered, “Dread Wolf take me,” at a kiss as devastating as this: but so he has, again. Lavellan nuzzles at his face and murmurs, “I cannot go into your room.” She draws an arbitrary boundary, when she has already crossed the threshold. Anders still lays sleeping in the bed behind her. She thinks to herself, I can gather information. He wants to stay with me. He wants me to stay. He has always said it is easy to tell me too much, whatever that means. I can bind him to that. This is not an excuse. She looks up at him. Solas rests his hand on her shoulder, eyes tender. “Meet me outside.” “I owe you that,” Solas says vaguely, and Lavellan raises an eyebrow. That, too, is an excuse, more patronizing than hers. She can use that. She thinks she can use that. She has her anger to whip the lines she will not cross into her feet. They carefully pull away from each other. One false move, and the other falls between the balconies. Lavellan finds her pipe, still smoldering slightly, and Solas collects his wine and candle. Before she closes the shutters, she turns and sees him watching her. He says, “I love you. Though we both know you deserve better. I love you.” “Stop it,” Lavellan says, and he laughs. She closes the shutters, smiling as tears dot at her eyes. She places the pipe on her dresser and goes to her lover. Lavellan leans over Anders and whispers, “Wake up--don’t say anything.” Anders frowns in his sleep, and she shakes his shoulder gently. “Quietly.” He turns, alarmed, so Lavellan puts her hand over his mouth. She whispers, “The Dread Wolf rented the room next to us.” Anders rubs his eyes and sits up, careful not to let the bed creak. “What the fuck?” She shushes him. “I’m serious,” she whispers. “And we’re going on a walk. Use the crystal to call Leliana if I’m not back by dawn.” Anders says, “You’re serious.” Sleep falling from his eyes, he focuses on her face and reaches for her. Healer’s hands: she takes his hand and presses a kiss into the palm. He traces the outline of her lips with his thumb. Guilt grasps her, and she moves away from his touch. His face falls. “You’re going on a night walk with the Dread Wolf. Your ex. The Dread Wolf--who not only put the Veil up in the first place, but wants to tear it down and kill us all.” She tenses. “Keep your voice down. He doesn’t think I’d wake you. Have that much faith in me.” Quietly she slides off of him and pulls off her dress. She shoots him a look over her shoulder, hoping to distract him, but he is clearly displeased. Quickly she pulls on underclothes, a tunic, leggings--but she can feel him fretting silently. “I won’t stop you,” Anders says finally. “But you do realize what this looks like to me.” He is completely still, playing along for her. Lavellan straps on her prosthetic and fits a jar of bees into the compartment. She brandishes it at him, and Anders smiles slightly. She walks over to him and kisses him gently. “I’ll be back before dawn,” she says firmly. “And if I’m not--he’d kill me, not kidnap me.” She taps her sylvanwood ring with her prosthetic clumsily. “He does not think I would wake you. While we’re gone, check the guest registry. I want to know what name he used. And then call Leliana.” Pointedly she hands him the sending crystal. Anders sighs. “I’ll be back,” she repeats. And I’ll keep him walking and talking so I won’t fuck him, too, she adds silently. “And we’ll regroup in the morning.”
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fly-flower-fanfics · 5 years ago
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Crafts and Kisses
Alpha Loki x Omega Male Reader
Warnings: None, I think.
~~~~~~~~~~
Things were different ever since I moved in with everyone into Tony's tower. I got to see my friends more often, and I wasn't as lonely anymore. My depression — although still bad — had decreased significantly. Life seemed to be all around better than ever before.
Bruce was my best friend. He was the one I went to constantly and for everything. He was always reminding me to take my antidepressants and heat suppressants, telling me that it was time for meals, and where I'd last left certain items.
If my head wasn't attached, I'd probably need Bruce to find that, too.
Natasha and Clint were betas, and I found it a bit comical that the only two betas in the building were together. Usually Bruce, the two of them, and I would be at home, cuddled up on the couch watching movies like best friends and couple do.
Lastly, you had Tony, Thor, Steve, and Loki that were the alphas. Tony and Steve butt heads sometimes, but Natasha was able to shut the two of them up almost instantly. Thor was the softest alpha around, literally acting like everyone was apart of his pack. Not going to lie, Thor was the best cuddle buddy when Bruce was shut up in the lab.
Loki, on the other hand, was an alpha that I didn't quite understand. It wasn't because he was an alpha; I wouldn't understand him if he was a beta or omega, either. He was just...odd. I never really interacted with him because he was always sneaking around. He'd stopped being a villain — as much as he could — so he wasn't doing anything wrong. Something was just different about him.
I didn't really think he would like me.
My powers were rather insignificant to everyone else's. All I could do was control electricity: turning on and off lights, appliances, etc. It was, however, good for playing pranks and charging my phone when I forgot to.
Because I was the newest addition to the Stark-Avengers Tower, I wasn't as open with everyone. Bruce knew I was an omega because omegas knew other omegas instantly. The others didn't ask because status was a bit of a sensitive thing. I just knew what everyone else the Tower was because they were so open with one another.
I'd only reached that point with Bruce, and everyone seemed okay with that.
Currently, I was in my room, laying on my bed and listening to my music blare through my headphones. My fingers were dancing to the tune above me, painting a picture with the air around me. I knew I looked silly, but I didn't particularly care at that moment. I was trying to picture what a painting would look like based on this song. And, not to toot my own horn, I was doing a damn fine job at imagining it.
Painting it? Now that was another story.
I was an artist, yes, but I was more into creating things and working with things like papier-mâché and clay. Painting wasn't my strong subject, but I wasn't terrible at it. It was just my ideas seemed to always be a bit too far out of my skill set, and I'd end up with a knock-off version of my idea.
I sat up in bed with the idea perfected in my head. I shoved my phone into the waistband of my boxers and rushed out my room towards the empty room Tony let me claim as an art studio.
On the way, I nearly crashed into both Clint and Thor. The two of them just laughed me off as I shouted an apology, spinning on my heel and waving at them. Whenever I had an idea, I always ran around to try and do it, and everyone knew it. Unfortunately for me, there was one other person I nearly rammed into: Loki.
I quickly apologized, but instead on continuing to run like I had with the others, I was frozen in place.
Why? It's not like I was scared of him or anything. He intently stared down at me; his green eyes felt like the burned straight to my soul. I didn't move, unsure of what the god would do or say. I never really got time to spend with him, and I didn't want to waste it, even if I had an idea.
The one corner of his mouth quirked up in the smallest movement that I had ever seen — barely seen — and he stepped to the side with a small nod of the head. Immediately, I smiled at him, brushed his cheek with my fingers, and went off running down the hall once more.
I never saw Loki as a threat to me, nor did I want to treat him any different than I did anyone else. I knew Tony and Steve treated him like an outsider, and Bruce and Clint were rather wary of him, too, and normally kept their distance. I was touch-feely with everyone, and Loki wasn't going to be spared of it either. At least, he hasn't told me he didn't like it with from our few interactions.
In fact, I don't think I've ever heard him talk at all.
Any thought of Loki and the others left my mind as soon as I reached the door of my makeshift art room. Opening it, I stepped inside and let the door close behind me. My paints were all set up in a corner already along with a clean canvas; I always made sure to do that when I left the room so I didn't need to prep when I had a brand-new idea.
I walked over and sat down by the table, pulling out a bunch of bright colors. After an hour, all I had was a rather beautiful mix of colors that looked like a splatter paint gone wrong. Even though I was disappointed that it was another idea that received a knock-off version, I didn't let it drag me down entirely.
I decided to go move to another kind of project: papier-mâché a mask.
With no set plan in mind, I plopped myself in front of the new table. It only took a few moments to get everything altogether, suit up into an apron, and get to work. I always stained the glue-water mix with a colored stiffener that would make it firmer when it dries. I'd always use clear glue because the white glue looked too much like something else. I made the mistake of using it once, and Tony made sure I never forget it. Clear glue looks like mucus, though, and that's disgusting, too.
I stained it purple today. Not that it mattered, but I liked the soft lilac color. I began placing the strips of newspaper onto a mask mold. It was peaceful enough until I realized one thing missing: my music. Whining, I got up and drug myself to the sink to wash my hands. I stuck my headphones in while I returned to my seat and pressed play.
New songs flooded my ears and motivated me to work. By the time I'd gotten the basic mold down to where I wanted it, I still didn't know what I wanted to make out of it. Then a song popped up that decided it for me: Miss Mysterious by Set It Off.
I knew I'd have to let the mask dry a bit before I'd start cutting into it, but I knew exactly how I wanted it to look. Half a mask, a bit like the Phantom of the Opera's, with a curled horn off to the side. It didn't sound as cool explaining it, but it was beautiful inside my head.
My fingers worked with the slimy mixture and the newspaper to create a thin, curled horn. I'd paint it a dark green, maybe add gold highlights to it or bells. Something like that. Something that would show how beautiful it was, how elegant it would be.
I sang along with the song. I could reach the high notes, and I wasn't the best at singing, but I was good enough that no one complained about my voice. Or at least they never complained to my face. Either way, I sang the song like no one else was in the room simply because there wasn't.
My hands glided over the mask, adding new pieces, creating the horn, and calling myself names when I'd accidentally drip the stuff on the table. I'd always then try and scoop it up in my hand but end up making it worse since my hands were covered in the gluey goop.
I'm sure if someone was outside looking in, I definitely was a sight to see. And I didn't care.
Once my mask was to the point that there was nothing left to do but let it dry, I stood up to go wash my hands. As soon as I turned around, I let out a scream.
"Loki?!"
His eyes lit up, just a bit more than usual, and I could tell he was laughing at me. Then, his lips began to move, but all I could hear was Who Is It by Michael Jackson blaring in my ears. I held up my hands to show him the goop they were currently covered in.
"Lemme wash my hands, and don't you dare leave, or I'll dip my hands back in it, find you, and touch you." I was sure I was speaking rather loudly because I could hear myself over my music.
I barely caught Loki's glare, and I smirked to myself. There was a fifty-fifty chance he'd actually leave, which meant there was a fifty-fifty chance I'd get to chase him with goopy hands. I washed my hands in the sink, making sure I got rid of all of it because it did stay a bit sticky when it remained on my hands.
I was equally surprised and disappointed to see Loki still standing there once I turned around. I removed my headphones from my ears, draped them around my neck, and gave Loki a slight bow while twirling my hand.
"You may speak now, my lord."
I heard the god snort. It was very soft, almost like a sharp inhale when one would be sick. His lips twitched slightly as I straightened up, but other than that, his face remained stoic. I knew that I was able to pull emotion from him, but I didn't understand why he tried to hide it.
Was it something I did? Something I said? Maybe it's just the way I am. Had I offended him in some way without realizing it?
His chuckle broke my train of thought. I blinked and saw the small smile on his face.  I don't think I've ever seen him smile before. Even though it was hardly a smile, it caused me to smile.
"Are you always this energized, Y/N?"
His voice made me freeze. He knew my name. Well, duh. Of course he knew my name. I did live in the same building with the man. Oh god, I'm being stupid. What the hell? This isn't that big of a deal.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah. It runs in my genes, I guess," I answered, wanting to slap myself. I couldn't have replied in a more dumbass way. Conversation was never my strong point.
Another smile tugged the edge of his lips. "Of course."
"Can-can I help you with anything?" I asked, scratching the back of my neck nervously before turning on my heel to replace the paints and canvas. "Not that I don't enjoy your company, it's just strange that you're here in my studio. Especially since we haven't really talked the much."
How long had he been there? The thought hit my like a punch in the stomach and made me hesitate for a moment. I'd finished my mask and turned to see him. He couldn't have been there that long, right? Art is boring to watch to most, and I'd assume that watching me papier-mâché was not on his list of 'fascinating things to do today.'
"Just stopping by."
God, I hated his answers. I mimicked him in my facial expressions while my back was turned to him. Couldn't he give me more solid answers? I cleaned out my brushes in the sink and glanced towards him.
"Why?"
He seemed caught off guard by my question, but it was perfectly reasonable considering our past — or lack there of. Instead of an answer, when Loki regained his composure, all I received was a shrug.
"Did you want something?" I asked, trying to hide my nervousness now. I went to the closet to grab a new canvas, tucking my lip between my teeth. There was a chair within reach of my foot, so I pulled it closer to me with the top of my toes and stood on it to grab a new canvas.
Did he want something? Did I accidentally take something of his? It happened sometimes since I was usually so scatterbrained. I tried to scan my brain of the items I'd last had in my possession, but all that I could think of was my paints and some newspaper.
"Oh, my dear omega."
I nearly slipped off the chair when the words left Loki's lips. The canvas did fall from my hands and clatter to the floor, and I dove after it, picking it up. How did he know that? Bruce wouldn't snitch on me, I knew that.
"You reek of anxiety," the god continued. "You seem to forget that my senses are heightened over your Midgardian senses. No matter what you use to mask your natural scent, I can see right through it."
I walked my now slightly dusty canvas over to the table and laid it down. Did that mean Thor knew, too? If Loki did, then Thor had to. Bless them both for not saying anything. I proceeded to busy myself by making sure every little dust particle was off of the canvas. The lights dimmed slightly for a moment as my anxiety increased.
He's here to make fun of me.
Loki never thought highly of omegas or betas, for the matter. That was clear to me. Loki only ever seemed to respect other alphas that were able to take him size him up for a good fight for dominance. I always assumed that he and Tony would eventually get together, no matter how much the two currently avoided one another.
Clearing my throat, I straighten up and hung up the apron I had been wearing. Finally, after what simultaneously felt like centuries and mere seconds, I turned to face the prankster once again. My fingers were tingling, and I knew that just once more word might cause me to blow all the bulbs in my studio.
Tony never got mad at me for it because really, what was a few light bulbs to a millionaire? But I've been trying to learn how to control my powers in moments of high and nearly uncontrollable emotions.
"You didn't answer my question," I replied, letting a smile form on my lips. It wasn't nearly as large as my normal smile, but I wanted my normal persona back.
"Bruce is sick," he replied. I knew that. Bruce had gotten ill yesterday, and I told him I'd go see him later, no matter how much he protested. "Can't seem to get it if bed right now." A look of disgust floated over the God's beautiful features. "So I brought these for you since it seems you've forgotten them."
Loki held out a small, silver package towards me, and I recognized it instantly. My heat suppressants. Now that I was thinking back again, I couldn't remember the last time I'd taken them. A dark blush heated my cheeks, but Loki didn't seem phased by it whatsoever.
"We don't want you going into an early heat." I wanted to die at the words he was saying. Did he not understand how embarrassed I already was? I noticed the lights dangerously flicking as I took the package from him. I saw Loki's eyes glance up towards them before I turned to grab a bottle of water from the small refrigerator I kept in the back.
"How do you hide your heats?"
I nearly choked on the pill and water, but managed to get it to stay down. While I was able to save that, the light bulbs weren't so lucky. They popped, drowning the room in darkness that was almost pitch black. "Oh, dear. I do seemed to have caused some discomfort."
I wanted to punch Loki in his stupid, pretty face. I was a mixture of embarrassed and angry because he had no right to do this. Who was he to come stomping up into my safe haven and talk about my heats and being an omega? Then he plays it off like a joke? The nerve of the motherfucker.
Since I knew the room like the back of my hands, I had no issues navigating to the one corner of my room. I leaned my head against the wall and breathed out a sigh. I wanted to unlive the last ten minutes of my life and leave before Loki had ever entered.
"Y/N?"
Damn his voice.
Silence was my reply.
"Y/N, don't make me ask again.
Even though he wasn't my alpha, I found myself turning toward him before cursing and facing the wall again. Calm down. Count to ten.
"Y/N, please."
"What?" I hissed out before turning to face him. I didn't want to deal with this right now, but the two of us were stuck in here until Tony would manually unlock the door since that, too, was powered by electricity. I couldn't do anything because, more likely, I blew the fuse connecting all of that.
"It's not that big of a deal."
"Says you," I growled. I didn't like people finding out things about me without my permission. It was weird, I know, but I didn't like when people knew things that I didn't tell them. "No one hates you for being an alpha."
"And no one would hate you for being an omega."
I didn't reply this time. He was pissing me off, but I tried to calm down. I guess it wasn't that big of a deal... It still really bothered me though. Taking a deep breath, I tugged my hair, and then let it out slowly.
"I'm not ready to admit it, okay?" My parents had been very disappointed in me for being an omega and a gay one at that. Their only son was into other men and the weakest on the totem pole. Whether society really frowned upon omegas or not, in my mind, they did. Everyone did, and I was scared to admit it. Bruce didn't even know why I didn't tell people that I was an omega.
"And you of all people!" I nearly spat at him as I whirled around. "You're the one that would hate me for being an omega. I know the way you talk about them. God, can't even believe you can stand to look at me." I ground my teeth together.
This was way out of my comfort zone and personality. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, causing me to curse aloud. I hated crying when I was angry.
I jumped when a hand fell on my shoulder, nearly decking Loki in the face. Was that really necessary?
Even in the darkness, I swore his green eyes were he only things that I could see perfectly clear.
"Calm down," he whispered to me softly, pulling me into a hug.
The coolness of his body helped my anxiety and the way he pet my hair caused me to let my guard down.
"Just listen to me," Loki continued. I was about to speak up, realizing what was going on, but Loki quickly shut that down. "You may not speak, do you understand?"
I closed my eyes and nodded against his chest. He's not my alpha, what the fuck am I doing?
"My omega, I kept my distance so I could keep watch on you. I kept my distance so I could se show others were interested in you. It also had come to my attention that you were into my brother." I could hear the jealousy laced in with his words.
The faint scent of possession filled my senses.
"I want you all to my own."
My knees felt weak at his words, and I found myself kneeling at his feet. As much as I had tried to push the feelings away, Loki was always the alpha I had wanted. He was off, odd, and different. Something about him always made my heart race.
I closed my eyes as I felt Loki's hand settle on my head. I rested my head against his thigh, closing my eyes. The amount of submission I felt was incredible, and I was incredibly embarrassed. Yet I didn't fight it as much as I normally would have.
"I didn't want you to hate me," I breathed out, hoping that he wouldn't hear my words.
"I would never." He backed away and knelt down to my level, sitting on the floor and pulling me between his legs. "I only ever wanted the best for my omega."
"You want me to be yours?" I asked softly.
I felt Loki's lips press against my skin at the base of my neck, near the place where he would mark me and claim me as his. "Yes."
I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the feeling of his cool lips against my skin. "Loki...I-I just... I don't wanna jump right in... I want you, but I want a relationship, too..."
"Then a relationship we shall form," he promised, tilting my head back to kiss my lips.
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timeisacephalopod · 6 years ago
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AU-College. Tony/?. Tony already 17 and working on yet another doctorate has just returned from home after a school break. He's covered in bruises but he doesn't bother to hide them because he honestly believes no one notices or cares. Always on edge and doing anything and everything to forget the pain, Tony is confused when people he doesn't even know start to ask if he's okay and if he needs any help. Laughing in their face he replied. "You can't help, no one can." (I feel dark today sry?)
So I went with Tony/ Eddie Brock (from Venom if you don’t know). Eddie is an investigative journalist (or in this case he’s in school to be one) and tbh I have no freaking clue how journalism school works (journalism school?) so I’ve sort of made it work like humanities courses? Idk, just accept my bad plot needs bois. Also I altered the ‘you can’t help’ line to better fit the scenario, but the sentiment is the same.
As the prompt suggests, warning abuse references.
Eddie needs a story and since his asshole prof likes corporations a lot more than he does that’s out. Which throws a bunch of stuff in his usual wheelhouse out with it. He thought homelessness was a good topic but got told that wasn’t news, which he doesn’t understand because to his knowledge homelessness isn’t solved. Then he thought hey, school shootings happen basically every other day- they like to say if it bleeds it leads and a whole lot of kids seem to be dying. But he got told the news is already oversaturated with that. So he thought fine, maybe police brutality, that’s violent and not on the news much but he got told that was too controversial and what the fuck is the news for if not to be controversial?
Now he’s stuck with the task of finding a story his irritatingly picky prof will like and to add insult to the injury one of his classmates got approved to write about cryptocurrency. What the fuck is that? Stupid, in Eddie’s opinion. His topics were important, real world issues and this dumbass over here gets to write shit about something no one cares about. Predictable.
He’s eating his muffin angrily and wondering if he can somehow convince his prof to let him write something about climate change and the fact that no matter what an individual does, its still 100 companies doing seventy percent of the damage so why is the news focusing on individuals over corporations when he spots a potentially easier sell. Boy genius, way ahead of his time, and well loved by the American public. He has no interest in Tony Stark whatsoever but there has to be a story there, something underneath that irritatingly arrogant rich kid veneer that’s worth writing about so he decides to make a move.
*
Tony hates waking up before noon on any given day, assuming he went to bed at all, and dealing with people? He doesn’t like that at any time of day so when he’s minding his own damn business only to have some random guy with porn star lips- he swears to god that’s the only accurate description- he’s already annoyed. “Who the hell are you? Never mind, I don’t actually care,” he says in an irritable tone before going to turn back around but the guy takes his brief interruption to his day in a totally different direction than Tony was expecting.
“Nice shiner, where’d you get that?” he asks and Tony freezes for a moment, used to that fleeting feeling that someone might guess at the truth before realizing no one cares anyways.
He rolls his eyes, “you wouldn’t care if I told you, and even if you did its not like there’s anything you could do about it. Or anyone else, for that matter.” Its not like he’s never said anything and not one time has anything come of it. Sometimes people laugh, actually, and Tony doesn’t know what’s worse. People  not hearing him at all or people hearing just fine, but they make a joke out of it. Silence isn’t his thing, but he’s developed a thick skin in regards to how people treat him. Doesn’t have much of a choice, living under his father’s roof and in the public eye. Its amazing, Tony thinks, how fucking obvious his abuse is and no one seems to see what’s in front of their damn faces.
Something about his words seem to draw his companion’s attention though and Tony recognizes the look. “Are you a reporter?” he asks and the guy looks surprised for a half a second.
“Good instinct- but technically I’m still in school,” he says like Tony fucking cares about that.
“Yeah, fuck off,” he says bluntly. He’s got no time for another asshole looking to capitalize off the Tony Stark Story when none of them even get the damn story right.
“You have an interesting take on green energy. Only big name attached to it, too,” he says and Tony frowns.
“You know about my interest in green energy?” he asks. No one ever asks him about his passion project, they all want to know about the bombs and if Tony is honest he’s never really been comfortable with what his father’s company does. He knows the military has a use, and that there are protocols, and a bunch of other things his father has said over and over again but he still wonders what happens when things go wrong. Who’s responsibility is that? Does anyone have to take responsibility at all? His experiences tell him that powerful people don’t need to take responsibility for their actions ever, not if they can pay off the powers that be, and if the military is the same way, well. That brings a new layer of ethics to what SI does but Howard doesn’t care about ethics and Obadiah… he’s always been closer to Tony, but he doesn’t seem concerned with ethics either. Claims that’s the military’s job but Tony isn’t stupid. The military, all branches of it, make bad choices all the time. Which leads him back to who takes responsibility, if anyone.
Green energy is less ethically complicated and more necessary to the world, he thinks, and the projects are interesting and engaging. Tony finds blowing things up easy, but green energy provides a new avenue of engineering.
“Yeah, I keep up with what people are doing. Eddie Brock,” he says, extending his hand to Tony.
*
Green energy, it’d been a shot in the dark but he knows that Tony’s interest isn’t a passing one and its not congruent with his father’s company’s interests either. Whenever Howard is asked about his son’s projects he consistently tells them he has no interest whatsoever. So its strange that Tony has kept his focus for years, if Eddie’s passing interest in the subject is correct. What’s more strange is that mentioning it had immediately gotten him into Tony’s good graces. Anne tells him that he’s good at that, getting past people’s defenses without trying and he guesses that’s true.
Tony continuously talks around his family and Eddie does his best to try and get back to that because Elder Stark has got to be an interesting guy. Real asshole, he’s sure, but interesting. Tony won’t have any of it though and Eddie has to admit the green energy thing is interesting until he loses Eddie thanks to, put bluntly, being way smarter than him. And Tony’s no good at dumbing it down either, something even he freely admits.
They talk for a good amount of time before Tony grows tense again and Eddie knows why partially because of Tony’s reaction to his being a reporter- or wannabe reporter at the moment- and also because he isn’t stupid. “I’m not writing anything about this,” he tells Tony. “Not to be a dick, but none of this is interesting enough to write anything on anyways. You know how sensationalized media likes to be,” he says, shaking his head.
Something catches Tony’s attention in that because he perks up. “You don’t like that, the sensationalism?” he asks. Its more of a statement, but Eddie knows he’s prodding for a why. He’s done this a million times himself.
“Not really, no. If you want to tell a story, then do that- don’t make up all this crazy shit to make it sound more messed up than it is. Human flaw, thinking things need to hit some kind of extreme before we should have to care about it,” he shakes his head. “Leads to shoddy journalism because we’re pushed to make things sexier, more violent, more of whatever is actually there instead of just doing our jobs. Literally everything ever printed about you proves my point.”
Tony snorts, “you read stories on me?” he asks, incredulous.
“Doesn’t everyone?” Not like Tony Stark is an escapable name but Tony’s lips quirk up.
“No, and you’re not a fan. You talk about SI in a disapproving tone, you only know me from my green energy projects, and although you seem to know stuff about me its pop culture knowledge, not genuine interest.” Eddie raises an eyebrow because that’s a damn in depth analysis but Tony only smiles wider. “I’ve learned to separate out people who know me from fans and super fans. You don’t know me.”
Eddie laughs, “yeah, no one knows you. What we know is the consumable product that is Tony Stark- the celebrity brand. That’s not you, or even a version of you. That’s what’s sellable about you and half of that shit is probably made up. No seventeen year old is a ladies man and its kinda creepy that people even made that a selling point.” And kind of misogynistic too, but Eddie doesn’t mention that. Tony doesn’t seem all that stupid, he’s sure he’s gathered that awhile ago.
He watches his words win more trust, or an approximation of it, and Tony leans forward in interest. “You don’t like celebrity culture,” Tony says.
Hell no, he doesn’t. “Why the would I? We build these people up, put them on pedestals, and then get pissed off at them every five seconds when they do something human. We routinely dehumanize celebrities to a point where they stop knowing how to function because extreme fame clearly fucks you up- look at any child star trying to cope. Having a mental breakdown is now something we think is funny. Its fucked up that we do that to people- treat them in such a dehumanizing way that they seem to forget they’re human too. And that’s when we decide to take them down a notch because we’re mad that they accepted the pedestal we shoved them onto by force.” He shakes his head. Sure, he knows a little celebrity news, its not possible to avoid it, but he doesn’t pay any more than a passing attention to it. What normal shit celebrities are doing this week is none of his business.
Tony’s eyes are bright with interest, “fascinating opinion. Most people think we’re privileged, not disadvantaged.”
Eddie laughs, “of course you’re privileged- celebrities are stupid rich, and your opinions have actual influence over what people believe and that’s a position no one should take advantage of. But the cost is any semblance of privacy and your right to personhood- that’s one hell of a catch. And not one regular rich assholes share.” Fame isn’t something Eddie ever wants, not like normal celebrities anyways. If he’s got clout and fame in journalism he’s fine with that- he doesn’t mind if people know his name. But the kind of fame Tony has? Fuck that.
“And you aren’t going to print any of this conversation?” Tony asks, seemingly for clarification.
“Like I said- nothing sensational enough in this conversation to warrant an article. What am I going to write? ‘Tony Stark Likes Green Energy’? Boring,” he says and it actually kind of is without a project or an emotion to attach to it.
“And if I decided to continue talking to you?” he asks and yes, that’s the in he needs and fuck is that ever predatory. Journalism is like that though, always looking for the right fucked up moments to put on paper, or in this case, the right moments to be let in far enough to find those fucked up moments.
“I’m not going to print anything without asking you about it first,” he says, opting for honest. He’s sure something about Tony is interesting to print, and he’s got a feeling it’ll be about his family or maybe just his father, he’s not sure. But if Tony tells him not to print it he won’t. He’s not in the business of exploitation no matter how much journalists are pushed in that direction.
*
Rhodey’s got that look on his face and Tony knows exactly what he’s thinking before he even says anything. “He’s a nice guy,” Tony says in Eddie’s defense.
“If you have to say that he’s probably not that nice,” Rhodey points out.
“Actually its more like if he has to say that he’s probably not that nice,” Tony says. “And he is. Nice, I mean.” He’s been talking to Eddie for weeks and he’s funny, if a little sharp on the criticism. And nothing has appeared in the newspaper he’s interning with for the summer and the stories he is attached to, which aren’t many and none by name, are usually well written and truth based. Tony fact checked them all and learned a surprising amount about mental health that Eddie had been happy to fill him in more on.
“You sure? Because, no offense, but you have a bad habit of seeing the best in people,” Rhodey says.
Maybe, but Tony shrugs. “Yeah, I’m sure. He treats me like a person,” he says and he knows that shouldn’t be something he thinks of as a good thing. But when you’re famous its hard to find people who don’t at some point ask for your autograph, or a picture, or information on some weird personal detail they have no right to. Eddie hasn’t asked for any of those things and he could directly profit off any of that information. Tony has only ever met one other budding reporter- or full blown reporter for that matter- who’s treated him like that. And Christine… he and Christine have a love hate relationship. 
Rhodey sighs, eyes going soft for a moment. “Tones. That’s not special,” he murmurs but that’s because he’s not had to deal with fame. The last time he went out into public without someone recognizing him he was six. After all that he’s kind of used to people acting super weird around him and Eddie doesn’t do that. Maybe it shouldn’t be a rarity, but it is.
“To you, maybe,” Tony says. “You’d like him, he hates the cops.”
Rhodey rolls his eyes but its lovingly. “I don’t hate cops, I just think they’re racist and that people should really deal with that problem.”
Tony is inclined to agree. “Fine, but Eddie has many opinions on cops, you’d get along. Actually Eddie has many opinions on like everything.” Eddie said most people find his opinionated nature irritating but Tony thinks its interesting, hearing him talk because his opinions are so contrary to everything he hears. Even Rhodey, who certainly has different opinions than his father on near everything, tends to be more reserved in letting his opinions be known. Eddie doesn’t care, he gives no fucks and is happy to let people know how he feels. He’s got numbers, too, usually or at least some kind of basis for his argument and Tony has always been fascinated with things that are different than what he normally sees. Its interesting to look into a world that’s so unlike his and see something new. That difference in how people see things, that’s the key to changing the world.
Eddie had been surprised by that opinion but Tony is under the impression that thinking outside the box is what leads to innovation and innovation always leads to change. Eddie had been surprised by how unthreatened he was by that too, but Tony thinks fear of change is based on fear rather than fact and sometimes a push into the unknown is a good thing. And, in regards to Eddie’s general arguments on social change, they already know that people having rights won’t make the sky fall. Only idiots assume it will and Tony has almost as little patience for that as Eddie does. Which is impressive when he’s probably the most anti-establishment person Tony has ever met.
Rhodey sighs, “great, an opinionated white guy. Never met one of those before,” Rhodey mumbles.
“Hey, I’m an opinionated white guy,” Tony says and Rhodey shakes his head.
“Yeah, but you’re my opinionated white guy so it’s different.”
*
Eddie had no idea what he was looking for when he combed the interviews. Truth be told he wasn’t sure he was looking for anything at the time but what he found was his story. Its shocking to him that no one has told it, minus Tony, who seems to have been screaming it since he was a small child but he’s got it nonetheless. Its not like he’s never seen the evidence of abuse, Tony is fucking brazen and barely even makes an effort to hide it and after watching way too many interviews Eddie wonders if this is his new way to all but scream for help only to have his pleas fall on an audience that doesn’t give a shit.
Its amazing, in the most horrifying of ways, that out of every interview Tony has ever done, and that is a lot, he has mentioned his father’s abuse in over eighty percent of them. And its hard to watch reporters gloss over it, like Tony’s abuse is some fucking quirky trait Tony has instead of a serious problem he’s clearly trying to get help for. But what’s worse is when people laugh. The first time it happened Eddie had been outraged. The third time it happened he’d been livid, and by the fifteenth time he decided that America is probably the shittiest country on earth. An exaggeration, he knows, but not by fucking much.
For years, most of Tony’s life really, Tony has been screaming for help only to have nothing happen. Or worse, people decide its something, but that something is a joke. Only problem is that now Tony knows no one cares, and if no one cares what’s the point in saying anything no matter how much he’s done his best to scream at everyone that he needs help. It makes Eddie’s job harder, but he’s actually talented at this part, more than his peers, so he knows how to get to the right spot to find the information he wants. The catch, of course, is that Tony needs to give him permission to do anything with the information he gets anyways. He feels skeezy enough digging around in Tony’s life trying to find shit to write about, he’s not just going to publish it without his permission. Even if he didn’t genuinely like Tony as a person, even if he hadn’t wanted to, he’d still ask. He’s not totally morally bankrupt, just enough to do his job.
Tony is curled up in a chair, large bruise on his shoulder clearly visible, holding a cup of what Eddie assumes is coffee. He’s never met anyone who drinks as much coffee as Tony and Dan is in med school. His blood is basically coffee. “You do not seem like the kind of guy to be a journalist,” Tony says and Eddie raises an eyebrow.
“What makes you think that?” he asks. Its not the first time he’s been told that, but if Tony gives him an actual answer it will be the first time he’s ever gotten a genuine reason why.
He shrugs, “journalism is… I don’t know, kind of predatory,” he says, wrinkling his nose.
Eddie lets out a small laugh. “Yeah, that’s true. Its the worst part of the job, actually, when you’re talking to people- usually about something personal- and they say something you know will look good in your article and you think ‘yeah, I got it!’ instead of being an actual person. That, and you have to ask for details instead of comforting them. But news is important, those stories are important. Me getting the right thing out there might mean people read what I wrote and start giving a shit about the problem in the article.” Doesn’t mean he likes that little reporter voice that tells him when he’s got a great quote, or that he’s stumbled onto something good and that he needs to keep digging. Sometimes he doesn’t care, corporations don’t have his sympathy, but people do. Its hard to ask for more details of what’s usually a pretty traumatic event so whatever he’s writing is sellable enough. And the whole notion of ‘sellable’ is another point of contention altogether.
“So you’re aware of the fact that you’re a vulture,” Tony says, raising an eyebrow.
“A vulture with a purpose,” Eddie corrects. “But yeah, the kind of reporters you deal with mostly are a bunch of bottom feeding pieces of shit who have no place in any kind of journalism with their shoddy ethics and pathetic puff pieces.” People who want to write stupid articles about some fucking laxative tea or whatever shouldn’t be in this business. And celebrity news shouldn’t even be a thing- there are better things to care about than Tony Cruise. Like maybe the fact that he’s in a cult and people play it off like a strange thing he does on the weekends. Eddie doesn’t understand how the hell they got here.
Tony lets out a small laugh. “Shit, tell me how you really feel,” he says, shaking his head.
“Well come on, there’s a million things I could write about you that are more interesting than the weirdly sexual image you have, and have had for years despite being an actual child. People don’t write anything interesting about you and you’re way more complicated that any piece of media makes you out to be.” Tony is always a power fantasy or the American Dream, not himself. And the sexual thing, that’s odd. Eddie usually only sees that with women but Tony got the short end of that stick despite gender, he guesses. Still creepy.
“Hey, excuse you, my eighteenth birthday is not that far away, I’m not a kid,” he says.
Eddie snorts, “that’s exactly what a kid would say.”
“Oh what, like you’re a shining example of an adult?” Tony asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Fuck no, I’m two kids in a trench coat pretending to be an adult,” he says. Which is what any self respecting adult his age would say. Not that he’s that much older than Tony, but he’s got enough experience to know he misses when he had no bills. And also that transitionary life phases fucking suck. 
“Well, I probably have more life experience than you anyway,” Tony says, nose in the air and Eddie nods, seemingly surprising Tony.
“What? I didn’t graduate from MIT at fourteen, and I sure shit don’t have almost three PhDs. I’m half way through one degree. Plus I don’t have to deal with most of the shit you do, company or fame wise. Do wish had the financial perks though.” Tony leads one hell of a life of privilege no doubt, but it does come with some heavy prices. Being a minor doesn’t really help lighten any of those costs either. Not like Tony can just fuck off to another country to attempt ridding himself of his father, not for another four months.
Tony considers him for a long moment. “Given the chance what would you write about me?” he asks, changing the subject back to the initial subject.
Eddie doesn’t need much time to think about it. “Your interest in green energy, especially the science behind it. I mean an intellectual understanding- like the actual nitty gritty- is beyond me, but I get the broad strokes. Enough to know what you’re doing is world altering and no one is talking about it. I could do an article on fame, how that’s affected you. I can see the damage its left, the way you simultaneously gain privilege from your fame and become a victim of it.” He pauses, considers whether or not he wants to say it, but decides he might as well be up front. “But I’d probably wouldn’t write about you at all. I’d write about how Howard Stark abuses you and how no one seems to give a shit, even when you tell them point blank what’s happening. I watched a lot of interviews, I was shocked with how forthcoming you were. And how fucking bad at their jobs literally everyone who’s ever interviewed you is.”
For a long moment Tony just stares and Eddie has no idea if he misstepped or not because Tony is hard to read when he blanks out like this, but then Tony throws himself forward, hugging him tightly. “I honestly didn’t think anyone noticed that anymore,” he murmurs.
They do, Eddie knows people aren’t stupid enough to miss the bruises or Tony’s blasé attitude. But he doubts anyone either wants to stand up to Howard, or they get paid off by him. “They do. But money talks louder than you do,” he says softly.
Tony sighs. “Well, everyone does have a number,” he murmurs. Eddie knows what he means and honestly its sickening to him to know that’s true.
*
Tony waves a hand at the lab space with a flourish. “This is where the magic happens,” he says and Eddie rolls his eyes.
“Its science, not magic you damn drama queen.” Tony is probably the most dramatic person he knows and that’s saying something considering some of his classmates. 
“Party pooper,” Tony mumbles, shaking his head. Eddie gets a tour anyway though, and by the time Tony gets through the details he feels kind of like he walked into a science fiction novel. Its the AI, though, that tops it off. “JARVIS- or just a rather very intelligent system- is kind of my crown jewel. I got him done a few months ago and I’ve been studying how he learns,” he says, grinning.
Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Learns? Like a person?”
Tony shrugs, “more or less. His function is to be semi-autonomous, to predict the needs of the user before the user knows they need something. Before I know I need something, JARVIS has no commercial value.”
“Then why make it?” Eddie asks. He doesn’t know shit about shit but he does know that that sounds like a lot of work with seemingly no payoff.
“Because I wanted to. And also not a lot of people have the time, money, and intelligence to just… create. I want to see what I can do, the full extent of it. Also, JARVIS is cool,” he says like that’s a reason. “And he’s my PhD thesis.”
PhD thesis, that’s interesting. “So like… how are you going to make this sucker not turn into Skynet?” he asks.
“Oh my god, why do humans always assume AIs want to kill the shit out of them or otherwise take over the world? I had JARVIS read YouTube comment sections to convince him humanity is a shitshow not worth enslaving,” he says bluntly and Eddie starts laughing.
“YouTube comment sections? Dude, if I were that AI I wouldn’t decide to enslave humans, I’d straight up eradicate them. Humans suck, but comment sections? Those are the cesspools of humanity.” He shakes his head and almost feels bad for the AI having been subjected to that.
“I’m not certain my efforts would be worth it, sir,” a voice says and Eddie jumps.
Tony doubles over, laughing way harder than that warrants. “Holy shit, every single time- everyone always jumps!”
“Well I wasn’t expecting fancy code to talk at me, okay!” Eddie says in his own defense.
“Fancy code. I like that description,” JARVIS says and okay that is some messed up stuff. The SI likes things? He doesn’t like the sound of that.
“Jesus, relax. JARVIS isn’t going to like… steal your cat and murder your mother or whatever. He’s just a simple AI and he’s still on a learning curve. He’s not nearly as advance as I think he can get. But you’re learning alright, aren’t you J?” Tony asks the AI.
Shit, if that ain’t creepy too. “If you say so, sir,” JARVIS says. Its such a strangely human response, if a little stiffly delivered. But the AI has more personality than some people he goes to class with so that’s… disturbing.
“Honestly, people act like JARVIS is out to get them but seriously. He’s fine,” Tony says.
“Incoming call from Mrs. Potts,” JARVIS informs them and Eddie supposes that’s part of his ‘predict the needs of the user’ protocol. Or maybe he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, both are highly probable. Either way Tony scurries out of the room to answer the call, sounding forcefully cheery on the phone in a way that indicates he’s probably gotten into something he shouldn’t have.
“You’re a reporter,” JARVIS says and Eddie jumps again.
“Jesus, that is creepy. And yeah. Well, I’m still in school,” he corrects.
“Reporters write stories about celebrities,” the AI says and Eddie nods, keeping his opinions on that to himself. He doesn’t know if JARVIS would get it anyways. “I have a story,” JARVIS says and Eddie can’t help the laugh.
“What kind of story could an AI cook up?” he asks, curious if a little skeeved out.
“Ideally, abuse would be reported to the authorities but I have been reliably informed that they won’t investigate. Research on the matter has shown mixed results,” JARVIS says.
Well shit, creepy or not Eddie might find a genuine use for the AI. “I’m assuming you’re talking about Tony,” he says.
“Of course. Who else would I be referring to?” Could be a lot of people but he supposes that the AI’s world is pretty much one guy.
“Point, I guess. Can you collect evidence? Something people won’t be able to deny if they see it?” he asks. Video evidence would be nice, and people take snap shots of Tony in the streets all the time. He can use random pap shots to make a timeline that exist both in and out of Tony’s space of reach. Eliminates those pesky ‘he made it up for attention’ claims if even random people catch the bruises.
“Certainly,” the AI tells him. “And you can do something? Report on it?”
He sighs, “maybe. The human world is complicated, but I’ll do my best.”
*
Internships are total bunk, Eddie hates his, but funny memes from Tony at least make his days less shit given the sheer amount of time he spends hanging out in Starbucks fetching drinks instead of doing anything useful. Its not like he expected to write anything, but it would be nice if he got to at least hang out in the general vicinity of reporting. He’s fucking around wasting time when he gets an email that makes him raise an eyebrow but hey, if he gets a virus clicking on shit Tony will be able to fix it probably.
The last thing he expects is for JARVIS to have sent him hours worth of curated videos of Howard’s abuse.
*
“I have an ethical dilemma,” he tells Anne, who already looks done with his problems. He thinks that’s rude but she’s also into being a corporate lawyer and gross. But she’s still a friend, and she still knows him better than most, and usually has good advice so here he is.
“If this is about how ramen you eat again, I’m kicking you out of the apartment.”
Yeah, okay, that was only one time and he was fourteen. He doesn’t think that should be held against him five years later. “Yeah, um, that’s definitely not it,” he says and he explains the situation from start to finish. “So like, I can’t not say anything, but also its gross to exploit people’s pain like that without their permission,” he says, wrinkling his nose. But saying nothing is almost worse.
“You could just go to the cops,” Dan suggests, ever astute.
Eddie gives him a look. “Tony’s been forthcoming about his abuse for years and doesn’t hide the bruises whatsoever. Obviously the cops aren’t going to do dick all if they haven’t done anything already. I know people who’ve had their kids taken away for a hell of a lot less than beating the hell out of them enough that they start asking random reporters to help them in interviews only to get laughed off.” Anne frowns and he sighs, “I’m actually serious about that.”
When she calls him on it he finds the interviews- he’d saved the clips because he naturally categorizes details- and she ends up as horrified as he does. “Okay I take back cops comment, I think maybe they got paid off,” Dan says and yeah no shit.
“So what the hell do I do here?” Not saying anything is no longer an option- not when he was dumb enough to watch the proof in the middle of his day at work only to end up wildly disturbed for the rest of the time he was there. He hadn’t much wanted to go through more than the few minutes that had him feeling gross for the rest of the day, but he didn’t have much of a choice either. And JARVIS was detailed in his curation, Eddie is impressed in the worst of ways.
*
This is so not the option he wanted to go with but Anne is kind of right in that talking to Tony is the only option. Of course its also the option that reveals him to be a gross vulture reporter, but a guy has to do what a guy has to do. This isn’t about his feelings, it can’t be. “What’s got you looking so shitty?” Tony asks in a chipper tone, leaning in to hug him and oh, that’s sweet. And the first time he’s done that aside from the time he said he’d sooner write about Howard than Tony.
“I um- look, the only reason I talked to you a couple months ago was because I needed a story and I found one and-” Tony cuts him off.
“Excuse me? So what, this entire time you sat around winning my trust for what, some fucking puff piece?” he snaps and Eddie can’t help the face he makes.
“No, your fucking AI sent me like sixty hours of Howard beating the fuck out of you and I can’t sit on that. Stop looking at me like that, its not because I think its a good story- it is- but that’s not why I think I should write something on it its because no one else but the American public will care enough to inspire some kind of change,” he says, shoving as many words into the conversation as he can before Tony rightfully eats his ass.
Something must occur to Tony because the anger drops shockingly fast and its replaced with something else. “JARVIS did what? Why would he do that?”
“Look, he asked me if I could do something, I told him I’d need concrete evidence. I didn’t expect the damn AI to send me a shit ton of fucked up shit that made me want to vomit. Seriously, I am so sorry that any of that happened to you. That is so unfair,” he says, shaking his head.
Maybe its the sudden change of subject, or maybe its the way he says it, but Tony softens a bit even if Eddie can see the suspicion still held tight in his frame. “JARVIS prompted you,” he says and Eddie nods. “You seriously expect me to believe that?”
Eddie shrugs, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know how the damn AI works I just know what it did. Isn’t he supposed to predict your needs or whatever?” This seems like a natural extension of that but Tony shakes his head.
“What JARVIS predicts is where to move screens according to where I’m moving in the lab, not how to reach out to reporters with evidence of abuse I specifically told him to keep to himself,” Tony says. “One is basic technological based, stuff that’s easily predictable. The other is a care action that shouldn’t be taken by an AI that doesn’t know how to do that.”
“Well clearly he does because I sure shit ain’t smart enough to hack your systems to find fucked up home videos, use your damn head Tony. There’s no way I could gather evidence like that straight from your systems. Even if I was the best in this country I would still be leagues behind what you can do- there’s no other way I could have found anything.” 
“You noticed the bruises,” he points out but Eddie shakes his head.
“Those bruises were written off years ago when you were like thirteen as some kind of quirky thing about you. Some idiot suspected low iron instead of abuse like low iron leaves hand prints on people’s bodies. Fucking moron,” he mumbles, unable to hold back his judgment. He honestly can’t believe how stupid people are. Or, and this is the more horrifying option, that’s what they were paid to print.
“You made a time line,” Tony states rather than asks and Eddie nods.
“Even if I had no interest in a story its naturally something I do. I’ve been trained to do that, literally.” Its something he did before too, putting together time lines to claims to see if things matched up or deviated, and then looked for reasons as to why things might or might not match. Not that Tony really cares about that right now. “Look, if you don’t believe me about the JARVIS thing you can check the cameras,” he points out in an attempt to at least clear up one mess.
Tony considers him for a long moment, glaring. “And what the fuck makes you think you’re different than anyone else who’s given a half a shit about any of this?” he asks. “I get that you have some ‘save the world’ complex, but I’m beyond saving.”
Eddie shakes his head, “no you aren’t. And there’s no real difference between me an anyone else. But if the American public sees what I did there’s no stuffing the genie back in the bottle. Howard can pay off news crews, celebrity gossip rags, and cops but he can’t buy his way out of the whole of this country watching him abuse his kid. If nothing else, get JARVIS to release all that. People won’t ignore irrefutable evidence shoved down their throats, not when its more explicit than anything people have seen before.” And if Eddie knows anything he knows that nothing sells better than outrage porn.
*
Tony ends up rewriting the entire second half of his thesis because Eddie had a point- its not like he’s smart enough to hack Tony’s anything. JARVIS had reached out and it had been a distinctly care based action, not something based in technological need only. Which means that JARVIS learned much faster than Tony had anticipates, recognized right from wrong, knew how to seek out people who would rectify the situation, and did all this while intentionally hiding this learning capability from Tony. When he’d asked about it JARVIS had freely informed him that he knew Tony would try and stop him, and that his research had consistently shown that abuse of any kind is not accepted behavior. He felt compelled, in whatever way that looks like to an AI- Tony is looking into it- to do something.
At the moment he’s combing JARVIS’ code, figuring out where and how he learned, and how ‘human’ emotions appeared in JARVIS’ code. Obviously the emotions aren’t human- to a point they’re rudimentary, based on a large cumulation of research on human norms and standards of acceptability rather than an internal sense of right and wrong the way a human might claim to feel it. But this whole thing had been a series of care-based actions nonetheless and that’s more than ground breaking. This isn’t something even Tony thought possible, so its a real treat to see that JARVIS learns fast, and generally aligns his morality system with human morality systems. Or maybe he’s based them somewhat off Tony’s given that he’s the primary user. He’s not sure, that’s in his growing list of things to figure out how JARVIS did.
That’s what he chooses to focus on instead of Eddie’s stupid article. He sends regular updates, seemingly concerned with Tony’s opinion but Tony learned that reporters aren’t to be trusted and he’s not making that mistake twice. He only gave Eddie permission to write anything out of what’s probably a misguided hope that maybe someone will finally do something and he knows its stupid, but he’s fucking tired of living like this. So he lets Eddie work on his dumb story and mostly ignores it because JARVIS is more interesting and also more human than Tony ever anticipated out of the AI.
*
Rhodey finds him curled up with a sketch pad and Tony looks up, surprised to see Rhodey looks so somber. “I read the article,” he says and Tony glares at him. “Tones, it was good, shockingly so. His research was impeccable- there’s stuff in here that he figured out about you that I didn’t know about you.”
Tony continues ignoring him because he doesn’t care, not really. Of course Rhodey would find the article good, he’s obviously not on Howard’s side like literally everyone else is. Rhodey sighs and sits beside him.
“‘Tony Stark is living a life of power, fame, and privilege- he’s the kid people have always pointed to when we present the ‘has it all’ lifestyle. In many ways Tony Stark is the power fantasy of America- a corporate, a genius, and a smooth talker, it seems he represents everything we aspire to be. Tony is the living embodiment of the American Dream and for that reason, our own willful ignorance in allowing him to continue to be our dreams come to life, we have missed perhaps one of the most obvious details of Tony’s personal life- the abuse he suffers at the hands of his father. In our rabid need to turn Tony Stark into our living day dream we have failed him, trapped him in our fantasies instead of acknowledging his living nightmare because Tony Stark looks better to us as a consumable product than a person.’ Cutting,” Rhodey says, “but accurate.”
He rolls his eyes. Yeah, that definitely reads like Eddie’s general tone on everything. Rhodey lets out another long sigh. “Look, I get why you stopped talking to the guy but people are pissed,” he says and Tony turns to face him, surprised.
“People actually read the article?” he asks. He doesn’t address Rhodey’s actual words because Rhodey might have only noticed a subsection of people, not all of them.
“Read it? Like seven different news papers have picked this story up, its trending on Twitter, and in the last hour I’ve seen dozen of different posts, all with a huge amount of shares, literally calling for Howard’s death. I’m pretty sure this is going to make Eddie’s career,” he says, shaking his head.
People… are paying attention. Tony curls a little tighter into himself, unsure how to handle that.
*
Eddie is trying to cure his hangover with tea when Tony finds him, approaching with some suspicion and Eddie gets that, really. But he sits down across from him at the small table and offers a small smile before it fades. “Didn’t think putting Howard would result in a mass flood of men doing terrible shit being outted and then arrested for being pieces of shit but um. Hey, that’s a cool side effect,” he says.
He nods, “damn right.” Though the response back to it has been somewhat swift, flying in with ‘due process’ this and ‘where’s the proof’ that. Eddie just happened to have a damn air tight set of evidence thanks to Howard’s ballsy carelessness and arrogance. Not everyone has that luck, though. Still, he’s impressed with some of the names on the list but even he’d been surprised to find Carlton Drake on there for the crimes of illegal human experimentation. Dora Skirth has balls of brass for putting that out there. Of course he has a lot of loud annoying fans who think her liking some random rock band is a reason why she’s lying, because those things correlate, obviously, but still.
“You made people listen. Like, to more than just me,” Tony says.
Eddie shakes his head, “actually that was JARVIS. I just wrote a detailed timeline for the events he sent proof of.” And all those clips of Tony talking in interviews too, with nothing taken out of context so no one could accuse him of that either.
“Thank you,” Tony murmurs, looking down at the table like he’s ashamed or something when he shouldn’t be.
“Don’t thank people for doing what’s right- you deserve better than being grateful that someone did what was necessary,” Eddie says, shaking his head.
Tony looks up, “one of the maids at the mansion overheard Howard offer you a stupid amount of money to not print what you had. And a bunch of threats. Every single person before you has caved so yeah, thank you.”
Its still not something he’s going to accept, a fucking thank you for not selling Tony out. Literally. He leans forward, “obviously I didn’t take the money- you’re a fucking person Tony, there’s no price anyone could pay me to knowingly allow that kind of abuse to happen to you. And the threats- whatever. I kind of bluffed and told him your AI would release anything anyways, but still, I already knew all that would happen. I committed to the bullshit that was going to come with that story, and I refuse to let you be grateful that I did what everyone else failed you in doing. That isn’t something I’m owed thanks for, especially when you’re only saying it because everyone else has either treated you or allowed you to be treated abysmally. I don’t get to earn brownie points for not being a piece of shit.”
That’s never something he’s going to accept, being thanked because he did something everyone should do. It’s unacceptable.
Tony shakes his head. “You’re a right-fighting asshole,” he says and Eddie laughs.
“Yeah, that’s a fair criticism,” he says.
Five Years Later:
Tony grins, “I thought you didn’t want to be famous,” he says and Eddie gives him a look. He looks nervous as hell and Tony can only hope that doesn’t come through as strong on video as it does in real life.
“I don’t, this was a terrible idea,” he says, looking around for escape. 
He sighs, “Eddie- technically you’ve done this before. Its the same thing as reporting, but longer. You’ll do fine,” he says, running his hands down Eddie’s arms to try and calm his nerves.
Eddie does that thing where his face recedes into his neck and Tony really hopes he doesn’t do that on camera. He supposes at least the crew can do different takes to ensure he doesn’t look like a demented turtle. “Yeah, I don’t know.”
“Eddie. Its called the Eddie Brock Show- go out there and get your strangely porn-star like lips on that damn camera and tell people who homelessness is bad. Also maybe cut the line about treating supporting vets like a spectator sport until they’re homeless, that’s a pointy even for you,” he says.
The bad advice works and Eddie gives him an offended look, “no, those assholes should learn to either shut their fucking mouths of actually do shit to support vets, not pretend like they give a shit when they’re being blown up and stop caring when they’re home with PTSD because they watched people get blown up. What the hell even is that?” he asks.
“Tell it to the camera,” he says, pushing Eddie towards the set. He goes and across the room the producer looks relieved. Yeah, Tony gets that, Eddie is tough to talk into things when nervous.
Rhodey walks up beside him and smiles a little. “Pepper and I have decided that we approve,” he says and Tony frowns.
“We’ve been together for almost five years,” he points out.
This doesn’t seem to bother Rhodey any. “We needed time to gather our data and we have come to the conclusion that he is off probation and that we approve,” he says, handing Tony a book. He frowns at it. “That’s the list of improvements we have though. I think section three is the most important, but Pepper thinks section eighteen is more important. What the hell does she know, though? I’m cashing in best friend points and telling you to go with three first.”
Tony is going with neither because this is fucking overkill to an extreme not that he’d expect anything less out of Pepper and Rhodey. The first thing they did when Tony brought Eddie home proper was threaten to kill him and Tony had to shoo them off with what should be an obvious explanation that threatening to kill people is fucked up.
“Pepper is also my best friend you know,” Tony points out.
“Yeah, but I’m the best best friend,” Rhodey says. “The OG. Pepper is the compliments version of me.”
Tony lets out a sharp laugh, “oh, I would pay money to hear you tell her that.”
Rhodey shakes his head, “nope, I value my life, do not ever tell her I said that. Section three,” he says, pushing the book closer to Tony.
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pass-the-bechdel · 6 years ago
Text
Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Avengers (2012)
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Does it pass the Bechdel Test?
No.
How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?
Three (23.07% of cast).
How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?
Ten.
Positive Content Rating:
Three.
General Episode Quality:
It’s solid. Unpopular opinion? I don’t think it’s half as good as people made it out to be, back when it first hit cinemas and everyone was swooning. It’s solid, but that’s the best I’ve got for it.
MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:
Passing the Bechdel:
...
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Female characters:
Maria Hill.
Natasha Romanov.
Pepper Potts.
Male characters:
Nick Fury.
Phil Coulson.
Erik Selvig.
Clint Barton.
Loki.
Bruce Banner.
Steve Rogers.
Tony Stark.
JARVIS.
Thor.
OTHER NOTES:
‘free from freedom’ is such a wanky piece of writing, man. It’s absolute nonsense, but it sounds vaguely profound if you don’t think about it at all. I thought about it. It’s idiotic. 
The very first thing we see of Black Widow in this movie is her being hit in the face, wearing a slinky little dress, tied to a chair being interrogated by a bunch of men. We’re supposed to indulge this excuse for hurting and objectifying a woman and then write it off as ‘empowering’ because she beats the Hell outta the dudes a couple of minutes later. That’s not a game I’m interested in playing. This is garbage.
The classical music over the beginnings of the Stuttgart attack is great.
All those German folks so confused by this Loki dude speaking English at them. What a tool.
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard ‘not today’ used as an effective badass declaration. It’s ALWAYS cheesy. Make it stop.
“There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” I don’t really like this line for Steve; he just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would play the ‘one true God’ card, and there was nothing in his origin story which implied that he’s particularly attached to religion at all; plus, he already read the brief on Thor, he knows this is literally the old Norse deity, there’s no question of whether or not they’re dealing with a God here. To argue the point (because he’s not MY God!) is meaningless in context, and feels like a weak attempt to correlate (Christian) faith with being ‘old-fashioned’, like OF COURSE Steve would defend the idea of the ‘one true God’, he’s from the past, not a cool enlightened atheist/agnostic modern man like the rest of us, right?
Thor and Loki are using such archaic phrasing, when Tony makes his ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ joke, it’s...more an observation than a quip. The Asgardians were not half as stuffy in Thor. It makes it seem like someone didn’t bother to see that movie first before writing their version of the characters.
Thor has to fight with the others when he shows up. He’s just gotta.
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Gotta give a nod to Mark Ruffalo’s work here; I feel like I can see the clear comparison between his version of the character and Edward Norton’s in The Incredible Hulk, but at the same time there’s no sense of this being a Norton’s-Banner impression. Ruffalo is doing a sweet job of making the character his own without totally overhauling the template Norton laid down, and I dig it.
Oh, here we are. Loki calls Black Widow a ‘mewling quim’, which is just a fancy way of calling her a whiny cunt. Your gendered slur is still a gendered slur, movie.
I know they’re playing the idea that the sceptre is causing the antagonism between the characters, but fuck, it’s tedious. It just feels like they’re all contrived petty versions of themselves, being shitty because it’s ~dramatic~ for them to not get along.
I didn’t see this movie until months after it was released, and people were raving about how crushed they were by the major character death in the film but they were doing a pretty good job of not spoiling it; good enough that for a moment, I really thought I’d get to enjoy the surprise/horror for myself. You know who spoiled it for me? In a tweet, no less? It was the 44th President of the United States. Thanks, Obama.
This guy is the MVP of this film:
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You can chalk “Son, just don’t,” up on the list of Things Steve Rogers Would Not Say. Just because he’s technically in his nineties doesn’t mean he isn’t still in his twenties in his mind: I don’t buy that he’d go for a blithely patriarchal term like ‘son’, it seems like another poorly-considered attempt to make him sound old-fashioned. Juxtapose that with ‘just don’t’, which is very modern vernacular. It might seem clever to combine the two as a meta-expression of Steve belonging to two different times now, but in practical application it just sounds out-of-character, and there’s nothing clever about that.
I know I said after the last movie that I love it when someone gets hit and flies off-screen in an exaggerated fashion, but Hulk punching Thor off-screen after they finish working together to take down the big beastie is an exception, because there’s no reason for Hulk to decide to hit Thor in the first place, it’s just a gag for the sake of a gag. I can’t believe they messed up such a simple pleasure. 
I will forgive it, in return for Hulk smashing Loki all over the place. That was funny.
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Back when this movie came out, before I saw it, I had people tell me - straight-faced, totally sincere - that it was one of the best movies they had ever seen. The internet was on fire with Avengers love. The film was rated in the IMDb Top 20. Admittedly, that all sets a pretty impossible standard for a movie to meet, and being at least a little disappointed in the result is probably a given. I was not particularly invested either way (I didn’t fall down the Marvel rabbit hole until later), so I didn’t allow myself to go in to my first viewing with such lofty expectations to be crushed, just the general assumption that this was gonna be good, it had to be good, at minimum. And it was that; it’s a good film. It’s entertaining. The plot makes basic essential sense. It’s easy to follow. There are some nice visuals, and most of the special effects are relatively clean, which can be a significant difficulty for big-budget extravaganzas that sometimes/often try to get way too much spectacle bang for their buck, so, a nice win. All in all, The Avengers is not a bad film. Sure is a bland one, though.
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I know, I know, getting all these big-name characters from previous films together in one movie was a serious task and it’s hard to write a well-balanced script for so many leads, blah blah. Let’s put that whole equivocation to bed right now, because I honestly don’t think that balancing the big-name cast was the problem. All of the characters had something to do, no one felt like a random extra, I could quibble about certain places where I really wish things had been plumped up a bit (pretty much everywhere - the film is extremely low on meaningful character beats), but ultimately the characters are fairly evenly presented. What makes this movie bland to me is 1) the way that the personalities of the characters deviate from that established in their previous films, and 2) the simplicity of the story they inhabit. 
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We’ll cover the Avengers themselves first: the good news is, Tony Stark is still Tony Stark. His personality is intact. Bruce Banner is, as noted, not exactly the Bruce Banner we met back in The Incredible Hulk, but that’s both a given and a good thing - the casting change is an improvement. Hawkeye was barely in the MCU previously, so we don’t really have enough to compare him against in order to make a judgment. Black Widow, however, is a bit of a mess; Joss Whedon’s special brand of misogyny is on display from moment one, as noted above (he LOVES writing women being brutalised because ‘how would we know/believe that they’re strong if we don’t get to see them overcoming mistreatment?’ - he tends not to feel the need to ‘prove’ his male characters’ strengths in this way), and Natasha’s personal story for the movie continues in a distinctly gendered vein: as is common for female characters being written by shitty dudes, her arc revolves predominantly around a man (Hawkeye), and she is ‘emotionally compromised’ by her attachment to him. She also zones out in the middle of an action scene and winds up in a corner shaking and traumatised (very out-of-character for a super spysassin), and particular emphasis is placed on all the bad things she’s done in the past and how she should feel bad about it, though no one does more than shrug their shoulders about Clint or Fury or any of the other SHIELD agents who are acknowledged as having dark and dirty pasts. Why is Natasha the one who is singled out to have her morality judged while her ‘arc’ focuses on her inconvenient emotional engagement? You know why. There’s no reason why this particular tack had to be taken in bringing her backstory into the film, and as a result of it we spend little time with Black Widow displaying the kind of cool professionalism and self-assurance she had in Iron Man 2. The inclusion of that vulnerability and backstory doesn’t make her feel more rounded or complicated because it is deconstructing the power and mastery of the character; rather than building upon the foundation set in her previous film visit, we’re questioning the stability of that foundation and seeing if we can get a few pieces of the structure to rattle loose. 
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A big part of the trouble for Thor is that he gets saddled with that poxy Ye Olde Cliche dialogue, and there are few things worse for achieving character consistency than changing the way that they talk: no matter how hard the actor tries to play the character the same, they can’t compensate for the fact that the very structure of their sentences has been remodeled. They can improvise rephrasing the lines and/or argue the point if they want, but it’s hard to challenge every line, and if the director (who, oh look, is also the writer) insists you follow the script verbatim, there’s not a lot you can do with that. Poor Captain America suffers the same fate with the overt attempts to make him sound ‘old-fashioned’ by having him utter words and phrases that he never used in his origin movie. What’s worse is, this stilted dialogue is pretty much the sum total of the film’s acknowledgment of the fact that, oh yeah, Steve just recently woke up from the ice to find that seventy years has passed and nearly everyone and everything he used to know is gone. He has an exchange with Fury in his first scene, about ‘getting back in the world’, but there’s zero follow-up on how he’s handling it, what difficulties there might be, or even just how Steve is feeling about all of this on a basic emotional level. And yes, I am aware that there’s a deleted montage of Steve going about his day being isolated and out-of-touch, and it’s a travesty that they cut it because that’s essential character content, but it’s also a total bare minimum which has zero follow-up. Steve Rogers spends the whole film just being...there, speaking lines that don’t suit him or reflect the personality we just saw in The First Avenger, and not even in an understandable character-development ‘throwing myself into my work to hide from the pain’ kind of way. He’s kinda blandly self-righteous and all-business no-pleasure in exactly the way he was NOT in his origin movie; my impression is that Whedon doesn’t care for the character and wrote him off as the traditional patriotic cliche one might have expected him to be instead of the nuanced character that he actually is. As with Thor and Loki, it feels as if Whedon didn’t bother to watch the previous movies first in order to get a sense of the established characters.
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Speaking of Loki: if there’s one character who really, REALLY suffered a personality change in this script, it’s him. None of what made Loki the highlight of Thor is in evidence here; where that character was a cunning plotter full to overflowing with complex and contradictory feelings for his family and driven to action by that same emotional cascade, this Loki...wants to rule the Earth. Because. He’s, like, crazy, the other characters all say so, even Thor - the only one who actually knows Loki and is fit to assess his mental state - says that his ‘mind is far astray’ (what Thor thinks of that, whether he’s surprised or concerned, whether he feels like he understands why this has happened to Loki or not, is unclear, because, I dunno, Thor having feelings is as inconvenient to the story as Steve having feelings - as Loki snarls derisively about ‘sentiment’, we must remember that being emotionally compromised is dumb and only for women? Hmm). Loki is just a placeholder villain in this film, driven to action by nothing in particular, it’s just a business arrangement with a mysterious third party that coincidentally happens to involve Earth. Loki prattles and hollers a lot about how ruling is his right and people want to be ruled and blah despot blah, and it’s both supremely uninspired, and not true to the character we met in Thor at all - the Loki we know was not obsessed with ruling, his motivations were all about his family standing and the things he was denied within those relationships and their implications. I remember fandom, back when this movie came out, scrambling with various headcanons about Loki losing his mind in the void or being brainwashed, ad nauseum, because no one really seemed to feel like they were watching a logical progression of the same character at all. 
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Now, one of the main ways that the lack of character consistency contributes to narrative blandness is that it disrupts narrative immersion - we’re re-negotiating the way that we engage with the characters, and that distracts from engaging with the story itself. At worst, we may even find ourselves cynical about every decision that a character makes (whether it’s in-character or not), because we’re too aware of the man behind the curtain to buy the act. There are definite shades of that in this film, but the worst of it comes from the whole team-antagonism schtick that is vaguely blamed on ‘Loki’s manipulations’ and the sceptre. The thing is, this all requires the characters to behave out-of-character, and since they mostly already are out-of-character due to bad writing, the exacerbation of that by creating artificial conflict feels like more bad writing, not actual plot. Having the characters initially get along poorly before triumphantly uniting to win the day is such an overused device, it’s easy to construe the conflict as arbitrary, and as it turns out...it is. Loki/the sceptre causing the Avengers to argue doesn’t actually impact the narrative in any meaningful way, since they don’t start a fight or fracture over it, it doesn’t slow down Tony’s efforts to learn what Fury is really up to, nor does it prevent Steve from investigating the same thing in person. Them conflicting with Fury and questioning their decision to work with SHIELD, etc, is a normal thing to have an argument about, no magic-mind-stick required; the only mileage the movie really gets out of the forced-conflict ploy is that Steve and Tony keep pissing on each other, which is extremely OOC for nice-guy Steve and WOULD throw up a big red flag for mental manipulations if the movie weren’t already misrepresenting him as an insufferable stick in the mud anyway, and even for Tony it feels off - he’s generally a jerk as a rule, but he doesn’t pick unprovoked fights - but again, when the movie is already so left-of-centre on so many characters everyone feels off, so it’s easy to assume the characters are just falling victim to contrived drama, and not something in the actual story. As noted, it doesn’t end up mattering where the conflict comes from anyway; the bad news is, it takes until the halfway point of the Goddamn movie before the characters get their prescribed ‘rough patch’ out of the way. The fact that they were just being really annoying for no real reason and without narrative consequence kinda steps on the idea of it being ‘triumphant’ when they all come together at the end to fight Loki, because there was zero reason for the audience to ever legitimately doubt that it would happen, not even in a begrudging-putting-this-genuine-disagreement-aside-so-that-we-can-save-the-world kind of way. It’s just dead air with no weight behind it, and with characters reduced to such cliche versions of themselves that it’s hard to muster the will to care.
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AND SO, we have a movie which, as previously noted, is awfully damn simplistic. That’s not a terrible thing, in and of itself - it’s all about what you do with an idea, and I would posit that a more complicated plot wouldn’t be a great idea here since there are so many primary moving parts in the form of characters to justify. But, the aforementioned griping about the skewy characterisation makes this film a bad candidate for character-over-plot, and if the shenanigans are falling flat, that’s when simplistic plotting becomes a problem. It goes like this: Loki shows up and steals the magic cube (action ensues). The avengers assemble to catch Loki (action ensues). The characters argue on a helicarrier until Loki’s goons show up to wreck shit (action ensues). Loki escapes and goes to New York to use the magic cube to portal an alien army to Earth. Action ensues until the portal is closed and Loki is defeated. The end. I’m not complaining about the action - it’s a standard facet of the genre, and most of it is entertaining enough (though the unnecessary Thor/Iron Man fight I coulda done without, and the battle of New York runs a bit long) - but the plot itself is pretty point-A-to-B-to-C without much in the way of surprises, and like I said, that’s fine so long as you’re delivering in another arena, i.e. STRONG CHARACTER NARRATIVES. And character is sooo far from being this film’s strong suit. The result? Is not very compelling.
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It tends to wind up that, by the time I get to the end of explaining why I think a thing didn’t work (and this is...the abridged version), it maybe seems ridiculous that I’m also saying ‘this thing isn’t that bad’. The truth is, there’s nothing that I think this movie does impressively well, and there are a lot of pretty major things that I think were poorly handled. BUT, I still meant what I said: it’s entertaining. It makes at least basic sense, and flows easily enough. And while I have serious issues with a lot of the characterisation and feel that - though balanced(ish) in handling - the plot failed to take real advantage of any of the character resources at its disposal (except maybe Tony), the actors still brought the goods to the table, and those whom I enjoyed in their previous films (I mean you, Chris Evans) didn’t disappoint, even though the material they were handling did. It’s a solid film, it’s good fun, I don’t regret watching it, and while I am irritated by various aspects, I don’t feel the need to keep ranting about them. And hey; Mark Ruffalo is really very wonderful. They’ve got that going for them.
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realestatecompanyindubai · 2 years ago
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Home Loans in Dubai.
Locating a good property in the Dubai is really a tricky task because it involves lots of financial commitment. Lots of people decide to buy houses with mortgages and loans like a proper method of obtaining a house. It is also a advantageous way that people get their dream house, without getting to bother with being affluent. Thinking about Property is very popular in the area, so many people are adamant to purchase through home loans in Dubai.
One more reason to have an growing number of individuals selecting to purchase qualities through loans may be the abundance of possibilities within the Dubai. The developers of property are presenting more off-plan residential or commercial projects which are very appealing to foreign investors and individuals searching for any home. Nonetheless, affordability is a huge element in the road of investors because of the rising incomes, living costs, and inflation. Therefore, individuals who intend on remaining in UAE for any lengthy-loan period frequently search for loans and mortgages to choose a more flexible approach to investing in a property that will not dent their pockets all at one time!
The difference between Loans and Mortgages?
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It is vital to firstly understand the stark difference between applying for a loan or a mortgage. They both are different and have various conditions from banks.
Loans:
Financing is really a financial contract made between two individuals. The banker pays the customer financial compensation in return for repayment from the loan such as the additional interest.
The debtor accepts to repay loans and return the needed cash based on the conditions from the creditor. Loans take many shapes, for example term loans and revolving loans. All kinds has its own perks and drawbacks and it is used in various funding conditions.
Mortgages:
A home loan is a kind of loan, however, the circumstances from the loan are attached to the home or building. A home loan is an origin of financing in which the rentals are utilized as security, and also the mortgage is around the property itself. This means that because of not satisfying repayment obligations, the creditor has got the authorized authority to get then sell the home.
A home loan can be used to purchase or refinance a brand new house or property, in addition to connect to the equity within an individual’s present home for other purposes. Home purchases could be pricey, and many borrowers don’t have all the funds needed upfront. Therefore, a home loan is a terrific way to balance finances while obtaining property more than a lengthy period.
Are you eligible for Home Loans in UAE?
Loans are an important financial element but will have a summary of needs and types of conditions. If you’re searching to buy a home, rental property, or apartment you need to show your bank statements and budget to demonstrate that loans would be the best brand out there, and you may send them back over time.
However, if you’re trying to get a home loan in UAE, you’ve got to be the official UAE national or resident. You can’t go for mortgages if you’re a new foreign investor or perhaps a customer. Another requirement is you should be between 21 to 65. Anyone more youthful or older doesn’t be eligible for a a home loan based on the government. Lastly, the investor must have a regular monthly revenue of AED 15K when they get a salary and AED 25k for self-employed individuals.
However, the minimum salary for loans is different from bank to bank as every one has various policies. Some banks permit UAE residents with monthly revenue of no more than AED 8k to make use of loans for purchasing a house in Dubai, but it’s mostly still altering based on banks. For non-residents, the supply of loans and mortgages is very rare, however, many banks do take, especially on commercial units or small business ventures buy property in Dubai!
How to find the best Home loan in UAE?
Finding the best Home loan in Dubai is really a complicated task, therefore lots of people rather visit official property agencies and brokers to steer them for the best loan. Thinking about every circumstance differs, and there are a number of loan choices: you should undergo these and discuss conditions rigorously to create a well-informed decision.
With this part, don’t have any worries as Ramarealestate is here now towards the save. The most popular property agency is filled with expert people who are prepared to give great advice based on your requirements of property and loan conditions. If you’re concerned about making the incorrect decision, refer to them as and become comfortable!
Home loan calculator in UAE
There are lots of loan calculators online which could digitally inform you the needed payments including interests along with other factors. One prominent factor includes the house loan rates of interest in UAE. Presently, the eye charges change from 2.99 to five%. The current inclination of real estate market estimates the rates of interest will gradually decrease. They’re presently lowering too, and can further reduce in future years.
Real estate marketplace is constantly altering, and glued minute rates are usually only viable for 2 years. Generally, after 2 yrs there’s a revision of charges. A set-rate deal for 5 years can also be available.
That rates are frequently discovered to be around the greater side, roughly 5%. Variable rate of interest mortgages are another option for mortgage UAE candidates.
Within the finish, cash is difficult to estimate and lots of people cannot predict their financial budgets over time. For experts budgeting precisely is almost impossible. However, for those who have a great grasp from the market and think that rates of interest will fall later on, variable rates of interest are a perfect option. Regardless, something that requires money includes risk, and inside the dynamic housing market, it is usually a secure factor to see a specialist to locate a great property, and loan too!
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dynanatlasalle · 6 years ago
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Old China, New China
This year’s China travel study trip with La Salle students was an incredible travel experience and I was lucky to be a chaperone on the trip. Although we visited many companies as site visits, we visited many cultural and historic attractions as well.
 One of the most memorable experiences for me was observing the contrast of old vs. new in China. The ancient world vs. the modern world of China is very noticeable and it impressed me more than anything on the trip. The old world co-exists with the new world and this adds a cultural perspective that is so interesting it becomes overwhelming to take it all in. The beauty and art of ancient architecture  in China seems to be disappearing but can still be enjoyed in old Shanghai. The design, colors, and architectural details of old structures exist in stark contrast to the new sky scrapers and modern buildings with modern art and landscaping. In my opinion, the new buildings are just as sensational as the old ones for their size and glamour and the skyscrapers reflecting light off the river creates a beautiful scene.
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The old structures and historical sites such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace give us an instant lesson in the history of China. The immense height and length of the Wall is shocking to see for the first time and the fact that it was man made centuries ago broadens the appeal. The views from the top of the Wall are stunning. 
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The contrast between old and new is not only in architecture it is also in lifestyle, communication and shopping. We shopped at Silk Alley which is a collection of stores similar to a shopping mall but many of the “boutiques” sell knockoffs of designer brands.  The most interesting part of the shopping experience is the haggling and negotiating of prices. The merchandise and retail space is modern but everything in these stores requires negotiating on price like a local, old fashioned marketplace.
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The most impressive of all contrasts I observed in China was the use of WeChat for shopping payments. WeChat is used by everyone in China for all communication and payments. The use of WeChat is so extensive that even rural farmers have QR codes on their produce carts and expect WeChat payments instead of cash! We observed farmers with their produce carts in the cities and their QR codes are displayed prominently on their old fashioned produce carts attached to their bicycles.
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As I have said in previous posts, travel enriches our lives in many ways. The trip to China gave all of us an opportunity to learn about a very different culture in a very different country with a very different way of life and a very different history.
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ellisfinejewelersnc · 4 years ago
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Discover exactly What Adam4adam Is. With all the occasion regarding the Web, homosexual web sites began to arise.
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about.
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xiaoning-pan · 4 years ago
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How Wechat and Weibo can be used in marketing?Are they the same?
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WeChat and Weibo are the most popular social media platforms in China. About enhancing connections and making a web valuable means for efficient communication, the platforms are quite similar. However, there are stark differences regarding how they are designed as well as how they operate. Therefore, it is important for marketers to understand how the two platforms can be used in marketing. 
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Weibo
Weibo has about 600 million users, inclusive 400 million businesses. It is more open, visible, and faster. One person or a company can have as many followers as possible because it operates on the basis of "one to many". Therefore, it is more suitable for mass marketing. More specifically, it can be used for brand building or creating brand awareness in the market. Regarding the content, texts are limited to 140 characters; however, users can attach long-form content, including videos and pictures. As such, marketers can create videos, GIFs, or even audio and accompany it with a 140-character text to enrich their marketing content. Notably, since Weibo messages are open and public, there are significant chances of content going viral. Another key feature is the hashtag. Users can easily find brands or content through hashtagging, thus increasing the chance of content going viral. 
Regarding demographics, Weibo is dominated by the young generation. Specifically, 70% of its users are aged 30 or below.  As such, it is the ideal platform to reach the youths segment in the Chinese market. Moreover, the fact it is compatible with both computers and mobile phones; Weibo can be used to target a large and diverse audience. Lastly, it allows the scheduling of posts. Brands can design their messages and schedule them for posting at the ideal time.
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WeChat
WeChat has about a billion registered accounts and over 600 million users. Unlike Weibo, WeChat is designed for private conversations or rather one-to-one connections. Also, depending on the type of account, users are limited in terms of the number of posts they can make in a day. Additionally, unlike Weibo, WeChat is used on mobile. Therefore, WeChat is more suitable for targeted marketing. Marketers can customize their ads and content to a specific demographic and initiate more like one-to-one communications. Also, since WeChat is relationship-focused, marketers can use it to build a loyal customer base. On the same note, WeChat is ideal for Customer relationship management (CRM).
Another unique feature of WeChat is virtual stores. It allows users to create virtual stores in which customers can make purchases and payments within WeChat. As such, it is more effective for direct marketing, especially when the brand has a virtual store within the app. Noteworthy, direct marketing can be more effective since WeChat has unique features that allow users to make a voice or video call. Furthermore, brands can create subscription accounts through which they can send information and message in the form of news and feature stories. Lastly, regarding demographics, WeChat has a higher penetration in the 1st tier and 2nd tier cities. As such, it is more effective in targeting urban segments.
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Finally, in order to distinguish the differences more clearly, I used my real social media account to take screenshots of Maserati's WeChat and Weibo content. First of all, it can be seen from the picture that the advertising content of Maserati's Weibo account is more official. Most of the content they sent was about the launch of new cars, engine details, horsepower improvements and so on. This is for mass marketing, which is to attract more customer attention in the form of "One to many" and enhance brand awareness. However, customers cannot directly make any purchases on Weibo or ask for details about product sales. 
Coming to WeChat, the picture shows Maserati Manhattan’s WeChat account. When Asian customers who are interested in products visit the store or do service for their car, they will actively add friends and communicate with customers in a one-to-one manner. In this way, targeted marketing can be carried out. Marketers can better understand customers' hobbies in order to customize advertising and content. At the same time, they used WeChat's unique function to create a virtual store. In the post they would update the inventory from time to time. Customers with purchase needs can directly use WeChat to communicate, customize, sign agreements, and even make payments. Maserati's use of WeChat is very effective in enhancing customer interaction, and at the same time it is very good for direct marketing. Meanwhile, professional marketers team use it deal with CRM and to build a loyal customer base. The last interesting thing I want to share is that my first Maserati was purchased from Manhattan Maserati using WeChat. Their service is meticulous, and they even send gifts to me in the United States according to Chinese holidays.
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welldresseddadblog · 6 years ago
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Northampton is home to most of what remains of the traditional British shoemaking industry. Evocative names still have their factories here, some in their original buildings, some in modern ones. Some have changed owners, some are still family owned. Some have existed since the 1800s, others a bit newer. What hasn’t changed though are the traditional ways of making quality shoes. Hence, when heading to the UK for an Easter holiday I saw the opportunity to sneak in a day visiting a shoe factory or two in Northampton. First out is the Grenson factory!
The modern factory that Grenson moved into in 2013.
The Grenson company has been in the business of shoes since 1886 when William Green set up the business. Initially having his workforce do their work in their homes and later in 1874, as business picked up and the industrial revolution unfolded, moving into factory premises. By 1895 the business had grown enough to establish a purpose-built new factory, and remarkably this is where the company stayed right through to 2013 when they moved into the current factory. During the passing 118 years the company become one of the first to register a trademark, when William Green and Son became Grenson, produced thousands of boots and shoes for the British and allied troops in two wars and continued doing their thing right up to the days when cheap Eastern imports made it harder and harder for British made quality to compete.
The rejuvenated Grenson came about in 2010 when shoe designer Tim Little bought out the owners and kickstarted the new and revitalised Grenson.
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All excited upon arrival at Grenson in Rushden!
An introduction to current Grenson products courtesy of Alison Hargreaves, head of press. Michael “Tintinfellow” Hallinger had joined us for the visit.
Our tour started with an intro in the Grenson showroom, where all the classic and new models are displayed. A wide range indeed, spanning the stalwarts of the brand, such as the country brogues, up to the up to date fashion models. This really brings home the dual nature of what a company like Grenson does today. On the one hand, there are the trends, the fashions and innovations, on the other hand, the fact that the company has been around since 1866 and there are certain expectations of shoes you must make.
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A classic Archie brogue on a commando sole.
Hiking boots from the current trend line.
The Vibram-soled brogues have become a modern classic.
It’s also worth noting that there are various categories of Grenson shoes and it may be helpful to be aware of these. These are G:Zero, the highest level currently, G:One, fully made in the Northampton factory, G:Two, made in Grensons factory in India and G:Lab, custom variants made in Northampton.
We were lucky enough to visit on a day when all the major operations were manned, so we were allowed to follow the process of creating quality Goodyear welted shoes from the very start to the final touches. I’ve visited shoe factories before and I’m quite familiar with the processes involved. This doesn’t stop me being deeply fascinated with how a pair of shoes come together, the machinery that is used and the dedication to the craft from all involved.
Please notice that there will be a number of still photos from the process, but there is also a video right at the end showing a number of the processes.
A vintage Singer machine in the Grenson factory.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the machinery is that there are so many machines that are each dedicated to one totally specific task, be it putting an eyelet in the upper, folding and glueing an edge or just cutting the channel for a hidden seam. And even in a modern factory like this, it’s not as if the machines are all shiny and new either. Most of the machines in use are more or less antiques, but properly built and maintained they’re still performing flawlessly, dozens of years past the expiry of their warranty. This is in stark contrast to the totally modern premises, offering modern conveniences and healthy and safety aspects.
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An overview of the production line, basically down the left side and up the right side.
Phil Gray, production administrator, proved a knowledgeable and engaging guide.
The production line seen from the works floor.
The process starts with the various leather pieces being cut by the “clicker”. I’ve often wondered where this name comes from and finally found out. Traditionally the patterns for the shapes to be cut are made with a brass edge and when these are placed upon the leather and cut with a freshly sharpened knife, there is a clicking sound as the knife reaches the edge. Nowadays it’s rare to cut in this manner, and Grenson only does this for the highest end shoes. It’s more common to use a hydraulic press and cookie-cutter shapes, or even computer controlled lasers. It still takes the experienced human eye to discern and avoid any flaws in the hide. This is very important, as a missed flaw may make itself known later in the process and can mean all the work done has been wasted. Flaws can be damage from barbed wire fences, insect bites and even stretch marks.
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A partial view of the leather storage. Custom orders require a large range of hides to be available.
The clicker has to carefully inspect a hide before cutting, to ensure no flaws reach production, while at the same time ensuring the hide is utilised as fully as possible.
The pile of cuttings on the floor show the diversity of hides cut!
One the various pieces of the leather uppers have been cut, they are sent on to be marked up. This involves adding instructions for the sewing stations, where to start the seam, the path to follow and where to end. As is the case for most of these operations, you only get one go to get it right, so it saves time for everyone if it’s done right the first time! Before sewing the pieces together, any brogueing is added using a hole punch machine. Definitely a task for someone with a steady hand!
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There are small tasks and large tasks while going through the process. Assembling the uppers is one of the larger while adding eyelets is a smaller one. Both require total precision for the end result to be acceptable. Stop for a moment to appreciate that there is a dedicated machine to punch the hole for the eyelet, while actually adding the metal. Whallop! Eyelet is done. Oh, and appreciate the line of loafers waiting to have their tassels tied. By hand.
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At this stage, there are a lot of odd-looking half-shoes hanging around, waiting to be given the necessary foot-shape and having soles added. I spotted this varied selection which gives an inkling to the different styles that pass through the factory!
The next big step in the process is to shape the uppers over the foot-shaped block known as the last. In fact, the process is called lasting. This involves using machines to stretch the leather over the last, toes first, heel next and then the side. Once the leather is shaped, it must be fastened in place.
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After lasting we move on to the actual welting process. This is where the shoe really starts to come together, i.e. the upper part is fastened to the sole through a combination of glue and sewing, a process known as the Goodyear welt. The following photos show the sole already glued in place (see the video for a detail of this process) and the cut is made to prepare for a closed channel sole, where the stitching is made in the cut, then closed to me it invisible. The last of the three shows the proud inventor of the Triple Welted sole, a Grenson exclusive. Remarkable in that it was not one of the shoe designers that came up with it, but the actual chap that is in charge of the welting process.
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Once the soles are properly attached it’s time for the heels to be attached, most commonly using glue and brass nails. When attached the heels are overside, so the next step is to grind them down to the correct size. After this is done, the sides of the sole and heel are stained to a uniform and suitable colour.
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Right at the end of the line, the finished shoes come together for laces and a final polish, before quality inspection and boxing. Following the process from start to finish, literally from a roll of leather hide through to immaculately crafted shoes, is a remarkable experience and seeing all the work that goes into them gives an understanding of the tradition and craft that making these shoes entails.
Grenson also offers a refurbishment service for their footwear. This can be anything from a simple repair to a full resole, to even a full restoration. I noticed these photos of a worst-case restoration on the Wall of Fame at the factory. The transformation is truly remarkable!
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Customers shoes being given the final polish after being refurbished at Grenson.
There is also a video that shows a number of the processes, this can be viewed here!
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And that concludes my visit to the Grenson shoe factory in Northamptonshire. Thanks to Tim Little for arranging it, and Alison and Phil for being gracious hosts!
If you enjoyed this, you’ll probably also like my article about visiting the William Lennon boot factory!
I recently had the opportunity to visit the Grenson shoe factory in Northamptonshire. Here is my report from the visit. @grensonshoes @timlittlecom #grenson #goodyearwelted #madeinbritain #brogues #shoes #shoeporn #timlittle Northampton is home to most of what remains of the traditional British shoemaking industry. Evocative names still have their factories here, some in their original buildings, some in modern ones.
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hodldrgn-blog · 6 years ago
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New Post has been published on https://cryptomoonity.com/community-update%e2%80%8a-%e2%80%8aoctober-2018/
Community Update — October 2018
Community Update — October 2018
Community Update — October 2018
And if you celebrate, Happy Halloween to you! Here’s what we were up to in October.
Technical Update
eWallet Suite
This month, the eWallet Suite team managed to cover quite a bit of ground as well as prepare themselves for Devcon IV.
eWallet Application
As complex as it was, the eWallet settings feature was finalized. The team fixed some bug issues with the preloaded exchange pairs, which weren’t loading properly, improved the transaction flow to our iOS point of sale application, released iOS SDK 1.1.0-beta2 and implemented a support transaction request for an admin module on the Android SDK.
Android Point of Sale Applications
For Android, the version number and endpoint address to the profile and sign in pages were added to the Client Application. A balance detail page was implemented as well as primary token setting ability. To improve navigation flow, the team has switched to the Android Navigation Component. Support for transaction requests on the Client Application has been implemented and a new sub-app dedicated to load testing was added.
iOS Point of Sale and SDK
A number of key features in the merchant Point of Sale application were added, including, but not limited to, the app icon, launch screen, receive funds and top up. Error handling was improved and the team started to add admin endpoints in the iOS SDK. Other support functions added include transaction request/consumption flow in the admin SDK, swift 4.2 in the SDK and Point of Sale applications and base files for the Point of Sale application.
What’s in store…
Next month, the eWallet Suite will be working on the following features:
Admin permission matrix
Transaction auditing
Improving error reporting
Additions to iOS and Android Point of Sale apps
Again, you can always follow the eWallet Suite team’s progress on Waffle board.
For more details, read our eWallet Suite updates here:
eWallet Update October 29, 2018: the “And my axe” edition
eWallet Update October 15, 2018: the “Mr. Stark? I don’t feel so good…” edition
Plasma
Development
This past month, we were focused on getting the Watcher API ready for deployment on our internal testnet. For those who aren’t familiar, the watcher is a critical component for building apps and for securing the network. In other words, anyone building an app will need to deploy their own watcher. We worked on the deployment tooling and carried out performance improvements to the watcher syncing process and detection of faults (invalid blocks, invalid exits, block withholding).
Quantstamp provided preliminary audit feedback revealing a potential attack vector in our Plasma MVP root chain contracts that opens up the possibility that client nodes will consider the child chain invalid and trigger a mass exit. This issue has since been addressed along with other recommendations. We will release audit results once they are finalized.
Research
LearnPlasma
Adding new content to the LearnPlasma website just became a whole lot easier as it is now generated automatically from markdown files.
We invite you to help out with open issues — there are plenty, and community feedback is always welcomed. Also, get paid for contributing to open source work. GitCoin bounties usually get attached onto issues.
Plasma Cash
Our Plasma Cash research continues. We’ve been working with other researchers to simplify atomic swap protocol which builds off Vitalik’s atomic swaps and defragmentation work.
In tackling the problem of large histories in Plasma Cash, we’ve been spending more time with RSA accumulators, which are used to decrease size of proofs users need to send when transferring tokens to each other. We will share updates on this as we get further. In the meantime, people are starting to put these ideas into practice.
Generalized Plasma
Right now, app agnostic plasma chains are the holy grail of plasma research and they are incredibly hard to build. We found ourselves at MIT where we participated in a large research workshop to address some of the underlying problems that make generalized plasma hard. As a first step to formalizing plasma, we spent some time trying to come up with a definition. What is plasma? We then had discussions around how generalized plasma chains should actually represent smart contracts.
For more details on Plasma work, read our updates from the links below. They also include notes from the Plasma Implementers’ calls:
Plasma Update #6 — October 22, 2018
Plasma Update #5 — October 8, 2018
State of the OMG Ecosystem + Roadmap
In our recent blog post, we attempt to summarize the different elements of OmiseGO and the OMG ecosystem, capture key developments over the past months and provide some information on where we’re going — this to provide our audiences some context. It might seem like a repeat of the Official Guide, but this is more succinct and offers updates. Additionally, we included an updated roadmap with key milestones. We’ve been working with community members as well on the OMG project tracker to track progress on a smaller timescale. Do check that out and read the full blog post here.
Omise Holdings in the news
Omise receives investment from Japan’s Global Brain
© 2018 Omise Holdings
Our parent company, Omise Holdings announced that it successfully raised an undisclosed funding amount. As part of the B++ series, the investment is led by Japan’s largest private venture capital, Global Brain, with participation from 31 VENTURES, CVC arm of Mitsui Fudosan and returning Indonesian venture capital, SMDV. Omise Holdings and Global Brain are already in partnership on several ongoing foundational projects including the Ethereum Community Fund (ECF) and blockchain focused co-working space, Neutrino. Read more here. This funding round was carried out by Omise Holdings, but the funds will be used to support all of their projects including OMG.
Past events
Nervos Meet Up, San Francisco, October 8, 2018
© 2018 Nervos Network
We were invited to speak at the Nervos Network meet up in San Francisco alongside SKALE Labs, Celer Network, SpankChain and Alacris. It was an educational evening to say the least. Our Director of Plasma Research was there share insights on the latest developments and breakthroughs in scaling solutions, in particular, Layer 2 solutions that operate on top of existing blockchains.
Watch the full clip here.
Status Hackathon, CryptoLife, October 26–28, 2018, Prague
Plasma 101! We were there alongside Status, MakerDAO, Gitcoin POA Network and MyBit, among others. It was an educational event to say the least. We provided an overview of Plasma, then progressed to Plasma MVP and Plasma Cash.
In classic hackathon style, the venue was open all night; participants broke off into groups to either work on proper hacks, or just absorb that magical hackathon energy as they tried frantically to finish their Devcon4 slides.
DEVCON IV, October 30–2 November, 2018, Prague
We will be at Devcon IV in Prague. If you’re attending, stop by our booth to say hi. This year, we are co-boothing with Hoard Exchange. This year’s agenda is packed with many interesting talks covering a range of topics, workshops and tracks including a talk on the illusion of neutrality in system design by Kelvin; a Plasma talk by Kelvin and David; a live Plasma implementers call; and of course, a very special keynote featuring Stewart Brand and two OMG veterans.
Upcoming events
Singapore Fintech Festival, 12–16 November, 2018
Meetup — Decentralise the future: real world use-cases, 14 November 2018
NODE Tokyo 2018, 19–20 November, 2018
Community Update — October 2018 was originally published in OmiseGO Network on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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flyingbirdwithnowings · 6 years ago
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Bright Part 2
Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader
Summary: An accident and an new set of uncontrollable powers bring you into a brand new world of superheros and especially close to the red and blue clad spiderman.
Word Count: 2.5K
Note: Thanks to anyone who is reading this. This is really the first I am writing fan fiction so we will see how it goes. I have had this idea for a while and finally go around to writing it. I plan on doing a long series with this, but know that I might suck at updating. Thanks!
Part 1 Part 2
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Beeping. You couldn’t see anything but you could hear a lot of beeping and some muffled voices. You started to open your eyes slowly, squinting at the bright fluorescent lights above you. You opened your eyes fully and surveyed the room around you. You were in a hospital bed and with monitors and an IV drip attached to your arm. You moved yourself up in bed and groaned. Everything ached on your body and you felt exhausted. Most of all, you felt hungry. You leaned over and pressed the buzzer next to your bed and ten seconds later a nurse rushed in.
“Oh good, you’re awake. All the nurses on the floor were worried about you. Especially when you were dropped off by Spider Man. How are you feeling?” The nurse spoke to you in a such a nonchalant way as if this sort of thing happened all the time.
“Wait what? I just, I mean I feel crappy but I’m ok, I could really go for something to eat-no no wait, what happened to me? The last thing I remember was holding some weird weapon in my hands. Then I think it exploded…”
You finally came to the realization of what happened. God, you were so stupid to pick that thing up. The nurse walked over to your bed and looked at and started adjusting the monitors while explaining,
“Yesterday, Spider Man showed up in our ER carrying you. You had been knocked out from a blast and had lots of burn marks on you, but you didn’t actually have any burns. We brought you in to start treating you but then Tony Stark showed up, of all people-”
“Wait, why was Tony Stark here?”
“He and and a bunch of men in suits came in with some doctors not from this hospital, I’m guessing they were on his payroll. I was ushered in with one other nurse to a back room to help the doctors with equipment. I don’t know why then needed so much when you had only been knocked out, but they kept using different tools to monitor different things on you. You had only been knocked out and concussed, but the a couple times in the night, all the monitors had gone crazy, you heart rate skyrocketing for a minute. Then all the monitors would shut off completely, like someone had pulled the plug, and your heart rate you go back down to normal. It was strange. There seemed to be nothing we could do for you but you were completely normal after the fits. We reset the monitors and went back to watching you. Stark and all his suits and doctors packed up and left around midnight. THey put you in this room and said that we could release you as soon as you woke up.” She said everything quickly and up beat as if she was gossiping about an office romance and not about a huge accident that involved a billionaire and a web slinging superhero.
“...Ok… so I can just go? I won’t have anymore fits? Do I have to pay for anything, because I only have student insurance and it’s pretty crappy.”
“Yes, Starks doctors cleared you last night when they left. Also, the bills have been covered by Stark as well.”
Your mouth dropped open at that sentence. You had figured out from that conversation that the weapon that had exploded on you had been one of the alien weapons from the NYC fight a few years back. You guessed that Tony Stark showed up with his people because he was in charge of the clean up initiative and he wanted to make sure that the injuries from the blaster weren’t going to cause you to melt into a radioactive blob. Thank god he was paying for the bills because you definitely didn’t have the money and it was definitely not your fault for having the blaster explode in your hands. It still was a lot to take in, but you wanted to get out of there, out of the whole hospital and back to your apartment where you could actually relax.
The nurse removed the IV from your arm and took off the other wires that were connected to the monitors next to the bed.
“You can leave as soon as you get dressed, unless you would like to stay for a couple of hours. You have the bed until three.” You looked at the clock on the bedside table and read it was 11:30. You noticed an white card next to the clock and leaned over to pick it up.
“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention,  while you were being treated by Stark’s doctors, Spider Man waited for you in the waiting room. When Stark left, he left that note and headed out as well. Oh it’s so cool to see so many avengers is one day,” the nurse said excitedly before she exited the room.
You looked down at the blank card in your hands and opened it. The message looked to be hastily scribbled in pen. It read,
I’m so sorry for what happened. The doctors say you will be ok which is a huge relief. Once again I am so sorry for not stopping that guy sooner. I have to go but I hope you get better soon.
-Your friendly neighborhood Spider Man
A small smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as you pored over the words. You folded the card up and pushed yourself off the bed and onto your feet. You threw your shirt and jacket on and pulled up you jeans over your hips, stuffing the card into you back pocket. You made your way down the hall and into the elevator. As you pushed the button for the ground floor, the lights flickered and went out in the elevator.
“This sucks. I've had so much bad luck in the last 24 hours.” You jabbed you finger at the the first floor button a couple of times and the lights flickered back on, the elevator moving on its way. The doors opened and you quickly exited the building.
It was a brisk fall day in New York, causing you to pull you jacket up a little higher around your neck. You took out your phone a googled the nearest subway station and saw that you had a long walk to go. You made your way as quickly as you could, wanting to get home and change your clothes and sleep away all the excitement from the last day.
You slowed at a crosswalk as the light changed, allowing for speeding cars the pass in front of you. As you waited, you leaned your hand on the lamppost next to you. As soon as you hand made contact, there was a loud POP and you looked up to see what had happened. All the stop lights in the intersection had gone out, including the crosswalk sign. There was a moment of hesitation, then there was havoc with every car attempting to go a the same time. You stared in awe as the cars piled up in the middle of the street, honking and yelling at each other. You quickly crossed the street, weaving between the stopped cars and panicking at the scene in front of you. Everything just seemed to go awry that day, and there was nothing you could do about it other than go home and hope a nap would erase all the bad luck.
To add on top of everything, you were starving and starting to come down with a headache. Things were just not going your way. You were so distracted by your own thoughts you almost missed the entrance to the subway. You made your way to the platform and hopped in the car in front of you. Right before your stop, all of the lights on the train went out and the train stopped. A few seconds later, all the cars lit up and started moving again. You blamed in on the crappy state of the whole NYC subway system and paid no mind to it, just a blip on your radar. The doors slid open and you ran up the stairs to the exit, taking two at a time. You emerged out into the sidewalk and saw a huge scene before you.  Nothing seemed to be going right for you.
The entire sidewalk, reaching back half of the block, was blocked off by barricades and and yellow tape. Within the sectioned off area were dozens of workers, scientists to the looks of it, taking samples and using devices that seemed to measure radiation of some kind, all emitting beeps periodically. You moved closer and saw the state of the sidewalk and wall in front of the scientists. By the looks of it, it seemed like a bomb had gone off, concrete crumbling, black scorch marks running up the brick and plaster, and a large crater in both the ground and the wall. A few yards down was a pop up tent with larger devices and machines arranged in an arc. You walked right up to the barricade so you could get a better look at what was in the tent. You moved around a couple of onlookers and could finally see what was in the center of the covenant of machines.
A blackened electrical box was sitting there in the middle of the crater that stretched the street, beaming in the spotlights that were shining down on it. The weirdest part of everything was that it seemed completely untouched by whatever explosion had gone off, other than the black burn marks crawling up the sides. The box seemed familiar to you, causing your head to hurt as your mind tried to reach for the memory. You moved closer to a man in a suit on the other side of the barricade and asked,
“What happened here?
The man was texting on his phone and didn’t look up when he responded.
“Electrical explosion. Nothing unusual.”
“Are you sure? I didn’t think that electricity could cause this much damage-”
A surging pain went through your head at that moment that made your knees weak. You supported yourself with your hand on the barricade.
The suited man looked up from his phone and glared at your hand.
“Miss, you can’t be-” His face turned from from annoyance to shock and paled as his eyes moved to your face.
“Uhh.. uh miss y-you can’t be here. Your supposed to still be at the hospital…”
He awkwardly tried to climb over the barricade, half falling in the process. You had barely noticed because of the stabbing pain growing in your head. You had no idea why it kept getting worse.
The man, after stumbling over the temporary wall, moved toward you and braced your shoulders, pushing you away from the scene and to the curb. You squirmed under his grip, any kind of touch making you even more uncomfortable in the already bad situation. You tripped over your feet and caught yourself on the lamppost to the left of you.
At that moment, everything seemed to fall to chaos.
Above you, all the street lamps on the block surged, then exploded, spraying glass on the oncomers below. You ducked and covered your head as people screamed and scrambled away. Traffic stopped as the crowd spilled out onto the street. Workers inside the barricades raced around to the various machines that were going haywire, beeping incessantly and flashing all sorts of colored lights. Cars hocked and people yelled.
Even through all of the chaos, the pain in your head subsided, allowing you to actually stand up to look around you. You surveyed the stampede around you and noticed the man in the suit who was holding you before had backed away and was staring at you in fear. He then leaned down and pushed a button on his phone, causing it to flash red. He then ran off, jumping over the barricade and running down the street towards a group of scientists huddling outside a parked van.
You wanted to follow him but your were distracted by a bright light in your peripherals. You looked down and were stunned to see your hands as the source of the light. Electricity was dancing along your fingers as you outstretched your hands to get a better look at them. The people around you stared at your hands and looked at you in terror. They tried to get away faster, making you afraid of the electricity emitting from your finger tips and causing you to back away.
As you took a few steps back, you bumped into a parked car behind you. Your hands leaned back to brace yourself, but that only made things worse. At your touch, the car came to life. The alarm went off and was deafening, while all the lights in the car flashed and the windshield wipers went crazy. The flashing kept getting faster and the horn louder, until it suddenly died, shutting off in an instant.
You stepped away, your hands even more alit then they had been been before.You could feel all the energy coursing through you, not hurting you but giving you a sense of euphoria. You were so distracted by your hands that you failed to notice the light in the sky speeding toward you or the sound of blasting engines.
You heard a loud metallic thud and looked up to find you face to face with Iron Man, his hands faced towards you and his repulsors pointed at you.
“Oh dear Y/N, what did we say about sticking out hands in electrical sockets?”
You stared at the billionaire in the metal suit in shock. On top of the new shock of zappy electric hands, you were now seemingly an enemy of Iron Man.
“I… just.. W-what…”
“It’s ok, just put your phone charging hands down. It’s alright.”
You hadn’t noticed you put your hands up in defense, electric charges arching off your fingers.
“I d-don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what happened. It just… it just happened…”
Iron Man took a step forward.
“That’s ok, you’re just going to come with me--”
“No don’t hurt me!”
You raised your hands higher and a large arc of electricity burst out and struck Iron Man, knocking him back.
He immediately rose into the air and blasted you with his repulsor.  You covered your face, but you weren’t hit. Instead, your body absorbed the blast and grew in energy. You dropped to the ground and backed away in fear, afraid that you might get a missile next.
“Now that’s new. Ok miss battery, your coming with me.”
Iron Man then flew down to you and picked you up in his arms
“No--don’t--” you fought against his arms, trying to push away so you would not accidentally hurt him. He tightened his grip until suddenly, you touched the arc reactor in the middle of his suit.
In that moment, everything lit up around you and new power ran through you. The feeling inside you was the most intense it had ever been before, growing even still. Everything was surging and blasting and-
BOOM
You were knocked back and everything went black.
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netunleashed-blog · 6 years ago
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County Cricket: The 'Take That' influence and how the 'Hundred' could change game
http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=10440 County Cricket: The 'Take That' influence and how the 'Hundred' could change game - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=10440 Lancashire's Emirates Old Trafford home ground has hosted music concerts for more than two decades, with bands and artists such as Take That, Beyonce and David Bowie featuringA 7.8m-tall elephant and the vocals of Gary Barlow were the sight and sound of salvation for one of the world's oldest first-class cricket clubs.Almost a decade ago, Old Trafford hosted iconic British pop group Take That for five nights, with their Circus Tour bringing 250,000 concertgoers to the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club and delivering desperately needed income.The loss of Test match status in 2009, later coupled with the burden of trying to upgrade rundown facilities and a legal fight over the ground's development left the club on the verge of collapse."People talk of rain in Manchester, but it really was a perfect storm. The nadir was losing Test match status in 2009," Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney told BBC Sport."Without a doubt, if it wasn't for concerts this club would have disappeared."Seven years later, a first-class county almost did go under.Durham were forced to accept a £3.8m aid package from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to help manage debts in 2016. It was a deal that saw the club relegated from Division One of the County Championship, and lose the right to stage Test cricket. Girl band Little Mix are providing the soundtrack of the summer at a number of County Championship grounds, with concerts at Derbyshire, Northampton and Sussex all in JulyTales of financial trouble, counties turning to off-field business to stay afloat, the importance of international cricket to fund the domestic game and the need for the ECB to prop up clubs are commonplace.New research from Sheffield Hallam University looking at the financial state of the county game and its future says it is "a picture of poor financial health". Other findings included...11 of the 18 counties had levels of debt that were "a cause for concern" in 2016There is a stark divide between clubs that host international cricket and those that do notThe new 100-ball competition could open that gap furtherSports finance experts looked at the available balance sheets of the 18 first-class counties for the three years from 2014 to 2016. They found there was an "over-reliance" on income from the ECB - which is largely made of revenue generated by international cricket and broadcast deals. They discovered just one club, Glamorgan, would have made a profit without ECB income being taken into account.In the cases of five counties - Middlesex, Worcestershire, Kent, Derbyshire and Leicestershire - the average ECB incomes made up more than half of their total revenue.While each of those clubs generated averages of less than £5.2m, the ECB's financial support for other clubs - such as Surrey, Warwickshire and Lancashire - made up just a fraction of their income.The study highlights that there are "isolated examples of clubs doing well" and that there is a "polarisation between the counties that host international cricket and those that don't".Dr Dan Plumley, a senior lecturer in sport business management at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "Cricket is fairly unique in this country in the sense that the ECB is one of only governing bodies that gives central grant money to the individual clubs."But there is a reliance on that money."It is obviously great that the ECB provides it, it is one of their remits - they are doing their job in terms of looking after the county side of the game."But should they be looking at budgeting on the worst case scenario and look to become more sustainable as individual clubs?"In a statement, an ECB spokesperson said they "will continue to do what is best for the health of the game in the long-term".The statement continued: "That does include seeking a financial return as well as investing in our first-class counties as local centres of cricketing excellence."Each of these will continue to play a critical role in developing talent for our national teams, building a bigger and more diverse following for all our domestic competitions and strengthening links with the wider recreational game."'Sport does not pay the bills' When Gidney started his job at Lancashire in 2012, he recalls they were "coming off the back of a four-year run of cumulative losses of £9m".Advanced sales of £4.5m for the 2013 Ashes Test helped keep them afloat that year, but that money was gone before Gidney even arrived.It was not the first time they had come perilously close to ruin."Having Take That play here five nights in a row was worth an enormous amount of money and the club couldn't have survived without it," said Gidney of a club and venue that has staged concerts for more than two decades and which will host singer Liam Gallagher in August."A lot of the purists perhaps don't like that fact that concerts are coming more into cricket grounds, but it became an integral part of the business model here."Sport for 18 to 25 days a year does not pay the bills - six days a year of international cricket determined whether we lived or died in that year. When I got here, I sat with the team and said 'OK, deep breath, we have to be more than this'."'Cricket at heart, business on the mind'Lancashire wanted to be "completely financially sustainable outside international cricket" by 2020, and Gidney says they have "pretty much" achieved that two years early.Following a 10-year, £60m ground development, which included the construction of The Point conference space and a new hotel, the club - which is again regularly hosting Test and international matches - now generates about half of its turnover from non-cricket business. "Cricket is at our heart, but we have to have business on our mind," Gidney said."We have an engine now, a revenue monster from the conference, events and hotel side that will fund domestic cricket."While Lancashire's approach is not unique in the game - and with Surrey leading the way - Gidney says some will still "rely" on ECB income."There are some clubs that are proactive and innovative and others that aren't and want the cheque," he said.'The 100-ball double-edged sword' Fees paid to first-class counties are one of the ECB's "main areas of expenditure" according to their financial report published in March 2017For the next seven years, at least, that income is secure thanks to a new five-year broadcast deal worth £1.1bn running from 2020 to 2024. It is a deal heralded as a "game changer" by ECB chief executive officer Tom Harrison. And every county will be guaranteed an additional £1.3m per year from the new eight-team, city-based 100-ball competition from 2020."It comes attached with a double-edged sword," Plumley warns. "If the TV deal allows the ECB to increase the central income to clubs then is there a danger of clubs becoming more reliant on that than ever before."Moreover, Plumley said fears about the creation of "super counties" should be taken seriously, as the financial divide between the haves - those who host Test cricket and are in line to host a franchise in the new competition - and its have-nots is already stark."The new franchise league could starve the smaller counties of even more income and put it in the pockets of the international ground counties," said Plumley.Gidney disagrees and stressed they are "absolutely fully part of the 18-club county game". "As for the Hundred, we are a host and it's not a Lancashire team - it's owned by the ECB and we will work with them to support it. How can that mean we are suddenly a super club?" said Gidney. "In many ways the perceived threat for county clubs is the same for us as it is for Kent or Northants, and at the end of the day it is a different brand that is growing and developing in our venue."In a statement, the ECB said franchise venues, like awarding the 2023 Ashes series, were "agreed" through a major venue awards process and will help "attract the widest audience and provide the best experience"."Partnerships, involving all 18 counties, are now being built around those venues," the ECB added."ECB is fully committed to supporting all 18 first-class counties, helping them develop sustainable long-term business plans and generating revenue which can be reinvested in all areas of the game. "The new competition reflects this, involving all the first-class counties as stakeholders, sharing revenue and building on its purpose; the growth of the whole game."'Changing times' Just how the 100-ball tournament will fit into the domestic schedule and its impact on interest in already established competitions remains unknown and the source of debateWhile Derbyshire will not host a 100-ball franchise, the club's chief executive Simon Storey forecasts that money flowing from the tournament will be transformative, but added that no decisions about the domestic game can be taken lightly as "they will impact the future of the game".Already the new broadcast deal has allowed the club to renegotiate loans, while the £6.5m guaranteed from the new competition will help improve their playing budget to better match their rivals. Derbyshire spend in the "lower quartile" of the salary cap, which is £2.29m for 2018-19."The critical success factor there is that the salary cap remains," said Storey. "If it remains at what it is, it will give an opportunity for cricket clubs that currently have lower budgets to start being on more of a level playing field."For Derbyshire, a club that "traditionally makes a profit of £2,000 to £3,000", the additional money will also go toward clearing debts, upgrading facilities and setting a financial base for 2025 and beyond."They are changing times," said Storey. "If we embrace them and provide the right levels of protection to ensure the 18 counties' future, then we can look at them with real optimism."Is cricket walking a tightrope? Some clubs have gone into heavy debt in order to refurbish their stadiumsStorey says the club is "hugely conscious" about planning for life after 2025, as it is difficult to predict what the broadcast landscape will be like then. Amazon, which started as an online retailer, have won the right to show some Premier League football matches from 2019, having also taken on elite tennis and NFL, and are an example of how the market for broadcast rights is already changing."The prudent counties will not overstretch themselves in those years between 2020 and 2024," he said.As part of Sheffield Hallam University's study, debts in the game were analysed - total liabilities against assets - and it was found that 11 of the 18 clubs had debt ratios of more than 75%, which the study states "is cause for concern when considering financial health".Plumley said: "It's tough to say that clubs are walking a tightrope but what is clear from data, and some of the balance sheets, is there are a lot of clubs that have quite high creditors and liabilities in the context of the industry."'More famine before the feast' In 2017, Derbyshire's 3aaa County Ground hosted Elton John and Boyzone concerts and eight Women's Cricket World Cup matches, including the tournament opener between England and IndiaIn Derbyshire, Storey says they still face a "huge amount of work" in "navigating" the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and part of that was the renegotiation of a loan with Derby City Council."Our focus in 2017 was to smooth that profile between the two years of famine and the five years of feast," he said.The increased income will see Derbyshire's reliance on ECB income - which amounts to 60% of the club's revenue - "go further north", says Storey.But they are continuing to strive towards being less dependent on it, having added concerts to their conference and events business, while also establishing themselves as a destination for international women's cricket.The club recently reported a surplus of more than £83,000, with turnover reaching record levels as they aim to be seen as "the model non-Test match ground"."The only way we are going to be able to increase our cricket budget to the levels that are required to compete are to continue to search out new ways of generating revenue," said Storey. 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nssn · 7 years ago
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Logo Design with Michael Bierut
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Michael Bierut is an award-winning designer, partner at Pentagram in New York City, and author of various books on design. Over his decades in the field of graphic design, he has witnessed a shift in public awareness, especially when it comes to logos. With this increased attention, some endeavors (like political campaigns) that once relied on relatively simple conventions (candidate names and variations on flags) are being called upon to develop more refined and versatile solutions.
The Political Logoscape
Whether by accident or design, President Obama’s rising sun logochanged the landscape of presidential graphic design. The distinctive ‘O’ shape was simple and correspondingly highly flexible, able to be deployed in different contexts and at various scales. That logo, notes Bierut, “established a benchmark for campaigns” going forward, in part because its central feature (the stylized ‘O’) could be pulled out and used independently of the candidate’s name or election year text.
With the Clinton campaign, Bierut sought to “exploit some of the characteristics that people had come to appreciate about the Obama logo, one of which was that it could be adapted into different forms.”
The result was intentionally simple: the letter H with an arrow pointing forward, rendered in the primary colours of the American flag. Bierut recalls saying: “I want something that’s so simple that a first-grader could do it with construction paper, Elmer’s glue and kindergarten scissors.” He “didn’t want a fancy thing you needed to know software programs to create, [rather] something that was easy to draw as a heart or a peace sign or a smiley face.”
Still, when something so minimal is released into the world, it becomes a kind of inkblot test for both fans and critics, a foil for expressing their existing opinions. Facing down criticism, the campaign stood by the logo and it ended up being widely used in various ways and contexts.
Meanwhile, Bierut cites the MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN hat as being emblematic of the opposing campaign, serving almost like a logo. “It’s a populist sort of thing,” he says, “clearly not something one associates with coastal elites” or intellectuals or business attire-clad professionals. “It’s meant to be the kind of thing you associate with hard-working, salt of the earth Americans.” As a wearable object, the hat became both highly visible and a signal of particular commitment. It is also reflective of the candidate — one can read echoes of his speaking style into the bold capitalized white letters against the stark red background.
Of course, there was also the official Trump/Pence logo, which met with a great deal of criticism upon its release. For many, the T/P ligature in particular called unsavoury associations to mind, quickly resulting in animated versions (and ultimately the disuse of the logo itself). Bierut thinks if they had stuck with the design, though, people would eventually have accepted it and moved on.
Criticism in the Age of Social Media
Logo design has not always been such a major source of public scrutiny and controversy. When the United Parcel Service (UPS) changed their logo in 2003 to reflect a broadening of their business beyond package delivery, the redesign elicited a few articles. Much of the criticism and discussion that took place, however, happened within design community forums and chat rooms rather than big social media sites.
The rise of social media and online publishing has since changed the equation for logo criticism. When Gap unveiled its new logo 2010, it sparked a huge outcry from brand fans and citizen critics. In a way, this shouldn’t have come as a surprise — people are invested in the logos of things they love — but Gap was not expecting such a high level of resistance. Eventually, the company caved and reverted to its old logo.
Brand attachment to big banks and other corporations is one matter, but it tends to be less personal for people than things like sports. Changing a logo for a team or league can lead to very passionate responses. For a time, many sports fans were attached to a version of the Big Ten logo featuring the number 11 in its negative space (reflecting the fact that there were actually eleven teams in the conference).
As the increasingly misnamed Big Ten added more teams, however, the strategy of keeping a hidden number became increasingly challenging. So when Michael Bierut and Michael Gericke tackled its redesign they went with the word BIG and an implied 10 (in the ‘IG’). Despite the inaccuracy of its predecessor, the new logo (predictably) resulted in an initial round of outrage from impassioned fans.
Bierut defends these critics, pointing out that “those people are the loyal fans … [the] passion that makes them sit in those seats when the weather is terrible [is] the same passion [that] is going to make them take it personally” when a new logo is released. In a way, even outrage is better than indifference — it shows people care.
Confronted with criticism, Bierut writes back with polite responses, putting a name and face to the work he has done. While he can’t always change someone’s mind about a given design, he can show them there is a thoughtful human behind its creation.
Seeing Positives in a Negative Space
Bierut often finds things to appreciate about logos, even ones he doesn’t particularly like initially. Take the Met for instance: it is easy to see how the Metropolitan Museum of Art tried to modernize their image with its new logo, but the old one also had a degree of complexity that seemed to fit the labyrinthine establishment. Still, Bierut believes the new and simplified one will work out in the long run.
The logo of the 2012 Olympics was likewise widely criticized at the time, and Bierut can see why: it is chunky and jagged, ungainly and complex. But he can defend it as well: its idiosyncratic and specific nature arguably makes sense for a complicated and one-off series of cultural and sporting events.
Given time and (sometimes negative) space, logos can also reveal elements that surprise and delight, akin to the hidden objects on the backs of old Highlights magazine issues. There is an arrow, for instance, tucked inside a white void in the relatively simple-looking FedEx logo (hint: look between ‘E’ and ‘x’).
One trick for those seeking to avoiding extreme initial reactions (in either direction) is a low-key release. A recent Kodak logo redesign was rolled out without any special fanfare. In this case, the new logo was meant to reflect a rebirth of a beloved company, long associated with a simple rounded shaped an implied ‘K’. The latest design recalls older versions with a twist: stacked rather than horizontal lettering.
Another technique to reduce logo-related hostility is to “flip the rebranding process on its head by sharing each step with the masses,” as Wired reported with regards to Mozilla’s recent logo redesign. Their “experiment was a response to the vitriolic state of online logo criticism … Rather than defend itself after the fact, Mozilla posted proposed logos online, where anyone could comment.” The end result is a design that cleverly incorporates part of internet addresses (‘://’). Of course, not even this process could stop critics from attacking the final version.
Another key to successful redesigns is avoiding paths of least resistance, like chasing trends — even simplicity can be overdone. In the 1960s, switching to the minimalist typeface Helvetica became an easy way to modernize logos. It fell out of favour for a time but has made a comeback with companies like Diane von Furstenberg, which recently switched from a more complex and stylized shape to a typed-out name approach. “So instead of the idiosyncratic DVF monogram that they had before,” explains Bierut, “now it’s the words Diane von Furstenberg … and it looks clean, neutral, smart” but, he says, the minimal version can also come off as “impassive and expressionless.” Still, as with other logos, this one will no doubt also find love from fans of the brand.
Appreciation Over Time
Logos are somewhat exceptional elements in the realm of graphic design. Book covers, for instance, have “one moment of truth,” says Bierut, referring to the short time between a customer spotting a volume and deciding to purchase it. Their design then becomes secondary. In contrast, even simple logos a child could draw appreciate in value over time as they become more and more associated with the organization they represent. Public participation in logo criticism is often powerful but generally short-lived — in the end, people are more invested in the thing represented than its visual brand identity.
“At the end of the day,” says Bierut, “graphic design is really important … but it’s also one of the most cosmetic things in the world.” He presents a simple, real-world example: if you can read the exit sign then you can find your way out of the building, whatever typeface it happens to employ. But if the exit door is nailed shut, you may have a serious egress problem. Of course, the exit sign’s design can be better or worse, fitting the architecture or contradicting the aesthetic of a place, but those small differences are rarely a matter of life and death. So designers and critics take note: it can be fun to care about logo designs, but keep the stakes of the game in mind and remember those logos you once hated but have learned to love over time.
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