#This is only the second time it's happened but that's two whole nickles man

[amberstormblade]

It's almost 3am here so I'm gonna try my best to make this coherent! TwitchSMP Viking lives in my brain rent free along with about a million other Vikings. Recently, he got messed up in lore! And my brain came up with this idea and wouldn't let it go so here's T!Viking having a really bad time!

Ruby was sick. Ruby was sick. His sister best friend was sick and maybe even dying because some weird fourth dimensional being decided to destroy her body whenever she possessed her. Ruby was sick and Viking was doing his best not to panic but it wasn’t going very well. Especially since his head wouldn’t stop pounding. Part of it could have been that he hadn’t slept properly in days, too concerned that Ruby’s condition would worsen and that they would be left to suffer alone. He also kept thinking through the conversation he’d had with the other Ruby, trying to remember the moments surrounding his blackouts and failing miserably.

That’s what led him here, prepping another round of health potions in a brewing stand while simultaneously making up another batch of soup and trying not to scream as it felt like something was pounding at the inside of his skull. He’d take another potion in a bit and pretend he was fine for Ruby’s sake. He didn’t want to make them worry so it was best to just act as normal as he could until they were better. Once that happened, if he still felt like crap, he’d probably just hide away in some hole somewhere until things were better, more manageable. He laddled some soup into a bowl just as the potions made a gurgling sound, letting him know that they had finished brewing. He quickly chugged one and sighed as it gave him a slight reprieve from the attack in his skull then stowed the other two away to give to Ruby with their meal.

Viking walked the short distance between their houses and knocked on the door before letting himself in. Ruby sitting up and mostly awake was a very welcome sight, as he’d been sleeping most of the time to keep the pain and misery at bay. Gritting his teeth, Viking gave what he hoped to be a reassuring smile as his headache struck again, a sudden sharp pain spreading from his temples to almost behind his eyes. 

“Hey Ruby, how’re you feeling this lovely evening?” He crossed the room to his bed and set the soup in order to grab the potions out. He reached out a hand to feel for a fever and noticed it had gone down quite a bit.

Ruby gave a little cough and cleared their throat. “I’m actually feeling a lot better, I guess bedrest and potions really do wonders for a person. I think I might try stretching my legs for a bit tomorrow. A walk around the beets sounds nice.” They gave Viking a tired smile as they accepted the first potion from him, humming as it took effect.

“Oh? Are you sure you’re ready for something like that? Do you want me to come with you?” The sudden panicked feeling that had overcome him was making it feel like someone was going crazy on a drum in his skull. Viking knew he wouldn’t be able to hide this much longer but he needed to make sure his sister was going to be safe. He didn’t know what he would do if she collapsed by herself out in the fields.

She gave a slight laugh. “Since when were you so protective? Besides, I’ll be fine! Vintage is going to be with me. She knows I’ve been sick lately and wants to help keep me company, she’s just been busy. I’m sure you’ve been dying for some free time too, taking care of me for almost an entire week can’t be very fun.”

“Hey now! Don’t put yourself down like that, you’re my-my best friend, of course I’m gonna worry.” He stumbled over his words slightly, almost calling her something else, something that he wouldn’t know how to explain. “I’m here to help you out for as long as you need it, and that’s a promise. If you’re sure you’ll be okay with Vintage tomorrow, I’ll give you two space! I just, I want to make sure that you’ll be okay.” Viking could feel his eyes starting to water. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the conversation, the pain spiking in his head again, or a combination thereof. He cleared his throat and stood up a little too quickly, having to blink spots out of his vision. “You should probably get some more rest, can’t wander the fields while napping now can we!”

Ruby sighed a bit, tired eyes searching him for something they couldn’t quite find. “You better get some rest too! Can’t have you being a hypocrite.” They smirk a bit as they once again snuggle into their bed, soup and potions finished and energy slightly more depleted. “Good night, Viking.” They yawn.

Viking whispers back “Good night, Ruby. May your sleep be dreamless.” Seeing his sister actually comfortable for the first time in days was amazing.

Quietly closing the door behind him, however, he knew he was on a timer now. The potions never seemed to help him for long and the headache was coming back fast. He was starting to panic at the thought of being caught in such a weakened state so he did the only thing he knew. He ran. Passed his house, through the beets, down the hole, passed the cactus, not thinking about anything except needing to get away from any prying eyes, about needing to hide.

For reasons unknown to even himself, he ended up back at the clock tower, the place where things turned for the worst it seems. He’d had headaches before, had moments where he figured someone else had been in control but he wasn’t too worried about it since Vikings help Viking after all. Everything seemed to have shifted after Sapphire knocked him out. The headaches were stronger, more frequent and he felt like he was constantly teetering on the edge of something bigger than himself. The thought that maybe not all Vikings were wanting to be helpful was terrifying. He found himself resisting letting anyone else through but the more he resisted, the worse the pain got. He tried to safely make his way to the bottom of the cavern, not wanting to go in the tower itself and ended up slipping halfway, just barely landing in a pool at the bottom. Quickly crawling out and coughing up the little bit of water he had ingested, he started to shake and curl up into a ball. Something was trying to break out of his head, that was the only explanation for why it was practically killing him. Knowing he was alone down here and that no one would probably come looking for him for a while should have been a relief but it just added an extra level of pain. The first tears started to spill as he began to scream. Thrashing around as though possessed, he accidentally hit his head on a rock causing his vision to go white with the pain. He caught a glimpse of himself in the pool. He didn’t recognize his own reflection, face contorted in agony, skin pale as snow, his eyes almost didn’t seem to be the right color for a second. His own shrieks were echoing back at him and the shadows seemed to laugh and jeer at his misery. At some point, he’d rolled over to an area that was just pure stone, no moss covering it or anything. He pressed his head against the cold slab beneath him and started beating his hands against it to stop them from tearing out his own hair. This went on for ages, a performance of agony for a crowd of ghosts, echoes of a forgotten past cheering as it continued. His voice had died long ago and yet screams still crawled from his throat. Viking could barely move now, it was all he could do to just hold his head and hope it stopped soon. He couldn’t see anymore, vision too blurred and spotted to make anything out. Dry sobs wracked his body as it hopefully came to an end. Maybe the pain was finally gone or maybe he was too far gone to feel it. Either way, unconsciousness came calling and he had not the strength to deny it. As everything finally faded, he swore he heard someone calling his name.

#vikingpilot #twitch smp #rubyco #tsmp #like I said it's 3am #I don't know what else to tag #I'm so eepy #I need to stop getting possessed and writing C!Viking having a bad time #This is only the second time it's happened but that's two whole nickles man #tsmp au #I guess??

[slxsherwriter]

Research Gone Wrong

Fandom: Python (2000)

Pairings: Hinted/developing Anton Rudolph x reader

Word Count: 6,671

Warnings: Death, cursing

Author's Note: This is the longest thing single fic that I have written. If I had a nickle for herpetologists in a monster flick that I've written for, I'd have two. Which isn't a lot, but starts a collection. Gif made by me. Tagging: @slashingdisneypasta

Biogene. Just the name caused your hackles to rise and jump on the defensive. The company had screwed you and your research over several years ago, and it was a slight that would not and could not be forgiven. Not after three years of dedication to such an important project, only to have the entire thing yanked out from under your feet, your work butchered, and your reputation almost irreparable damaged. 

So when the US military came knocking, with the promise of state of the art facilities, all the hands you could ask for, and more funding than any humble scientist could have wished for, well, it became rather difficult to turn down the offer. Not that you were entirely pleased with selling your soul to the government, but there weren't any offers coming in, and it was better than giving up on your passions. At least you hoped. For all of those things and that you wouldn't have to deal with the company that had nearly destroyed you ever again.

Only one end of those hopes had come true. Surprisingly, the government treated you well, and your colleagues were respectful of both you and your work.  A little niche that you found comfort and a routine in that allowed enjoyment in both work and life. 

Biogene came roaring back into your life due to one giant mistake on their end. Quite literally giant. Bart Parker, an agent with the NSA, had made the call, asking for your help. You knew him through one of your coworkers and had been friendly enough. The call was a surprise, though. He wouldn't explain much over the phone, just that something bad had happened involving Biogene, and your expertise was needed. None of that settled well for you, but you responded without question. Bart and the NSA weren't super involved when it came to you and your research that when he asked for your expertise, it had to be something significantly serious.

A little hustle was needed to be able to get over to the office, ending with you all but running up the stairs, taking them two at a time. It took you a second to get yourself together before entering the office. Bart looked up, shoulders closer to his ears and posture rigid. The typical easygoing smile was missing from his face. 

“Is it that bad?”

“Don’t know just yet, but we have an entire team dead….” Huffing out a small sigh, you moved to settle into the desk across from him before he shook his head and motioned to the seat on his right. 

“Where do I fit into this?”

“We’re about to find out the exact details now. Their scientist is on his way up.” Their scientist? Oh, shit. Rubbing your eyes, it took every ounce of willpower in your body to restrain a groan. 

“None of this is helping me feel good about whatever mess you have pulled me into, Parker.” A noncommittal shrug was your answer. Settling into the seat, you took the file that was offered. There wasn't a whole lot of information that you could utilize. Whatever was being transported was supposedly massive. The research was interrupted when the door opened. The man who walked through the door was instantly recognizable. 

Anton Rudolph. The older man had always been kind, patient, and more than willing to help when and where asked. He was one of the only scientists that you had respect for and had kept some sort of professional and somewhat non-professional bridge between since you had left. Nothing more than the occasional email mainly centered around whatever the latest research that had been published. Not anything that either of you were involved in, naturally. But, having a colleague in the field made it easier to discuss things. And well, maybe you had been the cliche when starting work at Biogene, harboring a small crush on the man. That was neither here nor there at the moment. 

It was a relief seeing him walk through the door. At least you wouldn't be butting heads with some arrogant, stubborn asshole. He would be easy to work with, even if you didn't know what it was you were working on. He paused at the door when his eyes fell on you before a small smile appeared. Hopefully, he was having the same thoughts. 

As he explained what really was aboard the plane, your heart leapt into your throat. Was that even possible? Were they entirely out of their minds? A snake that massive with those sorts of abilities would be nearly unstoppable. The words burned into your brain. A one hundred and twenty-nine foot all-terrain vehicle, capable of speeds exceeding fifty miles an hour, with skin that can deflect an antitank round, enhanced night vision, and a voracious appetite for human flesh. This was what happened when science got a little too ambitious, and humans didn't understand their limitations. A man made killing machine that was now on the loose and uncontrollable. And what the hell were you supposed to do about it? Bart had called you in on what felt like a suicide mission after Dr. Rudolph was done explaining everything. 

Had he had a part in making this thing? Something of that nature wouldn't have evolved naturally. It could be played off as not man made all anyone wanted, but nature hadn't been playing in that sort of sandbox for ages. Quite literally. The last time something even close to that roamed the Earth? It would have been with the dinosaurs. And even then, to have so many components of different snakes and different abilities? Not a shot. Your head was spinning with the implications, not even jumping to how to kill it. It was the sole focus for Bart and the NSA team that had been assembled. 

Naturally, Bart thought that it wasn’t the case of this time being as difficult to kill as the other man had made out, and enough firepower could end anything. He looked at you for some sort of backup, but all you could do was shake your head. Something more clever than bullets and rockets would need to be used to handle such a beast like this. 

Hell, if half of what Anton had said was true, there was a chance that Bart was leading all his men into a slaughter. Anton realized that, and you realized that, but it seemed that Bart was too caught up in his mind to accept the true danger that he was getting ready to throw himself and his men into. Bravado was a massive downfall, and it was entirely possible that it would be the death of you all. Something that you would mention to him in private, so it didn’t seem like you were questioning his authority. Bart and his second in command slipped out of the room, but Anton stopped you with a gentle touch to your wrist before you could get out of the room yourself. 

“You know what sort of problem this could be,” he murmured gently, as if he didn't want the others to hear. “I didn't expect to see a familiar face or someone that could understand the gravity of the situation.” They wouldn't, given they had left and were likely already attempting to figure out a plan of attack. Raising a hand, you scrubbed it over the side of your face. Each possible outcome kept playing over and over in your head. 

“What were you guys thinking of transporting something like that?” He had the decency to look a little ashamed. “The insights and knowledge isn't worth all of this.”

“Coming from the scientist working for the government.” Yeah, that would have stung if you didn't have the high ground in this argument. “My research is now medical based. Trying to create not only an anti-venom but reversals for neurotoxins in general. I'm hardly sitting in the lab and creating hybrids that could wipe us all out in one fell swoop.” His shoulders fell some. 

“It wasn’t entirely my idea. Once they heard, there wasn’t any backing out. And really, we should be trying to capture it. Think if the implications…”

“Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, Dr. Rudolph. I need to speak with Agent Parker, and we have to get ready for whatever it is they are planning.” That seemed to be accepted with a small nod. 

“Yes….of course.” He let go of your wrist, a hold that you hadn't realized he held. Thankfully, you had turned and headed to the door, not wanting to confront anything awkward about the whole moment. Focusing on getting Bart to listen to some sense of reason was the main priority, and you couldn't afford any distractions. 

********

The talk with Bart had gone over like a lead balloon. Absolutely non-productive and counteracting the fact that he had brought you on to consult. Briefly, it caused you to wonder if this was how all scientists felt when dealing with the military and trying to warn of consequences that could not be seen by those focused on the short term without that specialized expertise. A fact that you lamented quietly to yourself rather than out loud. It seemed, though, that Anton sensed the frustration. He stuck close, making the occasion comment under his breath that had you less and less angry with him and his company. 

Led down into the emergency water treatment facility or underground bunker as it really was, it was all you could do to bite your tongue and not let on that you still thought throwing all the fire power that they had at this snake was a bad idea. Well, not bad exactly. Just useless. Which, in the case of a ninety something foot apex predator, was a bad idea. That gut feeling that had never led you wrong before was ever present as you listened to them talk about the track and what they would use against the creature. 

“This is a bad idea…” you murmured softly to the man standing beside you. It seemed that perhaps he was starting to understand the predicament that they were all in. 

“I know, but what are we supposed to do?” A valid point. Your hands were tied. Crossing your arms over your chest and rocking on the balls of your feet, the same thoughts that had plagued you since the incident came to light kept tumbling around your head. Of course, his concern over it being a bad idea was still slightly different from yours. He did still want to save the snake for various research reasons. If it wasn't a giant killing machine, you may have been more apt to agree. But that was not the case. Bart had one thing right. This thing was going to kill and keep killing. The risk of the loss of life here did outweigh the potential of various research breakthroughs.

“We have to figure out some backup plan. There has to be some way that we can know for sure that the thing will die. There isn't any salvaging this or saving the specimen.” He hummed thoughtfully. “If firepower doesn't do it, and they are going to hit it hard, then there has to be some other method for us to cause harm and damage.” Drowning it was a possibility, but that would require something to be able to hold it under the water. Less likely a possible scenario than dying by gunfire. Chopping off its head wasn't exactly practical, either. It wasn't like you were dealing with anything that either of you had dealt with before. Half zoned out, focused on the thoughts swirling in your head, you missed the fact that the men were discussing just what they were throwing at the snake and the plan of moving in on it. Until Anton's voice rang out a little louder and asked about another heat signature on the map. Shifting closer, you took a look yourself. That didn’t seem right. There was one snake. There shouldn't have been two heat signatures. Could it have been shedding? Bart immediately passed it off as a radar echo. Still, it didn't sit right. It was too similar, looking to the signature for the snake.

“Are you suddenly having the same concerns that I am?” You glanced towards Anton. The other men had already moved to get everything together and ready as they were on a timetable. He seemed troubled. Maybe he was having the same thoughts that you were. But until he confirmed it, you wouldn't say it. 

“It is rather suspicious.”

“If this thing is as intelligent as it appears to be, this could turn out worse than what we think. We have to let them know.”

“And if we are wrong, we risk putting them in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Just felt like the textbook definition of stuck between a rock and a hard place. If you were right and the snake was shedding and the second Heat Signature ended up being shed skin, then likely the snake will have moved by the time that the satellite passed over again and the men were in position. If you were wrong, and Bart was right, then Anton was also correct in stating that you could be putting the men in a bad position. There was no winning here. All you could do was inform part of your thoughts. He would have to make the call from there. None of this is what you had signed up for. You were beginning to regret agreeing to consult for Bart. Nothing good was going to come of this either way. And, you still didn't have a good idea of how to kill the snake. This wasn't the sort of situation that you could fly by the seam of your pants. But unfortunately, there wasn't any more time to plan. The men were getting ready to leave, and that meant you had to too.

You let Bart know your thoughts. It was the most that you could do. Though as before, he took it into consideration but continued to move forward with what he had planned. His reaction almost suggested that he felt like you were working against him and had decided to side with Dr Rudolph. His mind was set, and there was no changing it. You are along for the ride without a choice.

The men went from running around and were at the ready in the blink of an eye. And being the resident experts, both you and Anton were expected to be right out there with them. With no choice in the matter, you both were told to stick close to Bart. There was no room or allowance to stray far from him. For protection was how they framed it. A partial truth. They didn't want either of you to go off and do something stupid. A concern that would be unfounded. You did not have a death wish, and you were fairly certain that the other scientist didn't either. There were still no viable solutions to the problem at hand. Killing a snake that massive was no easy feat even if it was meant to be more or less indestructible. 

“How did they manage to subdue it for capture?” The question slipped out without any thought. You hadn't meant to say it aloud just yet, but the thought occurred, and maybe that would provide a little insight on how to handle the situation. If it could be sedated, it could be killed. But that would likely require a lot of sedation. Gas preferably, so you didn’t need to get close. Suffocation would be one way to handle it. If you could entrap it somewhere long enough without it breaking out. You and Anton were stuck in the middle of the group of men, but they weren't paying close attention. It was pulled elsewhere, mainly focused on scanning the area for threats or potential sightings. Even if this snake had eaten a few people, it surely wouldn't have been enough for it to need to bask and digest. 

“I'm sorry?” It seemed that he had been in his own thoughts as well. 

“For transport. I imagine that the specimen was sedated. It had to be subdued to be able to be prepared for shipment and then for the journey itself. Clearly, it had not been sedate enough if it broke out. But something had to work, or it wouldn't be here. It would still be over in Asia.” Where it belonged. But you managed to bite your tongue and not add that little bit. 

“I imagine with your run of the mill tranquilizers in extremely large doses. But it would have been easy to do that in the lab. It was likely under constant heavy sedation to be able to handle it properly.”

“Suffocating it would require trapping it in a space that it wouldn't be able to break out of, and frankly, that doesn't sound like a possibility. And we would need enough noxious fumes to do that job, which would put us all at risk of a rather gruesome and unpleasant death.” It felt like you were grasping at straws. There had to be something. 

“No, but you might be onto something there. Do you know this area well?” Finally. You glanced towards him as you stepped over a log. 

“Not extremely well but somewhat. What are you thinking?”

“Industrial complexes and plants. Are there any around?” It took a second, but you suddenly understood where he was going with it. It was risky leading the snake into town, but that might be the only way to stop it. Wracking your brain, you tried to think of anything that you had seen or driven by that could be of any use. 

“I think there is a plating plant closer to the edge of town. There should be enough chemicals there that it could work. If we can manage to get it there and not send it right into town.”

The group came to a stop, and so did your discussion. Though the choppy, just hashed out plan continued to formulate in your mind. Chemicals didn't have to mean gas. Simply dumping chemicals on it wouldn't be enough. It would still need to be submerged to some degree. 

Bart was radioing the team that was meant to be in a closer position, waiting on confirmation of a visual. And it seemed that he had it when he motioned for all the time to get ready. Shit. They were actually going to go through with this idiotic idea. Wincing, you reached up to cover your ears, knowing it was going to get very loud, very quickly.  Anton followed suit. The signal was given, and almost immediately, it felt like you were in the middle of an action sequence in a movie. The thunderous roar of shells and gunfire consumed the area. Gone was the scent of nature. Replaced with burnt gunpowder and smoke. For a single second, it even felt like the ground shook beneath your feet. It felt like forever before things just stopped. The switch in sound was so abrupt. Even with covering your ears, they were left ringing with the seemingly devouring silence. 

Cautiously, you removed your hands from their position clasped over your ears. Just as it had been feared, the men had unloaded everything on skin shed rather than the snake itself. Every muscle in your body felt tense. That thing was out here, with you, hungry and lying in wait. The order to fall back and take defensive positions was shouted out, but things quickly devolved into chaos with men dying left and right. Before you could truly comprehend what was going on, it was you, Bart, and Anton left in the small clearing. 

“Stand very still. Do. Not. Move.” As if you needed to be told twice. The primal part of your brain was screaming run, danger, run. But running would be a death sentence. You couldn't outrun this beast. The python reared its head, appearing before Bart. 

“Oh. Shit.” Descriptions did not do the creature justice. As terrifying as it sounded, it was even more so in person. People had designed this thing? What the fuck was wrong with your profession? The giant head crept closer to Bart and like an idiot, he was slowly raising his gun. Anton tried to dissuade him but it wasn’t any use. Before a round could be fired off, the tail of the python speared him through the chest. The sound that came from him was horrible and would haunt you for the rest of your life. Instantly, you squeezed your eyes closed, not wanting to witness the snake devour the man if that was where it was going. The thud of the body hitting the ground told you otherwise but you still couldn't open your eyes. If this was where you died, you could not bring yourself to watch it coming. 

There were no further sounds. Hopefully, that meant that it had decided not to attack Anton. But that still left you. All but holding your breath, you waited. And waited. The heat coming from the behemoth was felt, meaning it’s massive head was right beside you. Was this how you died? Nothing came after several moments, and the heavy exhale from Anton meant that neither of you were dead. Slowly, you risked opening your eyes. The snake was gone. It was gone, and neither of you were dead. The thought repeated, barely able to believe that you had escaped with your life. You could hardly breathe before dropping to your knees, unable to process what had just happened. It was the closest that you had ever come to death. There was a quiet rustling behind you that had your heart back in your throat before a warm hand met your shoulder. Anton.

“We should move….” His voice sounded far off. Logically, you knew he was right, but every inch of your body felt like a lead weight, locked into place. Being around when that thing came back was not an option. So, you forced yourself to your feet. Both of you walked almost to the point of touch, stumbling your way towards the treatment facility. At least there was a chance of hiding within the structure. All plans from before went out the window. What were you supposed to do against a creature like that when it was only the two of you? Bile rose in the back of your throat, but a few steady breaths calmed it down. 

There was no recollection of how you both ended up back underground. Anton had settled into a corner between some pipes while you paced back and forth, unable to stop the need for movement. It felt like if you did, everything was going to collapse. All of those worst-case scenarios that had been warned about seemed to come true in the blink of an eye. Powerless. You had all been utterly powerless to stop it. So many people were dead. 

Your pacing only came to a pause when you caught sight of Anton holding something. Not something. A python. A young one by the looks of it. Even with the adrenaline that was still causing you to shake, you found yourself smiling and moving over to him. He blinked and seemed to come out of his own stupor for just a moment. 

“I've raised her from a hatchling,” he offered softly. 

“She's beautiful.” Despite everything that had happened and the fear that had seized you earlier, you could still see the beauty in the animals that had been the dedication of your life. He offered her up to you after a second, and with gentle hands, you took the juvenile python you had not realized he had. “What's her name?”

“Arabelle.” 

“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” you offered, finding the moment of peace soothing. Looking at you, it was hard to imagine that there was a relation to the snake that had killed so many men. There was, of course. You knew that, logically and as a scientist. But that animal had been created in a lab, and while it shared some instincts, it wasn't the same creature. Her tail curled around your fingers, body balling up in a sign of comfort. She hardly seemed stressed after everything that you had all gone through. 

“What a minute….you've had her with you this whole time?” He shrugged with a sheepish smile. 

“She’s comfortable in my pocket. Favorite place for her to be.” Stoic little thing. Not even all that jostling, vibrations, and threat of a much larger snake seemed to have rattled her. A few silent moments passed, and attention for the both of you focused on the python in your hands. “You always had the sweetest snakes. I remember Cassie loving to just arm around an arm and stay there for as long as someone would let her.”

“You remember her?” He seemed surprised, the tone of his voice rising just enough to grab your attention away. 

“Of course. She was a gorgeous little red coat morph. Always happy to be handled and, like I said, loved wrapping around an arm. Perfect girl for taking samples if needed or just a good cuddle when needed.” 

“She was. She is one that I think I will always miss.” 

“We have to do something, Anton.”

“I know.” Another lapse of silence. Eventually, you passed Arabelle back over to him before she was gently tucked back into his pocket. Rubbing your eyes, you tried to force yourself to focus on the plan that had been worked on before it all went to hell. 

“Okay. So, what do we know? We know that it’s smart. Very damn smart. We know that firepower isn’t going to do anything to it. It moves fast. Real, god damn fast. So, you were thinking industrial plant. Drowning it in chemicals?”

“Something like that. I'm not sure how we would do it, though.” Before anything else could be said, two more bodies came stumbling into the room, catching the both of you off guard. They looked panicked. They had been outside, and only one thing in this area could cause panic like that. Hopefully, the snake hadn't followed them in. Guess you would be learning that soon enough. You and Anton were in a far better mindset to deal with them now than you were ten minutes ago. He was still a bit curled in on himself, and you were nearly pressed into his side, but your head felt significantly clearer, and from his responses to you, his head did as well. At this point, the more bodies, the better. Even if it was a risk to life. Maybe, just maybe you could all get out of this without losing anyone else. 

You let Anton explain what it was they had encountered, all while you focused on where it could be led and how that could be done safely. A task that felt fruitless and pointless. But laying down to die simply was not an option. 

You almost interjected yourself into the conversation when they were discussing the potential of it being a naturally evolved predator versus something made in a lab. Of course the man, John, was correct but it seemed that Anton was unwilling to admit to it, playing back over Kristin's claim that it could just be the next evolutionary step in some bigger natural scheme. It was best not to say anything. Implicating yourself could just lead to bigger problems down the road. If you survived. 

“No, no. Leading it down here is a bad idea,” you finally offered when the hairbrained schemes started to be concocted. “Firepower isn't enough to kill it, and having it down here is a death trap for all of us. We need another way to kill it.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” Before anything else could be said, the sound of something moving around echoed out. 

“Did you remember to lock the door?”

“Lock it? We didn’t even close it.” Shit. Anton grabbed a hold of your hand and yanked you back away from the door towards a corner. Kristin did something similar with John grabbed a piece of metal and hid behind the door. Whacking at it would just piss it off, but the distraction might be enough to flee. Waiting on bated breath, your eyes remained fixed to the door. As much as you did not want to see the snake again, there was no looking away.

Seconds felt like minutes before a woman, dressed in nothing but a towel, came stumbling through the doorway. A heavy breath escaped your lungs, your chest feeling like it was practically caving in with the force. John and Kristin seemed to know exactly who it was and immediately reacted to help. 

“I don't know how many scares I can take,” you murmured softly to the man beside you. It took a second for you to realize that you were still holding his hand. You could feel some heat rising to your cheeks despite everything, and it took a few seconds for your body to respond to the demand that your brain made to release his hand. Thankfully, attention was placed on the woman who needed some help and back to the snake problem. 

****************

John admitted that he worked at a plating plant. There would be enough chemicals there that could work in your favor. It was going to be a matter of leading the snake there and figuring out how to use them to your advantage. Apparently, the police that had been set up in the area were still present when the voice came over one of the radios. And he had a car. You could lure it to the plant somewhat safely then. At least, potentially out, run it if it came to that point. Kristin explained the situation as she seemed to know the guy and had the best chance of getting him to agree to the crazy scheme that had been thought up.

“We are only going to get one shot at this.”

“We better make it the best shot we have then.” There seemed to be a new resolve in his voice that hadn't been there before when talking about the snake. It seemed that he was finally fully on board with killing the snake. There wasn’t a single chance that there was any way to salvage and save it for future use. Maybe this would also make him see the light about Biogene. Just as it was making you reconsider your own position within research and the US military. 

“We can't lead it into town and not have this work.” It was the best shot that would be given. You weren't foolish enough to think that you would get another chance or a better one at this point. “Whatever it takes, we have to kill it.” 

“We will.” The other three seemed just as determined to see this to an end. They had lost someone, so it made sense that they wanted to see the snake dead. His hand found yours again, this time giving it a gentle squeeze. One that was meant to be comforting. And it was. This time, you didn’t bother to pull away, taking in what was freely being offered. There was no way of knowing if either of you were going to make it through this. “I know it hardly means much now, but for what it’s worth, I'm sorry. I could have tried to put a stop to all of this. I was too focused on the research and the implications of what could come from it. I didn't see the danger.” 

“You're trying to make it right now. And that's what matters.” It was a shame that it took this much death and mortal danger to you all for him to see it, but there wasn’t anything to be done about that. Your focus and his had to be on the tasks at hand. Not the previous mistakes that had happened. “We do this, and it all ends. No one else gets hurt. No one else dies.” He nodded. It seemed that the other three were ready to go. It was now or never it seemed.

There was hardly enough for all of you in the cruiser. Theresa got the front seat of the car while you were squeezed between Anton and John, Kristin settled in his lap. The cop, Greg, didn't want to believe it at first. He listened and was willing to help since he thought something odd was happening. It wasn't until the snake rear its head behind the cruiser that he believed the whole thing. 

“Jesus christ!” That was an appropriate reaction. 

“Just keep driving!” The command slipped from you before you could help it. Slowing down meant death. You had to get to the plant. There was no other choice. Otherwise, not only would you all be dead, but the snake would have a clear shot right into the city and an all you can eat buffet. 

It was a tense ten minutes, everyone glancing out the windows and seemingly waiting for the car to be taken out. If it wanted, the snake would have been able to bat aside the car as if it were a toy. The plant appearing in sight should have brought some sense of relief, but instead, it only worsened anticipation and nerves. This was it, now or never. 

“Everyone remember the plan?” John was the one to speak up. He knew the layout of the plant, so he was going to have to be the mastermind. Unfortunately, that likely meant that he needed to be bait, too. A chorus of acknowledgment went up from everyone. “Good. Then let's make sure we kill this son of a bitch.” That was a sentiment that you could not have agreed with more. Stepping out of the car, you shared a look with everyone else in the group for just a moment before John began to direct everyone, leading the charge inside. His boss thought it was all a practical joke until there was a rumble from outside the building, and Greg issued a command with authority. That seemed to get everyone moving. 

You and Anton were charged with making sure the snake entered the building. From there, the girls would distract him just long enough that John had time to finish setting up the trap.

“Be careful,” he murmured softly to you. The best that you can manage, you gave him a smile before leaning in and hugging him. There was a small sound of surprise before his arms wrapped around you in return. At least your last moments would be nice if they were indeed your last moments. 

“You too.” He was the one to offer a smile this time. It seemed like there was something else that he wanted to say, but there wasn’t any more time. The bang against the wall beside you cut any further conversation short. You stepped back and moved towards the controls for the overhead door. Anton had volunteered to stand closer to the doorway so that the snake saw him. Some sort of redemption for allowing the snake to be brought over from Asia. There was no stopping the shake of your hands as you worked the controls, allowing the door to open, lifting upward, and allowing the beast entry. 

In the blink of an eye, it was slithering inside and moving closer to Anton. Your stomach rolled, bile rising in the back of your throat. There was a second delay before he was taking off, and the snake was after him. Shit. Shit. Shit. Everything felt like a lead weight, all over, like after the first encounter with the python. Except this time, it was harder to move than before, maybe because you knew that there was a potential you were going to come across something you really did not want to see. But you had to. There was still a job to do, and the snake wasn’t dead. 

You turned a corner and were yanked backward. Before any yelp could come, a hand was over your mouth. A hand. It wasn't the snake. You weren't about to die. 

“Calm down.” That was Anton's voice. He had made it out of the chase alive. You all but collapsed back against his hold, wanting to sob in relief. But the sounds of metal smashing downward and the shouts of the other girls meant that you still had work to do. “Take a breath for me. We will check on them in a moment. Everything is going according to plan so far. If we move too quickly, we can cause a problem.” You did just that, sucking in a breath between your teeth now that his hand had been removed. He was right. Thankfully, he was thinking logically. Then John was shouting, but the shouting wasn't panicked sounding. No, he was grabbing its attention. This could be the end. 

“Come on.” Grabbing a hold of his hand, you and Anton headed off quickly and as quietly as you could in the direction of the shouts. 

You could see the snake hovering over the pool of chemicals, acid to be exact, but it wasn't in it. The head kept rearing and slamming down as if trying to get to someone. You moved at the same time Kristin appeared, heading for what looked like the control panel for the hydraulic arm that was over the snake and the pool of acid. She slammed her hand against the buttons while you were trying to figure out the panel so that the arm would move. It started to lower, pressing into the snake. John was yelling, and you didn't know if he had been bit or worse. 

In what felt like minutes, but in reality was probably half a minute to forty-five seconds, the arm finally pressed down with enough force to send the sensitive underbelly of the snake right into the acid. It made a horrible hissing shriek sound as it reared up, head flailing as the acid ate away at its flesh. Soon enough, organs were slipping from the hole that had been created, and the snake fell over. Finally dead. It was over. Kristin instantly ran over to check on John, making sure that he was okay. You weren't planning on getting close to the thing, knowing the head was still a bit of a risk for a little while, dead or not. 

“It's over….” Slumping back against the wall, you slid into a seated position, staring absently at the snake as the adrenaline finally started to slow down. Anton settled next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. Nothing was said between the two of you as the three friends huddled around one another, hugging and feeling the same sense of relief that you were. Greg moved about, checking on each individual, his training kicking in. He knelt before the two of you. 

“You guys okay? No injuries?”

“No, we're fine.” Anton answered before you could, though it hardly bothered you that he answered for you. Greg glanced at you as if wanting confirmation, which you gave with a nod. Leaning your head against Anton's shoulder, exhaustion washed over you in waves, and all you wanted to do was curl up and sleep. “Come on. Let's get out of here.” It didn't matter where. You were happy to leave the building and away from the scene. 

“Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.” A good rest was needed, and then you could both figure out what you were going to do from there. With your career and the man beside you, keeping you close with a warm, comforting touch. 

#horror writing #python 2000 #python fic #dr anton rudolph #anton rudolph #anton rudolph x reader #Robert Englund characters

[variousqueerthings]

Tom Hardy Movies rated least to most queer

I made a list of some Tom Hardy movies and I rated them based on my own, non-specific criteria about what makes a movie queer. Results below the cut.

(Some films not included, because I haven’t watched them yet, because Mr Hardy’s only in them for a few minutes, because the subject matter doesn’t lend itself to this list, or because I just don’t want’em here. TV series also not included. The list is organised into both groups and ratings, because I’m doing The Most.)

Movies are divided into four groups and rated from 0 – 10 on the Queer-Scale, scroll down to the bottom if you want the ratings without the commentary.

Disclaimer: This list is subjective. Don’t come at me because I didn’t rate Inception higher, Nolan himself is as queer as cargo shorts. 

1. This movie would make more sense if it were queer

If this movie were queer it… might not become a perfect film all of a sudden, but it’d make a hell of a lot more sense than what’s actually going on. With an occasional dose of “are the cis-straights okay?”

This Means War (2012): So Chris Pine and Tom Hardy are ostensibly both in love with Reese Witherspoon, but say “I love you” to each other pretty much constantly throughout the movie and their friendship is often presented as a domestic partnership. Cool, cool, cooool.

Queer Rating: 2 out of 10. This movie hate-crimed me by having Tom Hardy literally spell out his relationship with Chris Pine, only for the script to then have him say… “can you imagine all that… but with a woman…” Later on the movie explicitly denies polyamory is possible. Fuck this film.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Batman movies should always be queer. Mr. Hardy’s the only one who acceptably camps it up, despite Nolan’s best attempts to make him “acceptably gruff.” No matter what you do, Bane is a massive daddy in a mask and thanks to Mr Hardy’s honestly iconic fucking speech pattern in this film, it goes from pretty atrociously straight to just queer enough to imagine a future where Robert Pattinson plays batman and maybe adopts a bunch of kids.

(the only truly decent mask in this franchise tbh)

Queer Rating: 3 out of 10. Mr Hardy’s back is the one that’s actually broken carrying any semblance of fun in this overly long movie all on his own.

Lawless (2012): Wow, this really was the year of the not-queer-enough, wasn’t it? Look, it’s “based on a real story,” but it’s also a movie and movies don’t need to stick to the truth, and this one certainly doesn’t. Was the guy queer in real life? I don’t know. But that doesn’t matter, what matters is that it’s just kind of an eh movie and maybe being queer would add something to it. One of those “but why make someone queer? because it’s always more interesting to do so,” movies.

Queer Rating: 3 out of 10. It’s just not queer. But Tom Hardy wears cardigans and described his character as a “mother figure,” which adds an interesting dynamic to him.

2. Actually Queer but in a homophobic way

Tom Hardy plays a canonically queer character, yaaay. The whole movie contains a strange sense of the director being too not-queer to actually engage with that and everything around him is almost aggressively straight, noooo.

RocknRolla (2008): Honestly this movie has the funniest coming out scene ever + that familiar undertone of “all these manly men secretly want to fuck each other” is only heightened by one of them actually being gay and in love with his best friend. It’s such a fucking… it’s such a movie. Personally I find Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Thandie Newton, and, of course, Tom Hardy to be really hot in it, so that’s a plus. There’s a scene in which Strong’s character teaches another gangster how to do a proper backhand. It’s really gay of him. Also slow-dancing at a gay club. Butler’s character needs to get himself together, you really don’t think 2008 Tom Hardy is hot? Mate.

(left to right: functional queer, disaster queer, distinguished queer)

Queer Rating: 6 out of 10, for having an actual gay character who is played by Tom Hardy doing a sexy phonecall voice to another guy, but then there’s that feeling you can’t shake that the whole movie is vaguely uncomfortable about it, like a family member awkwardly patting you on the shoulder after they found out you were queer second-hand, but they’ve still got 50 years of bias to unlearn. Also Thandie Newton is killed, fuck that noise. 

Legend (2015): If I had a nickle for the amount of times Tom Hardy’s played a gay gangster, I’d have two nickles. Which isn’t a lot, but weird that it happened twice (looks at Peaky Blinders and thinks it ought to be three times). I’ve watched Legend three times and every time it just… loses me. And because this is a biased list, I’ll only specifically mention that it fails to make Ron’s queerness anything but a way for him to shock others. Gangsters could be gay? Gasp! On the upside Tom Hardy has so much sexual tension with everyone in this movie, including himself (why would you do that? Asks Ron, bemused. Because I can’t kill you, no matter how much I fucking want to, hisses a blood-soaked Reggie right into his ear. It’s hot).

Queer rating: 5 out of 10 because the film is just not very queer for a movie with several queer men in it.

3. Straight as a forced family dinner

It’s straight.

Locke (2013): He’s a married man who had an affair and trying to deal with the fallout of it. This isn’t a spoiler for most of the movie, it’s a pretty neat movie where we look at Tom Hardy having a bit of a mental breakdown and taking lots of phonecalls (my personal hell). Is it queer? Not in the slightest.

Queer Rating: 2 out of 10 for Hardy’s face being in almost every shot.

The Revenant (2015): Yeah, yeah, DeCaprio’s and Hardy’s characters are obsessed with each other, yeah it’s a man’s world where the only women are dead wife, kidnapped sexually assaulted native princess, or background whore, yeah, they fight each other and there’s a ton of grunting, but also… I just fucking don’t like this movie. The thin line where a storyline like this one becomes queer might be crossed for others, but not for me. Fuck these guys and their stupid  bear fights.

Queer rating: 3 out of 10 for it being about dirty men in the middle of nowhere (but you could just watch Brokeback Mountain or The Lighthouse or God’s Own Country or any Mad Max, or, or, or…)

4. Queer? Queer. Queer? … Queer…

The plots, aesthetics and/or characters played by Tom Hardy lend themselves to a queer reading, even if there is no overt intention towards queerness. Often this is because of a deliberate lack of heterosexual and/or cisgender writing, which in this day and age is still pretty uncommon not to include within a plot.

Inception (2010): Okay, I don’t even need to write about the added “darling,” or the “go to sleep Mr Eames.” I don’t need to go on about the absolutely bonkers amount of fanfiction written for Eames and Arthur, based on a few minutes of film and a boatload of chemistry. It’s queer.

Queer Rating: 7 out of 10, because the actual plot of the film isn’t very queer, but between the Arthur/Eames dynamic and Elliot Page, Nolan was really given a gift he didn’t deserve.

Warrior (2011): Okay, so first off, this might be my favourite Tom Hardy film, at least some part of my brain is fixated on it at almost all times and I’m considering watching it for the third time in two weeks. I don’t only consider it queer based on Mr. Hardy’s character, although he has no romantic or sexual interest and could be read as aroace, but because of the themes, especially those surrounding said character, who is coded as a caregiver to women and through close emotional connections to men. It’s got possibly unintentional deconstructions of masculinity and two men (brothers) who need to forgive each other and can only do so through the catharsis of violence. It speaks to me as a transmasc with several cis brothers, struggling with my own masculinity. It’s not at all written for me, but I find myself all over it. I could talk about this movie forever.

Queer Rating: 8 out of 10. I’m not allowed to say any more or I’ll never stop writing about it. I love you Tommy…

The Drop (2014): Bob’s lack of sexual and/or romantic interest in Naomi is so strange to her that she doesn’t know what he would want from her otherwise. Bob really just wants to raise a dog with her (and also forgiveness for past sins). Bob is such a rare ace and possibly aro coded character, it really throws me every time I watch this film how obvious it is. Bonus points for also being autistic-coded and not in the stereotypical ways.

(Tom Hardy’s most challenging role: pretending he doesn’t know dogs)

Queer Rating: 9 out of 10 because it’s so fucking rare to see ace and aro coded characters that aren’t, you know…. serial killers. Also Tom Hardy adopts a puppy and has a very cute, kinda lispy voice. How often does Tom Hardy play softer men like this?

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015): Very deliberately no sexual or romantic writing included in Max’s and Furiosa’s relationship. Sure, there’s not a lot of time for that in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, but it was also done with a purpose! “It was always going to be two warriors on par, starting off with very little respect for each other and ending up with a massive respect for each other.” - Charlize Theron. “So of course they meet, of course there’s a relationship, an unspoken understanding. A recognition.” - Tom Hardy.

Queer Rating: 9 out of 10. It’s not just the characters, but the world and it’s apocalyptic BDSM leather scene, the questions it asks about sustainability and about people as tools, and the found family. It’s about overcoming violence through multiple kinds of love. And it’s about watching a guy playing flame-thrower guitar. What could be queerer?

Venom (2018): Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same… No, but Eddie is queer. The only question is whether the sequel will acknowledge that aspect or not, but even if not. Even if it manages to straightly bypass the reality of a symbiotic relationship with a genderless? genderfluid? being from another world that is linked to you down to your very cells and understands you more intimately than any other person possibly could… even if all that: Eddie is queer. Venom and Eddie are in a relationship. Any relationship Eddie ever enters into will automatically become a thrupple. He makes out with Venom in the movie! Eddie is queer.

(aw yeah that tongue is going down his throat)

Queer Rating: 9.5 out of 10, because it’s still coded by the creators in the language of bromance (hey, bro, is it gay if we’re physically and emotionally closer than any other people on earth?), but the movie is so, so camp and Mr Hardy’s acting choices are beautiful – the screaming? The lispy soft voice and lack of taking up space? The lobster tank? The only people who don’t know how queer this is are the people making it apparently. Fingers crossed for that sequel!

Hon. mentions:

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002): Star Trek – even at it’s worst (especially at its worst?) – is camp af + Hardy is a straight-up baby in this film.

Bronson (2008): It’s about a real person who’s still alive, so I won’t comment on the actual man. However the film seems to code the character Bronson along an ace line and also has genderqueering Vaudeville. Someone let Tom Hardy do more of whatever was going on in those stage-bits.

(this right here: this the good shit)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Another ensemble piece not massively about Hardy’s character, but it’s a movie that centers around queerness in a strange, depressing way. Tom Hardy’s character isn’t queer. Colin Firth and Mark Strong are though. The book makes me cry.

Peaky Blinders (2013-): Because it’s a TV series I left it out. There’s a lot of straight nonsense going on there, but Alfie Solomens is gay. There’s nothing in the series that disputes that and plenty that lends itself to the reading.

Dunkirk (2017): Tom Hardy plays an RAF pilot in a deep emotional connection with the other main RAF pilot. That’s immediately gay. However he’s not in the movie much because of the way it’s constructed, so I left it off.

Queer Ratings (least to most)

No queer to be found here traveller:

This Means War: 2 out of 10 - illegal movie, Tom Hardy swore he wouldn’t do another rom-com after

Locke: 2 out of 10 - straight Welshman and his straight problems. He pretty though

Lawless: 3 out of 10 - cardigan-Hardy being a mother-hen, but very straight for all that

The Dark Knight Rises: 3 out of 10 - a superhero movie that doesn’t deserve Mr Hardy’s camp talents (unlike Venom)

The Revenant: 3 out of 10 - doesn’t give me what I want out of a movie full of dirty, bearded men

Queer but we deserve more:

Legend: 5 out of 10 - timid homosexuality, considering the source material. 

RocknRolla: 6 out of 10 - hey bro, is it gay if we kill the only female lead in our massive ensemble cast

The queerest of Hardy’s:

Inception: 7 out of 10 - Elliot Page and JGL kissing was an all-around terrible choice that made no sense, we know the truth, Nolan

Warrior: 8 out of 10 - I’m still crying, Edgerton’s crying, Hardy’s crying, we’re all crying, and I think that’s really emotionally healthy and queer of us

Mad Max: Fury Road: 9 out of 10 - non-romantic love in the time of BDSM post-apocalyptic wastelands is something that can actually be so personal

The Drop: 9 out of 10 - “Fucking punk. Go out to dinner dressed like you're still in you living room! You wear those big hippity-hoppity clown shoes! You speak to women terribly! You treat them despicably! You hurt harmless dogs that can't defend themselves! I'm tired of you man. I'm tired of you. You embarrass me!”

Venom: 9.5 out of 10 - Sometimes a relationship is an anxious reporter, the sentient goo inhabiting his body, his kinda-ex-girlfriend and her new doctor boyfriend, and I think that’s beautiful

#tom hardy #mad max: fury road #venom 2018 #inception #rocknrolla #warrior 2011 #legend 2015 #the drop 2014 #the revenant #the dark knight rises #lawless 2012 #locke #this means war

[richincolor]

Learning About the Present Through Our Past

There are people who would say that students in the U.S. do not get a comprehensive education when it comes to history. So how can we understand our present and work toward our future without a clear view of our past? There may be some schools or teachers who are doing an excellent job, but in many cases we still have a very long way to go. This makes access to thorough and accurate accounts all the more important for young readers. Here are two recent books that could help fill in some gaps.

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon [available Sept. 28] (Review copy provided by Candlewick)

Publisher summary: In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers’ community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers’ story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members—mostly women—and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens.

Revolution in Our Time puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Kekla Magoon’s eye-opening work invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustices in the United States to learn from the Panthers’ history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice.

A few thoughts: Aside from the middle grade book One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia and Kekla Magoon's own teen novels The Rock and the River and Fire in the Streets, not much literature exists for young readers featuring the Black Panthers. That was why I was very excited to see this available for teens, but I think adults will also appreciate it. Revolution in Our Time begins with one of the events that brought the Panthers to national attention, but also goes back hundreds of years explaining many actions and events in history that led to that moment. Readers can see how the organization came together, shaped their collective identity, and got to work.

It's a very comprehensive look at the members and their day-to-day activities, victories, losses, and the many challenges they ran up against. It also includes a look into the many instances of governmental opposition. The Panthers were strong and did want to be seen that way, but their opponents painted them as violent and dangerous and that image is the only picture that many folks still hold in their memories. Here people can see a much more complete and accurate view.

The actual details and the stories are awesome by themselves, but the way that Magoon connects the past to our present makes this an incredibly powerful work. The final sections of the book are a call to action. The Black Panthers' average age was 19. Young people can do amazing things. There's a lot to learn by looking at the past and there's so much potential and opportunity for young people to make change happen today.

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo Norton Young Readers

Publisher summary: America in 1982: Japanese car companies are on the rise and believed to be putting U.S. autoworkers out of their jobs. Anti–Asian American sentiment simmers, especially in Detroit. A bar fight turns fatal, leaving a Chinese American man, Vincent Chin, beaten to death at the hands of two white men, autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz.

Paula Yoo has crafted a searing examination of the killing and the trial and verdicts that followed. When Ebens and Nitz pled guilty to manslaughter and received only a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation, the lenient sentence sparked outrage. The protests that followed led to a federal civil rights trial—the first involving a crime against an Asian American—and galvanized what came to be known as the Asian American movement.

Extensively researched from court transcripts, contemporary news accounts, and in-person interviews with key participants, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is a suspenseful, nuanced, and authoritative portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.

A few thoughts: It's clear that Paula Yoo did an incredible amount of research and she carefully unraveled many layers of this complicated story. Vincent Chin was brutally killed and though to some it may seem like an isolated event, it happened during a time when there was increasing anti-Asian sentiment brewing. Yoo takes the time to explain many things that had happened contributing to the creation of this environment. She uses the personal history of Vincent's family and even goes back through U.S. history as a whole to see the threads of hatred and racism that had been there over time.

The narrative includes many people involved in the case and explores their lives and actions--and where possible--their motivations. Seeing Vincent's friends and family up close makes the loss very difficult to witness even just via the page.

A powerful aspect of this book is seeing the way people pulled together and spoke up. They formed Asian American advocacy organizations and some aspects of the justice system were even changed as a result of the work done around Vincent's case. Unfortunately, this book is very timely. It was published during a time of rising violence and racism against people of Asian descent in the U.S. Yoo shows readers that our present has come about because of our past, but our past can also inform and inspire us.

Here are links to a few more YA nonfiction history books that we've featured in the past:

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz adapted by Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza

We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi

A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 by Claire Hartfield

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles by Tanya Stone

Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from WWII to Peace by Ashley Bryan

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, & Harmony Becker

Pipestone: My Life in an Indian Boarding School by Adam Fortunate Eagle

Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White by Lila Quintero Weaver

The March graphic novel series books 1-3 by John Lewis with Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell

In addition to books written specifically for the YA market, there are also some fantastic historical picture books for children, teens, and even adults. Here are a few that are exceptional:

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson illustrated by Rebecca Huang

Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie

I Am Not a Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer illustrated by Gillian Newland

Twenty-two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank by Paula Yoo illustrated by Jamel Akib

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Tradition by Kevin Noble Mailland illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Hong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung illustrated by Chris Sasaki

A Day for Rememberin': Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day by Leah Henderson illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome

Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War by Duncan Tonatiuh

If you are aware of other books we should watch for, please let us know.

#history #YALit #history in picture books #kekla magoon #paula yoo

[metalnmagick]

Well I started out wanting to write nickles mic sharing but it turned into Magnus having his first of many diva tantrums and well. Here you go.

Contains: Nickles (if you squint) and also MagNate (also if you squint), fighting, and general jackassery and jealousy on Magnus’ part. Enjoy!

Let the record state that Magnus Hammersmith did not intend for any of this to happen.

They’d never intended on Pickles usurping Magnus as backup vocalist, but Nathan figured since Pickles had been a vocalist previously and his voice was more distinct, he was a better fit. That much had been fine with Magnus, who preferred to devote himself to his guitar anyway. But this… This was a little much.

“No, it’s never gonna work if we don’t come in at the same time.” Pickles sighs, getting up from his drum kit and walking over to Nathan. “Look, just keep yer eyes on me when we do it.” He reaches forward, hands touching Nathan’s as he holds the mic with him.

Let the record state that Magnus Hammersmith does not have feelings for Nathan Explosion. They've just become used to each other over the time they’ve spent together trying to get Dethklok off the ground. Nathan has been the only one able to handle Magnus. Nobody else has the right dedication or vision to keep up with Magnus’ lofty standards.

And sometimes if cramped hotel rooms throw them together into one bed, and they’ve both been drinking, that’s just been due to circumstance. Nothing deeper to being tangled together on a twin sized bed, nothing deeper to whiskey flavored tongues pressing together under the flickering light of a lamp whose bulb should have been changed long ago, nothing deeper to heaving chests and desperate grunts in the fevered heat of drunken passion.

Let the record state that Magnus Hammersmith is absolutely not jealous. He just thinks it’s embarrassing how shamelessly Pickles flirts with their frontman.

“You don’t have to hold the mic for me, I’m not a kid.”

“I’m not holdin’ it for ya. I’m holdin’ it with ya.” Pickles rolls his eyes, smiling good naturedly. “We gotta sync up if we want this t’sound any good. We’ll go slower this time. Don’t think about how it sounds, just think about us keepin’ pace.” Nathan nods in response and Pickles turns to Magnus, pushing teased red hair off of his shoulder to see him better. “Okay, let’s try this again, but a little slower. Ready?” Magnus grunts in response, placing his fingers on the strings. He starts to play, a little slower this time.

Let the record state that Magnus Hammersmith did not write this song to be a duet. Pickles was the one who swooped in with his brilliant idea, and Nathan never turns Pickles’ ideas down. He insists Pickles knows what he’s talking about, but Magnus thinks he knows more. He wrote the damn song after all. But he hates arguing over relatively small details, so he had let Pickles do what he thought was best.

Nathan has to crouch slightly so they’re on the same level, and their mouths are separated only by the microphone and scarcely an inch of space on each side. Magnus bites his tongue to keep from telling them to get a room, and continues playing.

Nathan’s eyes are fixed on Pickles’ lips as they sing, trying to stay with him as the song picks up. They’re doing alright so far, and once they get through the first section of the song, Pickles gestures for Magnus to stop.

“Yer doin’ great!” He pats Nathan on the shoulder encouragingly. “Just pay attention to when I breathe in, because there’s not a whole lotta room to do it in this one.” Nathan nods, and they stand there, talking about nothing, faces still so close they look like they’re whispering about something.

“Magnus, you okay?” Nathan asks, taking him by surprise. “You look pissed.”

“I’m fine.” Magnus says, letting out a short huff. “I just need a drink.” He sets his guitar down on a chair and leaves, walking to the makeshift kitchen in their practice space, not even asking if they want anything.

He stands by the fridge, beer in hand, and tries not to think about the way Nathan’s eyes lingered on Pickles’ lips a little too long after they finished singing. Tries not to think of the way their fingers locked together around the mic, as if it was all too natural for them. Tries not to think about the way it burns him up inside how they look at each other, how they laugh together like old friends, how Nathan gushes about him nonstop when he isn’t around.

Magnus peers into the room as he finishes off the latter half of his beer, and nearly rolls his eyes all the way back into his skull. Pickles is standing half-behind-half-beside Nathan at his drums, hands on his, guiding him with the sticks to show him how it works. Like something out of a cheap romance movie.

“So that’s the easy part. But now ya gotta multitask.” Pickles slides one leg forward between Nathan’s to hit the pedal. Magnus can see Nathan blushing from here, and it makes him sick. He pulls a cigarette out of his shirt pocket, lighting it and taking a deep drag.

“So how did you even learn the drums?” Nathan asks.

“‘S a helluva lot easier than the guitar. Just kinda paid attention to our drummer in Snakes n’ Barrels when he played. Easy enough to pick up on.” Pickles shrugs, keeping his eyes on the drums.

Smug fucking bastard. Magnus thinks, scoffing to himself. False modest piece of-

“Magnus, you almost done in there?” Pickles calls, walking away from Nathan and his drums and back over to the mic. “I wanna try ‘n go through that last one a couple more times.” Magnus crushes the empty beer can in his hand on a countertop, tossing it in the trash and walking back in. He tries to maintain his composure as he puts his guitar back on.

“Yeah, let’s just fuckin’ go.” He grunts, cigarette still in his mouth.

“You sure you’re okay?” Nathan asks again, walking back to Pickles and taking the microphone off its stand.

“I’m fucking fine. Just go.” He starts playing, hardly giving the two of them time to get ready, and they start up again.

Let the record state that Magnus Hammersmith never really thought they needed a drummer. He’s firmly convinced that he and Nathan could have been great all on their own, vocals and guitar, and they didn’t need some bigshot from a has-been glam rock band coming in and telling Magnus how to do things. Now Nathan is suggesting they get a bassist, and maybe someone on keyboard, or a second guitarist. Magnus is convinced Pickles is the one giving him these ideas.

“Dude, slow down. Yer goin’ way faster than normal.” Pickles breaks his reverie, and Magnus stops all at once, giving him a venomous look.

“Why don’t you write the fuckin’ songs then if you know so goddamn much?” He asks, a sudden outburst of bitterness that takes both of the other two men by surprise.

“Jesus, calm down. What’s up with you today?” Nathan asks, letting go of the microphone and leaving it in Pickles’ hands.

“Yeah, ya don’t normally act like this…” Pickles gives him a look of concern, and that only pisses Magnus off more.

“I don’t know. I don’t know! Maybe I’m fucking sick of watching you-” he points an accusatory finger at the drummer, “-practically riding his dick all the goddamn time to get your way!”

“Dude, what?” Pickles looks genuinely confused, holding up his hands. “Where’s this comin’ from?”

“You know what the fuck I mean. You fucking flirting with Nathan all the time to change shit about our band!”

“I’m not flirtin’ with anybody. And I’m not tryin’ to change shit! I make suggestions, y’know, like someone in a fuckin’ band.” Pickles’ gaze turns from sympathetic and confused to defensive and angry on a dime.

“Guys, come on-” Nathan starts, stepping between them.

“No, clearly he’s got a fuckin’ problem with me. I wanna hear what it is.” Pickles says, stepping past the vocalist and towards Magnus. “Go on, let’s fuckin’ hear it.” He crosses his arms, challenging the guitarist.

“Oh don’t act so fucking clueless.” Magnus scoffs, setting his guitar aside. “I see the way you hang off of Nathan. Making my songs duets just so you can get close to him, holding his hands to show him your fucking drums, telling him we need more people in the band just to fuel your ego. It’s pathetic.”

“Y’know, not everyone thinks they’re God like you do, Magnus.” Pickles replies, his eyes cold. “I don’t know where you got the idea that I’m out to get you, but it’s not fuckin’ true in the slightest. I’m not some evil mastermind or whatever the fuck. I’m just a guy in a band, and I’m tryin’ to participate. I never expect my ideas to be fuckin’ accepted without question. The only reason anyone’s suggestions get by is because we all fuckin’ agree on them. And I’m not out here tryin’ to seduce Nate or whatever! Maybe you’re just projectin’ because you’re fuckin’ jealous of me or whatever.” Nathan, face flushed and eyes wide, puts a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Guys, stop it! Nobody’s taking control of the band on their own, and nobody’s trying to fuck anybody! Just calm the fuck down and-!” Nathan is shoved aside by Magnus, who lurches forward to swing at Pickles. The drummer steps back at the last second, looking shocked.

“Oh you’re fuckin’ dead, asshole.” Pickles shoves Nathan back and lunges at Magnus, the two of them grabbing each other’s throats. Magnus easily overpowers him, pinning Pickles to the ground and choking him with one hand, using the other to take the nearly-forgotten cigarette out of his mouth and grind it into the drummer’s arm. Pickles cries out and swings a leg up, kneeing Magnus in the dick and forcing a pained grunt out of Magnus, who lets go of him. The drummer shoves him off, getting on top of him and winding back a fist that Magnus manages to catch, inches from his face.

“I’m so fucking sick of you. Always fuckin’ getting whatever you want. You think you’re fucking better than me?” Magnus growls, using his free hand to take the other man by surprise and punch him directly in the nose. There’s a sickening crunch, and Pickles falls back, eyes watering hard.

“I don’t think I’m better than anyone, douchebag!” Pickles cries, bleary eyes keeping him from seeing as Magnus gets above him again, about to deliver another blow. “Yer the one actin’ like a psycho jealous girlfriend outta nowhere!” The words have hardly finished leaving Pickles’ mouth before Magnus punches him again, this time in the mouth. There’s a splurt of blood against his knuckles, and Magnus feels satisfied somewhere deep down inside. He feels like he’s inflicting pain that’s been earned, causing bloodshed that Pickles has been begging for. He’s about to do it again when strong arms grab him from behind, easily pulling him off of the drummer and holding him still at last.

“GUYS.” Nathan shouts, apparently finally having had enough. He sighs, frustrated, and turns Magnus to face him. “Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you today? You’re acting crazy.” Pickles sits up behind them, assessing the damage done to his face and spitting blood onto the floor.

“Are you kidding me? You two are all fucking over each other!” Magnus tries to wrench free of Nathan’s grip, to stop those piercing green eyes from looking into him, but it’s no use. “Every time you share a mic you look like you’re about to french each other! I leave the room for two minutes and you’re holding hands and feeling each other up by the drum kit! It’s disgusting!” Nathan’s face reddens at the accusation, but his expression remains stony. He shoves Magnus aside, not bothering to look at him anymore.

“Go the fuck home. You’re done for today.”

“Oh come on, you can’t be serious.”

“I am. Go home, get the stick out of your ass or whatever, and stop acting like a fucking lunatic. You’re just pissing everyone off.” He walks over to Pickles, kneeling down to assess the damage Magnus has done to him. Magnus clenches his jaw.

“Fine. I get it. You two have fun practicing.” He practically spits the words as he grabs his guitar and turns to leave. He can hear their voices faintly as he walks out, every blood cell in his veins feeling like fire.

“...don’t know why he’s acting like this…”

“...s’fine...dealt with diva shit before…”

“...sure you’re okay…?”

“...m’fine, Nate’n…worry too much…”

Let the record state that Magnus Hammersmith has never once in his life been jealous, especially not now, as he turns back for a moment to see Pickles smiling sheepishly as Nathan holds his face in his hands as if he’s made of glass. Especially not when he sees the way their eyes meet and expressions soften slightly before he turns around. Especially not when he punches a hole in the cheap plaster of the wall in his apartment when he gets home.

#dethklok #metalocalypse #magnus hammersmith #nathan explosion #pickles the drummer #magnate #nickles #my writing

[bluebirdsboi]

Mike Zacharias- Fluff ABC Mike Zacharias x Gender Neutral Reader

Fandom: Attack on Titan 

Requests are Open!

A- Attractive (What do they find most attractive about you?)

The most attractive thing about you to Mike is your sent. Mike has an incredible sense of smell, so it only makes sense that he’d love how you smell. To him, your smell is rather sweet or floral. 

B- Baby (Do they want a family? Why or Why not?)

Not exactly. He doesn’t want to have his children growing up in a world where your death could literally happen at any second.

C- Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Most of the time when you cuddle you two would spoon, and he would be the big spoon. Occasionally you would be the big spoon when he’s feeling down or he just feels like being the little spoon. 

D- Dates (What are dates like with them?) 

Mike is pretty quiet and reserved, so he doesn’t exactly do PDA. He’d take you out on walks, or you two would just stay inside all day and call it a date. Again he’s a very quiet person, so he doesn’t like to do anything too extravagant. 

E- Everything (you are my____)

Star. Even if his face doesn’t always show it, you always find a way to brighten his mood. 

F- Feelings (When did they realize they were in love with you?)

When he first saw you on the survey corp. Nobody knew because he’s so reserved and good at hiding his feelings. 

G- Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

He’d be as gentle as you want. He knows just how big he is and doesn’t want to accidentally hurt you. (He can also be as rough as you want him if you know what I mean ;))

H- Hands (Do they like to hold hands? How do they like to hold hands?) 

Yes, in fact holding hands is probably the closest thing to PDA that you two would do. Most of the time if you two hold hands it would be in private or with few people around. 

I- Impression (What was their first impression of you?) 

Mike was a little flustered when you first met, but again he didn’t really show it. Every now and then you catch him staring at you but he’d immediately turn his attention to something else when you looked at him. He liked how upbeat and confident you seemed even if the situation was rather serious. 

J- Jealous (Do they get jealous?) 

He does get jealous every now and again, but when he does he would never show it because again he’s so quiet. If he gets jealous he usually gives you the silent treatment until he calms down. 

K- Kiss (How do they kiss) 

When you do kiss it’s in private, but when you do kiss they’re always loving and passionate. Despite his size, Mike’s a huge softy. Every time he kisses you he wants you to know just how much he loves you. 

L- Love (Who said “I love you” first?) 

Mike said, “I love you first”. Granted it did take him a little to get to the point, but none the less he did and you were glad that he did. 

M- Memory (What’s your favorite (favourite) memory together)

You two went stargazing together. This was when you two weren’t together yet, but it still holds a special place in your hearts. You two went outside at night on a mission. Mike was against it at first since it was against Captain Levi’s orders, but you managed to convince him to go outside with you. (Coincidentally this is also where he confessed his feelings for you.) 

N- Nickle (Do they spoil you?)

Every now and then he’ll spend a pretty penny on you, but this usually only happens on special occasions like your birthday or any other reason to celebrate. 

O- Orange (What color (colour) reminds them of you?) 

Seeing white or dark blue usually reminds him of you because it reminds him of the night that he confessed his feelings for you under the stars. 

P- Pet Names (What pet names do they use?) 

He calls you baby and says “my love” more than anything. Of course, this is in private though. 

Q- Questions (What’s the question that they ask you the most?) 

“Are you alright?” or “Are you feeling alright?” He can be pretty protective of you, and he always wants to know how you’re doing both physically and mentally. 

R- Rainy Day (How do they like to spend rainy days?)

Even though the scouts are expected to work no matter the weather, but if it just so happens to rain on your day off he loves to spend the entire day cuddling. Since things can get pretty crazy to the point where you don’t know if you’ll see each other again, he wants to keep you in his arms for as long as possible. 

S- Sad (How do you cheer each other up) 

Mike usually tries to cheer you up with cuddles and taking you outside at night to watch the stars. The easiest way that you’re able to cheer up Mike is just spending time with him. 

T- Talking (What do they like to talk about?) 

Mike’s a pretty simple guy, so he usually just talks about his day and what happened that day between him, Hange, Levi, and Erwin. 

U- Unencumbered (What helps them relax?) 

Cuddling with you after working for the day usually helps him unwind. He also likes getting massages after a long day. Again Mike is a pretty simple man. 

V- Vaunt (What do they like to show off?) 

He doesn’t have a whole lot to show off other than his insane sense of smell, and even then he doesn’t show that off too often. 

W- Wedding (Do they want to get married?) 

Maybe he’d want to get married in the future, but as of right now he’s perfectly fine with just being your boyfriend. 

X- Xylophone (What’s their song)

I don’t exactly know how to answer this one because I’m not sure if the concept of music was invented in the Attack on Titan timeline 

Y- You (___ to my ___)

You are the star to his night sky 

Z- Zebra (What pet do they want to have?)

A dog because despite looks, dogs are just as cuddly as him. 

#attack on titan #mike zacharias #mike zacharias x reader #mike zacharias x gender neutral reader #x you #x gender neutral reader

[prorevenge]

Bully Landlord gets it in the end.

My first husband was a not very nice man. For 6 years I was belittled and basically a baby-factory for him. He was a fantastic father, but a horrible husband. After he finally got his 'heirs' I was then treated even worse until I finally 'woke up' and decided to leave his ass.

This revenge story is NOT about him. I just had to set the scene.

I moved out from the house, taking just my clothes, the car (4K value, no more) and the computer. I had nothing, stayed at a GF for a couple weeks before I was able to line up a crappy town-house with roommates. I had nothing, and my bed was a cat-pee-smelling free couch I was able to score. I wound up having 3-4 jobs with one of them being full-time and once a week I would not even be able to sleep between jobs.

Now, fast forward one year. My divorce was finalized and I had fulfilled my year's lease for the townhouse. By this time I was able to furnish the home and my bedroom and my kids' room when they would be with me for visitation.

The Scum-Bag Landlord (will just call him SBL) was a nice-ish landlord during the time of my tenancy and I was a good tenant, never being late with my rent. Although I had roommates, I was the sole name on the lease.

SBL would show up often, with some guise that he had to work on something like plumbing tests or whatever excuse he could come up with just so he could be all creepy and hang around trying to converse with me with mild sexual undertones that made me quite uneasy at times.

FINALLY the lease was fulfilled and I was now onto a month-to-month contract to which at that time I was ready to move out of this crappy townhouse, and found a great house in the mountains nearby and I was simply thrilled now that I got my feet on the ground and can afford a bit better than slum-living.

My Lease stated that I had to give one month's notice in order to move out. Unfortunately I was able to get the house I was to move into for the next month... only 3 weeks away.

I sent an email to SBL stating that I intend on moving out at the end of this month (in 3 weeks) and he can try to find another tenant. but I did state that IF he didn't find a tenant, I would still fulfill my legal obligation and pay next month's rent.

Within one week (2 weeks before I was move out) he emailed back and stated that was very generous of my offer but he was able to find a new tenant for the beginning of next month and I would be off the hook. He even tipped his hand by stating that he already collected a deposit from them.

Now, something happened within a couple days after that which was no fault of my own, nor my roommate's. The townhouse came with it's own appliances (fridge, oven etc) including a clothes washer and dryer on the main level. My roommate had put a load of laundry in and went to the living room to have a nap. He awoke to find that the washer had malfunctioned with the sensory switch which never stopped the water fill stage... and there was an inch of water in the kitchen and living room!!! He splashed through the water to turn off the washer and called me to come and help deal with this.

I was just getting off of work and I whipped home to assess the damage.

it. was. bad. There was standing water on top of the living room carpet and a good inch of water in the whole kitchen. I called SBL and told him the issue. By the time SBL showed up, I had already got most of the standing water out with the help of my roommate and friends that showed up with shop-vacs.

SBL didn't seem too upset, which was surprising for me and had an appliance repair man had come to look at the washer. The repairman even said "yep, here's the culprit" and showed how the dial would stick on the fill stage and wouldn't click over to the agitate stage. after replacing the dial and lubricating the whole deal, he left.

The next week was chaos as I was busy trying to pack and SBL had insurance guys in assessing and workers taking out the carpet and cutting 2 feet worth of the lower drywall of the whole main level.

The day of the move, though I was still supposed to be there for a couple more days, SBL had let himself in as movers were moving out my stuff with a camera going around taking pictures of everything. I honestly thought that it was for his insurance claims etc. I actually felt bad for SBL (I'm too nice) and told him that I would not ask for any of my deposit back, and he responded in front of the loading crew and my roommate "Thank you, that's very generous of you". We parted ways and I thought that was that.

I was wrong.

Two weeks into my new home location did SBL showed up on my doorstep with a summons to appear in arbitration because he was SUEING ME! WHAT???? on what grounds??? He stated it's all in this paperwork and handed me a manila envelope with 18 pages of everything he was charging me with. All including photos (now I know why he was going around taking pics). Nickle and diming me on everything from a bent Venetian blind (that was like that when I had moved in) and some scuffs on walls, etc etc. but then he ALSO wanted me to pay his insurance deductible and that following month's rent!!! He claimed that the tenants that he had lined up backed out at the last minute (claiming that they didn't think the place wouldn't be ready in time with the new drywall and paint and so on), so he still wanted me to pay that month's rent.

REALLY??

Fuck. This. Shit. I knew I was more than generous of giving him my whole deposit and then for him to come back and sue me for thousands?? He was not only claiming the damages caused by the flood, but improvements he needed to do that should never be or have been my responsibility in the first place. EVEN CRACKS in the living room wall that was from the building settling.... HOW SHOULD I BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT??? Even new lighting, faucets etc... All mainly on the accusation that I was negligent. I wasn't going to have that. I know is was a slummy townhouse complex and most of his tenants were just welfare cases, and maybe he could get away with this with others, but not me. No Way! I had just got out of a marriage that made me feel insignificant and had horrible self-esteem, but now I had my dignity and felt strong for the first time in a long time. No way was I going to let any more SHIT happen to me without my doing something about it.

I had 10 days before the date of my arbitration meeting.

I immediately got to work, first getting a signed deposition from the very repairman that had showed that day stating that the appliance was quite in need of maintenance work and the last time he had done ANY maintenance for him was almost 5 years before. From thoroughly reviewing my rental contract, and local laws, SBL is obligated to have all appliances maintained/services EVERY YEAR.

I had also talked to some of the other tenants and had heard that this wasn't the first time SBL had sued tenants after the fact. I hunted them down and got sworn statements from them also. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know what to do and mostly didn't show up at arbitration hence SBL winning by default. NO WAY I WAS NOT GOING TO LET HIM DO THIS TO ME.

I then drew up a rebuttal to each and every claim he had, including photos from the year+ that I had lived there,, printed out all my email correspondence and even convinced my ex roommate and one of the movers that heard my interaction with SBL about him stating how "generous" it was of me letting him keep my whole deposit (which was a significant amount) to come.

DAY OF ARBITRATION... I dressed up in my power-suit and with my ex-roommate and worker in tow, showed up at the meeting. Now, in Canada, arbitration is not held in a court room per se, but it still held AT the courthouse in a conference room with a judge. We had one hour with this judge. Since SBL was the plaintiff, he got to go first with his case. He spent over 40 minutes going over everything and I sat quietly until he finished.

Once he finished, I then hauled out the rebuttal in multiple copies, handed to the judge, to SBL and anyone else that wished to have one and I quickly went over each point. SBL was irate, and interrupted almost every second sentence I spoke. I would pause the moment he would start talking and say sweetly "I was quiet and polite during your time to present your case, I hope you grant me the same respect". SBL started to get red in the face, ESPECIALLY when I got to the deposition of the Maintenance worker for the appliance. I included with that the tenancy/landlord act sections pertaining to appliance maintenance and stated that this was the only record of maintenance that had occurred, and unless he can come up with more recent records from perhaps another company, it was over 5 years since anything had been looked at.

With my defense, I had also then countered that I would like my deposit back, and my day's pay from work since I had to take that day off to go to this meeting.

The judge then made his statement, and I will always remember this for the rest of my life. He stated that first, he was very impressed of my presentation and that I obviously have a good handle on things and can tell that my nature is of kindness and respect especially with photos of how I had the town house furnished and clean and pride in whatever home I would live in.

Bottom line.... Not only did I win my case, I wound up having SBL owing my over 80% of my deposit back, including interest. SBL's face was PRICELESS. The judge then proceeded to tell SBL that they will be reviewing again all his previous filings, and if there was enough evidence of harassment, he would be reported to the board of landlords and tenants. I don't really know if anything came out of that.

Now.... I walked away that day feeling on top of the world. Completely justified and he got a taste of his own medicine.

BUT... it didn't stop there. OH NO. Knowing that this guy has a history of suing tenants... I printed up my final results (and judge's signature) and gave a copy to each and every tenant in that complex. I wanted to warn everyone his practices and to keep notes, photos etc so that he couldn't do that to them.

But I didn't stop there... He still now owed ME money (he he) and I asked repeatedly for the payment. he never responded. He had until a certain day to pay me back my deposit, and on that day I had gone to his house (I looked up his residence under public records as he is a landlord and had to file under a certain address) and knocked on the door. He didn't answer, though I knew he was home. I rang the bell a few more times, and knocked loudly. he then turned his house alarm on, which at first startled me, but quickly turned to humor seeing how much of a pussy this bully turned out to be.

I then yelled out loud enough that I am not going anywhere. He yelled out, "get off my property or I will call the police!!!"

OK... no problem. I got off the property, but camped out on the front sidewalk. I had a fold-up chair, a cooler with water and sodas, a few sandwiches and all my paperwork with me. I was set to stay there forever. I then would tell anyone that would walk by (already there were some people there from the house alarm fiasco) about how I was a tenant and wrongfully sued me and that I have a claim against him and he now owes ME money. I let anyone look at the paperwork just to back up my claim.

The police DID SHOW UP! they first went to talk to SBL and he was claiming that I was harassing him, slandering him and wouldn't leave his property. I was on public property (sidewalk) and it isn't slander if it's true, of which I had all my court-signed paperwork to back me up. I wasn't disturbing the peace, I was simply and quietly seated outside his home and just talking to neighbors about his actions.

He was out YELLING that I need to leave, and I quietly stated that I would be happy to leave once I am paid that he was legally obligated to do by that date. I was not going to leave before I got money in my hand, and I was more than willing to stay there and tell anyone that would listen to me why I was camped out. The police stated I wasn't doing anything wrong, that it's public property, I wasn't disturbing the peace and it isn't slander if it's true.

Finally after an hour of SBL yelling on his front lawn at the policemen (and at me, of course) did his wife come out with money. She handed the money to the police, of which in turn handed the money to me, and signed off documenting final payment was complete. I sweetly smiled, thanked the police deeply, and went home.

I have no idea what ever happened to SBL, and if he is still pulling shit like this on others, but I hope that I helped put the fear of god in him that he just can't screw with people because eventually it will come and bite him in the ass.

Sometimes, nice guys (or girls) finish last, but with patience ... they finish with a WIN!

(source) story by (/u/Elena_La_Loca)

#prorevenge #by /u/Elena_La_Loca #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #last10

[endless-vall]

Three little words - Maxwell x Hana fanfic

Summary: The homecoming ball might be a big night for Amber and Liam, but he is also significant for Hana, and Maxwell. As they prepare for the big night, Hana reflects on the way leading up to this moment. And as they share a dance in the ball, they finally share their feelings with each other. Author’s note: So this happened? Enjoy! @miss-twombly​ @ifyouseekheart​ Tagging you lovelies since I love reading your responses to my Hanawell fanfics!

Hana was preparing for the homecoming ball. This was it. It was Amber’s biggest moment, the moment of truth. If she can handle this, she’ll definitely become queen. And Hana was happy for her. She really was. Standing in the boutique, waiting for Amber, she bumped into Olivia. Olivia wouldn’t admit it, but she was a part of their friend-group. Hana shot her a smile, with a gentle glance, and Olivia nodded in agreement. While it was obvious the both of them weren’t in need of a dress, they were both looking for one. For Amber? The nickle finally dropped, and Hana smiled to herself, just outside of Olivia’s notice. Oh, how things have changed, since they just got here for the social season...

She wasn’t even going to mention how mean and rude Olivia was behaving back then, and the progress she’s made since, but the overall-progression of things. How Olivia opened up more, allowing the group to call her somewhat-friend. She helped them with the investigation and even got out with them in a few occasions. Yes, it was still early for Hana to call her a friend, after all they’ve been through, but Hana did know now that, if she needed it, she could trust Olivia. This was such a different concept from the beginning, it was even a little hard to grasp. At the beginning, Hana truthfully came here to win Liam’s hand. Yes, she wasn’t sure it’ll be any different from her first engagement, but she had to do it, for herself and for her parents. Maybe mainly for her parents, but she thought she’d give Liam a chance. The truth was, Liam was wonderful. He was compassionate and considerate and charming, but... He wasn’t IT for her. And while Hana was raised her whole life on the belief of marrying someone she doesn’t love was not only possible but almost certain, as the idea became closer to reality her legs urged her to flee. So when Liam took favorite of Amber, her best-friend of the race, there wasn’t anyone more relieved than she was. And if they’re talking about Amber, this was an even bigger surprise than the last one. She came here for a competition, not to make friends. And usually, the noble ladies weren’t as pleasant and genuine as Amber was, so even had she wanted to make friends, this wasn’t a possibility. Amber surprised Hana since the first night of their meeting. Protecting someone she barely knew and going after her to comfort her wasn’t something just anyone would do. Where else could you find someone like that? The answer was, nowhere. Amber was, one of a kind.  And Hana was happy she and Liam had found each other. It made her believe love still existed in this world. It made her believe in true love. And Amber did so much for her beyond that. From raising her morals and standing up for her, Amber taught her what was truly important. She helped her stand up to her own parents and living her own life. It was everything Hana always wanted, but was too afraid to even dream about. The feeling of freedom and self-fulfillment compromised the fact she was now probably unwelcomed in her own home. Which led her... To the last surprising detail of the turnout of events since the start of the social season. Maxwell. If they were being honest, Hana didn’t come to this competition to fall in love, either. And at first, she didn’t. Maxwell was just a friend. Like Amber, like Liam... Even like Drake. He was this goofy, positive figure that could always cheer her up, or brighten her day, but she never gave it much importance. It was just Maxwell... Y’know? Her feelings for him, haven’t started to develop, until much, much later. Or maybe... She just didn’t realize that they were. There were some subjects that even seemed to put Maxwell and her in two total different areas of the same scale, but somehow... They still found their way to each other. And Hana’s heart never felt more at peace, at home... Than when she was with him. She felt lighter, she felt on fire, she everything in the same time. She... lov- Amber has finally arrived, pushing through the boutique’s doors, and interrupting Hana’s line of thought. “Amber!” She exclaimed, going towards her direction, holding a beautiful pink dress. Olivia approached them too, with an equally beautiful dress, in the color of gold. After chatting a little, Amber picked out Olivia’s dress. There was no denying it, Amber looked glamorous. “Ready?” She asked Amber. Amber smiled at her. “Like I never was before.” She assured her. All three of them smiling, they got out of the boutique, and went back to their rooms to get ready. Hana wore her Chinese dress, the one she herself made, and pulled her hair in an up-do, they way she knew Maxwell liked it. A light blush crept to her cheeks as she watched herself in the mirror.  Look at her. Tying her hair a certain way just because she knew a boy liked it. Well... This wasn’t just any boy, and she did look great wearing it that way. A knock on her door cuts off her concentration again, and she turns around, just finishing touching up. “I’m almost ready!” She calls in response, wearing her heels. “Sweetheart, we should get going, the ball’s about to start!” Maxwell’s voice is heard through the door. “Sweetheart?” She opens it up, for him to come in, and questions in an amused tone. Not because she’s making fun of him, no... “You don’t like it?” He makes a pout-y face. Maxwell’s wearing a suit, and he truly looks... Handsome. “I love it.” She boops his nose, and giggles. Maxwell shakes his head in response, but gives in and chuckles with her. “Are you ready?” He looks her up and down. “You look stunning.” “Aw, thank you. Yes... I am, now.” She smiles, and takes his hand. “Shall we?--” Before she can finish her sentence, Maxwell pulls her in into a long, passionate kiss. He presses his lips to her, trailing wet kisses along it, and pulling her even closer. Hana doesn’t question his doings, and wraps her hands around his neck. Getting on her tip-toes, she kisses back just as hard as he does.   “What was that for?” She asks, when they finally break apart, grinning from ear to ear, still a bit dizzy. “I can’t kiss you like that in the ball in front of everyone, so I might as well do it right here...” Maxwell confesses, holding a hand over his neck. Chuckling, Hana nods. “You’re probably right. Bertrand would especially not like it.” She notes, and Maxwell nods enthusiastically.  Then, they go out, hand in hand, and make their way to the ballroom. “Maxwell Beaumont, and Lady Hana Lee!” The announcer announces their presence, and they make their way down the stairs. A few knowing glances, a few photos by the media, and they’re in. “Dance with me?” Maxwell asks, after Liam and Amber had shared their first dance for the night, extending a hand for Hana. “Sure.” She smiles at him, taking him on his offer. Something about this night... Is different. Hana feels nervous. Not bad-nervous... but good. Like her heart is going to burst out of her chest, from the intensity of her feelings towards... The man in front of her. “Do you ever feel alone in a room full of people?” He suddenly asks, and Hana looks up at him. She meets his eyes, and can see a sparkle shining in them. Maybe he was feeling the same way... “Not anymore.” She assures him, resting her head against his shoulder, as they waltz to a classic melody. She can feel Maxwell smiling at her answer. “Good. Neither am I.” He lets her know, and she looks up back at him, glad. “Hana-” “Maxwell, I-” They both end up blushing, looking at each other, a little bit lost, but mostly, flushed. “You go first.” She tells him, suppressing a smile. “Okay.” He nods. “Hana, I... Feel the same way. Actually, I’ve never felt this way, before I met you.” He begins. “And the more I spend time with you... The more I’m sure.” He smiles. “Sure? About what?” She can’t help but ask. “That... I love you.” He finally lets it out, and Hana has to hold in the urge to screech. They continue to dance for a few long seconds, not saying anything but searching in each other’s eyes. “Hana...?” Maxwell bites at his lip. “You don’t have to s-” “That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you!” She cuts him off, unable to suppress anything any longer. She breaks out from the perfect routine they were doing, and pulls him back into the crowd. Passing by countless faces, she finally pulls him in one of the balcony’s. “Maxwell...” At least there, they can have some privacy. She wraps her hands around his neck, not as eager as before - They were still in the presence of the whole court, just one door swing away - And pulls him into her embrace. “I... Love you too.” She finally says those three little words. The words that can change her whole life. She didn’t come here to fall in love. But she did. He kisses her briefly, before taking her in his arms and spinning her around. Hana’s laughter can be heard through the doors, probably, but they don’t care. The music will muffle it, anyway. He finally sets her down, after awhile, both giggling and just... In love. “You know, maybe I do feel alone in a room full of people.” She tells him. “You do?” An automatic, worried expression rises to his face, as he turns to her. “Alone... with you.” She winks at him. He snorts at her. “Like there’s no one else besides us in the whole world?” He asks, and Hana can see he knows what she’s meaning. “Exactly.”

#playchoices #playchoices fanfic #the royal romance #hana lee #maxwell beaumont #maxwell x hana #hana x maxwell #hanawell #my writing #fanfic #liam x mc #trr

[moatmagic4-blog]

Strange: The Unusual Offseason For Chicago Bears Fans

It’s just strange, the 2019 offseason. Right Chicago Bears fans?

At the end of August in 2018, there one one thing I was sure of regarding the future of the Chicago Bears... the 2019 draft would be all about a first round edge-rusher, the one big hole on the Bears team.

Then Jon Gruden happened, and somehow the Bears ended up with Khalil Mack and no 2019 first round draft pick (plus swapping a 2020 first for a second round).

Mack came in and everybody knows what happened. Suffice to say from the moment Khalil walked in the door at Halas Hall, edge rusher was no longer a priority.

That’s a really good thing, because not only had Ryan Pace traded away his first pick (for a player who would end up All-Pro in his first Bears season) but Pace had earlier traded away his 2019 second round pick for Anthony Miller (a second for a second, plus some change).

The Miller traded worked out well for the Bears, as they ended up with guy who looks like a bona fide star in the making.

Two huge holes on the roster filled, and both players were key in helping Chicago win our division for the first time in a very long time.

All in all, the Bears ended up the season young, solid and healthier than we probably had a right to be. After so many years of injury, we finally got a bit luck in 2018.

Everything was cruising right along until somebody double doinked us out of the playoffs. We all know that there were indications of trouble in the kicking game all year, as a big money (for a kicker) guy under performed in his field goal kicking. Say what you want about Ryan Pace building a Super Bowl caliber team from the ashes (and truth is, he has) but Pace absolutely sucks at finding a kicker who can kick.

Doink. Doink. Now here we are.

I think everybody feels this was a year we could have won the whole thing, and that left us with an unbelievable hangover from the abrupt end of the season.

It also left us with very little to look forward to for the usual off-season events. The Bears have committed most of their money and it’s hard to argue that most of that money has been spent wisely. Yes, there are guys here and there that may look a bit overpaid, but there are some outright bargains on the team as well.

Coming into the offseason there were several player concerns that needed to be dealt with. There were three key free agents and one guy that needed to be fired.

The most critically important free agent issue we had was Bobbie Massie on the offensive line. Nobody will confuse Massie as the best right tackle in the NFL but he’s still not an old guy, he’s improved every year he’s been in Chicago and he had a really good year in 2018 under the coaching of Harry Hiestand.

The Bears were able to sign Massie to a fair extension, leaving only two big problems left and a limited amount of money to fix them. strong safety and starting nickle back.

This is where it gets strange for Bears fans.

Usually, right before the early negotiating period of free agency, we are all going bonkers wondering about who the Bears are going to sign. How many of the top players are going to get phone calls from Chicago? Which huge name would fill our headlines this week?

Although you never know for sure, in 2019 the answer is probably nobody.

We have enough cap space to fill our two glaring needs (strong safety and nickle), but that’s about it. We won’t be seeing any big-name wideouts or running backs. There won’t be any high profile young edge rushers heading our way.

There’s a good chance we see one or both of Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos return to the Bears, but there’s also a good chance we will lose both of them. It all depends on how much other teams value their services.

My personal guess is that Ryan Pace keeps what powder he has dry, and does nothing early on until he can see how Callahan and Amos are playing out, so that he knows where he’s going to have to fill holes. Having said that, Ryan Pace is a man who has surprised us many times over, so who knows?

What makes this winter even stranger is the fact that Bears fans are thinking differently about the future. In the recent past, we had all kinds of cap room but most players didn’t want to come here. Those days are gone. We are not a destination that somebody who’s willing to take less for the chance to play for a ring will go to.

We are also a destination that is chock full of young players who are on their rookie deals who are going to need to be paid. Going forward, the majority of our spending money will go to people like Cody Whitehair, Tarik Cohen, James Daniels, Roquan Smith, Mitchell Trubisky... homegrown players who have earned their big second paycheck.

Pace has been proactive in locking these kinds of guys down (Eddie Goldman, Charles Leno, Jr.) early and often, and I think that’s a trend we can expect.

There’s one last strange thing that enters the conversation this year as well. If we sign no free agents and lose Callahan or Amos, then chances are we will get one or more compensatory picks for the first time in a VERY long time.

Of course, there are other offseason Chicago Bears dramas to watch play out, most notably the eventual fate of Jordan Howard’s Bears career. Will he stay> Will he be traded? If so, when?

This time last year we were all screaming for outside linebackers who could rush the passer and wide receivers who could both get separation and catch the ball.

This year? Strange.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/3/10/18258626/chicago-bears-strange-unusual-offseason-fans-bear-down-free-agency-draft-amos-callahan-hicks-pace