#When going on a quest for revenge dig more than two graves because even more people will suffer because of you

[linaket]

a wip intro for

Mortal Teeth

(this is... incomplete and barely here, but I don't have a lot for this one right now... even though it is now my main project. It's mostly still vibes and half a rough outline. I'll probably make a "proper" introduction when I've got a bit more to go on. I usually refer to this one as "MT" or "teeth wip.")

genre // fantasy, post-apocalyptic other world.

featuring // mm romance, free range eldritch creatures that sometimes control the weather.

pov // third person close, multiple POVs

status // planning / zero drafting

premise // an ex-soldier on a revenge quest teams up with a manic pixie nightmare guy who is far more than he seems.

Characters

Valor Marik // A former member of the Vindicta, he deserted after the Abraxan Massacre and swore vengeance against those who orchestrated the slaughter. Since then he’s worked as a mercenary, specializing in Grave retrieval and neutralizing hostile averents while whittling away his list....

Ruse // Ruse does favors, for a cost: a favor of his choosing in return. He's established himself in the city of Petra as a something of a mythic figure, impossible to find unless he wants to be. When Varro arrives with a dangerous request, Ruse accepts the challenge. It isn't like he has anything to lose that he hasn't lost before...

(excerpt under cut. CW: guns, animal death)

Prologue

The Cataclysm wasn’t as instant as those far from its center wanted to believe.

Valor had been walking home, his air rifle in one shaking hand, the other carrying a battered white bucket of muscadines by its cracked handle. It had been harder, when he was younger, to carry the bucket. He’d needed both hands, but in the way that things can be expected, after days and months, and years, he only needed one hand for it.

The laden bucket swung with every step, the cracked handle digging into his palm where it hadn’t yet worn a callous. The rifle was heavier. He used it to scare away the nuisances that prowled the vines, firing shots close enough to send furred coons scattering or setting starlings alight. His father grumbled when the fruit were bitten, but his mothers eyes would be soft, her smile quiet, when she insisted that they needed to live, as well, and the vines produced enough to spare. Valor shot to warn, balancing his actions between his parents so that each was only half-disappointed.

It was harder to shoot to warn, but Valor was good at it now. He’d aim above a squirrels head, or off the side of a bird’s wing. He had to be close or it wouldn’t do much good. He had been lining up one such shot, his site just off the grey feathered shoulder of a pigeon, his finger easing down the trigger, when the bird took flight as the hammer dropped down. The air rifle shot small bearings, not enough force to do more than sting the calves of another person, but it slammed into the pigeon’s chest and stole its flight.

The pellet hadn’t pierced, it had crushed. Valor knelt by the fallen thing. It’s wings lashed feebly in struggle but its chest was caved, blood leaking from its beak. Tears stung his eyes as it struggled then, with his hands shaking, he pinched it’s neck until it snapped.

It was the right thing to do, he told himself. It was the right thing to do, to end its suffering. He kept telling himself that even as he clawed enough dirt away between two of the vines and lay the bird inside. He folded its wings over itself.

It had been the right thing to do, he told himself as he piled the dirt on top of it, but it didn’t feel any better. It didn’t take away the sound of the pellet’s impact, or the sight of spotted feathers drifting against the blue of the sky. He swiped away the tracks of tears that had managed to squeeze out of his eyes, and rubbed his nose on the soiled cuff of his father’s too big work shirt. Then he picked up his bucket in one hand, the rifle in the other, and headed home.

Because there was nothing Valor could undo once it was done.

#writeblr #wip intro #teeth wip #Spotify

[wickedgamesoyaoya]

Freudian projection is characterized by some as a defence mechanism employed by those who are struggling to accept difficult emotions or truths. Rather than admit or addressing the feelings, the emotions are projected onto someone else. Perhaps that is why Osamu Miya was particularly willing to accept your unfaithfulness. After engaging with his friends and brother in the group chat, the Onigiri Miya owner’s lack of satisfaction in the answers compelled him to further research the matters discussed. There were threads on social media of what conspired earlier that day. Some accounts were evidently false while others held a candor that could not be falsified. The more information he consumed, the lower his heart sunk until it had reached the pit of his stomach, soon to be tormented by the acids inside.

Was it solely a coincidence that the description provided in most accounts on Bokuto’s mystery girlfriend fitted you perfectly? Of course, it was not. The MSBY Ace admitted to being in your company for the evening. Hell, the proof was slathered across social media. There was no shame.

But why label yourself as his girlfriend publicly? It was obvious that he would learn about it sooner or later. 

Some spectators had posted to elucidate that the mystery girlfriend arrived only to save the MSBY player from hoards of fangirls who were bordering on harassment. So, did you do it to save him? You were never one to abandon your friends, despite the situation.

“She loves you, idiot.” He mumbled the reminder to himself in a scold. It was stupid to believe that you would cheat on him with his friend. He knew you loved him.

Of course he knew it. You loved him, and only him.

Yet a little voice in his head questioned whether his recent neglect had forced you into the arms of another. But the Ace was the last person he expected you to turn to. Your relationship with Iwaizumi, or even Oikawa held far more potential to evolve into something romantic. Ache spread across his chest like a wildfire at the mere thought of you with someone else.

The tiny noise of the lock clicking to an open hauled his attention from the nightmares projecting inside of his head back to the living room apartment. Removing the cap from his head, he attempted to burn the insecurity embedded in his thoughts as he proceeded to greet you at the front door. A weak smile twitched at the ends of his mouth disguising the flood of emotions he was drowning in.

“Oh, hi there. I didn’t expect to see you waiting for me like a little kitten.” A titter expelled from your lips as you stepped into the apartment, with the food containers held snugly against your stomach. Intoxicated by the excitement of finally spending some quality time with your fiancé, you were unable to detect the hints of pain scattered across his visage. “Here, you can start eating. I’m just gonna change into something else.” The plastic bag containing layers of food was offered out to the black-haired male, who was losing to the battle of insecurity waged against his mind. 

“Okay.” As he accepted the bag, his fingers brushed against yours, drawing his attention subconsciously to your hands. He was not actively searching for confirmation of your unfaithfulness. He certain was not… because you loved him. 

But if you loved him, and only him… Why was the ring symbolizing your love no longer snug against your finger?

The threads woven neatly together to disguise his emotions slowly loosened until all that remained were shrivelled pieces, serving no purpose. But you were already making your way to the bedroom, unaware of the torment that your carelessness had bestowed upon him.

Did you want him to suffer? Was that it? Were you seeking attention? Was this all a revenge ploy after what occurred with Ichika? Did Atsumu tell you something?

Truthfully, he would prefer that than knowing you loved someone else. You could seek all the revenge in the world, as long as you remained with him. He would accept it willingly.

But first he had to know – did you still love him?

Once the food containers were placed onto the table, he immediately began walking towards the bedroom, his quest for answers outweighed his appetite.  

Inside of the bedroom you were sat at the vanity, attempting to unhook the necklace from around your neck, but upon seeing your fiancé’s reflection, the hook was released from your fingers. The slightest hint of tears could be traced at the bottom of his eyelids, and with his greyish irises, it resembled a storm seconds from brewing. 

“Samu?” Instinctively you rose from the chair, quickly removing the space between you two before taking his hands in yours. His eyes landed on your intertwined fingers praying he was incorrect in his observations earlier. But alas there was no ring. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you love me?” The inquiry was voiced dejectedly as he searched your face for an answer. Generally, you were an open book with your emotions. Whether it was love or hatred, each emotion would alter your features in a noticeable manner. Right now, concern prompted little wrinkles to form at the edges of your eyes. But with the question registering upon your ears, disbelief brought your eyebrows to narrow.

“Oh god. That’s what has your panties twisted? I thought it was serious. You know that I love you, gremlin. Sorry to break it to you, but you’re mine forever now.” Irritation gnawed at your heart – how could he question your love? Was he really in any position to do so?

“Where’s your ring, y/n?” The words were whispered softly, barely overpowering the sounds stemming from the television in the other room.

“My ring?” A quizzical expression contorted your features, instinctively your gaze travelled from your left hand to the purse located on the vanity. “Right, it’s in my purse. I took it off for the shoot, but I guess I forgot to put it back on. Give me a second, I’ll go get it.” To retrieve the handbag his hands first had to be released, but to Osamu the loss of physical contact resembled a physical blow. Weakly he caught your shirt, forcibly halting your movements.

“Did you tell everyone that you’re Bokuto’s girlfriend?” Relinquishing the control he was struggling to maintain allowed his insecurity direct access to his vocal cords. There was no stopping him now.

“What? Well… Yeah but …” 

“Why?” His voice sliced through yours, despite the fact it was quite clear that you were seconds from explaining yourself anyway. The unexpected interrogation was beginning to damage the limited patience you had. Drained from the activities of the day, it was only natural that you were not mentally capable to handle the additional stress. Not when it stemmed from misguided assumptions.

“Because he was being harassed by some crazies, so I had to save him!” There was much more you desired to add, harsher sentiments but to silence your rage, you bit the insides of your cheeks until they were raw.

Osamu paused evaluating your answer, your version of events aligned with the spectators. As he thought, you took it upon yourself once more to save a friend. So why was he still taunted by the voice in his head?

“Is it true?” He instantly regretted it, seeing how it sent any restraint you mustered to wither away.

“What the fuck, Samu. Are you kidding me right now? I’m not cheating on you!” Hurt laced with rage shimmered in your y/e/c irises. Instantly you swatted at the hand confining you to him. Hearing the sincerity laced in your declarations awoke him from his fever dream.

You wouldn’t lie to him. No. He was the one lying to you. He was the idiot.

“I can’t believe it. You’re the one who is always missing. You are the one who hasn’t barely looked at me for months. You are the one who ditches our plans. But you’re accusing me? I can’t…” Desperate to focus on anything but him, you ripped your gaze from him, subconsciously searching for an escape from the situation. “I… I’m gonna stay at Akari’s tonight. I can’t do this. There is only so much I can take.” The ache weaving into your bloodstream would not stop you from leaving. The weight of his words poisoned the usually welcoming atmosphere of the apartment. It no longer felt like home. But if you were being honest, it hadn’t felt like home in a while.

Osamu thrusted a palm against his face, panic surging from his heart into his muscles. They had all warned him, and somehow, he still managed to dig his own grave.

“No please… Y/n. I’m sorry,” The little cracks in his voice constrained your movements, bringing your hands to lower from the dresser containing your clothes. “I’m just stressed, and I said some stupid shit. I know you love me, and if there’s anyone who needs to explain it’s me,” He knew his words alone would equate to a band-aid on an open wound, and so he slowly proceeded in your direction, his fingers twitching before he rested them lightly on your hips, guiding your back to align with his chest. “Don’t go. Please.” His whispered pleads were followed by a gentle kiss that was applied to the area behind your ear. The gesture ignited a fire in your chest, one that began melting away the rage that was clouding you.

“Listen to me,” With an intake of breath for courage, you adjusted yourself to face him. “I’ll be anything you need me to be, but I will not be your punching bag. You don’t get to question me when it’s my heart on the line.” Your heavy eyelashes fluttered up at him as you squinted just a tad, challenging him to even try to dispute your words.

But he knew better by now.

“I know. I’m sorry. Please.” Slipping an arm around your waist, your frame was ushered to his as a small kiss was placed against your lips. “I don’t need you to be anything but my wife.” His response prompted your heart to complete a flip, and for once you hated yourself for loving him more than life itself.

But when his mouth returned to yours, urging you to forget the accusations that were made against your character – your loyalty, you did. At least for the night.

Let’s do it again, shall we -  Freudian projection

Masterlist - Previous - Next

A/N: if this hurt just wait lol. 

Taglist: @idiot-juice-enthusiast @vicassa @iloveanime691 @bringmelily @newfriendjen @hikarichannn @anime-simp @tsukkismamagucci @laughingismorefun @astronomyturtle @shegrewupwithoutafather @hyskoa1998 @deephumandragonperson @pretty-setter-bois @raenebalgaire @sugawarabby @justanotherfangirl2 @keijisworld @90s-belladonna @momoinot @sempiternal-amour @cherryblosom111 @yqshirov @haikyuufairy @volleybloop @bloody-bella @sadkaashistan @seikamuzu @namyari @toaster-stick @shakiraisawesome @coconut-dreamz @roseestuosity @prcttylittlcthing @uzumakioden @nerdynstoned @kenmasgameboy @tiooo

#osamu x you #osamu scenario #osamu smau #hq osamu #osamu x reader #miya osamu #osamu x y/n #osamu angst #haikyuu smau #haikyuu osamu #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu

[lebonheurdelafleurcueillie]

‘Murderous Monster’

Isn't it funny? The simplest of lies we tell because the truth is hardly ever forgiving. Mending little bridges and creating greater ridges with the simplest of white lies.

I didn't deny a single thing, did I? Yet, my actions betrayed me. My nonchalance, my honesty, my humor. If you looked closely, you would know that the words I utter so full of all the things I could only hope to achieve were as devoid of life as I have been. The only thing letting me stay alive and stay sane being my vengeance. I offered you tea to lighten the atmosphere. God knows, if he exists, that you were mad enough, and I was well aware that my betrayal wasn't something we could discuss over tea. I offered you tea anyway, being all aflutter at your interest in my late night rendezvouses.

I didn't deny when you asked if it was all a joke to me. You had already made up your mind of the answer. Do you think what I said at that moment would have made a difference? I don't. So, I didn't. I knew that your first instinct would be to shoot me dead. Even then, I couldn't bring myself to hide. I never hid from you. I never took cover, and I did not outright lie, because even if I wouldn't admit it, I knew that I deserved that bullet in my head. I always have deserved your retribution because I did all those things to deserve it.

You called me heartless. It hurt more because you are one of the people who know that I do have a heart. Seven years of having choice ripped from me, seven years of being forced to do their bidding, seven years of getting into their ranks only to rip them apart in the name of sweet revenge, seven years of having accepted that I will have to become a monster in order to take out the biggest monster behind all of this, seven years of agonizing nights and about just as many tainted pages to keep on keeping on and being able to see the warmth of humanity, seven years of failed attempts, and finally you came along, being the first person ever to get through to me, giving me a moment where I felt human again.

For the very first time, in a very long while, I started to believe that maybe, just maybe, my quest for vengeance hasn't left me hollow. It made me feel human again. You made me feel human again.

You never really said that you get it. The pure disdain on your face at my nonchalance was enough proof. But I knew if I had been sorrowful you would have tried to understand. Did you ever stop to think that if I begin to rationalize the things I do, I would never survive the pain ? How could I stand there and mourn my actions when I know that they will drown me like waves in a sea storm, relentless, unforgiving and fatal? How would I continue to live with myself? Did you ever think about that in your vision of black and white, Officer?

You looked at me as if I was a monster, long before you called me one. That was the only thing going through you mind, wasn't it? Only a monster could do what I had done. Only a monster could hurt you the way that I did. Only a monster could turn all your righteous rage into something insipid and put the blame back onto you. Only a monster could call you a hypocrite while he himself walks around breaking oaths and ending calm. Only a monster could blame you for the dead while three feet deep into digging graves. Only a monster could do that. I know that. I am that.

I laughed. I laughed but it was hollow and you knew that too. You've seen the human in me. You've seen him laugh and that's why it didn't just hurt you. It hurt me too. If you heard closely, if I let you hear me without any distraction you would have heard the regret in my white lies. Bowed down a little more when you stayed the night and you could have tasted how bitter all my nightmares have become, poisoning me with each passing night. If I had stayed longer with my eyes closed, that night, you wouldn't have had to wonder about my remorse. You would know it in my screams at two clicks past midnight. If today I had let you stay long enough to see, you would have known that I never sleep because when I do, all I see are faces staring back at me, belonging to those that I have wronged. Instead, I did what I know all too well. I affirmed your belief that all I am is a monster, and all I can bring is destruction.

I never really told you to leave. The request was there regardless, in my shouting at the top of my lungs. How I hurt you, how I didn't tell a single lie, just to convince you of my wrongs, just to make you hate me more. If you had looked closely, you would have seen right through the deception and half truths. The moment you confronted me, I should have expected no less than righteous fury. Maybe the look of betrayal wouldn't have hurt as bad if I could believe that I had to do that. If only I could believe that I had to betray you, that I had to go behind your back and hide my plans from you. None of what you said was wrong, and I knew it. So, it was easy to go along with the flow you brought on. It was easy to face those lies when even I believe them to be true.

I only lied when I said that I have always been like this. I only let go because you knew it too. You knew that it was a lie. The moment you left, I was half agony, half relief. Pulled you in because you made me feel human. Pushed you away because I'll never not be a monster. There was a time where I wasn't a monster. I could tell you about that time, but all that it would bring is pain. Monsters don't feel. They don't think, nor do they regret. I did regret. Nightmares stale in my mind, and with open eyes all I could see was the blood on my hands, even if I ignored you when you said the same thing. All I could see was your blood spilled on my hands. Not a memory but a prophecy. How could I let you stay then?

How could I let you sacrifice yourself? How could I let you understand my calamity? How could I let you turn to grey for a monster like me?

You don't deserve to have to guide me to my absolution.

I don't want you to guide me to humanity either.

~K.W.

AKA What I think went on in Kieran’s head post ep 23

I’m having trouble editing so the strikethrough is the lie.

Bold of you to assume, if in case you did, that you would be free of Purple Hyacinth content on this site. *evil laugh*

Imma just change my url to PurpleHyacinthSimp at this point

#purple hyacinth #kieran white #lauren sinclair #phantom scythe #im a ph simp and you know it #webtoon #fucking hell soph and eph are bRILLIANT YALL

[writer-and-artist27]

Weight in Chocolate

Note: Inspired by Dig Two Graves, my memories of family talking amongst each other, and recent talks with Lang ( @langwrites ). Happy birthday, beloved friend. I hope you spend your day loved and cared for because you deserve it. You and Os helped me become a better person, and I can’t thank you enough for continuing to grace me with your presence. This is the least I can do.

I’ll just drop this song here before going on with the story. Short but sweet, I think. Takes place in S&S and beta’d by Os — the original Beta — before posting. Consider this “part 1″ of your present. 

-------------------------

Weekly meetings had become a common occurrence by the time the children had turned into teenagers. The former Uesegi Tomoe would not have even allowed herself the time to rest on her quest for revenge, but the killers of her family were gone from this world.

In Tomoe’s place, Gekkō Miyako smiled and opened the door once three gentle raps sounded against the wood. In the doorway, Hoshino Hikari beamed back, a picnic basket of barely concealed sweets hanging from her right wrist as she waved with her left hand. Muffins?

“You have certainly outdone yourself yet again, Hikari-chan,” Miyako said softly, stepping to the side for her friend to walk through the doorway. “Have you been working with Tomoko-chan?”

“She’s been reading a lot of recipe books,” Hikari said instead of a direct answer, slipping off her geta sandals while ducking her head in a quick greeting. “And I have to be there to make sure she doesn’t overdo it.”

“As you should,” Miyako agreed politely, raising her hands in a friendly offering. Hikari glanced at her open palms once before her smile widened, proceeding to drop the picnic basket into Miyako’s grip. “Tomoko-chan is quite a handful.”

“Responsible children are all handfuls, Miyako-chan,” Hikari corrected, eyebrows quirked upwards on her head in mirth as she slipped on a pair of guest slippers. “But that’s what these meetings are for, right?”

Miyako rolled her eyes in return. “I will prepare the tea. May I ask for your assistance?”

“Of course!”

-------------------------

Miyako did her best to not roll her eyes again once Hikari was “discretely” pushing the basket of sweets in her direction from across the dining table while mid-sip of her tea. “Hikari, I will partake in them eventually.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to your reaction!” Hikari blurted out past her teacup, the excitement in her voice betraying her “nonchalant” facade. Any other time and then Hikari might have spit out her tea. Miyako was internally grateful she did not have to dodge the tea splatter this time. “It’s the first time in a while that I got to present you something before Tomoko-chan could!”

Miyako made a small note to herself not to get onto Hikari’s competitive side. That part of her was certainly something her daughter did not inherit, and it may have been for the best considering how the other children could get in their training. “I was not aware you were so excited.”

“Oh, we both know that’s a lie,” Hikari said cheerily.

Miyako gave her the point for that. “So.” She lowered her own teacup. “Is there anything else you wanted to say?”

The enthusiasm on Hikari’s face died a little for confusion. “Is there a reason I need just for seeing a friend?”

Once again, Miyako gave her the point. “That is fair,” she said mildly, tilting her head. “But I still believe that you have something else to say.” The faint flare that was Hikari’s chakra was flickering, after all.

Hikari’s face contorted for a moment as she slowly blinked at Miyako, matching the flame in her chest. Her eyebrows furrowed against her forehead as she proceeded to rest her chin in the palm of her right hand, closing her eyes in thought. Her ponytail swished behind her neck, then she said, “Hey, I had no other excuse to come by and visit. I just wanted to see you!” Hikari seemed particularly indignant about the last part if her voice and narrowed blue eyes were any indication.

Miyako took a moment to realize that surprise was starting to flood her veins. “…At least you are being honest about it,” she admitted after a moment, averting her gaze from Hikari’s face out of habit. “I still have yet to be used to this.”

“Then get used to it!” Hikari seemed happier at Miyako admitting as much, the smile returning to her face. It took another moment for Hikari to pause and let the smile drop for a thoughtful expression. “Though, now that you do mention it—”

“Yes?”

Hikari pushed the basket of sweets towards Miyako again, and Miyako leveled a questioning stare in return. “Just look and see for yourself, will you?”

Eyebrows quirked, Miyako erred on caution, slowly reaching over to the basket and lifting the cloth keeping the baked pastries hidden from view. As expected, muffins were nestled in the space, but the surprise was laid out in how the muffins were arranged.

Thank you, the chocolate chips embedded in the muffins spelled out.

Miyako blinked. She glanced between the muffins and Hikari, moving her head back and forth between the two before catching herself. “Hikari, this is—”

“Remember how Tomoko-chan was making an ‘Appreciate Kei Day’?” Hikari said in lieu of an answer, waving a single pointer finger in the air. “I just took some notes from her and made these for you.”

Miyako blinked again, rapidly this time. “Hikari-chan…”

“We’ve known each other for quite a while thanks to our kids,” Hikari filled in for Miyako’s silence, gently tapping the table with her free hand. “But I kept feeling like I never had the chance to say thank you for your company, Miyako-chan. Especially after all the times we’ve hung out like this.”

“You do not have to, Hikari,” Miyako interrupted, biting the inside of her cheek. “I chose to spend this time with you.”

“And it’s because of that I’m grateful to have you!” Hikari blurted out in that moment, stopping whatever train of thought Miyako had in mind. It took a moment for an embarrassed flush to cover her cheeks and Hikari then glanced away, rubbing the back of her neck. “I-I’m not good at being as open as Tomoko-chan is, and I know we don’t know that much about each other outside our dorks for husbands and housework. Heck, I still need to memorize the date of your birthday!” Miyako wasn’t expecting to hear that part, but still waited for Hikari to look up. Hikari kept her gaze focused on the tea in front of them instead. Whether she knew about Miyako’s inner thoughts was another matter entirely. “But…”

“But?” Miyako humored gently.

“…I didn’t have the greatest life before I met Judai,” Hikari confessed, her head ducked and facing the tablecloth. “Not a lot of friends. I usually stayed in my room a lot. But you, Miyako-chan,” Hikari then looked up from her tea cup to smile, tears welling up in the corners of her bright blue eyes. “You’re one of the first and greatest friends I could’ve ever asked for.”

Miyako opened her mouth, covering it with her fingertips for the smallest moment once she belatedly found out there were no words on her tongue to speak with.

“I know, I know.” Hikari waved a hand in the air as if to dispel any awkward tension in the room, unperturbed by Miyako’s silence. “That was cheesy as all heck, but I mean it. Even if I don’t know a lot about you—” Miyako froze at that part, tasting iron in the back of her mouth, “—I feel like I don’t need to. Being around you is good enough for me.”

Miyako felt herself relax before she knew she was doing it. She then reached over to place a hand on Hikari’s shoulder, squeezing with all the gratitude she could muster. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“You’re welcome.” Hikari beamed back, apparently not minding the single tear that streamed down her right cheek. With a shaky chuckle, she then wiped at her eyes. Miyako waited for Hikari to compose herself. Once Hikari’s chakra flickered, pearly white teeth peeked out past her lips as she smiled again. “E-Enough about me. Can you just try one of those muffins already, Miyako-chan? I’m starting to sweat from the anticipation.”

Miyako decided not to mention the “sweat’s” identity as tears still dotted the corners of Hikari’s eyes, opting to shake her head with a fond shrug. “I doubt that last part, but alright.” She let go of her friend’s shoulder to take a muffin in hand, taking off the wrapper before bringing it close for a bite.

Sweet.

“Thank you for being here, Miyako-chan,” Hikari said once Miyako finished chewing. “I hope the muffins tell you that more than me getting teary over it.”

Miyako felt herself smile back. “Thank you, Hikari-chan,” she repeated back, inclining her head. “The muffin was delicious.”

Hikari wrung her hands together in sheer relief, laughing softly. “Good. Th-That’s good.”

Everyone had skeletons in their closets, but Miyako already knew she did not feel the need to share when the world outside was bright enough as is.

#writing #birthday gift #hoshino hikari #miyako gekko #tomoe uesegi #long post #langwrites #birthday gift for Lang #the sea and stars

[unproduciblesmackdown]

Fun fact: I googled Winston’s famous “you’re on a revenge jag” quote including the part about digging two graves (neither of which needed to be his). Apparently that was a reference to a Chinese proverb (often attributed to Confucius but not really) that states “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves,” meaning that seeking revenge will probably lead to destroying yourself as well as whoever you’re trying to destroy. In this case, Taylor was screwing over all of Mase (1/2)

(2/2) Cap in their quest to get back at Axe and Winston was understandably pissed at how they were paying for something they didn’t ask to be caught up in. When he said “neither [grave] needs to be mine” he meant that he didn’t have to stay and end up in a grave, which of course led to Mafee attacking him for being “disloyal” for not wanting to be in the crossfire of a revenge plot that he never asked to be a part of. But yeah, make of that what you will. Just something interesting I found.

oh yeah after reading this i also tried to look up if we know the source of the Dig Two Graves saying and apparently we really do not (i.e. yeah frequently attributed to confucius but there’s no actual record of that, been attributed to Ancient Greece or smthing just as baselessly, there’s apparently an idea it could be a rough translation of a japanese aphorism but it’s just an idea)

really winston is laying out his whole Argument v well and i suppose that’s why taylor had No immediate response for him, b/c surely if he Was just gonna complain abt it like “this sucks >:/” and leave it at that, they’d be prepared to maybe handle that level of disgruntlement and have some methods in mind to shut it down, but winston is just Right and is being thorough about why he’s right and like. i don’t think they Can really argue with it, much less were prepared to do so in that moment, and sure seems like they did ultimately agree with him / listen to him seeing as they turn around (in 4x12, not 4x11, rip) to say they Had gotten off-course and weren’t interested in taking the revenge jag route, actually

like, he’s walking through why the Revenge Jag is the only reason they’re not getting bonuses, vs mafee just ascribing it to a general strategy to Save Resources in year 1 of the fund.......pointing out that if taylor Wanted to pay *anyone* full bonuses, they Could prioritize their top employees which does included winston even though he gets no backup on that outside of 3x11 and certainly not now when he’s Cringe N Fail cuz he said Moi while insisting on his value (and when the general audience of the show seems to have decided he’s out-of-line Egotistical for taking pride in his ability and never downplaying it / the value of it) as well as the fact that this isn’t about “oh i Would pay you if i Could” b/c he knows they’re not just waiting for some influx of funds, they’re Only holding back on paying people because they’re Anticipating the [dig two graves] situation, i.e. it’s Because they’re now planning to reorient their strategy around Actively Battling Axe Cap (in that they’re now intending to go on the offensive rather than just reacting defensively to axe’s attacks) that they foresee a need to Conserve Resources b/c they know this course of action could be “damaging” to mase cap by costing them money. and that taylor is putting that Anticipated Burden of an unnecessary plan that they personally chose......like, taylor’s employees don’t really get a say in this shift where the overall direction of the fund is now: Revenge Jag, but they’re pretty literally paying for it, aka having that [dig two graves] Cost put on them, aka neither grave has to be winston’s......

plus winston has Especial reason to be upset with this shift towards revenge jag, b/c he’s the quantitative guy, and this isn’t a Quantitatively Driven approach, as evident by him in 4x08 talking abt how the numbers don’t back up this particular strategy and in 4x12 when taylor’s talking about returning to their mathematical model and then winston says Q is for Quantitative Babey which isn’t just a total nonsequitur......Revenge Jag Tmc would be less focused on the quant-driven approach and thus winston’s work would be less relevant and he wouldn’t be able to just do his best shit for them if it kept being the case like “yeah we’re pursuing this strategy b/c first and foremost it’d suck for axe” so he’d have reason to feel like not only is he being Devalued right now in not being worth like, basically investing in as a Resource (like, speaking of conserving them, Not driving off your head quant would = conserving a resource) but in the future his contributions and ideas might continue to be pushed aside b/c like, again with the Dig Two Graves, the revenge jag probably isn’t gonna be quantitatively-friendly and he’d have to keep writing off his own potential input / have his own strategies be valued less b/c they’re deprioritized in favor of “what might be damaging for axe cap”

and then from a more Meta perspective, there’s the fact that mase cap only has four named non-taylor people, and mafee’s feeling Especially obligated to provide taylor with immediate and unconditional support thanks to his whole “oops i spilled some intel” thing, and sara really wouldn’t criticize this move even if she didn’t 100% individually love it either, b/c it Would conserve resources for tmc and she’s more about telling taylor what they need to do from the “you gotta do this thing you might not personally wanna do to make / avoid losing money” and this is like, the opposite of that, and sara would also probably save such input for a one-on-one meeting lol, and lauren’s not gonna say anything, so really only winston is Available to speak up lol

and that transitions right into how winston’s also immediately proven correct in criticizing the whole structure of this “choice” they’re getting, in that they’re all pressured to take the [defer bonus for a year] route and this is happening not through Direct pressure from taylor, but the expectation that the Social Dynamics among coworkers will push everyone to defer. like, clearly the thing is that everyone’s going to be worried that if anyone’s deferring, that’ll make those employees Look Good b/c they’re proving their Loyalty and “taking one for the team,” and a reasonable worry that those employees will thus be Preferred going forward. and in this moment that winston’s bringing it up, he’s also, you know, arguing with his boss and gets no support / backup on it not only b/c none of the other people present wanna actually make these Complaints themselves / back them up even if, like mafee, they’re evidently not personally thrilled about it, but also b/c winston really doesn’t seem to have much support in s4 beyond taylor’s indirect and implicit validation, which he of course isn’t gonna get here, and if people were willing to ignore / dismiss winston’s input and/or dunk on him about it over basically Nothing before, here’s a chance to choose between “hmm Winston Vs Taylor” like. nobody’s gonna side with winston, maybe not even if he Was popular and beloved, but he’s apparently the guy nobody has much respect / appreciation for and broadly dislikes, so it’s just like. he has Points, and mafee doesn’t even argue against those, just argues against winston daring to bring them up at all, because a) mafee is looking to continue Proving his support of taylor anyways and here’s an obvious avenue to do so by just shoving winston into a locker b/c you easily Can and b) he’s attacking winston not for being Wrong but for being Disloyal for not just Supporting taylor here and being whiny rather than taking one for the team and whatever nonsense about “if you don’t like it, become ceo of your own fund” like, the lesson here is to unionize......but really winston is just proven Right by mafee, a coworker, immediately making this an issue of Loyalty and by winston only caving not b/c he accepts that he’s Wrong on any of his points but b/c he’s being Social Pressured here in the form of “being yelled at / insulted and when he’s yelled at / insulted winston seems to just want it to Be Over, reasonably,” and taylor doesn’t Have to pressure him themself if their employees will pressure each other For them

god i’m still mad about 4x11 lmfao. bitter 5ever like how can you not be. he was Right but it didn’t matter b/c nobody was gonna stick up for him in the face of a) backign Taylor instead or b) in the face of anything, tbh. that shit didn’t kick in until s5, finally, and still only Partially.....peak standing up for winston in the form of rian in 5x05 going “yeah i’ll casually argue for why you shouldn’t fire him" and “oh you’re saying winston should have a drink? i’m saying he should do whatever he wants b/c what are you, shit at math?” thank you rian. probably totally unnecessary and that’s what winston deserves for once, like, go Beyond “someone intervening only if the most belligerent and bullying axe capper comes storming over to yell at winston, but if bill uses his inside voice it’s okay to just monitor the situation even if it involves threats and getting all up in winston’s space like a creep” i don’t think rian would be a silent observer to that

tl;dr Yeah Agree lmao sorry it took me ages to answer this....i was like “oh god i gotta be semi-Coherent for this one and say smthing beyond ‘yeah agree’” and i procrastinated that for this whole time b/c it’s intimidating to think of trying to accomplish that. thank u for the ask lol

#winston billions

[kiss-my-freckle]

The core dialogue. 

Red: You're an excellent agent, Alina. And a loose cannon. I need the first, and I won't tolerate the second.

Loose cannons are a serious risk. Imagine Raymond constantly playing the role of cleaner, or so much as Alina’s babysitter - which I’ve quite often said of Tom Keen. Imagine Raymond getting pissed because the chaos she caused placed Liz in danger. Think unintentional damage. Think all kinds of damage.

Here, have an image.

Red: My world is filled with people seeking revenge. I can see it every time I look at them. It's as distinct as a birthmark. But I look at you and see none of that. I don't see a quest for vengeance.

Have these dialogues -

Red: Oh, revenge is too easy and over so quickly. I would hope for more than that.

Red: Revenge isn’t a passion, it’s a disease that eats at your mind and poisons your soul.

Ressler: Justice, not vengeance. Red: In my experience, they’re the same.

Red: You’re a glutton for vengeance. I understand. There’s almost nothing as satisfying as revenge, wanting someone to hurt because you hurt. An eye for an eye. Feels like God’s work, until you realize there is no God and you’ve committed sins for which there is no absolution. Word to the wise - before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

I could post more, but you get the idea. A little similar to the dialogue he handed Frankie because Alina picks up where she left off. The love triangle parallel I keep talking about. 

Red: I’ve met my share of killers. I know who has the capacity to take a human life. I know the - the look in their eyes. You don’t have it.

Red: I see a smart, capable young woman filled with self-loathing.

Red, a smart, capable 60 yo woMAN filled with self-loathing. 

Liz: You’re a monster. Red: Yes.

Red: ...would I become less hideous?

Red: You ever wonder why Dembe stays with me? Why anyone so decent would spend his days at the side of someone so indecent? (Dembe in 7x2, telling Frankie that Raymond is decent.)

He doesn’t consider his actions good enough.

Red: I’ve done nothing for you, Lizzy. 

He furtherd this in Cape May.

Red: No matter what I tried to do, all I brought her was misery and violence, and eventually...   death.

Red: And I think if you have a debt to settle, perhaps it's with yourself.

Red considers himself in Liz’s debt.

Red: Look, all the money, all the time and effort, all the favors in the world cannot possibly equal what you took away from her. Everything else is just a nice gesture.

Liz feels Red deserves more. 

And that you deserve a bigger life. I agree. I do. But so do you.

Red feels Alina couldn't be expected to help at 7. But for him, being hunted at 30, doesn’t feel he’s done enough, that he’s done anything for Liz. Given the circumstances they were in, they should give themselves more credit. 

Red: And the debt you owe yourself? Alina: I settled that by giving them nothing about what he did to my mother. Because he... did nothing.

Nothing short of what Red said to Frankie. 

Frankie: She would’ve killed me. Why did you stop her? Red: Because you’re my burden, not hers.

Again, ties in Liz killing her father. Red acted as her sin eater. He felt it was his burden to carry. Alina basically taking responsibility, owning up to her actions instead of placing them on Lussier. Something she owed herself - owning it. Unlike Alina, Red wouldn’t allow Liz to carry that weight. He chose to block it from her memory. Red accepts blame, often. 

Red: You were a child. You couldn't be expected to help.

This is where Alina parallels Liz. 

Red: You were a child. There should never have been a gun for you to grab.

Red: You shouldn't hate yourself for that.

That's why Red blocked Liz's memory. To free her of that burden. Red's fault, Red's debt, Red's burden to carry. Liz's sin eater. He blames himself often. 

Again, his dialogue. When he speaks, you can see it. 

Red: Look, all the money, all the time and effort, all the favors in the world cannot possibly equal what you took away from her. Everything else is just a nice gesture.

Alina: After he left, she was shaking and vomiting and doubled over in pain. I was 7. All I saw was that she was in pain, and I wanted that pain to stop.

This is where Katarina comes in. She survived the fire. She was alive. Masha protected her from her father, and after leaving her at the motel, Katarina was gone. Gone because she became Raymond. She committed suicide by going under the knife. This is where Alina parallels Raymond, both killing a mother. 

Dom: As far as I’m concerned, you killed my entire family!

Dembe: I’m not sure Elizabeth will ever be ready to learn about what you did to Katarina. 

Red: Katarina Rostova committed suicide in 1990.

Red: Lizzy, your mother is dead.

Alina: And then her eyes rolled back into her head, and... she died.

In Luther Braxton. 

Red: They lost their pigmentation, their sight, eventually even their eyes.

Like I said before, Esteban. Focus to Red’s eyes in various scenes over the course of the series. 

Alina: I don't hate myself because I couldn't help my mom. 

I was considering the entire concept. The drug addict. Ressler's oxy addiction. Liz watching him go through that. Even Red’s comment in Arioch Cain. 

Red: I admire the way you’re dealing with your addiction, Donald. I tried NA once after an opium den in Kuala Lumpur got the best of me. Didn’t stick. I couldn’t get past the requirement to believe in a power greater than myself.

Alina: I hate myself because I killed her.

Killing the mother. It makes me think of that dialogue Red handed Aram when Samar left. “That’s a heavy burden to bear, even if the path one chooses is the only one in sight.”

For Raymond, it was Katarina or Masha.

Katarina: You had no choice. It was me or Masha. Red: I’m sorry. Katarina: Raymond, you did save me. Through her. It was the only way. You chose well.

For Alina, it was comfort or pain. 

Kirk: Pain. Relief. Which I administer next is completely up to you.

Alina: After he left, she was shaking and vomiting and doubled over in pain. I was 7. All I saw was that she was in pain, and I wanted that pain to stop. Mother: Sweetie, I'm begging. Please. Alina: So I did as I was told. At first, she was so... happy. The pain just disappeared.

“The pain just disappeared.”

“Disappeared” like Katarina. 

Liz: Disappeared? You and Sam told me she’s dead.

Katarina disappeaing, the pain she would’ve caused Masha.

Katarina: I am her mother and I am death to her. So this is what I’m doing.

Alina wanted the pain to stop. Liz chases the pain by chasing her mother. 

What’s interesting to me is the happiness and the pain. This is something I think Red will dwell on. Seeing Alina cry over the fact that she just wanted to ease her mother’s pain. How she felt, when at first - her mother was happy. That’s all she wanted. From that perspective, Red wanting to ease the pain he would cause Liz by staying, and killing the mother to do that. While wanting to see her happy as Alina wanted to see her mother. 

Just as interesting, is the timing. Red knows Liz believes the woman was her mother. So Liz is cool with her mother just dying, while Alina's died when she was 7?

"I don't hate myself because I couldn't help my mom." Liz helping the woman escape. "I hate myself because I killed her." Woman faking her death. If Red doesn't believe Ilya... wow. Just wow. 

#Rederina #Rederina thoughts

[one-of-us-blog]

Licence to Kill (1989)

Today Drew is forced to watch and recap 1989’s Licence to Kill, the sixteenth James Bond adventure. Bond’s goin’ rogue, baby! When a drug lord almost kills his good friend Felix Leiter, Bond takes it personally and sets out to get revenge. Will Bond need to dig two graves before setting off on this quest for vengeance?

Keep reading to find out…

Eli, it was so great to hear how much you enjoyed both parts of “Seems Like Old Times”! I agree that it was wonderful to see Dorothy again, and I’m really glad this was a positive experience for you. I’m also glad that we had some real talk about James Bond Jr., because you really saved me from falling into a rabbit hole. I had some big ambitions about tackling the whole series, but after watching those first ten episode I had the wind taken out of my sails in a major way. I love some cheesy cartoons as much as the next guy, but the idea of covering all 60 or so episodes of that show made me dread making a new post every time I thought about it. I feel like a bit of a failure for not being able to power through the whole series, but you giving me permission to abandon that little side project took a lot of weight off my shoulders. Now I’m ready to finish off the rest of the Bond movies, so let’s get to it!

Buttocks tight!

Screenplay by Michael G. Wilson & Richard Maibaum, film directed by John Glen

Bond and his good friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison) (I can’t believe we’re getting two movies in a row with Leiter in it, and this Leiter even looks a bit familiar!) are on their way to Leiter’s wedding (I wonder how Gordo will feel about his new stepmom?) when they’re snatched up by some dorks from the DEA. Turns out Leiter has moved on from the CIA and taken up a post at the DEA, and now his new friends want his help in rounding up a drug lord and all around loony Frank Sanchez (Robert Davi). Leiter only lets Bond come along as an observer, but this is Bond so naturally he’s got to get involved and also make the moves on Sanchez’s shaken and abused girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto). We get a brief aerial chase and we see Bond grapple down to hook Sanchez’s plane to the DEA helicopter, and with the drug lord successfully snagged Leiter and Bond are both able to parachute down to the wedding. We get a genuinely funny sight gag of some kids lifting up Leiter and Bond’s parachutes like they’re trains on wedding dresses and then we jump right into this movie’s title sequence.

Miss Gladys Knight herself belts out “Licence to Kill”, which is a solid bop, as we get some shots letting us know that a casino is going to be involved in this plot somehow. Were you worried that we wouldn’t get some silhouettes of naked ladies dancing around? Well rest easy, because the ladies are back and the same as ever.

To just about everyone’s shock, the bit we saw before the title sequence wasn’t inconsequential to the actual plot of the movie and we rejoin Sanchez as he’s being interrogated by DEA officers. Sanchez tries to bribe his way to freedom, but it seems Officer Killifer (Everett McGill), who shares a name with my sexy teen serial killer OC, can’t be bought. We jump back to that whole wedding thing, and Bond and Della (Priscilla Barnes), Leiter’s new bride, share several kisses because that’s the kind of friend to Leiter that Bond is. Bond goes to Leiter’s office and finds him talking shop with Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell). Bond chides Leiter for working while there’s a part going outside, but Leiter’s a real dweeb and would rather talk about Sanchez than get wasted at his own reception. Killifer shows up because I guess this is more important than cracking Sanchez, and that reminds me that I really need to get to work on finishing the ending for Killifer Krisch and the Case of Maul Madness (in which Killifer visits her local mall and gets into a competition with her rival Tuffany to see who can kill the most people before closing time). Killifer leaves immediately because everything he came to tell Leiter could have been said via a telephone call and Leiter goes out to finally cut the cake.

Killifer teleports back to the DEA so he can help transport Sanchez to jail or wherever, only it seems our beloved Killifer was not as innocent as he seemed (a similarly shocking revelation took place in Killifer Krisch and the Christmas Eve-il, in which Killifer reveals to her friends Tanja and Briff that it was, in fact, she who mutilated that Salvation Army Santa) as he immediately crashes Sanchez’s transport into the ocean and has a team of scuba diving friends of his scoop the drug lord up and doggy paddle him to safety. Bond is finally leaving Leiter and Della so they can get on with their honeymoon, and Della inadvertently stirs up some bad memories by tossing Bond her garter and pointing out the gross belief that a man who catches a bride’s garter will be the next one to be married. After Bond leaves Leiter lets Della in on the whole Tracy situation which I’d honestly kind of forgotten about at this point.

Leiter and Della prepare to leave, but they’re ambushed by Sanchez’s men. Sanchez’s henchman Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe) wants to kill Killifer and make a break for it (a similar almost-double cross took place in Killifer Krisch and the Game of Truth or Die, in which Killifer’s friend Clairna attempts to sell Killifer out in order to survive the deadly sleepover they find themselves trapped at), but Sanchez is a man of his word and won’t leave without paying Killifer the money he’s owed. Sanchez’s personal henchman Dario (Benicio del Toro in the roll no one saw coming) lets him know Leiter has arrived and Sanchez goes to greet his friend from the DEA. Della is nowhere to be seen, and Dario implies that she’s been raped and killed. Sanchez arranges for Leiter to be eaten by a shark, and we see his leg ripped off. These movies sure are fun!

Bond’s at the airport and about to leave when he finds out about Sanchez’s escape. He arrives at Leiter’s bungalow and finds Della’s dead body waiting for him. He finds Leiter horribly mangled and barely alive. Leiter’s friend Sharkey calls and Bond tells him to get help for Leiter. Leiter’s in the hospital and Sharkey’s spirit bond with his namesake lets him know that it was a shark that got Leiter. A DEA agent arrives and says their case on Sanchez is somehow caput since Sanchez had all of Leiter’s notes destroyed, but Bond says he and Sharkey will take care of this themselves. Sharkey takes Bond to Krest’s aquarium and Bond knows Killifer is lurking around. That night Bond and Sharkey (by which I mean just Bond) break into the aquarium after almost getting attacked by an inflatable shark pool toy.

Bond finds drugs hidden in some maggots that were being fed to fish, then locks a guard in the maggot pit so he can be eaten alive (a similarly gruesome death took place in Killifer Krisch and the MRSA-cre of St. Joseph Hospital, which won both a Bram Stoker Award and a Hugo). Another guard starts shooting at Bond, which results in some tanks getting smashed and some fish who ain’t never done nothin’ to nobody dying. Bond kills the guard by yanking him into a tank with an electric eel and electrocuting him, because why not get goofy from time to time? Killifer arrives and holds Bond at gunpoint and prepares to feed him to the shark that bit off most of Leiter. Sharkey manages to pop up like a whack-a-mole and knock Killifer off balance, and Bond seals the deal by tossing Bond into the tank where he’s chowed down on by the shark. I haven’t been this shocked by a character’s early death since Tuffany got killed off in Killifer Krisch and the Battle for the Gore-eria! The DEA is unhappy about Bond taking matters into his own hands, and Bond is taken to see M and his army of cats.

M tells Bond to drop the Leiter vendetta, so Bond quits. As we all know, Bond absolutely loves revenge and doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with it at all. M revokes Bond’s license to kill and demands him to turn over his weapon, but instead he beats up M’s goons and flees. Aw, shit, y’all, Bond’s gone rogue! We get a disgusting scene with Krest gearing up to rape Lupe on a boat when he’s interrupted by some goon telling him their sonar is picking up something moving toward them. Krest says it’s just a manta ray, but it’s actually Bond in a manta ray fursuit. Bond manages to infiltrate Krest’s ship and finds more drogas stashed onboard. He holds a knife to Lupe’s throat and makes her lie to Krest when he comes to ask her if she saw anyone sneak aboard. Bond sees that Sharkey’s been killed by Krest’s men, and now he’s feeling like going roguer than rogue. He kills the guy that killed Sharkey with a harpoon and steals the man’s scuba gear as Krest tries to get a drug deal over with. Bond foils the deal by tearing open the bags of drugs underwater before they can get back to Krest (and presumably gets a bunch of fish high af in the process) and then after some waterskiing antics manages to get onto the plane that delivered the drugs, kill the two men onboard and fly away with about five mil.

Bond heads back to Leiter’s house and finds a disk that Sanchez’s men missed. It holds a list of informants, and the only one on the list who isn’t dead is Pam Bouvier. Bouvier had a meeting scheduled with Leiter, and Bond goes in his place. Bond barely has time to sit down before Dario arrives and joins them at their table. Bouvier plans ahead and has had a shotgun in her lap this whole time, which makes Bond’s pistol look a little inadequate. How’d she get into the bar carrying a shotgun, one might ask? Who cares! A barfight breaks out and Bouvier shoots a hole in the wall so Bond can shimmy out into a speedboat. Dario shoots Bouvier in the back as she joins Bond, but she’s wearing a bullet proof vest under her tank top. Bond condescends to Bouvier about almost getting herself killed, and she correctly points out that she saved his life back there. If there’s one thing Bong hates it’s a capable woman who doesn’t need him to save her, so he’s pretty miffed. The boat runs out of gas and Bond tells Bouvier that he’s going after Sanchez. Bouvier was an Army pilot, so he hires her to fly him into Sanchez’s compound. The two haggle over money and then have sex for no damn reason (a similarly unnecessary sex scene took place in Killifer Krisch’s Fifty Shades of Gray Matter, but in my defense the whole Fifty Shades thing was in full swing at the time and my publisher was really breathing down my dick to get something hot on the market).

Back in MI6, M chides Moneypenny for making typos or something and Moneypenny puts in a call to Q Branch. Bond and Bouvier arrive in Isthmus. Bond wants Bouvier to split now that she’s flown him in, but she insists on staying and getting revenge on Sanchez. Bond deposits the stolen drug money in a bank owned by Sanchez, and later he and Bouvier visit a casino also owned by Sanchez. I knew a casino was going to turn up sooner or later, but then again casinos have been on my mind ever since I finished Killifer Krisch and the Game of Texas Stab’em, in which Killifer, Briff and Tanja visit Las Vegas only to find themselves playing for their lives as the stakes get higher and higher. Anyway, Sanchez is busy being creepy with Lupe and smooching his pet iguana when he’s informed that Bond is betting a ton of money in the casino.

Sanchez sends Lupe in to take over as Bond’s dealer. Lupe recognizes Bond, and she tells him it would be best for him if he left. Bond demands that Lupe take him to Sanchez, and he ignores her protests and drags her into an elevator while Bouvier gets drunk at the bar. Bond is allowed to meet with Sanchez and tries to get himself hired as an assassin. Bond is sent away and he and Bouvier return to the hotel, where Bond is informed that his uncle is waiting for him. Turns out his uncle is none other than Q, who tells him he’s here at Moneypenny’s request. Q has all sorts of gadgets, including a Polaroid which fires a laser and takes X-ray images of both people and pictures of people.

Q poses as Bond’s chauffer and Bond leaves Bouvier at the bar once again as he poses as a waiter to get close to Sanchez. Sanchez is meeting with an international conglomerate of drug dealers, and one of them, Kwang (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), insists on being shown to Sanchez’s drug production facility. Bond plans to use some Q Branch explosive toothpaste to break Sanchez’s bulletproof office windows. Bond tells Q to get lost prepares to snipe Sanchez after blowing the windows. He spots Bouvier seemingly making a deal with one of Sanchez’s men and panics. He blows the windows, but before he can take the shot he’s ambushed by two masked martial artists who knock him out and drag him to a cabin in the woods. Turns out they work for Kwang, who’s a member of the Hong Kong Police here to infiltrate Sanchez’s business. They’re joined by Fallon, an MI6 agent sent to arrest Bond.

Fallon and Kwang prepare to knock out Bond so he can be taken back to London, but Sanchez’s men have followed them and fire on the shack with a gotdamn tank. Kwang, his sidekicks and Fallon are all killed while just trying to do their jobs, but Bond survives. Bond wakes up in the heart of Sanchez’s base, and Bond says Kwang and Fallon were trying to arrest him for being an assassin or whatever. Sanchez assumes they were responsible for his windows being exploded last night, and he sends Bond and Lupe off for a tour. Lupe tells Bond he should stay put, but then she helps him escape by distracting some guards long enough for him to sneak onto a speedboat. Q and Bouvier are just chilling at the hotel when Bond bursts in, tosses Bouvier onto the bed, climbs on top of her and shoves a gun in her face while asking if she’s working for Sanchez. Bouvier explains she was trying to set up a sting in Sanchez’s office, and Bond blew all that to hell by being the big dummy he is.

Bond makes a plan involving Bouvier, Lupe and Q. He withdraws all of his money from bank and then his crack team infiltrates Krest’s ship and frames Krest for the theft of the drug money by planting the money on the ship. The money is found and Sanchez kills Krest by locking him in a decompression chamber and ramping up the pressure. Bond tells Bouvier and Q to get lost for the hundredth time and goes off on his own to get back to Sanchez’s compound before Sanchez notices he’s missing. Now that Krest is gone there’s an opening in Sanchez’s inner circle, so he invites Bond in. After Sanchez leaves Lupe lets herself in and she and Bond have sex. The next day Lupe goes to Bouvier and Q and tells them Bond needs to get the heck out of there, which is surprising to Bouvier as she assumed Bond had left the country. Lupe lets slip that she and Bond banged one out last night, and I haven’t seen a character feel so betrayed since Killifer discovered the truth behind Briff’s parentage in Killifer Krisch and the Die-NA Test of Doom.

Bouvier is pissed that Bond slept with another woman, because she’s a normal human being and that’s how you feel about that sort of thing. Q tells her that’s just how it is on this bitch of an Earth, and they plan to help Bond. Bond is taken to Sanchez drug lab, and Bond barely escapes being recognized by Dario. Bouvier plane is being worked on, so she has to hitchhike to the religious compound façade located over Sanchez’s lab. Bouvier tricks the fake cult leader working as Sanchez’s middleman into letting her tour the facility, while in the lab the process of smuggling cocaine out by dissolving it in gasoline is explained. I have seen science this faulty since Killifer went on vacation to Transylvania and wound up in a game of cat-and-mouse with a mad scientist in Killifer Krisch and the Clones of Dr. Funkenstein!

Bouvier pulls a gun on the fake cult leader and locks him up. Dario recognizes Bond, so Bond causes a distraction by lighting the lab on fire and making a break for it. He gets caught by Dario and Dario tells Sanchez Bond is an informant and Bond gets strapped to a conveyer belt headed for an in industrial shredder. Bouvier manages to sneak into the facility as it’s headed toward meltdown and shoots Dario before he can knock Bond down into the shredder. Bond tugs Dario down into the shredder instead, and we get a shot of Dario’s legs being torn apart that would make the biggest Killifer Krisch fan blush. Bouvier saves Bond for the hundredth time and the two barely escape the facility before it bows. Bouvier steals a golf cart so she and Bond can pursue Sanchez at break-neck speed. They make it to a plane Bouvier stole earlier and Bond hijacks Sanchez’s tanker full of cocaína-flavored gasoline.

Bond uses his tanker to crash a different tanker, which then gets accidentally blown up by one of Sanchez’s men with a rocket launcher. I haven’t come across vehicular mayhem like this since Killifer snuck into a monster truck derby in Killifer Krisch: Fury Road! Bond’s tanker gets its tires blown out, but luckily Bouvier arrives to spray Sanchez’s men with a cloud of Roundup. Bond’s tanker falls off a cliff, crashing into a bunch of other tankers and causing them all to blow up. Sanchez drives off in the last remaining tanker with Bond in hot pursuit. Bond puts his truck on cruise control and manages to climb onto Sanchez’s tanker. Bond turns on the tanker’s spout, causing all of the cocaine gas to spill out. Sanchez blows a hole in Bouvier’s plane’s tail with a rocket launcher, and she has to make an emergency landing. I haven’t experienced aerial drama like this since Killifer had to fight for her life against a talking bear while visiting the seaside town of Cape Suzette in Killifer Krisch: TaleSpin!

Bond and Sanchez fight while the tanker drives off a cliff. Both men are badly injured, but Sanchez gets to his feet and prepares to kill Bond with a machete. Bond stalls long enough to get a lighter that Leiter and Della gave him after their wedding (that’s right, the married couple gave this dude a gift at their wedding!) and uses it set the gasoline-soaked Sanchez ablaze. We watch a man roast alive for a minute or so while Bond scurries away and the burning Sanchez causes the last tanker to explode. Bouvier arrives in yet another truck and she drives Bond to safety.

Bond calls the one-legged Leiter, who’s conscious now I guess, and Leiter seems to be completely done grieving for his one-day bride. Bond and Leiter both presumably bond over both having wives who didn’t survive long enough for them to reach their honeymoons, then Leiter lets Bond know M has a job for him. Bond’s not interested and hangs up on his mutilated friend. There’s a big party at Sanchez’s house and Lupe puts the moves on Bond. Bond tells her to go jump off a cliff and jumps into a pool near Bouvier. He pulls Bouvier into the pool, ruining her gown, while Lupe, Lupe’s new man who’s the president or something and Q look on. Bond and Bouvier screw in the pool while an apparently sentient fish statue watches them.

The End

~~~~~

Phew, that was exhausting! Jumping from people getting limbs ripped off by sharks, torn to pieces by a shredder or roasting alive to goofy truck stunts practically gave me whiplash! I really liked Bouvier, but I wish Bond hadn’t been such a dick to her. It was fun to see so much of Q in this movie, but I wish he’d actually had a reason for being there. I know Bond going rogue is a pretty common thing nowadays, but I think this was the first time that happened so that was fun. I think this movie took itself way too seriously most of the time, and it made up for its own lack of dramatic tension with an excess of explosions and goofy stunts. Giving Bond a personal motive for going after a villain is an interesting idea, but making Sanchez a glorified drug dealer makes him seem kind of lame compared to villains who wanted to start a nuclear war or flood the planet. The treatment of Della was completely disgusting and unnecessary, and it set a pretty gross tone that never quite went away.

Overall, I give Licence to Kill QQ½ on the Five Q Scale.

Up next Eli will be covering the next two episodes of The Golden Palace, “Just a Gigolo” and “Marriage on the Rocks, with a Twist”, and after that I’ll check back in with my recap of the next James Bond romp, GoldenEye.

Until then, as always, thank you for reading, thank you for exploding and thank you for being One of Us!

#james bond #One of us #007

[gamerszone2019-blog]

The Outer Worlds' Best Feature Might Be The Friends You Make Along The Way

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/the-outer-worlds-best-feature-might-be-the-friends-you-make-along-the-way/

The Outer Worlds' Best Feature Might Be The Friends You Make Along The Way

There’s a lot to like about Obsidian Entertainment’s next RPG, The Outer Worlds. It’s pretty much a conglomeration of all the best things about the developer’s past games, like Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas, with a big emphasis on an expansive conversation system and plenty of consequences for your actions. It utilizes its turn-of-the-century aesthetic perfectly to create the game’s expansive, funny send-up of capitalism and corporate culture. And it provides you with a band of companion characters who react to the story and situations as they unfold, and who make the game a lot more interesting with their presence.

Obsidian recently gave GameSpot a chance to get hands-on with The Outer Worlds, providing roughly two hours to dig into one of the game’s locations, a lawless and hostile world called Monarch. As Obsidian has detailed in the past, you play a character of your own creation, with the game reacting heavily to your choices as you decide whether to be good, evil, or something in between. Instead of venturing straight out in a random direction to tangle with various creatures, I spun around to speak with the other two major characters of the demo: your companions, Nyoka and Parvati.

“They have opinions of their own and they’re reacting to the choices you’ve made.”

Companion characters are a big part of The Outer Worlds, as they have been in other, similar Obsidian RPGs, like New Vegas. You can have two in tow at any given time once they’ve joined up with you, and of course, they help in combat with whatever weapons you decide to equip them with. They’re also a major component of your story in The Outer Worlds.

“We wanted to integrate companions quite a bit more, so each of the companions has a backstory and a companion quest,” lead designer Chris Staples said during an interview at the press event. “Talking to them along the way opens up those companion quests and you can do things for them. But also, how those companion quests play out influences what they think of you. Your decisions and how you treat various factions also plays into that.”

“For example, a companion might not like the Board [the corporate overlords of The Outer Worlds] at all, and if you start helping them, they’ll have issues with that,” he continued. “They’ll bring that up and say, ‘Hey, I don’t like what you’re doing, if you keep doing this, we can’t work together.’ We wanted to make sure that there was a lot of–I mean part of the space fantasy is, you know, building your crew and flying through space and having adventures with your crew. And that is sort of what we’re going for, to try to make sure they are involved along the way. They have opinions of their own and they’re reacting to the choices you’ve made.”

Helping Out

With no quests on the docket, we were free to wander into a nearby outpost and talk to its denizens or go tromping across Monarch’s monster-filled fields to see what we might find. As it turned out, though, our demo had a companion quest ready to go from Nyoka, a character who has been living on Monarch, working as a hunter and general monster killer. Talking to her triggered a conversation that gave the backstory for her companion quest. She told a story about her former crew, several of whom had been killed during a monster attack and hastily buried or, worse, left behind. Nyoka asked for help in retrieving some mementos from the burial sites in order to properly honor the team–and take some sweet revenge on the giant alien mantiqueen that murdered them. If you accept, things get altogether more complicated than that.

The first part of the mission sends you running across the fields of Monarch in search of the gravesite of one of Nyoka’s friends. Getting there isn’t exactly easy since the area is populated by groups of bandits (who also have alien attack dogs) and families of vicious aliens that can spray you down with swarms of bugs they exude from their abdomens.

Luckily, you’re pretty proficient in combat, too. Your backstory is that you were frozen in cryostasis for decades while Monarch and its counterpart planet, Halcyon, were colonized. Now that you’ve awoken, your experience has given you the strange capacity to slow down time, allowing you to line up shots or melee strikes on specific parts of enemies’ bodies. The Outer Worlds packs a variety of weapons, from blades that poison to sniper rifles and giant mini-guns, and in our demo, we had a variety of different tools for blasting away at enemies.

Combat felt strong during our demo, especially compared to New Vegas, which The Outer Worlds draws inspiration from. But it’s your companions who give the whole experience a fast-paced, strategic feel. Each companion has a special ability move, Staples said, which comes with a cooldown timer. You can activate it on the fly with one button, ordering your teammate to use it on whoever you’re targeting. Doing so triggers a brief cutscene as the character executes their move–Nyoka unloads a torrent of armor-shredding ammo from a mini-gun, while Parvati winds up for a big, stunning strike with an electricity infused melee weapon. Both moves were essential to victory in battles, as teammates could stun some enemies briefly while weakening others.

You also have a few squad commands. Similar to what you might expect from a Mass Effect game, you can order your teammates to specific locations or to focus fire on a particular enemy. Mostly, though, you’ll let your teammates handle their own fights, but you can dictate their behaviors from The Outer Worlds character menus. The game provides all sorts of options, allowing you to set how aggressive a character is, from what ranges they’ll attack, and a lot more. You can even set one of your companions to function as the squad leader, shouldering the burden of commanding the team. They’ll still follow you around, but if you’re a person who’s not great in combat situations, letting another character lead can make things a bit easier.

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Bantering It Up

Nyoka’s mission involved picking up a decaying necklace from the grave of one of her friends and then looking to enlist some help to find the cave where the rest were killed. That meant finding two members of the team who’d left Monarch, which required the help of a local hermit with access to some communications gear. We found him on top of a nearby mountain, which was surrounded by mercenaries who’d basically taken the place over.

Nearby, we found a team of mercenaries who had been contracted by the facility’s owner to protect the place. Their contract stipulated that they had to stop attackers coming from a nearby cave–since it didn’t mention anyone marching up the mountain pass the way my squad did, the mercenaries ignored the attackers. In order to talk them into doing their jobs (and therefore putting them into the line of fire, instead of us), we had to venture into the cave and help their missing commanding officer

Working our way across Monarch gave Nyoka and Parvati a few chances to swap stories. Mostly, those became opportunities for more of The Outer Worlds’ humor to creep in. Despite comments from Obsidian about how the game doesn’t take a political stance, it’s clearly a pretty hilarious send-up of capitalism. At one point, Nyoka mentioned that her life on Monarch wasn’t so bad because she at least got weekends–a concept completely foreign to Parvati, a resident of the completely corporate Halcyon.

Which companion you bring with you will matter beyond the banter you’re likely to hear on missions. Staples said that having the right character with you can change how a mission plays out.

“Sometimes you’ll talk to a quest-giver and they’ll mention it, or like Nyoka has a history with some of the other characters on Monarch,” he explained. “So she can chime in and say certain things that might open up either different paths of a quest, where if you didn’t have her, that option wouldn’t be available.”

Each character has one main companion quest, Staples said, plus the ability to interject and influence a lot of other quests, as well. It’ll be up to you to pay attention to the characters, talk to them, and learn about them, to find out where, when, and with whom they’re most likely to have an impact.

I wasn’t able to finish the mission in the demo–although I did talk a local corporate mercenary gang into fighting the bandits for me–The Outer Worlds did give a taste of how a lot of its systems will work, most notably its companion characters. Staples said a big priority for Obsidian is making the game feel highly reactive to you and your choices, and that means presenting different options based on your chosen character traits and the personality you flesh out through conversations. And that goes for which characters you have with you, too.

From our short time getting hands-on with The Outer Worlds, spending some time with your companions seemed to be the best part. Combat works well, but it’s better with your AI buddies. The same goes for exploring the world and trying to talk your way out of all the trouble you’re liable to get up to on various planets. While Obsidian’s dumb, hyper-capitalist sci-fi world is fun on its own, it’s the characters you hang around with that really make it feel real. And it seems like spending time to get to know your companions will pay off, not just in what it adds to the story, but in the gameplay capabilities and options they offer to help you accomplish your goals in The Outer Worlds–whatever they might be.

Source : Gamesport

#Game News