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#also on this site i feel the safest with actually showing my face for some reason. i dont use instagram or whatever else idk
tturing · 3 years
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posting selfies as a way of somehow proving to myself i exist
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jwillowwolf · 3 years
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Magic and Miracles - Chapter 11
Sanders Sides Big Bang fic, Chapter 11!
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Summary: He sighed in relief only to tense up when he noticed the expression on Logan’s face.
“What happened?”
“We need a miracle.”
Warning/s: food mention, minor violence.
Characters: Logan, Virgil, OCs, Roman, Remy, Remus, Patton, Janus.
Tag List: @theimprobabledreamersworld @remy-please-come-back
Read on AO3
11 | Danger Unknown
Once Virgil and Logan returned to the room, Virgil made a request not to be disturbed and they put up a magical barrier to keep anyone from using enchanted items or spells to spy on them. The group was sitting in the living area, with the tv turned off, and trying to come up with a plan of action, or at least a logical theory as to what is happening. So basically, they were stuck with no idea as to what was going on or what their next move should be.
Logan frowned. “Could these events be connected? Virgil’s parents and grandmother both being essentially missing.”
Remy shrugged. “Possibly. Right now though we’re just guessing.”
“I think that our next move is more obvious than we think,” Remus declared. “We need to find Virgil’s grandmother.”
Roman nodded. “But where to start?”
Remus shrugged. “Her room?”
“Whether she’s there or not though, they’ll have guards stationed there to keep up the ‘she’s sick and quarantined’ charade.” Janus pointed out.
“Oh! What if we use the teleportation spell?” Patton proposed.
“Would that even work in this realm?” Willow wondered. “And what if they have some kind of magic barrier like we have here?”
“Virgil, is there anyone who you would trust to tell you the truth about what’s happening? The best thing we can do is find a reliable source to inform us what’s going on.” Remy said.
Virgil sighed. “The Earl was my grandmother’s closest advisor, and I don’t think we can trust him at all.”
“What about the reporters? You said they give news to the people of this realm, so surely they would have some information,” Logan reasoned.
Virgil perked up. “I don’t know how reliable they’d be, but I guess that’s a start. We’d need to comb through the news channels on TV.”
“Ooh, I can do that. I figured out how to use the remote properly,” Patton proudly stated.
“I could do some reconnaissance. Like covertly listening in on what people say to each other,” Willow suggested.
“I can help keep you hidden while you’re doing that,” Janus added.
“Roman and I could also do some covert reconnaissance. Our hearing isn’t as good as Willow’s but it’s still pretty sharp,” Remus stated.
Virgil nodded. “Alright, Pat can look into what’s on the news while Remus, Roman, Janus and Willow act as our spy teams. Logan and I have left the room before, so we can go out again and try to see my grandmother or at least fake that we’re doing that to see how well her room is being guarded.”
Remy frowned. “Hang on kids. If there is something going on, I would like to get us out of here as soon as possible. You shouldn’t be getting too deep into stuff like this.”
“It’s dangerous, but we knew this was going to be risky when we agreed to it. And, really, this might be our safest option considering how the Earl was trying to convince Virgil to go back home.” Logan noted.
Remy sighed. “If you really need to check in on the queen, then I may know a spell that can help. But it’s difficult for normal mages to cast.”
The group exchanged curious glances. “What is it?”
“Mind linking,” Remy stated. “It’s a high-level spell that can allow a person to link their consciousness to someone else. You can’t do a full connection unless two people are doing the spell with each other, but there’s a way to use the spell to specifically disconnect one’s consciousness for a time in order to find other minds in the space around you. Aka this building. The spell goes through all kinds of loopholes and can work even inside or through magical barriers, but the caster needs a proficiency in mind magic…”
“So, theoretically, I could cast the spell?” Virgil asked.
“Yes, but another rule is you can’t cast the spell onto yourself.”
“You could cast it onto me though,” Logan said.
“I was actually thinking I could take the spell,” Remy declared.
“I think Logan should do this. If Pat’s watching the news, the twins, Janus, and Willow are out spying, and I’m maintaining this spell, then it would probably be a good idea to have someone checking news sites online, and we don’t have time to teach Logan about the internet,” Virgil pointed out.
“Inter-net? Is it some kind of magical net you catch information with?” Roman asked.
“Like I said, we don’t have time to introduce you guys to it. Maybe later though.”
Remy sighed. “Alright. But we’re going to need to go into full detail with this plan…”
The team did plan things out as best they could. Virgil explained to the spy team how to navigate the building. After that, Roman, Remus, Janus and Willow went to the elevator, casting invisibility spells on themselves that would make it so only they could see/detect each other, then went their separate ways.
Meanwhile, Remy showed Patton which channels were for the news and gave Logan the instructions for the Mind spell. Pat made notes on everything that was being said on TV in a small black notebook and once Remy finished instructing Logan he found a tablet to use the internet on.
“Remember, I’m only able to keep this up for five minutes, then you’ll be pulled back into your body,” Virgil said. “You know where to go?”
Logan nodded. “I’ll be fine, Virge. We can both pull this off.”
Virgil nodded. “Okay. You might want to lie down then.”
Logan laid down and closed his eyes as the spell was cast. He could feel as the magic flowed through his body like a gentle wave washing over the shore. For a moment he thought that the spell had failed since nothing else changed, but then he sat up and opened his eyes only to realise that he was outside of his own body. More specifically, he was floating just above his body like a ghost.
He felt suddenly excited at this discovery. It was like he was now a ghost completely disconnected from his physical form. A glance over to Virgil however reminded him of the current urgency of his mission. He was watching Logan’s body with a particular concern. Right now he had no idea what was happening to Logan and it was worrying him a great deal.
Logan wanted to reassure him in some way, but this form wouldn’t really be able to do that, so instead, he focused on finishing his task so that when Virgil pulled him back he would have some useful information. He floated up to the ceiling and then phased through it like it was nothing more than a cloud of fog. He navigated his way literally through the building quickly until he came to the hall outside of the queen’s bedroom.
There were indeed a pair of guards outside the door, but no one else seemed to be on this floor. Logan phased through the door and looked around if anyone was there. The room was lavishly decorated in silver and lavender tones, with a pair of ornate wardrobes on either side of a large vanity table, a wall to wall bookshelf, and a large king-sized bed. In the bed, someone was laying down.
On closer inspection, Logan found that the someone was a fae woman with long tresses of silver hair that was spread out all over her pillows. She looked weak and sickly, with cold sweat on her forehead. Logan reached out to touch her so he could hopefully see into her mind when a voice from behind him said.
“Hello.”
Logan whipped around to find the spirit of the woman in the bed standing behind him. “Gah!”
“Oh, sorry darling, I didn’t mean to scare you there. You came looking for me, right?”
“Queen Valeria?”
“The one and only!” The woman said with a smile before her face turned serious. “You’re my grandson’s friend. Correct?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Then I need you to get him out of here. Immediately. Tell my son what’s going on here so that he can save the rest of this world before it’s too late for the others. I won’t last long enough to see him again...”
“I- no, your majesty I don’t really know what is happening but I’m sure that Virgil will not leave if you’re going to-- to die.”
“Child, there is no way to save me. All of you need to go to Nico and explain to him that Earl Ynclementia has overthrown me. Then he’ll know what to do next once my powers transfer to him.”
“Ma’am… Prince Nico and King Thomas have both disappeared. They were attacked by an unknown spellcaster during a meeting and no one knows what’s happened to them or where they vanished to.”
Valeria paled. “No… then Ynclementia’s plan was successful. That’s just all the more reason for you to get Virgil out of here. If he receives my powers then… it all will fall to him…”
Logan felt a lump in his stomach at the realisation of what she meant. With his parents gone and his grandmother dying, Virgil would be forced to take rulership over both humans and fae. Except the fae realm has been stolen by the earl, and if Virgil reveals his heritage without his parents support, then lord knows what might happen.
The people could rise against him in fear. Dethrone or even kill him. Even if he were completely accepted as half-fae, they could still try to take away his throne on the excuse he was underaged and possibly didn’t have the necessary training to rule in his fathers’ steads.
“Your majesty, there must be something we can do. If you’re here outside of your body then surely there’s still time to heal you.”
“Dear, I don’t have much time left. The spell I’m using to keep myself alive will be gone soon enough. Nothing but a miracle could save me now. Please, my only wish is that Virgil is safe. Take him home and… tell him to destroy the porthole. Right now, I’m using a spell to keep Ynclementia here, but once I’m gone he will try to take over your realm as well. That cannot happen.”
“No, there has to be something. There has to be a way to save you.”
“As I said, nothing but a miracle could do that.”
Logan looked down at his feet sorrowfully, then an idea struck him. “A-a miracle. Like the mythical creature, Miracle?”
Valeria gave a short laugh. “I doubt there are any of those just walking around in your realm, much less this one.”
“But if we found one, it could save you?”
“Well, they’re supposed to have boundless knowledge of the universe, so possibly. But it’s impossible to find one. Please just… just get Virgil away. Right now he’s going to need good friends more than ever.”
Valeria stared sorrowfully at the painting above her door. Only now Logan noticed it. A large portrait of Valeria, Thomas, Nico, Tanya, Dune and Virgil, all together smiling happily. If the queen died now then Virgil really would need friends. His fathers were completely missing and neither Tanya nor Dune could leave the forest. In the castle, facing the duties of ruling a kingdom, Virgil would be completely alone.
Logan couldn’t let that happen.
He tried to say more to Valeria but he felt that his soul was being pulled back. As his vision faded he heard Valeria say one more time, “Take him home.”
Barely a blink and a breath later, his consciousness returned and Logan found himself back in his body, with Virgil staring at him in concern. He sighed in relief only to tense up when he noticed the expression on Logan’s face.
“What happened?”
“We need a miracle.”
Virgil tugged on his hood. “Is it that bad?”
“No, well, what I mean- ugh, do you remember Remus’s dream?”
“That one about the giant bagel?”
“No, the recurring one. That one that started on our vacation.”
“Oh, the nightmare.”
“Yes, that. To save the person, we needed to find the miracle that time left behind, right?”
“I’m with you so far.”
“I think that that dream was very literal…”
An hour later, the group was reunited and once again stuck thinking of what to do next. Logan explained everything that happened with Valeria, leaving Virgil terribly distressed, and then the spy team returned with the news that Ynclementia planned to use them as hostages since the plans to get rid of Virgil’s parents and assassinate Virgil ‘failed’.
“Assassinate me?”
Willow nodded. “That’s what a rockslide was. The agent Ynclementia sent must have believed they killed you then went off to get your parents.”
“And now Ynclementia thinks both plans failed so he needs you as a hostage to use against your fathers.” Janus sighed.
“The news isn’t giving me any hope either,” Remy stated. “It seems that they’ve… erased the queen. Like she or any of your family never existed. They’ve made it look like Earl Imbecile has always been in power and no one is speaking up about it.”
Patton nodded. “From what I’ve seen on TV they’re scared to even talk about him. Whenever they refer to anything he’s done or is doing, they have this terrible fear in their eyes.”
“Then it isn’t like they’ve been brainwashed or anything. They’ve been traumatized.” Roman theorised.
Remus chewed on her fingernails. “We need to get out of here.”
“Well, it’s not like we can just walk out of the place.” Janus declared. “They would lock us up for real if they caught us.”
“A porthole,” Willow said. “We can use a porthole to get ourselves back to the realm porthole and go home.”
“You pointed out earlier that kind of magic might not work in this realm.” Roman reminded them.
“Well, yeah, but how many successful spells have we used now?”
“Okay true.”
The group used a porthole to get themselves back to the realm porthole, then went through the second porthole and found Tanya, Dune, and a few other pixies waiting for them. Tanya looked at Virgil with a worried expression. She could already tell that something had gone wrong.
“Virgil?”
“...We need to close the porthole.”
---
A/N: thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. I'll be posting two chapters a day until the full fic is up, so if you want to be tagged, you can just ask.
I'd love to hear what you thought about the chapter if you wouldn't mind commenting. Thanks again for reading! Here's hoping you have a magical day 💜
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dirtycccat · 3 years
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since i started posting my other fanfic here already have my first one ever too my dudes.
pairings: lucifer / mc
words: 3k
genre: soft romance and,,,, jazz
ao3 link
You knew you were late when you reached the front of the door to the secret study and could already hear a soft melancholic piano tune coming from the inside. You knew he was going to be angry, but you truly only had good intentions, so maybe he will understand your reasons once he saw what you brought.
The door was unlocked just for you, but you still knocked softly before pushing you way in, even though you were certain he could already sense your presence.
“You’re late.”
Lucifer was looking at you from his place at his desk, arms crossed and a slight scowl on his face. He must have been working prior to your entrance as the sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up, tie and jacket placed neatly somewhere else. You weren’t usually late, especially since you knew it annoyed him when people didn’t respect plans he was a part of. This time though it just happened.
“I know, I’m sorry, but! I have a good reason."
You went to the table that sat in front of the fireplace and dramatically dropped the heavy bag you were carrying on it and made a show to attract his attention.
“...what is that?”
“Remember how last time I told you about how there were a few artists from the human world that, although they aren’t classical composers, they still have some great songs that I’m sure you would enjoy?  Wellllll I may or may not have asked Levi to help me order their records and since he has premium memberships on almost all sites, his stuff gets delivered faster! They just arrived today that’s why I was late, but, hey, at least now we can listen to them together!”
Lucifer was staring at you with a mixture of surprise and something else you couldn’t really name. …He kept staring at you until you started to feel a bit embarrassed, and the silence created by the record reaching its end didn’t help.
“...uh I mean it’s fine if you don’t want to listen to them. We can listen to your collection, I don’t really mind, it’s just that I thought it would be nice to show you some cool human artists…”
“MC.”
You stopped babbling and looked at him once more. He wasn’t scowling anymore, nor did he look annoyed at all. Instead he just smiled at you, one of his true smiles that reached his eyes and made him look soft (something you could never tell him or else there would be consequences).
“MC of course I remember you talking about them. You started ranting about how much you missed them and how you would love for us to listen to them together. And of course I would love nothing else but to spend my evening with you and some fine tunes from those artists you so much love, since you praised them so highly. ...I was just shocked because I wanted to order the records myself, but It seems I was too slow.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh indeed. “
You could feel your cheeks getting warm from his sudden confession. You didn’t think he’d pay that much attention to the things you said. Nor did you think he would consider your opinion so highly that he'd go as far as to buy the things you recommended.
“Since you brought the records you can put whichever you desire first, and of course you can choose our music for the rest of the evening as well." He smiled as he finished talking and you smiled back at him, cheeks still red and heart pounding in your chest. You searched through the contents of your bag until you found what you were looking for, then went to the gramophone that he kept on the fireplace. You smirked while putting the first record on, thinking about his reaction to what was about to come.
As you turned back, you saw that Lucifer was now sitting on one the armchairs close to the table and had already poured a glass of red Demonus for himself and some wine for you. You gladly took your glass as you sat yourself in the other chair.
You both sipped your drinks and listened to the music around you in a comfortable, familiar silence. Usually on days like these, Lucifer was at his desk doing paperwork while you were lounging in one of the plush armchairs by the fireplace, either just listening to the music, reading or doing schoolwork. This time though, it seemed like Lucifer decided to finish work early and just sit together with you and enjoy the tunes.
The first song was upbeat, with a mix of piano, trumpets and the soft husky voice of Chet Baker. You knew these records mixed songs with different vibes which confused people that didn’t know the artists, a thing on which you depended this time. You couldn’t wait to get to the more romantic but still melancholic songs that were his trademark, songs which always made you feel things even when you used to listen to them back in the human world.
You kept trying to steal glances at Lucifer to see if he was feeling those emotions too as the songs changed to the more tender ones you knew and loved. But you figured it was not going to be easy to catch him showing feelings, especially the ones you were interested in seeing tonight. Still, you enjoyed even just getting the chance to look at him, unguarded and relaxed, his face lit up by the soft crackling fire inside of the hearth.
Here, in the place he felt the safest, his posture would sometimes be less rigid, shoulders less straight, face from time to time relaxed into a smile. During your weekly meetings you could sometimes even hear him hum pieces from his records under his breath or tap his pen on beat with the music. On one particular occasion you even caught him waltzing alone, a thing of which you never spoke of again, since he gave you a long threatening stare when he realized you caught him in the act.
When it was time to turn the record to its other side, you quickly deposited your empty glass and went to the gramophone. In passing you looked at Lucifer who was staring into space, red eyes glazed over in a dazed look, appearing lost in thought, until he caught your glance and gave you his usual self-assured smile, inviting you to say something if you dared.
The second side of the record was what you were excited for. Or more likely there was that one song you wanted to hear. You missed it so much you gasped audibly when it finally came on. You didn’t know if it was the wine, the soft, warm atmosphere tinged with a smell of fire, cinnamon and wine or your emotions, but you couldn’t contain yourself and kept mouthing the lyrics under your breath while you mimed singing into a microphone and moved from side to side with the music. At one point while doing your little singing and dancing you looked over at Lucifer, remembering he was near you and was probably shocked by your unusual behavior. But instead of being disappointed or shocked he was just looking at the fireplace with an amused expression on his face, trying to cover his smile with his free hand. When he realized you were watching him he turned his eyes to you, still trying to hide his expression with the hand that was holding his head upright. As you looked at him closely you realized his cheeks were redder than usual.
“What’s wrong, MC? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what? Sorry, I just wanted to know what you thought of the music. That was one of my favorite songs by this artist and also one of his most popular back in the human world. ”
“It is quite good, I have to admit," he looked more serious and thoughtful as he answered.  "It’s somehow similar but also different from what we usually listen to together.”
“Right!? It’s so gooood. And this man can just makes you feel things with his soft, sad but romantic voice and his trumpet and those lyrics… It’s just amazing."
“...should I be jealous of him, MC?” Lucifer smirked.
“What?” You stopped and stared at him, cheeks getting a bit redder, while he just gave you his smug look, proud of having made you embarrassed.
“I jest. It seems that the record finished. What exciting things are you going to have us experience together next, MC, hmm?” He leaned back, getting more comfortable in his armchair, legs crossed and glass of red Demonus in one hand as he looked at you.
You realized he was right and that It has gotten a bit too silent in the room. You got up to look at the records on the table and chose your next one. This one you were excited to hear as well since it’s been so long since you got the chance to.
You changed the records, making sure to put the one that finished back in its respective cover while treating it carefully. Before, you scolded Lucifer for changing records with magic when he was busy, since they were so fragile and easy to break or scratch. He didn’t take it well back then, telling you that he was older and he handled records long before you were born and that he couldn’t be bothered to get up and stop his work each time a record finished because anyways if something happened he could purchase a replacement, but nowadays you saw him usually change them by hand, especially when you were in the room with him, which made you giddy.
This record started with an upbeat song as well, but you knew that what you were waiting for were her other songs, the ones with the sad poetical lyrics sang in the husky, but powerful tones of Nina Simone, accompanied by a soft piano. There was especially one song you couldn’t wait to hear, and it just so happened to be on the second side as well, so for now you had to wait.  
As you sat back down you took a sip of your newly poured wine. Lucifer, who was sipping his own drink suddenly glanced at you.
“So, tell me, MC, what made you choose these particular records?”
“Well, I thought you would enjoy them since they aren't that different from the records you seemed to like. They both have a layered instrumental background and invoke strong emotions in the listener. I mean that’s what I gathered you enjoyed from what we listen to so far.”
“Hmm, actually I heard the work of these artists before, but It seems I have forgotten about them. I guess it just wasn’t the right time for it back then.”
You stared at him, trying to figure out what he implying. You tried to keep things more or less friendly between the two of you since he didn’t give you any clear indication that he wanted something else and you didn’t want to impose or make things awkward because of your crush. So you guessed he couldn’t be talking about something related to you, could he?
“...and now it is?” you asked sheepishly.
He faked looking thoughtful while keeping his smile on his face as he responded, “What do you suppose, is it?”
Of course he didn’t want to truly give you an answer, when has he ever given you a straightforward answer before? So you just looked at him, trying to guess what he meant, but of course you couldn’t since Lucifer had centuries of experience in hiding his emotions. Still, you realized you could see a certain warmth there, in his eyes and in the soft wrinkles that formed when he smiled. Maybe the alcohol got to him too, or you were both standing too close to the fireplace, because you saw his cheeks were stained crimson and you felt yours must be the same.
…after reaching the third record of the night, and your third glass of wine, you were in a good enough mood to move around with the music until you suddenly remembered something
“Lucifer.”
“Yes?”
“You know how to dance right?”
He was wearing one of his proud smiles, but clearly he didn't understand why you were asking him this out of the blue.
“...of course I do.”
You got up and extended your hand to him. He looked at it suspiciously, until he understood what you were getting at and took it.
“...I see. I hope you know how to dance as well,” he said smiling.
…you did not know how to dance but you did watch tutorials on Deviltube when you remembered dancing exists or when you wanted a fun workout, so how hard could it be to do it with someone else? Lucifer put his hand on your lower back before you could decide if you wanted to lead or not, making this decision for you today. You accepted his choice and placed your hand on his shoulder. From this close you could feel his body heat in the places where your bodies connected, and smell the sweet and spicy scent of smoke and alcohol coming from him.
Lucifer began leading you, taking small steps to the right and then to the left at first, but once he saw you were following him well enough and not stepping on his toes, he started taking bolder strides. You tried your best to follow his movements and let him lead you around the room on beat with the music that was softly coming from the gramophone on the fireplace. In the beginning, you kept looking at your feet, wanting to make sure you wouldn't miss a step and stumble, but once you got comfortable enough with the rhythm you were building, you moved your gaze to his face and realized he was already watching you with a warm smile  and soft eyes. Before the last song ended he spun you around and ended your dance with a dip. You both stood there transfixed, looking into each other's eyes, neither of you wanting the moment to end.
"You're looking at me like you want something, MC," Lucifer whispered in the space between you. "What is it you want from me?"
Feeling bold and trusting he wouldn't let you fall, you freed one of your hands and gently held his chin, thumb lightly brushing his lower lip.
"...I think you know what I want," you answered softly in return. "But what about you, Lucifer. What is it that you want?"
He brought his face close enough to yours that you could feel his words on your lips. His eyes were still locked onto yours, looking alive and alight.
"I wonder, what do you think is it that I desire?"
Realizing that he wasn't going to make the first move himself, you gathered up your courage and brought your lips together. You swore you could hear him give a soft moan as your lips met, but before you could react he was kissing you back hungrily, like he had been waiting for this for some time now. He used the hand that you just freed to gently cup the back of your skull, the other one that was holding the small of your back pulling your body flush against his. As he deepened the kiss, you could feel his sharp teeth grazing your bottom lip and felt yourself whimper. You sensed Lucifer grin against your lips when he heard the sound you just made, his smugness just encouraging you to get back at him by biting his lip too, which got you a sharp inhale from the demon that did not expect your retaliation. When he finally let go of your mouth, giving you a moment to catch your breath, you realized he was still dipping you and that you were in the same exact position you started in: with both of you looking into each other's eyes, but instead of longing the two of you were now staring with soft awe at one another. You started giggling, realizing the hilarity of the situation. Seeing you laugh, Lucifer just gave you a confused smile.
"Why are you laughing, my dear?"
Your heart swelled at the pet name, but you continued, the hand that was still holding his chin going to cup his cheek. You tried to stop your laughing and use the most serious tone you could muster in this situation.
"Lucifer."
"Yes?"
"Did I truly just had to seduce you with jazz records and slow dancing to make you admit you wanted us to kiss?"
You started laughing again as soon as you finished talking. Lucifer looked a bit shocked by your words at first, but then joined in with your laughter.
"I guess you did. You truly are a weird human being, dearest."
"You love it though."
"I wonder, do I?" He grinned as he gracefully let you put your feet down and finally hold your own weight. You both looked at each other with matching loopy smiles and red cheeks as you stood there, face to face, bodies still very close.
"So, MC, did you bring any other records you would like us to listen to this fine evening?"
"Of course I did, did you think that was it?"
...this time, when you came back from changing the records, Lucifer was sitting on the chaise longue instead of his usual armchair and pat the place besides him when he saw you looking confused at his change of place. Understanding what he meant, you took a place besides him and let your head rest on his shoulder, to which he responded by put his arm around your back, letting you lean against him more comfortably. Feeling very full at how soft he was being, you gave him a quick peck on his cheek, just because you could do that now.
"...so tell me, since when did you want to kiss me?" you asked him with barely contained curiosity.
"You'll have to figure that out for yourself, dear," he responded, looking at you with a mischievous flicker in his eyes.
"That's not very fair."
"You love it though."
"I wonder, do I?" you answered him back with the same words he used on you, feeling a smug grin forming on your lips.
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echo-three-one · 3 years
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Chapter 34
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THE ROAD SO FAR
To the notable few people reading this. I hope you enjoy! Cheers!
High and Dry
"Alex"
MacTavish Residence, Glasgow, Scotland
Alex joined the commotion going on in the living room while he was on his way to get Samantha a cup of coffee before she woke up. The group consisted of Soap, Price, Jack and France facing a laptop.
He peeked for a while and saw Ghost, Roach and Maxine on the other end of the video call. He had no idea why they'd have to do that but proceeded to listen.
"So uh… we didn't find a single body on the ship. It's possible the waves already washed them somewhere. Guess I'll have to check on local news for more information. But what we do have are coordinates to a Site Hotel Bravo?" Ghost asked and the name didn't ring any bells.
Price and Jack's heads turned after hearing it and they slowly speculated before replying.
"I'll see what I can find." Price replied as their feed slowly lagged due to internet failure. Francine looked like she wanted to say anything to Max but the call ended abruptly.
"How could she just leave without telling me?" Francine complained while storming off.
"Maybe she had her reasons?" Soap followed her trying to calm her raging emotion. Alex nodded to Jack and Price who nodded back and went to the office. He felt like words weren't necessary to tell him that they'll be planning on their next move.
With everyone else gone, Alex made his way back to their room where Samantha was already awake and brushing her hair in front of the mirror.
Setting the cup of coffee by the drawer, a smile escaped his lips as their eyes met through the reflection, where she saw Alex slowly approach her and hug her back as they slowly swung sideways.
"Good Morning, Gorgeous." Alex muttered and kissed her on the cheek while Samantha giggled at the ticklish feeling of his moustache.
"Good Morning to you too, Handsome" she replied while her hands looked for him and intertwined them tightly.
"Any plans today?" She mused, tilting her head enough to meet his lips as they kissed intimately. 
"Hmm. Your best friend somehow made it to London today…" he murmured after their kiss, as Samantha's eyes opened wide.
"Hm?" was all she could say as their heads parted farther.
"My best guess is that they went back to the ship. Probably to look for Alexandra… or what remains of her." he continued as Samantha showed a worried look.
"Roach is with her…" he added once more in an attempt to not make her worry.
"I see what you are doing, 3-1." She mused. Alex's eyes widened to the sound of her using his code, he somehow found it… sexy.
"So we're using code names now?" He turned to Samantha who sat on the bed, the worry on her face was still obvious.
"Hey now." Alex called, smiling at the moment their eyes met.
"She'll be alright. She's got two strong soldiers around her. Don't worry." 
"I guess you're right…" she sighed in resignation as Alex leaned in closer for a hug. The said hug meant to assure her that everything will be alright.
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Alex spent most of the day with Samantha, judging on how busy Jack and Price were, he assumed they're going to be back on the field again, and that means that she'd be left all alone and worried.
They caught Soap and France doing the same too, but since they're both soldiers, they won't be separating from each other. 
"I like to believe something's already going on with them." Samantha leaned in to Alex at the sofa, as the two watched Soap and France arguing at each other in the kitchen. It looked like they were seeing who gets to assemble a pistol first, but the bickering was longer than the actual game.
"Yeah? You should've seen them kiss back at the Gulag. That was uhh… a sight to behold?" Alex chuckled.
"Ohh they already did? I knew it. Even back at the infirmary, I could feel the both of them trying to vibe." Samantha mused and laughed and just after that statement. The two competitors already found themselves in a concerning situation. Soap was already on her back, his hands helped guide France's on the pistol, their faces were so close to each other, one slight turn could already be a potential time to kiss.
And that they did, Alex and Samantha saw France ask a question to which Soap answered by slowly tilting his head to her face. What happened next was that their eyes both closed and their lips met slowly at first then progressed into a more intimate session.
Samantha covered Alex's eyes and giggled as Alex did the same, laughing so hard that they were lying on the sofa.
After that, Price and Jack quickly announced that they'll be visiting Shepherd in Afghanistan. The two couples exchanged looks, where Samantha frowned as she realized that Alex would once again be placed in danger.
AFGHANISTAN
Alex didn't expect that they're going to visit Shepherd with full gear. It looked like Price and Jack made some negotiations to make this possible considering how the weapons looked expensive. Maybe earning favors was a good thing after all.
The rest of the team easily regrouped in Scotland, where Maxine and Samantha kind of got the whole MacTavish Estate to themselves. It's the safest idea aside from sending her back to her Dad.
Now, the rest of the squad is flying discreetly above Afghan borders on their way to Site Hotel Bravo. Intel suggests it's a hidden cave network which housed Shepherd's Elite troops called the Shadow Company, which the group already acquainted with back in London.
The plan is to stop Shepherd from finishing his EMP Nuke and attempt to destroy any trace of it from being rebuilt again. If possible, they could also use this opportunity to get intel on Nero.
"Da. There it is. The exact location of your coordinates." Nikolai announced over the comms. The rest of the team looked down on a barren canyon, no sign of anything that said "Camp". 
"For a military base, this one looks pretty empty." Roach commented.
"Well, if intel's correct then whatever is below that would be the one we're looking for." Ghost said, putting on his new and improved mask.
"Prepare for dropoff." Price signaled as everyone quickly attached themselves to the hook, as they descended after Price's signal.
"Let's get evil!" He cheered as his foot landed on the ground, dust quickly blowing on the wind.
They all raised their suppressed weapons and hid on the nearest covers.
"Sandstorms brewing up. We'll use them for cover." Price announced as he and Jack crouched forward, hooking to a rappel slid down the ropes, as they stealthily took down two guards by the elevated area.
As soon as the coast was clear, the group now gathered by the entrance of the cave and began to split up.
Alex and Jack were to locate and plant charges on the Nuke, permanently erasing such weaponry off the face of the Earth. Soap, France and Ghost's task was to locate any intel regarding Nero while Price and Roach will try to find Shepherd and beat the truth out of him.
"All-righty, kiddo. Let's get a move on." Jack nodded as Alex followed his former CO inside the cave. The scenery turned darker as the rest of the team split up to cover more ground.
"It's almost pitch black in here…" Jack whispered as he toggled his flashlight.
"You're not using a flashlight? Can you see in the dark, Alex?" He asked with amusement in his voice.
"Not really. But I eat a lot of carrots." He joked, turning on his lights and pushing forward to the dark tunnel. As expected, Jack wouldn't get the joke. Alex knew that some things would never change.
"You hear that?" Alex mumbled as sounds of footsteps echoed on the narrow walls, causing the two to lean close to the wall and turn off their lights. With his eyes beamed on the light at the end of the tunnel. People in lab coats shuffled across the halls, making their path correct.
"This is the right way." Alex affirmed as they slowly pushed their way to the Lab in stealth.
Jack followed, guarding Alex's six, as they reached the main hall of the laboratory. 
"This is Echo Three One, we already made it to the lab. Proceeding to locate the Nuke and plant the charges." Alex informed as they took cover behind corners, eyeing out for possible hostiles.
"Copy that three one, we're still on the lookout for Shepherd." Price reported.
"Uh.. Ghost kinda left us alone. He said he was going to cover our six but he's gone. This place is huge, we're still on the lookout for possible intel rooms." Soap muttered as Alex and Jack maneuvered the Laboratory as stealthily as possible.
When a small group of babbling scientists were heard from the halls, Alex and Jack quickly hid in the nearest room they could find, accidentally stumbling on the blueprints of the nuke.
The whole wall was filled with blue paper depicting an almost scale model of a rocketship. If this was the nuke Shepherd wanted, it was obvious why he desperately needed the money.
Jack's camera shuttered as he took a photo of the thing to report back to Price.
"So, how do we get rid of this?" he asked.
"More importantly, how is our charge going to set off that huge thing?" Alex asked and looked at the blueprints carefully.
"The engine." They both said, as they traced the engine.
"It's their final piece of the puzzle." Jack theorized.
"And we're lucky enough they haven't placed the thing yet." Alex continued.
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The further they traversed into the lab, the more crowded it got. It was expected as they were building a huge EMP rocket nuke, and it was getting harder for Alex and Jack to advance further. Right now, their best option was to lock themselves in a comfort room.
"We need a diversion." Alex planned as Jack leaned by the sink, checking out his greying beard in the mirror.
"We'll wait for the others to alert the whole base." he replied. It was a risky move, but it would work. If they were to create their distraction in the lab, everyone would go here and make it much harder to set the charge.
"This is Echo Three One does anyone copy?" Alex's tone was annoyed.
"I guess they jammed this place up, kid. We're on our own." He said calmly as Alex clicked his tongue. Jack was right, they just have to wait.
But the anticipation of not knowing anything outside was worrying him. What if the nuke was already launched? What if the team already did their plans and they're still inside the damn comfort room?
Alex's mind was clouded with thoughts of failing. He was not used to this way of thinking, but ever since he met Samantha once again, he became more concerned of the safety of the group, more specifically, his safety. Back then, he was fine with sustaining injuries and being reckless, but now he wanted to get home from missions in one piece. Losing his leg was the last line he was willing to draw.
Then, the alarm systems blared, it was requesting every scientist to report to the bunker.
"See? All you need to have is a little faith." Jack smiled and readied his weapon, leaning closely by the door.
"After you kid, I always got your back." He said as Alex slowly flicked the lock open, his hand grabbed the door knob and slowly pushed it open.
Next Chapter : Red
Notification Squad my Beloved
@bumblingbee1 @enderio @smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @whimsywispsblog @ricinbach
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Survey #301
“i was waiting for my chance to find the light”
Did you like the beach a lot more as a kid more than you do now? Why/Why not? I did. Everything was more fun as a kid. I never REALLY loved it, though, because I did and still do hate the heat and walking through sand and getting it stuck all over you. It's pretty much torture now because I have extreme difficulty walking through sand. Has there ever been a time where you just couldn't stop crying? Explain. I know I've had days many years ago when my PTSD was truly awful where I'd sob multiple times a day. What's your least favorite time of day? Why don't you like that time?Late afternoon, like around 3-4 or so. By that point I'm usually bored senseless and going downhill. Do you like your lips? Do you enjoy kissing? They're fine, ig. And I mean yeah, if I'm really into the person? Do you like any music from the American Idols? Which ones? Ngl, I don't even remember any besides Kelly Clarkson, and who the FUCK doesn't like "Breakaway." Do you like when people challenge you? If so, in what? No, I get nervous about embarrassing myself. Personally for you, is falling for someone way beyond your control? It is entirely out of my control. What's something other than a fruit that you love in milkshakes? (Ex.twix ) Mostly chocolate stuff, haha. What is your all time FAVORITE milkshake? Ever tried the Reese's Blast from Sonic? That's some A+ shit. What's the latest you've ever stayed up reading a book? No clue. When having a peanut butter & jam sandwich, what is the best kind of jam? Grape. Do you like to write poetry? Yeah, but it's been a long time since I wrote anything. I used to do it aaall the time, but now I have to be seriously motivated and dedicated to the idea. When you get mad do you cry? Absolutely. Would you ever consider modeling? No. I do think one or two model-esque photos of myself would be nice and possibly help my self-confidence, but it's not something I'm seeking out and paying for. Are you scared of crossing bridges? Not very, no. If they're kinda sketchy-looking, I might feel a tad tense, but I'm not really scared of them. Would you consider yourself clumsy? I am unfuckingbelievably clumsy. Ever bought ice cream from an ice cream truck? Yeah, sometimes Mom would let me and my sisters do that as kids when one came through our neighborhood. Have you ever had a poem or story published? No. If you had/have a kid would you ever let them get a tattoo? If they were of the appropriate age, of course. And if they were getting it done professionally and not at some party drunk with friends. They better be in a sterile environment with someone who knows what they're doing. Do you love guinea pigs? Absolutely. I had three or four as pets when I was a kid. What is the worst thing you ever did that got you grounded? Probably run away from home. Have you ever been chased by a snake? No... and this is a misconception. Snakes don't chase. They go for what they see as the safest escape route, and sometimes they identify your own chosen direction as where they wanted to head, too. Where do you wanna work? I want to be a freelance photographer. What awards have you won? A lot of "A honor roll" trophies through school, among other academic awards. I seriously don't know what happened to that intelligence. I also have dance awards and lots of childhood sports team stuff. Would you consider yourself good at taking care of kids? I don't think I am, no. I'm way too nervous and awkward around kids. I've had to babysit for my sister twice though, and Ashley told me the kids had lots of fun and had no complaints. I guess like... I can do it, I am just very, very uncomfortable taking kids under my wing. I worry about leading them in the wrong direction. How old would a guy have to be before you wouldn't date them? I don't know, it would really depend on how much I was into the person. I generally stick with the approximation of a ten year gap though being my limit, so I think maybe him being in his mid-30s would make me feel a bit too weird. Be honest, have you ever tried weed? No, but quite honestly, I'd probably try an edible. I refuse to smoke anything for my lungs' sake. I'm curious if medical marijuana would actually be beneficial for me. Has anyone ever broken up with you with a note? No, but uh... I have, lol. It's how I broke up with my "puppy-dog love" boyfriend in middle school. Literally after he asked me if I was thinking of breaking up with him, and I said no before handing him the note because I was just too scared to do it to his face. I know, that was absolutely awful. Never, ever do that to the most innocent boy ever, kids. He didn't deserve that. Do you have sensitive teeth? Kinda. What was the worst thing you ever did to get detention/suspended? I've only ever had detention once for having too many tardies to my first class of the day in high school. We'd frequently arrive to school just a few minutes late because I was fucking impossible to drag out of bed. Have you ever suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder? Yes. Do you suffer from nasal allergies? Yes. What's your favorite kind of pudding? I only really like chocolate pudding. Have you done anything really interesting lately? I guess you could consider starting a virtual partial hospitalization program "interesting." It's not the intensive version like my first was, but rather being shorter. I just really need something to get my mental health back on the tracks. What’s the latest really fun thing you’ve done? REALLY fun? Hell if I know. I don't experience "fun" a lot at all anymore... I only ever feel like, this watered down, unenthusiastic sorry excuse for it. Have you discovered any good music lately? Oh yeah, I've found lots of 3TEETH songs I'm mad into. "ULTRAnumb" by Blue Stahli is also a total bop. How about any good new television shows? No. Or perhaps some interesting books? Nothing new, no. Have you picked up a new hobby or learned a new skill? I mean, within what timespan? Nothing lately, really. Has anybody ever done your makeup for you? Yeah. Do you own any sparkly items of clothing? No. What’s the most colorful accessory you own and use? *shrug* Do you enjoy drag artists’ work? If so, name some of your favorites. Oh yes, I have wild respect for drag queens. I don't know enough of them to have a fair favorite, but I do watch Trixie Mattel on YouTube and he is a goddamn hoot. What, right now, is the best thing in your life? Um. I don't really know. Probably the fact my mother still lets my too-big-for-the-nest ass to live with her... I don't want to picture how my life would be if I didn't have her still essentially holding my hand. What’s a place you like to go to when you need to get away for a bit? I actually love car rides for this, so long as I can ride passenger and just blare my music and not talk. It's so odd, being afraid of driving but finding great freedom and comfort in just... going. Do you like apples? I love apples. Anything exciting coming up for you in the near future? I paid the deposit for my tattoo appointment, so it was officially scheduled in May!! I was expecting an open date to be kinda far with just how amazing this parlor is, so I wasn't too shocked to hear I have to wait a few months, but man I can hardly wait. When you get an account for something, what's the first username you try? Unless it's for a "professional" site, in which case I'd use my actual name, I just about without fail with use "Ozzkat," or replace the "o" with a zero if that's somehow taken. Would you be okay with a friend wanting to date one of your exes? Which ex? What kind of accent do people typically have where you're from? Southern. Does history interest you at all? Can't say it does. What's something you wish you could do-over? There are many things, man. Is your hair in layers or is it all the same length? Neither, really. The left side of my head is very short/shaved, and as the hair goes around to the right, it gets longer. There aren't "layers," though. Is there anyone who you're afraid to be in a car with, if they're driving? I wouldn't say afraid, but with my sister's road rage and serious tail-gating issue, riding with her can make me nervous. What's something you're very good at? Um, I guess creative writing. Do you like sour gummy worms? oh FUCK yeah Would you pick up a hitchhiker if they seemed harmless? No. I am way too paranoid for that shit. Would you be bothered if your boyfriend liked to bite you? Uhhh I'm going to assume you mean this in a sexual context, in which case I don't care so long as it's not in a visible spot. How often do you get the opportunity to be completely alone? The answer used to be a shitload, and seeing as I'm in my room most of the time, I still feel like that's kind of true, but since Mom's cancer diagnosis and she had to stop working, she's usually home with me. I like it that way, though. Total isolation is bad for me. Do you have a trampoline? Nah, haven't in many years. What's your favorite Pixar movie? Finding Nemo. What is the strangest thing you've been asked? Something sexual that made me extremely uncomfortable. What’s the weirdest thing about life that people just accept as normal? The fact we put so much worth into pieces of green paper. What's the most random thing you've done out of boredom? *shrug* What show did your parents not let you watch as a kid? There weren't any specific shows that we even wanted to watch that Mom forbade us to see... I mean she certainly wouldn't let my sisters and I watch something like South Park as little kids, but none of us really sought unsuitable shows out. We were all about Disney, Nick, and Animal Planet in my case. What is the most pleasurable feeling that doesn't involve anything sexual? What comes to mind first is a big hug from someone who makes you feel safe when you don't anywhere else. What was your last "oops, wrong person" moment? I'm going to assume I sent somebody a text meant for another person. I'm super careful about avoiding stuff like this because I get horribly embarrassed, so it's difficult to recall the last time I slipped up. What do you find attractive that isn't considered "normal" attraction? Having a broad imagination and drive to create. What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done drunk? N/A What's something you really enjoy, but can't have? A pet tarantula because Mom refuses to let me lmao. I'm so into them now and desperately want a Grammastola pulchra. What Wikipedia article have you recently read? I haven't read any recently. What subject should be taught at schools, but isn't? Basic adulting and financial skills. What is the worst game you've ever played? I dunno. I've played sooooo many video games throughout my life. What tragic event was coincidentally beneficial to you? My overdose because it led to an intensive partial hospitalization program that totally changed my life. What did you think was cool when you were younger that you now think isn’t? Good question... What are your favorite or most memorable lines from any movie/show? I vaguely remember the concepts of some quotes, but not well enough to recite them. None that are seriously memorable or heavy pop up in my head now. What's a good example of 'Don't knock it till you try it'? Putting peanut butter on top of waffles with syrup. It is fucking delicious. What's your go-to get pumped up song? 5FDP's cover of "Mama Said Knock You Out" is badass HYPE. What's the dumbest thing your parents have said or done? Well, through a family assessment before my current partial hospitalization could begin, I very recently learned my dad fucking did drugs before my sisters and I were born, including shit like cocaine. That was great to suddenly learn. As for my mom... probably have a kid too young? She doesn't talk very much about her eldest daughter's history with (and without) her, but I know enough to know that was a very rocky time in her life. What are some things you wish existed? Cures for countless illnesses, and I also have SUUUUUCH a yearning for some kind of technology that could copy an image in your head onto a drawing device. If only I could draw how/what I see up there... Which person shaped you the most? Jason. Or Mom. What’s the one movie you couldn’t finish? Why? Couldn't tell you; I just haven't watched enough. What's a small thing you have a big passion for? Meerkats, quite literally with "small" lmao. What change have you made recently to help the environment? I have metal straws I try to remember to bring with me if I go out to eat. What was the hardest thing you've ever had to forgive? The way Jason left. Is there anything or anyone you're angry at, that you haven't forgiven yet? I sometimes question if I truly have forgiven Jason. I lean kinda heavily towards yes, I have, I'm just bitter about it all regardless. Have you ever plotted revenge against someone? No. Have you ever done anything to get revenge against someone? I can't think of anything off the top of my head. What is the greatest longing of your heart? To feel purpose. Who was your first love? Some guy in high school who "had" to talk to me upon seeing me the first time, only to wind up wanting to hear nothing from me later on down the line. What denomination is your church (if you go)? N/A What was the first year you voted in a presidential election? This most recent election, actually. Have you ever been afraid of the world ending? I used to worry it would happen in my lifetime, but now I don't. If it ends, it ends. I ain't got much to lose nowadays. What is unfair about your life? My mental health. My financial position. I'd rather not focus on the billion shitty things going on in my life rn, so next question. Did you write love poems when you were younger? ugh Who are you jealous of and why? There's a lot of people I'm in some way envious of, honestly. Have you ever had an account of yours hacked? Yes. Thankfully nothing major happened. Have you ever been a victim of police misconduct? No.
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My One, My Only, My Guardian... [pt.1]
[pt.2]
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The wind whistled as it blew through the crumbling remains of the abandoned Golden Age town. Debris drifted across the ground, rattling faintly until it tumbled into a piece of rubble and stopped. What a sorry place to return to. I’ve been searching across the solar system for my Risen, I’ve checked every place I could and then checked again, again, and again, but I haven’t found them anywhere. This place? I’d been here so many times. Hundreds, thousands of times.
My first instinct is to say this is perhaps the 8th time I’ve been here, but in reality, it’s been so much more than that. Like. So much more. One thing was for certain, though: this time was probably the last, if the distant rumbles of Fallen salvage ships were anything to go by. Traveling alone and defenseless was never the safest bet, but it’s the only one I’ve been able to make for a while now.
I used to be in a little group of Ghosts, a pack if you will. Right off the bat, the lot of us decided safety in numbers was just about the only safety we’d get in our quest for our Risen. The first five of us to leave our pack found their Risen shortly after we started. Since then, we’ve gradually shed members while traveling. Out of the original twenty or so, eight had found their Risen, three were killed, and all the rest have given up.
All the rest, except for me. And I’ll be honest: if I don’t find my Risen here and now... I’m probably going to join them, one way or another.
Speaking of this place… I don’t know why I keep coming back here. It was the first place I tried looking. It has some sort of… feeling, within the earth itself, that I can’t describe. I can’t shake the sense that my other half is here, somewhere in the city.
I’ve often wondered what they would be like. I hoped that they’d be like Saint-14, or Cayde-6. Strong, funny, good-hearted. I sure hope they’re an exo. Then we’d have something in common, and I wouldn’t have to worry about healing them from environmental damage. I hear that’s really hard to deal with.
I always imagined them being a protector, a Titan, someone who put themselves before others. A gentle titan.. who gives really warm hugs. Or a cool hunter, with really warm coats! Just. Warm. And kind, soft. Someone who’d be nice to be held by.
I pass by a scraggly old tree that seemed to wave to me on my way to the abandoned construction site, giving me pause. I liked that tree. I named it something funny a couple hundred years ago. Like… Paul, or something. Paul sounds about right. Oh, I remember when Paul was just a little sapling – I thought it was a flower, at first. So small.
“Hi Paul.”
I continued on, unsteady from the wind, scanning rubble as I went. I circled the construction site. Once. Twice. Three times. Four.
I was forced to stop and hide as a Fallen ship roared overhead. I hid under a clump of weeds, close to the ground in hopes I wouldn’t be detected. I’ll admit… I panicked a bit and dug myself a ways into the finer bits of rubble. It was habit! Usually I’m not lucky enough to be stuck in a place with weeds. And I watched this crab.. thing… hide by burying itself in sand, so of course I do that now.
Wouldn’t have to if I had a Risen…
Oh, I really hope I can find mine. We’ll be two peas in a pod, my Risen and I, and I’ll never have to be scared and alone ever again…
I’ll be scared and with a friend, instead.
Or… different than a friend. I wouldn’t say more, but something other than a friend. Nothing more, nothing less, just… different.
We can travel the world together. Heck, the solar system. We’ll see beautiful things together… sunsets, oceans, ancient forests, glaciers. On this planet, or others. I always wanted to show my Risen all the pretty places I’ve been. I’ll pick my Risen flowers! Don’t know how, what with… not having hands… but I’ll find a way. For my Risen! And they’ll keep me safe and warm and hold me close…
I snuck a peak outside my hiding spot, shimmying across the ground slightly to get a better view of the sky. I sure didn’t hear any Fallen ships anymore, but you can never be too sure. Something felt funny. Like the ‘its-just-around-the-corner’ kind of funny. Except that corner was… the… the pile of gravel I’m currently hiding on. What? Another peak around and I was up in the air, squinting at the pile of rubble. I have it a closer look.
What I assumed was just another hill of rubble seemed to closer resemble a remarkably large pile of gravel that, over the years, was compacted into more solidified chunks. Grass was trying to grow over it, but it seemed like it was too dense for anything other than the roughest of weeds to deal with. It also seemed to have a lot of erosion going on… I could have sworn this pile was taller last time I was here. But I also thought it was rubble for… my whole life, really, so I could be wrong.
I gave the pile a quick scan.
Yep. Signs of erosion, rainfall. And…
I’m sorry, is that a body? Under this pile of gravel? But it’s huge! Like a small hill. How could a body be-
You know what, I’ve seen weirder places for a body to be.
I gave the spot another scan, this time trying to isolate the body. I could barely keep still. I always get like this during a candidate scan, but this time, in the place I always had a hunch about? This was beyond exciting.
Female. Exo… exo! Oh, please let this be my risen, please let this be my risen…
Frantically, I looked around. There has to be some way I can recover the body, get a better scan result. Wait, I was in a construction yard! I could use one of those, uhm, big dig machines. I’m not sure what they called them in the Golden Age. I dubbed them scoopers. ‘Cause.. they can scoop… things, I guess? That seems like it was their intended purpose, with the big bucket ends. The air buzzed as I zipped over to the nearest scooper. I could get one of these running. Easy peasy, even if they were old, rusted, hadn’t been used since the collapse…
If I could keep myself steady.
Just… flip a switch here, wrestle with some old engines there, give it a spiritual kick, and…
Well. Not this one.
I went over to another one, did the same. Not that one.
Third one, same attempt. It sputtered to life. It jittered and stopped, coughing at any chance it could, but it probably would do the trick.
I was so excited. This was it. This was my Risen. It had to be! I always knew she was here, I just knew it, I knew it! Screw you, that one really mean Ghost who said I would never find my Risen! Look who’s laughing now! Not you! What was your name? Barold? Bensen? Bob?
No, wait, it doesn’t matter. You gave up! I didn’t! And look who’s found their Risen. Me! Ghost!
I need to get a name sometime. My Risen can give it to me! Oh, I hope it’s really cute.. or cool. I can be cool. Yeah, I need a cool name. Like Jack. Or- or- Fin… bar.
I’m not good with names.
Oh, wait, my Risen, right!
I halted the scooper and peaked to the pile. It was very compact, but it wasn’t like it was cemented together. I just needed to be gentle, so I don’t hurt my Risen. Not that she can feel it, she’s kindof. Really dead. But still! First impressions. Not sure if she’ll remember this when I wake her up. I carefully started to nudge the gravel hill, testing the surface before I began digging into it. The old machinery struggled, but it was a good sport about it.
Digging took a lot longer than I expected, though mostly due to the scooper. Poor thing was old and tired. It’d been years since it last worked like this. Eventually, I uncovered my Risen. I used the machine to pick her up by the torso, move her out to the open where it would be easier to wake her up, and set her down. Carefully. Gently. Be nice! She’d do the same for me, if the situation were flipped.
Surely…
I rested the scooper’s arm down on the ground and turned it off.
“There you go, buddy. Sleep well. Thank you.”
I flew towards my Risen, my path more a wobbly spring than a straight line. I was so excited; I can’t contain it. This was it. I could feel it. She was the one! My one. My only. My Risen.
Another scan.
Female. Exo. Not sure what she used to be, her clothes didn’t match what I expected a Golden Age construction worker to have. It was a suit, of sorts, and thick jacket. Very official. Almost a military style.
But the Golden Age was a time of peace…
Whatever. They were remarkably well preserved, but even then, they were worn and dull. They were also not well situated, giving her an almost disheveled look despite the formality of the actual clothes themselves. I couldn’t tell if that was from the scooper or not.
She was a bit rusted, with excessive damage to her face. It was nearly completely caved in.
Is.. is she recoverable? Please…
My shell shuttered. She was. She just was. I could feel it. She was the one, my one, I could do this…
What would I say… what will I say? I’ve been searching so long, you’d think I’d have thought of this by now, but… all I’ve ever thought of is the life I would have with my Risen, not how it would start.
Vast oversight, Ghost.
Well. What was she like? What will she be like when I wake her?
Another scan!
Female. Exo. She’s very sound, cognitively. No corruption, mutation of any kind. Not like those on the moon. Certain. Convicted. Dedicated. Stubborn, maybe? Last few memories don’t sit well with me, though. The emotions… anger, fear, the kind of fear that makes you sick, sadness, loneliness, fear again… then cold. That’s the last thing. Fear and cold.
But she’s the one. She’s my Risen. 
She won’t be lonely with me around.
I shivered again. This was it. This was it.
It all happened in what felt like a single second. I saw the spark, burning bright as the sun. It had a grandness to it, like an explosion that you couldn’t tear your eyes away from, despite its danger. Its intrigue, its glory, the terrifying awe and dreadful, humbling drum of your core as the shockwave hit you head-on. The Light came pouring down like rainfall, coalescing into a beam that was as instant and deafening as a thunderclap on a sunny day.
In a moment, it was there, and in a moment, it had gone.
I did it. She was here.
My Risen laid on the ground in front of me, looking to the sky with tired eyes, blinking slowly. I hovered above her, placing myself front and center.
“Eyes up, Guardian,” I breathed.
The seconds crawled by like hours as she gazed up at me, her expression not giving a thing away. What would she say? How did she feel? I couldn’t wait to hear-
“Five more minutes.”
She rolled over and went to sleep.
Well, that was anticlimactic.
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mccoys-killer-queen · 4 years
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@axelandriab​ thank you so much for tagging me in this bc seeing brand new questions I’ve never answered before is like a breath of fresh air
Do you prefer writing in black or blue pen? black
Would you prefer to live in the country or the city? I think about this often and I always used to say city but I’m feeling more country now
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be? guitar... please... if not that then I’d like to speak German fluently...
Do you drink tea/ coffee with sugar? nope (unless you count honey as sugar for tea, then yes)
What was you favourite book as a child? I honestly don’t remember reading books/having books read to me but it was probably Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Do you prefer baths or showers? I haven’t taken a bath in a good 6 years so I forget what it feels like (I don’t fit in my bathtub anymore... I’m too long) so I gotta say showers by default
If you could be a mythical creature, which one would you be? either some sort of fairy, nymph, or shapeshifter 
Paper or electronic books? Paper
What is your favourite item of clothing? my denim jacket with all my patches on it
Do you like your name? nope :3) I think Rachel is a very boring, generic, uncreative White Girl name and if I ever get famous (which ain’t gonna happen) I’d totally go by a pen/stage name
Who is a mentor to you? pssh just any of my Rock and Roll Dads (i.e. Joe Elliott, Brian May, Kevin Cronin, Nikki Sixx, etc), I feel like They guide me somehow
Would you like to be famous? famous for something good? Yes. I’m such an extrovert like 60% of the time and I love oversharing and sometimes feel like I’d be good at handling fame. Plus honestly I don’t feel like I’ll be able to survive long in life unless I somehow get famous bc let’s face it I’m never gonna have a “real career” or be satisfied with any job or be able to make a living by constantly working (but then again I don’t have any talent that can make me famous either oops)
Are you a restless sleeper? yeah more often than never :3)
Do you consider yourself a romantic person? aesthetically romantic, sometimes, but I identify as aro. Romance irl just feels wrong, like it doesn’t mix well with me, like when you put a certain metal in water and it explodes
Which element best represents you? Earth? Either earth or water
Who do you want to be closer to? “My favourite musicians ;(” <<stealing this too :c just all the Leppard bois pls
Do you miss someone at the moment? Nope
Tell us about an early childhood memory? I had a computer class in kindergarten, and I remember on the very first day of it, the teacher taught us what a floppy disc was when introducing us to all the parts of a computer. This was in 2006, and I still have yet to use one.
What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Probably chicken and waffle pringles, but dipped in chili (GOOD)
What are you most thankful for? the money I have in the bank (even tho I try not to touch it), my driver’s license, not having a job right now, my therapist, my music, my hamster, being surrounded by green
Have you ever met anyone famous? Yes, Rick Ray of Sunshine Allen :3 that’s it :’3
Do you keep a diary or journal? Nope, even tho my therapist told me that journaling my thoughts is a big help, I kinda don’t wanna go back to doing that
Do you prefer to use pen or pencil? Pen bc it flows easier
What is your star sign? Pisces
Do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy? Crunchy all the way, soggy cereal is a HUGE pet peeve of mine
What would you want your legacy to be? someone who was very interesting and did a lot of things
Do you like reading? What was the last book you read? honestly, reading is overrated. Even if the book is good, reading isn’t as hyped up as everyone on this site thinks it is. I do like reading sometimes, but I barely do. I read a lot in high school bc I had so much free time on my hands in class, but outside of school I can’t do it. The last book I read was a reread of The Princess Bride by William Goldman
How do you show someone you love them? *Lisa Simpson staring at plate* ??? Error 405??
Do you like ice in your drinks? yeah but not a lot. Maybe just one or two cubes to keep it cold but not to dilute it a lot
What are you afraid of? being stuck where I am forever, never escaping my family, never finding my path in life, whatever the hell is wrong with my mentality getting worse and impacting my life in a huge way, any health related problems, I could go on :3)
What is your favourite scent? Old Spice
Do you address older people by their name or surname? ...what exactly is this question asking? Depends on how casual I am with them/how well I know them
If money was not a factor, how would your life be different? I would NOT be living here that’s for damn sure :3) I would’ve been to so many different places by now and maybe I’d actually have a real life and actually BE an interesting person
Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? pools, bc the ocean is too salty and choppy and doesn’t smell as good as chlorine imo
What would you do if you found $50 on the ground? “I’d pick it up, and if I saw the person who dropped it, I’d give it back to them” << true but then if i couldn’t find them then I’d probably go buy some records with it and put the change aside into my Concert Fund
What is one thing you’d want to teach your children? honestly I don’t think I’m ever gonna have kids, but I’d want them to understand that gender roles don’t exist, and neither do the opinions of society
If you had to get a tattoo right now, what and where would it be? ...I’m actually getting a tattoo next week... it’s going to be on the side of my right shoulder, a silhouette of a pine tree with an outline of a crescent moon above it
What can you hear now? The sound of the fridge runnin in the room behind me, my mom getting something out of a drawer
Where do you feel the safest? in my bedroom
What is one thing you want to overcome/conquer? whatever’s fucked up in my head like anxiety and trauma, etc
If you could travel back to any era in time, what would it be? if I had to travel back anywhere and stay there for the rest of my life, I’d probably go back 1979 to see the dawn of the 80s and live through them. If I had to go for a day then I’d probably pick the summer of 1988 or something
What is your most used emoji? probably 🤙
Describe yourself using one word? tough
What do you regret most? not going to see Def Leppard and Journey when they were less than an hour away 2 years ago. Yes, I couldn’t drive back then, so there was really no way I could’ve gotten there and back (and I could’ve BARELY gotten a floor ticket to begin with, it would’ve cost like half the money I had to my name), but with the Stadium Tour being delayed ANOTHER year I feel like 2 years ago was the only chance I’ll ever have had to see my favorite band :c so even though it was basically impossible for me to go, and a lot of the factors of that were out of my control, I still feel like I blew it, and wish I tried literally everything I possibly could’ve done (like just buy the ticket and figure out how to get there later, call everyone I could think of to try and hitch a ride). Even if I did so, there was still a VERY, VERY slim chance that I could’ve ended up going by some goddamned MIRACLE okay I’ll shut up now sorry I’m just still very upset even so much time later
Last movie you saw? in theaters? Rocketman last summer. In general? Uhhhhh I really don’t know, I think it was Love, Simon
Last TV show you watched? on tv? Rick and Morty. In general? I was watching The Young Ones on youtube today
Invent a word and it’s meaning? Scress (we actually made this up like 2 years ago)- it’s a game where you play chess on a Scrabble board while also playing Scrabble
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xwaywardhuntress · 5 years
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You’re Not From This World (Part One)
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Summary: Imagine the boys get sent to an alternate reality again without you, which leaves you stuck with the Winchester look-alikes, Jensen Ackles, and Jared Padalecki.
Pairing: Dean Winchester x reader, Jensen Ackles x alternate world!reader (Catherine, Cat)
Warnings: Dean and Sam absence, at least this part. Words: 1800+ Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. This is fanfiction only. Please do not redistribute my writings on other sites, horrible or not. Thanks!
You hated windows. Mostly because every damn monster that you’ve encountered had a thing for throwing you out them. Feeling some pain in your right shoulder, you knew you probably dislocated it as you could remember the way you were thrown out the window and most likely landing on it. You slowly got up as you made your way back into the house that the witch you had been hunting lived in.
“Dean? Sam?” You called out as you found your gun on the floor in front of the window that you had been thrown out. Holding it with your left hand, you began carefully walking through the house looking for the Winchesters. The safety was off just in case Dean and Sam hadn’t ganked the witch. “Dean?” You called again passing through the messed up living room. “Dean? Sam? Are you guys still in here?” You asked aloud when you heard groaning from behind the kitchen counter.
“That hurt way more than I thought it would.” You heard Dean’s voice. A breath of relief left you as you made your way to the boys.
“Yeah, I thought there would be some padding for us. What happened?” You heard Sam’s voice say. You couldn’t help but question his comment in your head. Why would there be padding?
When you finally got a look behind the kitchen counter, what surprised you were the screams that came out of Dean and Sam. “What the hell?” You asked looking down at them.
“Sorry Cat, you scared us,” Dean said rubbing his neck.
Your eyebrow rose at him. Sure, Dean and you had cute little nicknames for each other, but he had never called you kitten or anything cat related.
Before you could ask if they were okay, Dean spoke up again as both boys finally stood up. “You’re here early. We don’t have a scene with you till next week.”
This isn’t your Dean. Your hunter instincts kicked on immediately, you pointed the gun at who you thought was your Dean before. “Who the hell are you?” You asked cocking your gun, ready to shoot.
Hearing the actual noise a real gun, not a prop gun, should make, the Dean look-alike raised his hands up immediately in the air. “Whoa. Cat. Let’s take a minute to think about this.”
Meanwhile, when the Sam look-alike had got up, he saw the house they had all been in and the mess that he did not remember was part of the scene. He tapped his buddy’s back, “Uh Jensen, do you remember the house being this messy for the scene?”
“Kind of busy right now, Jared.” Jensen mumbled as his eyes were locked on the gun.
Jared finally turned his attention to what Jensen was dealing with. “Really Cat? Is this some sort of a prank before you actually start working with us again?”
Jensen? Jared? It didn’t take long to put two and two together from the small interaction between the two. The Dean look-alike was named Jensen and the Sam look-alike was named Jared. Two names that you were sure you had heard before from a story Dean and Sam once told you.
Jared was about to start walking towards you to push your hand with the gun down when you shot to the side of them, leaving both of them frozen in place. Jared mumbled to himself that it was a real gun. At this point, they thought your counterpart from their universe had hit the rails and lost it.
“Don’t move. Just give me a second to think.” You told them as you began recalling Jensen and Jared’s earlier conversations. Padding, scene… That’s when the light bulb turned on. You remembered the story of Dean and Sam going to another universe where their life was a tv show called…. “Supernatural” You spoke aloud without realizing.
The two boys were pretty frozen in place, but when Jensen heard you say the show’s name. That’s when he found the nerve to speak again. “That’s right. We’re actors from the show Supernatural. You, me, and…”
“Jared Padeski.” You finished his sentence.
“Padalecki.” Jared chimed in finding the nerve to finally speak as well.
You lowered your gun, clicking the safety back on as you stuffed the gun back into the back of your pants. “Well, this is great.” You muttered as you held your injured right shoulder with your now free hand. At this point, it was safe to assume the witch got away as she would’ve attacked by now if she had still been around.
“What the hell are you doing with a real gun, Catherine?!” Jared yelled at you while Jensen seemed to be in thought.
“First off, my name is Y/N. Not Catherine.” You answered as you walked over to Jensen and started placing your hands in his jacket pockets in hopes the Impala keys would still be in this world. Jensen was surprised by your boldness. In his world, Catherine would never be this bold unless it was a scene the two had to do since they both played characters with some serious chemistry. Jared’s eyes went wide, almost like a fangirl, as he watched the events unfold before him, completely forgetting your first statement.
You continued talking as you searched Jensen for the keys. “Second, you’re not my Dean and Sam but instead the alternate versions of them from another world. Ha!” You yelled as you pulled the Impala keys out of one of the outside jacket pockets.
Jensen had gone a bit red from the closeness.
“Thank goodness we still have the Impala keys. Now follow me boys, we need to head back to the bunker to figure this out.” You stated as you started to walk to the house exit.
Jared immediately ran after Cat….or Y/N in this case. “Wait a minute! What do you mean from another world?”
Arriving by the driver side of the Impala, you turned to face Jared. “You’re not from this world. You’re from an alternate reality where Dean and Sam and I are fictional characters that you, Jensen, and this girl Cat act out, does that sound about right?” You asked raising a brow at him.
Jared still didn’t seem to comprehend that he was in the real world version of Supernatural.
“So we’re in a world where Supernatural is real. Characters and all.” Jensen stated behind Jared as he looked over at you.
You nodded. “Look, just get in the car. I can explain what I know from what Sam has told me and we’ll go from there in figuring out how to get my Dean and Sam back and you two back to your own world.”
Jensen and Jared got in the car without question. They figured if they were in a world where the supernatural was real, the safest place for them would be with the Winchesters, or in this case, Y/N L/N who was basically a Winchester to the Supernatural fandom. Jensen went for the front seat while Jared went in the back.
“You know, it’s weird getting in the shotgun seat. Also, are you going to be okay driving with your shoulder like that?” Jensen asked. Looking over at him, you grinned placing your hand over his. There were much worse situations that you had been in before but were still able to drive. You’d forgotten for a moment this wasn’t your Dean, as you saw a surprised look on Jensen’s face. You quickly took your hand off his and placed it on the keys in the ignition. You started the car and then began driving back to the bunker.
During the drive, it didn’t take much to explain to them that the characters they had been portraying were real, but it took a bit for them to grasp that it only meant the monsters they hunted on the show Supernatural were all too real as well. You also explained to them what little you knew about alternate realities, basically what you learned from Sam. The conclusion that all three of you came too before arriving at the bunker was that Dean and Sam had been switched out for Jensen and Jared, probably thanks to the witch that you had been hunting with the boys initially.
Arriving back at the bunker, you opened the door and made your way in. Jensen and Jared were in awe, which you found a bit funny. You made your way to the table of books stacked on it with Jensen and Jared in tow.
“I’m guessing your bunker doesn’t look like this bunker?” You asked as you eyed them with a smile.
Jensen answered first as Jared made his way to the displayed items around the library. “Definitely different. You guys have way more things on display and more books I would say.”
“Wait! I wouldn’t touch that!” You yelled over at Jared who was about to pick up a small chest box.
Jared stopped immediately and pulled his hands away. “Sorry, sorry. Is it actually cursed or something?”
You laughed, shaking your head, as you picked up the small chest. “No, it’s not. But it’s a magical item that I do not need to deal with on top of the current issue.” You held the chest under your left arm. “How about you stay away from touching anything other than books on the shelf?” You insisted smiling at them.
Jared held his hands up in surrender as he made his way to sit at one of the tables like a good little kid. It was amusing that Jared seemed to be the more curious one. Jensen just stood in thought again.
You walked past Jensen, brushing his shoulder with yours as you went to set the small chest on one of the bookshelves.
Jensen’s eyes couldn’t help themselves but follow where Y/N walked.
You let out a sigh. This was going to be one tricky hunt now that you were stuck with non-hunters that looked like the two most known experienced hunters in the hunting world. You turned back towards the boys only to see Jensen staring, no he had been watching you. You smiled walking up to him, taking his left hand into yours as your right shoulder was still messed up. “Hey, everything will be okay. I’ll figure out a way to get you and Jared back to your world.”
As if embarrassed, Jensen looked away, “Right, thanks.”
You let go of his hand noticing that he looked a bit uncomfortable. It was definitely going to take some getting used to that the man in front of you wasn’t the Winchester you had loved dearly.
The next big question is where would you even start. You definitely needed another fellow hunter’s help or even a friend’s help would do. It was time to call in the cavalry.
Part Two
Feedback is welcome!
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Endgame of Thrones (April Picks)
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Does it even matter what else I watched earlier this month because THIS WEEKEND! If every weekend was like this one I don’t know how I could function. Thankfully Game of Thrones’ Battle of Winterfell and Avengers Endgame were on two different days so my body had some time to process it all. But even preparation couldn’t get me ready for all of the action that occurred. Here come the spoilers!
Spoilers.....
Spoilers....
Spoilers...
I’m serious here they come!
GAME OF THRONES 8x03
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After last week’s episode I was FEARFUL for what would come at the Battle of Winterfell. The impending battle that was foreshadowed since the beginning was inevitable and with several (if not all) of the characters reaching a full character development I grew even more worried for their safety. 8x02 had to be one of my favorite episodes of GOT so far because we had some many characters reuniting and under the same roof with these full circles being made. The top moment for me had to be when Brienne of Tarth became Ser Brienne. Then I immediately started hoping she would survive the next episode. (Thanks writers for making us not be able to just enjoy anything anymore.) 
So, last night as 8x03 began I got ready for the worst, unsure if anyone would survive and after watching I have to say that I am shocked at how many people lived through it. (Which once again makes me very fearful for what lies ahead in the rest of the show. There’s no way all of them will make it, right?) Our main focus has been on the Night King and his oncoming dark night that I was SHOCKED when Arya killed him! I thought we would have to fight him for multiple episodes. Okay, I actually thought he wouldn’t have even been at Winterfell. I believed the theory he was going straight for Kings Landing which actually would have probably been the smarter move. After he was killed I sat there for a moment like: What are the next 3 episodes going to be about? Completely forgetting that Cersei exists. 
But that kill! WOW ARYA! I did not see that coming. I thought Jon would have been more of a contributing factor in the Night King’s death due to him being the product of Fire and Ice, but other than getting lost on his dragon Jon basically spent the episode on the sidelines. I was so happy that Arya got to kill the Night King with one of her oldest tricks. Which of course now makes me upset for her safety. Another full character arc? 
I just wish Bran looked more thankful. But then again he only wears one face now-a-days. As I’ve heard several people mention, I really do hope we learn why the Night King was so obsessed with Bran (who btw I was expecting to have more of a role in the fighting).
There’s so much I want to discuss about this episode but let’s take a moment to remember the fallen: Edd, I knew someone would die protecting Sam and it made sense to be him. Your watch has ended. Lyanna Mormont, I was so worried about her and this crushed me, but she went out like she lived: a badass. Beric Dondarrion, so many times I was like how is he still alive? But it was all for a reason as Melisandre predicted he would help Arya survive. Theon Greyjoy, the complete character arc worried me, but I didn’t think we would lose him this soon. He went out protecting Bran, in the place that was his true home and Bran said he was a good man. What is dead may never die. Jorah Mormont, earlier in the episode as he was one of the first ones on the front lines to charge I didn’t feel confident and was all the more impressed as he made it back time after time. But it all made sense as he had to protect Dany one last time. [Man, as I’m writing all of these out they are starting to become realer and I don’t think I can handle it.] And last but not least, Melisandre, who I was pretty shocked to see at the start of this episode. She came in clutch and the living would not have been able to win without her. Valar Morghulis. 
As everyone predicted the crypts were not the “safest place in Winterfell” as once the Night King emerged the dead started to rise. Once again, I was pretty shocked that we didn’t have more major character deaths down here. I loved the touching scene between Tryion and Sansa as we transitioned between the battlefield and the crypt with no audio except for the music track. Very impactful. 
There is so much more I can say, but these were definitely my first thoughts on the episode. I can’t believe the battle has come and gone and now we have to venture back to Kings Landing. Be safe my friends!
AVENGERS ENDGAME
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Over 10 years in the making and 22 films later Avengers Endgame closed a chapter in Marvel history. Walking into the theater I was not emotionally, mentally or physically (3 hours/no bathroom break) prepared. The night before I had re-watched Infinity Wars (and just like with Game of Thrones) prayed for the safety of these heroes. 
I know it was said before but SPOILERS ARE COMING!
My first thought for defeating Thanos seemed to rely on time travel, but I was surprised to see that it took 5 years in the world after the snap before traveling back to get the infinity stones. I LOVED how much of a role Antman aka Scott Lang played in this role. (Thanks to that rat for hitting the right buttons after 5 years.) This character gave us some more insight into what had been going on for that amount of time and of course brought more humor to the film. (I mean he does deliver one of the best lines that gets repeated by Cap later: “That’s America’s butt.”
Opening with the Hawkeye flashback as he has a typical afternoon with his family and then the snap happens where he loses everyone was so tragic. I was not expecting the movie to start that soon as we usually see the classic Marvel opening. The transformation in his character made so much sense and was really interesting to explore. I liked how we got to see both Hawkeye and Antman included where they were missing for the previous film. 
This movie reminded me why I enjoy the MCU so much with all the references to previous films. The site of the first Avengers film: New York City 2012, brought back so many great memories and made me want to rewatch all of them. I loved how we got some exact flashbacks from the movies and then some added scenes showing more of a transition from one movie to the other. (Example: The Avengers to Winter Soldier and Captain America’s “Hail Hydra” moment in the elevator. Of course, I also enjoyed seeing Loki again as it seems that we did truly lose him.) Also seeing clips of old movies from a different angle was cool, like with Starlord singing at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy. Other time events we had never actually been to before, but were still a great trip with Steve seeing Peggy again and Tony his dad. I personally loved seeing Jarvis. 
One of the biggest moments for me was when Captain America held Thor’s hammer during the final battle. It had been predicted in earlier films (particularly Age of Ultron) that he would be worthy enough to wield Mjölnir and they were right. There’s times where he’s using the hammer and the shield and then he alternates with Thor. So good! 
Just as with the Night King in GOT, Thanos is defeated in this film, but it is not without loss on our side. It starts with Black Widow sacrificing herself for the soul stone. I was really hoping there was some sort of loop hole that would bring her back because of all the time travel stuff and was really shocked when Bruce Banner/Hulk said he tried but wasn’t able to get her back. I had heard rumors of Scarlett Johanssen getting her own Black Widow movie so I am a bit confused unless it is a prequel story. Either way I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this hero. Tony Stark’s death was one that I thought might happen going into the movie, but it did not prepare me for it actually happening. As I was talking about before with the full circle character development, Tony experienced this. He was also the kick off to the MCU, so it made even more sense for this ending. His final sentence: “I am Ironman” still gives me chills. While Captain America didn’t technically “die” and lived out his life with Peggy as he always wanted, it was also a goodbye to his character. It was great to see him pass the shield over to Sam but it will still feel a bit strange to not see Steve next film. 
There’s so much more that I can continue to talk about and I know as soon as I publish this article I will probably think of something else to say, but as you can see I definitely enjoyed this movie and can’t wait to see it again in theaters.
So, I survived the weekend! I hope you did too. Let me know how you feel about all of this! 
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Me: I just don't understand how you're gramma ---
Gramma: oh don't worry about me kid, the second I die he loses everything, he's not in the will
Me: gramma is a genius!
Me, gramma & Matt: so he will have to kill prostitutes!
Gramma: he won't be able to afford them!
Developments upon the Murder Mystery have occurred. I'll apologize to Jesse whom said "in my heart I knew she was right and was gonna get it, but in my mind I wanted to stab her"
I was able to connect murders as in who done it, except I didn't know who done them and I only knew that Jesse was always there when one happened.
And Jesse just took the blame. I suppose it was alot like survivors guilt and his way to protect me from a seriously horrible person. I know in 2011 I quit talking to my mom, separated from my ex for 2 years, kicked my cousin out of my house, etc, so my kid was all "you're the problem, mom" like in my face yelling. I just told her "ok and I'm sorry, do you want to have me cook dinner?" What? I had to tell her how horrible people are so she just listens to what everyone says and is pushed around or let her see in time that I can be trusted and that I am right about people? She was literally in the safest place in the world, my ex wanted me back and my mom was afraid. Now guess what? I'm the best mom ever and my kid can't stand my mom or her dad and she never liked Tracy.
I don't think Jesse was v trying to protect me as much as he was trying to protect Matt. If Matt listens to the truth and reality, it will work out. But for now, at least we know where the players are on the checkerboard and it seems we are all safe.
Jesse did a good. I'm sure his wife will tie him up and spank him if he asks politely not that any of that is any one's business because it isn't.
I watched a thing on West Mesa Girls again last night. I was gonna change the channel and watch something different but it was a hard reach to attempt it. I was tired and my entire right side had been cramping when I moved after I got my dirty clothes off my floor, stuffed 4 pillows, & fed the cats. So nope. It has been cramping like a week when I wipe my ass or other random times. It happens but usually it's my left side. Maybe I should exercise, idk. But it hurts so I'm not gonna. #tiredofpain
Anyways I apologize to Jesse and say fuck off and burn in hell to grandpa. And pray for gramma whom is in a wheel chair. And pray to/for the cops to get shit done right.
I know there is way more than what the show last night had. I just wonder where they are.
So one amazing thing I saw last night is that they took satellite photos of the west Mesa in 2002 then they took older photos and then looked at the differences and could see tire tracks to the Graves and see the actual shape and location of the Graves. I hurts the heart but it's awesome that they were able to find the girls buried out there. Dude just drew them a map.
I kinda knew Jesse didn't kill the West Mesa Girls. But I knew I knew who did them. Crazy is that my daughter was born the same year the murders began or I was pregnant. I was tired last night and literally fell asleep during the episode.... only during the commercials...
But I know that Jesse and I were in the same room as a dead prostitute in NYC and that's why it linked to West Mesa. Because also he was there when Matt's parents died and my kids --- not necessarily there but in the aftermath and he has similar hair, skin, eye colors to the killer. Except there's like a foot difference in height.... actually I really don't know... the last two times I saw him we never stood up at the same time.i just feel he's shorter. But really I have nothing to compare to.
He said, you live in a small town that has generations of families, so girls will run into the family members that raped them at walmart, it's normal.
Except it's not. I'm a run away and I'm military. So no. If I lived in the same town as a rapist I would try to find a way we weren't both in the same town, and so now I will. Question is, who is gonna move first? Me or him?
I'm gonna Google states we can kill trespassers on. Where a person can just kill them for fun or just because they're trespassing. Because that's me. I'm not a coward that is Gonna hide a dead body. Maybe I'm lazy cause I don't wanna dig a hole....
..... what if you picked up a hooked and told her you wanted to shore her how beautiful Albuquerque Is at night so you go to the West Mesa and have her dig her own hole? In my mind that doesn't work cause some bitch ass mother fucker told me to dig a hole I would be all nah, fuck you. You do it. But I suppose if I was told th a t a private detective had found out where and who my family was and told me they would only be safe if I dug then maybe but in reality if I kill him then I got myself a new automobile and a great site to see the city in.
The girls had been talking about how girls got their heads chopped off or sliced up and buried in the West Mesa before anything had ever really been found out. So obviously he had been bragging to the other girls and also threatening them to get information on the other girls.
I don't think he would use weapons. He's more of a "I can do it myself and better than the best" type. I'm that way also but he's a bare hand strangle or kicking a pregnant lady type. Having a weapon unless you can make the weapon become an extension of you, becomes something in the way of your power.
I will use a vibrator so obviously i can weild the power. He needs flesh. He can't power a weapon. Probably why one of his virus phone hacks attacks the battery. A tale tell extension of self. However his power/ego says it's about how he murders -- kills the power supply. Just death in general.
Boring shit.
One time I was talking to this guy about murder then Jesse walks over and said to me, "I know you and I have something in common that's very sad and difficult to deal with" dude I was just told I had amnesia and had killed someone when I was 16. Really so linked that link incorrectly. Since then Jesse has been swimming in a pool of death. That had also happened in Houston .... ever clean off a table by pushing everything to the floor? So say the whole puzzle was there and Someone dumped the puzzle back in the box. Some pieces stay together some fall apart and sometimes one ends up sideways all jacked up into the wrong piece. That's my memory.
But slowly the pieces grow legs and walk them selves to the correct positions in the quiet darkness of the box. And no one really knows, but i do.
So then think of the legs as roots, dendrites3 and the like.....
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scullyeffect · 5 years
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how do you feel about younger people in fandom? like the youngest side that are probably on tumblr i.e 13/14ish?
i don’t know if you mean in the x-files fandom, or just younger people getting involved into fandom stuff online nowadays so i’m just going to go with a generalization. 
i’m nobody’s mother and interests are healthy, and honestly i’m 23 so i don’t know anything about anything yet, but i will say that i live with a 15 y/o girl, a 13 y/o girl, and an 11 y/o girl, and i find myself very sad when all they want to do is go on a phone and watch youtube videos and be online instead of doing something more creative or intellectual.
we had a birthday party for 11 last night, and we had to take phones away from like six 10-11 year olds, which is ridiculous. i do understand that we live in a big city (paris, which isn’t exactly the safest) and lots of kids do things independently (walk to school, walk to friends’ houses, take the métro) so sometimes i worry about 11 (who doesn’t have a phone) if she needs to take the métro alone or walk somewhere alone, and i wish she did have some way to reach me if ever she got lost or something, but 11 is so young.
i think in a world that’s become so increasingly digitized and almost making it necessary to be connected in some way, kids are growing up faster, and some of the posts online and on tumblr talk about things they might not understand yet, and cause them to form opinions based on a text post some 18 y/o wrote. i’m even guilty of this. i’ll get too lazy to keep up with the real world and get my politics from tumblr sometimes, and that’s probably not good, even though mainstream news sources can do the same thing. my mom worked for the washington post, and that’s pretty much the only place i get my news from.
i probably got my first tumblr account when i was 15, and honestly i regret it. i was a pretty sheltered kid/teenager who really enjoyed reading, doing art, writing, and watching sad european dramas about dead sovereigns and suffering artists. i somehow discovered pro-ana blogs (blogs that share and encourage eating disorders to the point where healthy people can begin to actively attempt to follow insane tips in order to lose weight), and since i actually had been having trouble with my own eating habits but never really known that those behaviors were bizarre, i self-diagnosed and was part of that “community” for awhile. 
i was interested/ in love with lots of actors and actresses, and as i made it out of kind of the pro-ana area which i realized which was unhealthy lol i found out about stan culture and just real obsession with movie stars/celebrities. when i was a younger teen i was “obsessed” with meryl streep, which at that time meant that i watched all her films repeatedly. i didn’t realize people cared about the actors/actresses’ personal lives until i got on tumblr, and at the time it was really exciting to discover things about my favorite celebrities (i mean, being a fan of someone obviously isn’t new, but it was to me). now that i’m 23 i find it very invasive and somewhat creepy that we’re so interested in someone’s life, sometimes even more than their body of work. we’ll probably never meet that person, and if we do they’re not going to think about you or remember you forever, because there are thousands of other people out there who feel the same way, and they just can’t keep track (at least the huge stars). 
on the flip side, i think it’s good to have role models and people to look up to, but sometimes there’s a thin line there. i’m blonde, but i dyed my hair brown in my first year of high school because i was obsessed with marion cotillard and wanted to look like her. i kept the brown throughout high school because i liked it, and sort of forgot i ever did it because of her, but now i’m blonde again and it looks so much better haha. ALSO i got really interested in france/speaking french because of her (and juliette binoche), although i had a fantastic and enthusiastic french teacher in high school to help fuel my desire to speak french. and now i’m fluent in french and live in france. wow. so, if there are people you look up to in the public eye and they’re influencing you in positive ways, that’s great! i do get suspicious when very influential celebrities share their political views, though. i think we have a tendency to follow in people’s footsteps either subconsciously or in full awareness. that could be in any field. i like certain authors, and sometimes my own writing is heavily influenced by their work. it’s a natural thing that happens. but voting really should be an informed decision...just my opinion.
let’s talk about “just my opinion”. online bullying is real and can sometimes be rampant if there are dividing views on someone and their perceived private life. for example, in the x-files fandom we will, for the most part, absolutely convince you that mulder and scully are fucking like bunnies, when the show’s own creator won’t lol. but there are also people who think that gillian anderson and david duchovny (the leads) were/are/could be at some point in a romantic relationship with each other. they (anderson and duchovny) even cater to the fans a bit, but at the end of the day that’s their business and they don’t owe us an explanation, and a lot of people in fandom sort of act like they do. the point of this example was that because people in fandom are divided about this point of view, if you talk about one side or the other, there are some people who will come at you and say mean things for not agreeing with you, and try to convince you of a truth they have no real authority to speak about. this is obviously just an example, but online bullying is rampant and is often taken personally and can really affect the person being bullied, especially someone younger who may or may not be already facing that in real life at school lol.
i think tumblr is a good place for people who suffer from mental illness to come together in a healthy way to talk through their problems (god i hope i’m telling the truth), and there’s definitely tons of awareness and support that you’ll get on tumblr that you may not find in the real world. for example, i don’t know anyone irl who has epilepsy who i can talk to about mine. on tumblr i’ve talked with people who understand what i’m going through. i think that self diagnosis online, just as much on tumblr as it is when i cough and search “signs of throat cancer or tuberculosis’, read up on web md, and immediately fear my days might be numbered, is a problem. on tumblr i think we’re introduced to concepts and can sometimes treat mental illness lightly, when it shouldn’t. if you’re suffering from a mental illness, the online world isn’t going to be the place that can completely help you (says the girl who refuses to go to therapy and instead complains online about how she’s not getting any better). 
being online immediately takes us out of life and into a different world. we become observers instead of experiencing the world. there’s good stuff about observation, but being online and attached to a website that is more or less just a vice for people will often make us choose to be on our phones instead of doing stuff in real life.
all of these points being said, i’m guilty of a lot of the “bad/unhealthy” facets of tumblr, but as i’ve “grown up” (unfortunately still staying on tumblr for a good portion of that time) i’ve grown out of a lot of these things and can see the good and the bad that the online world has to offer, and know which parts to stay away from. i can recognize that spending too much time on here does nothing for my desire to stay inside and not experience the real world. it also makes me think a lot more about tv shows/films/celebrities than i need to. but i’ve also made great friends from being on tumblr over the years, and gotten support i definitely wouldn’t have gotten in real life. 
back to my real life. do i encourage the girls i live with to be interested in certain media? yes, especially stuff i feel has a good message. i basically sat the two older ones down and showed them the pilot of the x-files. do they experience the same high level obsession i do with tv shows/movies? no. and i’m glad for that. they like to lose themselves in certain tv shows, but when the tv is off they don’t really talk about it. do i introduce them to things i’m interested in media-wise? yes. do i introduce them to books and music i was/am interested in? yes. have i told them about tumblr? no. they don’t have any access to my online “presence” (they don’t know my instagram, twitter, etc), and i don’t talk about it. when my computer is out and they’re in the room doing homework, i’m usually writing. granted, that’s usually fanfiction, but at least i’m writing something. 
one of the boys i tutor is writing a book (he’s 11) which is basically a self insert that takes place in the harry potter universe. he doesn’t know what fanfiction is, and i haven’t told him (although he’d never type it up and put it online lol he barely knows how to turn the computer on), but i’m so thrilled he’s even writing that i make him sit down and write for 10 minutes before we ever start watching a movie (in english). 
ANYWAY. i’m nobody’s mother and at the end of the day i’m posting this online on my stupid blog where nothing i say matters or has any influence anywhere, but i think kids should be able to enjoy a non-internet related childhood as long as possible. some of us on tumblr are old enough to actually have children that age, and as much as we like having an account on this site, if asked this same question we might not as readily say ‘yeah it’s great! i want my teenagers to have the same experience as me!’
there’s my two centimes. hope i answered your question. JuST MY OPINION.
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sjw anon
Hello everyone, I am the SJW anon, and I want to thank you very much for the words you’ve said.
Disco, thank you so much for the link, but too bad the page said that the service is only for Australians :(.
Thank you all. Oh I actually don’t partake in tumblr culture/debate. My tumblr only follows gay porn stuff + fanfic writers, I don’t follow any social movement-related tumblrs at all. I agree with you guys, SJW is not exactly a bad term, but now it feels like a term for overly sensitive people who only take part in aggressive internet debate about social justice without doing anything in real life. And I feel I’m becoming something like that. I really want to help too, but it’s hard to be a part of a social movement in my country. In here, being gay can get you a public whipping and being a trans woman can get your hair shaved publicly by the police. Women are expected to be virgins, or they are whores. Racism inside the country still exists, I am Eastern Asian-born, which is a minority and often discriminated by the majority, South East Asian-born.
Like Disco said, it’s hard not to be angry when the status quo isn’t changing. Either status quo of the things that are happening in my country, or in USA. I always look for the things in USA because I feel it has become the beacon of the world. If USA is changing to a better direction, the rest of the world will follow, with their own pace of course.
Fanfictions have been an escape for me, but I don’t know how much more it can help me/destroy my sense of reality. It helps me to fantasize about this world that accepts me the way I am, imagining myself finding true love who is loyal, having friends that supports my belief, etc. But it also distances me from the reality even more. Do fanfictions make my standard too high for men? I only want a nice guy who doesn’t cheat, is that too unrealistic? Is that only in fanfictions? But if I stop reading fanfictions, I feel I won’t have anything to cling on. I have guy friends who I asked about cheating, and they said “well men are men, what can we do?”, and that fucked me up even more about getting a nice boyfriend.
I guess it would be easier if I took a step back from the internet & interacted ith my real life friends more. But even my real life friends are either homophobic, cheat with their partners, or think I’m crazy for having these life values. I have to wear a mask when I’m with my friends. I really wish I can enjoy life more like they do.
To the anon who submitted a response to me: How do I stop caring? I wish I know, seriously. Now I am easily triggered by anything. Pictures of celebrities will remind me of my assumptions, movies that have ‘problematic’ scenes, etc. One thing I know, if I stop caring about those issues, won’t I become someone who grows insensitive to them? At first I do care about these issues because I really cared. But now, after seeing how I was not appreciated, I also wanted appreciation & recoginition (not saying that I care less now). I feel really useless and sometimes I feel I’m doing the wrong thing by prioritizing things wrong. I feel I’m not allowed to fuck up a bit, especially in the sexism/racism/homophobia part. And I feel people can’t fuck up in those area as well, or they’re assholes. I can’t be a racist (LOL ___ people are stupid as hell, their race should vanish!!) and advocate for anti-racism the next day. What kind of hypocrite would I be? I feel you can fuck up in other areas, but if you fuck up in sexism/racism/homophobia, then it just means you are showing your true colors.
“Their lives are theirs and not yours. How is comparing their success/lives to yours helping you?” I know this would sound unrealistic, but me wishing for consequences to happen to them is just my way of thinking, that good behavior will be rewarded, while bad will be punished. What would it teach to young men when they see grown men who cheated on their wives are still successful? What would it teach Americans when they see celebrities like Steve Harvey making fun of Asian men or Ellen making fun of Chinese names and they still have their own show? Isn’t it normal to wish for punishment?
I can’t exactly go to a therapist face to face. In my country, even the most professional psychologist & therapist has stated that homosexuality is a sin and wrong.
Sometimes I wish I was religious. At least if I believed in God, I could rest assured that someone would know & appreciate my inner struggle.
I feel I’m getting more disconnected to reality, yet I can still feel the weight of the ugliness of it.
Again, thank you so much for Disco and her followers, for allowing me to get things off of my chest, and for your time & advices. I’m sorry it took me so long to formulate my response (and yet I still feel I was incoherent in many parts).
I’m sorry! I had a quick look at that site and I didn’t see that it was only for Australians. Is there anything similar in your country? 
It really does sound like you’re struggling, and I hope that you’ll keep reaching out to people online, if that’s the safest place for you to do it. 
I hope that you can find a way to be a little easier on yourself--although of course that’s easier said than done. But also, I just wanted to address this too: 
I feel you can fuck up in other areas, but if you fuck up in sexism/racism/homophobia, then it just means you are showing your true colors.
I absolutely agree with having no tolerance for bigots, but sometimes people do say the wrong things, or they’re still learning, or they just haven’t been exposed to enough of the world to have an open mind. 
me wishing for consequences to happen to them is just my way of thinking, that good behavior will be rewarded, while bad will be punished. 
And this is something that I think most of us ask ourselves at some point, when we realise that the world is a very unfair place. Which brings me back to what we talked about in one of your previous submissions: find a way that you can make the world a little better, a little fairer. Nobody can change everything on their own, but if everybody did just a few little things, then that would make a difference. And--importantly--it might stop you from feeling like you have no agency. 
Pick some small steps that you can take, that are still meaningful for you, whether it’s volunteering at a local charity when you can, or fundraising for people in need, or buying  couple of tins of pet food for an animal shelter. 
You don’t have to do the big things all on your own. 
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analogscum · 6 years
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ENEMY TERRITORY (1987, d. Peter Manoogian)
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I don’t often like to bring up social or political issues on this site. For me, and I assume for many of you, these movies that I write about are a respite. When I want to escape the reality of what modern life in this country has become, then I want to watch something that looks and feels as far away from that reality as possible. And furthermore, I don’t want to shove my own social and political beliefs down anyone’s throat. I don’t know what you believe, and I don’t want to alienate a reader on a site that’s about exploitation cinema based on something that is outside of that sphere. Or even worse, you already agree with me, and I’m preaching to the converted, which is a complete waste of both my time and yours. Anyway, this is all a preamble to say that I find it impossible to talk about today’s movie, 1987’s Enemy Territory, without talking about social and political issues. Because, while this movie is undeniably entertaining, it’s also undeniably racist as hell.
These types of movies were all over the place in the 80s, the Assault on Precinct 13, Escape From New York type of urban jungle, ragtag group of heroes have to survive the night with a bunch of psychopathic baddies hunting them down. And yes, it is no secret that New York City in the 80s was a grimy, crime-ridden hellhole. So perhaps it is not that shocking that Enemy Territory does not present, shall we say, the most subtle or diverse view of black life in America. But this goes far beyond being a product of its time and environment: Enemy Territory represents a conservative white male’s nightmare vision of the black experience. Nearly every black character in this movie is either a gleeful villain or a morose victim. There are scenes in this movie where I couldn’t help but hear our internet troll President droning on about how crime-ridden and poverty-stricken and joyless he and his ilk think modern black life is in my head while it was playing. I’d like to think we’d have gotten better with understanding race relations in the 31 years since this movie was released, but all signs point to nope.
Enemy Territory opens with one of those urban blight montages, just scenes of infrastructure decay and abject poverty, while a Grandmaster Flash knockoff blares on the soundtrack. Everything is covered in graffiti. In fact, we see the title itself being spray painted on a wall, before it pops out onto the screen. Movie magic! We then meet our protagonist, Barry. Barry is an insurance salesman, and it seems that things aren’t going so well for him. He’s arguing with his ex-wife over the phone about money problems. Then he opens his desk drawer, and wouldn’t you know it, but there’s a giant bottle of Jack Daniels inside. Say it ain’t so, Barry! For some reason, Barry’s boss is like, ok Barry, you’re a total drunk fuckup, but I like you, so go get a signature from this old lady named Elva who just took out a $100,000 life insurance policy, and collect the premium. By the way, this old lady happens to live…in the ghe-ttooooooooooo.
Meanwhile, we meet a phone company repairman named Will, who is played by Ray Parker Jr. Yes, THAT Ray Parker Jr. I’m going to do my best to refrain from Ghostbusters puns here, but no promises. As it turns out, Will is also headed over…to the ghe-ttoooooooooo, because he has a lady friend there that he wants to pay a visit to. Makes sense, because I heard he likes the girls! Dammit!
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So Barry arrives…in the ghe-ttoooooooooo, and immediately these kids are like, hey you white cracker honkey ass piece of shit motherfucker, give us two dollars to watch your car. And since Barry is so white he makes Dave Chappelle’s uptight white guy character look like Rudy Ray Moore, he’s like well gee golly, here’s your money, I don’t want any malarkey! And he walks away, at which point the kids start robbing his car. He’s not even out of earshot. Ugh, whatever, movie. Inside the building, Barry taps a kid on the shoulder and asks where Elva’s apartment is. The kid responds very reasonably, and is happy to help him find…nah, I’m joking, the kid is like what the fuck you say to me you white devil cracker ass jive bitch motherfuck shit cracker ass punk, and pulls a switchblade on him. UGGGGGGH, whatever, movie. Luckily, the building’s ancient security guard shoos him away, and helps Barry find Elva’s apartment. Every single line that this security guard has is about how bad the building is, how crime and gang-ridden it is, how they’re probably going to die because they’re roaming the building at this hour, etc. When Barry goes and gets the signature and the premium from Elva, every single line that SHE has is about how bad the building is, how crime and gang-ridden it is, how he’s probably going to die because he’s roaming the building at this hour, etc. Tomi Lahren probably thinks that this movie is a documentary.
Barry and the security guard head back to the elevators, but oh no, there are a bunch of gangsters waiting for them! Turns out that the kid that Barry tapped on the shoulder was a junior member of The Vampires, and now he must pay, with his blooooood!
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OK, time out. This is how you know a white conservative wrote this screenplay: there has never been a street gang like this in reality ever. The Vampires are corny as hell. They refer to white people as “ghosts” and black people who help white people as “blood traitors,” have silly nicknames like Psycho, and do a little salute to one another where they make fangs with their index and middle finger, and hiss. Oh, and their leader calls himself The Count, and the most evil thing he does for the entire movie is break Elva’s glasses. Speaking of Dave Chappelle, the Player Haters Ball would have a field day with these clowns.
However, despite being totally unrealistic and silly, Tony Todd, who plays The Count and went on to play Candyman, is easily the best part of this movie. He takes all of this nonsense about how The Vampires own the night and the building is their castle and plays it with the verve and seriousness of Shakespeare. He chews the scenery, yes, but his presence is magnetic. You can’t take your eyes off of him whenever he’s on screen. The movie gave him a bunch of garbage to sell, and he sells the HELL outta that garbage.
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So there’s a scuffle, and both switchblade kid and the security guard end up getting shot and killed. Ray Parker Jr., having heard something strange in the neighborhood (shit, sorry!) runs out of his lady friend’s apartment and helps Barry get to safety. The movie really kicks into gear here, and I’ve gotta say, becomes rather exciting. They keep the pace going, keep the characters on their toes, and I was surprised to find that I started to become really invested in these characters. I know I’ve been giving him a hard time, but Ray Parker Jr. really isn’t that bad of an actor, you could at least say that he skates by on charisma. But anyhow, these two eventually meet up with Elva’s granddaughter, Toni, played by Stacey Dash (who must’ve felt right at home with all this right wing dog whistling). They decide that the safest place in the building is Mr. Parker’s apartment, as he’s the only person that The Vampires are scared of.
We finally get to Mr. Parker’s apartment, but not before Barry has to stab a Vampire to death, which reduces him to a blubbering mess. Mr. Parker’s door looks like a maximum security jail cell door, and there’s a slot through which he sticks out a gun. Eventually he lets them in, and holy shit, his entire apartment is covered in reinforced steel, wired with booby traps, and Mr. Parker himself turns out to be a kooky crazy Vietnam vet in a fancy, weaponized wheelchair (!!!) played by none other than Jan-Michael Vincent. He goes on and on about how he left one war and found himself in another and says some pretty racist stuff about his fellow tenants and is like, you know why I’ve got this pet bird? So that if there’s a gas leak, I’ll know about it because he died first! And then he’s like, you know why I got this pet cat? So that it can eat my food first, and test it for poison!
At this point, I knew that this character wasn’t going to be in the movie much longer. One, because when you introduce a character this larger than life this late in the narrative, then it’s too good to be true. Two, because at the time, Jan-Michael Vincent was well into his torrid love affair with drugs and alcohol. Despite the fact that Mr. Parker is in a wheelchair, his legs are constantly twitching. You can’t help but speculate that they gave the character a wheelchair because JMV was too drunk to stand up, and considering the sorry state of his health today, that wheelchair becomes almost a harbinger of things to come. Anyway, The Vampires show up and almost immediately kill Mr. Parker. But not before he can give his machine gun to Elva. Chekhov’s machine gun!
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Barry, Toni, and Ray Parker Jr. somehow manage to escape, and they find a little boy who claims to know a secret way out of the building that not even The Vampires know about. On the way, they encounter the aforementioned Psycho, who has a giant geri curl that made me chuckle, and they throw him down an open elevator shaft, which also made me chuckle. So they get down to the basement, gingerly stepping over Psycho’s corpse, and make their way to the secret exit. But guess what? PSYCHO ISN’T DEAD! At this point, I got very excited, because, holy shit, what if The Vampires…ARE ACTUAL VAMPIRES?!?! If the movie suddenly went in THAT direction, that would’ve been so awesome. But, alas, they just kill Psycho again, this time for good. RIP, Psycho.
Eventually the kid leads them to the secret exit, but its a really tight squeeze, so Toni decides to run to the nearby NYPD building for help. Of course, she is almost immediately raped and murdered by an entirely DIFFERENT gang as soon as she leaves the building, because the movie hadn’t shoved its racism in your face in awhile. Without giving too much away, eventually Barry and Ray Parker Jr. also get out, The Count has an amazing, borderline operatic (seriously!) death scene, the rest of The Vampires are shot at by Elva and her new machine gun (yaaaaay!) and in the ultimate example of this being a right wing fantasy, the NYPD, yes, the NYPD, arrives right on time to save the day. Hoooooo boy.
So what else is there to say about Enemy Territory? Yes, it is entertaining. It is a well-constructed action movie with some surprisingly good performances to back it up. I haven’t even discussed the cinematography, which is easily the film’s best technical asset, seeing as it was done by the legendary Ernest Dickerson, who shot all of Spike Lee’s best movies. I can’t imagine it was easy for Ernest to look Spike in the eye after participating in a movie like this. And here’s the thing: Enemy Territory isn’t just racist now, it was considered racist for the time, if you can imagine that. After it was released, on May 22, 1987 (the day I was born!), the film played in New York City for a week before it was pulled from theaters due to overwhelming outrage and protests from black activists and civil rights groups. Though it would make its money back on VHS, the film has never made it to DVD, and there seem to be no current plans to change that. Which is fine by me. Enemy Territory is a shiny piece of entertainment that rots from the inside; what purports to be a gritty look at the big bad city is really nothing more than a collection of racist dog whistles directed at a section of the white population whose view of other races is myopic and bigoted. There are plenty of great 80s action movies that won’t make you queasily think of Bernie Goetz, or the Central Park Five, or Amadou Diallo. After all, real life is bad enough, wouldn’t you rather escape?
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