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kitchensunflowers · 1 year

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9-1-1 lone star 4x04 thoughts! this took a bit to write up in part because i'm busy and ill lol, and in part bc i get nervous about 'writing about ableism' being my main contribution to fandom sometimes

The positives:

-- ronen and rafael were both phenomenal in this episode. ronen portraying the different stages of tk's panic, worry, desparation. rafael, as carlos dealt with injury in a scary and life-threatening situation, trying to keep control, staying ever polite as he did his best to handle his captors and find a way out. amazing physicality and characterisation on both accounts.

-- even though we saw less of the rest of cast (looking forward to you, future eps, even if the promos are stressful!), I'm really grateful, in season four, for how embodied these characters are. We only got what, two lines? maybe? from marjan and nancy but still within that totally got that marjan kind of has a big sister role to tk while nancy, like tk, is one of the kids (specifically tommy's kids, missed you tommy!); we saw a nod to grace's friendship with carlos, too which was great. (and again, can't wait to watch them have their own storylines in future eps!)

-- I mention the owen storyline below, but even though it's not my favourite, rob lowe's comedy beats as owen are great. 'Our codes are... fire' - ngl, I exhaled through my nose

-- and ofc carlos' love declarations... 'she will be at the wedding... i think she's sending her love through me' truly so emotional

i have hope for the future that there will be more mentions/memories of gwyn, more tk interacting with the reyeses (they were so excited to see him!), and more delving into tk and owen's relationship (i liked that they showed that owen's trying, but he hasn't gotten it quite right yet, and that it is impacting tk... 4x08 here we come!)

The not-so-positives (below the cut; content is mainly discussions of ableism, but also includes brief mentions of scenes from when carlos was captured, including mention of the drugging/overdose, and of the nazis and copaganda in owen's storyline):

-- the 9-1-1 cinematic universe has always had a bit of an ableism problem, which, yeah, its a mainstream procedural from hollywood, ft. regular doses of copaganda, what do i expect? i guess i hope its still worth talking about and acknowledging within fandom? idk. in any case iris mentioning that her captor had some kind of burn marks on his hand in 4x03 immediately signalled: the writers room has made a disabled/disfigured villain -- if you're unsure as to why this might be an issue, disfigurement has a long history of being used to signify evil in media (as a harmful trope), and means that a significant portion of the already highly limited representation of disfigurement on tv is as villains. disability and disfigurement are practically only allowed to exist on screen when they exist as either plot devices or as a representation of internal flaws/brokenness/villainy/evil. And this is a problem, because disabled people and people with scars or other forms of disfigurement are not metaphors. To quote disability and disfigurement activist (and author and YouTuber) Jen Campbell, "It is clear that producers are not thinking critically about disability at all. We are not metaphors; we are people." actually Jen Campbell has a video overview of this topic that I recommend watching (though content note for discussion of the h*rry potter series from the apprximately 11 through 14 minute mark), and has other great videos related to this topic as well. Or if you're more into reading an academic paper, disability scholar Paul K. Longmore's essay, 'Screening Stereotypes' (Temple University Press, 2003) is a classic.

-- so yeah, needless to say i wasn't a fan of the close up on the guy's scars to identify him as the evil man, or the discussion of how his mom believed he became villainous (framed as 'a monster' in the show) after the accident that scarred his hand. this is also not the first time lone star has linked scarring/disfigurement to villainy

-- anyway, some of the parallels in the episode also didn't work for me - the baking cookies and use of retro music parallel to the coma dream in particular. some of them did work! - i did think the narcan post-overdose parallel was meaningful in terms of TK's arc from s1 to s4, and the 2x08 parallels were fun (in the stressful storyline, notable moments kind of way) - but i feel like we've had so many parallels to significant tarlos moments within the first 4 eps and a not insignificant number of them have not landed with me personally, which ig is a little disappointing.

-- and last but not least, still not a fan of the owen storyline - the copaganda of it all, for one, and the fact that the show has yet to address that owen associating with nazis (even if his goal is to ultimately take them down) could put those around him in danger? his son, his future son in law and in-laws, the majority of his staff/colleagues at his work... we have yet to see any indication that he has taken them into consideration at all.

that all being said, i am looking forward to storylines for the rest of the 126 now! tk is forever my baby, but as much as i am here for tarlos and excited for more storylines related to tk and carlos this season, i'm not here for sidelining the rest of this amazing cast/characters, and glad to have indication from the cast that they all have interesting stories in the work.

overall, very much looking forward to what this season brings next!

#911 lone star #911 lone star spoilers #mp #long post #these are just rambles #911 ls #911 ls spoilers #tv #idk man (gender neutral)#i wrote it out so i guess i'll post it

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sexguru69 · 2 years

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How Sexual Get-Togethers Can Make Your Relationship Stronger

You might be wondering why on earth witnessing my partner having sex with someone else would strengthen our bond. But attending a sex party isn't just about the sex (unless, of course, you want it to be). They are all free to engage in sex with anyone they choose because parties are available to accommodate all preferences and kinks. They can, however, open your eyes to a different reality, improve your relationship with your partner, and create a secure setting in which you can explore yourself. There is something to suit everyone's tastes and desires, from Killing Kittens to Torture Garden to SDC swinger parties. Vietnamese sex movies

There are sex parties for everyone, some with sex dungeons and others lavishly stocked with champagne and gorgeous lingerie. It has never looked more glamorous to broaden your sexual horizons. According to research, up to 89 percent of respondents fantasized about group sex in some way, showing that a significant portion of the population is interested in group sex in some form. That may imply that your partner has a similar level of interest in dipping a toe into this world. Attending a sex party gives you the option of having fantasies become reality.

It is perfectly acceptable to attend a party as a voyeur, and many people do so purely for entertainment purposes. In sex clubs, you can engage in whatever activities you want. Many go as voyeurs, either out of curiosity or to satisfy their hedonistic urges. With consent being a core value of the kink community, there is no pressure to do anything at parties, which makes them great for those who are just looking to explore on their own time. Must I Attend a Sex Party? Do the math. What drives this desire in you, specifically? Are you doing it for your partner or for yourself? Is it for your bucket list or to explore your sexuality?

How confident do you feel about yourself, your relationships, or your friendships? Regardless of what you decide, it's important to communicate with your partner and have fun (always get their consent). This is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, just like anything else in the bedroom and in life. It's acceptable for some long-term relationships to choose not to explore group sex for a variety of reasons. For others, a sex party could give your relationship a completely new lease on life by allowing you to explore yourselves in a secure setting.

Communication is crucial. Attending a sex party won't make your relationship better, and if you already have issues, it might even exacerbate them. Make sure you and your partner have an honest discussion before attending a sex party. . Before you leave, talk about your emotions, concerns, and thoughts and lay everything out on the table. Make sure you talk about your boundaries; are you justgoing to ' look andbe seen'n? Are you willing to engage in sexual activity there? Can you interact and play with others? You'll have a better experience if you and the other person are clear ahead of time about your limits and boundaries.

Of course, you can always change your mind once you're there. For times when they feel uncomfortable or to communicate other things without speaking while they are there, some partners pre-agree on a code word or signal (like touching your ear or nose). In either case, open communication with yourpartner is the key to a great evening. Here are just a few ways a sex party could strengthen your bond with your partner. There are like-minded, sex-positive people there from all walks of life, so you don't have to be a sexual outlaw to go.

Together, try something novel. Try new things with your partner to broaden your sexual horizons and spice up your relationship, as enjoyable as a twosome can be. As you develop and learn together, exploring your fantasies and desires as a couple is a great sign of a healthy relationship. Talking about your desires is the first step; perhaps this is something you both have been wanting to do for a while but have been too shy to bring up. Notto mention,n the dopamine rush you get from engaging in new sexual activities with someone new; this is essential for lust and libido, so rekindle that fire by trying something novel together.

You can also add something unique to the bedroom by experimenting with various sex positions and sex toys, which will help you get closer than ever. Gather likeminded individuals.s The number of friends one has as an adult in a relationship can be limited. Attending a sex party is a great way to meet new people if most of your social life is spent with old friends and coworkers. Expand your network by getting to know some like-minded sex positive individuals; you're sure to come across couples and singles with whom you click, whether on a romantic or platonic level.

One Killing Kitten partygoer told Cosmopolitan that she has made some true friendships with a few of the girlsshe hase met along the wan. Being socialized with new people can make your home feel new and give your sex life the slight boost it needs. Maybe you and your partner have been together for a while, and the spark isn't as strong as it once was. It can help you see each other in a whole new way and rekindle the passion you felt during your honeymoon by seeing your partner with someone else.Satisfye your sexualcravings.

Many people live their entire lives without ever exploring their sexuality. If you and your partner have been together since you were young, you might not have had the chance to fully explore your sexuality. Sex parties give you the chance to explore various facets of sexuality in a comfortable and stigma-free environment. If you do have bisexual inclinations, you can enjoy the best of both worlds!whilee sharing your fantasy with your partner. Going to a sex party or being sex positive are not prerequisites for having frequent sex. It's a great way to cultivate positive feelings about yourselfby puttingt on some sexy underwear,gettingt dressed up, andfeelingl great about yourself.

Specialoccasions:s Attending a sex party, like going to a nice dinner, is a great excuse to get dressed up and feel good! It can be difficult to feel sexy in the day-to-day world. Even if all you do is observe others, you might pick up a new skill that you can share with your partner. You might get some fresh ideas for your own sex life and broaden your sexual repertoire by observing how other couples interact and interact with one another.similarr to receiving live sex education, almost! There is no duty to act in any way.

Remember that having sex is never expected. Many people go while still wearing their clothes. Try a sex party as an excuse to dress up and spend time with like-minded people if you are kink-curious, want to have a fun night out, or are just interested in being around others who share your interests. The setting is one where judgmental looks are left at the door. Without putting pressure on yourself or your partner, sex parties are a fantastic and risk-free way to explore your sexuality. A sex party could be the most eye-opening experience of your life!

Watch more on https://sextubearea.com/

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aro-comics · 3 years

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Fashion Analysis (Part 4: How I Feel Now & More)

[Note: This post is a part of a series analyzing self-expression, fashion, aromanticism, and how they interact with other parts of identity. For full context please read the whole thing!]

How I Feel Now (About Fashion)

Er …. I guess it’s complicated. Obviously, I have mixed feelings on the factors that lead to this, as they are symptoms of a deeper problem of discrimination in society. Things are far from perfect, and it’s hard to feel 100% positive about these changes because of it.

But, on the flip side, I don’t personally mind the changes I’ve made to my presentation. It hasn’t been upsetting for me at all, and I’ve only benefited from it in my personal life along with being able to learn and grow through researching fashion.

First, through familiarizing myself with how professional wear works, and later on fashion in general, I was able to unlearn some internalized misogyny instilled in a lot of people my age. Being able to better appreciate women, femininity, and all the things I never got to enjoy growing up is fun. Fashion history has been fascinating to learn about (shoutout to all the video essayists on Youtube), and just getting to research and understand things I once believed were “frivolous” has opened my eyes to a much bigger part of the world. There is so much to gain from understanding different fields and subcultures that exist.

Second, I’ve been able to apply my learning to other aspects of design, and I think understanding more about fashion has helped me understand more about design in general. Not to be cliche, but a lot of things are interconnected, and knowledge from different creative fields can cross pollinate and provide new inspiration! I’ve found my work is becoming more creative and unique, and in particular it’s not only fun to design wardrobes for characters, but it also becomes a way to add to their overall design and communicate more about their interests and personality.

Third, although I disagree with the sentiment that being feminine automatically makes one more confident, through learning more about makeup and self-care, I think I’ve been more conscious about taking care of myself (even if not from an appearance perspective). I’m the kind of person that needs to shower at LEAST once a day to feel comfortable, and overall putting more effort into self-care habits has improved my mental state as well.

Finally, getting to enjoy self expression is another benefit! I think a big part of why I didn’t enjoy fashion as a kid was because of early 2000s trends which were popular when I was young (nothing against them, but a lot of them don’t suit my personal tastes). Since I’ve researched and now understand fashion is so much more than just what is necessarily popular in the mainstream at any given point in time, as an adult I’m having a lot of fun picking out outfits that match my personal tastes. I think it's really cool how by treating your body as a canvas, in a sense, you can be able to communicate a specific vibe, appearance, without even having to say a word. Really, it’s just like any other form of art.

And on the note of self-expression, as we discuss the relevance of fashion to Aromanticism we should examine how Fashion relates to the LGBTQ+ Community.

Fashion and its Importance to the LGBTQ+ Community as a Whole

Fashion has always been significant because of the capacity it grants for self-expression. Historically, this significance has been important within the LGBTQ+ community. As usual, I won’t go into too much detail, because this is not my area of expertise and I doubt that my surface level research would be an accurate or complete picture of this rich and complex piece of history, but - I think a very brief primer will help provide some context and ideas to reference as I move into the more speculative portion of this essay.

We all know that there are certain fashion subcultures within the LGBTQ+ community, which have both historical roots and served specific purposes. Early on (referencing the times circa the 1700s in Europe here), fashion has been a form of self-identification and communication. As source 11 details, gay men, have had historical tie ins with cross-dressing or effeminate methods of dress to signal to other members of the community.

And as I mentioned before: Masculinity is historically associated with being Sapphic. As an example, a recent post from @dressingdykes on Instagram (full article at source 13 at the end of this document) describes how “lesbian feminist clothing was worn with an ideal of androgyny in mind.” Emphasis was put on using fashion to undermine restrictive gender norms used to control women - by choosing to dress in an androgynous way, it would “eliminate differences between men and women, where men hold a socially superior position.

Though no one group or fashion subculture can speak for all members of the group (and the article acknowledges this subculture was far from adopted by all Lesbians), examples like these do highlight the ways an LGBTQ+ identity within a patriarchal and heteronormative society can have influence on the self-expression.

[Note from Author: For Part 5, click here!]

#NotAComic #Fashion #FashionAnalysis

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drivingsideways · 3 years

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Misaeng review

Ok, it's been almost a week, so I feel like I can get my thoughts (somewhat) in order. As usual, I'm late to the party, given that Misaeng aired 6 years ago, and is already considered a kdrama classic. Still: thoughts!

(under the cut)

I came to this drama with quite a lot of expectations, both because I'd seen it on a lot of rec lists, and also because I'd watched director Kim Won-seok's Signal and My Mister, which are justifiably as beloved as Misaeng. I'm happy to report that Misaeng mostly lived up to those expectations!

The writing & direction work together to make Misaeng a very immersive experience, which is good, considering the entire run time is over 20 hrs. The level of seemingly mundane detail of the operational aspects of running a trading firm that they delve into (and other dramas might have avoided for sake of pacing) seemed odd to me at first, but eventually result in a world building that's incredibly well fleshed out. The (formerly unlikely!) high stakes of a misplaced piece of paper or octopuses in a shipment of squid end up being parts of an emotionally wrenching narrative whole fairly seamlessly. Still, at 20+ hours, Misaeng also does get into the kind of pacing issues that most of the slice of life kdramas I've watched so far have. And it didn't need to! I think it had a wonderful ensemble of characters, and if they'd maybe given a little more time and space to characters other than Jang Geu-Rae (Im Si wan) and Oh Sang-sik (Lee Sung-min), the mid portions may not have felt quite so, well, stuck.

But more than the strong writing and direction, it was really the actors who delivered. They made what could have easily been a dull-ish office drama into a heart warming story about human connection and the joys and troubles of leading an "incomplete life". I'd never watched Lee Sung-min in anything before, and about half way through the series I was like, HOW IS HE MAKING A SHORT TEMPERED, ALCHOHOLIC MIDDLE MANAGER SO SEXY? Like, serious props, dude. Lee Sung-min is by turns annoying and brash and too shout-y and stubborn and funny and so incredibly vulnerable as a man trying his best to live by his principles in a world that thinks they are an impediment to "success", that you forget that he's playing a fictional character-- he's someone you know, he's someone you've seen in the mirror.

His performance as Oh Sang-sik is very ably matched by Im Si Wan's Jang Geu-Rae. This series would not have worked if these two actors didn't have the chemistry they do, and play off each other in every scene. I had watched Im Si Wan recently- in JTBC's "Run On", in which I liked his performance quite a lot, but I absolutely loved him as the naive and endearing Jang Geu-rae. Misaeng, is in part, a bildungsroman narrative centered around Jang Geu Rae. Im Si wan brought a kind of vulnerability to the role that might have felt cloying and emotionally manipulative in the hands of other actors, but Im Si-wan manages to do it with a light touch. I feel he's one of those actors that uses his whole body in a scene, not just relying on facial or verbal expression, and it's a joy to watch.

Each of the other actors in the ensemble also bring that dedication and talent to their roles, even if it's in a single scene. There are lots of one-off characters that we meet during the course of the series, and every single one of them leaves an impact.

But! I'm going to pick a fave from the supporting cast and that's Byun Yo-han, whom I'd last watched as the broody, troubled (and very sexy) swordsman Lee Bang-ji in Six Flying Dragons. I can't imagine a character more in opposition to that one than Han Seok-yul in Misaeng, but Byun Yo-han just knocks it out of the park as the scheming, cheerful and mostly inappropriate clown with a heart of gold; Han Seok-yul is the definition of Chaotic Good, and you're equal parts horrified by his antics- which include sexual harassment dont @ me -- and yet charmed by him. I wish they'd given him a few more scenes and a larger plotline to work with, but I also suspect that he might have just walked away with the entire series if they did that. (Am I plotting that series in my head as I write this? MAYBE.)

Alright, this is getting a bit too long, so I'm going to get to the bits that disappointed me. That's really one major thing: the gender politics. I don't know how different the show is from the web toon it's based on, so I can't tell whether they made significant changes to the basic plot and characters. As in- I have no idea if the webtoon was as male dominated in every way as the show is, so I'm not sure how much of the show's treatment of women as a class, and its female characters in particular, I should lay at the door of the original writer vs the screenwriter and director. I'm also lacking the Korean context in which this was written and made and aired, so you may take my criticism with a pinch of salt, if you please!

That the show features mainly male characters is perhaps unsurprising and realistic, since we know that the kind of corporate life it depicts is very male dominated, top to bottom. The show also portrays the very real and horrific overt and subtle misogyny that women face in the workplace and out of it; mainly in the character of Ahn Young-yi, played with steely determination and quiet suffering by the lovely Kang so-ra. There are only 3 other female characters that have any sort of real speaking role- Sun Ji Young (played by Shin Eun jung), a senior manager at the company, Jang Geu-rae's unnamed(!) mother (played by the amazing Sung Byoung-Sook) and Oh Sang-sik's unnamed (!) wife (played by Oh Yoon-Hong, who's a delight in every tiny scene she has). There are other women who appear but in very minor roles, and often in "comedy" moments that often rely on sexist tropes to start with.

Anyway, right there you can see one of the problems- 4 women characters that have any kind of real screen time, and only 2 of them are named. Aigoo! Screenwriter Jung Yoon-jung is a woman, and like, I don't like putting the burden on any one woman to y'know fix structural misogyny, but I can't also help feeling disappointed that she overlooked even this "small" thing among the larger things.

But that apart, the main issue for me was that while the show doesn't shy away from depicting egregious sexism in the form of sexual harrassment, verbal and physical and certainly emotional abuse, in a manner that's clear that we are meant to be horrified by it--it falls short of depicting how women deal and work with it. It just doesn't give enough space to women or their worldview.

It's very comfortable depicting victimhood, but doesn't put work into depicting the ways in which women survive by finding solidarity with other women. We have a scene or two where Ahn Young-yi who is this show's poster child for female victimhood interacts with the older women who offer sympathy and understanding, but no real strategy or support. And yes, we see men also being targeted by their seniors for the grossest verbal and physical abuse; and it's men who help Ahn Young-yi strategise on how to deal with her situation. Real life experience tells me that it's the women who do this work for other women. I have certainly been on both sides of this equation, for one, and so has every woman that I know in corporate life. And yes, one of the show's core philosophies is that those who endure, survive--but it is none the less extremely painful to watch Ahn Young yi "endure" the kind of abuse she does as a coping strategy and a survival strategy.

At the end of it, when she slowly manages to gain the support of her sexist team, it's shown as a victory-- though naturally imperfect, because this show takes its Realism very seriously (right until the end where it makes a tonal shift into quirky that I was a little ?? about)-- and y'know, sure, it is a victory. And I absolutely understand the choices she makes and why she does it-- I guess I just got annoyed by the fact that other antagonistic figures in the narrative get a more straightforward comeuppance for their egregious behavior, but Ahn Young-yi doesn't even get a goddamned apology from her abusers. Instead, we have a half humourous, half serious moment where she comments on how she's working at turning herself into "someone cute"- because she understands now that sometimes the right strategy is to "go with the flow". Be the water that slowly wears away at the rock. It's an interesting moment- the men she tells this to are taken aback by her bluntness, but also a little clueless about what she means. It's the kind of nuance that I would and do enjoy. Unfortunately, it also closely follows one of the show's most annoying scenes at the tail end of the series- where it tries to play off workplace sexism and misogyny as comedy- boys being boys-Reader, when I tell you that I had to WORK to unclench my jaw--!

I'm not saying we should have a single and obvious narrative of female emancipation. I'm not against realism in fiction, but god, sometimes, please do remember that when we look for escapism, we are actually imagining a better world. The first step toward liberation is allowing yourself to imagine it.

And the show does allow other characters its moments of unfettered fantasy- Im Si Wan parkour-ing all over the rooftops of Amman- and having a semi mystical + Indiana Jones moment in the deserts of Jordan--so why, I ask, are the women not given that gift?

*looks into the camera *

Tl;dr: I enjoyed it, it made me cry every episode, and I cared about all the characters, and if you haven't watched it yet, treat yourselves.

PS. Yes, Han Seok-yul is a disaster bi, sorry, I don't make the rules. Yes, hotties Oh Min Seok and Kang Ha-neul are canonically naked in a hot tub six feet apart because they are bros. Yes, I will be writing the fix it in which they fuck like angry bunnies. Yes, I am going to put my shipper cooties all over this gen slice of life show, deal with it.

#misaeng #kdrama #thinky thoughts

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thingswhatareawesome · 3 years

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the father you never were

title: the father you never were fandom: Tiger and Bunny pairing: Barnaby/Kotetsu word count: 2398 summary: After Kotetsu reveals how his father treated him after his NEXT abilities manifested, Barnaby reassures him about what sort of parent he’s been to Kaede

For the March Flash fiction thirteenth prompt: Inheritance and fourteenth prompt: "Take my hand”

His beer bottle clinked softly as he set it down on the bar’s marble countertop next to his hat and Kotetsu sighed. Antonio had just left, and while he’d mustered up a smile as he’d said goodnight to his friend, Antonio paused as he’d turned to leave, frowning slightly.

“You’re okay?” he’d asked, but Kotetsu waved him off, saying he was fine. The other hero finally turned to go, shaking his head slightly, calling over his shoulder for Kotetsu to call if he needed anything.

Antonio probably knew what was up, truth be told. He’d been around Kotetsu a significant portion of his life, and had seen those times, even when they were still teenagers, where he’d get quiet and subdued. And he’d definitely been like that today, distant, a bit lost in his own head, a bit serious and occasionally short with the others. Kotetsu had to apologize more than once for being a downer, shrugging it off when the others tried to pry that he just had a lot on his mind—and no, it was nothing to do with Barnaby, they were totally fine.

And speaking of…. A hand grasped his shoulder as Barnaby slid onto the chair next to Kotetsu. “Heavy thoughts?” he asked. Signaling the bartender for his preferred glass of wine, his partner looked him up and down. “Or a bad day?”

“How was the photoshoot?” Kotetsu asked, not even subtle about avoiding the question, but Barnaby didn’t take the hint—or more likely, wasn’t going put up with Kotetsu’s usual routine of bottling things up.

“Antonio said you were unusually solemn tonight,” He sipped at his wine and gave Kotetsu a pointed look. “And he said you’ve been off all day. Just like you were this morning before we left the apartment.”

Kotetsu raised his beer to his lips, then swirled the bottle, watching the lights above reflect off the dark glass onto the countertop below. Finally he gave it up as a lost cause. Now that they were together, Barnaby was even less inclined to let him hide instead of talking about his emotions. With a short, sharp sigh, he muttered, “It’s my dad’s birthday today. And tomorrow is the date when Mom divorced him.”

The wine glass made a delicate clink as Barnaby set it down, tilting his head to peer at Kotetsu thoughtfully. “You’ve never spoken about your father before. Was he…were, or are you not close?”

Kotetsu was going to need more beer for this. He finished off the dregs from his bottle, then nodded at the bartender for another. “Long story short,” he finally said, “I don’t know whether he’s even alive anymore. But Dad was an asshole. When I told that one kid, what was his name, Tony? The one who moved the giant statues? When I told him about being called creepy and stuff when I first got my powers?” Kotetsu’s lips gave a bitter twist. “The kids at school weren’t the first ones who did that.”

That got Barnaby’s full attention, and he turned on his chair to fully face him. “Kotetsu….”

But now that Kotetsu had started, he didn’t feel inclined to stop. “He told me I was a freak. Called me a lot of names, yelled at me whenever I’d use my powers. He never hit me, but he made me feel like shit. Sent me to my room whenever he caught me powered up, and he was livid if I ever used them when I was near Muramasa or other kids. He made me swear to never touch people when they were active. Ever. Said that all my powers were good for was hurting people.” Taking a long drink from the bottle, Kotetsu scowled at the coaster on the bar top in front of him. “Screamed at at home, bullied at school, it was great.”

Barnaby’s hand settled on his wrist and gently squeezed it. “No wonder Mr. Legend became such an inspiration to you.”

The younger man’s hand was warm against his skin, and Kotetsu took a deep breath, letting it out in a gust. “Yeah. I mean, Mom always supported me, always told me I was good, but to have someone out and out say that I could save people, not hurt them, that was…everything.” He gave a rough bark of laughter and rubbed a hand over his face. “So when Dad yelled at me I started yelling back. I’d scream at him that I was gonna be a hero and prove him wrong.”

Kotetsu shrugged, rolling his neck and leaning against the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. “Mom finally had enough. They’d already argued a lot when Dad first started saying those things to me, then one night their yelling got so loud you could hear it outside. Mom gave him an ultimatum, he said no, so she kicked him out. After the divorce, we never saw him again.” The chair creaked as Kotetsu sagged back against the seat. “He must’ve had to send money or something, I think Mom got some sort of support. But he never came back, not even to visit my brother. Muramasa did nothing wrong—and he was a normal human. But dad didn’t want anything to do with him any more than he did me.”

Barnaby rubbed a comforting hand carefully across Kotetsu’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry, That’s terrible, I had no idea.” He’d always been so stand-offish when they first met, but after their years as partners and as more, he’d picked up some of Kotetsu’s tendency to be more tactile, especially when offering support.

Kotetsu shrugged sharply, but he still sank into the feel of Barnaby’s touch, eventually leaning back far enough the front chair legs raised slightly. “We just eventually stopped talking about him. But sometimes I remember, and things like his birthday and stuff get me dwelling on it. It just pisses me off that like, not only does Kaede not get one of her grandfathers but I didn’t even have good stories I could tell her about him. Sorry honey, your grandad was a massive bag of crap of a person, that’s all I’ve got.”

Abruptly he tilted forward, the chairs legs thumping hollowly against the brick floor, and Kotetsu smacked the bar top with one hand. “Okay, but this is what really pisses me off. Bad enough that he treated me like shit when I was a kid, but you know what?” At Barnaby’s look, he leaned in. “Do you know how many nights I couldn’t sleep, even when Tomoe was only still pregnant and Kaede hadn’t even been born yet, how many nights I was awake all night worrying, what if I turned out like him?”

“There’s no way,” Barnaby interrupted, “absolutely no way. Kotetsu, I don’t know your father, but I know you, and you’re an amazing person and an amazing father.”

“But what if i wasn’t!” Kotetsu threw his arms into the air, nearly swatting the bar patron sitting to his left. At their cross look, he pulled into himself, slouching forward with his elbows on the bar, arms held tightly against his sides. He began peeling the label from the bottle of beer. “And anyway, whatever good I’m doing as a father, it’s only because I try to do the opposite of whatever my dad did. It’s always on my mind, how he treated me, the stuff he’d say, and I’m always thinking, don’t do that. Ever. It’s always in the back of my head, don’t be like Dad.”

He let go of the bottle, stretched out his hands, spreading his fingers wide, then turning them over. “It’s just…you don’t know what you inherit from your parents, right? You’ve got their genetics. What did you inherit from them? And what did you learn from them when they’re raising you?” Kotetsu went quiet, rested his hands on the marble, stared down at them. “Let’s be real, though. We both know I haven’t been the best dad. I’ve screwed up a lot. I’ve broken promises, I haven’t been there for her when I should have.”

“You were doing the best you could.” Barnaby’s hand was once more a solid warmth against Kotetsu’s back, and he shifted closer to him, his knees pressing against Kotetsu’s leg. “You did what you could for her, to make sure she was safe and taken care of when you couldn’t be there. She understands now, why you made the decisions you did, and why you had to be away.”

“Just because she knows my reasons now doesn’t mean it didn’t still hurt her,” Kotetsu sighed. “And doesn’t keep her from getting upset when I overcompensate and act too over the top. She called me a try-hard once.”

Barnaby rested his elbow on the bar, setting his chin in his hand and regarding Kotetsu. He smoothed his other hand up Kotetsu’s spine, stroking the back of his neck gently with his thumb. “If you’re trying too hard or going overboard, that definitely means you’re not being your father. Whatever you inherited him through nature or learned from nurture, you’re always choosing to not be like him. Kotetsu,” Barnaby shook him gently, “you’re a good father.”

“But I’ve fucked up, Bunny. So often.”

“You’ve made mistakes. And you’ve learned from them, and you try to do better.” Barnaby’s gaze at him was level and resolute. “I’ve seen you.”

“And what if i slip?” Kotetsu swallowed. “Even just once? What if I’m not careful enough and I do or say something like him?”

“You won’t. I know you,” Barnaby’s belief and faith in him was as massive and unmovable as mountains, and Kotetsu felt his throat go tight as the younger man continued, “You care for Kaede, intensely. You love her, and you constantly put her before yourself. Every. Single. Day. You’re a good dad, because of you. Not because you needed a good father to make you be that way—but because you chose to be one. Because you choose to be a good father every moment of your life.”

Barnaby straightened in his seat suddenly, blond curls bouncing with the motion, and he reached out to Kotetsu. “Take my hand.”

“Eh?”

“Come on.” He waited, palm outstretched, until Kotetsu finally placed his hand on Barnaby’s. He grasped Kotetsu’s hand firmly. “Now repeat after me: I, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, am a good father.”

“Bunny—“

“Say it,” Barnaby demanded.

Kotetsu sighed. “I, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, am a good father.”

“Now repeat it.”

“I, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, am a good father.”

“Again. Say it like you really believe it. Because it’s true,” Barnaby was a force of nature, unyielding, and his eyes practically blazed.

“I, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, am a good father.”

“Again.” Each syllable was sharp, deliberate, emphatic.

Kotetsu’s breath had gone ragged, and it felt like he was being swept away by a giant wave, only keeping his feet because of Barnaby’s tight grip on his hand. “I, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu,” his voice cracked, “am a good father.” He covered his mouth with his left hand, took a shuddering inhale.

Barnaby’s voice came softer this time, gentle. “Say it once more. Please.”

“I’m. I’m a good dad,” Kotetsu finally managed. He mumbled a curse below his breath, scrubbing at his eyes. “Bunny…”

Barnaby ran his fingers through Kotetsu’s thick hair, still holding Kotetsu’s other hand, steadying him in more ways than just the physical. “Do you know why I’m so sure you’re a good father?” he asked, quietly. Then, at Kotetsu’s glance, “Because of what Kaede’s inherited from you. Your big heart. Your goodness, your kindness. Your drive to help others and to protect them.” Leaning in, he kissed Kotetsu’s temple. “You hate the thought of being like your father, but she wants to be like you.”

Curling his arm over Kotetsu’s shoulders, Barnaby pulled him into a hug, and Kotetsu let him, allowed himself to be held until he calmed, the emotional upheaval subsiding. “Thanks,” he said when they eventually pulled apart, though he could feel Barnaby’s arm still tucked behind him.

“You’ve been holding that in for awhile.”

“I guess so. I didn’t realize it still bothered me that much.” Kotetsu reached for his beer, but then only ended up toying with the bottle again. He didn’t really feel like drinking more. “There’ll probably still be times I’ll worry about it though.”

“I understand.” And of anyone, he knew Barnaby did. “But talk to Kaede or to me about it. Let us support you and remind you of what you’re doing things right. And remember,” he continued, catching Kotetsu’s eye, “Love, any type of love, happens even if we don’t think we deserve it. Even if we don’t think we want it or feel we’re good enough for it. Even if we do screw up.” His lips curved up just slightly into that small, almost hidden smile Kotetsu prized because it felt like it was just meant for the two of them. “I wonder who I learned that from?”

Kotetsu ducked and laughed quietly, feeling just a touch sheepish.

After Barnaby finished the last of his wine, he gave Kotetsu a questioning look, but Kotetsu shook his head. “Nah, i’m ready to be home.” And Barnaby did that smile again, and for the first time that day, Kotetsu found his own coming easily to his face. With a salute to the bartender, he slid from his chair and Barnaby followed suit, Kotetsu’s arm slipping into place around Barnaby’s waist and Barnaby’s settling over Kotetsu’s shoulders once more.

Maybe, HeroTV willing, he’d call Kaede tomorrow. Or even HeroTV unwilling. He’d make time.

#tiger and bunny #taibani #fanfiction #March Flash Fiction #touches briefly on the topic of an emotionally abusive parent

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curioussubjects · 4 years

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Journey into the Basement: Loving Yourself and Your Lamp

One of the many reasons to love Supernatural is that even when we get silly fun-filled episodes we always come out of them with some pretty interesting realizations. “Hero’s Journey” wasn’t any different, but the realization wasn’t so much novel as a confirmation of what season 15 (and Dabb’s run as a whole) has been quite loud about: Dean’s increasing embrace of the self.

I know we’re all hype about the destiel implications of some of the work done in 15x10, and I will absolutely delve into that goodness, but I wanted to talk about the larger impact on Dean’s character beyond romance first. I want to talk about the demise of performing!Dean.

Despite the risk of preaching to the choir, I want to emphasize that performing!Dean is not Dean living a lie, exactly. What he has actually been doing all these years is neglecting parts of himself he has seen as less valuable, while uplifting the parts that are more acceptable. All of this occurs, too, in an environment of self-effacement: Dean puts himself last. Performing!Dean is a coping mechanism for “social acceptance” as much as it is one for Dean’s continuous disregard of his own needs and wants beyond the trivial. That is, the stuff that would bring fulfillment to the parts of himself he keeps stashed away. Because, sure, part of Dean’s front face is pie, beer, and classic cars....but, my god, Dean gets a lot of joy out of that. They’re just as part of who Dean is as cooking, cowboys, Dr. Sexy, and horror movies. I guess what I’m trying to get at here before jumping into “HJ” is that both parts of Dean (the one he shows and the one he hides) are equally important. The struggle is for Dean to learn to care for all parts of himself regardless of what derision he may or may not get in return.

Which leads us to Garth. You know what Garth is? Unabashedly himself. He doesn’t care if it’s weird to hug people or say shit like “Garthed.” He embraced being a werewolf! You know what Garth is? He is the embodiment of what self-love and acceptance can do. Garth is living his best life at all times. Unrepentantly. And damn anyone who dares to stop him. And what did that get him? Everything. The whole goddamn kit and caboodle. He has the dentist job he gave up to be a hunter, he’s an ethical angst-free werewolf, he still does the hunter job and save people, he has a home, a family. He’s happy -- you know, the thing we’ve been hearing was impossible these past 15 years. Garth is really here looking at all that bitter die bloody hunter fatalism and saying rip y’all but I’m different. What Garth is is a beacon of something else. Something other than pain and suffering without end.

Y’all wanna know what else Garth is in our fairy tale “Hero’s Journey?” Dean’s tooth fairy godmother and guide. Sure, there are no glass slippers, and pumpkin carriages, but Garth gives Dean the path to happily ever after just the same. It involves a scary journey into the depths and there’s pain and fear and dancing. Garth’s appearance in Dean’s dream serves the purpose of encouragement. Go ahead, Dean, you can dance, too. Don’t be scared, I’ll show you how. When Garth disappears, Dean is confident enough to keep on dancing. And Dean comes alive. He’s scared and shy at first, but eventually he’s his charming adorable self. And he’s on top of the world. Not only that, he’s tap-dancing on top of the world. Carefree, honest, and so so happy. What Garth offered Dean through this particular journey was the promise that Dean can, in fact, lead a fulfilling life if only he would honor who he is. Frees himself from the fear of discomfort, of judgement, and, perhaps most importantly, the fear of vulnerability.

Dean understands what Garth is telling him. Take the shift from “aand we’re done” to “you smell good, too.” Did Dean sound awkward when he said it? Yes, but it was a gesture, a signal that he could change. Could take a turn for the better. Could embrace even the parts of him that he finds dismissable. Also, take the conversation they have earlier in the episode about Garth’s life being good and Dean watching Garth and Bess dancing at the end saying he always thought he could dance if he tried. IF HE TRIED PEOPLE. Dean knows what he needs and wants to be happy. It was in him all along, he just needed a push. He just needed to be shown the way, and to be open enough to accept what Garth offered and modeled. Incidentally, part of the plot utility of hero!Garth is drawing more similarities wrt him being a model Dean (and Sam) can follow.

Before moving on to another look at the dream scene, it’s worth noting that while the basement is usually a space for the subversive, the shameful, and the criminal, Garth has completely transformed the space. In true Garth fashion, he shone a light into that basement and turned into a space that is just as integral to his life as everything else his home contains. In fact, since his dentistry practice happens there, it’s not unlikely that the basement is open to a lot of people.

Alright, then the dream scene is a love yourself routine at large. It encompasses all of Dean’s character and pretty clearly posits that for Dean to be happy he has to accept all parts of himself. @occamshipper and others have touched on the choice of “Let’s Misbehave” as the song Dean’s dancing to, i.e., as another notch in the Dean is queer checklist. I’d also add, though, that the song is an apt choice not only for Dean’s queerness but the entire issue of self-acceptance. “Let’s Misbehave” is essentially a song about behaving outside of norms, and that misbehavior leading to one’s happiness. Yet, while the song operates in being able to misbehave when select people are watching, and not the world, the imagery of the scene defies that restriction. Dean won’t wait for the world to slumber, he’ll tap dance on top of it. Indeed, Garth’s invitation for Dean to misbehave takes a critical view of misbehavior, such as it is, being something to hide. It’s not. The song is clear on our take away, too: “ If you'd be just so sweet / and only meet / Your fate, dear...” Unlike what Chuck means by fate, the show, through Garth, seems to be telling us that fate is the end result of self-knowledge and truth. To misbehave and go against order is the path to self-fulfillment, and misbehavior here requires the discomfort of vulnerability. It’s no wonder either that the scene happens in the bunker. The bunker is a glorified basement, but it’s also a home. Why, then, treat the bunker as something to hide? (here’s some resonance with legacy, with letting others into your life).

Finally, I want to talk about that lamp. First, though, let’s take a quick moment to remember how a significant portion of the deancas drama has been about absence (you left/you didn’t stop me, the glaring negative space left behind by Cas after “The Rupture”). Fittingly, Cas is not in this episode, which is quickly ~~lampshaded by Sam as well as being characterized as another aspect of their bad day. So Dean has no Cas to dance with, but unlike previous episodes, he has more than just a gap. Say, an empty. He has this lit up lap. This almost right but not quite placeholder. And Dean is charming to that lamp, y’all. It’s not the whole of his character arc, but damn, that lamp is important. It’s a key feature. But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s move ahead to the end of the episode: Gath and Bess are dancing in their home. They’re happy. Outside, Dean and Sam look on, with that longing in their eye. Dean’s take is that he’d be good at dancing if he tried. So Garth dances with his wife, so Dean dances with a lamp. Dean, of the wanting to experience certain feelings, people, in a way he never has before. Dean who just last episode was very afraid of losing Cas, who was sobbing because of it. The same Dean we saw lose it after burying Cas in the Ma’lak box -- and grief arcs, and Colette, etc etc and so it goes and goes. Last episode we also saw a little version of endgame: Dean, Cas, Sam, and Eileen. And lest we discount it as Chuck nonsense, it’s important to remember Sam was happy with that vision. When Sam thinks happy, he thinks that (the Same Sam whose dream last season was him, Dean, Cas, Jack, and Mary eating pizza and laughing). Long story short, it’s always Dean and Cas. No matter what. So Cas, the lamp. And yeah, all of this destiel deliciousness is heavily draped in romance (even in dancing lamp form) between connections of Saileen and Garth/Bess. It’s SO SO LOUD.

Dean would be a great dancer, if he tried. Just like Garth is.

ps.: remember that car convo Sam started with Dean about setting down with someone who understands the life. Yeah. [dies in garth/bess]

#supernatural #spn #dean winchester #destiel #deancas #spn meta #dean is bisexual #spn spoilers #~~what's bi is bi #my writing #so anyway i decided to stop being a whiny grump and do something productive

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gayregis · 4 years

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i censor myself a lot from making the more self-indulgent cringey #imagineurotp ship posts, because i think they never are in short supply, plus they kind of go without saying and aren’t necessary to be said/don’t offer any analysis, so they become really repetitive, also sometimes they’re uncomfortable to read because they get risqué and it’s like please do not jack off right in front of my eyes right now

with that disclaimer being said, i think domestic gerlion is cute ;w; canonically, they’re not tied down to each other and they live together for about 15 years, on and off, sharing the same spaces and sleeping in the same bed... so w/o further ado, the intimacy of comfort and life together...

they wash/comb each other’s hair a lot. geralt doesn’t think much of his own feelings,but he really is fascinated with curly & wavy hair b/c his is so straight, so when he’s with his partners he likes playing with their hair... dandelion is kind of apalled that geralt doesn’t use conditioner oils and just washes as-is because he has such long hair and he nags him like, “this is why you get split ends!” mostly they wash each others’ hair because of dandelion’s whining and arrogance... he complains “i can’t write and wash my hair at the same time :((“ or that geralt isn’t washing his hair properly so he should let him do it for him...

dandelion does a lot of air-guitar (air-lute?) ... but it’s actually skilled because his fingers are in the right positions. mostly this happens in the bath because it’s the only place he can’t take his lute with him. he also sings and murmurs a few songs and poems that aren’t his own, because he just likes them and the way they sound. mostly these ones are folk and cavalry songs that he’s picked up.

geralt uses the igni sign to do a lot of menial things, like light candles and heat dandelion’s curling irons or food. he was once pretty proud at how he re-heated a chicken drumstick, but then his luck ran out as the next one he did caught fire and burnt a significant portion of the meat. dandelion will also ask geralt a lot of the time to light candles in the middle of the night so he can get up and write... one time geralt missed and the inn almost caught on fire, that was fun. sometimes dandelion puts the candle out and then can’t find his way back to bed in the darkness, so he complains at geralt until geralt opens his eyes and then he uses the reflective judging glare to navigate his way back to bed.

if dandelion has straightened and curled his hair the day of, he’ll go to bed with a bonnet on (not his plum bonnet, like a silk bonnet so his hair doesn’t get mussed). geralt finds this somewhat amusing not only because of how dandelion looks with it on, but because of its futility... always gets knocked off when he sleeps anyways, so when they wake up his hair is all messy anyhow

dandelion steals the covers, as we know from canon... geralt figured out that he could keep from freezing by spooning. or sleeping tangled up in each other’s arms, that works too. dandelion sleeps with his head pressed up against geralt’s neck and it’s fine until his facial hair starts tickling him and he gets asked to move

their clothes get mixed up all the time, but it’s easy to tell the difference. except one time dandelion had a hangover and didn’t know/care he was wearing geralt’s shirt instead of his own, and left geralt to wear his lacy blouse as a substitute

geralt is over-careful about overstepping boundaries. early on, dandelion once made fun of him for knocking on the door and asking if he was decent, because dandelion replied “never,” and geralt sighed and legitimately took it as a remark signalling “don’t come in yet,” and when he didn’t come in, dandelion thought he left and got distracted doing something else, so geralt was standing at the door for like five minutes with no good reason. on the opposite end of this, dandelion has no boundaries. if he left something on the other side of the bed, geralt WILL be getting climbed over so he can get it. also in blood of elves, he asks geralt if he’s having sex WHILE he’s entering the room, so i think this illustrates his mannerisms well

geralt forgets to take his headband off sometimes when he’s going to sleep. dandelion unties it for him and flings it over the side of the bed

they both talk a lot in their sleep and wake each other up. the difference is that dandelion recites whole stanzas while geralt just whines, growls, and kicks like a dog having a bad dream. also there are times like in the last wish where geralt is concerned dandelion’s raving but no. it’s just. a pleasant dream

dandelion’s always found it difficult to sleep without someone else in the bed. geralt used to be fine sleeping alone, but the first time they parted ways after they first met and travelled together, he found it unbearably lonely. it was easier to cope with loneliness when it was all he had ever known, but after he had familiarized himself with dandelion’s presence, the loneliness was glaring... he kept waiting for someone to speak up and begin musing poetry as he tried to sleep...

similarly after they first part, dandelion has a nagging urge to go to a brothel and not pay for sex, but instead ask one of the girls to just sit up in bed and complain and whinge about life and fate for an hour straight

dandelion doesn’t normally wear cosmetics but he does when he has a stage performance. so whenever they’re in town for one of his jobs, he always lays a fuckton of products out and geralt always knocks them over on accident. also the first time geralt saw dandelion with makeup on he was like mind empty, heart gay... because they reconvened by chance and dandelion practically lept off the stage after the performance was done because he had spotted geralt arriving in the crowd

#gerlion #okey i think thats it folks #thoughts

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mistraliprincess · 4 years

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Because I feel like it

LORE DUMP ABOUT MY GUARDIANS ON DESTINY 2

First and foremost, I consider my Guardians as triplet sisters.

All initially Human, but then one, the youngest, was turned into an Exo by the Brays at Clovis Bray/Braytech to save them from a fatal injury, and another, the oldest, was chosen to be one of the passengers on the Yang Liwei/Exodus Green ship that got caught between Light and Dark during the Collapse, turning them into an Awoken. The third, and technically middle sister of the trio, stayed Human throughout her life, which ended during an accident on Titan caused by the Collapse.

I’ve not been able to think of names for any of them at all, but that’s something for another day.

The Awoken sister was risen as a Guardian first, a Warlock. Revived within. Originally having awoken among the rest of her people after the Collapse, she’s one of those who chose to inhabit the Reef instead, alongside the Fallen’s House of Loyalty, to guard the Last City and the Distributary. She was killed in an accident during a routine perimeter check in her ship where she thought she saw something unusual out beyond the Reef, and got distracted by it, crashing into a piece of a colony ship, being flung out of control, and slamming down on the Tangled Shore. Dying in the explosion that resulted from the crash. They’re able to tap into all three of the elements of the Light, but have the most efficiency with Arc.

The Warlock’s armor contains a lot of significance to them, and to things they’ve looked into, researched, tried, and worked with/on or mastered.

Her helmet is the “Virtuous Hood” helm

Gifted to her by Saint-14 upon his return to the Tower after Season of Dawn.

Her chest piece is a Braytech Researcher Robe

She could recall vague memories of working with Braytech when they were saving her sister and putting her into an Exo frame, and after finding her sister again post-revival, she looks into the Braytech and their research to try and ensure she can care for her Exo sister from then on.

Her gauntlets are Wraps of the Fulminator

The Fulminator of Calus’ Shade was a being of pure Arc energy, the golden fingertips help her manipulate her arc energy better, and aid in the use of another thing they have.

Her leg armor are the “Mihaylova’s Path”

Boots that she found among ruins on Mars that once belonged to one of the three humans who first found the Traveler, she recovered, repaired, and refurbished them for modern use.

Lastly, the Phenotype Plasticity Bond

A bond made with metal from a dead Vex, and with four pegs that contain a small Vex Conflux cube which she made while within the Corridors of Time in the Infinite Forest during the period of Season of Dawn, she has full control of the Conflux and will guide it off her bond over terminals and use it to interface with things when doing so would be more difficult by hand alone

All her armor has the Burnished Dreams shader on, having changed it all during a visit to the Dreaming City in honor of and respect to her fellow Awoken and their Queen, Mara Sov

Her Bond, however, has the Shader Blueshift Dreams

She took the Bond to the Dreaming City during the third week of the time-loop cycle, and with the aid of the freed Techeuns, she used Awoken magics to bind it, and the Conflux on it, to her, thus granting her full control of it

She has augmented her Ghosts shell with some help from Eris to mimic the dark energy around Eris’ Ahamkara Bone with the “Eris Morn Shell”.

The energy providing a veil of Darkness for her Ghost that would keep it better hidden from minions of Darkness like the Hive, Taken, Vex, and more recently the Scorn, this was a favor asked of Eris as the only repayment requested for helping Eris recover her memories of her Fireteam during Shadowkeep’s events

Her Jumpship and Sparrow are both taken.

Something achieved with aid of the Techeuns, and Toland (after a lot of convincing), near the entrance to the Shattered throne during the third week of a loop in the Dreaming City, allowing them to be more or less camouflaged against the Taken, as they would simply be seen as object that are part of their dark realms

Because of how much she’s delved into the Darkness and other aspects of the enemies of Humanity so far, when she transmats, it’s usually within a blob of dark, shifting energy mimicking the visual of the “Heart of Darkness” which she destroyed during the vanilla story of Destiny 1.

She thinks it’s a remnant of the Heart’s power, and has always seen it as an omen that the Darkness will return stronger than ever before, and always exist within the shadows otherwise.

The second to be risen would be the Exo sister, risen on Mars in Hellas Basin prior to the events of Rise of Iron. She would be one of the first hundred Guardians to become infected by the SIVA Pandemic that occurred during this time. Her main element of the Light is Solar, burning bright like the sun and strong like the fury of the stars, but she can tap into Void the second best, though usually prefers not to because “it feels weird”, according to them. While Arc is also possible, it doesn’t feel right to them.

Similar to her Warlock sister, her armor contains a lot of significance to them, though this time more in the sense of being a proud Guardian and defender of both The Last City and the remnants of Humanity

Helm is the same as her Awoken sister, the Virtuous Helm

Unlike her sister, however, this helm was not Gifted to her, but forged by her using her Hammer of Sol with the Forge in the Lighthouse on Mercury, in honor of Saint-14 after finding his corpse within the Infinite Forest alongside her sisters back in the Curse of Osiris days.

Arms are the Star-Crossed Fists

She wears these, replicas of Wei Ning’s Gauntlets and shoulder pads, in honor of Wei Ning and Erianna-3 for their efforts and sacrifices against Crota and the Hive on the Moon.

Her chest piece is the Luxe Parka

The Titan insignia on the back of the vest is a mark of pride for her, and the sleek, lightweight design of the piece over all helps her move more freely.

Legs are the Virtuous Greaves

Also forged on Mercury, alongside her Helmet in honor of Saint-14, the blade-capped knees provide her with another body-based weapon that she can utilize if she ever needs, and they’re ones that don’t need hands.

Her Titan Mark is the Virtuous Mark

To round out the “in-honor of” theme for Saint-14, but this time it was actually a gift from Saint-14 himself after he returned to the tower, because he saw her helm and greaves when she and her sisters went into the Infinite Forest to save him during Season of Dawn’s events, and he liked her style.

All her armor has the Genotype-Null Zero shader on, though it’s not simply for the reason of coloration, instead it’s due to the raw blazing power of her Solar energy and because of SIVA-made repairs

During the Rise of Iron, when the SIVA pandemic started, she was one of the first to become “infected”, however, because of the methods used to save her from death, and her Sister’s aid, the SIVA recognized certain bits of coding within her Exo frame and signals from her Exo mind. Due to this, the small amount of SIVA that was swarming her reprogrammed itself to use the Exo as a symbiotic host of sorts where, in exchange for a purpose and promise to not be disabled, it repairs damage done to the host, and allows the host to better control their Solar power.

The bright metallic orange portions of her armor light ablaze with the strongest roaring flames whenever she calls upon her Solar Light, these being the areas where the Siva has more-or-less fused with her and her equipment to aid in the utilization of the Solar powers she has as a Titan that spent hours and hours so close to the sun while on Mercury to forge her helmet and greaves.

Her Ghost’s shell is the CLVS-241 shell

Specially treated for extreme heat resistance and augmented with an energy field that sort of repels the SIVA that is a part of her, to to ensure the Ghosts safety both from the SIVA that has integrated itself into the Titan’s Exo body, and their immense Solar power.

Her Jumpship is Saint-14′s Grey Pidgeon, and her Sparrow is the “Hastilude”

The ship had been going unused for so long and, after asking permission from Osiris during the times of Curse of Osiris following her and her sisters finding Saint’s corpse in the Infinite Forest, he allowed it. Her sparrow, though originally made by Amanda as a joke, she turned into a Saint-14 themed mount to ride across destinations with pride. Often skewering enemies with the spears on the sides.

Because of the SIVA integrated with her body, when she transmats, her SIVA contacts remnants of dormant SIVA on locations she’d headed to that have been scattered due to the SIVA Pandemic during Rise of Iron, and the over use of the Outbreak exotic Pulse Rifle, and creates a protective shell to defend her as she first arrives on a location.

The last to be risen as a Guardian, a Hunter, would be the Human sister of the triplets, her corpse found and revived by her Ghost in a hidden alcove of one of the tipped and destroyed Arcology buildings on Titan that kept her corpse, and her Ghost, hidden from the Hive that had made the Arcology their home by then. She would be revived prior to the Red War by just a few days. Having returned to earth the day before the Red Legion assaulted the Tower, resulting in the early days of her Guardian life being without the light, and having to rely on her enhanced instincts as a Guardian and Hunter to survive against Fallen, Cabal, and Taken across the EDZ throughout the duration of the Red War.

Unlike her sisters, her armor doesn’t have much significance, instead being much more practical to aid in survival among Sol with, or without, the use of her Light.

Her helm is the Luxe Visage

The design on the Luxe Visage is akin to that of an unsettling serpent skull, they wear it to provide an intimidation factor should they ever need to stop someone from doing something they don’t like, or to strike fear into whatever enemy she’s tracking, should they ever catch a glimpse of her helm, make them panic a little so they hopefully mess up somehow, at some point, so that she can exploit that.

Her chest is the Empyrean Cartographer Vest

Providing her a small bag to store things like snacks, a water bottle, even self-drawn maps that have much greater accuracy and detail than those provided to most all Guardians, as she spends days, sometimes weeks, on a designated location simply exploring and mapping everything she can manage to. This allowing her to memorize paths and passages that aren’t normally listed or well known.

The Luxe Sleeves are her gauntlets.

Probably the only “pride” she has and will show is of being a part of the Hunters, which is shown with the Hunter insignia on the arm-guards of these sleeves. The uses the brace on the back of the hands with these as if brass-knuckles or something else of the sort, where each punch they might deal against someone or something hurts a lot more with them.

Phenotype Plasticity Strides act as the leg-armor for her.

Towards the end of the Red War, she got into a fight with a Gladiator while trying to help take back the city with the other Guardians. Since her light was still cut-off, when things started to go south in this fight, she had to sacrifice her right leg in order to kill the Gladiator.

Her Ghost couldn’t restore the leg after the Traveler woke up, and this rendered her unable to do her work as a Hunter. For a time she was quite literally benched, Until her Awoken sister took her to Io, to Asher Mir, and then left for advice from Osiris. With some of his knowledge, she would return, lure out and kill a Hobgoblin, sever it’s leg, and fuse the mechanical limb with her Human sister’s stump.

This would provide her with a replacement, yes, however the limb would occasionally glitch and leave the Hunter unable to move as well as she’d like. Because of this, she still took on less work as a Hunter.

It wouldn’t be until her Awoken sister gained her Conflux that this would be fixed.

Her cloak is the Phenotype Plasticity Cloak, alongside her Strides.

Her Awoken sister, after acquiring her own Conflux within the Corridors of Time in the Infinite Forest, and mastering it with the aid of the Techeuns of the Dreaming City, would return to her Hunter sister with a cloak that contains some Vex technology.

Using the Conflux she has, her Awoken sister would hack the vex technology of her leg and the new gifted cloak, freeing them of the Vex network entirely, and linking them to her Conflux directly. With this done, the Warlock would be able to modify the pack at the back of the neck of the cloak and make it a power-source of sorts for the leg.

The Cloak being wirelessly linked to the Hunter’s nervous system would provide her full control of her Hobgoblin leg, so long as the collar of the Cloak itself isn’t damaged. The antennae simply allows better ease for her Warlock sister to connect to and modify the cloak and leg if need be in the future.

The shader used across the Hunter’s gear is a special version of “Night’s Chill”.

This version of Night’s Chill is made with a material that helps mask her heat signature to thermal and infrared scopes and sensors, aiding in her stealth capabilities greatly, especially during the night.

Her Ghost’s shell is crystalline, like a snowflake via the fittingly named Crystaline Shell.

It’s purpose being similar to that of her armor’s shader, providing the ghost with a method of keeping hidden from scopes and radars, plus it has a more “natural” touch to it, as the Hunter believes Nature to be one of the greatest powers in the Universe still, and after living among it during the entire Red War, she respects it greatly.

Her Jumpship and Sparrow are both Braytech-made, the Lost Legend ship and G-335 Anseris Overdrive sparrow.

Pieces of Technology from the Golden Age. Relics of the peak of Humanity before the dreaded Collapse, and reminders of her family’s past with Braytech and everything they had done for them.

Similar to her armor and her ghost, her ship has the First Frost shader with a similar heat-masking material as part of the make, and her sparrow has the Shrouded Stripes shader to hide it better within the shadows.

#Bon-Bon Speaks #Destiny 2 Guardian OCs #headcanon #headcanons

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lecoccolediamelieslimfit-blog · 4 years

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5 Tips For Weight Loss

Are you prepared to drop some fat? Perhaps you are searching for the magical pill that will vanish your weight off. Maybe you are only looking for the correct info that will assist you to lose and maintain off the weight. No matter the situation, here is some surefire pointers that will assist you along with your fast lifting.

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In addition, avoid being tricked in to believing because a bag of pop corn is small, which it is one serving. Something similar goes for beverages. The jar can contain16 ounce. Yet, the meal could be 4 oz. Pay awareness of truly the number of portions of beverages and food you're in fact consuming. The quantity will surprise you.

I'll grant you a good illustration, my soninlaw who is 28 was had placed on a few pounds. Mountain Dew includes higher sugar content compared to other cola's. He did not have an idea regarding how could calories he had been swallowing with drinking 4 or 3 2-4 ounce bottles every day. If my daughter told me he had been astonished. Be cautious, you might be consuming greater than you might imagine.

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There are supplements which induce your system never to metabolize each of the meals that you eat, therefore it is passed from your own system and never stored as fat. There is mixture of both. As you start your hunt for the right diet pill, be more careful as a number might have detrimental effects in the physique.

Some additionally marginally improve your metabolism - the speed at which the body burns off calories.

4. Monitor/Increase Your Action - No matter if you are taking dietpills or perhaps not to help with your weight loss, it's important to keep a routine exercise regime. That is effective not just for the weight loss, but also for the general wellbeing. In most ways we in the developed country possess a far more sedentary life style than our own bodies desire. Clearly it's easier for individuals in the age when people needed to be somewhat active only to live, yet it isn't necessarily healthy for individuals never to be more busy. Start and sustain some type of exercise plan regardless of what your age. Notably for its middleaged and elderly people exercise play with a very, very significant function in the degree of health insurance and staying within normal weight ranges.

5. Develop a Policy for Maintenance - Even if you should be taking weight loss supplements to help with your fat loss it is vital to bear in mind, that after you stop the pills, if you don't maintain a balance between your activity level and also the meals which you take in the weight will probably return. When it might take sometime to become used to an alteration in activity and diet, the rewards are really worth the effort and time to attain and keep a wholesome weightreduction.

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959somaticcells · 5 years

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A VF Planetary Lore HC Post: On Crydor

I’ve worked on fleshing out a few headcanons of mine concerning the Voltron Force universe (mainly to use as an adjunct resource for my fanfics, to try and keep myself somewhat consistent), and it’s about time I put ‘em up somewhere. This one is on Crydor, and I can’t seem to find the other planets I worked on so far... damn shame, I suspect I’ve lost the files. Anyways, for those parties interested, more below the cut!

Also, if anyone has particular areas of the VF universe they’d like to see me work on, please let me know!

Chapter 1: Crydor

Author’s note: this work is the beginning of my life’s project, to more accurately recapitulate the story of those worlds that have been either forgotten by history or written over, in an effort to pay my own form of respects to those countless unnamed victims of the violence that has reigned over our universe. I am, by birth and education, influenced by the Alliance narrative, but my desire is to counter this bias with as much research as I can glean from both sides of the war, as well as what primary records I could resurface. My hope is that one day, when this conflict is naught but an unpleasant chapter in the history of all sentient beings, we will be able to with clearer eyes look back at what was lost, and the prices that were paid for securing our freedom from the Drule Empire.

Crydor behaved as a colony in association with the Galaxy Alliance, as it was originally an effort to create a populated borderland between the Alliance and Drule-controlled territories of the remote and relatively unimportant Xiberan quadrant. While the world was not ideal or recommended for terraformation by Alliance scientists, political machinations nonetheless led to a great amount of time and resources being devoted to making habitable and sustainable a world well outside of the “goldilocks zone” of its own star system, on the grounds that with a sufficiently well-engineered greenhouse gas content to the atmosphere and the opening of geothermal vents via deep-core drilling, equatorial regions could be made into a suitable climate- at least, for the duration of the “summer”. In the relatively narrow band of land successfully colonized, the climate ranged from that of earthly regions in and around the Arctic circle, to Antarctic conditions only really livable with vast underground civilian spaces heated geothermally and maintained at great expense.

The Alliance set forward an initiative to populate Crydor specifically targeting those whose livelihoods were affected by the progressive warming and destruction of Earth’s own Arctic regions; these included Scandinavians, Sami, Inuit and other Northern populations, who were also given significant incentive in the form of financial support (and, perhaps, a bit more unsavory political tactics than the Alliance would admit to) and the promise of being able to maintain and preserve their culture by bringing along specimens of Earthly flora and fauna, which also contributed to the stabilization of the climate on Crydor via carbon cycling and atmosphere regulation. In addition, new populations were introduced that included long-extinct species that had once thrived in the colder regions of Earth recently made attainable by advances in paleontological genetics and zoology, such as smilodons, mastodons and myriad megafauna. These species over time diversified and adapted to the Crydorian conditions in unique ways, though the vastest portion of the planet remained unlivable for all but the hardiest of extremophiles. Many interplanetary scientists as well as civilians who felt burdened by the population density of their homeworlds also came to Crydor and integrated into the local culture, which remained remarkably peaceable with minimal cultural conflict. For many decades it seemed that Crydor would remain like this, a snowglobe-world enclosing within it these histories and traditions that had been struggling to survive on Earth.

However, politics are ultimately not motivated by goodwill towards cultural preservation and heritage, and the Alliance’s ultimate goals of keeping a populated world with a standing army near the frontier of the Drule Empire was becoming less of a priority as the Drule retreated from the Xiberan quadrant and refocused efforts to secure planets that had recently been seized by the Alliance following their expenditure in conflict between the Drules themselves. That is; Warlord-King Zarkon’s faction had been expanding in influence rather rapidly and captured a few key strategic mobilization and refueling worlds, and destroyed others simply for the sake of making them unavailable to the Empire. These destructive acts marked a major turning point in public opinion on Zarkon’s militia, as throughout the Alliance humanitarian organizations outcried the neglect of his heinous crimes against populated worlds, atrocities committed for no reason other than to create obstacles and inconveniences for the Empire. Ultimately a very limited number of survivors were retrieved from these outposts by Alliance forces, though little to no trace of their culture remains, a topic of great ire for many a ethnologist to this day.

While Crydor itself had for many years remained armed and ready, it ultimately was ignored amongst the regions of the universe serving as theatres of war, and was thus no longer needed as a strategic point for the Alliance. Furthermore, the investors within the Alliance government looking for potential sources of profit locked away under Crydor’s permafrost had ultimately found more suitable worlds from which to obtain those few natural resources that Crydor had to offer (namely fresh water and rare metals), cutting off the small amount of revenue that to many a politician had justified those centuries of Alliance effort being funneled into it. However, by this point, the population was large enough (the peak population reaching around three hundred thousand permanent residents) and the sense of planetary identity distinct enough for a movement to turn Crydor from a colony world to a fully-fledged Alliance member was begun. All this, however, would soon come to a terrible end.

What follows is not what will be found in any Garrison-affiliated Academy’s textbooks, nor in nearly any Alliance histories. The reality of Crydor’s fall is not that of a colony world abandoned by its own citizens, but rather that of a people abandoned by that power which had hereunto supported them. Perhaps the word “abandoned” seems unduly harsh, but to those precious few survivors of what happened on Crydor, no other vocabulary seems suitable.

While negotiations were underway for the Crydorian Question in Alliance meeting rooms on Earth, an unexpected turn of events led to Drule militia reentering the Xiberan quadrant and effectively working to clear out any Alliance presence from any of the six populated solar systems within. While the Drule had no intent at this time of colonizing or even harvesting resources from these worlds, the situation had changed within the upper management of the Empire; the Xiberan quadrant now represented an astropolitical obstacle to further-reaching efforts to secure trade lines and military dominion, much like how in the Terrestrial days of human civilization, an inconsequential island in a sea that is otherwise controlled by a larger power is best neutralized such that there is a region of unquestionable sovereignty over the waters and any future incursions into the region are discouraged from foreign powers. Crydor itself was, at this time, of no consequence to the Drule Empire, but the Xiberan quadrant as a whole needed to be cleared out to give a larger berth for Imperial fleets and tradeships to freely travel without interference, as well as to protect routes of military communications. At this point in time, weapons capable of effectively destroying entire planets already existed, though such resources were not expended on Crydor; rather, an atmosphere-disrupting weapon effectively destroyed the thermoregulatory capacities of the world, but not before Drule soldiers had effectively wiped the Crydorians off the map, alongside the eight other populated worlds within the Xiberan quadrant.

Amongst these victims of this rarely-spoken-of genocide, only Crydor left any survivors, as a small number of civilians who hid within some of the more secure bunkers of the underground geothermally maintained living spaces were able to hold out until the Drule cleared the area, sent a distress signal and were retrieved by the Alliance- albeit quietly and without fanfare. It is a particularly black mark on the history of the Alliance that the earlier rumbles of unrest suggesting Drule activity in the Xiberan quadrant were not treated as a priority, and that Alliance ships in the area were instructed to retreat upon word of the Drule movements inwards rather than stay and help defend the colonies. Because of the remoteness of these events, and the lack of individuals to protest the written history, it is said that the Crydor colony collapsed and failed of its own accord, after the climate shifted suddenly and proved too much for human survival. This change to the story is further facilitated by Crydor alone bearing any survivors, who only numbered in the hundreds, and another significant factor- that these survivors happened to be either too young to remember much or too old to carry the memory very far into the future.

This was the product of a unique aspect of Crydorian culture, wherein during those spells of weather that were particularly harsh (with temperatures dropping below minus eighty centigrade and violent hailstorms marking the Crydorian winter several times each year), children and the elderly, as well as those with other health problems, would remain further underground while those able would would work closer to the surface to maintain the infrastructure that allowed survival in these extreme conditions. One such severe storm was ongoing as the Drule bombarded Crydor’s surface and sent down cold-impervious droids with orders to destroy any organic life encountered; while the armed forces of the planet fought back valiantly, the combination of the timing of the attack during such a storm and the sheer force of the Drule invaders (it is believed by military historians that Crydor was an experimental grounds for these new droids developed by an ambitious young scientist by the name of Maahox, working with a rare element to create more resilient and deadly mechanical soldiers that might lead to his promotion within the ranks upon this demonstration of their abilities) ultimately overpowered and decimated Crydor.

The survivors, unable to help or contact their loved ones, held out for about five weeks thanks to the stockpiled resources and dedicated work of the elders, who hoped that the children of Crydor might carry on the memory of their world and live to better days. Of the several underground cities where such groups were present, not all would last the wait; ultimately, one community’s survivors alone evaded the flooding and tunnel collapse that the Drule bombing campaign caused- those from the former Crydorian spaceport town of Telavaag. Only after the month-long storm had cleared did Alliance forces come down and seek out the sources of the distress signals, returning the victims to their ancestral planet, Earth, for rehabilitation.

The amount of post-rescue casualties was unusual, as even after being treated on Earth, the majority of the survivors (and many medics and soldiers who had come down for the rescue) succumbed to a strange, neurodegenerative illness somewhat resembling a mixture of radiation poisoning and late-stage rabies- it was not contagious, so no quarantine was necessary, but it nonetheless disturbed and puzzled doctors. However, the survivors were so thinly spread that the nature of this anomaly wasn’t able to be characterized and understood until far later, when the alliance first truly became aware of the nature of Maahox’s rare element used in powering his droids. It would come to be known that residual haggarium from blown-apart droids had created microcrystalline shards that penetrated the skin of some survivors and Alliance workers on their way out of the planet, and that the unrefined nature of this haggarium made it particularly lethal compared to its processed form created and used later on for more advanced weaponry. Only some dozen Crydorians survived within six months of arrival on earth, including the former Voltron Force member Sven Holgersson, whose twin brother had died of the then-mysterious Crydorian Survivor Sickness.

These remaining few were all under the age of fourteen and were largely unable to counter the misinformation of what had happened on Crydor; after all, traumatized children are known to have poor memories of the reality of their situation. Within the Alliance itself, this neat rewriting of the canon of Crydor was largely contested, but ultimately the argument put forward that the reality was far too grim and damaging to public trust, as the Alliance would be seen in an incredibly poor light due to its lack of forethought towards monitoring and protecting the people of the colonies. As during this time in history, the Alliance-Drule war had taken its ideological slant to a new extent, such unheroic and disturbingly pragmatic decisions as to leave politically and strategically insignificant populated worlds to the wolves needed to be erased from the public consciousness. After all, there were very, very few who would say otherwise.

To the time of writing, Crydor has returned to its native state as it was before colonization, at least as far as I as the historian know. If there is any remainder of life on that world, it is not spoken of, and Crydor is a brief afterthought in the annals of Alliance maps and history books, more well-known for its unique geology and eerie tale of the failed colony than anything else. With its last known son- the aforementioned Sven Holgersson- missing and presumed dead for many years, it is unclear whether anything of Crydor’s story remains to salvage, but one thing is clear to me- that history is not written solely by the victors. History is written by any and all those who are given the opportunity to change the narrative; by force, lack of dissenting voices, or a stark desire for a particular past to be held true in the hearts of those still seeking to believe- in whatever they need to- for their actions past and present to be the correct choices.

#vf hcs #vforce11 #voltron force #crydor

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scratchybeardsweetmouth · 5 years

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Iain Glen on His Twisty ‘Mrs. Wilson’ Character and the End of ‘Game of Thrones’

By Christina Radish April 7, 2019 Image via PBS Entire Q&A Portion (x):

MRS WILSON Collider: I had heard a bit about [Mrs Wilson’s] story prior to seeing this project, but it’s so fascinating and compelling to learn about the details of it all. IAIN GLEN: “I’m very grateful for how well the whole thing has turned out. I feel for Ruth, and I’m so pleased for her. It was an extraordinary journey that she went on with this. She knew she had this incredibly complicated history in her family, with this one figure, in particular, which had been a part of her childhood. And then, she became an actor and the pressure gently built to manifest the story for a drama. And then, she had to put the right people together, find a fantastic writer, and find the right production to realize it. So, for it to have been come out and have done as well as it has, it’s an amazing journey to go on. It’s very easy to look at this and say, “This is extraordinary, what happened.” It’s a very different thing to find the right writer to actually structure it and make the story follow revelation after revelation, to come out satisfyingly, and for us to retain sympathy, throughout. I think that it’s a very compelling story, psychologically, and that’s what I’m most pleased about. It’s based in the truth, so it’s very, very riveting, which is what you look and hope for in drama.” Did you know, from the beginning, that this was a true story and that it was her family’s story? “I did, yeah. They asked me to do it, and then Ruth and I met in Belfast. All I had done was read three scripts, which had been sent to me, while she’d lived with this project, for years and years and years. But we actually had a very similar take on it, and that was quite reassuring for both of us, in a funny way.” Did you ever have a moment where it just seemed bizarre and surreal that you were playing your co-star’s actual grandfather while she was playing her own grandmother? “I had a little moment, yes, I did. It doesn’t seem like a significant moment, but Ruth’s mum and dad came, and they played little extra roles within the drama in one scene. I was in the make-up caravan, getting into being Alec Wilson, and Ruth was beside me, getting into being Alison Wilson, and then her mum and dad came in and went, “Hello, how are you?” She sat in there and asked me how it was all going and said, “I’m very pleased that you’re playing the role.” It was just a bizarre, strange mix of reality and drama going on, where sometimes you can feel incredibly silly dressing up in funny clothes and pretending to be people. All I can say is that Ruth and her family always made it feel that they were really happy with what I was up to, and to just to keep doing what I was doing.” You were playing a real guy, but you couldn’t talk to him because he’s not with us anymore, and it seems that nobody really fully knew who he was or why he did what he did. How did you approach finding him? “What you’re actually asking is, what was the motivator? What was it that made you do the things that you did? We know what he did. We know that he got involved with different women, and that he married them and had children with them. We also know that he was of the Secret Service, and that he was a very successful novelist. So, I had all of the facts, and then I had scenes that showed those things. You have to be a little bit careful, as an actor, to not want to rationalize it so much that you have a total clarity of the subtext that’s going on. All you can do is play each scene for what it is. You just play each moment for what it is, and you let it add up to what it adds up to. In his lifetime, all of his various wives had no idea, whatsoever, that he had these other scenarios going on.So, in any given moment, during the course of their realities, there were no signals saying, “Something weird is going on here,” or that he had another life that he was not telling anyone about. Otherwise, it makes them all quite stupid people. He was very able to be in the present and inhabit the moment that he was inhabiting. That’s what he had to do. His life was endangered, if his cover was blown, so that made him a very successful operative. Without shirking it, I didn’t try to rationalize. I didn’t try to find the answers because, if Ruth’s family, who had studied him and tried to understand, hadn’t quite worked out, it felt silly of me to try.” It’s so interesting because he obviously loved each of these families, and they all really loved him. “They really did.” If he was some kind of a monster, they wouldn’t have had the feelings that they had for him. “That’s right. And the wives wouldn’t have fallen in love with him, wanted to marry him, and wanted to have children with him. It’s a funny mix. When I think about it, my head just explodes. I think, “Jesus Christ, that would be too complicated!” It’s hard enough with one wife and the three children that I have. But people are wired differently. The context of the war years and how that affected people is really important. People did different things, when life was not so taken for granted and you lived in a very endangered situation, all the time, especially when you were living in a city that was getting bombed, on a nightly basis. Perhaps you have a desire to live life or generate life in those moments, I don’t know. There was no doubt that, to some degree, he was a fantasist, but it all got a bit gray around the edges. It’s definitely wrong. You shouldn’t marry somebody when you’re already married. There’s no doubt that’s wrong, and that’s not a good thing. That should probably not happen. And you definitely shouldn’t do it a third and fourth time. But all I had to do was make him somebody where you could understand why they fell in love with him. He was charismatic and exotic, and he was a man in uniform who wrote novels and was successful. I just tried to play that person, rather than having a judgment eye about him.” Did you read any of his novels? “I did, yeah. That was probably my only real significant research. I had the diary and the memoirs that had been written by Alison, and he wrote about 20 books, but I didn’t read them all. His famous ones were these Wallace mysteries, so I read those. In a way, the main character of the Wallace mysteries was a projection of himself, so that was quite revealing. He was the person that he would like to have been perceived as being, particularly from those that employed him, and then turned on him. It’s lovely when you can read the words written from the mind of the person that you’re playing. It just puts you as close as you’re gonna get.” By the time that you got to the last day of playing this character, do you feel like you had a different appreciation for who he was? “Yeah. I always really liked him, and I didn’t judge him. I think he gave a great deal. I know it’s fucked up. I don’t underestimate the wrong that he did. I really don’t. But he did give a great deal for his country, sacrificed his life, and tore himself apart to fight the cause for his country, and he tore himself domestically apart, as well. For whatever reason, he was treated poorly, in the end, and that gave me great sympathy for the man. If anything, I felt more sympathetic towards him, at the end of playing him, than when I started.” GAME OF THRONES You were working on Game of Thrones when this came up. What’s it been like for you, as an actor, to be a part of a show that is one of the biggest, most popular, most epic shows, ever, and you’re one of the last men standing, of the original cast? “It’s been fantastic. I know. I did a head count, and there’s only between 12 or 15, who were in the pilot and every single season. There are not too many of us, which is good, and even less who were a part of every season, through this season. Some people have disappeared, and then reemerged. It’s been great. It’s been a really joyous journey. It’s now perceived as a massive, global hit, but I remember the days when we thought, ‘What the hell are we doing?!’ We were half-way through the first season thinking, ‘Are we just making a pile of poo?’ We had no idea, really. You need an objective response. And then, over the seasons, the belief and faith in it grew, and our faith in ourselves grew. It was probably half-way through Season 3 or 4 that we thought, ‘We’re actually onto something here.’ It’s been an amazing journey to go on. And Dan [Weiss] and David [Benioff] are very, very lovely, cool showrunners, who made us all feel very valued and special. As an actor, every job that you do, you give it your best shot, but you have no idea how it’s gonna get received. So, when you end up with something that is received incredibly well, is universally critically approved of, and is a massive commercial hit, then you better friggin’ enjoy it because it doesn’t get any better. The fact that it’s not just for a film that’s there and gone, but for a drama that’s kept coming back for almost a decade, it’s been a very special time, for us all. I’d say that it doesn’t matter what generation – whether it’s the young ones who came to it and made their name, or the people who’ve been around more, like myself – all of us individually look at each other and think, ‘We don’t fuckin’ believe it. This is crazy!’ That sensation of feeling that we really lucked out is a nice thing because none of us go, ‘Yeah, we deserve this.’ It’s just amazing that it’s turned out as successful as it has, and that it’s transformed how people perceive us. I could whine about, ‘Why don’t people remember me when I did this at the Royal Shakespeare Company?,’ but it’s okay. I don’t have a problem with that. I’m always really delightfully surprised when someone mentions a theater piece that they’ve seen me do because probably .001% of the people who watch Thrones went to see any theater show that I ever did. I always feel lucky, and it’s been nothing but a good thing.” Do you feel like this final season justifies the longer episode lengths? “I absolutely do. Could you have created two more episodes and have had them all the same length? Sure. But there are monumental waves to the different movements that happen during this last season, and it makes sense to me that they’re feature-length. The way people receive it has changed, as well. When you start something, you want to grab people’s attention and keep them, but then you get to a point where you’ve got people’s attention. You can allow yourself longer movement within the course of an episode, to get from your beginning to your end, in each wave of the changing drama. The whole production has real faith in itself, so it feels right to me.” Were you given scripts for the whole season, or were you just given your pieces? “No, we always got the scripts. That was true, from the word go. The only thing that was usual about it, this time, was that we all gathered together to read the entire season, before we began. That was very emotional and amazing. We were all around this massive table, with all of the various directors for the season. It was a very special time. If they’re to be believed, some people said that they were reading it for the first time, and didn’t know where the story was going. Kit Harrington always said that, and I think I believe him. I don’t know. We’d only had a few days to look at it, but it was Dan and David’s way of saying, “Here we go, we’re all in this together. This is the story that we’re telling.” It’s such a big production, and we all go off in various directions, so it was nice to gather everyone in one place, to begin with. We’ve kept people waiting, and I thank people for their patience, but I hope it’ll make sense, when people see it, that it took a bit of time to get it right.”

#iain glen #iain glen interview #interview #collider #mrs wilson #got

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the-haloarchive · 4 years

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they are really in love

OR: mutual, they’ve discussed it

People try to say that all the 1D boys treat each other this way, but…no. Harry and Louis treat each other differently.

There is an outrageous amount of evidence of their jealousy; here is a bit of it. (Personally, I think a lot of it isn’t necessarily jealousy as much as it’s an expression of their frustration at the situation and inability to treat each other the way other people do, but let’s say jealousy for simplicity’s sake.) This moment of Louis smacking Zayn’s hand away from Harry and this one of Harry reacting to Zayn feeding Louis are particularly hilarious.

There are lots of pictures from early days of Harry with tiny little “L"s on his hands/arms. Here are just a few. And here is one from August 2013.

Do they even know what it means to whisper? Do they know where ears are? What is happening behind that hand?

Sometimes they seem to sing to each other. Here are a few that I think are legit.

The very end of this one. Check out Harry’s expression and Louis’s little eyebrow lift.

"It’s gotta be you / only you.”

“I want, I want, I want to be loved by you.”

One of Harry’s lines in “Rock Me” is: “Oh my my they could never shut us down.” And sometimes he appears to sing it to Louis. Once he changed the line to “Oh my my they could never hurt us now” (and then looked at Louis). One time he cut half of the line entirely and just looked at Louis instead.

They seem to have a habit of singing Little Things to each other. This one is particularly significant. Watch Harry and Louis once Harry starts singing (especially from 2:37 on). (Same day, different song here.)

They performed their song “Night Changes” (“even when the night changes /it will never change me and you”) at the 2014 AMAs…and Harry sang the whole thing to Louis. And then he did it again.

The way they look at each other, man. And the way Harry can’t stop himself from looking at Louis. And the way Louis winks at Harry!

No one laughs harder at Louis than Harry does; only Louis gets that reaction from Harry.

Louis would pick Harry for Spin the Bottle. And notice that it doesn’t look like fan service – he mumbles it quietly, almost as an afterthought, and immediately goes back to fiddling with his phone. It’s like he didn't really intend for it to be heard. Not clearly, anyway.

There are a couple of great moments in this interview. Fake (???) makeout. Louis counting on Harry’s fingers, to Harry’s pleasure. Other touching throughout. Best of all: this bit of blatant possessiveness.

“[I want to g]et married…” *look at Louis* (For the record, I’m pretty sure they’re planning on it.)

Astonishing display of flirting. On VALENTINE’S DAY. In PARIS. Just totally, shamelessly, into each other. This is the first and last interview they ever did with just the two of them because WOW, OBVIOUSLY.

The 2012 Brits: tipsy boys take the flirting and innuendo to new levels. Things to note:

Whispering from the start

“So who gets the head [of the award]?” Niall wants the head. And Louis goes for it: “Harry’s getting head.” Harry: “HAHAAA! He said something rude!” *giggle giggle, look at Louis* Meanwhile, Louis is busy licking his lips (making it quite a bit harder to argue that Harry is getting head from someone else, I’d say) and making smug faces toward people off screen.

Louis moves a phallic object up and down. Harry gets distracted. And then Louis actually kisses the head.

“And if you could snog any artist in the room tonight, who would it be?” Harry: “Adele. Adele. Definitely Adele. I might try on the way out.” (Look at the way Louis’s body stiffens and he nods his head – you can tell that he’s trying to control his face.) *glance at Louis – realize something is wrong – look back at Louis with contrition* Harry: “Sorry.” Louis: *some unintelligible expression of resignation*

The enthusiasm is totally drained out of Louis.

“Where do you want to sit?” “Next to you.” (For the record, I think what people hear as “you can’t sit together” is just another person yelling at them to “get closer together.”)

Watch Harry and Louis very carefully here. Watch Harry’s fingers and Louis’s arm. This is small. This is subtle. This is not for the cameras or the fans. This is for them. This is the kind of shit they don’t do with the other boys. And for what it’s worth, this is THE MOMENT for me – in the few seconds it took for me to watch this moment for the first time, I very abruptly went from thinking “Harry and Louis are the best bromance of all time” to “Harry and Louis might actually be in love.”

Good GOD, Louis, just TRY to be more smug.

They (used to?) have a secret signal. Harry said in their first tour program that his goal for the tour was to learn sign language. And then people noticed…a lot. (They don’t really do it anymore – presumably because the fandom caught on – but here’s one example from 2013.) (AND WHAT IS THIS?)

“You.” So quiet. So subtle. So not meant for public consumption.

Just watch the bit of this interview that starts at 4:20. “If I met someone who I liked.” Dramatic cough from Louis. “I had to cough quietly and in the end I just did a terrible job of it.” YEAH OKAY LOUIS that wasn’t weird or suspicious AT ALL. (Analysis of the whole interview here.)

This interview happened right before Harry and Taylor Swift started “dating” and the interviewer actually asked about celebrity crushes before clarifying it as the “like to take out” question and it was obviously a setup for Harry to start talking about Taylor and he still looked at Louis instead WOW.

If you see people in this fandom talking about Barbara Walters: this is why. Look at the way Harry and Louis look at each other. Also in that interview (at 5:07): this.

Harry says “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is the theme song to his life and Louis makes that face. God bless the camera people and producers and editors, really.

Okay, this video is incredible. The relevant moment happens SO fast but is SO important. Start at 2:07. Watch Louis’s face. He’s happy happy happy. They put their arms around each other. He realizes Harry is touching his shoulder and FREEZES. He looks at Harry with the most vulnerable little face and then reaches his arm up to Harry’s and grabs on. And refuses to let go (poor Niall).

Straight up holding hands at meet & greets? Come on. It’s a MIRACLE they haven’t been totally outed yet.

Even when they’re split up for interviews, they end up giving the same answers. Media training? Maybe. Or maybe they’re in each other’s brains by this point.

It’s a thing. If you don’t know Shania’s “You’re Still the One,” go listen to it now. IT IS A SONG FOR PEOPLE IN LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS, not Harry’s supposed six-week flings or 410 women/year womanizing.

WHITE PAINT IS VERY IMPORTANT. To be clear: in both 2012 and 2013, Louis went out for Halloween with white face paint. And both years, Harry’s hair was mysteriously white the next day. (I want to note that plenty of Harry/Louis shippers don’t believe in White Paint 2.0 – the evidence isn’t as clear as it is from 1.0. I do, though. Here are some pictures from that day. As you can see, most of them are LQ, so paint is less likely to be visible anyway, and in only one of them – the famous one – can you even see the portion of his head where it looks like paint is. So I totally get why people are hesitant to declare the existence of White Paint 2.0 based on basically one picture (and some pictures that suggest he might have a bit of paint on his left eyebrow/near his left temple), but I don’t think it’s crazy at all to say it’s real when, as far as I know, that one picture is literally the only one that COULD show us anything, if the paint is where it looks like it is.)

The boys are often asked about the most romantic thing they’ve ever done for someone. Louis always says the same thing: that he cooked a meal, and that it was the first and only meal he’s ever cooked. WELL. The last week of the X-Factor, Harry tweeted this. Now, Louis’s been talking about this meal for several years – he did it here and here in 2012, and then again in November 2013. (7:22 – watch how Harry looks down. Also, notice the emphasis Louis puts on the word “nice” and how Harry said a minute or two before that he’s just looking for “someone who’s nice” [though to be fair, Louis’s could have been a reference to Zayn’s use of the word “nice” as well].) And Liam brought it up in concert last year – and Harry did the hand motions again. Meanwhile, only print!Louis has ever claimed that this meal was for Eleanor. Basically I am saying that what Louis says is the most romantic thing he ever did might have been for Harry. It also could have been for Hannah, who he was dating during The X-Factor and who has said that Louis once cooked her a meal (which conflicts with Harry’s claim about Louis’s “first cooking experience”). So I don’t know if his meal was for Harry or Hannah, but it seems awfully unlikely that it was for Eleanor. And honestly, if you’ve been dating someone for 2.5 years and the story you ALWAYS tell as the most romantic thing you’ve ever done is something you did for someone else…well. PLUS the fact that he’s STILL telling the story…look, if they’re paying ANY attention at all to the Larry fandom, they know we think this story references Harry (or Hannah, at the least), not Eleanor. No way does Louis keep telling it if he and Harry aren’t actually together and/or they don’t want us to think they’re together. And no way does Harry keep doing those goddamn hand motions.

There was some hardcore flirting on the red carpet at the 2013 AMAs (also, they looked at each other like this when they won an award).

Here is a very helpful summary of the final months of 2013. Especially relevant for those who think Harry and Louis have broken up.

Ah, the 2014 Brits. Personal favorite moments include:

Highly suspicious pre-show Instagram captions that weren’t signed “1DHQ” like official 1D Insta pictures usually are

Harry’s creepy love stare

Louis’s face when Harry was missing and Louis’s face when Harry returned and Harry asking Louis, ��What did we win?” (compare to the time Louis realized his girlfriend Eleanor was missing)

Harry’s face when Louis pretended the boys hadn’t seen each other in three months

Harry’s face when Louis arrived at the press room

Harry looking at Louis when talking about his birthday trip to Jamaica

Remember how “Harry’s getting head” happened at the 2012 Brits? WELL THIS HAPPENED IN 2014 #liamisjimhalpert

What’s the last thing they do before they walk out on stage? Smooch, apparently.

Louis’s mom, Jay, got married in July 2014. Most of the band, including Harry, attended, and it produced some sweet moments like Harry hugging Louis’s grandfather while Harry’s mom grinned at them, and Jay appearing to introduce Harry to some family members, for starters. (Oh, and Louis wore Harry’s shirt.) Which was all nice. But it seemed like the wedding was extra special to Harry, or something, because we discovered many days later that he was STILL wearing the wristband that all the wedding guests were apparently required to wear. And even after the fandom made a huge deal out of it, he STILL KEPT WEARING IT. In fact, he didn’t take it off until the middle of their next show, days later – literally ran off stage and removed it after the show had begun. But it doesn’t even end there! A month after that, there was a bit of fandom drama between some Larry shippers and some people who think Harry and Louis have broken up, regarding whether Harry enjoyed himself at the wedding and whether his presence there was solely fanservice. The very next day, Harry arrived in LAX to a mob scene (very publicly making clear that he was not attending a charity football match Louis was about to play in in England), and what was tied around the bag he carried through the airport? The wedding wristband. Goddamnit, Harry.

Oh, and the other thing he was wearing in that airport? A certain blue bandana.

Just a few fun little moments from the Where We Are tour.

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nitewrighter · 5 years

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Could you do "how are you feeling?" With Gency, maybe Genji gets sick and Angela takes care of him or vice-versa? I also live all of your Gency works, so cute and angsty💚💚💚

Thank you so much! I like this prompt though, and lord knows I’m always looking for excuses to fill gaps in my fic continuity.

This fic takes place after “First Meeting” so it’s more angsty and plot develop-y than really shippy haha.

—-

Genji didn’t know what day it was. Or even if there was day and night. He remembered Hanzo, his face twisted by rage and grief and fear–so much fear. Genji remembered an inferno of blue and fangs, the wetness of his own blood on the tatami, the pain that blinded him to nearly everything… and then there was a face–big eyes, yellow-white hair. He remembered a voice. English, but not a native speaker. “You have to trust me. Please, let me help.”

And he was in darkness for a long time. Stale air, then too cold, hands, then a sterile smell, and shadows over him, lights rolling past overhead, the gentle hum of a hover-stretcher, and that voice, drifting in and out. Sometimes even talking to him. He wasn’t sure how much of it he was imagining or mistranslating from english to Japanese in his head, but the voice periodically flashed in his mind like a lighthouse beam, signaling his own consciousness like a distant shore.

“Stay with me.”

“Maintain intravenous dosages of…”

“Decrease sedation but maintain anesthesia…”

“Pupil constriction–Are–are you lucid? Can you hear me? Blink if you can…”

“Hang on… Just hang on…”

“Nerve endings still responding to stimuli….”

“No. Not yet. Tell Jack and Gabe that the patient will….”

“You may feel a slight pinch and–Oh who am I kidding you’re on enough sedatives to down a horse–”

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he could process sensation back into thought, but one gray morning he opened his eyes and found himself in what appeared to be a hospital bed. His eyes flicked to the window, where snow-capped mountains towered along the horizon. There was an intercom announcement–English he didn’t really have enough focus to bother translating in his head. Sojiro had insisted on an intensive education in multiple languages, and Genji was told his english was very good, but his head was fogged up with painkillers and his own disorientation from not knowing where he was or how much time had passed since Hanzo’s attack. He could make out “Doctor” and “report” and by then the message was repeating itself in German and French and Mandarin and Spanish. He wasn’t in Hanamura, he realized. He wasn’t even in Japan.

Pain ribboned around his body and there was a raw itch on his insides. There were things in him. There were things under his skin. His mouth tasted like blood and metal–or maybe he couldn’t tell the tastes of blood and metal apart. His eyes scanned around the room and he saw IV’s overhead. Blood? Saline solution? Painkillers? His eyes trailed down the thin plastic tubes and nearly reached his own arm when the door opened and a woman walked in. He recognized her. Big eyes. White-yellow hair. She was in a labcoat and black turtleneck and she looked exhausted. He had to say something. The woman said something in english and he half tuned it out. He managed to pick out the word ‘Awake’ as she walked over to his bedside.

“It’s all right,” she said quietly as his head readjusted to hearing english, “You’re safe.”

Safe? The concept seemed almost funny to him. He wanted to say something, but then with the taste of blood and metal in his mouth he became aware of the numbness of his jaw and numerous patches of gauze in his mouth as well.

“You’re in the medical wing of the Overwatch Zurich Headquarters,” she went on, “I’m Doctor Ziegler. I’m here to help you.”

Overwatch. Zurich. He was very far from home, and worse, in UN custody. This was safe? His eyes flicked back up to the doctor’s face. He tried to say something but the gauze in his mouth made only slurring wheezing sounds come out. He moved to take it out but the doctor perked up. “Here–” she disinfected her hands with some sanitizer on his bedside table and gently brought her hand up under his jaw. He didn’t feel her hand though. He didn’t even feel her gently open his mouth, he didn’t taste the alcohol of the disinfectant on her fingers as she pulled a wad of pink gauze out from under his tongue.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, tossing the gauze into a wastebasket and disinfecting her hands again, “Any severe pains? We can up your painkiller dosage as much as you need—”

“No,” Genji managed. “Hhh…” he made a noise but his voice was not his voice. There was something ringing, metallic. “Hanamura…” he managed, “You…”

“I was the chief medic of the team that extracted you,” said Doctor Ziegler, “It’s been four days since your incident.”

“Incident…” Genji moved to look down at his body but Doctor Ziegler reached forward and put her hand on his shoulder, making his eyes flick back to hers. He remembered his brother. “Hanzo–” he started and nearly moved to get up, but she kept that gentle hand on his shoulder, still looking into his eyes.

“Genji, I need you to remain calm–your body is in a delicate state right now, if you start pumping yourself full of adrenaline, it could have adverse effects.”

“No–I have to–” Genji moved to take her her hand off his shoulder with his other arm, but no other arm came up. He looked down at the heavily bandaged stub of his shoulder. His breath went short and shuddering. The raw itch was clawing up his insides now. “No…”

She adjusted one of his IV’s and the worst of the panic subsided and the itch dulled. She took a steadying breath and tapped a few things into her tablet. “Genji, you’ve lost your right arm, both your legs from just above the knees down, and significant portion of your torso.”

She kept talking but for a few seconds her words faded into a haze of english he didn’t bother translating in his head. His arm. Gone. Both legs. Gone. Hanzo had taken so much. Hanzo had all but killed him. His own brother. That raw itch, those ribbons of pain running through him turned to fire, yet that sensation was splashing against the wall of numbness of the anesthesia. Hanzo had to pay. The clan–his family–no, not his family–They had to pay. To call him their son all his life and then…No. They would know loss as dearly as he had known it. He had to–

His train of thought stopped as he felt a slight squeeze from the doctor’s hand and realized she was still talking, then tried to focus on her words.

“…looking very promising. My biotics were able to stabilize and repair a a good amount of your injuries, but you’ll still need extensive prostheses,” Doctor Ziegler finished.

“Pros.. prostheses?” There was that not-his-voice, again. Hoarse, metallic. He hated it.

“Cybernetics,” said Doctor Ziegler.

“Overwatch is… giving me cybernetics…”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Overwatch’s mission isn’t just peacekeeping, our developments in medical technology and its accessibility is just as much an important–”

“Why save me?” he managed.

Something in her face softened. “I’m a doctor,” she said, “For me, there isn’t a ‘Why’ about it. You do everything you can to save people.”

“I’m from the Shimada Clan. Overwatch made you save me,” Genji’s fingers on his remaining organic hand were sluggish as they moved to grip the sheets, “You are not Overwatch.”

“Well, we’re all Overwatch but—”

“What does Overwatch want with me?” Genji’s words were clearing up slightly, but still the ring on his own voice was horrifying to him. How long would it be like this?

“Genji,” she took a deep breath, “Overwatch had been viewing you as a potential asset since the death of Sojiro Shimada. Technically, by having you here rather than immediately handing you off to the Criminal Affairs Bureau, we’re actively undermining Japanese law enforcement. However, upon reviewing the reputation of the Shimada clan among the rest of Japan’s criminal underground, Commander Reyes decided–”

“That I would not last 10 seconds in a Japanese prison,” said Genji.

“That… yes, our custody would be safer,” Doctor Ziegler conceded.

“Because you want me alive,” said Genji, “Because you want me for something.”

Doctor Ziegler’s brow furrowed, but there was a sadness in her eyes. “My job is keeping you alive,” she said, a bit crisply, “But as I said, Overwatch sees you as a potential asset–we can help each other.”

“You need me to help take down the Shimada clan.”

Mercy’s lips thinned. “You’ll have to speak with Commander Reyes on the specifics of–”

“Just answer yes or no,” Genji’s eyes flicked up to her.

“Yes,” said Mercy, “That was… among the things discussed in–”

“I’ll do it,” Genji’s eyes were fixed on her.

She blinked in surprise. “Well–obviously there’s a lot that has to be done, both in regards to your recovery and installing you as an agent—”

“What do I have to do to see my brother’s head on the ground as quickly as possible?” said Genji.

Doctor Ziegler paled. In spite of all the anesthesia currently running in his veins, Genji realized that probably wasn’t the best thing to say.

“I–You can’t–” Doctor Ziegler took a steadying breath, “Well, before you do anything you need to rest,” she said, pushing her hair back from her face.

“I’ve been resting for four days,” Genji scowled, but his scowl softened as he watched the small gesture. He noted the dark circles under her eyes, the smell of coffee and antiseptic and sweat on her, and wondered when was the last time she rested in those four days.

“Genji, the trauma you’ve been through, both physically and mentally, is going to take a long time to process. I’m going to need to ask for your patience while we work towards your recovery,” she studied his face–the bloodshot eyes and the latticework of scars and the cold steel jaw implants they had put in clenched furious and tight. She sighed, “But,” she conceded, “I imagine being stuck in here is frustrating. I’ll see if I can’t get you a wheelchair and an attendant to get out of this room in the next few days. You can look around the headquarters, get your bearings. We can fit you with some prosthetics and begin physical therapy if you condition remains stable.”

“Thank you,” the words came out of him on reflex and she gave a nod.

“Just doing my job. I…. I have to get to some other patients, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me,” she said, moving towards the door, “Again, please try to rest.”

“Understood,” said Genji. The door slid open and she walked out and he adjusted himself on his pillows slightly. His eyes flicked down to his legs, or lack thereof, hidden beneath a sheet. His jaw tightened slightly at the thought of being stuck in a wheelchair–no, prosthetics, she said they were building him state-of-the-art prosthetics. Yet he had said ‘Thank you’ on gut reflex and the thought suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t thanked her for saving him–well, she had said that was her job, but still… He looked at his one remaining organic arm and the intravenous tubes trailing off of it. Am I grateful to be alive? he wondered briefly. He moved to curl his fingers into a fist and found his reflexes infuriatingly slowed by all the painkillers he was on. He huffed. He would thank her when he could walk again. He would thank her when he would grasp a sword again. He would thank her when he struck Hanzo’s head from its shoulders and Shimada Castle was in ashes at his feet. Then he would thank her from dragging him from death into this painful existence. It was only polite.

#gency

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ak47stylegirl · 5 years

Text

The fourth of many Important deliveries.

this is the fourth part of my Important deliveries series, it’s Gordon's time now. the other boys that I have done so far can be found here. scott, John, Virgil. hope you enjoy :)

the sun came through the window, signalling that a new day had begun, but that wasn't what woke him up.

"Lucile? Are you okay?" he called after his wife, who had just run out of the room.

"Lucy?" he said in concern when he got no answer, getting up.

"Lucy, are yo...oh," he said, spotting his wife with her head over the toilet, puking her guts out.

He sat down next to her, pulling her hair out of her way. "it's okay, Lucy. I'm here."

lucy pulled away from the toilet, wiping her mouth "this never gets easier" she said leaning back against him.

"Hmm," he said nodding "but it's worth it isn't it?" he said, laying his hand on her belly, where a little bump was forming.

"yeah, yeah I guess it is," she said smiling, laying her hand on top of his.

"You okay to get up?" he asked, Lucy look really pale, more so then she did with all their other boys.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Lucile said starting to get up, before being throwing up into the toilet again.

"dad, where's mum?" Scott asked that morning.

"your mother not feeling so well today, Scotty," he said, working on their breakfast. "she resting upstairs, now, do you have your bag packed?"

school started in an hour, and he needs all the boys ready to go.

"Yeah, it's all packed," Scott said, "that smells good."

he chuckled "thank you, Scott, now eat up while I go make sure your brother is ready," he said, giving Scott a plate of pancakes, they weren't blueberry like his wife makes but they were still good, at least he thinks so anyway.

"sure dad" Scott said already digging into his pancakes.

john was in his first year of school, Scott in his third year and Virgil being only three, didn't go to school, but with Lucile sick in bed with morning sickness, he had to take Virgil with him as he drops the boys off to school.

One week later.

She was laying in bed; her morning sickness should have gone away by now, it never lasted this long with all her other children, plus she was never so sick that she can't even get out of bed with the others either.

Jeff was worried and stressed, she could tell... she tried talking him into calling his mother, into seeing if she could come down and help, but Jeff insisted that he got everything under control.

"mum?" Scott said shyly walking into her and Jeff's bedroom.

"yes, sweety?" she asked as Scott walked up to the bed.

"I made this for you in class today," Scott said, showing her a card with 'get well soon, mum!' written on it in blue marker.

"Oh Scotty, thank you," she said, "can you put it on the bedside table for me?"

Scott put it on the bedside table and climb on to the bed, laying near her.

The motion of the bed making her queasy but no way was she going to throw up in front of Scott, he didn't need to see his mother like that, she thought taking a deep breath.

"why is baby making you sick?" Scott asked with a pout. "it's not nice."

"baby doesn't mean too, it just something that comes with the whole being pregnant, sweety," she said, running her hand through Scott's hair.

"Scott, what are you doing in here?" Jeff said, standing in the doorway, hands on his hips "your mother needs her rest."

"Sorry dad," Scott said, getting off the bed "I just want to give mum the card I made her," Scott said.

"that's nice of you Scott, but your mother still needs to her rest," Jeff said ruffling Scott's hair. "go on, I'm sure one of your brothers will want to play with you,"

"Okay...I'll see you later mum!" Scott said running of the room.

jeff walked over to her. "how are you feeling Lucy?" Jeff said, kissing her forehead gently, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"i... I have been better," she said, "our Scotty is too sweet," she said smiling.

"hmmm, I think I know where he gets it from," Jeff said softly. "John was telling me that his class learnt about the original moon landing today," Jeff said with a grin.

"he did?"

"uh huh, was chattering away in the car the whole way home," Jeff said, smiling. "he's an astronaut in the making, I tell you."

she chuckled lightly "what have our other two boys been doing?"

"well Virgil found that walls are a good place to practice his drawings," Jeff said sarcastically.

"he didn't?" she asked, smiling, she remembers doing something very similar when she was around Virgil's age.

"he did, lucky I caught him before he got too far," Jeff said, shaking his head. "why is it always around that age, that they're always getting into mischief- lucy?"

she didn’t hear what Jeff said next because she lost conscience before he could finish.

She woke up in the hospital, all her boys sleeping around her. Jeff was holding her hand, his head resting on his arm, fast asleep. Her baby boys were all snuggled into her, fast asleep.

She must have moved her hand because when she looked back at Jeff, he was awake.

"Lucy, you're awake," Jeff said in relief, keeping his voice down so not to wake their boys.

"what happened?" she asked, she faintly remembers what happened, but she can't make out all the details.

"You..you collapsed, I was so worried," Jeff said, leaning his forehead against her forehead "please don't ever scare me like that again, I thought I lose you."

"don't be silly, you won't lose me, I promise," she said, smiling up at the love of her life. "but why did I collapse in the first place?"

"because you were so dehydration from being sick all the time, your body couldn't take it any more," Jeff said.

"that makes sense-wait! is the baby Okay?!" she asked, her eyes going wide.

"Shh, shh, the baby's okay, Lucy. Calm down" Jeff said, squeezing her hand.

she sighed in relief. "that's...that's good."

"Mummy awake!" John said, waking out the other two sleeping boys.

"mum!" Scott said, smiling a big smile.

"Mummy! Mummy!" Virgil said, cuddling her. In the next couple of seconds, she had all her sons hugging.

"Okay boys, that's enough, let your mother breathe," Jeff said, smiling a small smile.

Months later, valentine day.

Her morning sickness last way in her last trimester, only going away two months before she was due to give birth.

She was in the hospital for a significant portion of that time. Jeff's mother had come down to help, which she was so thankful for.

She was feeling a lot better now and being It being valentine day, Jeff was taking her out for dinner.

"you'll love this place lucy," Jeff said, smiling as he drove the car.

"I'm sure I will-oh!" she said, feeling something that she has felt three times already.

"Lucille, you okay?" Jeff asked her.

hmmm, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up, she thought.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just remembered I forgot to get you a valentine present," she said, doing her best sad face while trying not to bust out laughing...or whimper from the contractions.

jeff smiled "oh lucy; you don't need to get me anything, just having you and the boys, is enough for me."

oh, you'll like this present Jeff, she thought, laughing internally.

"yeah, but I feel bad about it," she said, sighing sadly "can we stop on the way to the restaurant, I know just the place where I can get your present, please?" she said, giving jeff her best puppy eyes.

Jeff was no match for her puppy eyes; nobody had to ask where Scott got his puppy eyes from.

jeff sighed "okay, where is it?"

"oh..just the hospital..." she said nonchalantly

"wait what?.." Jeff said, momently stunned before connected the dots.

"What?! you're...it's happening?!" Jeff asked, to which she nodded, laughing now.

He couldn't believe it; grandma had told them that Mum had gone into labour. He's going to meet his new baby brother or sister in the morning! He was so excited; he was finding it hard to sleep.

Would the baby have his hair colour or red like John's hair or maybe blank like Virgil's hair....or blond like mum? He thought looking up at his ceiling, wide awake.

What would the baby be like?...oh he just couldn't wait, he thought grinning.

"Scotty? you're awake?" John asked, peeking his head through the door.

"yeah, what is it John?" he asked, sitting up.

"couldn't sleep, too many-" John said, climbing on to his bed.

"thoughts?" he asked, to which John nodded. "yeah, same," he said laying back down.

John laid down next to him, so they were both looking up at his ceiling, it was comforting laying next to his brother like this.

"do you think mummy okay?" John asked.

"mum? Yeah, I think she fine. she has done this before, and she has dad with her so.," he said, looking at his little brother.

"I guess... I wonder when grandma will realise that we not asleep?" John said, smiling slightly.

He smirked, "knowing grandma, not long.."

A giggle was their only warning before Virgil jumped on them both, flattening the air out of them and making them squeal in surprise.

"you’re right Scotty," grandma said, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a grin. "good job Virgil."

"oh...why you little traitor," he said, trying not to smile as he started to tickle Virgil.

John moved away, so not to get kicked by the wiggling three years old, which was admittedly a good idea.

This never gets old, he thought with a grin. Plus hearing his brothers laugh was one of his favourite sounds.

"Okay, that's enough boys," grandma said, "bed and this time for real."

"there someone here to see you," the nurse said before Scott ran into the room, followed by John and Sally who was holding Virgil, the three-year-old looking like he just woke up.

"mum, dad!" Scott greeted them, running up to her, eyes going wide at the baby in her arms. "is that?..."

"yes, this is Gordon, Scotty," Jeff said, ruffling Scott's hair. “your new baby brother”

"hi, Gordy, I'm your big brother Scott," Scott said looking at Gordon with wide eyes filled with wonder and love.

John had come up to the bed, climbing it slightly so he could see better.

"he's got blond hair..like mum," John said, wide-eyed.

"he does, doesn't he kiddo," jeff said, lifting John up into his arms so he could see better without falling.

"what you say, Virgil? I want to meet your little brother?" Sally asked the child in her arms, coming closer to the bed.

"little brother?" Virgil asked, sucking his thumb.

"Virgie, come look," Scott said grinning. "you're a big brother now."

sally placed Virgil down on the bed.

"Come here sweetheart, come meet your baby brother," she said, beckoning her now second youngest over.

virgil looked down at Gordon, his nose scrunching up. "he looks weird."

she chuckled "that because he's a baby, dear."

Gordon giggled, looking up at his immediate older brother. Virgil froze, eyes going wide. "hi...," Virgil said, eyes not leaving Gordon.

She and Jeff chuckled. Their children can be so adorable at times; they wouldn't have it any other way.

#Gordon Tracy #Scott Tracy #Virgil Tracy #John Tracy #lucy tracy #jeff tracy #grandma tracy #thunderbirds #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction

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jbrentonparker · 5 years

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Different Plotting Methods

Ah, plotting. As a writer, it’s either your saving grace, or the bane of your existence.

Coming out of NaNoWriMo, the distinction between “Pansters” and “Planners” is on my mind. I fall firmly into the “Planner” category--though I haven’t always. When I first started writing when I was 12 or so, I believed pantsing was the only way to go (”pantsing” is, for those of you unfamiliar with the slang, is writing a story without doing any significant planning or plotting beforehand).

Perhaps not unrelated, I never got more than a page or two into any story I ever wrote for years.

Now I don’t dare start a story unless I’ve got 90% of it plotted out in detail. But plotting is hard, and a lot of writers who are just starting out can be daunted by the task, so I thought I’d write a series of posts, one every Friday, going over a few different plotting methods in detail, hopefully turning at least one person on to a method that works for them.

In this post, I’m just going to give a quick overview of seven methods that are commonly used and/or helpful to many writers.

The Freytag Pyramid:

Developed by German novelist and playwright Gustav Freytag, the pyramid was really developed to map out the story structure of five act Greek and Shakespearean dramas, but it can often be modified and applied to short stories and novels as well.

In Freytag’s pyramid, there are five parts (acts) to a narrative:

Exposition, in which the background of characters and events that occurred prior to the plot are given; Rising Action, which is the series of events that lead up towards the greatest point of interest, or the turning point in the narrative; Climax, which isn’t the same as what other people refer to as the “climax” of a story--Freytag means the turning point that changes the protagonist’s fate; Falling Action, when the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist comes to a head (what is actually usually called the “climax” in novel writing); And Denouement, all the stuff after the Falling Action to the very last scene, in which the narrative is wrapped up for better or for worse.

The Three-Act Structure:

Similar to Freytag’s model, but this one has been developed specifically for narrative fiction. The First Act begins with exposition: the introduction of the characters and the setting. It gives the reader a sense of what “normal” is in the context of the narrative. A little ways into the First Act is the Inciting Incident, the thing that changes everything for the protagonist. The letters start coming for Harry, the Dwarves show up at Bilbo’s house. The protagonist trying to deal with this Inciting Incident leads to Plot Point A, and signals the end of the first act. Think of Plot Point A as the dramatic moment in a TV show right before the first round of commercials start (e.g. House’s first guess being wrong and the patient unexpectedly coding). The Second Act is the protag reacting to and trying to deal with Plot Point A. They don’t have the necessary skills yet however, and only continue to wind up in increasingly worse situation (this is their character arc, them gradually acquiring the skills to triumph later). The Second Act ends with Plot Point 2: the moment the protag is at their lowest. Everything that could go wrong has, and it seems as though they will never succeed, but they have to make a choice: forge ahead anyway, or give up. The Third Act commences, with the protag still trying to clean up after themselves despite the hopeless situation. They are forced to face the conflict head on in the Climax, which is the ultimate clash between the protagonist and the antagonist. One or the other comes out victorious, and the remainder of the act follows the same lines as Freytag’s Denouement, wrapping up all the loose ends.

Snowflake Method:

Developed by Randy Ingermanson, this is one that’s popular with many writers, especially because if its pick-and-choose nature in which you can skip steps, only using what works best for you. Step 1: Write a one word sentence, 15 words or less, describing in broad terms the subject of your story (”a young boy learns he is a wizard and goes to a magical school”). Step 2: Turn one sentence into five: the first describes the set up, the next three describing the main conflicts, and the last describing the conclusion. Step 3: Write a one page summary of each main character, describing their major goals, motivation, conflicts, and epiphanies, as well summarizing the story from each of their respective points of view. Step 4: Take the five sentences from step 2 and turn each one into a paragraph, fleshing out the details of the set up, conflicts, and climax in the form of a one page synopsis. Step 5: Write one page for main characters and half a page for supporting characters describing the story from their point of view, expanding on step 3. Steps 6 through 10 continue to add more to the previous 5 steps, so I’ll skip over that for now. I’ll discuss it in more detail in the post devoted to the Snowflake Method, but you can google it to check out the other steps for yourself.

The Protagonist Fucks It Up Method:

I can’t remember where I first learned this method, so I am afraid I can’t credit the creator. It more or less plays out like the 3 Act Structure method, but with more of a character-oriented focus. An Inciting Incident occurs, which will forever change the protagonist’s life. In this event, they are passive: something has happened to them. First Reaction: the protag reacts to the inciting incident. Whatever they do, they make the situation worse. They make a new enemy, they wind up in a dangerous place, they fail in a way that leaves them with more problems than they had before. Second Reaction: the protag tries to clean up the mess they have just gotten themselves into. They, of course, fail, and wind up in even more trouble. Harry and Hermione send Norbert on his way without Malfoy getting Hagrid in trouble--but end up getting themselves and Neville detention instead. Third Reaction: In serious trouble now, the protag has a choice to make. Get the hell out of Dodge, or face the consequences of their actions, and try for one last desperate attempt at fixing everything. This leads to them confronting the antagonist and leads into the...

Climax, in which everything they have messed up comes crashing down around their head in a dramatic fashion. This is the moment in a RomCom when the main character has driven away all her friends, got into a huge seemingly irreparable fight with the love interest, and is in imminent danger of losing or has already lost her apartment/job/dog/whatever. The movie Bridesmaids is a great example of this story structure.

The Hero’s Journey:

If you were in 7th to 9th grade, you’ve probably learned about this at least once in school. This story structure can be found just about everywhere in fantasy literature, from the Odyssey to Eragon. It’s not a plotting method, but many writers have followed its structure in building their plots, and it appears in many epic myths and legends around the world. There seventeen (!) stages, so I’m going to blow through them real quick. You can google it for more info, or wait for my in-depth post about it.

The Departure (protag leaves the safety of home), which contains: The Call to Adventure (in inciting incident); Refusal of the Call (protag says “Heck no”, a la Bilbo); Meeting the Mentor (the reliable figure who coaxes the protag out and teaches them the ways of the world); Crossing the First Threshold (actually leaving home and setting out for adventure; Belly of the Whale (the protag is fully out of his element and thrust into totally new, usually dangerous, adventure). The Initiation portion of the narrative involves: The Road of Trials (a series of tests or challenges the hero faces, many of which they fail); Meeting with the Goddess (in which the hero is given an item or items that will help them in the future, see Galadriel); The Woman as Temptress (named after the temptation of of lust knights in Arthurian tales and heroes in Greek epics often face, in which the hero faces a temptation that makes them consider abandoning their quest); Atonement with the Father/Abyss (when the hero confronts and is initiated by whatever holds power of their life and fate. See the scene with the cave on Dagobah in Star Wars for a very literal version of this); Apotheosis (the hero attains understanding, and is ready for the next more difficult part of their journey); The Ultimate Boon (the hero achieves their goal, comes out of the climax victorious). The Return consists of: Refusal of the Return (the heroes doesn’t want to go back to the way things were); The Magic Flight (the hero needs to get out of danger with the MacGuffin, e.g. Dorothy getting out of the Wicked Witch’s castle and back to the Emerald City); The Rescue From Without (other characters help the hero return, especially if the hero has been wounded); The Crossing of the Return Threshold (returning home, but retaining the knowledge and wisdom gained from the experiences of the journey); Master of the Two Worlds (the hero is now comfortable with both the inner world and outer world, in reference to both “home” and the wide world their adventure took place in, and their own inner self and everyone else); Freedom to Live (fear of death or anything else is cast off, giving the hero the freedom to live life to the fullest).

Beginning, End, and Nothing Else:

This one is nice if you’re a “plantser”, half planner, half pantser. You like to know where you’re starting from and where you want to end up, but you want everything in between to remain a mystery, and discover it as it happens.

It’s pretty straight forward: you come up with a premise, maybe a setting or a plot or some characters, or all three. Then you decide where you ultimately want the story to end up. To fall back on Harry Potter an an example (which most everyone is at least familiar with), it would look something like this: “A boy discovers he is a wizard, and goes away to a magic school. The climax is him having to face the evil wizard who killed his parents, preventing that wizard from regaining power.” It could be more detailed than that of course, the point is, you start out with only location and destination, and work out the rest as you go. This method is nice, because it automatically forces you to come up with a conflict to drive the story forward, and minimizes the likelihood that you’ll end up with a rambling, plotless story.

Stream of Consciousness Plotting:

This is my personal method, and just involves writing down everything I think of as I think of it, working out plot points and characters and setting as I go. It’s a mess, so I’ll leave any more explanation for a later post.

#writing tips #writing advice #plotting #plotting methods #how to plot a story #story structure

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