#co-ho-ho-missions | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sayitaliano · 5 months

Text

Sanremo 2024 - the post!

Hello everyone! Here you’ll find this year’s Sanremo’s stuff and news (I’ll be uploading this post through all the week). The Festival will start on Tuesday February 6th at 8:30 pm (it’ll probably have a 5 minutes “anteprima = preview” every night), and end on Saturday February 10th, when the final will be broadcasted.

/ Official website / you can find loads of videos and interviews here + the latest news. You can already find the presentation videos of the songs made by the artists.

Rai’s website dedicated section (here) | youtube playlist | spotify playlist

TikTok official channel: @/sanremorai; @/sanremoesc Instagram official: @/sanremorai Twitter official: @/SanremoRAI; @/SanremoESC Facebook: festivaldisanremo

Also this year we’ll have the PrimaFestival, the small show broadcasted on Rai1 at around 8:30 p.m. (February 4th - February 10th). The hosts are Paola & Chiara (singers), Mattia Stanga and Daniele Cabras (tiktokers).

There's gonna be some kind of Dopofestival, with Fiorello and Alessia Marcuzzi (tv/radio host) called “Viva Rai2!… Viva Sanremo” (jingle/sigla) right after the end of each Sanremo's night (6th-9th Feb.). Gli Autogol (comedians soccer-related) will complete some missions for Amadeus on Raiplay.

CasaSanremo- A website about Sanremo and all the artists who will take part, with more infos and interviews (also Italian places and food specialties will be shown). Follow them also on their Social Media Channels, usually they make live video/interviews/shows on FB for example.

On Sorrisi&Canzoni you will find also other infos about Sanremo and every lyrics’s explanation (ofc ask me if you need a translation)

The # on this blog is #sanremo 2024, #sanremo, #sanremo2024 you can black any of these (the first one in particular) if you want.

To watch it live:

Raiuno -> just click on the first video on the left, or here, to open the Raiuno streaming immediately (I added the whole Rai channels things in case you had troubles connecting directly and wanted to try from there). The RAI’s geoblock is usually removed for Sanremo’s week, no need to create accounts or whatsoever to enjoy Sanremo online!! Remember you can rewatch the whole event and each performance on Raiplay few minutes after it has happened (and the whole week will be avaiable as well for basically the whole following year).

FESTIVAL LIS - songs and whole exhibition explained in signs language

FANTASANREMO - this year as well you can play while enjoying your Sanremo! How does it work? Every person “buys” 5 artisti and marks one of them as a captain. As in the last years, artists will have to do or say something while on stage to help you gain points (and also classification will have a say).

I’ll try to write down some more infos/links through the week.

——-

Hosts & Guests + Other Stuff

This years’ host will still be Amadeus (who choose the songs taking part into this Sanremo), a TV and radio host. He will be accompanied by a different co-host each night: Marco Mengoni (singer; first night); Giorgia (singer; second night); Teresa Mannino (actress, comedian; third night); Lorella Cuccarini (actress, tv host, dancer, dance teacher in AMICI tv show; fourth night); Fiorello (tv and radio host, comedian, singer; last night).

Some of the one-night guests during the week will be: John Travolta (actor, dancer); Giovanni Allevi (musician); Marco Mengoni (singer); Sabrina Ferilli (actress); Giorgia (singer) will celebrate her song "E poi"'s 30th anniversary; Russel Crowe (actor, singer); Eros Ramazzotti (singer) will celebrate his song "Una terra promessa"'s 40th anniversary; Roberto Bolle (dancer); the cast of "Mameli" (new serie about the guy who wrote our National anthem); Leo Gassman (actor, singer); the cast of "Il Mare fuori" (Raiplay serie); The Nuova Orchestra Santa Balera to celebrate "Romagna Mia"'s 70th anniversary; Gigliola Cinquetti (singer) will celebrate her song "Non ho l'età"'s 60th anniversary.

How it works

There will be 30 singers in the ARTISTI (artists) section. It will be the only section, as last year. 27 artists were chosen by Amadeus, while the other 3 are the winners of Sanremo Giovani (held in December 2023). The winner of the competition will represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest: if he/she/they won’t accept, the choice will be another artist, usually the 2nd classified or the next (the first one accepting). This year we're gonna listen to all the 30 songs on the first night. The 2nd and 3rd night, we'll get to listen to 15 songs each night. The artisti that are not performing during the 2nd night will introduce the performing ones and vice versa on the 3rd night. The artisti introducing the performing artisti will be decided by a public draw during the Sanremo's press conferences on the 2nd and 3rd day. On the 4th night, there will be the usual “covers” night: the artisti this year can choose any song, national or international, from any year (until December 2023) and by anyone (even themselves).

Day 1 - co-hosts: Marco Mengoni Prob. guests: Marco Mengoni; Zlatan Ibrahimovic; Federica Brignone; omaggio a Toto Cutugno; Banda dei Carabinieri + on the Costa Cruise: Tedua and in the square: Lazza We’ll listen to all the 30 songs (in order of performance: Clara, Sangiovanni, Fiorella Mannoia, La Sad, Irama, Ghali, Negramaro, annalisa, Mahmood, Diodato, Loredana Bertè, Geolier, Alessandra Amoroso, The Kolors, Angelina Mango, Il Volo, BigMama, Ricchie Poveri, Emma, RengaNek, Mr. Rain, Bnkr44, Gazzelle, Dargen D'Amico, Rose Villain, Santi Francesi, Fred De Palma, Maninni, Alfa, Il Tre). We'll have a first top5 rank (the whole list will be presented only Saturday):

Day 2 - co-hosts: Giorgia Prob. guests: the non-performing 15 artists; Giovanni Allevi; Giorgia; John Travolta; Nuova Orchestra Santa Balera; Leo Gassman; Cast "Mare fuori"; Ruggero del Vecchio + on the Costra Cruise: Bob Sinclair and in the square: Rosa Chemical We'll listen to 15 artisti (artist presenting -> artist singing in order of appearance: ghali -> fred de palma; la sad -> renganek; mr.rain -> alfa; diodato -> dargen d'amico; rose villain -> il volo; bnkr44 -> gazzelle; santi francesi -> emma; alessandra amoroso -> mahmood; il tre -> bigmama; angelina mango -> the kolors; fiorella mannoia -> geolier; sangiovanni -> loredana bertè; mannini -> annalisa; ricchi e poveri -> irama; negramaro -> clara) We’ll have an updated rank:

Day 3 - co-hosts: Teresa Mannino Prob. guests: the non-performing 15 artists; Russel Crowe and his band; Eros Ramazzotti; Sabrina Ferilli; coro Arena di Verona; Gianni Morandi; Stefano Massini e Paolo Jannacci + on the Costa Cruise: Bresh and in the square: Paola & Chiara The 15 artisti that didn't perform yesterday will perform their entry to the contest (artist presenting -> artist singing in order of appearance: loredana bertè -> il tre; alfa -> maninni; fred de palma -> bnkr44; clara -> santi francesi; il volo -> mr rain; gazzelle -> rose villain; dargen d'amico -> alessandra amoroso; bigmama -> ricchi e poveri; irama -> angelina mango; the kolors -> diodato; mahmood -> ghali; emma -> negramaro; annalisa -> fiorella mannoia; renganek -> sangiovanni; geolier -> la sad) Classification after tonight:

Day 4 - co-hosts: Lorella Cuccarini Prob. guests: Cast "Mameli"; principe Alberto di Monaco; Pecco Bagnaia; Elena Sofia Ricci e Margherita Buy; i Jalisse; il maestro Beppe Vessicchio + on the Costa Cruise: Gigi D'Agostino and in the square: Arisa The 30 artists will present a song’s cover, each of them will perform together with a guest or more, unless they're already a band/group and will decide otherwise.

Covers’ list (in order of appearance):

Sangiovanni con Aitana - Medley di "Farfalle" e "Mariposas" (Sangiovanni)

Annalisa con La Rappresentante di Lista e il coro Artemia - "Sweet dreams (Are made of this)" (Eurythmics)

Rose Villain con Gianna Nannini - Medley

Gazzelle con Fulminacci - "Notte prima degli esami" (Antonello Venditti)

The Kolors con Umberto Tozzi - Medley dei successi di Umberto Tozzi

Alfa con Roberto Vecchioni - "Sogna ragazzo sogna" (Roberto Vecchioni)

Bnkr44 con Pino D'Angiò - "Ma quale idea" (Pino D'Angiò)

Irama con Riccardo Cocciante - "Quando finisce un amore" (Riccardo Cocciante)

Fiorella Mannoia con Francesco Gabbani - "Che sia benedetta" (Fiorella Mannoia -Saremo 2017) e "Occidentali's karma" (Francesco Gabbani -Sanremo 2017)

Santi Francesi con Skin - "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)

Ricchi e Poveri con Paola & Chiara - Medley di "Sarà perché ti amo" e "Mamma Maria" (Ricchi e Poveri)

Ghali con Ratchopper - Medley dal titolo "Italiano vero"

Clara con Ivana Spagna e il Coro di voci bianche del Teatro Regio di Torino - "Il cerchio della vita" (Ivana Spagna -Lion King's ST)

Loredana Bertè con Venerus - "Ragazzo mio" (Luigi Tenco con l'arrangiamento di Ivano Fossati)

Geolier con Guè, Luchè e Gigi D'Alessio - Medley dal titolo "Strade"

Angelina Mango con il quartetto d'archi dell'orchestra di Roma - "La rondine" (Mango)

Alessandra Amoroso con i BoomDaBash - Medley

Dargen D'Amico con BabelNova Orchestra - Omaggio a Ennio Morricone: “Modigliani” (sulle note di The Crisis)

Mahmood con i Tenores di Bitti - "Come è profondo il mare" (Lucio Dalla)

Mr.Rain con i Gemelli Diversi - "Mary" (Gemelli Diversi)

Negramaro con Malika Ayane - "La canzone del sole" (Lucio Battisti)

Emma con Bresh - Medley di Tiziano Ferro

Il Volo con Stef Burns - "Who wants to live forever" (Queen)

Diodato con Jack Savoretti - "Amore che vieni, amore che vai" (Fabrizio De André)

La Sad con Donatella Rettore - "Lamette" (Donatella Rettore)

Il Tre con Fabrizio Moro - Medley di Fabrizio Moro

BigMama con Gaia, La Niña e Sissi - "Lady Marmalade" (Labelle)

Maninni con Ermal Meta - "Non mi avete fatto niente" (Ermal Meta, Fabrizio Moro -Saremo 2018)

Fred De Palma con gli Eiffel 65 - Medley degli Eiffel 65

Renga Nek - Medley dei loro successi

Top 5 covers (all the other entries are considered as 6th):

We’ll also have a new general rank.

Day 5 - co-hosts: Fiorello Prob. guests: Roberto Bolle (dancer); Gigliola Cinquetti; Luca Argentero, Claudio Gioè (actors-Màkari 3) + on the Costa Cruise: Tedua and in the square: Tananai All the 30 artisti will perform again their songs (in order of appearance: renganek, bigmama, gazzelle, dargen d'amico, il volo, loredana bertè, negramaro, mahmood, santi francesi, diodato, fiorella mannoia, alessandra amoroso, alfa, irama, ghali, annalisa, angelina mango, geolier, emma, il tre, ricchi e poveri, the kolors, maninni, la sad, mr.rain, fred de palma, sangiovanni, clara, bnkr44, rose villain) and after midnight (prob. more like 1:30-2:30 am.) we’ll know the competition’s first 5 classified and all the special awards winners. The first 5 classified will perform again and get new votes to decide the final standings. The winner will go to the #ESC2024.

And the winner is: Angelina Mango!

Final standing:

Angelina Mango - "La noia"

Geolier - "I p' me tu p' te"

Annalisa - "Sinceramente"

Ghali - "Casa mia"

Irama - "Tu no"

Mahmood - "Tuta gold"

Loredana Bertè - "Pazza"

Il Volo - "Capolavoro"

Alessandra Amoroso - "Fino a qui"

Alfa - "Vai!"

Gazzelle - "Tutto qui"

Il Tre - "Fragili"

Diodato - "Ti muovi"

Emma - "Apnea"

Fiorella Mannoia - "Mariposa"

The Kolors - "Un ragazzo una ragazza"

Mr.Rain - "Due altalene"

Santi Francesi - "L'amore in bocca"

Negramaro - "Ricominciamo tutto"

Dargen D'Amico - "Onda alta"

Ricchi e Poveri - "Ma non tutta la vita"

BigMama - "La rabbia non ti basta"

Rose Villain - "Click boom!"

Clara - "Diamanti grezzi"

Renga Nek - "Pazzo di te"

Maninni - "Spettacolare"

La Sad - "Autodistruttivo"

Bnkr44 - "Governo punk"

Sangiovanni - "Finiscimi"

Fred De Palma - "Il cielo non ci vuole"

ANGELINA MANGO will take part at the ESC 2024! Other Awards: - Premio della critica “Mia Martini” : Loredana Bertè "Pazza" - Premio della sala stampa “Lucio Dalla” : Angelina Mango "La noia" - Premio miglior testo “Sergio Bardotti” : Fiorella Mannoia "Mariposa" - Premio miglior composizione musicale “Giancarlo Bigazzi” : Angelina Mango "La noia"

————————

Artists (+ lyrics):

Alessandra Amoroso - "Fino a qui"

Alfa - "Vai!"

Angelina Mango - "La noia"

Annalisa - "Sinceramente"

BigMama - "La rabbia non ti basta"

Bnkr44 - "Governo Punk"

Clara - "Diamanti grezzi"

Dargen D'Amico - "Onda alta"

Diodato - "Ti muovi"

Emma - "Apnea"

Fiorella Mannoia - "Mariposa"

Fred De Palma - "Il cielo non ci vuole"

Gazzelle - "Tutto qui"

Geolier - "I p' me, tu p' te"

Ghali - "Casa mia"

Il Tre - "Fragili"

Il Volo - "Capolavoro"

Irama - "Tu no"

La Sad - "Autodistruttivo"

Loredana Berté - "Pazza"

Mahmood - "Tuta gold"

Maninni - "Spettacolare"

Mr.Rain - "Due altalene"

Negramaro - "Ricominciamo tutto"

Renga e Nek - "Pazzo di te"

Ricchi e Poveri - "Ma non tutta la vita"

Rose Villain - "Click boom!"

Sangiovanni - "Finiscimi"

Santi Francesi - "L'amore in bocca"

The Kolors - "Un ragazzo una ragazza"

[all the lyrics can be found on this page]

(will edit with more updates, corrections and links as we get closer to the event)

#sanremo #sanremo2024 #sanremo 2024 #it #italiano #italian #langblr #italian language #italian langblr #languages #italian music #italian culture #italian things #italian tv #musica italiana #music #musica #italian stuff #lingua italiana

90 notes · View notes

hainethehero · 4 months

Text

Stucky headcanon of Steve and Bucky meeting in the 21st century...

"The mission is simple, get in, get the containment, get out. Minimum casualties."

Steve nods at Fury's instruction, accepting the report he'd just been handed.

"Thought this was a one-man job?"

The sound of heavy, thick-soled boots echo throughout Fury's office. Steve turns to look at James Buchanan Barnes, otherwise known as The Winter Soldier. Natasha had given him the run-down on Barnes and according to her, he was the best assassin SHIELD had ever commissioned. With over two dozen assassinations, one being a U.S president and top World Court officials making up the rest, Steve had to admit that the guy's resumé was impressive.

He rises to his feet and holds out a hand, a gesture in greeting cos his Mama always taught him to be polite.

"Hello, I'm Steve," he says with one of his best smiles.

Barnes watches him, then his outstretched hand and then turn backs to Fury with a dry look of mild annoyance.

"I work better alone. You know that."

Steve's smile drops along with his hand and he returns to his seat a little put out by Barnes's hostility. He could feel his cheeks burn from embarrassment.

"Well, Captain Rogers has been added to the scheme. He is at your disposal. And when I say disposal, I mean, he's the reason why the mission is minimum-casualty-coded."

Barnes lets out a frustrated sound, a hand on his hip. Steve takes in his black combat gear, noting the probable location of several knives and guns. He's got a black hoodie on but only one hand is gloved. Steve assumes it's simply a training preference. Natasha never mentioned just how good-looking he was, though.

Steve usually kept his attraction to other people carefully hidden beneath a veneer of indifference. Barnes just shattered it. He was Steve's height, with dark, chocolate hair that was swept up into a lazy bun, strands framing his face fashionably. His eyes were a wolfish blue, deep and intimidating. He was thick and brawny where Steve was slim and agile. Steve found himself wondering how it would feel to be under all that muscle during training.

He blushes from the absurdity of his own thoughts and looks away while Barnes continues to plead his case.

"I don't need help-"

"These orders come from the top, so there's really nothing I can do, Barnes." Fury tells him tiredly. "Now, quit pestering me and help your newest teammate get acquainted with mission training. Goodbye."

Bucky rolls his eyes and stalks out of the room before halting at the doors. He doesn't even turn around to look at Steve, but grunts,

"You comin' or what, Spangles?"

Steve hesitantly follows, heart in his throat because it was obvious this Winter guy didn't like his guts. He assumes his rep as the legendary Captain America would have some of the top guys at SHIELD skeptical, hell, he wasn't even well-liked back in his day. He vividly remembers being attacked with fruit during the USO tours. Remembers the resentment on the faces of men like Hodge and Greg, and most of the unit he'd served with until he'd earned their respect when he brought back the 107th.

If he hadn't done that, he imagined he'd be a poster boy for war bonds for his entire miserable life. He'd been to the Smithsonian, seen his exhibit and how they emphasized his time in the military. It was almost as if they didn't know there was an actual Steve Rogers underneath it all. As if they just wanted the world to know that he was all gung-ho for the war. Like he hadn't joined because he'd just lost his mother and wanted to do his best to follow in her footsteps and protect people from bullies.

Suddenly all his nerves had gone out and he was left in a state of shocked despair and depression.

It made sense for Barnes to despise him. Everything he was screamed self-righteousness.

"You comin' or what?" Bucky asks gruffly, shaking him from his thoughts. The elevator had stopped, he realizes, onto a new floor. He follows Barnes, finding it suspiciously hard to keep up with the man's quick and powerful strides.

They enter a standardized training room that's already buzzing with what Steve guesses is Bucky's team. There are about ten men milling about, some doing weights while others are working on weaponry. Steve notices one guy he'd worked with during the New York invasion with the Avengers.

"Holy shit," the man cackles, approaching them covered in sweat.

"Rumlow," he greets with a more professional air. If Bucky's reaction to him was anything to go by, he figured it'd be smarter to be professional, rather than polite. He was used to people not liking him very much.

"Rogers, didn't expect them to bring you in already."

"You knew about this?" Bucky snipes in a pissy tone.

Brock shrugs, "Heard a rumor a couple weeks ago, didn't think of it til now."

"Great," Bucky mumbles while the other guys approach them. Steve takes a step back warily, feeling a bit like a specimen under a microscope.

Bucky glances at him, eyes narrowed for a second before he talks again. "Captain, this is my STRIKE team. I'm assuming you know Rumlow, he's second in command. After him, Rollins. Wilson is one of our newer recruits but we've worked with his team before. He's pararescue. And our two specialists, Lopez and Murdock."

Lopez signs "hello" at Steve and he signs back in greeting, offering her an easy smile. Then he glances at Bucky who's eyes seem to harden and his smile drops again. Great, now his team captain thinks he's flirting with the only woman on the team.

Keep it up, Rogers. You'll be kicked out within the week.

"We have roughly two weeks to prepare for this retrieval. And now, thanks to Fury, we also have to bring Spangles into the loop." Bucky announces, matter-of-factly. Steve winces at the nickname he can already see as a permanent moniker in the very near future.

"Let's get to work."

This is for @thebrooklynnway as per my last post about Marvel villains being absolutely enamoured with "the pretty blonde himbo with big tits and a nice ass."

Also, I feel like I should write a fic about this.

32 notes · View notes

shewhoworshipscarlin · 2 months

Text

Fredi Washington

Fredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington (December 23, 1903 – June 28, 1994) was an American stage and film actress, civil rights activist, performer, and writer. Washington was of African American descent. She was one of the first Black Americans to gain recognition for film and stage work in the 1920s and 1930s. Washington was active in the Harlem Renaissance, her best known role being Peola in the 1934 film version of Imitation of Life, where she plays a young light-skinned Black woman who decides to pass as white. Her last film role was in One Mile from Heaven (1937), after which she left Hollywood and returned to New York to work in theatre and civil rights activism.

Fredi Washington was born in 1903 in Savannah, Georgia, to Robert T. Washington, a postal worker, and Harriet "Hattie" Walker Ward, a dancer. Both were of African American and European ancestry. Washington was the second of their five children. Her mother died when Fredi was 11 years old. As the oldest girl in her family, she helped raise her younger siblings, Isabel, Rosebud, and Robert, with the help of their grandmother. After their mother's death, Fredi and her sister Isabel were sent to the St. Elizabeth's Convent School for Colored Girls in Cornwells Heights, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While still in school in Philadelphia, Washington's family moved north to Harlem, New York. Washington graduated from Julia Richman High School in New York City.

Washington's entertainment career began in 1921 as a chorus girl in the Broadway musical Shuffle Along. She was hired by dancer Josephine Baker as a member of the "Happy Honeysuckles," a cabaret group. Baker became a friend and mentor to her. Washington's collaboration with Baker led to her being discovered by producer Lee Shubert. In 1926, she was recommended for a co-starring role on the Broadway stage with Paul Robeson in the play Black Boy. She quickly became a popular, featured dancer, and toured internationally with her dancing partner, Al Moiret.

Washington turned to acting in the late 1920s. Her first movie role was in Black and Tan (1929), in which she played a Cotton Club dancer who was dying. She acted in a small role in The Emperor Jones (1933) starring Robeson. In 1933, Washington married Lawrence Brown, the trombonist in Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra. That marriage ended in divorce. Washington also played Cab Calloway's love interest in the musical short Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (1934).

Her best-known role was in the 1934 movie Imitation of Life. Washington played a young light-skinned Black woman who chose to pass as white to seek more opportunities in a society restricted by legal and social racial segregation. As Washington had visible European ancestry, the role was considered perfect for her, but it led to her being typecast by filmmakers. Moviegoers sometimes assumed from Washington's appearance—her blue-gray eyes, pale complexion, and light brown hair—that she might have passed in real life. In 1934, she said the role did not reflect her off-screen life, but "If I made Peola seem real enough to merit such statements, I consider such statements compliments and makes me feel I've done my job fairly well." She told reporters in 1949 that she identified as Black "...because I'm honest, firstly, and secondly, you don't have to be white to be good. I've spent most of my life trying to prove to those who think otherwise ... I am a Negro and I am proud of it."[7] Imitation of Life was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, but it did not win. Years later, in 2007, Time magazine ranked it as among "The 25 Most Important Films on Race."

Washington's experiences in the film industry and theater led her to become a civil rights activist. In an effort to help other Black actors and actresses find more opportunities, in 1937 Washington co-founded the Negro Actors Guild of America, with Noble Sissle, W. C. Handy, Paul Robeson, and Ethel Waters. The organization's mission included speaking out against stereotyping and advocating for a wider range of roles. Washington served as the organization's first executive secretary. She was also heavily involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, widely known as the NAACP. While working with the NAACP, Fredi fought for more representation and better treatment of Black actors in Hollywood because she was one of the few Black actors in Hollywood who had some influence with white studio executives. Aside from working with those organizations to fight for the rights of Black actors, Washington also advocated for the federal protection of Black Americans and was a lobbyist for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which the NAACP supported.

Despite receiving critical acclaim, she was unable to find much work in the Hollywood of the 1930s and 1940s; Black actresses were expected to have dark skin, and were usually typecast as maids. Directors were concerned about casting a light-skinned Black actress in a romantic role with a white leading man; the film production code prohibited suggestions of miscegenation. Hollywood directors did not offer her any romantic roles. As one modern critic explained, Fredi Washington was "...too beautiful and not dark enough to play maids, but rather too light to act in all-Black movies..."

Washington was a theater writer, and the entertainment editor for The People's Voice (1942–1948), a newspaper for African Americans founded by Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a Baptist minister and politician in New York City who was married to her sister Isabel Washington Powell. She was outspoken about racism faced by African Americans and worked closely with Walter White, then president of the NAACP, to address pressing issues facing Black people in America.

In 1952, Washington married a Stamford dentist, Hugh Anthony Bell, and moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.

Fredi Washington Bell died, aged 90, on June 28, 1994. She died from pneumonia following a series of strokes at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stamford, Connecticut.

#historical #black history month #actress

23 notes · View notes

the-tired-merc · 17 days

Note

For the ask game FORGED. Since I canr give the tired merc a cup of coffee or energy drink

I feel like giving any scout mech pilot an energy drink would, on one hand, be a really bad idea, but on the other, really fuckin funny to see them pilot their mech, anyways, I would say my first failed mission taught me alot

The sound of gunfire came from every direction, mixed with the screams of panic coming from her radio

"We're surrounded! Fucking hell!"

"Fall back!"

"I'm hit!"

Each word echoed in her head as she desperately tried to navigate around the hostile mechs, barely dodging shots, this was her fault, she had blindly run ahead, so fucking confident, now they were surrounded, getting shot at like fish in a barrel

"Shit they got a firestarter! I'm running too ho-"

There was a distant sound of a ammo explosion as the voice cut to static

Amber quickly began to panic, it had never gone this bad before, yeah she had bad missions, but his was a massacre

"EJECTING"

Another mech down, now just her and the Jenner left, and 2 whole lances of enemies, the Jenner had caught up, the pair running as missiles and shells screamed passed them

"THE HELL HAPPENED" She practically screeched into her radio

"We got fed false intel, keep your head cool kid!"

"HOW CAN I KEEP A CO-"

She wad interupted by an explosion coming from her right, just in time to see the Jenner turn into a fireball

"Fuck this fuck this fuck this!"

Amber reached down, pulling the ejection lever as she felt missiles slam into the back of her mech, tearing apart thr armor, and eating into the internals

Ya, I've learned to uh, lose the confidence since that op. Be a little bit more careful.

12 notes · View notes

dreamingsnowflake2013 · 2 years

Photo

Find yourself a man who would do battle with his own father to get you your due and the respect and money you deserve.

Previously I talked about the landlord/owner issue, Ho-joon uses another ambiguos word here. The word ‘our’ in Korean also means ‘my’, and considering he never uses the possessive pronoun with his other co-workers, he slips here, letting his true feelings show. He is like ‘how dare you treat MY boy(friend) like trash, dad?!’

Ho-joon has grown so much over the course of the story as the writing team really managed to properly develop and flesh out his character over a very short and limited runtime. He’s changed and become a better person even though he never had been a bad man to begin with, only flawed one. Now, when he asks his dad for money, it isn’t for himself but for Jae-yoon because he deserves it more than anyone else as compared to the past when he only took money for himself. He might have started the job to get the money for himself but it quickly turned into something he enjoys because he’s got talent for it and likes being with Jae-yoon. Gradually, his managing job has become something with which he can help Jae-yoon to succeed, make him happy and achieve everything he wants.

Hearing Jae-yoon’s heart-breaking story at the beach made Ho-yoon realise how good he actually has had it in life and it made him feel sad for Jae-yoon who went through so much and has worked so hard, pulling himself from the bottom with hard work. It was the moment he decided he’s going to protect Jae-yoon and give him everything he wants. It’s like he’s been on a mission ever since to make his landlord/owner happy. Jae-yoon’s happiness becomes his priority and he’s been constantly, selflessly giving him so many things.

It’s always about what he can do for Jae-yoon and not what Jae-yoon can do for him, without asking anything in return, in contrast to Seung-seok who thinks it’s all about him and has been using Jae-yoon for 10 years for his own selfish gains.

For Ho-joon, Jae-yoon’s smile is a reward enough. There is this perfect moment that proves it and it’s when he becomes the ‘male griller’ for him so his co-workers stop making him grill the meat for them and even gets a little revenge for him on them. Jae-yoon realises Ho-joon is helping him and smiles which makes Ho-joon tenderly smile in return. Awwww, Jae-yoon’s happiness truly is what makes Ho-joon happy.

#roommates of poongduck 304 #풍덕빌라 304호의 사정 #kim ji woong #yoon seobin #yoon seo bin #kdrama

191 notes · View notes

reds-skull · 3 months

Text

BLOOD||HUNGER

[PREV PART] [AO3]

Like I said, I already wrote 2 chapters, and this is the second one, called "The Death-way"

Page 5 of the “Blooede Starvatfōre-dēde”, parable 2:

A fine trader finds upon his path a great Beast,

Dark and terrible, unsated by battles long and fierce,

Armor fallen, wounded by fangs, lays a final time,

Under the malefactor, you will not see life,

The trader leaves the harsh thing, he laments,

Then walks a path, which beasts cannot bear.

A maiden finds upon her path a fearsome Beast,

Eyes spat flames, fangs reach for heavens,

Perishes all surroundings, small birdsongs and prey,

All bow to the daemon, a creature of pain,

The maiden returns, from whence she came,

On her lips nothing more, but words of pray.

It was an extraordinary thing - shaped for fighting, a strong, solid body, adorned with black. It blends into the night, its enemies wouldn’t see the shadow until it was too late. It was perfected in battle, forged from the worst humanity has to offer.

Its name was the Ghost. A weapon to be picked up and discarded as needed.

And he is needed tonight - to kill a target, and collect intel. Covert, solo op. His speciality.

Ghost silently sneaks across rooftops, nimbly avoiding the cracking shingles. His CO for the mission didn’t give him much info on the target themselves, but they had plenty on their location. If he’s honest, the whole thing has an air of wrongness to it, and it all starts and ends with the person commending him.

“The Hunter”. Virtually nothing is known about the commander - not that Ghost has really tried looking into it. He doesn’t concern himself with a temporary arrangement. If he researched every odd fuck he encountered, he’ll never have time to actually do the damn job.

It is a little off-putting that the Hunter seems to try and copy Ghost. Specifically, in the mask department. Blood-red skull mask, with a jaw and all. If the Hunter wasn’t paying well, Ghost would’ve ripped that thing right off their face.

He feels like it’s taunting him. Mocking him.

Ghost exhales, ridding himself of all thoughts but those pertaining the mission. He unpacks his sniper rifle, provided by the Hunter, and sets up on a high roof. The roof overviews the building his target is in. The city is quiet, almost unnaturally so, but as it helps the mission, Ghost doesn’t complain.

All he needs to do now is wait.

As he does, he can’t help but wonder again about this strange mission.

Several days earlier

“Ghost”, a soldier calls beside the Hunter. “Right on the dot. I guess the rumors about your professionalism aren’t unfounded, are they?”

Ghost doesn’t grace the man with a response, instead glaring at the Hunter. The person is about his height, tactical gear marked with red streaks making them look imposing. Ghost thinks it looks a little tacky.

“You got the brief, I assume?” the soldier asks. Ghost nods, taking his eyes off the Hunter to inspect the racket around him. Soldiers carrying boxes upon boxes of ammunition, guns, and gear. It makes him squint.

What kind of mission are they going to that needs this much preparations? He thought they’re going to a civilian city, not an active war zone.

The soldier draws his attention back, “we will infil you in 3 days. We have accommodations for you on base-”

“That won’t be necessary.” Ghost drawls. Hell will freeze over before he bunks down in a foreign base.

The soldier sputters, opening his mouth to argue, but the Hunter stops him. They exchange hushed words, and the soldier relents, “as long as you’re here when the helo takes off, we don’t care where you are.”

Ghost sharply nods. At least someone here has a bit of common sense. “And Ghost?” The soldier calls behind him.

“We’re very glad you’re here.”

Ghost doesn’t look back, but he can feel the physical weight of the Hunter’s gaze on him. It makes his spine shiver in a way things really don’t do, not after what he’s become.

This whole business reeks. Better finish this quick and clean.

The target entered the house 6 minutes ago. Ghost watches the lights turn on in various rooms as they walk around, unaware of the man that haunts them. The target isn’t in his sight just yet, but Ghost can be quite patient.

A light turns on at a bedroom facing his position, and Ghost moves his scope to its window. A few moments later, a middle-aged man enters, taking off his coat. He seems a little frazzled, Ghost absentmindedly notes.

Ghost inhales, lines up the shot, and pulls the trigger on exhale.

The man drops dead on his second step into the room. Ghost leaves the sniper rifle on the roof, and jumps down to the balcony of the target’s building. Stepping around the broken glass, intending to leave no traces of himself in the scene.

They don’t call him a ghost for nothing.

He spares a glance to the target. If it weren’t for the clean bullet hole in his forehead, he would’ve looked like he’s just sleeping. Ghost moves on.

Searching the house yields no results - and an irritation begins to rise within him. The Hunter’s sources were wrong, it seems. Ghost is about to radio it in when multiple soldiers enter the house from the ground floor.

He waits until the Hunter and their communicator climb up to level them a glare, “your intel was a bust. There’s nothing here.”

The Hunter glances down at the body between them, and back up at him. They tilt their head, examining Ghost. For what, he’s not sure-

There are eyes at the back of his head. Guns pointed at him. Ghost swings around.

Nothing. The soldiers are busy ransacking the house for any drop of information.

The communicator’s voice makes him turn again, “it seems so, unfortunately. Either way, you’ve done your part.”

The shifting behind him stops.

It feels wrong it feels wrong he needs to get out.

“Thank you for your service, Ghost.”

The Hunter dashes at him, lightning quick as they grab his neck. Ghost tries to retaliate, but hands come from behind to restrain him.

Betrayal. How could he be so bloody stupid.

The Hunter sinks a sharp needle into his pale flesh, cold metal squeezing a freezing liquid into his bloodstream.

Poison.

Ghost manages to release one arm, punching the Hunter, feeling his knuckles burst open on the sharp mask.

He puts distance between himself and the several soldiers trying to grab him again, pushing the Hunter forward.

They’re not shooting, he frantically realizes. They want him alive.

He can’t. Not again. GET OUT.

Ghost growls as he gives a final push, toppling both him and the Hunter over the balcony railing and onto the cold harsh ground.

The body beneath him crashes with a sickening crack, Ghost wasting no time, taking out their pistol and spinning to shoot a few heads.

Soldiers fall around him, the ground painted red, and Ghost pushes off the Hunter to run.

Horrifyingly, he knows the commander isn’t dead. And he damn well knows they won’t stop until they have him.

It comes and goes in waves, Ghost discovers in the next few hours. Sometimes, he feels completely fine. And others… his left arm is barely functional, certainly not enough to hold a pistol.

He hates every second of it. Hates that he can’t predict when his arm will suddenly become useless.

It… scares him.

The Hunter’s soldiers are killing everything in their path. Ghost doesn’t understand why they bother. Why go through the effort to kill all civilians, when they don’t even want to kill him?

The only thing that makes sense here is what they would do with him. Ghost knows too much, is too valuable to discard. If they catch him, nothing but torture waits in Ghost’s future.

He hears nearby screaming. Time to move again.

Ghost has been trying to rest, to slow the spread of the poison as much as possible, but the endless waves of hostiles keep pushing him out of the abandoned houses he holes down in. Right now, he can’t even begin to think of a way to get an antidote, not when he has no allies anymore.

And the fact the poison might paralyze him, leaving him unable to move but so achingly conscious as soldiers find him…

He can’t think about it right now.

He sneaks out of the back door, careful but hurried as he speeds to the next.

Scanning around him, the coast appears clear. Ghost slowly pushes the door open, when he hears a clank. A hiss of a smoke follows it, instantly filling the narrow hallway with thick haze.

What the fuck…? This is not the work of the Hunter, why would he set such a stupid trap-

Ghost grunts when something catches his ankle, lifting him off the ground, “FUCKIN’ HELL-”

He swings up, dangled off of the ceiling by a wire. Ghost frowns when he notices what the trap is made of - junk and odd household appliances.

The stairs creak as someone steps down. Ghost tries to make out the silhouette, but the man is still in shadow.

“If ye want to live, ye better start fuckin’ talking. Who sent you here, and what are yer orders?!”

Ghost blinks. His attacker is… Scottish?

The man steps into the light - built, but wearing civilian clothes, now marred with blood and mud, with the stupidest haircut he’s ever seen. But that doesn’t interest him as much as the rifle he’s currently pointing at him.

The man snarls, “answer me!”

He thinks he’s losing it a little, when Ghost has to suppress an urge to laugh. This entire day was such a fuckin’ shitshow, and now he has to deal with a Scottish bastard that apparently specialises in crafting traps right out of Indiana Jones.

“I’m not with them.” Ghost eventually breathes.

That makes the man lower the gun, “the fuck is a Brit doin’ here?”

Ghost would’ve leveled him with a deadpan if his body didn’t swing around again, hiding his face from the man, “the fuck’s a Scot doing here?”

The man huffs, ��aye, suppose I should’ve expected that. Yer military?”

Ghost considers his answer for a moment. “Affirm. SAS.” he feels the blood rushing to his head uncomfortably, “you?”

“Ex-military.” The man says almost bitterly, “SAS too.”

Ex-military? Interesting… “Rank?”

The man steps around to face him, “Sergeant- the fuck are ye wearing?”

Ghost looks the man up and down (well, down and up in his current predicament), “a mask, Sergeant. They discharged you for being blind?”

The Sergeant squints, “I’m perfectly fit, ye weapon. Got booted out.” He lets the rifle rest by the strap, “ye a Sergeant as well?”

At that, Ghost does smirk, not that the man would be able to tell, “Lieutenant. Now, care to let me off your bloody contraption?”

The Sergeant startles like he forgot about that, before pulling out a knife and cutting the wire. Ghost almost falls on his head, getting his arms under him just in time.

“Fuckin’ bastard…” Ghost glares at him.

The fucker actually grins down at him, offering a hand that Ghost bats away, “So, what was yer mission here?”

Ghost straightens his back, now towering over the Sergeant, “was working under a commander named “The Hunter” to take down a target. They stabbed me in the back.” the man’s face darkens.

“Why are they killing civilians then?”

Ghost cracks his neck, “don’t know. Was trying to get outta dodge when your bloody trap got me.” he walks forward to examine it. Looked damn convoluted. This man is surprisingly resourceful…

The man follows, “been stuck in this city for three days. Tried to get intel, caught you instead.”

Ghost stares at him. Why didn’t he run away?

Doesn’t matter. Ghost is not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The Sergeant might be his ticket out of here.

He takes out the pistol he stole from the Hunter, “you still know how to shoot?”

The man makes an offended noise, “I know what I’m doing.”

“Good.” Ghost clicks the clip back after check how much bullets he had left, “on me, Sergeant.”

The Sergeant sputters, “what?”

Ghost puts on his commending tone, “we’re going to get out of here, call for backup, and finish off the Hunter. I’m broken, so I’ll need someone on my six.”

He looks down at him, “unless you got a better plan?”

The man sighs, pouting like a child. He offers a hand to shake, and Ghost reluctantly takes it. He has to play with the team for now.

“Soap.” the man says as he lets go.

The fuck’s kinda callsign is Soap? “Ghost.” he grumbles.

Soap grins, “really going hard with the Halloween vibe, eh?”

Ghost sighs, “Take point, Sergeant.”

“Yes sir.”

As they walk out of the house, covering each other’s six, Ghost can’t help but feel a sort of sickness within him.

The stab in the back, the callsigns and ranks, the fuckin’ handshakes and introductions…

This is a song and dance he went through a long time ago.

And he doesn’t know if he’ll survive an encore.

#call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod ghost #cod soap #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #BLOOD||HUNGER #call of duty fic #call of duty fanfic #call of duty modern warfare #cod fic #cod fanfic #so if anyone remembers how i talked about in my postscript #that i feel like there are 2 types of ghost portrayal in fics?#yeah im going for the 'completely fucked up' this time around

9 notes · View notes

shallowseeker · 3 months

Text

SAM, if I were your brother, I'd have hit you in this episode. Or at the very least put hair-dye in your shampoo!

Ok, so I finally finished re-watching Don't Go Into the Woods, and I noticed that Sam is doing the same thing he did with Claire Novak a little bit!

///

So, at the start of the episode, he doesn't even seem all that aware of the stress Jack, Dean, Cas are under. In the previous episode, Peace of Mind, Sam is wrapped up in his own grief and failings, and Cas steps in to mentor him (note Cas also wanted to let Dean get some much-needed sleep).

Here, in Don't Go Into the Woods, Sam starts out gung-ho about the hunt, but by the end of the episode, he's clamped onto his moral-fixation-of-the-moment, inspired by the case-of-the-week, where a Dean-and-Cas coded sheriff has lied to a son to protect him.

///

And here's the thing. I's a little bit true, right? Dean is tiptoeing around Jack, chipperly telling him that "his mission is SHOPPING!"

BUT.

Sam's being sanctimonious-Sam here.

Dean's been the one trying to take care of Sam AND Jack when Sam was running everyone ragged by diving into case after case...when Sam was trying to forget about losing the AU hunters.

Now, weeks later, Sam checks back in to trying to be apart of the co-parenting village.

I'm impressed Dean is keeping patience enough to listen to him. I'd have laid on Baby's horn and screamed, probably. Or turned on heavy-metal and let it rattle the windows.

DEAN: So telling the kid--you think that's the best idea? SAM: What? You don't? DEAN: It doesn't make his life any better, you know?

Oof. Ow.

Dean is so sad.

He knows something is wrong with his kid, but he doesn't know how to fix it. BECAUSE it's not simple.

But Sam? After weeks of being "out of it," Sam has hyper-focused on The Thing (TM) he thinks is gonna fix it.

For Sam, it's simple. Don't lie, and everything else solves itself! :D Talk, and all your problems just melt away.

DEAN: I took care of it, okay? We took care of it. SAM: No, no Dean. We did not take care of it.

(BRB, hitting Sam with a newspaper.)

Sam is framing this as a "Dean is so controlling" issue, when in fact, it's a part of the larger "Sam is checking out," one.

And hey--we are absolutely sympathetic to Sam checking out, to using hunting to ease his turbulence.

He's not the only character to do so!

However, Sam is a character that tends to check out, come back, and immediately go into sanctimonious LECTURE mode:

SAM (judgily): No, no Dean. We did not take care of it. You did.

Yeah, Sam. That's kind of the whole friggin' point here!!!

For weeks now, Dean and Cas having been taking trying their darnedest to care of YOU, of Jack, of everything! Dean is even the one who checked in on the phone with your friend ROWENA.

Cas is going the other direction, taking on too much. He's out trying to take care of things ON HIS OWN AS YOU SPEAK. Dean's on the -hold-down-the-fort-homefront, and Cas is on the big-solution-oriented-battlefront.

All Dean does is exhale a little. "Ha..."

SAM: And do you think you really took care of it the right way?

....

......................................

Sam. Sammy.

....

Anyway, so Dean. He's hit with this...blunt, hamfisted unkindness rom Sam after his Michael-possession and superhuman efforts to take care of everyone, so he scrambles.

DEAN: "Jack said he was fine."

And obviously, Dean knows Jack isn't fine.

HE'S the one that was wanting to give Jack more space and time before hunting, after all. And in the beginning of this ep, Sam wasn't even thinking about Jack's wellbeing at all. It just...hasn't been on his radar. He was the one berating Dean for not wanting to bring Jack along and sassily reminding him that Jack was (via Donatello) "is in the clear."

And so, Sam pushes the lying issue:

SAM: "He's a kid. And when we were kids, how many times did we tell dad we say were fine just to make him happy?"

...

Oh.

Like you did earlier this very episode, Sam?

*coughs*

Sigh.

///

In the context of the last few weeks and his cluelessness in the beginning of this episode, wanna know why Sam is using this issues to throw such a bitch-fit?

Because now that Sam's checked into the village parenting club again, he's latching onto something that's easier to control than everything else: words.

Cause Sam's simplifying the whole sitch.

(It's why Sam's boundaries with Jack tend to be "easy-mode" parenting, like his berating Jack's sugary sweets/diet. These are tasks that allow Sam to remain "the good guy in Jack's corner" without doing the "hard-mode" parenting that turns the parent into a Bad Guy.)

And Sam he thinks talking out "the truth" will magically fix Jack's complex issues...ones Sam's been conveniently ignoring for weeks.

///

And Dean is being so beautifully understanding about it. Acquiescing and trying things Sam's way.

///

Sam slinks in the background at first, letting Dean do the greeting and the talking at first, waiting for his moment to swoop in and provide "sage, Sammy-time advice" That he has no doubt been rehearsing silently in the car.

And Dean...despite shielding Jack from the truth, is being honest in other emotional ways. He emphasizes how he didn't particularly like the gross parts of the hunt.

[[Remember, in the very beginning of the episode, Sam judgmentally raked Dean over the FUCKIN' COALS for jumping at the sight of the dead body. "How many years you been doing this job, Dean? You're embarrassing me here.")]]

///

Enter Sam. Parent mode activated!

God help us.

DEAN, comically annoyed that Jack didn't get the beer...

....and MAYBE wondering if Sam's bull-in-the-China-shop parenting is going to work right here at this ill-timed moment or not.

The thing is, Sam is right about some aspects of this! It's a good thing to talk to Jack about his powers! Like how Cas needs to talk to Jack about the snake! How Dean needs to stop being so afraid of the truth that he goes into denial mode.

BUT!

At its base, the Sam method tends to chafe.

Jack's been INCREDIBLY defensive lately, something Cas and Dean know well and have clearly talked about with each other freely. In Peace of Mind, they both used the snake to talk to Jack soas not to trigger Jack's defensiveness.

But Sam? Sam's been way outta the loop. And it shows.

SAM: Jack LISTEN. Dean and I wanted to talk to you about your powers.

And again, I'm not saying Sam's wrong. He's just...unfortunately very Sam about things even when he's right. He's able to occasionally give good advice, like to Mary about AU Bobby!

There's no real...100% wrong stance here.

After all, maybe it would've been better for Jack to come along with them (or maybe it would've gone terribly)?

And Dean may have good intention in wanting to lie to protect his son Jack, but Dean definitely doesn't want his partner to lie to him to spare him pain.

(Or, actually, via the script, that's not quite true. He SIMULTANEOUSLY wants Cas to tell him about the snake, and he DOESN'T want Cas to tell him about the snake. Lol, oh the humanity.)

///

ANYHOO. Dean gracefully enters the conversation, trying to be frank but IMHO clearly having misgivings about this approach and timing:

DEAN: It was crappy of us not to tell you. You know, we were trying to be nice. 'Cause we care about you. But because we care about you, you deserve the truth.

And Jack has a moment of indecision here, clearly thinking about his own lie. Ordinarily, Jack might come clean about how his powers injured someone (and then healed them). But not now. Not with how things have been lately.

But here...psychologically wounded from consuming Michael's grace, feeling flat inside, feeling guilty and disconnected from everything...he remains quiet.

Not to mention, Sam's up in his face like this:

///

Jeebus. No wonder Jack didn't say anything.

Make no mistake, Jack is annoyed by the constant hovering. He says as much in Game Night, but something about this cerebral-scripted-Sam-method IMHO works the least with Jack.

(We see that in Tombstone, too.)

I think Dean realizes that Jack's withdrawing here, that this method, despite it's moral clarity, wasn't entirely effective or successful for getting through to Jack:

At least with Cas, Jack allowed himself to get mad, to speak freely. (Same with Mary in Game Night. He lets his real emotions show.)

But this? Sam's pushing?

He shuts down:

Dean tips his head back, like "Oh crap." Perhaps thinking to himself, HOLY MOLEY THAT DID NOT WORK AT ALL.

He even makes a Cas face about it:

And the fun part is: Jack knows that Dean knows.

You can see it in the flash of eyes he gives him here. But when Jack looks back to Sam, he does this little "I'm so innocent" act.

And Sam? Sam looks overjoyed because he's a dumbass who missed...everything.

Dean on the other hand...is...more understanding of the fuck-all progress that actually made here. Which is basically none. He swings his arms like, "Whelp. That was useless."

Sam is like YISSS I HAVE DONE IT I HAVE CONQUERED PARENTING IN ALL MY WISDOM

DEAN (sarcastically): Great. And I guess I'll go get some beer.

#sam stuff #spn parenting #jack stuff #dean stuff #season 14 #bad parent sam

10 notes · View notes

imasallstars · 1 month

Text

6TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN

The campaigns for the 6th Anniversary has started! To hype up the upcoming celebrations, the following missions are added! Clear them all for outfit tickets for the 6th Anniversary outfit!

※ flavor text translations for the outfit will be located under the readmore

MISSIONS (from 2023/04/02 00:00 JST)

[Fes Ticket x1] Clear 5 Grade Fes

[283 Pro T-Shirt x1] Clear 10 Grade Fes

[Reporter Set x1] Activate 5 Link Appeals in Grade Fes

[3-in-1 Fruit Tart Set x1] Activate 10 Link Appeals in Grade Fes

[Special Morning Set x1] Obtain 10 Memory Appeals in Grade Fes

[Reporter Set x1] Get 1st place in a Grade Fes 1 time

[Hazuki Seal x5] Get 1st place in a Grade Fes 3 times

[Special Morning Set x1] Obtain a total of 1 GACCHIRI (Top + Last) Appeal in Grade Fes

[Hazuki Seal x5] Obtain a total of 3 GACCHIRI (Top + Last) Appeals in Grade Fes

[Lucky Pouch x1] PERFECT CONTROL (Top Appeal All Three Judges) on a Grade Fes

MISSIONS (from 2023/04/21)

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Produce 5 FES IDOLS

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Produce 3 FES IDOLS

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Produce 8 FES IDOLS

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a W.I.N.G. run 1 time

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a W.I.N.G. run 3 times

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a G.R.A.D. run 1 time

Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a G.R.A.D. run 3 times

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a Landing Point run 1 time

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a Landing Point run 3 times

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a TFD run 1 time

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a TFD run 3 times

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a S.T.E.P. run 1 time

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a S.T.E.P. run 3 times

[Refulgent Plumage Outfit Ticket x2] Clear a True End 1 time

[Title: 6th Anniversary] Clear all the aforementioned missions

You have until May 9th 11:59 JST to clear all the missions!

6TH ANNIVERSARY OUTFIT FLAVOR TEXT TRANSLATIONS

illumination STARS

[Refulgent Plumage] Mano Sakuragi join us! Higher than the night skies, more sparkling the stars

[Refulgent Plumage] Hiori Kazano join us! Wrapped in the light of a prism

[Refulgent Plumage] Meguru Hachimiya join us! Together with the light...

L'Antica

[Refulgent Plumage] Kogane Tsukioka join us! Dazzling for a moment

[Refulgent Plumage] Mamimi Tanaka join us! Colorful, exciting, bothersome

[Refulgent Plumage] Sakuya Shirase join us! Listen to the fanfare

[Refulgent Plumage] Yuika Mitsumine join us! Have it in all of the colors

[Refulgent Plumage] Kiriko Yukoku join us! What migrating birds dream of

HO-KA-GO CLIMAX GIRLS

[Refulgent Plumage] Kaho Komiya join us! What color will I be?

[Refulgent Plumage] Chiyoko Sonoda join us! I just love fanse-.... gratitude

[Refulgent Plumage] Juri Saijo join us! Everyday is a gift I cherish

[Refulgent Plumage] Rinze Morino join us! My feelings, overflowing

[Refulgent Plumage] Natsuha Arisugawa join us! THE SPARKLERS

ALSTROEMERIA

[Refulgent Plumage] Amana Osaki join us! I want to dye you in this color

[Refulgent Plumage] Tenka Osaki join us! A ring of flowers, bursting in bloom

[Flowing Bhelle] Chiyuki Kuwayama join us! Standing proud with dignified colors

Straylight

[Refulgent Plumage] Asahi Serizawa join us! The light is how you spread your wings

[Refulgent Plumage] Fuyuko Mayuzumi join us! Round the world

[Refulgent Plumage] Mei Izumi join us! My usual self, dyed in the hues of my surroundings

noctchill

[Refulgent Plumage] Toru Asakura join us! Toru, Deluxe Edition

[Refulgent Plumage] Madoka Higuchi join us! Let my song reach someone

[Flowing Bhelle] Koito Fukumaru join us! High enough that you won't get left behind

[Refulgent Plumage] Hinana Ichikawa join us! Come on, to the direction of the colors

SHHis

[Refulgent Plumage] Nichika Nanakusa join us! Beautifully, so bright it hurts

[Refulgent Plumage] Mikoto Aketa join us! It doesn't end with the flower on the stage

CoMETIK

[Refulgent Plumage] Luca Ikaruga join us! OUT OF TUNE

[Refulgent Plumage] Hana Suzuki join us! Vibrant

[Refulgent Plumage] Haruki Ikuta join us! More immaculate than the now

#shinymas campaign #anniversary campaign

5 notes · View notes

stormxpadme · 7 months

Text

Whumptober 2023 No. 17 - Collar

Scogan Bingo challenge Dessert

That this mission would be an ugly one had been clear from the moment, Scott had learned, Marie and Logan had been kidnapped right off the damn street by some Weapon X goons, of all people, effectively ruining what should have been these two's first mission together after Marie's official appointment to the team. Some kind of trauma waiting for everyone involved at the end of that day? That had been a no-brainer, really. No matter how much Marie had been working her ass off since Alkali Lake to become a valuable fighter in Scott's group and though he was perfectly aware, she would happily suck the life out of him with her bare hand in a death grip around his balls if he'd ever admitted that to her face … That girl still was half a teenager.

Especially after losing a woman Scott had loved to this fucking job not too long ago, it had taken a lot of convincing from both Charles and Logan until he'd reluctantly given in regarding filling Jean's spot among the X-Men with some fresh blood as it was, painfully aware that sooner or later, that would not only be a figure of speech. Naïve as he sometimes still was, even after 15 years in the field, he'd just hoped to have at least a couple of months to go without another catastrophe. After almost running himself entirely into the ground following Jean's demise, barely saved from that particular abyss by a certain other team member whom he'd lately come unexpectedly close to … All Scott needed right now was a fucking break. Sadly, the life of a superhero was rarely considerate of such childish hopes. There was a lot of disillusioning terror about to unload onto their newest fellow warrior; Scott had no illusions about that when he gathered his people in the Blackbird that afternoon, starting up the engines hectically. Cursing under his breath, he followed the path of their missing team members' tracker signals quickly moving north on one monitor with his gaze while maneuvering his beloved jet out of the hangar so quickly, he almost grazed the not-quite-yet open hatch with one wing. Ororo's disapproving frown from the co-pilot seat, he regarded only with a tense shrug. With how things had gone between Logan and him in the last few months, the others probably thought this development was why Scott found it increasingly hard to keep his usual cool about leaving for another possibly deadly quest, and in the very place where Logan had once been tortured beyond comparison and where the X-Men had suffered their worst blow so far no less. But that wasn’t why Scott had to clench his hand so exaggeratedly hard around the stick that day, to hide even from his own blurred sight how much it was shaking.

Logan came with the powers, and in spite of his ongoing amnesia with the experience, too, to deal with another few hours in this insane people's horror cabinet. Scott had spent enough nights lately, holding and talking his partner through one of his PTSD attacks after particularly bad nightmares to be certain of that.

Marie, for reasons of her skin-reactionary mutation alone, would have no one to comfort her like this if this whole thing went as Scott feared, especially not since Bobby had fucked off to run and live alone after Alkali Lake, breaking all those big promises he'd made to the girl about being able to deal with her gift beforehand. The only other person Marie was really close to was probably just being cut into neat little pieces right in front of her eyes, up there in that damn rebuilt Alkali Lake facility. Goddamnit, just when Scott had thought he couldn’t hate these bastards and their whole inhumane illegal experiment fetish even more.

"Focus, my young Captain," a sonorous voice from the seat behind him warned him, a broad blue paw coming to rest on his shoulder when Scott had to correct the jet's position for the fourth time within ten minutes because he just couldn’t concentrate on the radar properly. "It's only been an hour since we got the alert from their car. And their vehicles don’t fly with Shi’ar tech. It's perfectly possible we'll arrive there before they do. We can still get them out of there in time." As so often, the level-headed, analytic mind of a long-lost-thought former team member who had been doing a great job replacing Jean at least in the sick bay after Alkali Lake, helped Scott clear the disturbing fog of his emotions as well. Aim that energy he'd need to come up with a suitable plan as soon as they would be able to tell how much had changed at those damn laboratories since their last disastrous visit there. With a little grimace, he shook out his arm when he realized how tensely he'd really been holding on to that damn stick, an old sting throbbing in his shoulder from some sparring less than a week ago with Marie when she'd almost ripped his damn arm from his socket.

No, physically there was little doubt, the group's rookie would be doing hopefully okay in a confrontation with an unknown number of hostiles. But the biggest traces Logan had walked away with from his own encounters with these psychos were famously located on his soul, and not only because his healing factor rarely allowed scarring.

With a sigh, Scott finally gave in to Ororo's impatient gesture from the neighboring chair and swiped over the brightly blinking display combination that would sign the navigation over to her console. An hour of sitting on the floor cross-legged somewhere in the rear should hopefully ban these useless considerations from his mind. Meditation was something he'd never used to believe in before getting together in some loose relationship with a certain feral, of all people. But something that helped keep even Logan's sometimes so untamable instincts in check probably couldn’t hurt, Scott's own betimes over-obsessive brain stay on the correct course. "You know, I told her I'd only give her one of those uniforms if she was sure she wouldn’t come to regret it. It's not only been six damn weeks."

Ororo reached out to stop him by his wrist when he moved to get up, regarding him with a patient headshake. "We were all surprised you made it through six weeks of her nagging and complaining before you sent her off to that recruitment run with Logan. The guy's been watching your depressed butt ever since our last mission at this place, Scott. He was there when I was certain for weeks after we lost Jean, that I'd find you drowned in your own vodka vomit and tears one morning." Almost a year, and there was still that suspiciously rough tone in Ororo's bright voice at the mention of her best friend's name, that vengeful stare in her black eyes that she tried to hide in vain behind her long white fringe before pulling herself together and turning back to the controls, to Scott's reflection mirrored in them. "I have no idea how he did that, but don’t you think you can trust him to be her shield, too?"

"No idea how he does it either," Scott gave back with a slightly embarrassed shrug, realizing Logan's and his occasional nightly visits in each other's apartments on the teacher's floor had gone even less unnoticed than they'd half and half hoped. Not that Scott had ever been bothered a lot by people gossiping about his love life. He'd honestly had worse headlines. Besides, right now, he'd even put up happily about some think piece regarding Logan's and his alleged kink preferences in the goddamn Daily Bugle if only that meant he wouldn’t have to read a damn obituary or two there tomorrow instead. "Let's just hope, with her, he won't have to. We've left enough blood in that damn lake, 'Ro."

"No more." Ororo squeezed his arm for another brief moment and then released him with a vague nod backward so that he could find the desired few minutes of peace before the new action and drama to be expected.

*****

"I got them." Scott wasn’t sure Ororo and Hank would even be able to hear him over all that screaming, the gunshots, and pained yells – the latter fortunately only from the enemies' side – that he could make out through the open radio line. For now, it didn’t matter either. Too relieved he was that apparently, all that fretting and self-blame over his latest staff decision had been for nothing, as he strode further into the room, locking the door behind him once he was sure he was alone with his missing teammates. A single look at their restrained, partly battered shapes was enough to know, Scott would need all the time he'd asked Ororo and Hank to buy him to free the others, after they'd already wasted far too much of it, making their way into the newly constructed labyrinth of their destination's underground passages unseen. It was both better and worse than he'd feared; Scott already made a mental note that he'd probably have to spend the next few days in Logan's apartment nonstop, making sure that this new most unpleasant encounter with his lover's worst enemies wouldn’t be haunting Logan too badly at night.

But from all he could see in the dark of that moldy cell that the strong flashlight from Scott's belt couldn’t help much, those sick bastards had at least indeed only tried to get through to Logan with their usual primitive methods. Trying to win him back for their psychotic causes once again probably, until the X-Men's arrival had interrupted their sick fetishes. And these assholes hadn’t even given their favorite prisoner a goddamn break when swarming out to try and rid their precious facility of the intruders.

But Marie's bent-over shape, chained to some hook in the ceiling, seemed unmarred at least. Her lips were bleeding a little from where they were stretched by a too-large gag, and her beautiful dark brown eyes were wide open, filled with a hint of fear that Scott had not seen in her in a long time. But her uniform had no tears, her stubborn movements as she tried to free herself from the cuffs around her wrists revealed no impairment of any kind. Only the same broad, red blinking collar around her neck that endangered Logan significantly prevented her from using that super strength she'd recently acquired after touching one of her accidental victims for too long.

All in all, the whole thing was a valuable lesson for both of them regarding the respect for a deadly job and the faith in one's teammates, Scott thought bitterly, as he signaled Marie to stay put, after making sure with a quick Shi’ar signal scanner from his belt there were no cameras or microphones in the room alerting unwanted company anytime soon. He'd have loved to get the girl out of that uncomfortable strappado position immediately, a sight promptly provoking a painful phantom twinge in Scott's own shoulders. For all their bloodlust and ruthlessness, these Weapon X bastard sure as fucked lacked creativity. But freeing Logan from his painful predicament took priority. At least if Scott wanted his lover to walk out of these damn halls on his own two legs. Therefore reluctantly ignoring the headshake from Marie and the muffled whine from her lips, Scott bent over the examination table that Logan was being tied to, seemingly entirely out of it, and rested his hand on his lover's forehead, worried to find it not only bathed in sweat but far too hot.

These fuckers must have cut Logan's femoral artery open a few minutes ago already. Cut – butchered, literally, whole pieces of his flesh ripped from his side and his leg as if someone had torn it out with their bare hands …

For a second time today, Scott had to push deeply rooted hatred and panicked worry back into the furthest corner of his soul lest he'd just rip his VISOR off and shoot a long, deadly blast through this whole damn facility, making these bastards pay for what they kept doing in particular to the man he loved. Not now.

The rest of Logan's uniform at least was still somewhat intact, no other injuries being apparent that Scott could make out at first glance. It was only a matter of picking the lock of that damn inhibitor collar, then those gruesome wounds would close within seconds. By the time Scott would be finished with doing the same for Marie, guy would be back on his feet already, from all Scott had ever seen of that impressive healing factor.

Then they could regroup with the others and get the hell out of here, preferably after blowing this damn facility to fucking pieces for a second time …

"Hands off, Slim."

Scott's fingertips hadn’t even grazed the collar when Logan's voice unexpectedly had him startle back. His limited vision in combination with the bad lighting in here had tricked him. His lover sounded far more awake than anyone with so little blood in their body should be. "Lie still. I'll get you out." He held Logan down by his shoulder when his lover weakly started to struggle against the cuffs around his blood-covered wrists, cranking his head away from Scott with a warning hiss.

"You don't want to touch that," Logan snarled, his eyes darting over to that corner where Marie was cowering, wide with worry for someone he cared for a lot …

And only now Scott realized, he'd got it all wrong a second time. Logan wasn’t the one whose life was in danger. "What does it do?"

"Lock's connected by radio to some switch in the kid's collar. You open it, blades inside that thing will cut her head off. You better be fucking quick, Slim. No idea if that damn mechanism's got a remote ignition, too." Unlike Scott, Logan didn’t even try to keep his increasingly slurred words to a muffled volume not to frighten their young teammate – that was long yesterday's news. They were far beyond sugarcoating. "Forget it," he snapped at Scott when Scott regarded his dangerous injuries with another restless glance, rummaging in his belt for something to at least slow those terrible bleedings down. "Get her out of that thing, now. You hesitate, people die. We don’t wanna learn that lesson around here a second time."

Scott hated Logan for conjuring up that one, that worst pain in his soul in that crucial moment of an impossible decision of all times, and at the same time wanted to kiss those too-dry, insolent lips, out of pure relief that they still could spew that necessary lesson. And out of gratefulness for a much-needed kick in the ass. Sadly, there was no time for that right now either. Not even for using the couple of tools he'd come up with from his belt by the time he knelt down next to Marie, carefully coaxing her to lift her head as much as the painful bondage allowed, making use of her suppressed powers for a brief, soothing caress over her far too-cold hands. With how little he was seeing in here and no idea how the trigger for those deadly weapons he could all but see embedded inside that far too thick collar, was connected to the lock, it was a guessing game, opening that thing without making exactly the wrong movement. "Yeah, this is not gonna work. I have to find a key for this thing."

"By the time you do, we'll both be ghosted," Logan stopped him as sharply as he could still manage with how alarmingly quickly his strength was leaving him. "Or we'll all be particle dust because these lunatics will rather blow this whole facility up a second time with everyone in it than waste a chance to get rid of some of the most powerful of us. Just shoot the damn thing in two, Slim."

"You want me to shoot at her neck." Scott's stomach promptly clenched even worse than this noon when they'd learned about their teammates' dangerous fate.

A disbelieving glance at Logan's ashen, pained grimace sadly had him suspect, that had not been an especially tasteless joke. Bleeding out from a dozen spots at once, even a Wolverine obviously lost his humor. "The collar, not her neck if it's not asked too much," Logan growled at him through his arduous, worryingly slow breathing. "Quit the drama and move, Slim. We're short on time."

"Logan, I can impossibly …" Scott paused, at a total loss, and not only because several, terribly familiar kind of vibrations and the noise of small explosions in the neighboring hallways revealed, they would indeed have to hurry. When Logan just glared at him from his stretcher with feverish eyes and he turned his gaze back to Marie, he was staring into still scared-looking but very determined, flashing pupils, a challenging, impatient nod downward at that damn collar following that was just waiting to kill this damn kid cowering there right in front of Scott …

Only Marie was no longer a kid, hadn’t been for a while. She was a confident young woman early weathered by her burdening mutation and all the losses and tragedies she'd had to encounter since coming to live with Charles. And even on days like this when all the weight of this dangerous job was on her thin shoulders, she was less intimidated than even Scott himself. Marie had faced and beaten death too often already to not flip it off in good old Logan-style when it reached out its spidery hand for her neck, literally.

"Keep away from the blade mechanism," Logan urged him again, seeing Scott fight his inhibition reluctantly. "Breaking piece should be at the back of her neck. Low-pressure blast. You don’t want to shatter her spine. Don't!" he interrupted Scott sharply before he'd even taken a breath, his fingertips leaving the control wheel of his VISOR again already. Logan's voice was shaking dangerously as the exhaustion of his lousy condition threatened to drain his strength. "Christ, Slim, I've seen you coring apples for the kids at breakfast with that damn thing on your eyes. You never got any of your people killed. You're not gonna break that streak now," he added quietly, the never-forgotten grief choking him for a moment that they'd bonded over so deeply back then. Enough for Logan to know exactly what was haunting Scott so much in these moments when maybe for the first time in the field at all, he felt afraid. "Now."

Before he could hesitate for another second and be responsible for them all biting it, because someone in the control center of that damn lab would lose it, Scott reached for his VISOR again and took his shot.

****

"I told you I'm not hungry." Grumbling, Logan turned away from the bedroom door and buried his face in his pillow, apparently determined to continue being an ass about his weakened condition after already refusing to let Hank put him on a drip on the flight home or check up on him on the sick bay.

In this case, Scott had the best arguments to convince his lover to let himself be spoiled though, whether Logan liked it or not. "Marie spent two hours in the kitchen, cooking for you. She said to tell you, if she doesn’t see an empty plate on this tray tomorrow morning, she'll choke you back out personally."

"Kid's spending too much time with me." Indeed, Logan sounded amused more than cranky at once. With a still unnerved sigh, he arduously sat up a little on the mattress, regarding Scott with a withering glance when he stacked a couple of pillows in his back, which Scott masterfully ignored.

Demonstratively, he put down that tray on his lover's legs and pointed at the delicious-smelling grilled chicken and a whole mountain of mashed potatoes, both basically drowning in a whole bottle of BBQ sauce. "Help yourself. Dessert's on me, by the way."

"I don't need dessert, especially not after this." Logan was too grumpy from the weakness in his reloading cells to even catch on the suggestive grin on Scott's lips. "What are you doing here anyway? It's past midnight. You got classes at eight. Get some sleep. Not gonna die on you here in the middle of the night, don’t worry."

"You should realize by now I'd not gonna let you anyway," Scott answered calmly, determined for once to not let Logan provoke him too badly, not after a day filled with so much blood and death, the latter fortunately only with regard to their enemies. Dipping one fingertip into that mess of brown and yellow on Logan's plate, he playfully licked it off to give Logan a better idea of what was to come but gestured over the still almost untouched food then, one eyebrow raised.

Logan let out a dramatic sigh and finally reached for the fork, eating away unceremoniously, quickly and silently, only occasionally throwing Scott a suspicious side glance, not quite sure what to make of his nervous fidgeting on the bed, of his occasional blush as Scott was imaging how the rest of that night would go.

The humiliating loops he'd have to jump through soon had been Marie's idea too, of course, and Scott wasn’t thrilled … But after almost having lost his lover today, he wanted to personally see to Logan being back on his feet as quickly as possible. If that included a mess that Scott's neat freak heart wouldn’t be too happy about, and feeling like an idiot for a hot minute … Well, he was pretty sure, Logan would find ways to make him forget that. Only when there was really nothing left on that plate and Logan had emptied almost the whole jug with orange juice, too, Scott got up from the bed with a satisfied nod. "I'll tell Marie you've been a good boy and see to that dessert in my apartment. Take a shower and come by in ten minutes." With a cheerful whistle, grinning to himself about Logan's increasing confusion, he went to put his plan into action.

****

Considering Logan's irritated mood, Scott wouldn’t have been surprised if his boyfriend had never shown up, but that whole truckload of carbs had apparently revived Logan's energy at least enough to spark curiosity. The rest, a surge of adrenaline seemed to do when he entered Scott's bedroom, to the sight of Scott waiting for him naked, covered in nothing but half a bottle of chocolate sauce and a bit of strategically placed whipped cream. After just staring at him with his mouth hanging open, Logan buried his face in his hands with a dry chuckle and shook his head slowly. If it hadn’t been for that quickly building tent at the front of his loose dark night pants, Scott would have had to seriously worry, he'd scared his lover off with that unbearably mushy idea.

Only when Logan looked at him again and Scott suddenly saw a suspicious glistening in those beautiful hazel eyes, he understood … And there was promptly a thick lump forming in the back of his throat as well. Neither of them said it, not yet. For that, it hadn’t been long enough yet, and they were both still processing the loss, each in their own way … But maybe knowing for sure now that they were perfectly suited to do that together, in spite of all differences, not least because they were ready to go through the necessary sacrifices for the other if necessary … That might be more than enough for the moment. "Come 'ere?"

"So that we're both gonna be a mess? Not gonna happen," Logan smirked, his cheeks increasingly flushed, that deep, determined tone creeping into his voice that Scott had very quickly learned to listen to in their nights together unless he wanted to put up a fight. Which he was rarely in the mood to.

For that, he enjoyed it far too much, handing over the reins to someone he could trust with his body and life not only in the field. Submitting, surrendering his pride, always meant a few blissful hours of forgetting everything making life so difficult for both of them, and that was all that counted. So he didn’t hesitate when Logan snapped his fingers at him, nodding at the ground before the bed, not moving an inch from his spot by the door until Scott had gotten up, his own cheeks inevitably blushing when Logan traded spots with him and he was now standing before his lover nude and decorated like this in all sticky glory.

"You keep this up, I'm gonna be too heavy for active duty soon," Logan murmured fondly, heated, another twitch of need going through that bulge at his front when he reached out to run two fingertips through that mess covering Scott's chest and licked them clean with an audible purr. "I'm gonna have to take it back though: You can cook."

"Logan …" It was impossible for Scott to keep that needy whine out of his voice, his own arousal growing by the second which only that thick, sugary mass of white all over his loins was more or less hiding. But the smallest attempt to reach out for his lover was rewarded with his wrists being caught in a firm grip by supernaturally fast reflexes, guiding him to take his hands behind his back. Right. Definitely one of those nights. "You know I'm still responsible for making you eat up, right?"

"And the best thing about that? We have all night," Logan answered unfazed, looking up at him in amusement, his eyes sparkling as he slowly licked his lips until Scott let out another low moan, his body soon shaking only from being kept waiting and tense like that, turned on more by the second by that piercing, hungry glance. "But since you did a great job today, you deserve a little treat." Unexpectedly burying his strong, large hands in Scott's bare butt cheeks, Logan licked a long, greedy stripe over his chest, and another one when Scott whimpered in want. Within seconds, he'd reduced Scott to a writhing something, never letting him out of his punishing grip as he covered every inch of his shoulders, his pecs, his stomach, with his firm, slow sucking movements, sure to clean every smallest bit of sauce off of him before finally turning to the sensitive, tender skin of his nipples.

A harsh, teasing bite drew a quiet scream from Scott's lips, his hips thrusting forward instinctively, his messy loins pressed against Logan's stomach leaving some of that half-molten, cool cream on his lover. Unable to stifle his desire any longer, Scott finally buried his trembling hands in Logan's hair, a hoarsely whispered plea on his lips, shuddering when Logan still ignored him, soothing his aching nipples with a few soft licks until those spots too were impeccably clean, tightened and pebbled with lust. "More, please …"

"After you made such a mess? Don't think so, Slim." Feigning strictness, Logan pushed him away a little with one hand and scooped up the cream that had ended on his pecs with the fingertips of the other, this time not licking the white, thick mass off though as a lewd smirk spread on his lips. "Got a pretty good idea where this is going though." Not giving Scott a second to think about a probably once more not exactly sanitary plan, he unexpectedly lowered his head to Scott's loins at last. Slowly, inch by inch removing all of that unhealthy sweetness from there too, his iron grip on Scott's hips held him in place while Logan's cream-slippery fingertips were back on his cheeks, dipping between them, teasingly circling the hidden opening there. With his clever lips finally wrapping around the head of Scott's rock-hard cock, Logan chased away any possible protest before Scott could even come up with it, a cautious, slow fingertip breaching him at the same time.

The assault from two sides after so much foreplay was almost enough to make him come on the spot. With a substance not exactly meant for that use though, that stretch was still a challenge which made holding back easier. Scott's hands clawing down on Logan's scalp, he was quickly fighting to stay on his feet as the muscles in his lower body clenched hard, unfulfilled need throbbing through his veins as Logan's teasing tongue bathed every inch of reddened skin, of his swollen, heavy balls, before that deft mouth slipped back over his cock, swallowing him down bit by bit. A second finger buried deep inside him at that point, unerringly hitting his most sensitive spot, it took only a few desperate quick thrusts until Scott was all but hit from behind with his orgasm. He was all but crashing into Logan's arms and was glad when his lover pulled him down next to him for a lewd kiss full of salt and sweetness, moaning against his lips when Scott instinctively reached for him, finishing Logan off for the first time that night with a few unceremonious strokes as well. A breathless chuckle on his lips, Scott sank back on the mattress, wiping his hand clean discreetly on the towel he'd spread there earlier to not make a complete mess of the sheets. "Well, that takes care of the mission Feeding Logan, I guess."

"Shut up," his lover rumbled, still sounding quite breathless but finally back to his full energy and very sated, before curling up by his side with a tired moan, with his head heavy on Scott's chest.

And just like that, for the first time since the disastrous first mission at Alkali Lake almost a year ago, Scott felt happy again.

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

@whumptober | @whumptober-archive

@scoganbingo

#no.17 #collar #x men #fic #nsfwhump #medical torture #everything after x2 didn't happen sue me #x men original timeline movies #x men movies #fanfiction #stormys fanfics #scott summers #cyclops #scogan #scoganbingo #wolverine #scott x logan #nsft #whumptober2023

6 notes · View notes

commodorebuzzkill · 6 months

Text

Let's do a Game Review because why not?

So, anybody remember Blazing Angels? It was made by Ubisoft in 2006, and featured World War 2, planes, explosions and shockingly bad and frequent racist voice acting. It was made at a time when Ubisoft noticed that Bandai Namco were reliably churning out 1 Ace Combat game per year and making good money doing it, so they said "we need some airplane games like those people." So they set themselves up with a studio in Romania that would have the job of making Ace Combat competitors. Ubisoft Bucharest turned out a total of 4 games (Blazing Angels, Blazing Angels 2, Tom Clancy's Hawx, and Tom Clancy's Hawx 2) before roughly 2010 when Ubisoft as a whole decided to give up on competing with Ace Combat, as Ace Combat wasn't earning a huge amount of money anyway. Ubisoft Bucharest was then closed, and Ubisoft has yet to make any arcade air combat games since then. That being said, I still enjoy playing it from time to time, because I can make things go boom in an exuberant manner, and shoot down hoards of axis planes.

I first played it in 2008 when I got my first console , and my memories on the whole were and are largely positive in spite of the game's failings. My friends and I would whither away hours playing the various co-op modes, particularly onslaught, which is essentially a competitive hoard mode, pitting the players against an endless supply of enemy aircraft for a set period of time to see who could rack up the most kills for the fewest losses. Insanity can ensue if you set the time limit to 30 minutes and select the Spitfire IX, which is stupidly overpowered, and come out the other end having shot down 331 enemy aircraft, and being able to gloat over your less experienced buddies who don't have their own copies of Blazing Angels to build up their skills.

At the time, I remember the back of the game's case showing an advertisement for Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of World War 2, complete with cover art depicting a de Havilland Vampire being pursued by a Horton Ho 229, and I thought to myself "looks neat, might get that some day."

High School came and went and I never played the sequel. Time passed, and now the tired 30 year old shell of the young, spry, and charismatic young man decided to buy himself a copy on a whim one day.

So, having heard Japanese pilots saying "You shoot even worse than you fly!" in the voice a 1950s cartoon would have given to any character from Asia a good ten billion times, you are probably wondering: Did they fix the shitty voice acting?

Yes they did. It's not Witcher 3 or anything but you don't want to grab a pencil and forcefully puncture your own ear drums. Baddies generally speak German or Japanese in a manner that seems comparable to, you know, real human speech, rather than say, your racist uncle doing baddy character voices while reading a bedtime story about how the badass Americans blew the squinty eyed Japs to Kingdom Come for being the evil, treacherous bastards they are. So Hooray!

Also, the graphics have gotten an upgrade and generally look cleaner, brighter, and better textured than those of the first game, and just to put a cherry on top, the game has a fun, campy story with a reasonably entertaining cast of characters, even if it does jump the shark from time to time.

Gameplay sees a bunch of updates as well. First off, the player can choose from a selection of aircraft for each level of the single player campaign, a feature that the first game lacks. Second off, through getting kills and completing objectives during each level, the player earns points which can be used to purchase upgrades for the next level, improving the firepower, protection, and speed of all their planes.

So, improvements all around! Go buy the game and have fun right?

Wrong.

This game is perpetually frustrating, though you will keep returning to it like some abused lover seeing the promise the game has. You think to yourself "Well, next level will be better!" over and over and over again. So, where to begin with the game's failings.

Let's suppose you're in a dogfight, and you have a mission objective of, I don't know, escorting your buddies as they escape from a secret Nazi air base. You have to shoot down enemy planes, so, using your understanding of literally every other arcade air combat game you have ever played, you open fire with your machine guns.

Hah, rookie mistake. In Blazing Angels 2, your primary weapon generally sucks. You generally have to chew on enemies for a while to kill them using just your machine guns, and oh, by the way, literally every single plane in the game has the same crappy machine guns as its primary weapon. Instead of having the fun diversity of firepower present in the aircraft of the first game, planes will have 2 or 4 light or heavy machine guns, pretty much never corresponding to the total number of guns on the real aircraft they represent. Flying a Spitfire mark V? 2 machine guns. Flying a Mosquito? 4 machine guns. An IL-2 Sturmovick? 2 heavy machine guns. An Me-262? 2 heavy machine guns. A Lavochkin La-7? 4 machine guns which are wing-mounted for some reason. The major difference between heavy and light MGs, in case your wondering, is that yes, heavy MGs do put out more damage, but overheat after extended firing. And the damage output is still nowhere near as high as that of the hard hitting planes of the first game.

Really, the weapons you have that are worth a damn are pretty much always your secondary armament. Many varieties of secondary weapons are present, such as cannon, high velocity cannon, rockets, missiles, bombs and torpedoes. All of these have limited ammo, which can be replenished by killing enemies with ammunition icons above them. These guys are really what your normal guns are for, getting more ammo for your secondary weapon.

This is very irritating, because whenever you think of a World War 2 dogfight, even in a campy story involving Nazi rocket ships, planes are shooting each other down by rata-tat-tating away at each other with gunfire, not firing anti-tank rockets, or bizarrely slow firing cannon. It just feels "wrong".

The game's control scheme is more or less the same as it was in the first game, but either my skills have degraded to total uselessness, or they've made aiming just a little bit more difficult. And I would like to call attention to the overall weirdness of the Blazing Angels control scheme in general.

In most air combat arcade games that use a controller, there will be 2 option for your controls. In what is often referred to as the "classic" or "arcade" control scheme, 1 control stick will control practically all motion for the plane, and rolling and turning will be rolled into one. Move the analogue stick to the right, and the plane will roll 90 degrees and then turn to the right, and vice versa. In what is often called the "advanced" or "expert" control scheme, the controls more closely correspond to those of a real plane, with separate yaw, roll, and pitch controls.

For whatever reason, both Blazing Angels games try to have both control schemes at the same time. On the Xbox 360 (I don't have a playstation) the left analogue stick behaves like it would in an "arcade" layout, moving the plane up, down, left, and right, but the plane still has roll control from the right analogue stick. If you've been playing Ace Combat 7, or Project Wingman, or IL-2 Sturmovick Birds of Prey (a fantastic and criminally underrated console air combat game btw), you easily forget what kind of control scheme the game has, and you'll have a lot of trouble orienting your plane. It will also result in weirdness like your plane turning very tightly without rolling at all.

Lastly, there's the single player campaign. I haven't played multi-player, given that I have no-one to play it with, and frankly, I don't enjoy the game enough right now to want to play it with someone else. If I could describe the difficulty curve in this game in one word, it would be "punishing", then again you can take my words with a grain of salt because as I said before, I may just suck. That being said, the game gives a couple levels in which you can orient yourself, then immediately flings you into the deep end. The difficulty curve feels quite steep, because most of the time you are fighting against either a punishingly short time limit or defending a target that needs protection and has a very short life expectancy. When that isn't the objective, the new objective is frequently: suppress the defenses of an enemy airfield, land there, abandon the plane you started with for an enemy plane, and then use that plane to complete the next objective. Often times, the plane that you start out with on missions that follow this pattern frequently would have achieved objective #2 just fine, but the game wants to stick you in a JU-88 or a Kyushu J-7W Shinden so just shut up and accept that you only got 3 minutes to fly the Pe-2 or De Havilland Mosquito, just say goodbye to them. Another odd feature, and one that kind of bothers me to be honest is that I would say a majority of the missions in the campaign feature the player flying a captured axis plane by default, and often for no given reason. For example... you have to defend San Fransisco from a combined Nazi-Japanese submarine attack using V-1s and submarine launched MXY-7 Okka suicide planes using an Me-163 Komet rocket fighter which just so happens to have guided air to air missiles. Hang on a minute, a level that involves what now? If you have a story about some pilots carrying out secret missions in remote areas to stop some strange secret weapon from being used or constructed and then say, destroying the paperwork afterword to keep anyone from knowing these missions ever happened, that's one thing, but if there was a giant aerial assault on fucking San Fransisco in broad fucking daylight in front of like 2 million people, I'm pretty sure it would be hard to hide something like that. Isn't that stretching plausibility a little too far? Or did World War 2 look very different in this world?

Some games give you challenge with each level, but leave you wanting more as your skills improve, enticing you with their plot, or giving your work payoff at the end of each level. Others just seem to hit you with a sledgehammer, and you only persevere out a grim determination not to be beaten. This is one of those.

Also, I've noticed its getting difficult to get your hands on original Xbox-360 controllers nowadays, so I find myself shackled to a knockoff which has the most irritating habit of switching itself off if below 3/4ths battery, and subjected to heavy vibration. Another odd feature of the Blazing Angels games is that their level of controller vibration is unusually high. Like, vagina havers could use the controller as an effective sex toy while playing either of these games, and I suppose if you are a determined enough deal hunter, buying a used Xbox 360, controller and copy of Blazing Angels might just be cheaper than a hitachi vibrator, although the hitachi admittedly doesn't use batteries, and either Blazing Angels games will eat the battery of your controller like a motherfucker.

So, if you want a plane game that turns your controller into a sex toy, I suppose you can buy Blazing Angels 2. Otherwise, I wouldn't really recommend it.

#Blazing Angels 2 #air combat games #game review #the commodore reviews another game

3 notes · View notes

galacticwildfire · 2 years

Text

Illicit Affairs | Obi-Wan Kenobi

Twelve

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Amidala!oc

Rhea Amidala meets Obi-Wan Kenobi when he and his master come to her younger sisters aid and he discovers the queen's sister was once a Jedi, expelled from the order for her unwillingness to forgo love and attachment. The two stranded together on Tatooine find common ground despite their differences, and above all a hope within the other for something greater than themselves.

He hopes for her to rejoin the order, while she hopes for him to leave, and both are left reeling from their illicit affair, until ten years later he is once again called to her sister's service and they are catapulted into each other's lives by a war that will set them on the same path of secrecy and tragedy.

Word count: 8.5k

Tags/warnings: sexual tension, angst, mentions of children and pregnancy, mentions of former substance abuse

A/N:

We return to the temple doing our worst to ignore that unbearable tension that leaves me wanting to repeat some very specific memories of that night together. Maker knows no one else has ever made me feel the things he did, emotionally and physically.

"So once we find Kamino in the archives we go and speak to the cloners," I say, trying to keep my mind on the mission at hand but it's hard when just the sight of him is enough to make me weak. "Try to find out who they're selling weapons to?"

"Precisely," he answers. "If it is the Separatists supporting these attempts they're contracting a bounty hunter to carry it out, and regardless of theories to get to the bottom of who exactly is ordering the attacks we need to get to the bounty hunter."

There's no point trying to get information from Dooku, he is too well guarded and inaccessible and he'd only lie, so we have to do this the long way. Even then, something in me doesn't want to admit it could be him, I don't want to believe my master would betray me so deeply. I can't.

"You know I once considered bounty hunting or at least something along those lines," I tell him and he blinks at me in surprise.

"Really?"

"When Padme's reign ended I found myself bored to death signing report after report and meeting with adviser after adviser. I wanted to be out in the field doing something," I say and he nods along smiling to himself knowingly. "Maker how I hate a desk job."

"I always did find it strange you found yourself in a life of public duty," he says and I realise he truly has kept tabs on me. "It never seemed to fit."

"It didn't," I laugh. "The palace still refers to my stint as Princess of Theed as a reign of terror."

"And now?" he asks me, able to sense easily I am not fulfilled by my life.

"Well, we're hunting a bounty hunter right now so I suppose I'll get a taste of it," I comment and he makes an amused sound as we enter the Jedi temple. "I miss fighting."

"Well my dear, I'm sure we're going to get one," he assures me as we wander into the archives and begin looking through them for Kamino trying different spellings but nothing's coming up.

"That's odd," he says, continuing to type into the system with no avail.

"Quite odd," I agree and ask "Do you want me to get someone to check our archives on Naboo?"

"No it's alright, I'll call for assistance," he says and soon enough the Chief Librarian Jocasta comes over.

"Master Kenobi, and oh sweet Rhea," she remembers fondly and I'm certainly surprised anyone who knew me at fourteen would remember me as sweet. "I was very disappointed to hear the council voted against your return."

"Well so was I," I laugh awkwardly, Obi-Wan nodding in agreement, and tell her "I'm here on behalf of Naboo assisting Master Kenobi with some official business."

"We're looking for a planetary system called Kamino," he tells her. "It doesn't show up in the archive charts."

"Kamino," she ponders. "It's not a system I'm familiar with. Are you sure you have the right co-ordinates?"

"According to my information it should appear in this quadrant here," Obi-Wan says pointing at the hologram. "Just south of the Rishi Maze."

"I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist."

Obi-Wan and I share a look, feeling that something isn't right.

"Impossible," he says while I remember the ignorance of the Jedi well. "Perhaps the archives are incomplete."

"If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist."

She leaves us to ponder this and we take one look at each other before each continuing to search for it and I make a transmission to the archives on Naboo.

"Hello this is General Amidala can I be put in contact with-"

"Rhea," a surprised voice says and my eyes widen realising it's my mother, having forgotten in between her busy life of being a house wife and trying to force me to be one she volunteers in the archives. It may be a harsh assessment but it's not without foundations. "Well, this is a surprise."

"Mom, hi," I say awkwardly, Obi-Wan looking over in equal surprise. "So I take it you're the volunteer archivist on duty then?"

"Yes honey I am," she says and pull my com away as I sigh, not wanting to speak with her right now. "Why are you calling?"

"I'm just on some business and was wondering if you could search something up for me."

"Oh what sort of business, for the senate?" she asks and I wonder if she's even aware of the attempt on Padme's life, from the news she'd have to be but I doubt Padme's told them anything more than the bare minimum, likely downplayed it as much as she can.

"Jedi business," I say putting her on speaker. "I'm working with the Jedi on this investigation for Padme."

"Oh how exciting," she says despite how absolutely morbid the situation is and I can't help but drag a hand over my face as the questions begin. "Are you working with that nice Jedi boy we met during the invasion?"

"I- yes," I stammer in surprise at that particular question, wondering how she can possibly still remember him, but he does have the habit of leaving an impression. "Obi-Wan is here."

"Hello," he chimes with a playful grin while she rattles on and I am quickly regretting this.

"He was a handsome boy, you should bring him home for dinner." Obi-Wan chuckles at that and playfully raises his eyebrows at me not knowing the half of it while I want to slam my head into the table. "It's past time you and your sister brought someone home to meet us."

"Yes Mom," I sigh while Obi-Wan has to stifle his laughter and he's lucky I can't look at him long enough without blushing to glare at him. "But look this is important, I need you to search for Kamino, it should be just south of the Rishi Maze."

There's a pause and some typing before she says "Yes, now what about it."

"Hello there," Obi-Wan says speaking up. "So it is there?"

"Of course it's there," she says and we share a confused look. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all mom, thanks," I say, us realising something is quite wrong with the archives. "I'll be home for a visit soon hopefully."

"Lovely, now make sure you bring Obi-Wan," she says and I shake my head as I hang up.

"She knows my name," he says, impressed with himself. "I wasn't aware I made such an impression."

"Oh trust me she remembers any man I'm within six feet of. I can't talk to her without her trying to set me up with a husband," I tell him bitterly and explain. "My sister Sola has two kids now which kept her happy for a while but now she's onto me and Padme both about marrying and having children, much to her disappointment she hasn't been successful."

He tries to keep his voice light as he inquires "In all these years, you never found anyone to love?"

He's a sweet fool and so I tell him "My sweet Obi-Wan, you ruined all others for me."

Little did I know until I laid eyes on him again that my heart was always devoted entirely to him and he frowns, seeing for the first time that I'm right where he left me. Somehow time went on for everyone else, but not me. Still nineteen in my fantasy, in my dreams running back to him and begging him to leave with me. Running away together with no destination or plan.

I wonder if somehow he's still there too.

"But do you want it?" he asks me quietly. "Marriage, children?"

Now that's a question I've never truly asked myself, not when my family's tried to use it in an attempt to placate me, even if I've always known deep down I have a maternal instinct that's only grown stronger with the years, one I've tried to deny but it's become difficult. If I had refused Dooku's offer I may well have done what Sola did and have children on my own, I think I would have been happier for it.

Still I lie.

"I don't know, I mean I'm nearly thirty, I should be thinking about it but-" He watches me quietly as I confess "Despite leaving the order to be free of the code, to be able to love, it seems I haven't."

But that's a lie.

I have loved, I've loved madly for a decade now. A love that left me knowing there would be no other because I could never imagine it with anyone but him.

And somehow I was just fine with that until now.

"You may as well rejoin the order," he remarks with a seriousness to his voice I don't expect and I try to laugh it off but he is being genuine.

"That didn't quite go to plan last time."

"You never know," he says, still with a glimmer of hope that breaks my heart. "You were Anakin's age last time, things are far different now and the council's seen it as well."

There's no arguing with that even if we both know it is utterly impossible and I look at him not knowing if I'll be able to walk away from him again. I'm not as strong as I was, not now I know the pain that awaits me in leaving him.

If I have learned anything in reuniting with him, it's that I will love him for the rest of my life no matter how hard I try not to.

And so I say something I never would have dreamed of before he came back into my life.

"Well, if you can convince them maybe I'll consider it," I say putting it into his hands with the comfort of knowing this time there is no hope for it, and he leans back in surprise, not daring to say anything that could make me change my mind as he takes the challenge on board.

"I'll see what I can do," he promises me, squeezing my hand and pain shoots through my heart knowing well it is just a dream. "Now, I want to take this issue with the archives to Master Yoda before we move on to Kamino."

I nod, finding it too strange for my liking as well and so we walk through the temple a reasonable distance apart until we come to find Yoda training a group of younglings and I can't help the smile it brings to my face and catch Obi-Wan watching me with a smile of his own.

Perhaps he knows the answer to his question better than I do.

"Younglings," Yoda says getting their attention. "Visitors we have."

"Hello Master Obi-Wan," they all say in sync and my smile widens.

"Hello," Obi-Wan smiles at the younglings. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Master."

"What help can I be Obi-Wan?" Yoda asks as some of the younglings wave to me, and Obi-Wans question does indeed play on my mind. Kids, I never truly let myself dream of them and instinct used that maternal instinct in fostering Padme and her handmaidens, but seeing Obi-Wan with them makes me feel a desire I've never let myself have before.

"We're looking for a planet described to me by an old friend," he tells Yoda. "We know it exists in other archives but the system doesn't show it on our archive maps."

"Mmm, lost a planet Master Obi-Wan has, how embarrassing," Yoda says and I laugh with the kids as he instructs the blinds to be closed and for them to gather around. Obi-Wan activates the map reader. "Clear your minds and locate Obi-Wan's wayward planet we will."

Stars fill the room and while Obi-Wan points to where the planet should be they circle around him, and he's never looked so beautiful as he does in this moment, so gentle and soft spoken with stars surrounding him.

"It ought to be here, but it isn't," Obi-Wan says and I have to consciously remind myself to conceal my feelings in the force. "Although gravity is pulling all the stars in this area towards this spot."

"Hmm, gravity's silhouette remains," Yoda ponders. "But the star and all the planets disappeared they have. How can this be?"

"They would have had to have been purposefully removed from the archives," I say, unable to find another explanation. "They appear on Naboo's archives but not on the temples."

"Mmm, General Amidala is right, erased from the archive memory it was," Yoda says and instructs "Go to the centre of gravity's pull and find your planet you will." Yoda walks us out of the room as the younglings go back to what they were doing. "The data must have been erased."

"But Master Yoda, who could empty information from the archives?" Obi-Wan asks. "That's impossible isn't it?"

"Dangerous and disturbing this puzzle is," Yoda says, something in my stomach churning as if I have a piece of it already. "Only a Jedi could have erased those files, but who and why, harder to answer. Meditate on this I will."

"Master," I say suddenly and he and Obi-Wan turn to me. "Is there any way you can see when these files were erased? They could have been missing for days or years and to know a timeframe would help us greatly if it's related to this case."

"Suspicions you have," Yoda says as Obi-Wans brows draw together. "Share, please do."

"If the Separatists are involved it also stands to reason Count Dooku is involved," I tread carefully, trusting my gut. "If there is something occurring on Kamino he is involved with could he have erased it from the archives before he left the order to cover his tracks? I know it sounds absurd but does it not make sense?"

Whatever schemes his master has, he took Maul's place after his death and at that time he was still very much welcome in the temple. If he was working with the Sith as long as ten years ago...

Yoda makes a contemplative sound and Obi-Wan nods along in agreement but keeps a careful eye on me. "That- that could be possible. He only truly became estranged from the order after Master Qui-Gons death, but the confederation was not formed until several years ago so it could not possibly be related to the plot against the senator."

This is something bigger, something far more dangerous than any of us could conceive. Well, anything they could conceive.

"Of course, I only wanted to be certain," I say, having also learned in the past years the benefit of downplaying my own confidence in my theories to make myself less of a target, to be overlooked.

"Meditate on this I will," Yoda continues. "Something darker afoot I suspect."

He returns to the younglings and Obi-Wan and I head outside to his transport.

"I think you may be right about the archives," he tells me. "It seems to be the only explanation we can find."

"But for now we must leave it in Yoda's hands," I say, not wanting to linger on the subject of Dooku. "Perhaps we'll discover more on Kamino."

He looks at me carefully. "You used to have so much anger for the council, now you willingly trust Master Yoda, what happened?"

"I got older, and hopefully wiser," I say, looking at the temple, somehow having become the opposite of what Dooku wanted. He sought to tame me, berated me for my poor habits I'd developed with substances and lack of control, instilled in me a disciplined that's allowed me to think with a clearer mind so he could work with me, and in doing so I've been able to work through my issues. Mostly. "I slowly learned there is no point harbouring anger, I became too tired of it to let it consume me anymore. Yes there are moments where it's appropriate but it's bitterness that leads to the mind and soul becoming twisted." He tilts his head towards me in surprise. "I've made peace with them Obi-Wan, I see no point in holding onto anger, I let it go a long time ago now."

The last words are a lie, but as long as he believes them it doesn't matter, and he nods, quietly impressed and rests his hand on my shoulder. "I may yet give Anakin to you to teach."

I laugh as he walks me out to the hanger. "Oh no that little maverick is all yours, I'll keep Padme, we may argue over politics but we always find our middle ground."

"Yes well, I definitely wouldn't want to get caught in the middle after seeing you two before we left," he says looking at his ship, a single seater starfighter. "I do hope they are alright."

"As do I," I sigh and look at him knowing we have a long journey ahead of us but feel confident in a way I haven't in a long time with him by my side. "But we're taking my ship."

He's almost offended "What's wrong with mine?" He gestures to it as he tells me "It is one of the finest starfighters made and it isn't even on the market considering it was commissioned by the Order."

"Yes Obi, your ship is impressive," I assure him but point out the obvious "But do you want me sitting on your lap all the way to Kamino? I wouldn't mind but it would be awfully impractical."

He flushes at missing that obvious complication and I raise a teasing eyebrow.

"Alright," he agrees after a moment of consideration. "Your ship it is."

"And I'm flying," I grin as I lead him back towards Padme's apartment.

"Well you can't be anywhere as bad as Anakin," he remarks. "I trust knowing you it's armed."

"Very much so," I assure him. "Hopefully we won't need it but you never know."

"I'd say it's safest to assume we will," he says, both of us knowing it will inevitably end in a fight and he's fretting. "Does your ship have-"

"It has everything your precious starfighter does," I chuckle as he follows after me, too caught up in his safety protocols to notice he'd fallen behind. "It's a transport ship so it even has a bed."

I mean it innocently to ensure him it's well fitted with necessities but he has to clear his throat. "Perhaps we'd get into less trouble trapped in a cockpit we can't move in."

"We'd find a way," I tease but look back to see he's actually nervous. "I promise not to seduce you into my bed while we're on a mission."

"While we're on a mission?" he repeats, nothing being said about afterwards.

"Let's just try to make it to Kamino and back without taking our clothes off and call it a victory," I say and somehow we both know that might be considerably more difficult than we'd like to admit and go against my better judgement in saying "Then we'll see if we're wiser than we were ten years ago."

I'm glad for the physical distance between us as he says "I dare say wisdom does not come with age."

The look in his eyes is enough to make me want to cross that dangerous line we walk.

"You're right, it doesn't." My throat is tight now as I say "Come on, let's go back to Padme's apartment and get ready to travel to the outer rims."

"Yes," he says and clears his throat. "We best get on with the mission."

When we reach it we come to the startling realisation we are alone with complete privacy, something we have not yet had. That is enough that he quickly tries to find an excuse to be elsewhere while I prepare to leave.

"Do you mind if I freshen up?" he asks referring to the shower, knowing we'll be gone for days at least.

"Of course," I answer, trying not to stammer at the thought of him naked in the next room and realise I am no better than a padawan. "You can use the one in my rooms, the ensuite's attached to the bedroom."

He gives me a thankful nod and heads inside, no doubt to take a cold shower which is something I certainly need as well.

"Fuck," I find myself cursing once the door to my bedroom closes and drag a hand over my face, a habit I seem to be picking up from him and look at my ship on the helipad, knowing this is going to be significantly harder than I had hoped it would be.

Obi-Wan

I shut the door to her bedroom behind me, needing a moment without her to balance myself, to regain my senses before confining myself in a ship with her for hours at the very least. I can't say this current predicament isn't my own fault, initiating as much as reciprocating any advances.

All I want is to take her into my arms, for her to feel the words I can't bring myself to say, to selfishly cross yet another line I swear I won't. I loved her then, I loved her recklessly but this is different. It's just as reckless if not more so but the depth of these feelings is beyond alarming. I don't just want to kiss her I want to be consumed by her which is not the jedi way. I want to feel the very things I've spent years fighting and I feel powerless to stop myself. I know if I hold onto her for too long I won't be able to let go. There's an adoration for her that is there no matter how badly I try not to act on my feelings, something I've done a horrible job of doing.

How many times can we possibly say we love each other without saying the words? I feel them in every glance, every touch, every smile. That love that I'd forced into memory is more alive than it ever was, penetrating every defence and leaving me with no clue how to fight it. She walked away all those years ago, she did the hard part before but now... now I still hold onto the dream of bringing her back despite how impossible it is because some stubborn part of me refuses to give up hope that it is possible despite what few pieces of sense I have left telling me otherwise.

I was prepared to deal with the feelings I had ten years ago, I was never prepared for the ones that have come now as quickly as they did before and so strong I could break under the weight of them. It makes me wonder what the point is in pretending otherwise when we both know so painfully well how we feel. It makes me wonder what more possible damage could we do to one another if I went and kissed her, if I took her by the waist and made love to her here and now.

I should be better than this, better than just a man. I am a Jedi, but in her presence that is all I am, just a man hopelessly in love with a woman I know I shouldn't love.

And so again I ask what more damage can I do if I give in to what it is we're both consumed by and allow myself just one more night with her before we're forced to part once again.

Except that's just it, it wouldn't be just one night.

I know exactly what damage it would do now I can finally see how deeply our affair wounded her. I'd truly hoped no matter how badly it hurt she would fall in love again, marry, have children. Have a life where she could be loved how she deserves to be. She tells me she doesn't want that, but I see how she smiles at the younglings. I see through every lie she tells, to herself, to the council, to me.

Something went terribly wrong before Padme's assassination attempt, something that has left her afraid, too ashamed to tell me the truth. But it was when she lied to the council I realised she has had training these past years. She can lie and tell them it's her own self discipline but we both know she has little of that at the best of times, or at least she used to.

She has changed in a way I recognise as being sculpted, refined, and know it was not just her own self discipline that did it.

Padme knows something, I saw it when they were fighting, I saw the panic in Rhea's eyes and Padme's quick change of subject when she remembered I was listening. I'm half tempted to attempt to contact her on Naboo without Rhea knowing, but I know if I did that it would only cause a fight, it's the reason I haven't pressed or asked questions she doesn't want me asking.

Against my better judgement and own personal hesitance I let my eyes skim about her room. She's both too afraid and too stubborn to reveal what she is hiding, but after watching her lie to the council I need to know if she's been putting herself in danger in order to train herself or to receive training from another. The answer is clear in my mind, but I struggle to believe it, struggle to believe that despite her ideological beliefs she would go so far. At least without coming to me first.

But when I find her cloak thrown into one of the corners smelling of something burnt I can't deny it, not as I pick it up and find the blaster holes and glass splinters and what I swear have to be lightsaber burns like those I saw on her back. I felt little darkness from her, but much shame, guilt. At first I thought it was about us, but when I watched her fighting with Padme it was clear her separatist sympathies were far more than just sympathies.

I don't want to believe it, I don't want to believe what is so blindingly obvious, yet how can't I after her panic at the mere mention of Count Dooku, but what leaves me uneasy is the thought it was more than a mere acquaintance turned sour.

One thing is for certain, she's become a brilliant liar who is very capable of concealing things in the force. Unfortunately her eyes reveal everything and yet I can't help but become lost in them every time they meet and all I want is to help her, but if she has gotten herself into a mess as deep as I am beginning to suspect... our feelings for one another will soon be the least of our worries.

I drape the cloak over her chair before I go to shower, she knows I have my suspicions and perhaps this could just provoke her into revealing the truth to me, but something tells me she won't and this, the lies... it is perhaps the only thing holding me back from giving into her and perhaps that's what has stopped me from confronting her until this mission is complete.

So when the time comes and the truth is revealed she'll give me a reason to be able to walk away.

If such a thing is still possible.

Rhea

I stand in the kitchen, noticing the long time it takes for me to hear the shower start and know he suspects something, I can feel it. We both know damn well I'm hiding something, but neither of us are going to be the first to acknowledge it. Not until the mission is complete.

Even now as I stand here alone, the first time I can think clearly now he isn't in front of me, I don't know how much of Dooku's teachings were the Jedi's and how much were the Sith's. He became the sith lords apprentice after Maul, was involved with him even while Qui-Gon was still alive. An apprentice for an apprentice. That was four years before he summoned me to Serenno, towards the end I knew he'd been corrupted by darkness, by power, but nothing like this. I could never have known he was already apprenticing for a sith lord years before he took me as his own apprentice. A sith who made it clear to him that if I don't play the part he wants I have to die.

It didn't matter if I told Padme about their army or not, they knew the risk of it was enough that if she didn't come to their side she would have to die but she'd already been attacked by then. I don't understand. I want it to make sense but not how it is. I want to believe they were empty threats and someone from the Republic is responsible for this, but the deeper we go the darker it gets.

I look down at the jumpsuit I wear and know if we face this bounty hunter I'll want to be better prepared for combat and so I walk into my bedroom since the shower in the ensuite is still going and delve into my wardrobe for the clothes I wear while training, tight leggings and form fitting top. I take off my belt that holds my saber and blaster and put it on the table only to see in horror the cloak I wore on Serenno draped over it.

That was why Obi-Wan took so long, he found it. If he didn't walk out and confront me immediately it means he still wants me to know that he knows, but that it is my turn to be honest and I will be but I am not starting a fight when my sister's life is in danger, not when we have to be able to work together to get to the bottom of this.

Whatever that may be.

But still it jars me enough that in my hurry to change I don't notice the shower turning off until the door opens, nor did I notice his clothes folded on the same damn chair as the cloak so I'm standing there half dressed in my undergarments when he walks out with a towel around his waist and absolutely nothing else, both of us immediately apologising the second we realise.

"Shit sorry!" I exclaim and avert my eyes out of respect and panic, having until now succeeded in remaining the bare minimum of professional in trying to not get him naked but thankfully he's just as awkward at having caught me in a state of half dress although it's nowhere near as much as him.

"Sorry I-"

"It's nothing you haven't seen before," I say waving off his concerns with my eyes still shut and ramble "I- I promise I was not trying to get you into bed I just thought I better change into something I can fight in."

"Of course," he says, both of us caught standing there awkwardly and he stammers "That's- that's a sensible decision."

I nod and open my eyes to find both of us flushed and in a mutual state of defeat in our attempts to not end up in this situation.

"Well," I say, trying to laugh it off. "Seems we failed to get to kamino and back without taking our clothes off."

"To our credit we did make it half an hour," he says but the humour disappears when he sees the scars on my body, faint white lines now but obvious enough to the trained eye and I curse silently. For just a moment he averts his gaze as if to pretend he didn't see it, but his concern overrules all else.

The permanent reminders from Dooku of what happens when I am not fast enough in a duel, not sharp enough in my reflexes. He never went easy on me, and so if I made a mistake he didn't stop himself as any other master would, he let me take the hit and suffer the consequences of failure.

A lesson quickly learned, and still I never put two and two together despite his methods and know I won't be able to convince Obi-Wan I never knew when the evidence is right here on my body. His face is serious as he steps forward and I can't meet his eye as his fingers trail along the worst of the scars, one that runs from my waist up along my spine. My eyes flutter closed at the touch of him but the tone of his voice strips away any pleasure that could come with it.

"This is a lightsaber burn."

He states it as a fact, not making an accusation but it's there, I know it is.

"It is," I swallow, my eyes opening up to the sight of his bare chest and knowing I am in a very vulnerable position I choose not to elaborate. I could lie, attempt to gaslight him into believing I had them the last time we were together, but we both know there is no skirting around this.

He stays patiently silent until my eyes finally meet his and suddenly I can't look away as they bore into me and he knows exactly what he's doing as his fingers trail along my spine and it's all I can do to bite back whatever noise comes from the back of my throat and he says slowly "I'm going to ask you this once and only once, how did you get these scars?"

Immediately I jump to deflection, lying to those I love second nature by now "It's not important now-"

"Rhea," he says, not having the patience for deflection and uses the voice he does with Anakin. "I'm not going to ask you again."

It's not until now I know how deeply Dooku has corrupted me with all the years of lies, making me into a liar by forcing me to deceive those I love time and time again.

"We have a mission to complete Obi-Wan," I remind him, knowing the truth would only hinder it. "We should be focusing on that and nothing else."

He nods slowly as he steps away and I can feel his hesitance, but his frustration gets the better of him as he remarks "It's incredible how dutiful you are when it's convenient for you."

And there it is.

I warn him "Don't talk to me about duty when I've devoted my life to it."

"Well then we have an understanding," he says, a coldness between us now and says words I know he's been holding back. "And yet when it comes to your duty to protect your sister you're still lying to protect yourself first."

And like that all common decency is off the table as I step closer to him and challenge "And how dutiful would you be if I took off my clothes right now? I'm guessing not very."

His face changes at those words knowing it's the truth and he warns me "Now we both know just how that would end."

"Is it any different to how this ends regardless?" I ask him and know I've hit a nerve in both of us. "I think it's too late to pretend we're walking away from this bloodless."

"Do you think when I took this mission I wasn't prepared for you to destroy my life once again?" he asks me and I'm the one standing there speechless as he quickly realises he's misspoken. "I didn't mean it like that-"

"Destroy your life?" I repeat in disbelief. "What about my life!" I stick a finger into his chest as I finally let my anger loose after all these years of cursing his name "Do you think you didn't destroy mine!"

He breathes in deeply as he takes my hand and tries to de-escalate. "Can we do this when we're dressed?"

"No," I say harshly, not letting him back out now as I rip my hand away. "You started this not me." He moves away from me now, not wanting to engage and I yell "Ten years I've spent trying to put my life back together, you don't get to stand there and pretend you were the only one who was hurt!"

"Well I was the only one prepared to fight!" he argues back, hitting me where it hurts. "You're the one who walked away."

I laugh dangerously at those words "Do you think it was easy? Do you think it didn't kill me to walk away? Walking away was the most selfless thing I've done in my entire bloody life!" My hands shake now as I yell "I walked away so you wouldn't have to because I wasn't going to let you destroy your life for me!" He can't meet my eye now. "So don't you dare stand there and demand to know the things I've done in trying to repair mine!"

"Has it occurred to you Rhea that maybe I want to help you!" he says harshly, but won't resort to raising his voice. "That I know you're lying to everyone including yourself and just want you to be honest with me of all people after what we've been through."

"I don't owe you the truth," I bite defensively. "We don't owe each other anything."

"You're right," he says as he marches back over to me. "We don't owe each other anything, our past is just that. In the past."

Except it isn't.

"Is it?" I question as he follows me with every step backwards I take, knowing I have him caught now.

"Yes," he insists and I see that look in his eye as I suddenly find my back against a wall, his body dangerously close to mine. "It is."

But I can't help myself as I challenge "Really?"

His hand is beside my head, leaning over me as he repeats with little conviction "Really."

And so I tilt my chin up towards his and ask "Who's lying now?"

He takes the bait and I gasp out as I feel his hand on my waist, the other reaching for my face, holding it in place as he leans down, beard scratching my cheek as he breathes my name "Rhea."

I look up at him, chest heaving, and whatever he sees makes him let go of me before he can take this any further and in an act of desperation I reach for him, grabbing onto his muscled arm to pull him back to me and drop the act as I plead with him "I need you to trust me Obi." His eyes are conflicted as they meet mine "I will tell you everything when the time is right I swear, but until then I need you to trust me."

"Rhea," he warns but his eyes betray him as I take his face in my hands and his breath catches in his throat, our bodies touching now as he holds me by the waist.

"Trust me," I whisper, lips inches from his as I look up into his torn blue eyes. "Please."

I let him feel everything I do in that moment and his eyes fall shut, forehead falling against mine as he takes it in until finally he nods, placing his faith in me as he says "I trust you."

With those words my arms wrap around him and suddenly we're holding onto one another as for life itself and I bury my face in the crook of his neck, my hands grasping his bare back as he buries his fingers in my hair, clutching me to his bare body. The warmth of him is something I know I'll crave for years more, having almost forgotten it until now.

I press my lips to his collarbone and feel him sigh at the touch but as I press my eyes shut I feel tears in them. Not wanting this to end like before, not wanting to destroy each other again and so before this can go any further I pull back enough to press a chaste kiss to his cheek and tell him "I'll let you get dressed."

He opens his mouth as if to protest before his eyes meet mine and immediately he understands that pulling away is not by will, but mercy on us both. He nods in agreement and I force myself to let him go, picking up my shirt and walking out of the room before I can look back and kiss him in a way I can't undo.

I don't stop until I'm in the kitchen and pull the sleeveless shirt on, head in my hands as I lean on the bench and my eyes catch the bottle I used to poor us drinks after the last attack and feel the temptation for just a moment before cursing and walking away from it, my substance abuse being the one thing Dooku brutalised me for when I began my training and rightfully so.

I fill cantinas with water and head to the ship, climbing inside and into the pilot's seat. It's a transport ship so it's spacious enough, and yet I know it is still too small for the two of us and our barely repressed emotions. Hell even the largest starship could never be large enough for us.

When Obi-Wan finally emerges he's dressed and his hair half dry, I open my mouth, not knowing if I should acknowledge what just happened but he speaks first, with a kind concern as he holds up my weapons belt that I'd forgotten in my haste to get out of that room.

"You might want this."

I give a pained smile as I take it. "Thank you."

He nods as he takes the co-pilots seat, eyes lingering on me before looking at the controls and asking "Are you ready for the coordinates?"

I nod and we set our course for Kamino.

Hours later we're travelling through the hyperspace lanes, having exhausted all topics of practical conversation regarding the mission our thoughts wander to just what Anakin and Padme are up to, using Anakin's own poorly concealed feelings to avoid our own.

"I'm sure he's behaving himself," I try to assure Obi-Wan. "I dare say Padme's grown tired of the obvious pining."

"Well, she'd certainly be fed up with his flirting," he guesses and criticises. "It is god awful too."

"It seems the master can't teach everything," I tease and quickly bring it back to Anakin before we tread down that carefully avoided path. "But I don't know, she always found it cute, and it's hardly like she allows that type of affection considering her station."

"So you aren't the only sister who terrifies any man who looks your way?" he says and I give a satisfied smile.

"Well I more so than her, she just prioritises her work above all else instead of deliberately brushing anyone off," I say, remembering that one senator, Rush Clovis. "And with Anakin she's too nice to be harsh, so either she'll let it keep going or try to let him down gently."

"I hope she lets him down as harshly as she has to considering he clearly doesn't have a lick of sense about him when it comes to your sister," he says and I roll my eyes at the blatant hypocrisy as he shakes his head. "If she gave him the chance he'd be that silly he'd be asking her to marry him."

I laugh, unable to imagine that. "That would be a sight, wouldn't it?"

"Don't even make me consider it," he groans, speaking frankly. "He doesn't even need a reason to break the code, he just does it, and if he did do something that stupid I don't even know what I could do aside from help him keep it secret."

I can understand trying to prevent Anakin from making the decisions he has but still, he's blinded to the fact they were not so different.

"We were prepared to keep a secret like that once too," I remind him gently, remembering it all too well not that either of us need the reminder.

His voice is quiet as he says "I know we were."

And the space is thick with tension again between us. At least we'd made it this far to Kamino without ending up here again.

I clear my throat "You know she's the one expecting me to do something as stupid as that now I'm alone with you."

He can't argue with her assessment but asks "How long has she known?"

From the way he says it I know immediately he's never breathed a word of us to another soul aside from answering the questions Anakin's had and is surprised I would.

"She knew something was going on at the time and after you left, well..." I don't need to finish and he nods, not needing me to explain the rest. "Like I said, she was afraid to tell me it was you who'd been assigned for a reason. She knew right from the start that you were my first love."

I know I wasn't his, but he was certainly mine. My first and only love.

The space between us becomes heavy and he looks over at me, a mere metre away at best in the cockpit, he looks at me conflicted before deciding to say "I- I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

I shake my head in dismissal "You don't need to-"

"I do," he says taking my hand in his. "I shouldn't have said what I did about you walking away. I- I know it hurt you as deeply as it hurt me. I know you've been in just as much pain as I have. It took me a long time to realise it and even now I don't want to believe I've been the cause of such pain."

"Obi-" I whisper but he's not finished.

"When the shock passed I was thankful you walked away, because like you said, I would have walked away from the order if you'd let me." I swallow hard, him never having said those words so plainly before. Words that mean more than I love you ever could, words of a man willing to break from the order he had devoted himself to so he could be with me, the purest act of love he could commit. "You were strong enough to do what I couldn't in putting our duties first."

"And you've done incredible Obi," I tell him, squeezing his hand and his eyes soften. "I knew you would do right by Anakin and you have. I couldn't let you break that promise."

"I know," he says, both of us utterly vulnerable. "I know you did it because you cared for me too much to let me walk away from the order even if it meant breaking your own heart." He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it hard. "Still," he says, his voice gentle but desperate. "I want you to know Rhea that I really was prepared to fight for us."

I give him a sad smile. "I know, but I couldn't let you lose everything in that fight."

He returns my sad smile, tears in both our eyes. "You may not have been my first love darling, but maker knows not a day's gone by these past ten years that I haven't thought of you."

I blink at him in disbelief despite all we've confessed to one another. "Truly?"

"Truly," he says, letting me in that moment feel everything he does, the longing, the remorse, the devotion. "I meant what I said, that I'll never be able to look at a sunset without thinking of you, and those words are true to this day." With those words my composure breaks and tears slip down my cheek and he wipes them away, voice soft as he soothes me "No darling, don't cry."

"How can't I when you're here, telling me that you've been in as much agony as I have?" I reply and find myself confessing to him knowing there's only so much more destruction left for us to do to one another. "I loved you." Saying it so plainly brings pain to his eyes. "I loved you and I knew I could never find that love in anyone else. I didn't want to love anyone else. I still don't." I find myself wiping a tear from the corner of his eye and leave myself utterly vulnerable as I tell him. "What I said about marriage and kids, I lied, I-"

His eyes search mine, realising there is something I haven't told him "Rhea?"

"For a moment I- I thought I was pregnant," I confide in him and watch his eyes change as he takes my face in his hand, tears still wetting my cheeks. "I wasn't, but for a moment..."

"Oh Rhea, darling," he whispers and brings his forehead to mine, trying to ease me before he confesses "For just a moment during those first few months of training Anakin when I believed I'd only fail him some selfish part of me hoped you'd come to me with the one duty more important than mine to him." I realise what he's saying and search his eyes, seeing the same scared boy I loved who was so uncertain of himself, of his capability to fulfil his masters wishes. "So I had a reason to leave that was more honourable than for the forbidden sin of having fallen in love."

"Obi-Wan," I breathe and we both know there is no escaping this unscathed as my heart breaks once again and he kisses away my tears as he did all those years ago until I whisper. "I don't want to let you go again."

"Neither do I darling," he promises me, kissing my palm as he asks "How is it a love so brief has endured so unwaveringly all these years?"

"I don't know," I say quietly, terrified as I ask him "What are we going to do?"

His brows draw together in contemplation, torn between every piece of sense he has and what he feels, unable to come to any conclusion except for one "I don't know, but it seems we're the ones we should be worrying about instead of Anakin and Padme."

"I think you're right," I chuckle tearfully and I can't help but look at his lips after trying so hard these past days not to. "Obi-Wan I-"

"I know," he says and I close my eyes as his lips skim over my cheek. "I know darling."

"Please," I whisper, not knowing what it is I'm asking for but he knows as his lips move down towards mine. "Obi-"

"Rhea," he breathes and every second is torturous as his lips brush against mine only for us to be torn apart by the blaring alarm sounding from the radar and he curses "Blast!"

Quickly I slam the alarm off and watch as Obi-Wan looks from the radar to what both of us were too occupied to notice. Kamino.

"There it is, right where it's supposed to be," he says breathlessly. "Our missing planet."

He looks at our hands, torn between discipline and desire, his resolve momentarily lapsing as he leans forward without warning and kisses the corner of my mouth, quickly moving his lips to my forehead before I can kiss him back and we linger there for just a moment in the silence before he forces himself to pull away so I can descend into the atmosphere of Kamino.

Sitting there beside him with the ghost of his lips on mine I know that the dangerous line we've walked, we've certainly crossed it now.

#obi wan kenobi x oc #illicit affairs #wildfirewildflower #obi wan kenobi x amidala!oc #obi wan kenobi x f!oc #obi wan kenobi x original character #obi-wan kenobi x oc #obi-wan kenobi x original character #obi-wan kenobi fanfiction #obi wan kenobi fanfiction

56 notes · View notes