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remnantoforario · 3 years

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Remnant’s Top Ten Anime of 2020

2020 Was certainly a ride wasn’t it? To those that managed to make to make it through in one piece, or any piece, good job. Hopefully 2021 is better to us all.

Despite the world mostly being on fire, I’d hazard to say that a lot of good shows came out in 2020 (despite a number of them being delayed to either later in the year or this year altogether). I meant to release this list much earlier, but I kept changing it around.

Anyway, here are the ones I thought were the best.

Honorable Mentions:

Dorohedoro

Synopsis: The plot centers on a man named Caiman and his search for his real identity after a transformation by a sorcerer left him with a reptile's head and no memory of his former life.

Along with his friend Nikaido, he violently assaults sorcerers in the Hole, with the aim of taking their heads into his mouth, where a strange face will appear and confirm whether the sorcerer he has bitten onto was the one responsible for his transformation or not.

As the residents of the Hole, the En family and the Cross-Eyes gang, along with many others, collide with one another, the mystery of Caiman's identity begins to unravel, reigniting ancient grudges and threatening to forever change both the Hole and the sorcerers' world.

Thoughts: This is the only Netflix anime I watched this year (I missed out on Great Pretender before the year ended), and I can honestly say I had fun with this one. It’s animation was good, the story was engaging enough, and the characters were all unique (Noi best girl). The one problem I would say with the show is that it can come off as unfocused at times, meandering from one plaot point to another with no real connective tissue.

Still a fun series though.

ID: Invaded

Synopsis: The anime follows the investigations of Narihisago, a renowned detective now in prison, who is tasked with diving into the id wells of various serial killers.

Two years prior to the current events, Narihisago's daughter Muku was brutally murdered by a serial killer, leading Narihisago's wife to commit suicide. These deaths prompted him to hunt down and murder the killer, earning him his prison sentence. He is still depressed and haunted by his wife and daughter's deaths, but also uses this as motivation to take his work seriously and help stop serial killers.

Thoughts: One of a handful of original series that came out this year. This show gave me heavy Inception/Minority Report vibes from both its premise and presentation. It wobbles under the weight of its own concepts towards the end, but it still a fun ride nonetheless.

Gleipnir

Synopsis: The story centers on Shuichi Kagaya, a high school student with an unusual secret. He has the ability to transform into a monster resembling a giant dog mascot costume with a zipper down his back and a large cartoonish smile. After rescuing a strange girl, Claire Aoki, from a warehouse fire, they join each other to search for Claire's older sister, who is assumed to be responsible for the death of their parents.

Thoughts: When the initial rollout for this show began I admit I wasn’t really a fan. I thought it was just going to be a hyper violent, fanservice show. Now in some ways it is that, but if you really look Gleipnir tells a very interesting tale of identity and what it truly means to have a wish granted. The music was pretty good as well, and that’s really something from me as a person who doesn’t pay attention to soundtracks.

Hope this show gets a season 2, but if not I’ll more than likely start the manga.

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina

Synopsis: Fascinated by the stories of Niké, a witch who traveled around the world, Elaina aspires to take the same course. Her determination of studying books and magic leads to her becoming the youngest apprentice witch to pass the sorcery exam.

However, when Elaina attempts to receive training in order to become a full-fledged witch, she is rejected due to her extraordinary talents until she finds Fran, the "Stardust Witch," whom accepts her. After earning her title, the "Ashen Witch," Elaina begins her exploration around the world, visiting and facing all kinds of people and places.

Thoughts: As a fan of the Light Novels, I was pretty excited when it was announced it was getting an anime. For the most part it didn’t disappoint. Though it skipped most of the stories in the novels, the show still told a few good stories that made for some amazingly animated tv.

Talentless Nana

Synposis: In the near future, mysterious monsters known as the "Enemies of Humanity" begin to appear, and with it so do children with supernatural powers called the "Talented". To prepare them for the upcoming battle against these Enemies, all the Talented are sent to a school located on a deserted island, where they have all their daily needs provided for until they graduate and communication with the outside world is forbidden.

One day, a new student named Nana Hiiragi arrives at the school. Her friendly and cheerful personality lets her quickly make friends with the class. However, with Nana comes a whole litany of mysterious occurrences on the island.

Thoughts: I can’t say too much about Nana without spoiling it’s first episode twist, but I will say that its a pretty interesting show with a fairly compelling game of cat and mouse being played.

Now on the the actual list:

10. The Misfit of Demon King Academy

Synopsis: After 2,000 years of countless wars and strife, the demon king Anos Voldigoad made a deal with the human hero, Kanon, to sacrifice his own life to ensure peace could flourish. Reincarnating 2,000 years later, Anos finds that royal demons now harshly rule over lower class hybrid demons in a society that values Anos's pureblood descendants over the demons who interbred with other species, such as humans and spirits.

Finding that magic as a whole has begun to decline and his descendants weaker as a result of the peace he created, Anos, now technically a hybrid himself, decides to reclaim his former title of Demon King, but first, he must graduate from the Demon King Academy where he is labeled a total misfit.

Thoughts: Originally I was going to put Nana in this spot, but its lack of a real ending pushed it out of the list. If only slightly. Misft at Demon Academy is just a fun ride from start to finish. There’s always something about shows with ridiculous OP protagonists (Overlord, One Punch Man, etc.) that gets the blood pumping.

It’s like junk food. Great for the right moment, but not needed all the time.

9. Ikebukuro West Gate Park

Synopsis: A charismatic troubleshooter tries to keep the peace between warring factions while protecting his loved ones in Ikebukuro West Gate Park.

Thoughts: I honestly had no idea what to make of this show when I first saw the synopsis, but I gave it a try on a whim. I’m glad I did because this was easily the dark horse of the Fall season. I really liked the mostly self contained story format the series had, and there were a few very good episodes here. Check it out.

8. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Synopsis: Catarina Claes, the young daughter of a noble family, one day bumps her head and regains memories of her past life as an otaku. It is then that she realizes she has been reborn into the world of the otome game Fortune Lover, reincarnated as the game's villainess who, regardless of what route the player took in the original game, is doomed to be either killed or exiled.

In order to avoid these routes that lead to doom, Catarina begins taking countermeasures to try and avoid things going the same way as the game. This, however, ends up having unexpected consequences on her relations with the other characters of the game's world.

Thoughts: Normally I’m not a fan of Reverse/Otome harem series, but somehow Bakarina managed to pull me in, to a good result. This show was easily one of the best comedies I watched this year with a good cast and a likable protagonist.

7. Deca-Dence

Synopsis: In the fortress city of Deca-dence, the lowly Tanker girl, Natsume, dreams of becoming a Gear warrior following her father's death during a Gadoll attack. She is assigned to a maintenance team led by Kaburagi whom she discovers is more than he appears. Kaburagi has a secret role in eliminating "bugs", humans who threaten Solid Quake's operations.

When Kaburagi discovers that Natsume is listed as dead in the company database, he decides to keep her under observation and offers to train her to fight.

Thoughts: Giant monsters and giant robots. What more do you need? Watch it.

6. A Certain Scientific Railgun T

Synposis: The Daihasei Festival has begun, and that of course means that Tokiwadai Middle School—a prestigious all-girls' middle school—is competing too. Despite the participation of the "Ace of Tokiwadai," Mikoto Misaka, the other students who are participating are still putting their utmost effort into winning, no matter how impossible the feat may seem against her might. However, not all is fun and games. Due to the the festival, Academy City opens to the outside world, and various factions have begun plotting ways to infiltrate the city. Misaka appears to be on their radar, and as the festival proceeds, people lurking from the shadows begin to emerge...

Thoughts: Not really much to say here. It’s the third season of Railgun, but good thing here is that each season of Railgun is better than the last. Truly the best of the To Aru universe.

5. BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.

Synposis: Urged on by her friend, Kaede Honjō begins playing the VRMMORPG NewWorld Online under the name Maple. Not wanting to get hurt, Maple opts to be a shield user with maxed out defense stats, and continues putting every status point she earns in the game into increasing only her defense level.

As a result, she is left with slow foot speed and no magic, but her high defense allows her to endure most hits without taking any damage. This, along with her basic-level creative thinking, allows for her to make unexpected accomplishments in the game, its quests and events. By doing this, she ends up earning all kinds of equally unexpected skills and becomes one of the strongest players in the game. Thoughts: Bofuri is another OP power fantasy like Demon King Academy, but with the twist of being fused with CGDCT. The cast is extremely likable (especially Maple) and when Silver Link wants to they can make the battles REALLY dynamic. A nice comfortable watch, which was sorely needed in 2020.

4. Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

Synposis: The story follows Princess Syalis, a young princess who was kidnapped by the demon king, and her quest to sleep well while imprisoned.

Thoughts: A simple premise for a not so simple story. Sleepy Princess for me was easily the best comedy of the year, with plenty of heart and action thrown in as well. I was wary of the series at first, thinking that the premise wouldnt be entertaining for more than a few episodes, but boy was I wrong. Each episode was funnier than the last and Doga Kobo pulled out all the stops to make it look as gorgeous as possible.

3. Jujutsu Kaisen

Synopsis: Idly indulging in baseless paranormal activities with the Occult Club, high schooler Yuuji Itadori spends his days at either the clubroom or the hospital, where he visits his bedridden grandfather. However, this leisurely lifestyle soon takes a turn for the strange when he unknowingly encounters a cursed item. Triggering a chain of supernatural occurrences, Yuuji finds himself suddenly thrust into the world of Curses—dreadful beings formed from human malice and negativity—after swallowing the said item, revealed to be a finger belonging to the demon Sukuna Ryoumen, the "King of Curses." Yuuji experiences first-hand the threat these Curses pose to society as he discovers his own newfound powers. Introduced to the Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School, he begins to walk down a path from which he cannot return—the path of a Jujutsu sorcerer.

Thoughts: Originally I wasn’t going to put this on the list, because the season doesnt conclude this year, but I decided to make an exception since the show started so strong. Many people were hyping this up as the next big shonen, and they were right. Mappa really went balls to the wall with this show and I’m pretty hype for what happens this cour.

2. Akudama Drive

Synopsis: The bustling metropolis of Kansai, where cybernetic screens litter the neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance. But in the dark alleys around the brightly-lit buildings, an unforgiving criminal underbelly still exists in the form of fugitives known as "Akudama." No stranger to these individuals, Kansai police begin the countdown to the public execution of an infamous Akudama "Cutthroat," guilty of killing 999 people. However, a mysterious message is sent to several elite Akudama, enlisting them to free Cutthroat for a substantial amount of money. An invisible hand seeks to gather these dangerous personas in one place, ensuring that the execution is well underway to becoming a full-blown bloodbath.

Thoughts: Want to know what it would be like if Quentin Tarantino made an anime? Well here you go. An adrenaline filled rollercoaster ride from start to finish with a crazy cast of characters and even crazier visuals. There’s even a bit of social commentary in there if you squint.

1. Oregairu Climax

Synopsis: Resolved to become a more independent person, Yukino Yukinoshita decides to smoothen things out with her parents, and the first step toward achieving that goal is to prove herself. As graduation draws closer for the third-year students, Iroha Isshiki—the president of the student council—requests a graduation prom in collaboration with the Volunteer Service Club. Yukino accepts this request of her own volition, hoping to use it as a chance to demonstrate her self-reliance, but what lies ahead of her may prove to be a hard hurdle to cross.

At the same time, a chance for the Volunteer Service Club members to better understand each other presents itself. And thus, Hachiman Hikigaya's hectic and bittersweet high school life begins to draw to a close.

Thoughts: The gif says it all really. I could just leave that there and end this list on a somewhat high note, but I’ll explain it.

Now objectively, there were better shows than this one (off the top of my head JJK comes to mind) but when you combine all three seasons there is no contest in my mind that Oregairu had one of the most perfect endings to a series I have ever seen.

It was an ending 7 years in the making. The first season in 2013 was good, the second season two years later was even better, but Climax was Oregairu at is absolute best and that goes beyond the story and characters. A lot of praise also has to go to Studio feel., who took over animation duties from Brain’s Base in season 2. While BB’s animation was much more accurate to the LN, feel’s more realistic designs fit the more mature direction the story was starting to go, giving the anime some of its best moments.

Watching Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui grow and change from naive teenagers to somewhat understood young adults was amazing and sometimes heartbreaking to watch. Hachiman’s search to find something “genuine”, Yukino’s desire to be independent, and Yui struggling with her feelings of love and friendship all clash and compliment in very interesting ways that makes these three characters even more relatable than they were before.

Lots of long running series don’t stick to landing, but in my eyes Oregairu stuck it perfectly. That’s why its my favorite anime of 2020.

Here’s to 2021.

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hiccanna-tidbits · 3 years

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okay, okay but hear me out!

Hiccanna, Moanida and Jackunzel (and maybe someone else if u want) going on a holiday trip together (it could be sea or lake or just swimming pool).

And that three couples playing "chicken fight game"~ When u have to sit on partner shoulder or ridding piggy-back and knock down or separate the other couple!

sksksks just imagine the fun and the chaos!! hahaha

Okay SO I recently watched Palm Springs so I’m just imagining The Gang going to like…a fancy pool resort in like Arizona??? SURE LET’S GO WITH THAT

I’m imagining the only resort the gang could afford to stay at is someplace out in the middle of Arizona or something

It takes a LOT of persuading to get Jack to go, because he haaaaates deserts. Rapunzel basically has to beg. Moana finally managed to bribe him with really good homemade ice slushies. (She’s used to making smoothies for Merida, so how hard can slushies be??? Just throw in some ice!)

Rapunzel offers to help Moana with the slushies, since she gave Jack SO many puppy dog eyes to get him to come. Since they’ve got two people working on them, they’re REALLY good slushies. Jack approves.

Anna also tries to convince Elsa to go, but the perpetually-single Elsa is just like “Um, deserts? Sunburns? Being indefinitely stuck with gross couples doing gross couple stuff?!? Yeah no thank you”

Hiccup tries to wake everyone up at like 6 am to go hiking because "that's when the desert iguanas are out guys!!! C'mon, we have to go!!!" Anna is only persuaded to go after Hiccup makes her coffee--she really wants to make her bf happy, but also mornings can suck her dick. Rapunzel is more than happy to go, because she loves mornings anyways!!! And oh my god, IGUANAS!!! Jack, Merida, and Moana are like "oh FUCK no" and put the pillow back over their head, shoo Hiccup away, and go back to sleep.

On their hike, Hiccup just goes "!!!!!!!" about every reptile he sees. Snake, lizard, horny toad, literally anything with scales will send the boy into an excited frenzy. Rapunzel has similar reactions. Anna could not love both of them more.

At one point, they stumble across a gila monster sunbathing, and Rapunzel is overtaken with the unwavering desire to adopt him. She gets Hiccup on board, and he tries to lure the lizard over with a dusty piece of a snake carcass he found (Anna tried to tell him he really shouldn't touch that, but he was not to be swayed and Anna ended up figuring he could just wash his hands really well when they got back). Anna finds herself in the unusual position of having to be the Voice of Reason, having to be like “hey uh I think this might be illegal and stuff??? Also aren't they poisonous???”

(I know what you're thinking. Bold of you to assume Anna knows the difference between poisonous and venomous.)

Rapunzel literally CANNOT stop gushing to Jack about all the wildlife she saw when she gets back! Jackrabbits! Kangaroo rats! Roadrunners! Peccaries! Centipedes! Jack has only mild to moderate interest in desert ecology, but loves hearing his gf gush so he listens attentively anyways.

Anna and Rapunzel definitely hit up the gift shops in the resort town at some point, and go ABSOLUTELY BATSHIT HOGWILD buying gifts for everyone. They probably max out their credit cards. It's embarrassing, really. But Anna gets Hiccup an absolute shitton of those little wall lizard things and he nearly cries tears of joy when he sees them, so it's all worth it, really.

Moana will not leave the pool like. The entire time. The girl is just obsessed with being in the water, honestly. She gets restless, though, and can't just stand in the pool and vibe--she needs to constantly be moving and swimming around or she'll explode. Merida is more than happy to indulge her by hanging out in the poor with her, but Merida is also constantly challenging her to swim races--a very dumb idea, considering Moana is on the high school swim team and water polo team. Merida, naturally, is an extremely sore loser and is not above excessive pouting, splashing, yelling in angry Scottish, and dunking her girlfriend in revenge. It's at least entertaining for all of their friends to watch.

Jack keeps fucking taking huge buckets of ice from the ice machine and dumping them in the pool. At first he only does this because he keeps griping about the pool not being cold enough (this boy will accept nothing less than sitting in the goddamn arctic ocean), but after her figures out that it pisses off his friends, he takes to pouring said ice directly over their heads. Merida has threatened to murder him several times for this.

Hiccup and Anna's main pool activity is just lazing around on their pool floaties (Anna has a duck one, Hicccup has a dragon one because obviously), sipping cocktails, and just generally vibing. Through some ungodly mixture of pure charisma and a fake ID that Rapunzel helped photoshop, Jack manages to talk his way into getting the whole group access to alcohol. Hiccup is a sangria or Moscow Mule kinda guy while Anna usually gets a Pina Colada or a Sex on the Beach (she's aspec, so she literally will not stop joking about the irony of this). Merida makes a game out of attempting to tip over their floaties and dunk them. Jack, chaos gremlin that he is, puts aside his usual rivalry with Merida to join in. They have a surprisingly strong dunking alliance.

Hiccup and Anna try to form a syndicate of their own, and try to lounge on the same floatie so that they can protect each other while fighting off Jack and Merida together. Unfortunately neither of their floaties were made to hold 2 peoples' weight, so the one they're on ends up tipping over, spilling their cocktails everywhere and dunking them anyways. Jack and Merida consider this a Win By Default.

Moana of course loops everyone into playing water polo at some point. Unfortunately some idiot decided it would be a good idea to let Merida of all people pick the teams, which means of course that they are incredibly rigged. It's Moana, Merida and Anna vs. Jack, Rapunzel, and Hiccup, so basically The Jocks vs. The Nerds (although admittedly Anna is more of a softcore jock--she's nowhere near on Moana or Merida's level, but she's still more naturally athletic than Hiccup, Rapunzel, or Jack). Naturally, Jock Team absolutely whoops Nerd Team's ass. Jack gets salty and demands a rematch. ...Jock Team kicks Nerd Team's ass again.

Throughout all of this, no one thinks to just...rearrange the teams a little. Merida was counting on this. All according to plan.

In the titular chicken game (yes, I remembered, don't worry!), it's Merida on Moana's shoulders (Moana swims and has a lot of upper body strength, what can I say?), Hiccup on Anna's shoulders (I mean...Hiccup's a twig, and Anna HAS to have a fair amount of upper body strength from throwing busts around and punching men off boats and such), and Punz on Jack's shoulders (Jack's pretty lithe and good at keeping his balance while jumping around, so he's their best candidate for not just falling over).

Jack and Rapunzel actually manage to stay in the game longer than anyone expects--their primary strategy is “be good at dodging and staying out of the way while Merida and Hiccup duke it out.” And it works! As limber as Hiccup is, Anna's not nearly as coordinated as Jack and is no match for Moana's sturdy footing. Also, neither Anna nor Hiccup are prepared for how goddamn ruthless and determined to win Merida is. Even though they really, really should have been. I mean...have you met Merida???

When it comes down to Merida-Moana and Rapunzel-Jack, Mer feels a little bad for having to go up against Pure Sweet Punzie. Unfortunately, Rapunzel turns out to be a very hardcore fighter when she puts her mind to it, and Merida is much more evenly matched than she initially thought and realizes she must use her Full Power. It definitely helps her snap out of Going Soft when Jack starts brutally roasting Merida in particular (as per usual). Merida gets a rage-fueled Second Wave, and finally manages to knock Rapunzel over in one foul swoop. Merida and Moana are victorious!

Moana and Merida basically always shower together after a day at the pool. They claim it's because they both know how to handle curly hair in chlorine, and just like to wash each other's hair, but the rest of the gang is pretty sure that's not all that's going on in there.

One day, Anna hits up the resort town alone to buy some kind of secret gifts for her friends with what little money she has left (this girl seriously has no chill when it comes to buying presents). She goes past this huge, fancy ice cream shop and she's like “!!!! OMG!!! I'm gonna surprise all my buddies with pints of their faves!!!” She just gets super hyped and buys everyone ice cream, getting so caught up in the thrill of it that she forgets that she'll have to like. Drive all this back all the way back to the resort in the rental car. In like. You know. 110+ degree weather.

By the time she gets back to the resort, the ice cream is, of course, goop. Poor Anna, feeling incredibly dumb and like an utter failure of a friend, just kind of bursts into tears. Like damn. This is too much. She was gonna make all her pals so happy, and all for naught! Jack just kinda shrugs and throws all the melted ice cream cartons in the freezer anyways. Once they're (partially) re-frozen, Rapunzel and Moana make slushies with them. They actually come out pretty decent. Anna is substantially cheered up.

Moana prepares some tropical fruit platters for everyone to snack on. Rapunzel tries to “improve” them by adding chocolate sauce and nutella to half of them. Sometimes it works (I mean...bananas and strawberries with chocolate and/or nutella is pretty solid). Other times it just tastes...very weird. Merida gest frustrated and yells at Rapunzel for “ruining all of her girlfriend's good mangoes.”

Jack just thinks this whole thing is so funny, and decides to swap the chocolate sauce with barbecue sauce to cause further chaos. Absolute mayhem ensures. Everyone has a bad time. Except for Anna, who apparently is just a freak who enjoys eating pineapple slices dipped in barbecue sauce.

At some point, Merida gets really drunk on appletinis or some shit and signs the entire group up for a local archery competition. Much to everyone's chagrin, it's no refunds. Naturally, basically everyone sans Merida does terrible. Rapunzel and Hiccup very nearly shoot themselves, while Jack and Anna come very close to accidentally shooting a group of referees (although Jack might have done this on purpose). Moana gets the farthest, if only because Merida's taught her how to shoot a bow at some point. Merida actually ends up winning--although unfortunately, the prize is $20 and a very cheap plastic trophy (which Merida STILL manages to find a way to break before the trip is even over).

The rest of the group is much more amicable to the concept of going on hikes when said hikes are in the evening. Hiccup and Rapunzel are still excitedly chattering about the local ecosystems the entire time, and Jack and Anna are just kind of looking at their nerdy SOs like “<3 <3 <3″ Moana and Merida, meanwhile, are just kinda vibing in the back, passively listening in and watching the desert sunset.

Rapunzel manages to capture Mer and Mo's interest and gets them to participate more with geology, of all things. Merida just thinks rocks are cool (especially when they can be thrown at people bothering her!), while Moana likes learning about the physical history of places--how water can carve out landscapes, and all that. Hiccup and Jack just kind of exchange a look like “I had no idea that they were into rocks, but...the more you know, I guess???”

Jack makes fun of every reptile they see, mainly to piss Hiccup off. Unfortunately it has the opposite effect, and Hiccup can't help but be entertained--mainly because Jack's insults are so weirdly specific and over-the-top that they loop around to being hilarious. Seriously, he keeps saying shit like “Those are the lamest scales I've ever seen. Absolutely drab, and not nearly shiny enough to prove that nature is beautiful. 0/10.” and “Ohhhh, this fucking rattlesnake think's he's so scary, with his dumb percussion instrument tail!!! I could be more intimidating with a mean look and a large pair of maracas!”

At some point, a bunch of tourists riding donkeys pass them. Anna, Rapunzel, and Merida just absolutely lose their shit fangirling over how cute the donkeys are, thus exposing all three of them as the unabashed Horse Girls they are. Hiccup, Jack, and Moana find this extremely amusing, and definitely aren't above teasing their girlfriends about it. Hiccup asks if next time they take a couples' vacation, the Horse Gang (as Moana insists on nicknaming them) would like to go to a ranch instead.

Anna gets like. Obsessed with palm trees. Like they're just so pretty and exotic and tropical!!! OMG!!! And they definitely don't have them wherever the gang is from in this AU. (Also if griping about Elsa not having "tropical powers" is anything to go by, she DOES canonically like the tropics!) She has to take a picture of like...every palm tree on her phone. And considering the gang is in Arizona, that means Anna is stopping to take a picture like...every 2 minutes. Rapunzel catches onto the fact that Anna likes them, and paints her a picture with some when Punz has the time. Anna definitely cries when she sees it. Hiccup can't do nearly that good, but he does buy her some little plastic figurine ones in a gift shop that she can put in her room. Anna also cries about this. She just cries whenever any of her friends indulge her random fixation on palm trees. Surely she doesn't deserve such niceties!!!

Rapunzel is just. In love with the desert landscape tbh. Like the huge funky cacti!!! The shrubs!!! The desert wildflowers!!! The mesas!!! All of it!!! So of course she needs to pull out her easel and paint it. Jack walks by one day and sees her working on it and, partly just to troll her, he's like “put some snow in it!” As he walks away, Rapunzel just stops like “wait...that'd actually be such a great idea for a surrealist-type fantasy piece!!!” After she finishes the main landscape, she adds an overcoat of little puffs of snow on top of everything, and has some clumps falling off of the cacti. When she shows Jack, he just about cries tears of joy, but frantically tries to hide it. She gives the painting to him as a present at the end of the trip. He hangs that shit front-in-center in his room and cherishes it forever and ever.

At some point, Jack gets the ingenious idea that he's going to prank Merida by catching a tarantula and leaving it in her room. It's one of the harmless ones--Jack fact-checks this by offhandedly asking Hiccup and framing it as a casual interest in local etymology. Still, Merida screams far louder than is at all dignified, and also probably loud enough to wake a neighboring country. Rapunzel later has to physically hold Merida back to keep her from absolutely beating Jack into a pulp. Rapunzel also manages to get the World's Largest Sheet of Cardboard and the World's Largest Cup and somehow manages to get the damn thing back outside.

#rotbtd #rotbtfd #rise of the brave tangled dragons #the big four #jackunzel #hiccanna #moanida #jack frost #rapunzel #merida #hiccup #anna #moana #headcanons #hcs #vacation au #my askbox

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pumpkinpaix · 5 years

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老师好！Thank you for writing! i found you through your MDZS story and i really adore your insightful writings about the show. In my opinion, i even think the show is better than the novel in their presentation of WX relationship ~ ! it feels more natural and less pandering. Another essay suggestion for you if you want to write --- In the show, who do you think fell in love first in WX? When were the "turning points" when they realized?

sldjfslikl first of all anon, it’s WILD that anyone would address me as 老师 and i’m simultaneously flattered and gobsmacked. (i’m really really really not qualified to be called 老师 friend—thank you, like, a lot?? but yeah, i gotta say i’m not that cool) thank you for reading my fic and liking it and apparently my one meta enough to come talk to me!! also, SORRY this took approximately a million years i’ve been working on it on/off for like. two weeks. (@the other anon who also requested meta—pls forgive me im really doing my best apparently these take a lot out of me)

confession: I wrote a WHOLE ADDITIONAL essay in response to your opinion about show vs. novel that i ultimately decided to cut because it flies a little too close to the discourse sun and you didn’t ask for that hahaha. if it turns out you are interested in it, feel free to hmu and i can post it (though i’ll probably try to keep it out of the tags for my own mental health’s sake im not cut out for this lmao)

that all being said, who do I think fell in love first? it was definitely lan wangji, and it was right here:

[id: screenshot of lan wangji watching wei wuxian making a wish to “protect the weak and curb the strong, with a clear conscience for all my life” from episode 7 of the untamed drama. wei wuxian’s eyes are closed, his hands clasped. lan wangji looks on with a surprised tenderness. /end id]

I think it’s safe to say that he already finds wei wuxian attractive/intriguing (see: his reaction to wei wuxian drawing his portrait, tying the lan ribbon around their wrists, the PEAK gay panic in his voice when wei wuxian trips and falls on top of him), but this is the first moment he’s really moved by him. up until this point, wei wuxian has been teasing, immature, A Nuisance™, too clever for his own good, troublemaker energy personified etc but he hasn’t ever revealed his deeper moral values in front of lan wangji—and he does it like this, without pretension, without irony. He doesn’t spend his wish on something frivolous or material: he wishes to be able to do good for all his life, to be righteous, to be kind. it’s the wish he makes for both of them. “the promise we made together all those years ago,” as he says, half a lifetime later.

like just. imagine, for a moment, being lan wangji, whose whole world is being constantly challenged and needled by this unfairly attractive, chaotic bastard and then he just comes out of left field with this. I think this is where lan wangji first recognizes himself in wei wuxian—that at their core, they share their most important values.

look what i’m saying is this is where I fell in love with wei wuxian.

(sidenote: I really think a lot of the tragedy of mdzs/the untamed is stems from this moment. wei wuxian fails, over and over and over, even when his wish never changes, even when all he ever wanted was to do good without fear.)

i had to think for a really long time to try and decide which moments i wanted to talk about on wei wuxian’s part, because i don’t think he’s nearly as easy to pinpoint. lan wangji falls in love like a lightning strike, but wei wuxian’s love is something that grows so slowly, i don’t think he realizes what it is until pretty late in the game.

so let’s begin with this moment on phoenix mountain:

[id: screenshot of lan wangji and wei wuxian facing each other on phoenix mountain from episode 25 of the untamed drama. lan wangji is waiting expectantly for an answer, having just asked, “what am i to you?”, hand behind his back. wei wuxian is holding his flute, expression complicated and uncertain. /end id]

this is the first time i think wei wuxian is asked directly to label his feelings about lan wangji, and he says, “i once thought of you as a lifelong, intimate friend.” and when lan wangji presses, “and now?”, he doesn’t respond.

two episodes later, when wei wuxian is taking the wen refugees out of their prison camp and lan wangji appears before him, I think he has some kind of answer to lan wangji’s question:

[id: screenshot from episode 27 of the untamed drama. wei wuxian holds out chenqing before him in challenge to lan wangji, who is offscreen. he is smiling, just slightly, resigned and fond and terribly sad. /end id]

“if there really must be a battle between me and them, then I would rather fight to the death with you. if i must die, then at least i would like to die by hanguang-jun’s hand. it wouldn’t be an injustice.”

if that isn’t some kind of confession, I don’t really know what is.

but it’s too late—he’s now a defector in the eyes of the four sects. lan wangji lets him go and wei wuxian rides away. the remainder of his first life, that’s how things stand. even through everything with a’yuan, the final massacre at the nightless city—even though there’s something really meaningful there between them, it’s all tinged with a sense of impossibility, you know? there’s no outcome where they can resolve it happily. wei wuxian has gone too far down that single-plank bridge.

the first moment i think wei wuxian has to confront the unresolved and unsaid things between him and lan wangji comes when lan wangji gets drunk that one night and tells him, “i have regret.”

“what regret?”

“that at the nightless city, I did not stand beside you.”

[id: screenshot of wei wuxian looking at lan wangji (offscreen) with tears in his eyes as the full realization of what lan wangji just drunkenly confessed hits him from episode 36 of the untamed drama. /end id]

“so all this time, you’ve been searching for me?”

earlier i said can you imagine being lan wangji for a sec, and i’m gonna say it again except god. can you. IMAGINE being wei wuxian in this moment. finding out that this person that you maybe suspected you had deeper feelings for but never acted on has spent the entire sixteen years of your death searching for you, regretting that he didn’t stand with you before you died? a regret that he’s been carrying in secret, alone, for sixteen years?? that’s A Lot to unpack.

however, I don’t think wei wuxian really, fully understands and accepts how he feels and how lan wangji feels in return, how far they’re both willing to go until episode 42, at the confrontation at jinlingtai.

[id: two screenshots from episode 42 of the untamed drama, right after lan wangji takes a stand beside wei wuxian against the four sects. image 1 is lan wangji smiling at wei wuxian: he is gentle and sure. image 2 is wei wuxian smiling back at him, eyes red-rimmed and wet. /end id]

even though lan wangji has been walking with him since dafan shan, he’s been doing it with a plausible deniability. and here, when wei wuxian is trying to give him an out, lan wangji puts everything he has on the line so that he can clearly stand with wei wuxian, without dissembling, without hesitation. “the feeling of of walking on a single-plank bridge into the dark truly is no worse.”

lan wangji is finished with regrets.

“it’s just funny, that’s all,” wei wuxian says, “back when the whole world flattered me with praise, you were the only one who would scold me. but now that everyone is calling for my death, all hating and condemning me, you’re nevertheless the only one standing by my side.”

i think after that, for all the remaining episodes, there’s an unspoken commitment between the two of them that underpins the rest of their interactions, which I think I can say without reservation that I like more than how it played out in the novel. EDIT 16 APR 2020: I changed my mind a while ago, ahaha. Turns out, I don’t prefer CQL over MDZS. I love them both so much. ;A; there’s something really profound about it, the trust in their unlabelled relationship. it really feels like the inexorable culmination of two adults in their mid-thirties coming together after falling in love for almost twenty years. there’s a maturity to it that isn’t present in the way the novel does the confession (which does have its own disaster energy™ charm) that I think highlights the fact that they love each other, not just because they admire each other, not just because they’re attracted to one another, but because they understand each other—because when they look at each other, they also see themselves.

#the untamed #the untamed meta #mdzs #mdzs meta #wangxian #陈情令 #mine #meta #mymeta #can i get a wahoo for the production team?#WOOF anon thanks for your patience #some of the wording in this is really embarrassing haha #i did my best!!#i hope some people like it #i also spent WAY too long on this #guys i edit every screenshot i'm not kidding #as always feel free to come talk to me about this #Anonymous #asks and replies

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castiel-has-bees · 4 years

Text

Hooking up with the right people

Gabriel x reader

Word count: 1k

Warnings: implied smut, several sexual themes (what do you expect, it’s Gabriel)

A/N: Hey! So this isn’t my favourite, but it’s okayish I guess. I might do a Pt. 2. Go check out my Castiel one shot! Ships are open!

I was a Winchester, through and through.

Basically the perfect combination of my entire family, I had my father's stubbornness, my mother's brains, Dean's confidence, and Sam's strange patience. Of course, I inherited most of their bad traits also. I had my father's drinking habits, my mother's temper, Dean's cockiness, and Sam's rebelliousness.

As the middle child, I was always the mediator, never picking a side, always breaking up the fights, and I was sick of it. I had to get out, so that's what I did. I packed my bags, left a note explaining I was leaving and wouldn't be back. Then I went to find the expert on getting away from your family, Gabriel.

It was no secret we had a past, one full of passionate hook-ups and getting caught by my brothers, which had ended badly. But I needed his help.

I found what I was looking for, a classy bar where I'd gotten a tip that Sleipnir would be, and from there I could seduce him into giving me Gabriel's location, who could hide me from my brothers and Castiel.

I got on the long black dress with a very provocative neckline, I only owned it so I could use it to get information for cases.

I flashed my fake ID and walked past the bouncer. There was soft music playing through the speakers and various women in dresses and men in tuxedos. The lights were soft yellow and the whole place smelt of bourbon, aftershave, and tobacco. It was horrible, but I still put a smile on my perfect, ruby lips, and waltzed over to Sleipnir, who was wearing a forest green suit and had his caramel blond hair slicked back, reflecting what a snake he was.

I sat down at the bar next to him and asked the bartender for a pina colada. Twirling the straw between my fingers, I looked over to see Sleipnir staring at me, looking me up and down with a faint smile on his lips. Good.

"Heya," I said, twirling the straw in between my thumb and pointer finger and making sure he saw me looking him up and down.

"Hi," he said cockily, leaning back.

"I'm (Y/N)."

"I'm Steve"

I smiled, "Is that what you're going by now, Sleipnir?"

His smile was instantly erased and he set his drink down on the counter, looking suddenly tense, "How do you-"

"-Relax, I'm not a hunter, just an interested party."

He seemed to relax, I didn't look like a hunter, which helped, plus, a hunter wouldn't be caught dead in a dress like this. "Oh, what kind of 'interested party'?"

I leaned closer to him, biting my lip again, "Depends on what kind you want me to be."

I leaned in to close the lap between us and kissed him. One thing led to another and we were getting dirty looks from the bartender. "You want to take this back to my place?" he asked, breaking apart so we could breathe.

Perfect, it was all going to plan. "Sure."

He snapped and suddenly we were in a candlelit room that smelt strongly of roses and something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"What'd'ya think?"

I smiled again and kissed him, slower this time as we leaned towards the emerald green bed.

I waited until I was sure he was asleep to get out of bed and get my clothes back on. I tiptoed across the room to the door and tried to open it as quietly as possible. Sam, Dean, and Castiel would probably realize I was gone now, but the warding here would keep Cas from finding me.

I looked around until I saw him, Gabriel. He was making out with, what I assumed to be a porn star based on the size of her boobs. He shut the door and I sighed, walked over to the door he had just shut, and ripped it open.

They both ripped apart and a half-naked Gabriel turned to me, probably to tell me to leave. Upon seeing me, his eyes widened in surprise and his eyebrows raised, "(Y/N)..." He snapped and the porn star was gone.

"Gabriel," I said, "I need your help."

He simply blinked once, making no indication he had heard me.

"Gabriel... Hello, earth to Gabriel," I said, waving my hand in front of his face.

"H-how did you find me?" He asked.

"Well," I started to explain, "I found Sleipnir in a bar, he snapped us back to here, I slept with him, and he fell asleep afterward."

"You and Sleipnir...?" He asked as if this was the biggest concern he had right now.

"Unfortunately," I laughed, "Hey, I mean, it wasn't that bad."

He got a frown in his face, "Why are you here (Y/N)? You shouldn't be here."

I frowned back at him, this defiantly wasn't the reaction I was expecting. I was expecting him to be happy that I was here, or straight up furious, not just frowning. "I-I need your help, please."

He bit his lip, "What do you need?"

"Protection. From the angels, demons, monsters, the whole crap-load."

"What about your brothers and Cas?"

"I-I can't do it anymore, I can't hunt and pretend everything's fine and drink away my feelings. I-I just can't anymore," I could feel tears start to prick at the corners of my eyes and I tried to push them down.

"Okay," He said.

"Okay?"

"Okay, stay here, with me, then."

"Really?" I asked, my voice breaking. Tears started to stream down my face.

"Yeah really," He said, taking a step towards me so we were only inches away. He raised a hand and wiped a tear off my cheek and pulled me into a warm embrace. I could feel tears continuing to stream down my face and my legs started to get weak.

Suddenly we were sitting on the small, yellow love seat, but his arms were still wrapped around me. I snaked my arms around his chest and he started to stroke my hair.

I don't know how long we sat like that, but my tears were soon gone and we slowly broke apart, my body shuddering due to the heat being taken away from me.

"(Y/N)," Gabriel whispered, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Too much," I said quietly back, "Way to damn much."

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takadasaiko · 4 years

Text

Love Me Twice: Chapter Ten

FFN II AO3

Summary: Liz re-introduces Tom to her team and Red and Cooper discuss where it's all heading.

Chapter Ten

When Liz had said that her team was a good resource for intel and backup, Jacob had assumed that had meant for her. He could take leads that she passed along and run them down in ways that a federal agent couldn't. He hadn't expected her to walk him into where she worked to speak to her team directly. At a federal black site. Below ground level with limited escape options. None of this was setting well, but she brushed off every argument that he made.

"They know you."

Jacob bristled at that even as he followed her into the lift that would take them down to what she called the War Room. "But I don't know them."

"You don't remember them. There's a difference." The doors squealed closed and she turned towards him. "I'm not going to let anybody hurt you."

"You know my line of work isn't exactly legal," he pointed out.

"They're not going to arrest you either. They know about St Regis."

Jacob turned to stare at her. "You told them?" he demanded.

"I think Reddington did? It just sort of became common knowledge in our circle after you got out and after… well once you and I figured things out."

The doors opened and Jacob fought the urge to run. What good would it do? He was stuck in a black site with a bunch of federal agents that knew he was a covert operative. Despite Liz's optimism, he had no idea how this could end well.

One of those agents looked up from his desk, eyes focused on Liz and started for them, talking the whole way. "Agent Keen! What's the news you couldn't share over… the… Holy crap. Tom?"

"Hey, Aram. Surprise," Liz offered with a struggling smile.

The other agent - Aram - stood there gaping. "How? When? Why didn't you…. you know what. It doesn't matter." Without warning he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck. "You're alive."

Jacob jerked backward at the sudden contact, stiff and ready for a fight. It took a moment for his mind to process that Aram had hugged him. Why a fed was hugging him, he had no idea. All he knew was that he had no interest feeling any more contained than he already was in this place.

"He doesn't remember," Liz explained as Aram startled back, pulling his attention around.

"Doesn't remember… what?"

Liz pursed her lips together thoughtfully, gaze shifting towards the main part of the room. "Let's talk in Cooper's office."

It was surreal as Liz made introductions that her team didn't need. While he only recognized them from the file Tremblay had given him, they knew him. What's more, Aram wasn't the only one that seemed happy to see him. Cooper - an assistant director of the FBI - greeted him with a warm handshake and a promise to both of them to help get to the bottom of all of this. Ressler - one of Liz's partners and the one that had been with her the longest - was more awkward, but managed a quiet "welcome back." The only one without much to say was Park, but as far as Jacob had seen she'd joined the Task Force after his supposed death. She looked as confused by the whole interaction as he felt.

"Have you told Reddington?" Cooper asked, and there was something layered beneath the face value of the question.

"No," Liz murmured, "and for now, I'd like to keep this between us."

"I thought you trusted him," Park popped off.

"It's complicated. He and…. the woman I believed was my mother are locked in some sort of war, and until we find out why, I think my circle of trust extends to the people in this room."

Ressler turned to look at her. "Believed to be? What did I miss?"

"Tom's… employer hired him to protect me and he ran a DNA test on her. It was secure. She matched to Katarina Rostova, but there was no parental match with me."

A quiet settled over the group as they digested the new information before Cooper's gaze landed on Jacob. "The person that hired you must have known who you are."

Jacob pulled in a breath, steadying himself to open up to the feds. "Looks that way. All I have is an alias: Brigitte Tremblay. She's gone dark, though, soon as Liz and I ran across each other. She hadn't returned any of the calls."

"I can trace the number," Aram offered. "Might give us something."

"It's a place to start," Cooper agreed. "Aram, work with Tom to get any information he has that might get us a lead on Brigitte Tremblay. If she's slipped up in any way, I want you to use it to ID her. Ressler, Park, catch Keen up on what we uncovered on The Collector."

Jacob watched as Liz perked up at that. The name obviously meant something to her. "You found something with him?"

Park flashed her a grin. "More than something. It's good."

"Let's go." Liz started out the door, but paused, turning towards Jacob. He must have looked like a deer in the headlights for the way her expression softened and she reached out, her touch against his arm gentle. "I trust them. You can too. I promise."

"I've never known cops to have my back," he confessed softly. "Especially feds."

"Well this fed saved your life a few years ago and you still owe him a favour," Ressler chuckled, halfway out the door. "Don't think I'm not calling it in sooner or later now that you're back."

Liz smiled and let her hand drop. It brushed Jacob's and he felt a shiver pass through him. His fingers started to close, holding her hand there, but in the last second he stopped. She didn't, though, and her fingers closed around his, giving a reassuring squeeze and held his gaze.

"I trust you," he whispered and her lips quirked up.

"Don't let Aram get sidetracked with Doctor Who." One more quick squeeze and she was gone, following her partners out the door and down the stairs.

Jacob turned to Aram. "Like the British scifi show?"

"We totally marathoned the Fourth Doctor one time when we were waiting on some intel to come in a few years ago. There was the one where K-9…" He grinned sheepishly past Jacob at his boss. "Right… We can, uh, cover that some time when we're not trying to find the mystery woman that knows where you've been the last two and a half years. Of course. Just, uh… follow me. We'll get started."

Jacob nodded numbly, not bothering to correct him. He knew where he'd been the last two and a half years. It was the previous ten he was worried about.

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

"Before we get started," Park said as she paused at her work station, turning to look directly at Liz, "did you know? Because last I heard your husband had been brutally stabbed to death in a home invasion that turned out to be Federal Marshall after some secret of Reddington's. Didn't Cooper ID him?"

Liz did her best to push down the instinctive desire to go on the defensive at Park's tone. "I found out the night before last. He's been… trying to come to terms with the fact that he was married… had a family and a life that he doesn't even remember."

"Sounds rough."

"It has been. And yes, Cooper ID'd him."

"Not just that, but we all saw him flatline," Ressler pointed out. "Hell of an accomplishment to fake all of that."

"It is, but we've seen doubles before. Sinclair manages it pretty convincingly. Tom told me about a Russian-based program he came across during his time with Halcyon that surgically altered people to look like their targets. It does happen."

She didn't like the look Ressler gave her, almost like he thought she was stretching it.

"Yeah, but who would have those kinds of connections and resources to put it together so fast?" Park asked, shaking her head.

That, Liz had an answer to. One that had been battering around inside her mind since she saw Tom hanging in Katarina Rostova's warehouse, but she hadn't dared to admit out loud yet. "Scottie Hargrave."

Ressler blinked at that. "Tom's mom? Why would she?"

Liz risked a glance over to make sure Tom was distracted with Aram. "She has means and motive."

Ressler didn't look convinced. "Motive for faking his death?"

"If she thought it kept him safe, yeah. I could see it. She thrives on control and there was something…. strangely resolved when she took Agnes a coupe of years ago. She said she'd already mourned him once. I didn't… catch it then, but it was weird."

"That's screwed up," Park managed and Ressler snorted.

"Welcome to the Keen family drama."

Liz shook her head, unable to deny the statement. "Tell me what you guys found on the Collector."

Park lit up at that. "Michael Kowlaski was actually Viktor Petrov. While his paperwork says that he was American-born to Polish immigrants, the identity for Michael Kowlaski was farmed. All the paperwork, the credit history, everything was manufactured."

"Like a shelf company for a person," Liz murmured and Park nodded.

"Exactly like that."

"How did we get to the name Petrov?"

"Aram worked through the night going through photos linked to the Kowlaski ID," Ressler explained. "Cooper recognized one and was able to confirm that it was actually Victor Petrov, a KGB officer known for his intelligence work. Everything started to fall into place."

Liz leaned back against Park's desk. "Okay, so we've got the who and the why -"

"You mentioned that in the debrief," Park said. "The Sikorsky Archive. Petrov's last words. Do you know what it means?"

"All I know is what I've been told. It's a blackmail file that the woman that posed as my mother says she's being blamed for stealing and that she thinks Reddington knows who really has it."

"So another dead end?"

"No… maybe not. I had a PI follow Ilya Koslov -"

"Not Reddington, by the way," Ressler offered and Liz tried to ignore Park's confused look.

"- and she found that Koslov was obsessed with the Archive."

"So he's our next best lead?" Park asked, shaking the confusion from her expression.

"Seems to be." Liz closed her eyes, working through the pieces of the puzzle that made up this case. It was huge. Expansive. Pieces looked like they'd fit and then were part of a completely different puzzle altogether. This, though… she thought they were onto something with this. "The Collector always has two demands: a new secret to carry on and a favour. I know we recovered a jumpdrive on him. Has Aram cracked that yet?"

Ressler shook his head. "He's still working on it, but I think that's what had him here all night. His program's cracked pieces."

"It's German… Something about Bonn, but other than that, we don't know yet," Park agreed.

Liz risked another glance over to Aram and Tom, the tech genius looking like he was in the middle of a long-winded explanation of something that probably could have been said a fraction of the words he was using. Tom, to his credit, was patiently nodding along that he was following. The two had always gotten along well, so it was good to see that even with his missing memories Tom was able and willing to listen through.

"Then I say we focus on Ilya," Liz finally said.

Ressler quirked a ginger eyebrow. "Hasn't he gone into hiding?"

"We'll find him," Liz answered confidently. "We have to."

Park shifted where she was. "If Rostova isn't your mother and Reddington isn't… whatever the latest thing you thought he was… why?"

Liz pursed her lips, working through each word as she let them fall. "Because Reddington used us to get to here. He used us to get to The Collector to kill him. He tried to steer me away from this woman, but he never gave me a clear reason why. He uses us, and just once, I'd like to have more pieces of the puzzle than he does."

There was a moment of silence between the three partners before Ressler nodded. "Okay. Let's find Koslov."

"Uh, guys?" Aram called over. "Mr Cooper just called down. Mr Reddington is supposed to be coming by with intel on The Collector. I know you said…"

"Guess that's my queue to leave," Tom said and his gaze shifted around to Liz. "How about this: give me a lead to track down on this Koslov guy and I'll start in on the groundwork."

"Tom…"

He gave her a small, lopsided smile. "I promise I'll come back. Here, gimme your phone?" He reached a hand out and she held it out to him. He punched in a number. "Saved just above the pizza delivery guy."

Liz found herself echoing the smile. "Good. Let's get you out of here."

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

They walked a thin line with Reddington. That wasn't new, and for the most part Cooper had reconciled himself to it. There was give and take. He gave them terrible people that needed to be taken off the streets and that they wouldn't have had access to without him. In return, he took what he wanted. Sometimes it was a piece of information or access, and then sometimes the price was higher. Sometimes he used them in ways that Cooper found very difficult to see as anything but a betrayal to the very woman that Reddington had surrendered himself for. His actions had forced her into more compromising positions, put people she loved at risk, and consistently left her in the dark on issues that directly affected her without even a hope that he'd reveal the answers to her someday.

Despite all Reddington had done - and for every veiled motive, every secret he had kept about Elizabeth's past, he had quite literally saved her life and career time and time again - Cooper couldn't blame Elizabeth for not wanting to offer up the fact that Tom was alive. Reddington's secrets had, they had thought, cost her husband his life two and a half years before. He was alive, but far from whole, and her wish to protect him from the chaos that Reddington brought into her life was understandable. It was the reason that Cooper had given them a good headstart before calling Reddington into the Post Office.

Reddington didn't like being summoned, that much was clear. He helped them at his leisure and on his terms, despite the fact that, theoretically, he worked for them, but that afternoon Cooper had no patience for his antics. He'd used them to lure a Blacklister out and, when Cooper had refused to hand him over blindly, Reddington had had him shot down in the street.

It was nearly time for Cooper to pack it up and call it a night when Reddington finally strolled into the Post Office with a reminder that he's not at the FBI's beck and call, even though his immunity agreement did have some wording that leaned heavily in that direction. He continued on and on, casually taking a seat across from Cooper with his hat in his hand and Dembe lingering at the door. Cooper lost track of exactly what the point of the story was, but it had something to do with a woman from Beijing that he'd met while smuggling political refugees out of the country. By the time the story wound down, Cooper had already had to send Charlene an apologetic text and a promise to pick up dinner of her choosing on his way home.

"I'm sorry, Harold, was there a reason you called me in when I should be at Marcel's having the most exquisite Lobster Timbale that I've ever tasted?"

"Victor Petrov," Cooper said simply, not bothering to point out that if Reddington had come when he'd called that he could have been out long before his reservations.

"Ah," their often complicated CI managed. "You've put a name to the legend."

"I'm not going to waste both our times asking you exactly what you thought you'd keep Elizabeth from finding out about her mother," he stated firmly, "but I do need to know what Petrov was trying to move through Mr Krause. Aram's working on the encryption, but so far we've only gotten pieces. You said that Petrov was connected to the Cabal."

"He was," Reddington answered, his voice serious now.

"I'm not a fool. We may have decimated their stronghold in the United States, but my guess is that they have a further reach. You handed us this Blacklister and so far, without details of what was being transferred, we've gotten nothing from it other than a dead former KGB operative and another dead end." He paused, taking a risk. "Does Bonn mean anything to you?"

"Is that Krause's final destination?"

"We believe so."

Reddington tilted his head to the side and Cooper straightened his spine. He was already asking for less than they'd been promised on this. Finally, the other man relented. "I already suspected that Petrov had re-aligned himself with his old allies in the Cabal. If he's orchestrating deliveries to Bonn, then it's not just a smaller faction he's trying to reach out to."

"How many factions are you aware of?"

Reddington sighed, and for a moment Cooper thought he was going to try to slip around this. Apparently it wasn't worth the effort. "Originally? Many, but there were key players housed in the United States, Russia, China, and two in Germany: one for the East and another for the West."

"So Petrov was trying to make contact with one of the factions in Germany?"

"There's only one left. With the fall of communism in Germany, the Cabal lost its foothold in Berlin. Bonn is all that's left, but Harold -" he caught Cooper's gaze and held it, and in that moment his voice was deadly serious - "if this is more than an attempt to make contact, if the faction in Bonn is using someone like Petrov to move information Stateside, this is bigger than either of us could have assumed."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have killed the man with the answers then."

"What's done is done. Aram mustcrack that encryption and he must do so quickly."

"Or what?"

"If we wait to find out, it will already be too late."

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

TBC

Notes: ** insert dramatic music here **

I feel bad for poor Tom right now. Everybody in this story knows more than him and he's just not okay with that.

Next Time: When Tom's search for Ilya continues to run into dead ends, Liz takes matters into her own hands.

#the blacklist #Tom Keen #Elizabeth Keen #Raymond Reddington #Harold Cooper #Donald Ressler #Aram Mojtabai #Alina Park

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selemina · 4 years

Note

So how about you tell me a bit about what you're upto? What's going on in your campaigns this week? :3

This week nothing, because I have been busy with real life, I didn’t have time to prepare. ^^’ But I can tell you what happened in the last sessions up to this point!

The quarantine story arc started with everybody going to a student fashion show. Alexia and Isa had been invited to be models, but once there and with a few events, both Permid and Lyn also asked to join. However, in the middle of it, they realized their tech wizard Raph was... not online. Which was impossible : Raph is ALWAYS online! They tried to contact people in Saclay and couldn’t get anybody. Worried, they drove with a few other people from Saclay, over to a secret entrance. (I took some liberty with reality, based around the historical fact that there are aquaduct networks that used to bring water from Saclay to Versaille’s castle for the fountains of the palace. :) ) Using those tunnels, they managed to get inside... All of Saclay was under a severe quarantine : no radio, no internet, no phone lines... Everything was cut off. Knowing this had to be about the magical events happening around town, the group realized they would be hunted down sooner or later. In any case, Salin and Saka (both from Mira) coulldn’t be found by the government, so they offered to get a few of the kids and go over to the other world, Mira, to hid in there for a week or so until the search let up.

Saka, Isa, Lyn and Permid agreed to go with Salin to Mira, while Ivan and Alexia decided to stay to keep an eye on things and protect who needed it. They also had not heard about Damiana in a while...

The A team, in Mira, landed at the White tower as usual, where Master Kavoleg was in the middle of a meeting with representants of each nation, informing them about the existence of Earth, and the imminent crisis it faced of having magical resurface, all unsupervised and without direction. After most left, they met the Human representant of this council :

He seemed very curious about this new human-only world with no magic. They all discussed the current state of things, and the worry that if there was already a military presence during this “quarantine”, things might be a little difficult to resolve peacefully...

Still, since they had a week of down time, Saka asked to start looking for his missing brother, Sisik, that had last been since just before the whole thing. They headed to the port town where he had been seen last, and started looking. They heard about the fact that Sisik was looking into disappearances that seemed to target specifically magic users, and just as they exited the building, someone tried to get saka alone in an alleyway. While Isa was 100% here to help, Saka and Permid saw right through it, and managed to stop the kidnapping attempt peacefully (I will never say enough how proud I am of my players for going out of their way to not be murder hobos! ;W;)

They learned that those kidnappers had no real idea who they worked for, they were just there to subdue people and pass them over to someone else, and got a better cut if the people were magic users. They handed the kidnappers to the town’s guard, and Saka immediately stormed out, realizing that this was a serious issue, and his brother might be somewhere in there. He went to the Axis outpost, and was told that if he could provide something that belonged to Sisik, they could attempt to locate him.

Which meant They had to go back to Saka’s home, in Iridescence, the land of dragonborns. A place he had avoided at any cost for three years... Still, for his brother, he pushed through and went, with the others in tow. It didn’t take very long for his anxiety to return to be explained, as they ran into his ex-lover, Zahz. Apparently their relationship had been toxic, between Zahz’s abuse of control, and Saka’s desperation to be loved at any cost, and the break-up had been messy. But it had been enough of a shock that Zahz had decided to work on himself, or at least start the process to become a better person. The two awkardly reconnected, wary of falling into old habits but still very much in love with the other. Saka also visited his parents again after 3 years, and after some scolding for not giving news himself, he was given one of Sisik’s baby teeth to help locate him.

The process didn’t seem to go through, until Permid realized the problem was that Sisik was in a different plane of existence. With Salin’s help, they devised a spell to locate the plane in which Sisik was being held, and once they had this information, they adapted the locate spell to be able to reach Sisik. They very quickly realized he was in the Underdark (which I THOUGHT was a different plane for some reason, so woops, now the Underdark is a different plane in my world. XD), and that his magic had been drained from him to the point of leaving him barely alive. There was also mention of a Wish spell, that left Permid very worried... Saka on the other end focused on the fact that magic drain at this degree was not only against the Axis’ codes, but also a warning sign of a potential catastrophy about to happen. He made a report to his superior in the Axis, and called for backup. They agreed to start organizing a strike team to take this threat down and save the captured civilians, giving the group a few days to get ready before the attack while they located precisely where the prison was.

Lyn, Isa and Permid had a moment of hesitation : they came here to hide for a while, not to be part of a strike team and potentially kill people! Salin reminded them that they always had the opportunity to leave if they wanted, but she would be doing everything she could to keep them safe and away from the main battle. In the end, they decided to stay and assist Saka. -Which Salin was very glad for, as it would force Saka to hold back to keep them safe too, keeping him from putting himself in danger recklessly like he had a tendency to. A little bit of manipulation Zahz reproached her later, but to each their way of keeping their friends safe. ;)

The B team had their own adventure in the meantime! :) As a doctor, Ivan realized very quickly that the Tieflings under his care were being brought to a field hospital the government had put in place, away from prying eyes, essentially in a temporary military base. VERY unhappy about this, he started organizing a passive resistance with the nurses and other doctors, while making sure he could go to said hospital and visit the tieflings himself.

Damiana, who had started showing tiefling traits, had been kept in her own room without any phone or internet for a week now by her very religious grandmother, in the hopes of forcing the devil out of her. All it did was push her to escape her house once she heard that her family wanted to send her to a covenant essentially, so god could help her repent. None of that for Dami, thank you! She eventually found her way to the student dorms, and was given a place to stay for the moment, and a way to disguise herself to look like she used to.

On her side, Alexia had been keeping an eye on her and her patron’s territory : the school. To their credit, the military presence here wasn’t abusive, just checking for anybody’s ID as they passed by. Soon, though, a different kind of government official showed up, walking straight to her : enter Special Agent Dyla Ross, that I’ve spoken about at length already. XD He presented himself, and asked Alexia, as a person of interest, to follow him to the field camp. There, a small firing squad suddenly appeared, weapons trained on her, and got ready to fire. Alexia decided to protect herself with mage armor, while Ivan (who was just coming back from the field hospital and saw his student in danger) rushed over, projecting an illusion in front of her for added protection. The weapons clicked, unloaded from the start, and the firing squad moved back into their hiding spot while Dylan casually walked back in. This had been a test to see what their first reflex to danger was : if they had attacked the firing squad, it would have looked very bad for them, but instead they chose to be safe. He then got them both into his office and got as much information from them as he could. Ivan being very forthcoming and open with information, even helpful, seemed to surprise Dylan deeply, but he appreciated it. There was only one attempted lie, that Dylan dissuaded quickly. Ivan offered to send Peter his way, since the vampire was originally from Mira, to get more intel on the new world.

The next day, Alexia and Damiana met a new friendly face over breakfast : Tethys, an exchange student that seemed to also have magic abilities. Shortly after, Dylan showed up again, offering to drive the kids over to the atomic research facility next to the Synchrotron to test out some theories about magic. Under the supervision of Archeon White talon, Permid’s dad and local scientist, they set up different dummies and tries spells on them. Everything was recorded in any ways science knew how : heat, motion, air displacement, visual, slow motion... After a few shots, Dylan got on the field and asked to be fired at with magic. Everybody immediately protested, but he insisted. He tried to use deflect missile on a few things, quickly realizing he could not actually catch magic, and after a round of test got himself healed on camera for the record.

They then drove to Ivan’s house (because Dylan wanted to try and see Peter again), where the doctor and Dylan spoke some more while the team welcomed a second new face : Shanti! :) Recently turned tiefling too, plagued by voices in her mind for a while, Shanti got to meet Omnideus and become a cleric like Ivan. They caught her and tethys up to speed, and everybody turned in for the day.

Next day! :D While Shanti was getting used to the new house, Oni came by the see if she needed anything (since he’s been adopted more or less by the Standons, and is still looking for purpose). After a short talk, shanti noticed Omnideus staring ominously in the direction of the school, and they both hurried there. At school, a fire alarm had gone off, and Alexia, Dami and Tethys started evacuating, when Alexia was informed by her patron that something bad was going on. They quickly realized there was a student in distress, in the middle of a wild magic surge, unfortunately wrecking havoc on the school ground as she looked for help. They got there, along with Shanti while Oni kept the military forces from doing anything stupid and making things worse. Damiana figured out that they needed to help the student focus on a spell to expel the excess magic, and with reassuring words and a comforting, confident presence, they helped her calm down enough to cast a spell, resolving the surge as peacefully as they could. (Rip school windows) And guess who showed up! :D Dylan, again, having heard that something was going on at the school. He took in the situation, forced to recognize that these kids knew what they were doing. He also confronted Alexia about things she was not telling him on purpose, and as a show of what her patron could do, she made the statue right behind her brandish its stone cane straight at Dylan’s face, not touching him but barely. (Dylan had to recognize that yeah, ok, she was being honest about her patron being In the statue...)

He then told them to all come at the field camp tonight, as they needed to discuss how to handle this whole situation, and make a proper plan before his superior, the General in charge of the quarantine, showed up to demand a report and a plan of action.

And that’s it! :D So next time will be a big session : between storming the underdark fortress and deciding on what the world should know of what’s going on here, big things are going to happen, as we reach this arc’s finale! :D And after that.. Beach episode on Mira! ;) (And then we move to the next and final story arc! ;) )

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an-avid-reader · 4 years

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Origin (Lux #4) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

my rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis for book one

After losing her father, Katy and her mom move across the country to West Virginia. With her luck, Katy's new neighbour is pleasing to the eyes...maybe even abnormally so. But that's not all, this town has it's secrets--maybe that's just how small towns are. Little does Katy know that her new neighbours Daemon and Dee are more than they appear to be. As Katy is swept into Daemon and Dee’s lives, she quickly learns that they are aliens; as she spends more time with them, Katy has an aura which makes her a target to other aliens. Paradoxically, Katy must be protected by the twins while also losing the aura before she gets killed.

Note: this review is written after rereading the book

Link to Goodreads // book 1 / 2 / 3 // Spoilers in review!

Okay so I realized that I suck at taking notes, especially for spoilery stuff because most of my reviews are spoiler-free, but I tried my best! To be completely honest, while I was rereading the series, I definitely think this is the best book in the series; I loved the writing and the progression of relationships, the inevitable betrayal, and the flow of the story felt so natural.

I seemed to have remembered a few details, but I also had forgotten quite a bit. A small but kinda important (ish?) detail is that this takes place in area 51, which I think is so funny, especially after all the memes. I didn’t really think much of it until I reread this book--to be fair, I also don’t really follow that stuff either, but it fit really well with the narrative and maybe now when someone mentions area 51 I’ll think about this book.

More on the setting/the whole Daedaleus premise: um yikes. I’m not sure if Armentrout did it on purpose, but technically what they’re doing is illegal and doesn’t follow proper scientific protocol??? You can’t clinically test medication (/drugs) as soon as it’s synthesized. Not to mention, did the patients actually give consent to be part of the project ?? What about a supervisor?! I think at this point I’m taking away the “fun” part of the story, but I just feel like I should mention that this isn’t how lab and drug testing is done xP. I’m also going to geek out here, but why was it called LH-11? 11 maybe for their 11th version of the drug but LH? That’s usually for luteinizing hormones...maybe Luxen...Hormones?? Who knows…

While the whole science experiment isn’t completely accurate to reality, the prejudice (I don’t think that’s the right word)...stereotype? Erm the whole ‘Oh Daemon is a Luxen and there’s a group of Luxen trying to take over the world and he’s part of it’ narrative is kind of represented in our society--yes this book was published a few years ago, but there’s still a parallel to racism and prejudice against people with religious beliefs. I don’t know if that was Armentrout’s intention, but it was something that I found to be a bit interesting. I’m also glad that Katy didn’t buy their claim (well except for maybe at the very end)--if Daemon is concerned about taking over the world, wouldn’t the Daedaleus try to idk take him out?! Katy trusts her man!

Speaking of Katy and Daemon, I definitely felt that yes, while there were some cringe-worthy moments, their relationship seems more realistic?? The thing about the Lux series is that their cheesy relationship works in this case, and I don’t really mind it. I think that Armentrout’s writing also improved, so she was able to present things clearly but in an eloquent way. I think it also has to do with them slowly getting over their initial lust phase, and how Katy and Daemon really grew as characters throughout the story. I also acknowledge that some parts of their relationship are kind of toxic?? Right out of the gecko, we have Daemon going "I'll burn the world down to save her", which I get you’d do anything for the person you love, but also??? no thanks??? Maybe it’s because I can’t relate lol. The same thing applies to when they save their own skin and then Ash, Andrew, and Paris all die instead “I would do it again” yikes. Finally, there’s the whole oh yeah I’m going to lie to Katy and not tell her that her image is being blasted to the world, which I understand you want to protect her, but sooner or later she’ll find out, Daemon!! I swear I’m not hating on their relationship, those were just some things that I’m not super on board with, but overall, I appreciate that their connection ran deeper than just lust. I also appreciate that they got “married” in Las Vegas--that’s kind of iconic, not going to lie (even if it was under their fake IDs).

As I previously mentioned, there were some things that I sort of forgot about. Notably Matthew’s betrayal, which kind of stung because after rereading the books, as well as Oblivion—the first three books from Daemon’s point of view—I was cheering him on and I really thought that Matthew was an underrated character! And now he has the audacity to betray Katy and Daemon like that??! No thanks man. I also forgot that Bethany is pregnant, but to be honest, I sort of picked up on that pretty quickly--the fact that she was always tired, Dawson being a bit overprotective, but what put the nail in the coffin (or whatever that saying is) is when she had her arm across her waist when they were executing Daemon’s plan to “light up Vegas”.

Very quickly, here are some other things that I loved/found funny in this installment: I love that we got to see Dee and Archer’s little romantic spark, Archer being like “don't forget the box of condoms on the floor" and embarrassing Katy (tbh just Archer being Archer was great), I like how we finally got more scenes with Luc (even though he completely obliterated Lyla), and like I mentioned before, the rash decision to get married.

Overall, I think that this book could easily be translated into a successful film if done correctly (said every bookworm ever). I’m not too sure about the previous books, but this one definitely has enough dynamics and craziness going on. I was just so eager to keep on reading whereas I didn’t really feel that from the previous books (though I still really do enjoy this series); again, this is probably my favourite book from the series after having a reread.

If you’ve read this book, I’d love to know your thoughts and opinions! Did you like it or found it to be meh? I’d love to discuss! =D

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you have an outstanding day, wherever you are in the world!

~ Cassandra / an-avid-reader

PS- as of writing this review, we are still in quarantine, I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy <3

#book review #mine #spoilers #jennifer l armentrout #armentrout #origin #lux #review #5/5 #lux series #booklr #reread #aliens

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cleocazo · 5 years

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under the cut you’ll find fifty six ( 56 ) wanted connections for my characters on sidekickhq - an appless next gen & canon marvel / dc rp. some of them i’ve had for a while, some are super new, some come with additional chars you’d be connected to, some don’t - but they’re all SO wanted, and if u snagged one, id die for u !!

platonic.

ADRIAN TREVOR, our TOM HARDY fc is looking for a BRO connection who looks like JAMIE DORNAN, KAREENA KAPOOR, DANIEL GILLIES, BIANCA LAWSON / UP TO PLAYER and is 30+ YEARS OLD . you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( basically… when you look for “bromance aesthetic”, they’re the search results. adrian is that one guy who’s a total gruff dumbass on the surface, but underneath, he’s such a genuine soft person who’s just so tired, and who just… keeps trying to do the right thing and continues to fuck it up. he’s a loyal friend, and like in all aspects of his life, he tries - but he isn’t always great, and this is the one person in his life who has really stuck by him, and who’s really in his corner when he needs it. likewise, he’s in theirs. they’re probably way more put together than he is, with a lot more going for them - but their bond is unshakable, and they’ll always be bros. )

ADRIAN TREVOR, our TOM HARDY fc is looking for a ARMY SQUAD / THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE connection who look like JON HAMM, MATT DAVIS, EVANGELINE LILLY, RASHIDA JONES / UP TO PLAYER who are 30+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( adrian was in the british army from ages seventeen to twenty six, when a serious injury brought his honorable career to a sudden end. he was the only survivor of a landmine related explosion, and a few of his friends died that day - but some of the people he was closest to survived, and i’d love for him to have their friendship, even now. they would have known him at his happiest and most put together, and have been witness to just how badly he fell apart when it was all said and done, and there’s just.. something really lovely to me in the idea of him clinging to their friendship more than he clings to any sort of relationship like that. )

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her ADULTHOOD SUX SQUAD / THREE - FOUR FRIENDS connection who look like UTP who are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( you know what’s hard about adulthood? all of it. makena was kinda super shuttled towards having to be a functioning adult when keely came along, but that doesn’t mean she 1. enjoys it and 2. is any good at it. paying bills on time is hard. remembering to renew her internet security is hard. getting regular smear tests? hard. nothing is easy, and this is the group of friends she laments that with. three to four wine mom’s / dad’s / parent’s / people who aren’t parents but who are in or around the same age and having just as much trouble adjusting / etc who met in a doctors office or something and who now get together every week just to drink wine and complain about taxes and anti-vaxxers. ) ( walt wilson, adonis maximoff + more )

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her MAIN RIDE OR DIE connection who looks like HAYLEY LAW, DREW RAY TANNER, CARLOS VALDES, ANTHONY RAMOS / UTP who is ANY AGE, PREFERABLY 24-28. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( everyone needs their few ride or dies, and while makena likes to think of herself as a lone wolf, she’s just as in need of a few close friendships as anyone else. they’re her oldest friend - someone she met when she was just a little kid, who never seemed to grow tired of her, and who she never grew tired of either. they know all her secrets, they know all her lies, and she knows just as much about them. no matter what, they’re in each others corners, and nothing will stop them from helping out if ever it’s needed. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a PARTY SQUAD / THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE connection who look like LAKEITH STANFIELD, THERESA PALMER, SHILOH FERNANDEZ, ALISHA BOE / UP TO PLAYER who are 21+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( think… gossip girl flashbacks to when the core squad was younger, everyone was drunk or high, and they were… dancing on bars and having fights with the shower head and just being general delinquents. that’s this squad. they met through the party scene, and their friendship survives only because of it. nikki indulges their bad habits, and they certainly indulge hers - the entire group heading out pretty routinely to turn up at nightclubs and wingguy the heck out of each other. they’ve NEVER had a sober conversation and they support each others inklings even when they shouldn’t, but there’s… some loyalty, in the sense that they don’t ditch each other when the cops crash whatever rave they’ve found to be at. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a YOUNGER SIBLING FIGURE connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is UNDER 21. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so! i’m into two versions of how this goes, but both of them are down to one thing: nikki has never had a sibling, and with the shitty homelife she’s had… she’s always kind of craved one. she sees something of herself in this character, and that’s where the option is. either they’re sweet and innocent and something to be protected, like she once was… or they’re a demon straight out of the depths of hell, and someone she can see her current self in. nikki will take them under her wing and be a voice of reason, if needed, or a cool older figure who can supply them with booze, if .. also needed. it’s p open cause i’m not too fussy ! )

NORA LANCE-QUEEN, our TAISSA FARMIGA fc is looking for her CLOSEST FRIENDS / SQUAD OF FOUR INCL. NORA who look like ABIGAIL BRESLIN, DEMETRIUS JOYETTE, GAGE GOLIGHTLY, ROSS BUTLER / UP TO PLAYER who are 21+ YEARS OLD . you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( this is the COMPLETE opposite to nora’s rich kid squad. these are people who chose to be friends - and maybe, they were at the same private schools or something, but they made a conscious decision to become as close as they are and they’ve worked on keeping their friendship strong over the years, meaning that they’re all genuine friends, and all genuinely there for one another. there’s no ulterior motive. just straight up love and respect, and who doesn’t need a whole lot of that? ) ( adam palmer + 3 more )

NORA LANCE-QUEEN, our JOSEFINE FRIDA PETTERSEN fc is looking for RICH KID FRIENDS / SQUAD OF FIVE INCL. NORA who look like UP TO PLAYER and are 21+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( give nora her rich kid squad! i’m into this idea of this squad of kids - all in or around the same age - having grown up around one another in that upper class scene, and having gotten shoved together by parents or sitters and told to play nice. as they got older they just sort of continued to go with it, and the cracks started showing a long time ago, but it’s only now that they’re adults they’re starting to act on it. there might be some genuine friendships in the bunch, but i’m most interested in the splintering and seeing where the friendships are falling apart because they were built on not much at all - so throw ‘em at me! ) ( winona falcone, more. )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for a GUARDIAN ANGEL, FLIPPED connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( how is it flipped, u might ask? well.. trixie is the guardian angel, in this scenario, and this person is someone she’s met along her merry way and who she’s trying to help, real lowkey. that can be in one of two ways: either they’re always in some sort of physical pain that she’s helping them with, OR they’re someone who’s usually in a lot of emotional pain, which she can hone in on with her angel given empathetic healing powers and ease. how they met and what exactly is going on is to be decided, and how they’d react to knowing that trixie spends a lot of time focusing on them and making them feel better without ever asking if she could / if they wanted her to do that is really up in the air, but… pls. )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for SOMEONE TO PROTECT who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE / PREFERABLY YOUNGER THAN HER. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( from now and until the end of her life, victoria is gonna be living with what she’s done, and working on making herself better. i like the idea of her coming across someone who’s just… good. the goodness radiates off of them, and they make her think of all the innocent people she’s hurt, and also kind of make her think about the innocent person she could have been, if the world allowed - and maybe they’re not having such a good time of it, or maybe they are and she just wants to make sure that things never sour for them, but either way, she takes it upon herself to be their guardian angel. maybe more accurately. personal attack dog. she works hard to keep them safe and to her that means being willing to lay her life down for them at a moments notice and being equally as willing to take a life for them, too. )

familial.

EMMA FROST, our AMBER HEARD fc is looking for her LIL DEATH MACHINES / STEPFORD CUCKOOS X3 - CELESTE, MINDEE, PHOEBE who look like GIORGIA WHIGHAM, KIERNAN SHIPKA, JENNY BOYD, ANNASOPHIA ROBB, ANY MATCHING BLONDE FC who are 16-26 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( we all kno the stepford cuckoos. they and their sisters - two named dead, thousands of unnamed - are emma’s clones, and though they appear to be mature, are actually, chronologically, like, five or smth, cos they were grown rapidly in tubes. it wasn’t known from minute one that they were emma’s, but the minute this became public knowledge, she accepted it and started to think of them as her daughters. diamond form, telepathic hive mind, coordinated outfits ; how much more could u want? )

EMMA FROST, our AMBER HEARD fc is looking for her TRIPLETS WITH SCOTT SUMMERS / TWO BIOLOGICAL, ONE ADOPTIVE connection who look like DAYA, LIZA KOSHY, SAFIYA NYGAARD, SEBASTIAN DE SOUZA, HARRIS J, ANY HALF-INDIAN FC IF BIOLOGICAL / RHENZY FELIZ, HAYLEY LAW, ARIELA BARER, ANY FC OF COLOR IF ADOPTIVE who are 16-19 YEARS OLD, 22 OR 24+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( did u know that in an alternate universe scott & emma had five beautiful lil babies? bc they did. and with a tweak. that is what this wc is for. the frost-summers triplets would have prob had a psychic hive mind to rival the cuckoos if an attack hadn’t sent emma into early labour, resulting in one of them not surviving. the decision to adopt a baby in need of a loving home and complete the otherwise ruined trio? not an easy one to make, lets be real, but it was MADE, and the three have been raised as siblings from minute one. emma loves her babies. pls. give them to her. ) ( rohen frost-summers & nellie frost-summers & open for one more ! )

GRÁINNE CASSIDY, our SOPHIE RUNDLE fc is looking for her SIBLINGS / TWO OLDER, TWO YOUNGER who look like FINN COLE, OLIVIA COOKE, CILLIAN MURPHY, EMILY BROWNING, DOUGLAS BOOTH / ANY FACE CLAIM who are anything from 20-40 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( do u want to play a member of a crime fam, but ur not sure which to pick? do u want to play an irish char, but dont know what to do? if the answer is yes to the first and no to the second, but ur ok with settling, then boy o boy do i have the crime fam for you ! mutant on their fathers side and mobster on their mothers, the cassidy-sullivan’s are honestly… p hot, if i say so myself. their matriarch was left the only member of the fam after they were wiped out in gotham about ten years ago, and now they’re all getting older, the kids are restarting that specific fam business. i love the idea of them all having like… conflicting ideals, conflicting ideas for their fam, conflicting LIVES. gráinne fancies herself the head of the family right now, and at least for the minute is continuing their loyalty to the falcone’s. her sibs could want to challenge her… could be happy working alongside her… could mayb not even wanna be apart of the family - it’s honestly up to YOU ! )

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her ADOPTIVE SISTER / HOPE SUMMERS connection who looks like KIMIKO GLENN, ALISON SUDOL, RILEY KEOGH, DEMET OZDEMIR / ANY FC who is 26+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i also play hope’s “grandmother”, jean, but i mostly just !! really want kena’s fave and most badass big sis !! )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for her ALMOST FOSTER PARENT / CANON OR OTHERWISE who looks like PLAYERS CHOICE and is PARENT AGED. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( right after her mom died and before her dad TECHNICALLY kidnapped her, nikki bounced from foster home to foster home a lot over a period of about three years. they most all ended badly, but there was one - the one right at the end, the one she left when her dad came back - that stuck with her, because a part of her was… sort of hoping they would want to keep her forever. they brought a softness to her that she had been pretty quickly losing, supported her when needed, were strict when they had to be, and have always been a pretty big what if in her life - making the idea of them reappearing and nikki encountering them at this point in her messy life… really interesting to me. )

NORA LANCE-QUEEN, our JOSEFINE FRIDA PETTERSEN fc is looking for her MOTHER / DINAH LAUREL LANCE who looks like ( SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR, CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, ADRIANNA PALICKI, DIANE KRUGER, MICHELLE PFEIFFER / ANY FC ) who is MOM YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( nora is embarking on a new char arc that’s basically.. going to lead into her becoming a vigilante, smth she never rly wanted before now, and def like.. laying groundwork for her to Someday, whenever dinah steps down, mayhaps taking on the black canary mantle. she loves her dad, but she STANS her mom, so..pls )

NORA LANCE-QUEEN, our JOSEFINE FRIDA PETTERSEN fc is looking for her FATHER / OLIVER QUEEN who looks like NIKOLAJ COSTER WALDAU, CHARLIE HUNNAM, MATT CZURCHY, RYAN GOSLING / ANY FC who is DAD YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( oliver queen may have his - many - faults, but nora was honestly… always sort of a daddy’s girl, and that’s an unfortunate trait she may never rly lose. pls bring green arrow dad. i can’t offer much, but i can give u all the angst u could want. )

NORA LANCE-QUEEN, our JOSEFINE FRIDA PETTERSEN fc is looking for her TWO OLDER SIBLINGS who look like BRIE LARSON, TOBY REGBO, CANDICE ACCOLA, DANIEL SHARMAN / ANY FC who is 25+ YEARS OLD . you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( it is honestly… one of my many dreams for nora to have a couple older sibs that she’s actually, like. u know. pretty close to! im not saying it couldnt go the other way bc ofc that’s just as interesting to explore, but im.. big hoe for the idea of three sibs standing shoulder to shoulder against the world and everything it may throw at them. )

RAMONA DARKHOLME, ABRAHAM MUELLER & HELENA BARNES, our MADCHEN AMICK, SKEET ULRICH & KATHERINE LANGFORD fcs are looking for their SON / TWIN BROTHER connection who looks like GIANCARLO COMMARE, JOE KEERY, CHARLIE HEATON, THOMAS HAYES / ANY FC WHO WORKS who is NINETEEN YEARS OLD. you DO have to contact prior to applying at OFDARKHOLMES, OFRESURRECTIICNS or SHIFTINGANGER. ( so theo. technically. is dead. it’s a long , sad story, but. the GOOD NEWS is that theo’s mom has regenerative healing and his dad has self-resurrection powers, so, he’s… kinda in a prime position to have developed these too, and i speak for the fam when i say we would LOVE to have him return for all the angst that it’ll bring! there’s a lot of backstory & whatnot to smooth over which is why it’s contact, but ! we don’t bite ! )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for her FATHERS / DAN ESPINOZA & LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR who look like JAY HERNANDEZ, ALFONSO HERRERA, GABRIEL LUNA, ANY MEXICAN FC ( DAN ) / DIEGO LUNA, RICKY WHITTLE, TOM ELLIS, ANY FC ( LUCIFER ) who are 40+ ( DAN ) & 1000+ ( LUCIFER ) YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( healthy coparents, unite !! chloe and dan are two of lapd’s best and brightest, and trix loves her parents so much - but she ALSO loves her stepfather, lucifer, and he’s 100% on the same level in her mind as her birth parents. )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for her MOTHER / CHLOE DECKER who looks like LAUREN GERMAN, VERA FARMIGA, WINONA RYDER, SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR, AMY ACKER, PLAYERS CHOICE who is 40+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( if u have seen lucifer, then u already have a pretty good idea of trixie’s dynamic with her mom! her dad is great and all, but… chloe was the one who was REALLY there for her, ya know? i kinda had it hced that chloe is now with lucifer cause that’s how the show was heading to and i didn’t imagine anyone snagging anymore lucifer chars, but i’m! definitely open to changing that! just gimme her mom pls! )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for her ( TWO ) YOUNGER HALF-SIBLINGS VIA CHLOE & LUCIFER who look like ANY FACE CLAIM / ONLY HAVE TO BE HALF WHITE who are anything from 16-22 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i’m tweaking the timeline that i’m mainly working from - the lucifer tv show - just a bit to allow for a broader age range of siblings, but what i waNT here is !! lil decker-morningstar kids !! i’m not even fussy on whether they’re like, bio or not, i just think… trix would be an awesome big sister, and it would REALLY solidify the fam connection here for there to be a lil fam running abt the place. )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for a “HALF-SIBLING” / COUSIN connection who looks like DJ COTRONA, JASON RALPH, KATIE CASSIDY, TINASHE, ANTHONY RAMOS, PLAYERS CHOICE who is ANY AGE / PREFERABLY 26+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so. yall best know yall can do what yall WANT, its just.. originally when i played vicki i had a wc for a “half-brother”, and i was thinking about it recently and think it could be… kinda fun. SO. this is for a kid of victor creed - either.. biologically, or another one that he just kinda . stole - that vicki actually knew during certain points of her life, because for the most part, she was pretty isolated. for whatever reason - maybe he just wanted someone to keep an eye on his investment or whatever - victor allowed these two to interact a bit more, and depending on how they were to one another, i feel that a certain loyalty definitely could have developed between them. vicki got fucked over a couple times and left in, like, japan for 9 months and a yemen prison for another six and incidents like that have dotted her life, but im kinda thinking this “half-sibling” could have been the one who.. helped her out, or was stuck there alongside her. gimme! )

ZIVA MIZRAHI, our INBAR LAVI fc is looking for her HALF BROTHER connection who looks like SHILOH FERNANDEZ, JUSTIN BALDONI, JULIAN MORRIS, JUSSIE SMOLLETT, XAVIER DOLAN / UP TO PLAYER ( tho the named are preferred ) who is 30+. you DO have to contact prior to applying at SICVIITAEST or DISCORD ( jean grey rail me challenge#5427 ). ( things to know: they were both born in tel aviv, israel, and they share the same father - an oc named joseph, who is now dead. neither of ziva’s birth parents were good people, but what his mother was like and what happened to her is up to you. they were raised together, however briefly, before they were separated - ziva was seven, and he was either a small bit younger or older. both of them were experimented upon, though like prev, it’s really up to you whether or not that resulted in any sort of enhancements. she became a ward of shield, and where he ended up is completely up to you - just like his personality and whatnot, though i’ll admit straight up that the main reason i’m looking for him and the main reason i waNT him is cause i would love… for him to b a drumroll, please - villain. w her being raised to be a hero and him being raised the opposite it would create a rly [ forgive my choice of phrase ] hot contrast, and make them.. two sides of a literally same coin. it would also b. pretty fun to explore both of their feelings, and both of their motivations - would ziva want to try and see him better? would he want her to join him/think more on his side of things? would it instead take the turn of her wanting to b the one to take him down, or vice versa, and would either b capable of that? it’s fun to imagine so ! do the thing ! )

romantic.

ADRIAN TREVOR, our TOM HARDY fc is looking for an EX-FLING / MOTHER OF HIS CHILD connection who looks like EVA GREEN, MILA KUNIS, EVA LONGORIA, HOLLY MARIE COMBS who is 30+ YEARS OLD. you DO have to contact prior to applying at FIIDELIS. ( so! i won’t go into everything about this one here cause i wanna try keep it short, but basically… they were on and off and never really an official item for years - way back to when he was still in the army, meeting up and having relations whenever he was home / free for a while - and were… complete opposites. on the surface, it seemed as if she was the sweet and innocent angel, and he was this rough geezer. in actuality, SHE’S kinda cold hearted - in the best of ways - and he’s the softie, but… not many people rly knew that truth. anyway, they came to an end right around the time he got into his short lived relationship + marriage, and he always thought of her as a big “what if”… right up to last year when he discovered that after they had ended, she had moved to the states and had his son. the kid is seven now, and she never told him for obvious reasons, but he’s here only to try and make something work - he never WANTED to have a kid, but he’s not going to deny him now he knows. we can talk out p much everything, but ! yeah ! )

GRÁINNE CASSIDY, our SOPHIE RUNDLE fc is looking for her [ ARRANGED ] SPOUSE TO BE connection who looks like ANY FACE CLAIM and is 28+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the only requirement that i’m going to place on this wc is that they must belong to another crime family - be it gotham based or from elsewhere. gráinne herself has come to the states with her mind on moving upwards in the world ; she herself has agreed to a union between her house and another’s, all in the name of power. in a life like HERS, bonds are made and broken easily. the only thing that can even begin to guarantee loyalty is a bond, of marriage or blood, and this is likely something that both families understand. her mother always threatened to turn her into a pawn ; gráinne has chosen to make her own moves. )

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her TUGGED-ALONG-ON-A-STRING-EX connection who looks like RAMI MALEK, LAKEITH STANFIELD, KEKE PALMER, JANEL PARRISH / UTP who is 25+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( from the time she was nineteen to when they officially broke up, she and cooper kent had a … pretty volatile relationship. there was a lot of love, don’t get me wrong - but they were two strong personalities with a tendency to explode, and sometimes, simple arguments turned into them being “on a break”. both dated other people during such times, but this is someone who makena kind of.. led on, i suppose, for lack of a better term. they dated more than once. they were her go to, for a time, whenever she and cooper split. and she didn’t like herself for it - she’s not THAT bad - but she wasn’t ever good at being alone, meaning that it just kept happening, even if she recognized she should have let them go, because she was always going to go back to cooper. eventually, for reasons to be discussed, it did come to an end, but it had definitely already gone on for too long, and how things are now is up in the air. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a EX-FLING / MAX. FOUR connection who looks like DIANE GUERRERO, SAM CLAFLIN, HALSEY, CHACE CRAWFORD / UP TO PLAYER who is 21+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i’ve said it before and it’s time to say it again. nikki is highly fuckt up. she’s never learnt how to… feel, the way she should have, and this means that when it comes to romance and whatnot, she’s… not great. in fact. the only way she knows how to express feelings that she has in line with romance is by having sex, and so, her life has been littered with meaningless flings that ultimately went nowhere because she turned what could have been something into a brief affair. that means that she has a lot of exes, and all of them come with a story… and i’m pretty interested in working those out with people. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for CURRENT FLINGS / MAX. FOUR who look like LAKEITH STANFIELD, RAMI MALEK, RITA VOLK, REBECCA BREEDS / UP TO PLAYER who is 22+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( just to reiterate an earlier point: nikki doesn’t know how to express feelings that line up with ‘liking someone’ or ‘general romance’ in any way that isn’t sex, and this means that she has.. a lot of short lived relationships with people, that probably WOULDN’T be so shortlived if she just learnt to use her words. likewise with the exes connection, she probably has a few people, with different dynamics with each, and i’m super interested in talking about those and working out… what drew them to one another, and how exactly they feel towards one another. )

RAMONA DARKHOLME, our MADCHEN AMICK fc is looking for her EX-FLINGS / MAX. FOUR who look like WINONA RYDER, SOFIA VERGARA, PEDRO PASCAL, HUGH DANCY / UP TO PLAYER and are 35+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( romy might have lost the love of her life, but she did not lose her sex drive. i’m sure there’s a better way i could have worded that, but… whatever. over the years since her fiance passed, romy has tried many times to move on - and that means she has quite a few exes scattered about the place, all of whom she has a different dynamic with. like any ex / current fling connect, i’m most interested in discussing how it started and all with people who want to do it, cause i think that’s the best way of making unique dynamics! )

other.

ADRIAN TREVOR, our TOM HARDY fc is looking for a NEW BOSS / ANYONE WHO WORKS connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is 30+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( right now, adrian’s main job is pouring coffee for millennials at starbucks. he’s ex-army and current gang, and he’s really not got that much going for him - but it’d be nice, if there was someone out there in a better place, job wise, willing to give him a shot. he needs to get that bread! )

ADRIAN TREVOR, our TOM HARDY fc is looking for a NEW BOSS x2 / ANY PRESS ADJACENT CHARACTER WHO WORKS connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is 30+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( can you tell that i literally… do not know what to refer to this connection as? lmao. anyway he’s an independent journalist - who writes things on like… avocado recipes and shit for whoever will hire him at a time - and i’m not sure on the newspaper / general press situation here, but i’d love for someone to read his writing and take him on as some sort of regular reporter. i imagine it would remain secondary to his “main” job if only because he really needs to keep himself afloat here, but over time, i’d love to see him succeed and actually become the journalist who writes about relevant things that he’s always dreamt of being. )

EMMA FROST, our AMBER HEARD fc is looking for her HELLFIRE CLUB INNER CIRCLE / MAX. FIVE who look like ANY FC and are 30+ YEARS OLD. you DO have to contact prior to applying at WHIITEQUEENS or DISCORD. ( out with the old, in with the new. after emma’s hellfire club takeover, the old inner circle was removed, and she’s now formed her own out of members she trusts. they’d have neat titles all sourced from a chess board, and that, plus how they met / what their connection to emma would be because they would def have one is mostly why i’m making it a contact thing cos ! i’d like for us to smooth those details out! )

EMMA FROST, our AMBER HEARD fc is looking for her SECRETARY & PERSONAL ASSISTANT’S / MAX. TWO who look like ANY FC and are 25+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( emma runs frost international, a multi-billion dollar company that deals mostly in transportation, but has started to branch out into electronics. its a full time thing and she actually… doesn’t spend all her time on it, because she’s also dedicated to remaining an active professor and is splitting time between everything. she does it quite well i’d like to imagine, but she definitely needs the added help, and that would be these chars! bonus points if they’re mutants! )

GRÁINNE CASSIDY, our SOPHIE RUNDLE fc is looking for her BAR STAFF connections who look like ANY FACE CLAIM and are 21+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the hole in the wall - previously named the hope & anchor - is an old style pub modeled after a classic irish bar, purchased in the summer past by the cassidy family, a deed in the name of gráinne. quiet and quaint, it sits on the corner of a street in town and is seemingly the home of a group of wise men that will happily chat and tell stories to just about anyone who sits near nough to them, and while irish made pints and alcohols are definitely the speciality, after 6.pm you can order some iconic ireland meals from the dinner menu. there’s live irish trad music every tuesday and thursday, after nine, and a dj plays all the current hits at the weekend. your character could be anything from that dj to a bartender or server - any job you can think of is fair game, and gráinne isn’t too bad of a person to work for, all considered. )

GRÁINNE CASSIDY, our SOPHIE RUNDLE fc is looking for the FAMILY OF HER DECEASED SPOUSE connection who look like ANY FACE CLAIMS and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( gráinne married at twenty six to the self professed love of her young life - someone who was better than her, who may or may not have known the full extent of the cassidy-sullivan crime families activities, but who loved her back, regardless of all else. theirs was a whirlwind romance - they had known each other before, surely, but had gotten ahead of themselves quickly once together - begun in spring and married in winter ; and when the leaves began to turn once more, and new life began to bloom, gráinne’s love was taken from her. it was her fault. whether they died for her or died because of her, details can be smoothed out, but the blame rests on only one woman’s shoulders, and their family surely KNOWS. give her people who resent that she exists. people who can’t understand why a light of their lives was extinguished, while gráinne cassidy gets to continue. give her people who can fuel her own feelings of responsibility. )

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for a BOSS connection who look like JASON MOMOA and is 30+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( kena works at the karma klub as an accountant and booking agent, and i’d ! love for her manager / owner of the klub / honestly… whatever tf / to be a jason momoa face, just because… their pics are supes cute and i think it’d be really sweet if kena had this older guy in her life who’s almost, like… someone guiding her? they’re in the scene longer than her, they can provide some tips and tricks, and just past the job aspect.. neither of her parents are here, so it would be nice for her to have someone who can sort of step into that role and be someone who she has learnt to be able to go to and confide in, when needed. )

MAKENA THURMAN, our ZOE KRAVITZ fc is looking for her EX HOUSEMATE connection who looks like PIPPA SOO, ALFIE ENOCH, HAYLEY LAW, JOHN BOYEGA / UTP who is 25+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( in the years before her daughter was born, makena wasn’t always the most stable of people. she’s also never exactly been the WORST, but… she’s always had a lot of issues with keeping her emotions in check, and she used to be horribly selfish and petty, at the worst of times. after becoming friends in college, she and this character decided to get an apartment together and split the costs - but after a few months of this, shit hit the fan, and kena fucked up in a way that she couldn’t go back from, resulting in them kicking her out. they’ve barely spoken since, and she harbors.. a lot of resentment, for that fateful event. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a EX-CLIENTS connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is ANY AGE you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( i’m gonna keep this one a little vague, cause.. i wanna leave it open to multiple people, and i think every single one of those could have a different sort of dynamic with her. nikki used to work as a drugrunner for a major dealer named callum. he was, for want of a better description - an abusive piece of shit, and he continued to be that right up until nikki killed him in self defense. HOWEVER, before he died and she got carted off to jail, nikki used to do a lot of jobs for him, and they led her across states. she would have rubbed shoulders with a lot of not so great people, but also some kinda ok ones. some might have heard what happened, others won’t and might be kinda confused about what the FUCK happened to their supply, but either way.. i want. also. callum coulda had some other helpers. idk. i just want it ALL. )

NIKKI BARTON, our PHOEBE TONKIN fc is looking for a TUTOR connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER who is 20+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( nikki is! not great! at anything, really, but specifically college. she barely got her ged, and she’s been scraping by since trying to make herself do well. i want for her to have someone she sees regularly - and either gets along with or DOESN’T - who helps her out with her studies, because while she’s messy and it mightn’t seem it, succeeding and doing something good in her life is actually her lowkey dream, and she doesn’t want to flunk if possible. )

NORA LANCE-QUEEN, our TAISSA FARMIGA fc is looking for an EX-FAKE PARTNER connection who looks like MANNY JACINTO, BEN HARDY, EMMA GREENWELL, JORDAN CONNOR, KEKE PALMER, PLAYERS CHOICE who is 24+. you DO have to contact prior to applying at BABYCANARY or discord. ( i’ve put so little thought into this that it’s actually kinda hilarious BUT im a hoe for fake dating tropes and i think that an ex fake dating scenario is… so fuckin funny. anyway. nora was an up and coming hollywood star between ages eighteen to twenty two until life royally screwed her over, and this is.. a wc for a character who was maybe in the same setting / at least in a … high upper class one that would have allowed them rub shoulders, who was kinda the perfect person, in her managements eyes, to have on her arm. their relationship would have been all over tabloids for a while and they would have walked the red carpet together and done some fun interviews, and.. how it came to an end can be discussed, but i think it could be ! supes fun ! )

RAMONA DARKHOLME & ABRAHAM MUELLER, our MADCHEN AMICK fc is looking for their EX-BROTHERHOOD GROUP MEMBERS connection who look like WINONA RYDER, PEDRO PASCAL, JADA PINKETT SMITH, ANGELA BASSETT, HALLY BERRY, NORMAN REEDUS, KEANU REEVES / PLAYERS CHOICE, MUST BE 40+ THO who are 45+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( any of them can maybe be kids of canons, depending ON the canon?? anyway. all of them - preferably about.. five, ig - are surviving members of the brotherhood group that romy ran, some nineteen years ago. they all worked together for YEARS, moving around europe a lot but spending some time settled in rural germany, which was ultimately where their particular crusade seemed to come to an end. intolerant humans attacked them, most were killed, and those that ran were assumed dead / assumed they were the only survivors, pretty much ‘til now. romy back means they’re probably gonna maybe want to restart what they were doing before, and this connection could rly go.. any way. maybe romy - ran into one of them at some point in the past, and relieved they were alive, kept in contact to call them someday, leading to their reunion now. maybe they’ve seen a familiar name in the paper, or on the paragon website. maybe this is just where the wind has blown them. i lov the idea of this squad, ‘kay, cos.. they spent a chunk of their time together, and for romy, they were less friends more #fam ) ( elijah creed, jasper chapman, otaktay + others )

RAMONA DARKHOLME, our MADCHEN AMICK fc is looking for a APPRENTICE connection who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is YOUNGER THAN 30. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( right now, she’s a security guard and mechanic, but over her 53 years, romy has been a lot of things. while i see this as someone who she’s grown quite close to / taken under her wing / been adopted by who’s interested in learning the tricks of the mechanics trade, i’d be willing to talk with anyone on changing that and making what they’re learning from romy into something different! i just think it’d be neat if she had someone who’s almost becoming a child figure, in her eyes, who she can kinda… learn to be softer with, and really practice with in regards to learning how to be a better mother. )

SIENNA THOMPKINS, our ADRIA ARJONA fc is looking for a BUSINESS ASSOCIATE / CO-WORKER / WHATEVER TF U WOULD CALL IT connection who looks like PIPPA SOO, RAMI MALEK, MANNY MONTANA, KAREN FUKUHARA, PLAYERS CHOICE who is 27+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( think matt and foggy, avocados at law! sia is pretty set on becoming a real good private investigator, nowadays, after a long period of indecision - and i’d love for her to have someone along for that ride with her! i kinda imagine they met during the course of a law degree, cause that’s something sia actually holds, and then maybe.. lost contact for a hot minute as her life fell APART, but somehow or another have gotten back in touch and decided to open their firm together. halving the running costs, sharing the cases, helping each other out, etc. both their names can be over the door and it’s really just.. two best buds being best buds. )

SIENNA THOMPKINS, our ADRIA ARJONA fc is looking for a PREVIOUS ROOMMATE connection who looks like LUKE MITCHELL, LEIGH ANNE PINNOCK, NORMANI KORDEI, SINQUA WALLS / UP TO PLAYER and is 24+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( way back when she was eighteen, sia left wayne manor - where she had been living with her father, alfred - and moved so she could be closer, if not in, gotham city. it suited her better, at the time, and she shared an apartment with a friend she met at gotham academy who split expenses and probably knows sia from both… a time when she was at her most carefree and reckless, and a sia who was at her most sad and closed in. they’re someone she still, to this day, would consider one of her closest friends - and i’d love to work out why they didn’t choose to continue living together, and if they’ve been in contact much since sia left gotham! )

SIENNA THOMPKINS, our ADRIA ARJONA fc is looking for a TRAINING PARTNER connection who looks like LIAM HEMSWORTH, SURAJ SHARMA, TATIANA MASLANY, EMMA GREENWELL / UP TO PLAYER who is 24+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( sia used to be batgirl, once upon a time! and she was good at it! she was a good hero! then life turned pretty shitty and she hung up the mask, and she… continued down a pretty good path, until life turned more shitty, and she lost herself a bit. losing herself, and giving into feelings of hopelessness and anger and grief, really shed light on something sia kept from even herself for years - that she’s never really belonged or felt as if she did, anywhere, other than when she was batgirl. she’s started training again in hopes of being able to one day step out as some sort of vigilante hero again, and i REALLY want her to have someone who she’s confided her dream in, and who’s helping her achieve it. maybe they could… be… partners… :~~ )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for LUCIFER CANONS / MAZIKEEN, AMENADIEL, LINDA MARTIN, ELLA LOPEZ, CHARLOTTE RICHARDS who look like LESLEY-ANN BRANDT ( MAZE ) / DB WOODSIDE, IDRIS ELBA, ANY BLACK MALE ( AMENADIEL ) / RACHAEL HARRIS, RACHAEL TAYLOR, KRISTEN BELL, ANY FC ( LINDA ) / AIMEE GARCIA, MARIA LAAS, EVA LONGORIA, ANY MEXICAN OR PUERTO RICAN FC ( ELLA ) / TRICIA HELFER, JAMEELA JAMIL, CONSTANCE WU, ANY FC ( CHARLOTTE ) who are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( considering just how interlocked everyone has become on the show, between… maze and linda and amenadiel, ella working with everyone, charlotte being with dan, etc - i like to kinda imagine… they’re all a huge, vaguely blessed family. it would b nice not to b the only lucifer canon rocking around the place ! )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for her NON-BELIEVER who look like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( allow me introduce… the bitch that rly deserves to not be believed every once in a while. trixie’s parents chloe and dan might be entirely human - albeit, blessed - but her STEPFATHER is another story altogether, and given that she’s grown up aware of the fact that he’s the devil / his family are all angels / his friends are demons… she’s very comfortable with talking about it and all, and does that quite freely. given that line of talk can be pretty controversial, i’d love for her to have someone in her life.. a friend.. enemy.. frenemy, maybe.. who just. can’t believe her. they refuse to believe what she’s telling them about her family, for whatever reason, and this leads to.. so many arguments and debates. )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for ILLEGAL PATIENTS who look like UP TO PLAYER and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( trix is a med student, and she does a lot of work at the local hospital - but i also imagine that over the last few years, she’s sort of made a name for herself in the lowkey sense as someone who’s willing to treat patients out of hours / out of the hospital / etc on the downlow. if your character is a vigilante / hero / villain / etc, who sometimes gets themselves fuckt up and doesn’t want to make the big deal it could be by getting treated officially… hit her up ! she’ll fix you up for free, and she’ll do it discreetly. )

TRIXIE ESPINOZA, our CHRISTIAN SERRATOS fc is looking for MORTUARY COWORKERS who look like UP TO PLAYER and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so !! trixie currently works at the local morgue, and as of right now… i think she’s the only one who does? and i’d love for her to have some coworkers there, cause it’s obviously such a heavy job, and i think… while it doesn’t phase trix, it would still be nice for her to have people who can relate to how TOUGH it can be sometimes, and who she can kind of have developed a little something something with. )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for her THERAPIST who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( victoria is just the latest in a line of traumatized students to begin attending the school / living in paragon, but… when i say she’d really benefit from having someone who’s trying to listen and understand and help her… i mean it. they don’t even have to be fully licensed therapists - and part of me kind of loves if it’s just someone doing this out of the goodness of their heart. she’s spent twenty six years being broken down into a shell of an actual human being, and under her “fathers” thumb, she’s never developed any sort of emotional or social or, well, normal skills needed to live, and really suffered every sort of abuse a person could. she certainly has some sort of stockholm syndrome from it all that’s going to be hard to break through, and she just needs someone who’ll listen, and hear her, and then.. offer a shoulder to lean on, or offer words that might help her through. )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for her TUTOR / ANY NUMBER OF who looks like UP TO PLAYER and is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( again ! victoria is another in a long line joining the school who doesn’t really have.. any sort of formal education behind her, and while i do think it’s a good idea to have her go down this path, i struggle to see how she’ll make it without having people willing to work with her. she’s smart, and she’ll pick things up quite quickly, but she’s still going to be a difficult sort of student just because she’s never really had to learn things in this kind of setting - people with patience encouraged, but people without would be equally fun ) ( skylar mccoy + more )

VICTORIA CREED, our STELLA MAEVE fc is looking for VICTIMS who look like UP TO PLAYER and are ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( twenty six years spent being little more than another weapon in victor creed’s hands means that victoria has… a lot of blood on her hands. i dare say that none of it is blood she wanted to spill, but the fact remains that she never really knew enough torefuse. she’s done a lot of things she’s not proud of, and she’s hurt a lot of people - meaning she’s going to be spending a great deal of her very long life trying, in vain, to make amends in some way. i want for her to encounter people who she’s hurt. either directly, or that… she hurt their family or distant family before alongside victor, and either she recognizes them and seeks them out, or they recognize her and seek her out. give her people who shout and scream about what she’s done, and people who can’t believe she’s being allowed walk around and keep on living. give her people who know she was just another victim of a psychopath, who could maybe give her something she’s never had before - forgiveness - and make her feel a way she’s also… never felt before. give her all sorts of connections under this heading bc i think it’s unrealistic if she has none. )

ZIVA MIZRAHI, our INBAR LAVI fc is looking for her EX SHIELD PARTNER connection who looks like UTP and who is 28+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( five years ago, ziva was sent on a mission by shield that ended in her capture, and since the whole team she was with on that mission was killed, it was presumed that she did too. her previous partner of almost ten years moved on because that was all that could be done, and when she returned to the rumormill gone wild and a huge amount of the younger agents presuming she had been working with the enemy / abandoned her team to death, the decision was made for one reason or another that they wouldn’t become partners once more. either it was a case of they had found a new partner they were happy with, or they believed the rumors and didn’t want to work w her anymore, or they had grieved her and didn’t know how to look at her the same - the possibilities for WHY are endless, but they were definitely one of ziva’s closest friends prior, so it would b very interesting to explore what their dynamic has turned into now! )

ZIVA MIZRAHI, our INBAR LAVI fc is looking for her PERSON SELLING SHIELD INTEL connection who looks like UTP and who is ANY AGE. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( they would be a shield agent, but what separates them from most is for whatever reason - be it nefarious or something closer in line with money troubles - they’ve been selling information on shield to the highest bidder. five years ago, ziva was sent on a mission with a handful of agents she had never really worked with before, and because of information that they gave - and the fact that they, or another, heavily implied that because of her shield upbringing ziva would be the one with the most intel on that team - the mission was compromised from the get go, and while ziva was captured, everyone else was wiped out. she suffered over a year at the hands of her captors and meanwhile, everyone back home fully believed that she was dead. what they did could weigh on them, or it might not. if it’s a case of something more innocent whereby they’ve needed the money gained from selling secrets, it could even be that they didn’t realize that the info they were giving was going to lead that particular buyer where it did. again, if not, it could be because they have a grudge against ziva for some reason we can talk out or smth. i’m v much into the idea of this and ! would love for it to b taken ! so pls ! do the thing ! )

ZIVA MIZRAHI, our INBAR LAVI fc is looking for her SENIOR AGENTS SHE SPENT TIME WITH GROWING UP / LIMITLESS connection who look like UTP and who are 28+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( ziva basically lived at headquarters from the time she was brought in - age six - to now, and while nick and natasha were her primary caregivers, she was often shuttled between different agents during down periods or whatnot. basically, if she for some reason couldn’t stay at shield itself, or there was a holiday - like thanksgiving, christmas, easter, her birthday - coming up, she’d be taken in briefly by a senior agent or their family and given a place to stay for a bit before such a time as she returned. )

#tt.#come n join this sweet community ... but also... give me my Most Wanted : - )

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london-mcgarr · 5 years

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Murder! Rhetorically Speaking

The Murder:

On June 6th, 2010, Mark Smith, a cyber security engineer at SmartLock Technology, was found dead, at around 10:37PM that night, in the company’s parking garage. After many missed calls, Rachel Smith, Mark’s wife, decided to call Mark’s bestfriend and co-worker, Scott Anderson. Anderson reported to Mrs. Smith that he had last seen Mark when he clocked out at 5:30 that evening. Mrs. Smith, now worried, phoned the police as it was now 10:15PM, and Mark had never worked that late before. The 911 operator then dispatched the patrol unit nearest to Mark’s office at around 10:30 that night, and when the officers arrived on-scene they found Mark’s lifeless body surrounded by a pool of blood, coming from what looked to be about a dozen stab wounds. The two officers then requested back-up, and proceeded to secure the area. By the time I arrived at the parking garage, it was 11:28PM, and there were about three patrol cars there, six officers in total, and the coroner was en route to our location. The victim was lying on his front side, his right arm stretched above his head, and while his left arm lay limp at his side. Visibley, there were multiple stab wounds to the victim’s back, as well as bruising and lacerations covering the victim’s hands. It was quite obvious that the victim had been attacked from behind, struggled with his assailant, and eventually endured the many stab wounds he died from. After the coroner arrived, he determined the victim’s time of death to be at about 9:45 that night, and that he had about 9 stab wounds in total, 7 to the back, and two to the victim’s abdominal area, most likely obtained during the struggle. The items found on the victim included his wallet (still containing his money and driver’s license), his company ID card, the keys to his Audi, and a smaller loose key found in his front pocket. The victim’s body was transported to the city morgue at around 12:45 in the morning, and the forensic unit continued to collect additional evidence until about 1:23AM. At approximately 1:40AM, I was the last to leave the scene after releasing 2 of the 3 patrol units, leaving one behind to surveil the area until another unit could relive them.

Getting In Touch With Your Inner Detective:

1. My report begins with discussing the who, what, where, when and how the body came to be discovered, and ends with me leaving the crime scene and who was watching it when I left.

2. I found myself adding the details that are usually included in crime shows because I watch a ton of those, and I didn’t include the tedious details, like the names of each officer on the scene or who went to inform Mrs. Smith and at what time she was notified. I find these details tedious because they don’t really center around the victim himself.

3. I used language that is primarily used in true-crime podcasts and other shows where law-enforcement reports are read. They are usually formal, but also straight to the point.

4. I used a candid and direct tone in my description of the crime scene.

5. I organized my information into the order that it was discovered.

6. Again, I watch way too many crime shows, and listen to way too many podcasts about true crime. Therefore, I just mirrored the character that law-enforcement is often depicted as in those.

Coroner’s Report:

At about 10:45PM on 06/06/10, the coroner on duty, (Dr. Martin Weisman, myself) was requested at the parking garage on Roosevelt, connected to the SmartLock facility. I arrived at around 11:45 PM, and proceeded to record any initial findings about the body (i.e., its appearance, temperature, etc), and determined the time of death to be at approximately 9:45 that night (06/06/10). After transporting the body back to the morgue, I performed a full autopsy and discovered 9 stab wounds, as well as contusions on the victim’s chest, as well as bruising on the victim’s face and hands- most likely from falling to the ground. The victim’s hands were also covered in small lacerations, concentrated around his knuckles, which is consistent with patterns of struggle, insinuating that the victim was trying to fight back. Although the victim had 9 stab wounds, the cause of death for Mark Smith was ultimately exsanguination (blood loss). The fatal stab wound occured to the lateral, right anterior side of the victim, which lacerated the victim’s right coronary artery. After the victim died, rigor mortis began to take effect, and was in its beginning stages when I arrived, which is why the victim’s approximate time of death is 9:45 PM, but could have occured in a window of about 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. There are no visible signs of scarring or tattoos on the body. The body of Mark Smith is currently located here, at the Hillside Morgue, and is being kept in freezer 29B.

Eulogy:

Mark Smith was a wonderful husband to wife, Rachel, and father to daughters, Isabel and Sage. Mark was one of the most talented engineers at SmartLock and helped the company soar to new levels of greatness, earning it one of the best reputations in the field. As a kid Mark would always talk about how his biggest dream in life was to be a dad- and thanks to Rachel I am happy to say that Mark fulfilled that dream. We aren’t always guaranteed the longest life, but I know for Mark living a full life was more important to him. Mark was a smart man, an honest man, but most importantly he was a good man. I hope that we will all remember Mark as the man he was and the life he strived to live. Isabel and Sage, please know that dad is always looking over you, and Rachel- Mark will always be by your side. May he rest in peace.

Closing argument:

Thank you, Your Honor, and members of the jury for being so patient these last few weeks as we try to bring justice to Mark Smith’s wife and two daughters. As you all know, Mark Smith was blackmailed by the defendant, threatening the lives of his family if he did not comply with the plan. On June 6th, 2010, Mark Smith was to re-enter SmartLock after all other employees had gone home for the day. In the security logs, please note Exhibit A, we can see that Mr. Smith unlocked the door to his office at around 7:30 that night. According to the plan the defendant had outlined for Mr. Smith in an email, Exhibit B, he was to transfer all secure shares of the new cyber currency, “Compu-coin” into the unmarked, off-shore that the defendant had secured. Such protected files within the company required intensive work, especially if it were to go undetected- which is why the defendant, CEO of SmartLock itself, blackmailed his top technical engineer into doing so. Now, members of the jury, I want you to look over there at the tiny, sweet face’s of Mark Smith’s daughters as I continue to what happened next. Ladies and gentleman of the jury, the defendant knew that a man like Mark Smith would not have been able to keep a secret like this- which is why he had his computer bugged to show him exactly what Mark was doing on his computer. While transferring the cyber currency, Mark was able to purposely make what seemed like a minor mistake with one of the accounts, as it is one of the warning signs that the cyber division of the FBI watches for. An small error like this would have ensured that the transfer was investigated. Sadly, the defendant, John Conway watched as Mark did this, from a remote location. After Mark finished, he walked to his car, and probably ran, quite frankly, because he thought he had just lifted the price from his wife and kids’ heads. What he didn’t realize, though, was that he had just put a price on his own. The defendant slipped out from a darkened corner of the parking garage and proceeded to stab Mark Smith- his employee, the father to Isabel and Sage and husband of Rachel, nine times. Nine times. I wonder what it was he said to you, John, as he was gasping for his last breath. Was he begging you to stop? Did he ask for mercy? The truth is, ladies and gentlemen, is that we will never know what those final words were. In fact, we will never hear any words again from Mark Smith- the defendant, John Conway made sure of that. I am asking you today to serve the justice that Mark fought so hard to obtain. If not for Mark, then for his family that must live the rest of their lives knowing what this monster did to their dad. I am urging you all to come back with a verdict of guilty. Thank you.

Discussion:

1. I found the closing argument to be the easiest to write because it is essentially all about emotion and writing things in way that stirs your audience. I personally find the structure of a courtroom argument to be quiet poetic, so I have a certain appreciation for this kind of writing.

2. I thought the coroner report to be the most difficult because I found myself pausing to think of more medical terms and trying to remember what the anatomical names for the positions of the body were and it just made the whole process of writing the report slower.

3. The rhetorical situation of academic writing is the prompt or assignment in which you are responding to because this is supposed to be the springboard for whatever analysis or prose is expected of you, as a student and such. The audience is always going to be others involved in academia, whether that be other students, professors or those just interested in the topic. For most academic writing, the tone should always be direct on some level, but I don’t think there should be a universal tone for this genre, as that would defeat the purpose of considering all parts to the piece and not just the one. For academic writing, the jargon is usually formal words that don’t repeat (so using a Thesaurus a lot would help). Anything essential to the central idea will most likely be included, but unnecessary tangents that people often talk about when they speak will probably be excluded from an academic paper.

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jesus-otaku · 6 years

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Title: Reset

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Pairing: Zen x MC, Yoosung x MC, Jaehee x MC (platonic), etc. I think you get the idea

Word count: 3029

This idea has been bouncing around in my head for ages, so I finally decided to just sit down and write it. I’m so disappointed that Tumblr formatting ruined some of the stuff, but it can’t be helped. Hopefully when it goes up on AO3 the formatting won’t get too messed up. Without any further ado, I present a fic in which all of the characters retain their memories after the reset and are aware of the reset. I haven’t played through all the routes yet and my memory is a little foggy on others so please have mercy on me for my accuracy or lack thereof.

How could she hit the reset so cheerfully?

They had all agreed at the start: there would be no grudges, it was her choice, and none of them would interfere with the others' chances. It was just a game to her, so there was no sense in being dramatic about it. And she couldn't know that they knew about the reset. No, that secret had to stay with them.

Welcome to the RFA!

Zen, though not surprised, was ecstatic to be chosen first. She had seen his charms! He was handsome, he was famous, he was talented, so of course he would be chosen. He threw himself into love headfirst; never mind the others watching on with slight traces of envy. They would get their turns. Phone calls passed by in a blur. He sang to her, dreamed of holding her in his arms, wondered what it might be like to kiss her. When Echo Girl started her ridiculous rumors, his newfound love was only a chat room away to comfort and support him.

And then the bomb came, and real, genuine fear seized his heart. His hands shook as he demanded that Seven give him the address of the apartment. Frankly, he would have liked to deck Seven one in the face for putting her in danger like this. How could he let her stay in an apartment with a bomb all this time and never say anything? How could he not do something? She was supposed to be their princess, wasn't she? And Seven had just left the RFA's princess in an apartment loaded with a bomb, like she was an expendable tool they could demolish whenever they liked.

Zen didn't know who the stranger holding her captive was, and he was too worried about her to care to find out. And when they managed to escape the deadly apartment, he wished he could wrap her up in his arms and never let go. He didn't think he could have borne it if she had been killed.

God, why did there have to be a reset?

Don't leave me.

He was going to make a press statement, and finish these rumors once and for all. And maybe once his love saw how much he cared for her, she wouldn't reset, and they could live happily ever after just like a fairy tale.

Don't leave me.

She loved him, right? She couldn't have been pretending this whole time. He'd opened up to her so much, treated her so well, tried his hardest to overcome his struggles for her. She had to love him, even just a little, didn't she?

Please don't leave me.

Why was she hitting the reset?

Babe, please don't—

Welcome to the RFA!

Yoosung nearly cried with happiness when he realized he had been chosen.

Okay, maybe he did cry.

But just a little.

She didn't stand for any of his nonsense about Rika. He'd thought they were alike, but with a firm kindness she asserted over and over again that she was no replacement for Rika. He came to understand soon enough. She really wasn't Rika. But she was still amazing, in her own beautiful way, and Yoosung fell for her like a ton of bricks. He couldn't even focus on LOLOL when his mind wandered to her. Hell, he would quit games altogether if it meant she would see him as more than a child. It drove him crazy that he wasn't allowed to go see her. He wanted so badly to see what she looked like, to actually experience their first meeting face-to-face.

There was a bomb in the apartment this whole time?

Yoosung wanted to throw something out of sheer frustration. How could V have let something like this happen? What had possessed him to think that letting Rika keep a bomb in her apartment was a good idea? Sure, Seven said that V kept calling him and leaving worried messages, but Seven always defended V just like everyone else did. And why hadn't Seven done anything to deactivate the bomb after Rika's suicide? Why wouldn't he give Yoosung the damn address so he could go and rescue her? He hated not being able to do anything for her. Sitting there and worrying wouldn't save her, but Seven wouldn't allow him to do the one thing he believed he was capable of doing.

Going with Seven to resolve the issue was as close as he was going to get. Yoosung knew he wasn't much of a knight in shining armor, but for her, he would have to try. She was his princess this time, and he had to protect her.

His eye would heal, but if he lost her, his heart would never recover.

Don't reset.

He tried his hardest to warn her before the party that he wasn't going to be looking his best, but he still saw a flash of worry on her face when she saw the bandages for the first time. His heart fluttered. Finally, they could see each other, touch each other, share a kiss.

I've never loved anyone like this before.

She couldn't reset now. She couldn't. They had just gotten to meet in person. There was no way she was already tired of him, right? There was still so much he wanted to do with her, so many places he wanted to take her. Was he still just a child to her after all? Or was this really all just a game for her?

Don't reset.

What had he done wrong?

Please don't reset, I love—

Welcome to the RFA!

Jaehee was pleasantly surprised to be chosen next. She hadn't expected much, since Mr. Han had gone to such great lengths to make sure she wouldn't stand out in any way. She was just an office assistant. Why would she choose such a dull route?

But oh, God, it was glorious to have a female friend. Jaehee couldn't help the grin that would come over her face when she saw her in the chat room, or when her name popped up on the caller ID. And she fought so valiantly for Mr. Han to cut Jaehee some slack. Jaehee would have hugged her forever if she could have, just for that alone. Finally, there was someone else who was willing to fangirl over Zen's musicals, who supported her interests, who would fight tooth and nail to get her better working conditions.

When the presentation was a flop, she was there in the chat room as if she somehow already knew what had happened. Jaehee had an inkling of a suspicion that Zen's visit could be credited to her as well, although she didn't have any proof of that. She just wished she could have offered the same level of support in return.

From Zen and Yoosung's play-throughs before her, she knew there was a bomb in the apartment. But nothing happened this time, and so she kept quiet about the bomb. There was no sense in going through another scare if they didn't have to, and Jaehee was sure that her newfound friend had enough problems of her own without having to worry about the bomb for a third time.

Would she stay if Jaehee asked?

Please, stay.

The coffee shop would be like a dream come true. It was a simple dream, nothing grandiose, but Jaehee was willing to hope that it would be enough to keep them together. Maybe she would stay. Maybe there would be no reset this time, and they could continue like this forever.

Please don't leave me.

Weren't they friends? Hadn't they formed a strong bond with one another? Had this just been a fun diversion from all the drama of the other routes for her? Jaehee had been pushing herself so hard to grow as a person. Was that all for nothing? Would she have to go back to being a mindless assistant at C&R for the rest of her life?

Stay, please, stay.

Had they ever really been friends at all?

I thought you were—

Welcome to the RFA!

As soon as he saw that he had been chosen, Jumin braced himself. He had seen what a mess the others had turned into after their resets, and he didn't want to be the next in a line of broken hearts. He would go through the motions, and play along for the next eleven days, and that was it.

But damn it all, when she tried to win your heart, she really gave it her best effort. Jumin never stood a chance.

He did well at avoiding the inevitable for the first few days. It was stressful, with his father's new fiancée and the nightmares that ensued as a result, but he managed to get through it. And then Elizabeth 3rd escaped.

In the middle of him questioning whether he was really meant to be a pet owner, she stepped fully into the picture. She mentioned that Jaehee had suggested she come, but that didn't matter to him. She was still there. She had agreed to come, and that alone tore down half of the barriers he had built up. He latched onto her, perhaps a little greedily, the only person offering him unconditional comfort in this hellish week.

He couldn't help kissing her. Sarah was just too obnoxious, and he couldn't think of another way to convince his so-called fiancée to leave. Besides, he'd been thinking about going in for the kiss all day. But then he was a goner. Consequences be damned, he loved her.

And now he was terrified of losing her.

I need you by my side.

Maybe saying that he wanted to keep her in the penthouse was a mistake. Maybe that was going to scare her off. He was just so afraid of her leaving and never coming back. He didn't know what else to do. Would getting rid of Sarah and proposing be enough to convince her not to reset?

I can't lose you.

No, no, no, no. What had done it? Where had he gone wrong? Was he too possessive after all? Was she going to go back to one of the others who wasn't so clingy? He couldn't help it. He'd never loved a woman, not like this, not this overwhelming feeling that threatened to engulf him when he so much as looked at her. Had she really loved him? Or was this all a ploy to check another route off the list? Was she actually the same as all those women who threw themselves at his father?

I need you, my love.

How could she hit the reset so cheerfully?

Don't—

Welcome to the RFA!

Seven pumped his fist in victory when he was finally, finally chosen. Truth be told, he had fallen long ago. It had been a slow kind of torture, watching her love stories unfold with everyone else, but it had been worth it to be the last to sweep the princess off her feet. Even someone like him could at least pretend to have happiness, right?

He loved being the one to make her laugh. She matched him joke for joke, prank for prank, like she somehow already knew him inside and out. If he hadn't fallen for her already, he would have thrown his guard up to protect his heart, but he'd been a goner for ages. Everything she did and said just wedged her further into his heart. What really did him in was the fact that she could see right through him when he was pretending to be the “usual” 707. He was completely transparent to her, no matter how he tried to close himself off to protect her.

“I'm dangerous,” he tried to warn her, but that didn't stop her either. Nothing seemed to stop her. Maybe that was part of why he'd fallen for her so hard. No matter what he did—ignore her, warn her, whatever—she didn't leave his side. She didn't force him to tell her anything, but she didn't make him keep it all pent up, either. He found himself being honest with her almost without thinking. It was just unconsiderable to do anything else. He wasn't supposed to leave any traces of himself in this world, but maybe it would be okay if he just left proof of his existence with her.

He was so glad she had chosen him last.

Thank you for giving me happiness.

Finally, after all this time, he had found his brother again. He could have a family again. He even dared to dream that she might be a part of that family. She wouldn't reset. There was no way she would reset. She had finally obtained the true end, so why would she reset?

You are my happiness.

She would never reset. That would be ridiculous. She'd taken his dark life, and lit it up with stars he'd thought he would never see again. You couldn't give someone joy like that and then just leave. She wouldn't reset. No, she couldn't reset. If she reset, he would lose everything.

Please don't take away my happiness.

WHY WOULD SHE HIT THE RESET?

Please—

They walked V through the ground rules carefully. They promised there would be no interference with his love story. As broken as they all were, they couldn't bear to sabotage her new chance at happiness. And there was to be no revealing their reset memories.

Welcome to Mint Eye!

V wasn't sure how to handle being put in the spotlight. He had been in the background for so long, it felt odd and out-of-place to be the love interest. Especially when he was involved with Rika. His sunshine. How on earth was he supposed to be an even halfway decent love interest when he was already in love?

But it didn't take long for him to see why the others had fallen so quickly and so desperately. She was angelically kind, but tough as nails. Nothing seemed to daunt her. And she was nice to Rika—which he hadn't expected at all. He'd been afraid they would be at each other's throats. But Rika seemed to like her well enough, and there was no fighting between the two of them. If she could even deal with her alleged love interest having a significant other already, she had to be heaven-sent.

It was only when he found himself smiling like an idiot after one of their phone calls that he realized he, too, had fallen without noticing.

And he knew he had to get her out of there.

But what about Rika? That was something he couldn't quite stop wrestling over. He loved Rika, didn't he? He wanted to marry her, didn't he?

Or had that all been something else under the mistaken guise of love?

Either way, his conflicted feelings aside, he had to save her. There was no question of that. He couldn't let something happen to her.

I think I love you.

He couldn't believe he had let himself get caught. If he died because of this, he would have no one to blame except himself. He'd seen Rika changing, and he had done nothing. Like an absolute idiot, he had let it happen until it was too far along to be stopped. As he slipped in and out of consciousness, he clung to the single sliver of hope that he had that he would live, and that she would stay with him.

I love you.

Hadn't she loved him? She'd helped him discover what love really felt like—there was no way something like that could have been a lie. Right? So why would she want to reset?

You are my sunshine.

Was it really that easy for her to hit the reset like nothing had happened?

I can't—

Welcome to Mint Eye!

Ray was so happy he thought he might explode. It was finally his turn to be with her, finally his turn to be the one who made her happy. He was going to woo her so much that she would surely fall in love with him in no time. He showered her with flowers and compliments, took her to his garden, told her about the floriography he knew. She seemed happy. He hoped that meant he was doing the right things to win her over.

Then Saeran had to butt in.

She was a toy. What did all this flowery nonsense have to do with anything? She wasn't there to be the protagonist of some chintzy romance novel, she was there to be his plaything. He couldn't do anything too horrible to her, for fear of angering his Savior, but he could at least make sure she knew her place. If that meant she went hungry, so be it. It would make things interesting, if nothing else.

She didn't take the change well. But not in the dramatic, crying and whining and pleading sort of way he had been hoping for. No, she challenged him. Deliberately tried to get under his skin, into his brain. This girl was no passive toy. She was fiercer than anyone he'd ever met before.

She made him start to think…

Do I really need my Savior?

He wasn't sure who he was anymore—Ray or Saeran, it didn't matter. He was himself, whoever that might be, and he was going to help her escape from Mint Eye. To hell with the consequences. He would help her. Maybe even escape with her. It was the first time in a long time he had hoped to be truly free and happy, and it was a wonderful feeling.

I don't need my Savior anymore.

Would she really leave him, after showing such tenacity? Was everything going to end, just like that? He'd thought she had finally fallen in love with him. Had that been yet another betrayal? Was he going to be abandoned again? He didn't think he could take that kind of pain again. Not after finally believing he was free of it.

You saved me.

WHY WOULD SHE BETRAY HIM LIKE THIS?

DON'T LEAVE ME—

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#drabble #it's Suffering Time (TM)#mystic messenger #zen #yoosung kim #jaehee kang #jumin han #707 #V #saeran choi #reset #spoilers #(duh)

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gffa · 7 years

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I was going to try to do a Star Wars novels post this week, get back in the swing of things, but I can never stay away from STAR WARS fic for too long, there’s just too much that’s incredibly good! There’s so much that’s either just spot on to the characters or just hits the id or does something so clever that I’m enthralled (or does all three!) that is amazing and everyone should come scream about them with me! STAR WARS RECS: ✦ Cataclasm by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & waxer & cast, 45.6k wip For reasons unknown to all but himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi has left the Jedi Order in the midst of the Clone Wars, taking with him a single clone. Anakin Skywalker has been unofficially tasked by the Order to find Obi-Wan and bring him home. Unfortunately for Anakin, it seems his former master is always ten steps ahead of him. ✦ Fountain of Force by esama, qui-gon & cast, final fantasy 7 crossover, 8.9k In which Qui-Gon Jinn comes from Gaia. ✦ Shih by esama, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon, time travel, 8k wip Obi-Wan Kenobi has a vision of the future, and tries to change it while elsewhere Ben Kenobi dies. ✦ Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obi-wan, 40.8k wip During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone. ✦ At Your Service by DonkerRood, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, crossdressing, spanking, 1.9k Anakin dresses up in a maid outfit and he and Obi-Wan have some fun. Just smut. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, shaak ti & yoda & kit fisto & mace windu & cast, 1.3k When Shaak Ti returned to Coruscant she had not expected anything remotely as dire as an explosion at the Senate—injuring several senators and staff, killing two, and leaving Master Kenobi in a critical condition—to happen. ✦ Respite by GirlwithCurls98, anakin & ahsoka & rex & cast, 4.9k After a particularly grueling mission, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and the 501st are sent to Kamino for some much needed medical care. ✦ Pursuit by Icse, obi-wan/anakin, mildly nsfw, modern au, 6.8k wip Anakin Skywalker is a Grand Prix jumper transitioning into the Eventing world. While his scores are good during the cross-country and show jumping phases of Eventing, his dressage scores are abysmal. His sponsor sets him up as a working student for two-time Dressage Gold Medalist Ben Kenobi to help him pursue his dream of competing in the Olympics. ✦ Untitled part 1 + part 2 by glare-gryphon, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, a/b/o, 2.4k Prompt: Anonymous asked: Hi are you still taking prompts at the moment? If yes how about Alpha Obiwan who when in rut tends to loose himself in his (very protective) instincts, while Omega!Anakin very much keeps his head and is very aware of what goes on around him but still willing to indulge Obiwan’s somewhat ridiculous alpha instincts ✦ On the Day After by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & bail & breha, ~1k Vader has many questions, and only one place to turn for answers. ✦ i’m just a kid of ill repute (and this skin i wear is my only suit) by SashaSea (SHCombatalade), obi-wan & anakin & padme & cast, kingsman fusion, 5.6k “This is a disaster,” Anakin huffs out a near laugh, passing his remaining grenades to Obi-Wan. He accepts them with a grin and a few spare magazines for Anakin’s pistol, bumping their shoulders together. “This is fun.” ✦ Ain’t No Light Without the Dark by lumenbriide, obi-wan & anakin, 2.2k “You should have joined me all those years ago, Kenobi.” Anakin overhears Dooku remind Obi-Wan about the temptation on Geonosis, and suddenly, Obi-Wan isn’t as infallible as he seems. He has secrets, just like Anakin; and their bond can only get stronger. ✦ Rewrought by esama, obi-wan & qui-gon & maul, time travel, 4.4k Bit o time travel ✦ Faithless by esama, obi-wan, 2.5k Obi-Wan loses his faith in Tatooine full details + recs under the cut!

✦ Cataclasm by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & waxer & cast, 45.6k wip For reasons unknown to all but himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi has left the Jedi Order in the midst of the Clone Wars, taking with him a single clone. Anakin Skywalker has been unofficially tasked by the Order to find Obi-Wan and bring him home. Unfortunately for Anakin, it seems his former master is always ten steps ahead of him. Chapter 10: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. This is the end of the first arc of this fic and it’s a good place to leave off, including the previous chapter, as there’s been at least enough resolution to be a good stopping point, even though the major things are still in play. This is a chapter that’s about Ahsoka and her visions, how it starts to explore a bit of what it means to be a Jedi in contact with the Force, to have to struggle through being unsure if it’s your own anxiety that’s making you feel bad or if it’s a warning from the Force or some twisty, turny combination of both, and how they desperately need control over themselves to not spiral out, to not be consumed by all of this. The moments between Anakin and Ahsoka as he comforts her after a series of bad dreams, lightly touching on how Obi-Wan used to do the same for him, was really lovely and wonderful and worth the read alone! But also the really sweet moments with Yoda and Ahsoka! I continue to love that this is a fic that’s spot on for the Jedi, if they’d ever managed to catch a fucking break or to have things brought to a head sooner, that they’re all struggling through this dark time, but they care very much and work so hard to do the best thing, and there are still moments of joy (Ahsoka and Yoda saying they’d ask Anakin to join them for meditation, which they’re surehe’ll love, I had such a smile on my face!) that it’s one of the best fics out there right now. ✦ Fountain of Force by esama, qui-gon & cast, final fantasy 7 crossover, 8.9k In which Qui-Gon Jinn comes from Gaia. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this chapter to read (which stands on its own, it’s part of a collection of shorter fics, but they’re unconnected), but I was curious and I’ve always liked this author’s work. What I got was something that was half-world-building and half character piece, wrapped up in the setting of a crossover, all of which came together just exactly as it should. The two worlds blended very well together, the River of Light and the stone Qui-Gon picks up that’s Force-sensitive, the way everything on Gaia just bubbles over with the Living Force, the way this is used by Qui-Gon to gain a deeper understanding of himself, in a lovely and incredibly Jedi sort of way, is wonderfully done. This is a piece that I thought really captured his character, this felt like the character I recognized and was incredibly engaging! It’s not just about Gaia, it really is a piece centered on Qui-Gon Jinn as a character, about his life as a Jedi and the antics he gets into (the sense of this being an actual galaxy is very nicely done as well! I enjoyed the helium-breathing planet just as much as I enjoyed Gaia just as much as I enjoyed everything else), it’s about self-reflection and understanding his own flaws and working on them, just as much as he understands what he’s good at. It helps to be familiar with FF7, especially to understand the connection of the rock that Qui-Gon picks up and what happens later, likely because of it, but you absolutely don’t need to know it to enjoy this fic, it can just be a cool background world for Qui-Gon to have come from while you read the characterization stuff! It’s one of those fics that I read and made me fall back in love with the potential of Star Wars, it’s one of those fics that I felt like it understood what a Jedi would actually go through and how they’re such good people and the kinds of things they struggle with, it’s one of those fics that made it genuinely interesting and engaging to read! It’s a great piece for someone who has trouble finding Qui-Gon fic that suits my feelings, but also it’s just a really good fic. ✦ Shih by esama, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon, time travel, 8k wip Obi-Wan Kenobi has a vision of the future, and tries to change it while elsewhere Ben Kenobi dies. Oh, well. This fic is only two chapters at the time of this rec and already I’m So Very Sad about it, because it’s such a lovely, aching look at these characters and the impending doom hanging over them all, that Obi-Wan is plauged by unspecific but inescapable visions, that he knows something is going to go terribly wrong, but he doesn’t know what and trying to figure that out, trying to navigate between this sweet child in front of him versus the cloak of darkness that swirls around him, that visions don’t necessarily always come true versus that this one is one he knows is more important than that. I absolutely adored the scene where Obi-Wan goes to talk to moppet Anakin, the glimpse he gets into the child’s fears and uncertainty, the kindness that Obi-Wan naturally extends to him, it’s so true to his character, even as there’s a vague current of hurt and unease that Qui-Gon has so easily replaced him. But it’s not bitter, because that’s not who Obi-Wan Kenobi is, instead it finds just the right amount of sad versus knowing that he’s capable of walking forward to whatever comes next. I would have read this fic just for that first chapter, the relationships Obi-Wan has with both of these people! But then the second chapter came along and, oh, Ben is so tired and worn down, there’s something so difficult about all the hard-won experience he’s gained, the balance between regret that he couldn’t do more, that it felt almost wasteful to stay on Tatooine, versus knowing that it was the right decision. That, when he realizes there’s a chance for change, it’s not a simple thing and that complicated tangle is so much more interesting than a straight-forward fix-it (much as I love love love fix-it fics, don’t get me wrong, I’m hoping for a fix it here, I’m hoping for good things, but I love that it’s not ever meant to be easy, if it were, then the original canon wouldn’t mean so much) and the conversation they have, the things that Ben understands because he’s seen so much more, are perfectly done. Because he’s right, it wasn’t just one thing or one person. And the ending of that chapter is the perfect hook to make sure I’m going to keep reading, because, damn, I’m definitely invested now! ✦ Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obi-wan, 40.8k wip During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone. Chapter 8: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. Also, there are likely to be spoilers beyond this point! One of the best things about this chapter is just how high the tension of it was, that the reveal wasn’t the end of it, but instead yet another racheting up point, that learning how the Sith versions were visions more than anything, the research that Obi-Wan had done (and I really enjoyed the difficulty with the translations and poetic language, it’s one of those little touches that really works for me) and how they both had to work to figure out what was going on in a way that felt spot on to them, that they would investigate and discuss things this way, but without feeling like the story had hit pause for the characters to become talking heads, which is something that can be hard to avoid. Instead, this felt like two characters who were genuinely on edge, little touches of Obi-Wan drumming his fingers on the datapad or the way Anakin curled up in the blankets add to this, that show what they’re feeling, rather than telling us. This adds to the creepy atmosphere of the house, whatever’s going on with the Force here, how run-down and dilapidated everything feels here in a very spooky way. This is also the chapter where the Jedi versions, the real versions, first tumble into bed together beyond just a shard kiss or curling up together, and that made sense to me, because I really felt this sense of isolation with them, that they’re the only two people here in this house. When the Sith were there, sure, they were on edge and wary of them, couldn’t trust them, but at least someone else was there, but now there’s just nothing but them and whatever shadow is lurking around the corner and trying to sneak its way into them. This twines around the confession from the night before, Anakin learning to trust Obi-Wan just a little bit by telling him the truth, Obi-Wan helping to shoulder that burden with him, and so it’s pulling a whole lot of feelings and sexual tension to the surface, resulting in how they tumble together in a way they might not have in other circumstances, but makes sense for them in this moment. The connection is still real, it’s about what was already under the surface, even as it’s heightened! I also really loved the smaller reveal in this chapter of what was happening with the beacon–the answer was the only one that made sense with what we already knew, but even having guessed it, it doesn’t detract from the creepy scene and the build-up of the tension when Obi-Wan was following Anakin, the way his whole demeanor was just weird and unsettling, like a shiver-inducing fugue state, until something seemed to be trying to dra him away into the dark, something that wasn’t just a physical presence, but was getting at his mind. And that’s far more creepy than just some physical monster that can be fought with a laser sword! And then there’s the sex itself, ahhhhh. As much as I would have enjoyed penetrative sex, I think the handjob/blowjob combination probably works better here, because they’re just starting out, because it’s more about the desperate need for contact with the other person–especially Anakin, who is so afraid and feels whatever’s in the house so keenly, even more than Obi-Wan does. Not that the verbal comfort wasn’t lovely as well, I loved so very much that Obi-Wan was extra careful with his words because he knew how brittle and on edge Anakin was here, that Obi-Wan was so careful not to blame him for turning off the beacon, because that’s not what his concern was about. And that he’s hyperfocused on Anakin a way the situation warrants, so of course he makes even more effort than usual to make sure Anakin understands the lack of blame–another way where their interaction is heightened from normal, but in a way that’s pulling up what was already there underneath and makes sense for them. But, okay, also Obi-Wan’s hand in Anakin’s hair, the visions of what their counterparts had done, what that says about what these two want, the darkness that looms in this place, even when these characters are both such good people, that this was about desire and want and heat and fear all rolled up together. It was the perfect balance between my affection for the way the (Soft) Sith versions are used in fic against how the Jedi are good and so valuable, that it’s about these characters as people and what they’ve been through and what they want, yessss. All of that is true, there’s so much I love on a narrative level, on a more intellectual level, but then I whip right back around to: But Obi-Wan’s hand in Anakin’s hair. The way Anakin’s mind goes blissfully blank, the way he so desperately wants to belong to his Master, that desperate step forward that crashes right through his usual knee-jerk reactionary “I don’t belong to anyone!”, to show that if he choose to give himself to someone, chooses to let that person have power over him, then it’s different and comforting and so good. It’s about safety, it’s about being able to relax, because everything in his head isn’t dragging him down, that there’s someone there to take so much weight off him. But also I just really loved the image of Anakin all pliant and messy and sprawled out beneath his Master, cast in shadows, like he’s still very much a Jedi, but the imagery and potential thematic meaning in a house full of so much shadow is really, really lovely. ✦ At Your Service by DonkerRood, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, crossdressing, spanking, 1.9k Anakin dresses up in a maid outfit and he and Obi-Wan have some fun. Just smut. This was one of those fics that was just exactly what I needed when I picked it up, one of those that appeals right to my id and gives me the fun, light-hearted, smutty things I apparently enjoy a ridiculous amount. Anakin in a maid’s uniform, roleplaying with it and acting out to be bratty and so he’ll get Obi-Wan’s attention, who will spank him before fucking him, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin, if you go into this fic, you know exactly what you’re getting and you gotta roll with that. But it’s warm-hearted as well, it’s meant to be fun and joyful, that it’s about giving Anakin what he wants, satisfying something in him and making him feel so loved and content, that Anakin is so very gorgeous like this and Obi-Wan enjoys seeing him being able to whine for more, that Anakin gets to do that, that Obi-Wan gets to fuck the noise and restlessness right out of Anakin’s head. And by the time he’s finally pushing into Anakin, finally fucking him, it’s just nicely satisfying sex and exactly what I needed during shark week, bless and thank. ✦ untitled by stonefreeak, shaak ti & yoda & kit fisto & mace windu & cast, 1.3k When Shaak Ti returned to Coruscant she had not expected anything remotely as dire as an explosion at the Senate—injuring several senators and staff, killing two, and leaving Master Kenobi in a critical condition—to happen. This is part of the Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan series and should be read in order by this point! And, ahhhh, this was such a lovely tide-over until the next piece, where it’s not really about resolution, but about the Jedi reacting to the explosion that happened recently, the chaos they’re trying to help tame, and one of their own being injured and what that means for young Skywalker. This is so spot on for them, how they work to remain calm in the face of such awful circumstances and they work so hard to do the best for everyone, to break the news as best they can, consider what’s the best thing for everyone in the situation. There’s such consideration of Anakin’s reactions, knowing how close he and Obi-Wan are, and it’s just so good and warm-hearted and kind a fic that I’m in love all over again. ✦ Respite by GirlwithCurls98, anakin & ahsoka & rex & cast, 4.9k After a particularly grueling mission, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and the 501st are sent to Kamino for some much needed medical care. This was a cute little fic about Anakin and Ahsoka having pushed themselves so far that they need to rest, that they’re on the edge of physical collapse from how hard the Jedi are running themselves in this war. And there’s a lot of complicated feelings in here, especially Anakin who still doesn’t really understand the Jedi (so the line about the Code is unreliable, considering Anakin doesn’t really get it), but mostly it’s a healing fic, where Anakin cares so deeply about her, how his relationship with Obi-Wan helps him even when they’re not anywhere near each other at the moment, how the clones care so deeply about the Jedi and vice versa, how they Ahsoka and the clones help each other when they need this moment of respite. It was such a sweet fic in the middle of such a horrible war and I really enjoyed it a lot for that! ✦ Pursuit by Icse, obi-wan/anakin, mildly nsfw, modern au, 6.8k wip Anakin Skywalker is a Grand Prix jumper transitioning into the Eventing world. While his scores are good during the cross-country and show jumping phases of Eventing, his dressage scores are abysmal. His sponsor sets him up as a working student for two-time Dressage Gold Medalist Ben Kenobi to help him pursue his dream of competing in the Olympics. This is one of those fics that appeals directly to what I want sometimes when I’ve had enough of the heartbreak of canon and when fandom has gotten extra spirit crushing about things–where it’s a light-hearted, warm, embracing-the-fluff modern AU where Anakin is a horse jumper training for the next level, while Ben trains him and Anakin desperately, desperately wants to fall into bed with him. Where it’s all about Anakin being an adorable, soft disaster who does everything he can to get Ben’s attention, who is trying to stay away from doing anything with him because he feels its not proper. It’s just fun when you’re in the mood for something completely, ridiculously warm-hearted and cute and fluffy and with a little bit of smut mixed in. Which is exactly what I’m here for and I just sort of wrapped myself up in this like a warm, fuzzy blanket! ✦ Untitled part 1 + part 2 by glare-gryphon, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, a/b/o, 2.4k Prompt: Anonymous asked: Hi are you still taking prompts at the moment? If yes how about Alpha Obiwan who when in rut tends to loose himself in his (very protective) instincts, while Omega!Anakin very much keeps his head and is very aware of what goes on around him but still willing to indulge Obiwan’s somewhat ridiculous alpha instincts The first part is this cute, light-hearted, fluffy thing where Anakin has to put up with Obi-Wan’s rutting instincts and the nests he winds up making and it’s really adorable! And the second one is just ridiculously satisfying a/b/o porn, together the two of them are just an absolute delight to read! I am always here for Anakin in heat, just desperately wanting wanting wanting, wanting his Master to fill him up and fuck him and get this noise out of his head, I am always here for Obi-Wan who tries to be considerate and thoughtful, but it’s contrasted against the rutting instincts, where he just wants to flip Anakin onto his stomach and drive into him, wants to finally claim him and hold him and take care of him. And these two just hit me right where I live, they’re charismatic and, oh, the way Obi-Wan ground against Anakin’s backside, almost lost to this desire to push into him fast and hard, but holding back just enough to ease the way for Anakin, until he’s finally open and relaxed enough that Obi-Wan can properly fuck him, it’s sosatisfyingly delicious. I have a thing for Obi-Wan grinding back and forth, trying to hold himself back while Anakin writhes and tries to adjust, but they both want more, and this fic just delivered that so very well for me. ✦ On the Day After by victoria_p (musesfool), anakin & bail & breha, ~1k Vader has many questions, and only one place to turn for answers. This is a follow-up to On the Day Before, which should be read first! This was a lovely sequel piece to the previous one and it walks a fine line, because Vader isn’t someone who is kind or does good things anymore, but also I can believe that he could be inspired to follow Padme’s daughter, that there’s just enough of a spark of good and some misguided intentions, and it absolutely nails that Vader has never wanted power for himself, it’s always been about being someone else’s sword, someone he would do any amount of dark things to protect. And this fic walks that fine line very well, that Vader sees that he can’t just brute force strength his way through this, Leia would never be won over, but instead he has plans about her and, oh, it’s a disaster in the making and it’s spot on, this was so much fun to read! ✦ i’m just a kid of ill repute (and this skin i wear is my only suit) by SashaSea (SHCombatalade), obi-wan & anakin & padme & cast, kingsman fusion, 5.6k “This is a disaster,” Anakin huffs out a near laugh, passing his remaining grenades to Obi-Wan. He accepts them with a grin and a few spare magazines for Anakin’s pistol, bumping their shoulders together. “This is fun.” This was a fun fusion piece that just sailed right along and had the right kind of charisma and charm to keep me engaged the whole way through, there was just the right amount of sparkle and whatever-it-is that makes a fic fun to read! It’s fairly light-hearted and it’s centered on Anakin, as well as his relationships with Obi-Wan and Padme that are each complicated and each something more than friendship, something deeply rooted in him, if in different ways–and I really loved that with Padme it was more overtly romantic, but with Obi-Wan it felt more like he was woven into the fabric of Anakin’s life, both made for satisfying dynamics! I do think you should be familiar with the first Kingsman movie to read this one, but it’s definitely a delightful pick-me-up when you need something fun to read! ✦ Ain’t No Light Without the Dark by lumenbriide, obi-wan & anakin, 2.2k “You should have joined me all those years ago, Kenobi.” Anakin overhears Dooku remind Obi-Wan about the temptation on Geonosis, and suddenly, Obi-Wan isn’t as infallible as he seems. He has secrets, just like Anakin; and their bond can only get stronger. A lovely little story about Dooku trying to tempt Obi-Wan away from the Jedi and how it doesn’t really work, that’s not who Obi-Wan is at heart, and the conversation Obi-Wan has with Anakin afterwards and what that pulls to the surface between them. This is a story centered on Anakin’s complicated feelings and the relationship between these two characters, one that works towards giving them a little bit more understanding and showing the depth of care between them in an understated but entirely genuine way. It was a very nice read, one that engaged me from beginning to end and I’m very glad I picked up to read! ✦ Rewrought by esama, obi-wan & qui-gon & maul, time travel, 4.4k Bit o time travel This is one of those fics that’s the kind of thing I daydream about sometimes, what a time-traveling Obi-Wan Kenobi would do, had he a chance to do the Naboo invasion all over again, and written in an incredibly engaging, easy to imagine sort of way. It’s not precisely a happy fic, but it’s balanced between standing well on its own if this is all there ever is, it’s short glimpse into the canon being shifted to another track, or it could spiral out from here, if it was ever continued. I’m fine with either way, really, because what the point was focused on was the moments where Obi-Wan makes his move, where he springs his plans into actions, and seeing that through the eyes of people who have no idea what’s going on. The loss of Obi-Wan in their eyes, the grief Qui-Gon has to work through, the chaos that comes from the actions of the “Sith Lord” that escaped Naboo, it’s all super engaging and interesting and fascinatingto watch unfold! It’s beautifully characterized and written, it’s got great action and great emotional impact and so much potential that sets my thoughts spinning around it, which is exactly what I wanted from a quick time-travling oneshot! ✦ Faithless by esama, obi-wan, 2.5k Obi-Wan loses his faith in Tatooine Oh, this one definitely hurt to read, all the more so because Obi-Wan is sort of right about some things and sort of terribly wrong about others, but that’s kind of the point of his time on Tatooine, that he’s struggling through so much. It’s not ultimately where he’s meant to end up, because Obi-Wan is someone who comes back to his faith, but as a piece where he loses his way, it really worked for me, that this is one part of a bigger cycle that Obi-Wan goes through in his isolation. The writing is so sad and lovely, so self-reflective and you can feel the loss from the character without it being hammered home into the reader, there’s something almost understated here, except also there’s beautiful imagery–I’m not explaining this well, but it’s just a really well-done piece. It’s very much a piece about Obi-Wan being lost, even as he manages to continue to get up every day, some days harder than others, that he continues forward on this path he’s on, that it’s not just the loss of his family and culture, but a loss of faith and the slow, horrible feeling that instills in me, reading this. So sad, but lovely.

#obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #obikin #qui gon jinn #padme amidala #fic recs #star wars fic recs #my first set in awhile i'm kinda nervous but here have some fic!

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the-master-cylinder · 4 years

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SUMMARY Max Dire is a Los Angeles detective who is feeling the strain that his profession entails when his wife of two years, Liza, accuses him of bringing his work home and leaves him to ponder her future, while his partner, Jim Sheldon, commits suicide by shooting himself in the head. Realizing that Max is experiencing problems, Adam Garou, a high-ranking officer distinguished by his success in reducing crime in other big cities, invites Max to join him at his apartment for a weekly meeting with other police officers who are experiencing difficulties. Adam advises Max that since he is a good detective and he should try to solve his problems rather than quitting the force.

Although Max is skeptical as to whether he will derive any benefit from the meeting, as he and his wife had already attended counselling sessions without success, he reluctantly attends the meeting where he meets other police officers such as Casey Spencer and Ramon Perez. Everyone who Max meets at the meeting praises the impact that Garou’s influence has had on their fortunes. Max soon realizes that the activities of the group also entail embarking on vigilante missions to clean the streets of criminals.

Max initially tells Garou that he is not interested in joining the group, but agrees to accompany them to a party where criminals are exchanging weapons. Before gate crashing the party, Max notices that each of the group members injects themselves with a strange chemical, which he learns has been produced by Garou. After they have injected this chemical, Garou and his team become more powerful and seemingly impervious to injury. The next day Max attempts to advise his incredulous boss of the strange goings on, but to no avail.

He visits Casey Spencer who tries to persuade him to inject himself with the chemical. When he refuses, she shoots him. As Max lies dying on the floor, she injects him with the chemical and he is instantly healed. They sleep with each other and, afterwards, injecting themselves and raid a criminal lair after. As Max and Casey easy dispatch the criminals, they sprout long claws from their knuckles, and grow sharp teeth. One of the criminals escapes and informs his crime boss what he saw. He is given instructions to deal with Garou.

Garou learns of Casey’s sexual encounter with Max and angrily advises her that he is ‘top dog’ before raping her. Afterwards, Garou and his group, including Max, gather together for another night of attacking the criminals. After injecting themselves with Garou’s chemical, the officers enter a vehicle to depart. The vehicle explodes as the key is turned in the ignition. As the remnants of the vehicle burn, the criminal who had been instructed to kill Garou is horrified to see that all of the officers have survived and that they are in their monster-like state. The dead bodies of the criminal and his associates are dropped from a helicopter through the glass ceiling of the crime boss’ home.

The same night, Max meets a deformed ex-police officer in a holding cell. He tells Max that he knows Garou and they used to work together. Garou has worked in numerous cities, and after the streets are cleaned of crime, all of the officers who work with him were killed (though he had escaped). He also explained that his deformity was caused by overuse of the chemical. Garou kills the officer to silence him and Max covers for him, but his suspicions are aroused and he begins to conduct some research into Garou.

After making a startling discovery, he sneaks into Garou’s apartment and finds Garou extracting the chemical from his own brain with a syringe. Max advises Garou that he realizes that he is a werewolf. Conflict ensues and although Max and Casey escape from Garou’s apartment, the latter is fatally injured. The next day Garou prepares to complete his final operation and Max resolves to stop him. After Garou has killed all of the criminals, including the aforementioned crime boss, Max shoots him with a silver bullet and Garou falls to the ground. Thinking that Garou is dead, Max turns away. However, Garou, who informed Max previously that a full eclipse protects him from everything (including silver), reappears behind him. A full eclipse had passed overhead as these events took place. He then turns into an extremely large werewolf, losing his human form entirely.

Max flees as the other members of Garou’s group are killed. Garou tries to kill Max, but the latter injects Garou with a solution of silver nitrate. As the eclipse is over, this kills Garou. Before he dies Garou returns to his human form and tells Max that if he lies in his blood he can take his power. In the finale, Max is shown to have moved to Denver with his wife Anna and their relationship seems to have improved. She is shown cutting her finger with a knife as she is chopping up food. Max licks her finger and then leaves to undertake some paperwork. She notices that her cut heals immediately and stares after Max bewildered. Meanwhile, Max is shown looking up on a computer the dates of coming eclipses in different American cities.

DEVELOPMENT/PRODUCTION The project was initially titled The Pack, after the name of a special unit of the LAPD that utilizes a secret new drug to help them combat crime. On the LA street location, director Anthony Hickox calls quickly for another take before the smoke disappears and the sun rises to ruin the shot. The FX crew relights the flames around the van and fans blow smoke across the scene. swirling it around the six actors who make up the Pack. “Action! One. two, three, monsters!” Hickox calls in his polite English accent. Slowly. the half-dozen transformed werewolves rise from the ground, move through the smoke and stand together. united in power.

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The story was born when writer Richard Christian Matheson was approached by a friend. Michael Reaves, to co-script a werewolf/cop movie. Matheson, who has written for over 30 TV shows including Amazing Stories and Tales from the

Crypt, wasn’t sure he was interested in working in this subgenre. As he explains further. “I’ve never been a fan of werewolf movies. As soon as they transform, they seem kind of benign to me. They don’t seem so eerie. and they lose all the facial detail that can be most frightening in a monster. I wanted to make sure that when they transformed. they did not look like wolves. I felt that would diminish the effect.

“If the script was going to be about werewolves. I also wanted it to be about addiction and overcoming the controlling influence of the lunar cycles,” he continues. “With that in mind, we set about putting the story together.

You know what, I love horror more than anything, but after making five of them, it was like, I wanna blow some shit up. Full Eclipse came along, which was a Richard Matheson script, who’s a horror writer generally and it was just such a great, for me, it had everything I wanted to do.HBO put six million dollars on that budget, which is why I could do all that shit. I love Full Eclipse because I got to do horror and these great action scenes, John Woo action scenes. Also, I was watching all these action movies thinking it must be so much fun to get to do that. – Anthony Hickox (Director)

Matheson is vehement when he describes how he visualized the creatures. “They weren’t going to be covered with hair and they weren’t going to be fully transformed.” he says, “They were going to be, in essence. stuck at the halfway point. because that’s the most frightening thing to me.

“Full Eclipse is not really a werewolf movie,” he insists. “It’s almost about the id coming under a sort of preternatural influence. It’s about addiction, and the ghastly transformational tendency of drugs. Like those guys who take STP and lift a car up, or can take a couple of rounds from a police revolver and keep coming at you.”

It didn’t take Matheson long to place the screenplay with Home Box Office. The writer has an uncanny ability to sell spec scripts, and to date has sold nine to various studios. The next step was finding the right director, and the production soon chose Hickox. He had his own opinions as to the important elements of the script and how the Pack should look, right down to their futuristic outfits and weapons. Luckily, the director and writers shared the same vision.

“I’m a huge comics fan: I read a lot of Marvel Comics, so I had a look I wanted.” Hickox explains. “Superheroes gone wrong. the whole Marvel mutant thing. I’ve always liked that concept; people with superpowers were a heavy influence. I’m quite sure I can’t buy the rights to the X-Men, so this allowed me to do my own version.”

Classic movies also played a part in Hickox’s conception. “I wanted the wolves to look like the first actor Henry Hulll who played one in Werewolf of London (1935),” he says. “We were going for a cross between him and Oliver Reed in Curse of the Werewolf. There’s a great moment where he turns from the jail cell window, and that’s kind of how I hope our werewolves are going to look. But I also wanted this to be different, especially with the two stages. There’s a first stage the Pack goes through, where they become superhuman and look like the true werewolves as the legends describe them-half man and hall wolf. Then there’s the stage where they become full wolves at the end.

“We really tried to let the actor shine through.” says the director of this approach. “It’s funny how each

face takes on a different character. We didn’t want them to just be covered in makeup. We really built on their foreheads, cheeks and necks. I also love their weapon claws, and the fact that they actually bleed when the claws come out of their fingers, which I think would happen if you were transforming.”

Bringing these ideas to screen life was a big jump, which is why veteran Tony Gardner, head of Alterian Studios was hired to create Full Eclipse’s special FX makeup. Gardner, in his quiet, professional way is a problem solver and a master artist. Not only did Alterian design the transformation makeup, as well as a terrifying 12-foot wolf for the final fight scene, but they developed the futuristic combat gear, helmets and even the insignias and logos for the Pack members.

We have a stage one look, which is just additive makeup and dentures. Gardner explains. “Stage two is where we get into appliances that go down from the forehead almost to the outer corners of the eyes. We’ve got this weird, funky appliance that goes from the tip of the nose to the lip line, just to connect the two in a more animalistic way. We’ve also got upper and lower teeth. Bruce Payne is the only person who enters stage three. That’s a big appliance makeup which goes from his collarbone over his head and covers him entirely, with big fake ears and hair and stuff like that. It’s a much larger cranium, and you see a lot more skull structure.

“We change them gradually to reveal them more and more as werewolves.” Gardner continues. “Different people are taken to different degrees. The only one you’ll see transform completely is Bruce’s character, who turns into an 11- or 12-foot wolf with fur over his entire body. It’s a big monster.”

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Yet even great makeup concepts wouldn’t mean much without the right actors in the parts. For the role of daredevil Pack officer Casey, Hickox brought in his old friend, British actress Patsy Kensit. Well known for her starring turn as Mel Gibson’s stunning South African girlfriend in Lethal Weapon 2, Kensit is also a major horror movie fan. The concept of becoming a werewolf appealed to her, despite the four hour-plus makeup process.

“I loved that,” she says. “I’ve I never done anything like it before. Garrett Immel, who works with Tony, was kind of my key person. They were fantastic. They’re so into it: they’re really great people and so talented. What they can do with just a bit of shading and some prosthetics is incredible.

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Kensit not only enjoyed the special FX side of the shoot, but was enthusiastic about everything she was required to do, from a sexy love scene with Van Peebles to a midnight swim in the Pacific ocean. The love scene, naturally, was a great deal easier and more fun. “Anthony originally wanted something that involved a lot of nudity, and I wasn’t prepared to do that,” she explains. “Now it’s very erotic, but it leaves a lot to the imagination. Anthony’s got a great mind. So he shot it beautifully, and it’s pretty steamy.”

The venture into the Pacific ocean was anything but steamy, as Kensit recalls. “When Mario and I went into the water, it was freezing cold. I had kind of a half wetsuit under my dress. so it wasn’t as bad, but Mario had nothing. We were both covered in sand burns afterwards, and it was a really mucky part of the ocean. It was the most horrific. freezing cold night of my life, with the waves crashing over me. Apparently it looks great, and that’s always worth it. That was really the hardest part of the movie, but it was a great experience. It’s something I’m glad I explored as an actress.”

Kensit wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the opportunity to play a werewolf. Van Peebles also found the concept attractive, and is eager to discuss what he calls “man’s fascination with his animal nature, or his animal side. We’ve always been curious about our evolution from beasts, and our connection to them. I always wanted to play a werewolf or a vampire, or something of that nature. It’s very cathartic to be these different people. see what they feel and let that part of you go. It’s healthy to do this.”

Van Peebles didn’t mind the heavy makeup either, and in fact was intrigued by the whole process. Hickox saw a preview for Posse, which Van Peebles both directed and starred in. and immediately decided he was the right man for the part. The actor gives Hickox points for his progressive views on casting. “It was very forward-thinking on Anthony’s part.” he states. “Because it wasn’t written for someone black, or green or blue. And Patsy as the leading lady-it’s very avant-garde in that it doesn’t pander to typical views.”

If Full Eclipse’s hero is atypical. then its villain breaks just as many molds and stereotypes. Captain Garou is one of the most compelling bad guys since Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Both Matheson and Hickox were concerned that without the right performance, Garou could turn into just another melodramatic villain. And, as Matheson explains, that wasn’t what either of them had in mind. “Garou didn’t want to be a monster.” the writer says. “He wanted to join the human community and make it better-to evolve and protect it. He was also learning to master his lycanthropic curse. Most monsters have a sort of grudge against humanity, but I don’t think Garou does: he simply dislikes crime. That makes him interesting. and Bruce really brings all of those nuances out. He’s a wonderful actor and a very bright man.”

Those levels of the character were exactly what interested Payne. While he worked to prepare for the action sequences speaking to friends in Delta Force and members of the Los Angeles SWAT team who were working with the film company-it was the psychological factors that Payne was more concerned with.

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“We’re all looking for something quicker, faster and easier that gives us a shorter feeling of contentment.” he says. “I found a lot of undercurrent issues within this character of a police officer who really feels he’s a shining knight. He’s developed this serum which is really part of his own body. This bad guy thinks he’s the good guy: he believes he’s on a good quest.”

To give the character of Garou even more depth and poignancy. Hickox decided to make some slight changes to the final transformation scene. The sequence involves Max and Garou having a terrible fight, in which Garou changes completely into the huge, towering wolf and almost tears the young cop apart. But in the end, when good naturally triumphs. Garou reverts to his true form: a very old man. The full makeup change wasn’t decided upon until the last moment, and therefore presented the film’s biggest challenge for both the special FX team and Payne.

“When you have a two-day warning, it’s impossible to create that prosthetic stuff.” the actor elaborates. “Fortunately, Tony is a very clever and energetic young man with a lot of good ideas. The man who actually did the hands-on application and coloring of the makeup was an old friend of mine named Mike Smithson. whom I had the great pleasure of working with on Switch. He’s a true talent, and he basically pulled together some of his own pieces, from his own face. They tried to match them and enhance a very old, elegant face as best they could. We put on a small. old forehead piece, but it wasn’t built for me, so he had to cut it and shape it, which is incredibly difficult. Actually, it’s a taboo thing. You don’t cut a prosthetic. because as soon as you do. the thin edge suddenly isn’t there and you have a ledge. In prosthetic terms, that ledge is the equivalent of missing a floor in a parking structure as you’re building it, so hiding it requires incredible tenacity.

Anthony Hickox was finishing Full Eclipse. This is another project where I focused writing around a rhythm section – hammond, guitar, bass and drums. For the action cues, many of Billy Ward’s performances were on midi pads, so that I could take his recordings and associate the information with other sounds – such as pitched slate tiles and other found sounds. All in all, we had a lot of fun on this one, and I heard that Jim Kerr, who was married to Patsy Kensit at the time, liked my end credit theme when he heard it at the cast screening! – Gary Chang (Score Composer)

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CAST/CREW Directed Anthony Hickox

Written Richard Christian Matheson Michael Reaves

Mario Van Peebles as Max Dire Patsy Kensit as Casey Spencer Bruce Payne as Adam Garou Anthony John Denison as Jim Sheldon Jason Beghe as Doug Crane Paula Marshall as Liza John Verea as Ramon Perez Dean Norris as Fleming Willie C. Carpenter as Ron Edmunds Victoria Rowell as Anna Dire Scott Paulin as Teague Mel Winkler as Stratton Joseph Culp as Detective Tom Davies

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY my-blog-of-interviews halloweenlove Fangoria#129

Full Eclipse (1993) Retrospective SUMMARY Max Dire is a Los Angeles detective who is feeling the strain that his profession entails when his wife of two years, Liza, accuses him of bringing his work home and leaves him to ponder her future, while his partner, Jim Sheldon, commits suicide by shooting himself in the head.

#90sMovies #AnthonyHickox #TV MOVIES

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turnaboutancestor · 7 years

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DGS2 Case 4: Review and Thoughts

listen. listen, okay. listen. i didn’t need this in my life. i didn’t....i didn’t need this

This case looks like it’s gonna be VERY strongly linked to Case 5, a la 5-4/5-5, so it is by nature going to be an incomplete summary. Please keep that in mind as you read. If I’m missing anything, it may simply be because it didn’t leave a huge impression on me right now. ALSO, when I do case 5, I am in NO WAY repeating anything I’ve wrote here outside of like. A sentence or two.

Review

Background: Professor

We learned a little more about the circumstances surrounding Professor--Asougi Genshin, who traveled to Japan as a detective.

First, his capture came only after Gregson was adamant on performing an autopsy on Klimt van Zieks, something that otherwise wouldn’t have been performed due to Klimt’s status as a noble and the taboo surrounding it. However, the autopsy provided a valuable clue that let to Genshin’s arrest. This autopsy was led by John H. Watson, and assisted by Mikotoba Yuujin and Courtney Simon (now Sithe).

Second, we know one more important detail about his trial. Vortex was actually the prosecutor in charge of the case, but stepped down to allow Barok on the bench after he insisted.

Third, it’s become obvious that his escape from execution involved multiple individuals within Barkley Prison. Though Everyday Mitermont was the chief jailer at the time and signed off on his coffin being moved to Lowgate Cemetery, it doesn’t appear he was actually involved in the plan to free him. Sithe, who watched over the execution and “confirmed” his death; and an unknown individual who nailed down the coffin, preventing Mitermont from doing the final check, are at least two of the co-conspirators for getting Genshin out. It was Mitermont that felt the brunt of that, though, and he was fired from Barkley.

Finally, Genshin saved Barok’s life at one point. Barok was often the target of criminals due to being Klimt’s brother. When they were surrounded one night on a backstreet in London, Genshin protected Barok, his hand bloody after the fact.

Background: Mitermont

Everyday Mitermont is happily married to Anna Mitermont and has two children. When he was fired from Barkley 10 years ago, he couldn’t bring himself to tell his family about it, and decided to find a new job. However, the economy was in a recession, and he was unable to find a new job. As a result, he took on a disguise and created a new identity for himself as “Hugh Boone,” and began to sell stories on Lime Street. Eventually, Gregson found him and began to use him, as noted below.

His wife approached Sherlock to ask that he look for him, as he had been missing for the past day.

Gregson sent Mitermont out to be a decoy with the “Red Headed League,” a small-time scam of Maurice and Marco, two European nobles. The two captured Mitermont, and then he discovered Gregson’s body at the shabby room he rented out, forcing him to go to court as a witness. As a result, he was unable to contact his wife without risking revealing his secret.

Background: Tobias Gregson

After his role in the Professor case, he became known as a “legend” in Scotland Yard--but he also started taking on cases alone, and did so with secrecy. In order to better hide his movements, he used Mitermont (who he found by chance one day disguised as “Hugh Boone”) by giving him his police ID and asking that Mitermont make a scene where he was directed to go by proclaiming that “Detective Gregson is hear to investigate!” In exchange, Gregson paid Mitermont a surprising sum of money, which allowed him to continue his ruse.

As this went on, Gregson began to use the shabby room Mitermont rented out as his second “office”, and brought quite a few police documents with him. An investigation of his office at the Yard also led to the discovery of a notebook with many names and dates in a list.

These documents all had one thing in common: the Death Bringer.

Background: The Death Bringer

10 years ago, Barok’s name became widely known after the Professor case was resolved. However, he lost his very next case: the head of a crime syndicate managed to go free.

He was killed by debris at a construction site 3 days later, and the “Death Bringer” was born. Since then, Barok has only lost 16 trials, and 13 of those “Not Guilty” verdicts have eventually led to the defendants dying.

Barok wants to know the true identity of the Death Bringer more than anyone, and as such has been investigating ever since. This has led him to a number of conclusions:

The “Death Bringer” is an organization, as many deaths would be impossible with only one culprit

They seem to have access to information only members of the police force could have

Tobias Gregson is a central figure, coming up with the plans on how to kill their targets

Ann Sasha, otherwise known to us as “Jezail Brett”, was an assassin who carried out many of the murders

The Crime as Currently Known

Barok, in his investigation of Gregson, found a note with an address and meeting time. He head to the location, and went into the room at 5pm. His attention was immediately grabbed by the desk, but as he headed toward it, he suddenly heard a gunshot--or rather, a set of firecrackers tied to a candle as a makeshift “timer”.

Three witnesses head to the room upon hearing the “gunshot”. Mitermont opened the door first, knocking over the board of case information that had been placed by the door. This allowed Barok to finally get a glimpse of Gregson’s body. Another witness went to call for help, and found a patrolman. Barok, without thinking, picked up the gun he saw on the ground, and it was in this state that the police found him. He was immediately arrested and charged for Gregson’s murder.

There is, however, one important discrepancy: there is no “time of death” written on the autopsy report. This is because Maria Goulloyne, Sithe’s daughter, noted that the fish and chips inside Gregson’s coat had already started to mold despite his body being in “fresh” condition. This led her to conclude that the body was tampered with to produce a fake “time of death”, but Vortex ordered her to keep quiet on this and leave that part of the autopsy blank.

Other Pertinent Information

Gina eventually found Gregson’s missing suitcase using Toby. Inside was a passport/ticket, good for a trip to France for one week from the date issued: the day before his body was found. Something inside the case also likely made Toby react, as he immediately attacked Ryuu.

Asougi is the prosecutor for the case, due to strongly requesting Vortex that he be put on it. He doesn’t seem to be quite following Vortex’s orders, however, as Asougi seems to have his own agenda with regards to Barok and the “Death Bringer”. He remains adamant that his father is not the Professor; he only found out he was labeled a murderer by a mysterious letter he received from England when he was younger.

Also, how Asougi made his trip to England despite his memory loss was made clear. He woke up on the Alaclair and felt a strong desire to go to England because he felt there was something he had to do there. He mixed with passengers and got off the ship at Hong Kong. From here, two things were in his favor: his English skills allowed him to get a job aboard a cargo ship, and his knowledge of English law piqued Vortex’s interest when he arrived three months ago, leading to the latter taking in the former.

It was revealed, to just about everyone’s surprise, that Mikotoba Yuujin was actually Sherlock’s former partner. Iris came to the conclusion that John Watson was her father after recognizing the handwriting on Klimt’s autopsy report as being the same as the handwritten case records she keeps in her trunk. She saw Watson’s signature at the bottom, believing it was him that wrote the whole report. As such, “John H. Watson” features as Sherlock’s partner in her stories. In reality, Yuujin wrote the report as Watson’s assistant, and Watson simply signed off on it. This makes Susato and Iris half-siblings, though we don’t yet know the circumstances behind Iris’s conception and birth, and Iris herself still isn’t aware Yuujin is her father. Sherlock himself also promised not to tell Iris anything about her father until he was able to do so properly.

Speaking of Sherlock: upon hearing that Ann Sasha was involved, he immediately set out to send an emergency telegram to Japan. What that telegram was currently remains unknown.

And, as a bit of trivia: Asougi reveals that his sword, named “Karuma”, is a symbol of the Asougi family, which is well known for their sword techniques. As it turns out, one of Genshin’s disciples took up the sword’s name as their family name....and as time passes, that will eventually lead to Karuma Gou (Manfred von Karma) and Karuma Mei (Franziska von Karma).

Thoughts

Do you see this wall of text. Do you!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!???!?! I’M NOT EVEN SURE I GOT IT ALL DOWN BUT FFS, TAKUMI!!!

First off, the last segment of this case was an investigation...you don’t expect a case to end during a fuckin investigation.

Second, I feel like I closed my 3DS out of stress or some other emotional turmoil like. A lot. During this case.

Third, DID ANYONE THEORIZE THAT YUUJIN WAS ACTUALLY SHERLOCK’S PARTNER???

This case was remarkable, for more reasons than one. I kept getting thrown curveballs of all kinds, and I don’t expect that to stop as I head into case 5. From Asougi as the prosecutor to our main detective being the culprit....from that same detective being under suspicion for being a pillar of the “Death Bringer” to Yuujin being Sherlock’s partner...from Barok being our defendant to Sherlock finally revealing how he faked Asougi’s death....there was a LOT that happened this case.

Obviously, though, there are still questions, and I have a few theories or ideas.

First, Gina mentions that she couldn’t remember the last name in Gregson’s notebook, dated the day before Gregson’s murder, and that it didn’t seem English--I’m about 80% sure the Japanese judge and basically the REPRESENTATIVE for Japan at the forensics symposium, Jigoku Seishirou, is dead as hell. For a while I was CONVINCED he was actually the true Professor, and Genshin was innocent, but I’m not so sure about that anymore.

Second, though I’ve gone back and forth on how I feel about him the WHOLLLLEEEE game, I think Vortex has less-than-legal motives or desires. Getting Maria to hide her conclusions on Gregson’s time of death is too shady, and he seems to have a specific goal he wants out of Barok’s trial.

Third, I’m starting to think the four names on that disc were all related to the Professor case in some way or another. Gregson was the detective, Watson was the lead coroner on his final victim, Asougi is his son...that leaves Sasha, though, and I don’t know how she fits in. If it’s NOT the Professor case, then they’re related by the Death Bringer (Gregson as the planner, Sasha as the assassin, Watson and Asougi unknown), which is Fucking Terrifying. Either way, I would not be surprised if the reason Sherlock faked Asougi’s death is related to this disc, whatever that connection might be.

Finally...I honestly have no idea how this is all gonna turn out. We’ve got two conventions fighting each other: our best friend’s father was accused or serial murder and sentenced to death, and he believes him innocent; our rival prosecutor is our client, and he lost his brother to murder and much of his normal life to a “curse”. I want to fix both of them--I want them both to find real, true peace, but I hope it can be done in a way that doesn’t too heavily compromise what they’ve done or how they’ve felt up until this point.

Anyway

I’m ready to die (no I’m not)

#sarah plays dgs2 #case 2.4 #case summaries

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