#I have some lost cargo to deliver

[olinblogin]

Someone requested this but I lost the request so I hope they see this TAT

I also added Mihawk speaking Spanish in this- I’m using google translate so please correct me if I said anything wrong :3

CROCODILE X GN!TIMID/SHY!READER X MIHAWK

Shuffling through your papers, your hands shook and nearly made you drop all of them. It was the first time you’d ever been complicit in a Warlord meeting.

They usually didn’t let you into these kinds of meetings since you were just a lower rank, but still a bit higher than cadets. Only reason you were here is because Sengoku got sick with something and Garp is too busy trying not to choke on rice crackers to deliver this speech.

Sighing, you mumbled words of assurance tk yourself, “it’s fine, I got this. I got this.” you tried and tried, but it only seemed to make you more afraid and aware of you soon being in the presence of the seven deadliest pirates of the sea… well… apart from the four Yonkou’s, that is.

Twisting the knob to the room where they usually held these kinds of things. All seven warlords were sat around a table, some chattering about, some paying zero mind. The babbling consisted of Gecko Moria trying to threaten Bartholomew Kuma… and he wasn’t reacting, only sitting through his Bible he carried at all times.

Thankfully they didn’t seem to pay mind to you… besides two of them. By far some of the most intimidating of the two, Dracule Mihawk, and Crocodile.

Mihawk’s eyes bore into you as you walk past, golden eyes piercing into the back of your head as if he was skimming you with them. Choking back a shudder, you sped-walk towards Garp, who was, of course, eating rice crackers. You two whispered among each other; and thankfully, he had that relationship with you that calmed your severe anxiety. You saw him as a grandfather in a way… even if not blood related..

Letting out a little sigh, you positioned yourself in front of the table, clearing your throat and catching the attention of all seven of the pirates.

“I.. uhm-.. as you all likely know, there’s been a spike in pirate attacks and raiding in the east blue… we’ve tried stationing marine galleons in those areas but there seems to be some that are infiltrated and firing at marine ships that come in. As much as we’d like to limit violence as much as we possibly can and put an end to those pirates reins; we do need your help. We ask you to please, if possible, go into the East blue and search for their marine galleons that have been hijacked. We understand this is likely frustrating we’ve had to call on all of you do many times..-“

Your speech was cut off by Doflamingo, to which you fought back a sneer at his audacity.

“So you want us to go beat around some low-lives, that’s it? Fufufu… and might I ask what you of all people are delivering this speech for. I thought it was supposed to be Sengoku blabbering on. Not a pretty thing such as yourself… such a shame you ended up in the marines, though.” He scoffed. You couldn’t help but recognized the not-so-discreet glares from Mihawk and Crocodile sent his way… they were just oozing with Conquerer’s Haki.

“Please allow me to finish my speech, then we can talk afterwards…” you say meekly.

“But why? I’m just stating how it’s a waste of such a beauty as yourself getting pushed into the Marines like this. Why don’t you come back to my kingdom with me, I promise I’ll treat you right and make you feel bliss you’ve never f—“ with that, Garp had cut him off, “I’d like to ask you to please be quiet as Y/N said; save any questions for after they are done giving their speech.”

You gave a quiet ‘thanks’ to Garp, resuming your speech.

The meeting flew by faster than you thought… and you were thankful for that.

You skittered out of the room… after you have the speech Garp had promised to let you go around town for a bit… you slipped off your uniform and slid yourself into a black tank top and some cargo shorts.

Shuffling out of your room and out of the marine base, you wandered aimlessly around town; not having any goal in mind besides just looking around.

“Hello.”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard a voice behind you.

A smooth, soft voice may you add.

Spinning around you nearly stumbled and fell, catching yourself clumsily.

“My apologies for startling you, cosa bonita.” You recognized the man as Dracule Mihawk. His cold, golden eyes were unblinking, staring into your very soul… it was no wonder he was called ‘Hawk-Eye Mihawk’.

“Oh.. uhm. That’s fine.” You’d mutter.

There was an awkward silence.

“Well, uhm… it was nice talking to you..” you turned to leave, shuddering when you felt his cold, calloused hand grab your wrist. “Wait, cariño, por favor. I have a proposition… one I believe you might be interested in.” His words lingered in your mind.

A deal? What was he about to say…

“Don’t scare the poor thing. They’d be better off with me anyhow, considering how freaky your place is.”

This time, a rougher voice. In a gust of sand whirling around, you covered your eyes with your arm, shielding then from the whipping sand until it formed a person, Crocodile. You could see the curl of Mihawk’s nose; offended by Crocodile’s backhanded insult… you felt meek. You were practically sandwiched between these two warlords.

“I’ll have you know.. the gothic architecture of my home is authentic.” You could hear the sass in Mihawk’s voice…

“Wait..- Wait, What Are you two talking about..? Does this have to do with Mihawk’s.. uh.. proposition?”

“The proposition. Right. How forgetful of me, mi amado.” Mihawk said thoughtfully. “I would like you to come back with me.” Your eyes must’ve been wide as saucers… because Crocodile smirked, flicking ash from his cigar. “Seems there’s a bit of a competition. I was going to ask the same thing. You should come with me; I’d shower you with gifts of gold. You’d be the ruler alongside me.” Crocodile spoke sweetly, soothing and convincing, his hand slithering up your arm until he rested a hand on your hot cheeks.

“I don’t believe they would enjoy waking to the hot desert every day. Besides, that would be quite agitating, the sand in your eyes, si, Mi amada?” Mihawk spoke just as smoothly. “I would cook meals for you every night. We could unwind in my study and drink wine… I have the finest server to you.”

“Tch. That’s nothing.” Crocodile mused.

“That does sound lovely, really but..” you cleared your throat and stepped back. “but I’d prefer to stay here, I think. I don’t really want to leave here because I don’t really want to leave Garp behind-“

“That slag will be fine on his own.” Crocodile interrupts, biting down on the cigar in his mouth.

“I know he’ll be fine.. I mean- yeah, he’s more than capable of taking care of himself. It’s more of an emotional attachment than anything.” The two let out a quiet ‘ah’ as they listened intently, softening their posture when you’d back away. After a moment of awkward silence you scooter away, “it was a pleasure meeting you, goodbye.” Before you scurry along the streets, getting lost in the crowd of people who battered the merchant stalls and haggled.

The stress collapsed when you could smell the familiar scent of spices. Even if the streets were as crowded as they were, you still felt a sense of comfort knowing there were people around.

A horrible fear of being alone, you had.

Through the winding crowd you finally made it to your safe space among the cliff side overlooking the vast ocean, a particularly beautiful glint among the oceans currents that the sun beamed down on.

Taking out your rice cakes you packed for your lunch-break you chowed down like a starving dog.

“It seems they don’t give you proper portions of food in the marines,” you nearly squealed out of fear and choked on your rice cake, whipping around to see Mihawk looming over you.

“N-no.. they feed us proper portions—.. ᴵ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏ..” you spoke after swallowing a large portion of the rice cake that went down quite painfully.

“Is that so. Hm. If that were the case would you not be in the mess hall, and eating the food they provide, cariño?” He questioned smoothly, standing by you, keeping eye contact with you.

It made a flush creep up your neck.

“I get really anxious when being around people—“

“But you seemed to feel quite comfortable in that crowd not much earlier,”

You pursed your lips shut, unsure what to say. When the words finally came to you, they came out much meeker than you’d wished; “I guess I’m just really anxious at work..?”

Mihawk’s eyes narrowed, royal golden eyes pierced yours. “I see.” He said simply.

You both say in a somewhat comfortable silence as you—as quietly as you could—finished your lunch. “Where’s uhm..- Crocodile?” You asked, cleaning up your area a bit. “I’m not sure where that oaf has gone. There’s no need to worry for someone as he is, Querida.” Mihawk would hum quietly.

Just as if on cue, it was like Crocodile materialized behind you two. “Don’t taint the dear’s mind, you enigmatic man. We both know they need someone with real emotion.” You had no clue what to say after it clicked in your head.

Were they truly fighting for your affection?

A few comments—mainly from Crocodile—were passed, until both turned to you.

“Well, who will you choose?”

[anarchy-and-piglins]

Technoblade knew the gods were expecting his arrival from how the path opened up to welcome him. 

Trees bent away, vines with thorns burrowed into the soft ground at his approach. Techno hauled the bag with offerings up on his shoulder and carefully stepped forward.

He could feel the divinity that lingered in the air here like a physical thing, alive. It wound itself around him, before settling on his shoulders with unexpected weight. But whatever it found there must not be a bad thing. Because the path remained open and Techno found no resistance as he made his way up to the temple.

He was very aware of the fact that he was treading ground that had not seen human feet in centuries. After the gods retired, they were left alone. Nobody was dumb enough to bother a bunch of deities that had let it be known in no uncertain terms they were done quarreling in mortal affairs. Nobody, except the rulers of Techno's country. 

They had come up with the grand idea to send the reclusive gods some gifts. And that - hopefully - would soften them up enough to lend an ear to their desperate plea for more power against their enemies. A plea that Techno was chosen to deliver, picked from among the regiment of royal guards for this important task.

His boots made soft, ringing noises against the marble steps. As he walked the long anteway that led into the heart of the temple, it seemed deserted. Yet Techno swore he could hear the echoes of laughter and the light music of a guitar. He could feel the gaze of curious eyes on him. The youngest of these gods, the sons of the chosen. One with a domain of mischief and fire, the other ruling over music and transformation. 

Yeah, Techno was not an idiot. He had done his research.

At long last the hallway came upon the throne room. The ceiling was high enough that Techno could barely see it, only the tapestries of black silk and woven stars that gleamed from above him. The Goddess of Death looked down at him with a tepid smile. On her left, there was a chair for her husband, her angel. He lounged upon it much like a mortal would: with crossed legs and relaxed posture.

Both of them seemed pretty chill at first glance, but Techno knew how deceiving that could be. He would need to follow all codes of polite conduct if he didn't want to risk the wrath of a god who felt slighted.

So he took to one knee, the bag sliding off his shoulder onto the ground with a light thud from all the gold and precious gemstones inside. Treasures worth more than Techno could earn in a lifetime.

"Our Lady," he said, addressing the divine with the highest power. "I have come from the lands of Hypixel to humbly request you accept their gift."

A heavy silence hung over the room, Techno kept his eyes on the polished floor throughout it. 

"A gift?" Her voice was clear as crystal glass, sweet as spun sugar. "Well, don't be shy then. Come closer, dear."

Techno stood and felt himself move before conscious thought was put to the action. As if it was not fully by choice. He swallowed, glancing at the bag of trinkets forgotten behind him as he stepped closer to the throne before kneeling again.

The Goddess of Death inclined her chin, looking down at him. Her eyes were deep purple. Techno felt he could get lost in them.

Then she waved her hand and before Techno could blink, the angel stood before him. His large black wings were spread behind him, though the feathers only ruffled softly when fingers settled on his chin. His face was tilted up.

"What is your name?" The angel asked.

Techno wanted to tell them it was irrelevant. He was only an envoy, here to deliver a cargo and leave. His lips were moving before that thought could properly form.

"Technnoblade, sir."

The angel's smile spread into a wicked grin. "Oh no, none of those formalities, mate. Not if we're keeping you." He looked over his shoulder. "Love, you're seeing what I'm seeing, right?"

"I do believe so," Lady Death said. Then she sighed, amused. "My, how hypocritical of us. We did tell them we wanted nothing to do with them anymore."

"They fucking knew. But they tried anyway." A thumb pressed into Techno's cheek. He knew he should be scared, in the presence of such overwhelming power. Something in his brain refused to connect. Those purple eyes watched him, read him. They saw him.

"Well, we can't fault them when the gift they send us is this perfect." When the Goddess spoke, it was with such fondness in her voice.

Techno blinked, confused. The bag of offerings was not even a blip on their radar anymore.

"Indeed," her angel agreed. He finally let go, only to pull Techno up by the elbow instead. His fingers stayed there, curled around tightly. "I will let the mortals know that we accept their gift. And that we'll take very good care of him."

---

AKA: Dark SBI AU where Techno is an envoy sent to deliver a gift to the gods. Except the gods mistake him for the gift and decide they're quite happy to keep him.

[honeybadgercomeback]

No Goodbyes

Goodbyes happen. But sometimes when they do they can become something so much better. You didn’t think that hiding from Daniel would cause this, but with his hand in yours and people trusting and believing in both of you, this is going to become something more than a final race week. Part two of Not Yet Goodbye.

AN: I still can’t fully believe the reaction to Not Yet Goodbye, I’m in absolute shock at how wonderful you all are. Thank you for the support and kindness.

Warnings: McLaren folks, Christian Horner (but being nice?). This is mainly fluff tbh.

—

As soon as the fact that Daniel Ricciardo was holding your hand got through to the garage, things got awkward to put it mildly. There was joking around, but as soon as they could get Daniel away for his final debriefing you were pulled into a meeting. That first meeting with Andreas was almost painful. The team principal had rushed you into his office, Zak following close behind. The two men looked at you in surprise as you held their gazes evenly.

“How long as this been going on?” The CEO asked you. You checked your watch and did some mental maths.

“Around twenty two hours, officially. I didn’t hide anything from anyone and after tonight Daniel no longer works for McLaren Racing. I didn’t need to report anything. You stayed calm despite the heartbeat thundering in your ears.

“If there was anything going on, anything you didn’t want…” the words hung in the air as the implication hit you like a ton of bricks. You shook your head fervently in denial.

“Daniel and I made a mutual decision. I wasn’t forced into anything. I spent last night having dinner with his family.” A deep breath centred you before you continued speaking. “While I appreciate that you’re looking out for me because of a potential power imbalance, it couldn’t be further from the truth. There was no coercion or anything inappropriate. Nothing happened between us until last night because we’re both aware of our jobs and what we do, but thank you. Now it’s the end of the season and my boyfriend is waiting for me so we can go for dinner with his family to celebrate that he was in the points today. Do we still have two weeks off before planning for next year starts?”

Your final question was directed to Zak who nodded in response. “It’s Thanksgiving at home next week, I won’t be in the UK until the first full week of December.”

“Perfect. I’ll be working remotely until then. I need to clear my head from the season, you can reach me by email.”

You held yourself together as you left the room, trying not to shake with frustration as you made your way back to the table you’d nabbed for yourself in hospitality. Normally you’d have never spoken like that to either of them. But this was different. You’d been in the room and watched the awkward moments as Danny had lost some of his sparkle because of everything that had happened. You’d been at the MTC when he made that speech. There was a large group of you who didn’t agree with how things had happened and you’d always been in that group. Yes this relationship was new but your loyalty was always going to be to your boyfriend. Jobs came and went but men like Danny didn’t.

It took all of two minutes to pack your tablet and laptop into the grey and papaya bag when your phone buzzed with a text. Holding your breath you opened it.

That was inappropriate. Once the cargo is gone take the time off, you deserve it.

Thank you.

You couldn’t reply with anything more than that, your frustration was still too high and you didn’t want to snap at him.

“Are you leaving?” You looked over at Danny’s sister, Michelle, standing there with her kids. You smiled at the slightly shy children who waved nervously and nodded your head.

“Finishing packing. I don’t need to be here for the tear down so I like to leave pretty soon after.”

“You’re coming for dinner, right? We’re getting pizzas delivered to his suite. None of us want to go out, it’ll be all family.”

“That sounds really good.”

It was quiet between you while you zipped up your branded bag. Your routine stayed the same, triple checking the pass around your neck was firmly in place and you had everything. Michelle walked out with you, the kids holding her hands before grabbing one of yours too.

“He really likes you, y’know. I was telling him for months to man up and ask you out. But then the break happened and…” she trailed off and it was clear what she thought of everything that had happened with her brother’s career.

“I wouldn’t let him say goodbye.” Michelle looked at you as you spoke, but you kept walking and looking straight ahead. “Yesterday. He was saying goodbye to everyone except Lando and the mechanics, but I kept hiding because I didn’t want to say goodbye. So I get it. And I’ve no intention of hurting him.”

She relaxed as you both swiped out and you helped the kids to do it.

“I’m glad. Want a ride to the hotel?”

You ended up in the back of the rented SUV, jammed between two child seats as the kids settled down. There was casual conversation between you, Michelle, and her husband as he drove back and you felt calm. The season was over. You could relax for a little while. Tonight was about dinner and chatting and later on working out when you and Dan could spend time together that wasn’t just filled with work related things. And getting the details on what he’d be doing next year. Milton Keynes wasn’t as far away from Woking as it could have been. Plus he’d be at races so that made things easier to plan. But this was oh so right and you wanted it.

After a shower to wash away the desert heat and sweat and changing into comfy clothes there was a knock on your bedroom door. Dan stood there with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a wide smile on his face.

“Long time no see,” you murmured as you reached up to kiss him in hello. Once you separated he came into the room and put the arrangement on the desk before pulling you in for a proper hug.

“Missed you.”

“It’s been two hours.”

“I still missed you.” He pouted at his words and you kissed it away before filling him in on Zak and Andreas’ words. Anger started to fill his face but he took a breath and squeezed your hand.

“Do people really think that I’m forcing you? Seriously?”

“No. And we both know that this is completely consensual. Anyone with eyes knows that. But we also know that until after the last race there was that power imbalance. They were right to check in, just not the way they did it.” He calmed at your words, pulling you close and kissing the top of your forehead.

“I’m going to Red Bull tomorrow to sign my contract and flying back to Monaco the day after. Will you come with me? I know you can’t be in any of the photos or anything but I want you to be there. Mum and Dad will be.”

You took a deep breath. It’d be more than just your secret or even your colleagues in McLaren knowing then. It’d be known immediately around the paddock and as soon as you arrived in Bahrain for the first race next year everyone would know you were Danny’s girlfriend. But you wanted it. You wanted to be there to support him in whatever way you could.

“Is signing this the best thing for you to do?” It was a simple question and he sat on the edge of the bed, pulling you into his lap.

“I’m not ok right now. I…I’m burnt out. I’m miserable. Driving these cars isn’t fun anymore, I’m half afraid when I do it. It’s become something I’ve started to dread and if I don’t have full confidence I can’t do it. They’re giving me sim time to help with racing lines, a chance to help develop the car for next year and beyond, and I can be at whatever races I want. Plus it’s Christian. Even when I was leaving and he didn’t want me to go he supported me. He always has. It’s nowhere near a guaranteed seat but it’s a chance to try love the sport again with people who believe in me and want me to succeed.” He looked like he was about to say more but you cut in.

“Then I would be honoured to be there to watch my boyfriend sign his contract. You deserve the world, Danny. You deserve everyone to know that you’re a good driver, that you’re successful and easily able to battle anyone on the track. I want to see that happen.”

The kiss you shared with him was filled with meaning and hope. Even after your lips separated you stayed with your arms wrapped around each other.

“I should have kissed you last year. I nearly did at Monza. Remember the after party?”

You never could have forgotten it, delaying your flight to stay and celebrate the 1-2 finish. You’d been standing at the bar ordering a drink when Daniel appeared beside you and handed over his card to pay for your drink instead. When you’d thanked him he just grinned and pulled you in for a hug to cement the friendship you already had. It made you think that anything romantic could never happen.

“I’d have kissed you back.”

“We were fools.”

Dinner that night was bright and happy, the knowledge that the contract was being signed tomorrow and Daniel was happy helping everyone. He’d been invited to Seb’s goodbye party and had stuck around for a few minutes before leaving. It was Seb’s night, he didn’t want to bring the mood down and instead said he wanted to spend the night with his family. The walk from your room to his suite was about a minute, everyone standing there and greeting you both with hugs and kisses on your cheek. Michael shook his head at the way Danny wouldn’t keep his hands off you, making you smile shyly at the knowledge.

Once the pizzas arrived they were opened and spread over the table, people handing slices through as wine was poured. The kids had juice and were clinking glasses with everyone between each sip. When they chose you to clink with you couldn’t help the grin spreading over your face. Dan’s arm was around your shoulder as you all sat at the table. It was a nearly perfect night.

People started slipping away as the night went on. Hugs goodbye were given and you were surprised to be included in them. Finally it was just you and Dan left in the room and he pulled you to them, arms holding you close.

“Stay the night?” You smiled up at him and reached for a kiss, sealing exactly where you were staying.

When you woke up in his arms you were pleasantly sore with a warm hand rubbing a circle into your hip.

“Good morning,” you murmured as you turned over to see him there.

“Morning.”

Getting ready would have been a lot quicker if he hadn’t dragged you into the shower with him, heated kisses between the two of you making it take much longer in the warm water than you truly needed. Once Dan was dressed he went down to your room for clean clothes, returning with a navy shirt and jeans. You raised an eyebrow.

“Look, there’s no logos. But you can’t wear orange today.” Your laughter pealed through the room before grabby fingers ticked you. You made him stop so the two of you could meet his parents and get there on time.

The Red Bull motorhome had always been somewhere you’d wanted to visit and learn from. Their set up was effortless and when you had a few minutes you enjoyed watching how they worked together, wanting to see if you could steal some of their efficiency for McLaren. Today though there was no paddock passes and turnstiles, just you and Danny arriving hand in hand with Grace and Joe behind the two of you. His fingers fit perfectly between yours as you walked beside him. There were looks from your team breaking down the McLaren motorhome but you just smiled and continued on to the far end of the paddock. Once you reached Red Bull Daniel looked down at you.

“Ready?” He asked and you squeezed his fingers.

“As long as you’re ready.”

It was mostly boring while you watched him sign away what felt like his life with multiple signatures. You stood at the back of the conference room with Grace and Joe while mostly Daniel and Christian spoke and you felt completely out of place. Finally it was done, the two men standing up and shaking hands before pulling each other into a hug. Christian greeted Grace and Joe but Daniel reached over to take your hand and pull you forward.

“Christian, you know my girlfriend from the paddock, right? She does the McLaren setup and travel planning. Meet Christian Horner. He’s nicer than he seems to most people, I swear.” You smiled and held your hand out, Dan holding onto your waist.

“It’s nice to meet you.” You introduced yourself and Christian shook your hand.

“I’m well aware of who you are. You turned down Ferrari last year, didn’t you?” Your cheeks heated at his words. The job offer they’d given you had been kept hush hush, but it would have been highly paid. You didn’t want to leave McLaren at the time so you turned it down. You didn’t think that anyone except you and Binotto even know that there was a firm offer on the table.

“I did. I wanted to stick where I was.”

“And if I offered you a job here?”

You took a beat but shook your head. “I’d appreciate it, but my answer is still no. I want my reputation to stand on its own. I don’t want people thinking I’m just following my boyfriend around the paddock to his new team. Ask me in another year and I might consider it.”

Horner laughed, clapping your shoulder. “I should have guessed that would be your answer. Binotto still wants you there, so I’d prepare for that job offer if things settle down in Maranello. Now we’ve got photos to do outside. Not that I want to face the sun after last night, Sebastian got the Jaegermeister out and it was a mistake.”

There were photographers snapping as the two went outside, Grace and Joe slightly behind and you following at a distance. Danny slid the navy polo shirt on and you had to admit it really did suit him. They sat at a table and signed the last page before taking questions and filming content. It was so clear to you just how happy this made your boyfriend. He was relaxed and grinning, smiling and joking even when Christian grabbed his chest. You laughed at the scene, taking your own photos of them. Once it was done Daniel came back to you with his fingers grabbing yours and holding tightly.

“Do you want lunch?” Christian asked, Daniel shaking his head.

“I can’t be here when afternoon practice starts. I need to get a clean break, and I’m back in Monaco tomorrow. I’m in Milton Keynes in two weeks?”

“We want you at the parade. Will you both be there?” The second part was aimed at you.

“I won’t be,” you replied. “I still have my own job to do, so I’ll be supporting at a distance and outside of work.”

“We’ll see you around.”

The drivers were starting to come in for the practices, Lando hugging the two of you briefly and Oscar looking nervous to see you there. Daniel squeezed your hand before going to speak to him for a moment, the two separating looking brighter. It was nods to everyone else you saw before getting in the car and Dan leaning his head back.

“I’m going to Monaco in the morning, do you want to come with me? I want to spend time with you away from the tracks. Eat food, spend time together, get our shit together. What do you think?”

You grinned at him, leaning over to nuzzle your head to his chest.

“That sounds like one of the best ideas you’ve ever had. I want to spend time with you and get to know you properly, Daniel Ricciardo. Plus, I think I’ve made friends with your family.”

“I think they’d pick you over me.”

It was a lie, but a sweet one. You smiled and agreed, pulling up your travel app and cancelling the flight to London. You could book the Nice flight later on that evening. The afternoon ahead beckoned with laying out at the pool to enjoy the October sun, jumping in and splashing the family that had quickly welcomed you as a member. Dinner that night was another family dinner in the restaurant but out in the main area rather than a private room. Anyone could see all of you together but you weren’t worried. The almost out of clean clothes situation did worry you slightly, but it was manageable as you pulled an outfit together. Dan had done some magic to move your belongings to his hotel room, your toiletries mingling with his in the bathroom. The way they just fit together didn’t go unnoticed.

“How come you didn’t take the Ferrari job?”

Dan had just finished clasping your necklace when he asked, pressing a kiss to where the chain hit your neck.

“I didn’t want it.” You turned around and looked up at him, a small smile on your lips. “Carlos put my name in for it when it came up. He told Binotto that I’d be perfect for it and Binotto agreed. I didn’t even need to interview. But I told you, I’m awful at goodbyes.”

“You stayed because of me?” You’d have been lying if you said he wasn’t part of your decision, the friendship you’d shared meant so much.

“Not just you. But I was loyal to McLaren. Now though I’m loyal to you.”

Photos from the dinner ended up online, shared on instagram and TikTok. You really liked one of them that had you and Dan with a child on each of your laps. It was taken from far enough away that nobody’s face was truly visible so you took that opportunity to lock down your instagram account before anybody could work out it was definitely you. Even though you’d appeared on his photography account in a work context you wanted to keep what little privacy you could for a while.

It lasted all the way on the hour or so drive to Dubai International for the direct flight to Nice. While not as busy as Abu Dhabi would have been the airport was still filled with people who’d been in the UAE for the race. Thanks to your lack of non work clothes Dan had given you one of his tees to wear - laughing at how it was essentially a dress - and you were clearly together as he checked you both in and whisked you into the lounge after saying goodbye to his family. People stopped and stared at him but only a few asked for photos which let you relax a little. It was a little bit scary and definitely unusual, and you didn’t know quite what this relationship would involve but you were determined. This wasn’t going to end in a goodbye, even with the what could be of next season.

Just before you boarded both of your phones dinged, Lando creating a group chat with you. You opened it up to a link to an instagram post putting the dinner photos together with the times you’d been caught on camera and the one and only time Ted Kravitz had spoken to you, naming you as Dan’s girlfriend.

Just saw this, thought you should know. For the record you look adorable.

Dan squeezed your hand before the two of you handed over your passports to the gate agent, holding on as you walked down the jet bridge. Once you were settled into the plush first class seat - and you’d have a conversation with him about paying for it later - you looked at him, catching his gaze. He seemed slightly worried but you smiled.

“Fuck ‘em all?” You asked, his eyes lighting up at the familiar words.

“Fuck ‘em all. We know what we’ve got.” 

Dan took your hand as you listened to the pre flight information. You took a photo of the hands linked, Dan’s rose tattoo showing clearly. You sent it to him, watching as he smiled and picked up exactly what you were thinking. Less than a minute later he nudged you to open instagram. When you opened the app his latest post was the first on your feed. The caption made you grin.

Honey Badger’s being tamed. FEA, babe.

You kept the smile on your face as you sat back and put your feet up, waiting for the six hour flight to begin. Whatever the media wanted to throw at the two of you could suck it. This was the best non goodbye you could ever receive.

Tagging: @vroomvroommbtch

[zoeykallus]

Mayday

Mayday x Reader Oneshot

Angst/Fluff/Comfort

I already put it in the tags, but just in case: SPOILER ALERT FOR TBB SEASON2!!!!

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AC: After a misunderstanding with someone requesting this on anon. I decided to write this one now and don't put it in my to-do list first. As a little "apology" because I was pretty rude. Wish I could tag you, but unfortunately you contacted me on anon. Hope you still get to read this 😊

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Actually, you don't work for the Empire. You are an independent contractor, a small business mainly for cargo and logistics. When an Imperial officer contacts you, you are reluctant to take on the job. However, you don't want to upset the Empire either. None of your handful of workers is eager to deliver the cargo for the Empire, especially not to Barton-4, the ice-cold lump of a planet. So you take over the delivery yourself. Food, gasoline, energy packs for flashlights and a new generator for environmental sensors are to be delivered. Even the approach to the imperial station is complicated and dangerous. Fierce crosswinds push your cargo shuttle from all sides and make it difficult to land the ship safely. But you make it anyway. With a sigh, you see the clone troopers coming across the landing platform, who should be unloading the goods. You put on your thermal jacket, zip it up to the top and pull the hood of the jacket over your head, then you open the ramp and see the soldiers already coming towards you. Their equipment doesn't look exactly winterized, some of the men are provisionally wrapped in cloth and skins in addition to their armor. The sight makes you frown. One of them addresses you. "Of course, the Empire is sending civilian transport out here". You blink, then say dryly, "I guess the Empire knows they don't have pilots good enough to land in these weather conditions." You hear a rough laugh from under the clone's helmet, shortly after the soldier removes his helmet and you see an unfamiliar image. You clearly have a clone soldier in front of you, but one with long hair and a full beard, something you haven't seen before. He holds out his hand to you. "I'm Commander Mayday, this is Hexx and Veetch." You shake his hand, the others too, and introduce yourself. "Hi, nice to meet you guys" Maydays laughs again, and you can see a cheeky glint in his eyes. "We'll probably get to know each other a little better, whether you like it or not, the weather has been closing in, changes like this happen practically every minute around here. You're not going to get the shuttle out of here anytime soon." You look down the ramp, over which an icy wind blows into the interior of the shuttle. Outside everything is white, it is snowing, a blizzard, you can barely see two meters. "Fantastic," you say with a dry smile, and begin to help the men unload.

You have your own little area. But at night, the weather still hasn't cleared, and the cold is even more relentless than during the day. A bit unsure, you make your way out of your little cabin and into the main area, where you find the commander. He is sitting at a heat battery, his helmet lying next to him on a dura steel table. When he hears your footsteps, he looks up. You are still wrapped in your thermal jacket, in this outpost nothing works at all, not even the heating system, which is actually essential for survival. A barely noticeable, gentle smile twitches at the corners of his mouth as your eyes meet. "It's not so easy to fall asleep in this cold, especially when you're not used to it. In fact, it's probably better that way, here in this cold they tend to mistake fatigue for hypothermia. Lost some good men that way". You raise your eyebrows in surprise as well as shock and sit with him, close to the heat battery, across from Mayday. "Wait, that's that serious medical condition in which a person's body temperature falls below the usual level as a result of being in severe cold for a long time? Right?" you ask, frowning. Mayday nods. "Mmm, that's right. The body shuts down, you get very tired, but in reality you die instead of falling asleep." "That's terrible! Why don't you get proper care here? They should have given me more heat batteries and a technician to get your heating system back up to speed. Not even your equipment is intact." Mayday sighs softly and shrugs his broad shoulders, his arms folded in front of his chest, a thick wool blanket draped around his shoulder. "Clone soldiers are expendable, we always have been, but since the Republic was replaced by the Empire, it's worse than ever" Your teeth start to chatter even as you try to suppress it, your whole body keeps shivering as it tries to fight the cold that creeps under your skin despite the thermal jacket. Mayday raises his brows and looks at you. "You're not used to the cold, hmm?" "Not even close," you admit, "I've spent most of my life on Tatooine." Mayday laughed softly, "It's an extreme contrast to Barton-4."

He taps the bench he's sitting on next to him and holds out his blanket invitingly. "If we huddle together, we can keep each other warm. I'm happy to share my blanket with you" For a second you consider if the clone has any ulterior motives, but even if he does, it is so cold you don't care, and he is probably just as cold, probably even too cold for ulterior motives. You walk around the table and sit right next to him, close to the heat battery, and let him put the blanket around your shoulders so that the two of you are finally underneath it. You sit so close to each other that no hand's width fits between you. Your pulse is a little faster and you really feel warmer. However, you are not sure if it is the blanket, the heat battery, or the situation. Slowly, you turn your head to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asks quietly, and you can feel the bass in his voice as you sit so close to each other. "Yeah, it's getting better" He smirks. "Told you so"

You talk for a while. Mayday tells you about his experiences in the war and how he and his men have fared since he was stationed on Barton-4. You sympathize and feel your anger at the Empire flare anew. At a certain point, you are leaning against him, and he has an arm around you. It happened automatically and yet your heart is beating fast. You talk until the sun comes up. As you both look out the window and see that the weather has cleared up considerably, you feel no real relief. You have enjoyed Mayday's company very much, and the fact that this togetherness must inevitably end pleases neither of you. Mayday takes you out to your shuttle on the landing platform. As you say goodbye, you begin to feel a certain longing, which is reflecting in his eyes. On impulse, you kiss his wind-chilled cheek. He blinks in surprise, but he finally smiles at you. "We probably won't see each other again too soon," he says a bit wistfully, with a sad smile. You smile and say, "Maybe we will." As you take off in your shuttle, he watches you for a long time until the shuttle is completely out of his sight, and finally turns back to the outpost with a sigh.

One week later "Commander! An unannounced shuttle is on approach!" Mayday jumps up, puts on his helmet and asks, "Identification?" "It's the cargo shuttle that was here a few days ago, the civilian freighter". Mayday feels his pulse quicken. "Really?" "Yes, sir." Mayday makes his way out onto the landing platform, alone this time. He doesn't want to greet you in the presence of the others, wants a moment to himself. He's as excited as a young Cadet and doesn't really know how to categorize that feeling. All he knows is that he is looking forward to seeing you again. As the ramp to your shuttle opens, he pulls off his helmet and tucks it under his arm. You smile back at him as you walk down the ramp. "Actually, I can't allow you to land here, not without explicit Imperial permission," he says with a wry smile. "And yet you don't seem to want to chase me away," you return, amused. Mayday admits, "I was looking forward to seeing you again." You smile, feeling your face grow warm despite the cold wind. "I take it the Empire still hasn't provided for you properly?" He shakes his head. "We are expendable, still". You cross your arms in front of your chest and say, "Not for me". Behind you comes an astromech and a cargo droid. "I brought you something" Mayday frowns. "This is not an official delivery by the Empire". You shake your head, confirming his statement. "No, a little something from me and my workers. We chipped in and got you a few things. The cargo droid is to help you with transportation and the astromech is an all-rounder, he can fix your heating system. I also brought half a dozen heat batteries, a few more rations, including caf and tea." Mayday strides up the ramp so that you are finally facing each other halfway up. "Thank you." A simple word, but coupled with the soft expression on his face and the warmth in his voice, this word speaks more than a thousand words. You kiss his cheek again, like last time when you parted. "You deserve it, more than that, actually. But I hope this helps you for a while" Suddenly his hands are on your cheeks and his face comes closer. His lips touch yours. It's not urgent, not challenging, it's tender, slow, and intimate as he kisses you. Your heart almost flips over in your chest. As his lips very slowly, languidly break away from yours, you ask softly, "Would you like me to stay maybe a night or two?" Mayday smiles and replies," Please do."

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

[orcasoul]

Remember Cyar'ika part 2

Okay here goes. This is my first fanfic ever. I'm by no means a writer but hopefully someone will enjoy this Din Djarin story.

Summery: Reader and Din are in a relationship and have been tracking bounties together. She gets injured during a hunt and has amnesia and can't remember her life with Din. Din promises to be there for her no matter what.

Warnings: angst, swearing, violence, use of Y/N

Italics indicate inward thinking

The next morning you wake with a sense of dread. You know you have to tell Din about your decision today. Tears start to prick at your eyes knowing that you are about to hurt him, again. This will be the last time I hurt you, you sadly think to yourself. You know it's for the best, for his sake. Without you around to constantly remind him of what is lost he can move on and try to rebuild his life, maybe even love again, sometime in the future. It hurts to know that kind of rare love won't be shared by you both and you begin to feel anger and frustration, knowing that you as well as Din have lost something so pure and meaningful. Blinking back the tears you open the bunk door and see Din in the cargo bay, checking his supplies. "Morning Y/N," Din greeted you with that soft modulated voice you've grown accustomed to, "We'll be leaving soon to deliver the bounty to the client on Coruscant. But first we'll need to make a quick trip into town for some supplies before departing."

You just stare at him, knowing today will be the last day you ever hear his voice, that soothing gentle voice, the last time you will ever see the way he moves; Everything that makes him uniquely Din. In this moment you want nothing more than to memorise everything about him and you have to swallow the lump that's forming in your throat. "Are you okay?" Din asks almost nervously, snapping you out of your thoughts. "I...uh...yeah..." is all you can muster. Din's helmet tilts to the side and you know when he does that he's not convinced. Before he can press any further you rush to the ladder and climb for the cockpit, "I'll just grab my bag and we can go," you say, trying to sound casual. As you both walk through the town you take notice of the buildings around you and come across an Inn, making note of the location as this will have to be your new abode for a while. Having collected all the necessary supplies Din informs you it's time to go. Reaching the outskirts of the town you slow down and come to a complete stop. It's time.

"Mando," you whisper sadly, causing him to stop and face you. "We need to talk." He stands silently and you find yourself lowering your head, hating yourself for what you're going to have to say next. "What's wrong Y/N?" he asks, hesitantly. "I heard you last night. I followed you to the woods and I heard.... everything." Looking up you see his shoulders slump slightly. "I'm sorry," he sighed, "You weren't supposed to see that-" "No," you quickly cut him off, "You have nothing to apologise for. I'm sorry! For everything I've put you through over these months. I'm sorry that I don't remember you, remember us!" All of a sudden tears spill down your face as the crushing weight of the guilt you've been suppressing for the last four months becomes too much to bare. "I'm so sorry Mando, I never wanted to hurt you but I can see now what this is doing to you and and I can't.... I won't do it to you anymore."

Din felt as though his heart had dropped to his stomach. He can't imagine his life without you in it. He would take any and all emotional pain if it meant you'd stay with him. He could feel tears building behind his eyes but he blinked them back, trying to calm the situation. He quickly put down the supplies he was holding and walks over to you, taking your supplies and placing them on the ground. He delicately takes your now trembling hands in his own and you look sorrowfully into his visor through tear soaked lashes. "Please don't talk like that," he replies, his voice starting to crack with emotion. "It's been hard for both of us but I love you and I'll always be here to take care of you. I'll never leave you so please..... don't leave me!" His hands tighten on yours with the last three words and his voice trembles as a single tear escapes him. You begin to sob and you throw your arms around his neck burying your face in the crook of it.

He reciprocates the hug by holding you tightly against his body and placing a hand soothingly at the back of your head, stroking your hair. He has been desperate to hold you for so long and embraces you with a burning intensity, fearing to let go as this will be the last time, and that realisation shatters his already aching heart. Slowly you pull away to look where his eyes are behind his visor and place one hand on the cheek of his helmet. "I care about you too much to see you go through this everyday. We tried...." you sigh, defeated, while shaking your head, "I've tried so hard to remember ...anything, but it's been months now and I think we both know nothing is going to change. It would be selfish of me to stay. You deserve a life and to find love again with someone in the future-" "Don't!" He sharply interjects and you can tell by his voice that he'd been crying with you. "I don't want anyone else, ever. I want you! I love you so much that words could never express the depth of what I feel for you. You are my....everything."

He pulls you back into a gentle hug and you both just stay there for a few moments, absorbing the feel of one another, the only sounds being your mixed cries. "I hope someday I can love the way you love me," you whisper into the side of his helmet. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you to Coruscant. It's.... tearing me apart, but I have to do this, for you." "But where will you go? What will you do?" Din asks with clear concern in his voice. The thought of leaving you behind, not knowing if you'll be okay is unbearable for him. "I have enough credit's for lodging in the town and I'm sure I can find a job somewhere. I'll be okay," you try to reassure him. He sighs and shakes his head, "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?" You so desperately want to change your min. It's all you can do to not give in! But it's for his sake you're doing this and you must see it through. With a sad smile you shake your head. "I want you to know I'll always be your friend Mando. I can never repay you for all you've done for me. I don't know what else to say except... thank you".

A moment of silence passes before Din proclaims in a soft voice, "I'll always love you Y/N." You wish you could tell him you love him. You do as a friend but it's not the same. You gently squeeze his hands and tiptoe to place your forehead against his helmet. "I know," Is all you can say. Slowly you turn to pick up the supplies off the ground, telling Din you'll help him bring the supplies back to the ship and collect your belongings. Din collects the items he'd put down and slowly and quietly you both make your way back to the Crest. You pass through the outer town walls and approach the outskirts of the woodland, the Crest being a 15 minute walk away. It's peaceful here with the odd rustle of an animal passing by and the lazy breeze blowing and rustling the leaves. You turn your face to the sun, trying to find some comfort in the warmth of it's rays when suddenly... BLAST!!

You turn sharply to see the shot bounce of off Din's armour. He instantly drops his supplies and launches himself at you, cocooning you with his broad body until he reaches a boulder you can both hide behind. Once he's certain you are unharmed he pulls his blaster out and frantically scans the area. "This has been a long time coming, Mando!" A deep voice booms. "Come out now and make this easy on yourself." "What do you want?" Din shouted, in confusion. "Revenge!" The voice retorts with a sickening glee. "You remember that Togruta you hunted down and killed two years ago?... That was my brother, you son of a Nerf Hearder!" "I had no choice," Din tries to reason. He remembers the quarry well. "He shot first so I took him out. Just walk away now. This doesn't have to get ugly." Of course Din can handle himself in a blaster fight but he's terrified for your safety right now. "Walk away?" the Togruta scoffs, incredulously. "I've been waiting for this moment for years. You're not leaving here alive." As he says that you both hear multiple blaster clicks, readying, coming from the surrounding trees, and you realise this guy has brought some muscle with him.

The Togruta walks into full view accompanied by two Cereans. "Come out and we'll spare the girl," he demands. "Mando, don't," you all but beg him, but he slowly and confidently walks from behind the boulder to face the group head on. "Last warning, Walk away," Din warns in a cold voice, hand at his blaster. Without warning the Togruta fires his blaster followed by his two companions. The shots ricochet off of Din's Beskar armour. Din returns fire, taking out one of the Cereans immediately and jumps out of the line of fire. The Togruta and remaining Cerean duck for cover behind the trees. You realise there are more shots coming from two other locations on your left. Suddenly the blaster shots aren't the only things flashing before your eyes! In your mind you can see yourself ducking behind a large wooden crate, blaster in hand. You are cornered by four Twi'leks. you return fire with expert precision, taking out two of them. You look to your right and see Din decimate several enemies at once with his Whistling Birds.

The memories hit you like a tidal wave! It's as if you've woken up from a bad dream, a bad dream that has kept you captive for the past four months. But now you're awake. The memories keep coming; You see Din turn in your direction, running as fast as he can to assist you in your fight. As he gets closer he fatally blasts one of the Twi'leks but before he can get a clear aim for the last one, the Twi'lek throws a grenade in your direction. After that everything is hazy and painful, then all goes dark. The sudden onslaught of memories and the situation you now find yourself in is too much to process in your overwhelmed state. It's hard to breath and focus. But as you look to see if Din is okay, you suddenly feel grounded and focused as you take in the image of the man you love. Love! Your breath catches in your chest as you suddenly feel the love, care and devotion that you have for him flood your heart. You remember him! You remember your love for him! You remember all the bounty hunts you'd embarked upon together, all the laughs you'd shared, all the intimate and loving moments where you were both like one being. Upon remembering everything you are filled with a sudden determination; Protect the man you love, kill your enemies!

You creep around the trees to your left where the blaster fire is coming from. You spot a shooter about 15 feet in front of you. You look in the direction of his fire and see Din returning fire from behind a tree close by. He suddenly disappears back behind the trunk as shots fly at him from his right. He can't take all of them on, you frantically think to yourself, terrified that you'll lose him if you don't do something. You just have to get your hands on one of those blasters. With the attacker's attention solely focused on Din you stealthily creep closer, taking full advantage of the fact he is oblivious to your approach. You pick up a large rock and silently stalk up behind him. In one swift motion you bring the rock down on his head as hard as you can, hearing his skull crack from the impact. He drops lifeless to the floor. You grab his blaster and immediately feel at one with it as the training Din had given you effortlessly returns.

You seek out the source of the remaining blaster fire on your side and eliminate him with a clean headshot. Close by you can still hear blasters firing and you rush back the way you came to the boulder and nervously search for Din. As you approach in his direction you see him fling a lifeless body to the ground and everything becomes silent. But before you can call to him the Togruta sneaks out from behind a tree, blaster raised at Din's back! Din is still too caught up in the moment to notice his approach. You raise your blaster but it's jammed! Terror seizes your whole body and in an act of desperation to save the man you love you throw yourself in the way to shield him from harm. You will give your life to save Din, if needs be. A white hot pain shoots through your thigh as you let out a blood curdling scream and drop to the ground. "Noooo!" Din roars as he turns too late to stop the harrowing scene playing in front of him.

He raises his blaster and shoots the Togruta in the chest. Sprinting over, he drops to his knees beside you examining the deep wound on your leg. He rips a strip of his exposed flight suit off to tie tightly around the gushing wound. "You're gonna be okay, Meshla, I promise!" his voice is fraught with panic. "I have to get you back to the ship, now!" His chest tightens at the thought of losing you again, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. But at that moment he knows he must stay focused for your sake. He gently but swiftly lifts you off the ground bridal style, making sure to avoid your injury and runs as fast as he can for the Razor Crest. Everything is a blur of sky and treetops as you try to focus on Din but you feel yourself slipping into unconsciousness from the loss of blood. "Stay with me!" you hear him beg, even though his voice sounds muffled to your ringing ears. You force your eyes open, desperate to tell him you remember him but find you don't have the strength to even speak! Once again everything fades to black.

As your senses sluggishly come back to you, the first thing you notice is a dull ache in your leg accompanied by Din's pained voice. "Can you open your eyes? Sweetheart I need you to look at me." You blink a few times until the distorted T- shape visor becomes clear. "Mmmm..." you groan as you absent mindedly reach for Din's hand. He immediately grabs your hand and presses it to his chestplate. "I thought.... I thought I'd lost you again," he says in a quiet and broken voice. "I don't know what I would have done if he'd killed you. Why did you do that? Why did you risk yourself like that?" You stare at him with heavy eyes. "I managed to cauterise the wound and but it could have been so much worse." "I-" a cough constricted your throat. "I'll get you some water," Din began as he stood to walk away. It's in this moment you find your voice. "Din...," you croaked as you grab his wrist. Din promptly turns back to you, wide eyed under his helmet.

"Cy.... Cyar'ika?" he asks, almost afraid to believe what you had just called him. You smile up at him, tears glistening in your eyes and reply, "Yes!" At that instant Din rips his helmet off and let's it drop to the floor with a loud clank! His warm chestnut eyes search yours and your heart skips a beat at seeing his beautiful face again after so long. "I remember!" you cry out while while lifting your arms to him. Din released a breath he didn't realise he was holding and quickly pulled you into his warm embrace. "I remember you, our life together," you cry into his shoulder, "And I remember how much I love you!" You pull away to look into his eyes, glistening with tears of his own. You lovingly cup one side of his face and he stares straight back into your eyes. "I truly, deeply, love you," you declare to him as tears now run down both of your faces. Din tenderly places his hand over yours and lifts it to press a kiss to your palm. He looks back into your eyes with such joy and relief at hearing those words. "I love you so much," Din breathed and you both lean in together for a kiss that neither one of you thought would ever happen again.

Your lips gently meet each other's and you both desperately hold onto one another, deepening the kiss. Your hands wonder to his wavy brown hair as his hands wander to your hips. You gasp as he starts to place soft kisses down your neck, to your collarbone, then to your shoulder. He buries his face in the crook of your neck and stays there, breathing you in. You place your cheek on the top of his head and close your eyes, humming in contentment. He slowly begins to rock you from side to side and you both become lost in each other's embrace, each other's warmth, each other's bodies and each other's love once again. "I've missed you so much, Meshla," Din cooed into your neck. "I never thought I'd get to hold you again, never get to hear you say you love me. I'll never let anything happen to you again, I swear it" "I'm back, Din," you lovingly respond, slowly pulling away and tilting his chin to look into your eyes, "And I'll never leave you again."

[kazumahashimoto]

i do nooooooot have the energy to write a whole fic but i'm having aerith/cissnei brainthoughts so come along with me

> the whole thing starts with this scene i have in my head of zack and cissnei at costa del sol 👍 (NOTE: i don't really see zack and cissnei as being romantically involved with each other, but they have the same girlfriend and that gives them a warriors bond)

they're both in their swimsuits Chillen and talking but cissnei's sitting with her knees to her chest trying to subtly cover herself up a bit and she keeps looking at zack's top surgery scars. zack gets to make a "my eyes are up here" joke and cissnei gets a little embarrassed because she wasn't looking at him like That but zack laughs it off. she asks when he got them done and zack explains it was a few years ago now ("that's so young!" "does shinra care?" "well...").

she still looks a bit uncomfortable, so zack offers her his shirt from his bag. she gives him a deadpan look and he says he doesn't mean it like That, just that she doesn't look comfortable. she accepts the shirt and throws it on, explaining after that she DOES like the swimsuit she got, she just feels... and she trails off. zack continues, that you aren't allowed? cissnei looks a bit shocked and he laughs again, saying it took him a long time to feel comfortable taking his shirt off around other people too. just goes to show! anybody can feel nervous about stuff like that. cissnei feels a bit more comfortable now so she relaxes and lets her legs down. zack mentions aerith, ("actually, have you guys already met?" "no, i only know Of her, watching her has been tseng's job.") and that she might be able to help more than he could. he texts aerith to let her know he wants to introduce them, and aerith is very excited<3

> next time zack is in midgar, he brings cissnei below the plate with him to go meet aerith!

i like to imagine cissnei gets wrapped around aerith's finger pretty immediately LOL. aerith is such a little shit and a flirt, and she's got that captivating air about her that makes you wanna keep listening. cissnei is PUTTY.

i'm leaning towards the idea of zack and cissnei coming down in uniform? as much as i love my scene zack, i think aerith seeing cissnei all done up in her suit first is cute<3 she can call her dashing. and then getting to see her in her civvies becomes more soft and intimate. (note: i'm kind of on the idea that cissnei is a bit of a baby butch?? particularly i think her in like a baseball cap and a big shirt with cargo shorts is fun. like her and zack have similar fashion tastes, zack is just more alternative. the two of them wearing the same outfit just in different colors and accessories makes me laugh 😭)

later, aerith asks if zack minds that she was flirting and zack says "are you kidding? two of my favorite people getting along, what's to complain about?" aerith smiles and replies "good! then i won't complain about your little blonde friend!" and zack stumbles over his ass. I'M STRAIGHT. I AM STRAIGHT. (note: don't flirt with other people without asking/telling your partner first in real life 👍)

> jumping ahead a bit, when zack and cloud get captured, cissnei completely disengages from aerith without saying anything. i'm not sure how much the turks, but cissnei in particular, were clued in to what was going on with them Upfront, so i'm imagining cissnei does the digging herself. she finds some maybe some lab results from the experiments, gathering that SAMPLE S-Z can only be one person. there's nothing she can really do to get him out though, and she feels too ashamed to go back to aerith without good news, so she hides away, avoiding any job that could put them within proximity. aerith tries to ask tseng about her, but it's like talking to a brick wall. aerith of course is heartbroken even further, having lost TWO people here. maybe she writes letters to cissnei as well? switching off between the two of them? tseng collects them both and he Does deliver them to cissnei, but i'm not sure if she reads them. she does keep them, regardless.

> after zack escapes, cissnei still finds zack again. zack would be more immediately concerned about aerith, asking if she's okay, and cissnei stops him from asking a million questions, telling him she hasn't seen her either. zack is confused and asks why, and she tries to explain, saying she was ashamed she couldn't help, that she was part of the group doing this, that she still is, and what aerith would think of her. here, i think she would pull out her shuriken and fling it at him, saying she HAS to bring him back with her. zack slashes it away with buster and threatens her when she comes toward him. he does sympathize with her, he was following orders all the same before this had happened, but right now he needs to focus on getting him and cloud out of here. when cissnei follows zack back to cloud, i imagine it goes pretty much the same.

> the gongaga scene i think would be. a bit less jovial than it originally is. i don't know Exactly where zack was planning on heading ultimately, since he doesn't get aerith's final letter until banora, but i'm just gonna say he was heading to aerith anyway, and the letter only reassured his efforts with the idea that aerith had been waiting for him. so, he's still upset that cissnei left aerith behind intentionally, when he had no say in himself leaving her in the dark. cissnei reiterates that she COULDN'T see aerith again, not when she couldn't do anything to help, to protect zack. this strikes him, not having felt like he needed to be Protected since angeal. this is where cissnei tells him it was pretty dumb to come to gongaga, and the exchange goes mostly as normal, just a bit Less cheeky. zack requests cissnei keep him parents company, giving her a way to protect him in a sense. she agrees, and lets him go, still with the time limit.

> cissnei still gets tasked with taking zack back alive. i'm not sure what the turks want with zack, if shinra wants him dead i can't imagine it's to bring him back for hojo, but given the turmoil we see on cissnei's face when tseng tells her, i can't imagine it's good. she still follows the order though, the hope of keeping zack alive maybe outweighing the negatives, in her mind.

i picture reno and rude finding him first, since they're the last ones we see before the big fight happens. rude catches sight of all the blood and broken helmets and weapons first, followed soon by reno, grimacing and simply saying "shit." rude tells cissnei they found him, and the coordinates, and then him and reno land and survey the damage.

when cissnei gets the message, she flies over as quickly as she can. she similarly sees all the carnage and the dread quickly sets in. she sees where reno and rude are standing, their backs to her as they cover something awfully zack shaped on the ground.

as soon as she lands, she runs over and reno tries to hold her back from seeing, but she pushes past him to find zack's torn, shot to hell, bloody uniform empty on the dirt.

(when we see zack get pulled up to heaven, i imagine that was him being taken by the lifestream, which means his body should theoretically be gone by the time the turks find him, if i'm understanding the lifestream correctly)

she almost can't believe it, wanting to ask "where is he?" but she can't form words. i think she's still, for a moment, just looking in silence at how damaged everything is. she drops to her knees, hitting a patch of bloodied dirt, and searches the collar of the shirt for his dogtags. reno makes a sound of protest (they need those?!), but rude silences him. this is where she sees zack had been wearing angeal's tags too, and this is what snaps everything together. she snaps, crying and wailing, her free hand tugging her hair until rude kneels down to give her a hug and allow her to clutch his suit, still keeping the dogtags fiercely in her grip. reno rubs her back until she's calmed down.

she wipes her eyes and stands up with rude, clutching his arm and staring dead into his eyes through his sunglasses, demanding that she's going to gongaga, and he's coming with her so he can take her helicopter back. rude sputters, and reno says they can't do that, they can't just not bring cissnei back, and cissnei says she doesn't care. she has a promise to keep. exchanging glances, reno and rude concede, and they drop her off in gongaga.

> conceptually, i think the idea of avalanche meeting cissnei in gongaga is incredibly interesting!!!! it has the potential to create a LOT of gaps in the canon of the original game though, but so does cissnei knowing aerith personally, so. i'm fucking with shit a bit here. you'll forgive me.

i imagine when cissnei ambushes (?) them outside the town, she first sees cloud, how can you miss that dumb hair? she's shocked but happy to see he's still alive, but then she brings her gaze to the rest of the crew and she catches aerith.

aerith is too stunned for words. she'd already been anticipating the trip to gongaga would be rough, she knew this was zack's hometown, but she was in no way prepared to find CISSNEI of all people here.

cissnei quickly puts her wall up however, the stony turk exterior trying to block out the awful look aerith gives her when she ignores her in favor of showing them around town. she still offers her house as a place for the crew to rest, and aerith harshly tells cissnei how kind she is, and shuts herself in the guest bedroom.

cissnei feels hurt, of course, but she tries to ignore it by starting dinner.

EVERYONE can tell something is up with aerith, and tifa and cloud in particular exchange looks and then go to investigate. tifa goes to aerith, and cloud to cissnei, since she appeared to recognize him as well.

tifa tries to talk to her, but aerith hardly budges. "we used to see each other, it's a bit awkward is all," she says, but tifa can tell it's not just that. aerith says she'd like to be alone though, so she leaves her be, uneasy.

cloud is more harsh, asking upfront what cissnei did to aerith. cissnei tries to brush him off, but he's insistent, he can't leave aerith feeling like this.

cissnei does not explain herself to cloud, he has no right to her business, but seeing so many people at aerith's defense was really putting how much she had failed the two of them right in her face.

she enters the guest room and aerith says "tifa, i appreciate it, but i really want to- oh."

the two stand is silence before aerith huffs, "really? that's it? nothing?"

cissnei never was good at resisting aerith for very long, she apologizes profusely, and she tries to explain all what happened, she's crying and choking on words, and slowly aerith loses some of her anger.

i'm like SUPER hesitant to say cissnei tells her zack died, i think it ruins the flow of the story and i do stand by that, but. HOW CAN SHE NOT. she has to. this is fake and not real it's okay.

aerith can's say she's terribly surprised to find out, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. cissnei tells her she tried to help, she tried to get there first, she really did, but they were too late. she's so sorry. the two of them are both crying now, and aerith looks up at her from where she's sitting on the bed, and she lifts her arms to beckon a hug. cissnei runs into her arms and they cry together.

aerith doesn't forgive cissnei entirely, she thinks that was a stupid reason to leave her completely blind, and she's still angry, but at the same time cissnei is HERE. she can't take that for granted. cissnei promises she'll never do anything like that again. aerith accepts that. they kiss<3

> uuuyyyhhhyuyhh yea tifa and cloud gotta tell cissnei aerith died. getting aerith back and then having her taken away so swiftly again pisses her off. she's terribly sad as well, how could she not be, but she's also furious. MAYBE SHE JOINS AVALANCHE HERE. FUCK IT ALL.

and yea my phone is dying ok that's all i have for you now 👍

[sleepyfaequeen]

Stupid Angel

Summary: Angela gets left behind during a mission and happens to meet a familiar person.

Pairing: Mercy x fem!reader

Warning(s): Angst, some spice(nsfw?)

Requested: Nope

Song: Waste by Kxllswxtch

Angela felt her heart beating fast as she stood hidden in an alleyway, just as Talon agents flooded the area. She never had thought she would be left behind as the enemies made it to their route. She covered her mouth as she heard footsteps approaching, but they continued to walk farther to join the others. She took just one look, and to her horror, she was net with a masked agent who tapped her gloved fingers against the wall. Somehow, mimicking those same footsteps she thought were further away. A big wide tooth grin comes to the masked agent. A Talon agent crest at the neck of her feathered coat.

"You seem lost, little angel."

Angela steps back, holding up her own staff in self-defense. This seemed to amuse the woman as she stepped forward and grabbed onto Angela's wrist, tight enough to cause her to whine.

"What's your name?" She asked to which Angela looks at the person, confused written on her face. "It's a simple question. I don't really pay attention to reports before a mission.."

"Mh." Angela huffs as she feels no reason for introductions. She then felt awkward as the silence and the stare of the woman burning holes into her. Metaphorically, of course. "I'm Angela."

"No, last name?" She asked.

"What's the point when I know you'll kill me after?" Angela feels her hand loosen as she pulls her hand back to her side. The medic holds her staff close to her chest, just waiting for the inherent to strike. Even trained in shooting, some combat - she knew she was the weakest of the entire team. She had a job to do, and that was to support her team, but was this really the end for her? She felt scared regardless.

"Overwatch agents are such hypocrites." She scoffs as she steps back in humor and disgust. "Just because we have different ideals does not mean - I want to kill you just because you work with the good guys."

"You're point?" Angela asked, feeling skeptical. After all, she has never talked so long with a Talon agent, much less out of an interrogation room. Whereas if it was someone else, she probably would've been gravely wounded by now.

"I don't intend to kill you." She assures. "How about we do this? You tell me everything i want to know. I take you back to your heroic group? Alive."

Angela was even more confused, but if she really meant what she said, then maybe it wasn't so bad to believe she would come out of it alive.

"Alright, but don't think for one second I'm spilling out about our locations and mission plans."

"Deal." Angela moves off the wall she didn't realize she was pressing her back against. Her blue irises followed the masked woman who walked towards the direction where her unite had run off to deliver the cargo.

"How did you know where -" Angela flinched as a gloved hand came to cover her lips. Her eyes were wide as she saw her pearly white teeth, which reminded her of fangs. She wasn't human.

Just then, a couple of agents rushed by, away from them. She took a moment to admire her own lips. They looked supple despite her wide grin that seemed to creep on her lips. Angela's breath hitched as she felt a single gloved finger press to her mouth before moving off her plump lips.

"Shut up." Angela slowly nods as she alerts her eyes from her lips. Why was she even staring at someone like this? Especially an enemy! She should be on guard at all times.

When Angela turns, she finds that the woman is already walking ahead and the medic hurries behind her. Too anxious that she would probably die or be seen. What, then? How long would this Talon agent play nice?

"Can you come here?" Her voice brings her back to reality, along with her face bumping into her coat. She stumbles back, in her own heels, and adjusts her eyes.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Angela flinched as she felt a mask be placed over her eyes. Her eyes soon meet the face of (Y/n) (L/n), an old agent of Overwatch. Her mouth fell open as she felt her heart beat a mile a minute.

"Don't tell me you thought I was dead too." Angela found her hands dropping the staff and ignoring it as it fell onto the concrete floor.

"But I couldn't resurrect you.." Angela couldn't tell why her eyes were brimming with tears now. "You died in my arms!"

"I did." Angela's stomach drops.

"Are you a ghost?" She asked quietly, which makes the woman chuckle.

"No, I am very real.." (Y/n) removed the mask once the Talon agents walked by. "Moira brought me back.. I was useful and still am useful."

"Don't say that.." she breathes as she nods. "You've always been helpful to us. Overwatch."

"They left me to die, Angela. Even you thought I was dead." Angela lowered her head as she knew she was right. What would she even say to her? "I'm not blaming you for anything. I just think when I woke up and healed.. I just think Overwatch was too.. scared to go down a certain path."

"Did they brainwash you?" Angela felt anger as she denied what her friend was saying.

"Not at all.." she shakes her head, looking at Angela who was still in disbelief at what her old friend was saying. "I just changed."

"You can come back." Angela steps forward as she held the others' arm. "You can come with me! Back to Overwatch. I'll talk to everyone. I won't let them do anything to you."

"You are too kind to think that Overwatch would even forgive me, Angela." She felt Angela hug her arm, (Y/n) turns to look down to see her in tears.

"Don't go.. please." She begged her as she sees (Y/n) slowly pull away.

"Angela, I can't come with you." (Y/n) steps back before her face is held. She feels the medic hurrily press her lips against her own.

"Stay." Angela begs once more with her voice quivering as the masked Talon agent seems mesmerized by her own actions towards herself. She almost doesn't hear the other Overwatch agents calling her name.

"Such a stupid angel." (Y/n) smirks as her robotic wings spread out before she flies off.

Angela is left on the floor, her mouth dry and her tears starting to sting her eyes as she watches (Y/n) fly off. Her heart drops when she no longer sees her.

"Doctor Zeigler, are you alright?" Lena asked as Genji helps her off the ground. But Angela only responds by heading to the cargo.

[beba-780]

I will tolerate anything...

Summary:

"Kai is captured by a group of kidnappers searching for clues to the Vengstone. The leader of the kidnappers is willing to torture Kai if it means getting the information he wants. Kai's life is at risk and his friends will have to go against the clock to save the life of his friend in time before it is too late."

Notes:

It's been a long time since I wrote a One-Shot with anguish towards Kai XD Sorry for my English.

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Kai was already tired...

He had already lost track of time here locked in this dark, dank little cargo hold that his kidnappers had not-so-kindly held against his will.

What was the worst part?

That these kidnappers were part of the group that illegally trafficked Vengstone.

The ninjas had encountered this group when the police reported a confrontation at one of the docks in the city of Ninjago. It turns out that these kidnappers wanted to steal the cargo that they themselves had brought to deliver it to their supplier, who would deliver it to his real boss, who is the one who had requested the extraction of the Vengstone.

The supplier's group and the kidnappers' group had started a fight because the kidnappers wanted to keep half of the Vengstone, but the supplier did not allow it since his boss wanted all of the Vengstone, the kidnappers did not accept this and started a fight, it was criminals against criminals, but once the ninjas arrived it became a real pitched battle, but as they heard the police approaching, the kidnappers in a quick movement pounced on Kai and took him away since the kidnappers assumed that the ninjas would have more information about the Vengstone since they always intercepted illegal shipments of the mineral throughout Ninjago.

Despite Kai's numerous attempts to free himself, his efforts were unsuccessful since the kidnappers were more and Kai was only one, in addition, they had him handcuffed with Vengstone chains, which the kidnappers had also stolen before fleeing with the Red Ninja.

So Kai's fire was useless.

They tied him to a chair and Kai already forgot about the time he had been there, the kidnappers practically began by interrogating him about the location of the Vengstone. Kai obviously didn't know what they were talking about, but of course, Kai still wouldn't tell them anything. Furthermore, Kai knows that the Vengstone is difficult to locate and they only knew how to intercept the illegal shipments thanks to information from some citizens, the police and Pixal's inventions that could track the Vengstone material several kilometers away.

But still, Kai and the others didn't know exactly where so much Vengstone was extracted from, it was even something they were still investigating together with the Ninjago police.

However, the kidnappers were not satisfied with Kai's answers, so his leader, an older man with a beard and a large scar on his face, decided to take extreme measures...

The leader entered the room where they had Kai locked up again, the Red Ninja was still sitting and chained to the chair where they had him confined. Kai seemed a little tired as the hours passed and after so many questions he obviously felt exhausted.

- Okay, Red Ninja, you better have thought about it carefully and now give me a favorable answer for my boys and me. Where can we find more Vengstone? – He shouted as he violently approached Kai's face, who turned his face away from him, completely ignoring the man.

- As if I were going to tell you. And I will give you the same answer: Fuck you – Kai spat with disdain without paying the slightest attention to the burly man in front of him.

- Okay, Red Ninja, try to do it the good way, but now I'll do it the hard way... - with a grim look the man cracked the knuckles of both hands, and without warning he hit Kai hard in the face.

Groaning, Kai looked at the man who had his fist raised.

-If you want to save yourself any more hits on your pretty face, you better tell me where I can find more Vengstone! – the leader demanded again, ready to deal another blow.

Kai spat on the ground and looked at the man again - Fuck you... - Kai showed no fear, which made the leader even more angry.

The man hit Kai in the face two more times, and some blood even started to come out of Kai's nose and mouth. Kai's head fell weakly and he tried to catch his breath.

- Come on, tell me... - again the leader tried his luck with Kai.

Kai raised his head and looked directly at the man's face - Fuck you... again... - laughing dryly Kai closed his eyes and threw his head back - I won't tell you anything... you're going to waste you time... -

- In fact, I will take advantage of this time to torture you until I get the information I want from you... - sinisterly the leader made a sign for Kai to be released and restrained, several of the kidnappers ran towards Kai. Kai struggled against everyone's hold, but it was useless as Kai was facing many and there was only him.

- Hold our guest very well, guys... - Showing a malicious smile, the leader prepared for another round of blows against Kai.

Still, Kai prepared for the worst, but the only thing he prayed internally was that the boys would get to him in time.

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- Come on, where the hell can he be?! – Lloyd shouted from the Bounty's controls as he and the others tried to locate Kai's signal.

- Pixal and Nya are finishing building the tracker that will help us find Kai, but it seems that Kai is not in this area of the city - Zane mentions as he carefully observes the map on the screen that showed all the criminal hideouts in Ninjago City.

- We've already searched everywhere, and there's no sign of Kai - Cole responds as he and Jay enter the control room.

- We even informed the police – adds Jay.

Growling in frustration, Lloyd punches the panel without having obtained any clue as to the whereabouts of his friend.

Kai is someone important to Lloyd, not finding him worried the Green Ninja a lot, he didn't even want to imagine what his best friend was going through right now.

He swears that if he manages to find those kidnappers...

- We finished it! – Nya shouts running towards all of them while Pixal followed her – We finished the tracker –

- Really? – Hope seemed to return to Lloyd.

- Nya and I modified the tracker to not only find the tracking device Kai has on his suit, but also his elemental energy. This will give a better scan of all the areas we pass through in the city – Pixal responds as he shows the device, it was almost like a tablet with a small thick antenna.

- Let's connect it to the screen and start flying throughout the city until we find a signal from Kai - Nya wasted no time and she connected the tablet to the Ship's large computer.

- Let's hope it's not too late... - Jay mutters as he looks at the screen.

- It won't be like that - Lloyd proclaims firmly. - We'll find Kai in time, I'm sure. - Despite the firmness and faith in his voice, Lloyd still showed a nervous attitude in his eyes, but he had to be strong for the team.

- If those guys did something to my brother... - Nya said, clenching her fists with completely contained fury.

- We will find it Nya - calm down Lloyd - Pixal, let's start with the search of the entire area in the city, we will search the docks, the outskirts or the underground tunnels if necessary, but we will not leave until we find it. -

On Lloyd's order, everyone went to their positions, turned on the ship's thrusters, and began searching all areas for clues about Kai.

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Kai had already forgotten how long he endured the brutal beating from the leader of the kidnappers.

Hours…?

Perhaps the torture seemed like an eternity to him.

Kai was now completely injured all over his body, his face was bleeding, his Ninja suit was dirty and stained with his own blood, in addition to the dirt from the hard floor. The leader had started with blows to the face and stomach, then, while he was still held by the leader's men, the man took two steel gloves and placed them on his fingers to begin a new painful round for Kai.

As soon as the leader began savagely punching Kai's face, it began to swell from the blows and bleed from the open wounds left by the steel gloves. Blood soon came out of Kai's mouth, it looked like his jaw had been bruised quite a bit, but luckily it wasn't broken or dislocated, his nose was also bruised but not broken.

Kai was lucky to have a hard head, the bad thing was that he made the leader want to hit him even more until he broke the bones in his face.

After hitting him in the face, the leader went on to hit him in various parts of Kai's body, especially in areas of his torso and stomach. Kai was breathing heavily as soon as the boss finished removing the steel gloves from his hands.

The leader's men no longer had to fight to support Kai, his body became quite weak, he could barely stand on his own, it was like holding a puppet without strings.

- Release him – ordered the leader.

The kidnappers paid attention and were not kind enough to push him to the ground while they mocked the pain of the badly injured Fire Master. Coughing, Kai tried to get back up and spit some blood into his painful process. He couldn't get up, absolutely everything hurt.

- Are you going to talk now? – The leader mocked as he crouched down to see more of Kai's best.

- K-Keep... dreaming... idiot... - Kai mocks weakly - Whatever... whatever you do to me... I won't tell you anything... I'll tolerate anything… - Kai's breathing became painfully difficult, perhaps the blows to his stomach and chest affected him quite a bit.

- Demons! - The leader growls as he gets up and walks - What's wrong with you ninjas?! – grabbed her hair with her hands frustratingly and stopped when he turned his back on Kai.

Having his nerves afloat, the leader looked at the iron pipe of one of his assistants – Give me that! - The leader shouted as he snatched the tube from the guy's hands - Last chance, Ninja... Either you tell me where the Vengstone is... Or I'll beat you to death! And believe me… I won't hesitate! One less Ninja in town will be good for my business. -

- Good luck with that... idiot... - Kai taunts, showing no sign of fear in his eyes as he looks at the tube in the leader's hands. Whatever the man does with him, he won't get what he wants, after all, he doesn't know anything about Vengstone.

The leader shouted angrily and hit Kai's head hard with the pipe, causing him to fall heavily to the side as Kai only let out a painful grunt.

Kai knew this would be really painful...

The leader hit him again with the pipe this time on his back several times, then on his side, then on his hands, legs... in fact it hit him all over his body, Kai only let out pitiful sounds from his mouth. He didn't spend much time staining both the floor and the tube itself, not having enough strength to cover himself from the blows, Kai had to endure the blows of the tube all over his body.

He didn't cry or scream in pain, Kai didn't want to give that satisfaction to the despicable man. He simply let painful moans escape from his mouth.

What Kai wouldn't give to see his friends, his family again...

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- We found a signal on the south side of the Ninjago docks! – Nya confirmed when checking the screen in the control room.

-The signal coincides with the coordinates indicated by the locator, setting course right now – said Pixal while he described the coordinates in the Ship's computer.

- Guys! Head to the coordinates set by Pixal! – Nya shouted through the speaker, which reached the navigation area of the Ship where the others were.

- Understood! – Zane confirms as he turns the helm towards where the coordinates of the signal on the docks were.

- Okay guys, get ready - Lloyd orders as he arrives with Cole and Jay.

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Throwing the blood-stained tube to the side, the leader breathed tiredly as he continued to look at the battered Red Ninja, who was now lying on the ground lying on his side while breathing heavily, his body was completely battered, his wounds did not stop bleeding and was still coughing up blood.

- Damn, ninja... - the leader curses as he moves away from Kai's body - I assure you that I will not give you a quick death, so... prepare for more pain - the man threatens.

Coughing, Kai tries with great effort to look at the man, despite not looking at him completely, Kai took enough breath to be able to speak - T-That...is...everything...? Hah – Kai snorts weakly – Y-You're…a…weak….Hah… -

-You'll see...-but the leader was interrupted when he heard loud noises of his men fighting outside the warehouse - What the hell is happening now?! –

Snorting with mockery, Kai looked back at the leader - Hah... I hope... they wrote his will, idiots... - Kai grimaces as he tries to move a little.

- Boss! The other Ninjas found us! Ah! – one of the kidnappers was hit by a ball of green energy after he rushed into the warehouse from the main door.

- Where is our friend?! – demanded the Green Ninja followed by the other Ninjas.

- Hah ha... - Kai snorts painfully as he forces a weak mocking smile - It's your funeral... -

- Demons! – The boss shouted frustratedly – Attack them idiots! –

The kidnappers rushed at the Ninjas but they were quickly knocked down by their elemental powers. The boss also tried to knock down the ninjas but was easily knocked down by Lloyd, who threw him towards Nya who with his spear threw him towards the wall where he was unconscious.

- Kai! – Nya and Lloyd shouted as they reached their brother's side.

The look of panic reached all the ninjas when they saw the serious condition that Kai was in, Nya carefully picked him up and held him in her arms, his pitiful physical condition could be seen, the severity of the wounds on his head could be seen and torso, at least that's what Zane noticed when scanning his injured friend.

Trying to see the faces of his friends, all Kai could do was let out a shaky breath – God...why...did he take...so long...? – Despite the fatigue and unbearable pain he felt now, the relief Kai felt at seeing his friends and his sister again was greater than his physical pain.

But still everything hurt a lot.

He now just wanted his friends to take him home so he could get some sleep.

- Don't worry, you'll be fine, Kai - Lloyd assured him as he placed his hand on Kai's shoulder, who could only let out a painful moan in response - Nya, Zane, take Kai back to the Ship, Tell Pixal to prepare the ship medical area, Jay, Cole and I will stay to inform the police about the kidnappers, we cannot allow them to escape again –

Lloyd wanted more than anything to accompany Kai, but as the Green Ninja, he had to stay here to make sure the police arrested all of these criminals. But he knew Kai would be okay, he had to be, and Lloyd knew that his older brother was in good hands and would be even safer inside the Ship, where he would receive real medical care.

Zane and Nya very carefully helped Kai to stand up, with the little consciousness that Kai had, he tried to walk just as his sister and Zane picked him up, but walking was a challenge, it was almost torture for Kai, his legs were still in bad shape after the leader of the kidnappers hit him with the iron pipe, his body felt like lead, he could barely walk properly but luckily Zane and Nya did all the work for him by carrying him carefully to the Bounty.

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

The next few hours were confusing for Kai, obviously everything seemed almost like a dream after his sister and Zane took him out of the warehouse. He even feared it was a dream, perhaps his mind in an attempt to put him out of his suffering offered him a dream where his family found him alone to give him their consent before dying, after all, during all that torture, Kai wanted to be with his family and friends, with his sister, in his room resting in his comfortable bed without having to be subdued in that dark basement, being beaten mercilessly by the kidnappers.

But it wasn't a dream, it was all real, coming and going in his weak consciousness, Kai felt how they were putting him on the ship, the blurry voices of his friends made his head hurt more, apparently he felt very sensitive to noise after having been hit on the head many times. He felt how they laid him on the stretcher in the medical area, it seemed to be the most comfortable place in the world for Kai.

He no longer felt his body too much after Zane injected him with a sedative so he could better care for Kai's wounds without having to cause him more pain in the process, clearly his friend had already suffered enough and he didn't want to cause him more pain, Zane knew that Kai deserved a break from his pain, at least for now, since as soon as the sedative wore off he would have to face the pain in his body again, but it wouldn't hurt as much anymore.

Zane and Pixal were in charge of treating Kai's wounds, Nya did the same for them, but she only helped them by bringing the medical supplies that her seriously injured brother would require. They had to remove the top of her ninja gi to better examine the damage, it was not a pretty sight, now Nya wanted to kill all the kidnappers even more.

Kai's body was full of bruises, cuts, and dark red spots due to the obvious beating that the leader of the kidnappers gave him. Luckily, nothing seemed broken. Kai was lucky to have a strong and resilient body thanks to his training. Ninja.

Zane cleaned and bandaged every affected area on Kai, Pixal cleaned all the cuts and bruises, and Nya helped clean and cover the wounds on his brother's battered face.

- Kai was very lucky - Zane suddenly says as he bandages Kai's head. Nya helped gently remove Kai's hair so Zane could better wrap it around his head, Nya was kind enough to clean her brother's spiky hair of dirt and dried blood using her water powers.

Kai was now breathing somewhat normally, at least a little, it seemed like it still hurt him to take deep breaths, Zane examined the damage on his chest and despite not having anything fractured or broken, a lot of damage was shown in the area, the blows They must have affected his lungs and throat too much.

-Are you sure she will be okay? – Nya asks worriedly when looking at Kai's wounds in detail – Those idiots mistreated him badly, I hope the commissioner recasts them in the darkest cell of Kryptarium – Nya mentions with clear anger when imagining everything that those guys made him suffer his older brother.

-Don't worry, Nya, he'll be fine - Zane calmed her by putting a hand on his shoulder - Nothing's broken, just bruises, but they're repairable, he'll just need to rest and we'll have to take good care of his wounds -

Zane was also worried about Kai, but he knew that he would be fine, he already gave his friend the best healing process, and being a Nindroid he could give a better diagnosis, clearer and faster than any doctor in a hospital.

- Thanks, Zane –

Nya doesn't want to leave her brother's side and Zane understands that, giving her one last encouraging smile, Pixal and Zane leave the room leaving Nya to take care of Kai.

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It took Kai only three days to fully wake up, he discovered that he was now in the medical area of the monastery after recognizing the new room. He must have assumed that he had been moved here after the others left town.

Even though his entire body still hurt, he noticed a slight numbness and must have assumed it was from Zane's special painkillers.

Thanks Zane...

Kai felt several bandages and gauze covering his body, he wasn't even wearing his ninja gi, just his cloth pants, he looked almost like a mummy, the torture turned out to be worse than he thought.

But it was obvious, the leader of the kidnappers did not treat him kindly, he literally used iron gloves and an iron pipe to beat Kai, obviously he would be in bad shape.

His head was what hurt the most...

And looking closely at the room, he could see traces of food, blankets and chairs around the room, surely the others spent the days here with him until he woke up, there were even feathers from Wu's chicken on the floor.

Did they really let the chicken in here?

Suddenly Kai heard someone enter the room.

-Kai! – Lloyd's cheerful voice brought him out of his thoughts as the young ninja ran to his side and gave him a big hug. Kai obviously complained about the pain, but he didn't care, he was happy to see his younger brother again, so he hugged her back too.

-Hello green machine... -how he missed a hug from his little brother.

- Do you feel good now? – Worried, Lloyd examined Kai's condition, and although he didn't look so bad anymore, he still had some bruises.

- Only a little… -

- Brother! -Nya suddenly interrupted as she ran to Kai's side and gave him a quick hug as well. To Kai's relief, Nya studied him frantically in case she had opened any wounds - You feel good? Does something hurt you? –

- Nya calm down, I'm fine. Sore... But good... - Kai smiles to calm his sister's nerves.

Sighing in relief as she took her seat, Nya looked at her brother – Thank God…-

- What happened? How did they find me? – Kai asked, wanting to know everything she missed about being in that place of torture.

- Nya and Pixal built a tracking device that not only tracked your Ninja suit but also your elemental energy, we made several perimeters around the city and at the docks we found a signal, we tracked the coordinates and saw that the signal sent us to a warehouse south of the docks – Lloyd explained.

- Then we saw two suspects outside in the warehouse where they were holding you and seeing them suspicious we approached and the signal intensified - Nya mentions - So we knew that you would be locked up there and we did not hesitate to enter by force. We took down all the kidnappers and their leader and when we saw you lying there on the ground and wounded... - Nya sighs as she remembers the painful memory of seeing her brother half dead on the floor of that warehouse - Well, Zane and me we went up to the Bounty to tend to your wounds and the others stayed guarding the kidnappers -

- As soon as the police arrived we explained to the commissioner that the group was responsible for the previous battle at the other docks in the city. Considering them dangerous, the Commissioner ordered them to be taken directly to the Kryptarium – Lloyd said sounding somewhat satisfied knowing that the men who had hurt Kai would never see the light of day again.

- Well... - Kai sighs knowing that the problem was solved, he can rest easy knowing that those guys wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.

-By the way... -said Lloyd as he looked at Kai-What did those guys want with you? Why were you kidnapped? – was the doubt that apparently everyone had, they were not able to obtain a confession from the kidnappers so maybe Kai would know something.

- The boys wanted to know how to get more Vengstone – says Kai.

- Vengstone? – Nya questioned, raising an eyebrow.

- Yes... - Kai says - They couldn't steal the Vengstone that they themselves had stolen so they kidnapped me when they wanted more information about the location of the Vengstone, they discovered that we have intercepted several trucks loaded with the material so they assumed that maybe We would know of a place where they could extract it –

- Wow... if they knew that we were also trying to locate the origin of the extraction - says Lloyd, thinking that several of the criminals would think that the ninjas had knowledge about the extraction of the Vengstone.

- Obviously I didn't tell them anything - Kai confirms, but shows a gloomy expression at that - But even if I knew... I wouldn't have told them anything, that clearly bothered the leader and I don't hesitate... well, to torture myself to the point of exhaustion... -

Nya and Lloyd were obviously worried about this, they had faced so many dangers that there was almost no time where one of their friends was seriously injured on several of their adventures, but this time, they almost lost Kai, all because of the information that none of them owned, if they had not arrived in time to save it...maybe it would have existed...

Dead….

Obviously no one wanted to imagine that, so they completely ignored that scenario in their heads.

The best thing would be that in each battle no one was alone so that no criminal could take them by surprise.

- You don't have to worry about that anymore, you're already home, and that's what matters - Lloyd confirms optimistically as he looks at Kai.

-And the important thing now is that you rest until you fully recover - Nya says as she gently rubs her hand on Kai's back, ignoring the fact of feeling the fabric of the numerous bandages that covered her older brother - And we will take care from you-

- Thanks for the offer sister, but I can take care of myself, I bet I'm not as bad as everyone thinks - Kai was obviously the most stubborn person anyone had ever met, and he didn't like that someone else was spoiling him like a baby.

"Don't even think about it, you're not going to escape this time, Kai," Nya responds with motherly authority as she looks directly into Kai's eyes. "You can barely get up, you obviously need our help and I don't I don't want to hear you complain that you're going to do something yourself only these days, you understand? – that fierce look was impossible to ignore.

-S-Sure – Kai agrees, although with some fear when seeing the protective fierceness of his younger sister, it is worse than his own. Devils…

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

The days passed and Kai was on the road to recovery.

Obviously the first few days were difficult for Kai, since if he wanted to get out of bed he would need the help of one or two people. Zane had informed him that the severe blows to the head had severely affected his body, he could barely get up alone, in addition, his back hurt too much, he was confined to bed for several days and he only got out of bed with help of someone if it was not to go to the bathroom or take a shower, obviously Cole and Zane helped him a lot in be his personal crutches but Kai had no choice, everyone seemed like mother hens around him.

He didn't mind being pampered by his family, he hardly ever gets this kind of attention since Kai is supposed to provide them comfort. But it seems that now things were the other way around.

When he was feeling better, Kai hardly needed anyone's help to stay upright, of course he held on to the walls and didn't mind having someone next to him in case he fell to the ground.

Jay bothered him because he looked like a baby taking his first steps, but Kai swore that as soon as he got better, he would make Jay suffer in training.

For the moment, Kai was glad that he had endured the difficult event and that he was now home with his family, and that was all that mattered.

[lady-wallace]

Whumptober Day 17 - "Lost in these Memories" (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

More Fugo whump for today's @whumptober fic, (With Stand Hugs!)

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Prompts Used: Collar, Touch Aversion, 'Leave me alone' Fandom: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5 Character: Fugo

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Read on Ao3

Read on FF.net

~~~~~~~

Bucciarati made up the tray of food, purposefully placing the bowl of soup, the spoon and napkin, and the glass of water as he mentally prepared to face his youngest team member again.

It had been five days now since Fugo had gone missing on a mission—three since he had been found, and he still hadn't left his room since they'd brought him home.

Bucciarati wasn't entirely sure what to do. Any attempt he had made to coax Fugo out had been met with firm denial, and while he could certainly understand such a reaction after a traumatic event, he knew Fugo was suffering and, worse, suffering alone. He had so far refused any comfort Bruno or Abbacchio tried to offer him, simply staying curled in bed, wrapped in blankets.

Bruno sighed and knocked on the teen's door before letting himself in, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

"Fugo? I brought you some dinner," he said quietly as he entered the dim room.

Fugo briefly looked up at him from the book he was reading before flicking his eyes downward once more. "You can just put it there," he mumbled nodding to the side table.

Bucciarati did as asked and hesitated before he left. "Pannacotta, I'd like to check your injuries again if that's okay?"

Fugo's hands started to shake instantly and Bruno felt terrible for even bringing it up, but an infection wasn't going to do him any better either.

"No—n-no. I really can't stand anyone touching me right now. I—I can't. Please. I can do it myself. I promise I'll clean them well."

Bucciarati closed his eyes briefly, but nodded. "Alright. I'll leave the medical supplies in the bathroom for you. But if you need help with the ones on your back—"

"I don't! I'm fine!" Fugo snapped, then ducked his head, wrapping his arms around himself. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It's all right," Bucciarati told him gently. "Please try to eat something. And let me know if you need anything else."

He slipped out of the room, and his fists clenched in fury the instant the door was closed, teeth grinding.

He and Abbacchio, along with the other soldati had already demolished the gang who had taken Fugo, but what good did it do when the damage had already been done? Fugo had been doing so well recently. He'd stopped jumping when Bruno and Abbacchio accidently brushed him, just generally doing better with human proximity. He'd even started to accept hugs when he was having bad nights, calming in Bruno's careful hold.

And now all of that had been erased instantly by the cruelty of his captors, using his aversion to touch against him. Mocking, hurting, using knives and fists to demolish the fond touches Bruno sought to provide when he was sure Fugo would be okay with it, taking that gained trust and tearing it to pieces.

The image of Fugo when they'd finally found him in that cargo container would forever haunt Bucciarati's nightmares. Shivering in a corner, bloody and bruised, bound hand and foot with a collar locked around his throat, keeping him upright so he could not pull away from his captors without choking himself.

Even the act of freeing Fugo had sent him into a panic attack and there was no comfort Bruno could offer aside from words, which was harder than he had thought it would be.

One look at the teen panicking and sobbing had sent Abbacchio back out to start delivering a justified beat-down of the bastards who had dared hurt Fugo.

And when they got him back, Bucciarati had only been able to do the bare minimum to tend to Fugo's injuries before he flat-out pushed him away and retreated to his room where he had stayed ever since.

Abbacchio met him in the kitchen, breaking Bucciarati out of his brooding thoughts.

"How is he?" the other man asked quietly.

Bucciarati shook his head, grabbing bowls to dish soup out for him and Abbacchio even though he wasn't hungry. "I honestly don't know what to do. There's no telling how long this will go on, especially if he refuses help—"

Abbacchio held up a hand. "First of all, hovering isn't going to help him," he said.

Bruno huffed. "I know that. And I'm trying not to, it's just…"

"I know," Abbacchio replied with a sigh. "I don't like seeing the kid like that either. But he needs space right now. He knows he's safe here and that's going to have to be enough for the moment."

Bucciarati pressed his lips together, knowing the other man was right.

Abbacchio's advice didn't help when he heard Fugo screaming in his sleep that night. He had to get up to see him even though he knew he would be rejected.

"Fugo?" he called as he tapped on the door, hearing the moaning and shifting of blankets. He opened the door and saw the boy wound up in his sheets, struggling, eyes and jaw clenched tight as he let out breathless sobs, chest heaving too quickly.

"Pannacotta," Bruno called firmly, standing beside the bed.

The blond only continued to struggle against the sheets, breaths becoming more and more panicked. Bruno finally had to reach out and help, unable to watch this anymore.

But Fugo flailed the instant Bruno touched the sheets. "Don't!" he shouted. "Leave me alone!"

"Panna, I'm just…" Bucciarati tried, but he pulled away.

Fugo's eyes finally opened and he scrambled to sit against the head of the bed, eyes darting around frantically, not seeing anything.

"Panna," Bruno called again and his head whipped over toward him. "You're home. You're safe. It's just me here."

Fugo's face crumpled, and he curled into himself. "I hate this, I hate this," he cried.

Bruno pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat carefully, making sure he wasn't in any way crowding Fugo.

"It's okay, Pannacotta."

"No it's not!" Fugo snapped, scrubbing at his eyes as he hugged himself, fingers digging into his ribs. "I-I fucked up! I got captured, and I l-let them control me, and I c-couldn't do anything about it!"

Something rippled in the corner and Bucciarati looked over to see Purple Haze materializing. The Stand moaned forlornly as it hugged its knees and rocked back and forth. Fugo didn't even seem to realize his Stand was out, proving how much distress he was currently in. As long as Purple Haze didn't start punching things though, Bruno wasn't going to worry about him.

"You didn't let them control you, Fugo," Bruno told him firmly. "They tortured you."

Fugo shook his head. "But I'm the one who let them see how much it bothered me. I told them to stop, but they—they just made a sick game of it. And I forgot—I almost forgot how much it could hurt." His voice hitched on a sob again. "Because I didn't have to worry for so long but now every time I try to sleep, it's just…that in my head again. But worse, because it's that and my recent capture combined."

Purple Haze wailed again, echoing his user's distress, burying his head in his knees.

Bucciarati's heart ached to hear Fugo talk about it. To know that his mind was so cruel as to combine his recent trauma and that of his horrible past only hurt all the more. He could only imagine how much mental anguish Fugo was going through.

"I don't…know how to make it better," Fugo sobbed. "I didn't want to be like this anymore, but they fucked it all up and I don't know what to do to fix myself."

Bucciarati barely resisted the urge to reach out and offer some form of comforting touch to Fugo. The boy was shaking so hard, just barely keeping the panic under control.

"I am so sorry that this happened, Panna," Bruno told him sincerely. "But none of it was your fault. It was all those bastards back there, and they won't be hurting anyone ever again—I can assure you of that. And you don't have to 'fix' yourself. There's nothing to fix. You survived, Panna, and sometimes that's its own strength."

Fugo didn't say anything. He simply pulled his knees up, making himself small, arms wrapped around himself. Bruno didn't think it was possible for someone in a room with another person—and a Stand—to look so alone, but Fugo was suffering so much right now that his pain burrowed deep into Bucciarati's soul and curled up there.

Purple Haze wailed again and Bruno straightened up, knowing he had to ask at least, for his own sanity if nothing else.

"Do you… want a hug?" he asked softly, seeing the way Fugo kept hugging his arms to his chest. "It's okay if you don't but I wanted to offer."

Fugo let out a soft sob. "I-I do but…I don't think I can handle that much touch right now. I just…I just want it to be like it was before and I'm so fucking mad!"

Purple Haze moaned, rocking forlornly in the corner. That was when Bucciarati had an idea.

"Panna, do you mind if I try something?" he asked, holding up his hands, palms out. "I'm not going to touch you, but please let me know if any of this is too much."

He manifested Sticky Fingers and the Stand crossed the room to kneel in front of Purple Haze. Fugo's stand shifted and looked up at the other. Sticky Fingers slowly opened his arms, not making a move, but waiting.

Purple Haze hesitated, moaned, then suddenly lurched forward and practically tackled Sticky Fingers backwards, letting out a mournful sound.

Bruno watched, shocked as Purple Haze curled up against Sticky and his Stand held onto Haze tightly, rocking him back and forth. It was an odd sensation, both physically and mentally comforting, like being wrapped in a soft blanket and just the perfect temperature.

After a few moments, Purple Haze started to let out a gurgling, almost purring sound, drooling against Sticky Fingers' shoulder.

Bruno glanced over to Fugo to see how he was taking this, and saw a slight embarrassed flush on his cheeks, as he watched the Stands, but his breathing had calmed down a little and he wasn't quite so tense anymore.

"Is it okay? Like that?" Bruno asked him hesitantly.

Fugo nodded. "Actually, yes. It's not bad at all."

Bruno smiled, relief flooding him. "That's good."

Fugo clenched the sheets in his hands, staring down as his cheeks flushed again. "Could you…stay, until I fall asleep?" he mumbled.

"Of course, Panna," Bruno replied, settling into the chair. "I won't go anywhere."

Fugo let out a shuddering sigh and lay back down in the bed, allowing Bruno to help untangle the rest of the covers and tuck them back into the mattress. He then took up a book and stayed there reading until Fugo fell asleep. All the while, Sticky Fingers and Purple Haze stayed cuddled together on the other side of the room.

Over the next few days, whenever Fugo was having a hard time, Purple Haze would appear somewhere in the apartment and Bruno or Abbacchio would deploy their Stands for comfort and hugging. Abbacchio had been somewhat hesitant at first, but Moody Blues had had other ideas, going directly up to Purple Haze and pulling him into a firm embrace.

Another week passed and Fugo finally ventured out of his room for more than just the bathroom and water.

"Feeling better?" Bruno asked kindly as he set some breakfast in front of Fugo.

The blond nodded, and though he was still covered in bruises, showing up all too much on his pale skin, he did look a little better. He picked at his nails, then looked up at Bruno. "Could I…try a hug?" he asked.

Bruno didn't say anything, simply opened his arms to let Fugo come to him.

The boy hesitated, then got out of his chair and came forward, tentatively looping his arms around Bucciarati before he leaned fully into him with a long exhale.

Bruno lightly wrapped his arms around Fugo's shoulders. "How's that?" he asked.

"I think I'm getting there," Fugo said sincerely.

~~~~~~~

Check out my Whumptober Masterpost HERE for more stories!

If you want to follow me on other social media or ask about commissions, find my info on My Carrd

[grigori77]

2023 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20.  THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER – Norwegian director Andre Øvredal EXPLODED onto the scene back in 2010 with one of the very best found footage horror movies ever made, Troll Hunter, and immediately declared himself as one to watch in the future.  It’s been frustrating, then, that he’s largely failed to truly deliver on that promise since – subsequent offerings such as The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark are noteworthy but ultimately underwhelmed me, while Mortal had some really great ideas but turned out to be a clunky mess that left me cold … but he FINALLY made good with one of the best horror offerings of 2023, a film which Stephen King himself counted as one of the best horror movies he saw all year (seriously, look it up).  Screenwriters Bragi Schut Jr. and Zak Oikewicz have taken an interesting tack here, delivering a brand new take on Dracula by not adapting the whole novel YET AGAIN but instead basing their jumping off-point on what’s usually little more than a footnote in most screen takes (if not just ignored altogether), the dark chapters detailing the fateful final voyage of the good ship Demeter, which transported the undead Count’s earth-filled coffins from Transylvania to England before finally running aground on the coast at Whitby with all hands lost.  The result is a deliciously harrowing, thumbscrew-tightening masterclass in slowburn suspense and ratcheting tension which follows the ill-fated crew who discover far too late that their cargo contains a monster that feeds exclusively on the blood of the living, Øvredal expertly overseeing an oppressively atmospheric gothic thrill-ride which offered up some of the year’s biggest and best scares while milking every drop of pure terror out of the simple conceit that once they’re on the open water there is NO VIABLE ESCAPE from their dread predicament.  It certainly helps that the crew themselves are a well-rounded collection of characters we come to really sympathize with and root for – Corey Hawkins (Kong: Skull Island, In the Heights, The Tragedy of Macbeth) is a strong hero as new ship’s doctor Clemens, slowly bonding with the likes of Liam Cunningham’s grizzled but kind captain Eliot, The Suicide Squad’s David Dastmalchian as the Demeter’s gruff, cynical quartermaster Wojchek and Eliot’s grandson, the ship’s cabin boy, Toby (The White princess’ Woody Norman), as well as Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale), who delivers a turn of intense wounded poise and troubled vulnerability as Anna, a Transylvanian peasant girl unwillingly smuggled onboard in the cargo for Dracula (portrayed, through some impressively effective mocapped digital effects, by REC, Mama and Slender Man’s Javier Botet) to feed on during the voyage, whose rescue when she’s discovered sets the overarching horrors loose upon the crew.  Ultimately it’s easy enough to see what Stephen King saw in this – this is a genuine BLINDER of a horror movie, scary as hell, emotionally darker than the blackest night and shot-through with an edge of genuine exquisite NASTINESS that leaves a deep, lasting impression on you LONG after the credits have rolled.  As an intriguing and surprisingly original piece of standalone horror cinema this really is something special, but if it WERE to be the start of a larger cinematic story I certainly wouldn’t say no, not if Øvredal and this talented writing duo remain on board …

19.  THEY CLONED TYRONE – while cinemas may finally be properly getting back into the full swing of things now, with many of the big budget offerings that were long delayed by COVID finally emerging to fill up the year’s international moviegoing calendar, streaming services don’t seem to be letting that slow their own steam (granted, it’ll be interesting to see how things look by THIS year’s end, when the fallout from the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes REALLY starts to hit, but I’m not about to get into THAT debate here), and Netflix is no exception, still leading the pack with their Original filmmaking offerings.  BY FAR the most interesting, original and downright FIENDISHLY INGENIOUS offering they dropped in the past year HAS TO BE this thoroughly unique sci-fi satire from up-and-coming screenwriter Juel Taylor (Creed II, Space Jam: A New Legacy), who makes his feature directing debut in truly BLINDING fashion.  The concept itself is an absolute belter, although while the title may sound DECIDEDLY spoiler-heavy already, it’s actually just the very TIP of the iceberg, and giving much of anything about the plot away would reveal some pretty key twists to anybody who didn’t already see the trailer.  So if you DON’T wanna get spoiled, just rest assured this is a PHENOMENAL FILM and it really MUST BE SEEN, and just check it out good and cold … still here?  Okay then … John Boyega continues to stretch his legs away from Star Wars as Fontaine, a mid-level drug dealer in a suburban American ghetto simply known as The Glen who’s gunned down in a turf dispute, only to wake up unharmed the next day with no recollection of said events.  As he investigates this uncanny twist, he ropes in the dubious help of two acquaintances – pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) and hooker Yo-Yo (If Beale Street Could Talk and The Marvels’ Teyonah Parris) – only to discover a dark and twisted labyrinthine

conspiracy that stretches far beyond the urban confines of their beleaguered neighbourhood.  The results are one of the slickest and most brain-bakingly twisted chunks of speculative science fiction I’ve come across in a good long while, constantly throwing the viewer narrative curve balls while posing a dizzying series of moral and socially critical thematic quandaries, all the while presenting a brilliantly off-beat reimagining of classic “blaxploitation” tropes (indeed, this is among the very best examples of this quirky little sub-genre I’ve EVER come across).  It’s also got a LETHALLY devious sense of humour to it, beautifully subverting expectations to bring a delightfully skewed inner-city slice-of-life POV to proceedings which it then mines for the purest nuggets of comedy gold it can find.  That being said, there are times it gets pretty dark too – while it’s never particularly violent or harrowing (despite some of the obvious elements of its subject matter), the way the conspiracy itself unfolds as its monstrous nature is revealed gets truly existentially terrifying at times, and in the current political climate feels a little TOO possible … and then there’s the cast, who tie everything together PERFECTLY, the three leads in particular taking what could have been a joke set-up trio of the genre’s classic trope archetypes and invest them with genuine heart, soul and complex nuance – Boyega is endearingly vulnerable and effortlessly likeable as our sort-of hero, while Foxx brings both requisite quirky charisma and surprising deeply-hidden sympathy to what’s usually one of the most classically despicable character tropes out there, but the real STAR here is Parris, who effortlessly steals the film out from under her peers as a smart, plucky and brilliantly resourceful amateur sleuth who’s frequently miles ahead of everybody else as the mystery unfolds around them; meanwhile Kieffer Sutherland brings delightfully sleazy “cracker” energy as Nixon, the brutally amoral bureaucrat nominally in charge of this nefarious far-reaching plot.  Taylor handles proceedings with admirable skill and an impressively artful visual flair while crafting one of the year’s most intriguing and thought-provoking films so far, and immediately marks himself as a clear rising star with a hell of a lot of one-to-watch potential for the future.  I look forward to whatever it is he does next …

18.  BLUE BEETLE – as for moving the big screen DCU moving forward, here’s a project that, apparently, is actually making the leap from old to new very much in one piece.  Despite being long developed as a flagship film for the original DCEU, Gunn seems to be folding this cinematic origin story for the second generation of one of the DC Universe’s lesser known (but still iconic and beloved) superheroes into his new vision.  Which basically means that THIS, right here, is our first real taste of what’s to come in the NEW vision … and, if I’m honest, if this IS a good indicator, then I’m actually all for it.  Marking the big break of up-and-coming Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto (who made a small but potent impact with his feature debut Charm City Kings), this is also EXTREMELY notable for being the first major studio movie about a Latino superhero, namely Jaime Reyes (Cobra Kai’s Xolo Mariduena), an impoverished young pre-law graduate from the fictional metropolis of Palmera City’s Edge Keys who finds himself essentially FORCED into taking up the long-vacated mantle of the Blue Beetle after accidentally symbiotically bonding with a mysterious alien superweapon system simply known as the Scarab.  Unfortunately, this device is being zealously sought by psychopathic weapons corporation CEO Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), who wants to use its unique programming as the basis for her world-changing OMAC weapon system, and she’ll do ANYTHING to get hold of it … that’s really all you need to know about the story, the film proving to be a welcomely lean and impressively streamlined classic archetypal hero’s journey original story which also EFFORTLESSLY sets up the story moving forward into what are, I’m sure, gonna be some EVEN MORE impressive adventures once the new DCU proper gets off the ground, and the end result makes for one of the year’s most genuinely ENJOYABLE superhero movies.  Mariduena makes for an endearing young hero here, investing Jaime with wide-eyed innocence and precociously earnest charm that belie some pure steel when he has to learn to man up and get in the fight for real, and the rest of the Reyes clan are similarly well established here too, particularly wildly popular stand-up comedian George Lopez (who here shows he has ONE HELL of a high pitched scream) as conspiracy nut Uncle Rudy and Hocus Pocus 2’sBelissa Escobedo as Jaime’s sweet, acerbic and FANTASTICALLY sassy little sister Milagro, while almost IMPOSSIBLY beautiful Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine thoroughly impresses as Victoria’s estranged granddaughter Jenny, the tough and resourceful daughter of original Blue Beetle Ted Kord.  And then there’s the villains, and OH MY GODS does this film pay off

BIG TIME by genuinely OUTPERFORMING when it comes to the all-important job of giving the hero suitably heavyweight antagonists by providing us with a pair of genuine STARS here – Sarandon is frequently downright CHILLING as a stony PSYCHOPATH who doesn’t care about ANYTHING but making her own twisted, perverse technological dream a reality, while Apocalypto’s very memorable Big Bad Raoul Max Trujillo handles the muscular side of things with consummate professionalism and brooding feral intensity as her pet special forces killer Ignacio Carapax, the recipient of the OMAC prototype and therefore, essentially, Jaime’s first nemesis.  There’s some INCREDIBLE action on offer here, the visual effects delivering magnificently to bring the Scarab AND OMAC’s versatile capabilities out in fine style, but for the most part this is a film which rides high on a glorious mixture of good old fashioned light-hearted humour and a massive dollop of emotional heft and pure HEART, delivering some genuinely POWERFUL heartbreaking character beats once things get REAL before finally paying off in a wonderfully cathartic old fashioned Hollywood happy ending.  In many ways this film feels almost like a THROWBACK to simpler times, but it also paves the way impressively well for the future of the franchise if Gunn and co are INDEED intent on following this kind of formula moving forward.  Certainly this is a prime example of how to do a bright and cheerful primary coloured superhero movie WELL, and I look forward to plenty more of the Blue Beetle when they finally get their shit together again …

17.  EVIL DEAD RISE – sometimes you just can’t keep a good franchise down, and that’s ALWAYS been the case with the Evil Dead movies.  That being said, each movie has always happily been its own thing too, so even when Sam Raimi was making his original trilogy they were all movies you could easily pick up and watch as a standalone without needing to see the others too.  Better, though, is the fact that every offering so far has been consistently GREAT, even 2013’s sort-of reboot from Don’t Breathe and The Girl In the Spider’s Web writer-director Fede Alvarez, which did a genuinely spectacular job of bringing the franchise kicking and screaming into the new Millennium while also delivering something which was unapologetically old school in the very best way.  Thankfully this is definitely the way that the latest writer-director, relative newcomer Lee Cronin (The Hole In the Ground), has decided to do things, although he’s also taking this newly-rebooted story in a fresh new direction with a MAJOR setting change as the Deadites are, for the first time (at least on the BIG screen) unleashed in the big inner city.  It’s a bold move, but certainly has the instant charm of doing something we’ve never seen before, bringing the claustrophobic madness of the originals into a very different but equally close-quarters environment as we’re now seeing the demonically possessed monsters terrorising their victims in tiny apartment rooms, cramped corridors and malfunctioning elevators which make for a whole host of new opportunities to change up the scares, the action and the direction of the thoroughly skewed plot.  Best of all, this is BY FAR the most female-centric film in the franchise to date, making for a much more interesting and far less testosterone-heavy atmosphere this time around as the women get to take the lead far more than they did in the previous movies.  The gods know that’s VERY MUCH my shit right there … Vikings’ Alyssa Sutherland is a veritable FORCE OF (UN)NATURE as Ellie, the downtrodden single mother trying to keep her three kids and her whole life from going off the rails until she’s taken over by the Evil when her calamitously foolish young wannabe DJ son Danny (Storm Boy and The End’s Morgan Davies) finds and reads from the Book of the Dead, while Picnic At Hanging Rock’s Lily Sullivan is endearingly vulnerable and fallible but ultimately steely as her Ellie’s estranged kid sister Beth, who comes home in a bad spot just in time to get thrown into the middle of the ensuing chaos; Gabrielle Echols (Reminiscence) and Nell Fisher (Northspur), meanwhile, are both similarly exceptional and thoroughly memorable as Ellie’s teen and pre-teen daughters Bridget and Kassie.  The majority of the action plays out in the impressively squalid confines of the newly-condemned apartment building, turning uncomfortably familiar surroundings into downright TERRIFYING nightmarish hellscapes as the horrors unfold within, Cronin pulling out every trick in the book to deliver a knuckle-whitening scare-fest that skilfully works its way under your skin and grips your heart tight enough to make it explode with sheer anxiety, and, like every one of its predecessors, he has managed to pull it all off with the absolute BARE MINIMUM of digital assistance, this film representing another resounding triumph for spectacularly NASTY physical effects.  This was definitely the NASTIEST thing I saw in a genuinely GREAT YEAR for horror cinema, but more than that it’s ENTIRELY lived up to its legacy, earning its place in one of the greatest horror franchises of ALL TIME with pride.  I look forward to seeing what Cronin does next, and I can’t wait to see what the series is gonna throw at us next, either …

16.  BALLERINA – nope, NOT the Ana de Armas-starring John Wick spinoff, we still got ‘til the summer to wait on THAT ONE.  That being said, seems that one now has an ADDITIONAL benchmark to live up to given what we got with THIS sneaky little South Korean surprise gem that snuck in under the radar on Netflix in the autumn ... now I LOVE Korean cinema, there’s SO MUCH great stuff that’s come out from this market over the years, not just from the greats like Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho, but lesser known hits and overlooked hidden gems that run the gamut of genres.  So I was already intrigued when I heard that Netflix’ latest under-the-radar release was getting RAVE REVIEWS across the board, and then when I heard the premise, never mind the title, I was even MORE interested.  I mean a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is NEVER to be sneezed at, and this one DEFINITELY deserves the hype – it’s a tight, taut little suspense thriller with a simple premise which up-and-coming writer-director Lee Chung-hyun (The Call) nonetheless turns into an intriguingly twisty piece of work indeed.  Jeon Jong-soo (Burning, The Call) stars as Jang Ok-ju, a reclusive loner who comes a bit unstuck when her one real friend, the titular ballerina Choi Min-hee (Drive My Car’s Park Yu-rim), commits suicide, leaving her a parting note begging her to avenge her death by killing a brutal local sex trafficker named Choi Pro (My Cute Guys and Natalie’s Kim Ji-hoon), whose monstrous drug-induced rape of her and subsequent blackmail using a cruelly acquired sex-tape of the crime led Min-hee to take her life in shame.  It just so happens that Ok-ju is perfectly equipped for this, being a retired executive bodyguard with some seriously LETHAL combat training giving her that most coveted “certain set of skills” … this is SUCH a great stripped back, slowburn action flick, taking its time to establish just how deep the bad guys have fucked up without even realising before finally unleashing one hell of a badass new screen heroine on them.  Jeon Jong-see genuinely is a star in the making, surely destined for great things given what we see from her in this, understated but deeply nuanced as a withdrawn introvert fully capable of turning, without warning, into a cold blooded KILLING MACHINE if provoked, and she is a PERFECT driving force for this film; Kim, meanwhile, is a genuinely NASTY piece of work here as Choi Pro, a nihilistic sexual sadist who relies on his classic K-pop boy band good looks to put his victims at ease before destroying their lives, and Park Yu-rim is just the right balance of sweet and sassy in her flashback appearances to make the loss of her character hurt all the more, thoroughly justifying her bereaved friend’s roaring rampage of revenge.  Lee Chung-hyun also proves he's going to be a filmmaker worth watching in the future here, weaving an entrancing spell as he draws us in with the atmospheric first half before finally unleashing the fury in the second when it comes time to deliver a series of blistering, bloody and beautifully put together action sequences.  Like I said, that OTHER Ballerina movie’s gonna have to work hard to beat THIS one …

15.  EXTRACTION 2 – back in 2020, when the Pandemic was really ramping up and not only the Summer but the whole year’s cinematic calendar looked like it was going in the toilet, the streaming services stepped up and took up the slack in fine style, and none carried more of the weight than Netflix with their Original Films.  One of the year’s most impressive offerings was their fascinating team-up with MCU filmmaking heavyweights the Russo Brothers, who produced and co-wrote the first Extraction, an unadulterated two-hour adrenaline shot of an action movie that blew all our socks off and announced to the world that debuting stuntman-turned-director Sam Hargrave was going to be a proper future star in his own right in the most demanding of cinematic genres.  Needless to say Netflix was IMMEDIATELY clamouring for more, just like the rest of us, so Hargrave and co returning with this equally blistering non-stop thrill-ride of a follow-up was a genuine no-brainer.  Thor himself Chris Hemsworth returns as former Australian special forces soldier-turned mercenary hostage extraction expert Tyler Rake, battling to recover from his near-death experience at the end of the first film in order to rescue Ketevan Radiani (Abigail’s Tinatin Dalakishvili), the sister of his ex-wife Mia (Olga Kurylenko), and her children from the brutal Georgian prison they’re trapped in alongside Ketevan’s monstrous husband, Davit (Tornike Bziava), who’s facing a ten year stretch for his crimes as a bigshot in the Georgian mafia.  Except that during the breakout Tyler’s forced to kill Davit, which sets the whole mob, led by his furious brother Zurab (Tornike Gogrichiani), hot on their heels … like its predecessor, this is a film that, after taking a little time to set things up, hits the ground running with one INSANE action sequence on top of another and keeps going full-throttle for pretty much the entirety of its remaining runtime, Hargrave and his RIDICULOUSLY hard-working and committed stunt team delivering some of the year’s most spectacular set-pieces as they constantly up the ante on EVERYTHING they did in the first film.  Once again the absolute highlight is a genuinely INSANE unbroken single-shot sequence that takes at least twenty minutes all told to tell its mesmerising story, and this set piece alone really is the equal to anything we got in the John Wock movies.  Hemsworth again proves that he really IS the God of Thunder even when he ISN’T playing Thor, kicking arse and taking names like few other action heroes are capable of doing, but this time it's an absolute JOY to actually get to see returning co-stars Golshifteh Farahani (Body of Lies, Paterson, Invasion) and, in particular, Adam Bessa (The Blessed, Mosul, Harka) both get a MUCH bigger slice of the action themselves as brother and sister Nik and Yaz Khan, Tyler’s trusted mercenary partners, both proving as viciously lethal in action as our main protagonist; Gogrichiani, meanwhile, makes for an agreeably FERAL villain as a grieving butcher determined to get blood for blood no matter the cost, while Dalakshvili tugs hard on our heartstrings as a desperate mother willing to go to extraordinary lengths to keep her children safe.  Altogether this is another undeniable POWERHOUSE action thriller, relentlessly effective and blissfully engaging from start to finish, and in many ways it’s EASILY an improvement on its predecessor.  Needless to say a third film is ALREADY in development, and after this I’m SUPREMELY confident it should be just as much worth the wait …

14.  PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH – my first candidate for top animated feature of 2023 was an interesting one because, while I am a MASSIVE fan of Dreamworks Animation Studios’ output in general and the Shrek films in particular, I have to admit that the FIRST standalone spinoff featuring Antonio Banderas’ awesome fairy-tale character left me somewhat underwhelmed … yes, I know, it’s a travesty, STONE ME!!!  I know I deserve it … but really, even with Salma Hayek on board it just didn’t reach the same levels of sheer unadulterated COOL that the Shrek movies did for me.  So I approached the EXTREMELY belated follow-up with a definite sense of trepidation, despite the intriguing new animation style makeover that’s clearly HEAVILY inspired by the recent success of the first Spider-Verse movie and the massive anticipation for its incoming sequel.  It looks GORGEOUS, but as we’ve learned to our cost over the years with this kind of filmmaking, looks DO NOT always automatically mean it’s gonna be a belter.  Thank the gods, then, that I was proven wrong THIS TIME … yup, for his sophomore spinoff movie, Puss FINALLY got a vehicle he could truly be PROUD OF.  It’s got a BRILLIANT premise which PERFECTLY fits with the amount of time that’s passed since the first one, and definitely means that the older fans among us (like myself) can definitely find A LOT to resonate with in terms of the themes here – Puss discovers that he’s only got ONE of his nine lives left and it sends him into a DEEP existential crisis as he realises that he’s pretty much WASTED much of the time he had, and technically that means he’s only got ONE CHANCE left to truly be alive.  So he abandons his riotous adventurer lifestyle and “retires” as a lap-cat for one SERIOUSLY weird cat-lady, Mama Luna (High Fidelity’s Da’Vine Joy Randolph) … only for his past to catch up to him in the form of a quartet of bounty hunters, Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman and beloved up-and-coming British comic Samson Kayo). 

This prompts Puss to escape onto the road for one final adventure reuniting with his long-lost love Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), who’s none too happy to have him back in her life after he abandoned her at the Altar, as well as a deeply odd new companion, Perrito (What We Do In the Shadows’ Harvey Guillen), a diminutive therapy dog who was masquerading as one of Luna’s cats, as they set out in search of the Wishing Star, a fallen star that can grant whoever finds it their heart’s desire, which means Puss could get his other Eight Lives back.  Except that they’ve still got the bounty hunters on their trail, along with (now decidedly) BIG Jack Horner (John Mulaney), a magic-item collecting entrepreneur who has a score to settle with Puss which definitely coincides with his fervent desire to claim the Star for himself, and a mysterious Wolf (the irresistibly silky tones of Narcos’ Wagner Moura) who may actually be Death Himself, who has his own, much darker reasons for finding Puss.  Y’know how they say you judge a hero by the strength of the villains he faces?  Well with antagonists of THIS calibre, Puss just might have finally met his match … and even better, EVERYTHING ELSE about this movie is as strong as the Big Bads – it’s one of the most well-written, well-directed and deeply, affectingly resonant movies that Dreamworks have EVER DONE, EASILY on a par with the rest of the Shrek canon and even matching up impressively well with true Gold Standards like Kung Fu Panda and the How To Train Your Dragon movies, everyone involved in this project clearly giving it their all in a total labour of pure, unadulterated LOVE that pays VAST dividends on the screen.  The cast, of course, are among the greatest key ingredients in this, and as we’ve come to expect from these movies they’re all pulling their weight MAGNIFICENTLY – Guillen and Mulaney in particularly deliver SPECTACULARLY in their respective roles, while Pugh and

her cohorts are at once hilariously good fun but also elevate their characters FAR ABOVE their one-note bad guy potential thanks in no small part to some VERY intelligent, well-rounded and deeply complex character development from the writers, but in the end the main weight of the film OF COURSE rests on the shoulders of Banderas and Hayek, and once again they’ve both proven they are MUCH MORE than capable of bearing it with grace, professionalism and a glorious evergreen twinkle in their eyes.  As for the animation and design, this is a BEAUTIFUL piece of work, definitely one of the year’s most visually arresting films as well as, quite simply, one of the most gorgeous films that Dreamworks have EVER put together, the studio effortlessly adapting to this sexy new style that made Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Netflix’ Arcane such glorious feasts for the eyes, and the animation team deserve JUST AS MUCH praise as director Joel Crawford, a storyboard veteran who previous proved his helming pedigree in fine style with 2020’s wonderfully oddball The Croods: A New Age.  Ultimately, given the storyline, themes and the way the film ties things off so neatly, I suspect this really will be the last we see of Puss In Boots on the big screen, but if that really is the case then I gotta admit it’s ONE HELL of a swansong …

13.  THE KILLER – a new David Fincher flick is ALWAYS cause for my celebration, since he’s steadily become one of my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE filmmakers.  Ever since his singularly SPECTACULAR breakthrough with Seven in 1995, I’ve been following his career with RABID interest, and he’s NEVER let me down, impressing me EVEN with his rare misfires (see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), so I was REALLY looking forward to seeing what would happen when he FINALLY reteamed with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (Seven, 8mm, Sleepy Hollow) for a fresh new thriller for Netflix following his lucrative new production deal that started with 2020’s brilliant biopic Mank.  Adapted from a cult French indie graphic novel series from Alexis “Matz” Nolent and Luc Jacamon, it doesn’t so much tell the story of a ruthlessly efficient professional hitman as provide a fascinating procedural peek into the meticulous modus operandi of an obsessive compulsive serial killer-for hire.  You’re not SUPPOSED to root for the hero in this – Michael Fassbender’s nameless assassin is a cold-blooded, emotionless cypher who maintains a painstakingly precise lifestyle regimen powered by a stringent personal mantra to make sure he never makes ANY mistakes and makes himself as impossible to trace as possible during the execution of each of his kills, Fincher intentionally making him seem almost CARTOONISHLY bland in order to make it clear this is a man who can just fade into the background even in the most heightened and harrowing of events.  That being said, there’s still something so bafflingly COMPELLING about following the Killer on his blood-soaked adventures as he goes about tracking down the person who’s trying to have him killed after inexplicably botching a hit in Paris, which I’m sure was also ENTIRELY intentional on both Fincher and Walker’s part.  Fassbender, meanwhile, is clearly enjoying himself with a MASTERCLASS in subtlety, effortlessly delivering swathes of emotional detail in the subtlest of ticks, blinks and double-takes while his toneless narration delivers ponderous insight on his surprisingly poetic inner-monologue.  Ultimately this is VERY MUCH his film, the narrative largely focusing on the Killer sliding anonymously through the world as he ruthlessly executes his plans, but some of the film’s most rewarding moments are watching just how alien this individual REALLY IS through his interactions with others, particularly ill-fated encounters with on-point talents like Charles Parnell (All My Children, The Last Ship) and a typically peerless Tilda Swinton.   Fincher has sometimes been labelled as one of Hollywood’s most cold and emotionally detached auteurs and I don’t doubt that this one will definitely be used as fuel for that continued critical fire, but I can’t help loving this one even so – this is thriller cinema at its most exquisitely cynical, an intense work of razor sharp ART from a filmmaker I cannot help bowing down to WORSHIP yet again, and I cannot WAIT to see what else he’s going to do as he continues with this already incredibly successful deal with Netflix …

12.  THE MARVELS – oh boy, do I have A LOT to say about THIS ONE … those who follow my blog probably know how vocal I was about the truly SHAMEFUL treatment this received upon its release, or even just in the runup from its own studio … seriously, Marvel just GAVE UP on this one before it even came out, didn’t they?  And then the way they threw director/co-writer Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, 2021’s Candyman) under the bus after she DARED to speak out about her own treatment during production?  I mean the MCU’s been struggling for a while now, but to actually SELF-SABOTAGE themselves like this, it’s unfathomable.  Fuck … no, I’ve decided I’m NOT going to rant about that whole mess any more, I just want to get the word out on WHY I think all the naysayers and the haters and toxic fanboys who couldn’t even be bothered to TRY and give it a chance before it even arrived are just WRONG, how this is actually one of THE BEST MCU films we’ve had for a good while … certainly since Endgame dropped and we reached what was clearly the smart CLOSING POINT for the series before the bean-counters went NUTS over the profits and insisted on keeping the whole crazy train rolling … back in 2019, I was one of the first Captain Marvel movie’s strongest supporters, I LOVED that flick, but then I guess I WAS kind of biased since Carol Danver IS my absolute favourite Avenger, so I was SO PSYCHED when it was confirmed that we were gonna be getting a follow-up.  Especially once it was made clear that this one would also fold in Maria Rambeau’s sweet little girl Monica, now grown up into a superhero in her own right (while she never actually gets her monicker here, I always really liked Photon), as well as the star of one of the VERY BEST of the Disney+ Marvel shows, Ms Marvel herself, Kamala Khan.  I held onto that fervent hope even as the MCU started to go progressively more off the rails, with properties tanking left and right or stalling before even getting off the ground, I just dug my fingers in and HOPED that we could at least hang on for THIS ONE to save everything, because I KNEW it was gonna be good.  It HAD TO BE.  And oh my gods, it actually WAS …

it’s an absolute, unbridled JOY getting to spend more time with Brie Larson’s criminally underrated Carol Danvers, now wrestling with a newfound vulnerability after her own attempts to end the tyranny on the Kree homeworld of Hala just ended up making things SO MUCH WORSE, especially once events transpire to bring her into the orbit of Monica (the brilliant Teyonah Parris, returning to the grown-up role after her equally excellent introduction in Wandavision) and Kamala (the irrepressible and genuinely EFFERVESCENT Iman Vellani), and the trio must learn to fight as a unit when their powers become intrinsically entangled in such a way that they end up swapping places each time they’re used.  The central trio are clearly having an almost INDECENT amount of fun here, visibly bonding as their characters learn to appreciate each other for who they REALLY are and get over the various pieces of emotional baggage that they’ve brought into the relationship (particularly Kamala, a Captain Marvel MEGA-fan who comes to love Carol far more as a real person, fallible but ultimately with a good heart who’s TRYING HER BEST); meanwhile it’s always rewarding to get to see the lighter, more irreverent side of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, especially after the frustratingly dour wasted opportunity that was Disney+’s Secret Invasion, as well as getting more of Zenobia Shroff (The Big Sick) and Mohan Kapur (Hostages) as Kamala’s parents and Saagar Sheik as her big brother Aamir.  And then there’s the villain … thank you Marvel for giving us another genuinely GREAT, surprisingly sympathetic screen villain like Namor in Black Panther – Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat, Velvet Buzzsaw) is ON FIRE as embittered Kree warlord Dar’benn, who uses a galactic McGuffin to empower herself in order to take revenge on Carol through brutal, genocidal force for the woes that she believes the “Annihilator” (Captain Marvel’s new name among the Kree) has wrought upon Hala … this really is a step up from the somewhat muddy nemesis dynamic we got in the otherwise great first film.  The decision to deliver it all in such a significantly SHORT feature this time round actually also proved to be a real saving grace too – this is a tight, stripped back affair that wastes no time getting to the point and telling its story quick and efficiently, not seeming to carry ANY fat in its sleek run-time … although I will admit I had SO MUCH fun with this one I wouldn’t have MINDED an overstuffed two-and-a half hour movie if it could’ve meant getting more time with my girls.  It really is almost as much fun as the OTHER major MCU WINNER we got in 2023 (but more on THAT in a minute), delivering on the action stakes and bringing us suitably ROBUST feels but ultimately winning us over through its truly IRREPRESSIBLE sense of humour, frequently dropping genuine BELLY-LAUGHS on us (particularly in a truly inspired needle-drop montage that renders events wonderfully BIZARRE for a little while), as well as some exquisite little winks and nods for the pure fans among us.  The end result was a proper CLASSIC for the franchise and once again I have to ask WHAT THE FUCK, MARVEL?  Why the hell did this get such a rough go of it?  It’s genuinely unfair, I swear …

11.  GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 3 – time for the obligatory top MCU entry, then … but for once, this doesn’t feel like I’m trying to dress up a pig, either – YET AGAIN writer-director James Gunn has proven that he is, quite simply, THE BEST, most consistently ON-FUCKING-FIRE filmmaker working in the franchise, which perhaps makes the fact that he’s now OFFICIALLY jumping ship to permanently defect to DC particularly bittersweet, I guess.  This is WITHOUT A DOUBT the best MCU movie since Captain America: Civil War, and it couldn’t have come along at a better time since the series has been in SUCH a tough spot of late … anyway, the worst, least reliable, most unrepentantly despicable bunch of space-faring A-HOLES for-hire in the entire galaxy are back, now set up full time in their base of operations in Knowhere and looking to get back to business now the Universe has finally gotten over all that unpleasant post-Thanos Snap fallout.  But the crew themselves are still suffering some lingering after-effects from that shake-up, particularly Peter Quill/Star Lord (Chris Pratt), who’s a pretty much permanently drunk, despondent, emotionally broken MESS since the Gamora (Zoe Saldana) that came back after Endgame ain’t HIS Gamora, which leaves Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Nebula (Karen Gillen) propping things up in his essential absence as the current nominal leaders of the crew.  This shaky status quo is torn asunder when an explosively violent encounter with the Sovereign’s new superpowered agent of vengeance Adam Warlock (The Maze Runner’s Will Poulter) leaves Knowhere in chaos and Rocket critically injured and in need of urgent emergency care due to a previously undiscovered proprietary kill-switch built into his cybernetic implants making it impossible for them to heal him without killing him, leading them to enter into an uneasy alliance with Gamora in order to steal an override code from

Rocket’s creator, the High Evolutionary (Peacemaker’s Chukwudi Iwuji), a megalomaniacal evil genius obsessed with manufacturing a perfect race to populate his envisioned utopian civilisation.  Not only is this one of the very best films in the entire MCU canon to date, but it’s EASILY the best in Gunn’s trilogy, essentially a pitch perfect up reinvention of the classic overblown science fiction space opera archetype which also pays immense respect to the fascinating core group of characters it’s helped to introduce cinemagoing audiences to.  It’s also a film expressly about ROCKET himself, even though he doesn’t actually have all that much screentime here, spending much of the film fighting for his life in the sick bay, but we’re treated to extensive flashbacks to his origin story as he was created (or rather TORTURED), refined and essentially brought up by the High Evolutionary, and found his first makeshift found family among his fellow pieced-together cyber-augmented animals, sweet and gentle otter Lyla (Linda Cardellini), wheeled goofball walrus Teefs (Click & Collect’s Asim Chaudry) and spider-limbed bundle of hyperactive joy rabbit Floor (The Suicide Squad’s Mikaela Hoover), who are the cutest bunch of anthropomorphic cyber-critters you could possibly imagine and, as a result, responsible for some of the biggest feels (and BY FAR the most thoroughly devastating emotion sledgehammer moments) in the entire movie.  Needless to say Cooper is on top form throughout, as are the rest of the eclectic, irreverent and absolutely TOP DRAWER cast – while you may still be making unfair jokes about him being “the Worst Chris”, I think this is THE BEST performance Pratt has EVER put in, he’s an absolute REVELATION in this one, plumbing previously unfathomed depths of raw intensity and naked vulnerability as Quill’s forced to get over his shit in order to save his best friend, Saldana gets to bring a much darker and more edgy, unhinged take to Gamora, Gillen finally completes Nebula’s redemption arc to bring her fully into the realm of true HERO, and Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff, as Drax and Mantis, continue to be THE ABSOLUTE FUNNIEST, most full-on unapologetically HILARIOUS agents of chaos in this entire trilogy, all while getting to further expand and develop their own characters too

… and, of course, Vin Diesel again brings a hell of a lot of range to just three words as lovable walking talking tree Groot; meanwhile it’s also nice to see other returning faces get plenty to do, such as Sean Gunn’s endearingly prickly former Ravager Kraglin, Elizabeth Debicki’s bitchy Sovereign despot Aisha, the GOTG Holiday Special’s fan favourite Cosmo the Space Dog (again adorably voiced by Bodies Bodies Bodies and Fairyland’s Maria Bakalova), and even Sylvester Stallone, returning from GOTG 2 as Gamora’s new adoptive “uncle”, mighty Ravager hero Stakar Ogord.  Then of course, there are the series newcomers, who bring their own brands of intriguing charm to proceedings, particularly Poulter, who does a fantastic job of taking a truly badass, virtually unstoppable supreme being like Adam Warlock and essentially making him a thoroughly clueless, emotionally immature man-baby who largely doesn’t have a clue what’s going on half the time, Gunn-regular Nathan Fillion, stealing every one of his scenes in another brilliantly arch comedic cameo, and, of course, Iwuji, who brings us what HAS TO BE the trilogy’s VERY BEST villain, investing the High Evolutionary with a supremely entitled sense of moral superiority and truly monstrous ego while also managing to make him a genuinely credible intellectual THREAT to our heroes.  Needless to say, this amazing cast are just part of the precisely concocted recipe that’s brought this franchise highlight to such exquisite life, Gunn and co creating a pitch perfect sci-fi adventure chock full of action, suspense, thrills, wonderfully weird new extra-terrestrial locales, yet another gold calibre eclectic soundtrack, a TRULY MASSIVE amount of winning humour and a genuinely humongous dollop of pure, unadulterated FEELS.  Congratulations James Gunn, you made me cry again.  TWICE, damn you.  And I love you for it …

[zeroducks-2]

Important question:

Mermaids??? I must know!!! (Please)

This is one of the less consistent wips that I have (so far it's just notes and bits of ideas, I haven't actually written anything). It came to me because I was figuring out a scenario which would suit the "trapped in a net" prompt of my BTHB card, and initially I thought of an animal shape-shifting AU but then discarded it because it occurred to me that it's Beast Boy's power, I started picturing all characters green in my head and that kinda killed it for me haha.

So eventually I thought of a mermaid AU, and the gist of it goes that it starts with young sailor Slade participating in an action to take down a pirate ship, and at some point he ends up alone in a section of the cargo hold to find a merman trapped in a net. The creature is hurt, dehidrated and won't survive for long unless he receives help, and Slade delivers by setting it free from the hooks of the net and allowing it to leave the ship undetected.

Flash forward to about 50 years later, Captain Wilson now commands the Deathstroke as an implacable scourge of the seas. No one knows why, not even him, but he doesn't grow old and there doesn't seem to be a wound that can kill him, even a sword through his skull took his eye but not his life. However unlike him, his children are vulnerable to harm and disease, and he sets off to find the merman he helped because he heard that merfolk possess the secret to heal all maladies and extend mortals' lives (and he either already lost Grant and Joe, or maybe only Grant, and he's trying to save Rose's life as she's very sick. Or anyway some variation of this).

Somehow he knows how to find the merman that he helped decades before, and again he doesn't know why. It's like there's a link between them that he is made aware of the moment he starts looking, and eventually he manages to find and capture the creature (who basically let's himself be taken). Slade doesn't plan to harm him, he thinks that the merman will agree to heal his child and the creature would in fact do it but it turns out that he can't: he used his magic decades before to gift Slade with his healing factor, to thank him for setting him free, and he can't do it with any other human.

That's what I have so far, and I have various ideas on how to continue it but nothing is decided, and I should actually set to write it I guess instead of just thinking about it 🙃🙂🙃

[hecatemoon87]

Mando Mad Max

In a galaxy far, far away...

Chapter Four: A Gift From Max

It was early morning when Max set out to find a new ship. Un Hango and he had returned to the crash site on Hoth, but waves of snow had buried the ship even deeper than before.

So, when Meira woke up later that morning, only Un Hango was in the compound.

Meira stretched and yawned before getting dressed and wandering out to watch Un Hango work on the cargo ramp of his ship.

"Good Morning," Meira said, as she approached. Un Hango glanced up and smiled, "Morning," he replied, wiping some sweat from his brow.

"Where did Max go?" she asked, looking around the compound.

"He went out on my speeder this morning to buy a new ship," he said, tweaking a rusted bolt off the ramp.

"I see," Meira said, placing her hands in her pockets. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"No, you're fine. According to Max, you're a bit clumsy," Un Hango said, chuckling.

"He's exaggerating. I don't know what he has against me," she said, frowning.

"I don't believe he has anything against you. He seems rather fond of you, actually," Un Hango said, tossing the tool he was using into a metal box beside him.

"Fond of me?" Meira asked, surprised.

Un Hango nodded then bending down to grab a can of lubricant that he started spraying liberally on a rusted hinge. "Max, he's a loner, even for a Mandalorian. I've know him for eight years, and he's talked more to me in these last few days than over those eight years."

"About what?" Meira asked.

"You," Un Hango said.

"Not he hasn't, stop teasing me," Meira said, rolling her eyes.

Un Hango shrugged, "It's true."

"If he likes me so much, why is he taking me back to Naboo then?"

"Has he taken you back? I mean, you've been here for four days. He could have taken my ship at any time and delivered you to your parents," he said, wiping his hands on a blue towel.

Meira said nothing then. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don't know. Whatever. He should just tell me his intentions so I don't go crazy trying to figure him out."

Un Hango said nothing and focused on securing a new bolt in place of the old one. Meira kicked the ground, trying to think of something else to ask. The question she really wanted to know was, why was he called Mad Max?

Finally, she decided to ask, hoping Un Hango wouldn't be so abrasive as Max had been.

"Why is he called Mad Max?"

Un Hango continued his work, focusing on the bolt he was wrenching on. He was silent for so long that Meira thought that perhaps he hadn't heard her. But before she asked again, he spoke. "Look, that's something he should tell you, not me."

"I tried, but he got really upset with me," Meira said.

Again, he remained silent, as if in pensive thought. Right when Meira decided to just give up ever knowing why he was called Mad Max, Un Hango started the story.

"When Mandalore was being forced to join the Empire, we had a civil war. A lot of people died and a lot of us were exiled. Amongst the dead, was Max's family."

"You mean...his parents?" Meira asked.

"No, his wife and child," Un Hango said, turning to face her.

"That's...that's terrible," Meira said, softly.

"They didn't just die, they were murdered, in front of him. And Max...well, he kinda lost his mind," he said.

"Why would people call him Mad Max? That's a mean nick name considering what happened," Meira said, a little shocked that he had previously had a family.

"Well, most don't know his story. They just encountered him once and notice he's not all there at times. Plus he can be super aggressive," Un Hango said.

"He shot me with maximum taser," Meira said, touching her chest.

"Yeah, well, knowing him, that he hurt you, he feels really bad about it. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, you like him."

"What? No, that's ridiculous," Meira said, folding her arms and looking embarrassed.

"The way you look at him suggests you have a crush," Un Hango said, laughing softly.

Meira blushed again and was going to continue her protest when she heard a speeder bike coming in for landing. She leveled a hand over her eyes to block out the sun and saw that it was Max returning.

Max was dressed in full Mando attire, helmet covering his face. He got off the speeder and headed over to Meira and Un Hango.

"Where's the ship?" Un Hango asked.

"They said they needed to replace a couple power converters and I can pick it up by end of week," Max said, taking off his helmet.

He removed a box from the speeder and approached Meira. His voice was low and flat when he spoke to Un Hango, but when speaking to Meira, is was soft and warm. He looked over and Un Hango, waiting from him to look away.

Un Hango go the message and returned to work. Max, looking less uncomfortable now that another male wasn't watching, handed the box to Meira.

"What's this?" she asked, taking it from him.

"Uh, just something I picked up while searching for a ship," he said, glancing away awkwardly. "You can open it now, if you want."

Meira slowly removed the lid of the box and found nestled inside a blue and silver blaster. Her eyes widen and took it carefully out from the box. "Max, wow. Thank you, it's beautiful."

Then her face fell a little and Max noticed.

"What?" he asked with concerned.

"Well, it's amazing. But my parents wouldn't allow me to keep a weapon. They'll think it...unrefined," she said sadly, placing the blaster back into the box.

"Um, you're not back on Naboo yet, so you can hold on to it for now," Max said.

"Would you help me practice some more, maybe? If you have time, of course," Meira said.

"Yeah, we can. How about now?" Max replied.

As they walked away to the makeshift shooting range they had set up the other day, Meira happened to glance back at Un Hango. He gave her a wink and a knowing smile.

[fluffypotatey]

watching Leverage: ep 6

ok had myself some dinner, now i'm snacking on fries, LET'S GET INTO IT

Before we go:

the episode we're diving into is called "The Stork Job" and according to @0hheytherebigbadwolf, they await my tears (whatever the fuck that means, she grumbles nervously).

so, if i do cry, everybody blame them for that (i kid, i kid..........unless 👀)

anyway, last episode, we got to see more of our lovely crew working on the spot and they sure did deliver!

Eliot, our boy, was able to work out who the hostage was for the robbers were AND take out the men who were the reason the two were robbing the bank

alec, my boy, along with parker, my queen, expertly impersonated the fucking fbi without a hitch and parker was even able to sneak into the back to steal the briefcase full of money

another thing, i love how even when the episode only has minor characters for that one episode, they still feel like fully fleshed out people. the cops that alec and parker had to fool? they felt like bumbling cops for a small town (we even got a hint of the sheriff's and the judge's friendship(?) towards the end which I thought was awesome. the bank tellers? they felt like people and not stoic stock characters.

i applaud the writers room

anyway, ON WITH THE SHOW

the episode

oh no we starting off sad :(

parker :((((((( she knows....she KNOWS THE SIGNS OF ABUSE :(((((

FUCK YOU BESTIE (i'm kidding, i love you)

oh....we are mentioning how they got any orphans???? are we...will they discuss this?

the war....how vague -_-

SOPHIE YOU QUEEN

she scammed the embassy??? queen shit

lmao they're dunking on eliot about how to pick up girls. eliot: "i'm not an amature" sophie: "of course not! but i'd peg you at a level 2 and she's a level 20"

oh??? driver man has the hots for parker??? 1) great for their plan but 2) i am now worried for parker

if she gets hurt itsg i will be upSET

she lost sight of him when she went to try and take his wallet. this man knows those kind of moves and i am worried.

alec??? getting jealous??? or am i looking into this too much, more on 11

"ranch in texas?" HOW SHE GOT HOOKED shit man, is that what i need to do? but i don't have a ranch :( i can't even use a lasso T^T

nathan is so bothered about sophie's tips to eliot "you were manipulating me???" "i was a thief" "our love not real :(" "we are on the clock, nathan, for god's sake"

poor alec being the third wheel to all this

ok driver man making his move on parker, and she's trying so hard to get info from him. parker, baby, i am so worried for you. i don't like this man and he seems like the stalker type.

PARKER DON'T WORRY I WILL COMFORT YOU

the fact that this case is hitting a little too close for her my girlie :(((

YES STAB HIM BITCH THAT'S WHAT HE GETS ok nobody get mad at parker or i WILL hurt them

lol the others guys are so confused.

PARKER JUST JUMPED OFF THE LEDGE???? WHERE'D SHE GO???

good on eliot using the movie thing

steal a movie??? you mean a bootleg????

they did not just- omg

alec trying to reassure parker that they're not just a team(in dom toretto's voice: "we're family")

SOPHIE YOU QUEEN

she wrote a script, she gave herself the role of the nun, THERE'S WEREWOLVES???

NATHAN YOU WHIPPED SON OF A BITCH

YES SOPHIE YOU DID SO GOOD. oscars, it's what she deserves

oooooh nice little plan there to ensure she brings the boy

awwww parker doesn't want to be babysat (bc she feels it undermines her and that they don't trust her) but alec tells her that no one asked him to T^T he just wants to look out for her ok ;-; he cares ok!

you got this parker! something tells me creepy driver man will make a comeback and i won't like it.

something FISHY is going on here in this orphanage! where be the children? why are there trucks with cargo that isn't children?

WE FOUND THE CHILDREN

CURSE MY SENSITIVE SOUL I WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS EPISODE

parker is about to cry HOW DARE

parker going rogue again. kick their ass!

ALEC :(((( BABY

NOT NANA :((((

THEY ARE BONDING T^T

HUG HER! SHE NEEDS IT!

"they're gonna turn out like me" PARKER NO

"i like how you turned out" ALEC YOU SMOOTH MOTHERFUCKER

alec really wants to help the other orphans T^T i'm on his side. i'd provide a wonderful distraction as they helped the children escape! (i'd die but still)

oh no! how ever will our crew save all the orphans....ah jee, i am stumped. (i WILL believe they'll save all of them or so help me! realism be damned!)

oop the jig is up! she's been fooled! (your death scene was nice tho)

we still got 15 more minutes...i reFUSE to believe this is the end

where's parker????

YES GIRL

but why didn't you tell alec tho??? he'd help you

she's trying so hard to get them out ;-; don't laugh at her she's trying!!!! even here she's so adorable

omfg so they'll leave for Häagen Dazs? silly children

KICK HIS ASS PARKER

SHIT NO WAIT HANDS OFF BITCH

YEAH KICK HIS ASS

YES AHAHAHAHA i love her so much

sophie! that means the gang's here! oooooh the police? or is it just an audio recording???

YEAH ELIOT

how dare they scare me for second. i thought parker was gonna get shot! did nathan really stop that bus just so they could figure out the guns were props???? really nathan?

oh alec i know you felt so cool doing that in front of parker. walk in strut in with your little button, press it, and the building explodes. yeah

nathan is such a dad and how he calmed parker down about where the kids would get help

awwww alec!! he was worried about you parker!! THAT SMILE YEAH I SAW IT!

general thoughts

my parker feels were attacked today. will i recover? yes, but i'll need a minute or something. i just...she understood how much the foster system would fuck up these kids and didn't want to see that, but also knew that where they were was just as bad and T^T

AND ALEC, ALEC WHO UNDERSTOOD AS WELL! he already knew she was going through it. and he wanted to help, but also wasn't going to push even if he saw how much it troubled her T^T AND THE FACT THAT HE WAS WORRIED AND WANTED TO HELP THE KIDS UGH MY HEART

how parker called back to alec's comment about how they're "a little more" than a team all up close and personal and he was totally blushing don't @ me.

nathan/sophie were cute and it was fun seeing nathan a little miffed that sophie would use her charm for anyone when thieving (like it wasn't just their thing jfc nathan you are down so bad). it was cute. i like how she's one of the only people he struggles to lie to also.

but yeah. good episode, we got character stuff and i am all about that. until next time!

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

Hello! It’s Winter! I wanted a touching, heart breaking story. A break from my smut 😜

Precious Cargo

“Mr. President.”

Emmanuel looked up to see an advisor step cautiously into his office. This man was new to his staff, only having worked at the palace for a little over 2 months.

“What is it? I’m busy,” Emmanuel explained rudely, tapping on the screen of his iPhone for the 30th time.

“It’s your wife,” the man spoke softly, knowing what that sentence would do to the man behind the desk.

Emmanuel froze upon hearing the word “wife.” He knew Brigitte’s plane was expected back in 30 minutes, from a trip he wished she hadn’t gone on. He had a bad feeling the morning of her departure and couldn’t shake it, no matter how hard he tried to tell himself nothing would happen.

Now, he understood why his body signals were so strong.

Emmanuel managed to get his question out, “What happened?”

The advisor cleared his throat, “The… Madame’s plane was struck by lightning. And… we lost signal. The plane vanished, Sir.”

The whole world - Emmanuel's world - stopped.

He tried to catch his breath, but he couldn’t, it was impossible. His lungs had failed, and he desperately needed to lie down. No, this couldn’t be happening. He needed to see her, to touch her, to hold her and never let her go again. Why hadn’t she listened? Why did she insist on this ridiculous trip?

“I’m so sorry, Sir,” the man spoke, trying to fill the void of silence with comforting words. “I know how much you loved.…”

“No! Don’t say that! Stop talking! My wife is not gone! She’s not!!!” Emmanuel shouted, getting louder with each word. “Get out!!!”

The man quickly turned around and ran toward the hallway. He had been picked to deliver the bad news, and he hated every second of it. Everyone knew what Brigitte meant to Emmanuel. The messenger knew he was going into a warzone before he even stepped into that office.

Emmanuel couldn’t just sit behind his stupid desk. The presidency and all the shit that went with it suddenly meant nothing to him. He needed answers.

How does a plane suddenly vanish off the radar? Why was his wife flying in horrible conditions? Who was this idiot pilot? Didn’t he realize he had precious cargo onboard?

Emmanuel took a few steps toward the door but he had to stop. Running in the opposite direction toward his private bathroom, he emptied the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. He didn’t have the strength to stand up, instead, he remained on the cold floor waiting for another round to come out of his body.

Sitting up against the wall, he buried his head in his hands, finally allowing the tears to flow freely.

“Emmanuel?”

He thought he had heard the sound of heels just a few moments ago, but he assumed he was dreaming. Garnering all the energy his body could manage, he rose from the floor and into her arms.

“Chéri! What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She asked, her voice shaking with fear after finding her husband in the fetal position.

He didn’t answer with words, because words weren’t enough, but with actions instead. After he was done kissing her face, his hands found the strap of her dress and pulled them down, revealing her red strapless bra.

“Honey! Stop! What are you doing?” Brigitte asked, stepping back. Ordinarily, she would never stop him but she could tell something was wrong. Besides, she could smell something unpleasant in the bathroom and she needed fresh air.

Emmanuel brought her to the couch and pulled her onto his lap, squeezing her so tight she thought she was going to burst.

“What has gotten into you? You couldn’t have missed me that much. I was only gone for 12 hours,” Brigitte laughed nervously, not having seen her husband behave like this since they first started dating.

“I was told your plane was struck by lightning and that they lost signal.” He stated, “I … I thought I lost you.”

She cradled his head against her chest, “Sweetheart, it wasn’t that bad. There was some lightning but the plane was never hit. We landed safely. See! I’m right here - all in one piece.”

“Brig - don’t ever joke about that!!” He shook his head realizing how aggressive his tone had been. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I am not myself right now.” She continued to hold him tightly, running her fingers through his wavy hair. “It’s okay, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until she needed to get up and use the restroom. “Emmanuel … Emmanuel?” She tried to move his body but he wouldn’t budge. He had finally fallen asleep in her arms.

Helloo Winter! ❤️

I think someone is about to get fired 😅 Or i would probably even quit myself straight away, out of shame 😂

But poor Manu, his was really upside down for a few minutes there. I’m glad you didn’t keep the anguish for too long and Brigitte showed up quickly. But not so ready to smell Emmanuel’s vomit, even for some woohoo time 😂

Him falling asleep in her arms 🥰

Thank you so much, Winter! ❤️❤️❤️

[genavere]

Fairy Tail - RE:Script

Episode One: Hargeon

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter 5

“Looks like we might need a new Salamander,” a hulk of a man chuckled, a rough, gravel sound that did not fit well with the clean medical space surrounding them. “All reports say he doesn’t have a scar on his face.”

“Shut up.” Bora winced, the needle bringing out fresh blood from the wounds as the hulk stitched his nose back together. “How bad is it?”

The chortles ended in a coughing fit and instead of pulling on the thread, he pressed another pad of disinfectant ooze into the still open teeth holes as his body shook. “If the others hadn’t come, you’d be Bora the Prominently Nose-Less.”

“Fuck that wench,” he grumbled, grinding his teeth together. The curved needle started to dig into his flesh again to pull the holes closed. Blood rolled down his face and dripped continuously onto his once spotless white shirt. He cursed himself for not splurging on the spell to keep it pristine the merchant had tried to up sell. It would have saved needing to purchase a new outfit since he knew nothing would get all of the blood out.

The first thing he did when he got the first chunk of ransom money for her would be to fix his face and buy a new white shirt with the spell. “What of our other guests?”

A smile deformed the giant’s face and lifted his cheeks so high, they pushed into his eyes and made the whites disappear. “All are asleep and being processed.”

“Good.” He winced at a particularly harsh tug on the stitches. “This crop looked pretty decent. Should be able to pay back some debits and fill our pockets until the next harvest.”

“And the one who nearly had your nose for dinner?” Laughter filled the room once more, much like the man it came from.

“Laugh it up,” he growled, “but that wench will bring us a lot of jewel. I am already planning what to send her dear daddy to prove we have her and how to get the first round of random payments from him. We’ll be rolling in the jewels, and we won’t even have to deliver her—Dammit!” He hissed in pain as a wad of bandages pressed against the stitched area on his nose and then wrapped around his face and head to hold it down.

“Done,” the hulk grunted and stretched as he stood up from his crouched position. “Don’t be gettin’ into any fist fights, you hear? One swing against your nose, and it might fall off.”

Bora gave him a bewildered look, uncertain if he spoke true or not. Not that it mattered, they had at least a week’s worth of sailing to get to Bosco, and from there, he would only be working to wring out as much from the crop as he could.

“It is a good thing the bait didn’t work, then.”

Standing from the medical bed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the large mirror on the wall and scowled. Dried blood flaked from stained skin on his face and neck. All of his clothes were stained by the blood he lost. From under the very white bandage that contrasted his tan, the skin had puffed up and turned red from the abuse. The beauty he used along with his ring of charm had been ruined by that blonde bitch.

Clenching his fists together, he muttered a quick thanks to the medic and left.

Stepping out onto the hallway, his ears were assaulted by music that blared over the speakers to drown out any screams of terror if the cargo woke up. Party lights made the whole ship glow in a yellow pigment that changed hues with different bulbs of color.

Coming to a railing, he looked down at his men as they moved back and forth over the deck carrying unconscious women from the party area to the cages below. Before they went into the hatch, another crew member checked to make sure each woman had a stamp somewhere on their person. The symbol of a stylized X, Bora’s own symbol he sported on his forehead, with a registered trade number. It marked them as property and made them easier to find if they tried to run away.

When the auction houses and slave markets bought them, a new stamp would adorn their flesh. After that, they would no longer be his and he cared little for their wellbeing after the goods and jewel had been swapped.

The thought brought a smile to his lips, but winced as it tugged at his stitches and pain pulsed from the bite wound. It brought the sour taste of acid to his throat and anger in his gut.

Gripping the railing, he focused on the thrill of commandeering the ship when they stopped in Alveraz several months earlier. The decks had been scrubbed clean of the blood that had come from the unfortunate crew, and much like that night, he watched the disappearing lights of Hargeon.

Many of the lights were apartments and homes. How many of them had people staying up to wait for their loved ones to come home after a once-in-a-lifetime party with the Salamander of Fairy Tail? How many would fall asleep not knowing their loved ones would never come home again?

Yes, taking on the name Salamander had been a huge payoff. Each settlement they went to, people flocked to see him, all wanting to glimpse the famed wizard. Thankfully, they had not run into any members of the Fairy Tail guild while working to gather a healthy number of stock.

Unfortunately, they had never run into the real Salamander. At least one of the targets on their list had been captured.

One might think he would feel bad for doing such despicable acts against fellow human beings, but where one had a conscience, he had pockets lined with jewel. Nothing could beat the overwhelming rush one felt knowing the power they held over other people’s lives!

Against the pain and pull, he let out a gruff laugh, amused by how easy it was to gather up the weak with such simple tricks. If those who had laughed at him while growing up and from his old guild could see him now, they would grovel at the power he held!

“If only you all could see me now!” Laughter kept bubbling up, the pride of his accomplishments mixed with the pain. “All of you would bow before me and look ridiculous—!”

Shudders rocked the ship and an explosion nearly sent him over the railing he held onto. Tightening his grip, he felt the ship heave heavily to one side and feared it would capsize, but the stabilizer kicked in and rocked back and forth. Another explosion hit from the back.

The horizon spun around and the ship careened sideways in the water. Clunks and metal whined as it bent in ways the ship had not been built to handle. Sirens began to wail over the speakers, replacing the music that had been blaring.

“Fuck!” Looking out at the horizon again, he was surprised to no longer see the harbor they had been sailing from. Only the wide, open ocean spread out before him. Confused, he rushed to the side and looked along the edges of the ship for damage and to pinpoint their position.

Waves spread out from the sides of the ship even with the rocking minimizing. Smoke bellowed up from the stern, concealing the poop deck and the waters by the propellers. The view that he had seen just seconds before completely clouded.

Looking to the bow of the ship, he paled. While it was obvious to him that they were not moving, once they started forward again, they would be heading back to the port they had departed from. Turning around would be time-consuming, and there was no word yet to say if the ship would still be seaworthy.

A shooting star caught his attention—no, his eyes widened in realization, not a shooting star. A flaming figure flew through the air at such a speed he barely had any time to react when it smashed into the upper decks. A blue and white figure racing after it.

Over the sirens, another sound attacked his senses and carried over the waters to those who began to gather on the docks. Lights that had gone out for the night began to flick on again. All knew the sound of a ship's bell, and its clear sound reverberated through his bones as realization hit him.

For the first time in all his years selling slaves, they were under attack.

Another smirk pulled at his stitches. “The trap has been sprung.”

#####

“This…” Natsu clenched his stomach. Everything around them tilted with the groaning metal. Each critical attack he sent into parts of the ship still carried waves to port. A rolling, heated wave of discomfort made its wave from his internal guts pasted his buttocks and down his legs concurrently. An uncomfortable pressure, at the same time, pressed all around his spine and made his internal axis spin.

Salvia pooled in his mouth, threatening to drown him if he did not swallow or let it rain down. A good lean to one side bought one hand over his mouth and pinching his nose. No, bringing up all that food Lucy had bought for them would be a huge waste! It had all tasted so good, too.

After a solid minute of fighting the unprecedented need his body demanded, he swallowed everything back and gulped down fresh air. “This might have been…a bad idea.”

“But we gotta find Lucy!” Happy circled around to land and released his magic. “And you said the scent ended at the pier, so she must be on the ship.”

“I know…gimme a bit.” Taking a deep breath through his nose, he tried to focus on the scents around the ship. A chaotic mess of salt, metal, body odor, and perfume were only some of what he caught. Still, no one could beat him when it came to tracking, he just needed to get the scent first.

A hum caught his attention and everything calmed around them. The urge to regurgitate everything from his guts receded and he managed to get to his feet. “So, where do you think they’d keep her on this death trap?”

“Beats me,” Happy shrugged, then pointed to the ceiling above Natsu, “but maybe he knows!”

Natsu looked up at the hole they created and the decks above that they had gone through. Looking down at them from a few decks up gapped a face more hair than anything else.

Stomping a foot down, Natsu scowled at the man above. “Hey you! Get your smelly ass down here and show me where you have Lucy! Don’t you dare leave—come back here!”

A loud crack of a bell told them exactly what the man had disappeared to do. The vibrations and jarring pitch made Natsu wince. “Dammit, why’d he have to go do that?”

Glancing down the hallway each way, he raised his nose into the air and began long, deep sniffs of the air. “The stench of men on this thing is gross.”

“Do you think you will be able to find her scent?”

“’Course!” he grinned. “No one can hide from this nose!”

Moving around the ship, smelling the air while standing, crawling, and bent over, there were many things he picked up on. One, most of the men on the ship never owned a bar of soap in their life—when he had been younger, baths had been the enemy, but he had learned their importance, much to his chagrin. Two, women had been brought through the halls recently. Perfume, both cheap and refined, lingered in the air.

Some went to rooms and the scent changed after, like a mingling of the perfume and the men. A stone settled in his gut when he realized exactly what they meant. Worried gnawed on him as Lucy’s scent continued to evade him, but a different smell he recognized finally seeped through.

“Happy!”

“Aye!” The cat flew up with sprouted wings and grabbed onto the back of his pack. They flew through the hallways at Natsu’s directions, flying at a speed that left no room for errors. Yelling and stomping echoed through the corridors around them. The sounds echoed and bounced off the walls in a confusing haze of noise, but no crewmembers had come across them yet. In the maze of corridors, the search between the two factions went on, and only the path of that scent kept them from getting lost.

“There!” He pointed at a door at the end of the corridor. The scent coming from it reeked of the fake Salamander. If the smell had a visual color, the metal would have glowed. Happy set him down in front of it and settled on his shoulder.

Natsu braced himself for the twisting in his gut and his equilibrium to spin. Glancing at his hands, he frowned and shared a look with Happy. Everything felt fine. The rocking of the ship had nearly disappeared and he felt he could handle navigating without being carried around.

Grinning, flames burst over his fists. “All right! I’m all fired up!”

Neither would have been able to truthfully say if the door had been locked or not before it erupted off the hinges and bent the wall of the opposite wall. Smoke clung to their clothes and skin as they stepped through the mangled doorway and began looking around.

Somehow, it came to no surprise to either of them that the room sprawled out larger than a normal bunk on a ship would. On one side, a large, opulent bed took up most of the space with one side with a bedside table that held a lacrima lamp, empty bottles, and an assortment of random items. The other side of the bed had what looked like torn clothing. A mixture of floral perfumes came from the pile, but none of them matched Lucy’s.

On the other side, a large wardrobe stood next to a desk with a map above it and papers scattered over the surface. A chaotic organization, their teacher would have called the room. Still, a stench filled the room that even Happy could smell. Bottles of cologne covered the wall by the porthole, along with several pictures of the man they saw Lucy punch earlier. Each one had him either alone or with different people in different landmarks. Always with the same, obnoxious smile, dressed in fancy clothes, and with an air of arrogance that boiled their blood.

“This guy’s a real loser,” Happy said.

“You got that right, buddy,” he uttered, voice pitched upward with his hand covering his nose. The cologne hit him harder than he thought, and made getting a good sense of the room harder.

Still, it became obvious that no one had been in the room recently, all the scents that did not come from the bottles were stale. Happy cheerfully went around and threw all the bottles out into the hallway where they shattered until Natsu could actually get a deep breath in.

A tinge of familiar floated around.

At the end of the bed sat an ornate chest, top flat and held down with a latch and metal lock. Grinning, he let out a dark chuckle as he took the metal into his palm. Heat shown through in reds, pinks, yellows, all the way to white. The top became fluid like in nature as it pulled down and dropped onto the expensive rug below. A burning smell hinted at the damage to the fabric.

Inside the chest, several stacks of jewel filled half of it, along with folders of paperwork with official seals. On the other side, a familiar backpack sat on top of gems and trinkets with a ring of keys attached to it. The ragged fabric looked out of place compared to everything else in the room and one quick sniff told him everything he needed. “Yeah, this belongs to Lucy, all right.”

“Natsu,” Happy exclaimed, “those keys look just like Teacher’s!”

“Yeah, they do,” he frowned. “You don’t think Lucy is related to Teach, do ya?”

“Maybe, but why wouldn’t either of them mention it?”

“I dunno.” He held out the bag for Happy to take and noticed another file. “Hey! That’s Teach’s name!”  

“’Lucy Heartfilia,’ so that means they have to be related!”

“Let’s put this in the bag and find her!” He let out an excited chuckle and shoved the file in the bag unceremoniously. “They will be so excited to see each other.”

Before he closed up the bag, they shared a grin and grabbed several stacks of jewel and threw them inside, too. Once Teach saw how Lucy dressed, he was certain he would be told to take her to his tailor, and this would help her get whatever she would want.  

With Happy following behind with the bag, they left the room and headed down the corridors again. They tried to follow the yelling from before, but could never seem to figure out where exactly it originated from. It irritated him. The echoing bounced off the walls, growing louder and softer with each corridor they found themselves in.

“Dammit! This thing is a maze!”

“Why don’t we try going down?” Happy looked behind them. “I remember seeing a stairwell a couple turns back.”

“Great idea, Happy!”

“Maybe then we can—” An explosion sent debris flying around him. Blinking in surprise, he looked back to see the large hole Natsu had punched into the floor and the darkness below. “That works.”

“You betcha, it does!”

Kneeling down, they glanced into the vastness below. The voices they had been hearing before echoed up from the depths, but ceased as the eruption of the ceiling caused most of the crew to look up in surprise. Some of them still carried women over their shoulders, others had unloaded already and had been heading up to gather more of the haul.

All around the vast cavern below, cages lined the floor, and over half of them had women locked in them in various stages of dress and condition. Most were still asleep, unknowing of the dangers that they had stumbled upon when they came for the party.

A scent from below caught him off guard, taking his attention away from the crew that were barking out orders and scrambling to gather weapons or to drop off their women. Wet and metallic, Lucy’s scent hit like a punch. All through his body, his veins pumped and an all-consuming rage pulsed through him. Her blood had been split in the pit below.

The fake Salamander had not only used his title to capture women, but had hurt her, too. Claws dug into his palms. Standing at the edge of the hole, he jumped down without Happy’s help, and landed between several cages. Two of them were empty, the others had women who reeked of their own body odor and fecal matter—he could tell they had been there for a while.

“Happy,” he called, stepping forward as a few of the crew began to rush at him. Pointing in a direction, he glared up at the men and growled. “I need you to go that way and find Lucy.”

A fist landed hard into the gut of the first crew member. Spittle flew from the man’s mouth, weapon falling uselessly to the ground from limp fingers. Before he or any of the others could react, another fist caught the side of his head. Emblazoned with scorching heat and fire, it sizzled the skin and boiled his eyeball before he went flying into an empty cage. The impact left a crater in the side of his head that left no hesitation of his condition.

Happy looked in the direction he had been directed. “You can smell her here?” Seeing the state of the women, he gripped the bag tighter in his paws. Lucy seemed so nice, why would they put her in a place like this? “Don’t worry, if she is here, I will find her! You can count on me!” Following the direction given, he flew off through the rows of cages, and began to search each of them.

“Catch that ca—” Words erupted into hellish wails. Flames consumed the bodies of those who went to chase after Happy, their limbs flayed around, bodies dropped and rolled. Each breath they took burned their insides, yet they could not stop the screams.

The others glanced at their companions. Screams faded to silence and only the flames consuming the fat of their bodies could be heard.

Smoke funneled through Natsu’s fangs; lips pulled back in a snarl. A potent scent of fresh urine came from the crew members as red-gleamed eyes narrowed on them. “I don’t like what you are doing here,” he snarled. Flames spread over his knuckles and licked up his fists and arms. Once cool, wet air grew humid and thick. Sweat stained clothes and slid over flesh. “And I think it’s about time someone put a stop to it right now!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Do I have excuses on why this was not published on Sept 22nd as promised?

Yes, yes, I do. Are they good ones? Maybe.

I can say, I have many stories that I have been working on since September as I worked on Whumptober, NaNoWriMo, and then participated in not one, not two, BUT THREE secret santas that involved writing the gifts. By the end of December, I had to take a break from writing everyday.

The next chapter for this is edited (tho not beta'ed--I decided to give them a break after I dropped the ball), and I am working on the last two for editing. There might be an extra chapter of bloopers when this is all done, and maybe a Q&A invite to my Tumblr.

I am part of @theguildawards discord server, and we were discussing ways to get more interactions between authors and readers. One of the suggestions we were thinking about was asking questions at the end of the chapter for the readers to answer.

Answer as many or as little as you want, but maybe you will get a shout-out on the next chapter if you participate in this experiment!

Also, I know I have to go back and answer a bunch of reviews. For some reason, posting on social media lately has felt very daunting, and I had to push myself to do this tonight.

Questions for the Reader:

1) What part surprised you the most during this chapter? 2) Did it evolve in ways that you expected? Did it do something you weren't? 3) Were you excited about a certain part? Disappointed? 4) Still feeling like you want to keep reading? 5) Tell me your thoughts on the chapter, freeform!

Links: AO3 (Is locked to registered AO3 users) | FF.net

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[hasufin]

The banality of disaster

i just finished reading an oddly fascinating book: The Wreck of the Carl D. Bradley.

This book, as you might have guessed from the subtle title, is about the sinking of the SS. Carl D. Bradley.

On paper, this should be a pretty damned boring book. Interesting to a very select group of people, certainly, but not of general interest.

If you're unfamiliar - which you almost certainly are, because even if you're "into" this sort of thing this disaster was far overshadowed by the more famous Edmund Fitzgerald, which at least got a song - the facts are thus:

The Carl Bradley was a Great Lakes freighter which hauled stone - mostly limestone - for the Michigan Limestone company.

In a heavy storm on November 18. 1958 the ship broke apart (either wholly or partially) due to hogging (wave action which exerted longitudinal force on the ship) and sank rapidly. Due to the intensity of the storm, rescue efforts largely failed and ultimately only two of the 37 men on the ship were rescued.

Subsequent investigation was unable to determine any particular cause of the wreck, and the inquiry concluded the Master of the ship had exercised poor judgement in going out in the storm. The only substantial recommendations were to improve the life vests of the time to have crotch straps, as there was some indication that some of the men drowned due to having to hold their flotation devices and thus became exhausted; and some improvements in the life rafts and lifeboats.

Now, the death of 35 people is not unimportant, but all told this doesn't seem to have the makings of an entire book. There's no thrilling conclusion, there's no unlikely hero, and even the technical details are wanting: a ship went out in a heavy Autumn storm and sank.

Schumacher does, however, bring a great deal of value in contextualizing and humanizing the story. He discusses some of the crew and officers, explaining why they were on that ship at that time - which ran the gamut from ambitious men who hoped to become captain or chief engineer, to those whose families were intertwined with sailing on the Great Lakes, to those who were somewhat less tethered and simply glad to get some regular income until they moved on to the next thing.

He talks about the community which was hit hard by this tragedy: the bulk of those lost came from a single small town which existed largely to serve the limestone industry. And here one is stuck by the difference in the era: of police and company representatives driving to the homes of each family affected not just out of respect but also necessity: many of them did not even have telephones. It's hard to really wrap a modern mind around the void of information, reliant on radio, hand-delivered material, and actual visitors for all news.

One point of frustration is the technical detail. Now, to be sure, there is some and it's a difficult matter to gauge how much to include. Moreover, no one has ever proven any exact cause. Eyewitness accounts say the ship broke in two amidships: that the survivors who were in the fore of the ship saw the deck tear apart and the fore and aft separate. Later investigation found the ship appearing to rest as one piece, but subsequent dives discovered that the ship had broken apart but the pieces came to rest together - though there is some suspicion the keel held together.

But no one has proven specific defects in the ship which would have caused this wreck. On the other hand, while the storm was exceptional, the Carl Bradley should have been able to weather it.

(My own suspicion is that it was a confluence of issues: the steel used in ships laid down at that time sometimes had excess sulfur, which made it brittle in cold conditions; the design of that particular ship made it more prone to twisting and hogging than most other ships; auto-loaders like the Carl Bradley - that is, a ship designed to be able to load and unload its own cargo rather than being reliant on dockside equipment - took more wear and more damage than similar ships as they could cycle faster and serve less-frequented harbors. there was some deferred maintenance which may have contributed; and modern weather models suggest Great Lakes storms could be more treacherous than was understood at the time. With the benefit of hindsight the captain should have taken refuge instead of trying to keep schedule, and most (but not all) other ships did just that; but it seems he did reasonably think his ship could handle it, and was fatally wrong.)

Yet what all this shows is that you can provide an interesting enough story without the typical elements. sufficiently humanized, just surviving is sufficient.