#TWO DOWN ONE TO GO

[teehee-vibes]

Thinking of Jay and Drey today…

[ralfmaximus]

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing failed to complete required inspections on 787 Dreamliner planes and whether Boeing employees falsified aircraft records, the agency said this week. The investigation was launched after an employee reported the problem to Boeing management, and Boeing informed the FAA.

Countdown to next whistleblower assassination in 3, 2, 1...

[starshipoftheseus]

JOEY JOEY JOEY JOEY JOEY [bursts into tears]

[teartra]

VEE NOCEDA IS CANON EVERYONEE

[aworldinpages]

February Reviews

As you might have seen if you are an avid reader of this blog, I posted my one-paragraph reviews for January a couple of days ago. I know it’s April, but I’m in my Easter holidays from uni and thus, have a little time to bash out my reviews. So, here is February:

Click here to read more!

[kanerallels]

Okay whose brilliant idea was it to cram a bunch of teenagers and some way too enthusiastic about sports adults into a room where everything echoes SO MUCH?

[ari-the-arotistic]

59 Sparrow & Norrington

Title: The tragic irony of Commodore James Norrington

Author: James Norrington(Ari_the_Arotistic)

Rating: General Audiences

Pairings: James Norrington/Jack Sparrow

Summary:

James has found himself stuck in the locker. An unlikely rescuer comes to save him

-

Prompt 59: No way out

-

James sighed softly as he looked out across the endless waves of the sea, the scorching sun beating harshly down upon him, piercing through his uniform, and practically boiling him alive with its heat as he sat on the edge of an infinite desert, trapped here for all eternity. Davy Jones' locker. He never would've believed it was real, had he not been sent there himself upon his death on the Flying Dutchman. There were still times when it was hard to believe that any of the strange, mystical things he had encountered since he met Jack Sparrow nearly two years ago had been real. Had it been two years? Or longer? He couldn't tell. He had long since lost count of how long he had been trapped here, sitting on the edge of a desert, waiting for salvation or death, neither of which seemed likely at this point. It could have been mere hours, or even decades. It was all a blur. There were times where he could see the Dutchman sailing across the horizon, ferrying the souls of the dead, and he would feel a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, it would come and rescue him from this prison, but it never happened, and he would watch, crestfallen, as it sailed out of view once more. It was a torturous cycle, but deep down, he knew he deserved it for every wrong decision he had made when he had still been alive, starting with following Sparrow into that hurricane. That didn't make it hurt any less. With another sigh, James laid back in the dry, hot sand, closing his eyes, and hoping that if he laid here long enough, the locker would swallow him whole. He had no idea how long he laid there for. It could've been minutes, or hours, or even days. However long it had been, it had been enough time for someone to row ashore, and walk over to him, all without him noticing until they were standing right in front of him, their shadow blocking out the blinding sun, giving James the first taste of shade he had gotten since he died. Slowly, he cracked open one of his eyes, and was pleasantly surprised to see none other then Jack Sparrow standing before him.

"You look awful, mate." Jack huffed in that drunken drawl of his, and James' heart flooded with joy at hearing that familiar voice once again.

"Jack!" James cried happily, sitting up so fast it made him dizzy. He wasn't sure if Jack was really here, or if he was just some illusion to torment him, but at the moment he didn't really care. He was a welcome distraction, real or not. "What are you doing here?" He asked eagerly as Jack held out a hand and helped him get to his feet. Instead of answering the question, Jack pulled James closer to him, their faces practically inches apart as Jack's obsidian black eyes bore into James's sea green ones, his breath catching in his throat at the action.

"Was it worth it?" Jack asked suddenly, catching James even further off guard.

"What do you mean?" James asked in reply, not quite sure what kind of answer Jack was looking for.

"Don't play dumb, Commodore." Jack growled, pulling James just a bit closer in his anger. "Giving the heart of Davy Jones to Beckett. Was it worth it?" The pirate repeated in a slow, contemptuous voice, his obsidian eyes glowing like embers beneath the scorching sun of the locker. Despite the heat, James felt himself shiver.

"I did what I had to do to regain my honor." He replied in a quiet voice, the words tasting sour on his tongue, though he did not back down.

"Thousands of innocent people died because of you. Is that what you'd call honor?" Jack hissed in reply, his tone practically dripping with venom. James frowned at that, the words piercing through his heart like a spike of ice.

"Is that why you came here? Just to rub it in my face that I'm a terrible person? Because if that's all you wanted, then you can go ahead and get back into your boat, and leave." He snapped sharply, his voice heavy with emotion. He quickly pulled away from Jack's grasp, and turned away from him, before starting to walk down the shore line, away from Jack, the rowboat, and his own guilt.

"And what about you then? How are you going to escape this place if I'm gone?" Jack called out after him as he jogged to keep with James, his face soon coming into view.

"I'll find a way." James huffed in reply, not slowing down as he tried to put more distance between the two of them.

"There is no way out, James! Not if you don't know what you're doing!" Jack exclaimed, reaching out to grab James' arm to slow him down, and something in James snapped.

"Then why the hell are you here, Jack?!" He yelled in reply as he came to a sudden stop, yanking his arm away from the other man. "If it's not to insult me, and it's not to rescue me, then what do you want?" He asked in a low growl, trying to figure out why Jack even came to the locker in the first place.

"What I want," Jack began in a low tone, poking a finger into James' chest, "is closure. So I'll ask again. Was it worth it?"

"Of course it wasn't!" James snapped in reply, all of his guilt coming to a boil, and coming out in an ugly rage. "Betraying you was the worst decision I ever made in my entire life! Are you happy now?" He asked venomously, fighting the urge to pull Jack close like the pirate had done to him just minutes before. Jack sighed softly, the fire leaving his eyes, and being replaced by something that James couldn't quite place.

"No." He replied simply, and James opened his mouth to make a scathing reply, before Jack continued. "But I do forgive you." He added softly, and James snapped his mouth shut, taken off guard again.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness." He replied in a small voice, shifting his gaze to the ground, unable to meet Jack's eyes.

"Well, you have it anyway." Jack replied with an awkward shrug, before the two of the fell into a strained silence. "Alright, come on, let's you get you out of here." He said with a soft sigh after a few minutes, before grabbing James' arm and dragging him back over to the rowboat. James just smiled softly, and let himself be dragged, glad to finally be able to leave this prison.

[egophiliac]

don't think I'm not still deep in the episode 7 brainrot. because OH BOY AM I

(also one more extremely, obnoxiously self-referential thing, I'm -- I'm so sorry)

[satelliteduster]

oh my god i forgot to post my absolute favorite strip from gay comix (issue #2, 1981)

[lorebird]

Sacrifices and parallels

[skillbattle]

umm hi happy juneteenth 👋🏽 im a freelancer who’s just trying to get by and pay my bills, if you’d like to support me in anyway today it would be highly appreciated!! 🫶🏽 kofi ☕️

[wired-heartbeats]

For the record I think Vox is being effected and possibly swayed by Val’s poison just like Angel is, the pink signifying it on Angel shows up on Voxs screen during and after interacting and being influenced by Val directly, when Vox is operating independently it isn’t an actual normal feature of his

This paired with an earlier moment from episode 2 when Val first mentioned something had happened with Angel Dust, Vox seemed happy about the idea of Angel quitting

“He quit? :D”

It’s interesting for sure, makes me wonder what Vox actually thinks about Angel, and more importantly, actually thinks about Valentino. He’s a business man, and clearly the Vees all teamed up (at least initially) because it helps elevate their status and power spread, they may be friendly with each other but we as an audience don’t actually know if there’s more to it as of now. But still, interesting

[starry-bi-sky]

i need to get this out of my head before i continue clone^2 but danny being the first batkid. Like, standard procedure stuff: his parents and sister die, danny ends up with Vlad Masters. He drags him along to stereotypical galas and stuff; Danny is not having a good time.

He ends up going to one of the Wayne Galas being hosted ever since elusive Bruce Wayne has returned to Gotham. Vlad is crowing about having this opportunity as he's been wanting to sink his claws into the company for a long while now. Danny is too busy grieving to care what he wants.

And like most Galas, once Vlad is done showing him off to the other socialites and the like, he disappears. Off to a dark corner, or to one of the many balconies; doesn't matter. There he runs into said star of the show, Bruce who is still young, has been Batman for at least a year at this point, but still getting used to all these damn people and socializing. He's stepped off to hide for a few minutes before stepping back into the shark tank.

And he runs into a kid with circles under his eyes and a dull gleam in them. Familiar, like looking into a mirror.

Danny tries to excuse himself, he hasn't stopped crying since his parents died and it's been months. He rubs his eyes and stands up, and stumbles over a half-hearted apology to Mister Wayne. Some of Vlad's etiquette lessons kicking in.

Bruce is awkward, but he softens. "That's alright, lad," he says, pulling up some of that Brucie Wayne confidence, "I was just coming out here to get some fresh air."

There's a little pressing; Bruce asks who he's here with, Danny says, voice quiet and grief-stricken, that he's with his godfather Vlad Masters. Bruce asks him if he knows where he is, and Danny tells him he does. Bruce offers to leave, Danny tells him to do whatever he wants.

It ends with Bruce staying, standing off to the side with Danny in silence. Neither of them say a word, and Danny eventually leaves first in that same silence.

Bruce looks into Vlad Masters after everything is over, his interest piqued. He finds news about him taking in Danny Fenton: he looks into Danny Fenton. He finds news articles about his parents' deaths, their occupations, everything he can get his hands on.

At the next gala, he sees Danny again. And he looks the same as ever: quiet like a ghost, just as pale, and full of grief. Bruce sits in silence with him again for nearly ten minutes before he strikes a conversation.

"Do you like to do anything?"

Nothing. Just silence.

Bruce isn't quite sure what to do: comfort is not his forte, and Danny doesn't know him. He's smart enough to know that. So he starts talking about other things; anything he can think of that Brucie Wayne might say, that also wasn't inappropriate for a kid to hear.

Danny says nothing the entire time, and is again the first to leave.

Bruce watches from a distance as he intercts with Vlad Masters; how Vlad Masters interacts with him. He doesn't like what he sees: Vlad Masters keeps a hand on Danny's shoulder like one would hold onto the collar of a dog. He parades him around like a trophy he won.

And there are moments, when someone gets too close or when someone tries to shake Danny's hand, of deep possessiveness that flints over Vlad Masters' eyes. Like a dragon guarding a horde.

He plays the act of doting godfather well: but Bruce knows a liar when he sees one. Like recognizes like.

Danny is dull-eyed and blank faced the entire time; he looks miserable.

So Bruce tries to host more parties; if only so that he can talk to Danny alone. Vlad seems all too happy to attend, toting Danny along like a ribbon, and on the dot every hour, Danny slips away to somewhere to hide. Bruce appears twenty minutes later.

"I was looking into your godfather's company," he says one night, trying to think of more things to say. Some nights all they do is sit in silence. "Some of my shareholders were thinking of partnering up--"

"Don't."

He stops. Danny hardly says a word to him, he doesn't even look at him -- he's sitting on the ground, his head in his knees. Like he's trying to hide from the world. But he's looking, blue eyes piercing up at Bruce.

Bruce tilts his head, practiced puppy-like. "Pardon?"

"Don't." Danny says, strongly. "Don't make any deals with Vlad."

It's the most words Danny's spoken to him, and there's a look in his eyes like a candle finding its spark. Something hard. Bruce presses further, "And why is that?"

The spark flutters, and flushes out. Danny blinks like he's coming out of a trance, and slumps back into himself. "Just don't."

Bruce stares at him, thoughtful, before looking away. "Alright. I won't."

And they fall back into silence.

Danny, when he leaves, turns to look at Bruce, "I mean it." He says; soft like he's telling a secret, "Don't make any deals with him. Don't be alone with him. Don't work with him."

He's scampered away before Bruce can question him further.

(He never planned on working with Vlad Masters and his company; he's done his research. He's seen the misfortune. But nothing ever leads back to him. There's no evidence of anything. But Danny knows something.)

At their next meeting, Danny starts the conversation. It's new, and it's welcomed. He says, cutting through their five minute quiet, that he likes stars. And he doesn't like that he can't see them in Gotham.

Bruce hums in interest, and Danny continues talking. It's as if floodgates had been opened, and as Bruce takes a sip of his wine, it tastes like victory.

("Tucker told me once--") ("Tucker?") ("Oh-- uh, one of my best friends. He's a tech geek. We haven't talked in a while.")

(Danny shut down in his grief -- his friends are worried, but can't reach him. When he goes back to the manor with Vlad, he fishes out his phone and sends them a message.)

(They are ecstatic to hear from him.)

It all culminates until one day, when Danny is leaving to go back inside, that Bruce speaks up. "You know," He says, leaning against the railing. "The manor has many rooms; plenty of space for a guest."

The implication there, hidden between the lines. And Danny is smart, he looks at Bruce with a sharp glean in his eyes, and he nods. "Good to know."

The next time they see each other, Danny has something in his hands. "Can you hold onto something for me?" He asks.

When Bruce agrees, Danny places a pearl into his palm. or, at least, it's something that looks like a pearl. Because it's cold to the touch; sinking into Bruce's white silk gloves with ease and shimmering like an opal. It moves a little as it settles into his hand, and the moves like its full of liquid.

Bruce has never seen anything like it before, but he does know this; it's not human. "What is it?" He asks, and Danny looks uncomfortable.

"I can't tell you that." He says, shifting on his foot like he's scared of someone seeing it. "But please be careful with it. Treat it like it's extremely fragile."

When Bruce gets home, he puts it in an empty ring box and hides the box in the cave. He tries researching into what it is. he can't find anything concrete.

Everything comes to a head one day when Danny appears at the manor's doorstep one evening, soaking wet in the rain, and bleeding from the side.

[onefey]

"ohh botw was so PEACEFUL everything in totk wants to kill you--" so you're telling me you don't remember the sheer terror you felt the first time a guardian stalker started hunting you? or when a skywatcher caught sight of you? the fucking billion turrets in hyrule castle that hated you? how you couldn't dillydally around the center of the map without catching the eye of at least three giant laser pottery spiders? it's all ohhh guardian theme song instant anxiety haha until the sequel comes out and you completely forget She exists?! for shame! for shame!!

[simandy]

do you guys mind if i go crazy for a moment

[nottheeconomy]

Decora Angie!

And bonus Korekiyo hahahaha

Their (hypothetical) friendship means so much to me

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