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freaky-munson · 2 years

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and i thought we were meant to be forever

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hi guys!! it is a little bit different than what i had in mind during writing it’s teaser but i couldn’t bring myself to make it that angsty - if you want more heartbreaking version let me know

story that began in high school when steve was still an asshole

steve harrington x reader

warnings: angst; slight fluff in the end

words: 2,794

present

there were many things Steve Harrington regretted in his 19 years old life. he was sure that great amount of them he didn’t even remember properly, spending most of his high school years partying and drinking till unconsciousness.

the thing what would make him cringe the most was dating Nancy - at least dating Nancy that long to make her call him and their whole relationship bullshit; he knew it was mistake, almost from the beginning of their relationship. he saw the longing looks either Nancy or Jonathan would send each other. but of course he chose to ignore it due to his “King Steve” era - because how could he, the most handsome, funny and athletic guy lose a Hawkins’ princess to some weird loser.

sometimes he wished he befriended other people. tommy and carol were bullies from the beginning, laughing at others’ expense - that flag should be red enough to stop him from hanging out with them. although, then what? he would be left alone, with no one to talk with during lunch, maybe some guys would even plead to remove him from basketball team because “he wasn’t in the clique anymore” and that - besides swimming team - was the only thing bringing him joy those days.

the only thing he left in the dark parts of his memories was brief romance with shy girl in sophomore year of high school. he felt kind of bad that he didn’t even try to learn her last name, maybe that was his way of coping with this whole blue situation; in that sad part of his life where he was real asshole, with capital A, he didn’t have any thoughts of trying to reach the girl, trying to ease the situation.

„Why can’t you just say it?!”

“I have nothing left”

“Are fucking kidding me? You go around telling all of our friends some fucked up shit about me and you dare to lie straight to my face that you don’t have anything against me?”

“It isn’t fucked up shit if it’s 100% sure! Why would I use my energy to talk to you when you never listened to me? It’s surprising that you pulled your head out of your selfish ass and actually paid attention to others!”

“You know what - I don’t fucking care anymore. We are done. I’m so tired of you belittling me and trying to gaslight me. I hope that you will grow up someday, Steve.”

“If I knew you were such a bitch, I would never agreed to take that bet. If Tommy didn’t pay me 50 bucks you would always remain that sad, insecure virgin that no one wants. So be glad cause I actually made you a little bit desired. Cause you couldn’t do that on your own, obviously.”

there was no shame in admitting that, no point in lying; because in the end it was true and everybody was aware of it.

now, after getting his own ass beaten intermittently in the past made him act with hint of humility. perhaps it was his slightly crooked nose from being broken one too many times that made him think about fucking this stupid hierarchy, learn some compassion, start to actually think about his future rather than live in the present, spending daddy’s money and sleeping around with every volunteering girl.

was that new lifestyle worth all the hustle? one could say no, it cost him his title, popularity, long queue of waiting girls. for steve though, it was refreshing, the wake up call he needed for the long time.

and that helped him actually find good friends; robin who he worked with, who was big part in his change; dustin getting the role of younger brother who felt more like his family than his own blood parents; nancy and jonathan - what made him the most surprised - they were huge help with correcting his SATs results to get him better chance at college. even eddie munson worked his way into close friends group.

maybe earlier he was treated with more seriousness and some weird teenage respect - being the person all guys wanted to be and all girls wanting to be with. right now when he was called dingus, mom of the group, the hair, the best babysitter - he didn’t mind; he knew that it was all meant in love, fun, it had sincere tone, not like the previous praises.

did he ever think about repairing his mistakes? yes, he mend amends with byers boy, even upgraded from enemies to neutral acquaintances with one and only billy hargrove.

albeit his conscience wasn’t peaceful yet. his heart and soul couldn’t deal with the fact of this one ill-fated bet that made that pretty girl leave town. cause he knew that no coincidence would magically take place in the same time his harsh and cruel words did just to make him feel better.

he asked about her his girl-friends; both of them heard rumours, even knew personally y/n but in the end only the pair knew what exactly happened. even then, y/n remained as sweet as she was the whole time, never wanting to harm anyone the way she was treated. it only made steve feel even worse; how could he behave like that? not remembering anything specific about the girl, besides few little happy, now seeming meaningless moments, didn’t stop him from constantly having flashbacks of these hurtful words. and wishing he would do it all again, but differently.

what made him shiver was the fact that at that moment he almost meant every single word.

because if asked what was she like, he would immediately answer “beautiful like an angel, with even prettier smile”; because of course he was aware of her beauty and disgusting comments of her body, connected to this fact, he heard almost daily in the men locker room

“i would fuck her bare, i’m sure her cunt is like a wonderful glove”

“have you seen her boobs? she could suffocate me with them”

“and that juicy ass, if she won’t give herself to my fortunately i know a way”

as much as he was a jerk, he was respectful; and talking about any girl that objectifing way made him mad. so when the opportunity came he firstly agreed to that “ask her out” bet. in a way he wanted to be a hero, but part of him wanted to get her, to make him look even more like a king in peers’ eyes.

but besides the part of her being not desirable, at that moment his 16 years old self was almost sure he was telling the truth.

they had multiple fights earlier, as any young couples, he couldn’t count how many times carol and tommy were breaking up and getting back together.

but the arguments weren’t the worst. what he mostly disliked about the girl was how genuine she was; she was selfish but in the way steve was jealous about - she fought for herself, if she set her mind on something, she would do it. but her slight egoism didn’t hurt anyone - unlike his.

y/n was actually gradually making him better version of himself; she introduced him to her friends, who were way more pleasant than his own; she forced him to learn and read more. at first he didn’t mind, it was nice change of environment, the problems started to build up when those amendments have been seen by tommy and the rest. steve, having no parents around, wanting some kind of appreciation, couldn’t been seen as a pussy. it was around that time were he stared rumours about her being freak in the sheets, describing her body in detailed way, shown for his eyes only.

when she didn’t like those, he stared calling her slut and bitchy prude, not knowing how to have fun; to make it worse, all the new friends she made during her relationship with steve turned her back to her, valuing their reputation over the truth the girl wanted to share.

the fight where he screamed at her was the day he admitted to himself that he stared to fall for the girl. but he couldn’t, it was only a bet and his great “friends” would eat him alive if he backed out of this challenge; it would also bring more prats her way, trying to mount her just to show their toxic masculinity. then he did what he thought was the best - he pushed her away, made her less attractive to other people, running away from responsibilities. just because he was not man enough to abandon his toxic friends to choose girl who made him feel hundreds times happier.

so after almost these 3 years, he still told himself that he actually saved her. those words they threw around during the breakup which led the girl away were for him just a small price for this high award of peers’ acceptance and girl’s freedom from creeps.

only that allowed him to forget and hide this in the back of his mind.

to be honest, he had no idea what he would say to y/n if she came back to hawkins; “i’m sorry” in this situation seemed almost stupid; it couldn’t take back any pain the girl experienced that day. he destroyed her self-confidence to the point, she would rather pack her bags and leave for some private school

and y/n really tried to be tough; she has been building her bad, stone cold bitch image for the whole first half of the high school. but these words hit her hard. hard enough to make her decision to leave Hawkins for private school so much easier.

would she change her decision if she had a chance? maybe. she left her friends, her family, her whole life. but it the end she was glad; hawkins was small, sometimes suffocating. and new york? it opened so much new perspectives. new friends, new environment, new teachers. college now seemed like a beautiful continuation of the dream, not the only way to escape small town life.

it also made her think about this whole steve situation; after moving in to her dorm, she had plenty time to think. even when the boy hurt her incredibly she couldn’t bring herself to hate him; in those little moment of his sincerity, she saw that he was small, insecure boy with no support from his closest family. it took her a little more time to forgive him but in the end she did. ‘make love, not war’ they said.

but with this whole understanding came curiosity; she had just one question; why?

fortunately for her, less for him, she had quite opportunity to came back to indiana. she couldn’t imagine not being able to participate in her dearest older sister’s wedding day.

hawkins didn’t specifically change; it still was a small town, full of family houses and this hint of mysteriousness; as it was nearing the end of summer it was full of teenagers and young adults trying to enjoy their last free days;

y/s/n being the introvert her whole life, didn’t want his huge bridal party what only could make her feel anxious and uncomfortable - so y/n being this great sister planned a rom com movie night in the recess of their peaceful backyard.

the obvious place to get the movies was family video. as she wasn’t aware of this new steve era, all the more so she was shocked to see harrington there; was it another stupid bet of his?

but seeing him honestly smiling and bickering with the short haired girl, made her not so sure. did the miracle happen and steve harrington actually become nice and somewhat normal person?

“well mr harrington this is the last place i would imagine seeing you in. and additionally as a worker? actually you may be human not walking ass!” the happy joking tone of her voice made steve almost jump out of his body; was the heat so big that he fainted and it was all in his dream? why it appeared now a after so much time?

“y/n?”

“in the flesh! how are you?”

steve didn’t like it; he was aware that she was one of the nicest people alive, only wearing mask of cold bitch, but he couldn’t believe she was actually nice to him.

“been good. been better, worse too. you cut your hair.”

y/n smiled a little; she knew that the boy was feeling like in some weird ass dream, his face now was much more expressive than when he was 16 years old, only starting to become a young man.

“yeah, i thought that it would match more the whole new york vibe. i’m actually glad i met you though.”

“i’m sorry but i’m not going to pretend it’s normal situation anymore.” removing his vest he turned his head to his coworker and grabbed his car keys from the cupboard “i’m taking my lunch break. and we are going to talk”

shrugging her shoulders, y/n followed her ex boyfriend to his car. the somehow pleasant silence taking place in the car made their drive to local diner seemed almost like they were some best friends, never needing to talk to understand each other.

“i don’t want to seem more jerkish than i already am in your eyes, but what game are you playing?”

“steve, i don’t know what you mean. i made a slight mistake of leaving abruptly, not wanting to resolve our problems by communication as we should. i want to know the reason why we didn’t made it through.”

“y/n, we didn’t survive because i was a stupid boy. there was no chance because as much as i cared about you then, i cared about popularity more. how can you still talk to me after all those things i said. after the bet i took. are you trying to get revenge? go for it, cause so you know, i kinda grew up, just as you asked me. i reflected my life and i have been so disappointed in myself that it made me realise that i’m not surprised that for such a long time i didn’t have real friends. so whatever you do, won’t even hurt me any more than i already hurt myself.”

y/n was surprised; she never thought about some revenge; it was stupid, childish and unnecessary. she believed in second chances. she saw them as new, blank piece of paper to write a new story

“i’m not here for revenge. i just wanted the whole picture, not only my assumptions. which may be stupid, cause i’m hanging onto something from time long ago. to be honest i knew about the bet from the beginning. it wasn’t natural for one of the most popular boys go for quiet, bookwormish girl. just i’m curious why did you lie to whole school? as i remember being slut and prude was quite accomplishment” steve clearly saw that the girl was still as genuine as she was then. her eyes were laughing, telling him she overworked all that high school drama and was above it. he just couldn’t understand why she forgave him that easily “i see that you are still beating yourself with all of this. i really forgave you. i cherish those moments where you showed me your true self, i clearly see in you right now, because it helped me understand that it wasn’t you in that moment”

“as cheesy as i may sound, i chose to cut you to protect you. from myself for the most part. i stared to fall for you, and it was something new. feelings i have never felt before, which have never been shown to me. besides as i mentioned i cared about my status so when guys stared to mock me for falling in love with you, i tried to defend my honour in return ruining yours. and i’m really sorry for that. hearing what those other guys said about you, made my blood boil, so i tried to remove their attention from you, shitty way i know.”

“i cared about you too. even then where you treated me like shit. maybe we should talk then, like normal, adult people”

“except that we weren’t adults then, at least i wasn’t. even now i don’t think i have an adult mindset like you”

“it takes years of practice dear friend. i think i want to really get to know your new personality steve harrington. now that there is no obstacles in our way.”

“you know what, i think that’s a great idea. can i tell you a secret?” y/n nodded vigorously smiling like and idiot “in my nice moments i always had a feeling our story won’t end where it stopped 3 years ago”

“i will tell you a secret too. in our cute little moments i always thought we were meant to be forever.”

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#stranger things imagine #steve harrington angst #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x you #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader

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darkangeldesignstudio · 5 years

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Dark Horse

Sorry for the late post you guys. Its been hard to actually write these past weeks and I didn't want to make myself do it because I felt it would appear forced. This chapter is pretty long, mostly because of the information dump in the middle about how most of our characters came to be where they are now. But, as promised, we are adding our new character into the mix today. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter as it will be a lead up into more intense chapters in the following weeks. Also, this chapter has not been beta’d, so any mistakes are completely my own fault. Sorry I couldn't get this to you in time @sexykitty96.

Warnings: Angst, Violence, Death, Attempted Rape, Strong Language, Mentions of Animal Abuse, and Eventual Smut and Fluff

Setting: Post Civil War era USA. Marvel Cowboy AU.

Preface: Your home is attacked by the Hydra gang and you are rescued by Steve, Bucky, and their group. The government agency, known as Shield, wants them captured and Hydra wants them dead. With nowhere else to go, you join their ragtag group and set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Helping those less fortunate along the way, your small group grows and so does your affection for these two rough and tumble outlaws. When the chips are down, will you all be able to escape unscathed? Or will the boot drop and leave you heartbroken and alone again?

Song: Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith

Previous / Next

Chapter Eight: Back to the Past

After a peaceful night of sleep, you awoke refreshed and ready for the day. It was time to pack up and move eastward. Back to where your life began.

Dressing for the cooler mountain temperatures, you headed out the door. You were met with a flurry of activity. It seemed you were late to the packing party, even though the sun was barely above the horizon.

“Good morning sunshine.” Nat bounded up to you, a tin cup of piping hot coffee clutched in her gloved hands. Handing it over to you, she smiled as you wallowed in the scent of the dark brew.

“Thanks for this, Nat. Though I wish I would have woken earlier so I could help pack up.” She immediately waved off your melancholy tone.

“Don’t sweat it, love. When Bucky saw how soundly you were sleeping with Soldat, there was no way he was going to let us disturb you. Especially since Soldat looked as if he would rip someone’s throat out if they tried.” She giggled as you felt the blush rise in your cheeks.

“You can’t be serious. Soldat loves Buck.” You felt bad, as if you were turning the pretty wolf-dog against his best friend. You honestly weren’t trying to, and you didn’t even remember falling asleep with the oversized pup. Looking over to the pair now, Bucky packing up Sergeant’s saddlebags as Soldat followed at his heels, it was unbelievable.

“Oh, I’m serious, Y/N.” Nat smirked, examining the two as well. “He growled something fierce when Bucky opened that door this morning. Was even loud enough to wake Steve in the other room.”

You gaped at Natasha’s beaming visage. This was terrible. The last thing you wanted was to cause trouble and that seemed to be all you could do lately. Your hands flew to your cheeks, rubbing them down your face in worry. The rough texture of your gloves on your chapped skin was a welcome punishment until strong arms wrapped around your torso, stopping the motion of your arms completely.

“Stop those thoughts right now, doll.” His gruff voice made you gasp, shivers trailing your spine as excitement and the fear of being captured raced through your body. Peering at Nat, you watched as she walked away with a grin and a little wave, the smell of coffee lingering behind her.

You looked over your shoulder and into Steve’s ocean blue eyes, still holding a bit of the helplessness in your heart. You sighed. “I feel like such a-”

“A burden?”

Sagging in his hold, you only nodded, staring towards the snow-covered ground as tears burned the back of your eyes. You weren’t used to being so helpless. From the time you turned seven, you had always pulled your weight, no matter how slight that weight might have been or how menial the labor, you were happy to do the work. It gave you a reason for living.

You were never going to be some simple-minded woman, only interested in getting hitched and having children. You were a free spirit, looking for purpose in a world that didn’t accept you.

His hold tightened slightly, comforting you as the tears threatened to fall. “Y/N. You will never be a burden to us. I want you to know that. We all want you to know that.”

When you refused to look at him, Steve gripped your shoulders lightly - careful of your injury - and turned you to face him. “Look at me, dollface.”

You wanted to refuse, scared to peer into those eyes and see the pity there. Scared the tears would fall again, make you weak in his eyes.

The toxic voices in your head grew louder with your doubt. You wanted to cover your ears, but Steve’s hold on you made it impossible. Words full of hate and jealousy from your past were roaring through your skull, making your jaw clench at the onslaught. Striking you with their venomous fangs and sinking their inky-black talons into your chest, you began to shake in Steve’s arms.

Then a roar of a different kind filled your ears. Boda’s voice screamed through you, followed by the howl of a wolf and the screech of an eagle, and all of those dark memories fell away like stones. The spirits your grandmother spoke of, they lived in your heart too and they would not allow those thoughts to persist as they were. Your shaking stopped and you were finally able to read his eyes.

There was no pity in his gaze, only pride. He leaned into you, close enough to kiss if you would only take the plunge. Your face grew hot with his smirk. You couldn’t help glancing from his blue gaze, where little flecks of green lived, to his full pink lips. This man made you uncomfortable in a way you had never known before, in a way that you hoped would never stop.

Your breath came in little pants as he finally gave you a bit more space to breathe, finished with his bit of teasing. For now, at least. Then a deep rumble of a growl filled your ears and made your breath catch.

Soldat stood at Steve’s back, ears pinned and eyes narrowed. The wolf-dog wasn’t too pleased with the way Steve was touching you, a thought made apparent by his baring of overly large canine teeth and his white fur that stood on end down his spine.

Taking the hint, Steve threw his hands up in surrender and took a tentative step back while Soldat stalked him. “Easy boy. I was only teasing.”

Soldat glanced over his shoulder, meeting your eyes before turning back to Steve with a huff. Trotting back into camp and past Bucky, who was slumped at the waist with his hand covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. His amused gaze met yours and you all began to laugh heartily.

Bucky walked over and clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I would suggest not teasing for a while, Stevie. Seems she’s been claimed by yet another protector.”

Steve huffed out a laugh watching as Soldat left to stand by Boda at the hitching post. “I think you are right about that, jerk. Are you okay, doll? Forgive me, I didn’t mean to make you so uncomfortable.” He turned to watch you with his puppy dog eyes and you waved him off.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Steve. All of that was just my past trying to get to me. It wasn’t something you did.” You smiled fondly up at him.

He felt his face begin to flush red under your gaze. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stammered a bit, flustered. “T-thanks, Y/N. W-well I should probably get back to work.” With that, he jogged back to the wagons and began tossing supplies inside.

Looking up, you caught Bucky staring at you and had another blush rise in your cheeks. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

Bucky chuckled, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “No, doll. Just glad to see you made friends with my boy. He doesn’t usually take to others so easily. Took me months to get him to trust me, Steve even longer. It makes me happy.”

Your blush grew hotter as he tapped the brim of your cowboy hat affectionately. It was something your brother had always done, but it seemed different when Bucky did it. His storm cloud eyes shone like jewels as he caressed your jaw, making you shiver with pleasure. He smiled sweetly, removing his hand to point towards Bodaway.

“I tacked him up for you. Once everything is packed, we can be on our way.”

Shaking yourself free of your trance, you nodded. “What road are we taking?”

He shrugged, his large shoulders flexing beneath his dark winter coat. “Was hoping you knew a good path, one less frequent for traffic, but quick and easy enough to get us East.”

“Do you have a map?”

He smiled, taking you by the hand and leading you to the table where Tony and Nat seemed to be arguing over prospective routes to take.

“Berthoud Pass takes us through Denver.” Natasha says, exasperated with Tony’s reckless behavior. “Denver is crawling with Hydra goons, we would never make it out of there unscathed.”

“But the Cheyenne Pass will take an extra week of riding to get through, Natasha.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “We don’t have that kind of time to waste.”

Stepping up to the table with Bucky, you placed your finger along a shorter pass just south of the Berthoud. “How about Cochetopa?”

They all looked up at you with different levels of intrigue. Natasha spoke up first. “The Cochetopa is closer, but it’s a dead end that leads straight into Fort Massachusetts.”

“But, we can bypass the fort if we veer off-trail and follow the Rio Grande Road to Dodge City. There is an abandoned fort along the way that we can take shelter in. Rest the horses before we make our stop in the city for supplies?”

Tony nodded, appreciating the help, even if it foiled his plans to knock a few more Hydra heads together along the way. “Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks short stack.” He petted you on the head as he walked away with the map and joined the others at the wagons.

You scrunched up your face at the nickname. “Short stack? I’m only a few inches shorter than him.”

Natasha chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. He gives everyone nicknames. It’s part of his charm, right, tin man?” She smiled slyly, poking Bucky in the chest.

He grimaced. “Yeah, I still don’t get that one.”

“What about you, Nat? Did he give you one?”

Looking towards your new friend, you saw as her teasing smirk turned to a, particularly evil, grin. “Yeah, he gave me one. And I kicked him in the balls for it too.”

Bucky flinched a bit, reflexively covering himself as he remembered. “Never seen him go down so fast in my life.”

You hid your smile with your hand as Natasha chuckled. “Well, I better get Krasavitsa ready for the trek. Thanks for your help, plotting our route, Y/N.”

She placed her hand on your free shoulder, giving you a little squeeze and a smile as she passed.

Bucky took a step closer to you, to let her pass, causing you to have to look up to meet his gaze. He smiled down at you and placed his hand on your head. “Yeah, thanks for the help, short stuff.”

Growling at him, you popped him a quick elbow to the ribs. He grunted a bit with the force and lowered his arm back to his side, but otherwise didn’t move. His smile was beaming and it made you happy to know he was getting more comfortable around you now, but not happy enough to accept the new nickname without a bit of teasing in return.

“No problem, Buck, but I think your ribs would prefer you not using that name often.” You laughed as you watched his hand skate over the place you had jabbed with your elbow. “Just stick to calling me doll and you’ll come out of this just fine, Bucky.”

Giggling, you left him at the table, a blush starting to color his cheeks.

_______________________________________________________________________

It was midday when you reached the entrance to Cochetopa Pass. A wide road, created originally for railroads to be built, stood between a multitude of Aspen trees, dusted in snow. The trek was fairly easy with the gently sloping hills. You, Steve, Nat, and Bucky rode ahead, scouting for danger while Tony, Bruce, and Jarvis brought up the rear with the groups supply wagons.

Tony was cursing colorfully as his cart horses, Dum-E and U, were goofing off with each other and shaking the cart. Jarvis, who had been sitting stoically beside his friend, looked as if he were struggling to keep his laughter at bay as Bruce and his cart began to steadily leave them behind.

“Sir, why don’t you allow me to drive for a while? You can get some rest in the back and see how Butler and Mark II are doing on the tethers.” Jarvis smiled politely.

“Sure thing.” Tony quickly handed his friend the reins and began climbing to the back. “Thanks Jarvis.”

You all chuckled a bit, even Jarvis had a slight twinkle to his eyes as your group continued along the trail in relative silence.

A few hours passed before you reached the toll road within the pass, veering into the forest, you led the group down a smaller path and onto the Rio Grande Road, bypassing two other government toll roads with the shortcut.

Steve turned in the saddle and realized what you had done and smiled gratefully. “Smart move, doll. We never would have gotten past those tolls without Shield finding out.”

You smiled at him in return. “We still have a ways to go yet, Steve. Why don’t y’all tell me more about your little group? I’d really like to learn more about you all.”

Steve smiled, happy that you wanted to get to know them all a bit better. “Sure, Y/N. I don’t mind spilling a few secrets along the way.” He winked, causing a blush to rise in your cheeks.

Steve does a bit more than spill secrets along the way, though. He fully opens up, telling you all about Shield and Hydra, and how each of them got onto the groups’ wanted dead or alive lists.

Steve, Bucky, and Tony had once been a big part of Shield, working for the government in different areas and degrees for a few years until they took note and recruited them. It didn’t take long for both men to find out that Shield was a different entity all together. At first, they were all for helping the people. Doing what was right to help people get on their feet in the aftermath of the Civil War. They dispatched groups of men to round up criminals and provide the rich and famous with private security and military forces, much like the Pinkerton Agency in Chicago.

But, just when everything seemed to be on the up and up, Steve discovered something they didn’t want him to know. One of Shield’s groups was running as a second entity, causing chaos to keep the Shield agency in business. They tore through the streets, killing innocents in the towns that had become peaceful, creating a bigger need for Shield to come in and “save” them.

“I didn’t want to be a part of that, but then, they took Bucky.” Steve’s head hung low, regret filling his features as he glanced towards his brother. “They used him to get to me. Made me comply, but it didn’t take long for the jerk to escape. As soon as I heard, I deserted the Shield agency, taking a few of their secrets with me.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. Family should never be pitted against one-another.” Your blood boiled and you gripped Boda’s reins harder, knuckles turning white beneath the warmth of your gloves. “You both have such kind hearts, and I hate that you had to be put through such a thing.”

Bucky reached out, covering your hand with one of his as his knee brushed yours. “You don’t have to be sorry, Y/N. Everything happens for a reason.”

Steve chuckled, reaching out with his booted foot to tap your calf lightly. “Yeah, just think about it, doll. If none of those things happened, you wouldn’t have met all of us.”

You smiled at their attempts to cheer you up, even if your heart still hurt for them. Steve was right, but you didn’t have to be happy about it. Huffing a bit, you began to pout. “I know, but I still don’t have to like what you went through.”

Bucky and Steve just chuckled before going back to the story.

Tony and Jarvis had apparently been part of Shield even earlier than Steve and Bucky. Tony’s father had been a founder of their organization. He was a great inventor, made countless weapons for the government to use in their endeavors, but it seemed there had been no love between father and son.

Jarvis was remarkably close to his young companion, acting as a father figure to the boy when his real father was too busy to deal with him. Tony inherited his father’s legacy when he died, going to work for the government at a young age with only Jarvis as a companion. Many of his father’s associates resented Tony for taking over, they didn’t believe him capable, but his work ethic kept them quiet for the most part.

When Tony had learned of Hydra’s plans, he too cut ties with Shield. Refusing to make any more weapons for them and destroying a multitude of blueprints for future projects. He and Jarvis fled, running into Bruce and Natasha along the way, and eventually Steve and Bucky.

You stared intently as they all spoke of different parts of the story, cutting in when they felt details had been left out or making little jokes at each other’s expense, it wasn’t until they talked about their meeting Natasha and Bruce that you recognized something was off.

Natasha became silent and melancholy for a few moments before joining back into the story and gentle ribbing they were all sharing, but her smiles and laughter didn’t reach her eyes from that point on.

Her demeanor perplexed you, even more when she looked up into your eyes and you saw panic there. “Y/N, why don’t you tell us about you? I think we would all like to know how you came to live with your brother out west.”

You frowned a bit at Natasha’s change in subject, seeing it for what it was. An out. She didn’t want to speak about whatever was bothering her at the moment. You nodded, smiling a bit. “Sure. I don’t mind sharing, especially since y’all have been so forthcoming.”

Looking down the path ahead, you saw the outline of Bent’s Fort on the horizon just as the sky began to darken. “Let’s set up camp for the night and I’ll tell you all about me.”

The group readily agreed, taking only a few minutes once they unloaded themselves to get a campfire started and gather around for your life’s story.

“I grew up in a small settlement on the banks of the Neuse River. My family was close knit, living in a community where most everyone was happy until the civil war broke out.” You stared into the fire, remembering the day everything changed.

Your father had gone to fight in the war, recruited by the Union army. Even though he was a southern bred man, your father had always been a just man, helping those of any background and race. There wasn’t a bigoted bone in his body, but that caused problems among the other circles of people living in the south.

Your mother and grandparents faced many hardships during the war. Sickness and exhaustion taking each of them, one by one, leaving your brother and you to run the farmlands your family owned. When your father came back from the war, he was sick. A bullet had scraped his thigh, leaving an infection in its wake. He advised your brother to go west and make a home there before the government came looking to recruit him. He was only seventeen, but the army wouldn’t have cared about his age, so he left as your father had told him to.

A few months passed by as your father taught you all you would need to know to run the farm on your own. He knew he wouldn’t make it for much longer and wanted to prepare you as best he could for the coming years.

He died not long after, leaving all of his estate to you. This caused a rift between the men that worked for your father. Many of them didn’t wish to be under the employment of a lowly woman and left. Others stayed, taking the opportunity to sabotage operations at every turn and the farm steadily went under.

When the state came to collect, they claimed that an unmarried woman of your “heritage” had no claim to such a fine piece of land and gave you an ultimatum.

“They told me I could wed a man of status and keep the farm, or I could willingly give it up, along with everything on it. Then they left, giving me a week to make my decision.” You looked around to your new friends as they listened to your story. Natasha’s jaw clenched in anger, Steve and Bruce were fairly vibrating with it, but it was the stoic posture of Bucky that caught your attention. His body radiated calm, but Tony was slowly shifting in his seat, putting another inch of space between the two of them just as Soldat began to growl in displeasure.

Bucky’s steel blue gaze was murderous as he stared into the fire. Orange and yellow light reflected in his eyes as he slowly turned his head to meet your eyes with his. You smiled, throwing his words from earlier back at him. “Everything happens for a reason, Bucky.”

His shoulders relaxed a bit and he began to leisurely stroke Soldat’s head, calming him. He smiled. “As you are here now, I’m sure you told those asshats to take their deal and shove it where the sun don’t shine.”

You chuckled at his lazy tone, seeing the anger slowly leave everyone’s body with his quip. “Oh, you know it.”

As that long, arduous week went by, you began preparing yourself for the choice you had to make. You gathered the money you had saved over the years, and began packing it under a board in the stables, along with your father’s gun that he had left you and a few items of clothing.

Then you meticulously began releasing your father’s prized horses, until all of them were freed into the wilderness surrounding your land. All that was left on the premises was yourself and Bodaway when they came for your answer.

So, what will it be little lady? Will you get married, or will you turn the farm over to us?

You had smiled at the sleazy little man before looking around you once more. You took in the sight of the house you had lived in for your entire life, the land you had grown up on, the barn that stood at the back, housing the only things you had left in this world, before turning back to the men and sneering at them.

I will leave, on one condition. The man had frowned at you, but you continued undeterred. I wish to keep my horse and some of my personal belongings with me.

They had tried to fight you, claiming that any horses that were on this land were part of the deal they had made. You smiled slyly, knowing they wouldn’t be able to hold the stallion when his temper blew, but decided to play a little game with them.

You hung your head, an expression of sad disappointment covering your features. Okay. I will fetch him for you. He’s not terribly trusting of new people.

Turning towards the barn, you made your way to Boda’s stall and opened the gate. Hey there, big guy. There’s been a change of plans.

“It took all of five seconds for Boda to trample, kick, and bite at the men after I led him out before they were running for the hills.” You laughed gleefully at the memory, staring across the fire to the sleeping stallion, huddled with the other horses. All power and grace, even as he slept like a baby.

Bucky and Steve looked to one another, not a word passed between them as you finished your story, but the message was clear.

She’s fucking perfect!

_______________________________________________________________________

A few more days of riding landed your group on the outskirts of Topeka, where you set up a temporary campsite within a deep grove of trees. With plenty of game and a small stream nearby, you would easily be able to stock up on meat for the coming trip, but your group was running low on some essential supplies.

“What do you say, Y/N? Feel like making a run to town with me?”

Tony’s suggestion struck you as odd, but you weren’t about to let his destructive butt in town without a babysitter. “Sure thing. Just, let me tack Boda and…”

Tony shook his head and pointed a thumb over his shoulder to where Dum-E and U were hitched to a waiting supply wagon. “No way, short stack. You’re riding with me and the bums today.”

His nickname for you still irked, but you only smiled and followed along behind him. Bucky and Steve looked about to protest your going, but stopped when you smiled a dagger-like grin their way.

“Let them go, boys.” Natasha’s smooth-as-silk voice skated over them, creating goosebumps.

Turning to the redhead they saw a matching smile grace her lips as she regarded Y/N and Tony climbing onto the wagon. “I have an impression she’s gonna teach ol’ Tones a lesson on this little trip.”

Steve and Bucky turned back, watching as you disappeared through the trees with Tony chatting away at your side.

_______________________________________________________________________

During the short ride with Tony, you asked about his past, wishing to know more about him. It really didn’t seem fair to not put in any effort to make friends with the man who seemed so interesting and lonely.

Even surrounded by all the people who cared about him, he just seemed so alone. Jarvis was able to pull him out of that shadow a few times over the course of your trip with the group, and in those moments, he was so charming and bright like a star in the night sky. But, he would immediately retract back into himself as soon as the conversation wavered. It was like a candle being snuffed out in a dark room and it made your soul want to reach out.

“How did you come to find these beautiful beasts, Tony?” You pointed to the two red roan Belgians pulling the wagon. “They are so big and beautiful.”

Looking between the pretty mare and gelding, you were a bit taken aback when Tony began to laugh heartily. Turning to him, you observed that inner light of his begin to take hold of him again. He wiped a few tears from his eyes as he chuckled. “Sorry, Y/N. I’ve never heard anyone say such a thing about these two knuckleheads.”

Tony’s smile was beaming as he told you about the day he found the two. “I was out riding, just trying to get a bit of peace out on my own when I saw two mounds of hair laying next to each other in a field. They were all alone, just two big freezing babies out in the middle of nowhere and without a mother. Seems their mother was a prized mare for a neighboring rancher and when she died giving birth to these two, the owner couldn’t bear to look at them and threw them out on their own.”

“That’s awful.” You immediately began seeing red. How could people be so heartless?

“Don’t worry, short stack. He got what he deserved in the end. Man’s entire herd escaped one night and they never could find who took them.” Tony winked causing you to giggle despite the irritation from his nickname for you.

“So, what? You just took them home with you? How did you manage to feed them?”

Tony chuckled darkly and a bit of light dimmed from his eyes. “Well, fortunately or unfortunately, one of the mare’s my father had gifted me had lost her foal a few days prior, and when I brought these two lugs into the stable, she immediately took to them. Fed them every day, protected them from threats, it was amazing to see. A miracle even.”

You watched as the lightness of his eyes began to fade more and more with every word, but just as you were about to ask him about it, the town came into view. “Well, little lady, seems this is our stop.”

Tony pulled the wagon up to the hitching post outside of the town’s general store and hopped down from the seat. Showing his more gentlemanly side, he helped you down from your seat as well and led the way into the store with his usual swagger firmly in place again.

Entering the store together, you each took a few turns around the interior. The wood floors creaked as you looked through the shop owner’s wares. Oil stained shelves and dusty cans greeted the brush of your fingers as you gathered the things you were looking for. Apples, carrots, and fresh produce came first, with a few cans of beans, peaches, and corn thrown in for good measure. Then came the oatcakes, cigars, and liquor that Tony tried to sneak into the pile before you just as sneakily put the majority back. A few rounds of ammo, medicines, and multiple cans of coffee rounded out your purchase as the shop-keep’s sons helped to carry your purchases out to the wagon.

As Tony paid for the items, you turned to leave and almost barreled into a woman entering the shop. Your breath hissed out through clenched teeth when your injured shoulder connected with hers.

“Oh, dear. I’m so incredibly sorry.” Her voice was soothing and sweet, but it held a nervous edge to it.

You looked to her face, noticing the fading bruise over her cheekbone and her strawberry blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders before waving off her apology, not wanting to cause her any more trouble. “Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“You’d think a woman with a bullet wound would pay better attention to her surroundings.” Tony’s voice was a bit strained and worry lined his eyes as he looked between you and the woman. He seemed worried about your injury, but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the beautiful woman in front of you for too long either. You couldn’t blame him, the woman was fairly gorgeous, but something was wrong.

You stepped to the side, pulling Tony with you so the woman would have room to continue shopping without worry and you could study her while Tony checked your bandage. Whoever she was, she was dressed beautifully, seeming extremely out of place in the small town you were currently in. Coupled with the bruise on her face, you could only assume she was on the run from something, or someone.

Tony tapped your hand when he was done inspecting your bandage, deeming it clear of blood, but the look in his eyes said he was more concerned about the other woman now. She was moving quickly and nervously around the shop, glancing about to the men within the store as she gathered supplies akin to what you had just purchased.

Looking to Tony, you realized he had come to the same conclusion as you had. She was running, and you both wanted to help.

Motioning Tony out the door, you sidled up to the woman and introduced yourself. “Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for running into you earlier.” You held your hand out for her to shake. “My name is Y/N.”

She took it tentatively, with a small smile on her lips. “Virginia Potts. Sorry for hitting your shoulder, too. How does a lovely woman like you get shot? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”

You chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck as she fidgeted. It seemed she was really feening for someone to talk to, but you had to be careful with what you said to keep from scaring her away. “That’s a long, sad story, Virginia. I’m just glad my friends were there to get me out when they did.”

Taking a few items from her overloaded arms, you helped take everything to the counter. “Would you mind if I helped you take these out?”

She began to fidget again, seeming to become more and more uncomfortable. “Why would you want to do that? Shouldn’t you be getting back to your… husband?”

Shocked, you froze for a moment, your face becoming hot when you realized she meant Tony. Chuckling you waved your hands in denial. “Sorry to laugh. Tony isn’t my husband, just a friend.”

“Oh, ok. Sorry for making an assumption.” Her cheeks were blushed as she shifted her gaze around the room, not meeting your eyes from embarrassment.

You placed your hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “Don’t worry about it, Virginia. Most would assume such to be true when you see a man and woman shopping together as we were, but as of now, I am unattached.”

Smiling brightly, you graciously picked up the first crate. “Now, lets get these crates to your wagon.”

She smiled back, accepting your help with a nod and leading the way to her own wagon and the single cart horse tethered to it. He was a pretty chestnut Ardennes and he nickered sweetly with your approach, causing you to smile.

Loading the two crates onto the small cart, you moved towards the horse at the front and stroked through his thick mane as Virginia climbed onto the driving bench.

“I hope you don’t mind me being too forward with you, Virginia. But, my friends and I are camped just outside of town if you would like to join us. We can keep you safe from whatever you are running from. You don’t have to be alone.”

The shock and fear came first, then shame coated her features and she deflated before your eyes. “I don’t want to be a burden. I-I just can’t marry that cruel man.”

Her tears began to fall and you reached to take her hand in yours. “Who, Virginia? Who hurt you?”

“My fiancé… Obadiah Sta-”

“Obadiah? Obadiah Stane is your fiancé!?” Tony’s angry voice hissed from behind you. Clearly he had prior knowledge of the man that you were not privy to, and from the sound of his voice, he didn’t have fond memories. “So, you are the infamous Pepper Potts?”

Whirling around you saw the anger and awe at war on Tony’s face. It was as if he were trying to solve a particularly hard puzzle and this woman was at the center of it.

“I-I have to go. Thank you for your help Y/N.” The shear panic in Pepper’s voice had you turning back to her and reaching out, but she was gone before you got the chance to say anything. Pushing her cart horse into a swift trot down the bumpy dirt road, disrupting a few of the locals in her escape.

Turning on Tony, you saw the shock on his face as his eyes trailed after her cart. You wanted to be angry with him, but you understood the outburst. He was a man who worked on gut instinct and intellect over all else and if he were to hear an enemy name come up in conversation, he would be expected to react in earnest. Especially if that enemy was a threat to his friends. That’s one of the things that made him such a good man.

So, you couldn’t get mad at him. But, you could settle with irately frustrated.

Sauntering up to Tony’s frozen visage, you stopped by his shoulder and swiftly smacked him across the back of the head. Not hard enough to hurt him, but just enough that you hoped it would knock some sense into his thick skull.

He rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly at his blunder. “Sorry, Y/N. I wasn’t trying to scare her off.”

“Don't worry about it Tony.” You smiled up at him before walking back to your own cart where he helped you onto the driving bench. “I think she will be okay. The woman has grit, but I wanna know what that was all about. Who’s Obadiah? And why did you go off like that?”

Taking the reins, Tony began steering your cart back to camp. His face held a sullen expression, but his eyes were lit with angry fire when you spoke that name. “He was an associate of my father’s before he began working for Shield. His nephew, Justin Hammer, is a genius. Much like yours truly.”

His mischievous grin made you chuckle as you shook your head. He really couldn’t help himself, apparently.

“When his nephew was passed up to be a lackey working under the Stark name. Obadiah did all he could to sabotage operations. And he started with introducing Hydra thugs into Shield.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, scratching through his groomed beard for a moment. “You know… now that I think about it. He was probably one of the main reasons Hydra could take over Shield in the first place.”

You nodded sagely. That was something you would need to talk to Steve and Bucky about when you got back. Seems Tony had mores ins to Shield’s workings than they had originally gathered. “And Virginia? How does she come in to play here?”

“Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts. Her father is a rich politician, worked in the higher ranks of Shield and was friends with my father before he died. I always had a bit of a crush on her growing up. I never imagined I would run into her out here.” He smiled fondly before a sour expression coated his features.

“Her father died about a month before I stopped working for Shield and she stopped speaking to me. I thought she hated me, and so, I never even thought to ask her what was going on before I was put on Hydra and Shield’s capture list. Then I was too busy running for my life to bother worrying about it.”

You observed as shame began to weigh on his shoulders. Tony really seemed to be beating himself up about it all, and you didn’t want him to suffer that way. He was a good man.

“Tony?” You waited for him to look at you before you placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. “Don’t fret about it too much. I believe that we will see her again. Then you can tell her all of this yourself.”

A suave smile crept across his features before you cuffed him in the back of the head again. “Don’t even think about putting the moves on her, though. That woman has been through hell and she will need a while before you can turn that charm on her.”

Blushing profusely, Tony only nodded and rubbed the back of his head.

Turning back to the road ahead, you silently prayed that your words wouldn’t turn out false. Not only for Tony’s sake, but for Pepper’s too.

#Dark Horse #Marvel AU #Marvel MCU #steve x reader x bucky #reader fic #western au #cowboy AU

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newgeht · 6 years

Text

Leur Amour S'épanouit

Chapter 2

Summary: Only so many things could stand in the way of Sting and Rogue's destined path. At this point, it was just Yukino, but Rogue couldn't let her go. Was it because of shame or stubbornness? Characters: Sting Eucliffe, Rogue Cheney, Erza Scarlet, Makaroc Dreyar, OC Rating: T Words: 6,575 FFnet | AO3

It was an ongoing cycle of boring meeting after boring meeting with no end in sight. This conference made Sting discover one of his worse nightmares and he was living it every single day. He just wished for the next two days to be over and take that sucky train back to Azura with Rogue. The thought of the shadow dragon slayer twisted his whole body, in a ways equally pleasant and painful. The brooding man was always in his thoughts creeping in at the most unexpected of moments, moments such as this.

Some old guy from Toad Stool was speaking about reward increases. Which was followed by a heavy argument from a couple of the larger guilds. Who made him guild master again? Rogue would be so much more suited for the job but he was in another large meeting room.

He kept his eyes down on his paper, gripping his pen as he doodled on the margin. Small swirls and lightning bolts were drawn onto the piece of parchment, maybe he should become an artist instead of a mage. He would be the best at it, hell, he would he the best at anything he tried. Becoming more determined he scribbled some more on his paper, his tongue poking out at bit from his deep concentration. The black ink spread around his meaningless notes, he didn't understand economics so they were of no importance to him.

His ears perked up from a familiar voice, cerulean eyes looking up on the form of the newest head chairman, Makarov. A small portrait of him would be nice; Sting quickly drew a body and gave him his infamous scruffy hair. To top it all off, he drew a large comediacly large bulbous nose. When he looked back up at the small old man, the noses didn't seem completely right but at least he tried.

An abnormally large mallet slammed down on his paper, Sting sitting up as straight as a board. His pen went flying overhead as he saluted the councilmen in front of him. “Yes sir!” His voice a higher pitch than normal as he looked over the small stout man, that was Makarov. The tiny man had become the senior chair in the magic council after the events of Tartaros due to his title of wizard saint. The Magic Council also needed someone they could trust, so Makarov was really the only option. In his stead, Erza Scarlet became the next guild master not his grandson. It was a shock to most but a welcome surprise, the red head truly deserved the honour.

“Hehe,” the old man chuckled, “you seem to be writing down some excellent notes, Master Eucliffe. Would you like to share some of those…” Makarov’s attention turned to the paper, a grin almost larger than his face appearing. “Wonderful diagrams with us.”

All eyes in the room turned to face the young guild master, his whole body heating up with embarrassment. “Well you see uhhh…” Sting grabbed the stack of papers and held them at a inauspicious length from his body and looked over them, speaking in a louder tone than normal so everyone could hear. “This diagram is not really complete yet,” a knowing grin came from Makarov, “I will present it when I'm done.” The blond rubbed the back of his neck, beaming a small smile to the circled table of guild masters.

“I see,” the old man was really out for blood. “We will chat about this later then young man, I would love to see your ideas.” Makarov still stood on the white table, waddling as he continued his previous speech.

“Of course,” Sting grumbled but Makarov was too far away to hear. Not like it would have mattered if he disagreed, that perverted old man would find him if he tried to give him the slip.

After the meeting was over, Sting lounged around until the other masters left. This took a longer amount of time than he thought as everyone had to chit-chat. Didn't they all have time to go out for drinks after all the meetings were done?

He sat up on the table, looking over the packet he had received. Most of its contents were lost to him, when would a mage ever have the time to learn the fundamentals of running a business (also known as keeping the guild afloat) and then managing money; he felt as if they expected too much of him. Sting had trouble with these concepts, he knew once he got back to the hotel room the packets he had received today would go straight to Rogue. His partner always knew how to explain things in a way that he would understand.

Sting grew giddy as he thought of seeing Rogue again, even when the man was not in the best of moods. Just the presence of the shadow slayer lifted his soul to new heights, he never understood how Rogue didn't see it. He had always needed the ruby eyed man in his life.

Sting chewed on his inner lip, older couple shuffling out of the conference room. Shifting in his seat, it appeared as if Fairy Tail’s previous guild master had left too -leaving him all alone. How rude.

“Sting, my child.” Makarov’s voice was calling him and Sting turned to see the old man in front of him. It was odd that he not only referred to him as a child but as his own.

The young guild master smiled at his elder, looking down at his figure. He always forgot how small he was in person. “Heya, Makarov. What did ya need?”

Makarov's mustache twitched as he eyed Sting, his hand enlarging to pat the dragon slayer on the back. In a teasing voice, “I just wanted to let you know those ‘diagrams’ you drew were stellar but maybe you should pay more attention. That would be a nice change for once.”

Denying his accusation, the blond shook his head feverishly. “Sir, I was paying attention the whole time! Those uhm… diagrams were just my understanding of the presentation.”

A smug grin appeared on Makarov’s face as he held Sting’s interpretation of how he looked up to his face. “I think I look quite nice, though the nose could have some better work. Hehe.”

“How did you get those,” Sting exclaimed, swiping the documents from his hand. This made Sting admit to his folly, “Alright, fine. I wasn't paying attention but I did for the first part.”

The elderly man chuckled, holding his hand to his chest. “You're so easy to poke at. I didn't come here to scold you but it was just too easy.” His laughter was a clacking cackle which was refreshing to the youthful laughter he typically heard in his own guild. “I just came here to say you're doing a wonderful job with Sabertooth. I'm glad my children have such wonderful shitty demons.” The old man’s brows drooped sullenly at the last words, Tartarus not a good memory for anyone. “You really lead a good group of mages.”

The blond was taken back by the councilman’s statement, he felt a surge of honor well up in his chest. The great Makarov was complimenting him, out of all the more experienced guild masters here. “It's nothin’, old man. It's my newfound duty to protect my friends and guildmates, nobody is gonna stop me even if it's a bunch of lame demons. That's why we went to get our lady.”

At the mention of the lady the wizard saint perked up. “How is Minerva doing these days?”

Sting was unsure of how to answer without revealing too much private information. He stumbled over his words, “Well… she is fine but still coping. She's become a much better person since…”

Makarov seemed satisfied with this answer and pulled his mustache between his fingers, rolling the tip between his thumb and forefinger. “I hope she's having an easy time on the path of light, keep an eye on her. The darkness will try to snatch her right back up.” With this cryptic statement, Makarov made his leave.

Following the motion of him, the dragon slayer left the empty conference room. The word's deeper meaning utterly lost to Sting, making his head hurt as he pondered on the old man’s small speech. Minerva had made great progress in the time since Tatarus, even becoming an idol to the younger mages in Sabertooth. Surely nothing bad would happen anytime soon. And if there was the chance of any evil awakenings, Sabertooth would put a halt to it -they always did.

Makarov was waddling down the hallway and stopped in his tracks, looking back at Sting. “I hope to see you at the party later tonight.” The stout old man turned and kept going, his wishes were more like a command.

Like hell Sting was going to go to some party with a bunch of old geezers. All they did was talk about politics, and he didn’t understand a lick of it. But if Makarov expected to see him there, then he had to go.

Pushing through the large doors of Era, the greatest star of all was reigning high in the sky. Its great radiant beams granting Sting a highly needed boost of energy. The small pamphlet given to them on Monday held all the dates, times, and information on the meeting the guild masters and their chosen representative would be attending. Pulling the beat up paper from his pocket, Rogue had just started a meeting. He grimaced at the fact, Sting was hoping to buy them a nice lunch.

Walking down the concrete steps a breeze pushed the familiar scent of strawberries his way, a small tinge of iron mixed in. His nose was now leading him toward the intoxicating scent, an armour clad woman sternly speaking to someone. Red hair flowed gracefully with the breeze, turning in small rivulets along the gentle slope of her back. The scarlet color accentuated by the metallic plates adorning her torso.

Sting was always attracted to the color red, it’s beauty held the most bittersweet of feelings. Erza’s hair reminded him of Rogue’s own ruby orbs and he grit his teeth as he thought fondly of the shadow dragon slayer. He really hoped they would be able to have dinner together later.

Taking his eyes off the scarlet beauty, he made his way down the steps; hoping to avoid Fairy Tail’s guild master -his stomach was in much dire need of attention.

The blond licked his lips at the thought of all the possible food choices within Era’s central market place, he was going to have a great time there. Moving his arms behind his head, a spine-tingling cool hand caught his forearm. Sting groaned internally, he really thought he managed to avoid Erza.

“Sting,” the woman’s voice in her always mildly serious tone. He didn’t really think there was anything important to discuss, but the red head always seemed fixated on the most minute and meticulous of details. “It’s nice to see you today. I find it surprising you didn’t stop by to greet me.”

Sting pulled his arm from her armoured hand, awkwardly chuckling as he rubbed the back of his head. Could he really think of a plausible excuse for the great Titania. “Well uhhh… You seemed kinda busy back there. I didn’t want ta bother ya, ya know?”

The requip mage’s arms crossed over her stomach, giving the blond a hard cold stare. The two had been fond of each other since he was Natsu’s ex-boyfriend, but he could never get used to the judgemental stares she would give.

The blond continued to babble under her stare, “Plus, I was just going to get some food. My stomach is literally eating itself.”

Her brown eyes lit up and she grabbed his wrist, beginning to drag him off the marketplace. “What a good suggestion, Sting. Getting lunch together is such a marvelous idea.”

He could practically feel the sweat starting to form at the tops of his eyebrows, as he was dragged along by his fellow guild master. This situation was something he had never expected out of today but maybe he could get her to pay for the food. It would be a win-win for the both of them.

Shortly after paying (as in, Erza payed for it all) and waiting for the food to be made, the guild master duo found themselves sitting at a small dining table. The marketplace was vibrant and full of various oddities of all kinds of wonders,as was to be expected of Fiore’s magic capital. New magic technologies were on display in the crowded booths, every seller trying to catch the attention of those walking by. This did distract Erza and himself on multiple occasions -who didn’t want a ring that changed color by your mood? Though he could see the stars in Erza’s eyes whenever they passed a weapon’s booth. Unlike the blond, she proved quite resistant to the charm of all the shiny new toys.

The metal chair was certainly not inviting as he settled into it, the seat’s rusty exterior scratching his arms. He had a large tray of food, stacked sky high; compared to Erza who only had a small piece of strawberry cake. Sting had never seen the red head with anything other than the sweet pastry in front of her -did she ever eat anything else?

Like a pig, he began to dig into his platter of food shoving the street food down into his mouth. It was oh so satisfying to feel his belly fill up with the tasty foods. Crumbs and inedible debris flew about, shoveling his food down into his mouth nonstop . He was sure Erza was speaking but his focus was entirely on the platter of dwindling food in front of him. Sting’s throat bubbled up, placing his hand on his stomach in content -satisfaction and comfort now enveloping him. Opening his mouth, he emitted a loud burp everyone around the two looking at them in disgust or amusement.

Sting wiped his face off with a napkin, completely unashamed of his bad manners. Erza’s plate was barely touched, only a small bite taken from the spongy yellow cake. “Say ‘excuse you’, Sting. You would think a guild master would set a better example.” She sent a playful look his way, but her tone was serious as always.

Sheepishly he blushed, finally noticing the stares the two were getting. “Yeah… ‘Scuse me,” he interrupted himself by laughing, “The food was just too good.”

Erza nodded her head, placing her fork down beside her cake. Her gaze turned to him, her brown eyes narrowing, “I see, but I need to discuss some things with you concerning your guild.”

Sting let out a groan in response, this whole week he had been talking about Sabertooth. Couldn’t he just take a break from boasting about how amazing they were? The scarlet-haired woman responded by swatting his hand. “Ouch! What was that for?!” He exclaimed, rubbing his now pink hand.

“Sometimes you’re as disrespectful as Natsu,” he could tell Erza regretted the words as soon as they tumbled out of her mouth. The dragon slayer’s name burned his heart, he never wanted to be compared to his ex ever again. “Please forgive-”

The blond held his hand up, “No need, Erza. I was out of line and you are a woman who demands respect from her audience, ya know. I can give that ta ya, just forgive me for being so… childish.” Another word that put him down. He rubbed his hands against his legs, trying to get away from his typical behaviors.

Mocha eyes softened, the air settling into a much more mellow atmosphere. A pleased glint crossed those same eyes and she took another bite of her glorified strawberry cake. “You are very surprising sometimes. It’s very admirable to say that of yourself, Sting. I can see why those in Sabertooth look up to you so fondly. You’re a great leader, when you really want to.”

A smile was latched onto his face from her compliment. Another chuckle slipped from his lips, taking kindly to the guild master sitting in front of him. “Thanks, Erza. I have made a great effort to be better for the guild’s sake -we have come a long way.”

It really had been, it had been a real struggle to break from the reputation they had previously attained. The were seen as bullies, the unconquerable king of the hill (until Fairy Tail had regained its status), and the new example for all newly formed guilds of the time. Cruelty and viciousness had swept through the guilds in Fiore because of this imaginary competition of being the best, although it had never existed in the first place. There was no such thing as “the best”, every guild had its pros and cons. Sabertooth having many negatives but it was perfectly balanced out by the positives, and he assumed that of any other guild.

He started the reformation by kicking members who were stuck in the past or who had a current criminal reputation. Sting welcomed them to come back once they had found the light, but he had a larger group to care for. Then their funds were tidied up and placed in fair order for renovation. He was so proud of the job he did with the guild hall. His last revision was the roles everyone had played in the guild, everyone was equal now and free to do as they choose (as long as it was legal).

A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, as she mindlessly toying with the piece of cake. A true predator always played with its prey, Sting grinned at the thought. “Aside from your occasional mistakes in good choices, Sabertooth is just as good as Fairy Tail. I’m glad to call you guys our companions.” They had always been as good as the fairies, or so he liked to think.

His grin turned into a goofy smile, all of it was directed toward the requip mage. She lightly blushed from his smile, it was cute to see the somber mage somewhat flustered for once. The pink tinge of her cheeks suited her features, if he hadn’t been so gay, Erza would have been exactly the type of woman he would want. Too bad she was engaged to Jellal, they were made in the stars.

Speaking of those bright, glittery, and wonderful balls of fire, he knew Rogue loved to go stargazing. Maybe he would take the brooding friend out later, they had avoided each other since the train ride to Era. Only seeing one another during meetings and back at the hotel room; having exchanged a couple words between one another but hadn't really said anything to one another.

Leaning back in his chair, he pushed the shadow mage from his head. Deciding the beratement of flattery was unusual from the woman, he poked at her a bit. “Erza, are ya complimenting me for some other reason? I mean, I appreciate it an’ all but-”

Her back straightened up, surprise evident on her face. Cutting the blond off, she blurted out, “Why do you think so?”

With his contagious grin widening imperceptibly, he shifted forward and wiggled his nose. Erza shifted in her seat, looking a bit squeamish and he prodded at her more, taking a small whiff of the air. “I can smell that you’re hiding something, “ Sting cood.

But Erza had an iron will, not giving into his teasing so easily. “Dragon slayers can’t smell things like that.” She certainly wasn’t wrong, but Sting knew that the woman wasn’t typically so generous.

Now he bared his ivory canines, nearing her piece of cake with his mouth open. The red head looked so conflicted as he closed in on her piece of strawberry cake, slowly prying her fork from her fingers. “Tell me, Erza or your cake will suffer!” In his great exclamation, he flicked his tongue over the vanilla frosting.

He should have known better than to mess with the Great Titania’s cherished food. In an instant, her fork was pressed against his throat and she hoisted him up by the collar of his shirt; brown eyes filled with a burning fire, protecting the delicacy she loved so much. “You play too much, Sting. My cake’s honour will not be diminished by your vile tongue!”

“Heh…” Sting was in awe of Erza, no wonder why Natsu had called her a monster. He liked the flared spark she had shown him and he carefully wrapped his hand around her wrist. “I’ve learned my lesson, Erza! I will never touch the holy grail ever again!” He over exaggerated his words, slowly pulling the fork from his throat -he didn’t want to see how much damage she could truly do with it.

Sting slumped back onto the the table grateful that Erza didn't injure him with a fork. He was sure she could do it anytime she'd like. After the scarlet haired monster released her hold on him. With a small huff, she returned to her seat, “This treat is not for someone of the likes of you.” Erza pursed her lips, stabbing her fork down into the fluffy piece of cake and shoved the rest of the piece into her mouth.

The blond’s jaw dropped, astonished by the guild master’s gesture. She continued, speaking while chewing. “I would have rather savored this piece, but you insisted on getting into business,” she gave him a hard look, “This involves Sorcerer Weekly.”

Ah, yes. That magazine had been up to no good as of late. They had gone from the most reputable source for mage gossip (not that gossip was ever any good, but it was once truthful), to scummy reporters and paparazzi. Every issue was full of blatant lies about the lives of guild mages, new magics, The Council, and mages between those in the guilds. He was curious to know why Erza wanted to talk about it, Fairy Tail and Sabertooth weren’t involved with them as much anymore.

“What about them?” Sure he was interested but his tone conveyed his disinterest in the topic.

Erza sighed and pulled a small piece of paper from her magical storage. “As you may know, Lucy worked as an editor and reporter for them a couple years ago. She ran into Jason recently and he gave her this.” Carefully she slid the paper across the table, seeming scared to touch it. “It’s an article that’s going into the next issue.”

Plucking the paper up, his eyes started to lazily skim across the words. It started out with the details of Rogue and Yukino’s relationship (which he really didn’t care for). Then it took a turn, talking about the scandalous affair between the two top women of Sabertooth -Yukino and Minerva. This was the answer to his prayers, but could Sorcerer Weekly really be telling the truth? They could have written about him and Rogue for Christ's sake. Just because they were friends didn’t mean they were fucking.

He held the paper to his face for another moment, peering at Erza. “What the hell is this?” Then he slammed it back onto the table with a disgusted flick of his wrist. If this was true, Rogue would be hurt deeply.

Her ironclad hand quickly swiped the paper back up, shoving it into her magical storage space. “I’m not usually one to get into gossip,” she paused, deciding her words very carefully, “but this definitely won’t be good for Sabertooth; whether it’s true or not.”

Sting could feel his lips curl in disgust. This could not be true in the slightest of capacities. “Erza, Yukino would never do this to Rogue. This article, is more like a shit stain. I can’t believe they would try to tear Sabertooth apart from with something like this.” His voice was filled with spite, there was no way in hell he would let something like this be published.

“Right.” Erza’s eyes flashed with regret, “I didn’t mean to insinuate anything, it’s just that this… article would boost Sorcerer Weekly’s name in the media again. And if this were to coincide with their upcoming ball, then they would get so much coverage.”

She was right. Their name had been going down ever since their first mistake -the engagement of Lyon and Meredy. Those two were never together to begin with, but the reporters believed anything that was fed to them. This announcement hurt Lyon’s relationship with Juvia, and things had been going downhill ever since. Something about two top mages -Minerva and Yukino- would not only boost their sales but put them in the spotlight once again.

But the dance was a completely different story, if this paper were was to be published before then, there would be absolutely no reason for Sabertooth to show. There would be too many questions, suspicions and judgements. They certainly didn’t need any doubt when it concerned the private lives of his guild mates. The way his mages held themselves in their personal lives, there was always going to be misgivings in life but this would put their own reputation at stake.

Sting leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. He didn’t want this to affect anything but he had to face the facts. If this story was already in the works then there was no way it wouldn’t be published. “Once I get back to Azura, I’ll make sure to talk to Lucy about this. I’m going to make sure this doesn’t make the front page.”

With that said, he stood and left. There would be no other discussion about what had fallen into his hands. It was his duty to protect Rogue, and Sting wasn’t going to take any chances when it came to his heart.

Shit was going to hit the fan soon if he didn’t stop this. Maybe he could let Rogue know without telling him directly.

Rogue was assured by his best friend countless times that they didn’t have to dress for this party, yet everywhere he looked was a nice cocktail dress or a buttoned up dress shirt with slacks. Holding his glass, he nudged Sting, “I think the right phrase to use right now is ‘I told you so.’”

The blond scoffed and lifted his hands in exasperation, “That old man said it was a party. How was I supposed ta know that all these old geezers would play dress up?”

Rogue took a lengthy sip from his glass, disinterested in Sting’s whining. “We are in Era, Sting. Everything here is always held to the highest standards, so naturally, this would be turned into a cocktail party of sorts.”

“Your head is too small to hold that big of a brain. You should be guild master instead, ya know.” Rogue rolled his eyes, the first couple times Sting suggested that he should take his place as Guild Master was a good confidence booster but now it was just annoying. Though being in the holy dragon slayer’s presence was always calming to him.

Rogue was about to comment on Sting’s remark, but a woman with billowing green hair came sauntering up to the both of them. Her face was plastered with the latest makeup brands, an unruly blend of colors and foundation. He never knew if she trying to pose as a drag queen, but her blending and eyebrows were always so horrible. She was known to everyone as Sorcerer Weekly’s hottest new reporter (hot as in still in progress), Lulu Nimby. A name as ridiculous as the woman standing in front of him.

“I thought reporters weren’t allowed into prestigious establishments,” Rogue said rather sarcastically, unhappy to see her.

Overly large pink nails pulled a pass from her bra, waving it in front of him. “As always, I have a pass, Rogue Cheney. I just have a few questions for you and your partner.” Lulu’s shrill voice mockingly emphasized the last word, a pen and notepad appearing in her hand.

Sting beat him to the punch, “Get outta here. If we were interested in answering questions we woulda’ve come right to Sorcerer Weekly.” His blue eyes flashed with dislike and hesitance, that was certainly odd.

“Oh, please,” she dragged out, those same pink acrylics flashing in the dim lighting. “I only have a single question. It won’t take long, I swear on it.”

Even though it was only once question - and seriously, how bad could that be? Sting interjected once again. “Nope! We aren’t accepting any questions at the moment. I'll only repeat myself once, get outta here Nimby.” Sting’s over-protectiveness was catching Rogue off-guard.

As nicely as possible, Rogue nudged Sting.. “I can take a question, but there won’t be any follow-ups. You better make this one question count. Knowing you, I can tell you came prepared with far too many.”

A pleased smile formed on her lips as she flipped through her pink notepad. “No, it’s ok, I really did just have one question.” Her eyes lit up with a mischievous deviance once she stopped flipping through the pad. “I just wanted to know how your anniversary with Yukino went. I assume you two went out before you came to Era with Sting.”

Sting looked at Rogue, his gaze sending an unsettling feeling down his spine. “Ya really don’t have ta answer this. You know they’re just going to make it something more than it is.”

The blond wasn’t wrong, but it would look worse if he didn’t answer. Rogue completely downed the rest of his drink, the question making a jab at his heart. Setting the glass down, he answered truthfully. “We didn’t do anything, our train ride was scheduled midday. I did make her some breakfast, even if I failed miserably.”

His comment gained a fit of giggles from the green haired reporter, her pen scribbling away at the small pad. “Uh huh… Anything else you want to let me know? Like morning time loving, or the gift you bought her?” Lulu sounded like she was on top of the world with the information she just gained.

“No follow-up questions,” the shadow slayer completely dismissed her. Rogue really wasn’t interested in what was to come from this, and he took another glass of champagne from a passing server. “I’m sure you have other people to interrogate.”

Her red contacts masked her disapproval, and she frowned. “Be like that then, I guess I do have other people to get the scoop on.” Her ridiculous heels clacked crudely, hardly blending in with the crowd as she walked away.

“I think we should leave…” Glancing over Sting, the dark haired mage could tell he was anxious about something.

Rogue nodded, making his way toward the bar’s doors. “It is getting very stuffy, I think I’m going to take a breather. You look like you could do with some fresh air too.”

Sting nodded and quickly pushed through the doors, the cool November air enveloping the duo almost immediately. The night was far from being young, the bright street lamps lighting their way to the hotel. Era was slumbering, those still awake emitting soft snores from the beast of a city. Walking along the cobblestone path, small puddles of water whispered to the sky and called for a greater fulfillment. Large gray clouds forming over the city, hiding the jewels of the sky. Not one bright diamond shining beyond those dull walls. He wished they would bring him another form of comfort, the darkness filling his thoughts with doubt.

He followed Sting, but soon realized that they were not on track to their assumed destination. He was leading them somewhere far from their hotel room. The blond was a good distance ahead of him, his feet eagerly yearning for a place that wasn’t made of stone. “Sting…” He quietly called, setting his pace faster.

The orange rays of the burning street lamp tinted his hair a melodramatic yellow, Sting huffing as he stood still. Rogue, brushed his hand against the man’s shoulder grazing the small tendrils of hair on the back of his neck. He could feel the blond shudder, shakily intaking a small breath.

In a soft tone Rogue spoke again, “Are you ok? You seem to be going for more than a walk.” It was always common for Sting to go for a stroll in order to get his frustrations out but this was much more than usual.

The smallest inclination of Sting’s head was his agreement. “I’m fine. I’m just taking you ta this place I found earlier this week.” His voice wasn’t lively, it had taken on the toll of recent events.

“Alright.” His blue satin gloved hand was open, Rogue’s own hand itching to fill the emptiness. He reached out, but Sting began to walk again. “Where are you taking us then?”

“You’ll see,” now Sting held a small amount of playfulness in his tone.

Rogue was surprised when he was led beyond the streets of Era. The serenity of the surrounding forest filled him with a calmness, the leafy boughs singing soft melodies with the accompanying winds. Enchanted with a dark green shine, small june bugs lighting their path up a lofty hill. On top the sky had opened up, the stars shining down on them. Brightly they twinkled, welcoming the duo in their holy presence. Sting smiled just as wide as those sparkling jewels, his expression more beautiful than anything Rogue had seen before.

The said man turned and gestured to the grass, “You wanna sit for a bit? I had a feeling that you might like it up here.” The stars reminded him of Yukino, but he pushed her from his thoughts.

Tugging the small string situated around his neck, his cape came undone. Rogue laid the fabric on the grass and sat upon it, patting the space next to him for Sting. “You’re like a magnet to these types of places.” Rogue chuckled, warmth spreading through his side as Sting plopped down.

“Nah, I think I just have the knack for finding beautiful places, things too. The shinier the better.” They both were now laughing, the air warming up too. Sting nudged Rogue, his finger pointing to the sky. “Like those stars, I think you call that one the little dipper.”

He shook his head, “No that’s the big dipper. You see how the smaller spoon is under it?” Rogue used his hand to point out the two constellations (the only two he could identify). He had amassed knowledge galore, but his interest had never lain in the stars -only the one next to him.

In awe, Sting grinned and pointed at another set of jumbled fragments of white jewels. “Ya know what that one is then? It kinda looks like a man.”

Rogue couldn’t really see anything, blaming his inactive imagination . It was rude to point at people, but if it looked like a man… He believed Yukino mentioned him once. “I think you may be talking about Hercules.” The only Greek hero to be put in the night sky, as legend had it. Someday he wished to be recognized in such a way.

Sting brushed against him as he sat back, head tilted up to the embroidered firmament. His blue eyes closed, a small hum of delight coming from his throat. Those same stars illuminating his tanned skin, making him glow. An ethereal being in his presence, someone so far from his touch but so close.

“You ever take Yukino to a place like this? I bet she would love it.”

The words rolled off his tongue so casually, the atmosphere seeming to heat up, a small burn rising in Rogue. The shadow slayer shifted to give them some much needed space, the stars dimming from the question.

“No, I don’t believe so. We went to a museum once…” He took Yukino wherever they wanted to go, she didn’t ever mention sitting under the stars. Maybe he should have asked, she really would have loved this. He grimaced and shoved his hands into his lap, the itch growing greater.

That same gloved hand taunting him by being placed so close to his leg. The tanned skin then flashed to a much more slim and pale hand, one he knew so well. Those hands had touched him in the most affectionate and sensual ways possible, there was no way he could betray them. But when he looked up at the stars, he felt a tug he had never felt before. Something that assured him of different possibilities.

All their luminescence was cascading onto Sting, feeding into him as a great spotlight. Sting coated in the cheerful cries that hailed from the large sky, a lackadaisical smile swiped across his mouth. He was basking in their light much as Rogue was from their absence.

Beautiful…

A serene expression a mask until those blue eyes bored into his own. Sting grinned and waved his hand in front of Rogue’s face. “Cat got your tongue? You started to stare off into space all the sudden.”

Caught in the act, his cheeks were buzzing to life and he shook his head. “Sorry, you just made me think of Yukino.” No, it was the two of them but this wasn’t the time to complicate the situation. The train ride was a rollercoaster of emotions, he couldn’t face those feelings again right now.

Sting’s face went unreadable, and Rogue internally cringed. The blond turned away in deep thought, still bathing in the night’s light. “Ya ever believe people could be written in the stars?”

Every internal alarm was set off, Rogue’s entire being frazzled by his inquiry. Sting wasn’t so articulate, but he knew exactly what the holy slayer meant. Looking back up to the sky, the burnette dwelled on the question. He was never much of a romantic, so he never thought of such stereotypical ideas. It was mind-boggling that it was presented to him in the first place, Yukino never mentioned anything like this before.

Now the cat really had his tongue. “Uhm… In this magic filled world, maybe.” His answer was broad, but he didn’t want Sting to get the wrong idea.

“I think it’s a yes or no question, Rogue.”

He was foolish to think Sting would take what was originally given. He always pushed for more and that was one thing he loved about him. Desire, passion, a fire that was always burning… things that were lost to him and Yukino.

“There is a possibility…” Who was he kidding? “Actually, I believe it can be true.” Rogue smiled, his body surging with a happiness he never had known.

Sting had the same look on his face, love sweeping down from it’s high position. The two had fallen from those glittering jewels from above, this he knew to be true.

“Someday people will see the two of us up there.” Sting proclaimed, standing with those same stars by his sides.

Rogue nodded, a pleasant silence accompanying them as they meandered their way through the streets of Era. Coming to the consoling darkness of their once empty hotel room. The night was dark and light, much as the magics contained within the two mages.

#stingue #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #erza scarlet #makarov dreyar #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #wwtdp #finally done with this chpater oml

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rememberthe4th · 6 years

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Tales of the Hunt: What Remains pt. 1

It has been a long time coming, but we’re finally wrapping up this ‘arc!’ I hope those who have followed along this far enjoy what I offer this time, and know there’s more to come! Here’s to tomorrow! -PAE IV

For a refresher: https://rememberthe4th.tumblr.com/post/179288927232/tales-of-the-hunt-a-flower-under-the-frost

Ribbons of smoke curled from where the roof was anchored to the shack’s walls, curling in tiny spirals beneath the night-watcher’s yellow glow. More billows out from where the front-door once stood. The room within crackles and groans as a growing-blaze eats its way through insulation.

Just outside the fire’s reach, the Old-Hunter slowly stems the flow from the holes Kakisi left in his shoulder. “You ought to warn me next time. Lucky I didn’t decide to keep those teeth.”

Kakisi responded with a wide grin, his mouth still stained with blood, “No promises, brother. Can’t think, much less talk, on such an empty stomach.” His thick-accent would normally make understanding him a challenge for some, but the words fell from a languid tongue. Enunciating each with a sluggish care, “Better bite when they don’t know it’s coming. Tension makes the meat tough.” He carefully works each joint and muscle with tired-fingers, stretching and cracking each limb.

“I’d like to think I’m a little more than ‘meat.”

“And I would like to never spend more than a minute in another closet.” The thin tails of smoke reached through the threshold as Kakisi massaged the last of his cramps. “And what is that you have cooking? Enough for two?”

“Just the strix. That cocky little sorcerer slipped through my fingers.”

Kakisi turned to the Old-Hunter with a perplexed frown, “Really? A strix? I did not have the chance to see her in action, but that is quite the surprise. What cause is worthy of one so reclusive?”

“The chance of a new day. They called themselves ‘Children of the Black Sun,’ so I can only assume they seek to bring about the end of this era. They present themselves as a force great-enough to consume the Order, and have shown their potential to draw our attention. However, most of this is hearsay until confirmed. Right now, our concern should be recovering what remains of the strix, and getting the hell out of here. Headquarters will want to hear about this.”

Kakisi strolled to the furthest-wall, “You finish-up with the barbecue. I will worry about making our exit.” Smiling, he gently patted the wall, which violently contorts under his touch. With only a nod of agreement, the Old-Hunter disappeared into a low-hanging cloud as rolled-in through the threshold.

Lucas let his ghostly-steed join the others. With the herd complete, their whirlwind began pulling the loose snow and debris from the ground around it. Even the Young-One felt its strength from several yards away. She tried to focus on staunching the flow from her wound, but the cyclone of ice and snow dancing beneath the silvery moonlight was slightly distracting. Cries were barely audible from within the spinning walls, but she could feel the beast’s panic. She pried her eyes from the vortex for a moment, gauging Lucas’ focused expression. There was confidence there, and that wall all she needed.

Lucas clasped his hands before his chest, fingers lacing tight between one-another. Eyes still locked to his trap, his voice cut through the cacophony, “Hear me and heed these words! You have trespassed upon this world, and tainted it with malice and bloodshed. You have been weighed against the laws of our world, and deemed Unholy. I, Lucas Blackfeather, on behalf of the Woodsmen Clan and the Holy Order, sentence you to return the otherworlds. I bid you safe-passage by the hooves of Grani.” The cyclone came to a reaching-peak, like a twister flipped upside-down. Its point stabbed through the night-sky, plunging through the abyss, and opening to somewhere beyond. “Farewell.” The winds rose to a ear-splitting shriek. The pounding of hooves grew. And when the Young-One could hardly bear its presence, the vortex began to lift off of the ground. Like a living-veil of white, it peeled from earth.

Lucas let a lungful of air free as his spell resolved. He was careful not break eye-contact, but let himself relax for the first time in far too long. Like cloth pulled through a metal ring, the cyclone was whisked into oblivion. All that remained in its wake was a circle of frost-starved earth, and the shape of two people at the center.

As the moon’s pale light touched the ground, Lucas and the Young-One watched a thin stream of mist rise from the figures. Without a word, they both rushed into the circle.

A man, naked and shaking in the frigid air, knelt there. Clutched to his chest was what remained of Yoko. Her robes still sparkled under the moonlight, but their color had waned as countless year caught up to her. The rest of Yoko fared far worse; unblemished and smooth skin turned a brownish-black and drawn tight against the bones. As the two came to his side, they could see tears falling onto Yoko’s cheek. The Young-One looked to Lucas for an answer, but the pain he wore was enough to tell her there was no easy solution. He couldn’t make this problem vanish like before.

“You should go back to the truck. You can wait there for me. No need for you to see this. Even the Old-Timer wouldn’t blame you.” His voice was hoarse, fists clenched at his sides. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Young-One shake her head. Sighing, “Sometimes… Sometimes there’s not a neat and tidy ending to these tasks. Sometimes you have to make mercy out of a mess.” Speaking to the man, “You, can you hear me?” The man only shivered as the night stole the heat from his bones. Lucas’ frown deepened, “I didn’t think so. If she’s anything to go by, they’ve been at this for at-least a century, so he could have been raised knowing a now dead-language.”

“Why does it matter?” The Young-One asked, wondering why Lucas didn’t just put the poor guy out of his misery.

Another sigh, this one heavier than before, “He needs to know why, child. He must not leave this world believing us to be the hands of darkness. I doubt he had any memory of his change; no concept of why this has happened. Such sorrow, such pain, can corrupt the soul. I’ll not have the end of one monster bring about another. And… I need the body clear of any blood that might be spilt, there’s a chance it could bring just enough of her back to cause trouble.”

“Well, I don’t suppose you’re fluent in… every language?”

“No such luck, but I have a ‘friend’ who could lend us a hand.” Lucas pulled what appeared to be a small doll from his pocket. He let it rest in his palm for just a moment; long enough for the Young-One to get a good look. It seemed to be molded from clay and grass, several strands poking out from its finger-smoothed surface. Despite the severity of the situation, she couldn’t help her heart’s hop when she recognized the shape of a rabbit with two comically oversize ears. In his other hand, Lucas held that emblazoned lighter. With a quick flick, a tall flame rose from the flint. Carefully, he fed the figurine to the flames. The doll was engulfed in a flash, like a strip of phosphorus. Its ashes hung in mid-air for an instant, before being swept off in a sudden gust. From the shadows which caught the remains, a shimmering silhouette of gold came forth. A tiny, semi-transparent, nose poked from the darkness, sniffing hesitantly at the night-air.

The rest of Lucas’ “friend” followed its nose, and the Young-One could barely restrain the urge to squeal as it came into view. The creature had an ethereal presence; the snow behind it just visible through its soft-gold form. It moved across the snow in steady hops without leaving a trail. It was undoubtedly the fattest, fluffiest, and most long-eared rabbit the Young-One had ever seen. When it came to a rest between Lucas and the man, she realized it was also the largest: reaching Lucas’ shin without sitting-up.

Knowing it purpose, the rabbit went right to work. It gave the man a quick sniff, to which he took no notice, before sitting onto its hind-quarters. With both ears stretched straight-up, it reached Lucas’ shoulder.

Taking one last breath, Lucas began, “I’m sorry for what you have lost.” As each word left his lips, different words left the rabbit’s. The spoke with Lucas’ voice, but the Young-One could hardly decipher a single syllable. The man perked-up immediately upon hearing a familiar-tongue. As Lucas continued, the man stared only at him, as if no-one else was speaking on his behalf. When light found the man’s face, the Young-One could see frost forming along the path of his tears. Her heart broke at the sorrow in his eyes.

“There are no words which can ease your suffering, but know you need not prolong this pain. We offer you release, as we too have had our lives twisted by the Unholy. We-” The man’s grip started easing with each word Lucas spoke, until he made mention that his companion was something corrupt. Catching both off-guard, he bared his teeth before curling himself around the corpse.

Though his words were muffled by the silk robes, the rabbit echoed them in a tear-choked voice, “You lie! Yoko was my child, my world! You do not know her as I do!”

“Even the worst fire will provide a gentle warmth to those at the right distance. Only from afar can we see its destruction. You knew her as your heart wanted you to, not as she truly was. Let us take the burden of what was done by her hand. We will bear this memory. Please, accept this mercy.” The man leaned back for a moment, studying the one laying in his arms. With a sigh that seemed to carry the last of his strength, he let Yoko slide from his grasp. Lucas gave the Young-One a distinct nod, “Go ahead.”

Trying not to show how heavy a burden he’d just placed on her, the Young-One creeps beside the man. Making each slow move deliberate and as obvious as possible, as-if she were dealing with a drowsy-beast, she slid her arms beneath the body. As she tried to pull it away, the man resisted. In that instant, she could feel how weak the cold had made him. Knowing he couldn’t resist her for long, he releases the corpse before turning back to Lucas. The rabbit spoke again, hope just barely heard over his broken tone, “Will… will she be there?”

Lucas held the man’s gaze, “If you hold her in your heart as you pass, perhaps you’ll find her.” The man searched Lucas’ eyes for a sign of deceit, but all he found was pity. Another tear cut across the frost forming on his cheeks as he turned to face the moon above them. In its somber light, he found something which a brought a smile to his lips.

The moment Yoko was clear, Lucas pulled a Bowie knife from beside his boot. When the man offered his throat, Lucas swung wide and fast. That razor-edge slipped through flesh and muscle without hesitation. Steam poured forth alongside warm life. With only a few final shudders, after so many years lost to madness, Li left his shell behind.

It didn’t take long for Lucas and the Young to have what remained of their foes wrapped and secured within the truck’s storage. They shared a silence as they went about their grim task. When they could finally rest within the warmth of the cab, she broke the quiet, “Was all of that a lie? The stuff about finding her?”

Lucas, who had been pondering over a three-quarters-empty pack of cigarettes, lit another. “Does it matter? That devalue having peace in his last moments?” The Young-One didn’t have an answer. All she had were questions to be saved for a better time. As the heavy odor of smoke filled the cab, they waited for the Old-Hunter’s return.

#writing #series #fiction #fantasy

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god-hunter · 7 years

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Avengers #11

This was a pretty refreshing issue of Waid’s Avengers. It was a nice breather in a Post-Secret Empire world, where this particular group of Avengers gathered back together and figured out where they go from here.

I always like these kinds of issues because usually it builds team dynamics and we see new shifts in direction. Sometimes new people even come in. If I had my way, Wanda & Odinson would’ve stayed on and explained themselves, or expressed regret, but no.

Vision & Herc had a pretty good talk though. Spider-man & Nadia had an annoying one. [I really hate their dynamic. And how Peter really seems to care so much that she doesn’t like him. She’s a kid. Let it go. He seems like, super childish and young when he insists on understanding why she doesn’t like being around him.]

Sam and Jane had a really nice moment too.

Regarding Sam, he is not wearing his Falcon uniform as indicated above. He is still rocking the Cap outfit, but I wonder how long that will stick. Because he is getting new solo issues of the Falcon out soon. (And he did already return that shield to.. Good Memory Steve...)

But yeah. This is a good issue where our guys figure things out, before something new alerts them to Assemble again.

[SPOILERS]

It’s worth mentioning that Spider-man went through some changes during Secret Empire. Not only did he have to deal with a new “Superior” Doc Ock, donning a Hydra themed Spidey costume, but as a part of that conflict, his entire Organization of Parker Industries went over.

The place got hacked. Peter cancelled the entire operation. Stocks went down. It was a mess.

How that affects this book is that, The Avengers were located on the top floor of P.I, which hasn’t been long enough for us to really enjoy. [That’s the problem with all the books these days. The Avengers shift teams and locations so frequently, that even though it takes a year for the comics to come out, in reality it seems like they’ve been from one place to another for a month. When you think about it like that, it’s like make up your damn mind, man.]

So anyway... P.I has gone under, and now their Avengers Identicards aren’t working. [Also. Identicards?]

So our guys are all talking in what looks like an alleyway, but is probably really a lobby. The art in this book has always been a little strange, looking. It suits the tone, I suppose though.

Anyway, yeah. The whole team is doing a lot of hating on Peter at the moment, which makes Spider-man super uncomfortable. This was a little comical.

Then, Sam excuses himself from the group to have a conversation with Thor in private. They both fly away from the Alleyway. Vision decides that he wants to hang out with Herc, which leaves Spidey alone with the young Wasp. This is what I was talking about before, where he insists on figuring out why she doesn’t like him. Then he decides that he wants to show her something.

He leads the way up a wall, while she follows him under suspicion.

“Oh, God, please just once trust me, all right?”

Meanwhile, Sam & Jane have a much more meaningful conversation.

She asks him if he regrets not being Cap any more, [despite still donning the colors], and he says, “Nope.” Then he talks to her about her personal issue with cancer.

He apologizes for saying he’d intervene with her business, if he felt she was being self-destructive with her constant transformations into Thor and returning to stage 1 chemo each time she reverted back to Jane.

“I don’t get a say in your fate. ...No one else but you gets to pick your path...”

Then he tells her that he wants to not only give up the shield and the role of Cap, but he wants to surrender the role as Leader of the Avengers to her.

[What happened to not choosing someone elses fate?]

“...I need you to lead this team.” He says, which comes as a shock to her.

Meanwhile, Vision and Herc have a good talk over coffee about what they’ve been through recently.

“Recently, I learned that... my Synthezoid form will live... nearly forever.” He asks Herc what it’s like to be immortal. And what I liked so much about this was that we were given insight to a D-lister’s life and mindset. Suddenly after 11 years, it felt like this guy was actually part of the team.

“I’m not fully immortal, my friend. I do not even consider myself to be long-lived. Instead, sadly... I consider humans to be especially short-lived.

He eventually gets personal and brings up that he used to have friends and lovers that died on him again and again. “It became painful to have relationships, to bond. So I chose to do neither.”

[It was both distracting and kind of enjoyable to see random people come up and take selfies with them while they talk. They were in a public coffee shop after all.]

The overall point is, regarding Vision’s.. worries about the loneliness that is forever.. “Do not waste time mourning for those whom you outlive. Instead, revel in their friendships.”

The only ‘adventurous’ part of this issue is Spider-man and Wasp encountering a bunch of animals who spilled out of a circus truck while they were on their way to a Science Fair in Midtown.

But instead they end up doing crowd control, and honestly.. it was my least favorite part of this issue.

The two disagree on silly little things, including whether the glass is half empty and half full. Then they both say at the same time, “...Why is that glass always twice as big as it needs to be?” To which, they both pound it. And the moment does not feel profound at all.

Back to Thor & Sam’s conversation.

She asks if he’s retiring as Cap & the Falcon, and he says, “No. Why would you think that?”

Then she says that if he’s not gonna wear the colors, that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t lead the team.

Then she says, “I hate to...break it to you, but you are not the face of the team. ...It’s Spider-man. He’s the one who gets the most public attention... He’s the one everyone recognizes immediately...”

[So wait, does that mean that she’s suggesting that Parker should lead??]

No. She’s just saying that Sam is their guy whether he’s a star-spangled Avenger, or a black and red costumed Falcon. It doesn’t matter.

Then of all the things, Sam gets an alert from his “Breaking News app.” (really...?) “We have a situation. ...I need the team, but with no Identicards, I have no way of contacting them.”

Thor sets off lightning from her hammer as a sort of beacon. The rest of the team, immediately flock to her beck and call. [Tell me who the Leader is again?]

Then Sam tells them that Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo are at an American Embassy with 35 hostages. Without a jet, they need to fly each other. Vision grabs Herc and Thor grabs Spider-man. [But I guess it’s important to note that Nadia was willing to do it.]

“AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!”

Next time: Worlds Collide

Wow. So that’s that.

This book is going back to old-school numbering baby. I’m gonna have a field day, figuring out which old issues are what.

Hell. It might even propel me to get back to Bendis’ era of New Avengers, Dark Avengers and finally, Avengers v4! But with the little amount of time, I doubt it.

So yeah. Rather than Avengers v6 #12, we’re going back to Avengers v1 #672.

Nice.

I haven’t ranted about it yet, but I’m somewhere in the middle about returning to original numbers. For some books like this one, it absolutely makes sense. But for others, where there was clear reasons for different volumes, it just feels like it would make sense to keep everything going. Especially ones that just started to get ground. (Kind of like this one.) But whatever, I’m not complaining.

See you at Issue #672. It looks to be a promising story, which will co-inside with the Champions book. Guess I’ll be collecting that one again too for the time being.

#Avengers v6 #Issue 12 #Mark Waid #Marvel #NOW! 2017

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furederiko · 7 years

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Recap time!!! And I'm not just talking about this post being a recap-view, because really, Kyuranger episode 27 is indeed a RECAP-episode! A journey back in time, both literally and figuratively...

- If you didn't see it coming, then well... you're not alone. Me neither! The show isn't even actually pulling off something 'new' here, because it IS that time of the year for mid-season recap (for comparison sake, Zyuohger had theirs in episode 27 as well). I guess Kyuranger has been so fast-paced and its plots are so tight, that I honestly didn't expect a clip-show to land on my feet. Especially following a melancholic cliffhanger that involves one of its member turning evil. - Then again, this IS TOEI we're talking about, so it's not like they're going to abandon their annual pattern, right? Inspite of that, the company almost always (mind you, not every year fares the same) finds a way to make a Super Sentai clip-show to be... FUN to watch. In the case of Kyuranger, it's through an unexpected occurence within the ORION, during its 'Time Travel' journey: stowaways onboard the spaceship!!! Fun fact: In my opinion, it's a fitting episode to do a recap. The team reviews their adventures so far, while onboard the ORION as they travel back in time? Coincidence? Not really. Clever writing, if you ask me. Oh and yeah, we're getting twice of them a year now. The second clip-show will usually take place later after the New Year break. - Just to refresh our memory, the 'Time Travel' team consists of (in numerical order) Stinger, Champ, Raptor, Spada, Commander Xiao, and Tsurugi. Everyone immediately splits up to apprehend these intruders. Who are they? The lesser Indavers, a.k.a. the Jark Matter cannon fodders. Oops, I mean grunts. How did they come onboard? Apparently, Akyanba told them to infiltrate the spaceship during that Barbeque moment. Yeah, another good proof of her cunningness. - Oh, before you wonder why ORION had such poor security, the answer is too obvious: Balance was alone in the spaceship at the time. And he was also tweaking the system to integrate Holorogium. That's probably why the security didn't alert their presence back then. Holy Moly indeed! Gotta love Tsurugi's 'holy moly'-s hillarious outburst though... XD - Stinger and Champs apprehend the Yellow-striped Indaver in what seems to be the Private/Training Room. Xiao and Raptor catch a White-striped one in the Small Engine Room. Tsurugi and Spada corner and interrogate the Blue-striped in the Kitchen. The fourth is a feminine-looking Purple-striped one. This one (he? she?) is chased by Xiao... who then clumsily hurts his back, forcing Stinger and Champ to take over, but is later chained-down by Spada using the #40 Andromeda Kyu Globe. - These Indavers bring their own surprise to the story. First of all, they can actually SPEAK. Turns out, they have been wearing masks/helmets all these time! So they are basically the show's equivalent to the... StormTroopers, right? With one key difference: these helmets prevent them from communicating, hence why we haven't heard them talking until now. Second, they are lifeforms called Inda. 'Blue' claims that they are fed up of being poorly treated by the Shogunate. That's the reason why they sneak into the ship and wants to join the Rebellion. Hmmm... is that the honest truth? Third, two of them have showed up in previous episodes before. A clever twist that provides an excuse to include footage from past episodes, even if it might merely be an afterthought. - Speaking of past episodes, here's a quick list of what the clip-show includes: 1) Kyuranger's debut episodes. The core ones are from episode 1 to 5. The extra members are from episode 9, 10, and 21. 'Blue' reveals he was one of the Indavers who got hit by Lucky's 'meteor shower' when he first used Leo Kyu Globe on Planet Jugjug. While 'Yellow' was among the Indavers who got kicked by Ursa Minor Skyblue when he utilized the 'giant' power of Ursa Major Kyu Globe for the first time. 2) Voyagers. Along with their various mecha combinations for Kyuren-Oh, Ryutei-Oh, Ryutei Kyuren-Oh, Gigant Phoenix, and of course Kyutamajin. 3) Kyu Globes. The Change and Skill varieties, including what categories they can be classified into. According to Spada, there are ones that can be used for attacks, for utilitarian purposes, for plain fun, as well as... strange ones. No kidding, that's his actual words! Oh, and yes, there are plot-related ones, like the Argo Navis components. 4) Random scenes from various episodes, including that small crossover with Gavan and Dekaranger, and 'Rivalry of the Reds'. Mainly the ones showcasing the tumultuous bond between the members. - Speaking of bond, we get to see briefly how team 'Save Naga' is doing as well. Hammy is still feeling guilty and down about Naga, Kotarou is looking concerned about that, Lucky and Balance are both annoyingly optimistic and carefree as always, while Garu is still unsure about Tsurugi. Oh yeah, that last one reminds me. This episode confirms that Tsurugi still retains his self-centered personality! It's more tone-down than before, of course. He still doesn't like to be ordered, and even thinks the Kyurangers are being too kind and naive to show sympathy for the four Indavers. He firmly thinks, that they deserve to be thrown into the time hole instead. Ouch!! - And well, about that? Turns out he's right. There's a fifth Indaver, 'Red', who has been hiding in the Main Computer Room all these time. He reveals (albeit hillariously ignored with the Barbeque talk) that the Indas are created by Jark Matter, so it's completely unlikely for them to rebel. Those other four was merely a diversion so he can mess around with the system, and sabotage the 'Time Travel' plan. - The ORION is forced to land... in the Cretaceous Era! As soon as they step out, the team even encounters the real Gabutyra (notice the hair? And how it just plain ignores them as they bicker? LOL). After a failed-attempt to sway Tsurugi into their side, these Indavers go ahead and challenge the team. With the hope that their victory earns them a promotion into Tsuyo-Indavers or Malistrates, that is. Completely forgetting how they are also... lost in time. LOL. They even have their own roll call sequence, as Jark Sentai, Go-Indaver. - Team (sans Raptor, who stays behind to repair the ORION) decides to deal with them... without even transforming into Kyurangers. Yes, we're getting a very early (and clearly incomplete) suitless roll call!!! In the end, Tsurugi ruthlessly and selfishly (should we be surprised?) breaks the rule, and transforms into Phoenix Soldier to wipe out all Go-Indaver with his Phoenix End. The others are occupied with Xiao's back issue anyway. LOL. - The fact that Jark Matter tries (and fails) to stop them from going back in time, proves that something big DID occur back then. Can the 'Time Travel' team uncovers the secret behind Don Armage's seemingly immortality? Will the 'Save Naga' team be able to rescue one of their own who was lost in the darkness? That my Toku-loving friend, is the story for another day...

Overall: I know what some of you are thinking. A recap/clip-show episode already?! Then again, one would easily admit, that it WAS definitely enjoyable. Part of it was our classic 'Bad Guys turn Good' trope of the season, but the rest of it was just plain having fun. And I'm not any bit complaining about that. After a doze of emotional rollercoaster, this was one of the lighter episodes that's obviously aimed to be that way. After all, we DO need to take a breather every now and then, right? Today's episode is excellent to those who haven't been keeping up with the show. But the good thing is, even for a clip-show, Kyuranger still manages to 'shake things up' (easily reminded me of Go-kaiger). This episode still offered something new to its world-building/mythology, and progressed the story even if not in a major way. Of course, things are expected to be heating up again real soon. So hold on to your horses, and prepare yourself for another round of wild ride... Next week: Balance vs Naga. Oh Nooooo....!! And Sir Orion makes his official debuts!!! PS: Yeah, feel free to call me inconsistent, but I've decided to change Sir Olion's name into Sir Orion once again. Because... well, we'll likely get the answer to that this Sunday. Also, the spin-off series "Kyuranger High School Wars" will be arriving very soon on September 9th, 2017. It is directed by Koichi Sakamoto, and will be exclusively available on TOEI Tokusatsu Fan Club app. You can check out its first official trailer online! Looks fun, doesn't it?

Episode 27 Score: 7,9 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: August 29th, 2017 - Version 2.12. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

#tokusatsu #SuperSentai #kyuranger #uchu sentai kyuranger #uchuu sentai kyuranger #review #clip show #Just for Fun

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elizabethrobertajones · 7 years

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Hi! Sorry to bother you with a bit of a dumb question...but I've been seeing the phrase "the story became the story" a lot in the past few weeks on my dash, and I never understood what exactly it means? I think it was mostly on some other blog but I can't seem to find it. Just very confused ^^'

It’s from 9x07:

SAMSo, what was that all about, ‘Dee-dawg’?

DEANYou remember when we were kids that spring in upstate New York? Dad was on a rugaru hunt. We, uh – we crashed at the, uh … the bungalow colony with the ping-pong table?

SAMYeah. Uh, y-you disappeared. Dad came back. You were gone. He shipped me off to Bobby’s for a couple months and went and … found you. You were lost on a hunt or something.

DEANTHAT’S what we told you. (as if Sam’s story refreshed his memory) Right.

SAMI’m sorry? That’s what you told me?

DEANTruth is, uh… I lost the food money that Dad left for us in a card game. I knew you’d get hungry, so … I tried taking the five-finger discount at the local market and got busted. I wasn’t on a hunt. They sent me to a boys’ home.

SAMA boys’ home, like a … reform school?

DEANYeah, more or less. It was a farm, and the guy who ran it – Sonny – he, uh, you know, he looked after me.

[…]

SAMHey, Dean … I mean, why didn’t you just tell me you went to a boys’ home?

DEANI don’t know. Uh, it was Dad’s idea. And then it just – you know, the story became the story. I was 16.

I copied most of the exchange (that’s the end of the scene, with Dean using that last line to end the argument) because I think context is sort of important… Basically a lot of meta writers since this episode have picked up on it as a really important phrase to explain a lot of things all round the show, where people have been holding onto ideas and stories which helped but really aren’t that great long term for their development and all.

This one exchange summarises the entire point of this episode before you even get into it, and basically anything where they were holding onto an idea for safety or denial out of their childhood. Most John Winchester focused episodes have an element of it, this is just the most overt (I think it’s the key episode really for all Carver/Dabb era John-related stuff) so it gives us this great line to explain everything.

Now Mary’s back it’s even more critical because it’s basically explaining everything where there’s difficulty communicating, and Mary was still in the “story” up until Toni told her to her face that there was a different truth to the one she’s been clinging to. (I just scrolled past this great gifset with some side by sides)

Essentially the entire story of Mary to Sam and Dean has been, well, a story. She has a whole history of being their tragic saintly mother, they never got to knew through anything but hazy memories and stories. Ever since then her image has been challenged, I mean, like, in 1x09 she apologises to Sam for what happened/will happen (not that she remembers this now) - but at the time it showed there was maybe something more to what Mary knew. Still, going back in time and meeting her, whatever we learn that she’s a hunter etc never changes who she IS to Dean and then Sam - they both look at her like she’s a flawless angel and permanently with tears ready to fall just to be in the same room as her.

As much as John stuff has stories that became the story - the things they say to explain how bad it was to themselves, that they can focus on him being a great hunter, a hero who sacrificed himself for them, who had his noble tragic quest to avenge Mary, doesn’t really cover that he neglected them and raised them poorly, messed up, with too many expectations and dangerously. Which again is a theme since season 1 - if nothing else shows it clearly, then 1x18 with John sending Dean to clean up his mess with the striga… Which John blamed Dean for despite him being a kid, it was his fault for messing up the hunt not John’s for expecting this tiny child to protect his brother with a shotgun from a terrible monster. And I’ve never been certain he wasn’t using them as bait if he had left them alone in the same town as the monster knowing its pattern was to feed on kids.

So they have their stories about John - stuff where Dean accepts the blame or things where they can kid themselves it wasn’t all as bad as that, because they DID love him and he loved them and all that stuff is apparently what family does for each other - all the selling their souls etc.

Of course then it turns out Mary was the one who started it not John, which is the narrative asking us to question her, to allow her to be more human, as messed up as them, etc.

But actually having her back is difficult to get over the image, so for them the hurdle with Mary has been seeing past the story that became the story, that she is miserable and human and messed up as well (hence all the drama she’s put them through so far)… And they’re struggling with the image of John, where the story became the story and they haven’t exactly conquered that yet EITHER so asking them to be upfront and comfortable discussing it with Mary? She’s been folded into their perception of John and though they very very gently poked at the idea to start with, she was making essentially the same error as Henry Winchester:

HENRY You’re also Winchesters. As long as we’re alive, there’s always hope. [DEAN and SAM look at each other.] I didn’t know my son as a man, but having met you two… [HENRY takes DEAN’s hand with his right hand and holds out his left hand to SAM] …I know I would have been proud of him.

He ALSO read all of John’s journal and was horrified by what had happened to him, but for his own sanity drew a nicer picture of John as a hero and a good man (because, on a cosmic level, he was and his actions were good and he saved people and sold his soul for Dean and didn’t even break in Hell when Dean did, like, what a great guy). Mary as a character with a full season long arc has a chance to learn more and get past that same introduction to what she missed while skipping ahead in the story to what to both Henry and her is essentially after the story ended, and to understand what’s underneath the story - that this upbringing by a crusading hero was not exactly a story of great parenting when it came to her sons. And even the only thing she doesn’t know yet after Toni’s attempt to tell her a version of the truth to upset her is that cupids connected her and John, and that her whole story THERE is also a half-truth because unlike the story Dean told her in 12x01 about how she met John, there is no cute love story - there’s manipulation from Heaven and in the end the same love that made her make that deal wasn’t all her fault because it came from a cupid’s arrow not just from her own heart. And it all “had” to happen because of the apocalypse.

Anyway, that’s the sort of thematic thread that has been running through the entire show but since 9x07 had really easy words to put to it to mean anything where this messed up family has constructed an easier truth over its darkness.

(I have to say as I just watched 10x05 last, I really hated the Winchester Family Story as presented there with them all singing Carry On Wayward Son, and I think it was meant to be fake because Adam was there and they had to ask who he was… But the whole take away from the episode even for the actual Sam and Dean was a very very glossy idea of what they do and how their family is. Works great as a 1 off episode completely in isolation to actually celebrate the show and fandom as we love it, but in context 2 episodes after demon!Dean was laying into Sam about how they were raised and the real dark heart of their family, before trying to kill him…. it’s so fake, and watching those 2 episodes side by side like I did, without the werewolf melodrama in the middle… It’s so obviously a “the story became the story” to smooth over the whole demon!Dean incident so they can function for most of the rest of season 10… If you need another example of seeing it in action :D)

#Asks #the story became the story #12x21 #9x07 #*not a John Winchester fangirl*#Mary F Winchester #john and mary HUSBAND AND WIFE #(I STILL have it stuck in my head)

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zonerobotnik · 8 years

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Modern Day LoZ fic idea

I wrote a ficlet for you guys to read and tell me what you think. I’d do art with it, but I can’t draw Ganondorf...

"The Hero of Time is just a fairytale." The blonde teenager before the man said nonchalantly. "There's no proof he ever existed anywhere, and he vanished after the Dark Lord Ganondorf - that's you, right? - was defeated."

"But...YOU exist." Ganondorf said in disbelief. He was still reeling from how the world had apparently changed in 100 years, and now he was finding out that Link, his enemy, supposedly never existed?

"Well, sure. But, I have no memory of what you're telling me. I don't have any powers like he did." The newest incarnation of his longtime rival shrugged his small shoulders. "The only reason I even believe you is because of this birthmark." He raised his left hand to show him to the Triforce of Courage.

"I don't understand..." Ganondorf looked to the side.

"Yeah, I imagine it must be a shock. I mean, you expected to be unsealed again and battle me--him--like usual, but instead of Mr. Green Tunic you get me." He gestured to his metal band t-shirt. "And, honestly, if it WAS me at the time, I would've just killed you. Sealing you away to give you the chance to come back and cause trouble again, that's clearly a dumb idea. I don't know if he had something against killing, but he sure made a lot of trouble for himself by just sealing you away."

"So, are you saying you might actually go on the quest and become the Hero of Time?" Ganondorf chuckled.

"Nope, I'm gonna kill you without even lifting a finger." The newest Link grinned at him cheekily. "Of old age."

"You diabolical fiend. You will condemn me to not only living in this strange unknown 'modern world' of yours, but for me to die of old age? I don't even know if I can." Ganondorf smiled a bit. It was refreshing seeing a smile on that face. He had been battling for so long, and what could be do now that the royal family had been overthrown? He didn't know how to handle a "democracy".

"Yep. I'm evil that way." Link stood up and dusted his pants off with his right hand. Ganondorf glanced at his injured left wrist bound in ripped cloth from his tunic and sighed. What was this, empathy? He hadn't felt that in forever. "So, let's get back to the orphanage so you can adopt me!"

"Excuse me?" Ganondorf asked.

"Well, since you were planning on kidnapping me anyway, why don't we just make it legal and you can be my dad? Y'know, since I've never had one and all. It'd be nice." Link gasped and looked at him. "But, oh no, Heaven forbid the Dark Lord does something nice!"

"Alright, you wise-ass." Ganondorf stood up and picked up the teen, carrying him to his horse. "But, I thought the town was burned down?"

"Psh. The grass was really dry before the sudden freak storm. We'll blame that." Link shrugged. "Uh, let's leave your goblins here."

"Go on ahead to the castle." Ganondorf told them as he set Link on the large black horse and climbed up. "I will return shortly."

"Cool, a castle." Link grinned.

"Yes, yes. I do have to wonder where Princess Zelda is, though." Ganondorf said as he headed in the direction of the disappating smoke.

"Who knows, who cares? There haven't been princesses in 50 years." Link reminded him. "Man, I'm gonna have to teach you a lot about this era, aren't I?"

"And I will teach you how to actually not break your wrist by being grabbed by a goblin." Ganondorf said, looking at his wrist.

"...To be fair, he did grab me really hard. Self-defense would be nice, though." Link mumbled, embarrassed.

#legend of zelda #loz #link is 13 and that shirt was probably donated to the orphanage #things have been gradually changing even when ganon was active before but he never noticed #link #ganondorf #i've got both romantic and platonic but the main one is platonic and so precious #ganon's gonna be a businessman

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Wynonna Earp Season 4 Episode 1 Review: On the Road Again

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This Wynonna Earp review contains spoilers.

Wynonna Earp Season 4, Episode 1

Hold onto your flasks, Earpers. For the next six weeks, new episodes of Wynonna Earp will be gracing our hearts and eyeballs. It’s almost too good to believe that, after almost two years, a time in which funding snafus and then COVID-19 temporary halted production, we have more of this wonderfully bonkers, ridiculously fun, and unabashedly sentimental story that centers found family, queer love, and women getting shit done to look forward to, but sometimes the universe gives you something good.

Given the long, long hiatus, you would be forgiven for not remembering everything that happened in Season 3 and, cleverly, this premiere doesn’t expect you to. While some of the dialogue refreshers can feel a bit crammed in there, given that the alternative would be showing a 15-minute recap at the beginning of the hour, it’s a necessary sacrifice. Basically, what you need to remember from Season 3 is this: half-angel Waverly got pulled into The Garden (of Eden), vampire gentleman Doc went after her. The curse is broken and therefore Wynonna no longer has Peacemaker. And, after drugging all of her family (save Waverly) in a misguided attempt to keep them safe from Bulshar, everyone in Purgatory disappeared save for Nedley. Got it? Good.

“On the Road Again” spends some time getting its characters into place for the episode’s main action. We quickly find out that Nicole, Jeremy, Kate, and the rest of Purgatory’s residents (whoever they are) were taken by either the government or private militia posing as government (this “distinction” hits different in the COVID-19 era). They were forced at gunpoint onto a train out of the Ghost River Triangle. Nicole hops off before they reach the border, but not before getting a high-stakes Tarot card reading from vampire Kate, who also gives her an assist off the train, as its doors are rigged to turn humans into french fries (not literally—I feel like I have to make that kind of thing clear with this show) should they try to open them.

Meanwhile, Wynonna and Nedley have gathered firepower and are heading back to the steps that lead to The Garden. We also quickly find out that Wynonna (still) can’t get into the Garden (I guess it’s good to double check?) and that Nedley retired for a reason. After getting bitten by some demon crabs that crawled out of Eden, Wynonna has to leave an injured Nedley in the loving (she makes omelettes!) care of Mercedes as she goes to investigate some Valdez leads she found in Dolls’ old files.

Because Nedley needs a rest and Mercedes can’t really be trusted, Wynonna is on this rescue mission alone, and you can tell it’s starting to shake her. Sure, she drugged her friends and family so she could go it alone, like she used to be more comfortable doing, but she soon realizes that she has grown to become accustomed to a team. When her truck gets a flat and Wynonna starts to lose faith in herself, she imagines what Doc and Waverly would say, obviously starting to understand just how much she needs backup both for emotional and logistical support.

It’s not Doc and Waverly that comes to Wynonna’s aid, but rather Nicole, who has caught up to Wynonna and wants to give her a piece of her mind—and a punch to the face. I love that Nicole, and therefore the show, doesn’t let Wynonna off the hook for the fact that she drugged her loved ones in the season finale. This is the kind of thing that happens all of the time in genre programming and that is treated as heroic, but it’s really, really not. Wynonna not only drugged them without their consent, she took their agency away from them. Frankly, Nicole lets her off easy.

Nicole’s unwillingness to let Wynonna get away with things is one of the best things about their odd couple dynamic, and I love that we see it centered yet again in the season premiere. Wynonna is a sarcastic, drinks a lot of the time, and isn’t always a team player. Meanwhile, Nicole is a straight-shooter who likes to have a plan, do things by the book, and keep lines of communication open and honest. They are two different kinds of leaders, and probably wouldn’t hang out in normal circumstances, but they both love Waverly more than anything in the world and that makes them family.

Following the “Valdez” clues Wynonna found in Dolls’ Black Badge files, Wynonna and Nicole continue on to an abandoned facility in nearby Monument, hoping they will find an alternate way into The Garden there. What they do find is Dr. Gloria Valdez’s gunslinging teen daughter and a whole lot of zombies. The zombies give the premiere a chance for the kind of stylish, oh-so-fun fight scene Wynonna Earp does so well, but they also feel like one obstacle too many. And did I mention the precarious grates? The facility has those to and, when Wynonna steps on one, she seems sure she’s marked for death. But Officer Haught has something to say about it. She knocks Wynonna off the grate and falls down the hole below instead, into darkness.

Elswhere in the episode, we get to see where Waverly and Doc ended up after going through that gate and it’s not super homey… at least not initially. The barren snowscape has no food or water to speak of, only looming obelisks and stone doorways that cast long, ominous shadows. Oh, and a throne (Julian’s throne), that Waverly seems like she kinda sorta wants to sit in?

Waverly and Doc aren’t the only characters in the Garden. They meet a former Black Badger driven crazy by his time there. He doesn’t give Waverly and Doc much of an explanation of what he’s doing there, other than that they need to pour human blood down a hole or something bad will happen, before he uses some supersized shears to chop off his own head. The situation is all very Desmond in The Bunker. Waverly and Doc have one teeny, tiny problem: neither of them are what you might strictly call “human.”

Another side effect of staying in The Garden? The longer you stay there, the more it messes with your memory. Waverly and Doc go from reminiscing about the dark deeds they’ve committed in the past to having trouble remembering the people they love most over the course of one scene. They can’t remember how long they’ve been in The Garden and we don’t actually know how much time they’ve been in there either. When Dolls falls asleep, Waverly wanders back into the bunker and feeds it some half-angel blood, “the good stuff.” It more than does the trick. Trees grow. Flowers blossom. Something deep inside the bunker whispers Waverly’s name.

The bunker also gives Waverly a choice. We see books with four different character names on them: Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp, Nicole Haught, and Doc Holliday. It seems like Waverly chooses the book marked “Nicole” before venturing deeper into the bunker, towards that whispering voice. That leaves Doc all alone for now and means he’s the only one home when a very naked Nicole Haught appears in the bunker, chipper and only somewhat confused. She doesn’t seem to remember how she got there or even perhaps who Doc is? Was this the effect of Waverly potentially choosing Nicole’s book? Is it a result of Nicole falling down the grate? Could it have been a gate to The Garden? The Season 4 premiere leaves us with some great questions, and the promise of a new episode next week to start answering them. What a feeling.

Additional thoughts.

“You almost done? I feel like I’ve been standing here for two years.” Brilliant.

Is Kate going to come back? This show has an unfortunate pattern of writing out and/or de-centering its characters of color.

Wynonna Earp manages to both lean into the “Girl Chained to the Train Tracks” trope with Waverly and also subvert its problematic aspects at the exact same time.

Reader, that taser was not set to tickle.

Petition to have the characters of Wynonna Earp continue to use pads as bandages for the rest of its existence? This show normalizes parts of womanhood, from pregnancy to periods, like no other. Every time, it feels like a radical revelation.

“Well, that’s a felony.” Nedley’s response to hearing that Wynonna drugged her friends. Yes, yes it is.

Generally, we see dude characters doing the whole “I take away characters consent in the name of protection” shtick. I hope Wynonna Earp continues to push back against this really fucked up decision Wynonna made in the Season 3 finale, and we see Wynonna realize how much of a hurtful mistake this was.

What is time passes differently in The Garden and Waverly and Doc have been in there for the time it took for Wynonna Earp to come back after the Season 3 finale???

It was Jeremy, he of the former Black Badge employment, who scratched “Valdez” into Wynonna’s staircase. Like normal, Jeremy seems to know more than he is letting on. Why didn’t he tell Wynonna about “Valdez” before? Sadly, this is all we see of Jeremy in this premiere, which is probably an intentional choice to preserve some of the mystery of this premiere.

“Do you have anything of hers?” *Nicole looks for and realizes she doesn’t have Waverly’s wing, but offers Kate her hand instead. “Yeah… me.”

“This is Eden? It’s not the way they wrote it up.” I love Doc Holliday.

“You came?” “Of course.” I also love the Doc/Waverly dynamic. Get you a show that doesn’t just give your complex dynamics between the “traditional” relationships, like romantic partners or family members, but between all of its characters.

“You don’t get the judge of who matters and who doesn’t.” Nicole makes Wynonna better. Not sure if I believe they are best friends, though.

Calgary’s really beautiful.

What was Julian protecting The Garden from if not Bulshar? And are there more of those demon crab things? Asking for a friend.

“It is my birthright. My legacy.” Is Wynonna getting brainwashed by The Garden?

“Is that a yes?” “Like I would tell you first.” Still waiting on an answer to Waverly’s proposal…

“These guys did not find a great work-life balance.” Relatable.

The post Wynonna Earp Season 4 Episode 1 Review: On the Road Again appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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tinyhandsbigsouls · 6 years

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Youngblood and young souls: an album review and analysis

Teenage years are probably the most scary years of your youth because you are, or at least in my case, faced with THE problem of trying to decide who you are and what makes you, well, you. For most people the process of finding themselves, of uncovering their very own identity, something that feels true to them, is a very messy thing. You have your own thoughts and you have to deal with the fact that everyone around you thinks they are entitled to their own input on who you are. That alone is stressing enough, now imagine the same scenario except this time you are in the very center of the public eye, with thousands of people watching your every move and with crushing expectations hovering above you. Now THAT might make you feel a whole other level of stressed, but that is not quite what happens with 5SOS. Starting out on their first teenage years and moving far away from family to pursue their goals is exactly what these guys went through, and we don't even know half of it! But instead of crumbling down to the fierce pressure 5SOS managed to find a sound that felt authentic to each of them and that could top their previous work. As a fan that started supporting them in still their early days, seeing them grow as artists and as people has been an incredible journey for which I'm glad I'm here for. To me Youngblood represents finding yourself and even though I can't relate to a lost love I can still feel the same self-discovery process I'm going through right here. To give Youngblood the recognition it deserves I will go track by track and write my thoughts for each song. I hope you can join me through this journey and we can share thoughts. Please enjoy the adventure that this unbelievable album has to offer. This is my take on the album and what it means to me.

1. LIE TO ME: The intro of this song feels so fresh and Luke's voice sound so fragile I can feel the pain within it. This song makes me cry the loss of a loved one I never had. It makes me feel so sad yet kind of nostalgic because the person the song is written about made them feel a certain way they are not quite ready to let go of. The person knows love isn't there anymore but it hurts to accept that it is gone and instead of accepting the cold truth they would rather embrace a warm lie. "You look happy, oh". Remaining feelings of a lost relationship are poured and it feels the person might just be ready to have their heart broken.

"Wish we never met because you are too hard to forget".

2. VALENTINE: I think we might have just found our new Valentine's day anthem. This song feels so different from any music they've written before, it has this kind of dark beat that says something might have just gone wrong in this relationship and we are now making a turn into a dark ally in a mostly metaphorical way. See this would mean that this person has some kind of darker energies which pulls us into terrain we haven't see before which is weird but fun and it makes us go "well, what could go wrong?". Just to make my point clear, this song has a sound that makes me feel so badass and unpredictable, like I could be that mystery person that takes you feel things you have never felt before. It also makes me feel, in the words of Meredith Grey, dark and twisty, but in a good way. I also for some weird reason feel like this song could also work for a halloween party because it feels like something dark you can somehow dance to, although maybe that's just me.

3. TALK FAST: I really like this song because it makes me picture myself in the 60s dancing to this in my pajamas, socks and headphones. The lyrics on this one are more calm because I mostly feel like they are throwing words around. However in deeper thought you can create a whole story out of these words and it rather seems like a tragic love story in where a car crash ends it all, if this were to be a metaphor it could work as if the relationship was going too fast and then something happened and it suddenly ended which leaves us with questions as to what happened between them or why did it stop?

4. MOVING ALONG: The first 10 seconds give you a glimpse back at their old sound and it makes you feel in a throwback for a few seconds but then this awesome drums come in and swoop you into a new 5SOS era with a more mature sound. In this song drunk you attempts to bring that s/o back while pretending you've already moved on but still deeply hooked up. It radiates a sense of truth that many people hide because "is it bad that I hope that you are broken? Is it bad?" is such a common unspoken mindset where two people are in complete different places regarding a relationship.

"Scared of moving along but you're already gone".

5. IF WALLS COULD TALK: I love this song so MUCH. The beginning of this song feels so refreshing and mysterious, then the buildup it creates delivers in a way that feels so electrifying. Now if we go to the lyrics, "if these walls could talk, I don't think they would say anything because they've seen way to many things". We feel who this relationship has been filled with so many memories, feelings and emotional weight that to some point could feel overwhelming. Therefore, at this point everything that the relationship has become is kept in secret because it involves things that could be so intimate and could reveal a vulnerable side to the people in the relationship. The sound ties everything together because it reminds us that things are mysterious to us and we don't really know all of it.

6. BETTER MAN: This song feels like the very beginning of a new relationship in which the person realizes that their s/o has an impact on their actions. The message on this song is fairly simple yet so pleasant because it gives the hope of a bright new love ahead and a world full of possibilities for it.

7. MORE: I like the vibes that this song radiates, it brings me to a mashup of old rock and a throwback at Arctic Monkeys' Do I Wanna Know. It makes for an ode to past music with a definitely new and fresh sound. Here it is very clear that 5SOS have grown as artists and have dared to go further out from their only pop-punk music and explore other of their roots in a way that makes them learn and mature.

8. WHY WON'T YOU LOVE ME: I think this is 5SOS version of a love ballad, except well, it's mostly a heartbreak ballad which makes it even more unique. This song is perfect for that one sad moment after a relationship has ended or perhaps for that moment where the relationship hasn't even started, dedicated to that ONE person, we all know who.

9. WOKE UP IN JAPAN: Now, not everyone might feel immediately related to this song but this one is very good listen me out. Even when you think you might have everything you want there is a point where you realize you don't. For everyone it feels quite different, it might be when you realize you haven't heard that voice inside you that urges you to do that one thing that you love, or when you realize you haven't been paying much attention to your s/o and you're drifting apart, or when your friends don't really feel like your friends. Whatever the way it happens to you, when you realize it you feel empty or lonely or a million other things. Now this is song represents those feelings of uncertainty or the unknown.

10. EMPTY WALLETS: This song title represents the state of my wallet almost always. Anyway, THIS SONG GOES HARD. I imagine how incredible this song would sound live, it is a completely different vibe and I really like how it captures a mixture of feelings of spending everything you've got for someone but being thorn as wether it was a good decision or not.

11. GHOST OF YOU: This song is so soft yet so deep, I feel it portrays a gloomy state of mind in which the person looks back on amazing memories and is heartbroken because it is now gone. I could picture a movie scene in which the main character looks back on their life with a sense of sentimentality towards their best moments with their s/o and just about the cutest scenes ever.

12. MONSTER AMONG MEN: This song definitely deserves to be played on speakers. I like what they did on this song because it feels like both a chill song and a potencial song for the summer. Also, Michael's solo at the beginning? That is an absolute yes from me.

13. MEET YOU THERE: This song, now THIS song. Just imagine this song live opening the Meet You There Tour and setting out the ground for an amazing night, with everyone dancing and having the time of their lives, that's a concept I like.

14. BABYLON: OH I absolutely adore Calum's take on this song, this could very well be one of my favorite songs on the album. The buildup they make is straight up amazing and the guitars sound super cool. This goes far from what I usually listen to but it still feels so great and it somehow is still true to their new sound. Babylon really helps complete the sound they've created throughout the album and I'm so for it.

15. BEST FRIENDS: This song has a similar sound to Valentine in the sense that it has that dark halloween-y vibe. Also, if I'm correct Ashton has a solo here and it sounds super cool? I wished he got to sing more on the record because his voice is so good. I don't have much to say for this song except that it is definitely pretty cool.

16. WHEN YOU WALK AWAY: Luke's voice at the beginning? I think I'm deceased. I wish this was on Spotify so I could listen to a better version where there isn't so much background noice. Anyhow, this son is still pretty great!

17. WANT YOU BACK: I absolutely fell in love with this song since the first time I listened to it and I am still there. The vocals are straight up amazing and it has a more pop sound to it than the rest of the album, it also feels like a better song to listen to. It is absolutely a radio friendly song while it also makes this whole album make sense.

18. YOUNGBLOOD: I left this song till the end with a purpose, 5SOS has mentioned this on several interviews but now that I've listened to the album this song is most certainly the piece that ties it all together, every single song comes back to this and even though they have different sounds and stories they all point to Youngblood.

Throughout this album 5SOS have created a profound story of love and heartbreak, living your best life and feeling lonely. Staying together for seven years, as the band has said, has been a challenge for them but that never became an obstacle or a problem that they couldn't face. The past has been full of milestones and accomplishments and I'm absolutely certain that if they stay true to themselves as individuals and as a group their future will be incredible.

Thank you truly for everything,

your fan.

P.S. If you came this far I absolutely adore you!

@5sos

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theliterateape · 6 years

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American Shithole #17 — The Beautiful Things: Taxi

By Eric Wilson

I asked a group of friends recently, “What is your go to for a feel-good television show?” The answers were as varied as you might imagine. I’d been looking for something to comfort me during a time of stress and sickness, and eventually I settled on an underappreciated effort from my childhood — dark days require comfort and sanctuary, and there is no sanctuary quite like nostalgia.

I don’t think I have ever understood nostalgia, or experienced it really, until revisiting the television series Taxi — which originally aired between 1978 and 1983. I remember watching old people get misty-eyed over black and white television programming from the ’40s and ’50s, and I would always wonder, what was it about those old shows that triggered such a powerful response?

I was pleased to discover that it’s the memories of the era — the experiences of that time that the show brings to the surface.

I only recalled two episodes from Taxi, but the memory of those two episodes triggered some interesting revelations, or at least observations after watching them again — especially the episode “Alex Jumps Out of an Airplane.”

A little background first: As I mentioned, Taxi ran from the late ’70s to the early ’80s, it was a critical success and ratings failure, created by a handful of people involved with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show; most notably James L. Brooks. It won numerous awards and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ensemble casts in television history. It was also cancelled, twice.

In retrospect, it was a magical little show that never quite could.

The wizardry begins with the credits and the theme song Angela from smooth-jazz musician, Bob James. Never before or since has there been a more calming 70 seconds of television. Go ahead, listen to it. Watch the opening. Don’t you immediately feel at ease listening to James’ sweet melody wander, as a yellow cab crosses the Queensboro bridge?

I sure do.

I lived in the South Bronx in the ’70s, and as I made my way through the seasons, with each episode I would stay on the opening and closing credits, and I would get a rush of memories from that time. It got to where I looked forward to them, even though I was so very unhappy back then.

So it really does start with the credits and the music, where Taxi, above all other shows, shines so very brightly.

The cast however — that is the meat and potatoes of the show’s success. Let’s begin with Danny DeVito’s Louie De Palma, which is consistently ranked as one of the best television characters of all time. If the show’s only outstanding performance was from Mr. DeVito, we would still remember Taxi. That’s how amazing he was.

This is evident immediately when we are introduced to Louie in the pilot, where he treats Elaine with kindness until discovering she’s a new hack — an old industry term for a taxi driver — when the real Louie comes out. In five seasons, DeVito never once disappoints.

Luckily, the talented cast runs much deeper. Judd Hirsch richly inhabits Alex Reiger, Tony Danza is actually enjoyable as the eternally punch-drunk boxer, Tony Banta, and Marilu Henner’s headstrong, single-mother raising a family character, Elaine Nardo, was a refreshing voice for women in television, versus the sea of stay-at-home mothers and wallflowers and girlfriends and girls next door of the era.

Add to that, Andy Kaufman and Christopher Lloyd as Latka Gravas and Reverend Jim “Iggy” Ignatowski — talk about two performers that can chew scenery — both of these guys are legends. I distinctly remember the episode where Reverend Jim flashes back to when he was at Harvard, and as a kid, I was blown away that the same actor could be responsible for such disparate, brilliant performances of the same character.

Also, Kaufman being allowed to explore multiple personalities in later seasons would have jumped the shark if it had been anyone else.

Sadly, Jeff Conway’s battle with addiction never allowed him to fully develop Bobby Wheeler, and the character was downsized in season 4 and written off by season 5.

Even the guest actors are some of the finest working today. Mandy Patinkin, Martin Short and Tom Hanks immediately spring to mind. And lest I forget, Carol Kane was a marvelous addition to the cast in later seasons, and she was generously rewarded for her performances.

All in all, Taxi would be nominated for 55 awards, winning 27 (23 Emmys and Golden Globes) during the show’s five-year run.

As I jumped my way through seasons, I admit I found some of the writing to be dated, perhaps predictable, even mildly offensive at times when measured by today’s standards and expectations — more often than not though, I found the writing to be exceptional, and often times brilliant.

I was particularly moved revisiting the episode where Alex faces his fears, where his soliloquy raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I write a great deal about fear, so it’s not surprising this episode stuck with me. What truly surprised me was the discovery that a story I tell about skiing and skydiving is shockingly similar to the events of the episode. So much so, that it threw me into a bit of a panic. Had I made up the skiing incident entirely? There is no way it could mirror Alex’s ski jump story so exactly.

I found myself questioning my own memories. Did I even skydive? Yes, Yes I did. And the skiing story from Winter Park is also real — but how much of it is accurate? I am no longer certain, but I loved the experience of remembering just the same; and I loved exploring this show again as an adult, seeing through these older eyes how it had affected me.

I was looking for a little warmth in the world; a little comfort for these tired, old bones, and with Taxi, I found what I was looking for — a brief reprieve from the madness outside.

As season five came to a close, I found that I was moved by the experience of taking this little trip back in time — and my body was thankfully finally on the mend. Taxi was a very theatrical show, from a very different era of television. I think the highest compliment I can pay Taxi, is that it’s the only show to date that I can watch without being bothered in the slightest by the laughing of the studio audience. I despise canned laughter, and I refuse to even watch a show that has a laugh track today, but with Taxi, it didn’t matter; in fact it feels right. Taxi is so theatrical, that you feel a part of that audience; those are your friends laughing along with you.

Taxi is available on CBS All Access, and Hulu — although some of the episodes are inexplicably missing. When the shithole that is today's America gets you down or your body won't let up on you, give yourself a break. Taxi is always a relaxing ride that gets you right where you want to be.

4LWjr

#TAXI

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daleisgreat · 7 years

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TNA Lockdown 2005

To commemorate the recent news of the highly-desired, long-overdue, better-late-than never, name change of TNA to GFW, I finally have my first TNA/GFW DVD review of the inaugural Lockdown PPV back in 2005. For those not familiar with TNA/GFW (Global Force Wrestling) , it has been around since 2002 a year after WCW was bought out by WWE. Essentially all in-and-out of the ring WCW talent that was not picked up by WWE came together with a number of indy wrestlers to form Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. TNA since has went on to acquire a lot of star indy wrestlers and a good chunk of wrestlers who ran their course or who got lost in the shuffle in WWE. TNA’s first two years on the air were kind of hard to track down since their shows were only available as weekly PPVs for $10 each week. Lockdown took place in April 2005. TNA was just several weeks away from winding down their first year of their flagship TV show, iMpact! (I will now reference ‘iMpact!’ as ‘Impact’ for convenience sake) on FSN. I loved Impact in this era from 2004-07. It was then on at an oddball time of 4pm on Fridays on Fox Sports Net back then because TNA bit their teeth and took the only major cable deal they could get so they could get their foot in the door to more viewers and off weekly PPVs. Lockdown was TNA’s third or fourth traditional monthly PPV at this point. TNA had a roster size comparable to WWE at the time, but only an hour timeslot to work with for the first few years of iMpact so TNA branded the show ‘the one hour adrenaline rush.’ All matches had 10-minute time limits with a ‘Fox Box’ at the top of the screen to keep track of time and who was in the ring so that made it have a nice sports-like feel. Since TNA tried to cram so many wrestlers in each week, there were a lot of quick cuts during and immediately after matches to other backstage skirmishes or interviews so each piece of talent could get their camera time in each week. It was pure nonstop chaos each week, for better or worse.

In April 2005, good ‘ol Dusty Rhodes was the commissioner of TNA, and he was the mastermind behind the Lockdown concept where every match on the PPV would take place in a cage. It did not matter if it was the main event, a semi-main, the mid-card or opening acts, all matches would be in the ‘six sides of steel.’ For those unaware, TNA has primarily used a six-sided ring throughout its existence. I recall this lead to all kinds of crazy outcomes in matches to make them try and stand out from the rest of the cage matches on the card. Sometimes this lead to crazy spots and weaponry getting involved, or sometimes to outrageous gimmicks and interference that took away more from the bout than it added. It is because of the unique gimmick and unpredictable nature of a Lockdown PPV and the fact I never saw one before in its entirety I decided to kick off my venture to review every Lockdown PPV TNA/GFW has released on DVD from 2005-2014. The first ever Lockdown match had unforeseen dire consequences. In what was supposed to be a no-frills tag encounter between Chris Candido & Lance Hoyt against Apollo & Sonny Siaki a freak botched landing in the opening minute lead to Candido legit breaking his leg and getting stretchered out mid-match. The wrestlers improvised and Siaki pinned Hoyt minutes later with a top rope splash. Several days later, a post-surgery blood clot led to the untimely passing of Chris Candido. They did tape one more episode of Impact before his passing where Candido was a manager for his tag team buddies, the Naturals, and Candido assisted them in winning the tag titles from America’s Most Wanted in the closing moments of Candido’s last on-screen moment being him celebrating the title change, immediately followed with an ‘in memory’ image of his passing. I vividly recall watching that moment back then and just being in a different headspace upon learning the news. Props to TNA for including that tag title match along with a couple other Candido moments in his TNA run as bonus features on this DVD.

Back on track, I am a big fan of Mr. Glorious and current NXT champion, Bobby Roode. Well, he was a TNA mainstay for over a decade and you can see him here representing the villainous Team Canada faction against Dustin Rhodes in a ‘2-out-of 3 falls, Prince of Darkness Deathmatch.’ This was a No DQ match where if a third fall were to transpire, it would happen with both wrestlers being blindfolded. Sure enough, there was a third fall and both Roode and Rhodes did their best to top the Jake Roberts/Rick Martel Wrestlemania VII classic. We are still several years away from the CTE/Concussion controversies leading to safety changes in football and wrestling, and this is first of several matches that made rampant use of unprotected chairshots to the head, and is how Dustin Rhodes won the match in the final fall. I have to admit, it was kind of shocking to see that kind of chairshot several years after both TNA/GFW and WWE has banned them. The next match would be an annual Lockdown tradition, the ‘Xscape Match.’ It featured stars from the X-Division, which is essentially WCW’s cruiserweight division, but with no weight limit to make room for the occasional bigger competitor also capable of high-flying moves that most Cruiserweights are associated for. This match featured Matt Bentley, Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin and Shocker. It is a Fatal 4-Way Tag Elimination match, but when it comes down to the final two competitors, the rules change into a WWF-style ‘escape to win’ cage match. The finish here came down to Chris Sabin and Shocker in a photo-finish to escape, with Shocker’s feet barely touching the floor first in an entertaining high-flying affair start to finish. The next bout saw Jeff Hardy take on Raven in a tables match in a bout that would be my match of the night. That is kind of surprising to say since both Hardy and Raven washed out of WWE at this point in their careers, but both found new success in TNA. Raven gets busted open, and Hardy misses a Swanton through a table off the top of the cage in my pick for spot of the night because of how effortless Hardy made that daring move seem. Raven would later stack four tables together, only to see them used against him as Hardy would drive Raven through them with a leg drop from the top of the cage to the delight of a raucous crowd for the victory.

The tag titles were up for grabs next with the team of America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) defending their gold against Team Canada’s Eric Young & Petey Williams. I am smiling right now realizing how far all four of these guys would evolve throughout their TNA runs, but we will get there in forthcoming Lockdown reviews. For now, Young & Williams are evil Canadians, and AMW are good ‘ol butt-kickin’ cowboys. Match has a nice story with Storm getting jumped outside early on and Harris having to fend for himself 2-on-1 for awhile. There is a nice finish here with a failed powder-toss spot that lead to Petey Williams getting pinned following AMW delivering their ‘Death Sentence’ finisher. The X Division title was at stake next with Christopher Daniels defending against his former tag partner, Elix Skipper. The video package preceding it was a nice refresher of their rivalry and was a good reason for the hot crowd and intensity between the two in this match. Skipper got a nice splash off the top of the cage, but ultimately it was Daniels who got the win with his Angel’s Wings finisher in another good X division match. The Lethal Lockdown followed, and it is essentially TNA’s version of War Games/Elimination Chamber with two teams of three squaring off. It starts one-on-one for five minutes, and then another competitor would enter every two minutes. After the final entrant is in, the team that scores the first fall is declared the winner. This match saw TNA champ, Jeff Jarrett teaming up with Monty Brown & Kip James (who was new to TNA at the time and fresh off renaming his character of ‘The Outlaw’ because of how close it resembled his old WWE Tag Team name) against Sean Waltman, Diamond Dallas Page and Kevin Nash. In a twisting shock, Nash was injured on match day, and got replaced last minute by BG James, aka The Road Dogg. I have no idea what was going through BG’s head, but on his way to the ring he brought a bedpan and clocked the cameraman with it for no apparent reason, and in the highlight of the night would proceed to clock the ref on the head with the bedpan. To top that, when most normal refs would be incapacitated indefinitely after a spot like that, this pudgy, scrawny TNA ref would get up and shake off the weapon attack within 60 seconds, just in time to make the surprise pinfall count when Sean Waltman would pull off a victory roll on Monty Brown that he botched mere seconds earlier. Brown would be the third person to bleed of the night so far. Like most War Games/Elimination Chamber style matches, this was another chaotic match that kept me on my toes to see who would come out next. Throw in the TNA-X-Factor of surprise weapon spots, and refs that no-sell and it made for a one-of-a-kind encounter TNA is only capable of delivering.

The main event saw AJ Styles face off against Abyss. For those unaware, Abyss is another TNA veteran still with the promotion today that I look forward to covering his unique evolution throughout the years with. I always considered him a hybrid of Mankind and Kane, and he always had a unique lust for weapon spots that usually went against him. For fans of AJ Styles today unfamiliar with his 12 years of TNA work, if you thought he is killer in the ring today, you should have seen him back in 2005 where he moved with the grace of a young Rey Mysterio and it seemed like AJ was capable of damn near anything in the ring. After brawling all over the arena for awhile, the two eventually clash in the ring where Abyss busts out the thumb tacks, but only to see them used against him when AJ would deliver a Styles Clash on top of them(!). AJ would follow that up with a sunset-flip off the top of the cage onto the tacks (!!) for the awesome finish to end the first Lockdown PPV. Random final thoughts on the show: It was fun seeing Dusty with a couple of the TNA ‘Knockouts’ (TNA’s term for ‘Divas’) backstage as he drew names out of a hat to determine the order of the Lethal Lockdown entry. Shane Douglas was retired from wrestling at this point of his career and was the innocuous backstage interviewer which I did not mind him in. One constant in TNA’s history is there usually being a few botched camera angles on each show with them missing a key move/moment in a match, and sure enough that happened tonight.

I forgot to mention this took place at the Universal Studios lot in Orlando, FL where TNA has recorded a majority of their shows since 2004. It is the same arena where WCW use to tape their old syndicated Worldwide show for about a decade. I always thought TNA did an admirable job at getting the most out of that recording studio and making it come off with good production effects and clever camera angles to give it as close to a big-arena vibe as they could on their budget. Aside from a half hour of assorted Chris Candido extras, there is another half hour of extras on the DVD primarily consisting of quick preshow interviews and alternate camera angles of the primary spots of the night. Thanks for sticking with me on this debut Lockdown blog. Apologies for the length, but I felt obligated to include a little TNA/GFW history at the beginning for those who are not that familiar with the promotion. Like I said at the beginning, TNA released these on DVD through 2014, but Lockdown specials after that moved to premiering on cable as Impact specials and thus have not been released on video. I will try and knock one of these out every several months, so stay tuned for the next installment later! Past Wrestling Blogs Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2 Best of Monday Nitro Volume 3 Biggest Knuckleheads Bobby The Brain Heenan Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes DDP: Positively Living Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials ECW Unreleased: Vol 1 ECW Unreleased: Vol 2 ECW Unreleased: Vol 3 For All Mankind Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman Legends of Mid South Wrestling Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story Memphis Heat OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History Owen: Hart of Gold RoH Supercard of Honor V RoH Supercard of Honor VI RoH Supercard of Honor VII RoH Supercard of Honor VIII RoH Supercard of Honor IX RoH Supercard of Honor X ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Sting: Into the Light Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder Top 50 Superstars of All Time Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season True Giants Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe Warrior Week on WWE Network Wrestlemania 3: Championship Edition Wrestlemania 28 Wrestlemania 29 Wrestlemania 30 Wrestlemania 31 Wrestlemania 32 The Wrestler (2008) Wrestling Road Diaries Too Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money Wrestlings Greatest Factions WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017

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wavenetinfo · 7 years

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From big-budget blockbusters like Transformers and Wonder Woman to prestigious festival entires in the vein of The Beguiled, Sami Blood, and The Big Sick, read on for 24 can’t-miss movies coming to theaters this month.

Wonder Woman

Roughly 12 years after Elektra, the last major female-fronted superhero flick, bombed with critics and audiences, Gal Gadot is lassoing the genre once again, this time to spectacular results. Wonder Woman, which also stars Chris Pine, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen, is being hailed as one of the best-reviewed superhero films to date, with EW’s Chris Nashawaty calling it the “DC movie you’ve been waiting for” in his A- review. With a lofty box office debut likely in the cards, director Patty Jenkins and company are primed to potentially shatter box office records (and maybe a glass ceiling or two) for female-fronted action flicks.

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

The beloved book series gets the big screen treatment for the first time in this animated adventure, which follows two imaginative students, George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) who hypnotize their principal (Ed Helms) into thinking he’s the titular, undergarment-wearing superhero.

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Band Aid

Zoe Lister-Jones reportedly hired an all-female crew to help her craft this romantic comedy, which she also stars in as one half of a struggling couple seeking to fix their fraying relationship by crooning their mutual anxieties as part of an impromptu, two-person rock band.

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Sami Blood

Sami Blood, a Swedish drama from Amanda Kernell, traveled the festival circuit late last year, world premiering at the Venice Film Festival before stopping in Toronto, Tokyo, and Sundance. The film earned favorable notices from movie critics, particularly Variety‘s Guy Lodge, who calls this story of a 14-year-old girl’s acclimation to 1930s Swedish society at a state-run school a “coming-of-age tale that pointedly addresses a bygone era of Scandi colonialism.”

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

It Comes At Night

After wowing critics with his searing family drama Krisha in 2015, Trey Edward Shults returns to the big screen with a genre shift in tow, helming one of the most unsettling pictures in recent memory with It Comes At Night, a taut psychological drama about two families battling paranoia, personal demons, and each other inside a rural cabin in post-apocalyptic America.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Megan Leavey

Kate Mara plays a young Marine corporal who forms a powerful bond with her combat dog, a German Shepherd, during deployment in Iraq.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Mummy

Tom Cruise and Universal are reviving the age-old creature series as part of the studio’s plans to launch its Dark Universe franchise, which is currently scheduled to include Johnny Depp as the Invisible Man and Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster in subsequent films.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Beatriz at Dinner

Prolific film and television director Miguel Arteta (Enlightened, The Good Girl, Getting On) directs Salma Hayek, who plays an immigrant living the American dream who butts heads with a snooty, ruthless billionaire (John Lithgow) at one of her wealthy client’s dinner parties, in this Sundance drama.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

My Cousin Rachel

Suspicions threaten to break the spell an enchanting woman (Rachel Weisz) casts on her smitten cousin (Sam Claflin) in this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s period novel.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Cars 3

The animated series returns for another lap with Cars 3, Disney-Pixar’s family-oriented continuation which follows Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) on his quest to prove his dominance on the race track to a new generation of up-and-coming automobiles.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Rough Night

Vaulting into theaters following the success of female-driven comedies like Sisters, Trainwreck, and Bad Moms in the recent past, Rough Night charts the course of a group of friends (Scarlett Johansson, Zoë Kravitz, Ilana Glazer, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell) who land themselves in hot water after their wild Miami bachelorette party turns deadly when they accidentally kill a male stripper. Director Lucia Aniello has helmed multiple episodes of Glazer’s Broad City, and here makes her feature debut additionally directing her real-life partner (and co-screenwrither) Paul W. Downs, who plays the fiancé of Johansson’s character. “It is kind of a unique experience to direct your boyfriend, who you have made the choice to cast as Scarlett Johansson’s love interest,” Aniello previously told EW.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

47 Meters Down

Mandy Moore turns on the waterworks on NBC’s heartbreaking family drama This Is Us, but the creatures of the deep are turning on her in this sharktastic thriller, which costars Claire Holt and Matthew Modine. “The majority of the movie is us completely freaking out,” Moore told EW of the film. “Imagine somebody who’s at the bottom of the ocean, who’s never gone diving before, doesn’t know how to clear her air or what any of her equipment does. It’s the f—ing most terrifying nightmare on the planet to her. Most of the time I was shooting, I would be going through my [oxygen] tank in two seconds because I was hyperventilating.”

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

All Eyez On Me

Tupac Shakur’s life and legacy are getting the big screen treatment with All Eyez On Me, which stars Demetrius Shipp, Jr. in the lead role and The Walking Dead‘s Danai Gurira as his mother, Afeni.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Book of Henry

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow moves from dinosaurs to familial woes with The Book of Henry, which features Room‘s Jacob Tremblay, Naomi Watts, Maddie Ziegler, and Sarah Silverman in a tale about one boy’s dedication to helping his neighbors with their dangerous secret.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

I, Daniel Blake

Last year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, directed by Ken Loach, follows an aging widower (Dave Johns) who bonds with a single mother in pursuit of compassion and government welfare.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Transformers: The Last Knight

Michael Bay gathers the famed Transformers for a fifth go-round of his effects-heavy franchise, which sees the return of Mark Wahlberg, who first appeared in 2014’s Age of Extinction, alongside series newcomers like Anthony Hopkins.

Release date: June 21 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Beguiled

After becoming only the second woman in Cannes history to win the festival’s Best Director prize, Oscar winner Sofia Coppola reclaims her throne as perhaps the most celebrated female director working today with the launch of The Beguiled, her sixth feature directorial effort and refreshing feminist take on the 1971 Don Siegel thriller of the same name. Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, and Colin Farrell star.

Release date: June 23 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

The Bad Batch

Perhaps one of the zaniest casts of the year (Jim Carrey, Diego Luna, Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves) populates Ana Lily Amirpour’s post-apocalyptic cannibal fest, which earned decent reviews out of its fall festival premiere last year.

Release date: June 23 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

The Big Sick

One of Sundance’s buzziest titles finally bows domestically this summer, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan as a couple whose relationship evolves as they deal with a medical crisis and their cultural divides. “It’s a unique kind of love story,” Judd Apatow, who produced and helped develop the film over the course of five years, told EW earlier this year. “It is tricky because there’s elements about culture clashes and how to handle situations when people get sick, and it needed to be really funny in an organic, truthful way.”

Release date: June 23 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Baby Driver

Ansel Elgort steps on the gas in this high-speed thriller about a getaway driver (Elgort) whose talents are enlisted by a crime boss (Kevin Spacey) for an ill-fated heist. “I always wanted to do an action movie that was powered by music,” director Edgar Wright, who also wrote the film’s script with sonic inclination, has said of the film in the past. “It’s something that’s very much a part of my previous films and I thought of this idea of how to take that a stage further by having a character who listens to music the entire time. So, you have this young getaway driver who has to soundtrack his entire existence, particularly the bank robberies and fast getaways that come afterwards.”

Release date: June 28 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Amityville: The Awakening

The terrifying legacy continues as a teen (Bella Thorne) encounters nefarious spirits possessing her twin’s body after moving into the iconic horror house. Jennifer Jason Leigh also stars.

Release date: June 28 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Despicable Me 3

The Minions return for another Despicable Me picture, this time seeing Gru (Steve Carell) meeting his long-lost twin brother, Dru.

Release date: June 30 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The House

SNL vets Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell re-team for this raunchy comedy about suburban parents who team with their neighbors to operate an illegal casino as a means to pay for their daughter’s prestigious education.

Release date: June30 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Little Hours

Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza are nuns gone wild in The Little Hours, Jeff Baena’s stylized, comical take on The Decameron, which also stars Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and John C. Reilly.

Release date: June 30 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

1 June 2017 | 12:00 pm

Joey Nolfi

Source : EW.com

>>>Click Here To View Original Press Release>>>

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); June 01, 2017 at 06:30PM

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mookjoones · 8 years

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Mook’s Top 10 Games of 2016

Hi, i’m back! Sorry for the delay, I promise i’ll write more. Boom, ok. Done. Let’s talk about 2016:

Shit got weird in 2016. I probably don’t need to reiterate here, but I just wanted to put that out there. Let’s just try to remember that we have one planet, so let’s not wreck it too bad, ok?

That sounds like enough Debbie Downer talk for today, so how about we talk about some games? 2016 had some pretty badass ones, so im’a run them down here right quick. BUCKLE UP! HONORABLE MENTIONS

Devil Daggers

Overcooked

Furi

Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight

Surprise! It’s a Top 14! I really enjoyed these titles, but 2016 is a cruel mistress and some awesome games must be left off of the top 10. Frantic symphony of Overcooked is some of the best couch co-op you can find theses days. Furi’s style and speed is a joy to experience, and it has pretty badass soundtrack to boot. Momodora was a short, but sweet tribute to castlevania/souls with great sprite work.

And then Devil Daggers....

Actually, I liked this game too much to cut it. Fuck it. TOP 11

11. Devil Daggers

This game is so damn cool. It doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel (It’s a 1st person Geometry Wars), but i’m a sucker for style and this game has loads. The almost PS1 era graphics give some extra oomph to the experience as you furiously dodge the spoopiest-skeley dudes. To me, this game really felt like some crazy gem you would dig up in the bargain bin of your ma and pa game store (not to sell the game short by any means).

The action is only enhanced with the leaderboards (I have a higher record than my co-host Josh, if anyone was wondering) and the accompanying replays that gave me a few ideas on how to survive just a few more seconds. It’s not the deepest game I’ve played, but this game is one that you can find yourself pouring a surprising amount of time into. 10. Dishonored 2 9. Dark Souls III

I put these two games together as my blurbs about them ended up being pretty similar. Both of games expanded on elements that I enjoyed in previous entries in the series (the combat/LORE!). Additionally, parts that I found clunky were streamlined in these entries (weapon repair/bone charm hunting). While these game were definitely improvements on their predecessors,it was hard not to feel like parts of these games were a little too familiar. Ultimately, Dishonored 2 and Dark Souls III were more of what I know I enjoy. Comfort video gaming at its best. 8. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

While it is the final entry in a series that has gotten a little long in the tooth, Uncharted 4 finally lives up the lofty goals set by Naughty Dog; something that it’s predecessors could never quite achieve. The storytelling and characters finally take precedence over the latest McGuffin hunt, without sacrificing the jaw dropping set pieces, gorgeous scenery, and swashbuckling we’ve come to expect from the Uncharted series.This game is a wonderful coda to a great series of which Naughty Dog should be very proud.

7. Titanfall 2

This game finally made the COD style shooter click for me. All the modern shooter needed was an incredible traversal system with giant robots. Who knew? The multiplayer is incredibly cinematic, and sets up great opportunities to do the coolest looking shit ever. Like, throwing ninja stars while jet boosting from building to building cool.

As for the campaign, Respawn delivers a well crafted story that feels like an action movie crossed with The Iron Giant. It’s not afraid to introduce unique mechanics and ideas that don’t stick around too long; it’s a move that keeps the game fresh and something I wish more games would try. A very well rounded game that is just a blast to play, and I’ll keep coming back to for a long time. 6. SUPERHOT IT’S ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE SHOOTERS IN YEARS.

SUPER

HOT

SUPER

HOT

5. Hitman:2016

I always appreciated earlier entries in this series from afar. The intricate level design seemed fun, but it wasn’t enough to draw me with sluggish control and muddy graphics. I’ve only really scratched the surface of this year’s Hitman, but it forced me to readjust my ordering of the list as I dive deeper.

First all, the environments look great are brimming with detail. However, the real beauty of this game is hidden in the intricate design. The clockwork constructions IO has put together are incredible to explore and dissect. I barely made it through my first missions, but as I learned more and more about each map, the game opened up for me in ways I never imagined. The ability to masterfully manipulate the mechanics and unique quirks of each level to pull off the perfect hit is gripping.

To be honest, I’ve really only spent major time in one of the games beyond the tutorial levels. There is always a new trick or zany disguise to pull off that keeps you replaying the same mission over and over in a way that is surprisingly engaging. The core mechanics in Hitman are excellent foundation to a game that has a ton of personality too. They play it straight on the surface, but you’re only a few cans of spaghetti sauce and a crowbar away from a really good time.

4. The Witness

This game shatters the previous standards for art direction in games. On a basic level, the game is gorgeous and is a joy to simply “take in” all the varied and colorful environments. However, this “puzzle” game shines when you begin to understand how much damn thought went into crafting this world. The game asks the player to constantly rethink the nature of the surrounding environments. The art is interwoven into the gameplay with stunning intellect.

Like the art, the gameplay in The Witness is constantly challenging your preconceptions. What starts out as simple mazes become dastardly puzzles, trusting the player to build a mastery that equal parts frustrating and brilliant. This game has found a way to trigger that Eureka moment for me that is thrilling. The Witness is a game that demands your attention and thought as a player, and the payoff for that investment is incredibly rewarding. 3. Hyper Light Drifter

The complete package offered by Hyper Light Drifter made it one of my absolute favorites this year. The haunting a mysterious art; the moody and evocative score; the subtle, yet powerful storytelling. These elements combined with snappy and stylish combat (especially after the 60fps patch) create a game that I just adored. The execution on everything, top to bottom, in this game is so cohesive. Everything comes together so perfectly, it transported me into a completely different world with ease.

Not bad for a Kickstarter game, huh Ray?

2. DOOM

For a guy who’s only experience with old DOOM is Chex Master Quest, I wasn’t sure of what to make of the first reports on DOOM. Was there going to be anything for someone who didn’t have any long lost childhood memories buried in a sarcophagus with Doom Guy? I feel foolish for ever thinking this.

DOOM is just fucking incredible. The combat has a thrilling speed that is so refreshing compared to the run-of-the-mill shooter these days. The design of the environments is masterful. The soundtrack is so damn metal, only serving to make the action feel that much more intense. The story is whip smart and is incredibly effective at delivering what the game needs to move the story while being endearingly cheeky just beneath the surface. What DOOM’s story lacks in quantity, it makes up for with the hilariously one-note Doom Guy and his 0 tolerance policy any and all demonic forces, no matter the cost to humanity’s efforts to use Hell Energy as clean/renewable energy (no, seriously). This game is just a nonstop thrill ride from beginning to end in a way that is almost peerless.

Rock on Doom Guy. Rock on. 1. Overwatch

I covered my thoughts on this game pretty well in my review last year, and not much has changed. This was my most played game this year, and it’s still a blast to play every night. New characters, maps and modes have only made the package better. This more I play this wonderful game, the better it gets. There simply isn’t a better choice for my personal Game of The Year.

Thanks for checking out my list fam. Time to start working on that 2017 list!

-Mook

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