#dr. stone chapter 17

[sterling-dragon]

I think the silliest thing that has happened since I crawled out of my non-fic writing/posting time frame to make Dr. Stone fic is that I now have the wisdom to, you know... have a buffer. Like I have an idea of the plot??? I have a good buffer of medium-sized chapters that can combine to big-sized chapters to celebrate things (or be spiteful).

But.

I CAN'T SCREAM ABOUT ANY OF THE STUFF I'M WRITING BECAUSE IT'S SPOILERS AND NONE OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS ARE IN THE SAME ARC AS I AM.

At least I have that chapter buffer tho

BUT SO MUCH RESEARCH THAT I CAN'T EVEN GUSH ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S A SPOILER

but the buffer

I MADE NOT ONE BUT TWO CONSTRUCTED LANGUAGES FOR THIS FIC

~buffers~

[intangiblyyours]

Kohaku Appreciation Post

I just feel like my girl does not get enough love in the DCST/Dr. Stone fandom. To be fair, it is a shonen series and it has a killer male cast, but Kohaku is the heroine and you cannot convince me otherwise.

I mean, LOOK AT HER.

(Long, image heavy, and spoilers underneath the cut. Thank you @yumiiixo for all your input!)

She's fierce, formidable, and confident. She faces off against both Tsukasa and Moz despite knowing they're stronger because it's something she believes she needs to do.

Loyal. Kohaku is the first person to trust Senku in the stone world, and her trust in him never wavers. She continues to support him until the end (even when she thought his decision to free Whyman was strange and he said "please," she followed through). This applies to all her friends and Ruri, whom she would do anything within her power to help and keep safe.

(I do think you see her loyalty to Senku the most--he is the protagonist, after all. She has never been his enemy and follows through with his decisions despite not understanding all the science behind it.)

Strong and resilient. Kohaku is strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. Physically, she's the most versatile warrior; she has strength, agility, eye sight, and nimbleness. It allows her to come in clutch on several occasions. Mentally, she's disciplined with training, as well as with how she carried the hot springs water to Ruri daily. This also ties in with emotionally in how she accepts her father's scorn and becomes the "troublemaker" of the village just to improve Ruri's chances of surviving (more on this later since I think it mirrors Byakuya). She is never the victim of her situation; she makes a choice and sticks by it. She does what needs to be done.

Empathetic and emotionally intelligent. Between understanding Chrome's feelings towards Ruri and Senku's feelings towards his dad, she has shown a lot of awareness to how people really feel.

Self-reliant and selfless to a fault. She doesn't asked to be saved and will risk herself to save others without a thought. It's the reason Senku or Gen have to stop her (or fail to) when she runs off to save someone against better judgment (Chome when kidnapped, Treasure Island arc when everyone was petrified, Suika on multiple occasions). She intends to help others regardless if anyone intends to help her.

Open-minded and firm on her beliefs. This was also shown earlier with how she stands her ground to sustain Ruri's motivation/will to live. In addition, though she doesn't understand the intricacies of science, she's still able to believe in it and defend it. She's also not willing to risk sacrificing anyone, which we see when she goes to look for Suika during the grand bout.

Alright, back to how Kohaku is similar to Byakuya. Byakuya is acclaimed to be best anime dad (and he absolutely is; no shade there) for spending decades collecting platinum for Senku.

(Chapter 115)

See that face Senku makes there? You know where he also makes a similar face? Chapter 17.

As in, Kohaku makes a similar sacrifice with the hot springs water and becoming the "troublemaker." Kohaku is very willing to sacrifice herself for someone she loves (not needlessly; she keeps her wits on her). She may look like Lillian, but she has Byakuya's heart. (And yes, what she does is not to the same extent or scale as Byakuya, but she is/was a child and does not have the same kind of knowledge. I do think she has the same almost unfounding belief in Senku and saving Ruri.)

Piggybacking off of what she chose to become, here's a Q&A that states Kohaku can be both solitary or social.

Which means she has more depth than what is usually portrayed in the manga/anime likely secondary to it being a shonen series with an outstanding male cast (yes, I've said this twice because wow, what a cast), but also because we only really see her post-meeting Senku. Kohaku brought him to the village and gave him the manpower he needed, but he, in return, gave her companionship (and yeah, a cure for Ruri). It's easy to forget that she was mostly alone prior to this.

Anyway, just wanted to show my love for my Queen. If there was a spin-off just based on her, I would totally read and support it. I don't want to dive into shipping too much (I will in another post, I promise), but she's often written off or overlooked as a love interest for Senku when she actually has a lot of great points that compliments him (and yeah, preeettty sure they're canon). People seem to simplify her as the gorilla but there is so much more to her.

[clown0mori]

Rolling Stone theory, or Second Prophecy Theory.

Deltarune Chapter 3/4 Spoilers below, but I wanna yap about some of the thoughts in my brain about this game.

This is gonna be me putting this down, but something’s been bothering me about the Zelda-like minigames in Deltarune chapter 3. Namely, the direct information about snow grave. We see a white robed figure following along, casting ice magic to freeze enemies into blocks to solve puzzles. I had been assuming this was Noelle, but something has been itching in the back of my skull.

What if that was Dess?

The major info I am working off of is that in chapter 4, the fullness of the prophecy is included in the religious texts of at least this church, something confirmed with the presence of lancer and of Asgore being mentioned directly as “the flower man” in the second or third sanctuary.

To begin, so far, there’s only one human in the game, that being Kris. No other humans have been made known, and the general lack of anything other than monsters in this town has me thinking that Kris was the human.

However, the “girl” was never really revealed in the prophecy. All that is known is that there is a girl, and she finds love. There’s some fan theories floating around that it is possible Asriel and Dess had some form of amorous relationship, and while not outright confirmed, the thought of these being two teenagers in close families forming this kind of bond is something that has been sticking.

As well, the prince from the dark is most likely Ralsei, but can also be Lancer, with him being the literal son of the king card.

This prophecy has been pretty well cemented that what is going to unfold is scripted into the nature of this reality. A human, a monster, and a prince from the dark will help save humanity, at a great (but yet unnamed sacrifice). If you knew that, and you had someone with a focus upon dark areas, wouldn’t you try and do something?

What’s to stop someone from trying to force it early? If anyone had the ability to create a dark portal, as Kris, The Roaring Knight, Berdly, Noelle, and Susie (and indeed, all lightners, if Queens hypothesis is correct) can create these portals.

Something else that’s been sticking in my mind was the chocolate milk scene in chapter 4. They mention Kris having a ‘Soul’ is key in their plan. But Kris had a human soul before, right? Surely, if all that is needed was a human, a monster, and a prince from the dark, and in order to secure reality, one merely needed to put the prophecy into action. To begin to tip the scales. The only thing that makes the soul inside Kris special is us. The player, able to act and seal the fountains alongside Kris.

How would they know that the soul is necessary? How would they know that it is not Kris’s human soul that is what was needed, but rather, something else changing? How did Carol know about us, the heart, in her dialogue mentioning You? I think, most importantly, what did ever happen with Dess?

The theory goes like this: Kris was part of the first “attempt” to bring about the prophecy. Possibly influenced by Mayor Carol, citing the literal apocalypse as something worth avoiding. Dess was the first monster that they tried, as I would imagine with her rugged nature and seeming combat abilities, she would fit with the image of legend.

And how do they know all of this? Dr. Gaster, sealed down in his lab at the bottom of the bunker. Entry Number 17 specifically mentions, “Dark, Darker, Yet Darker”, exactly how Ralsei describes how the dark world forms and exists as it is. It is the inverse, below darkness, where all of these details got messy.

I think that entry number 17 is the first time they successfully opened a Dark Fountain. The “two” mentioned would be Kris, the human, and Dess, the monster.

Something went wrong. We, the player, weren’t there. Kris didn’t have us, they didn’t have the ability to seal the dark fountain. I think they weren’t strong enough. Dess, alone, was damaged by exposure to darkness, and became the “Roaring Knight”, from an accident. This makes Kris escaping, with a promise to help return her to normal, his motivation for assisting Carol, as well as the Knight.

This theory is also referencing the end of JOJO’s Part 5, and the stand ability Rolling Stone. The death of the stone is guaranteed, but by defying it, Bruno inadvertently killed most of his squad by changing fate, rather than letting it come to pass.

I think this is what happened to Dess. By attempting to force fates hand and alter the way the prophecy would unfold, something terrible occoured. It tore gaster from reality, landing him in the non-existence that seems to permeate behind the various tree/egg room secrets. We also know that Gaster remembers Kris, or something about him is familiar, as seen in chapters 3 and 4, with the other NPC’s speaking to him directly.

Please let me know what you think! I’ve been going a little stir crazy thinking all of these things.

[sjsmith56]

The Duality of Nature, Chapter 17 - Under Attack

Summary: The compound prepares for the attack by Cerberus forces, putting up a good fight. After the return of the families, Winter realizes something that shakes him.

Length: 5.9 K

Characters: Nick Fury, Sam Wilson, Winter, the other Avengers, the Wakandans, John Walker.

Warnings: References to mental health.

Author notes: Walker is not a favourite character but I’ve always thought a lot of his problems stem from unrecognized and untreated PTSD. He was manipulated so much by people he shouldn’t have trusted. So, he gets some redemption with the Avengers and a chance to prove that he can be part of a team.

<Chapter 16

When John Walker returned through Wong's portal with his wife and family, Noelle and Winnie were waiting, ready to be evacuated to another location. She greeted Olivia Walker warmly, then introduced Winnie to the small family. For the little girl it was going to be an adventure as she and Paul Wilson eyed the Walker children, Lamar and Grace. Sam's son was going with them, so that Dawn could stay back with the medical staff, even though her husband wanted her to go as well. Dawn pointed out she had been a military nurse first, working in combat zones long before she became an ER nurse and wife to Captain America. Winnie, pulling a small, rolling suitcase filled with "essentials," waited patiently, while Wong and Dr. Strange conferred in hushed tones about their hiding place. Finally, the two men agreed, and Wong stepped back.

"You're sure you don't need me here?" he said once more to Strange.

"They need you more," he intoned to the man who shared much of the burden of their order with him. "Keep them all safe."

Strange, wearing the Time Stone, activated it, then opened a portal and watched as Wong led the two women and their children through to another universe, in another time, where HYDRA and Cerberus didn't exist. The Masters of the Mystic Arts did exist and with Wong would protect the children and their mothers. Returning to the briefing room, Strange joined the others to listen to everything they needed to know about the threat facing them. Fury was at the front of the gathered staff. Shuri and several Dora Milaje warriors were present virtually as they watched the proceedings from their Talon fighter, en route to the compound.

Alexander Pierce's face appeared on the screen, prompting Fury to launch into their connection. He explained their friendship and how he led a task force into a terrorist held location in Bogotá, Columbia, to rescue several diplomatic staff and Pierce's daughter in 1985. After noting that was probably the beginning of Pierce's recruitment by HYDRA as he changed from a man who believed in the diplomatic process into one who favoured direct action by the time he was appointed to the World Security Council in 1989, Fury paused for a moment, making several wonder if he blamed himself for what Pierce became. He answered for them.

"I have no regrets about killing Alexander Pierce when I did. By 2014, he had for over two decades regularly used the Winter Soldier in an attempt to shape history, trying to ensure that HYDRA came out victorious. I survived two attempts on my life by the Winter Soldier, only because I had kept my complete trust in a handful of people, of whom Pierce was no longer one, and they came through. Rogers survived the attempt on his life because he discovered the biggest secret HYDRA had kept since World War II, the true identity of the Winter Soldier, and used that knowledge to attack the programming that kept him hostage to the organization, eventually helping him to become free of them."

The next picture, of Alexa Lukin, CEO of Kronas Corporation showed up and Fury identified her as Pierce's daughter, then as Madame HYDRA, head of Cerberus.

"She's 53 years old, and apparently was well groomed by her father to take over from him. However, it doesn't appear she made herself known to their followers at the time of his death. It seems she let the ones we could identify be arrested, or dangle in the wind, without guidance or purpose. At the time of HYDRA's fall, she lived in seclusion. We now believe she was using that time to acquire certain powers, possibly through genetic manipulation. She claims to be an expert in the Faustus method of brain reconditioning, a form of hypnosis to indoctrinate and control people. Whether it is a parlour trick or real is unknown but in a suggestible state, which Bucky Barnes was after his extended regimen of memory wipes and torture it appears to work. If you encounter her, take no chances. Shoot to disable if you can, shoot to kill if you must. She is not the same child I rescued in 1985. She's dangerous and with her single-minded plan to acquire control of super soldiers, and their offspring, then use them to take control of all enhanced beings, there can be no doubt she is behind all of the attacks on this compound."

A new picture appeared on the screen, displaying the rubble of Carter's compound in Durban, South Africa. Fury looked to Wanda who stepped forward, hesitating at first, then gaining courage when Sam and Bruce smiled at her.

"I am Wanda Maximoff, and promised Noelle Barnes that I wouldn't let Cerberus, Sharon Carter, or anyone else get to her and her daughter. One of my abilities is to get into people's minds. As I helped interrogate Jack Rollins there was a name that kept appearing in his head, Madame HYDRA. No face, no other information about it, just the name. At the time, I didn't report it to Fury because I wanted more information. So, I reached out and touched the mind of Sharon Carter, knowing she was also involved in the attacks, since your security chief was her mole. She wanted Winnie and Noelle's unborn child to start up her serum production again, using the stem cells from the umbilical cord to create a next level serum. Noelle, after the birth of her child, was to be presented to Hamilton as a gift for his work. I became aware that Carter set up a meeting with Val de Fontaine and with another woman, Alexa Lukin, CEO of Kronas Corporation. Kronas has a long-standing connection with HYDRA, although the previous CEO Alexander Lukin, disavowed knowledge of their plans after 2014 and cooperated fully with the investigations. Two years ago, he died of a mysterious disease, and his wife succeeded him as head of the company. They have interests in many different industries but focus on energy and weapons manufacturing. Her men had pulse-based weapons that to the best of my memory, were originally developed by Baron von Strucker." She pointed to the picture of the destroyed building. "According to the satellite imagery from shortly after I escaped with John Walker from this location, the building, Sharon Carter's property, fell in upon itself. I think the pulse weapons were used to do it."

"Where are the three women now?" asked Torres.

"Unknown," replied Fury, "although we're trying to track the SUVs that were seen leaving while the building fell. What is certain is that Pierce is planning to attack the compound. Her main targets are the enhanced children who have been moved to a location unknown to us. All other families have also been evacuated to safe locations. Winter and John Walker are likely her next targets, followed by anyone who is enhanced. This is the home base of the Avengers, so she will probably have no problem trying to destroy it to acquire what she believes belongs to Cerberus. SHIELD is sending a squad of agents to assist in the defence, just as Wakanda is sending the Black Panther and a squad of Dora Milaje. Princess, do you have an ETA?"

"Four hours," she answered. "We'll be bringing some firepower as well, some new weapons. We are also monitoring the airwaves for any advance intelligence about the location of Cereberus headquarters. When that comes it will be shared with SHIELD and a joint team with Wakanda's War Dogs will advance on that location."

"Alright, everyone, make sure you visit the armoury for your weapons and your assignment. Do your best. Extreme sanction is authorized in all encounters."

Walker inserted himself beside Sam and Winter, although he kept eyeing the latter nervously. As they arrived at the armoury and waited their turn to enter, Winter turned to the former Captain America.

"I am not what I once was," he stated to the tall blond. "You do not have to be concerned that I will turn. The same procedures that freed Barnes also freed me from HYDRA's influence."

"That's good to know," stated Walker, "but I can't get over how different you are from him. Your hair, your walk, and your whole manner is different than Barnes. How did you two coexist in one body?"

"I deferred to him," stated the former Winter Soldier. "The only time I took control was when Barnes was in a state of complete exhaustion, making it appear he could summon an extra boost of energy." He looked at Walker with concern. "Why is it important to you?"

"Can I trust you?" Walker looked to Sam for support but didn't get it and shuffled his feet. "Will you be there if I need you?"

Sam rolled his eyes a little, but Winter shook his head slightly. "It is a valid question, but I asked you to join us in this fight. Can we trust you?"

The question drew the attention of the other Avengers there and they turned almost as one to look at the man who had disgraced the shield when he was made its owner. The scrutiny seemed to unnerve him a bit then he swallowed and looked Winter in the eye.

"I swear that I will do my best to protect the compound and all who call it home. I won't turn tail and run when the going gets rough. This business with Val thinking she could have a business relationship with Pierce, all while the woman considers me and my daughter her property, has rattled me, deeply. When I was a Captain in the Rangers, we liberated a camp in Afghanistan, where terrorists had kidnapped a school bus of girls. They planned to sell them to other extremist groups as wives, or slaves. That was the best day I ever experienced in that hell hole, when we rescued those girls and returned them to their families. I won't stand and watch as Alexandra Pierce plans to do the same against enhanced people."

"That's all we wanted to know," said Sam, placing a hand on Walker's shoulder. "We trust Winter and we trust you."

They each picked out an assortment of weapons, then went to a bench where they could inspect them and load them. On this occasion only, they would take the weapons with them, keeping them on their person so that if the alarm came, they didn't waste time converging altogether on the armoury. There was little talking as they worked, instead, there was a sense of purpose and preparation. For Walker, it reminded him of his time as a Ranger, but surprisingly, it didn't bring the anxiety that those days did. Perhaps it was because he was just another soldier for this fight, not the man taking responsibility for the lives of the others. Regardless, it felt good to be doing something with meaning, rather than profit, Val's usual rationale for the assignments she gave him.

From the armoury they went to the cafeteria, seeing sandwiches, wraps, raw vegetables and fruits, along with tea, coffee and juices available. The culinary staff had been dismissed so what was out on the tables and made up already but still in the coolers for breakfast would have to do for those staying behind. They all piled their plates high and dug in.

"Beats MREs," said Torres, as he chewed, "although I understand there's a room full of them if this takes longer than a couple of days."

Those with military experience began comparing their favourite MREs, then Winter spoke up.

"K rations were awful, in retrospect, but what HYDRA fed Barnes was terrible, although I didn't mind as it was at least digestible. Food was a tool of control to them. They never gave us too much and we were often hungry."

"How did you manage to keep up your strength?" asked Walker, already on his third sandwich. "I mean, the serum increases metabolism and I know I need about 10,000 calories a day just to maintain."

"Even though what they fed us wasn't much, it was still high in calories," answered the former Winter Soldier. "There was a significant period of adjustment once Barnes escaped when he had to find food for himself. Many things were hard on his digestive system, and he spent many sleepless nights suffering needlessly because he refused to eat the obvious equivalent." Walker looked at him, expectantly. "Baby food. He did manage to find protein and energy bars that were palatable to him." A small smile appeared on his face. "He also indulged in candy bars. Still has a sweet tooth, as do I."

"And now?"

"Pasta is very good as is jambalaya, gumbo, étoufée, and seafood boil."

Winter smiled slightly at Sam, who smiled back. As people finished, they dropped off their paper plates in the garbage cans, then retreated to the central lounge to wait. By the time Winter, Torres, Yelena and Walker joined them many people were playing cards or talking quietly to their families online. It was literally the calm before the storm. Sam joined them shortly after as he returned from the medical centre after seeing Dawn, spending some quiet moments with her. Sinking down into an armchair he folded his arms across his chest, closed his eyes, and breathed. As time passed, others started doing the same, taking the opportunity to rest knowing what was to come. Friday dimmed the lights to make the experience more comfortable.

💡

A klaxon sounded and the lights came on, waking everyone. As one they stood and grabbed their firearms.

"Attack on computer systems underway," announced Friday. "Tadashi protocol initiated. Incoming aircraft, count six. All staff, scramble."

Winter and Walker were well ahead of the others, as they ran up to the roof and took their positions. Sam and Joaquin launched themselves into the air as soon as they burst through the door, followed by the Ironman suit, who launched from the parking garage once the door opened. Carol Danvers was already out there, her glowing figure speeding towards the incoming aircraft. Immediately, everyone on the roof or in the air took fire from the incoming aircraft as their shots at Danvers were ineffective and they changed course to avoid her. As Wanda suspected, the blue colour of the weaponry indicated a pulse-based system. Tony, from the command centre told those on the roof where to target their shots and sent his suit in closer, sending multiple heat seeking mini missiles towards them. He took out half of their systems on the first try, with Carol doing the same by hand, coming up from underneath the aircraft and grasping the weapon hard enough to pull it off. Winter, Walker, and several staff with sniper training took their time targeting the conventional weapons on the incoming aircraft as they were utilized to rain fire down on the rooftop. Suddenly, a Talon fighter appeared in the sky and began systematically attacking the aircraft, taking two out completely, making them explode and raining debris everywhere. The other aircraft opened their rear doors and rappelling ropes appeared, with multiple personnel coming down.

Jumping up from his position, Winter began running towards them, firing his gun on a controlled pulse setting then reloading on the run. He took a hit in the arm but didn't stop, slinging the firearm and withdrawing a pair of knives from his side holsters. As the first enemy soldier landed on the roof, Winter attacked him with a kick to the middle then began engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. He was joined by Walker, just as ruthless with his efforts. They plowed through one man after another, then Winter grabbed one of the dangling ropes and pulled himself up into the hovering aircraft. Several men were tossed out then Winter appeared in the cockpit and began firing at the other enemy aircraft, using their systems to direct his attempts on the most vulnerable parts of their aircraft, damaging their flight systems. With the resulting damage making their remaining aircraft retreat, he jumped out of the one he had commandeered then contacted Tony and Carol.

"I've commanded one of their aircraft to return to home base. Track it."

As it disappeared into the night with Carol Danvers following it, he glanced meaningfully at Walker, then joined the battle on another part of the roof, firing his weapon with deadly accuracy. Within the hour, they had everyone who had attacked the compound gathered in one area. Medics were going through the compound staff, assessing and treating their injuries as they stood on guard, then several began treating the enemy. About a dozen were dead, covered in foil blankets, but Winter pulled the foil back, looking at their faces, then searched their bodies for birthmarks and Cerberus tattoos, fake or real.

"What are you looking for?" asked Sam, kneeling down beside Winter.

"Clues and anomalies," he said. "Before the mission that took Barnes, I recall there was word of a break-in at Brock Rumlow's grave and the graves of several STRIKE team members that were HYDRA. There was speculation that Cerberus had acquired cloning technology. Those two are exact duplicates of two of those STRIKE team members. I suspect that if Dr. Banner examined them, he would discover they are clones."

"But that break in was only a few months ago," protested Sam. "Could a body be cloned that quickly and be programmed into becoming a soldier?"

"Yes, if they have off-world technology," said Shuri, who had just joined the group. She kneeled down and examined the bodies of the two, then looked at Winter. "You remember them?"

He nodded. "They were present at the Ideal Federal Savings Bank the last time I was programmed." He scanned the faces of several of the injured and uninjured soldiers who were being guarded, then pointed at them. "There are more duplicates of the same two men and one other. We interrogate them first."

Suddenly, one of the men he identified began to foam at the mouth and go into convulsions. Two of the Dora Milaje knocked out several others before they could follow but three succeeded in killing themselves. They had all popped a false tooth, presumably with a cyanide centre, an old HYDRA method of avoiding capture.

"Get the clone bodies, both living and dead to medical," said Sam. "Remove the false tooth from the living ones then take them to interrogation. Advise Dr. Banner that they are likely clones." He looked around then saw Wanda. "We need you to touch their minds. You okay with that?"

She nodded. "Why does she need super soldiers if she can clone ...." A look of horror crossed her face. "She can clone super soldiers. All she needs is a genetic sample of the originals. The same with any enhanced human, even me. She can remove all of the built-in inhibitions of the original and make the clone a monster answerable to her. We have to stop her."

"Get the rest of these guys to security," ordered Sam. He tapped his comms piece in his ear. "Tony, do you have a location for that aircraft Winter sent back?"

"I do and have shared it with SHIELD and the War Dogs," he said. "They are on their way now. Carol is staying to engage with them and keep them occupied until her backup get there. The other aircraft that retreated have rendezvoused about 20 miles from here with a larger force. By what I can pull up on satellite they are reloading with new troops and more aircraft. This was just round one."

"I agree. Everyone, once we clear the roof get to the armoury and reload. This isn't over."

Twenty minutes later they were back on the roof, waiting for the next attack. Wanda stayed with them, as it was deemed more important to protect the compound and her skills would be needed outside. Interrogation of the clones could wait. At least Tony's Tadashi computer protocol had successfully defended Friday from the hacking attempt, and he brought in another layer of the defensive program to continue that. As they waited, Walker cleared his throat, drawing Winter's attention to him. The dark-haired man looked blankly at Walker.

"I just wanted to say that you were something else out there. It was enlightening on many levels." He looked up to the skies. "I have three Medals of Valor, although I never wanted them, and yet you did things that make what I did pale in comparison. I'm sorry for ever doubting you or Barnes, for that matter."

Winter shrugged. "I believe the correct response is Thank you, but it is irrelevant. The next attack may well be successful, and all my efforts will be for naught. As long as Noelle and Winnie Barnes are safe, that is reward enough for me to risk my life."

"Incoming, 5 miles out," crackled Tony's voice in their comms pieces. "I read about 20 aircraft, different configuration than those used in the first attack. I'm sending the suit to engage and see if I can take any out before they get here."

The Ironman suit roared into the night sky, and they watched as it fought the pulses from several of the first line of aircraft. It successfully destroyed two, then a large blue flash hit the suit and it fell from view.

"Well, that's that," said Tony's voice, sounding disappointed. "These weapons are a lot stronger than those used in the first round. They overwhelmed my system. If there isn't too much physical damage, I might be able to reboot the suit and get it back here."

"Just keep us informed," replied Sam's voice. "Joaquin and I are going to try something, see if we can get them to fire at each other." Before anyone said anything about how dangerous that was going to be he added his own comment. "I know, it's risky but if we can't overpower them then we have to use different tactics."

They raced towards the incoming line of aircraft then began using air combat maneuvers, commonly called dog fighting techniques, to stay out of the reach of the weapons but to draw the aircraft into following them. Done properly, they could manipulate the pilots into making a fatal mistake, or even fire on their own aircraft in a crowded airspace which this now was. It was dangerous and both flyers had to be on top of their game to avoid being hit. They managed to draw four of the smaller aircraft into engaging with them and immediately scored a victory as one of the aircraft being manually piloted drifted into the path of a blue pulse, causing the pilot to lose control. That aircraft spiralled down into the nearby reservoir, exploding on entry. Focusing their attention on the remaining three that were following them the two flyers continued their deadly dance.

The Talon fighter, piloted by Ayo, rose up from the grounds near the complex and turned to face the remaining 14 aircraft, which were charging up their pulse weapons, according to Tony. She applied the throttle and flew at top speed towards them. It took a few moments before they realized she was playing chicken with them, for the incoming aircraft suddenly peeled away into two contingents as she went right through, using her weapons to target their undersides which were now fully exposed to the Talon fighter.

"Ha!" Tony yelled in the comms piece. "Sorry, but that was awesome. She's taken out the pulse systems on at least half a dozen of those just with that move. Target their conventional systems."

As the aircraft began their descent towards the compound roof, those assembled began firing at the conventional weapons systems. The better sharpshooters hit their targets, evidenced by the flames and explosions that flew from the underside of the numerous aircraft. When the Talon fighter came back for a second round the remaining aircraft with intact pulse systems regrouped to attack her. Ayo pushed the limits of her aircraft as she undertook some extreme aerobatic maneuvers firing whenever a vulnerable part of the enemy aircraft was visible. Bit by bit, she picked away at her adversaries until Tony announced that all pulse systems were neutralized.

As one, the enemy aircraft began to descend towards the roof and Wanda ran out, forming large red balls of magic then thrusting them at the attackers. Several sorcerers joined her, while forming shields over their own people. Several aircraft came into contact with each other, and there was a mad scramble of ropes with soldiers trying to descend to the roof before they were caught in the resulting explosion. Some couldn't hold on and fell, landing on the roof with loud thuds, then not moving at all. Those who did successfully make it to the roof were immediately under fire, cut down in the open as they were surrounded on all sides. More and more began laying down their weapons, then raising their arms to surrender.

"More aircraft approaching," said Tony's voice, to the groans of everyone on the roof, then he laughed. "They're friendlies. The Cerberus base has been destroyed and Carol's bringing a prisoner."

Several Talon fighters and SHIELD quinjets appeared, with Carol leading them. She carried a woman under one arm, depositing her on the roof then landing right behind her. One of the quinjets landed and an armed guard came out with Sharon Carter and Val de Fontaine ahead of them, both of them in handcuffs. Right behind them was Nick Fury and Dr. Strange. As the first woman got up, then haughtily dusted herself off, Winter went over to her. She said some words to him, but he just shook his head.

"It only works if the recipient believes it will work," he stated. "I always felt sorry for you, Alexandra, for having the father you did. You were always secondary to his true desire for power. That you bought into his delusions is even sadder."

"You, sorry for me? We made you great." She drew herself up to her full height, trying to appear intimidating and in control. "You were the key to success, and you betrayed everything."

"We were HYDRA's slave and whipping boy," he answered, angrily. "You can't betray that which you don't believe in. Even though I performed like a trained seal, I knew the day would come when Barnes and I could break free." He looked at Carol. "Their headquarters?"

"Destroyed," she answered with a smile. "The cloning tanks are buried under tons of rubble, after Dr. Strange tore them apart. So is the weapons factory she had there. Didn't take long to program a feedback loop on the power source to make it blow itself up."

"I have more locations around the world!" Alexandra exclaimed, still trying to appear like she was in charge. "My followers will come for me."

"No, they won't," said Fury. "Your followers that we captured at your headquarters gave you up pretty quickly. Most of them were initially convinced by your dime store hypnosis trick. Like everything your father did, it didn't last long and their loyalty to you ended as soon as it wore off. You'll be going to a new super maximum prison facility, courtesy of some off-world allies. Turns out the cloning technology that you bought from a rogue Ravager was illegal. Nova Corps has been looking for it. That, and your invasion into a previously unknown universe put you on their version of a most wanted list."

"What about us?" asked Fontaine, eyeing how easily John seemed to fit in with the others. "We weren't with her by choice."

"True, but you were willing to do a deal with her, until you found out she wasn't looking for profits and Carter did have a mole who wreaked havoc with our security protocols," replied Fury. "The Raft has plenty of room for both of you." He looked at Walker. "I'm afraid your employer is not going to be able to make your next payroll."

He shook his head and grimaced at Val. "That's alright. I quit. If you would give me a chance to prove myself with the Avengers, I would appreciate it."

Fury nodded. "We'll talk." He looked at the others. "Let's get our prisoners processed and check the damages. If you're injured, report to medical. Once we've got everything squared away, we'll bring your families back."

Like the well-oiled machine the compound usually was, everyone took on a task, as some stayed up top, documenting damage on the roof. Others helped escort the prisoners to security where they had to get Dr. Strange to create a larger holding facility for them. Winter, Walker, and others took weapons back to the armoury, helping the weapons master to check their functions, clean them and store them back in their proper lockers. Carol flew out to where Tony's suit had fallen, bringing it back to his lab for him, Harley Keener and Peter to work on.

It was almost dawn when they finally reached the point where the families could return but Fury ordered them to rest first, reasoning that a couple of hours sleep was needed before their families arrived. Since he was also giving them the day off, he wanted everyone to enjoy the reunion with their loved ones. When the decision was made to start bringing everyone home, the sorcerers created portals from the evacuation centres and the building was filled with the sound of happy reunions. While Walker, Winter, Sam and Dawn waited for Dr. Strange to contact Wong, the former Captain America turned to Sam.

"You didn't say anything when I asked if I could be part of the Avengers," he said, nervously. "Did I overstep my boundaries?"

Sam smiled. "No, but I need to know that you can keep it together. Would you be willing to talk regularly to one of our resident therapists? We all make use of him from time to time. He's very discreet and can help with your PTSD."

The big man nodded. "Yeah, I will. I've tried to deal with it on my own, mostly, but it's hard. Being here felt right. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations."

"No." Sam smiled and shook his head. "Live up to yours. If you do your best and deal responsibly with any bumps along the way, we'll respect that. You did good last night, John. That's all we want from you."

Wong's portal opened and Olivia Walker came out first, carrying her daughter Grace, while Lamar ran to his daddy with his arms outstretched. Walker picked him up, kissing and hugging him, then held his wife close, kissing her. He told her they had to talk and led her to the family quarters that were temporarily assigned to them. Lamar waved goodbye to the others, as they exited the portal. Paul Wilson made a beeline for his parents, and Sam picked him up, lifting him high in the air.

"Did you miss us?" he asked.

"No, we gots to stay on a farm, and it was fun," replied the little boy. "Can we have a cow, and a pony? Uncle Tony said we could have one."

"There really isn't anywhere to put a cow and pony here, buddy," answered Sam, his face covered in a big smile. "But maybe we can find out if there's a farm nearby that we can visit once in a while."

"Okay." Paul turned to Winnie. "He said no but we can visit a farm. Bye Winnie!"

"Bye Paul." The little girl was pulling her little wheeled suitcase but dropped it when she saw Winter and ran towards him. "Papa Winter! We hads fun on a farm. Did you have fun, too?"

"I wouldn't call it that, but it was interesting." He reached for the suitcase, then took the little girl's hand. Noelle smiled at him. "You're alright?"

"We're fine. It was actually a lot of fun for the kids. How was it here? Any casualties?"

"No, not on our end but some were injured. The danger is over and those responsible will be incarcerated."

She nodded as they began walking towards the family quarters. They didn't speak until she placed her palm on the reader, opening the door. Winnie hugged Winter around the knees then ran inside, calling out to her stuffed toys that she was home. Both Winter and Noelle smiled at her joy. He pushed the small suitcase towards her, their fingers barely touching then he nodded his head and prepared to leave.

"You could join us for supper."

"Thank you, I would like that." He turned, then looked back. "I'm glad you're both safe and that you're back. It was empty without all the children, especially Winnie. It was too quiet."

For a moment he wanted to say more but he just smiled and walked away. At first, Winter was going to return to his quarters but instead he accessed one of the exits to the grounds. He began to run, following the path along the reservoir, before slowing down at the other end where he was alone. Then he sat on a large rock that overlooked the water. He pulled the cell phone that had been assigned to him out of his pocket and opened it to the picture gallery. There were numerous pictures of Winnie, that made him smile as he flipped through them. Then he came to a picture of her with Noelle and he hesitated, gazing at the woman who loved Barnes. Closing the gallery, he pocketed the cell phone and prepared to return then a feeling of strong emotion enveloped him, and he hit the rock with his metal hand, cracking it into three pieces. As he struggled to deal with this out of control feeling he realized something. He wasn't just physically attracted to Noelle Barnes; he was in love with her, and it was making him feel sick. Taking his phone out again, he texted her.

Sorry, I forgot I had other plans. Can we have dinner another time?

The response was quick. Sure, we can do it some other day.

Then he stayed at the rock, alternating his gaze between it and the water until it became dark, and he heard the sound of someone in the air, gliding towards him. Sam landed, and in the light of the moon, knew right away something was wrong. He said nothing but noted the damaged rock. After some time, Winter looked up at the man who had become his friend.

"I'm in love with Noelle," he said, his agony evident in his voice. "What do I do?"

Sam sighed. It was something that he and Noelle had discussed at the beginning. At first, he had been worried for Noelle but now, seeing how this realization was affecting Winter, his sympathies lay with this man, who was not equipped to deal with such a strong emotion. He sat next to him and put his arm around the man's shoulders. Somehow, he would get him through this.

Chapter 18>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging.

[eirinstiva]

Watson's secret talent

I can't believe that in Letters from Watson we are in the eleventh chapter of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Watson has the chance to show us again his secret talent: how to deal with ✨people✨.

In previous chapter we read how he uses his talent for listening with Dr. Mortimer and distracts him talking about skulls. In this chapter Watson interviews Mrs. Laura Lyons alone with a clumsy introduction and using his knowledge of the gossip. Later he has the chance to talk with Mr. Frankland and continued with the gossip using the power of the indiference against Frankland. He even could use the telescope!

Illustration by Raymond Pallier in Le Petit Journal illustré 

Watson as a doctor has to deal with different people, some of them in really difficult situations and he shares rooms with a very eccentric man, so Watson knows a lot how to deal with this kind of people. I know I read this before in another place... yeah, small spoiler/not so spoiler of the manga Yuukoku no Moriarty/Moriarty The Patriot vol 17:

Art by Hikaru Miyoshi

And then at last I heard him. Far away came the sharp clink of a boot striking upon a stone. Then another and yet another, coming nearer and nearer. I shrank back into the darkest corner, and cocked the pistol in my pocket, determined not to discover myself until I had an opportunity of seeing something of the stranger. There was a long pause which showed that he had stopped. Then once more the footsteps approached and a shadow fell across the opening of the hut.

[heavy breathing]

Illustration by Richard Gutschmidt (Robert Lutz)

“It is a lovely evening, my dear Watson,” said a well-known voice. “I really think that you will be more comfortable outside than in.”

AHHHHH!!!

Illustration by Sidney Paget in The Strand Magazine

[giggly-squiggily]

Headcanons To Dabbles Are OPEN!

Heyo everyone! The poll has spoken- most of y'all were fine with whatever ajrjekarkjea But the second place winner was Headcanon's To Dabbles so that's what we're doing! :D

☁☁ Rules☁☁

-Send me a character(s) and a Headcanon and I'll write a 300-500 word dabble for it!

-Can be tickles or non-tickles

-Reader-Insert is allowed! Please specify the type of relationship you'd wish for the reader to have with the character (ie. Platonic!Reader, Romantic!Reader, Sibling!reader, etc.)

-Please check my pinned post who what I will and will not write/what characters are on my "Will Not Write For" list.

-The event is open from Saturday, June 15 as of posting this to Saturday June 22 8pm EST! I'll start posting dabbles Monday (June 17). Dabbles will come out from 2pm to 10pm EST!

Fandoms below the cut!

☁☁ Fandoms ☁☁️

-Some fandoms are limited due to popularity. I'll put a "**" beside those

-Fandoms crossed out are closed! I'll be sure to let y'all know which ones close when they do!

-Some fandoms are italicized cause it's been a HOT minute since I've engaged with them; please be patient with me on these fandoms; I'm very much still willing to write for them but it might take a minute to remember what went down karjkeakjreajk

-Big Windup (Anime only- I FINISHED SEASON 1 AHHH!)

-Black Clover

- Blue Lock (Anime)

- Bungo Stray Dogs (Anime Only)**

- Buddy Daddies

-Cafe Enchante

-Code Realize

-Collar x Malice

-Chainsaw Man (Anime + Around Chapter 72 I think?)

-Cupid Parasite

-Danganronpa THH, SDR2 , V3

-Dr. Stone

-Demon Slayer**

-Fire Force

-Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

-Fruits Basket

-Given

-Haikyuu!!

-Hell’s Paradise

-Hunter x Hunter (Up To The Chairman Arc)

-Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure Parts 2-6 (Anime only)

-Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime + Movie Only!)**

- Komi Can’t Communicate

-Mob Psycho 100

-Moriarty The Patriot

-My Hero Academia**

-Piofiore: Fated Memories

-Pokemon (Limited Requests: Games only, very limited knowledge of the anime; Will not be taking any for Sword and Shield)

-SK8 the infinity

-Spy x Family

-Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun

-Tokyo Revengers (Anime- Limited up to season 1; haven't seen much beyond that)

-Vinland Saga (Mainly Season 2)

-Wind Breaker (Anime)

-Yu Yu Hakushou

I think that's everything? If anything changes, I'll be sure to let y'all know! Please feel free to send them in! I'm so excited to see what y'all got in store for the game!

[alloutofgoddesses]

WIPS of Fics From 2023

These are fics I started reading in 2023 that I will be (hopefully) continuing to read in 2024!

Dark Matter by mysterycyclone - When Thanos snaps, the souls of those he takes end up in the soul stone. However, Spiderman had managed to break off a piece of the stone, and ends up in an alternate dimension with superheroes he’s never heard of and ghosts in his head. (Peter Parker meets the Bats AU - 43 chapters)

Peter the Pizza Guy by Irisen - Dr. Strange’s spell has unforeseen consequences. Peter Parker, suddenly in a different universe, now must figure out how to survive in the most dangerous city in America - Gotham. (Peter Parker meets the Bats AU - 36 chapters)

In for a Pound by Cdelphiki - Damian Al Ghul-Wayne is given to his father as an infant. Dick Grayson is eleven. Bruce Wayne is out of his depth. What happens now? (Damian joins the family early AU - 6 works)

no grave could hold my body down (i'll crawl home to her) by loungemermaid - Finnick survives the mutts, but only just. Adjusting to a body missing large parts of itself and a pregnant wife, Finnick lives on. (Finnick Lives AU - 11 chapters)

Tomorrow Will Be Kinder by bellablue27 - Peeta and Katniss grow together after the war. Currently on hiatus but I'm holding out hope that one day it returns. (Post-Canon Fic - 17 chapters)

take these broken wings and learn to fly by fishingclocks - Dick Grayson loses his parents. Bruce Wayne can’t help but try to rescue the boy from himself. The Batman has a new target. (The Batman 2022 Post-Canon Fic - 17 chapters)

Minefield by coyote_nebula - The Bats love each other. They just have a hard time showing it. (The Waynes and their extended family go on connected adventures - 16 works)

Shutterbug by goldkirk - Tim Drake is good at what he does. He runs a blog, weaves his way unseen throughout Gotham, and he doesn’t need his parents. Unfortunately for him, his neighbors disagree. (AU where Jason lives and Tim can’t catch a break - 9 works)

Wayne Family Social Media AU by tiredofsatansbullshit - Everyone needs a good social media fic from time to time. The Bats, the Waynes, and various others have a very active online presence. (14 works)

A Nest We Can All Call Home by A03time - Dick, Jason, and Tim are orphans who found each other on the streets of Gotham. When Jason decided to steal from Batman of all people, everything changes. (The Robins Meet Before They Meet Bruce AU - 6 works)

How Dare The Robins Sing by CountDyscalculia - Tim Drake has severe dyscalculia. It doesn’t matter though, because Batman needs a Robin and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to get him one. (Tim Drake refuses to ask for help for currently 25 chapters)

Check My Vitals (and tell me I'm still alive) by scrappedyonder - Tim is a metahuman successfully keeping the secret from Batman, his mentor. That is until Red Hood nearly dies and Tim takes matters into his own hands. Now that Jason knows, it’s only a matter of time until Bruce knows as well. (Metahuman AU - 3 works)

straw-verse by deargalileo - Alfred makes a friend out of his young neighbor. Silly straws are heavily involved. (Tim joins the family early AU - 3 works)

buy back the secrets by sundiscus - Conner Kent doesn’t know Robin’s secret identity. Tim Drake does know Superboy’s secret identity, making it super awkward every time Superboy saves Tim Drake. (TimKon fic - 4 chapters)

what's past is prologue by Icestorm238 - Dick Grayson remembers an alternate life before most of its events happen. He uses this knowledge to do everything in his power to change fate. It’s not as easy as he thought it would be. (Canon Divergence AU - 5 works)

the unfridging of jessica more by winterfire22 - Jessica doesn’t die when the yellow-eyed demon comes after her. It changes things - drastically. (Canon Divergence AU - 3 works)

[sio-writes]

Blood and Bourbon - Chapter 1

<<Prologue

Summary: Elliot finally feels like he's ready for a new chapter in his life, he's moved in with his immortal partner and runs a successful vampire aid clinic, it finally feel like life is giving him a break. But not all good things stay, as Elliot's past catches up to him and threatens to destroy everything he's worked for in a shower of blood.

Tags: discussion of (fantasy) medical practices including the consumption of blood (They are vampires after all!) and

Read it here, or on AO3!

Lifeline Specialized Vampire Clinic is a two-story stone building in the Medical District of downtown Braedon. It only opened for business a few years ago, but specialized vampiric clinics are hard to come by, even in the most progressive of cities, so the center is full nearly every hour of every day. It specializes in early- and late-term transitions and post-transformation lifestyle management, with several group therapies staggered throughout the day to help patients find a sense of community.

So the sight of a young woman being wheeled in on a gurney from the hospital is a common occurrence, even at two in the morning. Elliot is used to it, and he filled the sight into his brain for later. At the moment he has a list of things to do once he's finished his rounds in the inpatient wing upstairs. There's group therapy at 4:30, another set of rounds, and once that's over he has to chip away at the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

He's finishing the rounds upstairs, thankfully everything went on schedule, when he's stopped by Head Nurse Marcy. She pulls him aside in the stairway down to the outpatient division. "I know you have group, but I need you to see our new patient. She's just started to turn, and her parents are very adamant about speaking to an 'actual doctor'."

Marcy slaps a manila folder on his chest, and Elliot hums, thinking. "Is Dr. Henrickson not available?"

She shakes her head of fiery red curls. "He's running the other group session, and Deb isn't in until seven."

Elliot curses under his breath, causing Marcy to smile. She likes seeing him break professionalism.

Elliot skims the patient's profile, taking note of her age: 17. Elliot supresses a groan. He hates talking to parents of young vampires. It's always tears and angry accusations and, if he's lucky, something will get thrown at him. He still needs to make sure both the parents and their child have the information they need, but it's his least favorite part of running the clinic.

"You run the 4:30 group then," he says to Marcy.

"Yes sir," she gives him a lazy salute before walking off. "She's in 114!"

***

Elliot's barely in the door before the father inside scoffs and crosses his arms. "Are you an actual doctor?" he asks. He's got combed-back, dirty blonde hair, and he's wearing a pressed bowling shirt and golf shorts. Next to him is, presumably, his wife, with bleached blonde hair and a bright, patterned dress that ends at the knees. She's sniffing into a napkin that looks like it's seen better days. On the bed is a young woman with short brown hair, wearing torn cargo shorts and an equally torn tank top. She's so young, and Elliot's heart breaks. Her chart had said she was a minor, but Elliot will never get used to seeing someone so young here.

When humans are turned into vampires, the body stops aging. Elliot's always going to be 32, Marcy will always be 25, and this young woman, Margaret MacKenzie, will forever be 17. Those born with vampiric blood age slower depending on the ratio, too. Vampiric births are rare, they're difficult to bring to term, but for the few that happen each year, the aging rate can vary wildly. Elliot saw by Margaret's chart that she was born human, not a drop of vampire blood in her lineage.

Elliot nods at the father, maintaining his professionalism. "Yes, I'm the head doctor as well as the owner of the clinic. Your daughter Margaret--"

"Maggie," the wife says, her voice thick with emotion. "Her name is Maggie."

"Maggie," he corrects. "Is in the final stages of vampiric transformation. She'll need to be admitted to the clinic for a few weeks until she stabilizes." He checks his chart. "There doesn't seem to be any pressing issues like injury, thankfully."

"Thankfully?!" the father snaps. "She's turning into a monster!"

Mrs. MacKenzie chokes back a niose before bursting into tears. Mr. MacKenzie frowns at Elliot like it was he who bit his daughter. "Will she even survive?"

"Her vitals are stabilizing and her readouts look good," Elliot says. "She's made it through the worst of the change, and the longer she rests, the higher her chances are." He skims the report again, taking notice of a specific note in the margins. "She was a runaway?"

Mrs. MacKenzie sniffs like she's trying to collect herself, but she falls into tears again, and Mr. MacKenzie speaks for her. "She ran away about three months ago. Cops told us she probably got picked up by a trafficking scheme."

Elliot checks the notes of the report. Nothing else about that. "Was there a reason she left?"

"What're you implying, you--"

"Mr. MacKenzie, I'm only trying to get the facts--"

Mrs. MacKenzie clears her throat. "She's been seeing this…asshole. A creep, and a bad influence for my daughter. He was into some kind of cult and we tried to tell her that he was a lost cause, but she didn't listen, she didn't want anything to do with us. She left on a Saturday, and came back sick and with a mark on her back."

Elliot frowns. That wasn't on the report, either. "A mark?"

"On her shoulder," Mr. MacKenzie says. "Three triangles interlocked. We thought it was a tattoo at first, but it's a brand." He spits out the word with disgust, and Elliot is inclined to agree.

Vampiric cults are a dangerous problem. There's as many organizations as there are vampires in the world, and they all have their own calling card, a symbol of the house their leader hails from. They steal humans right off the street and indoctrinate them, churn them through the cult's system until they're obedient enough to take the transformation without complaint. Elliot has a brand on his inner arm that itches whenever he talks about matters like these.

Three triangles, though, he's not familiar with. Anxiety sparks underneath Elliot's skin. He should know. It's part of his job, protecting those who call for his help.

"I don't know the exact group, but I'll look into it." He makes a note on Maggie's chart to check the symbol once she's moved to her room. Elliot flips the pages on his clipboard until he sees the pamphlets stored in the back and hands them to Mr. MacKenzie. "For now, I'll give you the information I do have. Maggie's vampirism will be unique to her, but there are some ground rules. She can't have solid foods, only liquids from now on. She'll likely be craving blood frequently once she wakes up, and it's completely normal. You'll see in that second pamphlet-- yes that one, the amount of blood she'll need to sustain her every day, and I'll tell you now that these are just the minimum values, there's no maximum. Direct sunlight is out, as is indirect sunlight, such as through a tinted window or shade, until she hits the one year mark."

"Oh god!" Mrs. MacKenzie cries out. Mr. MacKenzie rests a gentle hand on her shoulder, comforting her as she cries. "She loved the sun, she loved the beach so much. She won't be able to go ever again?" And before Elliot can answer, she breaks down into sobs again.

"After a year," he continues as gently as possible, "Maggie will be able to handle indirect sunlight, including shaded areas. So, after a year, she'll still be able to go, just cover up and bring an umbrella."

His words seem to calm Mrs.MacKenzie, at least, they stop the tears. Elliot continues, "Blood management is the most crucial at this point time. The banks have a program to provide you with your first year's supply. She'll need to stay away from any pets for at least the next four weeks, which won't be a problem if you decide to admit her here."

Mr. MacKenzie cuts in, "Will the cult come after her?"

"Once I find out which group is associated with that symbol, I'll tell you everything I know." Hopefully this cult is a smaller one, and Elliot's only seen their sigil as graffiti somewhere in the city. "We have security protocols in place as well, the upper floor where she'll be staying is under 24/7 surveillance, and only approved guests are allowed, such as you two and anyone you approve."

Elliot goes through the rest of the pamphlets with the MacKenzies, including the paperwork to admit Maggie to the clinic. He tells them her eyes will change color, and her body will be slow to react at first. Elliot answers their questions as best he can, but Mrs. MacKenzie breaks back down into tears after he reiterated Maggie can only drink liquids. By the time Elliot gets Maggie upstairs, the nurses get her IV hooked up, and he answers many, many more questions, it's nearly 8am.

The MacKenzies are yawning by the time Elliot shuts the door, and he doesn't blame them. It's nearly seven the morning, he's supposed to be home. Mathias should be waking up right about now, he should be there to greet him.

He walks into the covered garage and starts up his beat-up Ford sedan, anxiety thrumming behind his eyelids, making his fingers twitch. He's anxious all the way home, wondering how such a young girl escaped this mystery cult, and who was coming after her.

***

Elliot nearly drives to his old apartment, swerving away from the exit at the last minute and scattering his thoughts like loose playing cards. He'd been so distracted by that symbol and it's origins he nearly forgot to take the right exit.

No, he's living with Mathias now, in his fixer-upper two story that Mathias has owned since 1982. It doesn't feel real, like it's too good to be true. It's been a little fast, but Elliot's trying to take it all in stride.

Mathias is in the kitchen cooking breakfast when Elliot opens the door. "Hi-i-i! Welcome home!"

Elliot's home. It's strange to think of the house he's only been in for a few weeks as home. Strange, but not unwelcome, especially with Mathias to come home to each morning. He's seen Mathias off to work nearly every morning since he moved in, it's a nice ritual that Elliot is glad he didn't miss. He can't eat, but the house smells of waffles and syrup and it makes his mouth water. "Smells good. Long day?"

Mathias usually just grabs his coffee and rushes out to make his nine o'clock class time, only taking the time to cook when he anticipates a day without snacks. Immortals have a higher daily calorie requirement than the average human.

"Midterms today," Mathias replies. Elliot walks through the kitchen and into the breakfast nook. Mathias has laid out more than waffles, he's also got bacon, eggs, and sliced strawberries set out on the dining table.

"You've got quite the spread, here," Elliot comments, sipping from a dangerously full glass of orange juice. No pulp, perfect. Mathias comes up behind him holding a plate of pancakes that smell divine. The flour and sugar and mountain of dishes tell Elliot that Mathias made them from scratch, too. He kisses Elliot gently on the cheek as steps around into the nook. Elliot takes his place opposite Mathias and watches as he eats.

Mathias' eyes are solid gold, bright like the sun, irises marked with a pale brown ring, and if Elliot were to shut off all the lights, that set would be glowing at him like a cat. The eyes of an Immortal. It's an intense stare, to say the least. Mathias catches glances from him, and his flirtatious stare makes Elliot smile behind his hand.

After a few minutes, Mathias says around a mouth full of pancakes and strawberries, "You were late this morning. Everything okay? Busy day?"

Elliot rests his chin in one hand and tries to summarize his night. "A girl came in from the hospital today with two very concerned parents. Which makes sense! She was a runaway, and appeared in the middle of turning. She was out cold."

"Yeesh," Mathias says sympathetically. "The parents didn't let you get any work done?"

"After about a thousand questions, which again make sense when your only child is turning into a vampire."

"Mm, I see." Mathias hums around another bite of pancakes. "Do you think they'll try to reverse it?"

"It was too late in the change." In truth, Elliot would have liked if they'd come in a day earlier, that would've been the last possible second to reverse her turning. But he's not a magician, as he'd told Mr. MacKenzie outside his daughter's room.

In the time it took Elliot to drive home and speak to Mathias, his feelings have changed from anxious to something else. He feels melancholy about the whole thing. Not quite sad, not quite angry, but both, diluted within the slurry of other things that weigh down on his conscious. He tries to keep work away from home, but when cases like Maggie become personal, it's hard to let things go.

The feeling of deja vu hadn't left him since speaking to the MacKenzies. He's seen that symbol somewhere, somewhere important. It has to be in Mathias' books. If it's not, he can try and wrangle his ancient laptop to scour the internet.

After Mathias kisses him goodbye, Elliot decides to spend the next few hours going through boxes of books piled nearly to the ceiling of the library. It's a smaller room, probably meant to be used as a den that the two of them built in-wall bookshelves. Some books are his, but most belong to Mathias and he has even more in his office at the university.

They'd moved in together only a few weeks ago, and there's so much left to unpack. But Elliot is on a mission to find that symbol, and Mathias was briefly interested in occult histories and bought several tomes on the subject. If any books have that symbol, it'll be those.

First he finds a large textbook on the history of the occult in modern society. There's a lot on tarot readings, crystals, and Elliot reads Mathias' tiny, slanting script about the trip he'd taken in 1907 to the French Quarter and had his palm read. There's no interlocking triangles in the first book. The next two are unmarked, Mathias must not have gotten to them yet, and also offer no help by way of the symbol.

The other books he pulls seem promising. He finds a series of ancient organizations, modern reiterations, and speculation on future activities. It's another hour of rooting through books, finding nothing, then putting them on the shelves. Elliot goes from sitting to laying on his back, and his eyelids grow heavy. Another hour of fruitless searching, and Elliot is fighting sleep with every paragraph and soon, he falls asleep right in the library.

[felixcloud6288]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 45

How can this be? There's a Heist 3?

Scar meets May and May drops the bit of info that Scar's tattoo is based on Xingese Alchemy. He also mentions having a brother who was killed by a State Alchemist (likely Kimblee based on that dream Scar had in chapter 16).

Al does bring up a legitimate concern on the condition of his body. Ed's idea that he and Al might have crossed wires and Ed is providing nutrients to Al's body does feel a little far-fetched when first brought up though. I'm with Winry on that.

There's still more info gathering to be had, and just like with the library being destroyed before Ed could find Marcoh's notes, Lab 3 has been tampered with to keep Ed from investigating the tunnel system Al and Roy found during the Super Heist. And then Danny gives them the notice about Scar which includes the tattoo detail. So now Ed has reason to believe Scar was the Rockbells' murderer.

And then Ed decides to plan out Heist 3. Since some organization is always blocking their attempts to gather information, and the Homunculi are tied to that organization, and they need Ed alive for their future plans; if Ed's life is in danger, someone will have to show up to save him and then they can try capturing them.

But how?

This probably the first time Lin has revealed to anyone that he and Lan Fan can detect the Homunculi. This is also the first time Ed has gotten along with Lin since they met in Rush Valley, at least until Ed discovers he has to foot the bill for Lin's eating binge AGAIN.

The whole bit of Ed repairing everything in Central flowed like an advertisement. It opens up with a problem. The product (Ed) is shown shown in a flashy manner as it solves the problem while telling you about how great it is. Then a different problem is presented and we see the product (Ed) can fix that too. Then we have a montage of the product (Ed) being used for all sorts of scenarios. Finally, we end with a grand reminder of the product (Ed)'s name.

Ed even winks at the 'camera' at one point. Meanwhile Al is playing the hype man throughout the whole 'ad'.

Roy shows up and has an info exchange with Ed. Ed learns that Dr. Marcoh's been kidnapped and if Ed wasn't aware of it, Lust is dead. Something that occurred to me is Roy never heard Lust's name until after Breda's report. At this point, all parties collectively know there are at least 4 Homunculi (Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Greed). Lust is dead so she's no longer a major concern. Meanwhile, Greed's whereabouts are unknown. They know Greed and Envy's abilities. Gluttony is the probably one they know the least. Lin and Lan Fan are the only ones who know anything about how Envy and Gluttony fight. Also, Lin and Lan Fan are aware there is an entity named Pride, but they don't know anything about that one.

During the info exchange, Roy had to lean against the car and would periodically clutch his wound.

Ed is starting to push harder for info on Ishbal. Roy just changed the subject entirely.

When Scar attacks them, Al pulls Roy out of the way.

Ed and Al let Roy in on the plan for Heist 3 and he eagerly joins in to play diversion and miscommunication tactics. He seems to be a little too eager to cause mayhem and confusion amongst the higher-ups.

I love how Ed mockingly called Roy "Lord Colonel" and then Al used the same term when getting Roy to join in on Heist 3.

The couple Hawkeye robs at gunpoint are that rich couple from chapter 17.

This is the first time Ed and Al have fought alongside each other since Al gained the ability to transmute without a circle. Their combo barrage of stone pillars really show how different their aesthetic tastes are. Ed made his pillars have dragon heads so the attack is supposed to be like him summoning monsters to attack. Al made his pillars a bunch of fists, so he treats the attack like a long-range punch.

Ed got hit on the head and his wound from Slicer reopened.

I wonder how that "negating the destructive energy" thing works. Was this some equal and opposite direction kinda force that cause both attacks to disperse their energy outward? Or did Ed maybe transmute his arm to keep it stable despite Scar hitting it with destructive force?

I wonder why Wrath decided to get involved in the first place. Maybe it's because he's the only Homunculus who can safely engage against Scar without causing suspicion. I'd guess the plan was to have Gluttony track Scar since HQ is getting multiple conflicting reports and then Fuhrer King Bradley would personally stop the terrorist who's been taking the lives of his soldiers.

When Wrath decided to attack, he was very deliberately targeting Lan Fan. The Homunculi know she was able to detect Envy and she was the one who remarked on Gluttony within earshot of Wrath. So as far as he is aware, Lan Fan is the only one who can detect the Philosopher's Stone and is therefore the much higher priority target between Lin and Lan Fan.

And of course, the question a new reader might ask is "Why didn't they detect Wrath's presence as well?"

Also, we can see that Wrath was jumping off the large nails embedded in the power pole Lan Fan was on. He didn't run up the pole.

And now for the last installment of the chronology thing.

Last chapter ended in the early morning, and Scar meeting May is also early morning as well. However, Ed and Al's scene prior to the start of Heist 3 takes place at night. So I would argue these two scenes take place in reverse order. Ed goes to visit Lab 3 and Danny finds them and gives them the notice about Scar's reappearance. Then Scar meets back up with Yoki the next morning.

At this point, all parties have converged on each other and the next several chapters aren't going to take place over multiple days so that's the end of the the time disturbance saga.

back

[pikespendragon67]

Eh, I feel bored so I wanted to share some of my current creative ideas that I’m currently too burnt out to really work on:

First is for an original series that might be called Isolationists Club or maybe a more poetic name if I really wanna put in the effort. (Probably something with wildflowers? idk) It’s about people that usually isolate themselves for various reasons finally deciding to healthily communicate with one another. So far I have the sort of club advisor as a marriage counselor that wants to delve more into individual therapy (and is notorious for actually causing more divorces since he sees how terrifying his clients’ relationships can be) and a woman that isolates herself from bullying trauma that still lingers well into her adult years. (I wanna say she’s in her mid to late 30s or maybe 40s?) I’m gonna lean into more of the emotional trauma side for why people isolate themselves rather than general fear of being outside & such.

Next is some refinement for Octopath 3 OCs! This time with pictures from this Picrew. All of them will have musical names and music will play a big factor into the main motif of the story/final boss hopefully

Octavio the Dancer is a young lad (in his early to mis 20s) that wants to learn as many dance moves as he can, potentially finding a partner or instructor to help him do so. His ability to try to recruit others is him offering a dance, BUT! It comes at the cost of potentially fighting an NPC for that person’s hand. If Octavio loses, reputation goes down. If he wins, he can potentially summon both the original & provoked NPC into battle

Cress the Thief comes from a long line of gentleman/lady thieves, and she basically keeps the Robin Hood principle while still being able to do dirty work. Her uncle is trying to get her cousin to do more nefarious assassinations, so she’s trying to keep the family’s reputation safe. I’d say she’s 19? Also! She can sell the stuff she steals to the black market that the Merchant I’ll introduce later helps run.

Tacet’s a Hunter whose village is trying to find its new Chief. Anyone from the village that’s eligible has to go through 3 trials to prove themselves. His childhood friend’s way more competitive & hot headed about this. I’d say he’s 17.

Don’t have an O or secondary T yet, but I’ll have a placeholder for the time being

If I were to keep his original name, this would be Oliver, but I wanna keep the musical terms alive. He’s like my old OC from an original series I had, which was people with powers just living their daily lives. He’ll be the Apothecary for this, where he can actually control plants. He can concoct using ingredients he creates, but it takes a lot of energy from him. He’s 35

Picardy’s the Warrior of the group, but she’s definitely more of a mercenary than anything. Her former sworn oath partner has passed away, so she wants to fulfill his final wishes for him. I’d say she’s 37-46, depending on how I feel.

Alto’s the Scholar of the group. She may or may not be involved in starting the events for the final boss (still working on that). Like how Cyrus discovered a Philosophers Stone and Osvald had that whole thing™️ in chapter 3, Alto’s also going to have her own Fullmetal Alchemist moment! This time, I think she’s a mix of Van Hohenheim & Dr. Markel. YIPPEE!!! (Also this Picrew didn’t really let me do anything but she has streaks of white in her hair). Potentially immortal or thousands of years old, but physically is 29.

I sadly don’t have an idea for the Cleric yet, so I would like some assistance here, please. Only thing I can think of is something like. Nacho Libre? Eh.

And finally, we have Harmony the Merchant! She’s a clock engineer that’s trying to inspire her family to inherit the clock shop she works at so that she can retire easily. She’s the oldest at like 60-70. And yeah! She helps in a black market of sorts since she knows how hard it can be for people to get needed resources like medicine/engineering parts

[missmako-chan]

Tagged by @stickers-on-a-laptop!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

26!

2. What is your AO3 wordcount?

21,300. Huh, very even.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly toku, but I've been meaning to get back into writing Kaitou Joker stuff

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Stone Fruit, Stone Monkey, Stone Humans - First fic I ever wrote, very old, abandoned, and forever incomplete, do not read…

2. Sorry, I'm Not Home Right Now (I'm Walking Into Spiderwebs) - I love myself some Jeramie web hammock shenanigans

3. That's Not How You Spell Monkie - Also forever incomplete, also do not read!!

4. Because This is the King's Game (and Everyone has to Play) - Unofficial Persona 4 musical my beloved

5. Rooftops, Reveals, and Relief - If I pretend hard enough, episode 29 never happened

5. Do you respond to comments?

Most of the time!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Closest to angst would be Scattered Dream/Far-Off Memory, from my AU where Fuwa and Aruto used to be friends before Gai did all his bullshit, but even then the fic still ends on a hopeful note.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

The ending of Rooftops, Reveals, and Relief, probably. Hilbil dies in that one so I'm pretty happy about that.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. Guess that's one of the benefits of writing for such small fandoms

9. Do you write smut? If so, which kind?

Am child so. no.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

Boy, do I! Ignoring the ones from my uncompleted fics, probably Joker Steals a Train Car (Again), which is a Kaitou Joker and Den-O crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope! Again, small fandoms, if someone did, I would have noticed

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also no!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've tried, but those fics are uncompleted, and I wrote what little chapters did get written

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Probably Giramie but also. Would it be wrong of me to say my OC x Canon ship IchiKyo?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My Ex-Aid phantom thief AU. I have most of it written down but I'm not really feeling my writing in it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I'm good at writing dialogue and character's thoughts.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

There's a reason I don't write fight scenes in my fics. I would Die.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

The most I've really done is romaji puns, but other than that I try not to since idk any languages other than English.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Monkie Kid and Dr. Stone

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Either Because This is the King's Game (and Everyone has to Play) or The One Where Kyosuke has a Dog. I think I did good with writing the dialogue in those fics, and I also like giving Ichiko a crisis over ouppy dog

Not tagging anyone this time but if you wanna go for it!

[bhishmsharma95]

Chapter 17- Meeting a Space Mystic

Dr. Aryan Verma stood at the entrance of the lunar temple, its ancient stones bathed in the soft glow of Earth’s distant light. The temple, perched on the rim of a crater, was unlike anything he had ever seen—a structure that seemed both futuristic and deeply ancient, a bridge between worlds. The carvings on its walls shimmered faintly under his helmet light, their inscriptions whispering secrets…

[whats-those]

[Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: None

Fandoms: Gotham (TV)

Pairings: Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma (background)

Chapter Summary: Martín searches the mansion for the ghost eyes.

Words: 1,984 / 28,858 total (12/17 chapters)]

"'Come here, child,' the other Olga called out to him in a creaky voice.

He froze and turned back to her. She was still staring at him with those dead black buttons. She beckoned him, and slowly, he went.

'What is in your pocket?' she asked.

He frowned and reached into the pocket of his pajama pants. The only thing inside was the stone with the hole in it Dr. Thompkins had given him, which he’d slipped in as an afterthought just before charging back into the other world."

Make sure to read the warning at the start of the chapter.

[fireflyhwufanficwriter]

My thoughts on Dr. Stone’s S03E04 (“Eyes of Science”)

(Safe to read for anime-only folks.)

My thoughts after watching Season Three, Episode Four:

01. Imagine being a member of the kingdom of science and finding out that a mysterious "Why" message kept being repeated over and over again… AND that it STOPPED as soon as your kingdom's undisputed leader challenged the message sender! :O

02. The five wise generals of the kingdom of science - Gen, Ukyo, Ryusui, Chrome, and Senku! :D

03. Kohaku must be making sure that nobody goes in to bother them, and it's funny how she's totally roasting Chrome out loud and he can hear every word she's saying XD

04. This episode's title is "Eyes of Science!" :)

05. An informative recap from Ukyo; an official name ("Why-man") and petrification theory from Ryusui; a friend-related theory from Chrome; over-preparation insight from Senku; and a communication-related observation from Gen :)

06. Kohaku got it right! XD And… the power team is REALLY efficient! :O

07. Fluorescent paint acquired; cathode ray tubes acquired; and double high five acquired! :D

08. I really like how the members of the kingdom of science can just mess with Senku and he isn't offended :)

09. Ruri's so happy about what nature can do for humanity! :D

10. That's… a lot of science-y, radar-y stuff I don't fully understand. Good thing I have a LOT of chapters left before I delve into this… :O

11. Of course Ukyo would recognize their new creation! I wish Ryusui had let him say the word XD

12. WHY are they sending out the five most important leaders out on the SAME boat, with NO backup?? XD

13. That is a TON of fish for Ryusui to pull up all by himself! :O Also, radar and sonar acquired! :D

14. Lots and lots of fish for Suika and the others… and a sashimi feast from Francois for everybody else! Meanwhile, Kohaku is interested in the possibilities that come with being able to use radar and sonar! :)

15. Ginro has a vacuum tube, and Chrome as a cathode ray tube… hahaha! Of course Chrome's is more advanced! :D

16. Oh, Ginro… of COURSE you would ask about being able to see through… ahem… But Chrome has comepletely different things in mind! :O

17. Kohaku, Suika, and the others have gotten a LOT of iron sand from that river… It's so cute how Suika imitated Chrome's excitement when Kohaku asked where she way! :)

18. I… don't quite understand how radar works in relation to finding iron ore, specifically, but great job, Chrome! :D Oh, wait, Senku just explained it XD

19. We have an iron deposit! :) Mine acquired! :D

20. It must have taken a LOT of work to create those walkways and paths in that cave, and to put everything in place to that it would be well-lit! :O

21. Chrome is having the time of his LIFE with all these new discoveries and accomplishments! :D

22. I like that Senku and Kohaku keep having these little conversations! :)

23. It really shows how strong Kohaku is - the others are having a hard time with the ore-filled baskets, but she's standing straight and talking casually even with one full basket strapped to her back the entire time :O

24. Kaseki's STRONG! I knew he had those muscles, but to be carrying to steel… um, not bars… oh, beams! To be carrying two steel beams like that… wow! :D

25. Poor Gen, having to drive on such rough paths! But the important thing is that Ukyo's hat is safe :)

26. Paved roads really are surprising in this age, though! I guess Senku's right - oil REALLY speeds things up! They now have asphalt, which the power team is using to make paved roads! :)

27. Ginro's so proud, and sparkly, of being one of the people of the water! And despite being older, Jasper is really respectful of Senku and the others who just arrived! It's nice to see him doing non-guarding things! :D

28. The Nanami Conglomerate tried to teach Ryusui to hold back his emotions and to not drown in material desires? Um… they didn't do a good job, did they? XD

29. Nevertheless, Ryusui has a great view on what it takes to be a leader that people will follow! :)

30. It's fitting that Yo, who was skeptical earlier about crystals AND who was one of the people exhausted by carrying iron ore, is one of the first people we see enjoying their latest invention! Mine cart complete, and distribution network acquired! :D

31. Lots of new inventions and acquisitions this episode… I wasn't a fan of the super thick black lines that we sometimes saw (like how Senku's face was sometimes lined), but this season's animation quality is still incredible! The lines and colors are so clear! :O

32. And for the next episode's title, we've gone from paper to a computer screen! :D The next episode's title is "Science Vessel Perseus," and I'm going to go watch that episode right now! :D

https :// fireflyhwufanficwriter . tumblr . com / MyDrStoneEpisodeMangaThoughts

[strawhatluffy05-blog]

Kohaku ❤❤

[littlemiss-stone]

Chapter 17