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ohwereusingourmadeupnames · 4 years

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A Little Time We Can Borrow

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark Rating: Mature (M) Word Count: 11.2k Notes: This is my free space fill for @starkerfestivals summer bingo. I caught the bug for firefighter Tony & got a couple of help little nudges from @goindownshipping to create this little gem. PS Notes: Sorry about the repost - this wasn’t showing up anywhere :[ Warnings: Some NSFW stuff, fire drama, minor character death, slight angst Summary:

Tony decided to be a firefighter to piss his dad off - & fell in love with the career. Now, a fire chief in Sarasota, Tony's life is bound to change when a handsome pastry chef is in the business of looking cute and making black smoke billow from his ovens.

Or: the one where Tony Stark looks great in his uniform and Peter comes up with excuses to get him to his shop, Truffles.

Read on AO3 here

At the beginning, firefighting seemed like the best way to piss his father off. Tony hadn’t ever been able to please the man, so he figured his career field of choice would be the most self-serving if it also got under his father’s skin. Desperate to get out of New York, Tony took the scholarship University of Florida gave him and pursued fire science with zero hesitation. He wanted to be doing things and in the action for the rest of his life.

Tony’s advanced intelligence made getting through the program easy – he took as many hours as he could to finish up in 2.5 years, instead of four. Finishing out the rest of that 3rd year, Tony took the classes necessary to get into nursing school and entered into it the very next fall semester. The training was fast paced and filled with lots of interesting skills that he couldn’t wait to take with him to whatever fire house he ended up in.

After graduating nursing school, Tony took his medical expertise one step further by getting an advanced EMT certification. By the time he applied to get into the academy, Tony was more than prepared to take on anything that came that way.

His exemplary skills followed him into the academy – Tony surprised no one by finishing at the top of his class. Aside from the bragging rights, top spot earned him his choice of assignment. Enjoying Florida so much, Tony decided to head to Sarasota and take the medic/driver position he’d been excited to try and pursue since he got into the academy.

The job was fast paced and though he didn’t do any actual firefighting inside the buildings, Tony was always busy out on calls. He was the first line of medical care if fire was the first to arrive on the scene. Between his men that were always coming out of a job with some sort of injury and the people that were on the scene, Tony got his wish; action came at him from all angles and from every direction. It fueled his fire – the irony of that not lost on him every time he thought it. Putting his head down and doing everything he could to go against his father ended up being the best decision he could have ever made.

As the years passed, Tony started to move up the ranks. He didn’t try and shift his position in the truck or take on more responsibility in terms of the fire management – instead, he provided leadership in the way he kept everyone calm, collected, and focused on whatever plan they were trying to execute. The knowledge Tony kept in his brain came in handy all of the time – knowing shit made it so much easier to think on the fly.

10 years on the job came and went with the big promotion to fire chief. At 36, he was very young to find himself in a position like that. Yet, the guys in station 501 were behind Tony 100% - most of them grew up in the firehouse with him, and if they didn’t, they quickly learned that he was the guy to go to when in trouble or out of ideas. Tony didn’t have to worry about having children ever, the guys in the firehouse were the only kids he’d ever need.

In all of his time working for the ladder, Tony hadn’t been dumbstruck by any of the people they came in contact with. One of the demands of the job included keeping a level head and being subjective – which meant mooning over gorgeous men with flour on their cheeks during a call was not optimal.

It all started earlier that day when Tony first stepped foot in the station. He’d been on his 3 day turn around and was eager to get into his office and catch up on all the comings and goings during his time away. He barely managed to get his jacket off before the horn was blaring – the early morning calls always ones that made his skin prickle a bit; most of the world had no business being up before 9AM. The worst things always happened in the mornings.

The heart pumping process of getting into his garb and pulling the truck out of the station never got old – flicking on the sirens, Tony got into the zone and got them to Truffle as quickly as they could. In the back of his mind, Tony recalled looking at the new bakery on the corner the day before – his phone ringing and pulling his attention away was the only reason why he didn’t walk across the street and check it out. Heading in that direction, Tony felt a bit like karma was coming out to play.

Getting there, Tony noticed that the building wasn’t visibly on fire – that simple fact one that always made the call seem a little less terror inducing. Despite having been on the job for more than 10 years, Tony still got scared shitless every single time he got in the truck to answer a call. It was half the fun – the activation of his fight or flight reflexes. Putting the truck in park against the side of the building, Tony climbed out of the cab and signaled for the rest of the guys to climb down and start prepping the truck for the unfortunate need of the hose.

A very disgruntled looking employee opened the door for him – her hair was everywhere around her face, a wild look in her eye. “Thank god you’re here,” she said in the form of a greeting. Her steps were quick as she led him into the kitchen – the smell of something burning immediately hitting his nose.

“What’s the problem?” Tony questioned, his eyes roaming around the kitchen in an attempt to find the source of the smell and billowing black smoke. Instead, he laid eyes on someone that immediately took his breath away.

The man had dark curly hair that was streaked through with auburn highlights. There was the smallest stud in his nose and the visible parts of his arms were completely covered in tattoos – the chef whites really highlighting the color of them. Tony couldn’t make out what they were, but they were bright and seemed to be pretty consistent in terms of a color scheme all the way up.

The handsome stranger’s eyes met his, a redness settling in the circle of his cheeks that wasn’t there before. “This was my first time attempting to use the ovens. I turned them on, and they immediately started to smoke. It doesn’t look like anything is actually on fire – the smoke just keeps billowing every time I open up the oven door.”

Tony took his helmet off and put it on the counter, the immediate threat of a roaring fire no longer his first worry. Grabbing the walkie on his shoulder, Tony gave the guys the all clear. “No hoses needed, fellas.”

He took the handful of steps over to the over and pulled open the door. The smoke was black and coming quickly from the back of the oven. “Is this new?” Tony asked, his hands shutting the oven before he could breathe in anymore of the chemical smelling smoke.

Turning around, Tony was surprised to find the man staring at him blankly. “I don’t know – I just got access to the space a few days ago. I set up the front of the house before I even thought about getting baked goods in the display cases. We’re not set to open for another couple of days.” His initial thought was relief over the fact that he didn’t miss anything when he got pulled away from his attempt to walk inside. He did his best to push that away – business was the first priority; it was straight to the facts.

“New industrial ovens like this one need a thing called a burn-in. It gets rid of all the chemical residue that sits on the surface of the new material. Sometimes, there’s remnants of the coating of some of the plastic that catches and causes the billowy smoke like what’s happening right now. You need to open a few windows and let the over run through the process,” Tony finished, his eyes finally meeting the man’s again.

A flour covered hand moved through the dark hair Tony hadn’t been able to look away from. The residue shifted from his fingers to individual strands – he had a couple of white streaks in his hair when he pulled his hand away; and Tony did his best not to notice. It wouldn’t do him any good, reaching out and brushing it away like he wanted to.

“Shit – why didn’t I think of that?” Turning to the woman in the kitchen that originally walked Tony back, the man fired off a couple of instructions, the details he gave her specific and exactly correct. Tony ran his tongue over the back of his teeth to distract himself – he was stuck between wanting to contribute to the conversation and a startling feeling of nervousness that refused to do anything other than settle down within him deeper. Whoever this person was – he had Tony’s attention.

Soon, the man was walking Tony to the front of the bakery, a somewhat embarrassed smile on his face. “Sorry to have wasted your time. MJ kept screaming about the smoke – I didn’t know what else to do.”

Resisting a chuckle, Tony put a hand up between them – if this guy only knew the amount of ridiculous calls they got on a daily basis, he wouldn’t be apologizing. “You did the right thing. It would’ve kept smoking at the temperature you had it set. An hour should do the trick,” Tony mumbled. Suddenly, the thought to give him a business card settled in his mind. He kept a small stack in his jacket next to his ID and badge – he knew they’d come in handy eventually.

“Here – this has the line to my office on it. If you ever have any more scares, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I can bring the SUV instead of the whole crew.” Tony held the card between them and almost felt disappointed when their fingers didn’t brush in the hand off. Though, he might not have gotten out the door if they did.

He watched the younger man look down at the card, a soft smile forming on his lips. “Thanks, Fire Chief Tony Stark.” The card went into his pocket and then a hand floated between them. “I’m Peter Parker,” he looked up as he spoke, the honey-hazel of his eyes hard to look away from.

Tony didn’t hesitate to take Peter’s hand, his gloves tucked into the middle of his helmet at that point. The long sleeve of his jacket covered their hands for a moment, but Tony didn’t miss the way the world sort of shifted when they touched. Pulling away before he could make an ass of himself, Tony turned back towards the door – he shot Peter a quick smirk over his shoulder.

“Don’t burn anything down, Peter Parker,” Tony added before he opened the door and stepped through it quickly. He was met by Bucky, his second in command, before he could get into the truck.

“That took an awful long time for just a little bit of smoke, boss,” Bucky said, his arm digging into Tony’s side. He let Tony up, but not before he ribbed him about the smile on his face, too. “Chief – looks like the cute baker boy got under your skin.” A hand clapped against Tony’s shoulder as he got settled in his seat behind the wheel. “Put the smile away before the guys see.”

Shaking his head, Tony threw Bucky’s arm off of his shoulder and buckled himself in. “Buck – shut the fuck up,” Tony finally replied, his eyes catching icy blue ones in the big mirror right above him. “You’re not wrong, though.”

Bucky threw his head back in laughter, the heavy helmet on his head crashing to the ground behind him. The rest of the ride was filled with sickening awe sounds and cackling that made his head hurt. It was only fair, though – everyone on the truck got the same treatment when they came walking into the group all goo-goo eyed. That’s what family did.

----

Over the next couple of weeks, Tony got three calls from Peter. The first one was an actual emergency – they didn’t have any fire extinguishers in the entire building. Taking care of it was more like a civic duty than anything else.

The second and third calls – they weren’t nearly as legitimate as the others.

Tony walked in during a busy time of the morning expecting to see something amiss, but Peter was simply standing there with a fresh pastry and a smile on his face. Eye bulging, Tony didn’t know what to think – the professional part of him wanted to reprimand Peter for abusing the privilege. Yet, he found himself smiling widely, instead – his heart throbbed any time he was in Peter’s vicinity; the thought of being able to get mad didn’t really register after letting it stew for a moment.

Peter didn’t have any real time to talk to him, either – he simply gave him the bag and slid an espresso across the counter, the same grin on his face the entire time. It made Tony’s head spin – the shift from scared to overwhelmed was a lot to take in, apparently. Sitting down at a table close to the display case, Tony ate the admittedly delicious pastry and watched Peter go about running through his duties flawlessly.

The apple strudel was so good, Tony grabbed all the rest Peter had in the case before heading out. Maybe the ruthless grief he knew he was going to take from the crew would be soothed a little by the sugary deliciousness. He and Peter shared a smile when Tony pulled the box to him – the same feeling of rightness as before settling between them.

It didn’t dissipate, either – Tony knew the second he heard Peter’s voice on the other side of the line the third time that his excuse of faulty wires in the kitchen was total bull shit. He didn’t hesitate to get up and climb into his SUV, however – at that point, he wasn’t ashamed to admit that Peter got under his skin. The resolve to ask him out got more and more traction the closer he got to Truffle.

The shop wasn’t open anymore, so Tony didn’t attempt to keep up the pretense of it being an official visit. Walking in, Tony was immediately hit by the smell of cinnamon and warm butter – the scents he’d immediately filed under ones associated with Peter. He felt his cheeks heat up a little – he might actually have it pretty bad. No matter how much he wanted to ignore it. Tony forced himself to focus, his eyes roaming around the place. “Mr. Parker?” Tony called out; his voice rich with sarcasm.

“In here,” Tony heard a moment later – the kitchen door swung open without Peter walking through it. Taking that as a sign to enter, Tony was immediately taken off guard when he found himself with an arm full of Peter Parker. He was covered in a flour and cinnamon-butter mixture in the depths of putting together some cinnamon rolls. Tony could smell the sugary goodness from where Peter’s hands rested over his shoulders.

Tony was still in his uniform, the black of his crisp short sleeved button down a direct contrast to the white apron Peter had tied around his hips. He didn’t think about the fact that he probably had a smear of butter and sugar down his back – Peter didn’t give him any time to do anything other than respond to soft lips pressed against his own. Without much thought, Tony wrapped his arms around Peter’s middle and narrowed the space between them down to nothing.

A simple kiss like the one he was currently tied up in shouldn’t have made his heart pound the way it did – Tony could feel his pulse at his temples, the throb of it just as alive as the connection that leaked out into the air. Peter was just an inch or two shorter than him, so the tilt of their heads was absolutely perfect – Tony’s nose brushed against his when he pulled away from the deep kisses to place light, chaste ones against the baker’s lips.

“This is the best call I’ve ever answered,” Tony muttered, his hands moving to frame Peter’s face. Tony’s thumbs ran along the sharpness of his cheekbones, the ability to touch something he’d been craving since the first time he saw him. His already kiss swollen lips pulling into a light smile – Tony didn’t want to look too eager.

Peter took a step back, a matching smile on his face. “I was going to go insane if I didn’t kiss you. The sneak attack has been my best idea yet,” he replied, his cheeks coloring at his admittance. Looking at his hands, Peter blushed a little harder. “I totally forgot I was baking before you got here. I probably got your uniform all dirty.” The look on his face was a cross between amusement and guilt.

Shaking his head, Tony stepped up and gripped Peter’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. He leaned forward and gave him another soft kiss. “The department pays for my dry cleaning. It’s okay, Pete,” Tony said, his lips tingling from the touches as he forced himself to actually put some distance between them.

It took a second to get a hold on his courage, Tony hadn’t done something like this in a long time. Sucking in a deep breath, he met Peter’s eyes – light brown pools were fixed on him, looking at him unblinkingly. “Want to go out on a date with me? Not that I don’t love all of the calls,” Tony started, his face breaking into a smile. “We might have more options when I’m off the clock, though. I’ve been told I’m a lot of fun.”

Tony wiggled his eyebrows and let a hearty laugh fall from his lips when Peter’s face scrunched up at the look. He felt like a kid again, enjoying the minutes of life passing merely because he could – because, when all was said in done, it felt good to. Peter joined him in laughter, and they spent a few minutes trying to gain control over their very adult, very mature selves.

“I would very much like to go on a date with you,” Peter finally answered after a while, his eyes a little watery still from all of the laughing. He pulled in a deep breath and let it out noisily, Tony watched with interest as Peter tried to collect himself. The roll of his shoulders almost had Tony losing it again, but he managed to keep it in. The way Peter made him feel was indescribable.

“Good – then I’ll pick you up here tomorrow night.”

----

Tony felt nervous the entirety of the next day. Usually, he was counting down the hours until he got his 3 days off – he was definitely excited; but nervous all the same. He talked to Bucky about taking Peter to The Hangout on Siesta Key Beach and groaned when his best friend’s eyes opened widely. “You’re taking the baker boy out? Tony Stark does have it bad!” Bucky exclaimed, the words echoing around the room loud enough to get everyone’s attention.

Despite Bucky’s reasoning behind letting the entire firehouse know about his endeavors later that evening, Tony was glad for the distraction. It’d been a slow few days on the call front and they were all getting a little antsy. The ability to make fun of their fire chief made the time pass much quicker.

Before he knew it, Tony was pulling up to Truffle, his heart hammering against his chest for a totally different reason. He looked down at his outfit one more time, suddenly unsure of the black henley and jean combination he picked out. Peter must have seen his car pull up because he was out the door before Tony could second guess himself any longer. Hitting the locks, he grinned when he caught Peter’s attention.

The smell of Peter’s cologne hit him the second the man started to slide into the bench seat of his truck. There were the underlying spices as well as something citrusy – the tang of it made Tony’s mouth water. Leaning over when Peter settled, Tony pressed his lips to a soft cheek. “You look great, Pete,” Tony remarked, his eyes sweeping over his date for the evening.

Pete’s jeans were dark and hugged his legs nicely. The flip-flops on his feet gave way to long toes that were obviously well cared for. Living at the beach brought a certain style to the people that embraced it and Peter was one of them. He wore a black necklace around his neck that had a small pie pendant hanging from it, the crisp blue he wore contrasting nicely. It was a totally different look than the rolled-up chef whites Peter usually donned.

“Thanks! So do you, Tones. I had no idea that firemen could look as good out of the suit as they do in it,” Peter slipped his hand on Tony’s leg as he spoke, his fingers digging in with the last statement.

“Common misconception, I think,” Tony replied, backing out of the parking space. With the gear shift dealt with, Tony scooped up Peter’s hand and held it tightly. Their joint fingers were warm against his thigh. The music wasn’t too loud, so when Tony asked about how the day went for the bakery, conversation flowed easily between them. Peter was open with is words and wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind.

Tony was beaming by the time they made it to the beach. Shifting in his seat a little, Tony brought their joint hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to one of Peter’s knuckles. “I thought we could get a drink and play some cornhole, or something. When you find yourself getting hungry, let me know – I’m making dinner back at my pad when we’re ready.” For whatever reason, he felt the need to explain himself – he wanted the night to go well and couldn’t stop the nervousness from overflowing.

Luckily, Peter was an amazing person and just went with it. They got out of the car and spent a few minutes tracking down a bar tender to get a couple of drinks. Tony stuck with a beer and giggled insanely when Peter ordered a strawberry daquiri; the happiness in his eyes when the bartender put it down in front of him was absolutely adorable.

Making their way over to one of the cornhole pits, Tony let Peter pick his bean bags and took the other set. “You’re not too far out of culinary school or college, right? You know how this is played?” Tony asked, his eyebrows raising when he saw the acceptance of some unknown challenge settle on Peter’s face. He was learning new things about the younger man by the minute – starting with the fact that Peter Parker was very competitive.

“We used to have backyard tournaments all the time when I was a kid,” Peter remarked, his hand flipping the bean bag up and then catching it on its descent. “Want to make this interesting?” Peter spoke again, an evil sort of glint in his eye.

Not one to pass up a challenge himself, Tony nodded, his smile widening. “Cool, then we’re on equal footing. We’ve got a pit in the common area at the firehouse. I would love to make this interesting.” And he did – no matter what Peter threw his way; Tony was probably going to be absolutely excited to be a part of.

Unless, of course, it was baking – Peter’s face took on an amused expression. “If I win, you come learn how to make those cinnamon rolls you’re always mooning over. If you win, I’ll bake whatever you and the crew want for a whole month.” The deal was very one-sided and should have been enough of a clue for Tony to understand that he would not be wining and that the cuteness of Peter Parker was laced with mischief and a sort of excitement that was entirely too addicting.

Instead of running like he should have, Tony took the deal without any hesitation. “Bucky is going to be so stoked – he loves that baklava that you make.”

In the end, Peter kicked his ass – his aim was practically perfect and the amount of cornholes he scored made Tony embarrassed to have even tried to match him. They played 5 games and Peter won every single one of them. While they played, they talked about little things – what kind of food was their favorite, where they traveled, favorite colors. Tony enjoyed every single painstaking second of getting his ass handed to him; Peter was full of life and made it hard for anything else to break through the surface.

“So, I guess I should tell you now that I have no baking skills to speak of. Putting me anywhere near your kitchen with an intention of not burning something is a huge risk, Pete,” Tony said a little later. They were gathered around the small table in his kitchen passing a big bowl of pasta back and forth. As long as he wasn’t using the oven, Tony could put food together – the minute he needed to gauge time and temperature all bets were off. Aside from pissing his dad off, a near fatal interaction with cupcakes as a kid put firefighting in his head to begin with.

Peter reached across the table and gripped his hand tightly. He’d been doing that periodically throughout the meal – his hands were constantly moving, especially when he talked. Yet, Tony wasn’t upset about it for a single second; the restless nature of Peter’s need to move matched with the way Tony’s brain could never shut off.

Done with the food on his plate and able to give Peter more of his attention, Tony laced their fingers together. He didn’t miss the flash of happiness in Peter’s eye, the look one Tony hoped he’d get to be very familiar with. In his adult life, Tony didn’t make a lot of connections like this – he appreciated every aspect of the interesting relationship they were slowly starting to piece together. If he read things correctly, Peter seemed to be throwing himself full body into their interactions, as well – but only time would tell.

“You can cook – that’s at least a little reassuring. The baking process just gets a little more technical than throwing stuff in a pan and hoping it tastes good. I can teach you – how hard could it possibly be?” Peter gave his fingers a squeeze and pulled away to take a long sip of the glass of wine tucked against his plate.

Tony didn’t have any idea, so he didn’t comment. He simply relaxed into his chair and watched Peter enjoy himself. Bucky told him that when he met Steve – things just clicked. There was something inside that just knew. Looking at Peter in that moment, Tony finally understood what he meant. It was too early for thoughts like that – but he felt something settle in him and take hold; Tony wasn’t going anywhere as long as Peter would have him.

With that thought in mind, Tony let Peter help him with the dishes before grabbing the rest of the wine and leading him out to the front room. He spent most of his time out there, so it was pleasantly decked out with a big wide screen TV, multiple gaming platforms, and a deep L-couch that Tony spent more time sleeping on than he cared to admit. Peter’s eyes widened with excitement as he looked around the room.

“This is nerd haven, Tones. On a night that I haven’t beat your ass already, we’ll have to fire up the Switch and play some Super Smash Bros Melee – I used to win so much money as a kid in tournaments playing as Link,” Peter gushed. When Tony settled against one of the edges, Peter snuck under his arm and leaned against his chest, their sides pressed together from shoulder to hip.

Wrapping his arm more firmly around Peter’s shoulder, Tony placed his wine on the table next to him and picked up the remote. He got a movie on the screen, then turned his attention back to the conversation they were having. “That doesn’t surprise me at all, Pete. I bet you hustled all the other little kids out of their money no problem,” Tony said, his lips pressing against the side of Peter’s head.

At the affectionate contact, Peter leaned a little further into Tony’s side, his arm wrapping snugly around his waist for good measure. “I didn’t hustle anyone. I just used my superior video game skills to win money that was fairly bet. It’s not my fault that people have always underestimated me.”

Tony let his hand drift up and down Peter’s arm in what he hoped was comforting. He knew exactly what it was like to be underestimated – his father didn’t believe in him a day in his life. Keeping that to himself for now, he simply pulled Peter even closer to him and tucked in to enjoy the fact that they were together and watching Pineapple Express.

The soft snore he felt against his chest half an hour later had Tony grinning – Peter shouldn’t be allowed to get any cuter, but he did and probably wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon. Shaking him with the hand still resting on his shoulder, Tony managed to wake him up. “Hey, let me take you home – I know you have to open the shop early in the morning,” he whispered, the smile on his face stretching wider at the sleepy look on Peter’s face.

It took a little bit of prodding, but Peter eventually got up and collected himself enough to get into the truck without much of a fuss. He didn’t fall back asleep and spent most of the drive staring over at Tony. He didn’t want to admit that he spent more time looking at Peter than the road – he drove a firetruck for fucks sake. Pulling into the driveway of a small ranch style house, Tony parked the car.

“Can I walk you up?” Tony asked, his eyes flashing to the porch at the front of the house. Though he knew the night needed to come to an end, Tony didn’t want it to – especially not before he got to feel Peter’s lips pressed against his own again.

“Sure, Romeo,” Peter replied, the softness of his hand on Tony’s softening the blow of the sharp sarcasms. Tony gave it a squeeze and got out of the car, meeting Peter around the front of his truck. Grabbing his hand again, Tony led him the 20 feet between his headlights and the door.

Peter didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Tony when they got to the door – his fingers played with the soft hairs at the back of his neck for good measure. Tony pulled him in tight and leaned forward, pressing their noses together. “You’re kind of a shit, aren’t you?” Tony asked, his lips skimming Peter’s he spoke.

“Yup, and you like it,” Peter replied before filling the rest of the distance and really kissing Tony. His movements were still a bit choppy from the sleepiness, but the heat of his kiss was more than enough to sweep Tony right off of his feet. Peter pulling away felt like crashing to the ground – his lips already missing the press and pull of the other’s.

“Good night, Tony Stark,” Peter whispered, his body already turning towards the door to get it open.

Taking a step off the porch, Tony grinned – “Night, Peter Parker.”

----

The next couple of weeks passed by like a snap – Tony worked a couple of double shifts to cover for Bucky who went out of town with Steve for their wedding anniversary. He spent as many random moments with Peter as he could, but they weren’t able to get together in much of a formal capacity until Bucky got back. If it weren’t for the dazed look on his friend’s face, he probably wouldn’t have made it out of the door so quickly without a little heckling. Tony owed Peter a little time in his kitchen and planned to pay his due that evening.

Walking into the empty bakery always had Tony taking a deep breath in – he’d never get over the warmth and comfort that immediately wrapped him up the second he took a step inside. Peter was standing at the counter waiting for him, a warm look on his face. “Chief,” Peter greeted him, his hand wrapping around Tony’s shoulder without any prompting.

Tony grinned and turned his head to press a kiss to Peter’s ear. “Chef,” Tony replied as they walked through the heavy door to get into the kitchen. Tony got a quick kiss on the lips – then, an apron hit him in the side of the head.

Like most things, Peter seemed to be playfully specific about his time in the kitchen. He helped Tony tie off his apron, then immediately set him up with a rolling pin. He guided him through the best way to get the dough flat and what sort of thickness they were looking for. The way his fingers tangled up with Tony’s made it hard for him to concentrate on the baked goods – despite being flour covered, Peter’s hands were so soft.

They put an embarrassing amount of butter on the rolled-out dough, then sprinkled a cinnamon and sugar concoction on top. Peter moved behind him and showed him the maneuver to roll up the dough – Tony once again almost completely distracted by the touch of Peter’s hands on him. “You’re distracting as hell, I hope you know that, Pete,” Tony said after they had the dough rolled.

Cutting individual rolls, Peter nodded his head, a cocky smile slipping across his cheeks. “That’s kind of the point, Tones,” Peter admitted, his hands moving in a repetitive motion that was very obviously familiar. “One of the best parts of baking is the freedom of it. You have to make it fun. Touching you is fun.” Peter finished what he was doing and put them into a couple of pans. Tony, in an effort to help, put them in the oven.

Before he could move away, Peter was grabbing his upper arms and walking him back until Tony was pressed against the counter. “Those need about half an hour and then we’ll need to check them. I can think of something that will pass the time, though – if you’re interested.” He leaned in before Tony could even respond, but it didn’t matter; he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to be pressed flush against Peter in any way.

It’d been a long time since he spent so much time making out with another human – Tony felt very much like a teenager and appreciated it wholeheartedly. Peter started to thrust his hips against Tony after a while, the hardness that pressed against him was the ultimate tease. Not interested in resisting the urge to reciprocate, Tony broke away from their kiss and let out a deep groan. “You feel amazing,” he babbled, his fingers attempting to make quick work of the button on Peter’s jeans.

Just as he started to make progress, Peter’s alarm for the food in the oven went off. With a sigh, Peter pulled away and stumbled the few steps over to the oven. Tony followed, his body unwilling to be separated from Peter’s, even for the few seconds it would take to open the doors and check on the pastries. He wrapped his arms around Peter’s hips and pulled him close. Tony’s lips started to suck and kiss on the back of his neck.

The heat from the open oven had Tony hiding his face against Peter’s shoulder, his nose pressing into the softness of his shirt there. Peter made quick work of pulling them out and turning the pans – it didn’t seem quick enough, though. Tony moved his hand to the temperature gauge on the side and cranked it up while his other hand turned Peter around when the oven door was finally shut.

Getting lost in Peter’s lips was insanely easy. The idea of getting lost in his pants brought a whole new dimension to what they were doing together. Tony managed to get the button popped and the zipper down without much of a hassle, his fingers grazed over the front of Peter’s boxer briefs without any hesitation.

When the fire alarm started to sound, Tony had Peter’s boxers pulled all the way off his hips and his cock gripped tightly in his fist. Peter tried to do the same for Tony, but only got around to getting his pants undone. Looking up in confusion, Tony let out a sharp gasp when he noticed that actual flames were engulfing the oven. “Holy shit,” Tony stuttered out, his brain still muggy from the haze of arousal. “Get the extinguisher!” Tony yelled, watching as Peter rushed to pull up his pants and run into the office in the kitchen.

Tony got Bucky on the phone as quickly as he could.

“What’s up, Stark? I thought you’d be too caught up in your date by this point of the night,” Bucky said in the way of a greeting. Any other time, Tony would’ve laughed, but he couldn’t – not right then.

“Bucky, grab the keys to my SUV off of my desk and get to Truffle. The oven is on fire.” Tony mumbled the last few words and looked guiltily down at himself, the button on his jeans still undone and everything. “Hurry!” He didn’t give the man a chance to respond – Tony hung up and grabbed the extinguisher from Peter when he came running out with it.

It didn’t take much to get the flaming pans of cinnamon buns under control – they were all ruined, but the oven would still be usable once it got a thorough cleaning; which Tony offered to pay for several times. Calling Bucky wasn’t exactly necessary – it just gave Peter the ability to file a report with his insurance company if push came to shove. Luckily, it didn’t.

Tony, however, was not so lucky – Bucky started to laugh at him from the second he was let into the bakery until he left. He looked at the still undone button on Tony’s pants and the permanent flush on Peter’s cheeks with a knowing expression. The cursory glance that he gave the oven was just to make the pain of his presence even worse than it already was. Tony bit into his lip to stop himself from being a sarcastic asshole. He’d get Bucky back one of these days.

Before he left, Bucky wrapped his arms around them both, a shit eating grin on his face. “We should have learned in this embarrassing collection of events that having sex and cooking cinnamon rolls is not a good mix. Chief, you should know better.” Bucky finished his little lecture with a firm kiss on Tony’s cheek and a soft smack on Peter’s. “Be careful, kids.”

Both Tony and Peter stayed silent until they heard the bell on the front door ring, signaling Bucky’s exit. Tony broke the silence first, his hearty laugh echoing in the otherwise empty kitchen. “That’s probably the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to me,” Tony groaned after a few minutes of letting the hilarity overtake his body. The gasping sounds of Peter laughing right along with him made it all a bit more okay.

“I can’t believe he just gave us a safe sex lecture,” Peter added, his face now completely red. “In my own kitchen!” He put a hand on his chest like he was affronted, which made them both laugh even harder.

Unable to stop himself, Tony wrapped Peter up in a tight hug and let the remnants of his chuckles die down – his nose buried in the man’s skin was more than calming. “I’m sorry – I shouldn’t have touched anything,” Tony admitted, regret and the slightest bit of guilt apparent in his voice.

Peter shifted until he could palm Tony’s cheeks. Their eyes met, the soft smile he saw on Peter’s face was too much – there were so many emotions just sitting on the surface. “It’s okay, Tony. Life with you is never going to be boring, and I’m way more than okay with that.” Peter rubbed their noses together, then kissed him – the intention behind it very clear.

----

Tony couldn’t decide whether the break they took to take both their cars to his house was a good idea or a terrible one. It gave him a few seconds to clear his head, because Peter consumed him whenever they were together – it was obvious in the way that he almost burned down the bakery he’d been slowly becoming familiar with. It felt miserable to be away from him, though – his fingers ached to feel Peter’s warm skin underneath them. The slightest taste he got back in the kitchen wasn’t nearly enough.

They pulled up right around the same time and hustled into the house through the garage door. Tony didn’t give Peter a chance to do anything other than react, his hands gripped slim hips and tugged him close. Their lips were pressed together before either of them knew it, Tony’s tongue slipped between the seam of Peter’s lips when he gasped at the sensation of being pressed lip to toe.

It took a little bit of fumbling, but Tony managed to walk them through the maze of his kitchen and front room until the backs of Peter’s knees were hitting the edge of his mattress in the master bedroom. Tony broke the kiss and pushed on Peter’s chest, the other man taking the hint and dropping down, crawling until he was up by the pillows in the middle of the bed.

Pulling the soft t-shirt he’d been wearing all night over his head, Tony kicked off his shoes and thumbed off his socks before crawling onto the bed. He methodically took Peter’s clothes from him, too. First the short sleeve button down; then his pants, boxer briefs, and flip-flops all in one move. Tony took a few seconds to enjoy the vision of Peter naked and panting – he couldn’t recall anything so erotic. “You look great spread out on my sheets, Pete. I’ve imagined you here so many times.”

Peter looked up at him with lust blown eyes, his tongue peeking out to trace his bottom lip. “Is that so? What, exactly, have you imagined?” Peter got Tony’s button undone and zipper pulled down while he spoke. His hand plunging into the front of blue boxer briefs and gave Tony’s cock a quick squeeze.

His skin tightened, Peter’s touch like a hard press to the gas of his body’s responses. Gooseflesh pebbled over his skin, the battle between fire and icy goodness pulling a moan from his throat. Reaching down, Tony reluctantly grabbed Peter’s hand and worked it out of his pants so he could get them down and off his body. He replaced the hand on his cock and went about running his hands all over Peter’s skin.

“I mostly imagine this – the long lines of your limbs and how the skin gives way to the lean muscle I knew you’d be sporting. You’re under me a lot and sometimes, I’ve got you on your belly and pressed so far into the mattress. It just depends on the mood, honestly – you’ve been in a starring role since we met.” While he described what he thought about, he let his hips start to move in the tight grip Peter had around his cock.

Leaning down, Tony let their lips tangle. He slipped his hand between them and slapped Peter’s away. His fingers wrapped around himself and Peter and started to stroke, instead – the slick from his cock helping the slide of his hand up and then back down. When Peter started to pick his hips up and chase Tony’s touch, he squeezed their lengths together one more time before pulling back. Peter looked up at him desperately, his eyes wide. “You okay?” Peter asked breathlessly.

Tony didn’t answer right away, he gave Peter another swift kiss on the lips, then leaned over to the bedside table to grab the lube and a condom – things were about to get hot and heavy and he didn’t want to have to stop. “I’m good, Pete. Better than,” he finally muttered, a sigh leaving his lips when he was pressed against Peter’s bare skin once again. “How do you want me?”

Peter blinked up at him, his colorfully coated arms rubbing up and down Tony’s sides. “This is good. I don’t need much prep, I want you so bad, Tones.” He gripped Tony’s shoulders and pulled him down, the kiss they got lost in warm and intense – the touch a sweet prelude to what was to come.

In an attempt to finally get some of the friction back against his length, Tony pulled away from Peter’s distracting lips and shifted until he was upright and seated between long, lean legs. Snapping the cap off the top of the lube, Tony poured a large amount into the palm of his hand – he wrapped it around Peter’s erection and gave a couple of slow pulls, spreading the slick around. Peter thrust up into his touch, the vein on the side of his length throbbing against Tony’s fingers.

He forced himself to pull away from Peter’s leaking erection to pour more lube into his hand. Coating his fingers in it, Tony traced the rim of Peter’s hole, the muscle clenching with the tickle-y caress. Tony used his free hand to fist his red cock while his lubed-up fingers traced and pushed until two of them were slipping into Peter’s warm embrace.

Tony didn’t spend much time teasing anything out – he pressed forward slowly until his fingers were fully seated, then pulled back and started a steady rhythm. He kept his thrusts even until he felt the tips of his fingers press against Peter’s prostate – the contact against it pulled a sticky glob of precum from the head of his cock.

“Oh, fuck! Tony – that’s fantastic.” Peter tossed his head back and forth, the words coming out of his mouth in loud shouts. “More – I need more. I want you inside of me.”

Running his tongue over his bottom lip, Tony pulled his fingers out swiftly and immediately pushed back in with 3 of them. He spread his fingers apart at the rim a couple of times in a desperate last-minute attempt to stretch him. Then, he pulled out completely and reached for the condom he placed carelessly on the comforter. He put the edge of the foil between his teeth and ripped it, a sigh of relief slipping from his lips when his fingers fumbled it out of the package.

Shaky fingers rolled the latex down his hard length, his fingers squeezing at the base when he got there. Closing his eyes, Tony heard the cap of the lube open and fingers that weren’t his own slick him up. He glanced down to see Peter looking at him impatiently, his cheeks beet red and covered in sweat. “Come on – “ Peter gasped out, obviously unable to control himself.

Not needing to be told more than once, Tony guided the head of his cock to Peter’s hole and pressed in, his upper body folding over the man below him. With each thrust forward, Tony got a little further inside, the warm heat enveloping him like a tight glove. His eyes were wide and his breathing erratic – it’d been a long time since he felt something so sweet; and the fact that it was Peter below him made it that much sweeter.

His hips rested against Peter’s ass as he finally bottomed out. Biting down into the skin of Peter’s shoulder, Tony let his hips roll forward, just that slight movement making the heat in his core bubble dangerously close to the rim. He turned his head enough to capture Peter’s lips, Tony drawing his hips back and snapping them forward as their tongues tangled.

The arousal rising between them was tangible – intensity swirled in the room around them. Peter broke away from the kiss to pant out loud breaths and moans; his chest rose and fell against Tony’s in a way that spoke of how good it actually felt. Tony took advantage of Peter’s distraction to sit up and grab his legs, throwing them up over his shoulder. The change in position let Tony slam in a little deeper – the tip of his cock nailed Peter’s prostate with every single thrust.

Signs of Peter’s orgasm overcame the younger man’s body progressively. Tony felt his toes curl against his fingers, then saw the rush of blood trail down Peter’s chest. It was a deep red, much like the color of his cock throbbing against the flatness of his stomach. The pearly bead of precum that dripped onto his stomach caught Tony’s eye, his vision focusing on the clear liquid. When Peter actually came apart under him, Tony couldn’t look away – thick ropes of cum covered his stomach.

Rhythmic clenching of Peter’s hole pulled Tony over the edge a thrust later. He managed to drop Peter’s legs down around his hips before falling down over him, his body suddenly heavier than Tony could manage.

Lips against the side of his head pulled him out of the haze a few minutes later – Peter was looking at him with a deep look of satisfaction on his face. Tony grinned up at him – his heart felt light and despite the fatigue that tried to pull him under, he’d never felt better. He managed to shift just enough to pull out, get the condom off and tied, and lay down heavily on Peter’s side. His heavy head rested on Peter’s muscled shoulder and finally, Tony let himself relax.

The next time Tony blinked, he was on his back with Peter tucked under his arm. His skin felt like it’d been wiped clean and the room around them was much darker than it’d been when things first started. Peter’s arm was across his chest and for the first time, he got the chance to look at the tattoos covering the entirety of it. There were a collection of roses wrapping around his forearm and over his bicep and deltoid. All of the free space was covered by cherry blossoms. It was simple and elegant – perfect for the man Tony was starting to know so much about.

Before relaxing back into the pillows, Tony gave Peter’s forehead a soft kiss – a smile slipping across his face as he did. Gripping the tattooed arm resting against him, Tony nestled into the warmth surrounding him and let himself drift back to sleep.

----

For a little while after that, Tony got to live in a state of bliss that shouldn’t have existed. Peter was passionate in all ways – breaking down the wall between them in the physical sense opened the floodgates and pulled them both under. For weeks, whenever they could get a free second to be together, Tony and Peter allowed the hunger to take over.

The guys at the firehouse were quickly accustomed to seeing Peter walk out in the early hours of the morning with a sleepy chief trailing after him for the chance at one more kiss. It quickly got too sickeningly sweet for them to make too much fun of it.

Tony was more than grateful for that – and not just because it got the guys off his back. Peter brought out a different side of him and for the first time, probably ever, Tony had someone else that got him to the very core. With Peter, Tony could be himself.

They were able to live in the fuzziness of the novelty of their relationship for 10 weeks before the reality of Tony’s job came crashing down around them like the scary thing it actually was. He’d been lucky, to have met Peter during a time when things were slow around the station. In the years he’d been working, Tony knew lulls didn’t last for long – and when they came to a grinding halt, there was always something catastrophic to blame.

Getting a call on his day off, Tony immediately knew there was something wrong. Fury, the Captain in charge when he and Bucky weren’t around rarely called him. Even when he was actually needed. Seeing his name on the caller-id had him kissing Peter on the check and excusing himself to the hall of the restaurant they were at. He didn’t miss the concern etched on Peter’s brow – though, the depth of it was not yet understood.

By some sort of weird gut feeling, Peter already knew he had to go when he walked back into the room. He paid the check while Tony was on the phone and was waiting by the door. “I’m sorry, Pete. There’s a multiple building fire and they’re calling everyone in. I have to go,” Tony explained, his thumb hitching over his shoulder like Peter didn’t know Tony’s truck was parked outside. “I’ll come back when I can.”

With a soft kiss and what felt like a desperate hug, Tony was turning on his heel and heading towards the location he’d been given. The enormity of it hit him when he realized how backed up traffic was on his way to get a couple of miles down the road. Pulling up, Tony covered his mouth when he saw the entirety of the brand-new commercial shopping center on fire.

It didn’t take long to find Bucky, who was also in a similar state of civilian dress – they looked at each other with wide eyes, knocked shoulders, and walked into the scene with as much confidence as they could. Aside from the battalion chief that hadn’t been called in, they were the highest ranking on the scene.

Tony didn’t hesitate to move around and get into a suit while collecting all of the facts. They were four trucks deep and pulling as much water as they possibly could. There hadn’t been signs of explosion, but the intensity of the fire meant it had a mind of its own – a change could occur in a heartbeat. Unable to think of anything else he’d need to know, Tony tucked in behind Bucky on their truck’s line.

The fire was too big to recognize all of the signs of the flashover that took the building down and 6 firefighters with it instantly. Tony, who’d been near the front of the building went flying back, landing in a heap not far from the truck. Disoriented, Tony got up and pulled anyone in his path up and off the ground. No matter what – they needed to get the fire under control.

It took another couple of hours and two more buildings falling to the ground to finally get the flames under control. Tony, who’d been dealing with dizziness and nausea since getting off the ground, called in for back up from neighboring stations – they needed manpower and they needed it quick. Falling against the side of the truck when things were finally out of his hands, Tony retched, then slipped down further until he was on the ground.

A panicked look in Bucky’s eyes was the last thing Tony remembered before the blackness of a severe concussion and fatigue overtook him.

Waking up in a hospital bed wasn’t what he expected when he walked onto the scene the night before. Peter and Bucky, both pale with what he could only assume was worry, were staring at him when he blinked awake. The lights in the room were incredibly bright and the figures of his two favorite humans were a little wonky – but, he felt glad to be alive.

“We got it stopped, right? I didn’t punk out before the fun was over?” Tony asked, his voice foreign to his own ears – he sounded loopy, the words slurred a little. Whatever they had him on, it was doing the trick. He felt woozy and without a single ounce of pain.

Peter grabbed his hand and let out a snuffled laugh – for the first time since coming to, Tony could see the tear streaks on Peter’s cheeks. Reaching out to him, he gestured with his fingers for Peter to come closer. In the state he was in, it probably didn’t look coordinated, but his boyfriend came over, anyway. He let out a sigh against Tony’s chest when he pulled him close – the feeling of Peter was the only thing Tony needed in that moment.

“We got it handled, Chief – no worries. There was a lot of damage and we’re… 6 men short; but we stopped it.” Bucky’s voice cut through the little bit of goodness he was feeling – the memory of the blast and the guys they couldn’t get to respond hit him like a bus. 6 good men. Clenching at the hand that he was more than grateful to be holding, Tony let tears he couldn’t control fall.

Without any hesitation, both of the guys in the room wrapped him up in a hug – the sensitivity of his head and body be damned. He felt the sleeve of his hospital gown get more and more wet with tears; the spot Bucky was claiming a total mess when the moment finally broke. Tony clapped a hand against Bucky’s arm a few times in solidarity – the two of them sharing a look.

After a little while of merely existing in the same room together, Bucky got up and moved towards the door. “I’m gonna go home and sleep – now that I know you’re okay, I can stop worrying Steve.” Bucky flashed him a halfhearted smile, the forced nature of it making Tony’s stomach churn a little bit.

It should’ve been a sign – the unease he felt. Yet, Tony was just grateful to be there and have Peter sitting there by his side. That lasted all of ten minutes before Peter was bringing his hand up to his mouth for a lingering kiss – then, he let it go and got up. Tony pinched his eyebrows together – the move making his head ache through the haze of the drugs. “Pete?” Tony mumbled; his body suddenly frozen.

“Tony – I’m glad you’re okay. I needed to make sure you were.” Peter looked at him, the man desperate to portray something in the way he stared at him. Tony didn’t blink – the thought of closing his eyes meant Peter would disappear that much sooner. “I think I need some time to think. I’ve lost so many people in my life – the idea of you being one of them the past twelve hours was a little soul crushing.”

He took a step towards Tony and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Please understand. I just need some time.”

Tony tried not to let the sob that shattered him go until he heard the click of the door closing behind him. It was probably the head injury – making him feel like the world titled a bit off its axis at the sight of Peter’s back to him. He suddenly wished for the numb feeling he experienced the first couple of seconds of coming to – at least then the feelings wouldn’t be sitting on his chest, threatening to stomp him into the dirt and keep him there.

----

The doctor kept him in the hospital for another day to make sure they observed his brain function and symptoms fully. Bucky and Steve grabbed him when he was released and plied him with greasy cheeseburgers and fries before dropping him back at his house. He still had a couple of days off, so he bypassed his living room and dropped onto the bed. It smelt like Peter – everything in the place did. Stuffing his face into the pillow that Peter usually slept on, Tony let his tears lull him to sleep.

That went on for about 16 hours – he slept for a while, came to and got lost in the rush of emotions that he couldn’t control, then fell asleep again. A part of him was glad that Peter wasn’t around to see him – he wasn’t stable in any way. Peter deserved much more than that; much more than him.

His inability to sit still for long had him heading back to the station the next day – sitting around his house that was swarming with fresh memories of the person he thought he might really let himself have fully wasn’t going to get him anywhere. It felt more painful than the ache in his head ever could.

He didn’t take into account, however, that 2 of his own guys were taken from them in the horrendous fire that, at that point in his career, was the worst one Tony experienced. The mood around the station was somber and only made the entire body ache that engulfed him so much worse. Funeral service plans were waiting on his desk, the sleek black of the folder finally making the situation real.

In a desperate attempt to find that numbness again, Tony got lost in the mountain of work that he’d been putting off. Between the hands-on part of the job and sneaking off to spend as much time with Peter as he could, Tony let a lot of his duties slack. Now that he didn’t have anything to look forward to, the least he could do was get his work done.

The funeral ceremonies were the following week – seeing everyone dressed in their Class A’s usually made him beam with pride; but it made his heart heavy, instead. Tony made his speeches about Quill and Draxx with as much emotion as he could pull from himself. He stood at the front right of the procession and did his best to bring comfort to anyone that needed it. All the while, Tony found himself falling apart more and more – it was all too much at once.

Making his excuses as early as he could, Tony got back to his house without turning around. He never distanced himself like that from the job that was so important to him. Yet, he found himself unable to give himself to the people that needed that from him – so, he got out and went to hide his tail between his legs in the privacy of his own home.

What he didn’t expect, however, was Peter’s car parked in his driveway, the man leaning against his driver’s side door. Tony tried not to smile, his face a little unsure of the movement pattern, anyway. Seeing the person who’d been on his mind non-stop since he walked out of the hospital room made Tony feel a lot of things. Relief the first among them.

Before getting out of the car, Tony ran his hands over his eyes and down his face. There wasn’t a chance in hell that he’d be able to wipe the sadness and days’ worth of tears from his face – but it felt good to try. Sinking his hat low on his brow, Tony finally climbed out – the entirety of him feeling on edge.

Peter didn’t wait to approach him, he filled up the space between them and threw his arms around Tony’s shoulders. The touch was too nice to worry about anything else, Tony merely leaned into it – his own hands wrapping around Peter’s waist. Closing his eyes didn’t feel like inviting in a nightmare, so he tilted his head and let his chin rest of Peter’s shoulder. The weight of everything left him; just for a second.

Wordlessly, Tony pulled back and grabbed Peter’s hand. Much like the first time he brought him home, Tony led Peter through the door – only this time, they stopped in the kitchen. Tony let go and went about taking his hat and gloves off, the fancy things getting brushed to the corner of his otherwise empty counter. He didn’t stop moving until the crisp jacket was off his shoulders and slung over one of the chairs pushed into the table.

“Tony, I – “ Peter started. His hands gripped the edge of Tony’s counter, the knuckles turning white.

“If you’re going to say you’re sorry, don’t. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. My job is scary and it’s a lot to handle. Even for me,” Tony said, the last couple of words coming out breathlessly. The truth behind them made him want to curl up in a ball. He walked to the fridge and grabbed two beers, instead – anything to distract himself.

Their fingers brushed when Tony handed over the bottle – Peter’s fingers held his purposely, the warmth of his touch scalding, the scorch a delicious pleasure-pain of uncertainty and deep want clutching and not letting go. It felt good – even if it was fleeting; having Peter back at all was enough.

“I was just going to say that you look good – in your uniform. It suits you. You embody it. I didn’t know what I came here to say, to be honest. I just knew that I wanted to be here,” Peter stopped to take a long pull of the beer, his eyebrows arching at the hoppy taste of the IPA. He let silence build up for a moment – their eyes never leaving each other. “I think that’s enough. To be bigger than the worry. Being here, I mean. With you.”

The click of glass on the counter was the last thing Tony remembered before Peter’s lips were on his. He could still taste the beer on Peter’s tongue – the bitterness of it made the slide and press of their lips together that much sweeter. Huffing out a breath through his nose, Tony gripped Peter’s cheeks and tilted his head further, deepening the kiss.

“I need you to be sure, Pete,” Tony whispered after a while, his forehead resting against Peter’s. “You’re it. Don’t let me get used to you if you’re going to disappear.” It was more than he meant to say, but now that it was out there, Tony felt a bit better for it.

Peter grabbed the back of Tony’s arms, the touch soft, his thumb moving over the thin white shirt there. He gave Tony a brief kiss – and then another. “I’m sure, Tony.”

#starker #starkerfestivalsevents #bobbie writes

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annsparksthegmr · 3 years

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Pokemon Black Nuzlocke - Part 4

Hello! Surprise everyone I got another Nuzlocke update. And for a quick minor spoiler. I tackled two Gyms down in the next part. Might surprise you but I got a feeling the last two Gyms may pose a challenge. But you can read more below!

Back into we go with a Vanillite encounter at the Cold Storage. Once again, I caught a female one and decided to name her BananSplit. Totally spelt it wrong but that shall be her name for now on. Then I went inside of the building to go deal with Team Plasma and level up my team. After that I went to the Gym, watched Ghetsis truly do “totally not villainous” things before busting down the door to challenge his Gym. After buying a bunch of Moomoo Milks because they are surprisingly affordable for the time being.

I managed to reach Clay with no casualties. But then came our battle and immediately after his Krokorok used Swagger, he got a critical hit Bulldozer which Captain thankfully survived. I switched into Queen to handle the incoming Palpitoad and heal Captain back up. Queen then easily took out Palpitoad, but then came Excadrill. Which I’ve heard can be an end runner if I wasn’t careful - or at least I thought so. My main goal was to use Leech Seed and have Queen slowly take it out. After all, she resists most of its moves besides Slash. And I can switch into Captain if her HP gets too low. But thankfully Leech Seed secured the victory after using a hefty Grass Knot.

Another Gym secured with no casualties! I am so happy for my team. Queen and Captain really helped pull their weight. It might be because I get over prepared at times. Maybe a bit too much with items, but I feel like it's fair to use items. I headed to Route 6 and had a battle with Bianca. Not sure if I was supposed to do this before the Gym Battle, as all my team was around level 30 and her team was level 28. But she was easy to deal with.

Route 6 arrived so far all I am getting are Vanillites, which I use dupes to ignore for another. I understand it is because I am playing in winter so most options don’t appear. But I ended up running into a Foongus. A male one, who I decided to cheekily name Voltorb for the encounter. Never really going to use it right now but it shall hang out in the box.

Clay opened the way to Chargestone Cave and I got the TM Bulldoze. And I remember why I like Clay so much. Just like with all the other Gym Leaders. Oh, also N sent ninjas - I mean Shadow Triad - so we could chat. Here comes when N reveals Cheren is ideals, Bianca is truth and the main protagonist is somewhere in between. And it's kind of scary after N apparently walks off and teleports away then Bianca and Professor Juniper appear to explain the floating blue gemstone mechanic. I really miss stuff like this. I get the Lucky Egg and manage to find my encounter for Chargestone Cave - a Klink. Never got one of them before, so I nicknamed it Geartown.

After defeating more of Team Plasma I finally fought against N. We beat him no problem. I arrived in Mistralton City. Skyla had her little speech which led me to Route 7. On the way, Odette evolved into a beautiful Swanna. And I got my encounter as a double - with a male Watchhog and a female Cubchoo. I decided to go with the Cubchoo because I have found memories of my Beartic on my first one. Plus, if memory serves - a Beartic can learn some potential HMs. I named the adorable Cubchoo Snowball and she’ll rest in the PC until I need her.

Arriving at Celestial tower, I climbed up to the top and on my way caught a male Litwick. Decided to name Gracey after Master Gracey - neat Haunted Mansion reference because why not. At the very least, if Ramona faints before I reach the end I can use him. Or if the Modest nature on Ramona becomes too big of a problem to ignore. Plus Ramona also has Hustle as an ability. Though speaking of Ramona, she evolved into a Darmanitan. I reached the top and rang the bell. I really miss stuff like this. But a quick check of the PC revealed how both my Fire-Types have their natures lowering their respective attack/special attack. Whelp. Guess I have to wait and hope Reshiram will have a decent nature.

But now, I’m about to do something risky. I’m going to take down Skyla’s Gym at the same time. I already have a decent pick of Pokemon already prepared for this. Which hopefully, she won’t be too much trouble. By the way, what are the odds of a Trandquill getting off three Detects in a row? Just curious. There were no problems and with my confidence boosted so high in the sky, I challenged Skyla to showcase the power and potential of my Nuzlocke team. And I’d like to say, Pebbles and Zigzagzop clearly brought Skyla down to ground level.

Two gyms down a single update? I might be getting a bit too cocky, considering how N nearly spooked me as I exited the Gym. He wanted to chat with Pebbles - and seriously N, call Pebbles by her nickname and not Boldore. She takes great offense after defeating Skyla. He left about spouting about the Light and Dark Stones.

I plan to end things on this high note for the time being! I am only slightly considered regarding the next two Gyms. Brycen is Ice-Type, but with Ramona I feel okay with challenging it. But the bonus of Ramona getting Sheer Force now, I’m fairly confident in her performance. Though I may train up Gracey a bit, since I don’t think having Zigzagzop would be totally okay. My Zebstrika might have Flame Charge, but I don’t think it would help out as much as another Fire Type.

Though after that will come the final Gym Leader. Who I currently have is either an Ice or Dragon Type in my party. Meaning that Drayden could honestly kick my butt if I went with how I had now. *has flashbacks to his Gym Battle* His Haxorus is scary… I do, at the very least, have BananSplit and Snowball currently relaxing in my PC. I may have to plan to do some extensive level grinding to get up prepared for that challenge. If I don’t end up suffering any unsuspecting battles which end up taking out members of my team.

Maybe it is my experience with casually playing Pokemon and trying to keep a balanced team of Pokemon which has me pretty much not having any deaths so far. Though, I won’t be surprised if an upcoming battle decides to add a bunch into the death category. But for now, I played enough for the time being. Next time, I plan to at the very least challenge Brycen or hopefully get a considerable chunk of the way through to the eighth Gym. Not entirely sure if I’d be up to face Drayden - since I am playing Pokemon Black, which means no Iris fight.

But overall for my team, I can’t help but feel extremely proud of them so far. I knew for the later Gyms, Queen would have to practically be benched since Grass does not fare well against Flying, Ice or Dragon Type Pokemon. But she still carries herself well otherside of Gym Battles. Pebbles was definitely a surprise pick who I thought I’d bench her right after Lenora’s Gym. But this girl’s been proving her weight with her massive defenses enough where I want to keep her around. (And I swear if Pebbles dies, I will actually cry. She may not be able to fully evolve but I’ve grown attached to my rock). Zigzagzop was meant to be dropped after Elesa’s Gym, but he’s actually been proving himself with this latest Gym to keep around. I feel like he has a strong friendship with Pebbles considering I got them back to back. (Even with the funny Jaiden Animation reference.) Captain has been… well, I don’t really like his final evolution but having the Water/Ground typing makes him a good enough tank and Water-Type Pokemon to have on the team. Even if Odette is on the team. He might end up being Boxed, but it may just depend how things go. And Odette has already been showcasing why I needed a Flying-Type Pokemon on my team. Even if she is x4 weak to Electric. Even after fully evolving, she’s already showcasing her worth.

The only dilemma I have will have to be addressed soon. But I really hope even with losing Puppy and Fountain, I won’t have to say goodbye to anyone through a death. I expect to have to switch some out for the upcoming Gyms. Until next time though, which, I do plan to draw what my final team will end up being. And who knows? Maybe I’ll end up finishing the main story of Pokemon Black right on Christmas? Wouldn’t that be a treat?

Smell ya later!

Team Recap:

Queen - Female Servine (Lvl 35)

Pebbles - Female Boldore (Lvl 36)

Zigzagzop - Male Zebstrika (Lvl 36)

Captain - Male Palpitoad (Lvl 35)

Ramona - Female Darmanitan (Lvl 35)

Odette - Female Swanna (Lvl 35)

In Box/Reserve:

Ghost Girl - Female Liepard (Lvl 20)

Cassandra - Female Sandile (Lvl 21)

Trashie - Female Trubbish (Lvl 22)

Lowen - Male Cottonee (Lvl 20)

Lady - Female Minccino (Lvl 23)

BananSplit - Female Vanillite (Lvl 21)

Voltorb - Male Foongus (Lvl 23)

Geartown - Klink (Lvl 26)

Snowball - Female Cubchoo (Lv 30)

Gracey - Male Litwick (Lvl 26)

Deaths: 2

Fountain - Male Sampour (Lvl 15)

Puppy - Female Herdier (Lvl 25)

#pokemon black #pokemon black nuzlocke #personal thoughts #text post #I'm waiting for when this game will punish me #place bets when karma will strike me #I feel like this nuzlocke might be getting too easy #might have to change things up

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acidproofnotebook · 3 years

Text

One-Punch Man Chapter 83, Update 124

As published online

Translator: u/AbaloneNacre

OPM 124

3: Genos: MACHINE GUN PUNCH

4: Garou: Guh! I’m barely able to move… There’s no way I can escape!

WATER STREAM

5: ROCK SMASHING FIST

9: Garou: Now di-

10: sound of Genos’ blast going off

Garou: You sly bastard… You intentionally allowed yourself to be buried in order to try and get a shot off on me coming in from above, didn't you?

11: sound of Genos righting himself instantly

Genos (to himself): In just an instant, the way that he was able to use his leg with Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist to evade my attack…

This guy… by focusing all of his nerves into that one evade, he was just barely able to hang on.

Not only that, but he was able to take advantage of my opening to counterattack.

12: Genos: No wonder the other heroes weren’t able to handle him!

13: Saitama: Alright, let’s go let’s go!

King’s hitpoint point gauge is down to the last millimeter! Perhaps now I’m the stronger one! Hahaha!

Oh? Still putting up a fight are you?

(to self): WHAT wait wait Calm down…

With just one more hit, I can win! Right here! Right here is where I turn this all around!

14: FUCK (editorial spice; lit. “no”)

King: Well? How was it? My skin-of-my-teeth fighting technique?

Did you enjoy it just a little? Granted, I didn’t let you win, but consider this as free advice.

Saitama, your movement patterns are too simple and monotonic. Even though I was giving you tons of openings, all you had to do was hit me once and you could have won with your eyes closed.

Oh well. That’s 81-0 for me then. I’ll lend you my console. It’d be good if you practiced more, you know.

in the background, the sound of Saitama becoming more and more agitated

15: Saitama: ThIs GaMe Is StReSiNg Me Out…

King: If you really want to win sometime, you’re gonna need to calm down. Keep it together.

phone rings

Saitama: (still visibly agitated) Something’s ringing.

King: Ah, yeah. My bad. This little fella’s going off in my packet.

Recently, a lot of heroes have been issued these phones. I hear that it’s still undergoing trials, though.

With one button press on this device, you can call for assistance in the immediate area.

Any way you look at it, it’s kind of a panic button for when your back’s up against the wall, I guess.

16: Saitama: WHAT?! Monsters?! Let’s go!

King: Ah. It seems like an S-class hero got to it first. Notification just came in.

Even if we left right now, it’ll probably be over by the time we get there.

No specific monster information on this one…

17: King: Speaking of, I’m a little concerned about all those monsters you keep killing near your place.

Even if it’s just in self-defense, aren’t you concerned?

Saitama: Ah, that… I left it to Genos to deal with.

I wonder why monsters have been showing up this often around here…

King: You know, that’s probably why you’re the only living there.

If monsters show up like they did yesterday in towns all over, then by extension, they’re probably going to really start increasing in numbers in places where people don’t live, won’t they?

How’s Genos doing by the way?

Saitama: Ah. He hasn’t come back since yesterday.

King: Eh? Is he okay? The so-called Monster Association has also revealed themselves. I think that may have even happened yesterday…

Saitama: I wonder if he’ll be alright…

Guess I better go. King! Tell me where that alert you just come from.

18: Genos: He’s strong, this one… In addition to his staggering speed, he has about as much power as Tank Top Master. Not to mention that gun of his that he doesn’t hesitate to use.

In my current condition, this guy is trouble…!

Shit! My vision is fading. My legs too…

19: sound of Garou starting to walk away

Genos: Stop. You can’t escape from me with your legs in that state.

Garou (to self): I’ll use that…!

20: Garou (to self): Remember those movements!

Genos: (sound of surprise)

21: sound of rapid movements, imitating Watchdog Man

Genos: His movement pattern has changed! He’s moving on all fours!

22: Garou: Shake. (TL: like the dog command, but also in this case lit. arm despite the hand character)

23: Garou: You’re quite fond of this arm, aren’t ya? But now there’s no way you can hit me!

grab

Garou: What..!?

24: sound of rocket motors and smashing him into the tree

25: sound of the cables wrapping around him, followed by him straining against them

Genos: It’s useless. Don’t resist.

Garou: Hehe…

Genos: ?

Garou: One after another…

26: Garou: Those heroes came for me. Popular ones at that! I was so pleased!

Genos: The world is in panic right now. Because of the arrival of the villainous Monster Association, public order is in disarray.

While we at the Hero Association are banding together to deal with that threat…

You? You’re just a small fry. Dealing with you for good will take no time at all.

Got it? Then disappear.

sound of his hand cannon charging

Garou: Me? Small fry?!

27: If that’s really what you think, then know this, Demon Cyborg!

If I, the Hero Hunter, could take you down, the world will become a much more frightening place now wouldn’t it?

Genos’ gun fires

28: tree splinters

29: shot blasts through the tree, Genos jumps out of the way

30: Genos lands; Garou tears his way free and aggressively runs his hands through his hair

31: Garou: I don’t care about no fucking Monster Association! No hero is a match for me — the Ultimate Monster!

32: Garou: I’ll show that to everyone right here, right now!

Genos: That kind of thing doesn’t exist.

From behind: Now!

33/34: sound of monsters erupting from the ground

Monster 1: Help the Hero Hunter!

Other monsters: Understood.

35: Garou: What’s happening?!

Sunflower: Iiiiit’s the Monster Association.

Garou, we’ve come here to meet you. Looks like you’re in a pinch, aren’t you? Let us lend you a hand.

36: Sunflower: My superiors are well aware of your achievements, and I’ve come to extend you an invitation on their behalf. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Garou: You guys again? Don’t need you. Fuck off.

Sunflower: Well now well now, you can’t say that… I’m here under orders after all, you know.

sounds of monsters crying out in pain

37: sound of viscera hitting the ground

Sunflower: You’re kiddi-

38: sound of Genos skidding to a stop

Genos: Hero Hunter... So you are affiliated with the Monster Association after all.

I may have lost yesterday, but it was also a good learning opportunity. Now that I know that there’s more of them than we imagined, there’s no need for me to hold back.

39: Genos: Also, I’m a lot stronger than I was yesterday.

sword retracts

Genos: No matter when or what kind of threats show up, I’m more than ready to meet them.

40: Genos: Saitama-sensei said that in order for me to be a truly strong hero, I need to harden my spirit. Now I think that I’m starting to understand what he meant just a little bit.

I will not allow this surprise attack to continue.

Garou: Saitama-sensei?

Genos: He’s a hero for whom no monster is a match.

41: Genos: Incinerate.

KICK

42: Bang lands

Genos: Bang…

43: Bang: Genos. Would you mind leaving this to us?

44: Bomb: WHIRLWIND IRON CUTTING FIST

45/46: single sound of pain from the monster as he’s killed

47: Bomb: Bang, leave the ones that crawled out of their little hole to me. You take care of Garou!

48: Bang: Thanks, bro. Now…

It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Garou?

49: Garou: That voice…

sound effect of a figure that he’s not able to see clearly

Garou: Has that fucker of an old man come for me?

50: Bang: By the position you’re in, you’re but an insect.

Allow me to end you.

sound of Garou struggling to get up, and forcing his broken hands into the shapes that he wants

51/52: stances taken

53/54: Garou: GAAA

Bang: WATER STREAM ROCK SMASHING FIST

55: sounds of consecutive (not normal) punches

#OPM #transcript #manga chapter #chapter 83 #long

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the-endless-storm · 4 years

Text

Nuzlocke Shield Part Four

Part Three

An we are off again. Three zones to go through to get to Hammerlocke, let's see what we get.

Stony Wilderness it is snowing, and we get Sneasel, which is a dupe so let's try for a second one. It's a Chubcoo.

Oreo - Chubcoo (m) Slush Rush Sassy (SDf up / Spd down) “It scatters things often!”

Giant's Cap is sunny (thank god) and we get Lombre! Wasn’t expecting this.

Pina Colada - Lombre (m) Rain Dish Docile (no change) “It's impetuous and silly!”

Lastly Hammerlocke Hills is raining and we get Pelipper. Meh.

Febreeze - Peilipper (f) Drizzle Modest (SAk up / Atk down) “It's very finicky!” Rainy Mark

This is the first Pokemon I’ve caught that had a mark on it, but it's not enough to warrant putting Pelipper on my team.

I see Bede and the Chairman in the middle of Hammerlocke, but let's do some exploring before story time. First up, a house with a Blakckbelt and a level 2 Cottonee. Um ok.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. I forgot about Endevour. It left Snapper with 1 HP! That could have been a disaster!

I’m wary about going into the Battle Cafe. I know they're double battles against fairy types, and the only effective move I have at the moment is Acid on a baby Pokemon. So I’ll give that a miss for the moment, maybe come back when Toxel has evolved and I have some Steel moves somewhere.

Mmm, Chairman Rose knows exactly what he's doing walking around the city in those shorts. There's a guy outside the far left Pokemon Centre, trying to meet someone. Maybe if Chairman Rose spent more time on Grindr he wouldn’t want to resurrect ancient deities.

I wish we had a chance to explore more of the castle part of Hammerlocke. There are loads of paths and stairwells with gates on them that look like they should open up.

Anyway, let’s see what Route 6 has on offer, thankfully not another damn Ice type.

Oh wait, Team Yell first.

Yay, Jett is evolving into Toxtricity Amped Form!

Ah! Bullseye is evolving in Mudsdale too! Awesome sauce.

Ok finally back to Route 6 and our encounter is a Heatmor! Interesting, I have genuinely never used this Pokemon before.

Otis - Heatmor (m) Flash Fire Modest (SAk up / Atk down) “It takes plenty of siestas!” Rowdy Mark

I think I’m going to swap out Carcoal for Heatmor. It has better stats and isn’t four times weak to Water and Ground. There's a TM for Fire Spin in the Hammerlocke shop too, and whilst it's not the greatest attack it should cover Heatmor until it learns something else.

While I’m back here, I’ll check the Move Relearner for my newly evolved Pokemon too. Heatmor can relearn Incinerate, so Fire Spin isn't needed now. If money weren’t so easy to come by I might be upset about spending 10k.

Get to the end of Route 6 and the dumb fuck trainer has his Koffing use Self Destruct, good thing I swapped Otis out for Snapper otherwise that could have been a short career again.

I like Stow-on-Side, it's good a good look to it. No encounters here though, so I'll head up to the mushroom forest bit and see if I can catch a Psychic, Ghost or Dark type and not another useless bird or something.

Dammit Hop leave me alone.

Dammit Opal leave me alone.

Dammit Team Yell leave me alone. Can’t do anything I want these days.

Fine, Glimwood Tangle is out of the question until I beat Allister. Going to go train a bit.

Got everyone up to 35-36 and raided a few dens to get some TRs that really didn’t help a great deal with moves. A lot of my team have totally the wrong natures, boosting Attack when Special Attack would be better and vice versa (Toxtricity being a prime example). But we'll see where we go.

Also Drumroll has evolved into a Rillaboom. This play through is notably the first time I have used one of the starters, as I generally dislike all three in this game.

Time to hit the Gym.

The trainers didn’t put up much of a fight, but I’m wary of GMax Gengar doing a lot of damage because I don’t have anything that resists Ghost attacks. I hope Drednaw will be fast enough to get off a Max Darkness and survive anything Gengar throws at her.

Not faster than Gengar, but Gengar used Max Ooze which Snapper resists, and the Max Darkness KO'd it.

Ghost Badge get!

Dammit Bede leave me alone

If Rose disqualifies Bede in the name of keeping things fair, shouldn’t help also disqualify Marnie (or at least issue a warning) as a result of her supporters actively attempting to sabotage other gym challengers?

Dammit Sinistea leave me alo... oh no never mind. Sinistea you can stay :)

Chamomile - Sinistea (g) Weak Armour Gentle (SDf up / Dfc down) “It likes to fight!” Vigor Mark

Goodbye Machoke, Sinistea is on the team. I'll use the Cracked Pot I have to immediately evolve it into Polteageist, and as always check back with the Move Relearner.

I'm half way through the Gym Challenge. I have two zones left to explore in the Wild Area (Dusty Bowl and Giant's Mirror) not counting the two I need to cross water to reach. I’m in no immediate need for new Pokemon right now, so I’ll see what the weather is like on them going forward and visit when it's not snowing or raining.

I love Ballonlea, it's such an amazing looking town. This is the best looking location in the entire game, it's like all the design budget went here instead of being shared out elsewhere.

Got some eviolite, useless atm but you never know if I might need it in the future.

Let’s take on Opal and get that out of the way.

A trainer's Morgrem almost knocked out Chamomile with an attack, but luckily I was faster and able to take it down first. Close though.

Bullseye makes quick work of both Weezing and Mawile, and Opal's stat boosts certainly don’t go amiss. I was intending to use Jett here, but with Bullseye's Stamina boosting its defence, plus a speed and special defence boost from Opal she might not be needed.

It took three Max Steelspike's but Alcreamie fell to Bullseye. Opal only asked two of her three questions.

Fairy Badge get!

Back to Hammerlocke and Chairman Rose's Grindr hook-up is still waiting at the Pokecentre. I think now that I’m back I’ll do the Battle Cafe I skipped last time.

Oh fuck yeah, they're level 37 each. If I’d tried this back when I thought about it I would have been under level 30 and it would have been game over for me.

What a crap prize. An item that restores 20HP. Wowee.

Eww Bede is here again. Gross.

Let's do the two spots in the Wild Area now to get them done and out of the way before I head to Circhester.

Giant's Mirror gets me a Roselia. Not great tbh. Oops, knocked it out. Oh well.

Dusty Bowl gets me a Dubwool. A Dubwool!? Of all the Pokemon in the Wild Area I get the big goat!? Ffs.

Babs - Dubwool (f) Fluffy Relaxed (Dfc up / Spd down) “It's capable of taking hits!”

Back to Hammerlocke, past Sonia and the pointless bit of storyline that has no impact. Though it is refreshing to hear characters say “this isn’t for kids to worry about” instead of the fate of the universe resting firmly on your shoulders while the elite trainers sit and watch as is the norm in most Pokemon games.

God do I have to fight Hop AGAIN!?

“The way you battle, it kind of reminds me of Lee” you mean, well using proper strategy and skill instead that'a expected of someone aiming to be the champion, Mr “ive studied all my brother's battles, now wooloo use tackle on the steel type”?

“Now have a taste of our true power!” Water attack against a grass type. Ok.

Route encounter is a Corviknight, so another dupe. Next one is a Shelmet. Ok, I like Shelmet, but being unable to evolve it makes it pretty useless.

Kiniggit is a bad name I can't enter. I assume it's because the French used it as an insult against King Arthur during his quest for the Holy Grail.

G'night - Shelmet (f) Shell Armour Naughty (Atk up / SDf down) “It takes plenty of siestas!”

Ok, that's enough for today, this has been a long one. No deaths though so that’s good. Might finally have some balance to the team.

Current Team Drumroll - Rillaboom (lv 40) Bullseye - Mudsdale (lv 41) Snapper - Drednaw (lv 40) Otis - Heatmor (lv 40) Chamomile - Polteageist (lv 40) Jett - Toxtricity (lv 41)

Boxed Joltik Slowpoke Charjabug Croagunk Oddish Snorunt Sizzlepede Sneasel Chubcoo Lombre Pelipper Carcoal Machoke Dubwool Shelmet

Losses Bandit the Nickit - Knocked out by a fat squirrel Gumball the Tympole - Devoured by a centipede with a moustache Castlevania the Rookidee - Torn apart by a cute mole HaagenDazs the Vanillite - Murdered in an act of revenge by a smelly frog

Wild Area Tracker Rolling Fields West Lake Axewell East Lake Axewell South Lake Miloch Dappled Grove Watchtower Ruins North Lake Miloch Giant’s Seat Motostoke Riverbank Bridge Field Stony Wilderness Giant's Cap Hammerlocke Hills Dusty Bowl Giant's Mirror

Part Five

#me #pokemon #pokemon shield #nuzlocke #long post

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wallofweird · 4 years

Text

This Is Us Q&A

Thanks @madsdefencesquad for tagging me. :)

1. The first character I first fell in love with:

Dr. Nathan Katowski. He just seemed to be such a charismatic, generous, wise and kind person and the way he comforted those two nervous young people (Jack and Rebecca) who were entering parenthood for the very first time was simply beautiful. Specially because nowadays some doctors are so arrogant and cold that make you feel so bad to the point of almost apologizing for needing their care (not most though, we have real life heroes out there on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic and I’m forever thankful for them!). Anyway, it was pleasant to see a character with so much heart. Now the first regular character I fell in love with was Randall. He was just so relatable and Sterling and the writers really managed to show all the affliction he kept inside from early on. All the things he had accumulated through the years, with the questions about his biological parents, his identity, finding out that William was dying the same day he met him and everything... Even before we got to dive into that story, you could see it in his eyes. And I empathized with him immediately.

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

Kevin. I used to find him very annoying and self-centered and now I’m eating my words, but I guess that’s always been the writers intention: to show a character that came off as really shallow and immature and slowly change our minds about him. It definitely worked. My opinion about him started to change on the ‘Number One’ episode. It broke my heart to see what he was going through, specially when he lost the only thing he had left from Jack. That was hard to watch. And now that I’m rewatching the show, I can get his actions a lot better now and see that a lot of the stuff I used to hate came from his insecurities. So I’ve changed my mind about his behavior on the first episodes and I’m enjoying seeing him back then as well. I can see the bigger picture now.

3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:

Cassidy. I don’t really believe there’s a consensus about her, it looks like the opinions are pretty balanced, but I’m not a fan of her. I wouldn’t say I hate Cassidy, but I don’t really like her. Like, the other characters can get me to laugh and cry so easily, but she doesn’t make me feel anything? She looks kind of cold to me, which I can understand it probably has something to with being in the military and the things she had to experience and do, but even with the whole drama with her son and husband... It's just never given me the same emotion I use to get from the other characters. Also, I really wanted the first half of the season to be only about Kevin and his uncle, but they threw a stranger in it and played with the idea of putting Kevin and Cassidy together the whole time. I just wanted to see their dynamic without anybody’s interference, specially because I haven’t got the point of her presence yet. I believe Kevin and Nicky would’ve done just fine in their journey to sobriety without her and I don’t really think the woman will marry any of them. I hope there’s something bigger planned for her that will explain her addition to the show, because I don’t really get it. So far it just looks like she’s there to mislead us with the whole “who is Kevin’s wife?” mystery.

4. The character I love that everyone else hates:

Madison. I wouldn’t say everybody hates her, for me the public has mixed opinions about her? I’ve seen people who hate her, who are indifferent, who like her and think she’s funny and people who love her. However, I do believe she deserves more praise. I think she’s kind of in the same situation Kevin used to be a few years ago. A lot of people have a pre-fabricated idea of Madison and see her as someone shallow and immature. Madison has always been there for Kate, even when she was nothing but rude to her. When Kate hit her car (I know it was accidentally, but still), Madison got over it the second she learned Kate was pregnant. She immediately forgot about her car and was filled with nothing but joy after hearing the news. Madison also helped Kate to enjoy the process of finding her wedding dress, staying positive with her second pregnancy after the previous miscarriage... She’s been there through thick and thin. And she is so loving, selfless and strong that was willing to raise her twins and go through all of that by herself to avoid getting in the way of Kevin finding his great love story. How can somebody not admire that? Even if you don’t like her, because that’s understandable and sometimes a character just doesn’t resonate with us, there’s absolutely no reason to hate or criticize her personality and actions. Madison is very underrated, but she is an amazing person. I just don’t understand why people have changed their minds about Kevin after seeing his struggles and evolution, but won’t do the same with her. The only difference here is the amount of screentime they have and the gender, because they’re both great people. I really don’t get it.

5. The character I used to love but don’t any longer:

One of the great things about this show is that I’ve never stopped loving any of the characters. There are characters I don’t really like, there are characters that have grown on me, but the opposite has never happen. However, I am a little angry with Randall and Kevin after that fight. I won’t defend any of them. They were both terrible to each other.

I get where they’re both coming from when it comes to how they deal with Rebecca’s health. It’s understandable wanting to save your mother. It’s understandable wanting her to enjoy the time she has left. There is no right or wrong decision in these situations. And a lot of how they deal with it comes from their personalities and traumas. They both have this hole in their lives because of losing Jack. Randall blames himself and thinks about what life would’ve been if he hadn’t died every single day. His anxiety also plays a role in how he process everything. It’s consuming. On the other hand, Kevin regrets not having spent as much time with his father as he could’ve had. He’s also already gone through therapy, is a year sober and attending the AA meetings regularly... He can see things more clearly than Randall right now. So I don’t judge either of them for how they approach to the situation. Still, Randall should’ve respected Rebecca’s decision. Period. He was selfish and I can’t defend what he did. I can understand why he did it and I didn’t really see it as him manipulating his mother, for me it was more of a desperate moment, when he was telling Rebecca he cannot handle losing her. Not that Kevin and Kate can handle losing their mother, but he’s clearly overwhelmed with the whole situation, while Kevin and Kate are at a better mental state and looking at things with more serenity.

However, regarding their fight, Kevin’s got some fault too. I’m sure they didn’t mean anything they said to one another, they just happened to know each other’s deepest wounds and wanted to rub them. It was painful to watch. Kevin knows Randall feels guilty for letting Jack walk back into the house. Randall knows Kevin feels guilty for not being there. Kevin knows Randall have never felt liked he completely fitted in, because he was abandoned by his biological father and adopted only after Rebecca and Jack lost a child. He’s always felt a little lost or as a replacement to Kyle. And Randall knows Kevin is self-conscious and feels like people don’t take him seriously or believe he can be responsible. It was heartbreaking and cruel. And I’m rewatching season 1 and recently saw the episode where they finally begin to grow closer and there is this scene where Randall says:

“[Mom] showered me with attention. Took my side more often than not. And I ate every bit of her love up. Ate it up like Pac-Man. You know why? Because the one person I wanted it from the mo..

[...]

You know, back there with those people, it's the first time in 36 years you've said the words, ‘he's my brother’, [as] claiming me.”

I’ve also just finished the episode where it shows young Randall having a nervous breakdown and Kevin ignoring him. Kevin and Randall did have some good moments growing up, but for most of it they weren’t close and Randall was the one who tried the harder to change that. It took them over 30 years to get to a place where they finally acted like brothers on a regular basis and now they have both ruined all of that progress. So I can’t really pick sides and blame one of them when it comes to that fight. They were both terrible. However, I’m just a little more disappointed with Randall because he interfered in Rebecca’s decision.

6. The character I would totally smooch:

Kevin. Justin Hartley just happens to be on my Male Celebrity Crush Top 2, so...

7. The character I’d want to be like:

Beth. She’s smart, successful, funny, wise and beautiful, I’d like to have at least 30% of that awesomeness.

8. The character I’d slap:

Marc.

9. A pairing that I love:

Jack and Rebecca. Their love story, even with its ups and downs, remains epic. One for the ages, indeed.

Still, I really miss a slowburn ship. We’ve had Jack and Rebecca, Kate and Toby, Randall and Beth since the very beginning. They were all love at first sight. They got together pretty quickly. I miss a ship that I can see go through all of those basic stages, like meeting, becoming friends and falling in love. I miss seeing a character pining for another and being a little bit jealous of them. I miss watching the scenes with the lingering looks, deep breaths, both staring at each other when the other isn’t noticing... All this tension building up until the moment it just explodes. Like, give me angst scenes! Give me a scene where they are hugging so tight and not wanting to let go and Character A can’t resist it anymore and kisses character B as if their his/her depended on it. Give me rain kisses. Give me character A pining for character B, but doubting that B feels the same way. Give me B being just as insanely in love as A and feeling frustrated whenever they’re around someone else. Give me character B being unconsciously jealous and fighting with character A. Give me A blurting out that he/she is in love with B and a passionate kiss. I know it’s cliché, but there is a reason why everyone loves scenes like these: they work. And This Is Us needs stuff like that. Hopefully Kevin and Madison can fill this gap, since I’m already in love with their potential. ;)

10. A pairing that I despise:

Kevin and Sophie. I genuinely have nothing against Sophie, she is a good person and she deserves happiness. If anything, Kevin was the one who wronged her. However, I can’t help sighing and rolling my eyes whenever she shows up or her name is mentioned on the show. I’m just tired at this point. I’ve never saw the appeal of it. I’m usually a slowburn kind of shipper, but I still have my ‘love at first sight’ otps. This one, however, never really convinced me. First, I don’t see the chemistry at all (in any timeline). Second, he’s cheated on her twice. Plus, the second time they were together, Kevin had fallen back into drinking and she didn’t even realize the seriousness of the situation. I’m not saying it was her fault or responsibility, because that’s a real problem and what Kevin needed was professional help. Also, he lied to her and broke Sophie’s heart again in the process, so I can empathize with her. Still, the fact that Sophie couldn’t see what was going on and they were never able to go through it together, whether it was his treatment, or the long distance or any real obstacle just proves to me they don’t work. They simply couldn’t work together. And Kevin has moved on. He moved on from her and genuinely fell in love with Zoe. They broke up because they wanted different things, but their relationship was real. So, the way I see it, the fact that he suddenly wants another ‘crack at it’ with Sophie, it’s just a result of his frustration. Kevin is so desperate to have his own great love story and children, that he is trying to get it from strangers on coffee shops or any ex-girlfriend that will reach out to him. He’s not thinking things through, but hopefully he will let life takes it course and find find them naturally, without forcing anything or insisting on relationships that have proved multiple times that weren’t the right fit for him. I also don’t really like when characters appear with the solely purpose to be someone’s love interest, I like seeing them in their own element and their dynamic with other characters. Like, even though each Pearson has their immediate family, we’ve seen bits of Beth and Rebecca, Toby and Kevin, Beth and Zoe, Kate and Madison (who at this point I’m pretty sure is Kevin’s fiancée)... Sophie wasn’t fully integrated into the family during their second attempt at a relationship, so that’s another reason for me not to like this ship.

I don’t wanna tag anyone specifically because I’m afraid I might forget someone, so anyone who wants to do this thing, just go for it. I’d love to see your answers. :)

#this is us #randall pearson #kevin pearson

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sirro85-blog · 5 years

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Dark Horses 2

Captain Becca stood in the main square of the Dark Horses compound staring at an office door, she shook her head and turned away, moving to sit with a group of other off duty soldiers.

"I don't want to go in, she fuckin' scares me," Becca said pouting.

"You need to return the petty cash you checked out, you need to go in," said Panther unsympathetically, "I mean if you'd taken me I'd return it but as you left me behind..."

"But I didn't spend it, Kovac did, I just collected it," she pouted again, "Wolf, you need to request some new kit for your troop don't you, can you return the petty cash at the same time?" There was a wheedling tone to her voice.

"Not a bloody chance, she already calls me Rat and half the time she refuses my request before I make it, I'm not pissing her off more than I need to."

"Rat!? Ha ha, that's amazing, I sort of see why though," Becca laughed.

"What does she call you then?" Panther asked, eyeing Becca suspiciously.

"Captain, sometimes Becca...alright fine she calls me Stilts and she always glares at my legs like I'm tall on purpose."

"She calls me brat," sighed Panther.

"She has a nickname for everyone, I'm amazed she remembers them all, the only people she is ever nice to are Knickers and Kovac," Dorman said matter of factly.

Three heads turned to look at Dorman, "and what does she call you Mark?" Asked Becca.

"Uhhh, Hero," answered Dorman with a slight mumble.

"Really!? That's not so bad," said Wolf.

"It is the way she says it," Dorman said dully.

Becca stood, squared her shoulders and walked toward the door marked 'RQ' with a deep breath she pushed the door open.

"Stilts," came the grunt, "What do you need this time? Another set of uniformsmade to order?" A glare at her lower limbs, "impossibly long legs!"

"Uhh no, I, uhh see I just have this 36" inside leg and none of the standard uniforms fit my leg and my waist...but no, not today Quartermaster, today I just wanted to return your petty cash." She fumbled the roll as she passed it over, dropping it and stooping to pick it up, as she straightened the Quartermaster looked over her shoulder.

"Hello Sweet, how are you? What do you need?" The Qm asked in a warm voice.

"Just in to see you Leese, been missing you," Knickers replied warmly leaning over the counter to kiss the enormous woman on the cheek.

Becca backed away hoping she might escape with Knickers distracting the Qm, one glare from the woman who was as wide as she was tall froze Becca where she stood.

"Take a seat in the office and make a brew, I'll deal with Stilts here and be through."

"Oh be nice to Bex, she ruined her best shoes by stabbing a guy with them when we were away," Knickers waved at the Qm as she disappeared into the back office.

Becca almost called out for Knickers not to leave her as Lisa the Quartermaster's sharp eyes snapped from Becca's face to the roll of petty cash, instantly spotting it was smaller. Her dirty red ponytail seemed to bristle and grow as the Qm advanced on the Captain.

"Another bar fight Stilts and let me guess you paid for the damages?"

Why was this woman so intimidating? Becca felt sweat drip down her back, of all the terrifying beings in existence; Lisa the Quartermaster of the mercenary unit known as the Dark Horses was the only one she had ever known to freeze the very marrow in her bones.

"Yes," she squeaked.

The Qm glared and then pulled out her ledger and looking at Becca -who was hoping against hope that she hadn't started to sway where she stood- traced her finger down the paperwork. Paper who in this century used paper!?

Just as Becca thought the silence and the sighs punctuating it were going to make her start weeping the door flew open and in walked Major Kovac.

"Hello mother," he said beaming at her, "need to order some ordinance, got the numbers here."

"Troop, POUR ANOTHER ONE SWEET, TROOP IS HERE," Lisa bellowed through to Knickers.

"Is Knix here aswell? I'll stop for a cup then, gonna need a quarter's worth RQ,"

"I'm not a Regimental Quartermaster anymore," Lisa said wagging a finger.

"And I'm not commander of a single troop anymore and Knix hasn't been sweet for longer than I hate to think, but you call me troop and I call you mother and you'll always be my RQ, now, let's get that cup and order a shipment."

"A shipment now?" Her eyes narrowed, "how much are we talking?"

"Ordinance, weapons...all in...a million?"

"A million!? I quit."

"No you don't, you'll never leave me, Captain what are you doing here, haven't you got men to oversee?" Kovac suddenly addressed Becca.

"Yes sir," she replied immediately.

"Well hop to," Becca forced her numb legs to work and as the door swung shut she heard Kovac saying, "relax mother, we have a contract."

Becca walked while warmth returned to her body. She had always thought she knew Kovac as long as anyone but she forgot that while she had met him at the academy his first deployment had been without her and that seemed to be the point where Lisa had "adopted" him and Knickers had come back from that campaign with her new nickname, one that stuck to this day.

Becca stopped her walking infront of 1 troop who were formed up and being inspected by Sergeant Glover, the Sergeant snapped to attention and snapped off a salute. "Leave to carry on ma'am, please"

"Carry on sergeant," Becca didn't salute as she wasn't in uniform.

She stood watching as Fluke studied the ranks, moving up and down scowling as he found minor faults, of all the soldiers in the Dark Horses, Fluke seemed to miss the military settings most of all.

"Fluke got the guard posting?" Said a voice behind her.

Becca turned to her Sergeant and shrugged, "yes, Wolf wanted it, he wants to see who is running the raids and scope them out."

"Thought you'd want it, considering, or Dorman he's more suited to defence than either of you," Panther continue.

Becca shrugged again, "Major wanted us here, we've got another rep coming, wants us there."

"Another rep? We're looking for more work?"

"That business with the Flet really ate into our reserves," Becca explained, this time it was Panther's turn to shrug as the two walked off.

It was the early hours of evening when Major Kovac was sitting with his remaining officers and sergeants, the Towoli representative walked in. He gave an approximation of a human bow, his hide gleaming dark red and green the Towoli colours of accord.

"May the two rivers always flow to you," the representative said, "I am Gethrev, of the Towoli settlers on Rivers-enough-to-support-life-but-not-enough-to-flourish-fully-it-has-tactical-benefits,"

Kovac blinked at the garbled name and adjusted his translator, "Welcome Gethrev of Fol-ro-shall, may the two rivers never run dry," he completed the traditional Towoli greeting.

"Major Kovac, I come to request your assistance, the settlements on Fol-ro-shall are subject to raids from Bartuq and, I regret our forces are not enough to both resist them and seek them out. When we saw the magnitude of the task, there was only one name on our list. The Dark Horses of Major Kovac."

"No there wasn't," Kovac fired back, "If there was only one name then you're fools and I don't work for fools, if you had more than one name then you've been to at least three of them already as you've already had to pass them to reach Pelcar-3." He leaned forward in his seat, "I know the human playbook says we are susceptible to flattery but it should also say we can see through it."

He stood and gestured to an adapted seat, one suited to the tentacle like lower limbs of the Towoli.

"Crossing off the Rhul as the Towoli won't work with them and the Flet are self aware enough to know this task is ill suited to them you approached Ovette who won't risk her men against, well anything anymore, Bayrun the Karnac lacks the resources but I bet it took him a long time to admit it.

That means you went to Daniels, and Danny boy, he has the man power but he took one look at the defences and realised he was out of their league. Which means you looked at the bottom of your list, the expensive end and you saw the humans only one system away and you took a look at our prices and decided to see why we charge so much. Am I close?"

Gethrev had taken the offered seat and looked at the Major, "the Karnac was most frustrating," as he muttered his hide blurred to purple, a sign of irritation, before returning to red and green, "yes, you are correct, you are the fourth to be approached but reputation says you will probably be our solution."

"You know our price?" Kovac asked and received an affirmative gesture and colour change, "we're expensive because we aren't just soldiers, we're combat engineers, artisan soldiers was the phrase, we can take the Bartuq but we expect the payment in two halves, one before and one after completion."

The Towoli gave a flash of bright colours as it stood to grip Kovac's hand, there were details to iron out but it sounded as though the Dark Horses had a second contract.

An hour later Kovac returned to his meeting looking tired but pleased. Sergeant Webb left with the contract to pass it to the Quartermaster.

"We need a clerk to sort these things," he said fatigued.

"We can find one, are you ready?" Becca responded.

"Yes, we can start now," Kovac turned to Panther.

"Sergeant, I'm promoting you, as of right now you are a sergeant-major, my right hand. Congratulations Panther,"

"Sir? What?" Said Panther in a startled voice.

"Sergeant-Major Panther, congratulations."

"But 2 Troop, Becca." The sergeant-major said confused.

"Knickers is my best section commander, she's going to be my 2IC now," Becca explained.

"Sergeant Knickers?" Panther said a little startled. "...she'll be great."

"Right then sergeant-major, I'll see you first thing," Kovac stood and shook her hand, Becca followed suit.

"Well done Pants, you'll be great!"

"Wolf knows already, he wanted to be here but...you know, congratulations sergeant-major, god knows you've earned it," said Captain Dorman shaking her hand.

Panther was left alone in the room, a smile on her face, "sergeant-major," she said in a voice mixed with pride and disbelief.

#humans are space australians #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are weird #humans are space oddities #space faerie #earth is a deathworld #earth is weird #earth is awesome #dark horses #kovac #this is why i call kovac daddy

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yvillegasvera18 · 3 years

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*Gender and Rhetoric*

In this entry, I will examine the critical questions: What gender norm is constructed or undone in this artifact, how is it rhetorically done, and/ or how does it promote a dominant ideology over a marginalized group or pushed back against the ideology or gender norms? Is it productive or unproductive?

To investigate these questions, the artifact that I have chosen to analyze is the movie Moxie. Moxie demonstrates the negative effects of the dominant ideology that women don’t have a voice. Moxie demonstrates these negative effects but also pushes against the ideology by demonstrating that unity and speaking out can make a difference. It is important to be able to openly admit that there is a divide in gender and tell women that they cannot be oppressed and silenced by men and others in the higher positions of power. Moxie is being productive in educating the viewers of the movie.

Moxie is a movie on Netflix about high school students who are tired of the gender inequality and sexist attitudes of the school. Vivian is a sophomore who has been going to Rockport High school and has been accustomed to the way people are treated at the school. Lucy is a new student who is not happy with the way students do not speak up against the injustices against women. Lucy is the reason why Vivian has a moment of realization where she believes that there should be change in her school. Vivian anonymously creates a sort of pamphlet where she writes about the injustices calling for everyone in the school to fight back against the oppression of men. By showing the support of one another Moxie grows stronger and has an influence at the end of the movie.

Butler (2003) explains how gender is completely influenced through social norms and they also influence the way people live their lives. Butler (2003) states, “These norms have far-reaching consequences for how we understand the model of the human entitled to rights or included in the participatory sphere of political deliberation.” When a person feels entitled due to their race, social status and gender they treat others like less of a person because it. Butler (2003) also mentions how these social norms are also needed for people to know they have to live because without it they would not know how to act. That is the beginning and direction stir of how to be able to assert individuality, The ‘I’ in who a person is.

In Moxie one of the first things that was done was to create awareness by wearing hearts and stars on their hands. This was a symbol of union to those who are tired of being treated unfairly. It was the beginning of their revolution because Vivian was unaware of how many girls in school felt oppressed and wanted change at their school. The hearts and stars was the first attempt of many that created Moxie. In the beginning there is no one with hearts and stars in at school and Vivian realizes that she was the only one who did it and tries to take it off in the bathroom where she found other girls who were proudly wearing the stars and hearts. The alliance helped Vivian gain her confidence that there can be change.

After the hearts and starts the girls wore strap tops because the dress code of Rockport High is mainly targeted towards women. Kaitlynn was wearing a strap shirt and the principal asked her to put on a jacket. “Just cover up so that we can all get back to learning,” (36:44) said the principal. One of Kaitlynn’s classmates was wearing the same tank top but was not called out for it due to her body looking different. Every woman is different in shape and size. Moxie expressed how the dress code is only to accommodate men because they can’t control themselves and women's bodies are a distraction at school. There weren't any regulations regarding the men from wearing tank tops to school The education system is singling out women only in the movie.

Towards the end of the movie the Moxie is put in a difficult situation because of the challenges they face and with one of Vivian’s friends suspended there is a class walk out to protest the injustice in Rockford High. The administration and teachers did nothing to help those who were trying be vocal with their concerns and wanted a bigger impact. The walk out caught the attention of the principal. During the walk out anyone who wanted to speak and tell their experience they had many people to hear them out and their experience. For example, Emma was sexually assaulted by the football captain and felt like no one would believe her because of his position and his gender. Mitchell, the football team's president is held on a pedestal at the school which made her uneasy to voice.

There are a few things I would like to point out that were the leading cause of the oppression of women at the school. The list that was sent out every year with who got best at something or worse. For example, there were categories such as most bangable and best ass. This list is sexualizing students at the high school making many of them feel uncomfortable. One thing that students could have done is ignore it and move on but it seemed like that was a normal recurring thing. Instead of using such sexualizing terms maybe use uplifting categories. Another problem was the administration there were several times when Lucy went to the Principal's office expressing her concerns like Mitchell harassing her. The principal used bothering instead or the term harassing because it meant more paperwork. The attitude of the principal was already concerning but when the principal was shown the list she immediately said because it was social media it didn’t involve the school. The principal being a woman too would not help the girls at the school with their concerns. Especially with the football team being the root of the problem.

Phillips (2012) states that by understanding that males are more likely to oppress women due to their exposure to the patriarchy.

“Understanding that men learned masculinity through oppressive systems helps us make sense as to why men who are exposed to vast amounts of misogynistic hip-hop music are more prone to objectify women (Kistler & Lee, 2010) and why men who view more pornography are more prone to accept rape myths as well as uphold harmful attitudes about women (W ei, Ven-Hwei, & Hsiaomei, 2010).”

These oppressive systems are being embedded into our society through teachings from the home, the media and socially. Philips’s article discusses how men and children should be involved in conversations that focus on gender violence. In doing so we can break away from the cycle of violence from men. Like how Mitchell from the movie Moxie was aggressive towards Lucy and sexually assaulted Emma in her own bedroom. Even though it is a movie and it's for entertainment purposes I do believe that it is harmful for young teens to be watching such actions and be influenced by it. They could take it as their guidance to being liked and cool at school because it’s being portrayed that way on a screen.

In summary, the movie Moxie is challenging and pushing back the societal gender norms. Women have a voice and united they are more powerful capable of change. United, everyone can be treated fairly. Although it is just a movie it is one step closer to equality for all. Our country is still trying to achieve equality for all and it’s taking too long. Women are climbing the government ladder and we will eventually get there.

Butler, J. (2004). “Introduction: Acting in concert.” In Undergoing gender (pp. 1-4). New York: Routledge.

Poehler, P., Lessing, K., Sackett, M. 2021 Moxie. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81078393?trackId=14170286&tctx=2%2C0%2Cde1274a1-aa43-4cc3-a00f-4210e7a43f92-22469582%2C485fa20d-7a3c-4988-8317-585581a95722_72720579X3XX1621197602349%2C485fa20d-7a3c-4988-8317-585581a95722_ROOT%2C

PHILLIPS, J. D. (2012). Engaging Men and Boys in Conversations About Gender Violence: Voice Male Magazine Using Vernacular Rhetoric as Social Resistance. Journal of Men’s Studies, 20(3), 259–273. https://proxy.augustana.edu:2138/10.3149/jms.2003.259

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verdigrisprowl · 6 years

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Dec 11 Dancitron Movie Night - Phantom of the Opera

A live show, not the movie. Prowl is convinced that in another life, Soundwave could have been the Phantom.

Today Specs 8:10 pm ((oshit am I early)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:11 pm ((very XD that's okay, stay)) Specs 8:11 pm ((okay if it's cool with you. I was lurking on rabbit while doing my homework and I got the little "noodlesatnightisactive" ding so I just. showed up.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:12 pm ((there wassss something else going on until like five minutes ago. now it is stream time)) Specs 8:12 pm ((:O)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:13 pm ((NOBODY TYPE FOR A MINUTE THO)) Me 8:15 pm ((there are Hijinks to be had before guests are "officially" allowed in)) Swoop 8:17 pm ((That's fine. More time to bransform what Swoop can do tonight.)) Me 8:18 pm ((i hear tara is in a mood to get in a dumb fight with someone~)) Swoop 8:18 pm ((but soundwave doesn't allow swoop to bring a mace in : < )) Magnum Ace 8:19 pm ((swoop doesn't need mace Bevel 8:19 pm *Bevel peers around the empty room for a moment, noting the lack of Soundwave and decides maybe some shenanigans are in order. Where there was once a train, is now Soundwave. Totally Soundwave. She's even going to take his usual place on the couch like y'do* ((hacker voice: I'm in. Me 8:21 pm *Prowl arrives earlier than usual, hoping to catch Soundwave before the other guests start to arrive. And indeed—there he is.* Evening. *Prowl walks up to him, pauses; and then decides to plop right down on his lap. Soundwave's done it to Prowl, it's fair game.* *And immediately turns sideways to slide an arm over Soundwave's shoulder.* Magnum Ace 8:22 pm ((poor bevel Bevel 8:23 pm *immediately all the tension, these are not the shenanigans she was aiming for at all* Twincast 8:23 pm *slides in* *to 'soundwave'* Y'know for a sec there I thought ya weren't gonna let me in. I was waitin' for an awful while Me 8:24 pm *oh shit other guests* *hhhhhe's going to slide off and pretend he was never there.* Twincast 8:24 pm *it's cool. you're cool. Do whatcha gotta do~* Me 8:25 pm ((... well. as long as someone walked in, no reason everyone else can't i guess.)) Twincast 8:26 pm (( oh, was I not supposed to? (( bc if I wasn't then I didn't get the memo ItsyBitsySpyers 8:26 pm ((it's okay, it's okay, the notif got swallowed with replies)) Me 8:26 pm ((it was said before you came in, s'allright.)) Swoop 8:27 pm *scampers in with ALL THE GODDAMN STICKERS* BIRD BIRD Me 8:27 pm *Well. No more lapsitting. He's still going to lean on Soundwave, though. That's totally lowkey.* Bevel 8:27 pm *Twincast will get a grateful look, which mostly just looks like nothing honestly. Soundwave's helm turning to "stare"* *awkwardest fidget* *trying to work up the words because these are not the shenanigans she was expecting* Me 8:29 pm *lowers his voice enough that only Soundwave can hear.* I apologize for, er. Fffalling asleep after one round. However— *oh so very subtly subtly runs a finger along the edge of his back armor.* I have no plans before work tonight. Magnum Ace 8:31 pm -pings Soundwave for a bridge. Movie night is tonight, right?- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:31 pm *Bird isn't there yet, but it's damned hard not to hear a Dinobot yelling her name, so she floats downstairs, chirping hello to her minion, and just... stops. Stops flying, stops talking, stops doing anything but hovering and staring at the Boss' couch.* Bevel 8:31 pm *oh sweet amalgomous prime what a tmi lesson learned* Twincast 8:31 pm ((RIP Bevel Swoop 8:31 pm *scampers over to Bird, jumping up and down and holding up the stickers* Bird Bird look STICKERS! ..... ??? *why is bird paused?* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:31 pm {{...Boss?}} Swoop 8:32 pm *we just don't know* Twincast 8:32 pm *Finds a seat, yes* Swoop 8:32 pm *looks over at Soundwave, looks at Bird, looks at Soundwave.... nope, he got nothing* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:32 pm *Soundwave opens a bridge outside for the Leaguers, and finishes making his way down the stairs.*

[[Yes, yes. He knows he's l...]] Bevel 8:32 pm *stares at Laserbeak, if you can't tell she's doomed to shove Prowl onto the floor in a moment* Me 8:32 pm *Oh, Laserbeak wants his attention. Will very politely keep his hands to himself. Don't need an outraged bird.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:32 pm [[...Is there something he should know.]] Me 8:33 pm ... *stares at the new Soundwave in the door. And then at the one he's been leaning on.* Twincast 8:33 pm Ya got a twin. Bevel 8:33 pm *Ah there we go, enjoy the floor Prowl as Bevel leaps up and shoves him away* Sorry! Swoop 8:33 pm ((happy birthday to the GROUND)) Magnum Ace 8:33 pm -trots through, and...- What just...? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:33 pm ((JFC HAHAHA)) Me 8:33 pm *For the briefest second, Prowl had hoped against hope that the one by the stairs had been Bevel.* Bevel 8:33 pm *totally her usual voice not Soundwave's* Bull 8:34 pm *follows after Magnum* Me 8:34 pm *He's going to. Just. Lay on the floor.* Magnum Ace 8:34 pm -please don't walk into his back, because he stalled- Swoop 8:34 pm *doesn't know what's happening, is unclear if it is funny therefore it is not funny, chirps to himself because biiiiirrrddd come oooonnnn* Twincast 8:34 pm *thinks it's a little funny* Bull 8:35 pm *stopped noticing Magnum's pause and looks to see what caused the other Leaguer to stop* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:35 pm *Soundwave points at Bevel like the Grim Reaper calling on a dead mech. They're having words tomorrow about this.*

*He then heads over to the couch and calmly sits on the floor next to his poor mortified amica. Like you do.*

[[Greetings, everyone. From your actual host, this time. If we're ready?]] Me 8:35 pm *Right. Okay. He's gonna, twist his head a bit until he can see Bevel. And then points sternly at her.* You. Forget EVERYTHING you heard. Bevel 8:35 pm OK Twincast 8:35 pm Ready--how 'bout you? Didja do the homework first? Swoop 8:35 pm !!! ItsyBitsySpyers 8:36 pm *Bird heads over to Swoop and settles herself by him with grumbles.*

{{You show Bird them stickers.}} Magnum Ace 8:36 pm -grabs Bull and tugs him AWAY from the mess- Bevel 8:36 pm Sorry! ItsyBitsySpyers 8:36 pm [[What homework?]] Swoop 8:36 pm *flips through the shitton of stickers he has with him..... he has a thing* Bird, kehhehhe! *holds up the one sheet of pokemon stickers, tapping a claw over Ditto and jerking his head at Bevel* Us stickers? Kehehh. For people. ON. Keheh. ON people. Twincast 8:37 pm Reading the book first, of course. Don't tell me I'm the only one. Specs 8:37 pm ((are we allowed to speak, oh mighty soundmun)) ((...heck u rabbit)) *the dragon tumbles in, managing to somehow fall tail-over-snout without dropping a single cookie. these have fancy shapes today! plain energon pangolins, mercury-infused elephants, silver bears, molybdenum and copper kingfishers, and tigers with tinsel stripes. there’s also what might be crocodiles, but crocodiles lack curved horns and such impressive wings, not to mention the elegantly spiked tail.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:37 pm ((oh gosh yes i thought that was evident with everyone speaking lmao)) Bull 8:37 pm *is more than glad that Magnum did not tug on his sore side; he still had one of their pain patches over the injury* Specs 8:37 pm ((rabbit didn't show ANYONE speaking for me ;-; )) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:38 pm ((ALRIGHT WARNINGS SO WE CAN GET THIS DELAYED-ASS SHOW ON THE ROA😧 it's the phantom of the opera if you don't know the story i don't know what i can do for you here. horrible man in mask does horrible things, murder, blackmail, etc.)) Magnum Ace 8:38 pm -he's not in that much of a rush that he'd forget Bull got attacked last week- ItsyBitsySpyers 8:38 pm ((...rabbit, can you not smileyface my words.)) Swoop 8:38 pm ((show on the roa 😀 )) Bevel 8:38 pm *so flustered she mucks up shifting into one of her own usual shapes that she winds up looking a little like Soundwave and Optimus had a kid before cursing and shifting correctly* Swoop 8:39 pm Stickers, Bird : > Bevel 8:39 pm *will quietly slunk over to a table* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:39 pm *Bird drags Swoop and all his stickers over to the dragon while listening; Soundwave shakes his helm.*

[[He was busy. He will find the time to do so soon.]] Swoop 8:40 pm *is helplessly dragged* <3 Twincast 8:40 pm I'll hold you to that. *probably won't. In a good mood, so he's teasing* Specs 8:40 pm *the dragon WAS going to put these with the rest of the snacks, but okay bird* Do you just want the entire tray? Swoop 8:40 pm *although not so helplessly manages to peel off the Ditto sticker and smack it onto Bevel in passing* Her Bird ALWAYS want entire tray Kehhehh ItsyBitsySpyers 8:40 pm [[He'd prefer you didn't hold him at all.]] Glowers at Twincast for a moment before motioning to the screen. [[He has heard there is a proper movie as well, but he thought it would be interesting to choose this version. Do all settle down. We begin.]] Swoop 8:41 pm Her eat like Dinobots do Magnum Ace 8:41 pm -up the table he goes, helping Bull up as well- Bevel 8:41 pm Thanks, Swoop. Swoop 8:41 pm *finger guns @Bevel* Specs 8:41 pm *the dragon just hands over the tray. resistance is futile. she's going to join Soundwave's couch tonight, though. there's space on the back, right?* Twincast 8:41 pm *mumbles something along the lines of 'y'know I didn't mean it like that', but quiets down* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:41 pm ((i suggest turning on the HD in rabbit)) Bevel 8:41 pm *will try to enjoy that sticker until her untimely doom at Soundwave's hands tomorrow* Bull 8:42 pm Thanks *he smiles to Magnum before settling in* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:42 pm *There is space all over that couch. Soundwave and Prowl are on the floor.*

{{It baseball bots! Hiiiii. You got stickers too?}} Swoop 8:43 pm Me Swoop have LOTS of stickers. Me TAKE them. All stickers. *fans them out to show the unreal number of stickers in his possession* Bull 8:43 pm Stickers? Twincast 8:43 pm ((brb Magnum Ace 8:43 pm Uh...? No? Specs 8:43 pm *the dragon sprawls ALL ACROSS the entire couch. her couch now* Me 8:44 pm *Prowl appreciates the solidarity. He finally sits up.* Swoop 8:44 pm *flips through to find stickers for Bird.... what does Bird like........* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:44 pm *Bird likes birds. Duh.* *Soundwave loops a feeler on the ground around Prowl once he sits up. Greetings.* Swoop 8:45 pm *peels off a mustache sticker and holds it out for Bird* : > ItsyBitsySpyers 8:45 pm {{Why you not got stickers? Them not go on helmet?}} She's seen pictures of human players like that. {{Ooooh, face fur. Neheh.}}

Boop. On goes the stache. Me 8:45 pm *gives the feeler, and then Soundwave a suspicious look* Swoop 8:45 pm *how? is? bird? so?? cute???????* *he doESn'T UNderSTanD????* <3 <3 <3 <3 Magnum Ace 8:46 pm ...oh, you mean the decals? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:46 pm {{Yes!}} Swoop 8:46 pm Them for decorate, Christmas! Presents. And stuff. Me Swoop take. Specs 8:46 pm Now that's a fancy bed. Me 8:46 pm ... Confirm your identity. Bull 8:47 pm Well yeah, we have decals. Magnum Ace 8:47 pm -taps the Silver Castle decal on his cap- This, right? Swoop 8:48 pm ((A+ costumes already)) Specs 8:48 pm ...Is she going to eat it, or just sing at it? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:49 pm @Prowl: [[He is an ex-Senator, ex-prisoner, ex-gladiator, and ex-Decepticon. You are his One. And he is regrowing a fang he broke in your avatar.]] Me 8:49 pm ((how do you think andrew lloyd webber feels, having to live with the knowledge that nothing he ever does will be as great as the overture to POTO)) @Soundwave «... Can I have it?» Swoop 8:49 pm *finds a spot to settle with Bird and spreads all the stickers out in front of himself* Bevel 8:49 pm ((bad i hope ItsyBitsySpyers 8:50 pm @Prowl: [[He will leave it at the site tonight.]] Twincast 8:51 pm ((I return. with ice cream & such Me 8:51 pm @Soundwave «You know my seat in the break trailer.» Bull 8:51 pm ((mmm, ice cream *is now tempted to retrieve some mint chocolate icecream *)) Specs 8:51 pm *if you look at the couch, the dragon might be attempting to mimic the dancers. if you look too closely, she's going to stop, though.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:51 pm *Soundwave's may be speaking to Prowl, but his attention is firmly fixed on the production in front of him. Look at these costumes. Look at the way they move together. If organics have one thing going for them, it's their grace.* *Soundwave glances over at the couch with a feeler, hearing movement behind him.* Swoop 8:52 pm *offers Bird a "I kept a secret" sticker and a holo star with "GOOD WORK!" written on it* Magnum Ace 8:52 pm It's no wonder they continue this, they're good at it Specs 8:53 pm *the feeler doesn't count as too close, but the dragon whacks her nose on the couch trying to mimic the final drop* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:53 pm {{What them decal mean?}} She tucks the other stickers into her subspace. These will be fun to put on later. Magnum Ace 8:53 pm I think...well maybe Windy could pull some of this off, but I know I' break something trying. Swoop 8:53 pm Meeeeeeeeaaan good work kehheheh ((who is in sticker smacking distance of swoop)) Bull 8:54 pm This one *pointing at the Silver Castle's logo* is our team symbol Swoop 8:54 pm *notices the pointing and peels the sticker off for Bull, he has no idea what it is so he is down to give it away* Bevel 8:54 pm I like her dress. Bull 8:55 pm *this show is reminding him of a show Rumi mentioned having seen before* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:55 pm {{Oooh. It faction.}} Magnum Ace 8:55 pm Faction? Not...really? Swoop 8:55 pm Bot, con, fighting, faction! ItsyBitsySpyers 8:55 pm [[It is definitely colorf-- oh?]] Magnum Ace 8:55 pm No Not at all Bull 8:56 pm *looks to Swoop and the offered sticker trying to see what it is* Swoop 8:56 pm *BOOP now you have a sticker* Bull 8:56 pm *is surprised at the boop of the sticker* Thanks? Swoop 8:57 pm ((man i must be a proper southern gal cause, when we saw the back of her head and how tall her hair is, all I could think is "oh she's close to god") Magnum Ace 8:57 pm -covers mouth at the sticker boop- Swoop 8:57 pm Welcome : > Bull 8:57 pm *looks to see what the sticker is* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:57 pm {{What ghost want with box?}} Magnum Ace 8:58 pm -may be snickering a bit- Twincast 8:58 pm ((I love how in the 2000's movie he says Australia instead of Frankfurt & I'm like 'isn't australia basically a jail at this point?' Swoop 8:58 pm Sit Kehhhehh *sticks a bunch of stickers to the interior of his wing, no real plan here, just going after all the ones that are gold or sparkly* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:58 pm *Soundwave nods to the two new guests. Or sort of... at them. Without looking. The film holds his attention.* Specs 8:59 pm ((probably better jail than a ghost)) Twincast 8:59 pm ((fair Specs 8:59 pm ((or maybe he had to sell the opera house for being in trouble?)) ItsyBitsySpyers 8:59 pm @Prowl: [[Now he knows, yes.]] Had to ask Frenzy. Whirl 8:59 pm *trots in, fashionably late. But this night he comes bearing gifts. There is a hilariously human-sized shopping bag dangling off one claw* Swoop 8:59 pm *waves at whirl* Stickers! Me 9:00 pm *Okay. Prowl trusts him again. He leans on Soundwave.* Specs 9:00 pm *the dragon clambers up onto the back of the couch to look at whirl* What's that? Knock Out 9:00 pm *Knock Out will offer a polite little wave, but really, his attention's equally drawn towards the movie. This one's a favorite of his*. Swoop 9:00 pm *holds up a bomb sticker, waves it at Whirl* Whirl 9:00 pm *bobs his head at Swoop, and then the dragon, and then just generally, for everyone else* This... is payment. One sec, you guys. Bevel 9:01 pm *waves to Whirl* Magnum Ace 9:01 pm -inches away from sticker happy dino- ItsyBitsySpyers 9:01 pm *Soundwave returns the lean and tightens the feeler a bit, budging it up against the avatar's legs.*

=Payment?= Whirl 9:01 pm *he's gonna drop the bag of at the bar. It's a red-and-green shopping bag, and within it is, indeed, the illicit tinsel-ey goods* Yep. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:02 pm *Ravage pokes his helm in from outside. He's pretty sure he can smell - ohhhh yes.* Me 9:02 pm @Soundwave «... I apologize for falling asleep after one round.» *it's easier the second time.* Whirl 9:03 pm Raided a department store in my holoform. I cleaned 'em out. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:03 pm @Prowl: [[It is--]] Listen to the human go. The sound makes his armor buzz. [[It is fine. Limits are limits. We will continue another time.]]

=They did not chase?= Swoop 9:04 pm Her mean, kehheh, like Ironhide when us goof off kehhehh. Whirl 9:04 pm Nah. I just pretended to be following someone else's mom out. ...either that or the Uzis deterred them from asking questions. Swoop 9:04 pm *absolutely definately for sure has spiderman stickers in the massive mess of stickers spread out on the ground in front of him JUST IN CASE SOMEONE WAS INTO THAT* Whirl 9:04 pm I choose to believe *drapes a claw over his chest* That it was an act of masterful deception. The benefits of having a very young holoform. Specs 9:05 pm *plops back on the couch and mimics the ballet girls' arms with her wings* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:05 pm *Ravage's mouth pulls back into a horrible toothy smile. A human child with massive weapons strolling into one of their vending centers... ah, he would have liked to see the confusion and terror himself.*

*For now, he just tries to get a paw into the bag.* Whirl 9:06 pm *there's a good dozen or so packages in there* Swoop 9:06 pm *sticks a baby on board sticker on the dragon* Specs 9:06 pm *jumps three feet in the air and yelps* Hey! ItsyBitsySpyers 9:06 pm [[You amuse him, dragon. Dance more, if you wish. Here and elsewhere. Do not let others convince you to stop.]] Swoop 9:07 pm kehehHHEHHEH ItsyBitsySpyers 9:07 pm *INTO THE BAG goes Ravage. Which basically means he gets it on his helm and shakes it, breathing in the scent of the tinsel packs falling out around him.* Whirl 9:08 pm *snickers* There ya go, bartender. Oughta settle my tab. *salutes* Bull 9:08 pm *he can imagine Ruri liking this musical* Me 9:08 pm ((i like how raoul's just as extra as the phantom)) Specs 9:08 pm *forgive her for not appreciating the compliment, Soundwave. she's got a STICKER on her* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:08 pm *Muffled.* =For weeks, yes.= Me 9:09 pm ((he doesn't introduce himself in the letter he sends christine, he just enigmatically describes some things they did together)) Whirl 9:09 pm I can go looking for more, if you want. Easy to find that stuff this time of year. Swoop 9:09 pm ((calm the fuck down phantom)) Whirl 9:09 pm ((HE REALLY IS)) Bull 9:09 pm *Bull already doesn't like how the Phantom is talking* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:10 pm *Flopped and kicking the bag. Shred shred. He'll regret this later, he will.* =All you can carry. You will be pouring drinks yourself, mm?= Swoop 9:10 pm *has no idea what is going on in the movie but he does know that this happy taco sticker is pretty sweet and starts looking around for someone to slap it on* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:11 pm [[A secret passage?]] Magnum Ace 9:11 pm -oh, don't look at him you silly dino- Bevel 9:11 pm Cool. Swoop 9:11 pm *is looking* : > Twincast 9:11 pm *is happy to be stickered. plenty'a surface space* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:11 pm *Bird pretends to play along with the music on Swoop's shin. Such dramatics. It must be the mustache.8 Whirl 9:11 pm I'll grab some later. Have fun. *he actually means it, because seeing Ravage so absolutely blissful is actually pretty nice. A good favor for a good bartender. And now, he will at last go to the Whirl table to join his regulars* Specs 9:11 pm *nope nope nope* *hides from the dinobab and starts biting at the sticker already on her* Magnum Ace 9:11 pm -stares back- Tarantulas 9:12 pm *tarantulas couldn't care less what movie is on, he's just going to stalk in and poke around* Whirl 9:12 pm ...want me to get that, dragon? Specs 9:12 pm *flies so fast to whirl that she all but teleports* Yes. Please. Swoop 9:12 pm *normally would DIE before giving up on a staring contest but Bird is tapping on his shin a lot, that merits a confused chirp and turnign his head to investigate* Me 9:12 pm ((damn i haven't heard this phantom before. i like him, his voice is powerful.)) Swoop 9:12 pm !!! SPIDER! ItsyBitsySpyers 9:12 pm ((he is A Favorite)) Magnum Ace 9:13 pm -oh good, he was getting worried there- Swoop 9:13 pm *paws through the many stickers he brought today and finds the Spiderman ones* : > Tarantulas 9:13 pm *frick. swoop. this wasn't really the person tarantulas was looking to take his irritation out on* Bevel 9:13 pm ((I love this performance so much Swoop 9:13 pm *waves the sheet of stickers at Tarantulas* Whirl 9:13 pm *he raises his claw, and the tip splits open to reveal two very delicate fine manipulators. They're horrid, but he expertly plucks the sticker up with no incident* ((IT'S REAL GOOD)) Swoop 9:13 pm Look! Whirl 9:13 pm ((I've never seen a stage show of Phantom!)) Magnum Ace 9:13 pm ((it's awesome Swoop 9:13 pm ((I've seen it before. It's so incredible in person. SO much energy.)) Me 9:13 pm ((I'm liking the Christine, too. most Christines I've heard are TOO good at hitting those high notes and hurt my ears.)) Tarantulas 9:14 pm What is that? Decals? *heavy squinting, he's keeping away* Specs 9:14 pm *some fur comes away with that as a matter of course. it's enough to hurt and make the dragon hiss, but at least it's not causing a bald spot* Thank you, Whirl. *grooms the spot to get rid of any sticker residue* Swoop 9:14 pm Stiiiiickers : > *continues waving them at Tara* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:14 pm *Soundwave leans forward. And forward. And forward.* Me 9:14 pm *Hey, it's a spider voice. Looks over at him and pings hello.* Me 9:15 pm *... a guy in a mask singing about people paying homage to music. sideways glance at Soundwave.* Whirl 9:16 pm No prob. *he's been listening to the very very good singing this whole time, but is only now getting caught up... and has no idea what's going on. But that seems to be all right* Tarantulas 9:16 pm *glances over at prowl with a return ping, but is mostly fixed on suspicious swoop* Swoop 9:16 pm ((OKAY SO I've never got a clear answer on this. Do Christine and the Phantom bang? Whenever I ask, I get these long answers about sequels and debatable canon and whatnot. Has it ever been confirmed one way or the other?)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:16 pm *And slumps slightly. He must find more versions of this. Must hear all the actors.*

*...Glance over?* Swoop 9:16 pm *chirps at Tara* Me 9:16 pm ((I don't know about the sequels. In both musical and book canon, there's no evidence they bang.)) Swoop 9:16 pm *he's got a bunch of completely random stickers all over him and so do a lot of otehr people* *Bird has a mustache* Twincast 9:17 pm ((we don't talk about the sequel Bevel 9:17 pm ((Never confirmed far as I know. Specs 9:17 pm *the dragon shakes, and flops onto the Whirl Table* *she'd go back to the couch, but the threat of stickers is Bad* Swoop 9:17 pm You Spiderbot have sticker! Tarantulas 9:17 pm Nnnnno, no thank you. Swoop 9:17 pm No? Me 9:17 pm ((There are certainly opportunities during the musical where they might have banged off-screen if you choose to read it that way—but no evidence; and improbable considering the phantom's later behavior.)) Swoop 9:17 pm *BAFFLED* Whirl 9:17 pm *lowers his head towards the dragon* ...what's with the stickers, anyway? Swoop 9:17 pm *who DOESN'T want stickers?* Specs 9:18 pm *aside to Whirl* Swoop has stickers. Swoop is sharing stickers. I am considering making a tray of goodies just for Laserbeak if she keeps him away from my fur. Whirl 9:18 pm Pfft. Got it. Tarantulas 9:18 pm Definitely not, Swoop. Don't test me. Swoop 9:19 pm ((There are def opportunities for them to bang. I haven't read the sequel but I think there's something in there that makes it sound like they did? But you're right that it doesn't seem like the phantom would want to.)) Whirl 9:19 pm Also, whoever this fella is, he's killing it. Swoop 9:19 pm Why??? Me 9:19 pm ... This is a musical about music. Whirl 9:19 pm ((ye i never thought of the phantom as being interested in that sort of thing)) Specs 9:19 pm He is! *goes back to watching raptly* I've never seen a human musical before. I feel like I stuck my face into a swarmfish nest. Swoop 9:20 pm *peels off a spiderman logo sticker and waves it at Tara from his seated postition on the floor, for the moment he is pinned by a borb* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm [[There is no more appropriate format for it.]] Me 9:20 pm ((I don't NECESSARILY think he wouldn't want to? I just figure that given he completely emotionally flips out over a cheek-touch, they probably weren't doing something earlier that required MORE physical contact, yknow?)) Swoop 9:21 pm ((totally)) Bevel 9:21 pm ((I swear it's in the books that he's a eunuch or otherwise deformed in such a way that he couldn't even if he wanted to but it's been two decades since I've read it so don't quote me on that Me 9:21 pm I suppose not, no. Specs 9:21 pm ((well, isn't his cheek burned? pain spots tend to be super twitchy when you touch them. but, then again, he's entirely a pain spot, isn't he.)) Swoop 9:21 pm ((you know what? that sounds familiar. Maybe you're right and he can't.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:22 pm *It finally registers that there is another new mech in here. Soundwave glances behind himself just long enough to nod to Tarantulas before whipping back to the screen.* Whirl 9:22 pm Whoa. Fool canNOT play an organ, though. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:22 pm {{Peh. Dramatic.}} {{BRRM BRRM BRRRRRRM.}} Bevel 9:23 pm *grumbles about the loud bad organ playing* Specs 9:23 pm Was he playing it, or just smacking it? Swoop 9:23 pm *jumps when Bird makes a loud BRRRRMMM* Twincast 9:23 pm ((..you made me look up what a eunuch was. I learned something today.) Swoop 9:23 pm *immediately CACKLES at his own reaction* Whirl 9:23 pm *raises his head and instantly imitates the BRRM BRRM BRRRRRM* Tarantulas 9:23 pm ...I couldn't care less what sort of stickers they are, I'm not having it. If you want me to ever consider making you a web sling again, you're going to keep them to yourself for the rest of the night. Bull 9:23 pm Seemed like just banging on it. Me 9:23 pm ((I'm pppretty sure that eunuchs can have sex; they just can't produce babies from it and therefore If It Doesn't Make Babies Doesn't Count. But tbh who knows if leroux knew that or not.)) Bull 9:24 pm *yet he doesn't know music* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:24 pm *Soundwave flickers his feelers at Whirl and Laserbeak. Shh.* Swoop 9:24 pm You grumpy spider Magnum Ace 9:24 pm .... Bull 9:24 pm *little surprised* over reaction.... Specs 9:24 pm *eyes widen* Hm. Tarantulas 9:25 pm @SW: ::Can you let Laserbeak know that I'll owe her immensely if she agrees to continue keeping Swoop occupied for the rest of the evening.:: Magnum Ace 9:25 pm That was over doing it Whirl 9:25 pm *Whirl subsides, and pays a bit closer attention* Bevel 9:25 pm She should have asked. Swoop 9:25 pm Grumpy, grouchy! *blows raspberries then laughs* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:25 pm @Tarantulas: [[She has been told.]] More because they'll want the favor than because he's interested in what's going on behind him right now. Specs 9:25 pm *tilts head* It's not THAT bad. Humans have naked faces anyways. Whirl 9:25 pm *he can... empathize with being very protective of your face. And with the baggage that comes with mutilation* Me 9:26 pm *... a conventionally-considered ugly face under the mask of the person who's extremely into music. Another sideways glance at Soundwave.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:26 pm {{Swoop. Swoop, you find Rumble sticker. Frenzy sticker.}} Swoop 9:26 pm *perks up at the request* KAY! Tarantulas 9:26 pm *waves a paw at swoop's alliteration. meh* Specs 9:26 pm *Whirl's face isn't that bad either, but the dragon is not a telepath and cannot say such things* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:26 pm *Soundwave looks back at Prowl again.*

[[...Is he doing something?]] *Head tilt.* Me 9:27 pm No. Just observing parallels. Tarantulas 9:27 pm *plops down somewhere near but not too close to sw and prowl, his own chair or smth* Swoop 9:27 pm *slides his hand over all the stickers to spread them out more, in part to help and in part because he is a messy boy* Whirl 9:27 pm *the dragon is kind; Among his own kind, Whirl is Not A Looker. Doesn't bother him, though* Me 9:27 pm *nods to Tarantulas* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:27 pm [[Ah.]] *Consider consider.* [[He has been informed of them many times before. They will not all be matched.]] [[Greetings, Tarantulas.]] Me 9:28 pm ... I question his wisdom with the whole "fear turn to love" thing. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:28 pm [[And yes, gossip is worth that.]] Tarantulas 9:28 pm *huffs at the hellos and sinks in the chair. he doesn't want niceness right now, geez* Whirl 9:28 pm Yeah, seems... like a bad plan. Me 9:28 pm She snatched his mask off his face without warning or asking, and he considers her a keeper? Whirl 9:29 pm Sounds like SOMEONE can't deal with being ugly, pfft. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:29 pm [[One who cannot respect boundaries does not deserve what is behind them.]]

Pfffft. [[Ha.]] Specs 9:29 pm You don't touch people without asking. Tarantulas 9:29 pm (( "wrote.... written." my fave line Bevel 9:30 pm ((I love that line so much Whirl 9:30 pm Yeah, that whole deal, too. Me 9:30 pm ((same)) Whirl 9:30 pm Something tells me that our Phantom--*stage whisper* Might be a few instruments short of an orchestra. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:30 pm *Ravage snickers hoarsely through a tangle of tinsel.* Bevel 9:30 pm *giggles* Specs 9:30 pm *smiles toothily* Whirl 9:32 pm ((Madam Giry is also en pointe, that snatch was a+)) Magnum Ace 9:32 pm What... ItsyBitsySpyers 9:32 pm [[The Phantom pretends to be a ghost. He suspects they have not interacted with others much.]] [[Regarding his acceptance of one who steals his mask.]] Specs 9:33 pm It's hard to have a ghost that bother people. Bull 9:33 pm Sounds arrogant like Segal... Bevel 9:33 pm Obedient servant gives a lot of orders. Magnum Ace 9:33 pm With the mood swings to suit Whirl 9:34 pm *he will now take a moment to scoot over to the bar to mix himself something paint-meltingly spicy* Specs 9:34 pm *the dragon looks askance at all those fox tails, and back at her own tail* Humans and their furs. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:35 pm *...Laserbeak likes this red-furred human.* *Look how smoothly she has everyone bending to her whim and giving her what she wants.* Bevel 9:35 pm *likes her clothes* Swoop 9:35 pm ((gdi why do I always have internet problesm monday night??)) Whirl 9:35 pm *a true role model for u* Swoop 9:36 pm *picks a wonderwoman "fight like a girl" sticker and offers it to Bird* MMmmm.... *finally picks a sticker of a fist in the air, no clue what it means but Rumble and Frenzy like fighting* Ka! *looks expectantly at Bird* ((she SO close to god now)) Me 9:37 pm ((i like how they get all meta about their own musical for a second)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:37 pm *Bird lifts the sticker close to her optics and chatters in approval, pocketing that one too. She then taps the fist sticker.*

{{How them share one?}} Me 9:37 pm (("lmao you'd never get away with this story in a play BUT IN AN OPERA IT'S ALL GOOD")) Whirl 9:37 pm Her giant hair will surely protect her. Magnum Ace 9:38 pm -nudges Bull- Specs 9:38 pm *that gets a snicker from the dragon* I'm almost jealous of its volume. Bull 9:38 pm *looks to Magnum* Magnum Ace 9:38 pm Glad we didn't have to try and sing like that Swoop 9:38 pm *snickers* rock paper scissors Whirl 9:38 pm *leans over the bar to peer at the dragon* You know, we could get you a wig. I think you could make it work. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:38 pm *Soundwave shakes his helm. It is unwise to irritate someone with the reputation of strangling others.* Bull 9:38 pm *Bull shudders at the memory* Thankfully; it was embarrassing enough. Specs 9:39 pm *the dragon grins* Of course I could. I have the fur everywhere else, too. Swoop 9:39 pm *sticks a few small, sparkly star stickers to his own cheek* Whirl 9:40 pm *returns to his table and begins the Hunkering Process. anyone with a functioning nose might wanna give him and his drink a bit of space* Magnum Ace 9:40 pm -soft snicker- It was. It was a bit fun though. Bull 9:40 pm I think the only reason why we didn't have to was cause Edmond got dragged in with us. *chuckles* Whirl 9:41 pm *solemnly* Praise. Magnum Ace 9:41 pm It would have been interesting to hear him try to sing like that, though ItsyBitsySpyers 9:41 pm *HUFF* Swoop 9:41 pm *perks up and finally looks at the screen* *this is his level of comedy, cracks up immediately* Bull 9:42 pm That would have been funny. Specs 9:42 pm *blinks* The phantom is rather unpleasant. *ooh, she can do that! curves her wings up and balances on her toes* Whirl 9:43 pm Okay, so... does he actually have magic powers? Swoop 9:43 pm Her funny noises Whirl 9:43 pm Did he make that lady croak? Or are we gonna get an explanation? Specs 9:43 pm *sorry, too busy trying to mimic ballerinas* Whirl 9:43 pm ...*and distracted by ballet dragon* Nice. *he will scoot his drink away to give her room* Magnum Ace 9:44 pm It would have been, but he /really/ would have looked for a way to duck out then Whirl 9:44 pm They're all pretty good. Times like these, it's a damn shame I never learned to dance. *shakes head slowly* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:44 pm *Wonders what Prowl's math makes of the ballerina movements. He starts composing the question when--* Bull 9:44 pm ..... *was not expecting that* Swoop 9:44 pm Dead Bevel 9:44 pm ((the best part of seeing this for the first time in a theatre is that you legit are watching the ballet and don't actually realized anything is happening until the body falls down Specs 9:44 pm *aaaaand there she goes on her snout again* Oof. Tarantulas 9:44 pm *quiet snort* Magnum Ace 9:45 pm ..... -well, there goes that mood- Me 9:46 pm "A world where daylight dissolves into darkness"? Just say the basement. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:46 pm *EVEN LOUDER HUFF* Bevel 9:46 pm *laughs* Whirl 9:46 pm *snorts* Twincast 9:46 pm *Raoul's pretty good at NOT listening to Christine, honestly* Swoop 9:46 pm .... *peels off a web sticker, Birb should know where this is going* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:46 pm [[She is an actress. They are dramatic.]] *Bird knows. Bird grabs the web sticker and EATS IT.* Me 9:46 pm *shrug. fair enough.* Specs 9:46 pm *ex-ballet dragon just watches while mimicking a placemat. it's too interesting to risk unflattening herself and missing something.* Swoop 9:47 pm !!!! Tarantulas 9:47 pm *good laserbeak* Swoop 9:47 pm *SQUEAK-laughs* Magnum Ace 9:47 pm Anyway. Definitely like Segal. Windchill 9:47 pm *Is here.* Swoop 9:47 pm *what was that?? he doesn't know but he's going to actually flop over laughing* Bull 9:47 pm yeah.... murderous intent and all Whirl 9:47 pm *bobs his head at Windchill over his drink* Windchill 9:47 pm *He knows this one.* Swoop 9:47 pm Hungry bird? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm [[Murderous intent? Who is Segal?]] Windchill 9:48 pm *Waves at Whirl. Hello.* Magnum Ace 9:48 pm Yeah. Attempted murder and all. What? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm {{Yes. You get snacks. Then Bird not eating stickers.}} Windchill 9:48 pm *He's gonna sit down.* Magnum Ace 9:48 pm -forgot Soundwave could hear them- Swoop 9:48 pm Now Bird tank happy stickers kehhehhh Specs 9:48 pm *okay, the humans are hugging. NOW she can unflatten herself* Windchill 9:49 pm I can't believe you guys tried to watch this without me. Swoop 9:49 pm *looks around for where the treats went and then gets to work stealing that too* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:49 pm @Prowl: [[He has never interrupted an opera with a carcass. If you were wondering about other parallels.]] Whirl 9:49 pm You a fan of this one? Bull 9:49 pm *Bull looks to Soundwave but then looks to Magnum to see if they should explain anything to the mech* Tarantulas 9:49 pm *would definitely interrupt an opera with a carcass, ftr* Windchill 9:49 pm Unfortunately. Me 9:49 pm @Soundwave «I get the impression that, if it were bad enough, you might.» Specs 9:49 pm ((god forbid soundwave interrupt a music)) Windchill 9:49 pm Don't worry, I won't ruin it by singing along. Whirl 9:49 pm *snickers* Magnum Ace 9:49 pm -if Soundwave's distracted then NOPE- Specs 9:49 pm *peeks over at Windchill* Are they all like this? Windchill 9:50 pm All of what like what? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:50 pm *Perhaps Tarantulas should take up mask-wearing. They're terribly comfortable. He's sure everyone will be wearing them in the future.* Specs 9:50 pm Singing, dancing, random corpses? Windchill 9:50 pm Hell yeah. And drama, don't forget that. Bevel 9:50 pm *didn't interrupt an opera but a body was involved* Specs 9:50 pm Nice. Tarantulas 9:50 pm *tarantulas ditched his mask a long time ago, masks are so pre-war* Windchill 9:50 pm This one has—well, I won't spoil anything. Whirl 9:51 pm *snickers again, and magnanimously gestures for Windchill to join the Whirl Table* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:51 pm *Soundwave is distracted, but he won't forget that question. It'll come back some day to bite the Leaguers.* Swoop 9:51 pm *comes back with the proportionally largest treats available and gets back on the sticker-covered floor with Bird* Windchill 9:51 pm *He will gladly move to the Whirl Table.* Me 9:51 pm @Soundwave «... And would I be wrong to say that there were points in your life where, if you had taken an interest in an opera house, you'd be willing to use blackmail and threats to ensure it was run up to your standards?» Swoop 9:51 pm *doesn't have any problem putting goodies on top of stickers, quality control is not a very dinobot thing* Magnum Ace 9:51 pm -well crap- ItsyBitsySpyers 9:52 pm *...He can't look at Prowl now. To be honest, he owns a club and he uses blackmail and threats to keep it running. An opera is just a change of style.* Bull 9:52 pm *If Magnum says nothing, neither is Bull* Specs 9:52 pm ((does that make karaoke nights opera?)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:52 pm *LASERBEAK will eat the goodies, stickers and all.* Swoop 9:53 pm ((oh will he?)) Specs 9:53 pm ((SOUNDWAVE NO)) Swoop 9:53 pm ((LOL)) Tarantulas 9:53 pm (( sldghdf ItsyBitsySpyers 9:53 pm *AHEM* Windchill 9:53 pm I oughta make the boyfriend watch this one. He'd judge me and it would be lots of fun. Me 9:53 pm ((that's one way to avoid answering prowl)) Swoop 9:53 pm ((that'd be QUITE a sight)) Bevel 9:53 pm ((A+ error Tarantulas 9:53 pm (( shred the stickers with your fangs Swoop 9:53 pm ((if anyone ever M!A bodyswaps the Soundwave fam, I want to believe that's what Bird would do with Soundwave's body)) Magnum Ace 9:53 pm -good. Until Soundwave remembers- Specs 9:53 pm ((soundwave tip #137: eat food off the floor to avoid awkward conversations)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:53 pm ((prowl is not food shh)) Bevel 9:53 pm ((lol Tarantulas 9:54 pm (( om nom Whirl 9:54 pm He seems like he judges everyone and everything. So, what would even be new? Swoop 9:54 pm *puts a happy donut sticker on a round goodie* *offers to Bird* Windchill 9:54 pm Yeah, that's the idea. Swoop 9:54 pm <3 Me 9:54 pm ((really? because i remember soundwave very recently eating his chest sticker and all)) Specs 9:54 pm *the dragon thought that Whirl was Windchill's boyfriend, but will avoid commenting* Whirl 9:54 pm *EVERYONE DOES* Windchill 9:54 pm I enjoy a certain amount of predictability. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:54 pm *Is trying not to be sympathetic to the Phantom's pain. Is anyway. Doesn't know what this says about him.* Whirl 9:54 pm *IT'S AMAZING* Twincast 9:54 pm ((...well, soundwave duped me, bc I looked away & was very confused why people were chiding him. bc I clearly saw LASERBEAK)) Windchill 9:54 pm *Even Windchill's actual boyfriend is suspicious.* Me 9:54 pm @Soundwave «... I can't tell if that's a reluctant yes, or a "that's so off base I'm too insulted to reply."» Magnum Ace 9:54 pm ....definitely dramatic enough to be him Swoop 9:55 pm *if windchill gets close to swoop, he will get sticker'd* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:55 pm ((you shh about that sticker))

@Prowl: [[Reluctant yes.]] Bull 9:55 pm *Bull snorts at that* No, this guy is a far better actor. Windchill 9:55 pm *He's sitting down, but Swoop is more than welcome to sticker him.* Magnum Ace 9:55 pm He had the mask part down, though Whirl 9:55 pm *Whirl actually DOES have a significant other, presently, but everyone always assumes it's Windchill* Me 9:55 pm ((his angry little RRGH at the end)) Whirl 9:56 pm Hot damn! Bull 9:56 pm *Bull tried not to laugh* either of which are convincing 'disguises' Whirl 9:56 pm Exploding chandelier. Bull 9:56 pm *neither Windchill 9:56 pm Cool. Specs 9:56 pm Why is the bed on fire? Magnum Ace 9:56 pm I don't know. The humans fell for it... Whirl 9:56 pm *intermission means, TIME TO DRINK, and Whirl gets chuggin* Swoop 9:56 pm *has to reach but he manages to slap a hot dog sticker on Windchill, not for a reason, he was just in the food sticker book cause of Bird* Tarantulas 9:56 pm This message has been removed. Windchill 9:56 pm *Side eyes Whirl's grotesque display.* Tarantulas 9:57 pm This message has been removed. Windchill 9:57 pm *Gasps when someone TOUCHES him.* Specs 9:57 pm ((tara you okay)) Tarantulas 9:57 pm (( DAMNIT Swoop 9:57 pm ((lolol it's okay swoop can be v overwhelming)) Tarantulas 9:57 pm (( enter key sneakin under my fingers Me 9:57 pm @Soundwave «Ah, good. I mean—not good, but. Good that I didn't insult you.» Twincast 9:57 pm ((Tara has been silenced by rabbit)) Whirl 9:57 pm ((Tarantulas has been REDACTED)) Specs 9:57 pm ((pat spide)) Bull 9:57 pm *Bull shakes his head* Really... Owner should have saw through it sooner. Atleast Coach did. Whirl 9:57 pm *it's weird, but hardly grotesque, you philistine; like watching a bird drink* Swoop 9:57 pm *slaps a hamburger on Windchill's shin for good measure* Windchill 9:58 pm *Looks down, knowing that knowing was a bad idea and doing it anyway.* Swoop 9:58 pm *HAS WATCHED BIRD DRINK BEFORE 😮 * Whirl 9:58 pm *That's how Whirl do. He has to toss his head back to swallow* Windchill 9:58 pm What the hullabaloo are you slapping me for? Specs 9:58 pm (( http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/humm/RThompson_forktongue.gif )) Swoop 9:58 pm For stickers Specs 9:58 pm ((whirl sip)) Magnum Ace 9:58 pm Owner was also head over heels for Segal Tarantulas 9:58 pm *throws silk at one of swoop's non-stickered snacks. he's feeling petty. zoop, the snack is his* Windchill 9:58 pm *Squints, has to lift his leg to see.* What is it? Swoop 9:58 pm *joke's on tara, those were for laserbeak* Tarantulas 9:59 pm *self-sabotage* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:59 pm @Prowl: [[He cannot blame you for knowing the truth.]] Bull 9:59 pm I think Top Joy explained it as 'star struck' Specs 9:59 pm *looks at the skull faced humans* *kinda looks at Soundwave* *Suspicious.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:59 pm {{Hey! Them mine!}} Bull 9:59 pm *attention goes back to the screen* Swoop 10:00 pm *snaps his head around to figure out what is up with Bird* ?? Magnum Ace 10:00 pm Yeah. She was star-struck and not paying attention Whirl 10:00 pm ((JDKR HAHAHA)) Magnum Ace 10:00 pm -and now his attention is back on the screen too- Tarantulas 10:00 pm *pauses. that was an Error. but don't admit it* *....sneaks his tongue out and licks the snack* Windchill 10:00 pm *Puts his foot down.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:00 pm *SHRILL SCREECH* Swoop 10:00 pm *JUMPS* ???? Twincast 10:00 pm *uh* Swoop 10:00 pm !!! 😮 Whirl 10:00 pm *chugging is done* Well, this is a little--oh, good, they're singing again. Magnum Ace 10:00 pm !!!! Bevel 10:00 pm *ooooo so many costumes* Me 10:01 pm *What's going on?* Bull 10:01 pm *looks to the screech alarmed* ! Twincast 10:01 pm ..everything alright? Specs 10:01 pm *the dragon suddenly LEAPS into the air* *flying dragon ballet* *well, it's not ballet anymore, it's just twirling around in the air* Whirl 10:01 pm *serenely ignores the screech* Swoop 10:01 pm *is still unclear on what happened to Bird and therefore hasn't figure out how fire can solve this yet* Magnum Ace 10:01 pm -alarmed straightening of posture - Windchill 10:01 pm Creepy. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:02 pm [[...He wonders if it is still possible to find the Cybertron that hosted the masquerade some years ago.]] Tarantulas 10:02 pm *chomp. snack gone* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:02 pm [[Perhaps not. It may have descended into the war by now.]] Whirl 10:02 pm Were these every a thing on our world? *looks to Prowl questioningly* Bevel 10:03 pm They should have one here. Whirl 10:03 pm Or, well. Your world. I mean, y'know. The analogue, seeing as we're not from the actual same Cybertron. Swoop 10:03 pm *glances up at Tarantulas then to Bird, he suspects* Spiderbot ... take You Bird goodie? Windchill 10:03 pm *Points down his throat in a gagging motion.* Me 10:03 pm ... Were what? *he's still trying to figure out what happened with Laserb— oh no, Tarantulas didn't.* Whirl 10:03 pm Masquerade-type things. Tarantulas 10:03 pm I would /never/. Specs 10:03 pm *dives back down to the table, spins on her toes, and leaps back into the air for more twirling* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:04 pm {{Him done! Squish, gross web steal. Then him lick! Bird seen!}} Magnum Ace 10:04 pm -oh. That's it. Back to watching the screen- Me 10:04 pm *Well, whether or not it's true, Swoop's going to believe it. Gets to his feet and heads over. There's a song going, Soundwave isn't going to intervene.* Bevel 10:05 pm *entranced with this song* Swoop 10:05 pm *puffs up and looks from Bird to Tarantulas* Specs 10:05 pm *and, for ONCE this entire movie, lands gracefully on the tips of her toes. tries to bow, but dragons aren't made for that* Bull 10:05 pm and he's back... Windchill 10:05 pm *It about to get spoopy, so he's gonna dig into his subspace.* Whirl 10:05 pm *clicks his claws on the table by way of applause for the dragon* *SNRK* Magnum Ace 10:06 pm ....Dramatic much? Whirl 10:06 pm Okay the moving jaw kind of ruins it. Specs 10:06 pm *the dragon bows her head happily* *but look at that hella skeleton!* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:06 pm [[He likes the jaw.]] *Wait. Where did Prowl go?* Tarantulas 10:06 pm *tarantulas is strangely delighted prowl's in on this now* Whirl 10:06 pm It's goofy, so if that's what you're going for. Bevel 10:06 pm *loves the costume* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:06 pm *...Oh, yes, the licking. Well, if Prowl thinks he can stop those two from fighting, so be it. Might be good for encouraging... things.* Me 10:06 pm *cautiously stands near Tarantulas.* *PROWL THINKS NO SUCH THING, COME HELP* Windchill 10:07 pm *Is pulling a swathe of fabric out of his boob like a magician.* Swoop 10:07 pm *crouches and grins while he stares Tara down* Bull 10:07 pm I'm almost waiting for one of 13's golf balls to come whizzing by again. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:07 pm *TELL HIM YOU DON'T, HE'S NOT A... I mean, yes, he IS a mind reader, but he's not - look, just say a damn thing.* Tarantulas 10:07 pm *looks up at prowl innocently* Hello, dear. Windchill 10:07 pm She was easy to convince. Swoop 10:07 pm *LAUNCHES HIMSELF AT TARANTULAS* Tarantulas 10:07 pm *oh fuk* Bull 10:07 pm *He had enough of movies for awhile after that incident* Me 10:08 pm *shoves Tarantulas aside, braces himself for dinobot* Magnum Ace 10:08 pm Can we not. He was aiming for my head. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:08 pm *FWOOSH BRIDGE* Swoop 10:08 pm *fwoosh :<* *the goodie goes unavenged* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:08 pm *Laserbeak blows a raspberry at Soundwave and follows Swoop through.* Me 10:09 pm ... *looks back at Soundwave* Thanks. Bull 10:09 pm Thankfully the most we need to worry of him now is if he challenges Windy to another round of 'foot golf'. Windchill 10:09 pm *Produces a blanket to wrap himself in. Might as well get comfy and ignore the idiots fighting.* Bevel 10:09 pm *disappointed at the lack of fight but it's probably for the best* Swoop 10:09 pm *.... maybe this is a win, if he gets to spend time with Bird and she knows he'd at least ATTEMPT to maim someone for her snacks <3 * Tarantulas 10:09 pm *is even MORE delighted, much snickering at swoop's fate* Whirl 10:09 pm *didn't even so much as bat his eye at the fight. Just watchin and occasionally taking a pull from his drink* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:10 pm [[Mm.]] *Nobody tackles his amica.*

*...That said, as soon as the one that caught Swoop closes, one pops up under Tarantulas as well.* Magnum Ace 10:10 pm He challenged us /all/ to that game Tarantulas 10:10 pm *double fuk* Magnum Ace 10:10 pm ...and I think I remember it was the Lavenders that did best Windchill 10:10 pm *Sniffs.* Bevel 10:10 pm *oh snap, stifles her giggles behind her hand* Windchill 10:10 pm Why does this smell like— Bull 10:10 pm yeah; but Windy too it personally *remembers how mad the soccer leaguer got* Windchill 10:10 pm *Sniffs the blanket.* Oh. Bull 10:11 pm *took Swoop 10:11 pm *LEFT HIS STICKERS 😔 * Bevel 10:11 pm ((everyone groaning at another note i love it Me 10:11 pm *turns toward where Tarantulas was* Tarantulas 10:11 pm *guess who's reflexively throwing silk at the ceiling before he can fall, does it work* Me 10:11 pm *and toward Soundwave* Whirl 10:11 pm ...what smell? *looks to Windchill, and takes a good whiff* Bevel 10:11 pm *roll a d20* Me 10:11 pm *why tho* Tarantulas 10:11 pm (( lmao cro roll for me Windchill 10:11 pm It's a smell. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:12 pm (( random.org gives u a 4)) Specs 10:12 pm ((I rolled u a five)) Bevel 10:12 pm ((welp Windchill 10:12 pm *A stinky smell.* Tarantulas 10:12 pm (( DANGIT Twincast 10:12 pm ((RIP Bevel 10:12 pm *nice knowing you tara* Twincast 10:12 pm ((you tried)) Tarantulas 10:12 pm *a little snippet of web got chopped off as the bridge closed, it's just sitting there on the floor now* Swoop 10:12 pm ((u grab a lightbulb and pop it straight out)) Magnum Ace 10:12 pm -snorting at that memory- Bull... ItsyBitsySpyers 10:13 pm [[Someone please clean that up. He is busy enjoying the musical.]] Whirl 10:13 pm *recoils* What the h--put that away. Windchill 10:13 pm Hmm. Tarantulas 10:13 pm *so, pray tell, where the frick is tarantulas now* Windchill 10:13 pm *Snuggles in it.* Okay. Whirl 10:14 pm Why does that thing reek? Windchill 10:14 pm That's classified. Me 10:14 pm ... *glumly picks up web.* Windchill 10:14 pm *Is shoving it back into subspace at least.* Specs 10:14 pm *squints at Windchill* Where was that before you stored it inside you? Me 10:14 pm *goes to sit by Soundwave again* Whirl 10:15 pm *lowers his head to inhale the caustic drink-fumes to clear the smell* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:15 pm *He's not completely heartless. Tarantulas is inside the Louisville Zoo spider house.* Bull 10:15 pm *'risking life for a chance to live'... Bull knows that line well* Specs 10:15 pm ((/WHEEZE)) Windchill 10:15 pm It's from my HOUSE. Specs 10:15 pm What ELSE is in your house? Magnum Ace 10:15 pm -and please don't do it again- Me 10:15 pm *tries to shake the web off his hand* Windchill 10:16 pm *SHOVES like he's stuffing his bra.* Tarantulas 10:16 pm *lmao nope prowl it's stuck* Windchill 10:16 pm My boyfriend is in my house. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:16 pm *Tugs a scrap of tarp out of subspace and offers it to Prowl.*

[[Cameras. Laserbeak wasn't lying.]] Windchill 10:16 pm And me! Whirl 10:16 pm Isn't he your conjunx? Me 10:16 pm *... tries to shake the web off his hand* Tarantulas 10:16 pm *and tarantulas is seething as he bridges himself back home out of the damn zoo* Windchill 10:16 pm And our spawn. And the occasional dead animal. Specs 10:16 pm Does he-. *bites her tongue* Windchill 10:17 pm *His brows furrow as he delicately tucks the last of the offensive sheet away.* I've learned to live with it. Bull 10:17 pm I wonder if this is the torture the poor actors who worked with Segal had to endure. Windchill 10:17 pm No, Whirl. We don't have that where I'm from. Whirl 10:17 pm ...oh. Me 10:17 pm *......... tries to shake the web off his hand* Magnum Ace 10:18 pm ...considering how easily he left them to die? Whirl 10:18 pm Huh, it hadn't occurred to me that you didn't. ...you know I've been calling him that this whole time and you never corrected me. Magnum Ace 10:18 pm I think this would be tame Windchill 10:18 pm I knew what you meant. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:18 pm [[It does not come off so easily.]] Windchill 10:18 pm We have something else, but we're not that either. Me 10:18 pm *... wipes it on tarp* Whirl 10:18 pm *looks to the dragon* It was probably his horrible worm child. She can make a mess like nobody's business. It's great. Tarantulas 10:18 pm (( roll a d20 prowl pffft ItsyBitsySpyers 10:19 pm ((lmfao)) Whirl 10:19 pm I *straightens proudly* Taught her to curse. Windchill 10:19 pm *Puffs up proudly, as well.* Me 10:19 pm ((10)) Windchill 10:19 pm She's the worst. Bull 10:19 pm I think even the other humans he was making those movies with weren't much luckier... *though the Leaguers had it worse by far* Twincast 10:19 pm ((so partly, then?)) Tarantulas 10:20 pm (( dang i really wanted a crit fail so prowl was stuck to the tarp Specs 10:20 pm Worm child? Magnum Ace 10:20 pm He did come off as someone who would do this Windchill 10:20 pm Yeah! It's a child that's a worm. Me 10:20 pm *it only halfway comes off* Bevel 10:20 pm Sparkling? Whirl 10:20 pm They propagate in his dimension. Specs 10:20 pm Fair enough. Me 10:20 pm *... keeps wiping* Windchill 10:20 pm *Thanks for clarifying Windchill.* Sparkling, sure. *At least one stream of consciousness is sorely tempted to get in on this song. But he won't.* *The others are busy talking about worms anyway.* Whirl 10:22 pm ((SHE'S KILLING IT I S2G)) Me 10:22 pm *mrph. screw it. goes incorporeal long enough for the web to fall off.* Whirl 10:23 pm ((EXCELLENT )) Bevel 10:23 pm *really into this song. and that dress dang* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:23 pm *Soundwave carefully picks up the tarp in feeler claws, squishes up the rest of the web, and slithers it aaaaaall the way over to the bar to dispose of it.* Specs 10:23 pm *even the dragon thinks the dress is hella. it's a very nice shade of blue.* Windchill 10:23 pm Nice. Whirl 10:23 pm *it is the best color, which is blue* Bevel 10:24 pm *blue is a pretty nice color* Twincast 10:24 pm *agreed* Windchill 10:24 pm *Listen here you devil, PINK is obviously the best colour.* Me 10:24 pm ((... oh! it's her red scarf. i never realized)) Magnum Ace 10:24 pm -prefers green, but blue's nice too- Bull 10:24 pm *wonders if Owner had a moment like that when accepting her father's 'death'* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:24 pm *Thinks blue is a beautiful color.* Tarantulas 10:24 pm @SW: ::...If I bridge you a treat, will you give it to Laserbeak for me?:: ItsyBitsySpyers 10:25 pm @Tarantulas: [[Yes.]] After scanning it for poison and such. Bevel 10:25 pm Is he pretending to be her father now? Windchill 10:25 pm It's creepy. Whirl 10:25 pm Yeah. Specs 10:26 pm She looks brainwashed. Magnum Ace 10:26 pm ....... Windchill 10:26 pm (( Thank goodness for the subtitles my brain doesn't process speech well enough for that level of overlapping lol.)) Bevel 10:26 pm *scowls* Windchill 10:26 pm A wizard! Swoop 10:26 pm ((swup missed the fire : < )) Bull 10:27 pm Maniacal madman... Windchill 10:27 pm *Crosses his legs.* Tarantulas 10:27 pm *more bad choices, but no one has to know but tarantulas. three gold-hued treats pop through a bridge. there's nothing suspicious about them under scan, they're definitely energon but from a different verse* Magnum Ace 10:27 pm Definitely him. Bull 10:27 pm At least they have police to help them. Windchill 10:28 pm *Snickers.* Magnum Ace 10:29 pm ...true Specs 10:29 pm *blinks* Why so eager to die? Bull 10:29 pm Even if it might not help, it is better than nothing. Whirl 10:29 pm Sometimes, that's just the way it is, dragon. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:30 pm *Soundwave catches them on his forearm and look at them curiously, prodding with a finger. Not corrupted, or they would have exploded. He doesn't recognize this color. What is it?*

*Sets them over on the bar and places an empty cube over them. He'll check them later to make sure they're safe, never knowing the joke behind them.* Magnum Ace 10:30 pm True... Me 10:30 pm @Soundwave «Perhaps they shouldn't have plotted his capture INSIDE the opera house where he listens to everything?» Windchill 10:30 pm Man. Whirl 10:31 pm Pfft. A disguise. I bet you can't guess who's gonna end up on stage in that disguise. Windchill 10:31 pm Shhh. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:31 pm @Prowl: [[It is possible they want him to hear. To outsmart him.]] Pause. [[They may also be foolish. He does not know.]] [[Is it a disguise if all know who it is?]] Specs 10:32 pm I'd say not. Me 10:32 pm @Soundwave «If they think they can outsmart him by letting him know all their preparations to catch him, they ARE foolish.» Windchill 10:32 pm *Rolls his optics.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:32 pm @Prowl: [[No, no. To give him one idea and play another.]] Whirl 10:32 pm Guess not. Nobody else could be as insufferable as he is, anyway. Me 10:33 pm @Soundwave «None of them have demonstrated that much guile.» Bull 10:33 pm Almost no one... *Bull mutters* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:33 pm @Prowl: [[Then they are idiots, and we must depend on the Christine human.]] Magnum Ace 10:33 pm -ATTEMPTS to muffle his snickering- Me 10:33 pm *HUFF.* @Soundwave «Good luck to her.» Specs 10:34 pm *the dragon snickers* Insufferability is surprisingly consistent in all universes. Maybe it's a constant, like the speed of light? Magnum Ace 10:34 pm -doesn't work- ItsyBitsySpyers 10:34 pm *Light fidgets. Thanks to all that parallel talk, he's thinking things.* *Oh, good. That part's done with.* Bull 10:34 pm *imagines how pissed Ryuken would be if Segal was that 'handsy'* Magnum Ace 10:35 pm -Ryuken would have decked a human- Windchill 10:35 pm *Chin hands.* Whirl 10:35 pm ((wow, i don't remember this being so overtly sensual, wtf)) Me 10:35 pm ((i'm PRETTY SURE that's the body language of a guy who has not had sex with her but really really wants to)) Whirl 10:35 pm ((that's what happens when you haven't listened to a musical since iddle school i guess 8);; )) Swoop 10:35 pm ((I'll second that body language assessment lol)) Whirl 10:35 pm ((YEAH EVEN I GOTTA ADMIT IT)) Swoop 10:35 pm ((oh myg od he JUMPED)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:35 pm ((i'm told this scene is invariably roasty hot in every movie and play)) Me 10:35 pm ((omfg his finger curl)) (("there are BOOBS on my back")) Whirl 10:36 pm ((i mean me2 phantom, she's awesome)) Me 10:36 pm ((okay christine good on you for continuing to sing but this might go better if you stop singing and scream "HELP IT'S THE PHANTOM")) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm [[Clever human.]] Specs 10:37 pm ((oh no. what a surprise.)) Bevel 10:37 pm ((this scene is intensely sexual every time I see it like damn Swoop 10:37 pm ((the one time I saw it in person, they had christine actually lay all the way back on the table at one point, like we were one awkward mistep away from accidental on stage dry humping)) Magnum Ace 10:37 pm ((well shit Me 10:37 pm (("""accidental""")) Swoop 10:37 pm ((LOL)) Bevel 10:38 pm ((ok no the high school production was awkward af trying to be not too sexy because parents are watching ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm [[What is the significance of the ring?]] Me 10:38 pm ... What IS it with her and jerking his mask off? Whirl 10:38 pm If she was REALLY smart, she'd have smuggled a knife in her bodice and stabbed him. Specs 10:38 pm Why not in her wig? Swoop 10:38 pm ((how do you do that scene NOT about sex?)) Specs 10:38 pm No one checks the fur. Whirl 10:38 pm She had plenty of time while he was distracted with that song. Windchill 10:38 pm *Mildly explosive choking sounds in the Windchill corner.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm [[A good point. He allowed her behind him at one point. She could have terminated him then.]] Bevel 10:38 pm ((you make it sexy but like... 8th grade dance sexy Windchill 10:38 pm Ring? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm *Still doesn't like her pulling the Phantom's mask off.* Bevel 10:39 pm ((hands on hips, three feet apart, y'know Me 10:39 pm Oh—it's a human ritual, I expect. They put rings on each other to announce an intent to become conjugated. Swoop 10:39 pm ((leavin room for the HOLY SPIRIT?)) Bevel 10:39 pm ((lol Twincast 10:39 pm ((pfffft ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm ((The Holy Spirit of the Opera.)) Whirl 10:39 pm I mean, he's been tormenting her, and she's trying to rid herself of him, so... I'd rip his mask off too, at that point. But honestly I'd have stabbed him first. Swoop 10:39 pm ((omfg)) Bevel 10:39 pm ((wink wonk Magnum Ace 10:39 pm .... Specs 10:39 pm His face is still not that ugly. Whirl 10:39 pm And THEN dragged his mask off, and paraded his dead body around as a warning to the next person who wanted to try it. Bull 10:39 pm If he keeps going this Phantom might reach Segal's kill count.... *has no sympathy for the Phantom* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm [[His appearance is more unusual than it was the first time. He wonders why.]] Windchill 10:40 pm That;s because it's makeup over a normal face. Me 10:40 pm ((i'm so glad that this version actually explained why to keep your hand at the level of your eyes. most versions leave out the line about the lasso)) Specs 10:40 pm I mean, humans have ugly, naked faces, but still. It's not that much worse than a normal human face. Twincast 10:40 pm ((ikr. I was so confused about that for so long)) Whirl 10:40 pm Yeah, he's barely even mutilated at all. It's wimp stuff. Magnum Ace 10:40 pm He may Bevel 10:40 pm ((did the movie fail to explain it? Me 10:40 pm ((yeah, it did)) Specs 10:41 pm *looks over at Whirl* *should she say thing. should she.* *just pats Whirl instead* Windchill 10:41 pm Humans are...homogeneous and so any variation upsets them. Magnum Ace 10:41 pm And that's not exactly a good feat Whirl 10:41 pm *he looks down, a bit surprised, but accepts the pat* Swoop 10:41 pm ((yeah they def haven't banged, at least in this production)) Bevel 10:41 pm ((*adds that to the list of reasons why the movie is not very good that has nothing to do with anyone's singing abilities* Twincast 10:41 pm ((I feel like buqet might have said something abt it at the start of the movie when he was scaring the ballerinas, bu otherwise no)) Me 10:41 pm *mumbles* I'm pretty sure it's the murder, blackmail, property damage, threats, and mind control that's poisoning their love. Whirl 10:41 pm *snickers* ...*assuming that was a mumble loud enough for Whirl to hear* Me 10:42 pm ((he talks about the lasso, but don't mention the "hand at the level of your eyes" advice)) Twincast 10:42 pm ((ah, true Windchill 10:42 pm *Shrugs.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:42 pm *Tiny nod. If he had done all that...*

*Things would be very different.* Magnum Ace 10:44 pm ....dramatic enough there? Bevel 10:44 pm Never. Specs 10:44 pm Needs more drama. Whirl 10:44 pm Ohh, does she get to kill him? Bevel 10:44 pm Maybe he can explode the organ. Specs 10:45 pm I hope so! Magnum Ace 10:45 pm -snorts- Whirl 10:45 pm *normally Whirl would be complaining that this guy isn't going to listen, and it's time to stab, but this musical medley is really good* Windchill 10:46 pm That tends to happen. Me 10:47 pm *... hold on, what* Magnum Ace 10:47 pm ........ Whirl 10:47 pm *peers* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:47 pm *He sees where this is going.* Bull 10:47 pm ((yeah, that's the reaction of a guy who's never even gotten that far)) Me 10:47 pm ((YEP)) Windchill 10:47 pm I like the exposed skull bit. Magnum Ace 10:47 pm ((yeeeeep Swoop 10:48 pm ((agreed)) Me 10:49 pm *... she either has an astounding capacity for compassion, or she is a far better manipulator than even the phantom* Magnum Ace 10:49 pm ...hey, Bull? Bull 10:49 pm yeah? Magnum Ace 10:50 pm Think they're the same now? Bull 10:50 pm .... No... Windchill 10:51 pm I wonder if real snot is running down her nose. Whirl 10:51 pm Uggh. Oh, okay, she wasn't singing to him. Because honestly, I can't see how she hasn't caused him grievous bodily harm yet. Specs 10:52 pm I'd have bitten his head off and eaten it, myself. Me 10:53 pm *mumbles* Trap door. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:53 pm *Light pap against knee with the feeler claws. He heard that.* Whirl 10:53 pm How funny would it have been if her friend had caught up with them while the Phantom was trying to hold Raoul hostage and just... beaned him with a candelabra. Just beat the stew out of him, grabbed her pals, and run. Magnum Ace 10:54 pm At least he left them alone afterwards Specs 10:54 pm *the dragon sniggers* Absolutely hilarious. *soft and fluffy applause for the ballet girls* Bull 10:54 pm *nods in agreement* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:55 pm *Clicks the feeler claws all quietlike with the audience.* Windchill 10:55 pm *Doesn't care about this part, picks up his foot to examine the stickers.* Whirl 10:55 pm *well. If everyone else is applauding. He'll tap his claws on the table* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:55 pm *He hasn't seen something like this since before the war. It was... nice. Even if he wasn't in the building himself.* Bevel 10:56 pm I liked the costumes. Whirl 10:56 pm The singing was amazing. And the dancing. Windchill 10:56 pm I like the songs. Me 10:56 pm *curiously watches the feeler clicks* Bevel 10:56 pm Yeah, that too. *but mostly the costumes* Specs 10:57 pm *stands on the tips of her toes for a moment* I liked the dancing too. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:57 pm *They're still going. They will go as long as the applause is going.* Twincast 10:57 pm kPPp[kjmug/. Magnum Ace 10:57 pm That was nice Me 10:57 pm *... taps his forefinger against his thumb for a moment. hmm.* Twincast 10:57 pm (CAT) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:57 pm ((....u ok there)) Bull 10:57 pm It was. Me 10:57 pm ((HI KEET)) Windchill 10:57 pm *Picks at a sticker.* *GASPS.* *Leans closer and gasps again.* Twincast 10:58 pm ((there's een a catin my lap for the whole movie. she jsut decided to move)) Windchill 10:58 pm Did Swoop stick a dong on me?! ItsyBitsySpyers 10:58 pm *Why are they applauding this human? He wasn't in it.* *And now the claws slowly wind down.* Windchill 10:58 pm *When ur eyeshit is trash a hotdog might look like a dong.* Bevel 10:59 pm ((eyeshit ItsyBitsySpyers 10:59 pm ((what a typo)) Swoop 10:59 pm *is a good boy, not really but he is a baby boy emphasis on baby* Windchill 10:59 pm (( : ) )) Swoop 10:59 pm *no dong stickers for you buddy* Windchill 10:59 pm (( I'm leaving it for posterity. )) Swoop 10:59 pm ((good plan)) Windchill 11:00 pm *It's for the best.* Whirl 11:00 pm Must be pretty impressive in person, too. Specs 11:00 pm *big dragon yawn* Will there be more dancing? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:00 pm *He must have been involved with putting it on somehow. A producer? Hmm.*

*He looks over at Prowl's hands. Is he still pinching the air?* Me 11:01 pm *no, no, he stopped that before the applause ended* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:01 pm [[He is told there are two special performances when the speaking is over.]] *Then Soundwave's taking one.* Specs 11:01 pm *that gets the dragon's attention* 😮 Windchill 11:01 pm *Looks up.* Whirl 11:01 pm ((oh, I thought Phantom had just left our theater, but it's still here actually0) Windchill 11:02 pm Look at all of those old people! ItsyBitsySpyers 11:02 pm (( 😮 GO)) Whirl 11:02 pm ((..WAIT NO THAT WAS THE WRONG ORPHEUM)) Swoop 11:02 pm ((you absolutely should see it if you can)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm *Still hasn't been told who this is. Hits up the human datanet to find out. Searching, searching... AND SOUNDWAVE'S SITTING UP STRAIGHT* Whirl 11:03 pm ((it did just leave)) Bevel 11:03 pm ((thirding the see it if you can Twincast 11:03 pm ((aww Me 11:03 pm *?* Bevel 11:03 pm *blinks at Soundwave* Is something wrong? Swoop 11:03 pm ((I mean, I'd say that about most theater productions because seeing a show in person is fun even if it is a meh show. The atmosphere is just fun. But the Phantom of the Opera really takes advantage of the space and plays with audience reactions.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm *Points at the human in blue.* [[That is the fleshling who created the music for this.]] Me 11:03 pm Oh. Bevel 11:04 pm Oh! That is why everyone was so happy to see him. Specs 11:04 pm That explains all the applause. Whirl 11:04 pm ((if i ever can catch it, I shall)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:04 pm [[His work is delightful. He should be proud.]] Windchill 11:04 pm Here she is, I was wondering. Bevel 11:04 pm Who is she? Twincast 11:04 pm ((dat hair)) Windchill 11:04 pm (( Dat hair indeed goddamn. )) She's the original Christine. Swoop 11:05 pm ((how cool!)) Windchill 11:05 pm *Is much more invested atm.* Bevel 11:05 pm *and she's going to sing cool* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:05 pm *Leans into Prowl. This is even better than expected.* Me 11:05 pm *leans back against* Specs 11:06 pm 😮 *attentive* Windchill 11:06 pm Too many Phantoms, guys. We're surrounded. Whirl 11:06 pm We' re gonna need a lot of knives. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:07 pm *Soft huff* Bevel 11:07 pm *giggles* Specs 11:07 pm I have knives in my feet. Windchill 11:07 pm Or guns, Whirl. I vote guns. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:07 pm [[And more Christines to deliver them.]] Whirl 11:07 pm Well, dragon, you're our first Christine. Specs 11:07 pm *extends all eight foreclaws* I've got this. Bevel 11:07 pm I have swords. Whirl 11:07 pm Bevel, you're our second Christine. We need three more. ...two. I... can count. Sometimes. Windchill 11:08 pm *He's not gonna show off his claws.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:08 pm *Soundwave places one of those slashed circle NO symbols over his designation on his screen. No singing here.* Whirl 11:08 pm *looks back to ravage. Ravage is probably mentally bye-bye right now* Magnum Ace 11:08 pm What? Whirl 11:08 pm Well, *I* have claws, but I think I'm disqualified. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:08 pm *Ravage is a pile of snooze.* Specs 11:08 pm Why? Bevel 11:08 pm *transforms some of her paneling to look more like the gemstone patterns you'd see on one of Christine's dresses* Whirl 11:09 pm *SNICKERS* There ya go, Shovel! Lots of reasons, dragon. Me 11:09 pm ((it sounds like they're fighting over which one of them she's going to sing for)) Magnum Ace 11:09 pm -he missed the conversation, he's listening to the music- Windchill 11:09 pm (( PFFt. )) Bevel 11:09 pm ((it kinda does lol Whirl 11:09 pm Laserbeak, how are you with stabbing? ((HJDKRFKJE)) Specs 11:09 pm I think you'd be great at the stabbing part. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:09 pm *Laserbeak's out the door with Swoop, remember?* Magnum Ace 11:09 pm ((it does! Whirl 11:09 pm oh, wait. She's gone. Swoop 11:09 pm *the stickers remain, unstuck* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:09 pm [[She's more of a shooting bird.]] Bull 11:10 pm ((Throw all the Phantoms in a room and have them fight for supremacy)) Whirl 11:10 pm Well, dire circumstances call for drastic measures. I'm Christine number three. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:10 pm ((hey at least they wouldn't be lonely anymore)) Bevel 11:10 pm ((There can be only one Whirl 11:10 pm Now we need one more. Magnum Ace 11:10 pm ((the room would explode from the drama Twincast 11:10 pm ((tbh that sounds like fun)) Specs 11:10 pm *hm* What about Windchill? Windchill 11:10 pm Can I be the chandelier? I wanna explode. Me 11:11 pm ((they sing Music Of The Night as their mating call. whoever can sing it with the most drama wins christine.)) Whirl 11:11 pm ...damn, I should have called the Chandelier. I, too, want to explode. Bull 11:11 pm ((This opera house isn't big enough for all of us!!)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:11 pm ((you put a bunch of phantoms in the room singing that and they're gonna win a damn soundwave)) Windchill 11:11 pm We can combine into the chandelier. I'll share with you. Me 11:11 pm ((here we see them yielding to the alpha phantom)) Magnum Ace 11:11 pm ((HAH! Windchill 11:11 pm It will be a glorious demise. Whirl 11:11 pm Too late. I'm already Christine the Third. Bevel 11:11 pm ((bwahaha Windchill 11:11 pm ... Fine... I'll blow up all on my lonesome... Wait. Whirl 11:11 pm Ravage can't contradict me so he's Christine the fourth. Bevel 11:12 pm You are blue. You just need a cool cape. Windchill 11:12 pm I don't even get any singing parts! ... It's for the best. Whirl 11:12 pm No, no capes. I'm firmly anti-cape. Bevel 11:12 pm *giggles* Whirl 11:12 pm But I have been told I've got a half-decent voice, so I can do the singing. Someone else'll have to wear the cape. Magnum Ace 11:12 pm Think we should see about showing this to Owner? Specs 11:12 pm I call cape. Tarantulas 11:12 pm (( 💔 that note kills me Windchill 11:12 pm Man, we need to see Sara cover this song. It was written for her anyway. Bull 11:13 pm I think she would like it alot. Magnum Ace 11:14 pm Yeah. The singing is nice Whirl 11:14 pm Oh NO. Now we need a fifth. Me 11:14 pm ((i think there's a flaw with this all-sing-together concept)) Whirl 11:14 pm Looks like I was right all along, and I was psychically counting. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:15 pm ((what's the flaw)) Whirl 11:15 pm ((the Phantoms are forming a combiner)) Me 11:15 pm ((they all learned how to sing as solo phantoms, so they're all trying to be the standout voice.)) ((they didn't spend years practicing to sing it as a harmonious quartet/quintet)) Bull 11:15 pm ((They are merging their powers together!)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:15 pm ((ahhhh yes)) Specs 11:15 pm ((they're not combiners until someone's standing on someone else's shoulders)) Whirl 11:16 pm Prowl, how good are you at stabbing? On a scale of one to ten. Me 11:16 pm About as good as I am at singing. Whirl 11:16 pm I've never heard you sing. Me 11:16 pm Well, there you go. Windchill 11:16 pm I'm sure it's fantastic. Whirl 11:16 pm ...well, we'll have to make due. You're number five. Congratulations, you're an angel of music now. Me 11:16 pm I decline. Specs 11:16 pm Soundwave could probably answer that, Whirl. 😛 ItsyBitsySpyers 11:17 pm *Wants SO MUCH to ask him to do so but has had plenty of comparisons tonight as it is.* Whirl 11:17 pm Damn. Well, we'll just have to do double-stabbing duty. Windchill 11:17 pm (( the streamers look like yaoi cum sorry guys. )) Twincast 11:17 pm ((rip the person who has to clean up the confetti)) Specs 11:17 pm ((WINDCHILL NO)) Bevel 11:17 pm *can sing by virtue of being able to sound however she wants* Magnum Ace 11:17 pm ((WOW Twincast 11:17 pm ((RIP x2)) Windchill 11:17 pm (( Ur welcome. )) Whirl 11:18 pm *streetches* Windchill 11:18 pm *Chants "chandelier" now.* Me 11:18 pm *He prefers the real Christine's solution, anyway. Unexpected. ... Kind of touching.* Specs 11:18 pm *stretches* I should head out. Next week? Whirl 11:18 pm All right. That was... hoenstly I liked it more'n I thought I would. So, good on you, Soundwave. Windchill 11:19 pm *Frowns.* *Well, he was having fun.* Twincast 11:19 pm ((good ol' Tom Lehrer)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:19 pm *Soundwave bobs his helm.*

[[He does have passable tastes, you know.]] Windchill 11:19 pm Is this...more math jokes? Whirl 11:19 pm Yeah, looks like it. Windchill 11:19 pm Gross! Whirl 11:20 pm *you get a sympathy pat* Me 11:20 pm *oh, math humor! he's ready* Windchill 11:20 pm *Back to chanting, it's the only way he's gonna survive.* Bevel 11:20 pm ....... Whirl 11:20 pm See you guys. *stands and bobs his head* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:20 pm [[Goodnight, Whirl. He hopes you'll enjoy others.]] Windchill 11:20 pm Bye, Christine number whatever you are. Bevel 11:21 pm Bye, Whirl! Whirl 11:21 pm We'll SEE about all THAT. *points at Soundwave* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:21 pm *Quietly nudges Prowl and holds up his hands. Missing two fingers.* Specs 11:21 pm *the dragon makes an offended huff at the screen* Whirl 11:21 pm *and then waves again and begins to leave, but stops* Oh, Shovel--I'll get back to you about that thing. Probably soon. Me 11:21 pm *watching in baffled wonder* Bevel 11:22 pm Ok. I can wait. Whirl 11:22 pm *haha, got you beat, missing EIGHT fingers* *finger-missing amateur* Bevel 11:22 pm *trying to follow this math video* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:22 pm *He bows before ... wait. Wouldn't that have been Whirl with 12 fingers?* Windchill 11:23 pm *Rests his massive chin in his hand.* Whirl 11:23 pm *wait. okay never mind. Whirl's player can't count, esp not under the weight of so much cold medicine* Me 11:23 pm *okay Prowl's getting the right answers in both base 10 and base 8 and he's getting it a lot faster than the singer but why are they moving digits around* Bevel 11:23 pm *didn't follow it at all and is lost because the answer was different at the end from what it was earlier* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:23 pm *It must be all the deedlies confusing Whirl.* Magnum Ace 11:23 pm -what just happened there?- Specs 11:23 pm ((in all fairness to prowl, I feel that problem)) Whirl 11:23 pm *the deedly boppers ARE confusing. And horrifying* Me 11:24 pm *... sudden dawning horrified realization* Bull 11:24 pm Not sure. Me 11:24 pm ... Bevel. Bevel 11:24 pm What? Magnum Ace 11:24 pm Anyway. I think it's time to go home Me 11:24 pm I think—I think this is pre-algebra. Bevel 11:24 pm .... Oh! Magnum Ace 11:24 pm Soundwave? Can we get a bridge home? Windchill 11:24 pm I can get away from them. That's my superpower. Bull 11:25 pm Yeah; I should really head down to the repair bay and get another sensor blocking patch. Me 11:25 pm *Oh, Prowl likes this song though. Most people don't admit those things are math.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm *Soundwave nods.*

[[You may. Next time, though, he would like to hear about Segal.]] Magnum Ace 11:25 pm And you should. I saw you limping this morning. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm [[It is in the usual place. Be safe. He has a reputation to keep.]] Bull 11:26 pm *chuckles nervously* That'll be a story for another time. Windchill 11:26 pm *Debates internally whether it's safe to pull out the blankie now that Whirl's not here to smell it.* Specs 11:26 pm *the dragon nods to Soundwave* Thank you for the movie! 😄 Magnum Ace 11:26 pm -strained grin- R-right...later. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:26 pm [[You are welcome, dragon.]] Bull 11:26 pm Night everyone. Magnum Ace 11:27 pm Good night! Windchill 11:27 pm *Waves.* *An ear flicks.* Oh. Bevel 11:27 pm *this better not be interface math* Magnum Ace 11:27 pm ((g'night! and thanks for the stream! ItsyBitsySpyers 11:28 pm *No, no. Prowl and Soundwave got that out the way already.* Me 11:28 pm *... for now* Windchill 11:28 pm *Snickers.* Bevel 11:28 pm *she has enough information about y'all* Me 11:28 pm *.... props his elbows on his knees and laces his hands in front of his mouth* @Soundwave «Are you trying to say something, by chance?» ItsyBitsySpyers 11:29 pm @Prowl: [[Not yet. Simply amusing himself.]] Bevel 11:29 pm *trying hard not to giggle* Me 11:30 pm @Soundwave «I see.» Windchill 11:30 pm *Just kind of nods in agreement with the topic.* *Stops.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:31 pm *You know what the best thing about having a visor is? The very best thing?*

*The best goddamn poker face.* Me 11:31 pm @Soundwave «............ Are you SURE?» Windchill 11:31 pm Blech. Me 11:31 pm *his shoulders are trembling* Bevel 11:31 pm *yep she's gone* Windchill 11:31 pm *Stands.* Bevel 11:32 pm *is this punishment for earlier?* Me 11:32 pm @Soundwave «Well, if you WANT me to whip, dismember, and stomp on you...» ItsyBitsySpyers 11:32 pm *He's not the slightest bit sorry. She can stand a little mortification for impersonating him.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:33 pm ((ARE YOU KIDDING ME)) Me 11:33 pm ((holy shit)) Bevel 11:33 pm ((ahaha ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm ((it is a SIGN)) Windchill 11:34 pm You guys have fun. Me 11:34 pm *his shoulders are still shaking* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm *Soundwave nods to Windchill. That should be everyone then.* Bevel 11:35 pm *laughs* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:35 pm @Prowl: [[Not the latter two. But he's quite sure he didn't mean anything by it. Merely... encouraging some privacy.]] Bevel 11:36 pm I liked that one. Me 11:36 pm @Soundwave «I see. If you're certain.» ItsyBitsySpyers 11:37 pm @Prowl: [[Perhaps afterward.]] Windchill 11:37 pm *Leaves before he's exposed to anything else so blatantly INSENSITIVE.* Bevel 11:39 pm *...is alone with Prowl and Soundwave.* *gets up to leave before anyone else notices* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:39 pm *Success. It only took five songs.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:41 pm *Well. Everything else being what it is, Soundwave's going to stretch his arm in front of Prowl and slowly nudges it back. Flop, you.* Me 11:42 pm *... Prowl doesn't understand the purpose of the extremely slow backhand* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:42 pm *Tilts his head a couple of times toward the floor.* Me 11:42 pm *What? ... OH. Okay. Lays back.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:43 pm *Good. Prowl now has a Soundwave blanket. And the doors are locked.*

[[Now he means it.]] Me 11:44 pm *optics light up.* Ah. Well, if you say so. *wraps his arms over Soundwave's shoulders—and feels to see if there are any scratches left in the paint.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:48 pm *Not there. He needs to keep his armor in decent condition when flying.*

*Soundwave will form a little silhouette of himself on his visor and mark where to find one of the ones he left on his protometal, though. That gets covered. It's okay to leave them there.* Me 11:51 pm *studies it, and goes searching for the scratches* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:55 pm *Rumbles and stretches to make it easier.*

[[He enjoys having them. And more permanent marks.]] *Visor off. His optics are shut. This is a puddle of music-dazed spy.* [[Perhaps he will let you be creative some day.]] *Light tremble.* [[Not the castanets. He already lacks a nose.]] Me 11:57 pm Heh. Maracas, maybe? *Leans up to kiss his lacking nose.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:58 pm *Twitches slightly, not expecting that. Seems to be pleased though.*

[[He is fond of a good rhythm.]] Yesterday Me 11:59 pm I think I can handle that. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:00 am [[And a bridge?]] Me 12:02 am *wraps arms securely around Soundwave* I'll let you handle that. ItsyBitsySpyers 12:09 am [[So be it.]]

*Slides both arms under Prowl to further help keep him from falling, opens one beneath them, and drops them in the apartment for Things.* Me 12:10 am *Let the Things commence*

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paullassiterca · 5 years

Text

Taking No Prisoners in the Vaccine Culture War

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By Barbara Loe Fisher

On a cold winter morning in November 2007, I watched hundreds of parents line up with their children in front of a Maryland county courthouse. The children had been kicked out of school by state officials and were truant.

The mothers and fathers were holding letters threatening them with imprisonment or fines of $50 a day for failing to show proof their children had gotten a chickenpox or hepatitis B shot.1

Confused, angry and frightened, but mostly resigned, they were working moms and dads trudging toward the courthouse on a Saturday morning to face a judge ordering them to vaccinate their children or go to jail. Patrolling the scene was an armed SWAT team of policemen with dogs.

The U.S. media turned out that day, but they and other members of the public were kept behind barricades and denied access into the building. I was there with my son, who brought his camera. We were there to witness what was going on with parents whose children had been injured by vaccines. There was no transparency, no public oversight on what was happening to the parents and children inside the building.

I spoke with several mothers leaving the building with their children and learned the sad truth. They were not being asked questions about their child’s medical history or whether the children had experienced health problems after previous vaccinations. No information was given about vaccine side effects or how to monitor their children for signs of vaccine reactions.2 They were not made aware of exemptions to vaccination.

Clearly, preventing vaccine reactions was not a priority for those in charge that day. The children were being injected with not just the two new vaccines added to the state’s school requirement list — hepatitis B and chickenpox — but also with other required vaccines if the public school system could find no record.

One mother told me her children were up to date on their shots but the school system lost the records. She agreed to have her children receive the required vaccines all over again on the spot to avoid being fined or, worse, being sent to jail.

This mother and I were talking hundreds of yards from the front of the courthouse door. We were standing about 12 inches inside a row of large cement stones that had been put there as a barrier to prevent terrorist attacks. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I saw an armed guard with a dog emerge from the courthouse. He was walking straight toward us.

I got this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was the surge of shock and dread that any citizen of any country in any century has felt when an armed guard with a dog starts advancing. As if we were criminals or terrorists, he yelled and gestured to us to move behind the stones.

I looked at the mother and my son, who was filming our conversation, and we moved without a word. We were being shown the power of the State wielded by that guard armed with a dog and a gun, just as parents inside the courthouse were being shown the power of the State wielded by doctors with syringes.

US Constitution Protects Freedom to Dissent

When a government policy is unjust and people resist, the last resort is always a show of force. Use of fear, intimidation, discrimination and punishment of dissenting minorities is the hallmark of authoritarian governments and so is censorship and propaganda.

None of these tactics has a place in America, where our Constitution protects civil liberties, including freedom of thought, speech, conscience, religious belief and the right to dissent and petition the government.3,4,5 Twelve years after I watched a state health department flex its muscle at a county courthouse, this year the whole world is watching the multibillion-dollar vaccine industrial complex flex its muscle in America.6,7,8

Declaring a “take no prisoners” war on parents who decline to give their children every dose of every government recommended vaccine, the vaccine industry has been emboldened by the lucrative public-private business partnerships that have been forged over the past four decades with governments and the World Health Organization (WHO).9,10

Vaccine Industry Wants Forced Use of All Vaccines by All People

The win that industry is looking for is a complete shutdown of the public conversation about health and vaccination followed by a mandate by every government to force every child and adult to use every vaccine that drug companies develop and sell.

For children born in America in 1983, the federal government recommended 23 doses of seven vaccines given between 2 months and 6 years old.11 Today, the child vaccination schedule is 69 doses of 16 vaccines given between the day of birth and age 18, with 50 doses administered before age 6, at a current price tag of more than $3,000 per child.12,13

Child Vaccine Schedule Could Double or Triple in Future

For children born in America in the years to come, that vaccine list and cost could double or triple. WHO is encouraging drug companies to fast track more than a dozen new “priority” vaccines to market for children, pregnant women and adults — and you can be sure industry will lobby governments to mandate all of them — respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Streptococcus A and B, HIV, herpes simplex virus, gonorrhea, E-coli, Shigella, Salmonella, tuberculosis, malaria and more.14

Where is the scientific evidence to support the assumption that forcing everyone to use more vaccines to atypically manipulate our immune systems and repeatedly provoke inflammatory responses in our bodies throughout life will produce better health for all?15,16,17,18,19,20

The Real Public Health Emergency Is Not About Measles

The signs are everywhere that people are trying to throw off the chains binding them to failed medical and public health policies that cost Americans more than $3 trillion a year in health care costs.21

Americans are beginning to understand that trusting blindly and saluting doctors smartly for the past 40 years has not prevented 1 in 6 children from becoming learning disabled,22,23 or 1 in 9 from suffering with asthma,24 or 1 in 10 from struggling with mental and behavior disorders,25 or 1 in 40 from developing autism.26

America now has the worst infant mortality rates,27,28 worst maternal mortality rates29,30 and worst life expectancy31,32 of all developed nations.

Highly vaccinated and medicated Americans are very sick, with millions of children and adults suffering with immune and brain dysfunction marked by chronic inflammation in their brains and bodies33,34 that confines too many of them to special education classrooms and frequent trips to doctors’ offices to try to deal with a lifetime of chronic illness and disability.35,36

No public health official, professor or legislator in America can explain why millions and millions of children and more than half of all adults are chronically ill or disabled.37

This is the real public health emergency that mothers and fathers want to talk about, but Congress and medical trade groups do not want to discuss. This is the elephant in the room at every public hearing on bills proposing to take away or expand vaccine informed consent rights being held in state legislatures today.

No Exception Vaccine Laws Guarantee Denial of Vaccine Casualties

The pharmaceutical industry, which was handed a partial liability shield from vaccine injury lawsuits by the U.S. Congress in 1986,38 which was turned into a total liability shield by the Supreme Court in 2011,39,40,41 is fighting to keep an economic stranglehold on a crumbling U.S. health care system.42,43,44,45

With the government having paid vaccine victims more than $4 billion in federal vaccine injury compensation since 1988 under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act,46,47 pharmaceutical corporations do not want to give up the no-risk, stable income stream they get from selling mandated vaccines.48

“No exception” vaccine laws guarantee that good vaccine science will never be done so vaccine casualties can continue to be swept under the rug by denying they exist,49,50,51,52,53 and nobody has to care about the crippled and dead bodies lying on the ground except the mothers and fathers grieving endlessly for what could have been.54

Today, most people know somebody who was healthy, got vaccinated and was never healthy again.55,56 This inconvenient truth is why the vaccine industry must find a way to shut down all public conversation about vaccination and eliminate all vaccine exemptions — and do it now.

Vaccine Risks Not Being Shared Equally by All

In January 2019, the WHO announced that “vaccine hesitant” people, especially parents, are one of the top 10 threats to global health.57 This ominous warning was quickly followed by the declaration of a state of emergency in Washington after a handful of measles cases were confirmed in primarily unvaccinated children.58

Immediately, the media shifted into overdrive, just like in January 2015 when measles cases were reported in Disneyland and the California legislature quickly removed the personal belief vaccine exemption for school children,59,60,61 despite the biggest public protests the state Capitol had seen since the Vietnam War.

In the first two months of 2019, we have watched thousands of brave parents and health care professionals travel to state capitals and line up with their children at public hearings in Washington,62,63 Arizona,64 Nevada,65 Oregon66 and Capitol Hill.67

They are taking time off their jobs and spending their own money to make the journey to beg lawmakers to protect the legal right for children to get a school education and for parents to exercise voluntary informed consent to vaccine risk taking for their minor children.68

With almost no vaccine contraindications today that qualify for a medical exemption under narrow CDC guidelines,69,70 vaccine risks are not being shared equally by all. One-size-fits-all vaccine laws place an unequal risk burden on, and discriminate against, a vulnerable minority of children, who have genetic, biological and environmental susceptibility to suffering vaccine reactions.71,72,73,74

Why are the lives of vaccine vulnerable children, whom public health officials do not want to acknowledge, valued less than the lives of immune compromised children they will acknowledge?

Calls for Forced Vaccination and Censorship

Since 2015, no state legislature has removed a vaccine exemption.75,76 This year, while 11 states are proposing to restrict or eliminate vaccine exemptions, NVIC is supporting 61 bills that expand exemptions or protect vaccine informed consent rights (as of March 1, 2019), the largest number of bills we have ever supported in a legislative session.77

This pushback against forced vaccination is being met with fury by doctors and lawyers inside and outside of government and by multimedia corporations demanding that parental rights and vaccine exemptions be stripped from state laws and that all information criticizing government vaccine policy be removed from the web.78,79,80

In the past few weeks, high-ranking federal health officials have made false statements in Congress in an effort to mislead lawmakers into believing childhood vaccines like MMR do not carry serious risks.81

The FDA Commissioner has threatened state legislators with federal government intervention if they do not eliminate vaccine exemptions.82,83,84 The Chair of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee has pressured Facebook to block conversations about vaccination and Amazon to censor books and videos containing information about vaccine risks and failures.85 ,86,87

Amazon immediately bowed to that government pressure and removed the movie “Vaxxed” from Amazon Prime Streaming and similar videos critical of vaccine safety.88 However, CNN is urging Amazon to go further and “burn” all the books, too, by completely removing them from the site.89,90

A Washington, D.C., lawmaker reacted to the hype by asking, “What if you take parents out of the equation?” and introduced a bill to allow minor children of any age to get vaccines in the city without a parent’s knowledge or consent after a doctor says the child is “mature” enough to make the decision.91

What is the justification for burning the books and clearing the way for doctors to persuade very young children to get vaccinated without their parents’ knowledge or consent?

The media would have you believe that calls for censorship and the elimination of state vaccine exemptions and parental rights are based on 206 reported cases of measles identified in 11 states between January and March in our population of 328 million people. According to the CDC, “three or more cases” of measles is considered to be an “outbreak.”92

All the blame for measles outbreaks is being put on parents of the less than 2 percent of unvaccinated children attending U.S. schools, where nearly 95 percent of children nationwide have received two doses of measles containing MMR vaccine.93 Aside from the illogical premise that children only catch measles or other infections in school buildings, is the call for censorship and “no exceptions” vaccine laws only about a few hundred cases of measles? I don’t think so.

The Human Right to Autonomy Limits the Power of the State

The demonization of parents and enlightened doctors who criticize vaccine science and government policy is merely the tip of the spear in a larger culture war going on in this and other countries, where economically stable, well-educated populations are beginning to understand they are being exploited by corporations that have made business deals with governments.94,95,96,97,98

The culture wars in the 21st century are about whether the first human right, individual autonomy,99 will survive, or an authoritarian State will own our children and have the power to eliminate civil liberties and sacrifice the lives of certain people for what those in control of the State consider the greater good of society.100

The human right to autonomy protects individuals and vulnerable minorities from being discriminated against and exploited by the State. Who has the moral right, or should have the legal authority, to demand that mothers and fathers violate their conscience and risk their children’s lives or face punishment for refusing to do it?

What kind of government policy demands that kind of involuntary sacrifice? And what kind of government demands that information about the risks and failures of a liability-free pharmaceutical product be censored and withheld from the people being forced to use it?

There is no more important freedom than the freedom to decide when and for what reason you are willing to risk your life or your child’s life. We give up the human right to autonomy at our peril, no matter where or in what century we live.

The outcome of the Vaccine Culture War will determine what it means to be free,101 because if the State can tag, track down and force individuals against their will to be injected with biologicals of known and unknown toxicity today, then there will be no limit on which individual freedoms the State can take away in the name of the greater good tomorrow.

Martin Niemoller prophetically warned that incremental oppression by those in control of an authoritarian State is facilitated by denial, apathy and fear. He said:

“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”102

Americans, this is our moment to help determine the outcome of a very real culture war that threatens to destroy long-held values and beliefs that are embodied in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution to protect us from tyranny. The Bill of Rights affirms that we have God-given natural rights, known today as civil liberties or human rights, which belong to each one of us and should never be taken away for any reason.

You Will Make the Choice

You and you alone will make the choice to live free or die as a slave. Do not let anyone take away your freedom to think and speak and obey the certain judgment of your conscience.

Use the NVIC Advocacy Portal to contact your state and federal legislators. Defend freedom and educate your family, friends and leaders in your community. Go to NVIC.org and sign up for our newsletter, so that no matter what happens in the weeks and months to come, you will not lose contact with us.

Be the one who never has to regret that you did not do today what you could have done to change tomorrow. It’s your health. Your family. Your choice. And our mission continues: No forced vaccination. Not in America.

Note: This commentary provides information and perspective on a topic related to vaccine science, policy, law or ethics being discussed in public forums and by U.S. lawmakers. The websites of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide information and perspective of federal agencies responsible for vaccine research and development (NIH), regulation (FDA) and policymaking (CDC). The World Health Organization has stated that “vaccine hesitancy” is one of the top 10 global public health threats.

One of the Most Powerful Videos I’ve Ever Seen

The following video from Barbara Loe Fisher is one of the most powerful videos that I have ever seen. I am hopeful that watching this video will inspire you to take up the cause and join the fight for vaccine freedom and independence.

There is a cultural war and collusion between many industries and federal regulatory agencies that results in a suppression of the truth about vital important health issues. If this suppression continues we will gradually and progressively erode our private individual rights that our ancestors fought so hard to achieve. Please take a few minutes to watch this video.

youtube

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/02/taking-no-prisoners-vaccine-culture-war.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/183884279621

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jerrytackettca · 5 years

Text

Taking No Prisoners in the Vaccine Culture War

By Barbara Loe Fisher

The mothers and fathers were holding letters threatening them with imprisonment or fines of $50 a day for failing to show proof their children had gotten a chickenpox or hepatitis B shot.1

US Constitution Protects Freedom to Dissent

Vaccine Industry Wants Forced Use of All Vaccines by All People

Child Vaccine Schedule Could Double or Triple in Future

The Real Public Health Emergency Is Not About Measles

America now has the worst infant mortality rates,27,28 worst maternal mortality rates29,30 and worst life expectancy31,32 of all developed nations.

No public health official, professor or legislator in America can explain why millions and millions of children and more than half of all adults are chronically ill or disabled.37

No Exception Vaccine Laws Guarantee Denial of Vaccine Casualties

Vaccine Risks Not Being Shared Equally by All

Why are the lives of vaccine vulnerable children, whom public health officials do not want to acknowledge, valued less than the lives of immune compromised children they will acknowledge?

Calls for Forced Vaccination and Censorship

What is the justification for burning the books and clearing the way for doctors to persuade very young children to get vaccinated without their parents’ knowledge or consent?

The Human Right to Autonomy Limits the Power of the State

Martin Niemoller prophetically warned that incremental oppression by those in control of an authoritarian State is facilitated by denial, apathy and fear. He said:

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."102

You Will Make the Choice

You and you alone will make the choice to live free or die as a slave. Do not let anyone take away your freedom to think and speak and obey the certain judgment of your conscience.

One of the Most Powerful Videos I've Ever Seen

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/02/taking-no-prisoners-vaccine-culture-war.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/taking-no-prisoners-in-the-vaccine-culture-war

0 notes