#like it is legitimately quite impressive that she’s from that era and yet managed to be named and remembered for years to come

[arolesbianism]

Realized it’s been over a year since I last drew him and couldn’t stand by that

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review: Skyfall (2012)

So after QoS was generally considered to be a letdown after the impressive success of Casino Royale, there was a bit of a course correction required. It wasn't as if QoS was a bomb. Both Casino Royale and QoS were the highest grossing Bond films till then. But critically they needed to course correct a bit. Skyfall came in with a lot of hype since it came on the 50th anniversary of Bond in films. Sam Mendes came in and knocked it out of the park in Skyfall. In my opinion, Skyfall is second only to Casino Royale in the ranking of Bond films.

What is interesting about Skyfall is that it feels like it takes a significant step away from the previous two films. It feels aesthetically different from the previous two films and Bond himself is reinvented as someone at a different point in his life. While Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were films with Bond as a new 00 agent. In Skyfall, he is an older agent, considered to be past his prime. So it seems like there is a big time leap in his career. The film has a fantastic opening action sequence, going from car chase, to bike chase, to fight on a train. You really feel Bond being pushed to his limit in this sequence. Yet, there are still very lovely iconic touches like when Bond leaps from the tractor into the train, he checks his cufflinks. Its really a small thing but it lends a lot of Bond's character. Skyfall is probably one of the most known Bond songs and it really lends to the mood of the film to follow.

The film's biggest strengths lie in the film making and in the performances from the actors who are all excellent across the board. The film has makes some bold choices when it comes to plot by making MI6 fallible. M in this movie is not at her best. She makes mistakes and a security leak happens as a result and people die because of the mistakes she made. There is also a legitimate argument to be made that she did wrong the villain and does manipulate Bond. As a result, she becomes an even more interesting character. If there is a true Bond girl in this movie, it is Judi Dench because she is front and center in this movie and the plot really surrounds her. Its by far her more substantial role in the franchise and she really makes the most of it. Her relationship both with Silva and Bond is fascinating, with Silva having almost an Oedipal complex with her whereas there is a clear maternal connection with Bond. Its a very fitting swan song for her.

There are a couple of other Bond girls in the movie. Naomie Harris makes an excellent debut as Moneypenny. If I am correct, I don't think we even know she is Moneypenny until the very end of the movie. But she's pretty badass from the very beginning and she has a nice witty banter with Bond. There is a nice and friendly sexual tension between the two. Its definitely a different Moneypenny from the previous eras but she is a welcome presence. One performance that doesn't get enough credit is Berenice Marlohe as Severine. She is actually pretty fantastic in the movie in a fairly brief role. She is enigmatic and seductive and a deeply tragic figure but her scenes are ones that really stick with me. Definitely the scene in the Casino is excellent.

We also get the reintroduction of Q, played by Ben Whishaw and he's immediately winning. It makes a lot of sense for the modern technology driven Q to be a younger man and its a fun switch of the dynamics between Bond and Q, where previously Q was sort of a mentor figure for Bond, here Bond is the elder person who makes fun of Q's age. One other character who is a surprise is Ralph Fiennes as Mallory. When he is initially introduced, he feels like a stereotypical government employee who is against Bond and M, but you slowly see that there is more to him than meets the eye and he's actually quite a badass himself and ends up being the new M by the end of the movie. Fiennes is great as he normally is. Albert Finney has a fun role in the last act and Rory Kinnear continues on as Tanner.

Javier Bardem's impact on this film is immense. What is interesting is that he doesn't appear until just a few minutes past the halfway mark of the movie. And even in the second half, he disappears for about 15-20 minutes after the hearing shootout. But his impact looms over the entire movie, even when he's not there. And that's a testament to his performance. He is brilliant in the role. He has an outstanding entry scene with a great monologue. You can just tell that Bardem is having a blast in this role. He manages to induce menace, rage, heartbreak, and madness. You genuinely feel some sympathy for his him because he isn't completely wrong. Its a performance that is truly right towards the very top of Bond villains and it elevates the movie a lot.

Daniel Craig is again fantastic here. He continues to give his all, both physically and emotionally in the role. The scenes between him and Bardem on the Island are some of the best acted sequences in the movie. And again, the dynamic between M and Bond sells because of how well both Craig and Dench play off each other. There are little touches that Craig does that I love so much. I already mentioned the cufflinks scene in the opening action sequence. Then there is a fight scene in a Casino where he and a goon fall into a pit and he spots a Komodo dragon and he is startled and points at it even, even when he is being picked up by the thug. Also, when he gets pissed off when he sees the DB5 get blown up in the climax. It doesn't sound like much, but it genuinely adds a lot to the character when you see it. He has good chemistry with all the cast and you even buy him when you see him struggling physically post the injury inflicted in the opening sequence. Its a performances where he delivers the humor, action, drama, emotion etc... and he does it all brilliantly.

As I mentioned earlier, the film making is terrific. Aesthetically, this film stands out and his beautiful to look at. Its no surprise that Roger Deakins is the cinematographer. There are just some gorgeous sequences throughout the movie, be it the fight in the empty office in Shanghai, the sequence in the Casino, the empty old house in the middle of nowhere, or the moors of Scotland in the climax. There is just a wonderful use of light to make every frame stand out. Sam Mendes also keeps the pacing tight. This is almost as long as Casino Royale, and just like that film, you don't feel the time. The only reason I rank this below Casino Royale is that the story telling isn't as tight as it could have been. For example, Silva's entire plan is really implausible when you think about it. No amount of preplanning would have led to everything happening exactly as he planned it because it requires a lot of random actions from people which he could definitely not predict. Then there is the fact that M endangers the ministers and everyone at the hearing despite knowing there is an eminent threat. Also, while the climax is spectacular and I get that Bond wanted to get Silva out of his comfort zone, but I still don't see how isolating himself in the middle of nowhere, with just M for backup against Silva and his entire army was a wise idea. Also, the film sets up the interesting notion that Bond is not at his best physically, but it sort of abandons the idea towards the end with Bond basically taking out Silva's whole army on his own. So there are some loose ends to the storytelling. But its easy to overlook them. The film also makes the brave choice to have Silva actually win since M dies in the end. So it is a bittersweet ending in a way. But its all done in a very satisfying manner.

Overall, its an excellent movie. Definitely top tier Bond and a very fitting movie for the 50th anniversary for Bond. A 9/10.

[lovelyirony]

Moony-Eyed

@bironfam i hope this is okay! 

Tony didn’t think that their new astronaut was going to be anything special. 

Well. 

That’s a lie. 

You kind of have to be special if you’re going to be an astronaut for NASA. You have to keep your cool, have good eyesight, and be okay with the possibility of dying. Maybe. Maybe you have to be cool with that. 

Tony is rather good at his job. From revolutionizing how space suits are made to making the functions of the ship easier to manage, Tony is NASA’s secret weapon, the handyman of all handymen. 

He’s usually squirreled away in his workshop, at his apartment that he honestly needs to clean far more than he does, or arguing with Potts about why he needs eight different coffee mugs. 

They know him as a guy who doesn’t exactly give a rat’s ass about the chain of command, or dress code. 

“You can’t fire me,” he had told Happy, after he had tried once again to stop Tony from entering areas containing sensitive information in sweatpants and a sweatshirt that proclaimed him the “MIT class of 1992.” 

Tony is good at his job, nearly too good. He likes it that way. 

But back to the astronaut. 

Danvers had taken leave to take care of her family, and honestly? Space usually isn’t a lifetime event for astronauts. You see too much of it, you need time away. A lot of time away. 

Pepper is giddy. She loved Carol, but Carol was happily married with a baby girl, and this one? This one wasn’t. 

Not that Pepper was looking for anyone. No, she and her partner Nat had standing date nights every Saturday evening, and she loved them too much to even think about anything else. 

But Tony? Tony needed someone. He never really dated anybody, at least not anybody that he genuinely liked. 

Stark was a powerful name, and it got tossed around a little bit, but Tony mostly kept to himself and only responded to it when he was at a party or Happy was mad at him for forgetting his ID badge yet again. 

James Rhodes was a nicely built man with a strong, confident aura, and single. 

(Pepper had checked.) 

She thought that he and Tony would get along quite well, if anything. 

James is shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He’d rather just get to work on what he needs to do. Getting into the air is one of the best feelings, and the sooner he can experience it, the sooner he’ll be fine. 

He always pushed the limits, and space is just the last limit he gets to push. He’s excited. He’s always wanted to work for NASA, be on their roster of astronauts. He wants little kids who identify with him to know that they can do it too. 

So he’s ready to work with the best and brightest of their era. 

“Where the fuck are my nachos?!” 

His head whips around to a man who is wearing an ill-fitting cardigan (that is most likely not his), old jeans that have what look to be equations written on one thigh, and glasses that are most definitely broken sitting at an angle. 

“Your nachos were too close to the computers,” one woman says without looking up. “Stop bringing nachos here or I’m going to fucking kill you.” 

“You can’t kill me,” the man retorts. 

“Tony,” comes another voice. James turns and sees who must be Pepper Potts. “Go to your office. Now. Change your pants, you wrote on them again.” 

“I did?” 

He looks down and swears. 

“Son of a bitch!” He then looks at Jim. “Wait, who are you? Are you the new astronaut?” 

“Uh, yes? I’m James.” 

He sticks out his hand. 

Who seems to be Tony stares at his hand. 

“Your name is seriously James?” 

“Do you think I’m bad at jokes?” he asks, eyebrows raised. 

Tony grins. 

“No, I think you’re gonna be a riot. But I’m not calling you James.” 

“Jim, then.” 

“No,” Tony says. “You’re not an old man, you’re still attractive.” 

His eyebrows raise. 

Tony’s face pales. 

“I’m going to. Go. I have math on my pants.” 

Pepper snorts, readjusting her grip on her clipboard. 

“Welcome to NASA, Colonel Rhodes. I can promise you that we don’t usually yell about our lunch location or write on articles of clothing.” 

- 

Surprisingly, James doesn’t see Tony for two weeks. Apparently, he’s been working outside with a couple of the interns to calculate some stuff, rework some of the older ships for experience, and stay out of the way of Pepper, who says that he’s attempting to murder her via headaches to deal with. 

He seems interesting, however. There are sticky notes and papers all over the offices and breakrooms reminding people of what Tony had for breakfast/lunch/dinner, or where the extra coffee supplies are. 

“You provide for him?” he asks Pepper one time. 

“He gets too much into his own head sometimes,” Pepper says. “He focuses too much on a program or an improvement and forgets that he works around other people. You wouldn’t believe how many times we had miniature science experiments based off of lunches that he would leave in the fridge.” 

Rhodes nods. “Well. I’ll look forward to working with him.” 

- 

Tony has been working outside of the office for two reasons: 

1.) To legitimately help the interns. (Ned and Peter are making improvements!) 

2.) James Rhodes is the hottest guy on earth. Maybe in the universe. For real. Seriously. 

He hates Pepper for this. Didn’t even tell Tony what the new astronaut looked like, and then shows up with a god of a man. Rude and unfair. 

And he had to be the dumbass with the equation on his pants. 

He didn’t even have spare pants! He had to stay in his office for the whole day because the equation was actually really important and he needed it. 

“Why didn’t you just transfer it over on paper?” Bruce asks over the phone. Bruce is his friend who works in a technically classified, off-the-books, not-exactly-government-issued building. He’s cool. He also points out the obvious. 

“I’m the biggest idiot on the planet,” Tony groans. “There was just a new guy at work, and he threw me off balance, so-” 

“What’s he look like?” 

“Why, you not crushing on that hot Nordic space dude?” 

“No, still am. But I still remember when Barton came to work for you guys and you didn’t know that his name wasn’t George until about six months into him working there.” 

“In my defense, he works mostly with physical therapy and prep for no gravity,” Tony says. “I work with math and shit.” 

“Still,” Bruce says. “You wouldn’t have pointed him out if you didn’t think he was cute. What’s he like?” 

“I...don’t exactly know.” 

“Oh my god, you’ve been avoiding him?” 

“Oh what, like you didn’t jump out of a window when Thor almost saw you in a tank top?” 

“I have a farmer’s tan! Totally different circumstance!” 

“Is it?” 

“I hate you.” 

“Get to dating Thor and then we’ll talk again. Have fun re-revolutionizing green energy, Dr. Banner.” 

“Look to the stars, Tony.” 

- 

James has to get fitted for his suit. 

He faces Tony, who looks quite different from when he first saw him. His hair is somewhat less messy, he has one of those geeky NASA-logo shirts that they sell at Target, and is wearing khaki pants with about a million different pockets. 

(Something in his mind is whispering that he definitely shouldn’t find him attractive. But he will anyways.) 

“Alright space-cowboy, let’s get your measurements,” Tony says. “You feeling okay today?” 

“Right as rain.” 

“Rain is never good, sunshine,” Tony quips. “Now, about your nickname from me...hm. Rhodey.” 

“How’d you figure that out?” 

“Substituted the ‘s’ for a ‘y’, just simple stuff,” he says with a shrug. “You approve?” 

“I...guess.” 

“Good. Now Rhodey, how are you feeling?” 

“Like sunshine and gumdrops,” he responds sarcastically. 

Tony smiles, and damn if it makes his heart thump a bit. 

“Better answer, soldier. Extend those arms, please.” 

Tony smells really nice. Subtle cologne and clean laundry. Rhodey finds that he likes it. 

“How’ve you been doing, Tony?” 

“Like a gentle breeze on a day that’s seventy-two degrees,” Tony answers. “Work’s been good today. Helen made tacos.” 

“I had some of those, they were pretty good.” 

“Mm,” Tony answers. “Legs a bit more apart, thank you.” 

Rhodey shifts his stance a little bit, carefully not watching Tony bend down just a tad to get the bottom of his foot. 

(But oof, that was hard.) 

Tony comes back up again, looking into Rhodey’s eyes. For a moment, for a brief moment, his breath is taken away. 

“I need to wrap my measuring tape around your waist. You okay with that?” 

“More than.” 

“Don’t get saucy,” Tony winks. “No one likes more than one floozy at the office, and that’s what got me this job anyways.” 

Rhodey lets out a laugh, and Tony grins. 

He likes making him laugh. Likes it more than he should. 

- 

They spend more and more time together. Tony always makes adjustments, Rhodey realizes that Tony doesn’t exactly keep track of when he eats, so they have lunch together. 

They like it a lot. 

On good-weather days, they eat outside on a bench. Tony leans against one said, foot brushing Rhodey’s calf, and Rhodey doesn’t really mind because he’ll lean over occasionally and steal whatever Tony’s eating. 

“This is theft, you know.” 

“You eat like a bird, what do you know about food theft?” 

Tony almost always stays later than anyone else except for nights with Rhodey. 

Once a month, they have dinner together. Rhodey’s new to the area and Tony’s almost never social with anyone, so they’ve been working through a list of the three-star-rated restaurants and seeing which ones they like. 

“It’s kind of like a date,” Pepper says, on her monthly hangout with Tony (and also kind of a clean-up party for his house). 

“Not dates,” Tony says. “Just friends. I’m sure he has his eye on someone in or out of the office.” 

“Like you?” 

“His first impression of me was me writing an equation on my pair of jeans, and then I haven’t exactly upgraded my style since,” Tony deadpans. “He’s seen me in neon orange sweatpants, Pep. You don’t exactly come back from that.” 

“Maybe he likes you for who you are!” 

“God that’s such a bullshit answer,” Tony whines. “You sound like a straight-to-video movie that came out in 1997!” 

“That’s too specific.” 

“And? You still get the point!” 

Pepper flings a pillow his way. 

“Where is your wine?” 

“In the same cabinet you always leave it.” 

“Goody.” 

While Pepper sways to bed, Tony thinks about what she said. 

It could be possible. Tony had never exactly asked him about himself in that capacity, but Rhodey never had an odd reaction to a statement that involved talking about a partner of the same-sex or a one-liner about it. 

Maybe? 

...no. 

Guys like Rhodey deserved someone better than someone who forgot to eat lunch four out of the seven days of the week. (And maybe four was being generous.) 

- 

On the flipside, Rhodey was currently telling his woes to Carol, who was laughing at him. 

“You nerd!” she says. “You like Tony, and you’ve done nothing about it? Have you even told him that you also like guys? Cuffed your pants?” 

“No,” Rhodey says. “I just...why would he like someone like me? I’m...boring.” 

“You’re not boring,” Carol says. 

“Yeah you are!” Maria calls from the kitchen. “You’re very boring, Mr. ‘Only-Drinks-Black-Coffee’!” 

Carol giggles. 

“Maybe Maria has a point. Maybe.” 

Rhodey groans, leaning against the couch. 

“I’m so fucked.” 

“On the contrary-” 

“Oh shut up.” 

- 

Pepper is tired of people’s problems. They’re getting closer and closer to launch, and Clint’s out sick and Helen is being weird again, and Jane is off somewhere to a secret government-but-not-government launch to discuss things with two potential boyfriends. (Maybe boyfriends. Maybe.) 

Tony is getting stressed. 

Usually, he’s the only one who’s fine during a launch. He’s still cracking jokes, making fun events, and calming down people who are a bit too nervous. 

But usually, he’s not as close to the astronaut as this. 

He’s been thinking about the accidents they’ve had over the years. He doesn’t want a repeat. He’s been pulling all-nighters, avoiding sleep, and checking in on Rhodey consistently, to the point where Rhodey has to drag him outside and tell him that things will be fine. 

(In Pepper’s professional opinion, they’d be fine if they just did a goodbye kiss or whatever, but okay.) 

Tony’s getting into his own head. 

So is Rhodey. 

He’s going to be gone for a long time. He’s going to miss the holidays. And Tony won’t be able to talk to him everyday. 

“You should tell him,” Pepper murmurs. “I think you both would benefit from it.” 

“I’m not going to play that unfair card,” Rhodey murmurs back. “I either confess my love and go to a dangerous mission knowing that he loves me back and I said it when I can’t return, or he doesn’t and I just played a guilt-trip card.” 

“It’s not like that.” 

“Isn’t it?” 

Rhodey shakes his head. 

“I...I can’t do that to him. Wouldn’t be right. After the mission.” 

“After, then,” Pepper says. “When you come home.” 

Rhodey grins. 

- 

The day of launch happens far quicker than anyone wants it to, most of all Tony. 

Pepper actually kicked him out of his office, told him to shower, and wear something nice for once. 

“Make sure he knows he has someone to come home to,” Pepper says. “Wear your turtleneck!” 

“It’s only September,” Tony scowls. “And he’s his own person who’s about to launch himself into space.” 

“He will be fine,” Pepper says. “With your research and work, we’ve cut down overlooked mistakes by about forty percent.” 

“Still not half.” 

“Because we’re NASA,” Pepper sniffs. “Our mistakes matter more, so we make less of them.” 

Tony nods. 

-

He ends up almost being late to the launch because of Pepper’s stupid wardrobe advice. 

He’s wearing his nicest pair of pants, a button-up that’s been at the back of his closet for quite some time, and he’s feeling stupid because he had to play AC/DC in the car so he would actually focus on what was going on. 

Now he’s waiting for Rhodey to exit wearing the space suit that he made and to tell everyone that it was an honor and a privilege to be going to space where things happen and Tony can’t be there to help. 

Life sucks. 

But it goes on, and there’s Rhodey in the brilliantly-designed suit, and Tony’s never been more proud and more sad, but he sucks up his tears and walks up anyways. 

“Hey space-cowboy. Ready to explore the frontier?” 

“As ever,” Rhodey says. “You ready to forget to eat your lunch all over again?” 

Tony smiles. 

“You’ll have to check in with me soon, then,” Tony says. “Cut the mission short?” 

Rhodey laughs. 

“Wish I could. But I’ll send you pictures,” he says. “I promise.” 

Tony stops for a moment, smile dropping from his face. 

“Promise me one more thing.” 

“Anything,” Rhodey says. “Anything you want.”  

“Come back safe. Swear to me that you will.” 

Rhodey grins. 

“Safe and sound, honey. Safe and sound.” 

Tony watches him board the ship, wave to the cameras, and wink at him. 

He rolls his eyes, but blows a kiss anyways. 

-

Tony’s a nervous wreck. 

Pepper has decided that Rhodey needs to not go on missions anymore, or at least take Tony with him because he’s annoying. 

“Can you stop crying on the second floor bathroom? It’s getting annoying,” Pepper says. “Clint says he can hear you and feels bad.” 

“Well how are we supposed to know that Rhodey’s okay?!” Tony says. “For all I know, he could be dead!” 

“I really hope you don’t mean that,” comes a voice from behind. 

Tony whips around, seeing Rhodey’s grainy face from the big screen. 

“You bitch!” 

He laughs, and it doesn’t sound real, but he can see him. 

“Hey Tony. You been making sure no one is pissed at you for forgetting your dinner in the fridge?” 

“Well, now I will,” he admits. “I’ve missed you.” 

“I missed you too,” Rhodey smiles. “How’s everything been down there?” 

“Boring,” Tony says. “When are you coming back?” 

“I got about two more months,” Rhodey says. “And then I’ll be back.” 

“Quit hogging all the screen time,” Natasha teases. “You lovebirds can have your moment on earth.” 

Tony blinks. 

“What.” 

But by that time, Natasha and Sam have already been asking a million questions, and Pepper is filling Rhodey in on what he’s missed. 

Tony is still stuck on the whole ‘lovebirds’ thing that Natasha suggested. 

...that couldn’t be possible. And yet if other people saw it that way...

“Tony? Tony?” 

He blinks again, looking back up at the screen. 

Rhodey is smiling at him, that smile that means that he’s happy to see someone. 

“I’ll see you soon, honey.” 

“Right back at you, space-cowboy.” 

The screen goes to black, and Tony smiles a bit. 

“Aw, you nerd,” Clint teases. “So, you gonna ask him out on a date?” 

“Clint, I will cut off your leg,” Tony says cheerily. “I have to go finish some paperwork!” 

Tony’s done all of his paperwork, it’s one of the few times that Pepper’s had it done on time. 

He has to keep doing things to stop thinking about Rhodey. 

-

He writes him letters. He knows that he won’t ever read them, but writing letters helps and sometimes it makes his hands less jittery. 

He’s not ever going to send them. Ever. Letters are cheesy and they feel...personal. 

Pepper tells him that he’s being lame. 

“I’m not being lame!” Tony cries. “I am just. Protecting myself!” 

“You have the reasoning of a Jane Austen love interest,” she says flatly. “I swear if you don’t tell him, then I’ll meddle. And you know how bad I am when I meddle.” 

“You literally have made things so much worse for so many people,” Tony responds. 

“Not worse, per se.” 

“Oh right, how could I forget?” Tony exclaims sarcastically. “You made things the worst.” 

“If we weren’t such good friends, you’d be dead,” Pepper says. 

“Then let’s be worst enemies,” Tony mutters. “You still ready for pizza night?” 

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Pepper says. “Meet at your place at seven, right?” 

“Right.” 

-

Here is what Tony does not know: Rhodey’s coming back down earlier than expected, and Pepper knows this. 

So she’s been busying Tony with work while she’s acclimating Rhodey to life on earth again. 

“Has he really missed me?” Rhodey asks for about the twentieth time in about two hours. 

“Yes,” Pepper says. “I hope these aren’t your talking points for your interviews. If people know you’re this much of a love-struck idiot in real life, they won’t take you seriously.” 

“I just missed him!” 

“Oh sure,” she responds, rolling her eyes. “And I’m sure you’ll tell the news reporters that you missed me with as many stars in your eyes as now. You like him, you absolute geek.” 

“Well, maybe a little,” Rhodey mutters. “But you’re sure he’ll like the surprise?” 

“One hundred percent.” 

-

Tony is having, perhaps, the worst day in his life. Maybe in history, if he’s being quite honest. 

His car, for one thing, won’t start for more than is done-away-with concern, so he has to call Pepper and say that he’s going to be late since he has to fix his own car. 

“Will you get coffee on the way here?” Pepper asks. 

“Your usual order?” 

“Yeah, you know the drill.” 

Then the line is long because some stupid person wanted to complain, and Tony was this close to just threatening to buy the entire store to make it stop, and he cried on his way to work because he saw a duck cross the road and it reminded him of how Rhodey crashed his first car avoiding a duck that was crossing the road. 

Yeah. It’s rough. 

Then he parks in the wrong parking spot because some asshole with a stupid rental car took his usual spot, and then he stepped in a puddle. 

He hates today. 

“Pepper!” he declares as he enters the building. “I wore jeans today, I got your coffee, and I’m already done with the day. I swear to god if one more unexpected thing happens, I’ll just say ‘fuck it’ and go work for the Soviets!” 

“The Soviets aren’t a thing, Tones.” 

He knows that voice. 

He fucking knows that voice. He isn’t supposed to be back from that mission for another month. 

Tony doesn’t turn around. 

“I’m hallucinating. Oh my god, I’m hallucinating.” 

Hands wrap around his neck, hugging him. 

“This feel like a hallucination?” 

(Okay so Tony drops the coffee.) 

Rhodey’s smile is blinding, and he’s...he’s here. Right in front of him with those not-supposed-to-be-that-hot polo shirts, those eyes that he could get lost in, and just...

Well. 

He hugs him and he hugs him tightly. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back so soon?!” 

“Pepper organized it,” Rhodey says, giddy. “Decided it would be a nice surprise for you.” 

Tony looks over at Pepper, who’s trying to hide a grin behind her hands. 

“Pepper if I wasn’t so over-the-moon right now, your heels would be snapped.” 

She shrugs. 

“Worth it. You requested today off, by the way.” She winks as she turns back to her office. 

“Well, what do you say?” Rhodey asked. “Help me get used to having my feet back on the ground?” 

Tony grins. 

“Dinner sounds like a good start. Gotta get you some good earth food, none of that dehydrated crap.” 

“Do you know how long it’s been since I had a decent slice of pizza?” 

Tony grins. 

“I can fix that.” 

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Emperor Palpatine

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

There are villains. There are memes about villains. There are villains who are memes. And then, high above all of them, sitting on a lofty throne all his own, is Emperor Sheev Palpatine, a character so insanely incredible that it’s frankly quite baffling that even George Lucas at his worst still couldn’t make him awful… No, that was good old J.J. Abrams. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Palpatine is pretty much the archetype for the evil emperor in modern fiction, a mysterious evil sorcerer in dark robes who commands the main villain from afar and contains power beyond anything thought possible. But what’s interesting to note is that Palpatine really has three distinct eras to him: the original trilogy, where he was basically an outside context last minute threat who only had a presence in the third act of Return of the Jedi; the prequel trilogy, which is his best showing and where the Sheev we’ve all come to known and love really got to spread his wings and fly; and finally, the sequel era, the worst showing of Palpatine hands down, where he is randomly slapped into a film with no foreshadowing or buildup to pander to nostalgia.

So let’s take a look at our old pal Sheevy and see what makes him one of the greatest villains of all time, and one of the worst.

Motivation/Goals: Palpatine is motivated by one thing, and one thing only:

He spends the entire prequel trilogy building this up, working behind the scenes and manipulating both sides of the Clone Wars to his advantage so he can be given more and more political power. This works out beautifully for him, allowing him to dispose of his pawns like Dooku, take over the senate, seize absolute power, amass an army of clones, and of course execute Order 66. But most importantly, he is able to manipulate the frustrated and hurting Anakin to his side, mostly because the Jedi are a bunch of bumbling, archaic morons who put so much restrictions and belittle him so much that this creepy, predatory man is able to feed into his insecurities and send him tumbling to the Dark Side.

In the original trilogy, Palpatine is pretty content with letting Vader handle the affairs of the Empire, at least until Luke shows up and the Rebels become a substantial threat. Once the time comes, he has Luke and Vader get together and puts them up against each other, thinking the outcome is either that he gets a new apprentice/keeps his old one in check, or corrupts Luke somehow into killing his father and joining him as the new Sith. He didn’t count on Vader turning, but ah well.

The thing is that throughout these six films he remains remarkably consistent in his goals. He wants power, and if he can’t keep that power he’s going to make sure as many people suffer on his way down as possible. He’s almost cartoonishly evil in the best way possible!

And then came the sequels.

His motivations in the sequels are, quite frankly, impossible to discern, because they seem to change every scene. If he’s behind Snoke and the First Order, it’s easy to guess that he probably wanted Rey dead, right? Because that’s sure the vibe Snoke gave in The Last Jedi. But no, after it seeming like he wants her dead for most of The Rise of Skywalker, as soon as she shows up his plan is suddenly for her to kill him so he can transfer into his body. And then he changes that a short time later to “I am going to suck the life out of Rey and Ben so this shitty clone body can be great.” It’s like they’re cramming three or four different Palpatine plots into the twenty-five minutes of screentime Palpatine has in this film, and there is just absolutely no thematic cohesion anywhere. It’s just a mess.

Performance: If there is one thing that is always consistent with Palpatine, it is that Ian McDiarmid is absolutely fantastic as him. This man is able to take the most cliché, generic evil overlord archetype imaginable and transform every single line of dialogue he spouts into a meme, and even when he’s the absolute worst version of this character possible and strapped to a giant Sith dialysis machine on some Sith planet where he makes Snoke clones and verbally berates Adam Driver, he still finds time to be hilariously awesome.

Final Fate: Palpatine seriously underestimated Anakin, and ended up chucked down into the Death Star, where he died. He certainly didn’t have a poorly-explained clone backup of himself anywhere that would rise up decades later to completely override any victories the heroes ever had by ensuring that the entire lineage of the Skywalkers was destroyed and then usurped by his own spawn.

Best Scene: In a scene that justifies the entire existence of the prequels, shows off McDiarmid’s acting chops as he pulls off some actual subtlety as Palpatine, delivers some great background lore, and helps make Revenge of the Sith as awesome as it is… well, have you heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?

Best Quote: Look, I could put just about anything he says in Revenge of the Sith here. I could put just about anything he says here. This man is an absolute meme machine who spits out only the finest quotable soundbites you will ever here. But look, I’m tired of not singling out great lines, so let me give you the one I quote the most. It’s one of his greatest quotes, and yet it is unbelievably simple. Two words and a ridiculously hammy inflection is all this man needs to be a meme:

Final Thoughts & Score: Sheev Palpatine is a man of extremes. Every aspect of him is so large that when he does something, he does it with the full force of his entire character. Revenge of the Sith will eternally be his best showing in the entire franchise, because he just spends the entirety of his screentime being the most insanely impressive scheming, manipulative bastard imaginable while somehow managing to cram in time for a sick spin through the air or a monologue about his former master at the space opera house. He manages to singlehandedly redeem the prequels if only by existing in them, and he helps elevates Revenge of the Sith into being the only one of those films that is generally accepted as being legitimately awesome. And while he is absent for much of the original trilogy, seeing as he wasn’t exactly conceived of right off the bat, he manages to make the most of his appearance in Return of the Jedi by being just as delightfully malevolent as ever, goading Luke and Vader into a duel and shooting lightning from his fingertips.

There are few villains who are just this completely basic and cliché that could ever hope to be great, but thanks to McDiarmid’s portrayal, he has gone on to be one of the single most iconic villains of all time, and one of the most iconic characters of all time. The guy is practically a living meme, from his name to his actions in the prequels, and he has certainly inspired many an evil overlord after him. For a character so seemingly unoriginal, it can be hard to believe he probably deserves an 11/10, but he most definitely does. He’s just become a staple of the franchise, to the point where some people feel it just ain’t Star Wars without him…

...Including, unfortunately, J.J. Abrams and a few other writers. Palpatine managed to be shoehorned into the prequels by being a surprise twist villain for The Rise of Skywalker (and as we’ve all seen from their recent animated movies, out-of-nowhere twist villains are great!), and it is without a doubt the most stupid and embarrassing showing one could possibly imagine for a character of this caliber. His motivations seem to change every time he opens his mouth, a lot of his dialogue is just uninspired, and while he does get a somewhat striking design here it’s hampered by the fact that his entire existence and role are really unexplained in the film and he feels like he was slapped in for the sake of being there. 

There’s also the fact that his mere existence and the fact he ends up being responsible for Ben Solo’s death means he completely overrides the entire franchise, comes out on top with his granddaughter usurping the Skywalker name, and succeeds entirely at wiping out the Skywalker lineage. This entire nine film series was just buildup to Palpatine ultimately winning, and just when things couldn’t get worse, Disney decided to take away the one thing that made this Palpatine hilarious – the idea that, with his hideous scarred face, he was able to bang a woman and conceive a child – and completely toss it out the window by saying this Palpatine was actually a clone. Not in the movie, of course, because that would make way too much sense, no; it was confirmed on Twitter.

I think it goes without saying Clone Palpatine gets a 1/10. And this is through no fault of McDiarmid; he’s still genuinely great in the role, even if the role is stupid, his character’s actions are stupid, and just everything about the character’s existence is stupid. He’s certainly not phoning it in at all, and ignoring everything else about the film Clone Palpatine is at least somewhat amusing on his own. There’s also the fact that this Palpatine most definitely has an incredibly striking design and looks really cool, despite the unbelievable lameness of what he actually is:

But how he is utilized within the franchise and what he ultimately accomplishes and represents is too much for me to actually forgive in the context of Psycho Analysis. When the most redemptive thing I can say about Clone Palpatine is that his actor is at least trying and his design is cool despite the awful writing and story relevance, that is not the sign of a great character. That is the sign of a great actor desperately trying to salvage a trainwreck.

But it’s like I said earlier; Palpatine is a man of extremes. If he’s gonna be a great villain, then by god is he going to be one of the greatest villains of all time. And if he’s going to be a crappy villain? Well then he’s gonna sit among the worst ever. I kind of respect that about good ol’ Sheev; he just can’t do anything in half measures. I guess as a Sith he really does deal in absolutes, be it absolutely amazing or absolutely awful.

UPDATE: I stand by all my criticisms of Sheev Clonepatine, but dammit, there’s just too many hilarious memes, and I can’t really hate Ian McDiarmid’s performance. Yes, I’ve come around quick, but I guess it is true: when Palpatine succeeds, he succeeds epically and hilariously, and when he fails, he fails epically and hilariously. His role in the story and the stupidity of him being here at all is a 1/10 for sure, but I think he’s just hilarious enough to edge into the “So bad it’s good” category of 3/10 alongside his bouncing baby boy Snoke. 

Just remember: No matter what Disney tries to tell you, Palpatine fucks.

[schraubd]

Handicapping the Senate

It's less than six months from election day, so why not handicap the current state of the 2020 Senate races? I'm going to list the (competitive) races in order of likelihood to flip to the opposing party. 1. Alabama (Doug Jones - D):  You know that West Wing plot where the Democratic nominee in a super-Republican district dies before election day, and Sam Seaborn offers to run in the special election if the dead guy somehow ends up winning? And then every confluence of luck and God and good fortune smiled and the dead guy did win, forcing Sam into a congressional run doomed as soon as it began? That's kind of Doug Jones re-election campaign. Everything -- everything -- had to break in increasingly ludicrous fashion for a Democrat to win a Senate seat in Alabama, right down to his opponent being an actual pedophile. And it still was a 2 point race. This was a great victory, and Jones deserves to be showered with plaudits and praise for it. But it'd take another miracle for him to win in 2020, and I don't see it. The only bright spot is that former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville looks likely to best ex-Senator and former Trump AG Jeff Sessions to become the GOP nominee -- not because Tuberville is better, but because one of the few joys of the Trump era has been watching him repeatedly wreck the careers of his erstwhile friends. 2. Colorado (Cory Gardner - R): Colorado, like Nevada, is a state that seemed to go from red to light blue skipping entirely over purple in the process. Cory Gardner never got the memo, and has legislated like a GOP diehard for his entire first term -- never even gesturing at a pivot toward the Senator. The reward for his Trumpist loyalty is to be polling down double digits against Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (doing the right thing running for Senate instead of a quixotic Presidential campaign). It's hard to see how he survives -- he ranks below Jones only because Colorado isn't so solidly blue that a Republican victory would require divine intervention. 3. Arizona (Martha McSally - R [special]): Every once in awhile, one comes across a politician who seems perfectly fine on paper, who doesn't seem to have any particular attributes that make her especially lovable or loathable, yet who voters for whatever reason just don't cotton to. Martha McSally seems to be one of those pols. She just lost a Senate race in 2018 to Kyrsten Sinema in a mild upset that presaged Arizona suddenly becoming a real Democratic target, then immediately got appointed to fill the shoes of departing Republican Senator Jon Kyl. Now she's polling down again to Mark Kelly (astronaut husband of shooting survivor and ex-Rep. Gabby Giffords), in a state where Biden is posting some very impressive numbers. Other politicians might be able to reverse the tide. But McSally just doesn't seem to vibe with the folks she needs to, and the trend lines aren't pulling her way. The most recent poll to drop in Arizona has her losing by a crushing 13 point margin. 4. Maine (Susan Collins - R): This would be among the sweetest fruits for me, and Sara Gideon has a very strong shot to take out Moderate Republican(tm) Susan Collins. Maine remains blue at the presidential level, and Collins once sky-high approvals have been in free fall as she's played loyal foot soldier to McConnell and Trump. Yet it's hard not to imagine she's stockpiled some good will from her (however tattered) reputation as a moderate, and Maine more so than anywhere in New England has some areas that are surprisingly Trump-friendly. This will be a real slugfest. 5. North Carolina (Thom Tillis - R): The "new south" -- educated, suburban, professional, racially diverse, and increasingly blue-friendly -- is creeping up and down the Atlantic coast. Virginia's already been taken over. Georgia an increasingly plum target. But the next domino most likely to fall is North Carolina -- still the palest shade of red leaning, but a place where Democratic fortunes appear to be waxing. Tillis has two other things cutting against him: he'll be sharing a ballot with wildly popular Democratic Governor Roy Cooper (who appears to be thrashing any GOP challengers), and a flood of bad press hitting his Senate colleague Richard Burr for allegedly dumping stock before the coronavirus news really broke. Democratic nominee Cal Cunningham is polling well here -- either moderately ahead or at worst tied. 6. Montana (Steve Daines - R): Governor Steve Bullock is another entry in the "thank you for abandoning a ridiculous POTUS bid and running for Senate instead" list, and he instantly turns this race into a real Democratic opportunity. Montana has been quietly getting more competitive over the past few years as the western half of the state and what passes for "cities" turn bluer, and Democratic Senator Jon Tester won a hotly contested 2018 Senate race by a close but not squeaky-thin 3.5% margin. Daines has the advantage of incumbency plus Trump's coattails, but Bullock is popular statewide. This has flown under the radar a bit, and I think Bullock's got a real shot. 7. Georgia (Kelly Loeffler - R [special]): This would place a lot higher if I was ordering based on "likelihood the incumbent loses". Loeffler, only recently appointed by Governor Brian Kemp, is abysmally unpopular in the Peach State, and right now she's polling fourth in a free-for-all election (behind fellow Republican Mac Collins and then two Democrats). The reasons are myriad -- Trump made it clear she was not his choice for the appointment, and she too has gotten into hot water over coronavirus-related trading -- but the end result is she's unlikely to even advance to the run-off. Unfortunately for Democrats, run-offs in Georgia have tended to sharply favor the GOP, so the most likely person to emerge from the scrum is Collins -- an even further-right Trump loyalist. There's also the alarming possibility that, in a highly fractured field, Loeffler manages to squeak into second and lock Democrats out entirely. Of course if that happens, Loeffler's only hope to prevail is to attract cross-over votes .... 8. Michigan (Gary Peters - D): Outside Alabama, this is by far the GOP's best chance for a 2020 Senate pickup. John James is a very strong candidate who ran a surprisingly close race against Debbie Stabenow in 2018, and he's back for a second crack at the Senate. Peters is not as well established as Stabenow was, and 2020 will likely not be as big a blue wave year as 2018 was. On the other hand, Democratic fortunes in Michigan seem to be on the rise, and Biden should perform better there than Clinton did in 2016. That's enough to make Peters the favorite, but not an overwhelming one. 9. Iowa (Joni Ernst - R): Once the ultimate bellwether, Iowa has seemingly been largely written off as a legitimate Democratic target, and for a long time Joni Ernst seemed to be coasting to re-election. But her numbers are surprisingly soft -- two polls this month have her deadlocked with her two most likely Democratic challengers -- and Democrats did win three of four Iowa House seats in 2018. She's definitely still the favorite, but an upset can't be written off. 10. Georgia (David Perdue - R): The other Georgia race, minus the particular "complexities" raised by Loeffler's unique unpopularity. That means most of the above analysis applies, but only more so for the Republicans. Georgia continues to creep towards purple status, but odds are it won't quite get there in 2020. 11. Kansas (Open [Pat Roberts] - R): Kris Kobach blew the Governor's race for the GOP in 2018, but that hasn't deterred him from seeking the Senate nod in 2020. It's possible he'll get it, and so it's possible he'll lose again. Democrats have rarely been competitive in the Sunflower State, but 2018 showed they had a heartbeat. Meanwhile, the state Republican Party has been in a state of near-civil war for years between (relative) moderates and true firebreathers. The latter camp had their man in the Governor's mansion in the form of Sam Brownback, and his experiment in scorched-earth conservative governance led the GOP to unprecedented unpopularity in a state they normally dominate in. 12. Kentucky (Mitch McConnell - R): I know I said Susan Collins would be the sweetest fruit, but if Mitch McConnell goes down I'll revise that assessment. It's unlikely -- Kentucky is blood red at the Presidential level, and McConnell has effectively infinite resources at his disposal. But Andy Beshear's win of the Governor's mansion showed that Democrats still can win statewide if the stars align, and McConnell, for all his power and sway, is actually very unpopular in his home state. A definite long shot, but not wholly out of range. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/2AP3523

[liquidatia]

Title: A Rose by any Other Name

Author: Yoi-trash-dump

Rating: T

Tags: YOI omegaverse, arranged marriage, courting, Yuuri Katsuki/Victor Nikiforov, Victuuri, Alpha Yuuri, Beta Victor, Victorian era

Summary: Victor Nikiforov was no fool. He knew what the rest of polite society whispered about him behind his back.

How ridiculous he looks trying to masquerade as an omega. No amount of finery can hide bad breeding. He is entirely too tall, his face too long, and his shoulders too broad. It’s like someone dressed up a show horse and sent it to a ball!

Poor Lord Katsuki, forced to be saddled with an infertile beta. What an unfortunate arrangement.

How unfortunate indeed, when Victor finds himself completely and utterly smitten by a mysterious stranger on the night he is to meet his betrothed for the first time.

Read more

“Victor, straighten up that posture. It’s absolutely atrocious,” Lilia chidded sharply from her side of the carriage.

He personally couldn’t see how his posture could be any straighter, what with the corset forcing his spine erect. Nonetheless, he let out a pitiful sigh and strained his shoulders back further. He had spent the previous three hours being wrestled into layers and layers of skirts of imported silk, strangled by that blasted corset, having his face powdered down to accentuate his already fair skin, and his long silver hair piled on top of his head in the latest omega fashion, all for the sake of an alpha that he had never met before. He didn’t feel like some fragile doll made to stay silent and look pretty though. Even worse. He felt like an imposter in his own skin.

“I don’t see why he has to try so hard,” Yuri grumbled beside him, his alpha cousin slouched in an unbecoming manner that Lilia had long given up on, “his intended will wed and bed him whether or not he approves of Victor’s posture or even his appearance for that matter. Why continue this charade when everybody knows the truth? It’s embarrassing.”

“Yura, enough,” Yakov snapped.

Victor knew that Yuri didn’t mean to sound so harsh and he was in truth just as frustrated with the situation as he was, but he couldn’t help but inwardly flinch at the unspoken question.

Why dress him up like an omega bride when everybody knows that he’s a beta?

‘Why?’ is the question that Victor always asked himself, ‘why couldn’t he present as an omega like everyone expected of him? Why was fate so cruel? Why even try when this horrid, loveless arranged marriage will only lead sorrow and contempt? Why was being a beta so bad?’

Even at twenty-two years of age, he had no answers, so he simply played his part. He dressed up as an omega even after he presented as a beta and his secondary gender became evident with his broadening frame. He learned dainty skills such as embroidery, piano, hosting and entertaining guests, and managing an estate. He charmed people with his pretty words and pretty smiles, hiding his bitter loneliness behind a demure facade. He got by, but it wasn’t enough. He could never be enough. No matter how much he pretended and lied to himself, he would always be just a beta, and there was no place or worth in betas in his world.

They arrived at the Giacometti estate not quite early, yet not fashionably late. It had always been that way since Victor’s presentation to draw attention away from the beta male, yet as he descended the grand staircase, he felt many eyes pin him down like a butterfly on display.

“Relax, Vitya,” Lilia whispered beside him, “they stare because you are the most beautiful in attendance.”

Victor could only provide a strained smile in return. He knew she meant well, but he was no stranger to what the rest of polite society whispered about him.

Poor Lord Katsuki, forced to be saddled with an infertile beta. What an unfortunate arrangement.

How ridiculous he looks trying to masquerade as an omega. No amount of finery can hide bad breeding. He is entirely too tall, his face too long, and his shoulders too broad. It’s like someone dressed up a show horse and sent it to a ball!

Twenty-two is rather old for a marriage. If he were truly an omega, he’d practically be an old maid!

He is nothing but a glorified beta. He will never satisfy his future husband.

It seems like the Nikiforovs cheated the Katsukis with this sham of a marriage. Lord Katsuki will never have an heir... a legitimate one at least.

“Victor!” his childhood friend and confidant, Chris, greeted jovially, breaking him from his dark thoughts, “mon cherie, why look at you. Stunning as always!”

Victor felt himself smile genuinely for the first time that night. “Thank you. It’s always a pleasure to see a familiar face.”

“And look at that neckline. Mon dieu, how scandalous Mister Nikiforov! Your betrothed will be smitten before the night is over!”

And like that, his smile fell. Despite his friend’s good intentions, Victor was well aware he didn’t have the omega curves to fill out the dress properly to make any sort of scandal. “Chris I don’t even know him. He doesn’t even know me.”

“Then get to know him, cherie. Enthrall him with that brilliant mind of yours. Now enough worrying. I hope your intended doesn’t mind that I steal your first dance,” he delivered with a saucy wink.

And like that, Christ swept him off in a flurry of skirts and laughter as they danced to a waltz. The Giacometti estate always had excellent taste in music and this party was no exception. It was too easy to lose track of time in the revelry.

“You sure know how to throw a party, Chris,” Victor commended as they remained together for the next song.

“I aim to please,” he all but purred, yet Victor could see that something else had grabbed his attention. Looking over his shoulder, his eye was all but drawn to his younger cousin arguing with another alpha - a very handsome alpha. A very handsome alpha who looked completely startled by his cousin’s infamous rage that was causing a scene. Quite unfortunately, Victor didn’t recognize him.

To his benefit, the stranger quickly regained his composure and offered a humored smile. He said something Victor couldn’t quite catch, which sent Yuri on edge like an angered cat. With an affirmative nod, Yuri hardly waited for the stranger to finish bowing before grabbing him and taking the lead in the next dance. Victor could only blink in surprise like the rest of the party goers. Two alphas dancing together? That was absolutely unheard of, so naturally, Victor was completely enthralled. And oh, he was a beautiful dancer! Lilia drilled strict dance lessons into both he and Yuri growing up so they were quite known to be wonderful dance partners, but the way this man moved, he all but brought Yuri’s years of training to shame.

He was flexible it seemed, falling into step with Yuri with ease and taking on the conventionally omega role in the dance. If Victor didn’t know better, he might have thought the alpha really was an omega. His footwork was exquisite and his form was impeccable. Despite his strong and slim physique, he danced in such a manner that seduced all those around him regardless of secondary gender, and Victor was one of them. He could hardly take his eyes off of him.

“Someone has your attention it seems,” Chris noted mirthfully.

“Chris,” he said urgently, tugging at his jacket, “who is he? I must know!”

“I haven’t a clue actually. Masumi usually draws up the guest list and it seems I wasn’t paying attention when he arrived. I’ve never seen him before but now I have to know so I can make sure he’s invited to the next party. He is quite easy on the eyes too.”

“He is absolutely stunning!”

“Careful,” Chris warned playfully, though there was a glint of seriousness in his eyes, “you wouldn’t want to neglect your fiance.”

In Chris’s company, Victor had the audacity to roll his eyes. “To hell with my fiance and this farce of a marriage!”

The second the song came to a close, Victor broke away from Chris and approached the stranger before anyone else could claim him. Curtseying low and looking up through silver lashes, Victor offered a charmed smile.

“May I have this dance?”

Yuri all but sputtered at his sudden appearance, but the other alpha graciously smiled and offered his hand. And just like that, Victor was swept away into a Venetian waltz in the arms of a man who was not his intended. It was a wonderful dance really. Victor had never felt as challenged by another dancer as he did now and the alpha had the strength to lower him into an impressive dip, but Victor feared he was hardly an appropriate partner. He was a beta, and a beta that was taller than the alpha at that, and Victor could only wonder if the man resented him for it. Perhaps he would be able to fully enjoy his beautiful dance partner, if it weren’t for him feeling so ridiculous and out of place like an ugly duckling dancing with a swan. Like all things, he would never be good enough, not for his fiance and not for this alpha.

As the waltz drew to a close, Victor offered a watery smile and curtseyed deeply in show of his appreciation and as a last goodbye, but it seemed as though the alpha was full of never-ending surprises. He took Victor by the hand before he could slip away and placed it on the small of his back. He was so shocked that he hardly registered that the next song had started until the man gently urged him to lead. With that, they both were off. Their steps became synced and their transitions much smoother, now that the height difference was adjusted for.

“That’s much better, isn’t it?” the handsome stranger asked before ducking his head in a blush that made Victor’s pounding heart quite evident, “my apologies, that was too bold of me to assume you preferred to lead or even want to dance with me a second time.”

“No, no, of course not! You’re a beautiful dancer! I couldn’t take my eyes off of you the moment you started dancing with my cousin. And actually,” Victor quickly demurred, “I prefer to lead, though I hardly get to opportunity to.”

His smile was absolutely blinding. “I’m glad then. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you as well. You’re even lovelier in person. I’m afraid the rumors do you no justice.”

Victor stiffened at that.

...nothing but a glorified beta...

“I’m hardly beautiful,” he managed weakly, which earned him an incredulous look.

“Hardly beautiful? You can’t be serious? You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen!”

“Even for a beta? After all, beauty can’t buy good breeding. Who would want to marry a beta who can’t produce heirs?”

Now it was the alpha’s turn to falter, his big brown eyes widening further before he averted them. “Is that what has you so anxious? Are you worried that I care that you’re a beta?”

“Everyone cares that I’m a beta. Are you saying that you don’t?” Victor challenged. He knew he was hardly being fair or proper, but he was just so tired and something about this man made his tongue looser than usual.

“Of course I don’t!” he all but exclaimed with such genuine concern in his eyes, “I’m not daft. I know that your beauty isn’t the only thing about you people like to talk about, but your secondary gender hardly matters. I in fact would be honored to marry you! I know we’ve only just met, but I’ve already decided that I like you and that’s good enough for me.”

Victor could hardly stop his breath from hitching at his words. To be enough is all he ever wanted. How could he possibly make this man stay? “That sounds like a marriage proposal. Then what shall I be to you? A father figure? A brother, then? A friend? A lover?”

“No, no!” the alpha quickly flustered, making Victor’s heart drop in disappointment, “I want you to stay who you are! Just be… you.”

Victor tightened his hold on him, drawing him closer to both feel his warmth and hide his watery eyes despite the song coming to a close. “I-I… thank you. God, I don’t even know your name.”

The man seemed to completely blank at that, all confidence falling from his face “Y-you don’t?”

He was making him nervous now. Should he know? “I’m sorry, but I believe this is the first time we’ve met?”

His shocked expression morphed into a humored snort. “Fair enough. I’m simply just a passing noble and this is my first night in town after all. I’m very certain we’ll be seeing more of each other in the months to come. However, I’m afraid I have to retire early. It has been a long trip for both me and my colleagues and I am hosting them for the night at my family’s estate.” He bowed low and kissed Victor’s hand. “I hope to see you again soon, Victor. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your company.”

And just like that, the man disappeared just as quickly as he entered Victor’s life and to his disappointment, he still didn’t have a name. It wasn’t until he was back in his carriage that he found out the mysterious man’s identity.

“And what are you sighing about this time, Victor?” Yakov barked.

“We have to cancel the marriage!” Victor nearly shouted, his nervous energy finally breaking free.

“You know it’s not that easy, Victor. What’s brought this on?”

He sighed again, resting his head on his palm. “I met the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen and I think I’m in love. I won’t have anybody else!”

Yuri who had been uncharacteristically silent up until this point simply stared at him incredulously. “Are you talking about that stupid pig you were practically glued to the entire time?”

“If I remember correctly, you danced with him too,” he snipped back.

The blonde hell child snapped at that. “Are you a freaking moron?” Yuri exploded, rocking the carriage with his sudden outburst, “that pig you were dancing with was Lord Yuuri Katsuki. He is your fiance!”

Oh... Oh.

[marigoldbaker]

regarding honor and honesty in the workplace (35/43)

read it on ao3!

slow burn is over; expect some Quality domestic fluff :’)

from the personal files of Jenny Calendar:

It is 12:51 in the morning, and Rupert and I are once again working on a case.

“The part I don’t get,” said Jenny through a mouthful of Cheetos, swallowing when Rupert looked a bit confused by her muffled words, “the part I don’t get is why Cordelia hasn’t vanished off the face of the earth along with Wesley and Angel. Like, Lilah’s really goddamn good at covering her tracks—she was already planning to shoot me in an alley. It isn’t Wolfram and Hart’s MO to leave loose ends unless they’re planning on following up later.”

“Cordelia did something rather clever,” said Rupert, smiling slightly and placing a piece of paper down on the kitchen table. Jenny picked it up, taking a good look at it, and saw that it was a printout of an Instagram post—the picture showing Cordelia, all decked out and smiling beatifically at the camera. She was wearing the dark green dress she’d worn the night of the gala. “She returned to Instagram with a post about how she’d taken some unexpected offline time to begin preparing a—um—vlog?”

“Video blog,” said Jenny. “Or video log, depending.”

“Thank you for a very needed translation, dear,” said Rupert, squeezing Jenny’s shoulder as, leaning on his walking stick, he crossed the kitchen to reach above the sink and awkwardly take the kettle from a cabinet. “At any rate, Cordelia made her presence known online again with promises of a daily vlog, which meant that her disappearance might legitimately spark a buzz of online gossip. As our daughters noted, her online following is quite sizable.”

“God, that girl really is smart,” said Jenny, impressed.

“It was a failsafe in the event of a Wolfram and Hart emergency,” Rupert explained, his smile flickering, “but she knows it’s something of a double-edged sword. As long as she’s posting, Wolfram and Hart can keep consistent tabs on what she’s doing and the people she’s visiting.”

“Okay,” said Jenny. “I see the problem. How are we supposed to get to Cordelia and start making plans?”

“This is the part I don’t think you’ll like,” said Rupert.

“What?”

“You haven’t asked me yet why Buffy was acting so oddly a few days ago,” said Rupert somewhat uncomfortably, turning on the sink to fill the kettle. “I feel as though that should be a question you should begin considering.”

Jenny blinked, and then took another look at Rupert. “No,” she said. “Rupert, you didn’t.”

“Jenny—”

“You had our daughter go and meet Cordelia?”

“In my defense—”

“There is literally nothing you can say that will make putting our daughter in actual mortal danger sound like a good choice!”

“All right, now that’s a blanket statement,” said Rupert, irritation added to the guilt in his tone. He placed the now-full kettle down on the stovetop, turning the burner on. “Might I get a sentence out, or do you have more that you would like to add?”

“Only that I don’t think it’s something Buffy should be involved in under any circumstances,” said Jenny archly.

“Have you possibly entertained the notion that I completely agree?” Rupert pointed out.

“Would Buffy have gone to meet Cordelia if you completely agreed?”

“Yes, she would have,” said Rupert shortly, “because Buffy went without my permission.”

Jenny felt her anger dissipate and she winced a little. “Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. I just—” She waved a hand, then said, “I-I worry about you and the kids.”

Rupert’s face softened as the kettle went off. Turning off the burner, he reached for his walking stick, awkwardly crossing the kitchen to lean down and give Jenny a very soft kiss. They were both smiling a little nervously when he pulled away. “I’m well aware,” he said, “though it surprises me that you’re still willing to work this rather dangerous case with me.”

“Yeah, well,” said Jenny. “Hate to admit it, but you make a few damn good points about my not wanting to live my life with Lilah looking over my shoulder.” She reached up, tracing his jawline with a fingertip. “Not to mention that you’d probably just do this case anyway no matter how hard I try to talk you out of it.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Rupert agreed, and kissed her forehead before pulling back all the way, moving across the kitchen to begin setting up the tea.

“So tell me about what happened with Buffy.”

“Well,” said Rupert, “as you know, our daughters all have a knack for figuring us out both aptly and quickly.”

“Yeah, I’m still mad at them for not telling me outright that you’ve been in love with me since the Jurassic era,” said Jenny, mouth twitching.

“Proterozoic, actually,” said Rupert with dignity, which made Jenny bite her lip and smile at the kitchen table. “And the point that I am trying to make is that the girls quite easily figured out what I was doing. Faith wasn’t at all fond of the idea of keeping things from you, but did accept that it was my decision to make in the long run—”

“So that’s why she was mad at you,” said Jenny. “You know you can’t get the girls to keep things from me again, right?”

“Extenuating circumstances—”

“Swear to god, Rupert, I will break up with you right now if you say you’ll ever get the girls to keep things from me that might put this family in danger,” said Jenny mildly, wishing she had a mug of tea to raise to her lips in a dramatic yet powerful gesture.

Rupert smiled wryly and nodded. “Goes both ways,” he said.

“Obviously,” Jenny agreed.

“At any rate,” said Rupert, “Buffy was quite determined to help out in any way she could. She pieced together quite quickly that Cordelia would be a useful asset, left the house under the guise of getting milk, and met Cordelia at a coffee shop to ‘catch up on old times.’ She’s having lunch with Willow and Cordelia at Cordelia’s apartment in a few days, and she says they’ll be using that time to discuss possible strategies for locating Angel and his team.”

“Wait,” said Jenny. “Buffy knows about Angel?”

Rupert’s hand shook as he poured out the tea. “It was a rather emotional conversation,” he said, “but yes. She knows Angel’s back in town, and she says she’s dealing with it as best she can.”

Jenny smiled. “I’m glad she’s got some healthy coping mechanisms up her sleeve,” she said. Then, “She’s going to be in so much trouble for not telling me about seeing Cordelia.”

“I told her as much,” said Rupert. “She said getting lectured by you would be worth it if she knew she’d be able to help take down the people who got me shot.”

Jenny felt her smile flutter a bit. “Oh,” she said. “You know what? Maybe—we should talk to the girls, see if they can help.”

“Jenny,”said Rupert, reproving and a bit horrified.

“Hey,” said Jenny. “You had the good fortune of not having to be the one there while the girls watched a parent bleed out. I know for a fact that taking Wolfram and Hart down would make me feel a hell of a lot better about all the shit they put us through. I’m pretty sure Buffy’s got the same outlook, and I think she deserves to be a part of whatever justice we serve. Faith and Dawn too, as a matter of fact.”

“This is our job,” said Rupert. “Not theirs.”

“You know they’re just gonna go ahead and do it with or without us,” Jenny countered. “Just like you did when I told you I didn’t want you working this case. Why not make sure they’re helping in a way that isn’t going to end up with them getting killed?”

Rupert placed a mug of tea down in front of her, studying her with a grudging adoration. “You are intolerably, frustratingly right,” he said.

“Aww. I love you too.” Jenny took the mug, taking a long sip, then said, “Needs more sugar.”

“I am injured,” said Rupert, “and suffering, get your own bloody sugar,” and sat down next to her at the kitchen table with his own mug.

“Okay,” Jenny whispered, and kissed him.

Jenny and Rupert ended up falling asleep on the couch watching early-morning sitcoms, and woke up when the sun started shining through the curtains. Groaning, Jenny buried her face in Rupert’s pajama shirt, mumbling vaguely and wondering if she could manage a few more minutes of sleep at least.

“I’ll make breakfast,” said Rupert wearily.

“Ugh,” said Jenny, “no, you’re—you still need rest, I can make breakfast—”

“As it happens,” said Buffy, “us kids can very happily solve this problem for the both of you.”

Jenny looked up, surprised and still a little sleepy, and saw that the girls were all standing with a sizable breakfast tray, complete with slightly sloppy pancakes, two champagne glasses of orange juice, and a fruit salad. “We tried to make the pancakes heart-shaped,” said Buffy a little apologetically, “you know, to celebrate you guys being in love and stuff? But turns out Dad’s the only one who can really pull it off.”

“Do I have to start calling Giles my dad now?” Faith asked, smirking.

“I’m calling Jenny my evil stepmother,” said Dawn with satisfaction. “I always wanted an evil stepmother when I was little.”

Gently disentangling herself from Rupert, Jenny pulled herself up to cross the living room and carefully hug each of the girls, making sure not to jostle the tray in the process. She lingered on Buffy, because she knew for a fact that 1) making a lavish congratulations-breakfast wasn’t Dawn’s style, and 2) Faith tended to express her appreciation by just flat-out telling people she was happy for them. “Thanks,” she said softly. After a moment of deliberation, she added, “You know, your dad told me about your meeting with Cordelia.”

Buffy visibly steeled herself. “Yeah?”

“I definitely don’t like the idea of my kid being involved in this line of work,” said Jenny carefully, “but I also think that forbidding you from it is just going to make you more determined to do it. If you want to meet Cordelia, we’re okay with it, but we have to go over the finer points of collecting information.”

“Oh,” said Buffy, looking surprised.

“What?”

“I was honestly kinda expecting you to chew me out,” said Buffy a little sheepishly. “Dad was furious.”

“Rightfully so,” said Rupert blearily, and pulled the knitted throw around himself, snuggling further into the couch.

“Well, what you did definitely wasn’t wise,” Jenny agreed, “but you’re legally an adult now, and I feel as though trying to protect you by keeping you uninformed about case work is only going to lead to you being placed in progressively more dangerous situations if this is a path you decide you want to pursue.”

“What about us?” Dawn piped up.

“Yeah, I’m pretty close to being a legal adult,” Faith added hopefully.

Jenny considered this, then glanced over at Rupert, who was now sitting up and looking at the girls with a slightly more alert expression. “Penny for your thoughts, sweetheart?” she asked.

Rupert smiled a little at the endearment. “Only that I very much agree with you inasmuch as keeping the girls up to date,” he said, “but also that Dawn isn’t yet in high school and I definitely don’t want her involved in this at the same capacity as Buffy.”

Dawn scowled.

“Hold that frown, Dawn, that doesn’t mean we’re not taking you seriously,” said Jenny patiently. “Buffy’s also been taking weekly self-defense classes for the last two years. She can hold her own better than your dad can, in my humble opinion—”

“Thanks ever so much, Jenny—”

“Shut up, I’m making a point.” Jenny skirted the coffee table to sit down next to Rupert, kissing him on the cheek and letting him lie back down with his head in her lap. The girls looked positively thrilled with this development. “Dawn, would you be okay with helping your dad compile and organize hard copies of our information? Not to mention we need someone who actually knows how to use a computer—”

“I know how to use your laptop,” said Rupert, his voice softening and slowing as Jenny idly ran a hand through his hair, “you’re so—hmm—dramatic—”

“What about me?” Faith persisted. “I’m not down for sitting still.”

Jenny considered this, then said, “You and I are going to start coming up with a game plan as to how we’re going to use the info we get from Cordelia. It’s behind-the-scenes work—”

“—but if your mother’s in charge of it, we know it’s the most important work there is,” Rupert mumbled, and smiled slightly when Jenny brushed her fingers against his cheek.

[anangelicday-mrwolf]

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 9 – KSA’s Guest

“Are you sure you don’t need dinner right now?”

“Absolutely. An hour or two of hunger wouldn’t put me to eternal sleep.”

Rael replied as he removed the boots to deftly plug his feet into a pair of pink slippers, thus proving his habit alive.

“Then count us in.”

“Amen to that. Staying hungry just a bit longer won’t kill us.”

Takio and M-21 meant no harm, yet Rael simply gulped without any sound. The three men exchanged looks, having expected the noble to snort at the very least. They posed no question for his behavior, however. The direction Rael was gawking at told them why he was suddenly timorous.

“It appears we cannot join you for dinner tonight. Is it alright with you?” 

M-21 asked Raizel, standing silent, tall, gorgeous. Takio turned his feet towards the kitchen, more than ready to pull off a full French dinner course if required.  

“Sir?”

But Raizel granted not a single glance to the kitchen and glided across the floor towards the living room.   

“O-one moment, please. I shall bring you some tea.”

Takio rolled up his sleeves. He knew now it was impossible to take their time with the conversation. Not with the Noblesse’s stomach neglected. Before they could witness Takio’s long ponytail disappearing, Rael, Tao, and M-21 took their seats on sofas stationed along Raizel’s sides.

“We discussed with KSA about this new communication system. And they said they are more than welcome.”  

“Same here. It’d be much more convenient and faster talking directly through phones than running to Tao or our communication chamber whenever something happens.”

“We didn’t hear back from the werewolves, but I’m sure Sir Frankenstein will relay the message as impeccably as he can. So I’d say it’s safe to assume everyone’s on the same page regarding this network.”

Upon the mention of his oldest follower, Raizel pinpointed his beautiful bloody eyes on Rael, redirected shortly afterwards when Takio arrived with a cup of tea.

“In addition, my lord seeks a separate medium of communication to share exclusively with you, Sir Raizel. She understands that a new genesis will dawn upon Lukedonia, since she has determined we must avidly incorporate human technologies in our security. Thus she concluded she will need your insights on the matter.”  

Raizel kept his mouth inevitably shut, as he was savoring a mouthful of tea upon his tongue. Curiously, Rael hinted alarm and moved on to shape his claim more legitimate.

“Lukedonia is equipped with indigenous technologies to substitute human ones, but this is a different case. We are planning to permanently integrate humans’ technological inventions into ours, which will bring gains and confusions at once. This is what my lord wishes to prepare for, with your judgments.”

The silence from the Noblesse continued. So did Rael’s unease and hastened justification of Lascrea’s command.  

“You had walked with the former lord and former heads of clans during their era. You constitute half of the pair of the most elevated eyes of Lukedonia.  Most of all, you revel in spiritual and technological essences of modern humans. Therefore, my lord believes, you are more than apposite enough to be the beacon of noblekind. The vortex of recasting that will unavoidably land upon our home must not emerge as a tempest to our future. With your guidance lighting up our path, this vortex will be cast as a wind that will tend and nurture seeds of hope and evolution.”

I had no idea Rael could be such an eloquent speaker. Looks like being a head of a clan taught him a trick or two.

The original members of the RK had to tighten the corners of their lips, so they would not embarrass Rael with smiles of uncles looking at their proud nephew.

Contrary to their impressions, Rael was merely reciting what Lascrea spoke. In fact, back then he could feel his concentration screaming at him in protest as he forced himself to memorize every consonant and vowel in Lascrea’s speech, as vivid and expressive as it could be.

Which is why he failed to notice how Lascrea failed to hide a blush not at all expected from the other half of the most elevated eyes of Lukedonia – a blush to be expected from a shy schoolgirl in love. Which is why he therefore could not describe how lovely her blush was.

“However, you have made this place your home, sir. So my lord hopes to collect your advices from a distance as needed.”

“In that case, I can devise and install a private messenger application on your phone, sir. An app that will be installed only on your phone and the phone for the noble lord. With security guaranteed, of course.”

After listening to everything, Raizel finally sipped again from his cup. Waiting a moment for the warm, fragrant liquid to softly envelop his lips and tongue and wash across the ceiling of his mouth and inner walls of his cheeks, Raizel at last unlocked his voice box.

“I cannot do that, I am afraid.”

The four men were immediately stupefied. They figured Rael was asking for his approval just for the sake of proper courtesy. The blonde noble managed to break free from his stunning oblivion, to inquire in a trembling voice.

“Would... Would you mind if I ask why, Sir...?”

“...No more.”

No more? Is he implying he does not even want to stay engaged to this conversation?

As appalled as he was, Rael could not dare to open his mouth. He was carrying out a mission, ordered by the lord herself. And failure was not an option. Knowing that, Tao, Takio, and M-21 nervously held their breaths as they watched how and if this situation can be reversed.

“My phone is no more. It was lost when I stopped the nuclear missile.”

Immense relief and fluster hit the former and current Raizel Knights like a lightning. The four listeners almost slipped off the sofa in synchronization upon Raizel’s revelation.

Rael in particular was most perplexed and relieved; he was, if necessary. willing to kneel until his knees gave out and bow until his skull was rooted to the spot.

“...You took your phone that day?”  

“Precisely. I decided to carry it as my last memento. It was gone, however, when I reopened my eyes.”

“B-but sir, why didn’t you tell us? It must have been awful without the convenience of your phone.”

“...A physical replacement I could find. Nonetheless, no copy of the device would beget value the original had borne.”

The atmosphere took an instant switch, as grave as a funeral. His audience understood and respected why he chose the inconvenience of life over a new cellphone. Frankenstein was the one who gave him his phone, and it served as a bridge to his first human friends.

Yet they also knew this was not a good news for Rael. He was sent to secure Raizel’s consent on this project.

So it was not surprising that the Kertia noticeably jerked his entire body when Raizel voiced himself.

“Natheless, we will need more than the wind in order to nurture seeds of hope and evolution into blossoms and trees. More than wind it takes to parent a tree, until its shade extends enough to embosom all life above earth, its roots to embrace all life below. Requisite would be sunshine of enduring, endless equilibrium and unfailing ground that will sustain every feeble follicle of roots. If our lord wills to be unfading sunlight to ultimately render our kind fruitful, I, too, shall be the ground to nourish Lukedonia’s sons and daughters with boundless knowledge and succor.”

Raizel marked an end to his speech with graceful orchestration of his words, thereby making Rael feel like falling on his knees to grovel in gratitude.

“I’ll go ahead and prepare a new phone for you, sir. Since the lord also needs one, I’ll specially get one more phone in an identical model, set and improved to perfection. And furnished with an email account as well.”

Knowing only the most skeptical and idiotic would dispute Tao’s competence, Rael at long last relaxed his shoulders and released the question that had been teetering on his nerves.

“Where are the kids today?”

“I asked them to please save the visit for tomorrow, as we will be having an important guest.”

“They must’ve been quite disappointed.”

The topic of conversation was smoothly converted to a catch-up, which loosened up the atmosphere.

“So how is Sir Regis doing?”

“What about Ms. Seira?”

“...They’re doing their best to familiarize themselves with their duties. What about you guys? How’s it going, working with KSA?”

“Nothing troublesome so far.”

“Which is another way to say all is well, thank god.”

“Though that made it only natural for us to be buried in work.”

At least five voices were missing, but things got closer to friendly side, just like old times, thanks to their chats.

Which was short-lived.

“How is Frankenstein doing lately?”

Raizel’s whisper was almost like a serenade. Almost like the song of Orpheus, the master poet and musician who put Sirens to fatal shame. The moment the lyrical sound was articulated in the room, however, invisible blizzard was whipped up around the sofas.

It was no coincidence that none of them brought up Frankenstein or anything related to him; their amnesia was deliberate, their reasons in unison. In fact, Rael avoided interviewing Tao for his status report on working as a chairman. The three modified humans eluded asking Rael what he shared with Frankenstein prior to his arrival.

Which is why Rael, now under situation in which a reply was mandatory, felt as if karma decided to kick his butt, especially because of his latest evaluation on Frankenstein’s state: something is not right with Frankenstein.

When Rael first learned that Raizel’s most trusted, most faithful deputy settled to leave his master, he was staggered beyond imagination. Which was not the first time he thought something was off with Frankenstein, howbeit.

Rather, he was urged to believe Frankenstein was not the man he knew when the latter gave his reason for not disclosing his communicative coordinates and not taking part in this new network project.

The data I’m handling here are top secret, so a single leak of information due to infringement of this new system would be irrevocable. And need I remind you, the 3rd Elder happens to be with me. The chances are low, considering that Tao’s got my back, but what do you think would happen if the 3rd Elder manages to break through the new network once I am made part of it?

That was the reason Frankenstein yielded.

Rael did take into account that he could have misunderstood what Frankenstein told him. Nevertheless, what drew his attention was the fact that Frankenstein was apparently concerned first and foremost with the data. Not Raizel.

‘Sir Frankenstein’s research is not completely unrelated to Sir Raizel, so it’s hard to say he doesn’t care about Sir Raizel now. But knowing Sir Frankenstein, he should have listed Sir Raizel as soon as I asked him why. Then he would have explained what Sir Raizel has to do in his situation.’

To his shock, Frankenstein did not even mention his master’s name. Which was less likely than the chance that the heaven will go through a cataclysm, for the sun to revolve around the Earth.

Although there was not the slightest sign of thunderstorm, let alone a cataclysm, Rael was self-debating whether he should ditch Copernicus and start rooting for Ptolemy. And whether Frankenstein’s action was based on a specific motive, such as intentionally shunning his acquaintances, for instance.

Frankenstein asked Rael how come he did not commission the Central Knights deployed outside Lukedonia to deliver the message.

‘What if that was his euphemism for ‘you’re-not-welcome?’ He didn’t look so good when I was there. Plus, he was helping werewolves for the sake of taking advantage of them. And he was using – no, he was manipulating the 3rd Elder. I’m not sure if I talked to the man I know. I didn’t stay there long enough to enjoy a cup of tea, but that was good enough for me to realize that the warmth or poise he has always held beneath his devilish smirk is spent.’

Lacking knowledge that Frankenstein is detaching himself from every soul, lest the Dark Spear within rampage with the power of the Blood Stone, Rael could not help inferring the man has changed.

Which will with no doubt split Raizel’s heart to seams if he is to hear it.

Rael wrapped up his deduction as fast as Shinwoo sprinting to school in the morning and hid his face by vowing.

“He is doing his best. As usual.”

Raizel wordlessly gaped at the Kertia fighting against guilt that he must lie to the one whom he worships as much as he reveres his lord. His countenance was serene, almost innocent. In contrast, his eyes were neither serene nor innocent.

“I see.”  

Luckily the room temperature did not fall below zero, thanks to Raizel’s answer that promptly echoed. Takio, M-21, and Tao followed suit to perform virtual air vent.

“Looks like this conversation has reached an end. So allow us to serve you dinner, Master Rai.”

“We’ll bring your meal in a moment.”

“Please excuse me – I must go tell the director of KSA that they should expect a guest tomorrow.”

“Rael, why don’t you go get some rest? I’m sure you couldn’t even spare a second of break for yourself.”

“I’m fine. Actually, there is something I must do, and forgive me, but I must ask for your advice, Sir Raizel. You dined with my lord upon your first return to Lukedonia. Do you still remember what was the product of ramyeon you had back then?”

As soon as Rael finished talking, Raizel’s crimson eyes expanded much more than the former anticipated.

“My lord has ordered me to bring some on my way back, so...”

That was more than enough to make Raizel practically eject himself from his seat in a swift motion, miraculously as elegant as a peacock taking flight. Upon this, corner of Rael’s lips twitched in panic.

“T-there is no need for you to force yourself to labor. Please, if you could just tell me the name of the...”

“Have no concern. I shall enjoy this walk.”

Takio and M-21 stared at back of Rael’s head, feeling tremendous pity for the noble who was tasked with choosing the right product to present to lord herself, with the Noblesse tagging along.

The duo boasting exquisite looks left, after telling the remainder of modified humans they do not need to hurry with the meal. The first one to speak up was M-21, after brief hesitation.

“Was it just me, or...”

“Was Rael kind of apprehensive? So I’m not the only one.”

“Agreed. For some reason, he seemed sort of skittish. Compared to the past, it felt like he is constantly on the edge of his seat. Which I doubt is because of Master Rai.”

The Kertia was fidgety when the dinner was about to be delayed. He was then led to a trail of distress, with his shopping trip made a nightmare, in a way. At least he had a common, legitimate reason for aforementioned phenomena – it involved the chief authority in the house. That was one thing.

On the other hand, when they began tackling the connection to be built only for Lascrea and Raizel, he very anxiously rushed to persuasion even before the Noblesse could move his lips. Moreover, he turned excessively pale when Raizel initially said no. Additionally, he grew as good as dead when Raizel divulged his reason. To top it off, he reacted overdramatically, nearly paranoidly, to each and every one of Raizel’s tone and choice of words before it was finalized that the Noblesse will take part in the project.

“Remember what Frankenstein said before he left? He was right. The guy is definitely stressed from the weight on his shoulders.”

“And I can relate to him. He’s going through what I had gone through when I was registered as the new official agent of the Union.”

M-21 raised his ashen eyebrows, clearly mirroring raw curiosity. He had not heard for a long time his comrade pulling out his memories when he was one of the DA-5.

“But for a good reason. I supposed it wouldn’t be beneficial for me to win myself any hater when I had to protect my sister.”

Takio enunciated himself with distinct emphasis on his final word. His listener would have reckoned the man was jokingly self-mocking (which was not far from his intention), if only his names were not M-21. The gray-haired human knew Takio is normally tenderhearted and cordial. Only on extremely rare occasions could one hear him bickering; now that he was met with a case, M-21 projected his eyebrows as highly as he could.

Victory from his final showdown against Aris freed him from his haunting past, the wolf-hearted modified human diagnosed. At the same time, he observed a familiar raven-head approaching.

“It’s done. Now all we need to do is to make sure Rael gets to KSA headquarter the next morning. By the way, where did he...?”

“He’s outside, with Master Rai. Shouldn’t take them long.”

“Hmm, then I guess we’ll let him know after dinner. Now then, how can be of service? For your information, I’m going to say ‘no thanks’ to ‘no thanks.’ I’m allergic to the comment.”

“Since when?”

“Since 3 seconds ago?”

The three men chuckled as they dispensed small jokes, their sounds effortlessly permeating in the air.

“We’re gonna have to make more servings for the night. We have a guest.”

“But he’s not staying long, is he?”

“But it can’t hurt to make savings, can it?”

That way it’d be inconspicuous even if I take tiny servings, though I’m not sure when they will prove useful.

Picturing certain someone who had yet to awaken in the safehouse, Takio accepted a knife and a cutting board, his face unruffled, well-masked.

*****

That night, KSA Headquarter

“I think I need to book an appointment for a full check-up.”

“What? You’re doing that bad these days?”

“No. It’s just that I need to check if my blood type shifted to C.”

“C? C for what?”

“C for caffeine.”

The agent spouted thick mixture of spit and snigger, only to seal his mouth right away, for he could see his future from his coworker, mechanically withdrawing coffee from the machine like a programmed android.

“Just when will this damned body of mine get used to overnight shift?”

“You should do something about your stamina. Less complain, more exercise.”

“I would’ve done that already, if I were a field agent like you. And seriously, are these printers charged with magical ink or something? The paperwork will never end.”

“Just shut up and finish fueling yourself. You don’t wanna strike the cup with your head and spill it on your desk like the last time, when you were in serious need for sleep.”

Accusing his fellow agent of how annoyingly mean he could be to his colleague, the man left the coffee machine. After a few minutes, in a cat-like, limber movement Helga slipped herself out from the space behind the huge trashcans arrayed in a straight queue.

‘Gross. This sucks.’

Helga violently scrunched her nose upon sighting a viscid stain on her sleeve.

‘I didn’t go through all those dozens of experiments and trainings just to hide myself in the middle of trashcans and leave with a disgusting smudge!’

She knew nobody could hear or humor her no matter how irritated she made herself sound; nonetheless, she had no choice but to indulge in her pointless fit.

With the clock ticking past 3:30 A.M., she was in the middle of a planned infiltration in the KSA building guarded only by personnel on overnight shift. She invaded the place in secret and was about to walk out in secret, more carefully coordinated than the entrance part.  

‘No, this isn’t a walk-out. It’s an escape.’

As of now, Union’s power has been ridiculously diluted. It was no exaggeration to assert that its basis has diminished from size of a football stadium to that of tip of a needle. In other words, it would be no good for her to pick a fight with a force opposed to the Union.

‘And Sol did warn me about this man and his gang that are supporting the KSA. That they defeated Crombell and Yuri, Mark, and Aris, after they had been upgraded by Crombell himself. Though I’d hate to admit it, it’d be best not to do anything that would draw their attention.’

Helga gritted her teeth and shook her head at how the Union turned out, but her lament did not last long.

‘At least I’m not leaving empty-handed. So... Now KSA hopes to make friends with nobles and werewolves. Looks like I have several people to talk to.’

(next chapter)

This chapter was particularly a challenge for me to write, mostly because of Rael and Rai’s lines - they were really eloquent and descriptive, which is what I intended. Writing them in both Korean and English was a challenge, but here they are XD

However, I have a bad news - the USB drive with the original texts of my fanfic suddenly crashed, and the entire folder cannot be opened. And I lost chapters that were worth 6 weeks.

Eff my stupid USB drive and stupider laptop. 

So I had to upload from a file I saved as a backup, so I might have to come back for this chapter to update where needed. I apologize on this matter, and I will try to retrieve the folder as soon as possible.

[the-connection]

Harry Potter is arguably the greatest streak of children's diaries ever written. Sure, work sequence like The Chronicles of Narnia will always be classics, but what offsets Potter unique is that children can grow up with its references in real occasion. While J.K. Rowling has been criticised for the darker subject matter of the later books, I think we can all agree that children need to learn that life isn't always sunshine and roses- even if they never have to fight off an actual Dementor.

For me, the sequence stipulated an escape when I needed it most as a child, and reading about the deaths of references I'd come to know and cherish( don't worry, this article spoiler-free ), cured me to come to expressions with the first few demises I witnessed in life. But dark subject matter aside, what obliges Potter so magnificent is that it eventually sends a sense of hope.

Prior to finishing The Deathly Hallow s, Rowling knew that she would culminate the succession with three simple paroles," All was well", but, for beings like me who grew up with the line, all was not well. I cannot put into texts the pleasure I felt every time a new Harry Potter journal was secreted and the excite I came viewing the words "First Edition" reproduced on my include- oaths which I soon searched over as I hastened my style through the book( I predict The Half-Blood Prince in a period, severely ).

But, as us original Potterheads know all too well, the real aim of the series came in 2011 with the publication of the final movie. My acquaintance and I legitimately sat propping paws in the movie theatre as we screamed over a certain snake-bitten Hogwarts professor.

However, hurriedly moving on given the fact that the original serial is over, let's take a moment to relish the on-screen glow-ups it gave us as then hormonal adolescents. Yes, the committee is photographs of Draco Malfoy in this article for a reasonablenes. While Tom Felton's portrayal of the eventual Slytherin( next to Voldemort, obv) didn't appeal to me as a preteen, by 2011, I was in love.

What can I say? I like a bad son, and there was no son badder than Draco in the Harry Potter series. That being said, I'd have totally passed him up to let his papa( or his mummy ...) explore my" Chamber of Secrets", but that's another story entirely.

Sadly, my cherish of Draco isn't shared by Rowling herself, who has saw the female tending her white-haired person has received fantastic, writing," I have often had cause to note on how unnerved I have been by the number of young girls who feel for this particular fictional character( although I do not discount the appeal of Tom Felton, who toy Draco brilliantly in the films, and, ironically, is about the nicest being you could convene )."

" Draco has all the dark glamor of the anti-hero; girls are very apt to romanticize such people. All of this has left me in the unenviable position of spewing freezing good sense on enthusiastic books' fantasies as I told them, rather gravely, that Draco was not masking a center of gold under all that sneering and sexism and that no, he and Harry were not destined to end up best friend in the world ."

However, if Draco wasn't your cup of tea-* ahem Butterbeer*- then perhaps you'll be delighted to discover that one of the succession' more likeable courages Dean Thomas- AKA a member of Gryffindor, a chaser in their Quidditch team, and eventually a member of Dumbledore's army- has grown up to be quite the catch.

Now, I'm aware that Harry Potter glow-ups are nothing bizarre. I mean, the transformation that Neville Longbottom( Matthew Lewis) underwent was so impressive that it actually became a verb in the Urban Dictionary.

So if you ever hear of someone having "Neville Longbottomed", basically, you'll know that they grew up to be a total hottie. And one character that no one appeared to realize had Neville Longbottomed until now because his character in the series was relatively minor is Dean Thomas.

Since finishing the sequence, Rowling has revealed a number of mesmerizing detailed information on it its personas and it is about to change that in the first draft of Harry Potter , Dean was actually called Gary. Can you imagine that? The only notorious courage I know with that word is Spongebob's domesticated snail!

Thankfully, it's not the name of the actor who represented Dean, either. He was played by Alfred Enoch and it's a call that you might have heard recently as he's currently starring in the reach US demonstrate How To Get Away With Murder.

Now 27, it's safe to say that the fresh-faced son we came to know and cherish in Harry Potter has grown into a seriously lovely young man. Sadly, his impressive glow-up has vanished comparatively unnoticed as he doesn't have a social media presence.

How To Get Away With Murder em> aside, Alfred has carved out an superb serve job for himself since his Harry Potter eras and his other acting recognitions include Broadchurch ( 2013 ), Mount Pleasant ( 2013 ), and Sherlock ( 2014 ).

To attend the London-born actor effortlessly shift swap between American and British accents, check out the video below : em > strong>

However, if Dean still wasn't your cup of tea when it came to eligible young bachelors-at-arms in the Harry Potter life, then you're in luck once again, as Viktor Krum has also Neville Longbottomed( not that he genuinely had to, if I'm honest) and more efficient still, he's got a strong social media presence for all your haunt necessities!

Played by Bulgarian actor Stan Yanevski, who is now 33, Viktor was a part of one of the most memorable vistums in the series. Y'know, when the sons realized that there was a beautiful girl hiding under Hermionie's mass of curly "hairs-breadth" and know-it-all directions at the Yule Ball...

And boy did Hermione manage to bag herself a hot appointment in the form of Drumstang champ Viktor.

While it's safe to say that he was readily one of the more handsome courages in the movies( he was, after all, a little older than the other male actors ), he very has had a serious glow-up since then- and what's more is that he examines altogether unrecognizable!

Yes, Viktor is now a heavily tattooed bearded Bulgarian machine, and if there's ever another Yule Ball, he's more than therefore welcomed take me as a date. He's pictured below with somewhat shorter whisker, showing that he's not forgotten his Harry Potter roots.

While "their childrens" stellars of Harry Potter were obviously chosen for their acting ability, there appears to be a topic here when it comes to what they look like as adults- even with the apparently ugly ducklings of the succession. Now, simply term "re going to tell" which Harry Potter persona we've yet to see glow-up will reach the headlines next...

Read more: http :// www.viralthread.com