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ihaveatheoryonthat · 2 years

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Whumptober* Day 30: Hair Grabbing

*Somewhat appropriately, it’s fluff.

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It wasn’t lost upon Ingo that all of the nicest things about being home were, inherently, warm.

Maybe it was all in his head or maybe he’d lost sight of just how cold Hisui actually was, but he couldn’t think of a single exception to the rule. The feeling of another person in his arms, slotting so perfectly against him, overjoyed lavender flames, or a crowd of Pokemon eager to draw nearer-- all of it wonderfully, painlessly warm, in spite of the fact it made him feel that he might just melt.

One of the smaller joys he’d just rediscovered was a hot shower. It had been an experience, due in no small part to some lingering sense of muscle memory leading him through the process while his conscious mind marveled over every little detail. Upon absently opening a bottle of shampoo, he’d actually had to stop and steady himself against the wall, momentarily overcome with half-formed memories that he had yet to put into context.

He would ask about them in time. For now, he was dressed in new, clean, comfortable clothes and slightly in awe of how much better he felt. It was very strange. When it came down to it, it wasn’t so different from a trip to the hot springs, was it? So then why did it feel so distinct?

When he was satisfied that his hair wasn’t about to soak through the sweater he’d been provided, he hung the towel to dry and vacated the premises without so much as a glance toward the foggy mirror, hands already working through the snarls he’d created with his rough toweling. He made it a grand total of three steps out before Chandelure set upon him, taking his face in either wrought iron arm and bonking him square on the forehead with her globe. Chuckling, he bonked her back.

She stayed central in his field of vision all the way into the main living area-- only backing off when she had the room to comfortably float at his side-- and made sure to announce their arrival with an impressive promptness.

At the sound, Emmet glanced their way, standard smile turning softer, more genuine, before looking back to Crustle-- and then immediately double-taking. He uttered a quiet apology to the bug before abandoning his post and trotting over, the content smile from before taking on an edge, visibly delighting in something he’d noticed.

Taking a loose clump of mostly-dry hair in one hand, he shook the ends in Ingo’s face.

“What is this?”

Droll as he could manage, Ingo said, “If you require assistance in regards to your memory loss, I’m afraid you’ll have to seek it elsewhere.”

Emmet scrunched his nose up and flicked his wrist, letting the loose strands make contact. “You have never tolerated long hair before.”

Humming, Ingo took the bundle from his brother’s hand and went back to untangling it. “I’m not sure what you mean. It’s hardly unbearable at this length; quite easy to tie back, actually. I tried keeping it shorter for a time, but found it wasn’t worth the effort when it would reach the same station again within a fortnight. So long as it isn’t in constant contact with my neck, I have no complaint.”

Emmet echoed the hum-- looking completely unaware that he was doing any such thing-- and grabbed Ingo’s hand. Bemused, but curious enough to see where this was going, Ingo allowed himself to be herded onto the couch, sideways, where Archeops immediately curled into his lap. The cushions behind him dipped as his brother settled, too.

“You used to brush my hair for me when we were on our Pokemon journey.” Emmet told him, a hand on one shoulder to get a very specific angle. When, at the sound of his voice, Ingo automatically turned to look, he paused long enough to manually-- if lightly-- turn his twin’s head forward again, “Yours never required as much maintenance. Because you insisted on keeping it short. I made it to Mistralton before I got sick of the trouble it caused and joined you.”

For just a moment, Ingo considered the sensation of picking twigs and leaf litter out of his hair-- of how it had seemed so familiar, but just slightly to the left of what it should have been-- and resolved to revisit the thought later, when he wouldn’t be interfering with the point Emmet was trying to make.

Ironically, that very thought was interrupted by the feeling of fingers combing through his hair, working through the loose, tousled mess it had become. In a complete turnabout, it didn’t ring any bells-- distant or otherwise-- which made sense, if Emmet’s version of events was to be believed.

It was completely new, and it was shockingly wonderful.

There were notes in common with phenomena he’d experienced in Hisui-- like when a Sneasel kit got its claws stuck in his bun or Sneasler insisted on grooming him-- but it was so gently uncertain, affectionate and tentative. While he would never say he’d felt unappreciated in his service to Sneasler, he realized quite abruptly that this was what it was to be loved: to be unsure how to share it, and unable to keep from trying.

Ingo found himself holding perfectly still, so as not to interrupt; even when Emmet hit a snag and accidentally pulled just a bit too hard, he stayed quiet and motionless, focusing on the sensation with what might have been an alarmingly intense expression, had anyone been there to see his face. Fortunately, the only one in a position to witness that was Archeops, who’d long since draped his neck over Ingo’s thigh and fallen into a doze with an adorable cooing sigh.

It didn’t take terribly long to work through the tangle-- he hadn’t gone crashing through a forest in an attempt to escape the local Heracross or taken an unplanned swim in the river, after all-- but it was worth every minute. When he’d finished, Emmet hesitated and moved on to something else. Ingo’s best guess was that he was attempting a braid, and that it wasn’t going particularly well. He remained silent for another few minutes, and when the even breathing behind him gave way to a frustrated puff of air, decided to show his twin the same kindness he’d just shared.

“Have you finished?” He asked, and waited for Emmet to take the out.

There was a defeated little grumble and, after a moment, a resigned affirmative. Taking it as a cue, Ingo carefully shifted backwards, mindful not to dislodge Archeops or take Emmet by surprise.

Behind him, his brother gave a single, puzzled laugh as he was bullied back, “What are you doing?”

“This is a Sneasler custom.” He said, and while he hoped it came across as lighthearted, he was privately wary, watching for any sign that his actions were unwelcome, “Her bylaws state that grooming is to be followed by a nap; terribly sorry, but as her warden, I’m obligated to observe this protocol.”

Even if the tone didn’t carry it, Ingo knew that amusement lurked beneath the flat, “Mmhmm.” It was a very slight reassurance, and he only relaxed in full at the dull pressure against his crown, where Emmet had given up without a fight to rest his own head.

“That is unfortunate. As a Subway Boss, I have no choice but to follow the rules.”

There was a sleepy, chastising honk from Archeops’ general direction, and from there it was open season. The speed with which various Pokemon found a spot to huddle in was truly astonishing.

Ingo was home. It was warm.

#ihaveatheoryonthat pkmn #submas #fanfic #whumptober

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codenamehazard · 11 months

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.:Of Brick and Bone:.

Chapter 6: Of Brick and Bone

Hey guys! I've been having a creative spike so I decided to capitalize on it! Took the clipart that @rogueshadeaux made for the cover page she made for me and turned it into the new banner and made another chapter! I'm super excited as the world of the Wildlands will start to unfold and I can stop talking in code!

Take note that I will most likely be reformating my previous chapters to match this style as it looks more cleaned up, but I might change my mind, so who knows.

A big shout out to @rogueshadeaux as always! She has pretty much become my fic-writing partner in crime in this crazy rigmarole and has helped me greatly as a writer! Check out her works! She's an extremely talented writer with big plans for her own fic, InFAMOUS: Erosion!

I hope you enjoy!

Darkness… For a long while, there was nothing but darkness. That’s fine, I was asleep. Darkness is to be expected, better than the nightmares; that’s for sure. It had been a few days since I left Fracture and left an impression as well. No doubt those bastards have now realized who had strolled into town and turned several blocks into a warzone. Heh, bet they’ll be living in fear now. It hardly matters at this point. I am sleeping for the first time in a while, so I’m making the most of the slumber and the darkness.

A curious feeling washes over me, the feeling of… Weightlessness. A specific kind of weightlessness that I haven’t felt since…

I start to flail and panic, water! Water!! My mind races in fear as I try to free myself from what I believed would be a wet and electrified grave when rational thought pierces through the instinctual fear of death. If I was actually in water, I would be dead already.

My eyes open and what I see takes my breath away. Instead of the darkness or the nightmares, the scene around me was like that of the bottom of the ocean, but there was no bottom. Light rippled and shimmered, it was like I was underwater yet not only am I not electrocuting myself; I could also breathe.

I move my arms and legs around, feeling the same watery drag that I remember from times long ago. Muscles engaging, recalling memories long lost and resigned to never be used again, I swim through this strange ethereal liquid. The feelings that rush through my body are a curious combination, a mix of fear, excitement and awe. After all, I thought I would never be able to swim again and yet here I am, be it in a dream.

Small flickers of light start to shimmer to life, flitting through the water, reminding me of the lightning bugs I used to chase when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I watch them and the faintest ghost of a smile forms on my face as I marveled at the sight, reveling in the rare peaceful dream I was afforded this night.

The lights started to form into shapes, almost like constellations. Lines connected the small dots, then more lines form around the skeleton to create a full picture.

Animals.

First one, then two, then more and more. Soon I am surrounded by a menagerie of these strange beasts. All of them, running, flying and swimming freely. One of the creatures catches my attention as it begins to swim around me. My eyes widen as I am quickly able to identify the creature. It is a shark.

The finned beast swims around me at first, seeming not all that interested in me, but that disinterest didn’t last long. The creature turns to face me and swims towards me. Panic floods my mind as I watch the starry shark charge at me, I try to move but find I am paralyzed.

Shitshitshitshit!! I continue to will myself to move, pure fear chilling my blood ice-cold as the aggressing animal rapidly approaches. Its eyes black and its jaws opening; revealing those deadly teeth. I attempt to will myself awake, screaming into the void to wake up. Am I going to die in this dream turned nightmare?! Is this really how everything is going to end??

The shark lunges at my head and-

HOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!

—----

I jolt awake and onto my feet at the sudden sound and scramble out of the way before I see the source of the sound blow by me. A deep and angry growl rumbles in my chest as I look to see whatever the fuck that was.

It was some sort of off-roading SUV, but it was moving too fast for me to make out. Didn’t really matter at this point, whatever brain-dead idiot that was driving the damn thing just about ran me over!! My electricity flares to life as I fire off several Hellfire rockets towards the offending vehicle; teach the bastard a lesson if he survives.

The SUV starts to swerve as the salvos flew right at it, a grin grows across my face as I imagine the panic on the driver’s face seeing the black and red, smoking swarm heading their way. The expression was short lived as I see a passenger put up a shield and block some of the hits as the vehicle turns around and starts driving towards me. My grin returns, they don’t know what they’re up against.

The SUV charges forward and I see… Oh what the fuck?! Is one of these fuckers throwing bricks at me?? I run to get out of the way of the shots, narrowly avoiding taking one to the head. God has the world turned into a Wile E Coyote cartoon as of late?? I start returning fire as the driver creates a barrier over the vehicle. The barrier was bone white, with twists and loops, looking like corals you’d find in the ocean. Why does that look so… Familiar?

Shots of brick, bone and bolts wizz through the air as the SUV got closer. When I notice my bolts are doing nothing to the shield, I take aim at the vehicle and start trying to shoot out the tires. It swerves before gunning it towards me, the bone retracting and revealing what looked like red-brown spikes in the front. I leap out of the way before I get speared.

I can see the vehicle clearly and… Wait, is that a jeep?? And why does the driver look familiar??

The jeep skids off to the side before the two passengers leap out with guns blazing, wait. The bricks and bones were coming out of the gun?? This place is getting nuttier by the minute!! With a sweep of my arms I send shockwave after shockwave to knock the projectiles away, this seems to jog something in the memory of one of the combatants as they hold their arm out.

“Hold your fire!” A woman’s voice rings out. One I remember from years ago. Her partner looks at her questioningly as we all stare at each-other. With the fighting halted, I can now see who my opponents are. One of them is massive and built like a brick shithouse. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was taller than me. His body is covered in what looks like bricks shaped to look like the scales of a pinecone and his face is covered by a black helmet of some kind, reminds me of a spartan helmet.

The one who really caught my attention is the other. A woman who wears a grey cloak that shimmers like scales and a white mask that looks like the skull of a shark, complete with teeth and a moving jaw. Her skin also shimmers like the cloak, like… Shark’s skin. The longer I look at her, the more familiar she looks to me. It wasn’t until she spoke that I got my answer.

“Cole…?” The woman’s voice questioned as she removed her mask, showing bright blue eyes. Yep, it was definitely her.

“Romee?” I question back in kind, but I knew it was her. She was one of the first to be activated by John when he was the Beast and stayed with the army until she eventually split off and went on her own way. “Romee, is that you?” I could feel a smile creeping onto my face. I wasn’t the kind of man to bound over, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see a familiar face.

“Mako.” She says with a soft smile and a rubbing of the back of her head. “It’s Mako now.” I stare at her in utter shock. Mako was what I called her back when she ran with me and Kuo. Called her that because the girl had the teeth of a shark and a bite to match. Never would I think she would use it as a moniker!

“So you’re the infamous “Demon of Empire City” that has been causing quite a stir.” I hear the shit brickhouse pipe up, standing tall and looking me over. I look over at him, his tone was very much off putting, but compared to the asshats back at Fracture? Well, he’s being polite.

“Yeah, what of it?” I grunt out. The bulky spartan narrows his eyes cautiously at me before rolling his shoulders a bit.

“Heard a lot about you, both from radio chatter and from Mako. She speaks highly of you.”

“Hmph, Color me surprised.” I couldn’t help but to let out an amused chuckle. “Not often I hear people talking about me in a positive light.” The spartan seems to relax some after hearing that.

“Well, you do have a reputation, regardless of the praise Mako gives.” I put my hands up in mock surrender and grin.

“Guilty as charged.”

“Finally had enough with Kuo?” Mako asks as she relaxes. I nod.

“Yeah.The icy harpy pushed me too far, told her where she could shove her so called “morality” before booking it.” I stretch my arms out now that the tension is dissipating some. She nods.

“Honestly thought you would have broken off sooner. I saw the way the wind was blowing and how Kuo wasn’t listening to the bright red flags and warnings; I booked it before I thought things got ugly.” I nod back.

“Smart move.”

“Safe to say you’re the one who turned part of the Market district in Fracture into a smoldering mess?” The spartan asks as he relaxes his stance, his rifle pointing at the ground. I put a hand up.

“Hey. I was being robbed and the bitch was putting up one hell of a fight.” I clarify, earning me an eyebrow raise from the living brick wall in front of me.

“Is that so?” He questions, I nod in response.

“Mhm. Had my eyes on a blast shard stash, but then some smokey bitch with a white spirit mask of some kind dashed out and grabbed them before taking off.” I explain, my voice growing angrier by the second. Mako and the tank look at me, listening as I continue. “Got into a scrap, the fucker grew metal claws and tore the shit out the shirt I had just gotten. Managed to beat her down, but when I was about to take her out some knock-off plague doctor looking beanpole shows up out of nowhere and knocks me away with a burst of wind. Bonnie and Clyde took off on an air-current after that and I was unable to catch them.”

Mako’s eyebrows seem to furrow in the tell-tale way that tells me something is clicking in her mind, and from what little I see from the helmet, I knew the spartan’s expression mirrored hers, but to a lesser extent.

“As you can plainly see, I’m in need of a new shirt. I also discovered that the bastards in Fracture jipped me. Gave me either expired rations or the really cheap shit. So I have to resupply sooner than I want to and there’s no way in hell I’m going back to that shithole.” I grumbled, my irritation growing. Though, I’d be lying if I said the thought of going back to Fracture just to reduce it to nothing but atoms wasn’t a very tempting thought.

“Well, Fracture’s always been like that.” Mako says as she rubs the back of her head. “They're not very fond of outsiders. If you're not part of their little clique, they’ll treat you like shit.” The look in her eyes tells me all I need to know about her experience with the place. I couldn’t help but to chuckle.

“Basically they’re those rich bitch kids who think their shit don’t stink because they were born into a rich family.” I snicker. My mind going back to my college days.

“Pretty much.” Mako responds with a shrug.

“If a more friendly Conclave is what you’re looking for, we can take you there.” The spartan pipes up. “We aren’t really welcome in many places for various reasons, so we always mark down any towns that’s friendly to Conduits of all creeds.” I tilt my head.

“You offering to take me there?” I ask, my eyes slightly narrowed in apprehension. He nods.

“Yeah, we’ve been needing to head back up to Droptown anyways to do some trading with the merchants there. Taking you there shouldn’t be an issue.” I hum softly in thought, running my hand over the stubble on my chin. I don’t quite trust the man, but at this point… I really don’t have much of a choice.

“Alright, but know I won’t hesitate to put you in the ground if you try and screw me over. I’ve been dicked around too many times and my patience is short.” I warn, the man gives a chuckle.

“Understood, Mako has told me a lot about you. So I know you’re a man of your word. For better and worse.” Well, at least I don’t have to repeat myself.

“By the way.” I stated. “I don’t think I’ve gotten your name.”

“Oh!” The spartan exclaims. “The name’s Pangolin.” He holds his hand out and I shake it, firm grip, good.

“Pleasure to meet you.” I answer.

“It’s probably best we get going.” Pangolin points out. “Standing here will definitely attract raiding parties and while a good scrap is always fun, we should be getting back to the convoy.” Convoy? Well this will be a very interesting road trip. I nod in agreement before heading towards the closest powerline.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Mako calls out, I turn my head to look back at her.

“Didn’t you want me to come with?” I question, my face twisting into an expression of confusion.

“Yeah, but aren’t you going to join us in the Jeep?” I couldn’t help but to give Mako the look of Are you serious? when I hear that question.

“Mako, did you hit your head on something and forgot a particular detail?” I balked.

“I know, but this jeep is different! It’s built so that all Conduits can safely ride in it, even those who would otherwise blow it up!” She practically beams, I raise my eyebrow before walking over to her.

“You can try it if you don’t believe it.” Mako chimes, it sounded almost like a dare. I pop my neck, fighting off a smirk.

“Well, if you insist. Just don’t be pissed when it blows sky high.” I quip before climbing up into the Jeep. The smirk on Mako’s face widens as I get into the back seat. So far so good, I guess… Nothing’s happened yet, but I haven’t sat down. I brace myself for the inevitable explosion as I sit down in the back seat, ready for the thing to blow up…

Nothing happened.

Instead of feeling the heating of metal, I could feel a Ray Field energy source somewhere in the vehicle, it was almost like a Blast Core. I spark up my arms to really test it and to my pleasant surprise, nothing happened. No explosion, no short-circuiting, nothing. Once the other two got into the jeep, I couldn’t help but to relax. Flopping my head back and groaning as I feel the ache in my feet. I forgot how nice it was to just sit back and relax in a car, I can now rest my sore feet for a little while.

“See?” Mako chimes with a big sharky grin. “I told you it wouldn’t blow up.”

“Yeah, yeah yeah.” I jest as I wave my hand. “You told me so.” I could see Pangolin roll his eyes and chuckle as Mako continues to grin.

“You’re lucky we didn’t bet or you would have lost.” Mako bites with her wit and I can't help but to chuckle.

“Well, this place has thrown me quite a few curveballs as of late, at least this one is a pleasant one.” I comment as Mako nods and turns on the jeep. Ohhh how I missed the feeling of being in a jeep. Used to love to go off-roading with my cousin and his buddy, Keith. I smile at the memories of those reckless times and now I have a chance to have some off-roading fun again.

The jeep takes off north and I smile, feeling the wind on my skin without the tingling and buzzing to distract me. It felt so nice, combined with the dull ache starting to fade, I was practically in paradise. Times like these really make you realize how much you miss the little things. Maybe this time around my luck is really changing for the better. I’m not getting my hopes up too high, but at least I can enjoy it for the moment.

As we got on the trail I sat up. Looking forward through the windshield. “So, Mako…” I started.

“About those guns...”

#infamous #cole macgrath #demon of empire city #Xeno Writes #InFAMOUS: No Man's Land #fanfiction

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aimmyarrowshigh · 9 months

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For the WIP meme. You knew I would zero in on this one...

Star Wars - Damerey.docx (This is In Screaming Color)

Of course! :P

First off, if you haven't read what's been posted yet -- it's here on AO3.

I'm not going to lie, the main reason that I stopped working on it, and stepped away from SW/Damerey as a whole, is because the Damerey fandom became an especially toxic mudhole in a particularly toxic fandom. I still love this story, and I have a lot more written than is posted, but

a) I don't write longfic in chronological order, so I can't post what I have without writing the in-between bits that aren't as interesting to me, and

b) I stopped particularly wanting to give Damerey fandom nice things because it stopped being a place of people who deserved nice things.

The mass bullying of my bb @dracosollicitus in particular, who BUILT that ship on her BACK p much, was my kind of last straw, and at the same time, TLJ/ROS didn't follow through on the goodness of TFA, and also WandaVision came out, so my brain was just like, "I GUESS WE'RE A MARVEL NOW INSTEAD."

But, like I said, I DO still love this story and man, I have a lot of it already written and it doesn't totally suck, so I do intend to SOMEDAY finish it. But I literally mean "someday." Like, it may well be for The Force Awakens' 30th Anniversary Rerelease With The Poe/Rey Hug Scene, or something. It definitely isn't on my immediate TBW pile. But it IS still in the WIP folder and not the WIP Amnesty pile.

Here's a clip of the unposted-yet stuff:

“You,” Poe says, setting his tray down beside Rey’s, “Need to have a talk with your droid.” Rey looks up from her bowl of porridge. She’s covered it with so much sugar that it looks like Hoth in a bowl. “I don’t have a droid, Poe.” “Artoo,” Poe says. He takes the sugar shaker from her scavenger cache and tips some into his caf. “It’s corrupting Beebee-Ate!” Rey actually stops chewing at that, and she wipes her mouth first on the back of her wrist, and belatedly, a napkin. She’s learning. “Is Beebee-Ate alright? I didn’t even think about bugs when Artoo came back online, but do you know, I don’t think it’s been defragged since before the Clone Wars. I’ll take a look through its databank and give it a good wipe as soon as I’ve finished eating. Beebee, too, if you like?” “No, not—really, the Clone Wars?” Poe shakes his head. “Not corrupt like programming. Corrupt like—like—” Poe leans down towards his tray and starts to maim his toast with butter. “It is exposing Beebee-Ate to concepts that Beebee is too young for.” “Beebee-Ate’s much newer than Artoo.” Rey still sounds baffled. “If anything, wouldn’t Beebee-Ate expose Artoo to new material and concepts? Especially after so long in hibernation?” Poe stabs the joganfruit jam. It oozes satisfyingly. “I mean that Beebee-Ate is a child and Artoo is being inappropriate with it.” Rey makes a very strange sound. When Poe looks over, she is very kindly hiding her laughter in her knuckles, but her eyes are bright. “Poe… I don’t think droids work that way. Beebee-Ate’s got a cute little personality, but it’s not actually—” “I don’t want Beebee-Ate to swear and know about—merging programming,” Poe huffs. Of course Rey doesn’t understand this; she’s couldn’t possibly feel the same kind of compunction to protect vulnerable little star-bright things from the shameful, dirty realities of being an old, battered veteran. Like R2D2. (The kriffing Clone Wars, and it’s never been defragged? No wonder it went offline so long.) “Oh,” says Rey, sitting back in her hard plastic chair. “So that explains why Beebee-Ate rolled straight for Threepio this morning.” “What?” Poe half-stands to crane his neck and look around the mess. “I thought Beebee was in the hangar!” “No, they’re right over there.” Rey points to the far corner of the mess. Poe can just barely hear the words “parts assembly” and “motherboard,” and then BB-8 gives a surprised [beep!] and rolls back a half-measure. Its dome swivels in a circle that looks embarrassed, or maybe like the droid’s concept of ‘self’ has changed, which is entirely likely. Poe raises his eyebrows at it when Beebee’s optical finds him. He mouths, “You’re in trouble, buddy.”

#fanfiction ask meme #fandom #fanfiction #my fic #in screaming color

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clarktooncrossing · 7 months

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HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK! There is a madness deep in the dark catacombs of Castle Clarkenstein. For years these claustrophobic corridors have been the home of the ghoulish giraffe himself, watching as the world passes by. He prefers it this way. It gives him more time alone with the voices. The voices tell him many strange things. Yet they always come back to one: make more monsters! Everyday they tell him this. Everyday he is unable to comply. Hey, being a mad scientist on a budget means he can’t afford the fancy scientific equipment needed to breathe life into newborn abominations. Guy’s gotta afford pizza somehow. Luckily, he has discovered a way of sorts to please the voices. During all those years of watching, Dr. Clarkenstein noticed a particular pattern. Every night during October saw artists posting new pictures based on peculiar prompts. Many of them based on children of the night. While the spotted specter might not be able to craft new zombies, he can sure as heck sketch’m! As such, I provide this friendly warning to you all now: Be afraid. Few people can survive the horrors that are DUDELZ of the Damned!

By that I mean I decided to do my own take on Sketchtober this year just minus the prompts. Anybody gotta problem with that? Tough, cuz I already drew this crap so you might as well check it out.

MEANWHILE IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE: Alecia wanted to try something new this Halloween season. By that I mean she wanted to get out of the house and not binge all thirteen Camp Carnage films. Again. Most of them were garbage anyway. No, there was something far more fun waiting for her! She just had to find it first. It didn’t take her long. Her friend Clark contacted Alecia informing her of an upcoming costume contest with a hundred dollar prize! A prize the masked maniac was determined to win! How fortunate that her spotted friend recently introduced her to a great show featuring a feisty femme fatale perfect for cosplaying! Skin tight military suits for the win!

Honestly, the backstory I make up for this DUDEL doesn’t matter in the slightest. This is simply long overdue vengeance. For the last two years my masked buddy Alec (@burningthrucelluloid) did his own Inktober challenge in the form of Dresstober. Instead of a list of prompts to base your art on, the artists in question are given a multitude of preselected outfits to dress their characters in. Or in the case of my cinephile companion, his characters, a few of mine, and me. You see, for whatever reason my friends get a big kick out of gender-swapping me. All because I dressed up as Sailor Moon the one time. OraTheRebelKitsune, I hope you’re happy cuz you technically started all this! Does it bug me? Yeah, kinduv’. Much as I love it when my friends make any pictures of or for me, it gets pretty annoying when none of them draw me as who I am. Alec is by far the worst offender, spending an astonishing amount of money for people to draw me sporting cleavage with their own gravitational pull. Earlier this year he paid one artist named fallen20xx to draw me as Ms. Marvel from Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. I had gotten Alec hooked to the show while also gushing over Carol’s exceptionally sexy legs. Should’ve known that’d come back to bite me. Just like my friend should’ve known his constant drooling over Maria Hill and Abigail Brand would be his undoing. The latter had a more interesting outfit, hence why my best buddy is wearing it here. Also included is an actual quote he said while watching the show! By the way, I did all this before he paid for fallen’s commission, so really I was totally in the right to sketch this. In any case, I hope you all enjoy this sweet slice of revenge as much as Alec does! XP

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

#clarktooncrossing #clarktoons #halloween #original art #original character #ai art sucks #dudelz #dudelz of the damned #inktober #monsters #green #Maria Hill #avengers earth's mightiest heroes #earth's mightiest heroes #skintight suit #marvel #abigail brand

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pine-farr · 10 months

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I wish someone could explain to me the sheer amount of vitriol that gets directed at Richard Ma**** (don't want this in his tag). He's not nearly famous enough for it. Like, I get when very famous celebs (like Harry or Taylor or the big Marvel stars like the one who fans I incurred the wrath of one day lol) attract strange amounts of haters... but Richard? He is so quiet. He is barely present on social media and hasn't really been for like 4-5 years? He makes an effort to not get papped or go to events... he doesn't say anything. And yet, on any given day the last 5 years you could go to any number of admittedly awful places and see hate. Some of it is maybe me not having a sense of humor (see the hilarious twink collector jokes). But some of it is just... cruel. And right now it's apparently at its peak and all because his ex bf is now being public with an out guy. People have often said Richard is a coward for not coming out, or said he is somehow forcing his bfs to not be out (the other one was very much out already??).

And like, if you want to be happy for anyone who decides that what is good for them is to come out, absolutely? There's no question. So be as happy as you want for his ex. But why attack Richard? Isn't Richard allowed his own journey? Don't people always say people don't have to come out? And if everyone already believes Richard is gay/bi/not straight because he's essentially out except for announcing it... then why does he have to?

Anyway, I guess the laughing at, the tagging Richard in photos to mock him or rub it in his face, it upsets me. Cause he's a person? And a person who is maybe probably hurting cause he was left? By someone he seemed to love?

I dunno, I just don't get it. I don't get why people hate Richard when all he seems to want is a quiet life with the person he chooses to be with. That's ok, isn't it? Or is there just one way to be? And he's just this lesser, not awesome, not cool, coward who deserves to end up alone? I really don't think that can be true.

Anyway, feel free to unfollow me if me talking about this stuff bugs you. I won't be doing it again btw. But the people that know me from my lj days I suppose won't be surprised that this is where my interest still apparently is.

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heartman · 2 years

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What are your favorite MCU movies?

Hey anon!! I think my faves are as follows:

1. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers my beloved, I am so in love with her it isn't even funny)

2. Werewolf By Night (because who doesn't love a good shlocky fifties style horror movie? A masterclass in classic horror which surprised me but I adored it)

3. Eternals (I can't gush about this movie enough. There's something about someone being so old and all knowing yet still struggling to find a place even amongst those who are like them and I adored everything this movie had to offer. I love the slower pacing and it was serene and almost sensual in a way and every about it makes me gush I will never shut up about it ever)

4. The Thor movies (always have a good time with these and while Love and Thunder felt a little lacking, every movie has been a good time, Thor never fails)

5. Ant Man 1 & 2 (I love how laid back they are and it's a good starting point because they're so self contained and I loved Ava Starr/Ghost)

6. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (Wanda being an iconic horror girl? We love to see it. Also Charlize Theron as Clea is exciting. I loved the creativity with the magic and the set pieces and Christine Palmer is *chef's kiss* perfection. America Chavez was a fun addition and I love Sam Raimi's flair on his movies)

7. Captain America The Winter Soldier (this movie OWNED MY ENTIRE ASS IN 2014 okay I was pretty convinced I was gonna become Sebastian Stan's best friend if we ever met but alas 17 year old me could only dream)

8. Shang Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings (the fight scenes! The whole sequence in the beginning where Shang Chi's mom and dad do that fight at the gates of Ta Lo was sexier than any sex scenes I've ever watched like it Did Things ™️ to me and I still haven't recovered)

9. 2012 Avengers (the one that started it all. I still get the same feeling I did that some great was happening with this movie and I love seeing where it all started compared to where they are now. It's a good time and yeah I have nothing more to say on it other than Natasha was fantastic and the fact that Thanos was in Loki's head even back then is mind boggling)

10. Infinity War (Avengers Endgame wants what this movie has and I will not elaborate)

11. Black Panther (a beautiful movie with a superb cast. The way Chadwick Boseman exudes class and charisma and charm through the entire film is stunning and the idea that even family can learn and grow as you learn and grow and try to be better is a wonderful message, I love this movie and Chadwick Boseman is gone too soon. Rest in peace, sir. I am very excited to see Namor in the sequel but it won't be the same without T'Challa, I just know it)

12. Black Widow (a wonderful sendoff for a character who deserves better. This movie came too little too late but it did introduce the wonderful Yelena Belova and Red Guardian. Natasha, I miss you and yeah. Natasha deserved better than the MCU gave her, especially considering she was one of the original six Avengers)

13. GOTG 1 (A great intro to a great team. Gamora has my heart alongside basically every other woman in the MCU and Bucky, and it really was just a fun romp through space after the MCU introduced a much darker tone with The Dark World. I am ecstatic for Adam Warlock's introduction in GOTG 3 and I do wish Dennis from Always Sunny was playing Starlord instead of crispy rat man. It also bugs me that Peter is confirmed to be half celestial in the MCU as of GOTG 2 and it is NEVER TOUCHED UPON AGAIN LIKE WTF FEIGE)

14. Basically the first three movies of the Fox X-Men series (so First Class, DoFP and Apocalypse)

15. LOGAN (made me cry shut up Caliban I miss you)

#marvel #asks

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notallthosewho-wanderarelost · 2 years

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Quick non-spoilery Multiverse of Madness review

Only gonna talk about things that aren’t spoilery, so a lot of my thoughts/things I liked or didn’t like/plot holes are not in here.

Does include some very very vague spoilers I guess, I warn right before where they are and don’t name any names, but putting this here just to be courteous.

Edit: added something to the fourth bullet.

Still processing, but so far I feel like overall it was kind of disjointed, I guess I would say? I’m not sure Raimi’s style of cheesiness works well in the 2020s. I kept getting pulled out of the movie by the dramatic zoom-ins to people’s faces and and the parts where it was so obvious a jump scare was coming. It also felt like there was something missing in between the movie’s ending and the first credit scene and I’m confused.

The story was also kind of disjointed as well, though I can’t quite articulate exactly how or why yet. It just didn’t quite feel coherent. If you asked me to give you a one sentence summary of what this movie was about I would really struggle. Might be a product of this being more of an event movie than a solo, similar to Civil War. I wish they hadn’t done that, Doctor Strange deserves a good trilogy of movies and comics show that it’s perfectly possible to write a good story about Stephen with other magic users as a solo.

I liked the first Doctor Strange movie much better, it’s actually one of my unsung favorite MCU movies. I can’t decide if I like MoM or not. I guess right now I don’t hate it, but I don’t really like it either.

As I’m sure anyone could guess, I’m not at all happy they did that Thing that I reeeeeaaaally didn’t want them to do. I knew it was coming because I got spoiled for it, though I admit it happened even faster than I expected. (Which I have to say didn’t make any sense to me at all. Marvel what on earth??) I’m not sure how I would have handled this without having been spoiled for it, I think I would’ve been super emotional about it and it was easier on me emotionally because I was expecting it. I do wish I hadn’t seen quite the level of detailed spoilers that I did, though. Won’t say anything else because, obviously, spoilers, but BOY DO I HAVE THOUGHTS.

I wasn’t a big fan of how America was written- she wasn’t badass enough imo, and she felt like more of a MacGuffin than a character most of the time, so that was a letdown. She’s so cool and kickass in comics and I was excited to see that onscreen. They also downgraded her powers, which is a major bummer. (Maybe she’ll get her comic powerset in the future?) Can’t say any more about this either because spoilers.

The other thing that bugged me that I can talk about without spoiling anything much was the marketing- why give Rintrah and Sara Funko Pops when they’re each in the movie for like 1 minute and neither really does anything? What a waste of cool characters. Sara is Wong’s love interest in comics, and Rintrah has what seems like a really nice friendship with Strange in comics. (They also appear to have racebent Sara from Cheyenne Native American to Black and I wonder why?) And there was no explanation of who Rintrah was or why he was in Kamar-Taj, there’s just a green Minotaur suddenly. The other marketing thing they did that didn’t match with the movie I guess I understand, but those two characters I’m pretty annoyed about.

I enjoyed Stephen’s character arc a lot! VERY well done. Can’t go into more detail because spoilers, but it was really good and I feel like it suited him very well.

Some very, very vague spoilers in the next bullet, I guess:

Loved getting to see a certain character who was previously in a tv show and way underpowered get to actually use their multiple powers on the correct level, because unlike said show this movie had a solid budget that wasn’t 3 dollars and a tissue. (Kidding, obviously, and there are things I really liked about the show, to the point where I think I’m one of the few people to find things I liked in it, but the lack of money for effects was a big factor in sinking it.) I’m very glad they kept the same actor though, because that whole cast was extremely on point and deserved better. I do feel like the show costume was better in at least one respect, because the mask in this movie didn’t look great on the actor, and I like how the show didn’t do a mask but still worked in the important element that had to be on the character’s head via a crown-thing.

Last but not least, THE CREDITS SCENE, HECK YEAH, FINALLY!!! And absolutely A+ casting choice on multiple levels, I’m SO excited to see more! Though bummed it’s going to be a long wait.

#dsitmom #doctor strange in the multiverse of madness #a rare text post appears #my stuff

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danieladkinsblog · 1 year

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Big Bang, Multiversity, and the futility of Multiversal Classification

It seems like every few years, there’s a new *thing* that finds itself at the forefront of pop culture. And in 2022, the word you couldn’t escape from was “multiverse.” Marvel Studios’ release of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness led them to officially christening their next saga as “the Multiverse Saga”. The genre-bending indie film Everything Everywhere All At Once became a critical and commercial hit. Dungeons & Dragons released their new Monsters of the Multiverse bestiary. And Warner Bros. tried to get that sweet, sweet Super Smash Bros. money by making a video game where Bugs Bunny and Jon Snow can fight Steven Universe and the Gremlins.

And in the midst of all of this, DC Comics released yet another fucking event comic about a multiversal Crisis.

To say that the recently-concluded Dark Crisis event (later rebranded to Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths in a move that makes my eyes roll into the back of my head) was underwhelming is generous. Aside from some pretty solid one-shots reimagining various members of the Justice League, the story has been both bloated in content and completely empty of substance. In many ways, it’s a microcosm of the many issues that have been plaguing DC Comics for several years now. And perhaps the best representation of that is this week’s tie-in release: Dark Crisis: Big Bang #1, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Dan Jurgens.

Waid and Jurgens are, of course, longtime creators for DC, with tenures at the company stretching back nearly 40 years, working on some of the defining stories for the biggest superheroes in the world. And while Waid did briefly leave the company due to disagreements with editor/publisher Dan DiDio, he was quick to return following DiDio’s ousting. And I think it’s notable to point out that the series that marked his full return - Batman/Superman: World’s Finest - is a retro-throwback that focuses on the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight in an earlier phase of their career, with Dick Grayson still serving as Robin with the Teen Titans and an overall aesthetic and tone homaging the Silver Age. Don’t get me wrong, the book is excellent, and probably my favorite thing DC is publishing right now. And the fact that it has Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain (aka, the best art team working in mainstream comics right now) doesn’t hurt either.

It’s essential to keep this in mind when looking at Big Bang. The issue’s story (a word I use very loosely) concerns Barry Allen/The Flash and Wallace West/Kid Flash traveling through the multiverse looking for the Anti-Monitor. As they run (literally) through the multiverse, Barry narrates that he’s been cataloging the various Earths and reflects on their differences. This is accompanied by panels depicting events occurring on each Earth and helpful caption boxes establishing each Earth we see. And that’s the real reason this comic exists. This isn’t a story. It’s a checklist.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a nifty checklist. But that’s all it is. Waid even admitted in an interview with Gamesradar that this was part of an overall edict at DC to be more organized with the multiverse, eschewing the more laissez-faire approach of recent years.

In looking at this, I can’t help but compare it to the last time there was an alternate Earth checklist tie-in to a big multiversal story: The Multiversity Guidebook by Grant Morrison, with art by a murderer's row of collaborators. Like Big Bang, it uses a frame story as an excuse to chart the then-nascent 52 Earths of the DC Multiverse, which had been reintroduced thanks to 52, touched on briefly in Countdown and Final Crisis, and been shaken up once more in the wake of the New 52 reboot. However, rather than being a simple tour through different realities, it uses its descriptor of “Guidebook” to actually delve into the multiverse on a level that hadn’t been explored before, including a map outlining the 52 worlds, short descriptions of each world, some worlds left blank, and small glimpses into not just the worlds themselves, but the people and stories that populate them. It’s crucial to note the ways that Morrison et al are sure to leave lots of openings for other creators to fill in the sandbox and create new worlds, or expand the stories of characters Morrison only briefly outlines. But the most significant difference between Morrison’s approach vs Waid’s?

One word: innovation.

Knowing the multiverse was going to be limited to a finite number of Earths, Morrison was keen to not simply recreate worlds from DC’s past, but make sure that each Earth had a distinct vibe and potential for making new things. And even worlds that paid homage to those of the past (Earth 4, Earth 5, Earth 10) were given overhauls to better carve out their place as unique settings in this burgeoning cosmology. Morrison even left several worlds listed as “undiscovered” so that future creators could add their own takes to the multiverse. (In the middle of writing this, I received my copy of the Absolute Multiversity, which also includes even more notes that Grant had for the Guidebook and they absolutely deserve a more in-depth piece at some point. Suffice it to say, it makes the way certain later creators approached this material even more disappointing.)

Waid’s approach, meanwhile, doesn’t really create anything new. Those undiscovered worlds? Filled in with a bunch of Elseworld miniseries that DC released in the past few years. The Earths that go beyond the 52 are the similarly populated with recent additions to DC’s ever-growing catalogue of intellectual property. And if they’re not for recent releases, then they’re references to old Silver Age comics taking their designations from decade-old guidebooks.

There are no attempts to innovate or elevate or do anything interesting at all, despite the fact that an infinite multiverse should be a gateway to endless possibilities. It’s just reduced to a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper so that nerds - represented on-page by the pre-eminent nerd of the DCU himself, Barry Allen - can check them off on a spreadsheet or a wiki page.

#dc comics #dark crisis #multiversity #mark waid #grant morrison #dan jurgens

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celtfather · 1 year

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Mingulay Cat Song, Lost Druid Beer Favorites, Closing Store for Buying Nothing Day

Why do cats knock stuff off tables? I think I figured out the answer. I share it with my story and song about the Mingulay Cat Song.

Marc Gunn "There Are No Pubs in Kirkintilloch" from Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion

WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES

I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play.

The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Gunn Runners Club. You’ll get something new every week: sheet music, access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts, bootleg concerts, behind the scenes photos and videos, and even download songs featured in this show. You get a lot for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Zak H, Kain T

0:56 - UPCOMING SHOWS

NOV 19: Three Taverns Brewery, Decatur, GA @ 12:00-1:30 PM

NOV 19: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00-10:00 PM

DEC 2: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6:30-9:30 PM

JUN 3-10, 2023: Celtic Invasion of County Mayo and Pirate Queen, Ireland

1:34 - CLOSING UP SHOP

I’m doing something different this year. I’m not doing any Black Friday discounts or sales, like all of the marketers encourage musicians to do. I know I’ve done them in the past. But I’ve never been comfortable doing that as you might’ve heard in a past podcast I did about the Ethics of Black Friday.

What it boils down to is that I prefer celebrating the day after Thanksgiving as Buy Nothing Day. A day to fight back against consumerism.

So for that reason, I’m closing down all physical sales on Friday, November 18. If you go to my store on Bandcamp. You will not be able to buy any CDs, shirts, album pins, songbooks or whatever else I have there. You can still buy digital downloads, but everything else will be gone.

I will reopen the story on December 1. But only for a few days. I’ve been considering my environmental impact. Someone suggested that if you only ship products in a shorter time span, it’s better for the environment, which makes sense to me.

2:46 - “Nancy Whiskey” from St Patrick’s Day

4:47 - FAVORITE BEERS FROM THE LOST DRUID

Come join me on Friday, Dec 2 at The Lost Druid Brewery.

10:30 - "There's a Bug in Cabin Six" from As Long as I'm Flyin'

12:43 - WHAT’S NEW?

It’s been eleven since I last posted an episode of the Cat Lovers Podcast. Seems like only yesterday. That’s not true at all. It feels like 11 years. I thought about rebooting it. But I decided instead to do this special feature on Cats and Celtic music.

That’s because I released a new album this year. It’s called Selcouth. Which means when everything is strange and different yet you find it marvelous anyway. It’s also the reason I released a new song on the album which I’ll talk about in a bit.

But first, I want to thank a few of my Celtic Cat Fans on Patreon. I sent out a call and these amazing folks responded.

Don Rice is from Moorhead, MN. He writes: “Definitely a cat lover, as we have owned many. Two currently- Chessie and Napoleon, both Grey striped tabbies. I'm a member of Poitin Band and a sci-fi lover as well.”

You can find them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

Kelly Melville said: "My 11 year old daughter Lorraine Melville (from Hampton, GA) is the biggest cat and cat song fan in our family. We all are, but she’s the one who has a bunch of your cat songs memorized and sings them to our cat. It would be a super fun surprise to hear her name in the podcast.

She recently lost her first cat that she named White Tickle Ninja when she was 4 because as a kitten he would hide around corners and jump out to attack our toes with his tickly little paws. He loved people, and would run meowing up to everyone he saw, even complete strangers, in the hopes of food or pets. I think he thought he was a dog. He would wag his little stub of a tail when we played with him, pant, and even play fetch with balled socks. Ninja was the boss of the house, but our other cat Sherlock is the sneaky one who figured out how to open doors and one day set off our burglar alarm and brought the cops out to the house."

Marie from Centennial, Colorado said, “My kitty is Annie. She will be 18 in July. I rescued her in August 2020, at age 16 and just under 7 pounds. She is the sweetest little thing and has a voracious appetite! They told me that they didn't think she was hungry but rather just liked to eat. (Really??!!) Well, I took her to a vet for a wellness check, naturally, and she had hypothyroidism pretty badly. We put her on medicine and she has been getting better.

She runs to greet me when I get home from work and sleeps beside me every night. When I'm home doing paperwork or watching TV, she sits in my chair beside me and sprawls out with her front legs over my one leg. See you at DragonCon then Kentucky!”

Finally, Carol Baril keeps the Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers group on Facebook going strong by sharing cat memes. She’s out of Acworth, GA in the Atlanta area. She has a favorite cat video guy on YouTube she watches. “He is my go to guy for all things CATS!”

She shared a video from Jackson Galaxy on playing with your cat!

Check out these Kitties from Annie:

If you want to join these amazing Gunn Runners, join the Club.

16:12 - “Lord of the Pounce” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers

20:31 - WHAT’S NEW WITH MY CATS?

Since last I podcasted, my oldest daughter is 12 and my youngest is now 7. Sadly, all four of our cats we had when my wife and I first met have passed away. Rainey was the last one, just last year. Two years ago, we adopted two kittens that a friend found in their apartment parking lot in Birmingham.

Pompeii is an ash-colored tabby boy who’s grown quite enormous. He likes to meow at us at about 4 AM every morning when we don’t lock him up. Though he’s an indoor cat, he loves to run out the back door when he can to take in the sights and smells.

Emmie is his sister. She looks a lot like him except she’s smaller by a third and has brown fur. But their markings are very similar. Emmie loves playing fetch. And if you ever hear me podcasting and a cat starts begging for attention, it’s usually Emmie. She loves to play, but she does not love it when I pick her up. She’s fine when Kenzie picks her up, but not me.

We have two new kittens in our house. A different friend from Birmingham had a cat that just gave birth. Gwen volunteered to help get them adopted. So he brought them over at the end of April. All but one are spoken for. Soooo we decided to keep him.

Thorne Murder Cat Gunn is a black kitten with a little white dot on her chest. She’s a bit more shy than some of the other cats. I’m gonna say that’s because she’s an introvert like the rest of our family.

Emo is an all black boy. He was loving early on. Now he’s a boy cat.

23:37 - Marc Gunn "A Lil Bit O'Love" from The Bridge (Celtic and Folk Music)

28:00 - STORY OF MINGULAY CAT SONG

“Mingulay Cat Song” is by far my favorite cat song to sing. Certainly, I love the original song “Mingulay Boat Song” by Sir Hugh S. Roberton. You can hear the story behind that song in episode #243. Follow the link in the show notes. Unlike many of my cat parody songs, this one stands out in that I love to sing both versions and they are their own unique sound.

I wrote “Mingulay Cat Song” when my oldest daughter, Kenzie, was probably 3 or 4 years old. I think she was in daycare. Every weekday morning, I would feed Kenzie before I took her to school. Then I’d race back home and work as much as I could before I head to pick her up again 4 hours later.

One morning, I remember her sitting in her high chair eating cheerios or some other hand food off the table. She had a sippy cup that she usually drank, first thing. But the morning in question, she only had a tiny bit of the cup before I realized I was gonna miss her drop off time. I quickly gathered her up. Threw her in my arms. Grabbed some shoes. We raced out the door.

I got back 30 minutes later. I took off my shoes, ran up the steps into the living room. I walked into the kitchen to clean up the food she had finished. Squish. My sock was soaked.

And not just soaked. It was sticky soaked. The juice was all over the floor next to the cup. A moment later, Jenga rubbed against my leg and I knew.

If you’ve ever had a cat, you’ve probably experienced something similar. Cats like to knock things over. Plain and simple. Jenga was our knocky-over cat. She was an overweight tuxedo cat. If ever we had an open drink sitting out for more than three minutes, she was not far away.

She passed away several years ago when we moved to Atlanta. We don’t have other cats that actively try to knock over drinks. And yet, we still prefer to use water bottles in our house. That was one of the bizarre consequences of her actions. No open liquid containers left unattended.

I actually get a little neurotic when people take the cap off their water bottles and leave it off. It drives me crazy.

The first two verses of “Mingulay Cat Song” were fairly easy to write. Just use actual experiences, like Kenzie’s juice bottle moment. How many times did we run to the bathroom with a show running and come back to find whatever drink we were drinking now all over the coffee table and floor.

The third verse, however, took a little bit more imagination. My wife likes cold icy water at bedtime. But fortunately, Jenga never knocked over icy water by the bed… But every time, I saw that icy water sitting there and Jenga jumped up on the bed, I just saw it happening in my mind.

But I have seen her try to stick her head in the water so much that I really love adding the “tongue can’t reach it” during the live shows to add a bit more comedy to this serious song.

The final verse attempts to answer WHY cats knock water over. I think most cat fans like to say that their cats are just jerks… which, ye know, has it merits. But I love that add a scientific approach. They are conducting a physics experiment.

And of course the last lines:

“Tap the glass cats, watch it jiggle

If it doesn't tip over, then knock it again”

In mind, are just beautiful comedy.

33:07 - “Mingulay Cat Song” from Selcouth

You can download this song as an MP3 when you join my Gunn Runners on Patreon.

What are you doing while listening to Pub Stories? I’d love your thoughts and feedback. So take a picture of yourself or where you are or what one of these stories reminds you of. Post it on social media. Use the hashtag #pubstories so I can find it and share your story.

Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the regular show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll get more stories behind several of my most-popular songs.

And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.

Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com!

#catmusic #catpodcast #catsongs

#pubstories #mingulaycatsong

Check out this episode!

#pub songs #stories #Celtic Music #Irish music #best #best of #behind the music #song stories

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subtletruamadumping · 2 years

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An Encomium to the Dorms

______________________________________________________________

Names and the college I went to are obviously censored. I was part of a scholarship program that only had 4 other students, so it was pretty natural that we all got to know each other very well. Also, we were studying encomiums in one of the classes we had to take. I wrote this to make my roommate laugh because she was going through a very hard time.

en·co·mi·um

a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.

Date Written: December 8, 2016

______________________________________________________________

Dear fellow [college program] members: have you ever been in such a lovely place as the dorms of [my dorm] hall? The great view of streetlamps at night; a concrete wall during the day; [dorm mate] banging on the window in the morning. That beautiful Myrtle tree and the beautiful concrete pillar obscuring it from sight. Everything is within walking distance, as long as you don’t mind sore legs. If you do, you can always take a nap on the back-correcting stiffness of your mattress. Of course, you must catapult yourself into said mattress to add to the adventure. Who would keep their bed close enough to the ground to easily be climbed in?

Great praise should be given to that off-grey floor! The color of it keeps you from looking down and seeing why they need to have a cleaning service come through every day. That marvelous floor is enough to keep [roommate] on her toes (literally) when she’s not wearing shoes. We briefly discussed purchasing a broom to call our own, but you shouldn’t mess with perfection! (Also, I forgot to buy one the last time we went to Wal-Mart.)

Let us not forget the wonderful lights! They set the perfect atmosphere to turn on a lamp and flick off the overhead bulbs. We want to make certain we don’t overuse them and burn them out for the next person. It would be very upsetting if they didn’t get to experience the hospital-quality lighting. No, no; we’d much rather strain our eyes by lamp-light than waste the fluorescent blessing.

And what would we be without those incredible bathrooms? Such a sense of unity sharing one shower. The amazing feeling of boiling water suddenly cascading down your back when you thought you had it on the coldest setting. Such artisticness that when you try to flip your hair, it drags along the wall and leaves shampoo streaks. And there’s always the added joy of running out of shampoo before conditioner.

Such joy to see water (at least, I hope) along the edge of the sink. Those beautiful Hydrangeas in a vase that rattles every time the toilet flushes. The soap you brought yourself or borrowed from the R.A. And what a wonderfully musky taste the water has! Who knew that rinsing your mouth could force you to cringe a smile all day? Imagine the joy of bumping elbows with the person next to you over the little sinks. Such joys make us never want to leave.

And such friends we have there! The loud suitemate that you’ve never actually met, yet know exactly what style of music they enjoy. The R.A.s that constantly view glances at the inside of our room because our key itself prefers to stay within the walls of the room. The spiders and mosquitoes that merrily wander in when the door is left open. That raccoon that is looking for some treat we might have left him in out garbage bins. The squirrels that are much too interested in humans for their own good.

Think about the wonderful air conditioners! The choice of not being able to sleep because of the noise or not using your blankets is always a thrill. The lovely buckets outside the window to catch the discarded water and fluids; the wonderfully hot blast that you get as you walk past others’ rooms; the layer of dust that shoots from the vent. Can you think of any better way to spend the summer?

Not much of our college life has been in the dorms, but the time within is averagely forgettable. The thought of waking up with strange bug bites on your legs will easily be gone before the next school year. That is, of course, if you don’t ever read this encomium again.

#writing #my writing #spilled thoughts #writers on tumblr #encomium #i thought i was funny #college

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cjsinkythoughts · 3 years

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The Shield

Paring: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 5595

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, John Walker, Emotions, Character Death, Mentions of Blood, I know people had a hard time with that last scene so please take caution because it is in this part! GIF at end is the ending scene, so be careful when you get towards the bottom! I feel like I’m forgetting some, so just know this one’s a bit more than the others.

A/N: Here it is, folks! The Part we’ve all been waiting for! It’s the longest one I’ve written so far but so much happened and I couldn’t find a better spot to end it than where the episode ended. Thank you all for being patient with me today. I know I didn’t get this out as quickly as I would’ve the past few weeks, but you guys are so awesome! Seriously! I love that you understand I do have a life and work comes first! Thank you, thank you!

This Part is a doozy, guys, and…I’m sorry? But not really. I’m SUPER excited to see where this is gonna go, especially considering Episode 5 is supposed to be the real tear jerker. I can’t believe there’s only two more episodes! I’ve grown so attached to these characters just in the past month! I’m so glad I’m able to share some of my thoughts and feelings with you guys, too! You’re honestly the best!

I’ll be doing more One Shots this week, so look for those on the Masterlist. I’m still taking requests for them, so if there’s anything you want explored about the reader and her relationships that you don’t think will be explored in this Series, just ask and I’ll try to add it to the One Shot list.

As always, this isn’t beta’d so please excuse any mistakes! Thank you for reading, be kind to yourself and others, enjoy this part and stay tuned!

FATWS Masterlist

cjsinkythoughts Masterlist

(I couldn’t decide on which GIF to use because there are so many good ones! Thank you Tumblr Creators!)

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

“Doll…hey. Doll. C’mon, sweetheart. We gotta get moving.”

You cracked your eyes open begrudgingly, squinting up to see Bucky’s amused grin, head tilted and eyes soft. “Huh?”

He chuckled as you rubbed your eyes, confusion lifting an eyebrow. “The funeral. Zemo said we’ve gotta go if we’re gonna make it in time.”

“Wait, but…huh?”

Sniggering again at your reaction, he held up your phone. “You passed out in the middle of a chapter, sleepyhead.” He teased lightly, grabbing your hand and gently pulling you to sit upright. “It’s almost been an hour.”

You huffed tiredly, stretching and placing your feet on the floor, taking back the phone he held out to you. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You haven’t been sleeping well.” He stated, like it should’ve been obvious. “How’s your arm feeling?”

“Better than earlier. It’s just sore. That’s all.”

He studied your features for any hint of a lie. Not finding one, he nodded, holding out his hand. “Okay. But tell me if it starts bothering you.”

You placed your hand in his, marveling for a split second at how big his hands were compared to yours - something you noticed every time but still it never ceased to astound you. He tugged you up, and you looked up to meet his worried eyes, remembering his question.

“I will, Buck. Promise.”

He nodded, tilting his head towards the door. “C’mon, cuddle bug. We don’t wanna miss this.”

A groan passed your lips, but you nodded and followed Bucky out into the main room, where Sam chuckled at you from his spot at the table. “Sleeping beauty has finally awoken.”

You flipped Sam off groggily. “Are we going or not?”

“Do you wanna wake up s’more first?”

“No.” You answered the one armed brunette. “I’ll just splash some water on my face or something. I’ll be fine by the time we get there. Where’s-”

“Looking for me?”

Zemo strolled out, now dressed in that coat of his, that smug smirk on his lips. You scowled. “I wish I wasn’t.”

Sam stood up, standing subconsciously between you and Zemo. “Let’s head out.”

You nodded in agreement, shooting the Baron one more glare, before following him out the door and into the city, Bucky right besides you, shoulders brushing as if you weren’t ignoring him just hours prior.

The walk was mostly silent, a few jests between Bucky and Sam plus a couple comments from Zemo here and there. You talked about strategy, with Sam bringing up the fact that he wanted to try convincing Karli to step down. Zemo didn’t look pleased with the arrangement, but both you and Bucky relented, agreeing to let Sam at least try.

It wasn’t until you were close to your destination according to Zemo that anything exciting happened.

“Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit!”

Hell. No.

The moment the voice registered in your brain, your jaw tightened, your teeth starting to grind together as you held back the very not nice things you wanted to say.

“Ah! How’d you find us now?” Bucky called out, tucking you into his side protectively, and a little possessively you noted, as Walker and Hoskins came down the steps, the two groups nearing each other.

You were relieved when the subject of Zemo escaping jail went by relatively quickly, Walker latching onto the fact that you were going to talk to Karli instead of focusing on the escaped fugitive in front of him.

You very nearly punched him when he ran in front of you after Sam told him the plan, making the four of you stop in your tracks, but Bucky’s arm tightened around your shoulders, holding you in place next to him.

“You’re gonna let him do this?” Walker questioned Bucky in disbelief, self righteous judgement practically dripping from your tone. “You’re gonna let your partner walk into a room with a super soldier alone?”

Bucky’s jaw ticked. “He’s dealt with worse. And he’s not my partner.”

“And you?” Walker narrowed his eyes towards you. “I expected more from you; the last original Avenger.”

You snorted, shaking your head. He obviously didn’t know how chaotic the Avengers were. What Sam was proposing? You’d seen it a million times with Steve alone. Not considering Nat, Clint, Thor, even Bruce and Tony. All of them willing to try to negotiate before running in, bullets raining and hell rising. “First, I’m not the last original. I’m technically not even an original. Second, I trust Sam with my life and I’m standing by his decision. He’s my brother. As a soldier, I would’ve thought you understood that.”

Before he could respond, Sam stepped around Bucky. You saw the reluctance in Walker’s eyes as he admitted a temporary defeat once Hoskins agreed with Sam. The fact that he was so unwilling to try to save more lives - including Karli’s - made the truth that he wasn’t, and would never, be your Captain harden deeper into your heart.

Ignoring Walker’s confusion as you followed the little girl Zemo befriended - which was weird, you’d admit, but it was getting you closer to Karli - Bucky’s arm slipped from your shoulders, hand sliding across your back and skimming down your arm to grip your hand. Even through your jacket, you felt goosebumps erupt along his fingers’ trail.

You finally came to your destination and you let out a small breath. If everything went smoothly, this mission could finally be over and you could go home and take a bath, get take out, get out a bottle of wine, watch TV, and just relax.

What a dream.

“Hey.” You stopped Sam before he could go through the entrance of where the girl said Karli was, holding his forearm. “You want me to come with you?”

He shook his head. “I think it’ll be better if I go alone.”

You nodded, letting go without any hesitance. “Okay. Be careful.”

“Always.” And despite all you’ve been through, no matter how many times he’s followed Steve’s lead in doing something stupid, you knew he meant it. You nodded again, before he disappeared around the corner.

You leaned back against the wall, Bucky once again wrapping an arm around your shoulder now that you weren’t walking - he liked having mobility on the move, hence the reason he held your hand instead - leaning besides you and pulling you against his chest.

Ten minutes. You tried looking at Bucky’s watch, which was on the wrist of the arm around you. He noticed and turned his wrist slightly, bending his elbow more, which brought you even closer to him, showing you the time.

Giving a small sigh, you nodded slightly and dropped your head back against his bicep, your hands shoving in your pockets, one of your feet coming up to rest against the wall. Bucky shifted to your other side so he could stand in front of the doors to where Karli and Sam were, pulling you against his back, arms wrapping around your shoulders tightly.

It was a long ten minutes. You kept eyeing Walker, and you couldn’t help the anger burning through you as he held the shield in his hands. That damn shield. It wasn’t his. It would never be his. And he would never understand it. The fact that the shield didn’t make Captain America. The shield isn’t what made Steve a good man. Not even the Serum did. He already was one. Steve made the shield what it was, not the other way around.

But then you remembered a conversation you had, years ago, and your eyes flitted up to Bucky’s hardened face, the brunette staring intensely at the ground.

You didn’t get it. You were confused. You knew how important Barnes - Bucky - was to Steve. But apparently you didn’t understand it quite yet.

You watched from the entrance of the hallway, leaning against the wall, as Bucky went under once more.

Steve stood there for a moment longer, before turning and walking towards you. “Why’d you do it?”

He raised an eyebrow at you while you turned to walk with him down the hall. “Do what?”

“Give up the shield. And don’t say it doesn’t belong to you. It does. Howard gave it to you. You’re the reason it’s…a symbol.”

He hummed. “And what exactly is it a symbol for, honey?”

You scoffed. “Uh, freedom? Justice? Resilience? The defense of the whole life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness thing?”

He stopped, facing you with a strange expression on his face, thoughtful. “I dropped it because I can’t be that anymore. Not right now. People don’t have the same beliefs they used to have. How can I stand up for freedom and let the Sokovia Accords track every person they deem a threat, just like HYDRA tried doing? How can I be a symbol for justice and let Bucky take the fall for something that he wasn’t in control of? I can’t. And until the world is ready to change…I can’t be Captain America.”

And suddenly, it seemed to click. Steve gave up the shield for Bucky because the world wasn’t ready to admit it was wrong. Just like Sam gave up the shield for himself and his family because the world wasn’t ready for the truth that would come with him becoming Captain America.

God…when did a metal circle become so complicated?

“What’s goin’ on in that pretty lil’ head’a yours?” His whisper in your ear startled you out of your thoughts, his nose brushing against your temple tenderly as he placed a chaste kiss on your cheek.

You looked up at him and shook your head. Of all the things Steve gave up, he never gave up Bucky. And it used to confuse you, but you understood then. His blue eyes sparkling with curiosity and slight concern, his fingers tracing patterns along your collarbone with a barely-there touch that was so light it didn’t seem to exist. You finally understood. Not just Steve’s decision, but Sam’s too. And maybe you didn’t understand it fully, and that was okay, because you weren’t them, so you never would, but you understood a little bit.

“Nothing.” You shook your head, keeping your voice down so the others couldn’t hear, the conversation being a private one, “I’m just waiting for this to be over.”

He hummed, nodding in agreement, setting his chin on your head. “Me too.”

Walker started pacing the room about half way through, getting too antsy for your liking. “Shhh.” Bucky mumbled under his breath, feeling you tense as Walker started talking. “It hasn’t been ten minutes, John. Just sit tight.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t patronize me.”

“He knows what he’s doing.” Bucky stated confidently, straightening slightly from his leaning position, arms falling from your form. The two of you exchanged glances as Walker checked the clock over on the far wall, blocked from your view.

“I’m going in.” Walker strode across the room, heading for the entrance, no doubt willing to steam roll anything - anyone - in his way.

Bucky stopped him with a hand on his chest. You glanced back and forth between the two as Walker spoke, arms crossed tightly over your chest. “Buck…we promised him ten minutes.” You reminded him, seeing his resolve crumble a bit. You could guess he was thinking of the nightmares. The people he couldn’t save. The blood he already considered on his hands.

Walker used his moment of hesitation, shoving past him roughly. “I’m not waiting.”

“John!”

“Walker!”

You followed after him, you and Bucky arguing with him and Hoskins about giving Sam more time, but it was too late.

“Karli Morgenthau! You’re under arrest!”

“Fuck.” You hissed out when you saw Sam’s panicked expression, looking at you confused. Walker was flown across the room when Karli punched him, Bucky shoving Hoskins out of the way to run after her.

“Y/N-”

You threw your hands up. “I tried, Sam! C’mon!”

You and Sam ran over to some stairs, turning corners and trying to remember what the building looked like from outside to cut her off, but you only ran into Bucky again.

“I wish we had the layout or something.” You grumbled. “We were that close-”

“We’re not done yet, doll.” Nodding, you followed the boys out, Bucky pausing every so often to try to hear anything. “I’ve got gunshots.” At that, the three of you took off towards the sound, Bucky leading the way.

Just around the corner from where Bucky heard the gunshots, you thought you saw a couple people slip around another bend. Noticing you had stopped, Bucky backtracked. “You okay?’

“Yeah.” Deciding it wasn’t worth the pursuit, you turned to him and nodded towards the doorway Sam already went through. He gave you a look, but nodded and the two of you jogged into the room.

You sighed heavily, seeing Zemo knocked out on the floor, Walker standing over him and broken vials that were previously full of, what you assumed was, the Serum. Hoskins ran in right after you, meaning no one but Walker and Zemo knew what happened. Meaning you would probably never get the full, true story.

What fun it is to work with manipulators and liars.

********************

“I don’t like him.” Bucky grumbled, the two of you walking up to the place you were staying in, Bucky holding the door open for you.

“I know you don’t, Buck. I don’t either.” You had asked Bucky to go with you to get some fresh air once you got back, Zemo having woken up a few minutes after and Walker and Hoskins had to make a call or something official like the good soldiers they were. “He’s hiding something.”

“You think?” Bucky scoffed, giving you a look.

You rolled your eyes. “I mean…I don’t know. When we found him and Zemo…my gut twisted.”

He nodded in understanding, his face twisting into a scowl. “Yeah. Mine did too.”

You stopped him before you could walk through the door to the main room. “Do me a favor?” He nodded again with a little hum. Catching his chin between your fingers, your free hand moved to smooth out the creases between his brow. “Stop brooding so much. It makes me worried.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips, features softening slightly. “Are you really gonna leave in the morning? I know you’ve had a lot of people telling you to take a break, and it’s selfish for me to ask you to stay, but…I dunno if I can finish this without you.”

“I-” You sighed, ducking your head as you thought of a response, before looking up in his wide eyes, begging for you to stick around longer. “Let’s just finish the day and see what happens next. Okay?”

He bit his lip, nodding slightly. You gave him a smile, before tugging on his hand. “I need a drink.”

He chuckled at that. “That I can fix, doll.” He, again, opened the door for you, and the two of you walked in.

“What a gentleman. Straight outta the 40’s.” You joked, making him roll his eyes.

He took off his jacket, heading to the kitchen, while you sat on the opposite side of the island. “Somethin’s not right about Walker.”

Sam gave you two an amused look. “You don’t say.”

“Well, I know a crazy when I see one.” He opened the lid of the bottle he grabbed, starting to pour two glasses of whiskey for the both of you. “Because I am crazy.”

You rolled your eyes as Sam responded, “can’t argue with that.”

“You shouldn’t have given him the shield.”

Giving Bucky a disapproving look over the rim of your glass, you sipped your drink, narrowing your eyes when he ignored you. “I didn’t give him the shield.”

“Well Steve definitely didn’t.”

Your glass slammed down on the counter. Why did he have to bring this up right now? Seriously? You were just having a nice conversation about places you wanted to visit while taking a walk outside. Why was he suddenly snapping?

Before you could scold him, the doors burst open, making your head whip over as Walker stormed in, “ordering” you to hand over Zemo.

You stayed sitting, leaning on the counter and facing the opposite wall as Sam told him off, giving an amused snicker as you sipped your drink. Bucky sat besides you, facing Walker, and you recognized from the angle he was positioning himself that he was blocking you from Walker’s view, whether intentional or not.

You raised an eyebrow, turning in interest when Walker put down the shield, knowing Sam wasn’t about to fight the man. What an ego the blonde had.

Before anything could happen, however, a spear pierced through the air, lodging in the pillar next to Walker’s head.

Your frustration with Bucky’s comment flew out of your head as Ayo and a few other Dora Milaje walked in. Bucky sat up straighter and you stood up, leaning ever so slightly against his arm.

You nearly facepalmed, a sound of complete disbelief leaving you as Walker introduced himself. Sam looked over at you two, an entertained, slightly incredulous smile on his face.

Sam tried warning him. He really did. But Walker, you’ve come to find, was an arrogant, egotistical narcissist who only wanted to win and would do whatever it takes to do so. Even when there wasn’t really a winner. At least, not in that situation. It seemed that Walker liked ignoring the gray area in the world, which wasn’t good. Not in the least.

Which is why you couldn’t really feel sorry for the man. You saw it coming as soon as he told them they didn’t have jurisdiction. And the moment he touched Ayo?

You put your chin on Bucky’s shoulder - who had stood up from his spot - watching the Dora Milaje kick Walker’s ass, wincing and cringing mockingly at the right moments, making Bucky smirk at you.

“We should do something.” Sam said, although he didn’t look thrilled about the prospect.

Bucky crossed his arms. “Looking strong, John!”

You gave a slight snort, not wanting to encourage anything, but unable to hold in your amusement. Bucky winked at you, clinking his cup of whiskey with your own, before taking a gulp.

“Bucky.”

You huffed and stepped back at Sam’s tone. “C’mon, Buck.”

“Fine.” Bucky grunted. “But ‘M not happy about it.”

Soon, the three of you, plus Walker and Hoskins, were all occupied with a member of the Dora Milaje. You knew you couldn’t take them; they were on a higher level that Natasha, and you could barely beat her. But you weren’t necessarily trying to win.

It was a strange fight, knowing that no one - except Walker, probably - actually wanted to hurt anyone. Of course, that didn’t stop one of them from exploiting your injured shoulder that she spotted rather quickly. The hits were quick and precise, the tip of her spear cutting along the graze, hitting the spot just perfect enough to reopen it. The stitches that had been placed only a couple days ago ripped, making you wince and clutch your now bleeding shoulder.

“Oh fuck.” You groaned. “You were always good with those things.”

She gave you an almost apologetic look, before she looked over to Ayo, who stepped through the room towards the bathroom where Zemo had locked himself in during the chaos.

When you caught sight of the shoulder thing she did to Bucky, his metallic arm now laying on the floor, his eyes wide and his stance stunned, your jaw nearly dropped. You guessed it made sense that they had a way to do that, but, still. None of you were expecting it.

“Did you know they could do that?” Sam asked once they started leaving, Bucky picking up his arm and connecting it to his shoulder.

“No.” The arm whirred as he swung it, getting it back to normal.

You couldn’t help the little giggle that left you, making Bucky raise an eyebrow at you. You tried holding in more laughs, but they just kept coming. “She-she...she disarmed you!”

Bucky rolled his eyes as you chortled, holding your stomach and bending over. “Ha ha. Very funny.”

“Oh come on!” You straightened and wiped your eyes. “That was good! Wasn’t it, Sammy?”

Sammy chuckled and nodded. “I’ll admit, it was pretty good. This, however, is not.”

Your laughter died as Sam made his way over to the bathroom, the light air that came with your cackles dissipating as quickly as it came.

“I can’t believe he pulled an El Chapo.”

You stared at the drain that was uncovered - large enough for Zemo to slip inside and escape. He did it. The son of a bitch finally did it. It took him long enough. You would’ve betted against him days ago.

“I can.” Bucky turned and grabbed your hand. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

*********************

“I thought you told them.”

Bucky looked up from wrapping your shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “What?”

“I thought you told them. The Dora Milaje. Wakanda. T’Challa. I thought you told them about Zemo.”

He leaned back with a sigh. “It was kinda a last minute decision. You know that. You were there.”

You nodded. “I do. But I also know what they’ve done for you. Shuri and Ayo. I was there for that, too. And you know what he did to them. To their country. Their king.”

“I know, I know. I almost died several times because of it.”

Your eyebrows pinched in confusion. “So why-”

“I thought it’d be quick. I thought, maybe, I could do it without them finding out and then we could get to Karli and they wouldn’t be disappointed. Win win.”

Your cheek caught between your teeth as you thought. “You could’ve just asked-”

He shook his head. “They would’ve said no. You know that.”

“Okay. Fine. Yes. I know that. But…but giving them a warning would’ve been better than this.” He hung his head, closing his eyes. “Bucky. Hey,” hooking a finger under his chin, you tilted his head back up to look at you. “I know it’s been hard for you. Everything has. And I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I shouldn’t have let you come along. You should be healing, and it’s my fault you’re not.” He opened his mouth, face scrunching up in disagreement, but you shook your head. “It’s true. I just…I didn’t know it would come this far.” You gnawed on your bottom lip studying those captivating eyes, before sighing. “Which is why I’m not leaving.”

He perked up, those pretty eyes going wide, jaw slackening. “You-you’re not?!”

You shook your head. As much as you wanted to run away, you couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right. “It wouldn’t be fair to you or Sam. I promised to help, and I brought you into it. So I’m gonna stay.

“Are you, uh…are you sure? You don’t hafta if you don’t wanna, doll. I know I kinda pushed you earlier, but-”

“I’m sure Buck.” You nodded firmly. “Just…do something for me?”

“I dunno if I can promise not brooding, sweetheart.”

You giggled at his words. “Not that. Just…stop giving Sam a hard time. About the shield. Please.”

His soft features hardened and he scowled. “If he didn’t give it up-”

“He thought it was going to the museum. I told you about that, remember? I told you we’d go when I got back.”

Giving a slight nod, he sighed. “We never did.”

“We will. But, I’m serious, Buck. Please. It’s not his fault. He did exactly what Steve did.” At Bucky’s confused look, you pursed your lips, looking down at his hands, starting to play with his fingers. “Remember how I was thinking during those ten minutes we had?” He nodded. “I was thinking about how Steve gave the shield back to Tony. After saving you. In Siberia. You remember that?” Another nod was given, so you continued. “It was for you, James. Because you made him realize that he didn’t want to be the face of a country that preached one thing, but did another. And that’s what Sam did. He did it for his family. For himself. Because no one wants to fight for a country that goes against your personal beliefs, no matter what they say.”

“I-I don’t understand.” Bucky’s eyes squinted, his brow creasing as he tried processing what you were telling him.

“That’s okay. Not everyone will. Really only they can understand their own reasoning. But you have to try to understand that he did what he thought was best for himself. For Steve. For the shield. And I know - dammit do I know - that it’s the last thing left of him. But it is just metal. Isn’t it? Steve’s the reason it is what it is. No one else. And no one is going to change that.”

Bucky took a breath, glossy, worried eyes meeting yours. “Walker’s going to ruin it. I know he is. I can feel it. Everything Steve worked for. I don’t care about Captain America. I care about the kid from Brooklyn who wanted to make a difference, no matter how little he was. I trusted him. I followed him through bullets and blood, with only that shield between us and them. He was home on a battlefield in Italy across the ocean from New York. And that shield was the welcome mat. It doesn’t matter what it says, what it looks like…but it protected my home when I couldn’t. But now? I feel like it’s tearing my home down. Pulling out the bricks. And it hurts. It was never about the shield, Y/N. It was always about the man it protected when I couldn’t be there for him. And now?”

Gathering him in your arms as he trailed off, you gave a couple little sniffles, pressing your face in his hair, nails scratching the nape of his neck lightly. “I’ll be your welcome mat, Buckaroo.” You offered.

He shook his head, pulling away to hold your face between his hands. “No, sweetheart. You’re not the welcome mat. You’re the new bricks replacing the old. You’re…you’re my home, now, doll.”

You swallowed thickly, unable to handle the rush of emotions that just poured through you, the sudden change in topic making you feel more vulnerable than you’d like. You leaned forwards, placing a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth, feeling him go lax in your arms. “And you’re mine.” You murmured softly, before getting up and heading out for the room, unable to stay any longer. You still had a mission to do. One that became even more desperate with Zemo loose, Walker unhinged, and Karli being so close.

******************

There was a silent agreement to not bring up your conversation. Not yet, at least. Sam had eyed you both when you came out of the room, saying you were ready to get moving, but he didn’t say anything either.

None of you really knew where you were going, only what you had to do. Find Zemo and get to Karli before Walker could. Both of which were a lot easier said than done.

Until Sam got a call from Sarah, who told him Karli contacted her personally and threatened her and her sons. She left a contact number for Sam, evidently wanting to meet. His phone dinged not a minute after he texted the number.

“She said come alone.”

“Well that’s not happening.” You opposed, crossing your arms.

Bucky nodded with your sentence. “We’re coming with you.”

Sam didn’t say anything against it, the three of you exchanging glances, before heading out to the location, changing into your tactical suits along the way.

Karli didn’t seem to mind you and Bucky tagging along, and you understood why the moment she mentioned not killing Sam because he wasn’t hiding behind a shield. It was a distraction. They were going after Walker.

It was confirmed only moments later when Sharon contacted Sam. “Looks like he found them, or maybe they found him.”

As soon as Sam announced that it was Walker, you jumped into action, Sam disabling Karli for just the right amount of time for you to get a head start. “I’ll send you the location. Go.” He told Bucky, who nodded and took off in his super soldier sprint. “You hitching a ride?”

You rolled your eyes at his slight tease. “I hate this so much.” You grumbled, catching his hand as he took off in the air with his bird costume. He held onto you tightly, like the millions of times you’d done this before, although it didn’t make you any less dizzy, traveling that fast, that high, with only his hold keeping you from dropping. “You’re lucky I trust you so much!”

He gave a small chuckle at your shout over the wind. “We’re landing! Brace yourself!” You followed his order, just in time for him to break through the glass ceiling of the building Walker was in. The both of you landed on a platform on the staircase just as a Flag Smasher was thrown through double glass doors, down the stairs, and into a power box. Your eyes went wide as Walker strolled down the steps, oozing a confidence that made you nervous. The moment Walker stopped the Flag Smasher - the Super Soldier - from hitting him with the pipe, you knew even before he twisted it like a pretzel.

“Sam.” You breathed out. You couldn’t even do anything, only watching as the Flag Smasher got up from being thrown again, and running down a hall.

“What’d you do?”

“They got Lemar.” Was the only reply he gave, brushing past you and Sam. You gave Sam a look, but he just jerked his head down the hall, in the direction the Flag Smasher went and the way Walker started heading. You nodded, willing to drop it for now to save someone’s life, but you were so bringing it up once this was done.

Jogging into the room, you should’ve expected the ambush in the room, but, to be honest, they didn’t take as much advantage as they could’ve, so it wasn’t too difficult of a fight. You had trained with Steve millions of times before, so you knew how to go against a Super Soldier. Granted, your Cap wasn’t trying to kill you while training, but it was better than nothing.

You protected your shoulder, knowing that was your weak point, while trying to disguise it so whoever you were fighting wouldn’t realize your Achilles’ Heel. Something you often found while dealing with Steve, and even Bucky, was that Super Soldiers, as quick as they were, tended to favor the super strength side of their enhancements. This made it easier for you to dodge the attacks, knowing most of your blows wouldn’t do much.

Knowing you wouldn’t be able to stay on the defensive for long, you decided to try to get an advantage over them. Disarming them and taking their knife was easy enough. A small advantage, yeah, but now you had a weapon, and you could work with that.

You weren’t exactly sure when Bucky joined the fight, but he did, immediately coming over to you when you body kicked your opponent, helping you up. “That was a Steve move.” Your eyes caught sight of the Flag Smasher behind him and you shoved his shoulder down, throwing your knife, making it land solidly in the man’s shoulder. Bucky looked up at you from his crouch, impressed. “And that was a me move.”

You shrugged. “I’m a visual learner.”

You, Sam, and Bucky were about to go for another round with the guys when a sickening crack sounded behind you, and you whipped around.

Hoskins was against a split pillar, a crimson streak running down his forehead, head lolling to the side, lips red and cracked. The fight stopped as Walker rushed over to his friend, but you knew there was no way he survived. A punch from a Super Soldier? That hard?

Eyeing the Flag Smashers, you turned to Sam and Bucky when they started dispersing, Karli running out as well. They nodded towards you and the three of you took off after her, not wanting to let her get away again and, for you, at least, wanting to give Walker some time.

You weren’t expecting his grief to turn into such raw hatred.

Running up to the city square, you didn’t actually see it happen. Just the aftermath. Which was good, considering you nearly threw up just seeing that.

You heard the change in Bucky’s breathing, barely recognizing the way he stepped in front of you, only realizing you stepped closer when you felt his sleeve against your palms, fingers tightly wrapped around his forearm. A choked sound came from somewhere, but you didn’t know it was you, even as Bucky reached his arm around to hold your waist, keeping you behind his shoulder.

Tears leaked down your face silently, eyes unable to look away as Walker straightened, sliding the shield on his arm, too nonchalantly for someone who just murdered another in front of a crowd full of people, cameras pointed towards him.

The shield. That piece of metal you had been wondering so deeply about the past couple of weeks. The link to the first person you’d ever loved. Ruined. Tarnished. Stained.

You could barely breathe, your throat clenching so tightly it was a wonder you were able to get anything out at all.

“James…”

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secretshinigami · 3 years

Text

Meet you under the sun

Author: @lightlessons For: @danthegeek Pairings/Characters: Light Yagami/L Lawliet, Misa Amane, Kiyomi Takada. Rating/Warnings: M. Mature language, Swear words, Alcohol consumption. Prompt: AU Light is a popular Collage Student and invited to a beach party. He is having a lot of fun, is flirty and arrogant as we know him. He is dancing with Misa, who is not his girlfriend but has a crush on him. Then, L joins the party, somebody brought him along. He is chilling awkwardly by the buffet when Light takes notice of him and joins him at the buffet. He has seen him before a couple times on the campus, but never talked to him. What happens next is up to you…

Author’s notes: I bent the specifics a bit in that I had Light talk to L just a bit after seeing him instead of immediately, because i felt it fit the pacing I had better. Hope it’s still okay though :-)

—————————–

“Don’t tell me you’re a Beach Volleyball junior champion too,” Takada joked after Light obliterated (yet again) a team of what appeared to be sociology majors, or something equally pointless, she had that small, half-hearted smile that was so characteristic of hers but with the slight frown of someone who isn’t used to being impressed.

Light laughed humbly.

“I’m not. Maybe my experience with tennis helps somewhat? But I’ve really never played it before.”

His classmate sighed, and Light thought that being constantly made aware of his numerous skills had to be tiring for her. “You must be just naturally talented then,” she supposed as she fixed her hair behind her ear in a strange bashful gesture that must mean she was finally surrendering over to Light’s natural charm, as one would expect.

“Or those two are just awful,” Light smirked conspiratorially.

The young bourgeois laughed, which was what Light was hoping to achieve. Takada always enjoyed laughing at other people’s expense.

Light wasn’t much of a fan of the beach. There was too much sand getting into bad places and too many people acting as if the transition from monkey to hominid had never been made. Too much noise and too much sun and too many girls asking him to slather them with sun blocker, as if he’d pop a boner over touching their skinny naked backs. But, if there was something he’d learned from a very young age was the importance of having good public relations, and so when Kiyomi Takada had invited him to an exclusive beach party, he knew he wouldn’t say no to the daughter of the Sankei Newspaper’s owner. He’d gone into To-Doh not just looking for a quality education after all but in the hope of forming good connections too.

And this party, filled with Tokyo’s most important youth, was a perfect opportunity to start rubbing shoulders. Light was young and attractive and athletic, perfectly composed to be like a bug zapper for these kinds of things.

Plus, the lively music and the three margaritas he’d already had were kinda getting to him.

“LIIIIIIIIGHT!!!” A familiar voice suddenly screeched from somewhere behind him.

Oh dear God.

Five feet of blond supermodel darted towards him through the small crowd of spectators that had formed for the match. Misa Amane, bimbo extraordinaire, had finally shown up to the party in all her unbridled glory.

“Oh, that was so cool! You’re always so cool, Light,” she proclaimed with shiny eyes while all the other men around and some of the women ogled her in her small two-piece red bikini with a blackthorns and vines pattern, as characteristic of the gothic style she favored.

Now, Light didn’t dislike Misa. She was cute in a very whiny-cat kind of way. Sort of endearing at first but jarring as the volume increased and the minutes went on. The first time they met she’d claimed she felt a cosmological affinity towards him or some such bullshit and then proceeded to interrogate him for his zodiac, moon, and rising sign, whatever the hell that meant–he hadn’t been paying attention. She was useful, though, in that she was somewhat famous and happily willing to do him any favors, or connect him with any of her large contact lists, even when he’d already been clear about not being interested in any non-friendly relation with her (using the hardships that came to celebrities’ partners as an excuse), he was a gentleman, after all, and he wouldn’t toy with a woman’s feelings.

“Hey Misa,” Light gave her an easy smile that would hopefully settle her for the rest of the day.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere for the past week! Where have you been hiding? Not with Kiyomi, I hope!”

Takada at his side made an affronted sound that seemed to choke on the way up her throat.

“Behave, Misa. I’ve told you I’m not your property,” Light belittled her with only mild sternness.

Misa shook her head enthusiastically.

“Misa is only teasing, Light! She promises! Besides, Kiyomi and I have started getting along since Spanish class. Haven’t we, Kiyomi?"

Kiyomi seemed startled for a moment, as if she didn’t expect Misa to call her out like that, but recovered quickly to settle her face into her usual cold mask of indifference.

“I suppose so.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. We even planned a fake trip to Playa del Carmen together! Oh, Light, you should join us!”

“I’m taking Korean.”

“Not in class, silly, on the trip!”

"Right… then I happen to be busy around that time of year,” he joked, throwing a smirk at Takada and earning the most formal of snorts he’d heard.

"Miss Amane does have a fondness for fantasizing,” Takada replied instead, like a ready viper waiting for the perfect moment to strike at her victims. Oh, there’s no need to be mean with her, Kiyomi.

The implications seemed to get lost on the blonde, however.

“Pfft, you’re no fun. I’ll borrow him for a bit, Kiyomi. Clearly he needs a little loosening up, and you’re not exactly a party animal, are you?”

Before Kiyomi could reply Misa had already taken Light’s arm and dragged him to the bar for more drinks. Light had to admit, the cocktails options were impressive, and he sort of wanted to try everything on the menu, but in the end, following the beach spirit, he and Misa both ordered a piña colada, and while usually, he wasn’t a fan of too much sweet in his alcohol, the fresh taste felt like a blessing under the hot summer sun, enough that soon he found himself chatting amicably with Misa and even had to catch himself from -dear God- giggling at something she said.

Such was his mildly buzzed state when a sight at the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Turning around, he understood why. A black-haired man was standing under a palm tree and sipping at his own colada, with his back very badly curved in an awful posture and huge eyes fixed somewhere on the sand. Weirdly enough, he was wearing jeans to the beach with only a loose tank top to combat the scorching weather, and still, his wild mop of hair was the most recognizable part of him, which was in itself something, as Light had never in his life seen someone more particular. He’d seen the other boy around campus a handful of times before, but there had never been an opportunity for him to approach him, even though Light had always felt an inexplicably strong pull for him to ask him about his name.

Misa loudly calling his name made him realize he’d been staring.

“Misa, do you know who that is?”

Misa squinted in the direction of Light’s eyes, face lighting up with recognition.

“Of course! That’s Ryuzaki! He’s actually the inheritor of Wammy’s Co. But not many people know about that,” the model smirked like she was telling the juiciest gossip. “People like Takada probably think he sticks out like a sore thumb around here. But the truth is, he’s got more money than any of us combined.” Light’s ears perked up at that. “He’s also one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, and I’ve met you, Light. I don’t know who invited him, though. Let’s ask him! Hey, Ryuzaki!!"

The odd student turned around towards the voice calling him and tilted his head to the side in silent interrogation.

The boy’s assemblage of quirks brought a smile to his face. He hadn’t allowed himself to think it before, but he had always thought the student was rather cute even with how little he knew of him.

“Who invited you?!”

Light winced and glared at Misa for how carelessly she had posed such a question, but Ryuzaki didn’t seem the least bit faced and instead cupped a hand near his mouth like a mock-megaphone and shouted: “I just came for the desserts!” with a wide-eyed expression that gave no indication whatsoever of if he was teasing or not.

Misa laughed like she’d heard the best joke ever and Light just blinked in the boy’s direction.

“Isn’t he a blast?” She hollered as Ryuzaki’s eyes met his.

It was hard for Light to describe those few seconds, but for one single moment, the strings holding his soul together seemed to vibrate at a different tune than they’d played previously. He was unsure if he shivered, but he had to break the eye contact like some damned school girl to pull himself back together.

Why did his face feel warm all of a sudden?

"Ooh, I love this song! Let’s dance, Light!” Misa interrupted his thoughts again with a squeal.

“Uhh, sure, yeah…"

×~°~×~°~×~°~×~°~×

Dancing was decidedly not as fun unless you had a certain amount of alcohol in your body. Or at least, that was Light’s opinion on the matter. Who’d enjoy several hours of mindlessly moving your body unless somehow inebriated? That’s why Light had to drink another two mimosas to keep up with dancing with Misa for five songs straight, not because he was somewhat shaken up about the guy with the bird’s nest hair and the absent look –Ryuzaki, his brain provided– and certainly not because he was figuring out how to approach him.

He separated from Misa when the sun was already setting, bathing the sea with a last warm goodbye. Everyone at the beach stopped for a moment to marvel at it, but Light only had eyes for Ryuzaki, who was… nowhere to be seen, sending Light into a momentary panic.

He almost slapped himself when he found him below the parasol housing the buffet. It was what Ryuzaki had said before about the only reason for coming to the party. Normally, he would have remembered, which only meant Light’s brain wasn’t behaving as fast as it normally would. It couldn’t be that he’d have too much to drink, could it?

Alright, be smooth, Yagami.

“Hello!” Light chirped with a wide grin, planting himself beside the strange boy who was staring at the lines of sweets like they were study material.

Ryuzaki turned to him with a blink.

That had come higher than intended.

"We, uh, are in the same faculty? I’ve seen you around 345.”

“Light Yagami. Second-year Criminal Justice major. You’re the son of detective-superintendent Soichiro Yagami of the NPA."

"Um.”

“You respect and admire your father greatly and your intention is to become the deputy director of the NPA. You’re as ambitious as you are clever.”

“Why do you-”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’re aware of how popular you are around here, word goes around. You’re not the only one I have this sort of information on."

Light wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be reassuring.

At the very least, that introduction had sobered him up.

The other student was appraising him with a curious gaze, as he was starting to learn he looked at pretty much everything.

"Is that the way you introduce yourself to everyone?"

"Hmm. Yes, usually. I told you. You’re not special in that regard.”

“In what regard am I special, then?” Light asked cheekily.

“That’s not-”

But he didn’t let him finish before walking around him like a predator would its prey. He made a show of considering what pastry he’d take and settled for a star-shaped cookie. Ryuzaki watched the whole procedure closely and Light smirked at him as he took a bite.

Yes, I made you think about my mouth now. How’s that, smart-ass?

“I think we should get to know each other better, don’t you?”

“And what makes you come to that conclusion?” Ryuzaki supposed.

“Well, I want to, for one.” Light sassed.

“Are you coming on to me?"

Light’s confident semblance cracked. It suddenly dawned on him what he was doing and where. Fuck, what if he isn’t into guys? This was why he never flirted with men unless he was sure the other person was at least bisexual! Or just let the other guys come onto him, which he never had a lack of. Shit.

Ryuzaki seemed to notice his momentary alarm because he placed a hand on his arm in reassurance.

"No, I’m into it. I was just surprised,” he explained with an earnestness Light wasn’t expecting.

“Surprised?”

“People like you don’t usually flirt with me."

"What’s people like me?"

"Now you’re just fishing for compliments."

Light grinned, feeling like his assured (but not overly-presumptuous) self again.

“Swear I’m not.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Your hand is still on my arm, by the way.”

Ryuzaki blinked at the offender, which was indeed still curled around Light’s tricep like a possessive pale spider. He only let go of it slowly, finger by finger, and Light pretended he could see a faint blush on the other’s face with the last rays of sunlight.

There was a conscious effort on his part to not brush those sharp cheeks tenderly with his knuckles, less the sudden contact spook his new sudden fascination away.

“It appears you’re not the only intoxicated one of the two of us,” Ryuzaki admitted in a low voice.

The loud party music and noises of the crowd seemed so far away.

Light took a step forward.

“We should–”

“Light!”

A group of people was coming their way, and Light recognized Takada, Okubo Chise, Kinoshita Hideo, and another fake-blond dude he’d never had any interest in talking to. Kinoshita was the son of a major tech company’s executive and was rotting in money from his million-dollar hair to the ugly fungus in his toenails. Light, sadly, had had a mild interest for him at first, but that went to shit when he came to see how much of an asshole he was.

Kinoshita grabbed him by the shoulder, while Chise and the fake-blond planted themselves in front of Ryuzaki. Takada, for her part, just stood to Light’s side glaring in Ryuzaki’s direction. What the hell?

“Light, what is someone like you doing talking with a freakshow like Ryuzaki.” Kinoshita wondered, exposing his gums in a self-satisfied smile that quickly raised Light’s hackles. "Don’t you know nothing good ever comes from involving yourself with him?”

“Come again?”

“It’s true, Light. He doesn’t have a good reputation,” Takada interjected, not bothering to hide the disgust in her face with a once-over to his new acquaintance. “I don’t know how he’d have the nerve to come in here, uninvited.”

Frowning, Light searched to see the face of the boy he’d just been so pleasantly flirting with and, outwardly, found him to appear relatively unbothered. He’d expected him to be angry, indignant, or even sad, but Ryuzaki only had his hands in his jean pockets and was yet again staring with wide eyes at some unknown fixed point as if no one were talking about him.

“You’re going to have to be more specific about whatever offense Ryuzaki’s done. But whatever the case, I find it incredibly distasteful to round him up like you’re doing.”

“It’s alright, Light. Kinoshita is probably still just angry because I exposed a nasty little online scam of his, and attained information that could lose him the already crumbling favor of his father, and also the fact that he is nevertheless unable to cause me any significant harm,” Ryuzaki answered matter-of-factly without sparing a single glance at Kinoshita’s direction.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Okay, that was…

Extremely attractive.

“You’re a lying little cunt!” Kinoshita snarled.

“The naive teenagers being granted false scholarships would argue otherwise.”

“What? Hideo, you said–” Takada began.

But the small elite group exploded in an argument about what Kinoshita had or hadn’t done, with the latter giving weaker and weaker arguments. Light was so engrossed in his rightful indignation and the opportunity to disgrace Kinoshita, that by the time he called for Ryuzaki’s own word in the matter the strange student had already left without saying a word.

×~°~×~°~×~°~×~°~×

“Ryuzaki!"

The hunched figure paused in his lazy gait towards the beach boulevard, but the dark disheveled head didn’t turn around. Light was panting by the time he caught up to him and he could feel the beginning of a headache already forming.

Night had already fallen and the breeze charged at them from within the sea.

"You’re already going?"

"I am indeed approximately 700 feet from the party."

"Not what I was asking.” Light rolled his eyes.

Ryuzaki turned around finally, all sharp angles and even darker eyes illuminated by the blue and purple artificial lights on the street.

“Well, your question didn’t contain your true intentions either. You’re asking why I’m going. And I assume this means you’d like to talk more?"

Fastidious asshole.

L didn’t wait for Light to answer before taking his phone from his jean’s pocket and handing it to him with the contact app open.

Light typed quickly and handed the phone back, which finally brought a blessed smile to Ryuzaki’s face.

"I’m looking forward to talking to you soon, Light Yagami. Oh and before I forget."

Long, spidery fingers settled themselves in a careful hold below Light’s chin, and before he had time to process what was about to happen, soft lips gave a feathery kiss to his own, so quick it might have been fantasy if it weren’t for the ghost of a contact searing an imprint over Light’s heart.

“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you at the entrance ceremony.”

#fanfiction #death note #submission #lawlight #misa amane #kiyomi takada #l lawliet #light yagami #ratings: mature #lightlessons #danthegeek #Near's Bday Finale 2k21

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a-land-of-shadow-and-substance · 2 years

Text

A sad, strange little land: a quick overview of Avengers Campus

So, hey, a quick post here before I go back into, basically, hiatus until the end of the semester.

I finally got to experience Avengers Campus in full, including Web Slingers and, uhh... it’s not good. I was really cheering this one on, since I’m a Marvel fan and all, but wow, it’s bad.

First of all, it’s TINY . Despite knowing they cleared more land for it, it still feels about the same size as Bug’s Land, possibly even more cramped. It just felt really packed in and claustrophobic. All the stuff you see in photos? Basically you could stand in one place in the center and just turn around and get each photo. It’s all just packed in, right there.

Themeing is actually pretty well done, only let down by the incredibly cramped space. The magical walls of Dr. Strange’s Sanctum, the expanded foods that form the themeing in the ceiling and drink stations of Pym’s Test Kitchen, the Stark Industries Parking lot... they’re all nice, but when they’re layered on top of each other it loses a lot. There’s no room for all the details to breathe, being jammed in together like that.

Web Slingers is AWFUL. I thought a Toy Story Mania clone would fall into the realm of “uninspired but serviceable”, but it’s unquestionably WORSE than its fellow interactive ride across the park. TSM has understandable mechanics and clearly defines what players are supposed to be doing or aiming for. No such basics with Web Slingers; it’s hard to tell where you’re aiming or which webs are yours, or even which targets you’re supposed to shoot. Plus, nothing felt very “Spider-Man” about it; the robot plot would have served Iron Man or even Ant Man better. The only thing I liked about it was its integration of the real Avengers Campus environments into the game environments, but when the base is that flawed, the details can’t save it.

Mission Breakout is oddly integrated into the land; sure, it got new pavement, but the way the building is angled makes it still feel separate, and more a part of Hollywood Land than Avengers Campus. Its spacey theme also sets it apart from the rest; at least Strange’s area looks, feels, and is explained as a magical anomaly appearing in the middle of the Campus. Breakout is just plopped there. Amusingly, based on what I overheard among the crowds there, everyone except employees still calls it Tower of Terror. At most, I heard it called “Guardians of the Galaxy Tower of Terror”. After all the rebranding and re-theming, I find it funny that, no matter what, it’s gonna be stuck with that name for a while yet.

I’ll end this with two positive things about the land.

Pym Test Kitchen is AMAZING. Even though the giant pretzel is the most-advertised food there and is just average (it’s just a pretzel, but big), the rest of the food is what’s worth a try. The chicken sandwich and the rather fascinating takes on the PB and J were real standouts. A+, will make the extra effort to eat there. The only restaurant comparable would be the one in Pandora, and that’s high praise from me.

The other positive? Surprisingly, Mission Breakout. I gave its non-Halloween version another try for the first time post-reopening, and I think it got some drop profiles reworked, to GREAT benefit. Every song I rode now had incredible airtime launches, with a good mix of drop types and good flow with the music. Not sure if these were existing profiles I never rode before, if new ones were added, or if the current songs were “plussed”, but the quality gap between Mission Breakout and Monsters After Dark has been greatly lessened, at least in terms of the physical ride experience. The way it sways in front of the screen is still incredibly nauseating, as is the ugly yellow lighting package at night (why can’t they keep the good lights from Monsters year-round?), but hey, Breakout is actually doing something competently and enjoyably, at last.

TLDR: Pym Test Kitchen--AWESOME, Mission Breakout--Good!, Avengers Land--this concept deserved better, Web Slingers--how did Disney mess up THIS badly

#avengers campus #web sligners #avengers land #review #opinion #original post #mission breakout #guardians of the galaxy mission breakout #gotg tower

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nonbinary-ghost · 4 years

Text

A Conversation Between Vessel and Wyrm

So, I know I’ve never posted my writing here before but this scene has been playing in my head for days and I just need to share it. The premise is based on @chipper-smol ‘s shitlordAU where Ghost somehow goes back it time to when they and the Pure Vessel were kids, and decide to absolutely torment their Father in between finding a way to kill the Radiance. It’s such a fantastic AU rife with opportunities for both humor and angst. Anyone who reads this should totally check out chipper’s work!

(This turned out longer than expected: ~2700 words, so the rest is under the Keep Reading tab)

Ghost leaned back and tilted their head to the side, observing their painting with a critical eye. The corridor in which they worked was dark, but the barest glow of the occasional lumifly that flitted about the palace halls provided just enough light for Ghost to be able to make out the dark lines of ink they had scrawled across the white wall. They nodded to themself in approval. The painting, while quite sloppy, could at least be recognized as the Pale King with monstrously exaggerated teeth and a grotesque tongue. They rubbed their chin thoughtfully, unwittingly getting some of the black ink on their mask, as they pondered if there was something more they could add to the painting to make it even less flattering.

Their current prank was one outside of Ghost’s typical inclinations. Until the Queen had begun to teach Ghost to write, they never held much interest for anything to do with a brush and ink. They had found Sheo’s art beautiful or interesting certainly, and they marveled at the skill with which the retired nailmaster could wield a brush – but such things never appealed to Ghost. There had been so much they needed to do at the time that learning about art seemed unnecessary. But now that they were learning to write, Ghost realized that art could be used to communicate just as much as words, and the motions of painting were somewhat easier for them than the neat script they were attempting to master. Sheo hadn’t lied when he said the strokes of a brush were not unlike the strokes of a nail, and Ghost had found they enjoyed the act of creating something that others could see and understand.

This particular painting was not their best, but it wasn’t intended to be. It was intended to stir up the Knights and bother the Pale King, to prove yet again that Ghost could think and feel – and to illustrate how they felt about the King.

Ghost didn’t notice the approaching bug until the shadow eclipsed the faint lumifly light they were using to paint by. Ghost froze as the shadow slipped over them. Their shoulders tensed as they prepared for the cold hand of a Kingsmould to grip the collar of their cloak, or a loud scolding from Dryya. When neither came, Ghost dared a hesitant glance over their shoulder. Shock rang through them like a stag-bell when they found not a Kingsmould, nor one of the Five Knights behind them.

It was the Pale King.

Ghost went ridged, half prepared to bolt and debating if doing so was worth the effort. Their painting was meant to be discovered after all, and it would never have been any question by whose hands the crude caricature had been created. But the King’s gaze focused not on the guilty Vessel standing before him. Rather, he appeared to be studying Ghost’s painting, his secondary hands clasped behind his back and while his primary ones rested in the wide sleeves of his robe. The Pale King’s unusually calm demeanor unnerved Ghost and they slowly turned to face the Wyrm, their hand almost instinctively reaching for the reassuring hilt of a nail that was no longer there.

“A remarkable likeness.” When not raised in anger the Pale King’s voice was almost as melodious as the White Lady’s. Ghost cocked their head enough to glance between their painting and the King in disbelief. The painting, while recognizable as the King by the crown-like horns, was by no means a “remarkable likeness” to the actual subject. Ghost had deliberately made the painting as messy and obnoxious as possible. Perhaps sensing Ghost’s disbelief, the King unclasped a secondary hand from behind his back and raised it toward the painting.

“I imagine that this is how you must see me,” he murmured. “I cannot truthfully say it is all that far from accurate.”

Before Ghost could process the meaning of the King’s words, the Pale Wyrm finally turned his gaze on them. The weight of that unwavering attention felt like a heavy pressure against Ghost’s shell and they found themself tensing, feeling as if the Pale King was staring right into them. It was unusual for the King to actually look at Ghost without some other distraction dividing his attention – distractions Ghost typically crafted – and they weren’t certain they liked the scrutiny of the King’s abrupt interest in them. Despite the fact that Ghost now stood taller than the King, they felt suddenly small.

“Vessel-“ he began, but stopped before the word fully left his mouth. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. “Ghost. If I may have a word with you somewhere more comfortable?”

So startled by the Pale King’s use of their name and the phrasing of the request as a question rather than an order, Ghost found themself nodding yes without really considering the consequences. They followed the Wyrm with their thoughts swimming. This was not the kind of response they had come to expect from the King – anger, yes, shouting, almost certainly. But this calm, quiet passivity left Ghost uneasy and they struggled not to fiddle with the hem of their cloak as they walked behind the King, following him down corridor after corridor. As they walked, Ghost began to notice that the pale white light that the king always seemed to give off was much fainter than they remembered. Perhaps the Wyrm was suppressing the glow to avoid disturbing any sleeping bugs whose rooms they passed.

With a final turn the two of them entered a veranda that overlooked a vast garden glowing bright with thousands of lumiflies – no doubt one of the Queen’s creations, though Ghost didn’t recall ever coming to this particular garden with their mother. The King gracefully lifted himself up to sit upon the short wall that separated the tiled veranda from the garden, his wings flaring slightly to aid his balance. Ghost stared, uncertain of what to do. They were fine with breaking formalities for the sake of rebellion, but at the moment the King was adhering to no formalities for Ghost to go against. It made them feel strangely directionless. They fidgeted. They didn’t like this feeling. The King lifted a secondary hand to gesture to the space beside him, keeping his primary hands nestled in the sleeves of his robes.

“Would you care to sit with me?”

Ghost rocked forward to oblige but halted before even taking a step, instead crossing their arms over their chest and staring at the Pale King expectantly. While they could not fathom what all of this was about, they could clearly sense there was something specific the King wanted to say. Ghost waited and the King sighed, turning his head to look out over the garden.

“It has come to my attention that you have begun spending some time with the Pure Vessel.”

Ghost didn’t move. So what if they had? Pure was not some hollow thing, no matter how much they pretended to be in order to appease their Father. Ghost knew the Knights went to great lengths to keep the two siblings away from each other, but that didn’t mean Ghost didn’t seek Pure out from time to time. When they were alone, Pure sometimes even relaxed a little, and showed sparks of interest in the language of hand-signs Ghost was crafting with the Queen. Their meetings were few and far between, as Pure’s life was strictly regimented and Pure would never go against something they were told to do, but their meetings had been occurring with more frequency after the sparing match Ghost had instigated.

“This cannot be permitted.”

Indignation sparked through Ghost and they clenched their hands against their folded arms. The Pale King let out a long breath and turned on the wall to face them, his expression unreadable.

“I must admit, was wrong about you.”

Ghost stared, their anger faltering somewhat. Making their hands into fists, Ghost held them up in front of their chest with their thumbs pointed toward themself. With a quick twist of their right fist, Ghost pointed their right thumb upwards. The motion meant “how” – in what way was the King wrong about them. Ghost wasn’t sure if the King knew any of the signs they used with their Mother, but it was what they had. The King at least continued as if he understood the motion.

“You were never hollow – only a fool would watch your mayhem and attempt to claim otherwise. For a time, I have ridiculed myself for allowing you to remain here with the Pure Vessel. I believed you should have been removed.”

The King’s gaze had shifted down to stare at his primary hands resting in his lap. Ghost could see, now, that they were stained a dark black that stood out starkly against his silver robes. A black so deep and bottomless it looked like it would leech the light out of the room around it. A black so similar to the void of which Ghost was made … Ghost went cold as they suddenly comprehended what the Pale King was implying – that they should have been killed. Discarded into the abyss. The King shifted and Ghost dropped into a defensive stance as their whole body trembled with sudden fear, once again reaching for the hilt of a nail that was no longer there. But the King only lifted his head to meet Ghost’s eyes.

“It was wrong of me to believe that.” He paused only long enough to take a deep breath before continuing. “You are a sentient being, very full of life and will, with a personality all your own. To believe that I have any right to take that from you is a crime against everything I have built Hollownest around. And to see the way my Root adores you … how could I ever take you away from her?”

The raw honesty in the Pale King’s voice made Ghost hesitantly stand from the half crouch they’d fallen into. He…cared? He cared that Ghost could feel? Enough so for it to stay his hand in killing them, when he’d never hesitated with all of their lost kin in the abyss far below? Why? Was it because he knew without a doubt that Ghost was not hollow, and could not delude himself into thinking otherwise as he had with the others? Or was it because the Queen had taken a liking to Ghost and going against her wishes would cause strife between them? Ghost almost didn’t hear the King’s next words, but at the mention of Pure their attention was quickly pulled back to the Pale King.

“But the Pure Vessel is a different matter. It has a purpose – one whose success or failure will determine the fate of every bug in Hollownest.” The tentative hope spurred by the King’s acknowledgment of Ghost’s sentience vanished as the King continued to speak, and unease began to worm its way through Ghost’s chest. “You are not hollow, of this there is no doubt, but the Pure Vessel must remain as such if it is to succeed. The more you are around it, the more likely it is to begin to feel. If it sees the leniency with which you are treated, it may begin to develop a will of its own, and all of the sacrifices made to protect this kingdom will have been for naught. You must stay away from the Pure Vessel to preserve that hollowness for which it was created.”

Rage thundered through Ghost at the King’s words and they sharply signed “You are wrong”. Pure had never been hollow. The King’s plan had already failed, doomed from the very beginning, and Ghost refused to let their sibling go through that suffering again. That was the whole reason they were here – to stop the radiance before their sibling was sacrificed, before Hollownest fell to ruin. The King blinked at the venom in Ghost’s movements as their hands flittered through the signs for disgust, for being too late, for refusal. They were too angry to keep the motions smooth and they shook as that fiery emotion pounded through them. Even if the King could not understand all of the motions, the message was clear: They refused to stay away from Pure.

The Pale King’s brow pinched in anger and his wings flared slightly.

“There is no other way to keep Hollownest safe,” he rumbled, his voice tight with controlled anger, but Ghost shook their head. The King’s hands clenched into fists. “We have tried everything else. Without something to contain the Radiance and Her infection, Hollownest will fall and every bug in the Kingdom will be corrupted. I cannot doom the entirety of my people to an existence of mindless misery for the sake of any one bug. If you continue to interfere with the Pure Vessel, you will condemn everyone in Hollownest to a living death. Surely you must understand this! I know you are not blind – you have been outside of the palace, you have almost certainly seen those the Radiance has already corrupted.”

The Pale King had no idea just how much suffering Ghost had seen at the hands of the Radiance’s infection. The memory of Pure’s eyes filled with the yellow light of the Radiance swam up and Ghost recoiled as they remembered the wretched agony in their sibling’s motions as they turned their nail on themself, trying to cut the infection away. No. The King could not possibly understand just how much Ghost knew about the pain the spreading infection caused. They shook their head, feeling oddly ill as they clenched their trembling hands into fists at their sides in their sign for “I’m done speaking to you”. They turned sharply and moved to leave the veranda.

“If there was any other way, I swear to you I would take it,” the Pale King whispered to Ghost’s back, his voice soft with some kind of emotion. Regret? “But I cannot See any other path that will slow the Infection’s spread.”

Ghost straightened, spinning to meet the King’s gaze with a furious glare. Of course he could not know of any other way. He was looking at this problem from a completely different angle than Ghost. He was trying to find a way to slow the infection, to contain it, while simultaneously trapping and starving the Radiance in a Vessel of Void. He could See no way to remove the infection at its source. Ghost realized that while the Pale King had a measure of Foresight, his Sight must be limited to the scope of the knowledge he already possessed. He did not know of the Seer, of the Dreamnail, of Godseeker. He could not fight the Radiance directly, not without a way to enter Dream and face the enraged Goddess, and so he was attempting to defeat her in this roundabout manner. Did he know his doomed plan would ultimately fail, but believe it to be the only way to buy his people time?

“You are wrong,” Ghost signed, pointing at the king and lifting their thumb and pinky in a gesture under their chin. They then closed their fist and pointed their thumb to the side before using both hands to imitate the sides of a path: “There is another way.”

The King’s brow furrowed and he shook his head.

“I do not understand.”

Ghost opened and closed their fists at their sides in frustration. Even if the King could understand their signs, Ghost did not have the gestures for the ideas they would need in order to convey their plan to the Pale King. Their anger cooled somewhat, shifting to a steady burn in the pit of their being rather than the all-consuming fury that had raged through them not moments before, and they realized that if they could find a way to explain their plan to the King, he might help them find the Seer. If he knew there was another way, would he help them do it?

“I don’t have the words to explain,” Ghost signed by drawing a finger over their throat. They held up their index fingers a little ways apart, then made an ‘L’ with their right hand, pressing their thumb into their raised left palm and twisting their right hand so the ‘L’ was upside down: “I will tell you later.”

They did not wait for the king to respond before turning and storming out of the veranda, their mind ablaze.

The Pale King could not See that there was another way.

So Ghost would make him See.

#hollow knight #Ghost hk #Pale King HK #my writing #this ended up more serious than intended but it was sooooo much fun to write

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