#only recently sis and I managed to force her to go hospital and GET her navel TREATED

[nei-ning]

No offensive, but I don’t get my mom most of the times in these days anymore. After she started to be with her current boyfriend (like 10 years ago) it seems like she just has become more dumb - pretty much the same what and how HE is as well. More under the cut since this is a bit “long” post.

When mom comes to visit me once every day (because she spends all her time at his place otherwise), first thing what she does is go to the fridge and eat. Eat, eat and eat some more. Those few hours what she’s with me, most of it she spends on eating.

I honestly have asked from her: Is she starving herself at his place? Isn’t he letting her eat? What she eats per day? All this because I have faint memory of mom telling me years ago how this guy, while being drunk, had nagged at mom about it how much she eats. What comes to her eating at his place, she just says: “Oh, but I have eat! I ate oatmeal in the morning, during the day I drank a cup of coffee, at the afternoon I ate few slices of bread. (or few potatoes with tiny bit of sauce)”

I have told her many times THAT’S NOT ENOUGH and that she needs to eat! At least 2-3 warm meals per day! Especially since she has diabetes (mom has had it for decades but it doesn’t give her any symptoms like dizziness etc.) she needs to watch her eating.

Also, some weeks ago mom showed me her toenails and, my GOD! Big nails were brown, other nails lighter brown, her nameless- and little toes’ nails being VERY thick and yellow! And the SMELL! OH GOD, THE SMELL!! That horrible stink lingered in the house for HOURS after she left back to her boyfriend’s! She’s literally rotting and she doesn’t notice or care! (she has other health issues as well which she just hasn’t taken care of)

I told her she, with 100%, has nail fungus and that she NEEDS TO get them treated! Properly! (Note: I watch a lot of professionals’ videos about pimple popping, nail fungus etc. on Youtube. My favorites are Enilsa Brown and Toe Bro, just few to mention).

For ONCE she listened to me, calling to a hospital she needs to see a podiatrist. You can’t get appointment otherwise. Mom is still waiting for her call.

Now, I don’t know what kind of professional this new lady is (hopefully great!) but the previous one who mom visited years ago... I question her a lot since she had told mom that she DOESN’T need any treatment! Like why?! She had nail fungus back then already!

And then mom... She is a person who always listens doctors etc. bending in their will instantly instead of standing up for herself, demanding treatments - like she should had done with that first podiatrist. Tell her she NEEDS and WANTS her toenails to be treated - because NOTHING was done to her toenails. No trimming, lotion, meds, nothing!

So, I really hope this new lady takes mom and her nail fungus seriously, helping mom to get rid of them.

[kimannhart]

Here is part two to THIS ficlet I wrote a couple of days ago. Though, this can be read as a stand alone fic. 

Also, I’ll most likely be posting this fic in its entirety on ao3 once I figure out a title. So if you haven’t read the first part and wanna wait, keep ya eyes on my ao3 for it!

mentions of injury cw

~~

It’s been about four months since Tony’s last stunt in the hospital, and ever since then, neither Bucky nor Sam have left his side. And to be quite frank, it was driving Tony insane. He hasn’t had a single moment alone, anytime he had to use the restroom, one of the men would be hanging outside the door. If Tony had a business meeting at SI, Bucky would always be lurking nearby. In their most recent battle, both men disregarded Steve’s orders and decided to fight nearby Tony. The only reason Tony hasn’t snapped at the two to leave him alone yet is because he was hanging onto the hope that he would be traveling alone for SI business overseas. (He had ordered JARVIS to keep his AI mouth shut about it. And Tony didn’t even have to beg Steve to keep quiet about his future travels. Instead Steve just looked at him with pity and nodded that he wouldn’t say a word to Bucky or Sam.)

So, here Tony was now, quickly trying to pack the bare minimum before Bucky and Sam came back home from their forced date night. Sharon, bless her soul, acted as his savior for his getaway and told Bucky and Sam to go out on a date to give Tony some peace. To which the two refused to go on at first, but quickly agreed before Sharon threatened to call her soulmate, Pepper. Not wanting to face the scolding of Pepper, the two men easily backed down and said they’d be back within an hour. 

As soon as Tony was done, he hopped into the car with Happy and made his way to the airport. The moment that the plane was in the air, Tony finally was able to relax. He was finally free from the watchful eyes of Bucky and Sam.

Tony absently starts to rub against the right side of his chest, the spot where his soul mark—a snake wrapping itself amongst a small bouquet of gladiolus and proteas—laid against his skin. A part of him knew that he should admit to Bucky and Sam that he was their third soulmate, but those dark thoughts always prevent him from doing so. Tony sighs to himself and decides to focus on SI business instead.

Once Tony reaches his hotel, he finally checks his phone and is bombarded with a swarm of texts, with most of them coming from Bucky and Sam, which isn’t surprising at all, wondering where he went, why he didn’t say anything, when he’s coming back, and just more questions. Though, instead of answering the questions, Tony makes the decision of turning off his phone and shoves it into one of the drawers in his hotel room. 

~~

The days went by and Tony was genuinely surprised that neither Bucky or Sam decided to hop onto a plane to where he was. But he assumes the reason they hadn’t is because the rest of their friends had convinced them not to go. Well, whatever the reason, Tony was just grateful to roam around by himself.

Tony was currently walking towards some cafe to grab himself a pastry when all of a sudden he hears piercing screams. Quickly, he dashes towards the screams and is greeted to a man dressed to the nines that is terrorizing citizens.

“I couldn’t have one week of peace?” Tony mutters to himself. He jumps into the action. Though, it wasn’t long before he felt pain and succumbed to the darkness.

~~

Tony slowly awakes and silently internally to himself when he realizes he’s back in the hospital. He feels someone nudge a spoon at his mouth and obediently opens, instantly grateful for the cool ice chips that melt in his mouth. Tony opens his eyes and is met with Steve’s worried face. 

“Couldn’t keep yourself out of trouble, could you Shellhead?”

“Wouldn’t be me if I did, Winghead.” Tony looks around his room, a bit surprised that he wasn’t greeted to Bucky or Sam’s faces. 

“They’re in the waiting room,” Steve answers, knowing what Tony was about to ask. “They’re, uh, a bit angry at you at the moment.” 

Angry? What could the two be angry at him about? For landing himself in the hospital again?

“Do you remember how you ended up here Tony?”

“I was fighting some guy, right?”

Steve nods. “But what you didn’t know was that he has some powers. He managed to stab the left side of your chest pretty badly with one small motion of his fingers before getting away.” Steve stops for a moment, debating with himself if he should tell Tony what he and the rest of the world saw.

“Tell me, Steve,” Tony presses, “What else happened?”

Steve gives Tony an apologetic look before continuing. “Someone tried helping you, you know to try to get the bleeding to stop. But they had to rip up your shirt...”

Tony starts to panic, not liking where Steve is going with this.

“... they exposed your soul mark, Tony. Someone managed to take a photo of it and post it on social media. JARVIS managed to get it down quickly, but it was too late. Gossip sites had already took screenshots and started writing up stories, which Pepper and the rest of our PR team is completely furious about.” Steve stops talking, letting Tony come to terms with what happened. “I’m sorry, Tony,” he adds in while giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

Tony waits a few moments before finally asking, “So, they know?”

“They know.”

“Fuck.”

~~

The following day, Sam and Bucky walked into Tony’s room and sat themselves down in the chairs next to his bed and stared. 

“Hi, boys.” 

“Were you ever going to tell us?” Sam asks, getting straight to the point.

Tony looks down and shakes his head. 

“Why?” Bucky’s voice cracks. “Are we, are we not good enough for you? Is our mark that shameful to you?”

“No, no, no, no,” Tony quickly replies. “It’s me who’s not good enough for either of you!” Before either men could respond back, Tony starts to explain. “It’s just, you two are just so amazing, strong, and undoubtedly the most courageous people I’ve ever met. And I know I’m none of that!” He hesitantly points to his head, “I just, I have these thoughts...”

“What kind of thoughts?” Sam softly asks. “Are they bad ones?” he presses when Tony doesn’t answer.

Tony nods before finally breaking down the walls he put around his soul and lets the tears fall.

The three men spend the rest of the night talking and understanding one another. By the end of the conversation, Tony promises to finally see a therapist and to see a psychiatrist to see if he wants to put onto antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. While Bucky and Sam made promises to be there for Tony and when to back off to give him alone time. The three of them also decided to see a group therapist together in order to help them communicate and understand the changes in their relationship.

~~

THREE YEARS LATER

Tony groans when he hears Bucky open the curtains to let in the sunlight. He turns and hides his face in Sam’s side. “Clos’ the ‘urtains, babe.”

“Nope, you both promised me a morning hike to celebrate our new freedom from the job, and that’s what we’re doing today!” Bucky lightly smacks both his soulmates on their respective asses before pulling the blanket and sheets off of them. “Up! Up! Up!”

“Fuck off.” Sam lazily throws a pillow at Bucky’s face. “We’re retired now, we can hike tomorrow.” 

“What Sam said.”

Bucky raises a brow before getting an idea. “If the two of you get up now, we can have some kinky outdoor sex on the top of a mountain.”

At the mention of sex, Sam and Tony immediately get out of bed.  

“That always works,” Bucky chuckles. “I love you both!” he shouts out as he starts to make their bed, smiling when he hears Tony and Sam shout it back.

[happys-crazy-queen22]

Title: Missing Person

Gif credit @inconspicuously-me

Requested on wattpad.

Hope you all enjoy

Happy reading dollies

Fire PD crossover

Warning: Kidnapping, forced drug use, assault and attempted murder twice.

Kelly checked his watch for the fifth time in the last thirty seconds. He had just gotten off shift and called you to see what your plans were for tonight after you got off work but you didn't answer. That's very odd for you to do. You always answered. So he knew something wasnt right and he headed to the police department.

"Hey Trudy, have you seen Y/N"? Kelly asked the front desk officer.

"Haven't seen her since she came in this morning around eight. Why"?

"I'm off work and I called her but she isn't picking up. Maybe the unit is out with a case".

"The unit hasn't left all day. They've been working on a case that seems to be leading them on a wild goose chase". Trudy informed him. Now he was starting to get worried.

"Can I talk to Voight about this"?

"Yeah, I'll buzz you up".

Kelly walked up the stairs and saw everyone acting normal no alarms going off that Y/N wasn't there.

"Hey Kelly, what can we do for you today"? Voight greeted.

"Y/N, haven't you seen that she's not here"? Kelly pointed to your desk.

"She went on a run for coffee".

"How long ago? She hasn't answered my calls for two hours now. I know it doesn't take that long to get coffee".

"Adam track her phone. She's probably stopping to get something else and her phone died". Voight suggested.

"This is not like my sister. She calls to say she's running late even when her phone dies. Something is wrong". Kelly followed Voight to Adams desk. He tracked your last location but after that it was gone. Like you vanished.

"See. She's nowhere on here. Something happened to her and you better find out and bring my sister home safely". Kelly yelled at Voight, storming out. Voight sighed.

"Jay, Erin go to the coffee shop and see what you can find. Adam send them the address". Voight gave out orders and he went to his office. One of his members were gone right from under his nose and no one saw or heard a thing.

Erin and Jay arrived at the coffee shop, they talked to the manager and asked about the surveillance tapes. What they saw wasn't what they wanted.

"She was taken". Erin stormed in the squad room showing pictures.

"A unknown Male grabbed her from behind as she was putting the coffee in her car and took her somewhere off camera".

"Where's her car"?

"Towed away".

"Get Adam the video see if you can find anything. You two find the car. The rest of you call hospitals. No one tells Kelly. I dont want him going on a rampage and get her killed". Voight order his team. They all kicked it into high gear.

After hours of phone calls to hospitals  around Chicago they came up empty handed. Jay and Erin found the car but nothing looked out of the ordinary. The tow truck driver said he didn't see anyone near the car when he came to pick it up. That it looked like some soccer mom's spa day went to long and she forgot the timer.

"So we have nothing"? Hank questioned his team.

"Her phone is either destroyed or dumped somewhere. I'm not getting a signal at all". Adam said looking up from his screen.

"Damn it. We need to figure this out and find her. Kelly has been ringing my phone off the hook for hours. He's wanting to go to the news with this but I'm afraid that if the kidnappers see this they'll kill her".

"Think who would want to take Y/N"?

"Check to see if anyone got out recently that Y/N put away and made threats. Let's find her". Hank told his him.

That was three days ago and Kelly let's say he was about to rain hell on Voight and his team. He found out that there was a video and he car was towed away. He was pissed that Voight lied and kept secrets from him. It was his sister missing not some random from the streets. He wanted answers. 

Kelly parked his car and started walking to the front entrance of the police department as he was walking he passed by a alleyway. He's walked past it many time but something in him said go down and that's what he did.

He followed the trash littering the ground and under a pile of newspaper there was a foot.. Cold and white.

Kelly threw off the papers and saw it was his little sister laying on the ground. He checked your pulse and it was hardly there but it was there. You were covered in bruises. Your wrists had rope burns from being tied up. He took his jacket off and wrapped it around you picking you up and running to the station.

"Call an ambulance". Kelly screamed as he entered. Trudy rushed to see what happened. She stopped in her tracks as she saw it was you. "Call 911". She yelled to the officer at the desk.

A ambulance came and started working on you. Hooking up oxygen and a IV. Your pulse was weak and your blood pressure was low. They needed to get you to med and fast. Your life depends on it.

Kelly didn't go to the hospital right away, he had a bone to pick with Hank Voight. He stormed up stairs, he came to a desk and knocked off the computer. Causing a crash getting everyone's attention. Kelly had tears running down his face.

"I just found my sister in a fucking alley. If you would have done your fucking jobs this wouldn't have happened. If anything happens to her, I'm coming for you Voight". Kelly pointed to Voight.

"We know who it is".

"It's to late. Everything's been played out. You had your chance". Kelly gritted his teeth as he walked away going to the hospital.

When Kelly got there you were getting checked over by Will. The nurse said Will would be out as soon as he knew you were stable.

Kelly sat there on his phone calling everyone he knew in the police department that wasn't a fan of Voight and there were a few but he got the answer he wanted.

"Kelly"? Will came up to him.

"How is she? Is okay"?

"She's lucky you found her. Another night she would have been dead".

"What happened to her"? Kelly wanted to know but also he didn't want to hear the details.

"She has a few broken bones. A punctured lung. Hyperthermia. We ran some test and found drugs in her system. She's in bad shape but I see her making a complete recovery with the right support system".

"Anything else"?

"No. She's okay there". Kelly sighed a sigh of relief knowing that you was okay.

"Thanks, Will. Can I see her"?

"For a moment. We're trying to warm her up slowly so she's pretty out of it". Will lead Kelly to your room. You were hooked up to all sorts of machines. Your lips were blue and you didn't look good but you were a fighter and you would pull through.

"Can I get a second"?

"Yeah, I'll be outside if you need me". Will left leaving Kelly to sob. He held your hand. You were freezing.

"I'm going to make them pay. I'll rip their fucking throats out. Just get better, please. You can't leave me". Kelly kissed your forehead and left. He was on a mission of vengeance.

Kelly had the address in hand as he walked up to the house. A few guys sat on the porch as he went up the stairs.

"Is Romeo here"? He asked one of the guys.

"Who's asking"?

"James. My friend Mario said he could hook me up".

"Mario sent you"?

"Yeah, you want me to call him to verify ". Kelly went to pull out his phone.

"Nah, you cool". He opened the door and Kelly went inside. The house was filled with smells that Kelly only smelt when he had to deal with drug addicts. Cocaine, meth. You name it, it was probably there.

"Can I help you"? A voice spooked Kelly.

"Yeah. I came to get some coke. My boy Mario said you were the best". Kelly chuckled to cover up his nervousness.

"You came to the right place. Take a seat". The man pulled out a wooden box and put it on the coffee table for Kelly.

"Pick your sin". He laughed.

"Are you Romeo? Cause Mario said to deal with Romeo only".

"Yes, now where's my money"?

"I have it. Let me pick. I have a few lady friends coming over and they want some good shit". Romeo laughed as Kelly looked through the box.

"I know how that is. I had a woman a couple days ago. Cop. She loved to party. Couldn't get enough".

"Oh really"? Kelly tried to keep his anger under control.

"Yeah. Cute little Y/H/C. See we go way back. She put me away for awhile and I got her back. That the way I do it. You screw me, I'll screw you". Romeo slammed the box lid on Kelly.

"You know, you look a lot like the cops brother. She had a picture of them two together in her wallet". Romeo eyed Kelly.

"Only child. Mom's a CEO of a company  and dad's a lawyer".

"You sure"?

"You're right. I shouldn't lie, we just met. Dont want to get off on the wrong foot". Kelly reached in his waistband and brought out a metal baton. Cracking Romeo in the face with it. Romeo landed on the floor with a thud.

Kelly stepped over him. "I'm her brother and I'm the last person you'll ever see again". Kelly raised his arm again ready to strike but the door busted open and in came Voight and his team.

"Kelly, put the weapon down. I don't want to have to to shoot you". Hank warned pointing his gun at him.

"You need to leave and let me finish this. It doesn't concern you".

"It does. If you kill him I'll have to arrest you and I dont think you want Y/N to wake up with no one there by her side. So drop it".

Kelly was hesitant at first but he thought of you being alone, he knew he didn't want that. So he dropped his arm and walked off.

"Get out of here. No one will know you were here".

"Thanks". Kelly nodded and left. Voight and the team arrested Romeo and his crew. There was enough drugs to send them away for life not to mention the attempted murder of a cop, kidnapping and assault. They were looking at death row.

Kelly went back to the hospital and sat by your side. Since he left you were getting pinker and back to yourself. He watched as you opened your eyes and looked at him.

"Hey there sis".

"I'm sorry". You said with a tear running down your cheek.

"No need to be sorry. You're alive and well. Your here and getting help. That's all that matters. I'm with you every step of the way". Kelly squeezed your hand in supporting you.

[mischiefandspirits]

Who is Iron Man?

After a three month imprisonment by terrorists, child genius Tony Stark was rescued by an unknown entity. Who is this Iron Man? The world wants to know.

SI Founder Found Dead

By Kate Mallory - December 17, 2009

Today we mourn the loss of a technological superstar.

Last night, a car accident took the life of Stark Industries founder and CEO Howard Stark (age 87) as well as his wife Maria (age 79) and daughter Amanda (age 34). The family was reportedly on their way to the airport for a vacation in the Bahamas when, according to police representatives, one of their car’s tires blew out causing the vehicle to crash into a tree on the side of the road. Howard and Maria were pronounced dead on arrival while Amanda died en route to the hospital.

As Amanda was an only child and never married, the family is survived solely by her son, child genius and media rascal Anthony “Tony” Stark (age 8). A sudden illness had sprung up that morning, causing him to need to stay home with a family friend and saving him from the deadly crash.

Questions have begun to rise up over the future of both Stark Industries and the young Stark, but SI has only given a quick statement before closing all lines of communications for the time being. The statement, in short, revealed that Stark Industries COO Obadiah Stane would be taking over as CEO temporarily until Stark’s will can be seen to. Likewise, young Tony is set to remain with the mentioned unnamed family friend until such time.

Read on for a full obituary and discussion on what this could mean for the future of Stark Industries >>

BREAKING NEWS: A Stark Disappearance

By Tech-miss - January 26, 2011

A late-night posting, I know, but I’ve got big news, readers! A leak from within Stark Industries has just revealed that the company’s prized heir is currently MIA on the other side of the planet.

Two days ago, Tony Stark had been in Afghanistan for a demonstration of the Jericho Missile -- a revolutionary missile system utilizing SI’s repulsor tech -- when the military convoy escorting him fell under attack. When backup arrived, many of the soldiers were either dead or injured while Stark was nowhere to be found. A team has already been formed for search and rescue, headed by Colonel James Rhodes: USAF officer, military liaison to SI, and friend of Stark’s.

That was all the leak was willing to say, but requests have already been flooding in for further comments from the airforce, SI, and Stark’s legal guardian Obadiah Stane so I’ll be sure to update you all the moment I get more information!

Comment down below with your thoughts and theories my fellow techies!!!

The Child of Death Back From the Dead

By Ryan Prince - May 2, 2011

The business and technology worlds are in a stir today and unsurprisingly it’s all due to Tony Stark.

The nine-year-old returned to the states today after having been rescued less than a week earlier from his three-month imprisonment at the hands of the Ten Rings terrorist organization. True to form, he immediately made a scene.

Mere moments after Stark was reportedly supposed to have stepped off his plane, his minder and personal assistant Virginia “Pepper” Potts reached out to the Stark Industries public relations department to call together a press conference for Stark. Bolts&Blogs was on the list and I was lucky enough to be free to represent the site even with the short notice.

Stark opened the conference without the usual flare that has become his signature over the past year, though he did start it by sitting down in front of the podium with a cheeseburger and asking everyone to join him on the floor. He explained it away as an attempt to make everything less formal, but the boy was (justifiably) visibly exhausted by recent events.

Little information has been revealed about Stark’s imprisonment, but it’s hard not to imagine what he might have gone through and his appearance only makes it worse. He was thin with malnourishment and the rush makeup job he had gotten hadn’t managed to completely cover the bruises across his face or his sunburned flush. One of his arms was tucked into a sling and his artfully styled hair was now long and limp. There was also a seriousness about him that looked alien on the formerly excitable and mischievous boy.

Once everyone but those operating cameras had sat, Stark then proceeded to greet his legal guardian, Stark Industries CEO Obadiah Stane (Why Stane hadn’t been at the airport to greet his ward sooner is unknown at this time), before setting into a monologue about his grandfather, the late founder of Stark Industries Howard Stark (More information here). He wondered over what Howard had thought about the company, if he had doubts or was as confident in everything he did as the news painted him.

He then mentioned the soldiers from his escort that had died due to, as reports have hinted, Stark Industries made weaponry, stating that the company had “grown from arming the knights into arming the dragons.”

When questioned about what had happened in Afghanistan, Stark answered as such:

“I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. I know I have no power to change the company until I’m legally declared an adult and can claim my inheritance, so that is why, effective immediately, I am leaving the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries until such a time as I am capable of deciding what the future of this company will be, what direction it should take and is consistent with the highest good…”

Whatever more he had to say was lost as Stane escorted him off the stage into Potts’ waiting grasp. The man, despite his ever-present smile, had clearly been caught off guard by his ward’s statement and quickly concluded the conference.

As anyone who knows anything about technology could tell you, nothing worth talking about comes out of Stark Industries without the tiny fingerprints of the company’s resident genius on it, which begs the question of what this means for their weapons department? Will they still be able to stay ten steps ahead of their competitors without Stark’s designs? Where will Stark’s focus go now as Stark Industries has always been first and foremost a weapons manufacturer? I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

[Subscribe] to Bolts&Blogs for the most up to date information from the world of technology and feel free to join the discussion down below!

Hidden Hero

By Tech-miss - June 27, 2011

New information has come out regarding Tony Stark’s rescue, readers, and it’s a doozy.

For starters, it wasn’t the USAF that did the rescuing.

According to the report published early this morning, an “unknown entity” (Let’s call him Uno) launched an attack on a Ten Rings base which the air force later realized was being used to hold Stark as well as a second unnamed prisoner (aka Doc) who had been brought in to treat the injuries he’d gained during his kidnapping. Uno then staged a rescue, freeing Stark and Doc before destroying the base. Afterwards, they watched over the two until a USAF chopper began to close in, at which time they took off and disappeared.

As far as anyone can tell from the report, the USAF doesn’t appear to have any idea who the rescuer is. Stark apparently didn’t have a clue and if Doc did, we’ll never know as he, unfortunately, fell unconscious shortly after being picked up due to wounds he received protecting Stark and died not long after while in surgery.

Of course that means theories abound. Everything from a secret SI black ops team to the stereotypical ALIENS!!!! have flooded the forums. I’m particularly interested in one such theory that posits Captain America was the one to save them, if only because all the OP said to justify it was “Cap could do it!!!!!” and I find that hilarious.

Hopefully, we’ll get some more information soon. Here’s hoping Zombie Cap didn’t save Stark for his brains.

Comment down below with your thoughts and theories my fellow techies!!!

Who is Iron Man?

By CamicsComics - October 27, 2011

Hey there CamComs! Today’s post is going to be different from my usual stuff, but that’s because we’ve got confirmation that a real-life superhero is flying around!

Some background that you might be missing if you live under a comic book-lined rock like I do: Five months ago child celebrity and genius Tony Stark was rescued by an unknown person after he’d been kidnapped in Afghanistan. If you’re wondering who would think sending a nine-year-old into an active war zone is a fine idea like I was, then I’ve got two words for you: attempted murderer. But we’ll get to that.

Theories have flown about regarding who might have saved him, and today the world got its answer.

Well, at least we got his alias.

See, while the kid was in Afghanistan he found out his company’s weapons had ended up in the hands of the very guys who were keeping him prisoner. Since most of the weapons were his own designs, the kid understandably decided to leave the weapons business. Honestly, the kid shouldn’t have been there in the first place, but again, his legal guardian was super sketch.

Said guardian was Obadiah Stane. He’d been a partner to Stark’s grandfather Howard Stark and took over as CEO after the man’s death. He’d allegedly been a pseudo uncle to Stark’s mother so people said it made sense the man was given guardianship. Apparently those people never considered the millions of stories about evil uncles killing off their nephews to become king.

Honestly, from what I’ve read, I’m surprised Colonel James Rhodes wasn’t given custody. The guy was friends with Stark’s mother, had a rapport with his grandparents, and is still close with Stark.

Stane had never even met Stark until he was given custody!

I’m getting off track though.

Today during a press conference, Stark revealed that he’s been looking into the dirty weapons. A few days ago, his assistant Pepper Potts found evidence on Stane’s computer that not only has Stane been dealing under the table, but he had put a hit out on Stark. When Stane realized he’d been found out, he decided to finish the job. He attacked Stark and nearly killed him before using an experimental piece of SI technology to try to kill Potts and the agents (they didn’t say who the agents were with, just that they were agents) that had accompanied her to arrest Stane.

Which brings us to the reason for this post.

Apparently the person who had rescued Stark from Afghanistan had been looking into the weapons too and arrived at the mansion Stane and Stark shared just in time to save Stark. Using information the boy gave him, he then flew over to SI to take down Stane.

And yes, I did mean flew. Because this mysterious person the media had dubbed Iron Man is exactly what you’d expect from a name like that. He’s got a high tech suit of armor that can fly and shoot lasers!!! Like I said real-life superhero! Not only that, but he’s got a team of robots to back him up.

Don’t believe me? Look it up! Stark leaked pictures online of said Iron Man taking down Stane to prove he’s not just some kid telling stories, which was quickly followed up by a bunch of different people posting their own pics all over social media to back him up.

When questioned on Iron Man’s identity, Stark refused to comment. However, he did admit that the rumors about Iron Man being his bodyguard were false.

“Although IM came to Afghanistan for me, it was because he’s was a good friend and not because he was being paid as some rumors have suggested. Also, any and all rumors that I created the suit or bots are not only untrue, but also super insulting. The suit is a work of art straight from IM's genius mind and he deserves all the praise for it.”

Of course, people picked up on the “good friend” comment when it comes to trying to figure out the man behind the suit. A theory that Col. Rhodes was Iron Man seemed the most likely as he is close to Stark, headed the search and rescue unit, and graduated MIT with degrees in engineering and physics. However, as some have pointed out, there are photos and videos showing Rhodes with Stark and Potts during the fight between Stane and Iron Man.

That’s it for the past, but what about the future?

For Iron Man’s future, it seems like he’s going to be working with the US military to track down all the dirty SI weapons. For little Stark, things are still up in the air.

Since his legal guardian is out of the picture and he has no living relatives, there is some debate on where he’ll go. Both Rhodes and Potts are trying to get custody. I’ve covered the good on Rhodes, though I should point out his position as SI’s military liaison does put him in an awkward place. Potts is in a similar position as she’s currently Stark’s employee. That said, there’s no denying Potts knows how to take care of him as she basically became his nanny after Stane took control and shifted her from her former position (the PA to the CEO) to being Stark’s PA and minder, which basically means she took care of the paperwork aspect of his job, made sure he was on time for appointments, got him to eat and go to bed, kept him out of trouble, and other such things his legal guardian should have been doing instead of plotting to kill a nine-year-old.

She’s also clearly fond of the kid. There are pictures all over of her and the kid together and even at her most scolding she never really seems to be angry with him (such as in these pictures from a gala where Stark apparently decided to set off a CONTROLLED EXPLOSION!?!?! “For some entertainment”! And apparently this is typical behavior? No one’s ever been hurt, but seriously kid?). In fact, she’s often caught indulging in his more playful mischief (such as these pics that show the two of them dancing at the recent Firefighter's Family Fund benefit where Stark apparently gate-crashed his own party).

We also know she has no fear telling off her boss no matter what considering we’ve got multiple sources to prove that the reason the woman got her job in the first place was because she -- and I’m not kidding here -- forced her way into Howard Stark’s office back when she was just a financial jocky to make him correct an error he’d made on some paperwork. She’d earned a face-full of pepper spray, a job, and a nickname for her bravery, the last courtesy of Tony Stark himself.

Well, sweet CamComs, as much as I’d love to keep talking about this, unfortunately, that’s all I got for now. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Iron Man and Stark (because there’s zero chance that kid won’t get caught up in something again. Heck, maybe he’ll even build his own suit and become the hero’s sidekick. Seems right up the kid’s alley) and keep you updated, but unless something else happens, I’ll be back to my usual content on Tuesday.

Subscribe, like, and share, CamComs! Until next time, be the hero you want to see in the world!

Iron Tweet

By Ryan Prince - November 12, 2011

Does the mysterious superhero Iron Man have a Twitter? It would seem so!

Two days ago, @1r0n_M4n opened with the name 0111 01 1011. At first glance, one might think it was just a fan account, but the accounts first Tweet -- “Is this how I do it @ Tony?” -- was not only liked by Tony Stark, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, and Col. James Rhodes, but Stark also replied to it with “Yeah, but you actually have to use my thing, @1r0n_M4n”. Rhodes followed suit with “Was Iron Man spelled out normally seriously taken already?” and Potts responded with “Yes, but @1r0n_M4n wanted it spelled like that to begin with.” By that point, many had taken notice of the account and it only increased when the account became verified late last night.

While the account has since been flooded with questions about the hero and suit, none have been answered. However, when someone jokingly asked for help with a math homework problem, Iron Man responded with a picture of the problem worked out. This began a slew of people asking for Iron Man’s help with their varying homework problems until Potts spoke up with “@1r0n_M4n you can’t just do people’s homework for them. They need to learn how to do it themselves.” Iron Man immediately apologized and afterward only responded to such tweets with links to varying sites that proved to have useful information for whatever the problem might be. While most gave up afterward, some --usually college-age -- continued to request assistance with grateful thanks afterward.

The account currently has 500k+ followers and growing, but only follows six accounts. Stark, Potts, and Rhodes are obvious, but people have become curious over the other three: @GirlFriday, @Uuuuuuuuuu, and @DUM_E.

@GirlFriday (named F.R.I.D.A.Y.) appears to be a graphic artist. The account boasts no personal tweets, but many designs have been posted, some of which are said to have been sold to different companies. A few Stark Industries logos have even been found on the site, including the current one.

@Uuuuuuuuuu’s (named U) account consists entirely of retweeted music videos with genres ranging from classical to rap with the only comments being a sad or happy emoji for each to apparently give the account owner’s approval or disapproval.

@DUM_E (named Butterfingers) is a more wildcard account. It mostly consists of retweeted recipes and cooking videos, but there are also links to recipes on what appears to be @DUM_E’s own personal cookbook website as well as original cooking videos featuring far less appetizing mixtures (such as the one which features what appears to be motor oil being blended with strawberries, a banana, and almond milk). This seems to be the most curious account though as it is the only one with personal comments, though they are all coded in an odd mix of binary and morse code. Most of the comments either review recipes they’ve tried out or complain of annoying brothers and sisters without giving any names, but that’s not the curious part.

You see, those that put in the effort to decode @DUM_E’s comments realized that the same code was used for @1r0n_M4n’s name. Translated it reads Jay. Although that’s not much to go on, it is more than we had before. That’s not all though, because people have compared pictures from Stark’s workshop to screenshots from @DUM_E’s videos and website to show that the videos were filmed at the kitchenette in the lab. This has led some to believe the account might be a “shitpost” account of Stark’s, though others have argued that the comments about siblings wouldn’t make sense for him. When questioned, @DUM_E responded with a pair of tweets that, when translated, read, “Tony could not make good food like me.” and “If I didn’t make him food and bring it to him, he’d never eat.”

Before anyone else could respond, @1r0n_M4n added, “The recipes in @DUM_E’s videos are his more experimental ones and @TStark rarely partakes in them. @DUM_E usually feeds him the recipes from his site.”

Stark’s Twitter was immediately bombarded with questions of which of the video recipes fell into the “rarely” column, which Stark refused to reply to. Rhodes, however, posted a none too subtle tweet a short time later about how Tony and he agreed motor oil tasted better with bananas than chocolate.

Who could these mystery accounts belong to and how are they connected to Stark and Iron Man? How are Iron Man and Stark connected in the first place? Could these mystery accounts be the key? How many times has Stark eaten motor oil? Time will tell.

[Subscribe] to Bolts&Blogs for the most up to date information from the world of technology and feel free to join the discussion down below!

[therainroguefanfiction]

🎾 Reaching Out (Tenipuri) #1: The Twins

Genre: Friendship, Family, Comedy, Fluff ☁

Word Count: 1,887 ☁

Pairing: OC x ?? ☁

World: Prince of Tennis ☁

Author’s Note: This was written a long time ago and remains as one of my favorite pieces to date. I don’t know if I’ll be completing this series, but I’m still proud of it and want to post what I’ve already written.

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Rojo Kira followed the pathway toward the tennis courts in Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku, the ponk of the balls growing louder with every step she took. School had ended a while ago, leaving only the after school clubs behind. More specifically, the famed tennis club that the junior high students seemed to go nuts over. The high school division had a tennis team, as well, but they didn’t have as much fame as the middle schoolers’ team got. The reason for that was simple. While the middle school did have other sports, tennis was their main one. It was a big deal though, with all the trophies they’ve won, I guess you could see why.

The high school, however, offered more sports, evenly spreading out the student body to cheer for each one equally; not one was more important than the other. Kira wasn’t too sure why it worked out that way, but she summed it up to the fact that high schoolers are more angsty, and need more choices at outlets they can use to vent their frustrations. Middle school was difficult, but nothing compared to high school. It made Kira glad that this was her last year.

One thing Kira had noticed about the fans at Rikkai, was that they were not at all as crazy as everyone believed. Sure, there were a few delusional nut jobs that believed they could win the love of their beloved regular-sama, but most of the kids who cheered and supported Rikkai were doing it because they loved the team and wanted them to win. At Rikkaidai, it was all about rising together as one to annihilate the enemy. It was as simple as that.

Still, Kira thought it a bit stupid to give the regulars so much popularity just because, well, they were regulars. It’s completely pointless, but her opinion didn’t really matter in this case. She did not attend school with them so she couldn’t voice what she thought. And she thanked Kami-sama that she would never have to share a school with them because when they graduate to high school, she’ll be graduating to life.

Kira’s eyes scanned the crowd around and on the tennis courts, searching for a mess of fire-engine red hair that belonged to her younger brother, who was in his second year of middle school. He often stayed behind after school to watch tennis practice, even though he wasn’t part of the team OR the cheering squad. He simply enjoyed watching it. That’s not to say that he didn’t play, but it was on a more hobby basis; it was something he did when he was bored or needed something to pass the time. Really, the Rojo family wasn’t a very sporty family. They loved to watch, but playing one was just too much effort that could be spent sleeping or just lazing around. At least, that’s how the Rojo children are. They can’t be bothered to do anything unless they want to or are ultimately forced into it.

Kira walked up behind her brother, who stood at four ten, and set a hand on his hair, which had recently been dyed. The boy was originally a blonde, but because he wanted to try something different, he somehow managed to convince his mother to let him dye it when he started his second year. Finally, she caved and gave in to his begging – probably just to get him to shut up. It stood out glaringly against his personality. But he had been set on the idea of going with red since the day his big sister came home with blood-red highlights.

Rojo Kaizen looked up at his big sister, his usual bored-calm expression in place. “You’re early, sis.”

“Did you forget? We have to go pick up Kaoru since Ryuuka can’t do it.” She ruffled his already messy hair lightly. “You said you wanted to visit Seigaku again, right? If not, you can walk home with one of the regulars. You said before a couple of them live near us, right?”

“Kirihara-kun does. And I don’t think Sanada-san is too far away, either. But yes, I would like to visit Seigaku. I want to see Eiji-kun again.”

Kira didn’t want to imagine how bouncy and loud the cat-like third year would be when he saw that Kaizen’s hair was about the same shade as his own. She pushed the image away from her mind as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder, leading her brother to the gates. Ryuuka-san, Kira’s stepmother and the twins’ birth mother, was usually the one who went and picked up Kaizen’s twin, who attended Seishun Gakuen in Tokyo, but since she was busy, it was Kira’s job to get him instead. It had been a while since the two had visited Seigaku, so it was questionable how the regulars would react to the pair. Maybe they could slip in and out without being noticed? The pessimistic side of her brain told her not to count on it.

About fifty-five minutes or so later, the pair found themselves entering Seigaku’s gate. No student was in sight, but the sound of tennis balls being hit told them what direction to go in. Like his younger twin, Kaoru liked to watch tennis matches, but he wasn’t on the team himself. He had been asked several times by Seigaku’s team, but he declined each time. He had his sights set on the baseball club, but he had yet to make an effort to join. The twins were a lot alike, especially in looks – the only way you can tell them apart now is by the color of their hair-, and their personalities only differ slightly.

Kaizen was… well, bland for lack of a better word. He always bore the same bored-calm expression, never changing it no matter what situation he was in. He drawled when he talked, always taking on a bored tone. His voice stayed the same pitch, no matter what the situation – the only exception to that is when he’s crying, which isn’t very often. His hair, now an almost blinding red, was short, but his bangs were long, often hanging in his liquid silver eyes, which he had inherited from his mother. Because of this, he often keeps them pinned to the side and out of the way with bobby pins.

Kaoru was quiet. While he often shared the same expression as his brother, it did change. He wasn’t as rude as his younger twin, and was very kind to other people, especially where their feelings were concerned. He was more social, as well, and people seemed to be attracted to him like magnets, even though he doesn’t go out of his way to make bonds with people. He’s a lot more responsible and mature, though he tends to take on too much, and never can stand up and say it for worry that he’ll let someone down. His hair was still the same blonde color that he had been born with, the same length as his brothers, but parted to the side instead of pinned back.

Rojo Kaoru’s eyes shifted to the pair when they approached and he stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder with a small smile. “Hello, bro, sis.”

“How was school?” Kira asked softly, pushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. Kaoru was also the weaker of the twins, despite being older. He got sick easily and spent most of his childhood in and out of the hospital. She believed that was the reason behind Kaizen’s distant nature; he had been really scared that he was going to lose his brother.

“It was good. Ryoma-kun nearly got trampled today by fangirls, but thanks to Momo-chan’s quick reflexes, and Inui-senpai’s threats, the fan club retreated back to their respective classes.”

“You’ve never taken anything from that guy, have you?” Kaizen questioned blankly, his bored gaze set on the elder twin.

He quickly shook his head, causing more strands of his blonde hair to cover his eyes, which he brushed away before speaking. “Iie. Oishi-senpai and Tezuka-buchou forbade Inui-senpai from offering his juice to anyone outside the tennis club.”

“I still don’t trust him. You should have a talk with him, Kira-nee-chan.”

“I agree.”

Kaoru’s cheeks tinted pink at the overprotective nature of his siblings, but he couldn’t help the smile that broke onto his lips. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll be fine, really.”

The pair exchanged a look, but before they could say anything else, a loud ‘Hoi! Look, Echizen!’ caught their attention before Kaizen was engulfed by a red blur. He now lay sprawled on the ground with Kikumaru on top of him, arms tight around his neck and cheek rubbing against his own. “Long time no see, Zen-chan!”

“You’re heavy,” he managed out in a bored voice, despite the fact that the wind had been knocked out of him.

“Eiji!” Oishi came rushing over, a panicked look on his face as he ushered the third year off. “Are you okay, Kaizen-kun?”

The red-head nodded, accepting the offered hand.

“You don’t do that to Kaoru too, do you?” Kira questioned, glancing at the boy beside her who had paused in dusting his uniform off. He wanted to know the answer, as well.

“He tries,” Oishi shook his head with a sigh, one hand on his hip. He really was the mother hen of the team. “But Kaoru-kun’s reflexes are pretty impressive. He usually misses and lands on Echizen…”

The elder Rojo locked eyes with the blonde as if to confirm the tale and he promptly nodded, letting her know that it was okay. Even though Kaoru had been with these guys for a year already, she wasn’t ready to trust them just yet, not with her fragile baby brother. And she knew Kaizen felt the same way.

Kikumaru edged his way closer to the blonde, poking his side with a wide grin.

Kaoru took the hint and turned to his big sister, his hands twisting the strap of his bag, a sure sign that he was nervous. “Um… nee-chan?”

“Hmm?”

“Well, Seigaku has a tournament coming up – ”

“The regional tournament!” Momo added in, excitedly.

“ – And I was wondering if, maybe, I could go?”

Kira and Kaizen exchanged another look. “When is it?”

“In a couple of days,” Oishi responded, offering them a small smile. “If you agree, we promise to look after your brother.”

“What do you think?” Kira asked the red-headed twin, who simply shrugged in reply.

“Your call.”

Kira adapted a blank look as she surveyed the blonde. She could tell with one look that he really wanted to go, but he wouldn’t argue if she told him no – that was Kaizen’s job, not his. “Alright. But we’ll be going, as well.”

“Thank you, nee-chan!” Kaoru smiled greatly, wrapping his thin arms around her waist. She returned the hug, patting the top of his head.

“Well, if you’ll excuse us. Ryuuka-san is probably waiting for us by now.” Kira nodded to the group before turning and heading toward the entrance – or in this case, the exit. Kaizen said nothing, turning around to follow the older Rojo, while Kaoru bid his goodbyes before running after the pair.

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[kunoichi-ume]

May Drabbles, Day 22

Prompt: “Running seems to be all you’re good at”

Characters: (future) Republic Trooper Jurr Jiin and a brief cameo by Jedi Master Vukosh

Word Count: 1987

Jurr scrolled through the list of requirements for enlistment in the Republic Army and forced herself not to frown. She had been trying to get better at schooling her emotions, mostly to hide her almost constant state of fear and confusion, because she needed to be able to hide her condition, but the further down this list she got the more she felt her heart sinking.

It wasn’t the physical requirements that concerned her as much as it was the mental skills test. She had started physical training not long after she had realized that elisting was the only way for her to escape the medical facility that felt more like a prison than a home. Not that she had any idea what home meant, it was just one of those words she heard from time to time. It was where the other patients all went when they left, something she had only recently been able to retain.

Her memory had stabilized in the last few years, less mid day resets and total losses, but she was still missing large swaths of time. Like those developmental years of growing up, when she should have been learning and growing as a person. Doing all those things people do to become successful adults.

Those were a complete blank instead of the springboard into life they should have been.

Instead she was, well, she had no idea how old she actually was just a rough estimate that she was about sixteen, and couldn’t even tell someone how to tie a knot. She could do it, muscle memory seemed to be the only thing she could count on in her fucked up life, but if someone asked her to describe the process from memory along she wouldn’t be able to.

Jurr could run, jump, do push ups and pull ups and every other physical requirement the military had but there was two major hiccups.

They required a general education certificate. If Jurr had ever attended school, she didn’t know it and certainly had not finished or earned any proof of such. Then there was the test, one that covered what they claimed was “general knowledge” but might as well be a very obscure dialect of, well, any language other than Basic.

Dropping the datapad on her bed, Jurr let her head fall heavily against the wall behind her. “Face it Jurr,” she muttered to herself, “running seems to be all you’re good at.”

It was like all the air had gone out of her, she felt so defeated. This was her one and only chance to get out of these endless halls, to see the outside world. The facility had an indoor garden but the planet was buried in snow and ice. In theory Jurr knew she had been outside the hospital, it wasn’t where her injury happened after all, but since her arrival she hadn’t stepped foot outside that she could remember.

The white walls and endless hallways, exam rooms and surgery theaters - as far as Jurr knew that was the extent of the whole galaxy. All she would ever know, for however much her broken mind would be able to hold on to.

With a frustrated growl she pushed herself out of the bed. It was like something snapped inside her as she looked around the small room, walls covered in posters and reminders about her condition and daily routines. She couldn’t do this. Not anymore. This wasn’t a life, being a living experiment for the researchers, being alone all the time, and she couldn’t face another day of it.

Shoving the few things she couldn’t leave behind into a bag didn’t take long, there was little she thought of as being ‘hers’. Really anything she had belonged to the facility, but they wouldn’t miss a few sets of patient pants and shirts or even the datapad that she relied so much on. Not as much as they would miss fiddling with her brain.

Jurr slung the bag over her shoulder and left her room. It was a testament to how much no one noticed her or cared that no one stopped or questioned her on the way. She tried to ignore how much that hurt, it was an old familiar pain even when she couldn’t really remember having felt it before.

Despite having never been outside the hospital, Jurr managed to find the way out easier than she expected. It was like the bright, glowing signs directing her toward the exit were calling her, urging her to continue. When she could see the final door, Jurr grinned and laughed as she started to run down the hall.

This was it. Finally. She was taking her own life into her hands and was going to make something of it. Even if she failed it would be better than staying here. She hit the door at a run, crashing through it before slipping and falling hard.

Jurr gasped as she pushed herself out of the cold material she had fallen into. It was wet as well as cold, soaking her thin clothing through to the bone. Shivering she sat up and looked around. As quick as the snow, what she assumed to be snow, sapped the warmth from her body all the hope she had felt at the idea of leaving was gone.

There was nothing out here. Just ice and snow for as far as she could see.

“It’s not fair,” she said, voice carried away by the frigid breeze, “I can’t even run away.”

Defeated, Jurr sat down against the door and pulled her knees to her chest. Distantly she knew if she stayed out there too long she’d get sick, which would mean more procedures and medications, but couldn’t bring herself to care.

Jurr lost track of time as the cold seeped into her, chilling her inside and out. It was until her datapad started chiming that she was shaken from her stupor. Hands trembling from the chill, she pulled out the device and turned the screen on before frowning at the notification.

There was a new message for her but Jurr never got messages. She didn’t know anyone who would write to her.

Curious and half-sure it would be an automated spam message, she opened the file. A video autoplayed before she could stop it.

“What’s new JJ?”

The boy in the video said those words and the oddest thing happened. The anxiety in her chest relaxed and she felt warm despite the cold around her. Moving the pad closer to her face, she studied the boy intently with her eye. He was the strangest person she had ever seen. Purple hair and more facial implants than even she had, at least visible ones but his eyes were kind. So was his smile.

Jurr didn’t know who this was, but she liked him

“I don’t have long so I hope you don’t mind a video instead of a letter,” he continued as she settled back against the wall to listen. “I just wanted to check in with you, make sure you’re okay. I… I miss you and I know you’d hit me for it but I worry.”

Whoever he was, he was right. Jurr did want to smack him for that but she also kind of wanted to hug him. It was like somehow he had known she wasn’t okay. That was insane of course, there was no way this random guy could know how she felt. No one did.

Didn’t stop it from feeling like it.

Something from behind the boy caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder before frowning at the camera. “Sorry it’s short but I gotta run JJ. I’ll visit as soon as I can. Take care of yourself sis!”

Jurr stared at the datapad in shock as he winked out of existance. He called her sis but that couldn’t be right? Could it? Frantically Jurr accessed her inbox properly, not just the pop up that showed the new message. There were letters and videos there, all from the same address. Checking another video confirmed it was all from the same strange person who called her “JJ” and “sis” but no where was his name revealed to her. Hoping that somewhere he would have said his name, she started reading and watching each message in her inbox starting from the newest one.

It wasn’t until the datapad was warning her about it’s low battery that she realized her fingers were starting to turn blue and she needed to go back inside, whether she wanted to or not.

Sighing Jurr pushed to her feet, wincing at the numb feeling in her limbs. She stumbled when she tried to take a step, barely catching herself on the door before it swung open and she spilled inside and onto the floor. This time when she tried to push to her feet, she couldn’t. Her limbs had decided not to respond to her any longer but she was oddly okay with that. She was tired, more than she had noticed before trying to get up, and now was as good a place as any to nap.

She was on the verge of sleep when she heard someone shouting from down the hall. Jurr tried to tell them to be quiet but everything went dark before she could.

Warmth was the first thing Jurr noticed as she started to wake up. That and the beeping of a heart monitor that sped up as she realized she didn’t know where she was. Forcing her eye open she lifted a hand to touch the left side of her face, panicking when she realized she could only see out of one eye. Instead of the blinded eye she expected to find there was a metal plate.

Tracing the piece of metal, she tried to pull it off of her face. Her breathing had started coming in short, quick gasps as the heart monitor sang shrilly.

Suddenly hands on on her, forcing her to stop praying at the plate from her blind spot.

“No!” Jurr cried, “it’s covering my eye, get it off! Get it off me!”

“Jurr stop it!” A firm voice commanded, cutting through her panic as she froze. Turning she saw a large man looking at her with a sad expression. She wasn’t sure what he was, but with the large horn like growths on his head he couldn’t be human. “You need to relax child.”

Jurr frowned, and whispered, “but I can’t see.”

Returning her frown, he approached slowly and stopped at the side of her bed. “You only have one eye Jurr,” he said, his voice careful like he was speaking to a frightened animal.

Swallowing hard, Jurr dropped her hands and tried to process what he had told her. It didn’t seem possible but when she tried to search her memory for an image of her face she couldn’t recall anything prior to waking up.

Looking back up, intent on asking the man if he could explain how she got here, Jurr noticed him holding a datapad out to her.

“I took the liberty of getting this charged while you slept, take some time to read the notes and it should help you understand what is going on.” The man smiled kindly, inclining his head slightly before leaving the room.

Still confused, Jurr settled back against the curtains and turned the pad on. The first screen it displayed was a infographic of some sort “Uncle Zam Wants YOU For The Republic Military!” It proclaimed boldly across the a picture of a man more strange looking than the one that left, with a ring of small horns circling his head like a crown.

Curious she scrolled down the graphic to read the details on it before smiling. “The Military huh? That could be fun,” she said, thinking outloud. “Wonder what it takes to get in?”

[askpokemoncrossover]

Flow of a new power

As the second fight between me and Anastasia raged on, I was clearly at a disadvantage… this time I found myself being held by the throat. “Here’s a lesson I learned the hard way, Mason…” Anastasia said as she continued to hold me in the air. “Don’t show mercy to the enemy, they will not do the same for you.” She told me before she hit me in the gut with her free arm, hard. I fell to my knees and coughed up blood… but she wasn’t done with me: She kneed my chin, making me fall onto my back. She looked down at me with a cold stare. “Get up… surely there’s more to you than this right?” She asked me as I struggled to get back on my feet, wiping off the blood that I coughed up and rubbed my chin. “Almost done... Just a few more seconds!” Suisei yelled in my head and I entered a defensive position. This time, I tried something new: In one swift motion, my right hand grabbed her left arm while my left went for the right side of her head. She was about to raise her left leg in retaliation before I shuffled my position so my right leg could wrap itself around her waist… “HAVE A NICE TRIP!” I yelled before I put my technique into action: By forcing her upper body to move to my right side, my left leg has enough leverage to sweep her off her feet. Literally. “Wha?!” She yelled before her back slammed against the ground. Immediately, I saw my opening and prepared an aura sphere in my right hand and thrusted it at her head.

That’s when the unexpected happened: instead of dodging out of the way, she used her legs to propel herself upward, meeting my attack head on just when it was about to reach full speed. The aura sphere hit her forehead and exploded, making a smokescreen in its wake. I immediately jumped away and landed a few yards away from the smoke, hoping not to get caught in whatever scheme she has in mind this time. Just when I thought that things could get any worse, the opposite happened: The power that Suisei used to protect me yesterday is back. This time it’s more stronger than anything I've ever felt: my entire body was shrouded by a complex silver, purple and blue aura consisting of rippling, fire-like energy, complete with sparkling particles traveling upwards and I felt myself being lighter… “This is the best I can do right now, It’s not complete… I'll tell you why after this fight, given that Stardust Veil should be enough right now.” ‘Stardust Veil’… is that the name of my new power? I looked at my new found power with awe before I sensed something on my aura radar: Anastasia’s about to move again and I’m able to read her mind like an open book.

Did Stardust Veil somehow manage to enhance my aura sensing and psychic abilities? If so, this will be more than enough to out play her and I wonder how strong I'll get once this newfound power of mine is complete. I wanted to give her a surprise by lowering my arms and waiting for her to make a move, when a sphere of yellow light emerged from the smokescreen and was headed at me like a bullet. I wasn’t surprised, considering that I knew what she was planning with my enhanced mind-reading skill. I charged twin aura spheres in both hands that each radiated a silver and blue aura before jumping at least ten feet in the air, dodging the focus blast before landing at least two yards behind Anastasia. “This… IS OVER!!” I yelled before throwing both of them in rapid succession at her back. Anastasia had enough time to turn around before both of my aura spheres stuck home: one hit her chest, the other, her face. But I didn’t stop there, I concentrated more energy in my hands before placing the bottom of my palms together in front of me to bombard my opponent with a barrage of blue and silver blasts. Anastasia was yelling in pain and in surprise to find herself backed into a corner.

But… during my bombardment, something was wrong. Each time I fire more aura spheres, the weaker I get. This must be what Sui meant by ‘it’s not complete’... “Alright, one more…” I said before I raised my right hand above my head before generating one final aura sphere, one made out of silver, purple and blue light. Once the aura sphere was complete, the aura that was protecting me is now gone. But, it didn’t matter… I’m still going to beat her and take back the vase Amber picked for our mother. “I… WIN!!” I yelled as I threw the cosmic sphere at Anastasia, who was still recovering from my bombardment of aura spheres and didn’t have time to dodge. The moment my final attack connected, it caused a massive pillar-like explosion that engulfed the bug woman who screamed in pain. “AAGGGH!!” Anastasia yelled as my attack continued to damage her. The pillar of flame continued for at least a few seconds before it was extinguished, leaving a charred Anastasia in its wake. “W-well...done…” She said weakly before falling to her knees and I barely had enough strength to rush in to keep her from falling over.

“You alright?” I asked before I took out a sitrus berry from my jumpsuit pocket and gave it to her with my right hand while my left arm kept Anastasia from collapsing. She was caught off guard when she saw what I was giving her. “Y-you do realize that you’re helping someone who’s *Cough* a wanted criminal, right?” She asked me with a concerned look. I simply shrugged and smiled before answering: “Hey, if you really wanted to kill me, you would’ve done that a long time ago.” Anastasia opened her mouth to say something before she sighed and chuckled. “You really are… a kind fool.” She said before she took the berry out of my hand and started munching on it. “You are good at fighting, have powers normal pokemon don’t have and yet… you lack that killer instinct. Unlike a certain someone I met... not long ago.” She told me after finishing the sitrus berry and dusted herself off. “That power you had though… it’s something to behold. Try to keep it a secret between yourself and those you trust, OK? I don’t know where you got this power, and I don't care. But…” Anastasia said before she went to the place where she hid her recent spoils and came back to hand me two objects: The red glass vase and what appears to be a USB flash-drive. “My word of advice is you should only use that trump-card when you absolutely need to. Powers like that can draw some attention, both good and bad. I’ll show you out...” She told me as she started leading me towards the portal that we came out of.

I noticed that the sun was setting before I was three feet away from the portal when I heard Anastasia said: “Oh right… one more test: let’s see if fighters like you can land on your feet.” I turned around and was about to ask ‘why?’ when I received two high-heels to the gut. Right when she kicked off of me, I yelled: “WHAT THE HELL??!!” Before I was sent flying into the portal at breakneck speed. I clutched the red vase to my chest and frantically put the flash drive in my jumpsuit-pocket while flying through the portal to keep them from breaking. It was at least a minute before my back hit cement and I coughed up more blood as I felt something breaking in my body. “SAI!!” I heard Amber yelling before she ran up to my right side. I realized that the force of the attack was so strong, that my impact created a crater the size of a car. I saw that the portal overhead vanished before I turned my head to see my shiny, almost-crying fennekin sister “Ugh… hey, sis… look what I got…” I weakly said as I slowly handed her the red vase that she chose. “This is… why?” She asked me as she nuzzled against my face. “Well… I knew you picked it out for our mother… and I… I couldn’t bear myself to see you cry…” I weakly said as I used my eyes to look around to see my mother’s hands over her mouth and on the brink of tears as well. Sirens from two police cars and an ambulance were drowning out the many voices that are questioning others about what had happened.

Eventually, as I was about to be put on a stretcher, a familiar voice called out my name: “SAI?! SAISEI!!” I turned my head to see my new friend Umbra rushing forward and knelt down at my crippled form. “You… you idiot!! Why didn’t you tell me you were fighting against her?! You didn’t stand a chance at your level... and yet… and yet...” “I beat her…” I said with a smile on my face and that stopped the lucario swordsman from giving me a lecture. “What…? You… beat Anastasia? Then…wha…? how?” Umbra was lost for words and I chuckled softly before my left hand touched his own. “Umbra… I… I want to become stronger. I have to.” Umbra looked at me with shock before he smiled and a tear rolled down his left check. “Alright... the doctors told me that you’ll be completely healed by 10 am tomorrow. I hope that you’ll be ready for what comes in the afternoon on that day.” He said after wiping his face as I was put in the only ambulance that came along. While the ambulance was taking me to the hospital, I secretly pulled out the flash-drive that Anastasia gave me. I saw some words drawn by a red marker that said: “Toland’s Dimensional Diary.” Who is this ‘Toland’? And why did Anastasia give me his digital diary? I just hope that I’m allowed to have my laptop at my room in the hospital…

[newstfionline]

Campaign to Drive Out Migrants Slams Beijing’s Best and Brightest

By Chris Buckley, Sui-Lee Wee and Adam Wu, NY Times, Dec. 11, 2017

BEIJING--With coding skills, a foreign degree, fluent English and an apartment barely big enough for his espresso maker and two cats, Si Ruomu thought he was the kind of go-getting young tech worker that Beijing needs to thrive in the 21st century.

That was before the police arrived at his apartment building and ordered him and hundreds of others to vacate within 48 hours. Like most of his fellow tenants, Mr. Si had come from elsewhere in China to find work in the capital, which often treats migrants virtually as second-class citizens.

“One minute you’re drinking espressos, the next you’re being evicted,” said Mr. Si, 28, a bespectacled programmer who grew up in northern China and studied computer science in New Zealand. “I’m starting to think whether people like me have a future in Beijing.”

As Beijing has launched its most aggressive drive in decades to rid itself of unwanted migrants, the brunt of the crackdown has fallen on laborers from the countryside. But it has also hurt a different kind of migrant: educated and ambitious white-collar workers drawn to the city’s new economy of tech, finance and hospitality industries.

Beijing is a cultural, technological and commercial capital as well as a political one, and the tenements on its outskirts are home to tens of thousands of hopeful young college graduates who have moved here seeking better jobs and better lives.

These job seekers are treated as migrants in their own capital, because China’s biggest cities are fortresses of official privilege, especially Beijing. The government gives residents with permanent residence permits, called hukou, more generous access to housing, schools and health care. But migrants must pay more for many services, and many live on the edges of Beijing, where rents are lower.

Now whole swathes of these neighborhoods have been emptied out and in many cases reduced to rubble as the authorities condemn buildings as unsafe or illegal and order migrants to leave.

That has ignited debate about how Beijing can function without the blue-collar migrants who serve as its cooks, cleaners and vendors, but there are also worries the campaign might harm the city’s fast-growing tech sector, which employs armies of migrants who work for relatively low pay.

“You can find this new displaced class in nearly every sector and business in the city, including manufacturing and I.T.,” said Wu Qiang, a researcher in Beijing who has written about the expulsions. “The growth of a marginalized, unprotected work force is a global phenomenon, but in China it’s especially found in so-called ‘villages in the city’ where migrants live.”

When the authorities arrive with eviction orders, many migrants search for newer, safer homes even further from the city center. Others say they may abandon Beijing to find work elsewhere.

“This will certainly change my impression of this city. I don’t really want to stay in Beijing,” said Zhang Mi, 25, a web application developer from Hebei, the province surrounding the capital, as he crammed his bags into a van after being evicted.

Most migrants in Beijing are manual laborers but a growing number are college graduates--nearly 30 percent, according to a 2015 study. Another study found that the city’s software and information technology sectors employed about 346,000 migrants.

“To young tech workers like me, there’s really no option--only the big cities like Beijing have more opportunities,” said Hu Xianyu, 22, an intern at Baidu, the internet search giant, who moved to Beijing from the northern province of Shanxi and was forced out of his apartment last month.

“Tech workers for the bigger companies can get help from them,” he said. “But for those working for small companies or start-ups, the evictions can be disastrous.”

Migrant workers have often reacted to the eviction orders with angry resignation. But small confrontations have flared up, and the largest and most organized protest broke out on Sunday, when hundreds of people in a neighborhood in northeast Beijing scheduled for clearance gathered and chanted “violent evictions violate human rights.”

The effects of the crackdown are already evident in Beijing’s booming e-commerce sector, which relies on legions of couriers--nearly all of them migrants--to deliver packages and meals on electric bikes.

Last month, five delivery companies warned of delivery delays following the expulsions.

Gan Wei, secretary-general of the China Electronic Commerce Logistics Industry Alliance, said the companies represented by her group would have to raise delivery prices in Beijing by about 20 percent.

“Why is takeout food so cheap in Beijing? Because of all the cheap labor from the countryside,” said Jia Dayong, 43, a stringy courier from the northwestern province of Shaanxi who was being expelled from Banjieta Village, a migrant neighborhood in northern Beijing.

“Nobody cares whether we have a place to live,” he said.

Beijing launched the eviction drive in late November, citing worries about cramped, substandard housing after an apartment fire killed 19 people, all but two of them migrants.

The government says a population of 21.7 million residents, 8.1 million of them classed as migrants, has put too much strain on city. Urged on by China’s president, Xi Jinping, Beijing wants to cap its population at 23 million by 2020, and clear out gritty neighborhoods that do not fit its aspirations to become a spick-and-span capital of monuments, malls and broad motorways.

“If they keep clearing out like this, Beijing will suffer a drought of employees next year,” said Wang Le, 29, a hotel manager from the eastern province of Jiangsu.

She was one of about 100 tenants--most of whom worked in finance, technology and hospitality--living in steel shipping containers that had been converted into small, brightly painted apartments. They were being torn down on government orders.

In an attempt to slow the influx of job seekers, Beijing has cut the numbers of university graduates from other parts of China receiving the hukou permits that confer privileged status and benefits. But they have kept coming.

Without permanent residency, they are forced to live precariously. Trying to save money, many find cheap apartments in the same run-down neighborhoods as migrants working menial jobs.

“Even if the industry I’m in is very high-level, as far as the government is concerned, I’m also a peasant worker, a migrant worker,” said Zhang Xingwang, 24, who studied automation in college and came to Beijing from Hebei Province seeking work as a software programmer.

He had to find new housing after his old apartment near where the deadly fire broke out last month was demolished. “I thought Beijing would be relatively fair and tolerant, and the government would behave better,” he said. “But after this happened …”

China’s big tech firms have refrained from criticizing the migrant crackdown, perhaps out of fear of angering the government. Alibaba, the online commerce giant, said the overall impact on its business “hasn’t been significant.”

But some experts have warned that by choking off the flow of migrants, Beijing risks losing entrepreneurial energy.

Even before the recent expulsions, Yin Deting, a demographer who advises the Beijing city government, warned that heavy-handed clearances of migrants would accelerate the aging of the city’s work force.

“If we place our hopes for reducing the population just in demolishing illegal buildings and low-grade markets, the actual outcomes may well be contrary to what is hoped for,” Mr. Yin wrote earlier this year.

Mr. Si, the programmer who studied in New Zealand, eventually found a place to stay on the eastern edge of Beijing where he could keep his cats. He said he was weighing whether to move to a more tolerant Chinese city, or leave the country again to resume his studies.

“I don’t think this will ever work,” Mr. Si said of the crackdown. “There are job opportunities in Beijing, and government policies can’t stop people moving to get jobs. If you do, the city pays a heavy price.”

[artlessictoan]

ICTOAN’s Big ol’ Planned Fic Masterlist:

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but now’s as good a time as any, so; here’s a list of all the fics I’m currently working on and plan to write in the future! (I’ll keep this list updated any time I finish/start/think up something new and there’ll be a link to this page in my blog header)

I’m hoping that getting myself and other people excited for my planned fics will encourage me to crack on and finish my WIPs

Current WIPs:

Here are all the fics I am currently working on, I’m still trying to find a balance where I can update more regularly without sacrificing quality, I don’t know if I’d be able to work on more than 3-4 fics at a time, but I will probably be experimenting with having five or six on the go at some point – I do tend to get easily distracted and having more fics I can bounce between might actually be easier for me

Like Smoke into the Sand – 50% complete

Breaking the Cycle – N/A (no set plot or plan)

Nice to Meet You – N/A (oneshot collection)

The Fearful Unknown – 25% complete

Heliotropism – 20% complete (very rough guess)

False Starts – On hold until I figure out my.. Feelings on this one

(note that these are rough estimates and I have been known to extend a fic’s planned length by a couple of chapters before, so take these percentages with a grain of salt)

---

Planned Multi-Chap Fics:

My ideas for future fics (in order of when I will most likely start them), they’re mostly still in early stages of development and everything here can and probably will change by the time they actually come out

Next in the Gem AU –

·        Sequel(s) to ATFC

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, NaruHina, HinaGaa, NaruHinaGaa, SakuTema, SakuTemaTen, KakaIru, KankuKiba, InoShikaCho

·        Follows directly off of ATFC, the second act of the overarching LTL plot, will be similar to ATFC but more action and plot oriented

·        There will also be a third fic to follow, along with a few spin-off oneshots/collections

False Starts – 

·        Kase-san fic

·        Pairings: KaseYama, Aroace!Mikawa, maybe others

·        AU setting, the girls never met at school and thus led very different lives, Kase went on to become a star sprinter, but, with her entire life revolving around athletics, as she grows older and her star fades, she finds herself lacking motivation and teetering on the edge of depression, meanwhile Yamada has done exactly what was always expected of her, going to a local college, taking a course she liked but didn’t love and eventually becoming a teacher, never realising the option to follow her passion was even available

·        Story follows Kase as she’s forced into a long-term ‘vacation’ back to her hometown to rehabilitate and rediscover her drive, while there she meets Yamada and they strike up a friendship and eventual romance, helping each other find out what kind of life they really want to live and realising that it’s not too late to try

·         Mid-to-long fic, mostly fluffy, slice-of-life romance, but with exploration of things like depression and mid-life crises, the girls will be about 32-34 in this, possibly a little older

Liquor Bottles and Ukuleles –

·        Pairings: ChoGaa, ShikaTema, SakuKarui, InoTen, ex-LeeGaa, ex-ChoKarui, Aro!Kank

·        Long-ish fic, college AU, Chouji is a happy but lonely student, who has accepted that he’ll never meet ‘The One’, until his best friends shove a cute redhead in his direction, mostly a fluffy romance fic, though there will be some drama

·        Blind!Gaara

·        Lots of close friendships (InoShikaCho, ChoKarui, ChoOmoi, ChoKaruOmoi, InoTema, Sand Sibs)

College AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, HinaMatsu, possible others

·        Short fic, each chap split into two sections, one following Naru/Gaa and one following Hina/Matsu, though they will sometimes intersect, both pairs will be getting equal billing, mostly a sweet and fluffy fic, it might (Might) have some smut (mIGHT)

Ghost Hunter AU –

·        Another series, made up of short stories following a particular character/pairing

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, SakuIno, KakaGai, TemaTen, HinaOmoiCho, ShikaShino, KankFuu, possible others

·        Each fic will be standalone, but will reference other fics in the series (first in series will likely be NaruGaa, then SakuIno), Team 7 are a gang of ghost hunters who travel the country dealing with paranormal activities, meeting all sorts of new people and strange situations along the way

YodoChou Fic –

·        Pairings: YodoChou, probable others

·        Canon-verse, next gen, I’m thinking this fic will be much more similar to the Naruto manga than my other fics with an action adventure story that has ninjas doing ninja stuff, though that doesn’t mean I’m not going to just ignore Everything that happens in Boruto, it’ll be more like the first few arcs of Naruto where the conflicts/stakes are relatively small scale and it’s more about the characters than any big world-shaking events

NaruGaa Gym AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, SakuTema, probable others

·        Short fic, modern AU, Gaara is the sickly noodle boy who is roped into going to the gym with his big sis, where he meets the chipper, chubby gym-bunny Naruto, who peptalks him onto a treadmill and then laughs for ten hours when he Immediately trips over literally nothing and sprains his ankle (and then buys him a coffee to apologise), meanwhile Temari has managed to get into a weightlifting competition with buff lesbian Sakura and it all gets a bit out of hand

InoHina Modern AU – 

·        Pairings: InoHina, NaruHina (kinda), probable others

·        Based on this post

Post-college AU, Ino owns and runs a small boutique, when one day a shy, modest-looking woman comes in and starts browsing the more ‘scanty’ range, quickly picking up on her uncertainty and discomfort as she brings a miniskirt and low-cut tank top to the counter, Ino decides to help her get the guy she’s been mooning over for years (Naruto) by giving her a makeover that works with Hinata’s style, before realizing that she’s totally fallen for her somewhere along the way and now has no idea what to do about it

SakuKarui Modern AU – 

·        Continuation of this drabble

·        Pairings: SakuKarui, HinaTema, KankuShino, SaiFuu, Aro!Gaa, InoCho, NejiLee, OmoiNaru, possible others

Short fic, post-college, Karui is a struggling artist trying to make a living as a recent grad, Sakura is her loving, but delinquent, girlfriend, a med-school dropout, who somehow always manages to get into fights, both dealing with quarter life crises and trying to build a life together

Mythology AU – 

·        Pairings: TemaRui, SakuInoHina, Aro!Ten, KarinFuu, KurotsuFuu, KureKonan, Aro!Yugito, ShizuRin, KaruraKushiMei, ChiyoNade, possible others

·        Continuation of this drabble

Not entirely sure what I want to do for this, but I just really like the idea of exploring the ‘all the nart girls as goddesses of war’ idea somehow, will probably be a short drabble collection, each chap focusing on different characters/relationships, I’d like to keep this to only the girls (though some will be nb in this)

Hospital AU – 

·        Pairings: SakuTema, InoKarin, ChoGaa, KankuKiba, NaruHinaLee, Aro!Shika, ex-TemaTen, ex-NaruSaku

·        Continuation of this drabble

Short fic, real-world setting, most of the gang works at a hospital, centres on surgeon!Sakura and administrative manager!Temari’s mutual unrequited love, and the scheming of their friends who’re trying to get them both to realise how head-over-heels the other is for them, a fluffy comedy with some Sad

Sci-fi AU – 

·        Pairings: HinaMatsu, ShikaNaru, InoChoTema, LeeGaa, NejiTen, KibaRui, ShinoOmoi, KakaGai, AsuKure, Aro!Saku, Aro!Sasu

·        Continuation of this drabble

·        Long-ish fic, (light) sci-fi setting, a team of scientists from all fields is on a (likely one-way) expedition, hoping to push the boundaries of human knowledge and discover more about the galaxy and potential life outside the solar system (without disrupting it if at all possible, I’m really keen to try and keep any colonial themes out of this) sending any knowledge back to Earth to help humanity improve itself, while trapped on a ship with little to no hope of ever returning, the crew build new lives and relationships slowly develop, will probably be a slice-of-life fic with the space stuff just as a background

Will definitely have alien life, but I’m not sure if I want sentient aliens who’re as developed/more developed than humanity, I’d like to keep this to the more “realistic” end of the genre and the focus to be mainly on the crew and their friendships, but thoughts would be welcome!

Olympic Lesbian Shenanigans – ***

·         Pairings: uh, idk actually…… Every Girl x Every Other Girl?

·         Loosely based on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

·         Short-mid length fic, modern au/period setting, a pair of girls (leaning towards Ino and Karin but could go any way at this point) end up on a multi-week cruise ship with the Konoha Ladies Olympic Team (which will somehow include any non-Konoha girls too)……. things get very Gay

·         Possibly smutty?

·         …Probably smutty

·         Purely me-pandering ngl

·         Oh god what am I doing

Spy AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, InoTema, ShikaCho, HinaTen, NejiLee, possible others

·        Long fic, plot-focused action thriller, will likely end up exploring dark themes, but also I might change my mind and go for a more fun 70s spy-thriller type vibe (I’m thinking about making Gaa a trans woman in this one but I’m still kinda unsure? Feedback would be welcome)

Sand Sib Fic –

·        Possible implied NaruGaa and ShikaTema, but the focus will be on the sibs

·        Will probably be similar in style to BTC, following the sand sibs and their relationship as it changes over the years (not sure if I’ll go right from the beginning, or just from the chunin exam arc up to the end of the war arc), going into much more detail about their development since Kishi dgaf about them, especially Gaara’s struggle to change himself after the exams, how and why he got Suna to accept him, Kank and Tem and their very complex relationship with Gaara (and each other) and Gaara’s long recovery from.. y’know. death. I’ll probably diverge from canon in some places (like the Rasa/Gaa reunion during the war)

Samurai AU –

·        Pairings: NaruGaa, SakuHina, TemaTen, KibaIno, ChoKarui, possible others

·        Similar to SITS but more plot-focused, long fic, historical drama, set in Sengoku era Japan (or more likely a version of the Naruto world based heavily on it), no fantasy elements, might get dark in places, the story will mostly be focusing on Naruto, so it might be split into a series or have short spinoff fics focusing on other characters

Jinchuriki Fic –

·        No pairings planned thus far

·        Canon-divergent, after the chunin exams, instead of deciding to become Kazekage, Gaara instead wants to be for the other jinchuriki what Naruto was to him, follows the time-skip with Gaara traveling the continent and inadvertently starting a nomadic jinchuriki tribe, will probably be slice-of-life, though I might also just run with the idea and rewrite the whole Naruto plot based on this (and other) changes, for example:

·        Temari takes the position of Kazekage and her and Kankuro are taking steps to change their village for the better (they’re in regular contact with Gaara and constantly send letters to his new friends reminding them to make sure he eats)

·        Hinata and Neji are both much more active in their goal to destroy their clan’s caste system

·        Sasuke returns to Konoha earlier and him and the other rookies do their own investigating into their village’s long history of reprehensible actions

·        Cut the entire war arc. All of it.

·        Make the conflict less about big grand battles against ultimate evil mcbadguys and more about actually revolutionising the ninja world at its very core

Model AU –

·        Possible pairings: NaruGaa, probable others, it’s all very uncertain

·        ……. Look idk the idea just won’t leave me alone ok?

---

Planned Oneshots:

(Same deal as my planned multi-chaps!)

Narugaa, based on this post, Naruto trips over at a train station one day and ends up cackling uncontrollably on the floor, even as a cute redhead helps him up, the next day a friend shows him a craigslist ad from someone who helped up a laughing man at the train station and was too shy to ask his name at the time but was hoping that he was alright

Narugaa, based on this post, Naruto lives in the same apartment building as The Most Beautiful Man In The World, unfortunately they only ever cross paths when Naruto happens to have horribly embarrassed himself in some way, meanwhile The Most Beautiful Man In The World has been quietly trying to find excuses to see his cute blond neighbor, who must be really confident to not care about that giant salsa stain down the front of his shirt and wow he wished he could be so free and self-assured

Temari-centric oneshot about her strict training and life growing up

InoShikaChoTema, ot4 fluff oneshot

 ---

If there’re any fics I’ve spoken about here that you’d really love to see, then do let me know! I can push the stories with more interest to the top of my agenda, keep in mind though, that I won’t be starting anything new until I’ve at least finished ATFC (possibly SITS too) and that my more ambitious fics will require a lot of pre-production before I’m willing to start them – I spent a good six months doing research for SITS – so fics like the spy au and the samurai au will need a lot more time to get started than, say, a college au

As always, I’m open to requests and if anyone has thoughts on anything I’ve already got planned that they’d like to share, then I’m open to chatting! Almost all of these fics (apart from everything in the LTL series) are still very early in development, so things can change a little, or a lot! I reserve the right to reject ideas that I don’t feel comfortable writing/don’t fit my vision, of course, but I’m pretty opened minded about this stuff, so don’t be afraid to gimme a shout

[mca-attack21]

Lunar Eclipse

A/N: This is another installation of the Stiles Sis Fic Series. This is based off of season 3A episode 12. For the rest of the series, check out my masterlist HERE.

It had been hours since they had been under. Lydia and Isaac had fallen asleep. This is when you decided to approach Deaton about what happened on the bus ride to the cross country meet. “Are werewolves the only supernatural creatures that can heal/take away pain?” 

“No, there are tons of supernatural creatures with healing abilities, why do you ask?”

 It was then that you had to decide whether or not you could trust him. Scott trusted him. So you could too, right? 

“When everyone thought Derek was dead, Scott had been pretty hurt and wasn’t able to heal. So we got him off the bus and Allison stitched him up saying it was probably all in his head. Anyways she swears on her life that he stopped breathing. I made her leave because she wasn’t helping. I touched Scott’s chest to see if his heart was beating. When I did he started healing immediately. I would have held it there longer but I got this really weird feeling. I could have sworn that there were blue veins running up my arms. But I played it off thinking it was all in my head. When Scott woke up I told him he healed himself with the help if Allison. Have you ever heard of anything like that? Is it even possible?” 

“I don’t know off the top of my head but I will do some research and let you know what I find when this is all over.” He replied.

After 14 hours Stiles, Scott, and Allison shot up out of the water. “I know where they are” they all said at the same time. Deaton and Isaac gave them a look while you and Lydia helped them with towels. 

“Why are you looking at us like that?” Stiles asked. 

“You guys have been out for fourteen hours” Isaac replied.

“Which means we only have four until the full moon” Deaton added.

Then Ethan came through the door, “I need Lydia.” 

“For what?” Stiles said standing protectively in front of her. 

“To help me save Derek and Aiden,” he explained. She gave Stiles a reassuring look as she left with him. 

-----

Scott, Allison, and Isaac went back to her dad’s house to get some of her dad's gear and something with his scent on it. When they got there they didn’t get far before Scott's dad made them sit down and started to interrogate them. 

------

Back at the loft Lydia had successfully talked Derek and Cora into going on the run until Jennifer was handled. She and Ethan were about to leave when Kali and Aiden showed up. Kali was going to attack Ethan and Lydia when Jennifer appeared. After a gruesome fight Kali was dead and Ethan and Aiden’s necks were snapped and Jennifer was now going towards Lydia.  --------

Back at Allison’s house, the conversation was going no where. Allison spoke up, “You can’t keep us here without a warrant.” 

Mr.Mccall shot back “I have a table here full of probable cause”. 

She told him that her dad was a Licensed weapon salesman, and describe each weapon in detail before making one of the smoke bombs go off and running out with Scott and Isaac. -----

You and Stiles were in the jeep, it was storming heavier the closer you got to the nemeton. He could barely see the road. Suddenly, a branch crashed down and hit Roscoe causing Sitles to swerve slightly and hydroplane, losing control for a split second and winding up crashing harshly into a tree.You were both knocked unconscious.

----- At the loft Jennifer had Lydia cornered. “What do you want from me?” Lydia asked scared she was going to die. “I want you to do what you do best for me Lydia, I want you to scream” she replied. She showed her real face and Lydia screamed.Derek and Cora who were driving away heard the scream and Derek turned around immediately.

--------- Scott had met up with Deucalion. Lydia and Cora were taking Ethan and Aiden to Deaton’s Clinic. Derek was forced to go with Jennifer. Isaac and Allison were out looking for the parents. And you had just woke up. “Stiles” you said as you tried to shake him awake. When that didn’t work, you decided to try something, you put your hand on his forehead. The blue veins appeared again, though this time it took a lot more out of you. He woke up and remembered where he was, “Are you alright?” he asked. 

“Yeah but we have to go we don’t have much time.” Stiles grabbed his bat and you both started walking towards the nemeton. Suddenly you got this feeling. You had to go help Scott. You turned around started towards where you knew Scott would be. “Where are you going?”Stiles yelled.

 “I have to help Scott, go get dad.” you replied and started to sprint.   

When you found where Scott was, you heard Jennifer and Derek fighting Deucalion. You used this to sneak in completely unnoticed and decided to hide behind some shelves. Deucalion had managed to disable derek and had Jennifer on her knees. He turned to Scott “Kill her”. He roared which made Scott wolf out. You sat in complete silence trying to come up with a plan. “Now kill her” Deucalion said again. “Your parents are dying. That storm you hear is her burying them alive. Kill her and it ends.” 

Then Jennifer piped up “It won’t end not with me, he will have you kill everyone you love, it’s what he does.” 

“They are all going to die Scott unless you become the Alpha you are meant to be. The killer you are meant to be” Deucalion said. 

“They aren’t dead yet” Scott replied.

 “Who do you think is going to save them your friends?” Deucalion asked with a laugh. Scott stood up “My Pack” he replied powerfully. ----------

The cellar was caving in when all hope was lost and Isaac couldn’t hold of the beam anymore it started to fall until it caught on a familiar aluminum bat. Stiles appeared out of nowhere. His dad hugged him remarking “I’ve always said aluminum was better than wood.” They all climbed out and sent you and Scott a text letting you know they were okay, everyone was okay. They made their way home in Allison and Isaac’s vehicles seeing as Stiles jeep would have to be repaired.

--------- Deucalion was now forcing Scott toward Jennifer. Scott was going to kill her. He would never be the same. You were about to do something when he reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out flare grenades which gave him enough time to get away from Deucalion. Then the eclipse was happening, they were all in their human form weaker than usual. Then Jennifer stood up in full Durach form. She hit Scott with a blast of her power he hit his head against the cement and fell down. That was your cue. While she was fighting Deucalion you made your way to Scott, being extra careful not to be seen. You put your hand on him and willed him to heal. The blue veins appeared. And he was back and stronger. You put a finger over your lips and went back to your hiding spot. He caught on. He watched as Jennifer almost killed Deucalion before Derek tricked her and she refocused her rage on him.

Scott was going to fight her when she made a wall of mountain ash. The eclipse was over he was back to full power. He started to push through the mountain ash. Jennifer laughed “Not even an alpha could get through Mountain ash”.  But you watched in amazement as he made his way through. 

Then his eyes turned red and stated simply, “I’m the true alpha.” 

As soon as he broke the barrier Deucalion rushed and killed Jennifer. Scott and Derek let Deucalion go telling him to leave and not come back. Derek then left to find Cora and make sure she and Lydia were safe. 

You had come out and walked over to Scott who was glancing down at Jennifer. “It wasn’t your fault, you truly did everything you could. And our parents are safe because of it,” you said.

He looked up to you, nodding and pulling your hand in his, leading out to his motorcycle. It was then that you started to feel really light-headed. So light-headed in fact that the world faded from your view before you could even register what was happening. You stumbled forward.

“Y/n? Woah hey,” Scott said before lunging to catch you as you started to fall limply forward.

“Y/n!” he shouted worriedly, but it was no use, you were unconcious. He immediately scanned you for any sign of injury before picking you up and carefully positioning you on his bike so he could maintain balance while holding on to you and steering. 

He had to get you to Deaton's, it was closer than the hospital. When he got you there he carefully carried you in. He called out to Deaton who was in a back room. “What happened?” Deaton asked rushing to your aide.

 “ I don’t know we were walking and talking one minute and the next she just collapsed” Scott replied. 

“Okay I need you to wait outside.” Deaton said before starting an examination.

After a while he came and got Scott. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked concerned. 

“It could have been a lot of things, but I think the main one was over exertion. I don’t think it had anything to do with the wreck her and Stiles were in earlier. She probably hasn’t slept or ate much with everything that has been going on recently. I gave her a herb that woke her up but she will need to get some rest once she gets home.” 

Scott went into where you were and helped you out to his bike. You were riding home when you said “So tonight...”

 “You have to stop worrying me like that,” he answered. 

“I’m not talking about that I mean at the distillery. And your a true alpha now,” you beamed.

 “Yeah,” he said as he thought for the first time about what that really meant.

 “How did you know to come help me anyways?” 

“Call it a gut feeling” you remarked.

“Well, I’m glad you were,”

 When you arrived at your house he walked you to your door. “We really need to talk” he said. 

“Yeah, but right now you need to go home and see your mother.” 

“Goodnight Y/n, get some rest.” he said as he started walk away. 

“You too, I will” you said with a smirk on your face. 

When you walked inside you found a note from your dad saying he was at the station sorting everything out. You also found a sleeping Stiles on the couch. You walked over to him and woke him up making him go upstairs to his bed. You went to your room and got ready for bed yourself. On your table you found a letter from Derek.

He and Cora left to find a safe place. They were tired of the crazy stuff always happening in Beacon Hills. They wanted to be a family again. Derek told you that if that you were one of his favorite people. He finished by saying that if there was ever anything to do for you to left him know. In the envelope there was a necklace that belonged to his mom and a copy of the only picture he had ever taken with you. On the back of the picture there was a short note: You will always be part of my pack.

You sat for a while, at first you wanted to cry, knowing that he probably wouldn’t be coming back. Part of you hoped so, and that he would be able to find something better, more peaceful.  But then again part of you wished that you would have at least got a chance to say goodbye. But maybe it was better off this way.

[unlikelydreamlandcreation-blog]

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i was wondering if any 17 year old males have been offered insurance for a mini one. and also what prices were offered?

How much is motorcycle insurance compared to auto insurance?

I'm 19 years old and have have been driving for over 2 years with my dads car using secondary insurance. Last year I really got into motorcycles and after riding a couple on back roads, I want to get one this year. I like the look and feel of an older motorcycle. I want to get something from the 80's. So far my most favourite bike I've ridden is a 1979 Honda with a 125 motor I believe. I don't care for speed, I like cruising. I'm more into chrome and chopperish feel. I'm a full time college student and I found that they offer motorcycle driving training there in the summer. Since I'm a student I will get a good discount. On top of that the parking at school for motorcycles is only $20 a month whereas I pay $7 a day for car parking. I live in Ontario, Canada which probably has the highest rates in the country. I currently pay $100/month for secondary. It used to be $150 but since I've proven to be accident free, they brought it down for me. Primary car insurance on the other hand is more like $300 or more per month for me. So do I have a good case here? 1. Older bike which won't need full coverage 2. I own the bike 3. Parked in a private underground garage at home 4. Parked in a private, security controlled lot at school 5. Already have driving experience and clean record I get my full driving license next week and I am in the process of registering for my M1 What could I be looking at paying? I know it's not possible to get an exact quote but what could I be looking at? Which bikes have lower rates?""

Lowest insurance rates?

Lowest insurance rates?

Can an employer deny health insurance for a spouse if they have insurance in california?

i have insurance and he is on mine, and he has insurance but it is too expensive for both of us. is there a particular law that says my employer cannot force me to use his or force him off mine?""

Which car insurance company provides the best rates to young teens (16-22)?

i mean best car insurance quotes

Questions about insurance in NJ?

I just got my probationary license in NJ, and have a couple of questions about insurance. My parents have put me on their insurance plan and today i was given two POI cards-- one for each of their cars. Now, the problem is that I mostly plan to drive my grandmother's car. She lives with us and is getting to the point where she does not drive much anymore. She was told by her insurance company that i do not have to be put on her plan because we live in the same house, but i'm just curious how i would go about proving that i am insured if i ever got into an accident in her car. Can i just hold on to a copy of my POI from one of my parent's two card (in my wallet) to show a police officer, or do I need something specifically for that car? Thank you for the help :)""

""Dems, why don't you believe you'll be fined or jailed if you don't buy health insurance?""

With few exceptions, everyone would be required to buy health insurance. Each adult without it would pay an annual penalty, set at $200 in 2014; $400 in 2015; $600 in 2016; and $750 in 2017. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-10-12-healthcare_N.htm That's Obamacare in a nutshell dems. Buy health insurance or else! LOL, how's that hopey changey stuff working out for you dems? You're going to be FORCED to buy health insurance now from Obama's Wall Street buddies.""

Cheapest insurance for teens in northern ireland??

im trying to get insurance in my own name (policy) but everywhere seems to be way way too expensive! i was hoping for something around 2000 but the cheapest i found is 3400 for a group 4 insurance car!

Insurance on a Blackjack?

One drunk night I managed to crack the screen on my (orginial) Blackjack. I bought it in June of last year and its on a 2 year contract, but i do have insurance on it. What does insurance do? Fix the crack on the phone i have? Send me another blackjack? Can i get a different phone? I dont want another blackjack when theres a blackjack 2....anything you know will help.""

How much would insurance be on a 2005 Subaru 2.5 RS?

I'm curious to see what the average insurance cost of this would be. I'm 18 with no accidents and I'm on my parents insurance plan. I know a lot of things can determine that but what would be the average rates? And is listed as a sports car or just a regular family car?

Is there any life insurance you can get for stroke victims?

My sister had a massive stroke and she needs life insurance because she may die.

Affordable Senior homes?

what is the best place for seniors who live on their own and have health problems or have difficulty in taking care of themselves? Something that can be affordable in the same time.

How much will my parents car Insurance go up when I get my drivers licence?

I live In Missouri, by the way. Doesn't the Insurance automatically go up for them?""

Best motorcycle insurance coverage and cheapest in PA?

What is the cheapest motorcycle insurance i can get in Philadelphia PA? I know i could get a quote but i dont want to get a bunch of junk mail and give my personal information away. Basically, which insurance provider is the best? For the price? And also, what do you think would be my quote and what provider? Im 18 years old, with my first motorcycle, 2007 suzuki gsxr 600 (dont whine, im not wasting money on a 250cc bike) i also took the MSF safety course. (gives me about a 10% discount) ill choose the best answer if i get a good one.""

Does anyone know of an affordable health insurance plan for a 28 yr old in Mich?

Does anyone know of an affordable health insurance plan for a 28 yr old in Mich?

What cellphone insurance should I use?

What cellphone insurance should I use?

""How cheap can car insurance go, and how long does it take to reach it's cheapest, how much do you pay?""

How cheap can car insurance go, and how long does it take to reach it's cheapest, how much do you pay?""

Speeding ticket.. insurance increase?

okay soo I just turned 18 last tuesday, and today, I got a speeding ticket. I was going 58 in 40, but I really didn't notice that. the cop went by me in the other direction and apparently his radar said I was going 58. I know I've sped on that road before, but this time I honestly don't think I was. it was my second speeding ticket.. I got one last year that didn't go on my record or something so the insurance company never found out. but this time, I can't imagine I'd be so lucky. I've been googling car insurance and how much it would go up, but I can't find it anywhere. I believe we're with arbella. my parents are going to kill me and I don't know what to do that will help this situation. so I guess I have two questions: one, how much will my family's insurance increase? and two, what to do I do to minimize the penalty, or whatever you want to call it. I'm perfectly willing to pay the fine..if I was speeding, I deserve that.""

Periodontal Insurance in Iowa?

I have major gum resession and I need a transplant, which means I need to visit a peridontist. Problem is, I can't find one in Iowa that takes my insurance. (Hawk-i) I really need the surgery and I've been searching for months and haven't had any luck. Please, someone help me out, please.""

Is Motorcycle insurance the same price as car insurance or is it cheaper?

I had a coupld of friends that have motorcycles and some that have cars. They don't pay for their own insurance but i wanted to know if by any chance if motorcycle insurance is cheaper then auto insurance. I know auto insurance these days are sky high. But since a motorcycle is a lot smaller, shouldn't insurance for it be cheaper for it?""

Where can I Find Reliable Cheap Life Insurance Quotes?

I recently started a home internet based business. When I was just starting out I went without insurance for a while. Now that things are going well I would like to buy a life insurance policy. There are a ton of life insurance sites, but most of them seem biased or focused on an individual provider. Where can I find a good life insurance quote site that is unbiased or gives me quotes from a wide array of services? Also, are there any good tips for saving money buying life insurance for small business owners?""

Will I make my bf's parents' car insurance rates go up?

I've lived with my boyfriend and his family for a little over a year now(I pay rent). I am 19 and do not have my license. I have relied on carpools and the bus so it wasn't an issue. Now, I am planning to buy a used car, take the road test and get my own auto insurance. The thing is, they would most likely complain if this would increase their rates. I wish I could just pay a high rate alone- what would be the difference if I just rented a room in a strangers house??lol. I think that it would affect them, but does anyone know for sure?""

Can I drive a car without teenage insurance?

My uncle said I can borrow his car for new years, but he doesn't have teenage insurance. Would he need it if I'm only borrowing it for one day and night? Can I still drive it? If something happens will regular insurance cover? I've been driving for a while I'm good at it. Plus a few of my friends riding are also licensed, the oldest 23. I'm 18.""

How much is your auto insurance annual premium in NJ ?

I live in Central New Jersey and I pay around $1700 for 2 cars + 2 drivers with no accidents. How much do you pay approx ?

Best affordable health insurance in texas?

I'm 21 and my dad recently took me off of his health plan. I don't make a lot of money and I'm not sure if I can afford insurance on my own. I got quotes from a few sites but they're all over $100 a month and I can't afford that. Does anyone recommend any cheap but decent medical coverage plans? I have no clue where to start

What Car has Cheapest Car Insurance For 17 Year Old?

Looking for cheapest car insurance for a new 17 year old driver. What car is best? Any ideas?

Wat is the best insurance company out there..?

how much u pay..and wat's the best service.. ok..just want opion..I Wanna change my insurance company... heard that Mercury is good..

Car Insurance? Do you really need it?

Say for example the owner of a vehicle allowed you to drive it, and you accidently damaged a car or vice versa, would you have to pay for the damage or would the owners insurance cover the car or an injuries that occur to the driver? thanks""

""How can I tell the difference between regular car insurance policy ,and a group insurance policy?""

How can I tell the difference between a regular car insurance policy ,and a group insurance policy?""

Where can i get health insurance to cover accutane in nyc?

where can i get health insurance to cover accutane in nyc?

Can you keep your old insurance if your getting a new car?

I have to get a new car (old car broke down and it will cost more to get it fixed than what's its worth) and I just paid my insurance for my old car this month. I was wondering if ...show more

Auto insurance for a 17 year old dirver?

ive had my license since christams and im looking for car insurance and im 17 years old how much is the average auto insurance for a teen like me and whats the best thing i can do thank you

Health insurance part time work ?

how to get coverage?

Do you need insurance to take the Texas Driving Test?

I'm gearing up to take my drivers test, but I'm not sure whether I need insurance for it along with my VoE, Birth Certificate, ID, & SSN""

""What kind of qualities should I look for when purchasing a car? ie insurance, modern elements...?""

For experienced buyers: As an entry level analyst looking to purchase a car, I was hoping to get some ideas about my first big purchase. My norm has usually been purchasing something and regretting it some time down the road ie Bought a Dell laptop, turns out it heats up a lot. Or a new smartphone (android), turns out it freezes plenty. So I want to purchase a car, and was hoping if someone who is experienced could possibly take some time off to tell me what I should look out for. I understand insurance is a *****, and even though cars are affordable on lease, the insurance will get you. My objective: Car : Lease a pre-owned or 2nd hand car, possibly 2012 or 2013 model, 4 door, sedan. Insurance : Max coverage, low payment (ideal but, shoot for the stars and....) Questions: I understand there are qualities or modern elements like lane stabilizer and effective cruise control that can reduce insurance coverage. How effective can they be? What kind of sedans have low insurance and are modernistic, such as built in navigation and those cool looking monitors? (kind of childish) Which insurance coverages are the most important, there is basic, comprehensive.... If you need additional information, I will be checking this question hourly and will be glad to provide additional information. Thanks!""

Car insurance under parents name?

So my parents are thinking about buying me a car. The only thing that is holding them back is the high insurance rate (I'm 21). Currently I am using my parents car for college and my current insurance is under my parents name. If my parents buy the car under their name, while having me on their insurance list, wouldn't the insurance rate be the same as my current one? Or at the least not as expensive as having my own insurance? Thanks.""

Look! Auto Insurance?

Has anyone heard of Look! Auto Insurance based in Michigan? Are they a legit agency? http://www.look-insurance.com/home.nxg

My Florida driver's license is suspended due to insurance reasons?

I got in a car accident about 2 years ago, and as a result I stopped paying my insurance and couldn't turn in my tag. My license was suspended as a result. I haven't gone to the DMV yet, and was wondering if anyone knows what I'd need in order to get my license back? According to the Florida DMV website, my license will be reinstated once I show proof of insurance...but I don't even own that car anymore, let alone pay insurance on it. I don't want to waste three hours at the DMV just to be told I need a certain form or paperwork...does anyone have experience in this matter?""

""Hi, this is my first time getting contact lenses, i just wanna know where can I find an affordable price?""

I have called a few optometry clinics already but the price is just not satisfying; it was around $350.00 for a year (including eye exam). I would like to know if there is any other place that would do it for cheaper. By the way, I live around San Gabriel, CA. Please recommend optometry clinics located around me(less than 20mins drive), I would appreciate it.""

Can I own a car and have someone else insure it?

Ok I'm 19 and currently own my own car and the pink slip is under my name but I know if I get insurance right now it will be high so I was wondering if my dad can insure it while I drive it under my name. I live in California and my dad has State Farm. Thank you.

Will 3 points increase my car insurance by much?

if so how much? Is it very bad to get 3 points?

What cellphone insurance should I use?

What cellphone insurance should I use?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-do-you-pay-car-insurance-jacob-andrews/"

[timuntimes18-blog]

SG Interview

By Eda Leblebici

Can you tell us a bit about your position?

Hande Başak Oktay :We’re the Secretaries General; so what we do is basically helping all of the departments. We check on them to guarantee that everything is ready for TIMUN. Also, it’s our duty to make sure everything goes smoothly before and during the conference.

Simay Inci Ipek: To add, we are always in contact with the advisors of the schools’ so that their attendance is checked, and also we are in contact with the Stoff team as well. We’re basically in contact with every participant of TIMUN, making sure that they have everything they need.

What do you think about this conference?

SI: We’ve been a part of TIMUN for so long. We were admins four years ago, and this year is our fifth TIMUN. Throughout these five years we’ve grown a lot and I believe TIMUN also grew with us.

HO: We, as the EXEC team, always say that TIMUN is our baby, because it truly is. I think growing with TIMUN is the most important part of our connection. I think seeing TIMUN get over all of the difficulties makes us very proud, as mothers would be. My sister used to do MUN, and bring home many certificates. There was one from TIMUN on her wall and when I think about that and where we are now, it fills me with such joy that I can’t put in words.

SI:Also for five years we’ve seen four more Secretaries General beside us. From day one, TIMUN always had a quality that stands both nationally and internationally. We are proud to be known worldwide, and over the course of years we’ve never seen TIMUN depreciate that quality.

What inspired you to be a part of MUN?

SI: We both did JMUN in elementary school and I’ve heard about the club from my older brother. Listening to my brother’s stories about MUN made me realize that I wanted to continue doing MUN in high school as well.

HO: My sister, also, sort of forced me to be a part of MUN. Initially I wanted to attend the drama club; however, we could only choose one club. I was going to pick the Drama Club but my sister insisted on MUN. At the end, I realized that choosing MUN was actually the best thing that has ever happened to me.

What are some difficulties you’ve had while getting ready for the conference?

SI:We had our IB Exams in November and they take about three weeks. So it was very hard to manage everything while also studying for the upcoming exams. It was pretty challenging both working for those exams and to get prepared for TIMUN.

HO:We also had some challenges with the international participants, because of the current circumstances of Turkey. Aside from that, I  would say we haven’t had any major difficulties, except the usual stuff.

SI:We didn’t have any major problems and hopefully we won’t have in the upcoming days. When you care about the job you are doing, you are willing to face those challenges, and thus tackle them.

HO: It’s not a task or difficult thing for us, it is what we like doing.

What is your funniest MUN memory?

HO:Simay and I were both in Haarlem MUN. I came to the conference with sneakers and I was going to change to high heels later. But because I ran out of time I quickly changed to my high heels under the desk. I wore my left shoe on my right foot and vice versa. I somehow didn’t realize the situation even though my feet hurt so bad. I had to walk like a penguin, trying to figure out what the problem was. I thought because I walked in high heels for a long time, I had blisters. It took 20 minutes before I realized I had worn my shoes incorrectly.

What is your favorite country from the ones that you’ve visited?

SI: I would have to say Morocco. I went there two years ago. I first visited Casablanca and stayed there for one day, before heading to Marrakech. I see Marrakech as a very poetic and artistic city. The culture there is very similar to ours. Some believe that Africa has an oriental culture. It’s true that it has traces of Islamic Culture, but the country is also very modern and European. The culture of Ottoman Empire harmonizes with the artistic features of the city itself. Altogether the city won my heart. I advise everyone to visit it.

HO: She travels to very weird places so my holiday’s aren’t as exciting as hers. The most exciting place I’ve ever been to is India. Places with very different cultures appeal to me. In India they speak over a hundred languages. That would mean that there are hundreds of cultures. I went to Southern India to do some volunteer work and even though they live in poverty and bad economic conditions, they really show us hospitality and I really loved the people there. I admired that even though they don’t have much, they always try to decorate stuff and make everything look presentable.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

HO: I would say, young romance is my guilty pleasure. I know that they are sometimes very cheesy but I read it anyway. They’re always about the same things. Although the plots of young romance books are very cliche, I love them.

SI: I don’t feel that guilty about this, but sometimes I find it kind of embarrassing. I… I listen to Turkish Rap. There is a new rising star in Turkish Music Industry, who is called Ezhel. He is becoming more and more popular each day. I really enjoy his music.

Any other things you’d like to add? Any advice for the delegates?

HO: I would say don’t be shy to speak because no one is going to be mean to you. I think this is a very safe environment to voice your country's opinions and join the debates. MUN is way more fun, if you challenge yourself to participate.

SI: 2017 has been a really difficult year for everyone. Unfortunately there has been a lot of conflicts going on, in every aspect of life. We wanted to touch upon multiple problems that has recently occurred in the world. MUN is more than just watching the news that addresses international issues. MUN is delegates engaging themselves with serious world issues and producing solutions for those problems. We need to actually face the problems. I would advise them to learn as much as they can from the on going debates.

[bluebookbadger-blog]

The Price of a Life - Chapter 9

Title: The Price of a Life Fandom (s): Fullmetal Alchemist/Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Summary: I always thought waking up in another world would be a lot more…interesting. At least slightly exciting and terrifying, but it really wasn’t. It was more of a sudden and underwhelming event, that landed me in the company of fiction and its ignorance to modern physics. I thought it was a dream. Boy was I wrong. Characters: SI/OC, Maes Hughes, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, etc. Rating: PG-13

A/N: I will be referring to Envy, regardless of his form, as a male, simply to avoid confusion.

After kicking Hughes out and reminding myself to ask him about the knife he had given me when I got the chance, things went on as they had been before his interruption. I spent about four whole hours talking to Albert and helping him with the ciphers I made.

They were pretty easy and he got through the first set of equations pretty quickly and discovered the first line of the letter I had prepared was 'Fourscore and seven years ago...'. I admit it was pretty humorous that he didn't recognize the line, though the Gettysburg Address probably didn't exist in this world. I didn't think I would never forgive Mr. Starks for making us memorize and recite the speech.

Around noon I decided to head over to the Store and see if Miss. Reich had any work for me to do. However, upon arrival, I only found Albert, alone and manning the cash register.

"Good afternoon," I said with a sigh as I threw my bag into the back room, "Where's Miss. Reich?"

"Out sick, you think she'd be more careful after the last time," Albert responded as he handed me a spare apron to put on.

"The last time?" I asked quizzically, tying the apron around my waist. I had to look presentable for the customers, even if the store was completely empty at the moment and I worked in the back.

"Yeah, the illness a few years ago. She wasn't her best for a while, still isn't, I guess," Albert said, wiping down the counter. I furrowed my brow. Did he mean the sickness that killed Tricia Elric?

"That was a while ago, and here I thought you were the new guy here," I said as I rearranged the newspapers so that they were in order from newest to oldest. One of the most recent articles said that it was believed that the serial killer, 'Scar', was dead.

"I am, Miss. Reich is my aunt, I've been living with her since as long as I can remember though," He said, looking everywhere but at my wide eyes that were forced to look away from the back of his head. I wanted to say something...consoling? But it came out more like this:

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," I managed to stutter before slipping into the back room and clutching my nearby broom tightly. I felt embarrassed, especially since I had no idea how to respond to such a statement. Albert had said it so casually, but why did it make me so nervous and anxious? I chocked it up to pure exhaustion.

I worked in the backroom until after dark, leaving just before Albert came in to tell me he was closing the Store. Gracia was so relieved to see me well, reminding me that she hadn't seen me since I asked to leave the night before. I explained the fiasco and that I simply wanted to get in a few hours of work before coming home.

"Miss. Reich is sick," I mentioned, trying to gauge Gracia's reaction. The way she had referenced Miss. Reich made it seem as if the two were, or had been, friends at some point. Alas, she gave no note of recognition.

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe we can get her some flowers at the store tomorrow?" She said, keeping her voice low as she took the chilled soup out of the ice box and placed it before me. It was well past Elicia's bed time, and Gracia was already wearing a pair of night clothes.

"Why are we going to the store tomorrow again?" I asked in between spoonfuls of cold soup. It may have not been too tasty cold if I wasn't starving from a day devoid of much food. I made a note to restart a regular eating schedule, as some of the clothes Gracia had bought me were starting to get too big. The woman's face lit up like a string of brand new Christmas lights.

"Elicia's party is Sunday night, remember? I just need to pick up some last minute stuff while she's at her friend's house for a play date. You don't have to come if you don't want to-"

"No way! I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said, though the enthusiasm was partially forced. I needed to do something besides moping around the house or the hospital all day, and it would give me an opportunity to buy another notebook.

The next morning we headed to the shopping center after walking Elicia to the park to meet with a friend of her's. He was a little older than her, and he shared his mother's bright green eyes. I kept an eye out for Johann, in case he was still in town. I didn't see him anywhere, but we managed to get everything on our rather short list: flowers, streamers, some rosemary and garlic, and one beautiful leather bound notebook for me.

That night I opened it up to write in it, and in my desperation for a writing utensil in my room, I used the one Lucha - or rather, Truth, - had used to communicate with me. I felt a pang of sadness at the memory, the scribbles now sewed shut with Alphonse.

After sitting in the dim room for a moment and feeling something crushingly depressing in my chest, I finally began to continue my journal, copying down what I remembered about 'Ire' and all of the episodes ahead of me. I realized that there were actually three days, not two that Ed technically spent in the hospital from my perception of the flow of time.

I recalled that Winry only arrived after he had spent two days in the hospital, then she spent the night with the Hughes family at Elicia's party. It actually excited me to meet her. I knew a lot of people didn't particularly think she was that awesome of a character in the series, but I always thought she was pretty cool. I mean, I can barely put a pen back together after taking it apart, and she could make those automail miracles from scratch. I wanted to ask her how they figured out how to connect the nerves, it could have been useful when and if I returned to my world.

Despite my excitement in writing down my future plans, my exhaustion from the past sleepless 24 hours forced me to stop and enjoy the empty void of sleep while it lasted.

I got up early that morning to help Gracia and Elicia get ready for the party that night. Even though Gracia and I were up before dawn, it seemed Hughes had left even earlier than us. Did the guy ever sleep? Later we hung streamers, set up other decorations and started to make the cake when I accidentally decided to show Gracia how much cooking and baking hated me.

Upon putting the finished cake batter in the oven, just was we had time to sit down for the first time all morning, smoke began to fill the apartment as if on cue. I, not really thinking properly, opened the stove and took the pan of blackened cake batter out with my bare hands. After a brief moment of panic, I turned on the ice cold faucet and stood there pouting until Gracia had opened all of the windows and fanned out most of the smoke.

"Let me see," She said after distracting Elicia with the task of arranging the party hats the table, which was unsurprisingly difficult for such a small girl. I sheepishly held out my stinging hands, causing Gracia to click her tongue at me. "These are bad, maybe I should take you to the hospital,"

I pulled back my hand and observed the damage. It wasn't that bad considering a stunt like that would probably have given anyone else third degree burns. But, as I was coming to realize, the laws of my world didn't apply to me here. My hands were bright pink, probably a first degree burn at most, and the pain had all but disappeared.

"Weirdness," I mumbled as Elicia shrieked with excitement as she stood on top of the dinning table, drawing Gracia's attention away from my singed hands.

"Elicia, you know better!" The mother chided, taking the girl down from her perch.

"I could go by myself, you have a lot of work to get done still," I said, looking at the pile of ash that may have once been cake batter. "I could drop Elicia off at her friend's house, his name was Mike, correct? You wanted to drop her off earlier, remember? So I could just bring her over on my way to the hospital," Gracia shot me a look of gratitude.

"Thank you," She mouthed as she looked down to her daughter, "Elicia, would you like to go on play date with Mike for a little bit? Then you can come home and we'll have your party," The shining glee in the little girl's eyes said it all.

Mike's house, or rather, Mr. and Mrs. Weber's apartment, was in a complex across the street from the hospital. Which was convenient for them, as Mike always seemed to have broken something. This time a cast resided on his hand and wrist, suggesting he had tried and failed to do a handstand like the ones Elicia had been showing off to Gracia and I whenever we were home with her.

I opened my mouth to apologize to Mrs. Weber, but she gave a smile and a wink of her sharp brown eyes before nodding.

"I figured Gracia would send her over eventually, the poor woman has too many things on her mind," She whispered as Mike and Elicia giggled at nothing, as young children often do. I gave a grin of relief. One less thing to worry about.

"Could you bring her over for the party?" I asked, glancing down, my hands hidden in the pockets of the overcoat I was wearing, "I probably won't be back until late,"

"Mike," Mrs. Weber called sternly as her son attempted to show Elicia a new game he had learned, in which the floor could not be touched and the children had to jump across the pieces of furniture. That was the most relatable moment I ever had with a child from another dimension of space and time. "Yes, it's fine. I was going to bring Mike over anyway, it really isn't any trouble at all."

Nodding my head, I whispered a quick thank you and began to walk down the stairs to the lobby. They were carpeted in an ugly green fabric, reminding me of the stairs in my own home. The banister to my left, the white wallpaper to right, just like the staircase that led from the front hallway of my house to the upstairs. As I approached the bottom, I half expected to find Jimmy lying in the perfect spot to be tripped over.

Jimmy had been the family dog, a part Chow Chow part Labrador part Doberman Pinscher all American mut brought up from Louisiana after a tropical storm left the shelters down there flooded with abandoned and sick dogs. Jimmy had been on death row for his size, nine years old with two dislocated knee-caps, early cataracts, and beginning to go deaf.

But, I was eight years old, had three younger, impressionable siblings at the time, and wanted a dog. After driving an hour to the shelter he had been transferred to, we took him out of the kennel, and immediately knew he was the relaxed, mild tempered dog we wanted.

And he was that dog until he turn fourteen, and died of old age despite the numerous fatty tumors, lack of appetite, and dementia he had developed in his later years. It was heartbreaking for little twelve year old me, who had come to know the dog as the chicken herding, huggable, pet that had been with me for the entirety of my conscious life.

It was then my parents decided to buy my oldest younger brother and I ferrets, resulting in Lucha, Nippers, and Tonka the white and brindled fuzzy slinkies that filled that hole in our lives, though they were awful chicken herders.

I stopped the train of thought as I headed into the cold twilight air, aware of the tears beginning to well in my eyes. The night was warm despite the cool breeze, the hum of insects in the early autumn and the sounds of the bustling city seeping through the buildings to this quiet corner of Central almost led me believe all of this was normal. The government was normal, the town was normal, normal things happened - good and bad - to normal people.

The stillness of that moment passed, and I was on the other side of the street opening the door to the reception area of the hospital. I gingerly opened the hospital door, wincing at the pain as the blisters pressed against the cold metal of the handle. Okay, so maybe it was little more than a first degree burn.

"Good evening," I said to the lady at the reception desk, the same older woman from the other day. She glanced up through thick lenses, "I burned my hand cooking, is there anything you can do for that here?" I asked, feeling that it sounded too formal, but at the same time didn't want to scream 'Fix this! I has a boo-boo!' at the old woman. She called over a nurse who gave a nod at the sight of my blistered hands.

"Yes, just follow Miss. Becker please," I did as I was told, following the nurse to a small room with curtains on either side of a bench. It clearly wasn't the wing that held long term patients.

"Name?" She inquired, writing some notes down on a clipboard. The nurse had curly strawberry blonde hair that framed her pale, freckled face as if she was some actor who just walked out of the makeup booth. In short - she was really pretty.

"Irish, just Irish," The nurse - Miss. Becker - squinted at me suspiciously. I took my Certificate of Honorary Citizenship from my bag with pained, shaking hands.

The woman barely glanced at it before taking it and attaching it to the clipboard and setting it on the tabled near the bench. She then caught a nurse walking by and asked for some supplies as I zoned out, wondering why all of the nurses weren't married. I was aware that most of them were young girls, and working full time took away from courtship or whatever ridiculous practice they had here as a precursor to a marriage.

My wondering was broken by a sting as my hands were placed in lukewarm water, mild soap causing any broken blisters to sting even more than they already did. After drying my hands with a clean gauze, Miss. Becker began to bandage them, first lathering the worst of the burns - my fingers and the tip of my thumb - with what I could only assume was some kind of antibiotic ointment before loosely wrapping a bandage around first my palm then each individual finger.

After this painfully tedious process was completed, she advised me to continue moving my hands as I would if they were not burned, to prevent the skin from healing too tightly.

"Thank you, ma'am," I said as I was dismissed, she murmured a quiet word of welcome before stalking down the hallway back to the reception desk. Left to my own devices, I took my Certificate from the clipboard and decided to find Reggie's room and see if he had gotten any progress on the Gettysburg Address. It wasn't nearly that difficult, the familiar staircase from hell soon looming in front of me. Trekking up it only took a few minutes, but after what felt like hours I finally arrived at his door.

"Reggie," I sighed, plopping myself down in the nearest chair, "You won't believe the luck I've been having..." It was near the end of this statement I realized a confused old man with a feeding tube and an oxygen tank was in the bed, not an amputee soldier. "S-Sorry," I stuttered before exiting and quickly discovering I had gone into the door on the wrong side of the hallway.

"Reggie, you won't believe the luck I've been having..."

We talked for a while, smoothing out the details of his trip to Rush Valley and what I'd be up to if I wasn't going with him. The sinking realization that it depended on the outcome of the my choices in the next 24 hours quieted me so much that Reginald changed the subject without my input and showed me that he had decoded the second line of the cipher, 'our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation'.

I fell asleep at some point, but was pleasantly surprised when I woke up to find not much time had passed according the wall clock, and that Reggie had fallen asleep as well. Soon, a nurse came and told me to leave, as Reggie needed his bandages changed. Recalling that this was olden times back in the horrible ole' 1910s, I decided not to protest and instead see if I could find Ed's room. I asked the nurse, a Miss. Messenger, if she knew where he was, but she wholly ignored my question and simply shooed me out of the room.

After sometime of searching the empty halls of the floor, I discovered a more friendly looking nurse who told me to check with the receptionist. I first headed gaily to the hallway, before realizing that going to the secretary meant confronting my greatest enemy in this world: stairs. I muffled a groan of annoyance but limped down the steps slowly. The boots I wore were starting to seem too tight and chaff at my ankles.

After some time trudging through the maze, I found the front office of the ER and spotted the secretary. Her glasses precariously perched atop her dainty nose as she sat behind the counter, shuffling paperwork.

"Good morning, I was just wondering if I could visit Edward Elric? He checked in not too long ago," Her grey eyes narrowed at me suspiciously before she brightened suddenly, as if a light bulb went off over her head. To my disappointment, it didn't seem that such a thing actually happened in this realistic universe.

"You're that strange girl from yesterday, yes? 2nd Lieutenant Ross told me that if you wanted to see him he'd be in the room just down the hall. 45 B." Strange girl? That was a new one.

"Thank you, ma'am." I rushed as I stepped quickly down the hall. I wasn't necessarily in a hurry to see the Elrics - well, I wasn't in a hurry to be in the same room as Alphonse and his brother after what I had told him. Nevertheless, I made a beeline for the end of the hall, keeping an eye out for the Babysitting Duo.

"Where is he? Has Fuhrer Bradley been through here?" Two soldiers called just a head of me, notifying me of the time of the episode. I followed them until a streamer of blonde hair caught my eye. Turning around, I changed direction to follow the girl.

She was about my height, though possibly slightly taller in her heeled boots. Her hair was quite blonde, a vibrant and shiny gold that even in a pony tail nearly reached her waist. A clean white tang top hugged her frame, and a short blue skirt rustled above her knees. My anxious pace soon caught up to her own, and we walked side by side for a few awkward steps.

"You going to see Ed?" I finally asked, breaking the silence. Winry Rockbell glanced at me, almost in apprehension, or possibly wariness. Her eyes wear a very bright blue, but in this world, they were not unrealistically so. They looked me up and down, from my bag to my reused outfit to my untamed pale locks that were beginning to curl in the afternoon humidity.

"Yes, are you a friend of his?" She asked invitingly, though I could hear a hint of suspicion in her voice. I shrugged, noticing that Denny and Maria had yet to come into our sight.

"I met the Elric brothers a few times, they seem like some good kids. I was here for another friend of mine and figured I'd stop by and see what those two had gotten themselves into again." I said, noting she wasn't carrying around any tools or automail repair parts. It seemed strange considering she was Winry Rockbell. "I'm Irish by the way, just Irish." She gave a small, restrained smirk.

"Nice to meet you 'just Irish'." I rolled my eyes, but gave a small chuckle nonetheless. Dad jokes were the best jokes. "I'm sorry, I never properly introduced myself, I'm Winry, Winry Rockbell. I'm just here to give Ed some tickets he asked for." I nodded, seeing Denny and Maria ahead of us as they guarded a room with two doors instead of the standard one.

I noticed Winry's earrings made from what appeared to be pieces of scrap metal, washers, and other various automail parts. So cool.

"I wouldn't go in there right now," Denny advised as I went to open the door for Winry. "The Fuhrer's in there," I shrugged and flew the doors open with abandon.

"Edward, your knight in automail armor is here to rescue you from your uselessness!" I announced dramatically at the four men staring out the window. Winry followed close behind, unfazed.

"Hey Ed..." She then noticed the gathering that had formed near the window. "What the... What's going on? Did I miss something?" Ed looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Not really, just a tornado passing by." He stated simply, staring at the blonde girl blankly. Unsure how to respond to the sarcasm, Winry awkwardly closed the door behind her.

"Well, I don't think there's anything I can do about that. But I did go and buy those train tickets you asked for," She said, producing the tickets from thin air, or at least it seemed that way to me as her pleated skirt offered no visible pockets. Maybe that was just the physics of this world. Ed seemed to get some color back to his face and returned to normal, his shiny gold eyes blinking with recognition.

"Thanks, just in time," It then occurred to me that Winry had been here before, Ed's arm free of its sling. That meant that Hughes was going to be murdered tonight, so long as I didn't intervene.

"You okay Mac?" Hughes asked, distracting me from my internal conflict. It was nice not to think about death for the past day or so, but now I had a choice to make, an important choice. I realized he was talking about my hands, not my look of sheer and utter terror that had followed my thoughts.

"I'm bad at cooking," I said, holding up the bandaged hands. "I tried to help with the cake...it ended badly for both the cake and I," Hughes shook his head and clapped my shoulder.

"It's okay," He leaned down to whisper, "Believe it or not, when I first married Gracia I'd almost rather eat army rations," My eyes widened.

"No way,"

"Yes way, but, she practiced and look at her now! I wouldn't trade a four course meal from a master chef for that grub." He turned to Winry, having a wider attention than I did, "Where are you headed off to this time?" Winry held up the ticket, allowing Hughes to read it, "What's in Dublith?" Ed smiled, possibly one of the first times I personally had seen him smile in my memory.

"Well, with the way things have gone lately, Al and I decided we should go back and visit our old teacher," Alphonse was shaking at the mention, his armor rattling quietly in fear. To be honest, I'd probably be just as scared of the woman if I didn't admire her so much.

If my life was going as planned, I'd be screaming, 'I'm a housewife!' at anyone who bothered me. But, if it wasn't made obvious by the anime characters, my life was derailed and flipped into a river full of bull sharks and the train of my life was on fire.

"I think I'm too scared brother," The armored spirit said, holding his hands up, "There's no way she's not going to kill us," The brothers joined hands as if in a nervous plea to the God they didn't believe in, it was quite a comical sight.

"L-look, don't you chicken out on me now," Ed responded, shivering in fear, "I'm scared too, okay?" Winry slumped, though no comical sweat dropped appeared on the back of her head.

"What exactly does this person teach?" She asked in concern, though her voice conveyed a sense of jest. Armstrong placed his hand on his chin, glaring at the floor from my point of view.

"It appears you have a rather lengthy journey ahead of you," He noted, Winry turning her serious attention back to the brothers.

"How far is Dublith?" She asked, breaking the boys free from their impending nervous breakdown.

They actually seemed to be genuinely terrified of Izumi, which made my admiration for the teacher falter in doubt of her actual ability to teach - especially since the Elrics were so scared of her. Not to mention they did the one thing they should have never done, especially with her as their mentor.

"Well, let's see," Alphonse said, his childish voice echoing without any eeriness or solemnity for once as he unfurled a map he had hidden somewhere in his armor. Upsides to being a soul in an empty suit of armor: your body is a storage compartment and you never had to worry about pockets. "There it is," He said pointing to the dot on the map of railway lines, "All the way down here," Winry observed the map for a moment and I tensely held my hands over my ears as she gave a screech of delight.

"Wha..What is it?" Ed asked, as if he was afraid to hear what caused the outburst. The blonde girl excitedly pointed to one of the dots with its unreadable name beside it, not that I needed to know what she was so worked up about.

"That! Right there! Right before Dublith!" She stepped away from the map, gazing into space with wide, starry eyes, "It's the Holy Land of automail engineering! It's Rush Valley!" I smiled at her theatrics, when a thought hit me.

"What's the Holy Land here?" I said aloud, though I hadn't meant to and, thankfully, it seemed no one had noticed with Winry's enthusiasm.

"We have to go, we have to go, we have to go, you have to take me!" She exclaimed repeatedly, waving her arms like a child who had seen the ice cream truck and wanted their parents to buy them some sugary cavity makers. Ed was not amused.

"Yeah, whatever, I don't have to take you anywhere-" He was cut short - quite literally as Winry was taller than him - as the blonde girl glared over him.

"Well somebody has to pay for my travel fare," Ed only glared up at her.

"Then why does it have to be me?" He growled, Alphonse stepping in as the peacekeeper he was.

"Come on brother, what's the big deal? It's on our way," Ed crossed his arms and turned away from Winry, admitting defeat.

"Only if you want to Al," This sent Winry into another fit of happiness, as expected.

"Yay!" She squealed, spinning in circles with her arms in the air. Winry was surprisingly easy to please in person. She stopped her spinning and opened the door. "I've got to call and tell grandma," And with that she left the room, the five of us staring after her with a sense of bewilderment and relief. Hughes put a hand on Ed's shoulder.

"She'll make you a fine wife someday," Ed bristled with annoyance.

"Don't start that again," Hughes merely chuckled in response, putting a hand on his head.

"I would rather talk about my wife anyway," Something dreadful then occurred to me, something I hadn't realized until today. The clerk lady said I was the 'strange girl from yesterday'? And since Ed's arm was healed and this was most certainly Episode 10, how had I missed Episode 9 completely?

"Wait, is Elicia's party tonight?" I asked Hughes in my sudden panic, aware of how strange I seemed. He looked at me with nervous eyes.

"No, it was last night Irish, you were there, remember?" No. I didn't remember, I didn't even leave the hospital from what I remembered. I looked around me in fear for the first time in days. How had I forgotten an entire day?

"Sorry, I...I guess I was just a little tired," Armstrong shot me a concerned glance, as we began to leave the room. "I'm fine," No. No I was not.

Instead of seeing off the Elrics and Winry, or heading home to hear Hughes say that one last goodbye to Elicia, I choose to find the library (a branch of the military library meant for public use) and see if there were any books about memory loss. Most of what I found reflected on injury, dementia, or family history but none of those applied to me.

I hadn't hurt my head, unless this really was all a dream which I wasn't ready to reconsider with the events that were going to occur that night. And dementia, considering my past medical records and age, was very unlikely. I had a family history of sleep disorders - Truth knew Matt sleep walked, Mary sleep spoke, and Brian sleep ate of all things! I, on the other hand, had never had a problem with the sleep walking that my siblings were plagued with, it wouldn't explain my complete lapse of memory.

And if I had been asleep, somebody would have noticed.

I laid down on the table I had spread my research over and moaned in surrender. This world couldn't give me a break. Anxious not to fall asleep, I looked out the window of the library to notice the sun starting to set.

Seeing that I hadn't boarded the train with those headed to Dublith, my fate was sealed along with the fate of the chimeras and Greed. Leaving the books as they were, I headed out of the building and walked quickly through the crowds to find the Central Park. The lights began to glow, signaling Hughes' time would end soon.

My heart thumping like car piston, I quickly flashed my all access Certificate of Fanciness to Adele who barely had time to acknowledge me as I sped past on my way to the archive room. Having memorized the path from my notes, I found myself in the comforting confines of the room, the scent of the books and ink calming me as my breathing deepened.

I found the table with the map of Amestris spread out on it and I slipped into the bookshelf just two rows behind it. Far enough away to not be noticed, close enough to grab Hughes before he could leave and get him to safety.

I slumped to the ground and pulled my knees to my chest, listening to the blood pumping through my ears. To say what I was about to do was nerve racking, terrifying, or even crazy was an understatement. It was downright delusional. I wasn't some super powered girl with different colored eyes and natural neon blue hair, I had no extensive training in how to stop a person from killing another, I had little knowledge of how to talk my way out of a difficult situations.

I wasn't a cop or a hero or even a fictional Mary-Sue. I was just a scared girl trying to do the impossible, trying to change a man's fate that was literally written in black and white, ink and paper in books and printed in vibrant colors and animated for an entire planet to see. I couldn't do this.

I knew I was crying loudly, tears creating spots on the floor and my face red with embarrassment. I was so stupid for thinking I was capable of this, I could barely stand to see an animal I wasn't hunting for food die, let alone stop a death or a human being when one was about to occur. My breathing hitched in my throat, and stopped.

In my panic I finally realized I wasn't breathing despite my lungs' attempts to draw some breath back into me. The world began to blur, as did my worries and thoughts. None of it mattered if I died anyway.

But I wasn't dead. The world was black, and I couldn't feel my body. It was as if I had fallen asleep, except the void of darkness was not nearly as empty as I had thought. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't overly warm either, it was just right, like being under a warm blanket during a cold winter. I was no longer curled up against the book shelf but lying down, as if atop small pillars that shifted up and down and left and right. It was almost as if I was floating.

I wanted to open my eyes, but something urged me not to, like the primordial instinct to avert ones eyes from the sun. I, being an arrogant as I was to nature's advice, ignored that advice and opened my eyes. The blackness around me was writing, like a thousand insects. And of course, with that thought in mind, I screamed.

The black hands of the Gate dropped me to the ground of the white void and slithered back to their refuge of the slightly ajar Gate. I sat up slowly, still unnerved by the whole thing. Honestly, who wouldn't be slightly perturbed by waking to being swarmed by those creeps?

I took a deep breath through my nose, the air here clean and fresh. My back was to one Gate, and in front of the other there was a small, white lump, only discernible from the surroundings by the shadows it cast. I looked around for Truth, the entity not present at the moment it seemed.

"Truth!" I called, my voice echoing in the void. "Truth?" I looked back to the object in front of the Gate opposite to me. It stirred, taking the form of a snow white ferret that sat hunched over facing me. Its eyes were like those of the Gate, a pale violet with black rings around a small pupil. The figure sat there, unmoving. "Truth?" I tried again, as it seemed to move when I was calling for the entity.

I looked around again before turning to the ferret, only to discover it was gone.

"You have cheated me, human," An angry hiss of voices seethed from behind me, causing me to turn around and shuffled backwards in surprise. "How are you going to pay for the damages?"

Truth seemed absolutely pissed about something as it stood there, arms crossed and its characteristic smile now a frown filled with sharp teeth. Well, wasn't that just welcoming?

"Huh?" I responded, not really thinking due to the absolute blind panic that had overcome me. What did I do wrong? Was it because I told Alphonse what I knew, or was it because Lucha died?

"The creature you provided as my host was not as strong as it appeared, if you wish to return to your plane of existence intact, you will have to provide another host. Which, judging by your appearance, you have none," The Truth hissed, somehow right in my face. Wasn't it freaky how the Truth caught up to me?

But in all seriousness, I had no idea what it was referring to. I was aware it had possessed Lucha, but what made Truth believe Lucha was in the least bit 'strong'? If it was watching anything down there, it would be pretty clear that Lucha was an accident prone fluff ball that had a habit of doing unintelligent things.

"W-Wait! You never told me anything about this, isn't that unfair?" I stuttered as I scrambled to my feet and made some distance between myself and the humanoid. I didn't understand why it was so angry - it never intervened in the series, so why seek out a host like water in a desert?

The Truth folded its arms sat down cross legged in front of the Gate I had come from. It impatiently tapped its fingers against its porcelain arm.

"It was an unspoken agreement, you should have realized taking your pigmentation from you was a small price to pay, and that other payment had been given." It stated, irritated by my apparent ignorance. "It should have been clear that a host to accompany you was expected," I sighed, ironically happy I wasn't in the archive room panicking, at least for the time being.

"Well, it wasn't," I huffed, crossing my own arms to mirror Truth.

"You still have to pay, your ignorance to a law cannot excuse you of the crime," The Truth growled, seeming to have calmed down a bit despite its clear annoyance with my behavior.

I thought for a moment, considering what it could take from me that wouldn't cause me to bleed out before I reached the hospital. Then a thought struck me, an oddly relevant thought to my concerns about my missing memory.

"Why can't I be a host? Or is having a soul a problem?" I asked, recalling what the Truth told me about its limits to possessing a creature with a soul. A god with limits, now what kind of god was that? The Truth's shoulder's sagged, as if in defeat. It was a curious action for a being that claimed to be so powerful.

"A soul is not a problem. Any sentient creature has a unique amount of energy that one may consider a 'soul'. It is merely energy, and as such the energy cannot be destroyed or created, simply moved. In order to possess a human such as yourself, it would only be a matter of moving your energy and replacing it with my own - granted it does not destroy your body." Truth explained to my surprise. If it was telling me this, what would it require in return? It continued, unfazed by my look of wariness.

"To move your soul to and from the Gates is complicated, as time flows differently here. This was not a problem with the host you provided earlier, as it only had a small amount pf energy to traverse the Gate, and therefore I was only required to compensate that insignificant amount of energy with a small portion of my own. Because of your body's mass and your soul's friction with the ether, it would be too costly for me to expend my own energy..." The Truth trailed off, noticing my glazed over eyes. It was its own fault for turning this into a philosophical physics lesson.

"Perhaps you would rather simply make your payment and return to your realm,"

"No, no, I get what you're talking about," I said, jolted from my daze at the mention of payment. There was no way I was going to let this thing con me. I began pacing in clockwise circles between the two giant stone doors, allowing me to pull from my obscure and limited knowledge about physics. "So, say this version of earth is moving slower relative to the ether than my version of earth, as that would explain the time difference. Like the time traveling twins from that lecture," I was referencing the college lecture my Uncle Thomas had lent me. They made falling asleep on long car rides much easier than it would normally be.

"And the Gate, where we are now, is not moving relative to the ether. Now, if my soul - energy, whatever you call it, is still moving relative to the ether at the speed of my earth, that means I am dragging the ether of time on the other earth with me. Meaning there's a point in time when the speed of the ether I'm dragging and the friction that it creates with the time of the other earth puts me at a standstill relative to the ether in a perspective of time and space.

"This would explain why things don't physically effect me at all sometimes and other times take twice as long to have an impact. So if you can figure out the time when I'm not moving relative to the ether - much like how it is here at the Gate - then the energy you'd normally expend to catch up with time on this earth would be unnecessary, considering no time is passing for either me or you and we're both timeless relative to the ether," The Truth's chuckle distracted me, stopping my rant. I was no physics major, so it made sense if what I was saying had little to no relevance here.

"You are clever, for a human," Truth finally said, its smile back to its normal, creepy self. "I have been recording the times when your time stops for some time now actually, since it creates quite a disturbance here in the Gate. I just didn't know how to take advantage of it until recently-"

"You possessed me at the hospital and took me to Elicia's party?" I asked in shock. Sure, it would explain a lot and made sense considering my deduction about time and space here, but it was still unnerving to think an entity like Truth had control over my being for hours.

"Yes, actually, I did," Its many voices said happily, as if boastful of the accomplishment. "But it was only temporary, and I needed to confer with you the exact mechanisms of the exchange." I narrowed my eyes at the shadowy creature from where I stood at the other Gate.

"So, you are the one who cheated me and you just paid for it with that information. Then why go to the trouble to yell at me and see if I'd make a physical exchange with you instead of a theoretical one?" I asked, thinking there might be a catch to the exchange of information.

"Oh, I just wanted to see if you would accept." The Truth said with a childish giggle before its tone turned deathly serious. "I have no way of knowing what you know unless you tell me yourself, as you are clearly not part of this universe's closed system. And you would discover the information eventually, though gradually, over the course of your time here. If you had not given yourself the time here to explain these concepts to me, I would have no reason to explain your new role as my host in this world."

Screw it all. Why did I even bother asking when I knew the Truth would be an enigmatic asshole? It probably had its reasons - Truth was a 'god' after all.

"So, what is my new role? What was my role before this?" I asked, aware that I might have been asking for more than was possible for the Truth to tell me. Had it really not considered the ether and its role in time when thinking about possessing me? So many questions, not enough limbs.

"Prior to this, you were an outlier. I admit you were an abnormality I was not prepared to place in the world, so I allowed you to do as you wished and interact with the other beings as you wished. I had hoped you would avoid further contact with the Elrics, but I am incapable of revoking your freewill - a pesky perk to being from another universe I suspect - and as such you revealed some knowledge to those around you. When the younger Elric-"

"Alphonse, his name is Alphonse." I interjected, and was ignored by the Truth who merely continued its explanation.

"I was not watching the younger Elric brother when he discovered your written knowledge, and I was unable to call him to the Gate to pass over - it is unfortunate that the seal is so strong - and he gained some insight to the future. I know not how your universe is so knowledgeable about this universe at this point in time, but it made it necessary for me to-"

"We have anime," I said flatly, hoping to explain, "There's a theory that there is a universe for every possibility and choice, meaning worlds of fiction - your universe in mine for example - are real."

"Is that so?" The Truth asked, like a mother after her daughter told her that a unicorn ate her homework, "Well, it is no longer important, as you are here not there. As I was saying, I felt it necessary for me to intervene. Your actions, and the actions of those you have influenced, will have serious repercussions. Using you as a new host will give me an opportunity to correct the timeline the best I can."

"I know," I sighed, thinking back to my mission I had been so scared of completing back in the archive room,

"But this is a new story, a story different than how it's supposed to be. It's different because I'm here, and whether Alphonse or Colonel Mustang or even Father found out what I know, my existence created a whole new branch of events and possible events to your universe's time line, and you can try to change it back, but it won't work. You can't stop me from trying to help and stop some carnage and death, I do have free will and I'm choosing to try to save people instead of sitting back and watching them die."

I felt strangely confident about that statement, as if I might have been brave enough to confront Hughes and save him, to change the story and deal with the consequences. If I died doing it, another me on a different timeline wouldn't, and she'd do different things and save different people.

But somewhere in another universe, if I couldn't save people in this one, there would be a version of me that did save people, and a version of me that didn't. It was my choice to be the one that tried to help this universe, not the time line that stopped with me being a passive observer.

I smiled defiantly at Truth, but my new found purpose faltered. Truth was smiling wider, if that was even possible.

"My dear, I think I have already stopped you," I sucked in a breath of air out of fright when the hands of the Gate behind me pulled me into the blackness, the last thing I saw being Truth's triumphant smile.

I released the breath with a gasp as I woke to a start on the archive room floor. My heart was beating so wildly it hurt, and my vision spun as I tried to hurry to my feet in an effort to reestablish reality. The air of the archive room seemed different. Fresher, sharper.

Truth had said it might have stopped me from saving someone, and from the looks of the archive room, Truth was right. Blood was sprinkled over the carpet and papers littered the floor, notable to the right of the table and the right of the open door. The room was dark, but the light from the hallway illuminated the empty table. The map was gone.

My heart was beating so fast that it once more began to ache, but more than the fear, another emotion overwhelmed me. Rage. I was so close, and Truth thought it could take this one thing away from me? I had lived every second of every day here orchestrating the perfect plan to execute, and Truth had made me miss the deadline?

Not. To-fucking-day. The Promised Day could come and I could die or be murdered, but none of that mattered if I didn't accomplish my sole, self-stated purpose in this universe. To at least save the life of Maes Hughes.

I rushed into the blinding light of the hallway and took a right, ignoring the bloodstains on the wall. There was a gasp of surprise from behind me, forcing me to turn and see who it was. It was a woman, tall and lithe, with long, curling, ebony locks that shrouded a blood stained face. Crimson lips turned into a smile as my charge of anger broke and I froze like a deer in the headlights. Lust.

"I'm surprised I didn't notice you sweetheart, sorry for neglecting you!" She said sweetly at first, growing to a shriek of annoyance as she threw her arm toward me.

The spears were terrifying, contorting her fingers into sharp weapons of destruct longer than I was tall, and heading straight for me. My daze was broken seeing the bloody points. She had stabbed Hughes, and he was going to die if I didn't get to him in time.

I ducked around a corner, almost fast enough to get out without a scrape. But the spears went through the very corner of the wall, burying their tip into my right side and upper thigh and scratching against my hip and pelvis bones. I cried out in pain and nearly collapsed. Now I could say I knew what having a knife dug into your joint felt like.

It hurt more than anything, and the wound didn't burn as if I had spilled acid on a cut or feel as if were ablaze, it just hurt so badly I wanted to get sick.

The spear that I could only assume was her thumb had gone straight through me, creating a hole from the flesh above my pelvic bones to the back. The next one had only grazed the skin, creating a gash of red through the riding pants I had worn for the third day in a row. The next two spears had nestled themselves into my hip, separating the joint only slightly, but still enough to make the simple task of limping away hell. The last one, her pinky finger I assumed, had stabbed itself into my thigh muscle but hadn't gone through the other side.

Though all of the wounds were bleeding heavily, I wasn't losing blood fast enough for any major arteries or veins to have been punctured. As the spears withdrew and the corner of the wall broke into pieces of cement and dry wall, I was faced with a decision. Stay and most likely die at the hands of a deranged, blood lusting homunculus, or try to run away no matter how excruciating the pain was.

And somehow, I was started walking, practically sprinting away. Muscle memory led me straight to the reception desk, where I was sure Lust wouldn't follow. I was limping badly, and it was difficult to discern my blood from the trail of fresh red that had led to the reception desk.

Adele sat at her chair by an old radio or telegram machine of sorts. She looked the same as always, he curly blonde hair pinned out of her face with a blue hair clip, and her pristine royal blue uniform neatly arranged. There was a book at the table, but Adele was not looking at it. Her blue eyes focused worriedly on the door. My breathing had gotten heavy from blood loss and a failing adrenaline rush, catching her attention.

"Oh, my God! I-Irish, are you...?" I went straight for the first telephone booth, noting that the blood on the phone handle was still warm. "Irish, please, wait-!" I needed to get to the park. Now.

Ignoring her weak protests, I picked up my slowing pace. I knew exactly where to go - I had planned this out, and yet I never expected I'd be the one to let this get this far. The anger from the archive room caught up with me again. I was not going to die. I was not going to let Hughes die.

The phone booth was soon in sight, with a fake 2nd Lieutenant Ross pointing a gun at the man inside. I wasn't too late. My leg was soaked with my own blood, and my breathing felt hollow as my legs moved faster. The Lieutenant - Envy, began to crackle with red sparks as he turned into Gracia.

For a moment something told me to stop running, but that anger pushed me forward. I just needed to stop the gun. There was a flash as Hughes turned around with his push dagger in hand, and I was finally within ear reach.

"You look surprised," Envy's voice chuckled, my heart racing as I came up on him. I was only a few meters away.

"What...What the hell are you?" Hughes asked, my breath hitching as I took one last stride forward.

A gun shot rang out. I was on top of Envy just before that dreadful sound reached my ears, and I took the advice of Coach Lawless one more time. When in doubt, tackle. I ignored Hughes and the gun as my rage and pain were directed at the object in front of me - Envy disguised as Gracia.

I didn't remember the impact or when exactly the gun went off after I hit Envy, all I recalled was the look of utter shock on his face when my body slammed into his, bringing both of us to the ground. My nails dug into his arms, and I forced him down with my left knee, my right too slippery with blood to pin him down.

My breathing was deep and my vision blurred, but my resolve to keep the person beneath me away from Hughes overwhelmed my exhaustion and pain. Purple eyes blinked in surprise before glaring at me, despite the smirk upon the disguise's lips.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A little girl trying to play-" It was very satisfying to feel my fist slam into his face. It was even more satisfying to do it again and again until I heard bones break and felt blood gush down his face. It felt so good to hurt someone. I hated how good it felt, but it was an undeniable relief to bring pain to the person I was hurting. William Golding got it right after all.

"Don't. Fuck. With. My. Plan." I growled as I finally lowered my hand to my side, still using my left to hold his shoulder down. The nails had broken his flesh, and I could feel blood making my hold on him slippery.

My breathing had calmed and the stillness of the moment reminded me how much my wounds now stung as salty sweat from the run mixed with the blood from the wounds. Envy's face as Gracia was still, the eyes staring up at the cloud ridden sky. The lamp post lit up the blood like a river of gold and ruby that ran along his cheekbones and dripped to the cobblestone ground. The gun had fallen in the grass beneath the bushes, out of sight from any passing by soldiers.

I gasped suddenly and looked to the phone booth, a sigh of relief leaving my body at the sight of a shaken and mortified Hughes standing in the copper light of the lamp.

There was a gash along his head, but not deep enough to cause any serious damage. Blood had soaked down his neck, and his shoulder had been pierced through by one of Lust's spears. One of the panes of glass behind him was broken, most likely from the bullet that was supposed to be in his heart at the moment. He was unresponsive to my attempt for eye contact, and he was shaking with shock, but he was alive.

I had accomplished my goal. All of the rage and adrenaline that had gotten me here vanished, and I felt limp kneeling over Envy. My reverie of peace ended suddenly, Envy sitting up and forcing me against the door of the phone booth. I whimpered in pain as my head hit the corner and my world spun, but I quickly regained my wits.

"Who do you think you are human?" He hissed, furious with me. Envy shed his disguise, the red sparks dancing over the bloodied face and faux blonde hair to replace it with clean, perfect pale skin and long black hair. He might not have looked like a palm tree, but I was still going to insult him anyway.

His hands gripped my shoulders, and at his height towered over me. I barely had time to realize that Mustang had picked up the other end of the phone call. I brought my knee up, as if to hit his groin, but brought my leg back down and slammed the heel of my shoe onto his foot. Truth needed to remind me to thank Gracia for her choice of pump heels as I heard the crack of bones.

In that split second of Envy's distraction as he quickly healed the internal damage, I noticed the regular patrol of soldiers coming up this path. I grabbed the booth's door, pushed the disoriented Envy into the booth, and slammed the glass paneled door behind us.

"Why you-"

"Shut up, palm tree, and at least wait for the other soldiers to pass before murdering me," I snarled back at him, feeling faint despite my confident tone. Hopefully I would black out and Truth could intimidate the homunculus for me.

"Wha-" I held a finger to my lips as boot heels clicked by, the soldiers not even hesitating at what I knew to be a trail of Hughes' and my blood. Soon the duo passed, and I needed a plan. My entire scheme of catching Hughes before shit went down was out the window, so I guessed the time old honored tradition of 'winging it' was in favor at this point. "Who are you?" Envy said with a huff, as if offended I stopped him from murdering the one person I swore to keep alive.

I could hear Mustang's worried voice on the phone that now dangled near the floor. I crouched and picked it up, putting the receiver back in place and cancelling the call.

"This may take some time to explain," I said, noting the small space the three of us were confined to. A phone booth from the 1910s was not meant for three. Envy looked at Hughes, most likely contemplating how quickly he could kill the both of us and how much paperwork it would be for Wrath. "If you kill me," I swallowed and looked at Hughes. He was still in a daze, probably from blood loss, but he seemed to be coming out of it, which would be a problem. "I can promise you the Elric sacrifice will die, and your Promised Day will never come,"

Envy's eyes turned their attention on me, like daggers in the dim light.

"How do you know about the sacrifices?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious and absolutely pissed at the same time. I forced down a smile, realizing I had a small advantage over the homunculus - I had information he wanted.

"Truth be told, it was the Truth." To any other alchemist, that would've made little sense as a response, but to Envy, he seemed to vaguely understand. "And I know more, if you'd like to know. I know about Father, the other homunculus, including dear old Fuhrer Wrath and little devil child Pride, the Promised Day, the sacrifices, the philosopher stones, the staged bloodshed, I even know what you really look like under that pretty little disguise you're wearing, hell crocodile," Hughes seemed utterly confused and terrified at the same time, realizing I was saying all of the secret I had been keeping from him. "I even know that Greed is hiding out in Dublith, and Bradley - pardon me, Wrath - will be dragging him back here very soon,"

Envy looked honestly surprised, but the look quickly morphed to one of irritation.

"So? I wasn't supposed to kill you," I rolled my eyes and looked at Hughes. I was so tired, I just wanted to go home and go to sleep.

"No, but if you kill Hughes, I'm going to kill the little Elric twerp myself, and may I remind you that if you do decide to kill me, I have others with a complete record of my knowledge at the ready to execute him." I said, thankful my voice held steady. The pain in my leg was beginning to fade, but I pressed my hand against the wound. The pain kept me from blacking out.

"You're bluffing," Envy snapped at me, taking a step toward me in the cramped space. I looked up at him, my pale pink irises holding steady with his own violet ones.

"Try me," I said with a smirk, "And if I'm not, you will be the one Father blame's for the loss of a sacrifice." Hughes opened his mouth to speak but I shot him a glare. "You want to die tonight or not, family guy?" He shut up and held a hand against his bleeding shoulder to hinder the flow of blood.

"But I can't just let Mr. Hughes walk, now can I?" Envy retorted, folding his arms. "Just what do you suggest I do?" I thought for a moment, hoping not to appear hesitant as I said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'll make sure he's dead, you make sure he gets on a train to Aerugo ASAP," I said, noting Envy's confusion. Whether the acronym confused him or the plan, I would never know. "So long as you get him out of the country and keep him out of the country, I will convince the public that he was murdered and the body was taken and presumably dumped in the river. Then he'll be out of your way, and I'll be satisfied with the compromise." Envy narrowed his eyes at me.

"What if you kill the little shrimp anyways?" I shrugged and met his glare.

"Then you can kill him," Hughes inhaled sharply, realizing he was merely a bargaining chip in a greater scheme. "Listen, so long as Mustang at least is convinced that Lieutenant Colonel - or rather, postmortem Brigadier General Maes Hughes is dead, I can assure you I will not farther intervene with your plans, and the Promised Day can commence as planned."

Envy still didn't seem convinced I wouldn't go back on my word. I really should have worried about him going back on his - murdering Hughes somewhere else or dropping him off in another part of the country. But that thought didn't occur to me in my blood deprived state of exhaustion. I could only notice that he was hesitant to strike a deal with a pathetic, worthless human.

"You have my word, I swear on the bullet you put in that little Ishvalan girl's skull I will not harm Edward Elric unless you cause farther harm to Maes Hughes. Capisce?" He was taken aback, not expecting me to know that irregular detail about the past. That, or he was hung up on what 'capisce' meant. "Do we have a deal?" I held out my hand, hoping not to be murdered within the next few moments.

"Fine," Envy said with a snort of disdain as he shook my hand, "We have a deal." I gave him a slight nod.

"Good," I opened the phone booth door, noting that we were now standing in a small puddle of my blood and Hughes' blood. Judging by the time, the soldiers would come back around within the hour. I looked at Hughes as Envy exited the booth, the homunculus disgusted from having to share the same air with us.

"Please, just trust me," I whispered, picking up the picture of his family from the ground and held it out to him. "I'll keep everyone here safe," His worried hazel eyes seemed gold in the light of the lamp post. "I promise this will be okay in the end, it's just going to take time for the others to figure out what you did, if I tell them, I'll have broken my end of the deal, and your life will be in danger,"

"Human," Envy hissed impatiently, taking the form of Maria Ross once again in a flurry of red, this time making sure the mole under his right eye was present. I looked from Hughes to the homunculus.

I was putting a lot of faith into an artificial human to take care of this matter, but it was the only choice I had of keeping Hughes alive and safe. I hugged him, ignoring the blood from his shoulder that left a red stain on my cheek.

"Do this for Gracia and Elicia, please," I released him from the hug and looked to Envy. Hughes took a shaky step in the disguised homunculus' direction before looking back at me.

"Thank you, Mac," He whispered, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. The two uniformed soldiers slipped through the hedges and walked across the dark grass of the park, leaving me bloody and alone in the small spotlight.

I took a deep breath and fell to the ground against the frame of the phone booth, watching their shadows until my eyes couldn't follow the black shapes in the distance anymore. My head felt as if it were going to split in two, and the pain in my leg returned with vengeance. Warm tears began to streak down my face, stress and pain forcing the droplets from my eyes.

I sat there and cried for a few minutes, terrified I had made a huge mistake as I went over every word I had said. Was I too aggressive? Did I give enough reasons for Envy not to cross me? Would he follow through? Would I be able to follow through on the deal? My chest tightened at the thought, and threatened to bring more tears to my eyes.

I finally managed to calm down, realizing I needed to convince the world that Maes Hughes had been murdered. No matter how much I looked in the bushes, I could no longer find the pistol Envy had used to fire the bullet, leaving me to hope that soldiers wouldn't be able to find it either.

The amount of blood sufficient to convince them he had lost too much blood to be in very good shape was not a problem. Between his wounds and mine, at least a few pints had been spread across the crime scene, and I doubted forensics of this time period could tell our DNA apart and have it be viable in a court of law.

Now came the hard part - selling the story. I started at the phone booth, sure to soak the bottoms on my heels in the blood on the ground before sprinting as quickly as I could with my injuries away from the booth. Tears of pain ran from my eyes, making me look as terrified and as injured as I actually was. It wasn't long before I couldn't keep the pace up, and I slowed to a dogged limp.

Just as a bench where I could rest came into sight, a familiar voice called out.

"Sir, it is past curfew!" It was the guard who had arrested me when I first arrived, mustache and all. "Oh, Miss. Irish, I didn't expect you-" I fell down, my leg unintentionally giving out before I made it to the bench. At least it tied into my act. I had collapsed just a few feet from the pool of light a lamp post cast in the dark. But that light was enough for the two soldiers to see the slowly forming puddle of blood beneath me. "Wundt, go get a medic! Ma'am, what happened?" The soldier rolled me onto my back to observe the wounds better. "My God...Miss. Irish what-"

I reached up and grabbed the collar of his uniform and pulled his ear to my mouth.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is dead." I croaked, actual blood loss sending stars into my vision. I would barely make out the look of absolute horror on the man's face before the world faded to black, this time without the comfort of the Gate to welcome me.

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