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randombtsprincessa · 4 years

Text

Be My Teacher

Author: Randombtsprincessa

Characters: Jeon Jungkook x Reader (She/Her) (2nd person written in third perspective)

Words: 2.2k

Genre: Smut/Fluff

Rating: Mature (18+)

Summary: You ask your best friend turned boyfriend to show you how he likes his blowjobs.

Warning: I am swerving dangerously in the Jungkook lane. Discussion on BJs, explicit smut scene, detailed description of oral (male receiving).

A/N: Happy Birthday to bunny boy Jeon Jungkook! Banner is by yours truly! Let me know how you like it, thanks!

Music Companion - Myth Syzer - Bonbon a la menthe (Stwo Remix)

“So…you…hmm want, what?”

If you thought that you would get off scot free rolling your eyes at this moment, you would have. Granted, maybe it would’ve displayed a good bit of power play, considering you were on your knees but right now, it wasn’t about that.

At least, you were trying hard not to make it so – but it was so difficult when you were so used to doing so with him.

Jungkook was sat slouching in the easy chair in the living room of his ‘bachelor pad’. His legs parted, accommodating you to sit daintily upon your folded legs, already getting numb from the static position. The hem of his sweatshirt rose up just so, resting along his abdomen and giving you a tantalizing glimpse at his toned stomach.

For Jungkook, he would’ve opened his legs and allowed anything to be done to his body, because it was you. He had worked hard for you, and he knew you did the same for him. So when you’d moved in front of him, clad only in a soft cashmere shirt that was two sizes too big on you, it was obvious for him to turn off the game he was watching to give you all his attention

Especially, since you’d given him a smile that made hair rise up on the back of his neck and throat to go dry.

But when you’d sunk down, looking every bit the temptress that you were, innocent and big eyed and said that, well…he had to admit, he was confused and maybe mildly concerned.

“I want you to show me,” You repeated, slower for his benefit, “How you like head.”

Jungkook was already sitting up, elbows leaning against his knees. “Baby, it’s…you don’t have to, I mean, I don’t,” He was stammering, stumbling on his words as if he wasn’t an active young adult but then, he also knew that as your boyfriend, as your best fucking friend; he couldn’t allow you to think your blowing skills were subpar.

Considering that you and he had just recently gotten together after a brief stint of mutual pining and a clichéd confession. Nothing sexual, save a few minor kisses had happened.

“Kook,” He stopped at your sigh of his nickname. “Stop fretting so much; I just,” Your hands reached out, placing very deliberately on his knees, just shy of his elbows. “Want to make you feel good; just show me how you like it.”

The words were whispered, sending a small shiver down Jungkook’s spine. The earlier concerns about your sexual security in the relationship were long gone, replaced by the realization of your actual intentions.

You were teasing and gratifying him at the same time.

Fuck, how did he resist throwing you on to a bed and having his way with you for so long?

Very slowly, keeping his eyes on you as if you were going to pounce and chomp down on him, he returned to his slouching slump, hands bunching the hem of his shirt.

“I’d like anything you do to me.” He said finally.

“That’s nice, babe. I’d like to do what you want me to do.”

Fuck, Jungkook’s blood was racing, pounding through his ear drums. There was nowhere he could go, no where he could avert his eyes and by god…nothing more he wanted to do than fist your hair in his hands as you took his cock in your mouth.

“Okay,” He gritted his teeth, rubbing along the jean clad length of his thighs. “Okay.” He agreed.

Something glittered behind your eyes, something that he had been privy to for years now but was now on the receiving end of. It ignited a slow fire under his skin, flushing him with uncomfortable heat that signaled arousal.

He knew his cock was calling to her now, could almost hear its song, and he was absolutely sure you could.

He had this, he told himself.

You watched him headily, waiting his first instruction when you saw the same fire dancing behind his gaze that had made you approach him. You’d caught sight of him from his bedroom doorway, one hand fiddling with the remote and his leg bouncing.

Not the most alluring sight, you’d admit; but it was Jungkook. Would you be human if you didn’t find him absolutely delectable in any position?

And so, like a moth to his light, you drew closer, shucking off your trousers behind the couch.

“Unzip me, take it out.” He said and you blinked, accepting the first instruction and straightening.

Quick, eager fingers moved to the button of his jeans, deftly pulling the two sides of his pants together to undo the button, hooking your index around the zip to slide it down. Something nudged under your wrist and you couldn’t help but shoot me an impish grin.

Jungkook chuckled, his serious expression breaking like a storm cloud as he relaxed. His hips squirmed, rising up so you could pull the jeans and black briefs he wore down to the top of his thighs. The band constricted his legs, making him huff and tug them down lower till they were being kicked off completely, landing haphazardly somewhere behind you.

He watched your eyes run the length up his now naked legs, the muscles of his thighs flexing under the scrutiny when they paused at the one body part of his that required…no, needed, the attention right now. He wouldn’t be ashamed to confess, this whole thing was pretty damn exciting and it had reflected on his shaft, poking up and saluting you, infused with all his brain cells and then some.

“So,” His voice came out dry, gulping down saliva before trying again. “Um, touch it.”

Your pupils were blowing out, as you with no hesitation wrapped a hand around his base. Your grip was much looser than he was used to and he grunted in dissatisfaction. He looked at you, the twitch of your lips catching his attention.

“Tighter,” he ordered, a soft gasp escaping him when you immediately obeyed.

Minx, he laughed internally, you wanted him to be commanding? He’d give you what you wanted.

“Good girl,” He gave you a wide, all teeth showing grin when your eyes flashed up to him and fuck, he knew he’d hit the nail right on the head. “Now give it a tug.”

Your hand softened around the length, slowly rising up to the head before back down, repeating the action twice, thrice, four times. Jungkook let his head drop back, sighing in the relief of touch, of your touch. “Mm,” he glanced down at the dick, his head glistening with oozing precum and nodded at you. “Use it, make it wet before you use your mouth.”

The feeling of your thumb, rubbing along the softer, more sensitive head, dipping into the opening and collecting the near clear slick had him opening his mouth in a silent groan, feeling the pressure cause the liquid to drip down the shaft along with your hands, coating it in smoothness.

He looked down at you, your eyes fixed on his face, examining and relishing in each minute expression. His own eyes had completely blackened; the dark antelope eyes of his now blazing with restrained lust.

“Y/N,” His voice was hoarse, and he made no effort to appear cool and collected anymore. “Fuck, suck it. Please, take me in your mouth.”

Your gazes suspended for a full second, words no longer necessary. You kept your eyes on his, leaning in as slowly as you could, extending the period of anticipation for him when finally he could feel your hot breath waft across his glans. His eyes fluttered, unable to hold your eyes any further when you opened your mouth and deliberately placed the thick head on the very tip of your tongue.

It was experimental, being your first time sucking your new boyfriend and best friend’s dick. There was almost no taste of the skin itself, save for the near salty-sour combination of his precum. It flooded over your taste buds as you took him in deeper, pacing the inches, the width, finally letting it rest just at the back of your mouth, teasing your throat canal.

Over you, Jungkook had gone stiff. His eyes were closed, scrunched tightly, his big nose twitched, his bottom lip was gripped by his teeth so tightly you worried he’d bite it off.

You pulled his cock out, a ‘pop’ signaling him to grunt at the sudden loss of heat around him. He opened his eyes, looking at you.

“Relax, Kook,” You smiled, rubbing his head around the seal of your lips. “It’s just a blowjob.”

He so did not have this. Jungkook’s brain had short circuited, watching you with zero replies, zero retorts which was completely unlike him.

His eyes remained glazed when he saw you take him in again, deeper this time, your lips moving over the couple inches more that vanished inside the cavern of your hot mouth. He could feel your tongue laving over the vein on the underside of his cock, pressing onto the sensitive skin hard enough to send the jolt up to his diaphragm.

His hand moved, stroking over your head, feeling the smooth strands of your hair filter through his fingertips. The smell of your shampoo was in his nostrils, so familiar, so you and he wrapped a carefully collected bunch around his palm, examining the taut rein that he now held.

He had half a mind to yank, gently of course to not hurt or distract you from where you were still suckling on him but instead he chose to push you further down on him. He still had an eye on your face, taking in your sudden widening of the eyes and the parting of the mouth with satisfaction. He had one on you, he would’ve grinned – had your next move not scored you one more than him.

You dropped down on him with more force now, the tip of his cock brushing past the seam of your throat and straight past, breaching in. The muscles of your esophagus closed on him, further tightening in and Jungkook buckled under your hold, finally erupting in a restraint less moan that reverberated through the walls of the room and back to you. His hold tightened and slackened periodically, unable to make his mind to whether to guide you or just allow himself to be flooded away.

That one moan had you groaning as well, the feel of his copious slick coating your throat now having you close your own eyes and enjoying in just his sounds.

The taste of him, the musk of his skin surrounded you, invaded you and it felt so dirty but so enthralling, you wished for it to last forever. However, judging from the way Jungkook was squirming now, his hips canting and rolling to further get himself into you, mild thrusts accompanied by his grunting and groaning; you knew he was close.

His length throbbed, pulsated, engorging into your mouth itself, stretching your poor lips almost painfully but you’d be damned if you pulled him out now. Your hands catered to the rest of his length, slipping down to press down along his balls, tight and heavy from the building release you wanted deep in your throat.

“Babe – Baby – not going to last, god please,” His voice broke on the last syllable and you gave one final push to yourself, straining as you sunk down on him completely, your face almost burying into his lap.

And you gave one last, hard suck…

Jungkook came in a mess of trashing and choked expletives. His body arced off of the chair, nails digging into the arm rest and his feet bounced off the floor. His head bowed to his chests as he cursed heavily, none of them too coherent and you watched as his sweaty mop of hair flopped into his eyes. Thick streams of his release launched down your mouth, slipping down without even an effort to swallow while the rest painted across your lips and chin, dribbling over his clothes and skin as his violent climax nearly pushed you off of him.

You settled to rubbing your soiled hands over his length, set on milking out every drop of cum he had to offer, marveling when the rest of the clear, whitish liquid oodles out. He moaned at that, loud, swollen lips parting before he slumped back, boneless.

His fried brain didn’t stop him from grabbing onto you however, hold light around your wrist as he hauled you right off the floor and into his chest.

“Fuck; that was the best orgasm I’ve had in all my life and we didn’t even have sex yet.” He whispered; voice croaky from all the near screaming he did.

You laughed, your earlier bravado melting into shyness, your hands tugging at the sticky shirt that had become uncomfortable on your skin. You also needed to wash your hands.

“Kookie, let me up, I need a shower…and brush my teeth.” You tilted your own head against his, feeling him nuzzle against your chest for a moment, considering the request.

“Alright,” He huffed, releasing you so you could skip down the hall and shut yourself into his bathroom, leaving him behind to collect what wits he could find – an evil grin slipping onto his face at the prospect of returning the favor – before, his eyes drooped into a sated slumber.

#smutcentralnet #btsbookclub #ficswithluv #jungkook smut #bts smut #jungkook fluff #bts fluff #jungkook fanfic #bts fanfic #jungkook #bts #jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #jungkook x reader #bangtan smut #bangtan fanfic #bangtan fluff #be my teacher

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flowerflamestars · 4 years

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Nesta Under the Mountain: acowar remix

The first thing Nesta hears when she wakes up, is Rhysand.

Who is right by her bedside, waiting, apparently for this exact moment of her eyes opening and coherency on her face to say, with full High Lord gravitas: we would have gone with you.

Cassian, who has given up any pretense, and is literally on the floor between Rhysand’s armchair and Nesta’s bed, kicks him.

They didn’t know what happened to her- couldn’t find any wounds, any marks at all, but Nesta wouldn’t wake up. It’s Amren who insists, who sits perfectly still by her side for an hour and says- she did something. She did something like what I did.

Lucien, poisoned with faebane and stabbed in the heart, was lucky to be alive, in and out of consciousness. He’d been awake in the days that followed for just ten minutes. During which he used the hand Azriel was persistently holding to leverage himself out of bed, fallen, been caught by Azriel, and somehow dragged himself to Nesta’s side before passing out, stitches popped and bleeding.

There’s two beds in the room now.

Cassian doesn’t have the room to process- but he’s noticed, how he’s noticed- that Azriel has spent these days more than not like he is now: Lucien’s hand in both of his.

A frozen elegy, Lucien’s scarred knuckles, pressed to his mouth.

Nesta’s awake, and Azriel hasn’t dropped Luciens hand.

Listen, Cassian hasn’t slept in days. He thought, truly, Nesta was never waking up. That he was going to sit here and watch her slowly die. He’s absolutely not in his right mind. So he thinks: Oh. oh.

All three of them.

It’s not unheard of. And Azriel is, of course, one of the absolute best males that Cassian knows. Honorable. Strong. Beautiful. Of course, they’ve worked this out- Nesta is the most unflinching, brutally honest person of all of them. Lucien she can be loud with- Azriel she can be quiet with- enough love to burn the world, why should she give it to just one person?

(a smaller, quieter, sadder part of him that isn’t zipping through thoughts at the speed of light can admit- if it was going to be an Illyrian, if that was even an option- why couldn’t it be him?

...of course, it would be handsome Azriel over Cassian)

It’s too easy to picture- dark Azriel, vibrant Lucien, moon glow on the blackest night Nesta.

But none of that matters. Because Nesta is sitting up, and glaring at Rhys and looking like a person again. Looking down and finding Cassian, there on the floor, with a tiny, savage smile. A hesitation- a second, that goes on and on, Nesta’s lovely mouth perked up, her eyes steady on his.

Alive, alive, alive. Cassians imagines- thinks he’s only imagining- that he can feel the steady beat of her heart alongside his.

But then of course eventually Nesta twists to sit up properly, already braiding away the rumpled cascade of her hair. (Cassian’s hands ache to help). Turning, to look at Lucien, grey-tinged and too still in bed.

Azriel answered without needing to be asked, looking at Nesta with weary eyes, Lucien’s limp hand pressed to his cheek. (Cassian’s heart is on fire). Explains that the poison is cleansed and now it will only take time, that Lucien had demanded to see her. The first expression on Azriel’s face in four days straight: a quirk of his full mouth, the ghost of a fond smile, telling Nesta Lucien tore his stitches to get to her.

(Cassian feels a little sick)

Stupid asshole, Nesta will grumble right back, but in that tone that says I love you.

But Nesta will turn away, straight to Cassian, to ask: My sisters?

(Cassian is Not Okay. Cassian’s self-esteem issues are literally going to cockblock him and despite not leaving in days for more than a few moments, Cassian is suddenly desperate to get out of this room. The city. His own skin)

Cassian can recognize trust when he sees it. Swallows. Tells her they’ve been here too, Morrigan just dragged them away to eat. They’re downstairs- he can get them- he can-

The youngest Archeron crashes through the door with Nesta’s own cataclysmic sense of timing, and throws herself at her sister. Elain, a step behind, walks around Cassian to curl up on Nesta’s other side, skirts tucked carefully around her.

They want to know what happened- and Rhysand, with his usual grace, choses this moment to interject that he would like to too.

(The Cauldron, downstairs, cannot be moved. Reacts to nothing, unaffected by physical strength or magical inquiry. It is, in the end, creepy as fuck. The sisters like it.)

(Not to mention that Nesta- who has always had presence, even as a mortal- whose mean laugh and beautiful face and tendency to yell at him is absolutely some kind of catnip to Rhysie- Nesta now feels like danger. Not the kind you only have to look hard at her to see, that strength that is who she is. Like a High Lord. Something old. Something powerful.)

So Nesta tells them. The King, the Castle of Bone, the Cauldron, who would be a prisoner no longer. Of the reckless, insane thing she’d done when it seemed like they were doomed- of what the Cauldron gave.

(Cassian is glad he didn’t leave. Cassian might never leave her side again, no matter how much it will hurt. Nesta drowned herself in eternity on purpose.)

She doesn’t allow them to congratulate, to question- though Feyre does joke about Nesta seizing the crown.

Nesta looks past them all, to Rhysand. Tells him what she’d told Cassian, the words he’d been holding behind his teeth like succor: She wasn’t the only sister. Rhysand.

Linnea, Amarantha, Clythia.

Nesta Archeron had been dragged over the Wall to protect her sisters- been transformed against her will into a monster and chosen that life, in the end, to stop war from marching to mortal lands to them.

Amarantha was a monster. Clythia a mistake. Linnea, long locked away, the discarded eldest, would come to sow vengeance against Prythian’s Vengeance. Against Nesta Archeron and whole continent that had borne and made her.

The war was still coming.

The medical team arrives to do one more round of treatment for Lucien. Nesta, uninterested now that she can resist in being poked and prodded ever, stumbles off to her actual bedroom, deathgrip on Cassian’s arm she will absolutely not admit is keeping her upright.

She puts herself together. Bathes. Finds clothes. Looks, this time, in the mirror. She looks the same- her face had never changed that much. The subtle glow of immortality, the stupid knifeblade ears. But it’s still her face: her mother’s lathe cheekbones, her father’s plush, lying mouth.

Nesta is a monster, but Nesta is Nesta.

She marches downstairs, and shuts herself in the study with Rhys. Crossed her arms. Stands there, spine straight, feet spread, like she’s going to battle.

Clenches her tattooed hand so hard it hurts.

She tells him, I want to make a deal. You wanted me in your Court, to fight in the war for the Night. I’ll swear fealty. I’ll be your fucking weapon- just me, not Lucien- if you promise that no matter what happens, no matter who comes, you protect my sisters. To the last fucking breath, Rhysand.

Rhys stands up. Brushes a hand over his face like he’s thinking and abruptly, laughs.

Nes, he’ll drawl to the feverpitch of her temper that he definitely has an unhealthy fondness of. You don’t owe me shit. You freed Prythian. You killed Hybern. You tamed the Cauldron.

Is Velaris suddenly not your home? It’s not a trap. Archeron, you’re one of us, whether you wanted it or not. That means they are too.

Nesta: I am a private contractor.

Rhys: You’re so involved you’re basically my Third alongside Mor. We would have gone with you.

And that, in the end, is what does it. Rhys is such a goddamn liar- but that doesn’t mean Nesta hasn’t learned when he’s telling the truth. And he is now.

They would have gone with her- to kill a King. To save her sisters. To enact bloody, reckless violence.

Nesta sits down, steals his teacup, and says: Fine.

The problem is clear at once: Rhysand thought Linnea was dead. Everyone thought Linnea was dead. Information from when she did live is unclear at best- Amarantha’s half-sister, where Clythia and her had been born to the same unfortunate mother.

Half-mad, denied acknowledgment from her father. Clythia and Amarantha were generals, woman who dealt in violence. Linnea, when she’d lived- when she’d been known- was an alchemist.

What the hell is alchemy? Magic that isn’t ours, Rhysand says darkly. Magic that is unnatural, not quite real. Not the power inside you- the power you can steal from the world.

It usually doesn’t work. It usually kills the fae involved eventually.

They need more information- they need Azriel, and no one is about to suggest he move a muscle until Lucien wakes back up.

There’s a family dinner, eaten sprawled around the sickroom. Elain, Nesta learns, has made quick work of befriending Morrigan. Feyre’s recklessness- the mirror of Nesta’s- has ensured, with fearless wonder, that she’s absolutely comfortable here.

(This Rhysand, who knew and was in awe of Nesta first, might like Feyre...but Nesta is his contemporary. The idea that her baby, mortal, youngest sister might also be doesn’t occur to him. Not yet, anyway. There being three Archeron’s at all remains overwhelming.)

Cassian offers to fly Elain and Feyre back to the House.

It’s Feyre, with the sort of straight forward confusion that can’t be feigned, who says, after Cassian has set them down and is walking into the warm halls with them: Aren’t you going back? Oh, is Nesta coming here?

Cassian’s heart: ground zero. Cassian’s brain: just far enough from the explosion to be burning, burning, burning.

Elain, who is a lot more like Nesta now that she isn’t frozen in worry, frowning just a little. Not warning- something worse, abject disappointment: We can get settled on our own. Nesta told me she’s sleeping at the townhouse tonight, in case Lucien wakes.

Feyre, yawning: Oh right, bye Cassian.

And then Cassian is left alone, the doors shut.

Let us return to Nesta: feet propped up on the blankets of Luciens bed, quietly drinking whiskey. Watching, with a pang in her chest she��ll ignore and ignore and ignore, while Azriel- now that it’s just them, Nesta, who Lucien had explained to Azriel like this: I’d die for her. She’s my...Cassian. I’m always going to choose her, and if we do this you can’t hate that. Nesta, who is family- is gently braiding the riot of bloodred hair off Lucien’s face.

She handed over the half-full glass when he was done, and Azriel tossed the whole thing back. Said, eventually, as they sat there watching Lucien breathe together: that’s the first time Cassian has left.

Nesta, leaning even further back in the chair: Oh?

Azriel, with humor, steady in his deep voice: Rhysand had to make him let go so the healers could check you. He’s been in this room for a week.

Nesta, who’s still looking at the braids. Nesta, who’d woke and known that Cassian would have made sure her sisters were okay: Will he ever say anything?

Az: Does he need to?

Nesta, with a scoff: For me, no. For himself, yes. And then, softer. Thank you. For taking care of him.

They both know she isn’t talking about Cassian.

Azriel will just nod. Say, like it’s nothing, the bare truth: He’s all the light, in the entire world.

Nesta hears again Cassian, tearing through words like they hurt to say: you’re the whole world.

Nesta, aloud: And much too stubborn to die.

This, unfortunately, the last two sentences, are all Cassian hears, frozen outside the door.

He walks away.

The next day, Lucien awake, Rhysand will call them all together and divide up what must be done. Lucien and Az: information. Morrigan: the darkbringers. Cassian and Nesta: the Legions.

It’s time for Nesta Archeron to go to Ilyria.

@more-espresso-less-depresso-xx @rhaenystargaryn @morrkrii @just-a-starcrossed-writer @clolikescloquetas @did-you-miss-me221 @caotica-e-quieta

#once again split this up for some semblance of brevity #poor baby self-worth issues Cassian #acting like an adorable tool #Rhys! and Nesta almost friends #very almost #it was always a story about the love between sisters #and it will be #to the bitter #bitter end

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dianapocalypse · 3 years

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Alright y’all, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it’s time for me to share my playlist for the entire trilogy.

I’ve refined this over like six years so scientifically speaking it’s probably good right. oh also it’s four hours long. so if you have a road trip or a boring job, this one’s for you. disclaimer, it’s entirely possible I have garbage taste in music. I also missed some characters and moments because there’s 65 songs here and I am merely human.

If you don’t have the patience for four hours, I recommend starting at track 45 and listening to the end, as the Mass Effect 3 portion is the strongest in my opinion.

UNDER THE CUT FOR DESCRIPTIONS WE GO!

FIRST MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 1

1. Atlas - Coldplay Eden Prime

“Sometimes the wire Must tense for the note Caught in the fire, say oh We're about to explode“

I really like the atmosphere of this song. It’s ominous, but also somehow hopeful, and makes me feel like Something Huge Is Coming.

2. I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song - Constantines Paragon Shepard

“But I was also born and raised To always speak and listen clear To know the last sound that I make Could be the last sound that I hear“

OK, listen, I think this song is about vampires, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a metaphor or not. But I think this is a great song about controlling one’s temper, about knowing that you have to Rise Above the parts of you that want to lash out sometimes to get things done and have peace. Seeing as how paragon Shepard, to me, always seems like they’re three deep breaths away from snapping, but manage to keep it in check, it fits them to a T.

And also maybe they’re a vampire.

3. Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley Renegade Shepard

“So I let the rumors Turn me into a legend 'Cause I'm only human But a good myth is hard to kill”

This one’s a recent addition, but holy cow, I love it for Renegade Shep, particularly an Earthborn or Ruthless, but it works for any of them.

4. We Own the Skies - Five Iron Frenzy Joker

“My hands are bleeding where they often crack The stars will sometimes burn with longing Through the choking black Of night shifts piling each against the next”

This really vibes with Joker’s backstory for me, his super driven serious self in flight school, contrasted with who he is when he can fly a ship. He’s the best pilot in the goddamn fleet and I love him.

5. I Just Wanna See - Smash Mouth Kaidan Alenko

“Mister moon checkin' on how y'all livin' The stars all winkin' at the day that's dimmin' I just wanna see”

This song fits into his reactions to first showing up at the Citadel and his former romanticism about living in space. Ironically, it’s a song about Earth, but I feel like it works well for him. Also, Smash Mouth absolutely sounds like the kind of music Kaidan would listen to, no I will not be taking questions or constructive criticism.

6. Don’t Give Up - Noisettes Ashley Williams

“She's got a talented face and a suitcase Ain't got no desire to go no place In her case she's got no desire with her hand in the flame say's she don't feel the fire “

The energy of this song is just perfect for Ashley’s no-nonsense chip on her shoulder attitude.

7. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan The Council

“I was thrown in the boat/Cast out to sea Friendly with waves/There were sharks below Hungry for me/So I dangled my leg”

I mean, the title says it all.

8. The Captain - Guster Anderson

“Courageous, just like the captain Marching forward with no doubt in his head”

I have adored this song ever since my friend played it for me, and it’s the ultimate mentor-protégé jam for me.

9. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers Garrus Vakarian

“Here's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger Oh, with every move he makes another chance he takes The odds are he won't live to see tomorrow”

I have to poke a little fun at Garrus and how seriously he takes himself in Mass Effect 1. I romanced him across four playthrus, I’m allowed!

10. I’m Getting Too Old For This Shit - Kill Lincoln Urdnot Wrex

“This random apathy/I swear it's killing me But I guess it's all the same, till the devil knows my name”

I don’t know ANYTHING about this band, but this song fits Wrex’s disillusionment with the Krogan well, plus, like. The title. (And also, that he secretly DOES care what happens to the Krogan.)

11. Bird Song - Juniper Vale Tali’zorah nar Rayya

“I want to dance on the horizon line But there is something I am caged behind I have a heart made for take flight But I'm low, so low”

I adore this song and the sound of Juniper Vale in general. The etherealness of this one, combined with the youthful optimism, feels very Tali. The line about ‘something I am caged behind’ works well for the suits, too. This one’s especially good if you’re a Talimancer!

12. 11. Green Garden - Laura Mvula Liara T’Soni

“And I’ll fly on the wings of a butterfly High as a tree top and down again Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off Walk on the carpet of green velvet”

I really like this song’s vibes and I feel like Liara fits it well, particularly in ME1, before all her youthful optimism is stripped from her. The scenery descriptions feel very Thessia, too.

13. Feed Me (Git It) - Little Shop of Horrors The Thorian

“The guy sure looks like plant food to me!”

Do you get it. Do you get my joke. It’s because the Thorian is a plant that eats people. (I’m not funny)

14. Blindness - Metric Matriarch Benezia

“I was a blind fool, never complained All the survivors singing in the rain “

I don’t love the use of blind here as a negative, albeit metaphorical, descriptor, but I think this song fits Benezia’s indoctrination and death well. If you have suggestions for another, though, let me know!

15. Technologic - Daft Punk Saren

“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”

I just think it’s Neat

16. Watershed - Vienna Teng The Reapers

“ While you were building your empires I was still sleeping”

I think this is the song that inspired the entire playlist. Vienna Teng sat down and decided to write a song from the perspective of a natural disaster, and it’s so ominous and gut-wrenching.

17. Hourglass - The Hush Sound Virmire

“This is how it ends We believe every lie and say we'll be friends How long will it last? Before we scratch all the scripts and we rework the cast “

hahahahah rework the cast get it because you have to pick who DIES

Seriously tho I really like this song for Virmire and that moment of choice that feels like it lasts 100 years on some playthroughts.

18. Pompeii - Bastille The Siege of the Citadel

“ And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love”

Throwback to when this song was on the radio like three times an hour. Which is around the time I made the first draft of this playlist, incidentally! It’s such a good Final Battle Jam for the Citadel, and the part about “if you close your eyes/does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all” I think work really well for Shepard in this sequence. Shepard knew the Reapers were coming, had been fighting them all along; this attack on the Citadel is just retreading familiar territory for them, as horrifying as the war being brought to their doorstep is for the Citadel’s citizens and the council. James Vega has some good dialogue about that kind of thing in ME3.

INTERLUDE THE FIRST

19. Starships - Nicki Minaj The Normandy Crew

Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky

I like to have a little fun OK

20. Gravity - Yoko Kanno The Death of Commander Shepard

“Am I alone? is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet still the road keeps on telling me to go on”

Welcome to mood whiplash, it’s my specialty! This is the part where you die. I think it also works for her coma very well, when she’s just drifting between life and death, not sure what’s going on, but something keeps trying to pull her back to the world.

SECOND MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 2

21. The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy The Lazarus Project

“Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix “

this song has no right to go as hard as it does and if you think it’s melodramatic shut up

22. My Body Is A Cage - Peter Gabriel Commander Shepard

“I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow “

This works particularly well if you romanced The Virmire Survivor, but this song captures the energy of Shepard freaking out bc they are trapped with Cerberus, because Cerberus rebuilt their body from the ground up. That jarring, caged feeling is so palpable in ME2 that when they gave me back Joker the first time I played, I BURST INTO SOBS from relief.

23. The Lady is a Vamp - The Spice Girls Miranda Lawson

“That's all in the past, legends built to last But she's got something new”

Listen. She’s a bond babe. Handbags, heels and pistols rock. She’s got class. This is a song about Miranda. That is all.

24. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down Jacob Taylor

“ I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you “

This one’s about the Vibes for me. Also can apply to his past relationship with Miranda. I’m also super showing my age on this song, oof haha.

25. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie Colony Abduction

“Rows of deserted houses all Our stable mates highway bound “

I really like the mood of this one for showing up on the very first abducted colony, the eerieness and sadness of it all and Shepard’s resolve to do something about it.

26. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn Kasumi Goto

“I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion You ain't call the cops, you call the fire station”

THAT COUPLET ALONE MAKES THE ENTIRE SONG. I love how playful and cheeky it is.

27. Seven Nation Army Glitch Mob Remix - The White Stripes, Glitch Mob Zaeed Massani

“And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette”

Pretty sure we all had this on some playlist or another when it came out, and it’s the perfect Badass With A Grudge song.

28. Science is Real - They Might Be Giants Mordin Solus

“ And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science “

This one actually got added by my wife to replace a song that wasn’t on Spotify, but that has the same energy; Hank Green’s “I Fucking Love Science”. I get more into the emotional side of Mordin in the ME3 section, but I also really just love his Hamster On Coffee energy and this song captures it really well.

29. Prove Yourself - Radiohead Garrus Vakarian

“I can't afford to breathe in this town Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand Hooked back up to the cathode ray

I'm better off dead “

The absolute rock bottom mental state Garrus is in when you get back to him in ME2 is so heartwrenching. Might not always agree with my boy’s methods, but he’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

30. Rat a Tat - Fallout Boy Feat. Courtney Love Jack

“We are professional ashes of roses, this kerosene's live You settled your score, this is where you come to beg”

It helps that Courtney Love sounds exactly like Jack to me, NGL.

31. Defeat You - Smash Mouth Grunt

“Hey I know what you've done It makes it that much better to defeat you “

Only I am brave enough to put two songs by Smash Mouth on the same playlist, to be shared in 2021

32. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New Horizon/The Virmire Survivor

“If it makes you less sad I will die by your hand Hope you find out what you want Already know what I am “

Hits harder if you romanced the Virmire Survivor. Mostly from Shep’s perspective. This is a Shep that feels Bad after that encounter rather than Mad, so Your Mileage May Vary.

33. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae Tali’zorah vas Neema

“I'm an alien from outer space I'm a cyber-girl without a face a heart or a mind”

I just like the vibes of this one for Tali! I know it’s more about an actual AI but...IDK. I like it. So there.

34. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Thane Krios

“There is no pain you are receding A distant ship smoke on the horizon”

This song works both on a Literal level with his Kepral’s syndrome struggles, but also Metaphorical re: his Battle Sleep. Plus, Thane is a dad, so he gets Dad Rock.

35. My Medea - Vienna Teng Samara

“For I have made her prison be Her every step away from me And this child I would destroy If you tried to set her free “

Mom of the year award, here

36. Toxic - Britney Spears Morinth

“There's no escape, I can't wait I need a hit, baby, give me it You're dangerous, I'm loving it”

If Morinth weren’t so under-utilized after recruitment and didn’t get killed off in the background of ME3 I’d probably actually recruit her sometimes. I almost did on my most recent playthru bc that Shepard just HATES SPACE COPS. Anyway the song explains itself

37. Turn me On - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj EDI/The Collector Attack

“My body needs a hero Come and save me Something tells me you know how to save me”

I know this song is a metaphor but also it works really well both literally and metaphorically for Joker saving EDI

38. Robots - Dan Mangan Legion

“Robots need love too They want to be loved by you “

The Geth just want to live peacefullyyyyyy

39. Be Still - The Killers Love Interest Theme

“Be still / someday you’ll leave fearlessness on your sleeve”

This song works so well for the night before Omega-4. If you had an ME2 love interest, anyway. Also “fearlessness on your sleeve” is one of my favorite set of words ever written.

40. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire The Omega-4 Relay

“We know a place no spaceships go We know a place where no subs go “

This one’s pretty literal.

41. Rocketman - Elton John Suicide Mission

“ And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home “

I like sneaking some Classics onto my playlists, and I think this is how I generally approach Shepard’s mindset during the Suicide Mission, mostly the chorus. I’m also a sucker for ballads during action sequences. This one isn’t a perfect 1:1 but the Vibes check out.

42. Blast Off - David Guetta feat. Kaz James The Normandy Crew

“Got all my people with me And none of us give a fuck So put dem hands up higher Let's smash this party up”

You have to imagine they partied HARD after recovering from Suicide Mission, but before Shep got arrested, right??? This is the Starships for ME2.

INTERLUDE THE SECOND

43. I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara Liara T’soni

“ Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart Learning all I know now, losing all I did I never used to feel like I'd be standing so far ahead “

This feels like a good coming of age moment for Liara, as she copes with the choices she made in the 2 years of Shepard’s death (giving them to Cerberus), losing Feron, etc. This is her coming into her own as the Shadow Broker. She’s not meant to be an uncomplicated Big Damn Hero, but she can do good from this position.

44. The Well and the Lighthouse - Arcade Fire The Alpha Relay Incident

“I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again“

These opening lines I feel capture the Alpha Relay Incident really well, and how Shepard did what they HAD to do there, and would do it again, but it still feels like shit. I always wished there was more choice on that mission, but also, having something like that happen without player agency is interesting. Shepard is at their most interesting, I think, in times where we DON’T have a say in what happens to them.

45. Reignite - Malukah Commander Shepard

“Crush my heart into embers, and I will reignite”

Is it cheating to use a Mass Effect fan song on my playlist? I certainly don’t think so, and this is the best Mass Effect fan song ever written.

THIRD MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 3

46. This Is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars Leaving Earth

“It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie The moment to live and the moment to die The moment to fight, the moment to fight To fight, to fight, to fight “

It feels Too Easy to use this here but I’m gonna anyway. You’ve seen AMVs of this set to everything. It’s the ending song of DA:O. It’s the quintessential World At War song.

47. Battleborn - The Killers James Vega

“Up against the wall There's something dying on the street When they knock you down You're gonna get back on your feet”

James Vega is massively underrated and I will love him til I’m cold in the ground. Aro icon.

48. Handlebars - Flobots The Illusive Man

“I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let 'em all die of exasperation Have 'em all healed of their lacerations Have 'em all killed by assassination”

The way this song escalates fits TIM and Cerberus’s fall back into being Just Full On Evil really well. Perfect song for a power trip.

49. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists The Virmire Survivor

“And I am nothing of a builder But here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade To keep you home, to keep you safe From the outside world”

I like this song for how the Virmire Survivor feels about their survivor’s guilt and also about Shepard. I honestly wish they were both more heavily utilized in ME2 and 3, but I realize it’s hard to write a ton of content for characters who just aren’t in half of all peoples’ playthrus.

50. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless Grisson Academy

“One, two, three and four, the devil's knocking at your door Caught in the eye of a dead man's lie Show your life with your head held high“

This song is so perfect for Jack and her biotic kids that she’s one of the only returning characters that gets her own song on this playlist

51. The Great Fire - OK Go Javik

“But when the flames die down, and everything is gone, Will there be fire under the ashes still?”

Self explanatory. Javik is the fire remaining under the ashes.

52. Bring the Hammer Down - Paragon Priority: Tuchanka/Kalros

“ Hammer strikes the anvil A rage that breaks the chain Strikes down like a lightening In our ranks “

KALROOOOOS

53. Wake Up - Arcade Fire Curing The Genophage/Mordin Solus

“If the children don't grow up, Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to Rust I guess we'll just have to adjust”

I just really love this song as an image of Mordin’s spirit looking out over Tuchanka as the genophage cure is dispersed, and watching over future generations. If you didn’t cure the genophage, how dare you. No song for you.

Anyway started tearing up listening to this one while writing the description don’t look at me

54. Ballad of a Politician - Regina Spektor Councillor Udina/Priority Citadel 2

“A man inside a room is shaking hands with other men This is how it happens/Our carefully laid plans”

traitor

55. Cyborgs vs. Robots - Ludo The Geth-Quarian War

“But your iron fist will never knock me down 'Cause I'm powered By a conscious right to conduct my life without fear.”

This is probably a bit silly for this awful war. But also. It does fit. You can’t tell me it doesn’t. Just save them both at the end and you can feel fine having some fun with it!

56. Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton The Geth

“It's not a real heart It is a real artificial heart”

Just a little fun with the Geth! This works best with Reaper Upgrades.

57. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess The Citadel DLC

“What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”

I happen to prefer this version to any other because of how much fun it sounds like they’re having

58. Dark In Here - The Mountain Goats Priority: Earth

“Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside Tired of running, tired of never standing still Hear them riding up the hill“

You know I had to get the Goats in here. Would it be a fan playlist if there wasn’t one?

59. Adieu - Yoko Kanno Leaving your Love Interest/Shepard and the Beam

“My love for you burns deep inside me / So strong Embers of times we had And now, here I stand / Lost in a memory I see your face, and smile”

...do I need to say more than that?

60. My Way (Minor Key) - Chase Holfelder The Indoctrination of The Illusive Man

“Regrets, I've had a few/But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do/I saw it through, without exemption“

This cover takes this song from something I tolerate when I hear it to one of my FAVORITE songs. The frenzied way he sings the “through it all” verse is PEAK Indoctrinated TIM.

61. I’m Alive - Disturbed Refusal

“There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice To change myself, I'd rather die/Though they will not understand”

Honestly I didn’t “get” the Refusal ending until I heard this song, then I was like, OH, I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW. This is my favorite in-universe Shepard take on the Refusal ending. I always got it from the player’s perspective of being dissatisfied with the options, but this one puts it into the world for me. This is a Shepard who does not trust the Starchild. This is a Shepard that chooses to end things on their own terms rather than submit to their designs.

62. Machine - Regina Spektor Control

“I collect my moments Into a correspondence With a mightier power Who just lacks my perspective And who lacks my organics And who covets my defects “

I used to have Adieu here, actually, because like Refusal, I didn’t used to GET the Control ending. Now, I do, in part thanks to hearing this song. I mean, just go look at the full lyrics. If this song hadn’t been written years before the end of Mass Effect 3, I’d swear it was a fan song for it.

63. Maybe Tomorrow - Yuki Kajiura Destroy

“The moon is gone And the night is still so dark I'm a little bit afraid of tomorrow“

I’m a Destroy Ending person, I won’t lie. Full on “the starchild is a liar and my synthetic friends are FINE” indoctrination theory level destroy ending. But this song is not about that. It’s about the canonical destroy ending, and if you prefer a Shep that survives it, this song’s for you.

This song captures the exhaustion and melancholy of the end of a long journey so well. Shepard is afraid of what comes next, the collateral damage resulting from their actions. But they know that, at least, it’s over now. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

64. Waiting For the End - Linkin Park Synthesis

“ I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I wanna do is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got”

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The hardest part of ending is starting again. Oof. Gets me every single time. Shepard finding the resolve to sacrifice themself for the hope of something better, of things not going how they planned, ever, of learning to make peace with that and the people who loved them learning to carry on without them? OOF.

65. Shine - Vienna Teng Epilogue

“Shine with all the untold Hold the light given unto you Find the love to unfold In this broken world we choose“

Vienna Teng is a master of capturing life’s softer emotions, and this fits perfectly with the epilogue scene for me. Tell me again about the Shepard.

“Find the love to unfold in this broken world we choose” has to be one of the greatest lines about the human experience ever written.

#mass effect #mass effect legendary edition #no one's gonna listen to this #but i need the world to know it exists #it took me as long as the playlist is to put this together

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xyztrio721 · 3 years

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Holy shit, that Pokémon Presents was INSANE. I’m going to write down some of my thoughts, but they will be under a Read More, because I have a ton of them.

Okay, so first off, some of thoughts that I had about the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl section of the presentation:

#1: The Sinnoh Grand Underground. I had a feeling that the Sinnoh Undergrund was coming back, but I was not expecting the Pokémon Hideaways at all. Maybe this could fix the issue with Fire-type Pokémon in the original Diamond and Pearl (assuming that this will be a potential issue in BDSP)?

Also, like I said yesterday: Will we be able to play with other players over WiFi in the Sinnoh Grand Underground? They didn’t answer that question in the presentation.

#2: They really made Contests into a rhythm game, huh?

#3: The background for the battles against the Galactic Grunts looks cool, but the background for Cyrus’s battles... that looked AWESOME.

#4: I still have questions about that statue in Eterna City. Is something going to happen with Dialga and Palka at some point in BDSP? The trailer didn’t give us any hints.

Now for some of my thoughts on Pokémon Legends: Arceus:

#1: POKEMON CAN KILL YOU.

#2: Stantler and Basculin have evolutions now? And there are regional variants for Growlithe and Braviary? Hell yeah!

#3: Interesting to know that Sinnoh had another name back in the day, that being Hisui. I wonder if some of the other regions had different names back then?

#4: Is Mt. Coronet a volcano? The red coloring at the top of the mountain seems to hint at this. Either that, or it turned red due to... whatever that was that caused the Pokémon to go berserk.

#5: I can already tell that the Galaxy Expedition Team has some sort of ancestral connection to Team Galactic. I mean come on, that logo looks suspiciously like the Team Galactic logo.

#6: What the hell is the combat system in this game? It probably isn’t as complicated as I think it is, but I’m not sure, and this is coming from someone who’s played Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

#7: It seems like there are rewards for reaching a certain milestone in the Research Tasks. The trailer didn’t say anything about that, but surely, you will be awarded for knocking out 15 Shinx with a Ground-type move, right?

#8: Preferred Foods and Items Carried? What is the purpose of this information?

#9: How would transferring Pokémon from Pokémon Legends: Arceus to Pokémon HOME work in-universe? Like, would the protagonist see a highly complex piece of machinery, put a Poke Ball into it, and magically transport the Poke Ball into the future?

And to end this post, I have one final thought on a specific spin-off game: Pokémon Café ReMix.

That name change is going to throw me off so badly, since I’ve been playing Pokémon Café Mix for about a year now. I’m going to have to remind myself, “It’s not Café Mix anymore, it’s Café ReMix.”

#pokemon #pokemon presents #pokemon brilliant diamond and shining pearl #pokemon legends: arceus #pokemon cafe mix #pokemon cafe remix #for anyone who's wondering #I don't have any thoughts on Pokemon UNITE Masters EX or GO #I don't play either one of those three games #and I'm not interested in playing them #Actually I've played Pokemon GO #but I'm not interesting in returning to the game #sidenote I probably shouldn't use the acronym BDSP to refer to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl #it looks way to much like a certain other acronym

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writing-the-end · 4 years

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WS Chapter 45- Runaways

Previous Chapter

Masterpost

Oof...this chapter hits in the feels. I’d say in our hero’s journey, this is the wanderers’ lowest moment, their abyss. I just want them to be friends, but also....angst. This chapter has a song I highly recommend- Runaways (Wild Culture Remix) by Sam Feldt & Deepend ft. Teemu.

Red belongs to @theguardiansofredland

Ecto belongs to @cooler-cactus-block

Ecto has been to places she’s never seen before since she met Red and Avon. Her whole life was spent in the massive desert she called home. She knew other biomes existed from the stories held within dusty old tomes and even dustier old traders. But she never felt the need to leave the comfort, the safety of the desert. It had everything she knew, everything she needed. When everyone and everything else abandoned her, the resilient sand and cactus stayed. She didn’t want to go on this adventure at first.

But with everything she’s seen, everything she’s experienced, she couldn’t think of anything better than the journey they’ve taken. Ecto has seen places she could never imagine, colors she could never dream of. Forests with trees so tall they scrape the sky, or so thick they block out the sun. There was the mesa, rusty sand and the first time Ecto had been able to collect cactus in what felt like forever. To feel the tough skin and sharp spines, the crunch and pop as she bit into one. Ecto also saw an ocean for the first time. She still can’t wrap her mind around so much water, just sitting there. Undrinkable. And that Red grew up in all of that. She saw snow fall, both beautiful and deadly. Soft and Sharp.

Since they left Red’s home, she’s seen even more. Thin, spindly bamboo growing from the edges of a thick, vibrant forest. Similar to what they saw in the hermit world. Stony shores and mountains that the wanderers had to clamber and climb through. Well, most of them- Avon would simply fly over and wait for them. Birch forests with trees who haunted white trunks in the shadows of night.

And each night, Ecto can only think of the hellspawns. Questions fill her mind, concerns fill her stomach. Why do they attack the wanderers? What have they done to cause all this? What are they planning? How did they even get it to snow in a desert? Is her desert still covered in snow? Will it ever be the same again? She’s concerned for her home, for her cacti. She’s concerned that the hellspawns are only growing stronger with each minute they continue to run. Continue to avoid the problem. Fleeing with their heads bowed and tails tucked.

The campfire blazes bright, casting tall, menacing shadows across the dark, thick oak trees. Shadows lengthen across Avon’s stormy face, darkening her sharp purple eyes as she leans into the warmth. She hardly talks anymore, and anything she does say is short and to the point. She only responds when necessary. Red told Ecto that she acted this way when they first met. Cold, dark, silent. Always within her own mind, separate from reality. Separate from the other wanderers.

Red stands up from her seat next to Ecto, footsteps shuffling across the dead detritus. She sits down next to Avon, and scoots into Avon’s wingspan. Her voice is a cautious whisper, rising slowly from her lips. “Avon? When we get the egg back do you think they’d like it if I read them stories? Did Jeane like stories?”

Avon’s eyes squeeze shut, a grimace morphing the shadows on her face to look demonic. But both Red and Ecto know never to call Avon the m-word. Avon swallows down her emotions. “Jeane loved stories.”

Red grins, poking at the campfire with a stick. Watching the flames dance and embers flare into the sky. “When we get the egg, I’m going to tell it a story every night.”

“How do you know we’re getting it back?” Avon’s voice cracks at the question. She wants to believe that they’ll get Jeane’s baby back, she really does. But false hope will get them nowhere. Avon immediately wishes she could take her words back when she sees Red’s face. It looks like she just slapped him, ran her trident through his heart.

“The longer we wait, the less likely we’ll be able to get it back” Ecto hisses, looking across the fire at Red and Avon. It was always them two, with Ecto tacked on. They started this journey together, and they always seemed to side with each other. Even when Ecto’s ideas were employed, they were always strange to them. They probably wouldn’t notice if Ecto disappeared. They’d be happy to have a weirdo gone.

Red’s lip quivers, not wanting to think of the dragon egg being destroyed. An egg a thousand years waiting, a thousand years of love and care and devotion by it’s late mother. To think that it could be killed, all that work dashed away. And a life lost. Red has seen too much death these past few weeks. He’s not sure if he could handle any more.

“Rushing into the nether will only get us killed as well as kill the egg. They’re baiting us.” Avon’s wings don’t rise like they normally do, trying to make herself bigger. They tuck closer to her body, becoming defensive. Pulling Avon’s flat hair taught, the constant running of her fingers through the curls taming the gilded mane. Red’s cheeks grow rosy, holding back the whimper rising in her throat. She doesn’t want to die.

“We’re only pushing off the inevitable. For all we know, that egg is already crushed and they’re just sharpening their blades to come for us next! We’re strong enough to take those hellspawns on, if we work together!” Ecto stands to her feet, her brown hood falling free of her head, her chocolate hair curling free from her. Pointing out like spines of a cactus. The orange firelight and her orange scarves burn bright together, fabric dancing with the flame in her eyes. A weak gasp and a few wet streaks escape from Red. Both of these options are horrible, the dangers and demises they pose.

Avon rises, pulling her trident free from its sheath between her wings. She’s feared exactly what Ecto says, the same thoughts plaguing her head every night. Chasing away sleep. But to hear it spoken aloud…

Ecto’s blade rises, but less for a fight and more for defense. She’s tired of always having to prove herself, always being the scapegoat to other people. The problem, the issue at hand. She doesn’t want to fight Avon, she doesn’t want to hurt her friend. But at this point, she just wants to prove she’s right. They’re ready to take on the nether. That with their fighting skills, they could take on anything.

Red squeaks, falling off her perch on the log as Avon lunges, and the two clash once more. It’s been a long time since she’s seen such anger, such fever in her friends’ eyes. They’ve dueled, practicing against one another. Training to be stronger. And they’ve fought side by side, tooth and nail to keep each other alive. But as blood is drawn, sizzling against the burning wood, Red knows one thing.

All their progress has been lost. Weeks and months of bonding, of working together and learning to understand one another is falling apart. They’re being torn at the seams, becoming people they’ve never been before. Avon’s become irrational, Ecto has become strategic, and Red?

Red has become angry. He watches blood fall from a cut on Avon’s cheek, a slash on Ecto’s arm. Ecto tackles Avon to the ground, grabbing at her cloak and using it for leverage. Avon opens her wings, knocking herself free of Ecto. The two clash, wounding each other more and more. They’re a perfect match in battle, all the time training. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Ecto won’t back down from a fight. Avon won’t quit until she’s unconscious or dead. Red’s friends won’t stop until they’ve proven themselves.

Prove themselves with what?

Ecto’s teeth and blade grind, metal against metal and tooth against tooth. It’s a pushing match between the two, focused on outmatching the other. So when Red’s voice shouts over the scraping blades, it surprises both of them. “Would you two both just fucking stop for once? Don’t you two idiots see this is what they want? They’re tearing us apart, they’re winning! And you two are letting them! Those stupid hellspawns don’t have to do a thing, because you’ll rip each other apart for them!”

Ecto and Avon look away from their fight, to Red. Tears fall across a face marred by anger, by frustration boiling over. Red’s patience has worn thin, and is ripping apart before their very eyes. “We have been through so much together, we have dealt with so much bullshit. We have gone through so much and you two are letting those assholes tear us apart!”

They both retreat their weapons. Red wipes the rivers of pain from her cheeks, a strangled cry popping all her resolve. She takes one, two, three steps back, before turning. Disappearing into the night, into the thick forest.

You finally did it. Good job, Ecto, you finally got them to run from you. Ecto takes her own step back, watching Avon grow distant both physically and emotionally. She wipes the blood off her face. Ecto feels an ache in her chest, like being shot in the heart by a poison arrow. People yelled at Ecto before, but none of them hurt like Red’s shouts just did. She tested the patience of his tolerance, and now suffers the consequences.

Ecto hears Avon’s wings open, a few flaps before hovering in the sky just above the thick canopy. Alone again. Abandoned, cast out. Just like always, the people she called friends have left. Things never change, as sure as the setting sun.

She nearly jumps out of her skin when Avon returns to the ground. Actually speaks to her. “I think I saw Red. We need to find him.”

At least he can help them before they leave. “Where’d he go?”

Avon points her trident to the north, thrusting it deep into the dark oak shadows. “Towards a mansion. Deep in the woods.”

#wandering stars #red #ecto #avon #minesona #mcsona #minecraft persona #im sorry ecto you get the angst this chapter #writing #minecraft #mineblr

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tentoriwrites · 5 years

Text

Set Adrift: The Charbee Remix

For Charbee week day 4 for the song Back to Life by Hailee Steinfeld

I always played around with the idea of there being multiple factions of Cybertronians with specialized tasks/functions. I really latched on to the scientists/engineers because someone had to develop all that super advanced tech. But also they would have so much drama because both sides would want them. I found a great way to write in 2 of the main characters but never had a great way to bring in the third as she was completely a non-combatant. ENTER CHARBEE!

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Bumblebee’s optics went wide as he thought back on the time he stuck his finger in the outlet at Charlie’s house. He looked away embarrassed by the stupidity of the action. Little did he know the ramifications of such a simple act would be so widespread and… ongoing…

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Prologue:

The universe is full of innumerable stars. Rotating around those stars are even more planets. What makes this one so special? At first I didn’t understand, but then I finally went there. It was full of organic life and energy. I knew the moment I landed it would be perfect for the experiment. So, I released them: enough nanobots to make thousands of Energon batteries. Enough to power a Cybertronian colony for far more cycles than would ever be necessary. This whole system was a proof of concept. No matter where we Cybertronians went, we would always have a source of Energon.

As soon as the nanobots were released on this pale blue dot the results were immediate. I was extremely optimistic. I left the experiments to run as I retreated to the observation bunker established on a moon in the far reaches of the system. I went into stasis to conserve energy and woke up periodically to check on the experiments and receive reports from home.

As you might imagine I missed a lot existing like this. But I knew about the war and that it was escalating at a frantic pace. The war and my experiment seemed to be poles that could not coexist. The better my experiment went, the worst things seemed to go at home. The transmissions kept coming until one day they spotted altogether. I denied it for as long as I could, but I understood what that meant. The Prime Constructors was gone and the only reason for that was denying the Decepticons. I took precautions against those who would try to use my experiments for their own ill deeds. In my processors I said I was neutral, like all Constructors, but in my Spark I hoped the Autobots would win. that hope to hold on to, I went to sleep for the last time.

A bot tall and slender in frame but devoid of all the color floated gently up and down in a cryo-stasis chamber. The frost on their silvered metal panels tinkled as it melted away. It was time for the annual check on their experiment. They had created a countless number of nearly imperceptible nanobots and flooded all the planets of this solar system with them. It was a first of its kind experiment for the Cybertronians. Each bot collected energy from any and all available sources and converted it to Energon. Once the bot was fully charged, it floated towards the collection point on the planet and deposited it. Once the batteries were full, they could be collected and transported back to Cybertron.

The Cybertronian stretched out their arms over their head before floating over to the console on the far side of the room. Tiny boosters on the tips of their transparent wings gave them the propulsion they needed to move in the zero-gravity space. Once they were seated, they slid their hand against a flat space marked off by a frame on the console. It lit up with a gentle yellow glow a moment after they touched it.

“Constructor designation.” A synthesized voice filled the darkened room.

“C-377.” A less synthesized female voice answered.

“Project Identification number.”

“1284092186.”

“Hello, C-377. I hope you slept well.”

“I did, thank you.” She looked up at the screens as they buzzed to life.

“I have compiled the latest data on all 10 planets in this system.”

“I see them on the screens now. The numbers for some planets are a little disappointing, I must say. However, planet 3 has been an extremely lucrative source of energy.” She put her free hand to her chin a moment. “There has been a very large spike in the last 100 years. But then it drops off steeply.”

“Yes.”

The Cybertronian started to speak again but the computer cut her off.

“There was a huge spike in Energon detected. The spike caused the nanobots in the area to realign with the Cybertronian responsible for the spike and become unresponsive to outside communications. This caused a cascade effect until all the nanobots on the planet had become realigned.”

The Cybertronian’s purple glowing optics went huge. “W… wh… what… faction?” She was shaking so violently her hand almost pulled free from the console.

“The surge was caused by an Autobot designated B-127.”

The Cybertronian visibly eased, sinking into her seat at the news.

“The Decepticons can never have this technology… They’ll just use it to destroy ev…” Her chilled declaration was cut short by an alarm blaring. The security system was alerting her to a breach. “Activate emergency protocol alpha.”

“Understood. Preparing full transfer to remote station Beta.” The small, underground base started whirring with life.

The Cybertronian’s hand was released from the console as the computer listed each step in the protocol being fulfilled in the background. “Launch the backup and my escape pod to Earth then full wipe.”

“Understood. Preparing to launch decoys. Randomizing decoy coordinates. Power and memory transfer to ARC initiated.”

“Time to breach?”

“Irrelevant. Please proceed to escape pod.”

“But… Yes… Understood…” She couldn’t argue with the computer as power was already being diverted to a black monolith. The lights dimmed and the alarm turned off. The bot drifted into a random escape pod. The black monolith joined her in a different, random pod.

“Transfer complete. Launch sequence activated. Final shut down commencing. Creator protect you.”

The tube shook violently as it hurtled towards space. Moments before cresting the top of the tube, the screen in the escape pod started blinking errors. A camera on the outside of the pod showed fire surrounding it. Something likely set off the self-destruct trying to disarm it. While she was happy no one could get anything out of the base, she hoped against the odds the pod survived the trip to the third planet. Much to her dismay, the alarm blared on…

The sky burned as a Cybertronian pod streaked across the blue expanse over the planet Earth. Pieces broke off and burned away in the atmosphere causing a showy display of friction's power. It came to rest in a dry field in the middle of nowhere at the base of a tree. The scorched dirt pit left in the wake of the landing alien smoldered and it wouldn't be long before humans found the site. With great effort the figure rolled over and pushed themselves to their feet. The journey had taken far longer than they had thought but soon it would all be over. The mission was the only thing that mattered now.

“Halt!” A voice called with a musical quality and the figure turned around slowly.

“Auto...bot... Thank goodness...” The clearly female alien replied weakly just before falling to her knees. Any scans indicated that she had been severely damaged from the entry. She was dying before his very eyes! He immediately disarmed and moved to her side. “I have a very important message to deliver to you Autobot. I am one of the last of the Constructors and charged with an experiment put into motion on this planet... No time...” She explained as quickly as she could with her dying body.

Bumblebee dropped her and backed away. A look of disdain colored his normally genial features.

She chose to ignore the familiar coldness her faction afforded her and pressed on. “After I die the information must be pulled from me. They are on their way... Decepticons... Not sure... how much... they got out of lab...” Her optics flickered so dim light could barely be seen within them as Optimus and the others arrived.

“Bumblebee! Report!” Optimus barked as he transformed and ran up to his ally. “A neutral?” He gasped in a voice stricken with an ill feeling as he kneeled down next to the ailing creature. “A Constructor?” She nodded slowly before falling to the dirt completely.

“A Prime...? How fortunate...” A smile was clearly written on her face as her life faded away.

“Out of the way!” Ratchet grumbled as he gingerly moved between Optimus and the slain. “Her injuries are grave. I haven't seen anything in this bad of shape in awhile...” He looked her over briefly before shooting her three times with his special regeneration laser. She jumped and twitched and he quickly set to work attaching a thick cable to a port in her back. “She needs an energy transfusion... What's this?” He wondered spotting a foreign black cube deep in her back. “It's a retrofitted piece connected on a molecular level with nanomachines... It appears to be some sort of energy collection or converter... But it's been disabled.” He awkwardly reached a finger into her back and poked the unharmed box.

Suddenly, her wings spread out and became covered in a transparent film. After a few moments she gasped and her eyes shot open. “The energy converter worked!” She half shouted as she twitched back to life.

The Autobots in attendance looked at her dumbstruck.

“I need to find the monolith…” No sooner did the words leave her mouth she passed out again.

“She's not very stable at the moment... We'll have to be careful...” Ratchet explained checking her status. “Right now, that converter is the only thing keeping her functional.” With that being said he got to his feet and started hauling her away unceremoniously over one shoulder.

“All right you heard Ratchet! We have to get her back to the base!” Optimus ordered as he started to transform into a semi-truck. “I’ll carry her in the back.”

A flurry of whirring radio dials punctuated Bumblebee’s reaction as he searched for songs to speak with. “Something… you need to know… easier… if… she's… dead...” Bumblebee looked up at Optimus with his displeasure clear on his face. “Shouldn’t… we… let it be?”

“No information could be worth her life... She's been through much to get here and I'm certain once she's had time to recover, she can tell us everything we might need to know.” Optimus replied as the hum of a plane grew closer. “Autobots! Roll out!” It was clear Optimus was ignoring the callousness of the comment.

“I… will… guard… her…”

As they rolled back to the Autobot base on Earth, the being stirred weakly. “You.” There was a long pause before the Constructor went on in a quiet voice. “You are the one who started all this.”

Bumblebee tried to ignore her, but her persistent staring finally prompted a response. He cocked his head to the side. “Misunderstanding” by Phil Collins started playing.

“You have lost your voice?” She looked up at the open roof wistfully. “It must have been an accident then.” She took a deep breath. “You created an Energon surge that interfered with an experiment I was conducting on this planet. It caused the nanobots I brought here to align with your energy so they no longer respond to me.”

“That means we must protect you at all costs until the nanobots can all be removed from the planet.”

“You should rest now. You can explain yourself later when we can all hear it. But I would prepare yourself now, Constructor. Not all Autobots have a favorable opinion of your kind.” Optimus commented stoically.

“I… I can understand that sentiment.” With that she closed her eyes and went into stasis again.

After returning to the base, the newest Cybertronian was offloaded for repairs. Optimus and Bumblebee waited patiently nearby as they discussed their next move.

“What do you think, Bumblebee? Is she someone we should trust?” Optimus turned to the yellow bot.

“Danger Zone” started blaring loud enough to wake the dead.

“I understand your feelings on Constructors. However, they only did what they felt was best for Cybertron. Is that really any different than what we did?” Optimus tried to reason with Bumblebee.

Bumblebee shook his head wildly. “So, what difference does it make? It makes none.” A line by The Smiths accompanied the action.

Optimus sighed heavily. He started to say something but was cut off by Ratchet.

“Well I can safely say this is my best work...” Ratchet sounded quite full of himself as he came out with the Constructor in tow. He had replaced her missing plates with smooth steel. “She explained that box to me as well so we'll have to move her while she recovers. She needs a place with more light.” He added cracking his hands as he stopped where Optimus and Bumblebee had acquainted themselves.

“What is it?” Optimus asked looking over to him.

“It's a miniature version of an experimental system the Constructors implemented here on Earth in a closed circuit.” Ratchet explained with a smile. “It was developed on the off chance the experiment failed. She brought many unused copies with her!”

“So that's the black box we picked up not far from her crash site.” Optimus added thoughtfully.

“YOU FOUND THE MONOLITH?!” The Constructor nearly collapsed in her relief. “Th… that monolith is very important to me.”

Bumblebee’s optics narrowed sharply and “Danger Zone” started blaring again.

“Bumblebee…” Optimus chided him gently and the yellow bot huffed.

The Constructor looked a bit hurt but went on. “I am Constructor C-377. I specialize in nanobots. I developed nanobots that absorb energy in all its forms and delivers it to batteries. The batteries were to be sent back to Cybertron…”

“Cybertron… has fallen.” Arcee answered solemnly offering her comrade a comforting pat on the shoulder.

“Oh…” All of the Constructor’s excited energy evaporated like fog in the sun. “I… see…” Sparks lit up as her fingers dug into her hand. “Well then… I guess… a new end goal for the experiment is necessary.” She nodded solemnly as she walked over to the monolith. She placed her hand on the surface and it immediately lit up with a gentle purple light.

“Should this experiment yield the desired results then we will be able to build a new home planet for our race.” Ratchet began with his smile beaming wider with each word. “It is capable of converting solar energy into Energon!” The news completely shocked everyone in the gathering.

“This is great news!” Arcee cheered in uncontained happiness.

“It’s not that easy.” The Constructor injected quickly. “The nanobots are designed to seamlessly integrate into whatever they are gathering energy from. So, they can become anything. If you cannot see why that might be a problem then you had better reconsider your intelligence level.

“We should give you a code name.” Wheeljack finally interjected.

“Familiarity with me is not advisable. I will only be on this planet long enough to remove the nanobots and any threat they may cause. My association with this planet will only serve to endanger it further.”

“She is a true Constructor...” Ironhide shook his head bitterly. “I've never met one but I would bet they're all just like this. Loners who don’t think they need anyone and don’t care about anyone.”

The Constructor deflated a fraction, but it was still enough to be noticeable. “I will need an energy sample from B-127 so I can start reprogramming the nanobots. Please place your hand on the monolith.”

“No sugar tonight.” Blared through Bumblebee’s radio.

"I don't think you understand what's at stake here." She started with hurt in her voice. "The nanobots can be reprogrammed to do anything... become anything. Power supplies, weapons, defenses..." The meekness in her voice faded as she spoke, replaced the a genuine passion. "If the Decepticons get a hold of them, they would be able to destroy anyone who opposes them!"

"Why would you put such a dangerous experiment into action at a time like this?" Ironhide voiced his suspicions openly.

A perfectly logical question she gave an honest answer to. "The experiment was started before the war." She started to deflate once again. "Had I known it would come to this... I... never would have..."

Just before her voice faded into nothing the monolith whirred loudly before disappearing completely. Her optics went huge and she started shaking. The plates of her body clinked gently, but audibly. "A Decepticon is here..."

An uproar immediately erupted from the Autobots. Some went on the defensive, seeking out the enemy. Others went on the offensive against the Constructor.

"I knew she couldn't be trusted!"

"Constructors only care about their experiments and creations!"

"She probably is a Decepticon herself!"

"She must have led them here!"

"I'm not a Decepticon!" Though she was quick and vocal in asserting this, she deflated quickly again. "But I may have led them here without meaning to." She shrank away from everyone, clutching her arms around herself.

"Enough!" Optimus's resonant voice silenced all others. He placed a firm hand on the Constructor's shoulder. "We will judge her guilt based on evidence after we eliminate the Decepticon threat."

The familiar whir of a plasma gun charging and firing in the distance ended any further discussion. Optimus did a quick head count and looked confused.

"The threat has been eliminated." The Constructor whispered looking over in the direction the sound came from.

"How can you be so certain?"

"My monolith is back." She pointed toward the source of the shot. Sure enough, one could see a peek of the monolith floating lazily in the air. Closer investigation revealed a small, smoking crater with the remains of a small Decepticon spy at the bottom. Her whole countenance grew grim as the monolith wafted to her side. "I warned you the nanobots are dangerous. Now the Decepticons likely know B-127 controls them."

“Your monolith is made of nanobots then?”

“Yes.” She answered quietly. “But they only respond to me. They cannot be overridden like the ones on this planet.” She turned to look at Bumblebee resolutely. “The Decepticons will stop at nothing to gain every advantage they can. If you will not help me save the experiment here. Please help me shut it down. The nanobots can be ordered to permanently fuse. Order them to fuse into batteries and all of you will have a viable source of Energon for the foreseeable future. Once it’s done, I’ll leave and never come back.”

Once again, Bumblebee pulled away.

“They will stop at nothing. The place where your Energon surged was a residential area. They will start there first.”

Bumblebee’s face instantly snapped back to hers.

“They will take hostages and once they do, those hostages will die. It doesn’t matter if you agree to help the Decepticons or not.”

Bumblebee looked visibly distressed now. His optics swiveled around for a moment before he shoved past the Constructor and turned into a bright yellow car with black stripes. As he did, the monolith disappeared again.

“We have to protect him at all costs!” The Constructor yelled and she took off after him on foot. A moment later she spotted an old, beat up truck from the 40s roll by. She quickly scanned it and used it as her cover. Following a faintly iridescent line of nanobots, she was able to follow Bumblebee even if she could in no way keep up with his reckless driving. Eventually she pulled in at a house at the end of a cul de sac. Bumblebee was honking his horn trying to get the attention of someone in the house.

“I wondered who could possibly be honking so much!” An older women excitedly declared as she rush out of the house. “Charlie’s going to be so excited to see you when she gets back, Bumblebee.”

Bumblebee struggled through finding the right song lyrics to convey the urgency of the situation. Seeing him struggle so, the Constructor spoke instead.

“Where did she go and when will she return?”

“Oh? A girl…” The older woman gave Bumblebee a knowing smile. “I’m so glad you found someone special, Bee~~~ I was just telling Charlie it would be nice if you found you a nice lady bot and settled down. She didn’t seem to like that for some reason.”

“It’s not that kind of arrangement. I am in need of his assistance.” The Constructor answered simply. “Where did Charlie go and when will she return?”

“She went to the store for me and should be back anytime now. Is… Is something the matter?” The woman was clearly worried now.

“No. I simply wanted a name. Bumblebee said Charlie gave him his name. She might select one for me as well.” It was pure fabrication to minimize collateral damage.

“Awe… That’s so sweet! I’m sure Charlie would be so happy to meet you and give you a name!” The older woman bought the explanation wholesale as a smile crept across her face that spoke to how adorable she thought the situation was. “There she is now!” She flailed her arms in a wave.

The pair of Cybertronians backed around to see a red car coming down the street. An arm reached out and started waving wildly. Suddenly, a shimmer on the air caused the view to be distorted.

“That vehicle…” The Constructor whispered.

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop causing Charlie to slam into the steering wheel. Bumblebee revved his engine in a hostile display. It was clear he already knew what the Constructor was about to say.

“That vehicle is a Decepticon.”

Bumblebee’s engine revved loudly again.

“B-127 if you would like this human returned unharmed you will come to the coordinates indicated on this tracker.” A map shot out of the glove box and fluttered to the ground, almost comically slow, in front of the Decepticon. With Charlie still inside, they turned into a plane and flew off.

Bumblebee shifted out of car form and pointed his plasma gun at the retreating plane. He quickly thought better of it since Charlie could get hurt if the Decepticon crashed or jettisoned her.

“We should regroup with the Autobots and plan our next move. There… there has to be a way to get her back safely without putting you or the planet in danger.”

The Constructor tugged on his arm but Bumblebee pulled himself free once again. Punctuating his disdain with a glare, visor still down. The radio blared static and it got the point across aptly.

“I lost everything and everyone I cared about.” She said quietly as she clenched her fists, metal scraping on metal showing just how tight her grip was. “I don’t like fighting, or war, or the Decepticons. If we’re being perfectly honest, I don’t really like any of you Autobots either because YOU’RE the ones who were doing all the fighting!” Her feet ground into the pavement causing it to crack and chip.

There was a long silence as Bumblebee stared at her taken aback when confronted with the fact there isn’t just one side in a war.

“But…” She started more calmly now. “Even though you couldn’t save all the innocent lives lost in this war…” She looked up at Bumblebee with determination. “You aren’t the ones who deliberately put them in danger to begin with. I could stop you from going. I could imprison you with my nanobots because you would be doing the EXACT same thing as the Decepticons. Deliberately putting all the innocent lives on this planet in danger for that one human. Are you prepared to bare the burden of responsibility if we fail? You and you alone?” She gave him a challenging poke to the chest.

His optics darted back and forth rapidly as he tried to process his response.

“Why do you fight, B-1… Excuse me…” She shook her head. “Why do you fight, Bumblebee?”

That single question seemed to harden his resolve. His optics focused on the Constructor before he nodded his head, radio whirred through stations until it spelled out his reason. It didn’t blare loud for all the world to hear. It was quiet and sincere.

“In that case,” She smiled slightly. “I’m not asking you to trust me, but let me help you.”

Bumblebee looked down at her outstretched hand and hesitated.

The Constructor smiled ruefully. “It is asking a lot, I suppose. Let’s go before it’s too late.” She glanced off where the Decepticon had gone briefly. “Please lead the way.”

Bumblebee shifted back into car mode and peeled away. Unlike the last time, he made sure the Constructor could nominally keep up with him. Traffic gradually gave away to open roads as they sped down a nearly abandoned access. After turning down a rough access road, the forest opened up to an abandoned mine. Standing cockily at the edge of the pit mine was the Decepticon. They bent over and picked up Charlie from where she sat bound in chains on the ground. They rattled ominously as the Decepticon held her in the air by the waist. Bumblebee’s radio whirred wildly as he skid to a stop by changing into his bot form. He was clearly worried for Charlie.

“We have come as you requested. Please release the human as agreed.”

“The agreement was for B-127 to cooperate with us. I have no use for you.” The Decepticon sneered as a needle shot up from the end of a slender digit. “Let’s make this interesting…” He stabbed the needle into Charlie’s neck.

Charlie let out a momentary scream of pain before gritting her teeth. “Don’t, Bee. Don’t help them.”

The Decepticon snickered before yanking the needle out. “Those are your Nanobots, C-377. The imperfect ones you left behind, but they’ll still drain this girl of all her energy.”

Bumblebee immediate bristled at this comment. His visor locked into place and his plasma gun primed.

“Ah… none of that. Shoot me and you won’t be able to stop the nanobots.” The Decepticon wagged a mocking finger at Bumblebee with a wicked grin.

Bumblebee lowered his gun rather begrudgingly.

“You are not in this alone.” The Constructor whispered encouragingly. “I will be very convincing.”

“So, what’s the verdict?”

Bumblebee sighed deeply and started walking forward with his hands up.

“B-127…” A sharp voice from behind him made him stop. “Would you really sacrifice all other life on this planet for one?”

Bumblebee spared her a sharp glance over his shoulder. It was then he noticed the shimmer and remembered what happened the last time her monolith disappeared. He gave her an understanding nod before focusing on Charlie again.

“Then you leave me no choice.”

Bumblebee didn’t look back again. One slow step in front of the other he marched towards the Decepticon. With his sole focus on Charlie, he missed the unsettling way they behaved. The Decepticon was very excited every time Bumblebee took a step forward. They did a happy little jig, jostling Charlie in the process.

The Constructor watched careful from behind until she noticed something. She soon noticed the Decepticon was only looking at the ground. That had to be important…

“Bumblebee! Do not take another step forward!” Using his real name signaled to him to stop. “It’s a trap! There’s something in the ground!”

Bumblebee looked around but didn’t see anything immediately in his path. He picked up his foot and set it down in a slightly different place. That slight movement was all it took to spring the trap. A burst of electricity rippled through his body overloading his circuits and sending a huge Energon burst out.

“BEE!” Charlie screamed desperately as she watched her friend fall to his knees. She kicked and screamed but couldn’t free herself.

“Perhaps you should start concerning yourself with your own situation. Your value as a hostage has been spent after all.” The Decepticon jeered as they eyed Charlie with a wicked jeer. Without a second thought, they tossed her into the pit.

Bumblebee tried to call out to her but his radio just bogged down and flickered like a car trying to start when there isn’t enough power. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Charlie disappearing over the edge.

The words of the Constructor echoed in his mind. “You are not in this alone.”

“I trusted you… That was a mistake.” The warnings flashing on his screens suddenly stopped. His optics snapped open. Before his very eyes, Charlie was levitating in the air, bounds removed. A faint shimmer covered her whole body and he realized she was covered in nanobots. He looked around wildly and saw the Constructor kiting the Decepticon around as they fired at her. She was fast, but extremely clumsy in her movements. He knew it was only a matter of time before she got hit.

He staggered to his feet, sensors still not fully recovered, and stumbled towards Charlie. After just a few steps, an electric jolt shot up around him. He prepared for another frying, but the shock never came. Instead, the electricity seemed to be diverting around him then disappearing completely.

“The nanobots can take any kind of energy and turn it into Energon.” The audio played back in his head. His gaze darted to the Constructor quickly. The horrible realization settled in: If her nanobots were helping him and Charlie, she was truly defenseless.

“I’m fine, Bee. I’m fine.” She smiled brightly for him as she looked up into his optics for a moment that seemed like an eternity. The trance seemed to break for both of them at the same time and they both collapsed into a hug. “I missed you so much…”

Bumblebee nuzzled her cheek as if to say he missed her too. He finally pulled away when a nearby explosion caught his attention.

“You should help her. I’ll just go hide over there.”

Bumblebee nodded stoically as his visor clicked into place. He turned towards where the Decepticon had the Constructor pinned to the ground. He fired his plasma gun to break them apart before charging forward.

Charlie watched for a moment before heading towards the cover of the trees. It quickly became apparent something was wrong as she had to push harder and harder just to move. All her limbs felt sluggish and heavy. The tiredness quickly started spreading to her mind as an overwhelming urge to sleep took her. The last thing she saw before darkness consumed her was the tree line and a fistful of leaves in her hand.

“Now how did you get free?” The Decepticon pondered as they squared off with Bumblebee. “Was it my vacillating former colleague?” They glanced down at the Constructor as she tried to drag herself away. “You are just full of tricks, aren’t you? But I think you’ve used them all up now!” They gave her a swift kick that sent her rolling towards Bumblebee.

“I will… take care of Charlie.” She pulled herself up and started retreating towards the fallen human.

With no other distractions to come between them, Bumblebee focused on the Decepticon. “You have a codename now too. My codename is Doppel. I have a twin named Ganger.” The Decepticon went on to explain they used to be Constructors too but now they work for the Decepticons.

After a few moments listening to Doppel’s prattling Bumblebee started firing.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners?!”

If ever Bumblebee wished he had his voice back it was now. Unable to deliver any sort of retort, he just kept firing. Unlike the other Constructor, Doppel clearly had some combat experience. Only some. This was not going to be as easy as he hoped, but still doable.

“Miss Charlie. Please wake up.” C-377 gently lifted Charlie into her arms.

“Just 5 more minutes…” Charlie muttered absently as she swatted at the air.

“Well she still has basic functions…” A quick scan revealed a glimmer of hope. “These nanobots are very old and extremely inefficient. It seems her body’s energy generation is outpacing their ability to absorb it as long as she is in maintenance mode.” The Constructor gave Charlie a troubled look as she tried to shut down the nanobots. “Not them too…” Her gaze shot up to Bumblebee.

“STOP! Don’t destroy him!”

Bumblebee looked back at C-377 incredulously.

“We need him to shut down the nanobots inside Charlie!” She scooped Charlie up and started walking toward the fighting pair. “You have control of my nanobots. Order them to isolate a sample of his Energon.”

“Like I would ever let that happen…” Doppel jeered from his place under one of Bumblebee’s feet.

Suddenly, Charlie let out a bloodcurdling scream.

“He overloaded the bots. We have to hurry or they’ll drain her dry then blow up!” She was frantic now as red warnings flooded her screens.

Blood red optics glared down at Doppel as Bumblebee grabbed his neck with a crushing grip. A long, thin needle grew out of his knuckle. He jabbed it into Doppel’s chest with far more force than was needed. The needle took on a red hue quickly as it filled with Energon.

“It’s not going to be enough…” Doppel jeered as he fell back to his knees. Those were the last words he ever said.

“Bumblebee! Hurry! I have to use that sample to hack the nanobots before they explode!”

Bumblebee turn and saw Charlie encased in the monolith. The monolith was taking on a red glow. C-377‘s expression became increasingly grim. “I… not enough time. Preservation protocol Alpha!” An explosive flash of light momentarily blinded them both.

“The nanobots created a pocket dimension where time moves at a fraction of what it does here.” C-377 explained as Bumblebee’s optics locked on the glowing sphere before him. “As you might imagine, that requires a large volume of energy. I need your help keeping it stable for a few more moments while I finish disabling the nanobots.” To emphasize this point, her energy collection wings were spread open wide and Energon coursed down her arms into the sphere.

Bumblebee tentatively reached out to sphere and solid plates former beneath his hands. Even before his hands touched the plates he could feel his energy to be pulled to his hands. He hesitated for a moment before pressing his hands to the plates. Instantly, the Energon started to drain from him in massive waves. His sensors indicated an eminent shut down in a matter of moments but he focused on Charlie. Suddenly, she was no longer obscured by the veil of energy and nanobots.

“Charlie?” He started at hearing his own voice.

“Who’s there?” Charlie spun around quickly. “BEE!” She ran up to him happily.

He scooped her up in an embrace. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Same, buddy. But… where are we and what’s going on?” She looked around confused by their surroundings.

“You were infected with Nanobots that were draining your energy and then were going to explode. That other Cybertronian put you in a pocket dimension while she shut them down.”

“Oh. No big deal then.” She seemed to take that news in stride. “And the Decepticon?”

“Destroyed.”

“So… I guess we just have to wait for her to finish and we’ll get out of here.” She sat down and patted the place besides her.

“Probably.” Bumblebee answered opting to settle in behind her and hug her midsection.

“Probably? You mean you don’t know?” Charlie looked a bit alarmed as she gripped Bumblebee’s hand.

“I’ve never worked with her before. In fact, we just met earlier today. I’m still not entirely convinced I can trust her.”

“She saved my life.” Charlie said simply. “She said every life is precious.”

“You trust her then?”

“I have no reason not to.”

“Then… I guess I can trust her too.” Though he said this begrudgingly still.

“How long have you been able to talk, by the way?” Charlie spun around to look him in the eyes again.

“How long have I been in here with you?”

“Does that mean you might not be able to talk once you get out of here?”

“Yeah.” Seeing the disappointment she was trying to hide made him regretful. “But I’ll always have the voice you gave me.” He tapped the radio gently.

“That’s true.” She seemed content with this as she settled her back against the plates of his chest again. “I don’t suppose you can pick up any stations in a pocket dimension, can you?”

“Probably not.” He sounded amused as he answered. Still, he gave the dial a spin anyways.

“B-127!” Familiar voices flooded the space. “I mean Bumblebee! Listen you have to let go! Your Spark is being absorbed!”

“That sounds bad.” Charlie mirrored the Constructor’s worry.

“It is. Our Spark is the thing that gives us life and makes us who we are.” He paused to look around. “I don’t know how to go back.”

Charlie immediately jumped to her feet and put her hands on his shoulders. “Bee! You… you have to find a way to go back! Your soul… Your soul is here and if you can’t get back your body you’ll be gone forever!” Tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

Charlie doesn’t cry for just anyone… She only cries for the people she really cares about…

“Don’t worry!” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with gentle thumbs.

“What did you do to C-377?!”

“I’m not going to leave you.” He took her hands from his shoulders and wrapped her in a warm embrace.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“No matter what…” He nuzzled her head to his chest.

“Who else could have done this?!”

“I’ll always be with you.” A barely audible whisper.

“I think… he did this himself.”

“Because I…”

The arguing voice over the radio faded to static all at once. A blinding flash ripped through the space and then, nothing. It took a long time for Charlie to resister the cold feeling of metal on her limbs. But once she did, her whole body went into hyper-drive. Her eyes snapped open and were greeted with the Autobots weapons drawn and pointed at her in the distance. In foreground was the blunt end of some very sharp looking spikes floating in the air. She spun around and saw the very haggard looking Constructor looking back at her with barely glowing eyes.

“Wow! What happened to you? Oh yeah a fight! If we go back to my garage I could fix you!” It was all one word spoken at an almost incomprehensible speed.

“Miss Charlie.”

“We could give you an awesome paint job too! OH! What kind of vehicle do you turn into?! I bet it’s some snazzy sports car!”

“MISS CHARLIE!” C-377 grabbed her by the arms carefully. “I need to focus right now, hard as that may be.” Her voice was failing and the glow in her eyes flickered. “Everything Bumblebee ever was, is, or will be is inside of you right now.” The Constructors cold hands slid down Charlie’s arms making the human focus on herself for the first time. Her whole body was glowing blue.

“His Spark?”

“Yes. You are the only one who can bring him back now.” She gestured to Bumblebee’s lifeless body beside them.

“You big idiot.” Charlie whispered in exasperation as she crawled up next to his head. “When you said you weren’t going to leave me, did you really think I’d be happy with this?” She rested her hands on his faceplates and put her forehead to his. “If you’re not here, what’s the point?” Her whole body started to glow brighter. The glow travelled up her body and grew brightest where she touched Bumblebee. Once all the glow had faded, there was a long moment of uncertainty.

Radio static broke the silence and Bumblebee’s optics slowly lit up. A collective sigh of relief filled the air, none louder than the Constructor’s. She slumped over on her side and rolled short distance away as the spikes her nanobots created melted away to nothing. As the revelry around her reached a fever pitch she tried to summon up the strength to form her monolith again. The transparent wings on her back flickered dimly but could not generate any power.

“Overheated…” She muttered bitterly. She let out a tired sigh. “Bumblebee.” She called out to him but he couldn’t hear over the celebration. “Bumblebee.” A bit louder this time. “BUMBLEBEE!” She yelled as loud as she could finally garnering the attention of the others. The looks were not entirely kind but she endured it anyways.

“I cannot access my monolith at this time. You are the only one who can shut down the experiment on this planet.” She reached up weakly and offered him a small stick made out of nanobots. “This has all the instructions you need to order the nanobots to permanently fuse into Energon batteries. I suggest having them coalesce in a secure location. It will take quite some time for all of them to fuse.”

Bumblebee was quick to shake his head.

“You still don’t trust me. I cannot blame you on this.” She replied defeated.

He quickly shook his head. The radio spun through countless stations and static but nothing of use for what he wanted to say came up. Now it was his turn to sigh. Then his head quirked up and he looked a bit disturbed.

“Please speak your mind now.” C-377 said wearily.

“Hello?” Bumblebee spoke tentatively. Everyone looked shocked. “You… should be the one to finish it. See this through to the end. That is… one of the principles of the Autobots.”

“You have shown yourself an ally. I hope in time we can come to some kind of better understanding.” Optimus spoke clearly and definitively.

“With all due respect, Master Prime, I have no interest in siding with the Autobots or the Decepticons. I would like to try to remain neutral. However, it is clear the Decepticons and I do not share one important core value.”

“Every life is precious.” Charlie answered quietly.

“Yes. Hate me if you must, but I refuse to be a tool of destruction.” She clasped her fingers around the bar in her hand. “That’s why I have to shut down all the experiments.” She dropped the bar into Bumblebee’s hand. “And why I can’t join you right now. Please finish this for me so I can move on to the next planet.” She gave him a wry smile. “Besides, they won’t respond to me anyways.”

Bumblebee looked suddenly bashful, perhaps because he remembered why they would only respond to him. Still, he took the stick this time. With that out of the way, the Constructor shut down.

“Couldn’t she at least pick a 40s streetrod or something? No. She picks a rusted out… Something…” Charlie groaned as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “But she cleans up great once you give her a nice buff and shine.”

Bumblebee beeped with approval from the driveway.

“Do you think she’ll ever wake up?”

The chorus to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey started playing.

“Yeah… It’s only been a few days.” Charlie wandered over to Bumblebee and climbed in the driver seat. “How about you? How long are you going to be in town?”

The chorus to “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell started playing.

“Yeah. I figured you could only stick around until she left. Optimus filled me in on Constructors and how they got their bad reputation. Not siding with anyone made a lot of people think they were turning a blind eye to all the death and destruction. I bet some of them were just scared of getting used to do bad stuff.”

“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie started playing.

“Why… is there so much noise?” There was a loud thud and the pair looked into the garage. The Constructor was in bot form ducking to keep from hitting the ceiling seemingly for a second time.

“She’s a wake!” Charlie beamed hopping to her feet.

“It would seem I have been repaired as well. Do I have you to thank for this, Miss Charlie?”

“Looks like you picked up some country when you scanned that pickup. What with the Miss Charlie and all.” Charlie poked fun of the Constructor with a fake Southern accent.

“I suppose my speech patterns were slightly altered. I will correct them.”

“Nah, it gives you character! Like all those, uh, dents and stuff!” Charlie vaguely motioned to a large dent on the bot’s posterior.

“I see. I did just scan the first vehicle I came across.”

“How about something like this?” Charlie showed her a full spread of a street rod in a magazine.

“It does have a certain aesthetic appeal. However, it will have to wait for another time. I must leave now and complete my mission.” She looked to Bumblebee grimly. “Did you?”

“The battery thing?” Charlie looked between them quickly. “Yeah there are already so many of them!”

Bumblebee turned around and popped the trunk to reveal two batteries. The Constructor reached down and took one out. A faint smile came across her face.

“I’m glad to see my proof of concept was valid. But in making the nanobots so adaptable so they could gather energy harmlessly… I created something truly terrible. I cannot apologize enough for all the danger I put you both in.” She carefully put the battery back in his trunk.

“So how many more experiments do you have to shut down?” Charlie asked looking to the Constructor.

“Nine. But they can be shut down remotely assuming my back up bases weren’t found and destroyed by the Decepticons. Then it’s just a matter of collecting the batteries.” A desolate air settled over her. “Though, I have no idea what to do with them now that Cybertron has fallen.”

“Collect them for the day when we reclaim Cybertron. Or, for when we make a new home for our people.” The brightly painted and ostentatious Semi tractor said from the street.

“Master Prime.” The constructor looked startled for a moment but quickly regained composure. “I will look forward to that day.”

She took a few steps forward and turned back into a truck.

“Hey wait!” Charlie grabbed her tailgate to keep her from moving. “You need a codename! That way you can communicate and no one will know it’s you!”

“A codename? Like Bumblebee?”

“Yeah!”

“I wouldn’t know how to decide on such a thing. Please call me whatever you wish, Miss Charlie.”

“Then I’m calling you Seraphim!”

“When I return, you will have to explain to me it’s meaning and why you chose it for me.” With that she pulled away and followed Optimus down the road, a faint shimmer distorted the air as she went.

“Aren’t you going with them?” Charlie looked to Bumblebee expectantly.

“Push it” by Salt-n-Pepa started playing as Bumblebee slowly drove towards her. She backed up into the garage with a confused expression.

“Do you know what that song is about, Bee?” He didn’t answer as the garage door slid down. “Don’t you tease me, Bee.”

#transformers #charbee #bumblebee #charlie watson #charbee week #day 4 #back to life #fanfic #fanfiction #i'm not dead yet!

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eirian-houpe · 4 years

Text

Tuesday - Chapter 1

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV), Stargate Universe

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Belle (Once Upon a Time)/Nicholas Rush

Characters: Nicholas Rush, Gloria Rush, Belle (Once Upon a Time), unnamed OC

Additional Tags: going round in circles, Time Travel, Alternate Universe, Angst, Eventual Smut, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Summary: When you go poking around in time, you might sometimes find that it pushes back, as Nick Rush finds out… the hard way.

This was written for the October 2020 Monthly Rumbelling fic using the moodboard, though a later chapter will use the non-smut prompt, (albeit in a smutty chapter), and that's why the title of the story is as it is.

Also, this fic uses some of the events in with Given No Choice, although it is not a remix.

Read on AO3

Chapter 1 - Did You Find What You Were Looking For?

He could barely see for the driving rain, even with the windshield wipers flashing full tilt back and forth in front of his face. He was tired… so tired; like a man that had lived a hundred hundred years in a single lifetime.

The thought hit Nicholas Rush with the force of an exploding neutron star, and in spite of the danger of it, he slammed on the brakes, fighting the car to keep to his lane as the rain-slick tires lost grip, and eventually had their way, slamming into the side of the road to bury the hood in the bottom half of a thick hedge as the front wheels dove into a hidden ditch beneath.

“Fuck!” Rush hissed, but it came out more like ‘Fuuuuh’ as the seat belt tightened against his chest and drove out all the air from his lungs. In frustration, he slammed the palms of both hands against the steering wheel. The car had stalled of course, and despite his best efforts he could not get it to restart, but it was probably moot anyway. Front wheel drive meant he’d have no traction to pull himself out of the ditch. No. There was only one thing to do. Call for help.

A string of very colorful expletives escaped his mouth as he pulled out his cell phone and discovered he had no signal. No fucking signal. A man that had - or maybe that should be ‘would’ communicate over vast distances, across galaxies, brought low by the lack of a cell phone signal.

With a sigh, he stuffed the offending article back into his jeans pocket, and reached in back of the car for his jacket, struggling to pull it on after unfastening the seat belt, before grabbing his things from the front passenger seat and then opening up the door.

A gust of wind blew a torrent of rain into his face, and he spluttered as he stepped out of the car. The ground under foot was all mud and water, and after he slammed the car door, he hurried to get firmer footing on the black top.

He had no idea where he was, or which direction he needed to go, but he knew that he hadn’t recently passed anywhere that looked as though it had a phone he could use, so he decided that walking in the direction he’d been driving was the smart thing to do.

He was soaked within seconds, but what choice did he have? There was no guarantee that anyone would have come along - and if they were in their right mind nobody would be driving in this kind of weather. Which made him a fool.

He lost track of time, cursing with almost every step before a golden glitter of light sparkled off the falling rain; a cottage up ahead. Breathing a sigh of relief, he picked up the pace, and headed for the door.

At the first knock, he began to hear movement from inside, so he tried to wait as patiently as he could, but the cold trickle that caressed his spine beneath his sodden jacket and soaked shirt - hell, even his undershirt was sticking to him as though he were a contestant in a Miss Wet T-shirt competition - tried his patience past the limit, and he lifted his hand to knock again.

The door was opened by a small brunette, who had a shocking white stripe descending from one temple. His belly tugged at him, sending the smallest of waves lower, to center in his groin, and he covered the sensation with an apologetic cough.

“I erm… I wonder if you have a phone I could use?” he began as the blue eyes looked him up and down. “I had a wee accident further down the road and—”

She gave him a tight smile, that for some reason cut him off mid explanation, and then she stood aside.

“Why don’t you come inside,” she suggested. “I’ll find you some towels. Can’t have you standing there wet through, you’ll catch your death.” And then, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for her to say, added, “There’s a fire lit, if you want to get warm.”

He frowned slight. Her familiarity pulled at him, like and itch he couldn’t scratch, or a word on the tip of his tongue.

“Thank you,” he said absently, and started to follow the sound of the crackling wood that beckoned, warm and inviting, as was the faint aroma of cinnamon he smelled with every breath.

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

The question stopped him cold, and he turned back to look at the woman again. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” he ask, his tone bordering on cold suspicion.

The homeowner smiled sadly. “No, clearly not,” she said. “But you did… or you will… or…”

Many Years Earlier.

Nicholas Rush shuddered, taking a huge, uncomfortable breath as the stasis field faded, then blinked out and he slumped against the perspex door that began to lift away, rising to deposit him on the cold of the deck; his shallow breath fogged in the frigid air.

Coughing, shivering, Rush rolled onto his back, forcing his eyes open and searching through the blurred vision for something, anything, that might get him out of the deadly nature of his situation. He spotted the lone EVA suit against the glass of the last closed and functioning stasis chamber.

He reached with a hand that was fast becoming numb, grasped the ridge of the wall and began to drag himself toward it.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” he said as though the word were the chattering of his teeth. “Not like this… not again…”

He grimaced, his fingers aching by the time he reached the stasis chamber, wondering for a moment if he should just climb back inside, but no, he’d tried that… didn’t work out so well. Destiny didn’t like him playing games with her; didn’t like him ignoring her. She wanted the slingshot - albeit for different reasons than his own, but… what she wanted, she made sure she received.

Bone weary, he activated the chamber door, somehow finding the strength to pull himself up, grab the EVA suit, and begin to pull it on. This time he’d get it right. This time he would succeed.

“So uh…” Rush blinked, and stopped mid sentence. Strange, he would have sworn this wasn’t where he was a moment earlier. Moreover, it was important he remembered, and not only that, but remembered why. He rand a hand over his face, and glanced down at his lecture notes. He felt suddenly hot. Quite unwell as a matter of fact.

“Doctor Rush?” a quiet accented voice, full of concern called out from the belly of the lecture hall. He knew that accent, knew it intimately, just… not here, at least… not now. “Are you all right?”

He pulled off his glasses and walked around to the front of the desk on the dais, perching on the edge of it, feeling somehow grounded by the hard wood drawing a line across his buttocks.

“Quite all right, thank you, Miss French.” He glanced back over his shoulder as he spoke to the chalk board that was almost completely covered in arcane equations - or at least so it looked. “I simply distracted myself with a part of the equations there.” He folded his arms. “So, what was I saying?”

He looked elsewhere for the answer, a suitably willing young sacrifice in the front row said, “You were explaining the concept of using a slingshot around a star at approaching faster than light speeds as a way to affect time.”

“Aaaah, yes,” he drew out the words sagely, and all the while his stomach flipped painfully, one hand slipping into his pocket for his phone. “The age old question. However, FTL propulsion is still theoretical.” He held out the nub end of a piece of chalk to the young man, and challenged. “Board 3. Care to come and solve it for us?”

The lecture had been eternal, or so it seemed to Rush, far too long for his comfort. He needed to speak to Gloria, needed to call her, to tell her something important, but with each passing moment, fear mounted that he was forgetting the point - the what, and the why.

In the hallway as he walked to his office, he pulled out his phone again, hitting the number one on his speed dial and listened as his house phone rang and rang, long beyond what he would expect; what he would hope.

“Doctor Rush!”

He closed his eyes, and getting no answer from home, disconnected the call. He let out a long, slow breath, and turned to face the enthusiastic young woman that was threading her way through the crowded hallways as quickly as she could, and muttering numerous apologies to those she bumped along the way.

“Miss French,” he said overly patiently. “I know you’re well aware of my office hours so—”

“This couldn’t wait,” she insisted, “It’s important. I have to tell you—”

The ringing of his cell phone interrupted, and he held up a finger. “I’m sorry, but it will have to wait. I have to take this call.”

“You can’t!” she tugged on his arm, as if she were trying to stop him from lifting the phone to his ear. “You mustn’t take it. You won’t—”

“Miss French!” he caught her hand and pushed it away from him. “What the bloody hell has gotten into you!”

Instead of waiting for an answer, he opened the nearest door, uncaring whose office or seminar room he was bursting into and finally connected the call.

”Nick, I’m sorry, I was playing and I didn’t hear the phone.”

He couldn’t help but smile, though a part of him wondered why he had called her in the first place.

”Are you going to be late again?”

There was no accusatory tone in her voice, though the question could have been construed in such a way. Just the light query of a woman that knew her husband well and appreciated that he bothered to call and tell her anyway. That was Gloria; the way she was. It was why he loved her.

”Is everything all right?”

Startled out of his thoughts by her question he found himself out of sync, answering all wrong, though the part of his mind that had yet to fall completely into place reminded him how ironic that was.

“No. No, that is… I mean…” A humorless, almost embarrassed little chuckle escaped him and he started over. “Everything’s fine, and no, I’m not going to be late, I just…” he stopped again, trailing off. He couldn’t remember why he’d called, not for the life of him, no matter how hard he’d tried. A silence grew between them until Gloria broke it.

”Actually I’m glad you called. There was a man… a general - Air Force pretty sure that’s what he said - and… and a Doctor. PhD of some sort. They came calling; looking for you. Um… O’Neill and… Jackson, I think they said. I told them to try the university. I hope I did the right thing.”

He frowned again, reached for the door and stepped back out into the hallway, safe now that it seemed young Miss French had moved on. He headed for his office, still trying to think of why he’d called.

“No, no,” he assured her, “you did the right thing. If they show up here, I’ll see what they want. Gloria…?”

Don’t ignore it. Don’t wait, go and see someone now. We have a chance to beat this. I can stay and you—

Her voice pulled him back again.

”Nick?”

None of the words would come. He could hear them; feel them, almost taste them in his mouth the way he would a strong cup of coffee or a good whiskey. If he could just open his mouth to speak; to tell her everything and end this nightmare…

“Just… wanted to call; to hear your voice. I love you.”

They were waiting in his office, just as Gloria had told him… just as the far distant memory - another lifetime, another reality showed him they had been. Jackson was smiling and holding out a hand to greet him the moment he opened the door, the other man remained silent as only someone with military bearing ever could; awaiting his turn to announce the Stargate Program, and The Icarus Project.

#rushbelle #a monthly rumbelling #a monthly rumbelling october 2020 #angst #Emotional Hurt/Comfort #time travel #alternate lifetimes #eventual smut #nasty surprise

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the-phantom-nagisa · 5 years

Text

Karmagisa week 7: celebration (Happy Birthday Nagisa!)

“I don’t like where this is going.” Nagisa said as he held his hands forward to try and feel his surroundings. Normally he’d have a simple look around and then decide he’d want to leave a place or could tolerate but right now that option was taken from him because Karma had blindfolded him. Usually he wouldn’t let Karma 10 feet close to him with a blindfold in hand but Karma pleaded to him to go along with it to keep his birthday surprise an actual surprise. It was july 20th and therefore indeed Nagisa’s birthday.

“try and guess where you are and i’ll take the blindfold off.” Karma said as he led Nagisa inside a building. “Like, try and smell your surroundings or something. isn’t your sense of smell increased because you can’t see?” he asked.

Nagisa sighed and tried to determine what he was smelling. “I can only smell your deodorant.” he complained. He felt Karma’s hands let go of him and was filled with a slight anxiety for a few seconds. He really wasn’t a fan of not knowing what was going on.

“What do you smell now?” Karma asked, his voice sounding further away than before. Nagisa did indeed no longer smell his deodorant but wasn’t sure what it was he was actually surrounded by.

He turned around a bit, even though that was pretty much useless when he couldn’t see. He felt around a bit again in the hope of something being around him he could hold onto or at least hoped he wouldn’t bump into something. “I don’t know… sweat? something that reminds me of those fries we got yesterday… smoke?” He was slightly confused what he was supposed to conclude from that.

“Close enough” He heard Karma’s voice say and soon he felt the other boy’s hand taking off the blindfold. Once it was off Nagisa took the time to blink a few times and get used to the sudden neon lights his eyes desperately needed adjusting to.

“Lasertag?” Nagisa stated as he finally recognized his surroundings. The bright neon lights came from the lasertag area where those were the only lights lighting up the smoke filled room. The smoke explained the smell from earlier and he could imagine where the sweat came from. There wasn’t anyone playing right now but he could still hear the remix of songs he’d heard enough times on the radio upgraded with a futuristic esque beat playing.

He looked at Karma to see what his reaction was and apparently that was to smile at Nagisa. “You said you had nothing planned for your birthday so we decided to all go do something together.” He explained. “The rest of the class will be here soon enough.”

The class did show up and Nagisa awkwardly took everyone’s birthday wishes. He hadn’t really been prepared for a party or anything and he wasn’t used to having any. In previous years he also never really planned anything for his birthday, it seemed to him like he’d bother people by making them feel it was necessary to show up.

Nagisa had put on the harness which his opponent could shoot on and was helping Kayano putting on hers. “It’s really nice of Karma to organise this for you, right?” She smiled at him. “I mean he said you never hold parties.”

Nagisa looked at her confused. “I don’t, no…” He said. “But I thought the entire class organised this?” Kayano looked surprised at the boy as he said that. The both of them looked in Karma’s direction. He was playing around with one of the guns and when he noticed them staring smiled and waved at Nagisa.

“Why wouldn’t he take credit, he’s doing this for you.” Kayano thought out loud.

Eventually they entered the playing area and waited for the countdown to signal they could start. Everyone had taken places all over the room but not everyone had completely hidden themselves so they could talk to their friends for a bit.

Nagisa stood next to Karma for a bit and eventually cleared his throat. “Is it true?” He asked. “did you really put effort into organising this for me?” He looked up at Karma seeing as he was slightly taller than him. He wasn’t really sure what kind of answer he was hoping for as he asked it but he knew he needed the answer.

Karma looked down at him and quickly looked away, but Nagisa saw some red spread over his cheeks. “You said you never did birthday parties and I just wanted you to have a cool one.” He said as he was still looking away. A signal was given that the countdown was about to start and he held his gun ready. “So you better enjoy it.”

Nagisa smiled a little to himself, thinking he was oddly happy Karma would go through the effort for him. “Well, don’t just let me win. Give me everything you got.” He said as poked Karma’s side and ran off to hide. If he was meant to be having fun he was going to give it everything he got to win this thing. It’s not like his assassin skills couldn’t come in handy to shoot as many people as possible.

Nagisa was well hidden most of the game and would randomly roll out to shoot one of his classmates and then proceed to the next hiding spot. At some point he noticed the terasaka squad teaming up together and jumped out of his hiding place to shoot all of them before running behind an obstacle as they followed him. Before they could turn the corner and find him he climbed on top and jumped off at the other side, looking for a new spot.

They were in the last five minutes of the game when he heard something behind him. He turned around as fast as he could and saw Karma, about to shoot him. Before he could Nagisa hid behind a corner. He wasn’t aware of Hayami being behind that corner and instead got shot by her.

He had run off and eventually saw Karma again. He didn’t want this game to end without hitting him once so as the speakers announced the countdown he realised he had only ten seconds. He pushed himself away from a wall and sprinted towards hit friend. Karma turned around and wanted to shoot and hide but before he could Nagisa fired his shot, Karma’s harness lighting up an clarifying Nagisa had hit his target. and with that the match was over.

Afterwards they all went to eat together at a fast food place close to the laser tag hall. They were all talking about the match and of course about Nagisa’s great victory. He had hit almost everyone in the class at least once, and all of them had had assassination training.

“Actually this was my first time playing laser tag.” Nagisa admitted, much to everyone’s surprise. He smiled at the group reassuring them it was true. “I never had enough people to go with...” He admitted shyly which earned him a head rub from Karma who was sitting next to him. The conversations went on and eventually Karma leaned towards Nagisa.

“You weren’t lying about going all out.” He said, portraying a proud smile on his face. Nagisa couldn’t help but blush about how close Karma and his’s faces were.

Nagisa shrugged lightly and smiled at his friend. “Thank you for doing this, I’ve had more fun than I’ve had any other birthday so far.” He admitted. He thought back to his previous birthdays and noticed something was always wrong: He didn’t have enough friends to invite, His mother got angry and cancelled his party, people were too bored or people just didn’t show up at all. He finally did feel he had good people surrounding him this year.

“I’d be happy to do it again.” Karma said. “I really like seeing you happy, and I like being the cause of it.” And that comment earned him a kiss on the cheek from Nagisa.

“I don’t mind you being the cause.” He confessed and he went back to eating his fries, ignoring the surprised calls from the friends around them.

#karmagisaweek2019 #karma akabane #nagisa shiota #assassination classroom #ansatsu kyoushitsu #creatively obsessed

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9823678 · 10 months

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youtube

#pokemon music remix #anipoke remix #trap nation #it's different #pokemon ü #trap remix #pokemon trap remix #broderick jones #Youtube #fire!! feeling #poke remix that fire!! feeling #fire!! feeling playlist

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virginlimbs · 5 years

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On the film “Us” by Andrew Haworth

Us is the greatest movie of the decade and I have seen it five times so I figured I owed it a review.

When I saw Get Out, my audience was quiet and disturbed the entire runtime but cheered at the end. Us had people jumping and laughing the whole time, but when it got to the end: silence.

My sister turned to us and said, “I loved it until the ending.” I wasn’t sure what to think. The ending hit me like such a freight train that I was in denial. There was no way they were switched, that didn’t make any sense.

We talked for an hour outside the theater unpacking the implications of the ending. As we talked, we realized the ending not only worked, it made the movie even better.

The movie begged me to watch it again, and I obliged. I went to a different theater and saw it in Dolby Prime and told the person next to me to stop talking. I was not fucking around. This movie was a powerful object and it demanded respect and thought and patience.

Details that were cloudy the first time came into horrifying light on a rewatch. Red’s opening monologue, which at first seemed like scary gibberish, was now full of pathos and horror. I had seen what it was like down there. I knew the rules of the world. And now I had to picture a fully conscious woman performing her own C-section.

I saw the movie twice more in theaters. I was so drawn to it, like we were te-(glottal swallow)-ethered together. The week of its release, it was all I talked about with people. “Have you seen Us?” “It’s about capitalism.” “No, that theory’s bullshit.” There were people who were as shaken as I was, and as overjoyed that a movie this powerful and exciting and thought-provoking could exist and be released and make a bunch of money. And then there were people who wondered why there was an escalator in an amusement park.

None of their hole-poking diminished my enthusiasm for the movie. I knew I was being tested by God *looks up and cries* and it was their loss. But it was a frustrating and thankless task to try to convince them otherwise. We had seen the same movie. Unpacked the same ending. But they were hung up on details, questions left unanswered. They felt the movie was pretentious, alienating, and implied they were dumb for not getting it.

Us would only be condescending if it explained its world in full. Like Star Wars, it is so steeped in such a rich mythology that if you get on its wavelength, you will not worry about why certain things in the background are not explained. You will want to watch it again and again to figure it out, and the mystery will excite you. Us is ambiguous about certain things, but not others. The characters are clear. The family dynamic is clear. And the message is clear. For every “us”, there’s a “them”.

I get it. Us either REALLY works for you or it doesn’t. And I have no interest in trying to convince naysayers. I have a lot more fun talking with people who actually liked it. But when I turned it on this fifth time, wanting something I’d seen before as I digested a pint of ice cream after a long day of work, I was under its spell once more. And I couldn’t just sit there and let it wash over me. Every shot was full of meaning or an interesting idea and they bubbled up in my head until the idea of a relaxing evening was out the window and I was frantically taking notes on my phone. I’ve read a lot of articles about this movie. I’m in no way an expert, but I have a lot of thoughts about it and a lot of enthusiasm for it. It moves me and brings me so much joy and reminds me why I fell in love with making and watching movies.

On a technical level, it’s unsurpassable. Shots are poetic but never flashy, always in service of a story beat or character reveal. The shot compositions are in the tradition of classic Japanese movies, and the final shot even mirrors the ending of the great Sansho the Baillif (which I saw yesterday for the first time.)

There is not a score that is quite like the one in Us. The music feels like it has been around since the beginning of time. And the I Got Five on It remix? Come on.

I love every performance so much. Everyone understands their character so well. Everyone feels like a family member. You feel every awkward moment, every victory, every horrified stare. And Lupita Nyong’o gives the greatest performance(s) of all time.

The script is generous with its humor and its horror. And in any other movie, all of this would be plenty to make an enjoyable ride. But Us gives you so much more, so much you didn’t realize you needed. I’ll do my best to tie all of this together, but here’s what I noticed this time around.

Chronologically, Red and Adelaide meet as children. The tethered chokes her, pulls her down, handcuffs her to the bed, and waits for her to wake up so she can give an evil grin and rub it in her face that she gets to leave. This is not a quick, desperate act to get what she wants. It is malicious and sadistic.

Now Adelaide’s got a family. But she feels scared and maybe a little guilty, like most people who’ve committed a crime and have to keep running. She can only express this in half-truths to her husband, how she’s worried the “mirror girl” might come back. On our second viewing, we realize she’d be coming back for revenge.

Red’s parents were very lax with her which allowed her to wander off. Adelaide is protective and paranoid, like a drug dealer or the Irishman, someone who cannot enjoy to the fullest what she has fought so hard to win because she knows what’s out there. She knows what could happen to Jason if he gets curious about that funhouse.

Enter Red. Adelaide’s worst nightmare. The girl she trapped down there finally found a way out, and she’s pissed. She moves like a ballerina, calculated and efficient.

The Wilson family dynamic is so well expressed through their actions and teamwork and love for each other in this scene. Adelaide grabs her kids, yanking them out of frame away from their tethereds, keeping them safe. She cares so much for them and just wants to survive.

In comparison, Red is unfeeling and sadistic. Her husband and children are her pets. She has trained them like dogs to move at her command: a horrifying hand gesture and clicking of the tongue. She even pets Pluto as he stands on all fours by the fire. They are tools, like scissors.

She hates her family because they are not her choice. They are horrifying reminders of the world she was dragged down into. And Adelaide’s family is a reminder of what she could’ve had, so she resents them as well. She doesn’t care if they die, she doesn’t see them as surrogate children, they are a “fuck you.”

But her outlook makes total sense. She was taken from her normal world and trapped in a nightmare. Forced to have sex, give birth, mimic the privileged actions of the girl up above with whatever surrogate was available underground.

“The shadow hated the girl.”

Gabe interrupts her monologue. He thinks we’re still in a weird home invasion movie. These are random dopplegangers, the only ones, and they’re just crazy. But Adelaide knew this was going to happen all along.

“You want ME, right?”

The family is split up to fend for themselves. But apart from Red, the other tethereds are just under orders from up top. They have no personal stake in this, they just like killing. Red is the only one who has a score to settle. She wants to take her time, rub it in Adelaide’s face just like it was rubbed in hers.

Jason realizes early on in the closet that he can control Pluto, but Pluto cannot control him. Pluto has to move Jason’s arms up and down physically to mirror his. This is frustrating for Pluto. Jason saves this information for later.

Everyone escapes their tethereds, for now. They hop on the boat, their previous laughing stock, now their life raft, and head to the only other house they know. As the boat drives away, Jason is the one we hold on as Red stares at him. She is getting the idea to kidnap him to lure Adelaide to her. This is the advantage she has over Adelaide, how untethered she is to emotional baggage. Jason is just a tool for her to manipulate how much Adelaide cares for her children.

“They look like us.”

“They don’t even know that yet.”

Earlier in the film, Adelaide tells Zora to turn her phone off and go to bed. Zora waits for her mom to leave the room to secretly use her phone under the covers. Later, when Adelaide needs Zora’s phone to call the police, Zora pretends like she doesn’t have it to avoid getting in trouble, but Adelaide knows she does. Adelaide’s not dumb, she’s just a mom stuck between trying to raise her kid well and letting her have fun. These are sweet games we play with our parents and the subtext is “I love you.”

The white family, on the other hand, is full of hate. Their kids do not play these cute games. “Just because we’re in our rooms doesn’t mean we’re sleeping.” They are filthy rich with a backup generator and they are miserable and they die the quickest. This, even more so than Get Out, is perhaps Jordan Peele’s ultimate comment on white horror films. Their characters last for less than ten minutes while the Wilsons survive the whole movie. And when Elisabeth Moss asks Ophelia to call the police and it plays “Fuck Da Police” as her tethered slits her throat, it’s a master filmmaker taking back years of stereotypes and tropes, stomping on them and proclaiming that there is a new era of horror underway, horror so full of ideas that you (like me) will have to watch the movies 5 times.

The murder of the white family is the most hardcore scene in any horror movie of the decade. It is truly shocking how matter of fact it is.

The Wilsons arrive and Adelaide is taken captive. The kids go in to save their mom.

Jason puts on his mask as he grabs a weapon to make his first kill as if that will absolve him of what he is about to do, rather than accepting his ability to kill as part of himself. Zora, not wearing a mask, rolls her eyes. She’s accepting who she is. Jason immediately removes his mask after killing Elisabeth Moss.

Jason watches Zora kill the second twin and beat her way past being dead. She is her mother’s daughter. Jason’s arc is beginning to illuminate: he is slowly noticing how violent his family is. Could that be inside him as well?

“We’re Americans.”

Weapons used in the film:

Golf club

Baseball Bat

Flare gun

Scissors

Boat motor

Geode

The stick you use to move logs in fire

Once they’re in the fancy house, Gabe wants to settle down. They’ve made it. But Adelaide knows they have to keep running. Capitalism! But everyone’s excited to drive the fancy car.

Jason sees his mom kill one of the twins.

Umbrae hops on the car and Zora slams on the breaks, sending her flying into the trees. Adelaide leaves under the guise of making sure she’s dead. But when she sees defenseless Umbrae, hanging upside down from a tree, laughing but clearly bleeding to death, Adelaide does nothing.

She sees herself in Umbrae, ruthless, doing anything to survive and get ahead. But she also sees the daughter she would’ve had if she had stayed down there. This is also why she’s so upset about Pluto dying. They are all her children. She has grown up and matured in real society with real parents. She is a mother and her heart is full. But Red has the heart and mind and priorities of a 9 year old. She doesn’t want kids. She wants parents.

Jason backing up to kill Pluto is like in the Matrix Revolutions when it’s revealed that Neo has powers outside of the Matrix. It is a great, haunting, ambiguous moment that I’m sure made a lot of people frustrated in the theater, just like the Matrix Revolutions.

Then Red naps him. Her gamble worked, and Adelaide was distracted by caring about all these kids.

Adelaide goes after him. The shot on the beach when she sees the line for the first time? COME ON!!!

Us is very biblical. Abraham. 11:11. “God is testing me.” Jason holding up his arms like Jesus on the cross as he backs Pluto into the fire. Red becoming a religious figure to the tethereds. Red has CREATED a mythology for the tethered, but of course neither her nor Adelaide know what really created them. Humans play God in her theory about government experiments. And “God brought us together that night.”

Adelaide has spent her whole life trying to forget the tunnels. Red has been forced to spend her life trying to make sense of it. Her social learning ended at 9 years old. Her theories about government experiments seem based on sci fi movies she probably caught on TV as a kid, right before she was pulled down there.

No one was there to guide her. She became tethered long after the “experiment” had been abandoned. She believes in God because her parents probably took her to church and she’s latching onto any explanation. But the situation is unexplainable. Does it matter if it’s a government experiment? There are many aspects of the film that imply it might be supernatural. We can only see it how she sees it: God testing her as she becomes the savior of the tethereds.

But the important detail she skips past because she really doesn’t have any proof of it until this past night is that the tethereds are not monsters. They are products of a nightmarish environment. If given a chance in society, they can learn to talk and function normally and dance. The film doesn’t even imply that there is a good twin or a bad twin. Both are capable of violence and vulnerability.

Red steals the word “tethered” from the Hands Across America commercial at the beginning.

Cutting between the tethered stuff mirroring the above ground stuff? Pure cinema. Get the fuck out of here. Adelaide having a whole stage to dance on while Red is forced to run into walls is the perfect visual metaphor for every idea the movie is throwing at you.

“If it weren’t for you I never would’ve danced at all.”

Red hugs Adelaide as she plunges the stick into her.

You are forced to remember Red has the mind of a nine year old as she whistles a mouth-full-of-blood rendition of itsy bitsy spider. Then Adelaide strangles her to death.

Adelaide laughs with relief when Red is dead because now she is free to enjoy the life she had always imagined without looking over her shoulder. Their tethereds are all dead. Jason can run free.

“The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out”

Jason puts on the mask at the end, keeping Adelaide’s secret. He’s horrified by the realization about his mother. Earlier she told him, “Stick with me and I’ll keep you safe.” Now she smiles. They’re driving through a post apocalyptic wasteland. He doesn’t really have a choice. He’s sticking with her.

#usmovie #us movie #jordan peele #film #film review

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markoftheasphodel · 5 years

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Semi-blind PT#1 (Blue Lions) FE16 reactions: Chapter 4 Complete

Poor Ashe. Boy got put through the wringer.

Gameplay (Normal mode, Casual b/c I am indeed playing for PLOT) is not super bowling me over as yet. The battles for Chapters 3 and Chapter 4 both felt a lot like FE15 to me and gameplay was uh... not the strongest point of FE15. Maybe part of it was I went into battle with slightly underleveled peeps in Ch4, as only Dimitri and Dedue had passed their beginners’ certs until AFTER said battle. Now that the students are starting to diversify it might be a little more fun.

BTW, looking up a g-damn strategy question re: the Death Knight battle revealed to me in the top line of the top Google search who the Death Knight is. Mildly annoyed but eh... I didn’t like that character’s act anyway so phooey.

So anyway, thus far I have handed out a few gifts, done a buncha fetch quests, read some Agony Aunt letters, and returned a lot of lost items. These are giving a better feel for the students’ personalities and I gotta say that Hilda (Serra 2.0), Caspar (TRAINING!!1), Raphael (I LIEK FOOD) and Bernadetta (WTF) are not making a winning case for their routes. Ferdinand, Leonie, Petra, and Claude are all making an excellent case for their routes. Can’t win ‘em all. The Blue Lions seem the least flaky but damn half these kids are miserable thanks to their families. Parent issues, brother issues, survivors’ guilt...

So one interesting thing about FE16 is how very much it feels to me like A Fire Emblem Game despite dispensing with almost every class-based archetype. Ain’t no Xmas cavs. Ain’t no squishy archer boi or village archer girl. Ain’t no wind mage BFF. Ain’t no earlygame pega-pony rider. And so on. And yet, we know Sylvain’s type. Ashe fits the squishy archer boi despite being able to use axes as well. We know what Felix is about well before we promote him to myrmidon. Etc. Interesting remix. Dunno about the other houses but in between Dimitri being a fairly traditional Lord-type on the surface[*] and the way Felix, Ashe, Sylvain, and friends slot into the typical FE personalities well enough, it feels sufficiently Fire Emblem-y to me.

Boy that C-support between Felix and Dedue was something. I do like that despite being the Noble Savage of the Blue Lions (ruined land, barbaric jewelry, animist polytheism, only recently literate, hard-edge moral code), Dedue’s one of the students poking holes in the official Church narrative after the Ch4 battle and its fallout. The lad can think as well as punch. :)

Oh yeah, the plot twist with the Creator Sword. Not much of a “twist” between FEH’s default kit for Byleth and the opening animation. Still, honestly surprised we got that reveal so damn fast.

#fe16 spoilers #fe16 #mark joins the blue lions

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subasekabang · 5 years

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Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Title: Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Rating: T

Word Count: 7598 total, 3758 this chapter

Characters: Coco, Joshua, Neku, Beat, OMC, OFC

Warnings: Major character death

Summary: Her Magnum Opus nears completion, and as her audience approaches, she hurriedly arranges one final rehearsal. Elaboration on a pet theory of mine, built out of Final Remix spoilers.

Every day streets are crowded with people

Every night streets are jammed with these noises

Things are so strange, are they real or a dream?

Where am I now, trapped in this city of illusion?

***

Neku surveyed his surroundings. It didn’t take him long to recognize them.

“This is Cat Street…”

“Yo, finally!” Beat said, running a few steps ahead. “We can get outta Shibuya from here! I’m so ready to be done with this crappy Game!”

Neku looked up the street, murmuring, “Unless the way ahead has been rearranged too…”

He tensed a bit as Coco stepped up behind him, the tiny Reaper saying, “No worries fam! See, the way ahead looks, like, totez clear! That super tough wall you guys just made it past must’ve been the last challenge!”

Neku’s eyes caught on the café just ahead. Even in this situation, it still sparked a very complicated emotion in his heart.

“Yo, whatchu waitin’ for,” Beat said, “an engaged invitation? Le’s go, man!”

Beat took off. Neku followed at a slower pace, saying, “Hold on! While we’re here, shouldn’t we ask Mr. H what’s going on?”

The other boy skidded to a halt. “Huh? You think the H-Man’s gonna tell us anything?”

“He might. We have time to spare—it can’t hurt to ask.”

Coco made a face as she walked up next to him. “Uuuuh, source? That guy, like, oozes bad vibes. You should totez just finish the Game! That’s all that matters, yeah?”

Neku shook his head. “I still want to know what’s going on. Out of the people who might actually know, Mr. H is the only one with an address. We might not get another chance.”

The Reaper rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I mean, I guess, but like, why risk it? The finish line is literally right in front of y’all—just cross it and end the Game. Then if you still wanna talk to Coffee Weirdo, just walk right back in and do it then! It’ll totez be less stressful once we’re off the clock!”

Beat nodded. “Yeah, man! We gotta get this over with either way. Plus we might get an explanation jus’ for winnin’! We’ll keep the H-Man as a back-up plan, aight?”

Neku crossed his arms. “I still feel like this would be less risky.”

“Aw c’mon!” Coco said, skipping down the sidewalk. “You srsly need to chill, Neku! Let’s just finish the Game already. Besidez…while we stand here chatting, the other Players are still fighting Noise and stuff. Like, uh, Shiki? Do it for her!”

“Right: Shiki and Rhyme is still out there, Phones!” Beat said. “We gotta end the Game now!”

With a sigh, Neku grumbled, “…Alright, I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting. But soon as we’re done, I’m coming back to get answers.”

The three of them ran down Cat Street, with Coco trailing farther and farther behind. Eventually she came to a stop, and just watched the boys continue with a wide grin on her face.

“Ugh, finally,” she said to herself. “This pair was WAY more stubborn than the last, 7.8/10 too much effort.”

Neku noticed they had lost her just as he and Beat ran over the city limits. The next thing he noticed was pain. Intense, searing pain, like his entire body was on fire. Judging by the way Beat had toppled over on the ground, the same thing was happening to him. Neku fell to his knees as the agony worsened.

“What’s…happening…?!”

Coco slowly approached them, taking care to not actually cross the limits. “This is fine! All according to keikaku. Congratz on winning the Reaper’s Game: Expert Mode! Oh btw, keikaku means plan.”

Beat cried out suddenly. Black and red flames consumed him, burning brightly for a few seconds before vanishing, leaving not even ashes in their wake. Neku’s eyes widened in horror.

“What did you do to him?!” Neku demanded.

“Erased him, duh,” Coco said. “Though technically wasn’t me, actually my baby that did it.”

“What?!”

“He needs loads of food to grow up big and strong. I’ve tried, like, a gazillion different things, and the Soul of super tough Players like you two is what works the best by far! ty so much!”

The pain only grew. Neku screamed, doing all he could to endure it despite knowing he was failing.

Coco put a hand to her ear. “Mmmm whatcha say? Couldn’t make that out.”

It wasn’t long before the flames consumed Neku as well, and then he too was gone. Coco put her hands on her hips and smiled. The world around her shifted, wavering like a mirage until it all melted into one swirling void of bluish clouds. Before her spawned a massive creature: a tapir with purple skin and six tusks, yellow tattoo-like protrusions in the shape of flames erupting all across its form. Its red eyes focused squarely on Coco.

“Yay! Look at you, you absolute unit! You’re, like, so strong now you could body anyone!”

Coco threw herself onto the tapir’s trunk, hugging it tightly—the creature gave a guttural rumble in response. She could sense its power increasing, and giggled happily as she took a step back. The tapir lowered its head and nudged her gently.

“Okay, okay.”

Reaching up, she scratched the tapir’s trunk. It tilted its head and squeaked.

“Aw, who’s a good boy?”

Coco hopped up to the top of its head, lying down so she could reach far enough to scratch behind its ear. The tapir lifted its trunk and trumpeted happily, then floated up and down in place, jostling Coco only the smallest amount.

“Haha, very good, such cute, wow!”

Soon it settled down. Coco propped up her head with one hand, continuing to slowly pet the tapir with the other, and let out a long sigh.

“Tapez my dude, I’m, like, so glad I have you. ngl you’re kinda my bff.”

The tapir grunted, swinging its trunk slightly. Coco swayed along.

“I dunno when it’s going down…but I’mma make sure you get through it. You’re one of my peeps too now! So it’s a legit promise!”

Coco extended her pinky. The tapir inclined its head a little and flexed its claws.

“Oooooh right. Well, still totez binding lol.”

She pressed her face against the tapir’s skin, letting her eyes close.

“Aaaaaah, we’re almost there, Tapez. Should just need, like, another few rounds and you’ll be a prime example of the ideal Noise body! Though tbh if the next pair is as annoying as this one, totez just gonna yeet them straight into your stomach.”

Her phone chimed. She opened one eye to look at the screen, and then rolled onto her back and groaned loudly, kicking her legs about in frustration.

“Uuuugh for real? Fine, whatevs.” She paused to pet the tapir one more time. “Sorry Tapez, I gotta bounce. brb and then we’ll go find you some more treats!”

The tapir squeaked a farewell, and then Coco stood up and shut her eyes again. Focusing her power, she elevated her Vibe and reached out with her mind to feel for the world she wanted to travel to; after so many times, it was easy for her, and in mere seconds she had concrete beneath her feet. Opening her eyes, Coco looked up at the skyline of Shinjuku and smiled brightly.

I love my city tbh.

***

Feel the people, hear the voices

They are reaching out to catch you

Feel the rhythms, hear the noises

You are beating all the visions

***

Coco moved through the city at a slow pace. Shinjuku was a travel hub, a place that was purely transient for most: each moment was fleeting, but each brought something new, something different, and that everlasting tumultuous tide of life fascinated Coco in a way nothing ever had before. Each second was something wholly unique, and she never wanted to miss even one of them. She spun around on a corner, taking it all in, and just laughed to herself.

“Having fun, Atarashi?”

Her good mood was spoiled instantly. She grimaced over her shoulder to see Joshua standing there, looking every bit as smug as she remembered him.

“fml what are you even doing here Kiryu?” she asked, turning around and crossing her arms in a huff. “Can’t you, like, take a hint?”

“Nice to see you too.” He raised a hand to his chin. “Hm. I’m curious: why is it you hold onto your wings even in the RG?”

Gesturing to them, Coco said, “Aesthetic.”

“…And what aesthetic would that be, exactly?”

“fyi I’m headed to a super important meeting rn so unless you’re finally ready to fite me irl then I, like, don’t even want to hear it.”

Joshua chuckled and brushed aside a lock of hair, which only made him seem even more smug and made Coco even angrier. “Stimulating as that has the potential to be, we’d both be in quite a bit of trouble with the folks upstairs if we were to have a skirmish.”

“Oooooh good point,” she said as she turned away. “And I bet you’re, like, already in hot water after the way you went off.”

“Nothing to worry about on that front. I’ve spoken with my Producer and he assures me the matter has been put to bed. Things in Shibuya will be staying the way they are.”

Coco spun around. “WTF?! You two are out of trouble just like that? I literally have no words!”

“Hm? Why, I would assume your Producer has been apprised of the details as well. Has he not passed them along to you yet?”

There was a short delay, and then Coco glanced aside and grumbled, “That must be why he sent me that txt…”

“I take it you’ve been too busy with your side project to stay on top of the paperwork.”

Coco locked eyes with Joshua. He was still smug, that would never change, but now there was a deadly undercurrent to his words that demanded Coco’s attention.

“tf are you even talking about?” Coco asked. “You really need to stay in your lane, Kiryu.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

“Explain.”

“Well for starters, I know you’ve been poking around my city.”

“omg! Tourism is a crime now?”

“Considering our circumstances I believe it falls more under ‘corporate espionage’.”

“It’s totez hilair to me that you consider the UG a corporation.”

“Setting that aside for the moment, there’s also the fact that you’ve been shirking your duties as Composer to jaunt off to an alarming number of parallel worlds as of late.”

Coco smirked. “Aw, u just jelly I can travel between worlds without needing to call an Uber to get back.”

Joshua shrugged. “I admit, it’s a skill I’ve yet to master—even my alternate selves seem to have difficulty with it. One came to call on me recently, you know. Said something about a bizarre Noise erasing two former Players in his world.”

Yawning loudly, Coco said, “Kiryu can I, like, get a tl;dr?”

Joshua’s face began to darken, the undercurrent gradually rising towards the surface. “Well Atarashi, it certainly sounds like you’ve been attacking alternate Shibuyas. If so, that’s something I believe qualifies as ‘in my lane’. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Coco cackled. “Pffft omg are u srs? I am DECEASED y’all, the guy who just tried to wipe his whole city is acting protective up in this bitch! lmaoooooo!”

Joshua stared hard at her. “Coco, do think for a moment: how do you suppose the Higher Plane would react to this news?”

“What, are you, like, planning to tell them? If you’ve got some proof then hmu.”

Joshua didn’t answer.

“lol that’s what I thought, smdh you better sit down Kiryu. Even if I were, like, messing with parallel worlds or whatevs, why would the Higher Plane even care? Angels from this world have no jurisdiction there. It’s free real estate.”

Slowly, Joshua nodded. “…Alright. Perhaps you have a point. Let’s leave the Higher Plane out of this hypothetical. The only one you need to be concerned with…is me.”

The air suddenly felt very heavy. Coco actually needed to remind herself to breathe, but she made sure her reaction wasn’t obvious.

“So, Atarashi. Explain to me why you’ve been killing Neku in so many parallel worlds. And, do try your best to make it a very good explanation.”

Coco brought her hands up to her face, twisting slightly away. “lololol I’m confused. Mad cuz I beat your record? Or want to make sure I don’t off this world’s copy of Edge Head before you can tell him he’s worthy of your grace? Honestly? I ship it.”

Joshua paused. “Neku himself isn’t the issue here. But if you’re making a move into my territory—“

“Yeah yeah yeah, cuz you care, like, SO much about your territory! I am SHOOK seeing you come in here acting like the authority on protecting your peeps! I could learn so much about my job from watching you!”

“I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu. I could have sworn I’ve already told you that a Composer’s job is simply to judge their people, and that it is only the existence and boundaries of their respective UG that require protection.”

Coco covered her mouth. “omg! Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave?” She dropped her hands and stuck out her tongue. “jk obv you’re full of it.”

“I don’t see why I should need to divulge my motivations to you of all people,” Joshua mumbled, “but if you must know…I was under the impression that Shibuya was not worth keeping around. Now that I’ve seen it still holds potential, I of course have every intention of preserving the seeds that I’ve sown.”

Coco scowled at him, but didn’t speak at first. Nearly a minute passed before she said, “Then tbh? I’m not your enemy.”

Joshua’s eyebrows went up.

“It’s, like, only a matter of time before a new kind of Game starts up Kiryu. Their Game. And I’m gonna be mad prepared when it does. If you had literally a single brain cell you’d totez be doing the same thing.”

By the time she was done, Joshua’s eyes had narrowed down to a suspicious glare. “Surely you’re not referring to the party I’m assuming?”

“Like, who else?”

Joshua stared down his nose at Coco as he considered his next move. Coco grunted, drew out her phone, and checked her messages.

“My, you truly are impossible to figure out,” Joshua sighed.

Coco gave her best Clearly Fake Smile and replied, “Because you’re an expert at that lol. I’m nothing compared to your galaxy brain.”

“I think I could do it if not for that absurd…shall we call it a dialect?”

“Uh, this is how people talk now? Hello? If you knew anything about people, then like, you’d already know that, but as always you have 0 friends so buh-bye.”

“…Hm. And, exactly how many friends do you have, Atarashi?”

Coco frowned.

Joshua turned. “But, alright. If this is some plan to deal with the Inferno, then I’ll drop the matter for now. But, one thing I’d like to make clear before I go.” He took one last glance back at her, eyes full of ice. “I will not tolerate any interference in this world’s Shibuya.”

He was off without another word. Coco suppressed the urge to shudder, turning back to her phone and mumbling half-formed syllables as she made herself look busy. She looked back up to be sure that he was gone, and then sighed and tucked her phone away, gazing over Shinjuku once more as she waited for the tension to leave her body. It was immediately replaced by joy.

“omg whoops. Rōjin is totez still waiting orz.”

***

Is it angels? Is it devils?

Whispering in my ears

Is it emotions? Is it illusions?

I need to be with you

***

Coco poked her head through the shrine’s gate. Looking up the path, she could see a bald, tan-skinned man with a stoic face sitting at the building’s entrance, his eyes already locked onto her. She flinched.

“Uuuuh what’s up gamers?” she blurted as she stumbled forward. “I know I’m, like, totez late, but I have a tru legit reason for it, get a load of this!”

The man was Seiji Rōjin, owner of the shrine and also Shinjuku’s Producer. He offered not a single word as Coco hurriedly explained her encounter with Joshua to him. When she was done, he nodded and closed his eyes; Coco looked around awkwardly for a few seconds, and then took a seat next to him.

“You must leave your Opus be,” he ultimately said.

Coco started. “Uh, excuse me? Abandon all my hard work just because that nerd doesn’t want me near his bf? I think the heck not!”

Rōjin opened his eyes to look at her.

“…Um? Something else?”

“The Higher Plane demands a Game.”

Coco blinked. Then she rolled back, digging her fingers into her scalp and shouting, “AAAAAAARGH, srsly?! I know I haven’t held a Game in, like, forev, but can’t they just let me handle thingz down here? Please say sike!”

Rōjin said nothing. As she accepted the reality of the situation, Coco’s heart sank.

“But…Tapez…” She groaned. “…Is, like, a teeny bit of faith in me too much to ask? They know I’ve got mad skillz! When you taught me how to make Tapez, you said I was one of only, like, three Composers whomst’ve ever been able to control Magnum Opus Noise—they should be totez impressed with me already!”

“The Higher Plane demands more of your position than mere talent,” Rōjin said. “It demands discipline.”

Coco pulled herself back into a sitting position. “I am, like, sooo disciplined! I legit wanted to tear Kiryu’s face off, but I didn’t!” She got back on her feet as she went on, “Like, sure, this is about Shinjuku, but the whole reason I’m working on Tapez is so he can protect my peeps! Making sure he’s bad enough to dunk on anyone is literally The Best Thing I can be doing rn! The Inferno is out there, you know, somewhere, and we dunno when they’re gonna throw hands! And now I have to take time out of my counterattack schedule to run some basic-ass Game?”

She whirled back to face Rōjin. He didn’t say anything. Coco stared at him for a few moments, realizing she was getting a headache.

“…heck. We don’t really have much of a choice, do we? If the Higher Plane wants a Game so bad, then like, we gotta pull together a Game. Tapez will just have to chill for a week I guess.”

Coco put a hand to her head as she trudged past Rōjin for the door.

“Ugh, lemme see, the Conductor obvs needs to show, and we should probably @ all the Officers too. idk who’s gonna be the GM this week but they—“

The pain in her head suddenly turned sharp. She paused mid-step.

“…they…”

Her vision blurred, then went dark. And then she saw Shinjuku again, but it was…different, somehow. As if viewed through some sort of filter. She saw the streets, the people, and then a glowing red symbol up in the sky—and then the streets were empty. Not a single soul was left in Shinjuku. No, not quite, next she saw one person: a girl who slowly walked forward with a blank look in her eyes. The girl stared straight ahead, but couldn’t see Coco. Still, she opened her mouth to speak.

“All that’s left in the world is me.”

Coco gasped as the shrine came back into focus. At first she was too surprised to make any sense of the event. But as she breathed, she processed it, and her eyes shot wide as pure dread came over her.

“Uh…a-ah…I…”

Rōjin stood, watching her with furrowed brow. Coco’s entire body shook as she turned to face him.

“I…I saw it again…!”

She jumped forward and grabbed Rōjin’s shirt.

“It was the same vision! You remember, right? From, like, WAY back when I first asked you about Magnum Opus Noise? I saw it again! Shinjuku was erased—it was an Inversion! I-I…” She looked down as tears started to form in her eyes. “I haven’t seen anything since that day…why now? Is…is the Inferno about to attack Shinjuku? Is that what this means?! Are we out of time?!”

She felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw Rōjin staring back at her, his face as calm and stoic as ever. Coco swallowed hard, and then exhaled slowly.

“R-Right…right.” She managed a chuckle. “Like, look at me, crying in the club like a little bitch! Thanks bunchez, Rōjin.”

She stepped away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Coco found herself looking up at the sky, as if to verify what she had seen hadn’t actually come true…at least, not yet. The same skyline greeted her. But this time, she just couldn’t feel happy about it. This time, it made her feel resolute. She turned back to Rōjin.

“Sorry fam. But I, like, can’t just sit on my ass and play a Game rn. The Higher Plane might not be convinced, but I just know the Inferno’s on their way to end my whole career, and I’m not about to take that.”

Rōjin paused. Then, with a single nod, he said, “Mood.”

Coco giggled. “omg, you’re, like, literally the worst!”

She left the shrine and made her way back up the street, thinking, Dunno how much more time I have to beef up Tapez. My boi’s totez strong, but I can’t be too careful, and probs don’t have much time for last minute boosts. I need to, like, think of how else I can improve his chances…

Her feet slowed, and she looked back at the shrine.

…Hm. I wonder what she would think?

Coco crossed her arms.

I mean, she’s gonna be totez disappointed there’s no Game. But like, she’s still my Conductor, yeah? If I can’t trust her to back me up, then who can I trust?

She turned and got moving again.

At the v least I gotta ask. Whatever it takes…my Shinjuku is going to survive.

***

Every day noises are killing these people

Every night noises are waiting for me but

Don’t run away, we’ve got no time left to fear

Where are you now, still it’s showing me illusions

#TWEWY #TWEWY Bang 2019 #The World Ends With You #Subarashiki Kono Sekai #World Ends With You #fanfic #submission

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writcraft · 6 years

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Hey you know me as definitely-not-a-fan but I made a hp blog.. just wanted to say hi 👋🏻 Also if you have the time, could you maybe rec me some good (and nice) hope blogs? But only if it’s not too much trouble! Hope you have a lovely evening/day/whatever time it is when you read this :)

Hiiiiii! How exciting, welcome welcome!!! I mean, I know you don’t need a welcome but just specifically welcoming your new HP blog to the fandom :D

Okay, I’m going to be honest and say that doing blog recs - particularly for a fandom as huge as HP with so many differing POVs on everything from certain characters, to JKR, to Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child, can be a little difficult, not least because I follow a lot of people with differing opinions and I know that approach isn’t for everyone. I also get anxieties about missing people out. I did start trying to write out a list of some of my favourite blogs to follow but it would have been ten feet long and felt like a sure fire way to lose friends (because I’d end up missing out someone I chat with every day or something by accident) so I’m going to scrap that and take a different approach.

I’m actually pretty new to tumblr - relatively speaking - even though I’ve been in HP for ages, so I’m just going to tell you how I’ve gone about working out which blogs I want to follow, with a focus on H/D content (HD Rec Blogs and HD Fest Blogs). I also follow loads of Snape and Snarry blogs, HP meta blogs, all the femslash blogs I can get my hands on, lots of Marauder stuff, Wolfstar and Prongsfoot in particular, and a bunch of other things, but I’m assuming from the Draco focus to your blog you’re going to be primarily interested in HD but ping me if that’s not the case and I’ll give you other suggestions.

Friends, please feel free to add to this if you have specific shout out lists or think I’ve missed stuff, particularly if there’s a handy reclist of Drarry Artists anywhere - @gracie137blogs did you start an excel for tumblr artists and alternative contacts when Tumblr started being annoying?

More under the cut, it got a bit long.

Rec Blogs: I’m going to be missing a lot of rec blogs here - there are so many for H/D - but @capiturecs has a really long established rec blog which should also give you ideas for author / artist blogs to follow, @gracerene09 also has a super organised rec blog which again will lead you to other blogs, @dictacontrion blogs quotes from H/D fics on the regular and will help you find tumblr blogs for writers as they always include the tumblr handle where there is one and @the-headmistress is a newer blog set up to spotlight lesser known fic/authors and definitely worth a follow (that blog is run by @gnarf @keyflight790 and @nifflers-n-nargles). I also follow @thedrarryarchives for some lovely, thoughtful recs and I’m sure there are a load more but those are the ones off the top of my head. I was about to start listing a load of other bloggers who rec frequently (e.g. @bixgirl1 and @hogwartsfirebolt and @tdcatsblog spring immediately to mind and @magpiefngrl did a series of recs that are definitely worth checking out from the end of last year) but that started to get unwieldy too, so I’ll stop with those four with apologies to those other bloggers who I know rec frequently but I’m just going to miss people.

A lot of the authors you’ll discover through poking around the blogs I mention also rec widely - such as the few I mentioned above - so you can find other authors, artists and so on through following the author blogs. I’d also point to @o0o-chibaken-o0o‘s recent 2018 Community Drarry Rec List and @lettersbyelise recent list of new Drarry authors who published their first fics in 2018 as additional recs for author blogs to follow (as well as the lovely bloggers that compiled those lists of course!)

HD Fests: One way I’ve found people to follow is by stalking casually following people who have participated in recent fests, most of which now have a tumblr presence. I went through various fest masterlists and hit follow on author/artist/mod tumblrs. HD fests that ran last year, or that are new this year, that are explicitly HD or have a high HD participation include @hd-erised @hd-fan-fair @hpconsentfest @dracotopsharry @hpdrizzle @harrydracobang @hdowlpost @hpkinkfest (this blog is shadow flagged right now but recommend following for this upcoming round which starts on 24 February, and I’m a mod so shamelessly self-promoting and also have it on good authority you’ll get lots of kinky HD out of this run) @lcdrarry @hd-wireless @harrydracompreg @slythindor100 @hd-remix @hdtropes @gameofdrarry @hd-fanart @drarryawards

I suck at doing this, but hopefully it’s a good starting point. There are also a bunch of HP Discords. Drarry, Snarry, Wolfstar, Snape, HP Mods, Next Gen and others just off the top of my head. If Discord chats are your thing, just drop me a message and I’ll let you know who to contact for the relevant links depending on your interests. I hope you have fun!!!!!!

#asks #some hd blogs #idk man #help me out friends #drarry #drarry squad

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lightsandlostbells · 6 years

Text

Skam España, S1 episode 1 reaction

Aka how to troll the part of your audience that’s seen this story seven times.

Sorry this is late, but it took me longer to write this because there were a lot of changes, and that means more to talk about! Skam España surprised me at how much it diverged from the source material. It’s hitting the same beats, of course, but it felt much more like a remix of the original than a remake, if you follow me.

Thanks to everyone who subs and uploads clips and other content for the non-Spanish audience! You are the best for taking the time to do that for the fandom.

Episode 1

Intro

So this wasn’t in a clip, but it was included at the beginning of the full episode. We get the iconic intro speech, except this time it’s from Eva. And not Eva reading Jonas’ words, it seems, but Eva herself talking about teenagers presenting a happy appearance that masks their insecurities and loneliness. It’s very fitting for her character and taps into some areas that directly affect her, such as wanting to be liked but not knowing how, struggling with her studies, and not knowing who she is. I’m glad she got to give this speech.

And actually, I think it’s important that she didn’t give this speech within a clip itself, to an audience of her boyfriend. It’s like she’s talking to us and only us, the audience, and no one in her life knows what she’s thinking or the full extent of her insecurities.

Clip 1 - And now for something completely different

Spanish Jonas (Jorge) doesn’t get his opening monologue but he does get the first words, though they’re very casual, about diving in the pool.

There’s some obvious framing here with Eva and Jorge sitting together on one side across from Lucas on his own, setting up their third wheel dynamic.

Jorge and Lucas tease Eva, like in the original, but it’s very much a good-natured thing, not something that makes her uncomfortable or feel bad. However, I do think you can read into the dialogue - Eva not knowing how to dive in head first is like her lacking confidence or not being able to take initiative.

We get a focus on Lucas’ uncomfortable face as loud smacking kissy sounds play. I’m always mixed on when the remakes focus a lot of the Isak’s discomfort with Eva/Jonas, because it seems to give too much away. A longing look is OK, maybe, but a moment that wouldn’t be noted from Eva’s POV seems too much. Still, that was a nice way to shoot it, and Lucas gets in some nice facial expressions. And at least there’s ambiguity as to why Lucas is not here for it. At this stage it doesn’t mean he likes Jorge; he could like Eva, or he could just feel bored with his friends making out or lonely that they’re paired off, without having romantic feelings for either of them.

Random detail but I love all the dirt and grass on Jorge’s pants when he gets up.

This is a cute bit of dialogue between Eva and Jorge with him predicting her future. I don’t think this is the case but I would loooove if Spanish P-Chris was Jorge’s height and had curly hair, just for his prediction to happen, just not in the way Jorge means.

I would also love if the money and house on the beach ended up being references to the school trip.

Eva’s future dog being named Nymeria is a reference to Arya’s direwolf from Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire.

This closing image is VERY different. In the other versions of the opening clip Eva ends up alone, setting up her isolation and loneliness. In this one, we close on her and Jorge together, kissing and being intimate, after he’s told her that he’ll be there for her.

Actually, I want to talk about what all the changes in the opening could mean for the season. Hopefully the show takes these changes into account and goes somewhere with them, rather than developing relationships and clips differently but ending up in the same place just because, you know?

So here’s what’s different in the first clip:

Jorge doesn’t have any of that air of condescension that Jonas did, and he and Lucas banter with Eva in a friendly way without any serious insults. (I mean I guess she could be really bothered by them poking fun at her lack of diving ability but lmao, that’s not the same as poking fun at her grades or intelligence.)

We haven’t seen Ingrid or Sara yet and don’t get a hint as to the friction between Eva and them. We do learn that Eva worries about the first day of school but like … there could be literally any reason for that at this point.

We didn’t hear anything about Jorge hanging out or going to Elias’ and there’s no clip later that night where he’s being shady about his whereabouts.

Jorge is extremely kind and supportive, telling Eva that he’ll be with her if there are any problems. But we know that he won’t be able to fulfill this promise, so it’ll feel like an extra slap in the face when he disappoints.

Clip 2 - First day of school

Eva is alone this time… and a lot of people walking into the school are in pairs, including two girls swinging their hands together. Sure is a great reminder of how you lost your BFF.

We do get the Ingrid slow-mo death glare in this clip. “Jungle” by X Ambassadors and Jamie N Commons is a good song choice, on the nose, but Eva does feel like she’s heading into the jungle. High school as dangerous terrain is a common but well-deserved trope, like in Mean Girls with the wildlife comparisons played for humor.

Lol and Jorge notices Ingrid (Inés) and her pals, too, then goes back to kissing Eva.

So Lucas interrupts them making out, but he’s with some other boys! Are they setting up the boy squad this early? Is one of them supposed to be Elias? They seem like kind of a cute, doofy squad.

You can tell Eva feels increasingly left out as the boys are wrapped up in a discussion that doesn’t involve her, they’re talking more to Jorge than her and mostly not even looking at her when they tell the story. Although not gonna lie, the story the boys are telling seems kind of inoffensive, not isolating or uncomfortable in itself. I think it’s mostly that she doesn’t have a squad like this herself and has to hang around her boyfriend’s.

And Lucas goes over to her to talk and specifically asks her to the show on Friday, awwww. Unless you think he did it to stir up shit since Jorge forgot to tell her about the show.

Because Jorge forgot to tell her about it, Eva probably won’t be able to get a ticket. So it’s not that Eva invites him somewhere first (like in the original), it’s that he’s already got a thing and that she’s excluded from it. She says she’s cool with it but of course it’s just another small way she’s left out.

Eva ends up outside of the conversation, literally. The boys turn away from her and get engrossed in their own stuff. I was wondering how this was going to go because in the first clip, Jorge was so supportive and she and Lucas seemed tight, and it made a point of showing her together and not being alone. But lmao, teenage boys are maybe not great at living up to their promises.

There was another post about this, but there was a weird zoom on Eva at the end of this clip that felt like someone’s finger slipped on the camera or something. Felt like it needed another take. I hope it was a weird but intentional choice rather than sloppiness.

Clip 3 - Mystery girl

Eva is sitting alone and SHIT, we see the Sana character walk by! Hajar Brown, her actress, is awesome. She features in her own Skam homage, please watch (this version has English subtitles). I’m really happy that she can be part of this project.

It seems that Spanish Sana (Amira) is wearing hijab for the first time, which was mentioned in the show synopsis. The other girl says Amira didn’t wear it last year. It’ll be interesting if we hear more from Amira herself on this development.

Also, did we ever hear people openly talking badly like this about Sana so early in the show? Because obviously we had Vilde running her mouth, and similarly ignorant comments from people like the biology teacher, but until S4 I don’t think we ever witnessed random students gossiping about her like this. I might just be blanking on some of the OG moments, but here we get to see Amira react directly to random hurtful comments.

And of course there’s Lara.

I was really thrown by this clip because it seems very soon to introduce the Noora. As we all know, she makes a more dramatic entrance later on. And yet they have this character wearing Noora’s signature red lipstick, in an extremely Noora-ish outfit, come in and sit next to Eva in a scene very similar to Noora and Eva in episode 3 of OG S1 (and most of the remakes). Except … this character says she’s Lara. From the press release, Skam España’s Noora is supposed to be called, well … Nora. I was so confused. I clearly heard her introduce herself as “Lara” but I figured I was just hearing wrong and somehow she said Nora?

Anyway, Skam Spain fucked with everyone’s expectations by introducing a Noora expy, with the same personal style, with a scene similar to one of Noora’s first, only not to make her the Noora … just to throw everyone off? Because honestly, I applaud them if this is the case. Keeping everyone on their toes.

My guess so far is that she might be Sara, or a Sara equivalent. She might befriend Inés and end up shunning Eva because she hears all about what a bad friend Eva is.

Anyway, Lara makes an impression right away for Eva, talking a lot about herself. She’s certainly not shy, and she’s got an interest in theater and photography. She seems a bit humble-braggy, like her GPA is so good that she can do whatever she wants! She seems to have the confidence Eva lacks. If she’s unsure of herself, it’s because she wants too much.

And then Lucas comes in to talk about school elections, setting us up for the Vilde and the russ equivalent of this show. He doesn’t get her name right but he clearly means Viri. Viri is the only one running for president so better just hand off the position to the person who wants it.

Eva checks out Lara, like all Evas do with Nooras, but lmao, this ain’t Noora.

Clip 4 - Eva at home

Eva is doing homework when she gets the urge to check Instagram and ends up scrolling through Inés’ pics wistfully.

Eva’s mom says she’s going to the hospital so I assume she’s a doctor/nurse/medical professional? If she’s working shifts that conflict with Eva’s schedule, that makes sense as to how Eva could be left alone and have a distant relationship with her mom.

Eva gets a little smile on her face when she views Lara’s profile.

Did Eva actually hit the follow button for Lara or not? I couldn’t tell.

Tbh it’s pretty interesting to see the difference in the Evas’ rooms across remakes. For instance, Spanish Eva has pretty light and sparkles and the word LOVE suspended above her bed, whereas in the Dutch remake, Dutch Eva sleeps under the word FUCK.

So this is clearly taking on Eva’s friending Noora saga, but Lara ain’t Noora, so again, what’s going on? What if Lara’s IG reveals her as a huge weirdo and Eva realizes she doesn’t want to be friends with her?

Skam Spain is trolling everyone and I love it.

Clip 5 - Hello Viri and ALEJANDROOOOOO

Eva is sitting alone in front of the windowsill and skimming through Instagram when Lara shows up! She’s happy to see Eva because she doesn’t know where her next class is. Eva is obviously overjoyed to see her and volunteers to show her where the classroom is. Eva is positively beaming at her. Like she’s in loooooove. But Eva barely gets a second of Lara’s attention before Elvira, aka Viri, aka Spanish Vilde runs up and introduces herself as the class president.

Lara’s outfit seems noticeably less Noora-ish this time around.

Lara shoots Eva a look when Viri is talking, and I don’t know what to make of it. Annoyed at Viri’s attitude? Annoyed that Viri interrupted her moment with Eva? Not annoyed, just trying to check out Eva? IDK, man.

Viri is super grateful that she’s been elected (even though everyone just voted for her because she wanted the job) and is eager to get activities rolling and to get people involved. Lara semi-cuts Viri off from her excited ramble.

We pull back on Viri and get a wide shot … I don’t really know why.

Viri says she’s new, so I guess she doesn’t know Cris that well, which is a big change. Vilde and Chris have always been friends, Chris is the one who’s been her friend all along, but Cris isn’t tagging along with Viri on her quest to recruit more people as in the other versions of this scene. I wonder how they met?

Viri calls Cris “the pretty one” and while I think Ina/original Chris is beautiful, Chris has never been framed as an attractive character in canon so I’m wondering what they’re going to do with this. Cris is also surrounded by people so she seems like a popular, well-liked person. It makes you wonder how she got roped into hanging with the weird girls in school.

Lara says she’s in if Eva is, and Eva agrees. WHAT ARE YOU DOING SKAM SPAIN. You got your Noora in my Lara??? Except Noora only agreed to go to the russ meeting when Sana did. For Lara, it’s Eva she needs to also go. On that note, Lara sure seems into Eva. And Eva agrees because she wants to spend time with Lara...

Viri’s mom is having a meeting, or “meeting,” so maybe they’re going with the same backstory for her as Vilde.

She cuts herself off as she notices William - Alejandro - through the window, and like, if they had named this character Alejandro but not played Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” at some point, I would have felt cheated. I feel like they could have timed or edited the scene better to make it funnier, but I did still appreciate the effort.

I saw people upset that this William looks like an embryo but I’m fine with it. I can completely get why he would be considered a cute boy on campus among these 16/17-year-olds.

Please note Viri’s facial expressions as she takes him in. It looks like she’s glitching.

She’s so turned on by Alejandro that she’s grabbing Eva’s leg.

LOL at Alejandro looking straight at the camera just to smolder. Wow. I’m imagining that this is just a thing he does on purpose, walk around Blue Steeling into invisible cameras.

Is it just me or does he look a bit like Mikael from the original show? Just … floppier?

Clip 6 - Damn, Inés

I think that’s Amira walking across the screen out of focus at the start.

Eva walks up to see Inés hanging out with some girls, the reluctance on her face. And then she sees Lara with them, and the despair crosses her face. Fuuuuuck, this budding friendship is over before it really started. (WAS I RIGHT? I knewwwww it! Lara is going to get turned off by hearing Inés tell her side of the story, and she won’t want to be Eva’s friend. Then the girl squad will step up.)

Getting mild Darlene from Mr. Robot vibes from Inés. Except less unkempt.

Eva going up and talking to Inés in broad daylight, at school, totally sober? Brave, very brave.

We get a closeup of Inés’ face when Eva talks to her so it can sink in that whatever happened with them didn’t hurt only Eva - it’s Eva who seems to be at fault. It’s POV breakage that we maybe didn’t need consider the rest of the scene also establishes that Inés is really hurt by what Eva did, but it did help show Inés as more vulnerable.

Ouch. Inés is right to be pissed (as we know her reasons) but she’s ice cold to Eva, especially with making her repeat that Eva will never be around her again. That is really harsh, worse than any “your eye makeup makes you look like a slut” comments.

Clip 7 - Interrupted by dancing dudes

Cris is seen leaving the school ahead of Eva and Jorge. I like that they’re planting the major characters around the school, casually showing them going about their lives. I mean maybe they were just filming other scenes that day and used all of the actors they had on set, lmao, but it feels realistic.

Jorge meets Eva and seems supportive, she’s not alone walking out of school this time. But she spies Inés again outside, there’s eye contact, and Eva is clearly upset over what happened earlier. Even Jorge notices.

She doesn’t want to open up to him, he keeps asking her to open up, and just when it seems like she might tell him, he gets a notification of his friends being goofballs and watches them on his phone.

Jorge promises to be all Eva’s tomorrow, and lol somehow I think it’s a promise made to be broken.

Clip 8 - Sad blue-tinted lonely Friday clip

Eva is hanging out in her kitchen heating up food in her not-leaving-the-house attire, alone, not doing anything on Friday night. She gets a text from Jorge and looks at all the fun her boyfriend and his friends are having at their concert.

She watches it fondly and sends him some texts back, then goes back to that solitary microwave life.

Viri sends a message asking if someone can host the end of the year trip meeting. Eva goes back to munching. But we know what she’s really hungry for ... is friendship. 😎

Clip 9 - Goddammit Jorge

Eva is on the sidelines watching Jorge play football. You know, not that you can’t support your significant other, but being a teenage girl and watching your boyfriend be active while you sit there watching is maybe not the most fun activity? Let’s be honest, would a lot of these teenage boys sit and watch their girlfriends play a game together, one that wasn’t like an “official” game for school or anything, and cheer them on while not participating themselves? Girls are expected to support their boyfriends’ activities in a way that frankly is not reciprocal.

Lucas comes up behind the bleachers, wearing sunglasses and doing this face that would probably be meme-worthy if it were more in focus. Like he actually does that peer over the top of the sunglasses look. And I was like, lmao, why is the fuck is he doing that, but then I realized he was probably checking out Jorge.

Jorge comes up to Eva all drenched with water and sweat so you know Lucas is taking advantage of his sunglasses to peep that manly sight.

It sure didn’t take long for Jorge to go back on his promise. Jorge makes a comment about wanting to go home and sleep, Eva says they were supposed to hang out today, he’s like “well I’m going to play video games with the boys, but you can come if you want.” Lmao this is uncharitable but I’m imagining he means “you can come and watch” not “you can come and participate.”

She suggests they go out together and he’s like, nah, do that shit yourself. Wow, so supportive. And yet a realistic depiction of dating high school boys. He tells her she’ll make a bunch of friends soon and forget all about him, which is sweet, except if you think that later, in the tradition of past Jonases, he’s going to get all miffed about the school trip and be passive-aggressive to Eva about her activities and friends? Less sweet.

I just want to mention that Lucas is oh so casually lying there and soaking in all of this dialogue. Noticing that Jorge is ditching Eva. Not saying a word, but you know. Absorbing this information, in case it’s pertinent.

Jorge asks Lucas if Eva is a good catch, for reassurance, and he pauses before commenting on her hat. Well, he can’t exactly say he doesn’t know, can he?

Jorge and Eva kiss before Jorge gets called back to his game, and Lucas asks Eva what Jorge tastes like, L O L. She answers sweat. We see Eva, deflated now that Jorge has bailed (like “I came to watch you and put on this hat and now you don’t even want to hang out?”) while right beside her, Lucas has … a look. That sweat comment will fuel his fantasies, don’t lie.

I mean I’m going to be honest, my attention was focused on Lucas instead of Eva at the end, since I was trying to see if he had a ~meaningful look.

Clip 10 - Class trip meeting

This is pretty easily inferred since Eva is desperate to be social but she volunteered her house off screen via text message.

Viri is super hyped about this meeting even though it’s apparently only going to be her, Eva, Cris, and Cris’ friend. She thinks more people will want to come to their meetings once their project gets off the ground. I think she is concerned about popularity, but not gonna lie, I’m getting less “social climber” vibes from her and more “type-A overachiever.” But I guess she could be both!

Ding dong! Who’s at the door? Why it’s Cris, and she brought Amira! Good God, the way the smile drops off Viri’s face when she sees a Muslim is in her presence. She greets Amira and all, but Viri looks like she’s been told her puppy got run over.

She backtracks from Mallorca, and when Amira asks why, Viri’s like, well it’s all beach. Holy shit, Viri, have you never seen Muslims on a beach? Cris is “just like wear a burkini,” Amira says she’ll get one, and even Cris seems to have a moment where she has to backtrack. It’s like she mentioned the burkini as a joke but didn’t take it seriously. Amira clearly is a bit exasperated by this turn of conversation. Like it’s othering to her, she has to hold these people’s hands.

See I’m really curious about the nature of this trip, because when you say “school trip” I’m coming from my own experience, and I think of like a trip with adult chaperones, guided activities and tours, strict supervision. Partying and sex do happen, but it’s not a free-for-all where the students are running around on their own. What Viri is describing seems more like a casual beach trip? How much independence would the students have? Obviously this is a different culture than my own (and a lot of the strict chaperoning on US school trips comes from wanting to curb underage drinking, which wouldn’t be a problem here) and I’m not familiar with how Spanish schools operate these kinds of excursions, but I’m trying to figure out what are Viri’s plans for this trip.

@skammovistarplus explains some context behind the trip in this post.

Viri gets happy about her trip again and starts talking about it, and she very obviously looks back and forth from Cris to Eva as she talks about it, not making eye contact with Amira. The camera in this part of the scene is pulled back so we can see just how excluded and distant Amira is from this conversation, almost like we’re in her shoes.

Amira talks a lot of sense and says more people should get involved in trip planning. I mean, yeah, otherwise just plan a trip among yourselves and leave the school out of it? Seems easier.

The doorbell rings again, Eva thinks it’s Lara, but when she opens the door it’s …. Nora! Also wearing red lipstick.

Amira gave Nora the address so they’re already acquainted. That’s a change, Nora joining the group because of Amira. Noora said she wanted to get to know Sana better, but Eva was also the one who got her acquainted with the other girls.

This clip cuts off right at Nora’s introduction, and I can’t help but laugh at the context? It’s kind of dramatic, though less in the full episode. Like if I knew nothing about this show, I’d be like … is this supposed to be some twin shenanigans??? Is one of them the good twin and the other the bad twin? Lara and Nora? But I guess this moment is for the existing Skam fans. It’s …. Nora! The one you thought was Nora was emphatically not Nora! Plot twist!

This was the least gay Noora introduction, though.

Clip 11 - More meeting

There was a post about the clips and problems with the length and timing and I completely agree that posting multiple shorter clips is not good. If they keep doing this, it will minimize emotional investment - we won’t be able to sink into a scene without them cutting it off at a certain point. I guess Viri and Amira have been arguing for like an hour which I’m sure was enjoyable to witness for the other girls.

Viri is getting cringy, like I thought she did an OK job of Tracy Flicking it up but she’s getting OTT in a theater kid kind of way. Stress will do that to you.

So I guess a Mr Wonderful notebook is just a brand of notebook with cheesy motivational sayings, and Viri talks like that earnestly, lmao.

Amira thinks they need cool girls to be at the meeting, like Inés. Eva is affected by this. Nora seems to notice.

Nora is from Madison, Wisconsin, holy shit. As a Midwesterner I am rolling on the floor.

I have been to Madison, Wisconsin. It’s a very nice city! I love Wisconsin! I recommend visiting the cheese castle! But it’s just funny that Nora the cool girl is from a place that’s as mundane as Wisconsin. Like there’s that storyline from Love Actually where the awkward guy thinks he can get laid in America just by having a British accent, so he books a ticket to America, to a “fantastic place” called Wisconsin. That’s the joke. It’s supposed to be funny because it’s Wisconsin.

Hajar Brown does a good job as Amira, I like her. She points out that they’re all losers who have nothing better to do on Saturday so they’re at this meeting. Viri says they’re not weird, they’re unique, and Cris asks what about twins, and Nora seems to laugh at herself. SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT HER AND LARA BEING TWINS… the secret will come out.

Why is Cris here, anyway? I get why the other four would be weirdos and hanging out together - Eva has been shunned, Viri is a racist Hermione, Amira is Muslim, and Nora is the new girl in town - but Cris seems, frankly, not a lot like original Chris and appeared to have some other friends in our first glimpse of her. What’s her deal?

Nora asks why the cool girls would want to come to them and Amira’s like, well, you’re very pretty, Nora. Eva, you could be pretty if you wore some makeup. L M A O. I think Amira was saying that to fuck with Viri, since she gave her a considering look before moving on to Eva, and Viri looked offended, but lol, as if the four who are supposed to flirt aren’t all pretty, skinny, conventionally attractive girls. (I mean, I hate debates over which characters are the best looking, I just don’t give a shit, but if you ask me, Nora is not noticeably prettier than the other girls. Tbh I kinda didn’t like that they changed it to Nora from Eva since, if they follow the rest of the show, Noora was so singled out for being special and attractive among the girls anyway.)

Viri is beside herself with rage at how this meeting turned out.

Lara never showed so presumably she heard all about Eva’s history from Inés. She also leaves the trip group chat later.

Clip 12 - Eva spies Jorge

Eva is guiding Nora to her bus an hour later. Nora questions whether there will be another meeting and Eva says she supposes not because they don’t have anything in common. Nora says nay, they’re the weirdos at school. It’s cute.

I was about to ask what was the point of this scene since, other than a moment between Eva and Nora, it’s not adding much, but then “Jungle” kicks in again, a bus goes by, and Eva sees Jorge on that bus. Looking like he is talking to a girl. Who may be Inés. Eva realizes she’s been duped! Dramaaaaaa!

That does appear to be the same shiny backpack that Inés had earlier in the episode.

General Comments:

Regardless of execution, in a lot of ways this is what I want from a Skam remake? If I can’t have brand new stories and characters, I’d like to see remixes of the scenes with new dialogue and focus. Very little of the dialogue was taken straight from Skam, iconic moments were left out, new plot elements were introduced. So it makes me want to keep watching to see what else they do.

Unless Skam Spain has a different contract than the other remakes, so far it’s ripping holes in the idea that the remakes were required to be exactly the same as the original.

They sure crammed three episodes into one. I will give them credit, though, it didn’t feel rushed for the most part. I think the girls’ meeting suffered the most since we basically had to meet a bunch of characters at once (only Viri had really been introduced), whereas in the original we’d gotten a solid scene with all of the girls by the time of the meeting and had an inkling as to their personalities. However, the Jorge stuff and Inés and the other elements felt fine, pacing-wise. I love S1′s beginning episodes and things like the cabin episode, but they can easily be condensed if needed.

There was controversy over Chris being skinny in this version, and just to go over that - this isn’t the first version of Skam that’s had a thinner Chris, Druck and Skam Austin had Chrises who weren’t fat, Skam NL does too. I think Skam España got the most flack for this because the Chrises in Druck and Skam Austin were WOC, and while race and body size are two different areas of representation, those characters were still members of an underrepresented group. Skam NL has a thinner white Chris, but it also has the first Noora who’s a WOC so the girl squad has additional diversity besides the Sana character. So I think it’s a combo of everyone being thin + everyone other than Amira being white that made Skam España get criticism in particular.

I do think it is disappointing that all the main girls appear to be thin, because overall I think the various Skams have done a decent job of showing girls with a variety of shapes - not just in terms of skinny or fat, but even the “thin” characters often have different body types than are often seen on TV. And I hope there are more POC in the cast later. That’s all I really want to say about it at the time.

I mentioned this in my Skam NL recap, too, but I think so many characters are called Lucas because it’s a religious name that can be used for symbolism, like Isak.

I feel like some of the more technical aspects are off, like camerawork/editing, and the acting overall is mixed, but it does feel like a down-to-earth low-budget production that cast actual teenagers and that’s my jam, so I am very willing to cut it some slack in this regard.

Some highlights of social media: Lucas posting a shit-stirring #TBT post with him, Eva, and Inés, that’s pretty cold, dude. Eva and Lucas taking turns third wheeling in it group photos.

@skammovistarplus is writing some awesome posts detailing some of the cultural aspects in the clips, go check it out!

I’m not Spanish so if I misunderstand something, feel free to let me know!

Thank you for reading!

#skam españa reactions #skam spain reactions

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