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The Interviews

--- Originally posted on 2021-02-07 by dumb-and-jocked. ---

“Can you guys believe we actually made it?” Elijah exclaimed proudly. Even as the tallest of the trio at 6’7, he had to arch his back to see the top of the skyscraper in front of him. Elijah had worked hard to get his degree in business, so the prospect in front of him made him feel like he was touching the finish line. He had applied for an interning position in the financial department, and the company had been so impressed with his application that they had set up an interview immediately.

“I will admit, it is pretty incredible,” Dylan added. He was in the middle of the three, having a little over average height at 5’11 and pretty good muscular tone. What really stood out about him though was his voice, for it was a powerful bass that could shake concrete walls and was completely recognizable at any event. He too had applied for an interning position in the financial department, creating a little friendly rivalry between the two.

“I’m still surprised we all made it.” Although Joe was almost a foot shorter than the giant Elijah at 5’7, he made up for his height in sheer body mass. Back in college, he had been the star wrestler of the college, giving him a body packed with pure strength and flesh. One wouldn’t be able to guess it, but Joe was also skilled in another area: accounting. He was so talented in fact that he had actually been scouted out by the company.

“I guess we should head in,” Elijah stated, making his way forward slowly. “If we actually want to work at the Carmichael Corporation, we’ll have to ace these interviews.”

“Oh yeah, like that’ll be hard,” Dylan jeered as he walked through a set of grand swinging doors. “My record is pretty well stacked. I think I have the best chance out of the three of us for this position.”

“Dude, I’m going for accounting.” Joe gave a rough eye roll, before walking off to notify the secretary of their presence.

“And like I have any competition,” Elijah scoffed as Dylan and himself took a seat on a nearby bench. “Once they see that my name was on the Dean’s List every semester, I’ll get in for sure.”

“You only got that because you were the captain of the basketball team,” Dylan mocked.

“Did not,” Elijah hurled back.

“Did too!” Dylan retorted.

“You understand that I actually worked for those grades, right?” Elijah felt himself get heated as his muscles grew tense.

“Oh you worked for them alright,” Dylan mumbled. “On your knees.”

“Excuse me, bro?!”

“You heard what I said, coc-”

“Gentlemen!”

A sharply dressed male was staring down at the two bickering companions. The man was furiously tapping a pen against his clipboard, obviously irritated. Standing tall in front of the two, he was wrapped up in a gray 3-piece suit with a checkered tie that fit well against his sculpted body. His face showed that although he acted superior, he had to be a similar age to the two young men cowering below him.

“My name is Yale Stockton Rockefeller IV, and I am one of the Accounting Managers here at the Carmichael Corporation,” he began pompously, effortlessly taking control of the situation. “If you want to work here at the Carmichael Corporation, the first concept you must learn is respect and decency to and in the workplace.”

“Sorry,” Dylan and Elijah replied in unison, deeply embarrassed and annoyed by the stuck-up prick.

“Now, I assume I will be performing one of your interviews today,” Yale took a moment to look at his clipboard. “Is one of you Joseph Koroll?”

“That’s me.” Joe appeared from behind Yale, surprising the other man a little bit. After checking in, Joe had quickly run to the bathroom to wash his face, finding he had accidentally missed a few hairs when he had shaved this morning. Not noticeable, just a little itchy.

“Exemplary,” Yale responded, causing Joe to give the other two looks that said What’s with this guy?

“Let us make our way to a correspondent room, we have a lot to cover in little time.” Before Joe could comprehend what Yale had said, the other man was already walking towards an elevator. Joe quickly scurried along, waving to his pals before he was lifted up.

“How do you think he’ll do?” Dylan pondered.

“Better than the two of us so far,” Elijah pouted.

— —

“Joseph Koroll.”

“Yes?”

Yale sat straight at his desk, constantly giving off an ill-tempered glare as he peered back and forth between Joe and Joe’s resumé. What made it even more intense was that Yale’s eyes had an oddly captivating color to them. The two sat in a small conference room on the 15th floor overlooking a part of the city below. Joe didn’t feel that nervous–he actually felt quite confident–but the giant yellow chair he sat in made him seem much smaller than he actually was. Even for his muscular figure, he barely filled half the seat, and his head did not make it anywhere near the top. Not only that, but the chair was placed in the center of the room, giving him more attention than he needed.

“I despise that I must admit it,” Yale sighed. “but your experience and credentials are rather splendid.”

“Thank you?” Joe replied back, a little confused.

“If you want to be a part of the Carmichael Corporation however, there are some aspects that must be changed or enhanced.”

“I understand.”

“The Carmichael Corporation is not some urban start-up with jeans and herbal teas. This is a very demanding industry, one that expects all employees to be obedient and loyal.”

“Of course,” Joe nodded along. “That would make sense.”

“I do not know or care what went on at your last position, but if you want to succeed in this company, it is imperative that orders from a superior be followed. Would you be okay with this level of obedience?”

“Yes sir.” Joe slyly added in the title, sensing he had to accept a power shift.

“That is more appropriate,” Yale smiled. “Now, let us first address the things that need to be changed to be hired. Your attire is the most noticeable facet, as it is unsightly to say in the kindest of terms.”

“Unsightly?” Joe was surprised, finding his red sweater and black slacks quite refined before making eye contact with Yale.

“And that is the kindest of words,” Yale snickered back. “If you want to succeed, you will need to learn how to dress like a man. Let me read you a small excerpt from the company handbook.”

Yale stuck a hand into his bag and pulled out the largest book Joe had ever seen. It had to be at least 1000 pages, yet Yale had no trouble finding the exact description he was looking for.

“Blazers are classic items that work for semi-formal occasions and casual office places. Even as a man transitions to daily suits, a blazer will always have a place at a garden party or fraternity alumni event. Ties and bowties are a delightful way to add color to an outfit. Business attire defaults to long ties, and more conservative workplaces require more conservative choices. Consider emulating the attire of your superiors.”

Yale continued, “Supports should be practical and supportive. Belts are fine for casual outings; however, braces are more desirable for suiting, both for support and style as it allows a more traditional and flattering cut. Similarly, undergarments should provide support and coverage. Briefs are the most appropriate underwear choice, as it provides support without being extraneous. It is also compatible with tennis and golf; sports you will be expected to participate in and the only sports you will be allowed to play.”

Yale paused and took a deep breath. Once he had finished gathering himself, he looked over at Joe and gleamed with satisfaction. “I believe it is secure to say that you have already anticipated these particular needs of the company. Am I assuming correctly?”

“Yes sir,” Joe quickly replied. He had made sure to dress in one of his casual outfits today, something comfortable yet reputable. Along with a navy blazer that had been hung on the door, Joe had paired his classic navy polka-dotted tie with a blue button-up and wool dress pants. Sheer socks silently encased his Size 11 feet inside expensive-looking Oxfords, while two bright, yellow suspenders and a hefty watch worked as the statement pieces. He’d also made sure to shave his beard into a beautiful stubble, something that really made him seem both masculine and well-kept. Joe had originally been concerned that the look was a little too casual, but the fact that his superior had noticed it brought a smile to his lips.

“Superb,” Yale acknowledged. “If you are hired here, you will be expected to meet a certain standard of fitness.”

Yale once again examined Joe before meeting eyes, causing Joe to respond with a smug look.

“Interpreting what I have seen and read, I suspect you will be engaging in a routine similar to the one when you were in varsity golf?”

“Very similar, indeed.” Joe resituated himself in the chair, sitting a little straighter to truly show off his 6’1 height. His tight clothing did an impeccable job showcasing his muscular build, which wasn’t as massive as a bodybuilder’s but definitely imposing. He kicked up one of his Size 14 feet onto his knee, knowing he could now get a little more comfortable.

“You will also need to adapt to our image of masculinity, Joe. This is something that has an adjusting definition for everyone here at the Carmichael Corporation. Do you understand what I am referring to?”

“Not exactly, sir.”

“To explain further,” Yale eyes had a piercing gleam to them. “the duty of a man is to understand that when lacking in some areas of presence, he must identify other ways to consume the devoid territory. Men are meant to take up a certain amount of space, no matter their stature. This does seem appropriate, correct?”

“Yes sir.” Joe completely interpreted what Yale was referring to. It was only natural that some men had larger presences than others, so it was Joe’s duty to match that same standard. Readjusting in his seat once more, Joe felt his wide, plump bottom jiggling about, consuming the entirety of the extra wide seat. He bagged his pants as he sat, causing the crotch of his pants to ride up and give him a distinct moose knuckle. The fluid movement accidentally made him hard, but Joe knew no one would be able to see his 4 inches.

“Now, I believe the next issue is your tone and speech.” Yale pulled out his handbook once more and flipped to another random page.

“Our manual refers to multiple accessible forms of dialogue, but you will be working with men of all ages from assets and banking within accounting. Therefore, it would be best if you learned how to speak slower and adapt your vocabulary to something better cultivated.”

“Why would that help me exactly?” Joe questioned.

Yale, once again annoyed by Joe’s indecency, glared directly at him before explaining. “It will deepen your voice and give you more presence, which will be extremely helpful in business. You will also be able to use a fuller, more masculine tone–much like my own. I expect that is what you desire?”

“Yes sir.” The words spilled out in nearly double the time they had before. Joe’s tongue felt heavy as he spoke as every syllable seemed to require extra effort to spit out.

“Finally, if you aspire to work at the Carmichael Corporation, it is imperative that you adjust your title.” Yale moved along calmly, not at all caring about Joe’s confusion. “Joe is a very informal name. Lazy and lackadaisical. It sets you up casually in a professional world, agree with me?”

“I guess I don’t know…” Joe muttered, his voice sluggish and insensitive.

“In business, you know how important it is to give the right impression. The men in these industries expect a certain standard of professionality, even in your title. And you must give yourself every possible advantage.”

“Yes, of course sir,” Joe monotoned.

“Professionally, I think you should introduce yourself as your full name, John Millard Koroll.”

“I apologize for the inconvenience, but that is not-”

“And where is your surname from?” Yale interrupted. “Is it German?”

“No, it is most certainly-”

“Make it German. It will give you a much more asserting presence. And I reckon a suffix would add some competency as well. From now on, we shall refer to each other by our full names to emulate what the atmosphere is like here at the Carmichael Corporation.”

Joe was still at a loss over the last few comments. He was starting to feel a little panicked over the thought of losing his own identity to the corporate world, but before he could think any further on the topic, Yale stepped in.

“That will work for you, will it not,” Yale stood up from his chair and extended a hand, making sure to share a mutual gaze with Joe. “John Millard Koehler III?”

“By all means, Yale Stockton Rockefeller IV.” John Millard’s thick, slow voice drawled out. He got out of his own seat and shook Yale’s hand in a firm motion.

“Splendid!” Yale replied. “Then I can confidently declare that you are precisely what the Carmichael Corporation is scouting for. John Millard Koehler III, you will be starting as early as next week.”

“That is just grand!” John Millard responded cordially. “It is truly an honor, my gratitude, Yale Stockton Rockefeller IV.”

“The honor is all mine, you will be an illustrious addition to our department.” Yale sat back down in his chair and ushered John Millard to do the same. “Before I dismiss you, let us discuss acquisitions and the baseline salary. Here at the Carmichael Corporation, we want to make sure that you can ‘be audit you can be’.”

The two chortled merrily at the accounting joke before getting back to business, knowing they had a prosperous future ahead.

— —

“It’s been almost an hour,” Elijah exhaled. “Shouldn’t Joe be done with his interview by now?” The two other men were still sitting on the same bench, waiting for anyone to come and greet them like Yale had appeared before. Countless businessmen had passed in front of them, but all of them seemed so eager to work that they didn’t recognize the recently-graduated college students.

“I don’t know,” Dylan replied honestly, twisting a lock of his curly mane within his fingers out of boredom. “I mean maybe this is the corporate world and everything takes a little longer than expected.” He then stretched to loosen up his joints, showcasing the body of a former running back for everyone to see.

“Yeah, but how many questions do they have to ask to see if Joe is a good fit or not?”

“Apparently a lot.” Dylan began swinging his legs back and forth like a child on a swing to entertain himself. The Size 13 canvas shoes went to and fro, hypnotizing him more than they should have. Elijah watched on too, somehow entertained by the small amount of movement.

“Ahem.”

The two young men quickly shot up off the bench, standing solid. In front of them was a brawny man between the pair’s heights. He looked to be somewhere around sixty, as displayed by his slicked-back salt-and-pepper hair, prominent jaw, and robust torso. His body was brilliantly exhibited in a multi-layered suit, one that displayed every shade from silver to slate.

“I assume the two of you are here for the hiring process, correct?”

The two men nodded their heads quickly.

“Very good.” The man made a quick glance at Dylan and motioned him to follow. Dylan did just that, giving a thumbs-up to Elijah before disappearing down a hall.

— —

“Dylan Pringle.”

“Yes… sir?”

Dylan watched a small smile creep onto the man’s lips after his little addition. There had been a few minutes of back and forth eye contact from Dylan’s resumé and Dylan himself, but he wasn’t feeling too apprehensive. Although the man seemed extremely uptight, Dylan knew there was nothing in his credentials that wouldn’t seem impressive. Plus, the man had already seemed to take a liking to Dylan, as he had been escorted to an expansive office that Dylan assumed had to be the man’s own. It was simply decorated with a few modern black-and-white pictures and two tables lined with retro leather chairs. There were also a few closets and coat racks holding different suits and other formal wear, probably owned by the man himself.

“I must inform you that the position you have applied for has already been filled.”

The sentence came as a shock to Dylan, causing him to twitch a little in his seat. Dylan was so perplexed that he had to examine the man’s eyes carefully to see if he was telling the truth. He was surprised to discover that they had an oddly charming hue.

“I would regard that as a godsend however, as you were not at all qualified for the position.”

“What do you mean?” Dylan’s bass tone became thundering. “I have everything the job requires… and more!”

“Surely you meant to say ‘Sorry Sir, is there another position open?’ as here I thought you were serious about working here at the Carmichael Corporation.”

Dylan was once again caught off-guard.

“Hmm, they told me you were more articulate.” The man made a disappointed grimace before moving on. “I was willing to offer you another position working under me rather than in the financial department as it seems you have no competence in the area. That is generous of me, is it not?”

“Yes, definitely sir.” Dylan was relieved that he still had a chance to work at the Carmichael Corporation, especially after applying for a job he never could have performed.

“Good.” The man walked over to a table and grabbed a rather large book. Dylan was able to catch a quick peek as the man passed by, noticing the pages were lined with questions and guides. Dylan hoped these weren’t all going to be used in the interview for the other position.

“There are a few things you will need to learn quickly if you expect to succeed in this business, do you understand?”

“Yes sir.” Dylan made sure to maintain eye contact to confirm his answer.

“Very good. First, we have a completely reasonable dress code here. I know you may not have expected to wear a suit every day, but it will be required. And by a suit, I expect a minimum of 3 layers in some shape or form.” Dylan cringed in his seat barely, knowing that his black turtleneck and jeans probably didn’t make the cut.

“Sir, are you-” Before Dylan could protest, the man pushed forward.

“I find a certain degree of conformity aids in office morale, is that not fair? I can tell by how you present yourself you also believe this to be true.”

“It is fair, sir.” Dylan agreed. He always made sure to wear multiple articles underneath his blazer, as it made him feel more polished. Even though he was forced to take off his tan blazer at the door, it had allowed him to expose the other garments on his body. These included matching tan pleated pants that graciously showed off his hefty pouch, a white button-up with matching white suspenders that strained heavily against his pecs, and a striped tie that shared the same charcoal color with his wing-tipped derbies. Readjusting his glasses, Dylan waited patiently for the man to continue.

“I believe it is also appropriate to have a strict haircut policy. Your hair is to be cut every two weeks, and I will refer you to my own barber. You will style it neatly and you will use whatever product I chose.”

“Sir, if I may interrupt.”

“No, you may not.” The man glared down on Dylan. “I expect to see comb lines so sharp that even from a mile away a man could tell you know how to use pomade. Understood?”

“Completely, sir.” Dylan felt like this task would be no problem, as he already maintained his hair strictly. Brushing a hand across his scalp, he was delighted to feel his sharp quiff still held stiffly in place with not a single hair sticking out. He also made sure to rub a hand across his jaw, feeling up the sculpted beard contemptuously.

“Now, you recognize that you would not be starting at the top, correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“Meaning that you would have a certain number of superiors, including myself, correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“So to clarify,” the man began, making sure that their eyes met so he could verify. “You would be an inferior male, underneath me and a plethora of other men.”

“Wait, that isn’t-” Dylan’s booming register was somehow once again cut off.

“You will need to present yourself to this position accordingly, but I believe it is fair to say that will not be an issue.”

“That is accurate, Sir,” Dylan replied reverently in a soft, creamy tenor. He understood where he was on the ladder, and how he’d have to act accordingly. Still sitting in his chair comfortably, the 5’7 man brought his legs closer together, allowing the sides of the Size 8 feet to touch. While doing so, Dylan felt his micropenis twitch eagerly inside his tight briefs, sending an excited reaction to the hole between his two jiggly, doughy buttocks.

“You will also be expected to attend to some other needs of mine,” Sir started. “Dry cleaning, note taking, errands, and the like.”

“Of course, Sir.”

“You will be loyal, you will be obedient, and you will be my dedicated servant.”

“Sir,” Dylan’s meek voice began. “What do you-”

“To work and succeed at the Carmichael Corporation,” Sir declared through fiery eyes. “it is imperative that orders from a superior be followed. Understood?”

“Yes Sir.” Dylan was willing to do just about anything that could give him an advantage in business; anything that would make his superiors pleased.

“So with that said,” Sir leaned back in his chair happily, dropping the handbook on the desk and crossing his arms across his chest. “If I were to ask you to, say, change your name, would you do that for me?”

“Yes Sir,” Dylan lied through his teeth. He was willing to do just about anything, but not that.

“Here at the Carmichael Corporation, we like to go by our full titles as they allude to more professional, defined statuses.”

“Absolutely, Sir.”

“Let’s first start with Dylan: just a gross, common name. You agree?”

Dylan didn’t, but the thought of a superior changing his name was suddenly tantalizing.

“Personally, I believe you would be more suited as a Dorrance. And for the surname, well,” Sir chuckled wickedly to himself. “Pringle was never an actual name, just a detrimental snack. You would be much better suited with Peabody. Classic, but preppy, which seems to be the direction you’re taking. Though I believe you should at least be a Junior.”

Before Dylan could fire back a string of arguments, Sir had ascended out of his throne and extended a strong palm.

“Congratulations, Dorrance Rotterham Peabody, Jr.,” Sir seemed very pleased with himself. “You will be a great fit as my new personal assistant.”

“Thank you immensely, Sir!” Dorrance replied, jumping out of his chair in excitement and eagerly shaking the man’s hand. “How soon may I begin to work under you?”

“Right away, boy.” Sir made sure to emphasize the demeaning word. “I have a few outfits I need you to sort through and approve of, as you know my taste quite exquisitely.”

“Of course, Sir.” Dorrance followed Sir to a table covered in sheets displaying different suits and styles. He immediately immersed himself into the work, separating out the preferable blacks, navys, and grays from the disgusting other palettes. This extremely pleased Sir, so much so that he wanted to reward Dorrance with something special. So, Sir gave Dorrance’s butt a big appreciation swat as he strutted away, causing Dorrance’s ample rump to shudder within his pants as he continued his work.

— —

Elijah grimaced, noticing the time on the gigantic clock inside the main lobby had only moved by a minute. The wait had been a lot longer than he had expected, forcing him to cancel an event with friends and a hookup from Grindr. It had been about an hour since Dylan had been taken away to his interview, and almost 2 hours since Joe’s disappearance. He was concerned about what this meant for them, but he was becoming more concerned about what this could’ve possibly meant for himself. Maybe he didn’t have a chance within the Carmichael Corporation. Elijah was beginning to feel as if the employers had completely forgotten him when a young man magically appeared before him, answering his plea.

The man wore a tight fitting suit, seemingly strained at both the broad shoulders and around the crotch. It was exceptionally subdued, a rather pale black color with a white button-up shirt and a gray tie with a subtle windowpane pattern. He carried a briefcase that looked both rather expensive and rather ordinary. The young man stood ramrod straight, his muscular build hidden by the extremely high rise of his pants, sitting above his belly button just under the rib cage. His powerful jaw–while covered in a little youthful baby fat–spread wide and hung low, giving his face a square, lantern shape.

“Elijah Grove.”

“Yes?”

“I assume you are the last respondent today?” His voice was slow and deep, catching Elijah off guard.

“I guess?”

“Do you guess or do you know?” The young man seemed to get rather disgusted by Elijah’s uncertainty. “If you expect to succeed at the Carmichael Corporation, you are going to have to know.”

“I-” Elijah was almost sure he saw the young man’s eyes flash dazzlingly as he began. “I know I am the last respondent, yes.”

“Grand.” The man ushered Elijah to get up and tread closely behind. Following quickly, Elijah was surprised to see that they were leaving the building.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Elijah chose his words carefully. “Where are we going?”

“I am fond of conducting my interviews over promenades,” the young man replied. They steered their way around crowds of businessmen as they ventured into the streets, making random turns here and there. “It shows how well you can think on your feet, literally. It is an aptitude you will need to be proficient in if you want to become an Associate like myself.”

“Associate?” Elijah blinked a few times out of confusion, knowing that he had applied to work as an intern in the financial department. Although he was a few inches taller than the young man, he was having a little difficulty catching up, causing him to fall in and out of the conversation.

“Indeed,” the man misinterpreted the question. “I was recently put in charge of development acquisitions and advanced from Junior Associate to an Associate. Fascinating, is it not?”

“Sure.”

The two strolled a little further out of the city, moving away from the busy center where the Carmichael Corporation headquarters stood. They came upon streets a little emptier then before until they finally turned into an old park. It was actually quite beautiful, covered in old knotty trees and overgrown plants. Birds were constantly chirping and squirrels chased after each other like there was no tomorrow. It was also littered in large stones, adding an oddly picturesque feel to it. Elijah was surprised that he had lived in the city for so long and had never once been to this place.

After a while more of walking, the man led them to an old picnic table before turning around and offering a large, rough hand. Confused, Elijah accepted it and the grip practically shattered his bones. Elijah had kept his body fit since his high school basketball days, so he was surprised to feel such a sheer strength in the young man’s shake.

“My name is Keating Eckley Whitlyn, Jr.,” the young man stated before placing his briefcase down and taking a seat at the table. “Our interview should not extend too lengthily, as I have some imperative work to attend to after this.”

“What would that be?” Elijah asked earnestly, his jovial tone a major contrast to Keating’s flat, molasses-like demeanor. At 6’7, it was fairly difficult for him to get his skinny legs under the table, but he managed.

“I have been assigned to a downtown acquisition project, a potential development on 520 Porter where we need to clear the lot.”

“Huh, okay,” Elijah strangely got interested. “So what is it that you are removing?”

“Currently the future site of the Carmichael Settlement on Porter is occupied by this park we are lounging in right now.”

“This park?” Elijah was surprised. “But it’s stunning! There’s so much life and nature here. You wanna tear it down?”

“It is an eyesore and it occupies a lot with high economic potential. It is better suited for development.”

“How could you be such a soulless jerk?” Elijah scolded, getting angrier faster than he had anticipated. He began caring less and less about the job and more about his own morality. Sure, Elijah got how important money was, but he didn’t think he would be able to live with the guilt of destroying an animal’s habitat, let alone an entire population’s. “Don’t you understand what you would be doing? The impact this will have?”

“I’m offended by your tone.” Even after being insulted, Keating’s voice still sounded low, slow, and empty. His eyes however seemed to flare up before he continued. “And yes, I understand exactly the impact this will have. It will create a serviceable, profitable property for the Carmichael Corporation, which in turn will compensate me with enough money to survive. That is what any respectable man like you and I would desire.”

“Survive?” Elijah mocked, now getting extremely annoyed that Keating had compared the two of them.

“Obviously.” Keating wasn’t defending himself, but instead explaining what he thought was a common fact. “I just bought a house out in Fenwick, the only neighborhood in this squalid city with expansive acreage, tree-shaded streets, and good schools. It is very difficult to purchase a home in that neighborhood, especially one with the seven bedrooms, four floors, and private tennis court I required. Plus, I’m working on my country club application. The application fee alone is $50,000. Looking over your records earlier, I had gathered that was something you desired as well, correct?”

“Yes, that is true.” The idea was buried inside Elijah’s mind. Far from feeling like a fresh fantasy, it was embedded deep, as though it had always been there, as though he’d always wanted to buy a giant mansion in a gated neighborhood with an expensive country club. It was always the goal to move out to Fenwick for corporate shark Elijah.

“I am relieved that that is settled.” Keating opened his briefcase to reveal a combination of different documents, papers, and a massive book that Elijah couldn’t believe fit in the bag. Keating proceeded to pull it out and flipped open to a page somewhere in the middle.

“To become an Associate, you will first be assigned underneath me as a Junior before moving up the ladder. You will still make a good deal of money however, so do not feel too unsettled. Do you understand?”

Although they were maintaining a shared gaze, Keating was not able to read the confusion on Elijah’s face.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s correct.” Elijah was here for a position in the financial department, not to be an Associate, so he was embarrassed to point out the error that Keating had made. Not embarrassed enough however to not correct him.

“As a Junior Associate, you’d start with a baseline of 100 plus three percent commission with incentives quarterly based on goals and projects,” Keating answered, once again misreading. “I believe that will be appropriate compensation, am I accurate?”

“Yes, indeed you are,” Elijah replied cheerfully, glad that the issue was all cleared up. He had wanted to start as an Associate right away as he was worried it the Junior position wouldn’t give him the pay he had hoped for, but apparently it wasn’t that far below. Plus, if he did well, he could quickly move up like Keating had.

“Your job will require calls, lots of calls,” Keating droned, his piercing eyes drilling right into Elijah’s. “Calls to landowners, historical groups, insurance companies, auctioneers, all with their own opinions and interests. A few calls will be less productive, with upset protestors yelling at you about our improvement upon the lot. You will have to decelerate your speech to command attention better. Be direct and contain emotions. You will be better suited to appear calm and in control at all times. There is no need to ever appear energetic or excited.”

The hurling of information confused Elijah. “So you are saying I shouldn’t care about the clients?”

“Yes,” Keating confirmed. “You can try being sympathetic, but you will quickly find that being stern and direct will get them off the line quicker so you can return to work. Based off of what I have already perceived, this will not be a hindrance.”

“Thank you.” Elijah found himself mimicking Keating’s voice: deep, dull, and disinterested.

“There are many perks of the job, including a corporate gym on the fifth floor which I highly recommend you use.” After investigating Elijah’s long, fit body, Keating brought his eyes back to Elijah’s own. “We expect every man to have a sense of presence at the Carmichael Corporation. Currently, you are far from meeting those standards.”

“What do you mean by that?” Elijah responded. It was hard for a man of his height to keep a healthy weight. A high metabolism meant he was always fairly skinny, but he didn’t expect it would be such a problem.

“The gym is a good source of weight training,” Keating continued, ignoring the question. “I personally workout an hour before work each day and one hour afterwards. You will be expected to maintain a similar routine. It appears however that you already understand the importance of presence, but if you are interested in a tour of the corporate gym I would not be affronted.”

“Thank you, I would be very fond of that.” Elijah smiled politely after his reply, moving his legs a little under the picnic table. At 6’3, it was a little difficult for him to keep his well-defined legs under the table, but he managed. Although he’d left golf after college (and hoped to get back into it with his admission into the country club) Elijah had made sure to keep his body in excellent shape by working out almost everyday. His proof could be seen through the skin-tight quarter-zip sweater and the black khaki’s that hugged his meaty quads and calves.

“At the Carmichael Corporation, we do have a dress code, but it is reasonably undemanding.” Keating turned the manual around to show Elijah. The page that Keating had flipped to displayed a model covered head to toe in a full, very dapper yet very posh suit. Elijah’s eyes fluttered quickly before looking back to Keating for confirmation.

“‘Reasonably undemanding’?”

“I would say so. A suit works as the foundation of a man’s future in business.” Keating closed the handbook and placed it back into his briefcase. Elijah could have sworn a tiny smile crept onto the corners of Keating’s mouth during the action. “I appreciate that you have already generated this knowledge.”

“I’m glad you noticed,” Elijah flourished, his voice still plodding. Elijah had made sure to pick out an outfit that had shown off all of his best features. First, a drab, beige, perfectly-cut jacket with matching pleated pants, accompanied by a striped salmon button-up that contrasted well against his pale skin. He had matched his coffee-colored tie to similar shaded Size 13 tassel loafers and a pair of bronze supports that were hidden expertly beneath his coat. Finally, he had styled his blond hair into a fashionable ivy-league cut, making sure to also get a fresh shave earlier that morning. Just the thought of himself in the outfit made him perk up inside his white briefs, bringing his dick to a 6.5-inch mast.

“There are only a few more things we must address, one being your character and ethics.”

“What is it the company expects?” Elijah asked.

“You must understand,” Keating glared. “the Carmichael Corporation expects every man to share the same morale system. We want a unified front; a collective conscience per say.”

“Alright,” Elijah accepted. “What are these shared values?”

“There are the equitable ideals like marrying a woman of the same class, having an abundance of children, and being a member of good standing at multiple prestigious clubs.”

Elijah sighed to himself quietly while still maintaining eye contact, disappointed in these old-fashioned beliefs.

“At the Carmichael Corporation, we also have intimate objectives that stand high above the others. You must want to move upwards on the corporate ladder. You must want to fully commit yourself to your work. You must want to embody everything a man should be: big, strong, soon to be rich. You must want to be every title a man should own: sportsman, fraternity brother, and avaricious. You want money, do you not?”

“Yes,” Elijah confirmed deliberately. “I want money.” This brought a greedy sneer spread to Keating’s face. Elijah felt like a low, deep, and great truth had awoke inside him. Luckily, the Carmichael Corporation’s principles had aligned perfectly to his own.

“Very good.” Keating eyes also seemed to grin wildly. “Now, two imperative adjustments I would personally like to make. The first is your name.”

“My name?” Elijah opposed.

“Yes, you will need something stronger, more outdated to establish yourself as a man of the Carmichael Corporation. Is that not true?”

“Yes, I do believe that to be true,” Elijah suddenly affirmed. “Please tell me what you think my name should be.”

“Your name is not the only dilemma however, but also your nationality,” Keating resumed. “I believe a British origin would give you a brilliant presence. More mannerful, much more respectable, and it would help establish you as a leading man. Plus, a legacy will give you generational value. What do you think?”

“I-”

“But,” Keating cut off before Elijah could even attempt to reply. “I should not be bashful in saying that you already represent all those factors. Care to agree, Emerson Foley Gillingham-Smyth?”

“Most certainly,” Emerson acknowledged accordingly in a pretentious accent. He was a diligent, hard-working, and prosperous Brit, and those were only the first words that came to his head. Some may have called him smug and arrogant, but he was really just confident and self-assured. He resembled the epitome of a real man, as displayed by his stunning suit that contrasted his tanned skin eloquently. His dark, chestnut hair and beard also gave off a shocking amount of masculinity. Just the thought of himself and his own superiority made him perk up inside his white briefs, bringing his dick to a 9-inch mast. He was by no means a repulsive sodomite, but he could admit a handsome man when he saw one. And he was a handsome man.

“So what do you convey, Keating Eckley Whitlyn, Jr.?” Emerson began, taking a stand with his Size 15 feet planted firmly beneath him. “Do you believe I could become a Junior Associate at the Carmichael Corporation.”

“By all means,” Keating replied, getting up and extending a hand forward. “You’ll be a fashionable fit.” They gave a single sturdy shake before finishing their business. While heading towards the exit, they held a light conversation about stocks, each having grabbed a business edition of the Times along the way.

Gripping the paper tightly as they drifted away from the park, Emerson felt almost restless. The idea of stripping away that atrocity of a park to add in a new, profitable site was so thrilling it was mildly arousing. After his success here, Emerson knew he would receive a promotion, which pleased him mightily. Making their way across a boulevard, Emerson watched the Carmichael Corporation’s headquarters come into view, the place where he knew he would accomplish everything he desired.

#preppification #jocktoprep #gay to straight #straight to gay #cock shrink #top to bottom #bottom to top #lib to con #political #Carmichael Corporation

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asktidethegastrodon · 4 months

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Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this

This blog is a SIDE BLOG to my main mod account Any and all asks/follows will be from the account Mod-Jazzy - MINI ABOUT THE BLOG - A PokeAsk blog focused around Tide! A school teacher in the lovely town of SilverKeep. Tide lives a fairly simple life in town and is known all around as a kind and caring person. Unfortunately for Tide and the town, the universe appears to have a plan. One that doesn’t favor them well. This blog follows Tide and those she meets along the way as the gods above plot out their fate. / This blog was unfortunately deleted on March 4th, 2021. Mod was trying to delete a side blog and accidentally delete their main account, which took all their sideblog’s with it./ /AskTideTheGastrodon original plot was farther into development as it got deleted, but this “reboot” of sorts goes in some different directions. So if you were around in 2016-March 2021, You may recognize some things or characters!/

- Mini About the Mod -

Hello I’m Mod Jazzy. [ I also go by Raymond/Savannah, so if you see those names.. that’s also me!! ]

I’m currently 25 years old

Any pronouns

Been in the community since 2016

Currently working Hardware Retail, I live with my S/O and our many pets

I run and have run MANY pokeask blogs in the past and still run many to this day! A list of all my ACTIVE PokeAsk Blogs, can be found in -> THIS <- post! This is a pinned post on my Mod Blog, it has the most accurate list of my current blogs. Here is a -> LIST Yes it’s a lot I know its a lot I’ve been here for years and I have silly fun!! And also

Here is a link to my FAQ that I try to keep updated whenever I can haha My Art Blog – My ToyHouse warning: both my artblog and TH can contain blog spoilers! Take note of that in case you care about that kind of thing! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS/CONCERNS. Feel free to DM me or Shoot me a Ask! Although note: If I’ve taken awhile to respond to a DM, try zipping me a ask (if the askbox is open). I don’t always get notified of DMs on here OR I’m being spammed by bots a lot!!

#About #for da mobile users #Last Updated: 1/30/2024

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tdp-fandom · 1 year

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Shipping Poll Update

Click here if you haven't voted yet

Hello friends! As of the writing of this post, I've received 103 responses which is amazing! Thank you all so much! A special thank you goes to those who shared the poll - it is thanks to you guys that I got this many responses and I really appreciate it <3

I would like to share some general statistical data so far (the one that doesn't have an impact on the overall results) and address some feedback that I've received. Some graphs

I'm very happy to see that tumblr users have been the most active! You guys rock! Reddit has also been really active and I'm happy to see discord and twitter catching up!

I don't expect a lot of activity from dreamwidth as it's a different kind of website and I barely have any followers there but I'm curious to see how it goes. I ended up not posting anything on instagram because I would need to make images and I currently don't have the spoons for that :c

The age graph is also really cool! I'm very happy to see so many active 31+ people! Almost a quarter! And I'm very grateful to the young adults, who are the main bulk of the participants! I'm also happy to see teen participants express their votes as well c:

That's its for graphs for now - I can't share the rest just yet without the risk of getting the data skewed.

What I'd like to talk about next is your amazing feedback and how a few early participants saved this poll! Read under cut.

Feedback

People Who Have Saved the Poll

I posted the poll at 2 am my time (I had been working late nights on it the entire week because of real life responsibilities taking most of my free time) but decided to stick around for a bit to check if everything was going smoothly and to finish my conversations with friends on discord.

About 7 votes in, I decided to check on the poll and I saw this message in the feedback field:

"I didn`t see Rayla/Callum anywhere. Am I just blind or?"

This person was a life saver! Because although I know I added Rayllum originally, I must've accidentally deleted it and never noticed T-T it really is super easy to accidentally click on an X and delete a row from a multiple choice grid on google forms. Thanks to that person the crisis was averted. And it really would've been a crisis, because Rayllum is the flagship of TDP and getting lots of answers with no opinion on Rayllum would've really hurt the accuracy of the data.

I had also forgotten to add opinion options for some categories in the controversial ships section, which a friend as well as two poll takers notified me about!

Thank you all for the valuable feedback! I don't know what I would do without you.

Other Feedback

A few people mentioned that they weren't sure if it were ok not to tick every ship and I realized I hadn't been clear on that in my instructions. It is absolutely fine to skip whatever you feel like skipping. If there are ships you don't care about so much you don't even want to choose any option for - that is 100% valid and it tells me important information about the ship - you're not just neutral about it, you really do not care about a ship. And if I want to accurately evaluate our fandom's relationship with various ships, this information is also important.

People also commented that there have been too many ships to go through and that's definitely true. I tried to be as thorough as I could by including every possible ship people would have opinions on but the lists ended up being huge. I am planning to change a few things for the season 5 poll. I will probably exclude certain ships that won't do very well on this poll (unless the events in S5 warrant keeping them) and try to rearrange them in a way that can help people go through them faster.

There was a related comment where a person noted that it's not very convenient to scroll back and forth through the four opinion choices on mobile and suggested using just the numbers 1 to 4. That is a very good idea - I will implement this in the next poll.

One person was asking about Breakfast Guards being included in the canon ships. While I didn't get any official confirmations, they were shown almost kissing in the episode where Zubeia visits Katolis so I think that counts as them having some sort of onscreen not strictly platonic relationship.

While I explained the kinds of ships the poll was dealing with as well as the difference between active and passive shipping, I didn't actually explain what I mean by shipping, as one person rightfully pointed out! It's not an easy thing to define but I will try to come up with something for the season 5 poll! So far we can stick to romantic, queerplatonic or nonromantic sexual dynamics.

I used the wrong ship name for Rex Igneous x Avizandum. It should be Zanrex instead of Rexandum and the wonderful @cometchasr explained to why that particular shipname was chosen! He said that Zan was a nickname for Avizandum used a in few fics featuring the former dragon king and it fit very well with how the nickname Zym works. When I don't know a shipname I often just make one up on the spot as a placeholder but I am always happy to hear feedback from actual shippers and I switch to their preferred shipname.

I got so many nice compliments and words of encouragement too! Thank you guys! It means a lot ;__;

I will try to address feedback roughly once a week and keep you all updated on how things are going!

#the dragon prince #tdp shipping poll #tdp shipping poll s4

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zenlessupdates · 1 year

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[Rewards Event] THE NEW'S Vol.001 A New Fragmented Reading Experience

(Proxy Network data interface accessed... Browsing city news... Magazine downloaded!)

Proxies! Type II just checked the Proxy Network today for the first time in ages. There seems to be a lot of updates! Type II's downloaded them all! I can't wait to share all the interesting content I saw with everyone.

Nhu-na-ni~ Please don't set Type II to "Do Not Disturb" mode even if it's a holiday! It's the Type II request of a lifetime!

>>>Do you know?

Since CG technology was not yet developed when the film's most classic beach duel scene was shot, the props team invested heavily in making thousands of rubber lobsters and pike crabs for the visual effects of the villain starting a tsunami with his ultimate skill. To shoot the scene, more than a dozen set staff threw the props at the actor during filming.

However, six months after the film was finished, Wood, the experienced actor starring as the villain, suddenly came out as a "sea species supremacist." He also claimed that "sea creatures are the highest species in the universe," which caused his agency to cut ties.

>>>Do you know?

During filming, Monica's understudy, Jennifer, suffered an accidental head injury that led to memory loss (she later recovered). Jennifer, who was "became the role" and "excelled with her performance" made the director hesitate as to whether he should let her complete the whole film.

In addition, although the two protagonists in the movie didn't end up together, rumor has it that there's some romantic chemistry between the two off-screen (they haven't been caught in any private meetings by the cameras, though). Perhaps this is another perfect ending to the film.

>>>Do you know?

The coffee machine was originally voiced by the famous actor Matt, who performed with the female lead on set every day. But at the final editing stage, the director thought the male protagonist's voice was too sexy and provocative and lacked that mechanical quality. Without notifying the actor, the director used artificial intelligence to re-record all the coffee machine lines. Due to his sharp reduction in payment, Matt recently announced to the media that he would take the producer to court.

>>>Do you know?

In The Big Hollow, the interior of the Hollow was recorded by a remote-controlled Bangboo car. This unprecedented realism won The Big Hollow the Best Photography Award that year. However, the photographer was detained on suspicion of illegally entering the Hollow, causing him to miss the award ceremony. In the end, his Bangboo car took the trophy on his behalf.

>>>Do you know?

Each season of the show features a number of industry celebrities in various fields, such as politics, business, academia, and sports. Among them, a guest star, Edward, announced his candidacy for the city council this year. He played a delivery man hit by a truck when running a red light in the third season.

(THE NEWS editorial team is requesting access... Information transmission in progress...)

H—Huh? It's a message from the editor-in-chief!

“Meow~ Meow meow meow meow!”

(Translating...)

"Thank you all for reading! We hope you can give more comments and suggestions to the editorial team! In addition, here's a small gift for our readers as a token of our respect."

I see~ Type II's got it! Type II will collect the readers' comments~

[How to Participate]

Reply to the original HoYoLab post with your suggestions or feedback on the magazine in the comment section during the event to participate.

[Event Prizes]

Random Character Stand x10

[Event Time]

Today – 2023/01/31 12:00 (UTC+8)

Winners Announcement: 2023/02/03

[Notes]

1. Event winners will be announced in this post on February 3.

2. Repeating users will be considered as a single participant.

3. Proxies with replies suspected of the following will be disqualified: reply content that violates the rules of the community, plagiarism or theft of others' content, replying on a reply, opening a separate post to reply, and any posts containing advertising of any form.

Merchandise winners should fill in their address info within 10 working days of the announcement, or will be deemed as forfeiting the prize. Proxies who won a prize can go here to fill in their details>>> [Delivery Address Guide]

4. The delivery of prizes may be delayed due to pandemic restrictions. We thank you for your patience.

5. This is an official HoYoLAB event, and has no relation to the platform it is posted on. (such as the App Store, etc.)

#zzz update #zenless zone zero #zzzero #zzz #event

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frostfireft · 3 years

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Can we have more Bickslow headcannons? And maybe Evergreen, Freed, and Lexus too?

Fuck yeah you can! I’m gonna start with a lot of angst and then move into their dynamics as a team. (this got REALLY long but I’m not sorry)

-I gave you all my HC for Freed’s backstory in my last post and mentioned that Freed is the reason that Bickslow and Evergreen joined the guild, so have both their backstories too!

-Bickslow grew up in a travelling circus with several other child performers. It wasn’t exactly a nice environment. There were lots of issues and safety hazards and abuse going on behind the scenes, but they were forced to keep smiling and performing through it all.

-Bickslow was especially targeted by the ringmaster because of his magic allowing him to look into people’s souls. The ringmaster is the one who forced him to wear a helmet when he wasn’t using his ability on the crowd for money.

-Because of that, he only had five friends back then, all children younger than he was, who looked up to him both for his tricks and the fact that no matter how upset he was, he had a smile for them.

-one day the tent caught fire during a practice. Bickslow was the only one to make it out alive.

-but considering all the traumatic events they went through, most of the children kept there weren’t able to move on, and their spirits lingered in the area... Except for the five kids who were most fond of Bickslow. They stayed near him and talked to him all the time, especially once they realized he could see them. You still have a soul as a spirit after all.

-the town he was in began to think he was crazy because he was “talking to the air” all the time, and they would continuously call child services to try and take him to an orphanage. The five spirits however, would warn him before they could, and Bickslow used his years of acrobatics skills to stay away from anyone who tried to move him away from where the circus burned down. It may have been a place of trauma, but there were good memories too, and it’s all he had.

-So the town tried one last gamble. Who better to adopt a child with mysterious magic that Fairy Tail?

-And Makarov, in an attempt to get Laxus to be more social, decided to send him and Freed.

-It went about as well as you’d expect. Laxus tried to fight him while Freed did research on the area and what happened to him.

-Laxus didn’t have as much control over his magic as he thought he did at that age, and Bickslow was kicking his ass before Freed showed up and trapped him so they could talk.

-Freed shared his story with him and offered the same thing Laxus once offered him: a home.

-Bickslow cracked soon after that, and told them everything after Freed started asking questions about the town thinking he’s crazy while they were on the train back to magnolia.

-While many members of Fairy Tail were unnerved by him, those around their age did their best to make him feel at home. Natsu listened to all his stories about the circus and about the five ghosts who followed him, and Bickslow listened to his stories about the dragons.

-Freed used this time to research Seith magic extensively, and he eventually came across the idea of putting the souls into objects. He and Bickslow worked for weeks to figure out how to do it, and the five spirits became his five main “dolls.”

-He of course, asked them if they were okay with being alongside him before putting them inside the tiki dolls, and if he cried when they said there was nowhere else they’d rather be? Well Freed and Laxus weren’t going to tell anyone about it.

-Evergreen was both harder and easier to get back to Fairy Tail.

-Like Freed, She was once a part of the noble class, but under a name she never wants to use again.

-When she gained her eye magic, she accidentally turned her mother to stone, and it was all downhill from there. Her father tried to keep her locked in a room, and it worked for a long time.

-Eventually though, she had decided she’d had enough, and snuck out and ran as far away as she could. She kept a ribbon tied around her eyes any time she had to go into town, and learned how to walk while completely blind. This did some damage to her eyesight after several years of doing it.

-it felt like it was too good to be true. She was free and she did odd little jobs in a town far from her original home to earn money for food. it was all she needed..... Until a child tore the ribbon from her face.

-the second she made eye contact, the little boy turned to stone. There was nothing she could do about it except cover her face up again and run.

-her father, however, had notified several guilds about her disappearance and claimed she was dangerous if left alone, so when stories spread about a homeless child turning a boy to stone, it became their first lead in months.

-there was a lull in fighting missions at the time, and something about her magic intrigued Freed. It was an eye magic like his and Bickslow’s first magics, and they aren’t exactly common. Freed, Laxus, and Bickslow took it upon themselves to take the mission to bring her home.

-She very quickly figured out how to hide herself in the woods and away from people. Freed had to trap the entire area and make it so that eye magics don’t work within his barriers before they could even get close to her. It took almost a month.

-And much to their surprise, she was nothing like what they were expecting. After all, they were supposed to be hunting down a nobleman’s son, not a daughter.

-Bickslow almost immediately asks her about why she ran away, and Ever looks up at him- then panics as she slams her eyes shut- but he doesn’t turn to stone because of Freed’s runes, and he explains as such.

-They have a long conversation about why she ran away, and she tells them everything her father did to her, from being locked in her room to being terrified to tell him she’s his daughter and not his son because of his anger issues.

-They realize then and there they can’t give her back to him, and Freed comes up with the plan to tell him that they didn’t find his son, but rather a random girl with a similar magic, and she can join Fairy Tail instead of staying on the run.

-The only reason she doesn’t agree immediatly is because of her eye magic. She couldn’t control it, and the idea of turning someone to stone again scared her.

-Freed sent Laxus to buy a pair of glasses without a prescription and a nice dress for her to wear, and he etches runes into the glasses to block her eye magic when they’re on.

-She’s sold from that moment on, and the raijinshuu’s friendship is sealed with that secret.

-Laxus helps her chose her name before they get onto the train, and they solidify the story before then too

-Makarov Accepts the story without question, even though they have a sneaking suspicion he knows.

-They become a tight knit group in no time.

-Then they learn about Ivan and all he did to Laxus, and they start to jokingly refer to themselves as the Laxus protection squad. It’s a lot less of a joke when Ivan’s actually around though, and the guild definitely notices. Makarov even starts to officially call them that in some reports.

-No one remembers who suggested the name “raijinshuu,” but they all privately agree it’s dumb. Especially since it insinuates that Laxus is the team leader. Freed’s the captain of their team for a reason.

-Dispite the fact that Bickslow is the tallest of them, both Laxus and Freed are both physically stronger than him. That’s not to say he isn’t strong, but Laxus can carry freakish amounts of weight due to his slayer biology, and Freed does the same due to his demon biology.

-Freed can carry all of them at once. No one knows how.

-Freed puts new runes on Ever’s glasses every time she gets new frames or a new prescription. He knows she doesn’t need it anymore, but she’s always grateful for the option.

-if they share a bed, Freed and Ever cannot sleep next to each other. Their hair tangles together and they’ve only had to make that mistake once.

-Ever and Bickslow are not under any circumstances allowed to cook, Freed can make fancy meals, and Laxus makes homemade stuff that would make your mouth water. He also stress bakes in secret at four am.

-That’s how they always know he’s stressed when he doesn’t tell them. It’s kind of hard to miss 6 batches of cookies that spontaneously appeared overnight

-Freed has an unsharpened rapier that feels like getting hit with a slap bracelet at full speed. Naturally, this is the sword he chases Bickslow with when he pisses him off.

-Laxus likes to pretend he’s one of the smartest members of the guild, but the raijinshuu knows he’s actually kind of a himbo.

-Bickslow is really close friends with Loke, and when he noticed the man was dying slowly, the others comforted him despite not knowing what was going on.

-Bickslow often helps ghosts pass on from the mortal plane.

-Evergreen keeps up with all the latest fashion, but she still considers Freed to be more fashionable. Because of this she always double checks her outfits with him.

-Evergreen’s always the first to sass someone when they’re being rude to her team. It’s earned her her reputation as a “bitch” but she’s far too proud of it to be offended.

-One Laxus was open about his dragon slayer magic, they pushed him to talk to the other slayers to learn about himself and his magic. Freed and Bickslow pushed the hardest though, since they’re friends with Natsu and knew that he would be all too willing to drag Laxus into his little family of dragon slayers.

-Laxus was much happier oncce he accepted that he was more dragon that human anyways, and the more he learned, the happier he was.

-In case it wasn’t clear: mtf Trans!Ever (she/her exclusively), he/they Freed, and wtf is gender, is it a food?” Laxus and Bickslow (any pronouns).

#fairy tail #fairy tail headcanons #bickslow #evergreen fairy tail #Laxus Dreyar #freed justine #the raijinshuu #trans evergreen #enby Freed #Gender ? Laxus #Gender ? Bickslow #it's kinda angsty #but there's som esoft headcanons at the bottom!#I'll do more soft headcanons if anyone wants them #<3 #frost speaks

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xxprettylittletimebombxx · 3 years

Text

I wanted to address one more thing on the subject of plagiarism in fanfics--

and then I promise I’ll shut up about this for a while (or at least that’s the hope because it’s not exactly a fun topic?)

There was a story posted to ao3 this week that was clearly heavily inspired by my fic, ‘Who Could Deny These Butterflies?’

The fic in question has since been removed by the author (which is the only reason why I feel comfortable talking about it now.) And if any of you saw it before it got taken down, I’d prefer if you didn’t name it or the author in question.

I’m not trying to direct any targeted hate their way. I’m just hoping that by talking about this, and sharing some choice screenshots, it helps offer some perspective to those of you who’ve noticed me and/or my friends talking about the issue of plagiarism in the JATP fandom with some regularity over the past few weeks.

Something that I’ve seen pop up quite a few times whenever the issue of plagiarism in JATP fanfic has been brought up before is this mentality of sort of instantly giving the other person the benefit of the doubt instead of the original author.

I’m someone who desperately wants to see the good in others first, so I totally get why that might be a natural gut reaction. And I totally agree that allowances can and should be made for similar concepts included purely by accident.

But the idea of more or less chalking everything up to an honest mistake really starts to bother me when the instances of plagiarism are so blatantly obvious, it’s almost impossible to believe the thing that was stolen was stolen by accident.

I can guarantee you that literally any time you’ve seen myself or somebody else in this fandom vague posting about an instance of plagiarism, it’s the latter.

And just in case you need an example of the sort of instances we’re talking about, here’s an example of just one moment the person in question took from ‘Butterflies’ and put into their own story:

And just for comparison’s sake, here’s my version:

It should also be noted that in this particular most recent instance, I had a handful of people call the fic in question to my attention (one person in my asks, two friends, and in addition, two separate readers who left comments on the plagiarized work.)

I hadn’t even read the story that took from mine before I was made aware of it, so the fact that other people noticed on their own-- and left comments saying as much-- should be a major red flag. AND YET, when I commented on said fic politely asking the author to remove it given the similarities, I found myself receiving pushback from another reader.

(There are probably some other points to be made here about the difference between a few passing similarities and what is essentially just a rewrite of the same scene, with one or two characters missing and/or added in, but that’s perhaps a post for another time.)

It’s just completely baffling to me that anyone’s gut reaction would be to side with the other person when the case is so cut and dry? Which is, quite honestly, why it’s so hard to speak up about stuff like this.

There’s always that fear of being labeled as overly sensitive. Literally any time I’ve reblogged a post about plagiarism on here I’ve worried that people on here think I’m being overly sensitive. Which is why I’ve let a few instances of plagiarized lines/concepts/etc. slide in the past-- and I know some other friends have as well.

And I guess it seems silly to get worked up about fanfics getting plagiarized because none of us own the characters or the canon we’re all playing with. But it’s hard not to feel a little disheartened when, as a writer, you put so much time and effort in crafting a story with those characters that’s uniquely yours, only to see somebody else trying to pass it off as their own original work.

There’s really no graceful way to end this post. So just...you know...don’t steal.

If you’re an avid fanfic reader and you see somebody else stealing pieces from someone else’s writing, call them out on it (nicely though, please! something as simple as “I couldn’t help but notice your thing is very similar to this other thing-- you should maybe think about crediting the author and reaching out to them to make sure it’s okay that you’re using it” can go a long way.) or at least notify the original author so they can decide what to do about it.

And if you’re a fellow writer who’s worried about perhaps accidentally writing something that’s too similar to someone else’s thing, please try not to harp on that too much. And if it happens by accident, just apologize and come up with a way to fix it-- we’re all learning here, you know? And we’re all just trying to create fun things for each other to enjoy, and I don’t want that to stop just because of a few bad instances. It’s just exhausting, you know?

ANYWAY, I know this post is very long so thank you to anyone who bothered to read through it-- I really appreciate you. Picture me scurrying away to my writing dungeon now.

And to end on a more positive note, Jukebox Appreciation Week kicks off in THREE DAYS-- I hope y’all are ready and are as excited for it as we are!

#jatp #jatp fic #juke fic #jatp fandom #on fanfic #on writing

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thefirstknife · 3 years

Note

you have a personal vendetta against other blogs bc you keep tagging them asking why they're not talking about this or that issue. essentially, you're policing them about what they should or shouldn't post about. for the record, this isn't a jem defense ask, and you dismissing criticism about your behavior by saying "you sound like someone who only reads jem's blog" is incredibly disrespectful yikes.

I only ever tagged Jem, once. I replied once before to an already existing post, but that's about it. No clue which other blogs you're talking about as being tagged out of the blue by me.

I wondered about Jem in particular because she vagued about the drama and called everyone performative activists who are dogpiling an artist for woke points and I found that very strange because I've seen Jem telling people they're ableist and sexist if they're talking about a theory about Osiris.

No idea how to make this as clear as possible, but I'll give it a try, under the cut because long:

Jem said that certain fandom behaviour is ableist and sexist, which means that Jem understands that fandom behaviour about certain characters can be harmful. She posted about this, called people out as being sexist and ableist and also noted that if Bungie goes with that theory, she will support dogpiling the devs about being sexist and ableist.

Yesterday we discovered whitewashed art and pointed it out, but there's been an incredible amount of backlash saying we're all armchair activists posting for woke points by calling out whitewashing.

What's the difference? Why is Jem acting like her takes are legitimate activism, but other takes are just "hashtage woke"? Why is calling out whitewashing not a legitimate fandom issue to her?

Whitewashing is a legitimate issue in fandom and online spaces in general. It should be pointed out. It should also be noted that it can happen accidentally and that we should give the artist the benefit of the doubt to fix the mistake. Which I've done and I'm still willing to do.

You're absolutely only taking this from Jem's side and her post, which she thought I wouldn't be able to see due to me being blocked, but I can see it. Which is why I can tell that you're coming from her post.

This incident is documented here. As stated, Jem used a derogatory term. Jem was notified about using a derogatory term by another user, she DELETED their warning and made a separate post to apologise for using a derogatory term. I find that pretty hashtag woke (to use Jem's terminology) to appear better in other people's eyes instead of replying directly to the user who pointed a derogatory term out and apologising directly.

Pot calling the kettle black (instead I do actually apologise to people directly, I don't delete their replies to make myself look better). I'm glad she apologised for using the term, that's good no matter what and I respect it. I don't respect framing the apology in this way. I don't respect deleting a comment from the person who pointed the derogatory term out, ignoring that person and making a separate post without crediting someone who called you out.

It doesn't help that the same person is the one who pointed out whitewashing and has been getting transphobic attacks from the very people who are reblogging and supporting Jem's post. Basically, Jem evidently does not want to be called out on her mistakes and does not want to acknowledge them.

I also want to address the following:

Nice gatekeeping language with the "ever since you got here." It seems to me that before I got here, some people in the fandom were never challenged on their posts, or they were and they were promptly dogpiled and blocked. Since the incident I linked above, numerous people came out and said that Jem has been a menace in the Destiny community for a very long time.

I am so eager to find out which blogs I've been digging through looking for dirt and ripping out context. Because the only ones I've ever addressed are people are actively engaging in bigotry in the fandom. Bigotry that makes other people unwilling to engage with the fandom, talk and socialise. Bigotry is making the fandom space unsafe for a large amount of marginalised groups in our community. I will KEEP pointing out bigotry in the fandom. I don't even have to dig, because some people in the fandom keep their dirt on the surface, but if I have to dig to prove that there's bigoted ulterior motives, I will.

I want marginalised groups and minors to feel safe in the community. I want bigots to feel unsafe. Not the other way around. Call it performative all you want.

Already addressed this pile of crap. Jem swung here but ultimately missed by a mile. She gave it a try, but unfortunately she doesn't really understand these things very well, which isn't a surprise considering she picks which battles to take by throwing darts on a board and considering she doesn't care who supports her as long as it's support. Post where I explain mentioning anxiety and original post where I mention it. Please try to read through these on your own and engage critical thinking and then compare it to whatever the hell Jem has going on in this paragraph.

The only liar and truth-twister here is Jem. And according to other people in the community, it's nothing new.

Since people aren't clicking links: I got anon hate telling me to do real life activism instead of posting on my Destiny blog. I explained that this is a tumblr blog about Destiny so you can't tell whether or not I'm doing real life activism based on my tumblr blog. I jokingly added that due to having anxiety, I am capable of caring about multiple issues at once. I did not use it as an excuse in any capacity, but Jem has nothing else to attack me for so she had to scrap the bottom of the barrel to find something.

Please read something other than her horrid takes.

Another tragic miss from Jem, who has worse accuracy than me in Trials. I have so many friends to vent to and I've been venting to them this entire time. They're all sending their regards.

This is like a billionth time that I'm saying that I don't support anon hate and that I do not have physical control over other people's devices and tumblr blogs so I can't stop them from sending anon hate. I said it multiple times: don't send anon hate in my name.

I am not sure how Jem wants me to enforce this. But I also received anon hate and so have other people who participated in this discourse so, pot kettle.

Jem is heavily projecting her own reasons for causing drama and thinks that everyone does it for the same reasons as she does. Weird slip.

Anyway, you can tell Jem that I've seen it and that I say: Bye!

#ask #discourse

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theonetheycallhannah · 4 years

Text

The Treatment of Captain Syverson-Chapter 14: No Call No Show

Characters: Shane Benton (OFC), various other original supporting/secondary characters

Summary: We find out where Shane went Monday after work and exactly why she hasn’t been responding to any attempts at communication…and unfortunately, she’s not just taking some “me time.”

Want to reminisce about when this was just a happy little fluffy romance? Return to chapters past, or look at my other smutty drabbles here!

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: SHANE FIGHTS BACK, BUT DEFINITELY GETS HER ASS KICKED, SO FAIR WARNING, IT’S VIOLENT. Language, mature themes, emotional abuse, mention of narcotics (morphine), vomiting, foreshadowing and mention of potential future violent/non-con/dub-con activities, but if those acts occur, they will not be portrayed on the page, but rather between chapter or section breaks, so don’t worry. Also, I use the “R” word, but not to discuss non-con, but rather to add an educational note about why one should yell “fire” when one is being assaulted. Basically no Sy material whatsoever, but he’s mentioned, so I’m tagging it as such! Shane being somewhat blasé about her mortality. I really don’t want to trigger anyone, so please read with caution or wait until you emotionally are ready to deal with our girl going through the shit.

Author’s Note: Really REALLY nervous about this one. This is not the resolution you are looking for, my friends. In fact, it’s not a resolution, at all. Lol. I foresee many people disliking this chapter for some reason or another. That’s actually okay. It’s not a chapter you’re meant to “like” per se. I don’t “like” it. I’m prepared for it to get very few notes, and I’m positioning it anyway. I think it’s some of my better writing, but I hated putting Shane through the ringer like this. It’s just one of those chapters you “get through.” And honestly, if you truly didn’t like it please give me feedback so I can improve and tweak. {For reasons other than “My beebeeeeee!” or “never mention anything less than consensual ever again kthxbye” because a) of all, MY beebee too, and b) of all, that’s what warnings are for and why they should be read.} That being said, I hope it at least tides you over until the next chapter. At least you know where she is…not that THAT’S a big relief under the circumstances! Lol!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism.

Tags:

@onlyhenrys

@cavillryarchive

@summersong69

@titty-teetee

@bloodyinspiredfuck

@agniavateira

@oddsnendsfanfics

@omgkatinka

@thisismysecretthirstblog

@misslaland (apparently deactivated, idk what’s up with that)

@speakerforthedead0

@tumblnewby

@suavechops

@radkesgirl83

@wheretheriversrunintothesea

@heartfelt-pen

@auds24

@geekycanuck

@lunarstarknight

@wilma-g

@coldmuffinbanditshoe

Hope I’m not forgetting anyone! If you want to be notified when I post a new chapter or work, I’ll be happy to add you to my tag list! Stricken blogs are getting personal messages from me when a new chapter is uploaded because Tumblr’s faulty tagging system will not stand in the way of me delivering what the people want!(?) lol! (Although…their lackadaisical notification system might…sorry for that. I have no control. lol!)

X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@

Previously, in Virginia…

"Shane left work Monday and hasn't been back since. No one has seen her. Apart from you, I presume. "

"I haven't seen her in about a week and a half. I'm training out of state for a job. I've been away from my phone since Monday, and I just got back to it now."

"She isn't…with you? I assumed…"

"Well, you know what they say, Susan. I'm coming back early if I can manage it. See if I can do something to help find her."

Three days earlier, in Missouri…

Shane blinked her eyes open to little avail. She couldn't tell where she was, other than what seemed to be the back seat of a fairly new-model large vehicle, like a Suburban or a Tahoe. She thought it was new because the new car smell was still overpowering the nicotine and tobacco odor of at least one of its occupants. She could also smell the sickly sweet stench of artificial cherry permeating the cabin. The source must be very close to her nose as she lay there helplessly restrained while the vehicle jostled down the road. The smell reminded her of the horrible liquid pain reliever her mother would give her as a child when she had a fever or leg pains. She had taken enough of it then to make her averse to most cherry flavorings as an adult. She wanted to retch.

She could also make out the faint glow of a dashboard lit with LED lights, brighter and softer than those of older models. But she soon had to shut her eyes again. Her head was throbbing and her memories were fuzzy. She remembered very little of Monday…was it still Monday? But she was trying to think, despite the pounding of many drums in her cranium where a brain should be.

She remembered staying at work late to finish notes. She remembered heading home…and she remembered forgetting her phone at her desk and deciding to turn around to get it…when suddenly she was surrounded by vehicles and unable to move without having an accident. Had she known the circumstances then, she would have tried to muscle through. The horrific events came flooding back in traumatic flashes like lightning, or the pulse of passing streetlights in an unfamiliar city.

She remembered…

The glass by her left ear shattered. A hooded, hulking figure reached in through the new opening, fumbling for the handle to open the door. She'd had the presence of mind to fight back there. To punch at the probing extremity. But the extremity hit back, landing a solid smack against her left cheek, stunning her for long enough that the cruel apparition found the unlock button, pressed it, and opened the door. She didn't go quietly. She fought like the hellcat her mother always told her to be. Her foot found the odd solar plexus and groin before enough dark nemeses arrived to overpower her. They dragged her away from her car and out onto the pavement of the church parking lot she'd used to turn around. She did not make it easy for them. She kicked and punched and tried to twist out of their grips like vices. She yelled "fire" as she was taught as a young woman, not knowing the men's intentions, but certain they weren't kind, and knowing that yelling "rape" was not always effective at summoning help. Either way, it didn't matter. She could have shouted anything. No one was near enough, or cared enough, to come to her aid. As soon as her soft hands hit the gritty pavement, though, the violence intensified. She lost count of how many times she got kicked in the back, stomach, ribs. One asshole even kicked her in the tit. She'd find out who that was and he'd find himself in a special brand of pain…if she ever got out of this alive. She heard them calling her awful names that she was sure she hadn't earned, and especially not from these guys. About six of them, she thought. She hardly knew six guys. She certainly didn't know six guys that would want her roughed up like this. She heard one of the men start to say "Come on, guys, we better save some for--" and with that, she blacked out to the tune of the distinct "thunk" of a wooden baseball bat making contact with the back of her head.

She wanted to forget…for it to be a terrible nightmare…to wake up.

But she was awake. This was a waking nightmare. The cold leather on her cheek was made colder by the harsh air conditioning blowing toward her from above and below. She shivered from the chill and from the terror she was trying to suppress. Where were they taking her? For what purpose? And for whom were they leaving parts un-bruised…though it didn't feel like it.

She finally felt them slowing, heard a turn signal clicking, the courtesy of which she applauded despite her position in the active abduction taking place, and felt the gentle displacement of her body toward the driver side, knocking her head into the door. A right turn. Not that it would matter too much, but at least when she escaped, and she made herself think "when" and not "if," she would know which direction to turn to get back to town.

The blow to the head had left her sensitive to light and sound. As she was yanked from the back seat, all she could see was the glow of a dusk to dawn light above them. Normally a soft, guiding light, this one just as well have been the sun itself the way it stung her tender eyes. She squinted against it, thankful as she never would have thought to be, when a shroud was placed over her throbbing head. She could still hear the power coursing through the bulb and fixture, though. Normally a dull hum, in the state she was in, it was as loud as accidentally switching your TV to the snow channel at full volume.

"Bring 'er inside." She heard an unfamiliar male voice say.

Two strong, ruthless hands grabbed her by the armpits, causing her to cry out in pain. Such a tender place to bear weight, and why even big strong Sy hated crutches…Sy. Would she ever see him again?

"Shut up, bitch, or we'll knock you out again." She believed them, and being fairly certain she had at least a mild concussion, she wasn't sure what a second blow of an indeterminate velocity might do to her brain. She dealt with the stabbing pain as the men dragged her across what sounded like gravel, then grass, then something hard and smooth, maybe the slabs of an old, sunken, and somewhat uneven footpath. Soon, she felt the pain of her knees hitting what she assumed were porch steps. One, two, three of them. She was trying to concentrate through the fog now setting in, and maintain consciousness. Paying attention to the sensations, she told herself, was not only helpful for that task, it might help her escape. Remember the scents, too, she reminded herself. She tried to shake off the nauseating cherry and cigarette stench from her olfactory glands and take note of the bouquet around her.

Burnt leaves…gasoline…engine grease…the tang of sappy, just cut firewood…straw…manure…this seemed to be a farm. With a barn nearby…perhaps with horses. She loved horses. If she could find a gentle horse in the night…escape might be easier than she'd anticipated.

Entering the house was a noisy affair. There was a metallic keening from the spring of an aluminum screen door. She imagined it had one of those big swirly cross beams like her grandma's used to have that she always though was supposed to resemble a butterfly. A heavier, wooden door creaked open as the three figures muddled their way in, and the floorboards protested, as well, at the weight of her captors. So, she thought, not only a farm house, but an old farm house.

"Where do you want her?" the man on her left asked into what she only knew as the void, so far.

"Take her to the cellar. I've got things set up down there." a familiar voice chuckled and growled. How did she know the voice? Was he a patient? She couldn't think of anyone she'd treated that would want her abducted and brutalized.

"You got it, E." Ugh, for some reason it bothered her when guys referred to each other by their first initials. Girls, no big deal. But bros…there was something so thoroughly douchey and…familiar about it all…

"Hold on." the man called "E" said, and she heard footfalls approaching her. As he got closer, she smelled…patchouli and incense…and the sea…and it brought back a rush of pain from past trauma followed by literal pain from his punch to her gut. She hadn't been expecting it. Obviously. The wind had been taken out of her. Literally and figuratively. She did know this man…all too well.

"We've got some catching up to do, sweetheart." the pet name dripped like venomous honey from the tongue of the snake before her.

"Elliot." it wasn't a question. She coughed the name out like a pill that had gone down sideways.

Her escorts continued their transportation of her prone body to its destination…she didn't want to think FINAL destination, but the more she learned about her situation, the more she worried that she wouldn't make it out alive.

They had to get creative in carrying her down the narrow staircase to the cellar. They argued for a moment about who would take the top half and who would go backwards.

"How about the one who takes my top half goes forward and the bottom half goes backward?" These idiots. Where did Elliott find clowns like this who needed to be told by their prisoner the best way to sort out their domestic dispute.

She thought she felt them shrug, and silently take her advice as she felt herself being lowered down the stairs, feet first, panic threatening to overtake her restrained limbs.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they stood her up to remove her shroud, and cut the zip ties from around her ankles and wrists. She then noticed a small cell that reminded her of the ones in the sheriff's offices in some westerns she'd seen. She started to freak out, anticipating her future in that horrid place.

"Guys, please. No. Please don't do this. I don't know what Elliott's told you about me, but I'm a good person. I don't deserve this. I have a job and friends and a family who will worry sick about me. I am begging you to let me go. Please!"

"You're wasting your breath, lady." one of the men said, gruffly.

"PLEASE!" she appealed, desperate to get through. "Don't you guys have wives or girlfriends? Mothers, sisters, aunts, or female cousins? What if a woman you cared about was in this situ---" and before she could finish the question, one of the men punched her for what felt like the thousandth time tonight. She fell to her knees, vomiting. And the world went black again.

~~~~~~~

There were no windows. There was no clock. There was just a small twin mattress in one corner of the cell, and a bedside commode in the other. As accommodations went, it was hardly a Hilton, but it could have been worse. It was all lit by a 60-watt bulb in one of those hanging fixtures her dad had always called a trouble light situated on a hook on the side of one of the exposed joists outside the cell. He'd had a similar one for the longest time. He and mom will be worried sick before long, if they aren't already, she thought. The light was aptly named for these circumstances she was in. Trouble. A heap of it. And no idea of how to get out of it.

And honestly, no idea why Elliott would want her here. How he could do such a monstrous thing as having her kidnapped. How he came to live in this place when he never worked a day in his life. She was so confused. She hoped at the very least, he'd give her answers before he murdered her, if that was his plan.

She had woken up on her side, almost her stomach, with her right cheek on the scratchy surface of the bare mattress. Whoever put her to bed had been wise to position her like this given the likelihood that she might puke again. She noticed a small bucket, presumably for that purpose, next to the mattress. There was a caseless pillow next to her head, but she hadn't found that comfort during her nap of…she couldn't tell how long. Not that it mattered. The more she slept, the less time she'd have to process this horror movie she was currently living out.

She heard the door open at the top of the stairs and Elliott shout at one of his flunkies, "What do you MEAN you didn't get her phone?" a pause while indistinct words came from said flunky across the room, or maybe the house. "Well, find it. Tear that piece of shit Explorer apart if you have to. I want that phone." She took exception to her sweet little Norah getting called a piece of shit. That was her Millennium Falcon. And yes, she'd gotten flack for naming her Norah the Explorer, but she didn't care.

Elliott stomped down the stairs, grinning the most infuriatingly happy grin she'd ever seen on him. She wanted to maul him. To tear those stupid eyes out of their sockets with her own fingernails. But she controlled her anger and resisted even acknowledging his greeting of "Hey, sweetheart."

She ignored him.

"It's good to see you."

Silence.

"I missed you."

She stared right through him.

"I heard you and that meat head soldier broke up."

She scowled at him.

"There she is. There's my girl."

"I'm not your girl, Elliott, and I haven't been in years. Why am I here?" She broke. She couldn't take it.

"We'll get to that why soon enough. First, let's talk about why you and Cap'n Crunch are no longer breakfasting together? Soggy cereal? Limp toast? Was he letting you leave the table unsatisfied?"

"As if you ever satisfied me when we were together." She spat back, calling Elliott out on his notorious selfishness in all aspects of life and relationships.

"I've changed."

"Bullshit." she rolled her eyes.

"It's true!" he insisted. "I can give you references."

"I honestly don't give a shit. We're not together. Sy and I are. Happily. And you better let me go soon. He was expecting me at his place after work. He's probably out looking for me right now." she lied. It was worth a shot.

"Now it's my turn to call bullshit, because I know that isn't true." He looked at her with that patronizing stare he had.

"You don't know shit, Elliott."

"I know that your boy took off over a week ago for Virginia and hasn't come back, at least not the way he left. I believe he's supposed to be gone at least a few weeks. Maybe a couple of months. He wasn't sure at last report."

She was literally willing him to burst into flames before her. Her gaze revealed her hand.

"Told ya. You think you're the only one with connections at the fort? I've got me a sweet little sergeant who works in ATC over there. She can out-squat anyone else on base…and let me tell you, it shows." he lifted his eyebrow, lasciviously.

"You disgust me."

"Why? You never seemed to mind my…sexy imagination." he winked at her.

"No, I'm happy that you're getting it good on the regular from an ass that won't quit. But come on. You clearly only got with this girl because you thought it would give you the upper hand against me."

"Well, that's very self-absorbed thinking."

"Really, Elliott? Do you see where we are right now?" they looked around at the dank cellar and he shrugged, unable to deny or rebut. "And this woman. Does she know about this little scheme?"

He gave her one of his more evil grins. "Who do you think kicked you in the tit?" Okay…she was new levels of pissed off now.

"Why…the actual FUCK am I here, Elliott!?"

"Well, Shane, you embarrassed me with that little stunt at the bar a few weeks ago. You thought you were hot shit, parading your sasquatch of a boyfriend around in front of me, in my town, humiliating me as all of my friends watched. And then that dickhead sucker punched me in the parking lot. I shoulda pressed charges. But him being a veteran, I knew how that woulda gone in this town. I didn't have a snowball's chance. So I waited. And I planned. And I was patient. And I watched for my moment. And it finally came. I've been watching you leave work every night for the past week, and you're always with someone, or headed somewhere else, or going straight home. Last night…last night I knew was the night when you didn't leave until after 7. You were the last one out, and I knew that it had to be then. The plan, not that you need to know, is to plaster your social media with humiliating photos, piss off everyone that you love, including your precious Sy, and alienate everyone you've ever cared about until you're miserable and alone."

Shane was crying now. She thought she might be sick again. She reached for the bucket. The delusion of this man thinking that anyone in that bar besides maybe the ones that were there with him that night gave a shit about him. Thinking that the town was his. He was a nobody there. He hadn't grown up there, he didn't work there, he didn't participate in community events. He was kidding himself if he thought anyone cared enough about him that he should feel shame over her relationship with Sy, especially five years after their relationship with each other had ended.

"How's that for a 'why,' sweetheart?" he boasted.

"It's making my ask myself a lot of questions. Like why I ever agreed to go out with you all those years ago. Why I didn't see the signs that you were a psychopath sooner. And why I put up with your terrorism for so long thinking you'd ever really change. I can't believe I ever slept with you, you absolute barbarian." and she heaved into the bucket, non-productively. She hadn't eaten since lunch, and that had to be well over twelve hours ago.

"Well, ya did. And ya can't change the past. But I'm about to take your future into my hands. As soon as we find your phone, we're gonna have us a ball, little girl."

"You honestly think I'll cooperate with any of that?"

"You won't have a choice." he held up a little glass vial. "Morphine. A tiny dose of this stuff, and you'll do anything I tell ya."

"Please. Just let me go now, and I won't press charges. I won't go to the cops, at all. I'll call in to work with a headache, or something and you can live your life with Sergeant Squats and we can leave each other alone."

"A good offer, but I need to get something out of this. I need my pride back."

"And you're gonna get that by dragging me through the mud online from my own Facebook account? Is that really the way you wanna do this? When you could just show me what a great life you've built for yourself. This is a great place here, it seems, I mean, I only smelled it, and felt how big it was while I was getting dragged around the place. But, Elliott, if you had just told me about all this, I would have been happy for you!"

"This place is Sasha's."

"Oh." she grasped for something, anything to make him see how insane he was being without saying the words. "Well, I'd still have been happy for you finding an established woman with a great job. Why couldn't you have just written me a letter telling me that? An email! Something."

"This is how it's getting done, Shane. Because this is the only way that truly ruins your life in the process. Because at the end of all of this, the backlash is going to be too much for you, and you're not going to be able to handle this life anymore…"

"No. Elliott, no."

"Yes. You're gonna take one last hit of the morphine and drive that shitty Ford right into the lake."

"You used to care about art. About beauty. You used to be sensitive. You used to have a soul. What happened, Elliott? What happened to your humanity?" Shane asked, crying, in mourning for the man he used to be. The one that she used to care for.

"I fell in love. And she broke my heart. And nothing has been the same."

"Elliott, I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, fuck, not you, don't be stupid. No, Kara. I met her right after you kicked me out, and SHE broke my heart." he turned and started up the stairs, pausing to look over his shoulder and say, "I'll be back when I have your phone. And I'll bring friends." before he ascended, shutting the door firmly behind him.

She had never been so relieved to NOT have her phone in her life. Hopefully, her coworkers had it safe and sound, and locked up at work.

Up Next: Chapter 15-Recon

#netflix sand castle #Sand Castle #captain syverson #Captain Syverson x OFC #captain syverson fanfic #sigh for sy #henry cavill #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x ofc #this is either a bit angsty or it will give you angst it is hard to say

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therealsaintscully · 4 years

Text

[TJLC] Distracted by AGRA (or the many hints about personification of death in The Six Thatchers)

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT’S NOT PERFECT BUT I HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS HERE, I THINK, SO KEEPING IT FOR NOW.

A FEW DISCLAIMERS: - I’m not a native English speaker and this wasn’t betad, so excuse the less-than-perfect English (although you’re about to find out what native language actually is). - I’m very new in the fandom and in reading/writing meta, this would be my second meta post tbh, so excuse the amateurism. - Everything I’m about to write here is based on very quick and easy Google searches. I’m BY NO MEANS AN ACADEMIC! I’m not well versed enough in any form of literary analysis to claim more than that, but perhaps this post will be a breeding ground for new ideas. If you are an academic and you find these interesting - please go ahead and expand on them. - Lastly, this may have been picked up before by other meta writers and if so - I’m not aware of it, as I’m quite new to this fandom.

tl;dr: The Six Thatchers seems to be full of hints about the personification of death and cultural/religious representations of it, in a way that may even hint that that Mary = death, and/or that Moftiss were very preoccupied with the idea while writing it. It should be noted that I find these tidbits interesting in the context of well-established TJLC theories I’ve been reading up on a lot lately, namely EMP and M-Theory. I found these details interesting in the context of reading TST as something that’s happening in Sherlock’s MP as he’s dying and suspecting that Mary is dangerous and perhaps even linked to Moriarty.

AGRA > Samarra > The Four Angels of Death

As these things always go, I’ve been re-watching episodes while researching my WIP fic ‘Turned’. I have this new habit these days of only listening, instead of actually watching the episode in search of a fresh perspective. This time I was blown away, once again, by Sherlock and Mycroft’s conversation about AGRA. It’s a VERY odd conversation considering the topic, and what caught my ear this time was Mycroft mechanically reciting facts about the city of Agra. Why Agra, I asked? What’s so important about it? Nothing, the way I see it. One search led to another and I looked up Samarra, thinking perhaps I’ll find some connection between the two cities, but couldn’t.

The search for Samarra and the parable about it led me to the Appointment in Samarra wiki page, which mentions that the title of the book comes from a retelling of an ancient Mesopotamian tale by W. Somerset Maugham (the source of the next quote is here):

"The Appointment in Samarra" (as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933])

The speaker is Death

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.

There is also a very interesting study guide link from this website, which asks some very interesting questions about tale, such as Maugham’s decision to make Death a non-omniscient narrator of this tale, as well as a woman. I’ll return to Death being referred to as a woman later. However, since I have no expertise in literary readings, I’ll leave it to others who might be to add some more here.

More below the cut:

The version of the story in TST is a bit different; the servant is absent from the tale; it is instead the merchant who has the nighttime appointment with Death in Samarra after being startled to see Death that morning in the Baghdad market. (This note was taking from a wikipedia entry about another - apparently- very deterministic play by Maugham, Shepey.)

Anyway, the Appointment in Samarra wikipedia mentions that Maugham’s story comes from a much older version recorded in the Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 53a.

The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism. I’m a Hebrew speaking Jew, though an atheist one who isn’t well-read in religious texts at all, but I was intrigued enough to look up the Hebrew Talmud version of the text (in fact it’s originall in Aramaic, but wikipedia offers a Hebrew tranlsation). A quick Google search led me to the wikipedia page about the personification of death, and that’s when things got interesting.

Under the section about the grim reaper in Judaism, a story from the Talmud is mentioned, which seems to be another version of the Appointment in Samarra story. Here’s the story, translated by Google Translate, because I couldn’t find an English version:

The Babylonian Talmud tells of a sage, Rabbi Bibi, the son of Abiy, whose angel of death was often in his company. Rabbi Bibi heard the angel of death ask his emissary to name a woman named Miriam (Mary) who was a hair dresser (the future mother of Jesus). The messenger of death accidentally killed another woman named Miriam (Mary) who was a teacher. The angel of death said to his messenger: "I asked you to kill Miriam the barber and not Miriam the teacher." The messenger of death replied: Then I will bring Miriam the teacher back to life and bring before you Miriam the barber. The angel of death said to him: If you have already brought Miriam the teacher, leave her with me along with the rest of the dead. The angel of death asked his messenger: How did you manage to kill the teacher Miriam even though it was not her time to die? The messenger of death replied: She was killed before an opportunity to kill her - she was fiddling with the stove with ember in her hand to clean the stove. Inadvertently she caused a burn in her leg - and when a person was harmed and his determination of his time to die was undermined - so I had a chance to kill prematurely. The sage, Rabbi Bibi, asked the angel of death: Do you have permission to kill people before their pre-determined time has come? The angel of death answered, "Yes, for it is written, 'There is no one who has perished without judgment.'

(According to wikipedia, this story is taken from תלמוד בבלי, מסכת חגיגה, דף ד, עמוד ב – דף ה, עמוד א).

AGR(A?M?)

Alright, I said, two Marys, escaping death but then meeting it eventually. It happens.

But as I read on… that Hebrew wikipedia page mentions another personification of death, the angel of death Azarel. Azarel has three ‘colleagues’ (e.g archangel) in Islam (and in some variations, they also exist in Judaism and Christianity): Jibrail (Gabriel), Israfil, commonly thought of as the counterpart of the Judeo-Christian archangel Raphael, and Mīkhā'īl (Michael).

So wait, that’s -- that’s Azarel, Gabriel, Raphael... as in AGR(A)? Whoa. That fourth angel mentioned in Islam is Michael - which doesn’t hold up with AGRA - but could that be a coincidence? We’re told two things about BBCSh’s AGRA, but we can’t really know they’re actually true. The first one is that Mary claims it’s her initials, which we later learn is possibly not true - John gets mad realizing it’s another lie. The other thing is that Mary claims to be ‘R’, for Rosamund, but we can’t be sure about that either. However, another cool detail: in Christianity, Raphael is generally associated with an unnamed angel mentioned in the Gospel of John, who stirs the water at the healing pool of Bethesda. Yes - I know, the M really doesn’t fit there, but M really is a character that stands out in the BBCSH universe, doesn’t it?

Moving on to more cultural references of the personification of death the Hebrew wikipedia page offers, note that I haven’t read the first and it’s been years since I watched the second:

Death with Interruptions

In Death with Interruptions by José Saramago, they mention, death is a woman, and she falls in love with one of her future victims. She decides to spare his life: Every time death sends him his letter [notifying him of his imminent death], it gets returned. Death discovers that, without reason, this man has mistakenly not been killed. Although originally intending merely to analyse this man and discover why he is unique, death eventually becomes infatuated with him, so much so that she takes on human form to meet him. Upon visiting the cellist, she plans to personally give him the letter; instead, she falls in love with him, and, by doing so, she becomes even more human-like.

Chess and The Seventh Seal

Another reference is the film The Seventh Seal, about a knight returning from a crusade, and discovers his land his ravaged by plague. The knight encounters Death, whom he challenges to a chess match, believing he can survive as long as the game continues. Does that remind you of any particular promo pics?

What I find interesting in all these references, is that they all seem to deal with questions regarding ‘dealing with death’ that, in the context of EMP for example, can be seen as Sherlock ‘running simulations’ (or asking philosophical questions) on how to deal with his current situations:

- ‘Do you have permission to kill people before their pre-determined time has come’? (Can people time die before their pre-determined time? Can people escape pre-determined death?)

- Can you interrupt death with love? Was Mary supposed to kill John, fell in love with him and thus his death was postponed? Is John still in danger?

- What can one do to postpone death - perhaps challenging it to a game, hoping for survival as you distract it?

Tagging other meta readers/writers who I think might enjoy this ; let me know if you don’t - I won’t tag you again): @sarahthecoat, @devoursjohnlock @inevitably-johnlocked @possiblyimbiassed @waitedforgarridebs @tjlcisthenewsexy @loudest-subtext-in-tv @therealsaintscully

#meta #bbc sherlock meta #emp #m-theory #TJLC

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aquaticalay · 4 years

Text

Centurion .Chapter One.

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Sequel to For Something Greater (If you have not read this, click the link to the masterlist in my bio.)

Summary: (Y/n) is an active duty Navy SEAL Commander, the first and only woman to ever become a SEAL. After successfully stopping a genocide with the help of the Avengers, she becomes a bridge between the military and the earth's mightiest heroes. But even as her relationship with Bucky grows, she decides not to tell him about the nightmares and trauma that haunt her. Both their secrets begin to unravel when Bucky accidentally stumbles upon a piece of dangerous information about (Y/n) that she doesn't know about herself— something she must never find out about.

Genre: Action, Drama, Romance

Warning/s for the series: cursing, violence, death, eventual smut, PTSD.

Warning/s for the chapter: refenrence to sex and anxiety symptoms.

Word count: 2.5k

Note: The plot is heavily inspired by the song 'in the dark' by Bring Me The Horizon, and 'Mercy' by Muse. So yeah, go listen to it if you want to :))) I'll post a new chapter every two days.

Let me know if you want to be in the taglist

(Taglist will be reblogged)

TRIGGER WARNING! THIS SERIES REVOLVES AROUND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. (Including, but not limited to: anxiety/panic attacks, extreme mood swings , nightmares, intrusive thoughts, insomnia, irritability, hypervigilance, and hyperarousal)

New York was crowded, as usual. It was a good thing you weren't headed into the buzzing crowd. You didn't have to deal with the subway odors that could sting until your head hurts, or being cramped in the middle 8 million people in the center of the city. You’re going upstate instead.

These days you tend to avoid crowds. Too many things can go wrong in a place with too many people.

You just got back from a month-long peacekeeping mission in South East Asia with your squadron. It was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it was quite dull in comparison to your usual military operations. There wasn't a single clash in the mission, and you were thankful for it. You really needed a break from the non-stop violence, both mentally and physically.

The rest of the white squadron went home to their families, getting all the rest and relaxation they could get before the next operation briefing.

And here you are, taking a flight to visit friends, and dying to meet your boyfriend. Meeting Bucky, however, was not the sole purpose of your visit to the Avenger's headquarters. You had a job to do as well.

As you drove inside the Avengers' HQ, you were greeted by FRIDAY, who allowed you into the facility.

You parked up front, exiting your vehicle and locking it with a push of a button.

Sam was the first one who greeted you, hands folded and waiting for you outside. Friday must have notified him of your arrival.

"Captain," you said in an almost teasing tone. You gave him a short hug and a pat on the back. He returned it with a smile. "Commander," he replied just as lightheartedly, a playful leap in his tone, "You're two days early. Buck told me you weren't coming back till' Friday."

You shrugged, a smile tugging on your lips at the mention of his name. "Things went better than originally planned," you told him, "Besides, I've got something for you."

The only person present in the common room besides you and Sam was Wanda, who was making chamomile tea on the kitchen counter. The smell of roasted leaves left a hint of sweet aroma in the air. It was a nice scent, a good change of pace from the primal earthly smell of the forests of Borneo. Neither she nor Sam looked tired at all, which lead you to believe there hadn't been any missions for them lately. You greeted her with a hug and a hello, as well as sitting down to catch up with them on the events that happened while you were away.

Sam told you Bucky was going for a run, and he'd be back soon. You don't mind waiting. You might not have all the time in the world, but you did have all the patience that you needed.

As you were telling them about your mission, you heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance.

"Sounds fun," Bucky commented. He smiled, drinking water from his bottle, his hair tied in an effortless bun. And when you say effortless, you meant he really didn't care what it looked like, as it was an utter mess. You were usually there to tidy up his messy hair. But when you weren't there, he can't seem to do it properly by himself. You had mentioned that a haircut would be more practical, and he said he'd think about it. He probably won't cut his hair unless it covered his entire face. You find yourself amused at the thought of that.

He was wearing a black shirt and some running shorts, a hint of moisture in his skin, only barely sweating from both the heat and the exercise. His demeanor was confident, but not cocky. He looked like he was in a good mood.

Of course he is. You're here.

You looked back, a grin on your face. "Someone went for a run without me," you mentioned playfully, raising your eyebrows.

You walked towards him, and when you got close enough, he pulled your waist closer to his.

With a lopsided grin, he let you lay a hand on his bicep and press a kiss to his lips. It was short, like an acknowledgement. That was enough for Bucky.

He looked into your eyes. Under the glinting excitement of meeting him, he noticed that you were exhausted. You had circles under your eyes. Though it didn't look too bad, he sensed that it had taken a toll on you.

Sam cleared his throat, making the two of you look his way. "Are you done, Romeo? Or do you want us out of the room?"

"Actually—" Bucky started to say, but you cut him off abruptly with a half-forced cough. He tilted his head in confusion. "We're done," you stated shortly giving him a look that said, later. A hint of softness gave depth to your pupil, and he trusted that later, he'd have more time with you.

Still, it was unlike you to act so rushed when you just got back. Last time you got back from a long mission, you had insisted to lazily stay in bed the whole day with him. He complied that day, and he was confident to say that day was spent well.

Right now, you seem restless, and this worried him.

You walked away from him half-heartedly. The reunion with Bucky wasn't one you had in mind, as it only flashed before your eyes.

However, your visit to the headquarters this time isn’t just to see Bucky. You had a message to deliver from the US military, specifically the special forces..

Everyone that you needed to listen was here, and it was better to get this over with sooner than later. You pick your bag up from the floor, rummaging with the contents inside until you manage to take out a single brown folder, a Navy symbol at the cover. You throw it on the table, where Sam and Wanda was sitting. You sat down on one of the stools, Bucky next to you.

Sam was the first to pick it up. When he flipped to the first page, he looked at you inquisitively, "A council?" He asked.

You nodded, "To overview relations between the avengers and the special forces," you explain.

"And you agree to this?" Wanda asked, taking a look at the files. You could hear her voice falter. There was a hint of distrust in her voice. You don't blame her. She, like most of the avengers, went through the complication that is the Sokovia accords. You knew they didn't do too well with any deals that involves the government, and if anything, the accord left a bad experience.

"I don't know yet," you admit, "All they told me is that this council won’t limit your movement. You're still in charge of your own actions and missions. The only difference is that you can call special operations for back up if needed, and we can do the same, too."

"Anything else?" Sam asked, waiting for more. You shook your head, wishing you had more information than a five-page summary file. ”That’s all they said to me," you told him, "Everything else is written there. You better read that carefully. Special Ops wants an answer by next week. You have Five days to decide if you agree to this council or not."

“What if we don’t agree?” Bucky asked.

“The Avengers and The Special Forces stays separate, and we’re not allowed to go on joint missions, or collaborate in any way anymore.”

Bucky wanted more details, but anyone with decent hearing could notice the hint of exhaustion in your voice, so he didn’t push you for more explanation.

It wasn't only the mission that drained every last bit of your energy. During the last few months, you worked hard on cleansing SEAL, tracking down every last trace of Hydra, sometimes being ten feet deep in investigations until 3 in the morning. On bad days, you can't even force yourself to sleep. Nightmares become more frequent. Your mind felt more noisy, descending into chaos. Even though the reports show that you've done what you set out to do, you can't help but feel more paranoid than you should.

This paranoia wasn't your alone. It also belonged to many special operations officers who were aware of the Hydra infiltration. This resulted in the proposition of the council.

Despite knowing and understanding firsthand where the idea of the council came from, you promised that you won’t decide where you stand until you hear reasoning from both the Avengers and the special forces.

You felt Bucky's metal arm gently placed on your knee. From the corner of your eye, you saw him glance at you. He didn't seem comfortable discussing about this. It makes sense, considering that he was a victim of the sokovia accords. He was trapped in the heart of conflict that tore the Avengers apart. He didn't want his family torn apart.

You placed your hand above his reassuringly, your thumb rubbing circles across the smooth metal.

"I don't like this," Bucky muttered, finally admitting his distress out loud. "The council, the deal. Feels all too familiar." He closed the door of his room behind him. You settled inside, dropping your backpack near his closet. Inside the bag was a few sets of clothes, enough to last you a few days. You took a shirt and sweatpants out for a change. Bucky moved closer to you, and you pressed a kiss to his collarbone in an attempt to comfort him. It felt like a flutter against his skin. "At least hear them out, okay?"

You pull back, looking into his eyes. He had a slight frown on his face. His steely orbs look ghostly pale, almost baby blue. The creases on his forehead ran deep, but the longer he looked at you, the softer the lines become.

He took a deep breath, his human arm caressing your cheeks. "I'm sorry," he told you, slowly closing the gap, "It's just a lot of bad blood."

You curled your mouth into a smile that helped Bucky ease his anxiety. It helped yours, too.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you, James," you promised, pressing your hand gently against his torso. He was convinced that your words were sincere, like every other promise that ever left your lips. The way you said his name was calming, almost therapeutic. It made him inevitably fall in love with you all over again.

"I know," he replied in a fragile whisper, the sound cracking in your ears. He didn't say it, but you knew he was promising the same to you.

Slowly, he placed his lips on yours, sharing a breath of air. It started slow, increasingly gaining momentum like coin dropping from a building, going faster and faster due to the heaving effects of gravity pulling it to the ground like he was pulling you into him. You find yourself helpless, melting into his arms. You were candle lit ablaze for too long, his cold arm taming your overbearing wildfire of a flame. He held you, tasting your tongue on his, moving ever so slightly so you don't break. His touch felt so desperate and longing, reflecting exactly what he felt after over thirty days apart.

He smiled into the gesture. A contagious move that you were addicted to.

You pulled away to catch a breath, but did not stop for long. Bucky pushed a strand of hair behind your ear affectionately before resuming the long-due kiss.

You dropped your fresh clothes to the ground, turning all your attention to him, like nothing else in the world mattered, or even existed. You carefully slid your hands under the fabric of his shirt, fingers caving into every curve that felt like connecting the pieces of a puzzle.

You longed for him. You missed his touch and his breath on yours. You missed his quirky habits and playful banter. It was hard for both of you to be away from each other, but you're willing to pull yourself together for this to work. Being a SEAL was a demanding job, and so was being an avenger. Both of you go on mission for weeks or months at a time, and there was always a possibility of not coming back alive. Every second you spend together counts, making up for lost time.That's why talk about the council can wait, it has to. As important as it seemed to be, it was a job-related stress that has been thumping in the back of your head for days and days on end, consuming your body. But right now, it wasn't that important. The man in front of you was important.

Besides, changing clothes could be done in other, less conventional ways.ways.

You woke up in cold sweat when you heard a sudden sound of ringing bells at five in the morning. You started breathing heavily, and it took a moment for you to calm down and realize it was the church bell ringtone you chose for your phone. Someone was calling you.

You've never appreciated whoever invented the silent mode more than you did now.

But you were a Navy SEAL. Even if you wanted to, you were not allowed to have your phone on silent.

Grumpily grogging awake, you propped yourself onto your elbow, yawning slightly.

You could see an interruption of Bucky's chest delicate rising and falling, his soft adorable snores turning into a hitched breath. Disturbed by the noisy bell sounds, he slowly opened his eyelids. "What?" He growled quietly, his words only barely coherent. He lifted his head a little in confusion.

You sat up, taking your phone. You pointed at it. "I have to take this," you explained, "It's work."

He nodded slightly, dropping his head back on to the soft pillow.

You saw the screen and read the caller ID: It was Diego Miller, one of the men in your squadron.

You pushed the blankets off of you as you hurriedly tiptoe to Bucky's balcony, so you could talk without disturbing Bucky's rest.

"Hello," you answered hoarsely, forcing your sleepy lips and tongue to form clear words.

"Commander," he greeted, "Are you in New York?"

"Yeah." You took a deep breath and rubbed your eyes, "What's going on?"

"We've got an emergency operation," he informed, his voice alert, "Command wants you here in four hours."

You looked at the time. "Give me five hours," you said.

He answered sternly, almost immediately, "Four hours," he repeated, "It's non-negotiable."

"What's so important about this?" You ask tiredly.

"It's Hydra."

You stop in your tracks. Your posture tensed, eyes suddenly narrowing into the horizon, "Oh."

"The Naval base in Brooklyn is arranging a sonic flight for you as we speak," he informed, "You need to go there now."

You took a deep breath, sudden determination overpowering the exhaustion of your body. If it was Hydra, you were more than willing to end this once and for all. "I'm on my way."

"One more thing," Miller mentioned, "Don't tell Barnes it's Hydra. This mission is confidential."

It was not something you would keep a secret from Bucky if you had the choice, but what Miller was telling you was an order from Command. You will not defy it. It will bring more harm to your position than good.

"Okay," you manage to say before finally closing the call.

You could hear the door slide behind you, Bucky lazily walking towards you. Without warning, he laid his forehead on your shoulder, bending down so he could hold your body close to his. He was wearing nothing but shorts, his skin prickly cold like an autumn breeze. His prosthetic arm was even colder, a similar temperature to freshly fallen snow.

"They want me in Seattle," you break the news to him, wishing you didn't have to. He hums in disappointment, nuzzling further into your neck, "when?"

"Now."

"Already?" Bucky dragged the words in disbelief, "but you only just got here."

You ran your fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp to give him a sense of reassurance. "It's an emergency."

"What emergency?"

"I don't know yet," you lied, remembering the orders. You felt a pang of guilt, but you have to ignore it for now.

You pushed his chin from your neck to look in his eyes, "I'll be back before you know it."

Bucky nods.

You don't want to let go, but you know you have to.

#bucky #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagines #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes series #bucky x reader #bucky imagines #bucky imagine #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan imagines #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes smut

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imagine-loki · 5 years

Text

Giftless

TITLE: Giftless CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 20/50

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE:

Imagine that you are Stark’s niece and you secretly share a strong relationship with Loki since he entered the crew. One day you get hurt so bad during a mission that you are about to die. Loki knows a spell that will save you and share his immortality with you but you and he will be linked forever sharing thoughts, pain, emotions…

RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS: Underage reader (no sex!!) Also on AO3 click here

“Y/N KATHRYN STARK!” you heard your named bellowed the next morning. You and Loki were sitting on your couch in the common room minding your own business and actually not causing trouble. It was an impressively quiet morning around the tower. Until Tony started bellowing anyway.

You looked up from your laptop, on which you were supposed to be writing an essay that was due Monday, but instead you were posting the pictures of yourself and Loki from yesterday on social media. Loki had taken a bunch of pictures yesterday, so the upload was taking awhile, but that couldn’t have anything to do with Tony’s anger. You quickly thought over everything you had done recently, but couldn’t think of anything you’d done that would upset Tony. At least not that much.

“What’s wrong, Uncle Tony?” you asked, really having no idea this time why he was so pissed.

He glared at you as if you should know why he was angry. “WHY ARE YOU ON THE NEWS?” he demanded, still roaring.

You just stared at him, shocked. You weren’t concerned over his roaring or anger, especially not after he’d accidentally thrown you into a wall. He wasn’t going to risk your safety again anytime soon after that.

“I’m on the news?” you asked dumbly. That was the only reaction you could think of to that accusation. You hadn’t done anything worthy of getting on the news for.

Tony grabbed the remote and smashed buttons until the local news came on. You stared at it in shock. They were showing images and a short clip of you and Loki on your date yesterday.

Oops.

You knew you were a celebrity, but you forgot that led to being on TV on occasion.

“WHY IS HE KISSING YOU ON TV?” Tony roared, as they showed the image of you kissing in front of all the fangirls. You blushed and looked away from him. “WHY THE HELL IS HE KISSING YOU AT ALL?”

You rolled your eyes at that. Even Tony couldn’t be that oblivious. “He’s my boyfriend. Kisses do kind of come with the territory,” you replied with snark and sarcasm in your voice. It wasn’t your fault your dumb uncle hadn’t realized that you and Loki were officially an item.

The news reporter drew your attention as he was talking about how local celebrity niece of the infamous Ironman, appeared to now be dating Tom Hiddleston, famous actor who played the character Loki in all of the Avengers movies. “Their info is wrong anyway. Someone will rectify it eventually,” you shrugged. You weren’t concerned. Hiddleston’s publicity team wouldn’t let the mistake go on for long. “Calm down, Uncle Tony. It’ll blow over in a few days. Go do something heroic and it’ll go away faster. I’m not nearly as interesting as you are,” you reminded him and the rest of the supers in the room laughed and cheered in general agreement that they’d take down a bunch of villains so you’d be out of the news again sooner. You couldn’t help laughing at them. The younger supers were always so enthusiastic.

You were recognizable especially since Ironman and all of the Avengers were so famous, even the younger supers who lived here after magic exploded across the world. They did save the world, and especially New York, all the time. Since Tony was one of the few supers whose secret identify was compromised, you ended up being a topic of celebrity gossip too. It was an occupational hazard of being a Stark. You were usually boring, so you didn’t end up in the news often, but it happened on occasion, especially when there wasn’t much news. Your hair was a hindrance since it was so distinctively colored, which is why you had tried dying it last year. That hadn’t ended well.

You went back to work on your laptop, ignoring Tony’s spluttering. He growled about it awhile longer, but the story went away quickly when the press was notified that the person you were kissing was in fact not Tom Hiddleston. Duh. Tom didn’t have Loki’s hair unless he was filming. The news people claimed they were going to try to find out who the mysterious Tom Hiddleston look-alike was, and the story blew over from there.

Tony finally calmed down, and even seemed to accept that you were dating Loki, though he didn’t seem to like it. You figured it was just because he was your uncle and legal guardian.

The rest of the week was fairly quiet. You went to school with Loki every day. He sent you notes during classes all day and was generally adorable. You had combat training every day, and you were getting better with the dagger as well as with hand-to-hand fighting. Loki was even teaching you how to speak with him telepathically. It wasn’t perfect, since you were a human without magic, but he taught you meditation and how to order your mind. He could speak to you with his own telepathy and if you thought about your response in a focused manner, he could hear the reply. He taught you how to put up boundaries on thoughts and memories you didn’t want him to overhear and you trusted absolutely that he wouldn’t invade your privacy. You didn’t master it in a week, or course, it would always be a work in process, since you didn’t have powers, but you made headway. It made it a lot easier to talk to him when he was guarding you.

Tony took you out for breakfast on the morning of your birthday. He took you to the same restaurant every year, which was adorable and showed he cared. You also went to the arcade and the indoor amusement park in the mall, which was also tradition. You had a feeling Loki was sad that he couldn’t spend the entire day with you, but he was glad you were enjoying the day with your uncle. He would see you that evening for your party.

Your birthday was also one of the days each year that you went to the cemetery to visit your parents. You brought flowers to their grave and told them everything you had been up to since the last time you had been to visit. Tony stood nearby, but out of earshot. This was another tradition. You couldn’t actually talk to your parents anymore, or get advice from them, but you liked thinking that they were watching over you, and it made you feel better to talk to their graves, talk to them like they could hear and answer. So you told them all about Loki and how much fun you were having. You told your mom how you had chosen to date your best friend, just like she always said you should. You told your dad how he was a perfect gentleman and how he would be able to find no fault in Loki’s behavior towards you. You told them both that you were careful, even living with the supers, and how much you loved them and you would try to come visit them again soon. You promised to bring Loki to come meet them, so they could interrogate him for themselves.

With bittersweet tears, you went to Tony’s spot. He wrapped you in a hug. “You ok, kid?” he asked as he hugged you too tightly. This was hard for him too, though he held it together better for your sake.

You nodded against his chest. Tony wasn’t big on hugs, but he made an exception for you. Especially today.

“I just miss them,” you told him, rubbing the tears from your eyes. He kissed the top of your head.

“I know. I do too,” he held you for another minute. “Do you mind if you tell them goodbye?” he asked. You shook your head and waited for him to say a few words to their graves. He didn’t talk to them like you did, but he always said something before you left. Your dad was his brother after all, you weren’t surprised he missed them too.

You felt phantom arms wrap around you while you watched Tony. The arms were cool, just like their owner. You weren’t surprised he had found out what you were up to. “Thank you, Loki,” you whispered, knowing his touch even when he wasn’t really there. “I’m ok. I’ll see you soon.” He was too far to talk to you telepathically safely, apparently he risked hurting you if he used to much power to make the connection, so he didn’t do it unless you were in fairly close proximity already.

Tony took you for ice cream to try make you smile again before you went back to the tower to spend the evening with your super family.

Loki hugged you the second you walked through the door of the tower. “Are you ok?” he asked, concerned. “You were crying,” he whispered in your ear. He didn’t usually spy, but he must’ve felt your emotions leak through.

“We went to visit my parents,” you explained softly. He nodded his understanding and pressed a kiss to your hair, comforting you.

Almost immediately afterwards, the festivities began. There was a huge sign reading “Happy 18th Birthday!” And stupid party hats all around. There was cake, pizza, and even more ice cream. All of the supers stopped by to wish you a happy birthday and add their donations to the huge pile of presents in front of you. You opened them to find mostly books, which you thanked everyone for. Though Nat got you a new taser, Clint decided you needed a bow and arrow set that you’d never use, Bruce got you some scary book about science he insisted helped him through med school. The original Avengers tried their best, even though you rarely saw them.

The last present came from Loki. The tiny familiar teal box appeared in his hand. You had seen your dad give your mom gifts in those boxes all the time growing up. There was only one store in the universe you knew of that used that particular shade of blue in their gift wrapping. And no way that Loki should have been able to afford anything from there. “Happy birthday, darling,” he told you.

You took the box from him, surprised. “Thank you,” you replied automatically. You opened the box to find a gorgeous silver bracelet with black and green gems in it. There was also a gift receipt in the box, showing that Loki had actually bought the bracelet instead of conjuring it. You wouldn’t have minded if he conjured it, but you knew it was extra special to him for actually buying it. He had gone and done the thing the Midgardian way. “It’s gorgeous,” you told him as you pulled the bracelet out of the box and clasped it around your wrist. “I love it!” you jumped up and hugged him, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck. “And I love you,” you whispered in his ear. You hadn’t been brave enough to say the words until then.

“You are most welcome, my darling,” he replied. You kissed him deeply to catcalls from your family.

“Come on! Time for movies!” one of the teens called. You relocated the party to the common room where the movie was already set up.

“Sorry,” you told Loki. “It’s tradition. Superhero Musical followed by the first Avengers movie.” He smiled.

“That is nothing to be sorry for. They love you, my dear, and want to spend time with you, as do I,” you grinned and sat on the loveseat with Loki, in the place of honor directly in front of the TV. You sang your way through the musical with your friends and family around you. Loki even tried to join in for the duet, but he hadn’t memorized all of the words yet. You applauded him for trying, though.

Part of the way through the Avengers movie, Wanda, who had the remote, paused the movie and looked directly at Loki. The heads of everyone else turned to him as well. “Why are they staring at me?” Loki asked you.

You erupted into laughter. “They want you to say the line,” you explained. You weren’t surprised this was happening, especially after the news story everyone saw confusing him for the actor in the movie.

“Say the line!” the supers called. “Say the line! Say the line! Say the line!” the words became a chant. You laughed even harder.

“They’re not going to stop until you say the line,” you told Loki over the chanting. He sighed and rolled his eyes. With his put-upon expression he held up a hand to quiet the chant. The room fell silent immediately.

“I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose,” he intoned in the most dull dry monotone possible. The crowd groaned at him and started throwing popcorn and other small harmless object at him. You shrieked and held your arms up in front of you to deflect the projectiles. Not everyone had good aim and didn’t care if they hit you in collateral damage.

“Do it right!” they complained.

He sighed again, but you saw the glint in his eyes. He was pleased and enjoying himself. He held up his hand again. He stood, and then stepped up onto the coffee table. In the same movement, his clothing changed to an exact replica of the character’s including the golden horned helmet.

“I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose. Kneel before me,” he hesitated for a moment. “I said KNEEL!” he bellowed. You burst out laughing at the cheers of the crowd. A few of them actually knelt, while the rest applauded his rendition. Loki rejoined you on the couch, not bothering to change his clothes back to normal. You laughed and leaned over to give him a kiss.

After the movie, Loki walked you up to your suite. After you’d hugged your friends and your uncle one last time and thanked them all for a wonderful birthday. “I have one other gift for you, darling. Though I did not wish to give it to you in front of the others,” Loki told you when you were safely away from the others.

“Loki, you shouldn’t have,” you chided him. He had already done enough by getting you the bracelet. You knew it couldn’t have been cheap, not when it came from that jewelry store.

He moved his hands and a box appeared in them, despite your protests. He wasn’t going to give up no matter what you did, so you took the box and opened it to find a leather dagger sheath. An empty leather dagger sheath. That seemed like a strange gift and you raised an eyebrow at Loki when you looked up at him.

“It is enchanted,” he explained. “Anytime you reach for a dagger from it, one will be there. You need never be without a weapon again,” he added.

“Thank you. That’s amazing!” you told him. You tried it, attempting to pull a dagger from the empty sheath. One appeared and you were able to pull it from the sheath. You wondered how much work had gone in to making such a thing, but you had a feeling you would never find out. That didn’t make it any less fantastic.

You felt a lot safer knowing you’d always have a weapon.

“Did you have a good birthday?” he asked you once you were curled up on the couch in your sittingroom together. You nodded.

“It was perfect,” you replied.

You got to spend the last moments of the day enjoying kisses from your boyfriend.

#Loki #Lover #Submitted fic #submission #giftless #chapter 20 #Nekoamamori

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mewmedic · 4 years

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Tenshi and W♥︎C Review

I’m back with another (not sponsored) review! This time, I’m taking a look at the shopping service known as Tenshi Shop and W♥︎C’s famous pastel rainbow cardigan. If you are interested in seeing the full sized photos of the cardigan, you can go to my imgur album. As a reminder, here are my measurements so you can picture how this fit. The cardigan is supposed to be loose and only comes in one size so the fit shouldn’t matter too much.

Bust: 82.5 cm (32.5 in)

Waist: 72 cm (28 in)

Hips: 100 cm (39 in)

Arm length: 63.5 cm (25 in)

Height: 5 Ft, 25.5 cm (5 ft, 10 in)

Tenshi is a shopping service that does online and in-store purchases for you, since most Japanese stores do not ship directly to the USA. They also can bid on Japanese auction sites and other shopping apps like Yahoo Auctions (yes, that exists in Japan,) Rakuten, Fril, and so on. Lastly, they have a small selection of new and secondhand items in an online store that you can purchase directly from yourself.

I want to make it clear that a shopping service is not the same thing as a reseller, which is a person or company that buys items in bulk and sells them to people outside of Japan at a much higher price. Tenshi makes a profit through their services fees, which amount to 5% of the total cost of your item or a flat ¥500 (currently $4.57) charge depending on how expensive your order is. They also charge payment processing fees, which amount to about 2.9% for an American. If you have more concerns they have an FAQ you can read here. The cardigan by itself was ¥5,499 (currently $50.27) and at the end of this whole deal I was charged $89.98. The $39.71 that was added onto the cardigan boils down to the following...

Shipping from W♥︎C to Tenshi

Shipping from Tenshi to me

5% service charge (or ¥500)

2.9% processing fee.

All orders from Tenshi start by filling out this form. In case you don’t know what what the Feedback Link is that they are asking for, it’s a link to your personal page on auction sites like Ebay or Lace Market. This is so they can see if you have a good reputation, but if you don’t have any account on auction sites it’s not mandatory. The following is the timeline of communication between Tenshi and myself...

November 28th: I submit the form and a few hours later Tenshi emails me back to let me know that the pastel cardigan is an item that needs to be preordered and will not ship until mid to late December (I knew this.) They also explained they will be going on vacation in late December (I did not know this) so they may not be able to ship the item until mid January. I told them I was fine with that so they went ahead an attempted to order it. They emailed me and explained they were having some trouble with W♥︎C‘s website and we discussed other payment options. Tenshi was worried he might have to go the Cash on Delivery option, which means he would have to charge me a bit extra. I told them I was totally fine with it if there was no other option.

November 30th: Tenshi notified me he kept on trying to order the cardigan and they finally got it! I really appreciate the extra effort Tenshi went through to save me money, even if it was only a little bit. I told him I was ready for the invoice at any time.

December 2nd: I hadn’t gotten an invoice from Tenshi yet so I getting a little worried. I emailed him and he told me he normally waits until the item is with him to send an invoice, that way he can accurately calculate shipping.

December 13th: Tenshi emailed me to let me know the cardigan was in his hands and he sent me the invoice.

December 14th: I paid the invoice and let him know. He thanked me.

December 16th: Tenshi let me know he shipped the package and gave me the tracking number. He also let me know he accidentally wrote a last name on the package that wasn’t my own. It’s a simple mistake that won’t make a difference in shipping. I thanked them.

December 24th: The cardigan had arrived the day prior so I let him know and thanked him. Tenshi thanked me for letting them know.

The total timeline was 25 days, with 7 of those days being the shipping from Tenshi to myself. I went with EMS because it is the quickest way to ship something from Japan. My only complaint is that signing for the package is a requirement with EMS. Luckily some one else was at home when the cardigan was delivered so I didn’t have to go to my local post office on the weekend to pick it up. I have tried in the past to talk to my local post office to see if there is a way to be exempt from this but they said it’s not possible. On the positive side: I was fortunate that Tenshi received the cardigan from W♥︎C before they went on break, that way I wouldn’t have to wait until mid January for it to ship.

I will be real with you, I got real worried when I saw that whole in the box. I don’t know at what point in the shipping process that happened. But when I opened the box up my cardigan was safe and sound! I was extra elated when I saw that Tenshi wrote a sweet little note for me...

Dear Abigail,

Happy Holidays, and I hope you have a great start to 2020!

Enjoy your cute Sweater!

☺︎

- Tenshi

Tenshi was very transparent and prompt with me in our communication. They made sure my package arrived to me safely, put in extra effort to help me save money, and added a touch of kindness with that little note. They have clearly earned five stars. ★★★★★

Now onto cardigan itself. In case you don’t know, W♥︎C is an abbreviation of WEGO Loves Chuu. WEGO is a Japanese brand and Chuu is a Korean brand, W♥︎C is their love-child brand essentially. Knowing that these two titans of Asian fashion are working together, I reasonably set high expectations. On top of that, their pastel rainbow cardigan is a highly sought after item that they pretty much only release once a year. I can say without a doubt that my expectations were met. There wasn’t a single loose thread, hole, or frayed edge. The feel is so soft and the colors are the perfect vibrancy. I’m obviously giving this wonderful piece five stars. ★★★★★

Correction: Apparently I was wrong about W♥︎C’s origin story. They are not actually a hybrid brand and the acronym comes from the creators inititals: Wakatsuki Chinatsu.

#Sweet Lolita #Lolita #Pastel #Yume Kawaii #J-Fashion #W♥︎C #Cardigan #WEGO #Chuu #Rainbow

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mieczyhale · 5 years

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because tumblr is the way that it is i have no idea what you have/nt seen?? so i guess here’s just all the recent TUA-related shit ;snklfd @hellomyguru

it sure would be nice of them to notify people about notifications wouldn’t it??

my tags on this post:: #y e s #okay like i love the lil klaus they gave us #for sure#but klaus has curls?? and bby didnt really?? and like it makes sense bc considering reginald's.. everything.. he would have done whatever he#could to tame them / keep them under control yknow?? he doesnt like different and he doesnt like things that arent prim and proper#which is what he'd consider curls to NOT be#esp. with how wild those curls woulda been like#and i mean i know adult klaus's hair was more mess & not really curly but towards the end of the season you could def see his hair rebelling#so #anyway #here's wonderwall

my tags on this post:: #klaus and dave#even if you play it with dave being 30 too instead of 40 this is still fucking funny#i can imagine this interaction perfectly and it kills me sfhkdjccj

a post on my change in how i tag my original TUA posts

a question you asked that i answered

a post on klaus, reginald, and medicine

a shitpost about dave

my reply to a reply on my broken jaw post

my reply to your reply on my broken jaw post

my tags on this post:: #does klaus know what he threw out tho?? like he barely glanced at the stuff he pulled out of the box before throwing it away#he clearly thought that whatever it was wasnt important - i mean he also wouldnt have cared bc gotta get them drugs baby but still#and at what point would he have told five that he threw out some of their dads shit?? like.. at which interaction would that have made sense#the dumpster?? not really. five immediately declares he doesn't care what klaus is doing and then klaus is distracted by the opportunity to#get some money in an easier way than normal and then he bit into a dumpster bagel and five was leaving. he left.#OH and now that im thinking more about it - klaus refers to the stuff from the box as 'priceless crap' / 'priceless shit' so there's a#chance he A. really didnt pay attention to what he was throwing away - which makes sense considering his desperation#or B. he forgot. drugs arent known for being great for your memory and then a lot of shit went down really fast so..#the lab?? also wouldnt have made sense for a few reasons but mostly bc at no point did they talk about anything other than fake eyes and#relationships. during the family meeting that five appears in the middle of?? maybe. but five had a very narrow focus and the others#talked a lot and over each other and the whole time klaus is off to the side sick - very clearly having a hard time focusing and staying#upright and again - a lot has fucking happened - so there's no way he would've even considered the papers from 10 months ago as being#relevant. IF he remembered them at all.#oh and then he didnt even really acknowledge the apocalypse thing until episode 6 and he spent all of episode 4 being tortured#and he came back and spent episode 5 just trying to adjust to being back - having just lost dave and left a warzone - and he just.. has his#grief to deal with so nothing else is even on his radar#what im saying is#there's a lot going on and there never would've been a time to bring it up even if he did know/remember what he threw away#in my big dumb pan opinion#i know this post isnt that serious but i read it and had to word vomit#anyway #sgkskccj #carry on y'all

my tags on this post:: #oh shit fuck!!! this!!!!!! im always here for emotions and powers being tied - ESPECIALLY when people dont know it#including the person who has the powers like... everyone being oblivious fucks#which is kind of why i agree with and support klaus's powers being tied to his emotions. 1. people just out here being completely oblivious#and ignorant towards klaus and everything related to him and 2. klaus being just as oblivious like.. between over half a lifetime of#substance abuse and addiction?? that happened in the first place bc klaus was terrified of and hated his powers?? there is so much that he#can do. i personally believe he's incredibly powerful and the longer he stays sober the more everybody is gonna see that#and none of them will expect it. tbh also?? i firmly believe - despite his alien status and knowing things - that not even reginald#had any fucking idea. bc i mean he clearly had no real idea of how klaus's powers worked. his training decisions proved that. his#experiments proved that. is there anything in canon to support any of this hc - you ask - why yes. yes there is. in my opinion of course. i#know not everyone sees things the same way. but 1. klaus returning from vietnam. he beat up the suitcase p well but while it sparks?thats it#and throwing it isnt - on its own - going to make it explode. thats just not believable. its a time traveling briefcase. that shits STURDY#and if im remembering right - it didnt explode right away. it didnt happen until klaus screamed and i dont think thats a coincidence#he does have telekinesis after all. and 2. making ben corporeal in the last episode. that did not seem like a conscious decision. he ran#into that room. got shot sat. ducked. and then suddenly he has glowing hands and bentacles was seen by all. it all happened in a matter of#seconds and it would've freaked anyone out but with his powers klaus wanted ben there - he wanted ben to help - even if he didnt know it#himself. in one second he had elevated emotions - elevated anxiety and possibly fear and he wanted to do something just.. ANYTHING. he#wanted to not die and he wanted his siblings to not die and he wanted to help but he alone couldnt and ben is his closest#brother - sorry not sorry - and then also sorry not sorry but ptsd?? from vietnam and guns?? yeah. so everything just.. fell together and#it triggered his powers. and i can see that happening a lot. he's having a hard day and he can see dave and talk to him but he#cant be held by him and it just makes everything worse and suddenly dave is THERE there and klaus doesnt know how he did it but w.e#he's just so happy he did. and he accidentally conjures patch while he and diego are talking about her and diego thinks klaus did it on#purpose. to hurt him? idk. but he's pissed and klaus is just confused - not really registering the heartache he had been feeling for diego#when she suddenly appeared. im leaving this with 2 examples only bc imma run outta tags otherwise fkdmdnd BUT give me klaus levitating for#the first time when he's sitting cross legged on the floor of the living room or standing idk but he's content and sleepy ans suddenly#there's confused voices and shouting and he opens his eyes to find he's in the same position but now he's five feet off the ground and#WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK yknow?? oooh and more on his telekinesis?? unintentionally launching shit at people when he gets pissed. luther takes a#little gardening shovl to the face. the others keep treating him like shit - like he hasnt changed - and he snaps during a meeting and a#vase JUST misses somebody's head or smth?? it would be great. and dont even get me started on the Not Fucking Dying aspect bc thats a whole#other rodeo. but even that.. i think its emotionally tied and how long he stays dead depends on how he felt when he died. he can control it#from the other side yknow?? anyway i def need to do an actual post on this i think later bc im outta tags lmao

#maison speaks #hellomyguru

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fly-pow-bye · 4 years

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ThunderCats Roar - “Lost Sword”

Co-Executive Producer: Victor Courtright

Supervising Producer: Nate Cash

Producer: Marly Halpern-Graser

Written by: Victor Courtright

Directed by: George Kaprielian

Is it a lost cause?

The episode begins with a shot-for-shot parody of a particular part of the original's intro: the part where Lion-O shouts, "thunder, thunder, thunder, ThunderCats, Hoooo!", except here, he's saying "Breakfast Time, Hoooo!" while shining bright lights everywhere. The ThunderCats are already together, sans Panthro, so he is just doing this just to show off that he's going to eat cereal with the sharp part of a sword. Oh, but don't worry, because it's apparently plastic according to Lion-O. No, really:

Lion-O: You're no match for the sting of my dull, plastic blade!

When was the Sword of Omens plastic or dull? I get that Lion-O is not exactly being reasonable here, as he is trying to eat cereal with a sword instead of a spoon, but even in this silly reboot, the Sword of Omens has been shown to cut through metal like a can-opener. Is Lion-O underestimating the sharpness of the sword? Is it a reference to them being a toy franchise? The former may add a little bit to the episode's themes, but that's all I can muster.

Wilykit and Wilykat want Lion-O to share his sharp eating utensil, but mean ol Tygra tells him not to share the sword. He's supposed to protect the Sword of Omens, and Lion-O. Cheetara gets annoyed by all of that shining and tries to take the sword from him. Either one of these could lead to an answer to whether or not the sword would react if someone other than Lion-O handled it, or if Jaga's ghost would just show up and say "no" or something.

We don't get the answer to that, as the power starts cutting in and out. Tygra notifies him that, every night, he needs to put the sword in the reactor's slot in order to stabilize the base's power. One of the many abilities of the Eye of Thundara apparently includes being one of those portable batteries. Of course, being the sensible Lord that he is, Lion-O admits, rather quickly, that...

Lion-O: I totally forgot about that!

Tygra: (groans)

Oh, Lion-O, you forgetful oaf! Cheetara then gloats that the baby king messed up again. This series doesn't have the explanation that Lion-O is a kid in a grown man's body, so I can only assume that insult comes from his small stature. Height is certainly a variable with this art style, though. Lion-O tries to make a huge speech about how, as Lord of the ThunderCats, he will vow to fix his huge error, only for Tygra to tell him to just plug it in already.

Of course, he gets side-tracked from that plugging in when he walks across the engineering room. He sees that Panthro is testing a new addition to the ThunderTank: a cat-apult. This heavily impresses Lion-O, who says it's awesome. Panthro is not too pleased to know he was actually talking about the pun, but he hides it quite well.

He actually does need Lion-O's help, though: he needs Lion-O to use his "sight beyond sight" to see if the cat-apult has launched a soapy balloon from the engineering room to Castle Plun-Darr. I believe this is the first time he got to use that ability in this reboot.

Using the sword, he can see that the Mutants are having a nice picnic right outside of their castle, and the soapy balloon has hit the bat-like creature's head and made it all shiny. It also made their castle look kind of doofy, but that seems to be normal in this series. Slithe vows vengeance for the loss of his precious filth.

This episode really emphasizes the sword's importance. Right from these first few minutes, it's used as a power source and stabilizer, it can be used as binoculars, and it has repeatedly been said to be a very important item that Lion-O has to protect at all costs.

...so how is he going to lose that sword? I mean, it's not like that should be unexpected even if this episode wasn't called Lost Sword.

Just have him set the sword aside and pull the cat-apult lever, and by aside, I mean right on top of the cat-apult. Whoops, he just accidentally launched the sword, including its Eye of Thundara, right at Castle Plun-Darr! After making another speech about how it's his duty to do whatever it takes to get that sword back, he launches himself using that same cat-apult, using a strategy to swim across the air to grab the sword.

Oh, don't worry, he has a strategy to survive the inevitable fall: he'll just tuck and roll at the right time, and all of that bone crushing that a large fall would cause would disappear. Somehow, it works!

Snarf suddenly appearing out of nowhere and jetpacking him probably helped with that, too. I was hoping I missed a scene where Snarf secretly snuck onto Lion-O's leg, but no, he just appears on his back in mid-air. We do see Snarf following Lion-O into the Engineering room, but that's as much as we get.

He then bumps into this troll, who claims that he's a friend passing by, and he knows where sword-nabbing birds nest! 80% of the shots featuring him are these horrible close ups of him, and Snarf is constantly shaking his head at this, but Lion-O trusts that this troll's face is a face one can trust.

Despite all the warnings, Lion-O decides to let this troll help them out, as he does a ridiculous two-frame walk into a dark corner of the clearly evil forest, as even Lion-O puts it. See, that intentionally poor animation, accompanied by tiny plunger sounds, is supposed to emphasize that Lion-O isn't very bright. That's pretty much every joke in this episode so far.

Meanwhile, Panthro and Cheetara, knowing fully well that Lion-O will definitely mess this up, decide to take the ThunderTank to the forest in order to retrieve the sword. This is actually important, because Panthro reveals that not having the sword in the reactor will do far more than cause blackouts. If they can't get the sword back in the reactor, the base explodes. Cheetara does bring something up that I actually didn't expect.

Cheetara: No, wait, wasn't hitting the Thundrillium core the thing that makes the base explode?

Panthro: Well, there's a lot of things that make the base explode!

Surprisingly for a show with such a non-serious tone, they're bringing up events that happened in a previous episode. In this case, the episode Driller, which involved the base almost exploding because that titular misunderstood guy almost hit that core. There’s actually a few jokes like that coming up; it’s an unexpected touch, but I like it. It’s better than having episodes seemingly exist in their own universe.

As Snarf continues to roll his eyes at his really, really stupid owner, the troll leads him to a laser shield trap. Surprise, the troll was a troll! He's not just any troll either, but he's...

...Mumm-Ra! Just like in the original's "All That Glitters", Mumm-Ra transformed into a troll that fooled Lion-O into a trap. I would have never caught that reference if I didn't look up if that Troll Village from the last episode was referencing anything. Funny how that worked for this episode's favor.

Mumm-Ra also reveals that bird that stole the sword was his pet Skymeleon, giving Mumm-Ra the sword. Lion-O asks what he's going to do with his cutlery, because he still sees the all-important sword as his spoon replacement, and Mumm-Ra tells him that he's really after the Eye of Thundera, and it landed right into his grasp. He takes the eye and absorbs it into himself, causing him to transform.

Oh, so that's where the budget for Lion-O walking went: they decided to animate this transformation sequence on ones. It's actually kind of distracting how smooth this animation is, especially after that two-frame walking from a minute ago, but I'm not really complaining. This does look like the kind of animation that would be reused for future episodes, and I wouldn't mind that. I would hope that doesn't mean the sword wouldn't be constantly stolen, though.

At his lowest point, Lion-O decides to make a comeback, complete with him actually admitting that he has made a serious boo-boo.

Lion-O: I may be a bad leader, but at least I don't smell like a TOOT!

Aw, I was thinking they stopped using that word! Even Mumm-Ra is upset by that, as this comparison to flatulence causes him to shoot a laser out of his hands like he did in the original's intro. As Lion-O seems to perfectly know that intro as he referenced it in the first minute of the episode, he knows that all he needs to do is deflect it with his sword, which he doesn't seem to have. Snarf flies in and takes the laser, but it only leads to a Mumm-Ra Laser, Snarf Down. Once again, animated on ones!

The cavalry does eventually arrive, as Cheetara and Panthro runs everyone over with the ThunderTank. Somehow, this only just disables that laser force field. They are glad to see that they got there before something crazy happened, only to Lion-O to point out everything that happened so far, including that minor detail of Mumm-Ra having the Eye of Thundera implanted inside him.

Even though he should be all powerful at this point, he decides to make this a slightly fairer fight by calling for his own cavalry: the Mutants, who are busy applying sludge to their far-too-precious-for-them head. Get it, because they are icky villains, and they want their Castle to be icky like they are! This doesn't distract them for long, though, as they take their chance on the vengeance they vowed earlier.

Thankfully, Panthro knew the possibilty that Lion-O wouldn't be able to use his sword, so he brings him the Claw Gauntlet. I thought it was called the Claw Shield, but I guess the names are interchangeable. The Sword of Omens is just lying on the ground and nobody has grabbed it yet. Maybe it really is made of dull plastic!

I guess the animation in the ensuing fight scene is good, and there are some creative ideas like the axe tearing through Lion-O's hair and Jackalman ending up hitting himself with his own club, but something that's a bit too distracting is that this entire fight scene has a plain green background. I think it's supposed to be the fog, but could they not draw any not-so-happy little trees?

They also do yet another reference to the original show's opening by having Cheetara run across and jump just like she did there. Alas, Lion-O's use of his Claw Gauntlet isn't as well animated, probably because they didn't have anything to take from the intro. They did forget Vultureman, but Wilykit and Wilykat apparently snuck in the back of the ThunderTank, and he gets defeated with some smoke bombs and Wilykit pressing an "Autopipi" button on his robotic wings. They don't question why they would stow away in there, and neither will I, and they decide to go after Mumm-Ra. Unfortunately, Mumm-Ra can fly too, and there's no "fly away and eject the Eye of Thundera" button on him.

Cheetara says that this is a tough act to follow, thinking this is a good time for a quip. Even Lion-O knows this isn't one, as he has an expression that seems to be despair as he picks up his Eye-less sword. However, he then gets back up, knowing exactly what to do.

Using the Cat-apult, Lion-O jumps right up to Mumm-Ra. Mumm-Ra then fires a laser from his hands again, and Lion-O uses the sword to deflect it like in the original intro. However, this causes a chain reaction, as the sword uses that laser to hone it's right into Mumm-Ra's chest...which is now where the lasers are coming from?

Lion-O: I'm just winging it!

So were the animators, apparently! I mean, it does make sense that Lion-O didn't know what he was doing, as this seems to come out of nowhere. Somehow, this gets the Eye of Thundera sucked out of Mumm-Ra, Mumm-Ra runs away, and the day is saved. Well, except for one minor thing at the Cat's Lair. Let's see how the one member who decided to stay at the Cat's Lair reacts to this.

Tygra: Does anyone else think it's a bit warm in here?

Okay, not sure why Tygra, the well-established down-to-Earth smart guy, is completely ignoring that "reactor critical" warning there. He is the most consistently written character in this show, so it's pretty jarring to see jokes like this with him.

With the help of Cheetara's super speed, though it was not her choice of plan, he piggyback rides back to the Cat's Lair, making it to the reactor just in time. We get the classic "I'm sorry I'm such a jerk" scene, but Tygra interrupts him before he can finish just to praise him for at least getting the job done. Cheetara then praises him for kicking butt, in a complete contrast to her "baby king" remarks in the beginning of the episode. I think that's what they were going for.

And then Lion-O makes this face in reaction to all of this. Most of the time, this show's reaction faces aren't nearly as bad as that certain other reboot's. Most of the time. The end, but no The End card this time.

How does it stack up?

I was almost ready to send this one to the swamp too, but the latter half was decent enough for this not to be a 1. I debated whether this should be a 3, as I didn't dislike this as much as Secret of the Unicorn or Boggy Ben, but, eh, most of the good parts were just stolen from the classic intro. This one gets 2 cats.

Next, we go mountain climbing.

← Warrior Maiden Invasion 🐈 The Horror of Hook Mountain →

#fpb tcr #thundercats roar #cartoon network #fpb reviews

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deniseevans796-blog · 5 years

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Inspect a Used Car in 3 Easy Steps

After doing all your basic analysis on reconnoitering for a second user automotive, you have got currently affected one step nearer to the proper used automotive for you. Now, you need to pay a visit to the seller and inspect the vehicle personally to ensure that it is a fault-free purchase.

Although it sounds easy while reading but it’s one of the most difficult and important exercises in finalizing the right used car. As all of us are not car experts, some common issues haunt almost all of us. Questions like, How to inspect the car thoroughly? What points to cover and what to neglect? How do I make sure that I am not buying a faulty car? needs to be answered.

We will take up all of these and more during this article through a step by step approach on what you need to do when inspecting a used car.

1. Check out the exteriors first

First things 1st, the exterior is what you primarily witness and needs to be checked completely from all angles.

Before being a critic, just observe

Take it easy and take it slow. Before you spot any irregularity or dent on the outside, it’s important to first observe the car on the whole. Just take a fast walk-around and observe areas like the front bumper, headlights, grille, windscreen wipers, side turn indicators, wheel arches, windows, and the boot as well.

Now check for any dents and repair work

When you are going for a used car, it’s a given that you might encounter some minor dents or scratches, to say the least. This is something that you can neglect for the time being as the seller can get that all fixed for you at the time of purchase. Your concern ought to be to examine for any major accidental injury which may be detected from the facet by inspecting areas like joints on the doors still as under-the-side black plastic casing. By taking it off, you will come across punching holes that are done from the manufacturer’s end. An automotive that has undergone major repair won't have any punching holes. You will either see a welding joint or a completely smooth surface.

When going for a rear check, lift the carpet floor inside the boot and take out the spare tire as well. Now, check the metal sheet floor simply to a lower place the spare wheel for pasting areas. Pasting done from the manufacturer’s finish is going to be a bit rough and widespread. Now, if the car has undergone major damage from the back, you won’t find any pasting details or if the repairer is smart, you can get a completely smooth surface which can be a matter of concern on the work done. A roof should also be checked. Stand at a height from wherever you'll be able to see the roof. In case of minor dents, ask the seller to fix it. But if you encounter a significant irregularity within the style, it can be a sign of accidental repair done to a car.

Examine paint difference and check for rust signs

The paint of the car also speaks about any alterations or damage done in the past. Original mill paint is going to be equivalent across all the panels of the automotive. Do a careful examination for any distinction within the look and feel of the panels by rubbing your fork out the painted surfaces. Factory paint will be very smooth due to multiple coatings, while an aftermarket paint job is done will leave a rough surface.

Once the paint check is finished, scan corners, joints, and under-body areas as well for rust signs. Do not mind-bending down and using a flashlight if required when inspecting under-body parts of the car. Rust can be detected by corrosion marks which are dark yellow and brown. The probability of rust signs is maximum on cars that are used in areas that encounter heavy rains or floods.

Check tire conditions along with make and year

Tires are the only point of contact that a car makes with the road. Hence, their healthy condition corresponds to a better economy and performance of the car. To begin with, first, check for the brand on all the four tires including the spare wheel as it should be of the same manufacturer. If there's a twin on the brand, raise the vendor for the rationale. The average life of a tire is around 30,000 – 40,000 kilometers ideally, post which it needs to be replaced.

Apart from this, you can also check for a tire’s age which is printed on the sidewall mentioning the month and year of manufacture. By comparing the year of manufacture of the tires to that of the car, you can get a better understanding of its running. If you are going for a car that has roughly done 40,000+ kilometers, you should ideally get a new set of tires as the first set would be worn out by now. But in case if you are going for a year old car which has 10,000+ kilometers on the odometer and the tires are still brand new, that calls for some suspicion regards to changing the tires despite a lot of kilometers still left on them.

2. Now go for an under the bonnet inspection

After the outside check, pop the bonnet open and take your time to inspect various elements inside.

You can focus on the key areas below:

Match metallic parts color

If the car has undergone any major accident, the first thing you can notice is a repaint work under the bonnet, especially on the nuts and bolts. Examine the metallic area carefully. Ideally, metallic and fabricated parts should be of the same color scheme as the car but there will be a marginal difference in the tone inside, so don’t worry about that.

Engine oil inspection

Engine oil is a vital component for healthy engine life. Check its level carefully, when the car is cold and not running, by taking out the transmission dipstick from the engine’s side mounting.

The engine oil ought to be clear and will reach the second marker on the gage.

Rub it with your hands to check for any smudge. If you witness a dark color that means engine oil needs to be replaced.

Fluids level check

Fluids such as brake and coolant fluid play a very important role in the overall performance of a car.

It is necessary to ascertain if they're crammed to associate degree acceptable level and possess the right formation.

Both brake fluid and also the fluid reservoirs square measure clear in nature that makes it straightforward to ascertain the fluid within while not gap them.

Make sure each square measure crammed until the goop indicator as mentioned on the skin of the reservoir.

Brake fluid color should be very light whereas a coolant can have either a red, green, yellow or blue color. If you come across dark color on any of the fluids, that indicates a replacement.

Do an engine belt check

Faulty engine belts can cause an enormous amount of damage to the car so it’s important to check their condition and ensure a healthy running.

When the automobile is cold and also the ignition is off, inspect the belts for wear and tear and ensure that it’s free from any cracks.

3. Step inside and check the interiors

Now it’s time to finally step inside and monitor the overall features and details on the offer.

Spend some time inside

The moment you step in, take your time checking out the entire cabin by seating at multiple seating positions including the front and the rear seats.

While doing that, look around and check if you find anything out of place.

A seat check is a must

The entire time that you just can pay within the automobile is going to be on the seats itself, so it’s important to do a check for areas such as stains, holes or scratch marks.

If you come across any, notify the seller. When you are at it, recline and retract the front row seats repeatedly to ensure a smooth movement.

Once you sit, do check for cushioning and under-thigh support padding to see whether it’s comfortable or not.

Explore and check interior features

Start with the central console and also the dashboard by sound each button and rotating each dial gift.

Check the functioning of each feature if it’s working properly or not.

Do not prohibit yourself to merely associate degree AC and audio unit check.

Further, move to the driving force seat options and check all driver accessible options as well as the handwheel controls (if any) and also the Multi-Information show (MID) further on the

instrument cluster.

Don’t avoid the floor, check it thoroughly

Start by checking the condition of all the ground mats and so take away them and examine the ground beneath.

It should be free from any rust or additional tampering. Do not hesitate to sniff out any foul smell, dents or crack on the floor.

Any such sign will indicate rust or deuterium oxide conditions like rains or flooding that an automobile might need competent.

To quickly brush-up everything, always remember to inspect the car on the above three aspects i.e.

1.Exterior check 2. Under the bonnet check and 3. Interior check. Taking the help of all the above pointers will guide you towards the right used car.

Once you're glad and you continue to wish to be double-positive, you'll forever get a trusty supply like a famed mechanic to try to do a check for you.

Source

Katie Wade

Director of Land Rover Repair in the UAE

#tips #landrover #repair #service #servicecenter

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