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blond-jerk-tourney · 9 months

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Brackets + Participants Masterlist

Have you ever thought who is the JERKIEST and MOST LOVEABLE MEAN BLOND ASSHOLE?? Well then this is the tournament for you!

read this if you're new

complete list under cut. the order of images does not reflect matchups.

Champagne Bracket (alphabetized by media)

Sakyo Furuichi from A3! Act! Addict! Actors! Kristoph Gavin from Ace Attorney Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical) Clotted Cream Cookie from Cookie Run Yoshiki Kishinuma from Corpse Party Jiwoo from Dandelion - Wishes Brought To You - Byakuya Togami from Danganronpa Hiyoko Saionji from Danganronpa Eichi Tenshouin from Ensemble Stars Nazuna Nito from Ensemble Stars Karin Sauer from Fear and Hunger Rufus Shinra from Final Fantasy Zenos yae Galvus from Final Fantasy XIV Sharpay Evans from High School Musical Vace from I Was a Teenage Exocolonist Natsume Minami from Idolish7 Cindy from Kindergarten Felix from Kindergarten Larxene from Kingdom Hearts Kromer from Limbus Company Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat Mikhael / THE MAVERICK from OMORI Ryuji Sakamoto from Persona 5 Bede from Pokémon Sword and Shield Oleana from Pokémon Sword and Shield Babette from Raggedy Ann and Andy A Musical Adventure Haley from Stardew Valley Joshua Kiryu from The World Ends With You Clownpiece from Touhou Project: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Vil Shoenheit from Twisted Wonderland Camus from Uta no Prince-sama Ryuji Goda from Yakuza Honey Bracket (alphabetized by media)

Andrew Minyard from All for the Game Mean Generic Golden Retriever from Anon Ask (link) War from Bonus Links AU by @bonus-links Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes Richard Lazarus from Doctor Who MacKenzie Hollister from Dork Diaries Ryusui Nanami from Dr. Stone The Blond "weird sister"/"bride of dracula" from Dracula Arte Ente Conchita from Evillious Chronicles Dave Strider from Homestuck Dirk Strider from Homestuck Trophy from Inanimate Insanity Emma Frost from Marvel Comics (usually X-men titles) Brittnay Matthews from Most Popular Girls in School Ambrosius Goldenloin from Nimona (comic) Danburite “Danny” Skinner the OC of @porcelain-animatronic Rose Thorburn Jr. from Pact (art by @wraith_ly on twitter) Brandish/Carol Dallon from Parahumans (art by @cpericardium Glory Girl/Victoria Dallon from Parahumans (art by @cpericardium) Goddess/Bianca from Parahumans (art by raikiri on reddit) Tattletale/Lisa Wilbourn from Parahumans (art by monkeyjay on reddit) Shaka from Saint Seiya Thranduil from The Hobbit Achilles from The Illiad (art by ancient greek polychromatic pottery painter c. 300BC) Ianthe Tridentarius from The Locked Tomb (art by @starcanist) Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray Adam Parrish from The Raven Cycle Rachel from Tower of God Arlo from Unordinary Mathis Quigley Sr. from Unsounded Benedict from Violet Evergarden Linton Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights

Platinum Bracket (alphabetized by media) Brad Morton from American Dragon: Jake Long Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future Trilogy Patriarchy!Ken from Barbie Howard Hamlin from Better Call Saul Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Johnny Lawrence from Cobra Kai/Karate Kid Daring Charming from Ever After High Ed Rooney from Ferris Bueller's Day Off Zap Brannigan from Futurama Joffrey from Game of Thrones Gideon from Gravity Falls Heather Chandler from Heathers Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold Simon from Infinity Train Dee Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cindy from Jimmy Neutron Ankh from Kamen Rider OOO Villanelle from Killing Eve Regina George from Mean Girls Arthur Pendragon from Merlin Skwisgaar Skwigelf from Metalocalypse Chloé Bourgeois from Miraculous Ladybug Steff McKee from Pretty in Pink Angelica Pickles from Rugrats Gunther and Tinka Hessenheffer from Shake It Up Prince Charming from Shrek Bartleby Montclair from Sonic Underground Illya Kuryakin from The Man From UNCLE (2015) Lyle Lanley from The Simpsons Tom "Iceman" Kazansky from Top Gun Julia from Total Drama / Total Takes Flash Thompson from Ultimate Spider-Man Strawberry Bracket (alphabetized by media) Lilith Bristol from Absolute Duo Rio from Assassination Classroom Mello from Death Note Beelzebumon from Digimon Tamers Laxus Dreyar from Fairy Tail Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist Char Aznable from Gundam Kei Tsukishima from Haikyuu!! Shaiapouf from Hunter x Hunter Anzu Futaba from Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls Dio Brando from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Isobe from Kamisama Kiss Nozomu Nanashima from Kiss Him Not Me Hanazawa Teruki from Mob Psycho 100 Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia Neito Monoma from My Hero Academia Arcangelo Corelli from Neo Yokio Cavendish from One Piece Donquixote Doflamingo from One Piece Sanji from One Piece Panty Anarchy from Panty and Stocking Nanami Kiryuu from Revolutionary Girl Utena Jadeite from Sailor Moon Zoisite from Sailor Moon Akagi Ritsuko from Shin Seiki Evangelion Sofia from Space Dandy Kuusuke Saiki from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K Ryou Shirogane from Tokyo Mew Mew Sylvio Sawatari from Yugioh Arc V Malik/Marik Ishtar from Yugioh Duel Monsters Mizael from Yugioh Zexal Yuri Plisetsky from Yuri on Ice The brackets are based on the type of media they are from. It isn't perfect but I think that is okay. I was thinking of posting all the initial matchups, but I've decided I don't want to change them as they are now and I also want them to be surprises.

#blond jerk tournament #participant list #strawberry bracket #platinum bracket #honey bracket #champagne bracket

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compacflt · 9 months

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Hello, me again back with another question about the US Navy that I can't find an answer to online so I'm turning to the only source I can think of that may help. And yet again I know you say your knowledge of the US military isn't as deep as it seems but it's better than mine considering I'm not from the US, I just wanted to know how officers get off aircraft carriers? It seems like a very basic question but I'm just wondering about if in Top Gun Maverick the carrier they were on was in port and they took it to wherever the Dagger mission takes place, or they got taken to the ship if it was already at sea? If so, how would they get there? If there was an emergency, say a family member was dying, they were in the middle of the ocean and got emergency leave approved, how would they get to land? Would the ship have to port at the nearest US Naval Base? Or would you have to land on the carrier somehow? This has been on my mind for a while so any help would be greatly appreciated, your blog really adds a realistic layer to Top Gun that is refreshing

navy logistics is some of the most interesting stuff in the world. especially World War II navy logistics (the infamous ice cream barge!!!). But even today how equipment & rations & personnel (and MAIL!!!) make it on/off boats is SO fascinating & takes ungodly amounts of coordination. take a look at this video posted by the uss gerald ford (CVN 78) a couple days ago.

those are sh-60s (Sea hawks—navy black hawk variant) dropping palletized goods from a cargo ship onto the flight deck of the carrier. Including sailors’ mail, overseas goods, food etc. just awesome stuff.

in terms of officers getting on/off ships, yeah you could do it a few ways. Number one would be when the boat makes a port call. Fun fact, It used to be a huge time-honored tradition for crews to make “cruise jackets” with the names of every place your ship/carrier had stopped. not too sure if it’s still done but it was a big thing after wwii. both mav and ice would probably have them.

port calls would be when crewmen and officers especially could leave the boat & party it up on dry land. so you get the stereotype of navy officers cheating on their wives with foreign women in “foreign ports of call.”

number two, if it’s a high ranking officer like the carrier strike/battle group commander (typically a RDML) who needs for some reason to leave the carrier at the center of the CS/BG formation & go to another ship, yeah you just send over a chopper like an SH-60 to go pick them up and ferry them to wherever they need to go. when I wrote ice (RADM) as deputy Cdr of third fleet (four carriers) that might be one way he’d get around the fleet. (But also not 100% sure he’d even be at sea. That was kind of just for plot/emotional reasons to separate him from mav.) but so like.. if the fleet commander/deputy cdr had a family emergency (say: found out that Carole is gonna die soon) and he got cleared to leave, he could hop on a helicopter in range (SH-60 has a range of about 400 mi for instance—the similar USCG HH-60 jayhawk, which was canonically what picked up mav & brought him back to base after he blew up the darkstar, has a range of 800 mi; if not in range he’d have to move his carrier closer [wouldn’t happen, he would be SOL]) which would take him to the nearest allied airfield with a plane to fly home. Which is what happened in my fic. lots of hurdles to clear. it’s very inconvenient & obviously not encouraged.

here is a relevant section from my wips.

for the mission in Top gun: maverick, obviously we don’t know for sure where the mission takes place, but it’s clearly somewhere in the northern INDOPAC region close to the ocean in specifically third fleet’s AOR (area of responsibility). (the list of reasons I chose southeast Russia to be the enemy location in my fic is soooo unbelievably long.) the navy would have a carrier strike group in the region for some time before. then it would make the most expeditious sense for the aircrews (mav, rooster et al) to be flown in from SoCal to somewhere closer, like a navy/air force base in Japan or South Korea, before they get transferred either by land (walk onto the carrier) or by air (chopper pick-up). given the time constraints of the mission I’m going with chopper. Carriers are fast… like really fast by boat standards… but not “travel across the Pacific Ocean in a day” fast. and not “waste time for a port call pick-up” fast.

also (random piece of nautical knowledge I know for some reason) there are some (possibly non-military) reasons why you’d do a personnel transfer by sea. take cruise ships for instance. When they pull into a port, there’s a whole guy whose job it is to take over for the captain to steer the boat into the port they presumably know very well. so this is actually how local cruise ship pilots get onto cruise ships. disney cruises included.

sketchy as fuck. I’m not sure if there’s a similar concept for aircraft carriers when they pull into unfamiliar ports… but I wouldn’t be surprised. however that’s for the captain of the boat. I would be shocked if high-ranking managerial officers ever needed to embark & disembark like this. but i just think it’s kind of funny.

#LOVE h-60s they’re just pretty birds #the army’s uh-60 and hh-60 black hawk replacement the v-280 valor is also gorgeous #but probably very dangerous and not as operationally useful (too wide!)#i still haven’t watched black hawk down yet… It’s three hours long….#and I’ve already suffered through American sniper….#not currently on my watchlist #military aviation #pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #top gun #top gun maverick #asks #edts notes #thanks for the ask! again not an expert. a very enthusiastic and often misguided amateur

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denydefeatarchived · 7 months

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I never really post wishlist stuff so here, under the cut, is a long list of my muses with vague ideas for wishlists with them. DM me if you're interested in any of them. ALL of these (and all my muses tbh) are open to shipping like let's go.

Nesta - accepting eris' offer :)! Robb - making it to king's landing and winning the war, liberating the North, and getting Sansa back to safety, then having to head out and find Arya. Violet - anything in her marvel or ouat verses tbh I spent a lot of time on those Shelley - taking over the Victory Project after killing Frank. Max - coming back after that summer for the start of college, much to everyone's surprise and keeping his escapades close to the chest (idk the timeline of that show it was a fucking mess lmao) Heather - surviving pls dear goD Denny - surviving pls DEAR GOD Mark, Amanda, Lawrence, Logan - I want to write more about their dynamics with each other (these are just the four I write) as apprentices to John. We only briefly get Mark and Amanda interacting - gimme more. Bruce - let's throw out the entire mcu because it's fucking trash for him thanks. Brunnhilde - More of her relationship with Carol :( Kamala - Building of the young avengers lets GOOO Loki - anything :( Satoshi / Krad - I was always, always interested in the idea of the seal not working/lasting on the portrait and years later, Satoshi and Daisuke being re-possessed by Krad and Dark and having to deal with that as young adults, likely college aged. Too young for it to have passed onto their child, but too old to be able to use the same excuses of the past. Sid - I am fuLLY CONVINCED SID IS THE FATHER AND JESSE IS A RED HERRING (I already have this going I just wish more people cared about HIMYF) Brian - Going to NY and seeing Justin again. :)! Snow White - anything :( Charming - I have about 90420934902 aus for him honestly. I have so many ideas for this stupid idiot. Neal - surviVING AND COPARENTING WITH EMMA AND REGINA SHIPS DON'T FUCKING MEAN YOU HAVE TO KILL A GOOD CHARACTER WHO LITERALLY WAS THE REASON RUMPLESTILTSKIN MANIPULATED REGINA INTO CASTING THE FUCKING CURSE MY GOD THIS SHOW PISSES ME OFF anyways Davy Jones - returning after the 'curse' is lifted from Will Turner, because someone must always be there to ferry the souls to the other side Ben Solo - ANYTHING :( Jyn - her and Cassian getting evacuated just before the explosion and surviving, assisting the Rebellion. Finn - training as a jedi (either trilogy re-write or post trilogy) Jar Jar - i s2g if someone doesn't write with Sith Jar Jar... Anakin and Padme - either an au where she convinces him to run away with her and leave everything behind and raise their children on Naboo before Obi Wan shows up and he believes her when she says she didn't know he was there and they enlist his help in staging their deaths OR an au where he convinces her to join him on his path to the dark side. (i write both so I'll write either) Carolyn - escaping the dark planet after surviving the stabbing, living off of the creatures that would be her demise, fixing a ship in the darkness, built by lights she manages to fix throughout the rubble, and fires made along the way. finding other riddick characters / riddick himself Coriolanus Snow - Exploring more of his additions to the games and how he helped to curate them to be the spectacle they became. Annie - Not having anyone to volunteer for her so having to go through the Quarter Quell with Finnick (Hi I love PAIN). Not escaping the Arena and being taken back to the Capitol. Madge - Watching the Games with Katniss' family and thus being there when the blackouts happen and escaping District 12 with Gale and everyone else to District 13. Kili - surviving PLS Renesmee Carlie - more of her dynamic growing up in a town that's definitely got an attraction for the supernatural. Bella - not taking Edward back immediately, actually being pissed that he lied like what a dick Sam - imprinting on LEAH jfC WHAT A WASTE (or better yet, Leah being the first wolf to change and imprinting on HIM thanks) Garrett - torn between natural instincts, love for Kate, and never letting himself be tested by a challenge, learning how to survive and satiate on animal blood vs. human blood

#WISHLIST / meet me in the pouring rain #[ me looking for my wishlist tag like 'what lyric is this gonna be of course it is ]#[ anyways ]#[ here's a vague list with a lot ]

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zahri-melitor · 4 months

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Any headcanons for your girl Zinda?

Zinda!

Headcanon A: realistic

Zinda’s ability to drink any man under the table while hustling them at pool actually got the Blackhawks out of some tight spots in WWII, as a few open buttons on her top and her best French had the men she challenged reveal useful information for the war effort nobody else would have picked up.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Zinda and Carol Ferris have a standing bet over who would win a Skyrocket race, as soon as they can get two working aircraft and agree on whether they’re allowed to soup them up or not, using what level of technology. Guy’s all for it and cheering Zinda on, to the point that Hal’s sick of hearing about the plans.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

It was hard for Zinda to be the token girl, a honorary member, the one banned from combat and from military engagements. There for promotional purposes as far as the rest of the world was concerned (even when her Blackhawk comrades supported her). But in the modern world? It’s almost worse. Forgotten and eliminated from history, no longer part of the narrative.

When people talk about the famous Blackhawks from WWII, they no longer even remember there was a woman flying with them too. Because of the way Zero Hour worked, her history and her records largely exists only in her own memory.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own

It’s not that Zinda has a completely non-functional gaydar; it’s that back in the 40s she could get away with seducing gay men in an ordinary bar because they’d play along, and it was easier to drink and flirt and walk away at the end of the night without needing to worry about a pregnancy.

#dc ask meme #zinda blake

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prpfs · 4 days

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✨✨ hey there! 18+ writers only please. i'm looking for someone who'd be willing to write dc or marvel female characters! mainly, i'm looking for someone to write / plot or headcanon around dc and marvel characters with, though i'm fine with a few other franchises, but mainly dc.

i’ve got more than a few characters i’d looove to write opposite —— these are just a few:

talia al ghul, donna troy, cheshire / jade nguyen, artemis crock (young justice), black canary, zatanna, yara flor, lois lane, huntress / helena bertinelli, carol ferris, jessica cruz, selina kyle, wonder woman, ravager / rose wilson, starfire / koriand’r, lilith clay, dawn granger (titans tv), mera, punchline, poison ivy, hawkgirl, lady shiva, supergirl, arrowverse girls (sara lance, laurel lance, thea queen, iris west, dinah drake, mia smoak), etc.

marvel

elektra, emma frost, jean grey, psylocke, rogue, susan storm, kate bishop, felicia hardy, wanda maximoff, carol danvers (mcu), mary jane watson, gwen stacy / spider-gwen, hope van dyne (mcu), etc

other

ashe or kiriko (overwatch) / tifa, aerith, or jessie (final fantasy 7) / rey or leia (star wars) / cersei, daenerys, margaey, or melisandre (game of thrones) / gwen tennyson (ben 10 alien force) / daphne blake / some disney girls (mainly from sitcoms or movies) / betty cooper (riverdale) / ellie williams (tlou2), yennefer of vengerberg (the witcher show), etc.

these are just a few of the characters i’m looking for tbh, or the main ones at least. there’s quite a lot that i’d love, tbh.

as for who i'd play, i'm fine with most anyone, be it canons or crossovers or whatever. it depends on the pairing or plot, we can talk about it!

i'm fine with most themes and plots as well, and definitely most pairings. no real limits!

if any of this interests, like this and i‘ll message you! i mainly write through discord.

Leave a like, and anon will get back to you!

#dc roleplay #dc rp #marvel roleplay #marvel rp #fandom roleplay #fandom rp #cc x cc #dead dove

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killingbill · 4 months

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In Love ... And War (killingbill, on AO3)

This is an episode rewrite of the episode In Love... And War, from Green Lantern the Animated Series. In this version, Carol Ferris is not waiting at home and Hal does not have a true love. Ghia'ta wants him, and will go to any lengths to keep him in compliance with her aunt Aga'po's plans for the lanterns. What might have happened should Hal have not resisted the Star Sapphire's advances? Now, we'll be able to find out for sure.

preview under the cut, full story linked above. explicit, no content warnings apply, f/m. Words:10,167 Chapters:1/1

What-IfVaginal SexSirensSmutCanon RewriteRewritePost-Canon Fix-ItOral SexAltered Mental StatesBreastsBetrayalRidingHand JobsLove Potion/SpellSeductionManipulationMind ManipulationNipple LickingKissingMaking LoveDistrustVanilla

“Is that all it takes to stop a green lantern?” Razer asks, a snide look on his face as he sits at the console, leaning back in his chair with legs crossed. His gaze is directed at Kilowog.

Hal already finds himself torn . He knows how beaten up his friend has been about his lady-love, and while he can’t exactly understand having someone at home, he has become acquainted with the pain of separation. It was just an unfortunate situation, and he’s sure his friend agrees.

“ A broken heart? ” Razer finishes coldly, while Hal looks over at Kilowog. His face was somber. I better go talk to him , Hal thinks to himself, approaching the larger of the two.

“You want to talk about it, sir, mopes a lot? ” Hal asks, coming up behind Kilowog and placing a hand on his shoulder, which is immediately thrown off by a great shrug.

“No!” The lantern shouts. “I miss Galia, okay?” He speaks, his ears lowering in the throes of upset.

“Hey, I know.” Hal says, remaining behind with his hands off for the moment. “But look, you need something to keep your mind off this emotional stuff.” The Green Lantern continues.

Luckily for them, Aya picks this exact moment to turn from her station. “Sensors indicate an entity, eight thousand meters off the starboard bow.” Her robotic voice informs the crew. Hal instinctively looks over at her with admitted excitement. Perhaps too much is too much where an unknown entity is concerned. “Contact in: twenty seconds.” Aya continues.

“Thank you, Aya. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” Hal says, pointing a finger at Aya before his gaze moves back to Kilowog. “So, Kilowog. You’re in charge—what's your move?” Hal asks, his fists landing on his hip. Confident in his friend, of course.

Kilowog slumps, his red eyes closing softly before re-opening. “Look, Jordan. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but..." His brows lower. “I’m just not up for this."

Hal moves to respond, clearly disheartened, but all of a sudden there’s an impact that sends the crew flying from their previous positions. Aya and Razer roughly shifted from the con, while Hal Jordan ends up flat on his face in the aftermath. “What the heck?” Hal exclaims, before dutifully picking himself up as soon as possible.

Hal’s wobbly feet carry him towards the viewscreen, which is swiftly enveloped by the visage of an enormous monster.

Razer and Aya are both half-up off the floor when Razer confirms, “That’s a real monster."

“I did give ample warning.” Aya adds.

“I thought you were playing along!” Hal answers from the captain’s chair. “Let’s go, guys!"

With that, Razer, Kilowog, and Hal all fly to the exit hatch, where the opening makes way for a giant, clear tentacle. The appendage sweeps through easily, the three bouncing around the space for cover until a snake-like form winds around their largest friend, pulling Kilowog from the ship.

Razer and Hal fly after them in a sweep of red and green glow, while Kilowog hauls out his hammer. He bashes the tentacle once, to no avail, with his friends in pursuit, who soon realize this entity has gotten itself wrapped around the entirety of their vessel. They’re trapped.

Hal raises his fist. "Aya, shock that thing off the..." Hal makes a noise akin to having the wind knocked out of you as a tentacle assaults him from behind and another grabs him from the opposite side.

Aya gasps, pressing down on the green button, sending a shockwave through the monster, who roars in protest. However, it doesn’t do much.

The monster is still clinging to Kilowog and gets a hold of Hal, even as Razer shoots at it. In fact, this action only makes the monster send another tendril to grab Razer in turn.

Just as Kilowog is being brought to the great beasts’ jaws, a flash of pink energy streaks against the stars and collides with it. The arm holding Kilowog diverted from the mouth as more energy came from the source.

“Huh?” Hal asks, narrowing his eyes as he looks towards the cause and sees two females traversing the sky, shooting the beams mid-flight. There was one dressed more ornately and another with a shorter presence.

They continue to shoot at the beast’s head as they approach, roars of pain emitting from their target as the ladies land. Hovering in a standing position in the meantime, the copious tendrils let go of the three crewmen in defeat.

“ How many lantern colors are there? ” Kilowog asks as the women continue beaming at their enemy—the three flying in the newcomer’s direction.

Kilowog and Razer begin to help the two in their efforts, shooting at the being while Hal takes another look at the females.

It was almost hard not to—perhaps for him more so, due to his humanity . The woman emits a pink glow that he almost finds himself entranced by. Hovering below, as eyes widen beneath the mask. His lips agape as the shorter of the two casts him a glance that ends in a wink.

His body feels calmer, despite the adrenaline.

Suddenly he’s able to shake himself from his reverie, his head literally moving side to side as he grunts. That was weird. He thinks to himself, “So you’re, what? Pink Lanterns?” He asks them finally as the fighting continues.

“Not precisely, green lantern.” The one with the headpiece says as beams of pink light continue to hurl at the monster. She’s… beautiful. Pink skin, exotic features... Her eyes are still beautiful, even though they are hollow and blue. He has to physically force himself to stay focused as he sets his eyes on Kilowog instead. Hell, he even takes a shot at the beast himself.

However, that doesn’t last long, as lowered arms move the feminine force from their current position. Hal had to turn to follow her movements.

“Where you value power, the star sapphires channel the power and serve the cause." The sapphire speaks, lifting her arm and pointing a fist at the monster. Her eyes were glowing a soft pink. “ Of love."

Hal watches in amazement, entranced once more with widened eyes. It’s like time and space slowed down, and all that remained were them and their power. The look on his face is awestruck, even when her back is turned to the company.

The shorter one has done the same as the elder, their rings pulsing pink and matching their auras. However, Hal finds it even more difficult to look away from her. She’s beautiful—perfect, even. Her pointed ears, her pert bust, her long waistline, and her curvaceous hips. That’s not even to mention the petiteness of her form and the gorgeousness of her carved bone structure. She was like a belly dancer from a mysterious place, and it was more than alluring.

However, to Hal’s amazement, the beast slumps. It seems to have become docile. If you’d asked him earlier, he’d never imagined the outcome to have been a voluntary retreat . Though the situation allows Hal to break free once more with another head-shake to ground him back to reality,

Two green and one red orb follow pink, and Hal joins the series of amazed glances between Razer and Kilowog too late. Providing one of his own before they moved on.

The three fly down to meet the ladies neutrally for the first time. “Thanks for the assist,” Hal says first. The two star sapphires turned in their direction. “How did you get to be in this neck of the woods?” He asks with a raised hand. Of course, he’s curious. These ladies are gorgeous, and with the effect they have, perhaps there’s something more to them that he’s not seeing. They said something about love, and now Hal has no doubt about it.

Either way, their mysterious presences and lovely appearances—not to mention their calming demeanors—have lured him into craving more of their time.

“This sector of space is ours.” The elder sapphire speaks matter-of-factly. Even their voices are beautiful and seductive. Yet, while Hal should be looking at the one who addresses them... He cannot help but stare at the younger of the two.

The other sapphire seems to notice, and Hal smiles awkwardly, which makes the girl giggle. There’s a pang of desire Hal feels in his chest, and that is enough to break his gaze. Even if it was out of sheer embarrassment,

“But, pardon my manners." The one speaking has a three-pronged, pointed headdress and a long ponytail that flows down her back. The two were dressed scantily (not that he’s complaining), and similarly, the one who’s caught Hal’s eye has shorter hair that’s half-up and half-down. It suits her, he thinks. It’s very cute .

The woman speaking lowers her head and lifts a hand to her chest before gesturing to her companion. “I am Aga’po. And this is my niece, Ghia'ta.” Ghia’ta turns her head cutely and flutters her lashes at Hal.

The man found himself immediately attracted to her. However, he chalked it up to her skimpy clothes and cute demeanor. He did not pay any mind to the way his eyes seemed incapable of leaving her. The way it requires more mental fortitude than an instinct to draw his attention to the current speaker to escape the warmth she seemingly provides.

Or, maybe he did pay it a little mind... But he tries to shrug it off as Hal turns to Aga’po and raises a brow. There’s a chuckle on his lips as he tries to laugh off the flirtatious display from Ghia’ta. "You're mighty handy with those power rings.” He starts. “We sure could use your help fighting the Red Lantern Corps.” He finishes. Perhaps wishful thinking on Hal’s part.

“I would enjoy aligning myself with you, Hal Jordan .” Ghia’ta speaks up, her head dipping close to her shoulder as she continues to bat her eyelashes at him. Her eyes lidded softly.

She was flirting with him, right? Hal thought, smiling dopily at her. He felt himself drawn in. This time he doesn’t catch himself until Kilowog clears his throat, and Hal turns back to Aga’po. He gives her an awkward look.

“We are close to our home planet.” Aga’po remarks. “Perhaps you’d accompany us for rest and repair before you resume your mission?” The alien finishes, hopefully.

Hal looks over to Ghia’ta, smiling at her as she continues to look at him with her bedroom eyes. At that moment, Hal knows what his answer will be.

Hal chuckles. “Don’t mind if I do."

And with that, their ship departs. Aya is at the console, and she indicates, “Course plotted for Zamaron.” The robot turns around. This time, Aga’po and Ghia’ta were guests aboard.

Aga’po notices Kilowog slumped forward, and she decided to approach in an attempt to investigate the cause. She further notes the lowered eyes, the frown...

“ Kilowog.” She says, standing next to him with hands clasped behind her back. Her skin is a blue color that contrasts with their outfits. “You seem so... bereft. " She says this as the big guy looks over at her.

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Kilowog replies, looking back at the console. Though Aga’po cups his chin and guides his face towards her,

“You’ve suffered a great loss. A broken heart, ” Aga’po tells him, and Kilowog’s red eyes look painfully into hers. She closes her eyes, reaching into Kilowog’s mind to see the vision of such a great loss. A female of his species is looking into the sky with anguish.

Unbeknownst to Kilowog, Aga’po is searching for a weapon. She removes her touch with a fluttering blink, turning to inspect her glowing power ring.

continued:

#green lantern #green lantern the animated series #gltas #razer gltas #aya gltas #hal jordan #fanfiction #fanfic #dc fanfic #dc comics fanfic #dc fanfiction #green lantern fanfiction #green lantern fanfic #fics #writers on tumblr #archive of our own #; my writing

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random-movie-ideas · 4 months

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DC Cinematic Universe, Phase One Plan

Doing some research ahead of where I'm at with the villain blogs, here is my expected plan for Phase One of this theoretical cinematic universe:

THE FLASH - During a freak lightning storm, police scientist Barry Allen and his girlfriend's little brother Wally both end up developing super speed. As a result, a local gang breaks into a research lab and steals a number of high-tech weapons to be able to fight back.

Starring: Barry Allen/Flash, Wally West/Kid Flash, Iris West, Joe West, Ralph Dibny, Sue Dibny, Len Snart/Captain Cold, Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang, Mick Rory/Heat Wave, Mark Mardon/Weather Wizard, James Jesse/Trickster, Hartley Rathaway/Pied Piper.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER - A Martian warrior finds himself stranded on Earth after being teleported there by an old scientist. Now hunted by intergalactic "peacekeepers" called the Manhunters, the Martian befriends a former marine named John Stewart, who helps him find his way home again.

Starring: J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter, John Stewart, Katma Tui, Scar, the Manhunters, Dr. Simon Erdel, likely some government people like Amanda Waller.

GREEN LANTERN - A team of Green Lanterns chase the war criminal Atrocitus to Earth after he perfects a red ring to fight back against them. When one Lantern is killed, his ring ends up in the hands of Hal Jordan, who must now be trained in its use to save his world and the entire galaxy. But the more he learns, the more he discovers about the Lantern leader's hand in Atrocitus's origin.

Starring: Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, Thaal Sinestro, Arisia, Ch'p, Salaak, Kilowog, Atrocitus/Red Lantern, Dex-Starr, Abin Sur, Carol Ferris, Thomas Kalmaku, Hector Hammond, likely some other supporting Lanterns.

WONDER WOMAN - While pursuing the dangerous terrorist Baroness Paula von Gunther, military operative Steve Trevor and his team stumble upon a lost island in the Mediterranean. The island's princess, Diana, works with them to stop the Baroness from endangering the island and the entire world.

Starring: Diana/Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, Barbara Ann Minerva, Baroness Paula von Gunther, Doctor Poison, Queen Hippolyta, Donna Troy, Nubia, and many other Amazons.

AQUALAD - Jackson Hyde is the son of underwater treasure hunter David Hyde AKA the Black Manta, scouring the world for the lost Trident of the Dead King, a weapon used to sink Atlantis. When Jackson meets an Atlantean named Garth, he learns there is some truth to his father's tales and must work together with Garth to stop him from getting his hands on it.

Starring: Jackson Hyde/Aqualad, Garth/Tempest, David Hyde/Black Manta, Black Jack, Eel, Charybdis, Scylla, Scavenger, Cal Durham, Atlan/Dead King.

GREEN ARROW - Rogue vigilante Oliver Queen finds himself captured by the government and forced into Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad, including such members as Dinah Lance, Roy Harper, and Slade Wilson. They are sent after foreign noble Count Vertigo, who poses a threat to the United States. After the job is done, Oliver betrays Waller and puts his life on the line to get himself, Dinah, and Roy out of the squad.

Starring: Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Dinah Lance/Black Canary, Roy Harper/Speedy, Amanda Waller, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, Count Vertigo, likely other members of the Suicide Squad.

JUSTICE LEAGUE - Earth finds itself attacked by a race of aliens called Kryptonians, endowed with powers beyond any human. Bruce Wayne (who has been acting as a Nick Fury figure throughout the previous movies) brings together Princess Diana, J'onn J'onzz, Barry Allen, and Hal Jordan to help fight against them. Arthur Curry also joins, having been caught up in the initial attack alongside Diana as they both fought the villainous Atlantean, Queen Clea. Oliver Queen receives an invitation as well, but turns it down before ultimately helping in the end. Other characters like John Stewart also pitch in, resulting in John receiving a Green Lantern ring in the end. As the battle rages, Bruce investigates a twenty+ year old report of a Kryptonian ship crash-landing in Kansas, leading him to Clark Kent.

Starring: Clark Kent/Superman, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Princess Diana/Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, Barry Allen/Flash, Arthur Curry/Aquaman, J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter, General Zod, Faora-Ul, Ursa, Non, Jax-Ur, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, John Stewart, Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent, various other supporting cast, and Queen Clea.

TEEN TITANS - After witnessing an alien girl taken captive, Bruce Wayne's former protegee Dick Grayson begins investigating HIVE, a special "academy" where superpowered teens are taken by the government and trained to work for them. Wally West, Jackson Hyde, and Roy Harper likewise start investigating for similar reasons. Among the students they rescue are the alien girl Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven.

Starring: Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Roy Harper/Speedy, Wally West/Kid Flash, Jackson Harper/Aqualad, Koriandr/Starfire, Victor Stone/Cyborg, Garfield Logan/Beast Boy, Rachel Roth/Raven, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, Amanda Waller, HIVE staff.

And that's it. The ordering of the first six can be subject to change, but the two big crossovers remain the same. What do you think? Would you watch this as a series?

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welcometomypinkbox · 1 year

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Spider-Man & Ms Marvel: Love & War

By: Reborn Dark Phoenix

OMG THIS WAS THE BEST FANFIC I HAVE EVER READ! Is so WELL WRITTEN! You won’t be able to find it as it is delete. This is more of people who like Spider-Man comics where he is OLDER And People who might like Peter x Carol which depict here make a great couple.

Also we won’t be able to find this fic as it is deleted 😔 will post more soon!

Chapter 1: Minimal

If there was one thing Carol loved about having super speed, it was that she could race from her house to the edge of the atmosphere in less than five seconds to get to space. And if there was one thing Carol loved about space, it was how blissful and awe-striking it was. Despite having seen the beautiful view every day since she took up this habit three years ago, she was always struck with wonder when she saw the Earth from space.

And her most absolute favorite thing about space? Free-falling.

As she allowed herself to plummet through Earth's atmosphere, she felt the heat of the massive kinetic energy consume her body, as it warmed her and her body absorbed it. She loved this feeling, the heat nipping at her body; it was so tingly and pleasuring. She loved being able to do this every day, just flying up and plummeting back into the earth, and almost hitting the Atlantic Ocean before maneuvering herself to race to Manhattan.

This... this was probably the best thing to happen to her because of becoming Ms. Marvel.

Well, actually, Peter was... this was a close second, though.

As she arrived at the shores of Manhattan, people looked nonchalantly up at her form; superheroes had been around the city for almost 20 years now; showing up worldwide less than 10. This was a common occurrence, and flying deeper into the city, people didn't even give her a second glance, if they took a first glance, even. Carol was grateful for that-she was having a good start to the day, and the last thing she needed right now to ruin it were ogling eyes looking at her. It was one of the reasons she preferred flying high above the buildings and at super speed. Although, she did enjoy the lower, slower flights she had when she and Peter travelled through the city... well, enjoy wasn't a good enough word, really.

Suddenly, something jumped onto her back and her eyes were covered by a pair of hands. Now normally, she'd knock whoever this was into the atmosphere, anticipating an attack and then a battle, but this set of hands was all too familiar to her, and she simply smiled, waiting to hear his voice.

"Excuse me, but is this the ferry to Staten Island?"

She laughed as she flew up to a nearby building and landed. The person jumped off, and Carol turned to see her most favorite person in the whole world smiling at her: the Amazing Spider-Man.

"Enjoying your week off?"

"Eh, I guess," the Webhead replied with a slight shrug. "Yeah, I'm off the team for a while, but all these thugs just won't let me take a break, y'know? All the regulars like Doc and Rhino and such are locked up on the Raft at least."

"There's something," Carol said as she sat on the ledge, Peter joining her. "What've you been up to these last few days?"

"Well, the lab's needed me more than usual, Jameson's having me freelance more and more, and I'm visiting Aunt May tonight. Kind of dull, really, now that I hear all that out loud." Carol let out a small giggle at that. "Oh, c'mon-that's what you laugh at and not my jokes and quips?"

"They've been kind of failing in quality as of recent, babe."

"Yeah, name one time they've-actually, don't respond to that, it'll hurt my already fragile ego, and the bad guys depend on my fragile ego to help me mock them while I beat them up every day."

"The team says hi, by the way-Logan, Cap, Jess, Falcon, Luke & Danny especially."

"They miss me?"

"Nope, they've really enjoyed the quiet; they've asked me to tell you to take more vacations."

"Ba, humbug," Peter said as he rolled his eyes. "Remind me to pull a joke from my bag next time I see them."

"I'll be sure to do that," Carol purred as she brought his face to hers and began slowing and lovingly kissing him, letting herself get lost in the passion until...

"Captain America to all on duty Avengers, report to the Mansion for emergency mandatory meeting."

"Noooo....," Peter sighed as they separated at the sound of Cap's voice on Carol's comm.

"Sorry, Spider, duty calls."

"Fine," he pouted before smiling, giving her a warm hug. "Let me know what it's about & tell 'em I said hi."

"I think that in their book, that'd break the happy silence."

"Aren't you a bag of laughs..."

*Avengers Mansion, 10 minutes later*

Carol touched down on the mansion grounds at the same time her best friend Jessica, or Spider-Woman to SHIELD & the rest of the world, did.

"Carol!" Jess cried as she embraced her best friend. "What's new with you, huh? I haven't seen you in forever!"

"... Jess, we saw each other two nights ago; before you, Tasha, Clint and Bobbi were called in by Fury for that mission in the East. Remember?"

"Yeah, but that seems like forever ago," the British Avenger/SHIELD agent replied with a smirk. "Oh speaking of which, can you keep a secret? Guess what I found out. Bobbi is crushing on Clint."

"Wait what? But Clint's-"

"With Natasha, I know, and that really is upsetting for her. She asked my advice about it on the mission. Oh, don't tell anyone, ok?"

"Such a good friend you are, Jess," Carol smirked as the two made their way down the mansion hallways to the conference room. "But my lips are sealed."

"What's the seal for?" Logan's voice came as he joined them from his mansion quarters, walking with them to the meeting. "Actually- don't wanna know; better if I don't so I don' have to get involved in any way." The two women chuckled as the three of them entered the conference room and took their seats at the massive table.

Captain America, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Thor, Bruce Banner (the Hulk), Yellowjacket, Wasp, King T'Challa (Black Panther), Hawkeye, Black Widow, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Falcon, She-Hulk,

Hercules, Tigra, Namor the Sub-mariner, Nova, Mockingbird, Wonder Man, Luke Cage, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Noh Varr (Protector), General Ross (the Red Hulk), Daredevil and now Ms. Marvel, Spider Woman & the Wolverine. The full roster of the pantheon of Earth's Mightiest Heroes was now assembled. The only one missing was the Amazing Spider-Man.

"Alright, everyone," Stark began. "Thanks for meeting here on such short notice."

"What's this about, Tony?" T'Challa interjected.

"There's been some... complaints as to how the Avengers are operating." At his words, everyone at the table was shocked.

"Who's been complaining?" Bobbi Morse asked. "I haven't heard anything from SHIELD, and Hill would definitely make sure that Clint, Natasha, Jessica & I would've known about this kind of thing-you know how she isn't so fond of us."

"Bobbi's right," Clint Barton added. "Fury may be in favor of superheroes and the like, but Hill still is against the notion of unsupervised superhumans and vigilantes-we'd have heard something." Carol couldn't help but notice that Bobbi slightly went a bit pink at Clint agreeing with her.

"Are governments and nations complaining about how we handle threats, how we operate?" Simon Williams asked.

"It's not so much as governments or the UN or even SHIELD," Steve Rogers spoke up. "More like... one government."

"This is about the motions going on in Congress," General Ross interjected. "I've been hearing the rumbling about this for some time."

"What rumblings?" Cage asked. "And what's going on in Congress?"

"Remember back when we took the Hood's Syndicate back last year in Los Angeles when Moon Knight asked for our help?" asked Stark. The whole team remembered-that had been a more difficult fight, one of many times the team's full roster had had to be called in. "Well, I'm sure you remembered that one lady who was kind of badly hurt during a tussle between Grey Gargoyle and Wonder Man, and she had come to us to pay for her medical expenses. The way she saw it, it was our fault that she ended up injured and that we should've been more careful. Naturally, I felt kind of bad-" at that the entire team rolled their eyes-"oh come on, I can be human too; anyways, the point is Stark Industries paid all her expenses in full, me taking the responsibility."

Vision cocked his head sideways. "I am not sure I fully understand how that relates, Iron Man."

"Well, it was supposed to be kept on the down low, Vision. But a few months ago, word got out... and suddenly, Stark Industries is bombarded with letters from the courts and lawsuits across the country, not just from regular people, but from businesses. It's starting waves of lawsuits against almost everything we do. The government got wind of this, and since then, Congress has been brewing up a storm on superhuman and vigilante activity across the country-how it's slowly becoming reckless and dangerous. They're even talking about mutant problems again."

Logan, Wanda, Namor & Pietro groaned at once. "I'll always be amazed at how it's always America who seems to have the problems with mutants, yet no other country seems to have it as bad," Wanda exclaimed.

"How bad are these lawsuits?" Banner asked.

"Not too bad; in reality, most of them aren't even accurate or founded in truth-and I'd like to thank Jenny and Matt here for their expertise in law for helping me and the company with that. The major problem is the government's response," Stark continued. "They are motioning for the Avengers to take more responsibility for the actions we take

as a team; and it's not just us they're going after-they've got their eyes on various heroes in the States-Moon Knight in LA, Scarlet Spider in Houston, those New Warriors, the FF, Punisher, Black Cat, other independent heroes....they're associating all of them with the Avengers, being we're the face of heroes on this planet."

"How's their stance on the X-Men, Stark?" Logan asked.

"I'm not exactly sure, but they seem to be moving against the various teams you guys have going-X-Force and those New Mutants-"

"Hey; X-Force rarely does anything in America without Slim's or my approval... well, I can't speak for Deadpool, but you know what I mean. The New Mutants are just kids we're raising and training up to be the next generation of heroes. We've made sure up to now-"

"That's what they're worried about," Ross interjected. "Up to now; from what I've heard, they're questioning the Avengers having mutants on the team, especially Namor and Wanda, being how powerful they are."

"They dare question my motives? They should tread carefully," the Atlantean monarch mumbled.

"Not just you Namor-they're worried about the number of mutants taking residence up in San Francisco since the mayor opened it up as a safe haven; they're worried the X-Men may lead them in some revolution."

"Look, that's just one of the problems," Steve continued. "Congress is looking at all our past incidents here in the nation-Hulk's mind control under MODOK and his resulting rampage in Vegas, our LA Syndicate grudge match, our last battle with Magneto's Brotherhood; and they're also looking at other incidents... like Spider Island, the FF's near accidental destruction of Manhattan, the time the New Warriors almost blew up Stanford in their fight against Nitro..."

"There seeking to control us, aren't they?" Dr. Strange asked.

"I think so."

"They can't do that!" She-Hulk said. "The Avengers are an internationally supported team, and we have authority granted by the UN; we're backed by SHIELD & SWORD! Hell, the mansion grounds are considered international territory. Alpha Flight & Excalibur aren't bothered with this kind of thing. They think they can try to control us?!"

"In essence, they can try-the majority of us here are still US citizens. The only ones they can't touch are Thor, Hercules, Namor and Panther; maybe our resident SHIELD agents can get away, since... well, they work for SHIELD."

"So is that an alternative?" Carol asked. "We have to work for SHIELD to avoid all this?"

"No." Cap's voice was firm and commanding. "The Avengers work for no one. We go anywhere in the world where we're needed, even if it's Latveria. The government has no right to try and control us, because what we do is give back to the world best we can with what the world's given us." This seemed to calm the team down a bit.

"I just want to ask everyone that they be a bit more careful out there, avoid as much collateral damage as possible and whatnot, and just be overall the best you can be," Stark said. "It's getting annoying to deal with all these lawsuits. Carol, I'm sure I can count on you to relate this to Peter, right?"

"Yeah of course; although," Carol said, a smile creeping onto her face, "knowing him, he's probably already messing it up somewhere." At that, everyone laughed.

*Somewhere in the Lower East Side, NYC*

"I'm sorry... what?"

"You heard me-I want reimbursement! Someone's gotta pay for what happened to my restaurant!"

"Dude, why are you asking me? I just beat the bad guys up! Don't you have insurance for this kind of thing? I mean, it happens, like, every day out here."

Spider-Man was having a bit of a problem-swinging to Midtown, he happened across a robbery in progress, and being the responsible hero he was, came in and taught the thugs a few manners. Of course, they tried to fight back, shooting and stuff, but Peter was just too damn quick for them, and in only few minutes and jokes later, the thugs were taken down. Police were now taking them away, and he was just about to be on his way... when the restaurant owner demanded he pay him back for all the damages.

"You should be telling those guys to pay you back!" Spider-Man said as he pointed to thugs being pushed into the armored vehicle headed for Ryker's. "They DID try to rob your store!"

"Yeah, but they weren't shooting or anything! They were just taking money and they'd have left-then you show up and ruin everything, they shoot the place up and trash my restaurant! I should sue you!"

"Right... ok. Listen, I got to go now, so you keep suing passing heroes that save your life and I'll just go back on my way." With that, Peter swung off, with the restaurant owner yelling after him, "THE BUGLE WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU, WEB FREAK!"

'Sue me? What's there to sue me for?,' Peter mused to himself as he arrived at Midtown and ducked in an alley to change to civilian clothes. 'I barely have any money to my name; I'm doing overtime at Horizon and freelancing as much as possible for Jolly Jonah to get enough money for this.' Exiting the alley and mingling with the populous, he checked his jacket pocket. 'Ok, envelope & cash are still here. Ok, Parker, time to go hunting.' With that, Peter began his third day of searching through Manhattan's best jewelry stores.

*Avengers Mansion, an hour later*

Carol and Jess sat in the lounge, watching a rerun marathon of one of the most popular shows in the country, based off one of the world's most popular comics.

"I loved T-Dog," Jess frowned. "He was awesome, and that was just a bad way to kill him off. I swear, those stupid prisoners... but I still love The Walking Dead."

"Can you imagine if a zombie apocalypse actually broke out in real life? The chaos that'd be caused; what if some of our own were infected?"

"Oh come on, Carol, like THAT'D ever happen; Wolverine heals from everything, we have two gods on the team... must I go on?" The two laughed, realizing that if a zombie apocalypse did ever happen, it wouldn't stand a chance against the superheroes of Earth. "So, how's my male counterpart?"

"He's alright, doing his thing, being bored out there, being all mine," Carol answered with one of her rare luminous smiles; Peter's name always brought a smile and happy memories to her mind. "He's visiting his... aunt tonight."

Jessica was quick to notice the faltering in Carol's voice. "Carol, don't tell me the woman still makes you nervous?"

"She's so sweet and loving, don't get me wrong, and we get along just fine-but that warning she gave me the first night I met her... I've never been so scared in my life. Seriously, if it was you, you'd feel the same way."

"I doubt it; I'd just manipulate her into liking me instantly."

"Of course you would," Carol replied with a smirk. "You always want to take the easy way."

"I'll have you know, Ms. Danvers, that I am very-"

"Ho Spider Woman, Ms. Marvel." Both women turned to see Thor standing at the doorway, his hammer in hand and a fierce grin on his face. "There is trouble brewing upon the streets, and the locals have asked for our assistance. What say you, maidens, are you ready for a battle?"

"Oh yeah, Thor," Carol replied, her eyes glowing. "I'm ready for some action."

*Avengers Conference Hall*

Steve and Tony had remained behind in the conference hall, looking at the various documents, forms and digital files of every lawsuit, complaint and government ordinance that Congress had sent them about their activity in the country.

"Tony, I know what I said to give the team a bit of support," Steve remarked. "But to be honest, I have a bad feeling about where this is headed."

"Honestly, Steve," Stark replied somberly. "I kind of feel the same way."

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toulousewayne · 4 months

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Green Lantern:Light War: Vol 1 1 1

This is a concept for a third installment in the Green Lantern Franchise. This film is meant to be released theatrically.

Synopsis:Now being the new Green Lantern of Earth John must also prove that he has what it takes to defeat Earth for a golaxtic war.

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 2 Hour, 56 Minutes

————

Cast:

John Stewart/Green Lantern…….Trevante Rhodes

Kyle Rayner/Green Lantern…….Felix Mallard

Hal Jordan/Green Lantern……Brant Daugherty

Saint Walker………Doug Jones

Indigo-1……..Zoë Kravitz

Larfleeze………David Tennant

Carol Ferris/ Star Sapphire…….Alexa Demie

Guy Gardner/Red Lantern…….Cam Gigandet

Atrocitus…………Jonn Hamm

Senestro………….Luke Evans

Cameo:

Martian Manhunter…….Sterling K. Brown

————-

Plot:

The film begins with the Red Corps plotting revenge on the Green Lanterns. Guy wants to bring back Atrocitus as well and has been watching the red Lantern slowly infuse him with its power.

The Blue Lantern arrive and are helping with Oa. John arrives with Kyle who’s begun his training. John tells him he must find Hal, and Kyle offers to help him.

The two work together similarly to how Hal and John did and Hal and Guy did before. They try to have Hal rejoin and he refuses.

Orange Lanterns are summoned to the Red Lantern and Atrocitus has been resurrected and persists that if the Orange Lanterns want the power Green possesses then they help them defeat them.

John is contacted by the Guardians that the Orange Lanterns are attacking and then need reinforcements since most of the other Green Lanterns are MIA or dead.

Reluctantly Hal joins the pair to get help from the Indigo Corp who he knows the leader.

They ask the Indigo Corp for help and are met with unease with Hal due to him being seen as a murder. Indigo-1 voices for them they will help them but no more blood shed. Atrocitus arrives and the trio of Green Lanterns and the Indigo Corp battle off his forces before he wounds John.

Hal agrees to help them to fight, and they must join forces with Indigo and now Blue to stop the war.

Meanwhile, the Star Sapphires are ignoring the war before Senestro arrives after fleeing from exile and offers them the chance to join forces with him to kill Hal Jordan.

There’s an epic battle between all the Corps. John returns and helps with the defeat of Atrocitus, Senestro, and Larfleeze.

Star Sapphire nearly kills Guy and Hal tries to talk to her. They have a mutual connection and she tells him how he caused her to become this and he feels remorse and apologize. She and the other Sapphires leave.

Before they can take away the rest of the leaders a pod crashed before them and several more with different alien tech minions spring from them and begin attacking. All the remaining Lantern Corps fight the invaders and the Star Sapphires return to help. The Corps defeat all of them but Hal is stabbed. John and Star go to him before a purple beam engulfs him and the alien.

In the distance they see a large black and purple spaceship in the distance approaching Earth.

John and Kyle fly to Watchtower to warn the Justice League.

They arrive just as Martian Manhunter sees the spacecraft and says they’ll need to warn Earth from an intruder. Who tells the two that it’s no mere threat, it’s Brainiac.

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hell-heron · 1 year

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First Sentence Meme

Put down the first sentence of every fic you wrote/posted this last year (2022).

Under the cut bc I'm too lenghty for this shit

1 When they said their farewells, at the small sandy cove where Robert Baratheon had precariously anchored his galley, Asha threw her arms around Father's neck and whispered in his ear to not worry, that they would run at the first chance, that it might take some time but they were both old and brave enough to show the wolves what it meant to rise again, harder and stronger.

2 Sam was the first to see the shores of Harlaw, as it happened, because he had been taking the air by the prow, wishing despite himself to sequester himself away from the eyes of his goodbrother, who seemed to take every sign of nausea as an affront to the strength and grace of the precious Redwyne dromond he had so generously offered for the journey.

3 "Deep in the meadow, under the willow," the delicate doe-eyed Victor of the Seventyfourth warbles between carols on the stage hastily decorated for her winter charity tour.

4 They found Robb’s jerkin and empty swordbelt first, thrown haphazardly and half-covered in the light summer snow.

5 Somewhere near Harrenhal, somewhere only faintly to the north of where they were the day before and far, so far from Riverrun, Weasel wakes screaming for her mama and Arya would like to cry as well, even though she's too old for such things.

6 It was easier to answer the police's questions than his uncle, after they pulled him out of the car.

7 Robb giggled and elbowed Theon in elation when the rookery boy accosted maester Luwin during their lessons with a letter sealed in black and gold

8 “I understand you wish to be close to your gods and… your brother, my lady regent,” Nestor Royce valiantly tries for gallantry as the weirwood sapling is loaded on the wheelhouse.

9 “There will only be one cabin,” is the first thing he tells his lady wife as they come aboard the ship Varys provided for them.

10 The ferry to Novyj Zem is bustling with old ladies going home or fleeing the war, that look at him oddly when he throws a coin at Milo and he fetches it back, licking his hand for salt when he takes it back.

11 He's clad in soft, light silks - white tunic, rose doublet, blue damask cloak, Balthazar giggled he looked like the Virgin Mary when he helped him pick his wedding suit.

12 The marking starts stinging right when he gives up on looking for Romeo and starts looking for beads and charms to pilfer in Lady Capulet’s drawers, which is meaningful, he hates to admit.

13 By the time they'd hidden the dinghy under the low rocky cliff of Blacktyde and made the trek to the nearest inn the excitement of the flight had worn off.

14 "We are not planning anything!" Romeo cried for the upteenth time.

15 By the time Asha deigned to come down the Sea Tower Theon had been huddled down on the rocks for hours, staring at the wall of dark clouds on the horizon.

16 Theon was pulled out of sleep as if out of water, breathless, twitching, eyes and ears burning with the pain of the whole world being suddenly sucked into them.

17 Benvolio sat on the floor by the bed, holding Mercutio' limp hand as the surgeon stitched his side back together.

18 The Ascension is the first holiday after Giovanna’s daughter turned her pretty pink damask cloak on her own dead and living kin, and seeing her sit golden and smiling in her new family’s pew is a dagger to her heart every time she looks at her.

19 The air was hot and sultry as chicken soup at someone’s sickbed, heavy and cloying down his throat, pearls in his hair.

20 Dolokhov was counting money in the living room when they came in, hair tousled and shirt unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows.

#this is embarrassing i clearly do the thing of relying on the first sentence for scene setting instead or the second #but anyway #my favorites are i think 1 11 and 18 #op

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forasecondtherewedwon · 3 years

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Dolls’ Eyes — A Jaws AU

Pairings: established Peggy/Steve, developing Brunnhilde/Carol Rating: T Chapters: 14/14

Summary: Tony Stark snapped his fingers and the vanished half of the universe returned, but Thanos escaped the battlefield, fleeing into space. Now that he’s virtually powerless, most of the Avengers consider chasing him all over the universe a waste of resources, but Peggy Carter—newly deposited in the 21st century—is determined to finish the job. Brunnhilde and Carol Danvers have the same idea.

When scattered rumours of fresh killings escalate to the death of one of their own, the three women team up to defeat Thanos once and for all.

read the prologue

read ch. 1 one / 2 two / 3 three / 4 four / 5 five 6 six / 7 seven / 8 eight / 9 nine / 10 ten 11 eleven / 12 twelve / 13 thirteen / 14 fourteen

After everything, Carol wasn’t surprised that Brunnhilde put up a fight over being told to just rest. Carol reminded her that she was lucky to be alive, to which Brunnhilde responded that it wasn’t anything like luck, and went on to list the incredible, lifesaving properties of her fine armour, explain the enhanced durability provided by her Asgardian biology, and enumerate all of the injuries she’d previously sustained that were apparently worse than being electrocuted half to death, and then nearly drowning while incapacitated. Carol didn’t believe half of it, but it was kinda hot when Brunnhilde bragged.

So, in spite of Carol’s efforts, Brunnhilde kept getting up the second her back was turned in order to haul bodies off of Thanos’s ship. As they started to fix everything Carol had broken (including a patch job of that hole in the roof), a scan of the local environment informed them that almost all of the life on this planet was aquatic. They left the stack of corpses on land. Whatever water critters were around, they didn’t need toxic eyeball goo leeching into their habitat.

Carol caught Brunnhilde shaking out a twitching arm and made her sit to do electronic repairs rather than manual labour. (Carol had that handled anyway, plus, she knew where all the bodies were because she was the one who’d left them there.) Brunnhilde protested that she was the captain. Carol came way too close to saying not of this ship, but stopped herself. Instead, she suggested Brunnhilde do like any other captain would and let her underlings take on the grunt work. That got a smile, if not verbal agreement.

Thankfully, Peggy was a fast learner; Carol explained the basics of what she’d done to wreck something and Peggy quickly understood how to walk back the damage. They worked their way through the ship, staying at neighbouring stations so Carol would be there if Peggy had questions, and Peggy would be there if (when) Carol had messed something up so badly that it needed four hands to fix.

“Maria would’ve been great with this,” she said without thinking, holding up a fistful of wires while Peggy tinkered beneath.

“Maria?”

It was easier to talk about her than it had ever been before. Like with the repairs, she could tell that Peggy understood without Carol having to do much more than gush over how good Maria had been at fixing stuff, how thorough she’d been with the plane she’d kept in the hangar on her property, how reliable, how trustworthy, how patient…

“Yes,” Peggy told her with a smile. “She sounds like she was wonderful.”

“She was.”

But when the two of them had finished their circuit of the ship and Carol went to tell Brunnhilde they were good to go, she wasn’t there. Carol panicked, worried that Brunnhilde had overheard all her praise of Maria and somehow missed the tone of a person who was in the late stages of grief, who had accepted the worst and was keen to keep living, maybe even loving.

When she couldn’t find her on the ship, she jogged down the ramp, intending to look for her outside. The second she turned to face the water, she spotted Brunnhilde coming towards her from the escape vessel. Carol ran out to meet her.

“What’s all this?” she asked in a tone of amusement, because Brunnhilde had her arms full.

“Food, Peggy’s jacket, a couple beers that didn’t get smashed when Thanos rammed us, uh…” She tried to examine the rest of the pile she was carrying, but it teetered and slipped; laughing, Carol scooped a few things out of her arms before they could end up in the shallow water.

“I thought you might’ve taken off on us,” she said lightly.

“I didn’t think you thought I’d be capable of that after getting zapped.”

“I was just…”

Brunnhilde walked close, pressing her arm into Carol’s.

“I know. I would’ve been the same way if it’d been you.”

“I don’t even know if I can get electrocuted,” Carol said.

“I’m not gonna recommend trying it for fun,” Brunnhilde told her. “Anyway, I used all my discs on Thanos and I dropped the remote in the water somewhere… You’d have to go to Thor with your request, ask him to bring the lightning down.”

“Straight to Thor?!” Carol laughed. “That seems a little extreme.”

“Or you could just stand around outside in New Asgard during a storm and wait for it to happen naturally.”

“And why would I need to be in New Asgard specifically?” Carol asked in a teasing voice. “I could get struck by lightning anywhere.”

She watched Brunnhilde flounder but couldn’t get an answer out of her, not on the way to the ship, not while she was distracted with Peggy asking her a slew of health questions, and not while they were trying to figure out how to get this humongous spaceship off the ground with a crew of only three people.

As they made their rocky assent, Carol was too busy to wonder whether Brunnhilde had heard her talking about Maria before she’d left the ship to scavenge from the escape craft. They had just broken through the atmosphere, blue sky giving way to black, when Brunnhilde spoke.

“Love’s like war.”

It was so sudden that Carol snorted a laugh.

“Ok, poet,” she said. She was tempted to devote some time to getting Thanos’s ship to play her music, if only to put on ‘Love Is a Battlefield’ for Brunnhilde. To let her know what had been said on the subject already.

She smirked to herself when Brunnhilde continued, clearly not giving a shit about her interruption or joking criticism.

“It is.”

“What do you mean?” Carol asked more seriously.

Brunnhilde shifted in her seat, engaging different protocols for outer space travel. Carol noticed the tremor had gone from her arm.

“You do better in both because of experience,” Brunnhilde said, looking straight out the viewport. “Anybody who can’t appreciate the benefit of falling for someone who’s been in love before is a fucking idiot.”

“And you’re not a fucking idiot.”

“I hope that isn’t a question.”

Carol smiled and shook her head. They flew in silence for a while.

“When we get back,” she said eventually, peering shyly over at her captain, “I owe someone important to me a visit, but then I’m coming to see you. Just a heads-up.”

“Vaguely threatening.”

“Sorry.”

“No,” Brunnhilde told her, grabbing her forearm to get her full attention, “I liked it.”

Heat raced up Carol’s neck until she was blushing as bright red as her suit, or the dumb acid burn on her arm.

Just then, Peggy’s agitated voice came from the other end of the wide flight deck.

“Someone’s coming right at us!”

Before Carol had the chance to say what the hell? or who? or again?, an incoming message threw a distantly familiar face up in front of them, hovering in the form of a hologram.

“Hey,” Carol greeted. “Small universe.”

—

Peggy had never thought to imagine what Gamora might be like. She’d had an account of Peter Quill’s affection for her from Rocket, but had recognized that a portrayal of the woman that crew had known—the woman Peter had loved enough to forfeit his life in the quest for reunion—couldn’t be fully accurate. At best, the Gamora they described would be one layer removed from the real person. The Gamora they had known and the one whose hologram had just appeared before Peggy, Carol, and Brunnhilde were a handful of years and a thousand experiences apart.

It seemed absurd to Peggy that this woman may wish to harm them, but she really ought to have considered it.

“Was it your distress signal I picked up?” Gamora asked flatly, eyes locked on Carol in the pilot’s seat.

“Umm… yep.”

“And you still require assistance?”

Carol glanced at Brunnhilde, then over to Peggy, who nodded. They certainly had worked wonders, she felt, in getting this massive spaceship off the planet, but who knew how many things could go wrong between here and Earth? Peggy doubted either of her shipmates had told her the half of it. They were simply short-staffed, too few fingers available to plug any metaphorical leaks they might spring on the journey.

“Yes please,” Carol told her.

With a nod, 2014 Gamora went from unknown quantity to ally. Peggy sighed in relief.

The three of them were transported directly from Thanos’s ship to Gamora’s. The process was quite indescribable, Peggy thought. Tingly, quick, with a bit of a lurch as she rematerialized on an entirely different flight deck from the one she’d just left. Had the transfer been instantaneous? Had she, perhaps, ceased to exist for a moment or two? She was full of questions but unsure to whom she should direct them.

Gamora, while welcoming in deed, was somewhat inscrutable when they met her face-to-face. Standoffish. Unsure of herself, Peggy realized. Immediately, she warmed to the woman. She had been in her place herself once, sort of, if not precisely in her intimidating boots. It hadn’t been so long ago that she’d been ferried through time to find the world completely changed. What Gamora needed was a reason to trust them the way they were trusting her.

“I take it you killed my father?” Gamora asked plainly once they were aboard.

Oh dear. It seemed they weren’t off to a very auspicious start.

Brunnhilde stepped in front of Carol, who’d just been opening her mouth to speak, presumably to claim responsibility.

“I was the captain,” she stated. “Thanos was killed on my orders.”

“Uh, no, not explicitly,” Carol argued.

“Anyway,” Peggy piped up, “I’m the one who shot him in the head.”

“And he was only vulnerable to that because I electrocuted him to within an inch of his despicable life and his helmet fell off,” Brunnhilde countered.

“On a planet I flew us to,” Carol reminded them.

“We’ll be sharing the blame,” Peggy informed Gamora on behalf of her crewmates.

Gamora cocked her head consideringly.

“And if it’s approval?” To their universal silence, she explained, “I know what he was capable of in my time, and I saw enough of Earth to get a general idea of what he was set to accomplish if he wasn’t stopped.”

“Were you out here hunting him too?” Peggy took a step towards her.

Directing her gaze away from them, Gamora blinked rapidly, looking momentarily confused and upset. In the next second, she’d hidden any outward hint of those feelings.

“I should’ve been,” she said, “but I’ve never been able to stand up to him like I should have. After I left your planet… for a while, I wasn’t looking for him. But I began to see signs. And then Peter Quill came.”

“Peter!” Carol said. “You saw him? Did you talk to him? Rocket never said—”

“No. I just watched. I followed him for a while. I knew he was looking for me. He was so… loud.” Gamora made a face. “Leaving word for me everywhere, telling traders and transports that he was my boyfriend. He was an idiot, but an entertaining idiot… I barely noticed that I’d stopped keeping track of Thanos until he just showed up…

“I was a coward,” Gamora went on. “I saw my father intercept Peter’s ship and I knew what would probably happen, but I couldn’t put myself between the two of them. Was I supposed to stand up for this guy when I’d never been able to stand up for myself? I was raised to be cruel, to think of myself, that attachments formed to accomplish anything but the acquisition of power make you weak. I know Thanos killed Peter. It’s my fault he’s dead.”

Peggy stood in front of her, refraining from placing a reassuring hand on Gamora’s shoulder when she gave her cagey eyes.

“It’s not,” Peggy told her firmly.

“I only heard your distress signal because I heard Peter’s first,” Gamora said. “I went onboard after my father had left; it was days before I could force myself to do it, maybe longer. I used his communications system to speak to his crewmates on Earth.”

“You must’ve just missed us leaving,” Brunnhilde said.

“That’s what he told me. He said three more morons had left the planet, on their way to hunt down Thanos.”

“And you’ve helped us,” Peggy said, tone insistent. “If you do feel any responsibility for what happened to Peter, then surely you should also believe that you’ve redeemed yourself by saving our backsides.”

Gamora’s eyes squinted as though she were in pain.

“I owed him more than this and I hate it,” she said, jaw clenched. “He was no one to me. He knew someone I’m never going to become.”

“Shhh. I know,” Peggy said soothingly.

“I don’t see how that’s possible. Have you ever had someone tell you they love you when it feels like it’s impossible that they even know you? That whoever they loved had to be a different person from who you are?”

Peggy’s shoulders fell. She could feel the bittersweet smile on her face.

“Actually, yes.”

Gamora appeared surprised to have been brought up short in such a manner.

“Do you have any advice?” Peggy urged softly.

For a minute, Gamora was quiet, staring hard at the wall. Peggy could feel that the others had backed away, giving them time and space when Gamora’s stream of information had been diverted by the confusing grief she was obviously experiencing.

“Whatever lengths he goes to because he thinks you’re better than you are…” Gamora finally said, turning her head to look Peggy in the eye. “Try to be worth it.”

“Got it.”

Peggy folded her hands together, pressing her right palm to her wedding ring.

—

They were about to get underway, their new crew of four on a significantly smaller, though sleeker, ship. (Brunnhilde didn’t mourn for the one they’d left in the shallows; it had served them well, first the Asgardians and now the team responsible for the death of Thanos.) However, staring out the viewport from the seat in which she’d been installed as the effective second-in-command, Brunnhilde didn’t feel right. The sight of Thanos’s ship just hanging there in space unnerved her. It would be better if no trace of the Titan remained.

“Let’s blast it,” she suggested to the deck at large.

“Thanos’s spaceship?” Peggy checked.

“Yes.”

“Well,” Carol said, “we aren’t near anything. There’s nothing for the debris to hit…”

Brunnhilde smiled slightly and looked to the captain.

“Gamora? Do you have any weapons on this ship that could do the job?”

“There is one thing I’ve been saving for a special occasion,” Gamora said, gaze fixed on Thanos’s ship. “First, we’re going to need to get clear.”

She piloted them away—away from the planet, away from the ship. Part of Brunnhilde wanted to request the honour of launching the torpedo Gamora was setting the coordinates for, locking it onto her late father’s final vessel, but she was already satisfied with the role she’d played. Let Gamora take this final, symbolic step. It was like Thor’s hideous couch; Brunnhilde had helped him lug the thing into the open air, but permitted him to drop the match (once she’d soaked the cushions in lighter fluid, just in case it wasn’t sufficiently saturated in spilled beer). She would content herself with watching it go up in flames.

And it did. It was an impressive explosion, scattering wreckage in a wide perimeter Gamora had kept them outside of. They were briefly silent as jagged hunks of metal twisted in the void.

“That’s one way to get the stink of dead bodies out,” Carol noted, and Brunnhilde turned to her, shoulders shaking with laughter Carol quickly joined in on.

They flew for some time, and it was good just to relax, to stretch in her seat and tilt her head from side to side so that her neck cracked horrendously and Peggy said things like “good lord!” while Carol laughed her ass off. Brunnhilde remained alert though. She couldn’t help it. In the old days, with the Valkyrie, there’d been a certain relief when the battle in which they’d been engaged was done, but they’d only known true rest once they’d returned to Asgard. Home. The last time she’d been on a ship bound for Earth, the atmosphere had been one of intense grief, muffled weeping in the corridors. They’d known Earth as Midgard and had little admiration for its country of Norway, chilly with fog and swathed in the bleak colours that reflected their inner emptiness. Nothing they loved was there—not their people, not their gleaming towers and soaring statues. How could it ever possibly feel like coming home?

Brunnhilde had honestly believed she’d lost her ability to experience that feeling, that, without her sisters-in-arms, the sensation was lost to her. Yet, despite the tension she still carried from the fight, she felt it easing. She felt herself longing for home, her little house at the water’s edge. For the chance to return to her people as their king and announce a great evil defeated. Maybe this tension was only anticipation after all.

In contrast to the fruits of her own contemplation and revelation, Gamora’s private thoughts had left her expression mournful and roving. Brunnhilde exited the deck to relieve herself and find something to eat in Gamora’s stores, and when she returned, she addressed her.

“You’re not taking us all the way to Earth, are you?”

Gamora flicked her gaze sideways to assess her. Brunnhilde knew there was no judgement to be found in her face, so she stared back calmly.

“I’m taking you to Quill’s ship. Thanos, in his infinite arrogance, didn’t damage it. Maybe he thought he might like to return to it some time and claim it as part of his fleet. It’s a tribute to how much I continue to feel my father’s influence that I planned to do the same. Not build a fleet, but go back. There’s something about that ship… I find it comforting.”

Brunnhilde frowned thoughtfully.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take it and leave this one for us?”

“No. What I felt when I was onboard, examining it and… and removing Quill’s body for space burial… that was just a feeling of, I don’t know, another life. There’s a group on Earth for whom that ship means something. And it’s the only thing they have of him. I couldn’t keep it.”

“One of those people is your sister,” Brunnhilde said carefully.

“Yes.”

“I tried to talk to her, but she doesn’t like me very much. I don’t blame her,” she added as Gamora gave her a wary look. “She was upset.”

“Nebula is at her most dangerous when upset, and she’s always upset, so she’s always dangerous.”

“She was upset about Peter’s death. But I think also because, without him, no one was out here looking for you.”

Gamora stiffened.

“If she really wants to find me, she can come look for me herself. I’ll be ready.”

“She doesn’t want to fight you,” Brunnhilde said. “She misses you. I think. It’s really none of my business.”

“Why would you wish to get involved in our family affairs?” Gamora’s voice was more curious than accusing. “Besides murdering our father, of course.”

Brunnhilde sighed before answering.

“I’ve lost many people I cared about. I don’t have a family anymore.” She glanced over to see Carol and Peggy bent over a screen together, Carol’s sudden snort infecting Peggy until they were both laughing. “I mean,” Brunnhilde corrected herself, “I didn’t.”

When they arrived at the Benatar and Gamora transported Carol and Peggy off her ship, Brunnhilde motioned for Gamora to hold off a moment on removing her.

“If we don’t meet again,” she said, sticking out her arm for Gamora to grasp.

Gamora gripped her tightly and nodded.

“I think we might though. I thought about it and realized it’s easier for me to find Nebula than for her to find me.”

“I may have left you her coordinates.” Brunnhilde released Gamora’s arm. “Enjoy Missouri.”

She joined Peggy and Carol on the Benatar, pausing to bend over Carol’s seat to surprise her with a deep kiss before she took up her own position. She brushed stray strands of hair back out of Carol’s dancing eyes.

“I’m going to have to redo your braid,” Brunnhilde told her.

“Oh, we’ll have time. We’ve got quite a road trip ahead of us. Luckily… Peter left us his tunes.” Beaming, she started up a song with a bright beat.

Brunnhilde smiled and went to her seat, fastening herself in as Carol readied the vessel for launch.

“You know,” Peggy said thoughtfully, slinging her jacket over the back of her chosen seat, “before all of this, I was actually quite afraid of outer space.”

Carol laughed.

“I can’t imagine why.”

#my writing #Dolls' Eyes #MCU #Avengers: Endgame #Peggy Carter #Brunnhilde #Carol Danvers #Valkyrie #Captain Marvel #Steve Rogers #Nick Fury

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walkerwords · 3 years

Text

“The Savior Sessions” Part 32 of 33 - Negan x GN!Reader

IMAGE CREDIT: AMC

SERIES MASTERLIST

Summary: In the confines of a Tower, conversations are held as the survivors prepare to face Beta and the horde.

Word Count: 4681

Warning: Swearing

Song I Wrote To: “Outlaws of Love” by Adam Lambert

Note: I can’t believe I have been writing this since AUGUST. Only one more after this and I think it is going to wrap up nicely. Enjoy a little down time before the big battle and yes, Maggie will make an appearance in the final part. Thanks!

—————

For as long as you could remember, you loved being up high.

You could remember climbing trees as a kid and jumping off the rope swing at summer camp as soon as school got out. Nobody in your family ever understood why you felt more comfortable off the ground, but the truth was, you felt safer there than down below.

No matter how high, it was almost as if you were untouchable, immune from the world around you. When the world ended, you found yourself searching for the highest points possible. It was exactly why you had decided to pick up a sniper rifle in the first place.

The guard towers at the prison, the top of the barn at the Greene farm, and even the old clock tower that once stood in Alexandria, were all your comfort places.

The tower you now stood in, however, felt more like a trap rather than a place of freedom.

Daryl, Michonne, and you had realized that with Negan declaring war on the Whisperers by killing Alpha, Beta would be coming for everyone with an even more vicious vendetta. Negan was docile when it came to the decision. He said ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘yes sir’ as he moved through the community. Nobody dared say anything negative towards him, but they weren’t praising him either.

They knew that no matter how he did it, Negan had saved more lives than not when he killed Alpha. The only one who was still dealing with the fallout of it all was Lydia.

As soon as Negan told everyone what he had done, Lydia had shut down. She still stayed with you when it was time to rest, but she didn’t say much. From all the time you were a teacher, you recognized the anger that she was feeling. You also knew that it was only a matter of time before she unleashed that fury on Negan.

Then, there was Daryl.

You couldn’t get a proper read on him and it was starting to worry you. Daryl was a smart man, but when it came to facing down an enemy at this caliber, he tended to get reckless. If he didn’t get it together soon, Beta would have the upper hand and you were not going to let that happen.

Beta had to die and you were going to be the one to do it, no matter what it took.

Looking out the window of the tower, you braced your hands on the window sill and waited for the horde to move in because you knew one thing for sure, Beta wasn’t going to stop until you and Negan were both dead.

—————

“Did you get any sleep?” Michonne asked Negan as she joined him against the wall as they watched the room before them.

“Not a bit,” he said. “You?”

“RJ snores like his father,” Michonne said fondly. “So, no, not much.”

“He’s a good kid,” Negan said as he watched RJ pet Dog who was curled at his feet.

“Yeah,” Michonne said with a sigh. Negan looked over at her, raising a brow.

“What’s up?”

“I can’t see how we get out of this one,” she admitted.

“And so you’ve come to me for comfort?” he asked with a snort.

“That’s what you get for playing hero,” she said.

“Nah, I ain’t a hero,” he said as his eyes scanned over to Lydia who was playing with one of the stray cats that occupied the building. “I’m just trying to knock some years off of my eternal damnation.”

“I didn’t peg you for the religious type,” she said.

“I’m not,” he said. “I’m just covering all my bases.”

“Do one of those bases include (Y/N)?” she asked. Negan sighed, leaning further back against the wall, crossing his ankles

“I don’t know why they even bothered to forgive me,” he said, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “I would have sent my ass packing.”

“Guess that makes them the better person,” Michonne proposed.

“Ah, well, that was never in question,” he said. “(Y/N) was the only thing that kept me going while I was out there. You know when Beta came back and said that someone with a sword had nearly ended him, I knew it was them and that terrified me. I always knew they were a total badass, but hearing how close they came to being gutted by that bastard…”

“I know that fear,” Michonne said. “There was a time during the war with your people that I thought Rick had died.” Negan was patient as she began to tell her story. “We were at this old fairground looking for weapons and we became overwhelmed by Walkers. We started to make a game out of how many we could get before the other,” she said with a small smile. “Rick climbed up onto this rickety Ferris wheel, taking aim with his gun. I was on the other side of the yard when the mechanism broke and he fell.

“I saw him disappear into a crowd of Walkers and as I ran towards him I saw those things tearing at flesh and blood. I remembered that I stopped breathing, unable to even comprehend what I was seeing. I had dropped my katana and everything was moving in slow motion. It wasn’t until I heard his voice calling my name that I knew he was alive. Rick had found a way to survive and then he threw me my sword and we fought together. I had never been happier to see him than at that moment.”

Negan smiled softly at that, thinking of the man as well. “Wait,” he said, “if they weren’t eating Rick…”

“It was a deer,” Michonne said. “He owed me one after you and the Saviors took the one I carried into Alexandria.”

“Ah,” he said. “Always the gentleman, huh?”

“Yeah,” Michonne said as her eyes were on her children. “ You know, I once asked you to do for (Y/N) what they were doing for you,” Michonne continued. Negan nodded, remembering.

“Not sure if I ever completed that task,” he said, thinking back to the night you lay in the infirmary recovering from the blizzard. Michonne had asked him to help you as you had helped him.

“I disagree,” Michonne said, surprising the man next to her. “I thought that (Y/N) needed to be coddled or helped through all this trauma, but I was wrong. They just needed a reason to fight through all the shit in their life. That reason ended up being you.”

“I’m not much to fight for,” Negan said casually.

“Since when do you see yourself like this?” she asked. Negan could tell that his sudden self-deprecating attitude was confusing to her, just as it was to Gabriel or Rosita.

“I guess,” Negan began, taking a deep breath. “I guess I just got tired of trying to be a somethin’ I’m not. I’ve spent too long actin’ as if I got my shit together when in truth, I’m just fucked up as everything else in this godforsaken world.”

“Ever think that’s just the way it’s supposed to be?” Michonne offered. “If any of us were completely sane or normal, we’d all be dead.”

“There’d be a lot less bloodshed if we were,” Negan offered, but Michonne was shaking her head.

“No, I think there’d be more,” she said. “Negan, regardless of what any of us have done, we have all believed in one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“That people are the future and in order to survive, we gotta start savin’ them. No matter what.”

--------

“Since when do ya hide from your problems?” Daryl asked as he approached you.

Standing by the window, you cast your eyes towards him. “Who says I’m hiding?” you asked.

“Negan’s out there trying to be helpful and you’re all alone in here waiting for a war,” he said.

“Isn’t that what we’re all doing?” you asked.

“Nah, I’m preparing for one, not wishing for it.” Sighing, you fully faced him. The new scars on his face were stark against his face and you knew that you didn’t look much better.

“All I want is Beta,” you said. “Then, this will all be over.”

“It will never be over, (Y/N). You know that and so do I. There’s always going to be another problem to deal with. The world doesn’t stop tryin’ to end just ‘cause we beat another enemy.”

“Remember when Walkers were the only enemy?” you asked.

“We all knew that wasn’t going to last long,” he said, bracing his hand against the wall.

Over the past year or so, you had begun to see Daryl differently. He was no longer just the right-hand or the hunter. He was now a leader and one that had stepped up to the role that Rick always knew he could be. There wasn’t anyone else that you respected more than Daryl Dixon.

You had grown into a new version of yourself as well. For a long time, it had felt as if you were the outsider, the one who never quite fit, but now that felt as if it was changing. You used to think it was Negan who was bringing out this new side of you, but the truth was, it was just you.

You had become stronger because you had always been strong and resilient, you just hadn’t allowed yourself to break through that shell.

“What happens now?” you asked.

“We fight,” Daryl said. “We may not all get out this, but we’ve never given up and we ain’t about to start now. I know you want Beta, (Y/N), but you gotta survive first.”

“You’re on his hit list, too,” you said.

“And if he comes for me, I’ll be ready,” Daryl said. You both were quiet for a moment, letting the stillness of the tower surround you.

“Aaron and Alden shouldn’t be out there alone,” you whispered.

“They know what they’re doin’,” he assured you. “I’m about to do a perimeter check soon.”

“Need some help?” you asked.

“Nah,” Daryl said, shaking his head. “You gotta stay up here. You’ve always seen better up high.”

“Maybe the thinner air will help me work things out,” you said with another sigh.

“Don’t think that just cause you want to forgive him, that you have to right now. You’re human, not a damn machine.”

“Have you forgiven Carol?” you asked.

“I ain’t turning my back on her if that’s what ya mean,” he said. You gave him a look. “Of course I forgive her. She’s my best friend, (Y/N), and if that stops meanin’ something then we’re all lost.”

“I lost my best friend,” you said, fighting back the lump in your throat.

“He ain’t completely gone,” Daryl said, tugging on the sleeve of the duster that you wore. Your hand slid to the pommel of your sword, too, feeling Paul’s memory in your mind. “He loved you and he always believed in you. Sasha, too,” he said and you closed your eyes at that. “I know ya still miss her like crazy. Next to Maggie, you were the closest thing she had to another sibling after Tyreese.”

“Maggie never saw it that way,” you said. “She and I… we were close once. Then, after Glenn… Maggie stopped coming to me. I always wondered if I did something wrong or if she blamed me because was one of the first people to agree with Rick about the satellite station. Whatever it was, our relationship was never the same and Sash got caught between.”

“Maggie has her own demons just as you have yours and Sasha had hers. You can’t compare them. That ain’t how it works,” Daryl said.

“Then how does it work, Daryl?” you asked. “In case you haven’t noticed, Maggie’s demon is the man that I fell in love with.”

“Negan ain’t the same that he was back then. Even I can see that the son of a bitch has changed. I don’t like to admit it, but what he did, takin’ out Alpha like that, that proved somethin’. He could have run when Carol let him out. He could have joined up with them and took more of us out, but he didn’t. Why? Cause he’s in love with you? Maybe. But I think it's more than that. I don’t think the bastard ever wanted to be what he was. He thinks so, too.”

“Is there a lesson in this speech, D?” you asked.

“Yeah,” he said, “get out of your damn head, stop thinkin’ about what Maggie would think, and start thinkin’ for yourself. We know better than anyone that the future ain’t always certain. There’s no time to overthink shit when you already know what you want. So tell me, what do you want, (Y/N)?”

It had been a long time since someone had asked you that question. Before, you would have brushed them off and made some lame joke about wanting to watch TV or go to a concert again. However, now, you didn’t feel the need to hide at all because you knew what you wanted and you were damn well going to fight for it.

“I want Beta dead, my family safe, and I want Negan by my side for all of it. I don’t care what people think of him because I love him and if that makes me some sort of outlaw within this group, so be it. Enid once told me that I have lost too much to feel guilty for loving someone and she was right. I love him, Daryl, and I am done feeling ashamed about that.”

Daryl nodded, standing up straighter. Reaching out, he laid his hand against your shoulder.

“Finally,” he said. “Finally, ya understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Yourself.”

---------

Negan had been dancing around it all day but he had to speak to Lydia.

He had seen her wandering around, playing with the cats or speaking with Carol. He wasn’t entirely sure what that relationship was all about, but it made sense for the two of them to connect. Lydia had loved Carol’s son. Negan had been worried about talking to the teen especially since she seemed to be avoiding you as well.

You had become like a parent to Lydia and Negan thought perhaps she had begun to see him like that as well. However, now, after what he had done, Negan wasn’t sure of anything.

Approaching her, he waited for her to look at him, but her eyes remained on the dirty floor. “Hey. I, um... I don't think you've eaten anything today,” he tried, feeling like an idiot.

“I'm good,” Lydia said dismissively.

“You know,” Negan continued. “I can't tell if it's just one of those things or the craziness of us all moving to an abandoned tower... or if you're just avoiding me.”

“I'm avoiding you,” she said plainly, causing Negan’s brows to rise quickly.

“Well, shit, that's honest,” he said.

“You want me to lie? Make you feel better?” Lydia said, getting to her feet and narrowing her eyes at him.

“No, I don't,” Negan said. “I’d rather you were always honest with me.”

“Okay. Well, then you can give someone else the rat stew,” Lydia said.

“It's not rat. It's possum. I mean, yeah, it is basically a big rat.” Lydia looked at him as if she was wishing he would just go away, but he had to say his piece. “Look, kiddo, your mom, I mean, she did some horrible shit and there's no excusing any of it, but there were things about her that were complicated. In some ways, I wish you could have seen some of the truth that I did. Maybe then you would understand why I did what I did.”

“We all know why you did it,” Lydia said.

“I know, but if there's something that you wanna say to me, then you should say it cause this whole silent treatment shit ain’t working.”

“Fine,” Lydia said. “Most of us wish you'd died, too.”

“Don’t you say that to me,” he said. “Not me. There was a time when you and I respected one another, when you would talk to me. Now I get that you’re pissed, but don’t act like you’re a founding member of my hate club cause you’re not.”

“You don't get to tell me what to do,” Lydia snapped.

“You're right, I can't. I am not your father, but I sure as hell ain’t your enemy,” he said.

“Then what are you, huh?” she said, getting angrier.

“I am trying to be someone who is there for you.”

“You tied me to a chair and left me alone in some swamp!” she hollered.

“To protect you!” Negan said before lowering his voice. “Your mother was going to kill you as some sort of animal kingdom ritual. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Lydia rasped out.

“I know, I know,” he said, “but you gotta try to. You have to let this anger out. Otherwise, you are gonna drift further from these people, and I know you don't want that.”

“The hell do you know what I want, huh? Tell me. You're a selfish asshole,” Lydia shot at him. “You only killed her so they'd think that you're a hero. But nothing you do will ever make you that here! Because you only care about yourself.”

“That's not true,” he said.

“Right, I forgot that you wormed yourself into (Y/N)’s heart. Though, that may say more about them than you, huh?” she said as the tears began to well in her eyes. “Why do you even care?” she asked. “Why do either of you care,” she said. “You and (Y/N) look at me as if I need fixing.”

“Is that what you think? That we want to fix you? Jesus, Lydia, how could you think that?”

“I know you see her when you look at me,” Lydia said. “You see my mother in me.”

“I see the good parts,” he said with a nod. “You have your mother’s strength and resilience. No matter what she did with it, she passed that on to you and that means something,” Negan argued. “Lydia, you have to mourn her. You know, you need to say goodbye. Otherwise, it's gonna eat you up from the inside. Just trust me on this.”

“Good parts? How the hell can you tell me that there were good parts? I hated her!” she yelled, lashing out at him, hitting him in the chest. She breathed in a shaky breath, trying to control her anger, but she couldn’t. “I want to hate her, so screw you for telling me I can't even do that!”

“It's okay, Lydia,” Negan said as Lydia began to cry, her shouts of anger turning into sobs.

“No! It's not okay!” she said, hitting him in the chest. “It's not okay! It's not okay!” Negan grabbed her into a hug, holding her close to his chest so she couldn’t keep lashing out. Lydia quickly fell against him, clutching at him as she cried.

“It's okay,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay.”

As Lydia sobbed in his arms, Negan held her and tried to make everything seem as if it was going to okay, but not even he could promise her that.

--------

It was well after Negan had calmed Lydia down that you found him at one of the watchpoints.

“Dianne, give us a second?” you asked the archer who nodded and excused herself. You sat down on an old crate and invited Negan to join you. He did, his bat settling next to his feet on the floor. You grabbed it, feeling its weight in your hands. Negan didn’t say anything as you examined the weapon, wondering what its namesake was truly like. “Lydia seems like she’s settled a bit,” you observed.

“She just needed to get it out of her system,” Negan said. “It’ll be a while before she’s better.”

“I know,” you said. “I remember what it’s like to lose a parent.”

“So do I,” he said.

“I’m glad you’re here,” you said, spinning the bat in your hands.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on being any place else,” he said.

II know,” you said with a nod. Looking over at him, you handed him back the bat. He took it from you and placed it back on the ground. “I was thinking about something earlier.”

“What was that?”

“There was a line in the letter that Carl left me,” you began. “It said, ‘stop trying to see everything through the scope of your rifle and start seeing what is right in front of you,’.”

“Sounds incredibly wise for him,” Negan noticed.

“Well, that was Carl,” you said. “That line has stuck with me since I first read it. I never really understood what he meant until his dad died and then more recently when you came home.” Negan was quiet, his eyes focusing on you completely.

“For so long I was trying to stay three steps ahead of everything,” you went on, “but I never took the time to match pace with anyone. I think that’s why it took me so long to realize that you and I are never going to be the perfect couple. We’re not going to be the couple that takes nightly strolls or agrees on everything. We are, however, going to be the couple that fights like cats and dogs and who are willing to risk everything for each other. I finally see that is what this,” you gestured between the two of you, “is supposed to be and I am sorry if you ever felt as if I was pressuring you to be someone you’re not.”

“You weren’t,” he assured you. “I was pressuring myself into not screwing everything up because you are right, we are not normal in any sense of the word. But you know what?” he asked, reaching over to take your hand. “Fuck normal. It’s so goddamn overrated anyways.”

“That it is,” you said as you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He kissed you back before leaning his forehead against yours. “So, we can be not normal together, right? Cause I am not ready to go any further into this screwed up world without you.”

“You don’t have to,” he said. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Good,” you said, smiling softly. “I just hope we can do that without someone breathing down your neck with a weapon.”

“So do I,” Negan said with a soft chuckle. Suddenly, something dawned on you.

“Hey, do you have any idea what happened to Brandon?” Negan froze. “He sort of disappeared after you did.” Leaning back, he gave you a sheepish look.

“Well…” Negan began. “The little psychopath found me on the road.”

“Seriously?” you asked.

“He was some sort of ‘fan’ of mine, apparently. His old man was a Savior and he wanted to be just like daddy. Problem was, he was fucking crazy.”

“Go on,” you urged.

“We came across a mother and her son. I helped them and that’s when Brandon told me that he wanted to either rob them or kill them. A fucking woman and her kid…” Negan said, rubbing at his brow.

“What did you do?”

“Told him to get lost,” Negan said. “Tried to offer him some decent life advice, but it clearly didn’t stick. When I came back after looking for some firewood for the mom, Brandon had bludgeoned them to death with a tire iron.”

“The kid, too?” you asked, shocked.

“There was more blood on the ground than in their bodies, (Y/N),” he said. “So, I picked up a rock and beat in his skull before he could murder any more innocent people.” You were silent for a moment as Negan’s word resonated. Eventually, you just sighed and shook your head.

“Shit,” you swore.

“Yeah.”

“Fucking Brandon,” you said with a roll of your eyes.

“Fucking Brandon,” he agreed, but then was confused. “Are you not mad that I killed him?”

“Why would I be? I’d have done the same thing,” you said. “You don’t just get to kill a kid in cold blood and move on with your life. Though, I am surprised that you let him tag along as long as he did.”

“You and me both,” he said.

“Were you going to tell me about that if I hadn't asked?” you wondered.

“Eventually,” he said. “I just couldn’t find the right time.” You nodded. “And I should have told you about a lot of things.”

“You’re talking about your deal with Carol?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “I know you’re pissed at me over that.”

“I am,” you said, “but if I can overlook everything else, I can overlook this.”

“I am so sorry,” he said.

“I know you are,” you assured him, rubbing his hand between yours. “You did it because you were doing the right thing. You should have told me though. I would have been on board in helping you. “

“I couldn’t risk it,” he said.

“You’re a moron,” you said.

“I know,” he said with a wink.

“And I really, really wanted to hate you when I saw you in that mask.”

“But you couldn’t,” he reminded you.

“Never,” you agreed. Negan smiled and then reached up and placed his hand on your throat, running his thumb over your pulse point.

“You do that a lot, you know?” you noted, gesturing to his hand. Negan shrugged.

“Your pulse calms me,” he said softly.

“Oh, and here I thought you were just into choking,” you joked.

“Don’t give me any ideas,” he warned and this time it was you that winked. “You know, we never did have make-up sex.”

“Now is not really the time,” you said, gesturing around at the chaos of the tower.

“Jesus, Teach, not now. What kind of man do you think I am?” you laughed, rolling your eyes.

“Like you weren’t thinking about it,” you said with a knowing look. Negan just shrugged again.

“Sorry, I just really missed you,” he said.

“What have you told you about apologizing,” you whispered.

“Habit,” he said back before kissing you again. When you pulled back, you took your face in your hands and then your right hand slid to the side of his neck, feeling his own pulse.

“He’s coming for us,” you said.

“He’s all yours,” Negan said. “I will make sure of it.”

Just as Negan was about to bring you closer, Gabriel ran into the room. “Gabe?” you asked, leaning back from Negan, but not letting go of him.

“The horde is coming,” he said, breathing heavy. “It’s time.” He then rushed from the room as you and Negan went to the window.

It was as if a tsunami was moving in, but instead of water, Death approached in the form of the largest herd you had ever seen.

“Negan,” you said, worried.

“I know,” he said, taking your hand in his as he beheld the sight. “Can you promise me something?” he said, turning you so you would look at him.

“Anything,” you swore.

“Just survive,” he said and you were reminded of something similar you had said to Lydia before the Hilltop battle. “I know what you are going to do and I will not stop you from taking your revenge on him, but for me, please survive.”

Reaching up, you took him by the shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. Negan buried his head in your shoulder as you took one last moment to be with each other before the fighting began.

“I promise.”

--------

As Beta moved through the horde, his guardians protected him as they always had, but elsewhere, a guardian in their own right read a letter sent from an old friend. As Walkers approached the tower, Maggie Rhee picked up her bow and went in search of her family.

Note: One more to go...

TAGS: @not-too-tall-for-trick @lucillethings @cameronsails @stark-dreams @amaroho @thanossexual @yes-sir-hotchner @boom-bunny @delusionalteenagewhispers @scootankle @ritajammer21 @writteriguess @tea-atfive @jennydehavilland @waspyyy @yespleasejayhalstead @hoemadegrace @writingdeadangel @huffledor-able541 @pulplorrd @felicisimor

#the walking dead #walkerwords #twd imagines #the walking dead imagines #negan imagine #reader insert #savior sessions #the walking dead imagine #twd imagine #twd #negan x reader #negan x you #negan x y/n #negan x gn reader

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jenniferxprentiss · 4 years

Text

I Knew You’d Linger Like A Tattoo Kiss -> 3/6

you’re my golden hour (the color of my sky)

read it as a stand-alone oneshot here

The third time JJ kisses Alex in front of the team, they’re enjoying a rare day off at the carnival. JJ can’t keep her eyes off of Alex all day, and as the sun begins to set behind the clouds, casting them in a pink glow, JJ can’t resist insisting they go on the Ferris wheel just once. They’re quiet as they ride, JJ’s head leaned on Alex’s shoulder until they reach the top of the ride, both looking at the flashing lights below them as the sun disappears, giving way to a vibrant pink. In that moment, regardless of who was watching, JJ couldn’t help herself, leaned up and pressed her lips against Alex’s as the ride began to slowly descend.

or the alternative summary.....

Emily was arguing with Reid and Garcia about who got to go on first, Alex and JJ both laughing out loud at the way she was waving her arms around and trying to prove her point. In her defense, she had been dead and exiled to Paris after the trauma of Doyle — and in Spencer’s, she had left him behind and didn’t even say goodbye. “Hey, I thought we agreed to not bring that up again.” JJ’s tone was firm, eyes narrowing at Emily in particular who mumbled out an embarrassed apology. “How about you rock paper scissors for it?” “I like the way you think.” JJ stretched up on her toes, placed a soft kiss to Alex’s cheek before turning her attention back to Spencer and Emily, who were engaged in another bickering war.

hi hello lovelies!

the decision to post this as both a standalone AND the next chap of the 5+1 was a little tough, so I’m hoping you aren’t TOO mad at me for it! i just thought that 1) it would get more exposure tagged as hotchniss, light implied morcied and 2) this is entirely too long (3.2k words!) to be JUST a chapter. and it’s also lightly focused on the rest of the BAU too!! if u don’t like Alex x JJ, I don’t suggest u read, though! but whatever floats ur boat. love u!!

tag list xo lemme know if u want a future tag! @babyblockcolorcat @whiskey-fluent @anepiphany @criminalmindsgonewrong @ellegreenawy @alex-blakes @j3mily @jjsgirlfriend @blakes-dictionxry

——————

It was rare that the team was allowed any time off aside from weekends when they were in town, let alone a weekday to do something as simple as going to a carnival. Strauss had pulled some strings for Emily’s return to the BAU, classified it as team bonding when she informed them of their time off and told them not to stay up too late, they had work to do the next day.

They hadn’t considered a carnival until Emily and Alex had admitted to the team that they had never been to one — sitting around the conference table with the rest of the team staring at them in various states of confusion because really, who had never been to a carnival? Garcia immediately decided that there would be no other acceptable team bonding activity, and luckily for them they were right on time for the last day of the carnival.

JJ had always loved fall carnivals, loved the way the crisp autumn air blew the fallen orange leaves around her feet as she walked, the way it felt and sounded like magic as every footfall brought the crunching of leaves underfoot. She felt a goofy grin pull at the corners of her lips, her hand firmly in Alex’s as they walked leisurely along the pavement, watching Henry as he walked ahead of them.

There was a giddy happiness that coursed through her at getting to take Alex to her first carnival, JJ still smiling at the memory of watching her eyes light up as they drove into the parking lot. They were older, with children and previous marriages — a slow-moving divorce, in Alex’s case — and they didn’t have much room for firsts, and JJ knew this would be a memory they both held dear to them for years to come.

“He looks like he’s having fun.”

JJ could hear the subtle smile in Alex’s voice, breaking her from her thoughts. She squeezed her hand before looking up and watching Henry race Emily off to a ring toss game. He had missed his Aunt Em so much, the sight of him running off with her to go play brought the familiar lump of tears to the back of her throat.

“I knew he would. He missed her so much… I’m glad he can have today before we go back to normal life.” She laughed when Emily ruffled Jack and Henry’s hair, looked over at Alex pointedly. “And you? Are you having fun?”

“As long as I’m with you.”

Her answer was sincere, her tone even and measured but she knew that JJ would understand the true vulnerability behind it. She so rarely let her guard down around other people, especially after her separation from James, but somehow JJ was always able to pull her from the hidden recesses of her mind and get her laughing.

They continued walking in silence, JJ motioning to Hotch that she was veering off towards a stand, nodding when he signaled that he had eyes on Henry. She tugged Alex towards the cotton candy stand, felt her heart flutter when she noticed the soft grin on her girlfriend’s face out of the corner of her eye.

“I’m gonna go grab a bench for us.” Alex’s voice was soft, chilled fingertips grazing the palm of JJ’s hand. “Make sure you get the pink.”

Their relationship had never been built on grand gestures, rather small acts of kindness and words of affirmation uttered behind closed doors — the gentle whisper of words uttered against lips, the way Alex glanced at JJ in front of the team with eyes so full of love that they held a message. She didn’t need Alex to say anything at all — knew her better than the back of her own hand.

She shuffled up in line, eyes still trained on Alex as she sat on a bench, one leg folded over the other and hands in her lap. The sight melted JJ’s heart, the way Alex’s cream colored sweater contrasted her dark hair that hung over her shoulder in a loose ponytail, tied with a ribbon. She was so preoccupied watching Alex that she didn’t notice the man behind the counter clear his throat, calling her up to the stall.

“Oh, I’m sorry… let me get two of the pink and blue over there.”

He grunted, took her money before disappearing for a moment, rummaging in a corner JJ couldn’t quite see. She blew a kiss in Alex’s direction, felt her stomach flip with giddy butterflies when Alex mimed catching it, a goofy grin on her face. She turned back at just the right moment, the man thrusting her change and bags of cotton candy into her hand before mumbling a gruff thanks, already yelling for the next customer to come forward.

JJ remembered that Alex told her she loved cotton candy as a child, the way it melted on the tip of her tongue, felt her lips twitching up into a smile at the thought. She remembered the night they stayed up together long before their relationship had shifted to one laced with romantic intonation, both of them curled under a stiff hotel blanket and whispering silly secrets into the dark — both unable to sleep after they found yet another victim, this one hitting a little too close to home. She drank in every little detail of Alex in those nights, the soft side of her she never let show until the lights were turned out.

“What’s up?” Alex’s voice was soft, fingers grazing her forearm gently in a way that broke JJ from her thoughts.

“Nothing… just thinking.”

“Oh, that’s dangerous.” There was a playful lilt to Alex’s voice, lips curling up into a small smile as JJ sat beside her on the bench.

They were content to sit away from the action for a moment, just to watch the people go by. JJ watched Emily and Hotch, smiled to herself when she saw just how happy they were chasing after Jack and Henry. Emily was laughing — unrestrained, the kind of booming laughter JJ missed so much while she had been gone — her head tilted back and eyes sparkling as she reached for Hotch’s hand. He took it, pulled Emily into him and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before they pulled apart to help the boys with the water gun game they were playing, Emily’s hands on Henry’s smaller ones as she guided him.

With a soft smile on her lips, JJ brought a bite of cotton candy up to Alex’s mouth. Her lips wrapped around JJ’s fingers, corners of her lips twitching up into a smile as her tongue darted out to lave across the skin, collecting any small bits of sugar that were left. They soaked up the bit of silence amidst the chaos, before the kids or the team would come running and pull them away to another ride.

“Tastes good.”

“Yeah? I know how much you like pink.”

She couldn’t help but gaze into Alex’s eyes, the way they crinkled up in the corners as a wide smile spread across her face. Her eyes flicked up to meet JJ’s, sparkling with a hint of bashfulness behind her doe eyed gaze.

“Not just the candy.”

“Hm?”

“You.”

JJ felt her heart speed up at the tone of Alex’s voice, the way it was subtly playful — fingers catching her wrist gently and guiding JJ’s hand to bring another bite of cotton candy to her mouth. It was in these rare moments of calm with her — just sitting with each other and watching the world move around them — that JJ saw a more permanent future with Alex by her side.

In that moment, JJ saw lazy Sunday mornings around the breakfast table with Henry as a teenager, stuffing food into his mouth before running out the door to catch up with whatever friend he was going to hang out with for the day. She could see movie nights curled up on the couch as an older Henry rolled his eyes at the way his mother was laid across Alex’s lap. There were visions of Christmases spent together — building gingerbread houses with Alex, a dollop of dried icing on her cheek as they sang along to Christmas carols — and long walks down the street admiring the autumn leaves.

The sun had begun to disappear behind the clouds, setting rapidly into a pinkish orange glow and giving way to a chilled breeze. She turned, eyes catching Alex’s face in just the right light and felt her heart clench for just a second. She looked at peace — face relaxed and free of the worry lines that were almost permanently etched into her face — eyes trained on JJ’s side profile with a small hint of a smile playing on her lips.

“Hey.” They both startled when Emily approached, her voice soft and eyes kind. “Henry and Jack fell asleep, Rossi has them. A bunch of us were going to hop on the ferris wheel to watch the sunset… you in?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking.” JJ looked over at Alex, the way her eyes twinkled a little extra when Emily mentioned watching the sun set on the ferris wheel. “Yeah, we’ll be right there.”

“Hotch is saving us a place in line. Let’s ditch this shit with Rossi before they’re too far up in line.”

They half jogged over to the ferris wheel, Alex’s hand firmly in JJ’s, delightfully short of breath as a giddy wave of butterflies settled their way into her stomach. She had never been with someone who made her so lovestruck, made her feel like the little emoticon with heart eyes that JJ used so often — she wanted to drink in every second of the feeling, to never forget the fluttery happiness she felt in that moment.

“Nervous?”

“Sort of. I’ve never been on one before.”

“I’ll hold your hand the entire time.”

Alex smiled, a genuine grin directed at JJ, before turning back to look at the ferris wheel again, taller than she imagined one would be in person. The lights were on now, flashing and changing so rapidly that it made her eyes burn but she couldn’t look away. It was intoxicating — not just the wheel and lights, but the carnival itself. The ambient chatter in the background, hundreds of hushed conversations mingling with music and announcers yelling over the crowds brought a soft smile to her face, head quirking to the side as she tried to pick out any definitive sounds in the crowd.

She was pulled forward by JJ, the line moving again as another couple stepped into their seats and the worker started the ride up again. In front of them, Emily was arguing with Reid and Garcia about who got to go on first, Alex and JJ both laughing out loud at the way she was waving her arms around and trying to prove her point. In her defense, she had been dead and exiled to Paris after the trauma of Doyle — and in Spencer’s, she had left him behind and didn’t even say goodbye.

“Hey, I thought we agreed to not bring that up again.” JJ’s tone was firm, eyes narrowing at Emily in particular who mumbled out an embarrassed apology.

“How about you rock paper scissors for it?”

“I like the way you think.”

JJ stretched up on her toes, placed a soft kiss to Alex’s cheek before turning her attention back to Spencer and Emily, who were engaged in another bickering war. She shook her head, squeezing Alex’s hand gently in a sign of love — something they had adopted when they were still trying to keep their relationship a secret in front of the team, a simple gesture to say they loved each other.

By the time the ride operator opened the gate, Emily had declared herself the winner, but stepped aside and ushered Spencer forward with a sheepish smile on her face. The sight made JJ laugh, the way she walked back over to Hotch and let him wrap his arms around her from behind — having had no intention of actually making Spencer wait to get on the ride, not after she watched him buzz with excitement the entire time they had been in line.

He pulled Derek and Penelope through the gate with him, an uncharacteristically giddy smile tugging his lips upward and making the corners of his eyes crease with the sheer force of his unrestrained joy. JJ felt her lips quirk up into a smile of her own at the way both Derek and Penelope protested riding all together, but eventually let Spencer drag them onto the bench, all squeezing together as the ride operator clicked the bar down and started the ride again.

“He really has them wrapped around his finger, doesn’t he?”

JJ let out a small chuckle at Alex’s words, nodded as she watched the trio move up on the ride, all of them laughing and joking together.

“You say that like you wouldn’t move heaven and earth for that man.”

“He reminds me of my son… almost as much as Henry does.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. He had nine good years… and what is it they say about found family?”

They were interrupted once again by the metallic clang of the gate opening, Hotch and Emily sauntering hand in hand over to the ride car. They sat, Hotch’s arm around Emily’s shoulder and her head tucked into the crook of his neck as the ride started up again, and JJ felt herself swell with happiness at the way Hotch’s coat was around Emily, essentially dwarfing her in the material.

“They make a good couple.”

“Oh, yeah. I knew it would happen… especially once she went to Paris and there were no technicalities of the job keeping them from their feelings. He thinks I don’t know he was flying out to see her once a month.”

“He didn’t think Emily would tell you?”

“I think he was too in love with her to care what I thought.”

Alex made a soft sound of understanding, knowing the feeling all too well. When they had gotten together, in the early days of their relationship outside of falling into bed together for ‘stress relief’ on hard cases, she didn’t care if she lost her job — if she had to quit to just be with JJ on the off chance that it would work out — she felt such a strong pull to the other woman. Thankfully, the HR department was more than okay with their relationship — especially so after Emily came back engaged to Hotch — but it had always stuck at the back of her mind, exactly how much JJ meant to her.

“I love you too much to care.”

The words were laced with an intonation that made JJ’s head quirk to the side in question, wondered exactly what Alex meant and knew it wasn’t the place to ask — not with the way her voice was so soft, eyes soft and filled with such a fierce love that it made her head spin. To be loved so much was almost intoxicating, and she gave Alex’s hand another squeeze as the gate opened for them.

They sat perched on the edge of the bench seat, JJ’s head resting comfortably on Alex’s chest as the ride began to move, cranking them up into the night sky. The sky was a brilliant pink now, both of them transfixed by the sight, still entwined in more than a simple clasp of hands, but fingers laced together in a sign of love.

She loves me. She completely, wholly loves me.

JJ caught herself looking upwards for a second, a warm happiness filling her chest as she watched Emily lean into Hotch’s kiss, her hand on his stubbly cheek. It felt like she was watching a private moment, the way she leaned into him with so much love and adoration that it was almost too much to handle.

“Alex?”

“Hm?”

“I love you completely, wholly.”

“And I, you, my darling.” She paused for a moment, looked out at the carnival below them and back to JJ, a twinkle in her eyes. “Thank you… for bringing me here.”

They were paused at the top of the ride now, passengers disembarking their ride car below and giving them just enough time to look out at the view — the pink sky that cast them in the perfect glow, and accompanied with the lights and sounds of the carnival, it almost felt like they were in a movie.

“I’m honored.”

There was a gravely sincerity to JJ’s voice, and Alex knew she didn’t just mean it in regards to the carnival. It was an honor to love her — to share her dinner table with her, to share a bed with her while away on cases or the rare night that they could stay over at the other’s home.

“Jennifer…”

Their breath hitched, JJ leaning forward and letting her free hand cup the back of Alex’s neck, pulling them together and pressing their lips against each other. It was as though time was standing still for them, the shrill laughter of children and the music from the carnival below them fading into nothing but background noise — nothing mattered but the press of their lips, the way one simple action held so much love and tenderness.

When they finally broke apart, both gasping for air, the ride jolted to a start again, their car descending. They could hear the shrill laughter of Spencer and Penelope, no doubt at something Morgan had told them — looked down and noticed Emily and Hotch cuddled against each other, her shoulders shaking in a silent cry as he held her, rubbed his hand in circles on her upper back.

“I wish we could stay here forever.”

“Hm?” JJ looked up again, felt herself melt when she gazed into Alex’s eyes. “Oh, me too. Aside from the chill… I’m starting to regret my wardrobe choice.”

With a soft laugh, one lacking the ‘I told you so’ she so desperately wanted to say, Alex wrapped her arm around JJ’s back, pulling her girlfriend into her and pressing a soft kiss to her hair. She let herself simply be in the moment, let herself be aware of every point of contact between her and JJ — from the way her hand connected with her shoulder right down to their knees bumping against each other — as she watched the carnival lights come closer and closer as they descended, knew that when they stepped off the ride they would be back to the chaos they both secretly loved so much.

“Jayje?”

“Mhmm?”

“I think I’m ready to ask him for a divorce.”

It was a ghost of a whisper uttered into the chilled evening air as their car came to a stop at the loading station — a statement so full of hope and love that it made JJ’s stomach flip. She didn’t dare mention it in front of the rest of the team who was already waiting for them at the exit gate — simply turned to Alex and pressed her lips against hers once more before exiting through the gate and joining the team again, a soft, proud little smile on her lips that she knew she wouldn’t be able to shake for the rest of the night.

#my writing #jennifer jareau #emily prentiss #hotchniss #jj x alex #alex blake #spencer reid #aaron hotchner #Penelope Garcia #Derek Morgan #they do be minor in here #but they can be tagged too #I love them #all #equally #xo

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sfarticles · 3 years

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Country roads in West Virginia lead to serenity, history

Check out my latest column.....

https://www.timesherald.com/2021/07/16/country-roads-in-west-virginia-lead-to-serenity-history/

Sometimes, country roads do more than take us home; they fuel the soul and restore us back to whole, especially after an unsettling period. The Bavarian Inn Resort & Brewing Company www.bavarianinnwv.com , Shepherdstown, West Virginia's elegant, European enclave, accomplishes this feat. And it makes the perfect haven to call home, while exploring not only Shepherdstown, the state’s oldest town as well as nearby charming and historic locales like Harpers Ferry and Charles Town, West Virginia, plus Frederick and Antietam, Maryland. Civil war and history buffs will appreciate touring these historic towns, and at the same time, experience the vibrancy of a college town, since Shepherdstown is home to Shepherd University.

With European roots and West Virginia heritage, the resort has mastered hospitality with its signature Bavarian-style accommodations, culinary expertise with a German flair and its latest addition, the highly praised Bavarian Brothers Brewing Company. The 72-rooms, many with fireplaces and stunning views is perched atop the curvy, lilting Potomac River and the welcoming brewery are a must-visit and stay-overnight-kind-of-place. Infinity 101 is the dramatic infinity pool and casual poolside bar-eatery that feels like an oasis, and it is a so inviting during any summer visit. Why 101? The pool’s cascading edge is 101 feet above the Potomac. The property’s slogan, “Where the only thing we overlook is the Potomac!,” held true again during a recent, return visit. Other on- property amenities include tennis, basketball and bocce courts, fire pits, and S’mores, and fitness room. Resort guests can golf at Cress Creek golf course, a mile away.

Within walking distance you’ll find shopping, restaurants and coffee shops, boat, pedal and paddle bike rentals. A short drive away are, Antietam Battlefield, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, River Riders Adventure Park with zip-lines and canopy tours, Hollywood Casino, as well as other happening breweries and scenic wineries.

Food options at the Bavarian range from a formal dining experience in the Potomac Room to a casual poolside snack. If you want the fine dining experience in a more casual atmosphere, the Brewpub makes the perfect setting, serving up the same menu. A picture window gives you a glance of the brew master creating his everchanging brews. Although now retired, two of the brews pay homage to the founders of the Bavarian, Carol and Erwin Asam. Their sons, Christian and David are now at the helm and are thrilled to see their vision has come to fruition. “Erwin’s Angry Ale” celebrates their dad’s “German Engineering.” David mentioned that his dad is known as a man of incredible work ethic, vision and velocity to accomplish all tasks and this IPA lives up to its namesake. ”Carol’s Royal Stone” celebrates mom, who is aka “Queen of the Bavarian.” She is a native of Sheffield England and the brothers said, “just like “her majesty,” This beer is expressive, and no nonsense, yet incredibly graceful on the palate. “Brew Recipes are constantly being conceptualized and implemented, and we take a fun and whimsical approach to naming them,” said David.

The beer garden’s fire pit, sitting like a crown atop the hill out-back, offers a charming spot to enjoy after-dinner drinks; even better, families are invited to roast marshmallows with s’more kits, before retiring to their guestroom.

During this visit, I chose to experience dinner in the inviting and visually alluring brewpub since it had been under construction during a prior stay a few years ago. The German Pretzel, stuffed with crab, could be a meal in itself, taking up the entire dinner plate. The huge pretzel is chock full of lump crab and doused in a three-cheese sauce made with Bavarian Brothers Lager. Remoulade and mustard accompany it for additional dipping. Avocado fries piqued my interest, having never seen this on a menu before. Avocado wedges are coated with Panko and flash fried to the perfect crispness and served with tomato salad and a cilantro emulsion. The house made spaetzle is prepared with Gruyere cheese, Black Forest ham and asparagus tips. The fish n’ chips is coated in a batter made unsurprisingly with Bavarian Brothers Brewery beer and expertly fried to a golden brown, served with hand cut steak fries.

No German meal is complete without apple strudel. The flakiness of the dough and the not-too-sweet filling put this strudel on the top of the list of apple strudels of which I have indulged. The beer accompaniment I tried, Himbeere Weiss (Raspberry Wheat), is a nod to the Asam family and their German roots. Perfectly refreshing for the hot day! It gets brewed using organic raspberry puree and German White wheat. I found it to be light on the palate, balancing fruitiness with wheat tones.

The breakfast menu offers the standard breakfast fare as well as a few specialties. I savored, the Chesapeake Benedict; poached eggs, Black Forest ham, jumbo lump crabmeat on an English muffin topped with Hollandaise sauce. And, oh, those warm homemade biscuits…. you’ll want to take a few home.

For lunch one day, I devoured the Reuben sandwich. Lean corned beef, Swiss cheese, homemade sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing pack the marble rye. The accompanying German potato salad is superb. The recipe for the sauerkraut and the resorts famous Jaegerschnitzel can be found at https://bit.ly/3repPP5 The Bavarian Brother’ Brewing Signature Burger is eye-catching, probably the tallest burger I have ever seen; a Hereford beef patty topped with seared bratwurst, pickled red cabbage, Gruyere cheese on a brioche bun and that isn’t enough, top it off with a fried egg!

Wine connoisseurs won’t be disappointed with the award-winning (Wine Spectator) wine list containing more than 600 labels from around the globe, including specially cellared German Rieslings.

Check out my video with co-owner, David Asam

https://youtu.be/Qh-qutEBWy4

In walking distance from the inn, the eclectic and dynamic downtown of Shepherdstown offers a wide range of culinary and retail establishments.

Betty’s, 114 E German St., is where locals and visitors alike eat breakfast. The ambience will take you back in time. Nothing fancy, but this is what makes the place special and welcoming. Comfort food at its best. A must is the signature crab cakes; all lump crab meat, mixed with a special recipe and grilled to perfection. Another specialty is the sausage gravy, receiving accolades in Popular Mechanics magazine. Roast beef is made in-house, as are the vintage-style pies, cakes and puddings.

Regina, the owner since 2001, suggested those who are very hungry try the double-decker Rumsey Burger: two freshly ground burgers, cheese, lettuce, tomato and Thousand Island dressing. She brought me a sample of what I thought was a retro recipe, beef and pickle salad. It reminded me of those potluck lunches of years past.

The Press Room, www.pressroomwv.com 129 W. German St., is in the building that once housed the local newspaper’s printing press. I started with the roasted beet salad. Tender, sweet beets are drizzled with balsamic vinegar, sprinkled with just enough Gorgonzola cheese. A creative take on a salmon entrée is penne with pieces of both fresh and smoked salmon, with the latter adding the perfect smoke flavor to the dish. A light cream sauce with bits of fresh tomato and capers coated the al dente- cooked penne and fish. The veal chop special was enticing, stuffed with prosciutto and Fontina cheese then crusted in Panko and pan fried. The beautifully plated, pillowy panna cotta served with fresh berries and finished with fig vincotto (rich and aromatic reduction of Italian crushed grapes with notes of fig) was the sweet ending to a delightful dinner.

Located at 108 E. German St., Maria’s Taqueria serves up one of my favorite snacks: chips and guacamole, and it is good. The quesadilla is large and stuffed with melted cheese and choice of meat, vegetables or beans. Sour cream, pico de gallo and salsa top off the dish. Maria is proud that all of the meat served is sourced locally and raised humanely, without antibiotics or hormones. The plantains with jalapeno aioli is a must. And, a meal here won’t break the bank.

Popcorn lovers must visit Mountaineer Popcorn www.mountaineerpopcorn.com , 102 E. German St., where the non-GMO popcorn is grown in the northern Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia. Popcorn purists will enjoy the traditional theater-style buttered popcorn. Those who want to step it up a notch and explore unique flavors such as dill pickle, loaded baked potato, pizza or buffalo wing will find it here. I enjoyed the cheddar and caramel mix, a tasty blend of sweet and salty. Coming off of July 4th “Freedom Crunch,” is a patriotic pick-me-up; kettle corn that’s enrobed with white chocolate, mixed with Chex cereal, and red, white and blue M& M’s.

A stop at Shepherdstown Sweet Shop & Bakery, www.wvbakery.com 100 W. German St., is perfect for a steaming cappuccino, coffee or freshly baked pastry. The name is deceiving since breakfast and lunch are served as well. You must try the nationally famous holiday stollen, available year-round. I am thankful they ship it, too, since it is the best I have had, and every so often I need to have my “fix.” You, too, will see why, after tasting it; rum-soaked raisins, dates, pecans, combined with sweet butter and specially spiced flour, and hand-shaped around a marzipan center. The baked loaf is brushed with melted butter and rolled in two kinds of sugar. Worth every calorie! The huge and moist macaroons are another favorite. Their breads are worthy of taking home a loaf…. or two, exactly what I did; English muffin bread and sourdough.

Lost Dog Coffee, www.lostdogcoffee.com 134 E. German St., is a popular spot for great coffee drinks and tea. A few sweet treats are available, too. The quirky and eclectic atmosphere with walls adorned with artwork makes it an interesting stop.

Visit Blue Moon Café, www.bluemooncafeshepherdstown.com 200 E High St., when the weather is conducive to outdoor dining. The area has a rushing stream and is covered with arching trees making your dining experience magical. The crab melts (crab and cheddar cheese melted over an English muffin, served in bite-sized wedges) is a dish I recall seeing in many community cookbooks. The eggplant lover I am, I ordered the Kimster (breaded eggplant, basil, pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese melted on a ciabatta roll), piled high, and I savored every bite. The Gobbler (smoked turkey, bacon, Russian dressing, melted Provolone on a Kaiser roll) I was informed is a popular sandwich. Those desiring vegetarian and gluten-free dishes will have many choices.

On the way out of town, a stop at Nutter’s Ice Cream, www.nuttersicecream.com 100 E. Main St., located in nearby Sharpsburg, was highly recommended, so it had to happen. I felt as if I were in a time capsule, based upon the vintage ambience of the interior of the historic building. Dozens of flavors adorn the see-through freezers. To begin the drive home, I opted for a coffee milkshake and the price…a lot less than I am used to. But bring cash, credit cards are not accepted.

For more on Shepherdstown and the surrounding area, visit www.discoveritallwv.com https://shepherdstown.info/

Stephen Fries, is a professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 13 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT. email me at [email protected] For more, go to stephenfries.com.

#shepherdstown #bavarian inn #west virginia #breweries #culinarytravel #travel #bavarianinn #westvirginia

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bookclub4m · 3 years

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Episode 121 - Biology

This episode we’re talking about Biology Non-Fiction! We discuss epidemiology, genetics, microbes, kissing, sex, and more! Plus: using physical bookmarks when reading ebooks!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis

Acquired Traits by Raissa Berg

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us by Sheril Kirshenbaum

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

Clean: The New Science of Skin by James Hamblin

What Happens When You Quit Showering?

Don't Just Sit There: Transitioning to a Standing and Dynamic Workstation for Whole-Body Health by Katy Bowman

Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence by Eric Goodman

The Cure for Everything: Untangling Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness, and Happiness by Timothy Caulfield

Other Media We Mentioned

After Man: A Zoology of the Future by Dougal Dixon

Man After Man: An Anthropology of the Future by Dougal Dixon

The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution by Dougal Dixon

30-Second Biology: The 50 Most Thought-Provoking Theories Of Life, Each Explained In Half A Minute

Know It All Biology: The 50 Most Elemental Concepts in Biology, Each Explained in Under a Minute

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach

If Our Bodies Could Talk: A Guide to Operating and Maintaining a Human Body by James Hamblin

Links, Articles, and Things

Possum Every Hour

Cégep (Wikipedia)

Why Is Poop Brown?

RJ’s Instagram post

Plague doctor (Wikipedia)

Naukograd (science city) (Wikipedia)

Lamarckism (Wikipedia)

Lysenkoism (Wikipedia)

Genetics and The Modern Synthesis: Crash Course History of Science #35

Cybernetics (Wikipedia)

Biology Non-Fiction Books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Science in Black and White: How Biology and Environment Shape Our Racial Divide by Alondra Oubré

The Spectrum of Sex: The Science of Male, Female and Intersex by Hida Viloria and Maria Nieto

Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science by Carol Kaesuk Yoon

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Monarchs and Milkweed: A Migrating Butterfly, a Poisonous Plant, and Their Remarkable Story of Coevolution by Anurag Agrawal

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, 16th we’ll be talking about Bad Book Reading Habits!

Join us again on Tuesday, April 6th we’ll be talking about the genre of Psychological Horror! (With a special guest co-host!)

#genres #episodes #biology #nonfiction

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dc-earth53 · 4 years

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#0003: Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

Age: 48

Occupation: Intergalactic law enforcement, former fighter pilot

Marital status: Single

Known relatives: Martin Jordan (father, deceased), Jessica Jordan (mother, deceased), Larry Jordan (uncle, deceased), Helen Jordan (aunt), Harold “Hal” Jordan (cousin), Jim Jordan (brother), Jack Jordan (brother, deceased), Janice Jordan (sister-in-law, deceased), Jason Jordan (nephew), Helen Jordan (niece), Sue Williams Jordan (sister-in-law), Howie Jordan (nephew), Jane Jordan (niece), Arthur Jordan (nephew).

Group affiliation: Green Lantern Corps, formerly Justice League of America

Base of operations: Oa, Sector 0000

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 186 lbs.

History:

48 years ago: Hal Jordan is born in Coast City to Jessica and Martin Jordan.

33 years ago: Hal meets Carol Ferris, daughter of Ferris Aircraft CEO Carl Ferris. The two have an on-and-off relationship through the years.

30 years ago: 18-year-old Hal enlists in the US Air Force, following in his deceased father’s footsteps and becoming a fighter pilot.

25 years ago: Hal leaves the Air Force and becomes a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft.

20 years ago:

28-year-old Hal comes across the dying Abin Sur, Green Lantern of sector 2814. Jordan is chosen as Sur’s replacement and reports to Oa for training.

Jordan exposes his mentor Thaal Sinestro’s dictatorial subjugation of his home planet. Sinestro is expelled from the Corps and banished to the anti-matter universe.

19 years ago: Jordan becomes a founding member of the Justice League of America after helping to repel an alien invasion.

17 years ago: Jordan first comes into conflict with Carol Ferris, possessed by a violet gem and calling herself Star Sapphire. Afterwards, Jordan and Ferris end their relationship for good.

16 years ago: Jordan travels the United States alongside Green Arrow and Black Canary, helping to tackle social issues.

14 years ago:

Jordan falls in love with Arisia Rrab, Green Lantern of sector 2815. The two of them develop a relationship over the years, but are forced to break up by the Guardians.

Sinestro returns to the positive matter universe, armed with a yellow power ring, and attacks the Green Lantern Corps, only to be fended off by Jordan.

12 years ago: Jordan is exiled to sector 3599 as punishment for failing to protect the rest of his sector outside of Earth. Once he returns to Earth, he resigns from the Corps, leaving his ring to John Stewart.

10 years ago: Hal returns to active duty after an attack from Sinestro. Sinestro is imprisoned in the Central Power Battery on Oa. While this is happening, the yellow fear entity Parallax begins to influence Jordan’s thoughts and actions.

9 years ago: Coast City is destroyed by Mongul while Jordan is off-planet settling a dispute with the Darkstars. Driven mad by grief, Jordan re-creates Coast City with his ring and is brought to trial by the Guardians for selfish use of his powers. Jordan kills the Guardians, Green Lantern Corps, and Sinestro in search of more power, succumbing to the influence of Parallax.

8 years ago: Parallax allies himself with Monarch, conspiring to restart the universe in their image, and is stopped by Earth’s heroes.

7 years ago: In a moment of lucidity, Jordan brings the deceased Oliver Queen back to life and sacrifices his own life to kill a Sun-Eater and re-ignite Earth’s sun.

3 years ago: Jordan is restored to life by the Life Entity following the Blackest Night. He returns to the reformed Green Lantern Corps, but is distrusted by many.

2 years ago: Hal and Sinestro find themselves unlikely allies in fending off an invasion from the anti-matter universe, led by the imprisoned First Lantern, Volthoom.

1 year ago: Jordan finds himself embroiled in a war between the various Lantern Corps and the New Gods of New Genesis, who seek the Life Equation held by the Life Entity to combat the reborn Darkseid.

Present Day: Jordan goes undercover, infiltrating the black ops organization known as the Blackstars to root out a double agent in the Green Lantern Corps.

Commentary:

In weaseling out Hal’s timeline in this universe, there weren’t a ton of roadblocks - New 52 blessed us with a general continuation of Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern story, and that is preserved in part here, although with significant changes. Green Lantern: Rebirth is a fine story, but in sticking to my self-imposed rule of “minimal resurrections”, Hal’s return got pushed back until this universe’s version of Brightest Day, leaving the Sinestro Corps War and other stories around that time period primarily to Kyle Rayner and John Stewart. Hal’s time as the Spectre is also omitted - here his penance for his actions while under the influence of Parallax comes during Final Night and afterwards, when he’s revived by the Life Entity.

Jordan is defined by being kind of a maverick - he’s got willpower to spare, which makes him a great Green Lantern, but that same willpower gives him an independent streak that annoys the Guardians to no end and ultimately leads to his downfall and corruption by Parallax. After he’s brought back to life, this same fierce independence leads him to be distrusted by the Guardians and used only on their most dangerous black-ops missions.

I also decided to keep his relationship with Arisia intact, although it’s less questionable in this timeline, as Arisia is a legal adult from the outset - although there’s still an age gap between them, as Hal is the oldest of the founding Justice League members aside from J’onn. Ultimately, Hal doesn’t have any long-term romantic relationships here, as they tend to end in disaster - a trait he shares with his successor, Kyle Rayner.

As for Hal’s costume, there’s really only one option, and as it’s survived the test of time, it remains here with no notable changes.

Have any questions about Hal or anyone else? Asks are open!

Coming up:

#0004: Aquaman

#0005: Barry Allen

#0006: ????

#dc #dc comics #earth 53 #hal jordan #green lantern #profile

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