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avatarrecom · 8 months

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Sorry that I hit you, I actually love you

Pairing: Poly!recoms x Avatar!reader

Word count: 6.5k

A/N: This is the longest I've ever written lol. This story is sort of a little gift to @whxre-bxby, because I absolutely love their writing and it inspired me to write this story. I also totally did not want to write an enemies to lovers because I wanted to use the tag #foes to bro's to hoes.

There's one reason you came to Pandora. Only one simple reason. To make the people responsible for your brother's death pay. All you have is his name, the name of the man who killed your brother by ordering his helicopter to be shot down. Miles Quaritch. You will break him and everyone he cares about. You don't know how, but you will. get. revenge.

Your brother, Timmy, may he rest in peace, was fourteen years older than you and raised you from the moment you took your first breath. Your parents were even more useless than water was useless to a dead plant. Day in and day out, they were more concerned with getting high than with the two children they forgot they had. When you were four, your brother managed to become your guardian. You moved into the shitty little apartment that was the only one he could afford. Your brother insisted that you get the only bedroom. “Little girls need their own room, Butterfly,” he said before turning the old sagging couch into something that would resemble a bed.

The next few years consisted of school for you, a nine to five job for your brother and evening classes on top of that. After six years, your brother had completed his mechanical engineering degree. Shortly afterwards he told you that he had been offered a military engineer and helicopter pilot position by the RDA. But, for this he would have to go to Pandora. He told you that if he did this he would go to Pandora, his salary would be sent to you and the RDA would get you a caregiver.

And so, when you were only ten years old, he pressed a kiss to the tip of your nose, and left for Pandora. He left you in the care of a wonderful old woman, Helen, who helped you follow your dream of becoming an Avatar Driver. But after less than half a year, you received news that your brother was dead. According to the RDA report, your brother betrayed his own race by helping his fellow pilot, Trudy, free prisoners and fight the RDA. You were devastated. Your only family was gone. The RDA tried to send you to an orphanage. But Helen refused to let you go. Finally, the RDA gave up and let you stay with her. You still followed your dream of becoming an Avatar driver.

Now, sixteen years after your brother's death, you have finally arrived on Pandora.

And oh man, was it a shock when you arrived and found out you were joining the squad of the man who killed your brother. You didn't expect it to be this easy. You were supposed to meet him and his squad in your Avatar body. By now you were used to being ten feet tall, having a tail and having better hearing, sight and smell.

After changing into cargo shorts and a sports bra, you make your way to the 'Recombinant' quarters. You will find your new squad in the gym, training. You immediately spot the person you are here for. Miles Quaritch. He lies on his back on a bench and pushes the heavy weights above him. A bald man stands by his head, hands ready to take over the weights if it gets too heavy. Your gaze shifts to the other blue bodies and everyone is focused on their exercises. You see a woman with corn braids and a headband curling a dumbbell while she talks to a woman with a mohawk who is doing push-ups. To your right, you see a man wearing a bandana sparring with a man covered in tattoos. In the corner of the room, three men are doing pull-ups on the bars hanging between the walls. And finally a man wearing sunglasses 'who the hell wears sunglasses indoors' is running on a treadmill.

No one notices you because of the loud music coming from the speakers, so you knock loudly on the door behind you. Several eyes shoot your way. You feel uncomfortable with all the attention on you. "And who might you be," purrs Quaritch with a nasty grin. “Y/N,” you answer, trying not to lose your temper. Nothing could have prepared you to come face to face with your brother's killer.

Quaritch's eyes widen in realization. "You're the new addition to the squad." You nod stiffly and clasp your hands behind your back. The bald man lets out a loud laugh. "Relax, beautiful, we don't bite." The woman with the dumbbell hits him on the head and says something about men and testosterone to the other woman, who laughs in response.

Quaritch walks towards you, his posture commanding respect and obedience. "Colonel Miles Quaritch," he holds out his hand, "Pleasure to have you." You force a bitter smile and shake his hand. “I wish I could say the same.” You see everyone looking at you in shock. You give them an icy look.

Quaritch's stupid grin only widens as he takes you in. "I see, you're one of those." “One of those what,” you snap. "It doesn't matter, we'll break that behavior out of you." He steps aside and you roll your eyes so he doesn't see it. “So Y/N, meet the squad,” He gestures to the others. "The bald one is my second, Corporal Lyle Wainfleet." Lyle and the two women look at you with an almost disgusted look. "The two ladies are Walker and Z-dog."

Quaritch gestured to the men sparring before your entrance, “That's Prager and Lopez.” Bandana looks at you suspiciously and the tattooed one looks at you with a feral grin that makes him look like one of those hyenas from the Lion King. “Brown, Ja and Fike are at the bars and that's Mansk,” Quaritch finishes. "Come on guys, meet our new victim."

Quaritch gestured to the men sparring before your entrance, “That's Prager and Lopez.” One looks suspiciously and the other looks at you with a feral grin that makes him look like one of those hyenas from the Lion King. “Brown, Ja and Fike are at the bars and that's Mansk,” Quaritch finishes. "Come on guys, meet our new victim." With that he walks out of the gym. You stare hatefully at his retreating back. When he's out of sight and you turn your attention back to the rest of your squad, you see them staring at you with equal hatred.

“So,” Lyle begins, “what the hell is your problem.” “That ain't your damn business,” you reply. Lyle grins at his friends. “Women shouldn't curse,” says the tattooed man with a shit-eating grin. You roll your eyes, “Get fucked.” He blinks in surprise, but doesn't answer. You turn your back to the group and walk out of the gym.

The next few weeks were absolute hell for you. You were trained as a medic in addition to your Avatar training. You had absolutely no experience in hand to hand combat and weapons. It didn't help that your squad took pleasure in seeing you suffer. Quaritch forced you to do five hundred push-ups every morning, to run for at least an hour, and many other exercises that completely exhausted you. In the afternoon the squad would take you around and kick your ass in hand-to-hand combat. After a few days you were already covered in bruises. You already had a bruised ankle and you had muscle pain in muscles you didn't even know existed.

And of course the favorite passage of time outside of training was to make your life miserable. You lost count of how many times they 'accidentally' slammed you into the wall, how many times they 'accidentally' stepped on your tail and 'accidentally' stepped on your ankles, especially your bruised ankle. They threw the most uncreative insults at you. You simply ignored them and continued to perfect your revenge plan.

About three months after you met and three months of absolute hell, you walked to the cafeteria in your 'human body'. You were so deep in thought that you didn't realize you were bumping into someone. To be specific, a ten foot tall and blue, someone. “Oh shit, sorry,” you heard someone say as a blue hand held your arm so you could regain your balance. You look up and see that Brown was holding your arm. He tilts his head and looks at you confused. "Have we met yet? You look familiar, beautiful." Your other tormentors watch you with interest, you shiver as they sweep their gazes over your body, and you don't shiver in a good way, the way that makes you feel the heat in your core. "Wait, I know you, you're the girl of my dreams!"

You jerk your arm from his grip and scoff, “that's funny, because this feels like my nightmare.” Immediately the eyes of the blue creatures in front of you darken. “Wait, Y/N?!” Walker says in surprise. You roll your eyes and nod. Everyone's eyes widen in shock. Just as you're about to walk away, you hear Lyle, "Y/N, wait." Normally you would have just kept walking, but something in his voice catches your attention. You sigh and turn back to the Recoms, who are studying you in shock. “What,” you snap.

"Timmy was your brother," Z-dog says breathlessly. You detect a slight tremor in her voice, but pay it no mind as the rage takes over your body. “Don't say his name,” you snarl between clenched teeth. “Don't you dare ever say his name,” everything you're feeling right now is the most intense you've ever felt. Your anger is mixed with grief and sadness. You don't even realize that tears are streaming down your face. "He is dead!" you shout, unable to keep your pent-up emotions in check. "And it's all your fault!" "What's going on here," you hear an angry voice command.

In your anger you turn to the colonel, who stops slightly in his steps, thrown off by the angry tears on your face. You vaguely hear someone in the background saying that Timmy was your brother. "DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" you roar. “HE IS DEAD, HE WAS MY ONLY FAMILY, THE ONLY ONE WHO CARED ABOUT ME AND HE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!” You break more and more with every word.

Before anyone can say anything else, you storm off. Luckily no one comes after you. After rushing into your room, you collapse against the wall, exhausted. You shouldn't have gone to the cafeteria in your human body. You should have stayed in your Avatar body, then they would never have realized who you really were. Shit, if you take revenge now, they'll immediately suspect you after your public emotional explosion in the hallway. You drop your head into your hands and sigh. Then you fall asleep on the floor, completely exhausted from the recent events.

When you wake up, you are determined to continue with your plan. It doesn't matter if they actually knew your brother personally, he was your brother and he's dead because of them.

You manage to avoid your squad for a few days. You skip the daily training and don't answer when one of them comes knocking on your door. That surprises you, you expected them to be happy to be rid of you temporarily. But then again, they probably have Quaritch's orders to convince you to act like nothing's wrong. They would probably be in trouble if the bigwigs found out that they were the ones who kept damaging your Avatar body.

After about a week you appeared back in the gym in your Avatar body. The Recoms look at you without the usual hatred in their eyes. “Y/N, how nice that you're joining us, not so nice that you're a week late,” Quaritch speaks and he too looks at you without the usual hatred. You roll your eyes, “Come on, who wants to go first,” you challenge, eager to let your energy out, preferably on something that could hurt the Recoms.

Brown steps forward. You wrap your hands and walk to the mat, Brown on your heels. When Quaritch gives the signal that you can start, you jump into action. You deliver several quick punches to Brown’s vulnerable spots. Normally he would have already blocked them and thrown you onto your back, pressing his weight on your throat with his knee. Normally he wouldn't remove his knee, even if, according to the rules, you tapped the mat three times because you couldn't breathe. Normally he would only remove his knee from your throat when you almost faint from the lack of oxygen.

But this time it's different. He lets you hit him, does the minimum to block you. This only makes you angry. "Come on, fight back!" you shout. He doesn't show that he heard you, he just keeps avoiding you and doesn't do anything to fight back. "Come on! Do something!" you shout again.

Your emotions completely overwhelm you, you don't understand anything anymore. At first they looked at you with hatred and did their best to make your life a living hell, which isn't that strange since you were a bitch. Then they find out who your brother was and suddenly they look at you with sadness and pity and they are reserved, as if they didn't want to torment you anymore. As if the fact that Timmy was your brother suddenly changed everything.

With every punch you get angrier and angrier. Suddenly you see red and you snap. You get so angry that you grab Brown by the base of his queue, pull him down and slam your knee into his face. You feel his nose break and you faintly hear Quaritch yelling in the background for you to stop. It's like you're underwater, everything is muffled and you can't stop. You hit harder and harder. Brown leans on his knees and tries to block you as much as possible while also trying to stop his bleeding nose.

You feel someone wrap their arms around your waist and pull you away from Brown. You continue to fight and struggle to get out of the grip on your waist. Ja is seen kneeling in front of Brown and taking off his t-shirt to gently press it against his nose, hoping to slow the bleeding. The person with his arms around your waist roughly throws you to the ground, you land wrongly on your newly healed ankle and fall to the ground. You hold your ankle with your jaw clenched.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?!” Quaritch sneers. Before you can answer he continues, his voice louder with each word. "Stop your pathetic crying and get out of my sight!" You rub your cheeks and find that they are damp, you didn't even realize you were crying. You carefully stand up, careful not to put too much weight on your probably bruised ankle again. You look at the others and see that they are looking at you with anger and sadness. Just before you walk out the door you hear Quaritch coldly say, "If you know what's good for you, you won't come back until I say so." With one last look at the bleeding Brown, you walk out the door.

You stumble back to the Avatar's quarters and you sink onto your Avatar's bed and close your eyes. When you open your eyes again, you are lying in the link bed. The moment the bed opens, you quickly get up and forget about your bruised ankle. For the second time today your ankle collapses. The scientists look at you, but do nothing to help you. You manage to pull yourself up and limp out of the lab. Every scientist you walk past looks at you with disgust.

The nerds refuse to help you. After yet another injury, they gave up and left you to your fate. "Good," you think bitterly, "I don't need those know-it-alls, I can take care of myself." But deep down you know that's not true, right now you need your brother more than you ever needed him after he passed away.

You manage to avoid the busy hallways, limping to your room. The moment the door closes behind you you start screaming. You blindly grab the first object you feel, your favorite mug, and throw it across the room against the wall. Then you throw the next object, the book you were reading. You almost destroy your entire room and you keep screaming until your throat is so raw that no sound comes out. You don't even realize how much time has passed.

You grab another object and want to throw it against the wall when you see what it is. A photo frame with a photo of you and your brother. God, you seemed so happy then, together in your own little world. You hug the picture frame close to your chest and sink along the wall to the floor, crying. All the grief you have built up in you over the past few years is finally coming out.

It's already dark outside when your door opens. You start telling whoever it is to fuck off, but no sound comes out of your throat. You're so tired and in so much pain that you don't have the energy to do anything about the unwanted person who comes into your room. All you can do is stare blankly into space as the tears continue to flow.

You faintly hear footsteps in your room and out of the corner of your eye you see a large blue figure crouching on the floor next to you. You feel yourself being pulled into someone's blue arms, but you don't have the energy to protest, you barely have the energy to move your eyes. The blue arms gently lay you down on your bed. Through your blurred eyes you vaguely recognize Yes. Past him you'll see Walker and Mansk trying to salvage some of your destroyed room. Then Lopez walks in, pausing in shock when he sees the state of your room. His eyes land on Ja and your exhausted form. He approaches the two of you carefully and hands Ja a white box with a red cross.

You vaguely realize that Ja is putting ice on your ankle, that he is using an alcohol wipe to clean the wounds that you didn't even realize you had. He grabs a pair of tweezers and starts removing the pieces of glass from your wounds. You feel so numb that you don't even feel the pain. The mattress moves and you see Prager sit on the edge of your bed.

He waits until Ja has cleaned and bandaged your hands before handing you a steaming mug. "It's chamomile tea with honey. It's soothing and will help with your sore throat." When you don't respond and just stare blankly at him, he puts the mug on the nightstand next to your bed.

You don't react yet until you see Ja with a syringe in his hands. You start to struggle and try to scream, but only a rasp comes from your throat. "Hey, hey, calm down." Ja holds his hands up. You curl up on your bed in the corner of your room, wide-eyed, shaking and ignoring the blood through the bandages. “Hey, read the name of the drug,” Ja says calmly and holds the bottle out to you. You relax slightly when you see that it is a sedative.

Yes, he brings the syringe with the drug to your arm and if you don't protest, he pushes the needle into your arm and allows the drug to flow into your system. Your eyes become heavy and you fall into a dreamless sleep.

When you wake up again it is still dark outside. You roll your head to the side and see part of your squad, or it's probably your old squad by now, sitting in various places on the floor in your room. A painful, rough growl erupts from your throat as you feel blades shooting through your skull with the movement of your head. Immediately seven heads shoot towards your weak form.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" you hear Ja ask softly. You try to answer, but your throat is so dry that no words come out. Prager offers you the still steaming cup of tea, you sit up a little and take it gratefully. The first sip immediately soothes your sore throat. You look at Ja and say a soft "Okay." Ja sighs in relief and runs a tired hand through his hair.

"What time is it?" you ask softly. Prager looks at his watch, "zero three hundred." ‘Did I sleep that short?’ you think to yourself 'I feel like I've been hibernating.' Prager sees your questioning look and informs you that your training session and outburst was the day before yesterday and that you slept for over twenty-four hours. In the meantime, Ja has taken care of all your injuries, both your bruised ankle, which was completely swollen and blue because you didn't treat it right away and put too much strain on it during your outburst, and all the wounds from broken glass. Apparently you sat with your thigh in a pile of glass, which is how you got a large wound on your leg.

Z-dog, Walker, Mansk, Fike and Lopez cleaned up your room as much as possible and they even had to scrub blood from the floor, walls and furniture. They threw away all the broken items and even replaced some broken items. On the small counter you see your favorite mug, the one that was the first thing you broke. Lopez says that he and Fike did their best to glue it together as best they could, but it's not how it once was.

Apparently Prager didn't help clean up and just sat by your bed. He only got up to make you a new cup of chamomile tea with honey every time the tea started to get lukewarm, so that when you woke up you could immediately drink the warm tea if you wanted. According to Walker, he made dozens of cups of tea.

There is an awkward silence. “We have something to tell you,” Prager begins. The others move closer until they sit in a semicircle around your bed. You look at them questioningly and suspiciously. “We knew your brother,” Fike mutters under his breath. Lopez jabs him hard in the side and tells him to shut up. You try to sit upright as much as possible. "What?" you rasp.

Walker reaches out to you, as if to reassure you, but her hand stops in mid-air. Finally, she places her hand next to you on the bed, palm up, as if offering for you to take her hand if you want, if you need it. "It's true, we knew him," she says softly, "we knew him one day..." she trails off a bit and looks at the others uncertainly. “We knew him on a very, very personal level,” Ja continued.

You look at everyone in confusion. The Recoms see your confused look, but don't know how to respond. "We loved him," Ja said uncertainly. Your eyes start to water again, but you wipe them away roughly, you've cried enough. “What do you mean, you guys loved him,” you demand. Yes sigh, "we met him when he arrived on Pandora, he joined our squad as an engineer and Marine." You feel a pressure in your chest and you realize that you have replaced your brother in the squad.

"It didn't take long for us all to fall in love with him," Prager explains further and the others nod in agreement, "Miles, Lyle and Brown too." "He chose to go with Jake Sully to warn the Na'vi." Your emotions rise higher and higher, not only yours, also those of the Recoms. "We didn't know he was in the helicopter with Trudy, we really didn't know, otherwise Miles would never have given the order to shoot down the helicopter." You risk a look at the blue aliens and see the grief and sadness in their eyes and realize that they really loved him.

"Can you please leave me alone for a moment?" you whisper softly. The Recoms look at each other uncertainly, but decide to leave you alone. Mansk and Walker will stand outside your door so that in case you have another emotional breakdown, they will hear and they can help you.

As soon as you are alone, you start to cry softly again. And instead of having an emotional breakdown, you curl up in a ball on the corner of your bed and cry quietly so no one can hear. You are still so exhausted by all the emotions that you soon fall asleep again.

When you wake up again, you see that it is now daytime again. You stand up, careful not to step on your bruised ankle, and you hop to the sink. In the mirror you see that your eyes are red and swollen from crying. You also have a large cut on from the bottom of your jaw to the side of your nose, right under your eye. You look like complete shit.

You struggle out of your clothes and stop when you see all the wounds on your naked body. You didn't realize it was that serious. You carefully put on clean clothes. As you carefully hop out the door, you see Mansk and Walker still standing outside the door. They ignore all the confused looks from those passing by and focus their attention on you. They look at you with concern and mild concern.

"The colonel asked if we would take you to the Recom quarters when you were awake," Mansk informs, his voice, as always, devoid of emotion. You nod doubtfully and expect him to tell you that he is sending you back to earth. Mansk and Walker walk quickly in front of you, not realizing that you can't keep up with their bruised ankle and their long legs. Walker quickly realizes that you are a long way behind them and lightly hits Mansk on the arm, signaling that you cannot walk fast. The female Recom walks back to you to offer her support if you need it, while Mansk waits patiently for you to catch up.

The two slowly guide you to their living quarters. When you finally stagger into their living room, you see the rest of the squad sitting tensely in various places around the room. Your gaze shifts to Brown, who is lying on the couch with his swollen nose in bandages. You immediately feel guilty, you shouldn't have taken out your anger and all your other pent-up emotions on him.

You hear someone clear their throat and look up at Quaritch, who is staring at you intensely. You had never been in such a tense situation in your human body around the Recoms before, they only make you feel smaller. Quaritch sighs tiredly and gestures for you to sit on the couch, after a struggle and help from Walker you finally sit on the couch.

Quaritch sits across from you, resting his elbows on his knees. "What they told you is true," he begins, "we really loved your brother and we miss him every day. If I…" he trails off. "If I had known he was in that helicopter, I would never have given the order," he looks genuinely remorseful. “Here,” Lyle says, holding out a piece of photo to you. The photo shows the Recoms, in their deceased human bodies, and in the center, with Lyle's lips on his left cheek, Brown's on his right, and Lopez with his hyena grin hanging over his head, is your brother. He has the widest and happiest smile you have ever seen on his face. You don't know why, but suddenly you're sure he loved them, you believe the Recoms. Your brother was always an excellent judge of character and if he loved them too, as you see in the photo, you believe he was happy with them.

You give the photo back to Lyle and he offers you another photo. Another photo of your brother, this time he is sitting in the pilot seat of a helicopter with a toothy, silly grin. You smile sadly at the photo and hand it back to Lyle. He shakes his head, "keep the photo, we have several copies."

“We should never have treated you this way,” Quaritch says firmly. "We didn't know Timmy was your brother and I know it's not an excuse, but I'm sure we would have been different if we had known." You laugh softly and see the confused, slightly offended look in their eyes. "I was a bitch to you and besides, I came here planning to kill you all as revenge for what you did to my brother." You take in the shocked looks, slightly enjoying it. "I don't think I'll do it again, Timmy wouldn't want to."

“You know,” Lyle begins, “Your brother told us all about you, he loved you so much and he was so proud of you.” You smile sadly. "I know." "He also said he always called you butterfly, why was that?" Walker asks. "Our parents always called me an ugly duckling, so my brother started calling me butterfly, because a caterpillar blossoms into a beautiful butterfly." It was always your most favorite nickname anyone had ever given you. “And as a kid I was always hyper and he said I was always fluttering around like a butterfly.”

You suddenly frown and turn your attention to Brown. "I'm sorry, I should never have lost my temper to the extent that I hurt you." Brown looks at you in surprise. "Seriously?" he asks angrily and you recoil. "We have tormented you for weeks, months and you apologize to me?!" he asks incredulously. "And besides, I deserved it, I think we all deserve a broken nose, probably worse."

"Absolutely not, I don't want to deal with nine broken noses plus my own, we will pay for our actions in another way." Protested Yes. Brown pouts, "but if my nose heals wrong, at least I'm not the only one with an ugly, crooked nose." You smile and feel yourself relax slightly.

The following hours and then even weeks consist of exchanging stories about Timmy. Sometimes you laugh, like your story about his baking attempt for your eighth birthday that resulted in a cake literally exploding. And sometimes you cry, like their story about how he curled up next to them at movie night, just like you always did with him.

In addition, every Recoms continues to apologize every day. Ja personally sees to it that you heal completely, while he also has to listen to Brown's whining about his nose.

You slowly warm up to the Recoms, seeing and appreciating their efforts to earn your forgiveness. But after a few weeks you also start to feel things that you don't know how to feel. Every time Ja gently holds your chin in his hand to tend to the cut on your face, you feel his touch long after he lets you go. Every time Walker deliberately walks next to you to offer you support when you need it, you can't stop blushing.

It feels wrong, falling for your dead brother's lovers. It feels wrong, but also so good. You have decided to ignore your feelings, you have convinced yourself that they will go away on their own. But you didn't know that the Recoms feel the same way. Not because you are part of your brother, but because you are simply a wonderful person.

About five months after your breakdown, you and the squad are on a mission in the Hallelujah Mountains when you are suddenly attacked by several Thanators. You scatter in different directions, hoping to get rid of the Thanators with minimal casualties. You run with Prager and Z-dog through the thick jungle, fleeing from the two Thanators who are chasing you. The three of you don't have much luck when you stumble upon atop a waterfall on the edge of a high cliff.

You look around in panic, looking for a way out as the Thanators get closer and closer. "We have to jump!" Z-dog shouts. "WHAT?!" you shout back. "JUMP!" she shouts again as she grabs your hand and pulls you off the cliff. You scream all the way down to the lake at the bottom of the waterfall. Fortunately, the Thanators do not follow.

When you finally manage to get to the beach at the edge of the lake, you see Prager lying on his back in the sand, chest heaving. “Prager, are you okay?” you ask worriedly, slipping into the role of medic. Prager gives a tired thumbs up, "Let's never do that again." You hear sputtering behind you and see Z-dog walking onto the beach, her mohawk hanging wet in her face with a pissed off expression.

The two of you plop down on the sand next to Prager and let your clothes dry in the sun. After a while you hear sounds in the jungle, sounds that are getting closer. Prager and Z-dog are immediately in a crouching position. Prager pushes you behind him as he and Z-dog point their guns in the direction the sounds are coming from. "You don't think the Thanators found us, do you?" you ask nervously.

Then the rest of the squad bursts onto the mini beach. Quaritch sighs in relief when he sees the three of you. “Thank god, I thought something had happened to you guys when you didn't come back,” he studies you carefully, “why are you guys so wet?” Z-dog explains what happened and the rest look at you in shock. Quaritch walks over to you and gently takes your chin in his hands. "Are you OK?" he asks worriedly. You nod reassuringly. Quaritch sighs in relief and rests his forehead against yours.

“Thank god, I was worried about you my love,” you look up abruptly when you hear the nickname. Quaritch himself seems shocked at what he called you. You see the rest of the Recoms with the same look, until Fike breaks the silence, "why are we surprised, we all already knew we fell for her?" Lopez sighs in annoyance, "Yes, but she didn't know that."

"You guys fell for me?" you ask in shock. Quaritch rubs his neck uncomfortably. “Yes, we know it's weird because of your brother, but we can't help it.” "And the biology of the Na'vi is different, we can't control ourselves if we find someone attractive." Ja explains.

In addition, every Recoms continues to apologize every day. Ja personally sees to it that you heal completely, while he also has to listen to Brown's whining about his nose.

About five months after your collapse, you and the squad are on a mission in the Hallelujah Mountains when you are suddenly attacked by several Thanators. You scatter in different directions, hoping to get rid of the Thanators with minimal casualties. You run with Prager and Z-dog through the thick jungle, fleeing from the two Thanators who are chasing you. The three of you don't have much luck when you stumble upon atop a waterfall on the edge of a high cliff.

You look around in panic, looking for a way out as the Thanators get closer and closer. "We have to jump!" Z-dog shouts. "WHAT?!" you shout back. "TO JUMP!" she shouts again as she grabs your hand and pulls you off the cliff. You scream all the way down to the lake at the bottom of the waterfall. Fortunately, the Thanators do not follow.

When you finally manage to get to the beach at the edge of the lake, you see Prager lying on his back in the sand, chest heaving. “Prager, are you okay?” you ask worriedly, slipping into the role of medic. Prager gives a thumbs up, "Let's never do that again." You hear sputtering behind you and see Z-dog walking onto the beach, her mohawk hanging wet in her face with a pissed off expression.

Their eyes slide over your body with interest as they see how your body reacts to their confession. And this time, when you feel yourself shivering, you also feel the heat pooling in your core.

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paradlselost · 2 months

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CRIMSON.

JOHN SEED X FEMALE DEPUTY

Sort of a dump, I was really debating on just publishing this as a WIP but I was halfway through the smut and decided to just finish it. Not my best, but I tried to go for a more canon accurate John, which means he’s a major freak in this sorry :/

I mentioned it in the fic but didn’t go too deep, I kinda love toying with the idea of a more selfish deputy - humanizing them. If I were to ever write a longer fic with more of an oc-ized version of the deputy would anyone read? Let me know.

I probably won’t post about John Seed or FC5 for a little while after this. I have ideas for a Black Noir (my bbg) fic and then a Father Paul Hill one from Midnight Mass cause I love religious trauma as y’all can tell. I do also like indoctrinated!deputy so maybe maybe eventually I write about that.

2.7k words

content warnings: mentions of cutting into flesh. smut — dubcon, choking, blood play (John being a freak sorry), dryhumping, oral (m receiving), fingering, debauchery in a house of God.

She should’ve known from the start, when the crackle of her radio sounded, interjecting her music with his voice; that this request was nothing but trouble. But rage had blinded her, wrath seeped into every pore in her body, selfishness.

It was never the Deputy’s plan to become the symbol for the resistance, even after the blades of the helicopter stopped, and smoke and fire billowed out from the engine. Even after Dutch saved her and enlisted her help, and despite the stories from countless other resistance members, she only really had one prerogative; save her friends.

Hudson, Pratt, Whitehorse. Trapped in the claws of the cult, it was her duty to get them back, and despite the help she had been giving to the resistance, those were the only three people she cared about.

He knew this, stalking her like a cat preparing to pounce, he watched every facet of her life from the moment she ventured into Holland Valley that he could. A selfish little thing, ripe for his obsession.

John Seed was a proud man, bold and brave as he had so eloquently begged Jacob to put in his song. His pedestal as a Herald inflated his ego, the knowledge that without him Eden’s Gate wouldn’t have prospered nearly as much fueled his narcissism, which is why he surrounded himself with only the peggies who would do anything for him.

He isn’t sure whether new members are supposed to pledge their lives to him and the cult, but it sounds so sweet when the floor pools with the blood of their atonement and he coaxes those little words from his new followers' lips. His tongue is coated in silver, he loves this new power, and she threatens to take that from him.

He knew she wouldn’t be as proactive if he crooned to her that he had a resistance member or two, and she would swing in guns blazing if he claimed to have Hudson right beside him. So, instead he played on her curiosity, that little nudge in the back of her mind that forced her to seek him out whenever he called. Like a moth to a flame.

“Fuck you, Seed!” Voice so filled with venom it might’ve burned a hole in the floor, he tilted his head at her profanity, a sadistic grin playing on his face.

Hope County was filled with little white churches, chapels with steeples that attempted to reach to the heavens above. She assumed they were much more lively before, now most were barren except on Sundays, when the peggies who could not fit onto Joseph’s compound would listen to him under random roofs of God.

This. He chose to be under the white ceiling specifically, to call her into the thing she had been fighting against. To hear her screams echo against the chipped painting that decorated the walls, for her blood to be stained on the old wooden floorboards.

Curiosity killed the cat. She was stupid enough to venture into his trap, falling to the ground when hit hard enough over the head, and now she was stupid enough to attempt to fight off the peggies that held either arm.

“Such profanity. You’re in a house of God, Deputy, mind your tongue.” He scolded her as if she was a misbehaving child, as if everything she had ever done could be chalked up to that. A spoiled rotten brat.

His fingers danced over the tools he had brought with him, his trusty tattoo gun being at the top, but an assortment of knives he also deemed fit for this occasion. Oh, the blood she would spill for him, he became giddy at the thought.

“Get off of me-! Woah woah woah- hey stop!” Yelping, she still attempted to fight off the peggies that held her arms, she shied away when he advanced toward her, tattoo gun in his hands. He had tried this before, she knew what he was doing.

“No one here to help you now, Wrath. Don’t try and fight, your atonement will hurt much less if you cooperate.” He was too calm for this situation, a practiced art he had been through hundreds of times. It was a skill, making people spill their most intimate secrets, a skill he had perfected.

The Deputy was a fighter, through and through, though John could understand Jacobs words. She was weak without her companions, without pastor Jerome stealing her from her atonement, or Nick Rye strafing his armed convoy, she was nothing now - and it was almost endearing to him.

With her hands bound, she resorted to spitting that same venom that she held in her words, marking his perfect face with her saliva. He grimaced, wiping it off his cheek before it trailed down to his beard, pretty blue eyes flashing with that same bloodlust that dictated his every waking moment.

It was shocking to even the peggies that held her when he grabbed her by her throat, pinning her to the ground and straddling her hips. His hands shook with anger - the same wrath that he deemed consumed her now making an appearance in himself. Two sides of the same coin, two heads of a snake.

Her head ached now, body feeling as though it was echoing. A second blow to the back of her head that surely would’ve knocked her out if the pain of his tattoo gun wasn’t keeping her grounded. She didn’t know how fast he had ripped her shirt, or how long it would take for him to carve her skin, but she was reduced to pained whines and pleas for him to stop.

And he relished in the noises she made. The blood that covered his hands and trickled down her chest wasn’t an unusual sight for the herald - but her being the one under him made it all the more exciting. His Deputy, his wrath, his perfect rival. The peggies that stood above him now didn’t matter, and what are they to him anyways? Expendable followers he could use, the Deputy was everything.

“Yes yes, c’mon, keep pleading…” How could he help it? Her eyes half lidded as she looked up at him, hands no longer bound by the peggies now loosely grabbing the wrist that held the tattoo gun in an attempt to stop him. She looked so pathetic under him, so why shouldn’t he grind himself against her when his pants were so uncomfortably tight?

Her words didn’t quite reach his ears, not as he waved his followers out - who hurriedly scrambled in embarrassment. The old church was silent, save for her soft sobs and his intense breathing. His hand still placed over her neck made her choke on her words, which only fueled his desire. He could crush her windpipe, her life rested in his hands, and maybe he would’ve if the nagging reminder that she was the only way he was getting into New Eden wasn’t playing in the back of his head.

His ticket, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun with her.

He removed his hand from her neck as he finished carving into her pretty skin. WRATH, her own personal scarlet letters. He hummed, looking down at her with lustful eyes, fluttering between hers and the blood that pooled on her chest and trickled down her body to the wooden floor below.

She hated the feeling that bubbled in her chest as the pain subsided, now only a dull ache danced with the look he gave her, how he rubbed the tent made in his pants against her. No doubt, a mark had been left on her neck - his handprint, a reminder. The world felt silent at this moment, when she should've pushed him off.

Selfishness. Prioritizing that small ache he gave her over what she should be doing. Finding anything to act as a weapon against him.

But she didn’t, not as his head lowered and she was greeted with his perfectly slicked back hair, shaking hands reaching to play with a strand. A soft grumble came from his throat, tongue lapping at the blood that trickled down the valley of her chest, tasting what he had drawn out of her.

“What are you doing-?” Her voice was soft, he barely heard it over the ringing in his ears. Too long had he been subjected to resorting to his hand when he thought about her, or messing up his silk pillowcases with his pretty ropes when she teased him over the radio. He had her under him, he wasn’t going to let her go now.

“Shh.” His voice was more scolding then he meant it to be, his tongue traveling from the blood he lapped at down to her budding nipple. He wasn’t gentle, and why should he be? After everything she had messed up for him, he felt it justified to bite down on her pretty flesh, pulling at the bud as much as he wanted.

He relished in the pretty, pained moans that fell from her lips, how her back arched into it. Two sides of the same coin, both reveling in whatever pain was brought to them.

The Deputy’s head tilted back, allowing him a chance to latch onto her neck as a vampire would, smearing the blood on his lips all over her pretty skin. He bit, marking her with his teeth over the forming bruises from his handprint. His hands, decorated in the crimson from his hold on the tattoo gun traveled down her body, painting her in her own red.

He slipped his hand below the rough fabric of her jeans, being met with a contrast, soft and delicate and slightly damp. A soft grumble left his lips at the feeling; which were still pressed against her pretty neck. He felt the way her breath hitched as he ran digits over her most delicate areas. Being so close to her neck, he felt how her muscles tightened and how her breath hitched in her throat.

Lifting her hips to meet his tattooed fingers, a small admission of need. She bit her bottom lip to suppress the noises that tempted to fall from her lips - not wanting to give him the satisfaction. They were still enemies, still rivals, at least to her.

John on the other hand seemed to be on cloud nine, relishing in how she moved against his hand, grinding herself through the fabric of her underwear. He bit down once more, slipping her out of her jeans and grabbing her hips, sitting up and pressing his pelvis against hers.

“John- John cmon…” Head thrown back, panting as she grabbed at the blue silk of his top. He tilted his head down at her, a sadistic smirk playing on his features.

He always took what he wanted, no matter who it was, and the Deputy was no exception to this. To him, it was God's Grace that placed them both here, that gave him the opportunity to rut his hips against hers.

The bulge in his covered jeans met her underwear, fucking himself against her covered cunt. He leaned down overtop of her, panting against her ear. Hot breath on her neck, the sounds of his soft moans mixing with his heavy breaths, and of course his restricted cock grazing just over her clit every couple of thrusts, it was enough to make any girl's eyes roll back.

He stopped, only for a moment, but long enough for her to let out a needy whine, lifting her head to see what he was doing. Tattooed fingers worked the EG belt off, letting his pants pool at his ankles. He wasted no time once they were off, underwear meeting underwear as the outline of his dick was much more pronounced.

“Fuck fuck, put your head back. Fucking-… good girl.” He groaned out, one hand leaving her hips and grabbing at her pretty hair, pulling her head back against the cold wooden floor of the church. She ached, head pounding and echoing from the injuries earlier - but the feeling of him fucking himself against her needy cunt kept her grounded.

In this moment, she needed him, needed this feeling to not pass out.

He tilted his own head back, sweat casting a slick sheen over his skin. A hand dipped against the drying blood on her chest, gathering what he could over his fingertips before bringing them to his lips, sucking on the bloodied digits. He groaned around his fingers, muffling the moans that threatened to fall.

The head of his cock strained against the blue fabric of his boxers, hips thrusting sloppily against her as his hand tightened on her hips, leaving pretty marks in his wake. One thrust, another thrust, and finally another before white pooled at the head, spurting out of the tiny holes in his underwear.

Panting, he finally moved his fingers out of his mouth, cleaned off the blood and tilted his head down at her almost mockingly; he got to finish, the cum that leaked from his underwear dripping down onto hers, and she didn’t get to. He relished in that, that power he had over her.

“H-hey! Not fair!”

“Oh, Deputy. Come here, maybe I’ll let you get off.”

He grinned as he stood up, fixing himself before moving back onto one of the pews, watching her scramble over to him. He had her eating out of the palm of his hand as she kneeled in front of him. Her head pounded harder, eyes a little woozy.

“Poor baby, rest your head, sweetheart.” He teased, a sadistic grin on his face as she nodded and rested against his thigh, looking up at him with those pretty eyes of hers. He couldn’t help himself, not if she looked so pretty right there in his grasp.

He tangled his fingers in her hair, watching her confused expression as he moved the blue fabric off of his legs, dick springing up as it was freed from the confinement of his underwear. Guiding her head over it, watching her part her pretty lips to suck on his leaking tip.

Milking his cock, swallowing the spurts of salty seed that spilled onto her tongue. She drained him for all he’s worth, looking up at him as he ran his fingers through her hair. He was soft and gentle in this moment, noises falling from his lips that told her how good she was doing. She shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be sucking off John Seed of all people.

He grinned as he watched her, once he was satisfied with the way she suckled on him, he grabbed her chin and pulled her off of him. Guiding her up to her feet, he let her loom over him. She wasn’t intimidating like this, he didn’t know if it was because he had just fucked her over their clothes or because she was relying on him for an orgasm, but she seemed almost adorable.

His lips found her neck once more as she leaned against him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. He forced her to stand, to spread her legs to allow his fingers to feel the now wet fabric of her panties. He hummed in satisfaction, moving them aside and tracing a finger over her slick folds.

A soft gasp left her lips, grabbing onto his shoulder and attempting to move back to look him in the eye. He grumbled, forcing her in that same position as he bit down on her neck, pushing a finger inside of her at the same time. He loved the moans that fell from her lips as he pumped a digit deeper inside of her.

Another finger stretched her out, deep enough to hit those nerves that made her legs tremble. She whined, shaking against him and propping herself up as he continued to pump in and out of her. He pulled away from her neck for only a moment, watching the way she buried her face against him and laughing softly.

He added one more finger before her legs fully began to tremble, grabbing onto his shoulder. Pumping more, fully reaching those nerves, which caused her to spasm around him, her orgasm flooding around his fingers. She rocked against him once or twice, chasing her high.

“Look at you, Deputy, needing me. Did I make you feel good? Use your words.”

#far cry 5 #john seed x deputy #john seed x female deputy #smut #john seed #</3 #fc5

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bingoboingobongo · 1 year

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task force 141 + new years

Characters: Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" MacTavish, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, John Price, Alejandro Vargas, Rodolfo "Rudy" Parra

Warnings: none

A/N: um the pre new years depression is hitting me hard so im gonna listen to the same music a hs boy would to make it better. see you guys next year :)

alright so good lord i don't think anyone in the task force can really accept that it's already new years oh god

like they're all really busy all the time and so the year has a tendency to just fly by

that being said the task force is more than ready to say goodbye to 2022 and say hello to 2023

of course soap is the first to propose a new year's party

complete with lots of champagne, new years resolutions, and of course lots of celebrating

and yes they will all be passed out and hungover come morning

anyways

simon "ghost" riley:

alright so even though he isn't a party person in the spirit of growth ghost decides to attend the entirety of soap's little party

and you know what it was a really good idea

his new year resolution this year was to try and open up a little more

obviously he's still gonna be ghost when it comes to work, but with the people he loves he's gonna try and lower his walls a little

anyways it turns out to be a pretty fun decision

leading up to midnight he's still pretty much his old ghost self

not really getting into the party too much, sorta just lurking in the corners, you get it

but after the ball drops and everyone else is getting even more and more drunk

ghost lets himself loose a little

definitely starts drinking and interacting more

and by the end of the night he's almost completely out of his shell

turns out with enough alcohol even ghost becomes just another regular guy

he's cracking really bad jokes, laughing at everyone else's really bad jokes, and generally just having a really good time

and yes if you guys are together he will give you a new years kiss

even if he has sneak away to do it

john "soap" mactavish:

alright so soap is really hyped for new years

he's pregaming way before he needs to pregame let's be honest

and when the festivities do start you know soap's gonna be the life of the party

he's definitely getting into way too many drinking games than he should lol

it doesn't take him very long to get stupid drunk

when midnight comes he's screaming the loudest during the countdown

he's had enough of this year and he is more than ready to send it off

and when the ball drops he is screaming as loud as possible

will definitely immediately give you a kiss too

this year soap's new years resolution is to make the most out of every day

it's kinda a cop out resolution he'll admit but that's the one he sets pretty much every year so it's practically tradition at this point

besides he thinks he does a pretty good job completing it

he's a lot more familiar than he would like with how easy it is to die

i mean he is in life or death scenarios like every other week

so it's just important for him that he goes out with no regrets

kyle "gaz" garrick:

alright so gaz gets pretty introspective during the new years

like before all the partying and the alcohol comes out he likes to take the time to step back and really analyze the year

he tries to make each year better than the last and so he always looks at last year's shortcomings to see where he needs to improve

this year his new year's resolution is to fall out of less helicopters

just kidding

his resolution is to try and spend more time with you and his family

this year gaz is all about showing the people he loves just how much he cares about them

after his many near death experiences, he's realized that the next day really isn't promised and it's important to let people know how much you love them

that being said when it gets to the party any introspective is gone for the night

gaz is ready to get drunk and have a good time

he's definitely doing karaoke after a few drinks

and when the ball drops get ready to experience the most mind blowing kiss ever

john price:

alright so like gaz price tends to get pretty introspective during the new years

part of it is just who he is and part of it comes from his military training

he's always trying to be better and improve

and so his new year's resolutions are chances for him to do that

this year his resolution is to increase his mentorship when it comes to the task force

he trusts that ghost can be a good successor if he dies, but he also wants to make sure gaz and soap are prepared as well

ik it's kinda a bummer way to start the year, preparing for your own death, but it's the military what can i say

that being said any pre new years angst is out the window when it's time to start the party

price may be prepared to die but he's also prepared to start the year off right

he's very very happy counting down the seconds with a drink in his hand and his arm wrapped around you

and you can feel him smile against you as he gives you your new years kiss

alejandro vargas:

alright so tbh idk where the origins of this superstition come from but ive heard of a lot of hispanic people doing it so ig it fits

but alejandro is definitely getting under the table and eating his grapes

him and rudy too because they've done it together every year since they met

honestly he's not too big on new years resolutions just because he feels like he always ends up being so busy with work he ends up forgetting

so he just lets his grape wishes do the work for him lol

some of the things he's wishing for is being alive (duh), wealth, love, etc.

i mean it's really all the classics

when it comes to the party alejandro is ready to get drunk and have a good time

definitely cheers pretty loudly once it strikes midnight

is also a big fireworks enthusiast

you'll have to sit under the table with him if you want a new years kiss tho sorry

he'll give you a quick peck, eat all his grapes, and then give you a better kiss once he's done

rodolfo "rudy" parra:

alright rudy's definitely the kind of guy to get sad during new years

and honestly me too rudy me too

idk man rudy just feels like the years go by way too fast

so this year his new year's resolution is to make more memories to make the year seem longer

like alejandro he also gets under the table and does the grape thing

it's something alejandro taught him when they first met and it's one of his favorite traditions

he gets very stressed about eating all the grapes tho

but usually if he rushes he can get them all in

he'll kiss you once he's done with his grapes that way he can focus all his attention on you

and the party is honestly a great way for him to start of his new year's resolution off right and fight off the new year depression

because it's pretty hard to be depressed when he's around a group of people as amazing as you and the task force

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the0retically · 22 days

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The Suckening #12: The Twilight Zone:

Thoughts and quotes below, a wild first half of the finale

- I’ve put this off for too long it’s time to do this

- Oh hi le frog

- God Condi and bizly having to switch accents is so funny it sounds SO WRONG CONDI CANT DO IT AND BIZLY IS JUST DOING HIS OWN VOICE

- Love that the plan hinges on Taylor launter??

- Shilo being so adamant about not punching Emizel but then just doing it, I love them

- But oh god shilo has to talk to Theo because he looks like emizel

- Love music coming up when they’re going over the plan and then immediately cutting out when Arthur said demons instead of dangs

- “I know you hit it off with Viv” “my homegirl yeah” ARTHUR??

- “Who is it?” “It’s me” “…alpha” I cannot believe this

- ARE YOU SERIOUS MRS TAYLOR LAUNTER HAS A HELICOPTER????? CHARLIES DEFEATED SIGH WAS SO FUNNY

- SHARKBOY GAUNTLET????? WHAT IS HAPPENING

- “Good boy” “…..” “HA I WAS GONNA SAY GOOD MAN”

- I shouldn’t be sad that emizel can’t actually talk to Theo

- Also it scares me every time charlie asks what phone they’re using

- “I already told him about the plan to change faces” “then WHY THE HELL AM I DOING THIS?” “I don’t know I forgot”

- “This is such a classic Theo move I love you” :((((((

- Awwww them all being so excited emizel is the phantom flipper is so fun

- Bizly losing his mind over the dangs new plan is so funny

- Forgot how Edwards voice sounded god

- THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE ROOM? Oh god

- “You know the plan, to be yourself” oh god

- Emizel you’re doing so bad this is awful

- 6 different Edwards??

- Why have they heard about shilo?

- Oh god this whole scene is like playing in my head I can see it so clearly

- Chester Chesser is such a cool name

- Paul with the unseen one freaky little dude I like him

- Ok yeah I love Paul he’s so fun

- You know who I miss though? Grefgore :( where is my boy

- Chet is insane??? Oh my god. The energy here is unmatched. Love Charlie and Condi just immediately going into laughter

- God the audio design is incredible in this campaign, the overlapping voices for Charlie is so good I love it

- “People think I’m weak do you think I’m weak?” “…you say that out loud in front of everyone?” OH GOD

- Paul and Chet being Emizel’s buds is so on brand I love it

- RENWICK!!!!!!!! HES COMMENTING!!!

- Oh it’s masquerade breakers that are competing

- …….and deacon rounded them up

- Interact with the show???

- “If there’s any invisible around” SO SMART ARTHUR

- Paul?? Oh they’re like the cameras. That’s really cool

- It’s fortnite, it’s fucking fortnite. Ok Charlie ok

- “I’d like to start-“ “ok shilo” “crying”

- Arthur is so cool I love him

- Oh there are humans—oh god it’s the dangs yikes that’s horrible

- “But I am walking the same amount of time!” “No” “….yuh-huh!”

- Charlie’s manic laughter was so fun who does shilo see?

- FORTNITE BUILDER!

- Love that they just keep saying minecraft and Charlie is like nah it’s fortnite building

- “Fortnite vampire” thanks Charlie

- OH GOD BIZLY IS LOSING IT

- ARTHUR IS POPPING OFF LETS GOOO

- “Now you’ve met the real devil” HOLY SHIT???? ARTHUR??

- OH!!! THIS IS WHERE THE WINGS COME IN THIS IS SO COOL LETS GO ARTHUR

- A wolf you say? Oh god the squirrel

- 3 roll off in a row?? That’s epic

- Uhhhh shilo? Please be ok

- LETS GOOOOOOO SHILO

- HE HAS A FRIEND!!!!

- Grangle!! Love him

- “Can I talk to satan?” “I’m not a say no dm am I? Oh god” PLEASE WHAT A MOOD

- HELICOPTER!!!!!! THE LAUNTERS ARE HERE

- Bizly losing his mind when Chet started talking is perfect I love Chet so much

- WEYLIN TWINS TIME!!!!!

- I LOVE THEM!!!!!!! HI HI HI HI HI

- IM CRYING THIS ENTIRE ENCOUNTER WITH CHET AND EMIZEL IS HILARIOUS

- “Hands too fast can’t stop them” Everyone breaks down laughing

- WHAT???? WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH EDWARD AND EMIZEL RIGHT NOW

- THE HELICOPTER HITS THE BARRIER????? WHAT??

- HE DIED????? RIP TAYLOR OH MY GOD

- NO HE SURVIVED LETS GOOOOOO HES NOT EVEN INJURED!!!!!

- Oh, :( one of the old people. It’s the people who know about the masquerade

- “Can you take me home?” “Yeah I’ll take you home” oh I’m gonna sob

- “I just walk with him for a while” “and then what?” “I don’t know. I keep walking. I don’t know where to take him” “ok, just keep walking” “Ben can you tell me about your family or anything you like?” And he just pointed out a bird in the trees :(( NOW HIM AND SHILO ARE TALKING ABOUT BIRDS IM NOT OK

- :( I agree with bizly this is the saddest thing Charlie has ever done

- I get why bizly said this destroyed him because I agree Ben’s whole situation is so incredibly sad

- Gotta wait to do part 2 but that was a phenomenal first half of the finale I loved it!!

#jrwi #jrwi thoughts #the suckening #shilo bathory #emizel tucker #arthur bennett #jrwi the suckening

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reverie-verse · 2 years

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Peter Parker X Reader - Falling Into His World.

Here are the other Parts. Part 2 Part 3 (I will do part 4 at some point cuz this fic is currently unfinished) Prompt: Reader quite literally falls into his world. She is his favorite character from his book and he is a favorite character from hers. She’s not sure how it happened. He’s not sure how to help but he still tries. After all, he is New York’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. On the other hand she’s from California and not from his world.

*College Peter and college reader.

*Fluff, curiosity, tension, home sick.

* I wrote this with Tasm Peter in my mind however he could literally be read for any Peter in your mind.

I also definitely didn’t check it before I posted sooooo spell check and gramma check didn’t happen.

——————————————————————

It had been a long tiring day full of work and school not to mention people finding ways to piss you off. You had gone home to your shared apartment hearing your best friends telling you that you need to get out and enjoy yourself. You gave them each a soft smile waving your hand. To be honest going out was the furthest thing from your mind. You were exhausted and just wanted to be at home lazy. Your friends didn’t push it, understanding that sometimes we all need that space. However they threatened you with a forceful night out the next time. You laughed at them shooing them away, locking the door. Weirdly enough you ended up cleaning the apartment since nothing was capturing your attention and every thought was kicked in overdrive. Unfortunately no help there you decided that maybe a shower might do the trick. The hot water will relax you and it’ll all be okay. Sure enough it does the trick walking out the shower throwing on your very much oversized shirt, you pulled on your plaid sweatpants. Man did it feel like you were on clouds, that when the tiredness truly hit you.

Your bed looked ten times more comfy the longer you stared at it. An early night so what you deserved the rest and no one can tell you not to do it right? Turning out the light you crawled onto your bed, the night sky illuminated your room. You just got comfortable in your bed, in the right position and the blankets felt amazing. Only for it to be ruined by your neighbors playing a game of how loud they can be. This was a perfect opportunity to grab your headphones, connecting them to your phone. You scrolled through your music finding your favorite playlist, No noise could be heard, only the beautiful harmonies and melodies that surrounded your senses. Shutting your eyes allowed your mind to create scenarios that involved fictional characters in various fictional genres. You had begun to feel the slumber take over, weighing you down further into a squishy yet firm mattress. Your mind began to drift slowly as the sleepiness crept into your mind, the music lulling you to sleep. Your mind humming as the fictional character played its role.

As your mind continues wandering your body finds itself in a situation, as it joltes itself awake, in turn pulling you out of your sleep. You opened your eyes only to see yourself falling onto the ground in your sleeping position. You didn’t have time to scream as you hit the floor. “ Ouch” you winced as you sat there for a moment then you heard it. The sounds of cars honking, in the distance maybe a helicopter or two a light breeze passed through the air, the moon at its peak glowing over the city. Your eyes widened as you scrambled to get up, you were on top of building a really high one at that. You looked over the railing and down at the people below they looked like ants. “ I-I’m-I-IM ON TOP OF A BUILDING?!” You panicked as you backed away from the ledge. You looked around trying to figure out where you were. You had seen more buildings, each in different textures, bricks, glass, rustic, new, this-this was not home that much was for sure. You searched for a back door to the building hoping that maybe you could get out of this mess.

Just as you rounded the corner you rammed right into something solid in the colors of red and blue. “ Hey woah how did you get up here?” A deep voice speaks out as the red and blue colors tower over you. Your eyes slowly travel from the chest to the masked face. You take a step back. “ Oh no, hey I’m Spider-Man, I’m not gonna hurt you. Let me help you get out of here” He says as he holds his hands up showing that he meant no harm.

“ Is that what you tell all your victims?” You challenged as your hair once hanging loosely now pulled back into a low ponytail. Your hands raised to defend yourself in case he attacked.

He tilted his head to the side “ My victims? I just said I wasn’t going to hurt you-“

“ For all I know you could literally be a serial killer!” You protested.

“ Listen lady, you're barefoot and in sleep clothes, you look like you could’ve used some help that’s all I’m tryna say” He shrugged his shoulders as he sat himself on the ledge sitting there watching you through his mask. His accent had begun to stand out to you the more you listened to him speak. No no no there was no way you were in another state. No because you remember going to bed in your own bed and you sure as hell don’t sleep walk.

“ No, nooooo no no no no there’s no way that I am here in New York right now. Nooooo absolutely not.” You shook your head waving your hands in the air.

“This-yeah you are in New York, If you’re at a hotel I’ll take you to it. Just tell me what the name of it is” He bargains seeing that you were only stressing more.

“ I-I'm not staying at a hotel! I’ve never been to New York, I’m from California! I never left California, I was sleeping in my bed in California five seconds ago!” You now were rubbing your forehead pacing back and forth. Standing up off the ledge the masked man walked towards you.

“ California? That’s all the way on the west coast-“

“ Yeah I know that and my California ass will kick yours if you don’t back up!” You threatened again holding your hands up. It hadn’t fully registered that you were standing in front of Spider-Man. Noooooo. You froze.

“ I’m not gonna stay much longer so either you let me take you to a hotel or hospital. If you want me to just set you down the sidewalk I can do that but I’m not letting you stay up here especially with no shoes on. Or socks.” He moved towards you anyways ignoring your threat ready to grab you and swing.

“ Your Spider-Man” You say speaking more to yourself than him. It hit you in the damn face like a semi truck. You dork how you did not catch on the first time. Oh figures you were freaking out.

“ Yes I am. Hospital it is-“ He bends down ready to carry you in his arms. You hold your hand out to stop him forcing him to wait. At this point in time you had begun to notice him becoming irritated. You needed him to believe you,

“ Wait wait wait. Uuh-I-umm I’m sorry for threatening you and not realizing who you are. But I am not from here-“

“ I know that but first I think you need to see a doctor-“

“ Uh no no no. Listen to me I know who you are-“ Spider-Man huffed, reaching down wrapping an arm around your waist pulling you closer to him.

“ I’m going to travel? Swing? It doesn’t matter the point is I’m going to get you to the hospital-“

“ PETER?!” You shouted, capturing his attention he freezes his arm still wrapped around your waist.

“ How do you know my name?” he questions pulling away from you. He was debating on pulling his mask off but at what cost. He’s never seen you before he’s never met anyone who knows about his existence besides his friend Gwen and Flash. He shook his head, backing up for a second giving some space in between each other. You watched him with curious eyes, you could tell that he had no idea what to do. He was hesitant and unsure. This was a moment you didn’t think you’d be in ever. You landed into his world. The character which you dreamed of reading about even. Peter reached for his mask, lifting it up revealing his face to you. His brown eyes squinted at you with a questioning look. He didn’t trust you, he wasn’t sure how you knew him considering he had never met you. Somehow some way he did feel oddly familiar. How could anyone in that moment? He watched you as you watched him. You both weren’t sure how to go about this-it was kind of awkward. Did he have a stalker? There was no way he had a stalker, absolutely not he made sure his tracks were covered. He crossed his arms waiting for an explanation from you. You on the other hand weren’t sure how to tell the man in front of you that he was another version of someone else you knew.

“ Right-right, right, uh this is going to sound very weird I understand that. No I’m not a stalker cuz I feel like you-you get that vibe-it’s not. Umm you-you I read a um graphic novel on a character such as yourself….” You trailed off moving back a step giving him an awkward smile. Peter had no reason to believe you but given the many circumstances where reality has proved him wrong it seemed rational. Peter stood there gazing at you trying to figure out what had drawn out the easy flow of conversation. You reminded him of someone.

“ Since we are on a first name basis what’s yours?” He asked hoping this doesn’t bite him in the ass later. You were taken back for a second. You cleared your throat trying to think of a way to answer it, sure it was easy to give him your first and last name but at the same time this was your favorite character. Who is like an equivalent to a celebrity.

You stuttered “ U-U-uh-I-I- my name is um Y/N L/N”

His eyebrows raised as heard the sound of your name leave his lips. He had to think for a moment, there could be no possible way for you to be here. You were fiction, you were a character in his favorite book. You can’t be here, that's impossible. Peter placed his hand over his mouth, turning away from you. He needed a second to process. Why hadn’t he picked up on it before. Of course it didn’t register that you were a character in a fictional book not a graphic novel. His book left much to his imagination where yours left no room for it. It had a detailed version of himself.

“ That’s impossible” he replied shaking his head before turning to look at you.

“ Impossible?” You crossed your arms rubbing them to keep yourself warm. Your bare feet were starting to get cold as the wind picked up just a tad. You wanted to continue this conversation but you were not about to continue this outside. “ Look, can we go somewhere and finish this conversation? I’m getting cold” You whispered. Peter really looked at you, noticing your body shivering he sighed. He was too caught up in the moment.

“I know where we can go” He tells you as he reaches for you pulling to him. “ Hang on tight”.

You look at him unsure. You truly were afraid of heights “Do we have to swing?”

He chuckled “ Yeah we do” he walks towards the ledge climbing on taking you along with him. You were nervous to say the least-no terrified is the appropriate word. Your heart racing, a scream jammed in your throat, fear covering every inch of your mind and body. Holding onto Peter for dear life you squeezed your eyes shut. Within that same second he jumps, you could feel the wind push against you as the two of you glided through the city. You debated on opening your eyes. He knew that as he smirked behind his mask which had put back on before swinging. He as well as you have only dreamt this moment. To be in it and to feel it was not what he had expected nor had you. To be honest neither of you did. It was exactly that a dream only this time you both had walked between plains into each other’s lives.

Peter had swung you to his apartment, the one you’ve seen countless of times in your graphic novel. Honestly it felt very surreal and unexpected. He helped you climb through his window first then he followed after. He felt kind of shy and intimidated. He only ever read about you in books. He never thought you would actually be here in front of him-raiding his sock draw. “ Sorry, Sorry, but I really need some socks. I hope you don’t mind” You rummage through his draw finding a pair of thick black socks. Shutting the draw you walk over to his bed pulling the socks on your feet. Your feet began to warm up. You sighed with relief. Peter softly smiled as he shook his head walking over to his closet. He needed to get out of his suit so he couldn’t risk the chance of anyone seeing him. Grabbing a shirt and some sweatpants he walks to the bathroom.

“ No, I don't mind.I’m gonna change, just make yourself more at home. At least wrap yourself in a blanket or something.” He tells you as he shuts the door behind him. You wrapped a blanket around yourself sitting on his bed. You were struggling to grasp the idea that you’ve somehow found yourself here. You figured that maybe you shifted as some people say but it didn’t feel like that. You felt yourself physically being planted here, you felt that fall. You felt yourself gliding as he swung; it felt all too real. You guessed that maybe you were hallucinating or maybe you had fallen into a deep sleep. You pinched your skin as you squeezed your eyes shut. Once. Twice. Three times and nothing. You opened your eyes checking to see if you made it back into your room. Nothing. You were still in Peter's apartment.

This definitely wasn’t a dream then what the hell else could it be? Peter on the other hand had no idea what to do. He pinched the bridge of his nose before throwing his t-shirt on. What is he supposed to do? The girl from a book he’s reading is sitting in his room, his apartment. He’s dealt with some pretty weird situations but this was beyond it. To a degree. Peter had gone over in his mind the last time he slept. He hadn’t slept in a few hours and he was exhausted. Maybe you were a fragment of his imagination that he conjured up in the hopes of ending his night on a peaceful one. Peter knew that wasn’t the case. He needed to figure out why you were here even if that meant putting his rest on hold. He sighed once more if need be Gwen could probably help him. In fact you were in need of clothes and shoes. Maybe she could help with that. For now it was too late to call her. You would have to settle for staying cooped up in his apartment. Not that either one of you minded.

Peter walked out of the bathroom folding his suit up, putting it in his box sliding it back into the closet. He shut the closet doors before walking next to his counter. He leaned against it, crossing his arms. His eyes drifted from the ground to your eyes. He was captivated by them. He checked your condition quickly. Looking at how you wrapped yourself up in his blankets sitting cross legged on his bed which made you look warm and inviting. He found himself drawn to it. Stop. He had to stop. He cleared his throat, needing to bring up a conversation. Thankfully you had sparked it. “ Earlier you said that it was impossible when I said my name. Why? Do you know something?” You asked as you watched him with careful eyes. You had gotten lost in his brown eyes, but you found yourself trapped in his sleepy state. He looked like he needed to be wrapped in your arms. You wanted to hold him. No you can't, you just met him. Well you read about him. Same difference. Peter nodded his head before coming up with a plan of what to say. It was an easy conversation but he couldn’t find the words. It’s not that he couldn't, he just was star struck and it took him a minute to realize that.

“ I-I-uh I’m reading this book right now and your-your the main character.” He looks around and finds a book on his desk. He walks over to it, lifting the book up and hands it to you. “ At first I was kinda thrown off with the whole California thing but then you said your name and it clicked. You're not supposed to be here. You were supposed to be at home”

You caressed the book in your hand running it along the cover. It was interesting to see a book about you in the hands of a fictional character who you happened to be their favorite character. It was too bad you didn’t have your graphic novel on Peter then you could’ve matched the unusualness of this particular second. You handed the book back to Peter. He took it from you placing it back on the desk. “ Peter what happens next in that book?” You asked, your nerves sky rocketing the way he said ‘you were supposed to be at home’ worried you.

“ You were supposed to go to work and then school but you don’t you end up staying in the next day. And your world changes-“ Peter shrugs.

“ Changes how?” You question as you mull thoughts over in your mind.

“ I don’t know. I haven’t gotten past that part yet” he replies as his gaze never leaves yours.

“ So what are we supposed to do?” You keep looking for something. You rubbed your forehead, breaking the gaze Peter was holding. This is getting nowhere. Peter moved himself away from the counter walking toward you. He got down on one of his knees. He pulled your hands gently from your face bringing them into your lap. He holds your hands there, his warmth comforting you. Your heart swoons, you had not realized how much you yearned for his touch. His heart beats a mile a minute at the touch he craved so much. He looks from your joint hands to your eyes.

He says “ We will figure it out. Together.”

#tasm!peter x you #tasm!peter imagine #tasm!peter x reader #tasm!peter x y/n #tasm!peter fluff #tasm!peter parker #peter parker #imagines #x reader #poc reader #bipoc writers #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #mcu peter parker #spider man x reader

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prinnamon · 5 months

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alright fuck it, top 5 freeman's mind quotes/bits since i accidentally started keeping track of my favorite moments by virtue of the fact that i was basically live texting a friend exact quotes while i watched

"Is that..? Oh my God, it's a rocket launcher. The perfect gift for the man who has everything. Ohh. You and I are gonna go places. My mind is spinning with new possibilities. You are the first good news I've had all day." (picking up rockets) "Yes, I'll bring your friends…." (helicopter whirring) "Hark! Dost thou hear with thine ears what I hear with mine?" (equipping rocket launcher) "Interloper!…Have at thee!"

"So, worst case scenario, we're only talking brain cancer. I can live with that."

"You know, everyone's always told me that I'm paranoid and I need to calm down. But guess what? I'm alive. And everyone who said that is dead. That's the ultimate proof that someone doesn't know what they're talking about. 'Follow my advice and you'll die just like me! Huh-heh!' I have the US military spray-painting my name on a wall, setting laser traps, and firing a fucking rocket launcher at me, and people have the gall to call me paranoid. Fuck them! Fuck everybody! Anyone who doesn't listen to me deserves the fate they get! I should kill everyone just on principle!…See, this is what I'm talking about. 'Aliens aren't invading, Freeman. You're just being paranoid.' 'The mailman's not spying on you, Freeman. You're just being paranoid.' What else!? 'There's no society of anthropomorphic frog people living in the sewer, Freeman. You're just being paranoid.' 'Owls can't read your thoughts, Freeman. You're just being paranoid.' Bet you wouldn't call me paranoid now if you were still alive."

"You know, when they invented the atomic bomb, they were afraid it was going to catch the atmosphere on fire and burn up the whole earth, but they did it anyway. That took balls. Not us, though. The only people taking the risks were the ones that didn't understand them in the first place. We're not brave. We're just stupid."

and finally:

I can fire at a target and hit it at least half the time Or graph out an electron path while using only numbers prime! I calculate the fall rate of a bullet shot a thousand yards And perforate the thick heads of a hundred military guards! I can make a simulation of an atom bomb and build one, too, Or flank a dozen men and ambush ten of them out of the blue! From SMGs to RPGs, I carry quite an arsenal… And skip around a warzone like a subatomic particle! Still no chorus! Okay, come on, sing and I won't kill you! ...Those of you that are left, I mean. Ah. Okay, there we go. Ahem. Every solider out here wants to kill me for my curiosity! I wage war on the whole damn world because of my tenacity! In matters combat tactical and physics theoretical, I am the very model of a modern Major-General! Alright, no one else is even trying to sing along. I quit.

my fuckin jaw dropped when he started singing and im pretty sure i clapped my hand over my mouth like a victorian woman when the new verses started. out of all pieces of media, i think freeman's mind was the one i least expected to have a musical episode. just for that it's the best one by far

#prinna's posts #prinna's machinima notes #freeman's mind

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neon-lights-and-glitter · 1 year

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Jack Harlow Masterlist

Series

Lips Of An Angel

You and Jack struggle with the ups and downs of your toxic relationship until you both realize you don't want anyone else.

Fight The Feeling

You and Jack get paired up to be in a fake relationship after keeping your real relationship and break up a secret.

All of my Jack Harlow Fics (oldest to newest)

Saturday Night Live

The reader is a very famous actress, has been since they were a child. Jack has been very open about his crush. The reader ends up hosting Saturday Night Live the same week Jack is the musical guest.

Missed You

Jack shows up at your house at 2am because he missed you.

An Evening I Will Not Forget Part 2

Jack and the reader had been friends as long as they could remember, eventually turning into boyfriend and girlfriend in high school. Until several years later when their relationship fell apart and they had to continue their lives without each other.

Proposal

Jack takes reader on a helicopter ride in Kentucky or Miami and he proposes afterword it’s at night by the way and urban and everyone set the scene for when they land back at the helipad.

Protect You

Jack wants to keep you and him a secret to protect you and him from the media but it lowkey hurts u. Like let’s say you guys are walking back to ur hotel one night and then he sees paparazzi and instantly drops your hand and your trying to not let it bother u but when he looks up at you after dropping ur hand you have tears in your eyes and he feels bad.

Settle Down

Jack wants to settle down, but you think he should continue to focus on his career.

Mini-Me

Paisley's first dance recital, where you find out that she truly is a mini-Jack, and Jack, you, Paisley, and Olive start a new tradition.

The Early Years

You met Urban in middle school, which eventually led you to meeting Jack in high school. Urban saw how much you two liked each other before either you or Jack did, eventually setting you two up. Causing you to realize your feelings and make your relationship official shortly after.

Paisley's First Word

You and Jack had been trying to get Paisley to say mama or dada as her first word, but when Urban returns from a trip her first word isn’t what any of you expected.

Pumpkin Patch

Taking Paisley and Olive to a pumpkin patch.

Taking Care Of You

All Jack wants to do while you're pregnant with your first daughter, Paisley, is take care of you even if it's something small like putting lotion on your belly. You and Jack also start to celebrate Jack's birthday with your tradition of giving each other gifts at midnight, though this time it is a matching gift. Jack can't sleep and ends up talking to Paisley while you're asleep.

Gentle

Paisley watches how Jack interacts with you during your pregnancy with Olive, and with Paisley being Jack’s mini me, it only makes sense that she copies him.

After Party

Jack and the reader would rather spend the after party alone then with others.

Keeping Secrets Part 2

You decide to tell Urban about your relationship with Jack, but he doesn't respond in the way you thought he would.

Halloween Costumes

Paisley and Olive pick out their Halloween costumes, along with yours, Jack's, Urban's, and Clay's.

That's Not My Daddy

Paisley and Olive see Jack in his wigs for Saturday Night Live for the first time and Olive refuses to believe it is him.

I'm Not Jealous, Just Protective

You and Jack go out to a club when a guy approaches you to hit on you and Jack gets jealous.

I Love You Because

You are struggling after giving birth to your second daughter Olive between feeling overwhelmed and dealing with the changes that happened to your body during your pregnancies, while also comparing yourself to some of the girls in Jack's music videos. Jack reassures you that he loves everything about you.

Christmas Date

Knowing Christmas was your favorite holiday, Jack planned a Christmas inspired day for the two of you, decorating your Christmas Tree, watching Christmas movies, looking at Christmas lights, wanting to make your first Christmas as a couple and living together special, then on Christmas you exchange gifts.

Meeting Santa

You and Jack take Paisley and Olive to meet Santa.

Christmas Eve

How you and Jack spend Christmas Eve with Paisley and Olive.

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning with the family and you and Jack, with Clays help, surprise Paisley and Olive with a special present.

Elf Emergency

Olive accidentally touches the Elf on a shelf and Paisley is afraid the elf is going to lose its magic.

24 Hours With Jack Harlow

Based off the Vogue 24 Hours With Jack Harlow video.

I Should Be Missing You

You and Jack deal with the consequences of falling out of love while you are married.

New Sibling Reactions

You and Jack tell Paisley and Olive about their new sibling, except Olive isn't ready to be a big sister.

Insta AU's

Date Night

My Girl

Paisley's Pregnancy & Birth Announcement

Olive's Pregnancy & Birth Announcement

Christmas Trees & Gingerbread Houses

Valentine's Day

Concepts

#jack harlow #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow x reader

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holly-fixation · 24 days

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Damaged Doll: Ch12

Summary: Angeal and Zack discover a man in all black trapped under boulders in the mountains near Icicle Village: Cloud, a doll created by Jenova for reasons currently unknown.

Cloud's mystery is beginning to shatter.

Inspired by the prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 13: A Change of Scenery

Genesis listened with a nearly satisfied expression. Finally, Sephiroth regained his legendary control. Finally, his friend started to see how right he was.

“Look at me,” Sephiroth's stern voice was music to his ears.

“SOLDIER First Class: Genesis Rhapsodos.” That voice was not.

“What do you want, Turk? Despite my looks, I am quite busy.”

“Sephiroth can handle the interrogation.”

Mako eyes met brown ones sharply.

“We've been summoned to secure payload transport. Hollander’s orders. It's landing soon. No time for negotiation.”

“Why do they want a First?”

“The payload is highly classified.”

Genesis nearly groaned. “Which means highly valuable. Are you sure you can't get Angeal to do this?”

“He's on a mission with Zack. We can talk on the way.” She nudged her head toward the hallway. Genesis reluctantly followed. With Hollander’s new found role, there was no telling what kind of punishments could result from direct disobedience.

“Why couldn't Sephiroth do this again?” He asked for the first time, very much reminded of Hojo from his own train of thought.

“Hollander specifically requested Sephiroth not be involved. And the more answers he gets out of Cloud, the better.”

Genesis silenced as he tried to understand the reasoning behind that.

At the peak of Shinra HQ, the helicopter had already landed, security clearing the way for the mighty vessel. Scientists waited at the ready, Doctor Hollander bearing a grin similar to that of Hojo before it even hit the ground.

Genesis couldn’t help his expression of disgust, although he certainly did not try to hide it.

“I have a question for you.”

“I'm not exactly here for small talk, Turk.”

“Neither am I. What do you know about Cloud?”

Mako blues turned to ice. “Why.”

“Hojo initially assigned me to teach him about the modern world. But I think he's hiding things from me.”

Genesis scoffed in agreement. “Of course he is. What do you want to know?”

“What is he writing in that book?”

“Supposedly, his origins.”

As the payload moved into the building, cylindrical case completely sealed as security followed, the SOLDIER and Turk far behind to observe any unwatched corners and entry ways.

She hummed, crossing her arms.

Genesis attempted to read her expression. “...That's not what he told you, was it?”

“It's none of your concern.”

“It is exactly my concern and do not pretend to hide information now. I want to know everything, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know. My friend, the fates are cruel.”

* * *

Cloud was warm. Comfortable. Safe. He wanted to stay perfectly still. He nearly purred under the sheet, adjusting within. The cold of the further section confused him. He slowly opened his eyes. Before him laid the empty medical room. He looked around, but no one remained.

His prince was gone.

Cloud looked down, slowly, sadly. Why didn’t his prince wake him? Was he still not trusted? Actually, that was logical. His prince questioned him and suddenly fell dormant. He didn’t have an explanation, but his prince was intelligent. Even while succumbing to the fogginess, his prince questioned him, accused him. Cloud exhaled. What would he do if-

A nurse knocked at his door while opening it quickly. “Oh, you’re awake. Good. You’ve been dispatched. Change, grab your stuff, and leave the gown behind. You’re free.”

His head tilted, not making a move. “Where am I going?”

“Your guardian is in the waiting room. They’ll take care of you. I believe you know the way.”

Cloud nodded. “I do. Thank you.”

“I’ll leave you to it. Don’t forget anything.” As swiftly as the nurse came, she vanished.

Cloud pushed himself off the bed and looked through the plastic bag filled with black leathers. His clothes. He was warned not to wear the pants until his leg healed and opted to only wear the coat, closing the zipper and latching the crossed straps in protection, it was finally time to return. He sighed again at the memory, glancing down at his permanently damaged leg.

Though he never learned how to repair the holes, his clothes felt perfect. He almost felt whole again. He grabbed the book and slipped it into the laptop bag the Turk gave him. He balanced the strap on the opposite shoulder of his injury before taking his cane and leaving the room for good.

Once reaching the waiting room, his heart soared once more. “My Prince.”

“Come with me,” Sephiroth’s words were still cold, but Cloud was too relieved to see him again so soon.

“Lead the way.” His gaze was shining and awed as he followed. He said no word unless spoken too. He simply enjoyed the content silence, the memory of an hour before, as they stood in the elevator. His prince did not approach him, never even looking in his direction. That was okay. Something told him it would be okay.

The doors dinged and they stepped into yet another reception area, though this one lacked the seating and decor. Sephiroth simply walked past the woman at the desk. Cloud followed, gaining a glance from the receptionist but nothing more. The Silver Soldier scanned his ID card and opened the door to another hallway, holding it for the blond before continuing to walk.

His prince did not slow down for him, and despite his best efforts, Cloud fell far behind. He tried to hide his breath as he struggled to follow. Thankfully, the hallway never bent. He never lost sight of the soldier. Sephiroth stopped at the final door on the left.

Holding a plastic piece to the lock, a beep and a click sounded before Sephiroth walked into the numbered door and waited.

A small part of Cloud expected a prison, an empty chamber to keep him in until all his prince's questions were answered. But upon entering, he was confused. There was a couch, a cushioned chair, a coffee table, bookshelves, a television, a display stand for a massive weapon, and a kitchen on the opposite side. Instead of darkness stood floor to ceiling windows allowing the mako glow of many reactors to fill the large area.

“Forgive my intrusion, but where are we, Sephiroth?”

He closed and locked the entrance. “Sit down.”

Cloud moved without thinking, placing his bag on the floor near his feet but keeping a loose grip on his cane.

Sephiroth sighed before explaining, not daring to look at the man on his couch, “This is my apartment. I want to keep an eye on you and I'm tired of scheduling around the whims of medical and the labs.”

Cat-like eyes widened. “Sephiroth, I couldn't possibly-”

“You will stay here until I say otherwise. I'll have a copy of my fob tomorrow. You will come and go as you please.”

“I… I don't understand… I told you I killed Hojo but you aren't turning me in…?” Cloud regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth, but he needed to know. After all the pain it caused despite his best intentions, he couldn't hide the thought.

“...Forget about Hojo.” His words were icy and dark, directed at someone else.

The blond nodded, ending the subject. He knew he shouldn't be questioning his prince, but he was completely befuddled. “Why your apartment? I can adapt to any lodging. I don't want to intrude.”

Sephiroth sat in the chair with a deep sigh, eyes lowered and away. “There is an… ulterior motive.”

Cloud's head tilted at the innocent his prince spoke with.

“It's…” He adjusted, gripping his sleeve.

A pause passed. “...If you don't want me to know, I understand-”

“Can I ask something of you?”

The injured blond snapped to attention. “What do you need?”

“At ease. You're allowed to deny me if you do not wish to obey.”

Even the very idea Sephiroth suggested was unthinkable to Cloud, but Cloud did not mention it. “What is your request?”

Another awkward pause. Brushing a hand through silver hair. “I want to test something. And I need you to do it.”

To be useful to his prince? How could he ever say no? But why was his prince so hesitant? “I will do all I can.”

“You will answer honestly.” Sephiroth's sharp eyes met his twinkling ones. “I will not make you if you don't want to.”

“I understand. Please, what task do you have for me?”

Disappointment filled his gaze before his eyes closed and his head fell.

Cloud turned away, timid and hesitant, his hand tightening against the cold wood of his cane. “What else have I done wrong…?”

“...I need to test if…” Sephiroth inhaled sharply, dispelling his hesitation long enough to reveal his truth, “I need to see if your proximity has the same effect tonight.”

It took a moment before Cloud understood, not a single hint of judgment on his face. “I am at your service. Always.”

“I won't ask this again. Only tonight.”

Cloud nodded, though he did not believe the words to be true.

“Until then, I need to return to the SOLDIER floor. That book will be finished when I return. No lies. No half truths.”

Cloud winced but nodded again. “Understood.”

“Good.” He stood, and Cloud followed hesitantly. “Let me show you around.”

The man followed to the kitchen.

“The top two cabinets on the left have food. The fridge has cold water. Obviously you may use the bathroom on the right. Down that hallway is my room. You will not enter.”

It was spacious but so bare. Three chairs at a blank kitchen table. No trinkets. No spoils of victory. No memories. No… personality, as if this place was simply an extension of the lab. His prince deserved a palace but lived in emptiness.

Hojo deserved to die.

“You are free to make yourself comfortable while you write.”

“I cannot thank you enough, Sephiroth.” Cloud bowed, one arm across his chest and the other supporting his body with the cane. But his prince turned away. “Shall I contact you once it's ready?”

“No. I will return later. Then it's time. I want to know everything. Even that which you hid for my protection.”

Now it was Cloud's turn to look away. “...You have my word. I will not let you down.”

To be continued…

Chapter list

Thanks for reading!

#ffvii #final fantasy vii #ff7 #sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #cloud strife #genesis rhapsodos #cissnei ff7

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siremasterlawrence · 9 months

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Payback Is A Bitch (Literally)

Revenge is best served cold where that ne family, friends or foes then there is the Hart Von Al family my worst enemies through out my history.

Who knew exactly eighteen years and three months exactly since they ruined my life back in collage him and his stupid horde of children.

Of course I had I known they would book my illustrious hotel on the sandy Florida resort of my creation which I did by the way the plan is perfect.

The moment I saw them walking onto the the fiery hot sandy beach radiating down on me when I came across them meeting my eye lines.

All I can do is take a deep breath before in order to calm myself down at the sights of the two of them being bitches as per usual to the core.

They enter back into the hotel to utter lack of function everything is in disarray It is in particular when the father Jack steps up to press the elevator panel.

The button lights up racing down the cart hit the first floor opening up with a lard whoosh sound something is off as his feet tilt falling forward.

His body hits the cart with the door closing on him enclosing him in a safe line spot that surrounds him in darkness the lights begin to flicker.

His two kids start to pound on the steel door screaming for him to escape but he could not hear them as a piece of classical music airy and mysterious burst through the speaker.

“The hotel is completely in dysfunction”

“The elevator shaft is in ruins “

“Five star hotel my ass”

“SET ME FREE”

“NOW”

“PLEASE “

“Fuck!”

“I am going mad in here “

“Shit! I am stuck in this shit hole of a hotel”

In the pent house suite miles above in the gigantic floor a young man watches his first major nemesis literally going insane trapped in plan he concocted.

If he had half a brain he while he slid by way of the wall onto the floor he might attempt to remember when he did that to me with Ill intent.

“Revenge is sweet is it not?”

“Who the fuck are you “

“Oh! The bitter taste of your demise “

“I will find you and”

“You will find me and then what?”

“Mwahahahahaha “

“Don’t worry you won’t go insane in fact you will be like brand new”

“A factor reset after all you are a bastard “

“FUCK YOU!”

Andrew Lyle is his eldest shifty son a twisted two time face brat with model physique built like a hanger, pretty smirk and clothes that match.

The helicopter lands on the roof top tower in a tier of gold, white and silver spanning the area and the door slides as he walks off and on to the helicopter pad.

There is state idiot smile plastered on to his face he removes his sunshades he closes one end of glasses brim and leaves it on his lapel.

One of my many hotel employees arrives to greet him taking his bags as they descend the staircase and exit the roof top area he thinks he is going to his room.

It is really quite impressive how he manages

to trick the world into believing he is some sort of God among men and I am about to put him in place.

The hallway empties leaving him in a naked white wall hallway the lights fade to black he starts to panic calling for help when he can hear foot steps approaching.

“Hello? Anybody here? HELP ME!”

“Answer me”

“Speak”

“Say something “

“This is creepy”

“Turn on the lights”

“I said quit it”

“What is going on?”

“How can this be happening?”

“I tell you mwahahaha “

“You are scaring me”

“Oh Well!”

“This is some strange shit”

“Asshole “

The man laughs happily snapping his finger the hallway spins in circular fashion sending Andrew into a tale spin of lust, fare and his inner desire.

The bitch thinks he has his way jumps from the top of the staircase he leaps on to the stairs below making his way attempting to escape.

“Where are you going?”

“I am about to break this place apart “

“How so? You don’t want to vacate this hall”

“I don’t “

“It’s is lush, comfortable and safe “

“So pretty”

“Why would you leave?”

“I don’t want to”

“It’s impossible to even ignore me”

Tom Harry Parker races up to the hotel room

in a passionate moment he slams the door placing his back on it in a panic pounding his fist on the door. His heart beat hitting

his chest he cries loudly sliding to the floor he resumes his dramatic fit then proceeds to shut the window and pulling done the shade.

“He can’t find me “

“I am safe here “

“Right? Right?”

“I am going crazy “

“Not as much as you think “

“In panic mode right?”

“I hate you all “

“So you think”

“You might want to kneel”

“Give up and obey “

“You will fall pretty to me eventually “

“You wish “

“Don’t worry soon you will”

“I will what?”

“Eating from my ass”

“Disgusting”

“So you say come to me”

“What do you want?

“Your total submission “

“Fat chance in hell that will happen “

“Why don’t you shut up and see?”

“Why I oughta “

“Kiss me then you alright destroyed me”

“Succumb to me”

“Inside you already have “

“Like a moth to a flame “

The end

#hugh jackman #andrew garfield #tom holland #hypnosis family #Hypno family #revenge fantasy #mind conditioning #mind control #reprogramming #vacation #Hotel #beach

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blueberry-bastard1 · 3 months

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Disclosure: This is something I've had in the works since I joined the fandom. I have huge fascination with vampires and the amount of Vampiric like references I got from the game(strength, speed, Markus drinking Thirium that was from a shut down android, ECT.) It got me thinking. Why not do a fic where it's Detroit become human, but instead of androids, it's vampires. I don't want to say anything else cause it'll spoil what I have in mind, but yeah enjoy! :)

~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~†~

Detroit: Midnight

Chapter 1: The hostage

__November 6th 2038 // 8:45pm__

Plink. Plink. Plink.

Beep.

Plink. Plink. Plink.

Beep.

Plink. Plink. Plink.

Beep. Ding!

"Negotiator in sight, I repeat, negotiator on sight."

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

"Captain Allen Wilson. My name is Connor. I was sent by the Detroit Investigation Unit to assist with the case." Wilson sighed. "He'll shoot at anyone who tries to stay outside to negotiate." Connor look around before placing his attention back to Captain Wilson.

"Do we know about his emotional behavior?" Connor started. "what do we know about his occupation and his relationship with the hostage and his or her family?" The swat captain sighed and shook his head before turning around and facing Connor. "Listen," Wilson started. "we don't know anything about his life or the hostage, nor do I care. Either you can take of him and hostage or I will." Connor didn't say a word and waited for the Captain to turn back around. Connor would begin to look around the crime scene. He'd walk straight only to go into what he seemed to be the child's room. As he entered the room he saw a desk with an unlocked tablet.

Connor picked up the tablet that belonged to the girl, the hostage. He'd see that there was a video open. He'd hit play.

"This is Daniel! The best nanny in the world! Say hi Daniel!"

"Hello!"

The video would end. "Daniel.." Connor would say to himself. As he began to examine for of the room, the faint sound of music would fill his ears. He would look down to find a pair of headphones with music blaring from it. "The child couldn't hear the gunshots..." He noted softly out loud.

Connor would leave the bedroom and would go into the living only to be met with what was the body that belonged to the father of the hostage.

"John Phillips." Said an officer, who stood a few feet away from where Connor crouched to examine the body. "He's been shot 3 times." Said Connor. Connor squinted his eyes, finding an unnerving discovery. "Theres a bite wound, it looks as if his throat was almost ripped out." Connor said before standing. "There's this new drug called Midnight." "Midnight?" Asked Connor. "Apparently it grants you immortality, at least that's what they say and think it does." Said the officer. "They take it like heroine. They shoot it into their veins thinking they'll get a high out of it, only to wake up days later, almost like a monster."

Connor looked to the balcony before hearing a man yelling, telling people to stay back. As Connor began walking to the balcony, he noticed a body fi an officer. Antony Deckart is shown on the officer's name tag on his vest.

Blam!

"Stay back! Don't come any closer or I'll jump!"

Connor looked up passed the gap if the curtains, only to see who might be Daniel. He was holding the little girl in his arms, standing on the edge of the building.

Connor would look down and would the gun if the deceased officer. He would grab the gun, sliding it into his holster.

Connor stood up and began to walk to the balcony. As soon as he touched the curtains, Daniel shot at Connor's shoulder. "Stay back! I'll jump if you come any closer!" Yelled out Daniel. Connor took a step through the curtains and was now on the balcony.

"Hello, Daniel! My name is Connor!" I'm not here to hurt you! I only was to help!" Connor said as loud as he could over the helicopter. "Don't shoot! I need you to trust and put the girl down!" Demanded Connor. "I'll jump if you try anything, I'll jump off this building, and I'll take her with me!" Daniel threatened, before holding the girl off the building before bringing her back and placing the gun back to her head.

Connor began to take a few steps forward and moved a chair out of his way. When he moved the chair he'd see a wounded officer. "Look at what your doing! These people have lives and families to go home to!" Connor would point to the wounded officer. "He's going to die if I don't place pressure on his wound! I'm going to place a tourniquet!" Connor would crouch and go to examine the officer, only for Daniel to shoot on the ground, barely grazing Connor's hand. "Don't touch him! You doing anything, and I'll kill you!"

Connor ignored Daniel and placed the tourniquet with his tie. Connor would then stand and take a step closer to Daniel and the hostage. "Just let the girl go, and I promise you, they won't hurt you." Connor said as he continued taking steps forward. Daniel would go to speak only to groan loudly and wave his gun around. "I can't take it that sound anymore! Make them go away!!" Demanded Daniel. Connor waved his hand, stating that the scene was under control. The helicopter then went away.

"Do you have a gun?" Asked Daniel. "I don't have a gun, you can trust me!" Connor lied. "You have to let her go, it's for your own good!" "What good do I have!" Yelled Daniel. "They lied to me, told me I was family! They tried to replace me by telling me the contract ran out!" Connor took a few more steps forward. "Don't come no closer! I only draw the cards! I chose how I can be free!" Daniel said.

The girl's scream echoed through the building, Connor failing to grab the girl in time, watching off the side of the building as the two fell to their deaths.

SCREEEEEEeeee-!

Connor hunched over and covered his ears at the screeching alarm went off. He ran inside to find out what caused only to be launched hitting his head as he hit the ground.

Crackle...crackle, crackle. Pop!

....thud..

Connor opened his eyes, only to be met with a fiery aftermath. Connor struggled to stand, but managed. Connor looked around hoping to find other survivors burning in the debris, him being the only one sickened him. Connor struggled to walk as his head was swimmy after the fall. As he finally found the fire exit, part of the ceiling landed on Connor, trapping his legs.

Connor cried out, begging for help from anybody, hoping at least a singular soul could hear him. After merely seconds, Connor would black out from the burning pain that engulfed his body.

__November 7th, 2038 // 6:52pm__

"This was the only body we could recover. Connor Arkay. Detective at the Detroit Police department, 28 years old, 75kg, 165 pounds."

A man would flick a syringe full of red liquid before inserting a needle into the vein of Connor's arm.

"Ready?"

"If this saved Chloe and showed me that immortality is real, then you know, I'm ready."

Said a voice before injecting the liquid into Connor's vein. His burns and gashes would soon vanish and heal within minutes, revealing healthy skin underneath. A blanket would be placed on top his body.

"How many days before he wakes up?"

"They usually wake up after two or three days. If they don't wake up after three days, it didn't work. Though, that's never happened."

The three voices that filled the room could be heard walking away.

__November 9th, 2038 // 9:27 pm__

Plink. Plink.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

Eyes scanned the room looking for a familiar for a certain case.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Lieutenant Anderson. There was a case reported three hours ago, you're needed on the scene. You're lucky I found you at the fifth bar."

#dbh vampire #dbh #dbh connor #dbh kara #dbh markus #dbh simon #dbh josh #dbh north #dbh luther #dbh lucy #detroit become human #dbh au #dbh hank

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workersolidarity · 6 months

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[Photo source]

🇵🇸🇮🇱 🚨 ISRAELI AUTHORITIES SAY HAMAS HAD NO PLANS TO ATTACK MUSIC FESTIVAL, OCCUPATION HELICOPTER OPENED FIRE ON FESTIVAL GOERS

Hamas militants who attacked a music festival during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood likely had no prior knowledge of the festival, according to Israeli media reports citing police and security sources.

According to a police report obtained by Israeli media Channel 12, Hamas militants had prior plans to assault the nearby Kibbutz Re'im, however they discovered the festival as result of drones and Resistance militants parachuting into occupied territory.

According to the report, some 4'400 colonists were at the festival when news arrived that Hamas militants had broken through the Israeli security fence. However, most were able to escape before the Resistance arrived.

According to the report, target maps were found on the bodies of some of the martyrs, however, none revealed the location of the music festival as one of the targets.

Another piece of supporting evidence produced in the report states that the Resistance militants arrived by the highway, rather than the security fence, as would be expected if the music festival had been a target prior to it's discovery from the skies.

Also, the music festival had not been originally intended for that Saturday, but was only expected to run Thursday and Friday. Saturday was only added to the programme on Tuesday.

The investigation also found that an Occupation helicopter opened fire on the militants after their arrival, striking multiple festival-goers. Though the report offers no further details on the episode.

According to an Al Jazeera News report on the incident, an unnamed police officer is quoted as saying, "An investigation into the incident revealed an [Israeli military] combat helicopter that arrived at the scene from the Ramat David base fired at the terrorists and apparently also hit some of the revelers there."

The death toll from the incident has also been revised upwards from 270 to 364, including 17 police officers and 40 kidnappings. In total, some 1'200 occupiers were killed in the operation.

In response to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the events of October 7th, the Israeli Occupation Forces have laid siege to Gaza for more than a month, bombarding the strip and have since launched ground operations surrounding Gaza City.

According to the Ministry of Health of the Gaza Strip, more than 12'000 Palestinians have been killed in Occupation air strikes, including more than 5'000 children, thousands of women and tens of thousands wounded.

#source1

#source2

@WorkerSolidarityNews

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cobwebcorner · 4 months

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Overall I enjoyed the Separate Ways DLC. This is not a review so much as a series of disconnected thoughts.

It is now obvious to me that the reason Ada likes Leon so much is that she, too, is secretly a giant dork. Muttering little one-liners to herself as she snipes ganados off the gondolas and such. It's adorable. She keeps trying to be playful at Wesker, but unfortunately he's abandoned his original chillness and is in irritable hardass mode, which makes me sad. I'd have liked to see at least a little banter in the beginning, before Wesker started getting impatient.

Ada's character kind of vacillates between low-key goofy like this and shutting down into a cold machine. I want to give the writers credit and say it's on purpose, like maybe she's forcing herself to change modes because Wesker chewed her out too much or the stress of her situation is getting to her, buuut. I dunno.

There's some weird inconsistencies in the writing between SW and the main campaign, like they weren't written at the same time originally, and SW doesn't quite fit at times. The Ada you meet at the start of SW is quite different from the one you first see in the main campaign.

One of those inconsistencies is the way information gets repeated between characters as if they're having the conversation for the first time. The clearest and least spoilery example is near the end, when Ada reports to Wesker that she got the amber...and a little later, gets into a helicopter and tells him that she got the amber again. He reacts as if she didn't call him the first time, or possibly hit his head and forgot about it. I know it's a minor thing but I do find it annoying.

Now to Gameplay!

Unlike the original Separate Ways, this time we get a fully functional merchant. You can fully upgrade weapons and buy a few different guns. Ada doesn't get quite the variety that Leon does, but for a 4-6 hour dlc it's sufficient.

It's fun to me that Ada gets to do little side missions too, so that means Wesker is watching me fuck around hunting for blue medallions like 'Ada. Ada I told you to find the amber. What are you doing. Now you're picking up clothes and selling them? Do I not pay you enough?' No wonder he's so grumpy.

The level design is a great improvement (which let's be honest, the original felt very rushed and low-budget), incorporating some cool new areas plus using a lot of the areas from the original RE4 that didn't make it into the campaign. There's some good new spooky parts, and I loved the new U3 (I don't think it's a spoiler at this point to say you fight U3). The way they added the hookshot to combat is fun, and I'm going to be ruined for new attempts at the main campaign when I try to melee from far away.

Can I say how much I love the music, by the way? The original pretty much just reused a couple mercenaries tracks if I recall correctly, and it got really repetitive and irritating after a while. The music in the remake uses a lot of Ada's themes from the og RE 2 and it's beautiful.

Now a couple SPOILERS

There is no new lore or information about Ada's background, which I appreciate (no seriously I don't WANT to know. let her stay mysterious. Also, why are people upset about this? Don't you know that if capcom's going to reveal information about a major character's backstory, it'll be in a random japan-only magazine or a stage play?). However, we have been given one hint. While examining the body of the burnt cop she comments on the smell of burnt flesh and how she thought she left that life behind. Which is. Dark! That's very dark, capcom! Unless she used to work in a crematorium.

Minor issue, but I'm confused why Luis seems to know Ada well (well enough that Ada's ok with him touching her) and yet have no idea who she works for or what people are helping him out. How did they meet? In the original she intercepted an email he sent to a dead colleague, and you didn't get a sense that she really knew him personally. So now I have more questions that will probably never be answered.

Wesker shows up in the flesh a few times, which is…odd? That's a lot of trouble to go to, Wesker, unless you're running around for your own separate (ways) nefarious purposes…maybe planting bombs? IDK. Not sure why he even needs Ada there, if he's on location himself. I was convinced he was a hallucination, until Ada fixed that problem and he still showed up again. In the end I don't mind, because the interactions he has with Ada are really interesting (if a bit weird) and I'm going to be spending a lot of time dissecting them. You get the sense they have known each other a long time, and Ada doesn't put up with his shit but that doesn't stop him from trying to intimidate her. (I laughed out loud when she just finished his sentence and hookshoted away from the conversation. Queen behavior)

Ada's infection is honestly just weird. It doesn't match the way plagas have been established to work, and feels very contrived, like it's there just so they could keep certain gameplay mechanics and to give an excuse why Luis couldn't just give Ada the amber once he got it. Once those pieces are set up, the infection is neatly disposed of in a way that doesn't make a lot of sense and is never mentioned again. Here I was assuming Ada could direct Leon to the plaga-removal lab because she'd been in there herself. Nope.

Ada and Krauser never interact at all. Not even a tease of a miniboss. Not a line of dialog. Two ships passing in the night (or, one ship running away from the other comically fast). This saddens me, even though I know their dynamic would have been completely different if they did meet, since Krauser's no longer a bitchy coworker. There's a lot of buildup in the section where you chase Krauser, like you expect that Ada is going to GET HIM for what he did to Luis (or at least try), and then it just fizzles out into nothing.

(and I would like everyone to know that I CALLED IT about her disguising herself as one of saddler's handmaidens)

In the end her arc wasn't really believable to me, I'm afraid to say. She seems to just follow along where the story pushes her until the very last moment, when Wesker makes one ominous comment too many and she decides to start defying him. The original version, where she was playing 3D chess and working for another mystery player all along, was much more satisfying.

And finally: it's very interesting to me that Wesker chooses to save/spare her twice in this game, despite being mad at her. Obviously she has plot armor, but it's almost like he's got a soft spot or something. Yes yes I'm sure people can come up with plenty of canned villain motivations for his actions; "he thought she was still useful" or "he's underestimating her resolve" or whatever. That's the boring option. I think it's a lot more fun to look at his actions and go 'wow wesker you not only hauled Ada to safety and a bed out of the rain, but spent at least an hour or so watching over her while she was unconscious to give Leon time to get to the cabin fight. attached much?'

Edited to add: a friend and I have been lightly going nuts trying to fit the Ada and Wesker in the cabin bit into the timeline of the main game, because if Leon chooses to go back to the chief's house to raid his attic once he has Ashley then uh. He really should have run into them? Ada doesn't wake up until the cabin fight, after all, and they both passed out around sundown. Unless Wesker shoved Ada under the bed and then hid in the wardrobe?

#oops I guess I never actually posted this #just found it in my drafts #so here's my thoughts many months late #verb rambles

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elceeu2morrow · 1 year

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OCTOBER 25, 2022 BY TIM INGHAM

Did you happen to find yourself in a provincial German discotheque in the early 2000s, somewhere betwixt Berlin and Dresden, watching Rednex – and we say this with a modicum of charity – ‘perform’ Cotton Eye Joe to a wide-eyed dancefloor?

While you were there, did you notice a 19-year-old woman, stood to the side of the throng, with a handbag suspiciously stuffed with tens of thousands of Euros?

If so, we do hope you were polite to her. Because she went on to become one of the most influential international executives in the global music industry.

Today, Dominique Casimir is Chief Content Officer at BMG, and sits on the board of the Bertelsmann-owned music company. Most importantly, she oversees BMG’s ‘repertoire’ (that’s publishing and records) operation in 17 separate territories, including Central Europe, Latam, and the UK. Or to put it in a more succinct way: Casimir runs BMG’s entire music operation everywhere outside North America.

Twenty years ago, such professional heights must have seemed a long way off for Casimir, who had moved to Berlin as a teenager with the initial intention of becoming a doctor. Within a few months, she’d pressed pause on these medical ambitions, and found herself studying an aimless mix of subjects at university, while waitressing in her spare time to pay the rent. One day, a realization hit her: “This leads to nothing.”

Following her innate passion for music, she signed up as an intern for a German talent agency that specialized in booking shows for Swedish pop acts. It was an eye-opening introduction to the music business.

She spent most of her time in a van, “picking up acts like Rednex and [nu-disco trio] Alcazar, and taking them to shady discotheques for playback performances – multiple venues in one night. When we got to each show, I’d been told to [accost] the venue owner: ‘No one goes on stage until the money is in my handbag!’”

This precarious lifestyle was a thrill for Casimir until one December night, still in her teens, she found herself arranging an emergency helicopter to the local hospital. The lead singer of Rednex had succumbed to a life-threatening fever… in a minibus driven by Casimir… which was stuck on the Autobahn… because of an avalanche. Casimir was out of money, out of phone battery – and very nearly out of a lead singer of Rednex.

Somehow, Casimir made it back to her parents’ house in Hamburg that Christmas. And far from being scared off the music industry, she decided to double down.

Returning to Berlin that New Year, Casimir launched her own successful independent booking and management company – keeping her contacts from Swedish pop-land, while also branching out into management of young German rock bands. She made enough waves over the next half-decade to impress Fremantle, a Bertlesmann-owned TV content company, who hired her to handle sync licensing and music publishing agreements in 2007.

A year later, her work caught the eye of Hartwig Masuch, who had just become CEO of the ‘new’ BMG, a startup music company backed by Bertelsmann capital. (The ‘old’ BMG was no more, after Universal Music Group acquired its publishing assets in a USD $2.19 billion deal in 2007.)

Today, outside of the major music companies, BMG is arguably the largest music publishing and recorded music entity globally.

In the first half of 2022, BMG turned over EUR €371 million, up 25% year-on-year, with 40% of that revenue figure coming from recorded music and the remaining 60% from publishing. Its repertoire across publishing and records includes all-time classics from Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner, through to modern releases by the likes of George Ezra, Kylie Minogue, Jason Aldean, Slowthai, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel and Louis Tomlinson.

Remarkably, Hartwig Masuch says that BMG had achieved its 25% YoY revenue uplift in H1 2022 “with virtually no hits” – his point being that BMG’s primary focus is not on achieving global chart-toppers, but instead on amplifying the prospects of all its repertoire, regardless of audience size.

As head of BMG’s repertoire outside the US, Dominique Casimir oversees music that is responsible for around 50% of her employer’s worldwide turnover.

Many of her most notable moves to date have come in her home nation of Germany. In August, for example, BMG swooped for Telamo, Germany’s largest independent record label and a specialist in Schlager music (often described as Germany’s equivalent of country music in the US). As a result of that deal, BMG now stands as one of the largest label groups in the German market.

Casimir has also personally been at the forefront of BMG’s investment in three significant areas of live music. During the pandemic, she led the majority-acquisition of German live music promoter Undercover. She also led BMG’s backing of the stage musical Ku’Damm 56, which has sold over 200,000 tickets to date, and was recently extended to the end of February 2023.

Most recently, Casimir took the wraps off BMG’s latest foray into live entertainment: The firm has booked out Berlin’s most renowned theater, the 1,600-seat Theater des Westens (TdW), every night until the end of 2024.

BMG, in conjunction with Bertelsmann, will pack that theatre with live content each week, with a view to emulating the Vegas/Broadway-style ‘residency’ successes of artists in the US such as Bruce Springsteen, Adele, and Celine Dion.

Here, Casimir explains what her early experiences in music taught her about treating artists and why she believes BMG has cracked the right way to do deal-making with artists – as she reveals an interesting theory for why the music industry continues to obsess over weekly charts…

YOU STARTED LIFE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS A TEENAGER, SITTING IN SPLITTER VANS WITH SWEDISH POP ACTS AND GERMAN ROCK BANDS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU LEARNED DURING THAT TIME THAT STILL RESONATES WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE TODAY?

Definitely. As a manager [in the early noughties] I saw a totally unbalanced, unfair and super-weird situation: The artist would be putting their entire life into this, and you had the industry – whether that was live or record companies – making all the money and calling all the shots.

That triggered something in me from minute one. There was this tone from the music industry during that era: We have the power; you, artist, are small. Now shut up while we overrule you, because we know better.

I met lots of anxious artists who were so busy trying to make their A&R at the record company happy. They were delighted when one of these ‘super repertoire’ people from the label visited the show. To the artists, it felt like these label people really could open the gate of magic at a major music company. But that was actually when the trouble would really start!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, TROUBLE?

I believe that the most important thing you can have when you’re starting a [commercial] discussion with an artist is clarity. Clarity on what it is we can achieve together, but also clarity on agreeing on a realistic picture – sometimes, a reality check! – on what the best case scenario looks like at the end of a project.

That means not promising the sky and everything in it just to get an artist to sign to you. Because what happens in that scenario is you enter into an ‘us and them’ relationship. Record companies might think [when the artist signs with them] that they have ‘won’ a deal, but if you haven’t invited clarity and honest discussion into the room, you will be left with a huge amount of pressure. And, soon, you will be left with the blame game.

The moment you create a relationship with an artist where there is ‘you’ and not ‘us’, it just won’t work.

Artists are not always super-predictable – that’s part of the reason we all love them so much. But when they know who they are, you can all agree together what the goals are and what the goals aren’t. When they’re willing to get into the ‘boat’ with their [record company partner], when you’re in it together, there is no blame game. You have a recipe for success.

ISN’T THE ‘PROMISING THE MOON’ ELEMENT OF RECORD COMPANY DEALS WITH ARTISTS VERY OFTEN BECAUSE THE ARTIST INVOLVED HAS A LIKELIHOOD OF RELEASING A CHART HIT – OR ALREADY HAS ONE ON THE WAY?

Yes. I know you noticed Hartwig’s comment about BMG not requiring a hit to grow 25% in the first half of this year. That is the new music industry.

Of course it’s nice for every artist to have a hit, and we’ve had our fair share. But hits come and go, and for some of them [the record labels] massively overpays. Some artists have just one hit in their career, and it’s not even a super-hit.

You can’t live off that forever, but it might cost you everything because of the way your deal is structured; if that deal, for example, is completely predicated on you having a second hit, with massive expenditure [baked in] at radio. If you don’t get that second hit, you’re toast.

Think of it from the artist’s perspective: The industry often doesn’t talk nice about artists who don’t get that follow-up hit, especially if a lot of money has been spent trying to get it, and artists know that. A huge part of this industry still spends all its time and attention – and a lot of its money – playing that hits game, and it leads to bad incentives.

Traditional record label A&R is like cooking spaghetti: throw 10 pieces at the wall and hope one sticks. Those pieces of spaghetti are artists! It needs to change. There are so many ways of making a living for an artist today. Even though it remains really hard to do so, focusing on just the hits and the recorded music charts – in an age when 600,000 new songs a week are going on to streaming services – isn’t a sensible strategy.

WHAT IS A SENSIBLE STRATEGY?

Our perspective is to look at artists and ask: Is there an interesting brand here, an interesting story we can use our expertise to grow around the world?

As an artist, you need as diversified an income as possible – Covid proved to all of us that just relying on live income can quickly be disrupted. It’s not about just living off your vinyl sales or D2C, or Spotify, or ticketing; you need to understand which income streams work best for you, and turn up the volume on all of them.

We don’t just promote records anymore – we promote artist brands.

WHY DO YOU THINK SO MUCH OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON CHARTS AND HITS? SURELY THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE UNDER YOUR ARGUMENT; THERE MUST BE A SOUND ECONOMIC REASON FOR IT?

One of the reasons I’m so thankful I started out in live is that I got to witness that ‘live moment’ – when eveything you’ve worked on together as a team is realised. You hear the audience; it’s such a direct and satisfying reaction.

That’s something you don’t get when you work in a record company. That’s one reason I think the charts remain so important to friends and colleagues in the record industry – charts are a mirror that tell a team: ‘You’ve done something successful.’

But the truth is the charts only reflect a small proportion of the music industry, and even if you do have chart success, it should only be one part of a much bigger story.

That was made clear to me from the first minute of being interviewed to join BMG. Hartwig was very strong and opinionated: we need to apply expertise and systems to what music IP is, and what an artist identity is. That’s the goal. And we need to do it while being honorable, transparent and offering the best level of service – not overruling or overpowering because ‘we know best’.

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS WHEN YOU MET HARTWIG?

He was busy choosing the new BMG logo at the time! I remember him turning around and saying, ‘Why do you want to join this new music company.’ And I said: ‘Actually, I’m not really sure why the world needs another major music company.’ That got him going!

He looked and me and said: ‘I will tell you why…’ And that was followed by Hartwig in full inspiration mode: What he wanted, why he thought artists and songwriters deserve it, and the type of people he wanted around him to make it happen.

SINCE MAY, YOU’VE BEEN CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER OF BMG, OVERSEEING ALL REPERTOIRE OPERATIONS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA. WHICH MARKETS AROUND THE WORLD ARE YOU MOST EXCITED BY FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE?

Mexico, and Latam more generally, stand out. We announced we would launch BMG Mexico earlier this year, we’re in the process of getting it up-and-running and it is already so much fun. There’s tremendous growth, of course, in LatAm [territories] with many of them growing by more than 30% per year for three years in a row at this point.

Streaming and digitalization of the LatAm markets is generally very advanced. But on the other hand, other parts of the industry – the live business, brands, merch, the sync business – all have room to become much more relevant, and I think we as BMG will really make a difference to that.

YOU MENTION LIVE: BMG HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES INTO LIVE IN ITS HOME MARKET IN THESE PAST FEW YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR MAJORITY ACQUISITION OF UNDERCOVER, AND MORE RECENTLY WITH YOUR TWO-YEAR RESIDENCY OF THE BERLIN THEATRE WHERE YOU’VE SEEN SUCCESS WITH THE KU’DAMM 56 MUSICAL.

Germany is a good country for us to test things. It’s the fourth biggest music market in the world, and in some years it’s the third [overtaking the UK].

What we’re trying here with Bertelsmann, is to ask: Can we extend what we do in rights management in music to the live business? Because from a marketing and promotion and storytelling perspective that idea makes a lot of sense. We’re very good at that in [music rights]. And then another thing we’re very good at is financial transparency, and I think there’s a need for that in the live world. And we found a company [in Undercover] just like us. The first meeting I had with [Undercover founder Michael Schacke], he said: ‘We are about fairness and 100% transparency. Our artists can come and audit us anytime.’

One big annoying needle in every artist’s foot in live is the consumer data. There’s a huge amount of valuable fan data created in the process of selling tickets, but it’s often difficult for artists and managers to access that information. We are trying to crack that open with some artists, and get the fullest picture possible of their fanbase, so we can really optimise their income streams.

Our involvement in live concert promotion is the opposite of a ‘360’ deal structure: We offer live promotion and agency services on an opt-in basis to our [recorded music and publishing] artists. We hope those artists do opt-in, because we think we’re offering a lot of added value. But it’s their choice and if it doesn’t suit them that’s fine.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST STORIES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THIS YEAR HAS BEEN THE REVIVAL OF KATE BUSH’S RUNNING UP THAT HILL VIA A STRANGER THINGS SYNC OVER THE SUMMER. WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE ON THAT, AND HOW EVEN THOUGH IT’S A ‘CATALOG’ RECORD, IT EXPLODED LIKE A NEW STREAMING HIT AMONGST MILLIONS OF TEENAGERS WHO WERE HEARING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME?

It’s a beautiful dynamic, and it’s not about ‘catalog’ or ‘frontline’. Kate Bush is an icon and an iconic brand. The question for this new generation of consumers, and those in the music business working to maximize this moment’s potential is: What’s the core of the brand? Why why did she have such a cultural impact? What’s the essence of this artist’s appeal?

I translate that to what we’re doing with Tina Turner [whose music interests BMG acquired last year]. What is the essence of why people feel so strongly and so connected to Tina Turner (pictured)? We’re talking about a premium brand here, and a brand that comes with very strong emotional attributes attached to it. Obviously, it’s about the music, but it’s about more than the music.

So, again, that’s the question: Why was an artist so culturally impactful in the first place? Once you can answer that, you go from there.

#for you clem #lt mention #business worldwide #10.25.22 #business stuff #dominique casimir #bmg #chief content officer #hartwig masuch #music business worldwide #my repost

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