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#i hope no one who sees this is super into chess cause i bullshitted this. the pieces mean nothing i just chose random ones
swan-of-sunrise · 3 years
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The Winter Soldier (Chapter Four)
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Summary: (Y/N) and Sam worry about their new super-soldier friend after it’s revealed that he’s on the run and wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D., the very agency he’d dedicated himself to.
Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader
Word Count: 1.3k
Warnings/Disclaimers: None
A/N: Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter Four (Previous Chapter)
“It’s such bullshit! Captain America’s a criminal now?!”
“I know, Greg.”
“They haven’t even said what he’s done!”
“Yep, it’s ridiculous…”
“How can they organize a manhunt for him but not say what he’s supposedly done?!”
(Y/N) pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated groan. “Greg, you’re my friend and I love you but I can’t keep having this conversation with you.”
The line was silent for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“We’ve been having the exact same conversation for almost a half an hour! You can’t believe that Cap’s a criminal, I agree, you complain that they haven’t said what he’s wanted for, I agree, then you start going all ‘Law and Order’ on me!” She exclaimed, immediately regretting her outburst; with a sigh, she sat down in her desk chair and rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry, Greg, that was rude. I don’t like what’s going on either; Captain America stands for freedom and honor, he always has, and it just seems…wrong that he’s the subject of a manhunt. I seriously doubt that Captain America of all people did anything to break the law.”
“Wow, when did you become such a big Cap fan?”
“I went to his exhibit when I was at the Air and Space Museum yesterday, and I guess it got me interested.” (Y/N) half-lied, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. “Anyway, the reason I called was to tell you that it might take me a little longer to get the draft of my book to you; I still need to look over the last couple of chapters and with everything happening…it might be hard to focus on writing today.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mike’s busy reading through a nine-hundred-page thriller that was sent in this morning so that’ll give you some time. Sorry to cut this short but I’ve gotta go, I have to check on mine and Mara’s dinner reservation for tonight, so I’ll talk to you later, (Y/N)!”
“Talk to you later, Greg!” (Y/N) hung up and set her cell phone down on the desk with a sigh. Ever since she and Sam turned on the television at breakfast and saw the breaking news, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong; Steve Rogers wouldn’t be on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. unless he had a damn good reason to be. I’m sure he’s fine, he’s probably been through much tougher scrapes than this, she thought to herself with forced optimism as she turned on her laptop and began typing.
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Humming along to Billy Joel’s ‘Movin’ Out’, (Y/N)’s fingers flew across her keyboard as she typed and she smiled, proud of the fact that her writer’s block from the week before was now officially over and that she was so close to completing her very first novel. Not bad, not bad at all, she thought, hitting the ‘save’ button and stretching her arms over her head to relieve the build-up tension in her shoulders.
“Now this is good music, Booksmart!”
She spun her desk chair around to see Sam standing in the doorway of her bedroom and raised her eyebrow as she turned down her music. “Oh, so Billy Joel’s okay but everything else I listen to is garbage?”
Sam gave her a teasing eye-roll. “I never said that your music was garbage, I just said it was weird. How’s the writing going today?”
“I edited twelve pages and just spent an hour trying to describe a Soviet Cold War-era missile, so it’s been okay. How was work?”
“It was good, I didn’t have any meetings scheduled so I spent most of the day playing chess with the old timers. I swear, I think Gary cheats but I can’t figure out how he does it…”
(Y/N) shrugged. “Or maybe you should just accept the fact that you’re terrible at chess and the old timers take great pleasure in seeing you lose.”
“Ha, ha, very funny. You still cool with driving me to the shop to pick up my car?”
(Y/N) got up, turning off her computer and unplugging her MP3 player from her speaker with a grin. “Of course! Driver picks the music, though!” She laughed and practically skipped out of the room as Sam let out a groan of defeat and followed her. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Birdbrain, it’s not like I’m making you listen to a CD of ambient throat singing!”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if you had some of that…”
Five minutes later, they were on the road and the two of them were singing along to her one of Panic! At The Disco’s newest singles at the top of their lungs; out of the corner of her eye she could see other drivers shooting them odd looks but she couldn’t care less, she was enjoying herself far too much.
Sam chuckled as the song came to a finish. “Damn, their new album is good. You know, I didn’t start listening to alt-rock until I met you.”
“Then you should be thanking me for bringing such good music into your life!” Giggling, (Y/N) turned down the volume and glanced over at the cheerful man sitting beside her, her smile faltering as she asked, “Do you think he’s okay, Sam?”
Her roommate’s expression grew serious and he shook his head. “I really don’t know. I saw on CNN earlier that inside sources claim he’s wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. in connection to the assassination of their director, but I don’t buy it. The guy we’ve met, who’s so dedicated to his job that he hasn’t bothered getting a life outside of it, wouldn’t be a part of something like that. I think something else’s up and I’ll bet anything he’s out there trying to figure it out.”
(Y/N) bit her bottom lip, nodding after a moment. “Yeah, me too.”
“Just you wait, this whole mess with S.H.I.E.L.D.’ll be cleared up in no time. I’m calling it right now, Steve’s gonna ride up to the VA on his motorcycle and dramatically whisk you off your feet, and the two of you are gonna ride off into the sunset together while one of those sappy love songs you pretend not to like plays in the background.” Sam's teasing smirk widened when her cheeks flushed. “C’mon, Booksmart, you both were mooning over each other like teenagers after the meeting yesterday; I felt like I was in the live studio audience of a soap opera taping.”
“You know, I could always kick you out of the car and make you walk all the way to the shop, if you'd prefer.”
“And I'd still get there before you ‘cause you drive like a grandma...”
Soon after, she pulled into the auto repair shop’s lot, parking under the shade of a tree before turning to Sam with a smile. “Did you want me to stay just in case your car isn’t ready yet?”
“That would be great, actually, thanks!” Sam gave her a grin before getting out of the car and heading into the shop.
(Y/N) rolled down the windows and sighed when she felt the soft spring breeze against her skin. Taking advantage of the peaceful moment, she let her imagination wander and began brainstorming different stories and characters in her head. You should probably finish the book you’re writing before you start on another one, she thought with a playful eye-roll. Her childhood dream of becoming a published author was in the middle of coming true, and she couldn’t be any happier about it.
Just then, her eyes drifted to a silver truck that was driving past the parking lot. It was going fast so she couldn’t get a very good look at the driver, but for a split second she could have sworn that the man driving the truck had the same blonde hair and chiseled jaw as Steve Rogers. Chalking it up to worry for the runaway super-soldier, she closed her eyes and murmured, “Whatever he’s up to, I hope that he’s staying safe.”
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A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4BenknAqQQnOWY8NmSa23V
Tagging: @mrs-obrien​ @lahoete​ @awkward117​ @cminr​ @momc95​ @awkwardnesshabitat​ @marinettepotterandplagg​ @khuang3​ @supersouthy​ @benakenalove​ @brooke0297​ @hufflepeople​ @becausewelie​​ @outoftheregular @supreme-tantrum​
Chapter Five
“The Winter Soldier” Masterlist
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My Ideal MCU Fantastic Four Fancast
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After finding out that Disney and Fox reached a deal in which the rights of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are reverted back to Marvel(Thank god), I figured that I might as well make a fancast for the Fantastic Four. These are personally my choices so please don’t judge me. 
The Heroes
Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic: Daniel Henney
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  The smartest man on Earth who has the ability to stretch, twist and re-shape his body to inhuman proportions, Reed is the leader of the Fantastic Four, developing a ship that could travel deep within time and space, allowing him and the team to travel through different planets, time periods and universes. Ever since the accident that gave him and his team powers, Reed has often been filled with guilt, blaming himself for the accident and Ben’s condition. Still, with the love and support from his family and friends, Reed would learn to overcome his problems, allowing him to become a capable leader and accomplished superhero. I chose Daniel for a couple of reasons(And yes cause he’s handsome.) I know the the MCU is seriously lacking in Asian characters, particularly males, so I figured why not racebend. Before anyone says anything, I just want to say that yeah, I cast an Asian actor to play the smart one out of team but there’s a lot more to Reed than his intelligence and it’s his strong, unconditional love for his teammates. After seeing him in movies like Shanghai Calling and voicing Tadashi from Big Hero 6, I could totally see him play the brilliant scientist.   
Susan Storm/Invisible Woman: Natalie Dormer
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Wife of Reed, a biochemist and CEO of the Future Foundation, Sue has the ability to bend and manipulate light to render herself and others invisible as well as generating near-indestructible invisible force fields around herself or other targets, making her the most powerful member on the team. Natalie Dormer was an interesting pick, though I envisioned Susan as someone who is not only a caring, loving wife and sister but also someone who does not tolerate any bullshit and is not afraid to get a little tough on others if it’s necessary. Natalie has quite the look and I could imagine her trying to make sure that Reed keeps his feet on the ground. Plus, she and Daniel would make a nice couple with good chemistry(Hopefully).
Johnny Storm/The Human Torch: Hunter Parrish
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Johnny has the ability to control fire, allowing him to project fire from his body, as well as the power to fly. Due to being the youngest member of the team, Johnny is the most adventurous, always eager to explore new worlds and creating trouble on the way. I think Hunter would be the perfect choice to play the more brash Johnny after seeing him in 17 Again. 
Ben Grimm/The Thing: Robert Kazinsky
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A life-long friend of Reed since college and has been transformed into a monstrous, orange, rock-like humanoid possessing high levels of superhuman strength and durability. Ever since the accident, Ben has often been filled with anger, self-loathing and self-pity over his new appearance. Unlike the others, he is unable to revert back to a normal appearance. This has brought a strain to his and Reed’s friendship and was desperate in wanting to be normal again. He even relied on the help of Victor Von Doom, Reed’s archnemesis in curing him. Eventually, with a change of heart, Ben would soon reconcile with Reed and the rest of the team as well as gaining some more confidence in his appearance, with the help from his soon-to-be girlfriend, Alicia. With Robert, I think that as long as he can pull off an American accent, he would do great as Ben, bringing him a sense of dry-humor as well as butting heads with Johnny.
The Villains
Harvey Elder/The Mole Man: Josh Gad
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A scientist that aspires to become the next Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hank Pym and even Reed Richards but was shunned not only for his ugliness but also his belief of a “Hollow” Earth. He would soon discover  Subterranea, an underground realm and would rule over the moloids and conquer Ancient monsters. He then seeks revenge on the surface world. I know Josh Gad was a odd choice but when it comes to casting, the MCU has a thing for casting actors you’d least expect to appear in a movie, like Sylvester Stallone in GOTG Vol 2 and Cate Blanchett in Thor Ragnarok, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Josh somehow finds his way into the MCU. I also feel that it might be refreshing to see him in a different light as a villain as opposed to playing the comic relief. 
Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
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Doctor Doom, also known as Victor Von Doom is the monarch and dictator of Latveria. Highly intelligent, he is an equal to Reed, which angers him. He also use to attend the same college as Reed and Ben till an accident occurs, leaving him with a scar on his face and causing him to be expelled. He would then travel to Kamar-Taj, where he gained some knowledge of sorcery and magic. With that, he would soon use it as an advantage of invading his home country, Latveria and would rule over Latveria in a dictatorship. He would swore revenged on the one person that was responsible for most of his problems: Reed Richards. Doom does not admire the idea of him and Reed being equals and claims to be far more superior and better than him. In all honesty, it would been better if I cast a Eastern-European actor to play Doom, but there was something about Nikolaj that made me choose him. I could see him and Daniel play rivals. Doom is a villain that I consider to be tragic, similar to Loki and Magneto and could imagine appearing in multiple movies, becoming a more interesting and menacing villain along the way.
Note: I am aware of Victor being of Romani descent in the comics and I apologize for whitewashing. I do love Nikolaj, but I do also hope for an actor of Romani decent play Doom.
Kang the Conqueror:Arnold Vosloo
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A time traveling conqueror with vast powers and technological supremacy from the 31st Century, he travels back to Egypt c. 2950 B.C. and became known as the Pharaoh Rama-Tut. If you seen The Mummy, you’ll know why I chose him. Kang the Conqueror is quite an interesting villain in which I could imagine like Doom, is also a villain that could crossover in other films with other superheroes like the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Impossible Man: Lin Manuel Miranda
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A prankster and hedonist, the Impossible Man claimed to belong to the alien race of Poppupians from planet Poppup in the "Tenth Galaxy", who all share a collective consciousness and the ability to shapeshift, as their planet is so dangerous they have the ability to evolve very quickly.  I could imagine Lin portray this charcter with a sense of quirkiness and mischief to him.
Annihilus: Jason Flemymg
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Annihilus, a native of the planet Arthos, is the ruler of the Negative Zone and a  nihilist who is obsessed with constantly finding different ways to extend his lifespan and destroying all that which he sees as a threat to his existence. He’s the owner of something known as the “cosmic control rod”. After watching him in X-Men: First Class and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with a little help from prosthetics, CGI and even motion capture, Jason can somehow pull off playing the alien ruler of the Negative Zone.
Blastaar: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
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A member of an alien race known as the Baluurians, of the planet Baluur in the Negative Zone . He ruled the Baluurians as their monarch ruthlessly until his subjects rebelled and rose against him. Blastaar was deposed as monarch, and became a Negative Zone outlaw. Blastaar was locked up in a special containment suit and set adrift in outer space in the Negative Zone. He would soon encounter the Fantastic Four during their travels in the Negative Zone. Having the right built and body, Hafþór would fit perfectly for this role.
Lucia Von Bardas: Hiba Abouk
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She is the servant and advisor of Doctor Doom who poses as a diplomat at the Latverian Embassy in the U.S. who is also secretly a cyborg created by Doom. I can imagine her play the villainess and going up against the Invisible Woman.
Esteban Corazón de Ablo/Diablo: Pedro Pascal
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A 9th Century alchemist known as Esteban Corazón de Ablo, Diablo is someone who desires of world dominance. He is also able to produce any number of amazing potions that defy scientific analysis. Based on his portrayal as Oberyn Martell, I think Pedro can pull off as a evil alchemist. I originally thought of Javier Bardem but felt that Pedro has a better resemblance to Diablo.
Bentley Wittman/The Wizard: Jemaine Clement
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Was one a child-prodigy and chess-champion, The Wizard is a well known innovator and inventor who decides to pursue a life of villany and target some of the best well-known superheroes, particularly the Human Torch. I think Jemaine can pull of the cunning and mischief inventor. I personally see him as a minor villain, similar to Crossbones.
Owen Reece/Molecule Man: Matt Smith
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Owen Reece was a weak, shy man by nature. He was a momma's boy, both fearful and resentful of the world. Then, one day, he was transformed into the Molecule Man by a lab accident. While working at an atomic power plant Owen mistakenly activated an experiment device that opened a portal to another dimension. This portal caused him to be exposed to a powerful explosion of a strange energy. The explosion horribly disfigured his face with scars in the shape of lightning bolts, but it also granted him immense power, which he used to take out his pent-up frustrations on the world. I’d loved Matt as the Eleventh doctor in Doctor Who and seeing him in a different light in the mcu would be really interesting.
Kl'rt/Super-Skrull: Joe Taslim
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A warrior that was given the combined powers of the fantastic four, Kl’rt became known as the Super Skrull who was used as a special weapon and sent to Earth to pave way for the Skrull-Empire Invasion. Joe was an odd pick cause I could’ve pick someone with a little more muscle like Manu Bennet and Vinnie Jones(Which were some of my alternates.) but I figured that with his martial-arts background, Joe would fit perfectly for the warrior. (If anything goes wrong, he could always play Namor, lol) 
Lyja: Sofia Boutella
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A Skrull who was sent to Earth to infiltrate and destroy the Fantastic Four, by seducing the youngest member of the team, Johnny a.k.a The Human Torch. Seeing Sofia in movies like Kingsman and Star Trek Beyond, she could easily play the skillfully badass Skrull warrior. 
The Beyonder: Oded Fehr
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The Beyonder is an immensely powerful extradimensional entity of disputed origin. Virtually omnipotent in his realm, the Beyonder has striven on occasion to be mankind's both greatest savior and enemy in his quests to understand human nature. I picked Oded based on the Beyonder’s appearance in the 1994 Spiderman cartoon but either way, I could see him give a melodramatic performance as the Beyonder. 
Galactus: Either Peter Cullen or James Earl Jones
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  Also known as the “Destroyer of Worlds”, Galactus is a sentient being that is beyond good and evil as he merely feeds on the energy of planets to survive. I was torn between choosing the man who voiced Optimus Prime and Darth Vader, though either way, both actors have a voice that could give the character a menacing feel to him.
Secondary Characters
Alicia Masters: Genesis Rodriguez
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The love-interest of Ben and friend and neighbor of the Fantastic Four. A blind sculptor, she is what gives Ben the confidence in his appearance. Alicia has a big heart, who always tries to find the goodness in anyone, which is what she did in trying to convince the Silver Surfer to disobey Galactus. Even when blind, it does not stop her in trying to help others, especially the Fantastic Four. I think Genesis has that sweet smile and voice that matches the caring Alicia and that she and Robert would make a nice couple.
HERBIE: Voiced by either Alan Tudyk or Matthew Gray Gubler
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A small, robotic assistant designed by Reed Richards, think of his role similar to J.A.R.V.I.S and F.R.I.D.A.Y. I was stuck between Alan and Matthew and I figured that either actor would be perfect for the role as they both have done some voice-work in several films before. 
Wyatt Wingfoot: Martin Sensmeier
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A close friend of Johnny whom despite not having any powers has saved the team on several occasions and shared many adventures with them. I can imagine Martin being friends with Hunter’s Johnny.
Alyssa Moy: Yaya DaCosta
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Alyssa is a close friend and ex-lover of Reed who is also equally smart as him. Even as the two are no longer together, they still remain on good terms, even helping out the Fantastic Four.  About the race change, I feel like the MCU is still lacking in women of color and especially those that are brilliantly smart and into the science field(Like Jane Foster and Helen Cho), so I figured why not and Yaya is a great actress that could seemingly play the equally smart ex of Reed.  
Thundra: Ronda Rousey
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  From an alternate reality, Thundra is the mightiest warrior from the United Sisterhood Republic, a country populated and ruled by the Femizons, a matriarchal society of Amazon-like women warriors. Thundra's reality is the alternate reality of the 23rd century Earth-715 in which, she is the strongest person of her world. I can see the Fantastic Four encounter her while traveling through time and though she comes off as antagonistic at first, becomes a good ally to the team. I think Rousey is able to portray this fierce and bold warrior.
Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer: Jacob Anderson
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Norrin Radd of Zenn-La is the mighty herald of Galactus, the devourer of worlds. Gifted with the Power Cosmic and a trusty board which he can summon and return to him faster than light speed. He would be known as the Silver Surfer. To be honest, finding an actor to play the Silver Surfer was quite difficult, though I figured Jacob could play him. After watching a couple of episodes of Game of Thrones, I could imagine him give the character some emotional depth.
Frankie Raye/Nova: Riley Keough
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Frankie Raye worked for the United Nations as an interpreter. She met Johnny Storm. and became his girlfriend, despite her fear of fire. She would soon develop powers after an accident cause by her step-father, which causes her to become Nova. Technically I thought of having her as Nova instead of Richard Rider because why not, and thought that Riley could pull off playing a badass superheroine, not to mention that she would be perfect for my Human Torch pick.
Uatu the Watcher:  Irrfan Khan
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Uatu the Watcher is an incredibly powerful being that has sworn never to interfere with the happenings of the Universe, only to watch, yet he has broken this oath several times. Yes, I know about the whole “What if Stan Lee is the Watcher” though I still figured that someone should still play him. I figured that the character would be motion-captured like Galactus. I chose Irrfan since I figured his voice would suit the character perfectly.
 So that’s about it, I’m sorry if the list is too long as well as the descriptions, but I figured that I might as well share what my interpretation of the MCU’s Fantastic Four would be like. These are personally my picks for the characters and it’s okay if you don’t agree with some of them, just please don’t send in any hate or what not. Hopefully you guys enjoy.
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ghoultyrant · 7 years
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FoZ Notes 7
Aaand we’re back.
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Louise says a bunch of stuff about glorious honorable deaths. Saito thinks she doesn't mean it. She claims that no, she doesn't really mean it, but "it has to be this way" because they're at war and anyway she's more bothered by Saito being depressed. So she's still more comfortable with death than a lot of people. The narrator goes on to confirm that okay yes she feels bad for the dead but not THAT bad because yes they did at least die with honor.
"Hugging a familiar isn't done due to status difference". Horseshit.
Oh wait those guys aren't dead. Pretty blatant that Cromwell revived them. Magic checks are done just in case Albion is laying a trap, but apparently Void Andvari zombies don't register to such checks? [Future note: We never ever get a proper explanation of what happened here. I think the intent is that Tiffania found them, nursed them back to health somehow, and then neuralized them, which makes no sense as Tiffania could not possibly have addressed the injuries these jackasses suffered, but FoZ is not exactly the height of consistency or logic so I suspect this nonsensical explanation really is the intent]
Oh my god the zombies think Saito is strange for mourning them I love these guys.
Aaaaand now we're contradicting the idea that dragon riders are people with dragon familiars. And asserting that they're all Wind affinity and flying familiars are normal for that.
Introduced to Julio Cesar, a Romalian priest with eyes of two colors who makes moves on Louise. Unprecedentedly good dragon rider, supposedly no magic. [Future note: My vibe from the word go was “way too Mary Sue”. Initially I thought he would be a temporary character and thus was tolerant of his presence. Nope. And he gets far, far worse]
Tristain intends to give Germania some of Albion's territory once they win, and intends to find someone of royal blood to reinstate the Albionese monarchy. The former seems... impractical. [Future note: Once this war is over, Albion’s situation drops off the face of the planet. The fact that Albion ought to resent being split down the middle like this, the tendency for real countries to resent leadership installed by outsiders, and all the other problems with this situation? Irrelevant! Ugh]
Romalia is helping against Albion because Reconquistador's agenda basically threatens the legitimacy of the Pope's authority.
The illusion spell can be used for scouting utility. [Reader note: In the sense that Louise can reconstruct what she remembers looking at to provide a high level of detailed information to people more quickly than words would provide]
Albion is defending at least Saxe-Gothe with orcs, trolls, "demi-humans". One line in Baka-Tsuki's translation calls orcs demons, so possibly the demons to the east are just monsters. [Future note: No]
Cromwell is perfectly happy to take food from Saxe-Gotha's citizens to deny the invaders food, on the expectation they will end up feeding the citizens instead. He intends to blame the non-human forces, is fine with losing the city to revolt, and also intends to poison the water supply with Void magic somehow.
Cromwell can mass-revive the dead with his ring. He stole the ring from the Water Spirits with the help of Sheffield and Gallian "mage knights". Also, Cromwell has no magic himself. [See?]
We get introduced to Wind Stones properly, at last. [Reader note: We heard about them in regard to airships before, but “they exist” and “they are relevant to flight” was the extent of our information] The Ring of Andvari is a Water magic artifact, not a Void magic one. Something about concentrated magic like this being Void's enemy. [Future note: Wait, what? Ugh, another thing that never gets properly explained or brought up again] Ominous foreshadowing that the Ring of Andvari does more than just raise the dead. Also, it's used up a little bit with each casting.
Still not clear what non-Wind dragons have over Wind Dragons. I thought it was fire breath, but nope. [Reader note: That is, Wind Dragons can breathe fire, too]
Implication that Gandalfr power comes from feelings aimed at the master.
"Medal of White Hair Soul". What the fuck? [Reader note: A medal being awarded to people for valor in combat et al. I really hope Baka-Tsuki is badly botching the translation here]
Louise being jealous of Guiche because he's getting praised for his accomplishments by family.
Detailed images of Brimir are considered disrespectful... oh, and nobody really knows what he looked like anyway.
Founder's Festival AKA Not Christmas, in which even war gets put on hold. It's a new year festival. 10 days long. [Future note: We never hear about this ever again, even though it’s a major event and the story goes on for years]
No wine in Albion. Just beer and tea. Where do they get the tea from?...
Siesta is related to Scarron. Goddammit. Jessica -Scarron's daughter- is also of Japanese descent, apparently from her mother. (So a daughter of Siesta's grandfather)Straight black hair is rare in Halkeginia.
Claim from Louise, backed by the narrator, that Henrietta's goal is revenge for Wales' death.
Louise being about Honor And Duty again. Don't insult honor around her. "No honor->not a noble->not me" Says she would gladly die for her country if it was called for.
The rings are clear for Wind, blue for Water, brown for Earth. Supposedly made from Brimir's blood. All called rubies. Gallia has Earth. Supposedly Romalia had Fire, but they lost it, purportedly because of Tristain. [Future note: We eventually discover Colbert has the Fire one. We also eventually discover that Romalia has another one because, yes, there’s actually 4]
Julio Cesar isn't jerkface's real name. He calls himself it after a great Romalian leader, Totally Not Julius Caesar. [Future note: The author seems to forget this, as we never find out what his real name is or anything] Julio is an orphan.
Gallia has the highest population in Halkeginia. Capitol is named Lutece. Palace is called Versailles. Has a big garden. Royal family's blue hair is super-unusual, making everyone at the Academy a Moron. [Reader note: Well, actually, it makes the author a moron, but in-universe you have to assume the Academy students are all idiots, as they genuinely had no idea, even while guessing she must be a bastard because she wouldn’t talk about her history!] Current Gallian king is shit at magic, named Joseph. [Future note: This is a semi-decent foreshadowing that he’s a Void user] Chess lover. Lover of miniatures in general. Is either out of touch with reality or pretending very effectively. [Future note: This out-of-touch aspect of his character goes away fairly soon, replaced by Some Men Just Want To See The World Burn. No, it’s not character development, nor is he throwing off pretensions of craziness. He just changes for no reason]
ANOTHER goddamn Ring of Andvari in the mountains of Saxe-Gotha. [Reader note: No explanation of how Sheffield knew it was there. No, we never get one. No, it doesn’t make sense in context of later information. This is literally the plot happening because fuck you the author said so] And hints Sheffield is a Void user. [Future note: Close, past me! She’s a familiar to a Void user] She does some kind of mass mind control by melting this Ring into the water supply. [Future note: This is never properly explained, on any level]
An idiot covering his retreat by sacrificing Louise. Ugh. The retreat is caused by the bullshit mass mind control.
Julio knows Saito is Gandalfr somehow. [Future note: This actually does make sense, kind of, eventually]
Gandalfr is a load of anime horseshit. [Reader note: In the ‘I swing so fast nobody saw the sword move’ and ‘I can jump superhigh and run superfast and so on’ school of anime horseshit. Saito is operating well beyond plausible peak human potential]
Derflinger has some vague upper limit on his ability to absorb magic. With absorbed magical power he can take control of his master because shut up. [Future note: Say it with me, children. This never crops up again]
Haha Gallia fucks over Albion instead, unceremoniously killing Cromwell.
Infodump:
"The left hand of God is Gandálfr, the ferocious shield of the lord. His left hand wields a large sword and his right hand wields a long spear, protecting me with endless vigilance. The right hand of God is Vindalfr, the kind-hearted flute of the lord. He dominates all beasts of life, leading me through earth, sky, and water. The mind of God is Myoznitnirn, the book that carries the crystallization of thought. It carries all knowledge and provides advice whenever I am in need. There is one more person, but remembering its name gives me trouble… Taking the four disciples, I came to this land"
[Reader note: The above is something Tiffania sings. It’s foreshadowing, I guess. I quoted it mostly because it gives of three out of four familiar personal names. And now that I think about it -writing this having completed volume 18- the story still hasn’t gotten to that fourth one]
Tiffania is introduced. Some kind of half-elf who takes care of orphans and Deus Ex Machinas Saito because shut up. [Reader note: Again, she has no extranormal capacity for medical care. Saito is good as new in fairly short order in the following volume, having gotten pretty badly injured here. The author just employs The Power Of Ambiguity And Off-Screen Happenings to let you think this makes sense even though it most certainly does not]
End volume 7.
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In which the author seems to grow bored of this Albion plotline and summarily end it. Oh and Saito ends up separated from Louise, with her led to believe he’s dead.
[Future note: This is not the first time Saito and Louise end up separated. It keeps happening, artificially and nonsensically, and is very much repeating a plot of having Saito and/or Louise conclude that, for some reason, they should be separated, and then concluding that no! They will be together Forever because Love! You know, until the next time the author wants to have relationship drama between the two of them, because quite clearly he has no idea how actual relationships actually work
I’m not exaggerating for comedic effect here. The author does not understand human relationships. This would be a niggling annoyance if the story remained focused on its ‘epic’ plotline, but increasingly Saito and Louise’s relationship is made central to the plot, among other relationships increasingly brought to the fore, so this utter failure is something you can’t just ignore while you enjoy the meat of the story. It’s already been causing problems, and it’s going to get truly awful from hereon]
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