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wolf-555-writer · 4 years

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Target On My Back Part 7

This one’s kinda long xd. Oops. Enjoy, enjoy.

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow x Reader

Summary: After confessing your feelings, Natasha and you are now together. But will it last? Working as SHIELD Agents together seems to be going perfectly, but how about your personal life? The past still seems to haunt you in the nights, but will it only stay in your dreams? Can it all be fixed, or is it way too late for that?

Word Count: 5,523

Tossing and turning. Trying to escape. Trying to run away. Far, far away. A sharp inhale of air, followed by a contraction of all the muscles in your feverish body, you scare awake. Wrapped up in the sheets and the slightly oversized T-shirt sticking to your clammy back. A trembling sigh leaves your mouth, now slightly relaxing. You check your left and your eyes shift over a small picture frame on the wooden bedside table. It holds an old photo, one edge torn off and wrinkled, portraying two people in love - beyond a doubt - who both were stupidly unaware of that at the time. Eventually locking your sleepy eyes on the alarm clock next to the frame. The illuminated numbers read 3:41.

Great… Another restless night. Rubbing your sweat-stained face with your hands in desperation when a calm voice eases, “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, just a stupid nightmare”, you answer the woman who was peacefully asleep beside you but woken up by some troubled movements. Or was it a memory? You wonder. Natasha sits upright in bed and runs a hand through her messy, red hair before gently placing it on your shoulder. “Was it about…”, she strokes your back softly, “you getting shot? Like the last time?”. She hesitates a bit with the question, knowing the tension it brings. “No it wasn’t”, you grunt, making it sound more resentful than anticipated. Now that your eyes have fully adjusted to the dark room, you’re able to see her upset expression clearly, without a doubt caused by your last comment.

“If it were possible I would take it all back, but I can’t, okay”. Meanwhile the redhead had let go of you, her warm touch replaced by a cold sensation. “I have to live with the choices I made. All the things I did”. Lying down on the mattress again, she has turned her back towards you and pulls on the sheets to cover herself completely. She keeps her secrets, especially about the time in the Red Room. It’s a difficult subject for her. No surprise, judging by the information SHIELD has on the KGB-owned Academy. But you’re hoping that one day she’ll let you in. Under her breath Natasha mutters, “It’s all easy for you”, which was meant to remain inside, but managed to slip out. Unfortunately, a little too loud.

You scoff. “What is that supposed to mean?”. With a quick roll - and heavy sigh - Natasha turns to face you. “Like I said, I have to live with my choices. With all the scars I can’t erase. All you have left are the physical ones. The only reminder. But with a clear, carefree mind, pretending like it never happened”.

“Pretending?! So you think it’s all rainbows and sunshine for me huh? No horrible things haunting my mind?”, you snap. She’s got a point there though. It’s not a contest, but if it was, she would be by far the winner. All the trauma she needs to cope with. And mostly on her own. You're not the only one who has restless nights.

“Okay, just- forget about it. Forget about what I said. I’m sorry”, you sigh tiredly and let your body plump down on the mattress next to the one you’re sharing this bed with. “I’m sorry, Nat”. Caressing your cheek with the back of her index finger as she whispers, “It’s okay”, causing a small smile to form at your features. A second attempt. “But, the bad dream. I think it was about... when I was younger. Like really young, when I was just a kid. I felt grief and-”, taking a deep breath in, “and anger. A lot of anger. A rage inside of me”.

I can clearly see that ‘rage’, Natasha thinks. Maybe a good thing she didn’t say that out loud. You look at Natasha, expecting an answer, a memory you don’t have anymore. But she turns away, deliberately breaking eye contact, and murmurs, “Just go back to sleep, it’s late”. “Are you kidding me?”. “It’s complicated”. “Complicated? Is that all?”. Oh no, here we go again…

“Well, what do you want me to say, huh? Recruited by the KGB when we were only innocent kids. Raised, trained and forced to kill in the Red Room, and after the mandatory graduation ceremony operatives at that same KGB, doing the most unspeakable things, no questions asked. Do you want to hear that?! Is that it?!”

You remain remarkably quiet, a bit blown away by Natasha’s sudden outburst of words, who in the meantime sat upright in bed again. “We’re both broken. You as much as I am. Don’t you dare deny that”. With that final statement she lays down, facing the wall and not you, tucking herself in tightly. This time there’s no turning around.

After a few minutes Natasha's breathing has become slower and more rhythmic, telling you she's asleep again. Twenty minutes of mindlessly staring at the white ceiling later, you climb out of bed and feel the coldness hit the bare skin on your legs. You really stepped out of line tonight. Did you just assume you both could pick up where you left off? Obviously forgetting about the trying-to-kill-each-other part for a moment... A splash of cold water hits your face, now in the bathroom you stare into the mirror at your own reflection, wide awake. “It’s complicated”, you mutter faintly and scoff. “No. We are complicated...”.

A true balance - that’s the key. It’s not a weakness. In fact, it even makes you a better SHIELD Agent. But you gotta admit, sometimes emotions and feelings can be damn difficult. Like right now.

“On my way back. All the intel acquired”, you report over the communication device in your ear. “Almost at the rendezvous point, Coulson”. After a not-so-well-rested night, and plenty of coffee, a new assignment for Agent Romanoff and you was waiting in the morning. With a strictly professional attitude you managed to get through the briefing. Or so you thought, because as always you were not that good at hiding your emotions. Keeping that so-called true balance is easier said than done. Fortunately, it was a pretty standard op, also where the two of you conveniently needed to go separate ways. Maybe we’re not meant to be, thinking back to last night's heated discussion still occupying your mind. Maybe it’s better if we’d go our separate ways, because, like Nat said, we’re both broken. Some things just can’t be fixed...

Too caught up in thoughts, you almost didn’t realize you reached the intersection. Agent Romanoff is not there yet. She’s probably right behind you, as she had to cover a greater distance to get here. After 15 minutes of waiting you’re certain she missed the agreed upon meeting place. However, she can take care of herself, so the question to wait for her or to continue the mission is easily answered. You carry on. And besides, you’ll see her at Headquarters for the debriefing anyway. Right?

“Agent (Y/L/N), how many minutes out till pickup?”, you receive in your earpiece. “Don’t wait up for me”, you inform calmly, though anyone could hear that you’re slightly out of breath.

“Excuse me? What do you think you're doing?”

“I took a small detour. Might be a little later”. Well aware you’re disobeying a direct order, but it’s not the first time. And above all, it’s for a specific reason. You would do it again in a heartbeat, because something doesn’t feel right. She should’ve given an update about her status. “I tried her comm, but I couldn’t reach her”, you explain. Whatever goes on in your personal life can’t affect you in the field. Both of you know how to be professionals during work. She knows that. You know that. And that’s why you’re worried. It stays silent on the other end, meaning they already knew her communication device is not working. You continue, “Coulson, could you give me her last known location”. Again, total silence. “I know you can hear me. I’m going after her either way, you can’t stop me. So if you could give me the location of Agent Romanoff it would save a lot of time and the faster I’ll be- no, we will be back”. You recalled Romanoff's route from the briefing this morning, but technically she could be anywhere. A sigh is heard through the static crackling, followed by a definitive answer, “... Okay. I couldn’t change your mind anyway. Before the comm went dark she was last seen near a parking garage, 0.5 kilometers south, in the direction you’re now heading”. “Thank you, sir”.

Your gut-feeling was right, because what you encounter on the ground level is nothing good. Nothing good at all. A rush of adrenaline is taking over all of your senses as you spot them. Bodies. Scattered around. Dead. Bullet holes in concrete pillars and in parked cars that their owners safely left behind, unknowing what would happen today. But no Natasha. You’re starting to regret that fight last night more and more. Out of instinct you grab your gun from the holster and proceed with caution, following the path of destruction. You know she can take care of herself, pretty good actually, but that doesn’t mean the situation hasn’t gotten you worried. “Coulson, something has happened here. I don’t know what, but I’m gonna find out”.

How did they find me? Natasha ponders while landing a brutal elbow on a guy’s temple who thought he could easily take her. That was his first mistake, the same all the others before him made. When the ex-spy turns around, leaving the knocked-out idiot behind her, a gun is pointed at her head. “Never turn your back on enemy, makes you easy target”, he mocks with a thick accent. Then a shot is fired. The guy with accent releases his finger from the trigger and leans forward, landing face-first on the cold cement. A dark red hole in the back of his head. Natasha looks up. Standing in the distance, behind a red station wagon she spots a familiar SHIELD Agent.

“I got your back Nat. Always”. She sends a loving smile your way and starts filling you in. “I got ambushed on my way to you and lost signal on my comm, my guess they’re jamming it, so I decided to take cover here. Not so exposed and easier to conceal myself than out there in the street”. “Copy that. I figured, ran into the same problem with my comm too. And good thinking. How many and who are-”

The conversation is cut short, caused by the sound of metal colliding with metal. No time to talk. Both take a stealth position behind the red coloured vehicle and use hand gestures to make a strategic plan. At Natasha signalling ‘Go’ you both dash to a different side, Glock ready, and shoot until you’ve reached the next parked car.

You listen to their ongoing discussion as they’ve taken cover too. Who are these people? And what do they want? They appear to be talking in a foreign language. Could it be... Russian? You fire a couple of shots and take a quick peek. Your suspicion is confirmed when you identify one of their weapons. Definitely Russian-made.

3… 2… 1, now! Natasha jumps up and slides over the hood smoothly, kicking the approaching goon in the neck without breaking a sweat. You’ve also jumped up at the rear and deliver a precise hook on your attacker's nose, hearing it crack, and follow up with a powerful uppercut on the chin, launching him backwards. Simultaneously grabbing your own guns, Romanoff and you hit the others in sight until both mags are empty. Words such as 'get that traitor' and 'who’s the other one' are echoing through the large, concrete structure accompanied by multiple footsteps. Guess your Russian remained somewhere in your brain after all. Nice. But first things first, considering you're outnumbered judging by the amount of voices, you both have to get the hell out of here. Squatted and leaning against a blue sedan, out of sight for now, you slide in a new magazine when Romanoff says, “We’ve got to do something before they pin us down”. Several rounds pierce the metal of the sedan and the windows above the two of you explode into tiny glass splinters. As a reaction you lift your arm to protect the face and slam your eyes shut. “Totally agree with you, Nat”, you shout back over the loud gunfire. “Good. Cover me”.

“I got you”, you return and steady your gun to fire multiple rounds at a shiny new BMW where the attack originates from. Romanoff runs as fast as she can and you prevent her from getting shot. Although, you can’t prevent the weapons from being fired and bullets start to snap off the concrete. Luckily, she’s able to evade those meant for her and slides the last couple of meters over the rough floor to her desired spot. Lying on her side on the ground, now shielded by a bulky, black SUV, she observes the four targets along the underside of the vehicle, positive she can hit them. And she does. Eliminating every last one of them, till her final bullet.

It’s gone silent. All the lifeless bodies, not making a single sound anymore. Struck by at least one bullet, but most of them by more. In the meantime you jogged to Natasha and she asks, “I'm out of ammo, you got any?”. “Nope, this one’s empty too”. You make a small wave-motion with your Glock and suddenly spot movement in the corner of your eye. A gun, gripped by a short guy appears from behind a concrete pillar close to the shiny, now heavily damaged car where the others came from seconds ago. Patiently waiting for his perfect moment to strike. Unexpected. Both you and Natasha dive to the ground, desperately searching for cover, knowing damn well there isn’t any. Natasha is faster though, as always, but instead reaches for your ankle, followed by two short pops and a thud, resembling a body hitting the ground. “How did you know I carry a spare gun with me?”. She gives a brief glance. Your past. Have you become too predictable? Or predictable to just Natasha? Maybe that's why you two are such a good team. As long as she doesn’t betray you that is. She has done it before, turning her back on you. No, stop it. She won’t do that. Not again, I know her. Right?

“All clear?”, Natasha sort of asks, snapping you out of thought as she sweeps the surroundings with your spare gun. “Let’s not find out and get away from ‘this’ here”. With the coast clear for the moment, you both go searching for a vehicle - one without a flat tire - and decide to split up. Unfortunately, there are not many cars in the parking lot, so you go a level higher, but abruptly come to a halt.

“Wait! (Y/N), just-”. Natasha pauses. “What’s up?”. Is there something she wants to tell you? Something she should’ve told earlier?

“Be careful okay”. You look at her confused. Not what you expected. You can handle yourself too, she knows that. Then a smile forms. “You know I always look over my shoulder, right”. Yet your answer doesn’t seem to ease her mind. The expression she has, you've never seen before. The worry in her eyes, it’s as if she’s scared. For what? “Fine, I’ll be careful. But for you the same”. She gives a small nod but still doesn’t look convinced. “Let’s see who can score us a ride the fastest”, you challenge and sprint away.

The SHIELD Agent has found a possible getaway vehicle and smashes the window on the driver side to pieces. No car-alarm, that’s why she chose this one. Jump-starting the old pick-up truck that she is about to borrow and without making too much noise Natasha speeds away in your direction. Or so she thought. After searching for what seems to be the entire parking garage multiple times, there’s no sign of you. Only the engine sound of the truck can be heard, nothing else. No Russian-talking, no gunshots, no screams. Everybody is gone. And so are you.

I won't turn my back on you (Y/N). Not again. Never again, she pledges, clutching the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles have turned white. Already blaming herself for not warning you enough. She only wanted to protect you. Yet, this wouldn’t have happened if she had just told you the truth. Right?

Natasha closes the door behind her with a loud bang followed by a muffled grunt. Thinking back to the conversation that just went down, if it were to be called a conversation. A lot of shouting and wide arm gestures were involved. And anger. “Are you questioning my ability? Or my loyalty?”, is what she’d said to Director Fury. Yet getting the same response back as before. No. SHIELD won’t send a team, stand down Agent Romanoff. Another grunt manages to escape. “So we are all just expendable operatives to you?”, was her last comment before the Director showed her the door.

“So, that didn't go very well I guess?”, a voice eases. “You guessed right”. She marches away, almost so fast that Barton can’t keep up. “Talk to me Nat, who were those guys again?”. “Some people I knew”. “Ah, old buddies of yours”. “That's one way to describe them”. “Not so friendly, got it”, Clint states, barely able to follow Natasha’s pace. “I need to find Coulson”, she eventually speaks. She doesn’t care about losing her job. All she cares about is getting you back. Whatever it takes.

Something in his features tells Natasha that he already knows. “Is this what I think it is?”, he asks the former spy. “Unresolved family issues”, she answers the SHIELD Agent. Maybe it's a good thing (Y/N) can't remember, she reckons while listening to Barton’s astonishment. “Wait- family?”. “It's complicated”, Natasha responds curtly and turns to Coulson again. “You know there’s nothing I can do Romanoff”, he says. “If the Director won’t approve a rescue mission, then my hands are tied too”. Natasha is about to walk away, constructing what seems to be Plan E at the moment - hijacking a quinjet and hacking every possible camera, database or whatever needed to find your position - when Coulson’s words catch her attention and make her stop in her tracks.

“Off the record, I may have the location of Agent (Y/L/N)”. “What do you mean?”. “You have to understand, we had to take the necessary precautions because of your past”. Natasha finishes his explanation, because she understands what is implied here. “A tracker”. The silent nod of Agent Coulson confirms her statement. “Great. So we both got a tracker. Just great. I’m guessing somewhere underneath our skin, around our ear maybe. Undetectable. Am I close, Phil?”. The tone in her voice is close to blame. It cuts deep. It feels like betrayal. Loyal to SHIELD, but is SHIELD loyal to you? No time to dwell on that however. Maybe even give the guy a bit of credit, now she’s at least able to find you. “I care too, you know. Very much actually. Please, just- bring (Y/N) home, okay”, Coulson says with a low tone, feeling as if he failed to protect his own Agent. His responsibility. “Good luck, Agent Romanoff”.

“Count me in”, Barton offers as he managed to track Natasha’s sprint towards the elevator. “What?”. “Let's save (Y/N). I’m in”. “But I thought that you guys weren’t speaking, that you hate each-”. “Keep up Nat, we had some beers and what’s in the past is in the past”, Clint interjects. She stares at her friend for a moment, “...Okay”, and accepts. “Then let’s go”. The doors open and both get in. “We’ll get (Y/L/N) back”, Clint reassures as he places a hand on Natasha’s shoulder while waiting inside the elevator. “I just- I can’t lose…”. She doesn’t finish her sentence, preventing a trembling voice from being heard. “I know, Nat. Me too. But you do have a plan, right?”. “Of course I do. Plan H. Let’s pay my old pals an unexpected visit they won’t ever forget”.

Waking up. Disoriented. A sharp pain originates from the back of your neck when you try to lift your head up. Earpiece gone. Weapons gone. And hands zip-tied against the back of a firm, metal chair. Ankles secured too. Very, very tight. They’re thorough, you have to give them that. You carefully look around, a dimly lit, chilly, abandoned warehouse. The windows covering the high ceiling are barely providing any sunlight to pass through, coated by layers of filth. Seriously in need of a proper cleaning. Which basically applies to this entire grimy place. Long overdue. It’s better to just demolish the ghost property into a pile of useless bricks - with your abductors still in it. Well, one can wish. A cold shiver passes through your spine. Why not some central heated motel room of sorts? Guess that’s not how the KGB does things. Counting three grumpy, square-shouldered guards watching over you. Maybe more behind, you don’t know, they’re out of your field of vision. The eyes of the three in sight are burning right through you, definitely not thinking friendly thoughts. What do they want with me? Are they after SHIELD intel? Or do they want to settle an old score? Meaning, I’m dead.

Someone enters. An officer it seems, judging by the uniform. He appears overly confident. Full of himself. Someone who uses others to do the dirty work for him. Because he can. Though, he seems more than capable of committing horrible acts to a human being without even feeling a pinch of remorse. At the sight of him your heart starts beating faster, throbbing against your chest. A wave of pure rage flows over you. Why? Maybe it's his attitude that you don’t like, seeing that the other men are afraid of him. Or simply because he's the reason that you're here.

“Tying off loose ends? Shouldn’t have gone through all that trouble”, you mock, sitting straight up and squaring your shoulders, meanwhile trying to find a way to break free from those zip-ties that are eagerly digging into your skin. He laughs. “Kill you?”. With a small wave of his hand the now less crouchy, more anxious-looking guards lower their guns which were cravingly pointed at you this whole time. “That’s what you guys do with traitors right?”. He laughs again and a stern expression surfaces. “It hurts you’d ever think I would do such a thing to you”. To me? What the hell does that mean? You stop moving your arms. It seems as if he recognizes you, as the other men around also seem to. Not that strange considering you’ve been a KGB operative once, but you obviously don’t recognize them. Not even your own dad.

“I'm certain (Y/N) is still alive”. “How so?”. “You really want to know Barton?”, she requests over the loud mechanical humming, giving him a choice before there’s no turning back. A positive nod from Barton made Romanoff begin. As clear and concise as possible she explains her past, starting in the Red Room. “One day a new ‘recruit’ arrived, only a few years older than the rest of us girls. An outsider. Everybody would think twice before engaging. But I didn’t. We stuck together through it all, trying to survive, and became inseparable”. Clint notices the pain in her eyes. She continues and tells that after spending time together, you began to trust each other. You’d told her about the life before, because you, apart from the others, remembered. That your dad was a fierce man working for the KGB, probably the reason why everyone avoided you. Afraid of you, but especially for your dad. “I suspect that (Y/N)’s mother is the reason why she turned on the KGB later on, knowing all too well what the consequences were”. “Why?”, Barton asks, who until now hasn’t spoken a word and is listening attentively. “Well, the KGB officer didn’t deserve the-father-of-the-year award by a long shot. He was an abusive man. A monster. So one night they ran away, (Y/N) and her mom, who was a real angel in living form”. Natasha clearly has respect for the woman, yet she hadn’t had a chance to meet her. “But it didn’t last and he caught up to them. Taking (Y/N) to the Red Room Academy to fuel all the anger coiled up inside, to turn it into something they could exploit”. “Anger? What anger? You just told me (Y/N)’s mother raised her well, good conscience and everything”. “Because-”. Natasha pauses and swallows the lump that has formed in her throat. “Because the father shot her loving mom for taking his child away. Killed, in cold-blood, right in front of the poor kid”, she says as her voice cracks. “And now he learned that his lost child is somehow very much alive and well. So I doubt he’d kill (Y/N), who by the way doesn't have a clue”, she points out ashamed and thereby wrapping up the story. Clint probably has more questions, which Natasha won’t answer, not at this moment anyway. She looks outside through the small, square window. “Besides, it's me who they want to kill. At least, he wants that”. “Wh- And you're telling me this now?! The moment we're about to storm the place, just the two of us?!”, Barton shouts out. “Told you it was complicated”. Romanoff secures the harness she’s wearing and slides the door open. “It's time”.

The uncleaned glass ceiling breaks into a hundred pieces and scatters on the dirty ground below, finally letting the bright warm sunlight in. Eyes closed for protection, you hear the whirring of a helicopter. Something drops down through the roof, guns entering first, secured to a rope and accompanied by multiple shots. Well, that sure as hell is one way to make an entrance.

After mowing down the guards - of which there were apparently six of - she makes a perfect landing on the metal chair located in the middle of the room where you happen to be sitting on and unhooks the rope. Staring into a pair of green eyes you tease, “Took you long enough”. The redhead grins and moves even closer which sends a ripple of pure energy through you. “Sit still for me”, she whispers in your ear and cuts all the zip-ties with her knife in three, quick movements, freeing you. “Oh, for the record, I had it totally under control over here”, you confidently state while rubbing the red, painful skin on your wrists. “Is that your way of thanking me?”, she returns with raised eyebrows and rests her arms on your shoulders while you put yours around her waist firmly. “Nah, I actually had something else in mind”. “Hmm, that sounds more like it”. Both leaning forward, about to properly thank your rescuer, but seem to have forgotten you're not in complete privacy. “Care to do this some other time?”, Barton interrupts flatly, throwing a Glock your way as the two of you quickly got up from the chair - saving it for later. “Thanks for being here”, you say, squeezing his shoulder lightly. “Don’t mention it. You would do the same for me”. He hands you something else. “This might come in handy too”, something he and Natasha already slipped on as an extra precaution, “you already got enough scars, no need for more”. “You know Barton, I heard ex-assassins dig scars”, you reply while connecting the velcro straps of the bulletproof vest he gave you to protect your torso. Natasha grins. “Real cute”, then replaces that mesmerizing grin for a serious expression.

“I won’t ever turn my back on you. Never again, you hear me”, Natasha voices just before the action’s about to start. You send her a quick hand kiss and silently mouth, I know, while aiming at the rusty doors that are about to open.

More KGB assholes start to flood the old warehouse space from two entrances thrown open with force, alerted by the sound of broken glass and gunshots. What they don’t know is that the SHIELD Agents have taken cover, hitting the handful by surprise. A shoot-out goes down until the first men are able to reach your hiding ground. Barton and you start to throw brutal punches while Romanoff uses her widow bites, jamming her charged fists into the attackers.

“I’ll go sweep the rest of the warehouse”, Barton states after picking up a rifle from someone who doesn’t need it anymore as the three of you are currently the only people not unconscious, or dead, in this part of the building. “I’ll join and take that way”, you state and grab a new weapon too, whereas Natasha answers, “I’ll find us a vehicle. Be sure to meet me this time okay”. You grin. “I’ll do my best, Nat”.

After searching half of the unconscious, or dead men on the ground, she’s about to hit the jackpot. A set of car-keys. But before she can get a hold of it, she hears a sound. She's not alone anymore. “Natalia, so nice of you to join”, someone says, “or should I say, Black Widow?”, accompanied by a set of footsteps becoming louder. Without turning around she speaks, “Yeah I wish it were under different circumstances, like you six feet under with me holding the shovel”. He laughs. “How thoughtful of you”. “Guess your men weren’t that thoughtful, they might have underestimated me”. Still her back turned towards the person speaking to her, continuing her search meticulously. “I know they underestimated you. Something I would never do, Natalia”. The sound of a gun close to her loading up for its next shot made her spin around. Car-keys in one hand, her Glock in the other.

Someone is pointing a weapon, but hesitates to pull the trigger. Like she also had, merely one time before. “Why aren’t you doing something?!”, you shout at the KGB officer in anger, a steady grip on the gun handle. He isn’t even defending himself. The three of you positioned in a triangle, you look at the man claiming to be your dad and then to the person you love who stares at you with worried eyes. “It’s okay (Y/N). You don’t have to do this”, Natasha eases, but it doesn’t calm you down. She sees the hatred burning in your dark, dilated pupils. It’s strange, you don’t know who this man is, or what he did, but he makes every fiber in your body scream. There's so much pent-up rage. And yet, nothing happens. The trigger isn’t moving. “So? What are you waiting for?! Do something!”, you shout again, noticing the gun quivering in your hands. He shakes his head. “You’d always let emotions get the best of you. It’s weak. But I wouldn't kill my own child, you know that”, he answers calmly, looking at you. “And what about the mother of your own child?”, Natasha says accusingly. “What? My… mom?”, you speak softly, even more confused, and meet Natasha's sorrowful eyes.

He laughs once more. The evilness in it makes Natasha shiver. “Love is for children. It's pathetic. And traitors…”, in a flash of a second he grabs his pistol, “we all know what happens to a traitor”, and aims. It's not a regular weapon. Not like the ones his men were using. He probably kept the best for himself. Selfish bastard. Regardless if you remember him or not, he isn't aiming at his own child. No. Following the barrel’s trajectory your eyes stop at the sight of another barrel. A Glock held by a beautiful redhead now less than two meters away. Oh shit...

Two shots are fired, and two people hit the cracked, cemented floor. It all happened so fast. One of them deserved it a long time ago. The KGB officer, your cruel father. Dead. And the other one… Meanwhile Barton made his way back, having cleared the whole building but freezes when he enters. With an open mouth he stares, speechless, and his eyes getting watery. It wouldn't have been a problem and led to this outcome if the now dead officer had used any of the other guns here present. Yet, the rounds from his pistol were not standard. These were able to pierce one’s body armor. Your body armor.

“Don't leave me. No... Not again. Not now. I just got you back…”, Natasha says hoarsely, fighting back tears and holding you in her arms. Her recently fired gun now next to her on the cold ground. A tear rolls down her cheek and she presses her soft lips on your forehead. After the delicate kiss she whispers,

“I love you. Till next time, (Y/N)...”

PART 8

Tags: @5aftermidnight, @ohfuckno

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halfblood-fiend · 4 years

Text

Star Trek Bingo 2020: Vertical Prompt 3

Chess/”Board” Games

Show: Voyager

Words: 1,841

Rating: General Audiences

Warning(s): shenanigans

Dungeons and Bandwagons

When Giana attempts to organize her first D&D campaign onboard the Voyager, it turns out to be a bit more complicated than she thought.

Read it on AO3

We’d been going around and around for most of our lunch break. I did not think that introducing twenty-third century people to D&D would be so difficult.

After another explanation, Harry Kim stared at me with his hands folded beneath his chin for too long a while. “I don’t get it,” he said finally, picking his fork back up to resume playing with his food. “How is that supposed to be better than a holodeck program?”

“Uhhh… it’s interactive and adaptable?”” I offered. “Your DM makes the story up for you as you go.”

“An adept programmer could make the holodeck function in the same manner,” Vorik chimed in from my right. I had to keep from rolling my eyes.

“Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side!”

He shrugged without looking at me. “I am on the side of logic.”

I ignored this, shaking my head and insisted to Harry, “There are scenarios you just can’t plan for.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Like…”

God. Like deciding to bang the first NPC you meet. Why? Eh, just ‘cause. Like deciding as a group to put on a spur-of-the-moment chili cook off to grant the deed to the town’s tavern to the winner because, obviously a chilli cook-off is the most fair way to make decisions. Or like deciding to betray your entire party for your character’s freedom, and then betraying those new allies and running off alone. Or like solving every kidnapping or murder problem by rolling the unwanted body up in a rug, and then lying to so many people about your rug selling business that your party all decide to petition the city for an actual business license, thus derailing the campaign for weeks as you all turn in your paperwork and get in touch with a real estate agent within the fantasy city in order to find a place to house your Totally-Not-Fake Rug and Carpeting Business.

But how to explain all that?

“Man… you just gotta trust me,” I sighed. “There are way too many variables to be able to make a program that will adapt to all of them. You have no way of knowing what could happen during a D&D campaign. Trust me.”

“Eh, I’m down to try,” Lyssa Campbell said. When Harry gave her a doubtful look, she shrugged. “Hey, it’s gotta be better than that poker everyone is always playing. And as long as we’re all relaxing and talking and having fun, then it sounds like it’ll be just fine.”

“Sounds like a rip off of my Grendel program,” Harry muttered. “And not even as interesting because we aren’t fighting holographic monsters. We’re just—what? —imagining everything happening?”

“Aha! I got it,” I said with a snap of my fingers, cutting off whatever he was talking about. “Dice!”

Harry raised his eyebrows and Vorik said, “Explain.”

“You can’t roll dice on the holodeck.”

“So?”

“So! Rolling the dice to try and see how well you do things is the best part!”

“If you’re telling me that’s the best part of this game, I’m really doubting how much “fun” you claim it to be.”

“Aww, come on, Harry! Let’s just try it!”

He shook his head again, but a smile started pulling at his lips. “Fine, but I’m not going to have fun and I will complain the whole time.”

“Doubt that,” I replied with a wink. “But I’ll take it for now.”

“Giana! If you can spare a moment, I have an inquiry regarding your role-playing game.”

Similar sentiments had been asked of me by most of my friends and future players, but Vorik was the last person that I had expected to have any trouble with character building. Yet here Vorik was, appearing at my shoulder before I could enter the turbolift to leave Engineering.

“An inquiry? Now is that more or less important than a plain question?”

He gave me a puzzled look as we entered the lift together and I smiled.

“Nevermind. Shoot.”

“What?”

“Ask me the question. Deck two.”

The turbolift slid into motion and Vorik began, “I was looking over the documents you sent those of us who required characters for your Dungeons and Dragons—”

I smiled at his use of the name but nodded.

“—and I noticed that ‘Human’ is among the other more fantastical races that one can play. It gave me an idea that I wished to discuss with you.”

“Oh, yeah… I mean, I wouldn’t worry about that. It’s just an old Human-made game, remember? Don’t take it too seriously. I, like, literally never actually played a Human before. That would just be like playing myself and, sure, you always kinda do that but who wants to be so obvious about it?”

Vorik blinked. “I would.”

It was my turn to ask, “What?”

“If Humans can exist in this world, then I would like to role-play as a Vulcan.”

I chewed my lip, my heart sinking because I felt like Vorik was missing the point. Here I thought he was going to do something interesting when he asked to join the party. I was excited to see what he would come up with. But, then again, it wasn’t like he role-played very much when we played Skyrim together on the holodeck either. His inflexible and aloof attitude usually confused all the Nords until I stepped in to use the “proper” language. Made him useless at price haggling.

Since he wanted to play at all, I conceded to myself, that had to be close enough. I didn’t want to totally control his play. I never liked it when my DMs had done that in the past.

He a little confused, but he got the spirit.

“Okay,” I relented, “I’ll see what I can do about homebrewing a ‘Vulcan’ stat-block for you, just…promise me one thing?”

My Vulcan companion quirked an eyebrow at me. “Yes?”

The turbolift stopped and opened its doors. I could hear the sounds of soft chatter and laughter coming from the mess hall. Whatever Neelix was cooking wafted up the corridor and smelled really promising. My stomach grumbled in response.

“Just don’t play yourself,” I said as we both stepped off the lift and the doors slid closed behind us. “If you show up with a character named ‘Vorik,’ I’m going to kick you from the game. And then, literally kick you in the shins.”

“An extreme reaction, don’t you think?”

I put up my fists as if I was gonna fight him. “Oh, I can get more extreme.”

Looking at my poor guard dubiously, he said dryly, “I’m sure. Your Human penchant for hysterics?”

“Hysterics?! Oh! Well how about your high drama, mister??”

“I do not know to what you could be referring.”

The line at Neelix’s kitchen counter was somewhat long, which gave Vorik and I plenty of time to debate the “logic” of Vulcan fashion choices back and forth. I insisted they were dramatic for no reason and Vorik tried to act like real thought went into all the high collars and zig-zagged diagonal clasps. Neelix’s pasta dish actually did look as promising as it smelled, which was a nice surprise.

“Ah, Miss Giana, I almost forgot,” Neelix gasped as I turned away, drawing me back. “Ensigns Swinn and Jurot wanted to ask you about—ah—something called a ‘character sheet’?”

I thanked him with a smile and motioned for Vorik to help me pick them out of the crowded hall at dinner hour.

The day had come to start our campaign and not a moment too soon. I was excited as all hell. I’d hardly slept at all the night before, choosing instead to expand some NPC backstories and prepare a few more monsters. Just in case.

All of my players’ character sheets were checked and filed on my PADD for reference. I couldn’t help but laugh when Vorik sent me his and I saw the name at the top of the sheet. He had listened to me and wasn’t playing himself…but I was very curious to see how Surak the monk was going to handle my adventure. I was pretty pleased with everyone’s character concepts, actually. I had a pretty balanced group.

I’d decided some time ago that a grand total of six players was all that I could conceivably handle. But that hadn’t stopped everyone else from trying to ask for a spot. Dozens of requests had flooded my inbox from all corners of the ship (Neelix’s doing, I assumed) and I had spent a good chunk of time yesterday writing personal “sorry, maybe next times.”

Even Chakotay had sent me a note! Not to, like, join or anything, but still! He mentioned that he was familiar with the old game and wanted to tell me that he thought it would be good for morale and crew unity and other things commanders cared about.

I practically sprinted away the second my shift was over, bolting to the door before Lieutenant Carey had even said goodbye.

I was the last player on duty, and my group’s attitude towards D&D had changed dramatically once they’d built their characters. They all made me promise not to keep them waiting for too long.

And speak of the devil.

The communicator badge on my chest chirped before I’d made it halfway down the corridor. Harry’s voice crackled over the comm.

“Uhhh…Giana?”

I tapped the badge to answer. “Yeah, yeah, Harry. I’m on my way as fast as I can, okay?”

“Oh… No, no. It’s not that…”

Was I hearing things, or did I detect the hum of a lot of voices in the background?

“What is it?”

He sounded uncomfortable. “I think we need to find a different venue to play. Your quarters are going to be a little cramped…” Muted voices spoke rapidly but I couldn’t catch any words. “Meet us in the Lounge instead. Vorik says he has a code and he’d grab the PADD with your notes. I made him promise not to look.”

Nervous laughter bubbled from my mouth. “Uhh…why?”

Vorik’s voice resonated over Harry’s comm. “There are thirty-six other people who would like to spectate our game. At first it did not seem inconceivable to accommodate a few of them when they asked…”

“But all of us told a couple people that they could come and now there’s thirty-six of them,” Harry finished. “Sorry, Gee…”

Thirty-six… That’s forty-two people…

My jaw actually dropped.

“Okay,” I said in a small voice. “See… S-See you all there…” I killed the line by tapping on my badge again and wobbled.

I was shaking when I boarded the turbolift.

I’d never DM-ed a game before in my life, even though I’d talked about doing so on several occasions back home. So, without experience, or my old friends to ask for tips, I was already starting out nervous.

But now?

Holy shit.

What was I gonna do??

I blinked and the turbolift doors slipped shut on me, whisking me away to an uncertain fate.

#Star Trek #Voyager #Star Trek: Voyager #Voy #Ensign Vorik #Harry Kim #Giana Moreno #ah...what the heck #OTP: Two Worlds Collided #Star Trek Bingo

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scribeofmorpheus · 5 years

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Counterpart [1 / 5]

Pairing: Bucky x Reader x Framework!Steve

A/N: Steve is going to be OOC because in the framework he works for Hydra and they’re kinda like the S.H.I.E.L.D of this world, only still evil. I lost imagination when it came to naming his daughter so I went with his mother’s name.

Warning: NSFW, mild violence, mentions of mental instability, mature themes, etc.

Series Masterlist | A03 | Masterlist

Leave a like, comment or reblog. Ask to be tagged! ☺

PART ONE: SUBMERGED

The record player in your shared bedroom spun an old record seemlessly, the air was filled with the loud music from the retro record player you had bought for Bucky's birthday. Hidden in weaker octaves below the sound of music was yours and Bucky's passionate moans. The two of you tangled together within your summer sheets, early morning sunlight creeping across the ceiling.

Your fingers were knotted around Bucky's as the bed rocked back and forth in a gentle squeak. The vibrato of his moans travelling from his chest to yours as he kissed you deeply. Your lovemaking was slow, purposeful and sensual. The base of your feet moving along the back of his knees as they twitched every time he hit the right spot. His metal arm busying itself between your legs to increase the pressure, vibrating ever so slightly now and again.

You gasp his name as he mumbles yours hoarsely, the creaking of the springs growing louder as his movements become more powerful. And then your womb fills with warmth as both your breaths hitch and you moan into a deep kiss while your muscles spasm orgasmically.

Bucky looked deep into your eyes and you looked back, losing yourself in his warm embrace and heart-melting smile.

"I love you," you kissed the crook of his nose

"I love you too," he said softly just as he disconnected from you.

It was then that noticed the sheets were torn from where Bucky's metal arm had taken purchase towards the end of his climax.

You pouted, "I loved these sheets too, though."

Bucky glanced back at you, eyes falling down to look at the hole in the bedding, "Guess we have to add bedding to the shopping list." He caressed your pout away with his thumb. "Go take a shower, I'll deal with the sheets before I join you."

You stood from the bed on shaky legs, "Don't be long, babe."

After your shower, you and Bucky got dressed and made your way to the large, shared kitchen on the ground floor of the Avenger's compound. You were more than a little self-conscious of the fact your skin was currently sporting the after-sex glow.

"Good Morning," Wanda said as she saw the two of you enter the room hand in hand. "Sam made a fresh batch of coffee before his run if you're interested." She directed that piece of info at Bucky, he nodded in thanks, grabbing his favourite cracked mug he'd bought at some old military vet’s yard sale.

You saw Wanda sip down some tea, the both of you not the biggest coffee drinkers. Wanda said it made her powers go all whacky and you didn't like feeling anxious first thing in the morning.

"Please tell me there is more of that," you pleaded.

"Here, I made you a cup," Wanda tittered before taking down another mug and filling it with the last remnants of tea from the pot.

Bucky stood over the stove, making French toast while you and Wanda brainstormed over how to improve your costume designs since you were both overdue for an upgrade.

"How are my favourite people this morning?" Sam asked. There was a sweat patch on his grey t-shirt from his morning run.

"All good, how was the run?" You replied.

"Looong," Sam's nose took several whiffs. "I smell carbs. Y'all are killin' me with all this gourmet shit while I'm on my juice cleanse."

Bucky laughed with bewilderment at Sam, "I will never understand your strange diets." Bucky commented, less on Sam's current eating pattern and more on the generations.

"Easy for you to say, not all of us got our physique from a serum." He walked to the fridge and took out a pre-made bottle of green juice.

You noticed Bucky's concentration wander out to the empty space of the airfield strip visible through the window opposite him, his French toast burning making your nose crinkle uncomfortably.

"Bucky, babe, everything alright?" You asked from the couch.

He turned to you, "Yeah, just peachy. Why?"

"Your French toast is burnin' man, that's why." Sam slapped Bucky's arm sarcastically.

"Oh, shit!" He swatted at the black smoke.

You stood and walked over to him. Circling your arms around his midriff, placing your chin on his shoulder, needing to stretch on your tippy-toes to do so.

"It's okay to miss him, you know," you reassured him. "I miss him too."

Bucky knew you were talking about Steve.

Steve had been your mentor after he recruited you during the blip. He'd tracked you down after you started to lose control of your powers from accidentally triggering your terrigenesis.

You'd only know Steve for round-about five years. Bucky had known him a life time’s worth, you couldn't imagine how much he missed his best friend.

After the blip was undone, Sam had pretty much taken over as your mentor. Wanda had grown to become your closest friend once Sam decided it was best if someone with abilities similar to yours took you under their wing when his responsibilities as the new Captain America became all-consuming.

"I know," he patted at your hands locked around him. "Toast?"

You looked at the charred breakfast, the stronger burnt smell making your stomach queasy. "No thanks. Eggs and I haven't been on the best of terms lately."

"Oh, I didn't know."

"It's my fault for not saying anything. I'll just make a fruit salad."

Just then the mission alarm chimed and Sam downed his drink, "They're playin' our song!"

"Guess that means I'll have a protein bar," you made your way to the changing rooms.

Bucky sighed and glared at the flashing yellow light, "We can't have one damn, boring breakfast?" He asked himself.

***

"Oh, I see Y/N has an obvious glow," Sam commented while Bucky looked over the monitors on the Quin-jet. Sam was double-checking his ammo stock. "Did you ask her?"

Bucky finished skimming the brief before he turned to Sam, "Not, yet."

Sam looked at him with exasperation, "What's the matter, why are you stallin' man?"

"I'm not stalling!" Bucky said defensively, folding his arms.

Sam let out a sarcastic chuckle, "You are. You're bein' a chicken about this."

Bucky sighed, "I'm waiting for the right moment, is all."

"Right moment? Man, you got an entire jet at your disposal, capable of flying you to some breath-taking places for free, it's like one of the few good perks of bein’ an Avenger, and you’re giving me some bullshit about perfect timing. Admit it, you're just scared."

"Whatever, Bird-man."

"Oh, that's cold, Tin-can."

"Hey, you guys done with your lover's spat?" Wanda teased. "Keep the ring talk down, Y/N is heading this way."

Sam looked at her lack of costume, "You not commin'?"

Wanda rubbed her forearms as though she suddenly grew cold, "I'm… I'm not ready for active duty. Sorry, boss."

"Hey, I don't handle the paychecks, I ain't no one’s boss." Sam put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. It's not aliens or somethin' earth shatterin', just a submarine. We can handle this. Heck, I'm sure Grandpa Barnes over here could handle it himself!"

Wanda laughed before giving the boys a heads up, "Hey, whatever you do, don't comment on Y/N's new suit. She's trying out a new look. It's… different."

Both men made a zipping shut motion on their lips before Wanda headed back into the compound.

“You think she’s doin’ okay?” Sam asked Bucky.

Bucky turned to look at Wanda’s retreating form, she still had that sadness in her eyes, but Bucky could tell the days passing her by numbed the look away.

“She seems better, I think spending time with Y/N has been good for her. But you can never tell with these things,” Bucky said earnestly.

“Yeah, that’s the bitch of it!” Sam sighed.

~South Pacific Ocean

"It's really beautiful down here," you pointed at the swarming school of glowing fish visible through the deep-sea diver’s observation glass.

Bucky checked his rifle before looking to the same school of glowing sea creatures, "It is. If we weren't on an infiltration mission, it would be quite the romantic setting." He smirked at you, his eyes looking almost wistful.

"Who says it can't be?" You retorted.

"Hey now, kids. Keep the comms clear of all that flirting," Sam said over your earpieces.

"Roger," there was an uncomfortable beat of silence. Bucky’s eye flinched but he tried to hide it by scratching at his beard. "I- err… meant, copy."

"Two minutes until contact and then we breach their hull," Bucky informed Sam. "Going radio silent."

"You know what to do if you need back up," Sam said before the comms went radio silent.

"You ready, doll?" Bucky asked.

You stretched your phalanges and smirked like a cocky son-of-a-bitch, "For anything!"

You stretched out your hand for a fist bump. Bucky hesitated for a moment, face showing clear confusion.

"I know Sam taught you how to do a fist bump, Buck. It's his second most favourite way to greet people, second only to high fives," you pointed out.

Bucky sighed and connected his fist to yours.

"See, was that so hard?" You mocked him.

"Excruciatingly," Bucky admitted freely. He hid his smile by letting his hair fall over the half of his face where his lip curled upwards.

You smiled knowing he wasn't as subtle as he liked to think he was.

"Coming up on the hull," You informed him.

"You know what to do."

You nodded then used your abilities to create a vacuum bubble next to where the ships lasers were cutting a hole through the metal so the submarine didn't depressurise. You put on your helmet over your pressure suit and once the door was opened, the both of you glided across the vacuum stream like astronauts in space.

Once inside the submarine, Bucky turned on the force field generator to block the new hole and you closed the vacuum. You both took off your pressure suits before heading for the control room. All the while staying close to Bucky's six.

After tactfully disarming and dealing with several very angry men with guns, Bucky and you finally reached the control room.

"Sam, we're in the control room," Bucky disabled radio silence.

"What is all this?" You asked as you spun around to get a good look at the room.

There were several sensory deprivation tanks filled with green looking water hooked up to a long row of computers that were running a program in the background. In all the tanks were naked bodies, people, floating about seemingly in a deep sleep. Their vitals monitored by EEG and EKG machines. At the bottom corner of each monitor was a name and a blinking notification saying: Synchronisation to Framework at 95%

"It's a lab," Bucky said coldly. "Some sort of bio-mechanical experiment."

You peered at the words scrolling through the monitors catching sigh of a word that seemed familiar, "Ever heard of the Framework?"

"It sounds familiar, I just can't place it."

"What do you think happens once that loading bar reads a 100?" You pointed at one of the monitors.

Bucky frowned, "I'd rather not find out. Let's see if there's a way to shut this down."

"Good idea," you pulled up a chair and tried to bypass the security measures when an anti-tamper device got set off.

Bucky, having quicker reflexes than yours, heard the click, reached for you and pulled you to the floor, his body covering yours as one of the computers sparked in a miniature explosion.

When he assessed it was safe to get up, he helped you off the floor and cautioned with fear widened eyes, "Exercise more caution, please."

"Let's try that again," you dusted off the pieces of plastic and soldered metal wiring from your jacket.

"Safely," he urged.

You disabled the second anti-tamper device and logged into the computers, your satellite key allowing you to siphon data. However, you didn't have enough time to stop the countdown and as soon as the monitors read 100% each of the bodies in the tank flat-lined. The bodies dying out from a lethal injection of a beta-blocker.

"No, no, no!" You tapped at the keyboard.

Bucky watched on in horror as each tank went dead like a set of unstoppable dominoes.

"It's too late," Bucky said softly. "Come on, let's try to--"

And then the room went white. A hot flash pushing you away in a great rippling effect. The metal walls of the submarine groaned as it was forced apart from the inside, water flooding into the room, causing everything to spark.

Your body was rushed by the powerful waves into the wall, and your head crashed painfully against it, knocking you out.

***

Sam pulled Bucky's unconscious body out of the water and onto the shore, his GPS sewn into his tactical suit flashing red as a subtle beeping noise sounded out.

Sam cut off Bucky's bulletproof vest with his army knife, but that didn't help, Bucky still wasn't breathing. He checked for the feeling of air coming from Bucy’s nostrils. Nothing. Then for a pulse. It was there, but just barely.

Sam began to frantically administer CPR, "Come on you Tin-can! Don't give up on me!"

After 30 seconds, Sam took out a small metal device and placed it on his palm before connecting it to Bucky's chest, shocking him with volts of electricity.

Bucky gasped for air, "Gaahhhh!"

He looked around frantically, confused for a second. He gripped Sam's arms a bit too hard and shouted in a croaky, waterlogged voice, "Where is she?"

Sam looked down at the sand.

Bucky shook him harder, "Where is she? Is- is she?"

"Her vitals are still online. She's alive."

"Then why do you like someone just ran you over with a truck, Sam?" Bucky growled furiously.

"Her GPS stopped broadcasting. We think whoever blew up the submarine took her with them."

Bucky pounded his fist in the sand repeatedly, "No! No, no, no, no..."

You gasped awake from your nightmare, surprised to find your bedding in one piece. Your lack of clothing was slightly alarming.

The sound of water cascading out of the showerhead filled the room. You peaked through the open door, but the steam was obscuring the body of whoever was in there.

Your skull felt like it was about to split in two.

"It felt so real," you braced the side of your head where a headache was forming.

"Sweetheart, you awake?" A familiar voice called out from the shower.

Unsure of what to say, you played along. "Y-yeah!"

"Why don't you come join me?" the man asked.

The cold feel of metal on your left finger made you look closer at your hand. There on your ring finger was a platinum wedding ring, a large clear diamond shining with the morning light.

Something about the ring on your finger felt odd. You were about to take it off, examine it closer, when a second migraine hammered at your temples.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 45%

Flashes of a night in Rome raced through your mind. The colosseum, the smell of rain, a man on one knee. The same voice from the shower speaking out nervously: "Will you marry me?" A red, velvet box. A sparkling ring. A deep inhale of breath. "Yes, yes! A thousand times yes!"

"Ugh," you groaned as you stood to grab your painkillers from your medicine drawer.

On the flat surface of your dresser you saw a framed wedding photo: You and a man who looked eerily like Steve, only his eyes were colder and his hair was darker- less blond and more dusty. Light reflected off the glass and shone directly in your eye, triggering a second hammering pain against your cranium.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 45%

The memory of your wedding day coming back to you as clear as day. Your hands held affectionately in Steve’s as he slid the ring onto your finger and you smiled through the veil at your fiancé-soon-to-be-husband. Your cheeks dusted with makeup and sore from all your non-stop smiling.

You gripped the dresser, dropping the leather wallet that was placed there. You waited for the pain to pass before you bent down to pick it up. Curiously, not recognising the wallet, you opened it. Turns out it wasn't a wallet at all but a badge. Your picture showed you with short-cropped hair and a stern scowl. Your name printed as 'Y/N Rodgers'. A watermark of a six tentacle skull caused the ink that spelt out ‘HYDRA’ to bleed a little.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 48%

Suddenly, you remembered the day you had graduated from the Hydra academy. Steve dressed in his official uniform, red and black with the Hydra sigil printed on his chest. You had blushed when he had commended you on being valedictorian. Your hand shaking his on a stage in front of thousands of glaring classmates, faces plastered with fake smiles. A wedding band on Steve's finger but none on yours. His wife standing together with the rest of the honorary alumni. That was the first day you met the love of your life.

The sound of rushing water stopped and the temperature in the room started to drop.

"Hey, Y/N," Steve startled you from your reminiscing.

"Yes, babe?" You looked over at his equally naked body.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"N-no, sorry. I have a hell of a headache this morning."

"More nightmares again?" He asked.

You nodded your head adamantly.

Steve sighed, disappointment on his face. "We talked about this, Y/N. You have to make sure you take your meds."

He handed you a pill bottle from the open drawer.

Your mouth gaped open when you read the label, "These are anti-psychotics."

"The doctor assured us it won't hurt our chances, just take them so I don't have to spend all day worrying you'll get another migraine while at work," He kissed your throbbing temple. "I draw my limit at one injury in the field at the expense of your reluctance to stay on the regimen."

Steve's thumb graced the spot below your breast where a fresh stitch was beginning to heal. The skin still purple and deep red from trauma.

"I don't remember getting this?" Your hand touched the raw skin.

"Doc said memory loss is normal." He made his way back into the bathroom.

You nodded, feeling guilty for making him worry. You popped two pills and swallowed dry. Then all of a sudden a word he used earlier made you ask: "Babe, what did you mean by 'hurt our chances'?"

Steve walked back into the room, toothbrush tucked in his cheek as he stared at you as though you'd said something unbelievable, "For a baby. Remember, we agreed that after the divorce was finalised, and once Sarah was old enough, we'd try."

"Divorce?"

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. My lawyer called, said to remind you to sign the paperwork he sent over."

"Paperwork?"

"Yeah, since you're going to legally become Sarah's guardian."

You frowned, unable to remember. Your migraine ebbing away into a mild headache since you took the pills.

Steve placed his palm on your forehead as if checking for a fever, "Wow, I haven't seen you have such a bad episode since Budapest."

"I'm sorry, I just need a bath and some breakfast," you reassured him.

Steve swooped you off your feet as he carried you to the bathroom, "How about a massage?"

You giggled at his spontaneity, "You just got out the shower."

"Doesn't mean I can't get dirty all over again," he said passionately as he placed a kiss on his lips, his beard tickling you.

Framework>Data Banks> Memories> Memories synchronised: 50%

Chapters Two: Doppelgangers

Special mention to @500daysofbecky : Thought you’d love some Steve content to celebrate your b-day week! Sorry it wasn’t fluffy... ☺

AFWHI tags: @fangirl-colo @dormousse @smallmarvel @ren-ni @sargentbucket @nikolett3 @wnygirl2012 @jentismyname @evilgeniuslabz-blog @myrabbitholetoneverland @sleepingspacedragon @500daysofbecky @reidreader

Permatags: @gruffle1 @thechickvic @notawarriorjustyet @savethehoneeybees

#bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers x reader #bucky x reader #steve x reader #captain america #Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #wanda maximoff #steve rogers #original character #framework fic #sharon carter #marvel fic #bucky x reader x steve #terrigenesis

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blog-sliverofjade · 4 years

Text

Omega Protocol 23: Bite Me

Summary: In the mid-21st century, the elite decided to cement society’s strata into our DNA, creating a genetic caste system. One of the early Omegas is cryogenically frozen and forgotten. Revived nearly two centuries later, she has no idea what she has become and has to navigate a strange new world while surrounded by Alphas, whatever those are.

Leading the military arm of his people in exile on a dangerous planet is no easy feat for Captain Niklaus Reed. He has to build and secure a settlement against megafauna straight out of the Ice Age before families start arriving on the distant planet. When an Omega is found in an old research base, things become… complicated.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 24

Word Count: 2172

Credit to @pandabearer for beta reading!

Waking up to yet another bland room and ensconced in a bed that quietly registered her vitals made Emma want to scream, but the pounding in her head made her reconsider that urge. Easing to a sitting position woke other pains in other places. She winced, hissed, and grunted with each shift until she managed to swing her legs over the edge. Geez, and she’d thought she was sore after getting knotted through her heat. That was nothing compared to this.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” she muttered with a rueful pat to the mattress. The bed must have tattled on her because a knock came at the door a minute later. “Unless you’re Dr. Nguyen or Mihaela, go away.” The door swung open to reveal Captain Reed. Since there’d be no getting rid of him, she sighed and waved him in.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he frowned. She suppressed a shiver. Since when was she afraid of disappointing him? She must have hit her head harder than she thought.

“To my own room,” she replied. As inappropriate as it was, he wanted to kiss those primly pursed lips. He could have fallen to his knees in gratitude that she hadn’t lost the spark of temper whenever he’d overstepped his bounds as she saw them.

“You have a concussion.” He could hear the edge of a growl to his voice, but she barely batted an eye. “Do I need to sit on you to make sure you stay in bed, like you did to me?”

“I did not sit on you!” Her protest died as his grin grew. “But that explains the headache.” Grimacing, she squirmed to lay back down. Her features were too pale and drawn for his comfort. He’d crossed the room before he knew it and had to stop himself from touching her at the last minute. Fists held uselessly at his side, he couldn’t force himself to turn away from her. “Ok, fine, please help me before you have an aneurysm or something.”

Slipping one arm behind her shoulders and another under her knees, he picked her small form up and laid her back down a bit higher on the bed. She stiffened with a sharp inhalation and dug her fingers into his shoulders, mouth pressed into a thin, white line. By the furrowing of her brow, he presumed she was hurting rather than afraid of his touch, yet he didn’t linger more than he had to. If he wasn’t so focused on being gentle, he would have noticed the delicate sniff she gave his shoulder as he withdrew. He hooked a foot around the chair in the corner and dragged it behind him while she fiddled with the bed controls until she was comfortable.

“You’re not afraid of me,” he observed once she settled back with a contented sigh that was music to his ears.

“Should I be?” she quirked a brow.

“After… You were after. Afraid, that is.” The memory of her dark eyes wide in terror still speared through him like a lance. Now they were focused on the ridiculous pink camouflage blanket pushed to the footboard. He took the bundle of fabric and unfurled it to drape over her legs before retaking his seat.

“You were scary then,” she confessed in a tiny voice, still unable to look at him. “You were… you smelled kinda like him.” With a heavy sigh, he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, wracking his brain to come up with the words to explain.

“I was feral,” he began, studying palms that a short time ago were covered in blood. “When we or someone close to us is in danger we go a little berserk in their defense. I was… I was worried about you.” For someone who was a member of the Council, negotiating the terms of exile, and accustomed to commanding people he found it ridiculous he was tongue-tied.

“Is it only Alphas?”

“Any dynamic,” he shook his head. “Although we are more susceptible to it than others.” She gnawed on her bottom lip until it was pink and swollen. He ran his hands over his face to shake thoughts from his mind that he had no business thinking.

“I didn’t know there were other people here,” she said to finally break the silence. “On the planet.”

“You weren’t the only person experimented on here,” he began. Waiting for him to collect his thoughts, the Omega reached for the water on the side table. He nudged it closer so she didn’t have to move as far. “The early Alphas and Betas weren’t easily controlled.” She snorted at the idea of trying to control the Captain, or Barbie, or Chimi, or anyone she knew in the here and now. “They were stronger than the scientists, and more of them, almost all of them permanently feral. Before long they killed their creators and had the run of the planet to themselves.”

“I guess I should be grateful that they didn’t find me back then,” she murmured, eyes a little too glassy. “Otherwise this might have happened sooner.”

“This shouldn’t have happened at all.” A crack punctuated his snarl. He followed her startled gaze to the piece of broken armrest in his hand. Scowling, he tossed it into the corner. “What were you doing out there, anyway?”

“I’m s-sorry,” she whispered, hunching in on herself. “I was too afraid of losing even one of the chickens.” The one flock was all they had. They couldn’t afford to lose a good layer. His silent glowering was worse than any yelling he could have done. To her shame, she trembled uncontrollably, still unable to look up from her fists tangled in the sheets.

“And what if we lost you? Over one chicken?” he asked softly. She recoiled as if he’d struck her.

“Technically, I’ve lived for far longer than I should have,” she mumbled, plucking idly at the soft blanket. It was Barbie’s, which, last she saw, was in her room. It still carried that smell of home, such as it was. “Besides, I’m a liability and a drain on resources.” A growl like the one he used at the nomads’ camp erupted from his chest. Before she knew what she was doing, she tilted her bowed head to the side, exposing the line of her neck. Niklaus moved so quickly all she saw was a blur at the corner of her eye, then felt a bruising, tearing pain before everything went black.

What had he done? No one knew if she could be Claimed, being the first of them. The instincts didn’t develop until the second generation, there was no precedence for bonding with one of the originals. What if she couldn’t and there were problems?

“What-?” Dr. Nguyen rushed in, summoned by the noise, and stopped when she saw the bite. If she wanted to harangue him for his rashness, she put it aside for the little female. After an agonizing eternity, the doctor had results from the bed sensors.

“Well?” he barked.

“Does she know what you did?” she snapped back.

“Is she ok?”

“Answer my question, Captain.” She spat his title derisively, hands on her slim hips. “Did she agree to this?”

“No.” His molars ground painfully with his need to shake her until answers spilled out. He would accept any censure as long as she would be fine. The Beta’s right hook caught him by surprise.

“After all that she’s been through, you…” she hissed, words failing her in her anger, and shoved him out of the room while he was still recovering from the shock of being attacked by the normally mild-mannered doctor. No matter how deserved it was.

“You can’t keep me from her.” Only Emma’s need for Nguyen’s care kept him from fighting back.

“Oh, but I can.” She folded her arms and spread her feet as if she’d be any kind of barrier between him and the door. The protective rage pouring off her would have done credit to any Alpha. “Mihaela, please grab an Alpha grade sedative. Don’t worry about needle gauge, I doubt the good captain will cooperate anyway.” She activated her comm wristband. “Lieutenant Triggs, I recommend that Captain Reed be relieved of duty due to mental instability.” She paused as she listened to his response. “Come to med bay and see for yourself. I suggest that you bring a couple of your people to make sure he cooperates.”

The throbbing ache at the juncture of her neck is what woke her. She didn’t recall getting injured there. There was a strange tension at the edges of her awareness. It sharpened, feeding into her own. The voices arguing in the distance wasn’t helping her calm down any. The monitors barely started to beep a warning over her agitated state when Nguyen came bustling in.

“You need to calm down,” the doctor crooned.

“You do realize that telling someone to calm down doesn’t work, right?” she asked with a cocked brow. Nguyen ignored the snarky response as she turned off the alarm and studied the readings. “What happened here?” she asked, gesturing to the thin skin bandage on her neck.

“You were bitten.” Her blithe tone sent the fine hairs on Emma’s neck to prickling. She froze. Bitten? That didn’t match up her with recollections of the assault. Sure, memories could get fuzzy while protecting the psyche, but she was fairly confident that it wasn’t from the nomads. Wincing at the pull of the wound and the pain between her legs, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. The doctor moved to stop her.

“Let me up. I’ve spent enough time in hospital beds to last a couple of lifetimes,” she glared up at the Beta. With a sigh, Nguyen helped her to stand. “Now, is this what I think it is?” She pointed to the mark.

“It is,” she nodded with as much grace and solemnity as Emma had seen when she was given the diagnosis.

“Is there any way to break it?” She knew she was rapidly approaching hysteria, but couldn’t bring herself to care. The squirming knot in her chest wasn’t easing up, which wasn’t helping any. Rubbing at it with the heel of her palm wasn’t making it loosen. She was pretty sure she’d only succeeded in bruising her breastbone, but she couldn’t stop, wanting to carve the odd sensation out of her like a parasite.

“Emma…” Nguyen began soothingly.

“Answer me!” The doctor wet her lips and sighed, shaking her head. Continuing to dig at her chest, the Omega began pacing the small room, her quickening steps mirroring the manic spiral of her thoughts. I’m trapped. I was finally starting my life. Free of illness. Got a job. Making friends. Real choices. He ripped that away from me because he thought I couldn’t function as an independent adult. Because of what they did to me. It’s all been taken from me again!

A slender hand gently tugged her wrist away from her breast. Startled, she looked down to find her own smeared with crimson. Nguyen said something, but she couldn’t hear over the pounding of her own heartbeat and ragged breathing. The older woman was leading her towards a hospital bed. No, she didn’t want to go back. She was better.

Shivers wracked her body and she sank down to the floor, ignoring the twinges in her backside. Dropping her forehead against her drawn up knees, she tried to breathe through the impending panic attack. Thoughts buzzed in her mind like the inhabitants of an upended wasp nest. Society might have drastically changed during her extended snooze, but she was pretty sure both parties still were supposed to consent. A curiously soothing sensation bloomed between her breasts as if in response.

The foreign feeling had the opposite effect. Anxiety shot through Emma like poison. The doctor was speaking to her, but a curious droning filled her ears, drowning out all sounds. She jumped to her feet and dashed for the exit, all physical discomfort forgotten in her terror. Throwing the door wide open, the hall was thick with people who turned to stare at her in surprise. Cold sweat trickled along the hairline of her temples and slithered down the small of her back. Footsteps from behind spooked her into jackrabbiting again, leaping to her right. As if someone had pressed play on a paused movie, motion erupted in the corridor. Bodies roiled and she ducked and dodged, diving through at least one pair of legs.

Flesh covered coils of steel wrapped around her from behind and lifted. She threw her head back, but dazed herself against a chin instead of a nose. Her bare feet collided with at least one set of genitals and a face before they were pinned. A sting in her arm brought ice seeping into her blood. Her last coherent thought was, I don’t want to wake up different again.

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onyour-right · 5 years

Text

Nightmares - A Dickkory fic.

Okay, so, this fic here is inspired by this conversation I saw in the dickkory tag a while ago. I wanted to get this done before the start of the New Year but got real busy, so here it is now.

Just a disclaimer; I’ve never written smut before, so lol, hope it’s somewhat decent. Also, apologies about the length of it, I kinda got carried away. As always, please like/reblog if you enjoyed and leave a review because I love reading comments that let me know how my work has been received. Sorry for any grammatical/spelling errors!

Word count: 2, 892.

“Kory, it’s not gonna work get out of there, he’s got a cold gun!” Dick warns desperately, frantically through the comms, his heart beating so viciously against his ribcage he fears it might shatter.

Then the next part happens quickly, far too quickly.

One minute Kory’s standing there, tall and fierce like the warrior he knows her to be, her eyes turning a shamrock shade of green as the familiar sight of red flames begin to course under her skin. The next, before Dick has time to even open his mouth and usher another warning, she’s being hit by Bruce’s cold gun and is flying backwards, her body surrounded by a cloud of ice as she crashes down against the cold hard ground. Her bulletproof vest white and icy from the severe impact, her eyes open wide from shock, her body unmoving, frozen… Dead.

The sight sends icy chills through Dick’s bloodstream, makes the hairs on his arms stand up. “NOOOO!” He yells, rage and anguish in his heart. He needs to take it down. He has to get to her, he needs to get to her.

“KORY!” Dick yells into the silence of his bedroom as he jolts himself awake, his breathing shallow and irregular, his skin hot to touch and slick with sweat. Images of a dead Kory flash through his mind and even as he tries to push them out from his thoughts they cling to him, they linger and they taunt him. Someone else death can snatch from him without warning, another way for him to be knocked down after he’s just now starting to pick himself up again.

The more his mind delves deeper into these dark thoughts the harder it becomes for him to take in a steady breath. He forces himself up into a sitting position and squeezes his eyes shut, his fingers gripping the bed-sheets as they ball into fists. He tries to focus on the steady sound of Kory’s breathing beside him to help anchor him, anchor him to the present, to reality.

“Dick?” Kory calls from beside him, right on cue, almost as if she was following a script that tells her how to navigate her way through to him when he’s like this. Her voice is thick with sleepy concern and he can feel the intensity of her gaze on his back, studying him carefully, patiently.

“I’m okay,” he murmurs automatically, opening his eyes and glancing a look at her from over his shoulder. He hopes it comes across as reassuring, but from the pursed lips and raised eyebrow that Kory sends his way he knows it’s a failed attempt. The worst part about having these nightmares, he thinks, is that not only do they fuck with him - which fair enough they are his dreams after all - but they also end up fucking with her too. There’s no way she could never not offer him comfort when he was distressed, just like he could never not offer her comfort when she was. They’re just two broken people trying to help each other heal.

Kory places her hand on his bare back, shifts herself forward and presses herself against him so she can rest her head on his shoulder, some of the curly strands of her hair tickling his nose. She’s invading his personal space but he doesn’t mind at all, in-fact he craves these moments of affection when she reminds him that she’s with him, that’s she warm and full of life. It’s affection that they don’t usually have time to indulge in during the day, not that they don’t find ways to subtly touch each other, a brush of the fingertips here or a hand on a back there, but it’s hard when they’re basically in charge of two teenage kids and are still searching for a proper place where they can set base.

“Talk to me, Dick.” Her voice is pleading and invitingly warm. The hand on his back slowly starts rubbing soothing circles into his skin and he feels sleep starting to call for him the more she does that, but he’s worried about what he’ll see if he closes his eyes again.

He lets out a heavy exhale, scrubs at his face with his right hand before running his fingers through his already dishevelled hair. There’s nothing new for him to say that they haven’t already discussed, no feeling that he hasn’t confessed to her already. This whole new communication thing is both a blessing and a curse, he finds. “It’s just the same old shit, Kory.”

She lets out a non-committal hum and lifts herself away from his shoulder, the sudden loss of her body against him has him frowning and he’s seconds away from questioning her about it, but then she suddenly swings a leg over his hip so that she’s now straddling him and automatically his previous thoughts are forgotten. Both her hands come up to cup his face as she leans forward and presses a soft, lingering kiss against his lips before pulling back again.

His hands instinctively drop down to either side of her waist, his fingers digging into her skin as he moves his head forward to chase her for more kisses, kisses that go from soft and playful to desperate and intense in a matter of seconds. Heat shoots through his veins, makes it feel like his whole body is vibrating with desire and need to taste more of her.

“Kory,” he gasps when they eventually part for air, his forehead still pressed against hers, his eyes unable to focus on anything else but her parted and wet lips.

“Yes, Richard?” She responds, her tone surprisingly airily and full of teasing.

He snorts at the use of his full name, shakes his head a little to clear his thoughts before he can say what he’s so desperate for. “I need you.”

“Show me then.”

Those three words are all the motivation he needs. He captures her lips in a searing kiss once more, one hand moving up from her waist to her back so that he can push her flush against him, can feel her breasts against his chest. He uses his skills as a former acrobat to flip them over so that now he’s on his knees on top and she’s underneath him.

Kory lets out a giggle, reaching her hands up and running them down the expanse of his chest, down to his adonis belt, dangerously close to an area he’ll quickly lose all sense of control if she reaches. Dick curses inwardly, tightens his already firm grip on her waist. She really is going to be the death of him. He bends his head down to pepper heated and bruising kisses along her lips, down her jawbone and along her neck, her collarbone, so that come morning there’ll be a faint mark there, a reminder of what they’d done, what they’re about to do. He knows how much she loves to leave claiming marks on him, how much she loves it when he leaves them on her.

“Dick, come on,” Kory exhales, frustration and need dripping from her tone. The sound sparks a surge of pleasure through him; that she’s just as bothered and affected as he is makes him chuckle against her, also makes him feel a little smug too.

“Be patient, Kory,” he murmurs against her body, smirking proudly when he hears her sharp inhale. He wants to take his time with her, feeling her, exploring.

“Fuck you,” she spits back breathlessly. She’s not used to being so out of control and it shows from her lack of patience with him. But he appreciates it all the same, because it means she trusts him, trusts that he’ll be careful with her and not mistreat her like she’s been so mistreated in the past.

“Oh, we’ll get to that later.”

He continues nipping and tasting at her frustratingly slow; along the path between her breasts, along the swell of one of her breasts which he eventually takes into his mouth, his tongue tracing the sensitive nub before sucking on it. His other hand gliding up one side of her until he reaches her other breast, palming it fully then brushing his thumb repeatedly over her aroused nipple. It draws out a series of loud and helpless whimpers from Kory, has her hand coming to rest against the back of his head, her fingers gripping and tugging on his hair firmly.

Dick clenches down on his jaw and holds back from letting out a guttural moan. He knows what she’s trying to do, what’s she trying to say, but he won’t give her the satisfaction. “Kory don’t,” he cautions, a low grumble in his voice.

She hums innocently, her free hand moving down from his adonis belt about to reach his dick when his sudden hand on hers halts her movements. Dick interlaces their fingers and pins her firmly against the bed.

“What the fuck did I just say?” He growls roughly, he’s already painfully hard and really doesn’t need any further temptation from her. Before Kory had interrupted he was planning on taking his time, savouring the taste of her, but now he’s a little frustrated and just wants to punish her for not listening to him.

Dick uses both hands to reach down and hoist Kory’s legs up, draping them over his shoulders so he can gain better access to her. The surprised yelp that slips from her mouth is absolutely priceless. He ducks down, trailing kisses up her left thigh until his mouth covers her entrance, the fingers in his hair almost instantly tightening in want. He slips his tongue through her crease then, circling it furiously inside of her, lapping up her natural juices and forcing her to shriek out for him.

The painful yet pleasurable sensation that comes from Kory yanking on his hair makes him retaliate by sucking mercilessly at her cunt, relishing the taste of her and thriving over the incoherent babbles and curses that stream out of her mouth. She’s so deliciously slick and wet for him which makes it easier when he slides his two fingers past her folds and inside of her.

She bucks up into his palm, panting heavily, her skin sheen with sweat and her hips bucking up. He can tell she’s close to completely unravelling and that’s when he alternates between painfully slow and then fast strokes with his tongue, his fingers teasing out and stroking the sensitive core of her clit. She tastes so good, so good it could kill him.

Dick has known power throughout his life; the power to captivate and move a crowd of people when he was an acrobat, the power from being a police detective, the power he felt when he was working with Batman as Robin, the power he feels when he beats on bad guys who manage to slip through the many cracks in the law. But nothing – and he’s not at all being dramatic - gives him greater fulfilment and pride than the ability to reduce a woman like Kory into a crying mess.

“Oh yes, Dick, yes,” she gasps loudly, coming messily over his fingers. But he doesn’t let up yet, he’s in no way done with her. His fingers continue to play with her sensitive spot torturously, his tongue moving inside her with new found vigour. It doesn’t take long before she orgasms again, with him following seconds after just from the satisfaction of pleasing her.

Minutes after he’s finished is when Kory murmurs, his hands gripping the back of her thighs to bring her legs back down to the bed. “Fucking hell.”

He lifts his head up and softens when he sees her; a blissful smile on her lips even as she’s breathing hard, an arm thrown lazily over her eyes. He’s never been an artist but in this moment he wishes he was, just so he could capture Kory in this unique light; open, relaxed and just so utterly fuckable. But then, like most masterpieces tend to be, they’re never captured quite right on paper, are almost always better experienced in person.

Not that he’d ever let anyone even get the opportunity to experience the sheer beauty that is Kory. It’s a cause he’s completely committed to, a hill he’s more than happy to die on.

He peels her arm back from over her eyes so that he can peer into them momentarily, before leaning down and brushing his nose against the outer shell of her ear, whispering softly because he knows how it sends a thrill through her. “You had enough yet?”

She suppresses a groan and the urge to swat at his head. The smug bastard. Instead she settles for a derisive snort, rolling her eyes and shifting her hand at the back of his head down to the nape of his neck, her manicured fingernails tracing patterns on his back and sending goose bumps along his skin. “No, and I seem to recall a certain someone saying I was going to be fucked.”

Dick shivers from her touch, is instantly aware of the game they’re now playing and can’t help but play along. “Whatever my Space Princess commands.”

Kory rolls her eyes again but stays quiet, he’s taken to calling her that in private ever since she started getting her memories back properly. She’ll never let him know just how much she loves it though, wants to drag it out and leave him guessing a bit longer.

“Get on with it then, Richard.” She quips, her eyes alight with energy and daring.

In response he dips his head in a mocking bow before kissing her, his lips moving feverishly against hers as he shifts himself so that he’s lying in line with her and then pushes himself into her. A deeply content hum sounding from the back of his throat at finally being inside her, of filling her completely and her taking him so well.

His movements start off deliberately slow, his thrusts into her making her breath hitch repeatedly; but then Kory sinks her nails into his back, drops her forehead down to rest in the crook of his neck and begs him in such a sweet, irresistible voice. “Faster, Dick. Please.”

His thrusts instantly pick up pace, turning rough and wild and eliciting loud groans from her. It’s an indescribable feeling being inside of her like this, the both of them moving in perfect rhythm with each other, relishing in the feeling of being like one. Neither of them have hang-ups about sex, hell, most times he’s used it as a tool to avoid having real discussions, but not with Kory. Sex with her is like some kind of magical experience that only serves in bringing them closer rather than pushing them apart.

“Fuck, Kory,” he groans into her ear. She’s grinding her hips so perfectly against his, her muted cries against his shoulder spurring him on and making him thrust even wilder insider of her. He feels like every inch of him is on fire, melting under her touch.

Kory lifts her head up and whimpers, “I’m close, so fucking close.” He can feel it, can feel it from the way she starts writhing beneath him, like she’s trying to find a position to alleviate some of the unbearable tension building up inside of her. He’s close too, can feel himself seconds away from completely tumbling over the edge. It makes him thrust into her deeply. Just a little bit more…

Her back arches off the bed as she comes undone, the action triggering his own orgasm and making him spill inside of her. He can feel that she’s not quite done entirely, still has more to give and so he continues to move into her, prolonging her pleasure until she climaxes one last time.

Dick stays inside of her as they both try to steady their breathing, tucks away a curly strand of her red hair behind her ears and then just watches her, the echoes of their heavy breathing the only sound in the room. He studies her face; the way her eyes flutter shut, the way she bites down at her bottom lip with a lazy smile, the way there’s the smallest hint of her flames flickering beneath her black skin.

“You’re staring,” she says knowingly, her eyes still closed.

“You’re beautiful,” he replies simply.

Kory cracks open an eye, releases her bottom lip from her teeth so she can grin up at him. “You’re corny.”

He huffs out a laugh and carefully pulls out of her, dropping down beside her. The morning light starts to filter into the room through the curtains, signalling that they’ll probably have to get up and start the day soon, but he’s not ready to leave this safe haven with her, wants to live in this moment a while longer.

Dick tilts his head towards Kory, a silent invitation for her. She shifts closer to him and presses herself against his side, resting her head against his chest. He snakes an arm around her back, his thumb running back and forth against her smooth skin. She fits next to him perfectly, he realizes, fits like the missing piece to a complicated puzzle.

#dc titans #dickkory #dick grayson x koriandr #dickkory fanfiction #G writes #please read and review

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bonesmctightass · 5 years

Text

Stranded

It was getting colder as the sun dipped ever closer towards the horizon. This didn’t make a damn lick of sense in McCoy’s book, seeing as how it was supposed to be the dead of summer on this planet. It was sorta nice, he guessed. Kinda reminded him of winter vacations at the skii lodge his grandparents owned back in the day. There was a bunch of log cabins strewn about and they looked mighty inviting. But this wasn’t shore leave, and they had a schedule to keep. McCoy hiked his medbag higher onto his shoulder and regarded Spock with a jut of his chin.

“Y’alright? Holding up okay?” He asked, doing what he thought was an excellent job of keeping the worry out of his voice. They were following a representative of the planet to an impressive looking main structure that resembled a medieval castle of sorts. As such, he didn’t want to tip off their hosts that the alien to his left was probably rattling his bones by now, so he kept his voice hushed.

“I am adequate, Doctor. Please do not worry about my current state. We have important business to attend to which is much more pressing than my meager abilities to withstand the cold.” Spock replied stiffly.

“Don’t worry. Don’t worry my ass.” McCoy replied flippantly.

The important business he was referring to was actually the planet’s leader. They had been told he had contracted something on his last visit to the sister planet in the star system. McCoy had later found out, thanks to a rushed blood sample, that it was a mutated variation of the Auroral Plague. He’d had some… unfortunate interactions with the disease in the past. McCoy would not be making that mistake again. He gripped his tricorder and trudged through the snow to the warm haven awaiting them.

“Are you quite certain Mister Spock will be unharmed?” Their escort was wringing her hands nervously, having stopped outside the corridor leading to the main chamber. “If you must turn back to your ship we would understand.”

“There is no need,” Spock said calmly. “I am a Vulcan, and thus immune to the bacteria. For this reason I was the most qualified candidate to accompany Doctor McCoy.”

“I’ve also been vaccinated, as we previously discussed. No harm will come to us, ma’am. We’ll get the job done soon as we can. Please get yourself a safe distance and make sure that no one has access to the area for the duration.”

The woman nodded and quickly retreated, leaving the pair to their duties.

---------------------------------

“There. That ought to do it. He’ll be right as rain after a few days rest.” McCoy announced triumphantly. This encounter with the Auroral Plague was much more pleasant, all things considered. “Thanks for the help, Spock. You make an excellent scrub nurse.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Doctor. Although I should like to remain in my current position. Now if you are amenable, I would like to return to the ship as soon as possible. I believe I can endure approximately thirty seven more minutes before I begin to lose feeling in my hands.”

It didn’t take a genius to see that Spock was looking considerably more green than usual. The blood capillaries in his face had risen so close to the surface of his skin, McCoy could actually see the fine webbing of his veins. He frowned, not liking the look of that at all. “Let’s get you home to a warm bed, then, shall we?”

They gathered their medical gear and found their way to the entrance. As they were about to enter the grounds to the estate, the same woman from before made an appearance.

“A storm is coming.”

At this, McCoy bristled. He absolutely detested being unprepared. What he detested even more was the thought of harm coming to Spock due to the increasingly plummeting temperature. “What storm? There was no talk of a storm before we beamed down. Are you saying we can’t leave?”

The girl couldn’t have been older than twenty five. Earning McCoy’s ire had the poor thing looking like she’d be reduced to tears any second and he instantly felt bad. “I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t be safe for you to beam up now. I really am sorry. Please, I’ve made up a room for you to rest. You will be warm enough for the night and there is nourishment for you both. As soon as dawn comes, you will be able to leave.”

Rubbing his hands over his face, McCoy heaved a heavy sigh. “Alright. Guess we’ve got no choice. Come on, Spock. Let’s follow the lady and we’ll try to get Jim on the comm.”

It looked like Spock was having trouble getting his body to cooperate, which made McCoy even more nervous. “That would be agreeable.”

They set off down the hall and the many twisting corridors that followed.

“Please let me know if there is anything you need. We cannot thank you enough for your healing. Please, anything at all. I’ll be just down the hall.” The girl said as they stopped in front of their quarters for the night. She left as quick as she’d come, leaving the two mean to inspect their shelter.

“I’d better call Jim before things get too bad out there.” Apparently he’d spoken too soon. He tried to send a message to the bridge but the communicator couldn’t get a signal through the heavy snowfall. “Damn it. I guess we’ll just tough it out, then.” He signed and pushed the heavy door open.

The room actually wasn’t terrible. There was a good number of blankets. A nice fireplace, already roaring. Plush carpet spread along the wooden floors. Sort of reminiscent of a bad porno he once saw when he was a teenager. McCoy grimaced and shook his head, focusing his attention instead on the large four poster bed against the adjacent wall. He swallowed thickly, wearily eyeing their accommodations for the night.

“Well. Guess this planet has no qualms about bedsharing.” McCoy huffed. Spock remained ramrod straight on his spot just in front of the door, still in parade rest. He was getting increasingly worried about his friend’s health. “Hey, come on. Get into the bed before you freeze to death.”

“I’m afraid I am unable to move. It appears that the blood flow to my extremities has slowed considerably. My body is beginning to shut down.”

“Jesus, Spock.” Determined not to panic in the face of this new obstacle, McCoy set his jaw and thrust himself into the task of getting Spock into the bed. An incredibly challenging feat, seeing as how his bones were several times denser than his own. “God, you weigh a ton! No wonder you’re so goddamn strong. You lug this dead weight around all day, I don’t know how you can stand it!”

After several embarrassingly long minutes, McCoy was finally successful in getting Spock onto the mattress. He tucked the Vulcan in and piled as many blankets on top of his body as he possibly could.

“How’s that? Any better?”

“I will update you in a moment as I am still quite numb. My apologies for the inconvenience, Doctor.”

“Oh, shut up.” He got up and stoked the fire, making sure the temperature in the room climbed a few degrees higher. “I’m your friend. I’m not about to let you turn into an icicle. At least we’ve got a fire going. That should get your blood flowing again.”

“The feeling is slowly returning to my fingers. I will survive the ordeal, thanks to your aid. If you do not mind sharing the space with me, I suggest you prepare yourself for sleeping. Surely the Captain will be eager for our safe return.”

If you do not mind. As if. McCoy knelt to the floor to remove his boots. He wouldn’t mind. In fact, he would have preferred to coax Spock into his bed the old fashioned way. It took him far longer than it should have to untie the laces. He was delaying the inevitable. He knew he was going to get into that bed. He knew he was going to be mere inches away from Spock’s body. And he knew that he was not going to be able to resist touching it.

Their courtship was a long one. They had flirted here and there. Had a drink once. Met for dinner and spoke of times past. There was something there between them and they both knew it. An easiness. It was so easy for them to come together and speak casually about any number of things. So easy to debate and argue. And so fun. But it was also fragile. So very fragile. Any sudden movement and McCoy feared everything would fall apart. Even speaking about it had been off the table thus far. But there was something.

“Are you going to join me?” Spock asked quietly, startling McCoy out of his reverie.

“Yeah.”

The bed dipped with the added weight. McCoy slid under the blankets and settled stiffly onto his back. He had never been in a bed with Spock before. He had sat across from him in the mess. Even shared a space on the couch in his quarters, once. But most of their camaraderie was spent in the medbay in McCoy’s office. This was new uncharted territory.

“Is this fine?” He asked hesitantly. He could hear Spock inhale shallowly and felt something move against the sheets.

“Leonard,” Spock said seriously. “I am quite frigid. Perhaps you could come closer. If you would permit it, I would greatly benefit from your body heat.”

After waiting the two or three minutes it took to actually process what the hell Spock had just said out loud, McCoy scooted a bit closer. He sidled up against Spock’s side, a hair's breadth away from touching the length of his body with his own. He could feel the heat rolling off Spock in waves, his body desperately trying to return to its normal temperature. McCoy bit the inside of his cheek hard. Just a little closer. Just a bit. For Spock’s benefit.

Another few centimeters and they were touching. McCoy was trying to hold still, trying not to ruin it. Trying not to breathe.

“Is this still fine?”

This time Spock exhaled and he definitely felt the movement of those devastatingly elegant fingers.

“Yes.”

@strangledbythestars

#should there be a part 2????#spones #stranded #prompt #bedsharing #my fic

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mentalmimosa · 5 years

Text

the neighborly thing (part II)

part I here: [https://mentalmimosa.tumblr.com/post/183605620195/the-neighborly-thing]

The first big lesson that Steve took from the twenty-first century was that everyone was lonely. After almost a month in Stark Tower, he still wasn’t sure if that was by choice.

There were more people in New York than he’d ever seen back in the day, thousands of them; clogging the streets and jammed into the subways, willing sardines who spent the day climbing in and out of tin cans. Nobody talked to each other or even looked up; their eyes were locked on their portable telephones, their ears cocked towards voices that only they could hear. Earbuds, he’d heard somebody call them. Cellphones. Whatever. It all kinda gave Steve the creeps.

Technically, he wasn’t supposed to be on the street, anyway; Director Fury had made noises about Steve lying low for a while, until all the news jockeys got bored with his face and his story and moved on to something new: a plane crash or an election upheaval or a dead movie star behind the wheel of a car. Pray for one of those to come down the pike, Captain, Fury had said, the dark eye unblinking. Because until then, you’ll be the headline every damn day.

Steve decided to believe he was kidding. It was a lot easier to swallow that way.

Still, he found himself retreating from the rest of the city, from its people, more and more every day until he’d been cooped up for almost a week and the thought of going outside, of climbing in the elevator and pushing the button for the ground floor himself made him really uneasy. Yeah, he thought, eyeing his keys hanging by the door, clutching his coffee cup a little tighter, Fury was right. It’d be better if he stayed in.

He read and he drank coffee and he sketched a little when the weather was nice, when he could sit out on the balcony and feel hung up in the sky and let his mind wander enough to set his fingers free, for his pencil to settle on paper and catch.

He watched television sometimes, but there were a lot of buttons involved and the damn thing was too loud. The radio was easier. Most days, the big screen on the wall stayed off.

Fury called him every few days, never made a pretense of small talk. Steve appreciated that. It was just stay low and do you require assistance and the situation is not nominal. We’ll get back to you when it is.

Sure, Steve thought every time the line went dead, every time he tucked the receiver back into its cradle. Sure you will.

At night, the silence was different. Deeper somehow, as if the world itself had been muted. In his bedroom with the drapes drawn and the lights off, he couldn’t hear the traffic or the chatter, the hum of people way down on the street. There was just the steady skip of his heart and the sound of his breathing and, much to his damn chagrin, his thoughts. Thoughts that took him places that no longer existed, to people he’d never talk to again, never touch, and he shivered at the separation, the weird stretch of lost time. The ice had been warmer than they were, those thoughts.

One night, he dreamt of Peggy, of her mouth, her body warm and tight beneath his, and he woke up working himself against the mattress, his cock stiff and his face wet, and when he came, creamed the sheets like a desperate kid, it felt so good all over that it hurt, hurt so perfect that he got hard again in his hand, hips arching as he panted and said her name, remembered the weight of her breasts in his hands as she rode him, looked down at him with those deep, forever eyes and said his name over and over and he told himself, disbelieving: I’ll never see her again.

It was hard for him to fathom, all that had happened since he’d gone into the water, much less to understand. That was where his loneliness lay, when he finally faced it; he was a man out of time, just like the papers said. Super soldier or no, old hero, whatever; he was a man who didn’t belong.

At least, he didn’t until the morning Bucky showed up.

*****

He was halfway through a piece of toast and a chapter of Anna Karenina when somebody knocked on his door. It startled him so bad he sent his coffee cup flying. And then whoever it was knocked again.

“Captain Rogers?” A man’s voice on the intercom. He sounded the younger side. “You in?”

Maybe it was a reporter, Steve thought, even as he sat down his book and beelined for the front door. Maybe Stark’s security had finally taken its eye off the ball and somebody got through.

“Captain?” the voice called again.

He turned on the exterior camera, got a shot of dark, messy hair falling out of a ponytail. A pretty face and blue eyes, a smear of dark green on one cheek. The hell? He keyed open the comm. “Can I help you?”

The man’s face lit up. “Funny, that’s just what I was gonna ask you.”

“You have me at a disadvantage, then.” The words sounded stiff. “Who are you?”

“I’m Bucky Barnes. Your neighbor. I’m in 3, the one at the far end of the hall. We haven’t met yet, so I thought I’d come by and say hi.”

“How do I know that’s really who you are?”

The guy--Bucky--looked honestly confused. “What? How do you--?" He squinted at the lens. "You want to see my driver’s license or something?”

“That might help.”

“Huh, yeah. I get it. You have to be careful, right?” Bucky patted himself down, looking, Steve presumed, for his wallet. “I mean, always, everybody does, but especially someone like you.”

Steve bristled. “Someone like me?”

“Yeah,” Bucky said absently, still searching. “You know, a celebrity."

A celebrity? Is that what he was? "Oh."

"Mmmm, yeah, Tony has to be really careful that he--ah!” Bucky tugged a battered wallet from his jeans and slipped a card from it, held it up to the lens. “There you go. Do I pass?”

The address was right, and the face. Albeit a younger version with kohl around the eyes and a serious pout. Steve found himself smiling.

“Yes,” he said to the the screen. “You do.”

Bucky pulled the card back and looked up at the camera, his lips defying that long-ago pout. “Cool. You want to come over for a cup of coffee? I’ve been painting all morning and I really need to get out of my own head.”

Steve blinked. “I, uh--”

“No pressure, though." Bucky spread his hands. "I won’t be insulted if you say no, believe me. I’d totally understand.”

Steve could taste dry toast in his throat, the bitter burn of black coffee. He needed a shower and he wasn’t dressed for company and he knew nothing about this guy and yet somehow, for some reason, he was reaching for the door and shooting the electronic lock and when it opened, when Bucky was standing in front of him, wearing battered plaid and paint-splattered jeans and a startled grin, opening that door seemed like the smartest decision he'd made since 1944.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice hoarse and undeniably shy. “Thanks, Mr. Barnes. I’d like that.”

#winteriron #past steggy #loneliness #post-unfreezing steve

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ruffsficstuffplace · 6 years

Text

The Viridian Vanguard (Part 27)

Qrow took one long, slow drink from his flask, pulled it from his lips, and sighed heavily. <Alright, I’m good—let them in,> he mumbled as he capped it again, put it away in the inner pocket of his shirt.

Soon, the door on the other side of the room opened up, their first interviewee of the day strode to the dais in the center of the room, Ruby and the rest of the Keeper Team surrounding her. They exchanged the usual formalities, before she knelt down on the large cushion provided for her, bathed in the light streaming through the high windows.

<Welcome to the first round of interviews for the Keeper Team!> Penny said smiling. <First off, congratulations for making it this far! Second, for the purposes of uniformity, we will have to request that you please communicate almost-to-entirely in Actaeon, save for any Nivian sayings, concepts, or quotes that you feel will not, or cannot translate adequately. Third, though we are sure you are already well aware, the questions we may ask you can get intensely personal, and that you are free to ask such questions back, if either of us feel that they may be relevant, or might prove to be a significant asset or liability in the future.

Anouke replied. <I have been a watcher since I was old enough to walk and handle a knife, and have been hunting down, slaying, and skinning almost every dangerous beast and horrific monster that lurks in this Valley for the past five decades. Whether they stalk no man’s land, lurk in the darkest, murkiest depths, or soar the most treacherous skies, I can guarantee you I have faced and bested them all, with one notable exception:

Anouke put her hand to her breast, looked Ruby in the eyes, and said,

<Yeah, say no more, you’re out.> Qrow said calmly.

Anouke’s eyes widened, she snapped her head to Qrow. <Excuse me?!>

<Yeah, I’m really sorry, Watcher Kalla, but Uncle Qrow has a point,> Ruby said. <You have to put your very all into fighting a Soul Eater—and every bit you spend on trying to kill it in a way that preserves its body, rather than just doing everything you can to ensure it’s dead is more opportunity for the Soul Eater to kill you, instead.>

Anouke scowled, before she let out a short, disappointed sigh. she said, turning back to Ruby, and bowing her head. <Thank you for your time and the opportunity.>

Ruby and the rest of the Keeper Team said their half of the formal farewell, before Anouke was out the door, and the next candidate came in.

“Wow, that quickly and just for that reason?” Weiss asked.

“Yep!” Ruby said. “It’s kinda like one of those economic theories or something, where there’s hundreds of folks that want to fill in a vacant, permanent spot in the Keeper Team, so we can just pick and choose whoever we think is going to be the absolute best of the best, though there were some folks where the issues were more, uh, personal.”

“Such as?”

“Well...”

It was mid-day now when yet another candidate strode into the room, a pair of well-worn headphones around their neck. <Yo, name’s Yral Revene, but you might know me by my stage name: ‘Jackdaw,’> they said. <Officially my job is as a watcher-weaver, but only to pay the bills while I work on my real job: music maker. I want in on the Keeper Team as you all are gonna be the key to my revolutionizing music and weaving, and it’s going to start with me helping you kick Soul Eater tail like never before!>

<That’s an incredibly bold statement,> Ren said. <May you please explain how exactly you are planning to do this…?>

<With the freedom to use my Sound, is what,> Jackdaw replied. <I’ve been forced to use all the stock standard sheets and songs, so me and the rest of the sound weavers can harmonize and collab easy-like, and even then, I’ve barely been allowed to use my Sound on the field.>

<Your ‘Sound’…?> Ruby asked.

<They mean their personally composed music,> Penny said.

<Oh!> Ruby said. <So, is this also a set of custom-made and modified spells, then?>

<Yes,> Jackdaw replied. they said, pulling out an external speaker and their comm-crystal.

<Excuse me!> Penny said, rising up from her seat. <I would like to remind you that elemental weaving of any sort is forbidden inside the interview room, and will be considered an attempt to harm the Keeper or her teammates, with the according grave punishment!>

<Relax, it’s just the music this time!> Jackdaw replied as they set it down, before they smiled. <You can experience the rest later, at the Grove. Ready?>

Everyone agreed to it, or didn’t mind, except for Qrow, who said <Hold on.> then ripped open one of the cushions, and plugged his hearing-holes with the stuffing.

<Oh come on, Uncle Qrow, aren’t you overreacting?> Ruby asked him.

<Alright, go!> Qrow said loudly, either ignoring her, or unable to hear.

Without any further issues, Jackdaw grinned, and pressed play, their personal music booming and filling the room. Merely ten seconds in, the smiles on Ruby and Nora’s faces disappeared, Zwei whined and pressed his two heads together and covered his outermost ears with his paws, while Penny looked concernedly at the increasingly uncomfortable and displeased members of the Keeper Team, sans Qrow.

<Oh, Eluna, make it stop!> Blake cried, clapping her hands over her ears.

<I’m really sorry, but please do!> Ruby added.

<Seriously?> Jackdaw asked, frowning. <It’s just new! It’s like an acquired taste! You’ll learn to love it, I swear!>

<My sincerest apologies, but I will really have to ask you to stop, or be forced to!> Penny cried. <Any more of this, and you might be charged with harassing and psychologically harming the Keeper and her Team.>

“And then there were some folks who’d been doing incredibly well, but we had to make the tough decision to reject them because of one deal-breaker or another...”

It was afternoon now, the curtains on the windows drawn to keep the glare of the sun from being too powerful. It was already past 2, their agreed upon lunch break, but they delayed it for the sake of their latest interviewee.

<… While I doubt I will be able to concoct, or even begin to research on something that might affect the Soul Eaters themselves, I’m sure that I’ve proven that my potions can be a great boon to you and the rest of the team, in combat or out of it,> he finished.

<Indeed you have, Maker Nyimu!> Penny said, smiling. <There’s just one more aspect from your record that we would like to address: we’re rather concerned about how dramatically your combat performance dropped after you finished drug rehabilitation, both in training exercises and live situations, and how that might be a liability when it comes to high-stakes situations like a Soul Eater attack.>

Nyimu frowned. <Ah, yes… to be honest, most of my stellar performance before it was all thanks to the constant abuse of enhancers, or using more to escape the consequences. Again, I swear I will improve myself without the cheap, dangerous shortcuts.>

<We know,> Qrow said, <but let me give you a hypothetical situation: everyone but you and Ruby are down or dead. She’s in deep shit, you’re the only one that has a hope in hell of saving her, but you know that the only way you can do it is if you pop a pot, or jam a needle into your arm, give you the boost you need.

Nyimu was silent, his eyes widening in surprise, before his face contorted into all manner of expressions, the inner turmoil clear for all to see. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, before finally, he sighed heavily, slumped his shoulders, and shook his head. <No, Watcher Branwen, I believe I cannot…> he said. <Even a single misstep will be all it takes to fall again into addiction, I’m certain of it..>

<So you don’t think you can sacrifice yourself, if it comes to that?> Ruby asked sympathetically.

Nyimu looked at her, and said, <No Keeper—I apologize.>

Nyimu said, smiling ruefully. He bowed, they went through the formal goodbyes, and left.

As soon as he was out the door, everyone started getting up off their cushions and stretched, groans and sighs of relief echoing in the room.

<Ugh, I’m so glad it’s finally over...> Blake muttered as she arched her back. <Please don’t take this as a personal insult, everyone, but I never realized how much truth there was to the stories of what kinds of Fae would want to apply for the Keeper Team… I always assumed there was some element of exaggeration and fabrication to it to make it a more entertaining story, not that they were just reporting it as is!>

<Yeah, Keepers tend to attract misfits, outcasts, and oddballs almost as much as they do trouble,> Qrow said, bending his arms back and forth between their usual and flying configurations. <And sometimes, they’re both at once,> he added, looking pointedly at Blake.

She scowled, and said nothing.

<Be nice, Uncle Qrow,> Ruby snapped softly, before she smiled at Blake. <So, since this is your first time in the Bastion and being out of the house in general since you got here, anything you want to get for lunch? There’s plenty of great restaurants here, and I’m sure we can convince the Council to foot for our bill.>

<If none of you mind, I would really appreciate someplace that serves fish,> Blake replied. <Preferably fresh.>

<Oh, well you’re in luck!> Nora said, grinning. <Ren and I know this great seafood place in the Tender’s Fields, serves pretty much everything—freshwater and saltwater fish, squids, octopi, shellfish, algae, seaweed—heck, they even have these neat compressed balls of plankton you eat like chips! You even get a discount if you catch it yourself.>

Blake smiled. <I’d really like that, actually.>

<Any objections?> Ruby asked. When there were none, she smiled and said, <Then let’s go get some lunch!>

Then as if on cue, all of their comm-crystals sans Blake’s started flashing and beeping wildly in alarm, similar alarms echoing elsewhere in the Roost. Penny projected a holo and read aloud the message:

<Isn’t Thundercall where we were supposed to go in three weeks?> Ruby cried as they started running.

<Looks like the date’s been moved forward, kiddos!> Qrow cried back.

<Sorry to sound self-centered, but what’s going to happen to me?> Blake butted-in as she kept pace with them. <I’m supposed to be with at least one of you at all times!>

<Simple: we take you with us!> Ruby replied. <Your equipment’s all fixed now, and you said it yourself that you’re willing to fight and hunt with us, right?>

<There’s a lot of legal mumbo jumbo about Keeper’s deputizing folks, so don’t worry about going to jail, and just focus on not dying!> Nora chirped. <It’d be really tragic and awful if you died so soon after you just got introduced into the story!>

Blake looked strangely at her, before she shook her head, and kept on running.

Note: Qrow, like many avian Fae, does not have ears, and has hearing-holes instead. Ren also has them, as reptilian Fae and some more exotic subspecies like snake Fae have acquired adaptations from others over the millenia, though the earliest of them reportedly could only “taste” sound or had very poor audio perception.

#rwby #white rose #the viridian vanguard #fanfic

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jennjwelch · 6 years

Photo

When it comes to what you want in life -- the dreamiest dream job, the perfect partner, a home that sings of its awesomeness: how important is it to be crystal clear in the wanting?

I'm 100% in favor of knowing what you want. Or, just as importantly, knowing what you don't want. Is it possible to know you want something amazing, but not know what that looks like?

I think so.

Let's take the dreamiest dream job you're just, well, dreaming about. Ok. Let's make it real and take the one that I’M dreaming about.

It's interesting. I already thought I knew what I was looking for. I mean, I like to think I'm fairly self-aware, with good ideation around my strengths (and, um, you know, my one weakness...), my skills and competencies, what's translatable, where I need to stretch, the areas in which I'd love to grow, and how experience has made me wise(er). I went back to my old dream-building principles and had (I thought) clearly articulated what I wanted in a new role. I believe in this approach. I've done my fair share of manifestation (quite brilliantly, I might add). Quite simply, it works.

Yup. New folder titled: my dreamiest dream job. True story.

But. I didn't expect this: confusion and doubt.

With every connection and ongoing conversation, a new possibility has been born. Yes, for sure this. But...what about A? And, ohhh, B sounds really cool. And if we got together with 1 and 2, we could totally do C through X. How great would that be?! So many ideas, so much laughter, so many YESes! And Rights?!?!

And I leave every conversation pumped and excited and...confused. Because I thought I knew what I wanted...and then all these IDEAS. Possibilities. Almost endless.

And then the doubt sets in. My career coach didn't tell me there would be doubt!

What if what I've so clearly articulated manifests and it's not really what I wanted? I mean, kinda, but not really. And, what if in being so rigidly crystal clear I miss out on stuff that I would absolutely super-dig but that I'm not going to attract because, well, it wasn't part of the articulated vision?

I’m perfectly fine not knowing every exquisite detail. I think it makes me just a bit more agile (and grateful) when the unexpected happens because I’m not cemented in the detailed vision of what I need something to be.

So. What has come out of all this contemplation? You guessed it: an even better articulation of my dreamiest dream job and vision. In fact, I've created a handy little cheat-sheet that I now use to keep me semi-focused in conversation:

Here are all the things I dig doing: internal | employee | HR-related | engagement change management and communications. These are things that'll get me out of bed in the morning (well, this and that the dog needs to go out...).

Then there's this quadrant over here...(do you not just love quadrant models?!) …. and this is the stuff I'm completely open to: corporate comms, including external marketing and media management, etc.

And this last quadrant? This is the unknown: the stuff I'm about to discover I'm exceptionally good at, that is really fun and that I didn't even know I liked.

Do I have to choose one? I don't think so. I hope not.

So, for everyone working to find their Ikigai? You know, that thing that just makes you feel like you're in the flow of it all? Don't give up.

And, I've decided – right or wrong – not to be rigid. Rather, to be open to flowing until all the ideas converge and crystalize in the form of the perfect role for me. I'm betting I'll have some amazing moments along the way and that stuff I didn't even know existed is exactly what I like doing best.

Ponder the beauty of possibility. Dream one dream bigger. Make sure your dream is worthy of YOU. Be grateful (yes, before you have it all and for everything that's coming your way). And keep getting clearer, until you find it. Or, it finds you.

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afterspark-podcast · 5 years

Text

G1 Episode 19: Transcript

Episode Show Notes

[This can also be found on AO3!]

[Stinger]

S: Bugs. Bugs is what I'm getting at.

O: [Laughs] Oh, okay.

[Intro Music]

O: Hello, and welcome to the Afterspark Podcast. An episode by episode recap of the generation 1 Transformers cartoon. I'm Owls!

S: And I’m Specs!

O: And today we're gonna be talking about episode number 19, Dinobot Island Part 1. Let's talk about giant robots today, shall we?

S: Yeah.

O: We open with Bumblebee (plus jetpack) and Powerglide flying through the air heading towards some strange energy reading in the middle of the ocean.

S: [laughs] Bumblebee comms back to base, to get confirmation from Optimus Prime and when it cuts to the Autobots we see Wheeljack at the console, you know, Teletraan 1, the big screen and everything, and then everyone else is like a good 60 feet back.

O: [snorts]

S: They're probably afraid Wheeljack's gonna blow shit up again.

O: By basically manning their telephone? [laughs]

S: Don't underestimate Wheeljack's ability to blow shit up. He's got a green thumb for it...or a black thumb? I don’t know…

O: He’s very, very talented at blowing shit up, let’s just go with that.

S: At least that’s how the fandom handles it.

O: I mean, fair. Bumblebee however, seems to be very gung-ho about this mission and excited and kind of surprised that Optimus seems to think so highly of him.

S: Like, he's kinda--he's almost a little blushy.

O: Yeah, he is.

S: It's kind of cute.

O: It's--well, Bee is very cute.

S: It's-it's sweet. Then Powerglide calls Bumblebee his ‘Little Bee Buddy.’

O: Which great name, it's a great name.

S: Yeah…

O: Ah, Powerglide, while flying slams into some sort of energy wave or energy field and says that it won't affect him because he's got too much ‘pizazz!’

S: Oh god--he's an idiot who thinks he dumped all of his points into charisma but clearly he didn',t and then again I'm having a hard time figuring out what stat he would have dumped them into because it's clearly not wisdom. Maybe dexterity? And I'm actually really wishing now that I'd sat down and put together a fucking stat sheet.

O: Oh god, that sounds nightmarish. All I know is that Powerglide talks about himself a lot. I feel like he says his name like six times in sixty seconds in his introduction.

S: Something like that. He sort of speaks in pseudo third-person, it gets kind of old.

O: It gets old very quickly.

S: But they had to have some way of differentiating these new Autobots from the previous ones so you get a bit more, um, out there personalities and speech tics.

O: [snorts] I mean, I guess at least they have personalities?

S: Or speech patterns is what I meant.

O: Yeah.

S: Cuz you've got Warpath and...all of that.

O: Yeah…

S: They're suddenly attacked by a giant pteranodon that carries Bee away in its claws. Providing his own narration, Powerglide then flies off to the rescue.

O: Bee looks like, super done through this entire sequence. Uh, he even says something to the effect of, “Can't he just save a guy without doing a commercial?”

S: Honestly, the Autobots could probably earn money by you know, selling off Powerglide’s vocal--

O: Oh god.

S: --powers for commercials.

O: Yeah, he--he would make a good--good guy to do commercials for…

S: Oh god, him and Swindle, doing something together.

O: Oh god, oh god, yes please--someone write this? [laughs]

S: Like, Swindle’s a perfectly good sell guy by himself but I mean, you want an infomercial…

O: Give him the power--uh, giving them the power of Powerglide’s voice? Oh yes, they would sell so much shit!

S: Oh god, I'm just imagining the robot infomercials now. Shamwow, Oxyclean...

O: [laughs] Shamwow, now--now sponsored by the Auto--the Autobots! Shamwow! [continues laughing while Specs speaks]

S: God, there’d be some sort of Powerglide pun in there somewhere.

O: Ugh, you know it would.

S: [sighs] And then well--uh, so back on topic, Powerglide does indeed chase the pteranodon off but it drops Bumblebee whose jetpack is no longer functioning properly like, it's super beat all to hell.

O: Uh, yeah after you know, being picked up by a pteranodon. Bee does eventually land safely with the help of a palm tree cushioning his impact.

S: It’s a thing, it’s a thing. And okay, I figured out where Powerglide put his stats. He clearly blasts Bee’s jetpack with some sort of ray of healing from his forehead, so magic? Like--he's like, the world's shittiest wizard.

O: Oh god. [laughs] I don't want to think about him being a wizard. He’s like, one of the flim-flam man if he is a freaking wizard.

S: [groans]

O: Yeah! I'm right! I'm right, and should say it!

S: Yeah.

O: [laughs] Anyway, Bumblebee explores the immediate area on, uh, the island that they have crash-landed on.

S: There are a fuckton of dinosaurs here and Bee is promptly attacked by a t-rex.

O: To which, he runs back to Powerglide and sort of jerks him--him by the arm in the direction that the t-rex is now chasing him.

S: Or is coming from, yeah.

O: Is com--yeah, like that the t-rex that is chasing him is coming from.

S: It's like, “Here, here look at this thing it wants to eat me!”

O: [laughs] “Save me!”

S: “Do--do the thing, kick its ass!”

O: Uh, Powerglide transforms and Bee hangs a ride by grabbing on top of uh, Powerglide’s plane mode and they fly off. It looks very uncomfortable.

S: Yeah. Honestly, it's probably messing with Powerglide’s you know, uh, aerodynamic surfaces but okay…

O: The power of magic robots?

S: Yeah. Back at the Ark, Bee and Powerglide have clearly reported the living fossils they ran into to the other Autobots and there, they proceed to insult the Dinobots. You know, like normal--which is kind of sad.

O: You're all terrible, I want you to know this.

S: Yeah...Wheeljack tries to mitigate the general air of disrespect by saying that the Dinobots have good qualities and he's been trying to teach them stuff.

O: Wheeljack is a good Dino dad.

S: Yeah, and then Huffer decides to be a dick about this statement.

O: Yep, yep, shut up Huffer.

S: Shut up Huffer.

O: [laughs]

S: Wheeljack's idea of demonstrating Grimlock’s newfound control over his powers, his--his newfound dexterity, is to have Blaster transform into his alt mode and then have Grimlock change the radio stations...with fire breath or a laser breath or however they refer to it.

O: All this seems like a terrible, terrible, terrible idea!

S: It is, like yes, you can demonstrate his dexterity some other way, dude!

O: That doesn't involve fire and possibly melting your communications officer.

S: Yeah.

O: Grimlock, to his credit does actually succeed in changing the station without incinerating Blaster, much to the chagrin of Ironhide, Trailbreaker, and Sideswipe.

S: They have no taste. They don't like any of those music. But, ah, considering it was changed to a rock station I would expect this from Ironhide and possibly Trailbreaker but Sideswipe--you're a young hip dude!

O: Sides, there is no way you don't listen to rock, I am not buying this for a single goddamn second.

S: Maybe he's more of a pop guy?

O: Oh god, now I'm just like, now I'm just imagining him doing karaoke to Britney Spears songs.

S: [laughs]

O: Thank you, thank you for that came to Britney Spears in my brain! Just imagine him going, “Catch me baby one more time,” or whatever. [Clearly my 90’s card needs to be revoked, because it’s, “Hit me baby one more time.” ~Owls]

S: Yeah.

O: Hust mmm-mmm, perfection and you know he would do it at karaoke just to drive Prowl nuts.

S: Or maybe he likes Dolly Parton?

O: [laughing while trying to talk] JOLENE! [continues to laugh]

S: The rest of the bots and humans in the room proceed to celebrate.

O: Wheeljack in particular seems super proud of Grimlock.

S: [sighs] Of course something has to go wrong, and that thing is Slag and Sludge getting interested in what's going on and then proceeding to bump into Grimlock. Who then begins spewing fire around the room uncontrollably.

O: I love it because Grimlock says, “Slag, Sludge, go away! Me, Grimlock, demonstrating finesse (whatever that mean),” before immediately turning around and destroying something else with his extremely long tail.

S: Yeah...honestly the perspective on that made no sense…

O: It looked way too long. I'm like not really sure what happened there to be honest.

S: Yeah, the situation proceeds to further unravel with the on--with the arrival of the ever curious Snarl and Swoop, who want to come and investigate all this shit.

O: Which, congrats! You lured the first two idiots with the racket, now you've caught the other two.

S: Well, they’re five for five.

O: They are five for five!

S: The Dinobots get dangerously close to Teletraan 1 but Trailbreaker uses a shield to protect it but he like, shoots it and then it hits and sort of spreads and it's weird.

O: Yeah, not really sure how this guy's powers work.

S: Yeah.

O: We see several previously unseen Autobots who rush in to put out the room which is now on fire. The main two we get to see are Inferno, a fire truck, and Red Alert, a fire Lamborghini. Yes really, that's what he's supposed to be.

S: Well, I suppose it was either that or a fire Datsun, or a fire Porsche, or a fire minibot. Do you want a fire miniot? Cuz that's how you get a fire on minibot.

O: [laughs] So, I looked it up, I believe his toy is a police car version of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker’s mold and it literally was listed as like, the police version. Um, but I'm laughing because I'm like oh no--now I'm wondering is there a police version of the Datsun or the Porsche, or the minibot?

S: Well, there could be a police version of the Lamborghini in Italy.

O: Well isn’t Prowl--what is Prowl?

S: Prowl’s a Datsun.

O: Oh, Prowl’s a Datsun...then we already had a po--we already had a police Datsun!

S: Yeah, so it's just--I don't think--cuz, like Crown Victorias were like, the main police car.

O: Oh, yeah.

S: Now there's Mustangs and stuff and I've never seen a Lamborghini.

O: Yeah, like it's just...there would never be a fire Lamborghini.

S: Well, let me look this up. Cuz I now want to know if there's a police...no, let’s see...oh my god! Italy's newest police car is a Lamborghini as of 2017.

O: That's still 30 years too late I'm not looking at it! [laughs]

S: Well, there could be other Lamborghinis there, but a Lamborghini makes sense for--

O: Like, Italy.

S: Yeah. Ratchet is rather resigned to having to repair the entire room now with Sparkplug offering to help. Well, he's also got Grapple.

O: Oh yeah, Grapple’s in here.

S: Yeah and um...shoot I forget his name...Hoist. Grapple and Hoist.

O: The Dinobots however, continued to blunder around with Sideswipe getting the brilliant idea of fighting them to a standstill.

S: [sighs] I mean that is basically...that--that is basically his entire modus operandi. Slamming shit until it stops being a problem.

O: True. Uh, then the red idiot brigade rush in like well, idiots. This being Sideswipe, Cliffjumper, and Ironhide.

S: Well, they did decide to color code their hot heads.

O: They did! [laughs] They did! Well, paint them all red, they're idiots.

S: Yeah, thankfully they are stopped in their tracks by Optimus Prime. And Optimus has Grimlock bring the other Dinobots to heel.

O: He actually shows some modicum of respect and trust towards Grimlock here, wow.

S: It's an improvement.

O: Definitely is.

S: They then get the brilliant idea of sending the Dinobots to the newly discovered island. Where they'll be less likely to break shit or at least shit the Autobots care about.

O: [laughs] Yeah, uh, cutting away we see that Ravage and Soundwave are eavesdropping on the Autobots as they exit from the side of a mountain. Why do they even have this?

S: I guess they wanted a backdoor. They wanted somewhere where they wouldn't be mobbed by paparazzi.

O: [snorts]

S: Except you never see the paparazzi.

O: I feel like there should be paparazzi. I mean if giant alien robots landed on earth I feel like paparazzi would be all over that shit but--

S: Either that or someone that wants to sell magazines--we've already discussed the magazine subscription sales.

O: Yeah. Wheeljack and Ratchet uh, being good parents actually wish their babies luck.

S: They're sending their kids off to summer camp.

O: It is kind of what it feels like, yes.

S: Yeah, I except there aren't any moderators.

O: Yup, yup, we are leaving we are leaving the babies in charge of the babies.

S: Oh god no, they're basically sending them off to…

O: Live in the woods for a week? [laughs]

S: More or less! They're basically doing what Izumi did with the Elrics.

O: [laughs] Yep, yep, yep, that’s close.

S: Oh god, except now--now Spike hops into Powerglide, to come with them, like--

O: Why--why aren we bringing the squishy?

S: He wants to sightsee, unfortunately he didn't bring any goddamn camera. Cuz, you know Chip would be all over this.

O: Yeah, Chip would like to see this!

S: I guess we needed a the human element.

O: Well, that human element’s gonna end up smeared across the bottom of either the organic, or the robot t-rex, I fucking guarantee it.

S: Unfortunately yeah, or he's gonna puke everywhere because you just know Powerglide's gonna pull a freaking rodeo with every goddamn ride he takes this kid on.

O: Ohhhhh yeah. Spike does actually put on a seat belt here which is kinda new. [laughs]

S: I figure planes would have some sort of restraint device even in the 80’s, but who knows.

O: That's my guess, that's our guess anyway.

S: Soundwave comms Megatron about the mysterious island discovered by the Autobots.

O: And clearly it’s shit on Starscream hour, as Megatron insinuates at least some Decepticons don't disappoint him.

S: At some point somewhere some version of Megatron has to have, “All of you disappoint me,” mug, or something.

O: Oh my god! Yes! Now I want that, I want a mug--I want a tiny mug of that, to hand my G1 Megatron.

S: It’s just--

O: He absolutely has that mug! I don't know this one has that mug but one of them's got that mug!

S: Yeah.

O: Maybe Prime Megatron?

S: [snickers, following by unintelligible audio]

O: Soundwave’s like, sipping his own shit that says like, “#1 Communications Officer,” cuz he knows he ain't talking about him.

S: Yeah.

O: [laughs]

S: So Soundwave sends Laserbeak after the Autobot crew, to you know, keep tabs on them. Like a competent communication officer does.

O: Right! Of course, as the Autobot group gets near the island Powerglide decides to show Spike his moves.

S: I called it. I--I freakin called it. Powerglide just cannot resist showboating.

O: But he's a plane! [laughs]

S: Show--show-planing, show-flying?

O: Showing off! [laughs]

S: Yeah. Spike decides to name the new island and he goes with Dinobot Island cuz…

O: Who--who let the 14-year old named shit!?! Guys--guys, Powerglide, you talk all the time surely you can think of a better name than this!

S: He may not care.

O: Of course! And I--I feel like his suggestion would be like, “Let's call it Powerglide island!”

S: Well of course! Cuz the most important person was first on the ground!

O: Or--but he wasn’t! Bumblebee was!

S: Yes, but that was falling, he wasn't the first person to actually set foot on it!

O: Oh god.

S: I don’t know! I don’t--I don’t think I care. [laughs] Ahh..

O: The Autobots land and Laserbeak lands some distance away, still keeping an eye on them cuz again, competent. Competent soldier.

S: One of the locals attempts to buddy up to Laserbeak, but gets eye lasers for their trouble.

O:Laserbeak’s not even remotely in the vicinity of fucking around here, he's got a job to do! Laserbeak also conveniently pulls out his camera as Spike starts going on about all the energy sources on the island.

S: He mentions an oil pit. How is there an oil pit here? That wouldn't be...safe? But I mean okay, they're probably talking about tar, maybe?

O: I mean like, that's what--what we assumed is that--well, at least it's what I’m assumed, they have to mean tar pit! But I'm still not sure how that's a source of energy?

S: Well, I mean, I guess there's enough thermal energy but I don't get how they’d get it. Who the fuck knows.

O: Or at least how would that be less difficult than like, I don't know--solar energy in the middle of the fucking ocean?

S: Or wind power--

O: Or wind power--

S: --or you know, water power.

O: --or wave power--

S: Hydrodynamics?

O: --or whatever! A zillion other things that the Decepticons could be doing under the radar and not being caught with!

S: They’re dumb robots and it's an 80’s cartoon. We've already had discussions about that.

O: Oh, so many. Of course, the first thing Powerglide says uh, is that, “It's a good thing those Cons don't know about this!”

S: Well, it's already been jinxed.

O: Yep! And not 30 seconds later Powerglide has a horrifying realization that he has lost the human.

S: He's a really bad babysitter, he can't be trusted.

O: Clearly not. Cutting back to Spike, he is immediately picked up by a giant green dinosaur out of nowhere.

S: One that obviously doesn't have a basis in reality. I mean it looks like a weird dragon.

O: Minus, you know, actually like, being able to breathe flame. He is then dropped into a nest with some absurdly huge eggs like, way too big for the dinosaur that has dropped him in there.

S: Maybe it's the dad that dropped him in and the female is bigger or something. Maybe they're like kiwis? I don't know.

O: I think you're giving this show far more credit than it deserves. [laughs]

S: Swoop comes in for the rescue.

O: That's because Swoop is a good birb!

S: Spike gets dropped off near a lake, with Swoop telling him to be careful before flying off.

O: Nessie then rises from behind Spike and grabs him in their mouth, swimming off.

S: Oh plesiosaurs,I'm surprised the Autobots didn't decide to ah, build someone based off of one…

O: Hee, hee, hee, Paddles !

S: Powerglide and the Dinobots here Spike screaming and run over. Except, I don't know--Powerglide flies for like two seconds--

O: [laughs] Yeah for a whole two seconds, he is extremely gung-ho for a rescue until he spots the giant water monster and then he's like, “Uh, how about you guys do it instead?” to the Dinobots.

S: Yeah. Spike is then rescued by Sludge after Nessie drops him. And in a blissful moment of sanity, Spike decides to return home as he is tired of being dindins.

O: Yeah, for once a competent decision was made, weird. Laserbeak, uh, after you know, presumably getting all of this on video, returns to the Decepticon base where he displays the recorded information for Dinobot Island to the rest of the Cons.

S: Megatron, well clearly Megatron's been taking notes from his comic iteration here as his badge is bright red.

O: [laughs] For like one shot. Megs is gunning --get it, get it, because he’s a gun? For a takeover of Dinobot Island but Starscream, who clearly does not want to be a flying dino dinner, objects.

S: Regardless, Megatron orders an attack in some completely ridiculous, amazing, visual framing. Megatron is just standing there, in the middle of the group, with an arm up in a victory pose, flanked by two Decepticons on either side, with Thrust (whom we haven't met yet) framed by Megatron's magnificent thighs.

O: That placement seems so, so phallic.

S: Especially considering his name.

O: Yes, but it gets worse because Thrust is one of the Coneheads which means he has you know, a pointy head.

S: Yes.

O: Which only makes this worse, or better, really, depending on how you look at it.

S: To--to clarify, Thrust is way in the background and he's not like, lying on a stomach between Megatron’s thighs--

O: No, but he's like, he looks tiny in the distance and he’s right under Megatron’s crotch!

S: Yes.

O: And I’m just like--why did you frame it like that!?! [laughs] Back on Dinobot Island, the Dinobots are training.

S: Grimlock does not have the vocabulary for this.

O: What do you mean Specs, “Do flying stuff!” sounds plenty descriptive to me!

S: It's pretty descriptive, but it's not you know, good for specifics.

O: The Cons land, uh, Megatron being a dick to Starscream.

S: When isn't he?

O: Oh, never really.

S: And then Starscream mentions being worried about the bizarre energy waves.

O: Because you know, scientist and shit, right?

S: They actually remembered he did that.

O: Yeah, I know, right?

S: The group splits up to gather Energon from the various energy sources on the island.

O: Starscream uh, proceeds to freak the fuck out as the weather begins to de--destabilize, but Megatron just points at him and tells them to get back to work.

S: From the air--Swoop the spots the Decepticons from the air.

O: Grimlock uh, after Swoop gets back and tells them this, orders the rest of the Dinobots to attack.

S: Meanwhile, Spike and Bumblebee are coming out of a library with some lovely, lovely research in hand. Which we couldn't read the titles of--but it made no goddamn sense.

O: It was gibberish. Yeah like, what we could see it was just complete gibberish.

S: Yeah...

O: Suddenly, a portal opens up and some barbarians riding motherfucking mammoths come through. I don’t know who the voice actor is here, but they are clearly just making silly noises into the mic and it is amazing. [laughs]

S: Yeah. I don't know what time period these barbarians are supposed to be from, we a--we had a discussion, but apparently they've got some metalworking going on cuz--one of them was wearing a horned helmet.

O: Yeah, and it's just like, I don't even know, but okay?

S: Disarray ensues as giant mammoths proceed to fuck with traffic patterns.

O: Spike says that mammoths just haven't existed for, “Fifty thousand years!”

S: Oh honey, most of them didn't die out about--until about you know, ten thousand years ago. So you're super off Spike!

O: Some of them actually survived and until longer too! [laughs]

S: Yes, but that was a very small population on a very, um…

O: Isolated island, essentially.

S: Yeah. They probably had some issues at the end.

O: Sounds like it. Spike and Bee escape into a dilapidated building for cover but the mammoths ram the building, and it comes down on top of the two of them.

S: Yeah, that's bad--that’s baaaad. Back on Dinobot Island, Megatron uses some well-placed blasts from his fusion cannon to create a stampede of you know, regular dinosaurs to herd the Dinobots off a cliff.

O: The Dinobots can fly? They literally flew earlier in this episode. Did--did, everyone here just collectively dump that fact from their brain?

S: I mean, the robots pretty frequently forget they have abilities but at least these guys are babies, so we can kind of forgive them. Also, they may not be able to fly and in their alt modes with the exception of Swoop, so I don't know.

O: Yeah, but I don't know why they wouldn't transform.

S: We don't know what the reaction times are when they're startled.

O: That’s true.

S: And maybe they don't want to hurt uh--uh the other dinosaurs.

O: I'd be more willing to believe that but I still think transforming and jumping up in the air would be faster.

S: It would, it would, but I don't know we're not--we don't exactly have a view into the minds of these giant robot children. And the Dinobots unfortunately, fall into a tar pit.

O: Because of course they do!

S: Yeah. Including poor Swoop, who only fell in because Grimlock basically fell on top of him. [sighs]

O: Poor Swoop.

S: Yeah.

O: And that's where today's episode ends. Join us next time for more time warps, cowboys, barbarians, and pirates galore!

S: Yup.

O: So, do we have some fanfic recommendations for today?

S: Yes, we have two of them. Uh, the first is Pounce by eerien_sadow. Uh, it's in the G1 cartoon continuity, rated K, um, it’s Gen. There aren't any pairings and the characters are Swoop and an unnamed Decepticon. And the summary is: An infiltrator attempts to escape the Autobots. And I basically decided on this because Swoop, because unfortunate things happened to Swoop in this episode.

O: Poor baby.

S: And it's a oneshot, it's also very, very short um, less than 600 words, I think? So it's a nice little bite. And uh, second recommendation is Wild Man's World by Harpokrates. It’s in the Transformers’ War for Cybertron continuity, it's rated K, Gen--even though it was written for a rare pair bingo. There is no overt shipping or anything. The closest you get to it is someone giving someone else a bouquet of crystals and that's more, “I would like you to feel better,” than anything else, so yeah. There's no pairings, our characters are Perceptor, Grimlock, Ratchet and Slug.

And in summary: They made it off of Cybertron but that doesn't mean all of their problems are solved. Preceptor juggles morals, obligations, Insecticons, and Grimlock. And well, I picked this one because it's got Grimlock in it, but it also has the rest of the Dinobots which I thought the way--the way--the way they're handled is pretty different from you know G1 but I liked it.

O: So uh, if you're not aware uh, War for Cybertron is a PlayStation 3 game. The continuity--it's technically in the Aligned continuity which is technically supposed to like, encapsulate the video-- the War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron, Prime, and Robots in Disguise, and Rescue Bots. But I feel like the video games feel pretty distinct. Uh, but so, the way they handle the Dinobots in the game is pretty different and the Dinobots never show up in Prime or Robots in Disguise, really so...

S: Well, they do have Grimlock in Robots in Disguise

O: It's not the same Grimlock.

S: Yeah.

O: It's not the same Grimlock, which is this whole other kettle of fish. So--it--it--they definitely are handled differently because in the game they were normal Autobots that were captured by uh--

B: Shockwave.

O: And his experimented on.

S: Okay, yeah, this deals pretty heavily with the aftermath of the experimentation at least on Grimlock.

O: Yeah, yeah, cuz basically--they did not have dinosaur alt modes before Shockwave got ahold of them. And whatever Shockwave had done had really, really fucked with Grimlock’s mind.

S: Yeah. As will be very, very evident if you read this. Which it was good I reckon--I definitely recommend it, and yeah, it's--it's what you haven't read yet.

O: Yeah, I need to read this one cuz I actually--I really--I'm very fond of Perceptor anyway so...

S: Yeah, and I mean, you've actually played War for Cybertron, which I haven't.

O: I keep thinking I should play it while you're over or something cuz I do think you would enjoy the plot, but it's a first-person shooter so I'm not sure how interesting it is to watch.

S: It's--they might have had it available on computer at some point?

O: They did originally, but because the copyright--

S: Oh, yeah--

O: --they, uh. Was it EA? Whatever company had it lost the copyright.

S: Yeah.

O: Um, so they pulled the digital releases. Now the only way to get it is a hard--is a hard copy, and the only hard copies I could find were on PlayStation.

[Happily, it appears I may be wrong about this for War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron! Even thought it’s delisted on Steam I could still find downloadable copies available on Amazon for the PC, and the Steam codes they give you still work in Steam. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the case with Devastation, which was my favorite out of the 3 more recent games. D: ~Owls]

S: Yeah, which I mean, I guess, I could theoretically get a PS--actually I want a PS4 I guess, because I kind of want to get the new Spider-man game.

O: Yeah, you can't play PS3 games on it.

S: Oh.

O: It's--they’re not backwards compatible, that's why I have both.

S: I hate that.

O: I know, I know, I feel ya!

S: Okay, let's get back on topic.

O: Sorry! ~Tangent!~

S: And I believe we have art recommendations.

O: So for fanart today we have Misaki, who does a variety [of art]--I've seen Animated, IDW, some Beast Wars stuff. They have a very simple, cute style there's a lot of Animated art or characters done in the style of Transformers Animated. Uh, they've also been doing quite a bit of TMNT stuff as of the time I uh, took my notes for this. Uh, oday we have linked a Transformers Animated style Dinobot, a neat looking Soundwave, and Rodimus not wanting to work.

S: He wants to play hooky.

O: He does, its Rodimus. Hooky is like, his default state of being.

S: [chuckles] And that just about wraps it up for us today! Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as a Afterspark-Podcast, for any additional information, show notes, or links we may have mentioned. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word) and various other locations by searching for Afterspark Podcast such as a AO3, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube just to name a few. Till next time, I'm Specs!

O: And I'm Owls!

S: Toodles!

[Outro Music]

#afterspark podcast #transcript #g1 episode 19

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docsamurai · 7 years

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Humans are weird: The frozen retreat

*Quick note before I start: This is the 6th installment in a series I’ve called the Lost Colonies which is largely about human society adapting to the strange environments of other worlds. You can read the other installments here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing this series, but with my new work schedule I had to bring it to a close. If you’ve enjoyed this story follow me on here for my other writings. Thanks again to everyone who has reblogged, liked, replied, DMed, or otherwise shown their appreciation for this series. It means a lot to me that people enjoyed it and the love you’ve all shown me has really helped keep me going for these last few months.*

Kiara stood with her arms wide embracing the cold winds that scoured the surface of the planet. It was far colder than the winds that she usually faced in her childhood back on the Thaw and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to withstand these temperatures for long but it felt good. The wind bit right through several thermal layers and chilled her to the bone but the memories that wind brought with it were worth the pain. It had been 20 sols since she had left her homeworld behind and her work had kept her so busy that she had only been back a handful of times to bury her mother and father.

Turning away from the wind Kiara hurried across the ice to the warmth of the drilling camp as the memories faded to the bitter knowledge that even if she took the time to head back to the Thaw that she had no friends or family left on that planet. Kiara made a note to herself to talk with her station’s councilor when she had the time. The airlock groaned open as she approached and Kiara caught sight of a Turic holding the hatch open for her. The Turic slammed and bolted the hatch shut as soon as she was in the safety of the camp. Bok’han ran his hands through the exposed fur on his head to shake off some ice. “Amazing! I didn’t know a human could survive temperatures that low for that long.”

Kiara smiled through the chattering of her teeth. “I’m surprised your brother didn’t tell you more about me Bok’han. My homeworld was largely frozen too. That was nothing compared to some of the nights I grew up in.” It was a lie, a small one, but she still liked to see the looks on the faces of people who didn’t spend much time around humans when they learned just how adaptable humans can be. “Besides, there’s supposed to be a human colony under the ice here so you’re probably going to see a lot of people used to the cold here.” Bok’han didn’t say anything but scratched behind one of his ears, a gesture Kiara had come to understand meant that he was thinking.

Kiara unsealed the inner hatch and stomped her way inside, shaking the feeling back into her legs. “Is the submersible ready yet?” A tehnician handed her a datapad. “Just finishing final checks now. The ice freezes over too fast for us to keep the hole open for long but we can at least open it up to lower you in and can keep it thin enough that you can radio through when you need to get back out." Kiara nodded running the logistics through her head. “Any contact with the city below?” The technician shook his head. “Ice is too thick for radio contact. We tried at the bottom of the ice shaft but didn’t get a response. Sonar shows the shaft is about 5 kilometers magnetic south of the edge of the city.”

The technician brought up the sonar readouts on a nearby screen. “We’ve seen some activity but nothing that appears threatening. It could just be local fauna.” Kiara arched an eyebrow at the technician. “local fauna” could mean anything from schools of fish to the sorts of things that Old Earth authors would have called Elder Gods. The technician seemed to take her meaning and she laughed “Nothing too ominous, at least, nothing over 3 meters long.” Kiara could think of a lot of dangerous things that were smaller than 3 meters long but she agreed that given the size of the submersible it would most likely be fine. “Alright. Let’s load up and head out.”

Though the submersible was easily over 5 meters long and 3 meters tall, it was still a tight fit for just Kiara and Bok’han due the massive ammounts of reinforcements it needed to be able to survive the pressure of the waters below. The fact that an underwater dome city was apparently built on this world boggled the mind, but if you wanted to hide something the way EarthGov had liked to then this would be the place to do it. Underneath two solid kilometers of ice there was a relatively thin layer of water that was kept from freezing by geothermal vents.

The submersible reached the bottom of the shaft and the laser drill fired vaporizing the few centimeters of ice that had reformed. Water came rushing up the shaft to cover the submersible and the guide line detached. Sure enough almost as soon as they were underwater Kiara saw the ice already starting to reform above them. Kicking the motor on they emerged from the ice shaft and pointed their way towards the domed city. Kiara started to reach towards the floodlights and decided that she didn’t want to startle any of the “local fauna” and instead turned on the infrared cameras.

The viewport remained dark but the video screens were a riot of color and life. Some things looked similar to species she had seen on other worlds: crustaceans, fish and clouds of microscopic trilobites. Others were decidedly alien: long snakelike tubes with mouths at either end, massive flat sheets that drifted gracefully by, some flashed on the thermals as they lit up to attract prey and still others she had no words to describe. At this depth and without visible light able to reach this far, she knew that all of these creatures would be eerily translucent to visible light. Kiara used to wonder if the stories of the oceans of old Earth were even half true. Seeing all of this with her own eyes she realized that not only might it all be true, she probably didn’t know even a fraction of it.

Bok’han broke the silence first breathing only the word “Astonishing” which brought Kiara back into her own head. Kiara cleared her throat. “Come on, we’ll take recordings for the biologists to study later. Don’t forget we’re here on a job.” Bok’han straightened up in his seat as best as he could and checked the readings. “Sonar is showing that the city should be approaching visual range now.” Kiara frowned and looked over at his screen. He was accurate of course, but if sonar was picking up the shapes of the dome then why wasn’t she getting anything on thermal? “Oh crap.” she muttered as it dawned on her and she flicked on the floodlights. There was a flurry of activity as fish swam away from the viewport revealing the ruined dome.

Though it was structurally intact the dome was flooded, presumably from damage that Kiara couldn’t see from her vantage point. Coral covered all of the lower parts of the geodesic structure, gradually claiming the supports. In a century it would look like any other part of the sea bed. It was remarkable how intact the dome was though. Sonar was showing the structure as intact and Kiara couldn’t see so much as a single panel out of place. Bok’han made a grunting noise “I am sorry for your loss Kiara. It must be hard to lose a colony this way.” Kiara sighed “It’s fine Bok’han. We knew going in that it was always a possibility. Come on, let’s see if we can find a way in.”

It took hours of scanning before they finally found a panel that had fallen off the structure and though it was wide enough to allow the submersible in the coral had grown in enough to make it a tight fit. Inside the dome though the buildings were practically untouched by the coral and none of the local fauna could be seen anywhere. Kiara had been expecting a city overrun by decades of growth. This looked as though it could have happened yesterday. “Something’s not right here Bok’han. Scan for any power sources or heat signatures, I don’t care how faint.”

Bok’han clicked his tongue as he tapped away at his console running through various instruments before they finally let out a ping. “There! 500 meters ahead 40 degrees west, 20 meters down.” Kiara guided the craft down until she found the source: a faintly beeping distress beacon that was loosely anchored to the ground in the middle of town square. It was surrounded by corpses. Bok’han fell entirely silent and his eyes went wide. “Those bodies are either really well preserved or are very recent. We should go Bok’han.” Bok’han, still silent, simply nodded. Kiara extended the submersible’s claw and carefully yanked the distress beacon free from its anchor then sped towards the way they had come in.

Back on the surface at the drilling camp Bok’han got shakily off the submersible and went off to his quarters. He had barely talked the entire way back. The technician met Kiara as she stepped out of the submersible. “Is he alright? What happened down there?” Kiara shook her head. “The city was dead. He’s taking it kinda hard. He’ll probably be ok after he’s had a chance to talk with his brother. Could you see what you can get off this beacon?” The technician nodded and happily got to work as Kiara went to her own quarters to get a nap. She felt the need to talk to Kit’cha too, but figured that Bok’han probably needed him more.

Kiara was awoken several hours later by her comms beeping. Angrily she slammed the button and glared at the screen. “What do you need?” The technician, looking visibly shaken was on the other end. “I have that beacon decoded for you maam. There’s a video.” Her tone suggested that whatever was on the beacon was something Kiara should see right away. “Put it through, I’ll watch it in here.” The screen flickered as the video loaded and the screen focused on a young man standing with his back to of a crowd in the town’s square.

“You don’t know who I am, but we sure as hell know who you are. I’m the leader of the deep space retreat and though we evaded your authoritarian rule for a few hundred years, you managed to find us. We stand as one when we say that our ancestors wouldn’t be ruled by EarthGov and we sure as hell won’t be ruled either!” The crowd in the background cheered. “It was a hard decision but we know we can’t fight you. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be your slaves or even give you the satisfaction of killing us yourselves. We’ve already turned off the electric fields keeping the coral from eating this place and soon we’re going to open the floodgates to let the sea wash us away too.” The young man turned to face the crowd. “LET THIS BE THE FINAL ACT OF RESISTANCE!” The man swallowed a pill, again the crowd cheered. Some took drinks or swallowed their own pills. Turning back, the young man looked directly into the camera and grinned. “FUCK YOU FASCISTS!”

The video cut out and Kiara saw her horrified reflection in the darkened screen. Kiara sat heavily back on her bed and wondered, not for the first time, if it was time to retire.

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #space australia #space orcs #The Lost Colonies

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shineeink · 7 years

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The Koala and The Fox (oneshot)

Alex was home. Well kinda.

She was back in Paris after moving to Seoul to work as a journalist for a magazine.

She always liked Asian culture and one of her dreams was to go live in Japan. Yet she got a job in South Korea and didn’t hesitate, moving there instead.

Now the magazine to whom she was working for, offered her the chance to cover the fashion week in Paris and interview some of the Korean Idols that were present at it and Alex couldn’t say no.

She always liked fashion and she was a very active SHINee fan, so the opportunity to meet and talk with Key, one of SHINee members, was something that she fantasized for a long time.

So when she saw the tall, elegant idol, wearing a white high tailored shirt over red pants, walking on her direction to be interviewed, Alex almost fainted of enthusiasm.

He sat on the comfortable chair that was previously prepared for him and Alex nervously grabbed the small sheet of paper that she folded with the questions she would ask to him.

She only had ten minutes to make questions and she was so nervous that her hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

He clearly noticed it, his eyes on the piece of paper she tried hard to read.

“Is everything ok?” He asked in English, perfect English.

“No. Everything is fine! Perfect!” She answered back in Korean.

“Oh you know Korean!”

Of course he thought she didn’t since she was a foreigner.

“I am french but I live in Korea for a while now. “

“If you want we can do the interview in English. It’s ok with me.”

She clearly felt more confident speaking English and he seemed to notice it.

“Thank you. So…first question. What is fashion to you?”

He smiled, used to answer that question over and over again and she grabbed the recorder on her hand listening to him quickly explain how fashion was always something that interested him, something that was important to who he was, that it was more than a hobby but an affirmation of who he was.

She made two more questions about SHINee, and Key creativity that he used to modify his clothes and then she asked him about how he felt, often traveling around the world due to his professional life.

“I like it. We get to meet our fans all around the world, try new food and meet new people and cultures. Also for someone like me interested in fashion, it’s good to be influenced in different ways, by different cultures. Also I’m very interested in languages.”

“You speak English and Japanese really well!” Alex said excited forgetting her piece of paper and letting her shawol side take the best of her.

Kibum chuckled clearly seeing through Alex “You know a lot about me.”

“W-Well….” Alex blushed deeply hiding her face behind the paper with the questions and Kibum waited so he could watch her carefully once she took the paper away.

She was beautiful, with brown hair, glasses covering her big eyes and beautiful red lips. She was trying really hard to act confident, and she knew how to dress but Kibum could see that she was extremely nervous and too self-conscious.

“You are a shawol.”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t ask. I know!”

His confidence and the way he smirked completely took Alex breath away.

She only stared at the paper on her hand forgetting completely how to read.

“There is one question left right?” he asked gently as if he was sorry for making her too enamored with him.

“Yes ah…A message for your fans.”

Kibum hummed thinking for a while and then in perfect English locked his eyes with hers.

“I’m happy I got to meet some of my French fans and I hope I have more opportunities to meet all of you. To get to know you.”

Alex stared at him with her mouth open wondering if he was talking about shawols in general or her, saying he wanted to meet them better.

Apparently it was about shawols since Kibum stood up bowed to her and bid his goodbyes.

“Thank you so much!” Alex said quickly bowing to him too.

“Maybe we will get to see each other someday back in Seoul….in an event. It was a pleasure.”

Kim Kibum walked away and Alex stood there, frozen, assimilating his words.

Alex loved to travel and she visited several countries already in her short life and yet traveling had a bad side. She couldn’t be around Mushroom, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She fell in love with it once she saw him inside the pet shop, still a puppy with white chest and black fur, brown eyebrows over his eyes, just like Roo, Kim Jonghyun’s dog.

She had to adopt him. Since he was so small she end up calling him Mushroom.

Mushroom end up being her best friend and the company she needed in Korea. However every time Alex had to travel she needed to find a place where Mushroom could stay. She heard of a pet school and hotel, the same one Key had his puppies and Alex did what she could to place Mushroom there.

That’s why that afternoon, after arriving from Paris, she went to the pet school to pick up Mushroom.

Mushroom was a docile dog most of the time and yet sometimes he would get in trouble with other dogs around the neighborhood. Alex couldn’t understand why but Mushroom was very picky when it came to make friends.

Apparently in pet school he had the same problem. Alex learned that afternoon that there was a dog that Mushroom couldn’t befriend.

She was told to wait while one of the pet school employees was speaking to her because the owner of the other dog with whom Mushroom was always picking up a fight had just arrived.

Alex scolded Mushroom that was beside her, already wearing his leash and when she raised her eyes she saw Kim Kibum, also known as Key looking back at her, the same recognition on his eyes.

He remembered her.

No wonder! She just interviewed him two days ago.

“You?” He asked raising his finger to her.

“You know each other?” The pet school worker asked.

“Well...”

“We work together.” Kibum interrupted Alex making her blink her eyes.

In a way it was true. They did work in the entertainment world. He was a singer and she was the person who wrote about singers.

“That is good. You can talk and maybe find a way together to make both dogs become friendly. Mushroom simply doesn’t seem to like Garçon.”

Alex and Kibum left the pet school together and she was embarrassed wondering what she could say to him.

She immediately bowed to him, holding Mushroom in her arms, that was already growling at Garçon and ignoring Comme Des that were on their leashes on the ground beside Kibum.

“I’m terribly sorry. I don’t know what is wrong with Mushroom.”

“It’s ok. Garçon is a bit feisty too. Maybe he did something to him that he didn’t like.”

“Well Mushroom is a she actualy.”

“Really?” Kibum rubbed his head and laughed softly “Then maybe they like each other. They say hate is the closest to love.”

Alex smiled with that funny conclusion.

“We should make them meet more often. In a good environment with us close by. I’m sure they will become friends.”

The suggestion made Alex heart beat faster. Kibum really wanted to meet with her outside of work?!

“Give me your number. I can call you and we can meet to walk them together.”

Alex stared at Kibum, suddenly all numbers disappearing inside her mind. That only made him smile like a cat.

“Alex?”

He remembered her name even though she probably couldn’t remember it anymore and she quickly said her number.

He memorized it on his phone and bid her farewell, petting Mushroom’s head before going.

Alex watched him walk away with Mushroom in her lap.

Did she really give her phone number to Kim Kibum?! Did he just say that he would invite her on a date?! Was that even a date?!

Walking dogs together could be seen as a date?!

Kibum called Alex a week later when she already gave up on receiving a call from him.

They settled to meet for a cup of coffee near the Han River so they could walk their dogs there. The weirdest thing was that Mushroom and Garçon didn’t seem to be enemies anymore, at least not outside of school.

They were playing while their owners sat drinking coffee and talking. And even Comme Des seemed to be surprised with the proximity between the old enemies.

Alex was having a good time. At first she was nervous about that whole idea. She was afraid Mushroom would attack Garçon, she was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to act normal in front of Key, she was afraid to be a fangirl and make a complete fool of herself.

But she didn’t and she was able to relax and have a normal conversation with him. They talked about work, about their dogs and even about Seoul and the differences it had from Paris.

The best of that all was that Key also seemed to be having a good time, talking with her as if there was a chance to be friends.

They didn’t even need to take care of their dogs since they all seemed to be good friends now.

“It’s weird. They were the worst enemies last week.” Kibum remarked playing with the empty cup of his coffee.

“Could it be that they are upset because they are away from us in school and then get grumpy?” Alex suggested, tucking her hair behind her ears.

“Might be. They do like to stay there though. “ Kibum sighed “They will have to stay there for a long time now.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to Japan again. We will have a comeback soon.”

Alex nodded, knowing pretty well SHINee schedule and Kibum smiled like a fox knowing what she was thinking.

“I’m going to Japan too.” She said “I’m going to work there for a few weeks. I’m so nervous because my Japanese is awful.”

“Really?”

“Not everyone can be good at languages like you.”

She laughed softly, feeling her cheeks get hot because she couldn’t praise him without her fangirl self coming out.

“I can help you.” That made Alex stare at him “I mean with the Japanese.”

“How?”

“We can meet while we are there and I can help you practice.”

“Oh no...” She raised her hands shaking them. The last thing she wanted was to be a nuisance to her idol.

“No. I insist. It’s no problem at all for me. I can practice too.”

Alex didn’t say anything and instead accepted his phone number since he told her to save it on her cellphone.

However she couldn’t ignore the fact that he had the other members, the staff and even friends in Japan with whom he could practice the language.

The fact he wanted to do it with her probably had a greater meaning and Alex was scared to think about it and fall into delusion.

Alex was in Japan for more than one week now. She already covered a fashion show and after she had a musical festival.

She always liked Japan and was having a good time exploring Tokyo, trying out the food and shopping.

That night she went out for a couple of drinks with some of the staff she got to meet during the fashion show.

Alex was a little tipsy so she decided to walk back home and get some fresh air. She was almost reaching the small apartment where she was staying when she noticed the big poster announcing SHINee’s next performance at a kpop festival in Japan.

She stopped, eyes fixed on the image of SHINee, particularly on Key.

He didn’t call her anymore, or even sent her a message after the solo one he sent her on the day he arrived to Japan. It was something innocent asking her if she was in Japan already. Alex answered him and after that she didn’t get any other news from him. Well besides the official ones she could see on twitter.

Maybe she should be the one giving the first step. She wasn’t a little girl anymore and he was after all a modern man. He was probably used to women who were more determined, capable of going after what they wanted and not stay put waiting.

Alex took off her phone from inside her jacket’s pocket and searched for his number that she saved religiously.

She hesitated wondering if she should call him or not. Alex end up deciding in not calling him, at least not that night. It was late already and she barely knew him. Besides he was her idol after all.

She was going to put her phone away when it vibrated, the soft melody of Im with you, coming from it.

It was him.

It was Kim Kibum. Key.

Alex stared at the id of the caller without knowing what to do. She needed to answer it, of course she needed to, but she was having a fangirl attack at the moment and she was sure that if she answered the phone like that she would say something ridiculous.

Alex took a deep breath, counted to five quickly and then accepted the call.

“Yes?”

“Alex?”

It was him and he sounded so good on the phone.

“It’s me!”

“Hi! It’s Kibum! I’m sorry I didn’t call you yet. I’m so busy right now!”

She stepped back, her body hitting the wall of the building behind her.

“It’s ok. I am busy too.” She did have a lot of work that week.

“Do you want to meet for dinner tomorrow?”

Alex lost her capability to talk and she stuttered a yes.

She had a “date” with her idol.

That wasn’t a date. It was only a normal dinner between friends….wait they weren’t friends either….coworkers….were they coworkers?!

“Alex!” Kibum’s voice interrupted her line of thoughts. “Can you stop daydreaming and listen to me?”

His smirk made Alex blush deeply. He had that expression that made her knees go weak, as if he could read her completely, as if she couldn’t hide anything from him. As if he was a fox after a little bunny…no wait she couldn’t be a bunny… she was more like a koala, an animal that lived far away from a fox, holding on to the chair under her scared to say something stupid to him.

“What are you thinking about?” Kibum asked rising an eyebrow amused.

“I was just thinking about…the food. The food here is great.”

Kibum chuckled since it was a simple small ramen restaurant. Not even that special.

“Oishi!”

“Excuse me?”

“Delicious! I said I would help you with your Japanese. I’m actually helping you with the Korean too since we spent the whole night speaking in my language so now we should learn some Japanese vocabulary. The best way to learn Japanese is to use it.”

“Ok so Oishi“ Alex repeated, her eyes on the man in front of her.

Kibum raised his glass with water “Mizu”.

“Glass?” He shook his head “Water!”

Kibum smiled and then drank it before shacking his glass and pointing at it “Koppu”.

They spent the rest of the dinner with Kibum teaching her new words and making her repeat them, correcting her pronunciation.

They were so focused on it that they barely noticed that it was time for the restaurant to close.

They stepped outside, after Kibum paid, and Alex turned around, brushing her hair away from her face to clearly see him.

“Thank you for tonight. I had a good time and learned a lot.”

“I have a book I can lend to you with more vocabulary. We can practice it together later.”

Alex nodded and Kibum stepped back hesitantly as if he wanted to say something else but didn’t know if he should.

“We can meet so I can give you the book. “He added “Maybe tomorrow. I have a free day tomorrow. We could go somewhere. Shopping for example. You can learn a lot of new words at a market. That way we can use other kind of words.”

“Sure. I would love that! We can text each other tomorrow to settle it. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!”

She turned around waving at Kibum but he didn’t move which made her hesitate.

Was he going to kiss her?! Was it a date after all?!

“I also had a good time.” He said “I’m also looking forward for tomorrow.”

With that he was the first one to leave in the direction of the parking lot ignoring the mess he did on Alex’s heart with his words.

They didn’t only meet at the market, they met at a coffee shop, then at a small art gallery, then at another restaurant not to mention the hours they spent talking with each other on the phone.

Two weeks of meeting to practice their Japanese passed and this time Alex decided to cook at home and invite Kibum so she could thank him properly for his help.

She made chicken curry and one of her fantasies - cook together with Kibum – also become true.

He arrived earlier and ignored the way Alex panicked because the food wasn’t ready. Instead he grabbed an apron, placed it on and helped her, the best he could.

Dinner never tasted so good and they ate well together, talking about everything but not about what made them meet often – their Japanese practicing.

When Alex thought about it, it was funny how they became “friends”. Even Kibum said so.

They met through work, away from Seoul where both lived. They met again through their dogs being enemies. Then they met in Japan to practice the language.

It was a friendship that started in a very peculiar way, crossing several countries.

“I find it already peculiar that we are friends!” Alex said moving her spoon on the ice cream they were eating.

“Nande?” [Why]

The use of Japanese didn’t surprise Alex since he used to do that a lot, to make her practice.

“Datte….Datte kimi wa aidoru desu.” [Because you are an idol.]

“Idols can’t have friends?” He asked raising his spoon, using Korean again.

“Yes but I am a woman.”

“Idols can’t have women as friends?”

She smiled embarrassed and that made him laugh.

“I’m just a normal guy. I can have friends and go out with me friends and eat ice cream with them if I want. No problem with that!”

“Gomen ne.” [I’m sorry]

Kibum nodded his head and reached for his glass of wine again. They have been drinking a lot and Alex felt her head a little light.

“I really like your company….I mean your friendship.”

He didn’t say anything, drinking his wine, his eyes on her and Alex swallowed with him, her eyes moving to his Adam’s apple and then getting back to his lips after he drank the rest of the wine in his glass. They were red and seemed so very tasty to her.

“You don’t need to be sorry. There is a reason I wanted to meet you. I want to meet you.”

Alex didn’t move an inch watching him, wondering what he meant. “Japanese…”

“No. That wasn’t it. That came as an extra…as an excuse.”

“Eh?”

He seemed a little drunk too and Alex wondered if his words weren’t the result of that.

“Kimi ga suki.” [I love you.]

Alex knew what that meant. She was used to hear it on the dramas she watched on tv. Kibum didn’t need to teach her that.

He probably realized that she knew what he said because Alex’s eyes were wide. Quickly Kibum cleared his throat and grabbed the bottle from over the table so he could fill his glass with wine again.

“I mean Kimi wa Sakai.” He corrected.

“What?”

“You are like a fish….I mean… Swimming and swimming and always inside a small round aquarium. Just there…and then you jump outside it and there is a huge new world to be explored.”

Alex blinked her eyes not understanding what he meant. One time he says he loves her and then starts talking about fish.

“I left home to be an idol and you left your country to work as a reporter. We both left our aquariums.”

He smiled weakly and Alex tried to hide her disappointment. Did that mean that what he said before was truly a mistake?

Kibum stood up from his chair and Alex did the same, knowing that it was probably time for him to get back to his dorm. It was late and he had things to do the next day.

“It was a lovely dinner.” He said turning around and walking to the door of her small temporary apartment. He stopped at the door though and turned back to her. At first Alex thought he did it so he could put his shoes on looking at her but he didn’t move to grab his shoes that she was sure that were very expensive.

“Is something wrong?”

He shook his head looking at her with a blank expression which made Alex so nervous that she started saying nonsense again. “You know…I’m not a fish. I’m a Koala! I love hugs like Koalas do.”

A soft smile started to grow on Kibum’s face and Alex kept talking like a fool “And youa r ento a fish either…You are a fox…Every shawols knows that!”

Kibum nodded his head slowly and then his gaze fall on the floor before he looked back at her again but this time he wasn’t smiling and Alex didn’t know what to say anymore.

He seemed confused too and placed his hand on the wall beside him as if he was tired. “What is your favorite Japanese word?”

Alex smiled with his question, wondering from where that came from. Kibum was full of surprises.

“Yasashii?!”[gentle] she answered.

However Kibum didn’t seem to even hear her answer, instead he leaned forward and kissed her.

Alex wasn’t sure if that was due to the alcohol or if he was truly attracted to her. However she kissed him back and that made him step back into her apartment, wrapping his arms around her body and push her against the wall.

They kissed for a while and only after he moved back enough so they both could breathe, was when she realized that she just kissed her idol. Panic took care of her then and all blood would left her cheeks if she wasn’t extremely aroused too. Her body was very confused at that moment since she was going under a heavy attack of feels.

Kibum watched her reaction, his thumb caressing her pinkish cheeks, admiring her red lips that he wanted to kiss for a while, and her beautiful eyes that were always so bright.

Alex wasn’t sure what to do next. Should she say anything? Should she kiss him back? Run?

He didn’t seem to have the same worries as she did since he kissed her again, showing her that he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

His lips moved from hers to her ear. “Where is your bedroom?”

Alex panicked for real now. Of course she panicked. Kibum, her crush wanted to know where she slept and that only meant one thing.

He looked at her waiting for the answer, trying to read in her eyes what the answer would be.

“Come.” Alex mumbled grabbing his hand in hers and pulling him to her bedroom.

It was probably only sex. Attraction!

But she didn’t mind. She wanted him. She quickly pulled her sweater over her head staying only with her bra and Kibum didn’t hesitate, grabbing her by her back and pulling her to him, his lips crashing against hers again and moving down her neck.

“Kubi.” He whispered against it, naming the parts of the body he was kissing in Japanese.

His lips moved down her collarbones and she grabbed her hair to the side so he could unhook her bra, carefully pulling the straps down her shoulder and arms.

He kissed her shoulder “Kata” and grabbed her by her hand, raising her arm so he could kiss the interior of her arm, his eyes on hers, making Alex weak.

“Ude and…” Kibum smiled taking her hand to his lips and kissing it, drawing a smile from her lips too “Te!”

“Really?” Alex giggled, her smile dying when he kissed her lips again.

“Kuchi….as in mouth…but if you prefer to say lips…” He bit her lower lip, pulling at it softly making Alex close her eyes. She wasn’t even memorizing any of those words. Was she even supposed to? “Kuchibiru..lips.”

She moved her hands on his chest and grabbed his t-shirt, the one he modified and pulled it over his head.

He watched her in such an intense way that Alex could barely look at his eyes. Instead she focused her attention on his chest and touched him.

“How do you say it?” She asked innocently, caressing him.

“Mune.” She barely raised her eyes to his lips, instead moving her finger around his nipple.

She didn’t have to ask because he leaned forward kissing her neck, brushing his tongue on her skin “Nipple is chikubi.”

“It’s a cute name” Alex remarked kissing his nipple and moving her hand down to his stomach. Kibum raised her face by her chin making her look at him. He loved her eyes and the way he could see her feelings in them.

“Hara!” Kibum said almost immediately, naming stomach in Japanese.

He grabbed both her hands on his before she did anymore exploration and pushed her back, her knees hitting the bed.

He kissed her lips again, grabbing her in his arms his mouth finding her breasts, kissing her nipples, licking them and sucking at it gentle.

Alex moaned, caressing the back of his head and when she least expected he pushed her into the bed.

He stepped back, his gaze still on hers and unbuttoned his pants. She saw him take them off, standing only in his underwear before her, making Alex swallow nervously. There was no time to panic now. It was happening or that was the most beautiful erotic dream she ever had with her idol. Damn! Whatever it was she was going to savor it.

“Ashi!” He said pointing at his leg and then he moved his hand upwards to the bulge under his underwear and Alex grabbed his hand pulling him to her.

“I’m not sure if I want to learn that word.”

He chuckled kneeling in the middle of her legs, his hands running down her body to her skirt that he pulled down her legs while he kissed her chin and neck.

“Its inkei actually…”

“I said I didn’t want to know…” she covered her face embarrassed and he grabbed her hands, stopping what he was doing and looking at her with a serious expression.

“How do you say nipple?”

“What?”

“I’m testing you. I taught you before.”

Alex moved her eyes from his face to his hands, around her hips, holding the elastic of her panties. “I can’t remember…aaah….mune?”

“Wrong. If you don’t get it right I won’t continue. You are not paying attention.”

“WHAT?” Alex was worried now since he seemed very serious. “I can’t remember it.”

Kibum frowned moving his body away from her, and releasing her panties “I’m going home then.”

That wasn’t a dream. That was a nightmare.

Alex sat on the bed, her breast bouncing making Kibum lick his lips, his semi erection inside his underwear making him uncomfortable.

“Don’t go. I’m sorry I’ll pay attention!” She was beautiful, believing that he would actually be able to stop, as if she wasn’t stunning, naked in front of his eyes.

“I’m kidding!” He said kneeling back on the bed and kissing her lips and then her breasts as if he was sorry for that bad joke.

“There is no way I’m leaving you now…not before I have sex with you.”

She moaned relieved and he cupped her face, pulling her lips to his, to kill that thirst inside him that he never had before.

His hands resumed the task he was doing before pulling her panties and skirt down her legs and he pushed her down into the bed with his body, rubbing himself against her.

Alex caressed his butt and pulled his underwear slightly down, just enough to release his erection that rubbed against her inner thigh and between her legs where she needed him the most.

They kissed for a while, moving their bodies against each other and moaning until Kibum grabbed his erection and masturbated it, rubbing it against her lower body, against her entrance.

“Chitsu is vagina.” He taught her, smiling like a fox, kissing her again thrusting his hips against her, forcing his entrance inside her.

Alex grasped his shoulder, moving her nails on his back scratching him while he filled her.

She didn’t have sex in a while and she surely didn’t have sex with someone she liked as much as him. And only for that that experience was something new, something she wished for a long time. Have sex with someone she truly liked and maybe even loved.

He was gentle and yet rough. Kissing her and yet not stopping thrusting into her even if she showed some discomfort at first. It wasn’t as if he didn’t care. He did but he knew she would get used to it eventually that they could be perfect together. He wasn’t wrong because soon Alex was moving against him.

The Japanese lesson was over now since they barely could speak or think, even breathing was hard. Kibum held her against him and Alex wrapped her legs around his hips, as if the friction of their bodies wasn’t enough.

Soon her orgasm hit her making her see white, all the senses of her body focused only on the pleasure, her heart beating fast.

He followed soon after, grunting on her ear, his body relaxing over hers.

She held into him, wrapping her arms around him, joining her legs as if she never wanted to let go of him. Kibum raised his head, tiredly looking at her, admiring the way she was under him with closed eyes, holding on to him as if there was no tomorrow.

It was adorable and she was right. She was a koala! A very cute one.

As if he suddenly realized what happened, Kibum untangled her arms from around him and moved away from her body so he could sat on the bed in front of her.

Alex slowly sat on the bed too, still out of breath and in cloud nine watching him.

Kibum licked his lip, his gaze not leaving hers and then he closed his eyes and looked away.

Alex wasn’t sure about what to say. Did she do anything wrong?! She brushed her hair away from her face and hugged herself as if she was now too self-conscious of the fact that she was naked. If that mattered after what they have done.

“I didn’t memorize any of the words you taught me.” She smiled hoping to get a reaction out of Kibum but he only made a sound with his tongue and stood up from the bed.

“I have to go.” He said in a tiny voice grabbing his clothes from the floor as quickly as he could and dressing them up.

Alex wanted to ask what was wrong but instead she moved her naked legs to the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the floor.

“I understand.”

It wasn’t as if he made her any promise. It was just sex and they were dunk. Well tipsy.

Kibum pulled his underwear and pants over his body and then grabbed his t-shirt. He hesitated sending her one last look, his eyes seeming sorrowful.

“I’m sorry...”

She nodded her head and he left.

She wasn’t even sure why he was sorry. Sorry because he had sex with her and only that? Sorry to leave so soon? Sorry to make her fall in love with him?

It didn’t matter anyway. Either way she felt as if something was ripped from her that night and she wasn’t even sure what.

Kibum never contacted Alex anymore after that and she didn’t even try to contact him either.

It was embarrassing for Alex to meet him now since she wasn’t sure if they were still friends. Eventually she came back to Korea and a week later she saw the pictures of SHINee arriving back to Seoul too.

They were both in the same city and yet she never felt so distant to him.

Time passed and Alex was busy writing a big article about a Kpop festival that barely left her time to eat or sleep. That weekend she left Mushroom at the pet school so she went to pick him up as soon as she was free.

She didn’t even think about meeting Kibum there but that was exactly what happened.

She was outside with Mushroom placing the leash on him when he left the building with Comme des and Garcon. He froze immediately when he saw her and Alex almost let Mushroom’s leash fall to the ground.

“Hi!” He said smiling as if he truly missed her as much as she missed him.

Alex greeted him back avoiding looking much at him, afraid that he would see in her eyes how much she suffered with his departing that night and he walked away followed by his dogs.

Alex took a deep breath and decided to go after him. She didn’t have anything to lose by saying what was on her mind, what she felt.

“Are you upset with me?” She asked him, making Kibum turn around to face her.

Garçon immediately ran to Mushroom smelling her.

Kibum didn’t answer immediately and Alex did her best to keep facing him without avoiding his gaze.

“Because we kissed and….you know…that night!”

He held her gaze, reading her eyes like he did that night, melting with what he saw in them. “No. Not at all.”

“Then why are you avoiding me. You are avoiding me aren’t you?”

He exhaled slowly rubbing his ear as if he felt bad about something, as if he was little kid caught misbehaving.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you that night but…” Kibum didn’t finish his sentence because his eyes were on Mushroom and Garçon that were happily sniffing each other in a more than friendly way.

“Oh…”Alex noticed the same.

“So that’s why they were fighting before.” Kibum laughed “Hate is close to love. I guess that also happens with dogs.”

“Kimi ga suki.” Alex said and Kibum raised his eyes to her. She wasn’t looking at the dog she was speaking to him.

That made him widen his eyes and she leaned forward kissing him.

“I’m sorry.” She said after the short kiss where he barely reacted “I know I shouldn’t do it but….It’s true…”

His heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from hers, so big and beautiful.

Alex grabbed Mushroom on her arms making Garcon complain and she run away holding her.

Kibum smiled because Alex embarrassed was the cutest. He grabbed his phone scolding himself for being such a coward and not being totally honest with her, letting things drag for a long time making her uneasy.

He quickly wrote “watashi mo suki.” On his phone and sent it to her.

Kibum waited patiently for Alex’s answer and he walked in the direction from where she run too, spotting her immediately a few meters ahead of him, her eyes on her phone.

“What does that mean?”

She asked back and once again Kibum smiled answering to her question through text.

“You are a koala.”

“What?”

He laughed out loud making Alex notice him.

“I’m kidding! “ He said out loud forgetting his phone “I love you too! That’s what it means. Can you please come back here so I can kiss you?”

Having a serious relationship with a woman scared him. He was too focused on his career at the moment and he hesitated that night trying to see that as a mistake. But it wasn’t a mistake and he couldn’t deny it any longer. Not when she also had feelings for him.

Alex approached him fumbling in her bag and placing her phone inside it. She looked extremely nervous and that made Kibum smile. She was adorable. He waked towards her, pulling his dogs by the leash and they met halfway.

“This is madness!” Alex said “I mean you are an idol and you are amazing and I would never…”

“Well we are both fishes!” Kibum joked but Alex ignored him.

“No. You are a fox prince and I’m a boring Koala and…”

“Shut up!”

And he kissed her, beginning a new chapter of their story, this time in Seoul.

It was in a way a madness how they met and fell in love. How it all started in Paris, developed in Tokyo and ended in Seoul. How they met because of work but end up getting together because of their dogs and a language they both wanted to learn. It was a bunch of funny coincidence and things in common that made them meet and fall in love.

Maybe they were truly two fishes who jumped from their aquarium into the sea where other fishes were also swimming. Yet they met each other in the middle of that sea, spotting each other despite their differences and finding that what they had in common was much stronger.

Or maybe they were a fox and a koala that lived in different places and even though they were different in almost everything, they were both able to fall in love for each other.

Sometimes the extraordinary, the unthinkable can happen and Kibum and Alex can fall in love with each other.

#key #koalafox #key fanfiction #shinee scenario #SHINee fanfiction

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princelydisaster · 7 years

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Five Fives

Tagged by @thebyrchentwigges !

5 things you’ll find in my bag

art supplies

phone charger

slime

stickers

random gift cards

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom

old books EVERYWHERE

unfinished cosplay stuff

a bunch of plushies

my dogs, probably

art supplies in every which direction, oh god

5 things I’m currently into

making ridiculous furry ocs I get really into for a day then move onto another

clockwork orange kinda sorta

flight of the conchords

watercolor painting

fancy and/or edgy makeup

5 things on my to-do list

Learn my lines for the play

Do more tkd

train for my black belt test

send in payment for an art commission

make ref sheets for some of my new characters (so i can get MORE art comms muhahaha)

5 things people may not know about me

i’m often crap at remembering people’s names but usually really good at remembering pronouns for some reason...?

i was almost named easter as a kind of a joke (that was my bday :’) )

i used to be fluent in cantonese, but i forgot it (it probably lives on in my aptitude for mandarin since i’m learning that & they’re structured the same at least?)

i first learned about trans stuff from nice fan art of one of my fave comic characters!

i saved up all the v-day instagram story stickers on my phone so if u want them hmu

Five to tag: @gamerphobic, @mochi8910, @avianity, @huegor , @sorryjoshua/@lectricy

#princely squeaks #about me #this is kinda late lol but have fun d00ds

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languagesoloists-blog · 7 years

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French Immersion

Immersion is my favorite method of language learning. I find it to be the most entertaining, and I’ve heard stories of how many people picked up a language during a few months time in another country. Unfortunately I’m poor, and I can’t just pack up my bags and hop over to France. But I’ve found other ways to immerse myself, and these are some of my favorites.

Movies

I don’t really watch a lot of movies, so this list isn’t all that long. But here are some movies that are in French, or available in French

Pretty much all Disney movies - I enjoyed Frozen in French more than English. Not entirely sure why it made the difference, as that was a while ago and I couldn’t understand anything that was said.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron - This is a childhood favorite so I had to include it

Beauty and the Beast 2014 - This is originally French, which is nice so you don’t have to watch out of sync mouths. Though it’s… uh. A little weird. Visually amazing in my opinion, but also kinda weird. You’ve been warned.

Just… movies in general - I’m just putting it out there that, in general, you can find a lot of movies in French. It’s one of the perks of learning a popular language.

Games

These are a little harder to come by, but since French is a popular language, it’s still possible. I think gameplay in French is one of my favorite things. One, because I really enjoy video games, but two because it’s the closest I’ll get to actually going to France and being completely surrounded by this language.

Petz Horsez 2 - This game is originally in French, and it’s set in France so it’s basically the best thing ever (I also highly recommend it to horse/adventure game lovers because reasons). It’s an older game, but I grew up with old games so I’m used to that stuff. It’s well put together, and has really aided me in expanding my vocabulary. I often keep a notebook handy to write down new words I want to remember, as well as a translator nearby, just in case.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - This is a game I adore, and it’s available in French. Of course a majority of this game consists of battling, so it’s not the most productive to your learning, but even so, it’s an extra excuse to play, amiright? Plus, you’ll be able to say this infamous line in French: J'étais un aventurier comme vous. Puis j'ai pris une flèche au genou.

Nancy Drew Games - HerInteractive has a select few games available to play in French (and German!). I bought one this last year, and had fun going through a game I knew so well in another language. Having played all their games multiple times through, I was not entirely confused. But if it’s your first time through the game, and it’s not in your native language, have a translator by hand. Google Translate isn’t perfect, but it’ll do the job.

Music

This one is kinda obvious for some people. These are some of my favorite French artists, and of course when in doubt, listen to Disney music in French, because you can find all of those translated into 25+ different languages.

Indila - Some of my favorites include: Tourner Dans le Vide, Mini World, Dernière danse, S.O.S., Run Run, Tu Ne M’Entends, Love Story, Boite En Argent

Kendji Girac - (Not all his stuff is French) Some of my favorites include: Ma solitude, C’est trop, Mes potes et moi, Jamais à genoux

Maitre Gims - Some of my favorites include: Je te pardonne (feat. Sia), Mon coeur avait raison, Zombie, Tu vas me manquer

YouTube

Damon And Jo - This is probably one of my favorite channels on YouTube. I really love them, they’re fun to watch, they travel a lot, and they post a lot as well (four times a week! Though only one video a week is dedicated to French).

The Urban Eve - This girl is fluent in seven languages, so French isn’t all you’ll find on her channel. She’s a beauty, fashion, travel YouTuber, though she’s done videos specifically talking about language learning, so you’ll have to sift through to find the ones that are in French, or about French. Still, I really like her channel.

Around the House

My calendar - I have a whiteboard calendar, so I changed it up so it’s all in French.

Various sites on my computer, and my phone - I changed up a lot of settings on websites and my computer, so that I can be surrounded by French all day. And my phone is almost entirely in French, as changing the main setting will translate everything it possibly can. Though for now, a few select areas are still in English, as I need to be able to perform my job properly.

My journal - Whenever I can, I try and write bits and pieces of my journal in French. It can be difficult, and I just know I’m probably messing up the grammar. But vocabulary recall is my hardest challenge, and that’s how I’m trying to remedy that. I mean, the other day I couldn’t remember how to say please in French. I slapped myself when I looked it up.

General Resources

Finally I’ll cap this off with my general French learning material, as that’s what makes all of the above helpful and not just gibberish. In the past I often just stuck to a language course on Duolingo, so my list isn’t as long as I’d like. However it’s become extremely evident to me that learning a language solely through a single course is probably impossible. You’re gonna need a helping hand, especially if you want to speed up the process.

Books

Essential French Grammar - So far I’m really enjoying this book. It’s relatively easy to read and is packed with good information to get started on French grammar. I would say it’s something I’d like to add to my personal library soon.

French in 10 Minutes a Day - This is a fun book, to get you started and familiar with all the basics. If you’re intermediate, then it probably has no value for you, unless you want to review. My favorite part is that it’s interactive.

Easy French Reader - Even though it’s literally called Easy French Reader, I find this one a little intimidating, though still very helpful. You can start reading this early on in your learning, but if you’re a stickler like me who wants to perfectly pronounce every word, it’ll be a slow read.

Websites

Duolingo - I started here when picking up French. It’s a great site, great interactive learning, but I don’t care for how they teach grammar. It’s not incorporated into the lesson, and so I often just skip it because reading it feels like an information overload. Mostly I use Duo to get a good grasp of the language, and to expand my vocabulary.

Mango Languages - Mango isn’t quite as interactive as Duo for learning, but they incorporate grammar and cultural notes into the lessons, which I really like.

Other

Berlitz French Guaranteed - My sister took a French class years ago, and had some old CD’s lying around that she gave me the other day. They pretty much just have people speak a phrase in French, then in English. It’s great to have on in the background though.

Accents - This isn’t exclusively for French, but all languages. If you don’t have the alt key code of accents memorized, you need this reference sheet, it’s helped me so much.

-Alina

#français #french #langblr #language #resources #immersion

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