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bookofmirth · 3 years

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I saw your recent response to an anon where you mentioned the drama that occurred the other day based around bookprofessor’s post. Obviously you don’t have to respond to this or publish it if you do not wish but I just wanted to bring up that while it is important to focus on the real life issues at hand, the OP was hypocritical in her post which is why people were getting upset. She was preaching against ableism while simultaneously flaunting her IQ and degree which is a form of ableism. She was speaking out against racism while ending her post using the racial slur “cracker” when talking about the possibly Caucasian Twitter elriels.

Obviously she had some important points but it was completely overshadowed by her participation in the hate speech and prejudice that she was speaking out against.

This does not in any way justify the nasty messages she received but on the same hand, I do not blame anyone that called her out for her hypocrisy. I hope you can understand why her post was so negatively received and how flawed it was. My hope is that one day everyone can just ignore the negativity, report those who are being racist/prejudiced in any way, and block those who are just being loud and who you don’t wish to see content from. But unfortunately I do not see that happening any time soon.

There are a few things I want to address in this because I think it's a good moment for the fandom to step back and reflect on how we treat one another, how we react to such issues, and how we behave moving forward.

First off, thanks for explaining your point of view without being antagonistic. I do think that everyone's emotional reactions to the post were valid. I do NOT think their responses, in terms of words and actions, were valid. Now before I move forward, I want to clarify that when I use the word "you", I am referring to anyone who may have had the response I am describing - not you personally, anon. Also please don’t freak out about how long this is, as a majority of it is a response to the fandom in general, not you in particular.

What was - and wasn’t - said in the original post

In this post, there were completely valid criticisms of the way that people in this fandom behave, and it wasn’t “generalizing” a certain group, it was literal, actual proof of things that had been said, by multiple people. I’m not going to get too into what Alyssa argued because her critiques of those tweets was flawless. The original post had very valid criticisms of what was happening on Twitter. Alyssa exposed the actually racist, homophobic, and imperialistic underpinnings of those tweets.

However, a lot of people are stuck on the bits before and after those critiques. @bookprofessor apologized for different aspects of her post in a few different asks. There were perhaps better ways that some of those things could have been phrased, some things that could have been left out. And she apologized. People can accept that apology or not but we can’t act like it didn’t happen. Like she didn’t reflect and learn to do better.

However, the people she was calling out have not done the same thing, and if anything, comments that focus more on Alyssa’s tone than why she wrote the post in the first place lets those people off the hook.

On cracker - Using the word "cracker" is not racist in the same way that using racial slurs against POC is. Is it prejudiced? Yes. But you cannot say that it is the same thing when that is demonstrably untrue, given centuries of oppressive history. No one has been oppressed for being white. Those are not the same. Reverse racism is not a thing because a white person punching down on POC is NOT AT ALL the same thing as a POC punching up at white people. The actions look the same, but the impact is so unequal it’s not even funny.

Racism is a systemic, institutionalized problem. It is not defined by individual actions, though those actions can either support or challenge racism. When someone calls a white person a cracker, there isn’t centuries of oppression giving power to and reinforcing that statement. That is not a “gotcha” moment.

Saying “I have x IQ” or “I have X degrees” is not ableist. I’m sorry to whoever told you it was ableist (again, not you specifically anon but people who had read the “aw shucks guys” vagueblogs about it), but it’s not. Those are facts. I have no idea what my IQ is, but I have five degrees from institutions of higher education. Me saying that is in no way ableist.

Often, people mention those things to be elitist, yes. Sometimes, they can be used to say “hey I know more about this than you”. They can be used in a way that tries to make themselves feel superior. I suspect that this is the impression that a lot of people got of the post. However, there is a fine line between saying “hey that’s elitist” and professing anti intellectualism. Which is perhaps a side issue so I’ll let that go for now.

Another reason that people mention their degrees or qualifications is to establish their background knowledge and credibility. If I were to say “hey y’all I have two MA degrees” (which is true) I am not being ableist! It is a fact! It is factual! And I worked my ass off for those, I will be in student loan debt until I die for those, I have every right to mention them if I want to, and often I do so in order to establish my credibility, to explain the position I am coming from. And my prior knowledge of these topics is relevant when we are talking about literature since that’s what my degrees were on - literature and linguistics. That is why Alyssa mentioned her background, though she did pair it with comments about other people, for which she has apologized.

My final point about this is that I 1000% understand feeling insecure or less than because of educational attainment. I dropped out of high school. I had a complex about that for a long, long time. But I also know that if I took offense at someone else saying they had a PhD, then that offense is about me, not them. Someone else’s inferiority complex is not reason for people to pretend to be less than they are.

If those two comments are what overshadowed the bigger, more important issue for a lot of the readers of that post, then y’all allowed them to overshadow those more important issues. I am 99% sure that someone right now is reading this and thinking “but Leslie, it was the way that she said it!” Boy have I got some news for you!

How we react

This next section is not specific to this ask; instead, it is a discussion of how the fandom responded. If it were only one person who had said “but her tone” then I wouldn’t need to make this point. The fact that multiple people are exhibiting the behavior explained below is what makes this a cultural problem within the acotar fandom.

The main argument I saw on the post itself, and indeed any time I see people bring up how nasty Twitter can be, is that “it was a joke” and “that’s how stan Twitter works”.

No.

Those responses were quite useful for this post, though! So buckle up everyone, because I am going to talk about gaslighting, racism, respectability politics, and tone policing. While I understand that some people might have taken personal offense to what was said, there is a much bigger issue at stake that has nothing to do with individual feelings, and everything to do with ensuring that POC stay silenced and white supremacy is upheld.

Back to the “but it’s a joke” thing. Thanks for gaslighting! Great example of that, person I’m not going to tag! Gaslighting is when you make someone question their experiences, when you try to make them think “wait, did I really feel that way? Is my feeling about that valid? Do I need to re-evaluate my response to this?? Am I blowing this out of proportion???” And saying “it’s just a joke” is a perfect way to do that. Did I say something accidentally sexist? It’s just a joke, nbd! Now you’re the problem, because you didn’t understand my joke and laugh!!!

Saying “it’s a joke” or “oh they are old/young/ignorant, they will learn” is not a good response to... anything. It takes the responsibility off the people who are doing the harm, and putting it onto the people who were hurt. And in this case, anyone who read those tweets and found them harmful (which should be everyone?) is completely valid. You aren’t lesser for being angry or emotional or for seeing a problem where other people saw a joke. The people who see those things as acceptable jokes are the ones in the wrong.

This is a tactic that is used against women all the time. Any time a woman is sexually harassed at work or online, for example, and she gets upset about it, and someone chimes in with “oh they weren’t serious, can’t you take a joke?” So you can imagine what this is like for women of color.

It is a very, very common tactic for people of color to be silenced via tone policing and respectability politics. Tone policing and respectability politics are very closely related, especially in this context. The idea is that if Alyssa had just written that post in just the right way, it would have been more palatable to white people, and therefore okay to write. The idea that if she had tried to be “understanding” or “see it from their perspective” or understand that it’s “just a joke” are all ways to silence and de-legitimize any accurate, valid criticisms that were made of those tweets. It effectively re-routes the conversation away from the real issues, and to the person trying to bring them up. It’s essentially an ad hominem attack in disguise.

We see respectability politics in media when people of color who act or dress or speak like white people are afforded more respect. Or any time that a person of color is pulled over and people say, “well if they had just done what the police officer asked...” There is a pervasive idea that if people just “act” properly, aka if you act white, then the police won’t feel antagonized and try to kill arrest you. If we are nice enough, meek enough, smile enough, etc. then we will be accepted.

When we tone police, we refuse to allow marginalized people the right to be angry. We say that "hey, we can only have this discussion if you leave emotion, which you rightfully feel, at the door, and we can only continue this discussion if you behave in a way that makes me feel comfortable." But guess what? It isn’t about you! These discussions are often highly uncomfortable. There is no nice way to tell someone they are being racist. And yet somehow, that is the ever-moving goalpost. It seems reasonable, right? “Just be civil, be nice, don’t insult each other!” And there is that. But those criteria change constantly, to the point where anyone (white) at any time can say “WHOA WHOA THIS IS MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE???” Then we find ourselves at zero, and suddenly the focus of attention has shifted away from the actual problem.

Before we go further, I want to say this: people have a right to be angry. They do not need to make their anger palatable or tasteful for the consumption of others (read: white people).

We saw this last summer, and I’m not sure how the message didn’t get across. But people are rightfully angry about racism. They are angry about the murder of people of color by police, they are angry about lack of quality education, or clean water, of centuries of oppression that have led to this very moment when all of that ceases to matter because a white woman’s feelings got hurt one time.

And that is what pisses me off so much. There is no way in this world that we could criticize tweets like those that everyone would agree with, and that everyone would “approve” of, that would be “nice” enough and yet still be impactful and make the authors of those tweets understand the gravity of what they have done.

The least we can do is allow one another to express our anger, our outrage, because it’s highly likely that those people know exactly what the fuck they are doing, and they do not fucking care. By criticizing a woman of color for the way in which she chose to engage with this topic, we are avoiding the issue and letting the people in those tweets off the hook.

There were many responses to that post that were positive, that agreed with Alyssa. There are a ton of people who disagree with those tweets, who find them disgusting, who understand exactly how and why they are problematic. That should be what we are talking about. Getting to the core of the argument, on that post or any about racism or other problematic behavior in fandom, requires getting past our own egos. It requires us to be able to step back, say “hm this thing is frustrating but there is a bigger picture here”. It’s not easy, and I recognize that.

The fact that it is a common tactic though? To say “hey this hurt me personally and so I’m going to ignore any valid points you made?” That feeds directly into centuries of white supremacy because it, once again, silences POC and makes them try to play a losing game. And they will always lose, because no matter how hard they try to play the white game, the goalposts are constantly shifting. So you know what? Fuck the game, and fuck respectability politics, and fuck tone policing and “uwu be nice guys” because when it comes to things like racism and sexism, I don’t expect the people who deserve to be criticized to be nice. In fact, trying to be nice only serves to fuck POC over in the end.

Indeed, in response to that post, certain blogs have taken the opportunity to position themselves as “the nice ones” or “the ones who would never” or “uwu let’s be nice guys” while completely ignoring the fact that a woman of color was attacked for calling out racism. And yes - that was the point of her post. People getting hung up on mentions of her degree are (intentionally or not, it doesn’t matter) completely obfuscating the fact that that is not what her post was about, which was to call out disgusting behavior. idk how many words the post actually was, but essentially, people are focusing on 5% of it to the detriment of the 95% that was actually really important shit. These types of vagueblog posts about the issue fall into exactly what I am talking about - these are people who have decided to look at this issue, see how Alyssa (and anyone else who dares speak up) has approached it, and intentionally try to act like they are “better” because they can be “rational” and “kind”. Newsflash, if you don’t have something to be angry about, then being “nice” about racism isn’t that much of a flex. If it didn’t bother you, then congratulations. That doesn’t make you better than people it did bother. You just got lucky this time, and decided to use that to your advantage to look like the good guy.

I am not saying that all calls for peace are doing this. Obviously it’s what we all want. This is the worst I have seen this fandom in the 4+ years I’ve been here. But we cannot have that by ignoring the real problems and pretending that if we are all just nice to each other, then we will solve racism and sexism and all bullying in the fandom will stop.

So combining all of this - the gaslighting, the tone policing, and what do you get? You get a fandom that refuses to actually engage critically with its own problems and take accountability for them. You get a fandom that decides that it’s easier to be distracted by this one mean comment over here than it is to engage in the fact that you know what, the culture in this fandom has actually turned incredibly disgusting and a lot of people are just okay with it. You’ve got a fandom that is using the tools of white supremacy to avoid the discussions that should actually be taking place. Maybe people don’t realize that that’s what they are doing. But if someone still thinks that after reading this post, then godspeed my friend, I hope you enjoy Twitter.

Okay so my last thing I want to say is that I didn’t come to all of this knowledge fresh from the womb. I do a lot of work, in my personal life and my professional life, to be better. So here is a list of books that I have found particularly helpful:

How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America also by Ibram X. Kendi

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo (side note, I was kinda meh about this one but the chapter “White Women’s Tears” is particularly helpful)

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment by Patricia Hill Collins

I’m not going to talk specifically about Alyssa’s post anymore, but if anyone wants to continue talking about these broader issues going on in the fandom, I am game. (I really should be grading papers though, so it might take a bit.)

#cw racism #acotar #acosf #acotar fandom #fandom wank #fandom things #this is the long post i mentioned earlier #i will link it in my meta post

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sablelab · 5 years

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Covert Operations - Chapter 75

DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita. LFN and its characters do not belong to me nor do those from Outlander.

SYNOPSIS: Murtagh tries to elicit information out of his buddy Fergus about Jamie’s return to Section sans Claire. Needing to test his suspicions, Jamie sets about collecting proof of skulduggery by the target he has in his sights, while Fergus seeks Intel on Karen and her boyfriend Andy Ma.

THANK YOU for reading, liking reblogging and for your comments on the last chapter. Much appreciated. x Previous chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

CHAPTER 75

Retracing his steps back towards Munitions, Murtagh Fitzgibbons went in search of his buddy Fergus Claudel to ask about why Jamie had returned to Section without Claire. As he approached Comm., he stopped in his tracks when he noticed that his friend wasn’t alone, so Murtagh returned to his work station and busied himself in the guise of fixing some equipment. He looked over to Systems every now and again while he bided his time waiting for the right moment to go over and talk to him. He’d been surprised to see Jamie back in Section and the curiosity as to why, was killing him. Not only had he returned but the conversation with the level 5 operative in the corridor also raised more questions than were answers as far as he was concerned. When the rest of his team had returned their weapons to him and Jamie hadn’t, he’d just naturally assumed that he had stayed in Hong Kong with Claire. So, what was going on? Murtagh walked into his supply room to put away the mission equipment and returned with another, so as to look busy if anyone was watching him. He looked over to Comm., to see that Fergus was still engaged in conversation with an operative. Racking his brain, he tried to unravel the mystery, however, everything he thought of was sheer speculation and until he spoke to Fergus, he was none the wiser. Jamie had returned alone, Operations wanted to see him ASAP and where was Claire? The two operatives were joined at the hip. So, where was she? Jamie and Claire always watched each other’s back but now he was back in Section and Claire was God knows where? Had Operations and Madeline found a new way to separate the two best operatives that they had? Their missions were successful and they had made great in-roads into the Rising Dragons’ triad so far, so why would they do that? Perhaps the mission had been aborted ... but that still didn’t explain why Jamie was back in Section without Claire. Murtagh’s real concern was that if Jamie was here ... then who was keeping an eye on his Sugar? Her cover was integral and he wouldn’t just leave her to her own devices at this critical stage of the mission. One thing he did know was that Fergus always had a finger on the pulse. He would know what was going down and explain the mystery surrounding Jamie’s recall back to Section once more. He looked over to see if Fergus was alone yet, then when he thought it was clear, he began to hurry over to Comm., but just as he did, he saw one of Fergus’ Techs walk over to him and hand him a disk. Backtracking Murtagh returned to his work station and impatiently cooled his heels once again until the coast was clear and the operative had left. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* “What's this Rachel?” “It's the Intel on The Triangle nightclub that you wanted.” “Thanks.” “Will that be all?” “Yeah ... you can go home now Rachel.” “Thanks ... Goodnight Fergus.” “Goodnight.” Fergus Claudel returned to his computer station and sat down to finish working on his summation. He’d already given Operations what he had on tonight’s mission but Rachel Hunter had been working on a different angle for him. He fingered the disk carefully before inserting it into his disk drive. Tiredly he removed his Comm. unit and glasses, rubbed his eyes and sat staring at his computer watching as Intel appeared on his monitor. Visual images of inside Jonathon Randall’s nightclub appeared on the screen one after the other. He numbly stared at the computer screen trying to get a handle on the data. Looking up at the monitor mounted above him, he saw the same images there too. He rubbed his hands over his head; leaned back in his chair then stretched his arms above his head trying to keep himself alert. Gathering his thoughts he put his glasses back on again a couple of minutes later, leaned forward and began cross referencing the faces to Section’s known triads’ data base. If he was able to match some of the Intel to their data, they could widen their net in capturing Sun Yee Lok. Many of the guests were prominent business people but it was unknown how legitimate they were or if they had ties with the other triad groups or were indeed Rising Dragon members too. As he worked, his face suddenly lit up with a sense of accomplishment. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place and the faces and names of suspected triad members who were at Jonathon Randall’s party were corresponding to the Rising Dragons’ file as well as to other prominent triad groups.

“Fergus Claudel? Are you good ... or are you good?” he proudly declared out loud pleased at himself now that he was finally getting some results for analysis.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Engrossed in his task, the young techie failed to notice that Murtagh had finally managed to make it over to Comm. for he was happily piecing together Section One’s dossier on members of the Rising Dragons, and other people of interest from the party. The sudden sound of a voice behind him came as a complete surprise and made him jump. “Hey amigo ... You still here?” Because of the hour, Fergus thought he was alone until he realised that it was only his buddy who had spoken. “Yeah.” “It’s late. What are you working on?” He asked trying to get a look at what it was Fergus was doing. “Just stuff,” he replied nonchalantly. “It’s the mission evaluation, isn’t it?” Murtagh surmised intuitively. “Maybe.” Giving Fergus a craggy smile, his face lit up, “Come on ... You know you can tell me.” Fergus looked around to see who may be watching before replying. This part of Section was eerily quiet now. All the techies who had been assisting him had logged off and had vacated Comm., while he’d been immersed in his own little world going over the data.

“Yeah.”

“So how come you’re still here then?” “I’m still working on something.” “Yeah ...I can see that. It must be good.” Murtagh then looked him in the eye to gain his friend’s undivided attention and cut to the chase. “Do you know why Jamie’s back in Section?” Fergus continued to study the data on his computer and answered his friend at the same time. “Operations called him in.” “Was the mission aborted?” He asked fishing for the information he’d guessed at but wasn’t quite sure of... that is until Fergus replied and the pieces started to fall into place. “It was, but Jamie asked me to cover for him because of an anomaly.” “Why? What happened?” Fergus turned back towards his buddy. “He broke protocol and didn’t come into Section when ordered. Claire was surrounded by hostiles after the mission was aborted. He went in to cover her.” “Sounds like something Jamie would do.” Murtagh’s face broke into a smile and he laughed before voicing his opinion with his next question. “Is that why he’s back in Section without Claire?” “Most likely.” Noting Fergus’ reticent reply he asked for more clarification, “What about Claire?” “Jamie arranged for Abernathy and Wakefield to keep surveillance.” “That’s good.” His friend looked him in the eye and Murtagh could see that Fergus was worried. “I screwed up Murtagh.” “Why? What are you trying to say amigo?’ “I had to inform Operations what was happening at The Triangle." “Hmmm? ... That could have caused a problem.” “Yeah ... it did. Now I’m under the pump. Operations said they’ll cancel me if I fall out of line again.” Murtagh brushed this concern off. “Nah ... you’re too valuable.” “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’m more scared of Jamie’s reaction when I see him.” “Why?” “I had to tell him that Operations knew he had stayed behind.” “Hmm ... I see what you mean,” he answered deep in thought. “Jamie will kill me. I promised that I would cover for him” “Don’t worry, he’ll understand.” “I’m not so sure ... because of it ... Madeline has profiled a new mission for Claire.” “Do you know what?” “I think it’s similar to the Grant Mission.” Murtagh was familiar with the mission Fergus mentioned, and he was not happy. “No! ... You can’t be serious! She wants her to be his girlfriend?” Section’s weapons expert began to pace as a worried look crossed his face. The Grant mission had not turned out well and if Jamie knew that something along the same lines was being planned for Claire ... then he knew there would be trouble brewing for Operations and Madeline if it went ahead. “Jamie won’t like to see Claire in a cover mission so soon after Madame Cheung.” “No ... he won’t that’s for sure. What can we do Murtagh?” “Nothing ... the final decision is with Ops and Madeline.” “True ... but I feel somewhat responsible.” “You can’t blame yourself Fergus ... you had nothing to do with their decision.” “Yeah ... but what will I tell Jamie? How am I going to get out of this one?” “I think you might be on your own amigo. Operations has probably already told him.” “Gee, thanks Murtagh ... that’s just what I wanted to hear!” “When are you going to see Jamie?” At Murtagh Fitzgibbon’s words they both looked up and saw that James Fraser was still in the perch with Dougal Mackenzie. “Soon, I guess. I’ll wait until he gives me some sign or other.” Hearing the despair in his friend’s voice, Murtagh took pity on him. “Don’t worry ... if l think of something I'll get back to you.” “Thanks buddy ... I’ll owe you one.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With Operations’ dismissive words ringing in his ears James Fraser turned on his heel and exited the Perch furious at Claire’s new profile.

The constant baiting to test their relationship by his superiors was wearing a bit thin. Claire had already been through a deep cover mission with Madame Cheung and this new profile was just their attempt to keep them under control. If Madeline and Operations thought he would take this lying down, they had another thing coming. He would certainly check what she’d profiled for her on his PDA as soon as he reached his office along with the other things he planned to do.

Jamie descended the stairs and strode determinedly through the eerie quietness of the common area while in his mind he was churning over the possible dangers involved for Claire on this new mission scenario.

He would run checks through the system about the targets he had in focus who may be a threat to her safety. Now that her profile had been set, he would also need to be more vigilant as to her protection. Operations’ flippant reply as to Claire’s safety was worrisome too. If she exposed Inspector Jiang Ng as a member of the Rising Dragons, then her life would be in jeopardy especially if he realised just how much she actually knew about him. Jonathon Randall was another proposition altogether. He was not at all happy that his Sassenach would need to be in his company one minute longer than necessary ... and then there was Karen Yee. Claire’s enigmatic neighbour was a conundrum. It was imperative that he was thorough in his search to enable him to piece any Intel he found with his gut feelings about her neighbour Karen. Hopefully Fergus would have something to add on her by now too which would shed light on her relationship with the Rising Dragons.

Passing through Comm., on his way to his office, Jamie noticed that Fergus Claudel was still in Systems talking to Murtagh Fitzgibbons. He gave him a covert nod aware that Operations would still be watching him from the Perch, letting the techie know he wanted to see him when he was able to get away.

Although Section One’s computer wiz looked a little frazzled when he made eye contact with the imposing figure of James Fraser, he acknowledged Jamie’s directive with a nervous but penetrating glance his way. This was the first time Fergus had seen him since he’d communicated with him at the nightclub. It was obvious by his nervous demeanour that he was still stewing over what he would say to the Level 5 operative when they came face to face. However, Jamie continued past as if nothing had happened rounding the corner out of sight of the Perch and the prying eyes of Operations and entered his office.

Closing the door firmly behind him, he walked behind his desk and booted his computer typing in his secret code that would give him access to Section One’s classified data. Sitting back in his chair, Jamie looked at his computer for a moment before typing in a set of numbers that opened up the files but disallowed detection of personal usage by Section’s computer surveillance. He then keyed in a search for Claire’s neighbour Karen Yee and waited for any Intel to appear, and for Fergus Claudel to arrive. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Just as he did so, Jamie looked up from his computer when he heard a cautious knock on his door. He saw Fergus put his head in his office.

“Come in.”

Not being able to decipher what mood James Fraser was in, he entered and quickly closed the door behind him. In trepidation Fergus approached his desk with a computer disk in his hand.

“You wanted to see me?” he asked nervously, knowing that he had to confront Jamie at some time about breaking his confidence.

Without looking up at him, Jamie stopped what he was doing. His right hand immediately moved to put the scrambler on to screen his office from Section’s scrutiny while the nervous techie waited until the screen was up until he spoke again. His voice quavered a little not knowing what response he would get.

“Jamie about ...”

“Dinna fash, it’s okay,” he reassured him then let him off the hook by asking, “How did it go?” Knowing immediately what Jamie was eluding to, Fergus responded, “Not so good.” “Did you find out any Intel on Karen Yee?” “Sorry Jamie, but I’m no closer to finding anything on her. Everything I’ve tried has come up empty.” “What? ... Are you sure?” “As sure as I can be.” “Have you checked in Procedures?” “Yes ... I’ve followed several leads but ... there’s nothing. The woman is clean. What do you want me to do?” “Try checking any incoming or outgoing communications on her landline and cell phone. This is a priority three Fergus.” “What are we looking for?” “Any communication of a suspicious nature.” “Friendly or hostile?” “Hostile ... hidden messages to silent numbers,” Jamie added in clarification. “Okay. I’ll get on to it ASAP.” “Good ... Have you cross referenced her picture with our data base?” “Yes ... there was no match." “There could be another possibility.” Fergus racked his brain thinking of what Jamie could be eluding to, but came up empty. So, he asked. “What?” “A surgical procedure. She could have changed her appearance completely.” “Everything?” “Yes. She could be anyone.” “And without a physical to match to....” His voice stopped in mid-sentence as the penny dropped.

“I know. We need a more personal profile.” “Jamie this could take a while ... We’ll be flying blind. There is very little to go on.” “I understand ... but do anything and everything ye can think of Fergus... she is not an innocent.” “Okay ... I’ll do my best,” he stated in a last ditched desperate effort to do what he could to find any clue as to her identity. “Thank ye ...” “What about her boyfriend Andy Ma? Do you want me to do the same checks on him?” “Yes, we may get lucky there. It might be another avenue to finding out about Karen that could lead us to her real identity.” “I’ll work on it all night if I have to Jamie.” “Thank ye ... By the way ... what’s on the disk?” Looking at the forgotten disk in his hand he replied, “The mission evaluation ... hostiles, causalities, aftermath ... the usual ... it’s all there ....” Fergus handed the disk over to Jamie who placed it on his desk. “I’ll view it. Thank ye Fergus. There might be something ye’ve overlooked.” “Unfortunately, there were no matches for Karen Yee on our data base; however, there were a couple of anomalies ...” “Yes?” Jamie’s voice intonated interest in what Fergus had found out. “It appears that the surveillance inside the nightclub was inactive for most of the fracas. It shows Claire getting separated from Karen and her boyfriend and then it cuts out.” “Hmmm? ... That means that Jonathon Randall is not aware that she was involved in any shootouts.” “Yes ... or you,” he added with a wry smile on his face. “Good.” “Is that all?” “Aye.” Fergus hesitated somewhat. “It looks like it is going to be a long night.”

Then as he made his way to the door to leave, he gave Jamie a final penetrating look before stating the obvious. “It’s necessary for us to be thorough though ... Claire’s safety is at stake.”

His acquiescent look at the techie was Fergus Claudel’s answer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~ James Fraser indeed knew that he was in for a long night. Since Fergus was now checking on Karen Yee and her boyfriend, that left him to check on the man in charge of the OCTB ... Inspector Ng. He needed to find out as much as he could about the Inspector before Claire was ousted by the Chief Commissioner for her new mission profile. Once Fergus left his office Jamie viewed the disk he had given him about the mission tonight. After screening what was on it, he knew that Jiang Ng wasn’t in attendance at the party tonight. However, footage from outside the club showed that he did turn up at the nightclub after the incident with several other police vehicles to investigate the killings and firebombing. Jonathon Randall would have obviously contacted the OCTB and in particular the Inspector to provide a legitimacy to the investigations. The head of the OCTB would be able to personally oversee the case and therefore would be in a position to cover up any sensitive information that may implicate the owner of The Triangle in membership of the Rising Dragons. If the firebombing was triad related, then the reason why members of the Black Panthers and Red Lanterns’ triads, who had started the fracas were at the nightclub, could be suppressed and Jonathon Randall would keep his covert association secret. Jamie had much to do. He began checking his sources in search of any advanced updates or Intel on Inspector Ng but he knew he needed to delve deeper if he were to uncover any covert communication from the Inspector’s office. Any communication he’d had about Claire was critical. He had a couple of options including channels that Fergus had used, but first he decided to call in his marker from an informant who owed him a favour. Reaching for his cell phone Jamie placed a scrambler demodulator to the transmitting mechanism and dialled a secret code number. “Jurgen ... can ye speak freely?” “Yes.” “I need information ...” “You’re a man of your word James Fraser; I wouldn’t do this for anyone else. I owe you for Korea. So, tell me, what’s this about? How can I help?” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~ What Jamie had suspected was confirmed by his informant. It appeared that Inspector Ng had been making inquiries about Claire after all, but had been coming up empty handed. Information about her credentials was available but her assignments for the Hong Kong Water Police had been suppressed. The only Intel he had been privy to was that Claire had been given leave to go on vacation while she was in Hong Kong. Whether this had piqued his curiosity or not was debatable, but Jamie knew Inspector Ng was a smart man and he could possibly put two and two together and make his own conclusions. Inspector Ng was a major player who could blow Claire’s cover out of the water. He was, in Jamie’s opinion, their number one priority to bring into Section. Catching him unawares would be his plan and not before too long. The investigations on the firebombing and shootings could be his Achilles heel and he could be vulnerable while inquiries were pending. It could be the perfect time to make a move on the elusive head of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. Knowing Fergus would contact him if he found out any Intel on the couple he had under surveillance, Jamie finally prepared to leave Section One to return to Hong Kong. Given that he also trusted Joe Abernathy and Roger Wakefield to do their job as ordered and keep a close eye on Karen and Andy while he was not there to do it himself, he knew what needed to be done. There were too many things that could go wrong and he wanted to cover all bases where Claire’s safety was concerned. The violence that had perpetrated tonight was the tip of the iceberg. Now that there were rival triads mustering in on Jonathon Randall would she be safe? He would have none of it. The profile planned for his Sassenach to get closer to him could backfire and she could be placed in extreme danger. If he couldn’t be with Claire 24 hours a day, he could do the next best thing. He would be there as back up and he could cover the movements of those under suspicion ... and until Fergus had something more concrete on Karen Yee and Andy Ma, he didn’t want to alarm her. But being forewarned was forearmed. He would do his best to keep his Claire safe at all costs.

Hopefully a scenario to avoid her meeting with Jonathon Randall may present itself which would give him some more time to put an alternative plan into action.

Therefore, the sooner he returned to Hong Kong, and back to his Sassenach, the better.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued

#Jamieandclairefanfic #jamieandclaireau #jamieandclairecrossover #James Fraser #claire beauchamp #covert operations #Section One

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natasha-cole · 5 years

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#1 Crush: Part 20

Chapter Summary: Reader is embarrassed about the incident with Liam. Rob’s concern isn’t making anything any easier.

Word Count: 2626

Warnings: angst, creepy fan, discussion of an assault incident, swearing probably

Notes: I’m still not in the writing mode really, but this has been sitting in my drafts like this for a long time and I figured I’d just post it as is. Hopefully it moves the story along a bit for you.

Series Masterlist

The following morning, you woke up feeling terrible. You hadn’t slept well, and even as you got ready for the day, you couldn’t shake the strange feeling that you had. It was almost a guilty feeling, as if you had been the one who had done something wrong last night.

You couldn’t stop thinking about the way Liam had kissed you. Your skin crawled as you recalled it, still creeped out by advancement and the way he had looked at you when you told him to stop.

Even as you headed off to the convention, you berated yourself over the fact that any of it had happened in the first place. You couldn’t help but to think that it had been your fault in some way. Had you led him on somehow? Had you not been clear enough on the fact that it was supposed to be a professional relationship and nothing more? Had you crossed a line?

To make matters worse, you also realized that you were about to face the rest of the weekend without a bodyguard.

Conventions had become stressful and anxiety-inducing lately; and the only thing that kept you coming to them was knowing that you were at least protected in your work environment. Now, you were suddenly very vulnerable again as Liam was out of the picture and you didn’t even have Rob anymore.

Although you and Rob were no longer dating, you felt the need to just tell him about what had happened. Not only did you feel guilty about the possibility of having done something to make Liam do what he did, you also couldn’t help but to feel awful that Rob knew nothing about it.

Before you could even think of a way to maybe mention it to Rob before anyone else found out, it was Adam who seemed to be a lot more alert than anyone else that morning. You had arrived at the greenroom, enjoying your first cup of coffee and just thinking when he approached you first.

“Where’s your bodyguard?” he asked, glancing around in concern as he didn’t see the man who never failed to be at your side constantly.

He sat down at the table next to you, waiting for an answer.

“He’s not here,” you responded simply.

“Why is that?”

“Well, he just didn’t work out I guess.”

It was a half truth, but now that it had been brought up, you felt like an idiot for the fact that anything had even happened. You suddenly questioned telling Rob at all.

“Okay, but why?” He pressed. “Did something happen?”

“Can I tell you something?” You asked seriously. “And can you promise not to think of me as a huge idiot for it?”

“You’re not an idiot,” he smiled in return.

You took a deep breath and his features softened, watching you with slight concern now.

“He made a move on me,” you said, embarrassed to even be saying it out loud..

“He did?”

“Yes. I had to fire him. It caught me off guard and it was extremely inappropriate.”

“And… Rob?”

“What about Rob?” You asked in confusion.

“I’m just trying to make sense of it. Rob never leaves your side. He’s with you even more than Liam was.”

“Well, I suppose you're out of the loop.”

“I must be.”

You took another deep breath before you broke the news to him. It never did get any easier to admit to it.

“Rob and I are no longer together.”

“Oh… Y/N,” he responded, sounding surprisingly sad about it.

“Why do you seem all sad?” You joked. “I know you don’t really care.”

“I do care. Look, I know I was interested… and yeah, it kinda sucked that he asked you out before I could… but he made you happy. I can’t imagine why you two didn’t work out.”

“We were working just fine,” you replied. “I really love him. But, I felt like all of this was just- weighing on us, you know? For me, that makes sense. But I really couldn’t live with myself knowing that it was affecting him as well. I know I’m not safe, but that doesn’t mean that anyone else should also not be safe because of me.”

“So, what happened?” Adam asked. “You said this asshole made a move on you, what did he do exactly?”

“It was nothing,” you said quietly.

“Doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“I mean, I can handle myself with a guy who gets too handsy. I just- I was more unsettled with the way he looked at me I guess. It creeped me out.”

“Jesus, Y/N,” he sighed in return.

“I’m overreacting again, aren’t I? Like, I probably shouldn’t have fired my bodyguard during a convention weekend especially with everything that’s going on.”

“I think, given your current situation, it’s not overreacting.”

“Do I really just give off a vibe that calls out to creeps?” You asked with a chuckle.

“Well, I mean, I wouldn’t say, just creeps…”

You laughed lightly, glad that you at least had him to talk to.

“Thanks for listening,” you said.

“Hey, I’m still your friend. I’m always here if you need me for anything.”

“You could talk to Rob about this for me,” you teased. “I’m debating if I should mention it or not, but something tells me he’ll notice something is up.”

“Well, I’m here for most things,” he laughed in return. “Really though, you should just tell him even if you’re not together. It would probably ease his mind when he realizes you’re without a bodyguard.”

“At what point do I stop worrying about what my ex boyfriend thinks?”

Adam huffed in return, giving you a look and you knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Maybe when you actually want him to be your ex boyfriend,” he replied. “We both know you didn’t really want any of this though.”

He wasn’t wrong. Your first thought after that incident had happened and after Liam had been fired was what Rob would think about it all. He was the first person to cross your mind and the first person you actually wanted to talk to about it. You had been the one who had complicated everything though. At this point, you didn’t even know if it was worth mentioning to him.

***

You had passed Rob throughout the morning, wanting to talk to him, but remembering that you had hurt him. You weren’t sure if there was a good time to tell him that you were without a bodyguard for the weekend, or if it even mattered to him in the first place.

Gradually, most of your castmates had noticed Liam’s absence. Many of them approached you with concern, and you had to explain things to them. You made sure to leave out the part about him kissing you and being sort of aggressive about it. There were just some details that you didn’t feel comfortable with everyone knowing about.

Everyone’s concern over this situation was noticeable, but after an explanation on how it was being handled at least for the weekend seemed to be sufficient enough at least for now. Rich and Adam even reminded you that they were there this weekend as well to help out in any way they could.

Rob appeared to be the last to know, which made you feel all the more terrible about avoiding him today.

You wanted to tell him, but you also tried convinced yourself that he was too angry with you to care. Mostly though, you knew he was still hurt and the idea of talking to him about another guy making a move on you seemed sort of cruel when you had been the one to break up with him. It wasn’t that your breakup had been a horrible, messy split or anything; but you really did want to keep him at a distance especially now that things were starting to escalate again with your stalker.

Rich had apparently talked to him on your behalf though, and while it would normally annoy you, it actually made the conversation between you and Rob come up a little easier. You were waiting to head to photo ops when Rob came through the door. He eyed you immediately and walked right toward you. The sight of him made your heart break all over again, but you knew you had to have this conversation.

Rob stopped abruptly in front of you, looking around as if he expected to see something.

“Where’s Liam?” He asked as his focus landed on you once again.

“Oh,” you replied. “He’s not here.”

Rob pulled back, looking at you questioningly.

“I know he’s not here. Rich told me that you fired him. Why?”

If there was one person in the world that you could be honest with, it was Rob. Even now that you weren’t even together, you still felt comfortable telling him everything.

“I had to let him go.”

“In the middle of a convention weekend?” He nearly shouted. “Why?”

“Because… I just- had to.”

“Y/N, you can’t be without security,” he reminded you. “Shit always happens at conventions, and you just thought it would be smart to get rid of your bodyguard on day one?”

“I have security,” you pointed out as you gestured toward the extra help. “I actually have more security now than before.”

“That’s not what I mean,” he replied. “You need a real, legitimate bodyguard.”

“Well, I no longer have one this weekend. My manager is working on finding someone else though.”

“Why would you fire him right now? You couldn’t wait until you got back home?”

“He made a move on me, okay?” You replied softly, hoping that maybe he wouldn’t actually hear you.

He did hear you though, and he looked even more shocked by this.

“He did what? Why?”

“I don’t know. He said that I gave him the impression that I was interested in him. He kissed me in my hotel room and it made me really uncomfortable. I asked him to leave and I fired him.”

“Why was he in your hotel room?” He asked, eyes narrowed as if he were trying to understand why he had been there in the first place.

You instantly felt sick, realizing that Rob was thinking something that you resented him for even considering.

“Really?” You asked sarcastically. You felt your eyes well up with tears, offended that he had even asked this. “I tell you that the guy made a move on me and you immediately ask what I did wrong?”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” he replied. “I just- did he hurt you?”

“No,” you answered. “He didn’t hurt me. Just- he just freaked me out a little is all.”

“I’m gonna be honest, I kinda need some clarification here…”

He looked almost hurt. You understood that it sounded bad when you said it out loud; this other man being in your hotel room and all.

“It was nothing, Rob,” you sighed. “I get a little freaked out about being alone now. He walked me to my room as he always does and when I got scared about going in, he came in to just make sure no one was there, even though I knew no one was there. He misread that and some other things, thinking it meant I was interested in him or something.”

“And he just… what did he do?”

“He kissed me is all.”

“He kissed you?” Rob asked, now looking pissed off as he tried to clarify what you had just told him.

“I pushed him away, and he kept trying... until I told him to leave.“

“Why in the world would he think you were interested?”

“I don’t know. I asked him the same thing. He thinks that I like, dumped you for him.”

Rob stayed quiet, eyes carefully examining you as if to ask if that might be true. Your leaving him hadn’t made any sense to him anyway.

“That’s not the reason,” you explained. “You know that right?”

“I know,” he replied, shaking his head. “I know. I’m just- I’m pissed that he did that to you. Are you okay?”

There he was. This was the Rob that you knew and loved. He wasn’t blaming you for anything. He was simply trying to understand why this man had tried to take advantage of you. His concern wasn’t over the fact that someone else had stepped into your room, but rather if he had forced his way in.

“I’m fine,” you assured him. “It was just a shitty situation and he had no reason to misinterpret it. I handled myself pretty well though. I even fired him right away.”

“I wish you would have told me about this right away.”

“Rob, why would I?”

“I know that you don’t want to be with me for whatever reason,” he began sadly. “But I care about you so damn much. This… this is really hard and the fact that this guy did this… I’m pissed. I guess I shouldn’t be because you’re not mine anymore, but I can’t help it. I should have been there...”

“Hey, please don’t ever think that this is because I don’t want to be with you. I just- I’m afraid. I’m afraid of what this guy is capable of, and I can’t be okay with allowing you and our friends to be mixed up in it anymore. Threats to me are one thing, but if he doesn’t have a reason to see you as a threat anymore, then I can keep you safe.”

“Forgive me if I don’t think that that’s a reasonable excuse, Y/N.”

“I know it doesn’t make sense to anyone else, but it helps me feel better.”

“I miss you,” he said softly. “So damn much. I know we had that argument, and I’m sorry for that. But, I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Rob.”

“I will never understand then…”

You wanted to explain your reasoning to him. You wanted to make him understand. But, as if on cue, your handler interrupted, reminding you that you had to leave for photo ops.

You looked at Rob in frustration, now not even sure if you could make him understand. You had tried to reason with him already and he still didn’t get it.

“Can we just talk more about this later?” He asked. “Please?”

“There’s nothing else to talk about. I told you what happened. I promise Liam is being replaced soon.”

“That’s not what I mean, Y/N,” he replied.

Of course he wanted to discuss your break up. You knew that he wanted to reason with you, remind you that you had left him for a stupid reason and that you should probably just work it out like normal couples would. But, it was never about the little fight the two of you had. It had simply been about the realization that anyone who was close to you could also be in danger.

He knew that, but he wasn’t accepting that. Regardless, you didn’t want to discuss it further. You knew that you were weak for him and all it would take was spending time with him to make you cave. You couldn’t be with him right now. No matter how much you loved him, you refused to make him go through this with you.

“We’re done talking about this,” you said. “Excuse me. I have work to do.”

You moved past him to follow your handler out of the room, not even giving him a second glance even though you wanted to. It would never be easy to walk away from him, but you knew that you had to if it meant you were protecting him.

***

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i-write-shakespeare-not-disney · 7 years

Text

Roses are Red Ch. 2

(Click OP if read more link doesn’t show.)

Feedback is appreciated!!!

Click Here for Ch. 1

Relationships were weird. They start when two people agree. They end when one person decides. Of course, there's one person who felt more than the other. It was impossible for two people to be the same level of invested in each other.

Then there were the boundaries. Having to know in your heart when to say I love you. How did anyone do it when it was never certain the other person loved you back? How horrifying to confess the most ardent emotion in your soul only to have it shrugged off or unwanted.

How wonderful and miraculous for those who get to hear it said back.

There's more boundaries. When is it okay to touch where? When does a cuddle turn into a love filled night? Are they afraid?

What about their end? At one point does it stop being worth the struggle? At what point does one person just stop feeling so elated by the other? Where is that point where the emotion wanes?

And how, God how do people deal with the heartbreak? Of having the person who completes their mind and soul snatched away by Cupid’s anti-love arrow or a pair of wandering eyes or….

Or having never got the chance at all?

***

It had been a week since the night at the club. For the rest of the weekend Will had fussed over Nico, making sure he was feeling okay, forcing water down his throat because he had to stay hydrated and refused fatty foods or oily food because those weren't good for a stomach, and dammit the salad was much better for his health.

It would've made Nico feel lucky, hopeful even. If it hadn't been for those moments when Will zoned out and curled into himself as he typed away on his phone, his freckled cheeks dusted with a rosy blush, trying to suppress a smile. Nico wanted to know what the hell that guybwas saying to make Will fidget and blush in a way Nico never could. But he also didn't, for obvious reasons.

Will hadn't talked to him about Sebastian which was both unsettling and a relief. Will always talked to Nico about everything, from crushes, to embarrassing moments, to sexual endeavors (with others or himself, which Nico could never get out of his mind once they'd laughed off the awkward masturbation and fantasy stories). He told Nico everything.

So why was this different?

He waited the rest of the week, and while Will had his nose in his phone for most of it, he still didn't talk about it. Nico tried to tell himself it was a perfect sign that this guy didn't matter.

Then the next weekend came and Nico was hanging out with Will in the study room pretending to do homework.

“We should go to Denny’s tonight. Reward ourselves for studying so hard.” Will snorted and shook his head with a smile.

“Yeah, watching Friends is such a tiring study method.” Nico stuck his tongue out at him. “Actually I'm going out tonight,” he said softly. He looked shy and Nico reminded himself not to show any malcontent. “With Sebastian.”

“Oh. The dude from the club, right?” Will nodded, his cheeks turning bright red. “How old is he?”

“Twenty-two. He's taking me to dinner.” Nico hummed and nodded, plastering a smile on his face even though he wanted to break down.

“I didn't think it'd be serious. You haven't mentioned him.”

Will shrugged and chewed on his thumbnail. “I know, but… we've been texting all week and he's seems pretty….” He chuckled and bit his lip. “Amazing,” he breathed.

Nico snorted, but he could feel his heart falling apart. “I swear if you get all sappy,” he said lightly with a roll of his eyes. Four years of high school theater paid off. Like when he had to make his dad believe he liked girls. Or when he had to weasel his way out of detention for skipping class.

Or when he had to pretend he wasn’t at all hurt that guy he was head over heels for was swooning over someone else right in front of him.

Will chuckled and nudged him. He leaned against him and rested his head on Nico’s shoulder. His heart was hammering in his chest, chipping away further with each pound. “Aw, don't worry, Neeks. You know you'll always be my number one guy.”

Will wasn't looking at him, so Nico allowed himself to shut his eyes and clench his jaw in a pained expression for a second before leaning his head over Will’s. “If you say so, Freckles.” Will sighed and chuckled. “Just be careful, okay? I'll wear a wig and glasses and follow you if I have to. Just send a text saying Code Red and I'm there.”

Will’s musical laugh filled the study room as he threw his arms around Nico. God, he must be a masochist. That was the only thing that explained why Nico kept putting himself through this agony.

“You're the best, you know that?”

No I'm not. If I were you'd like me back.

Nico chuckled and hugged him back lightly before he pulled away. He wasn't sure what he'd do if this got serious. He could handle a few flings; he'd done it before. But Will had never been in a legitimate, long term relationship. Something in his gut told him that was going to change.

He didn't want to lose Will. He didn't want his feelings to cost him the most amazing friend he'd ever had. But he couldn't help the pain that coursed through him at the sole thought of having to see Will in someone else's arms every day. Of seeing him get flustered and fidgety over someone else.

“So, what are you going to wear?” he asked.

***

Once Will was ready, he stopped at Nico’s place. He'd told Sebastian to pick him up at the school. He wanted to get an idea of the guy before telling him where he lived, which Nico thought was smart.

He was pacing around in the living room and running his hand through his hair nervously. Watching him worriedly, Nico made a decision. If the date didn't go well, if by some miracle God was smiling down on him and Will came back not wanting to hear anything about this Sebastian guy, then Nico would tell him. Nico would sit him down, confess his feelings, and tell him that it was fine if he didn't like him back. He just couldn't keep pretending it didn't hurt.

Suddenly, Will was facing him, blue eyes wide with worry. “He's here. How do I look?”

Nico kept himself from being absolutely honest and making a fool of himself. Instead he smiled and put his hands on Will’s shoulders. “You look great. He'd be crazy to think otherwise. Remember if anything happens, I'll be there as soon as I can.” Will smiled gratefully and nodded. He scooped Nico into his arms, and Nico didn't hesitate to hug him back just as tightly.

“I'll let you know how it goes.” He smiled and left the apartment.

Nico took a breath and grabbed a his phone to order a pity pizza.

***

Will never had a problem with jitters. He was always certain enough of himself, and it always gave him the upper hand in his romantic endeavors. He just loved the spontaneity of dating. The different people, the different experiences that came from a single one. A movie date could go so many ways with different people, and Will felt that those experiences were important. Important in the sense that it allowed him to figure himself and his likes and dislikes out.

But this time…. This was definitely topping the list of new experiences. These jitters that made him quiet and bashful and giggly. He hated when people giggled, but he found himself doing that a lot when it came to Baz. It was in the way he looked at him.

Baz’s eyes made him feel like he was the only important thing in the room that night in the club. He was so confident, so forward, and Will had enjoyed it. But as the night neared its end, and Will had assumed the fling had as well, Baz had asked for his number. And as he pulled his phone out, he realized Nico was missing.

The panic that had filled him should've scared Baz off. When Will worried, he did it without reservation. He pulled every stranger aside asking for Nico, shoved past them in search of him, called his name loud enough to startle people.

Instead of being put off by it, Baz had pulled him aside, helped him take a deep breath, and reminded him cell phones existed. And while Will tried to contact Nico, he'd kept searching. That's when Will felt a shift. It wasn't a simple fling. He craved more.

And after a week of texting, flirting, phone calls just to make him laugh, Will had fallen hard.

Still, being face to face with him again left him giddy and so nervous he couldn't speak. Baz looked over at him and slipped his hand into Will’s. “You know, you have the edgy look, but you're absolutely adorable.” Will laughed and shook his head trying to reign his smile in. “Why so shy? You weren't like this when we first met.”

Will blushed and ran his free hand through his hair. “Yeah. I don't know. I don't know,” he giggled. “This is pretty new for me.”

Baz gave him a look and bit back his own smile. They parked at a restaurant Will didn't recognize. The engine was shut off and then Baz was looking at him with those pretty light brown eyes, not quite hazel. He rubbed his thumb along Will’s knuckles and smiled sweetly. “I’ve been dying to kiss you again since you drove off from the club,” he murmured. Will’s breath hitched. “Would that… be okay?”

Will gulped and nodded, eyes locked on Baz as he leaned in, his warm lips pressed against Will’s. Every part of him was tingling with excitement. Baz pulled back, and Will unconsciously moved forward to follow his lips, eyes taking fluttering open a few seconds later.

Baz smiled and ran his thumb along Will’s bottom lip. “You’re incredible, you know?” Will smiled dopily and opened his mouth to bite down on his thumb gently. He saw the change in his eyes, the flush of his face. And he loved it. He loved that it was because of him.

When they went into the restaurant, Baz interlocked their hands, and Will molded against him easily. They sat down and Will looked over the menu, smiling to himself as they played a subtle game of footsie under the table.

“Need help choosing?” Baz asked.

Will nodded and looked at him. “You’ve been here before. What do you suggest I get?”

“You don’t mind me choosing for you?”

Will hummed and shook his head. “I trust you,” he answered with a smile. Baz’s eyes softened, his smile sweet. It made Will’s heart stutter. “So?”

“I’ve got it,” he said with a smile. He set the menus aside and tore off a piece of bread that Will hadn’t bothered to try. It had a weird color, and Will didn’t trust any whole grain wheat bread. “Try this. It’s good, I promise.” Will grimaced and bit his lip. Baz laughed and took his hand. “You just said you trusted me. Come on.” He put the bread against his lips, insisting he open his mouth. Finally, Will opened his mouth with a roll of his eyes and Baz placed the bread on his tongue. He chewed it carefully, and Baz continued to smile at him like he was the most important person in the room and no one else mattered or even existed. “So?”

Will licked his lips and shrugged. “Okay, it wasn’t horrible,” he admitted. Baz laughed and leaned forward, drawn to Will as much as Will was drawn to him. The rest of dinner was filled with delicious food and light teasing and lots of questions.

Sebastian had a tough home life. His father had been an alcoholic who cheated on his mother countless times and it wasn’t until he’d left her for one of those women that they were free of the abuse he would bring down on them. His voice was so soft, his features, so pained that Will couldn’t bring himself to ask for details on what he meant by abuse. He just took his hand and kissed it lightly, shutting his eyes. Then he told him about his sister. He had a sister four years younger than him. His mom had passed away, so it was just them, and he really hoped he could introduce them sometime.

The comment had filled Will with jitters and butterflies. He was completely head over heels.

He was pretty independent, focusing more on taking care of his sister which Will admired. He admired a lot about Baz. His resilience, his efforts, the fact that he was still such a sweet, wonderful person despite the shitty past. He was incredible.

When he was done talking, Will told him a little about his life. About how his parents were divorced, but on good terms, so he was able to see them both often. How he loved being around people, but trusted very few. And he told him about Nico because that was his best friend and the person he confided in most.

He didn’t have any heroic stories or sacrifices, and he was worried he may have seemed superficial and spoiled, but Baz didn’t seem to think that. He listened just as raptly and sincerely.

They were there long after they’d finished eating, talking about anything and everything. Childhood stories, dreams and aspirations, their favorite music, their favorite television shows. And with each passing moment, Will hoped for more and more.

In fact, he wasn’t even aware of how much time had passed until they were alerted that the restaurant would be closing. Being with Baz felt timeless, and he’d never felt that on a date before. They paid the check and left the restaurant, walking leisurely.

“Can I be honest?” Will whispered, half-hoping the night would swallow his words. But Baz leaned into him and hummed. “I don’t want this date to end yet.”

Baz looked at him with an overjoyed smile and pulled him into a kiss. “Me either. I have an idea.” He took his hand and led him to the car then drove off, playing a modern radio station until they had circled into downtown and parked in a ten-story parking lot. They got out and Baz took him to the end of the parking lot, arms resting on the concrete ledge. Will could’ve sat on it without a fear of falling. So that’s exactly what he did.

And he realized why he’d been taken there. Every light in downtown was visible from there. Every set of headlights, every traffic light, the trees decorated in Christmas lights even though it was only early October. And the lights to every skyscraper, club, and restaurant with people rushing about.

He felt Baz’s breath at his ear. “Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing,” he whispered, leaning back against him. Baz’s arms wrapped around him and he was aware of the fact that Baz wasn’t looking at the view. He was looking at him. He felt the scarlet blush begin to fill his cheeks and he turned to him with a timid smile. “What?”

He didn’t answer. He leaned forward and kissed his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his lips. His hand caressed Will’s face with the softest touch he’d ever experienced. “Bless the clock that put us in the same place at the same time.” Will felt like he was melting.

He turned himself around completely, with Baz between his legs as he pulled him closer, kissing him slowly at first then with more fervor. Being with him… it just made Will more reckless than usual. Baz’s fingers tightened slightly around his arms, pulling him closer. Will wanted to make him feel good, wanted to make him want more just like Will did.

He dipped his head to kiss his neck, biting the way he knew Baz liked. He could hear his soft, rapid breaths in his ear, with an occasional suppressed moan. Will took his hand and led him to the buttons of his pants. He had forgotten where they were. He just knew he wanted to be with Baz.

“You can touch me if you want,” he whispered, his voice low.

Sebastian shut his eyes and let out a soft groan. “I do,” he murmured. “I want to touch every part of you.” Will pressed closer him, smiling. “But I don’t want to do this on our first date, Will.” He peeled himself from Will’s embrace and took his face in his hands. Will stared at him in shock. “Don’t look so surprised, baby,” he chuckled. “I’m just… let’s take this slow. Believe me, I want to. Fuck I want to,” he nearly growled. “But I want more dates. I want to know you more, talk to you more, and then….” He shrugged.

Will smirked and ran a finger along the base of his throat. “You’re trying to court me, Bastian,” he realized. “You’re quite the romantic, aren’t you?” He bit his lip and ducked his head, embarrassed. Will tilted his face back up and smiled. “You’re amazing,” he whispered.

Baz smiled and kissed him again, small kisses interrupted with soft laughter and smiles and endearing looks.

It wasn’t until Baz noticed Will’s sleepiness that he offered to drive him back. Still not wanting to give his address, he asked him to take him to campus. He knew he could stay with Nico there. Baz took him and before Will could get out of the car, he pulled him into another kiss.

It was slow and gentle, and it made Will dizzy. He smiled as Baz pulled away and opened his eyes slowly. “I look forward to our second date,” he whispered. Baz smiled at him and Will forced himself out of the car before he decided he’d rather spend the night kissing Sebastian than sleeping.

He went to the apartments on campus and walked up to Nico’s. He knew Nico usually left it unlocked despite the many times Will warned him against it. Just as expected, the door opened easily.

Will had planned to fall asleep on the couch without waking Nico. He knew Nico wouldn’t mind. Half the time that’s why he left the door unlocked. But when he walked in, he saw a half a pizza in a pizza box, three cans of soda, the television screen stuck on Netflix asking if Nico was “Still watching How to Get Away With Murder?”

Then, Nico’s sleeping form on his couch. He was splayed across it, his entire body relaxed except for his hand. That was clenched tightly around his phone, pressed close to his chest. Will wondered if he’d been waiting on him to call.

He walked over, shaking Nico gently. His eyes shot open and he gasped, but Will shushed him. “Hey, Sleepyhead.” Nico groaned and wiped his eyes. “You should get to your bed.”

“What time is it?”

“I don’t know like 3:30?” he answered. Nico blinked in surprise, shutting his eyes tiredly. “Come on, you want me to carry you to your bed or something?”

“No,” he yawned. He sat up and rubbed his neck. “I take it your date went well then.”

Will smiled and nodded. “It was wonderful.”

Nico gave him a sleepy smile and nodded. “Glad to hear. You can heat up the pizza or just leave it, I’ll toss it in the morning. Goodnight.”

Will nodded and grabbed two slices, scarfing them down at the same time as he looked for the blankets Nico usually had set aside for times Will stayed over. He shut off the TV, wrapped himself in blankets, and sighed in content as he drifted to sleep with the ghost of Baz’s lips on his own.

Click Here for Ch. 3

#solangelo #au

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fuck-customers · 7 years

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THE CUSTOMER. COMES. FIRST.

I work at a grocery store and was scheduled to attend self scan when I got this older middle aged maggot of a woman who lives in a perpetual state of wanting to feel wronged and offended. You know the type.

I was standing at my podium when a coworker walking by said something to me. I turned my head to reply and in the 5 seconds that took, this woman got all outraged that I didn't immediately notice she needed help. At least I assume that's what happened, because she did this super exaggerated wave coupled with a sarcastic "HelloooOOooOoo!!!!!" to get my attention. It was so over the top, you'd think she'd been having trouble getting my attention for 5 minutes. Also if you need help there's a button you can press that summons me over and it's harder for me to miss than you silently glaring at me or w/e it was she was originally doing to try to get my attention.

I went over and she was immediately like "How are you?" in this incredibly passive aggressive and almost accusatory tone. It was weird. I think she was angry at me for talking to my coworker for what was literally like 5 seconds? I could tell she wanted me to respond rudely so she'd have an excuse to flip out. I didn't take the bait and responded "I'm good! How are you?" Disappointed, she didn't bother to respond before jumping into the issue she was having. Basically, she just needed to scan a coupon, drop it in the slot, and then press the continue button. idk why she couldn't figure out how to do this herself, especially seeing as the machine was issuing directions, but I guess that's what I'm there for as far as she's concerned.

Problem solved, I went back to my podium. Then I had a different customer who needed help with something. As I was helping him one of the scan it gun alarms went off. At my store we have these scan it guns customers can use to scan their groceries as they shop, bagging as they go and then using the gun to pull their order up at a register or self scan machine. Customers get the guns from one of two charging racks on either end of the store but naturally they can't be bothered to actually return them to the rack despite the fact that they're located next to the doors that they exit through, BUT WHATEVER. So basically, self scan is located next to a charging rack and all the charging stations on that one are kept full by me but I can't run to the other end of the store every time a customer leaves one of the guns behind, so as I collect them off the machines I just put them in a hand basket. When someone comes round to do baskets they grab the basket of guns and put them in the other charging rack.

The guns are designed to go into an alarm mode if they're carried past the doors to prevent theft or being forgotten in carts. The only way to get the alarm to stop is to place the gun in a charging station. The alarm is LOUD and incredibly annoying by design. Whenever one goes off customers whip their heads around because they think someone's stealing or something. So needless to say, when a gun goes off dealing with it becomes a bit of a priority. It's disruptive, headache inducing, etc. For some unknown reason, a gun can randomly go off even if it's nowhere near the door. It happens maybe once a week.

That's what happened on this occasion. The customer I was currently helping was like "WOAH what IS that?" because it's so loud and annoying. I explained as I finished fixing his issue and then went to grab the gun to place it in the charging rack. The rack was full but fortunately there was a customer there about to get one and a spot would be freed up. So I was standing behind that gentleman, waiting on him, when I heard the woman from before trying to get my attention, her tone none improved. It was the same weirdly aggressive, overly exaggerated shouting, like "HELLLOOO I NEED HELP OVER HERRREEEE!!!"

I ignored her. I could have turned around and motioned that I'd be right with her or whatever, and for any other decent customer I would have, but not this woman. Like, anyone could see that I was clearly dealing with something and the alarm was loud enough to lend plausibility that I couldn't hear her. It was also only going to take like 10 seconds so I figured she could suffer the great injustice of having to wait. I was wrong. She came stomping over, furious, telling me that she needed help. I told her I'd be right with her once I put the ear splitting alarm emitting gun in the rack. She stomped back to the machine.

When I went over, she was PISSED. I can't even remember what the issue was this second time, but it was another simple fix. She demanded my name despite the fact that we wear very prominent name tags. I kept my tone light, acting like I was unaware of how angry she was. I think this made her angrier, lol. I told her my first name and she was like "[FIRST NAME] WHAT?" I wasn't about to give this woman my last name so I told her I was the only person with my name working at the store which seemed good enough for her, because then she moved on to being like "I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER. WHO'S YOUR MANAGER?" I gestured out over the front end and told her anyone wearing a certain color uniform shirt, which is half true. Our supervisors and the front end manager all wear the same color shirt but the managers above that don't wear uniforms, they wear business casual. But I wasn't going to be like "Oh, today it's Rick~ Let me go fetch him for you~" Like, if this blight of a woman wanted to go complain about me she could do the legwork herself. I wasn't about to do her any favors, lol.

She paid and then stomped off to the customer service desk, where she encountered Diana. Now, none of the supervisors really take customer complaints seriously but Diana gives ZERO FUCKS. She has a policy that customer complaints stay with her. Unless the customer asks to speak to a manager above her and complains to them personally, no one higher up than her ever hears the complaint. She knows customers are full of shit 99% of the time. So she probably nodded and was like "Oh no! She made you wait 10 seconds? I'll have a word with her right away!" without actually caring.

I don't think the woman was totally convinced because on her way out she stopped by self scan to scold me herself. I can't even accurately describe her tone, but it had me half laughing at how outraged she was. She was like "[FIRST NAME]! THE CUSTOMER. COMES. FIRST." I told her there was an alarm going off that I couldn't just ignore. I think she was kind of caught off guard that I defended myself because she had the lamest response ever, which was something like "I! DON'T! CARE! NO ONE COULD HEAR IT BUT YOU!!!" Which was obviously untrue, lol. Like, no one misses that alarm unless they're hard of hearing or deaf. I don't think she was either, she just didn't know how to respond to logic.

Clearly she's incapable of realizing that she's not the only customer in a store and that most customers don't appreciate loud obnoxious alarms when they're trying to shop and speak to their cashier. I was putting the well being of the ENTIRE store first, requiring her to wait what amounted to SECONDS. I don't think I've ever encountered a more impatient and entitled customer before. Reading back on this story I don't think I'm really accurately capturing just how angry she was. She was livid. If she had the ability to fire me, I'm sure she would have. The way she was behaving was absurd.

Also kind of funny to note is that the first time I went over to help her there was a man with her who I assume is her husband. He disappeared as soon as she started freaking out, probably too embarrassed to stick around. And I realize the absurdity of all of this makes it sound like a fake story. You might already have thought to yourself "Okay, OP totally changed minutes to seconds to make them sound more sympathetic. They were probably talking to their coworker for a long time and ignoring the customer that needed help or they're leaving out some other really important detail" but no, it was literally seconds and I'm not leaving anything out. This woman became enraged because she had to wait literal SECONDS for my help, which she wouldn't have even needed in the first place if not for her own incompetency and incapability to follow simple directions.

I was actually really angry about this for like 24 hours after it happened. She was so abusive and outrageous. The way she used knowing my name as part of her power trip kind of grosses me out. Like ngl, I've done some stupid ACTUAL complaint worthy shit while working and have legitimately screwed up before without anyone complaining about me. So the one time someone DOES complain about me, it's over something totally petty? It's ridiculous. But I'm starting to find the humor in it.

This woman needs to get a grip and/or therapy for her anger issues. I bet she does this type of shit everywhere she goes with her husband noping out immediately and disappearing to the car.

#submissions #fuck customers #cashier problems #submission

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jackleveledup · 7 years

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Game of the Year 2016: The Very Good Games

Don't call it a top ten! Well...you can think of this as basically the bottom part of my top ten, except without the numbers, the ordering, or the hard limit on how many games I can talk about. I guess I don't care much about the difference between what's #6 and what's #7. I do care about ranking the very best, though, so if you are into lists my top three is coming soon!

Titanfall 2

The existence of Titanfall 2 is miraculous: it's the smoothest first-person movement of all time alongside a painstaking single player campaign. The combination of flavors that fill its gameplay is like peanut butter and chocolate: you alternate from frantic sprinting, wallrunning, and double-jumping, into a massive robot with hefty movement, powerful weaponry, and cooldown-based decision making. It's designed throughout for tiny moments of bliss: flinging yourself from building to building, launching hundreds of rockets from your Titan, narrow escapes, and outplaying your enemies through planning and execution.

After my massive falling out with Halo, I didn't think I'd ever feel the same about a competitive FPS, but holy god was I ever wrong. I've already hit the level cap twice and have zero intention of slowing down. There's been talk that it's been underperforming in sales, which is tragic, because from where I'm sitting this is one of the best first person shooters ever.

Pokemon Sun / Moon

As a lifelong Pokemon fan, I think it's fair for me to say that it's been a long time since Pokemon has been this good. While it has its issues (hello reinforcements, hello new Pokemon being rare), the things that I loved about Sun and Moon are far more prevalent. The Alolan Pokemon designs are universally great, the characters are surprisingly well-expressed, and exploring Alola felt like a true escape from the tension and hatred rearing its head this year.

My favorite thing about Sun and Moon, though, is easily the villains. There's Gladion, the coolest rival in the whole series. There's Team Skull, the most hilarious villains to show up in a game since Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon. And then there's [pretend that a spoilery name is written here], the craziest anime-nonsense supervillain of 2016.

If you've been sleeping on Pokemon for a while, make this your road back in.

Mystic Messenger

Mystic Messenger is an otome dating sim that invades your life. From a mechanical perspective, there's not much going on - you sit in chat rooms, make dialog choices, and respond to text messages from a group of young, stylish anime guys (and one girl!). The twist to all of this is so obvious that it makes you wonder why it hasn't been attempted in the genre before: everything happens in real time. Certain characters are more active late at night, others early in the morning, and if you want to win them over, you'll have to find a way to make real-world time for them.

Getting fake texts from fake game characters honestly felt like magic. Mystic Messenger perfectly captures the sense of pleasant surprise I feel when I get text messages from real people. For a few weeks, it was almost like I had a brand new group of friends to hang out with online all day. It's especially exciting to see this kind of innovation come from a mobile game, too. Mystic Messenger is a non-conventional game made for an atypical video game audience, and developer Cheritz killed it.

Oxenfree

I'm kind of a sucker for supernatural thrillers, so Oxenfree had me hooked early on with its intriguing setting, soft visuals, and believable vocal performances. What ended up standing out to me, though, wasn't even the plot, it was just the game's many ordinary conversations. It's an adventure game about five teenagers going camping, so there's a good amount of chatter between characters of varying levels of friendship. You participate in conversations by making dialog choices, but Oxenfree differentiates itself by emphasizing when you push a button. Your character immediately starts talking after you make a choice, even if that forces you to cut someone else off. Sometimes when the pressure's on, you might not be able to decide what to say in the appropriate time, and other characters will react to your silence. Along with some exceptional writing, this highly flexible system props up each character and makes them feel authentic.

At around 5 or 6 hours it's not an especially long game, but it held my attention strongly enough that I nearly finished it in in a single night. Given how many games I tend to juggle, that has to count for something!

Salt & Sanctuary

Is it possible to screw up a combination of Dark Souls and Castlevania? I'm sure with time someone will find a way to prove me wrong, but with Salt & Sanctuary as my only evidence, it seems like the perfect recipe. I played the entire game alongside my brother, and I couldn't recommend the experience more to co-op players. Between platforming puzzles, vast 2D exploration, and Souls-style bosses, there's a wholesome variety to all of the game's challenges. And unlike the Souls series, I feel that S&S is short enough and provides enough build diversity that it's both practical and rewarding to play through more than once.

World of Final Fantasy

If I had an award for "Best Localization," World of Final Fantasy would take it hand over fist. This game's writing is so well-done, its voice acting so well-delivered, that it managed to make me laugh out loud with the words "what the honk."

WoFF is an addictive, briskly paced RPG with more than just nods to classic Final Fantasy, but some strong characters of its own, too. Main leads Lann & Reynn are legitimately funny together - I don't make a habit of expecting much from Tetsuya Nomura Teenagers™, but their chemistry turns a solid monster collecting RPG into a great game all its own.

Doom

I didn't think I would be convinced to play an extremely violent, gorey game about demon massacre (I'm kinda' squeamish, to be honest), but Doom was just that good. It's been pretty much a decade since an FPS has been anything other than a gun-toting romp through set pieces, and while Doom is certainly romp-worthy, its gameplay is a different type of beast. The intentional balance of low HP and high movement speed forces you out from behind cover and into the fray. This "never stop moving, never stop shooting" ethos works incredibly well with the game's vast arsenal and numerous weapon mods. Doom takes all the right lessons from both classic shooters and modern shooters alike and turns them into a path forward for an often stagnant genre.

Ratchet & Clank

There's something pure in R&C that felt so noticeably absent from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Games were so overwhelmingly serious back then! Even games like Portal that focused on comedy had to work so hard in a narrative sense to make those ends meet. Ratchet, though, just is what it is. You run and you jump across platforms, and you feel satisfied. You shoot the guys, you club a box with your wrench, and an explosion of gears and screws pour out. That's all there is to it, and that's all I really needed.

If the Xbox 360 and PS3 era proved games could accomplish more than just fun, then Ratchet and Clank is a game that proves that plain and simple fun is a goal still worth pursuing.

#game of the year #goty2016

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placetobenation · 6 years

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As many of you are aware, WWE Network is pretty packed with all sorts of content. And as you may also know, we here at Place to Be Nation love long term, in depth projects. So, as part of this initiative, members of the PTBN Staff are choosing programs at random and after watching each program, they will share their thoughts, notes and recommendations with our readers. So, settle in and enjoy this epic ride through wrestling history!

Roddy Piper’s Greatest Hits

Run Time: 98 Minutes

Why Jacob Why???:

BECAUSE JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHICH SHOW I’M GONNA PICK, I CHANGE THE ANSWERS

I figured if we were going to go on this Network voyage, there’s no better way than to start with one of the earlier tapes, especially one focused on such an icon. Along with that, I knew this would give us a nice mix of matches, promos, and random segments, even if they all center around one guy.

Best Segment

Breaking down barriers since 1984!

Aaron George: Bob Orton going for a checkup on his much maligned arm. I hold no pretensions that Doc Stevens is in any way a licensed physician, but when he was introduced as the resident TNT Doctor I was already in stitches. Straight man Vince is incredulous that Orton’s arm hasn’t healed yet and Piper’s conviction in the face of Bob’s “Your arm is fine” diagnosis is wonderful. Special points to the “doctor” too who incredulously wondered aloud that the arm should be stronger by now.

Brian Bayless: The Piper’s Pit segment with Jimmy Snuka is one of the most memorable segments in wrestling history and with good reason. This never dragged and was explosive and shocking as anything shown on WWF TV at that point.

Jacob Williams: I have to go with the Mid City Health Club meditation session, just for the pure goofiness. I’m a sucker for these early to mid 80s campy vignettes. I love it all–from Ace as the PR rep to Orndorff’s hot pants, to Piper hissing at Gene. Everyone takes the entire premise so serious, and it makes it that much better. To top it off, they beat up some random guy on the street, which actually feels real and gritty. The entire crew just completely sells themselves as some weirdo transgressive tough guys.

Calum McDougall: Tuesday Night Titans with Piper and Bob Orton visiting the doctor. I though the middle of the tape dragged on a bit due to the lack of matches, but this was the highlight of the long talking segment section of the tape. Piper’s mannerisms from the start were outstanding, giving Orton nervous glances throughout and his interactions with the doctor and Vince were fantastic.He had an answer for everything that was thrown at him, and when all else failed he just started quacking at the doctor to end the segment. Excellent stuff.

Dave Hall: Piper’s Pit with special guest: Roddy Piper. This segment was hilarious. I really loved the smooth editing that made it seem like a genuine interview. Piper’s comments were awesome, and very ahead of their time. It was full of one liners from start to finish, from “I had Andre on. I brought him a Johnny brush to brush his teeth”, to “When I shoot a gun, someone gets pregnant”. It seems only fitting that Piper’s greatest guest would be himself, and he really pushed boundaries with this segment. Piper at his very best.

Best Match

You did WHAT to Andre the giant???

Aaron George: The problem with this set is there isn’t a match that has anything resembling a proper finish. The one that stood out for me was Piper and Dr. Death against Andre The Giant and Snuka. It was super interesting to not only watch Andre carry the babyface segments of a tag match, but then to see him beaten bloody by Piper and experience him in legitimate peril was tons of fun. The image of Roddy Piper sitting on the top turnbuckle covered in Andre’s 1.7 BAC blood is a perfect snapshot of the character. Sure Andre comes back later and they do the fuck finish but for every second Hot Rod is in the ring the crowd is LIVID!

Brian Bayless: The final match on the card, Piper & Orton vs. Snuka & Tonga Kid, was a lot of fun. The crowd went crazy and it was a chaotic match with lots of brawling.

Jacob Williams: This was tough because the Hogan match had so much heat, but I have to go with the Andre tag. It told a better story, and the reaction when Andre comes out with the bandage is breathtaking. Piper looks like such a warrior with the Giant’s blood smeared on him. I wasn’t very hyper aware of this feud between Piper and Andre. This was excellent.

Calum McDougall: Piper & David Schultz vs. Andre The Giant and Jimmy Snuka. I thought this match was a lot of fun. It was good to see and Andre match when he could still go at a good level, and I lost it when he did a drop down. Admittedly, it’s not the most athletic of maneuvers but it was amazing to see Andre do it given that most of the matches of his I’ve seen are post-WrestleMania III, when he’s really broken down. I loved the ending with the bloodbath, then transitioning into the handicap match only for Andre to come back out. The heat that was on Piper and Schultz was unreal, and the visual of Hot Rod sitting on the top rope covered almost head to toe in Andre’s blood was the best shot of the whole video.

Dave Hall: Roddy Piper vs The Tonga Kid. There are lots of really great matches on this presentation, and one could argue that the Piper vs Hogan match at War to Settle the Score could be the best, but I really enjoyed the Piper vs Tonga Kid match. This match surprised me with it’s quick offense and the heat that it had. Piper calling for the time out and then selling a ton for Tonga Kid really made it seem that Tonga Kid was a genuine threat to win. The interference from Jimmy Snuka and Bob Orton did not detract from the match, and really added to the heat. A really enjoyable match.

Most Cringeworthy Moment

Explain your actions you fat, bald-headed little oaf.

Aaron George: Any time Hot Rod spouts off “Just when they think they’ve got all the answers, I change the questions.” It never made any sense in context to what he was doing and it’s just lame. I know we’re supposed to revere it as a classic Piper line but to me it always sounded forced and was a weak spot in an otherwise strong promo game.

Brian Bayless: Gene Okerlund, who did the introduction to this video, listed Piper as 6’3 and 252 lbs. Even in pro wrestling where size is exaggerated it was ridiculous.

Jacob Williams: Frank Williams attempted to speak into a microphone, and it was a complete disaster.

Calum McDougall: Piper’s Pit with Jimmy Snuka. Well, this hasn’t aged well has it? I completely understand that this is a legendary and memorable segment, given that its between two Hall of Famers. Snuka was one of the most popular men in the company at the time, and Piper was quite possibly the most hated man in the WWF. In 1985, it’s a licence to print money. In 2018 however, its uncomfortable viewing, with Pipers taunting in the run up to the coconut shot, right up until the end where he is whipping Snuka within an inch of his life. It’s easy to see why the would only show the coconut attack in more recent clips. It was a different time, but this is certainly not a 2018 segment.

Dave Hall: Everything involving Mean Gene Okerlund. With so much quality stuff on this presentation, I was really disappointed with Mean Gene’s introduction, and his linking statements throughout. The intro was really cringe worthy, as he bagged out Piper and almost made it feel like anyone who had “purchased the video” was a loser for doing so. His negativity is understandable, but after seeing how enjoyable the whole thing was, it ended up looking really stupid.

Funniest Line/Moment

Have you ever heard of a Kiss song called Love Gun?

Aaron George: During an episode of TNT Vince grills Roddy as to why he didn’t let Jimmy Snuka speak before cracking the coconut on his head; Hot Rod loses it and screams something to the effect of “I DID BUT HE JUST SAT THERE LIKE A BUMBLING IDIOT LIKE THIS GUY!!!” He then points to a dour Lord Alfred Hayes, sitting there with his hands crossed, decked out in a pompadour suit refusing to say a word at the obvious truths Piper was spewing; a look of sadness overcomes his face quickly hidden behind a false smile and a shame-filled stiff upper lip.

Brian Bayless: Piper quacking as the doctor on TNT said that Bob Orton’s arm was fine cracked me up. Also, Orton beating up a guy on the street after Okerlund was kicked out of Piper & Paul Orndorff’s private training session for their WrestleMania match was classic.

Jacob Williams:Piper hissing at the camera out of nowhere, and the ensuing shot of him hissing, is comedy gold.

Calum McDougall: Roddy quacking at the doctor at the end of the TNT segment above. Excellent stuff.

Dave Hall: In a tape full of actual greatest hits and moments, and multiple one-liners from Piper, the funniest line for me was when Piper looked at the cameras and said “When I shoot a gun, someone gets pregnant.” I laughed out loud and even replayed the line just to hear it again.

Highlights

Forgiveness or massive concussion?

Aaron George: Every single match had CRAZY crowd heat. Piper was clearly a master of the chaos filled match. His frenetic energy was incredible and if Michael Cole was calling his matches he would no-doubt be screaming lunatic fringe every ninety seconds. The promos were quite good and even something as hokey a concept as interviewing oneself is pulled off well by the Hot Scot. The meditation promo was great and had Piper and Orton not visited the doctor would have walked away with best segment. Every time Piper read a letter from someone’s family “i.e. Hogan’s mother writing him pleading to stop beating up her son,” was spectacular. Gloria Steinman was at the War To Settle The Score! I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the AMAZING Coliseum Video opening declaring that for 5000 years this bullshit has been going on, all the while the precursor to Hercules’ music blasts as we get shots of jobbers being murdered. Love T getting the shit beat out of him and adore Paul Orndorff screaming at Arnold Skaaland.

Brian Bayless: The matches featured all had a ton of crowd heat and the segments that focused on Andre the Giant, Jimmy Snuka,and Hulk Hogan were great. Plus, we saw the classic Pit segments with Jimmy Snuka and Frankie Williams.

Jacob Williams: It’s hard narrow it down when so much of this is made up such legendary matches and moments. I absolutely loved any interaction between Piper and Andre. Andre’s innate charisma compliments Piper’s manic energy well. Piper busting Andre open to show that he could back up his big mouth, then Andre stumbling back the ring with crude head bandage, was all so great.

Calum McDougall:

*Andre’s performance in the opening tag team match, as I said before, it was good to see a match before he starts to break down

* The red hot crowd when Snuka is on offence when the opening match transitions to handicap, what they’d do for a sustained reaction like that nowadays.

* The bagpipe entrance for the War to Settle The Score match, although I am legally obligated to say this.

Dave Hall: This whole tape is a bunch of genuine highlights. There is so much good stuff on here I don’t know where to start. Two things that did really stand out for me: the Piper’s Pit with Andre the Giant, and watching Andre lift Piper in the air by his shirt. Piper looked genuinely worried at that moment. Then we saw Andre totally sell an assault from Piper, including bleeding. It made Piper look like a total badass. I had never seen the War to Settle the Score before, and really enjoyed it. The Piper’s Pits were all great, and the Tonga Kid and Jimmy Snuka stuff was really entertaining.

Lowlights

Why no one care about my eyes no mo?

Aaron George: It would have been nice to have a match that had a proper finish, but I get the impression Piper didn’t have many of those. I don’t like Real American being dubbed over Eye of The Tiger but it doesn’t bother me nearly as much as Hulk Hogan slumming it with noted fat sloppy pig Lou Albano. Why on Earth does a guy named Frank Williams struggle so heartily with the English language?

Brian Bayless: For some reason there was an episode of Piper’s Pit that had Samu as the Tonga Kid. Samu had noticeably less charisma than the original Tonga Kid. The segment with Piper interviewing himself started off amusing enough but did run out of steam by the end.

Jacob Williams:Piper interviewing himself overstays its welcome a bit. The stuff with Samu was fine, but it didn’t match the intensity or epic feel of the other feuds covered on this tape.

Calum McDougall:

* The awful dub over of Real American. You could tell that the crowd was going crazy for the Hulkster but the dub job silences them, which took something off this match for me.

* Mean Gene and Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary, I didn’t enjoy this team at all.

* Tonga Kid mocking Piper’s kilt. (It’s not a skirt!!!!)

Dave Hall: In a tape filled with so much great stuff, I found the “Piper’s Workout” clips preparing for WrestleMania to be a little dull and drag a bit. Piper did very little in these segments, and Gene came off as a goof. This really could have been left off, especially as the WrestleMania main event is not covered on this presentation. The other lowlight to me was the layout of the presentation. They cover the Andre segments early 1984), jump to the War to Settle the Score (1985), and then go back to the Snuka/Tonga Kid stuff (1984 again). I think it would have been better if they had run the events and matches chronologically, and finished with the War to Settle the Score.

Wild Card BABY!!!

I’M YOUR MAN!!!

Liar Of The Night: Forgive me for a fucking second if I can’t picture Mr. T rocking out to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. If Mr. T can name ONE other Cyndi Lauper song I will eat a shit sandwich. He enjoys her music… PUH – LEASE – I wonder how many takes it took to get that line out. – AG

Best Tidbit: According to Piper, the coconut he used to hit Snuka was not gimmicked and Snuka himself was unaware he was going to be getting hit with anything of the fruits on the table. Piper even claimed that Snuka tried to go after him that night at the hotel. The segment was filmed on 3/28/84 in St. Louis but did not air until the 6/9/84 edition of “Championship Wrestling.” – BB

Excellence in Medical Practice Award: This one goes to Doc Stevens. No matter how much Piper yells and quacks at him, he never strays from calmly delivering his diagnosis. – JW

What’s The Point Award: Piper’s Pit with guest Roddy Piper. This should have been really good, and for 1985 technology this was impressive. But it didn’t go anywhere, was too long for me and by the end I was just baffled at the whole thing. A good idea on paper which just fell short on execution for me. – CM

Most Nosey: Gene Okerlund. If guys are meditating and hissing at you while sitting on the dirtiest floor I’ve ever seen stop asking questions at take your bald headed ass out of the Mid City Gym FOR MEN. He interrupts Orndorff as he attempts a sexy deadlift, he stops Piper from transitioning to snake. Get outta there you oaf! The guy who asked if Gene needed help deserved to get his ass beat. – AG

The Sympathy Award: On a tape with some of the biggest names in the history of wrestling—Piper, Hogan, Andre—we get a cameo from Frank Williams. Piper can destroy nearly anyone on the mic, so when he goes against poor Frank Williams in the Pit, I kind of just felt bad. Williams can barely utter a coherent sentence, and Piper just humiliates him. – JW

Again! What’s the point???: As I just mentioned, I felt that without any coverage of the WrestleMania main event there was little point in showing the workout video of Piper and Orndorff. It just added nothing to the presentation.

Most Random: Lou Thesz as special referee. When Mean Gene threw to this match and mentioned there was a special referee the last person I expected to see was Lou Thesz! Even more surprising is that they actually acknowledge him as a former World Champion. I’m assuming this is because Thesz was well known in the Minneapolis area where this match happened and they know him as a legendary champion (rightfully so) but this was a head scratcher nonetheless. – CM

Final Thoughts

Aaron George: This was a fun set but don’t go into it looking for some classic matches. Because of the lack of variety in the programming of it I found myself struggling to get through it. Still there’s some classic MOMENTS, and after watching you couldn’t ever argue that Piper wasn’t one thousand percent effective in the ring. RATING: 6/10

Brian Bayless: Piper was arguably the best heel in all of wrestling from 1984-85 and this tape did a great job of capturing everything that made him great. Sure, the matches themselves were not masterpieces but you saw a lot of crowds going wild to go along with many memorable segments and interviews. One of the best Coliseum Home Video releases you can get. RATING: 8/10

Jacob Williams: Every match on here felt so epic and meaningful. You had guys who were insanely over coupled with crowds that are just buying into absolutely everything that’s happening. I know there wasn’t much variety, but it was amazing to watch a snapshot of a guy firing on all cylinders in his prime right as the WWF was catching fire. RATING: 8/10

Calum McDougall: The tape started off hot, with opening tag and the Hogan MTV match but it took a nosedive with the long section in the middle. That being said, I still thought it was a decent video, due to the good stuff being great. RATING:4/10

Dave Hall: What a way to start the reboot of the Network Adventure. This was awesome. Knowing the history of the Colliseum Home Video stuff, I was really worried there would be a lot of crap mixed in with some good stuff. But this was great moment after great moment. The matches all had heat and moved well, and really showcased Piper’s ability in the ring to make his opponent look good. The Piper’s Pit were all memorable ones, you have the classic Bob Orton and Piper visiting the doctor, which was really fun, and then you have Piper interviewing himself which was simply brilliant. While Mean Gene may have mocked the title at the start of the presentation, never has the phrase “Greatest Hits” ever been more warranted. RATING: 10/10

And we are out! Where will the Network Adventure travel to? Which Coliseum will be conquered next? Which of these assholes will quit the project in an indignant rage??? Find out in TWO WEEKS!

Reg?

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

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