#but it was oddly cathartic so i call it a win | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yunatheintrovert · 3 years

Text

that one time in Kandahar | Bell/Belikov Soviet-Afghan War AU one-shot

You sighed, staring down at the many empty shot glasses of vodka in front of you. His presence against you was a comforting, familiar one as you leaned against him with your legs touching his. Your vision blurred ever so often under the flickering lamps hanging over the bar.

The flames erupting from one shot of vodka set alight by the enthusiastic Afghan bartender blurred into the scorching flames greedily consuming the wreckage of the armored APC downed by the dushmani.

That was one you and your unit hadn’t been able to save.

And then there was the news when you got back.

Another Mi-24 gunship on a convoy escort mission had been shot down over the Hindu Kush mountains, a region your unit would soon be moved to patrol over. The crew of the crashed gunship hadn’t survived. The pilot opted to pull the pin of his one grenade over the possibility of capture.

You couldn’t blame him.

Blinking away the orange blurs in your vision, you sighed once more. Routine missions like that could easily go so wrong. All it took was one lucky shot by the dushmani with their accursed Stingers the Americans handed out like candy-

Resting your head against his shoulder, you glanced up at your companion.

If it came down to it, you preferred to go out in the initial fiery impact of the crash. Still, that was selfish...

“Please don’t die,” you murmured before leaning closer-

Warm chapped lips brushed against your own with the familiar scent of vodka and aviation kerosene greeting you like an old friend-

You blinked, staring up into those gunmetal blue eyes.

Like an old friend, the words echoed in your mind.

You vaguely heard the sound of breath hitching in surprise.

The vodka, you distantly thought while you pulled away from him, was really helpful.

Even in the cool Afghan air of Kandahar, your cheeks heated as did your lips oddly enough.

It was the vodka.

Before you could stumble over an apology, Dimitri abruptly pulled away from you, suddenly calling out for another round of vodka. You stared at the tan fabric of his Afghanka winter coat as his back faced you.

You only meant to give him a kiss on the cheek.

...And was the kiss really that bad for him?

“Sorry, Mitya,” you murmured before looking back down at your shot glass dejectedly-

“ДА!” Charkov suddenly exclaimed beside you, shaking his fist in the air, “You hear that, Gusev? I won the bet! I told you it would happen before Kabul. You owe me seven packs of Marlboros, my friend-”

“Nyet, nyet!” Gusev vehemently denied, leaning forward against the wooden counter of the bar. He slammed his shot glass down, “It was one-sided. It does not count!”

You dazedly glanced between the two, only registering the word “one-sided” with a wince. Dejectedly, you looked down once more. You didn’t mean to ruin the night for Mitya and yourself…

“Comrade,” Charkov suddenly said lowly, grasping the Mi-24 gunner’s shoulder as he leaned closer with a smile befitting that of a zampolit, “We made no such rule.”

Gusev gulped before nervously laughing, “But you know my friend...There are other fish in the sea for young Bell there. Like that Spetsnaz captain-”

You didn’t know what exactly happened right then and there. One moment, Gusev was looking up at Charkov with a placating smile, the next, his face suddenly paled as Charkov stared down at him.

You blinked.

Before you could ask if the caviar went down wrong for Gusev, he hastily looked away, laughing once more.

“Ah, b-but you know, perhaps I was mistaken. Sometimes, couples are just fated to be with one another-”

________________________________________________________________

The exposed gray ventilation above you on the safehouse’s ceiling came into focus as you stared up at it. Rain pelted the roof above you in a distinct pitter-patter, yet you could still register the cheery sounds of drunken soldiers talking amongst themselves and that one enthusiastic soldier exclaiming about him winning those Marlboros.

You blinked, dazedly brushing fingers over your warm lips.

The smell of vodka, aviation kerosene, and Afghan dust still lingered in the air like an old friend.

What a vivid dream, you thought sleepily. And an odd one at that.

Along with other soldiers, Belikov was in it and you had-

You had kissed him.

Kicking away the thread-bare sheets at your feet, you sighed and rubbed the back of your suddenly warm neck.

Someone must have turned up the thermostat.

It really was an odd dream.

Shaking your head, you laid back down onto the sheets only to find yourself staring up restlessly at the ceiling moments later. Hollowness ironically filled your chest in a vague sense of loss- no longing. Distantly, you brought a hand up to your aching chest right where your heart was and grasped the fabric of your shirt there.

Why, you thought slowly, do I mourn a dream.

There really was no point.

Dreams weren’t even real.

Yet you never did get any more sleep that night.

________________________________________________________________

You leaned your head against your hand, staring longingly at the pot of coffee brewing at the corner. The familiar sound of the boiling dark brew already woke up slightly.

Usually, Sims or Lazar would make the coffee in the morning. But you hadn’t gotten any sleep and woke up at 0400 hours to make coffee.

Now that you thought of it, ever since you came to the safehouse with Adler, you had been rather sleepy... But this was different. Just a restless night that came with an oddly vivid dream, you asserted.

Yawning, you perked up at the sound of footsteps behind you.

“...Good morning,” you said sleepily.

“Доброе утро, my friend,” an all too familiar accented voice greeted in turn. You blinked, jolting awake ever so slightly at the sound of his voice.

Quickly, you went back to staring at the brewing coffee pot by the corner and gestured to it with one hand, “I, uh, made some coffee.” you said rather lamely. Words seemed to fail you in the early unholy hours of 0400.

You heard Belikov take a seat beside you. Hearing the timer beep and the boiling come to a low, you perked up and walked over to the coffee pot. You glanced back at your companion questioningly. You heard coffee wasn’t generally consumed in the Soviet Union…

Belikov nodded with a smile.

You awkwardly smiled back and grabbed the paper cups in the corner, pouring you both a cup of the dark brew. Hopefully, he was okay with drinking coffee black. The safehouse ran out of sugar and cream yesterday and Lazar was up for grocery runs…

Setting back into your seat with coffee in hand, you sighed, enjoying the familiar aroma of caffeine. A silence settled in the air as the rain pelted the windows outside. There was a storm system rolling through the Berlin metropolitan area according to the weather forecast...

“Did you sleep alright?” the Russian suddenly asked, his voice filled with friendly concern. You bit your lip guiltily. Belikov was always so friendly and nice, asking about your wellbeing. Only Lazar ever really did that before. And to think you had that weird dream about Belikov when he was this considerate…

“I-I’m fine,” you asserted, “I just had this weird dream-”

Deep down, you knew better than to start explaining that dream to him. But if you left that brief kiss part out, maybe it’d be cathartic and you could move on from it.

Like giving a confession, you thought sleepily.

4am thoughts really were the best.

“-where we were both getting drunk in this bar in Kandahar. And there were soldiers around us drinking vodka as well. And one soldier kept on exclaiming about him winning packs of Marlboros for some reason…” you rambled on, feeling the guilty weight off your chest lessen.

Suddenly, you heard Belikov choke on his coffee.

“Are you okay, Mitya?!”

You worriedly patted his back, hearing him cough even more. After a few tense moments of coughing, he settled down. You opened your mouth to ask if he was alright, only to be interrupted when gunmetal blue eyes suddenly stared at you with an unfamiliar intensity.

“Ты помнишь? Это я, Митя.”

________________________________________________________________

Author’s Note: I debated on whether or not to post this since this is probably a rather confusing AU to read.

Basically, this is an AU in which Bell and Belikov serve together as Mi-24D pilots in the same helicopter assault unit during the Soviet-Afghan War. The overall timeline of cod cold war is shifted more than several years since the Soviet-Afghan War really started happening in the 1980s. Also, I'm leaving things vague but things happened in between Bell and Belikov's service in Afghanistan and the events of the campaign that made Bell have amnesia. So Bell doesn't remember her close past with Belikov.

On a side note...this is why I don't write kiss scenes. I'm horrible with writing them XD. Although to be fair, this was kinda meant to not be really romantic cause Bell's drunk haha.

Well, I hope this was tolerable to read. Thanks for reading!

15 notes · View notes

rachelbethhines · 4 years

Text

Digimon Adventure Shipping Masterpost - Part 2

Part 1

Sora x Izzy (Kora)

Pros:They’re both the most level headed of the group and there’s relatively little drama between them. So if you want something sweet and cute that’s stress free, then this could do ya. There’s also the added bonus of breaking up the Tai/Sora/Matt triangle.

Cons: They’re also kind of boring. They don’t play off one another in any interesting way. They’re just generally nice to each other and can work together as a team, and that’s about it. They also rarely interact outside of the group.

Personal Ranking (5/10) Eh..I can see it working and I don’t mind it as a refreshing break from the drama, but there are more interesting ships out there for them.

Sora x Mimi (Mira)

Pros: These two were the only two girls on the team for a long while, so naturally they spent a lot of time together on screen. They’re best friends, and therefore a lesbian’s dream team of a pairing. They got that opposites attract vibe, they’re relatively drama free, and they’re still other girls on the team that they interact with so it’s not like we’re losing the only female friendship on the show if you ship them.

Cons: Mimi is largely absent in 02, so we get less interaction between them than other Adventure characters. Also, while there are other female friendships none are quite as close as these two and so you may prefer them as platonic.

Personal Ranking (6/10) Like with Kora, I can see them working, and I do indeed like Mimi-centric ships a lot, but I kind of prefer them as a friends since for the longest time they were the only female friendship on the show; back when I was first watching.

Sora x Joe (Joura)

Pros: These two spend a lot of time together in Adventure. There’s lot of one on one interaction for them up episodes for them. They work well as a team, while still being different enough to make for an interesting interactions. Also if you have the love triangle, Joe and Sora are seen suspiciously close together during the epilogue.

Cons: Sora is in a canon ship already, if that matters to you. Plus Joe may not be your favorite, as he’s pretty decisive. Then there’s the fact that he and Sora do bump heads more so than Sora does with anyone else. It’s like a tei between Tai and Joe over who can annoy Sora the most in season one.

Personal Ranking (7/10) This is my second favorite ship for Sora, but that’s probably because I just really like Joe a lot.

Sora x T.K. (Sokeru)

Pros: This ship is oddly popular in certain sections of the fandom. I’m guessing for the same reasons why Yamakari is liked. Sora is very protective of TK in season one. While their interactions do taper off after that point, they’re still seen hanging out together in 02 and Tri, at times.

Cons: Once again their interactions are limited to mostly group settingings. They also have the same age gap as all of the 02/Adventure pairings. Given how most of their moments are in season one where that age gap makes the most difference, there’s little to go on post Adventure.

Personal Ranking (4/10) Yeah, not enough interaction to sell this one for me.

Sora x Kari (Sokari)

Pros: More femslash options. They’re mostly drama free and are very similar in terms of personality. Also, when placed together they cancel out each other’s respective love triangles.

Cons: All of the same cons as Sokeru. Also they are very similar personality wise and so their dynamic may bore you.

Personal Ranking (3/10) Yeah, count me as one who finds them boring. Add in the age gap and lack of interaction and this ship is a no go for me.

Sora x Davis (Daiora)

Pros: It’s basically Taiora but without the triangle bullshit. Also Davis is very good for unrequited romance pairings.

Cons: Even less interaction than Sokeru or Sokari. The age gap is still present even though it doesn’t matter as much in 02.

Personal Ranking (5/10) I do really like Davis, and fanworks have shown that they make a cute pairing. But only as like a one sided crush thing, so their dynamic is limited.

Sora x Yolei (Soyako)

Pros: Much like with Taisuke and Yamasuke, Sora is in that mentor to friend role for Yolei, but with slightly less of an age gap. Also more femslash options, which are indeed rarer than the slash ones, just cause there are less girls than boys in this show, sadly.

Cons: They’re kind of Mimra light as yolie is very similar to Mimi in terms of personality. Also while they get some moments in 02, that ends as soon as we get to other seasons.

Personal Ranking (4/10) Meh...I’d rather just go with Mimra.

Sora x Cody (Sori)

Pros:On the one hand they so rarely interact that you can shape their relationship post Tri into being whatever you want it to be.

Cons: On the other hand they aren't ever seen together outside of the group and it’s only in 02 where their age difference would most matter.

Personal Ranking (2/10) I guess there’s a certain freedom in being able to take a relationship in any direction you want to without it being pure crack or non-canon. I just don't know why you would want to when there’s so many other options out there.

Sora x Ken (Kenora)

Pros: Uh... They both wind up in ridiculous careers that aren’t suited to them? They’re both shoved into canon relationships without proper build up for them? Wanna cause drama for drama sake with a cheating route?

Cons: Are these two even friends? Out of all of the 02 and Adventure characters these two probably get the least amount of interaction. At best I’d call them acquaintances who just so happen to have mutual friends.

Personal Ranking (3/10) All the same cons as all the other 02/Adventure ships but taken to the max. I only rank it higher Sori because there’s a slightly less age gap.

Sora x Jun (Junora)

Pros: With these two you can pull a Korra/Asami and cut Matt off at the knees. If you’re pissed at how 02 handled relationships this can be cathartic. It’s also a femslash option that winds up being very different in dynamics from the other yuri pairings in the show.

Cons: Jun knows of Sora’s existence, and they’ve shared scenes together. Yet they’ve never talked to one another, and I’m not sure if Sora even knows who she is. Then there’s the fact that Jun is very decisive in fandom.

Personal Ranking (7/10) I really like Jun. I also like the potential dynamic that her and Sora can have. I also like getting back at Matt after the way he treated Jun. So this ship is a win/win for me.

Sora x Meiko (Meiora)

Pros: Lots of interactions and shippy moments to work off of. It’s the ‘moe’ dynamic but made gay. Triangle drama free or increased triangle drama, take your pick.

Cons: Just like with Meichi and Meimato, how much you like this ship will depend on how much you like Meiko as a character. If you thought her annoying in Tri, you’ll no doubt be annoyed by this.

Personal Ranking (6/10) This is like Sokari but made good? Kari as she gets older becomes more Sora like and Sora as she gets older becomes more Kari like. But Mei remains the woobie/soft girl through out, so you get the protectiveness and lesbian interaction minus the awkward age gap.

Izzy x Mimi (Mishirou)

Pros: It’s ‘beauty and the geek’ but with an added twist. There’s some of those awkward crush moments in Tri if you like that, but mostly Izzy is very confident and assertive, just like Mimi. They tend to call out each other’s bullshit the most often. Also Mini is perhaps the second character Izzy hangs out with one on one the most besides Tai.

Cons: The crush in Tri comes out of almost nowhere and feels like pandering. Izzy never seemed to care for Mimi in that way before and indeed was annoyed with her more often than not. Then somewhere in the middle of Tri the crush was just completely dropped altogether without any resolvement one way or the other.

Personal Ranking (6/10) I’ve warmed up to it somewhat since Tri. There is a basis there, but it does feel very forced at times, and I don't get the overwhelming love for it. It’s merely ok at best.

Izzy x Joe (Jyoushirou)

Pros: Geek meets Nerd! That’s about it. If you really like these two characters then they work just about as well as any other ship in the show. There’s also the comedic elements to their interactions together to play off of. It also nips the Izzy/Mimi/Joe triangle in the bud.

Cons: They have more moments together than Sora and Izzy, but not more than say Joe and Matt. It’s brief comedic moments when we get them together and not many serious or deep interactions.

Personal Ranking (5/10) Eh..There’s a foundation there to build something off of, but for whatever reason it just doesn’t gel for me.

Izzy x T.K. (Takshirou)

Pros: They’re closer in age then some of the other 02/Adventure characters, and they do interact often in all three seasons.

Cons: Still most of those interactions are either plot related or group scenes. There’s not a whole lot to go off of.

Personal Ranking (4/10) I don't get why someone would ship these two, yet I wouldn’t be outright opposed to it if they did.

Izzy x Kari (Kokari)

Pros: Same pros as Takshirou

Cons: Same cons as Takshirou

Personal Ranking (4/10) for the same reasons as Takshirou.

Izzy x Davis (Daishiro)

Pros: I guess if you like the Taishiro dynamic, but not enough to break Tai up with one of his more popular ships then this could be an option.

Cons: It’s Taishiro lite with all the added problems that comes from shiping the 02/Adventure cast.

Personal Ranking (4/10) For the same reasons stated as for Takshirou and Kokari.

Izzy x Yolei (Koyako)

Pros: Of all the 02/Adventures ships this has the smallest age gap. The age difference between her and Izzy is the same a Izzy the rest of the adventure gang. As such they spend a lot of time together. They also have a similar dynamic to Mishirou, but with the added dimension of Yolei being a nerd as well. She can keep up with Izzy’s technobabble and often assists him in his projects.

Cons: Izzy does have a reduced role in 02 like the rest of the adventure gang, though not quite as bad as some. Meanwhile Yolei only appears in 02 except for like a cameo here and there. So while they do interact one on one on occasion it’s not a whole lot.

Personal Ranking (7/10) To me this has all the pros of Mishirou, but none of the cons. They’re both assertive and capable of calling out each other’s bs, but they also have a deeper understanding of one another can more in common to build off of.

Izzy x Cody (Kori)

Pros: It’s the mentor/friend dynamic again. They have a lot in common and are seen hanging out together a lot.

Cons: Same age difference as with the other mentor ships and like with Koyako they’re scenes are limited to only 02.

Personal Rankings (3/10) It’s got more of a basis then the other Cody ships thus far, but that’s not saying much.

Izzy x Ken (Kenshirou)

Pros: Uh.. It’s assertive nerd boy meets shy nerd boy, I guess? There’s also the whole former villain thing for some added angst if you want.

Cons: Not a whole lot of one on one interact and when we do get it it’s mostly plot exposition

Personal Ranking (4/10) I put this on the same level as Takshirou, Kokari, and Daishiro

Izzy x Jun (Junshirou)

Pros: It breaks all of the triangles involving both of them. They’re both fun characters. Pair the spares. They both went on that camping trip once. Comedy.

Cons: This ship is as close as crack as you can get without being full on crack. They’ve met, they know of each other’s existence, and they’ve been in the same scene together more than once. But they’ve never actually talked with one another on screen before.

Personal Ranking (7/10) I just like Jun. I don’t care who you pair her with, it’s entertaining because she’s enterianing.

Izzy x Meiko (Meishirou)

Pros: I guess if you like both characters then you’ll like this ship just fine. Can double as a pair the spares in order to resolve the Izzy/Mimi/Joe tringle.

Cons: Mei has less interaction with Izzy than some of the rest of the group. Also it’s dependent upon how much you like Mei as a character.

Personal Ranking (5/10) It’s not bad, but give me Junshirou, Koyako, or Taishirou over it any day of the week.

That’s part 2, will carry on later in part part 3

#digimon #digimon adventure #digimon 02 #digimon tri #shipping #shipping meme #digimon shipping

22 notes · View notes

steph-is-asleep · 4 years

Text

I gotta type fast cause I dont have much time but here's oddly satisfying/stimming stuff i think karkat would love and hate and also solkat stim stuff idk

Karkat's a freak so he'd like eating asmr and mukbangs for sure. He also really likes slime and probably knows all of the different kinds and all the nuances between them and gets REALLY mad when you mix them up. Like “how dare you mistake cloud slime and fishbowl slime, those are complETELY DIFFERENT”

I dunno why but i feel like he'd really like the sound of rocks colliding with each other. Like the sound of brick buildings collapsing too? Does that make sense? Remember how earthbending sounds? That. And fire crackling would be a big favorite of his as well as other nature related sounds like rain, leaves crunching and cicadas that kinda stuff.

Overly repetitive stuff gets on his nerve really quickly, and he frequently only watches tiny clips of videos before going to the next one, rapid firing between videos.

Audio stims, karkat’s a big audio guy. He talks to himself, almost constantly when alone, full conversations where both halves are outloud and are normal speaking voices, he doesn’t know how to whisper, okay? leave him alone. And particular words. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but I think he’d have particular words that he repeats over and over again.

Karkat really likes to DO that activity usually, not just watch it, so videos dont always do it for him. Like he doesn’t like to watch videos of slime as much as he likes playing with slime, ya know?

He really hates bubble wrap and tapping noises, that counts as repetitive and annoying.

I don’t have any justification for this, but I feel like he wouldn’t like metal sounds? Like no one likes the sound of metal chairs scrapping against the floor, but what about can’s crushing? a metal objects clattering against the floor? Wind chimes? Metal against glass clicking, it just annoys and upsets him.

The only exception to this is things getting destroyed. Karkat likes 1000 degree knife, hydrolic press, whatever that little mechanical shredder thing is

I cant find what im talking about, but its a machine that looks like that and people throw things into it to watch it get crushed. And things like kinetic sand getting cut into a bunch of tiny pieces. He just has to watch it on mute.

Anything, and I mean anything to do with needles. Karkat cried like the bitched bitch when he got his ears pierced. He has big trypophobia too so he can’t look at his ears without earrings in because the hole freaks him out. This will sometimes contradict his love of slime, cause sometimes the air pockets will freak him out a lot, but he just changes the video very fast and he’s good.

He’s also the kind of person who’s very very particular about word pronunciation. If you click your K’s with a little too much emphasis, you’ll see him jolt a little.

I dunno what it’s called, but he likes to draw on himself too, like the feeling of markers on his skin a lot. He’ll let Terezi cover his whole arms with little swirls and shapes just because it feels nice.

He doesn’t indulge in it himself at all, but he is enamored by nail art because it is just So Tiny and So Precise. And Hydrodipping, i think.

We’re gonna get into solkat territory, turn back now or forever be lost to the witch’s curse.

Karkat cannot STAND being around Sollux when he’s typing or gaming, either on his phone or computer. He either has to be out of the room or playing something loud in the background. Sollux is just too fast of a typer and tapper and it makes him vibrate into another dimension.

I don’t wanna pull up sollux’s post, but I think sollux would stim with tapping on tables, bouncy leg, pen clicking, foot tapping, snapping fingers, etc., and it drives Karkat so fucking batshit, cause that’s right up there with annoying repetitive noises and is by far the most Fought About Thing between them.

Sollux really likes listen to Karkat talk to himself. It’s like talking to karkat without putting in any effort, and karkat is very often talking about something that sollux doesn’t even have any input or opinion on anyway, so he’s glad karkat has someone to talk to about the things he likes.

Karkat also, when things get a little too quiet, and he has a score to settle, will lull sollux into a false sense of security. It’s quiet, comfy, nothing really going on, and then KK sneakily pulls out his phone and puts on eating asmr and Sollux’s loses his shit so fucking fast, it should be the world record for losing one’s shit.

Karkat cant stand when something is dirty or messy or untidy, and also finds it cathartic and deeply therapeutic to clean things, and Sollux likes having things clean, but doesn’t like to clean things. Sollux sees it as a Win-Win, but Karkat is ever so slowly inching to letting Sollux’s mess take over their living space and letting them both fall into complete maddness.

ooh my god this is so long, okay im gonna go this is way outta hand, you guys indulge me too much

#karkat #a little bit of solkat #as a treat #homestuck #no talk me im shy

18 notes · View notes

coureirsix · 5 years

Text

reckless serenade rating: pg-13 | fandom: borderlands | pairing: rhys/vaughn warnings: n/a | word count: 5,727 chapter: 1/1 [read on ao3]

Sunsets on Pandora range from having the soothing cathartic effect that one would expect from witnessing the sun change the sky’s colours for a few crucial moments of the day to instilling nothing but chilling, panic inducing fear at the thought of the wildlife that came to life at night. Skags, Rakks, bandits, the creatures of the day all have to sleep at some point. It’s waking those who slept during the day that scare some who inhabit Pandora.

Vaughn, on the other hand, feels nothing.

The chain of events that led to sleeping in clothes that had been worn for several weeks now, without a shower, or any proper hygiene that was afforded on Helios were things that he did his best not to think about. There was the vault of the Traveller, losing his best friend and Fiona for a while, and there was the founding of the Children of Helios. It all seems to blur together now. He has no way of telling time on Pandora, so as far as he knows the girls have been missing for several months, if not years. He hasn’t spoken to Rhys in weeks. It’s all starting to weigh in on him in ways he really wouldn’t be able to explain.

The roof of the room he’s designated for himself within the Backburner is now shared with someone named Axton. A former military guy who’s sound asleep on the opposite side of the room in another bed. Axton’s nice enough, but Vaughn’s sure the cramped rooms that are being used as bedrooms throughout the Backburner are making nobody happy. Outside of the sleeping situation, he’s definitely grateful for the company. It’s helped with the process of not processing what’s happened to him in the relatively short span of time he’s spent on Pandora. If the path to the Backburner is blurred, the path to Pandora is all but lost. Most of all, he won’t think of the remnants of Helios. The people who he’d not only worked with, but also learned to survive on Pandora with. He’d tried to be a leader and failed.

He looks to Rhys, the one who was always going to do things with his life. The one who went head to head with Handsome Jack himself and won. Rhys was a leader. And that was just the reality. Rhys was now the face of Atlas. Atlas had been on a slow but steady rise and should another corporate war arise, Vaughn is sure Rhys can take it. And that was just the reality. Rhys was always meant to do great things and Vaughn knew this from the day they met. But, him? Not so much, it seems. The Children of Helios were something he thought he could handle. They had the wreckage to keep them safe, the entire armoury of Hyperion weaponry on at their disposal. It shouldn’t have been hard to form a proper bandit clan and defend their own turf.

And yet he failed.

He was never a leader. He was never meant to do great things.

As he stares to the ceiling corroded by the weather and what he’s sure are bugs that eat wood and metals, he lets himself fall into the same thought pattern he’s been trying to avoid, and failing at as well, for the past several days. He rolls onto his side, away from the sleeping commando. It’s as if his thoughts are being broadcasted through the Echo-net for everyone to see and turning his back on the world will fix it. He shuts his eyes, but sleep doesn’t come. He’s looking at the corroded walls now. The lack of sleep has helped him cope with the sudden feeling of sharing the Backburner with people again, too. He’s prone to say wild things, bandit-esque that most of the newcomers seem to respond well to.

And he sighs.

He grips the flimsy blanket that’s providing less warmth during the Pandoran fall than the clothes he’s wearing until his knuckles go pale. He shudders and takes a deep breath. It helps for a second. And then the wave of emotion comes rushing back and he holds back the burning sensation in his eyes, forcing them to calm down until he’s only left with a blurrier vision. He blinks away the tears and takes another breath. It helps for another second. It gives him the chance to think of Lilith and how scared she appeared to be when left alone. She was never paying him any attention, so he’d been able to catch her in several moments of what he’d call desperation.

He’d been not too far when he’d heard her talking to someone named Roland. There was no Roland in the Backburner, but Vaughn assumes he’d been someone important, to both Lilith and her cause. He’d overheard her asking Roland for help and she’d sounded close to tears.

He wonders if he could try and talk to Lilith about being a leader, but her cause is much more noble than his is. She’s going to save the world, he’s pretty sure. His inkling about Rhys had been proven right, so he was confident in this new bet on the siren. Vaughn is just some ex-Hyperion money man who got everyone who’d survived the crash-landing of Helios killed. She’d be a fool to pay him any attention.

He takes another breath. His hand is beginning to grow numb. He squeezes his eyes shut, forcing his vision to go dark rather than blurry. He stays lost in his thoughts. The memories come back full force, breaking the dam he’d done his best to build in his mind. He hears the screaming again, the crying. There was gunfire everywhere, his own the loudest. He’d been yelling for people to get to cover, but everything happened so quickly. He screamed and no one heard him. He sees the blood stained faces, the twitching limbs. He shakily reloads his submachine gun, the clip won't fit into its socket from how badly his gun is shaking.

And then Axton snores and snaps him back to reality.

Vaughn takes several deep breaths as he falls back onto his back and rubs at his eyes. He’d been freely crying during the flashback. He takes a final shaky breath before his breathing returns to something relatively normal. The sleeping commando has now turned his back on Vaughn. The irony of it all.

Vaughn rubs at his face with both hands, wishing he had an answer for the problems he had. He wishes he-

A beep and a flash of a grey light from his Echo device that rests on the crates he uses as a bedside table tear his attention away from his panic. He nearly lunges for it and with shaky hands, sets it back into place at his ear. He knows who it is.

“Hey,” comes a tired voice on the other end. There’s clicking in the background that Vaughn recognizes as keyboard clicks. It makes him oddly nostalgic for math.

“Hold on…” Vaughn responds in a whisper as he pats around for his glasses on the bed. It takes him longer than it should, but eventually he manages to grip them by the lenses and nearly shove them onto his face and adjust them with the earpiece. Through the smudges of his dirty fingers he sees the HUD display, the minimap of the Backburner pops up in one corner, and on the opposite corner, he sees the photo Rhys chose as his Echo-net display.

With as much grace as he can muster, Vaughn leaves the room as quietly as he can and nearly sprints down towards where Moxxi has set up a new bar. She’s asleep somewhere, also probably cramped with a roommate. Vaughn takes a seat at one of the stools and he catches his breath quickly enough.

“Sorry,” he says, embarrassed, suddenly, “you wouldn’t believe what’s happened lately.”

“Tell me about it,” Rhys says calmly, genuinely interested.

“Vault hunters showed up. Zer0 was with them. They’re led by this siren lady named Lilith. Their home base was taken over by some plant man named Hector and they took him down. But, they destroyed it in the process so they all kind of… live here now,” Vaughn says. It feels anticlimactic now that he’s re-told it like that.

“Back in the vault hunting action?” Rhys asks as the clicking gets a little quicker.

“Me? No. I was… just kind of hanging around the Backburner when they showed up. To be fair, there had been some weird plant people who’d tried taking over the Backburner, too… so it was a win-win for all of us,” Vaughn replies sheepishly.

“That’s great,” Rhys says. The clicking slows, but remains steady, “I’m glad you’re not down there by yourself anymore.”

“Yeah…” Vaughn says, picking at some of the wood on the bar that’s begun to chip off, “how are you?” he asks.

The clicking slows and Rhys sighs on the other end before saying, “it never ends. I am in meetings every day, I’m writing up things that I have to send down the chain of command that then get sent back to me for final revisions and then back down, I’m looking at gun designs every day. I’d rather be holding them. I miss Pandora sometimes. I miss the girls.”

“I miss them, too,” Vaughn responds. Having Sasha or Fiona around would have been ideal. He’s sure they could have been a formidable force together. Well, he already knew they were. Rhys, the girls and he made up a vault hunting squad, after all. Even if they all wouldn’t admit it. Sasha would, he thinks. And he laughs, still picking at the bar.

“How’ve you been holding up?” Rhys asks, picking up the pace of the clicking.

“I just sai-” Vaughn stops picking at the bar. He looks up.

“Vaughn,” Rhys cuts him off. The clicking has stopped completely.

“I just told you the wild stuff that’s happened!” Vaughn says as loudly as the still night will let him.

“And I’m glad you’ve shared that with me!” Rhys says a little louder, “but, I’m asking how you are doing now. Are you still having nightmares?”

And Vaughn remains silent for a few seconds and looks back down at the bar immediately, as if to avoid contact with someone who isn’t there. “Not always,” Vaughn says after a few moments of silence. Silence that never felt awkward. Not with Rhys, never with him.

“Hold on,” Rhys says in response. His tone is soft.

Vaughn hears the keys click a couple more times before there’s the shuffling of papers and the sound of a rolling chair moving. He hears steps, the clicking now of the heels on Rhys’ shoes. He hears beeping sounds. An elevator?

“R-” Vaughn starts before the connection disconnects. His heart sinks a little. He sighs for a second, letting his elbows come up to the bar so he can rest his head in his hands. He could try calling Rhys back, but odds were he got called up to something at the Atlas base and wouldn’t be free to talk for another few weeks. This is how it was.

The thought is immediately debunked. He knows what’s happening when he hears the sound of someone being digistructed at the fast travel machine. Vaughn doesn’t turn around to meet him. He stays at the bar. He hears the crunch of the dirt underneath Rhys’ shoes and he still doesn’t turn to look up at him. Vaughn hears him sit down at the stool next to him.

Vaughn sighs and rubs at his face with one of his hands, using the other to lift his glasses up. Only then does he turn to look at Rhys. He’s sitting there dressed up in his fancy new Atlas brand getup, next to Vaughn, with one elbow resting on the bar, the palm of his hand underneath his jaw, supporting his tilted head as he watches Vaughn with the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.

“Hey,” Rhys says softly.

And Vaughn could play up the pride. He has before. He’s told Rhys that it isn’t a big deal, that he doesn’t need Rhys around to play parent or whatever it was he thought he was doing. They were both grown men. And, if Vaughn thought about it, it wasn’t even a pride thing. He just didn’t want Rhys worrying about him. He could say all of this, any of this. But, tonight, he doesn’t have it in him.

Instead he opts to lean over and lets himself fall directly into Rhys. Rhys turns and catches him in time and for a few minutes they just stay there. Vaughn is mostly on his feet, forehead pressed into Rhys’ chest and Rhys remains seated on the stool. Rhys wraps his arms around Vaughn as loosely as he can, only tightening the grip when he leans forward a little and nuzzles into Vaughn’s hair.

“You smell disgusting,” Rhys says, still softly, and still close. He rests the side of his face on Vaughn’s dirty hair.

“Yeah. Hyperion grade soap’s all gone, I’m afraid,” Vaughn says with a little laugh.

Rhys laughs in what’s more of a soft exhale and says, “come back with me, then. I’ve got a shower. You can sleep in my office if you want. You don’t have to stay for long if you don’t want to.”

He knows the offer is genuine, but the sinking feeling in his chest still comes. Ever since Atlas had become more of a prominent figure, Rhys has all but offered Vaughn his old job back. A better one, even. But, Vaughn’s tasted the life vault hunters lead, the life led on Pandora. He likes that so much more than he ever thought he would. He can’t leave it, especially not now. He owes it to everyone who died. He has to survive on the planet.

“I’d stay with you, but-” Vaughn starts, but Rhys cuts him off.

“I know,” he says softly, “I know. I get it. I really do.”

A silence sets again and Rhys’ fingers rub at the sides of his arms in slow, gentle motions. Vaughn lets himself breathe Rhys in. He smells like sterile soap with the slightest hint of cologne, to a degree he still smells like Hyperion. And in that same vein he smells like home. He pulls away for a moment to meet Rhys’ eyes. Rhys’ hands stay at his sides as Rhys breaks the silence.

“You gotta stay the bandit king,” he says with a little smile that warms Vaughn’s insides.

He takes Rhys in for a few moments, noting the subtle differences in him. He looks a lot more tired than he did when they worked for Hyperion, even his Echo eye seeming tired somehow. The lines around his face are a little more prominent. His hair is a little longer and as they sit at Moxxi’s makeshift bar, it isn’t styled in any way. The longer parts near the front hold a slight poof, but strands still fall down the sides of his face. It’s then that Vaughn leans forward again, but instead of hugging into him again, Vaughn puts his hands on Rhys’ chest for balance and he kisses him.

In the second that it happens, he realizes that he probably also tastes just as disgusting. And he pulls away, almost scandalized with an apology on his lips.

“Shit, sorry. I bet that wasn’t as-” Vaughn starts. And Rhys cuts him off, again.

Rhys’ arms move up to hold the sides of Vaughn’s face and this time it’s Rhys who leans in to kiss him with a little more gusto. And they stay like that, too. For a few moments, the Backburner ceases to exist, the issues that plague the both of them are gone. Vaughn lets one of his hands slide up to hold one of the sides of Rhys’ face and he rubs his thumb in a circle across the smooth skin. Rhys hums softly and the kiss remains intact for a few more seconds before he pulls away again. He smiles at Vaughn. The warmth reaches even his Echo eye. Vaughn smiles back.

It’s then that Rhys leans forward to rest his chin on Vaughn’s shoulder and pull him into a proper hug.

“I miss you; you know?” Rhys asks, his tone softer.

“I do, actually,” Vaughn says, his hands now fully on Rhys’ back, rubbing one of his hands in slow circles, “I miss you, too.” There’s a pause before he adds, “we can go to Atlas. For tonight.”

Rhys pulls away, a larger grin on his face, “alright,” he says, leaning in to kiss Vaughn again one last time before getting up and taking Vaughn’s hand in his to lead him back toward the fast travel machine.

“You’re going to love it. The base we have is so well decorated. I’ve just recently hired someone to help me deal with everything that’s been going on, that will keep going on. Her name’s Lorelei. You’ll love her. I’m also sure I can get you something set up, permanently. Not that you’ll have to stay there always or at all, but I think I can have it set up. Just somewhere you can go if you need it,” Rhys rambles as they head over to the machine.

Vaughn watches Rhys’ expressions change as he goes through the topics. The slight pride in the mention of the décor, the relief of an assistant, the excitement of the offer of a space in the Atlas base. It makes Vaughn feel warm inside again. It makes him happy to see Rhys, it makes him happier to see him succeed.

Rhys keeps talking about the Atlas base as he uses his free hand to put in the coordinates that’ll take them back to Atlas. His excitement apparent.

When they digistruct again, they appear inside what Vaughn assumes has to be Rhys’ office. It’s grandiose. Better than Handsome Jack’s. Not that Vaughn had ever seen Handsome Jack’s, but Jack’s was debris on the Pandoran landscape now, so Rhys won if only by default.

The space is massive with pastel grey walls and a shiny gunmetal coloured floor. A large desk sits at the back centre with a hovering screen in front. Hundreds of sheets of paper spread across it. From what Vaughn could make out as they passed by, some were proper documents, some had pictures of guns on them. At the foot of the desk was a long carpet that led to a door that Vaughn could only assume was the rest of the building. A small library is put together in a corner of the room opposite the desk, complete with a sofa, sofa chairs, and bookshelves lining the wall.

To the left are a set of doors that Rhys leads them to.

“This one’s the bathroom,” Rhys says as he points at the door on the right, “and the other’s the bedroom.”

Vaughn nods and looks up at him. The grandeur of the office still pales in comparison to how amazed he is by Rhys, just in general, on a daily basis.

“What are you gonna do?” Vaughn asks.

“I’ve got a couple things I need to send out before tomorrow,” Rhys says sheepishly. He offers Vaughn an apologetic smile.

Vaughn steps toward the door leading to the bathroom and turns back to look at Rhys, the warm smile back on his face, “go get your work done, Mr. CEO.”

Rhys rolls his eyes but smiles nonetheless. He leans forward again for a second and Vaughn does too, but they stop at the last second. Rhys looks down with a slight blush on his face, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Vaughn clears his throat and takes an awkward step to fully open the door as he awkwardly says, “I should… shower first, probably… it has been weeks…”

“Yeah…” he hears Rhys say behind him. Vaughn misses the full blush that creeps onto Rhys’ face as he closes the bathroom door.

Inside is nothing out of what he’d been used to up on Helios. It was a bathroom, after all. It was clean. He takes a look at the reflection in the mirror above the sink, only just above his shoulders. He can’t see his clothing, but he figures all of his garments are as disgusting as his face is. They’ve got water on Pandora, but it’s hardly ever a filtered source and in the time he’s recently spent, he’d stopped caring.

As he stands, there’s general grime all over him and his face is just a shade or two dirtier than his arms, most likely from all the times he’s rubbed at his own face in an attempt at grounding himself. He’d cut his hair months ago, opting to let it hang as it would so long as it wouldn’t get in his face. And he looks a lot better than Rhys does, at least in terms of general exhaustion. It strikes a small pang in of guilt in his chest, thinking of how life as a bandit on Pandora is somehow kinder than being the top of a company like Atlas.

He runs his hands under the water in the sink, letting most of the grime come off before he runs his hands over his face one more time. When he looks down at his hands and how they’ve become just as dirty as they were before, it occurred to him that Rhys had kissed him like this. Now thatwas a little embarrassing.

The shower in itself feels like he hadn’t ever had one before in his life. Never mind that he grew up and spent the majority of his adult life on the higher end of the luxury spectrum that anyone who worked for Hyperion could afford. The water’s just the right temperature and somehow the Atlas towels feel softer than Hyperion’s ever did.

When he steps out, towel wrapped around his waist and hair dripping wet onto his face, Rhys looks up at him through the screen above his desk. Rhys smiles at him again and says, “take anything you want out of my closet.”

“You know your pants don’t fit me,” Vaughn snaps back almost immediately. There’s a playfulness to his tone, but he also means it. Rhys offers him another apologetic smile in response. Vaughn knows Rhys doesn’t know what to respond to that. He heads on through into the bedroom.

It’s big. A lot bigger than Vaughn thought it would be. Bigger than Rhys’ bedroom had been on Helios, even. There’s a bed in the far-off corner, a large one at that. There’s another work desk in another corner, a loveseat, a full body mirror, a fur carpet, a shelf, and then another door leading to what Vaughn assumes is the closet.

Stepping through directly to the closet, to a lesser surprise, it’s a walk-in closet. Several different sets of clothes tailored to the Atlas CEO specifically hang directly to his left, casual and formal clothing on the right, and the section of room directly in front of him has an entire set of shelves dedicated to shoes, a mirror, and a dresser that Vaughn assumes is filled with socks.

As he steps around, looking at what Rhys would likely miss the least, he comes upon a familiar shirt. An aqua colored shirt with stripes. He pushes the other things that are hanging around it off to the side and comes upon the entire outfit that Rhys wore on the first day they were on Pandora. Complete with the vest that has the Hyperion logo etched into one side. It always struck Vaughn how oddly sentimental Rhys was. After they’d reunited on the wreckage of Helios, they’d spent some time digging through the wreckage for things and Rhys had walked away with several Hyperion relics.

It doesn’t take Vaughn much longer to settle on a short sleeved blue shirt with stars on it. As expected, it’s too big on him and the dark grey set of Atlas themed sweatpants he picks out also have to be folded several times before he can seven see his feet, but he makes it work. He ruffles his hair in the mirror, the wetness of it letting it stick up in several places like it usually does when he’s wearing the goggles, and he steps back out into the bedroom.

He passes the shelf on his way back into the office and takes a glance at what’s on it. The rights to Atlas, Rhys’ old Hyperion ID card, a pocketwatch-looking thing that Vaughn recognizes but doesn’t remember Rhys walking away from Helios’ wreckage with, several other Atlas achievements, and up in the middle shelf at the centre, a transparent box with a Hyperion grade Echo-eye propped up in it. Vaughn knows what that is, he knows what lives in there.

He understood Rhys’ odd sentimentality for the most part, Hyperion was a huge part of their lives and letting go completely would always be difficult. Vaughn found himself comparing most things to his old life often, but this? This was borderline ridiculous. But that was Rhys.

Vaughn steps back through to the office and Rhys looks up at him through the screen again.

“Hey,” Rhys says in that same soft tone, his head peering off to the side of the screen to get a better look at Vaughn. Vaughn doesn’t respond. Instead he beelines towards Rhys and before Rhys can say anything, he takes Rhys’ face in his now clean hands and kisses him.

Rhys doesn’t object, in fact he responds in kind, but he does shoot an arm out to swivel the screen so it’s now facing the doors that Vaughn had emerged from. As he does so, the faint voice of a woman asking, “Who is that!?” can be heard. Vaughn jerks away, eyes slightly widened.

“Were you in a meeting?!” Vaughn asks in a loud whisper, completely scandalized.

“No,” Rhys responds, bringing both his hands back up to the sides of Vaughn’s face so he can lower him in for another kiss, “that was nobody important.”

“I can still hear you, asshole!” the female voice comes through again.

“Who is that?!” Vaughn asks in the same whisper.

Rhys opens his mouth to respond but the female voice beats him to it.

“I’m the clearly underpaid assistant, who are you?! Wait- wait I know who you are. Oh my god, you’re Vaughn aren’t you. R&D is gonna get a kick out of this when they find out that-”

“Goodnight, Lorelei,” Rhys says, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he moves one hand off of Vaughn’s face and hits a key on the keyboard. Her voice cuts out and Vaughn and Rhys are left looking at one another, both scandalized. Rhys’ hand goes back to the side of Vaughn’s face. He adds, "she gets paid ridiculously well."

“You’ve talked about me,” Vaugh says, not moving from the slightly hunched over position he’s in.

“Yeah…” Rhys responds, his hands still on the sides of Vaughn’s face, “why… why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know,” Vaughn responds honestly, “the thought of you having a personal life outside of the business side here is just weird, I guess.”

“Well…” Rhys starts, looking off to the side in thought, still not moving from their current position, “uh, you know I love you, right?”

“Y-yeah…” Vaughn responds. It’d been a while since he’d heard that specific thread of words. He knew, sure, but it was always nice to hear.

“Well…” Rhys looks back at him, still somewhat scandalized, but still in the same position, “it.. may have slipped out once or twice during some things. I don’t know if you’d want your name out there in the mouths of Atlas management.”

There’s something so endearing about the way Rhys is looking at him. He was never remotely upset, but the thought of Atlas management gossiping about them was frankly, amusing. Instead of responding, Vaughn opts to lean forward just enough so that he can kiss Rhys again. And it isn’t like the one at Moxxi’s makeshift bar. That was a soft hello, a grounding to reality, a soft reassurance of momentary peace.

This is deeper, a proper kiss, a promise. Rhys’ hands move down and off his face to slide around his shoulders and pull him forward, mostly putting Vaughn in his lap. And there isn’t much space on there to begin with, but they make do. Vaughn’s hands slide up and into Rhys’ hair and realizes he’d forgotten how soft it could be. They break apart for a few seconds, grins on either of their faces and Vaughn huffs a laugh and says, “I missed you.” And he kisses Rhys again.

And they carry on like that for a while. It escalates as much as two lovers who haven’t seen each other can. It ends in the bedroom, naturally. Through some last-minute decisions, Vaughn decides to spend the night. They end up tangled in the luxury sheets Rhys has, eventually falling into a position they’d recently only rarely had the chance to indulge in. Rhys is on his back, mechanical arm discarded off to the other end of the room, with Vaughn straddling his stomach, head buried in Rhys’ neck, just breathing him in. And they lay like that for a while, just living in the moment, in the space they have.

“You smell good,” Vaughn mumbles into Rhys’ neck. The vibration from the words tickling at his neck. Rhys moves his arm to rub lightly at the back of Vaughn’s head.

“So do you,” Rhys responds, turning to kiss the top of Vaughn’s head.

“Mmmm,” Vaughn replies, eyes shut and already succumbing to the comedown of post-orgasmic bliss.

“You’ll be alright,” Rhys says softly. He doesn’t notice Vaughn’s eyes open. He continues, “I know… losing everyone was a lot. But, you’ve managed so much on your own. And none of it was your fault. You can’t blame yourself for an attack. Everyone knew how to fire a gun, but none of us were combat trained. We’d never seen what Pandora could throw at someone. You couldn’t have prevented that. It wasn’t your fault.”

And Vaughn sits up just enough so he can meet Rhys’ eyes. There’s concern written on his face that Vaughn answers to with, “but that’s the thing. I knew that. You and I weren’t above anyone, I knew that everyone only knew how to fire a gun. We’d gone on for a while and it never occurred to me that maybe that was something I should have figured out!”

Rhys’ hand goes to hold the side of his face, thumb rubbing down his face once before he says, “you’re not trained to be a warmonger either. None of it was your fault.”

“But it all falls to me. I was the one that stepped up. It was my responsibility,” Vaughn says with a sigh of defeat. He looks down at Rhys’ chest and stares at it blankly.

“Hey, look at me,” Rhys says, tapping at Vaughn’s face with his thumb. His tone remains as gentle as it ever was. When Vaughn does, he continues, “I promise you. That wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was Jack’s fault. He’s the reason Helios is on the ground in the first place.”

Vaughn sighs. He was never going to get Rhys to understand that it was his responsibility in the end. But, he’ll admit the idea of putting the blame on Jack was comforting somehow. He wouldn’t push it anymore, but he appreciated the fact that Rhys was so willing to comfort him. Instead he drops back down onto Rhys’ shoulder.

He asks, referring to the Echo-eye on the shelf, “why do you keep him around?”

Vaughn feels Rhys tense under him and there’s a pause between the question and when Rhys finally answers.

“As a reminder, mostly,” Rhys says, looking up at the ceiling now, “I’m not going to become him.”

“You said you’d had the chance to. I think more than anything that proves that you’re never going to be like him. You couldn’t be. You’re you. And you’re always going to be better than him,” Vaughn responds without hesitation. Because it’s true.

“Yeah…” Rhys keeps his eyes on the ceiling, mind clearly in thought.

“Rhys,” Vaughn says, looking up at Rhys, who’s still looking up at the ceiling.

“I hear you,” Rhys says.

“Hey,” Vaughn says, sitting up again so he can hover completely over Rhys, covering his view of the ceiling, “how about this,” he says, “I’ll try and stop constantly telling myself that it was my fault every survivor of the Helios crash was my fault if you can get yourself to believe you’ll never be Handsome Jack.”

Rhys meets his eyes and a sad smile creeps onto his face as he says, “I think we can try that, sure.”

Vaughn leans down and kisses him again, quick and sweet, before saying, “you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met and everything you do, things that Handsome Jack could and would never by the by, is absolutely incredible. I’m so proud of you constantly. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

And Rhys looks up at him with a warmer smile now on his face, saying in response, “and you are so much stronger than I could ever be. You don’t know it, but every single military person I’ve ever met has nothing on you. Now that Athena’s retired, it really is just you. I’m just as proud of you constantly. And… well, you are also the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Vaughn smiles and leans down to kiss Rhys again, with a little more passion, a little more intensity. The warm feeling that pools in his chest is indescribable or else he’d have said that, too. He slips one of his hands onto the side of Rhys’ face and holds him there when they pull apart for a second, faces still close.

“I love you,” Vaughn says in what’s barely a whisper.

“Love you, too,” Rhys responds without hesitation, leaning in the fraction of a centimetre to kiss him again.

#borderlands #gayperion #tales from the borderlands #rhys the company man #vaughn the money man #there we GO a proper post abt this #if u have Not already seen it in the ao3 tags u are Most certainly Welcome to check it out

23 notes · View notes

fialleril · 7 years

Note

My mental health has been taking a steady dive the past few months, and there are honestly times I would just like to yell at everything in my head to be quiet. Except it doesn't work. Anyways, Anabasis is really, really cathartic for me and I was wondering if you could post anything from it? I don't care what, since literally everything you write for this 'verse does the trick.

Hey anon, I’m really sorry for the week-long wait, and I hope you’ve been coping okay. Writing Anabasis is pretty cathartic for me, so I’m glad it’s good for other people, too.

I really wanted to finish up this section so I could post it for you - hope you like it! This snippet follows immediately after the last snippet I posted. (So I think this marks the first time I’ve posted two bits that actually connect!) It also makes reference to this snippet.

In which Anakin explains his new tattoo, Padmé learns she was baby Vader’s secret hero, and Orn Free Taa should probably start running.

Warnings for discussion of slavery, references to Anakin’s transmitter explosion, and very oblique references to conditioning and abuse of children.

All of that said, this is actually a pretty happy snippet.

They talked in circles for another two hours, and by thetime Padmé saw her guests out, very little had changed. Taa and his croniesremained unmoved, and still planned to bring their bill to a vote, in spite oftheir demonstrated inability to defend it with anything other than easilydebunked talking points. She was still less confident than she’d like to be thatthey would fail. But at least they now seemed more sullen than smug. And they’dkept glancing nervously at Anakin and then away.

He’d joined their meeting ostensibly as an unofficialrepresentative of the Outer Rim Territories, but he’d referred more often toImperial policies than to Tatooine. As political tactics went, it was bothtransparent and stunningly effective.

And Padmé would be lying if she said she hadn’t enjoyedwatching it play out.

So she was more than a little surprised when, after the lastof her guests had gone, Anakin turned to her with a set jaw and shuttered eyesand snapped, “I’m not going to apologize.”

Padmé blinked at him. “What?”

“For interrupting your meeting,” he said. His spine wasstiff and his hands were fisted at his sides. He looked ready to fight. “Forruining your negotiations.” He spatthe word with a sneer. “I’m not going to apologize.”

“Good,” said Padmé.

Most of the fight drained out of him, replaced by openconfusion that left an ache in the pit of her stomach. What had he beenexpecting of her?

“You shouldn’t apologize, Anakin,” she said. “Not to me, andcertainly not to Orn Free Taa. You had every right to speak, and yours was avoice we needed to hear.”

He was staring at her now, brows furrowed in bewilderment,his lower lip caught in his teeth. It was somehow both heartbreaking andendearing at once. “But…you had a plan,” he said. “And I coopted it. I ruinedit.”

Oh. Padmé laughed, startled by the realization – and maybe alittle relieved, too. It wasn’t funny in the least. But at least it made sensenow. This wasn’t about her. It wasn’t even really about Orn Free Taa.

“You didn’t,” she said, stepping forward and taking his lefthand between her two. The metal felt warm and almost alive; the symbol Taa’stwo aides had been so startled by was rough-edged beneath her fingers. Padmésmiled. “I told you once before, Anakin. I won’t be your master. You don’t needmy permission to speak. You didn’t ruin any plan, but even if you had, thatwould be your right.”

“Oh,” he said softly. He didn’t meet her eyes, but she saw afaint, surprised smile touch his lips as he stared down at their hands. “Ithought – ” He didn’t finish.

“I can imagine what you thought,” Padmé said dryly. “I don’tsuppose Palpatine much appreciated input on his legislative agenda.”

Anakin snorted. “I wouldn’t know.”

“You’ve never sat in on a policy discussion before?”

This time he laughed. “I wasn’t exactly my Master’spolitical protégé.”

“No,” said Padmé, more bitterness in her voice than she’dintended. “That was me.”

His laughter faded and he cocked his head to one side,studying her with the barest of smiles. It was a very particular mannerism ofhis, curious and sharply focused, equal parts fascination and bemusement.

“He wanted it to look like that, yes,” he said at last,still watching her with that barely present smile. “But he hated you. You werealways outmaneuvering him, and you never even seemed to be trying. The naïve,incorruptible queen who never did what she should have. Didn’t lose theelection. Wouldn’t sign the treaty. Wouldn’t accept the occupation. Wouldn’t –”

“But I did call for a vote of no confidence,” Padmé cut inbitterly. “And that was all he really needed me for. I was the perfect pawn.”

It wasn’t something she’d said aloud before, but it washardly a new realization. The words burned like acid in her throat all the same.

Anakin was looking at her in that curious, almost scientificway of his again. But this time there was a fierce edge to the hint of hissmile. She thought suddenly of the spark of blue fire at his fingers and thelook of helpless rage on Palpatine’s melting holographic face.

“Do you really think that?” he asked.

“Well, what else should I think? I handed him the galaxy ona silver platter.”

Anakin scoffed. “You give yourself too much credit. And notenough. He’d have made himself Chancellor with or without you, and he only usedyou because you’d already confounded his plans more than once. You were aproblem and he needed to neutralize you. He’d been trying ever since you wonthe election.”

Padmé’s brow furrowed in confusion. “That’s the second timeyou’ve said that. But he wanted me to win. He even campaigned for me. Hethought I’d make an easily manipulated pawn, I suppose.” She laughed. “And hewasn’t wrong.”

“No,” said Anakin. He sounded oddly frustrated. “SenatorPalpatine supported you in the election, of course. That was the point. But youweren’t actually supposed to win. You were meant to lose, and then KingVeruna’s corruption and incompetence would have doomed Naboo to rule by theTrade Federation, and Naboo’s noble senator could have quietly lamented thathe’d tried to warn his people, but that the corruption of the failing Republichad prevailed.”

He said all of this in the slow, vaguely disdainful tones ofa seasoned Coruscant politician, with the condescending arch of his eyebrow tomatch. Maybe, in other circumstances, it would have been funny. But here andnow…

“He was planning it even then,” Padmé whispered. “The wholetime. He always meant to destroy us.”

“Of course he did,” Anakin said shortly. “But you’re missingthe point. He had everything perfectly arranged, calculated to account forevery possible variable…except you. You ruined his plans, again and again, andyou never even seemed to realize it. And he hatedyou for it, hated you almost as much as he hated the Jedi.”

Padmé’s eyes narrowed. There was something new andunexpected in his tone, but the spark in his eyes was one she’d seen before, akind of intense, almost desperate curiosity, hidden but not well enough. She’dseen it in him the very first time they’d met face to face, and it had unnervedher then. Now, for the first time, she thought she understood it.

“But not you,” she breathed. “You didn’t hate me.”

“No,” he said. That near-invisible smile was back.

“And you’ve thought about this,” said Padmé. “Quite a bit,apparently.”

Now he looked almost shy, gazing at her through his lashesand even scuffing his feet against the carpet. “Well,” he said. “Youwere…interesting. You should havebeen easily manipulated, because you were young and naïve and always talkingabout things like compassion and sentient rights and democracy like you reallybelieved in them, and that should have made you weak. And he had everythingperfectly planned. But you won anyway. I remember at your coronation – ”

Padmé looked at him sharply. “You were there?”

Anakin laughed, though she wasn’t sure why. “No. Master wasstill the senator then, and no one was supposed to know about me. He had ahidden room in the official residence where he kept me when we were in Theed.He had to go to the coronation, of course, and all his staff went with him. Soonce they were all gone I snuck out and stole one of the staffer’s datapads andjury-rigged it. I wanted to see the girl who’d beaten my Master.”

Padmé bit back her objection, but he must have seen it inher face anyway. “And you did beathim,” he insisted. “You were supposed to lose the election, but you didn’t, andall he could do was stand there at your side, wearing his pleased senator’sface. I watched. He hated you, and in that moment, there was nothing he coulddo about it.” His voice was earnest, almost eager, but now it lowered to a whisperedsecret. “I didn’t know it was even possible. For anyone to fight him and win.Not until you did.”

Padmé thought of that dark throne room, Palpatine’s horriblelaughter and the dull wet sound of the detonator, Anakin lying there with ahole in his stomach and burning rage in his eyes, hissing on a blood-soakedbreath, “You lose, Master.”

“And you were just a girl,” Anakin said, that faint smileonce more lighting his face. “A girl in fine robes and regal makeup, but stilljust a girl. You weren’t even a queen, the first time you beat him.”

I didn’t even know Iwas fighting him, thought Padmé. Notthen. But what she said was, “And you were just a boy. Even if he didn’twant you to believe that.”

Anakin blinked, soft and startled. But for the first time,he didn’t deny it, and that thought settled like a warm cloak around hershoulders and brought a sly smile to her lips.

“A boy with a crush, it sounds like,” she added, with anexaggerated waggle of her eyebrows.

But Anakin, to her surprise, only smiled. “Maybe,” he said.“But I don’t think it was quite that.” He paused, gnawing his lip as heconsidered his words, and when he spoke again it was slow and hesitant. “Mastercame back from the coronation, and I didn’t tell him. He was raging about it,about you, about all of the plans he’d have to modify. And I didn’t tell himI’d watched. I erased all traces of my use of the datapad, and I didn’t tellhim, and he never found out. That was the first time I ever lied to him, Ithink.”

Padmé reached out and caught both of his hands in hers. “I’mglad,” she said, teasing but sincere. “I like being the inspiration for yourfirst rebellion.”

“I think that’s why he was so angry, at the end,” Anakinsaid. “Even after he’d won, and the Jedi and the Republic both were destroyed,you were still there, and still ruining his plans.” He smirked. “And then thereyou were again, stealing his apprentice.”

Padmé’s smile disappeared. “I didn’t steal you,” shesnapped. “You’re not a thing, to be stolen.”

But Anakin only laughed again. “See, that’s it,” he said.“That’s exactly why he hated you. Because you just…you say things like that,and I think you actually mean them.”

“Of course I mean them,” Padmé said, almost affronted.

“You’re the only one who ever has,” he said, and her annoyanceabruptly dissolved. His hands twisted in hers, a match for the hesitant quirkof his mouth. “He – he said things like that, once. He said he’d make me free.Before I left Tatooine. That’s what he told my – I didn’t remember, not until –not until she came here.”

He meant his mother. He still wouldn’t call her that, but heseemed reluctant to use the name Shmi either. This was the first time in dayshe’d referred to her at all.

Padmé had no idea what to say. “I’m sorry,” was hopelesslyinadequate to the point of being insulting, but anything else seemed evenworse. So instead she caught his hands and held them still inside hers. Thenewly jagged edges of his left hand pressed into her palm, a reminder and aquestion.

She raised his hand between them, her fingers tracing theair just above the shattered circle he’d carved there. “What’s this, Anakin?”

He looked at her for a long time in silence, for so longthat Padmé had to fight the instinctive urge to look away, to put a wallbetween herself and that uncompromising honesty. But she held his gaze,unflinching, until something bright and ferocious as a burning sun lit hiseyes, and he said, “Kol-depuan.”

That word carried a hush ofreverence with it. Padmé wascertain she’d heard it somewhere before, but she didn’t know what it meant.

“It’s the sign of the Unfettered,” said Anakin, pulling hishand away from hers and stretching it palm down between them, so the sunlightshimmered on the newly cut edges of the metal. “It means I’ve thrown down myMaster, I’ve survived the detonation of my transmitter, and now no chain canhold me.”

He was staring down at her, fierce and vulnerable at once, anair of unspoken challenge about him that made her breath catch and the airaround them spark.

Unfettered, Padmé thought. She remembered him standing inthe doorway earlier, his scars on display and vicious laughter in his eyes ashe watched the worthies of the Republic Senate stew in their discomfort.

Not everyone had been uncomfortable, though.

“They recognized it,” Padmé said, watching Anakin’s faceclosely. “Taa’s aides. They recognized the symbol.”

“His slaves,” Anakin spat.

“Yes,” she whispered. “His slaves.”

Anakin’s face softened, just a little, and she realized hemust have been afraid she wouldn’t admit it. That thought burned, but she bitit back.

“I wasn’t sure they would recognize it,” he said. “They’renot from Tatooine. But they must have people there, or some contacts.”

“And you carved it for them to see. Didn’t you?”

Anakin only looked at her, head cocked to one side. That wassomething she’d seen in him almost from the beginning, and she’d always thoughtit remarkable that Darth Vader might refuse to answer, but she’d almost neverknown him to lie.

“I wanted a freedom mark,” he said at last, a careful truththat was also not a denial.

“You say he’s a slaver,” Padmé said. “Can you prove it?”

Anakin’s eyes narrowed, and she realized her mistake. Beforehe could object, she added hurriedly, “Legally, I mean. Can you prove it in aRepublic court of law?”

His brow smoothed again, and he bit his lip in thought.“Yes,” he said slowly. “I think so. Dinsa could help. But it would be mucheasier if we could get the two women who were here today to turn.”

Padmé breathed deep and let it out, certainty settlingaround her. “If Naboo offers them sanctuary, do you think they would turnwitness?”

For the briefest moment, Anakin’s face showed nakedsurprise. “Will Naboo do that?” he asked, his voice careful and even. And then,“Would you do that?”

“Yes,” said Padmé.

Anakin swallowed. He clenched his metal hand in a fist,closed and then open again, watching the play of light on the Unfetteredsign. “Then that will be enough,” he said.

“How will we contact them?” she asked, though she was almostcertain she already knew what he would say.

“Leave that to me,” Anakin said. He was smiling, but shedidn’t miss the hint of challenge in his eyes.

“All right,” said Padmé. But she couldn’t resist adding, “Butremember: legal in Republic court.”

Anakin smirked. “I’ll make it legal,” he said.

307 notes · View notes

xb-squaredx · 7 years

Text

Sakura Haruno: Naruto’s Worst Missed Opportunity

The Naruto manga and anime may be over, but there’s still plenty to talk about in regards to the series. One of the series’ greatest strengths was its large cast of interesting characters, but one character in particular stands out as a massive missed opportunity. I’d like to go over in-depth why I believe that the author, Masashi Kishimoto, really dropped the ball in regards to the main heroine of the series, Sakura Haruno. I’ll assume anyone reading this has read/watched the series in full, but even so, here’s your spoiler warning. See you below the break.

I can break things down into about three key points that flow into each other, at each turn revealing that Kishimoto makes Sakura feel like more and more of an afterthought as time goes on. Let’s begin.

I. Plot Impact

Sakura is a main character in the story, but oddly she rarely has much impact on the plot. More often than not, Sakura feels like a wallflower who is content to be in the background while everyone else is doing something to drive either the plot or their own arcs forward. Look at the rest of her teammates and how they drive the plot forward, for instance.

Naruto, being the title character, has a huge impact on the plot. His goal to become Hokage is what makes the story. Outside of that, having the Nine Tailed Fox sealed within him results in the main antagonists taking personal interest in him later on. Almost every story arc in the series is about him growing stronger or developing in some way, and as the story goes on, we see his lineage is also pretty important, and he is eventually cast as a “Child of Prophecy” whose actions will shape the world for generations to come.

As for Sasuke, being the main rival and deuteuragonist of the series, he’s also a pretty big deal. The sole survivor of the Uchia Clan Massacre, his drive for revenge fuels his overall character arc, and as time goes on, the Uchiha Clan’s significance to the overall mythology of the show becomes incredibly important. Throughout the plot Sasuke is used as a pawn by several villains, and his own actions in the climax of the series are arguably the only thing that keeps the villains from winning. Throughout the series, his rivalry with Naruto is often compared to several infamous rivalries in-universe, their ultimate clash being built up constantly.

Onto their mentor, Kakashi Hatake. The son of a famous shinobi, and seen by many as one of the Leaf Village’s best, Kakashi is a constant source of strength throughout the series, as an ally or mentor. As time goes on, we learn more of Kakashi’s past and how much it ties into the present, namely the death of his teammate Rin and Kakashi’s own relationship with Obito Uchiha, who is eventually revealed to be one of the main antagonists. In the end of the series, his relationship with Obito carries as much weight as Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry and his actions influence the climax in a very tangible way.

Sakura…had no real outstanding goals at the start of the series to drive her, and her own family has next to no impact in the plot itself. Her parents are never seen in the manga proper, only popping up in an anime movie, but the “Haruno clan” if it exists, is never shown to be that important to the Leaf Village, and thus the story. She is absent from many arcs in the series, and though she later learns medical ninjutsu under Tsunade and becomes quite proficient at it, it doesn’t really drive her goals forward. Her backstory, unlike the rest of her teammates, is largely “normal” and free from any real tragedy. Naruto was isolated his entire life, an orphan that everyone hated. Sasuke lives with intense survivor’s guilt and the trauma of seeing his beloved older brother murdering his clan. Kakashi, over time, lost everyone he ever cared about, while seeing countless deaths throughout the last great ninja war before the series began. Sakura…was bullied because she had a big forehead. One of these things doesn’t look like the other~

Kishimoto has mentioned in interviews here or there that Sakura, alongside Rock Lee, was meant to be a representative of “human weakness.” Now, there are tons of ways to read into that, but I think Kishimoto just intended for her to be the “normal” one of the group. The one that wasn’t weighed down by emotional baggage or superpowerful genetics that dive their every action. She could have been a character the audience could more easily relate to, but the sad fact is her character feels more like an afterthought compared to her team mates. She’s boring, barely a character and at least at the start she’s quite one-dimentional; the love-struck tween who can only think about boys.

youtube

Of course, that doesn’t mean she couldn’t affect the plot as it moves forward, and in an action-heavy series like Naruto that basically means that as long as she participates in fights, she has some kind of tangible effect on the plot…except Kishimoto often seems to forget she’s there. If we count the times she engages in actual important conflicts, they fit on one hand and the gaps between them are massive. Her first real fights occur in the Chunin Exams, first against the Sound Ninja trio in the Forest of Death, then her tournament match with Ino Yamanaka. From that point, we wait until after the first “half” of the series ends and enters into a timeskip of almost three years (when the anime started calling itself Naruto Shippuden). Her fight with Sasori at the beginning of Part II is a big deal, admittedly, as she not only takes out a significant antagonist, but also gains useful intel from him. However, she then sits out the vast majority of the show’s conflicts until the final arc of the series, and at that point it feels like she’s there only out of some obligation on Kishimoto’s part, and it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, narratively. At that point she had fallen so far down the power creep scale, she shouldn’t have made any actual difference in the fight, and yet there she was…

That is not to say there aren’t some reasons for why she doesn’t participate in some plotlines, to be fair. Eventually studying to become a medical ninja, she takes on more of a support role, and in a military setting like the ninja world, the medic is extremely important. She doesn’t get to do much in the Invasion of Pain arc because she’s too busy trying to care for the countless wounded, for example. Storylines like the Search for Tsunade arc also don’t quite need her, though it would have been nice to at least imply she was training or something in the meantime. But on the whole, you could cut her out of the show and not really change much of anything. And a lot of this is due to supposed character development that never really materializes.

II. Character Development

I want to preface this by saying that Sakura DOES receive development as the series goes on, and the Sakura we see at the end isn’t the one we see at the beginning of the story. The problem comes in how inconsistently she develops, and as a result there are several huge character moments that never really get the payoff they promise.

The two biggest moments where Sakura is given the shaft by Kishimoto occur with some pretty big gaps in-between each other. The first, and arguably most iconic scene for Sakura, comes during her fight with the three Sound ninjas in the Chunin Exams. Forced to care for a comatose Naruto and Sasuke, she’s already got the deck stacked against her. She’s easily restrained by one of the enemy ninja, who grabs her hair. Mocking Sakura for putting more time into her appearance than her ninja training, Sakura realizes just how far she’s fallen behind her teammates and with regained resolve, she makes a final stand. Chopping her hair off, she puts up the best fight she can, and while it’s a powerful moment, the impact is lessened when, for the next few arcs, she’s content to stay in the background once more. She’s knocked out of the Chunin Exams after the Double KO with Ino, and despite Naruto and Sasuke being shown training afterward, she never seems to make good on her efforts to get stronger. And it’s not like she didn’t have several opportunities to showcase improved strength, but she remains a wallflower…at least until the timeskip. At that point, it does seem like she’s grown stronger and more mature. She gets along far better with Naruto, and freely speaks her mind now, no longer relying on that “Inner Sakura” running gag of saying one thing and thinking another. Her third major fight, teaming up with the Sand Elder Chiyo against Sasori seems to deliver on her promise to get stronger…only for her to be sidelined again for several arcs.

In the aftermath of the Five Kage Summit arc, Sakura’s second moment of potential growth occurs as her and Naruto attempt to track down Sasuke once again. Here Sakura finally becomes aware not only of Naruto’s own feelings for her, but of the burden she’s placed on him by asking him to bring Sasuke back to the village. She attempts to make things right by proclaiming her love for Naruto, and that she feels nothing for Sasuke anymore, but he easily sees through the lie. She then decides that she must take Sasuke out before he can hurt anyone else, going so far as to knock out her friends when they attempt to stop her. But when she has ample opportunity to take Sasuke out, she hesitates. That alone is frustrating, if somewhat understandable, but following this she’s easily overpowered by him, despite Sasuke being severely weakened and nearly blind at this point. She proceeds to be rescued not once but twice by Kakashi and Naruto.

What could have been a cathartic moment where she calls Sasuke out on his actions and moves past her feelings for him instead is a moment where all of her actions accomplished nothing and she becomes another damsel to be saved. It feels like she takes a few steps forward and then several steps backward at any given moment. Of course, this moment ties into the final area where Kishimoto fails Sakura as a writer: her “relationship” with Sasuke.

III. Sakura and Sasuke

(NOTE: This is an edit, but still pretty apt description of their relationship)

One of the first things we learn about Sakura as a character is that she loves Sasuke, and for a good while, “Sasuke-kun!” is about half of her dialogue. That said, she’s not alone here; almost every female in the series not named Hinata show at least some interest in Sasuke, so as far as a defining feature, it’s hardly unique. Throughout the series Sakura’s feelings grow in intensity, influencing her actions later on. However throughout the hundreds of chapters, the countless episodes of the anime and all the various multimedia installments, I don’t think there’s ever been a concrete reason why Sakura loves Sasuke. It’s clear she finds him attractive, but that’s about it. In fact, the early chapters make it clear that she knows next to nothing about Sasuke and he in return finds her annoying. Throughout the series he is aloof at best and downright cruel at worst, never doing anything that should inspire any fondness in her heart. Perhaps if Kishimoto established this as an unhealthy relationship this would be deliberate, we could have Sakura eventually coming to terms with that, but this realization never comes. Considering they have a happily-ever-after ending in the series’ epilogue, it doesn’t seem to be the author’s intent to show the relationship as invalid, unhealthy or unrealistic.

(So...that’s supposed to be endearing....?)

So many female characters fall into a trapping of becoming nothing but a love interest, their sole relevance being that of a trophy, an object to be fought over. Naruto likes Sakura, and that at least somewhat fuels his rivalry with Sasuke and, maybe subconsciously, his desire to be Hokage, as an example, though I’d say Sakura does pull away from that a bit. She is more than just a love interest for Naruto or Sasuke (or Rock Lee….); overtime, she becomes a confident, talented medical ninja and accomplishes a goal of becoming stronger. But the problem here is that all of her accomplishments and goals seem to be, more or less, to build up to the goal of getting Sasuke’s heart. She wants to get stronger so he’ll notice her, and later on, so she can bring him back to the Leaf Village when he defects. When she was younger she grew her hair out because she had heard that Sasuke liked girls with long hair. Half the time when she gets involved in the plot, it’s for Sasuke’s sake. It’s all about Sasuke, but the series is unable to make this love feel genuine. In a series rife with flashbacks, there isn’t ONE moment that shows us why Sasuke is so deserving of her love, nor do we get any real indication that Sasuke likes her all that much compared to all the other girls who fawn over him. It’s saying something that someone like Karin, a woman who takes her love for Sasuke to creepy, obsessive lengths, actually got a flashback later on that established just when she fell for him. Sakura didn’t get that and she married the guy!

I rag on this so much because it feels like this one-sided “romance” stole away such potential for Sakura as a character. Her ultimate fate in the story’s epilogue is playing housewife while Sasuke is out wandering the world, keeping it safe from unforeseen threats as a way of redemption, while Naruto has ascended to the role of Hokage. Sakura ends up in the background, even as an adult. She attained her goal, to marry a man who shows no affection towards her and is always gone, and despite undergoing training from one of the most respected ninja in the world, what does Sakura have to show for it in the end? With her own skills she could easily become a high-ranked ninja or medic of the highest caliber, but we don’t get to see any of that. I’m aware there are a large amount of side-stories that have been written/animated after the series ended, intended to fill in some gaps between the series’ climax and epilogue, but from what I’ve dug through, Sakura doesn’t do much of note.

That sums up Sakura’s journey pretty nicely, really. While there are a handful of strong moments and hints of true potential, Sakura feels like a secondary character awkwardly attached to major events every so often. Her effect on the plot is minimal in comparison to the other three main characters, with several large gaps between the small amounts of action she’s allowed to take part in, her development is in constant flux, and her relationship with Sasuke is a plot tumor that overshadows many other possible plotlines she could have gone down. I wouldn’t call Sakura the worst written character in Naruto, or the most forgettable one, but she is by far the biggest disappointment for me overall. With the Boruto manga and anime now hitting it big, I can only hope her daughter Sarada doesn’t share the same fate.

#naruto #sakura #sasuke #sasusaku #ninja #masashi kishimoto #manga

71 notes · View notes

robronotics · 7 years

Text

Post Ep Ponderings February 10

So it appears I’m not the only one to think there’s a similarity between Faith and Val. I think now though it might be part of a plot device to make everyone forgive her or just like her, pitting her against Chas. It became very clear tonight that everyone is at least softening towards Faith except for Chas. I wonder if this will lead to whatever plot line is planned for Chas being gone for awhile. Man I’m going to miss her! At any rate, Faith even seems to have easily won over Aaron, though I still feel like Aaron has actually been oddly peaceful lately.

I’m really looking forward to finding out what’s going on in Aaron’s head right now. Maybe he’s just feeling better because Robert showed that he’d stand by him no matter what, or if beating the crap out of Kasim was cathartic. Either way, I’m curious.

I’m looking forward to Robert meeting Faith. I have this sense that he’ll maybe recognize some deviance in her and he’ll be the only one besides Chas to not trust her. Could you imagine Chas and Robert teaming up? That would be incredible! Anyway, I don’t blame Chas for not trusting her mother. Faith is clearly good at winning people over. I just wonder if they’re going to prove Faith to be a changed person or if they’re going to prove Chas right.

Eric has been slaying me lately. I don’t know why he wanted to give Finn advice, but I really enjoyed that scene. I wonder what Finn is going to do. He keeps apologizing to Aaron, but he also is the one that called the cops in the first place. Actually, that whole part confuses me. I assume that Kasim would’ve had to press charges, but at the same time, he didn’t go to the cops in the first place, Finn did. I just think that this slight open-endedness might lead to Aaron not getting sent down.

Ugh, I hate Pierce so much!! I feel like I always have to say something when their story line is on, eventhough I don’t have anything new to say. He’s manipulating her so much it hurts. I’m glad Rhona had the chance to talk to Vanessa about it. Maybe she’ll start noticing that things are not okay and help her.

I know that it would be easy to have John Middleton not on the show by just keeping Ashley in full time care and only mentioning that they’ll visit him, but that’s just not typical for soap operas. I hope they just keep him alive via mentions, but I worry that they’re going to kill him off.

#emmerdale #are you pondering what I'm pondering?#faith dingle #val pollard #chas dingle #aaron dingle #robert sugden #Eric pollard #rhona goskirk #pierce harris #vanessa woodfield #ashley thomas

5 notes · View notes

tialovestelevision · 7 years

Text

The Real Me

Back to Buffy, to get to know the Slayer’s new sister! Also, apparently, Harmony! 1. All of the Previously On is from the most recent episode. Almost like, apart from a few character dynamics (Riley, Tara, Faith), they want us to forget the whole fourth season happened. I’m honestly pretty good with that. 2. Buffy has no sleeves, and is listening to Giles and meditating. They’re at a dojo or massage parlor… yeah, dojo. Buffy is doing a handstand on a block while Giles walks around her and talks. There’s also a crystal. One-handed handstand. Buffy’s sister interrupted the training, though, and Buffy fell down. Opening credits. Michelle Trachtenberg - the sister - is in the opening credits. Fun fact: she is the only one of the teenage characters’ performers to have been cast at the same age as her character. Amber Benson still isn’t in the opening credits, though. 3. The sister - Dawn - is writing in a journal. Buffy opened her banana wrong. Dawn and Joyce used up all the milk. Joyce is foisting Dawn off on Buffy, who is not happy about that. She needs to go train, and Dawn gets in the way. Riley just showed up at the house. Dawn doesn’t like Riley. Riley and Buffy are not hanging. They’re going to see each other tonight. He keeps calling Dawn a kid. 4. Giles, Buffy, and Dawn are in Giles’s car. Dawn keeps fiddling with the radio, which is driving Giles crazy. Giles also hates the automatic transmission in his midlife crisis convertible. Giles wants to show his new car off to Willow and Tara. Yay, Willow and Tara. Dawn likes Willow, and school. Joyce has a hint of homophobia. Buffy is developing a work ethic. Buffy isn’t taking drama with Willow. The magic shop appears to be closed. But they’re going in anyway. Place looks… ransacked. “I think odd just got up to bad.” Tara knows the name of the owner. And Willow tripped over Mr. Bogarty’s corpse… he was eaten by vampires. Buffy is throwing Dawn out of the building before she sees the corpse, but Dawn is looking in the window. A man has comes up to Dawn and tells her not to loiter, and says he’s a cat so he can be quiet and in the cupboard and scratch people. He says to make it stop, and they need to shut up or be heard. He tells Dawn she doesn’t belong here, and that seems to hit close to home for her. 5. Tara comes outside looking for Dawn and finds her sitting on the curb. Dawn asks if Mr. Bogarty is dead. So Tara is joining Dawn outside so they can investigate. Offering to thumb wrestle. Dawn didn’t tell her about the guy. Mr. Bogarty was killed by four vampires, who also stole books. Including a book about Slayers that Buffy also needs. The shop is very profitable. Buffy is going to go with Riley to patrol… she has to drop Dawn back off as well. The vampires stole a worthless porcelain unicorn. 6. And, yep, it’s Harmony. Her vampire gang is planning to kill Buffy tonight. 7. Oh god, Joyce is being Joyce again. Blaming Buffy for the fact that Mr. Bogarty got killed. Dawn likes Xander. A lot. She doesn’t like Anya at all, though. 8. Willow and Tara talking about Dawn. They’re moving things into a room. Tara’s talking about being an outsider. Willow wants to make her feel welcome. I’d buy Tara being one of the gang now if she was in the opening credits. Tara worries about Dawn sometimes. 9. Buffy is with Riley in the cemetery, ranting about Joyce. That’s… oddly cathartic. Buffy is suddenly having to deal with Dawn’s presence. 10. Dawn has a huge crush on Xander. Anya is winning the game. And Harmony just threw a brick with a note on it through the window saying that Buffy needs to come out and die. 11. Xander and Harmony are mocking each other. Which worked right up until Dawn said “Come inside and say that,” which apparently counts as an invitation. Did that get them all in, or just Harmony? Just Harmony. Harmony’s beating up Xander, and kept going until getting pushed out. Xander is telling Buffy about the fight, and Anya let out that Dawn invited Harmony in. Buffy is very angry. Harmony is all embarrassed. And Spike found Harmony’s gang. This conversation is funny. 12. Buffy is making excuses for Joyce. And yelling at Dawn, while she’s not in the room. I think Dawn just left the house… yep. Running away from Buffy’s rant. Just to the back yard. And Dawn just got kidnapped by Harmony’s gang, who left Anya unconscious in the kitchen. 13. Anya has a concussion. Buffy is going to go rescue Dawn while the others take care of Anya. 14. Harmony is having an issue. Her minions think they should eat Dawn, but she doesn’t want them to. Buffy’s at Spike’s asking for where Harmony’s layer is. Harmony is venting to Dawn about her minions, and Dawn is commiserating. Her minions have decided to kill her and eat Dawn. Nobody is killing Mort. Dawn to vampire: “Touch me and my sister’s gonna kill you.” He touched her. Buffy killed him. Buffy: “Can’t say she didn’t warn him.” Now Buffy’s killing minions. Mort is actually a challenge, though. Harony has a wooden unicorn… Buffy staked Mort with its horn. Harmony appears to have run away. Buffy got Dawn out of the cave. And neither of them is telling Joyce what happened. 15. Giles has bought the magic shop. Giles was very bored last year. “She still thinks I’m Little Miss Nobody, just her dumb little sister. Boy, is she in for a surprise.” Overall: Not really sure what to think here. It was fun, but there was also a lot of Joyce being back to being Joyce and Dawn got run over by the narrative a bit in spite of being its main driver. Harmony is always a laugh, though. Dunno. Worth my time.

#the real me #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy season 5 #season 5

2 notes · View notes

bainhardt · 5 years

Text

#RibbonQuest2019 - Part 16: An Ultra Vacation

Well, here we are. With only two ribbons left to claim for our collection, Jin and I have nearly reached the conclusion of our incredible journey together. I didn’t expect to get emotional or anything, but what an experience this has been.

The best part, however, is that it’s not quite over until it’s over - and the Battle Tree awaits!

Ultra Sun was really fun. I enjoyed USUM way more than original SM.

As you may remember in Part 9.5, I’ve been playing through Ultra Sun for the first time during breaks from Ribbon Quest, and I decided to finish for this finale. Jin and the Ribbon Gang can still travel between Alola and Ultra-Alola as needed, but most of the remainder of this quest was played on Ultra Sun.

Starring everyone’s favorite Pokemon-battling alien, Chemic Eleven.

This was all done with purpose, however, because I knew there was one new feature I’d be thankful to have access to during all of my further adventures, ribbon-related or otherwise: Chansey SOS chains. With Ribbon Gang needing to reach the finish line entirely at level 100, this option to efficiently grind Pokemon was a must.

I was lucky enough to score an invitation to egg’s family reunion.

It still takes some patience, but reaping massive exp off of Chansey and Blissey is superior to just about any other level grinding method I’ve utilized in this entire quest. I can tell you, it sure beats the hell out of Isle Evelup.

With our latest contenders capped out, I figured it was about time I actually scope the Battle Tree out and get a feel for what I was in for. Was this going to be easier or harder than Battle Tower or Battle Maison? Would I be able to find some winning combination in my existing Ribbon Gang, or would I need to breed up some powerful new allies once again?

While I may have thought the standard format battles in gen 6 were a pushover, USUM bring this low standard plummeting downwards to an unimaginable new low... by eliminating the species or level requirements from your team choices.

Folks, I couldn’t make this up if I tried.

That’s right - in the standard Singles and standard Doubles challenges, you are allowed to use any Pokemon you want at any level. Understandably, this meant that acquiring the Battle Tree Great Ribbon took about as much effort as clearing an Elite Four. Jin and his most trusted Ribbon Gang allies have been level 100 for four generations at this point, and getting to throw some of that weight around for once was oddly cathartic.

You again? Listen pal, I don’t want to have to sic my Farfetch’d on you. Don’t you remember how bad that turned out for you last time?

I have to call it - this is the single easiest Battle Tower ribbon in Pokemon history, bar none. I’m pretty sure getting the Training Ribbon was more work than this.

With that embarrassing diversion easily dispatched, the final ribbon of all Ribbon Quest was waiting for us... And I was in no particular hurry to grab it. Something about the idea of having any unfinished business remaining even after acquiring all the ribbons rubs me the wrong way, so I set to work making sure we’d be finished with our quest beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Up first was a brief return to Moon to tackle the Looker Ultra Beast mission! Jin had some close encounters with Pokemon from another dimension, but not before yet another addition to our long list of rematches with Pokemon trainers from regions past... I’m talking, of course, about Anabel!

She even has her Alakazam and Snorlax, just like in the Battle Tower!

At this point, what hasn’t Jin seen or done? I’m honestly not sure I could come up with much of a list. He’s simply done it all.

We’d also made sure to clear the Rainbow Rocket postgame on Ultra Sun, but to be honest I had to do that before I could access the Battle Tree to begin with, so there’s not too much special to say about that. Jin wasn’t actually present for most of the clears for any of those games, so those reunions weren’t as impactful.

Next was something I hadn’t really planned on doing at any earlier stage, but once I got the idea I decided to run with it all the way: I filled my Alola Pokedex and created a living dex while I was at it!

Selected a random box to show because 14 separate photos is too much, even for Ribbon Quest.

The final stop on our island tour was to the GAME FREAK headquarters, where Jin would prove once and for all that he has surpassed even his own creators. Knock ‘em down a peg, Jin.

Accompanied as always by an old friend.

With these various tasks and battles behind us, the time has finally come to face down with the toughest trainers in Alola, and hopefully challenge a true Battle Legend. Whatever it takes, we’ve got to claim the final ribbon left standing between Jin and Ribbon Mastery!

#Jeffu plays Pokemon #RibbonQuest2019

0 notes

larryland · 7 years

Text

Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die is described as “Part pop/indie rock cabaret, part storytelling—a life affirming show about one thing we all have in common.” That would be death. This is a show about the inevitability of death and dying. And according to Vogue it’s “goofily grim” and “wildly entertaining.”

And it’s coming to the Ancram Opera House for four performances August 4, 5, 11 & 12 at 8 pm. BerkshireOnStage.com sat down with director and Ancram Opera House co-owner, Jeff Mousseau, and the show’s sole performer, Maria-Christina Oliveras to find out how all those contradictory statements can be true

Ancram Opera House Co-Director Jeff Mousseau directs “We’re Gonna Die.”

Maria-Christina Oliveras star in the show.

“There is a lightness to the material, because in very dark places there is often humor,” Mousseau explained, “when I’ve encountered death humor has been right there beside it as a release and coping mechanism.”

“Death is the universal, the only thing we all have in common,” Oliveras added. “The act of sharing stories helps us connect. I mean, it sucks but we’ll get through it together. The show really explores the duality of life, the joys and the pains.”

“Young Jean Lee is speaking truth and exploring things at levels I am just beginning to investigate,” said Oliveras. “Jeff and I have talked about how this is me owning these stories. Any character is like that – when I step into a role that’s already been done it’s my version. The audience will bring another layer of experience. The audience is my scene partner. Every performance is a dance, and I discover from the audience whether it is a foxtrot, a waltz, a tango – it will be different every night.”

The stories are juxtaposed, off-set, and complimented by the songs composed by Lee, Tim Simmonds, Mike Hanf, Nick Jenkins, and Benedict Kupstas. A live band composed of Claire Cuny, Patrick Robinson, and Monte Weber will accompany Oliveras on stage and a group of Ancram residents have been recruited to participate in a brief ‘dance break’ in the show.

Maria-Christina Oliveras rehearses “We’re Gonna Die” with the band – Claire Cuny, Patrick Robinson and Monte Weber.

“While the dark humor acknowledges the finality of life, the indie pop music delivers a release. The music provides a catharsis. When we are singing together it is ritual act,” Oliveras explained “I believe in theatre as an ensemble work. I don’t consider this a one woman show because the band and audience are there with me.”

We’re Gonna Die fits In neatly with the ethos Mousseau and his husband Paul Ricciardi have established for the Opera House with their Real People, Real Stories series, as well as their schedule of cabaret performers and music infused drama.

“Paul and I jointly decided to do this show,” Mousseau explained. “It seemed right on so many different levels. I liked it on a philosophical level because death is always there in the back of our minds. It is a play with music without it being a musical. Storytelling is already part of our gestalt. We’re an intimate space so we can’t build huge sets. Our shows have to be about text, listening, and speaking. This performance does all that.”

“The energy in this house is so lovely and intimate,” Oliveras added. “It feels like a community coffee house.”

This is only the second or third production of We’re Gonna Die not to feature its creator, Young Jean Lee, billed as “the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation” by The New York Times, and “one of the best experimental playwrights in America” by Time Out New York.

“As soon as I knew I would be directing this show I started asking around to find just the right performer, which is how I connected with Maria-Christina.” Mousseau said. After an initial meeting Oliveras fell in love with the material and was thrilled to make the trek to Columbia County for the adventure.

Mousseau and his husband Paul Ricciari bought the Ancram Opera House in 2015.

erected in 1927 as Ancram Grange #955. It was repurposed as a performance space in 1972.

“This area is so beautiful! I am trying to get Paul and Jeff to adopt me so I can stay,” Oliveras enthused. She has been in the region several times before, starting as an apprentice at the Berkshire Theatre Festival (now the Berkshire Theatre Group) while a student in college. Her most recent visit was with David Byrne’s pre-New York try out of Here Lies Love at Mass MoCA in 2012.

A first generation American born in New York City to a Filipino mother and a Puerto Rican father Oliveras laughs that she defied convention to became an artist instead of a doctor or lawyer as many immigrant parents dream. She studied drama as an undergraduate at Yale and earned her MFA from the now defunct National Theatre Conservatory. Then she headed back to NYC to establish a successful career in theatre, film, and television.

“Theatre is my life-blood, when we’re all in the same room breathing together. I’ve done musicals, straight plays, Shakespeare, you name it,” Oliveras explained. “I’m a new plays person and I’ve been part of the development of a lot of new work. I just finished doing Amelie on Broadway after two and a half years of development. I worked on Here Lies Love for five years. I feel very, very blessed to be part of all these adventures and to work with so many really amazing artists.”

Mousseau feels confident that the title and subject matter won’t put audiences off. “We’ve been working to make sure people understand that it’s not a slitting your wrists kind of experience,” he said, “But I am sure our audiences will ‘get it’ because people automatically transfer the stories they hear into their own experience.”

WE’RE GONNA DIE written by Young Jean Lee original music by Young Jean Lee, Tim Simmonds, Mike Hanf, Nick Jenkins, and Benedict Kupstas

directed by Jeffrey Mousseau

starring Maria-Christina Oliveras

August 4, 5, 11 & 12 at 8 pm

At the Ancram Opera House, 1330 County Route 7, Ancram NY

Tickets $25 available online at https://www.ancramoperahouse.org/tickets

For more information call (518) 329-0114 or visit http://www.ancramoperahouse.org

“Sly, weird and thoroughly winning…it doesn’t feel dirge-like at all. Its forthright acknowledgment that life can be a rough business is bracing, funny and, yes, consoling.” – Charles Isherwood, NY Times

“In the enormously touching cabaret-style We’re Gonna Die…[Young Jean Lee] spins a 180 degrees to embrace convention, naked autobiography, and the unironic pop song.” – Helen Shaw, Time Out NY

“One of the most inexplicably pleasurable experiences of my theatergoing life….A goofily grim and oddly uplifting meditation by one of the most restlessly experimental—and wildly entertaining—writer-directors working in the theater today.” – Adam Green, Vogue

Uplifting Stories and Cathartic Songs About Death Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die is described as “Part pop/indie rock cabaret, part storytelling—a life affirming show about one thing we all have in common.” That would be death.

#Ancram NY #Ancram Opera House #AOH #Benedict Kupstas #Claire Cuny #Jeff Mousseau #Jeffrey Mousseau #Maria-Christina Oliveras #Mike Hanf #Monte Weber #Nick Jenkins #Patrick Robinson #Tim Simmonds #We&039;re Gonna Die #Young Jean Lee

0 notes