#oh that's another issue too the paranoia has been going stronger than ever and it's wearing me out even more lol i really can't | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

witchlyboo · 3 years

Text

Definitely, maybe.

Part five: The one who belongs to someone else.

Introduction. Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four.

Paring: Latina!reader x Logan Lerman x Tom Holland x Ben Hardy x Timothee Chalamet x Pedro Pascal x Michael B. Jordan

Warnings: Swearing, angst, misspellings, some Spanish, me learning how to write properly, and NY stuff that I've learned from movies that we all agree to pretend are real.

Word count: 6.4 k

a/n: You been asking for smut, I know, I know, I just wanted to introduce you to all the boys first, and we're getting there, just one more ahead. Also, I'm working on a masterlist because we are getting too many parts already.

All body types and skin tones friendly. You can also enjoy it as a no Hispanic reader. Constructive feedback and misspellings correction is always welcome.

Red and blue lights flash the driving mirror.

—No, no, no, por favor que no sea a mi—You beg to the sky looking at the patrol that is asking you to park, or someone else, there's a lot of cars in this part of the city, there's a big chance is the panic who's controlling your senses.—Dios, mi abuela fue a la iglesia cada domingo de su vida y nunca te pidió nada, please let me have some of her divina recompensa.—But that's not how it works, you end up parking with just a few seconds to think what to say. There's a perfect explication of why you are driving a car that is not yours in the middle of the night and smelling like a minibar.

Then this ridiculous thought comes to your mind, you look expensive, you've never seen the daughter of a senator but you must be close to it, it would make you less of a feminist if you just use your attributes? Ugh, you feel sick just to think about it but don't have enough money to pay a fine, and the constant paranoia of being chased all the time as an immigrant will only get stronger.

You pull down your dress a little so your neckline can do its job but you regret it immediately, and you're pretty sure you look more like an expensive prostitute who stole the car of his lover than some influential men's daughter.

—License and registration.—You hear him say when he approaches your window. You don't like this but you have to play the dumb tourist, the pretty foreign girl that is too stupid to be dangerous, with the look you have tonight it shouldn't be hard. But damn you hate cops, any uniformed man that works for the government is your eternal enemy, and you don't know how long you could keep the nice dumb Latina game before spit on his face.

—There's something wrong, officer? ...You?!—Your sexy and fake high voice is ruined when you see the face of the man who stopped you. This night couldn't get worse.

—Wait, what happened with the party?—Evan interrupts you while you finish some notes for work, little remainders for later when you don't have an eleven years old kid running around you, he's not usually this energic and you have to blame yourself for that, you're describing a life of excess and eccentric fun, something you let behind so many years ago that your own son doesn't know even a bit of it.

—Ugh, a nightmare doesn't worth telling.—You remember vaguely most of it but what keeps fresh in your mind is bad enough to don't want to bring it back.

—But if Timothée is my dad I have to know the important things, including the bad stuff.—Sounds perfectly reasonable and that's what makes you groan at him. Sometimes you feel blessed that your kid is better than you in any possible way, and sometimes you want to kill his brain with video games and reality shows like the rest of the parents.

—Ok, cool, but I'll keep all the +18 content for myself, so this part of the story might be blurry for you.—It kinda is for you anyway.

You should’ve known this night was cursed, you had a feeling because a) your earring fell off at the same time Timothée texted you to give you the party address and say he can't pick you up. And b) he won’t pick you up. Your mother would say that’s reason enough to not go, a real gentleman wouldn’t make you go to an unknown place in the middle of the night on your own in a city like this. But you decide to ignore it because you are a modern woman and because it’s worth it. It better be.

The outfit must be something special. You always take your time to choose what to wear, even if just another regular day, and since this isn't the case you thought about it for hours, that made your mind busy enough to not thinking about Tom and the whole love confession. He texted you saying he'll come for you to go to class together on Monday, which is completely impractical because he's way closer than you but is progress and you're going to take it.

You wanted to ask for Sheep's opinion but you thought she might not care, has been a few days since she started acting strange like she's bothered just to see you breathe. You want to blame his boyfriend to take all her time and attention from you but is probably just her new job, she got a small role in a Netflix show, and even when you're so happy for her, that's the event that has changed her into someone completely different. But you give her time, stress can do bad things to people.

The winner is the exact copy you made of the black and white striped dress Cameron Diaz wore in "The Mask" beautiful, classy, and sexy enough without being too scandalous, not that you have any problem with that, but this isn't the occasion, you don't want to feel like you're being too much or too little, just enough, it's supposed to be easy, right? you were born for this. Just adding some big shiny earrings you got on a thrift shop that look like real diamonds and you're ready, not that you own any to compare. Red lipstick, dark eyes, and a messy bun to get that disinterested pitch every look needs.

Getting there wasn't a problem, you were in the rich part of the city, everyone know who, where and what just to brag about it. The excitement is growing with every second, you check your makeup like thirty times in the elevator and send texts to your mom just to let her know where you are, and because you have to share that moment with someone and you are limited of friends these days.

Timothée opens the door with red eyes, drunk, high, or somewhere in between, you know then you were right about the bad feeling. He jumps on you to kiss you and no matter how much you try to explain the delicacy of your lipstick, he does it anyway, leaving a taste of alcohol and shrimps in your mouth. Taking you by the waist he walks you to a group of people you don't know while you're trying harder to fix the red color of your mouth without a mirror.

—Here is the companion I bought, look at her, that's how five grand per hour look like.—They laughed but you were too disoriented to process all the things he said, it was supposed to be a joke? if it is, why isn't he correcting? Instead, his hand goes straight to your ass and presses it to get you closer to him.

—I'm actually an intern in the costume designer department of the new version of "Sense and Sensibility".—You wanted to mention your recent promotion to hairstylist and makeup artist but that might be too pretentious. Anyway, they don't seem to care what you are or not, in fact, they don't even see you, all eyes are on Timothée

—Oh, well, is easy to forget when you're paying them—All laughs again. Who is this person? Who are all these people, actually? You recognize some influencers, a few cast members but there's no sign of the director, other main actors, not even his co-star. You feel like an extra in a movie where someone will be killed in a luxury party, hopefully not you. You take his hand from your body and clear your throat.—I'm just joking my love, she looks stunning, isn't she? I’ll get you a drink.

He leaves and the group of people surrounding you suddenly dissipated like boiling water, you were on your own again and despite some judgmental gazes is like you’re not there, you’re sure you could just take your dress off and throw it to someone’s face and unless Tim says something about it, no one would care. You’re there as his companion, an ornament, and that’s not enough to earn their attention because it’s too obvious you’re the one in turn.

You walk to the only window no one is smoking and check your phone, you know, the thing you do when you pretend you have important issues to attend, but no, you end reading some old messages, pictures, texting your mom of how much fun you’re having at the party, and somehow you check your filed Facebook messages to find Logan’s name. You cover the screen so fast you hurt your nail, his name is enough to make you tremble like a Chihuahua, you haven’t talked to him since that night, you know from his sister he lives in the house he bought for you two and he’s having the happiest life without you. You want to believe that because that means you took the right decision but deep inside… no, you can’t be that person, you want him to be happier than ever.

You find the guts to open the message, and you read as slowly as is humanly possible. “My angel, I hope this finds you in perfect health…” Dios, just Logan could start a message like that, your smile is almost too big to fit in your face so you bit your nail to cover it a little. “I recently found one of the human body drawings you made for me to study, you’ll be happy to know…”

—That’s a fucking long-ass message.—Tim appears behind you and takes your phone from your hand, spilling some of his drink on your dress in the process. Apparently, he's been there long enough to read part of the message.

—Give it back.—You command in the most severe voice you have, your magical moment got ruined and you remember the hole of hell you are.

—"My angel, I hope this finds you in perfect health. I recently found one of the human body drawings you made for me to study, you must know I still use them now and then"—Timothée starts reading the message, and even when no one is close enough to hear it and you don’t really care about this people’s opinion, that’s not for anyone to read, that’s one of the few parts of your life you treasure the most and you’re not ready to get over it.—You little slut, are you cheating on me with a med student?

—Give it to me.—You repeat trying to take the phone from his hand but he’s faster and walks away putting it out of your reach.

—"I meticulously preserve them, I certainly know any piece of art made by you will be priceless in the near future"—You don’t want to hear it coming from his drunk mocking voice, so you try to ignore what he’s saying and put more effort on chasing the phone.—Should I had kept the jeans where you left the wet spot on? I didn’t know you were an artist, my love.

—Timothée, por el amor de Dios.—Now you're trying to climb him, it wouldn't be that hard to take him down, he's skinny and you're fierce. That's what you thought but he's not moving even with you are on top of his shoulder and his opposite long arm keeps the phone away from you.

—Who is this guy and why is he talking to my girl like this?—You see the olive eyes getting darker and the tone of his voice went deeper than you thought he could do. You desist from taking the phone, you know the bullies love the attention, maybe that's exactly what he wants and give it to him just makes it worse.

—I'm not your girl.—You claim fixing up your dress having enough of games, and you have no reason to keep worrying about losing your job, the filming is done, and apparently your relationship with him too. You don't care about any of that anymore, just want to read Logan's text.

Even behind all the alcohol and the eyes injected in blood thanks for who knows what kind of drug, you can see the disappointment and anger, but it's not a broken heart, Is the hissy fit of a child that loses his balloon and now everyone will pay for it, especially you.

—Are you sure about that?—You can see him swallow hard, almost looking vulnerable, but his voice is defiant and threatening to prove you wrong. He just has to stretch out his arm to reach the open window with your phone in hand, his intentions are clear and the only thing you can do is raise your hands as a reflex.—You were mine the moment you put a foot on my trailer, and I don't fucking share my stuff.—Before you can say a word he drops the phone from the fourth floor.

You know is senseless but you find yourself running out of the party and going to search the device, using it also as an excuse to get away from that place. This is the first time someone makes you feel meaningless, you know the famous' world is cold and lacking in empathy but this is ridiculous, they're a bunch of parasites fed by attention and power. By Timothée.

The screen is crashed and the rest of it is probably beyond repair, not that you're surprised, its life is longer than you've been in the country and you admit you should have replaced it much earlier but you're not the kind to throw away things that still work. However, is not the phone you are worried about, not as much as what it contains.

—That was obsolete anyway, I'll get you a better one.—You didn't know he was following you, his voice interrupts your self-wailing. He sounds calmer and a little embarrassed, but not enough to say sorry, you don't think he's capable of saying it.

You shake your head and start to walk away without a word, you don't want anything from him, not materially, at least.

—Don't make a scandal out of it, it's just a phone!—He yells erasing any trace of regret in his voice. He doesn't see the reaction he expected and that's when he runs after you and with a hand on your upper arm pulls you back, you gasped for the sudden bluntness.—That annoying habit you have of leaving when I'm talking to you.

You push him away with all the strength you have, which resulted in him almost falling on the ground.

—I don't care about the stupid phone!—You finally break, but sadly is not as satisfactory as you thought it would be.—You are mean, vain, arrogant and the worst part is that you enjoy being this despicable human because you have absolutely no consequences to it. Everyone around you just accepts it and I feel so sorry for you because the only possible way for you to fill the void inside is to be surrounded by that crowd of mules licking your steps—To your surprise, he has nothing to say, he's just standing there with no facial expression, whatever he feels is easily covered by his years of experience acting, even drunk.—I can't give you that and it's obvious they don't want me either. What am I even doing here?—You ask yourself thinking where would be the best way of getting a cab, is a rich zone, must be easy.

—Everything is better when you're around—His voice is thin and fragile, you have to process what he said three times in your head to understand his words. You're not willing to look at him yet.—You're not like the others.

—Pure bullshit. You love to repeat that misogynist discourse of girls being in a certain way because is easier than be responsible for the people you choose to be—You were hugging yourself the whole time, is a cold night, but not enough to be bothersome, you enjoy Fall weather—You got me for a moment, I give you that, you fooled me but I'm too tired of guessing what version of you is real—When you return your gaze at him, he doesn't try to hide the guilt anymore, but there's still haughtiness in there.—Now, if you don't mind Mr. Chalamet, I need to get a cab.

—No, you came with me, you leave with me.—There's no trace of alcohol in his voice anymore, a good scolding is enough to put you sober, you know that thanks to your mom. Oh god, you're becoming her.

—You didn't bring me here, gigantic head—You look at him and put your hand in front of him with the palm up. He stares at it for several seconds before put his own on it—Not that!—You shake it and start looking inside his jeans pockets until you feel the metal of his key car.—You can't drive and I have to get home. You'll find it in the studio tomorrow.

That's how you ended with a car way more luxurious than you expected, driving so slowly and carefully that the police stopped you. What a night, but at this point, you couldn't care less about anything that is not that message, is been months and you can't get over it, over him. Not even Ben moans, Tom's comforting arms, or fight with a movie star at 3:00 am. is enough to get him out of your mind.

—So is true, you don't wear anything that hasn't appeared in a movie, huh?—Michael B. Jordan is leaning on the car window with a mocking smile and a sparkle of satisfaction that you would love to punch but his uniform keeps you in line, where you come from police is not equal to justice, most of the times is oppression.

—You know where it's from?—That was kind of comforting, no one at the party noticed. Not that you care.

—Is The Mask, not some Adam Hitchcock's blurb.—He smiles and even when you really don't like him, it's nice to be with a familiar face, you are really tired of running away, scaping for problems that are a result of your null capacity to deal with emotions. Ugh, what a word.

—Is Alfred Hitchcock, actually.—You didn't want to sound priggish, but you correct him with no time to stop yourself, an old habit.

—You got me, smarty, you know more than movies than me. Where did you get this car?—You feel really nervous even when you got this legally, you have your documents and license on time and he's being nice enough to not want to run away in a car that you technically borrowed for yourself.

—It's not mine.—No shit, Sherlock.

—No shit, Sherlock, I was asking where did you steal it.—You wanted to laugh but there's something with the uniform that just doesn't allow you to be yourself.—Are you drunk?

—No, no, fuck, no, it's just, I don't feel comfortable with cops—He raises his eyebrows but that is his only reaction.—Listen, is my boss' car, I'm doing the favor to take it to the studio, and I'm really nervous because is fucking expensive, he's an asshole, I haven't drive un almost a year because you people only use cars if you're rich or your work and lives depend on it. I'm starving.—The last part came out of nowhere, you haven't eaten anything in almost 13 hours, maybe that's the actual reason why you are that moody.

He doesn't answer right away, takes his time to look at you, what makes you blush, he's really close, closer than he's ever been. Does he smell like green apples? Not the actual apples, the artificial smell they had given to them.

—Get out of the car.—Oh no, is he arresting you? Is he finally taking revenge for every time you make fun of his Hawaiian-type shirts? You know you have too much karma accumulated and a cop making you pay for it when you don’t believe in their sense of justice is kinda poetic, and evil.

You don’t want to discuss with someone with a taser, gun, pepper spray, or who knows what else. So you take your bag, the key car, and get off defeated.

—My turn is almost over, I’ll take you to eat something, c’mon.—He walks back to his patrol and you stay still for a few seconds still processing his words, you must look totally devastated for him to offer that. How you see it you have two options, go with him and spend an awkward hour with a person you don’t like or risk getting a fine, Tim can pay it, it’s not a big deal but you don’t want to owe him even the minimal thing.

You get in the car holding on to your bag to feel calmer, this is the first time you’re fully alone with him since you found him half-naked in your kitchen. Those defined abs may never leave your brain.

—Are you cold?—He interrupts your thoughts with his question, you didn’t notice you were shaking. He looks for something under his seat and gives you an NYPD hoodie, you hold it doubting your next move, is not like you don’t appreciate the gesture but it’d be easier to take if it doesn’t get that words printed—Is clean.—He says chuckling when he sees the way you’re looking at it.

—Is not that, just, you know, fuck the police, defund the NYPD, demilitarize the pigs and that stuff.—You say putting on the hoodie anyway, is a cold night and you won't help the institution wearing their propaganda.

—Yeah, I get it, but you can't change the system just from within.—You decide is not the right moment to have a political conversation so you shrug your shoulders and discreetly smell the hoodie, a mix of cologne, green apples, and cheap soap, you know is cheap because you buy the exact same, do its job.

—I'm in the mood for pizza.—You say casually, making a deal to yourself to try to be his friend, he is a small part of your life anyway.—Domino's is open at this time of the night?

—Tell me you're not consuming that shit, dear Lord, you been here for how long, two years? I can't believe your idea of a good pizza is Domino's. Stella hasn't taught you anything?—You're surprised by the level of condescension with a pizza and you mirror his smile, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Your school program includes people from all around the world so you don't have that much experience with actual new yorkers. Logan is rich, so he doesn't really count.

—What's wrong with Domino's? I don't buy much street food, is cheaper to buy things on the food market. Besides, all pizza is good.—The mention of Sheep makes you a little tense, so you don't say anything about it, is not a conversation to have with him.

—Don't blaspheme in the patrol, I just washed it—You laugh, finally, after a terrible weekend. You can see why she likes him, there is something about his voice, smile, and his eyes that feel... calm, like watching Friends after a marathon of Lord of the Rings.—There are rules to survive this city, and I'm surprised you have made it this far without a proper guide.

—Chill out Mr. Miyagi, I'm not from the jungle, and I've learned a lot by myself.—He gives you a lopsided grin as a request, and you put your fingers up ready to enlist your acquired knowledge.—Walk fast, like you're about to be stabbed, something that actually happened to me, with an umbrella—He nods and laughs being related to it.—Number two, no small talk, no one cares, even if they ask. Number three, if you look a stranger in the eye, especially a homeless person, you have essentially invited them to approach you.

—Number four, we never eat from Domino's, Papa John's, Pizza hut, or any other chain restaurant, only trucks and local places are allowed.—You roll your eyes but you get the point, is just, again, you're not much into street food, it doesn't taste like home and the only way to eat food like that is preparing it yourself.

—Fine, fuck capitalism, let's support local places—You make an obvious fake enthusiastic tone but he nods proudly.—Number five, you don't need a car to live here, not even know how to drive. I would have successfully avoided this police brutality if I had followed that rule.

—For someone who is about to eat for free, you whine too much.—He parks the car and gives you a sign to go with him. You see him go to a pizza truck and order, you realize at the moment how ridiculous you look, so before chasing him you let your hair down, take your huge earrings off, and roll up the skirt of your dress until your mid-thighs letting the hoodie cover the rest, and clean the red lipstick with a Kleenex from your bag. Now you look more like a college person and not a rich girl who just got seized.

—Here you go.—He says giving you a slice as big as your head, looks oily and spreading cheese everywhere. Perfect.

—Is it vegan?—You ask receiving the food with an obnoxious face. His kind grind turned into a dread expression and you give him your second laugh of the day.—I'm kidding.

You are about to give it a bite when you see passing next to you a huge rat with the exact same slice as yours in its mouth, running into the dark of the night happy to have obtained the food for its family. They use to scare you when you just moved out but now they're like any other pigeon in the sky.

—Rule... whatever, a rat with a slice of pizza is a symbol for good luck, congratulations.—He pets your head awkwardly, not sure if you're ok with the physical contact, which, surprisingly, you are.

—I see rats with bagels all the time.—Pizza and bagels, that's the main culinary wonders of the city, you like it, not much to object but is hard not to compare it with your home's food.

—Is easy to confuse a rough diamond with a simple rock.—You both eat in silence, enjoying the mixed sounds of the city and all the different smells, the whole situation feels like one of those lofi music videos. You remember thinking about moments like this before getting the scholarship, what would it be like to feel normal in the city of your dreams.

—How do you know that much about movies?—He asks after a few minutes when you take a break to drink something, that pizza is not easy to take.

—When I was a kid a spent much time on my own, so my dad bought me a used DVD reproducer, and at the corner of my neighborhood was this movie store where you could buy 5 pirate movies for one dollar. They were blurred, with a terrible sound, and most of the time with the wrong movie inside but they helped me to not feel lonely. Eventually, the store closed but I've watched everything in it by then—He gives you a warm smile, you never told that story to anyone, not because is too intimate to share, but because no one asked, it doesn't sound like a question with a complex answer.—Anyway, I watched Marie Antoinette when I was like eight, and I decided at that moment that however is done I wanted to be part of that magic.

—You hear all kind of people chasing dreams in this city but is hard to find someone who actually deserves it.—You blush and you cover it with your hair but the smile on your voice is impossible to hide.

—Is that a compliment? You must really want me to like you to date Sheep.—You laugh but you can see his face tense, so you can guess your friend has been busy breaking everyone’s hearts.

—She hasn’t returned my calls in three days so I don’t think there’s much you can do—You nod, all this time you thought he was the reason she is ignoring you but apparently you are both in the same boat.—But yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking, what I should have said is, Marie Antoinette at eight? I can see where all the damage started.

You gasp and throw your napkin at his head, he easily catches it without even looking at it and laughs; that was unexpectedly attractive.

—Why a cop?—You ask, not sure where that question came from, maybe you authentically want to know more about him, he just bought you food, and honestly, that's the easiest way to win your trust.

—I wanted to be an actor when I was a child. This is the city of opportunities so you may think that if you want to chase the big wonder, this is the perfect place to do it. But I grow up surrounded by these people giving their entire lives to get something just given to one in a million so I decided is not worth it. For many years I wondered what I wanted to do with my life and the answer was really clear, my dad was a cop, a good one, or that’s what people say. I don’t remember much because he died when I was seven—Conversations about death are not your strength, everything can turn out uncomfortable if you choose the wrong words.—It might not be that glamorous but if my father died for it, it surely worth it.

—For the good ones.—You raise your almost empty can of Coke and he does the same with a grin that warms the cold weather of the night.

—For the good ones.

The next two hours passed like minutes talking about anything and everything. It just felt right to talk freely with him, you didn’t feel judged for your awkward family moments or your random thoughts, not even once because he told you his too. At some point of the night he borrowed you his gym sweatpants, any of you could just suggest going home but that was off the table, end that peace just for weather reasons would have been a tragedy.

—I read Timothée Chalamet is a dick. Is that true?—The mention of his name remains you of your life and everything that comes with it, including the middle semester project that you must dedicate your entire day, one that is about to start.—What, you can’t talk about it?

—He is a complete dick with no sense of privacy or human decency—And when he interrupts a deep kiss to look at your eyes, smile, and caress your chin, you feel like a character of his Victorian movies. But he didn’t ask that.—But the next week he’ll be no longer my problem.

—That’s why we have rule twenty-three, don’t ask for a picture of a celebrity unless they are local—You have heard about it before but you haven’t got the opportunity to decide if you like that rule because the only celebrities you have seen are from work and that club’s party opening.—That means you’ll be free to go to the Stephen Kings’ movie projection there will be for Halloween.

You don’t know if that was a proposition, a suggestion, or just a simple recommendation, and whatever it is, you noticed he was nervous to ask. Is it wrong? It feels wrong like you were betraying your friend accepting to hang out with his boyfriend without her consent. But he didn’t ask you to go with him so is safe to answer.

—Yeah, I guess—You get a moment, four seconds top, where you shared innocent, curious, and tenting gazes like three graders in the playground. And that’s the further you will allow yourself to go.—We better leave, if the sunlight touch me I’ll turn into dust.

You get off the car hood and go to the side door, but this time he opens it for you. You give him a “seriously?” Look, receiving a little push in your arm as a response.

↬☀︎︎

A distant voice asks you to wake up, softly whispers that turn into caresses on your cheek, your eyes feel so heavy, even when you are well aware of your environment your eyelids keep closed.

—Good morning, Princess—This is the first time Tom calls you that way, the change from silly nicknames to Princess is enough to get you out of hibernation. He is squatting beside your bed, his smile is the promise of a better day, and chasing that idea you give him one small back.—Your mom has been texting me desperately all day, she said you're not answering her calls and is worried.

—Fuck, my phone broke last night, can I call her from yours?—That’s an oversimplification but in the search for a better story, that's what you decide to believe and tell. Tom nods and gives it to you, he looks happy, beyond that, this is the first time you see that subtle blush on his cheeks and the eyes sparkling. You sit on the bed next to his body looking for your mom's number, slowly he moves between your legs, you have shorts and an oversized Back To The Future t-shirt, you got took the time to prepare yourself to bed last night and keep Michael’s clothes inside your closet to wash them, like The Tell-Tale Heart, a little innocent secret who feels dirty somehow

The conversations with your mom are always long, nostalgic and the tears are hard to hold for both parts; after a long life sharing almost every day with her, her absence never feels smaller. But this time is different, Tom is exploring the bare skin under your knee with his warm hands, asking for permission with curious eyes, and when you don’t object to the touch the British boy keeps his exploring mission cautiously, giving special attention to see your eyes in case something change. Is time to hang up when he gives a long and loving kiss to your knee, the less erotic kiss you could think of but so intimate to bristle your skin.

—Not nice to touch someone's daughter when is talking to her mom.—The protest of your voice loses strength at every word, he heard that and just straight his back to reach your face, the gap is almost extinct.

—We're okay, she likes me.—He assures holding your hips and pulling you a bit to him. Tom looks very comfortable with the new closeness authorization, you like it but are not very sure about it yet, most of you still think of him as your best friend.

—Did she tell you that? Are you talking with my mom behind my back?—You laugh when he does, almost like nothing changed.

—She adores me, I swear, I'm invited to Christmas, you know?—You're not surprised, she invites everyone, Logan was too but the first time he got family plans and didn't make it to the second.

—You should go, maybe we can do...—His lips touch yours in a peak at the middle phrase and makes you forget what you were about to say.—Man, the audacity to interrupt...—Then he kisses you again, deeply, using his tongue to taste your inner lip and his hands holding your shirt in fists. That's a twist of events.

—Is that ok?—You hear a weak whisper coming out of his voice but you got so mesmerized on his lips that decided to ignore it and kiss him back instead. He responds to your touch and starts to lean over you to make you lay on the bed.

Jesucristo bendito, is this happening? like, actually happening? you must look like trash, you barely took all the makeup from the night before and didn't take a shower, you start to get so worried about smells, feelings, and what that'll mean to your already too much-spoiled friendship.

However, the time of doubts is done when Sheep starts yelling in the living room, you both reacted running to the sound and looking for your blonde friend. Michael is there but doesn't look like the same as a few hours ago, is annoyed and tired for the lack of sleep, a look that doesn't match him at all.—What did you do?—You ask him fast assuming she's mad for something he did.

—Just in time, the star of the movie, I was wondering how much it will take you to be the protagonist of this.—That is Sheep's voice talking about you and what must be your heart breaking from her words.

—Excuse me?—You wish your tone would be less savage but you can't help respond the same way she did.

—Logan wasn't enough, then you got the drummer, fucking Timothée Chalamet, Tom and now my boyfriend. I'm so glad I didn't leave you alone with my dad or I'd be calling you mom now.—You have no words to that, Michael doesn't even dare to look at you, he must have told her something she misunderstood, but Sheep, or well, Stella is saying things she actually thinks and keep to herself. Tom walks in front of you whispering things to her to calm her down but she is not looking at him, you didn't tell her anything about Tom either so he's taking responsibility this time.—Go ahead and fuck the whole city, Michael if that please you but you're crossing the line with Tom and you know that, you're going to ruin him as you ruin every man that enters in your life.—She has a very you moment having the last word of the dispute and getting out of the apartment with Michael going after her but not putting much effort in it.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Taglist:

@eridanuswave @cjand10 @deluxeplanteater @rorodendra @navs-bhat @coxxxxxpi @leviosatothestars

Thanks for all the love and support, if you have opinions, suggestions, or want to be part of the tag list (Or don’t want to be part anymore) let me know, I appreciate every message.

#ben hardy imagine #michael b jordan fc #tom holland x reader #timothee chalamet fanfiction #pedro pascal #logan lerman fc #definitely maybe #fluff #angst #timothee chalamet #Tom Holland #Ben Hardy

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zebrabaker · 4 years

Text

Paris Stands Alone; Part 13

Part 12

This chapter’s art is...

As always, HUGE credits to @gajer-1226 , for her amazing art!

Marinette groaned from her spot on the couch. Mullo had come down from relaxing in the sunroom a while ago, and the trio was sprawled out on the couch, cuddling under a blanket and watching a news report on the current Mayoral elections. Monsieur D’Argencourt was running again, despite having lost so many times in a row. His opponents were a strict woman who had been on the city council for years and was very conservative, and a man who was far more liberal but had little experience. She’d need to keep an eye on things politically, things like this always led to stronger Akumas, be they the politicians themselves or angry citizens.

Right as she had begun to debate with herself whether or not she should go back to bed the whole house shook, and she heard screaming in the streets.

“Son of a bitch…let’s go.” She rolled off the couch with a heavy sigh. “What are we betting on this time?” She asked, stretching and rolling her neck gently.

“Oh! Animal!” Mullo squeaked, perking up. She and the Kwamis had invented a game of betting on what the Amoks would be, winner getting to pick what game they would play on the household game night. If there was a tie, they would do a coin toss.

“I imagine after this morning they’ll go for inanimate.” Tikki yawned. “Ready whenever you are, Marinette!”

“Spots on!” She cried, smirking when she saw a portal appear a few feet away from her, put of sight of the windows. Leaping through, she let loose a battle cry as the world sharply shifted.

X0X0X

The Amok was a rampaging, canine beast, with massive fangs and glowing red eyes, and a hissing, spitting cobra for a tail. It looked like a terrifying mix of a pit-bull and a Doberman pinscher. Nightmare had taken to the rooftops, opening a portal that Ladybug leaped through with a mighty cry. She flung her yoyo at a flagpole and yanked it tight, swinging towards the beast feet-first. She slammed it across the snout, making it whine and stumble. A figure dropped from another portal in the sky, this one swirling blue and white, the figure indistinguishable.

“No way!” Teacup squealed, bouncing in place.

“What is that?” Batman asked, drawing a batarang.

“That is someone we don’t see very often.” Cat Sidhe muttered.

“Who?” Wonder Woman asked, fidgeting with her lasso.

“Bunnyx, the wielder of the Rabbit Miraculous. Her Miracle is called Burrow, it allows her to transverse the timestream with ease. She only visits on important occasions, or if she needs to warn us away from something. She’s the one who sent Jade Turtle out on patrol the night he died saving that girl from the disgraced one. Let’s go say ‘hi’, everyone.” Yellow Jacket was smirking as she took off running for the edge of the building. Right as she reached the edge, she grabbed a dagger from her boot and flung it at the beast at the same time as she flung her trompo at the same flagpole Ladybug had swung from. The dagger nailed the beast (presumably an Amok) in the eye, and it howled in agony and rage. It thrashed and stomped it’s feet, which were the size of minivans. It managed to take the corner off a building, making the civilians evacuating along the sidewalks scream.

Snapping Turtle dove into action, drawing their shield in a fluid motion and shouting something lost beneath the sound of the monster’s howls. A green semi-opaque dome made of hexagons appeared, surrounding a small family and the hero in question from the rubble raining from above. The shield didn’t even flicker or waver, merely protecting the small family as Snapping Turtle scooped one of the three small children up and prepping the family to move.

Vixen, standing on the rooftop, drew her reedpipes from her belt, and slowly began to play a haunting tune. Cat Sidhe, picking up on some hidden signal, made a series of gestures with the hand that bore his ring, before uttering a word that made the Americans shudder. It was dark and dank, this feeling, like the paranoia of being out late at night with shadows looming and every sound inducing panic.

From the ring began to emerge a shadowy figure. It morphed itself slowly into a humanoid figure, dressed in all white, with features that seemed to whisper ‘not right, not human, predator!’ in the ears of all who saw it. It was the unnatural smoothness of it’s skin and features, the inverted colors, with white pupils and black irises, hair that started pure white and faded to dull purple. It seemed to be a doll, unmoving, until Cat Sidhe spoke.

“Distract the Amok for me.” He ordered, and the inhuman thing melted into a pool of shadows, before the puddle seemed to dart away towards the Amok.

“What was that?” Nightwing asked uneasily.

“That was his Grace’s secondary ability, Nyx. It creates an inverted clone of pure destruction energy. You don’t want to be around when it self-destructs, that’s for damn sure.” Roi Singe sighed. “I’ll stay back this time; I don’t want to throw you guys off.”

“Alright. I’m off. Vixen, you good?” The fox, who was still playing her pipes, which were emitting a light orange mist, nodded slowly. The mist was descending to the streets below, and Cat Sidhe went running towards the edge of the building, going into a diver’s position as he plummeted towards the street below. Barely twenty feet above the pavement, the cat hero drew his baton and extended it, slamming the end into the ground so hard that it dented the asphalt as he vaulted towards the Amok, which was now biting and snapping as Ladybug and Yellow Jacket darted around it’s head. There was another heroine, this one in blue and white with roller skates on her feet, moving too fast for anyone to properly see her.

The orange mist, which now filled the entire block, suddenly blew towards the Amok, whirling around it as if being held by a tornado. A glance at Vixen proved that her fingers were dancing over her pipes faster than ever, and Batman felt on edge. He’d never been a fan of magic.

The mist rapidly coalesced into a large, feline shape, similar to the Amok in it’s unnatural size. The feline let out a powerful yowl, and swiped with massive claws at the Amok. The Amok (Who Yellow Jacket insisted on calling ‘Fluffy) growled and pounced at the beast, only to be entangled in the wires of Ladybug and Yellow Jacket’s weapons as the illusion dissolved into mist once more. As the wires pulled taught around the Amok, Cat Sidhe’s Nyx reappeared before the beast, darting every which way and holding it’s attention. The beast, desperate in it’s rage to attack the tiny unnatural thing in front of it, thrashed and wriggled, trying to get itself lose, and only succeeded in tightening the wires. Slowly, Cat Sidhe snuck up behind the Amok, right hand raised in front of him as if he was trying to smack a fly. Right as the Amok snapped it’s jaws closed around the clone, Cat Sidhe slammed his hand into a thin red collar around Fido’s neck. The dog let out a startled, pained yelp, and was encased in a squirming mass of dark blue bubbles, which hissed and popped as the Amok shrank. Ladybug stood, waiting, and yanked on her yoyo string, which came zipping back into her palm. It wasn’t until the mass was barely any bigger than an American football that a peacock feather appeared that she acted, gently swinging her yoyo to catch it. When she had the feather secured, she flung her yoyo high into the air, crying out a string of words that felt like pure safety.

It was after the loveliness had faded that the final bubbles faded away, revealing a small, emaciated puppy, who’s bones showed through it’s skin, and it seemed to shiver as it looked up at all the heroes surrounding it. It snarled and snapped, cowering from the heroes around it.

“Wait, that was the eight-story tall monster that just did at least half a million in property damage?” Nightwing asked, walking up behind the Court members.

“This is why Hawkmoth and Mayura are so dangerous, they turn even the most innocuous, innocent little thing into something that can kill hundreds.” Vixen explained, landing behind them lightly, as if she hadn’t just jumped ten stories.

“What will happen to the poor thing?” Wonder Woman asked, watching as the puppy shied away from Ladybug’s hand as if expecting to be hit.

“Well, Fidel already has several dogs. They naturally love her, and Yellow Jacket has been talking about setting up a sanctuary for stray dogs. This one, however, seems to have developed a liking towards her Ladyship.” Roi Singe chuckled, watching as the small dog pressed it’s head into Ladybug’s palm.

“And lord only knows that my Melody could never turn away an animal in need.” Cat Sidhe said, approaching them casually. “Thanks for staying out of the way back there, it could have been bad if someone got hurt.”

“You’re in charge here.” Batman said gruffly.

“Still, we might have an issue. I have some stuff that needs me back home, so I was thinking one of my brothers could come over and help you guys out.”

“We’ll talk about it more tomorrow, for now we all need to split before the press starts getting pushy and Vixen, Bunnyx, and I transform back.” Ladybug said, holding the small dog in her arms. The canine was cuddled up close to her, soaking in her body heat. “Ready, love?” She asked Cat Sidhe, who nodded and sent a glare at a woman with pinkish hair who was coming their way, a camera crew behind her. “Bug out!” Ladybug said, winking to the cameras and flinging her yoyo (which should not be able to go that far) at a flagpole on a nearby building. Cat Sidhe began to extend his baton, before letting it fall, vaulting off down the street.

X0X0X

Nadya watched as Ladybug and Cat Sidhe left the scene, and the various Court members disappeared to the rooftops. This was perfect! And yet, right as she approached, Batman drew a grappling hook from his belt, fired at a gargoyle on a nearby building, and went flying off, and Wonder Woman barely waved to the camera before flying away. At least the remaining hero, a young man dressed in black and blue, took a moment to smile and give a dramatic bow before somehow climbing a brick wall. These heroes were ruining her poor ratings! Well, she still had that Ladyblogger girl’s number…

@krispydefendorpolice @ficsforthestars @multifandomscribette @legendaryneckjudgestudent @ash-amg-blog @bee-wrecker @dawnwave16 @the-supreme-ace-queen @politelyvicious @stonestridernerd @justmdj @stingrowl @damianette-is-life @miraculous786 @mjisntme @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @miraculousdisapointment @lesscooltodoroki @bb-basbusa @isabellemasen @sassydepression @imspectralboiii @spicybelladonna @moonystars14 @frostymoon11 @worlds-tiniest-spookiest-pastry @spartanxhunterx @fandoms-run-my-life @chocolateherringtacofan @imburningneon @fandomsaremylifeline @risingmoonyue @zotinha456

#my writing #psa #lukanette #black cat luka #Court of Miracles #miraculous DC crossover #maribat #ml salt

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365daysofsasuhina · 4 years

Text

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Five: A Goblet of Wine ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina, alcohol ] [ Verse: To Rule Them All ] [ AO3 Link ]

Buckling on his armor, Sasuke pauses as a knock sounds against his quarters’ door. “Yes?”

Permitted to enter, a courier steps through with a small bow. “A letter for you, milord.”

“Thank you.” Accepting the note, Sasuke quickly recognizes his brother’s elegant script. Ah...seems Hinata was able to get word to him. Unfolding the parchment, he finds an invitation to Itachi’s lodgings to discuss ‘the issue at hand’.

...had Hinata told him what was going on? Or only that the pair need to speak?

Sasuke, after all, has found himself in a rather...interesting position. For nearly a year now, he has served as the primary guard for the crown princess of their kingdom, Hinata of the house Hyūga. He is her sword, her shield, her first defense against any and all threats, and has been since she was coronated and deemed suitable to be courted by others of rank.

But with his duty given by Hinata’s father, king Hiashi...Sasuke found himself with a secondary task. Hinata, dreading a marriage so early in her life, asked him to help vet her suitors and prevent any...unsuitable from claiming her hand.

Now, his own house - that of Uchiha - has long produced noble and notable knights of their land. Sasuke immediately took his role seriously...and that included the princess’ request. He was, after all, to serve her and her alone, first and foremost. If she wanted protecting from what may be an unjust marriage...then he would do his best to aid her.

For months, he carried out all of his duties without flaw, helping to keep Hinata spared from noblemen she found distasteful. And over time, the pair grew close, Sasuke serving as a confidant for the princess. She confided in him her worries, her doubts, her fears...and her hopes.

Eventually...Sasuke realized that - in spite of his best intentions - he found himself far more fond of her than he ever should have let himself become. And soon after, an attack on Hinata’s life saw him gravely wounded...and her own confession could wait no longer, the fear of losing him while withholding her feelings too great.

And now...neither is sure what to do. Hiashi has halted visits from foreign lands in the wake of the attack, both out of paranoia, and a want for Sasuke to recover and be available to protect his daughter a second time if necessary. Neither Hinata nor her knight have spoken to the man since. Hesitation holds them back from asking if such a union could ever be allowed, fearful of being parted should Hiashi find their feelings inappropriate for princess and guard should he reject them.

Knights have, in the past, earned enough valor and reputation to wed a princess. But would Hiashi ever consider such a thing…?

Hence why Sasuke - now nearly fully healed - has decided to pay a visit to his brother for advice. Itachi, though the elder of the two, serves not as a knight, but as a member of the court: his wisdom and intelligence quickly earned him a place among Hiashi’s advisors. If anyone can give the pair any ideas of how to proceed, it would be him.

Armor in place, Sasuke leaves his quarters behind. It’s good Itachi got back to him so quickly - as soon as he’s deemed fit, he’ll be back at Hinata’s side every moment, and getting away would be all the harder...and he could hardly take her with him.

Rather than in the castle, Itachi resides in a small manor just outside the grounds. Not nearly the home they grew up in, but a decent enough place for one of his rank yet unwed and alone. Crossing the castle lands until he reaches the proper door, Sasuke then gives a heavy-handed knock.

“Do come in.”

With permission granted, Sasuke does as asked, finding the place warm and cozy. He rarely has time to visit his brother here since his new post. While not the most homey place, it’s at least a bit more personable than a fortress.

The elder Uchiha brother is in his sitting room, currently perusing a bookshelf before turning to his guest. “You’re rather early - I didn’t expect you to be so prompt.”

“I’d like to have plenty of time to discuss what’s...on my mind,” Sasuke offers evasively.

“...I see. Shall I make some tea, then?” Itachi offers, abandoning his search and moving to pick up a kettle left on a table.

“...Hinata and I are in love.”

That stops Itachi in his tracks, kettle in hand. After a moment to consider it, he places it back and instead moves to a cabinet. “...perhaps something a bit stronger than tea, then,” is his reply. Fetching a bottle, he pours the crimson liquid within before handing Sasuke a goblet of wine. He then takes a rather hefty draught of his own. “...I must admit...I did not see this coming.”

“That so?” Sasuke asks dryly, sipping his wine.

“Well, you’ve always been so…” Itachi gently swirls his glass, thinking. “...particular. I simply did not envision you ever finding someone who would suit your specific tastes. How intriguing you would find it in the last place you were ever meant to look…”

Something in Sasuke’s face sours. “...I came here for advice, not a scolding.”

“I’m hardly scolding you, brother...I am simply being honest.” Itachi sets his goblet aside, expression sobering. “You surely know that it is not...traditional for a knight and a lady of rank like Hinata to wed.”

“There have been exceptions -”

“Yes, rare ones...after great feats of valor.”

“I saved her life!”

“Which is your job,” Itachi counters, firmly yet gently. “...Hiashi is a proud, proud man. Though his relationship with his elder daughter has always been strained, he still will settle for nothing less than the best when it comes to her marriage.”

“I’m aware…”

Looking his brother over, Itachi then sighs in sympathy. “...what a cruel predicament…”

“Hinata asked me the day we met to protect her from suitors she disliked, and I have done so. When one attempted to take her life, when no others believed my suspicions, I protected her. Nothing means more to me than her safety. If I cannot be with her as a husband, then...I will swallow my feelings and my pride, and satisfy myself as her knight. But Itachi...if there’s a chance…”

Itachi’s brows lift in surprise at Sasuke’s vow to Hinata, expression then hesitantly softening. “...you do have something that - to my knowledge - none of Hinata’s previous hopefuls ever had.”

“...which is?”

“Precisely that: you protect her. And you’ve already done so once, nearly fatally. It shows that you have dedication: that, as sworn, you take Hinata’s life and safety seriously. There may be a chance to convince Hiashi that - should he wish for his daughter to be, and remain, safe - then his best option is to simply combine the role of knight and suitor into one. Allow you to marry Hinata, and eliminate the risk of another potential king attempting to usurp the royal bloodline by killing his wife.

“Our house is already one rich with history and mighty knights. That too may help convince him. And yet...while our blood is rich, and your actions heroic...even I cannot say for certain if that would be enough. I advise the king, yes...but I am far from his friend or confidant. I could only guess...and I do not know if you wish to stake your future on chance.”

Sighing, Sasuke takes another swig. “...I’ll have to speak to Hinata. This involves her and her future, too. If Hiashi refuses us...he’ll surely part us as a matter of decency. Which means she’ll lose a friend and confidant...and a knight she trusts with her life.”

“All heavy things to consider,” Itachi replies softly, watching his brother sip his wine. “...then I suppose, for now, I cannot aid you further. Let her know my thoughts, converge your own...and I will begin carefully prodding the king and testing his intentions and limitations. Perhaps I can help point him in the right direction. The assassination attempt has him rattled, and rightly so...but it may work in your favor, what with your position as her protector.”

“Thank you, Itachi.”

“Of course.”

The pair sit and finish their wine, mostly in silence but with sparse, familiar conversation until Sasuke admits he must return. “The healer will have my head if she knew I was out before she gave me her leave.”

That gets Itachi to chuckle. “She can be a fearsome thing, indeed. But it comes from good intentions.”

“Oh? And you know this, how?”

“She makes me an herbal tea mixture to help with my coughs,” Itachi replies, expression well masked. “My frailty is more than just a reason why I cannot be a knight as you are - it affects even my current work. She keeps me healthy.”

“...mm,” is all Sasuke hums in reply, standing as Itachi does the same. “Well...if I’m to speak with Hinata today, I’d best get back soon.”

“Indeed. Have patience. Let me needle Hiashi. Your happiness is dear to me, my brother. I’ll do all I can to help protect it.”

The sentiment makes Sasuke pause. “...thank you.” He then embraces his sibling before taking his leave, mind heavy with thought.

Itachi doesn’t seem wholly convinced, but...he does, at least, seem to think there’s a possibility, no matter how slim. For now...they play it patient. Soon Sasuke will be whole, returned to Hinata’s side. Will Hiashi then resume the visits of suitors, or will his caution last a while longer? If it does...that make work to their advantage.

Until then, however...all he can do is wait.

.oOo.

(This is a sequel to days 67, 109, 212, 220, 236, and 275!) More of our princess and knight AU! Seems the brothers are up to something...can they hatch a plot to see the two lovebirds united forever? Or will Hiashi instead part them and deny them their affection? I guess there's only one way to find out! I...would say more, but I honestly had an awful day and want to just crawl into bed, aha~ Thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #uchiha itachi #alcohol //#to rule them all [ au ]#365daysofsasuhina

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therecklessseeking-blog · 6 years

Text

June 25, 2018 Funnel Chasing in Iowa

I woke up super early one Monday morning. By super early I mean 8 am, because I’m normally sleeping until noon or later easily. For some reason, the night before I was able to pass out in time for me to be well-rested.

The trip that day was a split-moment decision. I remember lying in bed cycling through the morning ritualized web pages- weather.org, the SPC, weather.us and then over to my favorite radar app to see what was currently underway.

What I saw was that nice yellow bubble at the top of Missouri into Iowa with a 5% chance of tornadoes, but for some reason I wasn’t actually in the mood to drive out that far. I have a desperation to teleport sometimes. I like road trips. I like being far away. I like the freedom that comes with tourism, and the lack of true obligation. God, are the usual routes boring though. You can only travel on 70 so many times before you’re numbed to the usual array of fields and impatient drivers.

I knew that I was leaving for somewhere though, and I get out of the house by 845 am. It wasn’t a bad turn around to get up, dressed and packed within 45 minutes. My hallmark is indecision, and that can waste a lot of my time.

What was eating at me though was exactly where to go. Sure, there was that nice spot to the north, but the soaring index on weather.us also hinted at the vast amount of severe storms that would move northeast across the Ozarks straight to my county. And the timing suggested that I could explore cave-ridden and creek-laden areas for a few hours before they really started to develop.

As I traveled further and further west down 70, I knew that I would have to make a decision- and to be honest, for some reason I was really fixated on what all the data was saying about the southern routes I had in mind. Places like Sedalia and back roads to the southwest. Plus, since the storms would develop within Kansas and move east, it would be a longer chase. A chase that followed me.

There was a lot of anxiety surrounding that decision though. At the last minute, I kept asking the universe to synchronize some sign into my life. And oddly enough, it appeared in the clouds itself. They hung low, and moved north. I saw the curls I like to see, and one cloud curled itself right into an arrow. North it is.

But f*** driving all that way into Kansas City. I hate city driving, and Kansas City is one of the worst I’ve ever been to yet. I feared more wasted time just based off the inevitable urban traffic.

I’d been looking at the radar every 20 to 30 minutes and I noticed that the low pressure system sitting over Nebraska had already spawned some storms moving up interstates 29 and 35 around St. Joseph, which was another hour and a half away from me. I’ll admit I wasted quite a bit of time getting food, getting lost on the way to food, and then-having a bit of that anxiety earlier -taking a bit too long staring at the radar at one or two exits to decide what I was doing. Oh well.

I figured that I’d make it to MO-13 and go north from there. It’s an older highway, and it goes through some towns you can tell have been raised and broken down in history. This included Lexington, stage of a huge battle during the civil war. The long, rolling fields were stunning. And time consuming. I still had the paranoia that I was driving farther and farther from home on a weak whim. At least everyone was speeding.

I knew that taking MO-13 far enough would lead me to Interstate 35, but apparently that road has been closed for a while just beyond Hamilton, so I decided to sit behind a Dollar General for a second and check out a map. US-36 west would solve that issue immediately, and save me a lot of time. Meanwhile, I get a notification on my phone that the storm chaser/patreon I follow, Pecos Hank, was also aiming for that slight risk zone. Based on the clouds I’d seen coming up 13 off to my west, and the winds in my favorite app, I felt an increasing confidence in my decision of North vs South, and I race on. I reach Interstate 35 by 1:20 pm.

Now, I don’t normally recommend speeding at all. I’m a 5-over-the-limit type of person any other time. But as I’m looking at both the radar and the sky more and more on the approach, I realize that the show is setting up. There’s a bit of convection to the east and west of me. They all just looked like heavy rain so far, but my anxiety was increasing. There was an active range of over 70-90 miles easily, with some storms steadily popping up and moving quickly in the east right over Princeton Mo, and then of course the storms that had already been active near the Kansas/Nebraska border much closer to the low pressure system.

Just before 3 pm, I’ve reached Eagleville MO and jump off the highway to look at the radar. There's a new wave of convection to the south of me, filling in the rainless middle ground and heading north towards me. What I also notice is an organized line of storms approaching the Missouri river heading northeast. I’m near the convergence zone of these storms, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Quickly, I choose a few roads to work their magic. North on US-69, west on MO-46, and not a car in sight I ride the hills to view the horizons bringing me the results. On a bend of 46, I manage to find a nice little hill to take a picture or two and check out any sheer in the clouds.

I still had just under an hour left though. The line to the west was moving much faster than the individual cells to the south and I could just barely make them out on the horizon, so my goal is to move more slowly to the converging point and stake out various places to watch the clouds set themselves up.

Hatfield showed some promise. Just a few houses, some of them abandoned:

There’s a natural area an eighth of a mile south of Hatfield called Pawnee Prairie that did the trick. The parking area was a nice clear overlook on top of a treeless hill, with a few farmers fields surrounding the area. Google says I sat there for close to 30 minutes as I watched the cells approach me. My camera failed to record like I asked it to, but what I noticed was the signs of low pressure. Low hanging clouds rush in west ahead of the storms, as if they gravitated to something else. With all precipitation on the radar heading either north or northeast, there was definitely something hidden happening in the sky. I abandon Pawnee Prairie and continue west down 46, stopping to find a field or two to take more pictures

15 miles away, my actual target was around Grant City MO. The line I’d spotted earlier was only growing stronger and closing in, and it was a race to find a suitable space for viewing. Suitable here means “tall, clear hill with a drive-able road and space to pull off to the side.” None of which is ever guaranteed nor marked with a sign, and as I close in on Grant City, I realize just how close that storm in getting and just how massive that storm became.

I still had no real intention on running into Iowa just yet though. The storms were only yet to arrive and something screamed “STAY!” Turning north onto US-169 I spotted the one road that would be suitable for my needs. North Lyon St (CR 286) is a dirt road springing off the top of Grant City, and right on top of the very hill that originally blocked the westward view from 169. It overlooked a large amount of the western fields, and although quite a bit of the southern sky was blocked by trees, I managed to get nearly 20 minutes of video of the wall cloud and heavily developing rain on the front end of the storm.

The thing was, while I spent so much time looking off to the west, I never moved myself to see what was to the south edge of the system. I had my prize view and signs of very minor rotation, and when I get that much, moving is paranoia. As the rain began falling over me my video quality was dropping, with auto-focus fixated on the droplets on my window. That’s when I checked radar.

Oddly enough, just south of me, a little hook echo had been forming, and I’m off speeding again. Trying to avoid the holes of this little dirt road in the rain was a challenge enough, but keeping my head clear as I race back south down 169 into Grant City was another challenge. I backed into someone’s driveway across from the second Dollar General of the day and began recording what eventually would form into the funnel I had been waiting for.

Now this video is a compilation of the whole event- from suitable hill to the chase it lead me on straight into Iowa up US-169. If you want the most interesting parts only, I guess my advice is to skip ahead 5 minutes

youtube

I’ll admit that parts of the audio are cut out to make it family friendly. When the funnel was forming straight ahead of me, there was still this vague aura of control over the situation. I had a southern escape route right across the street, and for a while, I felt not fear but exhilaration and joy. To think I could have missed the opportunity by going to Sedalia, right?

Any way, what I figured out was I’m completely silent until I repetitively cuss myself out for about 5 minutes in totality. No offense to myself, but what I realized after it passed over me and headed towards the hill was that it might really drop- in which case, I know better. That thing could have thrown any part of those trees at me. I had the legitimate warning of every storm chaser and meteorologist spinning around me faster than the funnel. While it’s great to have video of a tornado, it’s just stupid to film yourself getting hit by one.

I stalk it up 169, cross the Iowa border, and she’s still rotating nicely. I’m trying to find some sort of country road that would let me see over all the bad hill-and-tree combos. I started to understand why chasing in Iowa was such a tease. It’s beautiful, and the twisters are willing to twist but they play “The Floor is Lava” better. It was probably all the hills causing that.

While there are definitely less trees than my part of Missouri and the Ozarks south, man are all the views sporadic. I found myself leaving 169 for a few minutes when I’d found a hill, realizing that the storm was progressing too far ahead of me, and then racing back to catch the ground I lost.

It was also these hills that let me realize this rotation was dying.

Everything’s just started though, and I’m getting a bit scrambled trying to trace where the rotation is trying to head off to while not getting caught in some downpour. There’s just something about the middle of nowhere that makes phones slower and vague and while I’d bought a road map book of everywhere I could possibly end up that day, unless I had some sort of radar on the top of my car strictly to run my own data, I’m running the majority of this chase on finding hills for views and then routes to get over there.

That’s pretty much were I detoured the wrong way- watching the sky too much and missing a turn that would have landed me in the dense rain that popped up to my east. Instead, my stubborn self caught the most vivid rainbow I’ve ever witnessed- on a route that led me on a scenic view of a town that had no good road to the main roads I was aiming for. I’m left with a phone camera that couldn’t necessary capture how grand it was, but I’ll always remember it.

Looking back, it was sort of a mixed blessing to view the storms at such a distance. I was never really caught in any rain, but the hesitancy I had to really approach from the main paved roads caused me to lose track of it. The problem was that the main highways ran straight into any cells path moving north, and these elongated monsters moved fast and heavy. Any parallel path I found though was slippery (dirt and water don’t let you move any faster than 40 miles per hour either) and always carried the greater risk of concealing the horizon behind trees.

I did manage to find a few hills that made me realize just how much rotation a slight risk area can involve. Looking across the valleys around me, I spotted at least three wall clouds either rotating or forming around me. Two belonged to the same elongated cell maybe a good 5 miles to the east that had dumped so much rain in front of me earlier on.

There it was again- that overwhelming need to teleport. The anxiety only increased with an overwhelming need to be everywhere at once too. Complete storm omniscience is all I was really asking for. It's so toxic that it's hard to make decisions, and made me increasingly impatient with myself to get going. I appreciate the view, but I always realize that I fall behind. Soon I'll lose the storms to the same hills and back roads I vouch for.

It's easier to just post a map outlining the route rather than explaining it, because I elected a ton of back roads filled with charming old buildings that only served to keep me out of the action, but still in view of something happening.

As I got closer to Des Moines, I realized two things:

A) Nighttime was approaching within the hour, and I didn't have the best camera for all the amazing lightning happening, nor would I be able to see any rain or tornadoes approaching me on my drive home B) My cell phone only has so much memory, AND I've literally filled it all with clouds and cat pictures. Not to mention several 10-13 minute long videos of rotation from this and previous chases. This phone brand doesn't even contain bloatware either, so I've definitely outdone myself.

Yet I still record

youtube

I find an exit off of interstate 35 just a few miles south of Des Moines to sit and stare over the clearest horizon I've found yet. I'm refusing to give up the fight. I start to delete selfies, apps, games- anything for just a bit of memory. I start spamming my snapchat story with videos knowing that I'd have 24 hours to download anything I uploaded. All for one of the greatest sunsets I've seen yet, and a lot of SLCs (too bad my snapchat segregated the videos into fragments).

What I was most upset about was the phone thing. Nighttime storms are my favorite, and because night is the exact time that most severe storms roll through my area I was accustomed to chasing them more. This time I'd be left with nothing to show, nothing to save. The clouds glowed with rapid fire. I could tell with the intensity of each strike, these storms still had quite a while before they decided to retire, and I begrudgingly begin to drag myself down the highway home. It'll take me 5 hours- if I don't stop.

For a while I have to. Just a few miles out of Des Moines, I thought these tornadoes were coming for me anyway. There were still warnings active of course. There had been for a few hours. But I realized with the downpour, the radar, the split second views of scud to the north, and the fierce power of the wind under my car that I might very well have been in the draft suctioning into the storm. The rain fell sideways. In fact, it wasn't even falling. I stopped at a Casey's and even being under the shelter at the furthest point the rain could enter from, I was still absolutely soaked getting a literal seven dollars worth of gas. I gave up.

As I carry on, maybe an hour out, the sky is clearing, and I see the cloud tops of numbed cumulonimbus under a full moon and the active ones still firing off to the north. Dreamy, I think. Absolutely dreamy. I'd pull off to gawk, but something tells me the highway patrol won't like it too much with a “DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS” sign posted nearby.

Thanks for reading.

#june 25 2018 #severe weather #storm chasing #funnel #storm chase

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the-desolated-quill · 6 years

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Face The Raven - Doctor Who blog

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. If you haven’t seen this episode yet, you may want to before reading this review)

FINALLY! A GOOD EPISODE!

And no it’s not just because Clara dies at the end. Sarah Dollard has done an excellent job in creating a compelling mystery story that piques your interest throughout. After all the crap I’ve had to put up with from Series 9, Face The Raven feels like having a bucket of cold water being chucked on you during a hot summer’s day. Shocking, but refreshing.

Rigsy from Flatline is back and he has a strange tattoo on the back of his neck that is counting down to his death, and he has no memory of how he got it. Already I’m intrigued. After the number of dull and predictable stories we’ve been getting this series, it’s nice to be able to watch an episode where I genuinely have no idea where they’re going with this. Did Rigsy in fact kill someone? If so, what was the reason? If not, why would someone try to frame him for it? It’s a great mystery story that grabs you by the lapels and refuses to let go until the end credits. While he wasn’t terrible in Flatline, Rigsy wasn’t exactly the most interesting character ever. Here Joivan Wade makes the most of the extra material he’s been given and does a really great job. He’s not just tagging along for the ride anymore. He’s an integral part of the narrative and that makes all the difference.

I also love the idea of the trap street and everything that takes place inside. The whole refugee camp is handled with much more subtlety than The Zygon Invasion/Inversion managed, and it’s infinitely more interesting too. The amount of tension and paranoia hanging around the street is practically tangible. You get the sense that there’s a knife-edge between peace and total anarchy as the refugees become more and more wary of each other. To the point where even with the prospect of Rigsy being innocent, they’d rather he died in order to give the street peace of mind and maintain the balance. To them, catching the real killer doesn’t matter. So long as someone is seen to be blamed and punished, everything will be fine. It’s much more complex and nuanced than anything that’s come before in this series, and thus makes it all the more watchable.

I will say this episode does suffer slightly from the curse of 45 minutes. As much as I love the scenario of the trap street, it would have been nice if we could have spent some more time actually getting to know some of the refugees. But in some ways this minor criticism is actually a testament to how intriguing Sarah Dollard’s story is. Whereas before in episodes like Sleep No More and The Witch’s Familiar, I was more than happy to see the back of them by the end, here I actually wanted to stay a bit longer and delve into this environment further. I particularly liked Letitia Wright as Anahson. An alien with two faces, one that can see into the past and the other the future. I would have liked to have learned more about her.

And who is in charge of this trap street? Ashildr of course! Yeah this didn’t come as much of a surprise and while I did find her dialogue at times to be a bit too smartarse-y on occasion, I quite liked her here, and Maisie Williams continues to do a good job playing a character who’s much older than she is. Plus I loved the slow peeling of layers until we get to the revelation that Ashildr was the one that engineered this whole situation to capture the Doctor for some unknown client. Again I’d just like to reiterate how refreshing it is to be able to watch a Doctor Who story and not have the slightest idea where it’s going until the end where all the pieces of the puzzle come together with a satisfying click.

Right. I suppose I can’t put this off any longer. Let’s talk about Clara’s death. I’ve made it no secret how much I despise the character, and you’ve probably got mental images of me throwing a party when she did kick the bucket. Well as a matter of fact, I didn’t. Throw a party that is. In all honesty I was rather lukewarm about the whole thing. Like I said, I’ve never liked Clara very much so it’s hard to really muster up the energy to give a shit about her death. That being said, I will admit that her death scene was written, performed and directed well enough that if you did give a shit about Clara (God knows why), I imagine you were most probably moved to tears. However there are several issues with this, and I should point out none of this is Sarah Dollard’s fault. These are all problems that have been carried over into this episode, courtesy of Moffat.

Like with Amy and Rory in Series 7, Clara really serves little to no purpose in Series 9. She doesn’t grow or evolve in any meaningful way and she often felt like an afterthought in most stories. Oh sure Moffat has given the illusion that Clara has been undergoing this whole arc, but she hasn’t really if you think about it. The Doctor is worried that Clara is becoming more like him, but before this episode, the only time this was addressed was back in Under The Lake, and even then it was less about Clara and more about the Doctor (as if the Doctor hasn’t been scrutinised enough during the Peter Capaldi era as it is). Face The Raven is supposed to be a culmination of everything that’s come before, but it doesn’t feel like that because Clara has never really been the focus of her own arc. It’s all been about the Doctor. The Doctor’s fears. The Doctor’s concerns. The Doctor’s vengeance should Clara ever come to harm. It’s never been about Clara, which ruins the impact of her death.

Something else that ruins the death for me was the stuff building up to it. Clara persuades Rigsy to give her the tattoo, but it feels less like a selfless sacrifice or an act of kindness, and more like just another example of her smug bravado, which is something that has always really irritated me. She just doesn’t behave the way a normal person would act and often comes across as really unsympathetic. She cares less about helping people and more about showing off. They keep making the excuse that it’s because Clara is becoming more like the Doctor, but the thing is the Doctor isn’t really like that. He’s compassionate. He cares. Clara doesn’t. Just look at Flatline. Anyone else would have been slightly upset that they failed to save everyone. Clara meanwhile was too busy boasting what a great Doctor she was. Why should I care about her?

But my main reason why I was positively unmoved by her death was because of Moffat’s track record. How many characters have died in the Moffat era? And when I say died, I mean died and actually stayed dead. Virtually none. Nothing has ever been permanent in the Moffat era. This combined with the fact that Clara has seemingly died two episodes before the finale, and I’m suspicious. Moffat has pulled the bait and switch so many times now that i straight up don’t trust anything I’m seeing anymore, and that’s a big problem. I honestly don’t think Clara is dead (and remember this is the first time I’m watching this series, so I have no idea if I’m right or not), but even if it turns out this is the real deal this time, the fact that I’m questioning the validity of her death, and thus robbing it of its potential impact, shows just how bad Moffat’s Who has gotten. It’s The Boy Who Cried Wolf effect. This could very well be a genuine death for all I know, and yet I’m sat here stony faced, refusing to get too invested, just in case Moffat might be bullshitting me again. This is what happens when you feel the need to constantly wrong-foot your audience. Do it too often and after a while they just stop caring altogether.

While I think Clara’s original departure planned in Last Christmas would have been a much stronger ending for her, I did still really enjoy Face The Raven for the most part. It’s most definitely the strongest episode of Series 9 by a considerable margin and I hope to see more Who stories from Dollard in the future.

#face the raven #sarah dollard #doctor who #twelfth doctor #peter capaldi #clara oswald #jenna coleman #steven moffat #bbc #review #spoilers

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survivor-tierradelfuego · 4 years

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Ep. 3: “Quite honestly it was a train wreck” - John

Zack M

really disappointed in my tribe right now.

we are about to some telephone challenge and we needed 3 people to do this. literally excuse after excuse after excuse from everyone on the tribe as to why they couldn't do it .... and we wonder why we are losing. ugh. anyways, i'm going to do this shit with my crappy wifi because i rather act like i'm helping than bow out out of fear. and honestly i want to show that i'm committed to the tribe. it would be fucking beast mode to pull out the first win of the season for us. literally let me be the first to do everything for this tribe.

also my game feels strong so if we lose again lol whatever.

oh yeah, amy went home. *as we go on, we remember....*

James Hayden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v17lq3Nh054

Aimee

https://imgflip.com/memetemplate/165556484/Screaming-woman-in-car

Zack M

storytelephone confession time: i killed it. at least with the information that made it's way to me. i only missed one question that ben told me. the main reason we got 9.9/10 is because leanne forgot 6 of the 8 animals when telling ben and then we had the 10% disadvantage. i know leanne is to blame for 5% of that. curious about who got the other 5%. but like here's the thing, i love leanne. i feel confident in her loyalty so i'll smile and let that one go. i got her back. ben told me at the end of the challenge that aimee shared with him that i'm "social". so like i guess i have to stop being nice to her. i don't really want her to be the next one eliminated but strike one was how upset she seemed to be with me after telling her the only reason we didn't tell her was because neil threw her name out as someone he was talking to. i really wish she would have listened to me and not messaged everyone. i feel like that put a target on her back. strike two is mentioning my name once. right now she isn't my target but she is on the edge. i don't know who my target is right now tbh. really there's only aimee and najwah that i would consider. i hope we don't get a tribe swap because at this rate, making the merge isn't even a question for me and i'd like to keep it that way. also, ben and i are starting to call each other a power duo. i really would like to make it to the final two with him even though i've promised cody a final two. cody is hilarious but he gives me anxiety. he seems to be losing his cool and going into messy territory. he has too many conversations going which gets him worked up. i need him to focus on what's important. i want someone who i can work with. i'm not trying to babysit. but no plans of cutting that tie until the merge happens and then i will revisit the thought. cool calm and collected. you get like one freak out "what if" moment a day with me and then i'm done. what ifs ... it's what kills people's games. if my 5 alliance would just let me vibe and feel people out we would be perfect. i haven't been wrong yet. *knocks on wood*

Pedro A

i feel like those two tribals were completly different...Neil was voted out for talking too much.....and Amy was voted out for being quiet...and coming late

Ryan

These stupid idols... I feel like im so close every time! Who knows, maybe im way off? I seriously just want, no NEED that extra layer of security, even though I'm feeling alright right now

John B

Another Challenge, another time when our tribe can't seem to make a decision. I totally get why nobody ever wants to step up when it comes to taking charge in a challenge, but honestly I have no clue how we keep winning when the other tribe seems to have no issue making group decisions. There must totally be a Head Honcho over there running things behind the scenes. I have some new juicy details about the tribe now thanks to Pedro. Pedro, Amy-Louisa, and Ryan have started their "outsiders" alliance and this is stressing me out. Pedro says I'm his number one and then goes and makes an alliance without me. I think I'm getting too hung up on Pedro and I being a pair I need to worry about myself and nobody else. Obviously I'm not going to break things off, but I don't really feel like he needs to know everything I'm doing now. At least I think we are in a pretty good position. I am pretty tight with Kalle, Grae, and hopefully Maddison, and He's really tight with Ryan and Amy-Louisa and we both had a good relationship with Alan and Olivia. Between the two of us we are in an ok spot for the time being. If Tyler goes first if we lose, which still feels like the case for now, I am not sure what we are going to do after that, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. I'm going to keep working on my relationships with everyone for now and hopefully I can keep my paranoia in check. WISH ME LUCK YALL!

Alan B

Tyler put a huuuge target on his back by calling the other tribe trash when they've been doing so well, like not only they probably want to get him out asap but now everyone on our team also wants him out? and also he fluked his first challenge? How on earth did he think that comment would do anything but lower his chances at winning and make him look like a jerk to everyone playing? It's honestly kinda hilarious how bad a move that was

Leanne

So, tribal was nice and easy and went as planned, which was a very good thing, albeit with a couple of downsides. The most obvious of these is, we’ve had our easy vote... now what? I seriously do not even have the first inkling of how things are going to go next time we have to have a vote. Either I don’t realize the wind is blowing in a certain direction, which is scary, or there simply aren’t any real targets right now... and I’ll expand on that possibility later. For now let’s talk about another downside. Yesterday afternoon I got a message from Najwah asking if I’d heard the whispers about someone possibly having an idol. I said no, I didn’t know anything, and asked her where she heard it from. She said, one of the guys. Well, which one? That’s when she asked me to video chat. Finally she told me it was Cody who said to her, *we* think someone has the idol. We. I haven’t heard about this from anyone else, and I know Cody and Zach are tight. I hesitate to ask Zach about it. Who would I say I heard it from? I had to drag Cody’s name out of Najwah, and I don’t want to give her up as my source. I don’t think she made it up. Either Zach or Cody or both are stirring something up. I want them separated. I want Cody out but I don’t think I could get enough people together to make it happen, not to mention the fallout if I tried and succeeded, or failed for that matter. The thing is, I don’t know which of the two is instigating this stuff. First it was the weird vote out of the blue, now this. I’m not going to do anything with it for now except sit on it, but I see they are both schemers who came to play. I’d rather have Cody gone because I haven’t spoken to him individually, but he talks to plenty of other people and I don’t like what he’s up to. Zach, at least, has the appearance of being loyal to me. He hasn’t said word one to me about this potential idol. We check in fairly often with each other, how are you feeling, what are you thinking, we still on?, we got this. Like I said I don’t know what to make of this and don’t want to act rashly. The good news is that Najwah and I had a really nice talk, about all sorts of things. I’ve been trying to get personal with her, telling her things about my life, telling her about things like my ex and our relationship then and now. She seems to respond well to things like that, and I’m grateful for the chat because it’s a good way to make a stronger connection. So we talked about the personal life stuff, and also some game talk. She says she isn’t as close to Sarah as I thought she was. Plus we discussed how much to trust Zach and Cody, which is still an open question. And we compared notes on the idol search. We both made the same error and got the disadvantage in the same place. I asked her if the perfume was an advantage and she said yes. So now we know, and we each told people about the perfume so maybe we can increase our odds of winning something, and hopefully we don’t have to spend our own coins to do so. Really the best thing I got out of the conversation was that I feel even stronger about my relationship with Najwah. I think she is trustworthy and we’ve exchanged info completely upfront, at least I think so anyway. Right now she’s my most important ally. Last night, just after tribal, I reached out to James for the first time one on one. His answer caught my eye. I told him I appreciated that he’s willing to fight for us, and then we got to talking. It was mostly a conversation about what it would be like to be on the real show, but we talked about our shared ineptitude when it comes to anything physical, and debated whether or not we wanted to be on for real. Him, Hell yes. Me, 39 days with no food and no sleep, no thank you. But it was a start. A really good start. No game talk yet but at least we’ve got a foundation. The thing I noticed about James from that conversation was that he’s very hard-core about this. I made some comment like, this game is intense, to which he responded, when I got that buff I was in it to win it. He means business. His love for the show is so strong and shines through everything he says. He’s taking this seriously in the extreme. That’s something to watch out for. A quick sidenote about his answer regarding the potential for a swap. The question said there had been talk of it. Talk? What kind of talk? None that I knew about. Something else to consider. Finally, the challenge. I was having such a hard time deciding whether to step up for it or not. For one thing I was just plain terrified about freezing up under the pressure and letting the team down. But I’d like to think I have a decent memory. Najwah even commented about my memory a couple of times prior. And she was urging me to do it for a few minutes before I told the tribe I would. My thinking was, if there’s something down the line that we don’t all have to be in, maybe something with pictures or something that I really suck at, well, I will have already taken my turn and it’s someone else’s. At least if I try this I might have *some* success. Besides, I owe this tribe after I got us part of that disadvantage. But oh wow was it hard and scary! I take reassurance from Jay saying that was one of the better scores she’s seen in this challenge. Still there was so, so so much that I missed. And now that it’s over I fear I may have miscalculated. Remember how earlier I said there doesn’t seem to be any real public targets right now? Yeah... that. If we lose it’s going to be because I dropped the ball. So either we win and I am the big hero, which doesn’t hold much weight as we saw with Neil, or I lose and there is one clear culprit for the loss. Nice going Leanne.

Zack M

welp. it's happened. someone has sent a message to the wrong group. my literal nightmare.

leanne: That’s what I’m thinking. I’m just deciding whether I want to use up all my coins that way, especially when I don’t know how to get more. najwah: ya sure

LOLOLOLOL what? look i know leanne and najwah are close so this isn't a surprise. also, leanne is the reason for our disadvantage so she is obviously out hunting for the idol. just something to keep in mind when it comes to voting out leanne or najwah. definitely going to have to split the votes in the chance one of them has an idol. nothing exciting is really happening today. this is low key why i like losing. it keeps people on their toes and active. when they are active they don't have time to think. less thinking = more time for zack on this island.

Zack M

this is a post to just to shout out najwah. it's so fucking nice when someone is like i'm available to talk to you about real life stuff and not just game. i love having open honest conversations about feelings. i do feel a little bad saying how much i want to work with her and leanne. it's not a lie but like i have a majority 5 alliance going with 3 choices to vote out and i think those 3 are talking. who am i supposed to say? i refuse to be the first one caught throwing an alliance members name out.

Kalle N

WE FINALLY LOST AND I'M SO HAPPY!! I'm excited for people to start throwing out names, although Tyler seems to be on everyone's chopping block from what I've heard so far. This should be exciting

Amy A

We lost the challenge and I KNOW it was my fault. I didn’t remember half of the stuff Jay told me. Urgh I feel so terrible for my tribe. Fingers crossed I don’t leave the game first.

Cody A.

Hey all!!! I am happier than a white girl at Starbucks in UGGS. I’m so pumped we FINALLY won immunity!!! 🤩🤩🤩 That being said... I’m kinda sad we won’t get to vote Leanne’s ass off tonight. LMAO. But if we’re being honest.. I think she might have the idol anyways, and Aimee would have taken the hit 😭 which is sad. I like aimee. I REALLY like Amy, but we saw how that worked out. Anyways.. I’m thankful we’re not losing another number, with a tribe swap looming, that could have been bad! BTW, I do like Leanne, quite a lot actually, but the girl literally has not had a single conversation with me. Amy missed half the game and still found time to talk to me about her badass hair and struggles with relocating! I guess I should try and end this confession now, TTYL.

Pedro A

we LOST...and i kinda feel like me and jonh are kinda running this tribe....i hope a swap doesn't screw us over

Pedro A

Tyler is the name that everyone came up with ..hes rubbing people the wrong way

Olivia A

I was disappointed about losing our first challenge but I feel better because everyone seems settled on voting for Tyler. The message he sent after the other tribe lost for the 2nd time seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. I think it’ll be an easy vote.

John B

That challenge was rough, honestly I was crying laughing the entire time. Quite honestly it was a train wreck. Im not going to say it was Amy but like.. It wasn't not Amy. I'm not going to throw her under the bus though. Luckily I have my new core four alliance. My dream alliance of me, Pedro, Grae, and Maddison. I am super close with Kalle and Pedro has the outsiders and we both have Olivia. I am cautiously optimistic that this can be an easy vote for Tyler. We will see what happens though.

Zack M

we won! huge shout out to leanne + ben. #teamwork look at god. i'm so glad i was a part of the first win for our team. 11 to 4.5 lol whatt?!? (i don't count the disadvantage because i am not responsible for that) it's been too silent today and i feel like my alliance members are starting to get annoyed with me because i'm may be spiraling a little bit but honestly i've proven myself to be a threat. this isn't for no reason. in this game + real life .... give me validation and i'll shut up. it doesn't have to be the truth.

James Hayden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpw07_jlqxQ&feature=youtu.be

Aimee

https://elysiankardia.tumblr.com/post/623755743585255424 This is what I will be doing tonight after that INSANE WIN! Love these legends getting it done 👑 👑 👑 It was great getting to video chat with Ben and Cody! It finally felt like we had camp life in the game instead of just challenges and tribal. Right now with the bonds I have formed at this point in the game... I am working closest with Najwah and Ben. They are my ride or dies! 💞💖 I trust them to the moon🌙 and back. We really needed this win and I’m so happy Leanne, Ben and Zack were able to pull this through! We all needed a night off. https://64.media.tumblr.com/908f7a445a41c1e3b6c3c0fd4820ebfe/a53f344a539857da-cb/s540x810/80e7cf8f5ad8a99a80784a359c7f03d683aa3efe.gifv

Pedro A

tonight is our first tribal council....Tyler will probably go home...i hope this is the last time we go to tribal....cause after this vote...idk who will be eliminated from our tribe

Sarah

The plan is to vote out Neil tonight and cause a blindside. Everyone is on the same page tonight about not trusting him so I am confident that the plan will go through but also scared as heck.

Kalle N

So far everything has been relatively quiet and simple which terrifies me. Either this will be a 9-1 vote against Tyler, or there are things happening that I'm not involved in... I just have to trust the people I'm talking to and hope it's not me going home I guess. I'm like 75% sure it'll be Tyler that leaves tonight though.

Zack M

i really don't like days off. low key wish someone else would have done the challenge so we could have lost. i get paranoid everyone isn't actually taking today off. cody also shared that najwah and aimee are close so i hope najwah doesn't share that i mentioned aimee because that's bad news for me. should we have kept amy t? ugh.

Maddison

Inevitably our tribe is attending tribal tonight. This seems to be a comprehensive easy vote, but there is never an easy vote in Survivor. Hopefully an idol doesn’t come into play and shock us all. Alliances have definitely been formed and the game is well underway. I have to remember that everyone is playing, regardless of their outward threat level.

John B

Well, we are quickly approaching the first tribal council and I think things are pretty set in stone at this point. Unless I am being completely bamboozled which will make me cry. This vote is going to be too easy which is going to mean trouble for the rest of the votes after this, everybody is getting along too well so if we go to tribal again after this, lines are going to have to be drawn in the sand. I am getting worried about Pedro, I think he may start to become a bit of a liability. He is too nervous for literally everything which is making it impossible to make plans for down the line. He was saying he was wanting to vote out Maddison and I'm like would it be so hard to just vote out someone we aren't in an alliance with?... like... hello?? Alan may be a good next vote because we know they have the idol, on the other hand, them having the idol could come in handy down the line. I think if we lose again before a swap or something Olivia or Alan may be a good plan. I still do not trust Ryan at all, I really don't think he likes me and I am putting in the effort here. If we can bring the "outsider alliance" in with the core four, we would have a solid six that I think would take us far in the game, I am just worried that Pedro is going to start something I don't want to do. Hopefully we can get through this first vote and get back on a winning streak

Ben Kessler

Baba booey! I helped win the challenge for our tribe, so you can just call me Joe Anglim. On a serious note, Zack is very paranoid about people throwing his name out, which I like because it makes him feel like we are close. I would like to vote Leanne out because it looks like she has connections I do not have. Leanne definitely worries me that she has an idol. Just need to keep tabs on everyone and make sure my name isn't thrown out. SarahI found the hidden immunity idol! Yesterday was the first time that I went hunting. I had been told information about the idol hunt through Cody and when he told me what was in the clothes and antique store I had this gut feeling that the idol was in the jewelry box. I had gotten 10 coins yesterday from searching the boat and then I got 5 from Cody and 5 from James, my closest allies, so I was able to buy the jewelry box today. I have spoken with Zack about wanting to share coins in order to get it. I plan on telling Cody because he is my number one and ride or die. I haven’t decided if I am going to tell anyone else or make it known to my alliance. I do feel better knowing that no one else has the idol, and I do not plan on using it anytime soon. This is such a crazy game aishshfbrhe

Najwah

I'm so happy we finally won a damn challenge! So basically Leanne and I had a long video call and we were discussing our advantages and disadvantages etc. In finding the immunity idol. She then accidentally sent a message in the main group lmao. Luckily only Cody and Zack so it so we used that to our advantage and told them where to go when they land in town. Thing is, they gave us no info back? So now we are idol hunting on the places they've been to chacke whether we can actually trust them coz we'd like to work with them. I love Zack as a person but I think he's dangerous as a player. I haven't connected with him as I have with Cody. Trying to connect with Aimee but she seems to keep us all at a distance. We have to go through a crazy winning streak now bc I am not in the mood for my trials. Fes great to have the evening off. Two evenings off actually. Its shark week so that's perfect. I

Najwah

I need to reconnect with Sarah. We haven't spoken much since Day 1. I know Cody talks to her. The only problem I have is that Leanne would like Cody out of the game solely because he's close with me and close with Zack. I'll do everything in my power to protect Cody though. I do feel as though he has loose lips and tells Zack everything which is a liability. Zack has the ability to win this game. He's smart and he has a ruthlessness about him. I'm definitely weary about him. I'll be watching him. He says we can trust him but idk. We will see. Pedro AIf tyler plays an idol...i have no ideia who he will write down Pedro A3 hours till tribal ...and im scared if tyler has an idol

Grae G

I formed a tight alliance w John Pedro and Maddison. I’m still working w the girls and actually like them more but it’s clear John and Pedro are very much in control and I’d love for them to continue believing it. Tyler is gonna be the first to go, just because he didn’t quite fit with the group vibe. Which sucks but you know it happens! No hard feelings if you’re reading this Tyler. Hey it could be me tonight you never know. Its still early yet in this and I’m trying to play a low key game and if it bites me later than so be it lol I honestly don’t have much time between work and life to put more time into it then I am. I think it’ll be basically everyone voting against Tyler maybe a few stragglers but I’m really expecting full majority. If anyone has an idol as of now I’m absolutely shocked and don’t think Tyler has one but who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Amy A.

So everyone keeps saying Tyler is being evicted today but the game is scary so you really never know. First tribal for Maola so I’m excited and scared. Fingers crossed it’s NOT me. I hope it’s an easy tribal and tomorrow morning I’m still in this game.

James Hayden

Today's Day 7. I found 10 coins this morning during my idol hunt. As promised, I gave five to Sarah so she could use them to find the idol. She said she trusts me and is with me 100% and wants to go far in this game together. Clearly, I trust her 100% - or as much as one can in a game like this - and like our odds together. We are also talking about adding a third person from our five. Ben is my pick and she seems on board. From the outside, I don't think we are an obvious trio. I just this move won't bite me in the ass later down the line. God, I hope she's not playing me. If she's, then good on her and she's good at this game.

Tyler H

Not much happened for me for the past few days during this round, but I still think I’m better then everyone

Alan B

My confession is that I procrastinated way too long on my confession XD

Ryan

I believe the plan is simple tonight... well, let's find out

#episodes

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thebibliomancer · 6 years

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Essential Avengers: Avengers #157: A GHOST of STONE!

March, 1977

I’ve commented not infrequently on Lil’ Vision up on the logo but its actually interesting to consider that Vision was treated as the kind of face of the Avengers book around this time.

Because that is very much not the case anymore. Heck, he’s not even a mainstay anymore. But once upon a time, apparently his fits of melancholy paired with decrying about his lack of emotions were the bee’s knees. As was using the phrase ‘bee’s knees.’

Anyway, the Avengers all lying in yon heap around a mysterious, unexpected villain of all. I like the touch that Scarlet Witch managed to fall unconscious touching Vision’s shin. That’s some casual affection.

But lets get the ball rolling.

Last time: There was this whole kerfuffle involving Attuma and Doom, right after the kerfuffle with the Serpent Crown and the Squadron Supreme, right after a kerfuffle involving Toad imitating a Stranger, right after a kerfuffle involving Mantis’ marriage.

The Avengers have had a pretty packed last couple vague time frames. Just from one crisis to another. And now all they’re hoping for is just some downtime for Christmas.

So of course (This time:) someone immediately smashes through the wall.

The Avengers can’t have nice things.

The present assemblers (Beast, Iron Man, and Yellowjacket) deal with the shrapnel pretty handily but a mysterious shadowy figure, likely the titular Ghost of Stone, punches Beast.

And while Beast is stunned, Iron Man tries to stop the Ghost of Stone with his repulsors to no effect. And then is taken out with a torn power cable.

Damn. Iron Man keeps getting worfed lately. He’s supposed to be one of the stronger Avengers. He needs to farraday his armor or something. And also to not put the glaring weakpoint in front.

Beast comes to and kicks the guy but just gets smacked aside again.

Yellowjacket goes teeny and flies around zapping to no effect (and now you know how Wasp feels) but then the Ghost (of Stone) somehow catches Yellowjacket and squeezes him unconscious (I take it back. NOW you know how Wasp feels).

The Stone of Ghost is disappointed. He really expected better of his old battle buds.

Wait... Could it be?

THE BLACK KNIGHT?!

But he was turned into stone by the Enchantress and then he bodyjacked his ancestor to have fun hanging around in Marvel’s version of the Crusades!

Hang on. Is this the Black Knight statue that was left over from all that?

Yes. Yes it is.

Comics!

But here’s how it happened.

Do you remember how the Black Knight statue had a place of honor in Strange’s study, to remind him to never stop trying to fix his one-issue comrade. But when the Defenders learned that Black Knight was just joyriding in history, he just stuck the statue in a dusty storeroom.

Because now its just a cool statue and not an obligation.

But then something inexplicable happens. And by inexplicable I mean it is never explained.

A rift in space and perhaps time opens besides the statue. This apparently goes entirely unnoticed by Dr Strange because his mystical defenses aren’t shit. And through that rift a metal hand reaches, touches the statue, and imbues it with a kind of psuedo-life.

This is implied to be Ultron. How he got the ability to create a stitch in time or animate stone statues is not explained.

Since I don’t think it is ever explained, I choose to believe that this is an alternate reality Ultron from where he was the Sorcerer Supreme. The robotiest wizard of all. And why do it? Maybe he is also Pygmalion in addition to being a robot wizard.

ANYWAY, that’s just the cause. Let’s get back to the effect.

On his way into the mansion, Black Knight smashed the alarm system because the Avengers apparently NEVER UPDATE THE DAMN THING so even reanimated statue Black Knight knows how to circumvent it.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen of avengeance, Wasp and Jarvis are squabbling over how to cook plum pudding while Cap smirks from the sidelines. Jarvis is at his most passive aggressive butlery about it too.

And then Black Knight OH YEAHS through the door.

Somehow, despite being a large man made of stone, Captain America notices it is Black Knight way before he notices that it is a stone man.

Which is probably why he gets his ears boxed unconscious without putting up much of a fight.

Roll better perception checks, Cap.

Janet van Wasp meanwhile believes that Statue Knight is an imposter because the real Black Knight would never attack them. She also thinks the looking like stone is just costume and makeup. Just because Cap shouted “What? Stone --?” before being bludgeoned doesn’t mean it means anything.

So Statue Knight snags her out of midair, like he did to Yellowjacket, and squeezes her unconscious. Although instead of directly squeezing her, he traps her in his closed fist until she runs out of air because sure.

Got to mix things up when you’re beating up everyone for thus far unexplained reasons.

Then we get a full page flashback of the Avengers and Defenders pausing their War to hash things out.

AND THE STATUE WAS THERE EAVESDROPPING!

OOOOOOOOOOO PARANOIA!

... Nope, sorry, Dane Whitman Statue. You’re just not on the level of the Weeping Angels.

Anyway, Statue Knight is pissed because from his point of view, the Avengers (and Defenders) left him as a stone statue. Although it is really more the Defenders fault. And Dr Strange more specifically. And he does acknowledge that he’s pissed at the Defenders. So why trek all the way from Dr Strange’s house to the Avengers’ house to beat them up and presumably then turn around and go beat up Dr Strange.

You’re a mysterious fellow, Statue Knight.

I don’t think we’re supposed to think too deeply about this.

Meanwhile, out of the mansion, Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man are going Christmas shopping together.

And Wonder Man, aka Simon Williams, is adjusting well to being a man out of time. Too well.

There’s a lot of opportunity with him to recapitalize some of that man out of time stuff from Captain America with a new dude. AND get some character beats out of Cap who can help guide someone who is living a similar situation.

Although in the Avengers book at least, the man out of time angsting was infrequent. There was never much culture shock.

So maybe see it as an opportunity to do it again but better.

But Simon just rattles off some events he missed in the years he was ‘dead’ and then goes ‘but what really bothers me is that Vision won’t talk to me. We’re practically brothers!’

Better rethink how you were going to end that sentence, Simon.

Oh. Then there’s a runaway bus and the two work together to stop it and save people. Because that’s what heroes do.

The onlooking crowd somewhat loses their shit because HEROICS HECK YEAH so Simon and Wanda Witch escape into a cab back to the mansion.

And Wonder Simon finds some culture shock finally.

Wonder Man: “Two-fifty from midtown to here? Incredible!”

Oh and then Statue Knight punches through the front door and knocks out Scarlet Witch.

Because she’d have mopped the floor with him otherwise, if you think about it.

But now he’s confused who Wonder Man is. Which has to be mutual.

And now I’m a little confused. I mean, for the most part, the Avengers have been taken out so quickly that we didn’t have to consider that for example, Iron Man’s repulsors have knocked down buildings before.

Yes, a walking statue man would hit like a ton of bricks and be like punching a wall.

But the Avengers habitually punch through walls to make dramatic entrances. Heck, Wonder Man frequently boasts that his punches have nearly the impact of Mjolnir.

But here he punches statuary ineffectually. And is knocked unconscious by being thrown into a mailbox.

So okay. Lets assume that whatever the process Wizard Ultron used to bring Statue Knight to life made him stronger and more durable than his materials would suggest. He’s able to move around, after all. There’s some sweet sciency magic going on all up in here.

Still, Scarlet Witch would have kicked his ass.

Anyway, with Scarlet Witch taken prisoner, Statue Knight now has three of the seven Avengers he perceives as having betrayed him. Mantis is honeymooning in space. Thor has vanished, dealing with stuff in his own book, no doubt. And Black Panther is in Wakanda and Statue Knight doesn’t want to deal with the nightmare that getting a plane ticket will involve. So that leaves the Vision.

And the Vision arrives just as Statue Knight finishes stacking up the unconscious bodies in yon heap, sort of like what we saw on the cover.

And of course, he arrives by walking through the walls because Vision.

And honestly. He kind of wants to know what the deal is.

And Statue Knight explains

WITH HIS FISTS

Why isn’t this working?

Because intangibility. Oh Vision, you never fail to delight.

So once more. What’s you deal, anyway? Do you remember how you became stone?

And of course Statue Knight does. Its a day that is scarred on his mind for ALL ETERNITY!

Okay. But if you are Dane Whitman, there’s a very important detail that you must remember. Do you remember the very instant you were turned to stone?

And then Statue Knight does. And here’s the thing. Remember, Dane Whitman’s spirit didn’t reside in the statue. It escaped to Limbo (not that one... or that one either). And just chilled there. And inadvertently sparked the Avengers/Defenders War. And then was pulled back to the England of King Richard.

Vision: “Then you are but a memory masquerading as the man. A ghost of stone... claiming a soul you cannot possess.”

Statue Knight does not handle this identity crisis well. And he doesn’t handle this well the same way he’s not handled his problems so far. By punching them.

Except it is now as futile for stone Black Knight to punch diamond-hard Vision as it was for anyone else to punch stone Black Knight.

More futile.

He smashes first one hand then the other trying to punch Vision.

Vision realizes that someone must be behind this and that Statue Knight is a pawn but he’s in no mood to share.

Without any arms, he decides he’ll headbutt Vision to death.

And he does.

His own, that is. Not Vision’s.

Leaving nothing but crumbled stone and Vision in the midst of another fit of robo-angst because he is drawing mad parallels between the Statue Knight’s plight and his own life.

He too might just be a memory masquerading as a man claiming a soul that he does not possess.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AVENGERS.

Okay. So. This issue really struck me when I first read it and it did so again this time.

‘Whatever happened to the statue of Black Knight?’ is not something I considered would ever need to be addressed. I just figured Dr Strange was using it as a hat rack.

And using the deluded statue man to reflect Vision’s own angst was a pretty nice touch, right off the resurrection of Wonder Man as it was.

Because, yes, it was obvious what Vision’s problem was. And sitting down and talking about it is out of the question because Ultron programmed him with toxic masculinity so he needs to go out of the room to have a good cry and has difficulty owning his emotions.

The best we were going to get was a stone reflection punching itself to death on Vision’s pecs.

And that works.

Comics is a visual medium where you need to have a robot man sadly watch a statue man kill himself sometimes.

And statue man makes for a good threat for the Avengers, even if some of it didn’t make sense. But this wasn’t their stone cross to bear. It was Vision’s.

But yeah. A man that punches and takes punches like a rock and also self-hatred is basically the Thing in a nutshell so its a proven concept.

This is one that sticks with me. Partially the absurdity of the ending. But also because it manages to be kind of sad.

Damn you, Wizard Ultron!

Follow @essential-avengers for this and more like this. Ask me questions and I’ll words at you.

#Avengers #the Vision #Scarlet Witch #Wonder Man #Beast #Captain America #Iron Man #the Wasp #Yellowjacket #Secret Mystery Guest Star #Essential Avengers #Essential marvel liveblogging

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cchie · 7 years

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Wright Hook (Duke) Questionnaire

does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? which one are they closest with? Wright has no siblings or family! He grew up in foster care.

what is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like? He never knew her. He is not sure if he ever wants to.

what is/was your character’s relationship with their father like? He never knew him. He is not sure if he ever wants to.

has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? if so, does anyone else know? Upon entering the Nonary Games, he witnessed several things that made him change. The people he was with knows. Smack Jackson apologizing for accusing him of murder helped soften him up to everyone else a bit.

on an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets? Bandages, his keys, his wallet, and some dog food

does your character have recurring themes in their dreams? He has recurring nightmares of being bullied. He also has one in particular where he beats his primary bully to a pulp until he dies. And that one he wakes up screaming to.

does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares? See above.

has your character ever fired a gun? if so, what was their first target? No. He doesn’t really ever want to use any weapons against anybody, including his fists.

is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up? Not really. He grew up in poor areas and households but profited off of his ability to fight. Now he lives in a secluded apartment and has a solitary ranch nobody knows about.

does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing? It doesn’t really matter to him when he’s home. When he’s out and about, he prefers to wear more clothing. He doesn’t like catching people’s attention.

in what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? Probably the Nonary Games and being accused of murder. He wasn’t close to anybody and everybody ganged up on him, just like the children in foster care.

in what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been? When he first found Rocky and took him to his ranch. And they just layed in the grass with the sun shining.

is your character bothered by the sight of blood? if so, in what way? It doesn’t bother him anymore since he’s so used to seeing it.

does your character remember names or faces easier? He remembers faces easier than names. He can forget those often.

is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? why or why not? Duke is not. Although he likes money for keeping him alive and stable, he knows he could do without. He likes hoarding animals but that’s as far as his occupation with “material possessions”.

which does your character idealize most: happiness or success? Happiness. He doesn’t care much about his success. As long as he is left alone and happy.

what was your character’s favorite toy as a child? The foster care he was in gave him a stuffed dog plush that he took everywhere with him, until the kids ripped it apart and threw it away. It was a stuffed Dalmatian and he named it Pongo.

is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others? Ambition. If somebody is smart, that’s great. But he loves to see the drive in other people.

what is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before? Wright has major trust issues. He has paranoia and is afraid people are out to get him even if they seem to have good intentions. He doesn’t really try to have relationships, he just keeps to himself.

in what ways does your character compare themselves to others? do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism? He’s hard on himself for every punch he throws. Wright is aware of his ability and tries to use it to the best of his ability but doesn’t necessarily like it. He’s also hard on himself for being weak when he was younger and not being able to open up to people as easily.

if something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others? Oh, it is almost always him blaming himself for it. Being abandoned at a young age and being abused really makes him blame himself for a lot of things.

what does your character like in other people? He likes compassion and kindness towards animals. If they are kind and caring, he’ll open up only a tad bit easier than usual.

what does your character dislike in other people? Violence, ignorance, and apathy.

how quick is your character to trust someone else? Oh boy. Wright doesn’t really trust anybody. He trusts himself, animals, and veterinarians but that’s about it. He puts a lot of walls and defenses up.

how quick is your character to suspect someone else? does this change if they are close with that person? He is very quick to suspect. However, he isn’t quick to take action until he’s sure or mostly sure of his suspicions. If they are close, he’s torn and would most likely snoop due to his trust issues.

how does your character behave around children? He doesn’t like them and tries to stay away from them. However, in situations where he must be around them, he’s kind of like a Zuko. He can come off as annoyed but he treats them kindly and will play with them.

how does your character normally deal with confrontation? He doesn’t. If he must, he will come right up to the person and threaten them or demand answers.

how quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation? Very slow. He uses his strength to break things when he must. He doesn’t like using his Ultimate Boxing ability unless he has to.

what did your character dream of being or doing as a child? did that dream come true? He wanted to be a veterinarian but plans changed when he became the Ultimate Boxer. It didn’t come true but he did take in a lot of stray animals and that alone has helped.

what does your character find repulsive or disgusting? Bullies.

describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable. The rays of the sun beat down on his face as his bull terrier sniffs his right ear. “Rocky, what are you doing?” he says between giggles. Rocky responds by promptly licking the redhead’s cheek and sprinting off, his tail wagging. Wright sits up and brushes the grass off his backside. “Oh, that’s it, huh? You wanna play, then?” He takes off in a run towards the dog, almost matching him in speed. Rocky halts still, and Wright follows suit. The terrier sort of boofs ever so softly and shakes his head. Wright flashes a smile and suddenly darts towards Rocky However, the dog knew this was coming and full on heads towards Wright, jumping up into his arms. Being taken by surprise, Wright falls back on the grass and holds tightly onto his best friend. Rocky pants heavily and nuzzes his head into Wright’s chest. A small smile finds its way onto Wright’s face as he lies there, happy and comfortable. But not alone.

describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable. With groceries in one hand, and his keys in another, he struggles to open his apartment door. He sighs and sets the groceries down. “Ohmigod, you’re Wright Hook aren’t you?” a shrill voice pipes up from behind him. Startled, he drops his keys. He turns around quickly and is face to face with a blonde girl and what appears to be her stocky boyfriend. “Oh uh, I think you must have me confused with-” he rushes out but it’s too late. “Oh my god selfie!” she promptly snaps a picture and drapes herself over Wright. “Oh my god you’re even stronger in person!” she gushes. “Listen, please leave me alone. Please don’t tell anybody where I live, please-” “What? You just tell my girl to leave you alone? Think you’re so big and famous, you can tell us what to do?” the bigger man spits. His brow is furrowed and a grimace creeps over his face. Wright gulps. “Please. That’s not what I meant. Uh, please just go?” The boyfriend steps up and takes a swing at Wright. Having calculated his opponent’s movements and size, Wright predicted this would happen and broke left. In one swift movement, he sent a jab to the man’s face and knocked the man out. “Ah, oh dear. Look at what you’ve done now. I need you two to leave. Now,” Wright says, angry and uncomfortable. There is no mercy in his voice anymore. The girl looks horrified as he rushes to open his apartment door and heads in. He watches through the peephole as the boyfriend wakes up and leaves off in a huff. Rocky senses his discomfort and comes to his feet, cocking his head and wagging his tail. Wright looks down at him, and gives a sad smile. “God, I hate people sometimes. We might have to leave here, Rocky. But I’m glad I have you.”

in the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve? With criticism, he gets defensive but also self depricating.

is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method? He actually does both depending on what it is. He gets frustrated easily so if it doesn’t work he tries to move on to another solution.

how does your character behave around people they like? He’s nervous and kind of a goof but still awkward. He’ll try and make them smile and laugh.

how does your character behave around people they dislike? Oh, they will know. He won’t talk to them or look at him, and depending on the situation, he’ll threaten them.

is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status? Defending his honor if he had to pick from the two, but he’s not very concerned about either of those things.

is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat? He’s more likely to remove the threat. He knows that if it’s a threat to multiple people, he will take them out himself.

has your character ever been bitten by an animal? how were they affected (or unaffected)? Wright has been bitten quitea few times by strays, and he’s okay with it. He expects it but endures it to get them to trust him so he can take care of them.

how does your character treat people in service jobs? He treats them very well. He knows that they have to endure every day and leaves amazing tips.

does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first? I feels he must earn it. With some things though, he does feel as if he deserves it since his life has been kind shitty up to this point.

has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them? Not really.

has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them? There was this kid in the foster care named Sam who he looked after for a while.

how easy or difficult is it for your character to say “i love you?” can they say it without meaning it? Oh my god is it so hard for him. He’s like one of those people that’s like “I....lo....l...lov...LIKE dogs.............” and just can’t do it

what does your character believe will happen to them after they die? does this belief scare them? He would like to believe in an afterlife so that way he can still be around those he loves.

#duke #wright hook #drxze #my ocs

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