#would she be able to let go of that revolution post-show?

[balkanradfem]

It was a while ago I read this tumblr post, which still comes to my mind every time I think about the future. It was explaining in an insightful way, how it's not a violent revolution that will bring forward the better future, it's slow and consistent change of our everyday life, of our habits, the resources we use and the way we go about achieving things. If we're hoping for a future where we're not dependent on capitalism, not destroying the environment, not robbed of our labour for a fraction of the money we need to survive, we'll have to slowly die capitalism out, by changing our own living habits.

If a sudden shift happened, and capitalism stopped functioning overnight, for most of the people that would be unsurvivable,  all of the resources, food, jobs and life-sustaining services would stop. And we can't afford that. But, if instead we slowly backed away from it, generated alternatives, created communities and systems that can sustain us without capitalism, then it would only be a matter of time before capitalism is fully dead, with everyone alive, everyone safe. And this slow shift would be able to happen through decades and generations, and it would still be a great positive shift, with a future in sight. Capitalism offers no survivable future, seemingly ready to last as long as it can by destroying whatever is left from the environment and people alike, for the benefit of the few.

So let's see how we got here, or how I feel, looking back, we got here.

People used to be less dependent on a global system of distribution of resources, even just a 100 years ago; survival and trade skills were passed down in families and communities, and people would be able to make inside of their home and communities, a big percentage of things that we today would buy at the store. In those times there was no other way to gain those resources but by relying on people's knowledge, skill and labour. The future, however, promised a more convenient and easy way to gain all those resources, because they would be made by machines, and thus cheaper. And things kept coming in cheaper, for no visible labour required; you just needed to have money to buy them, which not everyone had.

But this too, would change as cheaper and cheaper things arrived, and it became less convenient to make those things yourself or within your community, and more convenient to just trade some money, and have it all be done for you. For people then, it could mean less energy spent on survival, more leisure time, more health and longer lifespan – except, it didn't, because the jobs that they needed to earn that money, tended to take all of that away. So still, there was a lot produced at home or within the communities, independent workshops and artist shops, so people within in the community would benefit from each other, instead of benefiting some faceless global corporation.

And now we know where this went; conveniences started lining up to the point where not having a certain convenience meant that you were below the norm. They sometimes got mixed up with inconveniences, but those inconveniences were 'necessary'. For instance, pollution became necessary, highways, huge trucks delivering goods, the oil industry, destruction of forests and habitats, exploitation of the poor, extinction of certain animals, and by the end of it, the climate change.

When I was born, my mother and grandmother still attempted to pass some skills that their mothers taught them; I remember being taught how to knit at the age of 5, the activity which at that age, seemed awfully tedious and was soon abandoned, and my grandmother showed me how to crochet, which I also soon forgot. After the age of small child, they both looked at the world, shrugged and decided 'she won't need it', and they have stopped trying to teach me any skills of the sort.

Buying things, rather than making them, already seemed the norm. People were readily telling you that you are stupid for trying to make something, when you could get it in the store, for very little money. Having animals at home, or growing food, was slowly getting replaced by buying it cheap, or buying tons of snacks, and biscuits and cakes, which now you could get pre-packaged, readily available to consume at your leisure. If it brought lots of waste from packaging, plastic and other non-degradable materials, nobody cared, it was new, convenient, and available, and we would have it, and live luxuriously.

Soon nobody seemed to talk anymore, about what we used to do before we were able to buy anything we could possibly need at the store; nobody would tell me what were the names of the native plants, and which ones I could make into teas, I was instead told to change my priorities because this kind of behaviour will never get me any money. All of my efforts to do arts and crafts, to forage, to make things from scratch, to paint and invent stories, were called frivolous, because they would not generate the one thing that was now the only thing worth generating: money.

It simplifies things a lot, instead of making various, interesting, self-made and beloved items that would all require different knowledge and skills, a human is now required to put all of their talents into 1 thing that would generate revenue, and then do that one thing, for entire life, and this would present a normal life on earth now. This was how it was presented to me, and it was before I found out that keeping one job for the whole life, was no longer an option, that changing jobs was the norm and was not often volountary.  I did not, however, understand how doing that one job would not make someone go insane, and nobody was explaining that to me, it was just, the life.

So while the world was shifting into this new concept of 'make nothing but money', the first millionaires started to appear, the billionaire was not even conceptual, having 1 million was equal to being the richest person on the planet. That is pretty laughable to us now. Back then, it felt like heading into a new exciting world, but we know better now. We understand that lives consisting of a job and thousands of conveniences, easily sends a human being into a depression. We understand that relying on a job to keep us alive, and having constantly to compete with everyone else unemployed, to get one, has brought us to a place where others are a competition, not a resource, not a community. We understand that living in a world where we have to market ourselves as a resource, causes a lot of us to lose self confidence and the feeling of value, while it sends others into obsession with becoming popular, gaining perceived value, gathering a public image, that would later prove to be profitable.

By this time, unknown to us all, this life of convenience and consumerism had caused immense damage to the environment, and we were mostly kept in the dark about it, so we wouldn't complain. We learned about the holes in the ozone layer, but were told it was merely the fault of certain aerosols, and the rest of the stuff was fine. We would in the future get to watch oil spills and devastation of animal habitats, never fully connecting it to corporations who were responsible. Acid rains were mentioned, but we were told they caused by the new pesticides, but it was the fault of the farmers, they said, who simply used too much of it. Now we know it was the exhaust fumes from cars, factories and coal power plants. Climate change was barely mentioned, and even less believed in. And now, we can no longer ignore it.

So, what do we do in order to progress? We obviously can't go back to where we came from, but we are now made aware that the amount of energy and resources we're consuming, and the amount of toxic waste we're creating, will devastate the planet to the point where a big chunk of it will become inhabitable, millions of both people and animals, will end up dead if we keep going. But wait! How can I blame the people for any of this, when it's obviously the corporations that are doing the most damage, lobbying and hiding what is in actuality going on? And you're completely correct, I would have to say, it is corporations, and for the most time, we really didn't know the extent of damage they were doing. So why are the corporations exactly doing all of this? For profit. And who's giving them all that profit? Well, the consumers, by consuming all of the oil, energy, goods, resources and products they make. So how do we take down the corporations? By not giving them any of the profits. But, we can't do that in the current state of the world, we need cars, and food, and that food to be shipped and delivered from the distant lands, and we are all depressed and if we can't at least have our favourite snack, food we're used to, little treats and pieces of clothing that make us happy, we no longer feel like we can live!

And that's where the slow and meaningful habit shift comes into place. The thing is, we're not the same people we were 50 or 100 years ago, we don't have the skills of our ancestors, we're not used to producing our own resources, we are out of touch with nature, and we struggle to find our communities and feel valued. But we also have, so much more information and education at our fingertips. We have more scientific data, we have more access to information, we have more people creating public resources, we have the experiences and wisdom of generations back, only waiting for us to reach out, to tap into what the humanity knew  centuries ago.

We're made to do various activities! We thrive on changing our habits by season, even by weeks. We thrive in communities, with no competition for resources. We love creating art, music, crafts and beauty just for fun, and the communal value of it cannot be compared to money. We don't like being reduced into human resources or labour force, we don't like repetitive activities that don't produce results or seem nonsensical, we don't like to be stuck within one room for most of the day, we don't like being replaced when we stand up for our rights.

I can already see a lot of people valuing all of the things on this planet that cannot be exchanged for money, but have intricate value in our lives and experiences; wild animals, plants, forests, environments and ecosystems filled with life, little stories and jokes we tell to each other, making crafts just for the sake of making things, creating their own clothes or fabrics, learning how it was done in the past; growing food, foraging, herbalism, basketry, making of soap and fixing things on our own, visible mending, connections and building communities, we are remembering it's what we want and need, and we're not going to build it the way it was in the past; we're going to do it our own way, with the knowledge and experience we have, the way we think is the best. All we need to do is start small. Do one little shift that takes you one tiny step away from consumerism. Add one little enrichment in your life that doesn't have anything to do with money or purchasing. Find little ways to save on energy that doesn't make any dips in your happiness or comfort levels, that only requires a little bit of your attention or focus to do.

Big shifts are not sustainable, and are not survivable, but we didn't get here by a big shift; we got here by a series of small, almost invisible shifts that we barely felt were happening, until it was our new normal. We can do small, painless shifts too, but this time, they're going to be conscious, purposeful, with thoughts of the future behind it, and they're going to come from us. Not the corporations, not the money holders, but us, pushing the future to the direction that we want.

#anti-capitalism #essay #long post #capitalism #environmentalism #climate change #future #environment #saving energy #leaning away from capitalism

[lets-try-some-writing]

Your CC Warfare fic legit had me stressing out so bad I thought I was feeling a genuinely new emotion, lol. That whole thing was like a really bad car crash: it's terrible what happened, but you can't look away. If Strongarm had just said nothing, she would've avoided putting her foot in her mouth and getting in trouble. With how tense everything was, I see no reason why she would jump in. I understand she was trying to help Sideswipe out of that situation, but she did it in like the complete opposite direction! She should've reared him in, not back him up. She said it herself that they were war veterans. Though, I suppose that's easier said. Strongarm may be intelligible of the war records and Autobot law, but truthfully, plain intelligence pales in the face of wisdom and actual experience. Intelligence says: this war could've easily been won because of xyz. Wisdom and experience say completely otherwise. And I guess that is one of the points Optimus is trying to make: that Strongarm and Sideswipe do not have the wisdom or experience to understand exactly why things played out the way they did. I have the feeling the two simply looked at the war records itself and not any history that came before, especially Optimus' involvement with Megatron's revolution. I don't know if that would make much of a difference for Sideswipe tbh but I think Strongarm would be able to see just a little why Optimus couldn't outright kill Megatron in the beginning like Sideswipe said he should've. Even so, going back to the records itself , it won't contain legitimately every single thing that happened. It probably only recorded decisive battles and notable events. Billions of people were involved, and with that many variables, it would be impossible to say that the war could've been won if only Optimus did something sooner. WHICH BY THE WAY MAKES THIS SO MUCH WORSE. Sideswipe (and by extension Strongarm) is basically saying that Optimus is personally responsible for dragging on an intergalactic war just because he didn't off one guy as if the most wicked bots in the face of existence werent out there making lives worse on purpose under the cover of the war and would help stretch it to continue their sick actions. As if there weren't a hundred other Megatrons ready to continue the war themselves the moment Megatron died. If I could write an essay on every reason why the war dragged on, I'll be writing until I die and never come close to finishing. Even within the small game Optimus planned there are obvious reasons why it wouldn't be a quick or easy victory if they even win: limited number of fighters (no guarantee they'd hit the max min bc rallying people to fight is difficult), no details until they got to Helex (you're not always going to know what your goal is when being sent out to fight), no resources from the state (war is expensive and getting funding is difficult). So imagine that plus way more reasons plus on a planetary scale. The scope is simply unfathomable. Anyways, I think this comment has gone on long enough lol. Excellent work as always and I'm excited but also incredibly nervous to see how this all plays out. Take care!

YOU ARE PICKING UP WHAT I AM LAYING DOWN!!!

This whole fic is one giant show. Optimus wants the idiots under Bee's control to LEARN. You've already picked up the logical reasoning behind the rules he's laid down so far. And let me tell you, its only going to get more complicated. War is a difficult and unpredictable thing. Optimus is going to make that as real as possible in this non-lethal scenario.

Is it overkill? Maybe. But if even those serving under Bumblebee don't have the barest inkling of the truth? It hints at a FAR larger problem. I am going to have so much fun writing this thing. I want to get a few chapters stockpiled and then I will post them on Ao3 and continue there :3

Thank you for enjoying my writing and giving this lovely analysis. This sort of things makes my dad and encourages me to write more.

#lets try some writing mumbles

[ronaldofandom]

To Be or Not to Be

How about some angst to cut through all the fluff coming from this writer?

Plot: After 5 months in Adilabad, Jenny gets a message from her best friend inviting her to Hyderabad. Ram refuses to let Bheem go. Bheem refuses to let Jenny go alone. Leading to a heavy angsty conversation. Followed by some Bheemjenny angst.

No warnings. Mostly angst & some mild fluff. This is the first RamBheem confrontation I have ever written & I thoroughly enjoyed it!

....................................................

Jenny read and re-read the words of the letter over and over again.

It was Carol’s writing. No doubt. She had also signed it with a code name that only the two of them knew. Of a secret society that they wanted to form in their childhood.

Her best friend, her oldest friend was trying to reach out to her. Jenny held the letter close to her chest, in a bout of nostalgia.

She hadn’t had any contact with her former world in over 5 months now. That part of her life felt like a distant, yet fond memory.

Jenny had started to accept that she might never be able to revisit that world again. It was her choice to pay that price for her love. To make her new world her only reality. The girl had worked tirelessly to make that happen.

Yet, on some long days and restless nights, a few memories creeped back. Engulfing her in a strange sadness. She fought that feeling with all her might, telling herself repeatedly that she had so much to be thankful for. But her twisted heart refused to comply. A piece of her was lost, left behind, never to return. And her wretched heart reminded her of that feeling frequently.

Therefore, when Bheem first showed her the letter, she instantly cried. Then read it a few times. Then cried some more. And then held it close to her heart.

Bheem just looked from a distance, understanding every emotion dancing on her face. He had immense admiration and appreciation for her sacrifice. For leaving everything behind. Just for love. He couldn’t do it. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn’t leave his home, his people behind to join her in a strange, new world.

She never told him how much she missed her former life. She didn’t need to. He could always tell when she stopped talking mid-sentence, changing the subject, not letting even a hint slip of her reminiscing. Just so he doesn’t feel guilty.

He always tried to make up in whatever ways he could. Like celebrating her festivals. Taking her on picnics. Trying to learn her language. Baking some of the goodies with her. Listening to her stories, her beliefs. Going down on one knee when he proposed to her. Giving her the love of not just a partner but of everyone else she had left behind too.

But those were small compensations. She had given more to their relationship than he ever could. That guilt & realisation never left him.

The two minutes she took to compose herself after reading the letter were another harsh reminder. The guilt came flooding back.

He sat her down on the cot, bent in front of her, holding on to her hands.

‘It is her, then?’

‘Yes, this is unmistakably Carol. But, how did she reach us?’

‘She left it addressed to me and you at a focal point of the revolution in Hyderabad. Our people keep visiting there, they brought it back today.’

Jenny nodded in understanding. It would have taken some effort and even risk on her friend’s part to try reaching her like this. Carol was the only one who knew that Jenny had left of her own will. With Bheem. She was the only one Jenny had left a message for.

‘So, what does the letter say?’

‘Her husband is posted in Hyderabad for a few months. They are staying away from the Cantonment area, close to the city. He is in Delhi for the next two weeks. She asked if….if I could come visit her. She also promised that she would send her staff on leave that day so no one would see us. She has also offered to come pick us up from anywhere in the city. Bheem?’

She squeezed his hands tightly, her eyes brimming with hope & enthusiasm.

‘You go to Hyderabad often. You have even taken me once. Can we…can we please go visit her? Just for a few hours?’

Bheem knew this was coming. And he froze. Unable to respond either way. But he didn’t want to burden her with his inner tribulations on the matter.

‘Can I take a little time to think about this, bangaram? Let’s discuss this in the evening?’

If she was disheartened, she didn’t show it.

‘Sure. Ofcourse. I understand.’

She said all the right things, without meeting his eyes. He kissed the top of her head and left the hut, leaving her alone with her restless thoughts.

Bheem went straight to Ram, who was just returning from training, with Sita in his tow.

They stopped in their tracks, sensing the urgency on Bheem’s face, and the curious way in which he was extending the letter towards them.

Ram read it first, with a poker face, then handed it to Sita.

While she read it, Ram paced around the area, deep in thought.

‘Tell me you are not going. Tell me, now.’

Bheem just hung his head, expecting this response.

‘Ram, maybe we should talk about it?’

Sita offered, looking at Bheem’s torn face, sensing his dilemma.

‘Talk? There is nothing to talk about. This could very well be a trap. He could have a whole unit waiting for him, to ambush him. This is too big a risk, Bheem. It make NO SENSE. You are NOT GOING.’

When Bheem’s face fell even more, Sita intervened.

‘Bheem, does Jenny trust this Carol person?’

Ram turned to Sita, about to express his displeasure at them even considering this any further. But she raised her palm towards him, shushing him for good. Ram started to pace again.

‘Wholeheartedly. She says this woman is her best friend. She says this woman is like her. How could this woman be bad then, Sita? How could she be evil?’

Bheem looked up then, after a long time. Pleading eyes, looking for someaffirmation from Sita.

Sita reached out and gently grasped his fidgeting hand.

‘I believe in Jenny’s judgement. Ofcourse I do. But have you guys considered that her friend may have been coerced to write this? Maybe someone found out Jenny came with you willingly. And this is a ploy to get to her? And…to you?’

Sita spoke with as much love as she could muster, while softly squeezing his hand.

Bheem had considered that possibility. He had considered every possibility since he sensed the situation.

‘She wrote a code word in the letter which only her and Jenny knew of. No one else knew about it. If she were coerced, and someone else dictated the letter to her, she would not have written that.’

Sita nodded in agreement. Ram nearly punched a nearby tree in frustration.

‘Oh look at you two trusting fools. You might believe this Carol’s intent, Sita, but I don’t. She may be a nice person or whatever. But what if she thinks she is trying to save Jenny from your clutches by doing this, huh Bheem? Maybe she thought it was a phase for Jenny and she would grow out of it soon. But that didn’t happen, did it? Jenny decided to stay. Maybe her friend is trying to give her an out? Trying to save her from a lifetime of distress that’s destined for her if she stays here with you? Maybe this is her way of protecting her. FROM YOU. WHAT ABOUT THAT???’

Ram stared at both of them intently, waiting for them to respond.

Sita couldn’t deny the logic in Ram’s words. They were cynical, yes. But he had more than enough reasons to be cynical in life.

Bheem met Ram’s eyes for the first time.

‘Well, that’s a risk I will have to take then.’

Ram stood toe to toe with Bheem, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him profusely.

‘WHY? Why do you HAVE TO do this? Why can’t we just forget about this letter and get on with our lives? Why take the risk at all? Why can’t Jenny make her peace with it? She made a choice, now she needs to stick with it.’

Bheem gawked at Ram, indignation written all over his face.

‘Are you serious? What do you mean she needs to stick with it? She is doing more than anyone could ask from her, expect from her. What else do you want her to do? She has given up everything. EVERYTHING. Just for me. Are you saying I should crush this tiny bit of hope she has gotten now? This brief window of meeting someone familiar, rekindling her memories - you are saying I should kill that chance too? Who knows when or if this will ever be possible again? How could I be such a monster to do this to her, Anna? HOW?’

Before Ram could burst into a rant, Sita grabbed his elbow, slightly shaking her head at him. Warning him to tread carefully.

Ram realised he wouldn’t win this battle. Bheem won’t stop Jenny from going. But that didn’t mean he would just let Bheem fall into a death trap.

‘Ok. Fine. It’s your call. But - let her go alone then. You don’t have to go with her. She can go with someone else from here who can drop her somewhere in the city and pick her up. YOU don’t have to put yourself at risk. Not for this, Bheem. Please, I am begging you.’

Sita closed her eyes and sighed inwardly, bracing herself for what was to come. She knew it was a moot point. The only two people Bheem would trust Jenny with, on such a long trip, were Ram & himself. And, Ram was not a viable alternative since he was a wanted man too.

Bheem said those exact words out loud to Ram.

Ram took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and considered all potential ways to address this situation. Sita’s hand was still firmly on his elbow, beseeching him to not lose his shit.

When Ram spoke next, his voice was calm. Eerily calm. Like a cold-blooded killer. Punctuating each word with pauses. Sending a shiver down Sita’s back.

‘If you go with her and they catch you, they will skin you alive. Gleefully. All right? They will leave your corpse hanging in the city centre, for days, making an example out of you. For anyone who dares to revolt against the mighty empire. Do you agree?’

‘If they catch me, yes. Remember, it took you to catch me last time.’

Bheem responded flatly, with equal calm. Sita just looked at the two men, wondering where this was going.

Ram chose to ignore the implied jibe and continued.

‘Fantastic. Now, if she goes alone and it’s a trap, what’s the worst that can happen? Think about it. No one will harm a hair on her head. She would be admonished, sure, but do you think anyone would dare to hurt a lady of her stature? Not a chance. At max, they will send her back to England. That’s fine. She will live. And so will you.’

Sita gasped in horror. She was sure Ram didn’t realise the enormity of what he had just said. She was even more sure it won’t go down well with Bheem. She didn’t even dare to look at Bheem at this point, just shutting her eyes again.

It took Bheem a few moments to believe what Ram had said. He was shaking from disbelief. Did his Anna not know his heart at all?

Then, he took a few steps back, getting enough distance from Ram, and glared straight into his eyes.

‘She will live. And so will I. But what kind of a life would that be for either of us? By that logic, Malli would have lived in that cage too with more amenities than here for sure. So, when she was taken against her wishes, caged against her wishes, I should have just left her there? I didn’t. So how could I let Jenny walk into this alone? How could I not be there for her, every step of the way? If they try to cage her, take her away, against her wishes, how could I not do everything in my power to keep her with me? If I was there for Malli, how is this any different?’

‘BECAUSE MALLI IS ONE OF US AND JENNY IS ONE OF THE….’

‘RAM!!!!!!!’

Sita’s voice cut through the mayhem.

Ram stopped in his tracks, the weight of his words hitting him like a truck.

Bheem didn’t flinch, but something changed in his eyes. Like something had died inside.

Sita rushed towards Bheem, grasping his shoulders, rubbing his arms. Trying to get him to look at her but Bheem stared straight at Ram.

‘Bheem. Bheem - he didn’t mean it like that. You know he didn’t.’

Bheem freed himself from her hold. Stepping further away from both of them. The physical distance a proxy to their emotional distance.

‘Let it be, Sita. I know what he meant. And you know what - Ram - you are right in a way. Jenny is not from here, no one here owes anything to her. No one, other than me. So I won’t put anyone else at risk for her. But no one, NO ONE, has the right to tell me to not put myself on the line for her. I will do that every day if I have to. I love her to death, and that is my burden to bear. No one will tell me that the burden is too high.’

Sita’s heart was breaking for Bheem. He was trying hard to hide his emotion but the lack of emotion from him itself was a big tell of how broken he was feeling inside.

Ram knew it was now or never. He could live with Bheem’s hate, if that meant Bheem would survive. What he couldn’t live with is knowing he didn’t do everything in his power to keep him safe, when he was about to walk into a fatal trap. Ram was convinced that’s what it was and was utterly distraught in failing to make Bheem see so.

Ram decided to double down, seeing that as the only remaining option.

‘So, you would pick her over us then? Over all of us? Is she the only one who loves you? Does our love for you amount to nothing? Your people, your friends, your tribe, your COUNTRY - you love her more than all of us? Is that it, Bheem? Answer me.’

Bheem couldn’t recognize the man in front of him anymore. The man who was mocking & berating his love.

He laughed a distant, bitter laugh.

‘It’s funny you say that. Because my people, my tribe, my country were safe when we had escaped. But still I went back to the jaws of death for YOU. For ONE person. All because of a stupid thing called love. Guess I was always stupid. Because doing things out of love is stupid in your books. Sadly, my love is like that. I can kill for it. I can die for it.’

The emotion in Sita’s eyes had spilled by now. She felt the pain of how these two were cutting each other, and themselves, with their words. She also felt the love behind the scathing declarations.

Ram stayed rooted to the spot, feeling like he may have gone too far but not knowing what to do about it. Despite the mayhem, he had half a mind to actually go & tell Jenny about his fears. If she had any inkling of the danger, she would put an end to all this. But Ram also knew that he would be crossing a line with Bheem which he may not be able to come back from.

Bheem retreated while still looking at Ram. Before walking away, he turned back one last time.

‘The woman who is not from here is the reason you are standing here right now. She put herself at risk to get those maps. But you knew that already. She begged & pleaded with me, while handing over the maps, to not go inside. That it would be too risky. That it could be the end of me. Very similar things to what you said today. But the difference is, she could also see why I just had to do it. Despite everything she had seen you do at the time, she could see why I would still go back for you. She understood. I expected the same from you, Ram. I didn’t think you would support me in doing this, which by the way is maybe not a trap at all. It could just be our paranoia. Your fears were still warranted. I didn’t expect you to agree, I expected you to understand. Like she did.’

With those parting words, and one final nod to Sita, he walked away. Without turning back. Leaving a stunned Ram and distraught Sita behind.

.....................................................

Part 2 will be BheemJenny in Hyderabad. Do let me know what you feel about the story so far and if a second part would interest you :)

@irisesforyoureyes @rambheem-is-real @thewinchestergirl1208 @eremin0109 @eenadu-varthalu @rorapostsbl @yehsahihai @budugu @maraudersbitchesassemble @justmeand-myinsight @rambheemisgoated @rosayounan @jrntrtitties @obsessedtoafault @rambheemlove @jjwolfesworld @alikokinav @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @dumdaradumdaradum @lovingperfectionwonderland

@chaanv @ssabriel @milla984 @kaagazkefool @boochhaan @mesimpleone @filesbeorganized @ladydarkey @veteran-fanperson @ronika-writes-stuff @beingmes-blog @yonderghostshistories @nisreenart @chaidrivenwhore @bheemaxrama @mizutaama @rosefulmadness @gifseafins @voidsteffy @maooyinysparkle @amalthea9 @vijayasena @stars-in-the-distance @astrafangs

@orangey-orange @ariel-seagull-wings @atlinmerrick @carminavulcana

#rrr #tarak #jr ntr #bheem #ntr jr #bheem rrr #ram #bheemjenny #jenny rrr #rambheem #charan #sita rrr #rrr ramsita

[hyeahgaku]

Satoru Yotsumura appreciation post🙏

The former founding member of the Order & Emeritus Professor of the Japan Clear Creation (JCC), who is now forced to live as a fugitive after his banishment from the JAA.

He was also... a loving husband and father; a family man.

Yotsumura's backstory was pretty tragic I'm sure we can all agree. Up till today, I'm still amazed at how Suzuki-sensei was able to stir my emotions solely with the flashback illustrations of him & his family. The narrative we got wasn't much, yet Sensei established in just one chapter how dearly Yotsumura loved & cared for his family. How precious they were to him. Indeed, pictures do speak thousands of words.

During the scene where Yotsumura was falling into the river after Shishiba defeated him, his thoughts were shown to be of Amane, Shishiba back in the days (with his ponytail), followed by lastly his wife Shino. I still wonder if the order matters here, and I personally think it does. Honestly speaking, I really liked this bit about seeing Shishiba appear in his thoughts as he was "dying". It shows just how important Shishiba must be in his life too, aside from his son and wife. Note that present tense "must be".

Of course he's important, cuz otherwise why would Yotsumura have invited Shishiba over for dinner & let him meet his family? He was pissed when Asaki, a high-ranking JAA exec & probs the no. 3 at that time, brought up about Amane -to the extent that he even threatened to kill him. And yet this cold-hearted, blonde ponytail dude got invited over to their home for dinner & had the honour to meet his family. Not only that, Yotsumura even begged Shishiba to help look out for his family if something bad were to happen to him. This goes to show that he must have had a high level of trust in Shishiba. (And if I'm not mistaken, he trusts Sakamoto too since Sakamoto knew about Amane as well.)

It's unfortunate that Yotsumura was robbed of his chance to be an otherwise great father to Amane while the little boy was growing up. This man even got betrayed by the one woman he loved so much & trusted. And then he got framed by the organisation he was working for. When his trusted apprentice came to seek for the truth, Yotsumura neither defended himself nor provided an explanation or the true story, instead he told Shishiba to not ask questions & that his job was just to kill.

What goes around will truly come back around. Yotsumura made his life off killing other people and, unlike Sakamoto, he chose not to leave his assassin profession -which is a big mistake on his part cuz it goes back full circle to himself & his beloved family. I can't imagine how painful it must have been for him to kill Shino, but being the loving & caring dad he is, he did not hesitate & finished her off cuz that meant saving his own son's life; an innocent child. This aside, what actually made me sick to the core is seeing how Shino showed no remorse until her last breath; she didn't even apologise for her actions. Which means, she truly married Yotsumura to serve her own purpose in the "revolution" that she's a part of. It's insane.

When he first met Shishiba, Yotsumura taught him that, in order to survive in their world, one should surround themself with people whom they're fine with dying. But after it got revealed he has a family of his own, Yotsumura added, "The key to surviving in this world is your dedication to protecting what you care about." I think this is bittersweet especially with what fate had in store for Yotsumura. He preaches both ideology, so it seems, and at the back of his mind he might have already been ready for anyone around him dying, though it's certain that he'd go extra lengths to prevent that from happening. And yet fate has arranged for him in such a way that he would end up losing everything. (Which, once again, shows that assassins are better off alone & have no families.)

Well, not really everything actually cuz thankfully young Amane was still alive back then & Yotsumura knew that he can't put his loved ones in danger so he had no choice but to leave his precious son behind & continued on to live his life as a wanted man. Even if it means Amane would remember him as a deadbeat dad.

Yotsumura has gone thru so much hell. And now he's working behind-the-scenes for Nagumo, who unexpectedly rescued him from death & has offered him a pretty decent deal. Hopefully… Yotsumura would be able to reunite & live with his precious son Amane again -as Nagumo had promised. I'm absolutely sure Amane would love for this chance too🙏

#Soy's character appreciation post #meta #サカモトデイズ #SAKAMOTO DAYS #sakadays #satoru yotsumura #soy extras

[spiritofjustice]

Amara is a really interesting character to me. she acts so fucking strange that i honestly thought there was a high chance that she was the ultimate bad guy in Turnabout Revolution lol. i don't know what they were going for with her honestly. i wanna explore her more in my writing eventually. because i can't give any of these characters a happy ending i can't help but feel like Amara and Nahyuta would butt heads, like, a lot. not that they don't love each other, because they really do, but i feel like they really would not understand each other.

Nahyuta grew up in a totally different world than Amara. his lived experiences are wildly different from hers. they'd probably argue about Dhurke, what he'd want, who "knows" him more, they'd argue about what the best thing to do for Khura'in is (which i feel Nahyuta wouldn't mind-- he shouldn't be able to do whatever he wants as regent, so he appreciates a dissenting opinion), they'd argue about Rayfa, about him and what he's doing with his life, so on. i feel like Amara would have very particular ideas of what she wants, thinks, and expects of Nahyuta, and Nahyuta is very much so... not what she expects, i think. like, she knew him probably a little as Nayna, but i don't think she ever really knew him.

and Nahyuta canonically doesn't talk about his feelings or what he's thinking and is very private, so he's not easy to know because i imagine he's still mentally on guard with basically everyone in his life because it's what he's used to. and he's not the beau ideal of a prince or leader. he's just a guy who grew up dirt poor in an isolated world suddenly thrust into great political power at the center of his nation. Amara probably has lofty expectations for her kids, and she's probably spent a long time daydreaming of what it'd be like if they could all be together again, and finding it not exactly as she expected, probably becomes rather upset.

i also think that Nahyuta gets along extremely well with Rayfa after they get used to each other, and i think that would mess with Amara too. that Rayfa connects so easily to Yuta, but she can't seem to connect with either of hers, even though she raised Rayfa the whole time! it's a lot of frustration and missed connections that no one is certain of how to fix. Amara means well, but i just get the vibe she's naturally overbearing and she'll keep running into walls with Yuta (and Rayfa, though they get along a lot better than her and Yuta) because of that.

and i can also see how it might feel so gutting that she and Nahyuta are so different and so constantly at odds when he resembles her so much. i'm sure people have always compared them and in the brief times when she was able to be in his life as a kid, i think she had high expectations of having a daughter child that is like an extension of herself-- and she hasn't yet let go of the idea of that. but Nahyuta is nothing if not his own person post-SOJ, so it'd be a struggle. on the opposite side, Nahyuta has always struggled with feeling like he's in Amara's shadow-- he looks nothing like his father, acts nothing like his father, and must constantly be compared to her because of his looks, this woman he never got to know, this woman who has almost never truly been in his life. he doesn't want to be compared to her.

what a mess.

i wanted to explore that frayed relationship a bit in Rebel Killer, but there was no real time, so i just kinda hinted at things being kinda awkward with them. but you know i'm kind of enamored with how awkward, unpleasant, and strange it'd be between them despite their best efforts bcs of the fic i was planning about Nahyuta and Amara when Yuty was a kid. i'll get back to that eventually, but i do wanna show what their dynamic is like post-SOJ eventually too, because i imagine it's very weird and hard for them to make sense of. they're trying, but they just can't understand each other quite yet.

#psy's no punctuation posts #aa tag #headcanons tag #they both have to talk about their -trying not to gag- ...feelings #and i feel like both of them would struggle to understand and verbalize how they're feeling and why this isn't working #Amara has gone through a lot of trauma and has lived a really weird imprisoned life for over HALF OF HER LIFE #and Nahyuta is also deeply traumatized and suffering from a whole slew of mental illnesses and gets so wrapped up in his own #world that i think things get lost #one day they may be able to make sense of it. i want them to bond and be ok. it may always be kind of awkward #but they'll try to understand each other best they can

[p3ski]

Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Masterlist

Read on AO3 here:

Summary: A lot has changed since the revolution. Crimes against androids are now punished in the same way as crimes against humans. A reluctant Gavin Reed and his new partner RK900 have been assigned to investigate a string of disturbing murders. Despite the shift in Detroit's social climate, Gavin still holds reservations about whether or not androids are truly alive. Will his developing feelings for 'Nines' be the thing to change this?

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 3K

*Hey, this is Finn Treacher's voicemail. Either I've got a hot date, or I’m working for a change. Leave a message*

Gavin put down the phone, moving to the next number on his list. After several hours, the monotony of the task was beginning to drain him. His focus waned as his mind drifted to other, more personal concerns. 

*You've reached the voicemail of Gideon Heith. Call back when I'm home.*

He'd spoken with several possible leads, but none had been overly promising. Some had vehemently denied their involvement in any criminal activity - refusing to cooperate and hanging up on him. Others had been surprisingly cooperative, but with no prior offences or convictions, Gavin doubted they could be linked to the case.

*Frank here. If you want to leave a message, go ahead, but I ain't gonna listen*

He could only pray that one of their otherwise innocuous leads might be able to point them in the right direction. 

*...Hello?* 

Thank God - "Hi, this is Detective Gavin Reed, Detroit Police Department. We wondered if you might be able to come in to answer a few questions." 

*...Hello? Is anyone there?* 

"Gavin Reed. Detroit Police", he repeated, a little louder this time. "We wanted to ask you some questions about -"

*Ha, I'm just messing with you, buddy. Leave a message after the tone*. 

The detective held his breath, grip tightening on the phone, before hanging it up in aggravation. He allowed his body to slump forward and let out a dismaying groan. Trapped in his funk, he failed to notice the soft footsteps approaching from behind. His shoulders were then grabbed by a pair of firm, slender hands. A set of lips drew closer to his ear before exclaiming a thunderous "Boo!." 

Gavin flinched, albeit for no other reason other than the noise. He lifted his head to stare morosely at the would-be assailant, "Go away, Ti. I'm busy." 

The officer whistled at the icy reception. "Oof, someone's touchy today." Standing reclined against the desk, she leant forward for a closer examination of her friend. "Looks like you could do with a break - or three. When was the last time you slept?" 

"Last night. In my bed." 

"Not buying it", Tina shamelessly prodded underneath his eyes, tutting disapprovingly as she did, "You've got more bags than an airport conveyor belt."

"Was there any purpose to your visit today? Or do you just take joy in pissing me off?"

"A little bit of both" She grinned before pulling up an available chair. "I just wanted to see how you were getting on. Seems like an interesting case."

"Interesting is not how I'd describe it. 'Bane of my existence' is more like it."

"You've got a lot of leads, at least" Tina said, glancing down at the paper on the desk. "Something's got to come out of one of them."

"Easy for you to say. I've been stuck at this desk for three fucking hours, and all I've got to show for it is a headache."

"Would it not be quicker for Nines to help you? Pretty sure he could just upload the numbers and call them all simultaneously."

Gavin sneered resentfully, "Yeah, that'd be much easier. If the plastic prick hadn't gone a-wall."

Tina, who had picked up a pen and began clicking it absentmindedly, promptly stopped. "...Nines? Really?" 

"Yes, really." 

"The same Nines that does overtime every day? The one whose idea of a 'break' is to deep clean the canteen?" 

"I can't see any android detectives skulking around. Can you?"

Ignoring his friend's bewildered expression, the detective reluctantly picked up the list and typed in the next number. He waited fractiously as the dial tone rang - until a crisp voice eagerly informed him that he had reached another voicemail. Having reached the limits of his already tenuous patience, he shoved the phone back on its dock. 

"It seems a bit unusual", Tina pondered, rubbing at her neck. "Are you sure you didn't do anything to upset him?"

"Why do you always assume it's my fault?" Gavin complained, "It's been acting weird since yesterday. Ever since I told it that it couldn't come over for a goddamn sleepover." 

Tina was clearly intrigued by this, as her eyes sparkled with excitement. Leaning forward on her hands, she batted her eyelashes teasingly. "In what context would you be having a sleepover? Gavin Reed, you sly dog."

" Don't - it's nothing like that", he responded firmly. "I told it about the Tiff thing, and now it's decided it wants to appoint itself as my live-in cat sitter. It's weird."

"He can see that you're struggling, and he's trying to help. What's so weird about that? Besides, it seems like a good idea." 

Gavin hated to admit that there was some truth in that statement. While strange and unwanted, Nines' suggestion was based on reasonably solid logic. Given the redundancy of sleep, it did make sense that the android would be a prime candidate to monitor things overnight. Still, the offer did not infer anything more than a methodic calculation.

"Let's not delude ourselves that an android is capable of empathy. It wouldn't be offering if it didn't think it could get something out of it." 

Tina chuckled. "You're such a pessimist. He would get something out of it. The satisfaction of helping a friend."

The detective bristled at the suggestion. Friendship implied a level of closeness that he shared with very few. An android was hardly top of the list. Besides, Nines itself had expressed its own opposition to the sentiment.

"Right, I'm done here." Gavin pushed himself up from his desk with a low grunt, "Getting some lunch. Wanna come with?"

Before Tina could respond, the walkie-talkie in her belt crackled to life, accompanied by a muffled voice. 

*All Central Units respond: 1200 in progress at 245 New Street. Shots fired, 10-13 requesting backup. Repeat, 1200 at 245 New Street, requesting backup. Over*

Tina brought the device to her lips, acknowledging the dispatcher, "Badge number 5195 10-19 to 245 New Street." She looked back to Gavin and shrugged her shoulders in apology. "Sorry, I gotta go."

"Fine, fuck off then", he retorted, gesturing his hand in a dismissive motion, "Didn't want you to come, anyway. Was just being polite."

"Love you too", she winked playfully before making a swift beeline for the exit. Gavin readied himself to leave as well before hesitating momentarily. 

He wondered if he ought to find Nines, at least to tell it that he was stepping out. He dismissed the notion, however, rationalising that the android had made zero effort to inform him of his whereabouts - and it was only fair that he should return the favour. 

While adopting a steady speed out of the station, Gavin was quickly swept up by the wave of hurried pedestrians. He struggled to match pace, not wanting to cause an obstruction, but feeling as though his legs may give out at any moment. In search of a detour, he turned off at the end of the street and towards the entrance of a nearby park. It would add significant time to his journey, but the reduced crowding and access to benches more than made up for that.

The walk was calm this time of year, without boisterous families or noisy wildlife to disturb the peace. The expanse of bare, leafless foliage seemed to sparkle in the sun as the rays bounced off films of sleet.

It could have been his favourite season - Winter - if it wasn't for the damn cold. 

Gavin hardly noticed the time that had passed. Before he knew it, he had arrived at his usual pitstop. Gary greeted him warmly, pulling his attention away from the TV he had mounted on the wall of his van. "Afternoon, Detective. Didn't bring your scary friend with you today?" 

Any modicum of a good mood he had gained during his walk vanished immediately. He was beginning to develop an impassioned hatred for that particular word. 

"Not my friend. Work partner," he said, promptly changing the subject. "I'll have the usual, but can you throw in a XL soda? And a packet of Twizzlers. I need the sugar."

"Coming right up" Gary turned away to prepare the order as Gavin idled in place, curiously watching the horse race being broadcasted on the large plasma screen. 

"Nice TV. Where'd you get it?"

The other man beamed at the question, puffing out his chest. "Won big on the last race. £4k win on a £40 bet,." He leant over his shoulder, flashing Gavin a sly wink. "Probably shouldn't tell a cop this...but I've got a guy. Sixth sense for winners if you know what I mean. You want in?" 

Gavin propped an elbow onto the counter, resting his head in his hand. "Can't be taking chances. I'm broke enough as it is. 'Bout to be a lot more broke. My cat is having babies." 

"Ouch", The vendor flipped up a burger from the greasy stove, dropping it haphazardly into a bun. "Just wait until you start having actual babies. That shit is really expensive." 

"Don't think I'm in much danger of that, but thanks." 

"Hey, don't worry about it. Good-looking guy with a steady job? I'm sure you'll find a lady eventually."

Paying for his food, Gavin exhausted the mental checklist of all the possible things he could say. Some responses were harsh and scathing, others intended to confuse and mystify.

"That'd be a first", he muttered vaguely, not feeling up to the argument. 

As Gary slid him his tray, he briskly snatched it up and left to find a table. He hadn't been walking for long when he felt his legs starting to buckle. Physical exhaustion had gotten the better of him as he began to tip backwards, head spinning. A pair of hands shot out to support him, holding him steady by the armpits.

"Whoa there, you okay?" 

The gruff voice was all-too-familiar, and Gavin felt himself wither in annoyance. Just what he needed. Hank-fucking-Anderson and his plastic golden child. When he turned, however, he was surprised to see that the Lieutenant was standing alone. 

"Jeez, Reed." He whistled, giving Gavin a similar look to the one Tina had bestowed earlier. "Party a little too hard last night?"

I wish.

"I'm fine. Let me go."

"Sure you are", Hank drawled, subtly shaking his head. "I couldn't help but overhear that you've got pet troubles? Glad I got Sumo fixed when I did. No chance of any whoopsies with his lucky lady friends." 

"Do you make a habit of listening in on other people's conversations?" Gavin pulled himself away, smoothing out his jacket. "Didn't realise you were so nosy. Thought that was Connor's department." 

"Hey, I was sittin' 10 feet away from you. There wasn't much I could do about that," Hank gestured to the empty seat at the end of his table. "Now, pull up a chair before you pass out. Because I'm not doing mouth-to-mouth if you croak." 

"Good. I'd rather you leave me to die", Gavin said, nose wrinkled with disgust. With seldom energy to continue standing, much less walk to another table, He reluctantly took the seat. Hank mirrored the action, sitting down opposite him to continue his lunch. 

"If I'd known it would cause me this much grief, I would have had the bitch spayed" Gavin shoved a handful of fries into his mouth as he muttered quiet complaints, "She's an indoor cat from now until forever." 

"Kinda played yourself there, didn't ya? I'm sure Nines would be willing to help if you asked. He's pretty good with animals ."

Gavin let out a grunt of displeasure, almost choking as he did. "Is there some fucking conspiracy here that I don't know about? I already told it myself: 'No'. I don't need to be taken care of. I'm managing just fine." 

"Yeah, you seem to be thriving. Seriously though, you're refusing his help because...?" 

"Because it's a smug, insufferable asshole."

"Huh", Hank said, mouth agape. "Funny. Connor seemed to think you two were turning a corner." 

"Connor thought wrong", he snapped back. "Where is he anyway? You usually keep him on a pretty short leash."

"Hey, watch it", the older man warned. "The kid can go wherever he wants. I don't own him." 

"Could've fooled me." Gavin grimaced before shoving more food in his mouth. "So what, he and Nines have mother's meetings about what a dick I am?"  

"Cool it, Reed. I promise that Nines only ever has good things to say about you." 

"Bullshit."

Hank chuckled under his breath, stirring the ice in his now-finished drink. "Well, yeah, at first, it weren't exactly glowing praise. He thought you were a complete jackass. Over time, though, it changed." 

Gavin piqued up at this, "What do you mean 'changed'?"

"Ehh, he's found it difficult - the whole deviancy thing. Connor and I have tried to help, but it's hard to get through... with you, it's different. He seems different. Almost like he finds you comforting'."

"What about me could it possibly find comforting?" 

"Hell if I know", Hank grumbled back, frowning in disapproval. "I just think he feels like you 'get it' more than we do. Sure, we've been through it, but sometimes it's nice to meet someone who's in the same place. Helps build a connection." 

Pausing mid-chew, Gavin's attention snapped to Hank as his mind began to race. He should have known the damn machine wouldn't be able to keep its mouth shut. About his dad, his home life, his shitty family - "How much has it said about me?"

"There it is again", the Lieutenant sighed, leaning back in his chair. "He hasn't said anything , at least not to me. I just figured there's gotta be something to account for that charming personality of yours."   

"Mind your own business, Grandpa."

"Or you're just a prick. What do I know?" 

There was a moment of silence as Gavin processed what the other had just said. Did Nines really think that the two of them shared some weird, fucked-up connection?

No, of course not. Anderson had gone soft and was starting to project emotions onto machines. That was all - the naive bastard. 

"So what about Connor then?" Gavin pressed, leaning forward on his chair. "What have they been talking about?"

"They don't talk so much as they do that interface thing. Their minds connect, and they communicate through feelings and memories. It's sort of beautiful, in a weird sci-fi way."

"Well, if they could keep me out of their demented mild melds, that would be great. Thanks."

"Okay, I think I've reached my Reed limit for the day", The Lieutenant stood up with a sigh, dusting the crumbs off his slacks, "I'm done, and it looks like you are too. Wanna lift back to the station?" 

Gavin looked down at his tray, horrified (and somewhat impressed) to see that he had, in fact, cleared his meal in the few minutes they had been talking. Save for the Twizzlers and a few sips of soda. Pocketing the candy, he stood up, stretching his back. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way." 

As the two re-entered the station, the first thing that caught Gavin's eye was a pair of near-identical androids standing by his desk. Their hands were pressed palm-to-palm, and the skin retracted. They stared at each other, saying nothing, but their LEDs lit up in a frenzied light show. Eventually, one of their heads turned and caught a glimpse of the human officers standing at the doorway. 

Connor was the one who had spotted them, as well as being the first to move his hand. He smiled warmly at Hank and Gavin - but with a particular focus on the latter. "Detective Reed", he said smoothly, striding towards him with an apparent purpose. "I was wondering if we could have a word."

Nines appeared horrified at the sudden development, its LED shifting to red as it followed quickly behind. "RK800, that won't be necessary." 

"It will only take a moment."

"Connor", Hank said firmly, narrowing his eyes at his partner. "What the hell are you doing?"

The android appeared a little put out by the sudden address, ceasing his advance on Gavin as his confident smile began to drop. "Nothing, I was just seeing if I may be of assistance to -"

Hank held up a hand, cutting him off. "I think it's probably best if we leave Gavin and Nines to it. Don'tcha agree?"

Connor paused, his cheeks tinged blue with embarrassment. He shuffled on the balls of his feet for a while, appearing conflicted, before slowly nodding his head "Okay, Hank."

As quickly as the bizarre interaction had commenced, it had ended. Connor, guided by Hank, quietly shuffled off to his desk, and the tension left in their wake was almost suffocating. 

Gavin gawked at his partner, waiting for it to speak. "What the hell was that all about?"

"It's not important," Nines said back quickly, although the vibrant crimson that illuminated its temple told a different story. "RK800 worries for me. Unnecessarily."

"And what would he need to be worried about?" 

"As I said, it's not important."

Gavin grumbled, quickly losing patience and interest. "Whatever. I've started on the numbers on that list we got from CyberLife, but nothing promising yet. Sure would help if I had a supercomputer who could make the calls for me." 

"I see, of course." The tone was cold and overly formal, even by the android's usual standards. Its movements were stiff as if concealing some hidden shame or disappointment. Stirring something unpleasant within Gavin, he felt the resolve he had been trying to maintain slowly melt away. 

"...Look, I've been thinking -" 

Apparently, he was the naive bastard.

 "- about your offer to look after Tiff. I could use the sleep, so if you wanted to help out a bit, I guess that would be okay." 

Nines looked entirely floored by this. Its usually steely eyes blown to almost comedic proportions "Detective?"

"I'm saying you can stay the night. Asshole." 

#dbh #reed900 #dbh fanfiction #dbh gavin #dbh nines #dbh fanfic #dbh rk900 #detroit become human #gavin reed x rk900 #gavin900 #g9 #dbh fic #gavin x rk900 #dbh gavin reed

[graham-needs-a-nap]

I have like 3 followers and this post is not for any of them. General spoilers for Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mankind Divided (and I guess original DX)

I think Adam Jensen is a deeply tragic figure. Obviously the game sort of states this, and you can pick some dialogue options that indicate he's not happy with what happened to him, but he doesn't seem REALLY bothered by it, and it all falls kind of flat when he has cool robot arms and cyber eyes and mirrorshades, right? But I see some details that really throw a few things into relief for me.

Most obviously, he was heavily modified into a tactical suppression cyborg against his will - admittedly to save his life, but going above and beyond the necessary, and in such a way as to make him company property. Their logo is literally visibly stamped into his skull. On paper, this is sure to mess anyone up. There are details that can be found in his apartments in the two games, like that he keeps getting upset and breaking mirrors, and that he's taken up watchmaking as a hobby. I really like the watchmaking because he, you know, needs some way to practice his dexterity with his new robot hands, and also I think it shows a newfound interest in the internals and perhaps the function and purpose of machines, which he now largely is.

I think the sunglasses tell quite a lot of a story, mostly in the times where they're absent. The first time we see Jensen after the prologue is him walking into the Serif offices for his first day back on the job and he snaps the shades on as soon as he gets in the door. I think we don't see them open again until he finds Megan in the late game, because this is someone he knows and loves, that he's spent the whole game searching for. He can be open with her. But as soon as it dawns on him that she's here willingly, working for these people who wrecked his life? Letting him think she's been dead this whole time? He backs away and the shades come back on. Shields up, baby. I don't have comprehensive notes on his behavior in the second game, but the only time I can recall that we see his eyes is when he's talking to Eliza Cassan, the AI news anchor who was used to lure him into a trap in the last game, who on the surface he has no reason to trust. Until you consider that they're both entities poised between humanity and an artificial existence, used as tools of far more powerful forces and struggling to define who they are going forward. That's who he can identify with, far more than anyone else he meets.

On a personal note, the shades thing is behavior I recognize! In me! I wear sunglasses almost any time I'm outside, even on cloudy days, because I have really sensitive eyes. but I have also suffered from social anxiety and especially had issues with eye contact in the past, and shades are a convenient way to avoid that, especially if I'm also upset about something. I have this not entirely rational belief that people can see all my feelings in my eyes and the glasses are a shield for that.

We don't see much of what Jensen is like before the attack, except that he (clearly sarcastically) claims to Megan that he's extremely friendly and likes everyone he meets. What's clear is that Jensen NOW is extremely uncomfortable in all social situations. Everyone's animations in these games are weirdly jerky and way too fidgety, but with Jensen, the fact that you can't see where his eyes are tracking gives the impression he is actively looking for a way out of this conversation right the hell now, and would rather look anywhere than directly at the person he's talking to. (Is this intentional? Almost certainly not. It's a consequence of the generally weird talking animations for NPCs. But if we aren't going to look for unintended interpretations in our media then what are we even doing here?) Someone may be able to make a case for this being neurodivergent coding, but I'm not an expert on such things and I don't feel comfortable making that claim, but I would say severe social anxiety at bare minimum.

I think even his voice is fascinating in this regard, and Elias Toufexis deserves a ton of credit for this that I suspect he rarely gets. It's gruff but also soft. He almost never raises it, and generally gives the impression that he'd rather not be bothering anyone or being noticed at all. Again, you and me both, buddy.

And the cap on all this is not just the physical changes but the way his entire role in society, the way he interacts with the world, has changed. He has, apparently, next to no personal life. He's a corporate security officer in the first game and a counterterrorism agent in the second. The only things he is now allowed to be good at are infiltration, investigation, assassination, all on the orders of corporate or governmental powers (as if they aren't the same thing by this point), with the added layer that the true masters of his fate are between one and three simultaneous global conspiracy groups who are mostly interested in him as a clone template for the main character of the original game. He's a super badass cyborg spy who desperately wants to be anything but. It's incredibly sad!

Side note: there are a lot of theories, based on stuff you can find in the VersaLife vaults in Mankind Divided and the weird handwaved plot points about the new augs he suddenly has, that the Jensen in that game is ALREADY a clone, with the body of Human Revolution Jensen kept in cryostorage with its augs stripped out to be given to Clone!Jensen. I find this to be pretty solid speculation, but this is not confirmed and Jensen has no in-game way to learn or react to this. I haven't fully fit it into my take just yet, except that finding out you're a clone would probably fuck anyone up, though for Adam maybe it would be just another day at the conspiracy factory.

The ending of the last DLC for Mankind Divided strongly implies that Jensen has finally caught wise to at least a part of the invisible conspiracy he's enmeshed in, and I hope is preparing to take some action against it. Given that, you know, the original Deus Ex still has to happen, I can't see it going particularly well for him. Adam is quite likely doomed. But maybe he can bloody Bob Page's nose a bit before he goes out. I can't help rooting for this poor socially anxious cyborg and I fervently hope we get a resolution to his story eventually.

#deus ex #deus ex human revolution #deus ex mankind divided #adam jensen #oh god is adam jensen my blorbo #finally writing this all down in one place so i can stop retyping it whenever i want to yell at someone on the forums about it

[fallensnowfan]

Chapter 1099. The chapter was mainly dedicated to showing events we already knew happened, not a groundbreaking chapter by any means, though it does well to tie things back to the present day.

Full post below the cut.

Hi Oden, nice hairstyle! I imagine it takes a lot of maintenance, good thing the Tanuki Triad are on the job! Love seeing the Wano cast on fan requested cover pages. There's something funny about the chapter title being "Pacifist," then an image of Oden right below. A man known for his extreme love of fighting.

In the chapter proper, we see Kuma obtaining his "tyrant" title and becoming a pirate, Dowager Connie, the beginning of Kuma's cyborgification and why VP moved to a new lab, all stuff we could reasonably figure was going to be shown before this flashback's conclusion. What I'm more interested in is Bonney eating her devil fruit not being seen, her Sapphire Scale being cured, and Abdullah and Jeet appearing.

Ooh, the narrator boxes talking about the "Solo Revolution of Sorbet Kingdom," and focus on newspaper articles not being an accurate reflection of the events are a good seed for how things may play out on Egghead in present day too. I bet Morgans wrote that article.

Belo Betty appearance! Her talking about filling the position in the RA Ginny had reminds me of the second division commander spot on Whitebeard's crew remaining vacant for so long. Oden and Ace. Kuma being a figure head for King Bulldog, and Bonney imitating Connie work in some nice ideas about roles too.

Vegapunk is a miracle worker to have cured Bonney, if a bit aloof about how some of his inventions are used, and how easily he's willing to stray into less savory aspects of science. Kind of guy Iceburg would likely hate. Not going to stray off into a side tangent here though.

Bonney being cured! I am glad she isn't a clone, and just gets to be Bonney, the only Bonney. Clone stuff was starting to feel overplayed, I like her being cured much more. And her playing on Sentomaru's axe is adorable.

The technique VP applied to cure Bonney seemingly relies on lineage factor stuff, which has me thinking about the Smile fruits. Toko and the others being able to experience genuine joy by the end of the series, would just be so thematically resonate that I'd be very surprised if it didn't happen in the future. Then Bonney eating her devil fruit being an event we don't see reminds me of Kin and Raizo having done the same, and the potential that Monet's devil fruit may still be around somewhere. Abdullah and Jeet are a nice little reminder of the Grand Fleet, who I'm still calling to appear soon, which includes the Kozuki Clan now. They don't all need to arrive, though I think one or two will be here.

Let's get into what happens during every 100th chapter milestone.

100 - The East Blue crew state their dreams and head towards the Grand Line.

200 - Luffy gets some good attacks against Crocodile.

300 - Party on Skypiea after the battle has concluded.

400 - Crashing the Rocket Man into Enies Lobby.

500 - Rayleigh's introduction and the crew searching for Camie.

600 - The crew reuniting at Sabaody.

700 - Arriving in Dressrosa, beginning the plan to bring down Kaido.

800 - Formation of the Grand Fleet.

900 - Bad End Musical.

1000 - Luffy knocks down Kaido with a Red Roc.

That's a fairly wide range of events, though the crew are always involved in each 100th chapter, often working towards some goal and or being involved in something that sparks some big emotions. The groundwork is definitely there for 1100 to return the focus back to Egghead, a grand victory over Saturn and the fleet surrounding the island would fit in nicely with previous 100th chapter markers. I'm excited for 1100!

#one piece #chapter 1099 #post-wano arc

[erigold13261]

I think the butterfly effect that makes the arachinkids in the Sayu crew AU being a thing would be Gwen and co (or just Gwen?) being friends with Sayu crew online and distancing herself from her father, and the fallout between them happening a few years earlier, before she knew of her Peter ending with Gwen being taken in by NSR

Love that this actually came kinda close to what I did end up thinking of in my version of the AU! With the Arachnikids being online fans for the mermaids lol.

I do think the distancing from her father was probably something that did happen, but not intentionally. I can see Gwen really loving this girl mermaid online and seeing herself in her (at the time just like beta-Sayu before being the Sayu we see later on) but being super self conscious about a "boy liking girl things" and possible being seen as a girl before she was ready to come out (or maybe not realizing she was trans at the time and these mermaids are just what cracked the egg lol).

So she hid this part of herself. A part that would become a really big deal over the years and help her figure out who she truly was. Hid her online friends. Just started to become so distant from her father to try and play it safe as she started working with these mermaids.

I don't know what Gwen's Peter's home life was like, considering he was always around Gwen's family for the most part, so I don't think Gwen could use the excuse that she's just hanging out at Peter's place. I do think she might make an excuse that they are studying while she works at a cafe or library on the mermaids (with Peter there to talk with as she does this even though he doesn't care personally about these mermaids).

I can't really see a scenario where their blow-up happens earlier and Gwen being taken in by NSR (or at the very least the mermaid team who could help her). Mainly because if it happened earlier then Gwen wouldn't have means to run away efficiently (like a 14-15 year old running away is probably more successful than a 11-12 year old most of the time), so in that case it would have been a small fight but George would have been able to explain what he meant and apologize for his overreaction.

So in this regard, instead of the Gwen running away and showing NSR's corruption through their abuse of power and being basically above the law, it actually turns into George being really supportive of Gwen and even helping her make more time for these mermaids that make her so happy (and possibly even helping convince Miles' family to let him go to the Lights Up audition/NSR if Aaron couldn't convince them).

Maybe Peter still dies in this version, which could be a reason why George is just so supportive Gwen in this regard. Actually, it would be neat to see a dynamic kinda like how FRAU Mama pushes Yinu to play music because she thinks that is what Yinu wants and thinks she is being supportive. Except in this regard, Gwen actually wants this support and wants her dad to help push her (while FRAU Yinu thinks this is what Mama wants her to do and also feels obligated to keep playing instead of doing it for love and passion).

Perhaps this Yinu is going through something similar to FRAU Yinu, where she is slowly losing passion as she's been working at NSR by this point for about 6 years at this point. It wouldn't be as bad as the Failed Revolution, but she would start to be jealous of Gwen and George's relationship with the healthy communication while she feels like she can't fully talk to her mom. So that could be a plot point for this version of this AU!

Also, something I forgot to mention in my other long post of the AU, is that I love the idea that all these teens get into the mermaid project for different reasons. Like the Crew got into the project as a way to escape their home lives, Gwen used it as a way to express herself (similar to I think why Remi even started drawing mermaids in the first place). Peni was just super interested in the whole thing and just started fixating on the project. Miles was into the project but moreso loved the friends he made along the way. Ganke would be the opposite of Miles with him liking the friends and then getting care for the project itself. I think Margo was just looking for something related to tech both as an escape from her home life but for a potential project in her portfolio for the future that she just got really deep into the project and stuck around after making friends. Pav wanted to help out Remi as well as just have creative fun, and Gayatri would most likely have just joined in some sessions before getting really invested in the project and having a lot of fun with the voice acting which kept her on the project.

It's just cool to think that all of these different people from all over the world join together to make something significant happen! Literally it's like fandom and just online community, but it's so nice to see it in this kind of scale because it puts into perspective how great fandom community can be and how it can help people out of all kinds of situations.

Anyway, yeah sorry for that little ramble! I do definitely think the only way this AU happens is definitely because of kids/teens being online and finding life long friends because of that. :3

#nsrtalk #spidertalk #nspidr #eritalks #eriverse #noart #asks

[snappedsky]

Fanatics 99.20

Everyone leaves the planet Tourney and returns home.

There will be a short break before the next- and final- chapter as I am going away next weekend and won't be able to post.

*Links to previous and next chapters in reblog*

--

The Greatest in the Galaxy Part 20

“What...a...show! I knew this would be the best competition we’ve ever seen, but I could never have predicted this! This will go down in history, folks, and I’m so happy to have presented the majority of it. Well, for all of us here at Tourney, and every competitor, thank you for watching The Greatest in the Galaxy! This is the AI announcer M1-C, signing off for the very last time.”

Across the galaxy, all televisions tuned into the competition channels lose signal. Viewers turn their screens off and return to their day-to-day lives.

On Tourney, the Resisty ship is parked in a giant parking lot, surrounded by other large ships. In its infirmary, the Battalion are seated on the beds, after having spent the night healing and recuperating. They also turn off the TV.

“That was a good show we put on,” Zim remarks.

“Too bad we couldn’t win though,” Gaz sighs.

“What do we mean?” Squee questions. “We did win. It was like a whole thing yesterday, remember?”

“No, I mean, the competition,” she replies, “we didn’t finish it so we couldn’t win it and get a trophy. We won’t get a trophy for winning a revolution.”

“No. We just helped free countless of beings from the Irkens’ tyranny,” Dib says, “but we won’t get a trophy.”

“I thought the whole point of this was we get a trophy,” Gaz grumbles.

“She’s got a point,” Tak agrees.

“I tell you what, we may not get a trophy, but those two over there can get an award for most injured,” Pepito grunts, pointing to Dib and Squee. Both of their torsos are wrapped up in bandages to cover their burns.

“Pepito, you really gotta let this go,” Dib groans.

“You’re just lucky with Shmoopy’s advanced alien healing you don’t need skin grafts,” he snaps, “I say we ban bombs from the team.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Squee says quickly, “this wasn’t because of my bombs. My bombs are fine.”

“You blew yourself up twice this week!”

“And that was not the cause of this injury.”

“Too bad those cam-bots are gone,” Tak grunts drily as the pair argue. “They’re missing some quality content.”

“I swear, if you two keep this up, you’ll be riding the ship home instead of using the teleporter,” Zim warns.

Squee and Pepito quiet down and grumble, their hands linked together.

The door suddenly opens to Kio, who’s smiling excitedly. “The Irkens are leaving. Do you guys wanna see them off?”

“Yeah,” Zim says and everyone quickly throws on some proper clothes, wincing from their still tender injuries, and hurry out of the ship.

The Massive is parked on the other side of the lot, taking up more space than anything else. Irken soldiers are filing inside, many of them cuffed. Civ and Viv fly around them, making sure everyone behaves themselves. At the back of the group are tallest- only in size now than in title- Red and Purple. Their hands are cuffed and their PAKs have plates drilled over them to keep them from opening. Rory and Zinather stand behind them, surveying everybody. Rory hurries over when he sees the Battalion.

“You got your work cut out for you, Tallest Rory,” Dib remarks.

“No doubt,” he replies, “but it’ll be worth it. It’s time for a major change on Irk.”

“There’s no one else I would trust with this project,” Zim says.

“I appreciate that,” Rory grins. “So when are you finally gonna rule your planet?”

“Eventually,” he replies, “why rush it? It’s not going anywhere, not as long as we’re around.”

“Well, I look forward to the day we become true planetary allies.” The new Irken leader steps back and bows regally. “Until then, my friends.”

The team smile and wave as he follows the rest of the Irkens onto the Massive. Zinather is the last to board. He looks back at Zim and nods. Zim nods back.

Everyone watches as the Massive lifts off, disappearing slowly into the atmosphere.

“Looks like everyone else is leaving too,” Squee says as he looks around. Around the parking lot, countless different species are boarding their various ships and leaving the planet. He spots the Swifs, particularly Nimbel. She meets his eye and he waves. She waves back.

“I guess it’s about time we leave too,” Kio says.

The team head back to the Resisty ship. Shmoopy is in the infirmary, putting together a kit.

“In here are all the salves you need for your injuries,” she explains, handing a duffle bag to Zim. “As well as instructions on how to use them. Follow it diligently, especially you two.” She points to Dib and Squee.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dib grunts.

Kio faces the team, smiling sadly. “I guess this will be the last time we all meet up like this, at least for a while. You’re all gonna be doing your own thing back on Earth.”

“That’s why we did this, right?” Squee asks. “One last hurrah.”

“And what a last hurrah it was,” Pepito adds.

“What about you?” Zim asks Kio. “What are you and the Resisty gonna do now that you won’t need to resist against the Irken Empire?”

“I’m not sure,” she replies, “we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it. I don’t think everyone here actually believes it’s happening. But I doubt we’ll split up. Many of the species on this ship don’t have a planet to return to. And even those of us who do might not consider it home anymore. I’ve been gone from Vort for so long, I don’t think I’ll recognize it.”

“You could always come to Earth,” Dib suggests.

Kio smiles. “I’ll consider that.”

An awkward silence fills the room as nobody knows how to proceed. Then Zim clears his throat.

“Well, Kio, Shmoopy, as always, it’s been an honour,” he says, bowing his head. They both smile softly at him.

“Why you being so respectful?” Tak asks suspiciously.

“It’s creepy,” Gaz comments.

“He’s just feeling uncomfortable,” Dib chuckles and the others laugh.

“Enough,” Zim snaps, “let’s go already. Ready the teleporter.”

“As you wish,” Kio nods and rests a circular device on the floor. It lights up and whirs with energy. “Battalion.” “Resisty,” Zim bows.

With a wave, one by one the Battalion steps onto the teleport pad and transport to its twin on Earth, in Tak’s house.

Johnny, Devi, Tenna, Colton, Carmen, Maddie, and Skoodge are there to meet them. Colton immediately hugs Squee, making him wince painfully.

“Owwwww I’m still so tender,” he whimpers.

“Sorry,” Colton says quickly, letting him go.

“So did we put on a good show?” Pepito asks cheekily.

“You guys were awesome!” Tenna cheers.

“It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever watching,” Johnny grunts, ruffling Squee’s hair.

“I cannot believe what you accomplished!” Skoodge exclaims, “you revolted against the Irken Empire! You ousted the Tallest! This is...inconceivable!”

“He’s right,” Devi agrees, “it was a helluva fucking show.

“Everything is going to change because of this,” Skoodge adds.

“Yeah, but not here,” Tak points out, “Earth will remain the same as it always has.”

“Maybe,” Gaz grunts, “but starting next week...we won’t.”

She looks up at Pepito and Squee, who glance at each other. A heaviness suddenly hangs over the air.

“Nah, we will,” Zim argues, “even with you three leaving, we’ll still be the same team.”

Just like that, the heaviness dissipates and everyone smiles because they realize he’s right. No matter what changes they go through, or where they go, they’ll still be a team.

#invader zim #invader zim fanfiction #johnny the homicidal maniac #johnny the homicidal maniac fanfiction #iz jthm crossover #myocs #myart

[connected-podcast]

Daughter of the Revolution: Part 2

 The Cabin Becomes A Medical Station For Alec.

In 24 parts, based on a post by Seethegood. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.

She found Rose in her bedroom cradling Williams's head in her lap while he lay unconscious on the bed. Abby raised her eyebrows in question and Rose gave her a faint shake of her head. William hadn't awoken yet, apparently. She went upstairs to her post and looked out over the grounds. She trained her rifle sights on the flower pots and was startled to realize that they tended to blend into the color of the vegetation. A white background would show much better for her, especially at night, she reckoned.

Needing something to do, she went out to whitewash the pots. Isaac noticed and happily went to help her. She smiled at him and chattered lightly to break the tension that she felt. Despite the situation they were now in, she couldn't help but remember the way he'd split the tiny woman open and broke her cherry with his mighty shaft. While he was concentrating on his work she snuck a glance at his trousers. They were quite baggy and gave little hint of the thick cock they concealed. Disappointed, she resumed her work. She wasn't in the least bit attracted to him but he certainly had a new fascination about him, she giggled to herself. Together, they painted all six pots and rearranged them to her satisfaction.

Her father showed up and she hugged him with more than her usual emotion.

"I love you, Papa," she said tenderly.

"And I you, Sweetheart. How're you doing today?"

"I'm fine, just scared of course. Not knowing what's going to happen, terrifies me," she admitted.

"If you carry through with our long term plans and leave when I tell you, all will be fine. I promise," he said gently as he held her close. He felt a hot tear splash on his neck and he kissed her cheek. "Come now, Honey. Let's check on the family."

"One more thing, Papa. When Rose and I leave, I'll take June as well and keep her safe for you until we return."

He gasped in surprise as she smiled tenderly at him and kissed his cheek.

"I know about her, Papa; and I approve." She felt him sigh in relief and she smiled happily to herself. She took his big hand in hers and together they walked to the house.

That evening Rose asked Abby for assistance in washing William. He was still in the filthy clothes he was wearing when he'd gotten shot. He wavered in and out of consciousness while they undressed him. Abby blushed hotly when the two stripped him of his trousers and undergarments. Rose handed her a second washcloth and together they cleaned him thoroughly. Rose insisted that Abby wash his cock and balls, claiming that she needed the experience of learning a man's anatomy. She explained how a male got and maintained an erection, how his scrotum would tighten up close to his body the closer he got to orgasm, and that he manufactured thick cum in his heavy balls. Abby was highly embarrassed yet full of questions at the same time.

Subconsciously, his body knew they were fondling him and he grew partially erect. Abby was wide eyed in wonder when she felt him grow in her tiny hand. He wasn't nearly the size of Isaac, yet seemed formidable just the same. A drop of pre-cum pearled on his cock head and Rose leaned down and licked it off, much to Abby's surprise. Rose sighed and tenderly laid his cock on his thigh.

"It's really not fair to use him this way, I just thought it would help you out a bit with your education," she said with some regret.

"I agree, but thank you just the same. It was kind of fun," Abby answered, then kissed Rose's cheek. "When he wakes up I'll probably not be able to look him in the eye!" she exclaimed with a naughty smile. Rose laughed softly and kissed her back. The girls covered him in warm blankets and quietly left the room.

Trouble came in spades the following day. Just after lunch, shouts rang out from the sentries and everyone ran to their posts. A company of redcoats were marching down the road to the plantation. Two columns of a dozen men led by a mounted officer were approaching at a brisk pace. Bayonets sparkled in the bright sun while the drummer rapped out a solid cadence. George ran up the stairs with June in tow to meet with the girls.

"June, you stay with Abby and Rose no matter what," he ordered sternly.

She nodded in agreement and bravely smiled up at him. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her deeply. The girls were startled at his show of affection but they hid it masterfully. He then hugged Rose and Abby tightly and kissed their cheeks hard.

"You two do exactly as we've planned and you'll be fine. Listen for my voice and obey immediately."

"Yes, Papa," Abby said obediently.

"Of course, George. We'll miss you terribly!" Rose exclaimed and pulled him in for a quick kiss on his lips. She gave him a flirty wink and squeezed his thick bicep. He colored quickly and flicked a sideways glance at June, who was looking at him lovingly. She winked at him as well, giving his muddled mind plenty to think about. He shook his head as if clearing it of a fog and a happy smile cracked his face.

"Just know that I love you ladies, all three of you are dear to my heart." The girls all felt their eyes tear up as he turned and walked downstairs to bravely face the enemy.

Abby lined her sights up on the furthest flower pot and when the last soldier was just past it she squeezed the trigger. Her little rifle spat a lead bullet downrange that struck dead center of her target and it detonated with a mighty flash and a roar of exploding black powder. The horseshoe nails flew out like tiny scythes and mowed down the closest redcoats. The remaining troops immediately panicked and ran in a rabble towards the house. Just before they reached the 100 yard flowerpot Abby's second shot blew it sky high, sleeting death once again through their ranks. Screams rang over the fields and the wounded flailed on the ground in agony. Abby hardened her heart to the din and took a reloaded rifle from Rose's trembling hand. She watched a few soldiers try to take shelter behind a bench, one that unfortunately for them had a mine sitting on it.

With deadly precision she fired again, instantly killing four cowering troops with the resulting blast. As soon as Rose could reload and hand her a rifle, Abby would determine which mine had the most troops around it and blow it up with a well-placed shot. After the last flowerpot had done it wicked job, the smoke slowly disappeared to reveal Abby's sinister work. Not a redcoat was on his feet or trying to return fire. George and Isaac carefully approached the fallen men and ran their swords through their chests to ensure they were dead. A few cried out in agony as the sharp steel drank their blood. The redcoat officer was trapped under his dying horse and he was moaning in pain. George stood over him and watched as the light faded from his eyes.

"You should've stayed home, redcoat. You've awakened a giant," he said in a low growl.

"Father!" Abby's cry rang out from the house. He spun to see her pointing in the distance. A shiver ran down his spine when he saw what he dreaded the most. Two, horse drawn cannon were rapidly approaching!

"Isaac! The caltrops! Spread the caltrops!" he shouted. The slaves sprang into action and began throwing buckets full of the vicious devices on the roadway to impede the horses progress.

George then did the hardest thing he'd ever had to do in his life. He looked up at his dear daughter who was gazing down at him sadly. She knew, and it broke his heart.

"Run, my darling. Run!" he shouted, and watched sadly as she disappeared in an instant. He turned to face his enemy and defend his family and country.

Isaac was a black blur as he ran like the wind around the house to meet his charges at the barn. The three women arrived just as he did. They helped him as he swiftly saddled their mounts and tied down their saddlebags that were already packed with gear for a quick departure. When they were ready, Abby went to him and hugged him then quickly kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Isaac. Take care of Father, please. I'll come back to make sure you do, I promise!" she said with a sad smile and caressed his black face.

"Yes, Missy. I will. I swear my life on it." He bowed low and kissed her small hand, then turned and ran back to the fighting.

Abby swung up on her horse and took one last look back, not flinching when a cannon ball ripped through the house to knock down a tree behind them. She spurred her mount and together the three brave women made for the green hills of Virginia.

Abby rescues a Continental soldier.

Chapter 3

Six months later:

The three women were gathered around the table in the small cabin eating dinner. Their lives had changed immensely in the last half year and the leanness of their bodies showed it. Where they'd once had soft curves they now sported lean, firm muscle and more defined cheekbones on their beautiful faces. June and Rose looked fully mature, small lines now crinkled the corners of their beautiful eyes, caused more by stress and sleeplessness than true age. Abby, on the other hand had blossomed into an exquisitely beautiful young lady of 19 years old. She'd also morphed into a cold calculating killer of the King's men. She'd lost count of the number of men she'd sent to meet the Reaper after her first day of killing.

Since that day she'd led the girls to a cave several miles from the wrecked plantation and deep in the hills. After a couple weeks of getting settled in, she grew bored and made a quick but silent trip back to her home. The house and slave cabins had been razed nearly to the ground and been picked clean by red coated vultures. There was no sign of anyone at all. Her father, uncle, and all the slaves had vanished as if spirited away. She cried bitter tears and swore vengeance on her tyrannical enemies. She took nearly a week to return to her friends in the hills, spending time scouting near and far to determine where the redcoats range had extended. She learned that they could safely move their base camp closer to the road system which would allow her to wage the type of war she was planning more effectively. It seemed the soldiers rarely raided into the hills, preferring instead to let the militias come to them. They'd learned the deadly lesson of a patient man behind a Kentucky rifle ambushing them in the trees.

On her way back she looked in on an old friend that had built a small but sturdy cabin concealed a short distance from a lesser used road, more of a wagon trail actually. All she could find of him was a note explaining that he'd gone to fight the British and asked whomever found his note to use his cabin as needed and to fight the good fight. Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered her friend and how nicely he'd treated her and George. Shaking it off, she made a bee line to the cave and explained her plans to her girlfriends.

In short order they'd relocated and Abby set her plan in motion. First, she laid down some ground rules. Sundays were set aside for cleaning the cabin and grooming themselves. Hot baths and a sharp razor kept them feeling like ladies, they even wore dresses now and then. They also avoided using the same trail all the time when hunting or gathering water. Abby didn't want any obvious sign of their presence. Finally, they would take no one into their group without full approval of all three women.

In the first couple months since they'd left the plantation Abby had lain in ambush along a few minor roads and being extremely patient waited for just the right time to spring on unsuspecting redcoats. Normally she carried the two matching squirrel rifles and was not shy about picking off soldiers singly or in pairs. She simply left them where they lay, bleeding from a 32 caliber hole in their heads.

At times she was fortunate enough to come across a few soldiers who were camping along a road. She'd wait until dark then slide in silently and listen to their conversations. Mostly they bragged of fucking their women or how brave they'd been in a skirmish. Abby just rolled her eyes and waited until they talked of troop movements and such. Then she'd plan her attacks on information gleaned from what she heard.

One such teaser of information clued her in to a movement of cargo that included payroll for a large company of men. It was to be escorted by six redcoats, carried on a resupply wagon, and the route was to follow a road just a few miles from their cabin.

She swiftly headed back and told her companions about her plan, then they set it in motion quickly as they had only one day to prepare. They saddled up and headed out, bringing a pack mule with them that Abby had acquired in one of her raids. They stayed hidden until the redcoats and their wagon had passed by, then they followed them silently until they camped for the night. As Abby had suspected they broke out some liquor and passed it around. Foolishly, even the sentry partook and was getting wobbly on his feet. By midnight they'd all went to sleep except the drowsy man on guard duty. While Rose and June stayed back, Abby slid in close to him, concealed by her dark clothing and carrying a small keg of powder loaded with nails. It was almost child's play to her she thought, except she needed to kill him quietly. Suddenly, she had an idea when she remembered how the bumbling soldiers always bragged of their girls back home. Intuition told her that they were full of shit and had probably never even kissed a girl. Never mind that she'd never kissed a man she thought to herself irritably.

She set her keg down and unbuttoned her jacket and blouse, revealing her more than generous breasts to the night breeze. Her nipples pebbled nicely and she shivered at the rare sensation. Moving silently she drew her rapier and approached the man from the side. When she was close enough to strike she whistled faintly. He turned his head and his eyes widened as they landed on her white tits so brilliantly lit by the moon. His jaw dropped in surprise just as she whipped a wicked backhand that opened his throat from ear to ear. He fell silently to the ground and convulsed in his death throes. Almost panicked she threw herself on him to hold him still until he quit thrashing about.

She retrieved her keg and continued creeping towards the guttering fire. The remaining five men were huddled close by the coals and covered in blankets, snoring away. She nimbly stepped between them and set the keg directly on the burning coals, then she hightailed it out of there as fast as she could while remaining silent. In less than a minute she was with her companions and they hunkered down, holding tight to their mounts.

A mere handful of seconds later the night erupted in a thunderous roar as her bomb detonated violently. After the explosion not a sound came from the camp and the girls ran in expecting to have to kill a few men, but they were all stone cold dead. June started heaving up her dinner at the sight of body parts splattered around the camp and Rose followed her as well, but Abby was all business. She was unloading the payroll before the last nail fell from the sky.

"Come on ladies!" she ordered. "Help a girl out for Pete's sake!"

Frantically they loaded the gold and silver coins into their saddle bags then perused the rest of the cargo. There wasn't much other than a few bags of rice and beans and several Brown Bess muskets. They took the food and left the long guns, then made a bee line for the relative safety of the hills. All that action had happened awhile ago and the girls had since been laying low.

Abby finished her brandy then closed her eyes and leaned back in her bath while listening to Rose chatter. She was relating a story about a man she'd met before she married William. She was quite explicit in the telling and Abby found herself wanting the touch of a man on her young body. As Rose expounded on how large the man was, and how she'd taken him, until he'd filled her belly with his hot seed, Abby stroked herself under the water and hummed in pleasure. For the first time since she'd left her home she allowed herself an orgasm. The brandy had no doubt lowered her inhibitions and she lost herself in Rose's story. She fancied she could feel the man's tongue lick her open as he'd done to Rose. She sighed in pleasure and came hard on her fingers. Slowly she realized it was now quiet in the room. She lazily opened her eyes to see both her friends staring at her.

"What," she said somewhat defiantly. "Can't a girl enjoy herself a little?"

Rose's face was flushed and June's breasts were heaving slightly.

"You cum exquisitely, Abby," Rose said in reverence. "You're absolutely beautiful." June was nodding in agreement and squirming in her chair. Rose's story had gotten her hot and bothered too. The girl's sex lives had been nonexistent for the last six months and they all needed release badly.

"I'll let you two have the tub, I'm getting too hot," she offered and daintily stepped out while Rose handed her a towel.

"Let me, please." June moved in and took the towel, drying Abby like she used to back at home. Rose slid in the water and sighed in contentment. June proceeded to wash her hair for her while she purred happily. Abby laid back naked on her bed, and watched the two women groom each other. When Rose was scrubbed clean she got out and sat on a stool, spreading her legs wide. June knelt and swiftly shaved her clean, then Rose returned the favor by washing her up and shaving her as well.

Abby had another shot of liquor and was feeling no pain as she reclined on her pillows with her eyes closed. Suddenly, a low moan broke the silence. She cracked an eye open to see Rose while she sat on the stool. Rose was looking at Abby with a questioning look, wondering if her actions with June were okay with Abby. Abby nodded and closed her eyes again. She heard the two lovers move to the other bed and continue their love making. Abby let her mind wander in a fantasy. The moans she was hearing were now her own as a tall muscular man appeared between her thighs and started licking her. She rolled a firm breast in one hand and stroked her with the other while her fantasy man pleasured her. Soon, he rose up while spreading her legs wide. He was larger than Isaac and terribly handsome. Long hair hung over his shoulders to brush her face as he bent over her. Just when his thickness touched her wetness & she came violently on her whirling fingers. Her companions looked at her in pleasant surprise when she cried out in passionate orgasm. Eventually her fingers slowed, then her hands slipped to her sides as she slipped into a liquor and sex induced sleep. June got up and tucked her under the blankets, then gently kissed her lips and returned to Rose in bed.

The following day Abby was feeling antsy and decided to go scout around for redcoats. She planned on going to a major road that she rarely hunted, usually there was simply too much traffic for her to operate safely and it was far more dangerous, but she was feeling frisky and took the chance. She packed enough supplies to be gone for a few days and said goodbye to her companions, showing them roughly on a map where she intended to be. They both hugged and kissed her, encouraging her to come home safely. It took her most of the day to get there and she arrived by late afternoon. She knew if she found a decent target they'd be pulling off the road and setting up camp in a matter of hours, giving her an opportunity to lurk and listen or take other action as she judged best.

As luck would have it, a group of four redcoats appeared. Three were marching and one drove a wagon with what looked to be a prisoner in the back. Abby watched from her hidden position as the wagon rattled by. The prisoner was wearing a tattered uniform of the Continental army and had a black hood over his head which almost concealed the long, dark, curly hair that hung down his broad back. His hands were manacled behind him, his feet were bound together with rope, and he swayed around as if he were drunk or disoriented. He looked like a tall man and his shoulders were broad and rounded with muscle. Abby felt an almost electric shock in the first few moments she saw him. A feeling of desperation and certainty came over her, one that she'd never felt before. She knew without a doubt that she must rescue him and free him from his captors. From that moment on, her every thought was consumed with a plan to kill the redcoats and free the man.

She shadowed them carefully until nightfall when they pulled off the trail at what appeared to be a large, well used camping spot. A ring of firestones were already in place and old faded cloth tarps flapped from flimsy wooden frames which appeared to have been used in the past as cover from the elements. She flinched when the soldiers pushed their prisoner out of the wagon and he fell awkwardly to ground, grunting in pain when he landed. They roughly tied a rope around his neck and lashed him to a nearby oak tree.

Abby was watching from behind one of the tented structures when she had an idea. She quickly returned to her mount and retrieved a bottle of whisky, then placed it on the ground near the abandoned tent. She moved her position and waited patiently. The soldiers set up their camp for the evening, never missing a chance to punch or kick their prisoner every time they walked by him. He was laying on the ground groaning in pain almost constantly and her heart went out to him, but she needed the cloak of full darkness to carry out her plan.

It seemed to take forever but eventually a redcoat got up and began checking out the tattered structures for a good place to sleep. He let out a whoop when he found the whiskey bottle and showed it to his cohorts. In no time they were drinking freely and getting louder by the minute. Thankfully they hadn't eaten yet and the liquor went straight to their heads.

Unfortunately, the drunker they got the more abuse the Continental soldier endured. They kicked and beat him until he was limp and unconscious. When a particularly vicious redcoat took a bayonet out, Abby knew she had to act, and quickly, regardless of her own safety. Somehow she knew her future was entangled with the Continental soldier and she felt a dire sense of urgency. When the redcoat stabbed their victim in the thigh with his bayonet, Abby snapped, losing her usual iron self control. She jumped to her feet, drew her rapier, and leapt into the center of the laughing drunken men. Stabbing one in the heart, she swung around to see another gaping at her with an open mouth. She promptly ran her steel between his teeth and out the back of his neck, her blade parting his spinal cord in an instant. By now the other two had drawn their swords and awkwardly addressed her. From long practice with her father she could tell neither man was well trained in swordplay.

After a half dozen strokes from them and parries from her, confidence bloomed in her chest. In a handful of seconds she pressed in with a dazzling display of swordsmanship and both men were left gasping on the ground, bleeding and disarmed. She whipped out her dagger and knelt over one of the men, straddling his chest. She looked down at his frightened face and rammed her blade up under his chin, puncturing his brain while twisting her knife viciously to scramble his skull's contents. She shivered in wicked pleasure when she watched the light leave his eyes. She did the same to the other unfortunate and then went to the unconscious prisoner. She felt a sense of urgency, exposed as they were to the nearby road and it's potential passerby's.

She poked and prodded him but he was out cold. She was amazed at his sheer size. He must have been close to six and a half feet tall and an easy 230 pounds in weight.

How was she going to move him? Shit! Racking her brain for ideas, she ran to the wagon and looked inside. Nothing! What to do? Her eye fell on the bench the prisoner had been sitting on. She hopped up and took it in hand, yanking and pulling on the planks with all her strength. It moved only slightly, but at least it moved. She grabbed a nearby musket and used it for a pry bar. Gradually she worked the bench seat loose and tossed it out on the ground. Pouring sweat, she manhandled the man over on his back and atop the planks. She lashed him down tightly and secured the makeshift travois to her horse, then quickly and quietly as possible, vanished into the night.

Just before dawn when the sun was trying to rise, her new companion awoke, retching and coughing beneath his hood. Shit! She'd forgotten about that in her hurry to leave! She quickly ripped the hood off and turned his head so he wouldn't choke to death on his vomit. She poured water from her canteen over his face and wiped him clean while he coughed and gagged until his breathing returned to normal. He turned his head to face her and she felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. Piercing grey eyes met her beautiful blue ones as she took in his beaten and bruised countenance. She'd never seen a more handsome man in her life! She couldn't stop her hand from brushing his dark curls from his face and she felt an overwhelming desire to kiss him.

"Hello, Angel," he said in a parched voice. "Water, please," he croaked. She quickly put a small hand under his head and raised him to drink. He drank deeply until she pulled away.

"Easy there. Not too much or you'll get sick again." He sighed and she laid his head back. She didn't know what to say to him, she was absolutely tongue tied, even covered in filth and vomit he stole the heart from her chest.

"What's your name, Angel?" he managed as he lay with his eyes closed.

"Abigail, my friends call me Abby," she stuttered awkwardly.

"I'm Alexander, my friends call me Alec. As my rescuer, you may call me anything you like," he quipped with a wry smile.

"I shall think on it, for now I shall call you Heavy, because you were extremely difficult to drag here," she said merrily, finally finding her voice. He groaned and painfully shifted his bulk.

"My arms are killing me, laying on them for so long is hard to do," he said painfully.

"I'm so sorry, we had to leave quickly and get away from the road. I haven't had time to attend to you," she apologized.

"Don't worry yourself. I'm just thankful my guardian angel rescued me," he said softly while looking up at her. She felt herself falling into his gorgeous eyes, then caught herself. She busied her hands by freeing him from the travois and sitting him up. His arms and hands were blue from bad circulation and his wrists torn and bloodied from the manacles. His thigh was caked with dried blood from his stab wound but appeared to have stopped bleeding. Bravely, she straddled his legs and sat in his lap to attend to his face. She swabbed it with a wet rag and gave him more to drink.

She noticed his eyes wandering down to her cleavage and she felt a trickle of desire, knowing that he was finding her attractive. When he was as clean as she could get him, she fed him some hardtack and dried meat along with plenty of water.

"I'm sorry, I have nothing to remove your manacles. If I can take you to my camp I have a hammer and chisel and I can get those things off of you," she volunteered.

"That would be wonderful, is it far from here?"

"If you can ride, a day. If I drag you, a couple days."

"I'll ride. Bouncing along on those boards was horrible."

"Can you try now? We really should be going. I apologize but it'll be a rough go for you," she said gently.

"Abby, doing anything with you will be far more pleasant than my former situation."

She smiled to herself. She was really growing to like him. It was her first compliment from a man other than her father and she liked it.

After a minor battle of strength, she got him to his feet and next to her horse. He'd just lodged his foot in a stirrup when he paused.

"Um, Abby? It appears I must relieve myself. All that water has run right through me."

She looked at him and waited, then realized he couldn't help himself with his arms manacled behind him.

"I'm sorry, Angel. I need your help," he said while blushing deeply.

"Um,  okay. Do you mind?"

"Of course. Please hurry though."

She crouched down and undid his belt and buttons. Recalling how she'd washed her Uncle when he was wounded, she bravely reached in to pull his cock out. She and Alec both gasped when her small hand met hot flesh. She took hold of him, shocked that her fingers didn't even come close to spanning his width. She slowly dragged him free and pointed his cock at the ground. With a ragged groan he cut loose with a mighty stream of urine that spattered in the dirt. She looked down and marveled at the sight of his huge member in her tiny fist. Glancing up at him she noticed his brilliant eyes were locked on her little hand wrapped around him. She felt a bit of jealousy because this hose can be pointed at will, and she imagined fun games she would play, targeting ants and other bugs with a fine hose like his. “Damn! All I get to do is squat and try to limit the splatter on my feet.” Then she realized he hear her say that, aloud. She felt her own face flame hot and he groaned again as his stream slowed to a stop.

"Done. Thank you, my Angel," he said softly, meeting her eye. "Your first time?" he asked with a mischievous wink. She giggled out loud.

"Indeed. Did I do good?"

"Yes, but you're not quite done. You must always do the shake."

"The shake?"

"The shake. One must always shake before putting oneself away," he said, fighting an embarrassed grin.

While he spoke, she became aware that he was growing quickly in her hand. Alarmed, she looked down to see him rising and lengthening in her fingers. She gently wriggled his cock and raised a curious eyebrow when a drop of urine fell to the ground.

"See? Always shake," he laughed. Her face red as a beet, she awkwardly stuffed his formidable cock back in his trousers and then hastily buttoned him up.

"I'm sorry, Angel. I tease to cover my own embarrassment. It was my first time as well."

"That's  okay," she murmured. "We may as well get used to it. We've a long ride home."

To be continued in part 3, by Seethegood for Literotica.

[faustocosgrove]

oh yeah? well psychoanalyze this!

so i forgot to post the night befor last’s weird ass dream so i was just going to post it today and lie to you all about when this happened, but then i had an even weirder dream last night so i’m just going to fess up and nip this in the bud or else i fear i’m going to keep having weirder and weirder dreams as punishment.

so night before last i had two separate dreams where i woke up in the middle but last night’s just had one dream with two acts.

~~~

night before last nights weird dreams starts off with me trying to color match in the least logical way possible, then i was running from something and the only place that wasn’t out in the open was a military base so i broke into the military base.

now at this point a logical person would probably think that if me, a wee little human can bust into a military base then clearly a big scary monster (which was presumably what i was running from) would also be able to bust into a military base.

this military base looked a little bit like a mayan pyramid and it also had an honest to god forcefield around it, but in stead of solid wall stopping you it just kind of slowed me down as i was swimming toward the base. once inside there was literally nobody home. opening one door revealed that at the base of teh stairs was a pile of styrofoam, drywall, and other bits and bobs that let me know it was still under construction when the project was abandoned. the rooms on the floor i had busted into were finished, furnished, and lived in. also empty. i got to the last room which had a hologram window that played nature scenes. then i heard the tv in an empty room turn on and i was so scared i woke up.

second dream.

presumably i was still in the same universe as the first because the water looked the same except i had a boat this time. the police arrived and asked me… well i can’t remember what the first guy asked me because i shooed him away. then his partner comes out for round two and she’s a short butch lesbian with buzzed and bleached hair and i immediately turned stupid. told her “i don’t know what i’d tell you if we went on a date later tonight” and i kissed the back of her hand. and then the first guy dragged her away from me.

stg i am a menace and i don’t even mean to be i’m just like this. anyway now y’all are warned that when the revolution comes to not tell me shit about anything because all it takes is one sexy lady just kind of standing there not doing anything to make me crack.

so after that i went to the store (??? ah yes, seduce a cop then go to the store. a totally normal couple of errands to run) and after wandering the entire grocery store i found literally nothing i wanted but then while going past the bakery section i found out it was valentines day and all the valentines day cakes for orders were in the display and they were all these fucking huge cakes. there was a tiny display of generic cakes for pick up customers and they were all half the size and like 90 dollars.

i kept walking past the grocery store and found out the other half of the building was a ritzy hotel. i don’t know how to explain the layout, like imagine a spread sheet, and most of the walls had doors but some doors were key access only and some were regular interior doors and each “room” was sectioned off by a series of key access doors. so every “room” had a bedroom but each also might have a kitchen or a massage parlor or a pool. didn’t find a bathroom. one of the “rooms” had a regular interior door where it should have had a keyed door so i broke into this couple’s hotel room by accident. i left their hotel suite and the room i emerged into had a bunch of people in it and they were all staring at me like “oh my god why were you in their room?” and the girl that gave me the stinkiest look turned out to be a hotel staff member even though she was dressed like it was 2005. so she’s showing people a pool room and i thought to my self “that door’s going to close mysteriously behind her” and then the door closed mysteriously behind her and she stopped making noise. i kept saying “someone open that door, she’s dead” and i finally convinced this guy to open teh door. the light was turned off and he turned it on. got closer to the room and yeah, there she was, dead. for some reason, i was tasked with pulling her body out of teh water, which i did. the things that killed her were discovered, they were sentient mannequin limbs. and since i pulled her out of the water they were coming after me so i was like, grabbing an arm and smashing the joints with a brick while a leg flops on me, then moving on to the leg.

anyway the similarities between the breaking into places and the water world universe clearly imply that there is some shared meaning between these dreams but all i got out of it was the fact that i am not immune to sexy lady.

~~~

last night’s dream was taking place in teh 1970s. i know this because everything was slightly sepia toned.

first i was in the woods with this guy and a panther walks by. like a big cat, not like a sexy older lady! the guy asks me what we wold have done if it had attacked us, like how do you survive an attack by a big cat. i said you don’t. this was news to th panther, and it turne back and looked at us while doing the “curiosity” tail wag thing. the guy looked at me and i looked at the guy and i said “i’ll go get some help” and then it turned out we were not in the deep woods but an entire city was literally right behind me. it wasn’t making any noise. the first road i found was a 5 lane very busy road and i stuck out my thumb to hitch hike. i thought to myself “i’m a sexy lady this should take no time!” and literally every car going past merged into the left lane so no one would be parallel to me when they were stopped by the light. so that was a blow to my ego. the guy scurried past me to a guy in a pick up truck stopped in the far lane and explained that there was a panther and we were trying to get away. the trucker told us he would give us a ride but he was disappointed because we gave him this long explaination about the panther first and asked for a ride second.

the radio is playing a single song, well the chorus of a single song on repeat. except it was just teh singer with no band behind him. it was in a voice that wasn’t mine though. after some light googling, i’ve found the song is “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp. which came out in 1982. so somehow my brain only remembered the chorus of the song and edited out the band lol. some more light googling, which was just putting “1960s trucks” “1970s trucks” and “1980s trucks” in an image search reveals that the very first result for “1970s trucks” was almost exactly what this guy’s truck looked like, except instead of yellow and white his was light salmon and cream. so i got the truck right for the 1970s but not the music.

then i was at a restaurant and as i’m sitting there shoving food in my face teh waiter keeps quizzing me but it’s the weirdest fucking quiz. the one question i remember clear enough to repeat verbatum was “have you ever performed a live sacrifice of a gar?” and becaue a lot of the rest of the questions wer garbled i sat and thought for a second to make sure i heard “gar” correctly then i said “you mean the fish???? no.” then he asked me why and i answered “well, presumably because i think fish are cute but i’m too busy with this food right now.”

i’m pretty sure during teh interrogation the waiter asked me if i was drunk and i said either “i don’t know” or “i don’t care” or “i don’t give a fuck”

and then this lady i know sat in front of me and just spoke spanish and everyone around me was waiting for me to respond. i was able to pick out a few phrases and they were all like, subtly insulting. mainly commenting on how during this entire interaction i was shoveling food in my face. in hindsight none of the food had any flavor, not the undercooked shrimp with isopods stuck to its tail, not the lobster, and not the extremely cheap chocolate box cake with store bought frosting. then she switched over to english and said something along the lines of “what do you think of gods who do not behave like gods?” and i responded with “oh, you mean like that asshole?” and pointed to teh ceiling. and then i woke up.

now that i’m awake the person i thought was speaking spanish to me was 100% not the same person i know IRL who speaks spanish because the dream lady was about 7 shades lighter and had a different face.

i feel like i just flunked a spontaneous interview for a dietyship. either that or alienes were trying to get the missile defence codes and fucking up their translation software severly.

~~~

upon further reflection i was way more emotionally invested in the food that i was in the previous dream’s sexy lady. so when the revolution comes and the cops come to drag me away make sure to like, cram a granola bar in my mouth as insurance against any potentially sexy ladies they might have on staff.

#fausto's hopes and dreams

[atla-fandom-confessions]

ok here’s my sokka is Izumi’s father theory (which is entirely made up and has almost no basis in canon):

• Zuko goes to visit the sun earth kingdom but his airship disappears in a storm and doesn’t reach its destination

• his friends search everywhere for him but only find the wreckage of the airship drifting out on the open ocean

• everyone mourns Zuko, including his widow Mai and best friend Sokka, but they realize they can’t tell anyone yet because the fire nation will collapse into chaos if it gets out that the Fire lord is dead and a new war might even start

• Iroh goes to look for Azula who is off living her best post-therapy life in the earth kingdom but she’s not easy to find

• meanwhile it’s getting harder to play Weekend at Bernie’s with Zuko when they don’t even have his body so Sokka proposes to Mai that she fake being pregnant so that when Zuko’s death becomes public, they’ll still be able to prevent a revolution since there’s an heir to the throne on the way

• Mai tells him that things aren’t going to be that easy because the Fire Sages will want to perform rituals and stuff while she’s supposedly pregnant and they’ll catch on quickly that she’s lying

• it becomes obvious that Mai has to actually be pregnant for the plan to work which makes things a little awkward and angsty

• through process of elimination she and Sokka decide that he is the only option because Aang is off looking for Azula with Iroh and they can’t risk bringing another person in on their plan

• also since Sokka is a nonbender the odds of the baby being a firebender is higher than it would be if Aang (or Haru) were the father, but since he’s water tribe they might be doomed as soon as the baby arrives so the plan is only buying about nine months of time

• with no other options they decide to go through with it and sleep together

• it’s really awkward obviously but they’ve been growing closer emotionally since Zuko’s death and they both feel guilty for enjoying their night together

• for the sake of thoroughness they try for a month and the awkwardness goes away and their feelings for each other start to come out

• one night Sokka tells Mai that he thinks he’s a terrible friend because even though he’s heartbroken over Zuko’s death, he doesn’t regret that the two of them have gotten closer

• Mai reveals that she found out she was pregnant a few weeks ago and kisses him and their relationship stops becoming purely practical

• Sokka stays close to her throughout the pregnancy and everyone outside of the gaang thinks that he’s just being extra supportive to his best friend’s widow

• (which he is…but he’s also sleeping with her and sound everything he would as the father)

• the baby comes eventually and Sokka arranges an escape plan for himself and Mai and the baby because once someone notices that the baby has water tribe features, they’ll be in huge trouble

• the baby comes out resembling her mother almost entirely with fair skin and golden eyes…everyone assumes that she is Zuko’s daughter, even though the Fire Sages say that she’s not a firebender

• Sokka and Mai are trying to decide if they should stay now and pretend Izumi is the rightful Firelord because Azula has refused to take the throne even as regent

• suddenly Zuko shows up out of nowhere and reveals that he was shipwrecked at an air temple and stayed there for months to learn how to unlock his chakras from Guru Pathik so he could finally bend lightning

• Sokka and Mai are shocked and angry at him but they don’t see any other choice besides letting things return to their natural course…and they have to pretend that nothing happened between them at all which is the hardest part

• Zuko is overjoyed that he has a daughter and Mai goes back to being Zuko’s Fire Lady, forcing herself to become the stoic and dutiful noble woman she used to be as a little girl especially because now that Zuko has unlocked his chakras, he’s more aloof than before

• Sokka tries to talk to her but she tells him that they have to move on with their lives and he reluctantly agrees and leaves the Fire Nation

• he and Mai never speak of it ever again, and Mai keeps the truth from Zuko because she knows he’d treat Izumi differently and probably hate her and Sokka too…also she’s still mad at him for staying at the air temple for so long without telling her

• ten years pass and Sokka gets married and has his own family while Mai tries to take her own advice by finding small joys in her life as Fire Lady, most of which are with Izumi

• one day Mai finds her daughter crying by the turtleduck pond and asks what’s wrong and why she isn’t with her tutor

• Izumi wants to know about her father and Mai tells her that Zuko is currently in his office

• Izumi gets angry for a second and yells at her mom to stop lying and tell the truth for once, then she bends some of the water in the pond and demands to know who/where her “real” father is

• Mai explains what happened and tells Izumi that she’s sorry but no one can never know

• years later, Sokka comes to visit and Izumi notices the way that he looks wistfully at her and Mai and decides to keep the secret too

x

#atla #atla fandom confessions #maikka #izumi

[newcatwords]

where i'm from (part 2)

this is a follow-up post to "where i'm from (part 1)".

when i was little and we were already a few years into living in the US, i remember asking my dad something like this: "dad, i don't get it. we're from the soviet union but that country doesn't exist anymore. so the part of soviet union that we're from is now a country called ukraine. but we don't speak ukrainian, we speak russian. and the food we eat is russian. so which one are we, ukrainian or russian?" and my dad confidently responded "neither. we're JEWISH." which broke my tiny little brain because here i had been thinking that "jewish" was a religion, not an ethnicity.

but alas, in the complicated logic of the place that i'm from, his answer made sense. you see, the former soviet union (and contemporary russia) was a large multi-ethnic empire filled with azerbaijanis, georgians, kazakhs, uzbekhs, turkmen, lithuanians, latvians, russians, ukrainians, and yes, jews. "jewish" was one of the ethnicities and it was listed on one's state ID.

yes, i was born in a place that was so racist it divided white people into a bunch of categories. here's a chart showing the "differences" between ethnicities of the soviet union. from the top left to bottom right: russian, ukrainian, tatar, jew, romani, kyrgyz, belarussian, lithuanian, georgian, armenian, kazakh, uzbek, latvian, estonian, azerbaijani, moldovan, tajik, & turkmen.

but how can i really be "from" a place that we left when i was 4 years old? aren't i much more "from" a place that i've lived for most of my life? and i've still encountered people who say "no, tell them where you're *really* from" and i have to roll my eyes and say "ukraine" and everyone goes "ohhhh".

before the war in ukraine, many americans were pretty unfamiliar with ukraine, and if i said i was FROM ukraine, they'd say "oh so you're ukrainian" and then i'd have to start a whole long story... so i often just said that my family was russian (it would make it easier when people heard me speaking russian to my mom on the phone).

the war in ukraine has complicated the situation because now ukrainians are epic victims, but also "heroes." there's no faster way to bring down the mood of a party than to talk about ukraine, so if it does come up, i try to keep the topic matter moving. it's just all sad stories.

here's another story from childhood: my mom sometimes sang to me at bedtime and she'd sing songs in russian. about 99% of them were super sad and i remember asking her "mama, why are all the songs you sing so sad?" and she said "well, life is hard." and that was that. let's just say that the pit in my stomach from hearing that has maybe never gone away.

in many ways, "well, life is hard" is the story of being where i'm from. things were awful during tsarist times. then they were awful during the revolution & civil war. then there was stalinist repression (family members sent to the gulag) and famine. then WWII! kharkiv was occupied by nazis *multiple* times. there are whole sections of my family who just disappeared when odessa was occupied, and still, no one knows what happened to them.

things stabilized a bit after WWII, but life was always still hard. and when we came to the US? well, it wasn't easy. in the 30 years since we came to america, my family has been able to accomplish the american dream, in many ways. my parents have a nice house in the chicago suburbs. 2 cars. kids went to college & are all now living their own lives, with their own families. my niece and nephews get to have grandparents and aunts and uncles, something i never had. and now we can write a new story about where we're from. not omitting the fact that life is hard, but maybe providing a little bit more support to go along with that reality: "life is hard, but we're here with you. we'll get through this together."

[queers-of-nassau]

the fact that Madi is so ready to take up Flint’s mantle

#madi is the revolutionary we deserve #would she be able to let go of that revolution post-show? #madi scott #black sails #something something - while i recognise that there are plenty of people on this show with good cause to want to overthrow the status quo #it's interesting that james and madi are the most adamant about it #(i wonder what vane and madi as a teamup would've been like) #(just pure anger)

[sanjarka]

listen, i get where people are coming from when they say that the hunger games movies focused way too much on the romance but at the same time what romance? do you mean the ,,love triangle"? or adding that kiss between katniss and gale in catching fire? are you team peeta or team gale? who is hotter - josh or liam? because the actual romance doesn't exist.

what about he gives me a smile with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me? for a moment i feel foolishly happy? there's a whole world locked away inside of him? how don't his eyelashes get tangled up when he blinks? he plays with my hair while i make a flower crown? his voice is like the morphine they give me? in a minute i can see his smile and hear his laugh? i wonder if those kisses would feel like the ones from the beach, the ones i hadn't let myself think about until this moment? did you really hear him screaming? don't let him take you away from me? let me go - i can't? none of this is shown or implied.

no, this isn't a romance book and there are a lot of other extremely important scenes that the movies don't focus enough on (for example: the death of her father and how important that relationship was and still is so important to her? how much she misses him? how she never had the time to grieve him?) but the romance that does happen between the main characters is a big part of the plot - it moves the story, it creates conflict. the main story depends on it. this isn't just a story of war, it's also a story about the life of its protagonist and it's only natural to want her to find joy and peace. and no, not everyone has to like it, love it, be obsessed with it (i don't care about that, nor is it a realistic thing to expect or the focus of this post), but can we just stop pretending like it doesn't exist? like it's a bad thing to enjoy it. that you are exactly like the capitol because of that. that even katniss herself doesn't care about it and is somehow above that - she's a confused, traumatized child who doesn't have time to prioritize her own feelings and emotions. at 17, she should be able to think about that beach kiss for every second of every day and not feel the need to hide it because she's afraid of expecting too much, or wanting too much, or needing too much.

the movies left a lot of damage, not because they focused on the romance, but because instead of filming what was already on paper they went ahead and glamorized it, deleted it or changed it. they deleted the fact that seam people are poc. they aged up the cast. dehumanized kato, clove... didn't show how ugly the capitol really is. how haymich lost everything because he didn't want to be their piece in the games. how finnick was sold from the age of 14. how johanna isn't just angry and mad but damaged and broken. how gale isn't a war criminal but a teenager who got lost in trying to see what is right to do in a war. how war changes people and how, in the end, it usually loses its right side if it ever had it. how you can still be damaged and worth something. that the real revolution isn't in the fight but in helping those around you, by giving them bread on a rainy day or singing them a song when they are dying in your arms. that peeta lost his leg, his sense of self and his entire family. that both him and katniss had traumas prior to the games. that they truly loved each other and were each other's hope. that it would've happened anyway. that it's only him. that their love is a lot of things but never practical or just for comfort. 

the romance that the movies presented was shallow and superficial. the tragedy in their love story isn't gale, or that it only happened because it was forced, or because of their shared trauma. instead it was snow and the capitol. they weren't allowed privacy and to move at their own pace. they were used and manipulated with, hijacked. the tragedy of their love story was that it was tainted. that they weren't allowed to think about it as just theirs.

and then after everything they were still the only ones who could have healed one another. after all of that, they still somehow grew back together. the movies forgot to say that it was absolutely everything to both of them. that they are fully equal in that love.

so no, the problem with the movies isn't too much romance.

#i get where this is coming from and maybe i'm just to sensitive or literal or whatever but i just had to say #literally just saw a tiktok comment and thus happened #but it is something that i see quite often in general #not saying you are a bad fan if you enjoy the movies #but i think we can all agree that without the books they do not have the same effect #anyway glad that's out #thg #thg: movie criticism #the hunger games #the hunger games: meta #everlark #everlark: meta #mine #mine: thg