Were We Different?

I am part of the 18% who play as Femshep.

Phantom Pain

Genji Shimada x Reader

Most of Genji's time at Overwatch has mostly been the same. He always would go to Dr. Ziegler, when something would happen with his many prosthetics. Missing an arm and 2 legs was something he never really could accept. His reflection always put him off even after coming to terms and accepting his new life. Genji still was able to do what he was able to before, I infact better with his range of motion heightened in his legs, making jumping easier and his jumps holding more power than they did before. But there would be days he felt the loss of his limbs, stings of pain would shoot through his missing extremities. Aches would plauge his day. Sometimes, it would just be a feeling for a moment, and others it would last for hours with seemingly no end to the pain. Those days were always his worst.

Angela always helped him, always giving him explanations on why it's happening and she would treat him the way she could. Genji always knew it was something to expect. In fact, when he first woke up with his limbs replaced, he was told the news and what to expect. But with how much mirror therapy and medications sometimes they never worked, Genji hated the fact they never truly worked.

He knew stress could impact the severity of how painful it could be. Meditation was something that grew to be just as important as training for him. Genji thought he was at peace with himself, with his life, but deep down, he was still lonely. He went from a man with a family, maybe not a good one, but Hanzo was there when he was younger and had the time. And Genji would always have a girlfriend, someone to talk his mind to and someone to be there for him. At Overwatch, that wasn't there.

Sure, at Overwatch, he had friends. Angela was friendly, and so was everybody else. But he never had someone close to someone who made that spark in his heart and someone to hold close.

Those days where he would lay there in pain, each stump of his throbbing made it hurt to walk or let alone stand in place. His whole body ached, the metal feeling like in was still his flesh, and every single cell was in pain. He just wished someone was there for him. He wished he wasn't so alone. Meditation felt impossible, and he just needed to be grounded. But nobody could willingly hold someone more metal than skin. He was accepting of himself, but that didn't hold true to everyone.

Genji kept everyone's at arms length. The only individual he spoke his mind to was Zenyatta, and even then, it wasn't about his love life. Any desire he pushed down, he focused on the blade rather than his heart. That was until he saw someone who caught his eye.

Usually, he would be cordial with anyone he saw as attractive, but he couldn't shake it away when talking to you. The way you smiled at him, the way you played with the hem of your shirt when talking to him, the way your face flushed when he said your name. You blushed when he spoke, and he couldn't help but smile when you did. Weeks passed and you two continued to get closer and closer, he didn't open up much but you could tell he was comfortable around you. He loved how much you had in common, a similar sense in humor and a bond over shared interests.

Genji had caught feelings, and as a leap of faith, he asked you to go on a date. Of course, you said yes. It was Genji, after all. He brought you to a secluded spot out of the city, a place with a perfect view of the night sky. You saw his face for the first time, and after that, you two were inseparable. Eventually, he would start staying the night at your place, always helping with any chores or watching a show together. Nights every once a while turned to once a week, and then all of a sudden, your boyfriend was living with you.

Genji was a joy to live with. He did his part of chores, and rent was always paid in time. But some days, he would be slightly off. He always would brush you off, either saying its pain from training or a rough nights sleep. Eventually, he would say it was medical things to do with his injuries, but it was nothing to worry about. He was used to it. He told you of his past, his near death, and the remnants of his body after his fight. He told you about phantom pain, but brushing it off by saying he has medication for it and you never really questioned him. Genji was an honest man and partner. He never had a reason to be dishonest.

But one day, you both were home. It was one of those days he seemed off. Genji looked horrible. His face was pale, and he was distant. He was just laying on your shared bed.

"Genji, what's wrong? You can tell me."

Genji's eyes shifting slightly to look up to you, he gulped for speaking.

"It's nothing.. just health things."

He told you about his flare-ups of pains, the feeling that his body was still one piece, and it would feel weird or hurt. But you never saw him like this before. You sighed before sitting the bed beside him, running fingers through his hair.

"I can help you, just say the word, and I'll do it."

You felt Genji melt into your touch, a soft hum coming from him.

"Just hold me.. please."

You shifted so you were lying down beside him, his back facing you. Wrapping an arm around his stomach, you nuzzled into the back of his neck, his black hair tickling your face. You felt Genji's body relaxed a bit. You ran your hand up and down his stomach, which seemed to relax him more. He let out another content hum, his human hand reaching to pat your arm.

"Thank you, this.. this helps. It helps me alot more then anything else I've tried for this."

Genji never really went too far into what it was like. You only knew what the internet had to say of what it was like to feel phantom pain. But anything to help your boyfriend was something you were willing to do. Hearing his fast-paced breaths turn to slower and more relaxed ones was enough to make you want to stay there for him. And the soft snores that came from him after only a couple minutes was enough to make you want to stay there forever.

Funny idea of reader just saying "I'm going to gnaw on you like a BONE if you keep flirting with me, big boy." Like imagine the reaction Hazard would have

Keep Talking

Hazard x Reader [REQUEST]

A/N: The way that i immediately RAN to my computer to write this because I JUST LOVE THIS LMAO?? Big ol thank you to you my dear anon for being my third ask!

You and Hazard were walking side by side through the quiet, dimly lit streets. He was doing his usual thing—flirting and throwing out ridiculous comments—but tonight, his charm wasn’t quite landing the same way.

“So, I’ve been thinkin’…” Hazard said with that smooth Scottish drawl of his. “If ye were a dessert, ye’d be a fine piece o’ cake. I’m talkin’ one o’ those fancy cakes, the kind wi’ gold flakes and everything.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help a little smirk. Typical Hazard—no subtlety, no boundaries.

“Oh really?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m a cake? You want to devour me or something?”

Hazard’s grin spread across his face. "Aye, sweet pea. Who wouldn’t want to sink their teeth into somethin’ as sweet as ye?”

You shook your head in disbelief but smiled, nonetheless. "Alright, enough of this cake talk. Keep flirting like that, and I swear, I’ll gnaw on you like a BONE.”

Hazard froze for a moment, blinking at you. He tilted his head, the usual confidence faltering for just a second as he processed your words.

“A bone?” He repeated, clearly trying not to burst out laughing. “So, ye want to sink yer teeth into me, aye? What kinda bone are we talkin’ about here? Like… a chicken wing, or…?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, deadpan. "Oh, I dunno, Hazard. Somethin’ big and meaty… maybe somethin’ you wouldn’t be able to get away from.”

Hazard dramatically clutched his chest, clearly in over-the-top mock horror. "Och, nae… please" he said, trying to keep his voice steady but failing miserably. "The thought o’ ye gnawin’ on me is almost too much for me heart to bear." He paused, then leaned in a bit, his face serious but the twinkle in his eyes betraying him. "I’m just so delicious, aren’t I?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, his over-the-top reaction only making you more entertained.

“You’re ridiculous” you said with a grin, trying to hide how much you were enjoying this. “But honestly, you can’t keep flirting like that without consequences.”

Hazard laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the game. “Oh, I’m all for consequences” he said, his voice a little too casual. But then, as if realizing what he’d just said, he cleared his throat, the smile on his face suddenly a bit more nervous. “I mean—ye know—if ye wanna bite me, I’d nae say no…”

You raised an eyebrow, not letting him off the hook. "Oh, you sure about that?" you teased. "Because I’m not sure you can handle it."

Hazard laughed again, a little louder this time, but you could see the blush creeping onto his cheeks. He tried to keep his usual swagger, but his attempt at hiding his flustered state was not very subtle. “Aye, I can handle it… I can handle anythin’ ye throw at me. Easily.”

But there was a slight waver in his voice that told you he was starting to lose the battle. His grin faltered, and he took a step back, pretending to compose himself, but his ears were definitely a shade redder than before.

“Aye, well… if ye do start bitin’, I reckon I’ll enjoy it more than I should” he added, trying to recover. “But don’t get too bite-y on me, eh? I’ve got a reputation to protect, ye ken?”

You smirked, enjoying the fact that you’d finally flustered him. “Reputation, huh? Well, I guess I’ll just have to find out if you’re as tough as you say, won’t I?”

Hazard’s confident swagger returned in full force, though there was still that faint blush coloring his cheeks. “Oh, I’m tough, alright” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “Ye won’t find anyone tougher than me.”

You couldn’t resist. “We’ll see about that” you teased, leaning in slightly, just to see how flustered you could make him.

For a moment, Hazard looked like he was about to burst into another round of laughter, but instead, he shifted uneasily on his feet. “Aye, alright, maybe ye’ve got me there” he said, scratching the back of his neck, his usual confident exterior faltering just a little more. “Ye know, I thought I could handle anythin’, but ye might just be… too much for me, sweet pea”

You laughed at his sudden bashfulness, the way he tried to remain tough but couldn't quite hide the fact that you’d gotten to him.

“Well” you said, taking a step back, “looks like you finally met your match, Haz.”

He paused for a moment, then, with a grin that was a mix of embarrassment and amusement, he held his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, ye win this round, sweetheart. But don’t think for a second that I’m goin’ down without a fight.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “I’m sure you won’t. But for now, just know… I’m keepin’ my teeth to myself.”

Hazard let out a small, defeated laugh, scratching his head. “Aye, well, thank God for that. I might have had to run if ye really started…”

Despite his words, he couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at his lips. Hazard might have gotten flustered, but that only made him more endearing, and you both knew it.

FLORENCE CASTLE’S HEROES OF CYBERTRON - EP. 07: OPTIMUS PRIME (1)

Poiché il soggetto in questione è una vera e propria leggenda nella Hall of Fame dei Transformer, la puntata di oggi è particolarmente molto lunga, per cui la suddividerò in più parti.

NOTA: Alcune immagini non sono mie, ma vengono dal sito DeviantArt. Articolo scritto da me, con l'approvazione di @jazzluca.

***

PUNTATA 7: OPTIMUS PRIME, prima parte.

L’inizio: Commander e i suoi Autorobot

Ormai senza di lui non esisterebbero gli Autobot, come non esisterebbero gli Avengers senza Capitan America, la Justice League senza Superman... o Mass Effect senza il comandante Shepard. E poi, siamo onesti: come si fa a non resistere alla vista di quel bel camion rosso e blu col rimorchio bianco al seguito, che si trasforma in un colosso di dieci metri spesso armato di fucile a ioni e ascia energetica (o lame gemelle retrattili, fate voi), e col volto perennemente coperto da una maschera? In quante occasioni almeno una volta lo avete sentito pronunciare frasi memorabili quali l’immortale «La libertà è un diritto di ogni essere senziente» o la più moderna «Uno resterà in piedi, l’altro cadrà»? E c’è stata forse una volta in cui, prima di entrare in azione, non abbia mai ordinato ai suoi compagni: «Autobot, trasformatevi e in marcia!» con l’inconfondibile vocione americano di Peter Cullen o del nostro rispettabilissimo Diego Reggente? Ovviamente no! Sarebbe un sacrilegio per noi fan che in trentacinque anni abbiamo seguito le sue avventure sulla Terra (e non solo) in ogni media esistente!

Che abbiate esultato per ogni piano dei Decepticon che ha fermato insieme ai suoi Autobot, fatto il tifo per lui nei millemila scontri all’ultimo sangue contro Megatron, o addirittura versato fiumi di lacrime quando avete assistito alla sua morte nel film animato del 1986, il nome di OPTIMUS PRIME è e sarà sempre associato al coraggio, autosacrificio, e un indomabile spirito combattivo; un guerriero sempre pronto a dare la propria vita nel proteggere gli esseri senzienti, organici o sintetici che siano.

***

Adesso qualche ex bimbo italiano degli anni ‘80 starà sicuramente strabuzzando gli occhi e facendo spallucce mentre si chiede: «Optimus... chi?!?». Logico, visto che all’epoca in Italia era conosciuto come Commander e oggi quella fetta di fan lo ricorda ancora con quel nome. Curiosamente, però, quella parola all’apparenza scelta a caso dalla GIG potrebbe probabilmente derivare da uno dei tre moduli di cui è composto il personaggio: “Commander” è, infatti, il modulo centrale rappresentato dal robot stesso per cui, tutto sommato, non ha torto. E così, superata la barriera del nome, conosciamo meglio questo Bot a partire dalle sue origini narrative e non da quelle animate, perché ci sono pervenute la bellezza di ben dodici versioni diverse di Optimus nel corso della sua chilometrica carriera multimediale.

La mia origin story preferita – nonché quella che personalmente reputo la più coerente – è la versione della Continuità Allineata, raccontata persino da Ratchet nella serie TRANSFORMERS: Prime del 2010. Esattamente come ci viene narrato nell’episodio L’Alba della Guerra della Stagione 2 G1, Optimus Prime da ragazzo si chiamava Orion Pax, un timidissimo e umile Bot che lavorava non come un operaio navale come nella G1 ma come archivista e allievo di Alpha Trion. Lo stesso robot decano che, nella puntata di cui sopra, ripara i feriti Orion Pax e la sua fidanzatina Ariel (vittime di un’imboscata di Megatron) riconvertendoli nelle rispettive versioni “adulte” che conosciamo. Tutto ciò accadde nei – per così dire – “secoli bui” di Cybertron, una sorta di Medioevo in cui politiche inefficaci e una corruzione sempre più soffocante avevano creato enormi diseguaglianze sociali. Un giorno, ispirato dalle parole di un ex gladiatore di nome Megatron, Orion Pax pose un freno all’oppressivo sistema a caste che schiacciava la libertà di ogni essere senziente. I due erano fratelli come gli dei Zeus e Ade, così uguali ma così diversi – al punto di dividersi tragicamente una volta che Megatron rivelò le sue vere intenzioni all’Alto Consiglio, cioè usare la forza per rovesciare i leader del pianeta. Questo, in soldoni, è il germe della leggendaria Guerra per Cybertron, immortalata nei videogiochi del dinamico duo Activision/High Moon Studios e nella recente serie animata Netflix omonima.

Un background decisamente più elaborato, crudo e oscuro e meno tagliato con l’accetta del triplice episodio pilota della G1 Molto più di quel che appare, in cui comunque apprendiamo che è stato lo stesso Optimus Prime a deviare la traiettoria dell’Arca mentre precipita sulla Terra e si schianta sul monte St. Hilary. E, prima di questo, è stata sua la dolorosa scelta di accettare il fardello della Matrice del Comando (diventando così “l’ultimo dei Prime”) e di abbandonare l’ormai inabitabile Cybertron: «La guerra è perduta. – dice Optimus a Bumblebee all’inizio di La Caduta di Cybertron – Lasciare la nostra casa è stata la decisione più sofferta che io abbia mai preso». E del “come” il nostro Commander abbia impedito a Megatron di vincere la guerra civile sulla Terra e di sprofondare l’universo nel caos esistono diverse versioni, dalla più pragmatica a quella più macabra... ma andiamo con ordine.

Essendo amante delle trame più votate a esplorare la psicologia dei personaggi, ho deciso di selezionare alcune puntate G1 in cui Optimus Prime è il fulcro della storia: ricordo ad esempio La Città d’Acciaio, in cui il poveretto viene catturato e letteralmente smembrato dai Constructicon e i pezzi vengono riciclati come armi per difendere la nuova torre Decepticon a New York. In seguito diventa la preda ambita da un losco signorotto in Bersaglio: Optimus Prime ed è persino costretto a confrontarsi con un suo clone in Un Problema per Optimus Prime. A parte queste prove fisiche, ci sono state puntate in cui il nostro ha dimostrato una sensibilità e un amore umani verso i suoi cari che mi ha davvero commosso... e non c’è da stupirsi che i fan lo osannino spesso come la figura paterna perfetta!

In La pazzia degli Autobot Optimus e altri suoi compagni vengono alterati da un dispositivo “distorci-personalità” di Megatron, e quando Bumblebee riesce con successo a rinsavire il comandante, questi lo ringrazia con un caloroso abbraccio. Alla ricerca di Alpha Trion invece segna l’esordio delle Fembot e la loro capitana Elita One rischia la Scintilla dopo aver salvato Optimus Prime da un tragico destino; proprio lui si dispera per le condizioni della collega, lasciando intendere un implicito interesse amoroso per lei.

Il suo canto del cigno avviene nel film del 1986, in cui assistiamo all’ultimo duello tra i capi delle rispettive fazioni, alla fine del quale escono entrambi distrutti... in tutti i sensi. Mentre un gravemente danneggiato Megatron sarà riconvertito in Galvatron per mano di Unicron, Optimus Prime (come ho detto all’inizio) spira davanti agli occhi degli sconvolti amici Autobot e degli altrettanto sconvolti spettatori: il suo corpo si ingrigisce, gli occhi si spengono, e la sua Scintilla si estingue un attimo dopo aver sussurrato una frase che in futuro diverrà un celebre marchio di fabbrica soprattutto degli Autobot: «Finché tutti sono uno». Per quanto all’epoca per gli addetti ai lavori fosse stata solo una mera scelta di marketing per promuovere la nuova linea di giocattoli in imminente uscita, per noi fan la morte di Optimus fu come se una parte di noi fosse morta con lui. E fu un vero shock rivederlo come zombi in quella che considero la puntata più struggente e inquietante di tutta la Stagione 3 G1, la cui trama avrebbe dato i natali a un certo personaggio del Bayverso: Risveglio Oscuro, nel quale il cadavere dell’ex Comandante Autobot viene addirittura corrotto dai Quintesson per farne una pedina in un piano per attirare gli Autobot di Rodimus Prime in una trappola mortale.

***

Continua...

Hennlooo- I'm not sure if you take in requests so pls ignore this if you don't >_< I was wondering if u could write smth about a shy warlock reader having a big crush on Cayde and when they meet him again after they save him they can't help but hugging him (bc they thought cayde was dead) and then getting hella embarrassed after they realize what they just did... sorry this is probably too much aaaaa

I am currently am and I will not ignore this. I will answer because I like it and love it at the same time. 

His reaction was to return the hug, because why not? It would be rude not to return the favour. The hug lasted for a few minutes, maybe more than 5? 

Cayde would understands why they are embarrassed because they are not in his class. They are a Warlock and he is a Hunter but he doesn’t know that they have a massive crush on him. 

Of course, they were shy and act different around him. His mind process it all. He finally understands why. They like him. 

Not ‘I like him that you are awesome’ and all but more or of a ‘I like everything about you.’ 

He sense how they stutter or how they look away from him. Even how their Ghost would ask them to be brave for something. 

“It’s been awhile, huh.” He spoke aloud, notify them as he puts the Vex Teleporter down. He slowly makes his way towards them. Each step he put, sends them to a blushing frenzy. Their Ghost was happy and at the same time, being supportive. 

I mean, have you ever have a crush that actually return your feelings? No, well this is how they feel. 

Cayde returns their feeling by giving them a forehead kiss. It wasn’t that he’d embrace them and spin them around. It is because that he was embarrassed that it was his turn to confess. It’s been a long time for him, to have another relationship. 

Failsafe would be excited about those two. 

And now, he has a reason to be worry about their welfare to defeat Ghaul.

It Will Heal

When Jaal's family is taken by the Roekaar, he asks Bridget to trust him. That's not the problem. Trusting Jaal is as easy as breathing. What isn't so easy is watching as a madman nearly kills the man who has stolen her heart.

AO3 Link

Bridget can’t think. She can’t breathe.

All she can think about is how horribly wrong things have gone.

When Jaal desperately begs for her aid, explaining that Akksul has recruited his siblings into the Roekaar, she agrees to help without hesitation.

When they come across said siblings on the battlefield, and they begin bearing down on her with insults, she tries her best to keep her cool. Even as they tower over her and spout that she’d be better off dead, she doesn’t retort. She doesn’t want to feed into Akksul’s poisonous beliefs about her kind.

Even when Lathoul is shot and tells them of the bombs that have been planted, she doesn’t lose her focus. She remains fixed on her goal.

It isn’t until they reach the Forge proper that things begin to spiral.          

Once they disarm the bombs, Teviint runs to Jaal, clinging to him like the scared child she is. “I killed Lathoul! I killed him. I’m so sorry.”

Bridget stares at her in concern. This girl can’t be more than a teenager, and yet Akksul is using her as a weapon, twisting her confusion into a tool for his hatred.

Jaal, however, is less sympathetic. He stares down at her coldly, not offering a hint of comfort. “He’s not dead. You’re lucky”

She looks up at him, her expression so lost and afraid. “I lost my mind, Jaal. I want to go home.”

“But the cause!” Baranjj protests. “I joined because of you!”

“I shot our brother,” Teviint counters, looking at him as though he grew a second head.

He looks down in uncertainty, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He seems just as scared and anxious as his sister. Looking back to her, he says, “Don’t leave me-”

“Let her go.” He is cut off by Akksul appearing from the shadows, stalking forward like a villain. “I only want soldiers who are committed to our cause.” His icy gaze turns to Bridget and Jaal and he sneers, “Not weaklings who stand by and watch the destruction of our people at the hands of aliens.”

More Roekaar filter in from the upper level of the Forge, their weapons all trained on their little group. Akksul stands proudly, assured in his upper hand.

Teviint seems to shrink back, hiding behind Jaal. Baranjj also tries to make himself smaller, pulling into himself. Bridget feels herself bristle in anger. “You recruit kids and make them fight their families,” she spits, glaring at the Roekaar leader. “It’s sick and so are you.”

Akksul seems unbothered by her accusations. Stepping forward, he says assuredly, “I speak for our people and I say you’re done in Heleus.”

He raises a hand to gesture towards Bridget and she instinctively lifts her rifle, aiming at him. Simultaneously, Jaal warns her not to, but Akksul is already grinning.

Chuckling maliciously, he leans into her personal space, the barrel of the gun pressing against his chest. “Martyr me.” He urges. “Please. I dare you.”

Bridget stares him down, hissing out an exhale. Jaal had asked her to trust him on this mission, to follow his lead. And killing Akksul certainly wouldn’t plead a great case for her, especially considering his followers still have their weapons trained on her.

Everything about him infuriates her. But she somehow remains calm.

“I made a promise to my friend that you’re making really hard to keep,” she growls.

His smile falls, and he stares at her in frustration for a long while before turning his attention back to his followers.

“They move onto our planets. They they take our resources, make us weak!”

“I’ve watched Ryder make planets habitable!” Jaal appeals to the angara, his voice impatient but resolute.

“Exactly!” Akksul retorts. “And they’ll never let us forget it.”

“She rescued your beloved Moshae!” Jaal interrupts, and it has the Roekaar leader pausing.

“I know,” he admits quietly, spurring his supporters to look at one another in uncertainty.

“Saved. Her. Life,” Jaal continues, his words punctuated and strong.

“I know, stop defending them!” Akksul says indignantly, beginning to sound like an annoyed child.

Not paying him any mind, Jaal attempts to keep going. “The Moshae trusts Ryder, and-”

“Stop.”

Akksul cuts him off by aiming his gun at Jaal, clearly threatened that he’s losing control of the situation.

Jaal looks at him warily, taking a half step back and raising his hands defensively.

“We’ve been fighting the wrong enemy,” Akksul rambles. “Maybe the enemy is this traitor!”

Lowering his hands, Jaal stares him down resolutely, muttering a quiet warning, “Easy…”

Panicked, Bridget raises her gun to Akksul once more, looking at her angaran companion in distress. “Jaal?”

She hates that her voice sounds so small.

God, what is she supposed to do here? Akksul is clearly crazy. He claims to want to protect the angara, but here he is threatening to kill one of his own. She’s not about to let him take Jaal’s life. And yet, as has already been established, shooting him is off the table, too…

“Don’t!” Jaal warns, sparing her a glance and a careful gesture, his eyes pleading with her. Trust me, they say.

She does. Of course she does. It’s Akksul she doesn’t trust.

Turning his full attention back to the man before him, Jaal’s gaze hardens. “The Moshae trusts Ryder. You’ve become a danger to your own people,” he utters lowly. “Walk away.”

Reason isn’t reaching Akksul, though. Gritting his teeth, he retorts, “Or…I kill you and reveal the Resistance for the traitors they are!”

He pulls the trigger and a sharp, panicked scream tears itself from Bridget’s throat. If everyone’s attention wasn’t focused on Akksul and Jaal, she’s sure she’d be getting looks for the anguished sound she just made. But that isn’t at the forefront of her mind right now.

Jaal’s dead. He’s dead and she did nothing to stop it. She’s trembling uncontrollably, her gun still pointed at Akksul, but she’s frozen in place.

She wants to kill him. Wants to make him pay for killing the man she was easily falling in love with. He deserves it. But as desperate as she feels right now, she made a promise to Jaal…and she’s not about to break it now.

A pained groan draws her attention and her gaze immediately snaps in its direction.

It can’t be…

Akksul missed. He was at point-blank range and he somehow managed to miss. The bullet grazed Jaal’s cheek, leaving a small, shallow cut in its place. Blood trickles down his face as he stares Akksul down unwaveringly.

Bridget wants to cry with relief. To hold him close and reaffirm that he’s okay. But she can’t quite get over the shock of thinking he was lost to her, no matter how brief.

Everyone gapes at the scene in utter awe and disbelief.

Jaal has commanded the attention of the entire Forge, and rightfully so.                

Akksul looks up at his followers, a lost, uncertain expression on his face. The Roekaar begin to filter out, shaking their heads in disgust as they do.

Staring Akksul down, Jaal carries a powerful weight to his gaze.

“The alien is not the monster here,” he declares with conviction.

Akksul does not answer right away. His focus is on the angara turning their backs on him. “I love my people…” he utters quietly, looking down in defeat.

Bridget believes it. Unfortunately, his heart has been poisoned and twisted beyond recognition. She wonders what he might have been like had he not been captured by the kett. Despite all the hurt he’s caused, she pities him in that moment.

 Jaal does not deign to respond to him, but he seems to come to the same conclusion as Bridget. After a long moment of staring at his former classmate, he turns to his siblings and says, “Come on…let’s get you home.”

Following quietly, Bridgets walks slightly behind him. She glances up at Jaal, noticing the trail of torn flesh that had been carved by the bullet, blue trickling lightly from the edges. She can’t believe how close he came to dying. Any closer to the right and he would have been gone from her life entirely. Hell, it’s a miracle the bullet didn’t hit his cowl either. She’s not terribly familiar with angaran anatomy, but she’s certain there must be vital blood vessels there.  The fact that he stands before her relatively unscathed is astronomical.

The blood that had begun pooling at the edge of his wound spills over slightly, running down his cheek. She reaches out, but stops short of touching him. “You okay…?”she asks quietly.

He spares her a glance before saying, “Yeah, thanks…” before letting out a strained grunt, a wince pulling at his lips.

They make there way back in relative silence. On the shuttle, Bridget can’t help but stare at Jaal the whole way, a sense of numbness overcoming her.

A bandage now rests over his injured cheek, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

He almost died. He almost died and she almost let it happen. Granted, she knows that shooting Akksul would have been a terrible idea, but she just can’t stop thinking about it. She cares about Jaal more than she ever thought possible. At this point, it’s more than a silly crush. Even though she knows he doesn’t return her feelings, the thought of losing him…Of never again getting to tease him about idioms or spend time working on projects together…It tears her heart apart.

She can feel Vetra’s eyes on her throughout the ride back, but her companion remains silent, for which she is grateful.

At some point, they land back where they started, Teviint apologizing to Lathoul and the mothers coming to reunite with their lost children. Jaal gently puts his hand on her shoulder and guides her to the side. She follows, her gaze still hollow and empty. She’s barely processed anything since Akksul fired his pistol.

“Thank you for trusting me,” Jaal tells her, looking out over the landscape. “Killing Akksul would have made the Roekaar stronger.”

He’s so calm. Too calm. Infuriatingly calm. He’d almost died for fuck’s sake!

It’s enough to snap Bridget out of her apathy. “He shot you,”she says, bitter.

“I’m glad he did. It exposed how far he’d fallen.”              

Even still, he remains composed and collected. He even smiles.

Bridget stares at him in disbelief. “Jaal, you were this close to dying back there! Do you have any idea how risky that was?!”

He has the audacity to chuckle at her and she bristles.

“It all worked out, didn’t it? A little risk was worth it, I’d say.”

She can’t believe it. Here she is, tearing herself apart with worry and he has the gall to think her reaction is amusing.

“You idiot!” she cries, banging her fist against his chest. “You think it’s funny that you almost had your brains blown out?” She hits him again, and he takes small steps back with each advance, staring down at her with wide, surprised eyes.

“Is your life that meaningless to you?” she continues, tears beginning to form. “Or am I just stupid for daring to care that I might lose you?!”

Bridget stops assaulting his chest, though her fists still rest there, trembling. Her gaze has fallen to the ground and she shuts her eyes tightly, the tears now falling freely. Her frame shakes as sobs begin to wrack her body.

He instantly pulls her close to him, cradling her in his embrace.

She does her best to suppress her crying, though it takes her a minute. The desperate kiss he presses against the crown of her head makes it even more difficult to pull herself together, but eventually, she calms down enough to speak.

“I was really worried…” she ends up whispering, her voice somewhat hoarse.

Jaal pulls back just enough to look her in the eyes. His expression is pained, his brows drawn together in worry. Gently, he lifts a hand to wipe her tears, his thumb drawing careful arcs across her cheek.

Carefully, he pulls her forehead to his, and they both close their eyes as they lean into each other. “It will heal,” he murmurs. “All scars do.”

She sniffles slightly, her arms pulling Jaal into as tight of a hug as she can, though his bulky torso makes it impossible for her embrace to completely encircle him.

“I apologize for worrying you…” he says quietly, one hand absently petting her hair.

She doesn’t respond, just pulls him even closer.

They stay like that for a long while, and when they do part, he makes sure to plant another feather light kiss atop her head.

Bridget looks up at him, her expression full of confusion and longing. He softly trails his hand down the side of her face. He stares at her for an achingly long time before clearing his throat and stepping back. She misses his warmth immediately.

“We should get back…” he says, looking back towards the others. “I want to say goodbye before my family heads home.”

Absently, she nods, watching as he heads over.

She tries not to focus on the kisses or the gentle touches. Jaal is a naturally affectionate person. He was just comforting her. It doesn’t mean anything more. Thinking that it might…that’s just setting herself up for more hurt. She doesn’t need to do that to herself.

At least he’s alive.  She can cling to that.

Sighing, she gradually makes her way back to the group.

She pushes her longing down. Far enough away where she can try to forget that he’s captured her heart so thoroughly.

——

So I haven't written anything in over 3 years...but I have an actual excuse this time. Long story short, cancer sucks. (Don't worry, I'm not in danger of dying, but having chronic pain the last few years honestly hasn't been much better...)

In any case, I've really missed writing and finally found the inspiration to finish this after starting it years ago. I have a few more projects I hope to work on, though I can't say how many more of them will be Andromeda related.

Florence Castle's HEROES OF CYBERTRON - Ep. 02: LOCKDOWN

Ho deciso di alternare gli Autobot e i Decepticon in modo da variare gli argomenti. Così la serie non sembrerà monotona e noiosa. Ora vediamo l'episodio di oggi...

NOTA: Alcune immagini non sono mie, ma vengono dal sito DeviantArt. Articolo scritto da me, con l'approvazione di @jazzluca.

***

PUNTATA 2: LOCKDOWN, il cacciatore di taglie

Con il prossimo soggetto è meglio non scherzare. Basta solo nominarlo e le reazioni scatenate tra i fan si alternano tra urli di giubilo o vergognosi fischi, se non addirittura insulti più o meno pesanti. L’unica magra consolazione è che LOCKDOWN non appartiene a nessuna fazione dei Transformers, quindi né Autobot né Decepticon.

Sebbene sia uno dei pochissimi Bot misconosciuti a causa delle sue origini relativamente moderne, Locky detiene una discreta popolarità nel brand, complice probabilmente del fatto di essere un cacciatore di taglie con il macabro pallino di collezionare i cimeli degli sfortunati Bot che ha incrociato lungo il cammino, pur detenendo “solo” quattro trasposizioni nell’universo Transformer. Non è certo un bravo ragazzo come Samus Aran, la survivalista spaziale in armatura arancione protagonista della saga Nintendo Metroid, ma possiamo semmai definirlo un “cazzuto bastardo” à la Wolf ‘O Donnel di Star Fox, sempre della Nintendo... oppure ai vari Deathstroke o Lobo della DC Comics. Le analogie tra questi personaggi sono comunque inquietanti tanto quanto il Bot in sé!

Quest’ultimo, dicevamo, nasce in epoca moderna, più precisamente nella serie Animated del 2008: il suo esordio risale all’episodio Il Brivido della Caccia della Stagione 1, nel quale si presenta come un rivale di vecchia data nientemeno che di Ratchet – e inutile dire che questa puntata sigla l’esordio anche di Arcee, la cui tragica fine rappresenta le radici della rivalità tra il vecchio Autobot e il cacciatore di taglie. In questa prima veste, Lockdown è stato paragonato a Testa di Morte, il Bot che nei fumetti G1 Marvel UK si scontrò più volte con i Transformers di entrambe gli schieramenti. Ma se quest’ultimo era un cacciatore di taglie con un balordo senso dell’umorismo che lo rendeva simpatico, Lockdown è invece la sua controparte dark: non solo per il suo stretto legame con i Decepticon, ma anche per la macabra natura della sua passione collezionistica, che prevede la raccolta di pezzi dei nemici caduti – il che spiega il suo assetto asimmetrico quasi alla strega di un patchwork. Non è ironico che, secondo Derrick J. Wyatt, il nostro Locky doveva in origine essere un bizzarro mostro di Frankenstein robotico, poi cambiato per sposarsi meglio con il ruolo assegnatogli dalla sceneggiatura; il risultato è una figura “reminiscente a un teschio per la testa” con tanto di code simili a quelle di una giacca... anche se, per quanto mi riguarda, il viso di Lockdown ricorda abbastanza vagamente quello di uno dei Kiss! Estetica a parte, il suo arrivo nel brand ha rappresentato una ventata d’aria fresca all’epoca: se già il fatto di non essere allineato a una delle due fazioni lo rende difficile da classificare per l’ingenua mente dei giovanissimi – perennemente radicata alla dicotomia bianco/nero e buono/cattivo – la sua totale immoralità lo rende praticamente inaccessibile.

È proprio questa popolarità nata da Animated che ha spinto gli addetti ai lavori, a ridosso del 2010, a rilanciare il personaggio di Lockdown nel Movie-verso di Michael Bay, sebbene rimanga solo una mera comparsa nei fumetti ad hoc della IDW, da La Vendetta del Caduto in avanti... almeno fino a quando, nel 2014, esordisce anche sul grande schermo in TRANSFORMERS 4: l’Era dell’Estinzione. Sfoggiando un’inedita livrea completamente nera priva degli iconici spruzzi di verde e un’altmode che al confronto lo stesso Sideswipe impallidisce perché è una Lamborghini, Locky si presenta al pubblico nuovamente come “cacciatore di taglie non allineato con nessuno”, che viaggia per la galassia in cerca di tesori a bordo di un’enorme astronave, anche al costo di scontrarsi con gli Autobot di Optimus Prime. Inoltre, rispondendo soltanto ai capricci degli enigmatici Creatori/Quintesson, Lockdown si tiene alla larga dalla guerra tra Autobot e Decepticon, e vede entrambe le fazioni come un branco di schiamazzanti bambini sempre in lite tra loro, che egli stesso deve tenere a bada pur di mantenere una parvenza di ordine nell’universo. È, a tutti gli effetti, l’antagonista principale di tutta la pellicola (seguito a ruota dallo pseudo-zombie Galvatron e al misterioso Stinger, il guerriero rosso “ispirato a Bumblebee ma migliore in ogni senso”), ma finisce infelicemente tagliato in due da un furioso Optimus Prime, forse per vendicare tanto la morte del caro amico Ratchet quanto le vessazioni subite a lui e ai suoi compagni caduti.

Di recente, nel cartone Cyberverse del 2018, Lockdown appare inaspettatamente retrocesso a un mero guerriero Decepticon appartenente al gradino più basso della gerarchia. E come tutti i protagonisti della serie, anche lui ha un design che è la summa di tutte le sue incarnazioni precedenti: è squadrato come un G1 ante litteram ma ha le borchie e l’uncino al posto di una mano proprio come l’omonimo Animated – e retroattivamente anche il suo altmode, sebbene nella serie non si trasformi mai in veicolo.

Naturalmente i ragazzi della IDW, sempre nel 2010, hanno avuto la bella idea di trasporre il personaggio anche nel cubettoso universo G1… anzi nella cosiddetta “G1 moderna”, da con confondersi con quella “classica” da cui tutto il brand ha avuto origine! Nome a parte, perché questo “G1 Lockdown” venisse alla luce, l’artista Alex Milne ha insistito nel voler progettare un design originale per il personaggio, ma quest’idea viene subito accantonata; la Hasbro, infatti, gli chiedeva invece di usare l’aspetto che Locky aveva nei fumetti di Revenge of the Fallen; non solo, fu l’editore Denton J. Tipton a suggerire allo sceneggiatore Shane McCarthy di inserire il personaggio anche nel G1-verso, trasformandolo così in uno dei primissimi avversari dell’Autobot samurai Drift... o meglio del reietto Decepticon Deadlock, fuggito dopo una congiura contro Megatron finita male. Compito del cacciatore è ritrovare il fuggiasco e riportarlo tra le fila Decepticon, anche grazie all’aiuto di alcuni schiavisti; alla fine, lo ritrova su un misterioso pianeta su cui un pugno di Bot neutrali (quello che poi sarà noto come il “Circolo della Luce”) lo aveva tenuto nascosto per eoni.

Ma non finisce qui. Lockdown è apparso anche in altri media, come ad esempio nel videogioco per PS4 TRANSFORMERS: The Dark Spark del duo Activision/High Moon Studios, concepito come un ibrido tra il Movie-verso e la saga di La Battaglia per Cybertron. Oppure su dispositivi mobili, come il crossover Angry Birds: TRANSFORMERS, nel quale uno dei maialini verdi nemici dei celebri pennuti della Rovio (il baffuto Caposquadra), veste i panni proprio di Lockdown. O ancora, come mera comparsa nel defunto gioco di carte TRANSFORMERS: Legends, o addirittura come personaggio collezionabile nel recente strategico Earth Wars, dimostrando che il temuto cacciatore di taglie non sia stato del tutto sbattuto nel dimenticatoio!

***

Abbiamo detto che Lockdown è apparso solo quattro volte in tutto il brand, videogiochi esclusi, ma questo non vuol dire che i modellini associati a questo personaggio siano altrettanto limitati. Il primo fra tutti, ovviamente, è il Deluxe della linea Animated: una bella muscle car nera e verde descritta come “un amalgama tra una Corvette anni 80 e una Cougar anni 60” irta di aculei per renderla più feroce e cattiva, anche se è più corretto definirla un incrocio tra la Batmobile e Christine, l’infernale auto assassina protagonista dell’omonimo romanzo di Stephen King. Di questo mold sono uscite quattro versioni: quella canonica, la traslucida Stealth, la nera e gialla Blazing e uno pseudo-Decepticon per la linea Adventure del 2015 (ovvero la versione giapponese di Robots in Disguise 2015 della Takara); sono tutte equipaggiate col fucile EMP, lo stesso che Lockdown ruba a Ratchet nel cartone, ma solo tre hanno l’iconico uncino e il Blazing è l’unico a sfoggiare una motosega. Nella stessa linea, a nome di Lockdown troviamo anche un Activator, ossia la famigerata sotto-linea dei modellini che si trasformano alla pressione di un pulsante, rivolto dunque ad un target più giovane.

Per quanto riguarda il Movie-verso, Lockdown si palesa come Deluxe nella linea Revenge of the Fallen, palesemente ispirato all’Animated in modo così pesante da sembrare quasi identico all’originale; ciononostante lo stesso stampo sarà riutilizzato per il modellino dell’allievo di Lockdown, un tal Axor, per la sotto-linea Hunt for the Decepticon del 2009/10 e nello stesso biennio il mold originale è stato riproposto sotto il nome di “G1 Lockdown”. Nel Movie-verso arriva un altro Deluxe nell’inedita linea di giocattoli del quarto film di Bay; dico inedita perché questi modelli non sono mai stati rilasciati in Italia per lasciare spazio a degli inutili One-Step e compagni riservati ai giovanissimi. L’AoE Lockdown è tristemente noto come il modello più deludente di tutta la linea non solo per lo schema di colori adottato per nulla fedele alla controparte filmica (il modello Hasbro, almeno, mentre quello della Takara Movie Advance sfoggia una livrea più vicina possibile alla CGI) ma anche per essere una “maledetta sottiletta/mezzo Shellformer”, nonché il modellino più basso di tutti gli altri Deluxe a causa dell’altmode forse troppo piccolo per un personaggio così importante. Un vero peccato... o almeno fino al 2018, in cui il personaggio riceve una figure di una qualità leggermente migliore: lo Studio Series Lockdown, che è sempre un Deluxe ma con uno stampo completamente nuovo e meglio proporzionato rispetto al modello precedente. E per fortuna, poiché molti fan del famigerato cacciatore di taglie hanno finora ricevuto solo una delusione dopo l’altra! 😅

CONCLUSIONE

È davvero un peccato che un personaggio così popolare abbia avuto così poca cura. Forse lui stesso è occupato a raccogliere trofei da qualche parte nella galassia? Io sono ottimista, magari lo rivedremo in futuro in qualche media più che accettabile... e lo dico perché ho sempre avuto un certo fascino per questi personaggi “grigi” e amorali, e sarebbe davvero carino vederlo in compagnia del mio ragno Decepticon Raysharper e tutta la sua banda di Insecticon. Non è da vigliacchi sognare, no? 😊

Arrivederci alla prossima puntata 😘

just some Gabe and Martina headcanons cause I just keep thinking about them.

they met during high school, they meet through a mutual friend that introduced them and Gabe fell in love instantly. Gabe liked to play the bad boy persona but when he was around her, he turned into a squishy mess. 

Gabe immediately went into the army after high school but still kept in contact with Martina. she was his texting buddy, Gabe got more courage through the phone to ask her out and promised to take her somewhere nice when he was done with training. 

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Dating Blackwatch!Genji Would Include...

these are my personal headcanons for my boy so if any of these are insane, you know why lol // this is also kinda long so I’m putting some under the line

to start things off, he is literally the angriest man alive so like be prepared

tbh he’s probably not ready for a relationship at first, you’ll have to be very patient with him

his brother just tried to kill him after all so family issues are also going to be a main dilemma for him

you’re going to have to be the most patient person because genji is going through a lot of internal conflicts at this point and he’s just consumed with rage and confusion and revenge

this is also why zenyatta is able to whisk him away so easily and turn him into the lovely cyborg ninja dude we all know and love today

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