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marmaligne · 3 years

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Hello! Can I have some hc with a protective mama Reader with Naib, Helena and Bane. They are my precious baby. I haven't play this game since season 13 and I miss them so much ahhhhhhh 😭😭. Thank you, have a nice day ❤❤🌷 (sr, my English is not good)

✨ Your English is wonderful dear ✨

[Naib Subedar, Helena Adams, Gamekeeper] S/O Is Overprotective

✨ As a reminder, my works will always include gn!reader unless specified by the requester! ✨

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[Naib Subedar]:

* You had been at the manor for quite awhile now, and were a rather nice person, getting along with most other survivors, and even some of the hunters to boot.

* It was quite surprising actually. You’d walked in the first day with a tough-guy attitude and gruff personality, and you didn’t seem like a very approachable person.

* Then, some survivors such as Victor and Emily started worming their way into your heart. Liam [Lucky Guy] and Norton were some of the first people to offer you a seat at the dinner table, and from then on you were one of them.

* You had scars, though most could tell they were more physical than emotional, from some sidejobs you used to complete for a gang on White Sand Street—robbing people and competing in fights with rivals.

* You quickly learned that most people fought back. Rival gangs always intruded on your own territory, and you were always left on guard, defending the last remnants of your livelihood and your sanity.

* Maybe that’s why you’re so protective over your things. Never letting anyone enter your room, never letting anyone see the pain you hide. Opening up to people enough to make allies, but never enough to show secrets.

* Now Naib…. Naib helped you out a lot. It seemed he understood you, far more than others. For some reason, he was always there for you, watching your back when needed, acting like a shield at times—sometimes literally.

* You never really understood at first, how he seemed to know you so well. From what you knew, he came from halfway cross the world, from Nepal, in India—a child, a soldier, a weapon.

* You guessed his life was rather similar, and assumed he’d come to the manor for quite the same reasons but, it was hard to see through the scowl on his face.

* At some point, you began to recognize the signs, the irritation, the avoidance. You recognized the silence, and the stiffness that came from Naib when he ate and smiled and nodded at their questions. You saw the signs of a brother, somebody just as lost and broken as you were.

* Children in the bodies of adults, forced to live life too fast and too furiously. Damaged and done in, waiting for someone to save them, but too scared to cry for help.

* Unwilling to hurt others again, unwilling to change.

* You grew wary—observant—of him eventually. You joined in more matches with him as teammate, and sat next to him often at dinner. When you noticed he didn’t eat as much, you grunted in concern. When he fell asleep in odd places, you’d bring him a blanket.

* It got to the point where he found out about your help, and tried to dissuade you from wasting your time.

* You never really listened. In fact, your worries only increased. Others might not have recognized, but you saw the signs of fatigue and death written in the lines of his face. You’d seen it every day back on White Sand.

* He gave up on making you give up, tired of attempted persuasions. Eventually began returning the favours—Naib is the type to have a ‘you watch my back, I’ll watch yours’ mentality.

* Everything you’d do for him is returned in kind. It annoyed the rest of the manor to no end because the giving and receiving eventually reached limits unheard of.

* You’d throw yourself on a rocket chair to save him, and next game you’d have your own personal bodyguard tracking your every move.

* He’d never admit it, but he appreciates all you do for him, and hopes you appreciate his efforts in making your life a little better too.

* Though your protective tendencies know no bounds, he hopes you’re a little more cautious with throwing your life on the line for him like that. This is a death game after all, be more careful…. please?

* At some point, the whole manor hopes you two could just get together and kiss it out in some storage closet. If you’re dating, what’s the need to be so consistent in you’re protective tendencies? Then you’ll always be together, which means nothing can ever happen to either of you!

* To be fair, that’s what most of them thought until an incident after the confession, where Naib wouldn’t let you out of the medical ward for a week due to a few hairline fractures.

* Please Naib! Emily begs you to let her use the examination table! You’ve hogged it for 5 days and she needs it to identify the infection spreading on Aesop’s leg! Vera broke her nose! William sprinted into the gymnasium wall and shattered his kneecaps! Please leave!

* You once set fire to a couch because Naib stubbed his toe on it.

* Please stop it you two, Freddy can’t budget for anymore furniture, and we’re fresh out of chairs.

———————————————————————

[Helena Adams]:

* Oops! Oh no her glasses! Aww shucks, Norton knocked them right off her face and onto the hardwood floor. She can’t find them because she can’t see, whatever shall she do?

* [S/o]! Please, she needs your help!

* You come in running with a pair of pliers, five bottles of anti-grease spray, and a box of extra lenses and a screwdriver.

* Oh how wonderful! You fixed her glasses—again—and saved her from the task of shuffling herself on all fours looking for them! Her hero!

* Helena…. praises you to say the least. You’re her best friend, her confidante, her…. big and strong, sometimes dumb partner!

* She adores everything you do for her, and tries equally as hard to do things for you that make your life necessarily easier, though it’s harder with her condition.

* She met you around the same time as everybody else, during your first days in the manor. Really, she didn’t actually know you were there until she bumped into a voice she didn’t recognize and became surprised.

* You quickly learned about her blindness, and made it your goal to form a friendship with her based on your willingness to help her around and get closer to her—she was very kind after all.

* Your protectiveness stemmed from the inherent feeling of a need to help guide and provide for Helena, much like a spouse would… jk, unless 👀….

* At some points, you were berated by her for your incessant protections, most of which made her feel highly dependent, which she didn’t like.

* She liked the feeling of being independent of others and being recognized as an autonomous, capable being. Especially considering what she came there for, it was a blow to her pride to be led around and pushed aside all the time.

* When she revealed these feelings to you, you had surprisingly promised her to cease in most areas of monitoring—however you still consistently check up on her—and settled into the realm of a relationship with her.

* Helena meets somebody who respects her opinions + acknowledges her intellect + isn’t a dingy asshole? Sign her up and slap on a ring, she’s marrying this person (eventually).

* She knows that your tendencies stem from a place of need and want, and tolerates most of them. Deep down, she likes being taken care of by someone who knows she can take care of herself. She really does love you.

* When you’re actually in a relationship with each other, you make sure to watch each others backs, more so you than Helena (because she can’t ‘watch’ per say), but you get the point.

* There was once an incident in a duo’s match where Helena became stranded on the Lakeside Fishing map. The terrain is rough, with piles of fish everywhere, randomly placed boxes and walls, and the barrels are bad enough when they don’t form a blockade.

* Her navigational skills, as good as they are with all her previous experience and staff, couldn’t for the life of her figure out how to move her way around a mess of box paths, pallets, and fishing stands.

* Most other survivors were occupied or dead—it had been a hard match against Jack the Ripper and Guard 26—and she was barred from reaching any form of help.

* So she screamed your name as loud as she possibly could across the map, and ended up attracting the attention of BonBon instead. During those moments where she could hear his clanks and heavy metalloid footsteps stalking towards her, the tick of a time bomb in hand, she heard a screech in the distance.

* A fierce battlecry—you came raging from around a windmill, propelled by William’s football and packing heat with a flare gun. BonBon, now stunned twice, stood there in astonishment, before chasing after you, who had grabbed Helena in your arms, running off at full speed.

* Your stamina bar, indicated by a small tab on your character, was running low, and you wouldn’t be able to run at full speed for another minute or two, having used your ability to buy time. Stopping near a closet, you lean down to place Helena on her feet, telling her to hide.

* Her blood trail was invisible from not actually having run anywhere, and she did as you said, making you promise to come get her when it was safe.

* You gave her a smirk and a small nod, assuring her that you would, before leaning in for a peck on the forehead as you shoved her into the locker.

* If only you could see her flushed in embarrassment.

* Leaving her to fangirl in the locker, you form a decoy in your arms—result of your max rescuer ability—and ran off once more, taking off around a corner just as Guard 26 reached your previous location, chasing after you and ‘Helena’ in hopes of landing two more kills.

———————————————————————

[Bane the Gamekeeper]:

* How does it feel to love a deerman? Good? Okay!

* Bane as you know is a little…. rough around the edges so-to-speak, and he has a lot of edges.

* Once you get around all the hooks, chains, and bear traps, and beneath that creepy-looking deer head of his, he really is such a sweet guy!

* At least you think so. In reality, he still acts like a complete dick to everybody else, and only shows his soft side around you, but that’s because he knows he can trust you with his lands, animals, and secrets! All those others out there only wish to hurt what he—you—have, and he’ll make them pay for it.

* Honestly, in order for him to have fallen for you so hard to have let his guard down around you, you probably would have had to be at your most vulnerable point in life, or a hunter yourself. Like a scared prey animal, uncertain of its future, waiting for something to happen, and somebody to help, or a huge predator, ready to strike out at any moment.

* Once you worm your way into his cold dead heart, there’s no way out for you. He’ll keep you close, as he doesn’t want you to be poached away like his precious animal friends from the past. He knows how cruel humanity can be sometimes.

* When you come to find out about his less-than-kind history, it’s all you can do to pity him. Your sympathy knows no bounds, and you become clingier, though he quite honestly likes it.

* You don’t want what happened to him to occur again, and with all these other traitors and murderers in the manor, you’re afraid of what the others could do.

* You keep to his side a lot more, take walks with him in the garden, and enjoy tranquil picnics from time-to-time on Lakeside. Anything to keep him close to you and away from all the pain.

* Bane can obviously see what your doing, and noticing that your protectiveness doesn’t yet border on the insane, he allows you to continue in your devotions.

* It’s honestly sweet sometimes how you both adore each other so much, even if you know that one day one or both of you will have to leave. Whether it be through death, disappearance, or another means such as escape is a question of time, and one that neither of you know the answer to.

* If you’re also a hunter, than both of you know that while you two are happier now than either of you were in life, that your individual deaths and worths will eventually determine your fates—whether that be a happy afterlife, or an eternity of endless wandering.

* It’s well known that you’ll both disappear the day the game ends, your souls being put to rest as they should’ve been however long ago. Until then however, you’ll continue to hold on to and vehemently protect the relationship the two of you have, and you’ll fight until your soul vanishes from the earth for what you have to remain that way.

* Now, if you’re a survivor, this is where the relationship can be a bit difficult.

* Avidly defending the actions of your boyfriend during and after a match to the rest of your survivor buddies isn’t a very good look for you, or your reputation. It’s been many times where you’ve almost been chased out of the dining room because somebody was pissed at you for costing them the match, or being the only one spared instead of convincing Bane for a win or tie.

* As they say, if you can’t beat em’, join em’. Some survivors, such as William, Kreacher, and Freddy, have more than once suggested that if you loved a hunter so much, you should become one to be with him. Dating the undead almost crosses the line of what is humane. Aesop thinks you’re kind of cool.

* The hunters over on Bane’s side hate you more. Are convinced that you’re the sole reason that Bane goes friendly sometimes (even in matches without you in them), and that your relationship takes away from his brutal and violent persona and nature.

* Violetta and Michiko are the most tolerant of you, mainly because you gifted them silk and a hand fan for Christmas once when they wished for them in their letters.

* All-in-all, basically everyone blames you, but you keep going forward because who cares about all the nasty bi*ches in the world, am I right?

* Once, to prove the integrity and devotion of your relationship, you set Freddy’s room on fire and locked Kreacher in a closet. You looked Bane directly in the eyes and kneeling before him stated, “I have committed arson for you m’lord.”

* You couldn’t see it because of his deerish head and all, but Bane really went “Heart eyes motherf*cker.” on you in that moment.

* You love animals and set things on fire to prove your loyalty to him? Ticket for one please, he’s riding the simp train all the way to the station.

* Just, please don’t accidentally burn down the manor, he wants to spend as much time with you as possible before he disappears.

* Also don’t joke around with your life, it’s too precious, even when you tackle your own teammate or risk getting hit by Ganji’s cricket ball to save him from being stunned.

* He doesn’t want you dying before he does—has already he supposes—or disappearing without a trace.

* You promise you’ll stick with him until the day you finally leave this wretched place.

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✨ Hope you enjoyed ✨

#gaming #idv #idv blog #idv x reader #idv fanfic #idv headcanons #idv imagines #writing #identity 5 #identity v #identity v naib #naib x reader #naib subedar #idv helena #idv helena x reader #mindseye x reader #identity v gamekeeper #gamekeeper x reader

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asweetprologue · 4 years

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Fandom: The Witcher Pairings: Geralt/Jaskier Words: 16,147 Chapter: 5/5 Summary: After a job goes wrong, Geralt must rely on Jaskier as he is left blind and deaf. As they attempt to navigate the curse and find out how to lift it, Geralt comes to realize that his feelings for the bard have grown deeper - but how can he know if Jaskier returns those feelings if Geralt can't see or hear him?

Also on AO3 | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

your skin carries echoes of me (part 5)

When Geralt woke he had a moment of utter disorientation, something that he had experienced often since he'd been cursed. Fortunately this time it only took a moment for him to place himself. The sweet herbal smell of Triss’ apartment washed over him, and he let out a relieved breath. His right side was warm from proximity to a fire, so he must be in a bed near the hearth. As he woke, he felt a small poke at his consciousness.

Good morning, Triss’ voice said, echoing oddly in his head. Sorry for the wait, but we’re almost ready.

“Jaskier?” Geralt said, sitting up slowly. There was a pat on his shoulder, and with it a waft of Jaskier’s favorite almond soap, over the faint smell of dirt and decay. The witcher relaxed.

Triss was laughing at him. Your bard is fine. Eager to see your little problem resolved. I’m going to need you to inhale something for me, but I’ll do the rest. Are you ready?

Geralt nodded, and he felt Triss’ long fingers come around the back of his head, holding him in place. He had the sudden urge to shake her off, a deep instinct that fought against even such a simple restraint. Another hand reached to stop him with a touch his chest, a simple request for stillness. Geralt settled, and Jaskier’s hand stayed in place. A moment later something was held below his nose, a sharp and acrid smoke invading his senses. Forcing himself to breathe in slowly, he let the fumes fill his lungs. For several minutes nothing changed, and then Triss released him. Geralt sat for a moment, and then there was a shift around his ears as if he were high on a mountain.

“Try opening your eyes,” Triss said, and for a moment Geralt thought it had been in his head. His eyes flew open, startled to realize he'd heard them said aloud. With a rush the sound hit him all at once - the crackle of the fire, the insects buzzing outside, the twin human heartbeats before him.

He had to blink a few times to focus his vision. When he opened his eyes again he saw Jaskier beaming at him, Triss standing arms crossed by his side. Geralt glanced at Triss but found his vision sliding back to the bard, drinking in the sight of him. He’d almost forgotten how blue his eyes were, how his hair curled just a bit over his eyes when he was sweaty as he was now. “I have so much new material for you to hear,” Jaskier said, still grinning, too close as always.

Geralt rolled his eyes, but couldn't hope to smother the smile on his own face. “You really dug up a grave,” he said. “Can smell it on you. Wouldn't have thought you capable.”

Jaskier opened his mouth, no doubt to voice an indignant response, but Triss interrupted him. “I wouldn't mind a ballad,” she said, elbowing Jaskier lightly. He whirled away from Geralt to take the sorceress’ hand, bowing low over it as he placed a delicate kiss to her knuckles. Geralt resisted the urge to roll his eyes again.

“My dear,” Jaskier said airily, “your song shall be sung across the lands, the savior of the White Wolf and thus the men of the realm! For who would have protected the innocent through the long night if he were trapped by such a foul curse? You, my lady, are well deserving of a ballad. Oh when the White Wolf in peril was found / A witch with locks like a fiery crown -” Geralt kicked Jaskier, not bothering to be subtle about it. “We’ll workshop it,” Jaskier said, quite loftily for a man that was hopping up and down while he rubbed his ankle.

Triss snorted at their antics. “I look forward to it, Dandelion. In the meantime please feel free to stay as my guests for as long as you please. I will have to continue to tend to my own duties, but you won't want for anything while you’re here.” She turned to leave, but Geralt reached out to take her hand gently. Her bright eyes met his with affection.

“Thanks, Triss,” he said, gruffly. “I owe you.”

“Oh, Geralt,” she said, patting his hand. “There will be rooms made up for you in the guest quarters, if you plan to stay.” She moved towards the door, pushing it open before turning back to them with a grin. “Just let me know if you’ll need one or two.”

She let the door close behind her, leaving the two men spluttering in the room.

* * *

They decided to stay in Vizima for three days to recuperate from the events of the past several weeks. While Geralt was eager to get back on the road, he could tell that Jaskier was glad to be back in the arms of civilization. While he was loath to admit it, he’d been in a place of weakness, and Jaskier had shouldered the burden. The bard deserved as much time off as he wanted to squeeze coins and favors out of fat noblemen. Geralt was lucky the man had only asked for a few days; he would have given him a month or more, if pressed. He could move on by himself, of course. They’d done so in the past, particularly in the winter when Jaskier went to perform and teach in Oxenfurt. But the thought of leaving the bard now hurt. It was nice to have time to watch the bard again as he flit around the palace like he owned it.

And despite his grumbling, it was exceptionally good to hear Jaskier sing again.

Geralt hadn't even noticed, before, how much Jaskier sang. Of course it was all the time , but how every time he heard the bard’s voice he stopped and listened, at least for a moment. It came over the clang of silverware at dinner, making the dull chatter of nobles bearable. It rang out in the gardens near the pavilion Geralt used to train. It haunted him through the walls of his room, the stones not packed tightly enough to keep the sound away. It was lovely, and he had missed it. And now that he was paying attention he realized that Jaskier mostly sang about him.

He wasn't sure what to do with that information.

“Will you travel to Oxenfurt with me?” Jaskier asks on the third day, apropos of nothing. Geralt looks up at him over the small table that they're sharing their breakfast at, startled. Jaskier looks a little startled himself, spoon paused where it was tapping against the rim of his tea. He liked to add a ridiculous amount of sugar to it, though they didn’t often have the leisure.

“You’ve never asked me to go with you before,” Geralt says around a bite of sweetroll.

“Well, no,” Jaskier agreed, his spoon turning nervous circles around the edge of his cup now. “But things are different now. And there should be work in that area, for both of us. You can just drop me off. Or I can show you the best seedy pubs, I know your rough table manners aren't truly suited to the quiet halls of my alma mater.”

“Can't imagine a college for bards is all that quiet,” Geralt said, instead of saying Different how? How have things changed so much in a month, a week, a night? Do you feel it too? Like the thought of you has moved from my head to my chest? Do you feel that? Instead he says, “I’ll ride with you.” Jaskier grinned at him widely and took a large gulp of too-sweet tea, so Geralt would smell the canesugar on his breath all day long. Geralt wondered if there was a deeper curse on him, that made him so incapable of saying what he felt.

* * *

He and Jaskier set off on the road again headed north, and it was almost as if nothing had changed.

It drove Geralt mad, in a way. He couldn't tell if he was the only one who felt like things were different, even if the bard had said as much. Jaskier was certainly more confident in invading Geralt’s space, but he’d never really been shy about it. They bickered less; it was easier to ignore Jaskier’s jibes when he reached out to pat Geralt on the shoulder at the same time. Their silence was more companionable. Geralt hadn't realized that before it had been, if not tense, then not truly relaxed. He wasn't sure which of them had changed, what had made the difference.

Geralt didn't feel as if he'd changed all too much, aside from his tendency to keep tabs on Jaskier by smell now. Perhaps he was more attentive, when Jaskier spoke, not just letting the bard ramble on but actually listening to him. It wasn't even the contents of the lectures and speeches that made him sit up and listen. After so long of not hearing Jaskier’s voice, it was nice to let it wash over him sometimes. It was good to know what Jaskier was thinking again. He’d missed that transparency, in all those weeks of silence. Jaskier always seemed to say exactly what he was thinking.

So what was he thinking about, when he looked at Geralt with shining blue eyes across the campfire? What was he thinking when he massaged sweetly scented salve into Geralt’s newer scars? Or when his touch lingered on Geralt’s shoulder as he wished him a sound sleep?

Triss’ words haunted him. It’s in what he doesn't say.

True love’s kiss.

It was laughable, really. Geralt had wanted people before, and he wasn't childish enough to deny that he wanted Jaskier. Especially now, as more and more often the bard’s fingers send shivers across his skin at the lightest touch. If it were an option, Geralt would have had Jaskier months, maybe years ago.

But true love? Geralt didn't know if he was capable of such a thing. Jaskier was brilliant and charismatic; he could be and had been with anyone he desired. Geralt couldn't even find it in him to tell Jaskier that he considered him a friend.

Sometimes, though, when he looked over at Jaskier’s soft features, he knew that even that would not be enough.

So, he did what he could think to do. He started touching Jaskier back.

At first it was little things. His fingers lingering over the bard’s when they passed something between them; a friendly pat on the shoulder during a conversation; adjusting his shirt before he got up to perform in a small village they stopped in along the way. Jaskier didn’t react to the new invasion of his personal space at all, which was neither good nor bad, Geralt told himself. It just meant Jaskier was comfortable with him, didn’t mind or register his touch, which was something.

He grew bolder. In the evenings around the fire he began to sit closer to the bard, like they had during the curse. He missed the push and pull of those hands more than he could have guessed, but he wasn’t sure how to ask for them to return. So instead he pushed and pulled with his own hands, and in a way it was almost as good. He let Jaskier ride on Roach so they pressed together while they traveled. When they slept, he put his bedroll near the bard's and stayed still when Jaskier rolled into his side in his sleep. Once, memorably, he washed Jaskier’s hair as they bathed in a large stream, as the bard has done for him so many times before.

One crisp but sunny day they were walking side by side down the road, giving Roach a rest, and Jaskier began to sing. It was one of his softer songs, something more for the courts or halls of Oxenfurt than a tavern. Geralt couldn’t really follow the theme, but he turned to watch out of the corner of his eye as Jaskier’s voice rose and fell. He watched, and thought that there was quite possibly nothing he’d ever wanted more than to kiss him in that moment. Instead he reached out and took Jaskier’s hand, because it was the least destructive thing he could think to do. The song abruptly cut off. Geralt’s breath halted in his chest as he waited for Jaskier to ask him what the hell he was doing. A moment later he felt the bard’s fingers squeeze his back ever so gently, and the song resumed, louder than before.

They walked hand in hand for several miles, until Jaskier saw a clump of wildflowers that needed his attention desperately. Geralt watched him bound away, feeling his chest tighten and his fingertips tingle.

* * *

That night, Geralt watched while Jaskier built up the kindling to start the fire. His own work skinning the rabbits for their dinner was long done, so now his full attention was on the bard. He wanted to ask about the hand holding earlier, ask if that was something they could do now. It was so hard to figure out the rules with Jaskier; the man said so much, but Triss was right. Sometimes speaking with him was like talking riddles around a fae. He watched Jaskier and thought about how he could say that he felt him on his skin hours after the lightest touch.

Without looking up from his carefully constructed pyre, Jaskier reached out and pulled Geralt’s hand toward him. He sketched the sign for igni on his palm, absent-minded, a ritual they had done every night for the past several weeks of Geralt’s curse. The witcher watched him breathlessly, taking in the soft curve of Jaskier’s lips as he pursed them in concentration. Suddenly the bard looked up in surprise, bright blue eyes meeting gold. He laughed sheepishly. “I forgot,” he said, and went to release Geralt’s hand.

Geralt reached out, quick as a viper, an arrow from a quiver. He caught Jaskier’s wrist, tried to turn the desperate touch gentle at the last moment. Jaskier looked at him with wide eyes.

“No one touches me like you do,” Geralt said, and he meant, no one touches me like I matter, like I’m a normal fucking person and not a monster, like they want to.

Jaskier blinked, and then went red. Geralt watched it happen, drinking in the sound of Jaskier’s heartbeat as it accelerated. “Sorry,” he said, voice half an octave higher as it always was when he was nervous. “It’s a habit. I’ll stop -”

“Fuck, no, I don’t mean -” Geralt cut him off, unsure of what to say. It felt like the situation was spiraling out of control because he’d opened his mouth for once in his life and of course said the wrong thing. “I like it,” he blurted out. His own face felt hot, and he wished he’d lit the fire so that he could blame it on that. “I don’t want you to stop.” He wanted to look away, but Jaskier’s bright eyes captured him, pinning him in place more thoroughly than a monster with Geralt’s sword to its throat. He could feel nervous sweat pooling at the small of his back.

Jaskier was staring at him with a shocked expression, which was better than anger or disgust. Geralt could hear his racing heart echoing between them, twice the speed of his own. “You never said anything,” Jaskier said, his eyes guarding something. The bard broke his gaze, staring at the waiting kindling before him.

What could Geralt say to that? The accusation rang true. He hadn’t said anything through the long months of travel when he’d craved Jaskier’s touch. Or the weeks of dark and quiet when it became his only anchor in the world. He hadn’t said anything the thousands of times he’d watched Jaskier smile or bite off a witty remark or pick a flower and thought fuck I want to kiss you . He hadn’t said anything when he’d taken Jaskier’s hand; he hadn’t said anything when Jaskier’s fingers squeezed his own. He had watched, and the thought of Jaskier had slipped into his heart and filled his fingertips with longing and he hadn't said anything. Witchers don't fall in love, and they don't ask for someone else's touch.

What had Triss said? They don't, but they can, can't they?

He slid his fingers down to hold Jaskier’s as tenderly as he knew how, and leaned down to brush his lips across them. Jaskier’s head snapped up to watch, and Geralt could hear his breath hitch. “I didn’t know how to ask,” he said, “but I am now.” He pulled Jaskier’s hand to rest against the side of his jaw, as Jaskier had done so many times over the last few weeks. It’s alright. We’re fine.

“Geralt,” Jaskier croaked, turning to face him. His fingers shook in Geralt’s grip. “Am I reading this wrong?” He was breathing hard, and he smelled the way he did before a performance, eager with anticipation and ready to throw himself into the crowd. His eyes flickered down to Geralt’s lips, and Geralt felt like he’d downed a full cocktail of witcher potions.

Feeling bold, Geralt pressed his lips to the center of Jaskier’s palm. Something hot stirred in his chest at the gasp it pulled from the other man. “I never want you to stop touching me,” he said, as if it should have always been that easy. He thought his skin should crawl at the admission, but instead he just felt the truth of the statement through every inch of him.

“Fuck,” Jaskier said, and used his hand to guide Geralt’s mouth to his own.

* * *

Much later, when they were lying together sweaty and sated, Jaskier said, “You should come to Oxenfurt with me.”

Geralt turned his head towards the bard, pushing his nose into the strands of hair that met him. Jaskier was lying nearly on top of him, arm thrown across his chest and legs twining between his own. Geralt felt grounded. He thought that if Triss hadn’t been able to remove the curse, it would have been alright if he’d still had this. Though it was still good to hear the bard’s voice. “I missed you,” he said, breathing in the smell of moss and dirt in Jaskier’s hair.

“I didn’t go anywhere,” Jaskier said. He pulled away slightly to look at Geralt, turning his head to rest on the witcher’s chest.

“Missed talking to you,” Geralt explained. He ran a hand up the bard’s back just to revel in the delighted shiver it pulled from the other man. “I even missed your complaining.”

“And my singing?” Jaskier asked, eyes wide and falsely innocent.

Geralt snorted. “Maybe.”

Jaskier grinned, turning his face away for a moment as it lit up, red covering his cheeks again. He liked to be praised, Geralt had always known that, but it was addicting to see him react to Geralt’s praise. Jaskier turned back towards him and poked him in the chest. “You’re avoiding the question with half-baked flattery.”

“I’m already going to Oxenfurt with you,” Geralt replied easily. “Unless you think we’re headed someplace else.”

“I mean ,” Jaskier said, pushing himself up fully on his elbows now, “that you should come and stay with me. I know it’s not really your scene, but if you’re not going to winter at witcher academy,” Geralt rolled his eyes, “you could just, I don’t know, take on some jobs locally? I have rooms available at the university, or I could set you up with a place to stay in town. We can go to taverns and you can hunt the ghouls that are always bothering the farmers nearby. I won’t even make you come to any fancy parties. And we can do this more.” He shifted his hips suggestively, making Geralt draw in a sharp breath. He dipped his hand down to squeeze the bard’s ass firmly in retaliation, making Jaskier lunge forward to kiss him again.

A moment later he pulled back, though it took him a few tries to make it stick. Geralt instead moved to suck a mark on his neck, feeling a thrill of possessiveness at the action. “Fuck,” Jaskier said, “you’re so distracting . Do you want to or not?”

“Sure,” Geralt said, giving the mark one last kiss. “As long as I don’t have to go to any fancy parties.”

Jaskier lit up, pressing his grinning lips to Geralt’s own. “I can’t make any promises,” he said, “you know how I enjoy quality entertainment.”

“I’ll just have to provide you with plenty of that on my own,” Geralt replied, raising his eyebrows. Jaskier laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the clearing. For a moment Geralt felt like he was just a normal man, part way in love with his best friend and fortunate enough for once to find his feelings returned. Jaskier looked down at him with an expression more open than Geralt had ever seen it, and he thought, Well, maybe more than part way.

Jaskier touched his cheek gently to pull him back into a kiss, the press of we’re just fine into his skin like a promise. And for once, just for a moment, they really were.

#the witcher #witcher #geralt of rivia #geralt x dandelion #geralt x jaskier #geralt/dandelion #geralt/jaskier #Jaskier #dandelion #my work #fan fiction #echos

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elleonmybeloved · 4 years

Text

Field Day

Title: Field Day Author: PinkPerfume Fandom: Shall We Date? Obey me! Pairing: Asmodeus/MC Rating: Teen & Up Chapter: 1/? Tags: Demon & Angel Blood AU, Demons are slightly larger than in cannon by about a foot or two each, Secret Crush, Awkward pining, Asmodeus is hoe-rny as usual, Flirting, Leading up to that explicit rating in the second chapter cause you know me Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25145122/chapters/60926767

Summary:

Once a week, the human exchange students, accompanied by the seven demon brothers as well as Lord Diavolo and a few of his subordinates make a trip to a rocky place out in the wilderness of the Devildom to conduct physical testing on the humans’ developing abilities. Mary-Catherine and her fellow once-humans aren't sure why Lord Diavolo injected them with the demon and angel blood that gave them their abilities, but participation in the testing is mandatory. But if you forget the part where they're being tested like lab rats, it feels a lot like a fun school field day! Complete with packed lunches and a friendly sense of competition.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hope you’re ready to eat my dust this time. I’ve grown two inches since last week.”

“Don’t get a big head. You got dog demon blood, not speed demon. Besides, not being able to spit acid at obstacles in your way is gonna slow you down.”

“I’d really appreciate it if you stopped doing that. Just because you look a lot more like a snake now doesn’t mean you need to act like one.”

“- Demon cobra. Not just a snake.”

“I know you’re proud of that, but honestly, I’m more jealous of the girl who got hawk demon blood. You know she has wings now, right?”

“What?! They shouldn’t let her participate in the race, it’s totally not fair.”

“It’s not actually a race, you guys.”

“Just because they’re testing us doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with it. Lord Diavolo encouraged us to be competitive.”

Excited chattering and the rumble of the vehicle’s engine made for a charged atmosphere that Mary-Catherine was enjoying listening to, leaning her head against the glass of the window to hide her amused smile at the antics. Choosing to survey the odd shapes of plants and pigmented rock passing by outside as she listened, she angled her head so that the small tightly curled horns at her forehead weren’t scraping against the glass.

Once a week, the human exchange students, accompanied by the seven demon brothers as well as Lord Diavolo and a few of his subordinates made the trip to a rocky place out in the wilderness of the Devildom to conduct physical testing on the humans’ developing abilities.

Piled into some kind of all-terrain vehicle with such ridiculous ground clearance that Mary-Catherine had needed assistance to haul herself up into it, they were shuttled to the testing site. The vehicle was huge and had several rows of seats, so everybody just called it “The Bus.” Before them on the long straight road, the Demon lord’s sleek black limo - driven by Barbatos - led the way down the path.

Turning off on the dirt path, they pulled up to the site. As the passengers - twenty-five strong, counting the brothers - filed out of the vehicle, they cordoned off into groups like a separation of oil and water.

Mary-Catherine confidently placed herself next to the people she knew best. Donte - a young man with horned-toad demon blood who she’d never seen not dressed up in attractive punk outfits that suited his dark brown curls and yellow-green striped horns perfectly. Despite all the purple dust out here, she had yet to see any of it attach itself to his outfit.

Meanwhile, both her thick cargo pants and her usual red tank top already had a few purple smudges.

To his left, Emma, a curvy young woman in all black whose sharp feline teeth glinted against her dark lipstick, and though the pair of furry black ears at the top of head twitched invitingly, you’d have to be stupid to touch them - or any part of her - without her explicit say so. Her claws were just as sharp as her eyeliner and stung quite badly.

Mary-Catherine had never heard her give anyone that say so. Only repeated threats to anybody who would listen about just exactly the kind of dark apocalypse she would continuously rain on Diavolo and the demon brothers & co. until they returned her cat Lucy to her, or vice versa.

Standing aloof with a familiar thoughtful expression to her right, a picture of elegance and maturity that M-C only hoped she’d one day achieve, was Annika. The blonde witch had a silent strength and seemed the least phased about her residency in the devildom of all the humans Mary-Catherine knew. She even stood up to Lucifer on a regular basis.

Mary had to avoid flinching like a startled lamb every time he looked in her mere direction. In her defense, she was part sheep now, and she had no reason to believe demon sheep were any braver than those in the overworld. Though as recent months had attested, they had the same urge for salt and were about 5 times faster than a regular one running at full tilt.

Once given their instructions, and oddly-shaped “evaluators” to attach to their D.D.D.s, the four of them plus a few she was less familiar with made off for the climbing ground. As usual, the groups moved around three areas in a rotation. A rock-littered circuit of road for testing speed, agility, and endurance, a level field of purple grass and several small, dead-looking trees with painted orange Xs on them that served as a combat ground for testing offensive abilities, and a large outcropping of porous green rock to test their ability to scale rough vertical terrain.

Something of a makeshift security team, the demon brothers spread out to stand their usual guard over the three groups. Considering their powers and how each demon towered at least a foot over any regular human even in their “human” forms, on their very first outing Mary-Catherine had foolishly assumed none of the other occupants of this realm would dare try to attack the group.

Grimacing as she tied up her hair and prepared to climb, she tried to blink away the image of the explosion of goop and gore and the charred remains that had been left of the few dissenting demons who’d scarcely touched her human companions before Satan had reduced them to pulp. Though unsure of how Lucifer had torched the ones who’d gone after his group, she was pretty sure she’d never get the image of their blackened skulls out of her mind.

“What’s with the long face? You’re still the reigning champion of this rock, goat-girl.”

Looking up, she recognized the self-proclaimed “cobra” guy from earlier on the bus. Despite his competitive statement, the grin on his face was friendly. His curly black hair and olive skin tone made for a vivid contrast against his vertical pupiled green eyes. She’d seen him a few times at breakfast and wasn’t certain but she thought his name was Kevin?

“Oh nothing. I was just wondering if they were going to make me lick more rocks today. Kind of reminds me of when I used to chaperone church summer camp and all the kids would collect rocks and dare each other to hold it in their mouth for twenty seconds or eat a worm.”

Mary-Catherine paused, “-But my horns alone would’ve been even more scandalous than the time one of the adults caught someone with a Harry Potter book sooo I guess it’s not really that similar!”

“Oh trust me I doubt my mamá would be happy to see what I look like now, but that doesn’t mean I would say no to a chance to become spiderman.”

“Hey, if anybody is becoming spiderman, I think it might be me.” Donte spoke up from behind them, looking incredulously at his hand which was pressed against the wall of rock. “Check this out.”

He then demonstrated how with an odd suction noise, his hands clung to the rock of their own accord. Prying them off and then repeating the motion, he got better at the detachment process with each press.

“Maybe poisonous demon frogs can stick to things?” Mary-Catherine mused. “I watched this discovery channel episode on tree frogs once that explained how their secretion of toe pad mucous-”

“-Mucous?!?” Donte scrutinized his hands in dismay, but after finding no such secretions he breathed a sigh of relief. “The only thing getting on my hands is this rock while I climb it’s ass. See you at the top!”

Pressing the start button on her evaluator, she climbed up after him, hearing Kevin start his descent as well. She’d gotten a bit of experience with this sort of outdoors stuff at previously said church-camp, but that was nowhere near her current condition, as she easily overtook both of her human companions with no regard for the steepness of her path. Back then, she’d needed a hardness and ropes. Now, she sought out each handhold instinctively like the top of the rock was calling her.

“At least I’m not bleating.” She sighed, and from below her Kevin barked out a laugh.

“I imagine it would come out sounding more like a warbled growl.” He said. “I’ve seen the pictures you know.”

“Hey- don’t go looking at a girl’s demon pictures!” A girl lower down on the rock called up to them.

Mary-Catherine blushed and hastily pulled herself up the remaining few feet of the rock and rolled to the side as she clicked stop on her evaluator.

“Not her pictures, the pictures of whatever they injected her with!” Kevin complained, but M-C could hear the mirth in his voice.

Walking over to a smoother patch of rock, she sat down to wait for the rest of them to finish their climb. Gazing at the ground far below her, she noticed Emma and Beelzebub talking next to a couple of camp-chairs.

She had noticed before that as an act of cat-less mutiny, Emma often refused to take part in the tests, but as M-C watched her speaking amicably with the demon beside her, who was eating… something round and dripping a brightly colored liquid she could make out from here, Emma gestured towards the rock several times with a wistful expression.

Rising to get a better look, Mary-Catherine began absent mindedly stretching, catching her ankle and bending her leg with a gentle pull.

It was a bit too far for her to make out exactly what they were saying - though some of her genetically enhanced fellow humans probably could - but M-C imagined that Emma was saying something along the lines of how much she wanted to climb the ‘actual shit outta that rock’ but wouldn’t budge an inch until they gave her back her precious Lucy. Beel seemed to nod sympathetically and despite not halting in his eating process, continue the conversation.

And then he moved to grab another of whatever it was he was eating, revealing the other demon who had come to watch over the climbing group. Having used the absolute swole unit of his demon brother’s body to provide him with shade, the Avatar of Lust reclined elegantly in - well it wasn’t really a camping chair, but it looked like it could be collapsed and relocated - his seat, meticulously painting his nails.

Freezing awkwardly midstretch, both arms clasped high above her head, she was for the hundredth? thousandth? time struck by just how gorgeous of a man Asmodeus was. Not a man, she reminded herself, a demon. Good Lord in Heaven, those arms… he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows to avoid getting nail polish on his shirt, and it exposed the beautiful lean muscle of his forearms. Burnt amber eyes focused intensely on his handiwork, his pale perfectly shaped lips pursed in concentration… he had an angular face that made him look like both like the dangerous being he was, and a sculpture of an angel at the same time.

As if aware he was being ogled, he paused his preening and turned his head, looking up her way at the top of the rock. Panicking, she hastily looked elsewhere, pretending to continue her stretches as if she hadn’t been meaning to glance in his direction…

Nothing to see here!

Soon the others joined her at the top of the rock, and with the protection of anonymity, Mary-Catherine risked another gaze his way.

Oh good, he’s back to working on his nails.

Getting caught looking at people was so awkward, hopefully he hadn’t thought anything of what he saw of her brief gaze. She was pretty sure she was safe, it was unlikely he was that interested in any measly humans anyways.

“So what was your score?”

Mary-Catherine spooked so hard she jumped, turning to give Kevin a wounded look.

“You’re a jumpy one, huh? Must be those prey instincts. Well, what was it?”

“A minute and forty three seconds.” Mary-Catherine said, wondering what kind of predator hunted sheep demons. Probably had lots of teeth.

“Guess I just need to be a minute and fifteen seconds faster next time.”

“I’m sure you can do it.” She said, giving him an encouraging smile. “If they ever decide to hand out a prize, you’ve got it in the bag.”

“Now there’s an idea.” Donte piped up, moving into step beside them as the group began to descend the smooth sloped side of the rock. “I already know what I want as a prize.”

“What do you want?” She couldn’t really think of anything a demon would have to give as a good present. She’d seen their food. And the mall. They had weird taste.

“Not telling.” Donte said in a cheeky tone that even she could read as being… salacious in nature. Annika gave him one of her disapproving mother looks and it just made him sprout a mischievous little grin.

“I’ve had my eye on a spellbook in Satan’s library I would very much like to have.” Annika said, as if trying to steer the conversation off the downhill path it was otherwise going. It was a good thing Emma wasn’t here or that’d be a moot effort.

“Uhhh, boring!” Kevin crossed his arms. “Come on guys, we’re practically in hell. I want a weapon or something with strong dark magic powers.”

One of the other girls agreed with him, and began a very enthusiastic conversation about swords and axes and other sharp pointy things. Mary-Catherine considered the question herself for a few moments, but the only thing she could think of was for Lucifer to give her her Bible back. He’d taken it away a couple weeks ago after she’d done something he hadn’t approved of and used it as an excuse to confiscate the book. She wasn’t even sure how he’d known she had it, but maybe he’d been under the false impression that she was religious?

Normally she wouldn’t have been upset about such a thing, but even though she was no longer the good devout Catholic girl her parents had raised her to be, her grandmother had given her that Bible. They’d been quite close before she passed away five years ago to lung cancer. She was much too terrified of the fallen angel to even try to get it back though. Regardless, as far as prizes go that was a bit more personal than she was comfortable with sharing.

“I think a week off school would be nice!” She said instead, and was met with a resounding murmur of agreement from the crowd.

“How about a whole month?”

---

Under the protection of Belphegor and Leviathan this time, Mary-Catherine and her group took turns sprinting on the track. Unsurprisingly, Kevin’s dog demon-blooded friend blew all competition out the water. Once that guy got started he was like Usain Bolt on steroids. Though she put in the effort expected of her to avoid getting chided, M-C didn’t bother to run full tilt. She didn’t really like this part anyways. It was the most like a test, grueling and repetitive instead of fun, and reminded her of how she was here against her will.

She was grateful when they broke for lunch, gathering around a few hastily erected plastic tables. Taking the brown bag and two water bottles, she found a somewhat shady spot to sit under a scary looking tree and redid her sagging ponytail, lamenting the state of her side braid. She downed a whole bottle of water before getting into her food.

It was kind of funny, it was the same typical sandwich chips and apple combo she was used to on outdoor events like these, but the meat was purple and the lettuce that poked out at the sides was bright red. The fruit looked like an apple, but tasted like an orange and was the color of a banana.

She’d learned to just trust Lord Diavolo to know what humans could eat, and didn’t ask what everything was anymore. One of the transfer students had been curious at breakfast and as a result she had become aware of the fact that on several occasions she had ingested eggs from a reptilian demon species called an angiphore which looked like a cross between a platypus and one of those monstrous looking fish that lived really deep in the ocean.

The thought made her choke on her mouthful of water and most of it escaped out her lips down her throat to soak into the fabric of her top above her breast.

“Oh, gosh darn it.” Of course she had nothing to dab at it with. Well, at least the cool water felt kind of nice dripping down her neck, as hot as she was after such rigorous exercise.

“Oh my, looks like someone overestimated how much they could swallow~”

Mary-Catherine scarcely had time to process that someone had managed to approach her so silently before, bending elegantly at the waist, Asmodeus himself was already pressing a handkerchief against her neck with a chiding tut.

At her stiff reaction, he smiled, looking very much like the cat that ate the canary. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of sweetie, you’re not the first one to do such a thing.”

Mary-Catherine flushed and searched for a sufficiently indignant reply, realizing he was making fun of her. But before she could come up with something, he moved in closer, dragging the cloth against her bottom lip. It was such a shamelessly demanding motion, silencing her with ease.

“You must’ve been thirsty, poor thing.” He crooned, and M-C decided to swallow her pride and just enjoy the opportunity to get such a close up look at his gorgeous face. At this angle, she could see how long his strawberry-blonde eyelashes were as they brushed the smooth, immaculate skin of his cheeks.

“It’s… pretty hot.” The words were already on her mind, so unfortunately that’s what came out of her mouth instead of denying such an obvious trap.

It was worth it for the delighted, full-teeth grin he made. “I agree.”

His fingers skirted the hem of her tank top, and with a gentle pluck, he lifted the fabric to dab a few times at the wet top of her breast. But instead of lingering, with a simple wink, he retracted the handkerchief and stood up before she could even begin freaking out about it.

“Thanks.” She said when her brain caught up, as he started to leave.

“Any time, honey.~” He replied without turning back, and was soon out of sight.

Mary-Catherine gave a dry swallow and reached for her water bottle.

~~~

The rest of the afternoon proved uneventful. Oviumalum, or the certain species of demon sheep blood she’d been injected with, apparently had the ability to rapidly elongate and thrust out their 4 sets of horns in front of them like some kind of projectile impaler. Their horns were also a key ingredient in a certain type of hallucinogenic drug, when ground to a powder.

The meager set of horns on Mary-Catherine’s forehead was sharp, and made of the same components, but so far showed no signs of developing any projectile abilities. As such, she simply had to hold still while they took a sample of her horns, ears, and tail and then was free to sit on the sidelines for most of the hour.

Lucifer had handed her a textbook about the properties of various demonic plants and encouraged her to study during the downtime.

“Like many here, you would do well to improve your academics. Here.” He’d said in that aloof tone, like she was some filthy human bug under his boot.

“Oh…” She’d said. “Well, actually, that’s-”

“You’re welcome.” He’d cut off her attempt to decline with a glare. “I hope I see an improvement in your grade reports soon.”

Mary-Catherine couldn’t help but shut up after that and bitterly open the book in obedience. His crimson stare, like the blood she was sure he was not hesitant to shed, was just too frightening. But, more interested in watching the increasingly bizarre developing abilities of her fellow humans, she’d just skimmed the pages and pretended to read.

Beside Lord Diavolo’s delight at Donte’s newfound ability, nothing else of note happened. It was amusing to watch Emma claw several inch deep scores into a variety of materials she’d never assume could even be scratched, so that’s what she’d done until they’d blown their whistle to announce that it was time to return to the House of Lamentation.

Now, she was trailing after the gaggle of tired, test-tried students, thinking about whether she was going to bathe, sleep, or eat first when they got home.

“Heeyyy, M-C!”

Looking up from where she’d been zoning out staring at her D.D.D, she glanced around. Had somebody called her name?

“Mary-Catheriiiine!!” A girl was jogging towards her, waving a hand to get her attention. It took her a moment, since it wasn’t someone she was very familiar with, but she connected the face to a name before the girl reached her.

“Yes? - Um, Hoya, right?”

“Yeah.” The girl said, smiling with a - ah. Shark demon blood. - large set of teeth. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course! What is it?”

“I lost my ring up on the rocks.” Hoya said, pointing to the climbing wall. “I can see where it is but I can’t reach it myself. Can you get it for me?”

“Sure!” May-Catherine chirped, but then bit her lip. “Uh, did you tell Lucifer? It’s time to go and I’ll be fast but we’re going to make them wait…”

“Don’t worry, I told him. He said it’s fine as long as I hurry.”

“Oh. Okay!” M-C said, but couldn’t help squinting a little skeptically.

“...He said they’re leaving in ten minutes with or without us.” Hoya admitted. “But it won’t take us that long!”

Mary-Catherine was already moving. “Oh gosh, well I hope you didn’t mention my name…”

Hoya jogged next to her, long smooth grey tail wagging oddly like a dog. “Uh, I did. Sorry!"

Mary-Catherine groaned and high-tailed it to the rock.

#obey me!#shall we date? obey me!#asmodeus #asmodeus x mc

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the-gay-in-the-way · 5 years

Text

The Great Boop War of 2018, Part 5

The Beginning of Something Great

(Happy New Year!)

(Gy-new/young)

(To celebrate the end of 2018, I’m leaving you guys with the final chapter of The Great Boop War of 2018!)

(Let’s end this year with a bang and some fluff!)

(Here’s the first part, if you haven’t read it.)

(Thank you guys for reading this, if you do, and I hope that you enjoy this ending.)

((((((((())))))))))

It was strange, how they’d never noticed before.

Virgil and Patton had been friends for years at this point.

And the game, or whatever it was, seemed to be something they’d been doing for just as long.

And yet, nobody had actually realized it was happening.

Nor why it was even happening in the first place.

Not until now.

“Boop.”

“No!”

Patton’s shout shook with giggles as he reached up towards the side towering over him.

“That’s not fair! We just got back! And it’s movie time! No Booping allowed! That’s the rule!”

Virgil raised an eyebrow while resting against the back of the couch where Patton was sitting, as the other side started gently ruffling his hair.

“I never agreed to this rule.”

“But it’s still a rule!”

Virgil shrugged with a small smile as he moved to sit on the couch next to his best friend.

“Rules are meant to be broken, Pat.”

His smile grew as he flopped down against Patton, causing the other to giggle even more at the motion.

“That still doesn’t make it fair, Virgil.”

“That’s true. But you can just get me back for it later. So it’s fine, right?”

Sharp violet eyes were calm and happy as they met with the gentle blue, which softened at the sight.

Patton huffed and wrapped his arms around the one leaning against him, smiling all the while.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll just have to make sure it makes up for it somehow.”

And Virgil laughed, making everyone in the room smile involuntarily, as he settled more comfortably within his best friend’s embrace.

“I look forward to it.”

“Alright! That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!”

Roman’s loud words averted everyone’s attention away from the two cuddling on the couch, and the princely side stood up from where he’d been sitting on the floor, hands resting on his hips as he stared the two down.

Virgil raised an eyebrow again.

“What?”

The creative side pointed a finger at his shadowy counterpart, and waggled it around a bit for good measure, as he continued to speak.

“You two have been doing this boop thing for a while now. And I know for a fact that I am not the only one who wants to know what it actually is. So I’m just going to do what we’ve all been wanting to do since the beginning, and ask the question.”

A pause for dramatic effect, that everyone knew better than to interrupt, occurred.

A breath.

And then...

“What is happening with all of the booping?”

There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for the cuddling duo to respond.

Which was broken with a bang as Patton jumped up excitedly from the couch, sending Virgil tumbling onto the floor without warning.

Of course, Virgil being Virgil, he only fell for a moment before he caught himself with his hands.

Meanwhile, Patton’s gasp of excitement shifted into a cough as he realized what he’d done, leaving the others to watch with some amusement and slight concern as the two attempted to recover from the sudden actions.

Unsurprisingly, Virgil did so first.

“You alright, Pat?”

Patton nodded as the other gently patted his back while Logan, whom had been inside of the kitchen with Deceit this entire time, approached with a quickly obtained glass of water.

The water was accepted gratefully and the moral side took a few seconds to take some sips and clear his throat before speaking.

“I’m fine, thank you, Virgil. And thank you for the water, Logan.”

“You’re welcome, Patton.”

“Oh! And I’m sorry I knocked you over, Virgil. I was just so excited to tell the story that I kind of forgot you were there!”

The other side huffed out a quiet laugh and gave Patton a nudge in the side.

“It’s fine, Pat. You’d have to do a lot worse to make me actually fall, y’know.”

The smaller side quickly grabbed Virgil’s arm in a tight grip and looked at him with a completely serious expression.

“I would never do something like that to you. And if anyone ever does, I will physically fight them for you.”

That garnered a larger laugh and Patton’s serious face broke rather quickly to smile in response.

“Thanks, Pat. I’ll make sure to tell you if that ever happens.”

The moral side smiled even more, pulling gently at the other to sit back down beside him again.

“Great! I’m glad! Now! Let’s start the story! I’ve been wanting to tell everyone about it for ages! It’s one of my favorites!”

Virgil hummed in agreement as he settled, once again, against his best friend on the couch.

“Yeah. It’s a nice one.”

And so, once everyone else was also settled and ready to listen, Patton began telling the story of the Great Boop War, and how it all began.

-----------------------

A few weeks after Patton convinced Virgil to be friends, Virgil went to visit him.

The moral side had given him an always open invitation to his realm, so Virgil had arrived completely without warning.

Unfortunately, this meant that he caught Patton while the other was crying his eyes out in his field.

And Virgil, unused to friendship and how it was supposed to work, was left stumbling as he tried to think of a way to make Patton feel better.

“...morality?”

The other side startled at the sudden voice behind him, accidentally sending a small barrage of spiky glowing orbs into the air around him.

Virgil stared at the orbs with some shock, as Patton also stared at him in return.

It took a moment for one of them to finally come back to themselves enough to respond.

“Oh!”

Patton’s sudden shout made Virgil startle this time, as the other quickly flapped his hands to make the orbs around him dissolve.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make those appear! You just startled me a bit so I just kind of reacted without thinking! I’m sorry! I swear I didn’t-”

“Morality.”

The rough voice halted Patton’s rambles and made him realize how wound up he likely looked.

His hands twitched in the air around his head, before he made them close into fists and fall down to his sides.

Then he took a breath and smiled with a small sniff.

Virgil’s own hands twitched and his frown only deepened at the actions.

“Sorry, Anxiety. I was just having a bit of a rough time. It’s fine though! I’m-”

“Patton.”

Light blue eyes widened, almost comically, and clenched fists loosened in shock.

Patton had told Virgil, as soon as they became friends, that he could call him Patton instead of Morality.

Since then, Virgil hadn’t been able to build up the courage to do so.

He also hadn’t used his ‘scary’ voice around him since then either.

Both happening at once left the moral side frozen in shock and the anxious side trying not to run away out of fear.

But, despite the fear of rejection that was filling him, Virgil stood firm.

This was more important.

“Patton.”

A softer voice this time, matched by softened violet eyes, and filled with an affectionate concern that made Patton’s heart hurt.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to lie or anything. We’re...”

Uncertainty filled the soft gaze and only made Patton want to wrap the other up in a hug and never let go.

“We’re friends, right?”

“Of course!”

The instinctual shout made both sides jump from the sudden volume.

But it also made Virgil smile a little, so Patton was sure it was alright.

“Right.”

Violet finally met blue, and the two stared at each other as Virgil softly spoke.

“So you don’t have to pretend you’re okay. If you’re hurting, you can tell me. And I can do whatever you need me to do to help. Cus...that’s what friends do, right?”

Patton had thought it before and would continue to think it for the rest of his days.

There was no way that Anxiety was a bad side.

He was far too kind.

Tears started falling again, and Virgil took a hesitant step forward, looking like he wanted to help but wasn’t sure how to do so.

It made Patton smile and laugh a little through the tears.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. That’s exactly what friends do.”

Then he raised his arms towards the other, still smiling while his tears continued to fall.

“Can you give me a hug? I think I really need one right now.”

There was barely a second of hesitation before Virgil was wrapping his arms around his smaller counterpart.

And, as soon as he was secured in the arms that left him feeling safe, Patton started sobbing.

His tears fell faster and he held onto the other tightly as his sobs shook his body down to the core.

And Virgil continued to hold him, unconsciously nuzzling him as he did so.

Eventually, small sounds, that Patton had never heard before, started to rise from the darker side’s throat.

They were soft and rumbling, almost like a purr.

And they eventually fell from his lips in the form of little warbling noises that gave Patton a strange sense of comfort.

Time passed with the two of them holding each other tightly, as Patton cried and Virgil tried his best to comfort him.

But, eventually, the tears stopped.

And Patton relaxed quietly into his friend’s arms, said friend continuing to softly warble as he held him and nuzzled the top of his head.

It was with a soft sigh and a sniffle that the moral side finally pulled away from the other.

He wiped at his face, using a tissue he’d summoned, as Virgil stood there patiently.

And when he was done, he smiled.

Though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Thanks, Anxiety. I know I kind of derailed things a bit but, why’d you decide to stop by? Did you need something?”

And Virgil, not knowing what else he could do at this point, decided to do something that had always helped him feel better when he was sad as well.

“Boop.”

It took a few seconds of wide eyed staring for Patton to process what happened in that moment.

Virgil’s hand had moved lightning fast, and the contact had been feather light against his skin, so it had been hard to tell.

But when he realized what it had been, Virgil by now growing nervous and even more unsure about whether he was handling things correctly, his smile was bright enough to rival the sun.

“Oh...”

The anxious side relaxed a little, still nervous but reassured by the smile that finally reached his friend's eyes.

“Um-”

“Boop! You’re it!”

Another moment of frozen shock, this time from Virgil, occurred.

Patton continued to smile, his eyes seeming to regain more and more of their usual cheer by the second.

“Is that how you play tag? Like, your own version of it? Is that why you came by?”

The moral side was starting to bounce now with only slightly restrained excitement.

And Virgil found himself relaxing further, his own smile starting to appear as he was reminded why Patton had been able to befriend him in the first place.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. About all of it.”

He understood him.

“So I should run now, right?”

Not because they were exactly the same.

“Yeah, probably.”

But because he wanted to.

---------------------

“That’s so cute!”

“It figures that’s how this all started.”

“Indeed.”

“I’m totally surprised.”

Patton’s laughter filled the common room, Virgil smiling gently beside him.

“Virgil...”

The anxious side looked over to the logical side on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, Logan?”

“I must admit to being rather curious about this. Where exactly did you come up with this game in the first place? The only one of us who willingly interacted with you back then was Patton.”

The statement left a sour sort of taste in everyone’s mouths, but it did present a good point.

Where had the Boop game come from?

It was with a surprisingly happy smile, and the sudden darkening of the room, that Virgil gave them the answer.

“These guys taught it to me.”

And the room filled with shadows.

They slithered into the room, roaming about to nuzzle against everyone in greeting before returning to Virgil.

“Whenever I was sad and in need of something to take my mind off of things, they’d show up and boop me on the nose before running away. For a while, I was confused. But, eventually, I realized that they wanted me to chase them. And it turned into a game we played together.”

The shadows warbled affectionately before returning into Virgil’s realm, nuzzling against him as they went.

Virgil’s smile was soft and loving as he watched them go.

“Oh my gosh, it just keeps getting cuter.”

Thomas’ words were met with laughter and agreements as everyone returned to their previous tasks, accepting that the story had finally been finished and their questions had finally been answered.

And, as he watched everyone busy themselves with preparing for movie night, Virgil couldn’t help the sentimental feeling that filled him.

It was always a good reminder for him.

No matter how alone he’d felt before becoming a side, he’d never been truly alone.

Even then, he’d always had a family.

Even then, he’d always been loved.

(((((((()))))))))

(I’m using a new thing to signify the separations between me talking and the actual fic itself.)

(Not sure if I like it or not, but we’ll see how it goes.)

(Anyways, that’s it!)

(That’s the end of The Great Boop War of 2018!)

(Thank you guys for sticking around to read this entire mess of a fic!)

(I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed making it.)

(This is genuinely one of the things I really enjoyed writing and working on.)

(And it was one of my very first ones for the fandom and the entire CAP universe.)

(I’m pretty proud of how it’s gone.)

(Anyways, I’ll stop being sappy about it and put the taglists here.)

@a-snoway-afternoon @ashrain5 @virgilscat @gumdrop2113@chelama @dragonsight9 @marse-422 @derpiest-unicorn @i-identify-as-a-mango @fearfilledvirgil @let-me-be-an-individual-rachet @blitzgamev @the-life-ofa-troubled-ace @satanblessi @punsterterry

@crownswriter123 @silverrhayn @ab-artist @queva8 @temmiecupcake @phlying-squirrel @danyulsdimple @allierox15 @larkiaquail @cats-with-blogs @whirlwindsworld @adventurousplatypus @iliveinprocrasti-nation @i-read-by-lamp @xlilllllie @hamilin-manuel-miranda @entitydark @silver-owl413 @sander-sideblog @ilovemygaydad @theitalianalchemist @justmyshitandmoreshit @asymmetricalgarbage8888@blue-wolfbane @bibbity-bobbity-booyah @6tick6tock6 @starryfirefliesbloggo @stormcrawler75 @coconut-caramel @heteroreadmyfics @derp-a-la-sheep @adventurousplatypus

(I hope that I didn’t miss anybody or anything)

(If I did, please tell me so that I know and can apologize.)

(Also, please feel free to tell me if you want to be tagged in my general taglist for all of my other fics, including all the stuff that happens in this universe but not in this particular storyline.)

(Once again, thank you all for reading and enjoying this entire fic.)

(I hope I can continue to make more stories for you guys to enjoy this year too.)

(Here’s the next part of the CAP Series.)

A Bed of Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Cerillen

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerillen/pseuds/Cerillen

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPz4p5XdoRESDKZeMDnWXFQ

Discord: https://discord.gg/FsUhc5f

Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/cerillen

#sanders sides #virgil sanders #patton sanders #platonic moxiety #its the great boop war of 2018 #its finally happening #the end of an era #the great boop war of 2018 is finally over #but the boops will always continue #let's start this new year off right

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homesweetsewer · 6 years

Text

Radiant (Donatello x Fem Reader)

So...this will be a 3-part follow up to Harmless. You can go back and read all 5 parts of that if you’d like, but I don’t think it’s necessary to understand what’s happening here. I kind of left Donnie hanging and I just can’t do that to my nerdy ninja booboo bear after he had his little heart shattered 😭

@loveyourselfcreateyourself kinda like this? Great minds!

“Hand me that voltage meter.”

“One voltage meter, coming up,” you smiled as you grabbed the requested item and passed it into Donatello’s waiting hands. “Here you go.”

His fingers brushed your’s, lingering just a moment longer than was necessary. An almost perplexed look flitted over his features as he continued to look at you for just a beat longer before returning to his task. “Thanks.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” you chirped happily, trying your best to ignore the strange looks he’d been giving you lately.

It had been a couple of months since April had informed Donatello that she was dating Casey and that her feelings for him didn’t extend into the romantic realm. It had been hard for the turtle to hear but after many shed tears, long nights leaning on your shoulder, and few weeks of avoiding April, Donnie had finally managed to pull himself back together into a semblance of his old self. For that, you were extremely thankful. It had hurt you to watch him struggle with his unrequited feelings. It was a something you were all too familiar with and, though you loved him desperately, would have given anything to change things so he could be happy. To say you’d been relieved when life had more or less returned to normal around the lair would have been an understatement.

You’d slowly settled back into old habits, the routines you’d become so familiar with since becoming acquainted with the turtles comforting in their own way. One of your favorite things to do was play assistant to Donnie’s mad scientist. Though you were more into literature and art than science and technology, you took direction very well and Donatello appreciated having an extra pair of hands. It went without saying that you thoroughly enjoyed the time spent together and you’d also be lying if you said you didn’t learn something new every time you were together. Donatello had an amazing wealth of knowledge that never failed to impress you and, in fact, his intelligence been one of the first things that had attracted you to the tall terrapin.

You were currently seated cross legged on the floor of Donnie’s lab, passing him tools as he requested them as any good assistant would, while the turtle in question was crammed quite awkwardly beneath an electrical console trying to figure out how Mikey had managed to trip all the circuit breakers earlier in the day. You enjoyed times like this when it was just the two of you...not that you didn’t enjoy spending time with the others, mind you. It’s just that you and Donatello seemed to share a common wavelength of sorts which, you noticed recently, seemed to have drawn you closer following the whole April/Casey fiasco. Not that you minded in the slightest. You were just happy to have his company and would take whatever you could get of him.

An irritated sigh emitted from beneath the console a second before Donatello popped his head back out to look at you. “Well,” he announced dryly, “I think I found the problem.”

“I knew you would,” you grinned at the turtle which again caused that strange perplexed look to flash across his face. You consciously chose to ignore it, instead focusing on the matter at hand. You waited patiently as he shimmied his way out of the tight space to plunk down beside you on the floor. You looked at him, expectantly awaiting an explanation. “What’s the verdict, professor?”

Donnie held up his hand, a chewed up piece of pizza crust pinched between his two fingers, “Double cheese and pepperoni.”

“Eww,” you scrunched your nose. “How in the world did it get under there?”

Donnie gave you a look as if he couldn’t believe you’d even had to ask. “This is Mikey we’re talking about.”

“Point taken. Gotta love him, though.” You laughed, fully expecting the ninja to join you in your laughter. Instead, he remained oddly quiet, studying you carefully. As you quieted, you frowned slightly at his seemingly intense analysis. Curiosity got the better of you. “Seriously,” you asked, “do I have something on my face?”

“What?” Donatello seemed to snap back to himself, “No...” he shook his head. “Why?”

You shrugged, “It’s just that you keep staring at me. I thought I may have grease smeared all over me or something.”

“Uh,” Donnie let out an embarrassed chuckle, raising one hand to rub the back of his neck nervously. “N-no, it’s not that. It’s just...you...look different.”

It was your turn to be puzzled. Feeling suddenly self conscious, you gave yourself a quick once over but found nothing out of place. “I look different?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, flushing slightly. “I didn’t mean to stare. I was just...trying to figure out what it is.”

“No worries.” You bumped shoulders with the turtle, trying to play it off. “I hate to break it to you, though, I’m the same old boring me you see everyday.”

“You’re not boring,” he murmured, tossing the pizza crust into the nearby wastebasket.

The two of you fell into silence for a moment. While Donatello fidgeted nervously with his tools, you hummed to yourself, wracking your brain over what could have possibly caught his attention to make him act so odd but you drew a blank. You hadn’t changed your hair. Your makeup was simple as always. Knowing you’d be crawling around on the floor, you’d worn a pair of old worn out jeans and a band t-shirt Donnie had seen you in plenty of times before. You hadn’t gained any weight and you certainly hadn’t lost any. Something about the way he looked at you, though, made you feel strangely anxious.

Pursing your lips, you asked, “Is it good different or bad different?”

Donnie’s head snapped up in your direction, his eyes wide behind his tortoise shell frames as he perused you once more. “It’s...it’s good different.” He paused for a moment before adding shyly, “You look...radiant.”

You quirked a brow at that, an amused grin lifting the corners of your mouth. “Radiant?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, embarrassed, and averted his eyes from you. “Sorry...that sounds stupid. It was just the first thing that popped in my head.”

“No,” you assured, reaching out to grab his hand. “It’s not stupid. I’ve just...never been described as radiant before.” You gave his fingers a squeeze, “I kind of like it. Thank you, Donatello.” You sat up a bit straighter and flipped your hair back over your shoulder. In a cheeky voice you proclaimed, “I look radiant.”

Donnie chuckled at your display and turned his hand over beneath your’s in order to clasp your fingers and give you a gentle squeeze in return. “Yeah,” he spoke softly. “You do.”

Silence enveloped the pair of you once more as you stared at one another. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable but the air between you felt almost heavy. You were hyper aware of the fact that he hadn’t released your hand and that his much larger fingers completely enveloped your own. His skin was slightly cooler than your’s, not surprising given his reptilian lineage, and the texture slightly more rough, but it felt nice. It wasn’t like you hadn’t touched him before but this felt...different. The way he kept looking at you, like he’d only just seen you for the first time, caused a myriad of butterflies to erupt within your stomach. Time seemed to slow, forming a bubble around the two of you and making it feel as though you were the only people left in the world.

You swallowed audibly, your voice whispering out just loud enough to be heard, “Uh...Donnie?”

“Yeah?” His voice dropped in pitch and he leaned in toward you slightly.

Subconsciously, you leaned in toward him as well. Your tongue peaking out slightly to moisten your suddenly dry lips. His eyes caught the subtle movement and a soft churring sound rumbled up from deep in his chest causing a shiver to work its way down your spine. You’d always fantasized about a moment just like this. The only thing separating the both of you were just a few scant inches and some lingering self doubt...the rational part of your brain reminding you over and over that he’d only just gotten over April. He was waiting on you, you realized, to finish whatever thought you’d started.

“Donnie...I,” You struggled to string together something coherent, his proximity and intense gaze made thinking difficult. It shouldn’t be that hard to tell him how you feel, it was nothing you hadn’t practiced in your head a million times. You wouldn’t pressure him, just share what was on your heart and reassure him that you’d be his friend regardless. If only you could force your mouth to do your bidding. “I...I really...”

Beep...beep...beep...beep...

The alarm on your phone went off suddenly causing the pair of you to spring apart. You jerked your slightly trembling hand from his grasp and fumbled trying fish the offensive device from your pocket in order to silence it. Your eyes widened once you’d finally succeeded and were able to see the time.

“Crap!” You exclaimed, jumping up. “My parents are dragging me to some charity carnival thing. I have to go or I’m going to be late.”

Donnie scrambled to his feet, a look of slight panic on his face. “I’ll walk you home,” he quickly offered.

“Thanks,” you smiled up at the turtle, “but it’s still light out. Someone could see you.”

“Right...” frustration laced his tone. “Just...be careful...”

“I always am,” you assured as you quickly swept around the room gathering your things. “Besides,” you offered teasingly, “it’s too early for all the crazies to be out. So don’t worry, I probably won’t get mugged and stabbed in your absence.”

“Not funny.” Donatello frowned, “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Sorry...” you apologized. You knew better. You knew he worried. “I’ll be fine. I’ll text you as soon as I get home, alright?”

“Yeah,” he still sounded unsure. “Alright.”

“Don’t work too hard while I’m gone,” you warned, knowing full well he’d completely disregard your advice.

“I won’t,” he agreed, then asked hesitantly, “Will...are you coming over tomorrow?”

You quirked a brow, “Don’t I come over everyday?”

“Heh,” Donnie shuffled nervously, “Yeah...”

You smiled at the turtle. That strange look passed over his face again, giving you goosebumps and the sudden urge to kiss him. What would it hurt? Just a quick peck...a friendly peck...on the cheek? It would be so easy. Too easy. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you shuffled forward, propelled yourself up onto your tiptoes, and pressed a chaste kiss to his right cheek. His quick, surprised intake of breath was like music to your ears. You realized belatedly that it was more than likely the first kiss he’d ever received. That thought both thrilled and saddened you.

You lingered for just a moment longer than was probably appropriate given your status as friends but you didn’t want the moment to end. When you did finally pull back, you found him looking at you as though he’d just discovered some earth-shattering scientific breakthrough. You felt a blush rise to your face, a mixture of attraction and embarrassment. “I have to go,” you whispered. ““I’ll see you tomorrow, Donnie.”

Donatello could only watch as you turned on your heel and bounded out of the room. His brain had all but turned to mush as he had an incredible epiphany: You’d been here all this time and he was a complete and total idiot.

“Oh my God, oh my God...” Donnie pressed his palm against his cheek, muttering to himself as he sank into his chair. He could still feel the warmth where your lips had been, like a brand marking him as your’s. Thoughts of you and he played through his head as he analyzed what had almost transpired between you...what had probably been bubbling just beneath the surface for some time now that he was only just beginning to notice. His heart thrilled at the notion even as a ball of nervousness formed in the pit of his stomach. He’d never felt this way before, not even with April, and that frightened him. “Oh my God,” he muttered again.

To be continued...

#tmnt #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt fanfic #teenage mutant ninja turtles fanfiction #teenage mutant ninja turtles #april o’neil #casey jones #donatello x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #tmnt donatello #tmnt donnie #tmnt raph #tmnt mikey #tmnt leo #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt raphael #tmnt leonardo

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pinelife3 · 5 years

Text

The Silence of the Girls

Pat Barker’s newish (August 2018) book The Silence of the Girls (TSOTG) recounts the final months of the Trojan War, as told by a slave woman. The obvious companion piece to TSOTG, and the key text Barker is responding to, is The Iliad, but Barker doesn’t pull out the way Homer did:

The Iliad only covers a few weeks in the last year of the war and does not include the famous Trojan horse or the actual defeat of Troy: at a high level, The Iliad covers Agamemnon’s lady troubles, the plague, Achilles’ sulking and decision not to fight, the death of Patroclus, Achilles’ return to battle, the death of Hector, the abuse of Hector’s body and Priam’s visit to Achilles.

TSOTG covers these events (also starting in media res - more on that later) from the perspective of Briseis. Our protagonist, formerly the wife of a king, was taken during the sacking of a city neighbouring Troy and was given to Achilles as a prize - like all of the women in the Greek camp, she is a slave. Barker and Briseis continue on after the burial of Hector to include the fall of Troy (no mention of the horse though...) and the rape and destruction which followed including the fate of Astyanax, the Trojan women being handed out as prizes, and the Greeks eventually setting off to return home.

I mention the famous events from the Trojan War above, but in TSOTG most of these happen off screen (out of our protagonist’s line of sight) and are reported to us as gossip spreading around the Greek camp. The reader is stuck in the camp with the women and doesn’t see any of the excitement and action on the battlefield (except for when Briseis climbs on the Myrmidon ships to see the battlefield in the distance). The reader is also privy to a lot of ‘girl talk’ amongst the women as they discus their experiences with the Greek soldiers: who’s pregnant, who’s beloved, who’s in favour. So despite hitting the same broad plot points, we are kept away from the iconic set pieces of the war, and instead get a tour through the backrooms where women do laundry, pray, and heal the injured soldiers.

When we studied Wide Sargasso Sea in high school, it became part of an interesting conversation on high-lit fan fiction: Jeans Rhys reveals the mysterious mad woman in Rochester’s attic, and she shows us how he drove her mad. More than a hundred years after Jane Eyre was published, Rhys, a Dominican author, chose to get into it with one of the stodgiest pieces of English literature out there. She introduced new themes of colonialism and undermined Rochester as the Byronic hero. I don’t think anyone will read Barker’s text that way - Homer’s works and the Bible are so canonical that referencing or interacting with them feels like it doesn’t count as fan fiction (has anyone ever argued that Paradise Lost was fan fic?). Because Barker is a serious author with a Booker Prize on her shelf, they call TSOTG a ‘retelling’ rather than fan fic, but what is more fan fic than recounting a famous story from another character’s perspective?

For reference: Stephanie Meyer has done this twice to her own novels. She retold Twilight from Edward’s POV in Midnight Sun and wrote a gender flipped version of Twilight called Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined. From Wikipedia, it seems like a pretty straight-forward find and replace job: Life and Death tells the story of 16 year old Beaufort Swan who moves from Arizona to Washington to live with his dad - on his first day at school, he meets the beautiful and mysterious Edythe Cullen...

youtube

^^ It’s fun to laugh at Twilight but remember this: Bon Iver recorded a song for the soundtrack. The New Moon soundtrack also featured Death Cab for Cutie, Thom Yorke, Grizzly Bear and a bunch of other bands with legitimate indie credibility (Pitchfork still gave it a 5.4) - why did they agree to be on this soundtrack? They must be getting approached for this kind of work all the time and New Moon’s budget was not huge - only $50 million so it’s not like they would have been offering obscene cash. Probably a mystery for another time...

Most of Barker’s works deal with war in some capacity. The only other book of hers which I’ve read is Regeneration. In that book, Barker riffs on historical figures, places, events, and literary works as she explores the impacts of WWI on returning English soldiers suffering PTSD. There are a lot of complicated ideas moving around and bumping up against each other - it’s like she’s playing a 20 string guitar or jamming out on a 40 piece drum kit or something: she’s just super masterful and it’s a good read but also interesting to look at how she achieved it technically. It’s a super satisfying book to explore and think about and probably my favourite war book (maybe tied with Slaughterhouse 5).

In TSOTG, she’s still interested in war, but now she’s looking more closely at the impacts of war on women. In a way, TSOTG seems kind of blunt and stupid in its handling of war compared to Regeneration. Barker is so focused on proving that women had it bad during the war and trying to deromanticise the Greek warriors, that she depicts all the men (except Patroclus and Achilles) as childish brutes: they’re capricious and proud, they’re rough and inconsiderate, they take offence easily, they eat messily and they drink too much. We never see them in action on the battlefield, so the one thing they’re good at is hidden from us: we don’t get to admire their magnificence but when they die, the women make fun of their shriveled cocks. Of course, we see this through Briseis’ biased eyes (fair enough given her situation), but what she reports of their behaviour is pretty bleak. No one has a rich interiority: they just fuck, shit and fight. It seems like Barker’s argument is that the men must be assholes because they rape their slaves. But we know that’s not how it works: the men raped their slave women because that was the cultural norm but beyond the raping they were average guys. In fact, the raping and slaving made them average. Not heroes, not assholes. Just 1100BC guys.*

(*This isn’t ‘boys will be boys’ - if anything it’s historical relativism. I’m not saying it’s average because they were guys, I’m saying it’s average because it was a long time ago. Remember, Jesus was a radical thinker with all his wacky ideas about compassion and love - and he was still more than a 1000 years away. The Greeks were very advanced in some ways, but their culture relied on slavery - at a point you need to accept that that was their normal (bad by our standards, yes) and engage with them on their own terms otherwise you’ll never get anywhere in a conversation about their values.)

Barker retells this astonishing passage from The Iliad about three quarters of the way through TSOTG - just to set it up, Achilles killed Prince Hector and has been desecrating his corpse (dragging it behind his chariot) as vengeance for the death of Patroclus (Achilles’ closest friend). In ancient Greece, it was believed that you couldn’t pass on to the underworld until you’d had a proper burial. Beyond being disrespectful, the abuse of Hector’s body torments his family because it means Hector cannot pass peacefully to the afterlife. Growing desperate, Hector’s father King Priam has snuck out of Troy and come to the Greek camp to beg Achilles to return Hector’s body:

Priam found the warrior there inside ... many captains sitting some way off, but two, veteran Automedon and the fine fighter Alcimus were busy serving him. He had just finished dinner, eating, drinking, and the table still stood near. The majestic king of Troy slipped past the rest and kneeling down beside Achilles, clasped his knees and kissed his hands, those terrible, man-killing hands that had slaughtered Priam's many sons in battle. Awesome - as when the grip of madness seizes one who murders a man in his own fatherland and flees abroad to foreign shores, to a wealthy, noble host, and a sense of marvel runs through all who see him so Achilles marveled, beholding majestic Priam. His men marveled too, trading startled glances. But Priam prayed his heart out to Achilles: "Remember your own father, great godlike Achilles - as old as I am, past the threshold of deadly old age! No doubt the countrymen round about him plague him now, with no one there to defend him, beat away disaster. No one - but at least he hears you're still alive and his old heart rejoices, hopes rising, day by day, to see his beloved son come sailing home from Troy. But l - dear god, my life so cursed by fate ... I fathered hero sons in the wide realm of Troy and now not a single one is left, I tell you. Fifty sons I had when the sons of Achaea came, nineteen born to me from a single mother's womb and the rest by other women in the palace. Many, most of them violent Ares cut the knees from under. But one, one was left me, to guard my walls, my people the one you killed the other day, defending his fatherland, my Hector! It's all for him I've come to the ships now, to win him back from you - I bring a priceless ransom. Revere the gods, Achilles! Pity me in my own right, remember your own father! I deserve more pity ... I have endured what no one on earth has ever done before - I put to my lips the hands of the man who killed my son." Those words stirred within Achilles a deep desire to grieve for his own father. Taking the old man's hand he gently moved him back. And overpowered by memory both men gave way to grief. Priam wept freely for man-killing Hector, throbbing, crouching before Achilles' feet as Achilles wept himself, now for his father, now for Patroclus once again, and their sobbing rose and fell throughout the house.

(Not sure about this translation but it’s the best I could find online)

So this scene plays out beat for beat in TSOTG, and it’s very moving and well done (well done by Homer originally - and Barker renders it well too), but Barker wants to make it about the women so in response to Priam’s famous line ‘I kiss the hands of the man who killed my son’, Briseis thinks: "And I do what countless women before me have been forced to do. I spread my legs for the man who killed my husband and my brothers.” Is she an asshole for thinking about herself in this moment? I understand what Barker is trying to do: elevate the suffering of the women to the same platform that the men have always had. But this is graceless. It’s not a competition.

Another element I found frustrating was the suggestion in TSOTG that the Greeks regarded Achilles’ close bond with Patroclus as unusual - characters are scornful of Achilles’ relationship with Patroclus and make snickering jokes about them being gay. This is disappointing because I am sure Barker did her research and therefore she must know that ancient Greece was probably more accepting of homosexuality (at least between men) than society is today. The only whisper of controversy around their relationship was the ancient equivalent of the ‘who’s the bottom?’ question: the Greeks would have been curious about who was dominant and who was passive, but wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow at Patroclus and Achilles being together.

Frank Miller also choose to make his ancient Greeks homophobic in 300 and Alan Moore, always happy to play the expert, was quick to point out the mistake:

There was just one particular line in it where one of the Spartan soldiers—I'll remind you, this is Spartans that we're talking about—one of them was talking disparagingly about the Athenians, and said, ‘Those boy-lovers.' You know, I mean, read a book, Frank. The Spartans were famous for something other than holding the bridge at Thermopylae, they were quite famous for actually enforcing man-boy love amongst the ranks as a way of military bonding. That specific example probably says more about Frank's grasp of history than it does about his grasp of homosexuality, so I'm not impugning his moral situation there. I'm not saying it was homophobic; just wasn't very well researched.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of ancient Greece would be familiar with their permissive attitudes toward homosexuality. Why did she choose to do this? I know she’s not homophobic because Regeneration sensitively observed the suffering of gay men, for example that minor speech impediments (lisps, stutters) manifested in men who were repressing their homosexuality. I don’t understand this choice from a woman who wrote maybe the best war book of all time.

TSOTG wraps up with a reflection on memory and the stories people want to hear:

I thought: Suppose, suppose just once, once, in all these centuries, the slippery gods keep their word and Achilles is granted eternal glory in return for his early death under the walls of Troy...? What will they make of us, the people of those unimaginably distant times? One thing I do know: they won’t want the brutal reality of conquest and slavery. They won’t want to be told about the massacres of men and boys, the enslavement of women and girls. They won’t want to know we were living in a rape camp. No, they’ll go for something altogether softer. A love story, perhaps? I just hope they manage to work out who the lovers were. His story. His, not mine. It ends at his grave... Once, not so long ago, I tried to walk out of Achilles’ story - and failed. Now, my own story can begin.

Through the sickening dramatic irony, I can pick out three points Barker is trying to make:

Achilles looms large, but Briseis is her own person and deserves her own story

This is the untold true story of what really went down during the Trojan War - the people aren’t ready for this heat but I, Pat Barker, will bring it to them regardless

This isn’t a love story, but if it were, it would be the authoritative and definitive Trojan War love story

Point 1: Briseis deserves her own story

As I mentioned earlier, TSOTG begins in media res - meaning unlike in Troy, we don’t see what the gang was doing before the fighting kicked off, the catalysts of the war, the journey from Greece, etc. The action begins mid-way through the war, mid-way through a day, mid-way through a battle as our protagonist, mid-way through her life, peers over the parapets watching the Greeks disembowel her countrymen. So TSOTG begins as Achilles enters Briseis’ life and ends just as he leaves it - it begins in media res because no one would want to hear about her boring ass life before incandescent Achilles walked into it. Briseis is most interesting when she’s talking about Achilles, watching him from afar, describing their awkward encounters, analysing his behaviour - sure, the story is from Briseis’ perspective, but she’s always looking at Achilles. Is Barker arguing that we should care about Briseis outside of Achilles? She can’t have it both ways! She can’t complain that no one cares about anything but Achilles and then tell a story centered around Achilles, make Achilles the most interesting character and - in a particularly weird move - allow him to narrate some chapters in the second half of the book.

Point 2: This is the grittiest telling of the Trojan War that readers have ever had to grit their teeth through

The suggestion that this is ‘the untold true story of the women of Troy’ is totally bogus - exploring what the Trojan War cost women has been done. Euripides wrote the The Trojan Women in ~415BC, some 600+ years after when the Trojan War is estimated to have taken place (if it took place at all). It’s a tragedy which focuses on the Trojan women (Hecuba, Andromache and co.) as they process the death of their husbands, and learn what their fate will be (i.e. which Greek they will be gifted to). As with TSOTG, the action happens off-stage, out of the women’s line of sight and is reported to them by men as they come and go from the stage. It is a relentlessly horrible play: the centerpiece is the murder of Hector’s baby son Astyanax (Odysseus throws him from the walls of Troy) and the women’s response to this terrible news.

It seems like Barker also takes issue with modern narratives glossing over the rape, slaughter and slavery that occurred during the war - but even Troy (by no means an unromantic movie) makes these elements pretty explicit:

youtube

In the clip above, the Myrmidons have brought Achilles the newly enslaved Briseis in case he would like to rape her. The slavery and rape threat elements are there. Is Barker saying that she wants to see the rape? Does this scene somehow read as romantic because he chooses not to rape her? Rape is being used more and more, especially in TV, as a way of creating realism in fantasy shows - and people do seem to have an appetite for it (see: Game of Thrones, Outlander). So her suggestion that modern audiences want a sanitised version of the war doesn’t work for me.

Point 3: This isn’t a love story. It’s about rape. But also... don’t you just love Achilles?

Quoting from Briseis’ final words again:

No, they’ll go for something altogether softer. A love story, perhaps? I just hope they manage to work out who the lovers were.

Sounds pointed. Barker is implying someone out there got the lovers wrong. It can’t be Troy because they went with the Achilles/Briseis angle too, so is she referring to Madeline Miller? Miller’s 2011 novel The Song of Achilles is a love story focused on Patroclus and Achilles (disclosure: I haven’t read it). As I mentioned earlier, Barker, going against all evidence we have about ancient Greece, chose to make her Greeks homophobic. She does touch on Achilles and Patroclus’ famous intimacy, but frames it more as some kind of preternatural closeness which goes beyond brothers or lovers. In Barker’s defence, Homer never explicitly said that Achilles and Patroclus were lovers, but the suggestion of it is certainly part of the canon. I had a high school Classics teacher who scoffed at Troy because she thought Achilles should have been banging Patroclus instead of Briseis.

Also: since we’re talking about a ‘rape camp’, were there really many lovers?

For a feminist take on The Iliad, this book has some weird gender politics. Achilles rapes our protagonist - a lot. He’s childish, he has mummy issues, he’s abrasive and fussy - but we want Briseis to win him over! We want Achilles to notice her. He’s so magnetic, even if you write him as a spoiled pig, he’s still Achilles. He’s the coolest guy in school. He’s the rower with big shoulders. He wears his hat backwards. He comes to school on Monday with a black eye. He doesn’t know anything about computers. He says he likes Hemingway. He smells good without deodorant. His socks never stay up. If you walk beside him in a hallway, you can feel heat radiating from his body. His pouting and brattiness play into his magnetism somehow. I honestly think Barker might have fallen into the same trap as high school girls throughout history: we just love a bad boy. Want a glimpse into the terrifying mind of teenage girl? When I was 17, I dumped my high school boyfriend because he wasn’t enough like Achilles or Hector. People are romantic about the Trojan War, but that doesn’t mean they want a love story.

#Homer #Troy #Trojan War #Pat Barker #The Silence of the Girls #Regeneration #Achilles #Briseis #Wide Sargasso Sea #Jean Rhys #Jane Eyre #Twilight #300 #Frank Miller #alan moore

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lupizora · 6 years

Text

Castaways On A Foreign Planet (2/5)

I have officially beat my fear of posting the second chapter! It sounds so irrational when I say it aloud but I was always worried if the next chapter will leave up to the first, especially if it had been well received. >.> That means I can slowly start working on the rest of my multi-chaps and whatever comes. Interest is so fickle on the internet. It shouldn't weight down my creativity and productivity.

This chapter is for the @kacchakobittersweetweek 's theme of Confrontation. I have one more chapter planned for the week and by the looks of it, this story will end around chapter five (maybe six, if chapter four gets too long). XD

Genre: Sci-Fi/Romance

Pairing: Bakugou x Uraraka

Rating: T

Summary: Ochako thought she had settled into her job as a mercenary. Katsuki thought there was only one reason to fly. Together they thought they knew their place in this war. But all it took to question everything was find each other again.

The ledge broke under Ochako's boots as she jumped from one rock formation to another.

"Arrogant," she hissed.

The wind whipped at her face and rustled her bangs. "Selfish."

Her boots hummed as they activated and pushed her off the ground. Conflicting emotions had tied themselves into a knot inside her chest. She couldn’t grasp how someone could be so ungrateful and rude to the person who had saved his hide from certain death.

"Jerk!" Ochako reached the plateau with one last jump.

As if she had wanted to drag his unconscious body—which had been heavier due to the higher gravity of this planet—out of that burning cockpit. She should have left him in there and spared herself from this grief. But she didn't because her consciousness wouldn't leave her alone if someone died on her watch. It baffled her though, how she hadn't recognized Bakugou when she took off his helmet. Maybe because he hadn’t had the otherwise permanently carved scowl on his face. He had appeared almost peaceful… until he woke up.

Pain shot through her chest as if her lungs stopped functioning. She hiccupped. No one besides her teachers knew why Ochako had left the Academy. Her grades had been decent, especially in their flying lessons. The incident with the Sparrow happened because of engine malfunction—forcing her to perform an impromptu landing. Thanks to her accurate calculations no one got hurt except Bakugou's pride. He started antagonizing her in all of their training sessions from that day forward. It had been surprising since he had ignored Ochako's existence during the whole semester. But as the challenges came and went, she found herself focusing harder than before, and giving her all wholeheartedly. After a while, Bakugou started lingering a bit longer after sessions. His eyes followed her whenever they were occupying the same space, although he seemed to think she wasn't looking. Ochako had even dared to hope there was something more to this than merely their growing rivalry. But she hadn't had the chance to find out for sure because she left.

I'm not gonna cry over this, she thought, wiping the tears from her eyes. It’s not worth it.

Up ahead, secluded between two rock pillars and illuminated by the light of the moon, stood her escape pod. Ochako climbed inside and sealed it shut. After returning the first aid kit back to its niche, she laid down on her seat. The bulletproof glass did little to protect her from the cold nesting inside her chest. Hugging her knees and with a clouded mind, she drifted to sleep.

For the next couple days, Ochako would crawl to the edge of the plateau and observe Bakugou’s camp. Some of the controls still worked because the Peregrine had returned into a horizontal position. Under her jacket’s protection from the scorching heat, she saw him working on different parts of the ship but not making any significant progress. Back then, she had been too preoccupied with his wounds to notice the true state of the spacecraft. But considering the windscreen was in shambles, the ship couldn’t fly out of here even with a functional engine.

When Ochako returned to the escape pod that night, she let her gaze wander on its surface. The rough landing had left minor dents here and there but she couldn’t use it to get out of there anyway. Being considered a last resort, the pod didn’t have any controls to drive. One only hoped for others to find them if they used it. Bad luck had it for the planet to pull in the pod instead of letting it float amongst the asteroid field.

Ochako snuggled in the seat, stretching her legs on top of the console. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the black surface of a screen. It was a digital frame previously adorning the Peregrine’s control panel. Ochako had grabbed it without much thought. However, after a closer examination, she was surprised to find it contained a video of familiar faces from the Academy. Kirishima—another pilot trainee, his personality vibrant as his wild red hair—and Kaminari—a radio operator spending more time in the spacecraft docks than the communications room—where seen dragging Bakugou inside the camera’s scope. Bakugou managed to shake them off but Sero—the mechanic that always got roped into the other two’s shenanigans—grabbed him by the collar of his uniform. Whatever he said made Bakugou stop resisting and he reluctantly stood in the middle. The video ended with all of them posing for the camera, the body of a spaceship and part of the docks visible in the background.

Bakugou had never struck Ochako as the sentimental type. Considering what she remembered from back then, it had probably been Kirishima’s idea. But the video brought a smile to her face nonetheless; reminding her of peaceful and simpler times, when all she had to worry about was not fail her classes.

Ochako didn’t ponder often about her decision to become a mercenary. She had done it with a clear mind and a set heart. But with nothing to distract her, she had mulled over it a lot in the past few days. Everything happened so her parents can have a more comfortable life. They had insisted she followed her dream to be a pilot, but their already dire situation became worse because of the war. Graduation stopped being Ochako’s goal soon after.

Pulling at the chain around her neck, she let the disk-shaped locket fall on her palm. Purple lines glowed in an elaborate pattern on its surface and a recorded holo-message of her parents materialized.

“Whatever path ya chose, remember that Papa and Mama won’t stop loving ya,” her dad said, hugging his wife close. “Yer a strong girl, Ochako. All we want is ya to be happy.”

“Always follow your heart, dear. It’ll never lead you astray,” her mother added.

The hologram flickered for a moment longer before disappearing back inside the locket. Ochako returned it beneath her turtleneck. It was hard to follow her heart because it told her Bakugou had people waiting for him to return home too. But it also told her she ought to wait until he realized his own hopelessness. Then, hopefully, he would ask for her help.

His scornful tone from their last conversation replayed in her head. Ochako covered her face, letting an angry whine. It was beyond the realm of wishful thinking for Bakugou to even remember she was still around, more so ask for her help. They had been stuck together on this planet for a week now, and he hadn’t shown any signs of recognizing her presence. Ochako could wait. This pod wasn’t as confined as the other places she had stayed. But she was tired of this suffocating gravity already. If he didn’t want to make the first move, she would.

When the twin suns passed their highest point the following day, Ochako climbed on the boulder she had been using to overlook Bakugou's camp. It rose six meters high above the ground. She had calibrated her boots accordingly, but the prospect of this jump sent her heart into a pounding frenzy.

This is your only chance, she repeated like a mantra.

With a deep breath, Ochako hugged the digital frame and walked over the edge. Gravity pulled at her legs like invisible vines right away. The system activated after a meter of free falling. She continued her descend as if she was walking down a staircase in midair. Her knees throbbed from the pressure, but she endured it until she landed. The ventilators on her soles raised a small dust cloud around her ankles.

Up ahead, Bakugou was hammering the surface of the right wing again. The clanging sounds became louder as Ochako approached, but his back remained turned even when she reached the left wing.

"So… how's it going?" she asked.

Bakugou stopped mid-blow, and a shiver ran its course on his shoulders. After a couple of heartbeats in silence, he resumed his work.

Ochako sighed and circled around the ship. Holding the digital frame behind her back, she inspected the exhaust. The metal constituting it had bent slightly upwards, looking like the frown face of a tragedy mask.

"Your thrusters are busted. Hard to fix but not impossible." Ochako peeked from behind the tail. "With the right parts," she chimed.

Bakugou finally turned with the familiar scowl on his face. Grease and machine oil were covering almost every inch of visible skin. He had unzipped the upper part of his spacesuit, revealing the black tank top he wore underneath. Ochako pretended not to notice as she approached the damaged wing. Her fingers traced over the initials G-0 on the hull which scorched a bit under her fingertips. She crouched down to take a look under the wing. Cables were tangling from the missing plates of the underside, and a large crack spread along what would be considered the wrist of a real bird's wing.

"What the fuck do you want?" Bakugou asked. His voice was a lot coarser than last time, as if unused.

Ochako ignored the shudders on her spine and with a tap of her shoes, jumped in front of him. Before he could protest, she presented him the digital frame.

"I came to return this."

He blinked confused and took it from her hands. His expression didn't change when the video started playing.

"It'd be a shame if it got lost in the fire. So… I salvaged it," Ochako said. "It seemed like something precious."

Bakugou put the frame aside on his toolbox and crossed his toned arms. "Don't waste my fucking time," he said. "What's the real reason?"

"This was one of them," Ochako insisted and waved a hand at the ship. "You can't fix this on your own. Even if you somehow manage to get it flying, you'll never get off this planet without functioning wings. They'll shatter before you cross the stratosphere."

"Are you blind, Round Face? This is what—"

"What about your windscreen? If not the cold, you'll die from the pressure. Face it. You have neither the team nor the parts to do this right." She offered her hand. "Let's make a deal. My pod is in good condition. I can give you the parts you need."

Bakugou narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "All right…"

"But!" Ochako lifted her pinky finger. "You have to promise that you'll take me along when you leave."

"What? Are you five or something?"

"It's either that or you won't see even a glint of those parts. Your choice."

His chest expanded as Bakugou took an angry breath, his nostrils flaring. The lion had been cornered but Ochako wouldn’t back down no matter how much he decided to growl. Their stare off was interrupted by a different kind of sound though.

The loud rumble of an empty stomach.

Bakugou looked away. Red bloomed on his cheeks, brighter than the sunburns already in place. "Can't make clear decisions right now," he said after the awkward pause. "Wait until I get something to eat."

There was barely anything left of his provisions, and he wouldn’t accept if Ochako offered hers. He'd have to hunt. But marching hungry in an unknown territory was too dangerous. She knew that all too well, having to spend several days without eating between missions.

"I could get you something," she said and added quickly because of his murderous glare. "Blab all you want about your endurance training, but you've been working non-stop.” She pointed at the forest line behind her back. “You'll just draw unwanted attention if you march in there like this. I'm better rested so I'll be done in no time."

"How do I know you won't poison me, take my ship and leave?"

"You never listen, do you? I can't fix the ship on my own either. And…" Ochako clenched her fists, her nails digging painfully into the flesh of her palms. "Someone has to pilot it.”

Understanding crossed over Bakugou’s features. He clenched his jaw, staring at the space between them like it burned. “Go,” he said through his teeth. “We’ll continue over dinner or whatever.”

Ochako nodded with a forced small smile and jumped back to the ground. Before she could take another step though, she heard shuffling above.

“Hey!” Bakugou stood at the edge of the wing. But the frown was softer, his eyebrows just a smudge less angled. “Don’t get killed,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir!” Ochako replied with a mock salute.

Her smile grew larger when he couldn’t see her face anymore. Maybe the spark back in the Academy hadn’t been only her imagination.

Beyond the forest’s brow, the scorched earth turned into ochre-colored grass. Mahogany brown trunks climbed high enough to obscure the suns with their wide foliage. They resembled lily pads sprouting from the bottom of a red lake. Her surroundings carried the faint aroma of strawberries too. It reminded Ochako of her mother. She used to cultivate some on the porch, right outside their door. But the golden glow her mother’s lean figure basked under was always cold inside her memories.

Birds with rich plumage passed overhead, startling Ochako out of her daydreaming. Their long tails left colorful trails behind like they were light-painting. Armadillo-like critters rustled the blades of grass on her right. They scurried away as fast as their tiny feet could carry them; wobbling like drunk elderly. Seeing other living creatures was a blessing after the past week’s desolation. But she had come here to hunt. The critters’ rough grey armor appeared tough like a crab’s but it wouldn’t hold a candle against her carbon-enhanced knife.

Ochako followed them deeper into the forest. Droplets were forming on her clothes like dew drops as the temperature got cooler. Without her realizing, the grass had reached her waist when the critters disappeared.

She stopped.

Chills crawled along her spine like slithering snakes. It was too quiet. She pulled out her knife and closed both hands around the handle. Listening patiently to the familiar—and maybe not so familiar—sounds of the forest, Ochako took calculated steps forward. She couldn’t pinpoint what was amiss. This sensation strained her nerves to their breaking point until stalks of grass broke with a loud crunch from her left. Something leaped out of there and Ochako dived forward. After a barrel roll, she jumped back to her feet and turned around. There was only an empty spot in the vegetation before her. She scanned the perimeter without turning her back to it when something blue shot out of the void. It swooshed above her shoulder as she dodged. The scenery trembled like the waters of a pond, painting the silhouette of a four-legged creature. While returning to the creature’s wedge-shaped snout, the blue forked tongue left behind a trail of translucent saliva.

Ochako bolted.

Her heart thumped hard against her chest. She slalomed between the trees. The heavy steps of the beast chasing her pounded on the ground like sledgehammers. Her breathing was labored. She felt like she was running through a swamp. Yet, she couldn’t stop. The creature was too big to deal with just a knife. She needed time to think; somewhere to take a breather and regroup her thoughts.

The trees around her opened up into a glade. On its other side, there was a tree with a bigger trunk than the rest but without lower branches like them too. Ochako turned left and made a wide arc inside the clearing. The beast—with its big awkward body—stumbled and rolled over. It gave her enough time to re-activate her boots. Pocketing the knife, Ochako dashed full speed ahead. Just as the beast recovered and growled, showing its pointy teeth, she jumped. The ventilators hummed on her first step midair. She didn’t drop the pace, hopping from one imaginary solid spot in the air to the next like an experienced dancer. The beast tried to reach her, its tongue missing her right foot for centimeters. Ochako’s stomach leaped to her throat and she forced her next jump to be higher. Her hands got ahold of the nearest tree branch when gravity returned with full force. She dangled from it, her shoulders screaming in protest. Hitting her ankles together ignited the boosters on her heels, and she made a 360° turn around the branch before leaping onto the next one. With the combined effort of her boosters and a couple of acrobatics, Ochako managed to perch closer to the main foliage. Below her, the beast trashed its tail and jumped, but she was too high to reach. As if disappointed, the beast continued pacing back and forth at the root of the tree.

Ochako went over her options. She could try passing above the creature but the next tree was at least two meters away. Her boots weren’t made for long-distance running and they were already pushed at their limits. The beast was so fast too. There was no way to outrun it once she reached the ground. For a moment she wondered if Bakugou would come looking for her if she didn’t return soon. It was highly unlikely. He wouldn’t put himself in danger by going so deep into the forest. There were other ways to find food and he would eventually locate the pod, without or without her help. All she had tried to do with this venture was win his trust.

With nothing else to do, Ochako decided to wait for the beast to leave on its own. Certainly, it wouldn’t take long and she had all the time in the world.

#kbsw #kacchako #kacchakobittersweetweek #uraraka ochako #bakugou katsuki #bnha #bnha fanfiction #boku no hero academia #fanfiction #fanfic #space pilots au #wolfswriting #castaways on a foreign planet #I was editing the forest sequence for three days and I still don't know how to feel about it #also this was late for a couple RL reasons but hey finally a second chapter xDDD

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emilyplaysotome · 6 years

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Chapter 14 - Goodbye and Hello

Catch up on all Chapters here: http://emilyplaysotome.tumblr.com/post/173554646607/down-the-voltage-rabbit-hole-the-sequel-master

“There’s no way it’s him!” Soryu exclaimed, holding the icepack to his cheek.

He was sitting on my couch and had hit the side of his face on the sidewalk when he’d collapsed as his old memories flooded back. Not wanting to make more of a scene than I already had in front of my building I dragged him upstairs and patched him up.

Similarly as I’d done with Hiroshi, I explained everything that had happened, including the fact that he’d tried to mug me on the train.

He apologized profusely, cursing the king and what had happened as well as reiterating once more that he was, “not the man he once was” despite the fact that it seemed his true nature was destined to be that of a criminal. When I explained that things would be complicated from here on out seeing as how he was now involved with the New York City mafia scene, his eyes drifted down and I saw actual tears start to well up in the gangster’s eyes.

“Seriously? I…I…”

“I know you worked hard to change. I have an idea that’ll fix this but I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”

“I’ll do anything to avoid sliding back into the man I once was!”

“Then we’ll ask the king to send you home. Back to the Tres Spades and we’ll say goodbye right now.”

“Goodbye? But…Naomi.”

I could feel myself getting choked up too but I nodded, “I want you to be happy Soryu and I know that’s not going to be here…with me.”

What Soryu didn’t know was that the king had already decided that he would be going back. Like me, he knew that Soryu would never be the man I’d choose and that this “second chance” was only a byproduct of the game I was currently playing. Of course Soryu was hot, and of course I was fond of him and proud of him for turning his life around. It was especially because of that last fact that I knew the king was right when I read the message, “2/6 - time to send this one back to my realm for his own good.”

The mob here was not some otome fairy tale that ended with Inui being sweet and clumsy. The mob here was ruthless and if we weren’t careful the reformed Soryu would quickly get snuffed out for fear that he might rat on his previously illicit activities.

“I want you to know that I still love you,” he said. “I’ve always loved you. And I’ve worked to become the man that you deserve - one who will never make you scared…ever again.”

“Thank you,” I said, gently taking the ice pack from him before I wiped the dirt from his scraped face with a warm cloth. “But I hope that you realize that as you are now you’re a better man than you once were. I might have been the catalyst for you to change, but I sincerely hope that you continue to live this way...for your own happiness. And for a future you can be proud of.”

It was then that my ex-boyfriend, ex-mobster, cold-as-ice Soryu cried like a baby, and I held him in my arms for a good fifteen minutes until he regained his composure.

When he did, we agreed to spend our last few hours together in good spirits and seeing as how he was Eisuke’s best friend, I figured that I might as well get his take on whether or not he thought it possible that the other king from his realm might be part of my game.

“There’s no way it’s him!”

“You’re positive?”

“I just…Eisuke knows how I feel about you. He’s my best friend and despite what people say about him, he really is a good person.”

I understood what Soryu was saying and I didn’t want to push the idea any further with him. I agreed that it would certainly be surprising if Eisuke was in fact the sixth man, but the way Soryu was dismissing the idea had far more to do with his feelings about me and Eisuke than it did as an objective third party to the situation.

“Just like his best friend,” I replied with a smile as I returned the ice pack to the freezer.

“How does it look?”

“You’ll probably have a bit of a bruise but you always look handsome when you’re a bit roughed up. I’m sure once you’re home the women of the Tres Spades will be falling all over themselves to try and land a date with you.”

A disgusted expression passed over Soryu’s features and I laughed, “You could stand to give more women a try you know…”

“No. You were different.”

“The only thing that was different about me was that you got to know me...as a person.”

He started to reply, then pursed his lips with a slightly confused expression and said, “Explain.”

“You had to get to know me because I was living with you. You initially saw me as a woman and then started to see me as Naomi as time went on…you have to do that with women.”

“But they all like perfume, and dresses, and they only want me for my money and connections!”

“Maybe some, but not all. And you won’t know until you actually have a real conversation with them. Just talk to them like you talk to your friends.”

“But they’re women!” He insisted.

I laughed, “I got news for you Sor, women are people - even in your realm. I know that because I’ve played a teacher, a baker, a police officer…you name it. They had hopes and dreams and opinions and you’d be happy with any of them. Maybe even a maid at the Tres Spades...someone you never noticed before but who is capable of loving you more than I ever could. And you deserve that. This man who worked so hard to better himself…he deserves it.”

His dark eyes looked back at me with a melancholy expression, but he forced a smile and quietly said, “I understand.”

“I’m glad. Be happy Soryu.”

It felt like a natural goodbye and I was unsurprised when a flash of light filled my apartment, revealing the king who nodded at Soryu with a polite smile. It was obvious that since he’d sent that message, the king had been watching me and he looked pleased at how entertaining our goodbye scene had been.

Neither of us fought was about to happen, and Soryu gave me a hug before stoically walking over to the king.

“Are you ready?” The king asked.

Soryu glanced back and I smiled despite the fact that I was crying. When he turned to face the king I caught one last glimpse of those broad shoulders and large back before he was gone.

“I have to say Naomi,” the king said with a smile, “you’re starting to make me sweat a little. Good luck this week.”

The king didn’t wait for a reply from me - he was someone who thrived on the dramatic and that last remark was enough to make me question if he was about to throw a massive curveball my way. Regardless, the day had taken its toll and I was ready for bed.

Seeing as how I had to work out with Hijikata tomorrow before I went into the office, I figured I might as well call it a night despite the fact that it was only 10 pm.

I woke the next day refreshed after a solid eight and a half hours of sleep. I had closed a chapter with not one, but two of the men in this realm and it was time to see how I felt about a third who was a bit of a mystery.

I threw on some workout clothes and ate half of a protein cookie at home and the other half during my walk to the gym, in the hopes of not passing out during what was about to be a strenuous hour. When I entered Edge Fitness, I saw Hijikata waiting for me with a smirk and he nodded in approval seeing as how I’d arrived 5 minutes early to my 8 A.M. workout.

“We’ll warm up with a light 2 mile run today,” he said, leading me to the treadmills after I’d dropped my bags into a locker.

“Ok!”

“Someone’s energetic this morning,” he said with a sneer, “I guess that means I can really go hard on you today.”

“Do your worst!” I said with a smile, though not meaning a word of it.

Hijikata let out a laugh and the second he did I saw this world’s iteration of Shinsaku Takasugi antagonistically drape his arm around Hijikata.

His light brown hair clung to his skin, which was covered in a even sheen of sweat. Standing side by side the two were built very similarly, and their tight attire made that all the more obvious. They both wore shorts that hugged their muscular backsides with Edge Fitness tank tops that left little to the imagination when it came to their impressive chest and arms.

The image felt as if it were something out of a Boy Love manga - a smooth looking, well built man covered in sweat as a slightly grumpier one wore an expression of protest beside him.

“The demon trainer laughs? Who knew.”

Hijikata immediately shook Shin’s arm off of him and snapped, “Get outta here Taka, I’m working.”

Shin didn’t seem to care, and instead he chuckled and used the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead purposely giving me a peek at his perfectly defined abdominal muscles. I was feeling painfully thirsty that morning and though he and I didn’t have the best history together (not that he seemed to remember anything from Otento), seeing his abs first thing in the morning left me with a little grin on my face.

“Hey, we haven’t met before - everyone calls me Taka. I’m going to be training you after I retire Tosh,” he said to me with a confident grin.

“Don’t call me that!”

“Naomi,” I quickly said, which only seemed to make Shin smile wider and Hijikata look angrier.

“I’m jealous that Tosh is allowed to train such lovely clients. A demon like him should never be allowed near someone as delicate as yourself.”

“Oh but that’s where you’re wrong,” I said with my head held high, “I’m quite strong and you’d be quite foolish to underestimate me based on my appearance.”

The comment caught both men off guard in the best possible way, and I watched as their attention stayed on me and their eyes filled with something in between lust and admiration.

“With that said, it’s already been five minutes into my warm up and I haven’t started so…it was nice meeting you.”

Hijikata smiled triumphantly and stepped up onto the treadmill beside me, away from Shin.

He hit a few buttons and before I knew it I was running 2 miles at a ten minute pace, which doesn’t sound too difficult but proved to have me panting after a minute or so. Shin left us to it after I started running, though he did say something about looking forward to seeing me around the gym.

I could tell that his comments irked Hijikata and I hoped it was because I was making progress in getting him to see me as more than just a client. That day however, his workout kept me moving at a pace that had me out of breath and barely able to think, let alone seduce.

By the end of our hour, sweat was pouring off of me and I felt incredibly smelly and unsexy as Hijikata used our last few minutes together to help me stretch. I didn’t particularly want him touching me in such a state, but I tried to keep my cool as his hands ran over my calf as he extended my leg.

“Have you been meditating?” he asked.

“Yes,” I lied, “I’m really trying to make it part of my routine.”

Hijikata smiled triumphantly, “Checking in with your body only leads to having a healthier one.”

I gave a little nod and Hijikata pushed my leg a bit further, causing me to let out a little yelp.

He chuckled and when I asked why he was laughing he cooly lowered my leg back to the ground and said, “That was cute. Good job today. I’ll see you tomorrow at 7.”

I smiled and nodded, happy that he had remembered that Mondays the company lets us roll in closer to 10/10:30 whereas the rest of the week I try to get in by 9/9:30. It was a small detail that showed he was thinking of me enough to remember something like that, and I made my way to the showers.

Seeing as how I lived a few blocks away, I could have easily gotten ready at home. However, that wouldn’t have let me show Hijikata how cute I looked in my work clothes and so I made the plan to get ready and dressed and say goodbye looking my best if only to put in his head what it was that he might be missing.

The past few workouts he’d seen me looking like a total scrub, and in order to undo that image, I gave myself a sleek blowout and donned a tight black dress that was still office appropriate.

I was feeling pretty good about myself as I applied a bit of tinted moisturizer to my face and a light coat of mascara on my lashes. Once I felt completely confident that this was going to be the best I was look, I jammed my belongings into their appropriate bag and attempted to walk in the wedges that would soon be exchanged with a pair of flats once I was back home. I planned to drop off my belongings and make the quick swap before heading into work, but I wanted Hijikata to think that I was the kind of confident woman who could rock some wedges that made her legs look amazing.

The second I exited the locker room, I saw Shin and Hijikata arguing about something at the front desk. They were so focused on each other that I worried my hard work would be in vain, so I tried to be as breezy as possible in my approach.

“Thanks for today - I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said to Hijikata with a smile, hoping that he would be so awed by my beauty that he’d feel compelled to ask me out then and there.

As if my mind had been read I heard a voice call out and say, “Hey - we should go out sometime.”

I froze at the stairwell hoping that it belonged to the right otome man in the game I was playing but when I turned back, and saw Shin smiling at me as Hijikata stared daggers at him.

“You’re not my client, so I don’t see a problem with it. We can talk about it tomorrow,” Shin said and before I could shoot him down, he walked away.

I stood frozen on the spot, my plan having backfired slightly and to make matters worse I had no idea if Shin was asking me out because he was indeed the sixth man or if it was merely to get a rise out of his rival.

Posting this guy early because I’m prepping for a busy work week! Hope you guys like it :)

If you’ve enjoyed the story, please show your support by sharing it with a friend or buying me a coffee!

Thanks for reading :)

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#eisuke ichinomiya #Soryu Oh #kissed by the baddest bidder fan fic #kissed by the bidder fanfic #star crossed myth fanfic #star crossed myth fan fiction #voltage fanfic #Voltage fan fiction #voltage romance sims #era of samurai: code of love fan fiction #era of samurai: code of love #era of samurai: code of love fanfic #Toshizo Hijikata #Takasugi Shinsaku #kbtbb fanfic #kbtbb #kbtbb soryu

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inevitably-johnlocked · 6 years

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Hello~! Ok so first of all, I hope you are having a lovely day. Second: Can you recommend me the fluffiest fics you've read? And if possible a fic that involves John reacting differently to Sherlock's "death" idk like getting reaaaaaally depressed or something angsty. Please no angst and fluff in the same fic, that's just playing with peoples hearts D:

Hi Lovely!

I’ve actually posted a lot of fluffy fics, which you can find compiled on my Johnlock Fic Rec Masterpost! I think what you will be looking for are these ones:

Tooth Rotting Fluff

Hugs & Cuddles and Tooth-Rotting Fluff (Pt. 2)

Hugs & Cuddles Pt. 2 / Tooth-Rotting Fluff Pt. 3 / Est. Relationship Pt. 2

There is a whole section for Fluff on the masterpost, so if you want to read a bit more you can check that out!

Aww, sad that you don’t want angsty fluff! It’s the last section on my Fluff Fic Rec megalist that I haven’t posted yet. Oh well, hahah! I’m sure it will come up eventually! But yeah, I do have some angsty sad John fics! I do apologize for a lot of them being “platonic” fics… I read a lot of angst back in my FFNet days, and it was all before my shipping goggles were on but I was super into Friendship Fics. I hope you enjoy them all anyway!

JOHN DURING THE HIATUS

Letters From Beyond by LittleBabeBlue (K, 637 w. || Friendship, Post-TRF) – A letter for John was found in Sherlock’s coat after he jumped.

Tea by Art and Soul (K, 693 w. || Angst & Friendship) – John’s habit of making tea for two has little use, considering his flat-mate has been dead for three years. But he keeps on making that second cup, hoping he’d wake up and it’d be gone. But it never was…

One-Way Mirror by StormyNight108 (K+, 830 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-TRF, John’s Blog) – It’s been months since the incident, where a man lost his best friend. Slowly but surely, John’s life is starting to turn up a little. That night, his blog is updated to share good news to his followers, and one anonymous commentator is quick to share his happiness. It’s about as close to his friend as he can get right now. No slash.

Thaw by reignofdreams (K+, 933 w. || Angst, Friendship, Post-TRF) – In a bitter twist of irony, John realizes that without the brilliance of Sherlock’s extraordinary intellect and pure but guarded heart, he too is lost.

The Sidewalk by politewarning (K, 956 w. || Post-TRF, Angst, Friendship, Sherlock’s Birthday) – Standing on the sidewalk outside the hospital on the 6th of January to have a one-sided conversation with his dead friend was not something John had intended to make into a ritual.

Black Cars by johnsarmylady (T, 1K+ w. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF) – John is getting on with his life…if only he didn’t see black cars everywhere! A short Post Reichenbach tale in 221B style in 5 parts.

By the Graveside by CraftyLion (K, 1K+ w. || Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Death) – But what if Sherlock never really survived The Fall? What if the Sherlock in the graveyard was merely a spirit, forlornly watching his friend from the Other Realm?

Don’t Go Without Me by MirabileLectu (T, 1K+w. || Angst/Drama) - Deep in the recesses of the cluttered space under John’s bed, far from the prying eyes of nosy landladies, there is a box.

Memory by Pipsy (K, 1K+w || Angst / TRF Hiatus / Pining) - A short ficlet looking into the lives of John and Sherlock after the Fall. Short and painful.

Shooter by Amputation (K+, 1K+w. || Post-TRF, Suspense, BAMF!John) – The men were trying to rile the other into acting first, it seemed. How boringly predictable and dull this was!

Spectrum of Mourning at the Funeral of a Solitary Man by TheBookshelfDweller (T, 1K+ w. Angst, Grief, Friendship, First Person POV, Introspection) – Because each kind of love produces its own kind of grief, a long-ignored voice tells the story of five mourners of Sherlock Holmes, a man who in the end, was all but solitary.

Text Me When It’s Over by immaculately-flawed (K+, 1K+ w. || Friendship, Humour, Post-TRF, Texting, Sort-Of Pining Sherlock) – After the fall Sherlock starts writing texts to John. Of course, he never sends them… Until he does by accident. Post Reichenbach fic but not angsty.

Hold On by Jennistar1 (T, 1300 w. || Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Hiatus, Friendship) – Alternative ending to Reichenbach Falls - John knew all along.

I Never Told You by MrsNoggin (T, 1650 w. || Fluff & Angst) – Who looks after John when Sherlock is gone? Just a bit of angsty fluff, maybe with a bit of a happy ending. A little wishful one-shot, rated for John’s good old British pottymouth.

Feed The Memory by Hekate1308 (T, 2K+ w. || Tragedy & Hurt/Comfort) – He could feed John Watson, at least. Angelo POV.

Letters by Jenna Flare (T, 2K+ w. || Angst, Epistolary, Post-TRF) – John leaves letters on Sherlock’s grave as a method of coping. Sherlock reads them every week. Sherlock/John, John/Mary.

Not The First by StillWaters1 (K+, 2K+w. || Angst, Friendship, Post-Reunion) – Discovering that John had spent twelve months volunteering at a MSF trauma hospital in Afghanistan was surprising. But not as surprising as the discussion that followed. A post-Reichenbach conversation and character study.

Pen Pals by WerewolfDoctor (K, 2K+ w. || Epistolary, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-TRF) – Most people don’t become pen pals by one of them writing a not-suicide note. Then again, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have never exactly been normal, have they?

A Loss, A Latecomer, and a Question by Musicangel913 (T, 3K+ w. || Friendship, Post-TRF / Reunion, Non-BBC Mary, Straight John) – "He was my best friend and I’ll always believe in him.“

Because Your Coat is Part of You by camellialice (K, 3K+ w. || 5 and 1, Canon Compliant, Sherlock’s Coat, Angst, Fluff) – Five times John wore Sherlock’s coat and one time he didn’t need to.

The Sound of Silence by Dubbers (T, 3K+ w. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF Hiatus, Reunion) – After Sherlock’s fall, John loses the ability to talk. Three years later, Sherlock is back.

Too Late by SJBHasADayPass (T, 3K+ w. || Angst, Suicide, Tragedy, Major Character Death, First Person POV) – Six months after the Fall, John is finding it difficult without Sherlock, and Sherlock is finding it just as painful.

the things that comfort us by hudders-and-hiddles (T, 3,728 w. || Sherlock’s Return, H/C, John’s Jumpers, Post-TRF) – Sherlock takes one of John’s jumpers with him when he leaves to dismantle Moriarty’s network. One day, John notices it’s missing. Part 2 of Tumbling Hudders

Between Asleep and Awake by katydidit (K, 4K+ w. || Friendship, Sick Fic, Post-TRF / Reunion) – John is sick. Incredibly, extremely, dangerously sick. Plagued by a high fever, he begins to hallucinate, start seeing things that aren’t really there. Because they can’t be there. Can they?

Days Go By by Hummingbird1759 (T, 4K+ w. || Angst, Friendship, Post-TRF, Introspection) – The characters’ lives go on after the Fall… sort of.

Not Without Me by Jennistar1 (T, 4k+w. || Drama, Mystery, Post-TRF Hiatus, Pining Sherlock) – Halfway through Sherlock’s Great Hiatus, Mycroft comes to him with the news that John has died. But all is not what it seems…

On Hiatus: Rotterdam (T, 4K+ w. || Friendship, Drama, Couple For A Case, Post-TRF, John Joins Sherlock, No Slash) – “Used them after uni a bit. Purely for research purposes, of course,“ Sherlock said tiredly, head lolling against John’s shoulder.” Sherlock goes on a mission alone, or: Two blokes in a luxury hotel in the Netherlands. Non-linear timeline. Set during the Hiatus.

There’s Something Living in These Lines by teahigh (orphan_account) (M, 4,676 w. || Pining, Angst, Love Letters, UST, Dirty Talk, Hiatus) – Two men, complete opposites in almost every way, who speak only in letters and pages torn from books.

A Case of Identity by PostcardsfromTheoryland (T, 4,978 w. || Post-TRF, John on Holiday, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock Whump, Angst, Reunion) – All John wanted was to get away from London for a few weeks. No people pointing and whispering about Sherlock Holmes when he walked past, no reporters wanting an “exclusive” about the dead detective, just some rest and relaxation in the sunshine. Then again, these holiday trips never seem to go as planned.

Nothing Quite So Spectacular by Kerkerian-Horizon (K+, 5K+ w. || Drama, Hurt / Comfort, Post-TRF) – How John Watson grieves after Sherlock Holmes’ alleged suicide, and what happens when the detective returns home. Set post-Reichenbach, two parts.

Excerpts from Purgatory by reapersun, what_alchemy (E, 5,829 w. || Post-TRF, Doctor John, Reunion Fic, Rough Sex, Angry Sex, Bottomlock, Fic with Pics) – John serves community service in homeless shelters for chinning the superintendent. Unbeknownst to him, the Homeless Network has his back.

Five Times by AliuIce0814 (T, 6K+w. || Drama, Canon-Compliant S1 & 2, Angst, 5 and Ones, Reunion) – … Sherlock woke John, and one time John woke Sherlock.

Not Without You by thisisforyou (T, 6K+ w. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Adventure, Mycroft is a Good Brother, Pining Sherlock, Suicide Mention, Sherlock First Person POV, Post-TRF / Reunion Fic) – “I can’t, Mycroft, I can’t do this without John.” Mycroft comes up with an alternative solution to the three years of two broken hearts that would have otherwise happened.

The Death of Doubt by Gingerhermit (E, 6,584 w. || Alternate Canon, BAMF John, POV Sherlock, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Hurt/Comfort, Angst/Drama, Meddling Mycroft) – Mycroft asks for John’s help in rescuing Sherlock from his Serbian captors.

Drowning in Darkness by chappysmom (T, 7K+w. || Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapped John, Post-TRF Hiatus / Reunion, John Whump, Angst with Happy Ending, Depressed John, Background Case Fic) – He couldn’t decide if it was a relief or a curse that he’d been left completely, absolutely alone. You couldn’t fight darkness with your fists, and no matter how strong your will-power, it could be beaten down by the constant monotony of nothingness. Nobody needed John.

I’d be Lost Without my Blogger by shadenc (T, 8,057 w. || Rev. Reich, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Pining) – "There are several snipers with their guns pointed at your head this very moment. Now, if you look up you’ll see John and myself on the rooftop of Bart’s. Understand the game yet?“ “Shoot me. Let him go and shoot me.” “Noble now, are we? Unfortunately, you are not the one who will make that decision.”

Every Night I Look for You by destinationtoast (E, 8,377 w. || POV John, Post-TRF, Angst, Mystery, Unsafe Sex, BAMF John) – Every night, John looks for familiar hints of Sherlock in the men he meets in bars, and he does with them all the things he wishes he’d done before. Eventually, he stumbles into a situation that Sherlock would know how to handle, and John must decide whether he can handle it without him.

Watching You Die by laureleaf (T, 10K+ w. || Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Suicide, Switching POVs, Sort-of Rev. Reich., Whump) – John watched Sherlock die three years ago, and Sherlock just watched John die. But neither of them are actually dead. Now an AU, with nods to “The Adventure of the Empty House”. Lots of angst and post-Reichenbach feels. No slash.

The In-Between by blueink3 (M, 10,679 w. || Fluff and Angst, H/C, Parentlock, Fix-It Fic, Canon Compliantish) – Beginning in a Chinese restaurant and ending at the bottom of a well, what about the moments we didn’t see?

White Blank Page by SarahCat1717 (M, 11,936 w. || Post-TRF, Clever John, Reunion Fic, Pining Sherlock, Letters, Fantasies) – Post-fall, Sherlock is off eliminating Moriarty’s crime web. He finds he misses John. He can’t divulge that he still lives, but he placates his need to communicate with John and still feel a connection with him by sending him blank letters. But over time, this writing exercise lends itself to Sherlock exploring his feelings for his friend. What will happen when Sherlock returns to London and the man he has been “writing” to regularly for the past two years? NOT S3 compliant. Mary who?

Sunset’s Wake by StillWaters1 (T, 13K+ w. || Angst, Hurt /Comfort, Minor Character POV) – It wasn’t until that moment, when the dazed man in the practical black jacket came pushing through the crowd and into her arms, that she understood why she had been drawn outside St. Bart’s that day.

When to Let Go by KendylGirl (M, 22,109 w. || Friends to Lovers, Reverse Reichenbach, Sacrifice, Forgiveness, Angst, Love, Implied Drug Use) – What if it were John who had to die to thwart Moriarty’s plans? John’s supposed death shatters Sherlock, and when he returns, it will challenge the pair to forge a path of forgiveness, to peace, and to find a way back to each other. Part 1 of When to Let Go

A Shipless Ocean by myswordfishmind (M, 22,135 w || Post-TRF, John has a Kid) – Ten years after the fall Sherlock goes back to London to find that John no longer lives there. Instead, he resides in a seaside town, a widower, and the father of a seven year old son. Now, Sherlock must struggle with the fact that there may no longer be a place for him in this new world.

Five Times: Watching and Waiting by Ira Lea (K+, 23K w. || Friendship, Post-TRF, No Slash) – Five times Sherlock didn’t know John was watching, and one time he made sure of it. Five times John didn’t know Sherlock was watching, and one time he figured it out. Three years of “he’s dead”, one moment of “he’s alive”, and the resulting chase through the streets of London. (Two 5:1s in quick succession and a bonus).

Dear John by wendymarlowe (E, 23,031 w. || Post-TRF, Online Dating, Pining, Epistolary, Cybersex, Long Distance Romance) – With Sherlock dead, John eventually (under duress) makes a profile on an online dating site. And falls into a long-distance relationship with an enigmatic partner who reminds him of Sherlock in all the right ways. (Hint: it turns out to be Sherlock.) Part 1 of Dear John

Holmes is where the heart is by Rose de Sharon (T, 49K+w. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-TRF, Reunion Fic, Bromance, Empty House Inspired, Adventure) – Three years after the Reichenbach Fall. On the anniversary of Sherlock’s death, John pays a visit at 221 B Baker Street… and he gets the shock of his life.

Lost Without My Blogger by starrysummernights (E, 52,155 w. || Rev. Reich, PTSD, Hurt / Comfort, Fluff / Angst, Psychological Torture, Reunion Fic, Friends to Lovers) – John is abducted and declared dead. How will Sherlock cope without his blogger? How will he react when John comes back from the “dead?” Drama and angst with a healthy dose of romance. Part 1 of I’d Be Lost Without My Blogger

The Burning Heart by May_Shepard (M, 119,150 w. || Canon Divergence, Post-TRF, John’s Sexuality, S3 Rewrite, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV John Watson, John’s Gay) – When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men. Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

The Quiet Man by ivyblossom (E, 157,369 w. || Post-TRF, John First POV, Grief/Mourning, Angst, Present Tense, Imaginary Sherlock) – “Do you just carry on talking when I’m away?”

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs #fluff #angst #angsty fluff #sarah-the-phantom #post trf #the great hiatus

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veliseraptor · 6 years

Text

okay, been meaning to make this post for ages so finally buffing this off (har, har) and posting these recs over here for @jaggedcliffs. (old fics, basically just ported from my very old Livejournal reading list.)

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER/ANGEL FICS

Disclaimer one: a lot of these are very old and I haven’t reread most of them in a while. Disclaimer two: most of these are Angel-centric and most of them are also Angel/Buffy. Disclaimer three: no I think that’s about all the disclaimers.

Backstage 26: Walking After Midnight by Aadler

Sometimes the enemy you can count on is the friend you need most. Angel+Xander.

Windows to the Soul by HonorH

Kate is of two minds concerning Angel at the end of "Somnambulist."

One Lucky Guy by HonorH

During Riley's visit to Spike's crypt in "Into the Woods," Spike lets Riley in on a few things re: love, hate, vampires in general, and Angel in particular.

Artistry by Estepheia

Rumors of another souled vampire lure Angel back to Sunnydale. Set in an alternate S7.

Damnation's Castaway Awakening by Kairos Impending

Angel is back from Hell. Buffy does what she can.

That Chanuka Spirit by Katriena Knights

Xander confronts Angel. Somewhere between "Lover's Walk" and "Amends."

The Chat by Katriena Knights

Joyce learns the truth about Angel, and confronts him about his relationship with Buffy. S3, somewhere post Amends.

This Innocent by Eurydice

Giles is confronted for his betrayal of Buffy, and does some confronting of his own.

Grief That Does Not Speak by Estepheia

What else could bring them together? Angel+Giles, post-The Gift.

Ties That Bind by chrisleeoctaves

Angel/Buffy, post Not Fade Away.

And All the World Besides by Willa

Spike and Angel after the battle. Spike/Angel, post NFA.

Baker's Dozen by chrislee

Buffy/Angel, post Not Fade Away.

Smoke Damage by Kairos

Something very personal got left behind in the wreckage of Angel's LA apartment. Now it's resurfaced, and it may be all that's left of him. Kate, post-Not Fade Away.

Waiting to Exhale by biggrstaffbunch

Buffy might never get over Angel (or Spike, as this story suggests) but in the end- she must still choose to live her life. Post Not Fade Away.

Guilt Trembling Spoke My Doom by a2zmom

Angel's post NFA journey (and his reunion with Buffy). Angel, post Not Fade Away Shanshu.

Kindred by Ares

Buffy is in Los Angeles one week after Angel and his team stood and fought in that alley.

Intermezzo by Maren

Intermezzo: a short dramatic, musical, or other entertainment of light character, introduced between the acts of a drama or opera. Buffy/Angel.

If I Had Another Chance by Fleur

Angel's been through so much that he isn't sure what redemption is any longer. Buffy/Angel, post NFA.

Ever After by White Rain

"Did you draw up visitation rights?" Connor asked casually. "True, it's normally reserved for kids. But I've learned not to take anything for granted recently."

In the Waiting by R Ellen Hanna

Angel does therapy.

Reflections Revealed by Mike Dewar

Angel finds himself transported into the realm of the Wishverse by an unknown force, leaving him fighting for his life in the much darker reflection of his world. Meanwhile, Wesley and Cordelia, with the help of an old friend, try to fend off a new enemy, who's hungry for revenge and about to strike at a weakened A.I...

Bloodbath by Kelsey

After the return of Angel's soul in "Orpheus," everything seems to return to normal. But what's going on in Angel's head, after Angelus' ruthless actions?

Here, Your Wandering One by Marenfic

Several years after the events of Not Fade Away, Buffy moves to San Francisco and does her best to try to grow up and move on. Buffy/Angel.

Talk Like Lions by WesleysGirl

It's Buffy's turn to remind Angel how to be strong. Buffy/Angel, post NFA.

What Am I To You by a2zmom

When Angel unexpectedtly shows up at Buffy's door, she realizes how little she knows him and wonders if she ever did. Buffy/Angel, post-NFA.

Gamble On Destiny by Leni

Suppose Angel avoided getting staked, and then managed to save Buffy from the Master. The story starts an hour after the worst of the battle has passed.

Revolutions by bite_or_avoid

So, she was a little late for the first act. But it totally wasn’t her fault. It’s not like anyone called to invite her, right? Buffy/Angel, post-NFA.

Weight of Life by bite_or_avoid

Absolution is not his to have. Post-NFA. Angel, Buffy/Angel, angst with a happy ending.

And Heaven Burns by Lar

How bright can the future be for Angel?

Miles To Go by Rachel Anton

Two souled vampires with a long way to go. Angel/Spike, post-Grave/Tomorrow.

Secrets We Keep by chrisleeoctaves

Giles and Angel share a secret.

Left Behind by chrisleeoctaves

Angel/human!Spike, post-NFA.

The Confessional by tkp

Angel visits Faith in prison.

Splinter by Yahtzee and Rheanna

"listen; there's a hell / of a good universe next door; let's go" - e. e. cummings. Longfic.

Counting the Days by Dira Sudis

Dawn needs to get out of the house, so Spike takes her to L.A. Dawn and Spike/Angel (and company), post-The Gift.

Five Times Angel Drew Buffy by a2zmom

Drawing her was the only way he got to keep her. Through post-NFA.

A Human Condition by chrisleeoctaves

Post-NFA. Why we fight. Spike/Angel.

Stasis by Head Rush

Picks up immediately where 'Grave' leaves off. Giles and Willow (and others), post Grave.

Five Ways Buffy and Angel Never Meet and Never Have to Say I Love You, Post NFA by LAndrews

What it says on the tin.

Testament by Beer Good

The Angel gang's last stand didn't go unnoticed, especially given their last communications on the eve of the battle. Two letters and a phone call force the survivors to re-evaluate their situation.

Best Souvenir by Lettered

Whistler never existed. Buffy meets Angel for the first time after the End of Days is over. Futurefic, alternate reality.

Orion by sweptawaybayou

Spike/Angel, post-NFA, angst.

Summerbreeze by doyle_sb4

Spike/Angel, human!Spike, post-NFA.

Vampire Winter by glassdarkly

On the run from Wolfram & Hart, Angel and Spike come to Rome intent on seeing Buffy. Spike/Angel, Angel/Buffy, Buffy/Spike, post-NFA.

Five Ways to Kiss the One You Love: A Valentine by seraphcelene

The kisses Buffy and Angel have exchanged over the course of their relationship have a story to tell. Angel/Buffy.

Valley of Ashes by Hannassus

Post-episode for "The Gift"/"There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb."

Reconstruction by AriaAdagio

Post-Epiphany. The A-team struggles to get back on track, but with Angel's soul in jeopardy, things are tense, at best.

Rough Magic by karabair

Season 5, post-"Origin," Angel and Wesley have a talk about the aftermath of the memory wipe.

Those We Wish Were Here With Us by Kairos Impending

Buffy wanders around a post-Apocalyptic wasteland with her loved ones, doing what they do best.

Windows to the Soul by Taaroko

Wishverse. Thanks to better timing with her crossbow than she demonstrated in the episode, Buffy takes out the Master in one shot. She and Angel survive to continue the battle for Sunnydale another day.

Saved the World, But I Never Saved You by thenyxie

There are some things in life you never get over. This is one of them. Buffy/Angel, post series.

vicarious (the buffy-in-the-mix remix) by lynnenne

Buffy is bossy. Angel and Spike like it. Buffy/Angel/Spike.

Five Ways of Becoming Someone Else by Kyra Cullinan

Five Willows who never were. A study in transformations.

Vivere by Rheanna

What does it mean, to be alive? AU.

Another Life by Rheanna

Even now, she finds it difficult to believe that this is real, this is her life, that this is who she is.

Showing Sunnydale by huzzlewhat

“Tonight, I’m going to tell you a story. And it’s up to you, what you do with it.” Post-series.

No Place Like Home by Chrislee

There’s a curious comfort to be found, in the most unlikely places. Buffy/Angel/Spike. Post-series.

Blood and Water by Rheanna

When LA's vampires start falling prey to a mysterious plague, Cordelia's unsympathetic. Then Angel gets sick, and she and Wesley have to find a cure -- before it's too late.

Prelude With Tears by Katriena Knights

Sensing something is wrong with Buffy, Angel seeks her out in LA, where she's come to attend the Ice Capades with her father. All is not well in Buffyland.

Together Again For the First Time by femmenerd

Buffy/Angel/Spike, post-Not Fade Away.

Cunctari Moribundum by Lint

Willow struggles in the aftermath.

A Brief History of Time (A Love Story) by Lamia Archer

Now she realizes that, had they never met, she wouldn't be. She'd be some other girl, some other Buffy. Buffy/Angel.

All These Things That I’ve Done by Taaroko

Angelus killed the Romani elder woman before she could complete the Ritual of Restoration in 1898. A hundred years later, Janna Kalderash finds the old curse amongst family heirlooms while spring cleaning, and after months of the seemingly unstoppable Fanged Five terrorizing Sunnydale, the Scoobies are desperate enough to use it. Buffy/Angel. AU.

Baked Goods by Leni

Buffy makes a call. "Hi, Angel. If it’s not a bad time – I mean. I probably shouldn’t be calling you. In fact, if you ignore this call, I'll understand. I just - I need…. You know what? Never mind. Forget I called."

#fic rec #btvs #whew formatting this was a trip

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overfedvenison · 6 years

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D&D Journal, Session 5 - Charn gets off the hook for Treason

Alright! Dnd journal... This is an eventful one

So - Last time, Okra the Orc Princess was murdered after Charn and Arka committed treason and Adrick the Dwarf made a deal with a demon and blanked out.

Charn and Arka had to begin by presenting themselves in front of the king and justifying why they kept the stone instead of fulfill on their duty. The king sent out the Paladins to retrieve everyone, most of whom complied... Adrick requested a Paladin watch over his hammer and armor as he couldn't go armed.

Charn was an issue... He refused to allow Arka to go, saying that Arka knows nothing of the lands and has sealed herself in the vault. A deal was made to allow her to stay... Charn being pretty insulting to the Paladin by not paying him proper respect.

He's smart, though, and upon seeing the king spoke only in turn. He was given a chance to defend himself... And took it, preparing a long speech justifying these actions.

"May I speak feely?" "You may. Justify yourself."

I got through my first point, and the king stated that he understood and the ability to renegotiate the deal is beneficial to this kingdom... Then I said I wasn't done. Let me post my notes on this.

Backstory if you forgot: We were tasked by the king's guard to go to perform a mission for Shira, a demon allegedly dedicated to maintaining the war of Demons and Devils so that the material plane does not fall to the victor. She tasked us with retrieving a Shard of Obsidian from the Mistveil Orcs, making us make an accord to do so (Which Charn weaseled out of.) We obtained the shard, then refused to give it back, and then the orcish princess we allied with was murdered - allegedly by a Black Raven.

And my whole notes on why we kept the shard

Section one: Arguments on the face of it.

1 - No even exchange. As far as anyone is aware, the deal is purely that we give a demon an artifact that will massively boost the power of their army for no return, or a minor return. Even if her intentions are genuine, this methodology is flawed. Although this is right and honorable and for any earthly country would instill strong diplomatic ties in the future, here I feel a proper exchange of resources is a bare minimum. Unlike other societies, good will is not an outcome here - Demons will not honor any past favors that were not an explicit agreement when parlaying in the future.

2 - No goodwill. To almost anyone on the material plane, the free offering of aid in a time of crisis for mutual benefit is a wise, charitible, and intelligent maneuver that will instill long-term goodwill and political relations. However, this is a deal with demons - Creatures of evil and greed. No matter how much charity you show them, they will never return gifts in kind unless an explicit deal is made. Furthermore, though offering aid at no cost to them in a time of need is a noble and goodly action towards humanoids, it will likely communicate that this kingdom is an easy place to exploit for personal gain to a demon.

3 - Potential for failure. Again, assuming Shira is telling the truth and entirely genuine in her actions, there is the potential she will fail, have the stone stolen, or become corrupted by it's power and elect to overtake the enemy forces instead of fight them to a neutral position. In any of these scenarios - And I remind you that time flows much faster in that plane, so these outcomes may come sooner rather than later - we will be facing a much more powerful enemy than if we had simply done nothing

4 - Potential gain. For the reasons above, this is a bad deal even if the demons themselves had only the resources of a common country to offer. However, this is a deal that might only come once in a lifetime - A deal with a demonic commander in which, to use a proverb, all the cards are in your hand. If this is genuinely needed, you could gain untold riches, magical items, or enough demonic aid to end the War against the Elven Lands in a fortnight.

5 - Breaking of a demonic accord. Unless someone else spoke first, I was the only one to accept this quest from Shira herself. My words were chosen carefully to get me out of any demonic accords: I stated that I could investigate the misty islands, but could not guarantee our success. As such, we can currently renegotiate at no penalty.

Section two: Things not adding up.

In this section I will elucidate how I believe that Shira is lying to us, and using us for her own gain. This is less factual, and more speculative than the previous section, but may bear greatly on your decision-making process.

1 - Timeline. Shira stated that she needed our aid, or else she would lose the war. She could not leave her current area, or she would fall, and so needed us to explore and find the object for her. Despite this, we took over two months in travel time - a period several years in the demonic realm. As such, I believe that she is in no real danger of losing the war anytime soon, although she is perhaps in a slow decline... Surely the over two years of losing battles with her there, is the equivalent of the week or so without her that it would take for her to obtain the Shard herself even if she for some reason couldn't defer this task to a capable demon

2 - Chosen heralds. Shira had us go obtain the item for her, an odd choice. Foremost, we are not especially noteworthy... At the time we had only a few conditional victories and were trusted scouts, but had a reputation for bad communication and poor teamwork. Further, we had made a terrible impression. Upon seeing her and her plane, our Lizardfolk Ally froze in shock and could not move, our dwarf struck him near-dead, and she watched us almost die to a demon while laughing. Again, I stated outright that I could not guarantee our success. In short, no one who legitimately needed this object would possibly trust us - She would want a teacher of the Petrels, a Squad of Ravens, or at least a party that displayed great competence. However her choice makes a large amount of sense if she saw us as competent enough to succeed, but incompetent and inexperienced enough to not question things or stand up for our doubts.

3 - Dismissal of humanity and it's allies. Shira was casually dismissive of humanity and it's allies, as incompetents who would die almost immediately should the blood war spill into our plane. Even ignoring our party's issues, it makes little sense as to why she would choose even the best of humanity to aid her if she believes this - Surely a demon commander has contacts in other planes willing to help if she is genuinely just trying to keep the balance

4 - Obfuscation. She was highly evasive of offering information and relied on awe to trust that we would accept a face-value explaination. For instance, she did not tell us what the shard did and gave vague answers when pressed. At one point she told us an outright falsehood - That the material plane would instantly fall should hell invade. Even after we returned, we were subtly threatened by vale members for compliance. This could be evidence of double-speak and attempting to obscure details, although it is also somewhat consistent with typical demonic habits.

5 - Demonic presence of vale members. We suspect various vale members of consorting with demons that would undermine the crown, possibly through deliberate conspiracy or through domination. We have sighting of fanged members and unusual happenings, but due to the timeframe lack solid evidence at this time

For these reasons, we suspect the entirety of Shira's story is an utter fabrication. I believe she is using us to gain the shard, for power, in order to win the blood war, and may be manipulating the vale in it's entirety in order to do so. As such, I suspect returning this shard will do the exact opposite of what is stated, and may lead to the material plane's destruction.

Additionally, I suggest a thorough investigation of the vale in it's entirety.

....The DM seemed to state "Is my plot that easy to see through? What the hell" and someone made the joke "Profession (Lawyer)" to me.

This begins the saga of Charn: Master Investigator - I go around with my Armor Coat and Revolver solving crimes. This is my new life, and I eagerly accept it. I thought I was slowly becoming a cowboy accidentally, turns out, NO, I'm a PI.

...Ahem, I was given three months to figure out what to do. As well as 25 lashings for high treason; Arka had to endure as well. A rough night, but not an unwarranted one. And Pavia spoke out of turn and insulted someone in the king and queen's prescence, and so was put in the stocks.

---

...Adrick was in the bar that night with Alia, the Aasimar. Soon a tiefling bard strolled up and played them a song - Knocking out everyone but Adrick. They discussed some of their dark deals, and he made another demonic accord - One to get his homeland strength and power, to allow him to take the crown, to give him honor, and to ensure prosperity. At his darkest moment, he got a taste of the abyssal... And now he will run with it.

The Aasimar awoke, and confronted him on it. She couldn't see through his lies, but something was VERY WRONG. It seems she became somewhat headstrong, and is a bit less of a passive entity - a bit of character growth.

The argument was protracted, and the Aasimar refused to budge. Adrick countered by insisting this had to do with him and his home land, and was the private business of a Thane. In the end, the Aasimar was physically attacked by an unarmed strike as Adrick became enraged. Tosh, the party's fox, was here too observing, and brought the situation down by joking and getting everyone to leave, and joking with the bartender.

The next day, Adrick would speak to the king and arrange a trip to the dwarven lands to try and smooth over the currently-rocky relationship between Angelpoint and the Daarves. Once he is free, they will depart. And thus, his schemes begin.

---

Adrick came to meet Arka and I after we recovered from our lashings. He offered us a day at a local spa/bathouse... In-character, we knew nothing of his schemes and machinations, and took this to mean that he was apologizing for getting angry at us for dishonor. We eagerly accepted and decided to head to to decide what to do.

During the spa day, we mapped out our current quests... - A visit to the Dwarven Lands to ensure Diplomatic Relations - The murder of Princess Okra, and smoothing over relationships with the Orcs - Proving the Mistveil is a puppet organization to allow Shira to gain power, or proving their innocence instead - Fighting the threat of the Elven Lands and the plague therein - Figuring out what to do with the shard

...We all agreed that the Orcs are the most pressing issue, and so Adrick and Alia decided to take a ship ahead to try and calm them while we held back and gathered evidence. They had a long encounter fighting orcas commanded by merfolk (allies of the orcs, long story) and eventually got to the shore.

As for the rest of us, we had a mystery to solve - Charn, Arka, and our fox, Tosh

#dnd journal

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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The GREAT CRUNCHYROLL Re:ZERO REWATCH Loops over Episodes 6-10 with a Shocking Revelation!

Welcome back the GREAT CRUNCHYROLL Re:ZERO REWATCH! I'm Kara Dennison, and I'll be your host this week as we make our way through Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-. Last week we traveled with Subaru to a magical new realm in episodes 1-5, and this week we're picking up from a rather gory cliffhanger and getting a few mysteries solved in episodes 6-10.

Despite covering Re:ZERO-related news constantly over in the news room, I never actually knew a lot about it. A few reveals got to us early by way of things like special-edition Rem figures, but—for me, at least—Subaru's Return by Death power and its implications were a complete surprise. With this week's batch of episodes, we got to see the toll this takes on him emotionally and how he recovers from it. There's a lot I still want to know about his life prior to the series, especially regarding how quickly he took to his new company and how little he thinks of his original world.

We're still watching Subaru evolve and, as commenter BlackRose0607 pointed out, he's "starting from zero," as it were:

That's the thing though, Subaru ISN'T a hero. He's an ordinary guy who got transported to another world and thinks he has powers right away, but really his only power is coming back to a certain point after he dies, to try and redo things and make them work for him and those around him to keep himself and everyone else alive.

It looks like we've got some viewers who gave Re:ZERO a try before and never finished, but are picking it up as we do. Welcome aboard... and now, let's see what the Crunchyroll Features team has to say about this week's episodes!

This is a very busy batch of episodes! For starters, Subaru seems to be coming to terms with his "new normal" after some really rough restarts (and a literal emotional breakdown). Has your view of him as a character changed at all from last week?

Kevin: I really like seeing the sheer emotional toll that the time loops take on him. Even if he tries, he literally can’t tell anyone about how he knows that terrible things are about to happen. In the first set of episodes, we saw how that can make him plan things out and try different methods, while this time we got to see how the constant fear and frustration leave him a step away from insanity almost constantly, especially when he knows that he’s in a loop.

Joshua: Since watching Okabe in Steins;Gate 0 and Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, I’ve been fascinated by the potential mental impact of repeating so many traumatic timelines. So at the risk of sounding like a sadist, I really liked Re:ZERO’s direct approach, and seeing the emotionally vulnerable side of Subaru unfurl out of his forced bravado.

He’s died repeatedly in brutal, painful ways, before having to act like nothing happened. It’s understandable he’d be traumatised, which makes the fact he can’t even confide in anyone, a cruel stroke of narrative genius. Despite all the pain, and occasional blips in his fight-or-flight reflex, he’s shown an admirable selfless resolve in situations where I’d sympathise with just wanting to run away though, so I’m starting to respect Subaru a bit more, I suppose.

Paul: I'm not entirely sure what to make of Subaru. He keeps taking credit for saving the day when really it’s the more powerful characters (Reinhard, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, etc.) who do all the heavy lifting, and even his seemingly courageous acts seem to be borne out of cowardice and desperation. It makes him a complicated and interesting character, but I'm not sure whether I like him or merely pity him.

Noelle: I’m still on the fence with Subaru. On the one hand, the time loops and constant deaths are extremely cruel, and having to reconcile that people he might have possibly become close to would happily see him dead. On the other hand, he hasn’t really improved as a person; he still reeks of entitlement. These are fine character flaws, but it’s not very palatable to me. Still, I don’t think he’s a bad person. Just not a type of character whose story I see as having a need to be told.

Jared: I’m still very unsure about him. Sure, he did some things that could be seen as good in this set of episodes, but I still feel like this isn’t done just because he’s a good person. There’s still parts of him that seem highly suspicious.

Carolyn: I’m really liking this minefield that he has to navigate every time he is rebooted. It’s very interesting to watch him put pieces together but then constantly seem to be three paces behind anyway. I’m not certain he’s my favorite character, I think Emilia holds that title right now. But the whole premise has me intrigued.

Austin: If anything, I've become more sympathetic towards him. His emotional breakdown in Emilia's lap really hit me for this rewatch and honestly makes it a bit difficult for me not to feel sorry for him.

Danni: For the most part, yes. I think he’s really likeable and has a great rapport with the rest of the cast, but characters with uninterrogated martyr complexes irk me. To his credit, there’s a logic to it given he knows death isn’t permanent for him, but that doesn’t negate how ultimately self-destructive and harmful it is. I guess that’s not so much his fault (he is just a fictional character, after all) as it is a qualm I have with the writing as a whole.

David: Unfortunately in this case I am tainted by having seen the show before. Given all of the criticisms of him, I am extremely interested in what everyone’s take on where his character arc goes in the next couple weeks, though.

René: I think that this batch of episodes really drives home how Subaru isn’t your run-of-the-mill overpowered isekai protagonist and is also a big part why Re:ZERO became so popular so fast back when these aired. It’s really hard not to sympathize with him through all this suffering and builds a really good emotional basis for what is yet to come.

Was the revelation of Rem as Subaru’s attacker a shock? Similarly, what about the revelation of Ram and Rem’s demonic nature?

Kevin: When I was watching for the first time, I don’t remember predicting either. On a rewatch, I don’t think there was any real way to guess the outcome, since we had never seen either maid show fighting ability and didn’t know that oni were an actual race in this world. Despite that, I really like how both are handled, since it fits with the logic of the world. Also, Subaru’s story about the red and blue oni was a nice hint.

Joshua: I think anyone watching for the first time would’ve been shocked - I certainly was back when I was a newcomer. Up until then, we hadn’t really seen Rem as more than Ram’s cute sidekick, so the reveal that she’s more than capable of a little cold-blooded murder was a shock, to say the least. Their demonic nature was less of a surprise to me though, as the seeds were quietly sewn when Subaru and Rem visited the village in last week’s episodes. Although, perhaps I picked up on that hint due to already knowing, I suppose?

Paul: This plot detail was spoiled for me long ago, and so the reveal itself wasn't a surprise, although the sheer violence of Rem's rampages was pretty shocking. I want to know more about their background and how they came to be employed at Roswaal Manor.

Noelle: I was surprised by Rem, honestly, mostly because there were… almost no clues that she could have been the attacker? Suspicion doesn’t translate into murder, and we don’t really get any proper hints about why she would want to have him killed. So it’s not really a mystery, is it? The demonic nature was hinted at with the red oni blue oni story, so that didn’t come as much of a surprise… although I was expecting that to be metaphorical instead of literal.

Jared: In hindsight, it makes a ton of sense since you wouldn’t normally point the finger at her, but it was a bit of a surprise. It does seem weird that she was going after him just because he seemed shady and had the witch’s scent on him, so hopefully that whole thing gets explained at some point. The demon reveal again is something that you can look back on and see how they made a trail to that reveal. Although Rem being a violence machine wasn’t what I was expecting when she turns.

Carolyn: I already knew because spoilers. But had I not known, I don’t think I would have been terribly surprised. We are led to believe the whole castle is full of strange people who could murder Subaru at any moment. The entire vibe is just bizarre during his first few days there. I was surprised about the demon part, however.

Austin: On my first watch I was really surprised about Rem being the killer! I remember thinking about why she might have attacked Subaru for the whole week leading up to the next episode and initially even thought she killed him in the first loop. As for Ram and Rem’s demonic nature, Re:ZERO unfortunately wasn’t the first time I’ve seen Naita Aka Oni, the Japanese children’s story about the red and blue ogres, referenced so that wasn’t as surprising.

Danni: I had honestly expected it to be Ram, so it was a bit surprising to see Rem in the end. Their nature wasn’t a surprise, though. They telegraphed it from a mile away last week while the two chatted on the walk back from the village. I did feel pretty dumb for not noticing the red ogre/blue ogre motif given how often it seems to pop up in different anime.

David: I had no clue at all, but the show doesn’t really give you any chances at guessing it could be her before the reveal, so I think the intrigue is more in the “why” than the “who”.

René: I have to unfortunately second a lot of the previous comments. I tried to approach it like a proper mystery but there wasn’t nearly enough adequate foreshadowing to point towards Rem so logic-wise, it wasn’t as satisfying. It did provide us cool action, though.

There’s a lot of intrigue (and a lot of murder) surrounding Emilia’s claim to the throne of Lugnica. Subaru’s newfound knowledge and trust aside, is there anyone in Roswaal’s household you still consider suspicious? If you’ve already seen the series, which character were you suspicious of the longest?

Kevin: To this day I’m not sure what’s up with Roswaal and Beatrice. I don’t think anyone ever mentions what specifically Beatrice is, but she is clearly extremely powerful but also bound to Roswaal’s mansion, and we have already seen that Roswaal himself is pretty powerful, magically. We’ll get some more detail about him later, but I’m still not convinced I know his entire motivation.

Joshua: Mach 1 Mary Poppins, without a doubt. His design is unusual to say the least, but the way he stands with an imposing presence, and seems to always be looking through Subaru when he talks, makes me suspect that he knows a lot more than he’s letting on. The problem with Roswaal though, is even when you put aside his makeup and exaggerated voice, he’s impossible to read. We also know he’s supposed to be incredibly powerful, which could make this mystery all the more important for the struggles to come, I suppose.

Paul: Roswaal himself is completely shady. I have no idea who he is or why he supports Emilia's claim to the throne, and I doubt he's acting out of a sense of philanthropy. How does he benefit in all of this? Does Emilia trust Roswaal, or is she merely using him out of convenience? I'm eager to find out.

Noelle: Roswaal, for sure. Granted, I like him (and his voice). He’s a fun character for sure, but I have no idea what he wants. I don’t think I’m particularly suspicious of him, but I do want to know what his objectives were.

Jared: At this point, I think it’s better to be suspicious of everyone since they could certainly pull out a surprise turn at the drop of a hat.

Carolyn: Roswaal seems like he’s up to some stuff every time he does, basically, anything.

Austin: Despite everyone being so suspicious of Roswaal, I actually kind of stopped seeing anyone in the household as suspicious after the reveal that they could smell the witch on Subaru… That said, I am beginning to put that initial dismissal into questioning.

Danni: I’m still suspicious of Roswaal, just because we’ve seen the least of him. He’s always come across to me as pretty menacing, but that might just be because of the clown makeup.

David: Yep. Roswaal. We’re not given almost any information about his thought processes or motivations at this point, so it’s only natural he is the most suspicious character.

René: Honestly, how could you not find Roswaal suspicious? I still expect him to be revealed as someone mischievous later on who at least tries to get favors out of Queen Emilia once she has ascended the throne as payback for his support, in a Rumpelstiltskin-kind of way.

If you had Subaru’s Return by Death power and a blue-haired oni maid with a morningstar killed you tonight, about how long ago do you think you’d wake up?

Kevin: I bought some apples about a week ago.

Joshua: I’d hope it would be before I had to make choices that were a little more life defining, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I returned to something more mundane. Last week, I was standing in an aisle contemplating which toilet seat to buy, so maybe then? I went for the middle priced of the three options, so perhaps my destiny would change had I went for the cheapest or more expensive, I suppose!

Paul: Hopefully far enough back that I could reconsider some of my current career choices. Working as a clerk in a public library may be a soul-crushing and monotonous job, but it beats being a starving artist.

Noelle: Similar to Kevin, I did go apple picking two weeks back-- I’m kidding. It’ll probably be at my desk at work, or on the bus.

Jared: I’d probably get unlucky and it’d send me back a year and I’d have to go back to school again.

Carolyn: Oh, boy. Probably stuck in the land of Naruto filler.

Austin: It’d probably get sent back to watching a virtual YouTuber’s stream since I’ve been doing that a lot recently.

Danni: I don’t know. With my luck I probably saved two seconds before my head caved in and would just be caught in a death loop until the console bricks.

David: At my desk watching anime, naturally. Thinking of which, Return by Death would be a convenient tool for catching up on seasonal shows…

René: Hopefully, not too far back. I’m close to having an empty email inbox for the first time since April. I would hate to lose all that finished work ...

And finally, highs and lows of the week?

Kevin: High - Subaru and Rem’s fight scene. From the choreography to Rem and Subaru exchanging trying to save each other, leading in to Rem wandering the forest as a demon to try and save Subaru, I really like the sequence. Low - Subaru figuring out that the puppy was the shaman. It took a rewatch or two for me to realize it, but Beatrice only tells him about the curse requiring physical contact before Subaru had the entire village touch him. He got every single person to touch him somewhere unique, so he knew that he would be cursed, but only later learned that when removing the curse he would be able to see where the shaman touched him. It’s a minor plot hole, but I really like these episodes, so I have to look pretty deep to find a low point.

Joshua: I adored Beatrice this week. Her constant irritation towards Subaru was adorable, and her snappy comebacks gave me life. She also shown incredible loyalty and resolve to stand by her word when she opposed even Mach 1 Mary Poppins and Ram when Subaru was accused of killing Rem (which was a really cool sequence too!).

The compassion Emilia shown in the lap-pillow moment was wonderfully pure, allowing Subaru to let his guard down and finally offload the feelings eating him up inside. Rem’s demonic outburst was tantalising to watch, and then there’s little things like the absolute heartbreak in Ram’s mourning cries (Rie Murakawa did a great job there!), and the perspective of Subaru’s pacing around making it look like Beatrice was spinning on the spot!

Frankly, these episodes were so good that I’ll have to get a bit nitpicky to find a fault, but I’m a little confused as to why everyone trusts Subaru so much? Their world is politically volatile with Emilia a likely target, yet when Rem dies of weakness only a day or so after Subaru asked Beatrice about the same subject, she still stood by her contract to protect him? I can’t exactly fault Rem there, to be honest. That’s a small detail compared to the bigger picture though, I suppose.

Paul: My high point was when Beatrice entered a contract to protect Subaru and followed through with it even though it set her against her employer and his entire household. I wasn't expecting that, and I think it hints at interesting (maybe even fiendish) possibilities for her character. My low point is the reveal of the shaman's true identity. I felt like I'd somehow missed two or three important chapters of a book when the story pivoted to focus on a minor mabeast invasion. I had assumed the curse was related to Emilia's election (and maybe it still will be), but the shift to a concurrent but unrelated threat struck me as jarring.

Noelle: High point, Rem fighting, both in her wailing on Subaru and brutally handling hordes of monsters. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Low point, wow, that dog was 100% not hinted at all to be a monster, huh. I thought it was interesting, because of course we suspected the humans first and not that the culprit could be a monster instead, but I wish there was more leadup to it. We got a lot about curses, I wish that infodump also contained things about monsters too, so we could at least guess that.

Jared: High points for me would be the fight scenes which were really well done and Beatrice just being a ton of fun throughout these episodes. Low point might be the shaman reveal because I thought it was a bit too obvious it would be the dog. Since Subaru learned it was through physical contact, I immediately thought back to the dog bite and figured that’s where it’d end up going. Plus, if Sailor Moon has taught me anything, it’s that pets that have “bald” spots are not what they seem to be.

Carolyn: I actually really liked the scene with Subaru crying into Emilia’s lap. That was very sad and emotional. The kid just needs a break and a friend. I’m not sure I have a low point. I liked this set of episodes quite a lot.

Austin: Gosh, there were so many highs. I actually cried when Subaru broke down in Emilia’s lap and “Houya no Yume yo” started playing, every single reason I really liked Beatrice on my first watch came rushing back to me when she formed a contract with Subaru, Rem’s anger filled questioning before killing Subaru after the reveal and Ram’s blind rage towards him after Rem died both hit me like a truck (voice actors and actresses sure are amazing!) -- I could honestly go on for longer than I probably should about everything I really liked about these five episodes.

As for lows, it felt a little too easy when Subaru won over Rem’s trust to the point where she’d risk her life to rid him of his curse in the tenth episode. Also, Subaru’s emotional turn around after Ram chased him and Beatrice down felt a tad “unrealistic”, for lack of a better word. Ultimately, those are pretty minor nitpicks, though.

Danni: This was a really strong selection of episodes in what I’ve found to be a real great show so far, so it’s hard to pick any single favorite moment. Beatrice continues to be my favorite character in the entire show so every moment with her is a treat, especially her honoring her contract with Subaru despite it pitting her against her employer. Subaru telling Ram the story about the two ogres was a pretty touching scene, as was Subaru breaking down in Emilia’s lap. Those kids are pretty cute together. I can’t think of any ultimately low points, really. Those CGI dogs didn’t look that great, I guess?

David: High is absolutely the scene where Beatrice defends Subaru, hands down. Probably one of the best moments in the whole show, too. Low is just in general how many times Subaru had to die to figure this one out. Gets surprisingly tiring to see the same days play out over and over!

René: I absolutely love the lap scene with Emilia, so that’s definitely the High for me. It’s not only a beautiful character moment but also really hits me as a wonderful anti-toxic masculinity moment as Subaru is just not able to keep up his facade as the strong hero anymore and needs to let it all out. I’m always a sucker for moments like this.

There weren’t really any Lows this week, so I’d have to go with the Shaman reveal, as well which is still not THAT bad. I’ll have to wait for next episode to have something for this segment~

COUNTERS:

Week:

"Barusu": 7

Subaru Deaths: 2

Methods of Death: Slit throat/torture, falling/suicide

Overall:

"Barusu": 17

Subaru Deaths: 7

Methods of Death: Disembowelment, disembowelment, stabbing, curse, curse and dismemberment, slit throat/torture, suicide

And that's everything for this week! Remember that you're always welcome to join us for this rewatch, especially if you haven't watched Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- yet!

Here's our upcoming schedule!

-Next week, on October 4th, Carolyn takes us past the halfway mark with episodes 11-15

-Then, on October 11th, David hosts our penultimate week with episodes 16-20

Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Re:ZERO Rewatch! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all next time!

CATCH UP ON THE REWATCH:

Episodes 1-5: Starting Life in Another Rewatch

Re:ZERO Introduction Questions

Have anything to say about our thoughts on the episodes watched? Let us know in the comments! Don't forget, we're also accepting questions and comments for next week, so don't be shy and feel free to ask away!

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Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and interviewer with bylines at VRV, We Are Cult, Fanbyte, and many more. She is also the co-founder of Altrix Books and co-creator of the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. Kara blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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hermanwatts · 5 years

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Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 20 July, 2019

Dungeon core factories, ghost machines, and vampire councils feature in this week’s fantasy new releases.

The Depth of Deceit (Elder Stones #5) – D. K. Holmberg

With the threat of another attack, Haern must use his new abilities to make a dangerous gambit. Doing so requires he trust someone who has betrayed him once before, and count on others who still don’t fully understand the nature of their abilities. If they succeed, they might finally be able to stop Olander Fahr before he manages to acquire another of the Elder Stones.

Daniel struggles to understand his connection to the shadows along with what it means that he can sit at the Council of Elders. When a new threat appears, his unique understanding of the shadows might be the key to survival.

Lucy continues her search to discover the longer game. With the Architect now imprisoned, she has access to someone who can guide her to where Olander Fahr might attack next, but they remain a step behind. A growing fear that someone has deceived her leads her in a new direction, but it’s one that will require her to make a dangerous choice.

Isolated within the city of Lexa, Ryn must continue to serve the Great One, but a new challenge to her authority forces her to look for power in a different way.

Plans unfold, but for the first time, all begin to wonder if the one behind them is different than who they had believed. And if not Olander Fahr, who is the real threat?

Factory Core – Jared Mandani

Who could have predicted that a simple mining mission would end up jeopardizing the entire known world?

When a couple of dwarves keep pushing deeper and deeper into the earth to find new veins of mithril to extract, what they unearth, however, is the doom of their race. Bursting out of the breach they created is a horde of powerful demons that only know one thing: to destroy.

Fast-forward a few months and the war rages on. Unfortunately for them, despite their bravery, the dwarves are no match for the sheer numbers and ferocity of their adversary.

In a last-hope attempt to save their kind, they decide to activate a secret project their engineers had been working on: a mobile factory made of bricks, brass, magical runes and soul gems. That sentient machine is not only capable of observing and learning from its foes, it can also produce the required weapons necessary to strike back.

This Factory Core—as they call it—will need to build units and defensive mechanisms to repel the demon army and prevent it from razing the city. But this will prove to be an almost impossible task as the invaders, led by a vicious commander, have more than one trick up their own sleeve…

The Forging of Dawn – Jacob Peppers

No armies march. No generals marshal their troops on some distant battlefield. Yet the people of Entarna are at war.

And they are losing.

The nightwalkers have returned, creatures that roam the darkness searching for anyone foolish or unfortunate enough to find themselves without light to protect them. And the people of Entarna carry lanterns and torches, wielding them as shields against the night’s creatures.

But sooner or later all lights fade. All flames go out.

Torrik and his wife were once soldiers in the war against the Dark. But when their son Alesh was born, they left that life behind them in the hopes of keeping him safe. But Alesh is no normal child, and Torrik will be forced to learn a hard truth.

Mortals plan. Mortals hope. And the gods laugh.

Finding themselves in the center of a conspiracy threatening the entire realm, Torrik and his wife must try to become the people they once were, people they’d thought they’d left behind long ago.

For when all lights go out…darkness reigns.

The Ghost Machine – Kristen Brand

Ella Rosenfeld doesn’t feel insane. In fact, she feels quite normal. Exactly how she did before the accident.

Until the sun goes down. Then the hallucinations start…and the ghosts come. Sometimes they speak to her. Sometimes they merely stare. But they couldn’t possibly be real, could they?

Checking herself into an asylum in the mountains of Eastern Europe, Ella hopes the doctor there can cure her. She doesn’t want to be a burden to her family. She doesn’t want to keep seeing ghosts, or whatever they are, every night. Desperate for relief, she’ll try anything to banish the dead.

But there is no solace to be found. Only silence, knitting, and cruelty. Soon Ella realizes that while she could check herself into the asylum, she cannot check herself out. At the mercy of the doctor, her treatments grow more barbarous and agonizing by the day.

Ella must escape before the horrific experiments leave her dead. Or completely mad. But her only hope is the surly and stubborn Baron. Only he can stand between her and the twisted treatments her Doctor insists are necessary.

Will the Baron help Ella or betray her? And what terrible fate is waiting for Ella beneath the asylum?

Godless (Feathers and Fire #7) – Shayne Silvers

Callie Penrose is back to murder vampires and chew bubblegum. And she’s all out of bubblegum.

Callie has had a rough few days. Five minutes after discovering she had a Godfather, she learned that the future of the world depended on the two of them taking an immediate road trip.

To Castle Dracula—a place even the supernatural community believed to be an urban myth, dead and abandoned long ago when Dracula had perished at the hands of Van Helsing, Mina, and Jonathan Harker.

Except…Dracula and his castle were alive and well. Worse, he had been secretly running the Sanguine Council—the governmental body of every vampire in the world—ever since his alleged death, with none the wiser. Not even the vampires.

And Callie’s first Godfather-daughter dance was to go assassinate the Sultan of Suck once and for all.

But she soon learns that Dracula is the absolute least of her concerns. And that some bonds should never be forged. Because once made, they can never be broken…

Callie Penrose is about to show the world fear in a palmful of blood.

Lighting Distant Shores (Challenger’s Call #4) – Nathan A. Thompson

He was too late to stop the darkness from falling.

But there’s still time to raise up a light.

Wes Malcolm has arrived to the world of the Sun-Jeweled Seas, but the cataclysm of this world has already passed. Darkness covers the waters. All but a handful of people have vanished without a trace. And something dark and burning hunts the survivors hiding in their islands.

But the Challenger-Lord of Avalon refuses to believe that all is lost.

He is no longer the damaged teenaged orphan that stumbled into the mists of Avalon. He has rescued two worlds, seen the dead resurrected, unearthed forgotten magics, and received the power of two cosmic dragons. Every impossibility thrown at him so far has proven to be a lie.

He will not accept defeat here, either. Not until he drives back the darkness hiding every shore.

Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 20 July, 2019 published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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jersey772-blog · 7 years

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How many games will the Cleveland Browns win in 2016?

The Cleveland Browns have not impressed most national prognosticators. But what does the Dawg Pound Daily staff believe is in store for the team in 2016?

The Cleveland Browns open the 2016 NFL season today when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Browns have been the talk of the NFL – and not always in a good way — since the end of last season. Another regime change by owner Jimmy Haslam has been derided as front-office appointees Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta are adding analytics to the team’s toolbox for rebuilding the team. This has ruffled the feathers of traditionalists who fear what they don’t understand.

Related: Browns vs. Eagles: Planning for the Wide 9

The hiring of head coach Hue Jackson has been well received, however, as for the first time since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns hired a head coach that other teams were actively coveting.

On draft weekend the Browns selected 14 players – 13 made the final roster — and last week claimed a league-high five players off the waiver wire. Consequently, Cleveland enters the regular season with more than half of its roster comprised of players in either their first or second year in the league.

That has led many to predict nothing short of doom and gloom for the Browns this season. Forget challenging for a playoff spot, the Browns are going to be so bad, according to some, that they may find a way to post a record worst than 0-16.

Related: 5 bold predictions for 2016

So just what does 2016 have in store for the Browns? The Dawg Pound Daily staff got together to look into their respective crystal balls and come up with a prediction for the season.

Jonathan Goehring (Final record: 7-9) Though expectations are low as the Browns move through a lengthy rebuilding process, the team has an opportunity to surprise many in 2016.

Led by quarterback Robert Griffin III, who is possibly Cleveland’s long sought-after franchise quarterback, as well as several young playmakers on both sides of the ball, the Browns do not lack talent. They also have found a head coach in Hue Jackson who has had experience succeeding at the NFL, a coach whose expertise is on offense and can work with a young offensive line and young receivers.

Cleveland’s schedule is also manageable, as each of the first four games before wide receiver Josh Gordon returns from his four-game suspension are winnable. The young talent Cleveland possesses will not form a winning franchise overnight, but it will translate to more success than 2015.

Given the way the Browns lost games in heartbreaking fashion last season, the team will experience slightly better fortune in 2016. The rebuilding process will get off to a solid start this year, as the Browns will finish 7-9.

Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Cleveland Browns 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Steven Kubitza (Final record: 7-9) There are two groups of Brows fans. The first thinks the Browns are going to go 1-15, and can’t wait to see the team end up with the first pick in the draft. Then there is the group that wholeheartedly believes the Browns are headed to the playoffs this year. I fall in the middle of these two extremes.

The Browns are a team consistently falling in the three- to five-win range, with a break from that cycle being more unexpected than the starting quarterback making it all 16 games. The Browns did go 7-9 in 2014 with an extreme lack of leadership off the field, so this new, organized leadership group should lead to some success. Right?

Related: Browns vs. Eagles: 5 keys to victory

The main reason for this prediction is the presence of head coach Hue Jackson on the sidelines. Those Browns teams that finished in the realm of 3-13 and 4-12 lost many close games, either blowing fourth quarter leads or losing at the last second. Think of last year’s “kick-six” loss against the Baltimore Ravens as an example.

With Jackson as head coach, these late-game losses can be avoided, or at least managed better. The Browns are a young team who are going to lose some close games, but if the team has a late lead, Jackson should be able to do a much better job at keeping his team poised than the coaches of Browns past. Think of Pat Shurmur calling a handoff to a backup tight end for an example of that. I was there. I won’t forget.

It is a new era. There is a new coach and a new quarterback, and that will result in more wins. Or so I hope as the Browns will finish at 7-9.

Aug 26, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (12) stretches as he works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Joel Cade (Prediction: 5-11) The Browns are undergoing yet another “rebuild,” but unlike years past, this front office’s plan is bold and outside the box.

Their moves have been decisive with a dash of unconventional. Much like a baseball rebuild, the first move was to tear down the remnants of last year’s veteran laden 3-13 team. Letting all of their free agents leave gave this front office the embarrassing look of incompetency to those outside of Berea. Drafting 14 players and trading for cornerback Jamal Taylor helped rehabilitate the front office’s image. However, the total makeover the Browns will ultimately play out on game days this fall.

Related: Storylines to watch vs. the Eagles

The Browns schedule is formidable. Opening the season with five of seven games on the road means this young team will get a baptism by fire NFL style. The early part of the season will be rough as rookies and young players learn to adjust not only to playing in the NFL, but also to head coach Hue Jackson’s power run, West Coast style offense and defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s complicated zone blitz 3-4 base defense.

Expect this team to struggle out of the gate and start slow. By mid-season, Jackson and company should be able to separate the studs from the duds on the roster. This will allow for better game planning and should prove for closer, more exciting games. By December this team should be comfortable in the NFL and in their respective schemes.

Unfortunately, it will be a rough season on the field for the Browns, especially early. However, as the team jells around its coach and scheme, the games will grow far more exciting.

Contrary to Brian Billick’s thoughts, there are winnable games on the schedule. Look for the Browns to finish at 5-11.

Roger Cohen cheap nfl jerseys (Prediction: 6-10) One thought came to mind when I saw ESPN’s analysis of 10,000 computer simulations rating the Browns Super Bowl chances as ZERO: that’s probably a bit too optimistic.

Conversely, the Browns will not go 0-16 and may actually “shock the world” by:

Duplicating the team’s 1950 NFL debut by defeating Philadelphia this afternoon — although this Eagles squad is not the reigning league champs Open 2-0 by topping the Baltimore Ravens in the home opener Beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium Win the “Brady Bowl” return game against the New England Patriots on Oct. 9 That’s what might cheap jerseys from china shock the sports universe, here’s what won’t:

Josh Gordon relapses and never plays a down for the Browns. RG3 can’t overcome his problems with quarterback mechanics, ego management and injuries and starts fewer than eight games. The Browns run a bus terminal for place kickers, punters and returners, with special teams play costing them at least four winnable games. Quarterback Kevin Hogan jumps off the practice squad to start in December – more than once. And the worst: Joe Thomas’ consecutive snap streak ends. By some crazy combination of the above, the Browns will finish at 6-10 with Hue Jackson earning some Coach of the Year votes.

Eric Szczepinski (Prediction: 6-10) National reporters are giving the Cleveland Browns no love heading into the 2016 season, with many predicting the team to win fewer than three games. However, there is reason for Cleveland fans to be optimistic heading into the season.

The offense will cheap jerseys be centered on an improved receiving corps featuring rookie Corey Coleman, Terrelle Pryor and the long-awaited return of former Pro Bowler Josh Gordon. Robert Griffin III will have a solid group of playmakers to ease the offensive workload.

Related: Hue Jackson and Browns coaching debuts

Griffin remains a huge question mark beginning the season, but with his athletic ability, the Browns revamped playmakers and head coach Hue Jackson’s player-friendly scheme, there is no reason to believe that Griffin will not be able to hold his own at the quarterback position for the Browns.

Defensively the team is extremely young and lacks playmakers at key positions. However, the offense should be much improved and give fans hope and something excited about heading into the season.

Look for the Browns to cheap jerseys china finish at 6-10 on the season.

Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) catches a touchdown as Atlanta Falcons free safety Ricardo Allen (37) and cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) defend during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Thomas Moore (Prediction: 3-13) Buckle up, Browns fans, because things are wholesale jerseys china about to get ugly, at least in terms of the team’s final won-loss record.

The Browns are undergoing a rebuild that is taking the roster down to its foundation. A year from now — after a season of growth and evaluation, another off-season of work and the 2017 NFL Draft – the Browns will be closer to the end of the beginning, but the next few months are going to be rough.

MORE FROM DAWG POUND DAILY Garrett, Howard to Browns in latest NFL.com mock draft17h ago Browns sign former CFL kicker Brett Maher1 d ago Cleveland Browns: Kevin Zeitler adds new dimension to the running game1 d ago Talking free agency fallout on Episode 3 of the DPD Podcast1 d ago Should the Cleveland Browns trade for Richard Sherman?2d ago There are still several questions surrounding quarterback Robert Griffin III; the young wide receivers, and that most certainly includes Terrelle Pryor, still need time to learn how to play the position at the pro level; and the rookies will have their ups and downs as they discover that playing 16 games in the NFL is far different from playing 12 or 13 games at the college level.

But that doesn’t mean the next four months will not be filled with some excitement. On those days when Griffin is hitting deep passes, or Carl Nassib and Emmanuel Ogbah are harassing opposing quarterbacks, the Browns will be fun to watch. wholesale jerseys

This team is not set up to “win now” under any definition of the term, but rather is one that should get better as the season goes along. It may be hard on the eyes at times, but will be of benefit when looking at the big picture.

NEXT: Browns vs. Eagles: TV, Radio Info Las Vegas oddsmakers have set the over-under on wins for the Browns this season at 4.5. All those glittering buildings on the strip were not built because the people running things are stupid, so that number feels very accurate. The Browns will have no problem hitting the under as they will close out the year at 3-13.

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