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spartanguard · 4 years

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(love will see us through these) Dark Days [CSRT; 2/7]

Summary: A century ago, the United Realms of Pomem had been a land of peace, prosperity, and magic. Until war tore the land apart, leaving behind cruel leaders and even crueler laws regarding the use of magic. And each year, the youth of each realm are subjected to a fight to the death, both for entertainment and to weed out anyone capable of wielding magic. In the 99th Magic Games, past victors Emma Nolan and Killian Jones find themselves serving as mentors, while Alice Gothel and Robyn West end up representing their realm. Everyone has secrets; everyone has something to lose. Who will win? Who will die? Just don’t forget: all magic comes with a price.

rated M | 7k words | part 1 | AO3

A/N: And here’s chapter 2 of my story for the CS Rewrite-A-Thon! (@captainswanbigbang) Thanks to everyone who read and commented on the first part! And eternal thanks to the best beta ever @optomisticgirl. Please don’t get too mad at me for the flashback at the beginning of this. Title comes from "Come Away to the Water" by Maroon 5 f/Rozzi Crane.

part 2: Come away little lamb, come away to the slaughter / To the one appointed to see this through

Twenty-three years ago

The falling rain should have been sign enough of what was to come. Nothing good happened on dreary, drizzly days—not since Mama had passed, at least. But all Killian was really concerned with was the way it was working its way through his threadbare jacket as he stood and shivered in the town square with his classmates.

He was nervous, too—who wouldn’t be at their first Reaping?

Liam had tried to calm him that morning, as he attempted to smooth down the cowlick on the crown of Killian’s head. “You’re only 12, so your name is only in there once. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“What about you, though?” At 18, Liam’s name was in there seven times.

“My odds are still good; don’t worry, little brother.”

“Younger,” Killian muttered under his breath.

His brother’s words, right as they were, did little to calm him. The Games had a way of making the worst things happen.

Killian’s heart rate picked up when the escort from Olympus reached into the bowl containing everyone’s names. The name he read out wasn’t familiar, thank goodness, and a guy from farther back in the crowd shuffled his way forward. His head was hung low; even if Atlantica was the reigning champion of the Games, and was generally considered to be a realm who did well in them, it didn’t mean that being Reaped was still anything less than a death sentence.

The kid was guided to the back of the stage, standing by last year’s champion, Milah Cassidy, and the escort turned his attention back to the bowl. Killian began to breathe deeply when he took out the next slip.

And then Killian’s heart stopped altogether.

“Killian Jones.”

No. No—it couldn’t be. Liam told him—his chances were so low—how? Just, how?

But it seemed as though his fate had been chosen for him, like always; no sense fighting it now. The crowd of kids his age began to part around him, and he straightened his spine and began to cross the short distance to the stage. But then something even worse happened.

“I volunteer!”

Killian turned and stared at the shouting voice, to see Liam struggling against Black Knights who were holding him back.

“I volunteer as tribute.”

He was once more stunned, speechless, and frozen in spot, as the guards let Liam go and he began to come to the front. Calm and noble—that’s how Liam always was.

But not Killian. His own fate he could have dealt with—but not Liam’s. As soon as his brain caught up with everything, he ran at his brother, who barely was able to brace himself for the impact of a gangly preteen slamming into him.

“Liam, no—you can’t; you can’t!” Killian cried in his ear; Liam would probably be just fine without him, but Killian—he couldn’t—he wouldn’t—

“It’s alright, brother,” Liam whispered, then somehow pried Killian’s arms off of him. Killian was too shocked to try to follow. He was vaguely aware of the Black Knights coming to stand on either side, but his gaze was transfixed on Liam as he took the stage.

“I’m Liam Jones,” he said, when asked for his name.

“Oh, then I bet that was your brother, wasn’t it?” the smarmy escort had said.

“Aye,” he nodded solemnly. The rest of the scene was blurred by Killian’s own tears.

He was vaguely aware, however, of being escorted by the soldiers into the city hall, where tributes were able to make their goodbyes. Killian was left in front of a door, and even though time was probably limited, it took a full minute for him to work up the nerve to open it.

In the small room, Liam was pacing, head down in thought—like he often was when trying to figure out how to make their last bit of food stretch enough for the two of them until they could afford more, or how to repair their roof, or one of the many problems that had been shoved onto his shoulders since Mama died and their father left.

He looked up when the door opened, though, and ran to Killian, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Liam, how could you?” Killian sobbed. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you!”

“Shh, you’ll be fine.”

“But what will I do without you?”

“You’ll survive; you always have and you always will.”

For what seemed like eternity, Killian sobbed into his brother’s shoulder. It was great that Liam was so confident, but he certainly wasn’t. “Why did you do it?” he finally asked through hiccups.

Liam took a deep breath. “Remember what I’ve always told you: that a man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets. This is what I want.”

“You want to die?” he snapped back.

“No, little brother—I want you to live.”

There was nothing more Killian could say to that, so they just held each other tight until their time was up.

“You’ll try to win, though, right?” Killian asked.

“Of course I will.”

Sniffling, Killian pulled off the chain that hung around his neck. “Here—take Mama’s ring, for protection.”

Liam took the antique—one of the few things they had left from their mother—and slipped it around his own neck. “I feel safer already,” he said, though Killian was old enough to know it was an empty platitude.

“I love you, Liam.”

“I love you too, little brother.”

Black Knights arrived to escort Liam to Olympus, and it took every ounce of reserve in Killian’s lanky body to not cling to him; but he followed as long as he could, and watched as Liam walked down the long hallway to the train depot, then out of sight.

He managed to hold it together until then, but the door leading outside had barely closed before Killian collapsed on a bench, sobbing again. What the bloody hell was he supposed to do? He had no family, no money...honestly, Liam should have just let him go and freed himself from the burden of a little brother.

“Is this seat taken?” An older voice startled Killian; he looked up, blinking through his tears, to see a vaguely familiar man standing over him.

“N-no; go ahead,” he stammered, then wiped his nose with his wet jacket.

The man sat down next to him and didn’t say anything for a bit; not until Killian had calmed down (which he’d really only done because he had company). But eventually, he spoke up. “It’s Killian, right?”

“Aye, sir.”

The man held out his hand. “I’m Nemo.”

Politely, Killian took it, and the name jogged his memory: Nemo was a past Victor, who he thought usually served as a mentor. “Aren’t you supposed to be going to Olympus?” he asked.

Nemo gave him a half smile, and there was sadness in his eyes. “Not this year. And it seems that you aren’t, either.”

“No,” Killian agreed in a small voice.

“Forgive me if this is forward,” Nemo continued, “but I couldn’t help but notice your parents weren’t around today. They’re gone, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, seeing as neither of us have anywhere to be or anyone to be with, could I invite you to stay at my home for the duration of the games?”

Killian blinked; a Victor—who didn’t even know him—had just invited him to stay with him? “Why?” was all he could say.

Nemo chuckled. “I live alone in that big house, and I could use some company. Just until your brother gets back, of course.”

They both knew that promise was slightly hollow, and while pride and propriety should have insisted that Killian turn down the offer, he also hated the idea of spending the next few weeks (and however much after) on his own. “I...okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

Nemo grinned, and stood; Killian wiped his face again and followed. “So, what’s your favorite food, m’boy?”

Looking back, there was no way Killian would have survived those weeks without Nemo. He made sure he had food; made sure he got his schoolwork done; and was there by his side each night when they had to watch the recap of the day’s events in Neverland. Nemo was the one who eased his fears on the first day, and all through the first week of the Games, as Liam managed to get into the top five; and Nemo was the one who held Killian as he watched Liam’s slow, painful, lonely death after a brush with the dreamshade plant.

Nemo was also there on the rainy day that the Black Knights turned over custody of Liam’s body to Killian when it came off the train.

“You can stay with me as long as you need, Killian,” Nemo had said solemnly after they buried Liam. Killian didn’t answer—didn’t even acknowledge the statement—he just...went with him. It was the closest thing he had to home anymore.

And he didn’t leave until the next time his name was drawn, six years later.

◇─◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇────◇─────◇──◇─◇

Present

Every ounce of self restraint that Killian possessed was in use as he stood on the other side of the door—and had been in use for the past few days, ever since the Reaping. His tributes were probably terrified of him, or at the very least worried for their lives (more than they already were), with his cool aloofness on the train journey to Olympus, even if Ariel, his co-mentor, assured them otherwise.

He’d just been trying to rein his raging emotions long enough to get here.

But now no one was answering his polite knock, or the buzz of the door chime on the electronic keypad outside, though he knew they were in there—tributes weren’t given free run of the castle that served as home base for the Games, and it wasn’t quite time for them to get ready for the parade. So why wasn’t he getting a reply from the Sherwood quarters?

Losing his patience, he banged on the door instead. That should get their attention.

Finally, he heard steps approach the door, and saw the green light on the peephole that let him know he was being watched. The heavy bolt unlatched, but it somehow sounded reluctant and unhappy—much like the reception he knew he’d get from the person on the other side.

“What are you doing here?” Eloise asked, annoyed, giving him a stern look with a hand on her hip.

“Where is she?”

“Getting ready.” Her tone was aggravatingly nonchalant, and had been as long as he’d known her.

“No, she’s not; don’t bloody lie to me. Where’s—“

“Papa?”

In the room beyond, Alice was standing and staring at him, still in the dress she’d been wearing at the Reaping. He knew Olympus’s stylists would doll her up and make her fit their standard of beauty, but he took a long moment—hopefully not the last—to memorize how she looked now: curly blonde hair framing her face, wide-eyed innocence in her blue eyes, and wrinkles in her skirt from where she’d been fidgeting with it.

“Alice,” he said on a breath, then dodged around Eloise to bring her into his arms. She wrapped herself tight around him as he hugged her close, cradling the back of her head like he had when she was a babe.

God, would he ever get to do this again?

He blinked back the tears pricking the corner of his eyes and continued to hold on until she said, in a small voice, “Papa, I’m so sorry.”

Sighing, he stepped back, but still held onto her shoulder. “Starfish, what the bloody hell were you thinking? You know what all this is like.”

“I know, but...I couldn’t let him go, Papa,” she said, sniffling a bit. “It’s like what Uncle Liam did. Nicholas...he’s too young; his mother needs him. And I...well, I…”

“If you think for one second that no one needs you, there are two people here who can tell you that you’re sorely wrong,” he refuted, brushing a falling tear from her cheek with his thumb, while mentally cursing the fact that she’d somehow inherited his brother’s bloody noble streak. “Alice, if I lost you, I…” gods, he couldn’t even voice it. He just pulled her back into his embrace, vaguely aware of the tears soaking his shirt (and not caring one bit).

He felt an electric charge on his back, where she was gripping his shirt. “Breathe, darling; breathe.” The last thing they needed was her magic setting itself loose and making her an easy target. He’d seen her do some amazing things with it, but now wasn’t the time.

“Uh, am I missing something here?” another young voice asked; over Alice’s head, he could see that the other tribute had joined them; she looked to be about Alice’s age, and also incredibly confused.

“This is Killian Jones,” Eloise introduced. “He’s the mentor from Atlantica.”

“Yeah, I know that,” the girl replied. “My mom always swoons over him. But why is he here? And...doing that?”

“Because—” Eloise started, but Alice interrupted.

“Because he’s my father,” she explained, stepping away. “And you can’t tell anyone, alright?”

The other girl gaped for a long moment, but then closed her mouth and nodded. “Wow; these Victor families are full of drama, huh?”

“Something like that,” Eloise muttered. That was all they needed to say for now. “Now, is that the only reason you came here, or is something else on your mind?”

It was a good thing they’d never actually been in a relationship, because it would have ended in spectacular fashion. “Actually, yes. I’ve spent the last two days trying to figure out just how I was going to be able to focus on protecting the tributes in my charge, when the one I’m the most worried about is here.”

“What, you don’t trust me?” she threw back.

In all honesty, he didn’t; there was a reason Alice spent so much time with him. Letting that on would only make things worse, though. “Let’s be frank, Eloise: you don’t exactly have the best resources here. But if anyone were to catch onto me helping you, we’d be found out.”

“Oh, like that even matters anymore. Look at where we are, Jones; it’s past time to be worrying about sordid secrets.”

She had a point there. They’d only kept Alice’s paternity a secret to keep her out of the Games; so much for that.

“But,” she continued, “if you want to form an alliance, I don’t think we’d be opposed.”

He couldn’t handle how calm she was about this. “I can suggest it to my tributes and hope they take it, but you know I can’t force it. I’ll do my best, though.”

“See that you do.”

He couldn’t hold back the roll of his eyes this time, but instead of picking another fight, he turned back to Alice. “I’ll try to find you again before you leave here; I promise,” he told her, then kissed her forehead. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Papa,” she said, and threw herself back at him. He let her hold on as long as she wanted—until Eloise said it was time to go.

He just gave Alice another kiss on the cheek, then left the apartment; he didn’t want to see the cool indifference on Eloise’s face anymore.

Letting the door slam behind him, he crossed the hallway to the elevator, punched the button for the ground floor, and as the door closed, leaned against the back wall and stared at his angry reflection in it.

If anything happened to Alice—anything—her blood would be on Eloise’s hands. And there would be next to nothing he could do about it.

He hated—hated—that so little of his life was under his control. It hadn’t taken him by surprise—he grew up with Nemo, after all—but he still loathed the hold Olympus had on him.

At least he could get a drink; the bar in the reception area would be open downstairs. Perhaps he could get one (or a few) in him before he had to make nice with anyone else. He wasn’t even in the mood for another Victor right now, even though that’s where he’d most likely find sympathy.

So, of course, that’s when the elevator slowed a few floors too soon. He groaned.

◇─◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇────◇─────◇──◇─◇

Emma was expecting an empty elevator when she rang for it, assuming she was the only one crazy enough to be heading down for parade stuff already. She could tell her tributes weren’t enthused with her inexperience and hoped that she could reassure them by arriving early. (Or, at the very least, shake off her own nerves.)

She was not anticipating running into a brooding Killian Jones.

It took her aback at first—everyone knew who he was, Victor and citizen alike: the only person to survive being reaped twice. But seeing him up close in person was a bit of a shock. And honestly, he was even more attractive than he looked on screen, with his dark, tousled hair, neatly trimmed scruff, and bright blue eyes.

Eyes that were now shooting daggers at her. “Are you hopping on or not?” he barked.

Emma jumped, then scurried on; thankfully, he was headed down, too. The responsible part of her yelled that this would be a great networking opportunity, but the tense clench of his jaw and furrow of his brow told her not to say anything. The games hadn't even started; what was he already angry about? (Other than, you know, the entire concept. But they weren’t here to change the world.)

“Can I help you?” he growled, giving her a side-eyed glare; she jolted again at the realization she’d been gawking.

“Sorry; it’s just...you're Killian Jones.”

He smirked back at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes—it looked almost rehearsed. “It’s always nice to make an impression.”

“I’m Emma; Emma—”

“—Nolan. I know.”

She just nodded; given how little time she’d spent in Olympus, she had no idea how well-known she was or was not.

“I also know that your mother taught you better than to stare at people.”

Wow, he was definitely in a mood, and it was making her bristle. “Yeah; she also taught me not to be a jerk to people you’ve just met. Didn’t yours?”

She regretted the words as soon as she said them; it was common knowledge that his parents were long gone. Emma didn’t exactly go seeking knowledge about fellow Victors, but when watching the games was mandatory, you picked up stuff along the way, even if he’d won several years before her.

Briefly, fire gleamed in his eyes, sending a chill up her spine; the light glinting off the hook at the end of his left arm didn’t help. But then it dulled to something closer to resignation.

“How did your parents do it?” he asked quietly.

“How did they do what?”

“How did they watch their only child march into the arena, knowing full well what it’s like in there, and that there was an incredibly high chance they’d never see you again?”

She swallowed; he definitely knew who she was, then. Where the hell had that question come from, though?

“I have no idea,” she answered quietly. Because she really didn’t—she hadn’t asked and she didn’t want to know. And the thought of ever having to do that was both impossible to imagine and her worst nightmare.

He huffed and stared at the floor, shoulders slumped. It looked like he wanted to say something, but then a ding sounded as the elevator stopped.

Killian pushed off the wall, leading with his hips, then took a few swaggering steps out of the lift. She started to follow, but then he turned back, still looking at the ground.

“As you’re new, I should probably give you some advice,” he said. “It’s this: Don’t fuck up.”

And without another word, he headed off toward the bar.

What the hell had that been?

Her magic started to lick at her edges in response to her elevated heart rate; she did her best to squeeze it back before leaving the elevator.

But she was still mentally scratching her head when she reached the staging hallway for the parade; a line of chariots, each pulled by two sleek, white horses, was waiting for the tributes, though it would still be a while until the kids were done with the stylists and prep teams. Emma was never much for fashion, but was always curious to see what Olympus came up with—and was praying it wasn’t anything as bad as what she’d had to wear. Bark was not meant to be worn as a garment.

Graham was already by their chariot, brushing one of the horses; they were the only ones there so far. “Hey,” she said casually as she walked up behind him, then looked for another brush so she could take care of the other steed. Nervousness was seeping back in and she needed something to do with her hands, lest an involuntary shower of sparks fall from them.

He turned abruptly and pulled her close with his free arm. “Hello, darling,” he said softly, then pressed a kiss to her lips. She stiffened at first and almost recoiled until she remembered: everyone thought they were madly in love. And even if they didn’t have an audience, they knew better than to assume that no one was watching; the only place in the castle without cameras was each realm’s quarters.

If she was being honest, that was a big part of why she’d avoided Olympus, almost as much as Henry was. Emma was not a talented actor; thank goodness Graham was.

He at least gave her an apologetic look when he pulled back, then waved in the direction of the extra grooming tools. “Are the kids in good hands?” he asked as he went back to work.

“Good enough,” Emma shrugged, giving the other horse a gentle sweep of the brush. “I guess we’ll see in a bit. When do the other mentors show up?”

“Soonish,” he replied. After Emma’s games—which were only a couple years after his own victory—Graham had traded off mentoring with David every so often, so he wasn’t completely new; at least one of them had some idea of what they were supposed to do.

“And then we try to make friends?”

“I suppose.” He peered at her over the neck of the horse; she averted his gaze by focusing on the one in front of her. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she lied, but she didn’t need to look up to know he was giving her a look of disbelief. “It’s just...is everyone like Killian Jones?”

“In what way?”

“I just met him on the elevator and he was...well, he was kind of a dick. I know not everyone is going to be how they seem from afar, but I thought he was supposed to be some charming ladykiller.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No; he was surly and told me not to, and I quote, ‘fuck up’.”

“He’s not wrong.”

Graham deftly dodged the brush she threw at him, laughing.

“Calm down; it’ll be fine,” he assured her, ducking around the horses to stand by her. “I haven’t spent much time with Jones, but he plays fair—I know that. So don’t let him get in your head. Let’s focus on getting through tonight first; alright?” He grabbed her hands and squeezed comfortingly; there was a bit of static at his touch, and she realized he was helping tamp down her magic—again. Fuck, this was gonna be hard.

“Alright,” she sighed, but Killian had really just been voicing her own fears. It wasn’t that easy to shake them.

“So, were his eyes as blue as everyone says?”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Prettier than mine?”

“Eh, different kind of blue.”

He placed a hand on his chest and gasped in mock offense. So she tickled his side in response. Even if they weren’t romantically involved, he was still her best friend, and she was glad he was here with her.

(But she wasn’t going to tell him the other thing she was thinking about: just how good it looked when Killian walked away. He might be an ass, but damn did he have one.)

They went back to brushing the already-gleaming coats of the horses, and Graham introduced her to some of the other mentors as they trickled in, even if she already had the general idea of who they were: Belle and Archie from Arendelle; Jasmine and Cyrus from Agrabah; Mulan from Erebor; Eloise from Sherwood; and Ariel from Atlantica, who was the polar opposite of her partner. Emma took an immediate liking to her—and the way Graham blushed when she placed a friendly peck on his cheek before running her bubbly self off.

“I see that,” Emma teased, which just made him blush harder.

“Piss off; she’s married.” Still—it was cute, but also a sharp reminder of what he’d given up when he entered the lie their lives had become.

Thankfully, their tributes arrived then, to distract her from any further sulking. Tamara and August at least weren’t wearing actual wood this year, but when your realm was also known as the Enchanted Forest—and responsible for most of Pomem’s lumber production—it was hard to get away from either looking like a tree or a lumberjack.

The stylists had gone with the former this year, weaving leaves through the kids’ hair and putting them in beaded brown jumpsuits. Not awe-inspiring, but not terrible. The tributes still seemed uncomfortable, though, and Tamara was clearly trying to avoid moving too much and damaging it. It was definitely the nicest, most expensive thing either kid had ever worn—something Emma tried not to think about too much, because she’d only get more upset at everything.

They got the kids settled in their chariot and then headed to their seats in the stadium that held the opening ceremonies. An entire building that they only used three days a year; ridiculous.

Misthaven’s escort, Tink, was already at their assigned seats and waved them over. For someone from Olympus, she was...tolerable. Possibly immortal, too—she’d been the escort when Graham won his Games, but somehow looked younger than Emma. Just another example of Olympus’s fixation on youth and beauty, probably, aided by their scientific advancements that bordered on magical (which was another irony Emma hated thinking about).

“Don’t the tributes just look fabulous?” she gushed as they sat down. “Probably the best yet from Misthaven!”

“Yeah, I think so,” Emma halfheartedly agreed (which wasn’t saying much—and she was pointedly ignoring whatever that said about her own looks).

“Oh, the parade is always my favorite,” Tink sighed happily.

From Emma’s memory, it was only the least stressful part. But again: bark itches.

Graham continued to introduce her to people—even the new head gamemaker, Jefferson Hatter, who was in his first year of designing the Games—until the house lights went down, leaving just the ones on the track at the center of the stadium.

Overhead, the voice of Sidney Glass, perennial event host, announced the start of the parade, and then the first chariot appeared with the tributes from Agrabah.

Ideally, the costumes the tributes wore had something to do with each realm’s chief industry; as the primary supplier of energy for Pomem, the kids from Agrabah wore costumes that lit up. Not original, but it worked. Over the course of 99 years, Emma figured some ideas were bound to be recycled.

The rest of the realms followed, in no particular order. Next was Stormhold, known for its agriculture; then Arendelle, the technological hub of Pomem. The Misthaven tributes were fairly well received, but the most enthusiasm definitely came from Tink. DunBroch’s tributes were almost identical to Stormhold’s, given that they were just a different kind of farmer (livestock); and Erebor’s tribute to mining was just confusing. The kids from Atlantica were dressed like mermaids; Emma doubted their fishermen found too many of those nowadays. Oz almost always wore something green and military, this year being no exception; and Phrygia was stereotypically covered in gold, being both the richest realm and the supplier of luxury items (that obviously only went to Olympus).

Sherwood brought up the rear, which honestly sucked for them, being the poorest realm, and likely meant the parade would end on an anticlimactic note; it was all about the spectacle, after all. But this year—wow. For the first time in the parade, Emma was actually invested. The realm was known for its textiles, and finally, someone in Olympus had put that to use. The girls wore absolutely stunning gowns, with capes somehow floating behind them that seemed to mimic cottony clouds. The tributes were holding hands and absolutely beaming at the audience, who was lapping it up. Even the rest of the mentors, Emma noticed, were staring in rapt attention; hell, it looked like Killian was crying (maybe he wasn’t such an ass, then).

“Well, that just complicated things,” Graham muttered as the chariot retreated.

“How so?”

“After a presentation like that, everyone is going to want to sponsor them.”

He was right, she knew. Which just made their job that much harder.

She cut her palms with her nails with how hard she was squeezing her fists to drown the sparks.

◇─◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇────◇─────◇──◇─◇

Alice’s heart was absolutely racing. To be fair, it had been like that pretty much ever since she stepped forward back in Sherwood, aside from when she was asleep. But now, during the parade? Faster than a rabbit.

Not because of the crowd, though that was indescribable.

Not because of her dress, even if it was gorgeous; Tiger Lily, their stylist, had done an incredible job.

And not because of the image of her mother on one of the stadium’s screens, actually almost smiling. That never happened.

No; it was because she was holding hands with Robyn. And Robyn was also smiling at her.

God, this was terribly inconvenient. But if they didn’t have a ton of time left, then she was going to enjoy it, even if she was still too embarrassed to let on her crush. She just really hoped she could keep enough control to not burn Robyn’s hand with the sparks of her magic.

◇─◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇────◇─────◇──◇─◇

The first day in the tribute training center was done, and the Atlantica kids were waiting for dinner back in their quarters with their mentors. It was only the first day, he knew, but Killian didn’t like their chances this year. He’d never let that on to the teenagers, though; they were nervous enough as it was. Even in their lodgings, where they had the chance to relax and indulge in the luxuries that were standard in Olympus, they seemed on edge. Killian couldn’t decide, though, if it was due to the fact that they were being treated to more opulence than they’d ever seen before (although spartan by Olympus standards, the Tribute Castle was a literal palace compared to the seaside villages in Atlantica) or just the overall anxiety of the situation; he remembered feeling overwhelmed by both during his games.

It wasn’t that he didn’t think their tributes had what it took—the boy, William, was a decent fighter and clever, and the girl, Ursula, had a fierce streak that seemed to be a mile long. The whole point of the training center was to learn fighting and survival skills to use in the Arena. Most realms took advantage of it, and he could see that the kids were learning; but the tributes from Phrygia and Oz—who train year-round for the games, even though that was technically illegal—just used it as an opportunity to intimidate the others. Thankfully, Alice and Robyn were looking good, as well; it turned out Robyn was an excellent shot with a bow. (And, even better, Alice was managing to keep her magic under wraps.)

As they waited for the meal, Killian and Ariel began to discuss strategy with the tributes. Ariel was the first tribute he mentored who’d gone on to win. On the surface, she seemed sweet and demure; but when she had a trident in her hands, she was downright scary.

“It’s not a bad idea to form an alliance early on. It can really help you get farther in the games,” Ariel said. “Were there any tributes you noticed today that you’d want to work with? We can talk to their mentors and set something up.”

“Actually, yeah,” William said. “The pair from Misthaven—Ursula and I talked to them a bit, and they seemed pretty cool.” Ursula nodded in agreement.

“That’s actually pretty smart,” Ariel said, looking over at Killian. “Misthaven is forest, we’re water; that covers almost every arena scenario.”

“Aye, that it does. Good thinking, Will,” Killian said with a small smile. “It looked like the pair from Sherwood had a pretty good grasp on things, too.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Ursula answered, though she sounded less than enthused at the idea. Ariel cast him a very knowing look; she was one of the few people aware of the situation, and had spent several hours on the train giving him a good, long hug. He could say she was his best friend, but the truth was, she was really one of his only ones—though she didn’t let that hold her back from saying the same about him.

(They had once very briefly discussed the idea of more; but after he lost his first love, he was pretty sure his heart didn’t work that way anymore, and then she met a handsome, sweet fisherman named Eric and that was that.)

“Just let us know, and we’ll talk to the Misthaven mentors tomorrow, or whoever else,” Ariel told the kids.

They glanced at each other, nodding, and Ursula said, “Yeah, we’d like that.”

“It’s a plan!” she exclaimed, then turned to Killian. “Do you want to talk to them, or should I?”

A general feeling of shame washed over him. “Uh, you should probably do that. I’m not sure I’d be the best one to make a case.”

She crossed her arms and gave him another look that reminded him just how well she knew him. “What did you do?”

“What makes you think I did anything? You wound me, mermaid,” he threw back, using the nickname he knew she hated (but would never live down on account of her strong swimming abilities—skills that helped her survive her games).

She just raised her eyebrows at him, unamused.

He sighed. “Let’s just say I got off on the wrong foot with Ms. Nolan and it’d probably be best if you headed that charge. I can handle anyone else.”

“Alright. I expect the full story later, though,” she warned, and likely only stopped persisting because of the arrival of dinner. Honestly, it was like having a little sister sometimes.

Down at the training center the next day, he saw his tributes approach the pair from Misthaven, and the little group stuck together, showing each other skills they had learned in their respective homes. He surveyed the rest of the room to see what others were doing (though it was a bit hard to distinguish them when everyone was wearing the same games-issued black top and pants). Phrygia and Oz were already in a pack, as could be assumed, and he watched Robyn continuing to work with an archery instructor; his brow furrowed when she nailed the center of the target. If she was forming a strong partnership with Alice, it was good; otherwise...he didn’t want to think about it.

Alice herself was learning how to set snares with rope; he’d taught her how to tie all the sailor’s knots he could, so it was no surprise she was having success there.

“Well, at least that seems to be going good,” Ariel commented as she stepped up to his side. “Sorry they weren’t receptive to your idea.”

“It was a longshot,” he answered, a bit more resigned than he probably should have sounded.

“How do you think she’ll do?” A glance told him she was looking at Alice, too.

“Honestly...I have no idea.” More Victor’s children died in the games than won; Emma Nolan was definitely an anomaly. He’d love to be able to pick her brain, or Graham’s (he was Emma’s mentor, if he recalled correctly), but that might give away too much.

“Well, she’s definitely resourceful,” Ariel continued. “If anyone can win out of sheer ingenuity and stubbornness, it’s her.” Despite his worry, he had to chuckle at that assessment; Ariel was probably right.

Movement at the other end of the room caught his eye; Emma and Graham had arrived. He nodded in that direction, saying, “Looks like you’re up, mermaid.”

She gently punched him in the shoulder. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it.” If anyone could establish an alliance, it was Ariel and her effervescent optimism.

She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless and then headed over to their hopeful teammates.

In the meantime, Killian fixed his eyes back on Alice, and racked his brain: he had to find a way to help her win. He had to.

◇─◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇────◇─────◇──◇─◇

Everything was abuzz in the training center in the hour or so leading up to the start of the Games. The interviews were done, tribute scores had been given, and the kids all said their goodbyes before being whisked away to the Arena, somewhere in the expanse of Neverland surrounding Olympus.

The training center had been transformed overnight, almost magically; Emma didn’t even recognize it when she walked in. Gone were the weightlifting equipment and educational stations; while she wouldn’t exactly call it cozy now, it certainly had all the necessary amenities: food, lots of plush seating, and screens everywhere. Along one wall, the largest screen displayed a map of the arena, with glowing dots indicating each tribute’s location; they were all still in a perfect ring in the middle. The myriad other screens across the room were focused on each tribute, in addition to panoramas of the forested arena and its central lake. If it wasn’t about to be the setting of so much death, Emma might have found it beautiful.

Saying goodbye to Tamara and August had been tough; trying to keep them alive would be harder.

“We’ve got this,” Graham murmured, squeezing her hand in encouragement. As if the task ahead of them wasn’t enough, she also had to keep up that charade, too.

“I fucking hope so.”

He tried to give her a stern look for her language, but it didn’t last long before melting into a grin. “Well, shall we join our alliance mates?” he asked, nodding to his right.

Off to the side, Ariel and Killian were standing, chatting with each other. The proposal shocked Emma, but it was hard to say no when two experienced mentors approached like that. It was hard to say no to Ariel, too—especially for Graham.

But Killian...she still wasn’t sure on.

“Yeah, let’s do this,” she answered.

Ariel, unsurprisingly, greeted them with a huge grin and massive hugs. Killian offered his hand to Graham, giving it a firm shake, before turning to Emma.

“I, uh, I owe you an apology for our first meeting, lass,” he said solemnly, eyes cast down. “Unfortunately, the Games have a habit of doing that sometimes.”

“I get it,” she answered. It was more of an apology than she had expected to get. “Think you can teach me how to avoid that happening here?”

“I can try,” he shrugged; that was probably a tall request on her part.

“Works for me. To an alliance?” She offered her hand to him.

He gently took it in his. “To an alliance.” Then, to her shock, he brought it to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. She was definitely gaping again, but the intense way he was staring made it hard to look away. No wonder he had such a scoundrel reputation.

The moment was broken by an announcement: “Tributes, to your starting positions; the Games begin in one minute.” Sidney Glass was apparently ready; guess they better be, too.

They all turned their attention to the screens, glancing around to find their tributes. Graham quickly located theirs, which gave Emma a few extra moments to glance around and see what everyone else was doing.

Ariel, too, was focused on the screens with Atlantica’s tributes, but Killian’s attention was elsewhere—at Eloise, oddly enough. The woman was staring back at him, then gave him a nod before looking up. Huh; that was odd—but Emma could worry over what that was about later.

“Forty-five seconds,” Glass called out, and the platforms the tributes were standing on rose up into the Arena.

“Thirty seconds.” The platforms came into place, and everyone, tribute and mentor alike, got their first view of the Arena. Emma saw lots of trees—perfect for a kid from Misthaven.

“Fifteen seconds.” Graham found her hand again; this time, she was the one squeezing—both to anchor her emotions and to quell the sparks of magic that were threatening to escape.

“Ten.” Her eyes began to dart around in nervousness—just like they had when she was the one standing on that platform.

“Nine, eight...” Graham’s eyes were glued to the screen.

“Seven, six…” So were Ariel’s.

“Five, four…” Killian’s were, too…

“Three, two…” ...but why was he looking at the girl from Sherwood? (And why did it make her think of the rest of their conversation in the elevator?)

“One.” Emma’s gaze darted back to her own screens and she clenched her fists.

“Let the games begin, and remember: All Magic Comes With A Price!”

◇─◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇────◇─────◇──◇─◇

thanks so much for reading! tagging some peeps @kat2609 @thesschesthair @xpumpkindumplingx @shipsxahoy @amortentia-on-the-rocks @mryddinwilt @cocohook38 @annytecture @wingedlioness @word-bug @distant-rose @wellhellotragic @welllpthisishappening @let-it-raines @pirateherokillian @its-imperator-furiosa @killianmesmalls @sherlockianwhovian @ineffablecolors @laschatzi @ive-always-been-a-pirate @nfbagelperson @stubblesandwich @killian-whump @phiralovesloki @athenascarlet @ilovemesomekillianjones @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snowbellewells @idristardis @scientificapricot @searchingwardrobes

#cs ff #captain swan rewrite a thon #csrt 2020 #my ff #the magic games #(love will see us through these) dark days

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binniedeactivated · 4 years

Note

I may be mixed but — I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE I VOLUNTEER -💜

😂😂😂aye black is black man

#anon 💕#cutie moots💕

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liliesinwrittendreams · 5 years

Text

Equilibrium

Chapter One - Inverted Birthday

Quiet. So, so quiet. Only the wind could be heard through the trees as Lily crouched, scanning the forest for any movement. She needed to feed her adoptive family and collect herbs for new medicines. Study things enough, and soon, ideas would flourish. It was one of the many reasons why there was always someone at the door. Even if they had to keep it hidden from the peacekeepers, which didn’t always work in their favor. No one ever spoke of where they’d gotten such medicine, to keep Lily safe. She was their healer, and at only eighteen. So while she hunted, keeping her throwing knives sharp, she would run medicines to various homes, sometimes not taking any money at all due to the severity of the illnesses.

Rustling broke her reverie, and her eyes narrowed. A rabbit. If Lily could time her throw just right, she’d hit the skull and be able to eat that night. Still. So, so still. Not even her breath could be heard as she kept her eyes locked firmly on the engorged rabbit, inching silently closer. Drawing a blade from the sheath at her hip, taking careful aim, she drew back with her wrist ready. Steady… steady… Sssskk! Perfect throw. Lily got to her feet and started after her kill when a cheerful voice called behind her. “Well, if it isn’t the little flower drifting in the breeze!” Luc. Lily turned to see his chocolate brown eyes crinkling as he smiled, his brown hair lightened considerably from so much time outside of his home. But that was District Twelve, wasn’t it? No one really stayed home unless they were dying. It was either work to try to make ends meet or go to the mines.

Quicker rustling snapped her attention back to the rabbit she’d killed. A damn fox ran off with it, with her knife. “Sonofabitch, Luc! That was my best blade!” Shaking her head, she joined him, several yards away and out of view of the electrified fence, sitting at the treeline of the woods. Luc plopped unceremoniously on the ground beside her, casually handing her a package with a flourish of his wrist. Thick, brown paper and twine wrapping. Lily took the package, a rather weighty little thing, giving him a suspicious glance. “What. Is this?” “Pfft,” Luc huffed a breath, resting his arms around his knees as he stared at her with one eyebrow raised. “You know me, Lils, you know I ain’t about that prank shit. Not today.” Oh yeah. Her birthday, the Reaping, and the anniversary of her parents’ deaths. Luc played his pranks, but he always left that for days that weren’t as emotional.

Lily opened the package, her mouth falling open as her eyes widened. A brand new set of throwing knives. The kind only created in District Two. These were deadly, ruthlessly sharp, and illegal. “You catchin’ flies over there or what? Say somethin’.” Shaking her head, she realized the implications if they got caught. “Luc!” Her voice was a hissing whisper, throwing her head around to make sure no one heard them. “Luc, these are from District Two, and they’re illegal. What the hell- how the hell- No. No, you know what? Nevermind. I don’t even-” “Jesus, Lil, tone it down a little, would ya? Aries brought them after I gave him the medicine you made for his mother. As a birthday gift and a thank you. She’s going to be all right. You saved her, Lils.”

Lily tucked her head down, going over each of the blades. Seven in total, and even touching the tip of one to a fingertip would result in a gashing wound. Black and even came with a pouch to carry them that unfolded to wrap around her thigh. A soft smile graced her face, her hazel eyes brightening as she looked back to Luc, tucking the blades in her boot. “She needed it. And Aries… he’s the reason I haven’t died.” Thinking back, that much was true. When her parents were killed by a riot, Lily was only six. Aries found her, in his mid-twenties at the time and held his arms open as he bent down for her. Lily had instantly run to him, sobbing and wailing, asking for her mommy and daddy. While nothing could be done then, he had taken her to the Holmes’, Calis and Dita, with their newborn daughter, Magnolia. She’d been with them ever since.

Now, Lily was eighteen, and it was her final year for The Reaping. Just as long as Mags wasn’t called, things would be all right. It was time to get back. She needed to change and help Mags get ready. She and Luc made their way back without incident, just before people started clamoring outside. Lily heard a few TVs broadcasting the events for the day, where several Districts had their tributes announced already. District One, Fiyero Deamorte and Amazonia Rhode. The luxury district, but Lily didn’t pay much more attention than that. She had to get bathed and dressed. “Lilypad, you were gone awhile,” her adoptive mother called. Lily nodded, taking her raven hair down from its bun and heading to the washroom. “Yeah,” she replied, calling through the door now shut behind her as she undressed. “Wanted to pick up something special for dinner tonight. Almost had a rabbit, but a fox took off with it.”

“Aye,” Dita sighed audibly in the kitchen. “But you made it home safely, that’s what matters. Mags, come here, let me fix your hair.” “Mama! I can do it myself!” Lily shook her head and sat down gently in the wash basin, scrubbing herself down as best she could with the water’s condition. Starving, frequently dirty, but they knew the importance of looking out for one another, of taking care of one another. Stepping out after she’d finished, Lily towel dried her hair and set it up in a Greek, fishtail braid, dressing into the nicest thing she had, an olive green, knee length dress. Good enough, even with the minimal makeup they were able to get their hands on. When she stepped out, Mags was dressed, her hair finished, but fidgeting. “Liliana, I’m scared.” “Hey, kitty cat, it’s gonna be okay,” she soothed her sister, taking her into a hug. “And you know to call me Lily by now, right?” She straightened as her sister shook her head. “Your name is Liliana, and it’s pretty. It’s a name for a princess, even a flower healing princess.”

Lily giggled softly and got their shoes, just before the peacekeepers announced that The Reaping enrollment had officially started. “Oh!” Maggie jumped, her arms around her older sister and squeezing tightly. “I know you don’t like it, but happy birthday, big sis princess.” She could only smile and hum softly, patting her sister’s head in response. It was time to go. Taking Maggie’s hand, Lily sighed heavily and the two were out the door.

There were more people her age than Lily had seen all year. Of course, being that the Hunger Games were nationwide and televised, they had to be out. Lily had to guide Maggie on where to go, to get their finger pricked for a little blood before being directed to their age groups. A woman, a rather… brightly dressed, bird looking woman, was standing on the stage as the Capital’s emblem spun on the overhead screen, playing Panem’s anthem. Lily’s eyes scoured the rest of the crowd. She found Mags well enough, then she saw Luc, then one of her regular customers named Erik. Odd… Lily always thought Erik was older than her. Maybe it was the way he carried himself.

Silence fell over the crowd as the anthem dwindled, and the woman introduced herself. Ruby Haynes, a former resident of District Twelve and their announcer. Before they could get to announcing their tributes of the year, they had to watch the same film that was broadcasted every year, explaining the war, the revolt, the reason for the Games. Lily rolled her eyes inwardly, still scouring the crowd. Silence once again as Ruby tapped the microphone, earning an audible screech until she covered it again. “Oops,” she giggled, her bright orange hair gleaming in the sun. Her yellow outfit was glittery, too bright and gaudy for the residents of District Twelve. Was that how they dressed in the Capital? Lily didn’t know. It didn’t matter, it was time for the names to be called. As always, ladies first, as it had been every year. In what looked like a couple of giant fishbowls were folded papers with the names of every person ages twelve to eighteen. Ruby reached into one, swirling the papers before finally selecting one at random. Stepping to the microphone, her large heels audibly clicking, she cleared her throat and opened the paper. “Liliana Eriksen.”

A scream. A blood-curdling, murderous scream erupted somewhere in the crowd. Where was it coming from? Lily didn’t know, she lost the capacity to breathe, let alone think. Her birthday, the day of the Reaping, the anniversary of her parents’ deaths, and now… Called upon as tribute for the Games. Mags. Lily realized who was screaming as she stepped through the clearing crowd. “NO! NO, Liliana, you can’t go! I- I VOLUNTEER!” Lily whirled and ran to Maggie, peacekeepers crowding around her. “Take my sister home,” she whispered to Aries through trembling breaths. “Take her home, get her out of here. Tell mom.” Aries nodded and scooped Maggie in his arms, taking her away from the entire scene. An unswallowable knot welled in Lily’s throat, all cameras pointed on her as she made her way to the stage on wobbling legs. She almost fell, a peacekeeper catching her arm. “You all right there, Lils? We’re really going to suffer without you.” Lily nodded, swallowing finally and made the few remaining steps up the stairs to the stage. Ruby was all smiles, beckoning her over to her standing place. “Was that your sister, I gather? And you refused to let her volunteer on your own birthday? Impressive.” Nodding again, her eyes scoured the entire crowd. Luc stared up at her with pride in his eyes. Guardian. That was always his nickname for her. Because of the way she guarded everyone, especially Mags. She barely heard the next name that was called. Erik Leavenworth.

After he’d made it to the stage, Erik shook her hand, looking down at her with gentle blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Lils,” he whispered, leaning forward, his mouth next to her ear. “No one should have to do this on their birthday.” Erik was easily over six feet tall, and broad. If anyone from District Twelve had a shot at winning this, it was him. Lily barely saw five feet, equivalent in the height of a child. Their mentor, the only living victor from District Twelve, was Orion Graves. Fitting, considering he was a raving drunk most days and was frequently holed up in his home, almost plummeting off the stage in his stupor. It was time to go.

@rosey-writes

#Lily Eriksen/Deamorte #Fiyero Deamorte #Erik Leavenworth #Magnolia Holmes #Orion Graves #Ruby Haynes #fanfic #hunger games fanfic #co-write collaboration

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phgq · 3 years

Text

PGH worker gets vax in honor of colleagues who died of Covid-19

#PHnews: PGH worker gets vax in honor of colleagues who died of Covid-19

MANILA – While other medical health workers opted not to get inoculated with Sinovac’s vaccine, Nemencio Nicodemus Jr., an endocrinologist of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), immediately volunteered to get CoronaVac shot as his tribute to his colleagues who died of Covid-19.

"Ako (For me) personally, it is my way of honoring our colleagues who have died because of Covid-19 and dahil nga sa yung severe Covid ang nagdulot sa kanilang pagkamatay (because contracting Covid-19 with severe complication have caused their deaths)," Nicodemus said after receiving the first dose of CoronaVac vaccine during the kick-off of the government’s immunization program on Monday.

Nicodemus said getting vaccinated is one way “to prevent further spread of Covid-19 within communities.”

"Having now this vaccine will ensure that I will be protected from severe Covid and I can continue serving our countrymen as a healthcare worker,” he said. "We can continue helping our countrymen, healing our countrymen without the fear of getting infected with severe Covid.”

Call for sign-up

Nicodemus urged more healthcare workers to avail themselves of the Covid-19 vaccine and sign up for the vaccination campaign.

"Kami naman sa medical field alam naman namin that with this particular virus, ang talagang maaari lang namin maging proteksyon is vaccination (We know in the medical field that with this particular virus, we can only count on vaccination to protect ourselves)," he said.

In fact, he said they have been waiting for the vaccination for several months.

“And now that it's available in our country I do hope that our countrymen will be very confident with this vaccine," he said.

The CoronaVac, he said, has already been approved for public use in many countries, not only in the Philippines.

"Sana marealize nila na eto talaga yung magiging solusyon para hindi na natin poproblemahin pa itong Covid na ito na talaga naman nagpahirap sa bansa natin (I hope they would realize that this vaccine is the only solution to respond to the Covid pandemic that hit-hard our country," he said.

Safe and effective

Nicodemus, 51, said the choice to avail of which vaccine brand is affected by many factors and a lot of biases.

“However, people must understand that each brand varies another, from how it was developed and used purposely,” he added.

Each vaccine's brand may vary in terms of effectiveness, but the most important thing, he said, is that all vaccines, regardless of brand, are well-researched as well as proven safe and effective.

"Lahat ng vaccine na ito ay nakaka-prevent ng severe Covid, yung degree naman ng pagprevent naman ng mild Covid na maaring nagkakaiba lang ng percentage pero sa akin mas mahalaga na maprevent natin yung severe Covid kasi yun ang nakamamatay (All vaccines could prevent severe complication of Covid-19 infection, the degree of prevention mild Covid infection may vary in terms of percentage but for me, the most important things is that the vaccine could prevent severe COVID because that what makes the virus deadly)," he added.

Once inoculated, Nicodemus said all vaccines could prevent severe symptoms, even if you get infected with Covid-19.

"Yung (The) mild Covid in the case of Sinovac, batay nga sa kanilang interview ay 50 percent, yung moderate mga above 70 percent so sa akin napakalaking bagay na yun na mabawasan na yung tyansa mong magkaroon ng (its 50 percent based on its interview, while the moderate case is above 70 percent so for me, it's a advantage to already to prevent even) mild or moderate Covid," he said.

Protecting oneself, family

Meanwhile, PGH nurse assistant Marilyn Laputan, 47, is very happy after getting the first shot of CoronaVac as it would also protect her family from Covid-19 infection.

Laputan said being exposed to Covid-19 makes her feel nervous and anxious at all times, especially that she spends more time working at the hospital.

"Baka mamaya mahawaan ako eh naisip ko talaga kung paano ang pamilya ko, yung anak ko baka mamaya ako yung maging sanhi ng kapahamakan sa bahay (I thought of getting infected, I might also infect my family, my children. I wouldn't want to cause harm at home)," Laputan said.

She urged fellow healthcare workers to avail themselves of the free vaccines.

"Sana huwag silang mag alinlangan o mag atubili kasi para naman din po sa kanila 'yung ginagawa ng government, yung vaccination (I hope they would not hesitate to get vaccinated because the government is doing this for them, the vaccination)," she said.

James Hendrex Samson, 42, research/office assistant at PGH

It's a choice

James Hendrex Samson, 42, research/office assistant, expressed his excitement about getting inoculated with CoronaVac.

Samson said he volunteered to get shots of the Sinovac vaccine because as a researcher, he understands the process of developing a certain product, thus, he understands that all vaccines have undergone regulatory procedures, making them safe for public use.

He said there's no need to call on people to get vaccinated, they have their free will to choose whether to avail it or not.

Vaccinees should show proof and evidence to those who are not convinced in the vaccination campaign, he said.

Following the arrival of 600,000 doses of China-donated Sinovac vaccines on Sunday, the actual inoculation of Filipinos under the government's priority list simultaneously started in various hospitals in Metro Manila including PGH.

Other venues are Lung Center of the Philippines, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Center and Sanitarium, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Philippine National Police General Hospital, and Victoriano Luna Medical Center. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "PGH worker gets vax in honor of colleagues who died of Covid-19." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1132216 (accessed March 02, 2021 at 08:23AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "PGH worker gets vax in honor of colleagues who died of Covid-19." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1132216 (archived).

#Philippines #News #Filipino #Pinoy #Tourism #Politics #Culture #Editorial #Environment #Society #History

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tellywoodtrash · 7 years

Text

ishqbaaz 05.09.17 lb

lololol shivaay turning the paper this way and that trying to read it (it’s in marathi, lol) 😂😂😂

hein? this house has a staircase also???? leading where???? 🤔🤔🤔

shivaaaay + chaaaaaaaai = this should be interesting. 😐��😐

oh boy she wants him to drink it from the saucer. (always seemed weird to me.) 😕😕😕

lmaoooo “no, that doesn’t sound right.” 😂😂😂

props to him for actually trying this. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

“IT’S GOOD!” “MERE mooh mein paani aa gaya tha!”

lmao my tharki mind is interpreting this whole conversation in a verrrrrrrry different way! 😏😏😏

lmaoooooooooooo baalti wali bath! ab aayega mazaaaaaa. the true middle class experience! never am i more humbled than when i have to do a baalti bath back in india. 😌😌😌

please to be watching this video by my fav, kenny sebastian, and him describing the process super accurately. my place in kerala is in the city and the bathroom is in the house and all (ooooh! so fancy!), but this is pretty much how it goes. i can smell the medimix just watching this video! 🙃🙃🙃

you were so pleased with the “rain water harvesting” yesterday billu. time to walk the talk! 😊😊😊

LOL HE TOOK HER SERIOUSLY. 😂😂😂

pft, “humare paas sabun bhi hai????” idiottttt 🙄🙄🙄

LMAO HE TOOK HER SERIOUSLY ABOUT THE DATUN TOO. MAN, RICH PEOPLE ARE SO FUN TO FUCK WITH. 🤣🤣🤣

“main jaa raha hoon nahaane ke liye. tum chalogi mere saath?”

lmao why, billu? do you want a witness for your embarrassment? trust me, you’re not gonna feel even remotely sexy while doing a middle class baalti bath.

gauri is worried about becoming vidhwaa 6 months into her marriage. 😬😬😬

LMAOOOOO AAPKO US SAAND KE SAATH BAITHKE CHITHRA NAHI BANANE HAI 😂😂😂

OH MY GOD OMKARA, YOU ARE TRULY AN IDIOT. DANGAL MOVIE DEKHNE SE KOI PEHELWAN NAHI HO JAATA. MATLAB, I’VE WATCHED LEGALLY BLONDE 300 TIMES, MAIN LAWYER THODI HO GAYI HOON. 😒😒😒

same, gauri. #same.

oufff shivaay ke sarrr se nkk ka bhoot utarkar iske sarrr chadh gaya hai. 😑😑😑

hahahaha herrrrr imitation. her faaaace. i love her so much. 😂😂😂

OMG WTF EVEN ARE THESE KURTAS SHIVAAY IS WEARING THEY LOOK FUCKING RIDICULOUS, WHY ISN’T HE JUST WEARING HIS REGULAR KURTAS THAT HE WEARS AT HOME?!!?!? CURSE YOU SHIRALI CURSE YOU TO HELL, JUST LET THE MAN LIVE 😫😫😫

oh boyyyy chawl udaana hai 😬😬😬

10 to 1 the maalik is…

…. YUP. 😒😒😒

the fuck shivaay, do you even pay attention to half the orders you give? 😐😐😐 how many bldgs have you felled like this without even knowing?

ok the rule was to not use your name and identity for undue advantages. not for situations like these! 😩😩😩

OH MY GOD HE’S ACTUALLY YOUTUBING HOW TO DO KUSHTI. 😧😧😧

son, if that worked, all the fitness videos i watch and subscribe to would have me sporting 6 pack abs and zero jiggle. 😣😣😣

lmao ek din mein 5 kele khaa ke kya hona hai????? 😶😶😶

chor naukar has an unsolicited opinion. 🙄🙄🙄

lmao their reaction! omki’s “get a load of this guy!” head nod. baat aane par dono ek team ho gaye. abhi chor ki jamkar dhulaai hogi. 😂😂😂

hey chawl-blower-upper-dude, why are you such an asshole? just chill maybe? 😒😒😒

gotta love these oBahus and how they’re all ready to throw down the second someone is mean to their patis. (ง •̀_•́)ง (ง •̀_•́)ง (ง •̀_•́)ง

GOD SHIVAAY YOU’RE AN IDIOT. JUST MAKE A CALL AND GET YOUR OFFICE TO STOP THE PLAN. HONESTLY. 😒😒😒

“IS CHAWL MEIN REHNE WAALA EK AAM AADMI.”

WHOSE HAIR KE HIGHLIGHTS COST MORE THAN THE MONTHLY BUDGET OF PPL IN THIS CHAWL. 🙄🙄🙄

…. is he sitting ON the dynamite? 😟😟😟

lmao only the rich think that “the right to peacefully protest” achieves ANYTHING in india. bitch, the aam aadmi has no TIME to protest, peacefully or otherwise. humein ghar bhi chalaane hote hai. 🙄🙄🙄

i feel bad for the explosion guy. he’s also an aam aadmi, trying to do his damn job. kahaan is majnu se paala pad gaya aaj. 😑😑😑

…. and you’re only doing this for anika and sahil? they have alternate housing and are sorted in life now. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE LIVING IN THE CHAWL WHO DON’T? AM I SUPPOSED TO AWWWWW OVER THIS BS? 😤😤😤

anika’s like OMG!SEXXXXXXXXX TAKE ME NOW HUBBY hearing that sentimental pap though. oh well. whatever works for her. 😕😕😕

lmaooooo her mooophat jawab and his honest laugh at her bindaass-ness. 😊😊😊

the couple that does dharna together, stays together, i guess? 🤔🤔🤔

ok i can’t stop laughing at omki’s hella lame kushti moves. that too, with this untrained idiot who’s not even that heavily built. such false complacency. 😐😐😐

omki going in with some classic WWE moves. 😊😊😊

gauri’s excitement is hella cute though. 😍😍😍

“abbe kahan jaa raha hai bhaag ke? practice kiske saath karoonga abhi?”

pffffffffffft.

wifey be like I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE. 🙋🏽🙋🏽🙋🏽

girl, stop putting the sunglasses on every 3 minutes to look cool. woh bhi raat mein. it’s laaaaaaame. 🙄🙄🙄

sure. ok. with all the hair open. you been hanging out with bhavya too much. 😑😑😑

omki be like, oh yeah baby, imma wrestle with you. imma wrestle with you gooooooooooood. imma lift you up and pin you down and then take my shirt off and… hmm? what? yes. wrestling. this is how it’s done. (in the dangal themed porno i came across on the dark side of the web during my “research”.) 😏😏😏😏

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE 😍😍😍😍

i like how the chulbul moments are there too. omki is canon confirmed bi/pan/demisexual, fiiiiiiiiiiight me. 😊😊😊

haaaaaaye my cuties. 💖💖💖

i like how it’s night in… lonavla or wherever the f rikara are, and early morning in mumbai where shivika are. because the two places are in DIFFERENT TIME ZONES 12 HOURS APART. 😐😐😐

balbirrrrrrrr should NOTTTTTTTTTT have done that. 😠😠😠

LMAO “AYE INKE HEIGHT PE MAT JAA!!!!!!!!” “BOLNA ZAROORI THA YEH?” “YEH MOTA AAPKE HEIGHT KA MAZAAK UDAA RAHA HAI!” “haan, aur tum usse aur underline kar do!!!”

my god what a family of fighty little munchkins this is today. 😊😊😊

oh, iska boss bhi idhar hi hai?

LMAO IS THAT KHANNAAAAAAAAAA?????????? HAHAHAHAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

lollllllllllllll khanna’s been using the SSO name to act like big mannnnn.

“namaste khannaji!” “nahi, BOSS!”

heeeee heeee heeeeeee 😂😂😂

ok that looks like the most uncomfortable way to sleep, gauri.

has he been practicing all night????? great, he’s gonna go wrestle with NO training, and not having SLEPT either. idiot. 😒😒😒

oufffff gauri ask bhavya to send BACKUP instead of asking her for kushti tips, jfc. 😑😑😑

billu ka swaagat toh aise kiya jaa raha hai jaise jung se lauta ho. fucking ridiculous. 🙄🙄🙄

such cute. 💖💖💖💖💖💖

dadi gave you the fucking night off from her pehredaari to go at it like rabbits and you spent it talking about baltis and whatnot. this is what you call WASTE OF OPPORTUNITY. 😫😫😫😫

bhavya looking 10000% done with rudra is me. #freeMyGirl 😣😣😣

lo, billu ne bhavya ko bhi adopt kar liya. he’s like who needs stupidass brothers when i can have AWESOMEASS SISTERSSSSSSSS 😊😊😊

LMAOO RUDRA’S LOOK OF BETRAYAL 🤣🤣🤣🤣

don’t think i missed bhavya looking all choked up though. 😭😭😭

allllllllll the toe touches in the world aren’t gonna help ya, omki. 😐😐😐

dude, like yeh balram legit apne khanna ka bhai lagta hai. 😗😗😗

of course he’s not gonna listen. 🙄🙄🙄

aaaaaaaaaaaand there goes the lassi. and the omkara. 😕😕😕

OMG THAT SHOT OF HIS FACE BOUNCING OFF THE FLOOR HAHAHAHAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣🤣

HE’S FUCKING OUT. WITHOUT EVEN STEPPING INTO THE RING LOLOLOLOLOLOL. THIS IS FUCKING HILAAAAAAAAAAAARIOUS HAHAHAHAHAHAHA 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

LMAO HOW EVEN IS THE SHOW PLAYING THIS AS A SERIOUS MOMENT I CAN’T STOP LAUGHING OMG 😂😂😂😂

ouff. stupid mardaangi taunts. #masculinitySoFragile

ok fwding the nonsense till bulbul gets into the ring.

aw. bhavyaaa. *hugs her* we love you, we do. which is why we want better for you than f’ing rudra. sumo toh khud hi jaan chudaaa kar chali gayi. ab tumhe kaise bachaaye is se. 🙁🙁🙁

anika’s crying too. and has dialogues about family ka hissa and all. all that is okay, but please god don’t make her chutki. 😬😬😬

rudra calling for cessation of this divisive team policy in order to get some bro bonding time. 😌😌😌

waaah, dadi maan bhi gayi. 😯😯😯

wait, shivaay and rudra have a GANG? these ppl have OTHER friends??? 😧😧😧

surprise element? um… idk why but my mind instantly went to bachelor party and strippers. 😬😬😬

gauri be like BITCH, DON’T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE AND EK JHAANP MEIN DEEWAR PE SATTAAO-FY YOU 😠😠😠😠

big talk from all the men. PFT. COMEEEEEEEEE ONNNNN GAURIIII.

LMAO THE INTERCUTS TO SHOW OM STILL PASSED OUT COLD IS MAKING ME LOL SO HARD 😂😂😂

girl please, TIE YOUR DAMN HAIR UP. WHAT’S WRONG WITH ALL THE WOMEN IN THIS SHOW 😩😩😩

can balram stop with the stupid yelling and faces? coz does this woman look intimidated by it? uh. that would be a resounding NO. 🙄🙄🙄

ok fwding. coz honestly i fucking CAN’T.

god just fucking kick him in the nutsssss and END THISSSSSS 😫😫😫

LMAO OMKI JUST WOKE UP AND IS LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKK 😟😟😟😟😟

hold up, few seconds ka rewind. waaah, shivaay ki tarah ab isse bhi Awareness™ chadhta hai when wife is hurt/in danger.

mubarak ho on your new superpowers, omkiiii! they’re gonna make your life an anxiety-ridden hell, since YOUR wife wants to fight every third person she meets. 🙃🙃🙃

hubs be like AW HELL NO, NO ONE MESSES WITH MY CHIRAIYYA; HERE HAVE A KICK TO THE GODDAMN CHEST 😤😤😤😡😡😡

arre waaaaah. out in like a minute. omki toh bada chupaa rustam nikla! boy, take off that shirt so we can see what you’re REALLLLLLYY working with, body wise. you know, FOR RESEARCH. 😗😗😗

what “uthhhhhh balram”??? whoever hits the ground back-first loses. and he’s lost. fuck off now sadde hue tauji. 😒😒😒

haaaaaaaaaaaye. my sweeeetooooos. 💗💗💗

actualllllllly cryingggggg at omkiiiiii freely confessing that he couldn’t bear to see her get hurttttttttt. 😭😭😭😭😭

“shankarji ki tarah gusse mein aapki teesri aankh khul gayi.” 😅😅😅

JUST KISS ALREADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY 😩😩😩😩

yes ok uncleji, thanks for your completely unsolicited validation but we just want the murti, so give us that and we’ll be on our way, thanks. 😒😒😒

rikara be like pyaaaaaaar? whaaat? no! we’re just roomies! with a lot of sexual tension. 😯😯😯😯😯

lmaoooo chubby has some new cockamamie scheme. ��😆😆

hahahaha “investment”. sure. maybe ask your cambridge mba waala bhaiyya how investments actually work?????? 🙄🙄🙄

#ishqbaaz #ishqbaaaz #ib episode liveblogs #episode liveblogs #050917 ib lb

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gotham-ruaidh · 7 years

Note

That new Shifted update gave me all the Da Jamie feels. I would love to see how Jamie acts during wee William's birth since Bree's was so hard. :)

anonymous asked: Hello Gotham! I’m not sure if you’re still taking prompts for Shifted but here is mine just in case!!! I would love to read anything to do with Fergus, I think he’s such a vital part of Jamie and Claire family in s2 and I wonder what’s his “role” in your amazing story. Thank you!

For the next few weeks I’ll be writing one-shots in the Shifted universe, filling in the blanks that we don’t see in the main story, before we resume the main action with Part 7 - The Visitor.

If there is a particular scene you’d like to see, send me an ask and I’ll see what I can do!

In Shifted, the premise is simple - what if Claire had gotten pregnant with Brianna a month or two earlier in the story, and she and Jamie had re-evaluated their priorities and decided that the cause was lost, and they were able to slip away from the army and quietly return to Lallybroch?

Previous installments…

Interlude - The Surprise

Lallybroch, Spring 1753

Jamie wiped his sweaty brow on his damp shirtsleeve,frowning at the furrows neatly dug along about half of the field.

“Hold up!” he yelled to Murtagh, who was industriouslyhacking at the earth with his spade. His godfather paused, squinting in therare spring sunshine, chest heaving with exertion.

“Ian!” Jamie called to his brother-in-law, who couldn’tparticipate in the digging but supervised from the edge of the field. “Ye’resure we can space the potatos so closely together? We didna do that the lasttime – ”

“Yes, we can.” Ian shifted a bit as the peg of his woodenleg caught in a patch of softer soil. “I was reading Sir Walter’s book againlast night, and it didna say anything about whether three inches instead offour wouldna be good for the plants.”

“One of the MacNabs was telling me the other day thatthey’d tried the three inches up at their croft,” Murtagh interjected, nudgingJamie with the handle of his spade. “And it didna seem to have an ill effect onthe harvest.”

Ian hobbled closer to Jamie and Murtagh.

“Aye, but the soil is a bit boggier over at those crofts,”Jamie reasoned. “It can hold more moisture than ours can. I just want to makesure if we’re going through all the effort, we’ll still get as much as we can.”

“But if we dig three inches apart, we can add an extrarow for the whole field. That’s worth the effort, no?”

Jamie pursed his lips, remembering how he and Ian hadstayed up late the night before drawing out a map of the field and calculatingexactly how to dig the furrows. The winter barley crop had been poor – so theyneeded to grow more food. And potatos were the easiest solution.

He’d finally slipped into bed close to midnight – Claire hadgone upstairs long before, the weight of the bairn in her belly making her muchmore tired these days. She knew her time was coming, but had assured him justthis morning that it would be a few weeks yet.

And that was why Jamie was being so conservative aboutthe potatos. Claire had to eat. Brianna had to eat. Jenny and her army ofbairns had to eat. And Murtagh, and Fergus, and the tenants.

So much responsibility – and times were still lean, sevenyears after Culloden. Things had been worse, to be sure – but they were a longway from being better.

He’d risen early – Claire had slept restlessly, it was sodifficult for her to find a position that would remain comfortable. She dozedoff right after dawn, so he had quietly untangled her from his arms, kissed thereassuring roundness of her belly, whispered “I love you,” and prepared for theday.

Ian pursed his lips. “How about we try it half wi’ thethree inches and half wi’ the four? That way we can still have the extra row – ”

“Papa!!”

Jamie whirled to see seventeen-year-old Fergus crestingthe hill.

“Papa! Quick! You must come!”

“Soldiers?” Murtagh raised his spade, ready.

Fergus stopped in his tracks – right at the edge of thefield – and bent over, panting.

“No – no. Not that. It’s – Maman. La petite bairn – it iscoming.”

Jamie dropped his rake and shot off, racing back to thehouse.

“Truly?” Ian hobbled across an untilled section of thefield. “Is the bairn on its way?”

Fergus straightened up, still winded. “Yes – yes. Themidwife just arrived. It is very, very quick this time. Tante Jenny thought she’dhave to deliver it on her own. I told her I could help – but no, she sent me tofetch you.”

Murtagh clapped a solid hand on Fergus’ shoulder – the ladhad grown to be taller than him, but he was still very slight of build. “That’sverra brave of ye, lad. Now let’s get back – the tatties can wait, aye?”

---

Fergus had left the front door open – and Jamie almostcrashed into Mrs. Crook in the entryway.

“Upstairs,” was all she said.

Jamie bolted through the sitting room, taking the stairstwo at a time.

Six-year-old Brianna Fraser – banished from the upstairs toa quiet corner of the sitting room – turned to her cousin Maggie.

“Why do ye think he’s so worrit? Everything will be fine.”

“Ye ken that Grannie Ellen died having a bairn?” Maggie focusedon changing her rag doll’s dress. “He’s probably worrit because of that.”

“I didna ken that,” Brianna replied softly. Then – “Do yethink my Mam is going to die? I dinna think Da would let that happen.”

Maggie shrugged.

Brianna frowned, lay her doll down, and folded herfingers in her lap. Trying not to think about what was happening upstairs.

---

Ten stairs – then the turn. Then another ten – then thelanding. Then six strides to their bedroom –

Claire screamed.

And Jamie almost ripped the door off its hinges.

His heart tore in two at the sight on the bed. Claire –naked, legs bent at the knees, stomach heaving along with her shallow breaths, facecontorted in pain. Jenny and the midwife – the same sour-faced woman who haddelivered Brianna and all the Murray bairns – standing on either side of thebed, alternately soothing and encouraging Claire.

Jenny looked over her shoulder – and he immediately sawher relax.

“Jamie’s here, Claire.” Her voice was a bit loud, almostas if she were speaking to a child.

But Jamie was already at Claire’s side, enfolding her asbest as he could into his arms.

“Jamie?” Claire’s voice was weak – far away. Lost.

“Aye, Claire. I’m here.” He kicked off his boots andsettled against the headboard, cradling her back to his front. Just as he hadwhen she was delivering Brianna.

“When did it start?”

“Just about an hour ago.” Jenny gently kneaded the archof Claire’s foot. “Claire wasn’t feeling too well after breakfast – ”

“Those – bloody – fucking – onions did it,” Clairepanted. “Never should – have them with – breakfast…”

Then she curled against Jamie, body going rigid asanother pain rippled through her middle –

“Oh, God. I have to push,” she groaned.

The midwife pulled back Claire’s leg and reached down. “Aye– ye’re open and ready, Claire. Push.”

She did.

It was awful – and there was a lot of blood – and Claire’sblunt nails drew stinging pain where she clutched Jamie’s arms. But he didn’tfeel a thing – encouraging her, whispering to her, holding her as she drew fromsomewhere deep inside herself to push and push and push.

All was forgotten when Claire’s body released the finaltension – and the midwife held up their blood-smeared, screaming, absolutelygorgeous son.

---

“Born in the middle of the day – he’ll always have lunchon his mind, poor lad.”

Claire held the baby’s head tighter in the crook of herelbow. Jamie darted one hand to wrap the blanket tighter around the baby’simpossibly tiny shoulders, gently touching the bitty chin and nose with the padof one finger.

“Born early, too – means he’ll always be waiting on otherpeople. Puir lad.”

“I can’t believe how easy that was, compared to the lasttime.” Claire settled back a bit against Jamie, oblivious to Jenny and themidwife sorting the soiled linens and tossing bloody water out the window.

“It didna look easy from *my* perspective,” he smiled, absolutelyhypnotized by his son’s sleeping face.

“And I was so worried, too. But Jamie, when my waterbroke and you weren’t there – ”

“Hush. It doesna matter. Though Fergus told me hevolunteered to stay behind and help ye?”

“He told me he’d helped with a birth before – at thebrothel. I don’t even want to begin to imagine what that must have been like.”

“He’s a braw lad.” Jamie bent to kiss Claire’s shoulder. “We’relucky that our wee boy will have such a good brother to look up to.”

The baby stirred, but then settled.

“Is he our William, then?” Claire asked softly. They haddecided on the name as a tribute to Jamie’s beloved elder brother – but nowthat the baby was actually here…

“Aye. No’ Willie – that was my brother. No’ Will – that’stoo English. William. A good, strong name.”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

Claire turned over her shoulder to face Jamie. “I do loveyou, Jamie. Thank you.”

He smiled – heart full to bursting with love and joy andpride.

“For what? I didna do any of the work.”

“For giving him to me. For being here with me. For – for thislife.”

He bridged the gap between them in a long, long kiss.

“I love you.”

He butted his nose with hers.

“Can you get Brianna?”

He smiled even wider, kissed her forehead, and sprang offthe bed and down the hall.

Not even a minute later, Brianna shyly poked her redcurls around the doorframe.

“Come here, love,” Claire gently encouraged. “Come meetyour brother.”

Then Jamie was there, guiding her around Jenny and themidwife and toward the bed.

Brianna gingerly stepped to Claire’s side and peered downat the swaddled bundle. The baby dreamed, quiet.

She furrowed her red brows and didn’t say anything for along time.

Jamie opened his mouth to speak, but at a firm look fromClaire thought twice about it.

So they waited. And waited –

“Hallo, wee William,” Brianna finally said, voiceimpossibly soft. “I’m your big sister. I’ll take care of ye.”

Then she bent to kiss his brow.

Jamie gripped Claire’s shoulder a little tighter.

So thankful for this life.

#outlander #outlander fanfic #shifted #jamie and claire

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anaburble · 5 years

Text

ANA SAW THE ENDGAME AND DIED

Endgame is a sweet-bitter experience for me. This post includes my (oa) reactions, an in-depth-ish analysis of some characters and my favorite scenes.

I made this for me, me, me, me and me. This is me coping. This is me hoping that endgame will stop haunting me every second of my existence (arte, e).

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. AND MAJOR PERSONAL OPINIONS. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.

I repeat SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.

(Random)

● I kept on muttering "Hail hydra, hail hydra" noong scene ng mga Hydra people sa movie kasi nagsisisi ako na hindi ko siya ginawa sa family and friends and strangers noong unang lumabas siya sa movie ni cap NOT KNOWING NA GAGAWIN SIYA NI CAP SA ENDGAME. Sobra tuloy kinilig ang puwet ko.

● Hindi ko alam kung madi-disappoint ba ako or matatawa na lang sa daga na nag-reactivate ng quantum van. Ang daming theories kung paano pababalikin si Scott, e. Pinili ko nalang maging grateful kasi YEY ANTY IS BACK BABY, THANKS RATTY.

Ang galing ng character ni Ant Man sa Endgame. Hindi siya nag-shine e. Ginamit siya para mabuo yung story. Though maiintindihan naman yung actions niya kasi ikaw ba naman nasa quantum realm sa loob ng five years, tapos pagbalik mo ang dami ng nawala. Gustong gusto ko yung natakot na siyang bumalik. Na nagpush kay Hawk Eye na mag-volunteer as a tribute na sobrang ganda para sa buong character arc ni Hawk Eye WHATEVER IT TAKES. Yung scene na palpak yung pagrecover ng Team CapMan (hehe) ng stone, na siya yung voice of reason na hindi sila makakabalik kung gagamitin nila pabalik uli yung red thingy. Tapos sobrang gandang moment yung kay Cap at Tony na tipong DO YOU TRUST ME my heart, shit.

Basta parang ginamit lang siya, not that I'm complaining kasi ang ganda ng naging resulta. Sorry, Anty. Favorite pa rin kita. Mwa.

● YES HAWKY HAWKY HAWK EYE YES YES YES

Sobrang perfect ni Hawk sa endgame.

Imagine mo wala siyang kaalam alam sa nangyayari sa war and his comrades, he's spending his day with his family and then poof, gone. So he resorted in killing criminals with his sentiments na WHY ARE YOU ALIVE INSTEAD OF MY PEOPLE MY GOOD PEOPLE. Ang gandaaaaa. I really love Hawky in endgame. Yung tipong oo agad kasi I can really see Hawk Eye choices and reasons, the place and state he's in.

Tapos yung scene na tumakbo siya para sana makita yung anak niya during his time travel, huhu.

TAPOS YUNG TAPOS YUNG STONE NAT IS REALLY ONE OF HER FAMILY NA TIPONG AHHHH I CAN SACRIFICE FOR ALL OF YOY MY FAMILY LAHAT KAYO MAHALAGA UMASA TALAGA AKO NA MAANTIG ANG PUSO NI RED SKULL TAPOS SIYA YUNG MAG AALAY NG SOUL NIYA KUNG MAY SOUL BA SIYA HUHUHUHU

YES HAWK EYE ARC YES YES YES

(I wonder kung bakit hindi sinabi ni Nebula na ganoon makukuha ang soul stone. She knows e. Kaya ba si Hawk Eye talaga at si Nat yung sa soul stone kasi they all know how much they love each other as a family. HAYS)

● Di ko talaga feel makitang umiiyak si Cap, sobrang vain (hehe). Mas gusto kong nakikita yung sadness and emptiness and weight of the world sa blankong ekspresyon niya, e. So, nag-cringe lang ako ng pumatak luha ni Cap. Pero shit, the best yung "america's ass", "i can do this all day".

Special mention yung scene na akala ni Cap all is lost na pero biglang "On your left." WAAAAAAH.

TAPOS GUSTONG GUSTO KO YUNG REFERENCE SA AVENGERS 2 (?). HAMMER NI THOR!! Gumalaw naman talaga yung hammer ni Thor nung sinubukan ni Cap buhatin. HE'S REALLY A LEADER (BACK THEN BECAUSE I'M WITH NAT IN ENDGAME). WORTHY CAP. EHHH HINDI NIYA LANG TINULOY KASI AYAW NIYA NG CONFLICT KAY THOR. Iba pa si Thor nun, e. His character pa is funny slash arrogant slash medyo I AM A KING AND FUCKING WORTHY NOT YOU PEASANTS (chos)

Tapos nung moment na lumipad yung hammer sa ulo ni Thanos courtesy of Cap. SHEEEEMS! Ang perfect. (Gusto ko rin yung reaction ni Thor. Bumalik yung Thor KO lalo na yung sinasabi niyang yung mas maliit slash lumang hammer ang laruin ni Cap haha)

AND CAP'S ENDING. Hindi ako sigurado kasi ano ba talaga nangyari?. May abandonment ba talaga? Out of character ba? Bumalik ba si Cap sa "present" in 5 4 3 2 1 or nagbiyahe siya thru the years at pumunta lang sa bench na yun at the exact time na hinahanap siya nila Hulk?

Ang gulo naman din kasi ng logic behind the time travel's concept na ginamit sa mismong movie, ang daming plot holes o baka slow lang talaga ako, hehe.

Need nilang ibalik ang stones in the exact time na kinuha para hindi magkaroon ng ibang "additional" timelines, e.

Kung yung isa sa existing timelines ang binago ni Cap kung saan finally nakasayaw na niya si Peggy (insert possibilities like napigilan niya hydra happy ending with bucky plus never niyang nameet as the cap we know ang avengers) paano siya nakabalik sa "present" timeline kung saan nandoon sila hulk, bucky at sammy?

Kung nagstay siya sa timeline ng buong avengers movie that we know, tapos bumalik na matanda na ... wala naman akong problema. Mukha namang alam, na nag-usap sila ni Bucky based sa expression ni Bucky, parang alam niya yung plano ni Cap.

Pero may scene na sila na ni Peggy ang endgame. Ano yun sa ibang timeline nga? Whuuuuut

(Wait, another thought: hindi ba sa convo ni Hulk at Ancient One, kaya nga ibabalik para hindi madadagdagan yung timeline, na magiging "present" happenings yung pagbalik sa "past" tapos part ng "future" happenings yung pagbalik sa "present" at pag-snap slash undo ng "past" na magiging present future (pati pagkill sa "past" na Thanos na nasa present future). HEHEHE. Edi, buhay pa si Gamora sa present future? And it doesn't defy the movie's time travel concept. Kaya ba sinisearch siya ni Star Lord?)

● SPIDEY AHHHHHH YUNG SCENE NA INAMPON SI SPIDEY NG GIRL POWER YES YES YES TAPOS YUNG LAHAT SOBRANG COOL NA NANGYARI SA KANIYA THROUGHOUT THE FIGHT BABY TALAGA SIYA NG AVENGERS LAHAT SOBRANG GANDA minus yung part na he saw Tony died. Ayoko na.

● Thanos is the best villain. You can't change my mind. Villain with a cause. Kahit wicked hahaha.

● I FUCKING HATE THE RUSSO BROTHER FOR ASSASSINATING THOR'S CHARACTER.

Before, Thor is my least favorite avenger. His first and second movie, hindi ko talaga siya ma-feel (dahil ba mahal na mahal ko character ni Loki?) Sure, he's fun pero di ko makita yung growth as a character kaya hindi talaga ako ma-attach sa kaniya BUT DUDES THOR RAGNAROK FUCKING DID IT TO ME.

So hindi ko matanggap yung buong Thor sa movie. Hindi ko alam kung ang tamang term ba ay "out of character" para i-box yung thinking at judgement ko.

Kilig na kilig ako ng makita yung "WELCOME TO NEW ASGARD", e.

And then poof, maririnig ang tawa sa buong cinema while me on the other hand keeps on saying na THIS WON'T BE THOR'S CHOICES AFTER EVERYTHING.

Ginawa nilang laughing stock si Thor when he's already fun as a character. WHY RUSSO? WHY?

Siguro nga delayed reaction yung lahat ng nangyari kay Thor. I mean, hindi naman siya hinayaan mag-grieve from pagkawala ni Daddy Odin, Asgard and half of Asgardians population, my brother Loki, and then Thanos snapping his fingers. May emotional baggage pa siya kay Frigga (and Jane, errr). Thor was suffering pero bakit naman tipong ang out of character na, sumala e. Tapos nakakaasar pa na ikinulong pa siya sa ganoong angle na parang ang sama sama ng state niya pero kailangang magmukhang nakakatawa.

(Hindi naman ganito yung ginawa nila kay Valkyrie noong lowest point niya. You can really see that she's hurting and guilty.)

Sobrang favorite ko yung mga (past) moments na Thor was acting as a true leader even though every piece of him was breaking. Doon ko talaga nakita yung mga baby steps, his character developments were on point. Sobrang favorite ko yung moment na, when the high and mighty Thor realized that Asgard is not a place, it's the people. He is finally THE PRINCE WHO WAS PROMISED. Wait, GOT pala yan. Basta, I can finally see THOR AS AN AVENGER, as a king, as the rightful heir of the iron throne. Ang lame ko hahaha (shame, shame, shame).

Pero tangina, five years? Tapos ihaharap ninyo sa akin si Thor na ganoon? TAE NYO I FUCKING LOVE THOR'S ARC E, UNTIL ENDGAME RUINED IT. Ginawa lang katatawanan lahat ng pinagdaanan niya, lahat ng trauma at pain.

● GIVE JUSTICE TO LOKI'S CHARACTER.

● HULK AND THE TACOS AND THE STAIRS. At first, di ko rin makita si Hulk. Na parang Banner/Hulk is that really yah? But hey, I'm happy successful ang naging anger management niya. Ang galing kasi nakita ko lang talaga si Bruce noong tinanggal ni Ancient One yung soul ba yun doon kay Bruce-Hulk combo. Noong nag-usap si Bruce at Ancient One. Si DR. BANNER YUN TALAGA EH! Kinilig talaga ako. Na parang in the end, kahit anong mangyari si Bruce talaga yun. Beneath all the green stuffs, nandoon at nandoon pa rin si Bruce. Di ko masabi ng maayos pero ganoon. (hehe)

But hey, I love Hulk in special ways. CUTE CUTE CUTE HAHA SMASH SMASH SMASH STAIRS STAIRS STAIRS HAHAHA

Special mention: YUNG TACOS PUTEK VERY HULK YUNG PAGBIBIGAY NG TACOS HAHAHAHA

Kudos to Bruce-Hulk combo. SNAP SNAP SNAP. Proud na proud ako kasi both physically and mentally na talaga. Strongest Avenger.

● Di ko pa nakikita ang Captain Marvel movie (go ahead, judge me na). NICE HAIR.

● I LOVE DOCTOR STRANGE pero okay ako na ganoon lang yung part niya. Wala akong hinanap.

● THE GUARDIANS.

Yung tugtog sa van nung papunta si Rocket at Bruce-Hulk combo, sa New Asgard — that was like Quill's jam.

Yung pag-protect ni Daddy Rocket kay Groot.

"So he's an idiot." HAHAHA SORRY STAR LORD

"IT WAS EITHER HIM OR A TREE."

SPECIAL MENTION: I love you DRAX WHOO

Oh, hi Mantis.

● BADASS WAKANDA FOREVER

● On vanishing .... Yung scene na may mga bato na monument THE VANISHED feeling ko nasa ibang movie ako hahaha another thing ... hindi nag-age yung nag-vanished? Kasi nag-age naman si Cassie e.

● Ohh, Nat. Speechless. I can't. Hindi ko alam kung paano maglalabas ng feels. Whatever it takes. Shock na shock ako noong namatay si Nat pero natanggap ko agad. Si Nat yung Avenger na laging nagbibigay, e. Na laging naa-out shine ng ibang character kasi hindi kapansin-pansin yung sacrifices. Kaya gustong gusto kong magkamoment siya. More than anything, gusto niyang magkasama sama uli yung family niya. Nat dies and that's her final sacrifice.

YOU'RE MY FOREVER BADDEST SPY ASSASSIN THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. YOU FUCKING DESERVE YOUR OWN MOVIE KAWALAN NA HINDI KA NILA BINIGYAN NG SARILING MOVIE.

Sobrang perfect na sana kaso nawala rin si Tony, e. Na lahat ng feels ko kay Nat natabunan kasi si Tony yung unang avenger at consistent na pinag-iinvest-an ko ng feelings.

Kaya isa rin sa favorite kong scene yung kay Hawk Eye at Scarlet the Baddest Witch. (Tapos bigla kong naalala dito na niligtas nga pala ni twinny si hawky. Tapos ngayon pareho na uli silang nawalan. FEELS).

● NEBULA NEBULA

Shit, ang galing nung kay Nebula.

I need a happy scene after all those sanity breaking moments and I got it when Nebula killed her old self. Look what you made me do hahaha.

EH YUNG NAGLALARO SA SPACE SI NEBULA AT TONY YOU WON YOU WON FIRST TIME NI NEBULA YUN TAPOS SINABI NI NEBULA NA FUN DAW YUN TAPOS TAPOS SOBRANG TONY NA TONY OMYGOD ANG PUSO KO

YUNG PAMATAY NA SI TONY TAPOS INUPO SIYA NI NEBULA INAYOS NI NEBULA SI TONY SOBRANG AHHHHH SHET ANG PERFECT ANG PERFECT

Sobrang galing nung ulo ni Nebula. Putek.

● DON'T GET ME STARTED WITH TONY.

"Ang galing ni Pepper no, inassure nya muna si Iron Man na everything will be okey. Saka siya umiyak ng sobra noong pumikit na si Tony." BUWISIT KA AUBREY

Ever since na i-ginive up ni Doctor Strange (na tulad ni Ancient One ay may motto na DAPAT NEVER IBIBIGAY ANG STONE NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS) yung time stone FOR THE SAKE OF THANOS NOT KILLING IRON MAN, nafeel ko na si Tony ang final ace.

Kaya nung tinaas ni Doctor Strange yung daliri niya indicating na this is it THIS IS THE MOMENT, THIS IS THE ONE AY SOBRANG PINIGA NA ANG PUSO KO.

Nag-expect ako na hindi mag-gigive up si Tony na kuhanin yung mga stones, na tanggalin kay Thanos. Pero hindi ako umasang he will end up dying after everything.

KASI FINALLY HE CAN BE HAPPY KAHIT NANDIYAN YUNG PAIN KASI NGA PAIN NEVER GO AWAY DAW ATLEAST WALA NA YUNG GUILT

Noong infinity war, gusto kong isa si Tony na mawala kasi I can't handle na ito na naman tayo baby tony naiwan na naman tayo KAHIT BINIGAY NA NATIN LAHAT.

Tapos may baby si Tony. OMYGOD (Sulit ang paglayo sa mga theories and spoilers). Priceless nung scene ni Tony at Howard. Yung nanghihingi ng advice si Howard tungkol sa baby not knowing na si Tony yung anak niya PUTEK :(

I have always adore and love Iron Man since the beginning. Laging in-character, laging may growth, laging makikita mo why he keeps on doing any choices he did. PERO TANGINA TALAGA WHY KILL HIM AT THAT EXACT MOMENT? TANGINA SA INYO NA PUSO KO.

HINDI

DAPAT

NAMATAY

TONY

ENDGAME.

Tony isn't just Iron Man.

● MORGAN I FUCKING WISH YOU HAPPINESS. PETER PARKER PROTECT HER AT ALL COST

● So there's this guy na hindi naman mamukhaan noong libing-ish ni Tony. Ang galing lang kung sino siya. Ang galing. HUHUHU

● Final thoughts? Sana di ko siya pinanood kasi wala na, tapos na. I should have listen to my guts noong nagyaya na siyang umuwi kalagitnaan ng movie.

#spoilers #endgame #ph

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thedailyfucku · 7 years

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Gotta hang with fucking school friends of the Bean tonight

Yo! Went down the supermarket last night to get some groceries and shit for Grammy Bean cos she’s too sick to do it herself and Raúl came across some fuckers from his high school. He ain’t seen them for ages, but he still fucking talked to them like he only seen ‘em yesterday. They ended up inviting him around to one of their places tonight to for a barbecue or some shit.

We were gonna head back home today (Sunday) but Raúl wants to stay another night and take Grammy Bean to the doctor tomorrow, cos Isabella gotta work and can’t go with her. Anyways, I guess I’m invited to this barbecue too cos the Bean got all fucking serious and said he needed to tell me something. Turns out it’s possible one of the other fools going to this thing is the guy Raúl first fucked when he was in high school. Holy shit. That’s fucking brilliant, ay.

He said we didn’t have to go if I didn’t wanna, like if I didn’t feel comfortable or some shit but fuck that. I ain’t gonna stay away cos some loser from Raúl’s past might be there. And I got kinda fucking pissed over Javier and that tricycle riding motherfucker so he expects me to not wanna go, or get fucking weird about it - so fuck that shit. I’m going and it ain’t gonna be weird or nothin’. It ain’t.

Anyways, whatever. That’s tonight. I gotta go because Raúl volunteered me as fucking tribute or some shit to cook Grammy Bean pancakes for breakfast. This is what happens when I cook them a couple times and don’t fucking burn them. Suddenly I’m an expert.

Later.

Milkovich out!

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barpurplewrites · 7 years

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Growing Pains

@beliza-fryler volunteered me as tribute to RumBelle this prompt:

Character A is a widowed single parent and Charater B is their child’s teacher. Character A has to awkwardly explain to Character B that their child may be acting out in class because Charater B reminds them of their dead parent and they want their attention.

Warnings : Mentions of past child neglect. Mentions of past character death. Mentions of drug use. [None of these by either Rum or Belle]

He’d been dreading this day since Neal was three. His son had come home in a thoughtful mood, as serious as only a seven year old with something big on his mind can be, and asked why he didn’t have a Mommy.

“Or another Daddy, Carl at school has two Daddies, and everyone else has Daddy and a Mommy. Why do I only have you Pops?”

His bairn couldn’t know how those words twisted like a knife in his father’s chest. He also couldn’t know the truth, so Robert Gold sat his son down and told him a tale of a loving, kind mother, who loved her little boy very much, but had become sick and died when he was very small. He told Neal how his mother had the same unruly brown hair as him, how she had sweet blue eyes, and a warm smile.

Neal had listen closely and asked no further questions. Robert had breathed a sigh of relief, and only felt a little guilty for lying to his son. Wasn’t the fairy tale of a loving parent better than the truth of a junkie mother who had left her toddler home alone so she could score the hit that killed her? The memory of the phone call at work that told him of his crying son still haunted Robert’s nightmares.

It was only a few weeks later that he got another phone call about his son, this one from his school teacher asking for an immediate conference.

Robert was confused Neal was a sweet tempered, bright boy. Why on earth would his teacher need to discuss his recent behaviour? He arranged a time for the meeting and set up a sitter for Neal all while wondering what had happened to change his son’s behaviour.

The second he walked into the classroom it hit him. There had been a staff change mid-term due to old Mrs Philpott’s hip operation being moved up. Robert hadn’t met the new teacher in person, but he had carefully read the information sheet the school had sent out about her credentials; the information sheet which featured a school photo head shot. That element had clearly stuck in his mind more than he’d thought because the ideal mother figure he’d described for Neal was the spitting image of Miss Belle French.

He listened in growing horror as she tactfully explain that over the past few weeks Neal had been talking over other children, pretending to be sick or bullied so he could spend lunchtimes in the classroom with her, and today he’d shoved another child out of the way so he was at the front of the line for recess, (the child at the front got to hold teachers hand apparently).

“This only started a few weeks ago, Mister Gold, has anything changed at home that might have triggered this behaviour?”

“He asked about his mother.”

“I’m sorry I don’t understand.”

The whole story came pouring out of him, the truth of the matter, the lie he’d told Neal, the embarrassing fact that she had inadvertently be the inspiration for the lie, everything. When he was done Gold was surprised at himself, he simply didn’t talk about his dead wife to anyone except his therapist. Talking to Miss French was much easier than talking to Dr Hooper, he could see why Neal had projected his need for a mother on to her, she was kind and sensitive, but that didn’t excuse his son’s behaviour.

“The town carnival is coming up, isn’t it?”

Gold frowned at her sudden change of topic.

“Aye, Miner’s Day is this weekend.”

“How about I join you and Neal for the day? You see a few weeks ago I mentioned to the class that I was new in town and didn’t know many people. I think Neal may have latched on to that as well as me fitting the description you gave him.”

Gold thought about it for a moment. Storybrooke was such a small town that there was no rule that teachers and parents couldn’t socialize. It might help Neal and to be honest the idea appealed to him for other reasons, none of which he was going to think about right now.

“That sounds like a good idea Miss French.”

She gave him a warm smile.

“Outside the classroom you can call me Belle.”

The following Fall Neal moved up to the next grade and when Mrs Nolan handed out family trees for them to fill in he had a name to put next to Mother and a photo of the three of them to stick to the page.

#rumbelle #teacher/parent au #little neal #prompt fic

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ulteriorthings · 7 years

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About a month ago, me and my family went on a trip to Dipolog City in Zamboanga Del Norte. It was my first time there and I was so excited for this trip because this was the place where my mom grew up.

Originally, I wasn’t included in this trip but since I just quit my job a week before the trip I was able to make it. So my mom booked my flight and fixed everything else for me. But the thing is.. our flight was on the same day BUT mine would be 2 hours earlier than theirs. It’s not such a big deal for me because this is already my 3rd time riding a plane, but I was worried about how I would be able to go to my grandma’s house by myself??? You see, my grandma owns a huge house there so staying in an expensive hotel for 5 days wouldn’t be a problem anymore. But seriously, MOM! It’s my first time in your hometown and I know nothing (like, literally nothing) about the transportation here or whatsoever.

The day finally arrived. April 26th. My flight is at 10am and I got there around 9am. It was a 1 hour and 45 minute flight so I didn’t bother sleeping and just watched 13 Reasons Why on my phone. Since I’m such a weirdo who shares almost everything on social media, I went on my snapchat and took a lot of selfies. Here’s just one of them..

So I finally arrived at around 11:40am and I was beyond excited to explore the place because I heard that the view’s gonna be breathtaking. My grandma was waiting for me outside so she could take me to her house and I could rest for a couple of hours until my mom and my sisters arrive. Oh, I forgot to mention that my mom tagged along her 3 friends for this trip so, yay! The more, the merrier! 😁

When we get to the house, I took a nap and obviously took more pictures. I mean, how could I not? The house is extremely beautiful! It was huge and its very comfortable. I woke up at 3pm and my family had just arrived. They took a rest for a couple of hours then we had to leave and go to this sort of park that they call “Dipolog Boulevard” and had dinner there.

After that, we just walked around the park and ate some ice cream. When we got tired, we went home and slept. That’s Day 1, people! 👍

Now, its Day 2!

We were then off to a beach resort in Dapitan City. It’s another beautiful city here in Zamboanga Del Norte which is 1 hour away from Dipolog. After we checked in, my mom and her friends asked us if we wanted to go zip-line and horseback riding. Of course, we said yes right away! 😆 So, we went to our room and changed to our swimwear so we could go swimming right after.

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After that we went on the zip-line. Here’s the funny part.. We’re all first-timers on this one. There were only 2 cables which means only 2 people can go at the same time. WHAT. My 2 younger sisters obviously wanted to go together and since I’m the eldest.. I involuntarily (volunteered as a tribute 😭😂) had to go alone. Btw, my mom already tried this before so syempre ayaw na niya sumali this time. Ugh! 😒 So here’s are the photos..

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Okayyy. To be completely honest, super chill lang talaga ako before they pushed me down the zip-line. Nervousness = 40% siguro, Chillness = 60% I swear! When the crew finally pushed me down, I immediately screamed. Kaloka! Syempre mag isa lang ako eh! Pero seriously, super enjoy! I had so much fun doing that. Plus there’s a bonus..

LONGEST IN ASIA! Can you believe that we actually did that! 😁 Nasa bucket list to ng sister ko pero di uso sa akin yun so keri lang! Haha. After that we went swimming na. The water was so cold since its already 6pm. Sandali lang kami nag swimming tapos bumalik na kami sa room kasi sa Gloria’s Fantasyland naman ang next destination namin. It’s a really cool theme park dun pa rin sa Dapitan.

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That’s a wrap for Day 2!

Day 3 here we go! We checked out at around 11 in the morning, then we head straight to Rizal Park in Dapitan. Sobrang daming historical stuff dun and I took a lot of pictures. I didn’t even pay attention to the tour guide that much kasi I wanted to just explore the whole museum and take lots and lots of pictures. Here’s some of the pictures I took..

We spent the rest of the day back at my grandma’s house because I’m predicting the next day would be.. exhausting!

Day 4!!! Here’s what basically went down that day..

3,003 STEPS?! No big deal. We can totally handle this.. NOT.

We started our mission at exactly 5:30 in the morning. Halfway through the 500th step we were already exhausted. I mean, come on guys! We’re barely even at the top yet! 😵 Good thing we brought bottled water and some snacks. Aba nakakaloka kaya to! Even though I was already exhausted and wanted to give up na, I still continued because I was really curious about that 3,003rd step. I heard the view up there would be amazing. So fast forward na.. around 7am we finally reached the last step!

So ayun, almost 2 hours on our way up.. pano pa pag pababa na? Yikes. We took a rest for about an hour up there, then bumaba na kami. 1 hour and a half yung pagbaba namin. Ay grabe! After that, we head back home to take a rest na. Last day tomorrow…

Day 5 😢

We got up early to go to church. Thank you Lord for this wonderful trip! 🙏 My mom was expecting a few relatives to visit us so we went home right after the mass. Our flight home is at 3:30pm. We left my grandma’s house early because we had a lot of baggage and my mom wanted to make sure that the airline wouldn’t mix it up with somebody else’s stuff. (Yeah, it usually happens a lot.)

As we were boarding the plane, I realized how much my legs hurt from the hiking yesterday. We were all still exhausted but obviously we had to go home today. I just listened to some music during the whole plane ride. I was sleepy but I couldn’t manage to take a nap because the flight attendants decided to have a game and let the passengers answer a few questions to get some freebies or whatever and they were kinda loud and annoying. Anyway, when we arrived at the airport I was already hungry so we went to Burger King and bought some snacks that we could eat as we head home.

Overall, this trip was relaxing both physically and mentally. I was so glad I could be with them this time because I’ve missed a few trips like this ever since I started working and now I was able to do this with my family so I’m very very grateful! 😇

This is my blog about our vacation in Dipolog City last April About a month ago, me and my family went on a trip to Dipolog City in Zamboanga Del Norte.

#adventure #dakak #dipolog #flight #longest zipline in asia #manila #mindanao #philippines #plane #vacation #vacay #zamboanga #zipline

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demisexualemmaswan · 7 years

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The Hanging Tree [3/21]

Summary: “Are you? Are you coming to the tree? They strung up a man, they say who murdered three. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be if we met at midnight in the hanging tree.“

Emma Swan’s life would be a hell of a lot easier if she wasn’t a Tribute in the 74th Hunger Games. It all would’ve been so much easier if her name had never been chosen. [An OUAT Hunger Games AU]

Rating: T

Chapter Warnings: None

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2]

[Read on Ao3]

The Mistguard led her and Killian away into the mayor’s mansion, and up into separate rooms. Emma began pacing frantically not knowing what was going to happen next. She was terrified and furious. Her hands were trembling violently and she clenched and unclenched her fists in an attempt to get them to stop.

Terrified for the obvious reasons and furious that she wasn’t enough to protect Henry. She couldn’t help but angry at Killian, who had just thrown himself in harm’s way. “Who does he think he is? Just…volunteering himself like an idiot? What does he think? That I can’t protect Henry?” she mumbled to herself, eyebrows furrowed. “Bastard.”

“Emma!” The door burst open and Henry threw himself into her arms. The Mistguard attempted to scold him but the look in Emma’s eyes told them that Henry was not to be moved from her arms just yet. “Can’t they take it back? Can’t they choose someone else? Why did it have to be you, Emma?”

“I don’t know, kid,” Emma whispered. “I don’t know. They were both shaking as they gripped at one another. “It’s okay, kid. Breathe. It’s going to be okay.”

“Emma, you have to win. You can’t die. Please, Emma…” her brother whimpered, hiding his face against her stomach. “I don’t want to be alone. Please. You have to come home to me. Don’t leave like Mom and Dad. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“You won’t,” Emma promised in a shaking voice. “You’ll have Neal and his mother, and they’ll be so good to you, you know they will.” She gripped him tighter and the lump formed in her throat.

“That sounds like a goodbye! Stop! You’re coming back!” Henry sobbed, clutching at her tighter. “Please don’t go, Emma…” His knuckles were turning white from how hard he was clutching at her.

“I have to,” Emma whispered in a choked up voice. She hid her face in his hair. “You know it’s going to be okay, don’t you?” She rocked him back and forth gently. “You are so brave and strong, kid. And I love you so, so much…”

“You’re coming back,” Henry replied in a small voice, his voice muffled by her shirt.

“I know I am,” Emma lied, hands shaking as she used every ounce of her strength to keep Henry rooted to her and to keep her rooted to the moment. The reality of what was really happening was starting to overwhelm her and she couldn’t help but cling to her little brother. She felt like she was struggling to breathe, but she held onto her brother to keep her grounded in the moment. “I just need you to know, kid, that you are the most important thing to me. And that I love you so much. And that I will always love you.”

The boy nodded tearfully, looking up at her. “I love you too, Emma,” he told his sister. “And I believe in you. I know you can win. You won’t die like Mom and Dad. You won’t.” He undid the swan pin on his coat and placed it in her palm. “To make you brave,” he whispered.

“You want to put it on me before I leave?” Emma asked with a sad smile. She knelt in front of him and he fastened the pin to her shirt. She didn’t flinch when he accidentally pricked her with it; she just stood there, smiling sadly at her brother.

“Time to go,” the Mistguard told them, standing in doorway menacingly. “She’s got another visitor.”

“No!” Henry cried, trembling, but Emma pulled him close. “Emma, please don’t let them take you away. I don’t want you to go.”

“Please, just one more minute,” Emma whispered, not looking at anything but Henry. As far as she knew, this would be the last time she would ever see him. She tried, in vain, to memorize every detail of Henry’s face. She stroked his cheek and gently. “It’s gonna be okay, Henry. I can take care of myself. You know that I can.”

“I know, but I still don’t want you to go!” Henry cried. “You’re the only thing I’ve got…”

The Mistguard came and yanked Henry away from her, causing both Emma and Henry cry out.

“Henry!”

“Emma!” “No!” she shrieked, trying to follow him. A rough shove with a night stick had Emma sprawling back into the room they kept her in.

Neal brushed past the Mistguard and helped Emma up. “You okay?”

“No,” Emma muttered, looking back at where they’d taken Henry away from her. “I didn’t even get to…to…” Tears welled in her eyes and she brushed them away, trying to calm herself down.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Neal tried to assure her.

“God, I’m so worried about him. He’ll be all alone.” She began pacing back and forth wildly across the room. “He’ll try to push his limits on how late he can go to bed. And he’ll try to sneak in desserts after dinner. He’s scared of thunderstorms.” Her breath was coming out in bursts, trying to keep herself calm. “Oh, God, I don’t want to leave him…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Neal promised, pulling her close to rub her back. “I’ll take care of him. You know I will.”

“Don’t touch me,” she replied, yanking herself out of his grip. Her hands came up to her head miserably. “He’s just eleven, he’s not supposed to be alone in the world. I wasn’t supposed to leave him.”

“What can I do?” he asked, keeping his distance.

“Feed him, make sure he goes to school, make sure he brushes his teeth at night…just…just take care of him, okay?” she told him in a wavering voice. I’m supposed to be here to do all that stuff! she thought miserably. “T-tell him that I love him. Every single day, tell Henry that I love him.”

“I will,” he murmured. “Anything else.”

Emma closed her eyes, trying to steel herself for the next part. She wasn’t sure how she could ask this of Neal, or how he could even assure it but she was going to try. “If…if it looks like the odds won’t be in my favor, don’t let him see?” she asked in a small voice. “He can’t…he can’t see something like that, Neal.”

“Don’t die then,” he grumbled in a choked voice.

“I can’t control that!” Emma snapped back. “So just do what I ask for once, okay?” She tried to get her breathing and tears under control, and was failing.

“Emma?”

“I’m okay,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. “I’m okay. I’m going to be just fine. I’m coming back home. I’m going to see him again.”

Neal nodded, trying to control his own trembling lip. “I know.”

Outside in the hallway, Henry noticed that no one was lining up to see Killian the way he had rushed to see Emma. Biting his lip, he walked down the hallway and gently knocked on the door to Killian’s room.

“Hello?” Killian asked confusedly, opening the door. He looked down, and gave Henry a strained but friendly grin. “What can I do for you, lad?”

“I, um,” Henry started, rocking back and forth on his heels nervously. “I wanted to come wish you good luck before you left. I mean…I guess leaving makes it sound like you’re going on vacation or something, doesn’t it?” A heavy moment hung in the air before Henry added in a small voice, “I wish you were just going on vacation.”

Killian knelt down so he was at Henry’s eye level. “Thank you,” he said gently, trying to put the boy at ease. “I appreciate you coming to say good-bye.” He smiled sadly. “I’ll miss you very much while I’m away. I’ve really enjoyed our friendship.”

“Me too,” Henry said in a wobbling voice, looking up at Killian as he continued to fidget. “Hey, Killian?” He looked over at his friend and said sadly, “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

“What do you mean?” Killian asked, his eyes widening.

“You had to be a tribute instead of me. I’m sorry that they called my name. It should be me instead of you.”

“I’m not,” Killian said with a little grin, clapping a hand on the little boy’s shoulder. “It should never be you. You want to know why?” Henry nodded, tilting his head to the side as his eyes lit up. “Because when your sister comes home from the Games, she’s going to be much happier when you’re the first person to greet her here. Oh, there’s the spoils of winning, but nothing is going to be better for her than the smile on your face.”

“You really care about her, don’t you?” Henry asked softly.

“Aye, she’s my best friend. But don’t tell her that. That’s a secret between us,” Killian murmured softly, ruffling Henry’s hair. “Besides, who else is going to check on my boat for me? Y’know, the one that I’ve got on the lake just in the middle of the forest by our secret hangout?” He made a great show of thinking about it. His smile was stretched too thin, and his eyes kept watering. “Actually, I should say, who else is going to take care of your boat, lad.”

Henry hugged him tightly, and Killian was knocked back with the force. His eyes widened in surprise before he wrapped his arms around Emma’s younger brother. “Hey, it’s okay,” he soothed, rubbing the small boy’s back.

“I’m sorry,” Henry repeated, starting to sniffle a little bit. “I don’t…thank you for the boat.” It was clear that the boy was close to sobbing again so Killian just hugged him tighter. “You’ll take care of her, won’t you? You’ll make sure she survives. Sometimes, she’s trying so hard to seem strong that she won’t do anything to help herself, but you gotta make her sometimes. Make sure she comes home safe. She’s my big sister…”

“I know, lad,” Killian murmured, kneeling down to look Henry in the eye. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about your sister, it’s that she’s more than capable of taking care of herself. She’s one tough lass.”

“I know,” Henry agreed, rubbing at his eyes. “But promise me that you’ll help her get home anyway? It’ll make not having her at home easier…”

“Then I promise that I’ll protect her with my life,” Killian murmured.

Henry hugged Killian again, burying his face against Killian’s shoulder.

“Love, you’re gonna have to stop pacing or you’ll wear out all of your energy before we even get there,” Killian rumbled, an amused lilt to his words as Emma paced around the train car like a caged animal. “Whale told us we need to rest. We should rest.”

“I don’t care what he has to say. He’s a drunk that got lucky,” she growled, tapping agitatedly against the window before resuming her pacing. If she was honest with herself, she wasn’t actually mad at Killian, but it was easier to pretend she was.

“He’s the drunk that’s going to keep us alive,” Killian reminded her patiently.

Even the sound of his voice was getting on Emma’s last nerve. How dare he try to be calm and patronizing right now? she thought angrily. “You know what? I don’t even want to hear a word out of your mouth,” Emma snapped, jerking her head back at him. “In fact, don’t even look at me. Don’t even take too deep of an inhale.”

They’d been on the train for half an hour. Once they’d forced her on the train, she’d immediately torn herself away from everyone and Killian had followed her to make sure she was all right. She’d powered through all the way to the last car of the train, an open space that was one large sitting area. The couch cushions were gray, only haphazardly strewn across the floor in Emma’s path of destruction and agitation.

Killian’s eyebrows furrowed. “Me?” he asked, clearly confused by Emma’s outburst. “What have I done?” Emma rolled her eyes and continued her pacing, trying her best to ignore him. “Emma…” he sighed, running a hand over his face. “Emma, it’s going to be a long two weeks if you don’t talk to me. What was so different from this morning? We were friends this morning, weren’t we?”

“You! You’ve changed!” Emma growled in return. “What is it with you and your stupid heroism? You…volunteered like your own life doesn’t matter. Nobody’s volunteered that wasn’t from one of the Favored Districts. People don’t just volunteer for the Hunger Games. Not when we know we’re gonna die.”

His jaw clenched in return. “I’m very well aware of all of those things, Swan,” he told her icily. So you’d rather it was Henry on this train right now?” he asked, his agitation starting to grow. She didn’t answer him, and he stood up to face her. “You want to bring Henry into the Games? Is that really what you want, Emma?”

“I would’ve protected him!” Emma shouted back at him. “I can protect him! He doesn’t need you!”

“You think I’m trying to replace him in your life or something?” Killian asked, staring at her as if he were trying to follow her line of thought. “Emma, that’s ridiculous. You’re his sister. No matter what I did then or ever could do would never change that.”

“Then why the hell did you volunteer for him? That wasn’t for you to decide, it’s not your job!” she shouted at him. She walked back to the window, her hands clenched into fists. She looked back at the trees that whirred past them. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, “Evergreens are Henry’s favorite trees. Did you know that? He likes the color of the needles. And he likes that they’re always there. Like me. Except I’m not there for him now, am I? And that’s your fault, Killian.”

“Emma…” he started.

“I didn’t ask you to do this! Henry and I have always been just fine! I would’ve looked out for him. I would’ve taken care of him, and it would’ve been just fine! We’ve managed since our parents died, and we’d manage again!”

His eyes widened in understanding. “You haven’t been apart from Henry since your parents died, have you?”

“No,” she admitted, looking down and feeling ridiculous. She flopped down on the couch and stared up at the window. The more she looked up at the endless patch of fog, the more her angry she seemed, and the more shame built up inside her. “When she called his name…I don’t know. I thought…I thought he and I could get through it because it’s what we’ve always done. Now I just feel alone,” she muttered. “I never felt alone when Henry was around.”

“If you feel like I took away your family from you, I’m sorry,” Killian replied, lying down on the couch in the opposite direction. His head was by hers, but he was looking up at the gray and dreary sky above them. “That wasn’t my intention. But where you saw something you’ve lived every day for the last few years, I saw something very different.”

“What did you see?” she whispered.

“You having to bury your brother in the Games,” he sighed. “You, never being able to look at your hands again because all you’d ever see is Henry’s blood on them. You, even if you came home, never being the same again because you would’ve left the best parts of you in the arena with Henry. Me never being able to go out on my boat or enjoy fishing again or seeing him everywhere…hearing him everywhere, but never getting to see him, or answer his questions, or watch him grow.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat before he continued, “He’s your brother. I know he is your entire world. But he’s…I hope this doesn’t sound strange or alarming in any way, but he’s become important to me too. You both have become very important to me. And I couldn’t…I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he hadn’t come home and I knew I could’ve done something to prevent it. And hopefully, they’ll never call his name. If he gets to live a long, happy and healthy life because I volunteered for him, then I don’t regret it a single bit.”

Silence descended upon them, weighing heavily on Emma’s mind. She still couldn’t look at him. The gravity of what he had done for her—for her family—was not lost on her, and it settled in the pit of her stomach. Am I even going to be able to go back to that? she wondered.

“Are you angry with me?” he murmured, shifting so he could look at her.

“I’m scared,” she finally whispered, letting out the words that held an icy grip over her heart. She refused to look at him.

“Me too,” he said, his own voice wavering a little. He reached out to hold her hand as a show of solidarity and she tugged her hand close to her chest. He hesitantly lied back down beside her, looking over at her once to make sure that she was comfortable with him beside her. When she nodded, he sighed quietly and let his shoulders relax.

The silence was more relaxed and easy going this time around and they both basked comfortably in it for a while. It was only broken when Killian asked, “What’s your favorite color?”

“What?” she asked, unable to keep the corner of her mouth from turning up. She pushed herself up on her elbows to look over at him. “Are you serious right now?”

“Your favorite color,” he repeated. “I know Henry’s. I should know yours too.”

“We’re heading into a fight for our lives and you want to know my favorite color?” she asked, the laugh betraying the look on her face.

“And some other things, if it’s not too much to ask,” Killian teased her in return, grinning up at her lazily.

“What, like team bonding?” she mocked, shoving his shoulder.

“Aye, exactly like team bonding,” he replied loftily, sticking his tongue back out at her. “We’re going to be facing our death; we might as well have some fun with it before we go.”

Emma chuckled wryly. “Green. Not like the green you get on pine needles. It’s darker than that. You see it on the trees sometimes…” she replied, flopping back down onto the couch. “How about you? Any deep and dark secrets I ought to know about?”

“Like my favorite color?” he asked, laughing a little.

“Yep,” Emma replied, grinning fully now. “You know mine, and you know Henry’s. It’s only fair that I get to know yours.”

“Blue. But an ocean blue,” Killian said wistfully.

“How do you know what an ocean looks like?” Emma asked curiously, propping herself up again to look at him. “There aren’t any oceans in the Enchanted Forest…”

“Before I came to the Enchanted Forest, I did live somewhere else,” he reminded her, the smile falling from his face.

“Right.” She’d forgotten. “Did you live near the ocean there?”

“It was a bit hard not to,” Killian said sadly, rolling away from her a little bit. “Why do you think I like living on a boat on a lake so much?”

“Because you can secretly turn into a fish?” Emma offered weakly, wanting to draw him out of the memory he seemed to be lost in. Killian let out a booming laugh and rolled back to face her, his eyes shining with mirth.

“Well damn you, Swan, that was going to be my secret weapon in the Games,” he chuckled, swatting at her playfully. “Now you know all of my secrets. How am I supposed to survive now?”

“Easy,” she said determinedly. “We protect each other.”

“You weren’t my friend a little while ago,” Killian pointed out warily. “Because of something that was out of our control.”

“Come with me,” Emma said, getting up off the couch. She raced forward to the front of the train, where Whale was drinking.

“Oh look,” Whale slurred, putting his drink on the table. “They’ve come out of hiding. Does that mean you’ve decided you’re going to try and fight?”

“Coasters!” Tinkerbell shrieked, putting the glass on a coaster. Whale, Emma and Killian all stared at Tinkerbell for a moment, mouths agape. “This is a handcrafted ebony table, and I will not have you ruin it like you ruined the last one.” She glowered at Whale, who shrugged and firmly put the glass back on the table.

“We want to survive, as long as we can,” Emma replied determinedly. “I’ve got people I need to get back to.”

“So do the twenty-three other people in that arena,” Whale replied dryly.

“Not me,” Killian said with a shrug.

“Make that twenty-two then,” Whale corrected, lifting his glass to Killian and taking a hearty swig of his drink. When their expressions didn’t change, he grinned. “Okay, you want to survive something where the odds are highly stacked against you. Sounds good to me.” Killian and Emma glanced at each other nervously, unsure of whether or not this was a good thing.

“Rest up, kiddies,” Whale replied, looking at both of them. “Now that you’re serious about this, there’s a whole hell of a lot of work we have to do when we get to the Capitol tomorrow.”

#blaire's writing #cs au #cs au ff #cs au fanfic #the hanging tree

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