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pbandjesse · 16 days

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My lips are very dry and I think I am dehydrated. Because I've been talking for the last couple hours. Yapping you could say. And I just had such a lovely day that started so unbelievably stressfully that you would not believe it.

I slept okay last night. I felt really nauseous right before we went to bed but me and James stayed up a little bit later together and I would drink some more water and felt slightly more normal. And I didn't wake up much even though James said that sweetie was committing Kitty crimes all night. There was evidence. Stuff all over the ground that he pulled down. But I woke up with my alarm and felt pretty good. I even gave myself a extra 10 minutes. When I woke up it was drizzling but not raining too hard yet. I still have the coastal advisory of my phone so I would prepared and I wore my new rain boots which were very comfortable. I also packed my dock sandals and an extra pair of socks and my eyeliner and a sweater because I would be working at the museum tonight and I wanted to look nice. And James waited for me but they probably shouldn't because they would end up getting soaked on their bike ride and I felt so bad. I should have just driven them to work but they said no. I'm so sorry that they got that though I feel so bad about it.

My drive to work though was very scary. It was raining buckets at points to the point that I couldn't see. And people were driving crazy pants. And we had to go super slow at times and it was just not a pleasant drive to work. But I made it just a couple minutes after 8:00 and I was doing okay.

I knew that we didn't really have to be there till 9:30 so I had some time to work on my research for the shield designs and eat my breakfast and just kind of enjoy the morning. And that's what I did for about 40 minutes. Around 9:00 I saw a car coming up and I just assumed it was Sarah. And then I saw someone come up on the porch and I just assumed it was Sarah. And then that person knocked on the window and it was a man. And I open the door and I'm like hello. And they're like hey I'm here for the field trip. I was like excuse me. Because the field trip we had today doesn't have parents so what are you talking about. And it turns out that one of my Native American field trips was actually scheduled for today when I thought it was on the 26th.

This was so incredibly stressful. I thought I was going to throw up for about an hour. I told him oh my God I didn't know you're coming today but that is okay we're going to make this work I just need your help. And so me and him jumped on the gator together. I called Elizabeth and she told me to lean on the other staff. And as soon as Sarah and Rachel came in I sent them off to do things for me and Nick would come in and help me as well. They got the hacienda set up and would go and grab stuff from the lunch for me while I was running around like a crazy person.

Me and the dad drove the gator over to tools and dwellings at the Pueblo and I asked something about the schedule that I had printed and he was like oh no this isn't right It's only Three groups not five. Not even four. And I was like wait how many kids does this group have but I didn't ask that follow up question and that was my mistake. Because he ended up being wrong and it was four groups. And the original original schedule I had was actually correct and everything was fine. I got him set up and Sarah brought the rest of my materials up to the hacienda and of course the school was exactly on time at 9:45. And I was like on the verge of losing it. Thankfully all of my volunteer parents had shown up a few minutes after I got back from printing the schedule and I was able to walk them all to their sites and get them acclimated but most of them had already been here apparently from 2019 so I didn't have to worry too much and they all were honestly some of the best parents I've had in a very long time. Like most of my parents are great but these parents that we had were so good that like they could probably do it as a job. Like they were doing songs and dancing and just really filling the 35 minutes and I was just thrilled.

I had to catch my breath but once the bus got there I ran down and I chatted with them for a second just to get everyone on the same page and we got inside and I jumped right into it. And my intro was good but not as detailed and I didn't ask as many questions cuz I was a little overwhelmed. And one of the problems with being in the hacienda is that the one toilet is broken right now and just continuously flushes and it's kind of loud. And I felt really bad about it cuz there's nothing I can do about it It just keeps flushing. And I had to tell them like hey I know this sounds really scary but like I'll hurt you I promise.

And the intro went good and then we were able to jump into fibers and I timed it really well because I was worried when I finished my intro early but then I was going to have too much time and fibers wouldn't take as long but we ended up finishing fibers with enough time to then break into our groups and just kind of move slowly and it was like totally chill. And I remember this teacher from years past and she is great even though she frowns constantly and I think she's mad at me but she's not she keeps telling me how much she loves me. Honestly a bunch of the parents were on the walkie talkies today telling me how much they left me and how great they thought I was and that just made me feel really good.

I had a lot of moments today where people were just being really nice to me. I don't know if I just looked like I needed it but everyone was complimenting me and tell me how pretty I was. And I was just feeling good. And I got to be really good at my job and I love that.

The field trip itself was great. I seriously think I walked about 40,000 steps today though the way my body aches and I was making so many loops. I was just bopping from one site to the next and checking things out and while I was doing that I was also flipping rocks I did not find any good critters. But I did find witches butter twice. And that was very exciting for me because that's my favorite mushroom right now. And I ended up having some really lovely conversations with chaperone parents including one who offered to be on the lookout for me for supplies because she's a professional organizer and she comes across stuff all the time that people are getting rid of and she would love to have someone that she could contact about getting it and I am a hoarder pack rat when it comes to supplies. So that could be a lovely little friendship.

It was getting warmer and I was having a really nice day even though I was a little exhausted. And after lunch I would spend most of the last hour of my field trip wandering around lower camp photographing the shields. Would you like to guess how many shields there are down there? Because it's 92. So I found all of the signs that I could and hopefully did not miss any or many. I still have to do upper camp but Elizabeth doesn't think there's very many up there so we're not that worried about it. But I will be able to start my research and organization of the shields and that's really exciting for me because I love having a little project and this is one that I think will be really beneficial in the long term.

While I was walking around doing that I was also answering the walkie and doing my job. One of our kids had an allergy attack I felt really bad because they weren't allowed to give him allergy medication but his eyeball swelled all up. So we got him to wash his face and we just hope that the fresh air would help.

While I was wandering around I also was going through the field where the other group was having their field trip that I was supposed to be a part of. It was our last end to go group and they were great but oh my God. We warned them that the Gaga pit was muddy. But Gabe decided that it was okay and these kids were So absolutely covered. Just head to toe soaked in mud. And I sat down for a second to organize my folder of photographs and a little girl came and sat next to me and she was coded just tow to hip. And she had splashes all over her face and she just pouting and she goes My mom's going to be mad at me. And I said yeah probably but thankfully you're washable. And then I told her she had mud inside her ear and she said oh no We had a very good little laugh about it. This was a very sweet group and I really hope they had a good day and I hope their parents are prepared for how messy their kids were going to come home.

At the end of my program Elizabeth called me to ask how I clean up the printmaking stuff which I now realize I forgot to grab but that is not a big deal. I can get that next week. And after that I went to the hacienda to wait for my group to be done. When everybody came I would do some questions and went over stuff and all of them seem like they learned a ton and that was really cool. I had them say thank you to the chaperones and volunteers. And then I said goodbye.

I spent the next hour cleaning the hacienda. And it was kind of hard to do it by myself. I hate having to put away the chairs and the tables and sweep. But I did it it just took a while. And while I was there a contractor came up to the end of a measure stuff and I didn't know who it was. So eventually I introduce myself and he asked about going downstairs to measure the bottom half of the building so I had to go to the office to get pool key and then I came back and finished sweeping. And I was going to get the gator to get the rest of my materials but Chloe had the key and I wasn't about to walk to the other side of camp to get it so I just used our car and I loaded it up. I put the staffs hanging out of our window because they are too tall. And it didn't take that long so it was totally fine. I drove down to the woodlands to double check commission The fire was good and then all the materials were put away nicely and then I went back up to the office. I checked in. And I let everybody know I was going home. Well not home but I was getting out of there.

Blue was laughing at me for beep bopping around all day and how I better be getting my steps counted but I am not actively wearing a pedometer right now. I'm going to have to get a battery for my Pikachu one again. I'm not sure if it's working but we will have to see. I would like to wear that this summer so that is definitely something for me to look into.

But it was time for me to go. I had to get something to eat before working at the museum tonight. I drove over to cockeysville and went to Wawa and while I was waiting for my sandwich the girl making the sandwich asked me if I knew how pretty I was. I was like what??. And she was like you're beautiful. And I was like thank you that's so nice. It relief just made my day.

I ate my sandwich in the car. And I watched a video about someone I did not care about and thought was kind of a horrible person. Just some YouTuber who apparently was very famous that recently died that I did not care about but apparently it was very controversial. And kind of terrible. And then I headed to work. I wanted to get there early so me and James could see each other for a few minutes. And when I got there James's backpack was sitting outside in the parking lot. I went inside and I was like James that's not safe this is why people with rob you all the time. Which is facetious I know. But still. Don't leave things sitting unattended.

James would leave to come home to meet their dad to go to the baseball game. And I had a lovely night at the museum. The other Jesse is so much fun. Like really I think we could be very good friends because he's so funny and he gets my humor but like in a dead pant sort of way and that's really nice. And I had a great time just goofing around for the first hour. Talk into the catering staff going through drawers and just having a good time. Chatting with the security guard. Who I eventually made the security guard and Jesse take a photo with photo with me. Because I thought it would be funny and I was correct. And it was just a lot of fun because it was a charity event. And it looked beautiful. They did such a good job.

I wouldn't have that many people come back but the ones I did were really lovely. And they said I was so good at my job and so informative. And they all had very good like follow-up questions and conversation. I got to turn on the museums machines and eventually I was making a loop around to the pharmacy just to see if anyone was in there and I saw that the garment loft was open. So I went and checked with Jesse if it was supposed to be and it wasn't but we decided it wasn't worth arguing over and I went in and gave a talk in there too and a couple of the same people from before came but some extras did as well and it was just so nice. Like I got to tell my stories and people were really interested and giving great facial expressions. And I got to talk about other stuff like art and travel and just how much I love living here. My husband. Everyone got a big laugh because I was wearing James's name tag tonight and they're like you don't look like a James. And I just love working at the museum.

While I was there I also got an email from Jessica and she offered me the education positions for the events for May because there was only three of them and I can take two of those three and I'm really excited about that. I hope that we get back in that habit because I want all of the events but I know that's not always fair. And also I can't actually do all of them because I'm very busy. But I'm really excited to do more because I really really enjoy that part of the job.

I left after chasing Jesse around so that we could take a photo booth photo. And I just got home. It's getting really windy. I'm not sure when the game is over I think it's about halfway done now. But I'm going to go inside and I'm going to get ready to chill out. Tomorrow I have no plans I'm hoping to do some house stuff. And then on Sunday I have some photos I need to do and some work for some upcoming stuff and then on Monday I also have nothing and it's great. This is just going to be like a nice little relaxing getting ready to go on our trip weekend. I might even pack. We'll see.

I hope that you all have a great night and you are taking care of yourself. Stay safe and rest. I love you all.

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anakinskywalkerog · 2 years

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Okay so for the Anon who asked for me to break down Ewan's chart

First here is his big six :

Sun: Aries

Moon: Gemini

Rising: Libra

Mercury: Aries

Venus: Pisces

Mars: Capricorn

So let's start off with his Aries sun and Gemini moon. A person with those placements are usually an explorer, active and energetic. They are curious and love to learn new things. Intelligent, witty, communicative, and rational in everything they do. They are very capable of handling several projects at once. We can see that a lot with Ewan, how he does a lot of private humanitarian work and only ever talks about it when he wants to shine a spotlight on it. We can also see that side of him when he told the motorcycle story, on how he just saw someone ride it and he wanted to try. The Aries-Gemini combo makes him have impulsive actions but he is learning something new along with it.

Libra rising signs are knowledgeable, intelligent, well-mannered and restless. They have a great sense of justice and order. These natives are the natural peacemakers in their social circles. You can see how sweet he is to his fans, and how polite he is when working with people. We also can see his Libra rising with how he chose to come back to Kenobi. He wouldn't want to do it without Hayden and was always as the Executive Producer making sure everything was going for everyone filming.

Aries Mercury, I waited to get here to say this. This is a big reason Ewan and Hayden get along so well they are both Aries suns with Aries Mercury. They understand each other and communicate well with one another. I could see that when they were filming Episodes 2 and 3. Hayden was probably more extroverted but more hesitant to take risk. While more than likely Ewan was more introverted but more willing to try anything to learn something. Hayden probably said more out of pocket things when younger 😂. But their personalities switched, Ewan is a bit more introverted and still likes to learn. However he is a bit more hesitant now that he is a bit older, and well we know Hayden is definitely more introverted now. But I wouldn't be surprised if he took more risk now

Okay this is where it gets a bit spicy 😂. He is a Pisces venus and Capricorn mars. He takes care of the person he loves, and is generally quite loyal and committed once his heart has been won. Very sexual, he has strong needs for physical expression of love. He feels most loved with physical proof of commitment, and works hard at making his relationships work on a physical and practical level. Definitely requires, more than most, physical presence, steadiness, reliability, and comfort in his relationships. He is concerned about his partner’s’ emotions, and his expression of affection feels solid and very cozy. Ewan may struggle with not begin the most communicative of lovers, however. Oftentimes, he expects his partner to intuit what he needs rather than request it outright. Ewan is serious about love, and is not one to take a relationship lightly or to throw it away without first doing what he can to make it work. Ewan tends to believe in taking his time when it comes to developing a relationship and to lovemaking itself. Ewan is sensitive when it comes to the matters of the heart, essentially Ewan is much stronger and persevering than he appears. Partners who express loyalty, respectability, and some fragility are most appealing to Ewan. I see this as him when he was you know younger and teenager. That he wasn't the type to get into a relationship too quickly as he knew. When he falls for someone, he falls hard. So I can definitely see him as the type that probably had a lot of girls like him but he just didn't want to date. He probably did date but just didn't put as much feelings into until he felt like he met the right one. So when he comes to private time, Ewan is the Slow and steady wins the race. That Capricorn mars is not going to just want to go for one round, this is a man that is going to be Dominating and want a good two hours just the two of you. However with the Pisces venus he has, he won't just sleep with anyone if he doesn't have some type of feelings for him. I'm not saying that Ewan didn't have one night stands but he probably didn't like it as much. He craves connection and stability. So he is the type to not do single well.

So what I got from his chart is that Ewan attention is harder to get. You have to keep the Aries placements entertained but with that Gemini moon. You have be ready for, if he wants to talk about Taco toppings at 3pm and if black holes do lead to another time past or future, how do you alter what you already know but without changing time at 3am. That is what you have to be ready for, Good news is once you have him, he is going to settle down quick. He wants home and stability. So if you can show him that, he will get married soon.

Basically what I got from doing Ewan and Hayden's charts

Ewan is harder to get, but easier to keep and settle with.

Hayden is easier to get, but harder to keep and could be with him for a while but not settle.

Both put it down in bed but Ewan needs more of an emotional connection to sleep with someone (again he could have one night stands but they probably aren't his favorites). Hayden however could easily not put feelings into a one night stand but crave stability later.

Again no professional here just going off of what I saw in both their charts. So I could be totally wrong and obviously do not know them personally. So I have no idea what they are like behind close doors. But this is just what I got from the birth Chart.

PS Oli, I hope you had fun reading my deep dive 😂😂

Astrology Anon 💜😈

thank you for doing this astrology anon!!! to the other anon who wanted this—HAVE AT IT

the stuff at the beginning seems particularly accurate—as i mentioned, i’m watching the all of the long way series, and Ewan is definitely energetic and an explorer!!! and ugh i mean…loyalty…here’s the thing, like, i am SENSITIVE about the whole Ewan/Mary thing for no reason other than i have a parasocial relationship where he’s my father and i have an actual shitty father and i am a similar age to his eldest, Clara. but anyway, these are my issues, we don’t need to get into them 😂👀

but thank you for doing this!!!! i love hearing about the astrological placements for my boys. and regardless of my weird issues i obviously love Ewan more than anything (except Hayden)

#star wars #ewan mcgregor #astrology #obi wan kenobi #answered asks

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computertrust · 2 years

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Archicad vs revit

#ARCHICAD VS REVIT HOW TO#

#ARCHICAD VS REVIT SOFTWARE#

#ARCHICAD VS REVIT DOWNLOAD#

The original graphic standards were solidly grounded in AutoCAD, refreshed with a layer of Revit, now with an Archicad overlay of more options. Office standards were a typical patchwork.

#ARCHICAD VS REVIT HOW TO#

“It includes simple things like where to find different commands and how to personalize the interface,” said Jerrod. Tom Simmons, Business Director at ARCHVISTA, provided documentation “cheat sheets” for people with a Revit background to help make the switch to Archicad smoother. Today everyone in the office has at least one project underway in Archicad, while projects started in Revit will continue through completion.

#ARCHICAD VS REVIT SOFTWARE#

“There’s a level of design very evident in the work that we do.” Archicad was a perfect fit for their portfolio.Īnd with integrated construction services, Archicad provides a software platform from concept through completion for design-build. “Design is the motto of our firm, you can look around the Santa Cruz area and tell which projects are Fuse projects,” said Jerrod. Initial hand sketching is still a critical tool but design moves into the computer sooner with Archicad.įluid capabilities to explore design through massing iterations and studies supports the firm’s design focus. “You really have to sketch out a lot of ideas and need a better understanding of the design before you bring it into Revit,” said Jerrod. Engineering coordination is not a major factor in these projects. Two key factors in their final decision were their project types and the firm’s design focus.ĩ0% of projects designed and built by Fuse Architecture are high-end custom residential. It was clearly silly to have both systems in an office of ten users. The partners at Fuse saw that too, and so began a six month debate over whether to fully switch to Archicad. “Very early on using Archicad, I recognized it had SketchUp qualities,” said Jerrod. It became clear to everyone that Archicad was a more powerful design tool than Revit. Jerrod’s colleagues had questions as they watched him work. While a leap beyond computer aided drafting (CAD) programs, Revit’s history as an engineering tool meant it was more focused on documentation than design. What everyone knows about Revit is BIM, parametrically coordinated information drawn in 2D to create a 3D model. Instead, Jerrod’s dilemma became a side by side comparison between Archicad and Revit at this small architect-led design-build firm in Santa Cruz, California. “Rather than refresh my memory on Revit I’d last used 8 years before in school, I used Archicad and committed to taking Revit classes on-line to catch up,” said Jerrod. He’d been working in Archicad and there was no time to re-learn Revit on the job. Verdict? That’s simple.When Jerrod Nicholls joined Fuse Architecture, he immediately jumped in as PM on three different projects.

#ARCHICAD VS REVIT DOWNLOAD#

ArchiCAD has been playing catch up for a few years now, but since is acquisition of Twimmotion and Unreal Engine, we are going to see ArchiCAD renders really take to their own in the coming years.Ī very important note is if you’re an Apple user, ArchiCAD runs natively on mac, whilst Revit requires you to download parallel or any other windows emulator. If 3D is all you care about, well these two projects are where you should be looking. Whilst ArchiCAD inadvertently requires you to download a few extra plug ins that cost just the little bit too much. Revit has a much better documentation platform set up ready to go. As documentation tools they each bring their own strengths to the table. We breakdown the price of both Revit and ArchiCAD, we investigate the conceptual design capabilities of each and well as their parametric design limitations. Today we look at the benefits of learning ArchiCAD vs the benefits of learning Revit. But when they are the two industry leaders, it quickly becomes hard to pick which one is better. Plants, Candles, Frames: Kmart (Australia)ĪrchiCAD and Revit are both very power BIM software tools. My Setup and everything mentioned in this video: ArchiCAD or Revit in 2020? It has been the age old question for decades, now its time to settle the debate.

#Archicad vs revit

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fallinfl0wers · 3 years

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love stories with some genshin boys i thought of while listening to my playlists

includes: aether (210 words), xiao (261 words), scaramouche (277 words) and albedo (307)

warnings (?): spoilers of ‘we will be reunited’, english is not my native language and uhh idk what else, idk really know what these are, headcanons ?? snippets ?? also not beta read and not edited.

it’s long so uhhh i’ll add a cut somewhere

anyway enjoy!! ...whatever this is i guess

Aether

Falling in love with Aether is like a fun adventure. He, being always the center of attention and the protagonist no matter where he goes, is a free spirited, kind and hardworking man.

Throughout your time travelling and being in a relationship together, you’ll find that your relationship with the Honorary Knight is one of sweet kisses under the sunlight; innocent handholding while thinking up of what to make for dinner tonight; of easily talked out arguments and finding ways to compromise; of softly pushing each other to become a better version of themselves and, most of all, of supporting and having each other’s backs no matter what.

And when Aether confronts the Abyss Princess face to face for the first time and his world comes crashing down on him, this trait of your relationship shines like no other, as you hold him in your arms after everything was over during the night, Paimon sleeping soundly next to the both of you inside your improvised campsite.

“Even though I’m not sure what -or who- I should believe anymore, I... I know I want to see this journey to the end, and I want you to be there with me for it. Let’s be together until the last moment and beyond.”

Songs:

Snow Fairy - Funkist

Snowing, be honest with yourself and smile When two people are getting closer, time overlaps Fairy, where are you going I will gather all the light and shine it on your tomorrow

Still Lonely - SEVENTEEN

This cursed popularity. Why won’t it leave me? But why am I getting lonelier The early morning chill makes me feel Even lonelier today I feel completely empty, as if I’m empty

Kanpeki Gu~ no ne - Watarirouka Hashiritai

I'm at a loss for words, with this and that, I'm totally in love with you Someday, I want do the same to you: Watch you flounder, At a loss for words right back to me!

Side by Side - The8 from SEVENTEEN

I want to hold hands with you but I don't know what to do what to do oh baby I want to give all my heart to you but You still don't know what's in my heart

Hope - Namie Amuro

At the end of this blue, wide world there's a place I want to aim at with you We chose this long ago for eternity

Xiao

Falling in love with Xiao is like living a bittersweet dream. The Vigilant Yaksha is far from human, or so he says, and thus is out of touch with the way we mortals experience feelings, both the negative and positive ones.

Your relationship with him is one of compassion, mutual understanding, appreciation and patience. So, so much patience. Of intertwined pinkies and soft stolen glances, of shy smiles and comfortable silence sometimes filled with your voice chatting time away and his short responses to your talks.

I mentioned patience. He knows you’re making an enormous effort to try and understand him and be patient with him and his slow learning process of how relationships work, so it’s only fair that he makes a true effort to understand you and your feelings.

Xiao is well aware that he could hurt you without wanting to, be it with his blunt phrasing of his thoughts or his Karmic Debt, as much as he is aware that you will eventually pass away and leave him behind to go somewhere he can’t follow, and that undeniable truth haunts him every second of every day he gets to spend with you. And still, he wishes and wants and does cherish each and every warm, kind feeling he gets every single second you’re together nonetheless.

“I might not know what to make of these new feelings you gave me. But I’ll learn. I promise I’ll learn, so please... don’t go, not yet. Let me treasure you and carve you into my memory for as long as I can.”

Songs:

Euphoria - BTS

I don't know what this emotion is Perhaps this is also the inside of a dream A dream is the blue mirage of the desert Deep inside of me, a priori I become happy to the point of being unable to breathe The surroundings, bit by bit, become clearer

Fallin’ Flower - SEVENTEEN

While flower blooms and falls, scars cure and buds shoot We are living our first and last moment So I won’t take you for granted Because you loved me as I am

Fear - SEVENTEEN

Get out my mind I can't handle it, I'm afraid of myself The truth has me tied up My heart is tainted I'm afraid it'll eventually change you too

The Truth Untold - BTS, Steve Aoki

It’s my fate Don’t smile to me Light on me Because I can’t get closer to you There’s no name you can call me

You know that I can’t Show you me Give you me I can’t show you a ruined part of myself Once again I put a mask on and go to see you But I still want you

Tiny Light - Akari Kitō

Because you colored my unchanging monochromatic days Even the blurred darkness gained meaning

Still, hidden in this heart, these feelings of preciousness so strong that they hurt I just want to convey these feelings to only you before they disappear someday

Scaramouche

Falling in love with Scaramouche is like constantly playing a game. He’s strict, demanding, disagreeable, and widely disliked by enemies and allies alike. Still, he has a heart too; and he holds desires and hopes deep inside of it, although most of them are fueled by the unchanging curiosity he has towards the world around him, curiosity to know what he can get out of whatever the world wants to throw at him.

You were no exception to that rule, at first.

When he met you he wanted to get something from you. And you knew it from the start, just as he knew that you knew. And that didn’t change anything, at first.

Your relationship with him is one of dangerously playful, yet still light-hearted games of seduction, teasing and deceit; of secret kisses exchanged in expensive private rooms in restaurants or the cozy warmth of your home, of an unspoken shared respect and, most of all, complete, mutual devotion.

You know Scaramouche is not a good man. He has done many, many unspeakable things in his life as one of the Eleven, and he knows he’s far from being the perfect charming prince you could aim for, but he will never let you go. Because behind those hardened walls of egocentrism and pride, you saw what no one else bothered to see. You saw him, not the role he was playing, you saw him and fell in love with him.

“To be honest, I don’t think I could find anyone else who understands me as much as you do. And no, I’m not saying this because I want something, give me some more credit, geez...”

Songs:

soldier game - µ’s

You'll come with me, yes? You've grown curious about my touch, yes? Then it's already love Since you're someone I must meet in battle someday, That might just be your reason It's soldier game Though we've met again, I'm soldier heart

Kowareyasuki - Guilty Kiss

Just stop it already and show your heart only to me I love your eyes that are about to cry And your defenseless, clumsy way of living too (...) The hesitation you convey makes my chest hurt Some people just don't know what such kindness is But then I discover the truth When we got together, you don't have to endure anymore Right now, show your grief only to me I like that you think too much The complete opposite of me

Shhh - SEVENTEEN

Don't think of all these as your mere illusion They're not lies that follow the moment No one can underestimate it, my feelings are an ignition 'Cause I'm always the same Me and you, we got hurt by the lies that we won't ever work But it's fate

(...)

So I can cover you from danger A consented dedication

(...)

It's as natural as breathing An everlasting dedication

Good to me - SEVENTEEN

Yeah, when you were making that sign in my heart It was a long time since my firewall broke down Pass with the password What in the world do you know about me? Are my deep feelings seen by you?

Hiraishin - Keyakizaka46

(To trust is to be betrayed, to open one’s heart is to get hurt So to avoid being struck by lightning-like sorrow…)

Which side am I picking? Ah, these values are hard to handle That’s why I won’t stop watching over you Positive positive positive You should just be yourself… I can forgive whatever absurdities you pull off I’ll support you without being noticed Even when you get nitpicked I’ll be your companion Let us now promise to live an unremarkable life hereafter What we have here is the lightning rod of love

Albedo

Falling in love with Albedo is a fairy tale-like experience for both of you. His attention had always been focused on his research, everything else fading into the background save for a few exceptions, until you came around. You, who stole all his attention by just existing.

As an alchemist, he’s naturally the curious type. He wanted to know what about it had caught his attention, what was so special about you that had him clinging to your every word and movement every time you interacted with him. Still, human relationships are hard for him, and he figured you might go away the second he started to feel burnt out from your interactions. But you didn’t. Instead, you stayed. You stayed and took interest on what he did, asked questions, gave your insight, and dragged him to sleep when he needed a break. In exchange, he did the same for you.

Your relationship with Albedo is like one of those awkwardly sweet first time crushes. Of carefully calculated movements, dates and compliments, of soft kisses on lips, hands and cheeks, of mutual support, understanding and mature compromising and commitment.

The Kreideprinz, like everyone else, has his own fears and insecurities, especially regarding his... nature, but he does his best not to let them affect the relationship he has with you. Each moment spent by your side, even when he’s not actively doing any research, is considered perfectly spent, meaningful time.

“A long time ago, I was tasked with finding out the meaning of this world. Though I have directed my efforts and resources to looking for the answer through alchemy, ever since we met I... think, I’ve found an unexpected conclusion to said issue. While it’s likely that this is not the answer expected from me, I’m positive that, at least personally, I finally have the answer.”

Songs:

Futari Saison - Keyakizaka46

In the wind blowing through the city’s streets, even though I caught whiff of something’s scent, I had no interest in looking back

In a 1m radius around me, I formed an invisible barrier to another world And yet, you took someone like me out of it

What made you do that?

Home - SEVENTEEN

What can I do? Without you I’m just an old robot, my heart stops and it’s always cold What can we do? Without me You’ll struggle just as much, so what can we do?

Baby, I want to cherish our warmth So no one can come between us

Flower - SEVENTEEN

You taught me, you showed me You’re my only reason If you can forever remember me I can get hurt, I can get hurt

My heart that’s engraved with your light Makes me stronger Give me your sharp thorns Cause you’re my flower

Oh my! - SEVENTEEN

Sorry for repeating the same thing But this is all I can try using hard words But my true feeling is this, every everything

(...)

How about you? Is it hard for you to sleep because of me too? If you keep making my heart flutter What do I do?

Naze koi wo shite konakattan darou? - Sakurazaka46

Why hadn't I fallen in love? I've been making fun of it all this time I mean everyone keeps saying 'I love you' just like cats in heat But after falling in love I realized what people live for To meet, to love, to the point of nothing but... I'm not myself, I want to find my true self.

#xiao x reader #aether x reader #scaramouche x reader #albedo x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #genshin impact headcanon #genshin imagines #genshin impact imagines #first post yay #why is albedo's so long tho he's not even my favorite out of them lol #melodywritings #fluff #genshin impact x reader #melwritesgenshin

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mrpenguinpants · 3 years

Text

Childe/Tartaglia: Fiancé HCs

Aww, I give major points to anyone that actually reads my tags because it’s a whole lot of word vomit and brainworms. THIS IS MY FINAL OFFERING TO CHILDE SO BUDDY 👏 COME 👏 HOME 👏 This will probably be my last fic this week since I’m going to be busy with term tests and 1.1. Can you tell how slow I am with these asks?

I need to stop tagging so much because tumblr keeps making me repost...

This isn’t necessarily a part 2 from my other Childe fic [ “Enemies” to “Lovers” ] but you can go ahead and read it that way. Not sure if this counts for tags but it doesn’t hurt. To be honest, I was planning for this to be the direct part 2 but then his character story dropped and I got slapped in the face with inspiration.

[taglist] <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@youaskedfurret @diaxfeliz @wintergreen-aix @dandelily @thegayrubberducky @lovelykittycatmeow @yuunoagivesmelife @dokidokisama @hanniejji @mikeysbike @unionwitch @musekala @twistedsunnshiii @stanzastic @akaasea

---

Childe/Tartaglia: Fiancé HCs

Your relationship with Tartaglia is unorthodox to say the least. Usually, the average length of an engagement is 13 to 18 months but you didn’t need a calendar to tell you it’s been far longer than that. You probably spent more time with your fiancé’s sister than with the man himself but that was okay with you. Tonia was a really sweet girl and you knew what you were getting into when you accepted and returned his feelings when you two first started going out.

Before he became a Harbinger you were friend’s with him and Tonia. Almost everyone in Snezhnaya was part of the Fatui, working in factories, or a devote follower of Tsaritsa. So it was a breath of fresh air to meet two people that didn’t align themselves to that mindset or become a slave to work. You slowly became closer to the two siblings until the day a stuttering and pink Tartaglia confessed his feelings to you. You think back on that moment fondly since that was probably the first and last time you’ve seen him act in such a shy manner.

The day he proposed to you was the night right before he became a Harbinger. It wasn’t anything grand and you were pretty sure he hadn’t even told Tonia he was planning on proposing that very night. He said that he was waiting for the right moment and somehow felt the right moment was when you were in-between consciousness. When you couldn’t even give him a proper answer since he popped the question right as you fell asleep, but for all intensive purposes, that was probably on purpose. You had to chase him down in freezing cold weather, coat not even properly tied, as you yelled he was a piece of shit and that if he never came back you would hunt him down and kill him yourself.

He just grinned innocently and waved back to you as the ship departed. When asked by a curious merchant who wasn’t native to Snezhnaya asked if he had some...family issues he simply waved it off and said you were his beloved fiancé. The merchant was left very confused on Snezhnaya’s customs and traditions on marriage.

You both made an agreement that only he would write to you. He said that it was because trying to get in contact with him would be impossible, considering how often he moves, plus the different names he goes under. But in actuality, it’s because he want’s to keep the people closest to him as private as possible. The Fatui know of his sister already and most likely know of your existence but as long as he remains a Harbinger they can’t do anything. He won’t let them. But the Fatui have many enemies and while he hates denying your existence, if it’s to make sure you live a peaceful life with his sister, he’ll continue to pretend he’s never heard of your name before.

While he writes to his sister that he’s taking care of trivial matters when he’s on his assignment, he writes a bit more honestly and detailed in his hidden letters to you. You make sure to keep them in a box hidden away from Tonia so she never discovers them but you have an inkling she knows what her brother is up to. She watches the way your face pinches, that your fingers clutch the paper a little tighter, and how you seem to tap the page two times in sequence.

Despite the raging winter storms that swirl around Snezhnaya, you are always warm. He thinks you’re secretly a pyro vision user waiting for the right moment to make good on your word and burn him alive. Whenever his travel’s run late into the night and he arrives home tired and cold, he seeks Tonia’s room to make sure she’s sleeping peacefully. Then to you to do the same. Sometimes when you’re lucky and you wake up early, you’re greeted to Tartaglia clinging onto you refusing to move because you’re warm. Even going through daily routine’s he always has an arm around you or some part of his body against yours. You feel that his habits is rubbing off on his sister because slow morning’s like these see’s you as the human heater. With Tonia hugging you from the front, arms wrapped around your waist, while Tartaglia support’s from behind, arms around the both of you. Your hands laced with his as you both act as a shield for little Tonia.

Tartaglia’s hands are always numb. He could be in Natlan where it never snows or facing the harsh winters of Snezhnaya, they are always numb. As if the skin of his fingertips were scalded off. Touching anything gives him an uncomfortable sensation so he wears gloves all the time except for two occasions. When he need’s to replace his gloves with a new pair or to lace your hand into his. He can vaguely feel the heat from your hand, see that you don’t have the same callouses that he has from wielding weapons, and can feel the same tingling sensation that would usually have him wrenching his bare hand away if it had been anything or anyone else, besides his sister of course. Instead he holds on as if you’re his last lifeline in the middle of the ocean, commits to memory the feeling of your hand in his, and the pins and needles that prick his fingertips fade away.

He grows restless when life is ordinary and boring so he’s always off fighting or doing something completely dangerous. He was the same before he became a Harbinger which leads to some fights between the two of you. You both handle fight’s pretty badly due to the upbringing of Snezhnaya and it makes Tonia sad when she sees her family argue. So instead you convey your inner worries through taps. One is for annoyance. Two is for worry. Three is for anger. Likewise, Tartaglia has his own system.

On one rare occasion, Zhongli managed to catch the sight of a flicker of light on Tartaglia’s clothing. It confuses him since aren’t ring’s meant to be worn on the hand? The only response he get’s from Childe when he asks why is a vague answer filled with mirth. He say’s that he’s holding onto it for someone. Zhongli doesn’t quite understand since wouldn’t it be better to keep the ring in a box if it were meant for someone else? Childe wears a ring on his pinky already but it might be a Snezhnaya tradition to wear one ring on the hand, while the other is close to the heart.

He keeps his cheerful attitude on even when it feels as if the world is crushing him. That might be why he names himself Childe. But when it’s just the two of you he takes the mask off, the armor slips off, and let’s himself relax. Time’s like this he just wants to hold you and as he puts it, recharge.

For all his confident nature in fighting he knows that a committed relationship with him is hard. That if you ever want to walk away and find someone new he won’t stop you, but that you never contact him or his family. He won’t open his heart for another person for a long while or ever. He would still give you your ring and whatever you choose to do with it is up to you.

Tartaglia’s goals won’t change. He still has his family to take care of and even if you decide to leave, that doesn’t change the fact he still sees you as apart of his family.

You don’t mind if his goal takes him away from Snezhnaya for years and years. Or if the letter’s he writes become fewer and fewer. As long as he comes home you don’t mind waiting.

It’s the middle of the night and he’s still awake. He just returned from his last assignment and Tsaritsa is already sending him across Teyvat for “business” related reasons. He just finished checking up on Tonia to see her sleeping soundly. She’s growing up really fast, he smiles slightly at the thought. She can already sleep on her own. He gently opens the door to your room, well really it’s both of yours but he hasn’t been doing a lot of sleeping there, and cringes slightly at the creek the doors give.

He takes a small minute to lean on the doorway and relaxes. He won’t have enough time to bask in your presence if he’s too make it on time. The winter storm continues outside, as if Tsaritsa herself is yelling at him to start moving. He doesn’t think there’s ever been an instance when they’ve been silent.

“I care about three things in this world. My sister, you, and my home,” Tartalia says softly as he walks over and kneels down beside your laying form, resting his hand beside yours as he places a soft kiss on temple. “When those three things are safe I can rest.”

You tap him two times. Your hand has laced around his in a loose grip to which he tightens. You both sit in silence as he wait’s for the pins and needles to stop spreading across his arm before speaking again.

“I know I already proposed but let’s elope somewhere. My next assignment is taking me to Liyue. I heard it’s quite a beautiful place. I’m thinking a spring wedding perhaps?”

One more tap but he’s learned to take your annoyance as you jesting or being flustered.

“Promise me you’ll be safe,” you ask.

“I can try but I can’t guarantee everyone else will be,” he laughs.

You tap him three times. If you weren’t half asleep you would have probably thrown your pillow at him. He gives one last chuckle as his finger’s rubs patterns into your hand.

“I promise,” he swears.

He hears you hum happily as you begin to relax back into slumber. Slowly letting the feeling of his heartbeat lull you to sleep until your grip loosens around his wrist. Even as the winter winds howl outside you can sleep so peacefully. Unlike him where in the back of his mind are restless thoughts. Tsaritsa is asking something huge of him, another test of his loyalty and strength. He silently stands up as to not wake you again, gives you one last squeeze of the hand, one last fond look, before he leaves. Closing the door as quietly as he can, he steels himself to go back out into the cold.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagines #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact headcanons #genshin headcanons #genshin impact fanfiction #genshin x reader #genshin impact childe #childe #childe x reader #genshin childe #genshin impact childe x reader #childe imagines #childe headcanons #genshin fluff #genshin impact fluff #genshin fanfic

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incorrigible-groupie · 3 years

Text

Wow, this analysis of the last episode of Helluva Boss went way further that I wanted…

« Blitzo is in love with Stolas !!! »

What.

Hell no.

No no no no.

Did we watch the same show ?

Even since the pilot we know the « relationship » between them is an arrangement more than a love story. I mean, Blitzo doesn’t swoon about Stolas, doesn’t think about Stolas and only talks about Stolas when he remembers he needs the book, he freaking spent some time with him only because he was paid (you know… when he went to Loo Loo Land ?). He shows more compassion towards Moxxie (while treating him like sh*t) than towards Stolas, for Satan’s sake he went to the Harvest Moon Festival only because Millie’s family was there.

Did you see Blitzo’s face when Striker aimed at Stolas ? And then the F*CKING TERROR ON HIS FACE WHEN STRIKER AIMED AT MOXXIE ??? Blitzo was ready to tear an arm appart with his own teeth. But for Stolas ? Meh.

So no, Blitzo isn’t in love with Stolas.

And episode 6 proved that.

DISCLAIMER : The following post is nothing against Stolitz shippers obviously, especially because both characters are great and badass but I really think their feelings aren't synchronized and therefore their relationship isn't completely healthy. They could have a nice one... but not yet. And most importantly, the hallucination scene isn’t about Stolas. Let me explain why I believe that.

« Did you see the golden feathers that put Blitzo back to himself ? »

Oh you mean the golden feathers that turned into chains and that Stolas took to bring Blitzo to his feet ?

Yeah, I saw them.

Of course I saw them.

This is exactly what I expected how Blitzo sees his « relationship » with Stolas, this is exactly the thing that proves that I was right all along.

Blitzo doesn’t love Stolas, he is only with him because he has to.

And with what happened before the stair scene, I know now why.

Blitzo feels like trash, still feels like trash, maybe because of his older relationships, probably because he is from the lowest of the low (working in a circus, then a little bit higher when dating a pop star…).

Did we watch the same show ?

The show that talks a lot about inequality between castes, the show that talks a lot about how difficult it was for Blitzo to make his own company, made from scratch ???

Striker, IN THE PREVIOUS EPISODE, made an entire statement about how Blitzo is underestimated and Blitzo felt it. He was very close to accept to go with him… but he needed to protect his « easiest lanky ticket to Earth ».

Stolas is just a tool for Blitzo to get what he wants. At first, I thought it was because he is searching for something in Earth (and uses the missions as a distraction). But now, I think it’s about something more important : power. Stolas’ feathers have nothing to do with his « transformation », it just shows that Blitzo wears a mask, a costume, a cleaner suit to pretend he isn’t like trash, that he wasn’t trash, that he will not go back to trash.

Whatever it takes.

« Yeah but the figures that are fanning Stolas in such a caring way… »

You mean more like slaves ?

Again, castes, stairs, chains, fanning ? You see a metaphor of love, I see a metaphor of slavery. That’s really disturbing. This is a representation of how Blitzo feels towards Stolas and gosh I’m so worried about him, and them. This is about power.

« But he is climbing towards him ! He wants him ! »

No. He doesn’t want to go to Stolas. He wants to climb those stairs. He wants to go higher. He wants to stay away from the trash. This is about power.

« But the chains… »

I hate those chains.

This is about power.

THIS IS ABOUT POWER.

« No. I think this is about fear. I think he fears to be rejected, so he bound himself to someone, but he also fears of commitment… »

…

Fears of commitment ?

Blitzo ?

What the hell ?

Are we talking about the boss who is not afraid to show (not say, but SHOW) how deeply he cares about his employees ? Are we talking about the demon who adopted Loona and says to everyone that he loves his daughter ? Are we talking about the Blitzo who shares his passions everywhere even on Instagram ? You think someone who is afraid to be rejected would be afraid to commit ? He knows how to express his feelings, he even lies to make the ones he loves happy (yes, I’m talking about Moxxie’s taste in music, duh).

And he does talk about his relationship with Stolas, but do you remember how he calls it ? A transaction.

The book in exchange of passionate fornication.

Nothing more, nothing less.

When people says that Stolas is his boyfriend, Blitzo denies it because he doesn’t want to be seen as just a lover, just a partner, he doesn’t want to have an image of a demon who had success because he is lucky an higher being felt in love with him.

No.

He planned that.

He organized that. He slept with Stolas to stole the book, he still sleeps with Stolas FOR the book.

That demon has ambition that is not related to love.

« Have you even listened to what Blitzo’s subconscience said ? »

… Actually no, not really.

I’m sorry.

English isn’t my native language so it was harder than usual to understand ‘Moxxie’ gibberish (also, I was tripping balls listening to Brandon Rogers playing everyone voices).

I started this all post while not considering what was said, I only listened to my guts which twisted while watching Blitzo being chained because of Stolas.

I’m sorry. I may be wrong…

… But I never believed Blitzo loved Stolas and I won’t start now.

So how can I explain how what is showed and what is saying are related ?

Maybe because Blitzo is scared to be put on a pedestal in his friends minds whereas what he is doing with Stolas isn’t completely right. But he must do it for a reason. Like I said, that demon has ambition.

This is about power.

I think Blitzo has a goal in mind (which he wasn’t able to obtain alone, like Robot Beetlejuice said), a goal he will gain by sacrificing the respect his friends have for him.

You know… whatever it takes.

I think he knows he will disappoint them so he wants to enjoy his remaining time with them while not getting too close to them so the fall won’t be that hard.

« So you agree ? Blitzo is in love with Stolas but can’t make it real. »

Still no.

For all the reason I said before, Blitzo doesn’t seem attached to Stolas. It’s not that he hates him but he doesn’t really care that much.

« Or he pretends he doesn’t care, after all Moxxie said… »

Yes.

Moxxie.

Wait a second.

It started with Moxxie.

This entire scene isn’t about Stolas and Blitzo relationship, it’s about Blitzo and Moxxie.

« I’m torturing you in your own hallucination. »

(Yep, I have access to the dialogues, you can’t stop me now.)

You are right, it shows Blitzo’s fear : his fear not be a good friend to Moxxie. How could he ? His past relationships were garbage, even recently he hired someone how wasn’t trustworthy, and he’s currently having an affair with someone he doesn’t really like.

I said earlier that the golden feathers put Blitzo into a clean costume, a disguise no one is supposed to see through.

Except that Moxxie does.

Moxxie knew all along that Blitzo is only pretending, Moxxie is more hurt when Blitzo isn’t honest with him than when Blitzo says awful comments to him.

Moxxie sees Blitzo with the broken heart on Blitzo’s forehead, exactly like how Blitzo sees himself.

Do they talk to each other while tripping ? Do they listen to each other ? Do they only hear what they want to hear ?

Because their thoughts are way too synchronized (Moxxie talking about how Blitzo pushes everyone away, Blitzo being at the top of some stairs…).

Maybe they do talk to each other and then have their own perception of this conversation in their minds :

Blitzo feeling it like accusations that burn his skin like golden feathers who shut him up and chain him and blind him so he will have to abandon everything he is and loves to obtain his goal, Moxxie believing it like their relationship can go higher and evolve and be fine and equal finally.

OH, AND THERE’S SOMETHING MORE : I know there is a theory about Moxxie being a fallen royalty and I think this episode showed that if it’s true, Blitzo knows, with how in his hallucination Moxxie eloquently talked and then transformed into a princess while climbing the stairs (without needing Stolas’ feathers).

Maybe that’s also why Blitzo doesn’t think he is worthy to be friend with Moxxie. And why he is angry at him : because he is jealous, Moxxie gave up everything Blitzo wanted for unknown reason (but probably for Millie, why annoys Blitzo even more not to mention that while Moxxie gave up power for an healthy relationship, Blitzo is craving for power by using an unhealthy one).

« Okay, let’s say that the hallucinations were about Moxxie and Blitzo. But… But THE KISS ! »

Oh yeah the kiss, let’s talk about that !

When Stolas goes to kiss Blitzo, our favorite demon pulls the king’s hair so it won’t happen and… Gosh he doesn’t want to be kissed by Stolas, does he ? I’m sorry but, no, this doesn’t feel right. I may not be an expert about romance but… what ?

This is about power.

Blitzo doesn’t hate having sex with Stolas, I mean, he thinks the role-plays are weird but he goes with it, and I think that’s because during the role-play he is always the one who dominates the other.

Just like with the kiss. The kiss happened only because Blitzo made it so.

It makes sense, those role-plays : Blitzo wants to forget he isn’t the one with power (which is why he made that sad face when he sees Stolas on his throne or when Stolas saves them because he is so strong and Blitzo maybe feel sad that he isn’t strong enough to protect his group, that he still needs the help of someone he knows will ask for compensation after ?), and Stolas wants to forget he is the one with power (and forget that his favorite imp probably doesn’t love him back so he lets him do whatever he wants to do to him and maybe he will fell in love ?).

Anyway.

I feel… No, I’m sure this all dream sequence is more about the power people have on Blitzo.

And power shouldn’t have something to do with love.

Maybe one day Stolas and Blitzo will put aside their differences, the huge gap between them, maybe they will realize that their ranks have a big impact on their relationship and THEN have a real, romantic, healthy one.

But for now seeing Stolas and Blitzo together is heartbreaking for me because one of them feels forced while the other is completely in love.

#helluva boss #stolas #blitzo #analysis #truth seekers #spoilers #moxxie #i'm the one seeking the truth right here #gosh what i am doing #going deep for an animated show #now i hope i'm right #the lore is hell

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lightrises · 3 years

Text

"Only in allowing her to pass..." — Hornet, The Radiance, and the means by which Hallownest turned its victims against each other

A quick note: I read Hollow Knight as an anti-colonialist text. As such I'll be touching on topics related to colonialism as it's depicted in the world of the game, and said analysis will reflect both a sympathetic take on The Radiance and a critique of The Pale King that won't pull its punches. If this sounds up your alley, hello and thank you for the read! Let us be sad about these bugs together.

———

So!! A while back I realized something about pre-canon that felt rather... "curious" is one way to put it, I think. To wit: for all the effort and scheming and determination The Pale King poured into trying to get rid of The Radiance, neither of his plans involved directly killing her.

Was that his long game? Well, sure, that seems clear enough. His tack changed from luring the moths away from their god and creator to a more literal form of incarceration once the infection became a factor, but at its core the end goal never really changed—The Pale King very sincerely wished to destroy Radiance via obsolescence. The Seer lends us foreshadowing to confirm as much:

[Image descriptions: Two screenshots from Hollow Knight, showing the Seer and Ghost in the Seer's alcove at the Resting Grounds. Across both screenshots, the Seer tells Ghost the following: "None of us can live forever, and so we ask those who survive to remember us. Hold something in your mind and it lives on with you, but forget it and you seal it away forever. That is the only death that matters." End description.]

(Which, by the way and given the context, talk about an extremely unsubtle allusion to cultural genocide huh!!! Whew.)

In any case, we're left with a whole bunch of machinations which build up to... well, two very roundabout attempts at committing deicide. That's kind of weird, all things considered! Why not just do the deed in one fell swoop and get it over with?

This could be for any number of reasons. Maybe the king was devoid of the means to instantly kill another higher being. Maybe his personal sense of scruples stopped him short of signing off on MURDER murder (although, y'know, the aforementioned genocide + eternal imprisonment = still cool and copasectic apparently!). Maybe the long drawn-out cruelty was the point. Maybe the idea of playing fuckign 4D chess with the circumstances was too delicious for him to pass up—that man did love to tinker and stick his claws where they sure as hell didn't belong—or maybe it was a little bit of All The Things. Who knows!!

But interrogating The Pale King's methodology on this count isn't what I'm here for, at least not really. The main reason I raise this question at all is that in her own way, Hornet did too.

"I'd urge you to take that harder path... "

See, going by The Pale King's actions and what The White Lady explicitly says, they both foresaw two outcomes wrt the infection: it can be allowed to spread, or it can be contained. At Teacher's Archives, Quirrel acknowledges the fact that Ghost is expected to do... something about this, but he doesn't elaborate on what HE thinks that's supposed to be apart from the obvious "Gotta bust into Black Egg Temple first". Hornet is the one person who presents to us—to Ghost—what's framed as a third option: confront and destroy the infection at its source.

And she doesn't bring it up like it's just another tactic for Ghost to consider, prim and indifferent to what they would do. She nudges them towards it, actively, up to the point where she throws herself into the fray against Hollow at a juncture that's uniquely dangerous to her and her alone just to make that option feasible.

Even when she's couching it in disclaimers that this is still Ghost's decision to make (and let's be fair, she's extremely not wrong about that lol), no one can pretend Hornet is unbiased. It's obvious in that buttoned-down Hornet kind of way that she is way the hell done with the increasingly tenuous stalemate that's kept Hallownest's desiccated corpse from collapsing in on itself. Personally it's hard for me not to read some Toriel Undertale-esque "My father was too entrenched in his own foolishness to pursue any course of action that would have DEFINITIVELY ended this" shade into her stance here, regardless of whether that's strictly true in canon.

And that bit—Hornet's hopes for an end to Hallownest's stasis, moreover her grim calculation of what needs to be done to get there—that's the bit I find super interesting but likewise tragic and depressing as shit, on multiple levels. In no small part because a) canon itself gestures towards Hornet feeling conflicted about the very plan she's pushing, and moreover b) she has at least two (2) damn good reasons to feel that way.

So, what do I mean by that? Let's look here first:

[Image description: A screenshot from Hollow Knight, of Hornet and Ghost inside the Temple of the Black Egg, standing in front of the unsealed egg itself. Hornet has been struck by the Dream Nail and her dialogue is displayed as follows: "... Could it achieve that impossible thing? Should it?" End description.]

As the curtain is about to drop on things one way or another, Hornet thinks,

... Could it achieve that impossible thing? Should it?

Now, looking at that last bit it's easy to go "Oh no, Hornet's worried that Ghost won't survive killing The Radiance!" And I do think that's part of it: Hornet is, categorically, not her father. By endgame it's clear she's not content to view her Void-borne siblings as tools to be used then disposed of. She's also well aware that as a healthy autonomous Vessel amongst the countless dead, Ghost is the only person left alive who has a fighting chance against The Radiance. Knowing someone is the only qualified candidate for the job doesn't make encouraging them to embrace a probable death sentence any less of a bitter pill to swallow, though. And odds are on that this sentiment extends to Hollow too, who IS going to die no matter what happens here. To put it bluntly, it's more than reasonable to conclude that Hornet hates the absolute fuck out of this.

But I don't think that's all there is to it either. Remember what I said earlier about The Pale King's bids for genocide? Well, it's not like the man deigned to limit his efforts to just the moth tribe.

"We do not choose our mothers... "

On top of everything else—an infected Hallownest being all she's ever known, the fact that she only exists because of the infection, the list goes on—Hornet has spent her life wedged into a position that's been uncomfortable and terminally unglamorous at best: she is both a daughter of her father's kingdom and of Deepnest.

Deepnest, which like the moths and many others was here long before the wyrm and his lady wife swanned onto the scene and the God Become Bug laid claim to everything the Light touched plus a considerable amount of change. THAT Deepnest, which has fought claw and thread to retain its sovereignty against same-said settler king, and for which Herrah not only surrendered her life but also agreed to bed her worst enemy, all in hopes of securing a viable future for her people (put a pin in that last part by the way, I'll come back to it soon).

Two Worlds, One Family (Ft. An Indigenous Woman Trying Her Damndest To Work With What She's Got Versus An Imperialist Who Only Signed Up For This Because He Needed The Political Favor THAT Badly, So It's The Height Of Dysfunctional Actually). Fun times!!!!

The baggage this entails for Hornet is gnarly enough without implications made by The White Lady and the pre-canon timeline of events and even Team Cherry's dev notes that the king may well have looked at baby Hornet, gone "YOINK", then ensured she spent the lion's share of her childhood reared within the pearly auspices of his Pale Court*. That would be rather advantageous for Him Specifically after all, the potential to mold a born foe into a future ally and even have her trained in combat under the same tutelage as her doomed sibling. And far be it from him to stop a grown Hornet—his own flesh and blood too!—from making Deepnest her forever home if she so pleased. He totally wouldn't be reneging on his "fair bargain made" by doing this one simple thing until Hornet came of age, not t e c h nic c a l l y.

If that is indeed the case, there's a non-zero chance Hornet's formative years were a hot mess of cultural alienation and being a good deal more privy than most to just how much of a bastard her father could be. There's an equally non-zero chance that at some point she stood or sat within earshot as The Pale King finally, finally dropped all pretense and euphemism to name the Light for precisely what (for who) it was.

See, in conjunction with the question that started this whole dang train of thought I've been asking this one too: Does Hornet know? When she speaks of confronting "the heart of [the] infection" does she know she's talking about not just a literal person but someone very specific? The Radiance, who god though she may be shares skin in the game alongside Hornet as a native woman screwed over by the same settler king, likewise deprived of her kin and saddled with a life gone horrendously pear-shaped?

I'll assume for the sake of exploring the possibility and because I think it's a likely one anyway that yes, Hornet does know. She knows, and despite everything can't help empathizing. She might even look at Radiance and see bits and pieces both reflected and slightly inversed in her own mother: Radiance was forced to the sidelines while her people—her children, the brood she was meant to lead and care for—died out under The Pale King's rule, and it's no stretch to assume she's at least as upset about that as she has been about everything else; Herrah too took drastic measures for her people's sake, trying to head off annihilation by relegating herself to the sidelines in an act that was as much calculated risk as an attempt to find wiggle room and leverage in the face of a nasty proposition.

A calculated risk that, if things continue as they are, might well amount to nothing as the rest of Deepnest gets eaten alive by the infection. It survived The Pale King's advances for so so long, only to fall here. Herrah's sacrifice would be for naught; the other tribes—themselves the king's victims—would keep succumbing to the infection too.

And this is where things fall apart.

"... or the circumstance into which we are born."

Let's be clear: I think Hornet is wise enough to know what's what here, that all the carnage and suffering falls on her father's head for starting this slow-motion trainwreck in the first place. Hallownest wasn't always Hallownest. This domain was Radiance's home first, along with many others. It was the worm-turned-king who rolled up on the scene unsolicited and decided this was a ""'problem""" that had to be """solved""".

But the fact of the matter is that he's gone and The Radiance is here, raging, seemingly inconsolable. Above and beyond being Deepnest's rightful heir, Hornet isn't in a position to countenance more splash damage even if the grief and fury fueling it makes perfect sense. She can understand without ever bringing herself to love Radiance, and she can bend her knee to practicality even if she hates the everloving shit out of it because the fact that it "has" to end this way isn't fair.

This lends itself to one last awful conclusion: that Hornet has probably considered and (rightly or wrongly) discarded the possibility that Radiance can be saved, at least not without dragging more collateral along for the ride. If even her mother and every other enemy to the king seemed to dismiss talking Radiance down as an option way back when... well. Why should Hornet hope for any better after things have escalated so far?

Again, it's practical. A practical net good is what Hornet strives for. And again, it fucking sucks.

For extra tragedy points, this makes Hornet's extended crypticness around Ghost followed by her last minute casting about for a reason to tell them "Wait, don't; not just yet" that she never voices even more of a gut punch. She can't bring herself to burden Ghost with the context that haunts her so, least of all when it might weaken their resolve to go through with what (she thinks) needs doing.

It's the "same song, different verse" which led to the mantis tribe and Deepnest being pitted against each other: Hallownest rigged the game so that two women who could have been powerful allies—who have a mutual vested interest in driving out settler rule—wound up poised as enemies instead. And how awful is that? The king for all his being extremely fucking dead still gets the last laugh, because outside of a miracle the game never manifests Hornet can salvage what her mother started and look forward to a future where Deepnest pulls itself back from the brink if and only if The Radiance dies.

Resolution comes at the price of a completed genocide. Add two more dead siblings to the unconscionable pile thereof, while we're at it. That's what it boils down to whether or not Hornet can bear to articulate it as such, and there's no grace or even a properly bittersweet ending to wring from this clusterfuck. And that is rough.

———

* This has been better explained elsewhere, but a quick rundown: The White Lady tells Ghost that Hornet and Herrah "were permitted little time together." On its surface this can be taken to mean that Hornet was still very young when Herrah was shipped off to Eternal Dreamland—except this doesn't jive with the fact that we meet Hornet as an adult. If the stasis kicked in once the Dreamers went to their rest, which in turn halted the aging process for every living bug in Hallownest, AND before all this Hornet experienced little by the way of quality time with her birth mother... I think you can see where I'm going with this.

To top it off we've got Team Cherry weighing in ominously from their dev notes on Herrah: "As part of the agreement for her alliance and her role as a dreamer, King gave her a child (Hornet). Was she allowed to keep this child or was she taken away?" This isn't confirmation by itself of course, but given additional canon details (see above): Can I get a "yikes" in the chat fellas.

#hollow knight #hornet (hollow knight)#hornet hollow knight #hk hornet #the radiance #hk radiance #herrah #hk herrah #hollow knight meta #sup folks it's been a minute since i dropped a whole dang essay but Here We Go!!!!!!

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mutable-star-child · 3 years

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Astro notes from my personal birth chart ♊️ 🌞 ♋️ 🌝 Gemini asc ♊️

🌻 Having personal planets spread out in 5 different signs can make for a bit of an identity crisis hahah I have sooo many different interests and people find me to be one confusing ass person , it’s taken me years to find this as a blessing in disguise as I can relate to these 5 signs and with a wide variety of people quite easily.

🌻My Mars in Pisces ♓️ in the 11th house does in fact make me stick up for the underdog , i am not attracted to feet at all , and when I am in a sexual relationship I prefer to be friends with my lover. The detachedness from the 11th house with the watery energy in my Mars is a fucking contridiction . I find myself needing emotional intimacy with a partner but then when I’m in the act I can be in another world , I usually get pulled back with kissing 😽

🌻my Venus in Aries ♈️ in the 12th house is another paradox. I’m definitely more toned down than other Venus in Aries placements. I love the chase , but then one day you may get a shy side of me . It’s this hot and cold kind of energy which probably confuses the shit out of people , but at the end of the day I go by how I feel . Once in a committed relationship I’m IN IT , I have zero desire for anyone else . I think of this placement and energy as in this lifetime I’m to learn SELF LOVE ❤️ Aries Venus are astrologically sometimes perceived as selfish and the 12th house Venus needs to learn to give themselves the love they’re constantly over giving to others .

🌻 My mercury in Taurus ♉️ in the 12th house is my chart ruler and the ruler of my sun . For a Gemini I find myself to be quite reserved and I give credit to this baby , I know when to keep my mouth shut . Upon meeting new people or starting a new job , I sit back , and I watch , and I feel things out. It takes me a little bit to read the energies of the people around me to really open up and be my goofy self. I like to read things slowly and methodically, it takes time but once it’s learned , it’s in there for good. I get compliments on my voice allll the time and man do I love expensive journals and pens hahah nothing but the best.

🌻 Gemini ♊️ sun , conjunct the ascendant from the 12th house . When I was younger , I was extremely shy and didn’t know why people would look at me or stare at me and it made me feel self conscious as fuck . Ta da ! I feel this placement makes me confusing because well ... Gemini are the twins 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️and it’s conjunct my Gemini ascendant. I feel like a Gemini , then I also feel like a Leo rising and have a lot of Leo rising traits , but my sun feels like a Pisces some days too and I have the traits of a 12th house sun , buttt on other days I feel like a first house sun and carry a lot of 1st house sun traits 🤷🏻‍♀️

🌻 My biological father is a Pisces sun (12th house) and my mother is a 1st house sun , I therefore carry both of their energies in this 1 placement .

🌻 my step dad is a Pisces Venus and my mother is a 1st house Venus , I’m a Aries Venus in the 12th house I carry both of their energies in this placement as well.

🌻Gemini sun with a cancer moon makes for one very emotional Gemini lol , it’s funny tho because when I was younger I didn’t know people thought that I was cold and detached , but deep down my ass felt everything . It took me awhile to learn to work with these two energies.

🌻Gemini rising with an Aquarius mid heaven , people think I’m cool and aloof if they don’t know me , but once they talk to me they’re always so surprised at how “bubbly” I am .

🌻 Cancer moon conjunct Jupiter in Cancer . When I’m happy it expands out to everyone and everything ... but just how everything in this life is dualistic , if my moon square Mars ( Pisces / repressed anger) gets triggered ... watch the fuck out . When I was younger I wouldn’t even know I was mad until one day I would just explode and that’s how it felt , like an explosion of angry emotions that wouldn’t stop until everything was out . I’ve been working my ass off with working with my emotions. Just because you have certain placements or energies or aspects doesn’t mean you can’t learn to deal with them in a healthy manner.

🌻I’ve noticed that I have a lot of air moon friends , I find that I learn from them and question how they deal with their emotions , I find them fascinating that they can detach and analyze them or mind map them . I teach them how to feel the emotion and they teach me how to not get so damn lost in my emotions .

🌻 Moon in the 2nd house ; classic eats to emotionally feel better , another thing I’ve been working on . Instead of going for chocolate let’s dig around and see why we feel like this and not try to bandaid it .

🌻Jupiter conjunct Chiron , I’m half Caucasian and half aboriginal . I didn’t get to grow up with my aboriginal side of the family and on my Caucasian side I’m the only one who’s of a different ethnicity . I felt between worlds in a way growing up , I never knew where I fit in and never felt like I could fit in anywhere . It was this walking in the middle feeling .

🌻Pluto in Scorpio conjunct Black Moon Lilith in the 6th house . I remember being a kid and like some parents hating me .. for no reason . I also remember adults sexualizing me before I even knew what it was or was having sex . This aspect opposite my mercury in Taurus in the 12th house makes me extremely into psychology and esoteric studies . I find dating to be difficult at times because I can read douche bags like an open book . Hahah Lilith and Pluto in the 6th Opposite my mercury I find myself in a lot of sexual innuendos 🙄 . People sexualize me at everyday boring things , work , running errands , the *gym . When I was young and didn’t know how to deal with my emotional state this combo was deadly , depression, anxiety , suicidal thoughts . The Plutonian energies were so intense .

🌻 Uranus retrograde in the 8th house . Ummm yeah I know I’m weird , but have no fucking clue why lol 😂. This placement makes you painfully aware of being differen, on a plus it also makes you your own therapist. I went from drug party girl running away from her traumas to power engineer , owning her own house and doesn’t smoke , drink , or do drugs . Another psychology lovers placement and astrology lover 🥰. Also weird shit happens around me . Lights go on or off , things move . Alarm systems at work don’t go off when I enter the building. I also have Neptune retrograde on my 8/9th house cusp when have seen spirits and heard them . I would be lying if I said I didn’t love weird shit .

🌻Uranus in the 8th , I have been around death since I was about 8 years old having attended my first funeral service . I have had traumatic experiences with the passing of people close to me and I have known so many people who have passed away . I’m 30 and have had about 10 people I’ve known pass away . It’s something that I’ve always known . It’s a hard part about life but each time I go through a deep soul transformation where I question life and death and transcend something .

🌻Uranus in the 8th .. did someone say bdsm ?

🌻Neptune in the 8th , blurring of boundaries when i was younger. Like I legit didn’t even know what fucking boundaries were . Again something I’ve worked on and I’m happy to say , my boundaries are firm as fuckk .

🌻mercury (12th) trine Neptune and Uranus(8th) . Umm yes I do receive messages from spirit . It comes so naturally to me that I forget others don’t share this gift or have to work hard . I can go into a deep meditation easily and hypnotherapy . I also have vivid dreams and lucid dream . I am working on my dreams and astral projection.

🌻Saturn retrograde , yup bio daddy was not around and I am now reparenting myself as an adult 😁.

🌻Saturn in the 9th conjunct the Mc , I take this placement as the other reason why people think I’m cold before knowing me haha . I’ve wanted to travel for soo long , wanting to back pack and just go and be free but have not managed to yet , I always feel like I have something to do here or something comes up , I’ve just let go now and realize I’ll travel when the time is right and Saturn permits it hahah.

🌻 Saturn in the 9th , when I was younger religion made me feel uncomfortable af , I remember going to church and wondering why god was a man and why there wasn’t a girl god , and I also couldn’t understand why he was white ... it made no sense to me . Then where was my native god ? Why wouldn’t he just make everyone the same then ? Jupiter conjunct Chiron in the 3rd 😁 as I got older and traumatic death experiences happened , I then became a full blown atheist and pushed away the spirits I had seen from my mind and went on to party 🤘🏼👍🏼 ... until I had a transcendental spiritual awakening in 2017 . Which now I believe in consciousness and energy. Ahhh life

🌻 Aquarius north node conjunct asteroid Lilith conjunct the MC , people have scapegoated my ass since I had became a teenager haha. I had a very big issue with authority figures when I was younger whether it was with teachers , my parents , bosses, cops , you name it . I would rebel just to rebel . I’ve toned my shit down and have accepted that I’m quirky and different and a bit of a loner , I love it that way to be honest . I find that older men loveee me or hate me . Or both . Hahah I’m a very independent woman and do NOT like to rely on men for anything in my relationships. This placement makes me fucking determined to achieve my goals . It’s also the big fuck you placement to anyone that’s ever wronged me or told me I couldn’t do something . It gives me fuel and a will that I’m going to die trying before I ever fail . People laughed at me when I told them i was wanting to become a power engineer and well when I thought I was going to fail I just brought up their snickers comments and here I am today a power engineer 😈😉

🌻Lilith conjunct the MC , ahhh yes , I’m known for my looks and physique but jackpot to the rare ones that compliment my brains 🧠 🤓

🌻Lilith conjunct the MC, women feel threatened by just looking at me , which means I work really hard to bring a calming warm energy , I’m not fake but I do compliment women and pull them up and support them when I can . I have zero desire for drama or to take other women’s men .

🌻asteroid Lilith trine ascendant and sun , yeah I always wondered why people thought I was hitting on them when I wasn’t even interested lol but add a friendly bubbly Gemini ascendant with this aspect and you give off sexy vibes with out even noticing it . Fucking annoying to be honest hahah

🌻 IC in Leo , sun conjunct ascendant ... people say I wear my heart on my sleeve and what you see is what you get hahah

🌻IC in Leo , I shine when I’m with my family I feel the most comfortable around them and I love when they compliment me lol more than like anyone else .

🌻 If you were wondering why my chart seemed off I have 4 signs intercepted : Taurus / scorpio , Virgo / Pisces . My mercury , Mars , Pluto are all intercepted and my 12/6th houses are MASSIVE lol and my 11/5th are as well . Itty bitty 2/8th , 3/9th houses .

Let me know if you have any of these placements and can resonate 🥰

#astro notes #astrology #astro observations #birth chart

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ectogeo-art · 3 years

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omg i want to hear about romulan embassy siskarak

WIP ask meme

Omg, yes, thank you for asking, I’m so excited about this one!!!! :D The fic idea appeared to me fully formed as soon as I saw this post by @the-last-dillards about how in a scene cut from “The Wire”, Sisko mentions that he and Curzon were at an embassy on Romulus when Sisko was about Julian's age, and dillards speculated that it would be funny if Sisko and Curzon happened to be there at the same time as Garak was on Romulus posing as a gardener. Most everyone else who saw that post was like "lmao Curzon/Garak <3" and while that is extremely funny too, the Sisko/Garak implications are soooo much more interesting to me personally.

I think Sisko would be an interesting parallel-but-not-quite to Julian. I feel like young Sisko would be similarly bright and passionate and idealistic, which we KNOW is a type Garak is attracted to, but unlike Julian, Sisko would NOT put up with Garak’s bullshit mindgames, he would NOT find Garak inherently charming.

And then there’s Garak, still young, on top of his game, feeling confident and powerful and indestructible (but ultimately just Tain’s pawn... he’s been indoctrinated to love Cardassia unconditionally and hasn’t really had that challenged in any way yet).

They would both find each other extremely grating. Sisko embodies everything Garak hates about the Federation, so Garak would want to take him down a peg, make him sink to Garak’s level. Sisko would be infuriated by Garak’s duplicitous and condescending nature, but maybe Garak also keeps saying things that are juuuust provocative enough that Sisko can’t seem to help arguing back against his points (and Sisko really doesn’t get how that’s somehow turning both of them on...).

So that’s the gist why I’m obsessed with the potential for this pairing during pre-canon in general. Now onto the fic itself! Juuuust in case I never get around to actually writing this, here’s my detailed plan for the romulan embassy siskarak fic:

Sisko and Curzon are on assignment at the Federation embassy on Romulus. The Federation embassy is holding an open house next week. Sisko offers to help cook the food for the event, because he has an idea to incorporate ingredients from other cultures into his jambalaya recipe to Symbolize how cultural exchange can lead to amazing new technological advances and/or art and/or political alliances (or idk, whatever overwrought metaphor an excited young Sisko decides is galaxy brain levels of diplomacy). Curzon's just like “hell yeah, sounds great, kid! go for it!”

So Ensign Sisko (or whatever his rank is at that point idk) asks around at the other embassies nearby for ingredients native to their homeworlds. They give him some recommendations, but he’d have to replicate or import the ingredients. But then he gets to the Cardassian embassy and they have this beeeeautiful garden, overflowing with native Cardassian produce. Sisko asks the gardener there (Garak) if he can possibly use some of the vegetables for his jambalaya of interplanetary diplomacy.

Garak is instantly annoyed by how performative and insipid Sisko’s project is... but Garak knows he has to play nice and hand over the vegetables. He also knows how much he doesn't want sisko rendering these vegetables he's been diligently tending into tasteless inedible garbage that an unrefined Federation or Romulan palate couldn’t possibly even appreciate... So he smiles politely, and offers to show him the proper way to cook it. Tonight. In Sisko’s quarters.

Garak internally justifies this unnecessary dinner date by deciding that it will be a good opportunity to scope out the inside of the Federation embassy. And so what if he’s also getting a little riled up thinking about all the delicious arguments he might have with this headstrong and attractive Starfleet officer? So what if he kind of wants to figure out what he has to say in order break Sisko’s composure? What he can say that would make Sisko, despite his self-satisfied demeanor of peace and acceptance and understanding, angrily slam Garak into the wall hard enough to trigger the pleasurable rush of the implant...?

Meanwhile back in sisko POV... Sisko gladly accepts, actually quite eager to learn more about cooking, and a little curious about this strange Cardassian gardener who seems a little bit interested in him. (He’s not annoyed by Garak yet, because all he’s seen is his mask, his poker face.) Curzon’s taught Sisko everything about diplomacy and how to be a Starfleet officer and how to be a person, and sisko looks up to him in a bit of an unhealthy way. Sisko knows that the easiest way to impress Curzon is to score with an alien. Sisko’s maybe a little curious to see if that’s what Garak is interested in, so that Sisko will have something to brag about with Curzon.

[sidenote: idk where Jennifer is in this timeline (but also the canon timeline of when Curzon and Sisko were off on adventures that included banging twin alien chicks and getting falling-down-drunk together seems inconsistent with the canon timeline of when Sisko and Jennifer met lolll)... anyway, maybe bennifer are on a break bc of the long-distance while he’s on Romulus, and/or bc she maybe doesn’t particularly like the influence Curzon has had on him and they very recently got in a fight about it.]

Okay, so now it’s that night in Sisko’s quarters. For now let’s just gloss right over the (presumably horny as hell) scene about the chopping and stewing and seasoning of the vegetables—during which the arguments (and resulting tensions) between them build and build, from little things like vegetable chopping techniques to the fundamental paradigms of their worldviews and senses of morality—and let’s fast forward directly into the middle of their fight about whether the federation sucks more than the cardassian empire: Garak out of nowhere just starts undoing his shirt while saying something inflammatory questioning the federation’s true commitment to cultural exchange... Garak basically implies that Sisko is a hypocrite who has been arguing for ideals he doesn’t believe in if he doesn’t want to bang Garak RIGHT NOW...

And then they bang, And it’s a mess, and they HATE each other, and it’s really hot. Or at least, that’s the idea. ( @delicatetrashstranger volunteered to help write the E-rated part, for which I am very grateful, lol.) In the end, the weird space jambalaya burns while they are going at it, and everything is ruined and smells terrible, and Sisko doesn’t even WANT to brag about this one to Curzon, because he is not proud of how he let Garak get under his skin. Garak maybe experiences A Consequence of some kind that makes him realize he can’t recklessly throw himself at Federation hotties (like... maybe something Sisko says makes him question a Truth he was certain of, or maybe this fling has jeopardized his assassination plans somehow, or maybe there is a close call where he almost reveals something personal about himself, or almost accidentally leaves behind his underwear, which is where he keeps some of his sci fi Spy Gadgets, lol idk).

The end!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this summary of my fic... I hope I actually write it one day XD (If anyone feels inspired by any aspect of this and wants to run with it, PLEASE DO! Also, if, like me, you desperately Need this fic to exist, feel free to let me know that you’re excited about it! My brain is all garashir all the time, so any WIP that’s not garashir sometimes needs to be helped along by external motivation lol.)

#siskarak #my fic #wip ask meme #ask game

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youvebeenlivingfictional · 4 years

Text

Don’t Treat My Love Like a Habit Part Two

Part One | Next Part | Masterlist

Pairing: Santiago Garcia x Reader Rating: Mature (this may change) Warnings: Cursing

Notes: Set before the movie. Not beta-read. Reina is Spanish for Queen. Also I am not a native Spanish speaker, so I am sorry for any mistakes! *We’ll let you know what we think as soon as we can. **Make it quick, Garcia, we need to move on this.-- Don't let her sway you too hard, huh? ***Sweet dreams

Summary: Pope needed this. You could see it on his face.

“You alive?” Pope’s voice crackled over your phone. You grunted in return, and he laughed, knowing it was as close as he was getting to a yes. “We got a call from Diego, he wants us to look over plans for a bust. Hernandez has been spotted.” Well that sure as fuck woke you up. You sat up in bed, scrubbing at your eyes. “Wha’ time is it?” You mumbled. “Almost noon. Meet me at the office in an hour. Diego’s gonna come by, give us the run-down.” You nodded. “Okay. Okay, an hour,” You agreed. “I’ll bring coffee,” Pope added. “You fucking better,” You said before hanging up. --

Pope needed this. You could see it on his face. After Isabella had disappeared, he’d been kicking himself. You’d eased up on berating him, even if you would still find yourself seething about it from time to time. The last month had been spent digging into leads that you knew would take you nowhere. But this bust that Diego was laying out... You were trying not to interject, keeping your face carefully schooled into a neutral set as he laid it out for the two of you. He’d sent you files, layouts, pictures of Hernandez that seemed off -- too perfect, almost. You were trying to keep an open mind, but you smelled a rat.

“*Le haremos saber lo que pensamos tan pronto como podamos,” You heard Pope promising Diego to let him know what you thought as he led the man out. “**Hazlo rápido, García, tenemos que seguir adelante con esto. No dejes que ella te influya demasiado, ¿eh?” You watched Diego’s back, eyes narrowing as he told Pope not let you ‘sway him too hard’. You saw Pope’s head turn back toward you a bit. He knew that you spoke and understood more Spanish than you’d let on to the team that he worked with frequently. Had they already talked this out without you? Had Pope already made some kind of commitment to the plan? You sure as hell hoped not. You pulled up the most recent picture of Hernandez that Diego’s team had gotten, scrutinizing it. There was something wrong about it; you could feel it in the pit of your stomach. You reached out, pulling the printed layout of Hernandez’ last known location, and the proposed sight for the bust toward you for another look. The last bit of information that Isabella had given Pope was that Hernandez had an operation that he was trying to set up in Mocoa, in the Putumayo region near the mouth of the Amazon. What the hell would bring him to Suseca? The town was a little over an hour from Bogota-- that was an eleven hour drive from Mocoa-- "So? What do you think?” You looked up to see Pope standing in front of you. He was trying not look too eager, and you felt your stomach drop. Pope needed this. You couldn’t give it to him. -- ”You’re killing me here, Reina.” The words were muffled. You glanced over at Pope to find his head in his hands. He took a deep breath before he lifted his head. “Just...Tell my why it’s such a bad idea,” He requested. “C’mere,” You said, waving him around to your desk. He pushed himself out of his seat, rounding to your desk. He frowned at the negative, pixelated image he was faced with on your computer. “What am I looking at?” He asked, eyes sweeping the screen. “I put the image of Hernandez through forensic photo software. Think of a jpeg as ... the erosion of a shoreline. Every time a wave washes up on a beach, it removes some sand, it’s a loss. In that same way, every time you save a jpeg file, it loses data and quality from the original image. The more you save an image--” You waved toward Pope. “The less quality there’ll be,” Pope finished nodding, “So?” “So,” You turned back to the screen, “this software identifies any modified areas on an image. You have to think of each pixel on a jpeg as a single grain of sand-- each pixel is independently compressed, okay? So if a picture hasn’t been touched up or changed at all, every single one of these pixels should have the same error potential. Do you see,” You raised a pen, pointing to the chunked fragments of pixelation around Hernandez’s frame, “All of this? And look--” You pulled up another screen to tourist site for Suseca, showing the background. “I don’t think this is authentic.” “Or maybe he’s just in the same place, that doesn’t mean--” Pope started, and you turned on him, disbelieving. “I don’t know if you’re not reading me or if you’re choosing not to, but there is something wrong with this. And it’s not just the photograph, alright, it’s the whole fucking thing! Diego’s plan is way too loose,” You turned back to the print-out for emphasis and Santiago stepped away from your desk, “It makes no sense that Hernandez would just surface this far north-- After three months of radio silence? It makes no sense.” “People slip up--” Pope began to rationalize. “He doesn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t be so close to Lorea.” You leaned back in your seat, watching as Santiago paced back and forth in front of your desks. You weighed your words carefully for a moment before you said, “Santi... I know you wanna get this guy. I wanna get him, too. But not like this. Something is wrong here.” Santiago turned to look at you, conflict twisting his features. For a split-second, panic surged through you - you were sure Santiago was going to tell you that you were off-base, that this bust was going down with him anyway. He took a deep breath, fist clenching as he muttered, “Fuck.” He grabbed his phone off of the desk and turned away, heading for the door. “Where are you going?” You asked, half-rising out of your chair. “To tell Diego that I’m not in and that his intel sucks,” Pope snapped before slamming the door behind himself. You lowered yourself back into your seat, raking a hand through your hair. You glanced back at the photo of Hernandez, frowning. -- ”You still in the office?” Was Pope’s way of greeting you this time. “Uh-huh,” You confirmed, tacking on, “What’s up?” “Diego circled back with me. The bust went down-- It was a set-up,” Pope relayed, “He’s fine, but two of his guys are hurt pretty bad.” “Shit,” You hissed quietly, resting your head on your hand. You’d been hoping that what Pope had imparted to Diego would’ve been enough to stop him from going through with the bust, but you’d been wrong. “...Where do we go from here?” You asked. “Well, you go home,” Pope said, “And we go back to figuring it out tomorrow.” You rolled your eyes a little bit. “I’m almost done,” You grumbled defensively. Pope chuckled. “You’re never ‘almost done’,” He teased. He paused. “Thank you,” he added quietly. You smiled. “I should be thanking you for trusting me,” You argued. “Hey, you know your shit. That’s why I hired you,” Pope retorted. You chuckled. “Alright, lemme finish up here and I’ll... Eventually make it home.” “Yeesh,” Pope mumbled. You could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “Night, Santi,” You murmured. “***Dulces sueños, Reina.”

#Don't Treat My Love Like a Habit #santiago pope garcia #Santiago Pope Garcia x Reader #Santiago Garcia/Reader #Santiago Garcia x Reader #Santiago Garcia x You #Santiago Pope Garcia x You #Santiago Garcia #Santiago Garcia/You

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inquisitive-mess · 3 years

Text

A Slice of Happiness Final Part

Including Sibylle of Cleves and Maria of Jülich-Berg by @blackdiamondwrites127, and Katherine Tudor by @ellielovesdrawing

Mention of Jane Paker by @altairtalisman and Anya Askew by @thenicestnonbinary

T/W: Blood, Past Characters Death, And Hint of Past Trauma and Abuse

When Sibylle and Kath heard Ann, Sibylle was kind of surprised on how easy that was. She expects Ann to put up more of a fight, but see how vulnerable she currently is and how things has been, it does made sense that she doesn't have the strength to do that. Kath decided to grab Ann's coffee and tiramisu with some plates and utensils from the kitchen and place it on the table. She figure this may be a long story, so she want Ann to be comfortable when telling it. Ann saw Kath bring the tiramisu and some plates to them and was confused by it. She didn't know why Kath brought them and it made her feel a little worse. It was a constant reminder on how she didn't deserve this. Kath soon sat next to Sibylle and took a sip of her coffee while Sibylle got herself comfortable in the chair. Ann try to take her mind off the dessert and begin speaking " It begin when I was thirteen and started to work at the palace...." Kath choke on her coffee, put her mug down after spitting her coffee back into it, and begin coughing when she heard Ann. Sibylle went to Kath side as she try to help her breath correctly. Ann look at Kath when this happen and asked her " Are you okay?" Ann felt little bad that she cause Kath to choke on her drink. Kath soon recovered and nodded. She was kind of caught off guard on what Ann had said and made her confused by it. Sibylle looked at Ann and she nodded. Sibylle then told Kath " Babe, Ann just like us. She a reincarnate and been around for ten years, like I have. She's the younger sister to Catherine Parr. She knows that Jane, Anya, and Mali are too." Kath took in this information and realized why Ann look so familiar to her. Ann does share some facial feature to Cathy. Kath then said " So is that why you wanted a tiramisu because it has coffee in it?" Ann replied " I would say yes, but it not because I'm addicted to coffee, like my sister. You see, I wanted something i'm familiar with in taste since this would be the first time trying it. Jane was the one who told me about it after we went to restaurant yesterday and a dessert that is hand-made in a bakery are usually better than ones you buy in a supermarket. To tell you the truth, I only have coffee when i'm in the mood for it." This made Kath really happy because Ann trust her this much to make this order for her and Siby knew how much this made Kath day.

Once eveything had settle down and Kath was alright, Sibylle and her got themselves comfortable again, so they can listen to Ann talk and Ann begin again " As I was saying, it began when I was thirteen and start to work at the palace. My mom mange to get me a post in court and I became a maid-of-honour to Catalina. She was good friend with her and part of her lady-in-waiting staff. I wanted to be good as my mom was and did my very best, which I really enjoy." Ann grip her mug a little tight and continue " Unfortunately I did see the bad things while being there. Like how the king treated Catalina and witness how terrible the king was. Once Catalina got divorced and sent away, Anne became queen and I begin looking up to her as role model. I knew it wasn't Anne fault for what happen to Catalina, since I already know what really happened. I continue to follow her example, until she got executed. I knew Anne didn't commit any of those crimes, but I couldn't do anything about it, since that would mean I would have to go against the court and the king. I watched her death and blame myself for being a bad assistant, student, and friend. Jane became queen soon after and I was shocked that she still wanted me there. She must of knew how I felt and blame herself for what happen to Anne. I was part of the funeral cortege when she died and one of the fortunate to be present in Prince Edward baptism." As Sibylle and Kath listened, they wanted to tell Ann that this wasn't her fault and she did nothing wrong. Sibylle could see why Ann ask her that question when they were in the room before dinner and her hesitation on being friends. Ann looked down at her mug and said " Soon after, I met my future husband, William, in court and got married. I do miss the time we spent together and family we made. He may not be smartest person, but he was strong, loyal, and good father to the children." Ann smile a little and wished she lived long enough to see all of her children grow up and get married. Sibylle knew how Ann felt, since she does think about John and her kids from time to time.

Ann took a sip of her coffee and went on " I went back to court when the king marry Anna and served her." This perk Sibylle's interest a bit and wonder what Ann did in her sister time in court. She knew what happen during Anna time and didn't like it. In fact, she would of called out everyone, even the king about everything. " When I learn she didn't know much English and heard what court have been saying to her, I took upon myself to learn German, so she had someone to talk to and may be help her. As you can see, that didn't end well when her marriage got annulled and sent away. She did visit time to time, so that was good thing at least. Though I could tell her self-esteem did get hurt a bit even when she try to hide it." Sibylle did get her answer when she learned that Ann does know German and wasn't hearing things when she was at her shop during the incident. Kath was glad that Sibylle had another person she can talk to in her native language. Ann then begin to tense up as she begin talking again " Then Katherine became queen..." Ann got a little sad and continue " When I saw how young and inexperience she was, I wanted to help her all I can and she took a liking to me. I eventually was appointed the keeper of the royal jewel, but I had to leave for short time to give birth to my first child. I did return back to court, but it was around the time Katherine was charged and arrested for adultery. I didn't know how this happened and soon realized that the incident was happening again. What makes it worse is that when Katherine had the choice to choose to accompany her through all this, she picked me. I accepted her request and followed her until her death. I was one of last people she trusted and felt honored she saw this highly of me, but I also felt that I failed as friend and assistant."

Ann took a deep breath to ease her tension and begin speaking again " Then came my sister time as queen. I was completely caught off guard when the announcement was made and didn't know what to feel. I was really worry about my sister safely and didn't want anything bad happened to her, but Cathy reassure me and told me that everything would alright. My husband and I were there for her private marriage ceremony to the king and I was appointed chief lady-in-waiting. We had each other's back and made sure we didn't do anything to attract any attention. Of course, it didn't go that smoothly. A few courtiers didn't like Cathy and try to get Anya to confess that Cathy, me, and few close friends were Protestants, which you know what happen there. When I learn what happen to Anya, it hurt me knowing how she was beaten and burned to death. I blame myself what happen to her and wish I was able to do something. Cathy felt the same way and eventually help each other with it. Then the possible arrest warrant happen. I didn't know much about it until later on when Cathy told me in private. I was shock by it and didn't know what I would of done if it did happen. I was worry about my children and others rather than my own safety. I was so thankful that Cathy was able to persuade the king before it happened. When the king died, my second son and I moved and was part of Cathy household in Chelsea while William was appointed one of the guardians to King Edward. We stayed there until Cathy married him and we all know how that went. I still feel responsible for what happen to her by trusting him so easily, which cost Cathy her life. I still have memories of her funeral service and how everyone was. I lived my rest of my life in peace. Raising my three children, my title increases as William continue serving Edward, and was one of the ladies to Mary, until my untimely death. I really don't know how I died, but I remember being painless. And that's the end."

When Ann was finish her story, she closed her eyes, put her hands together, and took in the silence in the room. She felt kind of relief that she was able tell someone that wasn't family or Jane about this, but the same time, she knew she just exposed her emotions to Sibylle and Kath. She didn't know if they would feel sorry for her or think she was damaged and have to be with friends because of it, which is something she didn't want happen. She really do want to have friends, but the worry still lingers in her head that she would hurt them. As she was thinking, Sibylle and Kath took everything in and couldn't believe what Ann had been through. True, it wasn't that surprising back then, but the fact that she witness almost everyone she knew deaths and still be in one piece was incredible. Ann was whole lot stronger than she give herself credit. Sibylle couldn't imagine how that feels, even with everything she dealt with. They now understand why Ann has this fear and knew what to do. Sibylle place her one of her hand on Ann hands, which cause her to open her eyes to look at Sibylle with a small smile on her face and spoke " Thank you for telling us, Ann. I know that must be hard for you to do and we appreciate it." Kath appears behind Ann and gave her a hug, which surprised Ann. Sibylle continued " I understand why you think the past would repeat itself, but we are here to tell you it not. You're able to protect your friends now and prove that already by stopping me from hitting that guy and protecting Jane and Mali from me. You're a lot stronger then you know it. And if you still feel that way, I have no problem teaching some things, so you can gain some confidence to be able to protect them." Ann start tearing up when she heard Sibylle and didn't know what to say. Kath then told her as she let go and begin serving the dessert." We love to spend more time with you. You accept our past, so we can accept your past too. Plus you seem to be fun to be with." Ann look down and started to cry. Sibylle saw Ann crying and told her " Do you know what Jane said to me when I ask about you? She told me that you had a hard life, but you're definitely one of the kindest people she ever known and you would be the go to person if she ever need to bury a body. Anya also thank me when she got back from fix Cathy laptop at your shop. I didn't understand all this, but after spending time with you and see what kind of person you are, I can say all of this was true. You truly are the most kindness person I every met and we loved to be your friend." When Ann heard all this, she felt happy as she cried because she finally made friends without worrying that something bad would happen to them. Kath place the tiramisu in front of Ann, which Ann saw and feel confident on eating it, so she grab the fork, took a piece of it, and ate it. She really enjoyed it and was glad she was able to experience this while Sibylle and Kath got their slice and join Ann on eating it.

After they finish the tiramisu and everything was back to normal, Ann was getting tired and excuse herself, so she can get some sleep. Both Sibylle and Kath told her have a good nap and Ann nod at them to tell them okay. She went to room, closed the door behind her, place her stuff back on the table, and lay on the bed, which she completely knockout once her head touch the pillow. Once Ann left, Kath and Sibylle start picking up the mess they made and Sibylle ask Kath, if she going back to bed after this. Kath shook her head and told her that she it was almost time for her to go to work. Sibylle nod and went back clean. When they got done, Kath gather her things for work and was ready to leave. Kath gave Sibylle a kiss on cheek before leaving. Sibylle decide to stay up and decided to do some work on her laptop, before going to her friends house for her bike. A few hours pass by and Sibylle got some work done, which is good because she can focus on other things when she gets to the theatre. She went outside for a bit and head to her friend house to pick up her bike, thanks to her friend, and went back to the house rolling her bike on the side. She parked her bike on the driveway, walk back inside, and started doing her morning routine. She went to the kitchen, pull out food for their pets in the storage closet, pour some in their dishes, put it away, and got herself ready for work. After hour went by, she walk back in the kitchen and saw Killjoy and Malky was eating, but didn't see Oz. She went looking for him all over the house and couldn't find him, until she saw the door to the room Ann was sleeping in was open. She walk to it, stick her head inside, and saw him on the bed sleeping next to Ann. She quietly walk inside and head the bed, where she smile a little when she saw this and thought it was cute. She took her phone and took a picture of it, which Oz begin waking up. Sibylle pet his head to prevent waking Ann up. She then move him carefully and place him on the ground, where he started heading to kitchen to eat. Sibylle was about to leave, when she heard Ann moving in her sleep, remove blanket covering her, and pushing together to form some kind comfort pillow. Sibylle figured that she was trying to make up the difference in mass once Oz was gone. She then notice the bottom of Ann's shirt was raised up a bit exposing the lower part of her body and saw something there. She quietly got close to her to see what it was and got shocked once she saw it. It was dark patch of discoloration that spread from the front of the body that looks it goes up to her chest to a small part of her back. Sibylle mood change immediately and slowly left the room heading to the kitchen.

As she was walking, Sibylle was really angry what she saw because this wasn't the first encounter with that. It was when she went to juvie and saw other adolescents covered with them. They were the ones who looked so defeated and was very sick due to how malnutrition they were. In fact, some were so mentally destroyed that they try to kill themselves in there. Sibylle clutch her fist at the thought of it when she realized that everything made sense now. How Ann doesn't like talking about her past, her breakdown at the zoo, her refusal on asking or accepting help, why she wasn't adopted, and some of her behavior. Ann was mentally abuse and most likely neglected in the orphanage. This hurt Sibylle knowing that Ann went through this growing up and didn't have anyone to turn to, like before. She wanted to tell Ann that she was okay now and wasn't alone anymore, but knew that if Ann found out that Sibylle knows, she may overreact and possibly do permanently damage to her on a mental level. Sibylle decide to keep this to herself until Ann is ready to tell her and the others about it. She did however want to know the person who did this to her and make them pay. When she was in the kitchen, she pull out her phone and texted Papa Julian to see if he can help her with this. She want to be discreet about this, since she didn't want the others to learn what she was doing, especially Kath and alart Ann about it. Once she done, she put her phone away and decide to make her and Ann breakfast before going to work. Ann soon got up and head to the kitchen where Sibylle was done cooking and was setting up the table to eat. Ann ask Sibylle if she need help, but Sibylle told Ann to sit and would serve her. Ann was ready to object, but Sibylle gave her a look and Ann listened. She sat down and waited until Sibylle served her food. Sibylle soon sat down and they begin eating with no trouble. Once they were done, they clean up the kitchen, grab their things, said their goodbyes to Oz, Killjoy, and Malky, and went out the door as Sibylle lock the door behind her. Sibylle soon head to work on her bike while dropping Ann at shop and provide her a helmet. Once they got Ann's shop, they said their goodbyes and Ann thank her and Kath for everything. Sibylle nod and told her that it no trouble and will relay the message to Kath when she sees her. Sibylle then start her bike and drove off going on their separate ways. Sibylle made promises to herself that she will help Ann in any way and made sure that Ann doesn't feel alone or go through anything like that ever again.

A week later, Kath was in her bakery doing some orders when a man in a worker uniform walk inside her shop, head to the counter, and stop there. Kath walk up to the man and did her usually greeting " Welcome to Tudor Rose, how can I help you?" The man answer " Are you Katherine Tudor?" Kath looked confused and reply " Yes..." The man lift up a clipboard front of him and read off a paper on it " We are here to deliver a new industrial baking oven, remove the old one, and install the new one for you. Do you have a back area where we can go through to do this?" Kath was even more confused by this because she didn't order anything and would remember certainly something that huge. Kath ask " I think you got the wrong place. I don't remember ordering or paying for anything." She had no idea what's going on and didn't know what to do. The man show Kath the paper on clipboard and told her " Well, as you can see we have a order for here for this place to do all this and been paid for by someone. The person didn't give us a name, but say it was to be delivery to Katherine. There also no way for us to take it back once the order is done." Kath look at the paper and true to the man's word. It did said her name and her business, but no name for who order it. She had no choice, but let them do their job. She show the the man where he and his team can go through to deliver and install it. Once she did, she let the workers do their job while she look at the paperwork. She then saw what kind of oven it was and shock by it. It was the one she wanted for the long time, but didn't have the funds to get it. She called Sibylle and wait for her to answer. Sibylle answer in few rings and Kath said " Ibby, I though we agree we going wait until we have enough to get me that." Sibylle was confused by what Kath had said and ask " What are you talking about, babe?" Kath question Sibylle by asking " I have workers here who delivery and installation that oven I wanted and removed the one one. Did you ordered and paid for that oven for me?" Sibylle then answer " No, I didn't. As you said, we talk about it, so I wouldn't done something like that, especially since we didn't have that kind of money. Are these people legit?" She knew why Sibylle said that since they walk in the same road before. Kath replied back " Yes, I checked everything out and they weren't lying. Also there no way to stop it." Sibylle sighed on the phone and told Kath " I'll check on you on my lunch break. Keep up posted if any change." Kath nodded and said " I will" She soon got off the phone and went to the front of the store to tidy things up with Mari since she can't do anything, until the workers job was done. The workers got done with the job in a few hours and went on their way. Kath with Mari finally went to the kitchen and saw the oven. It was beautiful to see and Kath was smiling, but was more curious on who got this for her. Far as she knows, only Sibylle and Mari were the only people who knew this was the oven she wanted and talk to about it. As she was looking, Sibylle walk in, stand next to Kath, and asked her " It looks as beautiful as it is in that catalog. Do you know who got this for you?" Kath shook her head and answer " No. The paperwork didn't show the name of the person who order." While they were talking, Mari called out as she stand next to the oven " Kath, zere's something here" They both walk the oven and saw what Mari was talking about. There an engrave Tudor Rose on the side and a folded piece of paper tape below it. Sibylle took the paper off of it, open it up, and read it. She soon hand it to Kath and read what it said " The answer of course, is that the clock isn't meant to measure earthly time, but the time of the soul. Redemption and condemnation time. For the soul, each instant is always a minute short of judgment." ~ Gregory Maguire After reading this, both Sibylle and Kath chuckle a little and knew a certain person is going to have an earful when they see them again, but for now, let them enjoy their day. They deserve some happiness in their life.

Pervious

#six #six oc #sixtended verse #Ann Parr #Sibylle of Cleves #Katherine Tudor #Maria of Jülich-Berg

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anonymous0writer · 4 years

Text

Jail Bird

Author: @anonymous0writer

Warnings: Swearing. Police stuff. Ward Cameron. (Lol) Inferences to sex. And horrible writing. I’m so sorry!

Requested: Yes!

“Can u do a jj fic where y/n is in an interrogation room with the police and that’s where she first sees jj. He sees her surfing and stuff, she is new to the outer banks . She’s really in some deep stuff with ward cameron that’s he wants out of but the cops listen to him. Jj helps her escape and they flirt and talk. She admits ward is trying to control her. He can’t stay at John B’s so JJ let’s her spend the night at his house. But then the dad catches them,”

Summary: You just moved to Outer Banks, but you’re already in deep shit. You’re fathers a dirty business man, and he and Ward Cameron have been in a feud for years. And you’re stuck in the middle. Until a certain blonde in the next cell over offers to help.

A/N: This is long! Sorry! It was so fun to write though!! I love things like this. Also, I know a cop really wouldn’t let both kids out, but Peterkin’s done it before and I took ‘liberties’ with the story. :)

I hope this was close to what you wanted!!!! It’s not my best writing, and I didn’t go into very much detail cus it’d make it wayyyyy too long but, I hope it’s close and you enjoyed!

“Name?”

“Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Age.”

“Don’t you have this on a file or something?” You protest, but the officer gives you a hard look. “Seventeen in a month.”

“Good. Now we’re going to ask you a few questions,”

You rolled your eyes. You’ve done this before. In your old town, you weren’t a stranger to shop lifting here and there. But this was new. You’ve never been in an interrogation room before. Or handcuffed. And if you weren’t in a police station, you’d be up for the kink. But this was serious. But this situation pissed you off. You’d literally just moved to Outer Banks. And now you were already at the police station. Your mother would be pissed.

You smirked at the officer. He glared, and seated himself across from you. You shifted in your cold metal seat, wrists tugging at the cuffs digging into your flesh. You winced slightly as your skin was rubbed raw.

“Why were you at the Cameron’s house?”

“I wasn’t. I was unpacking my room. I just moved here.”

If there was one thing you learned from dealing with the cops was that they assumed you were lying or had something to hide if you gave short responses. More information, they would ease up a little more.

“When?”

“On the fifth. So, two weeks ago.” You replied.

“Have you been here for two weeks?”

“No. I was going back and forth with my brother from our old house, in Virginia. We were still getting furniture and everything while my parents got everything ready here.”

“Who are your parents?”

You gave him a look. When he arrested you, he should’ve looked who you were already. You had a record after all. Which you were half proud of in any other situation, but now, it didn’t help.

“Derrick and Ellen Y/L/N.” You answered since the cop didn’t let up.

You glared at your cuffs, they were hurting. Your skin was rimmed with angry red circles. You tugged at them in a vague attempt to get them off.

“Can you get these off? They’re starting to itch.”

“No.”

You huffed. Rude. You silently asked yourself how you ended up here.

It all started a month ago. You had a small house in Virginia, but your parents were looking for houses in North Carolina.

You’re father was a business man. You knew he dabbled in very shady things, but tried to stay out of it. So when your parents announced you were moving, you were suspicious. After all, they chose the rich rich side of the Outer Banks. There was no way your father had gotten that money realistically that fast. Your father wasn’t a good man. But your mother was, but she was blind to him and his dealings. You think.

So a week later, you were practically all packed up. At least the essentials you need for your new house in OBX. You were going to buy new furniture. But only for the kitchen, dining, and living room. Because those were ‘show’ rooms. Rooms other people would see.

So after you officially moved, it was you and your brother Ian’s job to get the beds and other furniture. The big stuff you kept. So over the week and a half, you and Ian kept going back and forth. So you only had a couple days to finish your room and explore your new home.

But you’d been dragged into the police station two days later.

And you had a big suspicion it was Ward Cameron’s doing.

Ward Cameron. King Kook of OBX. Your father and him had a rivalry for a long time. Your father used to live in OBX on the Cut, and he grew up with Ward. They were enemies through out high school. And they grew to have rival businesses. You knew Ward wasn’t a good guy. Even remotely, but you were sure at least a little bit of the fortune he had was actually worked for. Unlike your father.

So moving to the birthplace of your father and the home of Ward Cameron was bound to have issues.

But you barely had time to settle into life as Kook in the Outer Banks. You weren’t used to such a big house. Or the maid. Or the pool, or money. Of course it was fake or dirty, but still. A Kook is a Kook. But in reality, you were a Pogue posing as a Kook.

“Alright, we’re going to put you in a cell while we contact your parents.” The officer grunted, gripping your arm as he lead you to the holding cells.

He let you walk in by yourself and closed the door. Immediately you gripped the bars.

“Oh come on, man! Can’t you take these off at least?” You protested, holding up your bound hands.

The officer shook his head and without another word, left. You scoffed and stepped back. “Asshole.” You muttered before finding the bench and sitting on it. You sat there for a while.

Your charge: breaking and entering in the Cameron’s house.

Ward Cameron. You knew you were gonna get in trouble sooner or later by his hand. Just not this soon. Or this outrageous. If felt like you stepped a foot outside of your house and boom, cuffs were snapped onto your wrists.

With a sudden burst of rage you sat up and smack the wall with your fist. “Fucking Ward Cameron!”

You ignored the splitting pain in your fist, but sat back down and cradled it. Your head snapped up as a laugh traveled to your ears. You looked to your left, where the bars revealed a boy with blonde hair sitting in the next cell over.

He grinned at you, his eyes flashing. You studied him. Bright blue eyes, a shit eating smirk. Blonde hair. Backwards cap. Tan skin, toned muscles, sleeveless shirt, shorts. Looked like a native. Looked like a asshole too.

“What is a girl like you doing in here?”

You quirked a brow. “I apparently broke and entered a Richie’s house.”

You had come up with your own nickname for Kooks with Ian on one of the long car rides. It was funny to you, and you knew you were about to become one, but you weren’t really one. Once again. A Pogue posing as a Kook.

The boy smirked. “Richie?”

You shrugged. “I don’t like Kook.”

“You must be new. I’d remember that pretty face.”

You rolled your eyes at the flirt, but it broke away to a smile. “Just moved here.”

“My bad.” The boy said and moved closer to the division between you two. “JJ.”

“Y/N.” You answered, taking another look at the boy. He was cute. Scratch that. Hot. And a hundred percent player. “Why are you here?”

“Same old.” JJ smirked. “The police like to arrest me for begin too hot.”

That killed your attraction. Hot and cocky didn’t go together. You knew some girls could focus on the hot, but you were the type to need a good personality. You rolled you eyes and turned away. After a couple beats of silence, JJ spoke.

“Did you actually break and enter?”

“Nope.” You gave him a quick glance. “Set up.”

JJ clicked his tongue. “I was smoking weed. Apparently you can’t do that.”

You smirked. “Really? I was counting on that, moving here.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble.”

After a while, you turned to the boy. He’d redeemed himself. He was funny, and you always appreciated a guy with humor.

“Do they usually take this long?”

“Pretty slow around here.” JJ grinned, showing you his teeth. “Island time.”

You nodded, laughing a little. “Virginia doesn’t run that way.”

“I can get you out of here.”

That got your attention. “Really?”

He nodded and pulled out a bobby pin from his jeans. You approached the bars, thrusting your hands forward so he could release you from the rings of pain.

“This isn’t my first rodeo.” He says, and soon the cuffs click and go slack. You pull them off, rubbing your sore wrists.

“Thanks.”

JJ meets you eyes and winks. But you frowned. “How are we gonna get out of the cell?”

“I have a plan. Don’t worry, Y/N.”

You can’t help it, but your stomach flops at the way he says your name. You nod and wait.

“Peterkin!” JJ yells, calling for someone you don’t know.

Soon enough, footsteps and a dark skinned cop comes around the corner. She ‘tsks’ at the blonde haired boy before you.

“JJ,” She says disapprovingly. She gives you a quick glance, but you’re seated on the bench, seemingly uninterested. “What’s this about.”

JJ motions to the door. “C’mon. You know I’m a good kid. I promise I won’t do it again.” JJ pleads.

Peterkin sighs heavily. “Alright.”

You blink. Cops back in your town hated you. Even before you committed your first crime. They’d never be this easy. You eyed JJ. There must be something about JJ that coaxes sympathy out of the cop that you don’t know.

She opens the door with her thick set of keys and the door creaks open. You are so surprised. Dirty cop? JJ walks out of the cell, smiling sweetly at the cop.

“Thanks.”

“Not again, JJ.” She eyes you. “What are you in for?”

“I was framed for breaking and entering.”

Her brows raised. “Ah. You’re the Ward Cameron case.”

“Yes ma’am.” You answered, still not knowing what JJ’s plan was. He better get you out of here, or he was exactly who you thought he was. And you’d been looking forward to getting to know the boy.

“If you go, because you were falsely accused, will you keep your mouth shut?” She asks.

“Yes ma’am.” You nod and stand. Peterkin eyes the discarded handcuffs and a smile tugs at the corner of your lips. She shakes her head.

“You have to pay bail. Both of you. I can arrest both you for refusing to pay, so don’t think about avioding it.” She eyes you hard. “And I know about your record, Missy. Don’t think I’ll be easy next time I see you in the cell.”

“Of course. I won’t.”

She takes it and lets you out. “Alright. Get out of here kids.” She walks away.

You gape at the blonde. “How the hell is it that easy to get out of jail?”

JJ shakes his head. “It’s not. Trust me. I’ve been there enough to know she rarely does that.”

You nod. As JJ starts to move, you follow him. He leads you through an empty hall and you bolt outside the station. The sun beats down on your back. You forgot how hot is was. You’re used to the air conditioned. You haven’t been out much.

You run after JJ as you get far enough away that you won’t be dragged back. You stop under the shade of a palm tree. You stand there for a beat, catching your breath. You look around, it’s nice and warm. A cute town. JJ watched you admire the street and smiles. After a second he asks you a question.

“Where do you live?”

You laugh. He’s straightforward. You like that. “You’re gonna have to try harder if you want to get my number.” You answer, smirking.

He grins and takes off his hat to run a hand through his messy blonde hair. “Alright.” He pauses. “Where you from?”

It takes a second, but you understand. He’s asking what side of the island you belong to. The Cut or Figure Eight. You shrug. “Doesn’t matter. I can’t go home.” You meet his beautiful eyes. “My mother will kill me.”

JJ nods. “You’re a Kook.”

You quirk a brow. “How’d you know?”

“Kooks are always freaked out by jail. And you knew Ward Cameron.”

“Okay, fair. Are you from the cut?”

“Pogue through and through.”

You nod. You can’t go home, but you have no idea what to do. And you want to keep talking to the blonde before you.

“You wanna tour of the island?”

You send a silent thank you to the boy as you nod. “Yeah. That’d be great.”

He smiles and starts heading down the sidewalk, leaving you to catch up. The sun heats your back and illuminates everything around you in a summery light. You didn’t even realize how pretty and nice summers were here. You and JJ fall into light conversation. You ask about each others lives, lightly digging up facts and tidbits of your past. JJ takes an unexpected turn, making you startle. You start down a path that leads to a beach. You stare at the wide expanse of pale sand and blue waters.

JJ smirks at your expression. “Welcome to Outer Banks. Paradise on earth.”

You laugh at the slogan and smile. You stare at the waves crashing in and out. “I could surf here.”

“You surf?” The boy questions, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

You shrug one shoulder. “Not really. My brother’s teaching me.”

JJ catches your eye. “I could teach you. You know, I’m pretty good.”

“Wow, modest.” You grin at each other for second and then you both start down the beach again. You don’t talk, falling into a comfortable silence. Despite yourself, you’re really starting to like him. Maybe jail was a god send today.

You walk down the beach for a while, dancing in and out of conversation. Until your phone buzzes in your back pocket. Frowning, you pull out the phone. Once you check to see who it is, you blank.

“Shit,” You mutter as you see the blinking call sign and you’re mother face and contact above it.

JJ peers at the screen, and glances up to see your expression. “Is she still mad?”

“Beyond.” You sigh and put the phone back in your pocket, ignoring it. “But she’s always like that. I’ve learned that I need to giver her a day to cool off before I head home.”

JJ quirks a brow. “You’ve done this before.”

You lift a shoulder. “Back in Virginia, I was known to shop lift. Just a little. Ended up farther in jail than that.”

You throw a thumb back in the general direction of the station. JJ laughs. “So are you homeless?”

“For the night.” You answer without thinking. If you are, where are you gonna end up? On a bench? Crawling into your room at three am? You glance at the boy in front of you. Does he think you were asking him for a place to stay? You swallow and try to cover up by gesturing to the beach. “Should we continue our tour?”

JJ nods and you start walking, yet again. The sun is dipping lower on the horizon, and you know you’re going to face your sleeping situation soon enough. Back in Virginia, you usually crashed at a friends house. Or Ian’s apartment above the garage. Ian was taking a gap year before he headed off to college to travel, but that was put on the back burner because he needed to save more money and you moved.

After a while, JJ turns his blue eyes on you, and you can tell he’s searching for something. An answer.

“What’s with you and the Cameron's?”

You sigh, tucking your hands into your back pocket. “My father. He and Ward go way back. They used to go to high school together. They were both from the Cut and determined to get out of there. But they were rivals and have been every since.” You catch JJ’s eye and notice he’s watching and listening to you. All his attention on your words. Something about the way he was so intent on listening and paying attention made you want to tell him everything. Your life story. You wanted to tell this boy- one you just met (not to mention in a jail cell)- everything about you. What kind of ice cream you loved, your favorite color. What you wanted to study in college. Where you wanted to live.

So you kept talking, the words flowing naturally out of your mouth. “My dad’s an asshole. And a dirty business man. I mean, we weren’t well off in Virginia. And then suddenly he gets so much money he moves us. Not to mention in a very expensive home. On a beach.” You sigh, watching the sand and your feet as they carry to closer to the end of the beach. “So really I’m a pogue posing as a Richie.”

“Thank god.” JJ sighs. You head snaps up, confused. JJ grins at your confused expression. “I don’t like Kooks. But you’re a Pogue, so we’re good.”

You smile lightly, and then ease into a conversation. About your life. About his life. You learn all his little interests. And he learns how you broke your arm in third grade because Rebecca Pearson pushed you off the tree house. And how you love the color blue because it reminds you of the ocean and you’ve always been fascinated and in awe of it. You learn about how his mom died and how he’s just with his dad. How he’s a really good surfer. How he really wants a dog, but can’t have one. And you learn about his ‘family’ as he calls them. His friends: John B. who’s been his best friend since second grade; Kiara, the girl who’s got a foot in both worlds and big about the turtles; and Pope, the brains of the group who’s fathers a legend around the island.

By the time you lapse back into silence, the sun’s practically gone and the sky is darkening. You bite your lip. Maybe you do have to go home tonight.

JJ catches your worry. “You can come to my house if you want.”

You raise your eyebrows, surprised. JJ smirks. “I won’t make a move, don’t worry.”

You laugh. “Really? It’s totally fine. I can face my mom, promise.” You feel you’d be over stepping your fragile and new friendship.

He shakes his head. “No, look, it’s alright. I wouldn’t want to face my dad after I did something like that. I get it. It’s no big deal anyway.”

Something flashed in his eyes that you didn’t understand. But you knew he wanted to help you, and part of you wanted to go home with him. As more than a friend. So you agreed.

And naturally, as you started towards the surfer’s house, the flirting and sexual tension was amped up. His jokes got dirtier, and your flirting was becoming more and more obvious. And you weren’t scared of where it was headed. You definitely weren’t someone who slept around, but you did have a fair amount of boyfriends, and there was something about JJ. Something that made you fall instantly. It was the same thing that made you want to tell him everything about yourself. He was a strange magnet. With those eyes and words, he could easily pull you into his orbit, and you could feel yourself spilling into it. But you weren’t scared of it.

That’s why when his lips hit yours in the living room of his house, you kissed back just as hungrily. And when his hands slipped under your shirt, you arched into his touch and smiled as his lips traveled to suck on your neck. His fingers were magic, able to erupt want and need as he trailed them along your skin. And his lips were a sin sure to send you to hell. They sucked and put a welcome pressure along your body.

JJ pulled you with him to his room, where you stripped down without another thought. There was something so right and natural about this. You felt something when his eyes landed on you in the cell. And when you talked, you clicked. It was like the final puzzle piece you didn’t realize you missed until you had the whole picture. You’d been searching for it, and it finally clicked into place. And JJ, the boy before you, was that missing piece. No matter how crazy it sounded.

It was a blur of hot lips and heavy breathing. And pleasure exploding through every atom of your body as he hit spots you didn’t even know you had. You rolled around in the sheets, bodies aching for more and hearts beating rapidly. His touch was everywhere when your lips covered his skin with tiny whispers of love. The moment was perfect and he was perfect. And when you were done, sweaty and exhausted, you fit perfectly in his arms. Like you were made for him.

You turned in his arms to face him, eyes heavy with exhaustion, but you needed to say something. JJ watched you, blonde hair messy and sticking up in the places you tugged at. You smiled at the memory flooding your brain.

“Thank you for offering to save me, JJ.”

He grinned, eyes lighting up. “Any time, baby.”

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years

Text

Tokyo Tower (Part 4) Herzog, Bondarev, MC

It took me a while to figure out what angle I was going to go with this. I hope you enjoy it!

In the Tokyo port area, not far from the coast, the sound of the midnight tide can be faintly heard. The iron tower stands in the rainstorm, a stark and bony giant, silently supporting the sky.

Tokyo Tower.

This tower was once the high point of Tokyo, but now it has been replaced by the taller Tokyo Sky Tree. But looking up from directly below, one can still be amazed at its majesty. The jagged steel supports are more like the skeleton of a giant than a living giant.

"Ukyo, Ukyo, Ruri calling, report your position." Ruri Kazama's voice came over your headset.

"Arriving at the first floor of the underground garage. It's a little strange how quiet it is." Chu Zihang replied.

"After the Tokyo Sky Tree was built, this place has been forgotten. Who would come to the former tallest tower when you can climb the actual tallest tower to see Tokyo?" Ruri Kazama said, "That's why the King will choose this place for the meet up.”

His voice grows faint. “In the past, it was a Tokyo landmark. It appeared in various manga and movies. Couples saw climbing Tokyo Tower together as a romantic affair, and those who fell out of love came here to commit suicide. This place symbolizes the prosperity and loneliness of Tokyo. In ‘Tokyo Babylon’, there is a dead soul wandering in Tokyo Tower, and she says, "I hate Tokyo, so gorgeous on the outside, but so dirty on the inside.’"

"You don't seem to like Tokyo that much, do you?" Caesar said.

"Not only do I dislike it, I actually want to burn the city down. It's a sad city, like a colorful cage."

Lu Mingfei, next to you, gives you a searching look. “You like this guy?” He whispered.

The two of you were in your sniping positions on a building far from the tower. Your job was not to snipe Masamune Tachibana or Dr. Herzog -- aka King General -- but to control the perimeter to avoid their escape. You’d prepared yourself with rain proof gear and warm underclothes. You’d even brought snacks and a small thermos of tea to drink while you waited. You lay on a small pad to comfort yourself against the hard asphalt roof. It was almost like a camping trip.

To answer Mingfei’s question, you answer the comms. “It’s funny you say that, Ruri. I imagined one morning tilting the whole city into the sea.” You giggle.

Mingfei’s face twisted in sheer disbelief.

"Sorry to disturb the lovebirds’ very romantic conversation, but I'm wet and cold here in the void and also lonely. That is, needless to say, you guys' warm and blossoming words are driving me nuts!" Fingel's indignant voice came out of the headset, "Will you please shut up?"

"From my point of view, you are completely invisible, hidden really well. What is your position?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"The northwest side of the tower, about 60 meters from the special lookout. Do you want me to say hello and yell at you a few times? That way you can remember that there is a poor man like me shivering in the wind and rain!" Fingel said viciously "I mean, is this balloon really reliable?"

"It's a dirigible." Lu Mingfei corrected.

He put down his sniper rifle and lifted his binoculars to look at the sky. Following Fingel's instructions, he did see the huge black object suspended in the rainstorm, like a giant whale suspended in the restless sea. It was so close to the color of the sky that it was almost indistinguishable. But poor Fingel was handing underneath it by a rope in the rain.

“That’s a really cool idea, Mingfei. How did you come up with it?” You ask.

“Oh… I got inspired one day.” He lowered the binoculars and looked down at you. “What do you have there?”

“Chocolate chip cookies. Do you want one?” You held up a cookie the size of your hand and Mingfei’s eyes brightened!

Fingel moaned loudly and you grin.

"We have reached the second floor of the underground garage. There’s a problem." Chu Zihang said, "The rainstorm has been going on too long. The area is flooded. The water depth is half a meter. Caesar and I had to wade deep into the garage to find the pipe opening."

You can hear them splashing around and, leaning close to Mingfei’s ear, you whisper. “I think I picked the right job.”

"Basara! Ukyou! Quiet! Unidentified vehicles are approaching Tokyo Tower!" Ruri Kazama's voice came over the headset.

You quickly grab a cookie in your mouth and munch on it while watching through your rifle scope. A silver vintage Mercedes Benz drove through the rain-swept streets, kicking up a huge wake. It pulled into the basement level parking garage near where Caesar and Chu Zihang were. From there, there was an elevator that would take him directly up to the Tokyo Tower’s observation deck. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the high-speed elevator zoomed smoothly up the tower.

"It's Tachibana Masamune, who surprisingly arrived an hour early and drove himself here." Ruri Kazama whispered.

"He sounds like a very young man from the sound of his footsteps." Caesar said.

"To be sure, I can see him clearly from here. He has reached the main observation deck and is looking out the window. You are right, he is in a strange state tonight, like a young man. Like the Major Bondarev of old."

“Wow…” You breathe in amazement. “It’s really him.”

Even though he's far away and standing next to a window that’s running with rain, you recognize his upright and proud posture. You were an older orphan, a well trained soldier. He was always jolly and excited, with a disarming personality, a roguishly handsome face and well muscled body. Everyone was excited when Bondarev arrived.

Even now, you can hear Khorkina’s excited squealing echoing from the underworld. “It's Mr. Bondarev! He’s here!”

He always came with the Lenin. For you, he was like Santa Claus. But he was way hotter. Mr. Bondarev was like Santa the young women in the orphanage dreamed of marrying. Tonight, instead of a kimono, Bondarev wore the black trench coat of the Executive Board, with an open lapel revealing a white shirt with a colorful lining.

“Why are you smiling? This guy killed your friends!” Mingfei hissed.

“I know.” You whisper back. “But I haven’t seen this guy in forever and … this is amazing. He hasn’t changed at all.”

Bondarev fished out his cell phone and dialed. He started speaking in Japanese. “Mingfei, what is he saying?”

“He’s talking to Chisei. They’re talking about Erii. She’s okay.” Mingfei replies.

“That’s a relief. She was really sad but I comforted her. Don’t worry. She’ll wait for you.” You smile up at Mingfei but Mingfei doesn’t return it. You’re puzzled for a moment but then you shrug. “Don’t feel guilty about leaving her at the Hydras. You did the right thing. You’ll have another chance to go get her. Just don’t keep her waiting too long!”

The lights suddenly went out.

Tokyo tower suddenly turned into a lifeless ruin. Masamune's trench coat was shaking and snapping in a wind that blew in as emergency doors had opened on the observation deck. He showed no fear. His whole body looked like a taut longbow.

"Basara to Ruri! The power suddenly went out in the underground garage!" Caesar lowered his voice, "All the gates are closed!"

“Ruri here, not only is the power out at Tokyo Tower, but the surrounding blocks have gone dark, and the power supply to the entire district has been interrupted."

Ruri Kazama added, "But the lights of the stairs are on."

In the darkness, the iron staircase around Tokyo Tower was lit up. LED lights were installed underneath the staircase, and each step emitted a glowing white light, as if it were a path to heaven.

"After all these years, we're still in the habit of arriving early." A voice with a smile echoed around the tower. That voice came out of the Tokyo Tower's PA system, and there was no need for any listening device. Everyone could hear it clearly.

"That's the voice of The King General!" Lu Mingfei whispered.

“I know, stupid. I can hear it myself!” A jolt of shock echoed through your entire body. The voice reverberated like a bell, in a pure and recognizable Russian language with an accent native only to Northern Siberia. You hadn’t heard anyone speak your language for weeks and the familiarity by which your mind responded to the words sent sparks of pleasure through your mind.

It wasn’t just the voice of the King General. It was the voice of Dr. Herzog. The Herzog you grew up with, the one who raised you up. His voice echoed through the halls. It encouraged you. Praised you. Spoke your name. For you to hear it through the PA system on your naked ears, unfiltered by your headset… your heart responds as though he were speaking directly to you.

"Of course, it's always the first one to arrive who takes the first position. How can people like you and I allow each other to take the first position?" Bondarev looked around, "I'm late this time, what have you prepared waiting for me?"

“MC translation please…” Caesar grumbled.

“They’re not saying anything important.” You shake your head.

“Translation please….” Caesar’s voice echoed a bit warningly.

“Yes, sir.”

You speak in English for all to understand. "What else could it be? Of course it's authentic Red Label vodka and cold ice shipped from distant Siberia. Isn't that what friendship between men should be like? The liquor that burns the veins and the ice that never melts." Through the earpiece, you can hear the sound of vodka pouring straight from the bottle and the clinking of ice cubes. It was like he was sitting right next to you in the dark winter cabins of the north.

You can’t help yourself but smile. You knew this man. Were you not the only one frozen in the ice sea from twenty years ago? This is exactly a scene from your past being played out in real time!

"Why don't you walk faster? We have not seen each other for more than twenty years. You’ve gotten old. The world does not have much time for old people. We should seize every minute."

Your voice falls into the same tone and cadence of the King’s manner of speaking. You can’t see either of them now, but you can imagine him holding the glass up. He was probably going to toast to something. He always did.

"How can you not enjoy the overture before the official movement begins? Do you still listen to Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake'?" You are translating but it sparked a memory. “That’s right. Dr. Herzog loved Swan Lake. That’s why the port was called Black Swan Bay.”

"The favorite thing to listen to now is his Sixth Symphony, the swan song he wrote for himself." Your heart sinks when you hear this and translate. After you finish translating you say. “Herzog is dying.”

“How can you tell?” Caesar asked.

“Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony was the last one he ever wrote. After he performed it he died a few days later.” You answer.

“You seem to understand each other’s words very well. I wouldn’t have picked up on that…” Caesar commented.

You don’t answer him. The night before you had already discussed this with him. Even though you had learned a lot from Caesar and had adopted a few of his philosophies, you were still fundamentally the daughter that Herzog raised. It seemed like he still had a hard time accepting that.

"You look a bit ridiculous nowadays, Major Bondarev."

"You look a bit scary today, however, Dr. Herzog."

"Do you want to analyze the ingredients before you drink it?"

“You’re not going to poison me.”

"Shouldn't we share a toast?"

You huffed. “I knew he was going to do that.’

"To what? To the once glorious Soviet Union?" You can scarcely hold your laughter. These guys were exactly as you remembered him. It was almost like a scene from a movie you’d watched dozens of times.

You sigh, once again falling into Herzog’s way of speaking, gesturing with the glass like he always did. "There is no need to raise a glass to it. It is dead. Let’s celebrate that we have all survived, that those who survive are the strong, and that the strong raise their glasses to each other."

Your hand pauses in the air with its invisible glass.

“Ah. So is that why we have a third glass here?” Bondarev said.

“You also have seen the girl?” Herzog said.

You’re so shocked that you forget to translate. You spin so fast, Lu Mingfei jumps out of his skin. You press your eye to the scope. But you can’t really see them any more.

Bondarev is speaking now. “Yes, I have to say, I struggled to keep my composure. Looking at her was like looking at a ghost. When did you see her?”

“I didn’t personally see her. It was reported back to me.” Herzog said.

Caesar’s voice. “MC!”

“Sorry!” You gasp. “They’re talking about me! They’re… they’re raising their glasses… to me. To the … only girl who made it out of Black Swan Bay to study.” Your voice fades and becomes choked with emotion. But not for your dead friends. You felt sad for the little girl you used to be who looked up to Herzog. Herzog was a loving and caring personality that little girl had wanted desperately to please. She had worked hard to the end for his smile of approval. But the whole time, he knew she was going to die.

Tonight, he was forced to give that smile of approval. Despite his plans, you did make it. You steel yourself again against the tragedy, not allowing yourself to cry or even feel sad for long. “Yeah. A toast to me, asshole, I’m going to shoot you in your head for my graduation party.” You snarl.

“I got worried there for a second.” Caesar said.

“I’m fine. They’re just sweeping the area for bugs now. But they won’t find any.”

Herzog and Bondarev each took off their outerwear and threw it on the ground, pulling up the sleeves of their shirts, moving neatly as if to admire themselves in the mirror.

"What is the meaning of this? Do old friends meet to strip naked and hug?" Fingel monitored every movement in the special observation deck.

"No, except for the outer clothing, their clothes are very close fitting, which means they can't hide bulky weapons under their clothes, such as guns. Rolling up their sleeves is a sign that they don't have throwing knives hidden on their wrists, which are no less deadly than bullets at that distance." Ruri Kazama said, "It's a way for spies to show the other side that they are 'clean'."

"What classic old spies!" Fingel exclaimed.

You chuckle. “Right out of James Bond. Oh, they’re talking now. I don’t quite understand what it means. Bondarev is asking Herzog if he wants to ascend to the throne of the world. And he says that Dragons can live over a thousand years and be reborn through… cocooning? What does it mean?”

Chu Zihang responded. “Dragon Kings, when they hatch, create an alchemical device called an ‘egg’. Through a special process, if they get mortally wounded, they can put themselves in this ‘egg’ device and regenerate. So long as they can make their egg, and protect it, they will never die.”

You nod. “It sounds like Herzog wants to evolve into a dragon. Turn into a dragon. He says that’s the only way he knows that he is really existing, is if he’s at the very top of the food chain. If nothing else can eat him then he is truly alive. The rest of the world is just food.”

A soft moan interrupts your listening and translation work. Lu Mingfei is wincing and sighing with his eyes tightly shut. His hand is against his forehead. “Mingfei! Are you alright?”

He doesn’t answer immediately. He doesn’t even seem to hear you at all. You shake his shoulders. “Mingfei! Are you using a Soul Skill? Is this sequelae?” You try to look into his eyes but they’re closed! “Mingfei!”

Mingfei’s whole body gave a tremendous shiver. Even though the rain was cold, he was sweating.

You kneel next to him. “It’s okay. I’m here. Are you sick?”

“MC, for the last time, I don’t need you to worry about Mingfei’s panic attacks, I need you to translate!”

“I’m … I’m sorry! Bondarev’s saying. ‘What makes a child whose life is as fragile as a broken candle catch your attention, Doctor?’”

“Herzog is saying that only one out of 100,000 humans exposed to dragon blood will survive. That he is 1 in 100,000. But also, Bondarev’s daughter is 1 in 100,000! He’s talking about Erii!”

"He says that the power of any evolutionary drug can only end up creating deadpool. The real evolution drug is an alchemical drug and the core ingredient is the blood of ancient dragons, especially the fetal blood of the White King. By obtaining that fetal blood, they have the opportunity to create the perfect evolutionary drug." Your voice rises in panic.

“They’re going to use it on Erii! They’re going to turn Erii into a dragon!”

#dragon raja

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sailorgreywolf-legacy · 3 years

Text

The Morality of Conquest

This is for the fourth day of @historical-hetalia-week

Plot: The Netherlands finally reaches his limit listening to Spain’s accounts of the New World. He decides to confront him no matter the consequences.

Characters: Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico

Year: 1550s-ish

Content Warning: Mentions of death and violence.

Word Count: 1.9K

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

The Netherlands was aware that he was about to do something regrettable which would definitely get him consequences. He had been thinking about it for days.

If his sister was at court, she would tell him to never act on the thoughts that were plaguing him. She had to act as his restraint at times that he found Spain absolutely repugnant.

But she was in Brussels and he was in Madrid alone. As he sat in court listening to Spain boast about his new found wealth to any foreign delegate he could find.

He boasted like a poor man who had suddenly come into money. It seemed like he thought that his plunder made him a rich man with dignity, even though it did nothing more than make him seem like a brigand. A pious man should know the way that wealth corrupted the soul.

Even so, the Netherlands had held his tongue. He found the whole thing to be deeply distasteful, but picking a fight with Spain was a serious discussion. He had done nothing but sit there seething the night before when he had heard Spain offering to show an Austrian noble “the treasures of Montezuma.”

There were still marks on his palm from where he had clenched his fists hard enough to drive his nails into his own skin. He looked at them as he laid awake, and tried to make sense of his own rage.

It was infuriating to hear a man boast and brag about the gold he had gained by spilling rivers of blood. Spain had left a little boy an orphan, and he was talking as though it had been a marvelous adventure.

The Netherlands could clearly see little Mexica’s face in his mind’s eye, and it made him angrier. That boy was an innocent, and Spain had ripped his family from him cruelly. The only real kindness was that he was in Madrid far away from the continuing excesses and cruelties of the men that Spain let run rampant. That would be too much for a child as young and sweet for him to endure.

The Netherlands stared at the carved woodwork on the ceiling and tried to decide what to do. What he wanted most was to give Spain a piece of his mind. He wanted to tell him that no godly man should revel in such violence or greed. It was clear that Spain had fallen for the lure of gold and power, and was willing to bend every commandment to have it. He didn’t even seem bothered by the life he had taken.

The Netherlands tried to summon to mind his sister’s voice to mind to tell him to be cautious. She would remind him that no matter how much he disliked Spain, he was still their lord. It was a short step from criticism to rebellion, especially in Spain’s eyes.

But, as he watched the marks on his palms heal, he tried to decide if he would compromise his own soul by staying silent and complicit. It felt like he had to voice this anger for the sake of himself and his own morality.

He let out a sigh, and turned over onto his side. It was easy to say that he shouldn’t be rash and should think of the consequences, but it didn’t square with his own conscious. He decided that he would sleep on it and decide in the morning.

By the time he sat down for breakfast the Netherlands was no closer to a decision, but he had thought about the question through the whole restless night. Confronting Spain about his boasting was no easy thing, but it felt so wrong to bite his tongue and let it fester.

He sat at the table and stared moodily at the food. He was not the least bit hungry, though he had not eaten since the night before.

As he sat thinking, he heard a sweet voice say in slightly clumsy Spanish, “Good morning, Mr. Holland.”

He looked up to see that Mexica, rechristened New Spain, was sitting at the table next to him. He gave the Netherlands a broad smile, like he was truly happy to see him.

The Netherlands noticed that there was a gap in his teeth where one had fallen out. He looked like any other little boy, and a joyful one at that. If he did not know the bloody circumstances that brought Mexica to Spain, the Netherlands would think that he was a carefree little boy like any other. But he had read the report from de las Casas, and the images of carnage would not leave his mind.

If the child remembered anything of the horrors that Spain had unleashed on his people, then he hid it well. For his sake, the Netherlands hoped that Mexica had forgotten.

He replied, “Good morning, Alejandro.”

The little boy was struggling to peel an orange with his small hands, and as the Netherlands watched he bit his lip and looked very determined. He extended his hand to the boy and said, “Do you want me to help you with that?”

Mexica nodded and eagerly handed over the orange. The Netherlands was able to make short work of the peel with the help of a small knife. As he was working, he said, “What are you going to do today?”

For the briefest moment he felt like he might actually like children as Mexica smiled at him like he was doing something miraculous by peeling an orange. Mexica started to respond, “I was thinking-“

Spain's voice cut in harshly, “He will be busy with bible study and reviewing his Spanish. He has much to learn to learn about civilization, and I will not have him distracted by frivolity.”

Spain sat at the head of the table. The Netherlands watched as the smile disappeared from the boy’s face. The happiness was extinguished as quickly as a candle being snuffed out. He took the peeled orange back in silence.

The anger that the Netherlands was repressing flared to the surface again. Spain had left this child an orphan and all but kidnapped him from his home, and still felt like he had any ground to lecture anyone on what it meant to be a civilized man.

He curled both of his hands into fists, and grit his teeth. His decision was made, though he could not do it in front of little Mexica. He said, his jaw still tense, “Alejandro, please leave. I have something I have to say to Spain.”

The little boy looked confused, but did as he was told. He first looked at Spain and then left.

Then Spain turned to the Netherlands with a look that would have been a warning to a cautious man. He said, “What could you possibly want to say to me?”

His tone also should have been a warning, but the Netherlands was past caring. He had already weighed all the consequences and come to this conclusion anyway.

He said, as calmly as he could muster, “You should have some shame when you talk about the murder you committed.”

Spain’s green eyes flashed a dangerous rage, but he sounded carefully calm as he said, “And what murder is that?”

The Netherlands knew he had committed and there was no way to back out. He met Spain's eyes unflinchingly and said, “Alejandro’s mother. The Aztec empire. You killed her in cold blood, and you have the gall to boast about it.” Spain scoffed, but there was no mirth in his face, “You’re faulting me for killing an enemy in battle. You’ll have to condemn the whole continent.”

The Netherlands shook his head. He had heard Spain’s version, but it made no sense with everything else he had read about the wretched state of the natives. He countered, “A woman who was deathly ill and trying to protect her son. You killed her to have her gold.”

He could see from the way a vein started pounding in Spain’s forehead that he had touched a sensitive nerve. He surreptitiously took the knife that he had used to peel the orange and tucked it under the napkin in his lap. He didn’t think that Spain would attack him, but he couldn’t reckon with a brute.

Spain said, looking like it was taking every inch of his self control not to yell, “I gave her the chance to accept the true faith, and she refused. I did what I had to.”

The Netherlands stood and said, his own voice rising, “Are you God? Do you decide who is worthy of salvation?” He surreptitiously tucked the knife up his sleeve to have a little bit of insurance if Spain lost control of his temper.

He shook his head as he watched Spain’s face go pale with rage, and said, “No, you’re just a man like any of us.” Spain said shortly, “You will not speak blasphemy in my presence.”

The Netherlands could not care less about the warning. This was not the moment to air his grievances with the church, though he certainly did not accept their definition of heresy either.

Spain did not give him enough time to respond, because he also stood up and said, “I was given that land by the Pope, and I have his blessing to convert the people. He speaks for God.”

The other man laughed, but it was a scornful laugh, “Rodrigo Borgia gave you the right to do as you pleased. A less holy man never sat on Saint Peter’s throne. I’m sure you paid him well for the privilege.”

He had thought it for years, but finally saying the words to Spain’s face felt more cathartic than he had imagined. Spain looked momentarily speechless, though the rage would undoubtedly return.

The Netherlands stepped closer, perfectly aware that he had nearly a foot of height on the Spaniard. If this was going to be a fight, he wanted to be intimidating. He said, “I do not care that a corrupt Spanish Pope granted you the right to be a brigand. You should not boast about your blood soaked gold.”

Spain recovered from his initial shock and snarled back, “Everything that I have done I have done for the church. You will not insult my faith.”

The Netherlands was tired of Spain pretending to be a pious man. He was happy enough to sin and confess later. He loved the church as long as the church allowed his excesses. The Netherlands said, “And how much of your newfound wealth have you given to the church?”

He knew the answer already. Once Spain had secured his wealth he was not going to be parted with it. Like any poor man, he was clinging to money.

Spain stepped forward, clearly trying to assert his position as an empire. He said, “I do not have to justify my patronage of the church to you. If I hear another word of heresy from your lips, then the Inquisition will hear about it.”

That threat was enough to stop the Netherlands from saying anything else. There were consequences that he was willing to say, but the horrors of the Inquisition were a step too far.

He held his tongue, and he was certain that Spain saw it on his face. Spain said, capitalizing on the silence, “There are consequences for your words. You will leave court today, and you will not repeat anything that you just said.”

Spain looked far too smug in his victory and the Netherlands was not going to allow it. He replied, “Very well. I do not want to be here to see you parading your spoils anyway.”

As he turned to walk away, Spain said, “Watch your back, Johann. One more misstep and I will bring my entire army down on you.”

#historicalhetaliaweek #hhw day 4 #hws spain #cw death #cw violence #hws netherlands #hws mexico

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